INTERPRETATION AND IMPLEMENATION OF DIRECTOR’S ORDER #41, SECTION 7.2: DETERMINING BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR WILDERNESS CLIMBING IN THE NATIONAL PARKS

Climbing in national parks’ wilderness areas has long created tension for mangers between providing recreational opportunities and maintaining wilderness values. This activity presents a challenge to wilderness management as managers try to balance feelings of solitude in wilderness and opportunities for unconfined recreation. Increased interest in climbing in the national parks lead to management considerations to satisfy Director’s Order #41: Wilderness Stewardship (DO41). In October 2013, the National Park Service (NPS) issued Director’s Order #41, Section 7.2, Climbing (DO41, Sec. 7.2), to clarify management of climbing in wilderness. Climbing in designated wilderness requires management due to conflicts between this growing recreational activity and maintenance of the qualities of wilderness character. With the publication of DO41, Sec. 7.2, the NPS has specific mandates for how to manage wilderness climbing. While the Order does provide a directive for the agency, it intentionally leaves room for interpretation to allow the parks to manage according to the specific needs of their park. The objectives of the study were to (1) ascertain what management actions have been implemented by national parks in response to DO41, Sec. 7.2; (2) determine how effective managers judge these actions to be; and (3) collect manager suggestions for improving the implementation of DO41, Sec. 7.2 in the national parks. Collecting online information on climbing in wilderness and conducting telephone interviews with managers experienced with climbing from a sample of national parks where climbing in wilderness is present fulfilled these objectives. The findings articulated that there should be more consistency in presentation of information to the climbing community. Lastly, relationships between the climbing community and National Park Service personnel are essential to effective management of climbing activity

A Study on Teacher Change to Developmentally Appropriate Practice in the Primary Grades of an Urban Elementary School

The purpose of this research was to study the process of change from traditional teaching practices to developmentally appropriate practices (DAP), following training. The population for this study consists of kindergarten and first grade teachers, in urban elementary school comprised of student at-risk for school failure. Quantitative and qualitative research methodologies were utilized. The quantitative measures provide evidence of the degree of change made by teachers and render a context for the qualitative findings. The variables of DAP were measured pre- and post-training to determine change in teaching practices that occurred after training. Two observation instruments were utilized to measure change: The Wasik-Day Open and Traditional Learning Environments and Classroom Behavior Instrument and The Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale. In addition, the degree of DAP implementation was measured by a technique called Innovation Configurations and a checklist was developed for this purpose. In-depth interviews then were conducted with teachers in order to gain an understanding of their experience with the change process. Findings of this study are derived from inductive analysis, as well as from comparisons of the pre- and post-training data. A phenomenological (descriptive-analytical) interpretation of the data is provided. All teachers in the study showed some evidence of change to DAP following training and findings indicate that training influenced teacher willingness to change. Identified barriers to change include lack of DAP materials, lack of time for planning and organization, large class-size, traditional class schedules, promotion and retention policies, assessment, level of noise from student interactions, and lack of parent involvement. Facilitators for change include the exchange of ideas and materials with co-workers, teaching assistants, observations of teachers who are implementing DAP practices, on-going training, the provision of technical assistance, and administrative support

Why HITnet kiosks didn\u27t hit the mark for sexual health education of Western Australian Aboriginal youth

Objective: To assess the use, appropriateness of, and staff feedback on specific sexual health modules, which were installed on Heuristic Interactive Technology (HITnet) kiosks at Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHS). The HITnet kiosks were aimed at Aboriginal youth visiting these sites. Methods: Modules on the HITnet kiosks were assessed for (1) cultural appropriateness using Yunkaporta’s Aboriginal pedagogy framework and (2) compliance with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) advice on key elements for comprehensive sexual health education for young people. Data measuring kiosk use were obtained through HITnet kiosk activity reports. An online survey of ACCHS staff was used to qualitatively assess use of, and staff perceptions of, HITnet kiosks. Results: Kiosk modules were consistent with seven of the eight elements of Yunkaporta’s framework and all of the WHO recommendations. The most popular module generated 3,066 purposeful sessions and the least popular module generated 724 purposeful sessions across nine sites in 2012. While teenagers were the most frequent of the kiosk user groups (39.5% in 2012), the majority of users (56%) were not in the target group (i.e. elders 4%, adults 25%, children 27%). Key issues reported by ACCHS staff (n=11) included: lack of clarity regarding staff responsibility for overseeing kiosk functionality; kiosks attracting “inappropriate ages”; and “lack of privacy” based on kiosk location, screen visibility, and absence of headphones preventing discreet access. Conclusions: The modules were tailored to a young Aboriginal audience through technology thought to be appealing to this group. However, barriers to use of the kiosk included kiosk design features, location, and lack of clarity around responsibility for kiosk operation. Implications: Aboriginal youth need easy access to sexual health messages in a ‘safe’, non-judgmental space. Information and communication that is accessible via personal and mobile devices may be a better vehicle than public kiosks

