Environmental Research Research Articles

Modelling the dynamic gas/particle partitioning process of semi-volatile organic compounds emitted from point sources: Quantitative analysis and impact assessment

The deleterious impact of pollution point sources on the surrounding environment and human has long been a focal point of environmental research. When considering the local atmospheric dispersion of semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) around the emission sites, it is essential to account the dynamic process for the gas/particle (G/P) partitioning, which involves the transition from an initial state to a steady state. In this study, we have developed a model that enables the prediction of the dynamic process for G/P partitioning of SVOCs, particularly considering the influence from emission. It is important to note that the dynamic processes of the concentrations of SVOCs in particle phase (CP) and in gas phase (CG) differ significantly. These differences arise due to the influence of two critical factors: particulate proportion of SVOCs in the emissions (ϕ0) and octanol-air partitioning coefficient (KOA). The validity of our model was assessed by comparing its predictions of the extremum value of the G/P partitioning quotient (KP) with the results obtained from the steady-state model. Remarkably, the characteristic time (tC), used to evaluate the timescale required for SVOCs to reach steady state, demonstrated different variations with KOA for CP and CG. Additionally, the values of tC were quite different for CP and CG, which were markedly influenced by ϕ0. For some SVOCs with high KOA values, it took approximately 35 h to reach steady state. Furthermore, it was found that the time to achieve 95 % of steady state (t95 ≈ 3tC) could reach approximately 105 h. This duration is sufficient for chemicals to disperse from their emission site to the surrounding areas. Therefore, it is crucial to consider the dynamic process of G/P partitioning in local atmospheric transport studies. Moreover, the influence of ϕ0 should be incorporated into future investigations examining the dynamic process of G/P partitioning.

Benthic foraminifera as depth estimators in the tropical carbonate shelf of northeastern Brazil

Benthic foraminifera are valuable proxies for oceanographic and environmental research due to their high degree of species-specific habitat use. The present study describes the distribution of benthic foraminifera across the continental carbonate shelf of northeastern Brazil, and relates their distribution patterns to environmental parameters associated with the texture of the sediment and the depth of the water. Sediment samples were collected at depths between 0.5 and 57 m. In the laboratory, the samples were analyzed following the standard protocol established for Quaternary foraminifera research. Sediments dominated by carbonate sand, which were approximately symmetric in the first depth interval (0.5–20 m), and asymmetric in the second (20–40 m) and third (40–57 m) intervals. The foraminiferal assemblages composed of 96 species, although they were dominated by the five species – Archaias angulatus, Textularia agglutinans, Amphistegina lessonii, Quinqueloculina lamarckiana, and Peneroplis carinatus. Most tests were intact and the species composition varied across the continental shelf, with Pseudotriloculina laevigata and Globobulimina? sp. Only occurring from 0.5 to 20 m depth in shelf, while Pyrgo elongata, Quinqueloculina sp. A, Quinqueloculina sp. C, Fissurina sp. A, Fissurina sp. B, Elphidium morenoi, Glabratella brasilensis, and Siphogenerina sp. Were restricted from 20 to 40 m, and Sigmoilina sp., Fursenkoina sp., and Textularia sp. A was only recorded in depth >40 m. The diversity of the foraminiferal assemblages is favored by the attenuation of hydrodynamic conditions at deeper intervals (20–57 m). Therefore, it can be concluded that the benthic foraminiferal species respond to the depth and variation in sediment characteristics through changes in their population and assemblage structures.

Tool support for implementing a methodology in magnet development projects at CERN

AbstractAbstract product development models, such as the Integrated Product Engineering Model (iPeM), are insightful yet complex, hindering practical application. The paper introduces a prototypical tool designed to simplify the application of iPeM. A case study at CERN showcases the tool's capability in utilizing the iPeM to streamline the tailoring of standards into methodologies for research environments. The tool's impact is evaluated through interviews at CERN. The findings suggest the tool's benefits, especially for individuals without formal project management backgrounds.

