Consequences of Commuting Patterns and the Structure of Food Retail Markets for SNAP Redemption: Implications for Food Access

Persistent food insecurity and hunger increase the risk of illness, psychological dysfunction and lower educational achievement. Even though these burdens affect society at large, they are most acutely felt by the individuals and households living in poverty. To address the costs of hunger and food insecurity, policies have been designed, many by urban planners, to increase access to healthy food. Because low-income populations are assumed to shop at the nearest store that sells food, most policies have focused on opening new supermarkets in “food deserts.” However, there is little evidence that such assumptions are true or that nearby supermarkets make a difference. This dissertation presents a 7-year panel model for 207 counties in Texas as a tool to test the consequences of commuting patterns and the structure of the retail grocery market on food dollars spent by people living in poverty. The model uses longitudinal data from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The model uses publicly available geocoded data on SNAP benefits and redemptions, retail locations, and commuting patterns. The model explicitly examines the consequences of commuting patterns and retail markets, both local and in surrounding counties, for SNAP redemption. Results show that commuting patterns and the grocery retail market are important factors for predicting SNAP redemptions. Specifically, workers that commute out of a county have a negative effect on the amount of SNAP dollars redeemed in a county, and workers that commute into a county have the opposite effect. Large SNAP retailers, such as super stores or chain stores, have the largest positive effect. The number of supermarkets in a neighboring county does not affect the net SNAP dollars redeemed within a county, but the number of neighboring super stores or chain stores does. SNAP redemptions decrease significantly when counties do not have large retailers and when counties have more outbound workers than inbound workers. The factors identified in this research that influence redemption patterns may have implications for policies that attempt to enhance SNAP redemptions. In the broader picture, such policies may have a significant impact on food access for people living in poverty

Studying the effects of DNA methylation on adduct formation using molecular modeling

The goal of this study was to use molecular modeling to compare and analyze the molecular structure of a double-stranded DNA fragment, and the effects of DNA methylation to adduct formation, which may eventually lead to disease-related genetic mutations. Specifically, the research work in this thesis focuses on using molecular modeling to simulate the experimental results in a recent report in which DNA adduction occurs with BPDE (benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide) within a specific double-stranded DNA fragment that contained various methylation patterns and was quantitatively measured. The ability to use molecular modeling to correlate the pattern of DNA methylation and the locations of the most frequent adduction sites with genotoxic compounds can be very useful to further advance the study of genetic mutation, prevention of diseases, and so on. In this study the MMFF94s force field was used to run molecular dynamics simulations on dsDNA, and the results were analyzed to determine changes in the rotation of specific base pairs and the distances between the base pairs as a result of DNA methylation. The results show that there is a significant change in those two characteristics between non-methylated DNA and methylated DNA which might lead to adduct formation with BPDE

City of Cuero Site Analysis and Redevelopment Recommendations

Cuero is a small south Texas town which prides itself on preserving the history and heritage of its community while providing southern hospitality to its residents and visitors.Cuero Development Corporation Master Plan- Developed a plan for the best use of a 4.519-acre property. Conducted a comprehensive assessment of options for the development of the property.Texas Target Communitie

A discourse on the present vileness of the body, and its future glorious change by Christ [electronic resource] : To which is added, a sermon on the nature and importance of conversion. Both occasionally deliver'd at Dorchester April 23. 1732. By Mather Byles, A.M. [Three lines from Claud. Phoenix].

First sermon has caption title: The glorious change of the vile body; second sermon has caption title: The nature and necessity of conversion."An hymn to Christ for our regeneration and resurrection."--recto of last leaf.Signatures: [A]p4s B-Dp4s ([D]4 verso blank). - DETERMINE HALF-TITLEEvans,Electronic reproduction.English Short Title Catalog,Reproduction of original from Boston Public Library