Appreciation Of Nature Research Articles

Hidden in Plain Sight: The Moral Imperatives of Hippocrates' First Aphorism.

This historiographic survey of extant English translations and interpretations of the renowned Hippocratic first aphorism has demonstrated a concerning acceptance and application of ancient deontological principles that have been used to justify a practice of medicine that has been both paternalistic and heteronomous. Such principles reflect an enduring Hippocratism that has perpetuated an insufficient appreciation of the moral nature of the aphorism's second sentence in the practice of the art of medicine. That oversight has been constrained by a philological discourse that has centred on the meanings of the aphorism's first sentence, while little consideration has been given to the more important ethical consideration within the second sentence's imperatives.

Teaching materials and curriculum research focusing on biological pigments of organisms

In order to enhance students' understanding of scientific concepts, a curriculum that includes learning designs of experiments and experiencing scientific concepts in action is key. Professor Kouji Takeda, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Japan, is developing experimental teaching materials for high school biology students consisting of experimental and scientific techniques and knowledge of microorganisms, plants, and animals. Takeda believes that instilling in students a deep appreciation of nature is important as it fosters respect for the environment and contributes to the promotion of sustainability. His goal in designing new teaching materials is to improve students' research abilities and foster their connection with micro- and macro perspective in the environment. Takeda and his team have three pillars of educational research: curriculum research; teaching material research; and research of instruction, which are key foci for the researchers. The researchers have set learning goals for a deeper understanding of living things and have built a theoretical framework for the curriculum. In particular, it is important for students to investigate and understand the importance of substances in living organisms. This ties into the teaching material research, which focuses on finding a system, or model organism, in which this could be experimentally demonstrated and explored. Then, the plan is for Takeda and the team to conduct the teaching material research in schools. This will comprise tests and interviews with students and teachers, as well as observations, with a view to demonstrating the significance of the curriculum and teaching material research.

Psalm 104: The Panorama of Life

Psalm 104 is a majestic hymn to creation, a dynamic corollary to the more formal presentation of the creation of the world in Genesis 1. Reflection upon some of the passages provides us with insight into the biblical author’s appreciation for nature, an attitude that needs to inspire us in this age of ecological crisis. Though the biblical text is unaware of such an ecological crisis; nonetheless, passages shine forth that can speak to us in our modern age of global warming and environmental collapse.

Market Segmentation Based on Ecotourism Motivations in Marine Protected Areas and National Parks in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Carvache-Franco, M.; Carvache-Franco, W., and Manner-Baldeon, F., 2021. Market segmentation based on ecotourism motivations in marine protected areas and national parks in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. Journal of Coastal Research, 37(3), 620–633. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.Demand segmentation in ecotourism is a strategy that supports efficient planning for the conservation of resources. This study aimed to create a market segmentation based on ecotourism motivations for protected areas on islands. Data were collected through a questionnaire given to 822 tourists on the Galapagos Islands, a province of Ecuador. The Galapagos Archipelago is located in the Pacific Ocean and has been declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (2019). It is of volcanic origin surrounded by marine currents. It is made up of two protected areas: Galapagos National Park, which covers the land surface, and the Galapagos Marine Reserve, which protects the marine environment. The findings were later evaluated with a factor analysis and a K-means clustering method. The results showed that there are six motivational dimensions, labeled: self-development, interpersonal relationships and ego-defensive function, escape, building personal relationships, nature appreciation, and reward. Three groups of tourists were identified. The first, the reward and escape group, had high motivations related to nature, experiencing new things, exploring the unknown, fun, escaping the routine, and destressing. The second, multiple motives tourists, scored highly on all motivational variables. Finally, nature tourists had high motivation in aspects related to nature. These results offer a basis for tourism service providers to develop specific products adapted to various tourist motivations, to improve offers adapted to tourist expectations, to increase satisfaction and tourist return rate, and ultimately to benefit the economy of marine protected areas and national parks with higher employment and income. This study also can help public institutions design appropriate plans for visitors to these island protected areas.

