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Assessing the Cost of Urban Climate Resilience: An Analysis of the NYC Financial District and Seaport Climate Resilience (FiDi) Master Plan Implementation
Get PDFNew York City is set to implement the Financial District and Seaport Climate Resilience Master Plan (FiDi), aiming to develop infrastructure capable of addressing or mitigating the effects of climate change on Lower Manhattan. This area faces significant risks from daily tidal flooding, rainfall, coastal storms, hurricane effects, and rising temperatures. With an estimated investment of 7 billion to be spent over 15 years, our study focuses on estimating the plan’s economic impacts in Lower Manhattan, across other boroughs of New York City, and throughout the entire state. We utilize a multi-regional input-output (MRIO) modeling approach, constructing the MRIO for regions defined by the counties of Richmond, New York, Kings, Queens, Bronx, and the rest of the state while separating Lower Manhattan from the rest of New York County. We utilize the total estimated investment (costs) as a direct investment of final demand shock to compute intra and inter-regional effects (benefits). Addressing financial and planning uncertainties using S-curve modeling, we conduct a total cost-benefit analysis incorporating environmental effects. Our results indicate that the plan generates more benefits than costs throughout its implementation and operation. However, concentrated environmental impacts are observed during certain implementation periods, with spill-over effects to other regions analyzed within the inter-regional system through industrial interaction and the income multiplication effect
Demonstrating the Need for Intergenerational Trauma-Specific Substance Use Treatment for Mothers Receiving Substance Use Treatment and their Children
Get PDFFor decades the United States has faced substance use epidemics that have devastating public health consequences, with the most recent epidemic being the opioid epidemic. While the substance that is the center of the epidemic’s changes over time, one factor that has been found to be positively related to substance use has remained consistent, that preventable risk factor is adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Those who experience ACEs are at elevated risk for developing SUD. If the trauma that is a result of experiencing ACE is not treated it can complicate recovery and impact the individuals’ families. The children of individuals with SUD are at risk for experiencing ACE themselves as well as the other consequences that are associated with parental SUD. The presence of both phenomena in families can lead to a multigenerational cycle of ACEs, SUD, and poor health outcomes. With the increasing incidence of maternal SUD, it is vital to examine this cycle among mothers who are receiving substance use treatment and their children. This dissertation study will demonstrate the need for intergenerational trauma-specific substance use treatment by examining the prevalence of ACEs in this population as well as the consequences of ACEs on their children, while exploring how mothers perceive their SUD impacts their parenting and children. To accomplish the goal of this dissertation the following aims were fulfilled: 1) assessing ACEs scores in mothers in SUD treatment and their children in WV, 2) assessing emotional and behavioral problems in children of mothers in SUD treatment in WV and 3) exploring experiences of intergenerational ACEs, motherhood, and parenting in mothers in SUD treatment. A convergent mixed methods study design was employed, with a one-time survey being used to achieve Aims 1 & 2 and semi-structured interviews being used for Aim 3. The findings for Aim 1 shown that the mothers in SUD treatment and their children not only had a high ACE burden, but that they also experienced more ACE than the general population. Aim 2 suggested that children of mothers in SUD treatment may be at elevated risk for experiencing certain emotional and behavioral problems and that ACEs and the quality of the parent child relationship are positively associated with these outcomes. The analysis from Aim 3 revealed the following themes: 1) Battle between recovery and motherhood, 2) Absent parenting: a symptom of SUD, 3) Parenting within government and legal systems, which contained child protection services and separation as a subtheme, and 4) Impacts on children, which contained the subtheme of Age-dependent consequences. Mothers often reported that their SUD did negatively impact their children and that having SUD could act as a barrier and introduce challenges to parenting. Collectively, the findings from the three aims suggest that mothers receiving substance use treatment and their children have a high ACE prevalence that are associated with the children developing emotional and behavioral problems. Additionally, the findings also emphasize how the social environmental can negatively influence these mother-child dyads. The urgent need for trauma-informed treatment centers that included trauma-specific dyadic interventions which address ACEs is evident based on the results of this dissertation study. By addressing ACEs, it is possible that such interventions will not only improve treatment outcomes for mothers but prevent their children from experiencing negative health consequences. Currently, very few treatment programs offer such interventions. Future research should not only examine other types of ACE and trauma-related symptoms in mothers receiving SUD treatment and their children but explore how to best integrate trauma-specific care for the mother-child dyad into substance use treatment
The Line Between Man and Monster: A Theatrical Costume Design of Caryl Churchill\u27s The Skriker
Get PDFProduced at West Virginia University, this is a record of the costume design process for The Skriker by Caryl Churchill. As a play about vicious folkloric faerie creatures in modern day England, there was a heavy emphasis on showcasing the difference between the human and fae characters. With such a fantastical script, there is a potential to take the design down any number of creative paths. Finding a way to cohesively costume the cast while not losing the intricacies of their individual stories became a personal priority. After coming to an agreement with the director and the rest of the design team, it was decided that all of the fae characters would be masked to remove the actors’ humanity. This choice would add a set of unique challenges to overcome in an already complex show.
