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The article discusses the Overseers of the Poor group of local-level officials who were responsibly for implementing state laws regarding poverty and citizenship in the early republic era in America's Northeast region, and it mentions violations of poor laws, surveillance, and control. The powers of local government officials are assessed, as well as events in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, New York, New York, and Providence, Rhode Island.

The article discusses various aspects of employees' capacity for labor between 1791 and 1822 in the northeastern region of the United States, and it mentions the concept of disability as a social category and the formation of a labor force in America's Antebellum era. Able-bodied workers are addressed, as well as American manufacturing, work, and poor relief.

How can a professional identity persist when it is mismatched with the reality of work demands in one's first job? Existing theory suggests that new members of a profession should adapt their identities to align with their profession's and organization's goals. Using data from an ethnographic study of first-time hospital nurses, I develop the concept of idealized professional identities —identities rooted in the image and history of an occupation rather than in reality—and depict how these identities can persist through client interactions despite negative consequences. When left unchecked under the increasingly common conditions of weak on-the-job socialization, nurses in my study with idealized identities infantilized patients and purposefully avoided patients who denied their idealized identities even though these practices ran counter to the patient satisfaction and empowerment goals of the organization and nursing profession. The opportunity to enact cherished idealized identities with the few clients who granted them may have perpetuated these dynamics by supporting the retention of professionals who otherwise may have exited. This study suggests that socialization into a professional role may come not only from interactions with professional gatekeepers, peers, or organizational management but also from the internalization of idealized professional identities that may be kept alive through interactions with and about one's clients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2017, the National 4-H professional research, knowledge, and competencies (PRKC) taxonomy was updated reflecting the current needs of 4-H youth development professionals. Knowledge and skill gaps of 4-H professionals need to be identified to optimize resource allocation for professional development on the state and regional level. We developed a web-based self-assessment of the PRKC tool using Qualtrics, that evaluated the core competencies across the 6 PRKC domains: (a) youth development; (b) youth program development; (c) volunteerism; (d) equity, access, and opportunity; (e) partnerships; and (f) organizational systems. The responses from 188 Extension 4-H professionals (approximately a quarter of the 4-H Extension professionals in the Northeast region) were analyzed to (a) identify the knowledge and skills gaps in competencies within 6 domains, and (b) provide suggestions for professional development that would be of value to each state or region, based on the aggregate data. The results show respondents perceived their personal knowledge, skills, and competencies highest in the domains of access, equity, and opportunity and organizational systems. The domains with the lowest perceived personal effectiveness were youth program development and volunteerism. Not surprisingly, the aggregate results indicate that respondents with a greater number of years of experience in Extension reported higher competency in three domains (youth program development, volunteerism, and organizational systems). This tool can be utilized by Extension at any level to better understand the needs of the 4-H professional workforce. Results can aid the design of professional development opportunities to meet the knowledge and skill gaps identified among respondents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anxiety disorders are one of the most prevalent psychiatric disorders among adolescents and can be associated with long-term adverse outcomes if untreated. Our study examined the association between family functioning and symptoms of five anxiety disorders and the potential moderating role of trait mindfulness among adolescent boys and girls. The sample included 1333 adolescents ages 11–15 (Mage = 12.24; SD = 0.69; 51% girls; 52% non-Hispanic White) from the Northeast United States who completed a survey in the fall of 2016 and again in the spring of 2017. Multi-group path analyses were conducted to examine the association separately by gender. For boys, high mindfulness buffered the effect of low family support and high family conflict on the panic disorder (PD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), separation anxiety (SEP), and severe school avoidance (SSA). For girls, a cumulative effect of high mindfulness and high family support reduced symptoms for PD and SSA, whereas high mindfulness buffered the effect of low family cohesion on GAD and social anxiety disorder (SAD). Our findings highlight the importance of family functioning on anxiety disorders in adolescents and suggest trait mindfulness may serve as a potential buffer for anxiety in adolescent boys. Implications for these gender differences, potential benefits of socio-emotional learning instruction for adolescents, and future directions are explored. Highlights: Our study examines symptoms of five distinct anxiety disorders in adolescents. Family functioning during early adolescence is associated with anxiety