Probing Needs Assessment Data in Depth to Target Programs More Effectively

Extension professionals often assess community needs to determine programs and target audiences. Data can be collected through surveys, focus group and individual interviews, meta-analysis, systematic observation, and other methods. Knowledge gaps are identified, and programs are designed to resolve the deficiencies. However, do Extension professionals look deeply enough into the data to identify subgroups that will allow more targeted programs, or are programs based on only superficial analysis? Cluster analysis allows data to reveal demographic patterns and relationships involving survey respondents. It allows Extension professionals to more precisely target program audiences and thus effectively achieve program impacts

Self-Perceived 4-H Leader Competencies and Their Relation to the Skills Youth Learn Through 4-H Youth Development Programs

This article reports the results of a statewide survey to assess the influence of perceived 4-H volunteer leader skills on the life skills 4-H youth learn. Results indicate the most important skill a volunteer leader possesses is to ensure the physical and psychological safety of 4-H members. This includes keeping youth from hurting each other\u27s feelings; keeping youth from bullying each other; managing conflict between youth; making sure that the facility where 4-H youth meet is safe. These results emphasize the importance of the careful recruitment, screening, training, and management of 4-H volunteer leaders

Strengthening Extension\u27s Capacity to Conduct Public Issues Education Programs: Results of a National Needs Assessment

This article reports the results of a national survey of Extension professionals to assess their needs to acquire skills to conduct Public Issues Education (P.I.E.) programs. Survey respondents rated all 35 skill needs as either high or moderately high priorities regardless of their geographic region. Some differences in skill need priorities exist at the individual state level, however. These results illustrate a demand for professional development opportunities. While one national curriculum may suffice, professional development may be fine-tuned to address differences in individual states. Professional development may target beginner, intermediate, and advanced skill development levels, depending on individual state needs

Survey of Extension Professionals\u27 Skill Levels Needed to Practice Public Issues Education

The study discussed here examines Extension professionals\u27 perceived skills to practice Public Issues Education. Extension professionals who responded rated their skills moderately, regardless of years of experience. This is true for all experience levels, with each level of experience having certain skill strengths that might benefit others. Those designing Public Issues Education trainings and curriculum for Extension professionals should not presume that tenure or experience in Extension guarantees high skill levels to effectively practice Public issues Education. Further assessments are needed to determine more precisely what skills and what skill levels are to be included in future trainings

U.S. Public Opinion of Reproductive Control Options for Free-roaming Horses on Western Public Lands

Free-roaming horses (Equus ferus caballus; horses) inhabit public rangelands located primarily in 10 western U.S. states. Recent horse population increases are impacting rangeland ecosystems, native wildlife species and their habitats, and exacerbating conflicts with domestic livestock grazing. While contraceptives and physical sterilization are promising options to manage horse herd levels, public opinion concerning the use of fertility control is not well understood. To better inform policymakers, we completed a rigorous study of a random sample of public land stakeholders across the United States (n = 3,500) in 2020 using a Likert scale online survey to assess their level of agreement with the general use of reproductive controls and their preferences regarding 4 available reproductive control options. We used chi-square likelihood ratio tests to determine the associations between the knowledge of horse origins in North America and horse management in the United States, and public support of contraception and sterilization methods to control horse populations. We also assessed the associations between survey responses and respondent demographics. Most respondents either “somewhat agreed” or “strongly agreed” with the use of contraceptives to control horse birth rates (36.6% and 26.9%, respectively) when no specific type of contraceptive was described. Respondents who believed horses were native to North America “strongly agreed” with the statement regarding the use of contraceptives less often (22.2%) than respondents who recognized that European explorers introduced horses (36.6%) or believed horses arrived by crossing a land bridge (35.8%); however, this association exhibited very low power to predict the response (λ \u3c 0.1). Similarly, while there were some associations indicated by chi-square analyses between demographic variables and support for contraceptives, these associations exhibited very low power to explain the responses. When asked to rank 4 generalized population control options, more respondents ranked physical sterilization as their preferred option (37.1%). There was an association between age and ranking order of sterilization. For ages 18–53, the range was 40.6–45.3%, significantly more than older ages, 54 to ≥73, where the range was 31.1–33.8%. Knowledge did not influence the preference for control options. Our results suggest that our respondents were more supportive of the use of contraceptives or sterilization, when described in generalities, to control the birth rates in free-roaming horses. Our research provides policymakers with objective, novel insights into public knowledge and perceptions concerning the population control of free-roaming horses on designated western rangelands. We encourage the federal, state, and tribal agencies charged with the management of free-roaming horses to develop and deliver outreach programs to better educate public land stakeholders about the ecological and economic impacts of free-roaming horses on western landscapes and efficacy of available population management options to mitigate impact and sustain herds

Intensive post-operative follow-up of breast cancer patients with tumour markers: CEA, TPA or CA15.3 vs MCA and MCA-CA15.3 vs CEA-TPA-CA15.3 panel in the early detection of distant metastases

