Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

From Muhammed To The Jobup: Engaging Malemployed Immigrants Through Journalism, Tiziana Rinaldi

Capstones

I focused my graduate work on the local community of malemployed immigrants. They are foreign-educated newcomers — medical doctors, pharmacists, teachers, lawyers and engineers, to name a few of their professions — who lack the resources to find skill- appropriate work in the U.S. They end up either unemployed or working at "jobs for which they’re overqualified or overeducated or both,” I wrote for NJSpotlight in 20171.

Using the social journalism method2 of engaging members of a chosen group to fill important if not crucial information gaps, I developed The JobUp, a series of free, offline educational events, as my …

Promesa, Puerto Rico’S Recipe For Disaster, Cristina M. Corujo Oruña

Capstones

PROMESA was signed with the purpose of helping the island’s economy recover from its crippling indebtedness. But three years later, the law has caused financial and social instability. Although, PROMESA grants Puerto Rico the right to file for bankruptcy, the effects of the law are worsening the island’s situation. Austerity measures, high costs, migration and a deeper economic recession are drowning the island.

Link to Capstone: https://medium.com/@cristina.oruna/promesa-puerto-ricos-recipe-for-disaster-1eadde7b6719

A Little-Known Law Moves Money Into America’S Low-Income Neighborhoods — But For Whose Benefit?, Emily S. Lever

Capstones

The Community Reinvestment Act of 1977 (CRA) is a federal financial regulation that was passed as a response to redlining, meaning the systematic denial of investment to poor and working-class communities and communities of color. The legislation rewards banks for making loans in low-income census tracts. But while CRA commitments drive investment to community development projects, it may also reward predatory or speculative investments whose recipients happen to be located in low-income communities.

Super, Brown And Queer, Carolyn Adams

Capstones

In response to policy seeking to turn back time for marginalized communities, characters and creators - standing at their intersections - are springing into action to change lives in their worlds and ours. Carolyn Adams explores the circumstances surrounding contemporary mainstream representation of women of color and queer superheroes on the big screen and bookshelves alike.

link to capstone: https://www.carolyn-adams.com/writing-updates/capstone

City On The Edge: New York In The Age Of Climate Change, Janelle Little

Capstones

By 2030, 70% of the world’s population will live in cities.

The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has singled out 2030, too - as a date of no return on climate change.

Our future quality of life in these adopted metropolises will depend on what we do to confront climate change now.

New York has always been a city of reinvention. City on the Edge examines how New York City is restructuring its urban landscape and policies to adapt to the realities of a changing climate and mounting existential threats, from sea level rise to escalating summer …

I Love Fashion Influencing And I Hate It At The Same Time, Nicolette Muro

Capstones

When I started my blog and my social media accounts at the end of 2016, I never thought I would have any success with them or any intentions of turning them into a business. Flash forward to present day October 2019, and I have over 11,000 followers on Instagram, I receive over 46,000 views on Pinterest and 3,000 monthly views on my blog. I’ve worked on sponsored posts with well-known brands such as KIND and Who What Wear and I make enough monthly revenue that I no longer have to work a retail job as an additional source of income. …

Feminism: Arrested Development In The #Metoo Era, Síle Anne E. Moloney

Capstones

This paper compares two different policy approaches to prostitution law reform in New York State i.e. full decriminalization versus partial decriminalization, and attempts to outline the rationale for each approach, taking into account the legal positions adopted by a few selected countries.

Spatial Organization In Self-Initiated Visual Working Memory, Hagit Magen, Tatiana Aloi Emmanouil

Publications and Research

Ample research in visual working memory (VWM) has demonstrated that the memorized items are maintained in integrated spatial configurations, even when the spatial context is task irrelevant. These insights were obtained in studies in which participants were provided with the information they memorized. However, the encoding of provided information is only one aspect of memory. In everyday life, individuals often construct their own memory representations, an aspect of memory we have previously termed self-initiated (SI) working memory. In this study, we employed a SI VWM task in which participants selected the visual targets they memorized. The spatial locations of the …

Visual Modulation Of Resting State Α Oscillations, Kelly Webster, Tony Ro

Publications and Research

Once thought to simply reflect passive cortical idling, recent studies have demonstrated that α oscillations play a causal role in cognition and perception. However, whether and how cognitive or sensory processes modulate various components of the α rhythm is poorly understood. Sensory input and resting states were manipulated in human subjects while electroencephalography (EEG) activity was recorded in three conditions: eyes-open fixating on a visual stimulus, eyes-open without visual input (darkness), and eyes-closed without visual input (darkness). We show that α power and peak frequency increase when visual input is reduced compared to the eyes open, fixating condition. These results …

