University at Albany, State University of New York
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A Descriptive Analysis of Depressive Symptoms and Body Image by Race/Ethnicity and Nativity Status among Adolescents
Get PDFPrevious research on the immigrant health paradox among children and adolescents show a mental health advantage yet it is unclear if this applies in a similar magnitude to females (Fillion et al., 2018; Zarei et al., 2023). Immigrants may be exposed to stressors related to immigration and acculturation. Some research suggests that females respond more to stress through internalizing symptoms relative to males (Hall-Lande et al., 2007; Adkins et al., 2009). Given these gender differences in stress response, female immigrants may be particularly vulnerable to the psychological consequences of immigration related stressors. The immigrant health paradox has also overlooked subjective measures of body weight such as body image which may provide insight into how immigrants adjust to a new context. Using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, this study explores whether overestimating weight and depressive symptoms differ by nativity status among Asian and Hispanic female adolescents. The findings show no evidence that Asian and Hispanic female’s depressive symptoms differ by nativity status nor was there any evidence that overestimating weight differs by nativity status among these subgroups. In sum, this study provides an estimate of how ethnicity and nativity status affect body image and depressive symptoms across U.S. adolescent females. The findings contribute to our understanding of the immigrant health paradox and suggest that it is not applicable to all health outcomes
Androgen Regulation of the HPA Axis and Stress-Related Behaviors in Mice: The Role of CRF and CRF Receptor 1
Get PDFMood disorders such as anxiety and depression are nearly twice as prevalent in women when compared to men, with potential contributing factors involving sex-dependent exposure to gonadal hormones and dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Androgen actions through androgen receptors (AR) or actions at estrogen receptors such as ERα, following the conversion of androgens to estradiol, have been shown to regulate stress-related behaviors as well as HPA axis responsiveness. Where androgen actions at AR appear to decrease the stress response and subsequent stress-related behaviors, actions at ERα seem to do the opposite and increase HPA axis reactivity. When the HPA axis is activated following exposure to a stressor, corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is released; a neuropeptide known to regulate the HPA axis, anxiety, and depression. This release of CRF creates a cascade of events that ultimately results in the release of glucocorticoids such as cortisol in humans or corticosterone in rodents. CRF can also bind to one of its receptors, CRF receptor 1 (CRFR1) which is a receptor involved in the initiation of the stress response and is critical for the regulation of the HPA axis and stress-related behaviors. With the known sex differences in stress-related mood disorders, gonadal hormone actions at CRF and CRFR1 could serve as a potential mechanism for how these behaviors are differentially displayed.
This dissertation aimed to determine co-expression of AR and ERα with CRF and its receptor CRFR1 as co-expression of these receptors with CRF and CRFR1 could be indicative of a mechanism through which androgens could modulate the stress response sex-specifically. This study also aimed to determine sex differences in neural activation patterns following stress because of the potential role in regulating behavioral and neuroendocrine stress responses. Furthermore, this dissertation investigated effects of gonadectomy (GDX) on CRFR1 positive neurons following restraint stress and determined whether treatment with DHT, an AR agonist, restores GDX effects on stress-induced CORT and protects against changes in CRFR1 cell number or cell activation. Androgen actions through AR can impact various stress functions, however the role of these actions under chronic stress conditions is unclear. Therefore, a subchronic variable stress (SCVS) paradigm was used to investigate AR as a mechanism for the regulation of the stress response by determining if use of DHT following GDX will alter the HPA axis and stress-related behaviors. This study also determined the effects of DHT on stress-induced neural activation patterns. Finally, this dissertation examined the effects of knocking down AR within CRFR1 neurons located within the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN), a region critical for stress regulation, and evaluated impacts of this manipulation on the HPA axis and stress-related behavior as androgen binding to AR in these neurons could be a direct mechanism for the mediation of CRFR1 to ultimately modify stress responses
Advancing Small Molecule Therapies for Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1
Get PDFMyotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is a multisystemic disorder caused by the expression of expanded CUG (CUGexp) repeat RNA from the myotonic dystrophy protein kinase (DMPK) gene. This CUGexp repeat RNA’s gain-of-function mechanism leads to the sequestration of muscleblind-like (MBNL) proteins, resulting in widespread alternative splicing dysregulation across tissues. Despite significant research, there are currently no approved therapeutics targeting the underlying causes of DM1. This dissertation explores the development and optimization of a novel class of small molecules, Modified Polycyclic Compounds (MPCs), designed to address splicing dysregulation in DM1. MPCs were designed from previously published works identifying diamidines as small molecules with potential for therapeutic efficacy. A structure activity relationship strategy was applied while developing MPC01 to MPC10, where MPC03 and MPC04 were identified as compounds capable of rescuing dysregulated alternative splicing at nanomolar concentrations in patient-derived fibroblast and myotube cell models. Minimal to no toxicity was observed at concentrations which returned