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THE POLITICS OF DISPOSSESSION: LAND LAW, KINSHIP CONFLICTS AND COLLECTIVE ACTION IN RURAL INDIA.
No full textIn the Indian postcolonial context, large developmental projects were celebrated as they led
to agrarian productivity, harnessing energy, and increasing communication. The displacement they
caused for marginal and vulnerable groups, however, did not receive much attention. Focused on
the temporality of displacement, I ask, how villagers negotiate the threat of impending dispossession
for contemporary industrial corridors and smart cities that they may never live in? At stake lies the
challenge of examining the ways in which rural populations anticipate their economic development
despite the history of the Indian State’s broken promises. Focusing on two of the most affected
villages in Raigad district, in the state of Maharashtra, this ethnographic research project investigates
how new forms of economic and political reasoning are integrated into the social life of villagers
negotiating their impending dispossession in India’s ongoing urban transition. My research asks
three specific questions. First, how does the logic of the Indian State’s judicial and bureaucratic
reasoning unfold in the lives of ordinary villagers creating threats and possibilities through
dispossession? Second, what regional institutions and familial strategies do villagers use to contest or
negotiate dispossession, revealing new forms of economic and political reasoning? Third, what are
the effects of local administration and state agencies’ engagement with project-affected villagers
through the environmental clearance public consultation process? In the last two decades,
significant changes took place in the laws pertaining to the rights of the State to take land forcibly
against monetary compensation. The first is the passing of the RFCTLARR ACT 2013, after a
prolonged mobilization by social movements who sought just settlement and an agentive role for the
affected families. The second was the addition of acquisition of land for private development
projects whereas earlier the acquisition process was considered legal only if land was acquired for public purpose. The third was the radical change introduced by the definition of fair compensation
as valuation of land at market prices. If the principle of eminent domain was that land was taken out of the market, then the principle of fair compensation put it back into the market. Lastly, the provisions for social and environmental impact assessment, and the requirement for 80% consent of villagers introduced collective concerns relating to the natural and social milieu as part of the land
acquisition process
CELL VOLUME, DRY MASS, AND DRY MASS DENSITY REGULATIONS
Get PDFA cell’s global physical state is characterized by its volume and dry mass. The ratio of cell mass to volume is the cell mass density (CMD), which is also a measure of macromolecular crowding and concentrations of all proteins. Using the Fluorescence eXclusion method (FXm) and Quantitative Phase Microscopy (QPM), we investigate CMD dynamics after exposure to sudden media osmolarity change. We find that while the cell volume and mass exhibit complex behavior after osmotic shock, CMD follows a straightforward monotonic recovery in 48 hours. The recovery is cell-cycle independent and relies on a coordinated adjustment of protein synthesis and volume growth rates. Surprisingly, we find that the protein synthesis rate decreases when CMD increases. This result is explained by CMD-dependent nucleoplasm-cytoplasm transport, which serves as negative regulatory feedback on CMD. The Na+/H+ exchanger NHE plays a role in regulating CMD by affecting both protein synthesis and volume change. Taken together, we reveal that cells possess a robust control system that actively regulates CMD during environmental change
Resolving the Multi-Scale Interstellar Medium of Local Group Galaxies
No full textGalaxy evolution is largely governed by small-scale physical processes like star formation, which occurs in hierarchical sub-structures of the interstellar medium (ISM), and stellar feedback, which regulates the density of the ISM around them. However, many of these processes occur at parsec length scales, which are unresolvable in most external galaxies. Galaxies within the Local Group are near enough that we can resolve individual stars with high-resolution photometry from HST and JWST, providing a unique opportunity to study these small-scale galactic processes in detail.
Capitalizing on rich multi-band photometric data from Hubble imaging surveys like the Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Treasury (PHAT) and Scylla, this dissertation shows how stellar spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting techniques like the Bayesian Extinction And Stellar Tool (BEAST) allows us to simultaneously characterize individual stars and extract information about the ISM by observing the effects of dust extinction along the line-of-sight. This, in turn, provides us with mass, age, metallicity, and extinction measurements for millions of stars in each galaxy, which we can use to answer open questions about the small-scale morphology of the ISM.
