The Water Poverty Index: an International Comparison

This paper reports on the construction of an International Water Poverty Index, part of the first phase of a research project into building a locally based version of the index. The purpose of the Water Poverty Index is to express an interdisciplinary measure which links household welfare with water availability and indicates the degree to which water scarcity impacts on human populations. Such an index makes it possible to rank countries and communities within countries taking into account both physical and socio-economic factors associated with water scarcity. This enables national and international organisations concerned with water provision and management to monitor both the resources available and the socio-economic factors which impact on access and use of those resources. This paper presents details of the methodology used and the results obtained for 140 countries covering measures of resources, access, capacity, use and environment.Indicators, water, environment, water poverty, income poverty

Introduction to \u3cem\u3eGerman Ecocriticism in the Anthropocene\u3c/em\u3e

How do we approach, read, discuss, and teach German literature in light of the transnational and global environmental problems and crises caused by human activities? In what way does the current geological era of the Anthropocene marked by traceable human impact across the globe lead us to reflect on the role and interconnectedness of human and non-human forces? Since human activities and human cultures have caused so many of the current ecological problems, how can scholars address broad-scale interdisciplinary problems with attention to both cultural and scientific knowledge? What is the role of the humanities in this inextricably nature-culture mix of problems? Many recent works in American and Anglophone literature attempt to answer such questions, yet there is still much to be done in other language and cultural traditions, especially when considering such broad-scale and shared challenges. We were motivated by such a need to gather together a collection of current work reflecting environmental attention in both canonical and non-canonical German-language texts and films

Working Paper 140 - Development Aid and Access to Water and Sanitation in Sub-Saharan Africa

Providing safe drinking water and basic sanitation to citizens is one of the major challenges facing the African Governments. The issues of access to safe drinking water and improved sanitation is well articulated and prioritized in the various national, continental, and international policy documents, strategy papers, declarations, and conventions. And yet it is not clear if the provision of sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation has been given the requisite financial and other support by the SSA policy makers and donors. The principal objective of this paper is to compare countries’ performance in the water and sanitation sector and analyze how effectively they used the development aid received for the Water and Sanitation sector (WSS). Much has been written on Development Aid Effectiveness, but the focus of attention has often been on how the donors operate, and how the recipients use the money. In this context, the paper utilised an innovative standardized measurement framework known as-the Watsan Index of Development Effectiveness (WIDE) - which compares drivers of progress with results achieved, and ranks African countries by the level of outcome obtained per unit of available input. In particular, how effectively they used the development aid received for the water and sanitation sector. The WIDE is made up of two composite information layers, the Resources (input drivers such as aid received, GDP, water resources, and governance level), and the Progress Outcomes (access to water, access to sanitation, and progress in the two). We also performed econometric analyses to explore the linkages between interventions designed to promote development, and the outcomes from that development process, in the water and sanitation sector. These analyses were further validated by presentation of the WSS sector situation of four case study countries namely, Kenya, Madagascar, Burkina Faso and Uganda.

Human and Non-Human Agencies in the Anthropocene

The era of human impact throughout the Earth’s biosphere since the Industrial Revolution that has recently been named the Anthropocene poses many challenges to the humanities, particularly in terms of human and non-human agency. Using diverse examples from literature, travel reflections, and science that document a wide range of agencies beyond the human including landscape, ice, weather, volcanic energy or gastropods, and insects, this essay seeks to formulate a broader sense of agency. All of our examples probe new kinds of relationships between humans and nature. By configuring a close interconnection and interdependence between these entities, the Anthropocene discourse defines such relationships anew. On the one hand, our examples highlight the negative effects of anthropocentric control and supremacy over nature, but on the other, they depict ambivalent positions ranging from surrender and ecstasy to menace and demise that go hand in hand with the acknowledgment of non-human agencies. La era del impacto humano en la biosfera de la Tierra desde la Revolución Industrial y que ha sido recientemente nombrada Antropoceno plantea mucho retos a las humanidades, especialmente en términos de agencia humana y no-humana. Usando varios ejemplos de la literatura, reflexiones de viajes y ciencia que documentan una gran variedad de agencias más allá de la humana incluyendo el paisaje, el hielo, el clima, la energía volcánica o los gasterópodos e insectos, este ensayo busca formular un sentido más amplio de agencia. Todos nuestros ejemplos investigan nuevos tipos de relaciones entre ser humano y naturaleza. Al configurar una interconexión e interdependencia cercanas entre estas entidades, el discurso del Antropoceno define tales relaciones de forma diferente. Por un lado, nuestros ejemplos destacan los efectos negativos del control antropocéntrico y de la supremacía sobre la naturaleza; pero, por otro lado, representan posiciones ambivalentes que van desde la rendición y el éxtasis a la amenaza y la desaparición que van codo con codo con el reconocimiento de las agencias no-humanas