symptoms in boys and girls. Mindfulness moderates the association between family functioning and anxiety symptoms differently for boys and girls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Can children exploit knowledge asymmetries to get away with selfishness? This question was addressed by testing 6‐ to 9‐year‐old children (N = 164; 81 girls) from the Northeastern United States in a modified Ultimatum Game. Children were assigned to the roles of proposers (who offered some proportion of an endowment) and responders (who could accept or reject offers). Both players in the Informed condition knew the endowment quantity in each trial. However, in the Uninformed condition, only proposers knew this information. In this condition, many proposers made "strategically selfish" offers that seemed fair based on the responders' incomplete knowledge but were actually highly selfish. These results indicate that even young children possess the ability to deceive others about their selfishness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many children demonstrate challenging behaviors, which can pose a risk for future behavior problems and negatively impact caregivers and teachers. Behavioral parent training (BPT) is an evidence-based practice that can prevent the negative outcomes associated with early disruptive behaviors. This intervention is primarily offered in clinic settings and thus may not reach the families who need it most. Schools may be a logical point of proactive family-focused intervention, given that implementation in schools may serve to overcome barriers associated with insurance, transportation, or stigma around mental health services. Unfortunately, there are few evaluations of BPT in schools, and most school-based programs include children directly in intervention with few specifically focusing on supporting caregivers. Our study shares acceptability and outcome data from a pilot evaluation of a BPT program titled Helping Our Toddlers, Developing Our Children's Skills (HOT DOCS) implemented in a school setting with 25 caregivers. A quasi-experimental pre-test post-test design was used to answer questions about caregiver- and child-related outcomes of the intervention and to examine acceptability and feasibility from the perspectives of caregivers and HOT DOCS co-facilitators. Results demonstrated decreased frequency and intensity of child challenging behavior, lower child-parent conflict, and reductions in parenting stress. We also had high acceptability ratings, positive qualitative feedback from caregivers and co-facilitators, and lower attrition than most clinic-based implementations of HOT DOCS. These pilot results suggest that school-based BPT is feasible and effective, and that further evaluation of the training and resources necessary for full implementation by school professionals are important. Highlights: Caregivers who participated in school-based behavioral parent training reported improved parenting stress and child-parent conflict. Caregiver reports of frequency and intensity of child challenging behavior decreased from pre- to post-intervention. Caregivers and program facilitators reported high acceptability and feasibility for behavioral parent training implemented in public schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Windstorms are a major natural hazard in many countries. The objective of this study is to identify and characterize intense windstorms during the last 4 decades in the US Northeast and determine both the sources of cyclones responsible for these events and the manner in which those cyclones differ from the cyclone climatology. The windstorm detection is based on the spatial extent of locally extreme wind speeds at 100 m height from the ERA5 reanalysis database. During the top 10 windstorms, wind speeds exceed their local 99.9th percentile over at least one-third of land-based ERA5 grid cells in this high-population-density region of the USA. Maximum sustained wind speeds at 100 m during these windstorms range from 26 to over 43 ms -1 , with wind speed return periods exceeding 6.5 to 106 years (considering the top 5 % of grid cells during each storm). Property damage associated with these storms, with inflation adjusted to January 2020, ranges from USD 24 million to over USD 29 billion. Two of these windstorms are linked to decaying tropical cyclones, three are Alberta clippers, and the remaining storms are Colorado lows. Two of the 10 re-intensified off the east coast, leading to development of nor'easters. These windstorms followed frequently observed cyclone tracks but exhibit maximum intensities as measured using 700 hPa relative vorticity and mean sea level pressure that is 5–10 times the mean values for cyclones that followed similar tracks over this 40-year period. The time evolution of wind speeds and concurrent precipitation for those windstorms that occurred after the year 2000 exhibit good agreement with in situ ground-based and remote sensing observations, plus storm damage reports, indicating that the ERA5 reanalysis data have a high degree of fidelity for large, damaging windstorms such as these. A larger pool of the top 50 largest windstorms exhibit evidence of only weak serial clustering, which is in contrast to the relatively strong serial clustering of windstorms in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The composite phrase our best places expresses what was at stake in early Indigenous struggles for self-determination and well-being and against colonial invasion in northeastern North America. This article critiques the colonial archive's representation of hypermasculine Native resistance by instead asking questions about women's labor and knowledge, diverse cultivated and foraged plants, and the place-based dimensions of food