Environmental Measures Research Articles

Translation, cultural adaptation and linguistic validation of the postgraduate hospital educational environment measure into Arabic

BackgroundAssessment of the clinical learning environment (CLE) is an essential step that teaching hospitals routinely undertake to ensure the environment is conducive, learning-oriented and supportive of junior doctors’ education. The Postgraduate Hospital Educational Environment Measure (PHEEM) is an internationally recognized tool for assessing the CLE with evidence of high reliability and validity. Translation of PHEEM into other languages such as Spanish, Japanese and Persian enabled wider adoption of the instrument in the world. However, in Syria and other Arabic countries, a validated Arabic translation of PHEEM is still not available, making it difficult to adopt it and use it in Arabic contexts. This study aims to translate and culturally adapt the PHEEM from English into Arabic.MethodsThis study followed the structured translation and validation process guideline proposed by Sousa & Rojjanasrirat 2010. First, the PHEEM went through forward translation by three translators, then reconciled with the aid of a fourth translator. Afterwards, two professional bicultural and bilingual translators conducted back translation into English and compared it with the original version. This formed the Pre-final Version (PFV) which was then pretested for clarity on a sample of medical residents in Damascus, Syria. Following appropriate modifications, the PFV was sent to a panel of experts for a comprehensive review of language clarity and to assess content validity.ResultsA total of thirty-five medical residents were recruited. Ten items with language clarity issues were identified and modified according to the elicited suggestions. Thereafter, the modified PFV was presented to ten subject experts who identified three items in need of revision. The item-content Validity Index (CVI) was over 0.78 for all of the 40 items; the calculated scale-CVI was 0.945.DiscussionThis study provided the first linguistically valid Arabic translation of the widely used PHEEM inventory. The next step is to conduct a full psychometric analysis of the Arabic PHEEM to provide further evidence of validity and reliability.

Research on the Coordinated Development of Digital Economy, Green Technology Innovation, and Ecological Environment Quality—A Case Study of China

Based on panel data from 285 prefecture-level cities in China from 2019 to 2023, the synergistic effects of the digital economy, green technology innovation, and ecological environment quality were analyzed. First, using the entropy method, the measurement dimensions of the indicators of the digital economy, green technology innovation, and ecological environment quality were obtained. Second, employing a neural network model with these measurements as input variables, the interactive relationship among the digital economy, green technology innovation, and ecological environment quality was explored. Finally, based on the calculation results of the neural network model, the importance and impact of each input parameter on ecological environment quality were determined using weight analysis methods. The research findings indicate: (1) Utilizing the entropy method, the measurement dimensions of the indicators of the digital economy, green technology innovation, and ecological environment quality were obtained. Analysis of each indicator measurement reveals that environmental pressure has a significant impact on ecological environment quality, with significant differences in environmental pressure among different regions. Industrial digitization emerges as the core factor influencing the digital economy, being the most significant driving effect, followed by digital industrialization. Green technology innovation is crucial for promoting environmental protection and achieving high-quality green economic development. (2) Based on the neural network model, the interactive relationship among the digital economy, green technology innovation, and ecological environment quality was revealed. The results indicate that the digital economy has a direct impact on improving ecological environment quality. The relationship between the digital economy and the ecological environment exhibits nonlinear effects, with the rate of change in environmental pressure and environmental status measurements initially increasing significantly and then gradually slowing down as the measurement levels of digital industrialization and industrial digitization increase. Improvement in digital governance and data value measurement levels will contribute to enhancing environmental status and environmental governance levels. (3) Through weight analysis, it was found that in terms of direct effects, industrial digitization, and digital industrialization have the most significant impact on environmental pressure, with importance coefficients of 0.45 and 0.3, respectively, while data valorization has the least impact. Regarding intermediary effects, industrial digitization and green technology innovation have the most significant impact on environmental pressure, while digital governance and green technology innovation have a relatively clear impact on environmental status and environmental governance. These results lay the foundation for promoting the coordinated cooperation between the digital economy and green technology innovation and for advancing the establishment of a win–win situation between economic development and environmental protection.

