Synthesis Of Small Molecules As Therapeutic Candidates, Savia Boyer

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

RNA plays a critical role in many biological functions, such as normal cellular functions or disease-related processes. Regulating biological processes through RNA-based therapeutics can be employed by the reversible photoregulation of oligonucleotides. Azobenzene, a light-responsive compound that changes conformation when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) or visible light, is attached to cytidine phosphoramidite to be incorporated in a series of RNA oligonucleotides. The reversibility of the nucleoside and oligonucleotide is verified through UV melting point experiments. The modified oligonucleotide can change conformation upon light irradiation to stop reverse transcription (RT) in the presence of many different reverse transcriptase enzymes. This technique …

Investigation Of The Binding Mechanism Between The Supplemental And Tail Regions Of Mirna And Mrna Within Argonaute 2, Christina Ms Karadiakos

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

MicroRNAs (miRNA) are a class of small non-coding RNAs that play a key role in gene silencing. miRNAs form an RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) with the argonaute 2 (AGO2) protein in order to control gene expression through silencing messenger RNAs (mRNA). The ability for a miRNA-mRNA complex to fit into AGO2 and form the RISC is based on the location and characteristics of a central bulge, but the mechanism and interactions that lead to a functional RISC remain unknown. Using available experimental data, we modeled the miR-34 and NOTCH1 duplex inside of AGO2 with only the seed region base paired. …

Embracing The Unmanageable: The Critique Of The Everyday And The Postwar Condition In Wallace Stevens’ And Robert Duncan’S Works Circa 1950, Kazuma Morita

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

My thesis is designed as an investigation of the ethical and political implications of the everyday in postwar American poetry. While recent scholarship of everyday life studies has clarified the centrality of the everyday or the ordinary to modernism and postwar literature, it does not elaborate enough on the impact of the political condition on literary expressions of everyday life in post-1945 period. Given U.S. military’s infiltration into everyday life of people living inside and outside the country after World War II, it is an important task to spotlight the way American postwar poets tackled U.S. war culture through their …

Simulating A Multi-Tier Intervention For Refugee Mental Health Using Agent-Based Modeling, Bishan Huang

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Increasing numbers of people are fleeing political violence and becoming refugees who resettle all around the world.Compared to the general population in the countries where they resettle, refugees disproportionately suffer from depression and higher trauma-related mental health symptoms including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to the experiences that led to their refugee status, as well as post-migration stressors, disadvantages in multiple social determinants of health, and lack of social support. New York City has received refugees from over 50 countries and may require policy and infrastructure changes to meet refugee mental health needs, especially in face of the recent surge …

Postcolonial Notions Of Criminality In Jane Eyre And Wide Sargasso Sea, Hannah M. Karim

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This thesis will use Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre and Jean Rhys’s Wide Sargasso Sea to gain a greater understanding of the postcolonial notions of criminality that are sustained and reproduced through racialized purity rhetoric and hierarchy. I argue that the restriction of the definition of the human, within scientific, religious, and legal realms, functioned towards the colonial end of sustaining racial hierarchy. In terms of its means of functioning, I argue that its need to function discretely is a direct response to the abolishment of slavery and with it, the shifting social demand for an appearance of reason, moral righteousness, …

Elucidating The Effects Of Environmental And Physiological Conditions On Stem Cell Regulation In Vivo, Nimmy John

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

The Notch signaling pathway is a highly conserved intercellular signaling pathway that any dysregulation can lead to a variety of human diseases. These diseases are further exacerbated by various environmental, pathological and genetic conditions. Previous studies have shown that these conditions have been known to affect the Notch transcriptional response. However, the molecular mechanisms by which such conditions influence Notch signaling remained largely unknown. Moreover, most Notch studies have relied on in vitro systems and indirect reporters, which can miss the dynamic and contextual nature of Notch signaling. Here, we systematically analyzed the effects of these conditions with single molecule …

Conserved A-Rich Regions In The 3’ Utr Of Zika Virus Differentially Affect Viral Gene Expression, Kristen Kaytes

