Search Results (83)

For disciplines and professions concerned with the design and management of the physical environment, climate emergency has become an integral part of research and practice because these environmental challenges are inextricably linked to the land and how we use it. Working from an understanding of landscape as the vast infrastructure upon which we depend for everything, landscape is the setting for all matters of environmental sustainability, impacting towns, cities, and countryside, communities and well-being, economics, governance, and politics. This paper explores the extent to which landscape and landscape design are considered in professional guidance pertaining to climate emergencies and environmental sustainability. Noting a tendency for such policy and guidance in the UK to cluster around the opposite poles of generalised targets and highly detailed technological solutions, this paper raises questions about what is missing from the middle of this spectrum. Our findings show that beyond carbon and biodiversity targets and the technological solutions to meet them, policy has been slow to respond to the climate emergency in relation to the landscape level. Furthermore, policy frameworks largely fail to account for the cultural and/or intangible factors affecting carbon and sustainability measures, such as the quality of space and well-being. This research suggests that guidance and policy relating to holistic, integrated understandings of landscapes are key to addressing the climate emergency, which also provides quality places and spaces for our communities and nature alike. Full article

In megacities, the rapid development of construction entails threats to the environment, in particular, to the health of urban residents. One of the main sources of danger is microscopic dust particles PM_2.5 and PM₁₀, resulting from construction projects that can seriously impair people’s health. To minimize these risks, it is necessary to actively implement control over the level of dust in the air and carry out scientific work to study the impact of construction on the environment. These measures should become mandatory aspects in the planning of modern cities, given that the degree of air pollution in large cities has already reached critical levels. In modern megacities, where development is intensive and, in some places, very dense, there is a key importance of environmental audit of territories intended for construction, for creating effective and safe development projects. The lack of adequate risk control during the construction stages can lead not only to emergencies, but also have a harmful impact on the natural environment. It is worth noting that environmental hazards can vary significantly depending on the unique characteristics of each specific construction site. As a result of an in-depth analysis of the ecological state of the region, which included an assessment of various levels of pollution and their impact on the health of residents, it was found that intensive construction in some areas of the city significantly worsens the ecological situation. In particular, it was found that the level of dust pollution in areas with active construction exceeds the regulatory indicators by two times, which indicates a serious environmental problem. These data highlight the need for targeted actions to improve air quality and reduce harmful air emissions. Thus, the study raises the alarm about the point-pattern housing development as a source of high environmental danger and underlines the development of strategies for air purification in the city. The PM₁₀ contamination level was 671.6 micrograms per cubic meter, while PM_2.5 was at 368.2 micrograms per cubic meter. These data indicate that the main cause of pollution is local dust exposure. Full article

Virtual field trips in zoogeomorphology can allow students to explore the dynamic influence of beaver activity within the landscape. Education theory-informed virtual learning experiences (VLEs) of zoogeomorphologic topics, such as ecosystem engineers, are still underdeveloped for natural science learning communities. Through dam-building activities, beavers significantly alter stream hydrology, sediment transport, and vegetation organization and structure, promoting landscape heterogeneity. To effectively communicate this complexity of landscape modification, we developed an immersive virtual reality (VR) environment using historical photographs and detailed field notes to visualize the temporal and spatial transformations caused by beaver activity. A design and development process (TECCUPD), a philosophical framework for physical geography (TREE-PG), and a planning tool (VRUI conceptual model) are used to guide VLE architecture. Collectively, this information serves as a virtual proxy of an abandoned beaver pond field site to support student evaluation of the influence of sediment trapping and flooding on vegetation patterns on the landscape. This virtual place-based, experiential narrative environment is a proxy to capture the complexity of beaver-modified landscapes through ecological and geomorphological interactions. The integration of immersive VR technologies and generative artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education with learning theories that guide VR application design and development is applied in virtual field trips to support pedagogical goals and improve learning outcomes. Finally, we use an evaluation scale (TIPS) to assess the fidelity of learning theory implementation in a virtual field trip. Virtual field experiences in zoogeomorphology, informed by theory and utilizing immersive landscapes and scientific educational tools, can help students discern the effects of beavers on stream hydrology and geomorphic processes, as well as their potential role in mitigating water insecurity in climate adaptation efforts. Full article

