Volunteer Research and Knowledge Competency Codebook: A Tool for Identifying Volunteer Needs

Extension personnel are tasked with ensuring that 4-H volunteers have competencies identified in the Volunteer Research and Knowledge Competency (VRKC) Taxonomy, 4-H youth development\u27s foundational volunteer skills framework. The VRKC Codebook is a qualitative analysis tool for accurately identifying VRKC-aligned needs expressed in volunteer needs assessment data. The codebook and accompanying guide were developed following a statewide volunteer needs assessment in which a need for VRKC-based evaluation tools emerged. 4-H educators can use the codebook and guide to efficiently detect areas of need that may otherwise be overlooked, empowering them to provide practical and impactful education and support systems better aligned with the unique research-based needs of their local volunteers

Further Evidence of Early Development of Attention to Dynamic Facial Emotions: Reply to Grossmann and Jessen

Adults exhibit enhanced attention to negative emotions like fear, which is thought to be an adaptive reaction to emotional information. Previous research, mostly conducted with static faces, suggests that infants exhibit an attentional bias toward fearful faces only at around 7 months of age. In a recent study (Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 2016, Vol. 147, pp. 100–110), we found that 5-month-olds also exhibit heightened attention to fear when tested with dynamic face videos. This indication of an earlier development of an attention bias to fear raises questions about developmental mechanisms that have been proposed to underlie this function. However, Grossmann and Jessen (Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 2016, Vol. 153, pp. 149–154) argued that this result may have been due to differences in the amount of movement in the videos rather than a response toemotional information. To examine this possibility, we tested a new sample of 5-month-olds exactly as in the original study (Heck, Hock, White, Jubran, & Bhatt, 2016) but with inverted faces. We found that the fear bias seen in our study was no longer apparent with inverted faces. Therefore, it is likely that infants’ enhanced attention to fear in our study was indeed a response to emotions rather than a reaction to arbitrary low-level stimulus features. This finding indicates enhanced attention to fear at 5 months and underscores the need to find mechanisms that engender the development of emotion knowledge early in life

Making the Best Better for Youths: Cultivating LGBTQ+ Inclusion in 4-H

4-H, as a research-based positive youth development program, should be affirming and inclusive for all youths, including those who are members of LGBTQ+ communities. This article provides 4-H youth development professionals with a series of checklists for supporting LGBTQ+ participation, focusing on systemic advocacy, guidance and protocols, programming, and professional development and dispositions. Using these checklists, 4-H professionals can identify areas of strength and growth for themselves and their programs. Further, they can enable youth thriving, increase protective factors, and reduce risk factors by cultivating inclusive and affirming 4-H spaces

Visual Scanning of Males and Females in Infancy

This study addressed the development of attention to information that is socially relevant to adults by examining infants\u27 (n = 64) scanning patterns of male and female bodies. Infants exhibited systematic attention to regions associated with sex-related scanning by adults, with 3.5-and 6.5-month-olds looking longer at the torso of females than males and longer at the legs of males than females. However, this pattern of looking was not found when infants were tested on headless bodies in Experiment 2, which suggests that infants\u27 differential gaze pattern in Experiment 1 was not due to low-level stimulus features, such as clothing, and also indicates that facial/head information is necessary for infants to exhibit sex-specific scanning. We discuss implications for models of face and body knowledge development

The Impact of Antiretroviral Therapy on Mortality in HIV Positive People during Tuberculosis Treatment: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objective: To quantify the impact of antiretroviral therapy (ART) on mortality in HIV-positive people during tuberculosis (TB) treatment. Design: We conducted a systematic literature review and meta-analysis. Studies published from 1996 through February 15, 2013, were identified by searching electronic resources (Pubmed and Embase) and conference books, manual searches of references, and expert consultation. Pooled estimates for the outcome of interest were acquired using random effects meta-analysis. Subjects The study population included individuals receiving ART before or during TB treatment. Main Outcome Measures: Main outcome measures were: (i) TB-case fatality ratio (CFR), defined as the proportion of individuals dying during TB treatment and, if mortality in HIV-positive people not on ART was also reported, (ii) the relative risk of death during TB treatment by ART status. Results: Twenty-one studies were included in the systematic review. Random effects pooled meta-analysis estimated the CFR between 8% and 14% (pooled estimate 11%). Among HIV-positive TB cases, those receiving ART had a reduction in mortality during TB treatment of between 44% and 71% (RR = 0.42, 95%CI: 0.29–0.56). Conclusion: Starting ART before or during TB therapy reduces the risk of death during TB treatment by around three-fifths in clinical settings. National programmes should continue to expand coverage of ART for HIV positive in order to control the dual epidemic

“I felt really respected and I know she felt respected too”: Using Youth-Adult Partnerships to Promote Positive Youth Development in 4-H Youth

Youth-adult relationships exist on a continuum from adult-led to youth-led collaborations. However, research suggests that quality youth-adult partnerships, which fall in the middle of this continuum, directly contribute to positive youth development. Given this, the current study evaluated the impact of a 4-H Youth Development program, using youth-adult partnerships and a teens as teachers program model, on positive youth development outcomes of participating youth. Qualitative data were collected from 29 youth to evaluate the 4-H Food Smart Families program presented by Washington State University Youth Advocates for Health (YA4-H!). Data analysis identified themes related to the benefits and challenges of the youth-adult partnership and skills gained from being a teen teacher. When looking at results from a positive youth development perspective, it is evident the youth who participated in youth-adult partnerships and as teen teachers experienced beneficial outcomes. Qualitative codes clearly aligned with 4-H Essential Elements of belonging, mastery, independence, and generosity, indicating positive youth development had occurred despite realworld implementation challenges. Based on our experience and lessons learned, we conclude with suggestions for successful implementation of a youth-adult partnership

