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Retail Chain Backlash
No full text64 pagesThis study examines the role of the existing retail landscape in shaping community opposition to large chains. Using a novel dataset that systematically documents retail restrictions across U.S. markets, we provide empirical evidence that such policies are more prevalent and restrictive in areas experiencing slower retail growth. The intensity of these restrictions is particularly pronounced in medium- to large-sized markets and in the southern and western regions of the U.S. Our findings highlight the importance of local economic conditions in driving regulatory responses to large chain expansion, contributing to the broader discourse on retail market dynamics and community-level resistance
REWARD STRUCTURES IN HIERARCHICAL TEAMS: EFFECTS ON KNOWLEDGE SHARING AND TEAM PERFORMANCE
No full text25 pagesThis study examines how the allocation of a fixed team reward affects managers’ effort, operationalized as knowledge-sharing behavior, and overall team performance, and whether subordinates’ promotion incentive moderates these effects. I propose a reward structure that provides managers with a direct financial incentive and subordinates with an indirect promotion incentive. In an experiment, I manipulate reward allocation (manager-takes-all vs. equal-sharing) and promotion incentive (promotion vs. no-promotion). I predict that allocating the entire team reward to managers increases their effort to share knowledge by enhancing reward valence, though the effect may weaken if they doubt subordinates’ engagement. Subordinates perceive pay disparities under manager-takes-all as fair when promotion opportunities exist, activating promotion incentive and improving their performance. Consequently, team performance under manager-takes-all with a promotion incentive is higher than under equal-sharing, and lower when a promotion incentive is absent. This research provides a cost-neutral incentive design practical for organizations facing budget constraints.2027-06-1
SPATIAL DISPERSION OF URBAN MORPHOLOGICAL STRUCTURE AND MUNICIPAL FRAGMENT IN RELATION TO GREEN SPACE CHARACTERISTICS IN USA
No full text66 pagesThis study investigates the relationships among urban polycentricity, municipal fragment, and green space characteristics across metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) in the United States. By employing spatial analysis and Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression models, the research specifically examines how dispersed urban morphological structures (polycentricity) and decentralized municipal fragmentation influence the scale, diversity, and landscape patterns of green spaces at different administrative levels. There are four main conclusions. First, distinct spatial heterogeneity in the relationship between polycentricity and green space characteristics across different U.S. region. Second, variation in the relationship between polycentricity and landscape indices at different green space management levels. Third, government institution density and polycentricity both exhibit a significant positive correlation with the area of city-managed green space. Fourth, both government institution density and polycentricity are significantly and positively associated with green space diversity. Finally, this research suggests that it is crucial to establish collaborative governance frameworks across administrative levels and sectors, encouraging diversified green space developments while maintaining overall coordination and integration at the regional scale.2027-06-1
The Relationship Between Benevolent Sexism and Implicit Gender Bias in Academic Contexts: A Cross-Cultural Study
No full text64 pagesThis cross-cultural study examined the relationship between benevolent sexism and implicit gender bias in academic settings among 174 undergraduate students in China and the United States. Participants completed the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory and a culturally adapted Implicit Association Test. Chinese students reported higher levels of benevolent sexism than U.S. students, and male participants reported higher levels of benevolent sexism compared to females. Contrary to the original hypotheses, benevolent sexism was not significantly associated with implicit gender bias, nor did culture or gender moderate this relationship. These findings suggest a dissociation between explicit sexist attitudes and implicit gender stereotypes. The study underscores the theoretical distinction between consciously endorsed gender ideologies and unconscious gender-based associations, suggesting that interventions aiming to address gender biases in academia should target explicit attitudes and implicit biases separately.本跨文化研究考察了仁慈性别歧视与学术环境中内隐性别偏见之间的关系。研究对象为来自中国和美国的174名本科生。参与者完成了仁慈性别歧视量表和一项经过文化适应的内隐联想测验。结果显示，中国学生的仁慈性别歧视水平高于美国学生，男性参与者的仁慈性别歧视水平也高于女性。与原假设相反，仁慈性别歧视与内隐性别偏见之间没有显著关联，文化和性别也未显著调节这一关系。研究结果表明，显性性别歧视态度与内隐性别刻板印象之间存在分离现象。本研究强调了有意识认同的性别意识形态与无意识性别联结之间的理论区分，提示在应对学术环境中的性别偏见时，应分别针对显性态度和内隐偏见进行干预
ARCHAEOLOGICAL LABOR AND THE MAKING OF A DISCIPLINE: AMERICAN ARCHAEOLOGISTS AND THEIR LOCAL LABOR FORCES IN GREECE AND CYPRUS (1881-2025 C.E.)