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Following its discovery in 1947, Zika virus garnered little attention in the global stage until a rapidly spreading epidemic brough the virus to the global stage in 2015. Continuous advances in research have begun to further the understanding of the molecular biology of Zika virus, however much is still unknown. Much of our understanding of the virus comes from cross reference to other viruses within the same family, such as Dengue virus and West Nile virus. A commonality of these viruses is that they resemble cellular mRNAs and have a single-stranded positive-sense RNA genome that contains a 5’-cap but lacks …

Demonstration And Assessment Of Dark Field And Phase X-Ray Computed Tomography, Wadiah Hamed Allahyani

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Conventional computed tomography produces a 2D slice or 3D image from multiple conventional images to avoid overlapping structures and increase visualization of the internal features of the object. A set up, macro controls and processing for computed tomography was created for the Center for X-ray Optics for the first time, and demonstrated in this work. Adding differential phase contrast to conventional x-ray images highlights edges. Two more channels of information, dark field and integrated phase, improve the contrast and increase the signal-to-noise ratios of the image. Combining these channels with computed tomography is an important development. This work is the …

Associations Of Screen Time, Growth, And Sleep In The Upstate Kids Study, Brooke Turcotte

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

In the modern digital era, children are increasingly engaging with digital media (i.e., screen time), and the health-related implications of increased screen time are not fully understood. Excessive screen time in early childhood is increasingly recognized as a potential contributing factor to adverse health outcomes, including increased body mass index (BMI) and disrupted sleep patterns. Despite American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry recommendations for limiting screen time, studies indicate that many children surpass these guidelines, leading to concerns about reduced physical activity and disrupted sleep. Sedentary behaviors associated with screen time have been linked to increased risk of obesity, …

Exploring Rna Dynamics: Insights Into Structural Modifications, Splicing Regulation, And Biological Function, Zohreh Nowzari

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

The post-transcriptional regulation of RNA, particularly through alternative splicing (AS) and chemical modifications, plays a critical role in gene expression and is linked to many human diseases. This thesis investigates three interconnected aspects of RNA and DNA dynamics and their regulation, providing new insights into cellular function.

First, we examine how RNA modifications influence the structural stability of transfer RNA Phenylalanine (tRNA^Phe) in S. cerevisiae. Using temperature replica exchange molecular dynamics (T-REMD) simulations, we show that specific modifications create a network of interactions essential for maintaining tRNA’s tertiary structure. Interestingly, magnesium ions (Mg2+) can compensate for the …

Enhancing Crispr-Cas12a Activity Through Guide Rna Methylation, Hilal Dagci

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

CRISPR-Cas12a is a rapidly evolving technology for improved gene editing in cells, as well as in vivo. The system, consisting of Cas12a nuclease and approximately 40-nt long guide RNA (gRNA), can efficiently recognize and cut genomic double-stranded DNA (dsDNA). Chemical modifications to the gRNA can potentially improve its dsDNA binding and enhance Cas12a-mediated nuclease activity. In this work, 5-methyl cytidine (m5C) and N6-methyl adenosine (m6A) were explored to improve the binding between gRNA and target DNA. Phosphoramidites of m5C and m6A were used to construct a library of gRNAs using solid phase RNA synthesis. Tm studies were carried out …

Identifying The Impacts Of Land Use/Land Cover Changes On Ecosystem Services From A Geospatial Perspective In Albany County, Kyaw Khaung Thant Zin

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Ecosystem services encompass the broad array of direct and indirect advantages that people derive from nature and its ecosystems. Considering accelerating environmental change and degradation, recognizing the importance of these services is more crucial than ever, as they illustrate the many ways in which healthy ecosystems sustain human life. However, these services are diminishing at a rapid and unprecedented rate, raising global concern over both the transformations taking place and their root causes. Among the leading threats, land-use change stands out as a particularly significant one, influenced by a variety of driving factors. Albany County, New York, characterized by its …

Phylogenetic Analysis Of Metabolic Enzymes In Hypoxic/Anoxic Conditions In Cetaceans And Cancer, Samerna A. Masih

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Cancer cells often exhibit a Warburg-like metabolism, which includes increased fatty acid synthesis and storage that help them survive in hypoxic conditions. This shift is marked by the heightened synthesis and accumulation of fatty acids, acting as a survival mechanism in low-oxygen environments (Baumann et al., 2016). Interestingly, deep-diving whales may utilize a similar metabolic pathway to produce wax esters during their prolonged dives.

