What disability? I am a leader! Understanding leadership in HE from a disability perspective

This article is based on the findings of an externally funded, mixed-methods research project conducted at one English university. This small-scale project aimed to examine leadership, barriers to becoming a leader and the support needed to overcome them, from the perspectives of disabled staff. An online questionnaire was sent to all 66 members of staff who had disclosed their disabled status to the university and 22 responses were received. Twelve participants were then interviewed as two focus groups to discuss their views on leadership and its relation to their role. Six more respondents opted for individual face-to-face/telephone interviews. The findings indicated that over half of the respondents were already engaged in ‘formal’ leadership and even more exercised ‘informal’ leadership. This key finding seems to contradict the under-representation of disabled academics in leadership reported in the literature. Despite their engagement in leadership, disabled staff faced several institutional and personal barriers. The findings suggest that having an impairment per se might not necessarily deter disabled staff from exercising leadership. A number of support strategies are recommended to facilitate their participation in (formal) leadership

Towards preparing young people for employment and further study: first evaluation of the City & Guilds TechBac

Despite the United Kingdom government increasing efforts to tackle unemployment, young people face a number of barriers to be employed. As a leading awarding body, City & Guilds launched the TechBac in 2014 to address some of these barriers and provide learners with a balanced programme of vocational study. This article is based on the initial findings of the TechBac evaluation to assess its impact on learners. Using a mixed-method approach, the research involved qualitative interviews with learners, tutors and employers and a quantitative learner survey. It aimed to understand the experiences of learners doing, and tutors delivering, the TechBac; identify mediating and moderating factors in this process and suggest improvements. The findings indicated positive impact on learners’ knowledge, skills and their attitude to learning, which are demanded by employers. A few mediating (e.g. meeting stakeholders’ needs) and moderating (e.g. insufficient information about some elements of the TechBac) factors in the programme learning experience and delivery were identified. The article concludes with some recommendations to improve future provision of the TechBac

Survivability of P. oxalicum T3.3 bioformulation on carrier materials and storage temperature

Good bioformulation play crucial roles in the successfully of commercialize biological control products. The development of bioformulation is necessary to improve product stability, delivery and bioactivity. The aim of this study is to assess the shelf life of P. oxalicum T3.3 conidia in the different ratio(1:1,1:2,2:1) of Biochar:Biocompost (BcBp) and Peat:Vermiculite (PtVm) and temperature (4ºC and room temperature) for 6 months. The results showed that P. oxalicum T3.3 was able to sustain highest viable cell (CFU) at 4ºC storage temperature. BcBp and PtVm have the highest cell viability at ratio 2:1 and 1:1, respectively. Both BcBp and PtVm showed potential carriers for the development of biofungicide for agriculture purposes

Phytochemical Analysis, Antioxidant, and Antimicrobial Activities of Ducrosia flabellifolia: A Combined Experimental and Computational Approaches

Ducrosia flabellifolia Boiss. is a rare desert plant known to be a promising source of bioactive compounds. In this paper, we report for the first time the phytochemical composition and biological activities of D. flabellifolia hydroalcoholic extract by using liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) technique. The results obtained showed the richness of the tested extract in phenols, tannins, and flavonoids. Twenty-three phytoconstituents were identified, represented mainly by chlorogenic acid, followed by ferulic acid, caffeic acid, and sinapic acid. The tested hydroalcoholic extract was able to inhibit the growth of all tested bacteria and yeast on agar Petri dishes at 3 mg/disc with mean growth inhibition zone ranging from 8.00 ± 0.00 mm for Enterococcus cloacae (E. cloacae) to 36.33 ± 0.58 mm for Staphylococcus epidermidis. Minimal inhibitory concentration ranged from 12.5 mg/mL to 200 mg/mL and the hydroalcoholic extract from D. flabellifolia exhibited a bacteriostatic and fungistatic character. In addition, D. flabellifolia hydroalcoholic extract possessed a good ability to scavenge different free radicals as compared to standard molecules. Molecular docking studies on the identified phyto-compounds in bacterial, fungal, and human peroxiredoxin 5 receptors were performed to corroborate the in vitro results, which revealed good binding profiles on the examined protein targets. A standard atomistic 100 ns dynamic simulation investigation was used to further evaluate the interaction stability of the promising phytocompounds, and the results showed conformational stability in the binding cavity. The obtained results highlighted the medicinal use of D. flabellifolia as source of bioactive compounds, as antioxidant, antibacterial, and antifungal agent

Evaluation of End-of-Queue Crash Mitigation Strategies at Flagging Stations on Two-Lane Roads

Project 0-6998The objective of this research project was to identify and evaluate strategies to mitigate end-of-queue crashes at flagging stations on two-lane roads. The research team evaluated the following treatments based on feasibility and advantages of each treatment: \u2022 Install light-emitting diodes (LEDs) or a warning light on the static BE PREPARED TO STOP (BPTS) sign. \u2022 Switch to a portable changeable message sign (PCMS) in lieu of the static BPTS sign. \u2022 Use a portable traffic signal (PTS) in lieu of the flagger at flagging operations. Researchers collected speed profile data of decelerating vehicles at 18 sites across Texas for the baseline (static BPTS sign) treatment and one or more other treatments. The results did not show any meaningful differences between mean speeds of baseline treatment and the BPTS sign with LED lights, BPTS sign with a warning light, or PCMS. Differences were detected when a PTS was used in lieu of a flagger, but only a limited amount of data was available for analysis. Researchers conducted a benefit-cost analysis, which only included capital costs, operation and routine maintenance costs, and transportation costs, when available. Cost savings of utilizing PTSs in lieu of flaggers were realized in just 2 years. However, more research is needed to determine its effectiveness in reducing end-of-queue crashes at flagger stations

