The relationship between daylight and happiness for women in residential districts of Isfahan,Iran

This study explores the relationship between daylight exposure in urban residential units and the mood/happiness of nonworking female residents (housewives) in Isfahan, Iran. A growing body of evidence points to the physiological and psychological benefits of daylight, yet few studies have focused on the relationship between residential daylight and women's mental health. A cross‐sectional study was conducted using two‐stage random cluster sampling of nonworking female occupants of buildings in four residential districts. Mood/happiness was determined using the Oxford Happiness Inventory and the Fordyce Happiness Inventory. Spearman's rank correlation analysis was used to determine the relationship between the variables. A significant relationship was found between residents’ happiness and the amount of daylight in their residential units (Oxford Inventory, r = 0.68, P < 0.05; Fordyce Inventory, r = 0.53, P < 0.05). The findings suggest that features of physical residential environments, such as daylight, may be linked to the happiness of housewives. Persons belonging to various demographic groups who spend the majority of their time indoors (e.g., housewives, children, elderly individuals, and people with disabilities) are most dependent on architecture and environmental design for their well‐being, and therefore, are most affected by design decisions.     

Influence of alkalinity, hardness and dissolved solids on drinking water taste: A case study of consumer satisfaction

Two surveys of consumer satisfaction with drinking water conducted by Taiwan Water Supply Corp. are presented in this study. The study results show that although a lot of money was invested to modify traditional treatment processes, over 60% of local residents still avoided drinking tap water. Over half of the respondents felt that sample TT (from the traditional treatment process) was not a good drinking water, whether in the first or second survey, whereas almost 60% of respondents felt that samples PA, PB, CCL and CT (from advanced treatment processes) were good to drink. For all drinking water samples, respondent satisfaction with a sample primarily depended on it having no unpleasant flavors. Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration plans to revise the drinking water quality standards for TH and TDS in the near future. The new standards require a lower TH concentration (from currently 400mg/L (as CaCO(3)) to 150mg/L (as CaCO(3))), and a lower TDS maximum admissible concentration from the current guideline of 600 to 250mg/L. Therefore, this study also evaluated the impacts on drinking water tastes caused by variations in TH and TDS concentrations, and assessed the need to issue more strict drinking water quality standards for TH and TDS. The research results showed that most respondents could not tell the difference in water taste among water samples with different TDS, TH and alkalinity. Furthermore, hardness was found to be inversely associated with cardiovascular diseases and cancers, and complying with more strict standards would lead most water facilities to invest billions of dollars to upgrade their treatment processes. Consequently, in terms of drinking water tastes alone, this study suggested that Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration should conduct more thorough reviews of the scientific literature that provides the rationale for setting standards and reconsider if it is necessary to revise drinking water quality standards for TH and TDS.     

The role of TAMMEF therapy on the antioxidant status in osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disorder, associated with loss of articular cartilage, osteophyte formation, subchodral bone change, synovitis and characterized by chronic and often disabling pain and stiffness of one or more joints. The pathogenesis of the disease is complex and still debated, even if recent studies have shown that reactive oxygen species may participate in the initiation and progression of OA. Moreover, it is known that pulsed electromagnetic fields are useful in the OA treatment, owing to their analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. This work evaluated lipid peroxidation, glutathione, and ascorbic acid levels in patients with OA of spine, before and after the application of a new electromagnetic system, the TAMMEF (Therapeutic Application of a Musically Modulated Electromagnetic Field) system. In TAMMEF system, the extremely low frequencies electromagnetic field is piloted by a musical signal and its parameters (frequency, intensity, waveform) are modified in time, randomly varying within the respective ranges: so all possible codes can occur during a single application. Twenty patients affected by OA of spine and 20 healthy subjects were enrolled in this study. Plasma levels of ascorbic acid (AA), glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) (as index of lipid peroxidation) were determined in patients and controls, before the beginning of treatment (first day of therapy) and at the end of cycle. All patients underwent a cycle of 10 daily sessions of 30 min each. Our study showed a significant increase of MDA level and a significant decrease of both AA and GSH levels in patients with OA compared to control group. These findings support the role of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of OA. After TAMMEF treatment in the OA group, analysis revealed a significant decrease in plasma MDA and AA levels (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively), no significant difference in GSH levels. Reduction in MDA level could be due to the decreased generation of reactive oxygen species and/or to the increased detoxification activity mediated by GSH. No significant difference in GSH levels, evidenced in OA patients after TAMMEF treatment, could be due to effect sparing of AA on GSH. Furthermore, a beneficial symptomatic effect was observed in all patients.     

