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The article explores how identity-based affinity groups benefit Black women educators, addressing issues of teacher agency and workplace challenges amid national teacher shortages and curriculum controversies. Topics discussed include communal healing, intersectional identities, and the transformative power of affinity spaces.

ABSTRACTVolunteered geographic information (VGI) offers a solution to inequalities in authoritative map data that can limit our response to humanitarian crises. However, sustaining voluntary contributions of map data can be difficult and hybrid machine learning-VGI (ML-VGI) workflows developed to encourage sustained volunteer contributions have been demonstrated to be insufficient. Gamification can be used to encourage volunteers to map for longer, however evaluations of gamification to increase humanitarian mapping contributions are rare. Here we develop a gamified humanitarian ML-VGI mapping platform (“Map Safari”) and evaluate the use of game elements to encourage sustained volunteer contributions without reducing contribution quality. Our results suggest that gamification makes mapping more fun, particularly for first time mappers, without degrading map data quality. Competition is demonstrated to be important for encouraging enjoyment of game elements and increasing map data contributions. Future gamified mapping platforms should emphasize competition and ensure there are enough game elements to make platform use feel game-like. This research demonstrates that gamification can be used to encourage continued voluntary contributions of map data thereby increasing the amount of map data available to humanitarian organizations.

The Joint Monitoring Programme estimated that 71% of people globally had access to “safely managed” drinking water in 2017. However, typical data collection practices focus only on a household’s primary water source, yet some households in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) engage in multiple water source use, including supplementing improved water supplies with unimproved water throughout the year. Monte Carlo simulations and previously published data were used to simulate exposure to fecal contamination (as measured by E. coli) along a range of supplemental unimproved source use rates (e.g., 0–100% improved water use, with the remainder made up with unimproved water). The model results revealed a statistically significant increase in annual exposure to E. coliwhen individuals supplement their improved water with unimproved water just 2 days annually. Additionally, our analysis identified scenarios–realistic for the data set study setting–where supplementing with unimproved water counterintuitively decreases exposure to E. coli. These results highlight the need for evaluating the temporal dynamics in water quality and availability of drinking water sources in LMICs as well as capturing the use of multiple water sources for monitoring global access to safe drinking water.

Measuring Escherichia coliin a single-grab sample of stored drinking water is often used to characterize drinking water quality. However, if water quality exhibits variability temporally, then one-time measurement schemes may be insufficient to adequately characterize the quality of water that people consume. This study uses longitudinal data collected from 193 households in peri-urban Tanzania to assess variability in stored water quality and to characterize uncertainty with different data collection schemes. Households were visited 5 times over the course of a year. At each visit, information was collected on water management practices, and a sample of stored drinking water was collected for E. colienumeration. Water quality was poor for households, with 80% having highly contaminated (>100 CFU per 100 mL) water during at least one visit. There was substantial variability of water quality for households, with only 3% of households having the same category (low, medium, or high) of water quality for all five visits. These data suggest a single sample would inaccurately characterize a household’s drinking water quality over the course of a year and lead to misestimates of population level access to safe drinking water.

The article discusses the effects of environmental decline are not equally distributed as communities face severe long-term consequences while others are buffered by regional wealth against environmental hazards. Topics include need to focus more on gender and racial inequality in environmental engineering education; and merit the attention of educators in order to realize substantive change: student recruitment, stereotypes in the field, and professional development.

The article offers information on Angela Harris, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Trio Design, and her healing experiences on Harbour Island in the Bahamas. Topics include Harris' inspiration from the island's energy and beauty, her involvement in local educational outreach, and her design approach for a home on the island.

The article discusses the early results of the 2024 presidential election between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris. Trump led in some key states, while Harris won Democratic strongholds. Exit polls showed that voters were most concerned about democracy and the economy. The election was marked by high turnout and potential legal challenges, with both parties vying for control of Congress. The final outcome was uncertain, with both candidates facing unique challenges in their campaigns. [Extracted from the article]

At the prospect of more racist, sexist attacks against Harris in the coming weeks, this was the advice DNC attendees had for her: Don't take the bait [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the prospect of more racist, sexist attacks against Harris in the coming weeks, this was the advice DNC attendees had for her: Don't take the bait [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

APRIL IN THE COUNTRY / THIS MONTH’S HIGHLIGHTS / Q&A WHY SPRING IS SACRED Poet Laureate Simon Armitage celebrates the irrepressible exuberance of spring in his new collection of poems [...]

2022 JUL 23 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week -- New study results on Parkinson's disease have been published. According to news [...]