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Sustainable consumer decisions and value creation: how consumer choices drive business success and global progress
No full textThis thesis focuses on consumer decisions and how sustainable decisions can create additional value for consumers. "Value" will be defined in monetary and non-monetary terms, encompassing all costs and benefits across five distinct components. By examining the different components of value and their weights in a consumer’s decision, we aim to understand how and why consumers make decisions. A study was run on 350 Americans to measure a self-reported value score after participants made high-impact decisions choosing between sustainable and non-sustainable options. Consumers are key stakeholders in businesses and this research will explore how sustainable practices that align with consumer values can create durable competitive advantage for companies. Furthermore, the thesis will argue that transitioning from the traditional industrial capitalist economy to a sustainable economic model is essential for long-term societal progress. The core hypothesis posits that sustainable decision-making leads to superior value creation for individuals/consumers and fosters a more resilient and forward-looking global economy
Pharmacogenetics and Precision Medicine in the Treatment of Major Depressive and Generalized Anxiety Disorders: Exploring Genetic Pathways and Future Therapeutic Approaches
No full textMental health disorders, such as Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), are among the most common psychiatric conditions worldwide, significantly impacting the quality of life and functional capacity (1). In addition, the distribution of mental health disorders varies by age, sex, and between racial populations, further complicating diagnosis and treatment. Considering the prevalence and severity of mental health disorders, it’s clear that we must find proper and effective treatment.
Through this project, I will present a systemic literature review of current pharmacogenetic methods with a new analysis of each medication, gut microbiota as treatment, and stem cells. Ultimately, this review will serve as a singular source to better understand current treatment options for MDD and GAD. Juxtaposing several different medications will allow for a proper comparison of the varying benefits and drawbacks of each pharmaceutical drug. This can then facilitate clinicians to determine which medications are right for their patients. Additionally, this review will serve as a research tool to further mental health disorders. By forming clear documentation of these data, mental health can be better treated to reduce rates of mental illnesses
Exploring the impact of policy on maternal morbidity and mortality in California and Georgia
No full textMaternal morbidity and mortality are major public health concerns globally. Among developed nations, the United States (US) has the highest maternal mortality rate (MMR) despite spending more on healthcare. In the US, this burden is disproportionately worse among blacks. Many studies have proven that structural racism, lower socioeconomic status, lack of health insurance, comorbidities, and geographical location of birthing people that prevent access to healthcare contribute to the continuous rise of maternal mortality and morbidity among Black Americans. Although copious policies, interventions, and programs have been employed to address this problem, it persists in many states. Whiles states like California and Massachusetts have managed to reduce the incident of MMR, the reverse has been observed in states like Georgia and Alabama. This present study will examine policies that drive the differences of MMR in the states of California and Georgia and emphasize the public health significance of lowering maternal morbidity and mortality
Genome-Wide Association Studies of Alzheimer's Disease Biomarkers in Adults with Down Syndrome
No full textIndividuals with Down syndrome (DS) are at an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) due to overexpression of APP on chromosome 21. Recently, neuroimaging and blood-based biomarkers have been used to quantify tau burden and Aβ protein levels, and differences in these biomarkers are associated with clinical progression of AD. In this study I conducted genome wide association studies to identify significant variants within eight biomarkers derived from single molecule arrays (SIMOA) of plasma and position emission tomography (PET) scans: (1) tau PET, (2) centiloid, (3) Aβ40, (4) Aβ42, (5) Aβ42:Aβ40 ratio, (6) p- tau181, (7) p-tau217, and (8) total p-tau. The genome wide association studies were conducted using PLINK for chromosomes 1–20 and 22 and using Matrix eQTL for chromosome 21, to account for the trisomy. Four of the biomarkers had genome-wide significant variants: centiloid, Aβ40, Aβ42, and Aβ42:Aβ40 ratio. These genome-wide significant variants were near ATB8B3 (Aβ42), ADAMTS9 (centiloid), PARVA (centiloid), AC023347.1 (Aβ40), and AC018685.2 (Aβ42:Aβ40). Currently there are limited treatments and no known cures for Alzheimer’s disease. Genes identified in this study should be investigated further to see if there are possible applications of these genes in risk assessment or prevention, especially for this at-risk population
Action as Learnable Control
No full textThis dissertation examines the remnants of Cartesian influence in contemporary action theory in order to motivate a different account of the concept "action". The Cartesian influence comes in three separate strands: (1) Immunity from Ignorance/No False Negatives rule. Contemporary action theory remains committed to the idea that actions are paradigmatically conscious, so that it is impossible for an agent to think she is not x-ing while x-ing. I argue that this is at odds with the fact that (i) we do many things unconsciously and (ii) there are certain actions that we can perform well only insofar as we remain deeply unconscious of them. (2) Immunity from Error/No False Positives. Contemporary action theory remains committed to the view that it's not possible for an agent to have a sincere, false belief of the form "I am x-ing". Specifically, I locate this no false positives rule in Anscombe's notion of "practical knowledge". I show, by way of examples, that false positives are possible and that a theoretical account is needed to make the difference between false positives and true positives explicit. (3) Dualism. While contemporary action theory shuns Substance Dualism, it retains distinctions that are dualist in the broader sense of the term. This blocks a satisfactory (nonmysterious) account of action as an object in the world. I propose to understand action as learnable control. More specifically, action is an embodied attitude with modal properties: it has an associated degree of control, which can be improved through learning (both symbolically mediated learning and brute force/"machine learning"). As well as escaping Cartesianism, a central motivation for the critique and the positive account is to articulate an action theory that would be a better fit for moral theory in allowing us to hold agents responsible for a greater variety of actions, but also do so in a more nuanced way. In the last chapter of the dissertation I make the call for reflexive equilibrium between moral theory and action theory, drawing out some of the implications of the learnable control theory of action in holding one another responsible
