Populated Areas Research Articles

Phytoplankton species and traits response to a gradient of urbanization in subtropical lowland streams

AbstractLotic environments are among the most vulnerable aquatic ecosystems, and changes occurring in them happen faster than our capacity to measure the impacts, with the choice of community attributes that best reflect these disturbances still unclear. In this study, we evaluated the response of phytoplankton species and species traits along a gradient of urbanization in lowland streams. To do this, we sampled nine streams in three areas classified as densely populated (DP), low populated (LP), and rural areas (RA) during the four seasons (n = 108), considering relevant limnological variables (including metals, herbicides, and inorganic nutrients) and phytoplankton. Phytoplankton was analysed using taxonomic and morpho‐functional traits approaches. We used several multivariate analyses to assess phytoplankton species and trait distribution among stream groups (DP, LP, RA) and identify their environmental drivers. We found that phytoplankton responded to the urbanization gradient at both taxonomic and functional levels. However, this response was mediated by the land use (urban vs. rural) rather than its intensity. The main stressors detected were eutrophic conditions and organic matter contamination, which differed among groups (DP‐LP and RA). Both approximations indicated eutrophic, organically enriched conditions, but the situation varied among seasons and stream groups. The response of the taxonomic approach was clearer than the traits‐based approach, showing differences in density only between stream groups in the summer and the spring. Phytoplankton was responding to the gradient of urbanization in these subtropical lowland streams, but the seasonality, especially temperature and changes in the water column mixing also mediate the effect.

The Hidden Reserve of Nurses in The Netherlands: A Spatial Analysis

Worldwide, nurse shortages constitute a problem, including in the Netherlands. Every region in the country has a shortage of all types of nurses. At the same time, there are large hidden reserves: persons who have been trained as a nurse but do not work in the healthcare sector. The size of the hidden reserve exceeds the shortage of nurses. Until now, the literature has not paid much attention to spatial aspects of the nursing shortage problem. In this paper, we analyze the size of the hidden reserves and how they are distributed over the country, across large and smaller cities, and across different nurse categories. We find that especially densely populated areas have relatively small shares of trained nurses as well as large hidden reserves relative to their population. These areas are also facing the largest nurse shortages. As nurse labor markets are local, policies that are more focused on local situations are necessary to activate these hidden reserves.

Influence of Air Quality on Respiratory Health in Urban Areas in Japan

Purpose: The aim of the study was to analyze the influence of air quality on respiratory health in urban areas in Japan. Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: Research in Japan indicates a clear link between urban air quality and respiratory health, with pollutants like PM2.5 and nitrogen dioxide posing significant risks. High pollution levels, stemming from factors like vehicular emissions and industrial activities, are particularly detrimental in densely populated areas. Vulnerable groups, such as children and the elderly, are especially affected, experiencing worsened symptoms and reduced lung function. Urgent implementation of effective air quality management measures is crucial to protect public health in Japanese cities. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Environmental justice theory, exposure-response theory & place-based theory may be used to anchor future studies on analyze the influence of air quality on respiratory health in urban areas in Japan. Implement community-based interventions that target vulnerable populations, such as children, the elderly, and individuals with pre-existing respiratory conditions, in collaboration with local stakeholders and healthcare providers. Advocate for stricter air quality standards and regulations at the local, national, and international levels to reduce emissions of pollutants from industrial sources, transportation, and residential activities.

Differential diagnosis of exanthematous viruses during the 2022 Mpox outbreak in Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Brazil ranks second in the number of cases during the global monkeypox epidemic. The study, conducted in Minas Gerais, the second most populous state in Brazil with over 20 million inhabitants, utilized differential diagnostics, revealing a significant number of positive cases for other exanthematous viruses and emphasizing the need for accurate diagnoses. During the study, we were able to assess the co-circulation of other viruses alongside monkeypox, including varicella-zoster virus, molluscum contagiosum virus, and other orthopoxviruses. The significance of the research is underscored by the concentration of positive cases in populous areas, highlighting the challenges posed by emerging infectious diseases. This demographic context further amplifies the importance of the research in guiding public health policies and medical interventions, given the substantial population at risk. The study not only addresses a global concern but also holds critical implications for a state with such a large population and geographic expanse within Brazil. Overall, the study emphasizes the pivotal role of surveillance and precise diagnosis in guiding effective public health responses and ensuring appropriate medical interventions.

