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The Prophet from Anathoth: Benjamin-Judean Identity Negotiation and the Formation of the Book of Jeremiah
No full textThe figure of the prophet holds a distinctive place in the book of Jeremiah. Extensive prose narratives detailing events in the life of Jeremiah invite readers to interpret the book in light of its literary presentation of the prophet. Within this presentation, a central place is assigned to Jeremiah’s ancestral ties to Anathoth in the land of Benjamin. Despite a growing consensus that Benjamin survived as a salient identity category throughout the compositional horizon of the book of Jeremiah, the significance of the references to Anathoth and Benjamin that occur throughout the book has not been systematically examined. Through literary and tradition-historical analysis of the prose traditions in Jeremiah, and with insight from Social Identity Theory (SIT), this study attempts to trace the development of the Benjamin traditions in the book and evaluate the role of intergroup competition between Benjamin and Judah as a generative force in the compositional history of the prose traditions.
The presentation of Jeremiah as a prophet from Benjamin has undergone significant diachronic developments. The locus of this tradition belongs to the earliest compositional layers of the prose biographical narratives. These early biographical traditions are marked by an in-group orientation toward Benjamin and bear traces of 6th-century intergroup conflict between Benjamin and Judaean. Through Jeremiah’s oracles, Judah is categorically “othered,” while the Babylonian-sanctioned administration at Mizpah receives divine authorization through the words and emblematic actions of the prophet. The Benjamin-based scribes who composed these narratives drew upon archival documents from the time of Jeremiah, but creatively utilized their source material to construct a literary presentation of the prophet shaped by their own socio-political agenda. These Benjamin-oriented traditions were later appropriated by Judaean scribes within the repatriated gôlāh community of Persian-period Yehûd, who dramatically reconfigured the socio-political concerns of the early tradition, erasing the imprint of Benjamin identity politics and recasting Jeremiah as a Judaean among Judaeans.
This study contributes to a fuller understanding of the textual history of the book of Jeremiah and highlights the prominent role of social-identity dynamics in the shaping of biblical traditions
Supporting Teachers in a Global Health Crisis
No full textEducation reform expectations have created constant change demands for teachers increasing teacher stress and burnout (Farber, 1991; Jewell, 2017; Lavigne, 2014; Marzano et al., 2011; Shaw, 2016; Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2011). Emotional exhaustion burnout, an element of burnout characterized by feeling overextended and overwhelmed by one’s work (Maslach et al., 1997; Pogere et al., 2019; Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2011), is a significant factor impacting teachers’ experiences with change, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic (Bakker & Wagner, 2020; Bozkurt et al., 2020; Nasr, 2020). This study examines the factors impacting teacher change management first using a Networked Ecological Systems Theory (Neal & Neal, 2013) framework and then examines how these factors are present and related in a small Northeast United States school district using a mixed methods approach. This needs assessment concluded emotional exhaustion burnout is present in the context and influenced by colleagues, school leaders, students’ families, teacher efficacy, teacher professional orientation, and teacher resistance to change.
