Human Environment Research Articles

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A person lives nowadays in a multicultural world, and transformations of the conditions of social life lead to the changes in the sphere of values and worldview of both the indigenous population and the representatives of national minorities. Family values of Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar youth living in mainland Ukraine after the occupation of the Crimea, were investigated. The purpose of the research is a cross-cultural study of family values and parental attitudes of Ukrainian and Crimean youth. Methodology. Sample: N=220 (110 Ukrainians (55 boys and 55 girls) and 110 Crimean Tatars (55 boys and 55 girls) aged 17-24. Methods: Schwartz's value questionnaire, PARI questionnaire, "Family atom" by E. Eidemiller, "Role expectations and harassment in marriage" by A. Volkova, questionnaire "Development of a complete personality in the conditions of modern changes" by O. Vlasova, V. Shcherbina, "Scales of multicultural identification" by A. Mambetova, "Emotional self-awareness" test by O. Vlasova, M. Berezyuk. Results. The majority of Ukrainian youth demonstrate the values of stimulation, which are pronouncedly expressed in the form of the desire for novelty, the need for changes and deep experience, the value of a life full of thrills, new impressions and complicated tasks, as well as universalism (tolerance, protection of human well-being and natural environment). Among the Crimean Tatar youth the values of safety, achievement, universalism and conformity are expressed at a high level (in ½ and more of the respondents). In the course of this research common (nuclear) parental attitudes of the respondents were revealed, which serve as the basis for the formation of transcultural values. Both ethnic groups are characterized by avoiding conflict, developing the activity of a child, partnership relationship, suppression of aggressiveness, verbalization.

MENTORING AS A FORM OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN LEFT WITHOUT PARENTAL CARE

Relevance. The loss of parental care like nothing else affects the psychological well-being of the child and can have detrimental consequences for their further social adaptation and self-realization in adulthood. The emergence of effective mechanisms for child's social adaptation is the result of its productive interaction with a human social environment and an indispensable condition for successful socialization in society. The purpose of this study is to identify the influence of mentoring on the social and psychological adaptation of children left without parental care. Methodology. By means of theoretical analysis using the methodology of the systemic and cultural-historical approach, the article analyzes in detail the history of mentoring, its types and functions in working with children. Results. The paper proves that a child left without parental care faces a number of problems ( compensation for the level of mental deprivation, formation of basic trust in the world and gender-role identification, understanding ethical norms, and formation of relevant values), which negatively affect their ability to social adaptation. To solve them, she needs competent psychological support from adults. Mentoring is considered as an effective form of psychological support and guidance for children, which, by transforming and enriching itself in the processes of formation, has found due recognition in modern society and is widely used as a tool for the personal development of a person as a subject of activity. It is concluded that the psychological and pedagogical potential of mentoring should be used in the psychological support of children who were left without parental care due to military operations on the territory of Ukraine.

Behavioral variation among Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger) populations in urban environments

Abstract Urbanization presents a myriad of challenges to wildlife, yet some individuals or species persist and even thrive in urban environments. Specific behavioral traits that have been proposed to enable animals to cope with challenges and frequently observed in urban wildlife populations across many taxonomic groups include changes in docility, activity, boldness, sociability, and aggression. We conducted a series of standardized behavioral assays to test the hypothesis that urbanization favors these traits in fox squirrels (Sciurus niger), a species that is widespread in urban areas. Based upon previous studies, we predicted that squirrels would exhibit higher levels of boldness, activity, and aggression and lower docility in urban areas with higher human density compared to their counterparts in areas with lower human density areas. We instead found a trend of higher sociability—but not aggression—in squirrels at higher human density sites over lower human density sites, and no differences in docility, boldness, or activity. Our results indicate that the behavior of fox squirrels does not vary dramatically on a fine scale of human density, apart from a trend in heightened sociability in higher human density urban environments.

