Restoration Practices Research Articles

Cultivating just campus communities: engaging university students in developing restorative justice alternatives

ABSTRACT This case study considers how engaging university students in developing restorative alternatives to traditional retributive student conduct processes impact their attitudes toward restorative justice both on campus and beyond. As opposed to punitive approaches, Restorative Justice (RJ) attempts to achieve justice by addressing the harm caused by conduct violations through reconcillation between the stakeholders. While some universities have advanced RJ alternatives to address on-campus wrongdoing, little research exists on the impact of including university students in developing such models. As an alternative to a top-down administration-center approach, this case study utilized just community and justice-learning frameworks to develop a short course that engaged university students in developing on-campus RJ alternatives and measure the impact of the course on the students’ attitudes related to RJ through a pre-and post-course assessment based on the Taylor & Bailey’s Restorative Justice Attitudes Scale as well as student comments. This paper outlines the insights gained from the students’ post-course reflections on restorative practices.

Practical applications of soil microbiota to improve ecosystem restoration: current knowledge and future directions.

Soil microbiota are important components of healthy ecosystems. Greater consideration of soil microbiota in the restoration of biodiverse, functional, and resilient ecosystems is required to address the twin global crises of biodiversity decline and climate change. In this review, we discuss available and emerging practical applications of soil microbiota into (i) restoration planning, (ii) direct interventions for shaping soil biodiversity, and (iii) strategies for monitoring and predicting restoration trajectories. We show how better planning of restoration activities to account for soil microbiota can help improve progress towards restoration targets. We show how planning to embed soil microbiota experiments into restoration projects will permit a more rigorous assessment of the effectiveness of different restoration methods, especially when complemented by statistical modelling approaches that capitalise on existing data sets to improve causal understandings and prioritise research strategies where appropriate. In addition to recovering belowground microbiota, restoration strategies that include soil microbiota can improve the resilience of whole ecosystems. Fundamentally, restoration planning should identify appropriate reference target ecosystem attributes and - from the perspective of soil microbiota - comprehensibly consider potential physical, chemical and biological influences on recovery. We identify that inoculating ecologically appropriate soil microbiota into degraded environments can support a range of restoration interventions (e.g. targeted, broad-spectrum and cultured inoculations) with promising results. Such inoculations however are currently underutilised and knowledge gaps persist surrounding successful establishment in light of community dynamics, including priority effects and community coalescence. We show how the ecological trajectories of restoration sites can be assessed by characterising microbial diversity, composition, and functions in the soil. Ultimately, we highlight practical ways to apply the soil microbiota toolbox across the planning, intervention, and monitoring stages of ecosystem restoration and address persistent open questions at each stage. With continued collaborations between researchers and practitioners to address knowledge gaps, these approaches can improve current restoration practices and ecological outcomes.

Defining restorative justice: a perspective from England and Wales’s further education sector

ABSTRACT Despite the lack of clarity in the literature in understanding restorative justice, scholars argue that it is rich and diverse in its meaning and application. However, a gap exists between theory and practice, and since ‘practice without theory is blind, and theory without practice is meaningless’ (Morrison, 2015, p. 449), a definition of restorative justice is essential, especially as the concept has now been adopted in other sectors such as education. This study defines restorative justice practices for institutions in the UK’s further education sector to guide them and their practices. As these institutions regularly deal with behavioural challenges in education, they have adopted restorative justice practices to better manage and deal with such situations and to create a safer environment and help the perpetrator reflect on the impact of their behaviour. In the UK, research on restorative justice in education focuses on primary and secondary schools, but is limited and underdeveloped in the further education sector. Based on data collected over 14 months, this study explores how the staff at these institutions explain restorative justice practices and purposes and finds a consensus based on these explanations.