sovereignty. The Narragansett sachem Miantonomi's organizing activities across the Native Northeast in the early 1640s can be reframed and better understood by applying place-based methodologies to specific sites within the intertribal alliance--in this case, by centering Miantonomi's strong diplomatic and kinship ties at Suckiaug/Hartford and other Wangunk villages along the lower-middle Connecticut River. There, Wangunk women's knowledge of diverse wetland plants on the floodplains and in the Connecticut River's coves was integral to food sovereignty. Following recent work in Native American and Indigenous Studies (NAIS), and drawing on insights from archaeology, environmental history, and political ecology, this essay reconstructs an alternative version of Miantonomi's message to allies at Suckiaug and other inland freshwater sites, replacing colonial authorities' obsession with masculine assertions of Native power with more diverse and nuanced affirmations of gendered environmental knowledge, power over the best places, and collective sustenance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative research study was to explore male and female sports fandom through examining the prototype of a loyal National Football League (NFL) fan. Design/methodology/approach: Eighteen in-depth interviews were conducted with male and female participants who self-identified as NFL fans from the Midwest and Northeast regions of the US. Data were analyzed using open coding. Findings: Both female and male participants identified three common criteria for being a prototypical NFL fan: loyalty, knowledge and wearing of team apparel. The findings also demonstrated gender differences in both how a fan identifies a prototypical fan and how that dictates fan identity, attitudes and behavior. Additionally, prototypical fandom might need to be defined differently for males and females. Originality/value: This study contributes to the literature by exploring the perspectives of both genders of NFL fans and by providing a more balanced perspective of how males and females define prototypical fans and how each gender perceives the fan behavior of the opposite sex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulkhana anticline is located in Tuzhurmatu area, about 50 km SE of Kirkuk city. The study area forms a part of the Zagros Folded Zone which is situated in the unstable shelf of Iraq within the physiographic zone called Foothill Zone (in the middle of Hemrin- Makhul subzone). The north eastern limb of the anticline reaches to 50ᵒ and the dip of the south western limb reaches to 70ᵒ. The core of the structure comprises the rocks of Fat’ha Formation surrounded by rocks of Injana and Mukdadiya Formations, whereas Bai-Hasan Formation forms the slopes of the low hills surrounding the anticline. These Formations range in age from Middle Miocene to Pliocene. More than 761 readings of joint planes were collected from 20 stations within 5 traverses in the study area. The study of joint sets and system was within Injana and Mukhdadiya formations, along traverses with 3-5 stations for each travers track. The results showed the presence of two sets of tension joints (bc, ac) and five sets of shear joints, through defining the maximum stress axis (σ1) and acute angle dividers for these conjugate joints. It was determined that two directions of Paleostress are present in the area, which are NE-SW and NW-SE. The direction of the first major stress (NE-SW) is orthogonal with, or normal to, the fold axis in the study area, which can be considered as a horizontal component which resulted from oblique collision of Arabian and Eurasian Plates. This old compressive stress is the reason behind the formation of the tension joint (ac) and shear joints, where the sets (ac) and system are perpendicular-semi perpendicular to the bedding plane, as they were formed at an early stage of folding. Also, the ) joint was formed in five tectonic stages with different time intervals. Joints formed in different tectonic stages, in the study area, are attributed to oblique collision of Arabian and Eurasian plates and counter clockwise rotation of Arabian plate relative to Eruasian plate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mineral dust is known to affect cloud and precipitation by serving as ice nuclei, and an increasing number of modeling studies have explicitly related ice nucleation with the dust number concentrations. We examine the seasonal variations and the long‐term trend of dust number concentrations over the northeastern United States (NEUS) during 2000–2017, based on results from a global chemical transport model with size‐resolved particle microphysics (GEOS‐Chem/APM). Comparisons with observations show that GEOS‐Chem/APM can capture most of the strong dust events in the NEUS. The model results indicate that mineral dusts over the NEUS are dominated by dust transported in the lower and middle troposphere (from 2 to 6 km). The number concentrations of dust larger than 500 nm (ND,d > 500nm) vary by over 2 orders of magnitude from nondust‐transport days to event days, and ND,d > 500nm in different seasons can vary by 1 order of magnitude. The frequencies of dust events also show seasonal variation, with most annually top 50% dust events in spring and early summer (March–June) and in fall and early winter (September–December), and stronger dust events mainly in March–June. From 2000 to 2017, the springtime dust event days decrease by about 50% (above‐average dust events), 76% (top 10% events), and 85% (top 5% events), and ND,d > 500nm of strong events decreases by about 50%. Our analysis indicates that these decrease trends are caused by the declining Asian dust loading. The frequencies of dust events in summer have a weaker decreasing trend, and there