Information Literacy In Place-Based Interdisciplinary Teaching And Learning, Anne E. Leonard

Publications and Research

This chapter explores the role of information literacy in virtual or hybrid place-based interdisciplinary courses. Whether teaching as a guest lecturer or as a co-instructor, I infuse information literacy competencies into assignments, relying on the Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education. Four of the six frames of the Framework map especially well to interdisciplinary teaching and learning: information has value, authority is contested and contextual, research as inquiry, and searching as strategic exploration. Through searching in special collections and archives and integrating digitized primary sources into research projects students engage in a virtual exploration …

Visualization And Analysis Of Environmental Data, Sean Macdonald

Publications and Research

The virtual exploration of place has been employed in a variety of learning environments across many disciplines, creatively expanding upon the experience of place. This chapter explores the value of mapping environmental data as a tool that can enhance students’ virtual exploration of place as they investigate local environmental policies and problems within their own urban surroundings. This visualization project engages students in making meaningful connections between the theoretical study of local and global environmental problems and the “observation” and investigation of these data using mapped data. The virtual learning environment is viewed as one that is interactive, exploring how …

La Hispanofonía En Debate: Alternativas, Resistencias, Y Complicidades Reunidas En Córdoba (Arg). Una Conversación Glotopolítica Con José Del Valle, Alejandro Néstor Lorenzetti, José Del Valle

Publications and Research

Entre el 27 y el 30 de marzo de 2019 se realizó en Córdoba, Argentina, el VIII Congreso Internacional de la Lengua Española, bajo el lema “América y el futuro del español. Cultura y educación, tecnología y emprendimiento”. El evento, organizado por la Real Academia de la Lengua Española (RAE), el Instituto Cervantes (IC), la Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española (ASALE) y los gobiernos locales, es conocido y criticado por ser la voz oficial del proyecto político-lingüístico panhispánico. De manera paralela, y con un espíritu desafiante, la Facultad de Filosofía y Humanidadesde la Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (UNC, …

Acceptability Of A Vaginal Ring To Prevent Hiv And Pregnancy: Integrating Multiple Qualitative Methods, Dana Watnick

Dissertations and Theses

Heterosexual vaginal sex can simultaneously put women at risk for unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, such as HIV, disproportionately impacting poor women around the world. Both unintended pregnancy and HIV are persistent public health concerns associated with negative outcomes for mothers, families and communities. The current mix of prevention tools available to women to protect against unintended pregnancy and HIV is limited. Multipurpose Prevention Technologies (MPTs) are innovative products that simultaneously offer protection against pregnancy and HIV. However, MPTs will only be effective in reducing unintended pregnancy and incident HIV if women are willing to use them. With an …

Travel To Cuba: A Case Study Of Media Branding In A Politicized Context, Yaneisis Infante

Student Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to detail a case study of U.S. tourism to Cuba in a politicized context; specifically, to compare and contrast the Obama and Trump administrations. This study seeks to examine how the Cuban “brand” and the island’s overall tourism strategy is formulated, circulated, shaped and reshaped by various actors and the public in the changing context of the newly antagonistic bilateral U.S.-Cuba political relationship. The research questions explore issues of how diplomatic relations impact Cuban tourism and advertising messaging. This paper also discusses the changes in the U.S. news media coverage of Cuba as a …

Examining Mental Health Stigma Among Police Officers And Intended Behavior Towards People With Mental Illness, Sara Soomro

Student Theses

This research examines where or not stigma about mental illness exists among police officers in the United States and whether it shapes their attitudes about seeking mental health. It has been estimated that police officers have a prevalence rate of 13%, while the general population has a prevalence of 4%. Given the increased exposure to trauma, police officers are still unlikely to seek professional help. Moreover, police officers are first responders to incidents involving individuals with a mental illness and are often tasked with playing the role of a mental health professional. This study further examines how stigma effects intended …

Vision Zero: Speed Limit Reduction And Traffic Injury Prevention In New York City, Kristin Mammen, Hyoung Suk Shim, Bryan S. Weber

Publications and Research

We examine the effect on the incidence of casualties and crashes of a city-wide vehicle speed limit reduction in New York City (NYC) streets. The law change, part of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Vision Zero Action Plan to improve traffic safety, cuts the default speed limit for streets with no speed limit signs from 30 to 25 mph beginning November 7, 2014. We use a monthly panel dataset with crash statistics for the entire population of NYC streets, from July 2012 through March 2019. Several difference-in-differences regressions show a statistically significant and meaningful decline in injuries and crashes.