Preterm and Early-Term Delivery After Heat Waves in 50 US Metropolitan Areas

Heat waves are increasing in frequency, intensity, and duration and may be acutely associated with pregnancy outcomes. To examine changes in daily rates of preterm and early-term birth after heat waves in a 25-year nationwide study. This cohort study of singleton births used birth records from 1993 to 2017 from the 50 most populous US metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs). The study included 53 million births, covering 52.8% of US births over the period. Data were analyzed between October 2022 and March 2023 at the National Center for Health Statistics. Daily temperature data from Daymet at 1-km2 resolution were averaged over each MSA using population weighting. Heat waves were defined in the 4 days (lag, 0-3 days) or 7 days (lag, 0-6 days) preceding birth. Daily counts of preterm birth (28 to <37 weeks), early-term birth (37 to <39 weeks), and ongoing pregnancies in each gestational week on each day were enumerated in each MSA. Rate ratios for heat wave metrics were obtained from time-series models restricted to the warm season (May to September) adjusting for MSA, year, day of season, and day of week, and offset by pregnancies at risk. There were 53 154 816 eligible births in the 50 MSAs from 1993 to 2017; 2 153 609 preterm births and 5 795 313 early-term births occurring in the warm season were analyzed. A total of 30.0% of mothers were younger than 25 years, 53.8% were 25 to 34 years, and 16.3% were 35 years or older. Heat waves were positively associated with daily rates of preterm and early-term births, showing a dose-response association with heat wave duration and temperatures and stronger associations in the more acute 4-day window. After 4 consecutive days of mean temperatures exceeding the local 97.5th percentile, the rate ratio for preterm birth was 1.02 (95% CI, 1.00-1.03), and the rate ratio for early-term birth was 1.01 (95% CI, 1.01-1.02). For the same exposure, among those who were 29 years of age or younger, had a high school education or less, and belonged to a racial or ethnic minority group, the rate ratios were 1.04 (95% CI, 1.02-1.06) for preterm birth and 1.03 (95% CI, 1.02-1.05) for early-term birth. Results were robust to alternative heat wave definitions, excluding medically induced deliveries, and alternative statistical model specifications. In this cohort study, preterm and early-term birth rates increased after heat waves, particularly among socioeconomically disadvantaged subgroups. Extreme heat events have implications for perinatal health.

Investigating ground-level ozone pollution in semi-arid and arid regions of Arizona using WRF-Chem v4.4 modeling

Abstract. Ground-level ozone (O3) pollution is a persistent environmental concern, even in regions that have made efforts to reduce emissions. This study focuses on the state of Arizona, which has experienced elevated O3 concentrations over past decades and contains two non-attainment areas as designated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Using the Weather Research and Forecasting with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) model, we examine O3 levels in the semi-arid and arid regions of Arizona. Our analysis focuses on the month of June between 2017 and 2021, a period characterized by high O3 levels before the onset of the North American Monsoon (NAM). Our evaluation of the WRF-Chem model against surface Air Quality System (AQS) observations reveals that the model adeptly captures the diurnal variation of hourly O3 levels and the episodes of O3 exceedance through the maximum daily 8 h average (MDA8) O3 concentrations. However, the model tends to overestimate surface NO2 concentrations, particularly during nighttime hours. Among the three cities studied, Phoenix (PHX) and Tucson (TUS) exhibit a negative bias in both hourly and MDA8 O3 levels, while Yuma demonstrates a relatively large positive bias. The simulated mean hourly and MDA8 O3 concentrations in Phoenix are 44.6 and 64.7 parts per billion (ppb), respectively, compared to observed values of 47.5 and 65.7 ppb, resulting in mean negative biases of −2.9 and −1.0 ppb, respectively. Furthermore, the analysis of the simulated ratio of formaldehyde (HCHO) to NO2 (HCHO/NO2; FNR), reveals interesting insights of the sensitivity of O3 to its precursors. In Phoenix, the FNR varies from a VOC (volatile organic compound)-limited regime in the most populated areas to a transition between VOC-limited and NOx-limited regimes throughout the metro area, with an average FNR of 1.15. In conclusion, this study sheds light on the persistent challenge of ground-level O3 pollution in semi-arid and arid regions, using the state of Arizona as a case study.