Impact of Antimicrobial Resistance in Health and Economic Outcomes: A Review

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) observed when microorganism adapt and multiply in the presence of drugs to which they are exposed. Antibiotic resistance is a global health problem, with the current trend of inappropriate and overuse of antibiotics predicted to cause 10 million deaths by 2050. However, resistant bacteria are multiplying worldwide, infecting healthy people, animals, and human environment, affecting countries with low- and middle-income countries. Although the discovery of antibiotics has saved many lives in recent years, increasing bacterial resistance to antibiotics threatens clinical and agricultural progress, and even treatable bacterial infections can be life-threatening. Strategies: In the present review we discuss the global burden of social and economic impact of antibiotic resistance, common mechanisms of antibiotic resistance, microbiological health and treatment resistance, patient attitudes, hospital and cancer outcomes. Summarize the impact of AMR. Potential strategies to overcome AMR such as Targeting antimicrobial-resistant enzymes, Targeting antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, Drug delivery systems, Physiochemical methods, Unconventional strategies. Conclusion: The devastating effect of antibiotic resistance is clear by way of the sudden boom inside the quantity of cases in which microorganism are immune to typically prescribed antibiotics in clinical practice. Although the superiority of bacterial resistance is growing, there is limited statistics at the impact of this hassle on the fitness and economic consequences of the clinical network.

Synchronous Switching Strategy to Enhance the Real-Time Powering and Charging Performance of Triboelectric Nanogenerator.

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are of great significance as sustainable power sources that harvest energy from the human body and environment. Nevertheless, due to TENG's impedance-dependent output voltage characteristics, in traditional strategy (TS), real-timely powering a sensor with TENG has a poor sensing on/off ratio (or response), and directly charging a capacitor with TENG shows a low charging efficiency. This degraded real-time powering and charging performance of TENG compared to a commercial constant voltage source has been a huge challenge of the TENG field for a long time. Here, we propose a synchronous switching strategy (SSS) for TENG to real-timely power sensors or charge capacitors without degrading its performance. Compared with TS, this new strategy enables sensors to have 5-7 times sensing on/off ratio enhancement when using TENG as a power source, reaching the powering ability of a commercial constant voltage source, it makes the powering performance of TENG stable under different driving frequency, improving the powering robustness of TENG. In addition, compared with TS, SSS can also enhance the charging efficiency of TENG in every charging cycle by up to 2.4 times when charging capacitors. This work contributes to real-timely powering or charging the distributed, mobile and wireless electronics using TENG. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

The Dolan Fire of Central Coastal California: Burn Severity Estimates from Remote Sensing and Associations with Environmental Factors

In 2020, wildfires scarred over 4,000,000 hectares in the western United States, devastating urban populations and ecosystems alike. The significant impact that wildfires have on plants, animals, and human environments makes wildfire adaptation, management, and mitigation strategies a critical task. This study uses satellite imagery from Landsat to calculate burn severity and map the fire progression for the Dolan Fire of central Coastal California which occurred in August 2020. Several environmental factors, such as temperature, humidity, fuel type, topography, surface conditions, and wind velocity, are known to affect wildfire spread and burn severity. The aim of this study is the investigation of the relationship between these environmental factors, estimates of burn severity, and fire spread patterns. Burn severity is calculated and classified using the Difference in Normalized Burn Ratio (dNBR) before being displayed as a time series of maps. The Dolan Fire had a moderate severity burn with an average dNBR of 0.292. The ignition site location, when paired with the patterns of fire spread, is consistent with wind speed and direction data, suggesting fire movement to the southeast of the fire ignition site. Patterns of increased burn severity are compared with both topography (slope and aspect) and fuel type. Locations that were found to be more susceptible to high burn severity featured Long Needle Timber Litter and Mature Timber fuels, intermediate slope angles between 15 and 35°, and north- and east-facing slopes. This study has implications for the future predictive modeling of wildfires that may serve to develop wildfire mitigation strategies, manage climate change impacts, and protect human lives.

