Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Evaluating A Test For Shedding Propensity Using Tape Lifts From Different Skin Locations, Xiao M. Chen

Student Theses

The shedding propensity of a person can assist data interpretation in casework when assessing the possibility of passive transfer for DNA analysis. Past studies on shedding propensity evaluated palmar skin (washed and unwashed) deposits. This study compared different skin locations with respect to shedding propensity, and explored the potential of tape-lifts as a skin surface collection method. Eight different skin types and samples were collected with adhesive tape disks from 28 participants over three non-consecutive days; the washed and unwashed fingers from both hands, toe, and arm, neck below ear, and nape. Samples were extracted, quantified, amplified, genotyped, and evaluated …

Reproducibility Of Individual Dna Deposits Detected Through Cellular Fluorescence, Natalee Small-Davidson

Student Theses

Contact traces are an important part of DNA casework, but the probative value of any identified associations depends on the possibility of passive transfer. There is known individual variation in DNA left behind during contact, this DNA shedding propensity has an effect on whose DNA is detected. This study evaluated this variability using a cell staining approach. Volunteers were asked to deposit a fingerprint on a clean glass slide, then wash their hands and deposit a second fingerprint after a 30-minute wait without touching anything. Three sets of samples were collected over three consecutive weeks. Fingerprints were stained with a …

Vaccine Communication During The Covid-19 Pandemic As Displayed By Nyc Health, Rebecca L. Jensen

Student Theses and Dissertations

The 2020 Covid-19 pandemic underscored the importance of vaccination in our governmental- health bodies. As a result, effective vaccine communication is more necessary than ever. The goal of this paper is to better understand frames, strategies and themes used by NYC Health as it pertains to video media related artifacts in their Covid-19 vaccination campaign. This research is important because it informs overall health and vaccine discourse. In analyzing data several key themes were discovered. These themes were established through a synthesis of literary strategies meant to activate certain theoretical frameworks. Further research into the effectiveness of these frames on …

Notas Para Una Teoría Glotopolítica, José Del Valle

Publications and Research

En este artículo se define la glotopolítica como perspectiva intelectual y se identifican sus posiciones teóricas en relación con el lenguaje. Esta definición, se afirma, supone una apuesta interdisciplinaria en la que la sociolingüística crítica busca activamente establecer relaciones dialógicas con disciplinas tales como la antropología, la filosofía, la historiografía o la sociología. En este sentido, el artículo aborda la visión del lenguaje del crítico literario y cultural galés Raymond Williams, y de las posibilidades metodológicas y teóricas que ofrece su concepto de palabras clave.

This article discusses the theoretical underpinnings of glottopolitical studies, defined as an intellectual perspective. Such …

Scarcity Or Economic Insecurity? Two Yardsticks For Measuring Capitalism’S Performance, Costas Panayotakis

Publications and Research

This article argues that capitalism’s relationship to economic insecurity is as important for the evaluation of that system as its relationship to scarcity. Critically analyzing the neoclassical and Marxist focus on capitalism’s relationship to scarcity, the article describes how capitalism’s relationship to economic insecurity offers a more cogent elaboration of these traditions’ shared belief that the economic system should serve people. In particular, while critical of the neoclassical portrayal of capitalism as a system using scarce resources efficiently, this paper also argues, against Marxism, that an alternative to capitalism might be preferable even if scarcity is not abolished.

Behavioral Patterns Of Goldfish (Carassius Auratus) Exploring A “Fish Tower”, Sasha Prasad-Shreckengast

Theses and Dissertations

Fish are held in captivity at some of the highest numbers of any taxa, but their curiosity is rarely studied. With this study, we set the groundwork to investigate the presence and nature of curiosity in goldfish (Carassius auratus) via novel free-choice exploration opportunities by creating a “fish tower."

The Effects Of Deepfakes And Synthetic Media On Communication Professionals, Axel Ebermann

Student Theses and Dissertations

The spread of misinformation and disinformation is regarded as one of the most salient challenges for communication professionals around the world.

