Environmental Entities Research Articles

Theory of mind and stereotypic behavior promote daily functioning in patients with schizophrenia.

Functional disruption is a main feature of schizophrenia and still represents a major treatment challenge. A more in-depth identification of functional predictors is crucial for the creation of individualized rehabilitation treatments, which can translate into better functional outcomes. In this study, we aimed at pinpointing specific domains that affect different functional profiles, using a data-driven approach. We included a comprehensive evaluation of functional predictors, namely demographic, cognitive, sociocognitive and clinical variables, with a focus on constituent subdomains of autistic symptoms that have been associated with functioning in the recent literature. In 123 schizophrenia patients, a two-step cluster analysis identified two groups of patients with different functional profiles (low vs high functioning). A backward stepwise logistic regression analysis showed that the odds of being a member of the high functioning group are significantly higher for individuals with (1) more years of education, (2) better Theory of Mind abilities, (3) higher levels of stereotypies/narrowed interests, (4) lower difficulties in social interaction, (5) lower communication difficulties and with (6) being male. Findings raise the intriguing possibility that stereotypic behaviors may have a beneficial effect on functioning in schizophrenia. While the underlying mechanism is currently unknown, we hypothesize that patients may benefit from contexts in which more predictive relationships between environmental entities can systematically be established. This study underscores the potential utility of routinely assessing autistic symptomatology in schizophrenia, which can be instrumental in identifying novel therapeutic targets that can be utilized to improve daily functioning.

Elaborate imaginings: Rethinking environmental obligations in Canadian insolvency law

Environmental obligations fit uncomfortably into the framework of federal insolvency law. Canadian courts have struggled to articulate which environmental obligations should be stayed, compromised, and discharged in insolvency proceedings and which should remain fully enforceable. In its 2019 decision, Orphan Well Association v Grant Thornton Ltd, the Supreme Court of Canada drew a distinction between two types of environmental obligations: debts and public duties. Debts are subject to being stayed, compromised, and discharged, whereas public duties remain enforceable notwithstanding the obligor’s insolvency proceedings. This article elaborates the distinction drawn by the Supreme Court of Canada between debts and public duties by considering who constitutes the public. It offers three answers. The public could include existing members of the human community, future generations of humanity, or non-human environmental entities. The article synthesizes the legal precedents supporting the different conceptions of the public and traces their implications for insolvency practice. Critics charge that the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in Orphan Well has improperly given environmental obligations a super-priority in insolvency proceedings and that such a reordering of insolvency priorities should have been left to Parliament. Yet careful attention to the ‘public’ character of environmental obligations justifies judicial interventions like the Court’s decision in Orphan Well. As humanity faces the existential threat of climate change, the common law provides scope for reimagining legal concepts to better serve the needs of our communities.

Whale-Watching Management: Assessment of Sustainable Governance in Uramba Bahía Málaga National Natural Park, Valle del Cauca

As the growth of the whale-watching activity increases rapidly around the world, the challenge of responsible management and sustainability also rises. Without suitable management, operators may try to maximize their own profits by breaking the rules, which may negatively affect cetaceans. In this paper, the applicability of conditions for sustainability governance in humpback whale-watching was evaluated. To achieve this purpose, semi-structured interviews were conducted in Uramba Bahía Málaga National Natural Park, Colombia. Results of this study showed that humpback whale-watching is characterized by unevenness in connections with markets, income inequality and the distribution of operators across several villages and cities. The combination of which restricts cooperation between operators. Nevertheless, there are informal agreements among the operators, and some operators are motivated to form associations. Besides, environmental entities have been responsible of regulation in lack of community-based management. However, this still does not achieve effective enforcement of the rules. Stakeholders (communities and government authorities) must mediate trust and reciprocity among operators to improve the situation. It is important to involve all operators to fill gaps in the limited government monitoring capacity and absence of sanctions. This is relevant to continue monitoring the evolution of the whale-watching in this and other Marine Protected Areas, so that the sustainability of the activity is not affected in the future.

