Taking the bus? Barriers and facilitators for adolescent use of public buses to school

Transport to school can contribute significantly to adolescents’ physical activity but in New Zealand – as in many other countries around the world – many adolescents are driven to school. Public transport offers an opportunity to integrate incidental active transport into school commutes. In this paper, we bring together multiple sources of data into a multi-method study to elucidate the barriers to and facilitators of public transport use by adolescents for school travel in Dunedin, New Zealand, a city with low rates of public transport use. The data include a public bus survey from Otago School Students Lifestyle Survey (OSSLS, 1391 adolescents); the Built Environment Active Transport to School (BEATS) Study parental survey (350 parents), focus groups (54 adolescents, 25 parents, 12 teachers) and semi-structured interviews (12 principals); interviews with three policy-makers from local/regional/national agencies; and analysis of 10 relevant local/regional/national strategies/transport plans. The findings show how distance to school, cost, parental trip chaining, built environment features, the weather, convenience, and safety perceptions are major barriers to using public transport to school. Moreover, current transport planning documents do not favour public health. A number of recommendations that could increase public transport use are made including: raising parking prices to discourage parents driving and trip-chaining; improving bus infrastructure and services; providing subsidies; and changing perceptions of public transport use and users. These actions, however, require collaboration between government authorities across the local, regional and national scale

Systematics and conservation of the hook-billed kite including the island taxa from Cuba and Grenada

Taxonomic uncertainties within the genus Chondrohierax stem from the high degree of variation in bill size and plumage coloration throughout the geographic range of the single recognized species, hook-billed kite Chondrohierax uncinatus . These uncertainties impede conservation efforts as local populations have declined throughout much of its geographic range from the Neotropics in Central America to northern Argentina and Paraguay, including two island populations on Cuba and Grenada, and it is not known whether barriers to dispersal exist between any of these areas. Here, we present mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA; cytochrome B and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2) phylogenetic analyses of Chondrohierax , with particular emphasis on the two island taxa (from Cuba, Chondrohierax uncinatus wilsonii and from Grenada, Chondrohierax uncinatus mirus ). The mtDNA phylogenetic results suggest that hook-billed kites on both islands are unique; however, the Cuban kite has much greater divergence estimates (1.8–2.0% corrected sequence divergence) when compared with the mainland populations than does the Grenada hook-billed kite (0.1–0.3%). Our findings support species status for the Cuban form, as Chondrohierax wilsonii , and subspecific status for the Grenada form. For mainland taxa, we do not find support for the currently recognized subspecies Chondrohierax uncinatus aquilonis in western Mexico, but we do find evidence for a genetic subdivision between populations in Central and South America, a difference previously unsuspected. The results of this study help identify conservation priorities associated with these unique Neotropical raptors. This information is of immediate interest because the Cuban kite has not been reliably seen since 1992, and <50 hook-billed kites currently inhabit Grenada.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/72922/1/j.1469-1795.2007.00118.x.pd

Control in the technical societies: a brief history

By the time control engineering emerged as a coherent body of knowledge and practice (during and just after WW2) professional engineering societies had existed for many decades. Since control engineering is an interdisciplinary branch of the profession, new sections devoted to control were quickly established within the various existing technical societies. In addition, some new bodies devoted specifically or primarily to control were established. This article, a revised version of a paper presented at the IEEE 2009 Conference on the History of Technical Societies, describes how control engineering as a distinct branch of engineering became represented in technical societies in a number of countries

An assurance of learning success model: toward closing the feedback loop

This paper provides a systemic approach to building and sustaining a solid assurance of learning program using the framework of Kotter’s (1995) Strategic Model for Transforming Organizations. A comprehensive model for launching and sustaining a systemic approach to program review that ‘‘closes the loop’’ is shared step by step. Particular attention is paid to the organizational behaviors and processes that accompany each step, and to sharing important lessons that were learned. A review of the assessment literature in higher education and recent Advancement of Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB) contributions to this body of knowledge identifies a critical gap regarding models that ‘‘close the loop’’ and make a compelling case for the Simmons College model

