This dissertation consists of three chapters about education policies in developing countries. The first chapter examines two extrapolation approaches to make out-of-sample predictions using cash transfer experiments in Malawi and Morocco. The second chapter evaluates India's workfare program in terms of targeting efficiency and effects on school enrollment, in comparison...
ABSTRACTFor several decades, dams have played an essential role in human development. In many low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), the construction of dams remains an integral part of industrialization and modernization. However, dam construction and associated infrastructure have significantly contributed to socioecological destruction and population displacement. For example, the construction of...
Body size is one of the most discernible ways in which animal species vary. The blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus), the largest animal on earth, can reach up to 30 m in length and weigh up to 200 tonnes. At the other extreme, a species of frog called Paedophryne amauensis is...
Melanopsin-expressing, intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) represent a class of non-canonical, ganglion cell photoreceptors. These cells influence a variety of visual behaviors including contrast sensitivity, circadian photoentrainment, sleep, and even mood. These wide-ranging behavioral influences are attributed to the multiple subtypes (M1-6) that comprise the ipRGC population, with different...
This dissertation examines three empirical questions related to human capital in developing countries. Chapter 1 studies the educational and labor market impacts of the telesecundarias, Mexican secondary schools that use televisions to deliver instruction. In areas where there is an insufficient supply of qualified teachers, delivering instruction through technology may...
Organismal development depends upon countless cell decisions to adopt particular fates at the appropriate time and place. These decisions are executed by systems of biochemical reactions called regulatory networks. Elucidating the general principles underlying the structure and function of these networks is vital to understanding all developmental processes, as well...
Birds such as the barn owl and zebra finch are known for their remarkable hearing abilities that are critical for survival, communication and vocal learning functions. A key to achieving these hearing abilities is the speed and precision required for the temporal coding of sound; a process heavily dependent on...
Pragmatic language, or the use of language in social contexts, is critical to developing meaningful social relationships and is a significant contributor to mental health. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), fragile X syndrome (FXS) and Down syndrome (DS) are all genetically based neurodevelopmental disabilities characterized by deficits in pragmatic language, although...
Metabolic conditions affect the developmental tempo of most animal species. Consequently, developmental gene regulatory networks (GRNs) must faithfully adjust their dynamics to a variable time scale. We find evidence that weak repressors of gene expression provide the necessary coupling between GRN output and cellular metabolism. Using a mathematical model that...
This dissertation addresses the process-pathways running between immigrant adolescents' life experiences and their engagement in school by providing an ecocultural perspective on self-regulation. While the role of social context, such as stress and resources, has been identified as critical in its influence on different dimensions of adolescent development, research on...