Enhanced accumulation of reduced glutathione by Scopoletin improves survivability of dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson\u2019s model

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neuromotor disorder, primarily manifested by motor anomalies due to progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons. Although alterations in genetic factors have been linked with its etiology, exponential accumulation of environmental entities such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) initiate a cyclic chain reaction resulting in accumulation of cellular inclusions, dysfunctional mitochondria, and overwhelming of antioxidant machinery, thus accelerating disease pathogenesis. Involvement of oxidative stress in PD is further substantiated through ROS induced Parkinsonian models and elevated oxidative markers in clinical PD samples; thereby, making modulation of neuronal oxidative load as one of the major approaches in management of PD. Here we have found a potent antioxidant moiety Scopoletin (Sp), a common derivative in most of the nootropic herbs, with robust neuroprotective ability. Sp increased cellular resistance to ROS through efficient recycling of GSH to prevent oxidative damage. The Sp treated cells showed higher loads of reduced glutathione making them resistant to perturbation of antioxidant machinery or neurotoxin MPP+. Sp could restore the redox balance, mitochondrial function, and prevented oxidative damage, leading to recovery of dopaminergic neural networks and motion abilities in Drosophila genetic model of PD. Our data also suggest that Sp, in combination increases the therapeutic potency of L-DOPA by mitigating its chronic toxicity. Together, we highlight the possible ability of Sp in preventing oxidative stress mediated loss of dopaminergic neurons and at the same time enhance the efficacy of dopamine recharging regimens.

The spatial aspect of human rights: a framework for the structural and spatial analysis of human rights practice

ABSTRACT Space is a contingent matter in the application, monitoring, and overall experience of human rights. Political ecology, sociology, and, most recently, geography have addressed the dialectical space-human rights through environmental or urban justice struggles. In this paper, I introduce a framework that articulates the analysis of space and human rights. The framework features three functional facets of spatial structures and discusses how they intervene with the experience of rights. The purpose of this article is to introduce a novel theoretical framework that makes space a level for human rights research. This discussion fills a gap in the current human rights literature, supports the further integration of environmental variables and non-human entities in the human rights system, and defends the validity of non-traditional approaches for the development of the human rights project.

“El medio ambiente: la empresa más grande del mundo”. Reconfiguraciones sociales de la institucionalidad ambiental en Islote, Colombia

El objetivo de este artículo es examinar las presencias y reconfiguraciones locales de la institucionalidad ambiental en Islote, una isla del Caribe colombiano. Mediante el trabajo de campo etnográfico que tuvo lugar durante el año 2010, parte del 2011 y visitas posteriores en el 2018, se estudia la organización sociopolítica y el prestigio individual como factores locales que contradicen las expectativas y políticas de Parques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia. Los resultados de la observación participante, entrevistas etnográficas y participación en talleres de las entidades ambientales muestran que la presencia de las instituciones ambientales se separa de su significado local y adquiere otra forma, se convierte en un espacio burocrático de representación externa que es reconfigurado localmente. Inspirada en el concepto de simplificación colonial de Page West (2006), muestro cómo, tanto los isleños como la entidad ambiental, pasan por un proceso de reconfiguración mutua, que genera relaciones, en su mayoría, conflictivas.

Review of Structural Health Monitoring Methods Regarding a Multi-Sensor Approach for Damage Assessment of Metal and Composite Structures.

Structural health monitoring (SHM) is the continuous on-board monitoring of a structure’s condition during operation by integrated systems of sensors. SHM is believed to have the potential to increase the safety of the structure while reducing its deadweight and downtime. Numerous SHM methods exist that allow the observation and assessment of different damages of different kinds of structures. Recently data fusion on different levels has been getting attention for joint damage evaluation by different SHM methods to achieve increased assessment accuracy and reliability. However, little attention is given to the question of which SHM methods are promising to combine. The current article addresses this issue by demonstrating the theoretical capabilities of a number of prominent SHM methods by comparing their fundamental physical models to the actual effects of damage on metal and composite structures. Furthermore, an overview of the state-of-the-art damage assessment concepts for different levels of SHM is given. As a result, dynamic SHM methods using ultrasonic waves and vibrations appear to be very powerful but suffer from their sensitivity to environmental influences. Combining such dynamic methods with static strain-based or conductivity-based methods and with additional sensors for environmental entities might yield a robust multi-sensor SHM approach. For demonstration, a potent system of sensors is defined and a possible joint data evaluation scheme for a multi-sensor SHM approach is presented.

