Welfare Reform and Food Stamp Caseload Dynamics

We use state-level panel data for federal fiscal years 1980–1998 to estimate the impacts of welfare reform and the business cycle on food stamp caseloads. The model we employ is a dynamic function of past caseloads, economic factors, AFDC and Food Stamp Program policies, political factors, AFDC caseload levels, and unobserved fixed and trending heterogeneity. Our results suggest that the robust economy has substantially influenced the recent decline in food stamp caseloads, but that the estimated aggregate effect of welfare reform is modest—we attribute around 45 percent of 1994–1998 decline to the macroeconomy and about 5 percent to welfare reform. We do find substantial heterogeneity in the impact of AFDC waiver policies. States with JOBS sanctions policies but not family cap or earnings disregard waivers can expect a larger long-run decline in caseloads than those states with all three policies. In addition, we do find some evidence, albeit weaker, that states with waivers for unemployed able-bodied adults without dependents can expect higher caseload levels than states without the waivers and that the Electronic Benefits Transfer program is leading to food stamp caseload declines. An important finding of this study is that modeling food stamp caseload dynamics has implications for the estimated effects of policy changes and economic factors—when dynamic models are employed, we observe substantially reduced welfare-reform effects but significantly increased effects of the macroeconomy on food stamp caseloads. These results are robust to models that permit the simultaneous determination of AFDC and food stamp caseloads.

How Does the High School Redesigned Learning Space Influence Collaboration, Communication, Creativity, and Critical Thinking

This study examined the affect that redesigned learning spaces might have on student engagement levels, specifically the extent to which redesigned learning spaces facilitate the 21st Century Learning and Innovation Skills known as communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity. Using David Ross’s work with the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, the study observes the efforts of a suburban high school that has redesigned traditional classrooms into progressive and innovative learning spaces. This qualitative study utilized seventeen, face-to-face interviews with teachers who are teaching in redesigned classrooms to collect their impressions of how such learning spaces influenced engagement. The face-to-face interviews were recorded and transcribed for analysis by the researcher. Upon completion of the interviews, the data was analyzed using a cross-case analysis of the data. Literature suggests that the physical environment may play a role in engagement levels, but the majority of the studies have been conducted in common, larger education spaces, not classrooms. Additional studies have been conducted in redesigned classrooms, but with a significantly younger population and older, college-aged population. This study suggests that redesigned learning spaces in the high school does indeed impact engagement levels in a positive manner. Features such as writable whiteboard tables and moveable tables and chairs provide exceptional support for impacting engagement. In addition, subjects such as mathematics realized unanimous feedback from teachers regarding the positive impact that such redesigned classrooms have had on high school student engagement. Overall, the study suggests that collaboration and communication skills are enhanced at greater levels than critical thinking and creativity

Regional similarities in the distributions of well yield from crystalline rocks in Fennoscandia

Well yields from Precambrian and Palaeozoic bedrock in Norway, Sweden and Finland exhibit very similar and approximately log-normal distributions: all three data sets exhibit a median yield of 600–700 L hr-1, despite the differences in climate and lithology. This similarity is tentatively reflected on a larger geographical scale by a meta-analysis of the international data sets on crystalline rock aquifers from other recently glaciated areas (i.e., without a thick regolith of weathered rock). An heuristic treatment of the Fennoscandian data sets suggests that this median yield is consistent with the following bulk properties of shallow (to c. 70–80 m depth) crystalline bedrock: transmissivity of 0.56 ± 0.30 m2 d-1 (6.4 ± 3.4 x 10-6 m2 s-1) and hydraulic conductivity of around 1.1 (± 0.6) x 10-7 m s-1

An Overview of SNAP, Food Security, and Geographic Factors in Food Purchase and Acquisition Decisions

In April 2012 the Economic Research Service (ERS) and the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) in the U.S. Department of Agriculture embarked on an ambitious new data collection enterprise known as the National Household Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey (FoodAPS). FoodAPS is innovative in that it is the first nationally representative household survey to collect comprehensive data on household food expenditures and acquisitions, including those obtained using benefits from food assistance programs. The survey includes data from 4,826 households, including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) households, low-income eligible households not participating in SNAP, and higher income households. FoodAPS is specifically well suited to address factors affecting food demand, including access to food stores, as well as the pressing public health threat posed by food insecurity and how well America’s food and nutrition assistance programs serve to alleviate that threat

Multigenerational Families and Food Insecurity

The prevalence of multigenerational families is on the rise in the United States, as is food insecurity. We estimate the effect of resident grandchildren on the risk of and transitions in food insecurity using repeated cross sections and longitudinally linked two-year panels of the Current Population Survey from 2001-2010. We find that rates of food insecurity in families with a grandchild present are at least twice as high in a typical year compared to families without a resident grandchild, and the extent of very low food security increased substantially faster among these households over the past decade. The rise in food insecurity during and after the Great Recession is due to both increased entry into food insecurity and decreased exit out of food insecurity. A similar trend accounts for the rise in multigenerational households during the recession—grandchildren were more likely to move in with their grandparents, and once there, were less likely to move out. There are also important differences in risk factors for food insecurity between multigenerational families and those with no grandchildren present. Our transition models show that whether grandchildren remain, or in periods of transition, multigenerational families are at heighted risk of entering food insecurity and remaining in this state. However, the entry of a grandchild may not always be a negative for the family’s food security, nor the exit of the child a positive. Entrance of a child seems to buffer the family from extreme forms of food insecurity while exit exposes the family to risk of deeper food insecurity

The significance of nitrogen fixation to new production during early summer in the Baltic Sea.