Sensory Responsive Environments: A Qualitative Study on Perceived Relationships between Outdoor Built Environments and Sensory Sensitivities

This qualitative study explored the perceived relationships between outdoor built environments and sensory sensitivities, focusing on autism, ADHD, and dyslexia. Thirty-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants who had lived experience with these focal groups. Through thematic analysis of their narratives, the study uncovered patterns highlighting the perceived relationships between designed landscapes and sensory sensitivities in neurodivergent individuals, encompassing both heightened sensitivity (hypersensitivity) and reduced sensitivity (hyposensitivity). Emergent themes included individual and personal factors, sensory affordances, the benefits of outdoor environments, ambient environmental factors, materiality, spatial design, navigating environments, pedestrian-centric transportation, sensorimotor movement, safety, refuge, human settlement types, social environments, and accessibility plus inclusion. Subthematic patterns within these larger thematic categories were also identified. Study participants revealed significant sensory barriers and sensorially supportive elements of designed outdoor environments, along with promising design interventions. The findings unveil the advantages of designing multi-sensory landscapes tailored to atypical sensory needs, emphasizing the importance of fostering inclusion by designing landscapes that reflect the communities they serve. This concept is encapsulated in the development of the Sensory Responsive Environments Framework (SREF), the emergent theoretical framework of this study.

Integrating human-centric simulations in educational production lines: advancing ergonomics for industry 5.0 applications

This research in the Industry 5.0 field focuses on a human-centered simulation of the FAS200 SMC educational production line, utilizing Tecnomatix Process Simulate Human software for developing a virtual human environment. A key aspect of this study is the integration of inertial sensors, enhancing the accuracy and depth of ergonomic analysis. These sensors play a pivotal role in capturing precise human movement data, crucial for ergonomic assessments. Adopting a defined working methodology, the study extensively employs the RULA method to evaluate operator postures in the production line. This approach has led to significant ergonomic improvements, evidenced by a 40 percent reduction in the RULA index at each workstation. The integration of inertial sensors has been instrumental in achieving these results, providing detailed insights into human movements and interactions with the production environment. The research transcends traditional ergonomic assessments by incorporating a new human-centered approach, emphasizing the well-being of individuals working alongside machines. This approach, bolstered by the use of inertial sensors, marks a significant advancement in ergonomic studies, aligning with the principles of Industry 5.0. The findings hold substantial potential for application in industrial settings, signaling a shift towards more human-friendly and efficient industrial practices.

Research on Soundscape Design Strategies for Public Spaces in Dong Village, Dali

Soundscape reflects the ecological, cultural and social characteristics of regions and ethnic groups and is an important part of the public environment. Because in the past environmental design, the breadth and depth of the design that considers the human settlement environment system as a large framework should be included and involved. Therefore, this article analyzes the existing public space and landscape nodes of the public environment of Dali Dong Village, and uses the knowledge of environmental science, sociology, landscape science and other related disciplines to explore the Dong village public environment as the design practice object. It hopes to provide a useful reference for the research on sound landscape design of traditional ethnic minority settlements in my country.

Azadirachta indica leaf extract based green-synthesized ZnO nanoparticles coated on spent tea waste activated carbon for pharmaceuticals and personal care products removal

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are emerging contaminants in aqueous systems, posing threat to both human health and environment. In prior research, predominant focus has been on examining various adsorbents for removing PPCPs from single-pollutant systems. However, no study has delved into simultaneous adsorption of PPCPs multi-pollutant mixture. This study evaluates performance of Azadirachta indica leaf extract-based green-synthesized ZnO nanoparticles coated on spent tea waste activated carbon (ZTAC) for removing sulfadiazine (SZN) and acetaminophen (ACN). Adsorption investigations were conducted in single-component (ACN/SZN) and binary-component (ACN + SZN) systems. The synthesized ZTAC was characterized using SEM, XRD, FTIR, EDX, porosimetry and pHpzc analysis. The study examines impact of time (1–60 min), dose (0.2–4 g/L), pH (2–12) and PPCPs concentration (1–100 mg/L) on ACN and SZN removal. Various kinetic and isotherm models were employed to elucidate mechanisms involved in sorption of PPCPs. Furthermore, synergistic and antagonistic aspects of sorption process in multi-component system were investigated. ZTAC, characterized by its crystalline nature and surface area of 980.85 m2/g, exhibited maximum adsorption capacity of 47.39 mg/g for ACN and 34.01 mg/g for SZN under optimal conditions of 15 min, 3 g/L and pH 7. Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetic model best-fitted the experimental data indicating chemisorption mechanism. Removal of ACN and SZN on ZTAC demonstrated synergistic nature, signifying cooperative adsorption. Overall, valorization of ZTAC offers effective and efficient adsorbent for elimination of PPCPs from wastewater.

