Ethnic identity and aspirations among rural Alaska youth

The villages of rural Alaska comprise one of the most exceptional, yet least visible, sociocultural environments in the United States They are geographically remote, and set off from the mainstream also by their unique Eskimo, Indian or Aleut cultures. At the same time many economic, legal and cultural connections pull these villages toward the dominant U.S. society, impelling continual and rapid social change. Our research focuses on adolescents growing up in this culturally complex and changing environment. We employ survey data from adolescents in 19 rural schools to explore relationships between ethnic identity and students\u27 expectations about moving away or attending college. Many students describe their ethnic identity as mixed, both Native and non-Native. On some key variables, the responses of mixed-identity students fall between those of Natives and non-Natives, supporting a theoretical conception of ethnicity as a matter of degree rather than category. Migration and college expectations vary with ethnic identity, but the college expectations/identity relationship fades when we adjust for other variables. Ethnicity affects expectations for the most part indirectly, through “cultural tool kit” variables including family role models and support. Gender differences in expectations, on the other hand, remain substantial even after adjusting for other variables

Influential Article Review - The Relationship Between Influxes of Foreign Investment and Financial Growth in Sub-saharan Africa

This paper examines finance. We present insights from a highly influential paper. Here are the highlights from this paper: This study examines the interaction effects of foreign capital inflows and financial development on economic welfare in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Estimates based on the system-GMM estimator using panel data on 23 SSA countries for 2000 to 2013 establish several results. First, the interaction between foreign capital inflows and financial development positively affects economic welfare in SSA. However, this effect was negative after one year. Second, the partial indirect effects of foreign capital inflows on economic welfare, conditional on the level of financial development, are positive, though they become negative after one year. Third, the total effect of foreign capital inflows on economic welfare is positive. The effect becomes negative after a year, though the predominant source of financial development is domestic credit. The consistency of these results indicates the importance of financial development in transmitting foreign capital to economic welfare enhancement. Developing the SSA’s financial sector to meet specific welfare-enhancing demands may potentially convert a large share of capital inflows into improved economic welfare and eliminate the negative effects. For our overseas readers, we then present the insights from this paper in Spanish, French, Portuguese, and German

How can transformational leadership be uNBound from the gender binary paradigm?

Disrupting binary conceptions of gender could be one of the most needed paradigmatic shifts in leadership studies. Nonbinary leadership paradigms can liberate people of all genders from a framework that forces them to describe their leader behaviors as aligned with or transgressive of a binary gender. Academic leadership studies has generally focused on differences between men and women and discrimination against women, with trans and nonbinary gender identities notably absent. Traditional models of leadership need to be interrogated to see if they hold up under a nonbinary lens. In this presentation, we will examine two dimensions of the iconic model of transformational leadership (Bass & Riggio, 2006). How does the dimension of idealized influence hold up against a wide variety of gendered embodiments? How have the experiences of nonbinary leaders prepared them to exercise individual consideration of people of all genders? This presentation will begin with foundational information about terminology, theories, workplace policing, and emerging research in leadership outside gender binaries. Informed by the authors’ research with 25 nonbinary lesbians; findings from the scattered but mighty literature exploring the experiences of nonbinary people in leadership dynamics; and our own experience as nonbinary leaders, the authors will then interrogate these two dimensions of the transformational leadership model. We will also explore how barriers to nonbinary leaders seem to transcend traditional models, meaning that nonbinary leaders will encounter them in their practice of transformational leadership. The presentation will conclude with a call to action and suggestions for future research

Resilience & Growth

The Bryant University Women’s Summit® is the largest and longest-running conference for women in Rhode Island and the region. The current context has allowed us to reimagine this signature event. We are happy to announce that 24th Women’s Summit will take place on June 16, 2021. We look forward to sharing our speakers, sessions and everything this fully virtual platform offers, from robust networking opportunities to meaningful interactions with our sponsors

Thinking outside the channel : modeling nitrogen cycling in networked river ecosystems

