Core Competencies in Civic Engagement

A review and synthesis of key competencies contained in national-level reports on Civic Engagement, academic programs engaged in community-based models of teaching, learning and research, including a review of the literature and almost 30 academic civic engagement programs around the country

A framework for analyzing institutional gaps in natural resource governance

In this paper we present the Inter-Institutional Gap(IIG) Framework as a novel approach to conceptualizing the often-overlooked interconnectivity of different rule-levels between formal and informal institutions in a resource system. This framework goes beyond the existing concepts of legal pluralism, institutional void, structural hole, and cultural mismatch, each of which offer valuable insights to particular gaps between formal and informal institutions, but do not sufficiently address the interaction at every rule level (i.e. constitutional choice, collective choice and operational choice rules). In order to demonstrate the potential of our framework for better understanding the underlying causes of inter-institutional gaps, we apply it to four case studies that encompass diverse geographical locations, governance scales, and social-ecological systems. Results reveal inter-institutional gaps can be created when there are unintended, unforeseen or hidden gaps between different rule hierarchies in two or more simultaneously operating institutions. More specifically we observe that: i) inter-institutional gaps are co-existing, therefore if a certain gap is identified, other gaps may be expected; ii) certain gaps may reveal latent gaps; and iii) intermediaries may be key to addressing inter-institutional gaps. In many cases, sustainable natural resource management and regulation cannot be achieved without directly addressing the inter-institutional gaps that exist between formal and informal institutions operating in the same resource system. The Framework facilitates analysis and understanding of multi-level governance structures in pursuit of addressing complex natural resource management issues

The Taiwan ECDFS Near-Infrared Survey: Very Bright End of the Luminosity Function at z>7

The primary goal of the Taiwan ECDFS Near-Infrared Survey (TENIS) is to find well screened galaxy candidates at z>7 (z' dropout) in the Extended Chandra Deep Field-South (ECDFS). To this end, TENIS provides relatively deep J and Ks data (~25.3 ABmag, 5-sigma) for an area of 0.5*0.5 degree. Leveraged with existing data at mid-infrared to optical wavelengths, this allows us to screen for the most luminous high-z objects, which are rare and thus require a survey over a large field to be found. We introduce new color selection criteria to select a z>7 sample with minimal contaminations from low-z galaxies and Galactic cool stars; to reduce confusion in the relatively low angular resolution IRAC images, we introduce a novel deconvolution method to measure the IRAC fluxes of individual sources. Illustrating perhaps the effectiveness at which we screen out interlopers, we find only one z>7 candidate, TENIS-ZD1. The candidate has a weighted z_phot of 7.8, and its colors and luminosity indicate a young (45M years old) starburst galaxy with a stellar mass of 3.2*10^10 M_sun. The result matches with the observational luminosity function analysis and the semi-analytic simulation result based on the Millennium Simulations, which may over predict the volume density for high-z massive galaxies. The existence of TENIS-ZD1, if confirmed spectroscopically to be at z>7, therefore poses a challenge to current theoretical models for how so much mass can accumulate in a galaxy at such a high redshift.Comment: 14 pages, 11 figures, ApJ accepte

Contributions and perspectives of Indigenous Peoples to the study of mercury in the Arctic

Arctic Indigenous Peoples are among themost exposed humanswhen it comes to foodbornemercury (Hg). In response, Hgmonitoring and research have been on-going in the circumpolar Arctic since about 1991; this work has beenmainly possible through the involvement of Arctic Indigenous Peoples. The present overview was initially conducted in the context of a broader assessment of Hg research organized by the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme. This article provides examples of Indigenous Peoples' contributions to Hg monitoring and research in the Arctic, and discusses approaches that could be used, and improved upon, when carrying out future activities. Over 40 mercury projects conducted with/by Indigenous Peoples are identified for different circumpolar regions including the U.S., Canada, Greenland, Sweden, Finland, and Russia as well as instances where Indigenous Knowledge contributed to the understanding of Hg contamination in the Arctic. Perspectives and visions of future Hg research as well as recommendations are presented. The establishment of collaborative processes and partnership/co-production approaches with scientists and Indigenous Peoples, using good communication practices and transparency in research activities, are key to the success of research and monitoring activities in the Arctic. Sustainable funding for community-driven monitoring and research programs in Arctic countries would be beneficial and assist in developing more research/monitoring capacity and would promote a more holistic approach to understanding Hg in the Arctic. These activities should be well connected to circumpolar/international initiatives to ensure broader availability of the information and uptake in policy development

