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A widespread assumption in education suggests educational curricula can be more effectively implemented and subsequent student outcomes improved if teachers are first properly trained in using the curriculum. Thus, teachers [...]

Among other findings, the preceding article discussed the effect of a structured training program on teachers who subsequently used the Teenage Health Teaching Modules (THTM) for the first time. Compared [...]

Throughout the 1980s, accountability was watch-word of public policy. Health, social service, and educational programs are--more than at any time in history--being required to demonstrate their effectiveness. The Teenage Health [...]

The School Health Education Evaluation (SHEE) published in 1985 provided evidence about the effectiveness of health education at the elementary school level. (1) Based on evaluation of four curricula, the [...]

Intensive ground-based searches for white-tailed deer carcasses were conducted in the Dart Valley/Routeburn catchments following the aerial application of 1080 (sodium fluoroacetate) cereal pellets as part of the 'Battle for the Birds'/ Tiakina Ngā Manu predator control program in August 2014. Four 100 ha areas were searched over four days. The detection rate of simulated carcasses allowed an estimation of the success rate for finding deer carcasses. All white-tailed deer carcasses located were confirmed to have muscle tissue containing traces of 1080 (range: 0.41–1.06 mg/kg). The detection rate of simulated carcasses was 78% (312/400). The adjusted number of dead white-tailed deer was 3.85 ± 0.85 (95% CI) over the 400 ha (0.96 deer/km2) suggesting a potential mortality of 146 ± 32 (95% CI) white-tailed deer in the predator control area of 15,215 ha. These results suggest that recurrent predator control operations may have implications for sustainable hunting of white-tailed deer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although regular physical activity is known to have significant health benefits for adults, few studies have fully explored this issue in children. Previous studies have found that over 20 percent of children in this country do not meet the recommended fitness standards. Other national studies that have been conducted have examined only the physical fitness of children, without taking into account their level of physical activity. To ascertain the relationship between levels of physical activity and physical fitness, a large national sampling of boys and girls aged eight to nine years old was studied. Two fitness tests, the 1.6-km run/walk and the sum of three skinfold measurements (which measure body fat), were used. Parent and teacher questionnaires were also utilized to assess 20 physical activity variables such as extent of participation in physical education classes and community activities such as Cub Scouts and sports leagues. Two multiple regression analyses were used on data from 1,150 boys and 1,202 girls who were a part of the National Children and Youth Fitness Study II. The results indicate a moderate, but significant, correlation between levels of physical activity and physical fitness in the children. These findings have important implications for public health specialists and teachers. Introduction of physical activity intervention programs may enhance the physical fitness of children, and such programs should be examined further. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

New Zealand fur seals, I Arctocephalus forsteri i (NZFS hereafter), experienced a catastrophic decline in population size with the onset of commercial sealing in the southern hemisphere, from the 18th to the early 19th century (Lento, Mattlin, Chambers, & Baker, [38]). Despite the critical role of the oral cavity microbiome in the survival of NZFS pups and other marine mammals, its diversity and structure are still unknown. GLO:KQE/01jan20:mms12639-fig-0001.jpg PHOTO (COLOR): The different steps in the pool sequence analysis of New Zealand fur seal (NZFS) pups' oral cavity microbiome diversity. The microbiome structure in the oral cavities of NZFS pups resembles those already reported from the oral cavities of dolphins ( I Tursiops truncatus i ) and sea lions I (Zalophus californianus i ) (Bik et al., [9]). [Extracted from the article]

The National Children and Youth Fitness Study was developed to examine physical fitness of children, describe their physical activity patterns, and identify those activity factors that make children fit. Background, procedures, and issues from the study are explored. (DF)

This article states findings on the fitness and physcial activity patterns of youth as determined from the National Children and Youth Fitness Study. The role and effectiveness of schools and parks and recreation programs in improving the fitness of youth is explored, and suggestions for parents and citizens are offered. (DG)

