scholarly journals Effectiveness of Incorporating the Concept of City Sustainability into Sustainability Education Programs

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (17) ◽  
pp. 4736 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akito Kinoshita ◽  
Koichiro Mori ◽  
Ernan Rustiadi ◽  
Shin Muramatsu ◽  
Hironori Kato
Keyword(s):  
Scenario Analysis ◽  
Education Program ◽  
Sustainability Education ◽  
Educational Materials ◽  
Land Use Patterns ◽  
Use Patterns ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Predicted Values ◽  
Questionnaire Surveys ◽  
Ordered Probit Models

This study developed a sustainability education program that incorporated the concept of city sustainability, delivered it to local university students in the Jakarta Metropolitan Area (Jabodetabek), Indonesia, and then evaluated its effectiveness using questionnaire surveys. The educational materials consisted of a case story and scenario analysis report relating to city sustainability. The case story was a fictional narrative describing sustainability issues in Jabodetabek, in which the protagonist is the head of the local urban planning bureau. The scenario analysis provided three hypothetical scenarios regarding land-use patterns with predicted values of sustainability indicators in 2050. In January 2016, 46 students from Bogor Agricultural University participated in three workshops. Participants completed questionnaire surveys before and after the workshops. The results from the ordered probit models that were based on participants’ responses to 68 items of sustainability-related attitudes and perspectives showed that their participation in the workshops enhanced participants’ environmental concerns and their intention to take pro-sustainability actions. In addition, the participants tended to have a more balanced view on sustainability issues across economic, social, and environmental dimensions. This suggested that the sustainability education program focusing on city sustainability successfully enhanced the motivation of learners to contribute toward a more sustainable future.

scholarly journals A Master Gardener Survey: Promoting Pollinator-friendly Plants Through Education and Outreach

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 163-167
Author(s):  
Heather Kalaman ◽  
Gary W. Knox ◽  
Sandra B. Wilson ◽  
Wendy Wilber
Keyword(s):  
Floral Resources ◽  
Educational Materials ◽  
Master Gardener ◽  
Land Use Patterns ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Public ◽  
Use Patterns ◽  
Pollinating Insects ◽  
Education And Outreach ◽  
Abundance And Diversity

As land-use patterns change over time, some pollinating insects continue to decline both in abundance and diversity. This is due, in part, to reductions in floral resources that provide sufficient nectar and pollen. Our overall goal is to help increase the use of plants that enhance pollinator health by providing research-based information that is easily accessible to the public. To assess the most successful mode of sharing this information, a survey was distributed to more than 4000 Master Gardener (MG) volunteers of Florida. The objectives of our survey were to gauge both knowledge and interest in common pollinators, common pollinator-friendly floral resources, and a favored means of accessing material about additional pollinator-friendly plants for landscape use. With a response rate of just over 18%, results showed that there is a clear interest among Florida MGs in learning more about pollinators and pollinator-friendly plants with face-to-face classes followed by a website as the preferred modes of accessing educational materials on this topic. Respondents on average were extremely interested in learning more about pollinator plants [mean of 4.41 out of 5.0 (sd = 0.89)], with greatest interest in butterflies/moths (Lepidoptera), followed by bees (Hymenoptera), birds (Aves), bats (Chiroptera), and beetles (Coleoptera). Overall, MG participants felt more confident (P < 0.0001) in their knowledge of pollinator-friendly plants (mean 3.24 out of 5.0) than pollinator insects (mean 3.01 out of 5.0). When tested, 88.5% were able to correctly identify black-eyed susan (Rudbeckia hirta), with 70.1% correctly identifying spotted beebalm (Monarda punctata). Variations were observed in tested knowledge of pollinating insects, with 90.2% correctly identifying a zebra longwing (Heliconius charithonia) and only 32.6% correctly identifying a striped-sweat bee (Agapostemon splendens). These results revealed that MGs perceived themselves to be fairly knowledgeable about both pollinator plants and pollinating insects, yet their tested knowledge ranged widely depending on the actual plant and pollinator type. This suggests an emphasis be given for future MG training focused on diverse plant and pollinator species, preferably in a face-to-face environment. Results also show that additional resources regarding pollinator-friendly plants, as well as identification material on pollinating insects, are both desired and valued by our Florida MG community.