The Criminogenic Effect Of Marijuana Dispensaries In Denver, Colorado: A Microsynthetic Control Quasi-Experiment And Cost-Benefit Analysis, Nathan Connealy, Eric L. Piza, Dave Hatten

Publications and Research

The study analyzed the criminogenic effect of legalizing recreational marijuana dispensaries in Denver. Street segments with recreational dispensaries experienced no changes in violent, disorder and drug crime but did experience an 18% increase in property crime, and street segments adjacent to recreational dispensaries experienced some notable (but non-significant) drug and disorder crime increases. Medical dispensaries demonstrated no significant crime changes. A cost-benefit analysis found the associated crime costs were largely offset by sales revenue. Monetary benefits were much less pronounced, and barely cost effective, when only considering tax revenue.

Children’S Gender And Investments From Nonresident Fathers, Kristin Mammen

Publications and Research

Evidence suggests that fathers have stronger ties to sons than daughters, which may result in differential investments in their children. This paper investigated whether girls’ gender restricts their access to fathers' contributions if they do not live together. The data used were the 1994-2008 March/April Match Current Population Survey Child Support Supplements, a large, nationally representative sample which identifies child support eligible mothers of all marital statuses and collects information on nonresident fathers’ financial and social investments in their children. Results for court-mediated outcomes such as the existence and amounts of child support orders showed that courts do not allocate …

Unique New York: Examining The Impact Of Breed Labels, Phenotypic Variations, And Geography On Length Of Stay In A Multi-Location New York Limited Intake Animal Shelter, Nicole Passmore

Theses and Dissertations

New York City (NYC) is a unique area for a shelter welfare as it has limited dog-friendly housing and an abundance of dogs. A common barrier to entry for NYC dog adopters trying to rent apartments is the breed label the shelter assigned to their dog, despite the fact breed labelling is primarily based off intuition and physical appearance. Following research by Gunter, Barber and Wynne (2016) that saw adoption rates at a Florida animal shelter increase following the removal of breed labels from the shelter’s kennel cards, some shelters ceased using breed labels. One was Bideawee, a limited admission …

Scaffolded Research Skills Series For Nutrition And Dietetics Students: A Collaboration, Lee Ann Fullington

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Mercury On The Dopamine Transporter Cell Surface Expression In Pc12 Cells, Christina Hui

Student Theses

Environmental factors, such as heavy metal exposures, have been suggested to have an impact not only on neurodegenerative disease, such as Parkinson’s disease, but also on psychostimulants abuse and their toxicity. In this study, two questions were addressed: 1) effects of mercuric chloride on parkinsonian toxicant 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP⁺) induced cytotoxicity and 2) effects of mercuric chloride on cell surface dopamine transporter. Pheochromocytorma cells (PC12) were treated with various concentrations of mercuric chloride (0.02~2.0 ppm) for 4 hours with and without 0.1 mM MPP⁺. Significant potentiation of toxicity was observed when there was co-treatment with 0.5 ppm …

Evaluation Of A Novel Dna Collection Matrix Designed To Improve Recovery Of Touch Dna From Non-Porous Surfaces, Eric Ramirez

Student Theses

The collection of touch DNA from evidence has been a challenge in the field of Forensic Biology for decades. There are numerous collection protocols, substrates, and solutions that have been used to varying levels of success. Currently, no single method or substrate stands out as the single most effective collection protocol. The Gene Link Omni Matrix™ K105 solution is a novel collection method that can be sprayed onto the surface of non-porous evidence. The matrix dries into a film, capturing cells and cell-free DNA which can be scraped off and collected into a tube. During extraction, the matrix dissolves into …

Convergence Of Human And Old World Monkey Gut Microbiomes Demonstrates The Importance Of Human Ecology Over Phylogeny, Katherine R. Amato, Elizabeth K. Mallott, Daniel Mcdonald, Nathaniel J. Dominy, Tony Goldberg, Joanna E. Lambert, Larissa Swedell, Jessica L. Metcalf, Andres Gomez, Gillian A. O. Britton, Rebecca M. Stumpf, Steven R. Leigh, Rob Knight

Publications and Research

Background

Comparative data from non-human primates provide insight into the processes that shaped the evolution of the human gut microbiome and highlight microbiome traits that differentiate humans from other primates. Here, in an effort to improve our understanding of the human microbiome, we compare gut microbiome composition and functional potential in 14 populations of humans from ten nations and 18 species of wild, non-human primates.

Results

Contrary to expectations from host phylogenetics, we find that human gut microbiome composition and functional potential are more similar to those of cercopithecines, a subfamily of Old World monkey, particularly baboons, than to those …

The Concentration Of Household Income In The United States By Race/Ethnicity, 1967 - 2018, Laird W. Bergad

Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies

Introduction: This report studies income distribution in the United States between 1967 and 2018 by race and ethnicity.

