‘Reserved Ratification’:An analysis of states’ entry of reservations upon ratification of human rights treaties

Governing elites often ratify human rights treaties, even when their policies do not align with those treaties’ obligations. We argue that this can be explained by the fact that executives anticipate the potential challenges these treaties could raise vis-à-vis their domestic policies and enter different types of reservations when they ratify to head them off. The types of reservations they use depend on key characteristics of the executive’s policies and practices, as well as its relationship with the legislative and judicial branches. Different types of challenges can be raised by other domestic actors depending on variation in these key factors. The types of reservations executives use will therefore vary depending on the specific challenges ratification raises for them. Using an original dataset of the reservations states entered on human rights treaties registered with the United Nations and employing an event history analysis, we show that the particular challenges treaties present for executives in different types of states help to explain variation in how they use reservations when they ratify human rights treaties

Soil Information Sheets for Ravensthorpe and Part of the Jerramungup Agricultural Areas

The soil information sheets produced for the Ravensthorpe Land Conservation District provide an easy reference guide to the soils for part of the Jerramungup and Ravensthorpe agricultural areas, and provide land use and soil management recommendations. Soil data are shown on the front of the sheet, and land use and land management information is given on the back. The information should be used as a guide, and encourage the user to seek further information through the relevant people and organisations

Western States Dublin Core Metadata Best Practices, version 1.2

Funded by a grant awarded by the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) in the fall of 2001, the University of Denver (Denver, Colorado) spearheaded a multi-state collaborative initiative to create a virtual collection of widely dispersed digital resources on the topic, Western trails. As part of this initiative, 23 institutions in four Western states were awarded mini-grants to create digital content and metadata for resources related to Western trails. In addition to creation of a virtual collection of digital resources, another significant component of this multi-state initiative was development of a set of Dublin-Core based best practices by representatives from cultural heritage institutions beyond the original four participating states. Accordingly, in March 2002, 18 representatives from eight Western states met in Denver, Colorado to begin exploring issues associated with application of Dublin Core to digital objects by cultural heritage institutions. This group, the Western States Digital Standards Group (WSDSG) Metadata Working Group, formed two task forces to develop guidelines for the Dublin Core metadata. The WSDSG Metadata Working Group met again in Topeka, Kansas in July 2002 to finalize the guidelines and determine the remaining components of a best practices document. In November 2002 the resultant WSDSG Guidelines for the Dublin Core Elements were posted on the Colorado Digitization Program (CDP) and the Western Trails project website. In January 2003, the WSDSG Best Practices document will be released. This Best Practices document is based upon and supercedes the CDP’s General Guidelines for Descriptive Metadata Creation and Metadata

Increasing retention rates of black women in gateway STEM courses: an intervention at NCCU

The purpose of this disquisition is to improve the persistence of African American women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) gateway courses at North Carolina Central University (NCCU) through the implementation of a series of interventions. In this disquisition, I give a brief overview of the multiple barriers that have hindered many African American women from persisting in STEM fields. I explore the roots of student apathy, the roles of supplemental instruction leaders and tutors and the impact each has on student success. I also examine the intervention of incorporating early alert warning systems at an historically Black college and university (HBCU). My intervention includes (1) re-structured training of supplemental instruction leaders and tutors, (2) the consistent and accurate use of Grades First at NCCU, and (3) follow-up communication with supplemental instruction leaders and tutors to increase the pass rates of African American women in STEM gateway courses and increase their persistence in STEM programs at the institution

Water quality in the upper Little Tenneessee [i.e. Tennessee] River and its potential effects the on Appalachian elktoe mussel (Alasmidonta raveneliana)

Mussels are an indicator species for water quality due to exposure to acute water pollutants from their filter feeding life style (Augspurger 2003). Mussels are also more susceptible to trace metal exposure than many other aquatic organisms due to their behavior of burrowing in fine grained sediments and feeding on detritus and particulate matter (Wilson 2008). Metal accumulation is proportional to the assimilation efficiency of metals from food (Wang and Fisher 1999) and through the examination of waters and sediments in which these organisms live insight into potential effects posed by harmful trace metals can be identified. Since 1993, the Appalachian elktoe (Alasmidonta raveneliana) has been federally listed as a critically endangered species. An area of high population density for the elktoe mussel was the Upper Little Tennessee River. In 2006 biologists began to notice a severe decline in the elktoe population during routine mussel monitoring surveys. In order to understand the water quality threats posed to elktoe mussels, water quality parameters were monitored during this project. From January 2009 – January 2010, HACH water quality sondes were deployed at three monitoring sites along the Upper Little Tennessee River to evaluate the aquatic habitat and determine surface water quality. Analyses of water samples and shell material for selected trace metals were conducted using an ICP-MS. Temporal variations of total suspended sediment loads during floods were also documented at these sites. Further observation into the presence of copper was accomplished through porewater sampling along the reach of the Upper Little Tennessee River known to currently contain elktoe mussel populations. Although other studies have found trace metal concentrations of barium, chromium, nickel, lead and zinc in sediment well above probable effect thresholds, the portion of these trace metals found in bioavailable concentrations appears to be low on the basis of shell and copper data from porewater investigations. Copper levels did show wide local variability, suggesting that levels are significantly different on a localized scale. Moreover, the porewater samples were collected from September 2010 to January 2011, and therefore do not account for high inputs of common local fertilizers and/or significant changes in temperature and pH in the warmer seasons. Copper and zinc levels in the water column rose significantly during storm events observed during this project posing a potential threat to elktoe mussels. Specific threats include elevated sediment transport rates leading to increased turbidity and enhanced trace metal loads during rainfall events. Sediments also could be reworked from upstream impoundments during high water events, such as the back to back hurricanes of 2004 after which the mussel declines were noticed. These observations are consistent with other studies that have found high concentrations of trace metals, including copper and zinc, in sediments of Lake Emory and the Little Tennessee River that locally exceed probable effect thresholds for aquatic biota. Thus, trace metal-rich sediments located at the upstream terminus of the elktoe mussel habitat appears to pose a significant threat to mussel populations

