The Dynamics of Food Deprivation and Overall Health: Evidence from the Canadian National Population Health Survey

The paper explores whether the responses to food deprivation questions on the longitudinal Canadian National Population Health Survey help explain the links between socio-economic status and health. Transitions in food deprivation status are correlated with changes in health status. While health transitions are correlated with changes in food deprivation status, there is little evidence that change in food deprivation status leads changes in health status but some evidence that change in health status leads change in food deprivation status.Food insecurity; Granger causality

The Dynamics of Food Deprivation and Overall Health: Evidence from the Canadian National Population Health Survey

The paper explores whether the responses to food deprivation questions on the longitudinal Canadian National Population Health Survey help explain the links between socio-economic status and health. Transitions in food deprivation status are correlated with changes in health status. While health transitions are correlated with changes in food deprivation status, there is little evidence that change in food deprivation status leads changes in health status but some evidence that change in health status leads change in food deprivation status.Food insecurity; Granger causality; NPHS

Recommending Learning Algorithms and Their Associated Hyperparameters

The success of machine learning on a given task dependson, among other things, which learning algorithm is selected and its associated hyperparameters. Selecting an appropriate learning algorithm and setting its hyperparameters for a given data set can be a challenging task, especially for users who are not experts in machine learning. Previous work has examined using meta-features to predict which learning algorithm and hyperparameters should be used. However, choosing a set of meta-features that are predictive of algorithm performance is difficult. Here, we propose to apply collaborative filtering techniques to learning algorithm and hyperparameter selection, and find that doing so avoids determining which meta-features to use and outperforms traditional meta-learning approaches in many cases.Comment: Short paper--2 pages, 2 table

From Simple to Sophisticated: The Organization of Terrorist Groups

This dissertation draws on gang organization research and organizational theory to assess the underlying dimensions of organization in terrorist groups. Using the Leadership for the Extreme and Dangerous for Innovative Results (LEADIR) dataset, findings suggest that organization is a multidimensional construct in terrorist groups, including the structuring of activities dimension and the concentration of authority dimension. In relation to violence, terrorist groups high on the structuring of activities dimension were significantly more lethal in general and more lethal when attacking hard targets, whereas terrorist groups high on the concentration of authority dimension attacked hard targets at a significantly higher rate. These findings demonstrate that both dimensions of organization were related to an increased capacity for violence yet in different ways. In light of these findings, a theoretical model is outlined, and practical implications are discussed with a focus on how both organizational dimensions highlight the role of criminal capital and bureaucratic control mechanisms in terrorist groups

A Noninvasive Measure of the P300 in Rats Selectively Bred for Disparate Alcohol Preference During an Auditory Oddball Tas

The utility of genetics for predicting alcoholism and alcohol-related disorders islimited given environmental variance and a finite understanding of all geneticcontributors. This has led to interest in phenotypic markers that can be used forclassifying individuals at heightened risk for developing alcoholism and alcohol-relateddisorders. One such marker is the P300, an event-related potential (ERP) observed tohave an attenuated amplitude and increased latency in both humans and animals whohave a genetic predisposition to alcohol use. To study the utility of the P300 as abiomarker for alcohol use disorders (AUDs), we examined its characteristic in alcoholpreferring (P) and non-preferring (NP) rats naïve to alcohol using an auditory oddballtask. Electroencephalography (EEG) was measured using a novel, noninvasive methodafter rats were trained to press a lever for food in response to the rare “target” tone, butnot after the more frequent “standard” tone. The amplitude of the N2-P3 complexrevealed a significant line x tone interaction (F(1,37)=4.365, p=.044, η2p=.106). Post-hoc analysis revealed an approaching significant attenuation in the N2-P3 amplitude for the P(versus NP) rats only for the target tone (p=.077, η2p= .078). These results support theprevious findings reporting a decrease in P300 amplitude in those with a geneticpredisposition to alcohol and adds support to the utility of the P300 as a endophenotypicmarker of alcoholism

