Effects of fire and thinning on Kansas oak woodlands

Field of study: Natural resources.Dr. Michael Stambaugh, Thesis Supervisor."December 2017."Prior to Euro-American settlement, a mosaic of prairie, savanna, woodland, and forest existed within the Forest-Prairie Transition Region of the United States, with anthropogenic fire acting as an important driver in the perpetuation of open-oak communities. As fire suppression became a regular practice throughout the 20th century, these historically open communities became threatened by encroaching fire-sensitive, and often shade-tolerant, species. This study evaluated the effects of prescribed fire and thinning treatments as methods to achieve woodland restoration objectives, which commonly include reducing stand density, reducing mesophytic oak-competitors, increasing canopy openness, increasing herbaceous plant cover, and promoting the regeneration of oak. We investigated the effects of six treatment types on the structure and composition of a Kansas oak woodland. Treatments included: prescribed fire (burn), thin to 60 ft sq/acre basal area (T60), thin to 30 ft sq/acre basal area (T30), the combination of fire and thin to 60 ft sq/acre basal area (BT60), the combination of fire and thin to 30 ft sq/acre basal area (BT30), and an untreated control. Additionally, we examined the effect of fire on advance regeneration survival probability for five tree species: chinkapin oak (Quercus muehlenbergii), black oak (Q. velutina), bitternut hickory (Carya cordiformis), sugar maple (Acer saccharum), and eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana). Following a single girdle and herbicide application thinning treatment, we found low mortality in the first year, especially for sugar maple. As a result, the reduction in overstory basal area did not meet our intended targets. A single dormant season prescribed burn was effective at reducing large and small seedling densities of sugar maple and other oak-competitors, and increased forb and legume cover in the understory. However, the burn only treatment had no effect on overstory stand metrics, including basal area, tree density, percent stocking, and canopy openness. Thinning of the overstory and midstory in combination with prescribed fire resulted in similar effects to seedling densities and ground flora cover as the burn only treatment, but also created reduced tree density in the sapling layer and greater canopy openness. Additionally, the effect of the burn only treatment on advance regeneration revealed that significant relationships exist between pretreatment stem basal diameter and height and the probability of surviving a single fire for some of the species. These initial results are for the first year following treatments and over time we expect vegetation dynamics to continue to respond to treatments.Includes bibliographical references (pages 104-112)

Data, discourse, and development: Building a sustainable world through education and science communication

Dramatic expansion of distance learning during COVID-19 widened the digital divide and highlighted the importance of students' digital and data literacy skills. Simultaneously, science was playing out in front of the public as information and communication about the importance of COVID-19 protective behaviors and vaccines evolved. Yet within the global discourse, misinformation was rampant. The public questioned the validity of COVID-19 data. They did not know who or what to trust. Their concerns about the impacts of COVID-19 protective behaviors and the need for vaccinations rose. Some science educators were asked to avoid discussing the topic with their students. All of this is emblematic of an even larger problem—the inability of many people to understand and use data to make informed decisions to develop their communities. This article will use one example from the Smithsonian Science for Global Goals project: Vaccines! How can we use science to help our community make decisions about vaccines?, which invites students ages 8–17 to use data to change discourse and develop their own communities using inspiration from the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This project encourages students to: (1) use investigations to gather and analyze data from their communities as they build data literacy skills (data); (2) communicate this information to others as a way of catalyzing and changing community conversations to make informed decisions (discourse); and (3) become active partners in creating more sustainable and equitable communities (development). These competencies of data, discourse, and development—integrated into science, technology, engineering, and math education for sustainable development (STEM4SD)—are aligned with a “data for learning” conversation that emerged during the pandemic. To expand students' data skills, educators must be grounded in a framework that holistically considers ethics, community impact, and science. Data must be contextualized to the problems that students face locally. Students must be given the tools to communicate scientific understanding to others in service of sustainable development. As such, an SDG-aligned approach to data for learning that promotes discourse drives learners to act to protect themselves, our societies, and our planet, while educating students on the underlying science and social science of sustainable development

