Small Home Research Articles

Intersectional tension: a qualitative study of the effects of the COVID-19 response on survivors of violence against women in urban India

ObjectivesThere is a concern worldwide that efforts to address the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic have affected the frequency and intensity of domestic violence against women. Residents of urban informal settlements faced particularly...

The informal culture of a direct care staff team supporting people with intellectual disabilities who present with behaviours that challenge

PurposeResearch into culture within intellectual disability services, has predominantly focussed on small group homes in Australia. The current investigation aimed to explore the transferability of the dimensions of culture identified in the literature, to a residential Intellectual Disability service in the UK. The purpose of this study was to better understand the impact of informal culture upon the behaviour of direct care staff, particularly around managing behaviour that challenges.Design/methodology/approachSemi-structured interviews were conducted with direct care staff. Interview transcripts were analysed thematically using template analysis.FindingsThemes regarding leadership, perceptions of managers, team functioning, and relationships between direct care staff and service users, were identified, corroborating the existing literature. Additional themes relating to being aware of the risks posed by service users, and the emotional impact of behaviour that challenges, also emerged.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first qualitative study to explore informal culture within a community residential Intellectual Disability service in the UK.

Site fidelity, spatial use, and behavior of dwarf sperm whales in Hawaiian waters: using small‐boat surveys, photo‐identification, and unmanned aerial systems to study a difficult‐to‐study species

AbstractDwarf sperm whales (Kogia sima) have been studied rarely at sea. We used photo‐identification, boat‐ and drone‐based behavioral observations, and citizen science photo contributions to examine site fidelity, spatial use, and behavior in Hawaiʻi. Sighting rates were highest in island slope (500–1,000 m) waters. Over 40% of photo‐identified individuals were linked by association in the same social network. More than half of the very distinctive individuals were seen more than once, and 28.5% were seen in multiple years, with one individual seen 14 times over a 15‐year span. Resighted individuals and those in the main cluster of the social network were found in significantly shallower water than individuals that were not resighted or that were in isolated clusters. Distances between resighting locations suggest small home ranges. This suggests an insular slope‐dwelling population that overlaps with an offshore population. Evidence of unsuccessful predatory attempts by large sharks was recorded on four individuals, and linear wounds consistent with interactions with line fisheries were documented on three individuals. Surface and subsurface behavior recorded by drone revealed vigilance behavior likely to minimize predation risk. Lessons learned from this study can be applied elsewhere to increase knowledge of this poorly known and difficult‐to‐study species.

Measuring inventory turnover efficiency using stochastic frontier analysis: building materials and hardware retail chains in Norway

Operational efficiency in the retail business is vital in order to be profitable in a competitive environment. This paper investigates how environmental factors, firm size and time trends are linked to inventory performance. We use location data, demographic data and 16 years of financial accounting data from small and medium-sized home improvement retailers to explain inventory performance at a chain and a regional level. Traditionally a regression model could be used to assess the impact of the explanatory variables on inventory performance. We choose to use a stochastic frontier model since inventory turnover is linked to efficiency and productivity. Furthermore, we allow the model to control for key financial figures such as gross margin, capital intensity and sales growth. We find that efficiency in inventory performance varies depending on local market conditions and store location. Moreover, increased firm size tends to increase inventory efficiency, while time trend in inventory efficiency varies by retail chain affiliation. This paper provides new insights into the literature on operations- and inventory management, and suggests that retail managers should consider including environmental factors as part of their analysis when using inventory turnover as an efficiency benchmark.

From the Ashes.

I wish I could wash the hurt out of the mangled fabric of my patients’ lives. You know the ones: the young woman brought in by her friends after she passed out who brushes off the concealed bruises on her arms as just her being clumsy, the middle-aged patient throwing a tantrum because he has been sitting five hours in the waiting room and why has the doctor not been here already, the stooped old man presenting for the third time this month with low back pain that only responds to hydromorphone. I stand over the woman’s stretcher and listen to her vague allusions to just tripping over something on the ground, and I wonder if what really hit her head was her boyfriend’s fist and not the corner of a couch. The middle-aged man is shouting because everyone is too slow and how much longer is it going to take, and what he does not speak is the worry of being a single father with two small children home alone because some doctor sent him here after finding he had a systolic blood pressure of 200 in primary care clinic. The old man lies curled up in bed and cusses when I ask about his allergy to acetaminophen. I see three lives burning down to ash, and I wish I could help them unfurl their wings and become a phoenix. Healing will take much more than any small thing I can do during a few hours in the emergency department. But if there are patients lost in a night so dark they have forgotten what light is, for those hours I can hand them a lantern so they know they are not wandering alone through all that darkness. It can be intentionally taking a few extra minutes to sit a little longer at a young woman’s bedside because this is the first time in two months that anyone has cared to hear her and really listen. It can also be assuring a frustrated man that you understand he needs to get home; let him know you will take care of his blood pressure and get him going as soon as safe to ease some of his worry. And sometimes it is a ham sandwich placed in the weary dirt-stained hands of a homeless man complaining of low back pain who is really looking for a meal and a night of shelter.