The European Green Deal in Terms of Impacts on International Trade

Environment and climate change in the world gained importance at the end of the 20th century and the cooperation of countries in this area gradually increased. Especially the framework protocols signed under the umbrella of the United Nations (UN) made the subject a remarkable area in the international arena. The European Union (EU) became the first actor in the world to take concrete steps in this field with the European Green Deal. The Green Deal has introduced new regulations in a wide range of policy areas. The behaviors adopted by the EU, which maintains its role as a normative power in the international arena, draws paths that include behavioral patterns as implemented. The field of environment and climate change is also an area where the EU is active at the global level, and the effects of the determined rules expected to be seen at the global level. At this point, the trade relations will be a significant channel in the dissemination of the understanding and rules adopted by the EU. The fact that the EU has put provisions on the subject in the preferential trade agreements it has signed is the most substantial indicator of this situation

Research on Environmental Performance Measurement and Influencing Factors of Key Cities in China Based on Super-Efficiency SBM-Tobit Model

In recent years, China has experienced significant economic growth and some degree of environmental pollution control. However, achieving a perfect balance between the environment and economic development remains a challenge. In order to seek solutions to this issue and promote the sustainable development of cities, this paper starts from the urban level, which is relatively lacking in existing research. Based on the panel data of urban indicators from 2013 to 2021, it quantifies the environmental performance of key cities using the slack-based measure (SBM) model of super-efficiency based on a non-expected output. Furthermore, it utilizes the Tobit panel regression model suitable for limited dependent variables to analyze the impact of driving factors on the environmental performance of key cities, and it further explores the reasons for the loss of urban environmental performance from the dual perspectives of inputs and outputs. The research findings indicate the following. (1) The average environmental performance of 30 key cities has shown an increasing trend but has not yet reached a valid state. The cities’ environmental performance rises in the range of [0.444, 0.821], indicating that there is room for improvement in urban environmental management. (2) Cities in the northeastern region of China have lagged behind the eastern, central, and western regions in terms of environmental performance over this nine-year period, and the redundancy of undesirable outputs is partly responsible for this decline. (3) The large proportion of the secondary industry, the number of vehicles on the road, and the population density have a significantly negative impact on urban environmental performance, while the per capita regional GDP and urban maintenance and construction funds make a positive difference. These research findings provide a scientific basis and valuable insights into urban environment performance enhancement and can serve as a reference for areas in need of balanced development between the urban environment and economic growth.

A dynamic thermal sensing mechanism with reconfigurable expanded-plane structures

The precise measurement of temperature is crucial in various fields such as biology, medicine, industrial automation, energy management, and daily life applications. While in most scenarios, sensors with a fixed thermal conductivity inevitably mismatch the analogous parameter of the medium being measured, thus causing the distortion and inaccurate detection of original temperature fields. Despite recent efforts on addressing the parameter-mismatch issue, all current solutions are constrained to a fixed working medium, whereas a more universal sensor should function in a variety of scenes. Here, we report a dynamic and reconfigurable thermal sensor capable of highly accurate measurements in diverse working environments. Remarkably, thanks to the highly tunable thermal conductivity of the expanded-plane structure, this sensor works effectively on background mediums with a wide range of conductivity. Such a development greatly enhances the robustness and adaptability of thermal sensors, setting a solid foundation for applications in multi-physical sensing scenarios.

Homology and heterogeneity of soil trace elements of coal power production bases in arid and semi-arid areas of Northwest China.

Coal power activities could cause regional fluctuations of trace elements, but the distribution information of these trace elements in arid and semi-arid areas is insufficient. In this study, the soil trace elements (As, B, Be, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ga, Ge, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Sn, Sr, Ti, Tl, and Zn) of Ningdong Coal Power Production Base in China were monitored. Results showed that the concentrations of B, Tl, Mn, Pb, Cr, K, Cu, and Co exceeded background values. The maximum risk index reached 265.66, while the trace elements posed a cancer risk to children. Combining correlation analyses (CA), principal component analysis (PCA), and positive matrix factorization (PMF) techniques, it indicated that trace elements were mainly coming from coal combustion (34.15%), livestock farming (17.44%), traffic emissions (12.42%), and natural factors (35.99%). This study reveals the sources and potential ecological risks of soil trace elements in the Ningdong Coal and Power Production Base. It provides a scientific basis for developing targeted environmental management measures and reducing human health risks.