The presented article discusses the possibilities and methods of carrying out evacuation works in the event of an emergency associated with slope deformation in the built-up area of Šalgovík, Slovak Republic. From the point of view of extraordinary events, slope deformations are a negative phenomenon for every country. Besides the most serious natural disasters such as floods, landslides and earthquakes, slope deformations are in third place in terms of the extent of direct or indirect damage. Moreover, for the above reasons, the presented article discusses the possibilities of area evacuation in the event of an emergency in a given built-up area, where, as described in the article, it is a location that is susceptible to slope deformation. Given that it is a built-up area that is not stabilized for slope deformations and is also active, the article explains the activities of the Integrated Rescue System components in the event of an emergency in the said area. The aim was also to carry out a widespread evacuation, which has different characteristics than normal evacuations in the case of other emergencies since a large part of the territory with a certain number of inhabitants is affected. It should be noted that the evacuation of the said territory must be carried out in a rapid time frame so that the consequences for health and human life are minimal, which is explained in the present article. The activities the individual rescue services perform to carry out the evacuation will have to be conducted in a different way than normal, and for this reason, the cooperation and activities required are different from the activities normally carried out. Full article

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 began a series of disruptions that rapidly impacted medical education across the globe. This review collates current literature that relates to medical education faculties’ development interventions as a result of the pandemic, with an emphasis on the effectiveness and type of strategies for intervention, such as the usefulness of hybrid and digitalised education. The study used PRISMA guidelines when conducting the literature survey with specified inclusion and exclusion criteria across numerous academic databases. From this survey, 1158 articles were found. The EndNote programme was used to identify and remove duplicate pieces. From this, 479 abstracts were reviewed. A total of 36 articles were selected for their relevance; from this, 11 were deemed to have met the inclusion criteria to warrant full-text analysis. To identify bias risk in these 11 studies, the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS) was utilised. The study findings have two major themes: (1) information about faculty development interventions; and (2) the nature of articles written in the pandemic. From this, it was indicated that faculty development initiatives are useful for improving teachers’ competency and for enhancing teachers’ adoption of digitalised learning to ultimately bolster the resilience of their teaching. The findings also show that there is a strong need to have robust frameworks in place for faculty development, and that such frameworks must be followed in and beyond the pandemic period to improve the long-term incorporation of online learning into medical education. Full article

The present article focuses on the characterization of the new biocomposites of poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) with fillers of plant origin such as onion peels (OP) and durum wheat bran WB (Triricum durum) subjected to composting and artificial aging. The susceptibility to fungal growth, cytotoxicity and antibacterial properties were also examined. The biodegradation of the samples was investigated under normalized conditions simulating an intensive aerobic composting process. It was shown that the tested natural fillers significantly accelerate the biodegradation process of the composition (after 90 days mass loss of PBS 7%) and that the samples with WB degrade much faster (corresponding mass loss 86%) than those containing OP (corresponding mass loss 21%). The remains of the samples after composting were subjected to chemical structure analysis (FTIR), and their thermal properties were determined using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). It was shown that the degree of crystallinity of PBS and composites increased with the increasing time of composting. In the case of pure PBS, this increase was a maximum of 31.5%, for biocomposite with OP 31.1% and for those containing WB 21.2%. FTIR results showed that cleavage of polymer chains by hydrolysis took place during composting. The tested samples were also subjected to artificial aging under conditions simulating solar radiation and were sprayed with water. After artificial aging, the significant changes in the color of the samples as well as the porosity of their surface was noted, which was mainly due to the effect of photodegradation of both the used OP and WB fillers. Additionally, FTIR analysis indicated that samples were degraded by photooxidation processes. The ability of fungi to grow on the surface of the samples was also tested. The results demonstrate the possibility of using the developed biocomposite materials as a carbon source for the growth of fungi. The antibacterial tests showed that samples containing OP exhibited strong antibacterial properties regardless of their wt.% content. Additionally, a cytotoxicity test was performed on a BJ cell line, demonstrating that none of the tested biocomposites were cytotoxic. Moreover, those with the addition of WB statistically significantly supported the viability of both fibroblast and bacteria cells, showing their biological safety but lack of antibacterial activity. Full article