is no obvious tendency in other seasons. Key Points: Using the GEOS‐Chem/APM model, we studied the long‐term properties of dust number concentration in the northeastern United StatesIn the northeastern United States, mineral dust shows significant seasonal variations, and spring dust events have the highest dust number concentration and frequencyIn the northeastern United States, the dust number concentrations and frequencies of spring strong dust events have significant decreasing trend from 2000 to 2017 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asian earthworms in the pheretimoid group are currently invading hardwood forests in the northeastern USA. Population studies of these earthworms typically focus on life stages after hatching. However, the more cryptic part of these populations, cocoons, has largely been ignored. This paper is concentrating on cocoon abundance of two pheretimoid species through the year, and on identifying their readiness to hatch as determined by the presence of embryos that were well-advanced in their development. We wanted to know when viable cocoons were present and what their embryonic development was. We found that unhatched cocoons and ready-to-hatch embryos were present all year round. At the Horticultural Research Center of the University of Vermont, A. tokioensis cocoon abundance (mean ± standard error) varied between 1203 ± 167 m−2 in the winter and 498 ± 79 m−2 in the summer. Here A. agrestis varied between 439 ± 62 m−2 in the spring and 722 ± 70 m−2 in the fall. At another site dominated by A. agrestis , cocoon abundance varied between 753 ± 150 m−2 in the spring and 1386 ± 167 m−2 in the winter. Cocoon production was estimated at about 0.6 cocoons per worm per day. We raise the question whether cocoons have a longer-term survival function beyond overwintering of the population, akin to the function of the seed bank of annual plants. • High abundance of cocoons with ready-to-hatch embryos are found all year round, suggesting presence of a cocoon bank. • Ready-to-hatch embryos may hatch even in the winter during warming episodes. • Amynthas tokioensis cocoon abundance was greatest in the winter and lowest in summer. • Amynthas agrestis cocoon abundance was lowest in spring and greatest in fall and winter. • Cocoon development and hatching phenology may be linked to accumulation of growing degree days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatiotemporal variability in ozone dry deposition is often overlooked despite its implications for interpreting and modeling tropospheric ozone concentrations accurately. Understanding the influences of stomatal versus nonstomatal deposition processes on ozone deposition velocity is important for attributing observed changes in the ozone depositional sink and associated damage to ecosystems. Here, we aim to identify the stomatal versus nonstomatal deposition processes driving observed variability in ozone deposition velocity over the northeastern United States during June–September. We use ozone eddy covariance measurements from Harvard Forest in Massachusetts, which span a decade, and from Kane Experimental Forest in Pennsylvania and Sand Flats State Forest in New York, which span one growing season each, along with observation‐driven modeling. Using a cumulative precipitation indicator of soil wetness, we infer that high soil uptake during dry years and low soil uptake during wet years may contribute to the twofold interannual variability in ozone deposition velocity at Harvard Forest. We link stomatal deposition and humidity to variability in ozone deposition velocity on daily timescales. The humidity dependence may reflect higher uptake by leaf cuticles under humid conditions, noted in previous work. Previous work also suggests that uptake by leaf cuticles may be enhanced after rain, but we find that increases in ozone deposition velocity on rainy days are instead mostly associated with increases in stomatal conductance. Our analysis highlights a need for constraints on subseasonal variability in ozone dry deposition to soil and fast in‐canopy chemistry during ecosystem stress. Key Points: Stomatal and cuticular deposition are inferred as drivers of day‐to‐day variability in deposition velocityHigher stomatal uptake increases deposition velocity on rainy daysObserved interannual variability at Harvard Forest may reflect enhanced ozone deposition to dry soil [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The supply of nitrogen is a primary limiting factor for the productivity of the Northeast United States (NEUS) continental shelf. In this study, a 12‐year (1996–2007) retrospective physical‐biogeochemical simulation over the Northwest Atlantic was used to analyze the mean and seasonal NEUS shelf nitrogen budget, including the connections between shelf subregions: the Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank (GoM/GB), and the Mid‐Atlantic Bight (MAB). The model captures the primary mean and seasonal patterns of shelf circulation, nitrate, and plankton dynamics. Results confirm aspects of previous nitrogen budget analyses, including the dominance of offshore nitrogen influxes into the GoM/GB and the prominent role of riverine influxes and sedimentary denitrification in the MAB. However, detailed spatiotemporal analysis of nitrogen fluxes highlights the importance of dispersed inflows of shallow to intermediate depth waters (0–75 m), which can at times exceed the deep nitrogen influx emphasized in previous studies. A seasonal analysis shows a pronounced shift from the net import of nitrogen to the GoM/GB region during late fall and winter, to the net export of nitrogen from the region in the spring and early summer. The MAB, in contrast, consistently exports nitrogen to offshore waters. The prominence of the 