Childhood Victimization Pathways and Violent Extremism

The current study elaborates on childhood victimization as a nonideological risk-factor for participation in violent extremism. In particular, we focus on contextualizing the early lives of a sample of former members of violent White supremacist groups (n = 44). Data were collected through life-history interviews and analyzed using a modified grounded theory approach. The findings indicate that there are three distinct victimization pathways characterize the early lives of our sample: (a) living in a dangerous family, (b) residing in a dangerous community, and (c) living in an unstable, chaotic family environment. These victimization pathways provide further insight into the “cascading effects” of negative life experiences that often increase an individual’s susceptibility to being pulled into violent extremism. Our paper concludes with implication related to criminological theory and early childhood intervention opportunities

Feeling Like the Only: The Experiences of Black Parents Navigating the K-12 Educational System

As researchers and educators focus on ameliorating racialized disparities in education, the research and media focus has often been on such details as test scores, graduation rates, and exclusive of parental voice (Golden, Koumpilova, & Webster, 2019). Some studies, for example, focus on quantifying the so-called “achievement gap” while other studies use suspension statistics to describe the schooling experience through numbers, instead of words (Maynard & Weinstein, 2019). In contrast, this dissertation focuses on learning from a perspective on which there has been historically less research focus: that of the experiences and perspectives of Black parents navigating the education system, both as previous students and current parents. While schools may frequently use terms like “parental involvement” or “engaging parents”, current research suggests that most schools may not have avenues to listen and take action based on diverse parental input, thus creating weak connections between parents and schools (Brandon, 2007). This research aims to fill that gap by specifically drawing on the perspectives and experiences of eight Black parents of early grade students as they navigate a suburban school district in the Midwest. The participants in this study spoke to the importance of having staff of color, opportunities for involvement, and were continually comparing their schooling experiences to that of their child’s-some parents in a positive realm and others wishing their child(ren) had an experience similar to their schooling. This study highlights the needs for better communication between schools and parents to create a supportive and collaborative approach to supporting students. These findings lead to recommendations for school leaders at the local level and also provide recommendations for future research, including but not limited to: improving hiring practices with a focus on hiring staff that reflect the diversity of students, reimagining and better supporting parental involvement, and creating inclusive spaces and opportunities for parents to feel heard

Quantitative Trait Loci (Qtl) Analysis Of Sulfur Sensitivity In Vitis Aestivalis-Derived \u27Norton\u27

The grape and wine industry relies heavily on sulfur and sulfur containing compounds to control the fungal disease powdery mildew (PM). Sulfur dioxide induces large-scale transcriptomic modification in the Eurasian grape species Vitis vinifera with little to no phytotoxicity. However, genetic factors contributing to sulfur sensitivity, characterized by vegetative necrosis and defoliation, remain undefined in North American grape species and their commercial hybrids. A mapping population, consisting of 147 F1 genotypes, was created by crossing V. aestivalis-derived ‘Norton’ and V. vinifera ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ to identify the genetic basis for sulfur sensitivity in North American wine grapes. Clonally propagated F1 genotypes were fumigated with sulfur burners under greenhouse conditions. Association and linkage mapping were conducted using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers, respectively. A major quantitative trait loci (QTL) for sulfur sensitivity was detected on linkage group 14 (LOD=15). Identification of this QTL will allow future grape breeding programs produce commercially suitable hybrids, which do not display sulfur sensitivity, via marker assisted selection (MAS)

Investigation of Temperature Effects for Modelization and Simulation of the Treat Facility

From the initiation of operations in 1959, the Transient Reactor Test (TREAT) facility at Idaho National Laboratories possessed the potential to serve as the foremost transient testing site in the world. From 1959 to 1994, thousands of tests were conducted to investigate fission heating of test fuel, non-destructive test data through fuel radiography, and test fuels under severe criticality conditions. However, experiments have not been conducted since 1994. A resurging interest in fuel-motion testing has ignited new interest in the facility. Even after nearly 20 years, the return to operable conditions and resumption of testing at TREAT is believed to be feasible by the Department of Energy (DOE). As the facility prepares to resume testing, systematic and safety checks ensure the optimization of the facility. In preparation of testing resumption, models have been constructed to investigate the effects of temperature change in the experimental fuels on neutron flux observed in the hodoscope fuel-mass surveillance. Because of a wide range of expected fuel samples, it was necessary to determine the effects of temperature changes in the experimental test vehicle, if any, on neutron behavior at the center of the reactor system. Using Monte Carlo simulations, this study demonstrates that the temperature changes in the experimental test vehicle have no effect neutron flux response from the fuel samples tested within TREAT