Promoting inclusion: facilitating access to the Silchester 'town life' project

It is becoming increasingly difficult to resource field archaeology outside the developer-funded context. Consequently it is difficult to engage the wider public in understanding the nature of archaeology and in the writing of its history from the study of material and environmental evidence. This paper describes a project funded by the UK's Heritage Lottery Fund designed to increase access by several means to a well-established and long-running archaeological excavation at the Iron Age and Roman Town at Silchester, Hampshire (UK).

Evaluation of the Living 4 Life project : a youth-led, school-based obesity prevention study

The Living 4 Life study was a youth-led, school-based intervention to reduce obesity in New Zealand. The study design was quasi-experimental, with comparisons made by two cross-sectional samples within schools. Student data were collected at baseline (n = 1634) and at the end of the 3-year intervention (n = 1612). A random-effects mixed model was used to test for changes in primary outcomes (e.g. anthropometry and obesity-related behaviours) between intervention and comparison schools. There were no significant differences in changes in anthropometry or behaviours between intervention and comparison schools. The prevalence of obesity in intervention schools was 32% at baseline and 35% at follow-up and in comparison schools was 29% and 30%, respectively. Within school improvements in obesity-related behaviours were observed in three intervention schools and one comparison school. One intervention school observed several negative changes in student behaviours. In conclusion, there were no significant improvements to anthropometry; this may reflect the intervention’s lack of intensity, insufficient duration, or that by adolescence changes in anthropometry and related behaviours are difficult to achieve. School-based obesity prevention interventions that actively involve young people in the design of interventions may result in improvements in student behaviours, but require active support from leaders within their schools.

The role of proactive coping strategies and perceived health status for Social well-being and life-project in old age.

The latter part of the 20th century was a period characterized by a fundamental demographic transition of western society. This substantial and structural demographic change proposes several challenges to contemporary society and fosters the emergence of new issues and challenges. Among these, none is more crucial than the comprehension of the mechanisms and the processes that lead people to positive aging. Rowe and Kahn’s model of successful aging highlights the interplay between social engagement with life, health, and functioning for a positive aging experience. Other systemic models of successful aging (Kahana et al., 1996; 2003; Stevernik et al., 2006) emphasize the role of internal and external resources for attaining positive aging. Among these, the proactive coping strategies are indicated as important active strategies for avoiding the depletion of resources, counterbalancing the declines and maintaining social and civic involvement. The study has analyzed the role of proactive coping strategies for two facets of positive aging, the experience of a high social well-being and the presence of personal projects in fundamental life domains. As expected, the proactive coping strategies, referred to as the active management of the environment, the accumulation of resources and the actualization of human potentials are confirmed as positive predictors of high level of social well-being and of many personal projects focused on family, culture, leisure time, civic and social participation. Perceived health status give a significant contribution only to the possession of many personal projects. Gender and level of school education give also a significant contribution to these two dimensions of positive aging, highlighting how positive aging is rooted not only in the possession of personal resources, but also in historical models of education and in positive longitudinal chains related to early development.

A study of the relationship of support systems and adolescent pregnancy outcomes in an adolescent family life project

This study analyzed the relationship of family support systems and adolescent pregnancy outcomes. The population for the study was 390 adolescents who had attended the Marion County Health Department Adolescent Family Life Project in Indianapolis, Indiana during a two-year period.^ The study is unique in that it afforded the opportunity to compare adolescent pregnancy-related characteristics, of white and non-white adolescents in the same study.^ The pregnancy outcomes studied were: Infant birthweight, school attendance, and pregnancy recidivism.^ Significant results were found in the analysis that supported other research in regard to factors that are associated with school attendance when family support, adolescent's age, and ethnicity were controlled. Infant birthweight and repeat pregnancy outcome relationships were not found to have any consistently significant relationship with independent variables anticipated to be associated. However, the comparisons of infant birthweight among the adolescents with, and without, family support, by ethnicity resulted in some interesting findings. Repeat pregnancy proved an enigma, in that there seemed to be almost no variables in this study that were associated with the adolescent having a repeat pregnancy.^ Familial support in this study seemed to be of less importance as a factor in adolescent pregnancy outcomes than was ethnicity. The non-white adolescents in this study had a better record for remaining in school, both those non-white adolescents who lived with parents, and those who did not live with parents. More low birthweight occurred in the non-white adolescent, both those adolescents who lived with parents, and those who did not live with parents. Repeat pregnancy occurred more in the non-white adolescent whether she lived with parents, or did not live with parents. ^