Green Victimology Perspective the Law Number 32 of 2009 on Environmental Protection and Management

Green victimology refers to the study of victimology that focuses on victims of environmental harm. The object of this new study cannot be separated from the philosophical values that underlie the growth of green victimology. Through literature research based on secondary data, this research focuses on two studies. The first is about the philosophical foundations of green victimology and the second is about the perspective of green victimology in the Law Number 32 og 2009 on Environmental Protection and Management. Based on the results of the research, it can be stated that the foundation of green victimology ecocentrism which sees that the environmental entities have intrinsic value in virtue of their own interests apart from its instrumental or utilitarian value for humans. This is different from the values underlying the previous victimological study that was based on anthropocentrism. Ecocentrism has been adopted in the Law Number 32 of 2009 on Environmental Protection and Management.

An early prevention method for node failure in wireless sensor networks

Wireless sensor networks are used to monitor physical or environmental conditions such as temperature and pressure as well as to study the quality of certain environmental and natural entities like air and water bodies by collecting data about the various components present in the air/water at a given spot and time. But the complete data generated by the nodes in each iteration is not always useful, as most of them give the redundant information or details which does not provide any essential information, just bulge up the amount of data being transmitted. Therefore, this paper aims to formulate an early prevention method (EPM) which not only gives a way to detect failed nodes, but also increases the overall efficiency of the network by reducing the overhead at the sink.

ECOLOGISMO Y CONFLICTO AMBIENTAL EN EL PARQUE NATURAL “LOS ALCORNOCALES”. (ANDALUCÍA-ESPAÑA): CRECENTISMO VERSUS ECOLOGISMO.

The following pages define the participation and influence of environmental entities in the different environmental conflicts in a protected natural area in the south of the Iberian Peninsula. Their trajectories and positions are analyzed reflecting on the significance and controversies contained in the political proposal of environmental organizations in the current context of “growthism” development.

Seeding Embodied Environmental Sensibilities: Lessons from a School Terrace-Farm in Mumbai, India

Environmental crises require collective and sustained action. However, pro-environmental action (PEA) has been mostly approached as an individual process. Further, conventional approaches to promote PEA assume an information-processing model of actions based on knowledge acquisition, which has been critiqued. Recent environmental education approaches emphasize more complex, non-linear models of action and focus on the acquisition of action-competence, which allows students to feel empowered to act in their local communities. Extending this approach, the potential of using the school as a base to involve other members of a community to engage in collective pro-environmental practices is a promising, but under-researched, direction to address sustainability issues. In this school-based case-study, we explored the development of action-competence, particularly the processes that lead up to such competence, by facilitating an urban farming project (40 students, 12–13 years old, tracked for 10 months). We studied students’ interaction with farming structures and entities closely, taking an analysis approach inspired by: (1) recent work highlighting the affective-aesthetic appeal of environmental entities and (2) embodied cognition models. Based on these data and analysis, we show how meaningful and embodied encounters with nature contribute to the enhancement of students’ environmental “action-space”. More interestingly, sharing of these “action-spaces” with adults, through various social experiences, motivated adults to participate in PEAs. This case-study is relevant to environmental educators and researchers seeking to design proactive interventions and explore general principles underlying collective environment-oriented actions.

Часова динаміка видів безхребетних в техноземах Нікопольського марганцеворудного басейну

