The current status of case management practices in school settings and improvement plan proposals

Throughout the past decade much research has been directed towards identifying the occurrence, epidemiology, and risks associated with waterborne protozoa. While outbreaks are continually documented, sporadic cases of disease associated with exposure to low levels of waterborne protozoa are of increasing concern. Current methodologies may not be sensitive enough to define these low levels of disease. However, risk assessment methods may be utilised to address these low level contamination events. The purpose of this article is to provide an introduction to microbial risk assessment for waterborne protozoa. Risk assessment is a useful tool for evaluating relative risks and can be used for development of policies to decrease risks. Numerous studies have been published on risk assessment methods for pathogenic protozoa including Cryptosporidium and Giardia. One common notion prevails: microbial risk assessment presents interesting complications to the traditional chemical risk assessment paradigm. Single microbial exposures (non-threshold) are capable of causing symptomatic illness unlike traditional chemical exposures, which require a threshold to be reached. Due to the lack of efficient recovery and detection methods for protozoa, we may be underestimating the occurrence, concentration and distribution of these pathogenic micro-organisms. To better utilize the tool of microbial risk assessment for risk management practices, future research should focus in the area of exposure assessment.

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A Scoping Review of Organizational Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Schools: A Complex Systems Perspective

Education Sciences ◽

10.3390/educsci11030115 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 115

Author(s):

Puspa Khanal ◽

Fabio Bento ◽

Marco Tagliabue

Keyword(s):

Scoping Review ◽

Management Practices ◽

Environmental Changes ◽

Research Literature ◽

Organizational Adaptation ◽

Open Communication ◽

Organizational Responses ◽

Additional Element ◽

Systems Perspective ◽

School Settings

This study is a scoping review of the literature on organizational adaptation in school settings during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dramatic and unexpected environmental changes raise questions about the capacity of schooling organizations to adapt to in response to the pandemic. Different management practices have implications for the selection of organizational behaviors, electively in school settings. The research literature on school responses is analyzed from a selectionist perspective. The aim of this study is to identify and describe three constituting elements of this perspective: variation, interaction, and selection. An additional element is considered in this analysis and comprises the mechanisms of exploration and exploitation in the context of organizational adaptation. Sixteen studies met the selection criteria of describing emergent processes in schools. The findings highlight the emergence of exploration, as teachers actively experimented with a range of strategies and methods in order to maintain educational activities in the complex and uncertain context of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, several questions are raised regarding the effects and maintenance of new practices in the post-pandemic scenario. Management practices that facilitate variation and open communication about learning processes can contribute to the process of organizational adaptation.

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Barriers in Case Managers’ Roles: A Qualitative Systematic Review

Western Journal of Nursing Research ◽

10.1177/0193945917728689 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 40 (10) ◽

pp. 1522-1542 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Jee Young Joo ◽

Diane L. Huber

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Health Care ◽

Case Management ◽

Health Care Providers ◽

Management Practices ◽

Case Managers ◽

Qualitative Studies ◽

Complex Case ◽

Bibliographic Databases ◽

Care Providers

The challenges faced by case managers when implementing case management have received little focus. Several qualitative studies have been published that may be able to shed light on those challenges. This study is a systematic review of qualitative literature to identify barriers case managers have when implementing case management. Five electronic bibliographic databases were systematically searched, and 10 qualitative studies were identified for inclusion in the review which were published from 2007 to 2016. Through thematic synthesis of findings, five themes were identified as barriers to case management implementation: unclear scope of practice, diverse and complex case management activities, insufficient training, poor collaboration with other health-care providers, and client relationship challenges. This review study suggested that standardized evidence-based practical protocols and certification programs may help overcome case managers’ barriers and improve case management practices. Health policymakers, case management associations, and health-care management researchers should develop educational and practical supports for case managers.