Native drivers of fish life history traits are lost during the invasion process

Rapid adaptation to global change can counter vulnerability of species to population declines and extinction. Theoretically, under such circumstances both genetic variation and phenotypic plasticity can maintain population fitness, but empirical support for this is currently limited. Here, we aim to characterize the role of environmental and genetic diversity, and their prior evolutionary history (via haplogroup profiles) in shaping patterns of life history traits during biological invasion. Data were derived from both genetic and life history traits including a morphological analysis of 29 native and invasive populations of topmouth gudgeon Pseudorasbora parva coupled with climatic variables from each location. General additive models were constructed to explain distribution of somatic growth rate (SGR) data across native and invasive ranges, with model selection performed using Akaike's information criteria. Genetic and environmental drivers that structured the life history of populations in their native range were less influential in their invasive populations. For some vertebrates at least, fitness-related trait shifts do not seem to be dependent on the level of genetic diversity or haplogroup makeup of the initial introduced propagule, nor of the availability of local environmental conditions being similar to those experienced in their native range. As long as local conditions are not beyond the species physiological threshold, its local establishment and invasive potential are likely to be determined by local drivers, such as density-dependent effects linked to resource availability or to local biotic resistance

World Addiction Medicine Reports : formation of the International Society of Addiction Medicine (ISAM) Global Expert Network (ISAM-GEN) and Its global surveys

Funding: All the infrastructure funding of this initiative is supported by the International Society of Addiction Medicine (ISAM). We will be open to fundraising for specific projects within the platform and future collaboration with external partners.Addiction medicine is a dynamic field that encompasses clinical practice and research in the context of societal, economic, and cultural factors at the local, national, regional, and global levels. This field has evolved profoundly during the past decades in terms of scopes and activities with the contribution of addiction medicine scientists and professionals globally. The dynamic nature of drug addiction at the global level has resulted in a crucial need for developing an international collaborative network of addiction societies, treatment programs and experts to monitor emerging national, regional, and global concerns. This protocol paper presents methodological details of running longitudinal surveys at national, regional, and global levels through the Global Expert Network of the International Society of Addiction Medicine (ISAM-GEN). The initial formation of the network with a recruitment phase and a round of snowball sampling provided 354 experts from 78 countries across the globe. In addition, 43 national/regional addiction societies/associations are also included in the database. The surveys will be developed by global experts in addiction medicine on treatment services, service coverage, co-occurring disorders, treatment standards and barriers, emerging addictions and/or dynamic changes in treatment needs worldwide. Survey participants in categories of (1) addiction societies/associations, (2) addiction treatment programs, (3) addiction experts/clinicians and (4) related stakeholders will respond to these global longitudinal surveys. The results will be analyzed and cross-examined with available data and peer-reviewed for publication.Peer reviewe

Current Wildland Fire Patterns and Challenges in Europe : A Synthesis of National Perspectives

Changes in climate, land use, and land management impact the occurrence and severity of wildland fires in many parts of the world. This is particularly evident in Europe, where ongoing changes in land use have strongly modified fire patterns over the last decades. Although satellite data by the European Forest Fire Information System provide large-scale wildland fire statistics across European countries, there is still a crucial need to collect and summarize in-depth local analysis and understanding of the wildland fire condition and associated challenges across Europe. This article aims to provide a general overview of the current wildland fire patterns and challenges as perceived by national representatives, supplemented by national fire statistics (2009-2018) across Europe. For each of the 31 countries included, we present a perspective authored by scientists or practitioners from each respective country, representing a wide range of disciplines and cultural backgrounds. The authors were selected from members of the COST Action "Fire and the Earth System: Science & Society" funded by the European Commission with the aim to share knowledge and improve communication about wildland fire. Where relevant, a brief overview of key studies, particular wildland fire challenges a country is facing, and an overview of notable recent fire events are also presented. Key perceived challenges included (1) the lack of consistent and detailed records for wildland fire events, within and across countries, (2) an increase in wildland fires that pose a risk to properties and human life due to high population densities and sprawl into forested regions, and (3) the view that, irrespective of changes in management, climate change is likely to increase the frequency and impact of wildland fires in the coming decades. Addressing challenge (1) will not only be valuable in advancing national and pan-European wildland fire management strategies, but also in evaluating perceptions (2) and (3) against more robust quantitative evidence.Peer reviewe

Higher education in Egypt since World War II: development and challenges

This article aims to analyse the policy shifts in higher education (HE) in Egypt since World War II in terms of the key policies, ideologies, competing policies and consequences of these policies over four policy eras: (1944-1952), (1952- 1970), (1970-1981) and (1981-present). The analytical policy framework used in this article is adapted from the work of Hodgson and Spours (2006). The policy documents referred to in the analysis, where appropriate, are Acts of parliament, influential reports and strategic decisions driven by political and international agendas. Despite the policy shifts in these policy eras, i.e. from ‘education of the elite’, ‘education for all’ to ‘privatisation of education’, the analysis seems to suggest that none of these shifts has been a complete success. This might be the result of the underlying challenges for HE, which the article attempts to unpack. It concludes with a number of suggestions to develop HE in Egypt