University at Albany, State University of New York
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Right Frame, Right Time: A Study Of Anti-American Military Base Protests In East Asia
Get PDFWhy do anti-US-military protests occur in some host communities but not others? Using six cases in Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines, this project argues that a key explanatory factor in anti-US-military movement variability is the extent to which activists’ frames, or interpretations of an issue, resonate with the host community or nation. The concept of frame resonance reflects the interplay between framing by social movement leaders and the political opportunity structure (including framing by the US and host nation governments), which influences frames’ effectiveness at mobilizing potential protesters. Drawing on interviews, participant observation, protest data and data, and various primary and secondary sources, I explore variations in anti-US-military protests across the host communities of Yokosuka and Okinawa, Japan; Daegu and Jeju, South Korea; and national level movements in the Philippines before and after the signing of the VFA agreement
Effects Of Aerobic Exercise On Rage And Lrp1 In Stz And Hfd Models Of Diabetes: Relationship With Cognitive Function And Aβ Clearance
Get PDFThe number of individuals with diabetes worldwide has quadrupled since 1980, making diabetes the 4th most common cause of death from non-communicable disease. Since 1975, the number of individuals classified as obese has tripled to 650 million adults, or 13% of the global population (World Health Organization, 2018). Obesity rates in the United States are three times the global average, with 39.8% of adults having a body-mass index of 30 or greater (Hales, 2017). At the same time, in the United States, AD is the sixth most common cause of death, with 5.8 million currently diagnosed, a number that may grow to over 13 million people by 2050 as the baby-boomer generation ages (“2020 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures,” 2020). Unfortunately, shared causal mechanisms between diabetes and AD cause significant comorbidity, with some researchers referring to AD as “type 3 diabetes” (de la Monte & Wands, 2008; Kandimalla et al., 2017; Steen et al., 2005) due to the commonalities between these pathologies. Meanwhile, the true impact of type 1 diabetes on brain health remains poorly understood, with varying methodologies reporting conflicting findings over time (Biessels et al., 2008; Chaytor, 2016)
State of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and its chemical constituents with morbidity due to pulmonary diseases in an urban city of Southern Asia
Get PDFGlobally, air pollution has a negative impact on public health due to the continuous use of fossil fuel to power industries, industrial emissions, vehicular emissions, open burning of garbage waste and exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), which is linked to an increase of various diseases as well as an excess of morbidity and mortality. Although air pollution affects every nation, developing countries face unique challenges. There is a dire need to reduce air pollution in developing countries, with the World Health Organization (WHO) reporting that large cities in low- and middle-income countries have exceptionally high levels of air pollution. Additionally, most air pollution-related deaths are recorded in developing countries, where laws are lax or not enforced, vehicle emission standards are lax and an increase in industrial activity leading to factory emissions from coal-powered steam engines and burning of fossil fuels which release hazardous chemicals into the atmosphere has contributed to air pollution. Take Pakistan, one of the most polluted nations in the world and relies heavily on the use of fossil fuels. The average Pakistani\u27s life expectancy is shortened by 60 months because of air pollution, relative to what it would have been if the WHO guidelines were met. While many studies have shown evidence of increased morbidity and mortality of lung cancer, asthma, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and reduced lung function with long term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), the sources and effects of short-term exposure to PM2.5 needs to be better assessed in Karachi, Pakistan. There is severe air pollution in major cities of Pakistan and limited information is available. Little is known about the extent and impact of environmental pollutants on human health for the megacity, Karachi. Furthermore, air pollution studies and impact on health in urban cities of developing countries of Asia needs to be investigated further. Keeping this in view, the current study was designed to investigate the air quality in Karachi using time-series analysis over a period of four seasons (fall, winter, spring, and summer). And assessed association between exposure to daily concentrations of air pollution and pulmonary morbidities. Using daily PM2.5 levels seasonally from the sampling sites AQI proportion was calculated to measure the quality of the air. Pearson correlation was used to show the intercorrelation between PM2.5, BC, trace elements, ionic species, and meteorological parameters. Enrichment factor (EF) analysis was utilized to identify heavy metals in PM aerosols according to natural and anthropogenic sources. