Ecological Domains Research Articles

Implications of Coalfield Dynamics on Associated Ecosystems: A Tangential Review

Traditionally, the coal has stood as a resourceful entity for the energy demands of the society. The coalmines are the driving forces in the sufficing the energy and economy of the nation. Certainly, the existence of coal and its excavation is a much aspired endeavours for the development of any society. There are numerous prospective, functional and abandoned coalmines all over the world. Along with the intrinsic worth of the coal excavations, many studies have decisively elucidated the associated environmental complications. The ecological devastation is one of them. The ecological sphere whether it be macro or micro, is a fragile entity and must be taken care of accordingly. The process of coal excavations involves large scale landscape alteration where the entire native vegetation is removed. The ecological domain developed through an extensive period over the landscape vanishes in no time. The hydrological fluctuation also in terms of water chemistry destroys the aquatic habitat prominently known as hydroecology. The microclimatic shift is also a factor affecting drastically on the associated ecologies. The present review article strives to understand the various influencers in the coalfields dominating over the accompanying ecologies through selective endeavours executed all over the world. It also deliberates the probable measures to be taken to shield the associated ecologies in and around coalfields including the sensitization drives for protecting ecologies.

Developmentalism, technocracy and legitimacy crises of humanities: A Third World perspective

PurposeThe visible ill-effects of the developmental enterprises in the ex-colonies and the tendency towards technocratic totalitarianism, in many ways, have altered the way modern humans perceived the idea of “progress” and “development” historically since the Cold War. This paper presents a deconstructive-transdisciplinary critique of the pervasive ideology by focusing on three nodal points in the stages of “development”: (1) the rise of technocratic modern science; (2) the making of the Third World; and (3) de-legitimisation of its indigenous knowledge paradigms.Design/methodology/approachDrawing on the first-hand accounts of the researchers, social scientists, activists and environmentalists, this paper presents an extensive critique of the violence involved in the development enterprises and recommends possible ways to move beyond the developmental hegemony. This paper is a theoretical investigation that adopts an interpretative, pluralistic, transdisciplinary approach, in order to deconstruct the development ideology and analyse the ramifications of the developmental propaganda and practice as they unfolded in the Global South.FindingsThis paper highlights the need to decondition the social imaginary from the hegemony of developmentalism and its by-product scientism and “technological rationality” for an inclusive, pluralistic, democratic social order.Research limitations/implicationsThe focal area of this work is India in particular and Global South in general. It studies the era between the 1950s and 1980s when the major development enterprises took place and studies the consequences they entailed.Social implicationsThe scope of this paper encompasses every socio-economic, ecological and epistemological domain affected by the detrimental effects of the developmental enterprises in the Global South.Originality/valueThe originality of this work lies in its transdisciplinary approach. The scope of this paper is extensive and covers nearly every domain of human existence that has been affected by the development debacle and technocratic totalitarianism in the post-War era.

Locally Adaptive Shrinkage Priors for Trends and Breaks in Count Time Series

Non-stationary count time series characterized by features such as abrupt changes and fluctuations about the trend arise in many scientific domains including biophysics, ecology, energy, epidemiology, and social science domains. Current approaches for integer-valued time series lack the flexibility to capture local transient features while more flexible models for continuous data types are inadequate for universal applications to integer-valued responses such as settings with small counts. We present a modeling framework, the negative binomial Bayesian trend filter (NB-BTF), that offers an adaptive model-based solution to capturing multiscale features with valid integer-valued inference for trend filtering. The framework is a hierarchical Bayesian model with a dynamic global-local shrinkage process. The flexibility of the global-local process allows for the necessary local regularization while the temporal dependence induces a locally smooth trend. In simulation, the NB-BTF outperforms a number of alternative trend filtering methods. Then, we demonstrate the method on weekly power outage frequency in Massachusetts townships. Power outage frequency is characterized by a persistent low level trend with occasional spikes. These illustrations show the estimation of a smooth, non-stationary trend with adequate uncertainty quantification.

Towards Sustainable Development of the Old City: Design Practice of Alleyway Integration in Old City Area Based on Heritage Corridor Theory

Urbanization has increasingly led to the overlapping of old and new spaces in historic city areas, creating challenges in preserving valuable urban heritage. To meet the requirements of the effective protection, utilization, and sustainable development of these historical spaces, this study introduces a comprehensive framework grounded in the theory of heritage corridors. The proposed framework subdivides and connects fragmented historical spatial resources through the “point–line–plane” dimensions, fostering sustainability across the environmental, ecological, and cultural domains. To validate the effectiveness of the framework, we apply it to the historic city center of Wuxi. This case study demonstrates that integrating spatial resources within the old city enhances the overall quality of urban living spaces in the historic district. The findings suggest that the heritage corridor framework is a feasible and systematic approach for the sustainable renewal of historic urban areas. Furthermore, this study offers valuable insights for advancing Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG 11), particularly in promoting inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities.

