Alliance One Tobacco (Malawi)
Academic Research Repository at the Institute of Developing EconomiesNot a member yet
52305 research outputs found
Sort by
Listening to Andean Idolatry Trials: 1650-1680
No full textIn this dissertation, I read with open ears the witness testimonies of the seventeenth-century idolatry trials filed under the section "Visitas de Hechicerías e Idolatrías" at the Archive of the Archbishopric of Lima, attending to the vibrant traces murmuring between the lines, engaging in exercises of reconstruction that build sound from silence.
I offer the earliest reconstruction of a non-notated Quechua song, overviews of funerary sound practices, rethatching ceremonies, dancing rituals, sacred landscapes and ancestral journeys, as well as the first known historical documentation of the usage of whistling bottles.
I reflect on the impossibility of communicating vibrancy through the written word, on the foolery of trusting archival sources as pillars of truth, and on the fruits of engaging with the fiction of the native perspective—a naïve intention of understanding history outside of colonial agendas and systems of signification, embracing instead questions and worldviews I perceive as relevant in the long history of Andean ritual.
I construct historical narratives using a variety of vocabularies, materials, and approaches to the archive, seeking to challenge the seeming transparency and authority of archival constructs of truth and disciplinary objects of study. I mold clay to study history, circumventing the colonialist silence imposed by the symbolic systems of signification in which archival sources are inscribed. My listening rests on a site of impossibility, which I challenge by foolishly opening my ears to the ancestral voices that enlightened faculties of truth deem impossible and colonial powers sought to demonize and silence.Musi
Investigating Differential Expression on Birds from Mongolia Based on Aridity
No full textThe Mongolian climate has a division between northern and southern locations based on arid environmental variables: mean annual temperature and precipitation. This study used RNA-seq data from three different species and tissue types to test for differential gene expression. There were nine combinations of species and tissue types and all but one had at least one differentially expressed gene. One combination had significant differences in expression based on northern and southern locations, the Daurian Redstart (Phoenicurus auroreus) and muscle tissue with 800 differentially expressed genes at p.05 significance. The findings demonstrate that there is differential expression based on aridity for at least one species and tissue from Mongolia.Extension Studie
Investigating the Role of RAC1 in TIM-3-Dependent Suppression of Dendritic Cells and its Impact on Stem-Like T Cells
No full textT cell stemness is essential for sustaining long-term immune responses in chronic infections, cancer, and autoimmunity. Dendritic cells (DCs) are known to associate with stem-like T cells niches, but the mechanisms by which DCs regulate T cell stem-like populations remain unclear. This study investigates the role of TIM-3, an inhibitory receptor expressed on DCs, in modulating T cell stemness through its interaction with the small GTPase RAC1. Using bone marrow–derived dendritic cells (BMDCs), CRISPR-mediated gene editing, and multiple in vivo models—including MC38-OVA, B16-OVA tumors, and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE)—this work suggests that TIM-3 deletion in DCs enhances their activation and promotes the expansion of TCF1⁺PD1⁺ stem-like T cells in both the CD8⁺ and CD4⁺ compartments. Mechanistically, TIM-3 and RAC1 were shown to physically associate, and deletion of RAC1 in TIM-3–deficient DCs reversed the enhanced cytokine production, T cell proliferation, and tumor control observed in the TIM-3 knockout condition. Moreover, among several candidate TIM-3 interactors identified by mass spectrometry and CRISPR screening, only RAC1 showed a functional rescue effect, reinforcing its specific role downstream of TIM-3. These findings reveal a previously uncharacterized TIM-3–RAC1 signaling axis in DCs that regulates the induction of stem-like T cells and shapes adaptive immune responses. This work not only advances mechanistic understanding of DC–T cell crosstalk but also opens new avenues for targeting the TIM-3–RAC1 pathway to enhance T cell–based immunotherapies.Graduate Educatio
Clarion Fox
No full textClarion Fox is a novel interspersed with real police reports, hospital records, and legal transcripts. It explores the intersection of exploitation and self-destruction in the pursuit of money and atonement.
In mid-recession Queens, a desperate literary agent leaks to the media that his client’s, 21-year-old Clarion “Clara” Fox, sordid debut novel, 191 Night, is inspired by a true story, only to discover that everything, from the libel to the illegal, is true. Scrambling to save his career and maybe her life, he attempts to separate fact from fiction by sorting through her massive paper trail and begins to suspect that maybe this is the ending Clara wanted all along.Extension Studie
Essays in the Economics of Education
No full textThis dissertation studies several education policies that relate to labor economics, public economics, and the economics of education using various econometric techniques. This dissertation studies the effects of universal FAFSA policies on student outcomes, inequalities in federal higher education funding, and two of the largest changes to Pell Grant eligibility over the past two decades. This dissertation uses privileged administrative data from the United States Department of Education’s Office of Federal Student Aid, as well as publicly available data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS), and National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).