Factors that promote success in women enrolled in STEM disciplines in rural North Carolina community colleges

Women have historically been underrepresented in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM fields). The underrepresentation of women in STEM may be attributable to a variety of factors. These may include different choices men and women typically make in response to incentives in STEM education. For example, STEM career paths may be less accommodating to people who are less resilient. Another factor may be that there are relatively few female STEM role models. Perhaps strong gender stereotypes discourage women from pursuing STEM education and STEM jobs. The factors that contribute to success and the barriers that impeded success must be identified before any steps can be taken to improve the educational outcomes for women in STEM disciplines. Consequently, relatively little is known about the role of resilience in academically successful adult women in rural community colleges enrolled in STEM disciplines and the mechanisms that underlie the performance deficits that occur as a result of stereotype threat effect. This mixed method study addressed those knowledge gaps by determining: (1) if high resilience is positively correlated to high grade point average for women enrolled in STEM disciplines in rural community colleges in North Carolina, and (2) if stereotype threat effect is a risk factor for these women. Quantitative data were collected by using “The Resilience Scale” (Wagnild & Young, 1987) and through examination of grade point average of students from Datatel data management software. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured focus group interviews. Findings from this study indicate high resilience is positively correlated to high grade point average for women enrolled in STEM disciplines in rural community colleges in North Carolina, and stereotype threat effect was a risk factor for low-scoring women (i.e. those women who reported resilience scores less than 121 and grade point averages lower than 2.70) and was not a risk factor for high-scoring women (i.e. those women who reported resilience scores of 147 or higher and grade point averages of 2.70 or higher). Overall, qualitative data analysis revealed both high-scoring and low-scoring women in STEM disciplines were affected by stereotype threat effect. However, low-scoring women were negatively impacted by stereotype threat and high-scoring women were able to use pressures associated with stereotype threat as motivation for success. Based on results from this study four principal factors were found that influence the success of women in STEM disciplines. These factors include elimination of stereotype threat, enhancement of resilience of female students, expansion of female gender representation on community college campuses, and development of positive instructor-student and advisor-student relationships. While this study does not, and cannot, explain why gender differences in STEM exist, it does provide data and insight that will enable more informed policymaking for community college administrators in order to increase success of women in STEM disciplines. The findings provide definitive evidence of a need to encourage and support women in STEM education with a goal of gender parity

Chemical and physical properties of natural and modified ground peanut hulls

The chemical and physical characteristics of peanut hulls was assessed using methylene blue (MB) adsorptivity, physical analysis to assess surface area, and FT-IR spectroscopy to analyze chemical composition of the hulls. Peanut hulls are an agriculture waste that show promise for cation adsorption due their lignocellulosic makeup. Adsorption is a process in which a thin layer of molecules adheres to a surface with which they come in contact. The ground peanut hulls are separated by density into two categories, high density (HD) and low density (LD). These two types of hulls react differently to an alkaline peroxide modification process, and therefore have different MB adsorption capacities. Unmodified HD hulls adsorb 0.08 +/- 0.05 mmol of MB per gram of hull and unmodified LD hulls adsorb 0.2 +/- 0.05 mmol of MB per gram of hull. Once modified, the adsorption capability increases depending on the modification procedure used. The chemical and physical characteristics of unmodified and modified ground peanut hulls were assessed to explain these differences. A 2-propanol displacement test showed that LD hulls have more empty space than HD hulls, which provides greater accessibility to adsorbates. Infrared spectroscopy showed the modifying alkaline solution dissolves lignin and other alkaline soluble hull components, which further increases the surface area of the hulls. The modification may also result in an increase of C=O functional groups, which would be strong binding sites for cations. It was determined that ground peanut hulls may be an appropriate biosorbent for cationic contaminants in low concentration, but a modification involving minimum concentrations of 0.45 M NaOH and 15% hydrogen peroxide is needed to raise the adsorption capacity of the hulls

North Jerramungup Fitzgerald area : catchment appraisal report 2001 (reviewed 2007)

This report covers the North Jerramungup Fitzgerald zone, an amalgamation of the smaller sub-catchments of Jacup, Fitzgerald, Mallee Road and part of Hamersley River, North West Jerramungup, North Jerramungup and North Needilup in Western Australia. This report primarily focuses on the agricultural and natural resources at risk within the study area and attempts to identify options to manage the potential risks