Our study focused on exploring the genetic and metabolic similarities between breast cancer cells and deep-diving whales, using computational analyses to investigate lipid metabolism genes. We looked for evolutionarily conserved variations that might reveal adaptive mechanisms …

Framing Ethnicity: How Ideological Threats Shape State Policies Towards The Ethnic Chinese In Southeast Asia, Zheng Wang

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Post-colonial multiethnic societies still face significant challenges in nation-building today. Not only do countries follow different paths in dealing with ethnic diversity, but many also shift their strategies across time. State policies towards the ethnic Chinese in Southeast Asia, including accommodation, integration, marginalization, and assimilation, vary along two dimensions: the state’s discrimination towards the ethnic Chinese and the room for negotiation between the state and the ethnic Chinese in formulating these policies. Based on puzzling empirical observations on differing levels of changes in state policies towards the ethnic Chinese in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore in the 1960s and 1970s, my …

Ribosome Hibernation In Mycobacterium Abscessus And Its Effect On Antibiotic Resistance, Ryan Treen

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Non-tuberculosis mycobacteria (NTM) represent a diverse repertoire of species, most of which are ubiquitous in the environment. Some NTM species, such as Mycobacterium abscessus, can cause life-threatening infections in people with underlying medical conditions. The clinical incidence of such infections is on the rise, posing an emerging threat to public health. M. abscessus is characterized by intrinsic and acquired antibiotic resistance, complicating treatment strategies. Most chemotherapeutic approaches for M. abscessus infection target the bacterial ribosome, necessitating a better understanding of the physiological processes which confer this resistance. Multiple mycobacterial species respond to zinc-limiting conditions by inducing remodeling and hibernation …

Polygenic Risk Scores Of Grip Strength In Men And Women With Or At Risk For Hiv, Sreevidya Sadananda Sadasiva Rao

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Background: Adequate hand function among older adults is necessary for the successful completion of activities of daily living and can affect whether an older adult is able to live independently. Current research highlights grip strength, the strength people have in their hands, as a robust predictor of morbidity and mortality, and explores the decline in grip strength over time. A person’s family history and genes (DNA) affect how much grip strength they have. Previous studies have identified genes that affect grip strength, mainly in European ancestry populations. In this study, we examined whether these genetic elements predict grip strength in …

Unveiling The Cell Composition Of The Olfactory Migratory Mass: Perspectives On Terminal Nerve Formation, Olfactory Development, And Migration Of The Gnrh-1 Neurons, Enrico Amato Jr.

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Puberty is a postnatal developmental process required to initiate key sexual maturation events that are necessary for the propagation of species. Signals to initiate these events first begin with the Gonadotropin releasing hormone-1 (GnRH-1) neurons within the hypothalamus. The hormone GnRH-1 released by these neurons is crucial for puberty, fertility and reproductive processes by establishing the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis, regulating release of sex hormones (Progesterone, Estrogen, Testosterone). Conditions related to inability of the GnRH-1 neurons to correctly release GnRH-1 can lead to aberrant or delayed puberty, a condition known as hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (HH). Interestingly, some patients with the hormonal disorder …

Development Of Dna Nanoswitches With Aptamer Based Detection For Thrombin, Camryn A. Beckles

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Bio-transducers are devices capable of converting the binding signals from molecular recognition events into readable signals for analytical detection. There is a need for modular bio-transducers that can specifically detect a wide range of analytes using a unified readout technique, as this approach could dramatically reduce costs of healthcare diagnostics and environmental monitoring.