居民用电消费回弹效应研究:基于人均收入和性别差异的视角

居民住户用电消费的回弹效应对中国建设节约型社会具有重要影响,但从居民住户微观调查视角对用电回弹效应进行分析并剖析回弹效应影响因素的文献较为少见。本文基于CGSS数据库1969个居民数据,采用双对数模型测算中国居民用电的回弹效应,并通过分组回归法探讨影响回弹效应的因素。得到以下结论:①中国居民用电消费存在回弹效应(43.51%),表明当用电效率提高时,预期节电量的43.51%将被用电成本降低导致额外增加的电量消费所抵消;②人均收入对居民用电的回弹效应具有显著作用,收入水平与回弹效应呈现倒V型趋势;③性别差异对居民用电的回弹效应存在显著影响,男性消费者的回弹效应明显高于女性。鉴于上述结论,政府在制定居民节能政策时需要重视电力消费的回弹效应,并针对不同收入群体和性别差异采取针对性举措。     

Iron and Zinc status in soils, water and staple food cultivars in Itakpe, Kogi State of Nigeria

The levels of iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) were quantitatively determined in soil and water samples as well as in staple food cultivars in Itakpe, Nigeria's major iron mining town. The survey was conducted to establish a baseline pollution index for Fe and Zn in the Itakpe environment and to evaluate the role of foods as an exogenous source of these metals among the inhabitants. Exceedingly high levels of both metals characterized the staple food cultivars in the town.     

The effects of familiarity and gender on spatial representation

This paper reports a study of how familiarity and gender may influence the frames of reference used in memory to represent a real-world regularly shaped environment. Familiar and unfamiliar participants learned the locations of three triads of buildings by walking on a path which encircled each triad. Then they were shown with maps reproducing these triads at five different orientations (from 0° to 180°) and had to judge whether each triad represented correctly the relative positions between the buildings. Results showed that unfamiliar participants performed better when the orientation of triads was closer to the learning perspective (0° and 45°) and corresponded to front rather than to back positions. Instead, familiar participants showed a facilitation for triads oriented along orthogonal axes (0°–180°, 90°) and no difference between front and back positions. These findings suggested that locations of unfamiliar buildings were mentally represented in terms of egocentric frames of reference; instead, allocentric frames of reference defined by the environment were used when the environment was familiar. Finally, males were more accurate and faster than females, and this difference was particularly evident in participants unfamiliar with the environment.     

曲阜孔林动植物物种资源现状与保护对策

本文调查研究了孔林内动植物物种资源的现状,报道了高等植物物种有３５６ 种（ 包括变种和亚种） ,隶属９１ 科２４３ 属,鸟类有２８ 种,分属９ 个目,并提出了保护孔林动植物物种资源的几点对策     

The influence of geomorphology on the role of women at artisanal and small‐scale mine sites