Concentration level of radionuclides in road dust in the urban atmosphere of two cities of Pakistan

This research focused on measuring the concentration of particulate matter (PM2.5) aerosols and radionuclides (226Ra, 232Th, and 40K) in road dust collected using glass fiber filters from busy roads and populated areas in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, Pakistan. The measured concentrations ranged between 551.0 and 2025.7 µgm−3 for PM2.5 aerosols, 32.4 and 54.7 mBqm−3 for 226Ra, 15.8 and 26.8 mBqm−3 for 232Th, and 239.0 and 316.4 mBqm−3 for 40K. The study found that PM2.5 levels surpassed the WHO’s recommended limit of 25 µgm−3. Additionally, concentrations of 226Ra and 232Th were considerably higher than the global average values of 1 and 0.5 µBqm−3, respectively, in dust. The total inhalation effective dose in all samples exceeded the ICRP’s acceptable limit of 2 mSvy-1, except in the infant and 1-year-old age groups (considering F, M, and S-type modes). Notably, 232Th was identified as the primary contributor, accounting for 36.5 % to 99.4 % of the total inhalation effective dose.

Cng-term variations and trends of tropospheric and ground-level NO2 over typical coastal areas

Tropospheric and ground-level levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) may have changed due to environmental policies and technological changes. Here, multiyear ground-based measurement (2014–2022) and satellite-derived retrieval (October 2004 to May 2023) datasets of NO2 concentrations are used to study the long-term ground-level and tropospheric NO2 patterns and trends at four time scales (interannual, quarterly, monthly, and hourly) over the three regions with the highest global NO2 concentrations. Several tropospheric NO2 hotspots are observed over industrialized and highly populated coastal zone areas. Over the past 18 years, these hotpots have generally decreased due to the implementation of strong and effective environmental protection policies. A significant trend reversal was observed in 2011 in East-central China. The maximum values of tropospheric NO2 occurred in winter over East-central China, Western Europe and East-central USA, with concentrations of 13.010, 4.243 and 4.149 × 1015 molecules cm−2, respectively. The Bohai Sea exhibited disproportionately high tropospheric NO2 levels, suggesting it as a significant contributor to regional nitrogen pollution. Ground-level NO2 shows similar temporal patterns to tropospheric concentrations, with over 82.8 % of sites in East-central China exceeding 30 μg m−3, compared to 12.8 % in Western Europe and 3.8 % in East-central USA. The analysis of diurnal variations in ground-level NO2 concentrations shows a significantly decrease during the daytime compared to nighttime, reflecting that the peak occurs at approximately 08:00 and 20:00 LT, while the lowest concentrations at around 12:00 LT. These insights clarify the impacts of environmental policies on NO2 levels and identify critical areas for targeted pollution control, enhancing our understanding of NO2 dynamics in high-pollution regions globally.

