Environmental delicts and post-communist private law in Bulgaria: time for reforms in view of UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and the European Green Deal?

Can private law contribute to seeking solutions to environmental problems and aligning Bulgaria better with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, which have informed the European Green Deal? This chapter highlights the importance of the procedural right of access to justice in environmental matters as it emerges from international and EU law to better delineate the po-tential role which tort law can play in supporting environmental protection. Then, it surveys the untidy notion of environmental delict in Bulgarian law. Fi-nally, it suggests what reforms are necessary to help Bulgarian tort law become a useful tool in promoting environmental protection

Enthusiasm vs. reality: a job analysis of Chinese sport scientists

The aim of this study was to survey Chinese sport scientists to develop an understanding of their demographics, job characteristics, future career intentions, and opinions. This study adapted online survey and used convenience sampling to investigate the role of sport scientists across China. Ninety-seven practitioners across 18 provinces/municipalities participated in this study. Participants were typically married (70%), male (71%), aged between 30-39 (52%), and held a master’s degree (66%). Most participants were employed full-time (90%) by sport science institutes (66%), with a wide salary range, long working hours (≈48 hr per week) and irregular working time (40%). Most participants remained at the same institute (85%) throughout their career. The most frequent reason why sport scientists remained in their current position was “job enjoyment” (4.04/5). The most frequently reported issue encountered by participants was “opinion differences with sport coaches” (21%). The ability to “gain trust” and “communication” were deemed important in the role of a sport scientist. Approximately half (44%) of the participants were satisfied with their current position and employer, while others wanted promotion (34%) or to leave their role (11%). The results revealed that (1) China’s sport scientists are engaged in their current job mainly due to their enthusiasm, (2) their jobs are stable but highly demanding and relatively low paid. Poor working conditions and low retention are evident across Chinese sport scientist roles. Governing bodies should make efforts to improve the work conditions to improve the sustainability of sport scientist roles in the Chinese sport industry

Practices and perceptions of strength and conditioning in female golf: a survey study of touring professional players

The aim of the study was to provide an understanding of current practices and perceptions of strength and conditioning (S&C) training in female touring professionals. A cross-sectional, explorative survey was undertaken and contained 30 questions separated into four sections: i) general participant information, ii) S&C practices, iii) Likert scale questions on S&C for golf performance, and iv) knowledge and awareness of S&C. A total of 102 players completed the survey with a combination of multiple-choice questions (MCQs), open-ended questions, and Likert Scale style questions utilised throughout. Results showed that ≥ 94% of players believed that strength and power in both the lower and upper body, in addition to flexibility, were the most important physical characteristics to complement golf shot metrics (e.g., clubhead speed [CHS], ball speed, carry distance, etc.). However, 26% of players conducted S&C training only in the off-season, with 21% suggesting that they had a fear of injury from S&C training. When considering the barriers to undertaking S&C training, the most common reasons included time constraints (20%) and players wanting to prioritise golf practice (15%). Finally, 58% of players believed that training in the weight room should replicate the golf swing. Although it is positive to see that the main physical characteristics for golf are well-understood by professional players, it is also evident that further education and knowledge translation is required relating to the application of S&C training for performance enhancement and injury risk mitigation purposes

Coming out in the workplace: a comparative study between Italy and England

Introduction: The study aims to analyze the main characteristics and differences relating to the lived experiences of coming out in the workplace in two very different territorial contexts (Italy and England), looking at universities as a case study. Method: 30 sexual and gender minority university teachers (15 from Italy and 15 from England), ranging from 29 to 56 years of age (M = 41.66; SD = 10.13), were recruited in 2019 to participate in a qualitative research study. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed in line with the assumptions of the six-step thematic analysis approach. Result: The propensity to come out in the workplace is mainly affected by legislative safeguards. However, policies and the regulatory framework alone are not enough. Results suggested that the cultural context and the working climate have an equally significant impact. Conclusion: The stigma toward LGBT + people cannot be eradicated overnight and changing cultural beliefs is a slow process that requires imaginative and creative methods to get students and the university community to interact with LGBT + people. Practical implications: Stimulating a bottom-up change within individual institutions can represent a possible strategy to activate a process of change and social inclusion toward the LGBT + community with an echo on the wider environmental and cultural context

Discrimination and daycare choice: evidence from a randomized survey

We use a randomized survey to study the relation between parenting styles and attitudes towards ethnic minorities in a daycare setting. Parents choose between two daycare centers: a free-play facility that reflects a “relaxed” parenting approach and a structured facility that reflects a “strict” parenting approach. We find biases against ethnic minorities among parents who prefer the structured daycare but not among parents who prefer the free-play one. Using data from the European Value Survey, we further document an association between discriminatory attitudes towards peer ethnicity and parenting style

Eat the fruit earlier: Sakis (Pithecia chrysocephala) show enhanced temporal fruit resource access compared with squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus) in an urban forest fragment in Brazil

