Learning, Trajectories of Participation and Social Practice

This article argues that personal meaning should be consideredimportant when addressing issues of learning.It is claimed that meaningful learning is not primarilyintra-psychological, as suggested by humanistic psychologistsand parts of cognitive psychology, but is anintegrated part of the person’s participation in varioussocial practices. Inspired by critical psychology andsituated learning, it is suggested that in order to comprehendwhat people in everyday life experience as meaningful,we have to understand the concerns subjectspursue across different contextual settings and the kindof conduct of everyday life they try to realise. A caseexample from an ongoing research project about howbaker apprentices learn their trade is outlined in order toexemplify some of the theoretical considerations. Twobaker apprentices, Peter and Charlotte, are presented toillustrate how they orientate their learning activities inthe bakeries according to their future participation in thebaking trade and in relation to the conduct of everydaylife they wish to pursue

Microbial responses to changes in land use

Background/Question/Methods
Land use change is one of the greatest threats to biodiversity worldwide. This is especially true for land use change that results in the destruction of intact forest, or "deforestation”. Deforestation is causing a loss of biological diversity on an unprecedented scale, especially in the Tropics. It is unclear how the majority of the biodiversity on Earth – microbial biodiversity – is responding to these extraordinary rates of deforestation. I will provide an overview of our current understanding of microbial responses to deforestation. I will focus, as an example, on our current research regarding the effects of deforestation on the diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), bacteria and archaea within Amazon Rainforest soils. This study takes advantage of an established chronosequence of primary rainforest, pastures of various ages, and secondary rainforest to determine the effect of deforestation on the taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional diversity of soil microorganisms, assayed using culture-independent methods.

Results/Conclusions
There is increasing evidence that deforestation significantly affects microbial diversity, and that “recovery” of microbial diversity in secondary forest soils is incomplete. For example, rarefaction curves suggest that the accumulation of AMF taxa is higher for Amazon primary forest soil relative to secondary forest soil. In addition, the community composition varies with land use; three AMF taxa were shared between primary and secondary forests, seven were found only in primary forest, and three were found exclusively in secondary forest soil. We also observed that the phylogenetic diversity of AMF is more reduced in secondary forest soils than expected given the regional pool of AMF taxa.

*The audio track for talks in this symposium may be obtained at the following web address:*

*https://sites.google.com/site/esa2010symposium13audiocontent/esa2010-symposium13-audio-content

The neglected context: The growing impact of modernity on the South African population and its spiritual, economic and ecological consequences

Humanity seems to be drifting like a rudderless raft towards a cataract. The main factors are the growth of the human population, the escalation of material expectations, the exploding discrepancies between affluent and marginalised population groups and the impact of these growth processes on the natural environment. The modern claim to mastery, ownership and entitlement and its spectacular successes has led to unprecedented power without a concomitant growth in responsibility. In spiritual and cultural terms, modernity undermines all traditional certainties, values and constraints. The South African population is engulfed in a messy transition from African traditionalist, to modern and postmodern assumptions. The most reticent citizens are the least competitive and the most marginalised. The Christian faith, rooted as it is in tradition and geared to spiritual concerns, is no match for the power of the modern mindset. To regain its redemptive relevance, it needs fundamental reconceptualisations. The article closes with a few starting points for such a project

Microbiology and atmospheric processes: Biological, physical and chemical characterization of aerosol particles

The interest in bioaerosols has traditionally been linked to health hazards for humans, animals and plants. However, several components of bioaerosols exhibit physical properties of great significance for cloud processes, such as ice nucleation and cloud condensation. To gain a better understanding of their influence on climate, it is therefore important to determine the composition, concentration, seasonal fluctuation, regional diversity and evolution of bioaerosols. In this paper, we will review briefly the existing techniques for detection, quantification, physical and chemical analysis of biological particles, attempting to bridge physical, chemical and biological methods for analysis of biological particles and integrate them with aerosol sampling techniques. We will also explore some emerging spectroscopy techniques for bulk and single-particle analysis that have potential for in-situ physical and chemical analysis. Lastly, we will outline open questions and further desired capabilities (e. g., in-situ, sensitive, both broad and selective, on-line, time-resolved, rapid, versatile, cost-effective techniques) required prior to comprehensive understanding of chemical and physical characterization of bioaerosols

Development and validation of a risk score for chronic kidney disease in HIV infection using prospective cohort data from the D:A:D study.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major health issue for HIV-positive individuals, associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Development and implementation of a risk score model for CKD would allow comparison of the risks and benefits of adding potentially nephrotoxic antiretrovirals to a treatment regimen and would identify those at greatest risk of CKD. The aims of this study were to develop a simple, externally validated, and widely applicable long-term risk score model for CKD in HIV-positive individuals that can guide decision making in clinical practice