Principles for equitable and resilient tropical peatland restoration in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia

Indonesia's tropical peatlands are crucial global carbon stores but have been heavily degraded in recent decades. We present seven principles for equitable and resilient tropical peatland restoration in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, host to 19% of Indonesia's tropical peatland area, where local livelihoods, cultural practices, and indigenous social relations remain closely connected. Our collaborative methods employed a Delphi survey and focus group discussions with researchers from various disciplines to develop a shared vision for restoration. This vision served as a boundary object during interviews with diverse stakeholders involved in peatland restoration in Central Kalimantan, allowing for refinement and adaptation of the vision and the development of principles to achieve it. The principles emphasize inclusive and collaborative decision‐making, planning, and implementation; site‐specific approaches adapted to local social and ecological conditions; and ensuring the informed consent of and fair benefit distribution to all local social groups. They also emphasize a holistic, integrated, and long‐term approach to restoration that considers multiple aspects, including hydrological function, vegetation regeneration, fire prevention, locally appropriate livelihood benefits, inclusive governance, and adaptive management practices. These principles serve as a starting point for resilience‐oriented social‐ecological restoration practice and policy formulation, aiming to facilitate equitable, effective, and resilient tropical peatland restoration outcomes.

Correctional nurses’ practices and perceptions of family engagement

BackgroundIn healthcare, family engagement has been recognized as critical to improved nursing care and outcomes. However, the practice of family engagement in corrections is unknown, despite the large amount of nursing care delivered there. PurposeThe study’s aim was to describe correctional nurses’ perceptions of family engagement and the extent to which it is practiced. MethodA qualitative descriptive study design was used, composed of semistructured interviews. Thematic analysis was conducted, including line-by-line coding. DiscussionThe main themes of the study were: (a) Family engagement is rare, and (b) Systems friction which describe the lack of family engagement in correctional nursing practice, and the need to balance advocating for patients while maintaining a collegial relationship with correction staff. ConclusionDespite the lack of family engagement in correctional nurses’ practice, most participants felt that family engagement would be beneficial for incarcerated patients but would require changes to institutional policies.

Oyster Restoration to Recover Ecosystem Services.

Oyster reef loss represents one of the most dramatic declines of a foundation species worldwide. Oysters provide valuable ecosystem services (ES), including habitat provisioning, water filtration, and shoreline protection. Since the 1990s, a global community of science and practice has organized around oyster restoration with the goal of restoring these valuable services. We highlight ES-based approaches throughout the restoration process, consider applications of emerging technologies, and review knowledge gaps about the life histories and ES provisioning of underrepresented species. Climate change will increasingly affect oyster populations, and we assess how restoration practices can adapt to these changes. Considering ES throughout the restoration process supports adaptive management. For a rapidly growing restoration practice, we highlight the importance of early community engagement, long-term monitoring, and adapting actions to local conditions to achieve desired outcomes.

ФУНКЦИОНАЛЬНЫЕ И ТЕХНИЧЕСКИЕ ОСОБЕННОСТИ КОМПЬЮТЕРИЗИРОВАННОГО КОМПЛЕКСА ДЛЯ ДЕТСКОЙ МУЗЫКАЛЬНО-ЦВЕТОВОЙ ТЕРАПИИ «ЕРЕМА»

The article presents an innovative technology for the correction of neuroses, developmental disorders and stress conditions in children using a computerized complex for Music-Color Therapy actualized through a special Interactive Healing Doll «Jeremy» with remote control. At the same time, a comparative analysis of the existing experience of the using musical toys in children's correctional practice with the technical features and advantages was carried out.

Assessment of knowledge and practices regarding taeniasis and cysticercosis in Pak Chong, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand: A cross-sectional study.

