Digital Commons Network^™

Double Exposure: Motherhood And Filmmaking, Eddy Berzak

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This capstone project explores the intersection of motherhood and filmmaking through a reflexive documentary that examines how women directors have historically navigated the tensions between creative careers and raising children. Drawing on feminist film theory and autoethnographic methods, the fourteen-minute video essay analyzes three pioneering autobiographical documentaries from the 1970s—Joyce at 34 (1973), Nana, Mom and Me (1974), and Women Are Naturally Creative: Agnès Varda (1977)—alongside original footage documenting my own experience as a mother with deferred filmmaking aspirations. The project employs reflexive documentary techniques to weave together film analysis and personal narrative, investigating the central question: why didn't I …

Online Resources For Oral Communication Courses, Sean P. Palmer

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Online resources focusing on oral communication skills are lacking, even as online education itself expands. While I was aware of this lack, I didn’t realize its severity until LaGuardia Community College went fully remote during the 2020 global pandemic, and I was looking for online tutoring aids for oral communication. Furthermore, the information presented online is frequently unsuitable for the purposes of online pedagogy due to its specialized and jargony mode of presentation. Also, many existing assignments involving oral communication assume public speaking as the default model, despite the growing importance of emergent digital modes of oral performance, like podcasting …

Bmp Signaling Co-Regulation Of Immune Response And Lipid Metabolism, Katerina K. Yamamoto

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The Bone Morphogenetic Proteins (BMPs) are secreted peptide ligands of the Transforming Growth Factor beta (TGF-β) family, initially identified for their roles in development and differentiation across animal species. They are now increasingly recognized for their roles in physiology and infectious disease. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, the BMP ligand DBL-1 controls fat metabolism and immune response, in addition to its roles in body size regulation and development. DBL-1 regulates classical aspects of innate immunity, including the induction of anti-microbial peptides. We theorized that BMP-dependent regulation of fat metabolism could also promote resilience against microbial pathogens. We found that …

Socioeconomic Stasis And Racial Immobility In The United States: How Does American Political Polarization Contribute To African American Poverty?, Carmel Agnant

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

African Americans in the United States presently exist in a poverty-stasis, a perpetual social and economic underclass positioning despite a constantly evolving American economy, society, and bodies of legislations due to political polarization. This follows a lengthy history of racial immobility (preventing a racial group from economic mobility) and stagnation since America’s era of sectional polarization over slavery. African Americans lack access to build wealth and have always struggled with societal exclusion. Legislation created and enacted that would support them politically, legally, socially, and/or economically are consistently met with legislative gridlock or countervailing measures to reverse and nullify advancements in …

Re-Envisioning Digital Agency: From Representationalism To Interpretant-Driven Epistemology, Michael C. Lee

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This thesis examines the epistemological and ethical foundations of digital technologies, particularly code and algorithmic systems, by considering their entanglement with representationalism. Arguing that code now functions as a dominant social agent and epistemic subject, through the concept of the Code’s-eye view, I explore how automated datafication reduces human experience to quantifiable inputs, reinforcing epistemic closure and social fragmentation. Drawing on pragmatist philosophy, including Peirce’s semiotics, Dewey’s democratic ethics, and Rorty’s conversational inquiry, I propose an interpretant-driven epistemology grounded in communal inquiry and interpretive openness. This alternative framework resists the binary logic of algorithmic rationality by emphasizing conflict and the …

Mechanisms Of Sleep Regulation In Drosophila Melanogaster, Anfal A. Abuhilal

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Sleep is a fundamental biological need, and sufficient sleep is required for physical and mental well-being. Sleep is regulated by two biological mechanisms: sleep-wake homeostasis and circadian rhythm. Circadian rhythms are near 24-h rhythms in behavior and physiology that are generated by endogenous mechanisms. In mammals, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is the central circadian pacemaker, which is known to receive a significant amount of serotonergic input that likely modulates sleep rhythms. In addition to circadian modulation, sleep is subject to homeostatic regulation. Several neuromodulators have been proposed as mediators of sleep homeostasis. Serotonin has been implicated in sleep drive and …

