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State-Level Jobless Recoveries and Routine Labor
No full textAbstract: American recessions since 1990 have led to recoveries that have been characterized by significantly slower employment growth than previous recoveries. Over a similar time period, there has been a documented decrease in employment in occupations that involve a high level of routine tasks due to the tendency of recent technological change to automate routine tasks. I investigate if declining demand for routine labor is driving the joblessness of recent American recoveries. I develop a search-and-matching model with routine and non-routine labor sectors wherein a negative productivity shock leads to larger employment losses for routine labor than non-routine labor, larger initial employment losses in aggregate employment, and ambiguous differences in employment growth thereafter. I use data on routine task intensity by occupation and state-level panel data of 711 detailed occupations to measure the share of each state's employment in routine occupations. In order to estimate the effect that a state's preceding routine labor share might have on the joblessness of that state's recovery, I use fixed effects regressions to exploit the variation in routine labor share and the variation in states' changes in their employment-population ratios. My results suggest that routine labor share does not explain lower employment growth during the recovery, but higher routine labor shares lead to larger per capita employment losses during the recession itself. A 1 percentage point increase in routine labor share leads to a 0.06 percentage point decrease in the change in a state's employment-population ratio over the 4 quarters leading to a recession trough. These findings have important implications for structural change in American labor markets resulting from routine-biased technological change and the effects that structural change may have on labor dynamics over the business cycle.Thesis (M.S.)--Tufts University, 2018.Submitted to the Dept. of Economics.Advisor: Yannis Ioannides.Committee: Alan Finkelstein Shapiro, and Gilbert Metcalf.Keywords: Economics, and Labor economics
Extending Community Control Over Commercial Development: Community Land Trusts and Community Finance Models
No full textAbstract: The role of community land trusts (CLTs) in community development has been most frequently expressed as the creation and support of affordable homeownership opportunities for low-income and marginalized populations. However, the history and original intent of CLTs are deeply rooted in a holistic view of community development that includes the economic development of neighborhoods. One aspect of this economic development that has recently been revitalized as a potential focus of CLTs is the development of commercial space. Commercial development could be the development of office space, small business, or other retail and generally exists close to, or within, residential areas. This type of development can be used to address a variety of community development goals including job creation or the provision of needed goods and services. This thesis discusses the ways in which CLTs are currently engaged in commercial development and their roles in the development process. It then identifies certain areas that CLTs could provide stronger avenues for the community control and stewardship of commercial developments. Finance structures are identified as one manner through which this control can be expanded and three case studies are provided to showcase models CLTs may adapt or partner with in their commercial development efforts: direct public offerings (DPOs), community capital funds, and real estate investment cooperatives (REICs).Thesis (M.A.)--Tufts University, 2018.Submitted to the Dept. of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning.Advisor: Penn Loh.Committee: Barbara Parmenter.Keywords: Urban planning, and Finance
Highly Multiplex Imaging Using the Primer Exchange Reaction Method, and the Study of Potential Hydrogels for the Application of Expansion Microscopy
No full textAbstract: We have proposed a method using the primer exchange reaction (PER) in which allows synthesis of single stranded DNA using a catalytic hairpin to achieve highly multiplex resolution imaging. PER cascades are an ideal candidate in amplifying signals with in vitro extended probes in a programmable fashion. In parallel, we have studied the mechanical properties and contributing factors of different hydrogel composition in the context of expansion microscopy (ExM). ExM enables imaging of cells and tissues with nanoscale precision.Thesis (M.S.)--Tufts University, 2018.Submitted to the Dept. of Biomedical Engineering.Advisors: Yu Wang, and George Church.Committee: Yu Wang, Xiaocheng Jiang, and Mark Cronin-Golomb.Keyword: Biomedical engineering
What Does Protest Sound Like? Vibrational Politics in an Unsettled Age
No full textAbstract: This thesis examines the relationship between sound and political protest during the period of the nascent Trump presidency. Drawing on ethnographic work done from 2016-2017, I advance the following claims. First, I argue that the disordering and reconfiguration of public space creates a condition of possibility for the manifestation of what I propose is a unique political subject comprised of an irreducible multiplicity of bodies. Crucially, it is collective, participatory sound that plays the constitutive role in the coalescence of this subject. I consider a number of case studies, some in which this political subject manifests, and some in which it does not. Second, I suggest that, in addition to the aforementioned political subjectivation, sound can model not just a political project or an ethical relation, but an alternate form of life.Thesis (M.A.)--Tufts University, 2018.Submitted to the Dept. of Music.Advisor: Joseph Auner.Committee: Alessandra Campana, and Jeffrey Summit.Keyword: Music
Examining the Role of Retrieval Practice in Improving Memory Accessibility Under Stress
No full textAbstract: Psychological stress has been shown to impair episodic memory retrieval. The goal of this dissertation was to investigate one method of improving memory accessibility under stress, by using the learning strategy retrieval practice to create stress-resistant memories. In Experiment 1, I examined whether having participants learn information by using retrieval practice, which is analogous to taking practice tests, would improve post-stress memory relative to having participants learn via conventional restudying. Confirming my hypotheses, those who learned by restudying demonstrated typical stress-related memory impairment, whereas those who learned using retrieval practice were immune to the deleterious effects of stress. In Experiments 2a and 2b, I aimed to determine whether learning to criterion, in which only one successful retrieval attempt is made, would similarly buffer memory against stress, or whether multiple retrieval attempts are necessary to achieve that effect. I found that criterial learning protected memory against stress in the short term (after 24 hours), but additional retrieval practice was necessary to achieve that effect in the long term (after one week). Finally, in Experiment 3, I tested one potential theoretical mechanism underlying the efficacy of retrieval practice at bolstering memory against stress. My hypotheses were not supported; I found that retrieval practice provided some support for item memory but no support for source memory in the context of stress. Altogether, these experiments help establish and explain the ways in which retrieval practice and psychological stress interact to influence memory retrieval.Thesis (Ph.D.)--Tufts University, 2018.Submitted to the Dept. of Psychology.Advisor: Ayanna Thomas.Committee: Elizabeth Race, Lisa Shin, and Andrew Yonelinas.Keyword: Psychology
