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Warning signs for the health of the American democracy abound. These challenges have multiple manifestations and multiple roots, but media and the Internet, more broadly, are implicated in prominent ways. Schools, the institutions charged with educating current and future generations, have a role to play in supporting the preparation of an informed citizenry. This study examines the extent to which state level legislation supports the provision of civically oriented media literacy education. To do so, we first identify several critically needed media literacy education dimensions and then examine how well existing legislation from all 50 states responds to these identified needs. Findings reveal that not only is there an overall dearth of K-12 media literacy policy, but definitions and corresponding resources remain sparse and varied. For schools to fulfill their role of providing young people with the knowledge, skills, and commitments to participate and promote a vibrant and informed democracy, this study concludes that more must be done to support media literacy education within state level policy. Prior State of Knowledge: Studies indicate that few young people in the United States receive significant learning opportunities to develop and practice media literacy-related skills. While federal legislation is valuable to help set the tone for the nation, state support for local innovation has long been a key strategy for supporting school reform efforts. Novel Contributions: Accordingly, this study examines the extent to which state level legislation supports the provision of civically oriented media literacy education. Practical Implications: Findings reveal that media literacy policy remains the exception, rather than the norm, in states across country – which suggests the need for all state legislators to consider the importance of developing and passing policy that would provide the infrastructure their states need to support young people in learning media literacy skills on a routine basis in schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Occupational therapy plays an important role in fostering community participation in areas such as education, employment, leisure, and social relationships, yet its added value within early intervention in psychosis services, especially in the United States, remains poorly understood. The purpose of this research was to conduct a national survey of early intervention in psychosis programs to: (1) understand the role and unique contributions of occupational therapists to early intervention teams, and (2) identify barriers and supports to the implementation of occupational therapy services within these programs. Methods: Fifty‐one senior leaders from U.S.‐based early intervention in psychosis programs participated in the national survey. The survey consisted of a series of closed and open‐ended questions related to program staffing, the presence of specific services that fall within the occupational therapy scope of practice, and implementation barriers and supports. Results: Despite there being strong interest in employing occupational therapists, a small proportion of programs (31%) reported having them on staff. Occupational therapists supported clients across multiple life areas and were significantly more likely than other team members to promote daily living activities (e.g., cooking) and to address sensory processing needs and challenges. Implementation was influenced by environmental/organizational and staff factors; the primary barrier was funding. Conclusions: Findings support the role occupational therapists may play in facilitating the community participation of clients of early intervention services, but significant barriers to implementation of occupational therapy services remain. Additional research is needed to further identify the impact of occupational therapy services within the early intervention model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pepper weevil, Anthonomus eugenii Cano (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is an important pest of peppers (Capsicum spp.) in the southern United States, Mexico, and Central America. Current management practices rely on chemical control of adults although grower options are limited. A more integrated strategy to manage the pepper weevil infestations may benefit from measures that can control this pest specifically such as RNA interference (RNAi). We cloned and sequenced transcript fragments of two possible essential genes of the pepper weevil, Snf7 and V‐ATPase‐A. We treated pepper weevil females with the double‐stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) of these genes and found that orally delivered dsRNA of either gene was not effective in eliciting strong RNAi response or causing mortality. In contrast, Snf7 and V‐ATPase‐A dsRNAs delivered through injections produced robust gene silencing and led to more than 90% mortality within 12 days. Our results suggest that the pepper weevil possesses the molecular machinery needed for a robust RNAi response and that Snf7 and V‐ATPase‐A genes likely encode essential functions in this insect. Moreover, RNAi‐mediated silencing of essential genes can potentially be used to control this pest if strong RNAi response can be induced by orally delivered dsRNA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While mass incarceration and high recidivism rates recently have received a great deal of political attention, politicians have largely ignored two of the most promising strategies for ending the punishment cycle. First, reducing sentence lengths for all offense types would significantly reduce recidivism rates and new justice system admissions by minimizing the negative effects of mass incarceration on families and communities. Second, the criminal justice system should adopt a broader conceptualization and implementation of evidence-based reentry practice, including programs that may not have a direct or immediately measurable effect on recidivism. This Article, building on results from an evaluation of a federal reentry court program, highlights the value of reentry programs that minimize intrusive criminal justice system involvement and maximize the provision of services to support a productive life outside prison. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores a central finding from a process evaluation of a federal reentry court programme entitled the Supervision to Aid Reentry (STAR) programme in Philadelphia, PA, USA. Using inductive and deductive analyses, results revealed that the STAR programme helps participants build social capital by encouraging family involvement as well as the development of relationships among programme participants. Family involvement and relationships among participants were found to offer participants social and emotional support as well as access to felon-friendly employment opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]