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Estimating the Impacts of Utah\u27s Down Payment Assistance Program (SB240): A Framework for Analyzing State and Regional DPA Policies
Get PDFI examine the impact of Utah\u27s Senate Bill 240, a targeted down payment assistance program for new homes priced under 23,000. This effect is robust across various econometric models and data pools, indicating that the policy led to the construction of more affordable housing. The Event Study analysis shows that the policy\u27s impact was immediate and not merely a continuation of pre-existing trends.
Despite the subsidy targeting only new construction, adding a supply-side aspect, the findings show no significant increase in overall housing development. This counter-intuitive result of constant supply and decreased transaction prices is explained by developers adjusting their builds.
I contribute to the literature by providing empirical evidence on how a targeted down payment assistance program influences developer behavior and housing market composition. This study offers a framework for analyzing state-specific down payment assistance programs and demonstrates the importance of policy design in shaping housing outcomes. The findings emphasize how program requirements can influence developer decisions, leading to adjustments in housing characteristics like lot sizes
3D Patterning For Cell Culture: Bioprinting and a Novel Microcontact Printing Device
No full textCells in vivo respond to a multiplicity of signaling molecules that influence their growth and behavior. In recent years, crucial developments in tissue engineering have come as the research focus has turned to methods that recreate complex 3D environments for cell culture. This work envisions two different approaches to patterning biomolecules in 3D space for cell culture: 3D bioprinting and microcontact printing. A literature review was conducted about bioprinted protein bioinks containing collagen, silk proteins, elastin, and fibrin. The review summarizes a vast range of physical, mechanical, and cell culture properties that have been attained using unique additives and printing techniques. A research project describes the favorable deformation properties of 9:1 RT 623 silicone rubber using a spring device to manually apply known forces. The shape deformation of an RT 623 stamp in response to applied forces is modeled. The compressive elastic modulus of 9:1 RT 623 cured at room temperature is estimated to be approximately 0.79-1.4 MPa. Though common on a larger scale in the pad printing industry, in this work a RT 623 stamp was used to innovatively transfer bioinks to the curved bottom of a microwell (~800μm diameter) to promote cell patterning. The feasibility of transferring a conductive ink to the curved HRC surface was also demonstrated. RT 623 is proposed as an attractive candidate material for microcontact printing inks on curved cell-culturing surfaces. Together, this research advances tissue engineering research about the precise patterning of cellular microenvironments to improve in vitro biological models
Physiological, Behavioral, And Self-Report Outcomes of Acceptance- and Regulation-Based Exposure for Intrusive Thoughts
No full textLeading theories regarding the mechanisms of exposure for OCD focus on Pavlovian fear reduction more than operant processes. Acceptance-based exposure directly targets operant behavior. Integrating these perspectives could lead to a more robust understanding of mechanisms of change in exposure and more effective and enduring treatments. The current study investigated acceptance and regulation of distress during exposure. Participants with intrusive thoughts were randomized into three groups, Acceptance (n = 23), Regulation (n = 20), and Control (n = 21), and completed two behavioral avoidance tests (BATs) 1 week apart. Active conditions completed a 30-minute exposure plus 6 days of 10-minute exposures at home; Control participants watched videos of the same durations. Self-report measures were collected at both sessions, and behavioral, subjective, and physiological repeated measures data were collected during both BATs. Compared to Control, active conditions decreased OCD symptom severity, rituals, and skin conductance levels, while Acceptance showed lower skin conductance levels than Regulation and Control. Acceptance showed greater willingness and psychological flexibility than Control, while Regulation did not. Results support theorized mechanisms of change in acceptance-based exposure and suggest willingness to experience distress may paradoxically lead to decreased physiological arousal, which has important implications for treatment and future research
Supporting Multicultural Scholars in Agriculture at Utah State University: Towards a Diverse and Highly Skilled Workforce
Get PDFShifting frontiers: understanding species’ abundance range shifts for informed conservation strategies
Get PDFHyperbilirubinemia requiring exchange transfusion as a risk factor for later-onset hearing loss
Get PDFBackground: Previous position statements by the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing have recommended the presence of hyperbilirubinemia requiring exchange transfusion as a risk factor for childhood hearing loss. This article examines the strength of the evidence to support this recommendation.
Methods: A PubMed® query using the keywords hyperbilirubinemia and hearing loss identified 77 original papers. All abstracts were reviewed for consideration of full article review and 44 articles were reviewed for consideration of inclusion and grading with 21 articles graded using structured evidence-grading forms. Nineteen articles were included to provide supporting rationale for recommendations. Evidence grading was completed by recommendation.
Results: A moderate level of evidence supports hyperbilirubinemia requiring exchange transfusion as a risk factor for elevated hearing thresholds among infants and young children. It is recommended to employ Automated Auditory Brainstem Response screening in this population of infants. These recommendations are based on the findings across multiple graded studies where the net benefit is moderate or substantial. Intervals for on-going monitoring of hearing previously recommended by JCIH are supported by expert consensus.
