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A Message from the Editors
Get PDFAn introduction from the founding co-editors to the third issue of Amplify: A Journal of Writing-as-Activism: Volume 3, Issue 1: Writing-as-Activism in a Time of Destruction
Phase of the Seabed Frequency-Domain Reflection Coefficient: Measurements and Modeling
Get PDFThe phase of the seabed frequency-domain reflection coefficient potentially contains valuable information on the geoacoustic properties in a layered/refracting seabed. However, heretofore, the phase has not been exploited. Measurements of phase are presented in an area of thick mud at the New England Mud Patch. In addition, a model is presented along with the modeling results. While this is only a first step towards understanding the potential value of exploiting the phase, it seems clear that in some instances, the phase not only contains valuable geoacoustic information, but carries a higher information content than the magnitude
Uncovering the Diversity of Bats in the Mbam Minkom Massif, Cameroon: Insights into the Importance of Tropical Inselbergs
Get PDFWe report the results of two expeditions (2019 and 2022) to the Mbam Minkom Massif (Centre Region, Cameroon), focused on an assessment of the montane area\u27s bat fauna. We describe bat species\u27 richness and highlight the incredible diversity and ecological importance of this highly threatened ecosystem. Across both years, we captured a total of 36 bat species representing 21 genera and six families on Mbam Minkom Massif and in the surrounding lowland forest. Our findings include two new species records for Cameroon, and two additional records of the recently described bat, Pseudoromicia mbamminkom. We provide accounts for all captured species, including new locality records, detailed capture locations, and notable taxonomic and distributional observations, as well as echolocation call data. Sampling curves suggest adequate sampling coverage, yet also the potential non-detection of several bat species, highlighting the need for further fieldwork to develop a comprehensive species checklist. Conservation strategies are urgently needed to protect this vital ecosystem and mitigate both the loss of forest cover and consequent species loss. Our findings illustrate the importance of the Mbam Minkom Massif and the need to better understand and conserve inselberg ecosystems within rainforests that are facing intense anthropogenic pressures
Monitoring and Modeling Legacy Tree Response to Restoration Treatments in the Klamath Mountains, Oregon, USA
Get PDFClimate change and its disruption of historical drought and wildfire patterns pose a substantial threat to forest health in the western United States. This threat is compounded by past management practices like fire suppression. The largest, oldest, and most ecologically valuable trees are particularly vulnerable, making their conservation a key objective of climate-adaptive forest management. Restoration treatments such as mechanical thinning have been shown to enhance tree growth and drought resilience in dry conifer forests, but long-term monitoring is necessary to understand their sustained effects. This study used dendroecological tree-ring analysis to investigate the effects of thinning on the growth, vigor, and resilience of large old trees. Four species were sampled in 2022 from the Ashland watershed in Southwestern Oregon, which underwent variable-intensity thinning from 2011-2013 as part of the Ashland Forest Resiliency Stewardship project. Results revealed that legacy tree growth generally declined over the past decade due to extreme drought, but thinning mitigated drought impacts for some species by improving resistance to growth decline or slowing reductions. Treatment responses were species-specific, with Pinus ponderosa showing improved drought resistance, Pinus lambertiana exhibiting temporary growth release followed by decline, and Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii and Arbutus menziesii displaying inconclusive or masked responses. Thinning effects also varied by topoclimatic conditions, with moderately dry sites showing the most significant improvements for P. menziesii and P. ponderosa, while P. lambertiana benefited most at wet sites. Overall, findings suggest that thinning can enhance vigor and drought resilience in some legacy tree species, but its efficacy depends on species traits, site conditions, and treatment intensity
Global Patterns of Coseismic Landslide Runout Mobility Differ from Aseismic Landslide Trends
Get PDFCoseismic landslides significantly contribute to human and economic losses during and immediately following earthquakes, yet very little data on the runout of such landslides exist. While well-established behavior of aseismic (e.g., hydrologically triggered) landslide runout mobility suggests strong correlation between landslide size and mobility, limited studies of coseismic landslide runout find conflicting mobility trends. We present a global dataset of runout lengths produced from a new automated method for estimating landslide runout, developed and validated using 1726 manually mapped landslides from five unique earthquakes. We then apply the automated runout tool to 23 global earthquake-induced landslide inventories, producing a compiled database of 73,665 measured and estimated runout lengths of coseismic landslides to assess mobility trends. We find a significant divergence between well-established aseismic mobility trends and that of coseismic landslides, with far greater scatter and more complex mobility patterns in earthquake-triggered landslides. As a function of landslide size, we observe global coseismic landslide mobility patterns are bilinear, becoming increasingly less mobile with increasing size above some threshold. This discordance between aseismic and coseismic landslide mobility may be a function of landslide type, kinematics, hydrology, and or setting that systematically differ between triggering mechanisms and should be explored in more depth to develop predictive models of these unique runout patterns. These results suggest hazard and risk models for coseismic landslides may significantly under-predict or over-predict impacts, depending on the size of triggered landslides
Cardiometabolic Multimorbidity and Dementia Onset Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults: Differences by Race/ethnicity.
