University at Albany, State University of New York
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Voices Of The Holistically Educated: Impacts And Outcomes Beyond Academics
Get PDFThis dissertation engages a multi-step process to identify and articulate the internally defined goals of prominent holistic pedagogies including Montessori, Waldorf, Democratic Free Schooling, homeschooling, and radical/progressive education. It gives voice to adult former students who speak to, and illustrate, the ways in which they were impacted by their holistic educational settings on each of six identified areas of intended holistic development: physical, creative engagement, intrapersonal, interpersonal, cognitive, and transpersonal. Eighteen participants, ages 19 to 71, from various holistic backgrounds in North America, participated in focus group meetings and interviews. They reflected on their current sense of self on each aspect and discussed the pedagogical structures that they experienced as impactful on their development. Participants benefited from pedagogical structures that provided them with two key qualities: “non-interference” with the unfolding of their internally motivated curiosity and developing sense of self, and “freedom within structure” where their development was supported by capable and caring educators that gave them both leeway and boundaries. For participants in their early 40s and younger, the unique circumstances of their education, while providing them with acute levels of self-awareness and self-confidence, sometimes left them feeling ill-prepared for the social norms outside of their settings. The eldest participants described profound appreciation for their educational experiences, holding value systems and life histories that reflect a dedication to social justice and activism. The author’s proposed “Theory of Holistic Wellbeing” (ToHW) asserts that assessing and supporting all six aspects of development facilitates the appreciation of the fundamentally interconnected nature of all that is and the prioritization of social activity for equity and the common good. Which, if done conscientiously and iteratively, is understood to support the holistic wellbeing of individuals, and ever increasing societal and planetary welfare and unity
Species Distribution And Logistic Regression Analysis Of Nosocomial Legionella Detection And Infection In New York State, 2017 – 2023
Get PDFHealthcare facilities are high-risk areas for legionellosis infections, as they have large, complex potable water systems ideal for Legionella proliferation, and they host susceptible populations. New York State regulation 10 NYCRR § 4-2: Protection Against Legionella in Healthcare Facilities was implemented in July 2016 to reduce healthcare-acquired legionellosis. This regulation mandated environmental surveillance of healthcare facilities’ potable water systems via culture. Data from these environmental reports were paired with data for cases of healthcare-acquired legionellosis infections for the years 2017-2023. Using these data, geographic Legionella species and serogroup distributions were described, and logistic regressions evaluated facility attributes associated with potable water Legionella regulatory exceedances and cases. Non-pneumophila Legionella species were isolated in the most water systems while L. pneumophila ser. 1 was isolated in the majority of cases. The Legionella species and serogroup distributions suggested likely underdiagnosis of legionellosis attributable to species and serogroups other than L. pneumophila ser. 1. Exceedances were positively associated with hospital facility type and spring season, and negatively associated with number of beds, metropolitan area region, and chlorination and monochloramination water treatments. Cases were positively associated with number of beds, metropolitan area region, western region, summer and autumn seasons, and negatively associated with hospital facility type and copper-silver ionization and ultraviolet light water treatments. Our results suggested different facility attributes associated with elevated Legionella in potable water culture samples versus risk of healthcare-acquired infection which should be further investigated to improve nosocomial legionellosis prevention
Senescence And The Senescence Associated Secretory Phenotype In Salivary Hypofunction
Get PDFCellular senescence, a triggered permanent cycle arrest, occurs with aging and is a component of many aging-related diseases. Triggers for senescence may include pathways involving DNA damage, telomere dysfunction, release of reactive oxygen species, and other additional internal/external stimuli. Senescence can have a positive effect as it plays a fundamental role in wound healing, tumor suppression, and promoting embryonic development. However, a prolonged consequence of senescence is the production of the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), in which the cell secretes pro-inflammatory and pro-tumorigenic factors that can have adverse effects on surrounding cells, which is known as the bystander effect. Eliminating senescent cells with therapeutics known as senolytic drugs can positively affect organ function in many contexts, including the salivary gland, where elimination of senescent cells can promote saliva production in animal models. Minimizing SASP factor expression by senescent cells with senomorphic agents can also positively affect organ function. miRNAs are known to regulate the expression of SASP factors and offer possible therapeutic targets for novel senomorphic drugs. Understanding pathways regulating senescence and SASP factor production will aid in discovering new therapeutic avenues and refine existing technologies and treatments
Artificial Intelligence and LIS Publishing: A Survey of Journal Editors
Get PDFThis Qualtrics-based survey was used to explore the AI-related policies of LIS journals and various journal support mechanisms about AI (e.g., AI detection tools, peer reviewer guidelines, copyediting processes, and more), as well as EIC perspectives and attitudes toward generative AI within the context of scholarly publishing. In early summer 2024, researchers shared the survey with select top-tier journal editors in the library science field. Results from this survey will be published in the article “Artificial Intelligence and LIS Publishing: A Survey of Journal Editors” in Library Trends in 2025 (Volume 73). These findings contribute to a larger conversation about generative AI, academic research, and scholarly journals and their leadership, as well as consider the impacts of generative AI within LIS professional service contexts and within the LIS practitioner community