This dissertation is composed of two main projects: (1) probing small-scale ISM structure around massive stars; and (2) developing a new methodology for constructing high-resolution 2D total column density dust maps in external galaxies. Using SED extinction measurements from the PHAT survey towards massive stars in the Andromeda galaxy (M31), I find that massive stars have, on average, the same amount of dust at small scales, regardless of their location within a galaxy. In comparison to ancillary dust maps with 25-pc resolutions, these findings indicate that even at 10s of parsecs, we are still not resolving star-forming ISM structures capable of forming massive stars, which produce a significant source of feedback within galaxies. With extinction measurements towards hundreds of thousands of stars in the SMC and LMC from the Scylla survey, I developed a new kriging-based methodology for constructing parsec-scale maps of dust extinction. These maps will provide new opportunities to study the cycles of star formation and galaxy evolution at high resolution in nearby galaxies
Socially Structured Activity-Time Allocation: Work, Family, and Person Spheres as an Integrated System in Daily Lives
No full textThe dissertation explores how social structures in the work and family spheres shape individuals’ activity-time allocation as a system, and how gender manifests in these behavioral patterns. Conceptually, I extend the classic sociological framework of the work-family divide by incorporating a third domain: the person sphere, which includes activities that serve personal well-being and development but are often treated as discretionary. By framing daily life as a socially structured system of interrelated work, family, and person spheres with interpersonal dependence through the family institution, this dissertation offers a more comprehensive understanding of: (1) how gendered work and family institutions reproduce inequality in the ostensibly discretionary person sphere, (2) how labor market and family inequalities interconnect through couple interdependence, and (3) how the three spheres interrelate in individuals’ daily decisions and behaviors. Across three empirical studies, the project bridges sociological theories of labor market, family, and gender inequality with quantitative and computational methods. It provides new insights into the complexities of socially structured, high-dimensional human decisions and behaviors. By uncovering how gendered work and family constraints extend into the person sphere, this dissertation contributes to understanding the stalled and uneven gender revolution, highlighting how institutional change in work and family remains incomplete when opportunities to personal well-being and development are unequally accessible. Additionally, it addresses empirical challenges by expanding analytical possibilities with time-use data, suggesting promising directions for future research on social inequality and the structure of daily lives
Essays in Empirical Macroeconomics
No full textThese essays explore different aspects of macroeconomic policy and external shocks. Chapter one revisits the empirical debate on the effectiveness of inflation targeting (IT) in emerging markets. Over the past three decades, IT has become widespread but estimates of its impact on average inflation in emerging markets vary widely, from –11% to +1%. I investigate sources of this variation by comparing econometric methods. Monte Carlo simulations reveal how endogeneity in IT adoption and mean-reverting inflation dynamics affect identification. The estimators produce consistently ordered results: two-way fixed effects yields the strongest reduction in inflation (an upper bound), while system GMM shows the smallest (a lower bound). This pattern holds in simulations, empirical applications, and previous literature. Using data from 42 emerging markets (1985–2019), I show that methodological choices drive conflicting findings. Under the most credible methods, inflation targeting reduces average inflation in emerging markets by 1.2–1.5 percentage points.
Chapter two examines the outward shift in the U.S. Beveridge curve during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020M4–2022M4), relative to the pre-pandemic period (2009M7–2020M3). Using variation across states and industries, we introduce a novel geometric measure of the shift, defined as the distance along the 45-degree line between the two curves. Industry-level analysis shows larger shifts in sectors with lower wages and limited remote-work options. Through a Diamond-Mortensen-Pissarides decomposition, we demonstrate that changes in matching efficiency and separation rate correlate with these industry traits respectively. State-level shifts are associated with industry composition and COVID-19 infection rates.