Information experience of village library staff

Village libraries, which are generally voluntarily-operated, serve their local people with information and activities according to the local need. Volunteers manage libraries to provide information relevant to the locals’ interests and lines of work. This includes crops, fisheries, small home enterprises, as well as practices in preserving traditional cultures. In light of this, village libraries play an important role in supporting their local people by enhancing their competencies through the provision of information. This study aims to explore the information experiences of library staff when managing their respective libraries. The present study involved interviews with five library staff, uncovering their perspective on how they engage with information when managing the library. The data collected were analyzed using thematic analysis, revealing three themes related to the library staffs’ information experiences: information need, information network, and information impact. The results showed that the staff relied much on books to get information and utilized social media to find and connect with colleagues in order to learn more about library management. It was also through social media that the library staff made efforts to improve their competencies in managing local libraries.

Ecological correlates of fecal corticosterone metabolites in female Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus)

Measurement of physiological responses can reveal effects of ecological conditions on an animal and correlate with demographic parameters. Ecological conditions for many animal species have deteriorated as a function of invasive plants and habitat fragmentation. Expansion of juniper (genus Juniperus L.) trees and invasion of annual grasses into sagebrush (genus Artemisia L.) ecosystems have contributed to habitat degradation for Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus (Bonaparte, 1827); hereinafter Sage-Grouse), a species of conservation concern throughout its range. We evaluated relationships between habitat use in a landscape modified by juniper expansion and annual grasses and corticosterone metabolite levels (stress responses) in feces (FCORTm) of female Sage-Grouse. We used remotely sensed data to estimate vegetation cover within the home ranges of hens and accounted for factors that influence FCORTm in other vertebrates, such as age and weather. We collected 35 fecal samples from 22 radio-collared hens during the 2017–2018 brood-rearing season (24 May–26 July) in southwestern Idaho (USA). Concentrations of corticosterone increased with home range size but decreased with reproductive effort and temperature. The importance of home range size suggests that maintaining or improving habitats that promote smaller home ranges would likely facilitate a lower stress response by hens, which should benefit Sage-Grouse survival and reproduction.

A decade of surf-zone linefish monitoring in the Dwesa-Cwebe Marine Protected Area, with a preliminary assessment of the effects of rezoning and resource use

An 11-year assessment of surf-zone linefish (marine fish captured on hook and line) was carried out in the Dwesa-Cwebe Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, by research fishing to determine species and size composition, movement and relative abundance using catch per unit effort (CPUE). Comparisons were made between the Cwebe and Dwesa sections of the MPA on either side of the Mbhashe Estuary, as well as between two partially protected areas (PPAs) and two no-take zones in the Dwesa section, which came into effect in January 2016. A total of 7 241 fish representing 43 species were recorded, where 39.5% of the species are endemic, 29.5% are considered threatened by the IUCN, and 27.3% are either overexploited, collapsed or in decline. Of 3 963 tagged fish, 128 (3.2%) recaptures were recorded, of which most (62%) exhibited no movement. Localised differences in species diversity, size frequency and CPUE were detected between the Dwesa and Cwebe sections, and lower average length and CPUE of some species were recorded in the Dwesa PPAs compared with in the Dwesa no-take zones. These differences were more prominent in slow-growing, long-lived species with small home ranges, indicating the negative impacts of fishing pressure on vulnerable species found in this MPA and a reduction in benefits that would otherwise be associated with no-take zonation. These findings highlight the need to revisit the rezoning of the MPA with regard to the size of the no-take zones and emphasise the need for effective law enforcement to ensure adherence to existing regulations.