The Influence of Corporate Social Responsibility in the 2022 Desa Brilian Program on Bank Rakyat Indonesia's Brand Awareness [Case Study: Burai Village, Tanjung Batu District, Ogan Ilir Regency]

This study aimed to find out about the influence of corporate social responsibility (CSR) which consists of the variables of Human Resources (people), Profit (prosperity), and Environment (planet) on the company’s brand awareness in this study using the Desa Brilian 2022 Program in Burai Village, Tanjung Batu Subdistrict formed by PT. Bank Rakyat Indonesia. The data used was primary data obtained from the distribution of questionnaires to 100 respondents using random sampling techniques and analyzed using the F-test, T-test, and multiple linear regression analysis. The results of this study showed that there is a significant influence of the variables people, prosperity¸ and planet towards Bank Rakyat Indonesia’s brand awareness either simultaneously or partially and the dominant variable influencing brand awareness in this study is the Environment factor (planet). Keywords: CSR, brand awareness, bank rakyat indonesia

Surface properties, aggregation behavior and wettability of the mixed system of fluorocarbon cationic surfactant and hydrocarbon anionic surfactant in dilute solutions

Traditional perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) fluorocarbon surfactants endangered human health and environment. Therefore, an environmentally friendly quaternary ammonium cationic fluorocarbon surfactant (PFAS-IEt) was synthesized, and surface activities, aggregation behavior, adsorption properties and wettability of PFAS-IEt/sodium n-octyl sulfate (SOS) mixtures in dilute solutions were systematically investigated. The results demonstrated that PFAS-IEt possessed excellent surface activity in aqueous solution. Surprisingly, its surface tension was only 15.33 mN/m and critical micelle concentration (CMC) was 0.002 mol/L. It could be used as a potential substitute for PFOS. In addition, PFAS-IEt had the good synergistic effect with SOS. The PTFE plate with low surface energy could be completely wetted by the binary compound solution at low concentration (0.04 mol/L) (contact angle was 0°), which was superior to the reported long chain quaternary ammonium non-ionic fluorocarbon surfactants (MN-2C9F19 and EN-2C9F19).

Joint estimation of PM2.5 and O3 concentrations using a hybrid model in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, China

The distribution data of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone (O3) concentrations at high spatiotemporal resolutions play a pivotal role in monitoring and collectively combating atmospheric PM2.5 and O3 pollution, thereby enhancing the quality of human habitation environments. This study integrates reanalysis, satellite observations, and ground-level monitoring data to develop a GLMM-DF (generalized linear mixed effects model-deep forest) hybrid model for joint estimation of PM2.5 and O3 concentrations in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. The model effectively considers the spatiotemporal heterogeneity inherent in PM2.5 and O3 and their nonlinear relationships with the estimating variables. The cross-validation results indicate that the GLMM-DF model exhibits high estimation accuracy. For PM2.5 estimation, the coefficient of determination (R2), mean absolute error (MAE), and root mean square Error (RMSE) are 0.949, 5.81 μg·m-3, and 9.42 μg·m-3, respectively. Regarding O3 estimation, the R2, MAE, and RMSE are 0.966, 7.77 μg·m-3, and 11.82 μg·m-3, respectively. Furthermore, the model demonstrates favorable spatiotemporal performance, with the PM2.5-O3 interaction contributing to enhancing model performance. Utilizing this model for mapping, we analyzed the spatiotemporal trends of PM2.5 and O3 in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, uncovering several intriguing phenomena.