THE CONCEPT OF LIFELONG LEARNING AND THE ROLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION ORGANIZATIONS

In the past few years, it has been widely accepted that change is the only constant of modern world. In that sense, the process of globalization has had a significant impact on the contemporary society, as well as on the modern business world. A significant shift of core concepts in technological, social, political and economic subsystems has been the determinant of the 21st century accompanied with organizations transforming through the means of the lifelong learning (hereafter LLL) model. It is also a known fact that human capital is crucial for success in the global market competition, and thus it represents the main competitive advantage of propelling societies. The concept of learning organizations and LLL model are the key components of the new paradigm of the management development. The transformation of organizations, society and economy in the era of knowledge is closely tied to educational organizations as one of the pillars. Education is essential for every society and individual since it creates new and improves current value system in order to improve life of every member of society. All higher educational organizations are established to enable an individual to realize his/hers highest goals. The aforementioned changes are also mirrored in the field of education, and are especially true for higher education organizations, which due to their scope, activities, but also their missions, require a business oriented way of thinking and operating. In other words, concepts of strategy and business have to become a part of their modus operandi. Nowadays, the learning process never ends because it is progressive and dynamic as one’s skills and potentials are constantly being improved through formal and informal education. The LLL model is bigger than formal education system; it is a concept of strategic thinking, tactic acting and operational surviving. Paradoxically this paper shows both the complexity and simplicity of the LLL model and its application on higher education organizations. The emphasis of the paper is on the fact that today’s higher education organizations have to create and implement a quality management system that follows, supports and improves the philosophy of knowledge management

Effects of Prescribed Fire and Habitat on Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera) Abundance and Nest Survival in the Cumberland Mountains of Tennessee

Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera) populations in Appalachia have declined precipitously over the past 45 years. The primary objective of my study was to monitor the response of Golden-winged Warblers to prescribed fire treatments on reclaimed coal mines in the North Cumberland Wildlife Management Area, Tennessee. Presence-absence surveys were conducted on eight mountain-top study sites and nest searching/monitoring was conducted on two additional sites, 2009-2011. I expanded on previous research of Golden-winged Warbler territory and nest-site selection by determining differences within main effects between used and unused territory plots, as well as used and unused nest-sites. Of my two nest-searched sites, Ash Log and Massengale Mountains, only Massengale received annual prescribed fire treatments, 2007-2011. Thus, analysis was conducted separately for these two study sites. I also modeled the effects of fire history, as well as temporal and biotic factors, on the variation in daily nest survival rates (DSR). I documented a population increase on Massengale, and no change on four sites. Population decline on three unmanaged sites was correlated with a decrease in shrub and/or Rubus spp. cover, and an increase in sapling height. Territories contained more shrub cover \u3e1 m in height on Massengale and Rubus spp. cover was greater inside territories than on unused plots on Ash Log. No nest-plot variables differed between nest and non-nest plots. The best-supported model of DSR included the effect of year, quadratic time, and the presence of Rubus spp. in nesting substrate. Nesting success was highly variable across years; 10.8 ± 5.4% in 2009, 57.5 ± 8.8% in 2010, and 29.3 ± 10.0% in 2011. With respect to time, nest survival was greatest during peak of nest initiation in early May, declined through the middle of the nesting season, and increased again through the latter half of the season (27 June). Nest success decreased with the presence of Rubus spp. in the nesting substrate. I detected no negative relationship between daily nest survival and fire history. My study suggests that prescribed burning on reclaimed coal mining land is a viable management practice for the creation and maintenance of Golden-winged Warbler breeding habitat

Reflection: Reducing long-term mortality in suicidal adolescents

A transformative method to reducing mortality in suicidal adolescents involves a novel approach of educating and empowering their loved ones

A Conceptual Model in Marketing: Celebrity Endorsement, Brand Credibility and Brand Equity

Today celebrity endorsement becomes the multi-million industries in the world. Marketers endorsed celebrities with their products and brands in the advertisement to increase their sales and change the perception of the viewer’s regarding their brand, which positively impacts on their buying behavior. The aim of this paper is study the impact of National or International celebrity credibility on brand equity. The relationship between endorser’s credibility, brand credibility and brand equity was examined by employing a field experiment in Tehran. Data were collected using a questionnaire from the respondents having ages 18 and or above. The result highlighted in this research paper showing a positive and significant relationship between endorser’s credibility and brand credibility, brand credibility and consumer based brand equity which helps to Results also highlighted that relationship between endorser’s credibility, brand credibility and brand equity varies by the type of celebrity employed i.e. national or International. Keywords: Celebrity Endorsement, Brand Credibility, Brand Equity, Perceived quality, Loyalt