Giving Voice to an Important Population: Latinos and the Cooperative Extension System

As the fastest growing minority group in the United States, the Latino community is a constituency that the Cooperative Extension System is called upon to serve, and presents a challenge to the organization, its leadership, and its programmatic efforts

Burma: Drug Control Progress and Possibilities

Burma is the second largest opium producer in the world, and is quickly becoming a hotbed of methamphetamine production. Opium profits have helped to finance conflict within Burma for both the central government and the insurgent ethnic groups; however, with the 1989 ceasefire agreements with the insurgent ethnic groups the drug control context changed dramatically. In April 2002, the Kokang and Wa ethnic leaders, whose regions account for the vast majority of opium poppy cultivation, committed to making their territory opium-free by 2003 and July 2005 respectively. The combined drug control efforts of national and local leaders have shown promising results, as both UN and US opium surveys have confirmed large declines in poppy cultivation. As Burma continues to reduce opium cultivation, it has struggled in recent years with an increase in the production of amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS). Combating the threats from opium and ATS will require different strategies. Stronger border controls, improved law enforcement and interdiction techniques must complement development strategies and alternative cropping policies.Myanmar ist der zweitgrößte Opiumproduzent der Welt und hat sich zu einer Hochburg der Methamphetaminproduktion entwickelt. Die Gewinne aus der Opiumproduktion halfen sowohl der Zentralregierung als auch den aufständischen ethnischen Gruppen, den Konflikt zu finanzieren. Seit denWaffenstillstandsvereinbarungen 1989 hat sich der Kontext der Drogenkontrolle dramatisch verändert. Im April 2002 versprachen die Führer der Kokang und derWa, in deren Einflussbereich die überwältigende Mehrheit des Mohnanbaus und der Opiumproduktion stattfindet, ihre Gebiete bis 2003 bzw. 2005 opiumfrei zu bekommen. Die vereinten Anstrengungen nationaler und lokaler Führer bei der Bekämpfung der Drogenproduktion zeigt viel versprechende Ergebnisse; sowohl die Statistiken der UN als auch der USA bestätigten einen starken Rückgang des Opiumanbaus. Während Burma den Anbau von Opium reduziert, erlebte es in den vergangenen Jahren einen Anstieg der Produktion der Amphetamin-Derivate (ATS). Stärkere Grenzkontrollen, verbesserte Rechtsetzung und Untersuchungstechniken müssen die Entwicklung dieser Strategien komplementär ergänzen

Rape and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Examining the Mediating Role of Explicit Sex-Power Beliefs for Men Versus Women

Many rape survivors exhibit symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and recent literature suggests survivors\u27 beliefs about sex and control may affect PTSD symptoms. The present study examined beliefs about sex and power as potential mediators of the relationship between rape and PTSD symptoms for men versus women. Participants (N = 782) reported lifetime history of rape, current PTSD symptoms, and beliefs about sex and power. Women reported higher levels of lifetime history of rape than men (19.7% for women; 9.7% for men). While rape history predicted PTSD symptoms for both genders, beliefs about sex and power were shown to be a significant partial mediator of this relationship for men, but not for women. Results extend the literature on rape and PTSD by suggesting that survivors\u27 beliefs about sex and power are connected and can affect their PTSD symptoms. Additionally, results illustrate how sexual violence against men may reaffirm male gender roles that entail power and aggression, and ultimately affect trauma recovery

Concert recording 2017-05-17

[Track 1]. Second line / Traditional -- [Track 2]. When the saints go marching in : gospel hymn -- [Track 3]. A tisket, a tasket / arranged by Ella Fitzgerald -- [Track 4]. Joshua : African American spiritua

Surfing Waves of Change: Building Organizational Capacity in Extension Through Leadership Programs

Leadership development is a viable solution to equipping Extension employees for administrative responsibilities at earlier career stages. Extend Advanced Leadership Training Program (Extend) is a University of Georgia Cooperative Extension cohort-based initiative proving to be a catalyst for enhancing the leadership skills of Extension personnel. This article addresses data from a mixed-methods study of the Extend program, which revealed findings on how changing self and changing others resulted in personal and professional growth within the cohort participant study sample

Experiential Learning for Extension Professionals: A Cross-Cultural Immersion Program

As the U.S. population becomes more diverse, Extension is called upon to modify its programming to meet the needs of its changing constituency. Georgia Extension created a professional development curriculum to assist Extension professionals in crafting effective programming for the rapidly growing Latino population. The study reported here explores qualitatively how Extension professionals in Georgia experienced their Cross-Cultural Immersion Program (CCIP). Through an interview-based study, three themes emerged from the data. Extension participants experienced: (1) diverse familial relations in Latino populations, (2) obstacles during programming, and (3) greater personal over professional gains through the CCIP

A Case Study of the Impact of Bioenergy Development Upon Crop Production, Livestock Feeding, and Water Resource Usage in Kansas

The development of grain-based ethanol production in Kansas has had a marked impact upon the feedgrain and livestock industries of the state. The increased focus on feedgrain production stemming from ethanol development impacts the use and sustainability of Kansas water resources, and has changed the proportional mix of crops grown in the state. The need to handle increased amounts of feedgrains and to transport them to ethanol plants has affected the functional role of local grain elevators as well as the directional flow of grain within the state. The grain trucking industry has been dramatically affected by the increase in demand for moving both feedstock inputs and co-product outputs to and from ethanol plants in the state.Crop Production/Industries, Livestock Production/Industries, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Cultural Institutions as Partners in Initial Elementary Science Teacher Preparation

Despite an increased recognition of the role that ‘informal’ learning spaces (e.g. museums, aquariums, other cultural institutions) have in children’s science education (NRC, 2015), there remains a gap between the goals and values of ‘informal’ and ‘formal’ (i.e. school-based) learning sectors. Moreover, the potential for informal spaces and institutions to also play a role in initial teacher preparation is only beginning to be realized. Here, we present our Science Teacher Learning Ecosystem model and explain how it frames the design of our elementary science teacher education coursework. We then use this framework to describe learning experiences that are collaboratively planned and implemented with two local museums. These course sessions engage teacher candidates as science learners and develop abilities and mindsets for bridging formal and informal teaching and learning divides. Readers are encouraged to think about their unique context and the out-of-school partners available to collaborate with, be it museums similar to those described here or parks, after-school programs, gardens, etc

Do lower-extremity joint dynamics change when stair negotiation is initiated with a self-selected comfortable gait speed?

Previous research on the biomechanics of stair negotiation has ignored the effect of the approaching speed. We examined if initiating stair ascent with a comfortable self-selected speed can affect the lower-extremity joint moments and powers as compared to initiating stair ascent directly in front of the stairs. Healthy young adults ascended a custom-built staircase instrumented with force platforms. Kinematics and kinetics data were collected simultaneously for two conditions: starting from farther away and starting in front of the stairs and analyzed at the first and second ipsilateral steps. Results showed that for the first step, participants produced greater peak knee extensor moment, peak hip extensor and flexor moments and peak hip positive power while starting from farther away. Also, for both the conditions combined, participants generated lesser peak ankle plantiflexor, greater peak knee flexor moment, lesser peak ankle negative power and greater peak hip negative power while encountering the first step. These results identify the importance of the starting position in experiments dealing with biomechanics of stair negotiation. Further, these findings have important implications for studying stair ascent characteristics of other populations such as older adults