Digital Commons Network^™

The Formats Of Spatial Representations, Sami Yousif

Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dissertations

Mental representations are the essence of cognition. Yet, to understand how the mind works, we must understand not just the content of mental representations (i.e., what information is stored), but also the format of those representations (i.e., how that information is stored). If we want to understand how sensory information is translated into symbolic representations, if we want to know how the mind forms ‘cognitive maps’, if we want to know how the firing of neurons can lead to the emergent phenomenon of human cognition — all of these things require us to understand how information is organized in the …

Mixed Methods Evaluation Of Data Systems For Tuberculosis In Uganda, Elizabeth Bennett White

Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dissertations

Surveillance is a cornerstone of public health, providing the data required to monitor disease trends, evaluate the impact of interventions, inform policy, and guide programmatic decision making. In order for this data to be informative and useful, however, it must be timely, accurate, and complete. In the context of tuberculosis (TB), which continues to cause millions of cases of disease and deaths each year, surveillance data is known to have gaps including undercounting cases and incomplete reporting by health facilities. To accelerate TB control and elimination, reliable data is needed to improve quality of TB care. Furthermore, challenges with unique …

Efferent Modulation Of Spontaneous Activity In Developing Sensory Systems, Yixiang Wang

Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dissertations

Patterned spontaneous activity plays an instructive role in developing sensory systems. Before hearing onset, inner support cells release ATP and induce spontaneous firing of neighboring inner hair cells. This periphery-initiated spontaneous activity propagates throughout the auditory hierarchy via the afferent pathway, coordinating neural activity in distinct tonotopic zones in the central auditory system. Similarly, spontaneous retinal waves initiated in the retina by starburst amacrine cells (stage II) or bipolar cells (stage III) were observed throughout the visual system via the retinotopic visual afferent circuits. Deciphering the underlying mechanisms of patterned spontaneous activity is critical to elucidate its instructive role in …

Dissecting The Contributions Of Langerhans Cells To Skin Wound Healing And The Angiogenic Niche, Renee R. Wasko

Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dissertations

Mammalian skin is complex, heterogeneous, and essential for survival. It is the primary barrier that protects us from physical, microbial, and chemical hazards, and must therefore be highly regenerative. When skin is wounded, healing occurs through a series of temporally-overlapping and tightly regulated stages of inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling. Angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels from pre-existing vessels, occurs during the proliferative phase of repair and is essential for the formation of new, healthy tissue. Blood vessels are a vital source of oxygen, nutrients, and immune cells, and failure of these vessels to regenerate after injury results in chronic, …

A Light In The Dark: Ultralight Dark Matter Phenomenology In Simulations, Jovana Zagorac

Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dissertations

Of the outstanding problems in astronomy, the nature of dark matter is certainly one of the most mysterious. Containing five times more energy density than its luminous counterpart, dark matter has been shaping the large-scale structure of our Universe for billions of years. The expansion of accessible and accurate cosmological simulations has revolutionized how we visualize the imprint of dark matter in the structure of our Universe. In my Ph.D., I contributed to this revolution through the development and implementation of a new code, chplUltra: a parallel, portable, and efficient tool for HPC simulations of a promising dark matter candidate, …

Towards Understanding The Mechanism Of Wolbachia-Induced Cytoplasmic Incompatibility, Mengwen Zhang

Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dissertations

Wolbachia is a vertically transmitted intracellular bacterium that infects a large number of arthropods and filarial nematodes. Many strains of Wolbachia manipulate host reproduction through cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). In its simplest form, CI is a phenomenon where male host infected with Wolbachia cannot produce viable offspring with uninfected females; this apparent sterility is restored when the male host mates with Wolbachia-infected females—a phenomenon called rescue. Since Wolbachia is transmitted through the female germline, CI helps Wolbachia propagate in the host population. These properties of CI have been utilized in Wolbachia-based methods to control mosquito-borne diseases such as Dengue and Zika …

