An Examination of Potential Causal Mechanisms Linking Genes and Political Behavior

Dawes, Christopher University of California, San Diego 2011 해외박사(DDOD)

소속기관이 구독 중이 아닌 경우 오후 4시부터 익일 오전 9시까지 원문보기가 가능합니다.

Motivated by earlier work studying the genetic basis of political attitudes (Martin, Eaves, Heath, Jardine, Feingold & Eysenck 1986, Alford, Funk & Hibbing 2005), researchers found that political behaviors such as voter turnout (Fowler, Baker & Dawes 2008), broader participation (Fowler, Baker & Dawes 2008), and partisan attachment (Settle, Dawes & Fowler 2009, Hatemi, Hibbing, Alford, Martin & Eaves 2009) also have a significant heritable component. These findings prompted a great deal of discussion and debate and helped spawn the nascent field of "genopolitics". However, in order to push this area of research forward scholars must identify causal mechanisms linking genes to political behaviors. The goal of this dissertation, which is made up of three distinct chapters, is to explore potential causal pathways my testing potential mediators such as personality traits and cognitive ability as well as identifying new genetic variants that may be associated with political behaviors. The first chapter presents a twin study testing whether the psychological traits cognitive ability, personal control, and extraversion mediate the relationship between genes and political predisposition and acts of participation. The second chapter is a candidate gene association study that tests the hypothesis that extraversion mediates a relationship between a variant of the COMT gene and partisan attachment. The third chapter presents the results from a genome-wide association study of validated voter turnout in the 2010 election. To complete this work I have utilized four novel genetically informative data sets. Two of these data sets were constructed here at UCSD, one at the University of Minnesota, and another with a research team from Sweden. All three studies shed new light on the relationship between genes and these political behaviors. However, the mediation results from Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 suggest only a modest amount of the relationship between genes and political behaviors are mediated by personality traits and cognitive ability. In addition, the investigation of over 500,000 genetic variants presented in Chapter 3 did not turn up many new significant associations. However, all three chapters provide a template for how future work in this area should be done as well as highlight the pitfalls in this burgeoning area of research.

The effect of total chultural immersion on the prgmatic competence of ESL learners : The speech act of apology

Dawe, Elaine C The graduate school of Kangwon National University 2002 국내박사

The Effect of Total Cultural Immersion on the Pragmatic Competence of ESL Learners : The Speech Act of Apology

Dawe, Elaine C 강원대학교 2002 국내석사

The key switch gene for hermaphrodite development in Caenorhabditis elegans

Dawes, Heather Elizabeth University of California, Berkeley 2000 해외박사(DDOD)

소속기관이 구독 중이 아닌 경우 오후 4시부터 익일 오전 9시까지 원문보기가 가능합니다.

In <italic>C. elegans</italic>, an X chromosome counting mechanism determines sex. The target of this counting mechanism is the switch gene <italic>xol-1 </italic>, which is active specifically in XO animals to promote male differentiation and repress dosage compensation, the hermaphrodite specific process that equalizes X-linked gene expression between the sexes. Dosage compensation is achieved by reducing gene expression from both hermaphrodite X chromosomes by half. I have identified <italic>sdc-2</italic> as the sex-specific switch gene that acts downstream of <italic>xol-1</italic> in XX animals to trigger hermaphrodite development, including activation of dosage compensation. SDC-2 protein is expressed exclusively in XX animals, and ectopic expression of SDC-2 in XO animals is sufficient to induce hermaphrodite differentiation and inappropriately activate dosage compensation. This thesis shows that SDC-2 activates dosage compensation by triggering assembly of the dosage compensation machinery on X chromosomes through its own association with X. In so doing, SDC-2 recruits general factors involved in mitotic and meiotic segregation of all chromosomes to the new task of regulating gene expression. SDC-2 associates with X chromosomes independently of other dosage compensation proteins, suggesting that SDC-2 helps recognize X. This thesis also shows that SDC-2 induces hermaphrodite sexual development by associating with the male sex-determnation gene <italic>her-1</italic>. SDC-2 achieves a 20-fold repression of <italic>her-1</italic> transcription, in contrast to the modest two-fold repression achieved by dosage compensation. SDC-2 associates specifically with three distinct <italic>her-1</italic> regulatory regions, one region corresponding to the primary <italic>her-1</italic> promoter, and two additional regions downstream of the transcriptional start site. SDC-2 acts in association with SDC-3 and SDC-1 to activate dosage compensation and repress <italic>her-1</italic> transcription. SDC-3 acts synergistically with SDC-2 to activate dosage compensation and repress <italic>her-1</italic>, and the two proteins require one another for their stable expression. SDC-3 associates with her-1 sequences, and both SDC-2 and SDC-3 require a specific functional domain of SDC-3 to associate with <italic>her-1</italic>. Together SDC-1, SDC-2 and SDC-3 make up the core of a repressive complex at <italic> her-1</italic>.

