Development from Abroad? Transnational Remittance and the Institutionalization of Diaspora Engagement in Africa.

This dissertation investigates the impacts of transnational remittances and the institutionalization of diaspora engagement on development in Africa. Remittances to Africa are now around $50 billion annually and larger than inflows of foreign aid and investment. African governments continue to realize the potential contributions of their diasporas to development through not only remittances but through skills, expertise-sharing, and coordination of efforts. In 2000, four African countries had national-level institutions nominally dedicated to the diaspora and its potential to effect development: now 36 of the 54 governments have such an institution. An assessment of the political economy of remittances and governmental diaspora institutions reveals structural challenges to leveraging the contributions and skills of the diaspora for development. Through longitudinal instrumental variables regression analysis, data from between 1990 and 2010 from 43 African countries are used to test the hypotheses that (1) as the ratio of remittances to gross national income increases to a critical value, African states will experience higher growth rates in human development, after reaching a critical value, African states will experience lower growth rates in human development; and (2) African states with a national-level formal institution of the diaspora will experience higher growth rates in human development than those without such an institution. The results show that smaller amounts of remittance are positively associated with development and that larger amounts are negatively so. Overreliance on remittances exposes a dearth of opportunities within a state’s borders and the costs to production and development of losing too many citizens to outmigration. Though the analysis finds no statistically significant difference between development in countries with and without national level diaspora institutions, research reveals a common set of challenges for these budding organizations: inadequate data, intergovernmental coordination, and resources. Diasporic Africans stand to impact development on the continent now more than ever. For development, African governments now must balance the challenges of leveraging the skills and expertise of growing diasporas on one hand, and on the other, managing migration by increasing institutional capacities so that citizens can thrive and want to stay

Statistical Modeling and Optimization of Nuclear Waste Vitrification

This thesis describes the development of a methodology to minimize the cost of vitrifying nuclear waste. Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) regression models are used as baseline equations for modeling glass properties such as viscosity, electrical conductivity, and two types of durability. Revised PNL regression models are developed that eliminate insignificant variables from the original models. The Revised PNL regression model for electrical conductivity is shown to better predict electrical conductivity than the original PNL regression model. Neural networks are developed for viscosity and the two types of durability, PCT-B and MCC-1 B. The neural network models are shown to outperform every PNL and Revised PNL regression model in terms of predicting property values for viscosity, PCT-B, and MCC-1 B. The combined Neural Network/Revised PNL 2nd order electrical conductivity models are shown to be the best classifiers of nuclear waste glass, i.e. they have the highest probability of classifying a vitrified waste form as glass when it actually did produce glass in the laboratory. Finally, five nonlinear programs are developed with constraints containing: (1) the PNL original 1st order models, (2) the PNL original 2nd order models, (3) the Revised PNL 1st order models, (4) the Revised PNL 2nd order models, and (5) the Neural Network/Revised PNL 2nd order electrical conductivity models. The Neural Network/Revised PNL 2nd order electrical conductivity nonlinear program is shown to minimize the total expected cost of vitrifying nuclear waste glass. This nonlinear program allows DOE to minimize its risk and cost of high-level nuclear waste vitrification

A Combined Adaptive Tabu Search and Set Partitioning Approach for the Crew Scheduling Problem with an Air Tanker Crew Application

This research develops the first metaheuristic approach to the complete air crew scheduling problem. It develops the first dynamic, integrated, set-partitioning based vocabulary scheme for metaheuristic search. Since no benchmark flight schedules exist for the tanker crew scheduling problem, this research defines and develops a Java™ based flight schedule generator. The robustness of the tabu search algorithms is judged by testing them using designed experiments. An integer program is developed to calculate lower bounds for the tanker crew scheduling problem objectives and to measure the overall quality of solutions produced by the developed algorithms

The canons of television: An application of the five canons of classical rhetoric to television program development

This study constructs a methodology of television program development based on the five canons of classical rhetoric. Ronald Primeau (1979) first introduced the canons to the electronic media. His book uses the canons as a guide to television viewing. He argues that by understanding the television industry, an audience can better enjoy the medium. Expanding from Primeau\u27s work, this study creates a method of program development based on the canons and uses the process to design a synopsis for a new television series

Developing an evidence-based program sustainability training curriculum: A group randomized, multi-phase approach