HETDEX pilot survey for emission-line galaxies - I. Survey design, performance, and catalog

We present a catalog of emission-line galaxies selected solely by their emission-line fluxes using a wide-field integral field spectrograph. This work is partially motivated as a pilot survey for the upcoming Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX). We describe the observations, reductions, detections, redshift classifications, line fluxes, and counterpart information for 397 emission-line galaxies detected over 169 sq.arcmin with a 3500-5800 Ang. bandpass under 5 Ang. full-width-half-maximum (FWHM) spectral resolution. The survey's best sensitivity for unresolved objects under photometric conditions is between 4-20 E-17 erg/s/sq.cm depending on the wavelength, and Ly-alpha luminosities between 3-6 E42 erg/s are detectable. This survey method complements narrowband and color-selection techniques in the search for high redshift galaxies with its different selection properties and large volume probed. The four survey fields within the COSMOS, GOODS-N, MUNICS, and XMM-LSS areas are rich with existing, complementary data. We find 104 galaxies via their high redshift Ly-alpha emission at 1.9<z<3.8, and the majority of the remainder objects are low redshift [OII]3727 emitters at z<0.56. The classification between low and high redshift objects depends on rest frame equivalent width, as well as other indicators, where available. Based on matches to X-ray catalogs, the active galactic nuclei (AGN) fraction amongst the Ly-alpha emitters (LAEs) is 6%. We also analyze the survey's completeness and contamination properties through simulations. We find five high-z, highly-significant, resolved objects with full-width-half-maximum sizes >44 sq.arcsec which appear to be extended Ly-alpha nebulae. We also find three high-z objects with rest frame Ly-alpha equivalent widths above the level believed to be achievable with normal star formation, EW(rest)>240 Ang.Comment: 45 pages, 36 figures, 5 tables, submitted to ApJ

Contributions and perspectives of Indigenous Peoples to the study of mercury in the Arctic

Arctic Indigenous Peoples are among the most exposed humans when it comes to foodborne mercury (Hg). In response, Hg monitoring and research have been on-going in the circumpolar Arctic since about 1991; this work has been mainly possible through the involvement of Arctic Indigenous Peoples. The present overview was initially conducted in the context of a broader assessment of Hg research organized by the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme. This article provides examples of Indigenous Peoples' contributions to Hg monitoring and research in the Arctic, and discusses approaches that could be used, and improved upon, when carrying out future activities. Over 40 mercury projects conducted with/by Indigenous Peoples are identified for different circumpolar regions including the U.S., Canada, Greenland, Sweden, Finland, and Russia as well as instances where Indigenous Knowledge contributed to the understanding of Hg contamination in the Arctic. Perspectives and visions of future Hg research as well as recommendations are presented. The establishment of collaborative processes and partnership/co-production approaches with scientists and Indigenous Peoples, using good communication practices and transparency in research activities, are key to the success of research and monitoring activities in the Arctic. Sustainable funding for community-driven monitoring and research programs in Arctic countries would be beneficial and assist in developing more research/ monitoring capacity and would promote a more holistic approach to understanding Hg in the Arctic. These activities should be well connected to circumpolar/international initiatives to ensure broader availability of the information and uptake in policy development

Long term environmental monitoring using locally-relevant indicators: muskrat (ondatra zibethicus) population dynamics in Old Crow and recreational ecosystem services in Ottawa