Author Posting. © Ecological Society of America, 2011. This article is posted here by permission of Ecological Society of America for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 9 (2011): 229–238, doi:10.1890/080211.Agricultural and urban development alters nitrogen and other biogeochemical cycles in rivers worldwide. Because such biogeochemical processes cannot be measured empirically across whole river networks, simulation models are critical tools for understanding river-network biogeochemistry. However, limitations inherent in current models restrict our ability to simulate biogeochemical dynamics among diverse river networks. We illustrate these limitations using a river-network model to scale up in situ measures of nitrogen cycling in eight catchments spanning various geophysical and land-use conditions. Our model results provide evidence that catchment characteristics typically excluded from models may control river-network biogeochemistry. Based on our findings, we identify important components of a revised strategy for simulating biogeochemical dynamics in river networks, including approaches to modeling terrestrial–aquatic linkages, hydrologic exchanges between the channel, floodplain/riparian complex, and subsurface waters, and interactions between coupled biogeochemical cycles.This research was supported by NSF (DEB-0111410). Additional support was provided by NSF for BJP and SMT (DEB-0614301), for WMW (OCE-9726921 and DEB-0614282), for WHM and JDP (DEB-0620919), for SKH (DEB-0423627), and by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation for AMH, GCP, ESB, and JAS, and by an EPA Star Fellowship for AMH

Stream denitrification across biomes and its response to anthropogenic nitrate loading

Author Posting. © The Author(s), 2008. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Nature Publishing Group for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Nature 452 (2008): 202-205, doi:10.1038/nature06686.Worldwide, anthropogenic addition of bioavailable nitrogen (N) to the biosphere is increasing and terrestrial ecosystems are becoming increasingly N saturated, causing more bioavailable N to enter groundwater and surface waters. Large-scale N budgets show that an average of about 20-25% of the N added to the biosphere is exported from rivers to the ocean or inland basins, indicating substantial sinks for N must exist in the landscape. Streams and rivers may be important sinks for bioavailable N owing to their hydrologic connections with terrestrial systems, high rates of biological activity, and streambed sediment environments that favor microbial denitrification. Here, using data from 15N tracer experiments replicated across 72 streams and 8 regions representing several biomes, we show that total biotic uptake and denitrification of nitrate increase with stream nitrate concentration, but that the efficiency of biotic uptake and denitrification declines as concentration increases, reducing the proportion of instream nitrate that is removed from transport. Total uptake of nitrate was related to ecosystem photosynthesis and denitrification was related to ecosystem respiration. Additionally, we use a stream network model to demonstrate that excess nitrate in streams elicits a disproportionate increase in the fraction of nitrate that is exported to receiving waters and reduces the relative role of small versus large streams as nitrate sinks.Funding for this research was provided by the National Science Foundation

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Overview of the MOSAiC expedition - Atmosphere

With the Arctic rapidly changing, the needs to observe, understand, and model the changes are essential. To support these needs, an annual cycle of observations of atmospheric properties, processes, and interactions were made while drifting with the sea ice across the central Arctic during the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) expedition from October 2019 to September 2020. An international team designed and implemented the comprehensive program to document and characterize all aspects of the Arctic atmospheric system in unprecedented detail, using a variety of approaches, and across multiple scales. These measurements were coordinated with other observational teams to explore cross-cutting and coupled interactions with the Arctic Ocean, sea ice, and ecosystem through a variety of physical and biogeochemical processes. This overview outlines the breadth and complexity of the atmospheric research program, which was organized into 4 subgroups: atmospheric state, clouds and precipitation, gases and aerosols, and energy budgets. Atmospheric variability over the annual cycle revealed important influences from a persistent large-scale winter circulation pattern, leading to some storms with pressure and winds that were outside the interquartile range of past conditions suggested by long-term reanalysis. Similarly, the MOSAiC location was warmer and wetter in summer than the reanalysis climatology, in part due to its close proximity to the sea ice edge. The comprehensiveness of the observational program for characterizing and analyzing atmospheric phenomena is demonstrated via a winter case study examining air mass transitions and a summer case study examining vertical atmospheric evolution. Overall, the MOSAiC atmospheric program successfully met its objectives and was the most comprehensive atmospheric measurement program to date conducted over the Arctic sea ice. The obtained data will support a broad range of coupled-system scientific research and provide an important foundation for advancing multiscale modeling capabilities in the Arctic

