Essays on Regional Amenities and Public Policies

This dissertation investigates how alterations in government policies affect the level of, and access to, public amenities, and how outcomes vary across space. The first essay sheds light on whether the recentralization of political institutions in Russia affected the provision of regional public services. First, I exploit regional variation in governors’ party affiliation to assess the impact of a uniform change in political institutions towards more centralization on the level of public services provision across states. Second, I investigate whether the combined effect, recentralization and party affiliation, is different among local and global public services. I find that a change in the region’s affiliation newly aligning with the central government party induced by the policy change increases the level of global public services by 1-2 percent. However, I find no such effect on the provision of local public services. The second essay is joint work with Carlianne Patrick. We exploit a unique characteristic of 10 charter schools in the metropolitan Atlanta area to identify property value capitalization of charter schools. Each of the 10 charter schools has two priority zones: households located in priority zone one have a higher probability of admission than households located in priority zone two. This study exploits spatial variation in the likelihood of attending a charter school between priority zone one and two to identify their effect on single-family home values using annual data on housing transactions. Our results indicate that prices increased by 6-8% for priority one zone homes compared to priority two zone homes after the opening of a new charter school. We also find that the priority one zone capitalization increases as the home’s traditional public school performs worse. The third essay is joint work with Benjamin Ukert. We estimate the causal effect of the Australian National Firearms Agreement on firearm mortality. Our identification strategy relies on state variation in the pre-NFA firearm death rates in 1994-1996. The results suggest that the NFA decreased the total firearm death rate by 60%. The reduction in the total firearm death rate is driven by large decreases in the firearm homicide and firearm suicide rates, while we find no changes in the accidental and undetermined intent firearm death rate

Supply of Primary Care Providers and Appointment Availability for Philadelphia\u27s Medicaid Population

This brief analyzes the supply of primary care providers serving the Medicaid population in Philadelphia, and the geographic variability of this measure across the city. It also examines important measures of access – appointment availability and wait time for an initial appointment – that highlight challenges faced by Medicaid patients

DNA copy-number control through inhibition of replication fork progression

Proper control of DNA replication is essential to ensure faithful transmission of genetic material and prevent chromosomal aberrations that can drive cancer progression and developmental disorders. DNA replication is regulated primarily at the level of initiation and is under strict cell-cycle regulation. Importantly, DNA replication is highly influenced by developmental cues. In Drosophila, specific regions of the genome are repressed for DNA replication during differentiation by the SNF2 domain-containing protein SUUR through an unknown mechanism. We demonstrate that SUUR is recruited to active replication forks and mediates the repression of DNA replication by directly inhibiting replication fork progression instead of functioning as a replication fork barrier. Mass spectrometry identification of SUUR-associated proteins identified the replicative helicase member CDC45 as a SUUR-associated protein, supporting a role for SUUR directly at replication forks. Our results reveal that control of eukaryotic DNA copy number can occur through the inhibition of replication fork progression

Drosophila SUMM4 complex couples insulator function and DNA replication control

Asynchronous replication of chromosome domains during S phase is essential for eukaryotic genome function, but the mechanisms establishing which domains replicate early versus late in different cell types remain incompletely understood. Intercalary heterochromatin domains replicate very late in both diploid chromosomes of dividing cells and in endoreplicating polytene chromosomes where they are also underrelicated. Drosophila SNF2-related factor SUUR imparts locus-specific underreplication of polytene chromosomes. SUUR negatively regulates DNA replication fork progression; however, its mechanism of action remains obscure. Here we developed a novel method termed MS-Enabled Rapid protein Complex Identification (MERCI) to isolate a stable stoichiometric native complex SUMM4 that comprises SUUR and a chromatin boundary protein Mod(Mdg4)-67.2. Mod(Mdg4) stimulates SUUR ATPase activity and is required for a normal spatiotemporal distribution of SUUR in vivo. SUUR and Mod(Mdg4)-67.2 together mediate the activities of gypsy insulator that prevent certain enhancer-promoter interactions and establish euchromatin-heterochromatin barriers in the genome. Furthermore, SuUR or mod(mdg4) mutations reverse underreplication of intercalary heterochromatin. Thus, SUMM4 can impart late replication of intercalary heterochromatin by attenuating the progression of replication forks through euchromatin/heterochromatin boundaries. Our findings implicate a SNF2 family ATP-dependent motor protein SUUR in the insulator function, reveal that DNA replication can be delayed by a chromatin barrier and uncover a critical role for architectural proteins in replication control. They suggest a mechanism for the establishment of late replication that does not depend on an asynchronous firing of late replication origins