Exact surface measurement based on phase error insensitive method for white-light scanning interferometer

Phase error induced by the scanning error of piezoelectric transducer and vibration in white-light interference signal (WLIS) impose limitations on measurement accuracy. In this paper, two techniques are investigated to eliminate phase error cooperatively. A monochromatic interferometer owning the same optical path as the white-light scanning interferometer (WLSI) is employed to detect and compensate the phase error. Due to the incomplete consistency between the detected phase error and its actual distribution, an algorithm is introduced to further enhance the measurement accuracy. The simulation is given to prove the proposed method is available in different magnitude of noise. In the experiment, the front surface of wedged window is measured, whose maximum fluctuations are reduced to 28.8 nm and 3.0 nm from 62.7 nm with the gradual application of two technologies, and the repeatability reach 5.0 nm and 0.4 nm from 16.8 nm, respectively. The root mean square height S q and maximum height S z ultimately decrease to 1.3 nm and 1.6 nm. The measurement of step with height of about 3.0 μm also has the good accuracy and repeatability after phase error elimination. Since the different reflectivity of measured surfaces in the wavelength range of light source will also bring the measurement error, its influences are analyzed by simulation. The proposed techniques provide a phase error insensitive method for WLSI that has potential on measurement in the complex environment.

Implementation and Feasibility of Environmental Electric Field Measurement Based on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

Implementation and Feasibility of Environmental Electric Field Measurement Based on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

The effect of company growth on sustainable performance: A moderating perspective of stock mispricing in Indonesia and Japan

The adoption of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) measures to realize socially responsible companies continues to accelerate, becoming a trend amid global uncertainty due to climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to examine the effect of company growth on sustainable performance, moderated by company stock mispricing in Indonesia and Japan, representing a developing and a developed country, respectively. This study uses panel data regression, namely the Common Effect Model (CEM), Fixed Effect Model (FEM), and Random Effect Model (REM), to test hypotheses. With a total of 42 observations from companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) and 112 observations from companies listed on the Japan Stock Exchange (JPX) during 2019–2020, the results show that a company’s growth has a negative effect on sustainable performance in Indonesia, while in Japan it has no effect. Stock mispricing strengthens the negative effect of company growth on sustainable performance in Indonesia but has no effect in Japan. This study found that companies in Indonesia place more emphasis on internal growth than on ESG implementation compared to companies in Japan. The implication of this study is that the implementation of ESG shows different dynamics when comparing two countries. Indonesia needs to evaluate the regulations governing socially responsible businesses in order to encourage further improvement of ESG performance. Meanwhile, in Japan, ESG practices have been running voluntarily, so enforcement from regulators is relatively less necessary.

Resistance of rocky intertidal communities to oceanic climate fluctuations.

A powerful way to predict how ecological communities will respond to future climate change is to test how they have responded to the climate of the past. We used climate oscillations including the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), North Pacific Gyre Oscillation, and El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and variation in upwelling, air temperature, and sea temperatures to test the sensitivity of nearshore rocky intertidal communities to climate variability. Prior research shows that multiple ecological processes of key taxa (growth, recruitment, and physiology) were sensitive to environmental variation during this time frame. We also investigated the effect of the concurrent sea star wasting disease outbreak in 2013-2014. We surveyed nearly 150 taxa from 11 rocky intertidal sites in Oregon and northern California annually for up to 14-years (2006-2020) to test if community structure (i.e., the abundance of functional groups) and diversity were sensitive to past environmental variation. We found little to no evidence that these communities were sensitive to annual variation in any of the environmental measures, and that each metric was associated with < 8.6% of yearly variation in community structure. Only the years elapsed since the outbreak of sea star wasting disease had a substantial effect on community structure, but in the mid-zone only where spatially dominant mussels are a main prey of the keystone predator sea star, Pisaster ochraceus. We conclude that the established sensitivity of multiple ecological processes to annual fluctuations in climate has not yet scaled up to influence community structure. Hence, the rocky intertidal system along this coastline appears resistant to the range of oceanic climate fluctuations that occurred during the study. However, given ongoing intensification of climate change and increasing frequencies of extreme events, future responses to climate change seem likely.

Reassessment of the Emission Reduction Responsibilities of Wealthy Individuals and Corporations: Considerations based on the Perspective of Resource Availability

Minimizing emissions has become a crucial element in the fight against global climate change. This study will employ resource dependence theory to assess the participation of wealthy individuals and corporations in the worldwide effort to decrease emissions, particularly with regards to natural, human, and capital resources. The objective is to demonstrate the crucial role that affluent individuals and major corporations play in promoting climate action. In conclusion, we recommend enhancing the management of these organizations' resource utilization and implementing stronger environmental protection measures to prevent their economic activities from undermining the attainment of global climate objectives. This study offers fresh insights into comprehending and advancing more efficient worldwide strategies for reducing emissions, emphasizing the substantial influence of affluent individuals and major corporations who exploit resources in global emissions reduction endeavors.