Breaking the Loop, Finding the Balance: Predictors of Social Media Detox among Graduate Students
No full textSocial media detox is recognized as an effective strategy for mitigating the negative impacts of excessive social media usage. This study explores the factors influencing graduate students’ decisions to engage in social media detox. Factors related to social media overload and general social media experience were examined as potential predictors. Data were collected using an online survey from 179 graduate students who are active on social media. The results of the study revealed a high prevalence of social media overload among graduate students, with information overload emerging as the strongest predictor of social media detox. This suggests that effectively managing the constant influx of information on social media platforms is crucial for reducing stress and promoting digital well-being among graduate students. The study provides practical implications and further research directions for promoting digital well-being and enhancing information management skills
Year of Discourse and Dialogue 2024: Social Justice Week and Day of Racial Healing: A Multifaceted Approach to Advancing Social Justice Dialogue
No full textEssays on Behavioral and Labor Economics
No full textThis dissertation consists of three essays on behavioral and labor economics, examining individuals’ and households’ decision-making patterns. Chapter 1 investigates whether individuals accurately infer their own abilities and preferences from practice experiences with different objective difficulties. It presents a novel experimental design providing evidence that, even with full information, temporary exogenous situational factors strongly impact beliefs and subsequent career choices. The misattribution of temporary conditions as personal skills and tastes led participants to costly prediction and task choice errors. Next, chapter 2 studies the consequences of narrative thinking in the domain of valuations. Experimental participants either told the story or listed the attributes of an item they already owned and were then surprisingly offered to sell it via an incentive-compatible mechanism. Thinking about their items in terms of narratives, compared to analytical thinking, shifted participants’ value considerations, resulting in significantly higher minimal selling prices and rates of refusing all prices. Finally, chapter 3 examines how households’ consumption patterns are affected by intra-household bargaining power. Using gender-specific labor market shocks, industry robots and fracking, as random variations in the economic stature of one of the spouses shows that when the spouse’s bargaining power increases, the household’s consumption genderness index shifts in their favor. The index is derived from a novel machine learning model measuring consumption similarity to households consisting of a single man or woman. The same approach was applied to calculate further indices and examine bargaining power effects on children’s products as well
The Interaction Between Physical Activity and Alcohol Use on Mental Distress in Black Adults in Pittsburgh
No full textDepression and depressive disorders are among the most prevalent mental disorders globally and present a significant burden on public health. Physical activity interventions have shown promising results for combatting symptoms of depression. Additionally, misuse of alcohol is associated with negative mental health outcomes, and alcohol use and major depressive disorders have been shown to co-occur more frequently than expected by chance. This present study used existing data from a neighborhood-based, longitudinal study in Pittsburgh to assess the interaction between reported physical activity levels, and high alcohol use tendencies on mental distress. The study’s population (N=642) was 96% Black and 81% female. The study hypothesized that alcohol use modified the ability of physical activity to reduce the odds of reporting mental distress. The results of this study showed that physical activity and binge drinking, individually, did not influence elevated mental distress. Instead, the interaction between the highest level of physical activity and binge drinking was found to be positively associated with mental distress. These findings suggest that socioeconomic factors may influence physical activity, contribute to alcohol misuse, and ultimately increase susceptibility to depressive symptoms. Depressive disorders are disabling conditions that present a significant burden on both the individual and society; depressive disorders produce significant costs related to healthcare, productivity, and unemployment. These findings highlight the behaviors associated with depression and depressive disorders and underscore their public health relevance
Evaluating the Reliability of Caregiver Report for the Functional Status Scale: A Pilot Study
No full textIntroduction: Fewer children are dying from critical illness; however, more are surviving with new deficits. The Functional Status Scale (FSS) was created to quickly and accurately quantify dysfunction level across domains of mental, sensory, communication, motor, feeding, and respiratory. This measure was validated for medical professionals, but caregiver input is lacking. Caregivers provide different perspectives especially regarding baseline status and the ability to monitor changes over time. This pilot study sought to be a first step to compare FSS scores between professionals and caregivers.
Methods: Secondary analysis of data from an ongoing quality improvement program within a 36-bed pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) at a tertiary care children’s hospital. Children under 18 admitted to the PICU with new neurologic conditions were eligible. FSS was completed by the child’s primary caregiver and a study team member at three timepoints: baseline, PICU discharge, and follow-up. Interrater reliability between professional and caregiver FSS scores was evaluated using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) for the total sample and stratified by chronic condition status at PICU admission and timepoint using a two-way mixed effects model.
Results: Acceptable level of reliability between professional and caregiver FSS scores was found when all timepoints were analyzed together in a single model (ICC=0.46). ICC was acceptable for chronically ill children (0.56), but poor for children without chronic illness (0.30). The nurse coordinator had the highest level of reliability with caregivers (ICC=0.51), followed by the physician (0.42), and the clinical research coordinator (0.32). Stratifying by timepoint resulted in excellent reliability for baseline, PICU discharge, and follow-up data (ICC = 0.87, 0.85, 0.98, respectively).
Conclusion: Large within-patient variability created by temporal effects made analyzing all data without regard to timing inappropriate and resulted in lower reliability. Prior experience played a factor in scoring ability which could be overcome with training. When timepoints were examined individually, FSS was moderately reliable for caregivers to complete. More research needs to be done by consulting with caregivers to determine if their understanding of the measure aligns with professionals. The public health and wellbeing of critically ill children can be improved by including caregivers in recovery efforts