Abstract Background The emergence of dissemination and implementation (D&I) science has driven a rapid increase in studies of how new scientific discoveries are translated and developed into evidence-based programs and policies. However, D&I science has paid much less attention to what happens to programs once they have been implemented. Public health programs can only deliver benefits if they reach maturity and sustain activities over time. In order to achieve the full benefits of significant investment in public health research and program development, there must be an understanding of the factors that relate to sustainability to inform development of tools and trainings to support strategic long-term program sustainability. Tobacco control programs, specifically, vary in their abilities to support and sustain themselves over time. As of 2018, most states still do not meet the CDC-recommended level for funding their TC program, allowing tobacco use to remain the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the USA. The purpose of this study is to empirically develop, test, and disseminate training programs to improve the sustainability of evidence-based state tobacco control programs and thus, tobacco-related health outcomes. Methods This paper describes the methods of a group randomized, multi-phase study that evaluates the empirically developed “Program Sustainability Action Planning Training” and technical assistance in US state-level tobacco control programs. Phase 1 includes developing the sustainability action planning training curriculum and technical assistance protocol and developing measures to assess long-term program sustainability. Phase 2 includes a group randomized trial to test the effectiveness of the training and technical assistance in improving sustainability outcomes in 24 state tobacco control programs (12 intervention, 12 comparison). Phase 3 includes the active dissemination of final training curricula materials to a broader public health audience. Discussion Empirical evidence has established that program sustainability can improve through training and technical assistance; however, to our knowledge, no evidence-based sustainability training curriculum program exists. Therefore, systematic methods are needed to develop, test, and disseminate a training that improves the sustainability of evidence-based programs. Trial registration NCT03598114. Registered 25 July 2018—retrospectively registered

Public health information seeking, trust, and COVID-19 prevention behaviors: Cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Preventative health measures such as shelter in place and mask wearing have been widely encouraged to curb the spread of the COVID-19 disease. People\u27s attitudes toward preventative behaviors may be dependent on their sources of information and trust in the information. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to understand the relationship between trusting in COVID-19 information and preventative behaviors in a racially and politically diverse metropolitan area in the United States. METHODS: We conducted a web-based cross-sectional survey of residents in St. Louis City and County in Missouri. Individuals aged ≥18 years were eligible to participate. Participants were recruited using a convenience sampling approach through social media and email. The Health Belief Model and the Socioecological Model informed instrument development, as well as COVID-19-related questions from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We performed an ordinary least squares linear regression model to estimate social distancing practices, perceptions, and trust in COVID-19 information sources. RESULTS: Of the 1650 eligible participants, the majority (n=1381, 83.7%) had sought or received COVID-19-related information from a public health agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or both. Regression analysis showed a 1% increase in preventative behaviors for every 12% increase in trust in governmental health agencies. At their lowest levels of trust, women were 68% more likely to engage in preventative behaviors than men. Overall, those aged 18-45 years without vulnerable medical conditions were the least likely to engage in preventative behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: Trust in COVID-19 information increases an individual\u27s likelihood of practicing preventative behaviors. Effective health communication strategies should be used to effectively disseminate health information during disease outbreaks

Reducing Cheap Tobacco & Youth Access: New York City

This report is the third in a series of case studies from the ASPiRE project highlighting communities that are implementing innovative point of sale (POS) policies. The case studies are intended to provide tobacco control advocates with practical, real-world examples that may be used to inform future policy efforts. This case study highlights landmark efforts in New York City (NYC) to eliminate access to cheap tobacco and reduce youth tobacco use through regulation at the POS.https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/cphss/1106/thumbnail.jp

Standardized Tobacco Assessment for Retail Settings (STARS): dissemination and implementation research

The Standardized Tobacco Assessment for Retail Settings (STARS) was designed to characterise the availability, placement, promotion and price of tobacco products, with items chosen for relevance to regulating the retail tobacco environment. This study describes the process to develop the STARS instrument and protocol employed by a collaboration of US government agencies, US state tobacco control programmes (TCPs), advocacy organisations, public health attorneys and researchers from the National Cancer Institute's State and Community Tobacco Control (SCTC) Research Initiative

Point-of-Sale Report to the Nation: Policy Activity 2012-2014

This is the second in a series of three Point-of-Sale Reports to the Nation from the ASPiRE project. In 2012, state tobacco control staff were asked about point of sale (POS) policy activity and implementation. The results of those surveys were discussed in the POS Report to the Nation. This report discusses results of a second wave of surveys completed in 2014, along with notable changes since 2012. Tobacco control partners, advocacy partners, and policymakers will find this report useful to track POS policy progress and consider new policies to combat tobacco initiation and use.https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/cphss/1107/thumbnail.jp

Asessing Retail Environments with STARS Standardized Tobacco Assessment for Retail Settings

This case study from the ASPiRE project highlights experiences in Indiana, Oregon, Texas, and Vermont, where partners used the Standardized Tobacco Assessment for Retail Settings (STARS) to better understand characteristics of the retail environment in local communities. STARS was designed as a user-friendly and concise tool to facilitate data collection for evidence-based tobacco control policies.https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/cphss/1108/thumbnail.jp