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This study examined caregivers' longitudinal reports of adolescent multiracial categorization across the ages of 9.5, 10.5, and 14 years, and adolescents' reports of their own multiracial categorization at the age of 14 years. A portion of caregivers' reports of adolescent multiracial status were inconsistent across the years of the study; some adolescents' and caregivers' responses differed when questions assessing multiracial status were phrased in different ways; and adolescent and caregiver reports did not always align when adolescents were 14 years old. Given these findings, we recommend that researchers consider using multiple methods of racial data collection and collapsing the results to report estimated ranges of racial representation in samples, rather than specific percentages. Furthermore, when racial data must be provided by a single informant in the context of early adolescence, we suggest that researchers should think critically about which group's perspective, adolescents' or caregivers', is more relevant to the research questions at hand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Child birth order (CBO) in the family has received little attention in the field of prevention science. CBO is relevant to early interventionists from a public health perspective, as the most widely disseminated home-visiting program has traditionally targeted mothers and their first-born children. The current paper revisits a previous publication by Shaw et al. (2009) on the effectiveness of the Family Check-Up (FCU) to evaluate CBO (firstborn vs. middle vs. youngest) as a moderator of treatment effects of the FCU in relation to improvements in parenting, maternal depressive symptoms, and child outcomes from ages 2 to 4 in a sample of low-income, ethnically diverse families (N = 709) with multiple children. Results suggest that the FCU elicited improvements in observed parenting from ages 2 to 3 primarily for target children who were the youngest or middle children, but not for firstborns. Findings are discussed in the context of implications for prevention science research, dissemination, and public policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-quality evidence about the costs of effective interventions for children can provide a foundation for fiscally responsible policy capable of achieving impact. This study estimated the costs to society of the Family Check-up, an evidence-based brief home-visiting intervention for high-risk families implemented in the Early Steps multisite efficacy trial. Intervention arm families in three sites were offered 4 consecutive years of intervention, when target children were ages 2 through 5. Data for estimating total, average, and marginal costs and family burden (means and standard deviations, 2015 USD, discounted at 3% per year) came from a detailed database that prospectively documented resource use at the family level and a supplemental interview with trial leaders. Secondary analyses evaluated differences in costs among higher and lower risk families using repeated measures analysis of variance. Results indicated annual average costs of $1066 per family (SD = $400), with time spent by families valued at an additional $84 (SD = $99) on average. Costs declined significantly from ages 2 through 5. Once training and oversight patterns were established, additional families could be served at half the cost, $501 (SD = $404). On the margin, higher risk families cost more, $583 (SD = $444) compared to $463 (SD = $380) for lower risk families, but prior analyses showed they also benefited more. Sensitivity analyses indicated potential for wage-related cost savings in real-world implementation compared to the university-based trial. This study illustrates the dynamics of Family Check-up resource use over time and across families differing in risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the impact of residential instability and family structure transitions on the development of internalizing and externalizing problems from age 2 through 10.5. Child's race was examined as a moderator. Caregiver reports of internalizing and externalizing behaviors were obtained on 665 children at ages 5 and 10.5. Early-childhood residential and family structure transitions predicted elevated internalizing and externalizing problems at ages 5 and 10.5, but only for Caucasian children. These findings suggest that residential and family structure instability during early childhood independently contribute to children's later emotional and behavioral development, but vary as a function of the child's race. Community organizations (e.g., Women, Infant, and Children) can connect turbulent families with resources to attenuate effects of residential and family structure instability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we consider the development of algorithms for the automatic detection of buried threats using ground penetrating radar (GPR) measurements. GPR is one of the most studied and successful modalities for automatic buried threat detection (BTD), and a large variety of BTD algorithms have been proposed for it. Despite this, large-scale comparisons of GPR-based BTD algorithms are rare in the literature. In this paper, we report the results of a multi-institutional effort