Now, a new technology called "DeepFakes" or “Synthetic Media” has the potential to further uproot the infosphere. Artificial Intelligence (AI) will enable the mass creation of synthetic audio-visual content that resembles real videos, in which people will appear to say or do things they never actually said or did.

The existing literature predominantly focuses on three aspects of DeepFakes and Synthetic Media: the technical background, coverage of preexisting DeepFakes and possible solutions to combat the malicious use of the …

Notes From The Editor, Derek Stadler, Leila Walker

Urban Library Journal

We are very pleased to welcome you to the second issue of the 27^th volume of Urban Library Journal, which is a collection of proceedings from the LACUNY Institute held on Wednesday, May 5, and Thursday, May 6, 2021. The theme of the Institute was “Ending the Library Stereotype: Non-traditional Practices for the 21st-century.” The Institute highlighted the different roles that librarians play in our society as librarians wear different hats. Librarians are mentors, supervisors, activists, instructors, unofficial guidance counselors, gamers, artists, and so forth.

Working In New York City With A Disability: Nowhere Near Easy, Milette S. U. Millington

Capstones

This project investigates the common challenges that people with disabilities faced prior to COVID-19 when finding a job and keeping it, and explores how the pandemic may have changed things.

Project link: https://milettem98.wixsite.com/portfolio/capstone

Piled Up, Sophia Lebowitz

Capstones

Piled Up is a 10 minute film about Anna Sacks, a dumpster diver in New York City who has recently found viral social media fame for calling out wasteful corporate practices. Meanwhile, the physical build-up of the trash she collects, and the anxiety of the never-ending cycles of waste are weighing her down and keeping her from her goals.

This is a surprising story about a woman who has found overwhelming social media success while simultaneously dealing with the mechanism of that success, waste, building up in her life. Her videos have garnered her thousands of followers and millions of …

Agency, Inclusion, And Empathy As Power: The Last Dispatch From My Ma In Engagement Journalism (And My Final Report), Jacqueline Neber

Capstones

My community practicum engaged New York's intellectually and developmentally disabled community, and their families, in the process of making the process of reporting abuse and neglect inside group homes more accessible and transparent. Serious abuse and neglect still happens in group homes for people with disabilities, which has led to death and serious injury, and reporting issues is not necessarily easy. After a year of listening to community concerns, I created a service journalism post that made reporting abuse and neglect easier for families and the public. And most prominently, I created "How to Stand Up for Yourself in Your …

Venezolanos En New York, Mariel V. Lozada

Capstones

The process of developing a website with information about the bureaucratic process for the immigrants in the city, especially focusing on the Venezuelans and a five steps guide with the most basic information a newly arrived immigrant may need. The idea behind is to deliver useful content that would live in their inbox so they can revisit it easily anytime they want, even without having an internet connection, and, if the reader wants to deepen their knowledge, can visit the website for more in-depth coverage of these topics.

The Devotees To Disconnection, Keith Paul Medelis

Capstones

The richest and most connected people are paying to log offline, leaving the rest of us tethered to our devices. We want in on their secret. But at what cost?

Femicides: The Other Growing Epidemic We Don’T Want To See, Natalia Gutierrez

Capstones

This report analyzes how gender-based killings is a growing topic within the feminist community of New York and Mexico City and how the use of the right terminology is essential to understand the scope of the problem. I worked for 18 months with the feminist community in both cities and the term ‘femicide’ came over and over in the interviews Femicide, how it is referred in the rest of the world, is the intentional killing of women or girls because they are female, and it is a growing epidemic in the U.S. and in Mexico. I interviewed more than 40 …

Dear Maliha,, Na-Eela Djemil

Capstones

Dear Maliha is a short documentary film exploring the complexities of spiritual abuse through Maliha Fairooz. Spiritual abuse is a form of abuse that uses spiritual or religious beliefs to control or manipulate others. In some cases, spiritual abuse can be used to describe a religious leader who abuses their platform. But in Maliha’s story, we explore the concept of parental spiritual abuse. However, we learn more about this through Maliha Fairooz and the creative use of her journal.