У статті наведені результати дослідження динаміки видів наземних безхребетних у градієнті часу в техноземах Нікопольського марганцеворудного басейну. Дослідження проведене в Дослідницькому центрі Дніпровського державного аграрно-економічного університету (м. Покров, Україна) протягом 2013 – 2015 рр.. Відбір зразків було зроблено на варіантах штучних ґрунтів (техноземів), які сформовані на лесоподібних суглинках, на червоно-бурих глинах, на сіро-зелених глинах, на технологічній суміші гірських порід та на лесоподібних суглинках із гумусованим верхнім шаром. Для дослідження просторово-часової мінливості чисельності, видового багатства та видового складу угруповання безхребетних у межах експериментального полігону, тварин було зібрано зі застосуванням пасток Барбера. Досліджено сім груп безхребетних, близько пов’язаних із ґрунтовим середовищем та наземним рослинним покривом: (1) молюски (Mollusca: Gastropoda), (2) павуки (Chelicerata: Arachnida), (3) двопарноногі (Myriapoda: Diplopoda), (4) губоногі (Myriapoda: Chilopoda), (5) мокриці (Malacostraca: Isopoda: Oniscidea); (6) комахи (Tracheata: Isecta). Встановлено, що динаміка в часі протягом вегетаційного сезону чисельності найбільшої кількості видів безхребетних ділянки рекультивації описується бімодальною асиметричною моделлю (модель VII з переліку HOFJO). Бімодальність підкреслює важливість впливу біотичних (конкурентних) взаємодій між видами. Бімодальність може бути наслідком біологічної неоднорідності популяції та результатом міграційних процесів. Встановлені типи часової динаміки безхребетних вказують на наявність складних та сформованих процесів регулювання чисельності тварин на порівняно молодих екологічних утвореннях, якими є техноземи. Часова динаміка видів безхребетних структурована в просторі та характеризується наявністю регулярних часових патернів, на основі яких встановлені такі фенологічні групи тварин: весняні, літні, літньо-осінні та осінні. Фітофаги переважають серед літньо-осінніх форм, а зоофаги – серед осінніх, та меншою мірою серед весняних або літніх. Відгук літніх форм у градієнті часу найчастіше описується симетричною дзвіноподібною моделлю V. Літньо-осінні форми характеризуються відгуками на час, які можуть бути описані моделями V, VI та VII. Весняні форми найчастіше мають розподіл, який найкраще описується моделями ІІ та ІІІ. Для літніх форм характерна модель VII.

Buy Me a River: Purchasing Water Rights to Restore River Flows in the Western USA

AbstractIn recent decades, public and private environmental entities have been purchasing or leasing water rights across the Western United States (U.S.) in efforts to restore river flows and aquatic ecosystems. The need to pay for flow restoration arises from the fact that state governments did not begin to reserve water for instream purposes until the 1970s, long after water rights had become over‐appropriated and flows were substantially depleted in most rivers. As a consequence, flow depletion has become the leading cause of fish endangerment in the U.S., including the imperilment of two‐thirds of all native fish species in the Colorado River system. This paper takes stock of the progress made in buying water for the environment, specifically by reviewing and analyzing more than 50 transactions executed by public and private entities and the sources of funding underpinning these transactions. We conclude that nongovernmental actors — such as environmental organizations and state water trusts — are integral to regional efforts to restore river flows; these nongovernmental actors executed more than two‐thirds of the transactions we documented. However, we also conclude that the long‐term success of these nongovernmental actors depends upon the availability of sustained public funding that enables them to build capacity and engage in the large number of transactions needed to restore flows across each state.

Discovery of High Abundances of Aster-Like Nanoparticles in Pelagic Environments: Characterization and Dynamics.

This study reports the discovery of Aster-Like Nanoparticles (ALNs) in pelagic environments. ALNs are pleomorphic, with three dominant morphotypes which do not fit into any previously defined environmental entities [i.e., ultramicro-prokaryotes, controversed nanobes, and non-living particles (biomimetic mineralo-organic particles, natural nanoparticles or viruses)] of similar size. Elemental composition and selected-area electron diffraction patterns suggested that the organic nature of ALNs may prevail over the possibility of crystal structures. Likewise, recorded changes in ALN numbers in the absence of cells are at odds with an affiliation to until now described viral particles. ALN abundances showed marked seasonal dynamics in the lakewater, with maximal values (up to 9.0 ± 0.5 × 107 particles·mL−1) reaching eight times those obtained for prokaryotes, and representing up to about 40% of the abundances of virus-like particles. We conclude that (i) aquatic ecosystems are reservoirs of novel, abundant, and dynamic aster-like nanoparticles, (ii) not all virus-like particles observed in aquatic systems are necessarily viruses, and (iii) there may be several types of other ultra-small particles in natural waters that are currently unknown but potentially ecologically important.