A Landscape Approach to Understanding Carbon Sequestration Assets at a State-Wide Scale for Sustainable Urban Planning

This study presents a refined approach to spatially identify carbon sequestration assets, crucial for effective climate action planning in Illinois. By integrating landscape analytical methods with species-specific carbon assessment techniques, we deliver a nuanced evaluation of forest area sequestration potential. Our methodology employs a combination of landscape imagery, deep learning analytics, Kriging interpolation, and i-Tree Planting tools to process forest sample data. The results reveal a spatial variability in sequestration capacities, highlighting significant carbon sinks in southern Illinois. This region, known for its historical woodland richness, showcases the distinct carbon sequestration abilities of various tree species. Findings emphasize the role of biodiversity in the carbon cycle and provide actionable insights for forest management and carbon neutral strategies. This study demonstrates the utility of advanced spatial analysis in environmental research, underscoring its potential to enhance accuracy in ecological quantification and conservation efforts.

Informed consent and trial prioritization for clinical studies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Stakeholder experiences and viewpoints.

Very little is known about the practice-oriented challenges and potential response strategies for effective and efficient translation of informed consent and study prioritization in times of a pandemic. This stakeholder interview study aimed to identify the full spectrum of challenges and potential response strategies for informed consent and study prioritization in a pandemic setting. We performed semi-structured interviews with German stakeholders involved in clinical research during the COVID-19 pandemic. We continued sampling and thematic text analysis of interview transcripts until thematic saturation of challenges and potential response strategies was reached. We conducted 21 interviews with investigators, oversight bodies, funders and research support units. For the first topic informed consent we identified three main themes: consent challenges, impact of consent challenges on clinical research, and potential strategies for consent challenges. For the second topic prioritization of clinical studies, we identified two main themes: perceived benefit of prioritization and potential strategies for prioritization. All main themes are further specified with subthemes. A supplementary table provides original quotes from the interviews for all subthemes. Potential response strategies for challenges with informed consent and study prioritization partly share common ground. High quality procedures for study prioritization, for example, seem to be a core response strategy in dealing with informed consent challenges. Especially in a research environment with particularly high uncertainty regarding potential treatment effects and further limitations for valid informed consent should the selection of clinical trials be very well justified from a scientific, medical, and ethics viewpoint.

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Editor Words DOI 10.55206/EBMA3053 Prof. Dr Ivanka Mavrodieva, DSc Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” Email: mavrodieva@phls.uni-sofia.bg Issue 59 (April 2024) of the Rhetoric and Communication Journal includes eight publications, which announce the results of research, among which surveys of parliamentary rhetoric and communication, which has manifestations in media and on the Internet, in politics and in society. The section “Media and Internet Communication” brings together four articles that contribute to the derivation of concepts, the delineation of the boundaries of new fields of academic research and the renewal of the categorical and conceptual apparatus in several scientific fields, for example through the terms “media culture”, “media transformation”, “cultural software” and “infor¬mation aesthetics”, “cancel culture”, “digital oral histories”, “hybrid risks and threats”. Simeon Vassilev outlines various scientific approaches to the definition of the term “media culture”; he presents theories, concepts, approaches and ad¬vo¬cates the need for a coherent theory of media transformation and media culture; the author draws conclusions about the phenomenon of media culture as a social practice. Desislava Dobreva explores a topic that is characterized by topicality and social sensitivity and examines the notion of “cancel culture”; she studies the phenomenon theoretically and historically; the author analyses current events and identifies rhetorical aspects in this specific virtual communication. Nikolina Ivanova-Bell examines the development of digital oral histories, as well as the opportunities they offer in the field of university education and academic libraries; on the basis of analyses she establishes the potential for enriching research and teaching experience in an academic environment. Andrey Velchev examines hybrid warfare from an interdisciplinary perspective; he analyses the role of the media and the Internet; the author presents the activities of institutions in identifying and neutralising hybrid threats, and in formulating and implementing strategic tasks regarding hybrid warfare. In the section “Political Communication and Parliamentary Rhetoric” two articles are included; they are written on the basis of a theoretical observation and include results of research into concepts in the fields of political science, political communication and parliamentary rhetoric in contemporary Bulgaria. Atanas Zhdrebev’s publication is devoted to populism; he discusses Takis Papas’s concept of populism as democratic illiberalism; the author gives examples of contemporary political phenomena and processes from different countries. Sofia-Nikol Nikolova examines the argumentation and rhetorical figures used by MPs during debates on significant domestic political issues and votes of no confidence and presents the results of an analysis of parliamentarian rhetoric in the 49th National Assembly in Bulgaria. The issue has a section “Contemporary Studies” in which there are options for presenting not only books, but also their contributions at the theoretical, methodological and research levels. The review of Professor Danail Danov’s book “Foundations of Media Pedagogy. A guide to the world of digital culture and its tools” is metaphorically entitled “a guide to the digital modus vivendi” by Simeon Vassilev. Professor Angel Angelov introduces Radeya Gesheva’s book “Enigmas and Paradigms in Some Twentieth-Century Italian Women Writers”. Prof. Dr. Ivanka Mavrodieva is a lecturer in rhetoric, argumentation, PR and virtual communication at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”. She is the author of 15 books (including “Virtual rhetoric: from diaries to social networks”, “Political rhetoric in Bulgaria: from rallies to Web 2.0 (1989 - 2012)”, “Rhetoric and Public Re¬lations”, “Online Course on Rhetoric”) and 120 articles. Her research interests are in the fields of contemporary rhetoric, virtual communication, argumentation, PR and business communication. Rhetoric and Communications Journal, issue 59, April 2024 Read the Original in Bulgarian and English

