Animal Assisted Therapy and Support Animals, What Mental Health Professionals Know and Understand

Animal-assisted therapy can greatly benefit mental health professionals with clients in and out of the school settings in many ways. It is believed mental health professionals are successfully implementing Animal Assisted Therapy, even though some are not. Mental health professionals who are not using Animal Assisted Therapy are not doing so as the result of various variables, such as lack of information, knowledge, training, certification and policies, which prevents them from using Animals Assisted Therapy with clients and the community. It is also believed some mental health professionals are using animals as part of therapeutic interventions without proper training. The purpose of this pilot study was to identify the level of understanding licensed mental health providers throughout the State of Nevada, in and out of the school setting, have of Assisted Animal Therapy and differences between animals and support animals as well as identifying the use of Animals Assisted Therapy in practice. A sample of 42 Nevada licensed mental health professionals participated in the study. Findings, while not a representation of the target population, displayed participants current use, extent of use, viewpoints and understanding of Assisted Animal Therapy

Supporting Peaceful Individuals, Groups, and Societies: Peace Psychology and Peace Education

In 2020, individuals, societies, and the international community were presented with a myriad of challenges that were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Social bonds were stretched thin, racial inequity was brought to the forefront, and political polarization deepened. This context heightened the need for effective theoretical frameworks, strategies, and understandings of how to support positive and negative peace and build cultures of peace across varied contexts. In this special section, we present a compendium of articles highlighting various ways that psychologists support these efforts through peace education. The section developed in a pre-COVID context from Christie and Wagner’s (Handbook on peace education, 2010, Psychology Press) call in this journal for peace psychology to be central to peace education. Although the articles themselves do not directly address COVID-19, the racial pandemic, or political polarization, they offer insights into how the intersection of peace psychology and peace education can be used to promote harmonious relations and societies in a post-2020 world. In this introduction, we define peace education and its connections to peace psychology and then summarize each of the articles in the special section while drawing applications to the challenges that emerged in 2020. The rich and diverse articles in this section discuss innovative approaches to peace education that are designed to promote and maintain cultures of peace. This work must continue and accelerate, and more psychologists must invest in advancing such approaches to enhancing the quality of life of individuals and groups worldwide

Chemical changes of heat treated pine and eucalypt wood monitored by FTIR

A hardwood, Eucalyptus globulus Labill., and a softwood Pinus pinaster Aiton., were heat treated at temperatures between 170 and 210ºC in an oven and in an autoclave. The samples were pre-extracted with dichloromethane, ethanol and water and ground prior to Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic analysis. The heat treatment caused significant changes in the chemical composition and structure of wood, in lignin and polysaccharides. Hemicelluloses were the first to degrade as proved by the initial decrease of the 1730 cm-1 peak due to the breaking of acetyl groups in xylan. Hardwood lignin changed more than softwood lignin, with a shift of maximum absorption from 1505 cm-1 to approximately 1512 cm-1 due to decrease of methoxyl groups, loss of syringyl units or breaking of aliphatic side-chains. The macromolecular structure becomes more condensed and there is a clear increase of non-conjugated (1740 cm-1) in relation to conjugated groups (1650 cm-1). However, the changes induced by the thermal treatment are difficult to monitor by FTIR spectroscopy due to the different chemical reactions occurring simultaneously.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A new paracolletine bee from Colombia (Hymenoptera: Colletidae), with an updated checklist of the tropical Andean bee fauna

A new species of the paracolletine genus Lonchopria Vachal, Lonchopria (Biglossa) comforti Gonzalez & Engel, new species, from high elevations in the Central Andes of Colombia is described and figured.  A preliminary key to the species of the Lonchopria subgenus Biglossa Friese is presented.  Recent records of bees occurring at elevations above 2500 m in Colombia and other Andean countries are also summarized

Observations on the urban ecology of the Neotropical stingless bee Tetragonisca angustula (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini)

This is the publisher's version, also available electronically from https://journals.ku.edu/index.php/melittology/indexTetragonisca angustula (Latreille) is a small, docile, cavity-nestingstingless bee that is widely distributed in the Neotropical region. This speciesis particularly abundant in disturbed environments, including humansettlements. Between August 2005 and March 2006, we located and followed duringeight months 59 nests of this species in Medellín, the second most populatedcity in Colombia. Herein, we document their foraging behavior, mortality, andincidence of predators and natural enemies. Also, to determine if higherambient temperature and light intensity in urban environments affect the dailyforaging activity of T. angustula, wecompared the daily foraging activity of bees from nests found in open areas in thecity and bees from nests from a nearby covered, forested area. Likewise, todetermine if urban nests of T. angustulaare largely undetected and undisturbed by people, we experimentally made themvisible by adding a ring color (white, red, or black) around the nest entrance tube.Our observations indicate that higher ambient temperature and light intensity inurban environments do not significantly affect the daily foraging activity of T. angustula. Nearly half of the markednests disappeared, thus suggesting that nests of T. angustula are often undetected by people in Medellín. We discussbriefly some features of the biology of T.angustula that might contribute to its success in urban environments

2006 A Spotlight on San Diego\u27s Third Sector

In conjunction with the University of San Francisco\u27s Institute for Nonprofit Organization Management, the Center produced a report focused on the contributions of the San Diego nonprofit sector to the local economy. This report\u27s intent is to create an understanding of the nonprofit sector, measure its capacity & economic contributions, and chart its future. This project was presented November 13, 2006.https://digital.sandiego.edu/npi-stateofnp/1011/thumbnail.jp

A Spotlight on San Diego's Third Sector

In conjunction with the University of San Francisco's Institute for Nonprofit Organization Management, the Center produced a report focused on the contributions of the San Diego nonprofit sector to the local economy. This report's intent is to create an understanding of the nonprofit sector, measure its capacity and economic contributions, and chart its future. This project was presented November 13, 2006