Acid rain alters freshwater pH and ion composition, preventing organisms from performing essential bodily functions causing mortality. Macroinvertebrate communities in acidified streams are characterized by species loss in response to physiological stress and altered food quality resulting from the degradation of microbial (e.g., fungi on leaves) communities. Although freshwater acidification in the U.S. is lessening following reduced industrial emissions, little is known about macroinvertebrate recovery. Often, biotic recovery is assessed by looking at changes to what taxa and how many individuals are present in the community (e.g., richness, density). While providing a metric for change, changes in "who" is there (i.e., richness) doesn't necessarily tell us changes in "what" they are doing (i.e., function). The relationship between diversity and function requires linking a "who" to their "what" with direct measurements or as indicated by their traits. Traits are attributes of an organism that aggregate biological, morphological, and behavioral information and may relate to their success in a particular environment. For example, taxa that cannot survive with stream drying (not desiccation resistant) may only be found in streams with permanent water. Trait-based taxonomic metrics could bridge "who" and "what" and expand the impact of stream recovery assessments. My objective was to assess trends over time in water chemistry and macroinvertebrate taxonomic and trait richness and density following reduced industrial emissions. To do so, I studied two long-term data sets from Shenandoah National Park to assess trends in water chemistry and macroinvertebrate taxa and trait composition over a 30-year period to identify taxa and traits that are sensitive to acidification. I also measured how much biomass macroinvertebrates produced in a year (i.e., secondary production) in two streams (1 acidified; 1 not acidified) to determine taxa and traits that are functionally sensitive to acidification. I used these structural and functional measures of sensitivity to determine if changes in trait richness or density predict changes in the function of that trait (e.g., secondary production). Changes over time show that streams have some recovery from acid rain with increasing stream pH and a greater number of taxa and traits present in the community. Changes in taxa were greater than changes in traits over time. While this result was expected as multiple taxa make up each trait category, it may also suggest minimal or delayed functional recovery over time. Still, macroinvertebrate secondary production indicated that function did differ with differences in acidification. Therefore, observed small changes in traits over time mirror prior studies that found other variables, such as competition for food or space, delay or inhibit macroinvertebrates from returning to the recovering streams. Additionally, there were similarities between traits changing over time and the secondary production of traits that differed between more and less acidified streams. Taxa characterized by long life spans and large body size (e.g., semivoltine, long adult life, slow seasonal development) appeared to be the most sensitive to changes in acidification. These findings suggest that some compositional attributes, like taxonomic or trait richness, may predict functional changes measured as secondary production while others, such as density, do not. / Master of Science in Life Sciences / Acid rain causes the acidification of freshwater stream water observed as decreased stream pH and decreased ability of watershed soils to neutralize or "soak up" acidic inputs before they enter the stream. These changes in stream water chemistry inhibit the ability of aquatic animals to perform essential bodily functions resulting in mortality. The total number of aquatic insect taxa and total number of individuals in the community have been found to decrease in response to acidification. Although freshwater acidification is lessening following reduced industrial emissions, little is known about if and how aquatic insects can recover. Often, aquatic insect recovery is assessed through looking at changes to what taxa and how many individuals are present in the community. While providing a metric for change, changes in "who" is there (i.e., richness) doesn't necessarily tell us changes in "what" they are doing (i.e., function). The relationship between diversity and function requires linking a "who" to their "what". This is often done by assessing changes in the taxa present but also looking at how the composition of traits associated with those taxa also change. Traits or taxa-specific characteristics aggregate biological, morphological, and behavioral information and may relate to their ability to live in a given environment. For example, taxa that rely on filtering and consuming fine particles may only be found in faster flowing streams where they function to remove fine particulates. Trait-based assessments could link "who" and "what" to expand our understanding of how stream ecosystems change with a stressor. My objective was to assess recovery of streams in Shenandoah National Park following reduced industrial emissions. To do so, I studied two long-term (1987-2017) data sets from to assess trends in water chemistry and macroinvertebrate taxa and traits. This enabled me to determine "who" is changing in these streams over time. I also measured how much insect biomass s produced in a year (i.e., secondary production) in two streams (1 more acidic; 1 less acidic) to determine what taxa and traits alter "what" (e.g., secondary production) they are doing. I found that long-term trends indicate some recovery from acid rain with improving water quality and an increased number of insect taxa and traits present in the community over time. Changes in insect taxa were greater than changes in their traits suggesting that stream acidification did not greatly alter "what" the insects are doing greatly to begin with or that recovery may be delayed. In contrast, my secondary production study showed that "what" macroinvertebrates are doing does differ in more or less acidic streams. Therefore, our observed minimal changes in traits over time suggest that other variables, such as competition for food or space, delay or inhibit macroinvertebrates from returning to the recovering streams. Additionally, there were similarities between traits changing over time and traits that were different in the more or less acidic streams. Taxa characterized by long life spans and large body size (e.g., semivoltine, long adult life, slow seasonal development) appeared to be the most affected by differences or changes in stream water acidity. These findings suggest that changes in "who" can predict changes in "what" to some degree though static metrics of abundance do not always reflect the function of the taxa or community.