The Relation Between Adolescent Mothers' Trauma, Emotional Availability, and Children's Emotion Regulation
No full textAbstract: Given the literature on the impact of trauma on Emotional Availability (EA) in mothers, and research on the effects of parental practices on children's emotional regulation, this study aimed to examine: 1) the relation between maternal trauma, EA, and children's emotion regulation (ER); 2) the predictive quality of emotional availability (EA) in adolescent mothers, specifically as a predictor of their children's emotion regulation outcomes; 3) the role EA plays in moderating the relation between maternal trauma and children's emotional regulation and; 4) the role social support programs play in moderating this relation. The study emphasized the acute vulnerability of adolescent mothers exposed to various contextual risk factors affecting their children and their own development. The findings highlight the consistency of EA as a predictor of ER, and that the EA construct might display a curvilinear curve, where both "too little" and "too much" EA constitute a potentially harmful effect on the child's ability to emotionally regulate. Additionally, the findings show that EA construct scores are consistently lower on freeplay tasks than on teaching tasks, suggesting that low EA scores may be an artifact arising out of unstructured play activities in this population. Clinical observations indicate that play might be particularly triggering to mothers with trauma, and research on cross-cultural play indicates that there are various cultural differences with diverging norms and standards for play. The findings underscore the importance of trauma-informed, culturally sensitive home-visiting programs with flexible strength-based models that accommodate children and families from all kinds of contexts.Thesis (M.A.)--Tufts University, 2018.Submitted to the Dept. of Child Development.Advisor: Ann Easterbrooks.Committee: Ellen Pinderhughes, and Carmen Noroña.Keywords: Developmental psychology, Mental health, and Social work
Building bridges and deconstructing pathways in agriculture, nutrition and health.
No full textAbstract: Despite progress in evidence generation, however, there remain critical gaps in our understanding of the mechanisms through which agriculture and other nutrition-sensitive interventions can lead to improvements in diets and nutritional status at the population levelKeywords: Conference Report, Agriculture, Nutrition and health.NIL publications
THE BALTIC CENTRE FOR MEDIA EXCELLENCE: A CASE STUDY ON MEDIA LITERACY AS A TOOL AGAINST RUSSIAN DISINFORMATION.
No full textSubmitted in partial fulfillment of the degree Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. Abstract: The purpose of this research is to explore how Latvia, a country that is more vulnerable to disinformation because of its media environment, is modifying its own media literacy initiatives to counter Russian disinformation campaigns. This paper will discuss one case where Latvia is utilizing media literacy tactics to do so: the Baltic Centre for Media Excellence (BCME), which is a journalism non-profit organization located in Riga that is relatively unknown in the United States. This organization has become a hub for smart journalism in the Baltic region and beyond, and it provides independent media outlets with practical professional training and mentorship related to media management, essential media market research, and audience analysis. It is also working to broaden its impact among the public by encouraging media literacy, critical thinking, civic awareness, and demand for quality journalism in schools, public discussions, and online.The argument of this paper is that the BCME is successfully implementing media literacy interventions that are grounded in well-established components of media literacy. It is, however, a very young organization operating within a country that does not have fully-formed media literacy traditions, is hyper-focused on the journalism community, and has yet to publicly share outcome data to significantly prove the effectiveness of its interventions. By focusing on this case, this research will explain how effective media literacy programs could be tailored to specific country contexts. This paper will provide insight on what media literacy is, how it is being measured, how it is being applied in the Latvian context, what challenges exist within media literacy research and implementation, and avenues for future research
Intersection of stunting, animal cohabitation, and the gut microbiota
No full textAbstract: Stunting affects 171 million children worldwide. Risk factors can vary by country but include inadequate nutrition and frequent infections. Stunted children have a higher risk for infections and malabsorption, resulting in a cycle of malnutrition. Several studies have found that the composition of intestinal bacteria, the gut microbiota, is different between children with stunting versus those without stunting. Cohabitation with production animals has been linked to decreased sanitary conditions and increased infections. The rate of stunting in Guatemala is one of the highest in the world at 48% of children under 5 years old. The causes of stunting in this region are poorly understood. We conducted a pilot cross-sectional study using questionnaires, anthropometric measures, and stool samples to explore possible correlates of stunting in a sample of 24-month-old children from the suburban municipality of La Esperanza, Guatemala. Fifty-six children were recruited, and the mothers interviewed. Half of the children in the study were stunted. Animal cohabitation was reported evenly between those with and without stunting. Members of the Lachnospiraceae family were found to be differentially abundant between stunted and non-stunted children. Markers of intestinal inflammation were measured by ELISA, but not found to be associated with height-for-age Z-scores. This preliminary work lays the foundation for further investigations into stunting and the gut microbiota in Guatemala.Thesis (M.S.)--Tufts University, 2018.Submitted to the Dept. of Clinical & Translational Science.Advisor: Christine Wanke.Committee: Honorine Ward, and Robin Ruthazer.Keyword: Translation studies