Bat boxes in urban non-native forests: a popular practice that should be reconsidered

Impact mitigation practices are currently one of the hottest topics in conservation and regarded as priorities worldwide. Forest bat populations are known to provide important ecosystem services such as pest control and bat boxes have become one of the most popular management options for counteracting the loss of roosts. However, bat boxes tend to be employed in non-native forests near highly humanized areas where human disturbance is higher. The aim of this study was to evaluate how the surrounding landscape composition affects bat box occupancy in urban non-native forests along the Mediterranean corridor in the Northeastern Iberian Peninsula. Two hundred wooden bat boxes were monitored in young non-native forests in the period 2004–2012. The influence of land cover on occupancy rate of bat boxes was analysed at the landscape level in a 5 km buffer around bat-box stations. In total, 1659 inspections were carried out, in which a 15 % occupancy rate was detected. Bat boxes hosted three different species (Pipistrellus pygmaeus, Pipistrellus kuhlii and Nyctalus leisleri). More than 70 % of the occupancy can be explained by habitat and spatial composition. The presence of urban areas around bat boxes tends to have a negative impact on bat occupation rates; by contrast, forest coverage has a positive effect, especially for the tree-dwelling bats. These patterns could be associated with the large number of available roosts in buildings, microhabitat or phylopatry. Thus, to increase success, we suggest that landscape composition should be considered when using bat boxes for conservation.     

Prediction of posttraumatic stress disorder symptomatology after childbirth – A Croatian longitudinal study

Background

Following childbirth, a vast number of women experience some degree of mood swings, while some experience symptoms of postpartum posttraumatic stress disorder.

Limited Role of Body Satisfaction and Body Image Self-Consciousness in Sexual Frequency and Satisfaction in Pregnant Women

This cross-sectional study examined the role of maternal body image and body image self-consciousness in sexual satisfaction and intercourse frequency during pregnancy when controlling for satisfaction with partnership. Pregnant women in their third trimester of pregnancy (N = 150) participated in the study. Body image was measured by the Body Areas Satisfaction Scale (BASS) and Body Image Self-Consciousness Scale (BISC), while relationship satisfaction was measured by different subscales of the Perceived Quality of Marital Relationship (PQMR) Scale. Sexual satisfaction was also measured by one of the subscales of the PQMR (Intimate Relationship). The sexual behavior questionnaire comprised questions about frequency of sexual intercourse, desire, and other aspects of sexual functioning as well as the reasons that might prevent women from having intercourse during pregnancy. Findings suggested that satisfaction with body image and body image self-consciousness were related to sexual satisfaction. Nevertheless, other aspects of partnership, such as communication, appeared to be much more important predictors of sexual satisfaction than body image variables. The best predictor of sexual frequency was fear that intercourse might harm the fetus. Implications for education about sexuality issues in pregnancy are discussed.     

Hierarchization and segmentation of informal care markets in Slovenia

The article is the result of qualitative research of informal care markets in Slovenia in the field of childcare, elder care, and cleaning. The author assesses Slovenia's position in the “global care chain” and finds that “local care chains” prevail in the field of childcare and elder care, while a co-occurrence of female gender, “other” ethnicity, and poverty is typical in the field of household cleaning. The main emphasis of the article is on the analysis of hierarchization of the informal market of care work according to following two criteria: social reputation of individual type of care work and citizenship status of care workers.     

The Volunteer Satisfaction Index: A Validation Study in the Cultural Context of the Two European Titles—Youth 2019 and Culture 2021, Novi Sad,Serbia

VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations - Conducting a study on a sample of 303 participants from the Novi Sad Voluntary Service we set out to validate the...     

Interpreting the Dynamics of Social Indicators: Methodological Issues Related to Absolute,Relative, and Time Differences

In contemporary society, a growing demand for the accessibility of social indicators can be observed. This requires increased attention to their construction to avoid misleading interpretations, which can be the result of inadequate knowledge, or can even be an intentional choice to imply a specific desired outcome. This paper addresses this issue by first summarizing research regarding the perception of numbers, statistical thinking, and numerical literacy. The focus is then narrowed to the comparison of social indicators observed for two units in a time perspective. Three simple and popular measures of dynamics—most frequently used when social change is analyzed and interpreted—are addressed: absolute difference, relative difference, and time distance. In a corresponding experiment, respondents evaluated the direction of change of a certain social indicator in time (i.e., whether the differences increase, decrease, or stagnate) for a hypothetical case where the three measures implied contradictory interpretations. Each experimental group was exposed to one of these measures. The results indicate that interpretations basically followed the specific measures that respondents were exposed to. This effect was particularly strong regarding absolute difference, followed by relative difference, while the effect of exposure to time distance was somewhat weaker. When only data or graphical presentation was given, respondents tended to interpret dynamics according to absolute differences. The results indicate that extreme methodological rigor is needed when presenting social indicators in time, and some guidelines are provided for this purpose.