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Trajectories of self-management and independence in youth with spina bifida: Family-related predictors of growth
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to assess family-related predictors of self-management trajectories in youth with spina bifida (SB). Participants with SB completed the Adolescent/Young Adult Self-Management and Independence Scale (AMIS II) interview across four time points. Family functioning, family-related stress, and perceived family support were assessed by multiple reporters and multiple methods. Growth in AMIS II total self-management and the AMIS II subscales (Condition and Independent Living) were estimated using linear mixed effect models as a function of family factors, after controlling for socio-demographic, condition-related, and neuropsychological variables that had been found to be significant predictors of self-management in prior studies. Model fit and parsimony were assessed using Akaike\u27s information criterion (AIC). This diverse community sample included 99 respondents aged 18–27 years old. About half were female (52.5%) and White (52.5%); 15.2% were Black, and 32.3% were Hispanic/Latino. Observed family cohesion at baseline was associated with all self-management scales at age 18 (all p \u3c 0.05). Growth in self-management was associated with parent-reported number of family stress events. For growth in total self-management, the best model included age, race/ethnicity, family income, shunt status, lesion level, neuropsychological function, observed family cohesion, and an age-by-number of family stress events interaction effect. The study findings suggested that family factors were important predictors of self-management trajectories, even after controlling for socio-demographic, condition-related, and neuropsychological covariates. Risk and protective factors identified in families of youth with SB can inform family-focused interventions for self-management
Joint advertising: The Impact of Domestic, Foreign, and Global Partners on Cognitive Fit
Get PDFPurpose – Joint advertising is an emerging strategy where marketers promote both brands in the same marketing communication. This research determines how the domestic, foreign, or global nature of the partner impacts important brand-related outcomes and identifies underlying psychological process mechanisms and contextual variables that affect this relationship.
Design/methodology/approach – Across three experiments, we investigate how the type of joint advertising partner impacts consumer attitudes and behaviors. We establish the number of similarities between the partners and perceived cognitive fit as the mediating process mechanisms underlying this relationship, with holistic processing moderating the effect.
Findings – We find that when consumers are exposed to joint advertisements between domestic or global [foreign] brands, they will be able to generate more [fewer] similarities between the partners and perceive a stronger [weaker] cognitive fit. Moreover, these similarities interact with consumer cultural traits related to holistic processing style to differentially influence perceived cognitive fit and downstream consumer attitudes and behaviors.
Originality/value – Partnering for mutually beneficial, joint advertisements is a growing phenomenon that redefines traditional thinking about advertising, but the success of the joint advertisement is contingent upon the characteristics and compatibility of the partners
Evolutionary Patterns of Anolis Lizard Skulls: An Investigation in Geometric Morphometrics and an Educational Exploration of Structure and Function
Get PDFThis study explores the evolutionary patterns of Anolis lizard skulls and integrates findings into a curriculum focused on elucidating the structure and function of a lizard\u27s head. The first objective was to develop an understanding of how the evolutionary patterns, of an extraordinary group of lizards (Anolis) compares to their relatives. Most of the prior research on Anolis morphology has focused on the post-cranium because of its significance towards subdivision of the arboreal habitat. But the group’s remarkable diversity in head shape has been seriously under-investigated. By performing geometric morphometric analysis of skull shape across a large sample of anoles and relatives, we found that Anolis lizards occupy a unique area and a wider region of morphological space compared to the 11 other families examined in this study. This extraordinary amount of skull diversity arose through a distinct mode of evolution compared to relative groups; anoles moved into novel regions of morphospace by relatively large morphological transitions. The second objective was designing a module for students to investigate the structure and function of lizard heads. The goal is for students to understand how head shape (structure) differs between two species of anoles – one with a short face (Anolis sagrei), and one with a long face (Anolis maynardi), and how differences in head structure influence bite strength (function). The students will work with a data set that I collected on Cayman Brac, where both these species can be found, to develop skills such as forming questions, collecting, and analyzing data, proposing explanations based on evidence, and communicating those explanations
Regulation of Sterile Inflammatory Responses By Mitochondria-Associated Proteins
Get PDFInflammation is an important defense mechanism through which cells respond to pathogenic insults and damage/stress signals. Immune cells mediate extracellular inflammatory responses by synthesizing and releasing small proteins called cytokines, which play critical roles in modulating these responses. Specifically, key pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1beta are released upon the assembly and activation of a multi-protein intracellular complex called the inflammasome, the most well-studied of which is the NLRP3 inflammasome. Several proteins have been identified as important regulators of cellular stress responses, including vacuole membrane protein 1 (VMP1). The present research shows that VMP1-depleted cells exhibit exacerbated cellular inflammation and are prone to mitochondrial damage using a CRISPR/Cas9 VMP1-knockout THP-1 model. Similarly, a component of the complement system, the C5a receptor, has been shown to mediate cellular stress responses by interacting on the mitochondrial surface. Present research explores the effects of a CRISPR/Cas9 C5a-knockout system on cellular inflammation in THP-1 cells
Asian Americans’ Experiences of Covid-Related Discrimination: Collective Identity, Critical Consciousness, and Intergroup Solidarity