The geologic and geomorphic expressions of a mineral deposit determine its location, size, and accessibility, characteristics which in turn greatly influence the success of artisans mining the deposit. Despite this critical information, which can be garnered through studying the surficial physical expression of a deposit, the geologic and geomorphic sciences have been largely overlooked in artisanal mining‐related research. This study demonstrates that a correlation exists between the roles of female miners at artisanal diamond and gold mining sites in western and central Africa and the physical expression of the deposits. Typically, women perform ore processing and ancillary roles at mine sites. On occasion, however, women participate in the extraction process itself. Women were found to participate in the extraction of ore only when a deposit had a thin overburden layer, thus rendering the mineralized ore more accessible. When deposits required a significant degree of manual labour to access the ore due to thick overburden layers, women were typically relegated to other roles. The identification of this link encourages the establishment of an alternative research avenue in which the physical and social sciences merge to better inform policymakers, so that the most appropriate artisanal mining assistance programs can be developed and implemented.     

河北省高校社会体育专业培养目标及学生满意度调查分析

运用文献资料法、问卷调查法、数理统计法和对比分析法,对我省社会体育专业本专科院校的培养目标情况、学生收获和满意度情况进行调查分析。研究结果表明,中环院社会体育专业学生对课程体系设置的满意度最高,就业信心指数最大。进一步分析可知,以社会体育产业为目标定位、以能力本位为教育模式对社会体育专业学生的培养具有一定的优越性     

The impact of the electricity tariff reform on renewable energies and energy efficiency investments: The case of the Italian residential market

This article investigates the impact that the electricity tariff reform is likely to have on investments in renewable energies (i.e., photovoltaics) and the adoption of energy efficiency measures (i.e., installation of heat pumps and efficient home appliances) in the residential market in Italy. The study develops detailed cost comparisons and simulations considering two different investment scenarios (before and after the reform) to conclude that the reform will: (i) have a negative impact on investments in photovoltaic systems; (ii) favor the adoption of energy efficiency measures, such as efficient home appliances.     

The effect of tailored information, goal setting, and tailored feedback on household energy use, energy-related behaviors, and behavioral antecedents

In this multidisciplinary study, an Internet-based tool was used to encourage households (N=189) to reduce their direct (gas, electricity and fuel) and indirect energy use (embedded in the production, transportation and disposal of consumer goods). A combination of tailored information, goal setting (5%), and tailored feedback was used. The purpose of this study was to examine whether this combination of interventions would result in (i) changes in direct and indirect energy use, (ii) changes in energy-related behaviors, and (iii) changes in behavioral antecedents (i.e. knowledge). After 5 months, households exposed to the combination of interventions saved 5.1%, while households in the control group used 0.7% more energy. Households exposed to the interventions saved significantly more direct energy than households in the control group did. No difference in indirect energy savings emerged. Households exposed to the interventions adopted a number of energy-saving behaviors during the course of the study, whereas households in the control group did so to a lesser extent. Households exposed to the interventions had significantly higher knowledge levels of energy conservation than the control group had. It is argued that if the aim is to effectively encourage household energy conservation, it is necessary to examine changes in energy use, energy-related behaviors and behavioral antecedents.     

The comparison of a revised Leopold matrix and fuzzy methods in environmental impact assessment,a case study: The construction of Al‐A'amiriya residential complex,Baghdad, Iraq

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is an efficient method to recognize and alleviate the unfavorable and inevitable impacts of human activity on the environment. The EIA is dependent on expert opinions, which can be influenced by personal experience and knowledge. To evaluate this influence, we carried out EIA of 6,000 residential apartment units of Al‐A'amiriya, Baghdad, Iraq, using a revised Leopold matrix and fuzzy methods. The matrix results reflected the direct opinions of experts. The fuzzy method was developed according to the principles of expert comments. In the matrix method, the environmental impacts of each activity were evaluated by scores between −5 (very bad) to 5 (very good). The inputs to the fuzzy method were intensity and weather stability. The fuzzy estimation of the environmental impact was composed of a group of three values; P1 as the intensity, P2 as the extent, and P3 as the persistence. We gathered the expert opinions and used the Analytical Hierarchical Process to determine the weighting coefficient of each fuzzy anticipation. The matrix method was dependent on the expert opinions. The mean values of the matrix and P‐values in each column and row scores depict the impacts of a project on the environmental aspects and each element of construction on the environment. The comparison of the results indicated an average difference of 30% between the Leopold matrix and fuzzy methods. In regard to the availability and sufficiency of data, the difference was around 10%.     