The substance and content of environmental supervisory activities in the Russian Federation

This paper attempts to consider some aspects of the state institute for supervision in the field of environmental activities in Russia. The existing gaps and conflicts in the system for ensuring the proper implementation of environmental law are factors for the need for the state to apply the institutional and legal mechanisms, the analysis of which was presented in this study. One of the most important institutions of environmental protection is the environmental supervision. The existing legislation of the Russian Federation regulates the order and the system of executive authorities, as well as the legal status of environmental entities. However, in practical activities of the environmental legal relations entities, problems arise in the enforcement of environmental law. The article describes the main aspects of the formation, development and operation of environmental supervisory activities in the Russian Federation, presents the interpretation of the basic tools of the environmental protection supervision system in the Russian Federation, and also some problems of law enforcement in this area are identified, and possible solutions are suggested. The purpose of the study is to identify areas of improvement of state environmental protection as the most important tool for managing environmental quality and environmental safety in Russia.

ОСОБЕННОСТИ ОТРАЖЕНИЯ В УЧЕТЕ И ОТЧЕТНОСТИ ИНФОРМАЦИИ О РАСХОДАХ НА ПРИРОДООХРАННУЮ ДЕЯТЕЛЬНОСТЬ

Цель: выявление особенностей раскрытия информации об отражении расходов на природоохранную деятельность в регистрах бухгалтерского учета и отчетности экономического субъекта для укрепления уровня его экономической безопасности в рамках реализации политики в области экологического развития государства. Обсуждение: организация бухгалтерского учета экологических расходов позволяет выделить четыре уровня нормативного регулирования учета расходов на природоохранную деятельность, в рамках которых существенное внимание следует уделять содержанию основных положений учетной политики, отражающей особенности учета расходов на природоохранную деятельность и обязательств по ее сохранению. В ходе формирования информационной базы экономического анализа и контроля результативности природоохранной деятельности необходимо привлекать большой объем информации, в том числе доступной для различных субъектов природоохранной деятельности. Результаты: показано, что действующая система учета расходов на природоохранные мероприятия выступает надежным источником формирования достоверной информации о деятельности экономического субъекта и его преимуществах в конкурентной борьбе как производителя экологически чистой продукции (оказания услуг экологически надлежащего качества) в условиях планирования, контроля и анализа природоохранных расходов, снижения риска искажения информации об ухудшении финансового состояния и улучшении экологической эффективности деятельности экономического субъекта.

Integration of BIM and GIS in sustainable built environment: A review and bibliometric analysis

Abstract Building information modelling (BIM) and geographical information systems (GIS) provide digital representation of architectural and environmental entities. BIM focuses on micro-level representation of buildings themselves, and GIS provide macro-level representation of the external environments of buildings. Moreover, their combination can establish a comprehensive view of a built environment based on data integrated, which underpins the development and transition of the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industries in the digital era. This paper gives a comprehensive review on BIM-GIS integration in sustainable built environments in order to analyse the status quo and practical applications from four viewpoints: technologies for data integration, applications in the life cycle of AEC projects, building energy management, and urban governance. Three typical modes of BIM-GIS integration, namely, “BIM leads and GIS supports”, “GIS leads and BIM supports”, and “BIM and GIS are equally involved”, are categorised based on the different dominant positions of the two technologies. Furthermore, the research trends and future directions for the applications of BIM-GIS integration are discussed. Specifically, we underline that semantic models and third-party integration platforms should be optimised technically, and information about the whole process of AEC projects needs to be improved. Comprehensive information for building energy management should be digitised and quantified to improve its systematic integration and application to the urban built environment. This review can serve as a roadmap for researchers who focus on studies of BIM-GIS integration in the sustainable built environment.

Identification of Urban Heat Islands &Its Relationship withVegetation Cover: A Case Study of Colombo & Gampaha Districts in Sri Lanka