It\u27s not too Late for the Harpy Eagle (Harpia harpyja): High Levels Of Genetic Diversity and Differentiation Can Fuel Conservation Programs

Background: The harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja) is the largest Neotropical bird of prey and is threatened by human persecution and habitat loss and fragmentation. Current conservation strategies include local education, captive rearing and reintroduction, and protection or creation of trans-national habitat blocks and corridors. Baseline genetic data prior to reintroduction of captive-bred stock is essential for guiding such efforts but has not been gathered previously. Methodology/Findings: We assessed levels of genetic diversity, population structure and demographic history for harpy eagles using samples collected throughout a large portion of their geographic distribution in Central America (n = 32) and South America (n = 31). Based on 417 bp of mitochondrial control region sequence data, relatively high levels of haplotype and nucleotide diversity were estimated for both Central and South America, although haplotype diversity was significantly higher for South America. Historical restriction of gene flow across the Andes (i.e. between our Central and South American subgroups) is supported by coalescent analyses, the haplotype network and significant FST values, however reciprocally monophyletic lineages do not correspond to geographical locations in maximum likelihood analyses. A sudden population expansion for South America is indicated by a mismatch distribution analysis, and further supported by significant (p,0.05) negative values of Fu and Li’s DF and F, and Fu’s FS. This expansion, estimated at approximately 60 000 years BP (99 000–36 000 years BP 95% CI), encompasses a transition from a warm and dry time period prior to 50 000 years BP to an interval of maximum precipitation (50 000–36 000 years BP). Notably, this time period precedes the climatic and habitat changes associated with the last glacial maximum. In contrast, a multimodal distribution of haplotypes was observed for Central America suggesting either population equilibrium or a recent decline. Significance: High levels of mitochondrial genetic diversity in combination with genetic differentiation among subgroups within regions and between regions highlight the importance of local population conservation in order to preserve maximal levels of genetic diversity in this species. Evidence of historically restricted female-mediated gene flow is an important consideration for captive-breeding programs

Parenting and toddler self‐regulation in low‐income families: What does sleep have to do with it?