成都地区慈竹生长状况及其与环境因子关系的初步分析

通过对成都市城区边缘及郊区6个样地慈竹林竹株的实地观测和取样分析,发现成都市城区边缘及青白江区的慈竹普遍生长不良,不同竹龄竹株的高度和胸径都比无郊崇州市怀远的慈竹要小,发育不良竹株竹杆内硅的含量显著高,初步分析硅的过多积累可能是慈竹竹杆脆化的一个明显指标;发育不良的慈竹竹杆含水量也普遍比生长状况好的慈竹竹杆含水量高。从样地土壤样品分析发现,慈竹生长不良的样地土壤偏酸或者偏碱。成都市区的降水普遍偏酸,降水中过高的SO4^2-,NO3^-,Cl^-和F^-离子成分也可能是导致慈竹生长不良的环境因素。     

遂宁市"十五"水环境质量现状暨"十一五"水环境质量趋势分析

依据遂宁市“十五”水环境监测五年的基础数据,结合遂宁市“十一五”经济规划,分析评价了遂宁市“十一五”水环境质量变化趋势,预测出“十一五”末,我市CODcr和氨氮两个主要污染物入河量将有所增加,水环境质量将有恶化趋势。     

The effect of pyrolysis atmosphere on bio-oil yields and structure

A food industry waste, almond shell, was pyrolyzed under three different environment static, nitrogen, and steam to produce bio-oil and its derivatives. The oil yield obtained at pyrolysis temperature of 600°C was 24.23% in a static atmosphere, whereas it increased to 27.25% and 33.05% in nitrogen and steam atmospheres, respectively. The bio-oil obtained under steam atmosphere is very efficient due to the production of high liquid and gas yields. Moreover, co-feeding steam during the pyrolysis altered the bio-oil structure by increasing the aliphatics and reducing the asphaltenes. Moreover, steam treatment also increases H/C and heating value of bio-oils. According to the obtained results, steam pyrolysis is an alternative option for future applications in refineries.     

The effect of Oja-titun market effluent on the chemical quality of receiving OPA reservoir in Ile-Ife, Nigeria

The effect of market effluent from the Oja-titun market in Ile-Ife, Nigeria on the chemical quality of the Opa Reservoir located 3.5 km downstream was investigated between February and November 2000. Water samples were collected in February, May, August and November from 16 sites, four along each of the market drainage channels (MDC), market stream, tributary stream and the Opa River and Reservoir. The peak level of each variable-biochemical oxygen demand, temperature, total alkalinity, Na(+), K(+), Ca(2+), Mg(2+), PO(4)(3+), SO(4)(2+), Cl(-), NO(3)(-), Pb and Zn-occurred at the MDC, and decreased significantly downstream, except pH, conductivity and dissolved oxygen, which increased. Seasonal fluctuation in most variables was pronounced. Generally, there were high values in the early dry and dry seasons and low values in the rainy and early rainy seasons. Comparison of the reservoir water with international limitation standards for drinking water supply showed that the quality of the reservoir water was very low and that treatment required to achieve minimum limitation standards for drinking water would be both intensive and expensive. The study concluded that the stream borne effluent from the market impacts significantly on the chemical quality of the reservoir water although other tributaries within the Reservoir's catchment are other possible sources of pollutants in the reservoir.     