Taeniasis and cysticercosis are parasitic infections caused by Taenia spp., mainly transmitted through the consumption of undercooked pork. Prevention requires increasing knowledge and awareness, improving meat inspection and hygiene, and promoting safe food handling and sanitation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge and practice (KP) of residents in Pak Chong District, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, regarding taeniasis and cysticercosis. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Pak Chong District, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, and its 11 subdistrict municipalities. Study participants were selected using a stratified random sampling design. A validated questionnaire (Cronbach's alpha = 0.70) was used to collect socio-demographic information and assess knowledge and practices related to taeniasis and cysticercosis. Descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression were used for the analysis. Of the 360 survey respondents, 65.0% (n = 234) were women, 82.2% (n = 296) were aged under 60 years, 99.2% (n = 357) identified as Buddhist, 87.5% (n = 315) had less than a bachelor's degree education level, 54.2% (n = 195) had monthly family income ≥10,000 Thai baht, 10.6% (n = 38) were unemployed, and 26.1% (n = 93) lived in a town municipality. The survey revealed that 98.3% (n = 354) of participants were categorized as having less accurate knowledge and 83.6% (n = 301) were classified as more frequently engaging in correct prevention practices. Our study revealed that pig farmers (1.7%) occasionally permitted the pigs to forage freely. The results of multiple linear regression analysis revealed that knowledge scores were positively associated with household income ≥10,000 Thai baht (βadj = 1.50, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.65 to 2.36). Practice scores were negatively associated with age over 60 years (βadj = -1.77, 95% CI -3.14 to -0.40) and living in a subdistrict municipality (βadj = -2.58, 95% CI -3.77 to -1.39). There was no association between KP regarding taeniasis and cysticercosis in the population of Pak Chong. Overall, participants' knowledge was lacking. Public education interventions are recommended to improve knowledge among residents with low socioeconomic status. These findings can inform the development of targeted interventions and educational programs in Pak Chong District, especially among elderly people in subdistrict municipalities, to improve practices for the prevention and control of these parasitic infections.

Indirect and direct drivers of floristic condition in a threatened temperate woodland

Almost half of Earth's surface is threatened by agriculture, which has extensively degraded ecosystems and resulted in significant biodiversity loss. Remnant ecosystems in fragmented agricultural landscapes are threatened by past and present grazing and land-clearing. Declines in native diversity are common in these ecosystems, and their restoration is a key conservation goal globally. Understanding the drivers of change in floristic condition, reflecting continuity in floristic composition towards native plant communities, is fundamental to inform effective restoration practice. Previous investigations have demonstrated abiotic and biotic drivers of floristic condition independently. However, few consider the combined influence of these drivers on floristic condition, or the interactions between them, which may mediate indirect effects (e.g. plant-soil interactions). Despite this, ecological interactions may underpin changes in floristic condition, and provide critical insights needed to inform restoration. Here, we use structural equation modelling to disentangle the relationships between plants, soils and grass and litter biomass (leaf litter and fine woody debris) to elucidate the direct and indirect drivers of floristic condition in some of the most degraded landscapes globally: the critically endangered box-gum grassy woodlands in south-eastern Australia. We identify divergent plant-soil interactions between native versus exotic plants to key soil properties including soil nitrate and phosphorus. Specifically, native plants were negatively associated with increasing soil fertility, which favored exotic species. We also found evidence of indirect effects on floristic condition, mediated through interactions between litter biomass, soils and the basal area of overstorey trees. Our findings highlight the major role of soils in shaping floristic condition through direct and indirect pathways, and the role of multivariate interactions in mediating these pathways in a highly degraded, critically endangered ecosystem. Effective restoration must therefore consider the multivariate direct and indirect drivers of ecological condition to maximise positive outcomes in these landscapes and those similar.

Restorative justice in Brazil: does it provide a place for community involvement and a path to penal abolition?

Abstract This article addresses the major criticisms of Brazilian restorative practices, which mainly focus on the offender and are shaped by the idea of punitivism. In this scenario, it is crucial to understand the centrality of Judicial Power in the implementation of restorative justice. That this approach risks refreshing old practices of criminal justice, under the cover of innovative discourses, is widely ignored. Such consequences have become reality, with recent research highlighting the absence of the victim, the individualization of the conflict and the lack of debate on the context of structural injustices prior to the conflict. We argue that the exclusion of the community and limited involvement by civil society might be the biggest obstacles for the inclusion of restorative justice in the development of a Brazilian transformative justice towards an abolitionist future.

