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Homeowner wildfire risk mitigation and preparedness are important components of community wildfire readiness. This report describes the data collected through two efforts conducted in the Funny River, Alaska, study area: (1) parcel-level rapid wildfire risk assessments performed by trained assessors and (2) homeowner surveys in which respondents provided self-assessments of their parcel-level wildfire risk. This project was undertaken to support the Kenai Peninsula Borough Office of Emergency Management and Central Emergency Services to inform decisions about wildfire adaptation. The household surveys explored the social dimensions of wildfire, including understanding of wildfire risk, outreach or communication preferences, mitigation and evacuation preparedness activities, and perceptions of community risk reduction strategies. Overall, the study indicated a community that was engaged in preparing for and mitigating the risk of wildfire; however, more mitigation work with respect to defensible space and home hardening could help reduce overall wildfire risk. 

Homeowner wildfire risk mitigation and preparedness are important components of community wildfire readiness. This report describes the data collected through two efforts conducted in the Cooper Landing, Funny River, and Nikiski, on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska: (1) parcel-level rapid wildfire risk assessments performed by trained assessors and (2) homeowner surveys in which respondents provided self-assessments of their parcel-level wildfire risk. This project was undertaken (2023-2024) to support the Kenai Peninsula Borough Office of Emergency Management (KPB OEM) and Cooper Landing Emergency Services (CLES), Central Emergency Services, and Nikiski Fire Department to inform decisions about wildfire adaptation. The household surveys explored the social dimensions of wildfire, including understanding of wildfire risk, outreach or communication preferences, mitigation and evacuation preparedness activities, and perceptions of community risk reduction strategies. Overall, the study indicated a community that was engaged in preparing for and mitigating the risk of wildfire; however, more mitigation work with respect to defensible space and home hardening could help reduce overall wildfire risk. The WiRē Approach is an innovative approach to integrate local social science into wildfire education and mitigation programs. The approach involves the systematic collection of parcel level wildfire risk and social data for a community. This dataset includes parcel level wildfire risk data (rapid wildfire risk assessment or RA data) and social data (household survey or HS data), paired at the household level where possible. This spreadsheet contains the following tabs: --Project data for Rounds: 24a, 24b, 24c, collected 2023-2024 on the Kenai Peninsula in three study communities (Cooper Landing, Funny River, Nikiski). --Readme All data have been de-identified and cannot be linked to people or specific places. Please contact project PI (principal investigator): Dr. Hannah Brenkert-Smith (hannahb@colorado.edu) for more information if you would like to use these data. 

Abstract Extracellular vesicles (EVs) produced by Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) plants are highly heterogeneous in protein content. To understand the origins of plant EV heterogeneity, we used an unbiased proximity labeling approach to identify proteins and pathways involved in the secretion of distinct EV subpopulations. Proximity labeling, co-immunoprecipitation, and fluorescence microscopy in Nicotiana benthamiana all indicated a general role in EV secretion for EXO70 proteins (a subunit of the exocyst complex) and the immune-related protein RPM1-INTERACTING PROTEIN4 (RIN4). To confirm these hypotheses, we assessed the impact of mutations in various EXO70 family genes and in RIN4 on EV release, as well as mutations in additional genes known to regulate endomembrane trafficking and secretion. Mutation of EXO70E1, EXO70E2 or STOMATAL CYTOKINESIS DEFECTIVE1 (SCD1; a GTP-exchange factor for RabE GTPases) reduced secretion of EVs marked by TETRASPANIN8 (TET8), PENETRATION1 (PEN1), and PATELLIN1 (PATL1), indicating that these proteins are generally required for EV secretion. In contrast, mutation of RIN4 reduced levels of TET8+ and PEN1+ EVs, but not PATL + EVs. Mutation of the small GTPase gene RABA2a specifically affected PEN1+ EV secretion, while mutations in AUTOPHAGY PROTEIN5 (ATG5) and VAMP-ASSOCIATED PROTEIN27 (VAP27) specifically affected TET8+ EV secretion. Lastly, we found that exo70 family mutants are more susceptible to infection with the fungal pathogen Colletotrichum higginsianum, underlining the importance of secretion for plant immunity. Together, our results unravel some of the complex mechanisms that give rise to EV subpopulations in plants. 