Aesthetic flux: inquiring into the sensuous dynamics of children, matter and environments with a more-than-human lens

Although sensuous and embodied engagement is an integral part of child–environment relationalities, the intersections of aesthetics, children and environments remain scarcely addressed. As a response, this study develops a concept of ‘aesthetic flux’ to delve into the sensuous dynamics of matter and bodies in the context of a storying workshop in a forest with first graders in a Finnish primary school. An arts-based, post-qualitative methodology guided our analysis of video recordings from the workshop, resulting in visual-sonic montages that draw attention to the intense movements and sounds of children, soap bubbles, air, a research camera and trees. Thinking through the concept of aesthetic flux, our study experiments with the abundance, indeterminacy and potentiality of sensuous dynamics where bodies (human and otherwise) become together and linger. Thus, our study reconfigures aesthetics as a creative and unpredictable force that materialises in both embodied and conceptual ways in environmental education and research with children.

Construction of unique floating Bi2WO6/g-C3N4 S-scheme heterojunction to promote photocatalytic activity

Inspired by the floating and photosynthesis of algae and corals in the marine ecosystem, a floating photocatalytic system with an S-scheme heterojunction was constructed using melamine sponge as the backbone and Bi2WO6/g-C3N4 as the active components. This system has the advantages of easy availability of raw materials, low cost, simple preparation, easy recovery, and full utilization of solar light, addressing the disadvantages of powdered materials such as difficulty in recovery, susceptibility to external environmental factors, and inactivation. The unique floating structure allows photocatalytic reactions to occur at the interface between water and air, increasing the utilization rate of air O2. Taking BWO/FCN materials as an example, the layered BWO and g-C3N4 were attached to the carbonized melamine sponge backbone using a direct thermal shrinkage method and hydrothermal treatment, forming an S-scheme heterojunction with a suitable band gap. Under visible light irradiation, after 90 min of reaction, the degradation rate of TC reached 98.2 %, with excellent stability and recyclability. Using in-situ XPS, we tested the electron transfer rules in the BWO/FCN heterojunction and demonstrated the successful formation of the S-scheme heterojunction. The structure and properties of the material were characterized and analyzed using SEM, TEM, UV–vis, electrochemical testing, ESR, and other techniques. Finally, the possible ways of TC degradation and the eco-toxicity of intermediate products and the reduction process of product toxicity were analyzed. This study provides a new perspective for researching floating materials and S-scheme heterojunctions, laying a foundation for future environmental governance and energy conversion research in this field.