Space-Time Variability of Drought Characteristics in Pernambuco, Brazil

Drought is the most complex natural hazard that can occur over large spatial scales and during long time periods. It affects more people than any other natural hazard, particularly in areas with a dry climate, such as the semiarid region of the Brazilian Northeast (NEB), which is the world’s most populated dry area. In this work, we analyzed trends and the spatial distribution of drought characteristics (frequency, affected area, and intensity) based on the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) on annual (SPI-12) and seasonal (SPI-3) scales. The study used monthly precipitation data recorded between 1962 and 2012 at 133 meteorological stations in Pernambuco State, Brazil, which is located in the eastern part of the NEB and has more than 80% of its territory characterized by a semiarid climate. The regions of Sertão, Agreste, and Zona da Mata of Pernambuco were considered for comparison. The Mann–Kendall and Sen’s slope tests were used to detect the trend and determine its magnitude, respectively. The results indicated that annual droughts in the state of Pernambuco became more frequent from the 1990s onwards, with summer having the greatest spatial coverage, followed by winter, autumn, and spring. Sertão presented a greater number of stations with a significant positive trend in drought frequency. Regarding the drought-affected area, global events occurred in a greater number of years on an annual scale and during the summer. Trend analysis pointed to an increase in areas with drought events on both scales. As for the drought intensity, the entire state of Pernambuco experienced drought events with high intensity during the autumn. The relationship between drought characteristics indicated an increase in the affected area as the result of an increase in drought intensity.

Investigating the Key Factors Affecting Public Transport Ridership in Developing Countries through Structural Equation Modeling

Every country requires efficient public transportation to reduce the reliance on motor vehicles, decrease harmful emissions and noise pollution, and, most importantly, provide accessible transportation for urban populations with limited resources. Yet, several challenges hinder the efficiency of the public transportation system, affecting factors like daily ridership, infrastructure, revenue, and operations. Therefore, this research investigated barriers and their impact on the daily ridership of rail transit services, especially in densely populated areas characterized by high automobile usage, inadequate pedestrian facilities, and limited connectivity to other transportation modes. To accomplish this goal, a self-administered questionnaire was developed, and a survey was conducted to collect responses from commuters at various public transport hubs. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze data gathered from a sample of 1000 participants. The findings from the SEM model indicated a positive correlation between Instrumental Attractiveness (IA) and Facility Design and Operation (FDO) with daily travel. Conversely, Service and Information (SI) along with Environmental Comfort (EC) exhibited a negative correlation with daily travel. Private sector employees without personal vehicles and a monthly income below fifty thousand exhibited a strong preference for public transport. Individuals with higher incomes who owned vehicles showed lower preferences towards public transport usage. The main contributors to low ridership in public transport included poor connectivity with metro and feeder buses, lack of availability of discount tickets, insufficient seating at stations, and inadequate route map information. Gasoline prices have a notable impact on daily ridership too, as higher fuel prices tend to attract more travelers to use public transport. The ridership data demonstrate a positive trend in response to increased gasoline prices. The findings from this study are useful for transportation engineers, practitioners, planners, and policymakers.

Electric vehicles as an emission mitigation option: expectations and reality

AbstractGlobally, the reliance on thermal power, constituting 67% of electricity generation, prompts questions for many countries regarding the viability of electric vehicles (EVs) for emission reduction in the transportation sector. This study comprehensively analyzes CO2 emissions in the small family car segment, considering engines powered by different energy sources. The analysis is coupled with Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Procedure driving profiles, accounting for specific ambient temperature structures representative of densely populated areas in Türkiye. The constructed model incorporates the hourly temperature of the relevant cities and the hourly electricity production mix by considering the indirect emissions and comparing the ICEVs (Internal Combustion Engine Vehicles) and EVs in different time frames from 2015 to 2020. The resulting emissions from each vehicle type in each city and driving profile, along with the ratio of instances in which EVs exhibit higher emissions than ICEVs, are presented.The findings reveal the intricate interplay between vehicle type, climate conditions, and driving profiles. While the urban driving profile emerges as superior for EVs regarding CO2 reduction, offering a comfortable driving experience without range anxiety and mitigating local pollutants, it exhibits less significant carbon emission reductions at lower and higher speed profiles, particularly in cold climate conditions. EVs are not a silver bullet but a valuable technology for emissions reduction under specific conditions. Policymakers are urged to consider factors favoring EVs over ICEVs regarding CO2 emissions, such as driving profiles, time and climatic conditions when formulating investment policies and subsidies. Graphical abstract

Impact of Meteorological Conditions on PM2.5 Pollution in Changchun and Associated Health Risks Analysis