Resilience Metrics for Socio-Ecological and Socio-Technical Systems: A Scoping Review

An increased interest in the resilience of complex socio-ecological and socio-technical systems has led to a variety of metrics being proposed. An overview of these metrics and their underlying concepts would support identifying useful metrics for applications in science and engineering. This study undertakes a scoping review of resilience metrics for systems straddling the societal, ecological, and technical domains to determine how resilience has been measured, the conceptual differences between the proposed approaches, and how they align with the domains of their case studies. We find that a wide variety of resilience metrics have been proposed in the literature. Conceptually, ten different quantification approaches were identified. Four different disturbance types were observed, including sudden, continuous, multiple, and abruptly ending disturbances. Surprisingly, there is no strong pattern regarding socio-ecological systems being studied using the “ecological resilience” concept and socio-technical systems being studied using the “engineering resilience” concept. As a result, we recommend that researchers use multiple resilience metrics in the same study, ideally following different conceptual approaches, and compare the resulting insights. Furthermore, the used metrics should be mathematically defined, the included variables explained and their units provided, and the chosen functional form justified.

Biological and ecological determinants of Hand Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) in Coastal District of Northeastern Peninsular Malaysia: A 5-Year retrospective study

Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common viral communicable disease in Malaysia, characterized by its self-limiting nature, yet it leads to numerous outbreaks and fatalities, particularly among young children. The current study aimed to determine the prevalence, geographic distribution, temporal patterns, and associated factors of HFMD cases within the Bachok District of Kelantan, spanning the years 2018 to 2022. A retrospective cohort study analysed extract data on independent factors and notification status from the Communicable Disease Control Information System (CDCIS). Simple and multiple logistic regression analyses were employed on a cohort of 1351 HFMD’s notifications. The retrospective analysis reveals a predominant HFMD’s notification were males (56.7%). Outpatient care was common (98.4%), with primary health care being the main choice. Logistic regression indicates higher odds for HFMD in those attending primary health care or private practitioners, daycare attendees, during the Southwest Monsoon season, and before the Movement Control Order (MCO) implementation, emphasizing key risk factors for HFMD. This study’s integrative approach recognizes that health and disease are often influenced by a combination of factors spanning the ecological, biological, and clinical domains. Thus, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive understanding when formulating public health strategies particularly in primary healthcare settings and daycare facilities during the Southwest Monsoon season.

Rural Network Resilience: A New Tool for Exploring the Mechanisms and Pathways of Rural Sustainable Development

Enhancing rural resilience is crucial due to the significant vulnerabilities faced by rural areas, such as weak economic foundations, scarce resources, and deficient infrastructure. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive review of rural network resilience (RNR) to underscore its importance in understanding the mechanisms and pathways of rural sustainable development. To establish the theoretical foundations of RNR, we trace the evolution of resilience concepts and their applications across disciplines. The proposed analytical framework integrates evaluation methods from network science to assess RNR’s structural characteristics and outlines simulation techniques for predicting resilience under various risk scenarios. Furthermore, the paper examines the key influencing factors that shape RNR within complex rural regional systems, exploring the intricate evolutionary mechanisms involved. To bridge existing research gaps, a synergistic development perspective is introduced, emphasizing the interconnected, multi-layered nature of rural networks across societal, economic, and ecological domains. Additionally, a county-level analytical framework tailored for county-level rural resilience analysis is presented to offer strategic guidance for enhancing RNR and driving sustainable rural revitalization. This transdisciplinary synthesis propels RNR as an emerging field with significant policy implications.

Lessons for Sustainable Science Education: A Study on Chemists’ Use of Systems Thinking across Ecological, Economic, and Social Domains

This paper explores how concept maps can be structured based on researcher narration as a systems thinking (ST) approach in science education to portray the systemic nature of developmental work by chemists on solutions related to sustainability. Sustainability cannot be achieved without a systemic approach that considers all the domains of prosperity and well-being—ecological, social, and economic. Science education must respond to this challenge accordingly and find effective ways to include the ST approach. Data were collected from three semi-structured, in-depth interviews with chemists. The analysis was carried out using qualitative content analysis and modelling the systemic structures in concept maps as articulated by the chemists. The results show that authentic narratives of chemists’ developmental work can be used as material in a concept mapping exercise to reveal several ST elements and learning objectives, including leverage points and delays, that have not been presented in previous exercises. The chemists’ descriptions were also found to address the challenge of sustainability education by depicting a holistic and multidimensional picture of the reality where the developmental work is conducted. Furthermore, all three domains of sustainability were identified. The economic and industrial perspectives were especially valuable from the science education viewpoint.