Bosonic Quantum Simulation In Circuit Quantum Electrodynamics, Christopher Shen Wang

Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dissertations

The development of controllable quantum machines is largely motivated by a desire to simulate quantum systems beyond the capabilities of classical computers. Investigating intrinsically multi-level model bosonic systems, using conventional quantum processors based on two-level qubits is inefficient and incurs a potentially prohibitive mapping overhead in the current "near-term intermediate-scale quantum" (NISQ) era. This motivates the development of hybrid quantum processors that contain multiple types of degrees of freedom, such that one can leverage an optimal one-to-one mapping between the model system and simulator. Circuit quantum electrodynamics (cQED) has emerged as a leading platform for quantum information processing owing to …

From Secret War To Cold War: Race, Catholicism, And The Un-Making Of Counterrevolutionary Mexico, 1917-1946, Ricardo Jose Alvarez-Pimentel

Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dissertations

This dissertation examines the rise and fall of Catholic women’s opposition to the secularizing efforts and seemingly progressive gender and racial politics of the Mexican Revolution of 1910 and its nascent state apparatus. Through rigorous discursive analyses of state and Catholic print media published between 1917 and 1946, it traces middle- and upper-class women’s ideological production and argues that their counterrevolutionary religious movement was both driven and un-made by gendered constructions of whiteness. The first half of this dissertation (Chapters 1-3) analyzes the Mexican Church-state conflict prior to 1930 as a transnational struggle between two racialized and competing forms of …

Essays On Regulation, Antitrust, And Managers, Jinjie Lin

Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dissertations

In the first chapter of my dissertation, I present the evidence of the effect of financial regulators’ social media use on corporate and individual behavior. Using the staggered launch of U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regional offices’ Twitter accounts, I find that financial regulators’ presence on social media reduces opportunistic insider trading, customer complaints against investment advisers, and financial misreporting. Additional tests suggest that the salience and dissemination of regional offices’ enforcement activities via Twitter play a role. The deterrence effect of SEC regional offices’ Twitter use is concentrated among offices with more followers, firms with more retail investors, …

Genetic Covariance Analysis Reveals Heterogeneous Etiologic Sharing Of Complex Traits: Theory, Methodology And Applications, Yiliang Zhang

Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dissertations

Over the past fifteen years, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified tens of thousands of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with complex human traits and diseases. Besides the success in finding risk loci, the estimation of genetic covariance based on collected GWAS data also provides insights into the genetic basis of complex traits/diseases. Genetic covariance is the covariance of genetic effects contributing to two phenotypes. Methods based on linear mixed model (LMM) in conjunction with the restricted maximum likelihood (REML) algorithm have been developed to estimate these two quantities of significant genetic interests. However, methods based on LMM have only gained …

Modulation Of T Cells To Promote An Anti-Tumor Response: Activation And Inhibition Of T Cells For Efficacy In T-Cell Lymphomas And Melanoma, Samuel Robert Kerr

Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dissertations

Cancer is the leading cause of premature death in the United States and other developed countries. Current decreases in cancer mortality rates are largely being driven by immunotherapies, which leverage an understanding of T cell activation and inhibition to produce an anti-tumor response. T-cell-based therapies may help decrease mortality rates even further. CAR T cell therapies and T cell activators like bispecific T-cell engagers and dendritic cell vaccines have increased survival in patients otherwise out of treatment options. While these therapies have been successful for niche patient populations, applying these therapies to wider patient populations has been difficult. In a …

Statistical Methods For Genetic Prediction Of Complex Traits In Single And Multiple Populations, Geyu Zhou

Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dissertations

Genetic prediction of complex traits, also known as polygenic risk score (PRS), is constructed by combining the estimated effect sizes of genetic markers across the genome for an individual. PRS has shown great promise in biomedical and clinical research for disease prevention, monitoring and treatment. However, the development of accurate prediction models is challenging due to the wide diversity of genetic architecture, limited access to individual level data, and the demand for computational resources. The broader application of PRS to the general population is further hindered by the poor transferability of PRS developed in Europeans to non-European populations. In this …