Mixed-charged polyamide-4-sulfocalix [4] arene hollow fiber nanofiltration membranes for heavy metal removal under various pH

The presence of heavy metal ions in water sources poses significant risks to both human health and environments; hence, it is critical to develop effective and trustworthy removal techniques. This research aims to fabricate a novel hollow fiber membrane consisting of mixed-charged characteristics via the formation of a positively charged thin film composite (TFC), followed by the infiltration of 4-sulfocalix [4] arene (SCA4). The formation, architecture and separation performance of the mixed-charged nanofiltration (NF) membrane have been confirmed by various characterizations. The SCA4-0.03 NF hollow fiber membrane shows excellent rejection performance up to 99.2% for a variety of ion removals such as common arsenate, nickel (II), and lead (II) ions over a broad pH range. Additionally, the mixed-charged membrane exhibits higher performance stability over 48 h and fouling resistance in both basic and acidic conditions. Consequently, the mixed-charged membrane described in this work is promising to treat both cationic and anionic liquids, and eliminate a variety of ecologically harmful ion species in industries.

Predicting suitable areas for Metcalfa pruinosa (Hemiptera: Flatidae) under climate change and implications for management.

Climate change is a prominent factor reshaping the distribution of invasive species. Metcalfa pruinosa (Say 1830) (Hemiptera: Flatidae), native to North America, has invaded other continents and poses a serious threat to various agricultural crops and the human residential environment. Understanding the distribution of M. pruinosa based on climatic conditions is a critical first step to prevent its further invasion. Therefore, based on its occurrence records and associated environmental variables, a Maxent model was developed to predict suitable areas for this species in the present and future on a global scale. The model exhibited outstanding performance, with a mean area under the receiver operating characteristic curve and true skill statistic values of 0.9329 and 0.926, respectively. The model also indicated that annual precipitation (Bio12) and max temperature of the warmest month (Bio5) were the key environmental variables limiting the distribution of M. pruinosa. Moreover, the model revealed that the current suitable area is 1.01 × 107 km2 worldwide, with southern China, southern Europe, and the eastern United States predicted to be the primary and highly suitable areas in the latter 2 regions. This area is expected to increase under future climate scenarios, mainly in the northern direction. The study's findings contribute to our understanding of climate change's impact on M. pruinosa distribution, and they will aid governments in developing appropriate pest management strategies, including global monitoring and strict quarantine measures.

Overcoming Boundaries: Interdisciplinary Challenges and Opportunities in Cognitive Neuroscience

Cognitive neuroscience has considerable untapped potential to translate our understanding of brain function into applications that maintain, restore, or enhance human cognition. Complex, real-world phenomena encountered in daily life, professional contexts, and in the arts, can also be a rich source of information for better understanding cognition, which in turn can lead to advances in knowledge and health outcomes. Interdisciplinary work is needed for these bi-direction benefits to be realized. Our cognitive neuroscience team has been collaborating on several interdisciplinary projects: hardware and software development for brain stimulation, measuring human operator state safety-critical robotics environments, and exploring emotional regulation in actors who perform traumatic narratives. Our approach is to study research questions of mutual interest in the contexts of domain-specific applications, using (and sometimes improving) the experimental tools and techniques of cognitive neuroscience. These interdisciplinary attempts are described as case studies in the present work to illustrate non-trivial challenges that come from working across traditional disciplinary boundaries. We reflect on how obstacles to interdisciplinary work can be overcome, with the goals of enriching our understanding of human cognition and amplifying the positive effects cognitive neuroscientists have on society and innovation.