Political ecology of tourism: A bibliometric analysis

The tourism sector significantly impacts global environmental change and resource management. The social and economic aspects of tourism are also worthy of examination from the political ecology perspective. In this context, there is a growing need for academic studies examining tourism’s environmental, social, and economic components. This study is conducted to meet this need and provide an in-depth analysis of the works on political ecology in tourism. This research aims to assess scholarly investigations within the tourism domain employing a political ecology framework, utilizing bibliometric analysis as the methodological approach. Within this scope, publications in the literature have been quantitatively examined, and the studies’ prevalence, interactions, and developmental trends have been revealed. The WoS database identified 192 studies published between 1998 and 2023 on the subject. The analysis of leading journals, authors, countries, and keywords related to the topic indicates the following: There has been a noteworthy surge in the number of scholarly inquiries about political ecology within the scientific realm associated with tourism. In addition, the leading country on the subject is the United States. Finally, conservation and ecotourism become the main focal points of studies on political ecology. In summary, it is anticipated that this study will provide a substantial contribution to the existing literature in the domain of political ecology within the context of tourism, offering guidance for researchers in the design and execution of subsequent studies.

CURRENT STATUS OF THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK IN THE PLANT PROTECTION AND ECOLOGY AND HYGIENE MONITORING DOMAIN IN UKRAINE

Presently chemical plant protection products are an inseparable part of agriculture. They have not only their main purpose of plant assistance, but they also have the potential risk of negative impact on biocenosis species (birds, bees, soil microflora, algae, etc.) and the human body and its health respectively. The purpose of our study was to aggregate data on the existing legal framework of plant protection products in Ukraine and assess their ecology and hygiene monitoring. For analysis of the plant chemical protection, we used as the basic documents the regulatory framework of domestic legislation in toxicological and hygiene, ecology assessment, and ecology and hygiene monitoring domains. Currently, many laws and legal acts regulate the use of pesticides by state and private agricultural farms in Ukraine. This number of documents covers not only pre-registration studies of pesticides but also their post-registration monitoring in the environment. The key entities that control potential negative risks of these products through the regulations are the State Emergency Service, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Housing and Communal Services, Ministry of Agriculture Policy, State Agency of Water Resources, State Committee of Land Resources, State Agency of the Forest Resources. However, the impact of xenobiotics on non-target species of the ecosystem is currently quite underestimated. The decline in biodiversity directly depends on the condition of the environment and the negative impact on it. Instances of acute oral, inhalation, or dermal poisoning of birds, bees, and aquatic invertebrates with pesticides are quite common and among the factors that affect public health. That is why ecology and hygiene monitoring is essential in line with the assessment of the risks of the inappropriate release of pesticides. These should be treated as a critical component of managing environmental sustainability and safety for public health. The implementation of global approaches to monitoring and controlling the post- registration impact of pesticides on the ecology and hygiene in Ukraine can also take into account the far-reaching consequences of their negative impact, accumulation, and environmental pollution. As a result, this will help to avoid adverse impacts on animal, insect, and bird populations, as well as human health.

Advancements in EcoPortal: Enhancing functionalities for the ecological domain semantic artefacts repository

EcoPortal is a repository for ecology-specific semantic artefacts. It recently underwent significant updates to improve its functionalities and FAIRness. This document outlines the features of the new release, along with a Semantic Interoperability Profile.

Adolescents’ Perceptions About Healthy and Sustainable Diets: A Qualitative School-Based Study in Portugal

ABSTRACT In this qualitative study, we explored Portuguese adolescents’ perceptions of diet, sustainability, and health through six focus group discussions (FGDs). Fifty-five adolescents (10–18 years) participated. FGDs focused on sustainability in food choices and its health impact, with our primary interest in their perceptions. Results showed a limited comprehension of “sustainable/sustainability,” especially among younger participants. Those aware of sustainability recognized its diverse aspects, including health, economic, and ecological domains. Some adolescents recognized the link between health and sustainability in their diets, emphasizing the need for food literacy. These findings emphasize the importance of public health and sustainable policies among Portuguese adolescents.

Cultural stress is toxic stress: An expanded cultural stress theory model for understanding mental health risk in Latinx immigrant youth.