Review of soil form and wetness indicators for wetland delineation in South Africa

Wetland delineation in South Africa incorporates soil form and soil wetness indicators, requiring formal soil classification and description of soil redox morphology. The current wetland definition used administratively in South Africa focuses on saturated (hydric) soil signatures within plant root zones. Saturated soil horizons deeper than plant root zones fall outside the 50 cm criterion in the local approach as well as the accepted zone in USA literature. The field of hydropedology accommodates the classification of the various hydrologically active horizons and provides a tool for the handling of horizons with ephemeral wetness. This approach has been variably accepted by mandated authorities in South Africa. The South African soil classification system has evolved through three editions over the past 50 years while retaining the same redox morphology understanding. However, despite the concepts and context of redox morphology having been thoroughly technically adopted by soil scientists, this is not the case within the wetland research and management environment. This especially because the classification system is structured differently from other international systems, and the South African landscape is geologically ancient with mature soils, introducing challenges to resource assessment specialists who rely on international norms and approaches for wetland assessment. This paper reviews the various components of soil classification and redox morphology based on Fe and Mn minerals within the context of the South African soil classification system, the field of hydropedology and wetland delineation indicators. We provide a qualitative correlation between the various diagnostic horizons and materials in the system and their related redox morphology contexts that are relevant to wetland assessment, delineation, and protection in South Africa. This paper therefore aims to serve as a reference point for the description and correlation of various soil hydrological parameters used in formal assessments.

The Use of Boosted Regression Trees to Predict the Occurrence and Quantity of Staphylococcus aureus in Recreational Marine Waterways

Microbial monitoring in marine recreational waterways often overlooks environmental variables associated with pathogen occurrence. This study employs a predictive boosted regression trees (BRT) model to predict Staphylococcus aureus abundance in the Tampa Bay estuary and identify related environmental variables associated with the microbial pathogen’s occurrence. We provide evidence that the BRT model’s adaptability and ability to capture complex interactions among predictors make it invaluable for research on microbial indicator research. Over 18 months, water samples from 7 recreational sites underwent microbial quantitation and S. aureus isolation, followed by genetic validation. BRT analysis of S. aureus occurrence and environmental variables revealed month, precipitation, salinity, site, temperature, and year as relevant predictors. In addition, the BRT model accurately predicted S. aureus occurrence, setting a precedent for pathogen–environment research. The approach described here is novel and informs proactive management strategies and community health initiatives in marine recreational waterways.

Precision Geolocation of Medicinal Plants: Assessing Machine Learning Algorithms for Accuracy and Efficiency

This study investigates the precision geolocation of medicinal plants, a critical endeavor bridging ecology, conservation, and pharmaceutical research. By employing machine learning algorithms—gradient boosting machine (GBM), random forest (RF), and support vector machine (SVM)—within the cross-industry standard process for data mining (CRISP-DM) framework, both the accuracy and efficiency of medicinal plant geolocation are enhanced. The assessment employs precision, recall, accuracy, and F1 score performance metrics. Results reveal that SVM and GBM algorithms exhibit superior performance, achieving an accuracy of 97.29%, with SVM showing remarkable computational efficiency. Meanwhile, despite inferior performance, RF remains competitive especially when model interpretability is required. These outcomes highlight the efficacy of SVM and GBM in medicinal plant geolocation and accentuate their potential to advance environmental research, conservation strategies, and pharmaceutical explorations. The study underscores the interdisciplinary significance of accurately geolocating medicinal plants, supporting their conservation for future pharmaceutical innovation and ecological sustainability.

Innovating in a bioimaging core through instrument development.

Developing devices and instrumentation in a bioimaging core facility is an important part of the innovation mandate inherent in the core facility model but is a complex area due to the required skills and investments, and the impossibility of a universally applicable model. Here, we seek to define technological innovation in microscopy and situate it within the wider core facility innovation portfolio, highlighting how strategic development can accelerate access to innovative imaging modalities and increase service range, and thus maintain the cutting edge needed for sustainability. We consider technology development from the perspective of core facility staff and their stakeholders as well as their research environment and aim to present a practical guide to the 'Why, When, and How' of developing and integrating innovative technology in the core facility portfolio. Core facilities need to innovate to stay up to date. However, how to carry out the innovation is not very obvious. One area of innovation in imaging core facilities is the building of optical setups. However, the creation of optical setups requires specific skill sets, time, and investments. Consequently, the topic of whether a core facility should develop optical devices is discussed as controversial. Here, we provide resources that should help get into this topic, and we discuss different options when and how it makes sense to build optical devices in core facilities. We discuss various aspects, including consequences for staff and the relation of the core to the institute, and also broaden the scope toward other areas of innovation.

Creating cloud platforms for supporting FAIR data management in biomedical research projects.