to develop advanced BTD algorithms for a real-world GPR BTD system. The effort involved five institutions with substantial experience with the development of GPR-based BTD algorithms. In this paper, we report the technical details of the advanced algorithms submitted by each institution, representing their latest technical advances, and many state-of-the-art GPR-based BTD algorithms. We also report the results of evaluating the algorithms from each institution on the large experimental data set used for development. The experimental data set comprised 120 000 m2 of GPR data using surface area, from 13 different lanes across two U.S. test sites. The data were collected using a vehicle-mounted GPR system, the variants of which have supplied data for numerous publications. Using these results, we identify the most successful and common processing strategies among the submitted algorithms, and make recommendations for GPR-based BTD algorithm design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the validity of micro social observations and macro ratings of parent-child interaction in early to middle childhood. Seven hundred and thirty-one families representing multiple ethnic groups were recruited and screened as at risk in the context of Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) Nutritional Supplement service settings. Families were randomly assigned to the Family Checkup (FCU) intervention or the control condition at age 2 and videotaped in structured interactions in the home at ages 2, 3, 4, and 5. Parent-child interaction videotapes were micro-coded using the Relationship Affect Coding System (RACS) that captures the duration of two mutual dyadic states: positive engagement and coercion. Macro ratings of parenting skills were collected after coding the videotapes to assess parent use of positive behavior support and limit setting skills (or lack thereof). Confirmatory factor analyses revealed that the measurement model of macro ratings of limit setting and positive behavior support was not supported by the data, and thus, were excluded from further analyses. However, there was moderate stability in the families' micro social dynamics across early childhood and it showed significant improvements as a function of random assignment to the FCU. Moreover, parent-child dynamics were predictive of chronic behavior problems as rated by parents in middle childhood, but not emotional problems. We conclude with a discussion of the validity of the RACS and on methodological advantages of micro social coding over the statistical limitations of macro rating observations. Future directions are discussed for observation research in prevention science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infects 50 % of adults in the United States. HCMV can become a cause for concern in individuals who have a compromised immune system, which may occur after high-intensity exercise. The purpose of this preliminary study was to characterize the lymphocyte, monocyte, and neutrophil responses to exercise in HCMV + individuals. Participants were either positive (HCMV +) or negative (HCMV-) for HCMV. Participants visited the laboratory on 3 separate occasions: HCMV screening, 100 % VO2max test, and 80 % VO2max run. Mixed-model factorial ANOVA procedures with repeated measures on sampling condition were performed on absolute and relative circulating lymphocytes, monocytes, and neutrophils. Significant main effects for time for both absolute and relative values were seen for all leukocyte subsets regardless of virus status. Significant differences for absolute and relative values were seen between sampling conditions for all leukocyte subsets. We report for the first time that HCMV status does not affect circulating neutrophil responses to high-intensity exercise, though exercise-induced neutrocytosis is seen during the post-exercise and 60 min post-exercise sampling conditions, regardless of HCMV status. There is no HCMV effect on circulating monocyte responses to exercise, though exercise-induced monocytosis was seen during the post-exercise sampling condition regardless of HCMV status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-native invasive plants can negatively affect the abundance and survival of native plant species and alter ecosystem function. Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) is an invasive shrub that is an increasingly onerous problem for forest managers in eastern North America. We examined site-specific characteristics related to the presence and abundance of Amur honeysuckle, and other non-native invasive plants, in 15 second growth forests in central Kentucky. Individual remnants were characterized by: (1) frequency and cover of non-native invasive and native shrubs, (2) overstory tree basal area, (3) forest floor litter depth, (4) species composition of leaf litter, and (5) soil characteristics. Of the measured variables, the only statistically significant relationships we discovered were between Amur honeysuckle and characteristics of the forest floor. We found significant negative relationships between Amur honeysuckle presence and both forest floor litter depth (P = 0.01) and the percent of oak (Quercus spp.) litter on the forest floor (P = 0.004). The abundance (percent cover) of Amur honeysuckle was significantly and negatively related