Down syndrome (DS) is a common genetic developmental disorder characterized by the trisomy of chromosome 21 (Hsa21). All individuals with DS have some kind of intellectual disability, associated with dysfunction in cognition-related structures, including the frontal cortex. Studies have examined developmental changes in the frontal cortex during prenatal stages in DS, however little is known about cortical lamination and neuronal differentiation in postnatal periods in this neurodevelopmental disorder. Therefore, we examined the quantitative and qualitative distribution of neuronal profiles containing the neuronal migration protein doublecortin (DCX), the non-phosphorylated high-molecular-weight neurofilament SMI-32, the calcium-binding proteins calbindin D-28K (Calb), calretinin (Calr), and parvalbumin (Parv), as well as human β-amyloid and APP (6E10), Aβ1-42, and phospho-tau (CP-13) in the supragranular (SG, II/III) and infragranular (IG, V/VI) layers in the DS postnatal frontal cortex compared to neurotypically developing (NTD) controls from ages 28 weeks to 196.4 weeks using immunohistochemistry. Furthermore, cortical lamination was evaluated using thionin, a Nissl stain. We found DCX-immunoreactive (-ir) cells in both the SG and IG layers in younger cases, but not in the oldest cases in both groups. Strong expression of SMI-32 immunoreactivity was observed in pyramidal cells in layers III and V in the oldest cases in both groups, however SMI-32-ir cells appeared much earlier in NTD compared to DS. We found small and fusiform Calb-ir cells in the younger cases (28 to 44 weeks), while in the oldest cases, Calb immunoreactivity was also found in pyramidal cells. Calr-ir cells appeared earlier in DS at 32 weeks compared to NTD at 44 weeks, however both groups showed large bipolar fusiform-shaped Calr-ir cells in the oldest cases. Diffuse APP/Aβ-ir plaque-like accumulations were found in the frontal cortex grey and white matter at all ages, but no Aβ1-42 immunoreactivity was detected in any case. Furthermore, neuropil (but not cellular) granular CP-13 immunostaining was seen in layer I only at 41 weeks NTD and 33 weeks DS. Cell counts show a significantly higher cell number in SG compared to IG for all the neuronal markers in both groups, except in Calb and SMI-32. In NTD, age and brain weight showed the strongest correlations with all cellular counts, except in thionin where DS had a stronger negative correlation with age and brain weight compared to NTD. In addition, height and body weight showed a strong negative correlation in NTD with the migration and neurogenesis marker DCX. These findings suggest that trisomy 21 affects the postnatal frontal cortex lamination, neuronal migration<br/>eurogenesis, and differentiation of projection pyramidal cells and interneurons, which contribute to the disruption of the local and projection inhibitory and excitatory circuitries that may underlie the cognitive disabilities in DS.

This thesis will assess the relationship between race and perceptions of incarceration through responses gathered from interviews administered to men incarcerated at the Arizona State Prison Complex in Florence, Arizona. The interviews were conducted by incarcerated men through a Participatory Action Research (PAR) project to enhance the prison environment. Critically, men who were interviewed answered the question “What would you do if you were the Director of the Department of Corrections?” The purpose of this thesis is twofold. First, what are the major themes provided to this question? Second, did these themes differ depending on the race or ethnicity of the respondent? The results from this survey can provide a more informed future for corrections that acknowledges the unique criminal justice system experiences held by members of different racial and ethnic groups.

The right to cast a meaningful vote, equal in value to other votes, is a fundamental tenet US elections. Despite the 1964 Supreme Court decision formally establishing the one person, one vote principle as a legal requirement of elections, our democracy consistently falls short of it. With mechanisms including the winner-take-all format in the Electoral College, disproportioned geographic allocation of senators, extreme partisan gerrymandering in the House of Representatives, and first-past-the-post elections, many voters experience severe vote dilution. <br/><br/>In order to legitimize our democratic structures, American elections should be reformed so every person’s vote has equal weight, ensuring that the election outcomes reflect the will of the people. Altering the current election structure to include more proportional structures including rank choice voting and population-based representation, will result in a democracy more compatible with the one person, one vote principle.

Sanctuary jurisdictions are jurisdictions that do not enforce one or more aspects of federal immigration policy in regards to unauthorized immigrants. Some states maintain state-wide sanctuary policies while others are adamantly against them. Estimates of taxes that unauthorized immigrants pay and estimates of the amount of state funding that unauthorized immigrants can access (education, financial aid, corrections, and welfare) reveal that regardless of sanctuary status, unauthorized immigrants may “pay in” more than they “take out” from the system. The status of “sanctuary jurisdiction” does not appear to have much if any effect on the net state budget. However, unauthorized immigrants are able to access more welfare programs in sanctuary states.

The present study explored the relationship between desired purchasing behavior and individual differences using two nationally-representative, longitudinal samples of the U.S. population early in the COVID-19 pandemic. Past research has shown that individual differences provide information about how one might respond to threat. Therefore, we predicted changes in desired purchasing behavior across different sociodemographic variables that might reflect those differences. Specifically, we investigated hypotheses related to political orientation, age, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and whether or not the participant had children. We measured participants’ reported desired purchasing behavior across eleven categories of goods and investigated the connection between specific demographic variables and desired purchasing behavior. We found that conservatives desired to purchase more basic protection goods (guns/ammunition, cash, gas) and that older people desired to purchase more cleaning supplies and toiletries. These findings illustrate possible explanations for purchasing behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic and reveal directions for marketing designed to influence purchasing behavior.

Telehealth is the use of information and communications technology by healthcare professionals to provide care to patients. When this technology is being used specifically for genetic services, it is called telegenetics. Previous studies that examine the small-scale use of telegenetics for the field of genetic counseling have shown that the technology may provide a way to address the problem of patient access to genetic counseling services, assuming its efficacy. Patients are satisfied with telegenetics, but genetic counselors hold more reservations. Because of this and the many regulatory barriers in its way, telegenetics was only slowly being adopted when the coronavirus was declared a pandemic in March 2020. The pandemic forced a switch to telegenetics at a scale never seen before. This study begins with a literature review to assess the situation of telegenetics before and during the pandemic. It then surveys practicing genetic counselors in Arizona in order to reveal what they think about telegenetics when it is the encouraged, and sometimes only, modality. Since the literature review revealed that genetic counselors, not patients, are the ones with concerns, it is important to hear their points of view. This study reveals that genetic counselors want telegenetics as an option but not as a replacement for in-person appointments. All respondents agreed that increased patient access is the main benefit of telegenetics. There are reported challenges that must be overcome, but genetic counselors in Arizona overwhelming believe that telegenetics use will be continued in the future.