Eight simple actions that individuals can take to save insects from global declines

Insects constitute the vast majority of known animal species and are ubiquitous across terrestrial ecosystems, playing key ecological roles. As prey, they are critical to the survival of countless other species, including the majority of bats, birds, and freshwater fishes (1). As herbivores, predators, and parasites, they are major determinants of the distribution and abundance of innumerable plants and animals. The majority of flowering plants, the dominant component of most terrestrial ecosystems, depend on insects for pollination and hence reproduction. As consumers of waste products, insects are essential to the recycling of nutrients. Humans and their agriculture rely heavily on such “ecosystem services” provided by insects (Fig. 1 A – J ), which together have at least an annual value of ∼$70 billion (2020 valuation) in the United States (2). Insects also provide humans with honey, silk, wax, dyes, and, in many cultures, food. Insects have become essential subjects in medical and basic biological research. Furthermore, insects are one of the most easily accessible forms of wildlife, with a diversity of morphology, life history, and behavior that seems ready-made for inspiring appreciation of nature and its conservation (Fig. 1 K – T ). Fig. 1. Examples of insects that are beneficial to humans ( A – J ), and examples of amazing things that insects do ( K – T ). A , Pollinator: Honey bee ( Apis mellifera ). B , Bumble bee ( Bombus sp.). C , Decomposer: Dung beetle (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae). D , Biocontrol: Ladybird beetle ( Harmonia sp.). E , Ecosystem service: Ants (Formicidae). F , Silk production: Silk moth ( Bombyx mori ). G , Research: Fruit fly ( Drosophila melanogaster ). H , Vaccine development, including coronavirus: Alfalfa looper moth ( Autographa californica ). I , Dye production: Cochineal scale insect ( Dactylopius coccus ). J , Environmental assessment: Stonefly (Plecoptera). K , Visual systems: Dragonflies (e.g., Neurothemis sp.) have near 360° vision. L , Visual defense: … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence may be addressed. Email: kawahara{at}flmnh.ufl.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1

Attitude toward environmental protection and toward nature: How do they shape consumer behaviour for a sustainable tomato?

Several research efforts have tried to explain the forces driving food-related decisions. In this article, we explore how individual attitude toward the environment could be a potential determinant of green behavior. This research offers an original methodological framework never adopted in the food consumption domain that is based on the contribution of Campbell Paradigm and the related advancements on attitude measures proposed by the environmental psychology literature. We also contribute to the literature by envisaging a two-dimensional environmental attitude, that distinguishes between attitude toward environmental protection and toward nature appreciation. The ultimate target is to explain consumer purchasing intentions, represented by Willingness to Pay, toward a hypothetical tomato with improved resource use efficiency taking into account consumer psycho-attitudinal propensity towards environmental issues. The analysis is conducted in Italy and in the UK, two countries characterized by different perceptions about tomato as a consumption good and about water related issues. Findings indicate that the two dimensions of consumer attitude affect differently the spending propensity for a sustainable tomato and these differences are also country-specific. The analysis suggests that policies aimed at promoting sustainable food products should also target the consumer type (naturalist or environmentalist) that is more sensible to environmental sustainability.

MENYOAL ALAM, MENJELMA PEREMPUAN: KARNAVAL KULTURAL CERITA RAKYAT MORONENE

This research focuses on the characters in the three stories of the Moronene people, entitled: Tina Lungo (TIL); Unsono Nee Taubonto (UNT); and Duu-dunno Rema Yi Kotu'a (DRK). Using the theory of ecofeminism, this research examines the position of men and women in the Moronene ethnic communal and the extent to which the Moronene community applies their appreciation of nature. The work concept uses a qualitative descriptive analysis method. The analysis was carried out after describing the data that had been identified through the reading process. As the result, men are deliberately described with an image that is giddy, poor, and full of anger. Unlike the case with women, who can fully appreciate their oneness with nature, they are endowed with features that nurture, care for, love. In conclusion, humans need to go hand in hand with nature to create world civilization. The three stories are worth giving to children in the concept of fairy tales and bedtime. This is important so that they have ecological and gender awareness so that one day they become human beings who carry the mission of peace for the entire universe.