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) to determine source apportionment and backward-in-time trajectories to investigate local and long-range pollutant emissions. Analysis of samples for anions and cations was performed as well as black carbon (BC) from collected PM2.5 samples. Negative binomial generalized linear time-series (GLM) model was used to estimate the risk of pulmonary morbidity associated with exposure to gaseous pollutants, PM2.5, BC, and trace elements (TEs). The human health risk assessment of short-term PM2.5 exposure were calculated using the Risk Assessment Information System (RAIS). The measure of human health impact assessment for expected number of deaths and risk of exposure per 1000 people were estimated. Over the study period in Karachi, 12,592, 8,971, and 5,704 pulmonary morbidity records were collected in a three-year period, of which 5,259 (41.8%) were females and 7,333 (58.2%) males for the first year; 3,859 (43.5%) were females and 5,112 (57.0%) males for the second year; and 2,480 (43.5%) were females and 3,224 (56.5%) males for the third year. In the first year, there were 11,870 emergency room visits (ER) visits and 722 hospital admissions (HAs); the second year consisted of 5,104 ER visits and 3,867 HAs; and third year included 5,013 ER visits and 691 HAs. Based on daily exposures to air pollutants during the four seasons of the year, stratified single pollutant model analysis by age, gender, and town codes by single lag days (0-5) was performed. The model adjusted for the influence of meteorological factors, season, and day of the week. And the model fit was assessed with deviance and Pearson’s chi-square as a measure of the goodness of fit. PM2.5 concentrations were highest in the winter and lowest in the summer as shown in time-series analysis. The average annual PM2.5 concentrations observed at Malir and Kemari sampling sites were compared with WHO guidelines and studies conducted in metropolis centers in developing and developed countries globally. Annual average concentrations exceeded the WHO guideline (5 μg/m3) by factors of 19.0 and 28.0 at the Malir and Kemari sites, respectively. Additionally, \u3e99% of the daily PM2.5 concentrations significantly exceeded the WHO 24-hr guideline (15 μg/m3) by a factor of 12 at the Kemari site and 9 times higher at the Malir site. BC levels exceeded the average levels for all seasons. The highest recorded BC concentration was 32.8 µg/m³ for Kemari and approximately 15 µg/m³ for Malir during the colder months (November – December). The sampling sites showed an influx of metal ions emitted by anthropogenic and natural sources. The most prevalent toxic metals were lead and nickel. Anion analysis showed chloride (Cl-), sulfate (SO4 2-), and nitrate (NO3 -) levels continued to rise. The cations analysis showed high calcium (Ca2+), sodium (Na+), and potassium (K+) levels. In general, the estimated relative risks (RR) indicated an increased risk for total pulmonary and subtypes at Lags 0 and 3-5 following exposure to ambient air pollutants. Males had the highest risk of COPD, while both sexes had an increased risk for asthma and shortness of breath (SOB). Tuberculosis (TB) and asthma were prevalent among patients aged 0-50, while COPD was prevalent among patients 51+. SOB was prevalent among both age groups. The prevalence of pulmonary morbidity due to pollutant exposure was greater among age group 0-50 and males in this study. Stratified analysis by age and gender indicated a notable increase in pulmonary morbidity associated with daily exposure to gaseous pollutant ozone (O3), sulfur dioxide (SO2), PM2.5, BC, and toxic metals like Pb, Ni, Cu, Cl, and S. Additionally, gaseous pollutants such as O3 that have limited epidemiological and toxicological studies supporting a causal relationship with pulmonary outcomes indicated morbidity risks in this study. This may be explained by Pakistan\u27s relatively elevated levels of air pollution. Statistically significant associations were found between pollutants and pulmonary morbidities assessed mostly at delayed lag days. The study method used was a time-series analysis, and only information on the date of admission and primary diagnosis was attained. We couldn’t investigate events that occurred before or after patients’ hospital visits. Based on our findings, motor vehicle emissions, fossil fuel combustion, and sea salt and dust particles are the primary sources of PM2.5 and its constituents. Previous studies linked exposure to PM2.5 to development of oxidative stress, pulmonary inflammation, and several severe cardiac events. Particulate matter accounts for most of the air pollution in Karachi, Pakistan. Monitoring and assessing the daily PM2.5 constituent levels in Karachi were tied to the poor air quality. This is the first study in Pakistan