Not Trans Enough : A Qualitative Inquiry of Non-binary Individuals\u27 Experiences of Transphobia within the LGBTQ+ Community
Get PDFTransphobia has been well-documented to have detrimental impacts on the lives of transgender individuals. However, research typically has not focused on the experience of non-binary individuals, and particularly even less so on their experiences of within-group discrimination. This study used Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to understand both the experience and expression of transphobia toward non-binary people from within the LGBTQ+ community. Twelve interviews were conducted with six non-binary individuals ranging in age from 23 to 33. Each interview was analyzed and coded, resulting in four superordinate themes: The Experience of Enbyphobia, The Impact of Enbyphobia, The Expression of Enbyphobia, and The Perpetuation of Enbyphobia. Each superordinate theme contains between three and five subthemes. Implications for research, theory, and practice are discussed
Stabilizing Bulk Lead-Free Tin Halide Perovskites
Get PDFTin halide perovskites are a growing candidate in the semiconducting materials field due to their band gap, and ability to be doped (specifically p-type doped). Halide perovskites are sensitive to light and air which causes the degradation of the material from its preferred cubic perovskite lattice. This thesis introduces a way of stabilizing bulk CsSnCl3 through the Goldschmidt tolerance factor. It will also introduce potential new ways to p-type dope halide perovskites. We attempted to p-type dope our halide perovskite by substitutional, interstitial, and vacancy doping to increase the carrier concentration to compete with current perovskites. During our trials of different doping techniques, annealing in air presented the most promising results. However, we would need an extensive atmosphere control setup to improve upon these results. Finding a successful p-type doped halide perovskite will push the semiconducting field into a new age of conducting materials
The Forest Watches: A Hybrid Study on the Reintroduction of Extinct Animals
Get PDFRewilding is said to be the hope for the future. Rewilding will rebalance ecosystems, potentially saving those on the point of collapse. But how can you rewild an ecosystem? Reintroduction. The bringing back of extinct animals to fill a vacant role in the ecosystem. Now most would associate reintroduction with dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures. However, this specific project will seek to combine speculative fiction with contemporary environmental concerns around the subject of reintroducing a modern extinct animal into an ecosystem. This will be undertaken through a narrative told through the voices and perspectives of respective animal characters in third person with regard to the effects and consequences of introducing an extinct animal into ecosystem told from a realistic viewpoint. This narrative shall be followed by an essay which will compare and contrast the narrative in question to fictional works based around the subject, as well as ecological research
Transcription and Translation Regulation of Germ Cell to Maternal Transition
Get PDFIn sexually reproducing organisms, the process of gametogenesis produces mature eggs and sperms required for fertilization to occur. The egg\u27s quality is crucial for the healthy development of the next generation, making oogenesis a tightly regulated process with multiple benchmarks. To investigate the intricacies of oogenesis, we utilized the Drosophila oogenesis system as our primary model. This choice was motivated by several factors. Firstly, the process of egg development in Drosophila is conserved across species, making it a valuable proxy for understanding oogenesis in other organisms, including humans. Secondly, Drosophila melanogaster has long been established as a powerhouse in genetic research, offering a wealth of tools and techniques for precise genetic manipulation. This thesis focuses on one of the main oogenesis benchmarks our lab has found to be highly regulated: the Germ cell to maternal transition (GMT).
During GMT, four key events occur: First, germline stem cells (GSCs) differentiate into mature oocytes, switching off early oogenesis and stem cell associated genes while activating maternal genes necessary for embryonic development. Second, the GSCs transition from a mitotic program to a meiotic program. Third, ribosomes ensure proper translation of transcripts needed for oocyte specification, with any decrease in ribosome numbers or damage leading to arrested oogenesis. Lastly, a selection mechanism determines which mRNAs are maternally deposited into the oocyte, essential for early development when the zygotic genome is in quiescent state.
This thesis explores what regulates the silencing of early oogenesis genes during GSCs differentiation into a mature oocyte and what dictates the timing of this transition. We find that genome organization influences the Nuclear Pore Complex (NPC) formation, which is necessary for proper GSC differentiation and silencing of early oogenesis genes. We also find that appropriate ribosome levels are critical for this transition, as they regulate NPC formation, which is in turn essential for oogenesis. In this thesis, we show how the nucleopore complex is controlled at both transcriptional and translational levels. We examine why such precise control is necessary for GMT to occur and the correct development of the egg, which will give rise to the next generation of offsprings.
Throughout this work, I detail our findings on the interplay between genome organization, NPC formation, and ribosome regulation during GMT. I discuss how these factors work together to ensure successful oogenesis and the production of high-quality eggs capable of launching the next generation.
This thesis builds on work that I contributed to in the lab, examining, how SETDB1, a histone methyltransferase, shapes oocyte identity in Drosophila. We previously showed that as SETDB1 moves to the nucleus, it silences differentiation genes by forming heterochromatin and unexpectedly promotes nuclear pore complex (NPC) formation. These NPCs then anchor SETDB1-created heterochromatin, reinforcing gene silencing. Disrupting this process leads to abnormal gene expression, loss of oocyte identity, and infertility. We proposed a novel feedback loop between heterochromatin and NPCs that drives genetic reprogramming in early oocyte development, offering new insights into cell fate determination.
