BAT POPULATION STATUS AND ROOST SELECTION OF TRI-COLORED BATS IN THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK IN THE ERA OF WHITE-NOSE SYNDROME

The ongoing spread of white-nose syndrome is causing devastating declines range-wide for certain North American bat species. Baseline population data that would help mangers monitor bat populations in the face of WNS is lacking. Likewise, knowledge of summer roosts, a limiting resource for tri-colored bats (Perimyotis subflavus), a species threatened by WNS, is lacking in the southern portion of their range. In our study, we investigated the effect that WNS has had on a population of tricolored bats in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN-NC. We also characterized summer roosts for the species at the microhabitat and landscape levels. Summer capture rates declined significantly for tri-colored (-76%), little brown (-98%), northern long-eared (-99%), and Indiana bats (-69%) following the arrival of WNS, and winter cave counts also declined significantly for tri-colored (-94%), little brown (-98%), and Indiana bats (-87%). Male tri-colored bats selected for roosts in forest stands with a lower density of stems and fewer conifers in the overstory, as well as taller and larger trees than were generally available. They also selected roosts that were closer to water and foraging resources, and were generally located at lower elevations

Examination of clinical and legal issues relevant to child maltreatment reporting

Mental health professionals have evidenced deficiencies in reporting child maltreatment, including knowledge about mandatory reporting laws, ability to accurately identify child maltreatment, child maltreatment reporting intentions, and clinical expertise in reporting child maltreatment (e.g., utilization of best practices in the management of clients throughout the reporting process). Therefore, the purposes of the given study were to develop and initially validate three inventories (i.e., Knowledge of Child Maltreatment Laws Screening Tool, Recognition of Child Maltreatment Screening Tool, and Clinical Expertise in Reporting Child Maltreatment Screening Tool) to assess reporting competence in mental health professionals and graduate students. Multistage validation supports the initial reliability and validity of the developed screening tools. Future directions regarding the utilization of these instruments are discussed

Exploration of caregiver satisfaction in child maltreatment

The importance of, and need for, a psychometrically validated instrument measuring caregiver satisfaction is delineated. More specifically, the need to assess caregiver satisfaction in a specific caregiver-child relationship within child maltreatment populations is addressed. The current study demonstrates the psychometric properties of the Caregiver Satisfaction with Maltreated Child Scale (CSMCS) within a child maltreating population. The role of caregiver-child relationship satisfaction within child maltreatment is also explored and the need to examine caregiver satisfaction with a child maltreatment population is supported. Caregiver satisfaction, as measured by the CSMCS, along with other variables evidenced to contribute to maltreatment (e.g., depression and stress), are investigated

Transitions for success: A phenomenological study of non-traditional GED completers into the community college

The vision statement of one large Midwestern community college is dedicated to helping students achieve lifelong fulfillment by providing a quality, innovative and responsive learning environment. Each day, [the college] champions the aspirations of individuals, communities and the state... Helping each individual realize a lifelong dream is centered on providing a quality education so that he or she may benefit economically, socially, and personally to achieve a better quality of life that expands those benefits to the community, state and world. Evaluating where the college stands on access to individuals and the communities it serves is critical. It is important to determine whether the population within the service area is taking advantage of services at the community college to place themselves into a more beneficial and marketable position to earn more economically and become more productive members of society. This qualitative study is designed to examine the experiences and perceptions of General Education Development (GED) completers who have chosen to continue their education at the community college. A research participation request was sent to all graduates of either the spring 2010 or summer 2010 semester from a Midwestern community college. Out of 54 students who completed their degrees, six participants described their experiences from the initial stages of getting their GED\u27s through the process of entering college, completing the coursework and acquiring the degree. Each participant provided a personal reflective essay and engaged in an interview and one perception check. Content from the personal reflective essays, transcriptions of the interviews and perception checks and educational records were the data used for this analysis. Although there has been an increasing number of individuals who choose to continue their education after completing a GED, there is very little data determining the success level of this student population. There has been neither a formal analysis of the success of GED completers entering the community college setting nor an analysis of whether or not the GED completers have successfully reached their goals and the issues that impacted the transition. Analyzing the transition experience and determining both the barriers and supports offered by the institution as well as the personal aspects of the individual can increase awareness that may benefit the college in understanding what programming is needed and beneficial; furthermore, analysis can determine what aspects of the learner are critical to develop when the individual decides to pursue higher education

The marketing strategies of banks to small businesses in the Republic of Ireland with particular reference to the determinants and impact of service quality

