Chapter 2- Productive Disruptions: Resilient Pedagogies that Advocate for Equity

When the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered universities in March 2020, many students and faculty were thrown into shifting uncertainties regarding course delivery and pedagogy. As the pandemic persisted, faculty and students experienced new stressors caused by social isolation, unequal access to technology and resources, economic distress, and many other factors. In addition, the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and others in the Black community sparked widespread social unrest that added to and compounded the emotional and material weight of the pandemic. Amid this tumult, higher-education faculty began asking questions about how to move forward with pedagogies resistant to unpredictable and unprecedented disruptions. Might it be possible to design learning that is resilient to disruption? Can learning be more responsive to shifting material circumstances? These questions and others form the core of what many call “resilient pedagogy,” which the Pew Faculty Teaching and Learning Center (2020) defines as “an approach to teaching that takes into account the resiliency of course design, faculty, and students during uncertain times and changing circumstances” (para. 1). Values such as flexibility, adaptability, and stability inform this and related definitions, suggesting that ideal pedagogies can remain functional and productive even during times of great disruption

Revegetation with Carex nebrascensis and Carex utriculata following reconstruction in a NE Oregon meadow stream

Riparian vegetation is an essential component for the maintenance and/or repair of channel stability and function. Sedges within low-gradient riparian systems provide the structure necessary for sediment trapping leading to channel narrowing through bank building processes. Planting success in riparian restoration projects has often failed due to inappropriate species selection, planting locations and/or methodologies. Stream restoration efforts utilizing channel reconstruction methods are increasing in number across the West thus emphasizing the need for knowledge on revegetation methods. Planting success in a recently constructed channel is essential because the lack of vegetation makes the channel highly susceptible to erosion. Sedges play an important role in the stability of low gradient, fine-textured stream channels. Two native sedges, Carex nebrascensis (Nebraska sedge) and Carex utriculata (beaked sedge) are often used in riparian restoration within the West because they have extensive root systems that can provide bank stability in fine-sediment channels. Survival and vegetative reproduction were evaluated on greenhouse grown plugs of these two sedge species following transplanting within a reconstructed NE Oregon meadow stream. Sedge plugs were planted on two fluvial surfaces along the stream: depositional (point bars) and erosional surfaces (straight) at or below bankfull level. A second study was performed to evaluate the effect of Cirsium arvense (Canada thistle) presence on sedge transplant survival and vegetative reproduction. This was performed only on erosional planting locations. Depths to groundwater and soil moisture were also recorded at each planting location. Survival at the end of the first growing season in the first study was the same for both species, but shoot numbers were greater for Carex nebrascensis (98 shoots/m²) compared with Carex utriculata (84 shoots/m²). No differences were observed between shoot numbers by species at the end of the second growing season. Greater shoot numbers also occurred on depositional planting locations (117 and 165 shoots/m²) compared to erosional planting locations (65 and 59 shoots/m²) at the end of the first and second growing seasons. Transplant loss due to scour from high flows was greater at erosional planting locations (48%) than at depositional planting surfaces (19%). Sedge transplant loss from scour during high flows was greater for Carex utriculata transplants (44%) than for Carex nebrascensis transplants (23%). Presence of Cirsium arvense was observed to be associated with a reduction in vegetative reproduction during the first growing season but not at the end of the second growing season. Carex nebrascensis produced more shoots than Carex utriculata regardless of thistle presence for both growing seasons probably due to depth to groundwater. Transplant loss due to scour from high flows was greater for Carex utriculata (55%) compared to Carex nebrascensis (28%). These results suggested that revegetation success will be increased if sedges are planted on depositional geomorphic surfaces within reconstructed meadow channels. Cirsium arvense may be controlled following sedge transplanting during the first growing season to increase vegetative growth. These results also suggested that Carex nebrascensis is an appropriate species for transplanting at sites with water tables deeper than 30 cm