Taxonomy of Values and Anti-Values: the Material of the Russian and German Phraseology

At present, in terms of intercultural communication, the role of the axiological aspect in teaching foreign languages is growing. When thinking about the values and anti-values in the phraseology of Russian and German it is advisable to take into account their hierarchy which can be presented as the axiological scale. This investigation benefits from the following methods: axiological linguistic method, method of cognitive analysis, comparative method, processing of lexicographical sources. The result of the study is formation of the axiological scale and development on its basis of the taxonomic model of values and anti-values in the phraseology of the Russian and German languages. The taxonomic model of values and anti-values in the phraseology of the language allows submitting axiological hierarchy reflecting the inter-layer differentiation of values and anti-values represented by axiological phraseology. Axiological scale and taxonomic model of values and anti-values in the Russian and German phraseology can be used in linguistic axiological research of different languages

Neighborhood Interventions to Reduce Violence

Violence is a widespread problem that affects the physical, mental, and social health of individuals and communities. Violence comes with an immense economic cost to its victims and society at large. Although violence interventions have traditionally targeted individuals, changes to the built environment in places where violence occurs show promise as practical, sustainable, and high-impact preventive measures. This review examines studies that use quasi-experimental or experimental designs to compare violence outcomes for treatment and control groups before and after a change is implemented in the built environment. The most consistent evidence exists in the realm of housing and blight remediation of buildings and land. Some evidence suggests that reducing alcohol availability, improving street connectivity, and providing green housing environments can reduce violent crimes. Finally, studies suggest that neither transit changes nor school openings affect community violence

Examining Health Inequities in A1C Control over Time across Individual, Geospatial, and Geopolitical Factors among Adults with Type 2 Diabetes: Analyses of a Sample from One Commercial Insurer in a Southern State

Introduction: Type 2 diabetes impacts millions and poor maintenance of diabetes can lead to preventable complications, which is why achieving and maintaining target A1C levels is critical. Thus, we aimed to examine inequities in A1C over time, place, and individual characteristics, given known inequities across these indicators and the need to provide continued surveillance. Methods: Secondary de-identified data from medical claims from a single payer in Texas was merged with population health data. Generalized Estimating Equations were utilized to assess multiple years of data examining the likelihood of having non-target (>7% and ≥7%, two slightly different cut points based on different sources) and separately uncontrolled (>9%) A1C. Adults in Texas, with a Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) flag and with A1C reported in first quarter of the year using data from 2016 and 2019 were included in analyses. Results: Approximately 50% had A1Cs within target ranges (7% and ≥7%) A1Cs; with 83% within the controlled ranges (≤9%) as compared to approximately 17% having uncontrolled (>9%) A1Cs. The likelihood of non-target A1C was higher among those individuals residing in rural (vs urban) areas ( P  < .0001); similar for the likelihood of reporting uncontrolled A1C, where those in rural areas were more likely to report uncontrolled A1C ( P  < .0001). In adjusted analysis, ACA enrollees in 2016 were approx. 5% more likely (OR = 1.049, 95% CI = 1.002-1.099) to have non-target A1C (≥7%) compared to 2019; in contrast non-ACA enrollees were approx. 4% more likely to have non-target A1C (≥7%) in 2019 compared to 2016 (OR = 1.039, 95% CI = 1.001-1.079). In adjusted analysis, ACA enrollees in 2016 were 9% more likely (OR = 1.093, 95% CI = 1.025-1.164) to have uncontrolled A1C compared to 2019; whereas there was no significant change among non-ACA enrollees. Conclusions: This study can inform health care interactions in diabetes care settings and help health policy makers explore strategies to reduce health inequities among patients with diabetes. Key partners should consider interventions to aid those enrolled in ACA plans, those in rural and border areas, and who may have coexisting health inequities