National Indigenous Palliative Care Needs Study

This study involved extensive consultation with the community to identify the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in palliative care

Does lowering a fever >101F in children improve clinical outcomes?

Treating fever significantly increases comfort, activity, feeding, and fluid intake and decreases the patient's temperature compared with placebo (strength of recommendation (SOR): A, multiple randomized controlled trials [RCTs]). It doesn't shorten or prolong the overall duration of illness or reduce the recurrence of febrile seizures (SOR: A, multiple RCTs). In patients with varicella, reducing fever prolongs the time it takes for lesions to crust, but doesn't appear to cause group A streptococcal necrotizing fasciitis (SOR: B, multiple prospective cohorts)

Neural Basis of Stereotype-Induced Shifts in Women\u27s Mental Rotation Performance

Recent negative focus on women\u27s academic abilities has fueled disputes over gender disparities in the sciences. The controversy derives, in part, from women\u27s relatively poorer performance in aptitude tests, many of which require skills of spatial reasoning. We used functional magnetic imaging to examine the neural structure underlying shifts in women\u27s performance of a spatial reasoning task induced by positive and negative stereotypes. Three groups of participants performed a task involving imagined rotations of the self. Prior to scanning, the positive stereotype group was exposed to a false but plausible stereotype of women\u27s superior perspective-taking abilities; the negative stereotype group was exposed to the pervasive stereotype that men outperform women on spatial tasks; and the control group received neutral information. The significantly poorer performance we found in the negative stereotype group corresponded to increased activation in brain regions associated with increased emotional load. In contrast, the significantly improved performance we found in the positive stereotype group was associated with increased activation in visual processing areas and, to a lesser degree, complex working memory processes. These findings suggest that stereotype messages affect the brain selectively, with positive messages producing relatively more efficient neural strategies than negative messages. © 2007 Oxford University Press

Borderline personality disorder : instilling hope may reduce suicide

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a psychiatric diagnosis associated with extreme behaviors including repeated suicide attempts, emotional instability, distorted thinking, and difficulty controlling impulses (American Psychiatric Association, 1994). In addition, a history of childhood physical and sexual abuse is commonly associated with BPD (Murray, 1993). This history of abuse and rigid thinking are characteristics of this disorder associated with suicide attempts (Brown & Anderson, 1991). As a result, suicidal crises are common with BPD patients. Although traditional treatment methods decrease the number of suicidal attempts, they are moderately effective in decreasing suicidal ideation (McGlashan, 1986). Suicidality is characterized by a sense of hopelessness, that nothing can change (Maris, Berman, & Silverman, 2000). This sense of hopelessness can be modified through spirituality and may decrease the number of suicide attempts. By instilling hope through spirituality, these individuals can modify their behaviors and thoughts that promote suicide (Yahne & Miller, 1999). The purpose of this paper is to introduce spirituality as an adjunct to traditional treatment methods to reduce suicide. BPD characteristics and diagnosis will be described first followed by current treatment options. Spirituality as a means to instilling hope will be recommended as an adjunctive treatment method

China's Growing Interest in Latin America

Over the past year, increasing attention has focused on China’s growing interest in Latin America. Most analysts appear to agree that China’s primary interest in the region is to gain greater access to needed resources — such as oil, copper, and iron — through increased trade and investment. Some also believe Beijing’s additional goal is to isolate Taiwan by luring the 12 Latin American and Caribbean nations still maintaining diplomatic relations with Taiwan to shift their diplomatic recognition to China. Some analysts maintain that China’s involvement in the region could pose a future threat to U.S. influence. Others assert that China’s inroads in Latin America are marginal and likely to remain overwhelmed by the economic and geographic advantage of the U.S. market