However, a satisfactory ending was reached through a combination of experience brought forth by a team of professional costumers, skills learned during my graduate career, and the school’s available resources. This document will take the reader through an analysis of the play, the research, the design and technical processes, a self-evaluation, and a conclusion of the work. Support for this thesis can be found by the documentation, images, and references cited within
Estimating Home Range Size and Density of White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in West Virginia
Get PDFBig game hunting is an important source of revenue and recreation in the United States. Of big game species, white-tailed deer (Odocileus virginianus) are the most heavily pursued. White-tailed deer are a widespread generalist species, capable of existing at high densities. Hunting is often used as the primary method of managing deer populations, particularly in the eastern United States, where there is a lack of large predators. When populations reach high densities, there can be negative effects on the environment and conflicts with humans. Managers must consider both creating adequate hunting opportunities and reducing negative impacts when managing deer populations. Management plans should ideally be based on biological information, and for such a widespread species, having local information is also important. Information on home range can provide insight into the effectiveness of management plans and the potential for disease spread, as well as inform models for estimating density. Estimating density, and tracking changes in density over time, are important for understanding the status of the population, and how it may be impacted by factors such as hunting regulations or disease. To date, there has been little research involving radio-collared deer in West Virginia. In 2020, the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR) initiated a deer research project to gain insight into local population ecology and update management plans. From 2021–2023, GPS collars were deployed on 350 deer in three study areas across West Virginia. In chapter 1, I evaluated factors influencing home range size. I used GPS location data from the deer collars and calculated seasonal home ranges (n = 1,469) for 221 individual deer. I evaluated the effect of different covariates on home range size and found an effect of sex, age, season, study area, density, and oak mast. Adult deer had the largest home ranges in the spring and yearlings had the largest home ranges in rut. Male deer had the smallest home ranges in summer while female deer had the smallest home ranges in parturition and summer. For male deer, home range size increased with age while there was no effect for female deer. Home range size was positively affected by density and negatively affected by mast. In chapter 2, I evaluated the utility of camera traps to estimate deer density. I deployed grids of camera traps from April–September 2022 in areas where deer capture had occurred. I performed spatial capture-recapture analysis using information from the collared deer to generate detection parameters. Camera surveys produced estimates similar to those from distance sampling conducted by the WVDNR in August 2022, but with lower uncertainty. These results suggest that camera surveys can be effective in estimating deer densities in West Virginia. From the baseline model, information on encounter rates and how they decline as distance between home range centroid and camera trap increase can be applied to estimate densities of entirely unmarked populations. Deploying permanent camera grids on wildlife management areas could provide long-term monitoring that can be used to guide management plans in West Virginia in the future
Reformed-Based Approaches to the Teaching and Learning Of Science
Get PDFThis qualitative practice-based study explores the efficacy of reformed-based science teaching approaches in fostering meaningful student engagement within elementary science classrooms, framed within the science-as-practice paradigm. Utilizing three theoretical frameworks, the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and Ambitious Science Teaching (AST), and the Teacher Noticing, this research investigates how these frameworks influence student engagement in scientific disciplinary practices. The study draws on data from an NSF-funded project on teacher noticing in fifth-grade classrooms in West Virginia. Through a practice-based research approach, the relationship between teachers’ pedagogical practices and student engagement in science and engineering practices as outlined by NGSS and facilitated through AST is analyzed. The study aims to bridge the gap in understanding how teachers’ support of science-as-practice impacts students’ engagement, utilizing Teacher Noticing to connect teaching moves with student activities in science classrooms. Chapter 1 introduces the study, outlining the motivation and theoretical grounding. It discusses the potential of reformed-based teaching to advance knowledge and practice in elementary science education, focusing on the importance of classroom interactions and the developmental stages of learning. Chapter 2 reviews relevant literature, detailing historical reforms and theoretical perspectives in science education, including constructivist theories, knowledge in pieces, and the situated cognition framework. Chapter 3 describes the study’s methodology, focusing on a practice-based research approach that links teacher knowledge to the classroom setting, employing a comprehensive analysis of teaching practices. Chapter 4 presents the findings, exploring the connection between teacher noticing, pedagogical strategies, and student engagement in science practices. Chapter 5 discusses these findings, suggesting implications for teacher education and future research, aiming to enhance the implementation of science-as-practice in education. This study aims to fill the knowledge gap regarding the interplay between teacher pedagogical practices and student engagement in science, offering insights into the challenges and opportunities within the science-as-practice approach. Insights derived from this research are expected to inform more effective elementary science teaching strategies and contribute to ongoing educational reforms