This study provides new insights into the oviposition strategy of Eriogaster catax (Linnaeus, 1758) (Lepidoptera, Lasiocampidae), an endangered species of moth found in semi-natural habitats within agricultural landscapes. Protected under various European directives and listed as Data Deficient by the IUCN, E. catax inhabits warmer regions of the Western Palearctic. Despite noted geographic variations in its ecological preferences, few studies have statistically significant data on its ecology. Our six-year study, conducted within the largest known population of E. catax. in Romania, reveals critical data on its oviposition preferences, including the species’ tendency to utilize Prunus spinosa L. and Crataegus monogyna Jacq. shrubs at an average height of 80.48 ± 34.3 cm, with most nests placed within the 41–80 cm range and containing an average of 186 ± 22 eggs. The study also addresses the species’ vulnerability to human activities such as bush trimming, agricultural burning, and uncontrolled grazing, particularly due to its low oviposition height. These findings underscore the negative impact of overgrazing and burning practices, particularly when conducted on a large scale, on the conservation of E. catax. The detailed ecological requirements identified in this study are essential for developing effective conservation strategies and habitat management practices. Furthermore, the study highlights the importance of local community involvement and public education in raising awareness about biodiversity and the conservation of endangered species. Full article

Evolution by natural selection is believed to be the only possible source of spontaneous adaptive organisation in the natural world. This places strict limits on the kinds of systems that can exhibit adaptation spontaneously, i.e., without design. Physical systems can show some properties relevant to adaptation without natural selection or design. (1) The relaxation, or local energy minimisation, of a physical system constitutes a natural form of optimisation insomuch as it finds locally optimal solutions to the frustrated forces acting on it or between its components. (2) When internal structure ‘gives way’ or accommodates a pattern of forcing on a system, this constitutes learning insomuch, as it can store, recall, and generalise past configurations. Both these effects are quite natural and general, but in themselves insufficient to constitute non-trivial adaptation. However, here we show that the recurrent interaction of physical optimisation and physical learning together results in significant spontaneous adaptive organisation. We call this adaptation by natural induction. The effect occurs in dynamical systems described by a network of viscoelastic connections subject to occasional disturbances. When the internal structure of such a system accommodates slowly across many disturbances and relaxations, it spontaneously learns to preferentially visit solutions of increasingly greater quality (exceptionally low energy). We show that adaptation by natural induction thus produces network organisations that improve problem-solving competency with experience (without supervised training or system-level reward). We note that the conditions for adaptation by natural induction, and its adaptive competency, are different from those of natural selection. We therefore suggest that natural selection is not the only possible source of spontaneous adaptive organisation in the natural world. Full article

The article aims to show the attitudes and views of Polish residents on the problem of preserving the natural environment from the perspective of their place of residence. The need for research in this area stems from the insufficient number of available studies on this very important issue given the global environmental challenges we are facing. The research gap noted relates particularly to the aspects of engagement in environmental measures, knowledge levels, and motivations for conservation efforts by local citizens. Environmentally and socially responsible behavior is part of the concept of sustainable development. Empirical research covered a sample of 500 adult residents of Poland using the CAWI technique. The results showed that the vast majority of respondents noticed numerous problems in preserving the natural environment in their place of residence. According to respondents, the way to reduce these problems is to increase care for green areas, promote renewable energy sources, and strive to reduce waste. Moreover, the research results show that respondents take initiatives to segregate waste, save energy, and apply the zero-waste concept. The main reason for taking action to solve environmental problems is to preserve the environment for our children and future generations. The results of these studies showed that for men, pro-environmental activities are more important than for women. These findings are valuable for policymakers, local authorities, and fellow citizens. Full article