Tamils and the Haunting of Justice

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew C. Willford
Keyword(s):  
Migrant Workers ◽  
Race And Ethnicity ◽  
Kuala Lumpur ◽  
Labor Costs ◽  
Way Of Life ◽  
Land Use Patterns ◽  
Use Patterns ◽  
Critical Issues ◽  
The Law ◽  
Law And Justice

In 2006, dejected members of the Bukit Jalil Estate community faced eviction from their homes in Kuala Lumpur where they had lived for generations. City officials classified plantation residents as squatters and questioned any right they might have to stay. This story epitomizes the dilemma faced by Malaysian Tamils in recent years as they confront the collapse of the plantation system where they have lived and worked for generations. Foreign workers have been brought in to replace Tamil workers to cut labor costs. As the new migrant workers do not bring their whole families with them, the community structures need no longer be sustained, allowing more land to be converted to mechanized palm oil production or lucrative housing developments. Tamils find themselves increasingly resentful of the fact that lands that were developed and populated by their ancestors are now claimed by Malays as their own; and that the land use patterns in these new townships, are increasingly hostile to the most symbolic vestiges of the Tamil and Hindu presence, the temples. This book is about the fast-approaching end to a way of life, and addresses critical issues in the study of race and ethnicity. It demonstrates which strategies have been most “successful” in navigating the legal and political system of ethnic entitlement and compensation. It shows how, through a variety of strategies, Tamils try to access justice beyond the law-sometimes by using the law, and sometimes by turning to religious symbols and rituals in the murky space between law and justice.

Conducting “Siteless Survey”: Results from Coastal New England

1993 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jordan E. Kerber
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
New England ◽  
Rhode Island ◽  
Careful Consideration ◽  
Archaeological Survey ◽  
Land Use Patterns ◽  
Use Patterns ◽  
Statistical Validity ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
Survey Strategy

Selecting an effective archaeological survey takes careful consideration given the interaction of several variables, such as the survey's goals, nature of the data base, and budget constraints. This article provides justification for a “siteless survey” using evidence from a project on Potowomut Neck in Rhode Island whose objective was not to locate sites but to examine the distribution and density of prehistoric remains to test an hypothesis related to land use patterns. The survey strategy, random walk, was chosen because it possessed the advantages of probabilistic testing, as well as the ease of locating sample units. The results were within the limits of statistical validity and were found unable to reject the hypothesis. “Siteless survey” may be successfully applied in similar contexts where the distribution and density of materials, as opposed to ambiguously defined sites, are sought as evidence of land use patterns, in particular, and human adaptation, in general.

scholarly journals Implementation and effectiveness of an intensive education program on phosphate control among hemodialysis patients: a non-randomized, single-arm, single-center trial

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinmei Yin ◽  
Jun Yin ◽  
Rongli Lian ◽  
Peiqiu Li ◽  
Jing Zheng
Keyword(s):  
Education Program ◽  
Hemodialysis Patients ◽  
Serum Phosphorus ◽  
Phosphate Binders ◽  
Maintenance Hemodialysis ◽  
Single Center ◽  
Clinical Trial Registry ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Intensive Education ◽  
Phosphate Control

