A novel application of cultural consensus models to evaluate conservation education programs

Conservation professionals recognize the need to evaluate education initiatives with a flexible approach that is culturally appropriate. Cultural‐consensus theory (CCT) provides a framework for measuring the extent to which beliefs are communally held and has long been applied by social scientists. In a conservation‐education context, we applied CCT and used free lists (i.e., a list of items on a topic stated in order of cultural importance) and domain analysis (analysis of how free lists go together within a cultural group) to evaluate a conservation education program in which we used a children's picture book to increase knowledge about and empathy for a critically endangered mammal, the Javan slow loris (Nycticebus javanicus). We extracted free lists of keywords generated by students (n = 580 in 18 schools) from essays they wrote before and after the education program. In 2 classroom sessions conducted approximately 18 weeks apart, we asked students to write an essay about their knowledge of the target species and then presented a book and several activities about slow loris ecology. Prior to the second session, we asked students to write a second essay. We generated free lists from both essays, quantified salience of terms used, and conducted minimal residuals factor analysis to determine presence of cultural domains surrounding slow lorises in each session. Students increased their use of words accurately associated with slow loris ecology and conservation from 43% in initial essays to 76% in final essays. Domain coherence increased from 22% to 47% across schools. Fifteen factors contributed to the domain slow loris. Between the first and second essays, factors that showed the greatest change were feeding ecology and slow loris as a forest protector, which increased 7‐fold, and the humancentric factor, which decreased 5‐fold. As demonstrated by knowledge retention and creation of unique stories and conservation opinions, children achieved all six levels of Bloom's taxonomy of learning domains. Free from the constraints of questionnaires and surveys, CCT methods provide a promising avenue to evaluate conservation education programs.     

In vitro evaluation of the effect of dibutyl phthalate on electrogenic sodium-linked glucose transport in isolated rabbit ileum

Dibutyl phthalate, a known endocrine disruptor, is a commonly used plasticizer that influences the glucose homeostasis. The present study elucidates the effects of dibutyl phthalate (1 and 5 mmol/L) on electrogenic sodium-linked glucose transport in the isolated rabbit ileum with ‘Ussing chamber.’ Serosal addition of dibutyl phthalate has no effect on glucose-based electrogenic changes in short circuit current, and no effect of dibutyl phthalate is observed on ileal tissue conductance and catalase activity. However, mucosal addition of dibutyl phthalate in the presence of glucose shows a trend of decrease in short circuit current compared with the control. This indicates that dibutyl phthalate may have a deleterious effect on the electrogenic intestinal glucose transport.     

Using GIS tools to detect the land use/land cover changes during forty years in Lodhran District of Pakistan

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Land use/land cover (LULC) change has serious implications for environment as LULC is directly related to land degradation over a period of time and...     

Correction to: Monitoring of copper accumulation in water,soil, forage,and cows impacted by heavy automobiles

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-13137-9     

Air pollution and child health: the impact of brick kiln pollution on children's cognitive abilities and physical health in Pakistan

Environment, Development and Sustainability - This study explores the adverse impact of air pollution, caused by emissions from brick kilns, on the children’s cognitive ability and physical...     

Chromium retention potential of two contrasting Solanum lycopersicum Mill. cultivars as deciphered by altered pH dynamics,growth, and organic acid exudation under Cr stress

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Chromium (Cr), being a persistent toxic heavy metal, triggered the retardation of plant’s metabolic processes by initiating changes in...     

Heavy metal contamination and exposure risk assessment via drinking groundwater in Vehari,Pakistan

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The presence of toxic substances in aquifers, particularly potentially toxic heavy metals, is an important environmental and social concern worldwide....     

Arsenic contribution of poultry manure towards soils and food plants contamination and associated cancer risk in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,Pakistan

Environmental Geochemistry and Health - Exposure to high level of arsenic (As) through the ingestion of contaminated soil, dust and food plants can pose health risk to humans. This study...     

Correlation of MSH2 exonic deletions and protein downregulation with breast cancer biomarkers and outcome in Pakistani women/patients

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Mismatch repair (MMR) pathway is one of the underlying mechanisms of predisposition to breast cancer (BC). The present study explored the association...     

Comparison of composting of chemically pretreated and fermented sugarcane bagasse for zero-waste biorefinery

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - Sugar industries produce vast quantity of sugarcane bagasse (SCB) waste which is used as raw material by biorefineries; however, the resulted...