Transparent and conductive gallium oxide electrode for simultaneous recording and optogenetic stimulation
Get PDFNeural electrode technology has been around for centuries since the times of Galvani. In early electrophysiology experiments metal wires were used to induce contractions in dissected animals. The metal wire electrode has since been a standard tool to both stimulate and record neural activity. In the past two decades, a new strategy for neural stimulation has been formulated based on the emergent field of optogenetics. Optogenetics refers to the use of light-sensitive proteins genetically imbedded in the membrane of a neuron to elicit neural activity. This technique offers more selectivity in the stimulation of neurons. Typical optogenetic neural electrodes, or optrodes, are composed of silicon which requires the integration of optical components such as optical fiber or waveguides. Using a transparent and conductive substrate removes the need for these additional components with their corresponding fabrication steps. The optical medium and the recording electrode are contained in one monolithic shank. One common challenge for transparent electrodes is light-induced noise during simultaneous recording and stimulation due to the photoelectric effect or the photoelectrochemical (Becquerel) effect. Here, an electrode device is proposed that has been fabricated on single crystal β-Ga2O3. It is shown that the device performs well to record artificial neural spikes in phosphate buffered saline. The device also displays excellent transparency in the visible range and no detectable photoelectric artifact.
A challenge presents itself in the fabrication of the device. Typical microfabrication techniques are optimized for 2D device structures. Neural probes require 3D considerations. For example, they must be hermetically sealed, requiring conformal coating of insulation. Traditional etching techniques are limited in their ability to open an electrode area through parylene-C, requiring a planar configuration of the electrode areas. Alternative approaches are needed for 3D configurations. In this dissertation, a new method for parylene etching is proposed. It was shown that selective laser ablation of the parylene layer of a parylene-coated gallium oxide device is possible with minimal damage to the underlying gallium oxide surface by using a sufficiently attenuated green (532 nm) picosecond pulsed laser. Further it was shown that this did not compromise the electrical properties of the gallium oxide surface which possessed a 1 kHz impedance magnitude under the acceptable maximum of 1 MΩ
Three Essays in Urban, Health and Public Economics
Get PDFThis dissertation “Three Essays in Urban, Health and Public Economics” contains three chapters which explore urban, health and public economics. The first two chapters focus on examining the unexpected consequences of urban and health related policies, while the third chapter explores the nuanced relationships between health policies and religion. The first chapter examines the impact of NFL and NBA games, beyond the reach of stadium walls and arenas, extending to how it affects driver behavior after games. In this paper I analyze how game outcomes for professional level football and basketball games have an impact on affecting the rate of accidents on game days when compared with non-game days. Using crash data from the Transportation Injury Mapping System, I match locations of accidents within a 3-mile, 5-mile and 10-mile radius from the Oakland- Alameda County Coliseum Complex with data on NBA and NFL games from 2011 to 2019. Results show that game outcomes (home wins and unexpected losses) result in increasing overall accidents, while also increasing both alcohol involved accidents and accidents resulting in fatalities or severe injuries.
The second chapter consists of joint work with Dr. Dan Grossman and Dr. David Slusky that contributes to the growing literature highlighting the importance of studying the policy implications and full costs associated with reducing access to women’s health clinics through abortion restrictions. In this chapter we assess the unintended consequences of states implementing policies that targeted abortion service providers prior to the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022. Many of these targeted clinics were women’s health clinics that provided essential preventive health care services in addition to providing family planning and reproductive services. These regulations have limited the clinics abilities to provide services and resulted in the closure of many of these health clinics. Using a two-way fixed effects model we estimate the effect of change in access to clinics, measured by travel distance, on cancer diagnosis outcomes including incidence and the initial stage at which the diagnosis is identified. We use restricted access data from Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program (SEERs) in 16 states across the US and match it with a panel of county by month travel distances to nearest women’s health clinics from 2009 to 2019. Results show that increased distances to women’s health clinics have a significant impact on reducing breast cancer diagnosis rates, affecting both white and black women.