No full text280 pagesThis dissertation explores the role of archaeological labor in the development of archaeological research design, method, and interpretation, and how archaeological work shapes the people who practice it. I define an emerging body of literature which I call Studies of Archaeological Labor (SAL) and argue that it furnishes critical interventions in archaeological theory and practice, and disciplinary history. Through a series of case studies, I consider the historical and future development of the discipline of classical archaeology, an archaeological sub-discipline which has only recently begun to engage with SAL. Using material from archaeological archives in Greece and the United States, I consider the historical roots of our present labor practices by examining cultures of archaeological work at several American-run excavations in Greece and Cyprus during the first half of the twentieth century, and describe the labor conditions and emergent relations that constituted the discipline of classical archaeology in Greece during this critical period of professionalization. I aim to situate archaeological labor within its broader political and economic contexts, to understand how archaeological projects changed the communities of archaeologists and laborers who took part in them, and to consider the role of archaeological imaginaries in mediating our perception of and attitudes toward archaeological labor. I conclude by reflecting on what strategies archaeologists and archaeological workers might pursue to protect themselves, the discipline, and the knowledge they produce.2027-06-1
INVESTIGATION OF POLY(ACRYLIC ACID) MICROGELS FOR THE TREATMENT OF OSTEOARTHRITIS: CARTILAGE LUBRICATION, SUSTAINED DRUG DELIVERY, AND PROLONGED RESIDENCE TIME
No full text226 pagesOsteoarthritis (OA) is a debilitating joint disease, impacting over 650 million people worldwide and is the leading cause of disability in the United States. The most commonly affected joints are the knees and hips, with risk factors include weight, age, and injury. Current treatment options temporarily mitigate pain, but long-term relief is difficult to achieve. Within the joint space as OA progresses, there are changes in cartilage integrity, increased inflammation, and changes in native synovial fluid composition. Intra-articular clearance rate is increased due to inflammation of the synovial lining, and lubrication of the articular joint space is hindered due to synovial fluid and cartilage changes. With an increase in clearance rate, molecules less than 10 MDa have an approximate half-life of less than 12 hours. Localized intra-articular therapies have been investigated for decades to treat OA, but their efficacy is debated, they generally require multiple repeat injections, and increased clearance rate decreases their intra-articular residence time. With the multiple complexities associated with OA, there is a need for a treatment that efficiently addresses the main pathological hurdles: restore lubrication to articular cartilage, sustained delivery of a disease modifying therapeutic, and long-term residence time within the joint space. In this dissertation, I first explore the synthesis and characterization of a micron-sized hydrogel (microgel) library for the lubrication of articular cartilage (Chapter 2). The microgel library allows for the examination of 9 distinct microgel formulations, varying crosslinking density and polymer molecular weight. Interestingly, microgel formulations exhibit low measured viscosity values, but achieve lubrication equivalent to solutions that are 10,000 times as viscous. Ultimately, crosslinking density was determined to be the largest driver of lubrication, with low crosslinking density formulations lubricating similar to native synovial fluid. Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) was identified as a relevant therapeutic protein for the treatment OA, as it inhibits the binding of IL-1, a key inflammatory cytokine associated with OA progression. The controlled delivery of IL-1Ra from microgel formulations was investigated via two unique approaches: 1) Treatment of protein-loaded microgels with CaCl2 to prevent burst release via ionic crosslinks. 2) Conjugation of activated carboxyl groups with small molecules to study the effects of negative, positive, polar, and non-polar side chains on uptake and release of IL-1Ra from small molecule modified microgels (Chapter 3). This work revealed that microgel modifications altered total IL-1Ra uptake, improving uptake by 1.7 times compared to unmodified microgels. Additionally, modified microgel formulations achieved sustained release of IL-1Ra for greater than 60 days, whereas unmodified microgels exhibited 100\% burst release of IL-1Ra within 6 hours. Finally, the half-life of microgels was investigated via intra-articular injections in healthy Sprague-Dawley rats (Chapter 3). Microgels demonstrated a prolonged in vivo residence time, with a calculated ß half-life of 93 days. Overall, this dissertation highlights the use of poly(acrylic acid) microgels as competitive biolubricants and drug delivery vehicles for OA treatment. Lubrication of articular cartilage using low viscosity microgel suspensions informs the design of next generation intra-articualr therapies for OA treatment. With the use of novel post-synthesis modifications to tune the delivery of IL-1Ra, these techniques lay the foundation for future drug delivery studies using hydrogel systems