Cognitive Correlates of Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Performance in Parkinson Disease Without Dementia

ObjectiveTo investigate cognitive correlates of instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) performance among people with Parkinson disease (PD) without dementia. DesignCross-sectional. SettingAcademic medical center. ParticipantsVolunteer sample (N=161) comprising participants with PD without dementia (n=102) and healthy comparison (HC) participants (n=59). InterventionsNot applicable. Main Outcome MeasuresPerformance-based assessment of cognitively-demanding IADL (meal preparation, bill paying, shopping, medication management, small home repair), neuropsychological tests (attentional control/flexibility, planning, working memory, memory, crystallized intelligence), and measures of motor function and other characteristics (eg, depressive symptoms). ResultsThere were no group differences in neuropsychological test performance (P>.06). The PD group performed more poorly than the HC group on a number of cognitive IADL tasks (P<.04). After accounting for the effects of motor impairment and other disease-related characteristics, neuropsychological test performance accounted for a small but unique portion of the variance in performance of all cognitive IADL combined, meal preparation, shopping, and medication management in the PD group (R2=4%-13%; P≤.01). ConclusionsThe PD group had cognitive IADL performance limitations despite being unimpaired on neuropsychological tests. Within PD, neuropsychological test performance accounted for a small but significant portion of the variance in cognitive IADL performance over and above the effects of motor and other impairments. These results support the added value of using performance-based IADL assessments in functional evaluations of individuals with early and mild PD without dementia.

Partnering With Families of Medically Complex Children Transitioning From the Hospital to Home.

Partnering With Families of Medically Complex Children Transitioning From the Hospital to Home.

Penggunaan Status Whatsapp Sebagai Digital Marketing Warga Kecamatan Medan Satria Bekasi Di Era New Normal

Social media can be used as one of the digital marketing media that is quite effective in business activities in all lines, including small home businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic and the PSBB policy that changes new lives (new normal). It is important to note that each social media has its own characteristics. For this reason, digital marketing efforts through social media need to be designed and adapted to the characteristics of each social media first. This study aims to analyze the advantages and disadvantages of using WhatsApp status as a digital marketing medium. Using a qualitative approach with a phenomenological approach. The subjects of this research are residents of Medan Satria Bekasi District, while the object of this research is WhatsApp status which has various supporting features as a digital marketing media. The results of the study conclude that although there are many conveniences and advantages that residents of Medan Satria District can take advantage of using WhatsApp Status as a digital marketing medium, also has drawbacks that need special attention if you want your business to develop and achieve greater profits. Thus, if you want to do massive marketing activities, then WhatsApp Status is not the right choice.

Urban rhythms in a small home: COVID-19 as a mechanism of exception.

The amount of living space we have access to is one manifestation of the unequal distribution of housing resources within societies. The COVID-19 pandemic has required most households to spend more time at home, unmasking inequalities and reigniting longstanding debates about the functionality and experience of smaller homes. Drawing on interviews across three UK cities, this article attends to the changing household routines of individuals living in different types of small home, exploring daily life before and during 'lockdown'. Using the concept of urban rhythms, the data show that the lockdown has intensified existing pressures of living in a smaller home - lack of space for different functions and household members - whilst constraining coping strategies, like spending time outside the home. Lockdown restrictions governing mobility and contact acted as a mechanism of exception, disrupting habitual patterns of life and sociability, and forcing people to spend more time in smaller homes that struggled to accommodate different functions, affecting home atmospheres. For some, the loss of normal strategies was so significant that they sought to challenge the new rules governing daily life to protect their wellbeing.

Fragment connectivity shapes bird communities through functional trait filtering in two types of grasslands

Habitat fragmentation is considered one of the most severe threatening factors for global biodiversity. Here we assessed, how local and landscape scale environmental variables, such as fragment size (small vs. large) and landscape configuration (measured as connectivity index) relates to bird community composition, species richness, abundance and functional diversity. We surveyed 60 grassland fragments in Hungary, belonging to two different threatened grassland types, namely forest-steppes and kurgans. Forest-steppes are natural mosaics of grasslands and forests at the contact zone between closed-canopy temperate forests and steppe grasslands. Kurgans are ancient burial mounds, found on the Eurasian steppe and forest steppe zone. These fragments were embedded in plantation forestry, respectively, agricultural matrix with gradients of size and connectivity. Both habitats are threatened by forestry and agricultural intensification, though these fragments may serve as important wildlife refuges. Our findings revealed that forest-steppe birds were more diverse and abundant in large and well-connected than in small isolated fragments. High connectivity affected ground nesting birds in small forest-steppe fragments positively. Birds inhabiting kurgan area showed higher trait similarity in well-connected than in isolated fragments. Bird abundance of kurgans associated with small home range size and ground feeding habit were higher in connected compared to isolated fragments. Highly isolated kurgans filtered for more specialised bird species but not for generalists. We provide conservation implications for enhancing grassland specialist bird communities, which consist of preservation of large, well-connected grassland fragments within production landscapes and through reconsideration of the currently used intensive forestry.