Text in Afrikaans / The purpose of the research was to determine the extent to which health issues, and particularly work stress, are managed at a welfare organization. The group investigated consisted of 49 registered social workers employed at nine welfare organizations in the Nelson Mandela Metropole. The research process was directed by quantitative research, the research information being obtained through a literature study and structured questionnaire. A number of health issues were identified in the workplace. Based on the empirical investigation it was concluded that health management does not enjoy a high priority at welfare organisations. The health issues that have the most impact on the respondents' work ability are work stress and burnout. It is recommended that organisations compile a holistic policy for health management. There is a need for implementation of employee assistance and wellness programmes for health management. Such programmes promote the productivity and general wellbeing of social workers. / Die doel van die navorsingstudie was om te bepaal tot watter mate gesondheidskwessies, in die besonder werkstres, by 'n welsynsorganisasie bestuur word. Die ondersoekgroep het bestaan uit 49 geregistreerde maatskaplike werkers werksaam by nege welsynsorganisasies in die Nelson Mandela Metropool. Die navorsingsproses is deur kwantitatiewe navorsing gerig en die navorsingsinligting is met behulp van 'n literatuurstudie en gestruktureerde vraelys bekom. Daar word tans 'n aantal gesondheidskwessies in die werkplek geidentifiseer. Na aanleiding van die empiriese ondersoek is daar tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat gesondheidbestuur nie 'n hoe prioriteit geniet by welsynsorgnisasies nie. Die gesondheidskwessies wat die mees beduidende impak op die respondente se werkvermoe het, is werkstres en uitbranding. Daar word aanbeveel dat organisasies 'n holistiese beleid ten opsigte van gesondheidsbestuur opstel. Daar is 'n behoefie aan die implementering van werknemerhulp- en werknemerwelstandprogramme vir gesondheidsbestuur omdat sulke programme die produktiwiteit en algemene welstand van maatskaplike werkers kan bevorder. / Social Work / M.Diac. (Social Work)

Text in Afrikaans / The purpose of the research was to determine the extent to which health issues, and particularly work stress, are managed at a welfare organization. The group investigated consisted of 49 registered social workers employed at nine welfare organizations in the Nelson Mandela Metropole. The research process was directed by quantitative research, the research information being obtained through a literature study and structured questionnaire. A number of health issues were identified in the workplace. Based on the empirical investigation it was concluded that health management does not enjoy a high priority at welfare organisations. The health issues that have the most impact on the respondents' work ability are work stress and burnout. It is recommended that organisations compile a holistic policy for health management. There is a need for implementation of employee assistance and wellness programmes for health management. Such programmes promote the productivity and general wellbeing of social workers. / Die doel van die navorsingstudie was om te bepaal tot watter mate gesondheidskwessies, in die besonder werkstres, by 'n welsynsorganisasie bestuur word. Die ondersoekgroep het bestaan uit 49 geregistreerde maatskaplike werkers werksaam by nege welsynsorganisasies in die Nelson Mandela Metropool. Die navorsingsproses is deur kwantitatiewe navorsing gerig en die navorsingsinligting is met behulp van 'n literatuurstudie en gestruktureerde vraelys bekom. Daar word tans 'n aantal gesondheidskwessies in die werkplek geidentifiseer. Na aanleiding van die empiriese ondersoek is daar tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat gesondheidbestuur nie 'n hoe prioriteit geniet by welsynsorgnisasies nie. Die gesondheidskwessies wat die mees beduidende impak op die respondente se werkvermoe het, is werkstres en uitbranding. Daar word aanbeveel dat organisasies 'n holistiese beleid ten opsigte van gesondheidsbestuur opstel. Daar is 'n behoefie aan die implementering van werknemerhulp- en werknemerwelstandprogramme vir gesondheidsbestuur omdat sulke programme die produktiwiteit en algemene welstand van maatskaplike werkers kan bevorder. / Social Work / M.Diac. (Social Work)

