Putting the Pieces Together for Good Governance of REDD+: An Analysis of 32 REDD+ Country Readiness Proposals

Developing countries are receiving new financial and technical support to design and implement programs that reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (referred to as REDD+). Reducing emissions from forest cover change requires transparent, accountable, inclusive, and coordinated systems and institutions to govern REDD+ programs. Two multilateral initiatives -- the World Bank-administered Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) and the United Nations Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in developing countries (UN-REDD Programme) -- are supporting REDD+ countries to become "ready" for REDD+ by preparing initial strategy proposals, developing institutions to manage REDD+ programs, and building capacity to implement REDD+ activities. This paper reviews 32 REDD+ readiness proposals submitted to these initiatives to understand overall trends in how eight elements of readiness (referred to in this paper as readiness needs) are being understood and prioritized globally. Specifically, we assess whether the readiness proposals (i) identify the eight readiness needs as relevant for REDD+, (ii) discuss challenges and options for addressing each need, and (iii) identify next steps to be implemented in relation to each need. Our analysis found that the readiness proposals make important commitments to developing effective, equitable, and well-governed REDD+ programs. However, in many of the proposals these general statements have not yet been translated into clear next steps

The effects of structured one-on-one tutoring in sight word recognition of first-grade students at-risk for reading failure

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of an alternative reading program on the performance of at-risk first graders. Sixty first graders from three north Louisiana public elementary schools with high poverty rates, who were determined by their teachers and principals to be functioning in the bottom 20 to 30% of first grade reading students, were purposefully selected. Students were pretested on three subtests of the Woodcock Reading Mastery Test-Revised (WRMT-R), Form G: Letter Identification, Word Identification, and Word Attack. Participants were randomly assigned to either a control or an experimental group. Experimental group students received 15 minutes per day of tutoring by America Reads Volunteers in the Edmark Reading Program, a highly structured sight word program. In order to partially control for the Hawthorne Effect, control group students were read aloud to for 15 minutes each day by the same volunteers. At the completion of the first semester of the school year, the 60 participants were tested on four subtests of the WRMT-R, Form H (Letter Identification, Word Identification, Word Attack, Passage Comprehension) and were asked to read aloud the 150 words taught in the treatment program. Qualitative data were also collected in the form of student, parent, teacher, and administrator interviews, observation, and examination of documents. Quantitative data were analyzed with four ANCOVAs and one ANOVA using the General Linear Model; stepwise multiple regression was used to determine covariates for each subtest. Qualitative data were examined using content analysis. Results indicated a significant difference in the performance of experimental group students on the WRMT-R Passage Comprehension subtest and Edmark posttest; there were no significant differences between experimental and control group means on the WRMT-R Letter Identification, Word Identification, and Word Attack subtests. Qualitative data indicated that more experimental group students than control group students exhibited significantly improved reading ability, attitudes toward reading, attitudes toward school, and attitudes toward self. Results suggested that schools should consider the use of volunteers to implement one-on-one tutoring in the Edmark Reading Program to teach a supplementary sight word vocabulary to at-risk first graders

Testing Informational Efficiency in the EU ETS

The paper deals with the analysis of informational efficiency of the European emissions trading scheme (EU ETS) with the goal of stating whether or not the system has been able to achieve its proclaimed cost-efficiency within the first two trading periods. The efficient market hypothesis suggests that profiting from predicting price behaviour is difficult as the market price should incorporate all available information at any time. I analyse the EU emission market to see if it shows evidence of the weak form of informational efficiency. In order to analyse the weak form of informational efficiency assessments I analyse random walk properties such as, the unit root, autocorrelation and variance ratio tests. The results reveal the existence of informational efficiency only in the second trading period

In God We Trust: A Multiple Case Study of the Implementation of Religious and Biblical Literacy Courses in Public Charter Schools

This study was conducted with administrators of four charter schools located in the west, the south, and southeast portions of the United States that had courses in religious and biblical literacy in each school’s curricula. A multiple case study methodology was employed to describe the experiences of public charter schools implementing religious and biblical literacy courses to discover commonalities to successful implementation. The data was gathered using semi-structured interviews conducted during the summer and fall of 2016. Areas of interest were specific to course descriptions, the fit within the specific charter school vision and mission, teacher training, and resources. The most common factor supporting the implementation of the courses, revealed by all administrators, was the need for teacher training and preparedness before taking on a specific religious or biblical literacy course. The researcher chose schools where the course fit into the mission and vision of the school, as an indicator of purpose, and where teachers used primary source documents in lesson plans. A framework of implementation strategy is provided as well as the implications needing to be addressed by staffing. The research may inform other charter schools looking to implement such coursework and the researcher outlines additional areas of study needed to investigate other specific indicators

Using Mixed Methods to Identify Delirium Bundle Care in the Intensive Care Unit

Delirium is a serious complication experienced by patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). Over the past 15 years, researchers have identified risk factors, assessment techniques, pharmacological, and nonpharmacological interventions. Despite the current literature, there is a gap regarding delirium bundle care provided by an interprofessional team. This dissertation, a compendium of three manuscripts, delineates delirium bundle care by the interprofessional team in the ICU. The first manuscript details Rodgers’ Evolutionary Concept Analysis to identify attributes, antecedents, consequences, surrogate concepts, and related terms of bundled delirium care in the ICU. The second manuscript utilized the Social Ecological Model to identify factors that prevent or facilitate delirium bundle care in the ICU based on behavioral determinants and environmental factors. The third manuscript details a convergent parallel mixed-­‐method study guided by Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research to explore clinical perceptions, roles, and practices of the surgical ICU interprofessional team regarding delirium bundle implementation. Findings from the first study used Rodgers’ Evolutionary View of Concept Analysis to identify attributes, antecedents, and consequences of delirium bundle care. Results from the second manuscript identify the facilitators and barriers based on the Social Ecological Model for implementing the ABCDEF bundle and PAD guidelines for managing delirium in the ICU. The findings from the convergent parallel mixed-­‐method study identified factors associated with domains from the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Results from this study showed that structural and cultural elements of an ICU need to be considered when exploring how the interprofessional team of nurses, physicians, pharmacists, respiratory therapists, and physical therapists implements the ABCDEF bundle. The findings of the three manuscripts are integrated in the conclusion of this dissertation