Get PDFRacial/ethnic minoritized groups in the U.S. have higher prevalence of cardiometabolic multimorbidity and experience higher risk of dementia. This study evaluates the relationship between cardiometabolic multimorbidity and dementia onset according to racial/ethnic group in a nationally representative cohort of U.S. middle-aged and older adults
Working Paper No. 88, Algorithms and Thorstein Veblen’s ‘Machine Process’
Get PDFThis inquiry seeks to establish that the ‘machine process’ which Thorstein Veblen introduced into the Economics literature back in 1904, exhibits similarities to algorithms that are readily found in contemporary times--more than one hundred years on. In The Theory of Business Enterprise [1904] (2005), Veblen defines the machine process as a system that prioritizes efficiency, standardization, and automation. Relatedly, this inquiry argues that algorithms are based upon similar principles and exhibit similar tendencies that yield similar outcomes. Additionally, this inquiry explores the institutional role of algorithms, elaborating upon how their increasing prevalence and solidification might serve to enhance efficiency in such areas as financial systems, hiring processes, consumer markets, and the like. Furthermore, it shall be argued that much like the machine process which Veblen detailed, algorithms should also be understood as further reinforcing structures that serve to perpetuate and even exacerbate social inequalities. As uses of algorithms expand for shaping decision-making processes, concerns over fairness, accessibility, and ethical accountability become increasingly urgent. While algorithms appear to serve as powerful tools promoting economic progress, their unchecked advances should be examined critically for promoting tendencies that further exacerbate and entrench social hierarchies
Do Gun-Purchase Waiting Periods Save Lives?
Get PDFWe study the impact of gun-purchase waiting periods on suicide rates using county-level mortality data from 1991-2019. We find that waiting periods are associated with a reduction in both firearm and overall suicide rates of approximately 5% and 2%, respectively. Novelly, we find that counties that are within 50 miles from a state without a waiting period experience no statistically significant reduction in suicides. Our findings reveal that the decrease in suicides under a waiting period is driven by counties that are more than 50 miles from a non-restricted neighboring state
Book Review of, In Our Backyard: Keeyask and the Legacy of Hydroelectric Development
Get PDFBook Review of: In Our Backyard: Keeyask and the Legacy of Hydroelectric Development. Edited by Aimée Craft and Jill Blakley. Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press, 2022. 422 pages. 22.50 e-book
Working Paper No. 93, The Father, the Son, and the ‘Sulphuric’ Spirit: Reflections upon Gunnar Myrdal\u27s Early Writings Dealing with J. M. Keynes, Plus the ‘Great Recession’
Get PDFThis inquiry explores Gunnar Myrdal\u27s contributions to counter-cyclical fiscal policy, emphasizing his belief in accumulating surpluses during economic growth and deploying them during downturns. The first section discusses Myrdal\u27s critique of traditional austerity measures, advocating for transparency in deficit spending and highlighting the psychological impact of fiscal policy. The second section compares Myrdal’s views with John Maynard Keynes’, noting their shared concerns regarding unemployment while emphasizing Myrdal\u27s focus on social equity and institutional reform. The final section applies Myrdal’s framework to the U.S. response to the Great Recession, analyzing the limitations of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and advocating for more proactive fiscal measures