European Researcher. Series A

1651-1661

Authors: Sribas Goswami

Coal mining is a development activity, which is bound to damage the natural ecosystem by all its activities direct and ancillary, starting from land acquisition to coal beneficiation and use of the products. This is so because environmental degradation has affected especially the common property resources such as land and water on which depend the subsistence and well-being of the local community. The study area being the foremost coal producing region of the country also ranked high in the record of environmentally degraded region. Huge areas in the Raniganj and Jharia coalfield in India have become ruined due to abandoned and active mine surface and underground mines. In open cast mines, waste resources are usually stacked as huge dumps in the surroundings. These, coupled with coal dumps, cause noteworthy visual impact. Large vicinity of forest, farming land, and pasture land has been transformed into colliery colonies or into uncultivated land due to rapid expansion of the coal mines. As a result, land use pattern has been changed considerably over last three decades. This study is pursued to assess the impact of coal mining activities on local community and environment.

1671-1676

Authors: Maksim A. Safonov

The article shows the results of a study of wood-destroying basidiomycetes on two species of elder trees (Alnus glutinosa, Alnus incan), growing in the South Urals (Orenburg Oblast). The comparative analysis of basidiomycetes on two species of elder trees was conducted. The reasons for structural differences of these complexes are discussed. It is consumed that the reason lies in growth conditions of the trees.

1682-1693

Authors: Muñoz González, Juan Muñoz, Vega Gea, Esther María, Figueroa Flores, Jorge Francisco

In this paper we propose Mind Mapping as a technique which enhances holistic learning or whole brain learning in higher education. The dynamics performed in the learning and application of Mind Mapping is part of a participatory approach in the classroom as an element of the learning process. The research approach follows a quantitative methodology. The results reflect the views of students about the learning of Mind Mapping and its effectiveness in the study. The findings indicate that mental maps can be used with any type of material, making it a tool applicable to any university degree course.

1707-1717

Authors: Ulysses Rodrigues de Castro, Antonio José Pacheco Palha, Nelson Rocha de Oliveira, José Carlos Amado Martins

Health care professionals suffer from both regular job stress and caregiver stress that arises from the neglect of their work situation. As principles of bioethics protection, vertical protection ratio, health policies should also target health professionals. So, this paper seeks to understand the issue of stress in relation to mental health professionals, specifically the community health agents of the Federal District in Brazil. Methods: This study is an exploratory study that adopts a quantitative approach. Data were obtained by a questionnaire, that mesure social, work and stress factors, in 97 community health agents, a different class of health professional. The SPSS 19.0 program was used to mesure the results. Results: The sociodemographic data of respondentes revealed that the majority were women, 40,2% of the group members fall in the age range 30‒39 years, 51% of respondents were married and 57.7% were of middle socioeconomic status. All Pearson correlations were significant at the 0.01 level (two-tailed). The results show that all stressors are negatively correlated with the mental health factors. These results showed that mental health deteriorates with increased stress. The mental health indicators are strongly and positively associated, indicating that individuals with better mental health show greater personal, social and workplace support. Conclusions: The results indicate the need for management changes in the public health sector related to Bioethics Protection, which states that populations vulnerable to work exploitation should be protected by guaranteeing minimum working conditions.