Rates of dinitrogen (N2) fixation and primary production were measured during two 9 day transect cruises in the Baltic proper in June–July of 1998 and 1999. Assuming that the early phase of the bloom of cyanobacteria lasted a month, total rates of N2 fixation contributed 15 mmol N m−2 (1998) and 33 mmol N m−2 (1999) to new production (sensu Dugdale and Goering, 1967). This constitutes 12–26% more new N than other annual estimates (mid July–mid October) from the same region. The between-station variability observed in both total N2 fixation and primary productivity greatly emphasizes the need for multiple stations and seasonal sampling strategies in biogeochemical studies of the Baltic Sea. The majority of new N from N2 fixation was contributed by filamentous cyanobacteria. On average, cyanobacterial cells >20 µm were able to supply a major part of their N requirements for growth by N2 fixation in both 1998 (73%) and 1999 (81%). The between-station variability was high however, and ranged from 28–150% of N needed to meet the rate of C incorporation by primary production. The molar C:N rate incorporation ratio (C:NRATE) in filamentous cyanobacterial cells was variable (range 7–28) and the average almost twice as high as the Redfield ratio (6.6) in both years. Since the molar C:N mass ratio (C:NMASS) in filamentous cyanobacterial cells was generally lower than C:NRATE at a number of stations, we suggest that the diazotrophs incorporated excess C on a short term basis (carbohydrate ballasting and buoyancy regulation), released nitrogen or utilized other regenerated sources of N nutrients. Measured rates of total N2 fixation contributed only a minor fraction of 13% (range 4–24) in 1998 and 18% (range 2–45) in 1999 to the amount of N needed for the community primary production. An average of 9 and 15% of total N2 fixation was found in cells <5 µm. Since cells <5 µm did not show any detectable rates of N2 fixation, the 15N-enrichment could be attributed to regenerated incorporation of dissolved organic N (DON) and ammonium generated from larger diazotroph cyanobacteria. Therefore, N excretion from filamentous cyanobacteria may significantly contribute to the pool of regenerated nutrients used by the non-diazotroph community in summer. Higher average concentrations of regenerated N (ammonium) coincided with higher rates of N2 fixation found during the 1999 transect and a higher level of 15N-enrichment in cells <5 µm. A variable but significant fraction of total N2 fixation (1–10%) could be attributed to diazotrophy in cells between 5–20 µm

COMPASS: a 2.6m telescope for CMBR polarization studies

COMPASS (COsmic Microwave Polarization at Small Scale) is an experiment devoted to measuring the polarization of the CMBR. Its design and characteristics are presented

Linking Social Values of Wild Reindeer to Planning and Management Options in Southern Norway

Norway is home to the last remaining populations of wild mountain reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) in Europe. Concerns over anthropogenic and natural drivers have led to change in the management regime from a population-based model to an area-based model. More complex management goals, increasing involvement of stakeholders, and larger management units call for improved knowledge about reindeer-related values. We examined the responses of 1000 respondents to 39 statements of attitudes and values associated with wild reindeer presence and the management situation in two reindeer regions of southern Norway. We used a partial least-squares path modeling approach to examine the nexus between the attraction of wild reindeer, sustainability concerns, utilitarian and non-utilitarian values, conflicts, and attitudes toward hunting. The results show that local concepts of the sustainability of reindeer are based on opinions about the ecological requirements as well as the roles reindeer can play in the social and economic development of the communities. The attraction of reindeer is a function of consumptive as well as non-consumptive objectives. Segments of the community with different consumptive orientations can share ideas about the attraction of reindeer, but diverge in their interpretation of the sustainability of the species. Improved knowledge about the diversity and complexity of value orientations associated with wild reindeer can be a useful tool for developing multi-objective management frameworks with a diversity of stakeholders who may share similar values and interests, although they have different experience and knowledge bases.Les toutes dernières populations de rennes sauvages des montagnes (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) de l’Europe se trouvent en Norvège. Des préoccupations sur le plan des motifs anthropiques et des motifs naturels ont donné lieu à la modification du régime de gestion, qui est passé d’un modèle axé sur la population à un modèle axé sur la région. En raison des objectifs de gestion plus complexes, de l’influence accrue des parties prenantes et de secteurs de gestion plus grands, il y a lieu de se doter de meilleures connaissances au sujet des valeurs liées aux rennes. Nous avons examiné les réponses de 1 000 répondants à 39 énoncés relatifs aux attitudes et aux valeurs liées à la présence des rennes sauvages et à la situation de la gestion dans deux régions où évoluent les rennes, dans le sud de la Norvège. Nous avons fait la modélisation du parcours au moyen de la régression partielle par les moindres carrés dans le but d’examiner la connexion entre l’attraction du renne sauvage, les inquiétudes en matière de durabilité, les valeurs utilitaires et non utilitaires, les conflits et les attitudes vis-à-vis de la chasse. Selon les résultats, les concepts locaux de la durabilité du renne reposent sur des opinions au sujet des exigences écologiques ainsi que sur les rôles que peuvent jouer les rennes dans le développement social et économique des collectivités. L’attraction du renne dépend des objectifs de consommation et des objectifs de non-consommation. Les segments de la collectivité ayant des orientations de consommation différentes peuvent partager des idées au sujet de l’attraction du renne, mais leur interprétation de la durabilité de l’espèce diverge. Il serait utile de posséder de meilleures connaissances au sujet de la diversité et de la complexité des orientations de la valeur liées au renne sauvage, car cela pourrait permettre d’élaborer des cadres de gestion à maints objectifs avec une diversité de parties prenantes susceptibles d’avoir des valeurs et des intérêts semblables, bien que leurs connaissances et leurs expériences diffèrent