Social Behavior and the Ecology of Infectious Disease
No full text147 pagesInfectious disease is a threat for both human and wildlife health. Social behavior can shape the outcomes of disease, and infectious disease can reciprocally shape the evolution of social behavior. Bumble bees, dominant pollinators in temperate ecosystems, are eusocial and have experienced declines associated with pathogens, but we have a limited understanding of how bumble bee social life affects the ecology of disease in pollinator communities. In this thesis, I investigate the relationship between social behavior and infectious disease in the common eastern bumble bee. In Chapter 1, I experimentally test whether disease is a cost of living in larger groups, finding that when infected with a gut parasite larger colonies experienced reduced survival, growth, and reproduction compared to smaller colonies. However, while social behavior can increase the costs of disease, it can also select for cooperative defenses that may counteract these costs. In Chapters 2 and 3 I explore the social defenses used by bumble bees against this gut parasite. First, in Chapter 2, I described a novel element of wild bumble bee nest architecture, a feces-filled secondary cavity, or “outhouse,” through field observations of wild colonies in western Alaska. I also observed a fecally-transmitted gut parasite in this region, suggesting that this architecture could serve a hygienic function. Then in Chapter 3 I test this hypothesis with manipulative laboratory experiments, finding that bumble bee colonies modify their nests to create the “outhouse” architecture and that this enables hygienic waste removal behaviors, thereby slowing pathogen transmission, accelerating growth, and increasing reproduction. These results extend our understanding of the consequences of social behavior on the ecology of infectious disease in plant-pollinator-pathogen communities, and suggest an effective and cost-effective solution for reducing pathogen transmission in managed pollinators. By better understanding the social lives of bees, we will be able to improve predictions of the outcomes of epidemics and develop more effective strategies for their management, in support of pollinator conservation.2026-06-1
Single Particle Structural Virology of Paramyxoviruses
No full text211 pagesParamyxoviruses represent some of the most contagious (Measles) and pathogenic (Nipah) viruses present on our planet; therefore, understanding their assembly is of the utmost importance. Members of the Paramyxoviridae family all encode four major structural proteins Nucleocapsid (N), Matrix (M), Fusion (F) and Attachment Glycoprotein (G) which assemble with membranes and nonstructural proteins Phosphoprotein (P), and Polymerase (L) to form infectious virions. Interestingly, paramyxoviruses are pleomorphic, meaning no two virions appear to be the same, and particle shapes can vary drastically. The work in this dissertation focuses on the development and application of highly sensitive technologies to interrogate the morphology and protein contents of individual paramyxoviral particles. I was able to develop a protocol to generate Nipah virus-like-particles (VLPs) in high concentration and purity for flow virometry and cryo-electron microscopy (cryoEM) analyses. In the first part of this dissertation, I reviewed hardware and software technologies required for flow virometry analysis and demonstrated that paramyxoviruses are too fragile for viral sorting. The M protein forms a lattice of dimers that binds membranes and orchestrates viral assembly. In the second and major part of this dissertation, I directly observed the interactions between the M lattice and structural proteins N, F, and G by cryoEM and demonstrated that morphology of an individual particle can be modulated based on these interactions. Furthermore, this analysis yielded the very first sub nanometer structure for any paramyxovirus M protein lattice and describes a novel structural arrangement of the M oligomeric assembly. These results provide the first explanation for paramyxovirus pleomorphism and provide valuable structural insights into the assembly of Nipah virus
POPULATION BIOLOGY OF CERCOSPORA BETICOLA AND MANAGEMENT OF CERCOSPORA LEAF SPOT OF TABLE BEET
No full text274 pagesCercospora leaf spot (CLS), caused by the fungus Cercospora beticola, is detrimental to the foliar health of table beets, resulting in substantial economic loss. Primary infections may arise from C. beticola-infested crop residue, seed, and alternative hosts, while conidia contribute to multiple secondary infection cycles, accelerating disease progression within a season. However, the relative contributions of primary and secondary inoculum sources and their spatiotemporal spread remain poorly understood. To address this, laboratory and field experiments and population genetic analyses were used to investigate the role of infested seed and crop residue in causing CLS outbreaks in table beet fields. Seed dissection assays revealed that C. beticola was primarily localized within the outer tissues of