Stress has been widely shown to directly influence people’s emotional and behavioral processing as well as their underlying biological systems. This project examined physiological and behavioral responses as indicators of stress and coping in the context of a psychosocial stressor in a controlled laboratory setting. We examined the association between indicators of behavioral coping and underlying physiological reactivity within participants while experiencing stress. Participants included 68 emerging adults. Physiological measures include autonomic biomarkers (e.g., heart-rate, skin conductance) at rest and during the stressor while behavioral indicators that were coded include acute verbal and non-verbal actions exhibited by participants during the stressor. Results supported the efficacy of a modified social stressor at eliciting stress responding in participants. In addition, behavioral coping was found to be associated with autonomic responding to the stressor. Exploring these associations has important implications for understanding the interaction between biological and behavioral responding to stress.

The purpose of the present study was to explore and examine the stressors and coping mechanisms used by Master of Social Work (MSW) students. A quantitative survey with some qualitative questions was conducted using a sample of MSW students from California State University, San Bernardino. Data for this study was collected through a self-administered, online questionnaire survey distributed by the MSW program administration. Quantitative data was analyzed through SPSS software by conducting descriptive statistics, frequencies, and independent sample t-test. Qualitative data was analyzed by coding and identifying major themes. Student groups were compared based on program format, which was determined on their standing status as a stipend recipient. The majority of survey participants were non-recipient students (n=45, 60%) and 24 identified as Title IV-E Child Welfare stipend recipients (32%). Results showed that there was no significant difference in the amount of stress experienced by students depending on their program format; however, some differences were identified in preferred coping mechanisms. Based on the results of this study, it is respectfully recommended that the MSW program at California State University, San Bernardino further explores and considers the responses of the students. This study also calls for future research related to MSW students’ stressors and coping mechanisms.

Proactive socialization tactics, measures that organizational newcomers take to facilitate their own adjustment, have been shown to predict adjustment and more distal work-related outcomes, such as organizational commitment and intent to remain with the organization. Several cognitions and behaviors are considered to be types of proactive socialization tactics, but research has yet to distinguish between different types. Also, several individual dispositions have been identified as antecedents of proactive socialization tactics, but there has been little focus on identifying contextual or non-dispositional individual difference antecedents. The purpose of this research was to propose a dual-mode conceptualization of proactive socialization tactics and to distinguish between tactics directed toward changing oneself and those directed toward changing one's environment. This research also examined the role of contextual factors, the newcomer's age, and the newcomer's work experience as antecedents of proactive socialization tactics. The results of this research suggest that job and workgroup characteristics do indeed play a role in predicting proactive socialization tactics. Age and work experience were predictors as well, but not as strong as expected. Both self-directed and environment-directed proactive socialization tactics predicted desirable adjustment outcomes, but self-directed tactics were clearly stronger predictors of these outcomes. There was some evidence to suggest that newcomers' early fit perceptions moderated relationships between antecedents, such as workgroup characteristics, and proactive socialization tactics. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Disertacijos tikslas yra identifikuoti ir ištirti streso darbe valdymo priemones bei jų veiksmingumą ir sukurti kompleksinį streso darbe valdymo modelį. Remiantis moksline literatūra disertacijoje pateikiama streso sampratos genezė, išanalizuoti streso darbe valdymo modeliai, identifikuoti esminiai stresą darbe sukeliantys veiksniai, išnagrinėtos organizacines streso darbe valdymo priemonės ir atskleistas jų veiksmingumas mažinant stresą darbe. Disertacijoje identifikuotos streso darbe valdymo priemonės, kurios iki šiol nebuvo nei teoriškai, nei empiriškai tyrinėtos. Remiantis mokslinės literatūros analize sukurtas kompleksinis streso darbe valdymo modelis, kuris empiriškai įvertintas Lietuvos energetikos įmonėse. Empiriniam tyrimui atlikti buvo pasirinktas kiekybinis tyrimo metodas – darbuotojų apklausa. Tyrimo metu nustatyta streso darbe priklausomybė nuo socialinių demografinių charakteristikų bei identifikuoti esminiai energetikos sektoriui stresoriai: atsakomybė už kitus žmones, darbo krūvis, vaidmens konfliktas, darbo sąlygos. Empirinis tyrimas patvirtino, kad streso darbe valdymo priemonės yra veiksmingos taikant jas kompleksiškai. Bendrą streso darbe lygį mažina bei atskirus stresorius įtakoja socialinė parama, karjeros valdymas, darbo ir asmeninio gyvenimo pusiausvyros užtikrinimo priemonės, darbuotojo žinių ir įgūdžių atitikimas darbo vietos reikalavimams, užduoties identiškumas. Remiantis tyrimo rezultatais parengtos rekomendacijos organizacijoms stresui darbe... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The aim of the dissertation is to identify organizational stress management interventions, analyze their effectiveness and create a systemic work related stress management model. Based on scientific literature there is revealed the genesis of the concept of stress, analyzed stress models, identified main work related stressors, analyzed stress management interventions and disclosed their effectiveness by reducing work related stress. There is revealed organizational stress management interventions which have been studied neither theoretically nor empirically were identified. The systemic work related stress management model is reasoned on the grounds of the theoretical analysis. The model was tested empirically in Lithuanian energy sector. The empirical study employs the survey method for data collection. The empirical study disclosed impact of social demographical characteristics on work related stress, and identified main stressors in Lithuanian energy sector: responsibility for other people, workload, role conflict, working conditions. The empirical study has fundamentally proved that organizational stress management interventions are efficient when they are applied systemically. The overall level of work related stress is reduced and individual stressors are influenced by social support, career management, interventions ensuring work – life balance, person's knowledge and skills fit to workplace requirements and task identity. On the grounds of the study conducted... [to full text]