The study then goes on to explore interventions designed to reduce emotional exhaustion burnout situated in teacher agency (Calvert, 2016; Cong-lem, 2021; Guoyuan, 2020; Hökkä et al., 2012; Imants & Van der Wal, 2020; Pantić et al., 2021) and critical theory (Collinson, 2014; Collinson & Tourish, 2015; W. Foster, 2004; Foucault, 1982a) frameworks. This synthesis of burnout mitigation literature concluded the top-down nature of most interventions focused too much on mitigating the symptoms of burnout instead of addressing causes. Next, options for participatory problem-solving methods are synthesized, concluding with the proposal of a qualitative phenomenological study using a World Café event to collect what strategies, approaches, and interventions teachers believe will mitigate emotional exhaustion burnout in their work. The Teacher Manifest for Burnout Prevention details four priorities: supporting teacher agency and growth, increasing teacher capacity to focus on student learning, a norms and expectations reset for teachers and families, and growing community support for schools and teachers. Further, The Virtual World Café: A Workbook and Guide for Implementing World Café Methods in an Online Synchronous Setting details how the study successfully implemented World Café methods with fidelity in an online event
THE USE OF MEASUREMENTS AND TWO-ZONE MODEL TO ESTIMATE OCCUPATIONAL NANOPARTICLE EXPOSURE DURING SPRAY APPLICATION
No full textThe rapid growth and frequent application of nanotechnology brought concerns for the exposure of nanoparticles to the users of nanoparticle-containing products and for surrounding people. This study used field measured personal breathing zone data to estimate the generation rate of nanoparticles during spray application and predicted the area concentrations over time using the Two-Zone model (Near-field / Far-field model), with the aid of IHMod 2.0, Oracle Crystal Ball and their embedded Monte Carlo simulations. This study determined the generation rate and estimated the far-field concentration in a scenario with spray application for 15 minutes and 15 minutes of settling time. Oracle Crystal Ball generates sensitivity charts during Monte Carlo simulation to evaluate the strength of variables in influencing the simulation result. During the study, the sensitivity charts generated suggested that the near-field concentration measured, and the radius of the near-field sphere were important in determining the far-field concentration. It is not recommended to use this model in actual practice at this point of time as the quality of prediction has not been tested. Future onsite measurements need to be conducted to determine the far-field concentration with considerations of variability, uncertainty and the values of the distance between the operator and the source, and the random air speed, thereby validating this model through comparison
People are the Heart of Statecraft: A Case Study of Affective Responses to the US-Afghanistan Relationship
No full textThis thesis considers what were the dominant narratives that existed among US foreign policy professionals in the US-Afghanistan foreign policy space between October 1, 2019, and January 12, 2022. The results are based on primary research conducted using autoethnographic tools, performing participatory observation on 120 in-person and virtual events, as well as participatory observation of social media activities in real-time, conducted over a period of 28 months. In addition, the author reviewed and analyzed secondary academic, social, and journalistic materials. Through analysis of field notes, the author found the dominant narratives that existed among US foreign policy professionals in the US-Afghanistan foreign policy space between October 1, 2019, and January 12, 2022, as observed through affective responses from foreign policy professionals, included narratives about credibility, obligations, loyalty, hero-villain, brotherhood, and commitments. Those foreign policy professionals who were observed felt the US government needed to continue military involvement in Afghanistan. Continued military involvement was promoted to justify to themselves that past actions, commitments, losses, and challenges were worth the cost. US foreign policy decision-makers and members of the Afghan diaspora who had risen to US foreign policy and Afghanistan foreign policy decision-making roles, had developed affective ties toward the work that was being done in Afghanistan. The results demonstrate the intricate and multifaceted nature of the Washington Blob, groupthink, homophily, psychological safety, and dissent within the context of US foreign policy and, specifically, US-Afghanistan relations. The interconnectedness of influential figures in the Washington Blob can both facilitate constructive dialogue and foster environments of psychological safety while also sometimes perpetuating groupthink and homophily. The results illustrate that the double-edged nature of the Blob phenomenon is an ongoing challenge within policy-making circles. The Blob must recognize the importance of fostering spaces that encourage open discussion and diverse perspectives while being vigilant against the pitfalls of groupthink and insularity. This delicate balance is crucial for informed decision-making and ensuring that the United States’ foreign policy is guided by a comprehensive understanding of the complex issues it faces
PALLIATIVE CARE NEEDS OF COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS WITH HEART FAILURE AND PHYSICAL FRAILTY
No full textHeart failure (HF) afflicts six million adults in the United States, leading to poor quality of life, frequent hospitalizations, or death, especially among the three million physically frail adults with heart failure. Palliative care (PC) effectively addresses complex needs and improves clinical outcomes, yet unmet PC needs are not routinely assessed in clinical practice and few patients with HF receive PC. If they do, it is often incorporated late in their disease trajectory during an acute hospitalization.