If You Can't Take The Tweet: Understanding Corporate Social Responsibility Through The Lens Of Social Media Marketing, Julia Winterhalter

Honors Projects in Communication

Companies are increasingly taking action on societal issues and are aware of the impact that their corporate voice has on impressionable publics. Existing research focuses greatly on corporate social responsibility and the moral standards that set up companies to market themselves authentically to the values they build themselves on. The current study explores how three companies utilize their platform to share their values in relation to ethical issues arising in the modern world. Through the Twitter accounts of Ben & Jerry's, Patagonia, and Starbucks, a content analysis was conducted on their use of language related to their ethical standpoints on …

The Effect Of Minimum Wage Increases On Employment Of Teenagers In New England, Felicia O’Reilly

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper examines the relationship between increasing minimum wage and the number of hours that teenagers ages 15-19 work in New England states during the years 2002- 2019. In these years, all New England states have had various minimum wage rates, this paper will use feasible general least squares state-level panel data analysis to see if there is a positive or negative impact on teenage employment due to increases in minimum wage. Data was collected from the Current Population Survey, the American Community Survey, and state census data, and used with an equation derived by Zavodny (2000). State-level panel data …

A Panel Data Analysis Of The Effects Of Macroeconomic Variables On Income Inequality In Latin American Countries, Scott Poretsky

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper investigates the relationship between inflation, trade, unemployment, education, and economic growth on income inequality in the South American OECD countries (Chile, Costa Rica, Colombia, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, and Peru). While Argentina, Brazil, and Peru are not official OECD countries, they have a working relationship with OECD and have taken the first steps toward initiation in OECD. The variable that represents income inequality is the Gini Index World Bank estimator, and the variable that represents economic growth is GDP. This paper uses a panel data set from 2006 to 2020. The results of this study show that trade percentage, …

International Integration And Export-Led Growth In Latin America: A Panel Data Analysis, James Titus

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper investigates the potential determinants for international integration and effects of export-led growth in Latin American countries to determine the most effective measure of growth in the countries. The study incorporates information asymmetry into a GDP per capita growth model to examine the influence of openness, human capital, export diversity, and more. While examining data from World Bank development indicators, it has been shown that there are at least nine different variables that provide relevant data to create a functional model. The results show that there are many applicable determinants that can be used in the model without over-correlation. …

Gender Roles And How They Promote Rape Culture, Janelle Isaacs

Honors Projects in Applied Psychology

This study investigated the relationship between gender roles and rape culture in society in order to promote awareness of the harmful impacts that promoting gender stereotypes can have on society. A survey that was presented to 143 adults over the age of 18 was conducted to highlight the aforementioned relationship. The survey addressed the extent to which respondents feel they have been taught/exposed to these gender stereotypes, as well as gauged their opinions on factors related to sexual assault. The data did not indicate a correlation between gender roles and rape culture, however, it did present some key findings. The …

Religion Vs. Politics: Which Wins At A Christian Liberal Arts University?, Amanda Williams

Political Studies Student Projects

Scholars have studied the effects of framing on different groups of people for decades. There has also been research on the relationship between religious beliefs and politics. This article takes the unique population of a Christian college campus to combine the test of faith against politics through subtle framing. When faced with a political frame, will these Christians ultimately side with their political beliefs or their religious beliefs? I found through a questionnaire experiment run in November 2021 on Taylor University students and some faculty that religious beliefs prevailed. This result is somewhat surprising giving the current political climate, but …

A Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Pilot Using Risk Stratification To Improve Resource Allocation And Reduce Readmissions, Linda Gould

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) impacts 250 million people, is associated with high hospital readmission rates, and costs over $50 billion annually. Purpose: Apply risk stratification identifying higher risk patients to prioritize complex, time-consuming interventions and resources. Methods: Patients hospitalized with COPD were risk stratified using PEARL. Moderate-high risk patients were referred to specialty nurse practitioners, who used real-time interventions and motivational interviewing during intense weekly visits over 30 days targeting self-management, patient-specific risks, and resources. Results: No patients were readmitted or died during the pilot using risk stratification with patient-specific tertiary preventive care to …