Measurement of the radiative lifetime of the 2s(2)2p(4) (1)S(0) metastable level of neon; a study of forbidden transitions of astrophysical interest

Daw, Adrian Nigel Harvard University 2000 해외박사(DDOD)

소속기관이 구독 중이 아닌 경우 오후 4시부터 익일 오전 9시까지 원문보기가 가능합니다.

The radiative lifetime of the 2<italic>s</italic><super>2</super>2<italic> p</italic><super>4</super> <super>1</super><italic>S</italic>₀ metastable level of Ne<super>2+</super> (Ne <smcap>III</smcap>) has been measured to be 223 ± 11 ms at the 90% confidence level by observing the photons emitted at 1815 Å (181.5 nm) by a decaying population of <super>1</super><italic> S</italic>₀ Ne<super>2+</super> ions stored in a radio frequency ion trap. This thesis describes the first use of a method to account for any ions lost from the trap and determine the radiative lifetime. Metastable ions were produced by electron bombardment of Ne gas, and rate coefficients for Ne<super>2+</super> + Ne collisions were also determined. The lifetime measurement is in good agreement with recent calculated values, and has a lower uncertainty than the calculated values. This is the first lifetime measurement for an excited term of a ground configuration ion in the second row of the periodic table. The transition probabilities (<italic>A</italic>-values) for the forbidden transitions in the ground configurations of these ions are required for astrophysical spectral line intensity ratio diagnostics. Using calculated branching ratios, we estimate that, at the 90% confidence level, <italic> A</italic>(<super>3</super><italic>P</italic>₁ − <super> 1</super><italic>S</italic>₀) = 1.94 ± 0.17 s<super>−1 </super> for the forbidden line of Ne <smcap>III</smcap> at 1815 Å, and <italic>A</italic>(<super>1</super><italic>D</italic>₂ − <super> 1</super><italic>S</italic>₀) = 2.55 ± 0.19 s<super>−1 </super> for the forbidden line of Ne <smcap>III</smcap> at 3344 Å.

Husky Dick and Chubby Jane: A century of childhood obesity in the United States

Dawes, Laura Louise Harvard University 2010 해외박사(DDOD)

소속기관이 구독 중이 아닌 경우 오후 4시부터 익일 오전 9시까지 원문보기가 가능합니다.