Tribological behavior and biocompatibility of novel Nickel-Free stainless steel manufactured via laser powder bed fusion for biomedical applications

Due to the risk of releasing carcinogenic nickel ions from conventional 316L stainless steel under a corrosive human body environment, a new variant of steel termed nickel-free stainless steel (NiFSS) has been investigated. The present study investigates the tribological properties and biocompatibility of NiFSS manufactured via laser powder bed fusion (PBF-LB/M). The ferritic NiFSS exhibited significantly lower coefficient of friction (0.08 to 0.28) and wear rate (1.60 × 10-6 mm3/Nm to 6.60 × 10-6 mm3/Nm) compared to reported values for austenitic 316L SS, under both dry and simulated body fluid (SBF) conditions and various sliding geometries. This improvement is attributed to the superior hardness (3.394 ± 0.1340 GPa) and elastic modulus (238 ± 9.0797 GPa) of NiFSS. To assess the biocompatibility, the viability of mouse pre-osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells was evaluated with an Alamar Blue assay when the cells were cultured on top of PBF-LB/M built NiFSS and 316L SS samples. The results indicated that even though cell growth was most optimal on regular cell culture plastic, cell viability was better maintained on PBF-LB/M built NiFSS compared to 316L SS. Therefore, the results of the present study propose that PBF-LB/M fabricated NiFSS holds promise for application in biomedical devices for joint arthroplasty.

Inferring diet, disease and antibiotic resistance from ancient human oral microbiomes.

The interaction between a host and its microbiome is an area of intense study. For the human host, it is known that the various body-site-associated microbiomes impact heavily on health and disease states. For instance, the oral microbiome is a source of various pathogens and potential antibiotic resistance gene pools. The effect of historical changes to the human host and environment to the associated microbiome, however, has been less well explored. In this review, we characterize several historical and prehistoric events which are considered to have impacted the oral environment and therefore the bacterial communities residing within it. The link between evolutionary changes to the oral microbiota and the significant societal and behavioural changes occurring during the pre-Neolithic, Agricultural Revolution, Industrial Revolution and Antibiotic Era is outlined. While previous studies suggest the functional profile of these communities may have shifted over the centuries, there is currently a gap in knowledge that needs to be filled. Biomolecular archaeological evidence of innate antimicrobial resistance within the oral microbiome shows an increase in the abundance of antimicrobial resistance genes since the advent and widespread use of antibiotics in the modern era. Nevertheless, a lack of research into the prevalence and evolution of antimicrobial resistance within the oral microbiome throughout history hinders our ability to combat antimicrobial resistance in the modern era.

Empowering human–environment well‐being through wearable sensing: Unveiling trends and addressing gaps in the energy transition

Empowering human–environment well‐being through wearable sensing: Unveiling trends and addressing gaps in the energy transition

Adaptive Resilience: Unraveling the Path of Heavy Metal Tolerance in Multidrug Resistant Pathogens

Co-existence of heavy metal tolerance and antibiotic resistance in bacterial strains pose potential threats to human health and environment. In recent decades, heavy metal pollution has caused selective pressure that leads to the development of multiple drug resistance among bacterial populations. Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus cohnii were used in the study. Out of 8 antibiotics tested, it was observed that E.coli was resistant to four, S.cohnii and P. aeruginosa were resistant only to three antibiotics. The isolates were found to grow at high concentration of copper (CuSO4) and varying degrees of chromium (K2Cr2O7) with all the three being sensitive to mercuric chloride (HgCl2). E. coli, S. cohnii and P. aeruginosa were inhibited at 0.84±0.05, 6.79±0.07 and 2.54±0.02 μM ml-1 respectively by chromium salt; similarly, E. coli, S. cohnii and P. aeruginosa had a MIC of 1.56±0.03 μM ml-1, 1.25±0.05 μM ml-1 and 1.56±0.05μM ml-1 and for copper, E. coli, S. cohnii and P. aeruginosa had a MIC of 8.20±0.05, 9.20±0.01, 7.18±0.05μM ml-1 respectively. Further studies were carried out by agarose gel electrophoresis and SDS-PAGE for the characterization of R-plasmid and heavy metal stress protein among the isolated bacteria. The qPCR was used for identification of antimicrobial resistant genes. A phylogenetic study was performed on S. cohnii to understand its evolutionary traits. The results provide insight into the co-occurrence of antibiotic resistance and heavy metal tolerance in clinically important bacterial communities, which may create severe health issues in the coming decades.