to investigate the levels of air pollutants and their association between pulmonary diseases and PM2.5 constituents. The results of this study provide a useful insight into the possible health risks associated with exposure to elevated levels of air pollution. While previous studies have reported health risks associated with exposure to particulate air pollution based on much lower air pollution levels in developed countries in North America and Europe, most of the studies have been on air pollution and cardiovascular diseases. The levels of gaseous pollutants and PM2.5 in Karachi pose a threat for pulmonary morbidity risks among all age groups and gender. This highlights the detrimental effects of particulate air pollution on human health. Further studies in other urban cities of Pakistan are essential. Thus, to protect public health in Pakistan, it is urgent to develop a regulatory strategy to control fine particulate matter air pollution. Regulatory measures to reduce particulate emissions from these sources will help reduce air pollution levels in Pakistan\u27s major cities
Value congruence and employee engagement: an exploration of mechanisms
Get PDFEmployee engagement has been linked to a host of organizational outcomes such as turnover, commitment, and productivity, as well as employee outcomes such as depression, job satisfaction, and anxiety. As such, it is critical to understand how engagement can be fostered at work, or even predicted in applicants. Organizational culture has been linked to engagement, as well as person-job fit, but not enough research has been done on the link between organizational culture fit, or value congruence, and employee engagement. Specifically, not enough research has been done looking at why value congruence could lead to engagement. This study evaluates two competing theoretical explanations for why value congruence may affect engagement. Using a survey at two different time points, online participants responded to measures of value congruence, engagement, psychological need satisfaction, and job resources. Results confirm the relationship between value congruence and engagement, both at the organization level and the coworker level. Organization level value congruence is more strongly related to engagement compared with coworker level value congruence. Competence need satisfaction and autonomy need satisfaction partially mediate the relationship between value congruence and engagement, while relatedness need satisfaction does not. Coaching mediates the relationship between value congruence and engagement, while social support, feedback, and relationship with supervisor do not. Additionally, competence need satisfaction and coaching both remained mediators when observed together. Overall, these results suggest that both Self Determination Theory and Job Demands and Resources Theory are useful frameworks to understand the effect of value congruence on engagement, both separately and in conjunction with one another
Smartphones and emotional transfer : an investigation of smartphone-to-human emotional contagion
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Noticing and focusing on chemistry deep structure in integrated STEM design challenges
Get PDFIntegrating science and engineering has become a focal point for current research in science and STEM educational fields. Infusing engineering design as an application of scientific principles is beneficial, as it demonstrates an authentic, real-world application and allows for not only student engagement and enthusiasm, but also an avenue to learn and transfer science skills and content. In order to effectively transfer scientific principles and skills, students must first notice that science principles can inform the design, and then choose to apply those skills through focusing processes. While there has been previous studies that have investigated transfer as part of integrated STEM design challenges, they tend to emphasize physics principles that inform the physical construction of a device. In contrast, chemistry principles are often used to power or perform a function within a constructed device. To date, there have been few studies that have investigated noticing and focusing on chemistry as part of a design heuristic. The design-based action research study that follows addresses this gap by investigating how students notice chemistry using prior inquiry activities to highlight chemistry principles, as well as how students focus on applying those principles as part of design heuristic in a chemistry infused integrated STEM design challenge. A set of twelve focusing processes emerged from the data set. The focusing processes were used to compare two similar design challenges. The study found that the chemistry-infused challenge saw an increase in duration and depth of focus on chemistry deep structure. In addition, a set of three inquiry activities were implemented before the final challenge to highlight the chemistry deep structure necessary. The study found that participants were able to notice the chemistry deep structure from the inquiry activities during the build, and their notice was mediated by the tools available within the problem space. Participants that did not notice could be led to notice through teacher-scaffolding interventions. However, participants would often revert back to a trial-and-error approach when the task became cognitively demanding. The findings are situated within the extant literature and its contributions to the field are discussed in greater detail