In chart-based programming environments for machine knitting, patterns are specified at a low level by placing operations on a grid. This highly manual workflow makes it challenging to iterate on design elements such as cables, colorwork, and texture. While vector-based abstractions for knitting design elements may facilitate higher-level manipulation, they often include interdependencies which require stitch-level reconciliation. To address this, we contribute a new way of specifying knits with blended vector and raster primitives. Our abstraction supports the design of interdependent elements like colorwork and texture. We have implemented our blended raster/vector specification in a direct manipulation design tool where primitives are layered and rasterized, allowing for simulation of the resulting knit structure and generation of machine instructions. Through examples, we show how our approach enables higher-level manipulation of various knitting techniques, including intarsia colorwork, short rows, and cables. Specifically, we show how our tool supports the design of complex patterns including origami pleat patterns and capacitive sensor patches. 

As residents living in hazard-prone areas face on-going environmental threats, the actions they take to mitigate such risks are likely motivated by various factors. Whereas risk perception has been considered a key determinant of related behavioral responses, little is known about how risk mitigation actions influence subsequent perceived risk. In other words, do actions to prevent or mitigate risk reduce risk perception? This longitudinal study considers the dynamic relationships between risk perception and risk-mitigating behavior in the context of forest disturbance in north-central Colorado. Based on panel survey data collected in 2007 and 2018, the results provide a first look at changes in perceived forest risks as they relate to individual and community actions in response to an extensive mountain pine beetle outbreak. Analysis revealed that the perception of direct forest risks (forest fire and falling trees) increased, whereas indirect forest risk perception (concern on broader threats to local community) decreased across the two study phases. Higher individual or community activeness (level of actions) was associated with subsequent reductions in perceived forest fire risk, smaller increases in direct risk perception, and larger decreases in indirect risk perception. These findings contribute insights into the complex risk reappraisal process in forest hazard contexts, with direct implications for risk communication and management strategies. 

Past research has shown that growth mindset and motivational beliefs have an important role in math and science career interest in adolescence. Drawing on situated expectancy-value theory (SEVT), this study extends these findings by investigating the role of parental motivational beliefs (e.g., expectancy beliefs, utility values) and parent growth mindset in math on adolescent career interest in math-intensive fields (e.g., mathematics, computer science, statistics, and engineering; MCSE) through adolescent motivational beliefs in math. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesized model using data from 290 adolescents (201 girls, 69.3%;M_age= 15.20), who participate in informal STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) youth programs, and their parents (162 parents, 87.7% female) in the United Kingdom and the United States. As hypothesized, adolescent expectancy beliefs, utility values, and growth mindset in math had a significant direct effect on MCSE career interest. Further, there was a significant indirect effect of parental expectancy beliefs in math on MCSE career interest through adolescents’ expectancy beliefs. Similarly, there was a significant indirect effect from parental utility values in math to MCSE career interest through adolescents’ utility values. The findings suggest that parents’ math motivational beliefs play a critical role in adolescent math motivational beliefs and their career interest in math-intensive fields. 

This emerging technology report introduces the WearableLearning (WL) platform as a tool to exercise computational thinking and STEM learning for 5-12th grade students through mobile technology-augmented active game play and game creation. Freely available at WearableLearning.org, it allows students and teachers to play, create, debug, and manage multiplayer, active games. To date, WearableLearning has been used in schools and afterschool programs by roughly 500 students and 25 teachers to create games covering STEM curricular content. WearableLearning enables the creation of physically active and social games, while offering possibilities for research on computational thinking, embodied cognition, collaborative learning, game-based learning, and practical applications of technology in STEM classrooms.