This thesis examines changes in how childhood obesity has been measured and diagnosed in the twentieth century (Part I) and developments in understanding its causes and treatment (Part II). The earliest diagnostic technique---aesthetic judgment---has been supplemented with quantitative techniques. Childhood obesity can be readily diagnosed by eye and this is responsible for much of the condition's social valence and how it is experienced. Quantitative techniques have measured different characteristics of children's bodies (size, contour, fat content), producing a plethora of techniques rather than a definitive method for diagnosing obesity. Measurement issues are an outcome of continued endeavors to establish whether, how, and why childhood obesity is harmful. Dilemmas are fuelled by vogues in research methodology, a desire to use avant guarde technology, but also by practical needs. Moving from lab, to pediatrician's office, school nurse's office and home, requires translations and compromises. In part two, I argue that responses to childhood obesity reflect societal values and decisions about apportioning responsibility for children's well-being between parents, children themselves, and society. Over time, theories of childhood obesity's etiology have been layered, not replaced, producing an understanding of the condition as complex and multi-factorial. Chapters address biological explanations and drug treatment; family environment and psychological factors (Hilde Bruch as a case study); metabolic imbalance and treatment through diet and exercise, specifically diet books and fat camps. Parents' role in causing and treating their child's condition is one of the major threads traced. Increasing rates of childhood obesity since the 1960s have been attributed to the nature of modern---especially American---society. "Treatment" has been conceptualized as changing the child's macro-environment through social activism, legal and public health measures. The increase is often framed as a sign that modernity is, ironically, pathological. Interventions are largely directed at children's behavior, but fail to engage with current understandings implicating the macro-environment. Recognizing that people enjoy and value certain features of the "obesogenic" environment, and the vested interests in maintaining the status quo, placing major responsibility for managing childhood obesity with children themselves is nonetheless an abrogation of adult responsibilities, and, as history suggests, likely to be ineffective.

Transfer of Training Aircraft Maintenance: Perceptions of Blended Learning Impact

Dawes, Scott ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Arizona State Univ 2019 해외박사(DDOD)

소속기관이 구독 중이 아닌 경우 오후 4시부터 익일 오전 9시까지 원문보기가 가능합니다.

The focus of this study was to investigate better learning opportunities at the epicenter of field-level aircraft maintenance technical training for the United States Air Force. While narrow in focus, this project may be informative for training communities across diverse industries. The intent of this project is to improve the transfer of training from the classroom to the workplace by implementing a blended learning classroom pedagogy, successively enhancing class time for more meaningful construction of student-centered learning. This mixed-methods research study utilized surveys, observations, and interviews with students, instructors and supervisors to explore perceptions that aircraft maintainers have about the current and potential value of curriculum. The first significant finding was that aircraft maintainers do believe there is opportunity to improve the current rote transmission style of curriculum and make it more learner-centered. The second significant finding is that aircraft maintainers do see a blended learning classroom as a means to explore the curriculum in more depth and improve the transfer of their knowledge in a more meaningful way to the workplace.

Promoting Healthcare Diversity: A Diversity Initiative for Occupational Therapy

Dawes, Monique Peta-Gaye ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Boston University 2020 해외박사(DDOD)

소속기관이 구독 중이 아닌 경우 오후 4시부터 익일 오전 9시까지 원문보기가 가능합니다.

"Freedom Ain't Free:" Race and Representation(s) in Extreme Heavy Metal

Dawes, Laina Columbia University ProQuest Dissertations & These 2022 해외박사(DDOD)

소속기관이 구독 중이 아닌 경우 오후 4시부터 익일 오전 9시까지 원문보기가 가능합니다.