The escalating concern regarding increasing air pollution and its impact on the health risks associated with PM2.5 in developing countries necessitates attention. Thus, this study utilizes the WRF-CMAQ model to simulate the effects of meteorological conditions on PM2.5 levels in Changchun, a typical city in China, during January 2017 and January 2020. Additionally, it introduces a novel health risk-based air quality index (NHAQI) to assess the influence of meteorological parameters and associated health risks. The findings indicate that in January 2020, the 2-m temperature (T2), 10-m wind speed (WS10), and planetary boundary layer height (PBLH) were lower compared to those in 2017, while air pressure exhibited a slight increase. These meteorological parameters, characterized by reduced wind speed, heightened air pressure, and lower boundary layer height—factors unfavorable for pollutant dispersion—collectively contribute to the accumulation of PM2.5 in the atmosphere. Moreover, the NHAQI proves to be more effective in evaluating health risks compared to the air quality index (AQI). The annual average decrease in NHAQI across six municipal districts from 2017 to 2020 amounts to 18.05%. Notably, the highest health risks are observed during the winter among the four seasons, particularly in densely populated areas. The pollutants contributing the most to the total excess risk (ERtotal) are PM2.5 (45.46%), PM10 (33.30%), and O3 (13.57%) in 2017, and PM2.5 (67.41%), PM10 (22.32%), and O3 (8.41%) in 2020. These results underscore the ongoing necessity for PM2.5 emission control measures while emphasizing the importance of considering meteorological parameters in the development of PM2.5 reduction strategies.

Design of adaptive hybrid MPPT controllers with universal input voltage DC–DC converter for RES’s

At present, conventional energy production is absent because of the more hazardous gases released into the environment, the high effect on human health, more cost required for maintenance, plus less usefulness for highly populated areas. So, the Renewable Energy Sources are more focused for the present automotive industry application. In this work, the Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Stack is considered for analyzing the proposed DC–DC converter circuit. The advantages of this fuel stack are high energy density, fast functioning nature, more robustness, and more usefulness for the various water membrane conditions of the fuel stack. However, the disadvantages of the fuel stack are excessive current generation, plus more current conduction losses. So, the wide voltage supply single switch power converter is introduced in this work for optimizing the current production of the fuel stack network. The merits of this converter circuit are high stability, good reliability, low voltage appearing across the switches, plus a uniform power supply. Here, the converter switching pulses are obtained by proposing the Modified Continuous Step Change Adaptive Fuzzy Logic with Grey Wolf Optimization hybrid controller. This controller provides high maximum power extraction efficiency from the fuel stack which is equal to 99.421%. Also, this controller's Maximum Power Point Tracking time is 0.0285 s.

Spatial vulnerability assessment of urbanites of Rawalpindi to the combined effects of climate change and pandemics using GIS mapping

ABSTRACT Pakistan is urbanising at an extremely high pace and if this urbanisation is left unplanned, it can not only increase the vulnerability of its residents, but it can be the source of high GHG emissions, thereby increasing vulnerability to climate change. Moreover, not all city inhabitants are equally vulnerable to climate change and Pandemics like Covid-19. This study estimated the vulnerability ranking of urban union councils of Rawalpindi through a composite index without assigning weights, considering 20 physical, economic, social and institutional indicators as drivers of vulnerability, with an emphasis on climate change and the outbreak of chronic diseases. A survey is conducted from the urban residents of Rawalpindi, to measure the vulnerability towards climate change and the outbreak of Covid-19. The sample size was 440 households. The results showed that union councils of New Katarian-II, Dhaman and MC Stadium B Block were less vulnerable as compared to other areas of Rawalpindi with the lowest vulnerability ranking of MC Stadium B Block as 404 and the most vulnerable ranking of Dhok Ratta, UC-2 as 895. Densely populated areas of Dhok Ratta were more vulnerable to high chronic disease exposure and death rates. This study concluded that high population density and composition, low healthcare facilities in slums coupled with low income were the main reasons for chronic disease outbreaks in urban areas. Urban planning or master plans can be a solution for such densely populated areas and high-rise buildings with green infrastructure can reduce the impact of the heat island effect.