to forest floor litter depth {P = 0.03). These findings suggest that forest floor mass creates a barrier to invasion by exotic plants and that forests dominated by oak species may be more resistant to invasion by Amur honeysuckle. While this study did not identify a causal relationship between litter depth and oak litter and the presence of Amur honeysuckle, our find-ings do suggest that older forests, and those dominated by oak, may be more resistant to the invasion of Amur honeysuckle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because of multiple changes in the health care environment, the use of services of physician assistants (PAs) and nurse practitioners (NPs) in trauma and critical care has expanded. Appropriate training and ongoing professional development for these providers are essential to optimize clinical outcomes. This study offers a baseline assessment of the academic and professional needs of the contemporary trauma PAs/NPs in the United States. A 14-question electronic survey, using Survey IVI on key, was distributed to PAs/NPs at trauma centers identified through the American College of Surgeons Web site and other online resources. Demographic questions included trauma center level, provider type, level of education, and professional affiliations. Likert scale questions were incorporated to assess level of mentorship, comfort level with training, and individual perceived needs for academic and professional development. There were 120 survey respondents: 60 NPs and 60 PAs. Sixty-two respondents (52%) worked at level I trauma centers and 95 (79%) were hospital-employed. Nearly half (49%) reported working in trauma centers for 3 years or less. One hundred nineteen respondents (99%) acknowledged the importance of trauma-specific education; 98 (82%) were required by their institution to obtain such training. Thirty-five respondents (32%) reported receiving $1000 per year or less as a continuing medical education benefit. Insufficient mentorship, professional development, and academic development were identified by 22 (18%), 16 (13%), and 30 (25%) respondents, respectively. Opportunities to network with trauma PAs/NPs outside their home institution were identified as insufficient by 79 (66%). While PAs/NPs in trauma centers recognize the importance of continued contemporary trauma care and evidence-based practices, attending trauma-related education is not universally required by their employers. Financial restrictions may pose an additional impediment to academic development. Therefore, resource-efficient opportunities should be a prime consideration for advanced practitioners education, especially since half of the reported workforce has 3 years or less experience. The Eastern Association of Trauma and other organizations can provide an ideal venue for mentorship, academic development, and networking that is vital to PA/NP professional development and, ultimately, quality patient care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yersinia pestis, a Gram-negative bacillus causing plague and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) classified Category A pathogen, has high potential as a bioweapon. Lipopolysaccharide, a virulence factor for Y. pestis, binds to and activates A1 adenosine receptor (AR)s and, in animals, A1AR antagonists block induced acute lung injury (ALI) and increase survival following cecal ligation and perforation. In this study, rats were infected intratracheally with viable Y. pestis [CO99 (pCD1+/Δpgm) 1 × 108 CFU/animal] and treated daily for 3 d with ciprofloxacin (cipro), the A1AR antagonist L-97-1, or cipro plus L-97-1 starting at 0, 6, 24, 48, or 72 h post-Y. pestis. At 72 h post-Y. pestis, cipro plus L-97-1 significantly improved 6-d survival to 60–70% vs 28% for cipro plus H2O and 33% for untreated Y. pestis controls (P = 0.02, logrank test). Lung edema, hemorrhage and leukocyte infiltration index (LII) were evaluated histologically to produce ALI scores. Cipro plus L-97-1 significantly reduced lung edema, as well as aggregate lung injury scores vs controls or cipro plus H2O, and LII vs controls (P < 0.05, Student’s unpaired t test). These results support efficacy for L-97-1 as a post-exposure medical countermeasure, adjunctive therapy to antibiotics for Y. pestis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much of the discussion around the port development in Prince Rupert has focused on the positive impacts that the container port will have on the regional economy. As the opening quote suggests, the port is being hailed a piece of "transformational infrastructure", creating numerous opportunities for economic diversification in northern British Columbia. In this sense, therefore, it is widely expected that the container port will help to move the northern economy beyond the type of traditional resource dependency outlined by scholars such as Harold Innis (Drache, 1995). This article argues, however, that there are at least two other potential outcomes or scenarios concerning the port's development and its impact on northern British Columbia which call into question some of the assumptions made by the port's proponents. First, the port might be a great success as a gateway to a transportation corridor that stretches across western Canada and into the United States, but have little or no positive