Few studies have examined the unmet PC needs of community-dwelling, physically frail people with HF. Additionally, none have examined the impact of these unmet PC needs on clinical outcomes among people with HF and varying levels of physical frailty. This prospective study aimed to 1) describe the unmet PC needs of community dwelling adults with HF and examine if they differ by physical frailty status 2) examine the associations of unmet PC needs and physical frailty with clinical outcomes (health-related QOL and hospitalizations or mortality) in community-dwelling persons with HF.
There were 298 participants enrolled, with mean age 68.5 years (SD 9.7), 37.3% female (n=111), 28.2% self-identified race as Black/African American (n=84), and 29.5% reported financial strain (n=88). Participants averaged 2 hospitalizations in the one year prior to study enrollment. Only 6% (n=18) of participants had a PC consultation within the one year prior to study enrollment. Almost half of participants were frail (44%, n=130). Physically frail people with HF had higher unmet PC needs, lower QOL, and a higher likelihood of hospitalization/mortality compared to non-frail people with HF. Those with high PC needs who were also physically frail had the lowest quality of life of all participants and their odds of hospitalization or mortality were significantly higher compared to the non-frail and lower needs group.
This study demonstrates that patients with HF, especially those who are physically frail, experience a range of significant unmet PC needs which predict important clinical outcomes. Future research should explore the lived experience of unmet needs and develop innovative interventions to identify and address the unmet needs of people with HF and physical frailty
Toward a relational conceptualization of structural stigma: A scoping review of the concept and two supporting studies on structural stigma toward opioid use and injection drug use
No full textStigma is a fundamental cause of health disparities, and its structural forms are garnering increased attention in public health research. However, there are limitations in how the concept of “structural stigma” has been conceptualized and operationalized to date, and public health research could benefit from a more relational understanding of the concept. A relational conceptualization of structural stigma positions it as the most macro level of an entrenched and wide-reaching system of intersectional stratification that influences one’s relationships with self, others, and structures across one’s lifecourse and the locations in which one lives. Further, the known negative effects of stigma related to opioid use and injection drug use underscore an urgent need to address stigma at all levels, including the structural level, to improve the health and well-being of people who use opioids and people who inject drugs.
This dissertation first presents a scoping review of the “structural stigma” concept to elucidate trends in the term’s conceptualization and operationalization in empirical health-related research. A total of 233 articles were identified across five databases, over half of which were published since the beginning of 2020. One third of the articles (n = 77; 33%) quantitatively operationalized structural stigma, while nearly a quarter (n = 53; 23%) operationalized it qualitatively; the remainder (n = 106; 46%) mentioned but did not operationalize the concept. Moreover, over one-third (n = 86, 37%) of articles focused solely on stigma related to sexual minority people’s health. These and additional findings point to not only the promise of applying the concept across more populations, settings, and stigmatized statuses of interest, but also a need for more rigorous methods that account for individuals’ agency and intersectional lived experiences across the lifecourse and within different structural contexts.
The remaining two studies of this dissertation focus on people who use opioids and people with a history of injection drug use. The second study used natural language processing methods to identify an analytic sample of 273 posts and comments from the social media platform Reddit related to structural stigma toward opioid use. This content was then qualitatively analyzed using a prominent conceptualization of stigma. This analysis revealed how Redditors described how structures—including governmental programs and policies, the pharmaceutical industry, and healthcare systems—stigmatize people who use opioids. Redditors reported structures stigmatizing people who use opioids through medical labeling, assigning negative stereotypes, separating people who use opioids (e.g., as either “legitimate” or “illegitimate” patients), and engendering status loss and discrimination (e.g., loss of employment, denial of healthcare). Redditors also posted robust formulations of structural stigma, mostly around how historic and ongoing structural stigma manifests in the criminalization of substance use, is often driven by profit motive, and leads to the pervasiveness of fentanyl in the drug supply and the current state of the overdose crisis. Some posts and comments highlighted interpersonal and structural resources (e.g., other people who use opioids, harm reduction programs, telemedicine) that Redditors leverage to navigate structural stigma.