The amplification of sustainable food initiatives: A look at the role of intermediary networks

Food is an increasingly important topic that finds itself at a nexus in the debates of sustainability and plays a key role in answering to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. As a response to the high price volatility, resource extensive, and long-distance food supply chains, sustainable food initiatives have formed. These initiatives are seen in recent literature as possible pathways towards a more sustainable food system. Intermediaries in particular are actors in these initiatives that have been overlooked and can be seen for their potential to work as an in-between and bring initiatives together. This study looks to understand the role that intermediaries play as actors in the diffusion of sustainable food initiatives. The work was realized by using a typology of transition intermediaries to map their types and a typology of amplification processes to deepen the understanding of how the intermediaries facilitate diffusion. The study found that stabilizing, speeding-up, scaling-up and scaling-deep were 4 processes that the intermediaries influenced. Additionally, it expanded on how the type of intermediary each network is has a certain level of influence on how they meet their goals. Finally, the study expanded on the importance of viewing the relationships of cause and effect that different amplification processes have on one another and the potential intermediaries have to work together to realize their goals. This all comes with a hope to bring more information to actors and decision makers in the sustainable transition of food systems.A alimentação é um tópico cada vez mais importante que encontra-se nos debates sobre sustentabilidade e desempenha um papel fundamental para os Objetivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentável das Nações Unidas. Como resposta à alta volatilidade dos preços, extensos recursos e cadeias de abastecimento de alimentos de longa distância, foram formadas iniciativas alimentares sustentáveis. Essas iniciativas são vistas na literatura atual como possíveis caminhos para um sistema alimentar mais sustentável. Os intermediários de redes, em particular, são os atores nessas iniciativas que foram negligenciadas e, os mesmos, podem ser reconhecidos pelo seu potencial de funcionar como via intermediária na reunião de diferentes iniciativas sustentáveis. Este estudo busca compreender o papel que esses intermediários de redes desempenham como atores na difusão de iniciativas alimentares sustentáveis. O presente trabalho foi realizado utilizando duas tipologias. Uma tipologia de intermediários de transição para mapear os seus tipos e outra tipologia de processos de amplificação para aprofundar o entendimento de como os intermediários facilitam a difusão de iniciativas. No presente estudo, foi descoberto que stabilizing, speeding-up, scaling-up and scaling-deep foram os quatro processos influenciados pelos intermediários de redes. Além disso, foi possível expandir o conhecimento sobre como o tipo de intermediário que cada rede possui, exerce uma influência em como essas redes atendem seus objetivos. Finalmente, o estudo também expandiu a importância de ver as relações de causa e efeito que diferentes processos de amplificação têm uns sobre os outros, tais como a forma como os potenciais intermediários precisam trabalhar juntos para a realização dos seus objetivos

Whole-cell Escherichia coli lactate biosensor for monitoring mammalian cell cultures during biopharmaceutical production

Many high-value added recombinant proteins, such as therapeutic glycoproteins, are produced using mammalian cell cultures. In order to optimise the productivity of these cultures it is important to monitor cellular metabolism, for example the utilisation of nutrients and the accumulation of metabolic waste products. One metabolic waste product of interest is lactic acid (lactate), overaccumulation of which can decrease cellular growth and protein production. Current methods for the detection of lactate are limited in terms of cost, sensitivity, and robustness. Therefore, we developed a whole-cell Escherichia coli lactate biosensor based on the lldPRD operon and successfully used it to monitor lactate concentration in mammalian cell cultures. Using real samples and analytical validation we demonstrate that our biosensor can be used for absolute quantification of metabolites in complex samples with high accuracy, sensitivity and robustness. Importantly, our whole-cell biosensor was able to detect lactate at concentrations more than two orders of magnitude lower than the industry standard method, making it useful for monitoring lactate concentrations in early phase culture. Given the importance of lactate in a variety of both industrial and clinical contexts we anticipate that our whole-cell biosensor can be used to address a range of interesting biological questions. It also serves as a blueprint for how to capitalise on the wealth of genetic operons for metabolite sensing available in Nature for the development of other whole-cell biosensors

Standing On One Leg: Balancing College Students\u27 Free Speech with Article III Requirements in the Seventh Circuit

First Amendment free speech protections are all the rage across college campuses. Students and administrations have done their best to toe the line and create equitable, safe spaces for students to freely debate and converse about political and controversial topics. Administrations implement policies that aid students in addressing issues of racism, bias, and bigotry on campus, however some students feel as though these policies are a free speech attack. While this may be true, Free Speech, Inc. v. Killeen, a recent Seventh Circuit decision, discussed standing as a procedural roadblock for students who claimed their speech was chilled by administrative policies. The court held that the free speech organization could not establish a particularized injury in fact, and therefore, lacked standing. Through a careful and nuanced analysis, the court further expounded upon what constitutes an injury in fact under current standing doctrine jurisprudence. Claimed injuries are not injuries under the standing doctrine, and must be distinguished from realized injuries, leaving no room for conjecture or hypotheticals. The Seventh Circuit’s position and adherence to nontheoretical, but actual injury, coincides with courts’ understanding of the standing doctrine since the 1970s and illustrates that the standing doctrine must continue to be a threshold question in First Amendment cases