The first chapter in the dissertation focuses on universal FAFSA policies that require students to apply to the FAFSA as a high school graduation requirement. These policies intended to increase application rates to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This paper explores this policy in seven different states (Louisiana, Illinois, Alabama, Colorado, Texas, Maryland, and California) and uses synthetic difference-in-differences and synthetic controls to study the effects of this policy on various student outcomes. The paper presents both staggered results that consider the overall effect of these policies as well as evaluations of each state individually. The staggered results demonstrate that universal FAFSA policies have a 7.7 percentage point increase on FAFSA application rates in “strict” states that establish high school graduation requirements that require students to submit a FAFSA application. Reduced form estimates demonstrate that states that adopt a universal FAFSA policy experience an increase in college enrollment rates of about three percentage points by recent high school graduates.
The second chapter focuses on the federal funding of higher education to universities and institutions. This paper presents four descriptive facts about revenue and expenses in higher education. Two important takeaways from this paper are that Ivy+ universities receive roughly 15\% of the overall share of federal higher education funding (excluding Pell Grants). Twelve colleges which make up less than 1.5\% of the overall share of full-time enrolled students receive almost ten times that amount in federal funding. Second, highly selective public universities are greater net investors in research expenditures than Ivy+ universities.
The third chapter studies two changes to Pell Grant eligibility that occurred in 2012 as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012. These two changes represent some of the largest changes to Pell Grant eligibility over the past 20 years. The paper uses various donut regression discontinuity designs to evaluate how small changes in the amounts of Pell Grants distributed to students at two different margins affected their behavior. The paper finds that students on the margin of losing all their Pell Grants, despite the absolute amount being quite low (\$305), change their enrollment intensity. Students that lost all their Pell Grant eligibility experienced a 9.3 percentage point decrease in full-time enrollment rates. Additionally, students that lost their Pell Grant eligibility were on average more likely to borrow loans from the federal government. On average students borrowed more than five times (\$1,387) the amount they lost in Pell Grants (\$305). The increase in borrowing behavior was driven by students earlier in their college experience, while students in their later years withdrew at statistically significant higher rates. Students on the margin of losing a small amount relative to their total Pell Grant award did not change their behavior in terms of their enrollment intensity or borrowing behavior.Educatio
Fusobacterium-Stromal Cell Interactions in Colorectal Cancer
No full textColorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cause of cancer related deaths among adults within the United States. The complexity of the CRC tumor microenvironment (TME), comprising immune cells and stromal cells, such as cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), and microbiota, further complicate the challenge in developing effective therapeutic targets. Fusobacterium, a Gram-negative, anaerobic oral microbe that has been shown to invade human gingival fibroblasts and promote a pro-inflammatory environment in the mouth, has also been associated with worsened CRC patient prognosis, specifically in CRC patients displaying a stromal cell-rich microenvironment. Additionally, substantial evidence has established a positive correlation between Fusobacterium, stromal cells, and immune dysregulation during CRC development. Thus, understanding the multifactorial components of the CRC TME may reveal potential therapeutic targets. We hypothesized, thus, that Fusobacterium within the CRC TME similarly play a pivotal role in inducing a pro-inflammatory environment through its interactions with CAFs which exacerbates CRC development.
We sought to investigate the interactions between Fusobacterium species (spp.) and fibroblasts by first developing optimized techniques for indirect immunofluorescence microscopy-based detection of Fusobacterium on Formalin-Fixed, Paraffin-Embedded (FFPE) sections. This was an important initial step, as Fusobacterium spp. have not been visually presented in FFPE of mouse colons within published works to date, however successful detection of Fusobacterium spp. within the colon allows us to further localize Fusobacterium in the gut and further evaluate its impact on normal tissue and in conditions of colonic pathology. In these experiments, bacterial cultures of Fusobacterium spp. (Fn7-1, Fn7-3, and Fn25586) were each incubated with resected colons of Germ-Free (GF) mice, which are completely devoid of microorganisms, to assess and ensure the validation of our antibody detection. Fusobacterium spp. presence was assessed using primary antibodies against each species, and a fluorescent secondary antibody specific to the host of the primary antibody.