Methods: The data were derived from the US Census Bureau's Historical Income Tables: Income Inequality

Results: The upper 5% of households controlled 17% of total household income in 1967 and 23% in 2018. The upper 20% of households accounted for 44% of all income in 1967 and 52% in 2018. Economic growth, which has been impressive in the period under consideration, did not result in rising household incomes across the social hierarchy. Between 1967 and 2018 the upper 5% of income-earning households …

Dna Mixture Statistics Using A Likelihood Ratio Software Tool: Effect Of Variations In Drop-Out Rates And Number Of Contributors, Felicia M. Lucero

Student Theses

Complex DNA mixtures can be very probative evidence, but comparisons to a person of interest can be affected by allelic drop-out and uncertainty regarding the number of individuals having contributed DNA to a sample. Scientific organizations such as the International Society of Forensic Genetics (Gill et al., 2006) recommend that likelihood ratios should be used to provide a statistical weight when a positive association is made between the DNA profile of a person of interest and an evidentiary DNA sample. To this effect the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) developed a software program, Forensic Statistical Tool …

Relationship Between Childhood Relationships And Antisocial And Lifestyle Characteristics Of Psychopathic Traits, Esther Kim

Student Theses

Psychopathy is a heterogeneous personality construct that has long been associated with antisocial behaviors and outcomes (Hare, 2003; Walsh & Kosson, 2006). However, some literature suggests that socially deviant behaviors and outcomes may not necessarily be a fundamental component of psychopathy (Cooke & Michie, 2001; DeMatteo, Heilbrun, & Marczyk, 2001; Lilienfeld & Widows, 2005). Research on externalizing behaviors and psychopathy has broadened from examining the quality of early relationships as a risk factor (Salekin & Lochman, 2008), to also examining early relationships as a potential protective factor against the development of psychopathic characteristics and antisocial outcomes (i.e. Backman, Laajasalo, Jokela, …

Visual Illusion Susceptibility In Dogs Using The Ebbinghaus-Titchener Illusion In A Spontaneous Choice Task, Nicolette Becker

Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, dogs have been a popular test subject when studying visual illusion susceptibility. Multiple studies have investigated whether animals perceive illusions as humans do, but few studies have evaluated dogs’ perception of illusory stimuli. In this thesis, we studied if dogs are visually susceptible to the Ebbinghaus-Titchener illusion when presented in a spontaneous choice task. Subjects were presented two visual images on a board, which had bologna pieces embedded in the stimuli. In control trials, two different sized bologna pieces were placed in the center of the images. In these control conditions, dogs were expected to choose the …

Private Security And Cctv Surveillance: A Systematic Review Of Function And Performance, Brandon C. Welsh, Eric L. Piza, Amanda L. Thomas, David P. Farrington

Publications and Research

Private security personnel play an important but largely overlooked role in the operation of CCTV surveillance to prevent crime in public and private areas. This role can take a number of forms, including active monitoring of cameras. Drawing upon a global database of CCTV evaluations (N=165), this article examines the function and performance of private security personnel as related to the effectiveness of CCTV. Findings indicate that CCTV schemes operated by private security personnel generated larger crime prevention effects than those operated by police or those using a mix of police and security personnel. Policy and research implications are discussed.

Comments From The National Center For The Study Of Collective Bargaining In Higher Education And The Professions In Response To Proposed Nlrb Rule Concerning Graduate Assistants And Other Student Employees, William A. Herbert, Joseph Van Der Naald

Publications and Research

These are public comments submitted by National Center for the Study of Collective Bargaining in Higher Education and the Professions, Hunter College, City University of New York in response to a proposed NLRB rule that would exclude student employees from coverage under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). The comments include information and data showing that the proposed rule would exclude from NLRA coverage 81,390 graduate assistants working at 518 private institutions in occupations that other federal agencies treat as distinct from the classification of graduate student. The comments also present a half-century of history and legal precedent concerning collective …

What Happened To This Child? Identifying Factors That Influence The Identification And Categorization Of Child Maltreatment In The United States, Erika Tullberg

Dissertations and Theses

Background: Research has shown that adverse childhood experiences are strongly linked with health outcomes over the life course, and that child maltreatment – generally defined as physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional maltreatment and neglect – can have an immediate, negative impact on child health and development and a longer-term impact on adolescent and adult health, including the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the U.S. With such significant consequences, the accurate identification of child maltreatment is critical.

Child welfare caseworkers are charged with protecting the safety and fostering the well-being of children who have been identified as maltreated or …