0‐75m nitrogen supply has implications for the roles of Labrador Slope Water and Atlantic Temperate Slope Water on the NEUS ecosystems, as Atlantic Temperate Slope Water has greater nitrate concentrations than Labrador Slope Water at depth but often less at the surface. Results suggest the need for further study of shallow to intermediate depth inflows beyond those from the Scotian Shelf, particularly during the fall/winter of net nitrogen inflow. Key Points: A high‐resolution physical‐biogeochemical simulation of the Northwest Atlantic is used to analyze the NEUS shelf nitrogen budgetInflows from shallow to intermediate depths (0‐75 m) are important for the total nitrogen fluxes to the NEUS shelfSeasonal variations in advective exchanges with the open ocean lead to large seasonal changes in the NEUS shelf total nitrogen [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) from pollution sources is thought to be a minor component of organic aerosol (OA) and fine particulate matter beyond the urban scale. Here we present airborne observations of OA in the northeastern United States, showing that 58% of OA over the region during winter is secondary and originates from pollution sources. We observed a doubling of OA mass from SOA formation in aged emissions, with unexpected similarity to OA growth observed in polluted areas in the summer. A regional model with a simple SOA parameterization based on summer measurements reproduces these winter observations and shows that pollution SOA is widespread, accounting for 14% of submicron particulate matter in near‐surface air. This source of particulate matter is largely unaccounted for in air quality management in the northeastern United States and other polluted areas. Plain Language Summary: Organic aerosol is a major contributor to fine particulate matter concentrations. The wintertime sources of organic aerosols in polluted areas have remained uncertain because of a lack of regional‐scale measurements. We made aircraft‐based observations of organic aerosols over the northeastern United States during winter. We observed that a majority of organic aerosols consist of secondary organic aerosols that form in the atmosphere from gases emitted from pollution sources. Prior to our measurements, the expectation was that wintertime pollution sources of secondary organic aerosols are minor outside urban areas. Our results show that their influence is ubiquitous over the entire eastern United States, and a better understanding of these sources can help in developing effective policies to reduce wintertime air pollution. Key Points: Fifty‐eight percent of wintertime organic aerosol in the northeastern U.S. is secondary organic aerosol from pollution sourcesObserved photochemical growth rate of organic aerosol is well reproduced by a simple parameterization based on past summer measurementsModel shows that secondary organic aerosols from pollution sources are widespread making up 14% of submicron particles near surface [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Data harmonized from several structurally complex, mixed-species experimental forests. • Distance-dependent competition metrics included sophisticated light interception indices. • No general superiority of distance-dependent competition metrics over distance-independent counterparts. • Modest improvements for ΔDBH in shade-tolerant trees of lower crown classes post-harvest. • Model complexity strong factor affecting distance-dependent competition metric performance. Abstract Most studies comparing the predictive performance of distance-independent and -dependent competition metrics have been conducted in even-aged, single species stands. In addition, past studies have generally not considered more sophisticated distance-dependent competition metrics such as open sky-view or light interception indices. Using data from fully stem mapped inventory plots (n = 260) established in structurally complex, mixed-species experimental forests (n = 5) in the Northeastern US, we evaluated prediction performance of one- and two-sided distance-dependent as well as more conventional distance-independent competition metrics in both annualized diameter increment (n = 1735) and probability of survival models (n = 1953) developed across 26 contrasting softwood and hardwood species. Prediction accuracy of non-spatial and spatial models was further assessed by classifying observations by species shade-tolerance, relative tree height, time since harvest, and tree clumping. Our analyses revealed no general superiority of distance-dependent competition metrics over their distance-independent counterparts for either diameter increment or survival, which was particularly true for the latter variable. Distance-dependent metrics tended to outperform distance-independent ones for observations from shade-tolerant species, trees of lower crown classes, and immediately after harvest. However, results on the comparative analysis of the predictive power of the different types of competition metrics under varying stand conditions and situations were often inconsistent and not always conclusive. In addition, model complexity, i.e. number of non-spatial explanatory variables in the base model, strongly affected the performance of distance-dependent competition metrics. Our findings thus appear to support the critical assumption that distance-independent competition metrics are sufficient for most operational growth and yield applications, even in managed, naturally-regenerated and species rich forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Turtles are one of the most threatened groups of vertebrates worldwide. In the northeastern United States, a legacy of centuries of dramatic landscape alteration has affected freshwater turtle populations, but the