Toddlerhood is a sensitive period in the development of self‐regulation, a set of adaptive skills that are fundamental to mental health and partly shaped by parenting. Healthy sleep is known to be critical for self‐regulation; yet, the degree to which child sleep alters interactive child–parent processes remains understudied. This study examines associations between observed parenting and toddler self‐regulation, with toddler sleep as a moderator of this association. Toddlers in low‐income families (N = 171) and their mothers were videotaped during free play and a self‐regulation challenge task; videos were coded for mothers’ behavior and affect (free play) and toddlers’ self‐regulation (challenge task). Mothers reported their child’s nighttime sleep duration via questionnaire. Results revealed significant Sleep × Maternal Negative Affect and Sleep × Maternal Negative Control interactions. Children who did not experience negative parenting had good self‐regulation regardless of their nighttime sleep duration. For children who did experience negative parenting, self‐regulation was intact among those who obtained more nighttime sleep, but significantly poorer among children who were getting less nighttime sleep. Thus, among children who were reported to obtain less nighttime sleep, there were more robust associations between negative parenting and poorer self‐regulation than among toddlers who were reported to obtain more sleep.RESUMENLos primeros años de la niñez son un período sensible en el desarrollo de la auto‐regulación, un grupo de habilidades adaptables que son fundamentales para la salud mental y a las que en parte les da forma la crianza. Es sabido que el dormir bien es esencial para la auto‐regulación y, aun así, el nivel al que el sueño del niño altera los procesos interactivos entre progenitor y niño permanece poco estudiado. Este estudio examina las asociaciones entre la crianza observada y la auto‐regulación del niño pequeño, tomando como moderador de tal asociación el proceso de dormir del niño pequeño. Se grabó en video a niños pequeños de familias de bajos ingresos (N=171) y sus madres durante una sesión de juego libre y una tarea de auto‐regulación que suponía un reto; los videos fueron codificados en cuanto al comportamiento y afecto de las madres (juego libre) y la auto‐regulación de los niños pequeños (tarea que suponía reto). Las madres reportaron acerca del sueño nocturno de sus niños por medio de un cuestionario. Los resultados revelaron interacciones significativas en cuanto al dormir y el negativo afecto materno, así como el dormir y el negativo control materno. Los niños que no experimentaron una crianza negativa tenían una buena auto‐regulación independientemente de la duración de su sueño nocturno. En el caso de los niños que experimentaron una crianza negativa, la auto‐regulación quedó intacta en aquellos que lograban más tiempo nocturno de dormir, pero fue significativamente más pobre en los niños que tenían menos tiempo de sueño nocturno. Por tanto, en el caso de los niños indicados en el reporte con menos tiempo de dormir nocturno, se dieron asociaciones más robustas entre la crianza negativa y una más pobre auto‐regulación que entre los niños pequeños indicados en el reporte con más tiempo de dormir.RÉSUMÉLa petite enfance est une période sensible dans le développement de l’auto‐régulation, un ensemble de compétences qui sont fondamentales pour la santé mentale et en partie formées par le parentage. L’on sait qu’un sommeil sain est critique pour l’auto‐régulation et pourtant la mesure dans laquelle le sommeil de l’enfant altère les processus interactifs enfant‐parent demeure peu étudiée. Cette étude examine les liens entre le parentage observé et l’auto‐régulation du petit enfant, le sommeil de l’enfant ayant un effet modérateur dans ce lien. Des jeunes enfants de familles issues de milieux défavorisés (N=171) et leurs mères ont été filmés durant un jeu libre et un exercice de défi d’auto‐régulation. Les vidéos ont été codées pour le comportement des mères et l’affect (jeu libre) et l’auto‐régulation des jeunes enfants (exercice de défi). Les mères ont fait état de la durée de sommeil nocturne de leur enfant au moyen d’un questionnaire. Les résultats ont révélé que : sommeil significatif x l’affect négatif maternel et le sommeil x négatif maternel contrôle les interactions. Les enfants qui n’avaient pas fait l’expérience d’un parentage négatif avaient une bonne auto‐régulation quelle qu’ait été la durée du sommeil nocturne. Pour les enfants ayant fait l’expérience d’une parentage négatif, l’auto‐régulation était intacte chez ceux ayant plus dormi, mais bien moindre chez les enfants qui avaient moins dormi. Donc, chez les enfants ayant moins de sommeil nocturne les liens