The benefits of parent-child play for the social development of preschoolers with varying levels of anxiety problems

This study examined the contributions of parent play behaviors to children's positive social adjustment at preschool or daycare 4-6 months later. Fifty-five mothers and fathers were compared on their play behaviors, both in terms of types of play and roles used in play, to examine whether fathers make unique contributions to children's social development. Father contributions may be especially relevant for children with internalizing problems. Compared to mothers, fathers engaged in significantly more physical play, and were more likely to give their children control of play activities. Mothers' tendencies to observe rather than actively play with their children predicted teachers' reports that children were less socially competent and less well adjusted. On the other hand, fathers who engaged in fantasy play or who used play to teach their children about real-life things, had children who were rated as better adjusted overall, as reported by the children's teachers. Finally, mothers' use of a more peer-like approach in play predicted both social competence and general adaptation in their children. Taken together, the present findings indicate that children are having different play experiences with their mothers and their fathers, and the implications that these differential parent play behaviors have for children's development are outlined

Parenting and internalizing problems : testing models of bidirectional socialization in early childhood

Internalizing problems (IP) comprise the most common form of psychological difficulty in early childhood. Variations in parental socialization have been identified as consistent correlates of young children's IP. In particular, overprotection, punitiveness, and criticism have been associated with children's IP. These associations are principally based on single time-point studies, however, such that the direction of effect cannot be inferred, but there is some evidence to suggest that children's anxious characteristics and parental over-control predict each other over time. Thus, results suggest bidirectional processes may be operating to maintain children and parents on stable, maladaptive pathways of development. The current study tested a bidirectional model on a sample of 89 families (87 mothers and 55 fathers) with a preschool-aged child (38 girls and 51 boys) using a short-term (16 months) longitudinal design, with repeated assessments of parenting and children's IP. Mothers reported three times on children's IP using the Child Behavior Check List (CBCL), and mothers and fathers reported twice on their parenting using the Child Rearing Practices Report (CRPR). Scores for strict authoritarian control, protective control, and authoritative parenting were derived. Path analyses and hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) were used to examine directions of effect. Analyses identified mother and father parental effects on children as well as child effects on maternal and paternal parenting. However, most of the significant effects were not direct, but moderated by other child characteristics, such as sex of child, suggesting that reciprocal influences between parents and children may be even more complex than previously thought. The only direct effect of parenting was that mothers' earlier authoritarian control predicted higher levels of later IP. Conversely, mothers' earlier authoritative parenting predicted fewer subsequent IP for boys only, and only boys' initial IP predicted lower maternal protectiveness later. Similarly, younger preschoolers with more IP initially also had mothers who were less protective later, but this was not seen for older preschoolers. Effects of fathers' parenting were moderated by the severity of children's initial IP, such that fathers' initial authoritative and protective parenting predicted lower levels of later IP only for children who initially had fewer IP, whereas these beneficial effects were not found for children who were high on IP originally. Findings imply that current models of socialization need to be re-evaluated and redefined to be applied to younger children as well as to children with more clinical levels of difficulties. Clinical implications include the importance of including parents and children in treatment and of intervening early in the child's development. Finally, the importance of including fathers in socialization research and treatment cannot be underestimated. Overall, this research clearly points to the importance of examining questions of socialization with properly-designed, longitudinal studies and sophisticated, robust tests of change and influence. Continuing to build on the sophistication of our science might reveal things that overturn current perspectives. Socialization is likely to be even more complex and multi-faceted than we think