Abstract Background Hyperphosphatemia is a common complication in patients on maintenance hemodialysis. Patients’ adherence to phosphorus control can be improved by consistent education. However, few studies have focused on the model construction and effects of health education on phosphate control for hemodialysis patients. Objective To develop an intensive education program focusing on phosphate control among hemodialysis patients and to analyze the effectiveness of this program. Design A non-randomized, single-arm, single-center trial lasting for 6 months. Setting This program was conducted in a hemodialysis center in a teaching hospital in Zhuhai, China. Participants Patients on maintenance hemodialysis with hyperphosphatemia. Methods An intensive hyperphosphatemia control education program lasting for 6 months was conducted among 366 hemodialysis patients applying the First Principles of Instruction model, which focused on mastering four stages: (a) activation of prior experience, (b) demonstration of skills, (c) application of skills and (d) integration of these skills into real-world activities. The controlled percentage of serum phosphorus, knowledge of hyperphosphatemia, and adherence to phosphate binders before and after the education program were assessed. Results The proportion of controlled serum phosphorus was significantly increased from 43.5 to 54.9% (P<0.001). The scores on the knowledge of phosphate control were improved significantly from 59.0 ± 18.9 to 80.6 ± 12.4 (P < 0.001). The proportion of high adherence to phosphate binders was increased dramatically from 21.9 to 44.5% (P < 0.001). Conclusion The intensive education program can effectively improve serum phosphorus, knowledge of hyperphosphatemia, and adherence to phosphate binders among hemodialysis patients. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR2100042017. Retrospectively registered January 12th, 2021.

The impact of a music education program on meta-musical awareness, logical-mathematical, and notational skills in preschoolers

2021 ◽  
pp. 025576142110272
Author(s):  
Oriana Incognito ◽  
Laura Scaccioni ◽  
Giuliana Pinto
Keyword(s):  
Music Education ◽  
Education Program ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Musical Training ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Transfer Of Knowledge ◽  
General Domain ◽  
Music Program ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Impact

A number of studies suggest a link between musical training and both specific and general cognitive abilities, but despite some positive results, there is disagreement about which abilities are improved. This study aims to investigate the effects of a music education program both on a domain-specific competence (meta-musical awareness), and on general domain competences, that is, cognitive abilities (logical-mathematical) and symbolic-linguistic abilities (notational). Twenty 4- to 6-year-old children participated in the research, divided into two groups (experimental and control) and the measures were administered at two different times, before and after a 6-month music program (for the experimental group) and after a sports training program (for the control group). Children performed meta-musical awareness tasks, logical-mathematical tasks, and emergent-alphabetization tasks. Non-parametric statistics show that a music program significantly improves the development of notational skills and meta-musical awareness while not the development of logical-mathematical skills. These results show that a musical program increases children’s meta-musical awareness, and their ability to acquire the notational ability involved in the invented writing of words and numbers. On the contrary, it does not affect the development of logical skills. The results are discussed in terms of transfer of knowledge processes and of specific versus general domain effects of a musical program.

scholarly journals Modeling Community-Scale Natural Resource Use in a Transboundary Southern African Landscape: Integrating Remote Sensing and Participatory Mapping

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 631
Author(s):  
Kyle D. Woodward ◽  
Narcisa G. Pricope ◽  
Forrest R. Stevens ◽  
Andrea E. Gaughan ◽  
Nicholas E. Kolarik ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Resource Use ◽  
Training Data ◽  
Systems Science ◽  
Participatory Mapping ◽  
Land Use Patterns ◽  
Modeling Framework ◽  
Use Patterns ◽  
Human Habitation

Remote sensing analyses focused on non-timber forest product (NTFP) collection and grazing are current research priorities of land systems science. However, mapping these particular land use patterns in rural heterogeneous landscapes is challenging because their potential signatures on the landscape cannot be positively identified without fine-scale land use data for validation. Using field-mapped resource areas and household survey data from participatory mapping research, we combined various Landsat-derived indices with ancillary data associated with human habitation to model the intensity of grazing and NTFP collection activities at 100-m spatial resolution. The study area is situated centrally within a transboundary southern African landscape that encompasses community-based organization (CBO) areas across three countries. We conducted four iterations of pixel-based random forest models, modifying the variable set to determine which of the covariates are most informative, using the best fit predictions to summarize and compare resource use intensity by resource type and across communities. Pixels within georeferenced, field-mapped resource areas were used as training data. All models had overall accuracies above 60% but those using proxies for human habitation were more robust, with overall accuracies above 90%. The contribution of Landsat data as utilized in our modeling framework was negligible, and further research must be conducted to extract greater value from Landsat or other optical remote sensing platforms to map these land use patterns at moderate resolution. We conclude that similar population proxy covariates should be included in future studies attempting to characterize communal resource use when traditional spectral signatures do not adequately capture resource use intensity alone. This study provides insights into modeling resource use activity when leveraging both remotely sensed data and proxies for human habitation in heterogeneous, spectrally mixed rural land areas.

