Using social network analysis to examine gun violence.

Research has found gun violence is a social contagion that spreads from one individual to another. To understand the social networks of violence, previous research has used social network analysis, a tool that explores the relationships between social actors. Most of the prior research uses coarrest data and incident reports to produce social networks.

Improving CLM5.0 Biomass and Carbon Exchange Across the Western United States Using a Data Assimilation System.

The Western United States is dominated by natural lands that play a critical role for carbon balance, water quality, and timber reserves. This region is also particularly vulnerable to forest mortality from drought, insect attack, and wildfires, thus requiring constant monitoring to assess ecosystem health. Carbon monitoring techniques are challenged by the complex mountainous terrain, thus there is an opportunity for data assimilation systems that combine land surface models and satellite-derived observations to provide improved carbon monitoring.

Predicting Violent Victimization Using Social Network Analysis From Police Data.

Extant research suggests that membership in crime networks explains vulnerability to violent crime victimization. Consequently, identifying deviant social networks and understanding their structure and individual members' role in them could provide insight into victimization risk. Identifying social networks may help tailor crime prevention strategies to mitigate victimization risks and dismantle deviant networks.

Constraining estimates of terrestrial carbon uptake: new opportunities using long-term satellite observations and data assimilation.

The response of terrestrial carbon uptake to increasing atmospheric [CO ], that is the CO fertilization effect (CFE), remains a key area of uncertainty in carbon cycle science. Here we provide a perspective on how satellite observations could be better used to understand and constrain CFE. We then highlight data assimilation (DA) as an effective way to reconcile different satellite datasets and systematically constrain carbon uptake trends in Earth System Models.

Risk and protective factors associated with gang-involved youth in Trinidad and Tobago.

Objectives: To examine the prevalence of gang involvement, the risk and protective factors associated with gang involvement, and the association between gang involvement and exposure to multiple risk and protective factors among school-aged youth in Trinidad and Tobago.

Methods: A survey instrument was administered to 2 206 students enrolled in 22 high-risk, urban public schools, from March-June 2006. It measured 30 risk factors and 13 protective factors within four domains: community, school, family, and peer-individual, plus levels of alcohol/drug use and delinquency.

Stillbirths in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Analysis of the recorded stillbirths at Commonwealth Health Center (CHC) in the CNMI are reported here, together with maternal age, gravidity, parity and ethnicity, prenatal care adequacy, gestational age, birthweight, delivery type and location, and presence of known complicating factors. This report spans an 11 year period from the opening of CHC in 1986 through 1996. Comparison is made to prior reports of aggregate birth trends and prenatal care usage in the CNMI.

Prenatal care in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Adequacy of prenatal care is assessed in this retrospective analysis of the births occurring in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) from 1986 - 1996. Overall, adequacy of prenatal care has not changed significantly, despite a large increase in population and births. Adequacy was measured by assessing trimester of prenatal care onset as well as total number of visits.