scholarly journals Did you wash your caving suit? Cavers’ role in the potential spread of Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the causative agent of White-Nose Disease

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 149-159
Author(s):  
Violeta Zhelyazkova ◽  
◽  
Antonia Hubancheva ◽  
Georgi Radoslavov ◽  
Nia Toshkova ◽  
...  

White-Nose Disease (WND) has killed millions of hibernating bats in the US and Canada. Its causative agent, the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans was introduced to North America, but is native to Europe and Asia, where it is not associated with mass mortality. Although it is nearly impossible to eradicate an emerging wildlife disease, research on P. destructans spread mechanisms can aid in prevention of new introductions and development of better environmental management strategies. It is of particular importance to quantify the potential role of people visiting caves (cavers, tourists, bat researchers, etc.) whom inadvertently move P. destructans spores between sites, and to limit spread, particularly to areas where the fungus is absent. In the course of two consecutive field seasons, samples were collected from the equipment before and after work in Bulgarian caves where P. destructans is present. Viable P. destructans spores were isolated from field equipment after nearly 100% of cave visits, irrespective of the season. Results from lab experiments show the pathogen’s spores can remain viable on pieces of contaminated caving equipment under room temperature for at least 25 days, with no significant reduction in germination rates. This is concerning evidence indicating the potential for movement of viable P. destructans spores across countries and continents. Results further demonstrated that any type of regular washing can successfully remove the majority of P. destructans spores from several fabric types. Brushing complemented by washing in a ‘washing machine’ was slightly more effective than brushing alone, while a washing temperature of 50°C was more effective than temperatures of 30 and 40°C. However, none of the methods herein tested fully removed P. destructans and hence they are not a substitute for decontamination. Since many cavers forgo washing equipment after surveys, and bat workers often visit several underground sites per day during monitoring activities without cleaning equipment in between sites, it is essential to raise awareness on this subject and introduce hygienic protocols for the prevention of pathogen pollution in underground sites.

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 405-410
Author(s):  
Nicola Vakirlov ◽  
Maria Becheva ◽  
Nina Belcheva

The term "classroom management." Appears in Jossos Kounin's book, "Discipline and Group Management in Classroom." Jaasbs Kunin is an educational theoretician who focuses on the ability of the teacher to influence student behavior and instruction / management instructions. So he tries to integrate learning with classroom management. Prior to this, the US focused on the role of the teacher as a translator of knowledge and skills. Different studies have developed classroom management theories, which are based on the teacher's ability to organize and plan their activity and students, using the activity and high levels of student participation in learning. Classroom management is a collection of skills and techniques that teachers use to keep students organized, systematically methodical and tidy, focused, attentive, and academically productive during class. When classroom management strategies are implemented effectively, teachers can minimize disruptive behavior that impedes learning and other activities while increasing their effectiveness. Generally speaking, effective teachers tend to show strong skills in classroom management, while the hallmark of inexperienced or less effective teachers is the chaotic classroom.


Genealogy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 48
Author(s):  
Spyridon Tegos

In his critique of religion, Hume envisages forms of religious ritual disconnected from the superstitious “neurotic” mindset; he considers simple rituals fostering moderation. In this paper, I claim that one can profitably interpret Hume’s obsession with secular rituals, such as French highly ceremonial manners, in the sense of anxiety-soothing institutions that bind citizenry without the appeal to a civil religion, properly speaking. Let us call this path the Old Regime’s civil ritualism”. Overall, Tocqueville conceives rituals in a Humean spirit, as existential anxiety-soothing institutions. Moving beyond the Humean line of thought, he focuses on the ambiguous role of religious rituals in the context of democratic faith and the Christian civil religion that he deems appropriate for the US. Yet, he also detects novel forms of superstition firmly embedded in secular, democratic faith.


2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (7) ◽  
pp. 25-26

Purpose The authors said there had been no previous research into the relationship between ostracism and workplace disclosure of sexual harassment. But reports of sexual harassment are common. In the US, more than 12,000 employees file sexual harassment claims with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission annually. Design/methodology/approach The author reviewed the history of ostracism, then looked at how the #MeToo movement is helping to undermine the stigmas around disclosing sexual harassment Findings The authors suggest that targets of ostracism benefit from the support of online communities of the #MeToo movement. They provide an alternative inclusive environment for people who are deprived of the sense of belongingness at work. Originality/value The researchers called on leaders and HR professionals to examine the role of ostracism in their organizational cultures and take steps to mitigate its power. The authors also want their paper to serve as a call for experimental research on the link between sexual harassment and ostracism.


