RESTORATION OF NATIVE PLANT COMMUNITIES AFTER ROAD DECOMMISSIONING: EFFECT OF SEED MIX AND SOIL PROPERTIES ON VEGETATIVE ESTABLISHMENT

Road decommissioning is increasingly recognized as a critical first step in the restoration of terrestrial and aquatic habitats. In the past two years alone, the United States Congress has appropriated $90 million for road removal and watershed restoration. Despite this relatively large public investment, little is known about the efficacy or ecological effects of road-removal practices. One particularly important issue is the impact of post-road-removal revegetation strategies. This study evaluated 1) short-term effects of road decommissioning on plant community composition, 2) effects of seed-mix seed origin (native vs. nonnative), species diversity, and seeding density on vegetative establishment, and 3) impact of overstory canopy and coarse woody debris on revegetation success on recently decommissioned roads. Total vegetative cover declined by 60% one-year after decommissioning, with nonnative plants showing the greatest declines (ca. 90%). Although managers often justify the use of nonnative seed mixes by the need for rapid establishment of plants on disturbed sites, we did not find significant differences in percent cover of total vegetation between plots seeded with native versus nonnative species, one year after treatment. Furthermore, cover of native species was significantly higher on plots seeded with natives compared to other treatment plots (12.3% vs. 7.8%, respectively). On treatments seeded with nonnative species, 18% of total vegetative cover was due to cover of seeded species; in comparison, seeded species accounted for 43% of total vegetative cover on native treatments. These findings suggest that native seed mixes actually may outperform nonnative ones in terms of vegetative establishment after disturbance associated with road removal

Time changes in the body dimensions of male Australian Army personnel between 1977 and 2012

The aim of this study was to quantify time changes in the body dimensions of male Australian Army personnel. Following a systematic review, two studies were identified and matched for occupation and age (n = 669) with time changes in 12 absolute and 11 proportional body dimensions assessed between 1977 and 2010–12. Changes in means were expressed as absolute, percent and standardised changes, with changes in variability assessed visually and as the ratio of coefficients of variation (CVs). Time changes in absolute dimensions were typically positive (increases) and moderate in magnitude (median standardised change ± 95%CI: 0.53 ± 0.23), and while changes in proportional dimensions were typically negligible (median standardised change ± 95%CI: 0.16 ± 0.33), substantial changes(standardised changes ≥0.2 or ≤–0.2) were observed in several dimensions. Variability in body dimensions has also typically increased (median ratio of CVs ± 95%CI: 1.10 ± 0.07) and become more right-skewed. These findings have important implications for the design and acquisition of new military vehicles, body equipment and clothing

Ol Woman Blong Wota (The Women of the Water)

The women of Leweton have been performing Water Music for international audiences since the founding of the Leweton Cultural Village in 2008, and have been practising this tradition for as long as they remember. The women performers who feature in this film are Denilla Frazer, Melinda Frazer, Jerolyn Frazer, Beverley Frazer, Cecilia Tingris, Cicilia Wari, Marie Sur, Sonrin Sur, Trisha Sur, and Margaret Tingris

TESTING THE PROMISE OF RESTORATIVE PRACTICES FOR REDUCING TEACHER TURNOVER IN HARD-TO-STAFF SCHOOLS

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of Restorative Practices on teachers’ turnover intentions in urban, high-poverty schools. Restorative Practices (RP) is a quickly growing whole school approach to community building and discipline, but little is known about teachers’ perceptions of this intervention. This dissertation tests the hypothesis that if RP can improve teachers’ perceived working conditions, including school climate, teachers may be more satisfied and more willing to stay at their schools. I specifically analyze data from a multi-site, cluster randomized control trial of Restorative Practices (in combination with Diplomas Now) in schools from eight large cities across the US. I use multilevel modeling, logistic regression, and structural equation modeling to evaluate the effects of RP on school climate and teachers’ turnover intentions and the role of implementation in this relationship. Through my intent-to-treat, path (i.e., mediation), and observational analyses I find that RP has a significantly positive effect on school climate but a more complex and indirect relationship with teachers’ turnover intentions. Overall, the findings from this dissertation suggest that RP is a policy that can improve school climate, but implementation and buy-in from teachers play a key role in its effect on teachers’ turnover intentions

