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Abstract Project work involves content, products, and processes. Teacher educators may notice that those new to project work adopt ideas and practices related to content and products more readily than […]

Treaty ratification and human rights criticism, along with democratic change, are key underpinnings of international human rights in practice. Using a treaty-specific human rights indicator in a dynamic panel data framework, I estimate how states' human rights behavior changes in response to ratification of the Convention against Torture (CAT) and criticism launched through United Nations (UN) procedures from 1985 to 2005, and whether response differs by a government's democratic status. Prior CAT ratifiers generally respond more positively to country-specific UN human rights criticism than do nonratifiers. When criticized, the difference between ratifiers and nonratifiers is greater with higher democratic governance ratings; however, ratification combined with criticism is likely to stabilize or improve human rights levels even in countries scoring poorly on democratic indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use microsatellite loci to examine genetic structure of the Florida scrub lizard (Sceloporus woodi) and test for the effects of landscape variables at the scale of neighboring patches. We evaluate ecological metrics of connectivity with genetics data, which to our knowledge is the first application of these particular metrics to landscape- level genetics studies in Florida scrub. Florida scrub is a highly threatened ecosystem in which habitat patches are remnants of a previously widespread xeric landscape. Analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) has shown that landscape structure influenced the evolutionary history of the Florida scrub lizard (S. woodi) across its range. Our results concur with these mtDNA studies in documenting divergence between xeric ridge systems and also demonstrate divergence at very local scales. Both least-cost distance and pairwise isolation (a metric used in ecological studies that includes patch size, quality and a modified isolation index) were better predictors of genetic distance than Euclidean distance, indicating that mesic and hydric habitat influence spatial patterns in genetic variation. Our results support the need for focusing on spatial distribution of scrub habitat at the scale of neighboring patches, as well as regionally, in conservation management and restoration. Also, our study points to the value of integrating landscape ecology metrics into landscape genetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Florida manatees ( Trichechus manatus latirostris) are marine mammals that inhabit the coastal waters and rivers of the southeastern USA, primarily Florida. Previous studies have shown that Florida manatees have low mitochondrial DNA variability, suggesting that nuclear DNA loci are necessary for discriminatory analyses. Here we report 10 polymorphic microsatellite loci with an average of 4.2 alleles per locus, and average heterozygosity of 50.1%. These loci have been developed for use in population studies, parentage assignment, and individual identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emergent leadership was examined in 12 discussion groups in 4 fourth-grade classrooms. Children's leadership moves were coded from transcripts of 10 free-flowing, open-format discussions of each of the 12 groups. The transcripts encompassed 26,000 turns for speaking, including 22,000 child turns of which 1,700 were judged to serve one of five leadership functions: Turn Management, Argument Development, Planning and Organizing, Topic Control, and Acknowledgment. Comparison of the number and kind of leadership moves made by the children showed that 1 primary child leader emerged in 6 out of the 12 groups and that, in all but 1 of the remaining groups, leadership was shared among several children. Even in groups with a dominant leader, leadership functions were widely distributed among group members. A three-level generalized hierarchical linear model, with multiple discussions nested within students and students nested within groups, showed that the frequency of leadership moves increased with the progression of the discussions, suggesting that the emerging leaders were learning how to lead. Girls who received stratagem instruction, and who were frequently nominated by their peers as having good ideas and seldom nominated as being too quiet, exhibited more leadership than other children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]