Ecological and evolutionary significance of primates' most consumed plant families.

Angiosperms have been essential components of primate diets for millions of years, but the relative importance of different angiosperm families remains unclear. Here, we assess the contribution and ecological and evolutionary significance of plant families to diets of wild primates by compiling an unprecedented dataset of almost 9000 dietary records from 141 primary sources covering 112 primate species. Of the 205 angiosperm plant families recorded in primate diets, only 10 were consumed by more than half of primate species. Plants of the Moraceae and Fabaceae families were the most widely and frequently consumed, and they likely represent keystone resources for primates. Over 75% of species fed on these two families, and together they made up a median of approximately 13% of primate diets. By analysing the relative proportion of different plant parts consumed, we found that Moraceae was mainly eaten as fruit and Fabaceae as non-fruit parts, with the consumption of these two families not showing a significant phylogenetic signal across primate species. Moraceae consumption was associated with small home range sizes, even though more frugivorous primates tended to have larger home ranges compared to more folivorous species, possibly due to the year-round availability of moraceous fruits and the asynchrony in their phenology. Our results suggest that primates may be intricately and subtly shaped by the plant families that they have consumed over millions of years, and highlight the importance of detailed dietary studies to better understand primate ecology and evolution.

The overabundance of resources leads to small but exclusive home ranges in Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) on Bering Island

The overabundance of resources leads to small but exclusive home ranges in Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) on Bering Island

Environmental and behavioral factors influencing individual variation in spatial use by Guiana dolphins (Sotalia guianensis)

AbstractMarine apex predators, such as coastal dolphins, are key components of ecosystem function and dynamics; understanding their spatial use therefore is important for conservation planning. Here, we describe spatial use of the threatened Guiana dolphin, Sotalia guianensis, within a mosaic of protected areas at their southern range in the Paranaguá estuarine complex (PEC), Brazil. Based on environmental characteristics and S. guianensis population densities, individual photo-identification surveys were focused on two sectors of the northern mouth of the PEC between 2013 and 2015. We photo-identified 107 individuals and recorded 351 groups of Guiana dolphins; nearly 50% of which contained calves. Group sizes were small (mean ± SD: Sector 1 = 3.4 ± 2.7; Sector 2 = 3.6 ± 2.0) and ranged from 1 to 30 individuals. Clustering algorithms were applied to resighted, photo-identified Guiana dolphins to classify individuals as “residents” (sighted in 87% of surveys, n = 11) and “transients” (two clusters; 62%, n = 22; 95%, n = 72). All individuals predominantly were observed foraging (90% in Sector 1 and 76% in Sector 2), but spatial use by transient individuals differed from the residents in terms of environmental (slope, water depth, and rainfall) and behavioral factors (presence of calves and foraging behavior). Compared to transients, resident dolphins ranged over smaller areas, typically more suitable for feeding, calf caring, and more protected from predators and vessels. Because resident Guiana dolphins exhibit small home ranges, they are particularly vulnerable to local anthropogenic activities and habitat loss. These characteristics imply a strong need for regionalized management plans to reduce negative impacts and to maintain the ecological functionality of the species.

Habitat Use, Activity Patterns, and Survival of Louisiana Pinesnakes (Pituophis ruthveni) in West-central Louisiana

Pituophis ruthveni (Louisiana Pinesnake) is considered to be one of the rarest snake species in North America and, accordingly, was federally listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 2018. Although much previous work has demonstrated the species' tight association with its primary prey, Geomys breviceps (Baird's Pocket Gopher), relatively little work has been done on habitat selection, hampering management and conservation efforts. Here we use a variety of technologies, including traditional radio-telemetry, automated radio-telemetry, and subsurface temperature loggers, to monitor Louisiana Pinesnake behavior and habitat use for one of the few remaining populations of the species. We find support for previous studies indicating that Louisiana Pinesnakes exhibit bimodal seasonal activity patterns and preferences for areas with Baird's Pocket Gophers. However, we also document extensive individual variation in behavior and habitat use with some individuals exhibiting small home ranges (8.36 ha) in relatively open habitats and others with much larger home ranges (166.83 ha) in relatively closed habitats. These results suggest that Louisiana Pinesnake habitat selection, although largely restricted to areas with pocket gophers, can be extremely variable in other habitat features. Based on subsurface temperatures, our results suggest that snakes are most often found relatively close to the surface (88% of observations within 15 cm of surface) when utilizing burrows. Although we document relatively high annual survival (56%) compared to previous studies, we also detected Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola, the fungal causative agent for snake fungal disease, in 3 of our 7 individuals included in the study, highlighting the continued threats facing the species.