The value content of agricultural technologies and their effect on rural regions and farmers

The premise of this article is that technologies are not neutral in terms of their design objectives, their scale, and the fact that they reflect the physical and social environments in which they have developed. Specific agricultural technologies, the midwestern plow, the California tomato harvester, and various biotechnologies, are evaluated in these terms and shown to have generally predictable impacts upon rural regions and farmers. Finally, the article examines a series of major threats such as climate change that require the rethinking and restructuring of agriculture along more sustainable lines, something the can be accomplished only with a conscious recognition of the non-neutrality of technologies.This article was prepared for the conference Ethical Choice in an Age of Pervasive Technology, University of Guelph, October 25–29, 1989.     

Think global,act local: The effect of goal and mindset specificity on willingness to donate to an environmental organization

This paper investigated the effect of goal and mindset specificity on goal-related behavior in the environmental domain. Two studies demonstrated that goal-related behavior was maximized when participants focused on an abstract goal in combination with a specific mindset, or when they focused on a specific goal in combination with an abstract mindset. When goals and mindsets instead matched in terms of abstractness, goal-related behavior was reduced. Study 2 demonstrated that the effect of goal specificity on behavior was mediated by different processes in each of the mindset conditions. When mindsets were abstract, self-efficacy mediated the positive effect of specific goals on behavior; when mindsets were specific, the value of collective environmental action mediated the positive effect of abstract goals on behavior. The results are discussed in the framework of a complementarity approach. It is argued that complementarity of levels of specificity of goals and mindsets may affect behavior particularly strongly in domains where the discrepancy between the abstract and the specific is large (e.g. the environmental domain).     

The effect of clean energy regulations and incentives on green jobs: panel analysis of the United States, 1998–2007

‘Green jobs’ are often presented as a simultaneous solution for the economic downturn and the environmental crisis, particularly as they relate to sustainable development in energy and climate change. Federal, state, and municipal authorities have employed a variety of policy tools to boost job creation within their jurisdictions. This study focuses on the role that state policies play in creating green jobs. It examines two generic policy tools – regulations and incentives – each of which can be aimed at advancing energy efficiency or renewable energy production, and assesses the relative impact they have had on generating green jobs. In order to measure this impact, we utilize panel data compiled by the Pew Charitable Trusts, which contain a state‐level count of green jobs from 1998 to 2007. The results of the analysis suggest that regulations, particularly those that mandate action on renewable energy, are likely to increase the number of private sector green jobs in states. Regulations with clear guidelines and targets tend to reduce uncertainty in business, and can lead to increased private sector investment and job availability. This study provides practical lessons regarding the type and design of policy instruments and regulations on renewable energy, which effectively encourage green job growth.     

The frequency-dependent effect of extremely low-frequency electromagnetic field and mechanical vibration at infrasound frequency on the growth, division and motility of Escherichia coli K-12

The aim of this work was to investigate the frequency-dependent effects of extremely low-frequency electromagnetic field (ELF-EMF) and mechanical vibration at infrasound frequency (MV at IS frequency or MV) on growth and development of Escherichia coli K-12, by using classical microbiological (counting colony forming units), isotopic, spectrophotometric and electronmicroscopic methods. The frequency-dependent effects of MV and ELF-EMF were shown that they could either stimulate or inhibit the growth and the division of microbes depending on the periods following exposure. However, the mechanism through which the MV and ELF-EMF effects affect the bacteria cell is not clear yet. It was suggested that the aqua medium could serve a target through which the biological effect of MV and ELF-EMF on microbes could be realized. To check this hypothesis, the frequency-dependent effects (2, 4, 6, 8, 10 Hz) of both MV and ELF-EMF on the bacterial growth, division and their motility in cases of exposure, the preliminary treated microbes-free medium and microbes containing medium were studied. Both MV and ELF-EMF effect on microbes have frequency and post-exposure period duration-dependent characters. The [ ³ H]-thymidine involving experiments shown that EMF at 4 Hz exposure has pronounced stimulation effect on cell proliferation while 4 Hz MV has inhibition effect. But at 8–10 Hz, the both EMF and MV have inhibitory effects on cell proliferation. It is suggested that 4 and 8 Hz EMF have different biological effects on microbes.