Choirs in female monastic and convent communities are spaces whose complexity has been highlighted because of their multipurpose and multifunctional nature. Although they are within the community’s private sphere of prayer of the divine office, it has also been noted that they play a liturgical role as the space from which the nuns ‘hear’ and follow the celebrations taking place in the church and even in the choral altars. The devotional–liturgical binomial is joined by other contrasting terms, like esglesia dintra–sgleya de fora, indicating a duality, as follows: the claustration (as an enclosed, internal and private space of the nuns) and the external church accessible to priests and laypeople, as well as private devotion versus community devotion. The Poor Clares of the monastery of Sant Antoni i Santa Clara actually mentioned the choir altar as nostro altar, underscoring the close bonds that joined them to a liturgical table in this private space, as opposed to those of the esglesia defora. The objective of this article is to study the choirs of three female monasteries in Barcelona during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries—Sant Pere de les Puel·les (Benedictines), Sant Antoni i Santa Clara and Santa Maria de Pedralbes (both Clarissan)—from a holistic standpoint, including spaces, functions, goods, furnishings and decorations. Full article

The ubiquitous nature of polymers has led to a widespread demand for sustainable polymers in numerous industrial applications. However, a lack of well laid out guidelines, product development pathways and certifications has resulted in a lot of commotions and confusions within the polymer value chain. Herein, a meticulous review is conducted on the topic of polymer sustainability shedding light on the standards, product declarations, biobased-biomass concepts, product carbon footprint, etc. It is critical that companies significantly contribute to such sustainability efforts in lieu of market readiness and competitive advantages. Any discussion within the sustainability horizon references a couple of terms/abbreviations/concepts. In this article, such key terminologies and concepts related to polymer sustainability are reviewed with a holistic outlook on the widespread approaches within the polymer sustainability horizon. In the polymer raw material manufacturers, the mass balance approach has gained more momentum with International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC). Product carbon footprint, life cycle analysis and third-party certifications were noted as the three key factors of sustainability engagement, with polymer manufactures placing sustainability commitments and targets for carbon emissions control. It is foreseen that a collaborative network between academic research, raw material manufacturers and the upstream companies and consumers will drive the sustainable polymer products market. Full article

The increasing overlap of resources between human and long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis) (LTM) populations have escalated human–primate conflict. In Malaysia, LTMs are labeled as a ‘pest’ species due to the macaques’ opportunistic nature. This study investigates the activity budget of LTMs in an urban tourism site and how human activities influence it. Observational data were collected from LTMs daily for a period of four months. The observed behaviors were compared across differing levels of human interaction, between different times of day, and between high, medium, and low human traffic zones. LTMs exhibited varying ecological behavior patterns when observed across zones of differing human traffic, e.g., higher inactivity when human presence is high. More concerning is the impact on these animals’ welfare and group dynamics as the increase in interactions with humans takes place; we noted increased inactivity and reduced intra-group interaction. This study highlights the connection that LTMs make between human activity and sources of anthropogenic food. Only through understanding LTM interaction can the cause for human–primate conflict be better understood, and thus, more sustainable mitigation strategies can be generated. Full article