splicing towards control levels. Global effects of MPC04 were assessed through bulk RNA-sequencing of two patient-derived myotube cell lines. We observed the rescue of thousands of skipped-exon events and of dysregulated gene expression after MPC04 treatment in both cell lines. MPC03 and MPC04 were also tested in the HSALR mouse model, which contains ~220 CTG repeats and recapitulates core features of DM1 in skeletal muscle tissue. After 5 days of treatment, MPC03 and MPC04 decreased the expression of the CUGexp transgene and partially rescued dysregulated splicing in tibialis anterior skeletal muscle. Next, we explored how different functional groups attached to the end-cap regions of the MPC core structure improved or nullified activity in patient derived cell models. We identified four promising compounds, MPC11, MPC17, MCP20, and MPC21, capable of rescuing splicing to greater degrees than MPC04 at higher treatment concentrations. Based on the activities of MPCs in human cell models with minimal cell viability effects and the reduction of CUGexp RNA expression in human DM1 patient-derived cell models and a transgenic mouse model, MPCs are a novel and potentially effective class of small molecules to treat patients with DM1.
Another aspect of this body of work addressed tissue specific differences in the HSALR mouse model. We performed an analysis of publicly available RNA-seq data from the HSALR mouse model and enhanced our understanding of alternative splicing dysregulation in the model and assessed the effectiveness of various treatments. We observed distinct tissue-specific differences in CUGexp RNA levels among gastrocnemius, quadriceps, and tibialis anterior skeletal muscles, which aligned with the severity of dysregulated splicing. A core set of 95 splicing events consistently exhibited dysregulation, serving as a comparative reference point for evaluating the splicing rescue achieved by seven therapeutic interventions. Some therapeutics, like Pip6a-PMO and long-term treatment of EMIQ rescued many of the commonly dysregulated splicing events with minimal off-target effects. This study contributes to a broader understanding of the HSALR model’s role in DM1 research and its potential for preclinical drug development.
In summary, the research presented in this dissertation identifies a new class of small molecule therapeutics for DM1 and establishes a structure-function relationship to splicing rescue. Novel modifications to the end-cap region of the MPC class of molecules improved the degree of splicing rescue. Key insights into the HSALR model and comparisons of different potential therapeutic molecules were made and reported to the DM1 research community to support preclinical drug development efforts. Future studies are expected to determine beneficial modifications for MPCs to move further along the pre-clinical pathway and hopefully into the clinic for DM1
Feeling Triggered Yet? Nostalgic Triggers in Marketing
Get PDFWhat leads people to reach out to someone that they do not talk to often? Getting back in touch with people helps make us happier, but research suggests that people reach out less than optimal (Rohrer et al., 2018). Socializing has been proven to help improve one’s overall mental health, happiness, and mood (Aknin, 2024). In two studies, we look at what features in a person’s consumption-based environment may trigger them to reach out to their loved ones. This ties back to marketing, specifically for social media companies, through people using their platforms to reach out to family/friends, which will encourage users use social media platforms more and in more enjoyable ways. Social media platforms could improve and structure their services to be more about reaching out to old friends and less about the toxic cultures that we know today. In Study 1, (N=108) we tested whether people are triggered by something nostalgic to reach out or if they would do it spontaneously. This resulted with our hypothesis holding true, people are more often triggered than not. In Study 2, (N=209) we tested whether seeing images of consumption-based products and media from childhood and teenage years of two different age groups made people more likely to reach out. We found that while seeing products and media from childhood and teen years makes people feel happier nostalgic, but it does not necessarily encourage reaching out. Reaching out. It’s something that we all should do. It helps us reconnect with old friends and generally makes us feel happy when we do so. However frequently people do not reach out despite having the technology to do so at our fingertips. In this paper, we explore if people reach out spontaneously or if something provokes people to reach out (a trigger). This paper makes two main contributions: people feel triggered to reach out and that consumption-based products from the past trigger nostalgia. These contributions help us learn that people often feel the need for something to make them reach out to old friends, rather than just doing it on their own. This also helps us learn that nostalgia is represented by old memories that typically make us feel happy and positive. People do not feel nostalgic for the bad times of their lives
Re-Globalizing Yorkville: The Languages on Shop Signs in a Non-Migrant Neighborhood
Get PDFThe term “linguistic landscape” is used to describe the usage and placement of language in public places of a specific geographic area, such as on buildings, street names, pedestrian notices, vehicular warnings, and advertising billboards. Studies of a space’s linguistic landscape typically involve an accounting and analysis of the visible signs and/or the presentation of bystanders’ or researchers’ thoughts and observations. This study instead probes the intentions of the sign creators: the owners of the façade sign and the business it advertises. The façade sign, often called the shop sign, is frequently the first image for a business that a person sees, and therefore it must elicit interest if the person is to become a customer. To understand the art and science behind the creation of a shop sign, an overview of historical advertising trends and techniques is included.