relationships between the current landscape and distributions and abundances of freshwater turtles remain poorly understood. We used a stratified random approach to select 88 small, isolated wetlands across a gradient of forest cover throughout Rhode Island, USA, and systematically sampled freshwater turtles in these wetlands. We report estimates of relative abundance and used a canonical correspondence analysis to investigate relationships between species relative abundance and environmental covariates. We also investigated which environmental covariates affect the occurrence and detection probabilities of each species. Eastern painted turtles (Chrysemys picta picta) and common snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina) were widespread (occurring in 83% and 63% of wetlands, respectively) and relatively abundant. Spotted turtles (Clemmys guttata) were far less common, occurring in 8% of wetlands, and exhibited a positive association with shallow wetlands surrounded by forest. Non‐native red‐eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans) occurred in 10% of wetlands and exhibited a positive association with road density, likely reflecting a positive relationship between slider occurrence and human population density. Identifying landscape‐scale habitat features that are associated with the occurrence of sensitive species can improve the ability of biologists to identify and protect turtle populations. © 2018 The Wildlife Society. A landscape gradient analysis of freshwater turtle distribution and abundance provides strong empirical evidence that spotted turtles are negatively affected by human‐dominated landscapes and red‐eared sliders are found in areas of high human population density. Snapping turtles and painted turtles are found across the landscape gradient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the study, we investigate determinants of individual fishing quota (IFQ) lease price and transfer of permanent share in the General Category Scallop fishery of the Northeastern United States. A unique micro data set on individual IFQ transactions and related vessel-level fishing profit information for the six-year time period, fishing years 2010–2015, was used to estimate models of aggregate IFQ lease markets and individual transactions. We find that IFQ lease price is affected by the marginal profit of scallop fishing as well as macro-economic conditions. Results of the analysis also suggest that the price for IFQ asset transfers captures the capitalized profits in the fishery over time. Overall, IFQ market performance is in general agreement with economic theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Workers' and managers' perception of their roles as employee owners, financial partners, and joint decision makers were examined in a furniture factory purchased by its employees through a corporate divestiture. Worker owners in general considered management as the true owners of the firm, did not see themselves as partners, and preferred an internal distribution of power that favored management over power equalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article tells the story of the Harvard Commission on Western History (1912–1920) and its principal collector, Thomas P. Martin, a graduate student of Frederick Jackson Turner. Martin attempted to parlay his western background into donations to Harvard Library's western history collection, but many westerners objected to sharing their archival material with an elite eastern institution. Martin's correspondence reveals how western collectors viewed and imagined the U.S. East, suggesting an East of the imagination as rich in potential for study as the imagined West. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many natural and non-natural hazards threaten food security, especially in urban areas where growing populations place extra demands on the food supply. Ensuring stable food security before, during, and after disasters requires resilient food systems that can withstand and recover from disruptions. However, few U.S. cities have considered food systems in disaster preparedness or resilience planning. This reflective case study from the participant-observer perspective examines the process and outcomes of a city-university collaboration to assess and begin to improve the resilience of Baltimore City's food system. An academic center and municipal department of planning partnered to assess and plan for shortand long-term food system resilience. An Emergency Food Working Group convened for three meetings over three months, resulting in the creation of an emergency food access protocol for acute event response. A broader Baltimore Food System Resilience Advisory Report was then developed based on 36 key-informant interviews with food system stakeholders, literature reviews, and geographic information system (GIS) mapping. That report included an assessment of the Baltimore City food system's vulnerability to hazards, the extent of stakeholder preparedness for food supply disruptions, and identified opportunities for enhancing long-term food system resilience. It presented policy recommendations for Baltimore and a framework for conceptualizing food system vulnerabilities. Policy recommendations and lessons learned from this planning process can serve as an example for other cities interested in enhancing the resilience of their food system or broadening the scope of their resilience planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Despite the importance both in an ecological and management context, much uncertainty remains about the underlying factors controlling spawning ground use in marine fish. Here, we investigate how spawning ground use of Northeast Arctic (NEA) haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) has