Communities in ecosystem restoration: The role of inclusive values and local elites' narrative innovations

Abstract Ecosystem restoration practices are gaining prominence in coping with the crisis of ecosystem degradation. To improve the long‐term effectiveness of restoration activities, community engagement in restoration projects needs to be strengthened. In communities where traditional and local values drive adaptation to environmental changes, a community‐engaged restoration approach requires the integration of restoration techniques and local value systems. In two pastoral communities on the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau, we used the Q method to explore pastoralists' attitudes towards grassland degradation and restoration and to understand different levels of community engagement in grassland restoration activities. Through this study, we aim to promote an understanding of the value‐based approach of local communities to enable better community engagement for the long‐term effectiveness of ecosystem restoration projects and contribute to the achievement and synergy of global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The study revealed eight types of pastoralists with different attitudes in two communities, with the type of Active Agents leverages transformative restoration action through creating value‐inclusive narratives of grassland restoration in the community with a higher level of engagement in restoration practices. Alongside this, we explored the pastoralists' perspectives of biodiversity in restoration and the importance of local elites in facilitating multiple‐actor cooperation in restoration projects. We recommend that decision‐makers recognize the significance of local worldviews and values in facilitating environmental adaptations, as well as the irreplaceable role played by local people in developing value‐inclusive narratives that align with the local cultural context. Open dialogues and sufficient communication between multiple stakeholders are needed to build mutual trust and accumulate social capital for driving transformative actions in traditional communities. Such approaches are essential to foster community engagement and gain better momentum in ecosystem management initiatives. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

The added value of the long-term ecological research network to upscale restoration in Europe

Achieving global restoration targets poses challenges including the need for long-term research and effective monitoring of success, fostering collaborations across diverse fields and actors, ensuring the availability of suitable reference ecosystems, and securing sustained funding. Yet, these conditions are often lacking, limiting the effectiveness of restoration. We provide an overview of ecological restoration practices in the pan-European region of the Long-term Ecological Research Network (eLTER) and demonstrate the importance of eLTER and its potential contributions to support the implementation of the EU Nature Restoration Law. We developed an online questionnaire to collect information on eLTER restoration experts and restoration projects details including the use of eLTER contributions (e.g. infrastructure, data and knowledge), between November 2021 and March 2022. We identified 62 restoration experts and 42 restoration projects from 18 countries. Our results show that eLTER restoration expertise covers most of the European habitats, diverse degradation states and restoration techniques. Most restoration projects (78%) involved long-term monitoring exceeding the average project lifespan, which has proven necessary to achieve restoration success. No common protocol was used for monitoring and evaluation or cost-benefit estimates, but respondents reported effective projects, mostly financed from national funds, and benefits in five ecosystem services on average covered per project. Key eLTER contributions included providing reference ecosystems, biotic and abiotic background data, and interdisciplinary discussion or stakeholder management. Ecological restoration is time intensive and requires long-term research and monitoring standardization to fully understand the restoration process and to ensure comparability across ecosystems. The eLTER network can help address these challenges providing added-value contributions through its infrastructure, long-term datasets, diversity of expertise and strategies that can help identify best restoration practices and support the EU Nature Restoration Law. Finally, additional and long-term funding from the EU and the private sector is needed to achieve global larger-scale restoration targets.

Do foreign institutional investors vote with their feet when firms engage in distinctive characteristics of real earnings management

ABSTRACT Regulatory restrictions prohibit certain types of foreign institutional investors (FIIs) from appointing board members of listed firms in which they invest in Taiwan, which creates unfavorable monitoring conditions and may reduce the willingness of FIIs to extend their efforts to engage in more corrective corporate governance practices. Abnormal business activities can indicate either opportunistic earnings manipulation without an economic basis or a non-opportunistic size-adjustment of anticipated future opportunities which, in turn, result in different forms of economic consequences. The distinctive characteristics of abnormal business activities provide an appropriate setting for us to examine whether FIIs involved in governance practices of their invested firms engage in such earnings reporting behavior, i.e. decreasing (increasing) their ownership stake when firms engage in opportunistic (non-opportunistic) real earnings management (RM). Empirical result shows that FII ownership decreases (increases) when firms engage in opportunistic (non-opportunistic) RM in Taiwanese listed firms. Further analyses document that this association is stronger after the deregulation of FIIs in 2003, in firms with low auditor expertise, FII ownership below 10%, or high FII shareholding volatility. This finding indicates that FIIs are likely to opt for a ‘vote with their feet’ strategy in their portfolio firm’s earnings reporting and correctly price the impact of managerial decisions.