This study explores the reasons why, in a predominantly English monolingual New York City neighborhood, there are 30 non-English languages used on shop signs. The neighborhood in question, Yorkville, was known for over a hundred years as a working-class area of (mainly) Austrian, Czech, German, Hungarian, and Irish immigrants and their descendants. Since the 1970s, however, it has become increasingly gentrified, with consequential changes to its roster of businesses, its population, and its signage.
In contrast to findings by previous studies that a non-local language is used for connotative reasons, this study demonstrates that non-English is used – at least, on shop signs in Yorkville – for denotative reasons. Business owners cite authenticity and identity as the primary reasons for using non-English even though they are aware that their customers may not understand it.
In order to investigate Yorkville’s linguistic landscape, a mixed methods strategy was used that included both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The quantitative portion identified 910 shop signs within the Yorkville boundaries, of which 20.9% contain a non-English language one or more times. French was by far the most prevalent non-English language, even when personal names and loanwords were removed, followed by Italian and Chinese. Food-related businesses were the most frequent users of non-English. Based on the responses to the interview instrument questions, the qualitative portion revealed that business owners use non-English for its literal meaning, and for reasons of authenticity and identity. The answers also suggest that “Yorkville” as a distinct place may not exist much longer
Sources and Significance of Symmetric Instability in the Outflow Layer of Tropical Cyclones
Get PDFThe tropical cyclone (TC) outflow layer is an integral part of the TC transverse circulation: warm and moist air converges in the boundary layer of the TC; rising motion and condensational heating occur in the TC eyewall and rainbands; the TC warm core and divergent anticyclone establish in the mid-upper troposphere, with the mass imported into the TC center exported away through outflow near the tropopause.
A series of state-of-the-art numerical simulations were utilized to investigate different scenarios of TC outflow evolution, from an idealized axisymmetric setup to a semi-idealized asymmetric setup, to a real-case setup of TC–trough interaction. Large areas satisfying the criteria for symmetric instability were identified in the upper troposphere of simulated TCs, primarily due to the presence of negative isentropic vorticity. This reservoir of symmetric instability is thought to be an intrinsic characteristic for any TC-like, convectively driven system. The assumption of gradient wind balance breaks down in the TC outflow layer, rendering it susceptible to mass-wind field adjustments.