Dechloranes and chlorinated paraffins in sediments and biota of two subarctic lakes

Our understanding of the environmental behavior, bioaccumulation and concentrations of chlorinated paraffins (CPs) and Dechloranes (Dec) in the Arctic environment is still limited, particularly in freshwater ecosystems. In this descriptive study, short chain (SCCPs) and medium chain (MCCPs) CPs, Dechlorane Plus (DP) and analogues, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were measured in sediments, benthic organisms, three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus), Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) and brown trout (Salmo trutta) in two Sub-Arctic lakes in Northern Norway. Takvannet (TA) is a remote lake, with no known local sources for organic contaminants, while Storvannet (ST) is situated in a populated area. SCCPs and MCCPs were detected in all sediment samples from ST with concentration of 42.26–115.29 ng/g dw and 66.18–136.69 ng/g dw for SCCPs and MCCPs, respectively. Only SCCPs were detected in TA sediments (0.4–5.28 ng/g dw). In biota samples, sticklebacks and benthic organisms showed the highest concentrations of CPs, while concentrations were low or below detection limits in both char and trout. The congener group patterns observed in both lakes showed SCCP profiles dominated by higher chlorinated congener groups while the MCCPs showed consistency in their profiles, with C14 being the most prevalent carbon chain length. Anti- and syn-DP isomers were detected in all sediment, benthic and stickleback samples with higher concentrations in ST than in TA. However, they were only present in a few char and trout samples from ST. Dec 601 and 604 were below detection limits in all samples in both lakes. Dec 603 was detected only in ST sediments, sticklebacks and 2 trout samples, while Dec 602 was the only DP analogue found in all samples from both lakes. While there were clear differences in sediment concentrations of DP and Dec 602 between ST and TA, differences between lakes decreased with increasing δ15N. This pattern was similar to the PCB behavior, suggesting the lake characteristics in ST are playing an important role in the lack of biomagnification of pollutants in this lake. Our results suggest that ST receives pollutants from local sources in addition to atmospheric transport.

Urban green open space in developing countries: Indonesia regulations, problems and alternative solutions

PurposeThis paper aims to work toward a new approach in providing green open spaces in the middle of urban land in Indonesia that has been densely built up and on it has attached land rights. An approach is needed through a specific spatial policy that contains zoning regulations for the provision of public green open spaces on top of residential houses built on the green zoning plans.Design/methodology/approachThis approach considers an interconnected ecological holistic approach, as previously existing regulations have not normatively identified the green open space as an ecological landscape consisting of blue open spaces and several objects that function as green open spaces.FindingsIndonesia in terms of green open space for local climate instrument is still identified as one of the three lowest countries in Southeast Asia in the number of green open space areas. We found that the regulating process of development rights and property rights, in the construction of Indonesian law, still requires many alternative efforts to this day in providing urban green open spaces. The delivery of desired outcomes depends on the alternative policy as a form of legal politics in compensating planning and community interests through developing green open spaces in an ecoregion approach.Originality/valueThis writing was shaped by the understandings of the author with regards to the development of urban green open space regulating issues in Indonesia as one of the emerging country group in Asia and Jakarta as the second-most populous urban area in the world. This paper aims to work toward providing green urban open spaces in Indonesia that has been densely built up and on it has attached land rights, through a specific spatial policy that contains zoning regulations for the provision of public green open spaces on top of residential houses built on the green zoning plans.

Altitudinal variation of microplastic abundance in lakeshore sediments from Italian lakes.