This research examined the banking relationships of 83 small manufacturing firms in the Republic of Ireland. The research was grounded in the growing body of research into the quality of services, which was seen as a potentially fruitful direction for progress in the area of services marketing. Following careful review of the service quality literature and of published research on the small business/banking relationship, a preliminary research study was undertaken. The four marketing managers of the associated banks were interviewed and interviews were also conducted with eight branch managers from the two major banking groups. A questionnaire was developed to investigate the expectations, perceptions and the evaluation of small firms of the banking service they receive. This questionnaire was faxed to 118 small manufacturing companies in the Republic of Ireland. The samples were chosen as two groups of companies which were matched in terms of size, age, location and manufacturing activity. The initial group was a list of small companies who were chosen by the Industrial Development Authority to participate in their Business Development Program. These companies were seen by the IDA as companies with potential to grow. The results of the survey indicate that the concept of quality as perceived by small manufacturing firms in relation to the banking service they receive can be considered to consist of two aspects. The technical quality of the service is created by the provision of a reliable service, with the required tangible components of the branch accessibility and convenience. The requirement by banks for personal guarantees from small manufacturing businesses can also be considered to impact on this aspect of the service quality. The way in which the service is delivered is seen as the functional quality of the service. Functional quality is created primarily by the branch manager, with support from head-office. The results of the survey suggest that the relationship which is created with the small firm through the supply of the banking service is also dependent on the small firm. Three types of companies were found to exist within the sample, who varied in terms of the level of satisfaction they exhibited with their banking relationship. Characteristics of the firms which appeared significant in this respect were the performance of the company, the background of the owner and the use of outside advisors. The service quality which was perceived by the small firm customers was seen as the outcome of the relationship and this was found to have a positive influence on overall satisfaction with the banking service. The level of perceived service quality was also found to be related to the desire of the owner/manager to move the small firm’s business to another bank. The implications of the results of the survey are described in terms of their relevance to the development of a marketing strategy by an Irish bank aimed at the small business market and in terms of their possible contribution to services marketing theory

Using Multiple Informants to Assess Child Maltreatment: Condordance Between Case File and Youth Self-Report

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment and Trauma in 2014, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/10926771.2014.933463.To understand the psychosocial implications of child maltreatment, methods used to document prevalence must be clear. Yet, rates of maltreatment found in child self-report are generally inconsistent with data found in case files from state social service agencies. Although self-reports and case file reports of abuse disagree on occurrence of specific events, it is unclear if reporters agree when overall categories of abuse are considered. This study investigated differences between case file and youth report of abuse by examining four types of abuse: physical, sexual, neglect, and psychological, in a within-subjects design using a sample of 97 youth in foster care aged 8 to 22. Case files were coded for the presence of any indication of each type of abuse. Self-report of abuse was also assessed for any indication of each type of abuse. Results indicated that, overall, youth reported more physical and psychological abuse, and younger youth reported more sexual abuse than documented in their file. Implications for research and service provision for maltreated youth are discussed

Environmental exposures: an underrecognized contribution to noncommunicable diseases

Previous attempts to determine the degree to which exposure to environmental factors contribute to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) have been very conservative and have significantly underestimated the actual contribution of the environment for at least two reasons. Firstly, most previous reports have excluded the contribution of lifestyle behavioral risk factors, but these usually involve significant exposure to environmental chemicals that increase risk of disease. Secondly, early life exposure to chemical contaminants is now clearly associated with an elevated risk of several diseases later in life, but these connections are often difficult to discern. This is especially true for asthma and neurodevelopmental conditions, but there is also a major contribution to the development of obesity and chronic diseases. Most cancers are caused by environmental exposures in genetically susceptible individuals. In addition, new information shows significant associations between cardiovascular diseases and diabetes and exposure to environmental chemicals present in air, food, and water. These relationships likely reflect the combination of epigenetic effects and gene induction. Environmental factors contribute significantly more to NCDs than previous reports have suggested. Prevention needs to shift focus from individual responsibility to societal responsibility and an understanding that effective prevention of NCDs ultimately relies on improved environmental management to reduce exposure to modifiable risks

CSI 2264: Characterizing Young Stars in NGC 2264 With Short-Duration Periodic Flux Dips in Their Light Curves

We identify nine young stellar objects (YSOs) in the NGC 2264 star-forming region with optical CoRoT light curves exhibiting short-duration, shallow periodic flux dips. All of these stars have infrared excesses that are consistent with their having inner disk walls near the Keplerian co-rotation radius. The repeating photometric dips have FWHMs generally less than 1 day, depths almost always less than 15%, and periods (3 < P < 11 days) consistent with dust near the Keplerian co-rotation period. The flux dips vary considerably in their depth from epoch to epoch, but usually persist for several weeks and, in two cases, were present in data collected in successive years. For several of these stars, we also measure the photospheric rotation period and find that the rotation and dip periods are the same, as predicted by standard "disk-locking" models. We attribute these flux dips to clumps of material in or near the inner disk wall, passing through our line of sight to the stellar photosphere. In some cases, these dips are also present in simultaneous Spitzer IRAC light curves at 3.6 and 4.5 microns. We characterize the properties of these dips, and compare the stars with light curves exhibiting this behavior to other classes of YSOs in NGC 2264. A number of physical mechanisms could locally increase the dust scale height near the inner disk wall, and we discuss several of those mechanisms; the most plausible mechanisms are either a disk warp due to interaction with the stellar magnetic field or dust entrained in funnel-flow accretion columns arising near the inner disk wall