Association between serum copper and blood glucose: a mediation analysis of inflammation indicators in the NHANES (2011–2016)

BackgroundThe rising prevalence of diabetes underscores the need for identifying effective prevention strategies. Recent research suggests environmental factors, particularly heavy metals like copper, significantly influence health outcomes, including diabetes, through mechanisms involving inflammation and oxidative stress. This study aims to explore how serum copper levels affect blood glucose, employing NHANES data from 2011 to 2016, to provide insights into environmental health’s role in diabetes prevention and management.MethodsThe study analyzed data from 2,318 NHANES participants across three cycles (2011–2016), focusing on those with available data on serum copper, inflammatory markers, and blood glucose levels. We utilized principal component analysis for selecting inflammatory markers, mediation analysis to examine direct and indirect effects, multiple linear regression for assessing relationships between markers and glucose levels, and weighted quantile sum regression for evaluating individual and collective marker effects, adjusting for demographic variables and serum copper.ResultsParticipants averaged 42.70 years of age, with a near-even split between genders. Average serum copper was 119.50 μg/dL, white blood cell count 6.82 × 109/L, and fasting blood glucose 107.10 mg/dL. Analyses identified significant mediation by inflammatory markers (especially white blood cells: 39.78%) in the copper-blood glucose relationship. Regression analyses highlighted a positive correlation between white blood cells (estimate: 1.077, 95% CI: 0.432 to 2.490, p = 0.013) and copper levels and a negative correlation for monocyte percentage (estimate: −1.573, 95% CI: 0.520 to −3.025, p = 0.003). Neutrophil percentage was notably influential in glucose levels. Sensitive analyses confirmed the study’s findings.ConclusionSerum copper levels significantly impact blood glucose through inflammatory marker mediation, highlighting the importance of considering environmental factors in diabetes management and prevention. These findings advocate for public health interventions and policies targeting environmental monitoring and heavy metal exposure reduction, emphasizing the potential of environmental health measures in combating diabetes incidence.

Predictors of Multidimensional Profiles of Participation After Traumatic Brain Injury: A TBI Model Systems Study.

To identify personal, clinical, and environmental factors associated with 4 previously identified distinct multidimensional participation profiles of individuals following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Community. Participants (n = 408) enrolled in the TBI Model Systems (TBIMS) Participation Module, all 1 year or more postinjury. Secondary data analysis of cross-sectional data from participants in a multicenter TBIMS module study on participation conducted between May 2006 and September 2007. Participants provided responses to questionnaires via a telephone interview at their study follow-up (1, 2, 5, 10, or 15 years postinjury). Participants provided responses to personal (eg, demographic), clinical (eg, function), environmental (eg, neighborhood type), and participation measures to create multidimensional participation profiles. Data from measures collected at the time of injury (preinjury questionnaire, injury characteristics) were also included. The primary outcome was assignment to one of 4 multidimensional participation profile groups based on participation frequency, importance, satisfaction, and enfranchisement. The measures used to develop the profiles were: Participation Assessment with Recombined Tools-Objective, Importance, and Satisfaction scores, each across 3 domains (Productivity, Social Relationships, Out and About in the Community) and the Enfranchisement Scale (contributing to one's community, feeling valued by the community, choice and control). Results of the multinomial regression analysis, with 4 distinct participation profile groups as the outcome, indicated that education, current employment, current illicit drug use, current driving status, community type, and Functional Independence Measure Cognitive at follow-up significantly distinguished participation profile groups. Findings suggest a trend toward differences in participation profile groups by race/Hispanic ethnicity. Understanding personal, clinical, and environmental factors associated with distinct participation outcome profiles following TBI may provide more personalized and nuanced guidance to inform rehabilitation intervention planning and/or ongoing clinical monitoring.

Challenges in IBD Research 2024: Environmental Triggers.