2001 Phase 1 Watersheds Report Volume 2

Volume Two of the 2001 Watershed Protection Masterplan includes solutions and recommendations to the problems addressed in volume one.EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The mission of the Watershed Protection Department (WPD) is to reduce the impact of flooding, erosion and water pollution on our community in order to protect lives, property and the environment. To accomplish this mission, WPD completed Phase I of a Watershed Protection Master Plan to better prioritize service needs and refine program direction. The Master Plan inventories existing watershed problems and gauges the impact of future urbanization in seventeen (17) watersheds - including all of the urban watersheds and five surrounding non-urban watersheds: Blunn (BLU); Boggy (BOG); Buttermilk (BMK); East Bouldin (EBO); Fort Branch (FOR); Harper's Branch (HRP); Johnson (JOH); Little Walnut (L W A); Shoal (SHL); Tannehill (TAN); Waller (WLR); West Bouldin (WBO); Barton (BAR); Bull (BUL); Country Club (CNT); Walnut (WLN); Williamson (WMS) Phase I studies helped to locate and prioritize problem areas where watershed protection goals and objectives are not currently being met or are not expected to be met in the future. These studies are categorized by mission as creek flooding, localized flooding, streambank erosion and water quality degradation. Integrated problem areas were determined by overlaying the results of the individual mission studies to identify areas of concurrent flooding, erosion and water quality problems. Integrated problem areas demonstrate an increased need for multi-purpose solutions. These studies determined that watershed problems are widespread and will worsen if corrective action is not taken. Creek flooding poses a recurring citywide risk to public safety and property. For example, a relatively small 2-year storm creates structure flooding in 14 of the 17 Phase I watersheds. Localized flooding also threatens property across the City due to undersized, deteriorated, clogged or inadequate storm drain systems. Over 4000 localized flooding complaints have been logged over the last ten years. New erosion data identifies numerous existing threats to property with nearly 500 sites currently threatened. Increased stormflows from urban development have accelerated streambank erosion, leading to enlarged and unstable creek channels. Water quality studies document the fact that urbanization has led to the degradation of our urban creeks and receiving waters. Future development is predicted to continue the trend of degrading habitat and creek biology and increasing pollutant levels in local surface waters. The Master Plan identifies opportunities for optimizing existing resources through improved prioritization, mission integration and a renewed commitment to the use of environmentally responsible, cost-effective and sustainable solutions. Problem priorities were established based on the severity of the identified problem at each location and the number and type of affected community resources (such as homes, roadways and receiving waters).Waller Creek Working Grou

2001 Phase 1 Watersheds Report Volume 1

This watersheds report provides data on 17 Austin creeks. There is an emphasis on examining the issues of flooding, erosion, and water quality. There is also an overview of the history behind the Watershed Protection Department.EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The mission of the Watershed Protection Department (WPD) is to reduce the impact of flooding, erosion and water pollution on our community in order to protect lives, property and the environment. To accomplish this mission, WPD completed Phase I of a Watershed Protection Master Plan to better prioritize service needs and refine program direction. The Master Plan inventories existing watershed problems and gauges the impact of future urbanization in seventeen (17) watersheds - including all of the urban watersheds and five surrounding non-urban watersheds: Blunn (BLU); Boggy (BOG); Buttermilk (BMK); East Bouldin (EBO); Fort Branch (FOR); Harper's Branch (HRP); Johnson (JOH); Little Walnut (L W A); Shoal (SHL); Tannehill (TAN); Waller (WLR); West Bouldin (WBO); Barton (BAR); Bull (BUL); Country Club (CNT); Walnut (WLN); Williamson (WMS) Phase I studies helped to locate and prioritize problem areas where watershed protection goals and objectives are not currently being met or are not expected to be met in the future. These studies are categorized by mission as creek flooding, localized flooding, streambank erosion and water quality degradation. Integrated problem areas were determined by overlaying the results of the individual mission studies to identify areas of concurrent flooding, erosion and water quality problems. Integrated problem areas demonstrate an increased need for multi-purpose solutions. These studies determined that watershed problems are widespread and will worsen if corrective action is not taken. Creek flooding poses a recurring citywide risk to public safety and property. For example, a relatively small 2-year storm creates structure flooding in 14 of the 17 Phase I watersheds. Localized flooding also threatens property across the City due to undersized, deteriorated, clogged or inadequate storm drain systems. Over 4000 localized flooding complaints have been logged over the last ten years. New erosion data identifies numerous existing threats to property with nearly 500 sites currently threatened. Increased storm flows from urban development have accelerated streambank erosion, leading to enlarged and unstable creek channels. Water quality studies document the fact that urbanization has led to the degradation of our urban creeks and receiving waters. Future development is predicted to continue the trend of degrading habitat and creek biology and increasing pollutant levels in local surface waters. The Master Plan identifies opportunities for optimizing existing resources through improved prioritization, mission integration and a renewed commitment to the use of environmentally responsible, cost-effective and sustainable solutions. Problem priorities were established based on the severity of the identified problem at each location and the number and type of affected community resources (such as homes, roadways and receiving waters).Waller Creek Working Grou