Latinx immigrant youth are at greater risk for mental health (MH) concerns than their nonimmigrant Latinx peers. Efforts to address mental health disparities have resulted in the much-needed development of theoretical frameworks explaining mental health disparities in marginalized populations. A theoretical framework that is particularly relevant to mental health disparities among Latinx immigrant youth is the Cultural Stress Theory (CST); however, an expansion of this model is necessary to thoroughly describe and explain mental health risk in this population. This article integrates two frameworks-Toxic Stress Theory and the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities research framework-with CST to better explain mental health risk in Latinx immigrant youth. In doing so, we propose an expanded model that seeks to build on the strengths of CST in two important ways-expanding the breadth of relevant ecological domains and emphasizing the continued focus on specific mechanisms and their associations across levels. The proposed expanded CST model acknowledges a range of influences from the broad systemic and sociopolitical level to the biological level to comprehensively guide research that can better explain mental health risk in Latinx immigrant youth. An expanded CST model that incorporates the two highlighted frameworks can elucidate additional mechanisms by which cultural stressors influence mental health risk in Latinx immigrant youth. Such mechanistic work holds the key to effectively reducing mental health disparities for Latinx immigrant youth. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Exploring the Potential of Edges for Regenerative Work

Abstract-This paper delves into the concept of edges as spaces of potential regenerationacross ecological, social, and psychological domains. By examining examples such as riparianbuffers and sociocultural boundaries, the paper elucidates how edges serve as sites of increasedbiodiversity, cultural diversity, and psychological transformation. Drawing on insights fromecotones, sociotones, and psychotones, the paper highlights the importance of understandingand harnessing the dynamics of edges for fostering resilience, innovation, and healing. Ultimately,it advocates for a holistic approach to regeneration that embraces the interconnectedness ofecological, social, and psychological systems, offering pathways toward a more sustainable andharmonious coexistence.

Comprehensive Analysis of Penicillium Sclerotiorum: Biology, Secondary Metabolites, and Bioactive Compound Potential─A Review.

The filamentous fungus Penicillium sclerotiorum is significant in ecological and industrial domains due to its vast supply of secondary metabolites that have a diverse array of biological functions. We have gathered the metabolic potential and biological activities associated with P. sclerotiorum metabolites of various structures, based on extensive research of the latest literature. The review incorporated literature spanning from 2000 to 2023, drawing from reputable databases including Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and PubMed, among others. Ranging from azaphilones, meroterpenoids, polyketides, and peptides group exhibits fascinating potential pharmacological activities such as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antitumor effects, holding promise in pharmaceutical and industrial sectors. Additionally, P. sclerotiorum showcases biotechnological potential through the production of enzymes like β-xylosidases, β-d-glucosidase, and xylanases, pivotal in various industrial processes. This review underscores the need for further exploration into its genetic foundations and cultivation conditions to optimize the yield of valuable compounds and enzymes, highlighting the unexplored potential of P. sclerotiorum in diverse applications across industries.

Physical Literacy in the Context of Climate Change: Is There a Need for Further Refinement of the Concept?

The concept of physical literacy (PL) has witnessed enormous popularity in recent years and has undergone substantial theoretical evolvement during the last 2 decades. However, the research field pertaining to PL has not yet initiated discussions around the challenges of climate change and the alignment with conceptualizations of planetary health. Therefore, we argue that the consideration of an "ecological domain" for individual physical activity, in the form of ecological awareness, would further evolve the concept. We illustrate how to potentially integrate adjustments within the most frequent PL definitions of the field (eg,those in Australia, Canada, England, Ireland, the United States, or by the International Physical Literacy Association) without questioning the entire integrity of these elaborate conceptualizations. An ecological domain of PL would not only interact with the postulated physical, cognitive, psychological/affective, and social domains of PL but also have important implications for the (re)design of interventions and practices in physical activity contexts. We call the scientific community, both on national and international scales, to intensify the discussions and initiate a research agenda involving an "ecological domain" of PL.

Advancing System Engineering's Relevance in a Changing World

ABSTRACTThe future value of systems engineering may well be measured by its contribution to INCOSE's vision of “a better world through a systems approach.” To stay relevant, systems engineering must expand its scope beyond the technical realm by addressing today's most pressing and complex problems, which span technical, social, and ecological domains. This paper builds on our previous work on the evolving architecture of the systems engineering discipline, detailing how it can maintain its value by effectively engaging in eco‐socio‐technical challenges. We propose collaborative strategies with other disciplines to enhance and broaden its foundational base, which will be crucial for realizing its potential as a transdisciplinary field in an increasingly complex world.