impact on the northern British Columbia economy. Second, the port might not live up to the expectations that have been set nationally or locally neither as a transportation gateway nor as a piece of transformational infrastructure [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the incidence of foodborne illnesses has declined, thousands of cases are still reported in the United States. In conjunction with industry efforts to reduce foodborne pathogens, consumers play an important role in decreasing foodborne illnesses. To assess food safety knowledge and food handling behaviors of low-income, high-risk populations, a study was conducted with participants of the Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). A survey was conducted with 1,598 clients from 87 WIC agencies nationwide. Descriptive statistics, chi-square analyses, t tests, and analyses of variance were calculated. A majority of respondents received food safety information from WIC (78.7%), family (63.1%), and television (60.7%). Most respondents recognized the necessity for washing and sanitizing cutting boards and utensils (94.3%), but only 66.1% knew the correct ways to sanitize. Using a thermometer to ensure doneness of meat was least recognized (23.7%) and used by even fewer respondents (7.7%). The majority (77.4%) used color of meat and/or juices when checking the doneness of ground beef items. Over half of the respondents (58.4%) used acceptable thawing methods, but many thawed frozen meats on the counter (21.0%) or in a sink filled with water (20.6%). There were significant differences in thawing methods, overall knowledge scores, and overall behavior scores among different racial and ethnic groups. White respondents had higher knowledge scores than did Hispanics, and blacks had lower behavior scores than did individuals in the other racial and ethnic groups. Results of the study suggested the need for food safety education for low-income consumers and different messages to be delivered to specific demographic groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the future of the Black Caucus of the Society for Research in Child Development. Two anomalies spurred the development of the Black Caucus, specifically, the strict application of developmental stages and processes that were based on White middle class U.S. families to low-income African American families, and the limited opportunities for African American scholars to present alternative culturally sensitive research.

Examines the economics of agriculture in the Maricopa-Stanfield Irrigation and Drainage District in Arizona. Assessment on the financial sustainability of the district; Improvement of the economic performance of the water delivery system; Water interdependencies between agricultural and urban users.

Presents a summary of the potential for alternative agriculture as a means of enhancing rural area jobs and income. Opportunities and pitfalls for alternative agriculture; Potential for new business; Rural development potential; Some case studies.

Siting conflicts involving endangered species create economic and political pressures on existing property rules. A welfare model of institutional change with endogenous transaction costs is used to analytically describe the environmental conflict surrounding the Mount Graham International Observatory project. Emphasis is placed on the evolution of property rights under conditions of imperfect information. This case study illustrates (a) the nature of scientific and economic incentives for institutional change due to technological innovation and (b) the process of institutional choice in a policy environment characterized by biological uncertainty and economic power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analyzes the economics of commercializing industrial crops in the United States. Development of a conceptual model based on the principles of strategic management; Emphasis on botanical and chemical entrepreneurship as key factors in the successful commercialization of the crops; Competitiveness of US agriculture.

Dominant swine enterprise size may be determined by the geographic location of the production unit and the risk attitudes of the producer. Distributions of after-tax net revenues for thirteen swine production units in three subregions of the Corn Belt are generated from empirical data gathered from 1,181 swine enterprises. Stochastic dominance with respect to a function is used to rank these distributions for five Arrow-Pratt intervals. Western swine production units stochastically dominate units in the eastern and southern subregions. Risk-averse producers prefer smaller operations, while risk-loving managers prefer relatively large-scale swine enterprises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reviews research on the economic status of teachers in the U.S. It is suggested that the economic status of the American teacher is frequently blamed for much of the current turmoil among teacher groups in different areas of the country. Research has thus far demonstrated that the teacher's economic status is one of the factors responsible for increased teacher unrest. This article has been divided into four major units: teacher salaries, nonsalary economic benefits, teacher dissatisfaction and collective action, and suggestions for future research.