Prerogative In Common: On The Emancipatory Potential Of Radical Mutuality Amid Sovereign Decisionism, Matthew Builes

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In times of crisis, liberal democracies resort to authoritarian measures that undermine core democratic values. Dominant thought in the study of emergency-era law and politics appeal to a dichotomy of normal and exceptional times, to critique or justify the turn to sovereign decisionism. While this strategy seems clear-cut, the persistence of exceptional spaces and the crises that supposedly generate them challenge existing frameworks by blurring the line between norm and exception. This project explores the prospect of radical mutual aid, as a transformative response to the enduring crisis of modernity.

Unveiling The Precision Of Physiological Signals In Prediction Error During Fear Learning: Insights From Associative Strength And Generalized Uncertainty, Haja H. Jallo-Jamboria

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Prediction error (PE) is the discrepancy between expected and actual outcomes. It is a central mechanism in associative learning particularly within fear-conditioning paradigms. Identifying physiological markers of PE in aversive contexts has important implications for refining learning models and enhancing clinical interventions for anxiety-related disorders. This study examined skin conductance response (SCR) as a potential physiological index of PE by analyzing both anticipatory and omission-related responses across multiple learning phases. Participants completed a Pavlovian fear-conditioning paradigm in which two conditioned stimuli (CS+) signaled threat at different reinforcement probabilities: CS+100 (certain threat) and CS+50 (uncertain threat), alongside a non-reinforced safety cue …

Wavelength And Luminance Interaction On Spatio-Temporal Contrast Sensitivity Function, Taylan S. Ergun

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Contrast sensitivity (CS) measures the ability to discriminate objects from their backgrounds under varying conditions(Campbell & Robson, 1968). Contrast sensitivity is important for navigating the real world and operating under different light conditions. The contrast sensitivity function (CSF) reflects how the visual system performs under different conditions. This measure is crucial in assessing the health of the visual system (Chen & Gardner, 2021). CSF contributes to a deeper understanding of how the visual system processes and integrates properties of light to create visual sensation and perception. Human contrast sensitivity depends on the viewing conditions such as field size, luminance, color, …

Crisis Narratives And The Vicissitudes Of Haitian Foodways: A Critical Comparison Of Three Food Items, Marc S. Gabriel

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Polities and media external to Haiti direct a lot of narrative focus on the country being the source of its own protracted crises. This represents a powerful narrative hegemony that casts the post-colonial nation as a zone of perpetual disasters or crisis. To maintain that narrative domination over Haiti, opportunistic observers of Haiti’s media spectacles of crisis only need to atomize the country’s newest crisis or natural disaster from the history that situates it. The elision of the Haitian memory – a memory of structural adjustment programs, systematic displacement, foreign-sponsored paramilitary violence, erosion of peasant foodways and agriculture – from …

Structural Characterization Of A Tarantula Toxin And Its Interactions With Lipid Bilayers And Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels, Krishnakoli Adhikary

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Voltage-gated ion channels are membrane protein complexes. They allow the selective flow of their respective ions down an electrochemical gradient through a central ion conduction pore surrounded by four voltage-sensing domains (VSDs). Various neurological and cardiovascular diseases are caused by mutations in voltage-gated ion channels (VGICs). One of the biggest challenges today is addiction to opioid medication. Coming up with non-opioid drug leads can be a real blessing for society. This is where voltage-gated sodium channel research comes in. Na_v1.7, Na_v1.8, and Na_v1.9 are responsible for pain sensations. Loss or gain of function in …

Improving The Assessment Of Functional Ability In Older Adults, Aneela Rahman

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Deficits in instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) are a hallmark of dementia, and the unprecedented aging of the population strongly motivates early identification of older adults at-risk for functional decline. In 2015, the White House Conference on Aging emphasized the need to improve detection of diminished capacity across important areas of functioning. To date, there is very limited research on early IADL changes in cognitively unimpaired (CU) individuals and those with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), who may be in early preclinical dementia stages. Additionally, little is known about how changes in functional brain networks …