Environmental factors play an important role in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD; Crohn's disease, [CD], ulcerative colitis [UC]). As part of the Crohn's & Colitis Challenges 2024 agenda, the Environmental Triggers workgroup summarized the progress made in the field of environmental impact on IBD since the last Challenges cycle in this document. The workgroup identified 4 unmet gaps in this content area pertaining to 4 broad categories: (1) Epidemiology; (2) Exposomics and environmental measurement; (3) Biologic mechanisms; and (4) Interventions and Implementation. Within epidemiology, the biggest unmet gaps were in the study of environmental factors in understudied populations including racial and ethnic minority groups and in populations witnessing rapid rise in disease incidence globally. The workgroup also identified a lack of robust knowledge of how environmental factors may impact difference stages of the disease and for different disease-related end points. Leveraging existing cohorts and targeted new prospective studies were felt to be an important need for the field. The workgroup identified the limitations of traditional questionnaire-based assessment of environmental exposure and placed high priority on the identification of measurable biomarkers that can quantify cross-sectional and longitudinal environmental exposure. This would, in turn, allow for identifying the biologic mechanisms of influence of environmental factors on IBD and understand the heterogeneity in effect of such influences. Finally, the working group emphasized the importance of generating high-quality data on effective environmental modification on an individual and societal level, and the importance of scalable and sustainable methods to deliver such changes.

Neighborhood Access to the Built Environment and Allostatic Load: A Systematic Review of the Use of Geographic Information Systems

Objectives: This paper systematically reviews how spatial analysis has been used to measure relationships between access to the built environment and Allostatic Load (AL) or biomarkers relevant to the stress pathway. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) facilitate objective measurement of built environment access that may explain unequal health outcomes linked to living in stressful environments.Methods: Systematic review, search date 13 July 2022 with methods published a priori. Included studies that quantitatively assessed associations between GIS measures of neighborhood attributes and biomarkers of stress.Results: 23 studies from 14 countries were included having used GIS measures to assess relationships between access to the built environment and biomarkers relevant to AL, with 17 being cross-sectional and 6 longitudinal. Just 2 studies explicitly assessed associations between GIS measures and AL, but 21 explored biomarkers relevant to the stress pathway. GIS was used to calculate density (how much of x within y) and proximity (how far from a to b) measures.Conclusion: GIS measures of greenspace, the food environment, area-level demographics, and land-use measures were found to influence biomarkers relevant to the stress pathway, highlighting the utility of this approach. GIS use is extremely limited when measuring the built environment and its influence on AL but has been widely used to consider effects on individual biomarkers of stress.Systematic Review Registration: [https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=348355], identifier [CRD42022348355].

A Multi-UAV cooperative mission planning method based on SA-WOA algorithm for three-dimensional space atmospheric environment detection

Abstract In the application of rotorcraft atmospheric environment detection, to reflect the distribution of atmospheric pollutants more realistically and completely, the sampling points must be spread throughout the entire three-dimensional space, and the cooperation of multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (multi-UAVs) can ensure real-time performance and increase operational efficiency. In view of the problem of coordinated detection by multi-UAVs, the region division and global coverage path planning of the stereo space to be detected are studied. A whale optimization algorithm based on the simulated annealing-whale optimization algorithm (SA-WOA) is proposed, which introduces adaptive weights with the Levy flight mechanism, improves the metropolis criterion, and introduces an adaptive tempering mechanism in the SA stage. Path smoothing is subsequently performed with the help of nonuniform rational B-spline (NURBS) curves. The comparison of algorithms using the eil76 dataset shows that the path length planned by the SA-WOA algorithm in this paper is 10.15% shorter than that of the WOA algorithm, 13.25% shorter than the SA planning result, and only 0.95% difference from the optimal path length in the dataset. From the perspective of planning time, its speed is similar to WOA, with a relative speed increase of 27.15% compared to SA, proving that the algorithm proposed in this paper has good planning performance. A hardware system platform is designed and built, and environmental gas measurement experiments were conducted. The experimental results indicate that the multi-UAV collaborative environment detection task planning method proposed in this paper has certain practical value in the field of atmospheric environment detection.

Hydrogeochemical characteristics and air quality risks associated with gold mining operations in Egypt using geochemical modeling and risk indices