BACKGROUND: In breast cancer current guidelines do not recommend the routine use of serum tumour markers. Differently, we observed that CEA-TPA-CA15.3 (carcinoembryonic (CEA) tissue polypeptide (TPA) and cancer associated 115D8/DF3 (CA15.3) antigens) panel permits early detection and treatment for most relapsing patients. As high sensitivity and specificity and different cut-off values have been reported for mucin-like carcinoma associated antigen (MCA), we compared MCA with the above mentioned tumour markers and MCA-CA15.3 with the CEA-TPA-CA15.3 panel. METHODS: In 289 breast cancer patients submitted to an intensive post-operative follow-up with tumour markers, we compared MCA (cut-off values, ≥ 11 and ≥ 15 U/mL) with CEA or CA15.3 or TPA for detection of relapse. In addition, we compared the MCA-CA15.3 and CEA-TPA-CA15.3 tumour marker panels. RESULTS: Distant metastases occurred 19 times in 18 (6.7%) of the 268 patients who were disease-free at the beginning of the study. MCA sensitivity with both cut-off values was higher than that of CEA or TPA or CA15.3 (68% vs 10%, 26%, 32% and 53% vs 16%, 42%, 32% respectively). With cut-off ≥ 11 U/mL, MCA showed the lowest specificity (42%); with cut-off ≥ 15 U/mL, MCA specificity was similar to TPA (73% vs 72%) and lower than that of CEA and CA15.3 (96% and 97% respectively). With ≥ 15 U/mL MCA cut-off, MCA sensitivity increased from 53% to 58% after its association with CA15.3. Sensitivity of CEA-TPA-CA15.3 panel was 74% (14 of 19 recurrences). Eight of the 14 recurrences early detected with CEA-TPA-CA15.3 presented as a single lesion (oligometastatic disease) (5) or were confined to bony skeleton (3) (26% and 16% respectively of the 19 relapses). With ≥ 11 U/mL MCA cut-off, MCA-CA15.3 association showed higher sensitivity but lower specificity, accuracy and positive predictive value than the CEA-TPA-CA15.3 panel. CONCLUSION: At both the evaluated cut-off values serum MCA sensitivity is higher than that of CEA, TPA or CA15.3 but its specificity is similar to or lower than that of TPA. Overall, CEA-TPA-CA15.3 panel is more accurate than MCA-CA15.3 association and can "early" detect a few relapsed patients with limited metastatic disease and more favourable prognosis. These findings further support the need for prospective randomised clinical trial to assess whether an intensive post-operative follow-up with an appropriate use of serum tumour markers can significantly improve clinical outcome of early detected relapsing patients

Adapting to Variable Water Supply in the Truckee-Carson River System, Western USA

In snow-fed inland river systems in the western United States, water supply depends upon timing, form, and amount of precipitation. In recent years, this region has experienced unprecedented drought conditions due to decreased snowpack, exacerbated by exceptionally warmer winter temperatures averaging 3-4 degrees C above normal. In the snow-fed Truckee-Carson River System, two sets of interviews were conducted as part of a larger collaborative modeling case study with local water managers to examine local adaptation to current drought conditions. A comparative analysis of these primary qualitative data, collected during the fourth and fifth consecutive years of continued warmer drought conditions, identifies shifts in adaptation strategies and emergent adaptation barriers. That is, under continuous exposure to climate stressors, managers shifted their adaptation focus from short-term efforts to manage water demand toward long-term efforts to enhance water supply. Managers described the need to: improve forecasts and scientific assessments of snowmelt timing, groundwater levels, and soil moisture contentincrease flexibility of prior appropriation water allocation rules based on historical snowpack and streamflow timingand foster collaboration and communication among water managers across the river system. While water scarcity and insufficient water delivery infrastructure remain significant impediments in this arid region, climate uncertainty emerged as a barrier surrounding adaptation to variable water supply. Existing prior appropriation based water institutions were also described as an adaptation barrier, meriting objective evaluation to assess how to best modify these historical institutions to support dynamic adaptation to climate-induced water supply variability. This study contributes to a growing body of research that assesses drought adaptation in snow-fed inland river systems, and contributes a unique report concerning how adaptation strategies and barriers encountered by local water managers change over time under continuous exposure to climate stressors. These locally identified adaptation strategies forward a larger collaborative modeling case study by informing alternative water management scenarios simulated through a suite of hydrologic and operations models tailored to this river system

Collaborative Modeling to Assess Drought Resiliency of Snow‐Fed River Dependent Communities in the Western United States: A Case Study in the Truckee‐Carson River System

Assessing the drought resilience of snow‐fed river dependent communities in the arid Western United States has taken on critical importance in response to changing climatic conditions. The process of assessing drought resiliency involves understanding the extent to which snow‐fed dependent communities can absorb the effects of uncertain and variable water supplies while acknowledging and encouraging their capacity for adaptation. Participatory research approaches are particularly well suited to assess resiliency in this context because they rely upon local water managers’ knowledge and perspectives. The research presented here provides measured insight into local water managers’ perceptions of drought resiliency in the Truckee‐Carson River System in northwestern Nevada. These findings are reported in the context of the collaborative modeling research design developed for this case study. The objectives of this study are: (1) to define resiliency and present a rationale for a participatory approach to assess drought resiliency in snow‐fed arid river basins in the Western United States; (2) to outline collaborative modeling as a participatory research design developed for the Truckee‐Carson River System case study area; (3) to describe the development and implementation of a resiliency assessment undertaken to implement this research design; (4) to highlight selected results of the assessment, summarizing interviews with 66 water managers in the case study area; (5) to discuss the use of assessment findings to inform collaborative modeling toward adaptation strategies; and (6) to review lessons learned to date from the collaborative modeling case study and note opportunities for further exploration. According to water managers surveyed, climate change is very important and is mobilizing adaptation strategies that include improvements in communication and coordination with other water managers, monitoring and data collection,and planning. The majority of water managers indicate that future adaptation requires modifying institutionalized water management regimes to allow for temporary water leasing programs, water right stacking on the most productive agricultural lands while fallowing marginal lands,incentivizing water conservation, reducing or eliminating residential landscaping, and recruiting less water intensive industry to the region