Small Scale Home Drying of Indigenous Fish Species in Urban High-Rises at Dhaka Metro

Drying is one of the common and ancient methods of fish preservation and is generally done in a wide range of open space. This study attempt to evaluate fish drying method at high-rise urban households with three small indigenous fishes namely Mola (Amblypharyngodon mola), Chapila (Gudusia chapra) and Lal Khailsha (Trichogaster lalius). Fishes were dried at high-rise indoor veranda and outdoor rooftop conditions. The dry weight of Mola, Chapila and Lal Khailsha fishes were 70%, 69.5% and 72% in indoor condition and 71.1%, 70.5% and 73% in outdoor condition. The differences of drying capacity between the indoor and outdoor dried fishes were none (p&lt;0.05), thus, the both drying methods are feasible for the urban lifestyle. In dry state, the moisture level in Mola, Chapila and Lal Khailsha were 6.45%, 7.89% and 7.82% whereas, the protein level were 66.51%, 72.26% and 62.02% respectively. The ash value found in the respective fishes was 10.05%, 12.18% and 16.07% and the amount of total fat was 11.14%, 11.28% and 12.32% respectively. The protein and moisture values showed an inverse relationship between the indoor and outdoor condition. The preference analysis of dried fish was found to be highly (100%) accepted among the dry fish-eating consumers from Chittagong, Lakhimpur, Mymensingh, Rangpur, Bandarban, Pabna and Sylhet districts. On the contrary, in case of the consumers of Barisal and Chandpur districts, the level of acceptance was none (0%), whereas the consumers of Kushtia district have accepted the dry fish moderately (60%). Bangladesh J. Zool. 49(1): 117-124, 2021

“This ‘Family Setting’ Is Not that Anymore”: Rewards and Challenges of Adult Foster Home Owners

ABSTRACT Small residential care settings for older adults and people with disabilities are found throughout the United States. Those with fewer than 25 residents account for half of residential care settings. Adult foster homes (AFH) are under-studied although they provide personal and health-related services to residents, including people with Alzheimer’s disease. This qualitative study collected data from 726 AFH owners over four years. Results provide a contemporary perspective on owners’ experience of the rewards and challenges of operating a small home. These results are relevant since many residents prefer small settings, and because federal regulatory changes affect AFH policies and practices.

Home Ranges and Movement Patterns of the Chinese Softshell Turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis) in the Yellow River, Northwestern China

A detailed understanding of the spatial ecology and habitat requirements of endangered species is critical for population restoration and conservation. Home ranges and movements of the endangered Chinese softshell turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis) were investigated in the Yellow River, northwestern China, from October 2016 to July 2018. We monitored 9 adult turtles (5 females and 4 males) with radio transmitters. Mean linear range size was 440 ± 161 m SD, mean river channel area was 1.98 ± 0.72 ha SD, the average minimum convex polygon was 1.36 ± 0.65 ha SD, average 95% kernel density estimator measured 0.84 ± 0.51 ha SD, with a core area (50% kernel density estimator) of 0.30 ± 0.20 ha SD. Home range values were not significantly different between the sexes nor were they related to straight-line carapace length or mass. Daily movements of P. sinensis averaged 35 ± 18 m SD for males and 43 ± 18 m SD for females, and there was no significant difference between sexes or significant correlation between movement patterns and body size. However, during the nesting season, there was a significant difference between sexes. Turtle activity was highest in May (average daily movement 59 ± 6 m SD) and lowest in January (0.4 ± 0.6 m SD). Given that P. sinensis individuals have small home ranges and are capable of existing in small rivers, management efforts should protect smaller rivers that may be easily overlooked. Results from this study provide the first assessment of home range requirements for P. sinensis, which may be used in future population modeling efforts and are important for establishing conservation strategies for this vulnerable species.