The third study is a longitudinal secondary data analysis that used data from the AIDS Linked to the IntraVenous Experience (ALIVE) prospective cohort study collected from January 2014 to March 2020. This analysis examined whether the reported experience of structural stigma toward drug use in healthcare settings is associated with prospective emergency department utilization among people with a history of injection drug use who report a clinic or doctor’s office visit in the prior six months (N = 1,342, contributing 7,289 study visits). Logistic and negative binomial regressions with generalized estimating equations were used to estimate these associations, and the same models were fit for the same sample stratified by race, sex, HIV status, and housing status. These analyses found that after adjusting for relevant covariates, reporting an experience of structural stigma toward drug use in healthcare settings was associated with 1.28 (95% CI: 1.04-1.59) times the odds of reporting any emergency room use and 1.16 (95% CI: 0.99-1.37) times the number of reported emergency room visits at the next study visit. Stratified models revealed nuances in how certain sociodemographic characteristics may intersectionally shape the experience of structural stigma toward drug use in healthcare settings and its relationship with emergency department utilization.
Altogether, these studies advance public health inquiry into structural stigma, contribute knowledge about the lived experience of structural stigma toward people who use opioids, and provide evidence of how structural stigma shapes the healthcare utilization of people with a history of injection drug use. In so doing, this dissertation argues for a more relational conceptualization of structural stigma that can not only advance scientific inquiry into the intricate interrelationships between structures and individuals’ health, but also help public health urge and enact structural transformation to improve health and well-being for all
INTEGRATED SYSTEM APPROACHES FOR PUBLIC HEALTH APPLICATIONS, FROM MODELING TO WEB-BASED VISUALIZATION
No full textComplex public health problems often require interdisciplinary collaboration and a systematic approach. In this thesis, we employ system thinking to enhance our understanding of different public health problems and develop system methods to address them. Our approaches include system dynamics modeling, mathematical algorithms for data analysis, and web application development. We select the appropriate system method based on the problem context and goals.
We begin by providing decision-making suggestions on a city-level policy, specifically the Baltimore City Staple Food Ordinance. We develop a system dynamics model to simulate the complex environment of the healthy food distribution system and generate quantified suggestions. We then applied a mathematical algorithm to parse driving data recorded on phones by two representative driver groups: novice young drivers and old drivers. The algorithm outputs easy-to-understand metadata that reveals driving behaviors. Finally, we employ web applications to enhance information sharing in public health problems, such as the Native American Safe Passage Project.
This thesis demonstrates how different system approaches can be used to address public health problems effectively, with the ultimate goal of improving outcomes for public health
STRUCTURAL REPRESENTATIONS IN ONLINE SYNTACTIC PROCESSING: AN ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORK APPROACH
No full textSentences of a language abide by rules called syntactic constraints which govern the form those sentences may take. Verifying that these constraints are satisfied requires understanding hierarchical relationships between the elements in those sentences. As a result, speakers of a language who must produce and comprehend sentences in real-time must construct hierarchical structures rapidly in order to produce sentences that obey those constraints and be able to detect sentences that violate them. In this dissertation, I present four projects that seek to understand the kinds of representations speakers build in order to accomplish this feat. First, I propose and motivate an artificial neural network-based approach to modeling syntactic processing errors in humans. I then use this approach to see what kinds of syntactic errors neural networks trained on word prediction make and analyse whether pressuring models to learn representations that encode the properties of syntactic formalism called Combinatory Categorial Grammar (Steedman 1987) would cause models to make more human-like errors. I find that, while models can account for some human error patterns, pressuring model representations to be like CCG representations does not push models closer to humans. Instead, we find that the representations models build without those pressures already have sufficient syntactic complexity to predict the CCG representations we consider. In the next project, I evaluate an existing proposal in the sentence processing literature that uses the structural assumptions made in Minimalist syntax to account for patterns of agreement errors. In a reading experiment, I find patterns of agreement errors that I argue the proposal does not predict. In the