Fruit availability experienced by different primate species is likely to vary due to species‐specific fruit use, even within the same habitat and timeframe. Pitheciines, primates of the subfamily Pitheciinae, particularly favor the seeds of unripe fruits. Researchers consider this dietary characteristic an adaptation to increase access to fruit resources. However, the relative advantages of pitheciines over sympatric non‐pitheciine non‐seed‐eating primates regarding species‐specific fruit availability is not well studied. In a 26‐ha forest within the city of Manaus, Amazonian Brazil, we assessed the wild‐food feeding behavior of free‐ranging groups of golden‐faced sakis (Pithecia chrysocephala) and sympatric common squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus). We hypothesized that sakis would have greater and more consistent access to wild fruit due to (1) a wider variety of fruit species in their diet, and (2) longer consumption periods per fruit species. We recorded the plant species, part (pulp or seed), and developmental stage (ripe or unripe) of wild fruit consumed by both species. We also conducted monthly fruit censuses of 1000 trees and vines to estimate overall wild fruit abundance. As an indicator of fruit availability, we calculated the proportion of available fruiting trees and vines for each primate species separately based on their observed diet. Throughout the year, the proportion of available trees and vines was significantly higher and more temporally stable for sakis than for squirrel monkeys. This was because sakis used shared fruit species longer than squirrel monkeys by consuming both ripe and unripe fruit. Although sakis had a broader fruit repertoire than squirrel monkeys, it did not contribute to the higher fruit availability. Thus, the fruit feeding system of sakis identifies aspects of a niche that is less restricted in the timing of fruit consumption, which led to a relative advantage in fruit availability

The role of character-based personal mitigation in sentencing judgments

Personal mitigating factors (PMFs) such as good character, remorse and addressing addiction help sentencers evaluate an offender’s past, present and future behavior. We analyzed data from the 2011- 2014 Crown Court Sentencing Surveys in England and Wales to examine the relationship between these PMFs and custodial sentences passed on assault and burglary offences, controlling for other sentencing relevant factors. Beyond revealing the distribution and co-occurrence of the three PMFs, it was found that good character, remorse and addressing addiction all had a significant mitigating effect. The effects of addressing addiction were the strongest of the three across both offence types, while good character had a stronger effect on burglary than assault. In addition, some mitigating factors appear to be underweighted when they occur together. We consider the implications of these findings for sentencing policy and practice

Variations in strength-speed-power performance across the season: do true changes occur in elite rugby players?

This study aimed to determine, through the use of a highly sensitive statistical tool, whether real changes in performance were present; and compare the rates of meaningful variations in strength, speed, and power parameters at different time-points during the competitive season in national team rugby players. Thirty-two players were assessed 5 times across the season using the following tests: squat jump and countermovement jump tests; 30-m sprint velocity; and one-repetition maximum (1RM) in the half-squat and bench-press exercises. A repeated-measures analysis of variance was conducted to test for differences between successive time-points. Individual coefficients of variation values were used to set target scores for post-measurements and examine whether changes in performance parameters were greater than the natural test variance, thus providing an indication of whether “true changes” occurred. No significant changes were detected in the vertical jump height, 1RM measures, and sprint velocity and momentum throughout the 11-month period (P > 0.05). True changes occurred much more frequently for strength-power measures than for sprint velocity and momentum. Elite rugby union players did not exhibit significant variations in neuromuscular performance across the competitive period, when a group-based analysis was conducted. However, at the individual level, “true changes” in strength-power- (but not in speed-) related qualities were consistently observed over the competitive season

Combatting conspiracies in the classroom: Teacher strategies and perceived outcomes

This article draws on data from a specially commissioned representative survey, which elicited responses from 7691 teachers in primary and secondary schools in England, to examine how teachers perceive young people's engagement with a variety of different conspiracy theories in school settings and how they respond to them. Approximately 40% of teachers report encountering students who supported conspiracy theories. In response, teachers use a wide range of contradictory strategies, including opening up discussion, closing it down, challenging students in class and reporting individuals as safeguarding concerns. The research evidence suggests that several of these strategies are likely to be ineffective or even backfire to reinforce conspiracy thinking. Unsurprisingly then, few teachers report successful responses. The article concludes that the evidence of possible negative impacts of unprepared teachers confronting conspiracy theories at school means that teachers need to be better equipped through training, support and further research

Evidence based practice and social work: Developing critically engaged research minded practitioners through enhancing research methods teaching

Evidence based practice (EBP) has become increasingly prominent in social work practice in Global North countries in recent decades. In the UK, as in other countries, this move has created an opportunity for ever more profiteering in the provision of social work interventions, evaluation and measurement of performance, although still largely funded by public money. Lacking an agreed definition, EBP manifests in different ways in individual countries, often depending on what current governments deem to be most efficient, cost effective and publicly acceptable. ‘What works’ in social work practice becomes less about the needs of those who enter services and more about creating the narrative conducive to neoliberal practice (and profiteering) in public services. Primarily teaching research methods our module has evolved to meet what we view as the changing needs of future social work practitioners, from understanding the basics of research design and data analysis to more sophisticated skills of critiquing ‘evidence’ as presented by private organisations and the ability to question standardised outcomes focused intervention. This chapter outlines findings from two strands of internal research at our institution with social work students, including annual surveys on attitudes to research and qualitative exploration of how evidence is presented and acted on in placement. We reflect on the growing need to ensure our students are capable of understanding and resisting, and ultimately offering alternatives to, metricised social work practice when working with complex, vulnerable families and individuals and how we are addressing these needs in the classroom