We then investigated the intricate interplay between genome organization and NPCs formation during the differentiation of germline stem cells to oocytes in Drosophila. We examine how heterochromatin-mediated gene silencing and NPC-facilitated gene anchoring at the nuclear periphery contribute to this cellular transformation. Central to this study is the role of the transcription factor Stonewall (Stwl), which accumulates at the boundaries of active and silenced genomic regions. Our research demonstrates that Stwl is pivotal in both silencing germ cell genes and activating oocyte-specific genes and nucleoporins. This dual action of Stwl reveals a novel feedback mechanism where genome architecture promotes NPC formation, which in turn further modulates genome organization. This thesis argues that this reciprocal relationship between genome structure and NPCs is fundamental to successful cell fate transitions, providing new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying germline development. Through my work, I focus on the crosstalk between genome organization and NPCs and show that genome organization is required for transcription of NPCs.
I also focused on the role of ribosomes in the formation and maintenance of NPCs. Adequate ribosome levels are required for the translation of NPCs, with any decrease in ribosome numbers or damage leading to arrested oogenesis. We show that disruption of ribosome biogenesis, TOR pathway and elongation machinery cause the downregulation of the translation of NPCs among other factors, leading to the ectopic upregulation of germ cell and early oogenesis genes, heterochromatin changes and mid-oogenesis arrest.
In summary, this work highlights the critical role of GMT in maintaining proper oocyte development and fertility. Our findings expand the current understanding of reproductive biology and provide new perspectives on potential approaches to improve reproductive health and address infertility issues. By elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying this crucial developmental stage, this research contributes valuable insights to both basic science and potential clinical applications in reproductive medicine
RoiA: An Open-Source ImageJ Macro for Region-of-Interest Creation and Analysis
Get PDFFor those determined to study disease states, systems, or circuits in vivo, histology is the alpha and omega of our investigations. We often begin and end by confirming the location and extent of our perturbations. Yet, as deeply rooted as it is in our experimental practice, histological analyses have remained largely stagnant. Experimenter drawn regions-of-interest (ROIs), intensity normalizing by eye, and inconsistent output metrics are just some of the limitations of current image analysis pipelines. To address these challenges, I developed RoiA, a FIJI-enabled macro which automatically characterizes ROIs in a provided image and analyzes key metrics across three different channels. Among its use cases, I recently employed RoiA to assess tissue damage in fixed brain sections from rats that had bilateral hippocampal implantations of two different sampling cannula and corresponding probes: microdialysis (MD) and cerebral open flow microperfusion (cOFM). Given the probes’ differences in sampling method and material, we expected to see differences in tissue damage across two categories: (i) gliosis, the aggregation of glial cells and (ii) inflammation, marked by an increase in proinflammatory markers. These proxies for tissue damage were stained for using neuron-specific and glia-specific markers (NeuroTrace and GFAP), a microglia-specific marker (TMEM-119), and a marker for the proinflammatory cytokine CD68. RoiA revealed that tissue probed with cOFM probes possessed greater GFAP, TMEM-119, and CD68 integrated density surrounding the probe site as compared to MD. Moreover, in both cOFM and MD tissue, the macro identified greater TMEM-119, and CD68 area in the 100-micron region proximal to the probe site than in the 200-micron region, indicating probe-site localized gliosis. Across all three channels, cOFM-probed tissue possessed greater integrated density to area ratios, a measure of relative signaling that indicates that the aggregated glial cells were more active. Ultimately, these results demonstrate RoiA’s ability to capture the nuances within an image dataset and its applicability across an array of image analysis use cases
A Content Analysis of TikTok Challenges in the News
No full textSocial media is a phenomenon that has drastically altered how people receive information about current events, communicate with each other, and consume entertainment. Apps such as TikTok have become widely used by many but have also faced increased scrutiny for the nature of its content including viral challenges where users will post a challenge video doing an activity that often has the potential to lead to injury. This content analysis study looks to analyze how these TikTok challenges are covered by news media by assessing how frequent news coverage of TikTok challenges is and the characteristics of such coverage. The database LexisNexis was used to search for relevant articles from all U.S. newspapers and newswires ranging from 1/1/2018-12/31/2023, with a final sample of 214 after applying exclusion and inclusion criteria. A codebook was created to extract content from the articles. Over 54% of coded articles were thematically framed, focusing on the general problem of challenges as a whole, rather than highlighting an individual event. Over 48% of coded articles provided enough information about the challenge that someone would know what to do if they wanted to perform the challenge. It was also found that only 15% of coded articles included injury prevention suggestions for given challenges. Potential solutions mentioned in articles included a person in authority warning people to not do the challenge or educating them about the challenge (66.7%), a structural or policy restriction on the items being used in the challenge (37.1%), and TikTok restricting challenge content through adjusted algorithms or content warnings (31.4%). Results can be used to develop educational programs for parents as well as guidance for journalists about how to provide coverage of these challenges