An Assessment of Videotape in the Criminal Courts

Summary of Contents I. Introduction A. A brief history of television and videotape in the justice system B. Recent studies of videotape technology in the justice system C. Overview of the goals and methodology of the present study II. The Videotape System A. The recording environment 1. Lighting 2. Spatial arrangement 3. Participant mobility 4. Acoustics 5. Electrical power B. Production techniques 1. Video source location 2. Audio source location 3. Picture composition a. Zooms b. Varying video sources c. Special effects C. Alternative equipment combinations 1. System 1 : the single camera 2. System 2: the single camera with auxiliary components 3. System 3: multiple cameras 4. System 4: multiple cameras with auxiliary components D. Recommended uses of the various videotape systems 1. In-court applications 2. Out-of-court applications a. Lineups b. Confessions c. Sobriety tests d. Out-of-court witness testimony E. Special considerations 1. Handling and storage 2. Video v. human perception III. Psychological and Behavioral Impacts of Videotape A. Study design and methodology 1. Data collection 2. Sampling 3. Survey procedures 4. Data analysis B. Results of the psychological and behavioral impact studies 1. The effects of videotape on witnesses a. Witness discomfort and stress b. Witness decisiveness c. Witness attitudes and willingness to serve as a witness in the future 2. The effects of videotape on legal participants and court- room decorum a. The style of attorney presentation b. Frequency of attorney objections c. Attorney preparation d. Structure and formality of courtroom interaction C. Discussion and general observations IV. Procedural, Administrative, Constitutional, and Financial Considerations of Videotape in the Judicial System A. Procedural considerations B. Administrative considerations C. Constitutional considerations 1. Right to confrontation 2. Right to effective assistance of counsel 3. Right to counsel 4. Privilege against self-incrimination 5. Due process a. Production techniques b. Notice to the defendant D. Financial considerations and recording costs 1. Videotape services by commercial contract 2. In-house videotape system a. Costs of an in-house single-camera system b. Costs of an in-house multicamera system 3. Commercial v. in-house costs V. Recommendations and Conclusions A. Projected long-range effects of videotape in the justice system B. Recommendations C. Conclusion

An Assessment of Videotape in the Criminal Courts

Summary of Contents I. Introduction A. A brief history of television and videotape in the justice system B. Recent studies of videotape technology in the justice system C. Overview of the goals and methodology of the present study II. The Videotape System A. The recording environment 1. Lighting 2. Spatial arrangement 3. Participant mobility 4. Acoustics 5. Electrical power B. Production techniques 1. Video source location 2. Audio source location 3. Picture composition a. Zooms b. Varying video sources c. Special effects C. Alternative equipment combinations 1. System 1 : the single camera 2. System 2: the single camera with auxiliary components 3. System 3: multiple cameras 4. System 4: multiple cameras with auxiliary components D. Recommended uses of the various videotape systems 1. In-court applications 2. Out-of-court applications a. Lineups b. Confessions c. Sobriety tests d. Out-of-court witness testimony E. Special considerations 1. Handling and storage 2. Video v. human perception III. Psychological and Behavioral Impacts of Videotape A. Study design and methodology 1. Data collection 2. Sampling 3. Survey procedures 4. Data analysis B. Results of the psychological and behavioral impact studies 1. The effects of videotape on witnesses a. Witness discomfort and stress b. Witness decisiveness c. Witness attitudes and willingness to serve as a witness in the future 2. The effects of videotape on legal participants and court- room decorum a. The style of attorney presentation b. Frequency of attorney objections c. Attorney preparation d. Structure and formality of courtroom interaction C. Discussion and general observations IV. Procedural, Administrative, Constitutional, and Financial Considerations of Videotape in the Judicial System A. Procedural considerations B. Administrative considerations C. Constitutional considerations 1. Right to confrontation 2. Right to effective assistance of counsel 3. Right to counsel 4. Privilege against self-incrimination 5. Due process a. Production techniques b. Notice to the defendant D. Financial considerations and recording costs 1. Videotape services by commercial contract 2. In-house videotape system a. Costs of an in-house single-camera system b. Costs of an in-house multicamera system 3. Commercial v. in-house costs V. Recommendations and Conclusions A. Projected long-range effects of videotape in the justice system B. Recommendations C. Conclusion

Clinical Supervision at all times and at the best of times. Future Nurse Conference

Presentation of literature and research into the importance of clinical supervision for Nursin

The Iowa Homemaker vol.29, no.6

I Had a Career on the Companion, Mary Dodds Schlick, page 3 Improve Your Lighting, Katherine Williams, page 4 What’s New, Virginia Foth, page 5 Cold in Name Only, Barbara Allen, page 6 Fill Your Hopechest Free, Mary Kay Pitzer, page 7 Convening in Sweden, Janet Sutherland, page 8 Cook’s Favorite at Sigma Nu, Patricia Binder, page 10 Here’s an Idea, Barbara Short, page 14 Put Spring in a Winter Wardrobe, Margaret Wallace, page 1

A mixed methods investigation of how young adults in Virginia received, evaluated, and responded to COVID-19 public health messaging

The purpose of this study was to investigate how young adults in Virginia received, evaluated, and responded to messages related to the coronavirus/COVID-19, a major disruptor of our time, and to understand how and when these messages influenced behavior. This was a sequential explanatory mixed methods study, including an online survey (quantitative) and virtual focus groups (qualitative). We surveyed a convenience sample of 3,694 Virginia residents by distributing a link to complete the survey online. Only data from18-24 year old adults (n=207) were included in the analysis for this study. Focus group participants were recruited from the survey participants as well as from a college-level introductory health class. Most (83%) young adult respondents reported national science and health organizations as a trusted source for COVID-19 information and over 50% of respondents reported getting information from state/local health departments (72%), healthcare professionals (71%), and online news sources (51%). Focus group participants emphasized social media as an additional major source of COVID-19 information. Focus group data revealed that young adults struggled with deciphering contradictory messaging, had a mix of logical and emotional reasons for deciding whether to adhere to guidelines, had a desire for consistent, fact-based public health messaging at the national level. The findings from this study underscore the importance of consistent, positive public health messaging in a public health crisis