Chapter three studies how monthly bilateral exchange rates of advanced economy and freely floating emerging market currencies against the U.S. dollar respond to geopolitical risk (GPR) and trade policy uncertainty (TPU) shocks from 1985 to 2025. Large global GPR shocks (above the 90th percentile) cause advanced economy currencies to depreciate more than emerging markets ones. Conversely, country-specific GPR shocks trigger sharper depreciation in emerging market currencies. TPU shocks above the same threshold induce broad depreciation across both groups, with larger effects in emerging markets. These results highlight the nonlinearity of GPR and TPU shocks and their distinct impacts across country groups
BUILDING TEACHER CAPACITY TO SUPPORT STUDENT WELL-BEING IN HIGH-STAKES EXAMINATION ENVIRONMENTS
Get PDFThis dissertation examines the impact of high-stakes examination environments on the emotional health
and well-being (EHWB) of students in a Malaysian international school. Drawing on Bronfenbrenner's
ecological systems theory, this study explores the perceptions of both teachers and students regarding
high-stakes examinations through a mixed-methods approach. Findings highlight that students
experience academic anxiety, guilt, and physical symptoms related to exam preparation. Teachers,
although aware of EHWB indicators, may unintentionally contribute to student stress. The research
highlights the intricate relationships between cultural stigma, family expectations, and high academic
expectations. In response to the findings, I propose a neuroscience-informed professional learning
intervention designed to equip teachers with strategies for promoting student EHWB while maintaining
academic rigor. The PL model integrates brain-targeted teaching, lesson study, and the plan-do-study-
act cycle to foster teacher autonomy, competence, and relatedness, as outlined in self-determination
theory. Evaluation strategies combine surveys, interviews, classroom observations, reflections, and peer
feedback to track changes in teacher understanding and practice across six modules. This study
contributes to the growing body of research on teacher agency and student well-being in exam-driven
cultures. It offers a sustainable and contextually responsive framework for improving EHWB in school
settings. Future research should further investigate the impact of cultural norms, leadership support,
and family-school partnerships on sustaining emotionally attuned teaching practices. I advocate for
school environments where student well-being is not disregarded, but a foundational element of
practical education
Deep Learning-Based Needle Navigation for Robot-Assisted Retinal Microsurgery
No full textRetinal microsurgery demands precise manipulation of delicate, non-regenerative retinal tissue using high-precision surgical tools. Achieving micrometer-scale accuracy often exceeds the capabilities of even the most experienced surgeons. Key challenges in this field include hand tremor, limited depth perception, the Remote Center of Motion (RCM) constraint, and involuntary eye movement, all of which are compounded by the constrained, top-down view of the surgical field.
This thesis addresses these limitations by introducing a series of image-guided and deep learning-based strategies for needle navigation and control in robot-assisted retinal microsurgery. The objective is to enhance surgical precision, reduce procedure duration, and improve safety. The thesis is organized into four parts, as outlined below.
Chapter 2 introduces a framework that integrates deep neural networks with chance-constrained optimal control for autonomous needle navigation. This approach is validated using a silicone eye phantom in both target-reaching and vessel-following tasks.
Chapter 3 expands upon this framework by incorporating open-sky and intact ex vivo porcine eyes, demonstrating robust generation of safe control trajectories despite small, unintended head movements.
Chapter 4 presents a robot-assisted, high-precision workflow for autonomous Subretinal Injection (SRI). Key components include online registration between robot and intraoperative Optical Coherence Tomography (iOCT) coordinates, Convolutional Neural Network (CNN)-based tool-tip localization, and real-time Model Predictive Control (MPC) for planning and tracking. The proposed workflow is validated using a silicone eye phantom and ex vivo porcine eyes.
Chapter 5 proposes an autonomous Retinal Vein Cannulation (RVC) workflow that employs deep learning and computer vision. Two Steady Hand Eye Robots (SHERs) operate a 100-µm metal needle and a medical spatula with precision. Three CNNs are trained to guide needle direction and identify contact and puncture events. A surgical microscope paired with an iOCT system captures both en face and cross-sectional (B-scan) views. This workflow is validated using intact ex vivo porcine eyes under both stationary and simulated breathing conditions
Mechanisms affecting the interaction between turbulent boundary layers and compliant surface deformation
Get PDFIn this thesis, we study the interactions between turbulent boundary layers and a compliant surface at Ret=3300-8900. The experiments are conducted in a new refractive index-matched water tunnel equipped with a cyclone separator, designed to continuously reduce the freestream bubble concentration. Simultaneous time-resolved measurements of wall deformation and the 3D velocity and pressure fields are performed by integrating Mach Zehnder Interferometry with Tomographic Particle Tracking Velocimetry.
The conditionally averaged 3D flow structures involve a spanwise vortex with a laterally inward flow above a bump, inducing a sweeping diverging flow above the dimple. Trends of the deformation rms scaled by the compliant wall thickness collapse when plotted vs. pressure fluctuations scaled by the material shear modulus. The pressure-deformation correlations peak near the ‘critical layer’, where the mean flow speed is equal to the surface wave speed. This layer is located within the log layer, and increases in elevation with increasing Ret. For the entire region below the critical layer, the turbulence travels with the deformation wave, even for deformation amplitudes much smaller than a wall unit. Above the critical layer, the turbulence is advected at the local mean velocity, and its correlation with the deformation decays rapidly.