bien plus robustes ont été découverts entre le parentage négatif et une moindre auto‐régulation que chez les petits enfants dormant plus durant la nuit.ZUSAMMENFASSUNGDas Kleinkindalter ist ein sensibler Zeitraum für die Entwicklung der Selbstregulation – einer Reihe von Anpassungsfähigkeiten, die für die psychische Gesundheit grundlegend sind und teilweise durch Erziehung geprägt werden. Gesunder Schlaf ist bekanntlich entscheidend für die Selbstregulation, aber das Ausmaß, in dem der Kinderschlaf interaktive Prozesse zwischen Kind und Eltern verändert, ist bisher nur unzureichend erforscht wurden. Diese Studie untersucht Zusammenhänge zwischen beobachtetem Erziehungsverhalten und der Selbstregulation von Kleinkindern, wobei der Schlaf der Kleinkinder als Moderator dieser Assoziation fungiert. Kleinkinder aus einkommensschwachen Familien (N=171) und ihre Mütter wurden während des freien Spiels und einer herausfordernden Aufgabe zur Selbstregulation gefilmt; die Videos wurden für das Verhalten und die Affekte der Mütter (freies Spiel) und die Selbstregulation der Kleinkinder (herausfordernde Aufgabe) kodiert. Die Mütter berichteten per Fragebogen über die nächtliche Schlafdauer ihres Kindes. Die Ergebnisse zeigten signifikante Interaktionen für Schlaf und mütterlichen negativen Affekt sowie für Schlaf und mütterliche negative Kontrollinteraktionen. Kinder, die keine negative Erziehung erlebten, hatten eine gute Selbstregulation, unabhängig von ihrer nächtlichen Schlafdauer. Bei Kindern, die eine negative Erziehung erfuhren, war die Selbstregulation bei denen, die mehr Nachtschlaf erhielten, intakt und bei Kindern, die weniger Nachtschlaf erhielten, jedoch deutlich schlechter. So gab es bei Kindern, von denen berichtet wurde, dass sie weniger Nachtschlaf erhielten, robustere Assoziationen zwischen negativer Erziehung und schlechterer Selbstregulation als bei Kleinkindern, von denen berichtet wurde, dass sie mehr Schlaf erhielten.抄録低収入家庭における子育てと幼児の自己調整力:睡眠が関与するものとは何か？幼児期は、自己調整力、つまりメンタルヘルスの基礎であり、ある程度までは子育てによって形成される、一連の適応スキルの発達が影響を受けやすい時期である。健康的な睡眠は自己調整力には不可欠のものとして知られているが、子どもの睡眠が子どもと親の相互作用の過程をどの程度まで改めるかについては、いまもなお研究課題のままである。本研究は、観察によって得られた子育てと幼児の自己調整力の関連性について幼児の睡眠を仲介として検討することである。低所得家庭 (N=171) で生活している幼児と母親が自由遊びと自己調整のチャレンジタスクに取り組む間中ビデオ録画した。ビデオデータは母親の行動と感情(自由遊び)と幼児の自己調整力(チャレンジタスク)としてコード化された。子どもの夜間の睡眠時間は母親からの質問紙を通して報告された。その結果、睡眠と母親の否定的感情の間、そして睡眠と母親の否定的コントロールの間には著しい相互関連性が認められた。否定的育児を経験していない子どもは、夜間の睡眠時間に関わらず、よい自己調整力を持っていた。否定的育児を経験した子どもでは、自己調整力はより長い夜間睡眠をとっている子どもにおいては保たれていたが、より短い睡眠時間しかとっていない子どもにおいては著しく低かった。このようにより短い睡眠時間しかとっていないと報告された子どもにおいては、より長い睡眠をとっている幼児より、否定的育児とより低い自己調整力の間により確かな関連性が示された。摘要低收入家庭的育兒和幼兒自我調節:與睡眠有什麼關係？幼兒期是自我調節發展的一個敏感時期， 這是一套適應性技能， 是心理健康的基礎， 部分由養育方式塑造。眾所周知， 健康睡眠對於自我調節至關重要， 然而， 兒童睡眠如何改變兒童 ‐ 父母互動仍未得到充分研究。本研究探討觀察到的養育方式與幼兒自我調節的關聯， 及幼兒睡眠作為這種關聯的調節變數。低收入家庭的幼兒 （N = 171） 和母親在自由遊戲和自我調節挑戰任務中被錄像; 視頻被編碼為母親的行為和情感 （自由遊戲） 和幼兒的自我調節 （挑戰任務）。母親通過問卷報告孩子的夜間睡眠時間。結果顯示顯著的睡眠x母體負面情感和睡眠 x 母體負面控制相互作用。沒有經歷負面養育的孩子， 無論夜間睡眠時間長短， 都有良好的自我調節能力。對於那些經歷過負面養育的孩子， 在夜間睡眠較多的人中， 自我調節是完整的， 但在夜間睡眠較少的孩子中， 自我調節顯著較差。因此， 在夜間睡眠較少的兒童中， 負面育兒和較差的自我調節的關聯性強於較多睡眠的幼兒。ملخصالرعاية الوالدية والتنظيم الذاتي للطفل في الأسر ذات الدخل المنخفض: ما علاقة النوم بذلك ؟الطفولة هي فتره حساسة في تطوير التنظيم الذاتي ، والذي يمثل مجموعه من المهارات التكيفيه التي هي أساسيه للصحة النفسية وتتشكل جزئيا عن طريق الأبوه والأمومه. ومن المعروف ان النوم الصحي أمر بالغ الاهميه للتنظيم الذاتي ، ومع ذلك ، فان الدرجة التي يغير بها نوم الطفل في العمليات التفاعلية التي يقوم بها الطفل مع الوالدين لا تزال غير خاضعة للدراسة الكافية. تتناول هذه الدراسة العلاقات بين الرعاية الوالدية الملحوظة والتنظيم الذاتي للطفل الصغير ، حيث نوم الطفل يمثل المتغير الوسيط في هذه العلاقة. اشترك في الدراسة مجموعة من الأطفال الصغار في الأسر ذات الدخل المنخفض (العدد = 171) وأمهاتهم وتم تصويرهم بالفيديو اثناء اللعب الحر مع تكليفهم بمهمة تحدي التنظيم الذاتي ؛ تم ترميز تسجيلات الفيديو لسلوك الأمهات وعاطفتهم في (اللعب الحر) والتنظيم الذاتي للأطفال الصغار في (مهمة التحدي). وأبلغت الأمهات عن مده النوم الليلي لأطفالهن عن طريق الاستبيان. أظهرت النتائج تفاعلات ذات دلالة إحصائية بين النوم والعاطفة السلبية عند الأمهات وبين النوم والسيطرة السلبية للأمهات . الأطفال الذين لا يعانون من الابوه والامومه السلبية كان لديهم قدرات جيدة على التنظيم الذاتي بغض النظر عن مده النوم ليلا. بالنسبة للأطفال الذين يعانون من الابوه والامومه السلبية ، كان التنظيم الذاتي سليما بين أولئك الذين حصلوا علي المزيد من النوم ليلا ، ولكن أضعف بكثير بين الأطفال الذين كانوا يحصلون علي اقل النوم ليلا. وبالتالي ، فانه من بين الأطفال الذين ابلغ عن حصولهم علي قسط اقل من النوم الليلي ، كانت هناك رابطات اقوي بين الرعاية الوالدية السلبية والتنظيم الذاتي الأقل منها بين الصغار الذين أفيد بأنهم يحصلون علي المزيد من النوم.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/150525/1/imhj21783.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/150525/2/imhj21783_am.pd