Most of the northeastern region of Brazil (NEB) has a maize production system based on family farming, with no technological advances and totally dependent on the natural rainfall regime, which is concentrated in 4 to 5 months in most parts of the region. This means that the productivity of this crop is low in the NEB. In the northern mesoregions of the NEB, rainfall is concentrated between January and June, in the east of the NEB from April to September, and in the west of the NEB from October to March. The growing season takes place during these semesters. With this in mind, our objective was to develop a model based on canonical correlation analysis (CCA) to predict corn production in the mesoregions of the NEB between 1981 and 2010, using accumulated precipitation per semester as the predictor variable and predicting the observed production in kg/ha. Our results showed that the CCA model presented higher correlations between observed and simulated production than that obtained simply from the direct relationship between accumulated rainfall and production. The other two metrics used, RMSE and NRMSE, showed that, on average, in most mesoregions, the simulation error was around 200 kg/ha, but the accuracy was predominantly moderate, around 29% in most mesoregions, with values below 20% in six mesoregions, indicative of better model accuracy, and above 50% in two mesoregions, indicative of low accuracy. In addition, we investigated how the different combinations between two modes of climate variability with a direct influence on precipitation in the NEB impacted production in these 30 years, with the combination of El Niño and a positive Atlantic dipole being the most damaging to harvests, while years when La Niña and a negative Atlantic dipole acted together were the most favorable. Despite the satisfactory results and the practical applicability of the model developed, it should be noted that the use of only one predictor, rainfall, is a limiting factor for better model simulations since other meteorological variables and non-climatic factors have a significant impact on crops. However, the simplicity of the model and the promising results could help agricultural managers make decisions in all the states that make up the NEB. Full article

The Standard Model of electroweak interactions is based on the fundamental SU(2)_weak × U(1)_elect representation. It assumes massless neutrinos and purely left-handed massive $W^{\pm }$ and Z⁰ bosons to which one should add the massless photon. The existence, verified experimentally, of neutrino oscillations poses a challenge to this scheme, since the oscillations take place between at least three massive neutrinos belonging to a mass hierarchy still to be determined. One should also take into account the possible existence of sterile neutrino species. In a somehow different context, the fundamental nature of the strong interaction component of the forces in nature is described by the, until now, extremely successful representation based on the SU(3)_strong group which, together with the confining rule, give a description of massive hadrons in terms of quarks and gluons. To this is added the minimal U(1) Higgs group to give mass to the otherwise massless generators. This representation may also be challenged by the existence of both dark matter and dark energy, of still unknown composition. In this note, we shall discuss a possible connection between these questions, namely the need to extend the SU(3)_strong × SU(2)_weak × U(1)_elect to account for massive neutrinos and dark matter. The main point of it is related to the role of axions, as postulated by Roberto Peccei and Helen Quinn. The existence of neutral pseudo-scalar bosons, that is, the axions, has been proposed long ago by Peccei and Quinn to explain the suppression of the electric dipole moment of the neutron. The associated U(1)_PQ symmetry breaks at very high energy, and it guarantees that the interaction of other particles with axions is very weak. We shall review the axion properties in connection with the apparently different contexts of neutrino and dark matter physics. Full article

Pollinators play important roles in providing pollination services, maintaining biodiversity, and boosting crop production. Even though pollinators are essential to the environment and agriculture, their decline has been noted across multiple studies in the recent past. Both natural and anthropogenic factors have contributed to their decline. Much of the focus has been placed on climate change, habitat loss, pests and pathogens, and synthetic pesticides, but relatively little is known about the effects of biopesticides. Biopesticides are biological control agents derived from living organisms and are classified into three groups: microbial, biochemical, and plant-incorporated protectant-based products. Biopesticides are formulated similarly to their synthetic counterparts and are readily available and used within urban and agricultural settings by pest management experts and household residents. The general public and much scientific literature support the prevailing idea that biopesticides are environmentally safe and pollinator friendly in comparison with synthetic versions. However, such generalizations are based on studies with a few key pollinator species and may not be relevant to several other species that provide crop pollination services. Studies focused on native pollinators have shown that some biopesticides have lethal and sublethal effects. Because each biopesticide exhibits varying effects across pollinator species, it could be dangerous to generalize their non-toxicity across taxa and environmental settings. In this article, recent research in this direction is discussed. Full article