The DEEP2 Galaxy Redshift Survey: The Evolution of Void Statistics from z~1 to z~0

We present measurements of the void probability function (VPF) at z~1 using data from the DEEP2 Redshift Survey and its evolution to z~0 using data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). We measure the VPF as a function of galaxy color and luminosity in both surveys and find that it mimics trends displayed in the two-point correlation function, $\xi$; namely that samples of brighter, red galaxies have larger voids (i.e. are more strongly clustered) than fainter, blue galaxies. We also clearly detect evolution in the VPF with cosmic time, with voids being larger in comoving units at z~0. We find that the reduced VPF matches the predictions of a `negative binomial' model for galaxies of all colors, luminosities, and redshifts studied. This model lacks a physical motivation, but produces a simple analytic prediction for sources of any number density and integrated two-point correlation function, \bar{\xi}. This implies that differences in the VPF across different galaxy populations are consistent with being due entirely to differences in the population number density and \bar{\xi}. The robust result that all galaxy populations follow the negative binomial model appears to be due to primarily to the clustering of dark matter halos. The reduced VPF is insensitive to changes in the parameters of the halo occupation distribution, in the sense that halo models with the same \bar{\xi} will produce the same VPF. For the wide range of galaxies studied, the VPF therefore does not appear to provide useful constraints on galaxy evolution models that cannot be gleaned from studies of \bar{\xi} alone. (abridged)Comment: 17 pages, 15 figures, ApJ accepte

AEGIS: Chandra Observation of DEEP2 Galaxy Groups and Clusters

We present a 200 ksec Chandra observation of seven spectroscopically selected, high redshift (0.75 < z < 1.03) galaxy groups and clusters discovered by the DEEP2 Galaxy Redshift Survey in the Extended Groth Strip (EGS). X-ray emission at the locations of these systems is consistent with background. The 3-sigma upper limits on the bolometric X-ray luminosities (L_X) of these systems put a strong constraint on the relation between L_X and the velocity dispersion of member galaxies sigma_gal at z~1; the DEEP2 systems have lower luminosity than would be predicted by the local relation. Our result is consistent with recent findings that at high redshift, optically selected clusters tend to be X-ray underluminous. A comparison with mock catalogs indicates that it is unlikely that this effect is entirely caused by a measurement bias between sigma_gal and the dark matter velocity dispersion. Physically, the DEEP2 systems may still be in the process of forming and hence not fully virialized, or they may be deficient in hot gas compared to local systems. We find only one possibly extended source in this Chandra field, which happens to lie outside the DEEP2 coverage.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures. Accepted for publication in AEGIS ApJ Letters special editio

Refining trophic dynamics through multi-factor Bayesian mixing models: A case study of subterranean beetles

© 2020 The Authors. Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd Food web dynamics are vital in shaping the functional ecology of ecosystems. However, trophic ecology is still in its infancy in groundwater ecosystems due to the cryptic nature of these environments. To unravel trophic interactions between subterranean biota, we applied an interdisciplinary Bayesian mixing model design (multi-factor BMM) based on the integration of faunal C and N bulk tissue stable isotope data (d13C and d15N) with radiocarbon data (?14C), and prior information from metagenomic analyses. We further compared outcomes from multi-factor BMM with a conventional isotope double proxy mixing model (SIA BMM), triple proxy (d13C, d15N, and ?14C, multi-proxy BMM), and double proxy combined with DNA prior information (SIA + DNA BMM) designs. Three species of subterranean beetles (Paroster macrosturtensis, Paroster mesosturtensis, and Paroster microsturtensis) and their main prey items Chiltoniidae amphipods (AM1: Scutachiltonia axfordi and AM2: Yilgarniella sturtensis), cyclopoids and harpacticoids from a calcrete in Western Australia were targeted. Diet estimations from stable isotope only models (SIA BMM) indicated homogeneous patterns with modest preferences for amphipods as prey items. Multi-proxy BMM suggested increased—and species-specific—predatory pressures on amphipods coupled with high rates of scavenging/predation on sister species. SIA + DNA BMM showed marked preferences for amphipods AM1 and AM2, and reduced interspecific scavenging/predation on Paroster species. Multi-factorial BMM revealed the most precise estimations (lower overall SD and very marginal beetles' interspecific interactions), indicating consistent preferences for amphipods AM1 in all the beetles' diets. Incorporation of genetic priors allowed crucial refining of the feeding preferences, while integration of more expensive radiocarbon data as a third proxy (when combined with genetic data) produced more precise outcomes but close dietary reconstruction to that from SIA + DNA BMM. Further multidisciplinary modeling from other groundwater environments will help elucidate the potential behind these designs and bring light to the feeding ecology of one the most vital ecosystems worldwide

A Lay Health Worker Intervention to Increase Uptake and Completion of Pulmonary Rehabilitation in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Assessing Fidelity of Intervention Delivery

“This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis Group in COPD: Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease on 17 Aug 2020, available online: https://doi.org/10.1080/15412555.2020.1797658