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Butterfly Production Management
(Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station, 1977) Kulman, H.M.
A speculative overview of butterfly production management is presented which includes manipulation of habitats to enhance larval and adult food plants, accessibility and longevity of adults, early season introduction of migrants, and use of exotic butterflies and larval host plants. Concentration and accessibility of butterfly adults for viewing and collecting may be influenced by adult longevity, adult food sources, larval host plant odors, and other factors. Dangers to butterflies and their host plants by concentrating adults are discussed. Production management opportunities by manipulation of larval host plants appears to be much greater for expansion of the local and regional range of butterflies than for increasing butterfly density. The paucity of the literature does not permit general conclusions concerning population regulating factors, carrying capacity concepts, etc. However, there is sufficient observational data to guide experimental production management studies. Migratory species are considered for management although the carryover from management inputs are lower than with resident butterflies. Introduction of exotic species is limited mainly to butterflies useful in weed control programs. Speculative production research possibilities are given for the Pipevine Swallowtail, Battus philenor ( L.); Black Swallowtail, Papilio polyxenes asterius Stoll; Giant Swallowtail, Papilio cresphontes Cramer; Little Sulphur, Eurema lisa (Boisduval and Le Conte); Dainty Sulphur, Nathalis iole Boisduval; Baltimore, Euphydryas phaeton (Drury); and Monarch, Danaus plexippus ( L.).
Evaluating Gender-Transformative Programming in Humanitarian Aid
(2024-05-01) Andrada , Paxton; Bhor, Shweta; Khalil, Malak; Wright, Alishia
Since the United Nations Resolution 1325 was passed, the humanitarian community has developed guidelines and tools to assist practitioners in designing and implementing more gender-sensitive and gender-inclusive programs. However, in practice, the operationalization of gender-inclusive approaches is often pro forma, peripheral, or an add-on to existing and predetermined programming efforts. This research project, undertaken in partnership with the Women's Refugee Commission (WRC), a leading organization committed to addressing the unique needs of women, children, and youth displaced by conflict and crisis, seeks to determine the barriers faced by program staff when implementing gender-transformative programming. The study includes a desk review of existing literature regarding this kind of programming in humanitarian aid, and qualitative interviews with gender experts in the aid sector to fill in any gaps found in the literature. Through the desk review, there are two cluster focuses, food security and sexual and reproductive health, along with two crisis focuses, the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and internally displaced peoples in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The desk review was used to formulate the interview guide for the expert interviews. Based on the findings of the literature review, case studies and the interviews, we formulated recommendations to implement effective gender-transformative programs.
Oromia Human Rights Abuse Coverage: Cataloging the Coverage of Human Rights Abuses in the Oromia Region
(2024-05-01) Adema-Jula , Biftu; Dakwa-Agyekum, Oketekyie; Diis, Abdirizak
Utilizing a literature review, this project catalogs and analyzes the coverage of human rights abuses in the Oromia region of Ethiopia. The Oromia region, like other parts of Ethiopia, has been blighted by ethnically motivated civil conflicts for decades. Our client, the Oromo Legacy Leadership and Advocacy Association, sought to understand any discernible trends in the level of human rights abuse coverage the Oromia region received over the last six years and the nature of that coverage. We tallied the amount of coverage human rights issues in Oromia received from 2018 to 2023 for seven select media organizations and human rights-focused international non-governmental organizations (INGO). We highlighted any discernible trends in the level of coverage the region received from the selected organizations. Additionally, we analyzed the formal human rights abuse reporting prepared by four human rights-focused governmental bodies to identify the amount of coverage focused on human rights abuses received by the region, recurring themes across their reporting, and analyzed the major themes noted for congruence with the prevailing socio-political situation in Ethiopia at the time. To provide some comparative basis from other regions in the country we also completed the steps detailed above for tallying coverage for the Amhara and Tigray regions for the years 2018 and 2020. We also analyzed the reporting on the Amhara and Tigray regions in the formal report reviewed in conjunction with the Oromia region. We found that 2020 represented the peak year of coverage for the Oromia region but only as a by-product of the increased focus on the fledgling conflict in the Tigray region despite the conflict in the Oromia region having been ongoing for years by then. We also found that the onset of the Tigray conflict brought with it an increased level of coverage in the formal human rights reporting that was absent from ongoing conflicts in other regions. We recommend additional research here with an expanded timeline and more defined parameters to analyze the articles and reports published by the media and INGOs for a comprehensive and qualitative analysis.
Taking an educational psychology course improves neuroscience literacy but does not reduce belief in neuromyths
(Public Library of Science, 2018-02-18) Im, Soo-hyun; Cho, Joo-Yun; Dubinsky, Janet M; Varma, Sashank
Educators are increasingly interested in applying neuroscience findings to improve educational practice. However, their understanding of the brain often lags behind their enthusiasm for the brain. We propose that educational psychology can serve as a bridge between basic research in neuroscience and psychology on one hand and educational practice on the other. We evaluated whether taking an educational psychology course is associated with increased neuroscience literacy and reduced belief in neuromyths in a sample of South Korean pre-service teachers. The results showed that taking an educational psychology course was associated with the increased neuroscience literacy, but there was no impact on belief in neuromyths. We consider the implications of these and other findings of the study for redesigning educational psychology courses and textbooks for improving neuroscience literacy.
The neuroscience of active learning and direct instruction
(Elsevier, 2024-05-23) Dubinsky, Janet M; Hamid, Arif A
Throughout the educational system, students experiencing active learning pedagogy perform better and fail less than those taught through direct instruction. Can this be ascribed to differences in learning from a neuroscientific perspective? This review examines mechanistic, neuroscientific evidence that might explain differences in cognitive engagement contributing to learning outcomes between these instructional approaches. In classrooms, direct instruction comprehensively describes academic content, while active learning provides structured opportunities for learners to explore, apply, and manipulate content. Synaptic plasticity and its modulation by arousal or novelty are central to all learning and both approaches. As a form of social learning, direct instruction relies upon working memory. The reinforcement learning circuit, associated agency, curiosity, and peer-to-peer social interactions combine to enhance motivation, improve retention, and build higher-order-thinking skills in active learning environments. When working memory becomes overwhelmed, additionally engaging the reinforcement learning circuit improves retention, providing an explanation for the benefits of active learning. This analysis provides a mechanistic examination of how emerging neuroscience principles might inform pedagogical choices at all educational levels.