A product of the environment: environmental constraint, candidate behavior and the speed of democracy

Elections are the engine that drives democracy. The central question of this dissertation relates to the speed of that engine: How long does it take for elections to reflect changing preferences in the electorate? The findings presented in this dissertation suggest that electoral change is the result of a gradual process of natural selection in which the political environment, rather than district service activity, is the key variable. Comparing elections data across different types of district environment, I find evidence that the environment affects levels of competition and electoral outcomes. Utilizing an event history statistical model to examine various risk factors for electoral defeat, I find that the political environment of the district is the most important factor influencing the risk of defeat even when controlling for district service behaviors. Over time, the district environment operates as a self-correcting mechanism, purging political misfits and replacing them with representatives who better reflect the ideology of the district. Electoral change typically results more from evolution than revolution it may not occur quickly, and it may not occur in every district, but it does occur when and where it is needed

Social Isolation, Religious Affiliation, and Mental Health in Adult Minnesotans

Problem or purpose: Social isolation involves an individuals’ social network (i.e., quantity, quality, and structure) and their appraisal of relationships (Wang et al., 2017). Social Isolation has been associated with an increase in mortality (Pantell et al., 2013) and a vulnerability for various mental-health issues (e.g., depression, anxiety, PTSD, etc.; Achterbergh et al., 2020; Ma et al., 2020), and decrease in cardiovascular health (Knox & Uvnas-Moberg, 1998). Although the psychological and physiological effects of social isolation have been known for some time, there is less known about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and its effects on social isolation. Due to isolation and physical distancing recommendations during the pandemic, we are expecting there to be an increase in social isolation during the pandemic compared to previously collected data from a similar pre-pandemic survey. Religious affiliation often involves greater social involvement, while simultaneously being associated with an increase in a sense of belonging (Rote, Hill, & Ellison, 2013), and a decrease in negative emotions (Rosemarin, Pargament, & Mahoney, 2009). An additional goal of this study was to examine the association between religion affiliation and social isolation during COVID-19.Procedure: We measured social isolation with two items from the Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS-6) and one measure of relationship satisfaction. Telephone surveys were used to collect data from a sample of adult Minnesotans generated through random digit dialing. Preliminary data includes surveys from 216 participants (51% women, 74% white, age mean = 53.01 years, SD = 18.23).Results: Preliminary analyses suggest that the prevalence of social isolation has increased since our last survey that measured that topic. In 2021, 17% of our sample was at risk for social isolation (i.e., had 2 or fewer people they could call on for help), compared to 6% of our sample in 2018. There was a marginally significant relationship between social isolation and mental health in 2021, chi-square = 3.64, p = .06, such that more participants at risk for social isolation reported having a diagnosable mental health condition than those who were not at risk for isolation. Preliminary analyses did not find an association between social isolation and religious affiliation, chi-square = .06, p = .80.Conclusions and implications: Results suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the risk for social isolation, and that social isolation continues to be associated with poorer mental health, highlighting the importance of maintaining meaningful social contact through difficult times

The Times They Are A-Changin’: A Longitudinal Review of Public Opinion Methodology, 2011-2023

Rapid changes in survey practices and respondent behavior poses significant challenges to public opinion research methodology. We review these challenges, and their implications, here

Measuring Trust and Discrimination in the Healthcare System, The Case of Minnesota

Using data from our 2023 Fall Survey of Minnesota Residents, we examine the relationship between partisanship, education, and age on trust in the healthcare system. We also examine the relationship between demographic factors and the likelihood of experiencing discrimination in health care services

Stress and Burnout During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Problem or purpose: Studies across different countries suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused stress and burnout (e.g., Queen & Harding, 2020; Taylor et al., 2020; Y. Wang et al., 2020; Xiong et al., 2020). Previous research has also found that women may be more likely to experience negative effects from the pandemic than men (e.g., Taylor et al., 2020; X. Wang et al., 2020 Y. Wang et al., 2020), and that the stress of the pandemic may differ by employment status (e.g., Joshi & Sharma, 2020; Kaur et al., 2020). As a result, we are predicting (1) participants to report stress and burnout, (2) women to report higher stress and burnout than men, (3) and that participants who are currently employed will report higher stress and burnout than those who are not employed/retired.Procedure: We measured stress with a single item that asked about stress during the past month and burnout with a single item that asked if participants are experiencing more burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic than usual. Telephone surveys were conducted in October 2021 via random digit dialing. Preliminary data includes surveys from 216 adult Minnesotans (51% women, 74% white, age mean = 53.01 years, SD = 18.23).Results: Preliminary results showed that 22% of participants reported feeling a lot or completely stressed during the past month, and 22% of participants reported that they felt a little or a lot more burnout than usual during the pandemic. We found gender differences in stress (chi-square = 10.84, p = .004) and burnout (chi-square = 5.72, p = .02), such that women reported significantly more stress and burnout than men. Finally, results suggested that participants who were employed part- or full-time did not report more stress than those who were not employed or retired (chi-square = 2.52, p = .28), but employed participants did report more burnout (chi-square = 12.45, p \u3c .001).Conclusions and implications: These findings highlight that many people are experiencing stress and burnout during the pandemic, and that these feelings are more likely for women. Burnout, but not stress, was more common for people who are employed, suggesting that the pandemic may be having prolonged effects on workers

