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A Demonstration Well-being Index for the City of Los Angeles.
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: This capstone defines well-being, aligns a methodology with the definition and demonstrates how a well-being index might inform policy-making locally
GLAST regulates glutamate dynamics and interneuron maturation in the developing cortex
No full textAbstract: The astrocytic glutamate transporters GLAST and GLT-1 are highly expressed in the neocortex and are critical for regulation of extracellular glutamate concentrations. Glutamate, in turn, regulates many aspects of postnatal cortical development. However, the relative contributions and functional roles of GLAST and GLT-1 in the developing postnatal cortex are not well understood. The main goal of this dissertation is to test the hypothesis that astrocytic glutamate transporters contribute to postnatal cortical circuit development. To test this hypothesis, I used heterozygous mouse models where there is 50% reduction of GLAST or GLT-1 protein levels. Using astrocyte glutamate transporter recordings, I show that GLAST is the predominant astrocytic transporter during postnatal cortical development, while GLT-1 becomes dominant in the mature cortex. This functional finding confirms previous studies characterizing GLAST and GLT-1 expression and suggests that GLAST might be critical for the development of cortical circuits. By recording tonic NMDA currents, we show that decreased GLAST function leads to increased ambient glutamate in the developing cortex. Previous work done in the lab had shown that fast-spiking interneurons in the cortex are particularly susceptible to tonic NMDA activation due to their NMDAR subunit composition. Therefore, I tested whether the effects of altered tonic glutamate signaling had cell-type specific effects. Fast-spiking interneurons in the GLAST+/- cortex, but not excitatory pyramidal cells, have altered action potential firing and intrinsic membrane properties during development and altered morphology in the mature somatosensory cortex. Additionally, inhibitory synapse number and interneuron distribution in the cortical layers are altered in the mature GLAST+/- cortex. Finally, I found that the broad deficits in inhibitory circuits correlate with altered slice hyperexcitability in the mature GLAST+/- cortex, suggesting that loss of GLAST function during development leads to loss of inhibitory control of cortical networks. Since the GLT-1+/- cortex was not hyperexcitable at this mature stage, the results suggest that the aberrant cortical network activity observed results from disruptions during development that persist in the GLAST+/- cortex, rather than from deficits in acute glutamate uptake capacity. Taken together, the results from my thesis project indicate that GLAST, specifically, regulates glutamate in the developing neocortex and that its function is critical for the maturation of inhibitory function in cortical circuits. This main finding is in contrast with earlier work done in the thesis highlighting a role for GLT-1 in the acute response to kainic acid-induced seizures.Thesis (Ph.D.)--Tufts University, 2018.Submitted to the Dept. of Neuroscience.Advisor: Chris Dulla.Committee: Michele Jacob, Yongjie Yang, and Janice Naegele.Keyword: Neurosciences
Understanding Osteoarthritis as a Biological and Biomechanical Disease
No full textAbstract: Osteoarthritis (OA), a degenerative joint condition characterized by progressive loss of articular cartilage and other joint tissue changes, is the most common cause of disability in the United States. OA is a disease with multifactorial etiology resulting in heterogeneous disease onset and progression, but the same ending of joint degeneration. Current treatment options are focused on managing OA symptoms, specifically pain, but do not treat the underlying cause of disease. A major hurdle for better therapies is the lack of understanding of OA disease initiation and progression, especially at early stages of prior to clinical symptoms. This thesis present two independent projects seeking to understand the roles of biochemical and biomechanical factors in OA development. In the field of OA research, biochemical changes are understood to occur in early OA. There is an increase in cartilage metabolism and a decrease in catabolism, which contributes to cartilage loss and other joint tissue changes. Inflammation is thought to be a major driver of these biochemical changes underlying structural changes. One aspect of this thesis focuses on understanding inflammatory dynamics driven by master transcriptional regulator NFκB and how it may be related to cartilage structural changes. Results from this study showed that NFκB driven inflammation, visualized via bioluminescence imaging, peaks early in a post-traumatic OA (PTOA) mouse model and that structural modifications, visualized as collagen fiber thickness and orientation changes through second harmonic generation imaging, also occur in early OA across different cartilage layers. The second project of this thesis is focused on understanding the interplay between biochemical (specifically glucose) and biomechanical factors in OA progression utilizing a novel ex vivo joint culturing system, the Joint-in-Motion 1 (JM1) device. In this study, whole mouse knee joints were cultured in media solutions with variable glucose and osmolarity with dynamic input. While joint spatial orientation, cell numbers, and extracellular matrix collagen II was preserved, proteoglycan was lost only in joints cultured in high glucose with dynamic movement. This study revealed the synergistic effects of biomechanical and biomechanical factors in OA development and highlights a possible role for glucose in priming the joint for damage via biomechanical stressThesis (Ph.D.)--Tufts University, 2018.Submitted to the Dept. of Cell, Molecular & Developmental Biology.Advisor: Li Zeng.Committee: Heber Nielsen, Gary Sahagian, and Linden Hu.Keyword: Biology
"We Join to be Challenged, Not to be Victims": Mapping Experiences of Women in the U.S. Military.
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: This paper explores why 70% of the 2.2 million women veterans in the U.S. do not self-identify. Combining perspective written by woman veteran and social science researcher, this paper captures the voices of hundreds of women veterans who feel invisible and misunderstood, and represents one of the first comprehensive qualitative research projects on the subject. This paper also poses questions about how academic research can help servicewomen and women veterans find their own voices to understand and contextualize their experiences
Rambling Carlisle.