When imposed external perturbations, the modeled TC outflow expanded in a preferential direction. Budget analysis attributed the wind speed increase in asymmetric outflow jets to the result of unbalanced pressure gradient force acting upon the flow in areas of symmetric instability, converting potential energy to kinetic energy via cross-isobaric flow. In the case of TC–trough interaction, we observed the rapid development of a poleward outflow channel in between the TC and the trough in hours leading to and during rapid intensification. The excess pressure gradient force brought upon the TC by the trough acted as the agent for net wind speed acceleration into the outflow channel. Trajectory analysis of air parcels ending within the core of the outflow channel demonstrated wind speed increase at the expense of negative isentropic vorticity. Our analyses revealed the physical picture of divergent anticyclones as an important source of kinetic energy in the atmosphere through the creation and release of symmetric instability
The Associations Between Maternal Perinatal Depression and Pre-Pregnancy Obesity with Child Neurodevelopment: A Systematic Review
Get PDFThis systematic review examined the association between maternal pre-pregnancy obesity and perinatal depression, and the joint effect of these conditions with child neurodevelopment. PubMed was systematically searched for studies published between January 2018-December 2023. Studies were screened and included if they were cohort studies and human studies in English. Of the 41 studies identified examining maternal perinatal depression and 45 studies identified examining maternal pre-pregnancy obesity, 12 and 9 studies were included in this systematic review, respectively. No studies were identified examining the joint association of these factors with child neurodevelopment. Overall, the studies showed an inverse association between maternal perinatal depression and child neurodevelopment with slight variation depending on the period of measurement. Maternal prenatal depression observed a larger negative impact on child neurodevelopment scores compared to postpartum depression, especially in social-emotional development outcomes. Most studies showed an inverse association between pre-pregnancy obesity and child neurodevelopment; however, three studies showed no association. These findings suggest that children who have mothers with perinatal depression in the period from one year before up until 24 months after birth and children with mothers who had pre-pregnancy obesity are at higher risk for adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. These findings highlight the need for interventions to improve maternal mental health along with healthy lifestyle interventions before and during pregnancy. These findings also indicate more research needs to be done in looking at the joint effect of these conditions
Parasite Diversity of the King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah), Indian Rat Snake (Ptyas mucosa), and Spectacled Cobra (Naja naja)
Get PDFThus far, there has been little research on the parasitic biodiversity in wild reptiles, particularly in India. Research has been done on the parasite diversity of certain species, such as the King cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) and the Spectacled cobra (Naja naja), however these samples were purely from captive animals (Rajesh, 2015). This gap in knowledge is important to address because of how critical parasites are to the ecosystem and understanding their host population (Hudson, 2006). Parasites are some of the most biodiverse organisms, yet there is little work done to describe them in biodiversity hotspots such as the Western Ghats rainforest (Hudson, 2006). Additionally, conservation of snakes in India is critical as they protect agriculture sites from detrimental rodents (Tripathi, 2014). In order to address this, a physical examination was performed to evaluate ectoparasites of the King cobra, Spectacled cobra, and Indian rat snake. In addition, an in-depth analysis of internal parasites was done by collecting fecal samples and examining for parasite eggs using a formalin ethyl-acetate sedimentation technique. Eggs, oocysts, and larval parasites were identified via microscopy. If deceased individuals are found, a necropsy was performed to examine and collect digestive samples that cannot be analyzed using a formalin sedimentation or stain, as well as respiratory parasites. This research is significant as it can provide important health information on the species an provide cryptic information on how climate change and human interaction is impacting the health of a species by disrupting host-parasite dynamics. This study would provide extensive information on an unknown host-parasite dynamic, which would provide a foundation of knowledge on host-specific and generalist parasites of the snakes
Nickel Ferrite as a Model Corrosion Product and its Deposition on Current and Future Nuclear Fuel Cladding Materials
Get PDFThe primary corrosion products in Light Water Reactors (LWRs) are nickel ferrites (nominal stoichiometry NiFe2O4) having the spinel crystal structure. These products, commonly called CRUD (Chalk River Unidentified Deposits) are challenging to study in situ, yet understanding their properties is key to improving reactor performance and reducing worker’s radiological exposure risk. In this thesis, a hydrothermal synthesis technique was used to produce nickel ferrite particles from goethite and nickel nitrate hexahydrate in the presence of NaOH. X-ray diffraction was used for phase identification, with scanning electron microscopy used for particle shape and size analysis. By varying the [Ni]:[Fe] ratio of the precursors and synthesis temperature between 100-250 °C, a phase diagram was developed to determine the stability field in both composition and temperature for obtaining a single phase, non-stoichiometric nickel ferrite products. The compositional boundaries of the single phase region of the diagram are a function of temperature, consistent with the increased solubility and reaction rates at temperatures above 125°C. However, even at the highest temperature studied, the end members ([Ni]:[Fe]=0 and [Ni]:[Fe]=0.5) did not produce a single phase product.