For Maliha journaling is a form of therapy she uses to process her feelings and days. She also uses it as …

"Our Strength Is Unity:" Delivery Bikers In Their Own Words, Connor W. Zaft

Capstones

"Our Strength Is Unity" is a year-long photographic essay on food delivery workers and their attempts to self-organize during the pandemic.

Retail Workers On The Frontlines, Anthony L. Medina

Capstones

Retail work culture has been forever altered by COVID 19. The pandemic shook what was life in New York City. Two years later the nation continues to grapple with the impact of the virus.

Next to frontline workers, retail workers who man the cashiers and maintain the sales floors at big chain stores that sell socks, shirts, shoes and other everyday items are just as vulnerable to the physical and social impact of the pandemic and in some ways provide services just as essential to health care workers.

This photo essay shares the lives of three Brooklyn natives: Cheyann Harris, …

Young People More Optimistic About Climate Crisis, Syed U. Haq

Capstones

This is story on how the youth today is feeling more ambitious about rectifying the mistakes the previous generation has made regarding climate. It takes the reader through a poll done by Generation Lab, about the optimism in the younger generation to tackle the climate crisis and what factors are in play in making them feel that way. It also provides three brief audio pieces from student activists, Anna Kathawala, from the local Fridays for Future, Mars Vazquez-Plyshevsky, who comes from a family of climate deniers, and Aderinsola Babawale, a local activist with Brownsville Green Justice. And of course, their …

Search And Rescue Missions On The Rise In U.S. National Parks, Sahalie Donaldson

Capstones

Across the country the number of search and rescue missions in national parks has been creeping up since 2018. While the number of missions being undertaken are up overall, some parks in particular have seen a dramatic spike in the number of people requiring rescue services, straining a patchwork, often volunteer-based search-and-rescue system. Some parks like Maine’s Acadia National Park, Zion National Park in Utah and the Grand Canyon National Park even experienced their busiest years to date in regards to the number of search and rescue calls they received.

Both former and current park rangers who go on search …

Pushing It To The Limit: Determining Asian Elephant (Elephas Maximus) Olfactory Sensitivity And Discrimination Through A Behavioral Choice Task, Matthew S. Rudolph

Theses and Dissertations

Elephants have shown remarkable olfactory capabilities. Their sense of smell impacts their foraging choices, behavior, and ultimately, survival. Being able to detect a target odor can allow elephants to locate specific resources, identify threats, and find receptive conspecifics. Previous studies have shown that elephants can consistently detect target odors, but have not identified the limits of this detection. Thus, to investigate the extent of elephants’ odor detection capabilities, we tested Asian elephants in a two-step odor discrimination task. First, we investigated whether elephants could detect odors at varying levels of dilution after a training procedure, and then whether they could …

The Influence Of Comorbid Gad On Er Utilization In Urban Youth With Asthma, David A. Karpe

Theses and Dissertations

Current literature indicates a strong association between asthma and the early onset of comorbid generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in minors and their primary caregivers. Studies show that asthma prevalence increases with certain demographic factors, such as ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and housing quality. Evidence also suggests that GAD influences decision-making, especially when deciding to utilize emergency room (ER) services for asthma-related concerns. This study analyzed the effect of comorbid GAD on minors with asthma and ER utilization. The data were provided by an earlier Stress & Justice Study (S&J) baseline survey, an investigation aimed at understanding the impact of parental criminal …

Uplifting Diverse And Marginalized Voices Through Community Archives And Public Programming, Annie E. Tummino, Jo-Ann Wong, Obden Mondésir

Urban Library Journal

Queens Memory is a local community archiving project co-administered by the Queens Public Library and Queens College Library. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Queens Memory embarked on a collaborative series of online programs that covered social justice, current events, and the creation of social change. This programming built upon ongoing community oral history and documentation efforts. This article explores how the public programs and oral history initiatives fueled one another, serving to uplift diverse voices within our communities and preserve those voices in the archives. Key ingredients of the programs are discussed, including technology, outreach, collaboration, consent, and format.