After successfully detecting and optimizing the detection of Fusobacterium on resected colons of GF mice, we used the optimized techniques to assess Fusobacterium localization in the colons of Altered-Schaedler Flora (ASF) mice following oral inoculation. These mice contain a well-defined, limited consortia of eight, non-pathogenic microorganisms, typically employed for the controlled study of physiologically relevant microorganisms and their impacts on a host. In assessment of the potential influence of Fusobacterium and colonic fibroblasts, we assessed the expression of CAF markers within the colons of Fusobacterium-inoculated ASF mice, which revealed a correlation between the presence of Fusobacterium and upregulated expression of two CAF markers, namely platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFR)-a and alpha smooth muscle actin (aSMA). This suggested that the presence of Fusobacterium may have influence on the transition between normal fibroblasts to a more CAF-like phenotype, validated by the upregulated expression of CAF-specific markers.
Next, we sought to investigate these findings in Specific Pathogen-Free (SPF) mice, which contain a conventional microbiota composition devoid of a specific pathogen. A time-point experiment tracking the abundance of orally inoculated Fusobacterium showed that Fusobacterium abundance falls below the threshold of detection after 24-hours, and therefore does not stably colonize the colons of these mice for further investigation. Due to this result, we sought to implement in vitro experiments consisting of isolated mouse colonic fibroblasts in coculture with Fusobacterium or microbially associated elements. The in vitro co-culture studies revealed increases in interleukin (Il)-6, and Pdgfr-a. An increase in fibroblast secretion of IL-6 was also observed, further supporting our hypothesis that Fusobacterium induces a pro-inflammatory phenotype.
We next investigated whether Fusobacterium presence may further promote a pro-inflammatory microenvironment within a mouse tumor model. SPF mice were orthotopically-injected with organoids harboring mutations in KRAS, p53, and NOTCH, which mimic a stromal-cell rich TME and result in primary tumor formation and metastasis to the liver. Mice were then tail-vein intravenously inoculated with Fusobacterium, and Fusobacterium presence within tumors was validated by qPCR. Immunofluorescence imaging on mouse colon tumors of Fusobacterium-inoculated mice revealed upregulation of CAF marker expression when compared to non-inoculated mice. Through immunofluorescence imaging, RNA expression analysis, in vitro coculture, and in vivo inoculation studies, this thesis aims to provide a deeper analysis of Fusobacterium and its potential impact on inducing a pro-inflammatory environment through its interaction with colon and colonic fibroblasts.Graduate Educatio
Characterization of Thymocytes and Splenocytes in Gdf8^Gdf11MD mice
No full textImmunosenescence refers to an age-related decline in immune function, primarily characterized by the gradual degeneration of the thymus, also known as thymic involution. Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling is integral to the formation and normal function of the thymus. As a member of the TGF-β superfamily, Growth differentiation factor 11 (GDF11) and its receptors are expressed during thymocyte development. Moreover, GDF11 plays a critical role in the immune system by reducing inflammation through the regulation of specific pathways and immune cell functions. More importantly, GDF11 has been shown to have potential rejuvenating effects on various organs, including the heart and brain. However, its impact on thymic rejuvenation remains unknown. To study the effect of GDF11 on thymic involution, here we utilized the Gdf8^Gdf11MD mice, which have increased levels of circulating GDF11, and analyzed changes in their thymocyte and splenocyte populations. Our results showed that young adult female (4-month-old) and male (3-month-old) Gdf8^Gdf11MD mice exhibited a trend toward accelerated thymic involution compared to controls. Although this difference diminished with age, the reduction in thymic cellularity persisted into late adulthood (8-month-old) in male mutants. Notably, significant changes in the absolute number of multiple thymic subsets were observed in young (3-month-old) and pre-middle-aged (8-month-old) Gdf8^Gdf11MD males, indicating potential alterations in thymocyte development. Using flow cytometry, distinct immune cell subsets within the spleen were analyzed to further explore the effects of accelerated thymic involution on peripheral T cells in mutant mice. We found that, despite a significant increase in spleen weight in 12-month-old female and 8-month-old male mutants, there were no differences in the frequency or absolute number of splenocytes compared to controls. In addition, 4-month-old female Gdf8^Gdf11MD mutants exhibited an increased spleen-to-body weight ratio, accompanied by a decreased proportion but increased number of CD4⁺ central memory T cells (TCM). These findings demonstrate a possible correlation between GDF11 expression levels and thymic involution, highlighting the important role of GDF11 in immunosenescence.Graduate Educatio