Learning about waste management: The role of science motivation, preferences in technology and environmental values

• Environmental attitudes impact knowledge acquisition about the waste management. • Science motivation interacts with environmental attitudes. • Intrinsic motivation influences pre-knowledge. • Male students differ from female in technology preferences. Waste education modules were designed to tackle waste production. Knowledge acquisition, the promotion of individual sustainable attitudes combined with technology and science motivation are supposed the key players in achieving science citizenship. We assessed the identified parameters by monitoring the learning effect of fifth-graders, the Two Major Environmental Value scale (2-MEV), the Science Motivation scale (SMOT) as well as the Technology Questionnaire (TQ). Preservation correlated positively with knowledge acquisition, while Utilization correlated negatively. Moreover, intrinsic motivation correlated positively with pre-knowledge levels. Male students preferred the social implications of technology, as well as self-efficacy. Female students focused on appreciation of nature.

Emplacing the spatial turn in peace and conflict studies

This introduction provides an overview for the following collection of articles that engage with, and aim to extend, recent scholarship emphasising space as a category of analysis in peace and conflict studies. Attempts to ‘spatialise’ this field of enquiry have emphasised the ways actors and ideas travel and transform across scale (from the personal to the local, regional and global) and how agents, actors and identities constitute, and are constituted by, space and place in dynamics of conflict and peace. Attention to space has increased appreciation of the complex nature of nature of war- and peace-‘scapes’, and reflects upon space as material and symbolic, given meaning through peoples’ embodied activity and interactions. The articles in this issue engage with the foundations of the spatial turn and build upon innovations in spatial analysis of peace and conflict by focussing on the idea of ‘emplacement’ and emplaced security as critical to peacebuilding efforts and processes of conflict transition. To do so, we consider place in a relational sense, focussing on attachment, affective connection and narratives of place-identity as these are connected with conflict management, security, governance and political ordering.

Putting Down the Steady Pen for the Natural World

Much of the scholarship on Frederick Douglass in the past twenty years has focused on his public contributions to society at large: numerous comprehensive biographical treatments detail his interactions with political, religious, civil, and social movements. However, there has been little discussion of his interactions with the natural world. This article explores Douglass as a man of many seasons who demonstrated over the course of his life many passions, nature being among the most prominent. Along with Douglass’s staunch commitment as a universal reformer, we argue, Douglass carried a lifelong love for the environment, engaging with it physically, intellectually, and as a source of leisure. By the time of his death, he had become a Victorian gentleman farmer and a naturalist who possessed a global understanding of his natural environment. In fact, he often merged his appreciation for nature with his broad range of activism. These actions worked in harmony with one another. This aspect of his life was an equally important aspect of his character as a man who came of age during the nineteenth century and whose soul departed from the earth on the eve of the twentieth century.

Overtreatment as an ethical dilemma in Australian private dentistry: A qualitative exploration.

The phenomenon of overtreatment in dentistry is under-explored and has not been the subject of much research inquiry. Most dental care in Australia is provided by practitioners in private dental practice. This research expands understanding of how the nexus between professionalism and commercialism in dentistry is impacted by the phenomenon of overtreatment. Data were collected through recorded interviews and written reflections from private dentists working in the Australian context. The data were then examined using thematic analysis to understand common themes and reveal deeper insights. A total of 20 participants were recruited for this study. Participants spoke of their experiences in practice where financial targets and pressure from practice owners to provide high-cost treatments presented challenges to their professionalism. The participants expressed that the way in which dentistry is remunerated based on activity was a motivation towards engaging in overtreatment. The participants also spoke of finding a balance between commercialism and professionalism within private dental practice. Participants' reports provided insights into how the mismanagement of the commercial elements of private dental practice led to a transactional ('buyer beware') relationship between the consumers and providers of dental services, rather than a relationship founded upon professional altruism and trust. Consumer empowerment through the commercialization of dentistry has potential to be a positive influence on the patient experience in accessing dental care. However, this research has shown that the shift of power through consumerism also risks attenuating professional appreciation of the imbalanced nature of the patient-clinician relationship in dentistry.