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Temporal changes in an alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) population

Wildlife Research ◽

10.1071/wr12075 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 40 (1) ◽

pp. 77 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Mitchell B. East ◽

J. Daren Riedle ◽

Day B. Ligon

Keyword(s):

Management Practices ◽

Unknown Origin ◽

Current Status ◽

Macrochelys Temminckii ◽

The Status ◽

Management Recommendations ◽

The Impact ◽

Term Monitoring ◽

Term Data

Context Monitoring populations of long-lived species requires continuous long-term efforts. This is especially applicable for species that have experienced declines range-wide. Aims Our study assessed the current status of a population of wild Macrochelys temminckii and compared the present results to those from a survey conducted nearly a decade ago. Methods Trapping in 2010–2011 was conducted on two creeks within the refuge, during the months of May–July. Capture data were compared with data collected by similar methods in 1997–2001. Key results The population structure of M. temminckii was dominated by juveniles, with few large adults or small juveniles detected and a missing size class was evident. Retrospective analysis of 1997–2001 data revealed that the population was likely to be in decline even then, despite high capture rates. Conclusions The M. temminckii population showed significant declines that indicated that the population had experienced stressors of unknown origin. The status of M. temminckii at the refuge is concerning, given the protection afforded this remnant population. Implications Short-term data from 1997–2001 indicated a healthy M. temminckii population, whereas longer-term data showed that the population has declined, resulting in significant demographic changes. Continued monitoring will be necessary to develop management recommendations and track the impact of implemented management practices. Longer-term monitoring of long-lived vertebrates is required to identify population trends.

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Review of existing energy management standards and possibilities for its introduction in Serbia

Thermal Science ◽

10.2298/tsci091106003j ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 14 (3) ◽

pp. 613-623 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Dubravka Jelic ◽

Dusan Gordic ◽

Milun Babic ◽

Davor Koncalovic ◽

Vanja Sustersic

Keyword(s):

Best Practices ◽

Energy Management ◽

Energy Efficient ◽

Management Practices ◽

Energy Savings ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Current Status ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Management Standards ◽

Current State

Until recent times, energy management practices primarily consisted in replacing inefficient equipment and then using any number of methods to estimate obtained savings. Experience shows that positive effects of energy efficient improvements were decreased over time. There have been significant efforts over the last decade to define appropriate standards and best practices and implement the consistent energy management system to increase and maintain the energy savings. The knowledge gained from thousands of energy efficient projects is driving a transition from traditional tactical practice (one-time "build and forget" projects) to energy management strategies proposed and endorsed by a number of international organizations. The current status of internationally developed energy management standards, including an analysis of their shared features and differences is presented in this paper. The purpose of the analysis is to describe the current state of ?best practices? for this emerging area of energy efficiency policymaking in order to study the possibility of implementation of energy management standards in Serbia and to estimate the effects and the potential for energy saving that would be made by its implementation.

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The Losses in the Rice Harvest Process: A Review

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13179627 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (17) ◽

pp. 9627

Author(s):

Xue Qu ◽

Daizo Kojima ◽

Laping Wu ◽

Mitsuyoshi Ando

Keyword(s):

Rural Women ◽

Management Practices ◽

Cost Benefit Analysis ◽

Cost Benefit ◽

Estimation Methods ◽

Current Status ◽

Harvest Management ◽

Key Stakeholders ◽

Harvesting Techniques ◽

Poor Infrastructure

We review existing studies on rice harvest loss from the aspects of estimation methods, magnitudes, causes, effects, and interventions. The harvest losses examined occurred from the field reaping to storage processes, including threshing, winnowing, and field transportation. We find that existing studies on rice harvest losses have focused on quantitative losses in Asia and Africa. Lack of knowledge, inadequate harvesting techniques, poor infrastructure, and inefficient harvest management practices are considered critical contributors to the losses. The magnitudes and causes of rice harvest losses are now better understood than interventions, which have simply been presented but lack an assessment of the effects and a cost–benefit analysis. Interestingly, reduction in harvest losses may threaten some farmers’ profits, such as rural women who make their living from post-production manual operations. Considering the current status of the literature, future researchers should examine how to balance social and individual welfare since farmers are key stakeholders in intervention implementation. A good understanding of the existing researches can help clarify future efforts for loss reduction, thereby reducing the burden of increasing agricultural production and promoting sustainable development of resources and the environment.

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