The extreme metal subculture is a collective of musical genres that are generally more sonically aggressive and experimental than heavy metal. This dissertation argues that extreme metal and its accompanying culture can be beneficial to young Black musicians and fans, as it allows for more creative freedom for artists to express themselves within a music culture that on the surface, is concerned more with the music than the visual aesthetics that drive mainstream music genres. However, through my own experience as a Black woman metal fan, I also believe that anti-black racism can be a distinct detractor in active participation within this music culture that because of its absence in mainstream popular music culture, is dependent on its listening audience to stay even more independent. With each chapter, I look at various issues to demonstrate these ideas while also acknowledging that extreme metal shares some of the same sociocultural complications as heavy metal, such as racism, misogyny, anti-Semitism, and homophobia. I explore how black participants who are currently involved in their respective scenes find freedom and individualism despite the challenges they could face. This dissertation is interdisciplinary in nature, as I refer to scholarship from several disciplines to explore how, despite the reluctance from scholars to properly acknowledge the contributions of African American within heavier variations of rock n’ roll, there are sonic, lyrical, and philosophical correlations between the freedom expressed within the music and lyricism of blues music, as well as in Avant Garde jazz stylings, and extreme metal. My methodological process was grounded on providing the “subaltern” a voice: It was crucial to offer space to Black musicians within extreme metal genres to document not just their musical experiences, but their abilities to work within a music culture that has been historically marked as “white-centric” in its music and its aggression. This is no easy feat, but I argue that with each year, there are more Black artists getting involved within their respective extreme music scenes as musicians, fans and industry workers who work behind the scenes as journalists, photographers, and tour managers. I also provide anecdotes from my own experiences as a longtime fan, a music journalist and my knowledge that was gained through my previous work researching and writing a book on the experiences of Black women within the heavy metal, hardcore and punk scenes. Through interviews and examples from my experiences covering extreme heavy metal concerts and festivals, this dissertation effectively blends scholarship and real-life examples that I believe encapsulates the issues that Black extreme metal participants are presently experiencing. I conclude my dissertation with suggestions about the ways in which Black fans can participate within a music culture that is marked with the current political and social climate. By noting that extreme metal genres have been used as a vehicle by White Nationalist groups to recruit members, as well as in sharing disinformation, I provide ideas that participants can use to ensure their safety to enjoy the music they are passionate about. Overall, my philosophy is that extreme metal is not only an enjoyable music but can also be a vehicle for progressive change: The aggression and the energy has been a lifesaver for myself and all my interlocutors as a method to acknowledge and release the frustrations and anger that we feel in living in an unjust society. I am especially concerned with Black youth, as expressions of anger omitted within public spaces could potentially lead to violence enacted on their bodies. Extreme metal allows Black youth to express these emotions within spaces that are shared with a myriad of people from various backgrounds, but we must find productive ways to deter Black youths from internalizing their pain and anger and exploring and advocating for healthy ways they can express these emotions with others who share the same feelings. While these extreme metal scenes come with their own complications, I hope this dissertation serves as a beginning in exploring alternative ways to express our own individuality in whatever manner we choose to.

Reinforcement learning models of the dopamine system and their behavioral implications

Daw, Nathaniel D Carnegie Mellon University 2003 해외박사(DDOD)

소속기관이 구독 중이 아닌 경우 오후 4시부터 익일 오전 9시까지 원문보기가 가능합니다.

This thesis aims to improve theories of how the brain functions and to provide a framework to guide future neuroscientific experiments by making use of theoretical and algorithmic ideas from computer science. The work centers around the detailed understanding of the dopamine system, an important and phylogenetically venerable brain system that is implicated in such general functions as motivation, decision-making and motor control, and whose dysfunction is associated with disorders such as schizophrenia, addiction, and Parkinson's disease. A series of influential models have proposed that the responses of dopamine neurons recorded from behaving monkeys can be identified with the error signal from temporal difference (TD) learning, a reinforcement learning algorithm for learning to predict rewards in order to guide decision-making. Here I propose extensions to these theories that improve them along a number of dimensions simultaneously. The new models that result eliminate several unrealistic simplifying assumptions from the original accounts; explain many sorts of dopamine responses that had previously seemed anomalous; flesh out nascent suggestions that these neurophysiological mechanisms can also explain animal behavior in conditioning experiments; and extend the theories' reach to incorporate proposals about the computational function of several other brain systems that interact with the dopamine neurons. Chapter 3 relaxes the assumption from previous models that the system tracks only short-term predictions about rewards expected within a single experimental trial. It introduces a new model based on average-reward TD learning that suggests that long-run reward predictions affect the slow-timescale, tonic behavior of dopamine neurons. This account resolves a seemingly paradoxical finding that the dopamine system is excited by aversive events such as electric shock, which had fueled several published attacks on the TD theories. These investigations also provide a basis for proposals about the functional role of interactions between the dopamine and serotonin systems, and about behavioral data on animal decision-making. Chapter 4 further revises the theory to account for animals' uncertainty about the timing of events and about the moment-to-moment state of an experimental task. These issues are handled in the context of a TD algorithm incorporating partial observability and semi-Markov dynamics; a number of other new or extant models are shown to follow from this one in various limits. Chapter 5 departs from the thesis' primary methodology of computational modeling to present a complementary attempt to address the same issues empirically. (Abstract shortened by UMI.).