Multi-decade environmental monitoring is necessary to understand many of the effects of anthropogenic activities, yet the success of many long term monitoring programs has been limited and sporadic. In this thesis, I demonstrated the strengths of participatory approaches and locally-relevant environmental indicators as a solution for long term monitoring. In Chapter 1, I described the limited success of many long term monitoring programs, and outlined the current understanding of best practices in monitoring. In Chapter 2, I analyzed the impact of participatory approaches, together with innovative portable digital technologies, in a sample of publications and case studies describing environmental monitoring programs. I found the use of digital data entry can increase a program's management relevance while participatory adaptive monitoring, i.e. the collaborative definition of program questions, objectives, conceptual models, and approaches, improved program sustainability. I applied these principles in Chapter 3 by monitoring the environmental determinants, and cyclicity, of muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) population dynamics in the Old Crow Flats (OCF), Yukon. I interpreted local ecological knowledge (LEK) in the development of questions, conceptual models, and interpretation of results. I found that LEK identified advancing ice phenology as a concerning source of environmental change, Landsat imagery confirmed 0.26 days/year of more open water over the past 31 years, and aerial and field surveys found a negative association between the open water season and muskrat densities. In Chapter 4 I compiled 219 time series of up to 8 years of muskrat abundance in the OCF to describe the first traveling wave of abundance in muskrats. Using spatial patterns of landscape resistance to muskrat movement, genetic relatedness, and population synchrony, I found this wave was likely caused by a combination of landscape obstacles and directional dispersal. In Chapter 5, I identified a parallel indicator that is locally-relevant for Ottawa, recreational ecosystem services on the Rideau Canal Skateway, and projected the availability and use of those services under climate warming. I found Ottawa's ice phenology to be shifting twice as rapidly as Old Crow's (0.5 days/year), and found this to be linked to an accelerated decline in the use of this cultural ecosystem service. Whether ice or animal, for most people the most recognizable and memorable forms of environmental change will occur in locally-relevant indicators. These indicators are the 'low hanging fruit' of environmental monitoring; with little resources they can form the basis of monitoring programs that stand the test of time.Les programmes de suivis environnementaux sur plusieurs décennies sont nécessaires pour comprendre la plupart des effets anthropiques sur l'environnement, mais le succès de ces programmes est limité est sporadique. Dans cette thèse j'ai tenté de démontrer comment des méthodes participatives et des indicateurs localement pertinents peuvent servir de solutions aux défis des programmes de suivis à long terme. Mon premier chapitre décrit, à ce jour, le succès limité des suivis environnementaux à long terme et notre compréhension des meilleures pratiques. Mon deuxième chapitre est une analyse de l'impact des approches participatives et les technologies numériques portables sur des programmes de suivis environnementaux décrits dans un échantillon de publications et d'études de cas. J'ai trouvé que l'utilisation des technologies numériques portables peut augmenter la pertinence d'un programme de suivis utilisé en gestion environnementale, tandis que les approches participatives améliorent la durabilité des programmes. Ces approches comprennent des questions, objectifs, modèles conceptuels, et méthodes qui sont tous définies de façon collaborative. Dans mon troisième chapitre j'ai appliqué ces principes en étudiant les déterminants environnementaux, et la cyclicité, d'une population de rats musqués (Ondatra zibethicus) dans la plaine d'Old Crow au Yukon. J'ai interprété les connaissances écologiques locales dans mon développement des questions, des modèles conceptuels, et l'interprétation des résultats. Les experts locaux ont identifié l'avancement de la phénologie de glaces comme une source de changement environnemental significative, et les images Landsat ont confirmé une augmentation de la saison d'eau libre de 0,26 jour/an au cours des 31 dernières années. Des suivis aériens et en situ ont trouvés une association négative entre la saison d'eau libre et la densité des rats musqués. Dans mon quatrième chapitre j'ai compilé 219 séries chronologiques d'abondance de rats musqués sur 8 ans pour décrire pour la première fois une onde d'abondance progressive chez le rat musqué. En estimant la structure spatiale de la résistance du paysage au mouvement des rats musqués, de leurs relations génétiques, et de la synchronie des leurs populations, j'ai trouvé que l'onde a été causée par une combinaison d'obstacles dans le paysage et de dispersion directionnelle. Dans mon cinquième chapitre, j'ai identifié un indicateur similaire qui est pertinent localement pour Ottawa, les services écosystémiques de loisirs sur la patinoire du canal Rideau. J'ai projeté la disponibilité et l'utilisation de ce service dans des conditions de réchauffement climatique. J'ai trouvé que la longueur des saisons glaciales diminuait deux fois plus rapidement à Ottawa (0,5 jour/an) qu'à Old Crow, et que cela était lié à une réduction accélérée de l'utilisation de ce service. Que ce soit de la glace ou des animaux, les formes les plus reconnaissables et mémorables de changements environnementaux s'opèreront à travers des indicateurs qui sont pertinent localement. Ces indicateurs sont ceux qui peuvent facilement constituer la base de programmes de suivis environnementaux qui persistent à travers des générations

Will bonded medical school places do more harm than good?