To create such a modular transducer, the molecular recognition properties of aptamers will be used and integrated with the already established biosensing capabilities of DNA nanoswitches that reconfigure their shape in the presence of their target molecule. In this design, the detector strands of the nanoswitch will …

Epithelial Responses And Remodeling In The Submandibular Gland Post-Irradiation, Victoria Gellatly

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Radiation therapy for head and neck cancer often causes irreversible salivary gland dysfunction, resulting in chronic xerostomia. Understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying this dysfunction is essential for developing regenerative therapies. Given the cellular complexity of the salivary gland single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) provides a powerful approach to investigate cell-type-specific injury responses to ionizing radiation (IR) and uncover transcriptional changes that may be masked in bulk analyses. This study investigates the cellular and molecular responses of the murine submandibular gland (SMG) to irradiation, with a focus on epithelial loss and remodeling, and regenerative failure. In order to effectively use …

Association Of Non-Communicable Diseases With Severe Covid-19 Among People Living With And Without Diagnosed Hiv/Aids In New York State, Ravi Kumar Balu

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Background: People living with diagnosed HIV (PLWDH) have a higher chance of co-infections and co-morbidities than the general population. When SARS-CoV-2 was first reported in China in December 2019 and later declared a pandemic, it was speculated that PLWDH might be more prone to SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe disease outcomes given their increased vulnerability to other respiratory infections like influenza, pneumococcal pneumonia and tuberculosis. However, several facets of COVID-19 disease in PLWDH are incompletely understood, including whether non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are strong risk factors for severe disease outcomes and death as they are in the general population.

Methods: The data …

The Intermediate And Remote Effects Of Acute Juvenile Stress Upon Auditory Fear Learning, Recognition Memory, And Anxiety Measures In A Rodent Model Of Ptsd, Laura J. Baron

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Abstract

Early-life stress is a risk factor for increased susceptibility to stress- and trauma-related disorders, including Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD is characterized by exposure to trauma that results in exaggerated and extinction-resistant fear responses that persist for over a month. Understanding how the severity of early-life stressors in animal models impacts adult behavior, cognition, and underlying neurobiology could aid in the development of more effective PTSD treatments.

Various early-life stress models, especially in infant rats, have been used to induce stress and assess PTSD like-symptoms. Different stressors impact short- and long-term behavior, with some effects influenced by developmental timing …

The Role Of The Nasal Migratory Mass In Olfactory Bulb Formation And Fertility, Charisse Martin

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

The olfactory migratory mass plays an essential role in the development of the olfactory bulb by facilitating the migration of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone neurons from the olfactory placode to the pre-optic hypothalamic area in the brain. In mammals, the migration of GnRH neurons is critical for establishing the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis (HPG axis), which regulates reproductive function through the production and secretion of gonadotropins. Luteinizing hormone (LH) and Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) instruct the gonads to function appropriately, ensuring sexual maturation and fertility. Disruptions in this migratory pathway have been linked with Kallmann syndrome, a condition characterized by low levels of GnRH, …

Finite Element Simulation Of Interstitial–Lymphatic Fluid Flow And Nanodrug Transport In A Solid Tumor: An Intratumoral Injection Approach, Gobinda Debnath, Buddakkagari Vasu, Rama Subba Reddy Gorla

Faculty Publications

Objective: This study presents a mathematical model and finite element simulations to investigate interstitial fluid flow and nanodrug transport in a solid tumor, incorporating transvascular exchange, convection–diffusion–reaction dynamics, and intratumoral injection mechanisms. Impact Statement: Optimizing nanodrug distribution remains a critical challenge in cancer therapy. The proposed model advances nanomedicine by enhancing the mechanistic understanding of nanodrug transport in a solid tumor. Introduction: Cancer, a global threat, often manifests as solid tumors driven by uncontrolled cell growth. The heterogeneous microenvironment, lymphatic drainage, nano-bio interactions, and elevated interstitial fluid pressure (IFP) hinder effective nanodrug delivery. Nanoparticle (NP)-based drug delivery systems offer a …

Comparison Of Methane Emission Quantification Methods At Landfills In New York State, Alexandra M. Catena

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emission increases are a consequence of global population rise and economic growth. It is well known that carbon dioxide is the dominant GHG by mass, but methane has received increasing attention recently due to its high warming potential and relatively short lifetime of about a decade. Methane has several different types of both natural and anthropogenic sources including wetlands, waste management, energy, agriculture and farming, and wildfires, which makes tracking and reducing methane emissions a complex problem. The emission rates of each of these sources are highly uncertain due to differing emission estimation methods, which can be …