Underrepresentation Of African American Women Superintendents In The Public Schools Of Texas: Descriptions Of Their Lived Experiences, Shani R. Wyllie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The problem addressed through this study was the underrepresentation of African American women superintendents in the public-school districts of Texas, despite women making up a majority of the public-school workforce. The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of African American women superintendents regarding the support and barriers they encountered as they navigated their journeys to the position of public school district superintendent in Texas. The study was grounded in the Black feminist thought framework. Five semistructured interviews were conducted with currently serving African American women superintendents in Texas. The participants had been in the …

The Bridwell Quarterly Issue 28 Summer 2025, Anthony Elia, Michelle S. Ried

Bridwell Library Publications

No abstract provided.

Fractures In Parkinson's Disease: Pathophysiology, Prevention, And Orthopedic Outcomes., Ali Osman, Tala Maya, Rayyan Bhutta, Natasha Doshi, Maryam Khan, Sara Shah, Paslene Periceles, Janae Rasmussen

Surgery Articles

Fractures are an important comorbidity in Parkinson's disease (PD), which can result in disability, mortality, and high healthcare costs. Impaired mobility, postural instability, bradykinesia, muscle rigidity, and decreased bone mineral density (BMD) contribute to the increased risk of falls, which often result in hip and upper extremity fractures. Hip fractures in patients with PD are associated with an increased hospital length of stay and a decline in functional independence. Multimodal fall prevention in PD is well established, but prevention of fractures is often underutilized, despite evidence-based interventions. Information on fall-related fracture outcomes after exercise interventions is an area warranting further …

Advancements In Diversity In Dermatology: A 5-Year Retrospective Analysis Of Racial And Ethnic Trends In U.S. Dermatology Residency Programs (2020-2024), Devin Barzallo, Afua Ofori-Darko, Larissa De Souza, Precious Nwanwa, Timmie Sharma

Student Scholarship

Diversity in residency programs is important for achieving health equity. Although targeted initiatives have led to some progress, dermatology residency trainees do not proportionally reflect the growing diversity of the U.S. population. We analyzed data from the Association of American Medical Colleges on residents from 2020 to 2024 to evaluate evolving diversity trends.

Malignancy-Associated Renal Infarction: A Case Of Prostate Cancer Presenting With Flank Pain And Hematuria., Connor J Stinson, Alec Pupo, Patrick Laird

Internal Medicine Resident Research

Renal infarction is an uncommon but critical diagnosis that is frequently overlooked due to its nonspecific presentation and overlap with more common causes of abdominal or flank pain. Patients with malignancy, including metastatic prostate cancer, are at increased risk of thromboembolic events due to the intrinsic hypercoagulable state promoted by cancer, yet arterial events, such as renal infarction, remain underrecognized. We present the case of a 74-year-old male with metastatic castrate-sensitive prostate cancer who developed acute abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. Evaluation revealed elevated blood pressure, microscopic hematuria, and increased lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis …

Vol. 54, No. 1: Full Issue, Denver Journal Of International Law & Policy

Denver Journal of International Law & Policy

No abstract provided.

Research And Development Agenda For Small Islands In The Philippines: Results From A Multi-Stakeholder National Forum, Rodmyr F. Datoon, Ron Jay P. Dangcalan, Marissa S. Pontillas, Marie Gianina Concepcion S. Decano, Melissa Grace C. Olit, Jenny Mei S. Peroy, Eva Marie C. Ponce De Leon, Cristine L. Pingal, Restie Allan A. Puno, Jackielyn S. Abela, Lenard D. Visaya

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

The Philippines has 7,641 islands, most of which are small and underdeveloped. While studies have been done on topics such as poverty reduction, climate change, and economic development, there is no integrated research and development (R&D) agenda for small islands. Furthermore, literature points to the lack of consensus on the definition of small islands. As such, the study wove together existing bodies of knowledge and stakeholder perspectives on small islands in the country using a qualitative research design. Data were collected through a desk review, workshops, and key informant interviews. Four categories of small islands were proposed, namely micro-island, small …