The success of industrial operations depends on the effective identification, appraisal, and mitigation of possible hazards and associated environmental concerns. This report provides a complete review of environmental management techniques at the Sukari Gold Mine (SGM), located in the southeastern desert of Egypt. Extensive environmental measurements were taken to assess air and water quality, identify hazards, and analyze risks on the SGM premises. Air quality and noise intensity levels were measured at 39 places around the mine's working region. The findings found noncompliance with the Egyptian Environmental Law's (EEL4/94) noise exposure limitations, with the Power Generator House having the maximum noise levels at 107 dB. Remedial measures such as personal protective equipment (PPE) and exposure limit reduction strategies are being considered to address elevated noise levels. Measurements of particulate matter (PM10) and noxious gases (e.g., CO, SO2, NO2, HCN, and NH3) were conducted in workplace and ambient environments. Elevated PM10 concentrations were particularly concerning in underground regions, forcing the deployment of water depression techniques and improved PPE measures. While gas emissions from most activities remained under regulatory limits, select zones showed hydrogen cyanide (HCN) levels that exceeded permitted thresholds, necessitating specific control actions. Using hazard index (HI) and risk rating assessments, this study found different risk profiles across SGM's workplaces, focusing on high-risk regions for focused intervention. Additionally, a water assessment near a Tailing Storage Facility (TSF) was conducted to monitor the impact of mining activities on groundwater quality. The study revealed that groundwater in the region belongs to the Na–K–Cl–SO4 and Ca–Mg–Cl–SO4 water classes, with potential degradation attributed to high mineralization processes induced by aquifer materials and seawater intrusion. The findings underscore the importance of ongoing monitoring, control measures, and implementation of programs to ensure environmental sustainability and minimize risks associated with mining activities in the Sukari Gold Mines. This research highlights the imperative of continuous monitoring, proactive control measures, and the implementation of environmental initiatives to ensure the sustainability of mining operations within the Sukari Gold Mines.

Experience of using the Aptian-Albian-Cenomanian hydrogeological complex in the disposal of produced water from the Kamennoye subsoil area

The objective of the presented study is to assess the efficacy of the Aptian-Albian-Cenomanian hydrogeological complex in the disposal of surplus associated water generated in large quantities during oil production within the Kamennoye subsoil area.The necessity for utilising produced water within the Kamennoye subsoil area is justified by the accumulated volume of water currently exceeding 10 000 thousand m3. The water content in wells' production at the Kamennoye subsoil area is 52-55 %. Furthermore, further extraction will result in an increase in the water cut. One of the key challenges facing subsoil users is to minimise the negative impact of water disposal into the absorbing horizon.In the course of the study, the following tasks were solved: assessment of the natural geological and hydrogeological conditions of the Aptian-Albian-Cenomanian hydrogeological complex, analysis of the stability of the hydrogeochemical indicators of the groundwater in the complex based on the results of monitoring studies (since the 1960s), assessment of the compatibility of the produced water and the formation water by calculating the carbonate equilibrium of the system. The obtained solution of each of the above tasks indicates the rationality of using the Aptian-Albian-Cenomanian hydrogeological complex for the disposal of produced water. The article also emphasises the necessity of continuous improvement of the system for monitoring the condition of the absorbing horizon, as well as careful observance of all environmental protection measures, which is a prerequisite for preserving the natural balance of the subsoil of the West Siberian oil and gas basin.

Underwater Camera Calibration Based on Double Refraction

Underwater camera calibration plays a pivotal role in underwater positioning and underwater mapping reconstruction, making it crucial for achieving precise spatial measurements in underwater environments. To elevate measurement accuracy, we have refined the calibration methodology for underwater cameras. Firstly, we conducted an in-depth investigation into the intricate challenges posed by double refraction errors arising from light passing through water–glass–air interfaces. To address this issue, we established a double refraction model based on the actual underwater light paths, laying the groundwork for our calibration efforts. Furthermore, to tackle the problem of determining multiple camera parameters, we proposed a parameter optimization method based on genetic algorithms, capable of navigating the complex parameter space. Finally, compared with other algorithms, our method enables more precise determination of underwater camera parameters.

Beneath the insuperable barrier: accumulation, state managers and climate policy in Britain

ABSTRACT This article presents the first archival case study of the drivers of UK climate policy and the creation of the UNFCCC. I contribute to the literature on the green state and green capitalism, firstly by arguing that existing approaches do not fully capture the state’s and most importantly policymakers’ position in capitalism. Secondly, there remains scope for more refined empirical examination of policymakers and how they navigate the contradictions of environmental policy. I address these weaknesses by analysing newly declassified British governmental documents through form-analytic Marxism, demonstrating the drivers behind the Thatcher government’s climate policies and push for an international convention. I argue that policymakers occupy the site of the state’s contradictory pressures, and thus find themselves ‘beneath the insuperable barrier’ as their commitment to accumulation and capitalist logics supersedes their drive to design ambitious environmental measures. This reveals fundamental tensions with policymakers’ ability to address the climate crisis.