Usually, LWRs operate under either Normal Water Chemistry (NWC) which provides an oxidizing environment or Hydrogen Water Chemistry (HWC) which provides a reducing environment. However, the hydrogen overpressure achievable in the laboratory-scale hydrothermal reactor were insufficient to replicate the HWC. Instead, a chemical reducing agent, Ethylenediamine (EDA), was introduced during hydrothermal synthesis. This provided the needed reduction of Fe ions to synthesize the full range of Ni-poor ferrites that were not achieved in the first study. The iso-electric (IEP) point of all synthesized particles was found to depend on composition, but the use of EDA changed the nature of the compositional dependence. In particular, Ni-poor particles synthesized with EDA had a lower IEP than particles of the same [Ni]:[Fe] ratio synthesized without EDA, and in the extreme case, particles synthesized with no Ni approached the IEP of magnetite (Fe3O4) in the presence of EDA rather than hematite (Fe2O3).These findings suggest that re-deposition of liberated particles downstream in the coolant loop (and strategies for mitigating same) will need to take water chemistry into account as well as particle composition.
Along with understanding the behavior of corrosion products, the latter part of this thesis focused on the corrosion of current and future fuel cladding materials and the growth of CRUD products on these cladding tubes, motivated by Fukushima disaster wherein an explosion was directly related to steam oxidation of the Zircaloy fuel cladding. Iron–chromium–aluminum (FeCrAl) alloys are one of the leading contenders in this race. Several alloy compositions were corroded in a test loop at General Electric Vernova in Niskayuna, NY over the course of 6 months. The results implied that water chemistry along with alloy chemistry has a profound effect on the corrosion rate of FeCrAl alloys. Finally, CRUD deposition on latest generation of FeCrAl cladding materials, cladding rods were submerged and heated, followed by CRUD ion injection. The resulting oxide and CRUD on FeCrAl claddings was more difficult to remove than those growing on standard Zircaloy, which can be removed by simple ultrasonication. This apparently stronger adhesion between FeCrAl claddings, oxide layers, and CRUD on these cladding rods could prove to be an impediment to the implementation of next-generation accident-tolerant fuel materials
Essays on Public Finance and International Finance
Get PDFThe first chapter examines New York State\u27s Fiscal Score Monitoring program to find the effect of two quality labels on school district outcomes: fiscal stress scores, reflecting the budget solvency, and environmental stress labels reflecting economic and demographic conditions. Using the NYS school district data from 2013-22, I employ the regression discontinuity design to find the effect of stress labels, in response to the political pressure on district finances, housing, and school outcomes. I find the effect of fiscal stress label is limited, leading to a decrease in the fund balance ratio and an increase in the tax rate. However, districts are more responsive to environmental stress labels, especially when facing tight political pressure. The fund balance ratio and surplus ratio, unassigned fund balance ratio, and general operating surplus significantly declined. Among the housing variables, the property values decline, while the tax rate and tax levied increased significantly. Districts are sensitive to environmental indicators of school quality, especially for districts under high pressure. The overall findings suggest that the fiscal stress management system serves as an “early warning sign” and allows active political parties and representative entities to take more proactive actions under tight political pressure to circumvent possible fiscal and environmental distress.
The second chapter examines the COVID-19 pandemic led to changes in the housing market in the United States that led residents to move away from city centers to suburbs, and that has potential fiscal implications for the local governments. Considering the unit of data at the school district level from 2006-22, I employ difference-in-differences methods to measure the impact of changes in the housing market due to COVID, on local government’s revenues and expenditures in the New York State (NYS). Results indicate evidence of an increase in revenues, generated from the collection of property taxes. The effect is mainly driven by districts at the intermediate distance from the city, relatively less dense areas. The overall expenditures did not increase significantly, but I found a slight growth in spending toward debt services, employee benefits, and general government needs.
In the thirst chapter, I study the impact of macroprudential policy on measures of Exchange Market Pressure (EMP) in Emerging Market Economies and OECD countries. Using the quarterly panel data from 2000 to 2019, I analyzed the adoption of policy using the difference-in-difference (DD) approach. I find a significant impact on one of the three measures of EMP, while the other two EMPs show no effect. I also attempt to document the potential problems related to sample bias and estimation associated with variation in treatment timing, small samples, and conventional DD standard errors. Using Wild bootstrap methods, I find that the policy effect significantly impacts one of the EMP measures