Understanding very high rates of young child poverty in the south

It is widely known that the South is home to some of the places with the highest rates of child poverty. To address the many challenges poor families face there, policy makers and community leaders need to understand the complex factors that converge in this region of the United States. This brief presents an analysis of and state-by-state data to help readers understand high child poverty in the South

Do Physicians Respond to Liability Standards?

In this paper, we explore the sensitivity in the clinical decisions of physicians to the standards of care expected of them under the law, drawing on the abandonment by states over time of rules holding physicians to standards determined by local customs and the contemporaneous adoption of national-standard rules. Using data on broad rates of surgical interventions at the county-by-year level from the Area Resource File, we find that local surgery rates converge towards national surgery rates upon the adoption of national-standard rules. Moreover, we find that these effects are more pronounced among rural counties

The Complicated Art Of Successful Grant-Writing

Grant writing is deceptively complex. On the surface it seems to be a purely technical exercise—one that invites dismissal from academia because of its business-like nature. Consequently, most writing on granting takes a very practical, “how to” approach that seeks to guide a new grant writer through the process of making an application. I intend to argue that this approach is insufficient to understanding the complexities of grant writing as a field. The fact that granting has not gained footing in the fields of academic research is problematic and unreflective of the deep complexities functioning within the genre

Glucocorticoid physiology and behavior during life history transitions in Laysan Albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis)

Organisms have different life history stages where their energetic priorities differ between the goals of growth, survival, and reproduction. Behavioral decisions within stages and in the transition between stages have significant repercussions for future success so the timing of behaviors is extremely important. In this dissertation, I ask: How do intrinsic and extrinsic factors control the timing of behavioral decisions during tradeoffs within life history stages (the tradeoff between reproduction and self maintenance in breeding adults), and transitions between life history stages (the transition to independence in young animals) in a pelagic seabird, the Laysan Albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis). First, I ask how physiology changes during incubation fasts over the entire 2-month incubation period. I found total corticosterone (CORT) increased both within individual incubation shifts and over the season as body mass declined. Corticosteroid binding globulin (CBG) significantly increased as individual body condition declined. Though CORT secretion steadily increased during long, repeated fasts in this species, CBG may also rise to protect the reproductive attempt from the inhibitory effects of CORT on parental behavior. Next, I explore individual variation in parental provisioning trips during the chick rearing period. I found that surprisingly, adults expected to invest highly in their current reproductive effort, performed a pattern of foraging trips thought to be the strategy of adults investing in self-maintenance. This challenges previous work from the southern hemisphere and indicates that environmental differences in the northern hemisphere may change the distribution or predictability of ocean resources such that the benefit of different types of trips may not be fixed. Finally, I investigate morphology and physiology in chicks approaching fledging. I suggest that there are two primary factors contributing to the timing of fledging in Laysan Albatrosses: wing disc loading and plasma free CORT levels. After chicks reach a critical developmental threshold, they may fledge if food delivery is inadequate or stay if it is plentiful. When food delivery is unpredictable and chicks lose energetic stores, free CORT levels may fine-tune the timing of fledging: chicks with high free CORT when they reached the fledging threshold fledged sooner than chicks with low CORT levels

Wage employment, traditional subsistence, and aspirations among Inupiat and Yup\u27ik in the mixed economy of Northwest Alaska

This project identifies, investigates, and analyzes factors contributing to the maintenance of a mixed economy in villages and regional centers largely inhabited by Inupiat and Yup\u27ik in three regions of Northwest Alaska. By examining employment and subsistence patterns, desires for relocation, and employment and subsistence aspirations, this research will contribute to the understanding of work (both traditional and modern), culture, and population shift within indigenous, Arctic populations. The Survey of Living Conditions in the Arctic (SLiCA) is used in conjunction with aggregate demographic data from the Arctic Observation Network Social Indicators Project (AON-SIP) and interviews of residents in the Northwest Arctic Borough communities of Kotzebue and Kivalina, Alaska to provide a detailed account of factors contributing to wage and subsistence practices. Bivariate and multivariate analyses are used to discern differences in behavior and attitudes across gender and place types, and to uncover patterns of work, choice, and movement throughout the region. By focusing on four variables from SLiCA that capture actual subsistence and employment levels, a desire to leave one\u27s town or village, and work aspirations on an individual level I explore cultural, economic, individual, and community-level factors associated with participating in and having ambitions for wage employment, subsistence activities, and migration. Although a number of previous studies have focused on the Northern mixed economy and levels of participation, little research has sought to identify factors acting as catalysts---pushing individuals to desire work in the wage economy while maintaining traditional subsistence patterns. Few, if any, studies have examined what individuals do versus what they aspire to do. Results show that aspirations for participation in the mixed economy diverge by place, with more town residents appearing to both desire wage employment and have thought of moving elsewhere. Males are more apt to participate more heavily in subsistence activity and wage work. Overall, results indicate that participation in subsistence and traditional activities while young is closely linked to participation as an adult, to desiring a lifestyle including subsistence, and to remaining in one\u27s native community

The impact of federal Violence Against Women grants upon two New Hampshire cities: Case disposition and police report writing

In 1994 the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) was passed in the United States, and with it came a host of changes for the many cities and towns throughout the country which were granted federal funds in order to combat domestic violence. Although these structural changes appear to have been successful, little empirical research has been conducted with the goal of accurately reporting what, if any, improvements have occurred within communities as a result of VAWA funding. This research examines the impact of federal VAWA funds on two New Hampshire cities---Manchester, which has been receiving VAWA funding since 1995, the first year such funds were dispersed; and Nashua, which began receiving federal VAWA funds one and a half years ago, by comparing domestic violence case disposition rates, and by measuring whether or not police report writing style has a significant impact on domestic violence case outcomes in either Manchester or Nashua

Challenges of Technique and Interpretation: a Performance Guide to Selected Works by Kevin Bobo

Kevin Bobo is an American percussionist and composer whose compositions for marimba consistently expand the technical and musical potential of the instrument. Performance of Bobo’s marimba works requires the performer to utilize specific performance techniques that are departures from standard practices. This study looks in- depth at technical and interpretive challenges present within three works for marimba by Bobo, and provides the performer with detailed explanations and exercises to assist with the performance of the included works. The Odyssey, According to Penelope, and Three Etudes are works for solo marimba, while Prayer for the Broken is a duet for two marimbas. Each work is distinctive in its harmonic makeup, melodic motifs, and rhythmic patterns. Additionally, each piece explores distinct technical challenges, all of which showcase the breadth of Bobo’s compositional style, justifying their inclusion in this study. Through this study, the author aims to provide percussionists with a greater understanding of his music, thus demystifying it and encouraging increased performance of Bobo’s works

Nucleophilic substitution in polyhaloaromatic systems

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