Agreement and relationship between measures of absolute and relative intensity during walking: a systematic review with meta-regression

IntroductionA metabolic equivalent (MET) is one of the most common methods used to objectively quantify physical activity intensity. Although the MET provides an ‘objective’ measure, it does not account for inter-individual differences in cardiorespiratory fitness. In contrast, ‘relative’ measures of physical activity intensity, such as heart rate reserve (HRR), do account for cardiorespiratory fitness. The purpose of this systematic review with meta-regression was to compare measures of absolute and relative physical activity intensity collected during walking.MethodsA systematic search of four databases (SPORTDiscus, Medline, Academic Search Premier and CINAHL) was completed. Keyword searches were: (i) step* OR walk* OR strid* OR "physical activity"; (ii) absolute OR “absolute intensity” OR mets OR metabolic equivalent OR actigraph* OR acceleromet*; (iii) relative OR “relative intensity” OR "heart rate" OR "heart rate reserve" OR “VO2 reserve” OR VO2* OR “VO2 uptake” OR HRmax* OR metmax. Categories (i) to (iii) were combined using ‘AND;’ with studies related to running excluded. A Bayesian regression was conducted to quantify the relationship between METs and %HRR, with Bayesian logistic regression conducted to examine the classification agreement between methods. A modified Downs and Black scale incorporating 13 questions relative to cross-sectional study design was used to assess quality and risk of bias in all included studies.ResultsA total of 15 papers were included in the systematic review. A comparison of means between absolute (METs) and relative (%HRR, %HRmax, %VO2R, %VO2max, HRindex) values in 8 studies identified agreement in how intensity was classified (light, moderate or vigorous) in 60% of the trials. We received raw data from three authors, incorporating 3 studies and 290 participants. A Bayesian random intercept logistic regression was conducted to examine the agreement between relative and absolute intensity, showing agreement in 43% of all trials. Two studies had identical relative variables (%HRR) totalling 240 participants included in the Bayesian random intercept regression. The best performing model was a log-log regression, which showed that for every 1% increase in METs, %HRR increased by 1.12% (95% CI: 1.10–1.14). Specifically, the model predicts at the lower bound of absolute moderate intensity (3 METs), %HRR was estimated to be 33% (95%CI: 18–57) and at vigorous intensity (6 METs) %HRR was estimated to be 71% (38–100).ConclusionThis study highlights the discrepancies between absolute and relative measures of physical activity intensity during walking with large disagreement observed between methods and large variation in %HRR at a given MET. Consequently, health professionals should be aware of this lack of agreement between absolute and relative measures. Moreover, if we are to move towards a more individualised approach to exercise prescription and monitoring as advocated, relative intensity could be more highly prioritised

The Impacts of i-Ready Personalized Instruction on Student Math Achievement in Multiple School Districts

The purpose of this evaluation was to examine the impact of i-Ready Personalized Instruction on mathematics achievement, as measured by MCAS scores, in multiple school districts in Massachusetts. We compared students who received i-Ready Personalized Instruction with students who only participated in i-Ready Diagnostic testing. We also examined associations between various i-Ready usage metrics and achievement. Key findings revealed that i-Ready Personalized Instruction was associated with mathematics achievement gains; usage metrics were higher in elementary schools; and meeting usage guidance was associated with mathematics gains on the MCAS state assessment in math.Curriculum Associate

The Impact of the Frog Street Pre-K Curriculum on 2021-22 Pre-K Gains and Kindergarten Readiness

The purpose of the present study was to examine Frog Street Pre-K curriculum efficacy by comparing learning outcomes for pre-K students in schools with access to Frog Street in Texas during the 2021-22 school year to outcomes for pre-K students in Texas schools without Frog Street. This study is designed to replicate and extend those employed by NORC (the National Opinion Research Center) at the University of Chicago in 2018, using data from the same assessment (CIRCLE). The NORC studies yielded mixed results, some favoring the Frog Street Pre-K curriculum (particularly for kindergarten readiness) and some not, but a concern was that classifications of schools as users or non-users of the curriculum were not sufficiently accurate for the 2017-18 school year. This limitation is not expected to occur with the present, 2021-22 classifications