Formação continuada em educação ambiental através de cursos de formação online de educadores

Esta pesquisa teve como tema o Projeto Escolas Conectadas como parceiro na formação continuada em Educação Ambiental de educadores do Brasil e, como objetivo de pesquisa, buscou-se analisar como o Projeto Escolas Conectadas auxilia na formação continuada em Educação Ambiental de educadores do Brasil, com foco no curso Água: gotas de conscientização. Como referencial teórico, embasou-se em diferentes autores(as) de Educação Ambiental e formação de professores, como Albanus (2008) e Nóvoa (2001). Numa abordagem qualitativa, mas com expedientes de apoio quantitativos, desenvolveu-se uma pesquisa com a plataforma digital do Projeto Escolas Conectadas – Fundação Telefônica Vivo, com foco no curso Água: gotas de conscientização – edição 2018. Utilizou-se a técnica de observação participante com 409 cursistas inscritos, através da mediação do curso e de análise documental. Constatou-se que o Projeto Escolas Conectadas auxilia na formação continuada em Educação Ambiental de educadores do Brasil, possibilitando sua capacitação. Conclui-se que a edição investigada viabilizou aprendizagens por meio das trocas de experiências com pares residentes em diferentes estados brasileiros (favorecendo a compreensão das singularidades do meio ambiente considerada cada região, bem como acerca da importância da água), promoveu inspirações para a prática na sala de aula (fomentando não só aos educadores participantes do curso, como também aos seus alunos, o respeito, o zelo e o apreço pela natureza) e suscitou visão crítica sobre as questões analisadas no decorrer da formação.

From science only to science for conservation: a personal journey

Long-term studies of whales, dolphins, and porpoises (the cetaceans) in nature abruptly began about 50 yr ago, preceded by several decades of terrestrial animal studies, often of charismatic large mammals. Fifty years ago, intensive whaling was still occurring, and arguments against whaling largely centered around impending extinctions due to over-hunting, not the idea that cetaceans should not be killed due to natural or inherent goodness. In the 1970s, several USA and other government agencies promulgated rules to help control pollution and other insults to nature, often effective in the short term but not in stopping an overall decline in the health of nature. While there appeared a general societal awakening towards greater appreciation of nature and intrinsic animal rights, researchers largely stayed focused on their research, with little attention to using knowledge to increase ecosystem and animal health. Attitudes of direct scientific involvement in calling for environmental action have changed, as it is becoming increasingly (but not universally) appreciated that researchers who know the problems are well-suited to alert governments, industry, and society to them, and loudly call for action. I have no good answers for how to accomplish large-scale rapid reversals of environmental declines. One laudable action is to be an active vocal part of appropriate web-based conservation advocacy groups. Involving the young of all genders and races for a groundswell of support is likely most effective in generating a new world view of so much respect for nature that we radically alter our present ways of subjugating and diminishing it in the name of supposed human progress. Above all, we scientists must no longer dither with opinions on environmental problems and urgent needs for action; we must proclaim them intelligently, forcefully, and as broadly as possible.

Mental health rescue effects of women's outdoor tourism: A role in COVID-19 recovery

Mental and social health outcomes from a portfolio of women's outdoor tourism products, with ~100,000 clients, are analysed using a catalysed netnography of >1000 social media posts. Entirely novel outcomes include: psychological rescue; recognition of a previously missing life component, and flow-on effects to family members. Outcomes reported previously for extreme sports, but not previously for hiking in nature, include psychological transformation. Outcomes also identified previously include: happiness, gratitude, relaxation, clarity and insights, nature appreciation, challenge and capability, and companionship and community effects. Commercial outdoor tourism enterprises can contribute powerfully to the wellbeing of women and families. This will be especially valuable for mental health recovery, following deterioration during COVID-19 coronavirus lockdowns worldwide.