2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (6) ◽  
pp. 1209-1225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paola Belingheri ◽  
Maria Isabella Leone

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the trends and features of one of the most visible intellectual property (IP) management practices, IP licensing, in the context of start-ups, accessing external technology at the outset of their lifetime. In particular, it compares start-ups and incumbent firms, in terms of licensing strategy pursued, role of in-licensed technologies relative to the internal innovation process and successively implemented IP management strategies. Design/methodology/approach A mixed-method study is presented using quantitative data on licensing deals from the US Securities and Exchange Commission and cases on start-up companies involved in inbound technology licensing. Findings Evidence indicates start-ups have different IP licensing strategies than incumbents, and their successive IP management strategies are more flexible than for incumbents. Originality/value The authors shed light on IP licensing, which is gaining momentum in open innovation (OI) settings, in an understudied segment of SMEs, namely, start-ups. The authors display interesting evidence of the portion of start-ups that license-in from external companies, indicating that this practice is more widespread than literature would suggest; the authors demonstrate that licensing-in is a valuable strategy for start-up companies, possibly providing additional channels for acquiring know-how on the market. The authors therefore contribute to, and advance, entrepreneurship, IP and OI literature.


Crisis ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 160-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Almir Fajkic ◽  
Orhan Lepara ◽  
Martin Voracek ◽  
Nestor D. Kapusta ◽  
Thomas Niederkrotenthaler ◽  
...  

Background: Evidence on youth suicides from Southeastern Europe is scarce. We are not aware of previous reports from Bosnia and Herzegovina, which experienced war from 1992 to 1995. Durkheim’s theory of suicide predicts decreased suicide rates in wartime and increased rates afterward. Aims: To compare child and adolescent suicides in Bosnia and Herzegovina before and after the war. Methods: Data on youth suicide for prewar (1986–90) and postwar (2002–06) periods were analyzed with respect to prevalence, sex and age differences, and suicide methods. Suicide data from 1991 through 2001 were not available. Results: Overall youth suicide rates were one-third lower in the postwar than in the prewar period. This effect was most pronounced for girls, whose postwar suicide rates almost halved, and for 15–19-year-old boys, whose rates decreased by about a one-fourth. Suicides increased among boys aged 14 or younger. Firearm suicides almost doubled proportionally and were the predominant postwar method, while the most common prewar method had been hanging. Conclusions: The findings from this study indicate the need for public education in Bosnia and Herzegovina on the role of firearm accessibility in youth suicide and for instructions on safe storage in households. Moreover, raising societal awareness about suicide risk factors and suicide prevention is needed.


2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-72
Author(s):  
Herlin Hamimi ◽  
Abdul Ghafar Ismail ◽  
Muhammad Hasbi Zaenal

Zakat is one of the five pillars of Islam which has a function of faith, social and economic functions. Muslims who can pay zakat are required to give at least 2.5 per cent of their wealth. The problem of poverty prevalent in disadvantaged regions because of the difficulty of access to information and communication led to a gap that is so high in wealth and resources. The instrument of zakat provides a paradigm in the achievement of equitable wealth distribution and healthy circulation. Zakat potentially offers a better life and improves the quality of human being. There is a human quality improvement not only in economic terms but also in spiritual terms such as improving religiousity. This study aims to examine the role of zakat to alleviate humanitarian issues in disadvantaged regions such as Sijunjung, one of zakat beneficiaries and impoverished areas in Indonesia. The researcher attempted a Cibest method to capture the impact of zakat beneficiaries before and after becoming a member of Zakat Community Development (ZCD) Program in material and spiritual value. The overall analysis shows that zakat has a positive impact on disadvantaged regions development and enhance the quality of life of the community. There is an improvement in the average of mustahik household incomes after becoming a member of ZCD Program. Cibest model demonstrates that material, spiritual, and absolute poverty index decreased by 10, 5, and 6 per cent. Meanwhile, the welfare index is increased by 21 per cent. These findings have significant implications for developing the quality of life in disadvantaged regions in Sijunjung. Therefore, zakat is one of the instruments to change the status of disadvantaged areas to be equivalent to other areas.


2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (Spring 2019) ◽  
pp. 215-231
Author(s):  
Mussarat J. Khan ◽  
Seemab Rasheed

The purpose of present study is to examine the role of learning strategies as moderator between meta-cognitive awareness and study habits among university students. Sample comprises of 200 students (100 male students and 100 female students) of various universities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi with age ranging from 18-25 years. In order to assess study variables questionnaires were used included Meta-Cognitive Awareness Inventory (Schraw & Dennison, 1994) measuring two-components of meta-cognition that are knowledge and regulation of cognition. Study habits demonstrated by the students were measured by the Study Habits Inventory (Wrenn, 1941). Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (Pintrich, Smith, Garcia, & McKeachie, 1991) which includes motivation and learning strategies scales. In the present study, only the learning strategies section was utilized, which measures the cognitive strategies and resource management strategies. Results revealed positive correlation between research instruments and are also having good reliability. Regression analysis reflected that meta-cognitive awareness predicts study habits among university students. Regression analysis also suggested that learning strategies including resource management strategies and cognitive strategies significantly moderates the relationship between meta-cognitive awareness and study habits. It is also explored gender differences on learning strategies, meta-cognitive awareness and study habits. Future implications of the study were also discussed.


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