Observation of Field Practice Rubric: Establishing Content Validity and Reliability

Most teacher education assessments are criticized for lacking validity and reliability. This study describes the process of developing the Observation of Field Performance rubric to assess initial teacher candidates’ classroom performance and establishing the content validity as well as reliability of the rubric. A panel of content area experts determined that 10 out of 12 items of the rubric were essential and the CVR was above the acceptable range for all 12 items, indicating that the rubric had a strong content validity. Additionally, the analysis of instructors’ ratings on the rubric showed that the rubric had good level of internal consistency and inter-rater reliability. Thus, this study determined that the OFP is a reliable and valid measure of candidate performance during field practice. Establishing validity and reliability not only enables teacher education programs to collect high quality assessment data, it is also crucial for program approval and accreditation decisions by national and state agencies

Plasma Leptin Levels and Incidence of Heart Failure, Cardiovascular Disease, and Total Mortality in Elderly Individuals

OBJECTIVE: Obesity predisposes individuals to congestive heart failure (CHF) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Leptin regulates energy homeostasis, is elevated in obesity, and influences ventricular and vascular remodeling. We tested the hypothesis that leptin levels are associated with greater risk of CHF, CVD, and mortality in elderly individuals. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We evaluated 818 elderly (mean age 79 years, 62% women) Framingham Study participants attending a routine examination at which plasma leptin was assayed. RESULTS: Leptin levels were higher in women and strongly correlated with BMI (P < 0.0001). On follow-up (mean 8.0 years), 129 (of 775 free of CHF) participants developed CHF, 187 (of 532 free of CVD) experienced a first CVD event, and 391 individuals died. In multivariable Cox regression models adjusting for established risk factors, log-leptin was positively associated with incidence of CHF and CVD (hazard ratio [HR] per SD increment 1.26 [95% CI 1.03–1.55] and 1.28 [1.09–1.50], respectively). Additional adjustment for BMI nullified the association with CHF (0.97 [0.75–1.24]) but only modestly attenuated the relation to CVD incidence (1.23 [1.00–1.51], P = 0.052). We observed a nonlinear, U-shaped relation between log-leptin and mortality (P = 0.005 for quadratic term) with greater risk of death evident at both low and high leptin levels. CONCLUSIONS: In our moderate-sized community-based elderly sample, higher circulating leptin levels were associated with a greater risk of CHF and CVD, but leptin did not provide incremental prognostic information beyond BMI. Additional investigations are warranted to elucidate the U-shaped relation of leptin to mortality.National Institutes of Health's National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (N01-HC25195, N01-HV28178, K24-HL04334, R01-DK080739

The Challenges and Opportunities for Meeting the Content Area Needs of English Language Learners in the Teacher Educator Classroom

Teacher preparation in the 21st century within the United States and those states such as Georgia that are experiencing unprecedented increases in immigrant populations must be responsive to the changing demographics and the concomitant content, linguistic and cultural needs and resources of our PK-12 populations. This paper comes out of our collective interest in ensuring that we are delivering a quality and timely education to teacher learners. With the exception of our ESOL and Science programs[1], we report on the extent to which our curricula are serving the needs of the State’s ELL population in subject-area syllabi for pre-service teachers in the English, Social Studies, Mathematics, Library Media, and Instructional Technology units in our department. From our review, we discuss the challenges and the opportunities that are presented to us in striving to be responsive to the needs of our State’s immigrant population through our pre-service teacher education programs. [1] This paper is based on a presentation given at the 2010 GATE Conference in Atlanta GA. All the present authors including Miyoun Lim, representing Science participated. Dr. Lim was unable to participate in the preparation of this paper. The department’s ESOL program, represented by the first author is not reported on in this paper as the purpose was to encourage the content area professors to study their practices