Power And Inclusivity: Bolognesi Lgbtq Activists Reflect On The Italian Language, Lauren E. Duncan, Bruno Grazioli

Psychology: Faculty Publications

Research in psychology and linguistics identifies ways grammatically gendered language affects the ways in which people think, perceive, and make judgements in everyday life in ways that disadvantage women, and more recently, non-binary and trans people. Activists, scholars, and politicians have worked to identify and remedy the masculinist bias in the Italian language, with mixed results. In this research article we describe how ten Italian feminist LGBTQIA+ activists interviewed in Bologna in 2019 negotiate gendered language in their everyday lives and in their activism. Themes mentioned by the activists include how language constructs reality, both in its current restriction of …

Ageism In Employment, Aaron Li, Natalie Galucia, Cal J. Halvorsen

Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging

The World Health Organization defines ageism as stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination directed at individuals based on their age. As people remain in the labor force longer, they are increasingly exposed to ageist attitudes and discrimination. Ageism often manifests through negative assumptions about older workers’ abilities, adaptability, and value in the workplace. Older workers are frequently perceived as less competent, resistant to new technology, inflexible, or physically and mentally less capable.

How Do Self-Employment Rates Change Across The Lifespan?, Cal J. Halvorsen, Bruna C. Lopez

Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging

People pursue self-employment for a variety of reasons, including autonomy, the ability to pursue their own goals, and income. Yet for many older people who are not yet eligible for Social Security retirement benefits, which can begin at age 62, or Medicare, the U.S. health insurance program that generally begins at age 65, self-employment is also associated with less health insurance and retirement savings program coverage. 1,2 3,4

This research brief asks, What is the proportion of Americans who are self-employed, and how do these rates change throughout the life course?

Outcomes Of Bio-Psycho-Social-Spiritual Communitybased Drug Rehabilitation Program For Voluntary Vs. Court-Mandated Clients In The Philippines, Maria Regina M. Hechanova, Trixie Anne Co, Fessa R. Egusquiza

Psychology Department Faculty Publications

This study sought to evaluate the outcomes of a community- based rehabilitation program for voluntary and court-mandated drug users in the Philippines. Participants went through a bio-psycho-social-spiritual group-based program that aimed to develop their recovery skills and life skills. The program also included family modules to enhance their knowledge of drug use, its effects, and the role of family in recovery. A cohort design was used with pre- and posttest surveys administered before and immediately after the program. The sample consisted of 105 voluntary clients and 118 court-mandated clients who underwent screening or drug dependency evaluation and were recommended for …

“Lead”Ing Industrial Science: Studying Occupational Lead Poisoning In The Early 20th Century, Rebekah E. Dreyer-Rowe

Master's Theses and Capstones

Lead was essential to the creation and coalescence of industrial hygiene as a discipline in the United States from its early days in the 1910s through the 1930s when the first professional associations of industrial hygiene were formed. In the early years, Alice Hamilton was central to the burgeoning field, and her seminal study on lead poisoning in Illinois industries thrust both her and her methods into the spotlight. Industrial hygienists of her generation followed her methods and came away with similar conclusions: that occupational diseases were rampant in the US, even if few people were studying them. In the …

Chem 125-041: General Chemistry I, Kevin Koh

Chemistry, Environmental and Forensic Science Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Chem 125-H01: General Chemisty I Honors, Kevin Koh

Chemistry, Environmental and Forensic Science Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Chem 126-009: General Chemistry Ii, Gregory Edens

Chemistry, Environmental and Forensic Science Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Chem 126-101: General Chemistry Ii, Sean Lee

Chemistry, Environmental and Forensic Science Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Chem 490-001: Chemical Ecology The Chemistry Of Living Things, Gullermo Jimenez Aleman

Chemistry, Environmental and Forensic Science Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Em 631-851: Legal Aspects In Environmental Engineering, Michael Bonchonsky

Chemistry, Environmental and Forensic Science Syllabi

No abstract provided.