Mode choice model for vulnerable motorcyclists in Malaysia

OBJECTIVE: In developing countries, motorcycle use has grown in popularity in the past decades. Commensurate with this growth is the increase in death and casualties among motorcyclists in these countries. One of the strategic programs to minimize this problem is to reduce motorcyclists exposure by shifting them into safer modes of transport. This study aims to explore the differences in the characteristics of bus and motorcycle users. It identifies the factors contributing to their choice of transport mode and estimates the probability that motorcyclists might change their travel mode to a safer alternative; namely, bus travel. METHODS: In this article, a survey of 535 motorcycle and bus users was conducted in seven districts of Selangor state, Malaysia. A binary logit model was developed for the two alternative modes, bus and motorcycle. RESULTS: It was found that travel time, travel cost, gender, age, and income level are significant in influencing motorcyclists' mode choice behavior. The probability of motorcycle riders shifting to public transport was also examined based on a scenario of a reduction in bus travel time and travel cost. CONCLUSIONS: Reduction of total travel time for the bus mode emerges as the most important element in a program aimed at attracting motorcyclists towards public transport and away from the motorcycle mode.     

Acute effects of chlorpyryphos-ethyl and secondary treated effluents on acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase activities in Carcinus maenas

The acute effects of commercial formulation of chlorpyrifos-ethyl (Dursban(r)) and the secondary treated industrial/urban effluent (STIUE) exposure on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) activities in hepatopancreas and gills of Mediterranean crab Carcinus maenas were investigated. After 2 d of exposure to chlorpyriphos-ethyl, the AChE activity was inhibited in both organs at concentrations of 3.12 and 7.82 μg/L, whereas the BuChE was inhibited only at higher concentration 7.82 μg/L of commercial preparation Dursban(r). The exposure of crabs to Dursban(r) (3.12 μg/L) showed a significant decrement of AChE activity at 24 and 48 h, whereas the BuChE was inhibited only after 24 h and no inhibition for both enzymes was observed after 72 h. Moreover, a significant repression of AChE activity was observed in both organs of C. maenas exposed to 5% of STIUE. Our experiments indicated that the measurement of AChE activity in gills and hepatopancreas of C. meanas would be useful biomarker of organophosphorous (OP) and of neurotoxic effects of STIUE in Tunisia.     

The COVID-19 pandemic: prediction study based on machine learning models

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - COVID-19 was first discovered in Wuhan, China in December 2019. It is one of the worst pandemics in human history. Recent studies reported that...     

Protective effects of thymoquinone against acrylamide-induced liver,kidney and brain oxidative damage in rats

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Acrylamide (AA), an industrial monomer, may cause multi-organ toxicity through induction of oxidative stress and inflammation. The antioxidant...     

Value addition in the services sector and its heterogeneous impacts on CO2 emissions: revisiting the EKC hypothesis for the OPEC using panel spatial estimation techniques

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - This study examines the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis in the context of 12 members of the OPEC by utilizing data on both the aggregate...     

Molecular,functional, and cellular alterations of oocytes and cumulus cells induced by heat stress and shock in animals

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Global warming is considered as the main environmental stress affecting ecosystems as well as physiological and biochemical characteristics, and...     

Influence of preparation method on structural,optical, magnetic,and adsorption properties of nano-NiFe2O4

Nickel ferrite (NiFe₂O₄) nanoparticles are prepared through different routes (microwave, co-precipitation, and pyrolysis) and tested for water purification applications through adsorption removal of an acid red dye B as a model organic pollutant. The characterizations of the prepared samples were done using XRD, FT-IR, SEM, TEM, BET, UV-Vis absorbance, Raman spectrum, and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). All samples showed an inverse spinel crystal structure. The obtained results pointed out to the effect of the synthetic route on the morphology, particle size, optical, and magnetic properties of the prepared ferrites. Magnetic measurements showed super-paramagnetic behavior for all samples. The magnetic saturation (M_s) of the sample prepared by pyrolysis, was found to possess the highest saturation value, 34.8 emu/g. Adsorption experiments were performed under the change in several parameters, such as pH, adsorbent dosage, and initial dye concentration. A dye removal percentage of 99% was reached under the optimum state. The isothermal adsorption of the acid red dye was investigated using several models, in which the experimental data could be best described by the Freundlich model. Several kinetic and equilibrium models were inspected by linear regression analysis and showed best fitting for the adsorption data through pseudo-second-order model. The calculated thermodynamic parameters indicated that the adsorption of acid red dye onto all the ferrite samples is a spontaneous and endothermic physical adsorption process.

     

Comparative acute toxicity of two phytosanitary molecules,lambda-cyhalothrin and acetamiprid,on Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis Niloticus) juveniles

Abstract

This study aimed to compare the toxicity for fish of two active ingredients (lambda-cyhalothrin-20?g L^?1, a pyrethroid, and acetamiprid-15?g L^?1, a neonicotinoid) which are components of a commercial insecticide (Acer 35 EC) used in cotton crop in many West African countries. The juveniles of Oreochromis niloticus (4.01?±?0.34?g, mean body weight) were exposed for 96?h to increasing concentrations of active ingredients (lambda-cyhalothrin and acetamiprid) or a mixture similar to Acer 35 EC (composed by 20?g of chemical compound lambda-cyhalothrin and 15?g of acetamiprid dissolved in 1?L of acetone). The experiments were carried out under controlled conditions in aquaria according to OECD Guidelines. During the experiments, the behavioral responses (loss of balance, color change, hyperactivity, etc.) that usually precede death were observed in exposed fish. Mortalities were recorded in each aquarium and the LC₅₀-96h of each chemical was determined. The LC₅₀-96h obtained were respectively 0.1268, 0.0029, 182.9 and 0.5685?ppm for Acer 35 EC, lambda-cyhalothrin, acetamiprid and mixture. All insecticides used in this study had profound impact on Nile tilapia behavior which may confirm the neurotoxicity of each single active compound as well as of their mixture.     

Towards saving freshwater: halophytes as unconventional feedstuffs in livestock feed: a review

Water represents 71% of all earth area and about 97% of this water is salty water. So, only 3% of the overall world water quantity is freshwater. Human can benefit only from 1% of this water and the remaining 2% freeze at both poles of earth. Therefore, it is important to preserve the freshwater through increasing the plants consuming salty water. The future prosperity of feed resources in arid and semi-arid countries depends on economic use of alternative resources that have been marginalized for long periods of time, such as halophytic plants, which are one such potential future resource. Halophyte plants can grow in high salinity water and soil and to some extent during drought. The growth of these plants depends on the contact of the salted water with plant roots as in semi-desert saline water, mangrove swamps, marshes, and seashores. Halophyte plants need high levels of sodium chloride in the soil water for growth, and the soil water must also contain high levels of salts, as sodium hydroxide or magnesium sulfate. There are many uses for halophyte plants, including feed for animals, vegetables, drugs, sand dune stabilizers, wind shelter, soil cover, wetland cultivation, laundry detergents, and paper production. This paper will focus on the use of halophytes as a feed additive for animals. In spite of the good nutritional value of halophytes, some anti-nutritional factors as nitrates, nitrite complexes, tannins, glycosides, phenolic compounds, saponins, oxalates, and alkaloids may be present in some of them. The presence of such anti-nutritional agents makes halophytes unpalatable to animals, which tends to reduce feed intake and nutrient use. Therefore, the negative effects of these plants on animal performance are the only objection against using halophytes in animal feed diets. This review article highlights the beneficial impact of considering halophytes in animal feeding on saving freshwater and illustrates its nutritive value for livestock from different aspects.