Biomedical research projects are becoming increasingly complex and require technological solutions that support all phases of the data lifecycle and application of the FAIR principles. At the Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), we have developed and established a flexible and cost-effective approach to building customized cloud platforms for supporting research projects. The approach is based on a microservice architecture and on the management of a portfolio of supported services. On this basis, we created and maintained cloud platforms for several international research projects. In this article, we present our approach and argue that building customized cloud platforms can offer multiple advantages over using multi-project platforms. Our approach is transferable to other research environments and can be easily adapted by other projects and other service providers.

Prevalence and factors associated with mental health status in Parkinson's disease: Data from the 45 and Up Study.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is associated with a range of non-motor symptomologies such as anxiety and depression. The purpose of this research was to investigate the prevalence and factors associated with mental health status in persons with PD. This retrospective data linkage study analysed a subset of data from the Sax Institute's 45 and Up Study based in the population of the state of New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Data was analysed between 2005-2009 of persons who self-identified with PD. Secure data access was provided through the Sax Institute's Secure Unified Research Environment (SURE). Participants were aged 45+ years of age and living in NSW, Australia. Regression analysis was performed on psychological distress (K10), previous diagnosis of anxiety, and/or depression, with independent variables for locality, demographic, health, medical, and sociocultural factors. A total of 1676 persons self-identified with PD from the 45 and Up Study Wave 1 baseline and were linked to the 2010 Social, Economic and Environmental Factors (SEEF) survey dataset. Mental health manifestations are common in PD with 29% and 32% reporting a previous medical diagnosis of anxiety and depression, respectively. Rural locality was associated with an increased likelihood of psychological distress, anxiety, and depression compared to metropolitan locality. Mental health status in PD was associated with living in rural areas, medical service access, female gender, ageing, physical mobility, Australian born, social interactions, and in a coupled relationship. Further research is required on the longitudinal impact of these associations on mental health in PD.

CHARACTERIZATION OF MICROPLASTICS IN MARINE SEDIMENTS FROM THE GULF OF TEHUANTEPEC, MEXICAN PACIFIC

Microplastics (MPs), a universal pollutant is widely distributed in sediments, which attracted the environmental researchers worldwide. MPs are harmful may adsorb toxic compounds present in the environment, which can be ingested by benthic organisms and easily transfer to humans. We investigated the distribution of MPs and its types in beach sediments from the Tehuantepec River mouth, Gulf of Tehuantepec, Mexican Pacific coast. MPs are categorized by their size, shape, color, and polymer types. 73 % of MPs detected are < 5 mm in size. Fiber and colorless are mostly dominated in all samples. The fibers are weathered and degraded with adhered particles on their surfaces. The polymer types detected are polyacrylamide (PAM) and poly(methyl acrylate) (PMA), which are rarely reported in Mexico beach sediments. The prevalence of colorless MPs at the Gulf of Tehuantepec beach needs further attention.

Evolution Characteristics and Influencing Factors of City Networks in China: A Case Study of Cross-Regional Automobile Enterprises

The optimization of the spatial structure of the city network is conducive to the scientific spatial distribution of industries and the promotion of coordinated regional development. This study selected the top 100 automobile enterprises in the Chinese stock market that belong to China’s pillar industry, a total of 1455 headquarters and branches, to establish an enterprise matrix. Based on the ownership linkage model, the evolution characteristics of city networks in China from 2000 to 2020 are revealed, and the influential factors of city networks are discussed using the negative binomial regression model. The findings are as follows: (1) there are significant differences in the status of automobile cities, forming a “pyramid network” hierarchy. (2) The agglomeration area of automobile cities has formed the development region of “4 + 4 + 1”. (3) The city network with hierarchical connections has formed a spatial structure of a “cross–cobweb” in the middle and “trapezoid–diamond” in the periphery. (4) Urban transportation conditions, the scientific research environment, the enterprise agglomeration economy, GDP per capita, and technological proximity positively impact the formation of a city network, but the total export–import volume has a negative impact. Overall, the government can use this study’s results to formulate policies for the automotive industry and urban development.

