A Christian-Jewish CPE Experience in Australia: The Boot is On the Other Foot

This reflection on the experience of supervising a group of Chabad and Orthodox Rabbis as a Christian illustrates how respect for difference creates a safe environment for learning

The effectiveness of reading programs for the intermediate remedial student

Research on remedial reading programs has a controversial history. Although extensive research has been conducted on pull-out programs, far less research has evaluated remedial reading programs within the regular classroom. This study investigated whether using the basal or a new program, Project STARS, would produce reading gains in intermediate remedial readers. It was hypothesized that Project STARS subjects would show a greater academic gain in three areas. To evaluate this hypothesis, 46 students were assessed in August and December to determine the amount of growth for each student after instruction in either the Project STARS method or the basal text. Results indicated both groups had gain in all three measures. However, Project STARS students showed significantly (p \u3c .001) greater gains in reading comprehension. Although Project STARS appears to be an effective method for improving reading comprehension, further research will need to be conducted to determine any potential long term benefits

The Irish drinking culture: drinking and drinking-related harm, a European comparison.

This paper examines the Irish drinking habits and to what extent drinking is associated with experiences of adverse consequences in the year 2002. The analysis is based on a survey containing similar questions that was used in a recent European comparative survey involving Finland, Sweden, Germany, UK, France and Italy, known as the ECAS countries (Leifman,2002; Ramstedt, 2002). This provides a unique opportunity to examine the Irish results in a comparative framework. Furthermore, several aggregate level studies have revealed that a higher overall level of drinking in Ireland is associated with higher alcohol-related mortality,e.g., deaths from liver cirrhosis (Ramstedt, 2001), accidents (Skog, 2001) and homicide (Rossow, 2001). However, no previous study has examined to what extent higher alcohol consumption at the individual level affects the likelihood of suffering from adverse health, social and psychological consequences of drinking in Ireland

Natural history of Hesperoyucca whipplei

Explores many aspects of the Hesperoyucca whipplei (formerly known as Yucca whipplei), a type of chaparral plant that grows in arid regions of Southern California. Five of the subspecies of H. whipplei are individually described and discussed. Its relationship with its pollinator, Tegeticula maculata, is traced and documented throughout the process of a reproductive season. The project examines the historic uses of H. whipplei by the Native Americans as well as its current uses in the modern world. It includes field study lessons and Hesperoyucca recipes

Participatory Planning for a Promised Land: Citizen-Led, Comprehensive Land Use Planning in New York’s Adirondack Park

New York’s Adirondack Park is internationally recognized for its biological diversity. Greater in size than Yellowstone, Everglades, Glacier, and Grand Canyon National Park combined, the Adirondacks are the largest protected area within the Northern Appalachian/Acadian Eco-Region and within the contiguous United States. Ecologists, residents of the Park, and others are concerned about rapid land use change occurring within the borders of the Park. Almost half of the six million acres encompassed by the Park boundary is privately-owned, where 80% of land use decisions fall within the jurisdiction of local governments. The comprehensive planning process of one such local government, the Town of Willsboro, New York, was the focus of a Participatory Action Research (PAR), single case study. Using a PAR, mixed methods approach, community-led comprehensive planning integrated natural science, technology and citizen participation. I evaluated the role of PAR in helping to transform conventional land use planning practice into a more democratic, environmentally conscious, and durable civic responsibility. Stakeholder viewpoints about the local environmental setting revealed deep connections to nature. Findings of the research indicate that comprehensive land use planning capacity increases when citizens increase their scientific and ecological literacy, especially when tools such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are used for data collection and analysis. Applying ecologically-based comprehensive planning utilizing a PAR framework improved citizen’s confidence in land use decision-making and also expanded science literacy. PAR holds great promise as a methodological framework to bring together ecologically-focused natural science with citizen-led collaborative land use planning. Areas of further research identified during this study include assessing age-specific gaps in stakeholder participation, evaluating the relationship between plan recommendations and regulatory implementation, and investigating factors that contribute to a culture of community engagement. Local land use planning decisions have important cumulative impacts on protected area land development at the local and regional scale. A comprehensive plan can reflect an emergent process, where the primacy of community self-determination and consensus-building yields recognition of the link between, and sanctity of, nature, home, and homeland

Casting a shadow: harm from known drinkers

Abstract Introduction: This paper examines the negative consequences of having a known drinker in one’s life. Method: The first dedicated national survey on alcohol’s harm to others (AH20) in Ireland was undertaken in 2015. Data was gathered by a cross sectional probability sample of 2,005 adults (18+yrs). Using a 12 month time-frame, respondents were asked about adverse effects they experienced due to known drinkers. Results: Overall, two in five people experiencing harm from known drinkers. Intangible harm was more common (38%) than tangible harm (24%). Stress/anxiety was the most common harm. The youngest age group was most at risk of tangible harm, those under 60 were most at risk of intangible harm. Closeness of the relationship to known heavy drinkers increased the risk of harm, with partners and household members of heavy drinkers most at risk. Respondents who were risky drinkers were more likely to report harm from known drinkers. Respondents with a close relationship to heavy drinkers and those with both a close and an extended relationship to heavy drinkers reported lower life satisfaction than those who did not know heavy drinkers. Conclusion: Having a known drinker in one’s life can cast a shadow on an individual’s health and well-being and the closer the proximity relationship to known heavy drinkers the greater the shadow. To reduce AH20, a broad alcohol policy framework is needed, that incorporates effective measures to reduce harm across the population and improve relevant services in local communities. The implementation of the recently passed Public Health Alcohol Act can help identify and implement the necessary actions to reduce alcohol-related harm in Ireland

The impact of energetic trade-offs on the developmental trajectory and life history strategy of Homo sapiens: The modern human female phenotype

This study interrogates the relationship between early life environmental variability (measured through birth weight and age at menarche), and adult phenotypic outcomes in female athletes and non-athletes from the United Kingdom. Using anthropometric, and 3D body surface scan analysis, patterns of phenotypic variation were interpreted in a life history context. Significant correlations between birth weight, stature, and bi-iliac breadth were observed. Age at menarche had significant correlations with linear growth and body composition measures in both Pearson and Canonical Correlation analyses. Crural index was found to be negatively correlated with limb segment SA:Vol in opposition to the expectations of Allen’s rule, a result that requires further investigation. Overall, variation in age at menarche was related to adult phenotypic variation, specifically linear skeletal growth, which may allow the development of regression equations that estimate life history variables in bioarchaeological populations, which would aid in more accurate interpretations of the past

The inner-relationship among lipreading ability, auditory speech perception ability, hearing loss, and language level in hearing impaired children

This paper reviews a study done to determine the correlation between lipreading, auditory speech perception, language abilities, and hearing loss levels in hearing impaired children

Alcohol and injuries in the accident and emergency department: a national perspective.

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of alcohol and injuries, with a specific focus in the A & E Departments in acute hospitals. The six hospitals were selected to achieve a wide geographic and demographic distribution across the country - Mater Misercordiae University Hospital in Dublin , Beaumont Hospital in Dublin, University College Hospital Galway, Sligo General Hospital, Letterkenny General Hospital and Waterford Regional Hospital. Data was collected using a standard 25 minute questionnaire, which included the type and cause of the presenting injury, drinking in the six hours prior to the injury, quantity and frequency of usual drinking habits, frequency of high consumption times during the last year, indicators of alcohol problems and alcohol dependency and demographic characteristics