A mathematical model for wound healing in the reef-building coral Pocillopora damicornis

Coral reefs, among the most diverse ecosystems on Earth, currently face major threats from pollution, unsustainable fishing practices , and perturbations in environmental parameters brought on by climate change. Corals also sustain regular wounding from other sea life and human activity. Recent reef restoration practices have even involved intentional wounding by systematically breaking coral fragments and relocating them to revitalize damaged reefs, a practice known as microfragmentation. Despite its importance, very little research has explored the inner mechanisms of wound healing in corals. Some reef-building corals have been observed to initiate an immunological response to wounding similar to that observed in mammalian species. Utilizing prior models of wound healing in mammalian species as the mathematical basis, we formulated a mechanistic model of wound healing, including observations of the immune response and tissue repair in scleractinian corals for the species Pocillopora damicornis. The model consists of four differential equations which track changes in remaining wound debris, number of cells involved in inflammation, number of cells involved in proliferation, and amount of wound closure through re-epithelialization. The model is fit to experimental wound size data from linear and circular shaped wounds on a live coral fragment. Mathematical methods, including numerical simulations and local sensitivity analysis, were used to analyze the resulting model. The parameter space was also explored to investigate drivers of other possible wound outcomes. This model serves as a first step in generating mathematical models for wound healing in corals that will not only aid in the understanding of wound healing as a whole, but also help optimize reef restoration practices and predict recovery behavior after major wounding events.

Through a social workers lens: examining school administrators discipline perspectives and practices

ABSTRACT Zero-tolerance school suspensions are uncompromising discipline practices that obstruct and deny students access to school-provided meals, school-based support, and academic instruction. More alarmingly, this authoritarian disciplinary practice is prevalent in 75% of schools across the United States. Despite its popularity, a well-established body of literature underscores the detriments of zero-tolerance school discipline, particularly for Black males. Yet, few studies have explored urban K-12 school administrators’ viewpoints and impressions of zero-tolerance school suspensions. Thus, this exploratory qualitative study utilized individual semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis to examine urban K-12 public school administrators’ perceptions, use, and outcomes of zero-tolerance school suspensions. Findings revealed three key themes in administrators’ discipline decision-making: individualized approaches, distrust in zero-tolerance and bureaucratic barriers, and self-reflection. These findings demonstrate how urban K-12 school administrators applied empathetic perspectives, personalized disciplinary approaches, and reluctance to use zero-tolerance suspensions. Additional findings revealed the use of self-reflection as a tool to circumvent zero-tolerance practices, highlighting awareness of racial disparities as a contributing factor. Examining individualized student discipline as a restorative practice, areas for future research, study limitations, and implications for policy and practice are incorporated.

Employing Restorative Wellness to Build Student Agency and Personal Voice/Choice

I use the term restorative wellness practices as a concept associated with life application strategies and procedures that increase or return wellness to individuals or groups, some of whom have lost or never experienced this due to a lack of opportunities and resources. At the college, where I teach dance, fitness, and health courses, it has become my passion and commitment to develop the best wellness practices to create a connective culture for students, faculty, and staff by holding a successful nurturing space to strive academically and personally. This is achieved through community-based holistic activities that emphasize interpersonal skills, physical embodiment, nutrition, and cultural competence. In the heutagogical approach, one requires safe spaces to explore, question, and practice various concepts, and perspectives that involve a diverse group of peers and educators. My aim is to share this approach with dance educators and others who might find this practice useful in their teaching.

Ergonomic Design as a Determinant for the Prevalence of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders among Office-Based Civil Servants in Ondo State, Nigeria

