Reply to: Terry, J. and Goff, J. comment on “Late Cenozoic sea level and the rise of modern rimmed atolls” by Toomey et al. (2016), Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 451: 73–83

This paper is not subject to U.S. copyright. The definitive version was published in Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 469 (2017): 159-160, doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2016.11.028

Late Cenozoic sea level and the rise of modern rimmed atolls

This paper is not subject to U.S. copyright. The definitive version was published in Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 451 (2016): 73-83, doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2016.03.018.Sea-level records from atolls, potentially spanning the Cenozoic, have been largely overlooked, in part because the processes that control atoll form (reef accretion, carbonate dissolution, sediment transport, vertical motion) are complex and, for many islands, unconstrained on million-year timescales. Here we combine existing observations of atoll morphology and corelog stratigraphy from Enewetak Atoll with a numerical model to (1) constrain the relative rates of subsidence, dissolution and sedimentation that have shaped modern Pacific atolls and (2) construct a record of sea level over the past 8.5 million years. Both the stratigraphy from Enewetak Atoll (constrained by a subsidence rate of ~ 20 m/Myr) and our numerical modeling results suggest that low sea levels (50–125 m below present), and presumably bi-polar glaciations, occurred throughout much of the late Miocene, preceding the warmer climate of the Pliocene, when sea level was higher than present. Carbonate dissolution through the subsequent sea-level fall that accompanied the onset of large glacial cycles in the late Pliocene, along with rapid highstand constructional reef growth, likely drove development of the rimmed atoll morphology we see today.Support for this work was provided through a Jackson School Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowship to Michael Toomey

Organizational Readiness to Engage in Policy, System, and Environment Changes Supporting Positive Youth Development for Health: Case Studies from the Cooperative Extension System Framed by the Transtheoretical Model

Cooperative Extension\u27s National Framework for Health and Wellness identified Positive Youth Development for Health (PYDH) outcomes at the individual (education) and community (policy, system, and environment) change levels, calling on Extension professionals to integrate public health principles into youth development programs. However, Extension professionals may not be equipped to effectively incorporate these principles and related strategies in the youth development context. An assessment of Extension professionals’ readiness to integrate public health approaches, such as community-level change strategies, with youth program efforts suggests these professionals may lack knowledge of practical steps for including policy, system, and environment change methodology into their daily work. Recommendations framed by the transtheoretical model (TTM) to guide Extension in advancing readiness among Extension educators at the organizational level have been developed. However, context-specific examples that illustrate such approaches and show how they fit within youth development programs are lacking. This article provides concrete case examples from the Extension system illustrating readiness levels at each TTM stage. Associated recommendations and implications for supporting youth development programs to effectively engage in influencing multilevel change strategies are also provided

Youth Workers’ Role in Engaging Youth in Health Advocacy for Community-Level Change

Youth development professionals and volunteers, here referred to collectively as “youth workers,” need to be prepared to engage young people as health advocates. Youth workers need an understanding of public health principles; policy, systems, environment change approaches; and effective youth–adult strategies to move from viewing youth as participants to engaged leaders in community health issues. Embracing youth as partners will create effective partnerships and yield substantial positive health impacts for the youth, adults, and their communities

The Color Appearance of Stimuli Detected via Short-Wavelength-Sensitive Cones: Comparisons with Visual Adaptation and Visual Field Data for Peri- or Post-Menopausal Women Under 70 Years of Age

Dynamics of foveal light adaptation for vision mediated via short-wavelength-sensitive (SWS) cones were compared for two groups of healthy amenorrheic (peri- or post-menopausal) women not using hormonal medication. Each subject was assigned to a group based on the color name – “lavender” (~2/3 of all subjects) or white (~1/3 of all subjects) – chosen in a forced-response paradigm to best describe a threshold-level 440-nm test presented on a larger 3.6 log td 580-nm background that had been viewed for ~5 minutes. During the first 20–30 seconds after this 3.6 log td background abruptly replaced a much dimmer background, the threshold elevations (relative to the steady-state levels measured at ~5 minutes) were significantly greater for the lavender-naming subjects than for the white-naming subjects. However, exponential rates of recovery were indistinguishable for the two groups. A viable interpretation is that the gain of the visual response at background onset is greater for lavender-naming subjects than for white-naming subjects at or distal to a site where responses from middle-wavelength-sensitive and long-wavelength-sensitive (MWS and LWS) cones oppose responses from SWS cones. In addition, the color names derived from foveal testing were related systematically to extrafoveal sensitivities measured with Short Wavelength Automated Perimetry (SWAP), in a manner suggesting that response gain and/or response speed may be greater for lavender-naming subjects in the direction of increased SWS response also. Evidence from other subject populations suggests that the choice of color name and the dynamics of visual response each can be affected by alterations (particularly reductions) of estrogen synthesis and response

Video Review: History of Afterschool in America

After-school and out-of-school time programs are common across the United States and are seen as providing safe and nurturing environments for children, youth, and teens. The History of Afterschool in America documentary succinctly lays out the evolution of after-school and out-of-school time programming. The 60-minute documentary is framed in 12 chapters with narrative from historians, key advocates and leaders, practitioners, and teens. An accompanying learning guide provides discussion questions, key words and phrases, and additional resources. It is a must watch for after-school professionals, youth-serving organizations, and collaborators

Lifelong learning and teacher education

In 2001 this project was undertaken by members of the Centre for Lifelong Learning at [the] Australian Catholic University. The authors were concerned to understand the ways in which lifelong learning was conceptualised in Australian teacher education. Their investigation sought to determine how teacher educators’ roles and responsibilities might change in response to the policy challenge of making lifelong learning a reality for all. The project had three broad goals: to examine the policies, principles and practices that are shaping the roles and responsibilities of teacher educators as they seek to make lifelong learning a reality for all; to identify and analyse changed roles and responsibilities for teacher educators resulting from the current emphasis on lifelong learning; and to project the implications for Governments, employing authorities, schools and Faculties of Education as they seek to enable teacher educators to make lifelong learning a reality. The report presented the case study findings. It outlined examples of ‘good practice’ in the key areas of: curriculum and new conceptions of knowledge; learning, teaching and information and communication technology; leading and managing; partnerships and pathways; and standard setting, assessment, reporting and evaluation. Data gathered in the course of the project was collated and an analysis conducted to devise an Action Plan for operationalising lifelong learning in Australian teacher education. The project was funded by the Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs under the Evaluation and Investigation Program (EIP)