Carabidae (Coleoptera) are commonly used as indicators of ecosystem health due to their high diversity, conservation value and relative ease of identification. Carabids were monitored at Ahuriri Scenic Reserve, Port Hills, Canterbury, from August 2007 to September 2008 using pitfall traps. Carabid captures, species richness and distribution across the reserve were compared with those found in a similar study in 1977–1978. Monthly carabid captures were highly correlated with average temperature in both studies. There was little evidence of carabids responding to habitat factors, such as leaf litter depth, pH or ground cover. However, Megadromus antarcticus was positively associated with canopy openness and ground cover, whereas Holcaspis angustula was more abundant where canopy cover was extensive and there was a relatively high incidence of bare rock. Thirteen species of carabid were recorded in 1977–1978, of which six were absent, four had decreased, one was stable and two species increased in abundance from collections made in 2007–2008. The loss of one Banks Peninsula and five New Zealand endemic beetle species from this reserve is of concern, and future work should aim to gain more detailed information on the habitat requirements of these species to assist conservation management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New Zealand has many introduced mammalian species that are managed as pests of conservation and/or economic importance, including four rodent species. Vertebrate pesticides are the most important rodent management tool, largely dominated by anticoagulants such as brodifacoum, and by the metabolic disruptor, Compound 1080. There has been considerable opposition to these pesticides, primarily based on concerns about environmental persistence and non-target effects; Maori have been particularly vocal in opposition. Maori have place-based knowledge about naturally-occurring plant toxins that could be used as culturally-acceptable alternatives to existing rodenticides. In the context of the research presented here, the term 'culturally-acceptable' refers to new pest control options that have been co-designed with Matauranga Maori experts that inherently include Maori ways of thinking, being, and acting. Tuhoe researchers in our study wanted to pursue the most promising natural toxic compound found in native plants as a suitable alternative to current vertebrate pesticides. Therefore, we undertook an oral gavage trial to assess the toxicity of tutin, the toxin active in tutu (Coriaria arborea), to the Norway rat, (Rattus norvegicus). Tutin was toxic to this species at a dose of 55 mg kg-1, with a quick, humane death compared to other existing rodenticides. At a dose rate of 55 mg kg-1, all animals of both sexes died within an hour, and once neurological poisoning symptoms commenced these animals were unconscious within 5-10 minutes. We conclude it is warranted to take the next logical research step, which is to prove whether this dose rate would be technically attainable in the field. Although for now New Zealand remains reliant on 1080 and anti-coagulants for mammalian pest control, efforts should continue to develop more targeted toxins and delivery systems. We recommend incorporating Matauranga Maori to identify alternative control tools that could lead to more culturally acceptable pest control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The New Zealand fur seal (Arctocephalus forsteri) passed through a population bottleneck due to commercial sealing during the eighteenth to nineteenth centuries. To facilitate future management options, we reconstructed the demographic history of New Zealand fur seals in a Bayesian framework using maternally inherited, mitochondrial DNA sequences. Mitogenomic data suggested two separate clades (most recent common ancestor 5000 years ago) of New Zealand fur seals that survived large-scale human harvest. Mitochondrial haplotype diversity was high, with 45 singletons identified from 46 individuals although mean nucleotide diversity was low (0.012 ± 0.0061). Variation was not constrained geographically. Analyses of mitogenomes support the hypothesis for a population bottleneck approximately 35 generations ago, which coincides with the peak of commercial sealing. Mitogenomic data are consistent with a pre-human effective population size of approximately 30,000 that first declined to around 10,000 (due to the impact of Polynesian colonization, particularly in the first 100 years of their arrival into New Zealand), and then to 100-200 breeding individuals during peak of commercial sealing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

. 1. Physical structure and species composition of vegetation determine spider diversity through habitat availability. Here, we assess, for the first time, the role of plant structure on spider communities in New Zealand native alpine tussock grasslands. We investigate the specific associations between spider assemblages and plant communities and test the hypothesis that spider diversity increases with plant diversity and tussock cover. 2. Spiders were sampled using density- and abundance-activity-dependent methods. Data on physical characteristics and species composition of plants revealed gradients in vegetation, driven by distinct intra-ecosystem plant communities. Effects of vegetation on spider diversity and composition were assessed through linear mixed-effects models. Redundancy analysis was used to determine and visualise the spider species-level response to gradients in plant compositions. 3. There was a positive relationship between plant diversity and spider diversity, while the effects of tussock cover varied with spider taxa. Overall, physical structure and species composition of vegetation had effects on the abundance of a similar number of spider species and families. 4. Gradients in vegetation were matched to gradients in spider communities, whose diversity and composition varied according to their habitat preference. The family Orsolobidae was associated with wetland vegetation, and Linyphiidae with shrubs. The abundance of certain spider families and species, such as Lycosidae and Anoteropsis hilaris, was consistently affected by vegetation. 5. Environmental factors, such as soil moisture, may affect plant species composition and physical structure in tussock grasslands, which in turn determine spider assemblages. Lycosidae were identified as potential indicators of structural changes in tussock grassland plants and could be valuable for ecological monitoring in conservation management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In New Zealand, around half of the lowland water bod-ies do not meet water quality standards, primarily due to widespread changes in land use. Riparian restoration has been occurring in New Zealand for over 30 years in an effort to minimize this impact, however, little monitor-ing of restoration effectiveness has been undertaken. This study evaluated the impact of riparian plantings on water quality of lowland streams in the Lake Ellesmere catch-ment. A paired-catchment design on four river reaches was used to compare restored riparian buffers with con-trol sites upstream. Chemical water quality sampling was used in conjunction with a macroinvertebrate community assessment. Equivocal benefits of riparian restoration were observed, with improvements in some variables but not in others. Riparian restoration had a positive effect on water quality in terms of increasing dissolved oxygen and decreasing turbidity. However, conductivity increased at planted sites and no changes were observed in other vari-ables. These findings may be affected by the insufficient width of all four buffers, and gaps in the buffer sys-tem contributing to poor water quality. Although variable responses were seen in invertebrate community composi-tion, this research suggests that even narrow planted buffer strips may be effective in improving some water qual-ity parameters. The overall mixed results present a fair assessment of the benefits of riparian restoration that may be expected within a relatively short time following veg-etation establishment. Even when no baseline data have been established prior to restoration, this research showed monitoring can demonstrate the effectiveness of riparian restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]