Microplastic (MP) contamination represents an issue of global concern for both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, but only in recent years, the study of MPs has been focused on freshwaters. Several monitoring surveys have detected the presence of a wide array of MPs differing in size, shape, and polymer composition in rivers and lakes worldwide. Because of their role of sink for plastic particles, the abundance of MPs was investigated in waters, and deep and shoreline sediments from diverse lakes, confirming the ubiquity of this contamination. Although diverse factors, including those concerning anthropogenic activities and physical characteristics of lakes, have been supposed to affect MP abundances, very few studies have directly addressed these links. Thus, the aim of the present study was to explore the levels of MP contamination in mountain and subalpine lakes from Northern Italy. Fourteen lakes dislocated at different altitudes and characterized by dissimilar anthropic pressures were visited. Lakeshore sediments were collected close to the drift line to assess MPs contamination. Our results showed the presence of MPs in lakeshore sediments from all the lakes, with a mean (± standard deviation) expressed as MPs/Kg dry sediment accounting to 14.42 ± 13.31 (range 1.57-61.53), while expressed as MPs/m2, it was 176.07 ± 172.83 (range 25.00-666.67). The MP abundance measured for Garda Lake was significantly higher compared to all the other ones (F1,13 = 7.344; P < 0.001). The pattern of contamination was dominated by fibers in all the lakes, but they were the main contributors in mountain lakes. These findings showed that the MP abundance varied according to the altitude of the lakes, with higher levels measured in subalpine lakes located at low altitudes and surrounded by populated areas.

Simultaneous optimization of network and fares for self-financing public transportation system

The public transportation system in densely populated areas is often managed as a self-financing system due to fare passenger revenues. In a self-financing system, the network structure and the monetary fare mutually interact; therefore, it is efficient to design both simultaneously. We developed an optimization model that endogenously determines the bus network and fares to maximize the total social surplus of the region. In this study, we conducted numerical applications of the model to a public transportation system around a railroad station in a metropolitan suburb area. The results showed that the optimal network topology changes with the scale of demand, and network shape significantly alters the optimal fare structure. Three types of virtual regions were examined to illustrate optimal fares.

Bioethanol sacrifice zones and environmental/ epistemic injustice. A case study in Argentina.

This paper presents a case of environmental conflict caused by a corn-based bioethanol plant in Argentina- one of the world's most important agro-industrial economies. The aim is to illustrate how epistemic inequality is a transversal aspect of environmental injustice. Many of the environmental impacts of this production have been denounced by the affected peoples living next to the plant, which functions in a densely populated area. Their knowledges about health, air pollution and the risk of explosions have been systematically excluded from legal proceedings and policy-making in the case. Additionally, they have demanded the intervention of public universities and research centers in the case, but instead the scientific sector has offered its capacities to advance the agro-industrial complex rather than research the damages and risks made to environmental and human health. Thus, these peoples seem to be confined to a "sacrifice zone" where the protection of the rights to health and a clean environment are systematically violated, along with the denial of their status of legitimate knowers. This paper describes situations in which the knowledge of those affected is disregarded and/or excluded in the process of evidence-making. It also makes visible the co-responsibility of the scientific community in this case regarding the inequality between "production" and "impact" science related to the environmental sustainability of bioethanol. The empirical data of the case is presented within an Environmental/Epistemic Justice and STS framework. In order to overcome the devastating effects of agro-industrial sacrifice zones, this work contributes to the reflection on the interconnectedness of environmental sciences, affected people’s knowledge, and politics.

1H-NMR Spectroscopy Coupled with Chemometrics to Classify Wines According to Different Grape Varieties and Different Terroirs

In this study, 1H-NMR spectroscopy coupled with chemometrics was applied to study the wine metabolome and to classify wines according to different grape varieties and different terroirs. By obtaining the metabolomic fingerprinting and profiling of the wines, it was possible to assess the metabolic biomarkers leading the classification (i.e., phenolic compounds, aroma compounds, amino acids, and organic acids). Moreover, information about the influence of the soil in shaping wine metabolome was obtained. For instance, the relationship between the soil texture and the content of amino acids and organic acids in wines was highlighted. The analysis conducted in this study allowed extraction of relevant spectral information not only from the most populated and concentrated spectral areas (e.g., aliphatic and carbinolic areas), but also from crowded spectral areas held by lowly concentrated compounds (i.e., polyphenols). This may be due to a successful combination between the parameters used for data reduction, preprocessing and elaboration. The metabolomic fingerprinting also allowed exploration of the H-bonds network inside the wines, which affects both gustatory and olfactory perceptions, by modulating the way how solutes interact with the human sensory receptors. These findings may have important implications in the context of food traceability and quality control, providing information about the chemical composition and biomolecular markers from a holistic point of view.