Modelling visitor groups' intentions to displace from an urban trail: a combined stated preference and video monitoring approach

Depending on gender and activity, overcrowding and safety concerns may detract from urban green space use. Differences in use displacement intentions from a recreational trail in a forest in Vienna were investigated for male and female walkers as well as male and female dog-walkers (N = 425) using an image-based stated preference model. The trail scenarios were depicted as digitally calibrated images that systematically displayed combinations of levels of crowding with different mixes of user types and visitor behaviour. Visitors were asked whether the presented recreation scenario was so unacceptable that they would shift their use away from the presented trail. Hours and days of stated non-use of the recreation trail by various user groups are estimated by integrating the results of the behavioural model with annual visitation data. Use displacement intentions differed by gender and activity. High use levels were a greater concern for all respondents than very low use levels, particularly for female dog-walkers. However, only a small proportion of the recorded hours were heavily used. Safety concerns about very low use levels reduced the potential times of forest use for female walkers without a dog.     

Surface runoff and nitrogen (N) loss in a bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) forest under different fertilization regimes

Nitrogen (N) losses from agricultural fields have been extensively studied. In contrast, surface runoff and N losses have rarely been considered for bamboo forests that are widespread in regions such as southern China. The thriving of bamboo industries has led to increasing fertilizer use in bamboo forests. In this study, we evaluated surface runoff and N losses in runoff following different fertilization treatments under field conditions in a bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) forest in the catchment of Lake Taihu in Jiangsu, China. Under three different fertilization regimes, i.e., control, site-specific nutrient management (SSNM), and farmer's fertilization practice (FFP), the water runoff rate amounted to 356, 361, and 342 m³?ha^?1 and accounted for 1.91, 1.98, and 1.85 % of the water input, respectively, from June 2009 to May 2010. The total N losses via surface runoff ranged from 1.2 to 1.8 kg?ha^?1. Compared with FFP, the SSNM treatment reduced total nitrogen (TN) and dissolved nitrogen (DN) losses by 31 and 34 %, respectively. The results also showed that variations in N losses depended mainly on runoff fluxes, not N concentrations. Runoff samples collected from all treatments throughout the year showed TN concentrations greater than 0.35 mg?L^?1, with the mean TN concentration in the runoff from the FFP treatment reaching 8.97 mg?L^?1. The loss of NO₃ ^?–N was greater than the loss of NH₄ ⁺–N. The total loss of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) reached 23–41 % of the corresponding DN. Therefore, DON is likely the main N species in runoff from bamboo forests and should be emphasized in the assessment and management of N losses in bamboo forest.     

Reuse of waste iron as a partial replacement of sand in concrete

One of the major environmental issues in Iraq is the large quantity of waste iron resulting from the industrial sector which is deposited in domestic waste and in landfills. A series of 109 experiments and 586 tests were carried out in this study to examine the feasibility of reusing this waste iron in concrete. Overall, 130 kg of waste iron were reused to partially replace sand at 10%, 15%, and 20% in a total of 1703 kg concrete mixtures. The tests performed to evaluate waste-iron concrete quality included slump, fresh density, dry density, compressive strength, and flexural strength tests: 115 cubes of concrete were molded for the compressive strength and dry density tests, and 87 prisms were cast for the flexural strength tests. This work applied 3, 7, 14, and 28 days curing ages for the concrete mixes. The results confirm that reuse of solid waste material offers an approach to solving the pollution problems that arise from an accumulation of waste in a production site; in the meantime modified properties are added to the concrete. The results show that the concrete mixes made with waste iron had higher compressive strengths and flexural strengths than the plain concrete mixes.     

An Outbreak of Norovirus Infections Among Lunch Customers at a Restaurant,Tampere, Finland, 2015

On January 29, 2015, the city of Tampere environmental health officers were informed of a possible foodborne outbreak among customers who had eaten lunch in restaurant X. Employees of electric companies A and B had a sudden onset of gastrointestinal symptoms. We conducted a retrospective cohort study to identify the vehicle, source, and causative agent of the outbreak. A case was defined as an employee of companies A or B with diarrhea and/or vomiting who ate lunch at Restaurant X on January 26, 2015. All employees of the companies attending the implicated lunch were invited to participate in the cohort study. Environmental investigation was conducted. Twenty-one responders were included in statistical analysis, of which 11 met with the case definition. Of the 15 food items consumed by participants, four food items were associated with gastroenteritis. Of four kitchen staff, three tested positive for norovirus GIP7, the strain was found earlier in the community. No patient samples were obtained. Level of hygiene in the kitchen was inadequate. Infected kitchen staff probably transmitted norovirus by inadequate hygiene practices. No new cases associated with Restaurant X were reported after the hygiene practices were improved.     

Urban riverbank residents' evaluation of flood evacuation policies in Winnipeg,Manitoba, Canada

The results of a discrete choice experiment (DCE) as a part of a survey among the urban riverbank residents on the Red River in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, indicated that the risk of over-dike flooding, set at 2ft above the 1997 flood water level, was a significant determinant of both voluntary and mandatory evacuation, compared to those set at the 1996 or 1997 levels. Mandatory evacuation was more preferred over voluntary evacuation when the likelihood of flooding was at its most severe, and the opposite relationship was the case when the likelihood was low. The notification time for evacuation, suggested as 1, 2, and 4 days, proved to be an insignificant attribute, whereas the respondents indicated significant preference for full flood compensation over an offer of either 80% or 90% flood relief, irrespective of the alternatives of voluntary or mandatory evacuation.     

Der Stoffwechsel im Schock und seine therapeutische Beeinflußbarkeit

During shock the organism reacts by means of primarily useful autoregulation mechanisms which, however, in excess become useless and at least harmful. Therapeutically it is necessary now, to partly break through these mechanisms going along with substitution of certain necessary substances and besides that in part to support the organism's own concept.     

Life cycle assessment of coated white board: a case study in China

Life cycle assessment was carried out using IMPACT2002+ to estimate the environmental impact of coated white board production, which is common in China. Normalized results showed that the potential impacts of respiratory inorganics, terrestrial ecotoxicity, global warming, and non-renewable energy had a dominant contributions to overall environmental impact. Specifically, emissions from chemical and energy production processes exhibited higher potential impact (more than 80% of the total contribution) on the environment than that of emissions generated from transport, landfill, wastewater treatment, and paper plants infrastructure. Energy recovery from black liquor and energy generation based on natural gas are key factors in reducing overall environmental potential impact. The current paper presents improvements on the environmental performance of a coated white board production site in China.     

Characterization and antiinflammatory properties of fractionated pyroligneous acid from palm kernel shell

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Pyroligneous acid (PA) obtained from slow pyrolysis of palm kernel shell (PKS) has high total phenolic contents and exhibits various biological...     

A statistical model to predict and analyze air surface temperature based on remotely sensed observations

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Air surface temperature (AST) is a crucial importance element for many applications such as hydrology, agriculture, and climate change studies. The...     

Propolis efficacy on SARS-COV viruses: a review on antimicrobial activities and molecular simulations

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - This current study review provides a brief review of a natural bee product known as propolis and its relevance toward combating SARS-CoV viruses....