Deep dive into predictive excellence: Transformer's impact on groundwater level prediction

Groundwater, an essential water resource in Taiwan, is closely linked to land subsidence in the Zhuoshui River basin due to excessive exploitation. Therefore, there is a critical need for robust monitoring and predictive tools to facilitate effective management of water resources. Despite the success of Transformer neural networks in natural language processing, their potential in environmental research remains underexplored. This study explores the feasibility of employing a Transformer-based deep neural network to simultaneously predict groundwater levels at eight strategically positioned monitoring stations in the distal fan of the Zhuoshui River basin in central Taiwan. Utilizing a 20-year dataset with 10-day intervals, we compare the Transformer model with benchmarks established separately by the Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), the Long Short-Term Memory neural network (LSTM), and the Feedforward Neural Network (FFNN). Results reveal the Transformer's superior performance in predicting groundwater levels 10 and 20 days in advance. This achievement is attributed to Transformer's self-attention mechanism capable of capturing relationships between factors like rainfall and river flow, enhancing accuracy in predicting trends and peak values. This groundbreaking study underscores the Transformer model's efficacy in groundwater level prediction, emphasizing its significance for sustainable water resource management amid climate change. The findings open new avenues for environmental research and water resource management, not only in Taiwan but also globally.

Analyzing The Evolution of Environmental Literacy Research in 21st Education: A Bibliometric Analysis from 2001 to 2022

Environmental literacy has emerged as a paramount subject to be studied and ingrained in individuals in the 21st century due to the rising concerns over environmental problems. Hence, this research is aimed at analyzing the development of environmental literacy topics in the educational context in the 2001-2022 period to understand the development and potential of this research in the future. This study used the bibliometric analysis method with data sourced from Scopus. Out of 518 articles obtained, only 386 met the criteria for performance analysis and scientific mapping using Publish or Perish and VoSViewer software. The result showed that the development of environmental literacy in the educational context has increased both in terms of publication productivity and the number of citations. The United States, Indonesia, and Turkey contributed the most. Although overall the issues raised are still dominated by environmental literacy and environmental education, there has been a shift in the last three years. The result of this study indicates that the subject of environmental literacy within educational settings remains both compelling and pertinent for future exploration. These findings have implications for the urgency of expanding the scope of environmental literacy research in the educational context to issues that are still limited. Consequently, this study can serve as a roadmap for researchers to establish new research directions, enrich existing knowledge, and make a more substantial contribution to developing environmental literacy in educational contexts in the 21st century.

Rapid estimation of soil Mn content by machine learning and soil spectra in large-scale

Manganese (Mn) is an essential element in both plants and the human body; however, traditional methods for monitoring Mn in soil are costly and inefficient. As such, it is necessary to establish a model for environmental research uses that can accurately predict soil Mn content over large areas. This study aims to develop a multilayer perceptron (MLP) model capable of accurately predicting Mn content in diverse soils based on visible and near-infrared (VNIR) spectroscopy. A dataset containing 18,675 soil samples compiled from the Land Use and Coverage Area Frame Survey was used to train and adjust the model, following which the optimal model was applied globally. The correlation coefficient, root mean square error, and mean absolute error values for the optimal model on the test set were 0.76, 140.52, and 97.30, respectively. Feature importance analysis revealed crucial spectral bands at approximately 1400, 2200, 2300, and 2400–2500 nm, which enabled the Mn content to be estimated. The presence of these spectral bands indicates that clay minerals, H2O, and OH− groups had significant influence on Mn content. The MLP model developed can effectively identify regions with potentially high or low soil Mn content. With improvement of the spectral database, this model can provide effective assistance in evaluating soil Mn distribution at the global scale.

Qualitative research during the COVID19 pandemic: the impact of remote research on the collaborative production of methodological knowledge

ABSTRACT During the COVID19 crisis, school closure was a frequent feature of Government responses. The Children’s School Lives (CSL) national cohort study of primary schooling in Ireland had to be adapted and transferred online as an interim response to the unprecedented impact that the pandemic had on the research environment. Adapting longitudinal qualitative research in response to a global pandemic brought specific challenges. In addition to moving data collection to remote methods, longitudinal studies also needed to maintain a focus on retention of research participants and sustain an analysis that informs the longitudinal design of the study. Based on reflective research practice during the COVID19 pandemic and through the collaborative production of methodological knowledge, this paper contributes to the literature on remote research during times of crisis. However, it also extends this literature as the methodological learning can be applied beyond the very particular circumstances of a pandemic.