third project, I apply the modeling techniques I employ the first chapter to investigating a different set of syntactic processing phenomenon: garden path effects. I argue that estimates of predictability from neural network language models underestimate the role of syntactic structure in human prediction, and that correcting for this can explain some of an observed gap between model predictions and empirical estimates of the size of garden path effects. In the last project, I extend the work done in the first chapter, this time using a richer syntactic formalism --- Minimalist Grammars (Stabler 1997) --- and conducting two reading experiments to construct a target for models' be compared against and find mixed results that point toward future work. I conclude by discussing the picture this set of results leaves us with, and discuss future directions for this research program to explore
SUPPORTS AND BARRIERS TO DATA-DRIVEN DECISION-MAKING FOR INSTITUTIONAL IMPROVEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATIONAL SETTINGS
No full textData-driven decision-making is a process that uses the information to guide strategic thinking and improve business processes (Mandinach, 2012). Many higher educational organizations struggle with data use and the ability to convert knowledge into actionable information, which is critical for the economic sustainability of many organizations. This study aimed to examine the supports and barriers to data-driven decision-making from a mixed-methods needs assessment conducted at a community college. College administrators were asked about their experience using data and their perception of how data were used at the college. The needs assessment revealed that college administrators held positive perceptions of data’s value, confidence in their data skills, assurance in their self-efficacy, and a collaborative culture at the college. However, college administrators expressed frustration with the college culture toward data use, difficulty physically accessing data, and limited resources to assist with data and analytics. The intervention may provide a supportive professional development workshop for college administrators to work through an iterative process of creating a custom data report or dashboard building on their data skills and the college’s existing collaborative environment. The intervention was designed using adult learning theory (Knowles, 1984), organizational change theory (Kezar, 2016), and elements of effective professional development (Bates & Morgan, 2018; Darling-Hammond et al., 2017), which include interactive exercises and discussion material designed to improve data literacy, create a collaborative network, and increase data accessibility
ENGINEERING LYMPH-NODE TARGETING NANOPARTICLE PLATFORMS TO ENHANCE DELIVERY OF SUBUNIT VACCINES
No full textVaccines are a key tool in modern public health for the reduction of morbidity and mortality caused by infectious diseases. While tremendous progress has been made in developing effective subunit vaccines, nanoparticle (NP) delivery is being gradually adopted to boost and control the immune responses. The promise of NP vaccines stems from tailoring NP physiochemical properties and antigen/adjuvant presentation, allowing for targeted delivery to lymphoid tissues and immune cells, and skewing of intracellular antigen processing and signaling. This approach is limited by engineering challenges including size/charge control to maximize drainage to and retention in lymph nodes (LNs), the lack of efficient Th1-inducing activity, and transient presence of antigen/adjuvant cues. In this thesis work, we described three complementary approaches to address these challenges. In the first section, we adopted the flash nanoprecipitation (FNP) process to generate uniform poly(D,L-lactic-co-glycolic acid)-block-poly(ethylene glycol) (PLGA-b-PEG) NPs of various sizes to study LN drainage and retention in mice. We applied these findings to deliver a model antigen ovalbumin (OVA) and adjuvant CpG1018 in comparison with polystyrene NPs and found that PLGA-b-PEG NPs induced a Th2-skewed response. We then applied this system for Anopheline alanyl aminopeptidase N antigen AnAPN1 delivery to enhance transmission-blocking (TB) of Plasmodium falciparum. We also highlighted ongoing work applying these insights to a multivalent P. vivax malaria vaccine to block each malaria life cycle stage. In the second section, we used the flash nanocomplexation (FNC) process to prepare small, uniform aluminum adjuvant (Alum) NPs and optimized components necessary to skew the immune response towards a Th1 response. We showed that controlled presentation of the traditionally Th2-inducing Alum adjuvant in NP form can skew the immune response to other subtypes. This finding expands the utility of Alum to applications that require cellular immunity for therapeutic vaccines. In the third section, we embedded NP vaccines into a nanofiber-hydrogel composite (NHC) to increase NP vaccine persistence towards the goal of achieving single administration NP vaccines with similar efficacy of typical prime-boost regimens. These three approaches are amenable to clinical translation given the biosafety track record of the selected materials and highly scalable manufacturing processes