Evolutionary biology for the 21st century

New theoretical and conceptual frameworks are required for evolutionary biology to capitalize on the wealth of data now becoming available from the study of genomes, phenotypes, and organisms - including humans - in their natural environments.Molecular and Cellular BiologyOrganismic and Evolutionary Biolog

Louse (Insecta : Phthiraptera) mitochondrial 12S rRNA secondary structure is highly variable

Lice are ectoparasitic insects hosted by birds and mammals. Mitochondrial 12S rRNA sequences obtained from lice show considerable length variation and are very difficult to align. We show that the louse 12S rRNA domain III secondary structure displays considerable variation compared to other insects, in both the shape and number of stems and loops. Phylogenetic trees constructed from tree edit distances between louse 12S rRNA structures do not closely resemble trees constructed from sequence data, suggesting that at least some of this structural variation has arisen independently in different louse lineages. Taken together with previous work on mitochondrial gene order and elevated rates of substitution in louse mitochondrial sequences, the structural variation in louse 12S rRNA confirms the highly distinctive nature of molecular evolution in these insects

Identification of Birds through DNA Barcodes

Short DNA sequences from a standardized region of the genome provide a DNA barcode for identifying species. Compiling a public library of DNA barcodes linked to named specimens could provide a new master key for identifying species, one whose power will rise with increased taxon coverage and with faster, cheaper sequencing. Recent work suggests that sequence diversity in a 648-bp region of the mitochondrial gene, cytochrome c oxidase I (COI), might serve as a DNA barcode for the identification of animal species. This study tested the effectiveness of a COI barcode in discriminating bird species, one of the largest and best-studied vertebrate groups. We determined COI barcodes for 260 species of North American birds and found that distinguishing species was generally straightforward. All species had a different COI barcode(s), and the differences between closely related species were, on average, 18 times higher than the differences within species. Our results identified four probable new species of North American birds, suggesting that a global survey will lead to the recognition of many additional bird species. The finding of large COI sequence differences between, as compared to small differences within, species confirms the effectiveness of COI barcodes for the identification of bird species. This result plus those from other groups of animals imply that a standard screening threshold of sequence difference (10× average intraspecific difference) could speed the discovery of new animal species. The growing evidence for the effectiveness of DNA barcodes as a basis for species identification supports an international exercise that has recently begun to assemble a comprehensive library of COI sequences linked to named specimens