Nanotech for Fertilizers and Nutrients-Improving Nutrient use Efficiency with Nano-Enabled Fertilizers

The development of nano-enabled fertilizers presents new opportunities to improve crop nutrient use efficiency and reduce environmental impacts of agriculture. Nanoparticles, nano capsules, and nano clays can be engineered to control the release rate of nutrients to better match crop demands over time. Slow-release nano fertilizers may enhance nutrient absorption by plants while mitigating nutrient losses to the environment. Additionally, nano fertilizers can facilitate co-delivery of nutrients, growth regulators, and pesticides, allowing for more precise crop management practices. This review synthesizes current research on synthesis techniques, characterization methods, and agronomic testing results for a range of nano fertilizer products. Key nutrient carriers reviewed include mesoporous silica nanoparticles, layered double hydroxides, cellulose nanocrystals, and halloysite nanotubes loaded with nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and micronutrients. Release kinetics depend on nano fertilizer composition, size, and shape, as well as environmental conditions. Field studies indicate positive impacts of nano fertilizers on crop yield, nutrient use efficiency, and pest resistance compared to conventional fertilizer formulations. However, questions remain regarding large-scale feasibility, economic viability, environmental fate, and biological impacts of nano-enabled fertilizers. Ongoing interdisciplinary research across the domains of materials science, agronomy, ecology, and economics is required to develop nano fertilizers that maximize production efficiency while minimizing risks.

Ecological Narratives and Cultural Encounters: Exploring Themes of Environment, Migration, and Identity in Amitav Ghosh's the Hungry Tide

Anthropocentrism and the ecological resilience have been two constant intertwined issues, where on one side the belief is totally human centric and one another side is the ecological disbalance caused by the first. The dichotomy between the two, where human beings are part of this conducive atmosphere continuously impacting the ecological system. Various activities like deforestation, depilating environmental strata, pollution and many more leaves socio -ecological domain a wide area of concern. The social belief that human beings are superior, because of the intrinsic value system disbalances the entire eco-system, which indicates the instrumental view of nature. However, the traces of reputable ecological system have been evident in the history of such constant destabilisation. Literature has reiterated such interplay of nature and mankind in various forms. This study aims to analyse the ecological concerns and cultural encounters under the light of migration, identity issues, and environmental factors. Amitav Ghosh in The Hungry Tide has portrayed two such varied plots. Firstly, it seeks to investigate displaced people and second is how humans share dangerous and complicated ecosystems with animals. Where they is contrasting elements of love, bond, emotional interdependence shared between humans and nature. The Hungry Tide (2004) has been acknowledged as one of best novels in the similar concern As the novel resonates with the contemporary story of dislocation, disjunction and destabilisation. This is a reputable ecological novel that blends environmentalism, anthropology, travel, migration, and anthropology.

Barriers and Facilitators to Implementing an Evidence-Based Community Health Worker Model

Community health worker (CHW) programs may improve health outcomes, increase quality of life, and reduce hospitalizations and cost of care. However, knowledge is limited on the barriers and facilitators associated with scaling evidence-based CHW programs to maximize their public health outcomes. To identify barriers and facilitators to implementing an evidence-based CHW model. This qualitative study examined perspectives of Individualized Management of Person-Centered Targets (IMPaCT) program staff (health system leaders, program managers, and community health workers) and patients receiving the intervention between March 9, 2020, and July 22, 2021, at 5 institutionally and geographically diverse health systems across the US. The collected data were analyzed between December 1, 2021, and April 27, 2022. Program staff were recruited via purposive sampling, and patients were recruited via convenience sampling. The disease-agnostic IMPaCT CHW model includes a standardized implementation approach and a structured set of theory-informed intervention components to create and achieve individualized action plans. Interview guides were informed by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. A rapid qualitative analytic technique was used to identify key themes, which were categorized into barriers and facilitators associated with framework ecological domains. Of a total 41 individuals invited, 39 agreed to participate (95% response rate; mean [SD] age, 45.0 [12.6] years; 30 women). General barriers included economic and policy constraints, including insufficient funding for CHW programs, clinical integration challenges, and CHW difficulty with maintaining boundaries. Program-specific barriers included insufficiently tailored materials for certain populations and upfront and ongoing program costs. General facilitators included CHWs' interpersonal skills and life experiences. Program-specific facilitators included the model's strong evidence base, supportive implementation team, and program design that enabled relationship building and engagement. Additional themes were cited as both barriers and facilitators, including the COVID-19 pandemic, organizational leadership, IMPaCT training, and program fidelity. These findings suggest growing recognition of the importance of CHWs to improving health equity and population health. Barriers identified point to important policy and practice implications for CHW programs more broadly, including the need for continued attention to improving clinical integration and the need for sustainable program financing to preserve the longevity of this workforce.