Implementing ultrasound sessions to highlight living anatomy for large medical student cohorts

BackgroundThere is an intrinsic link between radiology and anatomy and the importance of being able to convert knowledge from 3D structure to 2D image, and vice versa. Medical students must learn how to use anatomical knowledge to interpret radiological images, and with the increasing use of point-of-care ultrasound in clinical practice, the ability to interpret ultrasound scans is becoming more of a core skill for graduating doctors. RationaleSeveral recent systematic reviews of the literature have been undertaken showing the benefits of incorporating ultrasound in anatomy teaching, including appreciation of the dynamic nature of living anatomy, better understanding of anatomical structure, and improved motivation to study. However, there is a lack of consensus in the way ultrasound teaching should be incorporated into undergraduate medical anatomy. ApproachThis article reflects on a pilot of integrating ultrasound into the medical undergraduate anatomy teaching in the School of Anatomy at the University of Bristol. It shares the experience and how some of the challenges cited in the literature have been approached. RecommendationTo help others negotiate the challenges of implementing this valuable teaching experience, a ‘Six Step Model’ for developing a live ultrasound pilot for undergraduate medical anatomy is offered: Expertise, Education, Ethics, Environment, Equipment, Enlist.

Understanding sentiment of national park visitors from social media data

Abstract National parks are key for conserving biodiversity and supporting people's well‐being. However, anthropogenic pressures challenge the existence of national parks and their conservation effectiveness. Therefore, it is crucial to assess how people perceive national parks in order to enhance socio‐political support for conservation. User‐generated data shared by visitors on social media provide opportunities to understand how people perceive (e.g. preferences, feelings, opinions) national parks during nature‐based recreational experiences. In this study, we applied methods from automated natural language processing to assess visitors' sentiment when describing experiences in Instagram posts geolocated inside four national parks in South Africa. We found that visitors' sentiment was positive, and mostly included emotions such as joy, anticipation, trust and surprise, with only a small occurrence of posts with negative feelings. Appreciation of nature, in association with a diverse set of other aspects, such as activities, geographical features and tourist attractions, was used to describe experiences related to nature, wilderness, travelling, holidays and adventures. The type of nature‐based experience described by visitors was park specific, revealing different profiles of parks providing wildlife or scenery experiences. Findings support and highlight the societal role of national parks in providing visitors with opportunities to develop positive connections with nature. Social media data may be used to understand visitors' perceptions, and how the image of national parks is constructed by users in the virtual social environment. This may help inform management for promoting a high‐quality tourism experience, as well as conservation marketing aimed at fostering socio‐political support for national parks and their long‐term conservation effectiveness. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.

An epistatic interaction between pre-natal smoke exposure and socioeconomic status has a significant impact on bronchodilator drug response in African American youth with asthma

BackgroundAsthma is one of the leading chronic illnesses among children in the United States. Asthma prevalence is higher among African Americans (11.2%) compared to European Americans (7.7%). Bronchodilator medications are part of the first-line therapy, and the rescue medication, for acute asthma symptoms. Bronchodilator drug response (BDR) varies substantially among different racial/ethnic groups. Asthma prevalence in African Americans is only 3.5% higher than that of European Americans, however, asthma mortality among African Americans is four times that of European Americans; variation in BDR may play an important role in explaining this health disparity. To improve our understanding of disparate health outcomes in complex phenotypes such as BDR, it is important to consider interactions between environmental and biological variables.ResultsWe evaluated the impact of pairwise and three-variable interactions between environmental, social, and biological variables on BDR in 233 African American youth with asthma using Visualization of Statistical Epistasis Networks (ViSEN). ViSEN is a non-parametric entropy-based approach able to quantify interaction effects using an information-theory metric known as Information Gain (IG). We performed analyses in the full dataset and in sex-stratified subsets. Our analyses identified several interaction models significantly, and suggestively, associated with BDR. The strongest interaction significantly associated with BDR was a pairwise interaction between pre-natal smoke exposure and socioeconomic status (full dataset IG: 2.78%, p = 0.001; female IG: 7.27%, p = 0.004)). Sex-stratified analyses yielded divergent results for females and males, indicating the presence of sex-specific effects.ConclusionsOur study identified novel interaction effects significantly, and suggestively, associated with BDR in African American children with asthma. Notably, we found that all of the interactions identified by ViSEN were “pure” interaction effects, in that they were not the result of strong main effects on BDR, highlighting the complexity of the network of biological and environmental factors impacting this phenotype. Several associations uncovered by ViSEN would not have been detected using regression-based methods, thus emphasizing the importance of employing statistical methods optimized to detect both additive and non-additive interaction effects when studying complex phenotypes such as BDR. The information gained in this study increases our understanding and appreciation of the complex nature of the interactions between environmental and health-related factors that influence BDR and will be invaluable to biomedical researchers designing future studies.