European life project: a global strategy for the responsible use of a coastal lagoon: a case study from Portugal

Rin de Aveiro is a coastal lagoon located at the Central Region of Portugal subjected to the influence of the tides, resulting in a set of characteristic biotopes favouring anthropic and natural processes. Once managed and controlled correctly, each of these biotopes will allow simultaneously the biodiversity and integration in the making of the wetland landscape. In 1998, one of the final conclusions of the "MARIA" Demonstration Programme for the Integrated Management of Ria de Aveiro was that the poor current state of the environment area resulted from a set of interrelated factors. The Programme selected four (4) pilot-projects towards the integrated management of the lagoon biotopes as possible scenarios for an intervention. This selection was based in criteria related to environmental priorities and the maintenance of traditional economic activities in the region. The idea of choosing projects that would involve the whole geographic space of the Ria, without forgetting the other important themes interrelated with the Management Structure, emerged as a relevant aspect for their definition. Thus, and as a first test of this Management Structure functionality, the following task forces were put forward: Recovery and valorisation of the piers; Recovery of the former salt pans; Management of the agricultural fields of Baixo-Vouga; Implementation of measures for the classification of the Protected Landscape Area of the River Caster Mouth. This payer will report the main results of these pilot-projects attained during their first year period, especially the intervention strategies defined by the Partnership created for this aim.

Biomares, a LIFE project to restore and manage the biodiversity of Prof. Luiz Saldanha Marine Park

The Marine Park Prof. Luiz Saldanha, in the coast of Arrabida, is the first marine park in continental Portugal. This area is a Nature 2000 site and is considered to be a hotspot for European marine biodiversity. In 2005, the management plan of the park was implemented, ending several habitat menaces, thereby allowing an application to the LIFE-NATURE Programme. The LIFE-BIOMARES project aimed at the restoration and management of the biodiversity of the marine park through several actions. The restoration of the seagrass prairies that were completely destroyed by fishing activities and recreational boating, was one of the most challenging. It included the transplanting of seagrasses from donor populations and the germination of seagrass seeds for posterior plantation to maintain genetic diversity in the transplanted area. One of the most popular actions was the implementation of environmental friendly moorings to integrate recreational use of the area with environmental protection. Several dissemination and environmental education actions concerning the marine park and the project took place and contributed to the public increase of the park acceptance. The seabed habitats were mapped along the park and a surrounding area to 100 m depth in order to create a habitat cartography of the park and to help locate alternative fishing zones. Biodiversity assessments for macrofauna revealed seasonal variations and an effect of the protection status. Preliminary results are presented and show that the marine park regulations are having a positive effect on biodiversity conservation and sustainable fisheries, thereby showing that these kind of conservation projects are important to disseminate coastal conservation best practices. The Biomares project is a model project that can be followed in the implementation of marine reserves and the establishment of the Natura 2000 marine network.

Re-life of buildings - decision support tools for maximising project efficiency

This paper describes the process adopted in developing an integrated decision support framework for planning of office building refurbishment projects, with specific emphasize on optimising rentable floor space, structural strengthening, residual life and sustainability. Expert opinion on the issues to be considered in a tool is being captured through the DELPHI process, which is currently ongoing. The methodology for development of the integrated tool will be validated through decisions taken during a case study project: refurbishment of CH1 building of Melbourne City Council, which will be followed through to completion by the research team. Current status of the CH1 planning will be presented in the context of the research project.