向挪威南部艾于德纳河中施加石灰:底栖无脊椎动物恢复的大规模试验

本研究描述了1985年向艾于德纳河溯河鱼类所在部分施加石灰后敏感的无脊椎动物的恢复情况.这条河流在1960～1970年间丧失了它的大马哈鱼种群.施加石灰的目的是产生pH＞6.0和ANC＞20μg/L的水质,并减少不稳定铝的含量.施加石灰前,在这条河中找不到像蜉蝣类的Baetis rhodanf等高度敏感的无脊椎动物.施加石灰2年后,一些敏感的无脊椎物种产生了积极的回应.河流下游有两处地点发现了B.rhodanf.在随后的5年里,一些敏感的无脊椎物种开始在施加石灰的整个河段聚集,并且数量越来越大.在向河流施加石灰10年后,出现了蜗牛Lymnaeaperegra.这个物种的扩散也非常迅速,5年后它可以在40km范围内施以石灰的的主要河流的所有调查地点被发现.在这一区域减少硫的沉降也引起了艾于德纳河未施加石灰的各支流水质的提高.施加石灰与未施加石灰的地点的比较说明了水质和敏感物种的临界限制是决定艾于德纳河动物组成的主要因素,而与水质变化的原因无关.     

The effect of an ergonomic intervention on musculoskeletal, psychosocial, and visual strain of VDT data entry work: the Polish part of the international study.

A group of routine data entry operators (female) was included in the Polish MEPS (musculoskeletal--eyestrain--psychosocial--stress) study. Before the intervention, ergonomic assessment revealed improper working conditions such as inadequate lighting, uncomfortable chairs, and lack of forearm and wrist support while medical examination revealed that trapezius muscle load along with upper arm, head and back angles were higher than advisable. Subjects complained about neck and shoulder pain, visual problems, and psychosocial conditions. The ergonomic intervention included installation of new luminaires and Venetian blinds, new chairs, repair of ventilators, and optometric corrections. The results after the intervention showed mainly improvement in chair comfort, lighting conditions, visual strain, and sitting posture. However, financial limitations did not allow satisfactory completion of the intervention leading to a mixed interpretation of the results.     

A cross-country comparison of short- and long-term effects of an ergonomic intervention on musculoskeletal discomfort, eyestrain and psychosocial stress in VDT operators: selected aspects of the international project.

Three groups of data entry female visual display terminal (VDT) workers from Norway (n = 30), Poland (n = 33) and the USA (n = 29) were compared. Before intervention, the Norwegian group reported more neck pain compared with the Polish group. The Polish group reported less shoulder pain than both the U.S. and the Norwegian groups. The clinical examination documented fewer symptoms and signs of musculoskeletal illness among the Polish participants compared with the Norwegian and the U.S. groups. After intervention, the Norwegian group reported a reduction in neck pain while the U.S. group reported a reduction in shoulder pain. The Polish group reported an increase in neck, shoulder and forearm pain at follow-up compared to after intervention. The Polish group recorded higher flexion of the upper arm at follow-up parallel with an increase of pain in the upper part of the body. Visual discomfort showed variable results in the 3 countries.     

Predawn disequilibrium between soil and plant water potentials in light of climate trends predicted for northern Europe

Regional Environmental Change - The study was performed on coppice shoots and 9-year-old saplings of hybrid aspen (Populus tremula L. × Populus tremuloides Michx.) growing at the Free Air...     

Growth of northern deciduous trees under increasing atmospheric humidity: possible mechanisms behind the growth retardation

Regional Environmental Change - Increasing atmospheric humidity—a climate trend predicted for northern Europe—will reduce water flux through vegetation. Diminished transpirational water...     

Testing The Pearl Hypothesis: Natural resources and trust

Do natural resources reduce social trust? This paper reviews the literature on natural resources and on trust. The existing theoretical and empirical literature suggests that natural resources can reduce trust through several indirect mechanisms. Notably, studies show that natural resources lead to institutional degradation, corruption, inequality, and civil war, all of which have been associated with reduced trust. In addition, game theoretical work on windfall gains suggests that there may be direct effect of natural resources on trust. This paper tests empirically whether there is a direct effect of natural resources on trust (The Pearl Hypothesis), using cross-country data. The results indicate that no such direct effect exists, but we find a significant effect on trust of intermediate variables affected by natural resources, such as institutions, corruption, inequality and/or civil war. Importantly, the relationship between corruption and trust turns out to be non-linear, indicating that the effect of natural resources on trust depends on the initial corruption level of a country. In highly corrupt societies, institutional improvements that reduce corruption may also undermine trust, which poses difficult challenges for anti-corruption policy.     

Opponents,waverers or supporters: the influence of place-attachment dimensions on local residents' acceptance of a planned biosphere reserve in Austria

A supportive attitude of residents towards protected areas is crucial for successful implementation and management, particularly in densely populated regions such as Central Europe. While previous studies have revealed that emotional and cultural drivers, as well as information level and group membership, can influence attitudes towards protected areas, the effect of place-attachment dimensions remains unclear. A postal survey among local residents (N = 460) explored factors influencing attitudes towards the Lungau (-Nockberge) Biosphere Reserve in Austria before its official recognition. Results indicated societal support throughout all socio-demographic strata. A logistic regression showed that, besides socio-demographics and information level, place attachment had a significant influence on the acceptance of the biosphere reserve. Supporters and opponents showed both high place identity and dependence, while waverers scored low on these dimensions. Results indicate that place attachment is relevant for the design of participatory processes as well as for developing management policies for biosphere reserves.     

Will Consumers Save The World? The Framing of Political Consumerism

An active ethically conscious consumer has been acclaimed as the new hero and hope for an ethically improved capitalism. Through consumers’ “voting” at the checkout, corporations are supposed to be held accountable for their conduct. In the literature on political consumerism, this has mainly been approached as political participation and governance. In this article, we do a critical review of this literature. We do so by questioning the existence of what we call a “generic active consumer model.” At the core of this position, there is a belief that the active consumer is a universal entity, available across nations and time. Instead we call for an approach that takes accord of the ways consumers and consumer roles are framed in interactive processes in markets, governance structures, and everyday life. Consumers in different countries assess their responsibilities and their powers as consumers differently due to different institutionalizations within distinctive contexts. We also must take into account how the inertia of ordinary consumption and the moral complexities of everyday life restrict the adoption of an active consumerist role. Hence, the debate on political consumerism should make for a more realistic notion of ethical consumer-sovereignty and its role in improving the workings of capitalism. In our view, these findings have severe implications for understanding both theories of political consumption and the dynamics of political consumption per se.