Turner as a Daoist Sage

ABSTRACT In this paper, I provide a cross-cultural comparison between the life and work of the English land- and seascape painter, J.M.W. Turner, and the conception of aesthetic experience and artisanship found in classical Chinese Daoism. I argue that Turner exhibits certain key features of the Daoist sage. By developing some recent interpretations of his life and work, I claim that Turner, especially in his later seascapes, exhibited an approach to aesthetic experience that involves the artist’s total absorption into and identification with the natural process with which he is concerned. Next, I show how the Daoist approach to aesthetics and artisanship similarly focuses on the artist’s capacity to identify with the power and source of the world they aim to aesthetically experience. The central motif in both certain of Turner’s later work and the Daoist approach to aesthetic creativity is the figure of the vortex. By becoming the center of a natural vortex, and even the vortex that is nature itself, the Turnerian and Daoist artist experiences and embodies the wisdom of accessing and identifying with nature’s omnipotence. Such wisdom is thus expressed in the artwork by emphasizing the fundamental dynamism and vagueness of all things. I conclude by claiming that if one reads Turner as a Daoist sage, then a novel model for the aesthetic experience and appreciation of nature can be offered. I call this “the identification model” and recommend it being slotted into our taxonomy of contemporary options within environmental aesthetics.

Forest School practice in Canada: a survey study

Over the last decade, interest in nature-based educational programs has been growing in Canada, yet there has been little research on the nature of these programs and how they are being implemented. This small-scale study provides baseline information on the characteristics of Canadian Forest Schools, the challenges that educators face in starting up these outdoor programs, and the potential benefits for enrolled children. An online survey study was conducted in the fall of 2017, to which 25 Forest School educators from across Canada responded. Results suggest that Canadian Forest School programs vary in terms of size, age of the children, type of outdoor setting, funding source, and schedule. Participants reported facing challenges such as finding an appropriate outdoor site, safety concerns related to outdoor activities, and the lack of support from different stakeholders. Many of these barriers were surmounted by developing relationships with local partners, adapting programs to comply with local regulations, and educating the community on Forest School pedagogy. In line with the growing international body of research on the benefits of Forest School (e.g., Elliott & Chancellor, 2014; Muller et al., 2017; Murray & O’Brien, 2005; Slade, Lowery & Bland, 2013), Canadian Forest School educators have observed benefits for the children, including the development of their social and physical skills and self-confidence, increased appreciation for nature, and enhanced creativity. Further research is needed to fully capture and examine this growing practice in the Canadian context.

Segmenting Western Australian national park visitors by perceived benefits: A factor‐item mixed approach

AbstractNational park visitors are a significant tourist market that demonstrates heterogeneous visitation behaviors. Segmentation studies employing relevant criterion variables with reference to visitor behavior variables prove to be an effective way to better understand this tourist market. Employing a factor‐item mixed segmentation approach, this study aims to segment Western Australian national park visitors by perceived benefits with reference to visitors' overall satisfaction, willingness to recommend, and pro‐environmental behavior. Based on a sample of 324 on‐site visitor survey responses, two perceived benefit factors, Nature Appreciation and Relaxation, and Learning, were identified. Subsequent cluster analysis using 12 original perceived benefit items identified two clusters: “moderate nature experiencers” (MNE) and “high nature appreciators and learners” (HNAL). No differences were found between the two clusters in visitor demographics and trip characteristics. However, HNAL members consistently exhibited higher levels of overall satisfaction, willingness to recommend, and pro‐environmental behavior tendencies than members of MNE. Based on the findings, Australian national park managers should advocate both the nature and learning benefits in their future market communication and product development strategies.