Theoretical Foundations And Applied Performance Of Periodicity-Aware Imputation: Variable Bandpass Block Bootstrap Methods For Incomplete Time Series, Asmaa Ahmad

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Time series data are prevalent across a wide range of disciplines, including health surveillance, public policy, and environmental monitoring. In the presence of underlying cyclical patterns, the integrity of time series analysis depends critically on the ability to detect, model, and impute structured missing data without compromising the temporal structure. This dissertation introduces and validates a novel imputation framework that integrates the Variable Bandpass Periodic Block Bootstrap (VBPBB) into multiple imputation procedures, improving the accuracy, robustness, and interpretability of time series models under high rates of missingness and noise. The overarching goal of this dissertation was to develop and evaluate …

How Do Young Adults With Drug Use Disorder (Dud) Utilize Treatment? Exploring And Examining Lived Experiences Towards Treatment Completion In Indonesia, Dewi Kartikawatiningsih

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

In Indonesia which has the highest rate of drug addiction in Southeast Asia, there is currently little knowledge about how young adults perceive the barriers faced when completing treatment or how treatment providers' perspectives influence their treatment completion. Understanding and identifying barriers to treatment completion is essential to making drug treatment more effective. The purpose of this study is to explore the perspectives and live experiences of young adults with DUD and their addiction counselors to develop a deeper understanding of treatment needs. This study interviewed 33 clients and 15 counselors from the rehabilitation center of the Badan Nasional Narkotika …

Essays On Health Economics, Yiran Han

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

The first chapter examines relationships between physicians exposed to new drugs’ clinical trials and prescribing. Clinical trials benefit patients directly by providing novel treatments, but little is known about the indirect effects of clinical trials on physician prescribing through localized knowledge spillover. This study examines whether exposure to a clinical trial of a new drug in a physician’s local geographic area affects the physician’s propensity to prescribe the drug, i.e. a localized knowledge spillover from clinical trial sites to physician. Utilizing the Medicare Part D prescribing patterns of more than 10,000 physicians across 29 new cancer drugs approved by the …

Postnatal Programming Of Infant Temperament At 12-Months: A Test Of Lactation Programming Theory, Lydia Bierce

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

The current study examined how maternal cortisol and breastfeeding duration across the first six months postpartum might relate to infant temperament profile membership at 12 months in 322 low-income Mexican American mother-infant dyads (46.3% male). Results revealed that maternal postnatal cortisol levels were significantly moderated by breastfeeding duration to predict infant temperament profile (β = 0.14, p = .030) such that more maternal cortisol was linked to higher likelihood of belonging to a high positive affect, well-regulated profile when mothers breastfed for above average durations. This suggests that while maternal cortisol in breastmilk might initially shape infant negative temperament, …

Photoswitchable Inhibitors Of Eaat3, Karly Suhr

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Azobenzene is a photoswitchable molecule known for its high conversion yield and repeatability. The inclusion of an azobenzene moiety with a known inhibitor of your target of interest allows for greater study of function as well as potential therapies. Three derivatives were designed from azobenzene and known inhibitor of EAATs, TBOA, to synthesize photoswitchable inhibitors of EAATs. Further investigation into the function of EAATs and development of a specific inhibitor for EAAT3, an important glutamate transporter in the brain required for proper function, can then be conducted. Photoisomerization studies on the derivatives were conducted using UV/vis spectroscopy and NMR spectroscopy. …

Y’All Means All: Pro-Choice Abortion Activism In West Texas Post-Dobbs, Hannah S. Noblewolf

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

In the spring of 2021, a six-week abortion ban passed by popular vote in the city of Westerburg, Texas. It had a civil enforcement mechanism, allowing someone to collect a reward of $2,000 if they successfully sued someone they reported for “aiding and abetting” abortion. The ban, called the Westerburg Sanctuary City ordinance, was referred to as “bounty hunting.” When the ban passed it became the template for the state-level Texas Heartbeat Act, which provides a greater financial reward for a successful civil suit, with a minimum of $10,000 plus legal fees. In the face of this ban, pro-choice activists …