To the Editor, The smaller numbers of medical professionals choosing rural over metropolitan practice has inspired numerous strategies aimed at averting a potential healthcare crisis. Some are sound and reasonably successful while others such as the Federal Government's Bonded Medical Places (BMP) scheme appear entirely inappropriate. In return for entry to a medical course only, BMP students are contractually bound to service in an area of 'workforce shortage' for 6 years after graduation and attainment of their postgraduate qualifications. Support for BMP students is substantially less than that given to Medical Rural Bonded Scholarship students who receive financial aid and access to resources such as the Rural and Remote Medical Education Online platform

Traditional Food Consumption and Other Determinants of Exposure for Lead, Cobalt, Manganese, and Hexachlorobenzene in Northern Canada

Results of a 2019 human biomonitoring study indicated that several parameters, including lead, cobalt, manganese, and hexachlorobenzene, were elevated in blood and urine samples in Old Crow, Yukon, in comparison to the general Canadian population. This study aims to identify possible local determinants of levels of these parameters, including consumption of locally harvested traditional foods, lifestyle factors, and demographics, in Old Crow and, for comparison, two other northern populations: communities in the Dehcho and Sahtú regions of the Northwest Territories. We ran generalized linear models to identify possible associations between individual determinants of exposure and key biomarkers, controlling for age and sex. In Old Crow, several variables were associated with elevated exposure levels of these biomarkers, including drinking untreated river water (29% higher blood manganese levels and 120% higher blood lead levels), eating caribou kidneys (22% higher blood manganese levels and 58% higher blood lead levels), and eating whitefish (28% higher blood cobalt levels). Additionally, in order to differentiate results in Old Crow from those in other northern regions and to identify trends across regions, we observed relationships between consumption of moose and caribou organs and lead and hexachlorobenzene levels in the reference populations and pooled population groups. Though levels of particular contaminants may be elevated in some traditional foods, these foods remain an important source of nutrients for members in these communities and provide other benefits, including increased physical activity through harvesting, mental health improvements, and spiritual wellness.Selon les résultats d’une étude de biosurveillance humaine réalisée en 2019, le taux de plusieurs paramètres, dont le plomb, le cobalt, le manganèse et l’hexachlorobenzène se trouvant dans des échantillons de sang et d’urine de résidents d’Old Crow, au Yukon étaient élevés par rapport à la population canadienne en général. La présente étude vise à identifier les déterminants locaux possibles attribuables aux niveaux de ces paramètres, y compris la consommation d’aliments traditionnels locaux, des facteurs liés au mode de vie et les données démographiques. Les données d’Old Crow sont comparées aux données provenant de deux autres populations nordiques, soit celles des régions du Dehcho et du Sahtú dans les Territoires du Nord-Ouest. Des modèles linéaires généralisés ont été réalisés afin de déterminer les corrélations possibles entre les déterminants individuels et les biomarqueurs clés, en tenant compte des variables de l’âge et du sexe. À Old Crow, plusieurs variables ont été associées aux taux élevés de ces biomarqueurs, notamment la consommation d’eau de rivière non traitée (taux de manganèse dans le sang plus élevé dans une mesure de 29 % et taux de plomb plus élevé de 120 %), la consommation de rognons de caribou (taux de manganèse dans le sang plus élevé dans une mesure de 22 % et taux de plomb plus élevé de 58 %) et la consommation de poissons blancs ou corégones (taux de cobalt dans le sang plus élevé dans une mesure de 28 %). De plus, afin de différencier les résultats d’Old Crow de ceux des autres régions nordiques et de cerner les tendances dans ces régions, nous avons observé des liens entre la consommation d’organes d’orignal et de caribou et les taux de plomb et d’hexachlorobenzène dans les bassins de population de référence des Territoires du Nord-Ouest. Bien que les taux de contaminants puissent être élevés dans certains aliments traditionnels, ces aliments demeurent une source importante de nutriments pour les membres de ces communautés et offrent d’autres avantages, notamment une plus grande activité physique grâce à la récolte, des améliorations sur le plan de la santé mentale et une source de bien-être spirituel