Much has been said in recent years about the need to wean Canada off its economic dependency on the United States. The rapprochement of the North American economies after the signing of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in 1989 and the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994 has been followed by moments of introspection and concern about just how much our economy is tied to our neighbour to the south. The Pacific Gateway Strategy (PGS) is one potential answer to this dilemma. The purpose of the symposium is to bring together practitioners and scholars to discuss issues that pertain to the impact of the PGS on northern communities, particularly those in the provincial north. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the low numbers of urologists who are ethnically and racially underrepresented in medicine (URiM), the nonprofit organization Urology Unbound developed the R. Frank Jones Urology Interest Group (RFJUIG), a pipeline program that provides mentorship, research opportunities, and professional development for URiM students. Students complete a questionnaire as part of the registration process for the RFJUIG. This questionnaire collects demographic information and asks about their experience pursuing urology and goals for participation in the program. At the end of 2020, 66 students (60% Black and 21% Latinx) were registered members of the RFJUIG. The majority of the members identify as immigrants or first-generation Americans, originating from at least 10 different countries. While most members reported early interest in the field, only 11% had a friend or family with a connection to urology. In the 2021 urology match, 31 of 39 applicant members successfully matched into a urology residency position. Intentional and strategic pipeline programs increase the recruitment of URiMs in urology. Thus far, the RFJUIG successfully provided 79% of its applicant members with the tools needed to successfully match into urology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the debate over the colorization of black-and-white films in the U.S. The controversy about the practice of adding color to originally black-and-white films pivots on the conflict between aesthetic integrity and financial gain and in the process evokes vital traditional issues in the sociology of art.The debate arises from two sources, one is the relative availability of a technology that makes coloring possible and is economically feasible, and second, the discovery that color films are much more popular with television audiences than are black-and-white ones.

The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of authentically based instruction using the 5E model as the structure for lesson delivery on student emotions and the extent to which the students perceived that the teacher was facilitating mastery goals. Participants were 241 sophomore and junior biology students in three urban high schools in a large city in the Midsouth region of the United States. Two conditions occurred: a lesson designed using authentic 5E model, while the other was a text-based lesson on the topic of photosynthesis. The results suggest that the authentic 5E instruction increased interest and enjoyment and decreased anxiety, hopelessness, frustration, confusion, and boredom as compared to the text-based instruction. Furthermore, the students in the authentic group perceived that the teacher facilitated more mastery goals than the comparison group. Finally, we found that the change of student perception in teacher mastery had a predictive relationship with change in positive and negative emotions. Implications of this study are that authentic instruction can lead to positive academic outcomes and that perceived teacher mastery can have a positive influence on student emotions, which in turn can generate motivation and achievement in high school science courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cover cropping practices are being researched to reduce artificial subsurface drainage nitrate-nitrogen (nitrate-N) losses from agricultural lands in the upper Mississippi watershed. A soil-plant-atmosphere simulation model RyeGro, was developed to quantify the probabilities that a winter rye cover crop will reduce artificial subsurface drainage nitrate-N losses given climatic variability in the region. This article describes the plant growth submodel of RyeGro, Grosub, which estimates biomass production with a radiation use efficiency-based approach for converting intercepted photosynthetically active radiation to biomass. Estimates of nitrogen (N) uptake are based on an empirical plant N concentration curve. The model was calibrated with data from a three-year field study conducted on a Normania clay loam (fine-loamy, mixed, mesic Aquic Haplustoll) soil at Lamberton, Minnesota. The model was validated with data measured from a field trial in St. Paul, Minnesota. The cumulative rye aboveground biomass predictions for the calibration years differed by -0.45, 0.09, and 0.16 Mg ha-1 (-17%, 9%, and 32%), and the plant N uptake predictions differed by - 10.5, 8.0, and 4.0 kg N ha-1 (-16%, 30%, and 21%) from the observed values. The predictions of biomass production and N uptake for the validation year varied by -1.4 Mg ha-1 and 16 kg N ha-1 (-27% and 24%) from the values observed in the field study, respectively. A local sensitivity analysis of eight input parameters indicated that model output is most sensitive to the maximum leaf area index and radiation use efficiency parameters. Grosub demonstrated the capability to predict seasonal aboveground biomass production of fall-planted rye in southwestern Minnesota within an accuracy of ±30% in years when production exceeds 1 Mg ha-1 by mid-May, and to predict seasonal rye N uptake within ±25% of observed values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]