Global Warming is a major environmental problem that all kind of organisms has been affected at present. Urban Heat Island (UHI) is one of primary impacts of Global Warming. UHI is a phenomenon that the temperature of urban area is higher than surrounding rural areas or suburban areas. This increasing trend of temperature in urban areas affects many environmental entities such as air quality, water resources, habitats behaviors and climate changes. The most remarkable incident that relate with UHI is the difference of thermal properties of the surfaces. Many countries experience the consequences of Urban Heat Islands in many aspects such as economic, health, social and environmental affects. Thus to mitigate such impacts of UHI, it is very important to identify the main reasons behind this. In this paper UHIs in Colombo, Gampaha Districts and the relationship between UHI and vegetation cover were analyzed based on Landsat 8, 30m resolution data. Land Surface Temperature was derived from Landsat thermal Infrared band through several equations of United State Geological Survay (USGS) guidelines using Arc GIS 10. Conversion of Digital Number (DN) values to Top of Atmosphere (TOA) Radiance, Conversion of TOA Radiance to Satellite Brightness temperature and final calculation of Land Surface Temperature considering land surface emissivity are the steps that had been done for the analysis. Vegetation cover was derived by using vegetation index with the Red and Near Infra Red bands. The result shows that the land high surface temperature directly relates with the urbanized regions where vegetation cover is very less. High temperature difference could be identified that cause to arise the urban heat island effects in Colombo & Gampaha districts. There is a strong linearly negative correlation with correlation coefficient value of -0.742 between land surface temperature and vegetation cover. 78.8 km2 (including water) of total area had been identified as NDVI value less than 0.1. And extent of high temperature area was 74.12 km2 where temperature more than 27oC at 10.22am. The area in temperature range of 25-27 was 464.95km2 and area in NDVI value range 0.1-0.2 was 333.04 km2. 1471.1 km2 was identified as NDVI value between 0.3-0.4 and the area at low temperature was 1529 km2where temperature less than 25oC. According to this results, high temperature at non-vegetated areas and low temperature at vegetated areas could be noted very clearly. This is probably due to the ecological function of vegetation that lay down the surface temperature from high evapotranspiration. Vegetated areas are mostly sensed with surface temperature.Thus research output can be useful for policy-makers and planners of development projects such as Western province Megapolis project as well as for general public to understand the urban heat island effects and importance of vegetation cover to mitigate such impacts.

The developmental origins of moral concern: An examination of moral boundary decision making throughout childhood.

Prominent theorists have made the argument that modern humans express moral concern for a greater number of entities than at any other time in our past. Moreover, adults show stable patterns in the degrees of concern they afford certain entities over others, yet it remains unknown when and how these patterns of moral decision-making manifest in development. Children aged 4 to 10 years (N = 151) placed 24 pictures of human, animal, and environmental entities on a stratified circle representing three levels of moral concern. Although younger and older children expressed similar overall levels of moral concern, older children demonstrated a more graded understanding of concern by including more entities within the outer reaches of their moral circles (i.e., they were less likely to view moral inclusion as a simple in vs. out binary decision). With age children extended greater concern to humans than other forms of life, and more concern to vulnerable groups, such as the sick and disabled. Notably, children’s level of concern for human entities predicted their prosocial behavior. The current research provides novel insights into the development of our moral reasoning and its structure within childhood.

Status of persistent organic pesticide residues in water and food and their effects on environment and farmers: a comprehensive review in Nigeria

Pesticide helps to enhance agricultural production, however, it significantly affect both socio and environmental entities of a country. In Nigeria, pesticide is widely used, thus its traces have been detected in water, soil and air. Several studies have already indicated that most of the environmental ecology (air, water, and soil) in Nigeria has been contaminated by persistent organic pesticides like organochlorine and organophosphate. Other reasons of high pesticide residues present in Nigeria environment is due to inappropriate dosage applied of pesticides that leaves behind excess. However, its residues are found above safety levels in the air, water, and soil across the nation. Based on previous analysis, it is indicated that 125,000-130,000 metric ton pesticides are being applied annually in Nigeria. Despite banned of some pesticides such as dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane- and -Hexachlorocyclohexane, they are still being used by farmers in their agricultural production. Many of the Class 1 (high extremely toxic) pesticides are still being used in developing countries like Nigeria. Hence, there is need to sensitize and educate the general public especially the end-users (farmers) particularly on management practices of pesticides. Considering these entire hazardous situations, in this article the history of pesticide used in Nigeria has been reviewed in detail. The article also discussed the effects of pesticide use in Nigerian waters, soil and on crops. The risk of residual pesticide on agricultural workers, pesticide residue risk preventive measures by the Federal Government of Nigeria, banned and restricted pesticides in Nigeria, Nigerian Government and its efforts to eliminate persistent organic pesticides in use are also reviewed in details.