Conclusion: If an infant with hyperbilirubinemia requiring exchange transfusion passes the newborn hearing screening, close monitoring of hearing, speech, and language milestones are important and should lead to improved outcomes for the child
Supporting Entry-Level Speech-Language Pathologists who Serve Children who are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing in Early Intervention
Get PDFThe aim of this study was to increase understanding of what is considered key information for entry-level speech-language pathologists (SLPs) serving children who are DHH. Specifically, this study explored skills and strategies that could be integrated into SLP graduate curriculum to increase entry-level provider confidence and knowledge. An online survey was distributed to providers of the DHH within the United States and included a) key skills and strategies recommended for entry-level providers serving children who are DHH b) barriers experienced by entry-level providers and c) demographics. The skills and strategies that emerged as most important according to participants (n=63) can be applied to populations outside of children who are DHH (i.e., understanding language development). Therefore, it is recommended that graduate programs incorporate exposure to the DHH population into courses and clinical opportunities that already exist within the curriculum to increase entry-level provider confidence in effectively serving this population
Preparing Students for Adulthood: Comparing the Experiences of Degree and Non-Degree Seeking Graduates
Get PDFThe role of secondary education is critical to preparing graduates for adulthood. This study explored the transition experiences of high school graduates and factors that impacted their preparation for adulthood. This descriptive study focused on the experiences of degree and non-degree-seeking graduates. Surveys were distributed to students enrolled in a general education course at a state university and marketing research participants not enrolled in post-secondary programs. The survey sought to identify overall preparedness, responsibilities deemed necessary to teach in high school, and influence factors that prepared them for adulthood. The overall findings displayed that graduates seeking degrees felt more prepared for adulthood. While both groups agreed that many adulthood-responsibility topics should be taught, degree-seekers found less value in teaching parenting skills in a high school class despite identifying that parents have a more significant impact on preparing them for adulthood. Researchers recommend that in addition to college and career-ready curricula, instruction should include preparation topics that align with 21st-century markers that better support non-degree-seeking graduates toward successful transitions into adulthood
Modified (n + 1) D Laplacian for Smooth Pressure Reconstruction Based on Time-Resolved Velocimetry (1): Analysis and Numerics
Get PDFWe analyze a smooth pressure solver based on the ‘modified Poisson equation’: ∇2p + ξ2 ∂2p/∂t2 = f(u(t)), where p is the pressure field, u(t) is the velocity field measured by time-resolved image velocimetry, and ξ2 is a tunable parameter to control the solver’s diffusive behaviour in time. This modified Poisson equation aims at obtaining smooth pressure fields from potentially noisy image velocimetry measurements, and is a part of the current four-dimensional (4D) pressure solver (implemented in, for example, DaVis 10.2) by LaVision. This work focuses on investigating three aspects of the ‘modified Poisson equation’: smoothing effect, error propagation, and drift in time. We first provide rigorous analysis and validate that this solver can sufficiently smooth the computed pressure field by setting a large enough ξ2. However, a large value of ξ2 may cause large errors in the reconstructed pressure fields. Then we introduce an upper bound on the error in the reconstructed pressure fields to quantify the error propagation dynamics. Finally, we discuss the potential drift due to the partitioning in time, which is an optional strategy used in LaVision’s current 4D pressure solver to reduce computational costs. Our analysis and validation not only show that careful choice of the parameters (e.g. ξ2) is needed for smooth and accurate pressure field reconstruction but provide theoretical guidelines for parameter tuning when similar pressure solvers are used for time-resolved image velocimetry data
Ancient Nitrogenases are ATP Dependent
Get PDFLife depends on a conserved set of chemical energy currencies that are relics of early biochemistry. One of these is ATP, a molecule that, when paired with a divalent metal ion such as Mg2+, can be hydrolyzed to support numerous cellular and molecular processes. Despite its centrality to extant biochemistry, it is unclear whether ATP supported the function of ancient enzymes. We investigate the evolutionary necessity of ATP by experimentally reconstructing an ancestral variant of the N2-reducing enzyme nitrogenase. The Proterozoic ancestor is predicted to be ~540–2,300 million years old, post-dating the Great Oxidation Event. Growth rates under nitrogen-fixing conditions are ~80% of those of wild type in Azotobacter vinelandii. In the extant enzyme, the hydrolysis of two MgATP is coupled to electron transfer to support substrate reduction. The ancestor has a strict requirement for ATP with no other nucleotide triphosphate analogs (GTP, ITP, and UTP) supporting activity. Alternative divalent metal ions (Fe2+, Co2+, and Mn2+) support activity with ATP but with diminished activities compared to Mg2+, similar to the extant enzyme. Additionally, it is shown that the ancestor has an identical efficiency in ATP hydrolyzed per electron transferred to the extant of two. Our results provide direct laboratory evidence of ATP usage by an ancient enzyme