The third chapter attempts to highlight the importance of a nuanced approached to analyzing the role religious groups have in voting for “morality” based healthcare policies. Using this paper, I analyze which specific religious groups were influential in voting for a Constitutional Amendment in 2018 in the state of Alabama, deciding on banning all abortions in the state, prior to the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022. I identify that predominantly white-based Evangelical Protestants voted ‘yes’ while Black Protestants voted ‘no’. Through my results I am able to show that despite shared religious doctrine, different church groups vote differently, and voter behavior needs a more nuanced religious classification than the traditional Catholic, Protestant or Jewish classification
Utilizing sUAS-based Remote Sensing for Sustainable Outdoor Recreational Trail Design and Monitoring
Get PDFThis study utilizes sUAS-based remote sensing and hydrologic models to analyze and predict locations susceptible to water-based trail erosion. Erosion is frequently cited as the most significant environmental impact of trails and often requires costly design and management considerations. A professionally designed trail totaling 4 km in length was segmented based on presence or absence of water-based erosion for analyses and then flown with sUAS technology. Three Logistic regression (LR) models were generated utilizing several hydrologic terrain models of varying resolutions to determine the effects of spatial resolution on the models’ predictive accuracies. Receiver operator characteristics, kappa, and overall accuracy assessments all indicated better predictive accuracy for the highest resolution sUAS-based data. The LR model for the sUAS-based data identified areas with high total catchment area and low profile curvature values as having higher probability for erosion. This study offers guidelines for novel approaches to sustainable trail design and monitoring
Traumatic brain injury induces cerebrovascular dysfunction: Consequences for ischemia and cerebral hypoperfusion
Get PDFTraumatic brain injury (TBI) is a significant health concern across the United States as well as the broader globe, affecting millions of individuals on an annual basis. While most recover from their TBI and resume their lives normally, some subsets of TBI survivors continue to experience impairments and increased risk for future diseases like cardiovascular disease, stroke, and aging related disease like Alzheimer’s Disease or VCID.
TBI remains a fundamentally difficult neurological injury to pin down mechanistically, due to the variability in severity, timing, and age of patient, among other factors. One significant factor in the pathology has consistently been the post-injury function of the cerebrovasculature, and while it is known that TBI worsens cerebrovascular function, much of the general understanding of the mechanisms underlying this dysfunction remains uncovered. This dissertation attempts to uncover some of these mysteries by examining two previously understudied phenomena related to the effects of TBI on ischemic stroke and how prior cerebrovascular damage impacts TBI.
In Part 1, I investigated how TBI has widespread and persistent implications for ischemic stroke outcomes in mice, particularly related to the function of the cerebrovasculature. I determined TBI worsens these stroke outcomes, albeit differently in male and female mice. Additionally, the cerebrovascular dysfunction from even a mild TBI persists well beyond the acute timepoint, and has specific impacts on pericyte connectivity to the endothelium.
In Part 2, I investigated how prior chronic cerebral hypoperfusion led to cerebrovascular dysfunction that is often instrumental in worse TBI outcomes. Notably, combining this hypoperfusion with TBI often led to worse outcomes than the individual impairments alone. These outcomes are prevalent again regarding neurovascular health, as well as in metabolic pathways, both of which are potentially predictive of long-term health.
The data in this dissertation provides further context into the rapidly expanding field of cerebrovascular injury and gives potential for future research in the TBI field. The work conducted here show that there is the potential for prior vascular risk factors to play a significant role in TBI outcomes and emphasize the necessity of future studies to further focus on the mechanistic underpinnings of worsened TBI outcomes to more efficiently treat TBI and future cardio- and cerebrovascular disease
Prevalence of Depression and Suicidal Ideation in First-Generation College Students as Compared to Their Non-First-Generation Peers
Get PDFFirst-generation college students face numerous challenges and barriers in academia and related areas that impact their mental health in a manner that their non-first-generation peers may not experience. This population reports higher incidences of stress and distress, depression, and anxiety. However, little is known about the prevalence of suicidal ideation in this population. The current study hypothesized a difference between first-generation students and non-first-generation students on depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation. Participant data was gathered from the Center for Collegiate Mental Health (CCMH) 2015-2016 data set. Primary analyses will be independent samples t-tests and hierarchical linear regression. Results showed a difference between first-generation college students and their non-first-generation peers on CCAPS-62 depression scores and suicidal ideation -attempted and -considered. Generational status was also a predictor of depressive symptoms and consideration and attempts of suicide, until covariates were accounted for. Then, first-generation college students reported lower scores on the CCAPS-62 depression subscale, and there was no difference between first-generation college students and their non-first-generation peers for suicidal ideation. Conclusions from these results indicate that generational status may not be a leading factor in college students incidences of depression and suicidal ideation. Implications for clinicians are discussed to help university counseling centers understand and improve the well-being of students and improve mental health services available on campuses