Improving Access And Delivery Of Mental Health Care To Veterans Through A Care Coordination Pilot At A Texas Department Of Veterans Affairs Hospital, Jacqueline Buval

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Mental health (MH) disorders are among the leading cause of disabilities in adults, with an even greater prevalence among Veterans who served in combat. Forty percent of troops returning from combat zones report suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression and 33% report trouble accessing MH care. Access to care is directly influenced by care coordination procedures in health care systems. If care coordination is poor or lacking, patients remain in settings that are inappropriate for their level of care. Implementing a care coordination program can improve care transitions, provide the necessary support for patients to successfully …

2022-2023 Boise State University Graduate College Catalog, Boise State University Office Of The Registrar

University Catalogs

No abstract provided.

04-01-2022 “I Came For The Treats” Blood Drive Planned April 4-5 At Swosu, Southwestern Oklahoma State University

THE BARK ARCHIVE 2022

No abstract provided.

Twitter Demonstrates Why Poison Pills Are Bad For Shareholders, Mark Humphery-Jenner

Perspectives@SMU

Twitter’s poison pill appears to be an attempt to entrench the board rather than delivering shareholder value, writes UNSW Business School's Mark Humphery-Jenner

When Experts Become Liabilities, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

Criticism can easily hit the confidence of experts and undermine the accuracy of their predictions, new research shows

Revisiting The One-Minute Paper: Personal Reflections, Student Engagement And Assessing The Assessment, Rebecca Pappert Maniates

Research Collection Library

The one-minute paper (OMP) is a popular one-shot session assessment which often consists of asking two questions: 1 . What is the most important thing you learned today? 2 . What questions do you still have? Although simple, each question has a purpose. The first is broad, focusing on the importance of concepts learned (Chizmar & Ostrosky, 1998), and promotes active learning and reflection (Stead, 2005). The second assesses the progress of the learning process and where support is still needed (Chizmar & Ostrosky, 1998).Although studies show the OMP is effective when assessing student knowledge before and after one-shot sessions …

Home Victimization And Preadolescents' Parental And Police Trust, Ellie Jarosinski, Brooke Welch

Celebration of Scholarship 2022

This study explored relationships between preadolescents’ perceived trust in parents and police and between home victimization and trust. It utilized extant data from a longitudinal study conducted in São Paulo, Brazil, in which 800 participants completed questionnaires assessing parental legitimacy. Analysis revealed significant relationships between trust in parents and police, although most correlations were weak. Results indicated a positive relationship between trust in parents and police, while home victimization was negatively related to trust. This negative relationship yields implications for preadolescent health and safety and broadens the literature on trust and impacts of victimization. Future studies could incorporate non-self-report measures, …

Judicial Protection Of Medical Liberty, Deana Pollard Sacks

Florida State University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Library Tools At The Nurses' Station: Exploring Information-Seeking Behaviors And Needs Of Nurses In A War Veterans Nursing Home, Gail M. Kouame

University Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications and Presentations

Objectives: Analyze the information-seeking practices and identify the information and education needs of nurses in a war veterans nursing home. Develop an online toolkit for use at the nurses’ stations to meet nurses’ health information needs.

Methods: Investigators employed mixed methods to determine the health information needs of the participating nurses at the skilled nursing facility using an online questionnaire and in-person observations. Resulting data was compared to determine how nurses’ self-reported data corresponded with investigator observations.

Results: Twenty-seven out of a total of thirty-five nurses responded to the online questionnaire. The study principal investigator also observed a total of …

Marshall Magazine Spring 2022, Marshall University

Marshall Magazine

No abstract provided.

Library News, Spring 2022, San Jose State University Library

Library News

No abstract provided.