changed over time. By combining data from a Soviet‐Russian egg survey conducted over a 35 year period (1959–1993) with a biophysical drift model, we estimate annual median spawning latitudes of NEA haddock. Furthermore, we test for statistical association between the median latitude of spawning and covariates that are candidates for shaping the spawning distribution of haddock. The results indicate no association with temperature, as measured at the Kola transect, or demographic structure, as measured by the mean weight of spawners. However, we find a positive and significant association between spawning latitude and spawning stock biomass, indicating that density‐dependence may be more important in shaping spawning location than other factors such as temperature and demographic structure. A potential mechanism for the reported effect of spawning stock biomass may act through the distribution at the feeding grounds, which is reported to expand north‐ and eastwards at high population density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significant changes in emission sources have occurred in the northeastern United States over the past decade, due in part to the implementation of emissions standards, the introduction and addition of abatement technologies for road transport, changes in fuel sulfur content for road and non-road transport, as well as economic impacts of a major recession and differential fuel prices. These changes in emission scenarios likely affected the concentrations of airborne submicron particles. This study investigated the characteristics of 11–500 nm particle number concentrations and their size spectra in Rochester, NY during the past 15 years (2002 to 2016). The modal structure, diurnal, weekly and monthly patterns of particle number concentrations are analyzed. Long-term trends are quantified using seasonal-trend decomposition procedures based on “Loess”, Mann-Kendall regression with Theil-Sen slope and piecewise regression. Particle concentrations underwent significant ( p < 0.05) downward trends. An annual decrease of −323 particles/cm 3 /y (−4.6%/y) was estimated for the total particle number concentration using Theil-Sen analysis. The trends were driven mainly by the decrease in particles in the 11–50 nm range (−181 particles/cm 3 /y; −4.7%/y). Slope changes were investigated annually and seasonally. Piecewise regression found different slopes for different portions of the overall period with the strongest declines between 2005 and 2011/2013, followed by small upward trends between 2013 and 2016 for most size bins, possibly representing increased vehicular traffic after the recovery from the 2008 recession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are highly lipophilic components of brominated flame retardants that are environmentally persistent and bioaccumulate. PBDEs are taken up from the gastrointestinal tract and accumulate mainly in fat depots and liver tissues. Seal species inhabiting Arctic and sub-Arctic regions can have upwards of 30% of their body mass composed of blubber. When those blubber stores are mobilized for energy, stored toxicants are also released into circulation. Most studies reporting accumulation of PBDEs in seals have focused on harbor and grey seals with few examining harp and hooded seals. In this study, PBDEs concentrations were analyzed in seal blubber from 21 stranded harp and 9 stranded hooded seals sampled along the northeast coast of the U.S. (1999–2010). A PBDE congener profile was determined for each individual. The results show that both species of seals are accumulating PBDEs with BDE-47 being the dominant congener. Mean ƩPBDE concentrations in harp seals were 70.55 ± 33.59 ng/g ww and for hooded seals 94.28 ± 42.65 ng/g ww. The results of this study are consistent with previous studies reporting a decrease in bioaccumulation with an increase in bromination. For both species, BDE-47 represented the highest percentage of the ƩPBDEs, composing over 50% of the ƩPBDEs in harp seals. When compared to stranding condition code, animals found alive had overall higher PBDE concentrations than those found in a state of moderate decomposition. This difference could be due to decreased blubber levels in the decomposed animals or potential degradation of the compounds in the blubber. Almost all seals used in this study were yearlings which is the most likely age class to strand. Yearling seals are at a crucial stage of development, especially of their immune system, which can be impacted by high levels of contaminants like PBDEs and increase the susceptibility to disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Approximately 15,000 persons aged <20 years receive a cancer diagnosis each year in the United States (1). National surveillance data could provide understanding of geographic variation in occurrence of new cases to guide public health planning and investigation (2,3). Past research on pediatric cancer incidence described differences by U.S. Census region but did not provide state-level estimates (4). To adequately describe geographic variation in cancer incidence among persons aged <20 years in the United States, CDC analyzed data from United States Cancer Statistics (USCS) during 2003-2014 and identified 171,432 cases of pediatric cancer during this period (incidence = 173.7 cases per 1 million persons). The cancer types with the highest incidence rates were leukemias (45.7), brain tumors (30.9), and lymphomas (26.2). By U.S. Census region, pediatric cancer incidence was highest in the Northeast (188.0) and lowest in the South (168.0), whereas by state (including the District of Columbia [DC]), rates were highest in New Hampshire, DC, and New Jersey. Among non-Hispanic whites (whites) and non-Hispanic blacks (blacks), pediatric