No full textCharlisle Isley's work explores narratives of identity, family history, memory and fragmentation through performances and installations, often using handmade paper as both an ephemeral sculptural element and performative prop.Keywords: Family Roots,Carlisle Indian Industrial School, Absurdity, Rambling with Roberta/ Detroit Free Press, Handmade Paper, Re-purposed Sketchbooks,Memory, History of Clowning
Self Illusion.
No full textChloe Bustinis a Boston-based artist, exploring multiple disciplines such as drawing, printmaking, sculpture and installation. Her current work investigates color and abstraction as components of human experience as well as the translation of two-dimensional work into three dimensions. Her influences are derivative of the Op Art Movement and Perceptual Art of the 1960's. As Bustin explores the concepts of perception and illusory effect in artwork, she seeks to create a dialogue between the audience and the artwork. Through the use of light as a medium, she explores the visual changes that occur with the injection of outside color, shadow and reflection.Keywords: abstraction, sculpture, installation, illusion, self, color, color theory, optical illusion, perspective, light, plexiglass, laser cut, perception, psychology, form, fluorescent, interactive art, happening, sound, reflection
Developing and Teaching an Anti-Bias Curriculum in a K-5 School: Leadership, Teachers’, and Young Children’s Experiences.
No full textAbstract: In US schools, a common colorblind philosophy assumes that early-childhood-aged children (ages 3-8) do not see differences among people, and thus these differences do not need to be discussed (Hirschfeld, 2012). However, young children do in fact see differences among people, even as early as three months old (Sangrigoli & Schonen, 2004), and by preschool begin to believe that biased beliefs and stereotypes are true (York, 2016). In order for children to learn how to process these differences in ways that are respectful of self and others, it is imperative that children are taught appropriate language, and actively practice discussing these differences in healthy, productive ways through anti-bias education. The purpose of this study is to examine the unique development and implementation process of an anti-bias curriculum at a local elementary school. The data collection and analysis is based on principles of anti-bias education theory. The research methodology is an exploratory single-case study approach (Yin, 2013), constructed using interview and classroom observation data. A thematic coding process is used for the analysis. The findings confirm several critical tenets of developing and teaching anti-bias education: the importance of strong leadership, teacher self-reflection, and a collaborative team culture. The children’s comprehension of anti-bias concepts not only debunks the colorblind myth, but also demonstrates how anti-bias language can be taught in developmentally appropriate ways during the early childhood period. The findings also illustrate how adults, who may be initially uncomfortable discussing anti-bias topics can, through a progression of steps, learn ways to engage with and teach these topics to children. Its significance relative to social justice work is that anti-bias teaching can be implemented on a larger scale, such as an elementary school, in the US
Synthesis and Characterization of Manganese(II) Aminopyridine Catalysts for Environmentally-Friendly Olefin Epoxidation.
No full textInspired by oxidative enzymatic processes in living systems, chemists have performed extensive studies of catalytic methods that mimic those found in biology to generate epoxides more efficiently. Two closely related manganese(II) aminopyridine complexes were synthesized, characterized, and investigated with respect to their catalytic performance on olefin epoxidation. In attempts to improve the performance of manganese catalysts, electron-donating substituents were added to the picolyl arms of the rac-PYBP precursor ligand to produce a novel “super-rich” analog of the chiral PYBP ligand which was hypothesized to better stabilize the metal center of the complex. Crystal structures of the ligands were obtained, and EPR spectra were analyzed to further investigate the structural and electronic reasons for differences in catalytic performance. This project contributes to the body of works related to the field of structure-activity relationships of new inorganic catalysts and advances green chemistry by replacing toxic metal elements and reagents with a biologically benign metal (Mn) and an environmentally-friendly oxidant (H2O2)
Patient-Level Predictors of Premature Termination in Cognitive Processing Therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder at a Diverse Community Health Center.
No full textAlthough premature termination or dropout from psychotherapy has been shown to occur at high rates, there is considerable variability in the literature regarding which patient-level variables predict whether a patient is likely to drop out of treatment. Objective: The present study examined three patient-level domains–demographic variables, barriers to treatment, and initial impairment in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety symptomatology–with the objective of identifying patient-level predictors of dropout from Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for PTSD in a diverse community health setting. Method: Data for this study were derived from a hybrid pilot implementation-effectiveness study of CPT for PTSD. Patients (N = 72) provided demographic information and completed the Posttraumatic Symptom Checklist-Specific Version, Patient-Health Questionnaire-9, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Checklist-7, and the Barriers to Treatment Questionnaire (BTQ) at baseline. Results: The overall rate of premature termination in this sample was 72.2%. Block-wise binary logistic regressions indicated that age significantly predicted premature termination, with every one-unit increase in age reducing the odds of dropping out of treatment by 6% (OR = 0.94, 95% CI: 0.89–0.99, p = .026). Financial and logistical barriers at baseline were also found to significantly predict premature termination (OR = 1.31, 95% CI: 1.03–1.66, p = .028): for every one-point increase in a patient’s BTQ Logistical/financial composite score, the likelihood of dropping out of treatment increased by 31%. No other demographic variables or BTQ domains were associated with dropout. Initial impairment measures were not found to predict dropout. Conclusion: The findings of this study have clinical implications for detecting patients at risk for premature termination from CPT in community settings and for implementing retention strategies that address patients’ financial and logistical concerns
Empowerment Through Microfinance: Fact or Fiction? An Analysis of Microfinance in Ecuador.
No full textMicrofinance institutions (MFIs) around the world boast both their social missions and their impacts in the communities they serve. However, upon further inspection, academics and researchers have more skeptical opinions about microfinance’s influence on the empowerment of people. What is the real story? Relying on testimonials from real microfinance clients and institutions, this thesis aims to prove that microfinance is an effective empowerment tool for marginalized populations in Ecuador, and to recommend strategies for MFIs to properly document their impacts in communities