table beet seeds. Field trials and population genetic analyses confirmed that an infested seed lot contributed to earlier disease onset, and greater CLS severity and epidemic progress compared to the noninfested seed lot. Spatial modeling of CLS gradients and population biology analyses indicated that disease spread was best explained by wind-dispersed conidia. However, the detection of shared multilocus genotypes between consecutive seasons within the same field suggested that infested crop residue is the dominant source of inoculum initiating outbreaks in subsequent years, underscoring the importance of crop rotation in CLS management. Due to the absence of resistant commercial table beet cultivars and the limited effectiveness of cultural controls, CLS is primarily managed by fungicides. However, the high genetic diversity of C. beticola populations increases the risk of rapid development of fungicide resistance, challenging the durability of current chemistries. Therefore, this study also evaluated host resistance, fungicide efficacy, and residue management strategies for sustainable CLS management. Cultivar screening revealed two cultivars, Irazu and Bazzu, with reduced susceptibility to CLS. Fungicide trials identified several products with moderate to high efficacy, which could be used in rotation to manage fungicide resistance. Among residue management practices, fall-applied heat treatment was the most effective strategy, significantly reducing CLS severity and epidemic progress in the subsequent season. Together, the findings from this multifaceted research provide a comprehensive framework to guide integrated and sustainable CLS management strategies in table beet production
From Riots to Dispossession: The Travels and Transformations of Hindu Nationalist Violence in Ahmedabad
No full text439 pagesUnder India's Hindu nationalist BJP government, violence has transformed from unmediatedcommunal violence—organized riots and pogroms—to the economico-juridical violence of dispossession, enacted through development-induced displacement and infrastructural reordering. This dissertation reveals how these distinct yet interconnected forms of violence have become systematically intertwined under what I term "communal capitalism"—a mode of rule where neoliberal urban development reorders space, power, and social relations along ethno-territorial lines while preserving state legitimacy. A prime example is the Sabarmati Riverfront Development Project, flagship of Narendra Modi's post- 2002 urban agenda and a blueprint for national policies since the BJP's ascent in 2014. This project displaced over 40,000 people, embedding violence into infrastructure to sustain social hierarchies and antagonisms, even as it conceals overt coercion from middle-class publics. Drawing on a multi-sited ethnography (2017–2021) that follows communities caught up in shifting forms of violence—from the former riverbank settlements to the city's resettlement colonies—the study conceptualizes these sites as "double frontiers," volatile time-spaces where capitalist and communal frontier-making logics converge. While riots were historically used to enforce communal segregation, the dissertation demonstrates how these same antagonisms are now maintained and managed through urban development schemes that regulate Muslim presence. Rather than excluding Muslims outright, these processes foster a regime of differential incorporation, managing Muslim agency in ways that transform it into a component of hegemonic violence. The dissertation advances three key arguments. First, Hindu nationalist violence is not merely coercive but fundamentally productive, shaping political subjects, social identities, and spatial orders. Second, it operates via differential incorporation, integrating marginalized communities under conditions of vulnerability and continuous state oversight. Third, violence is sublimated across cultural, economicojuridical, and spatial registers—not because it disappears, but because overt violence, though effective for consolidation, ultimately exposes the fragility of hegemony. The dissertation's findings resonate far beyond Ahmedabad's frontiers, offering critical insights into emergent forms of authoritarian governance worldwide. By revealing how communal capitalist hegemony operates through interlocking systems of violence—cultural, economico-juridical, and spatial—this study illuminates both the sophistication and inherent vulnerability of contemporary authoritarian projects. As techniques pioneered in Gujarat's urban laboratories scale to national and transnational governance, the connections uncovered between previously discrete forms of violence expose potential ruptures where resistance might emerge. The persistence of alternative possibilities at these margins, however constrained, suggests that even totalizing systems contain within themselves the seeds of their own transformation. By examining how social groups navigate these shifting landscapes of power at urban frontiers, this work ultimately contributes to our understanding of how communal capitalist hegemony both maintains its authority and reveals its points of fragility, opening possibilities for collective action against increasingly normalized forms of violence across the globe.2027-06-1