cancer incidence was highest in the Northeast, and the highest rates among Hispanics were in the South. The highest rates of leukemia were in the West, and the highest rates of lymphoma and brain tumors were in the Northeast. State-based differences in pediatric cancer incidence could guide interventions related to accessing care (e.g., in states with large distances to pediatric oncology centers), clinical trial enrollment, and state or regional studies designed to further explore variations in cancer incidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are underrepresented fields in both undergraduate-level (UG) and graduate-level public health (PH) professional preparation in the United States. Demand for employment and a diversified work force in PH is growing. To understand how well UG students are aware of and knowledgeable about PH, a survey was conducted at a large urban statewide public university in the Northeastern United States. Students solicited to participate in the anonymous online survey conducted in PsychData were first- and second-year undeclared major UG students during March to April 2015 (spring semester). Of 138 consenting respondents, there were 101 validated, complete sets of responses. Variables included student course enrollment, whether parental occupation influences student choice of majors, and perceived quality of available curricula. More UG students were enrolled in introductory statistics among the PH-related courses asked about; those courses fulfilled multiple UG major requirements and could play greater roles in student awareness of PH, that is, opportunities via PH faculty/staff/guest lectures. Implications of findings include providing students hands-on experiences late in high school and early UG years, and advisors mentioning PH to students interested in basic sciences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term, continuous digital camera imagery and tower-based radiometric monitoring were conducted at a representative hardwood forest site in the Northeastern United States, part of the AmeriFlux network. In this study, the phenological metrics of the leaf area index (LAI), plant area index (PAI) and associated transition dates (e.g., timing of the onset of leaf expansion and the cessation of leaf fall) were compared using 4-year of data from Bartlett Experimental Forest. We used digital repeat photography (DRP) imagery collected using two different methods (“canopy cover” and “phenocam” approaches), together with above- and below-canopy measurements of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). The growth-period LAI estimated from canopy cover images (LAI CANOPY ) and the above and below canopy PAR measurements (LAI fPARt ) were within approximately the same range, in term of magnitude, as previous results for multiple comparative methods, although growing-season LAI CANOPY was slightly lower (3.11 m 2 m −2 to 3.35 m 2 m −2 ) than LAI fPARt (3.19 m 2 m −2 to 3.67 m 2 m −2 ). In addition, we derived phenological transition dates from PAI CANOPY , PAI fPARt , and color-based metrics calculated from the phenocam imagery (green (G CC ) and red (R CC ) chromatic coordinates). The transition dates in both spring and autumn differed somewhat according to method, presumably due to the vegetation status detection abilities of each vegetation metric. We found that LAI estimation from canopy cover images may be influenced by automatic exposure settings, which limits the ability to detect subtle changes in phenology during the transition phases in both spring and autumn. Particularly in autumn, the color-based metrics calculated from the phenocam imagery are decoupled from leaf area dynamics and thus PAI. While above and below canopy PAR measurements could yield the better indicators for estimating LAI, its seasonal dynamics, and associated phenological transition dates in long-term monitoring, we argue that there are obvious benefits to the multi-sensor approach used here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change may both exacerbate the vulnerabilities and open up new opportunities for farming in the Northeastern USA. Among the opportunities are double-cropping and new crop options that may come with warmer temperatures and a longer frost-free period. However, prolonged periods of spring rains in recent years have delayed planting and offset the potentially beneficial longer frost-free period. Water management will be a serious challenge for Northeast farmers in the future, with projections for increased frequency of heavy rainfall events, as well as projections for more frequent summer water deficits than this historically humid region has experienced in the past. Adaptations to increase resilience to such changes include expanded irrigation capacity, modernized water monitoring and irrigation scheduling, farm drainage systems that collect excess rain into ponds for use as a water source during dry periods, and improved soil water holding capacity and drainage. Among the greatest vulnerabilities over the next several decades for the economically important perennial fruit crop industry of the region is an extended period of spring frost risk associated with warmer winter and early spring temperatures. Improved real-time frost warning systems, careful site selection for new plantings, and use of misting, wind machine, or other frost protection measures will be important adaptation strategies. Increased weed and pest pressure associated with longer growing seasons and warmer winters is another increasingly important challenge. Pro-active development of non-chemical control strategies, improved regional monitoring, and rapid-response plans for targeted control of invasive weeds and pests will be necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]