The overall aim of this research was to enhance the understanding of what affects the social impact of ICT in lifelong learning on disadvantaged women. In contributing to the field of social informatics, this research employs behavioural theories as strategy and analytic possibilities. This research mainly used the Kenyan digital villages as CRCs as settings but did also look beyond such establishments to provide a more solid picture. The studies were located in Kenya with complementary studies in Bolivia, Cameroon, Sri Lanka, and Sweden. The main strategies and methods used were case study, comparative education approaches, and observations and interviewing techniques. The findings suggest that ICT and CRCs have the potential to support disadvantaged women and their lifelong learning. However, the positive social impacts are limited because the arrangement of them generally does not favour vernacular languages, illiterate users, female owners and users, or non-students. In general, the use of ICT was sometimes perceived as forced, which is both a barrier and a stressor in the use of ICT in lifelong learning. It also emerged from the comparative studies that discussions among the participants in the CRCs largely covered issues in respect to 1) family and reproduction and 2) self-esteem, i.e. what settles the matter of the social impact of ICT in lifelong learning depends on change attitude among men and women. With minimal if not zero self-esteem a change that would make the difference or break a woman’s “legendary status quo” in order for a woman to feel that she can reach her goal or ambitions in lifelong learning would be difficult. Hence the lack of self-esteem is a stressor in itself. This research is valuable for stakeholders delving into issues of development and learning using ICTs, not only in Kenya but in a broader, global perspective. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following paper was unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 6: Submitted.</p>

The thesis deals with the issue of stress in teachers. The concepts of teacher, stressor, stress and burn out syndrome are explained, as well as the connection between them. The theoretical part is focused on the stress prevention and the defense against stress. The aim of the practical part is to detect the main stressors in teachers, as well as the frequency and the intensity of their stress and negative emotions experience with regard to their professional age, sex and specialization. Further, teachers' knowledge about stress and their effort to prevent themselves from experiencing it are investigated.

The aim of this thesis was to study the effect of the acetylsalicylic acid on the stimulation of plant immunity and thus the influence on the content of the active constituents in Silybum marianum L. plants. The main active constituents of Silybum marianum L. seeds are silybine, silydianine, isosilybine, silycristine, usually expressed as silymarine content, and taxifoline. These constituents have antihepatotoxic effect and many different protective effects on numerous organs and cells. Knowledge about stress and elicitation, origin, botanical characterization, growth, development and cultivation of Silybum marianum L. were summarized before the research.The small-plot experiment was set up in Hluboká nad Vltavou in 2013. Plants of Silybum marianum were divided into four groups and then three goups were treated three times during the vegetation with the acetylsalicylic acid of three different concentrations - 10-3 mol.l-1 (high), 10-4 mol.l-1 (medium) a 10-5 mol.l-1 (low). Every single one group was treated with only one concentration of the acetylsalicylic acid. The last group was treated only with water and served as a control group. The preparation of the extracts was being held with using mixture of acetone, methanol and water. The extracts were determined by High Performance Liquid Chromatography.The effects of each chosen concetration of acetylsalicylic acid (high, medium, low) on the active constituents in seeds were not statistically proven compared to seeds without aplication of the elicitor (control group). The ineffectiveness of the elicitor should have been also caused by nonoptimal condition of plants due to various abiotic and biotic stressors.