scholarly journals P157 Potential benefit of intravenous immunoglobulin in connective tissue disease associated interstitial lung diseases

Rheumatology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 60 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vasilis Kouranos ◽  
Lauren V Host ◽  
Corrado Campochiaro ◽  
Athol Wells ◽  
Christopher P Denton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lung Function ◽  
Connective Tissue ◽  
Lung Diseases ◽  
Immunosuppressive Treatment ◽  
Interstitial Lung Diseases ◽  
Ivig Treatment ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Predicted Values ◽  
Relative Change ◽  
Median Change

Abstract Background/Aims  Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) confers significant benefit in range of connective tissue diseases (CTD) including inflammatory myopathy (IM) of which interstitial lung diseases (ILD) are a major complication. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of IVIg on pulmonary involvement in refractory active CTD including systemic sclerosis (SSc). Methods  All patients with CTD-ILD confirmed on HRCT either with IM or SSc overlap myositis who did not achieve satisfactory clinical response to standard immunosuppressive agents and subsequently received regular IVIg infusions for IM were retrospectively identified. Serial lung function tests and immunosuppressive treatment regimen 9-12 months prior and 9-12 months after repeat courses of IVIg were recorded. Progressive ILD was considered when, despite immunosuppressive treatment, a relative FVC decline≥10% and/or relative DLco decline ≥15% were identified during the 9-12 months preceding IVIg treatment. The significance of median DLco and FVC percentage relative change to IVIg treatment was assessed by Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results  22 patients (mean age 50.5±13.1 years old) with IM-ILD treated with IVIg were identified. ILD occurred in association with IM in 10 patients, overlap SSc myositis in another 11 patients, while one had mixed connective tissue disease with myositis. Lung function results were available for 19/22 (86%). Eight patients (42.1%) were found to have progressive ILD(four with IM and four with overlap SSc-myositis). The median change in FVC% predicted and DLco% predicted in the 9-12 months before and after IVIg treatment is presented in Table 1. There was a significant difference in the DLco% predicted rate of relative change before and after IVIg treatment (p = 0.035) for the overall cohort. However, no differences in lung function were observed in the rate of relative change between patients with IM and patients with SSc myositis overlap. Significant improvement in DLco% predicted values was identified in the subgroup analysis of patients with progressive ILD(p = 0.012). P157 Table 1:The median change in FVC and DLco% predicted values prior and after the IVIg treatmentPatients with myositis related ILD9-12 months before IVIg treatment (relative change)9-12 months after IVIg treatment (relative change)p-valueAll (n = 19)FVC % predicted-3.8 (-54.4 - 14.6)2.1 (-33 - 33.7)0.145DLco % predicted-9.2 (-60.7 - 9.2)-2.3 (-26 - 41.9)0.035PM/DM (n = 10)FVC % predicted-1.8 (-20.2 - 14.6)0.8 (-33 - 30.9)0.401DLco % predicted-9.6 (-60.7 - 9.2)-2.4 (-26 - 41.9)0.093SSc-PM/DM overlap (n = 11)FVC % predicted-6 (-54.4 - 10.6)3.4 (-19.9 - 33.7)0.139DLco % predicted-10.8 (-47.1 - 2.5)4.2 (-22.7 - 16.8)0.173Progressive ILD (n = 8)FVC % predicted-14.5 (-54.4 - 14.6)5.7 (-11.9 - 33.7)0.123DLco % predicted-25.3 (-60.6 - -14.1)12 (-2.3 - 41.9)0.012 Conclusion  IVIg may be an effective rescue therapy in the prevention of further lung function decline in refractory myositis and SSc overlap in particular in subgroups with progressive ILD. Future studies to determine its role in CTD-ILD are warranted. Disclosure  V. Kouranos: None. L.V. Host: None. C. Campochiaro: None. A. Wells: None. C.P. Denton: None. V.H. Ong: None. E. Renzoni: None.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document