Informal migration resilience and response to external shocks : evidence from India
Get PDFThis dissertation explores facets of inter-state migration in India through the lens of various external shocks. The first chapter aggregates descriptive and economic statistics from primary surveys conducted in India in response to COVID-19 lockdowns in the form of a survey paper. The second chapter utilizes the survey data to provide detailed empirical contexts on the migration patterns and occupational choices of informal migrant workers in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic in India. The third chapter investigates long term changes in inter-state migration flows as a response to extreme climate events in India
Semiparametric distributional and quantile models applications in health, labor and banking
Get PDFThe first chapter study the medical expenditure on prescription drug utilization on racial/ethnic disparities using a partially linear quantile treatment effects (QTE) model. We consider the quantile treatment effect inequity from race conditional on other covariates. We find that people tend to spend more depending on prescription drug use as growing old, especially those with insurance coverage. In addition, females spend more than males generally, and the male minority groups have higher treatment effect values, compared to that White female usually spends a lot on medical expenditure. From a racial disparity perspective, we observe that the male Hispanic group QTE is more than other male racial groups in many quantiles, reflecting that prescription drug use has a significant impact on male Hispanics. Through the analysis of the outcomes of τ = 0.9, we conclude that minorities are more likely to have extreme QTE value, especially females. Lastly, we also derive the asymptotics for the nonparametric QTE estimator which complements Imbens and Newey (2009)
How municipalities transition to renewable energy and address problems that occur in the process: a comparative case study of four Texas municipalities
Get PDFThe dissertation revolves around the central theme of municipal transitions to renewable energy, with a comprehensive exploration presented through three interconnected papers. Each paper addresses unique aspects of the overarching theme while complementing and building upon the findings of the others. The first paper serves as the foundation, developing a model of local energy transitions and emphasizing the significance of contract risk management for municipalities to achieve complete energy transitions. It highlights the potential setbacks and incomplete transitions that can occur without effective contract risk management. Expanding on the initial model, the second paper identifies different pathways and explores the variations in energy transitions. It delves into the reasons behind potential failures or delays, providing valuable insights into the complexities of the transition process. The third paper addresses gaps in the existing literature and investigates mayoral motivations, the paradoxical support for fossil fuels, and the interplay between policy learning and lock-in dynamics. By doing so, it not only offers guidance for future research but also provides practical information for practitioners in the field. Collectively, these three papers form a cohesive body of work that delves into the multifaceted aspects of municipal energy transitions. They significantly contribute to our understanding of the challenges, motivations, and strategies involved in transitioning to renewable energy at the municipal level. By interlinking their findings and insights, they provide a comprehensive examination of the topic, open doors for further research and exploration, and offer valuable guidance for policymakers and practitioners in the field of sustainable energy transitions
Review Of The Use Of Standardized Achievement Tests For Accountability Purposes In Education: The Colombia And Chile Cases
Get PDFAccountability in education was implemented to improve poor learning outcomes by documenting and monitoring learning achievement results. In this process, external standardized achievement tests have played a central role, being the mechanism most frequently used to measure learning outcomes. However, several decades after its initial implementation, most students are still below learning standards, especially in developing countries. Additionally, several issues have been documented when using standardized achievement tests for accountability purposes. This study contributes to the discussion regarding why implementing accountability systems has not been enough to ensure that all students meet learning objectives