Developmental dynamics of cone photoreceptors in the eel

Background: Many fish alter their expressed visual pigments during development. The number of retinal opsins expressed and their type is normally related to the environment in which they live. Eels are known to change the expression of their rod opsins as they mature, but might they also change the expression of their cone opsins?Results: The Rh2 and Sws2 opsin sequences from the European Eel were isolated, sequenced and expressed in vitro for an accurate measurement of their lambda(max) values. In situ hybridisation revealed that glass eels express only rh2 opsin in their cone photoreceptors, while larger yellow eels continue to express rh2 opsin in the majority of their cones, but also have <5% of cones which express sws2 opsin. Silver eels showed the same expression pattern as the larger yellow eels. This observation was confirmed by qPCR (quantitative polymerase chain reaction).Conclusions: Larger yellow and silver European eels express two different cone opsins, rh2 and sws2. This work demonstrates that only the Rh2 cone opsin is present in younger fish (smaller yellow and glass), the sws2 opsin being expressed additionally only by older fish and only in <5% of cone cells

Minimally manipulative method for the expansion of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells to treat osseous defects

Copyright © 2019 Hamerly, Tweedell, Hritzo, Nyasembe, Tekwani, Nanayakkara, Walker and Dinglasan. Malaria is a major global health threat, with nearly half the world\u27s population at risk of infection. Given the recently described delayed clearance of parasites by artemisinincombined therapies, new antimalarials are needed to facilitate the global effort toward elimination and eradication. NPC1161 is an 8-aminoquinoline that is derived from primaquine with an improved therapeutic profile compared to the parent compound. The (R)-(-) enantiomer (NPC1161B) has a lower effective dose that results in decreased toxic side effects such as hemolysis compared to the (S)-(+)-enantiomer, making it a promising compound for consideration for clinical development. We explored the effect of NPC1161B on Plasmodium falciparum oocyst and sporozoite development to evaluate its potential transmission-blocking activity viz. its ability to cure mosquitoes of an ongoing infection. When mosquitoes were fed NPC1161B 4 days after P. falciparum infection, we observed that total oocyst numbers were not affected by NPC1161B treatment. However, the sporozoite production capacity of the oocysts was impaired, and salivary gland sporozoite infections were completely blocked, rendering the mosquitoes non-infectious. Importantly, NPC1161B did not require prior liver metabolism for its efficacy as is required in mammalian systems, suggesting that an alternative metabolite is produced in the mosquito that is active against the parasite. We performed liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)/MS analysis of methanol extracts from the midguts of mosquitoes fed on an NPC1161B (434.15 m/z)-treated blood meal and identified a compound with a mass of 520.2 m/z, likely a conjugate of NPC1161B or an oxidized metabolite. These findings establish NPC1161B, and potentially its metabolites, as transmission-blocking candidates for the treatment of P. falciparum

Trust Across Scales: Investigating the Relationship among Trust and Confidence in Social Institutions, Childhood ACES, and Political Identity

Using data from our 2023 Fall Survey of Minnesota Residents, we examine the relationship between trust and confidence in social institutions and how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) impact perceptions and behavior

Therapeutic Efficacy of Antioxidants in Ameliorating Obesity Phenotype and Associated Comorbidities

Obesity has been a worldwide epidemic for decades. Despite the abundant increase in knowledge regarding the etiology and pathogenesis of obesity, the prevalence continues to rise with estimates predicting considerably higher numbers by the year 2030. Obesity is characterized by an abnormal lipid accumulation, however, the physiological consequences of obesity are far more concerning. The development of the obesity phenotype constitutes dramatic alterations in adipocytes, along with several other cellular mechanisms which causes substantial increase in systemic oxidative stress mediated by reactive oxygen species (ROS). These alterations promote a chronic state of inflammation in the body caused by the redox imbalance. Together, the systemic oxidative stress and chronic inflammation plays a vital role in maintaining the obese state and exacerbating onset of cardiovascular complications, Type II diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, and other conditions where obesity has been linked as a significant risk factor. Because of the apparent role of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of obesity, there has been a growing interest in attenuating the pro-oxidant state in obesity. Hence, this review aims to highlight the therapeutic role of antioxidants, agents that negate pro-oxidant state of cells, in ameliorating obesity and associated comorbidities. More specifically, this review will explore how various antioxidants target unique and diverse pathways to exhibit an antioxidant defense mechanism

Adverse Impact of a History of Violence for Women with Breast, Cervical, Endometrial, or Overian Cancer

The experience of physical and sexual violence (victimization) is common among U.S. women and is associated with adverse health consequences. The study objectives were to estimate the prevalence of victimization in women with cancer and to examine associations with demographics, cancer screening, and cancer stage. METHODS: From 2004 to 2005, 101 women with breast, cervical, endometrial, or ovarian cancer were interviewed to collect demographics, cancer screening history, health care access/use, and violence history. Chisquare and Fisher exact tests were used test risk-factor associations. A multinomial logistic regression model was used for multivariable analysis. RESULTS: The prevalence of a history of violence was 48.5% (49/101 women), and within that group, 46.9% (23/49) had a positive childhood violence screen, 75.5% (37/49) had a positive adult screen, and 55% (27/49) reported sexual violence at any age. Women with a positive violence screen differed significantly from women with a negative screen in that they were younger (P .031), more often divorced (P.012), more likely to smoke (P.010), more often lacked commercial insurance (P.036), and had more advanced stage of disease (P.013), but they did not differ with regard to race, cancer type, education level, alcohol or drug use, or cancer screening compliance. Multivariable analysis revealed that only stage remained significant; women with a history of violence had a 2.6-fold increased chance of diagnosis in later stages (odds ratio 2.61, 95% confidence interval 1.03– 6.59). CONCLUSION: A history of violence in breast, ovarian, endometrial, and ovarian cancer patients was extremely common and correlated with advanced stage at diagnosis