Several reformations in the Civil Service have transformed the day-to-day activities in the sector from paper to the use of computer sets. However, the use of computer is characterized with high sedentary lifestyles and repetitive tasks among office-based workers, but there are limited studies conducted to evaluate the effect of this new working condition among civil servants. This study was conducted to investigate ergonomic design as a determinant of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders among Office-based Civil Servants in Ondo State, Nigeria. Ethical approval was obtained for this study. The study was a cross-sectional design using multistage sampling techniques to recruit 308 respondents. Structured and adapted questionnaires were used to assess ergonomic designs in offices and prevalence of pain. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20, descriptive statistics was used for sociodemographic of respondents and Spearman rho’s correlation coefficient was used to compare relationship between variables. Results were presented in tables and charts. Majority of the respondents were female, married and between the ages 30-34. The mean age of the respondents was 36.21±8.75 years. 35 of the respondents were confounders and were exempted from completing the study on pain. There was 92.7%, 59.1% and 19.4% of 12 months, one week and point pain prevalence respectively among the 273 respondents that participated fully in the study. Most respondents have poor knowledge of ergonomics (61.9%) but 96.7% have good ergonomic practices (96.7%). There was no significant relationship between ergonomic design and prevalence of WRMSD (r=0.090, p=0.136), but there was a significant relationship between ergonomic practice and ergonomic awareness (r=0.247, p=0.001). Also, there was significant relationship between office ergonomic practice and prevalence of WRMSD (r=-0.142, p=0.019). Ergonomic design is not a determinant for the prevalence of WRMSD. However, the knowledge and correct practice of ergonomic among office-based civil servants can help to reduce the prevalence of WRMSD. Therefore, it is recommended that government should ensure the implementation of correct ergonomic practices in Civil Service. Also, government should provide regular trainings such as seminars and conferences on ergonomics for their workers.

Embracing uncertainty: A narrative case study on teacher-learner relationships through restorative justice practices in education

Embracing uncertainty: A narrative case study on teacher-learner relationships through restorative justice practices in education

Improving Data Quality from a Hematology Unit Hand Hygiene Observation Program

Background: For United States healthcare programs to be fully compliant with Joint Commission National Patient Safety Goal (NPSG) #7, organizations must implement and maintain a hand hygiene (HH) program that follows either the current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or the current World Health Organization (WHO) HH guidelines. Joint Commission standard IC.03.01.01 requires these organizations to provide metrics that evaluate the effectiveness of their program and program goals. Our center utilizes the direct observation method with the use of over 550 Hand Hygiene Observers (HHO) to collect our HH compliance. HHO are trained with a computer-based course that requires passing a post-education test. During fiscal year 2023 (FY23), Infection Control surveillance noted an increase in hospital-acquired infections (HAI) Clostridioides difficile infections (CDI), catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI), and multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO) on our hematologic malignancy units (HM), which initiated an Infection Control (IC) investigation into possible causes. Increased rounding by our Infection Preventionist (IP) observed that HH compliance was much lower than unit HHO reported rates. Inquiries into this data discrepancy revealed barriers to accurate reporting, including HHO having low confidence in identifying and reporting non-compliant behavior. To that end, we conducted mandatory re-training of all HM HHO with the primary goal of improving the quality of our HH compliance data and addressing barriers with non-compliance reporting. Our secondary goal was to identify areas of improvement in institutional HH rates. Methods: In August 2023, 252 HM staff and HHO received detailed, in-person retraining by the HM IP. Training included reviewing the discrepancy in HHO and IP observations, potential causes of discrepancy, most commonly missed HH opportunities, examples of correct and incorrect HH practices, and addressing staff questions. Results: Following mandatory re-training of HM HHO, HH compliance for our HM units from September 2023 – December 2023 ranged from 89% to 98%, with increased reporting of non-compliance (Figure 1). A detailed dashboard was created that focused on HM HH compliance, containing the HHO observations and non-compliant reports. Conclusion: A one-time in-person retraining of HM HHO by our IP has led to an improvement in data quality, which is imperative for future quality improvement initiatives. Improving our HH data quality allowed IC to identify and provide actionable feedback to HM leaders, create targeted interventions to improve HAI rates, and improve patient safety. Future goals include retaining of all HHO and a HH campaign to ensure patient safety across our institution.

Skin Tears Preventable With a Gentle Approach: A Case Series.

Skin tears are a major problem for patients and the health care professionals who treat them. Although opinions on their prevalence differ, it is estimated that they are encountered more frequently than pressure sores but are overlooked. Recommendations based on strong evidence were presented for the prevention and treatment of skin tears as classified by the International Skin Tear Advisory Panel. This case series includes the clinical status of 3 patients who developed skin tears while receiving care in the hospital, and the corrective and preventive practices related to skin tears. This article will contribute to raising the awareness of health care professionals in predicting, preventing, evaluating, and treating skin tears.