More Than Just Cataloging, In Three Acts: Reflections, Adrian Applin, Regina Carra, Sarah Nguyen

Urban Library Journal

This article contains proceedings from a performance-presentation at the 2021 LACUNY Institute called “More Than Just Cataloging, In Three Acts.” It features three performing artist-librarians, showcasing dance, music, and theatre while reflecting on connections between the performing arts and the information professions. Accompanying performance footage shared at the Institute is referenced in this article.

Pay Inequality And Gender Pay Gap, Chris Constantopoulos

Student Theses and Dissertations

The topic of this thesis paper is pay inequality and gender pay gap, specifically within the United States while occasionally comparing Europe and other parts of the world. The research questions that are brought up while starting this thesis process were how the topic started and developed with the last 10 years. Plus, the potential strides to eliminate the thesis topics issues within the United States. The method of analysis for this thesis paper includes an integrative desktop literature review while analyzing various online and prior academic research articles. The result of studying the numerous amounts of research helped gather …

I Am Not A Badass: Against The Librarian-As-Superhero Stereotype, Rachel King

Urban Library Journal

This paper explores cultural tropes portraying librarians as heroes and superheroes. In this work, the writer has drawn on social reproduction feminist theory to explain the appearance of this emerging librarian stereotype, as well as to help readers better understand the role of academic librarians in today’s underfunded and pandemic-ravaged neoliberal university.

New Skull Material Of Taeniolabis Taoensis (Multituberculata, Taeniolabididae) From The Early Paleocene (Danian) Of The Denver Basin, Colorado, David W. Krause, Simone Hoffman, Tyler R. Lyson, Lindsay G. Dougan, Holger Petermann, Adrienne Tecza, Stephen B. Chester, Ian M. Miller

Publications and Research

Taeniolabis taoensis is an iconic multituberculate mammal of early Paleocene (Puercan 3) age from the Western Interior of North America. Here we report the discovery of significant new skull material (one nearly complete cranium, two partial crania, one nearly complete dentary) of T. taoensis in phosphatic concretions from the Corral Bluffs study area, Denver Formation (Danian portion), Denver Basin, Colorado. The new skull material provides the first record of the species from the Denver Basin, where the lowest in situ specimen occurs in river channel deposits ~730,000 years after the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary, roughly coincident with the first appearance of legumes …

Harmful “Body-Checking” Trends Have Come To Tiktok, Ibtasam Elmaliki, Breona Couloote

Capstones

The relation between social media and teen girls’ body image is nothing new. Studies have been made on platforms like Facebook, and Instagram having a negative impact on young girls.

However, with the inception of TikTok, perpetuations of unrealistic body goals are harder to detect, masked underneath comedic trends on the app. “Body checking” trends are popular on the app, trends in order for one to draw attention to the size and shape of their bodies. It’s a method of encouraging thinspo, the inspiration of being thin. Thinspo which was created on Tumblr, is now evolving on TikTok. In the …

Building Trust And Community With Sex Workers On Instagram, Madeline Faber

Capstones

This Engagement Journalism project examines how sex workers communicate on social media after the 2018 passage of SESTA/FOSTA laws (Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act and Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act). Through building a sex worker-positive Instagram profile, I learned from sex workers how they share information with each other under the radar of Instagram. This bears relevance for journalists who seek to understand the limits of content moderation machines, which imprecisely censor vulnerable groups.

(Engagement J/Will share link later)

Engaging Black Girls And Women From The Capital Region, Neimra Coulibaly

Capstones

Black girls and women sit at the intersecting identities of being Black and women in an anti-Black, patriarchal, misogynistic society. There are certain experiences that Black women in the United States endure due to historically negative perceptions of Black women.

When I decided to be a part of the engagement journalism program at the Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY, I decided to cover the community of Black girls and women from Schenectady, New York, and the rest of the Capital Region or what I call the (518)

For the past year and a half, I have covered the …

Tucker Carlson, Oann And A White Nationalist: A Quantified Look At The Disinformation Pipeline Surrounding Covid-19, Juliet Jeske

Capstones

A quantitive exploration of extremist media and its effect on misinformation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.