In addition, the flow-deformation correlations decrease with increasing Ret, in spite of an order of magnitude increase in deformation amplitude. To elucidate the mechanisms involved, Hilbert projection is used for decomposing the turbulence into ‘wave-coherent’ and ‘stochastic’ components. While the coherent energy is 6-10% of the stochastic level, the pressure rms is comparable near the wall. The energy flux between the coherent and stochastic parts and the pressure diffusion reverse sign at the critical layer. To explain the Ret dependence of flow-deformation interaction level, the characteristic deformation wavelength is compared to the scales of the energy-containing eddies in the boundary layer represented by the k^-1 range in the energy spectrum. When the deformation wavelength is matched with the kxEuu peak, the flow-deformation correlations become strong, even for submicron deformations. As Ret increases, the wall wavelengths and spectral range of attached eddies are no longer matched, resulting in reduced correlations, in spite of larger deformation
BEHAVIORS AND MINDSETS THAT LEAD TO FAMILY ENTREPRENEURSHIP OUTCOMES
No full textDespite business families creating more than 70% of global gross domestic product and driving 75% of start-ups, there is a paucity of research-backed approaches that consistently foster family entrepreneurship, creating economic value and strong family relationships simultaneously. This explanatory sequential mixed-methods study provides empirical evidence of a multidisciplinary, research-backed approach to developing family entrepreneurship capacity in the Healthy Family, Healthy Business model. By deploying family systems theory in addition to family business constructs, this model helps shift the focus from keeping a firm family owned to a universal approach to value creation and family connectivity occurring simultaneously. Healthy family relationships, characterized by non-reactive exploration, collaboration, and non-judgmental curiosity, form the foundation of family entrepreneurship. Conversely, families plagued by relationship conflict may see their businesses struggle to perform or even fail. Bowen family systems theory and its core construct differentiation of self explains the impacts of family functioning on individuals, families, communities, organizations, and societies. Thus, the behaviors and mindsets of individual family members who interact with the family and business system to foster positive outcomes emerge as an important, relatively unexplored area informing further research and practice. The research identified noteworthy quantitative findings enhanced by qualitative insights, demonstrating significant positive correlations between family member differentiation of self and their perception of the relative profitability of their business, among other findings. The Healthy Family, Healthy Business model’s interdisciplinary approach provides a new lens on the challenge of family business value creation, using solutions grounded in family therapy and tested across cultures to offer a potential platform for further research and practice. The Healthy Family, Healthy Business model holds the hope of amplifying the capacity of the vast majority of global gross domestic product to create growth and positive change. When entrepreneurial families get it right, the outcomes are incredible. However, all too often, family dysfunction leads to suboptimal, or worse, business and family outcomes. Until now, we have not known how to unlock this capacity. The Healthy Family, Healthy Business approach points to the answer to this important question
MOVEMENT, SETTLEMENT PATTERN, AND ARCHITECTURE IN IRON AGE SOUTHEAST ARABIA
No full textThis dissertation adopts a multiscalar perspective to investigate movement and mobility during the Iron Age (1300–300 BCE) of Southeast Arabia. During this period, there is an expansion of settlements with architecture both in terms of overall number or settlements and in the variety of environmental zones inhabited, including desert and mountainous regions. Other signs of increased social and political complexity include an exchange network moving luxury goods, such as copper and chlorite, ritual snake iconography, public buildings in the form of columned halls, and investment in infrastructure including irrigation and fortifications. Although there are many differences between sites, including in aspects such as the investment in infrastructure suggesting multiple strategies of coordinating labor and risk, there are few indications of centralization or hierarchy in either the material culture or the settlement pattern that would clearly indicate coercive control under an individual or primary site. Iron Age Southeast Arabia instead expressed complexity through shared material culture found over a vast area and collective identity.
This dissertation’s analyses and contributions focus on past movement to study settlement and landscape. The environment, both natural and built, offers affordances and constraints on human movement that contextualize the settlement pattern. Fieldwork, focused on mapping the architecture at four Iron Age mountain and piedmont settlements (Aqir al-Shamoos, Hayy Ukur, Al-Aqar, and Raki 2), provides new data about settlements during this period. A review of published architecture from Iron Age sites, uses descriptive methods that emphasize movement into and within the settlement to establish the range of shape and form of Iron Age architecture. Finally, human pedestrian modeling at the regional (peninsula wide) and local scale (20km diameter) predicts movement potential; this probabilistic approach allows both the identification of probable paths as well as describing the landscape in terms of its accessibility.
Movement is an inescapable aspect of many aspects of life, particularly trade and exchange, the exercise of power, and subsistence strategies; without falling into a deterministic description of movement as the prime mover, it is an aspect of life worth focus. This grounds a discussion of social and political complexity in Iron Age Southeast Arabia that illustrates how different complexity was in comparison to surrounding regions