Risky Driving by Recently Licensed Teens: Self-Reports and Simulated Performance

U.S. teens are overrepresented in motor vehicle crashes, with the majority due to driver error; however, causal pathways remain to be elucidated. This research aimed to identify driving performance factors that might underlie newly-licensed male teens’ risk. Surveys were conducted with 21 16-year-olds at the time of intermediate licensure. During the second month of licensure they completed drives in a high-fidelity simulator. Simulator scenarios allowed assessment of responses to yellow traffic lights changing to red and to a visual search task, for which previous data on older age groups of drivers were available. All teens had an A or B grade point average, previously found to be associated with lower crash and citation risk. Nonetheless, 71% reported risky driving in terms of prior unlicensed, unsupervised driving. In the simulator, 46% went through an intersection as the light turned red, compared to 33% of adults. In the visual search task, teens had shorter mean perception-reaction times and identified more targets than adults and older drivers, but similar to young drivers. Therefore, even teens with good grades, perceived to be less risky, were willing to take driving risks. Their driving performance suggests there may be subtle differences in the way recently-licensed teens drive that might predispose them to crashes. Further research of this nature can increase understanding of such differences and inform the development of more targeted intervention

Plant damage in urban agroecosystems varies with local and landscape factors

Biotic and abiotic factors at local to landscape scales influence insect pest and disease dynamics in agricultural systems. However, relative to studies focused on the importance of these drivers of crop plant damage in rural agricultural systems, few studies investigate plant damage from herbivore insects and plant diseases in urban agroecosystems, and consequently, most urban farmers lack knowledge on crop protection tactics. Here we use three common crop species within urban agroecosystems (community gardens) distributed across an urban landscape as a model system to ask how local, landscape, and microclimate factors relate to herbivore and disease plant damage. We hypothesized that plant damage would be lower in gardens with greater local vegetation complexity, landscape‐scale complexity, and less variable temperatures, but that the importance of factors is species‐ and damage‐specific. By measuring Brassica, cucurbit, and tomato insect pest and disease damage across the growing season, we confirmed that the importance of factors varies with crop species and by damage type. Both local complexity factors (e.g., number of trees and shrubs) and landscape complexity (percent natural cover in the landscape) relate to lower incidence of herbivore and disease damage on some crops, supporting our prediction that habitat heterogeneity at both local and landscape scales lowers plant damage. Greater temperature variability related to higher disease damage on tomatoes linking microclimate factors to disease prevalence. Yet, local complexity factors also related to higher incidence of plant damage for other crop species, indicating variable species‐level impacts of local management factors on plant damage. By measuring the abundance of fungus‐feeding lady beetles (Psyllobora) on cucurbits, we confirmed a strong association between natural enemies and powdery mildew. We provide a case study on how changes in local to landscape‐scale factors relate to plant damage in urban agroecosystems and suggest how urban farmers and gardeners can apply this ecological knowledge to improve sustainable urban food production.TU Berlin, Open-Access-Mittel - 202

Emergency response times, response provider and patient satisfaction data for individuals in three Peruvian health care facilities

Questionnaire and results of a study of service quality and promptness of health care formulary used in study of patients involved in road traffic incidents in three different Peruvian cities between August – September 2009

Mentoring at the University of Pennsylvania: Results of a Faculty Survey

BACKGROUND: Research suggests mentoring is related to career satisfaction and success. Most studies have focused on junior faculty. OBJECTIVE: To explore multiple aspects of mentoring at an academic medical center in relation to faculty rank, track, and gender. DESIGN: Cross-sectional mail survey in mid-2003. PARTICIPANTS: Faculty members, 1,432, at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine MEASUREMENTS: Self-administered survey developed from existing instruments and stakeholders. RESULTS: Response rate was 73% (n = 1,046). Most (92%) assistant and half (48%) of associate professors had a mentor. Assistant professors in the tenure track were most likely to have a mentor (98%). At both ranks, the faculty was given more types of advice than types of opportunities. Satisfaction with mentoring was correlated with the number of types of mentoring received (r = .48 and .53, P < .0001), job satisfaction (r = .44 and .31, P < .0001), meeting frequency (r = .53 and .61, P < .0001), and expectation of leaving the University within 5 years (Spearman r = −.19 and −.18, P < .0001), at the assistant and associate rank, respectively. Significant predictors of higher overall job satisfaction were associate rank [Odds ratio (OR) = 2.04, CI = 1.29–3.21], the 10-point mentoring satisfaction rating (OR = 1.27, CI = 1.17–1.35), and number of mentors (OR = 1.60, CI = 1.20–2.07). CONCLUSIONS: Having a mentor, or preferably, multiple mentors is strongly related to satisfaction with mentoring and overall job satisfaction. Surprisingly, few differences were related to gender. Mentoring of clinician–educators, research track faculty, and senior faculty, and the use of multiple mentors require specific attention of academic leadership and further study