Get PDFThe outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has stirred fear and panic with a surge of anti-Asian hate in the United States. Racial discrimination was exacerbated by labeling COVID19 as “the Chinese virus” and blaming Asians and Asian Americans as the source of the virus. Within the exacerbated xenophobic and racist rhetoric since the COVID outbreak in 2019, racial discrimination was amplified towards anyone who phenotypically presented as “Asian.” It is unclear how various Asian ethnic individuals identify with their Asian American identity while experiencing the intensified discrimination. Specifically, experiencing COVID-related racism and group-based rejection may increase or decrease Asian Americans’ collective racial identity according to rejection identification theory and interethnic othering theory, respectively. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the impact of COVID-related discrimination on Asian Americans’ collective identity and their solidaristic attitudes toward other marginalized groups (e.g., Black, indigenous, and people of color; BIPOC). The current study examined the mediating role of collective identity and the moderating role of critical consciousness on the relationship between COVID-related discrimination and intergroup solidarity. Data were collected from 468 self-identified Asian American adults (Mage = 35.50, SD = 9.95) using an online survey containing a demographic information, the Scale of Ethnic Experience (SEE; Malcarne et al., 2006), the Ingroup Identification Scale (Leach et al., 2008), the Contemporary Critical Consciousness Measure (Shin et al., 2016), and Coalitional Attitudes Scale (Craig et al., 2020). The results supported the rejection identification theory in that COVID-related discrimination had a significant positive association with intergroup solidarity both directly and indirectly via collective identity. Mediation analysis revealed that collective identity mediated the association between perceived discrimination and intergroup solidarity. Furthermore, moderated mediation analysis indicated that critical consciousness did not have a significant moderating effect between perceived discrimination and collective identity, or between collective identity and intergroup solidarity. However, critical consciousness significantly moderated the link between perceived discrimination and intergroup solidarity. Individuals with high levels of critical consciousness showed consistently strong intergroup solidarity. Notably, for individuals with low levels of critical consciousness, the more discrimination they perceived, the stronger intergroup solidarity they had with other BIPOC communities. Discussion about the findings included study limitations, and implications for clinical, social justice intervention and research
Controlling the Skies: Leveraging Airspace as a Foreign Policy Tool
Get PDFOpen skies and deregulated airspace facilitate the seamless global transportation of people and property across borders. The closure of airspace to a particular country negatively impacts both the sender and target. The sender faces reduced revenue from loss of overflight fees and associated airline costs, while a target must reroute, increasing travel time and fuel requirements for the flight. Despite the substantial costs involved, airspace closures still occur. Using a three-case study analysis, this dissertation explores the factors that drive a country to close its airspace, as well as those that shape a target’s behavior when confronted with a closure. This research has implications for scholars seeking to understand non-violent conflict and policymakers seeking to understand when and why states leverage airspace as a foreign policy tool
Resiliency and Positive Childhood Experiences: Implications for Black Youths\u27 Mental and Behavioral Health and School Engagement
Get PDFTwo independent studies were conducted to examine the buffering impact of positive childhood experiences on Black youths’ mental and behavioral health and school engagement outcomes. The purpose of Study 1 was to investigate the potential moderating effects of positive childhood experiences on the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and the occurrence of mental or behavioral health conditions (anxiety, depression, ADHD/ADD, and/or a behavioral/conduct problem) and school engagement, using secondary data from the 2020 National Survey of Children’s Health, a survey completed by primary caregivers. The study sample included 2,201 Black youth ages 6-17 across the United States. Logistic regression and interactions estimated the association between cumulative ACEs, cumulative and individual PCEs, and study outcome variables separately. There was no significant interaction between cumulative ACEs and cumulative PCEs on the outcome of the MBH Conditions. There was a significant interaction between cumulative ACEs and cumulative PCEs on the outcome of school engagement. In the expanded logistic regression, lower scores of three PCE items (i.e., constructive social engagement, parent-child connection, and family resilience) were statistically and significantly associated with the outcome of the MBH Conditions. Regarding the school engagement expanded logistic regression, lower scores on five PCE items (i.e., safe neighborhood, safe school, constructive social engagement, parent-child connection, and family resilience) was associated with an increased likelihood of not being engaged in school. Expanded logistic regression analyses for both outcomes yielded a significant interaction between cumulative PCEs and living in a safe neighborhood. The purpose of Study 2 was to supplement the findings of Study 1 by providing a qualitative analysis of Black youth’s subjective understanding of the impacts of positive childhood experiences on their mental and behavioral health outcomes and school engagement. The study sample included eight Black young adults ages 18-20 years. Data were collected through a series of audio-recorded semi-structured interviews and then transcribed and analyzed using the Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) methodology. Four domains and multiple subsequent themes were developed: (1) Positive Childhood Experiences (participation in extracurricular activities, parent and family resiliency and bonding opportunities, community/neighborhood connectedness and engagement, school personnel-student interactions and relationships, and developing and maintaining meaningful friendships); (2) Mental Health Barriers and Remedies (parent-family support, mental health service accessibility and utilization, COVID-19 and subjective wellbeing, and racial/ethnic identity development and belonging); (3) School Engagement Barriers and Protective Factors (school climate and COVID-19 and school engagement); and lastly, (4) Sources of Resiliency (personal growth through independence and self-expression, self-improvement, self-awareness, and self-care, and adversity and consistent problem-solving). Implications for practice and research for both studies’ findings are discussed
Internship/Academic class Experience
Get PDFVideo describing my experience at an internship site with an academic class that helped elevate my interactions at my internship site