Cost-effectiveness of interventions to prevent road traffic injuries in low- and middle-income countries: A literature review

© 2017 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. Objective: The objective of this study was to identify, critically appraise, summarize, and synthesize evidence from cost-effectiveness analyses (CEAs) of interventions aimed at preventing road traffic injuries (RTIs) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) by age group and road users targeted. Methods: A search strategy was applied to 12 electronic databases for studies published between May 2002 and August 2015 that met prespecified inclusion criteria. Additional studies were identified by contacting authors and searching bibliographies. Included studies were critically appraised against published criteria and a narrative synthesis was conducted including a use of the strength of evidence criteria. Results: Five studies were included in the final review that reported 9 interventions. Only 2 out of 9 interventions (drink-drive legislation with enforcement via breath testing campaign and combined interventions for reducing RTIs) showed moderate evidence of being cost-effective, whereas the evidence of cost-effectiveness of other interventions was weak. Only 2 interventions (bicycle and motorcycle helmet use legislation and enforcement) were explicitly targeted to children, young people and vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists. The cost-effectiveness of interventions to prevent RTIs in LMICs ranged from US$4.14 per disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) averted for building speed bumps at the most dangerous junctions that caused 10$3,403 per DALYs averted for legislation and enforcement of helmet use by motorcyclists in the World Health Organization (WHO) sub-Saharan Africa region. Conclusions: Evidence of cost-effectiveness of interventions to prevent RTIs in LMICs is limited, particularly for children, young people, and vulnerable road users. Evaluation of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a larger number of possible road safety interventions in a variety of LMIC settings is warranted to generate the evidence base for effective traffic injury prevention programs

Epidemiology in Latin America and the Caribbean: current situation and challenges

Background This article analyses the epidemiological research developments in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). It integrates the series commissioned by the International Epidemiological Association to all WHO Regions to identify global opportunities to promote the development of epidemiology

Walking for transportation in large Latin American cities: walking-only trips and total walking events and their sociodemographic correlates.

Walking for transportation is a common and accessible means of achieving recommended physical activity levels, while providing important social and environmental co-benefits. Even though walking in rapidly growing urban areas has become especially challenging given the increasing dependence on motorised transportation, walking remains a major mode of transportation in Latin American cities. In this paper we aimed to quantify self-reported walking for transportation in Mexico City, Bogota, Santiago de Chile, Sao Paulo, and Buenos Aires, by identifying both walking trips that are conducted entirely on foot and walking events involved in trips mainly conducted on other means of transportation (e.g. private vehicle, public transit) among individuals ≥5-years old. We show how walking-only trips account for approximately 30% trips in the analysed cities, and we evidence how the pedestrian dimension of mobility is largely underestimated if walking that is incidental to other transportation modes is not accounted for: when considering all walking events, we observed an increase between 73% and 217% in daily walking time. As a result, we estimated that between 19% and 25% of residents in these cities meet the WHO physical activity guidelines solely from walking for transportation. The results of the study also suggest that the promotion of public transportation in large Latin American cities can especially help certain population groups achieve the daily recommended levels of physical activity, while among low-income groups accessibility and safety seem to be the key challenges to be addressed

Pediatric emergency department visits for pedestrian injuries in relation to the enactment of Complete Streets policy

IntroductionThis study aimed to evaluate the rate of pediatric emergency department (ED) visits for pedestrian injuries in relation to the enactment of the Complete Streets policy.MethodsThe National Complete Streets policies were codified by county and associated with each hospital's catchment area and date of enactment. Pedestrian injury-related ED visits were identified across 40 children's hospitals within the Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS) from 2004 to 2014. We calculated the proportion of the PHIS hospitals' catchment areas covered by any county policy. We used a generalized linear model to assess the impact of the proportion of the policy coverage on the rate of pedestrian injury-related ED visits.ResultsThe proportion of the population covered by Complete Streets policies increased by 23.9%, and pedestrian injury rates at PHIS hospitals decreased by 29.8% during the study period. After controlling for years, pediatric ED visits for pedestrian injuries did not change with increases in the PHIS catchment population with enacted Complete Streets policies.ConclusionAfter accounting for time trends, Complete Streets policy enactment was not related to observed changes in ED visits for pedestrian injuries at PHIS hospitals