Community cohesion after a natural disaster: insights from a Carlisle flood

This project analysed changes in community cohesion following a natural disaster. Data were collected from a flood‐affected community using a questionnaire survey. Analyses revealed that community cohesion was not predicted by the length of residence, or any other demographic characteristic of residents, but rather by a sense of community, community cognition and the degree of community participation. Cohesion alteration was not uniform, but varied along levels of hazard severity (degree of flood invasion). Cohesion increased in line with hazard severity at the initial flood stage, as residents recognised the importance of community unity and came together to cope with their losses. When the severity increased, residents transferred their focus to individual interests, which resulted in decreased cohesion. This project distinguishes itself in examining community cohesion in the wake of a natural disaster in the real world. Implications regarding community reconstruction and suggestions for hazard researchers are discussed accordingly.     

The effect of different educational interventions on schoolchildren's knowledge of earthquake protective behaviour in Israel

Knowledge of appropriate behaviour during an earthquake is crucial for prevention of injury and loss of life. The Israeli Home Front Command conducts a yearly earthquake education programme in all Israeli schools, using three types of educational interventions: lectures, drills and a combination of the two. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of these interventions in providing students with knowledge. We distributed a questionnaire to 2,648 children from the 5th and 6th grades in 120 schools nationwide. Knowledge scores for both 5th and 6th grades were increased, regardless of type of intervention, compared to the non-exposure group. A combined intervention of lectures and drills resulted in the highest knowledge scores. Our findings suggest that for the age group studied a combination of lectures and drills will likely prepare students best for how to behave in the event of an earthquake.     

Targeting vulnerability after the 2005 earthquake: Pakistan's Livelihood Support Cash Grants programme

The 7.6 magnitude (Richter scale) earthquake that struck northern Pakistan on 8 October 2005 was devastating. This paper gauges success in targeting vulnerable families during the transition from relief to reconstruction through cash assistance provided by the Livelihood Support Cash Grants (LSCG) programme. Families without a male member, with a disabled male member aged between 18 and 60 years or with more than five children, defined as vulnerable, were provided with USD 50 per month for six months via a bank transfer. The LSCG scheme enrolled around 750,000 families and selected 267,402 vulnerable families to whom it disbursed a total of USD 86.95 million. Using a community‐based survey, this paper assesses leakage and under‐coverage (exclusion). Approximately 30 per cent of families received the cash grant. However, only one in two was eligible for the benefit, and one in two deserving families was excluded. This is a matter of grave concern.     

Perceived support in a dual organizational environment: Union participation in a university setting

There is extensive research on employee attitudes regarding employers and unions, but these studies have underemphasized social and affective forces. Most studies also examine attitudes toward either the union or the employer without considering how these attitudes might relate to one another. The present study of faculty (N = 306) at a large public research university demonstrated that perceptions of union support were positively related to union participation and perceptions of administration support were negatively related to union participation. Subjective norms and general union attitudes were related to perceptions of union support, and subjective norms were related to perceived organizational support. Taken together, an individual's participation in a union recognition effort depends not only on union instrumentality, but also upon social relationships with the union and administration. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

实现我国环保产业升级和跨越式发展的对策

本文分析了我国环保产业的现状及存在的问题 ,从环保产业市场的培育、实现环保产业的升级和跨越式发展提出了发展对策的建议     

煤氧化和阻化机理的红外光谱法研究

利用红外光谱法分析煤氧化和阻化的微观结构变化特征,对研究煤低温氧化和阻化机理有重要意义.采用TENSOR37傅里叶变换红外光谱仪,通过对阳泉无烟煤氧化和阻化的红外光谱图的分析.研究阳泉无烟煤在添加化学阻化剂前后煤分子结构的变化特征.结果表明:红外光谱图中位于高波数的羟基(-OH)吸收峰较弱,吸光度只有0.086～0.122.在加入吸水盐类阻化剂(MgCl2)后,吸光度约为原煤样的1.5倍,谱峰明显加强;在阻化前的低温氧化过程中,酚、醇、醚、酯的C-O吸光度由0.309降到0.207,甲基(-CH3)、亚甲基(-CH2-)的吸光度分别由0.027、0.019、0.042和0.056降到0.012、0.010、0.031和0.047,吸收峰强度逐渐减弱,芳烃C-H吸光度分别由0.031和0.040升高到0.077和0.087;在阻化后的低温氧化过程中,C-O含量基本不变,甲基、亚甲基的吸光度分别由0.017、0.011、0.034和0.040降到0.012、0.009、0.031和0.038,吸收峰减弱的速度明显降低,芳烃C-H的变化并不大.研究表明:在高变质阳泉煤中,含氧官能团和脂肪侧链的含量很低,在低温氧化过程中,很容易被氧化;吸水盐类阻化剂MgCl2可以通过与煤分子间发生取代和络合等作用,增加煤分子的稳定性,提高煤分子氧化的活化能,降低煤的氧化速率.     

Reverse logistics in the Chinese auto-parts firms: implementation framework development through multiple case studies

In recent years, the implementation of reverse logistics (RL) in automobile manufacturing has drawn extensive interest from the Chinese government that has launched relevant take-back and environmental regulations and pilot projects. This study focuses on RL implementation issues in Chinese auto-parts manufacturing sector. Based on comprehensive literature review and multiple case studies in the Chinese auto-parts firms, this paper proposes a conceptual RL framework and highlights the major implementation issues. The purpose of this paper is to draw an overall picture of RL in the Chinese context, highlighting implementation issues in the auto-parts sector. Our study suggests that Chinese RL implementation requires close government monitoring mechanism and incentives, top management commitment within firms, technology and human capabilities support.     

Precarious work or sustainable livelihoods? Aligning Prestea's Programme with the development dialogue on artisanal and small‐scale mining

Alternative livelihoods programmes (ALPs) are extensively executed in mining communities, often as models of development dialogue on artisanal and small‐scale mining (ASM). This paper assesses whether Prestea's ALP aligns with the development dialogue on artisanal mining. The conceptual design of ALP in Ghana's Prestea is based on the notions of substitution, homogenous community, and impact scalability. This paper argues that the Prestea ALP is not aligned with the development dialogue on artisanal mining, and therefore it is difficult to understand the role and function of environmentally‐damaging behaviours within livelihood strategies. The paper contends that it would be appropriate to concentrate on improving the existing artisanal miners’ operation of those most susceptible to resource access restrictions. Further, it may be more prudent to utilize livelihood‐centered interventions that create strong connections with sustainable development as a way of creating regular community engagements. Additionally, this paper argues that the term for the intervention programme on artisanal mining should be replaced with the broader term ‘livelihood‐centered intervention’. The replacement of the term ‘ALP’ avoids the tacit belief that ALP can adequately replace artisanal mining operations. Livelihood‐centered intervention should not necessarily utilize alternative livelihoods as direct behavioural change instruments.     

Insight into the dynamic microbial community and core bacteria in composting from different sources by advanced bioinformatics methods

Microbial communities are important for high composting efficiency and good quality composts. This study was conducted to compare the changes of physicochemical and bacterial characteristics in composting from different raw materials, including chicken manure (CM), duck manure (DM), sheep manure (SM), food waste (FW), and vegetable waste (VW). The role and interactions of core bacteria and their contribution to maturity in diverse composts were analyzed by advanced bioinformatics methods combined sequencing with co-occurrence network and structural equation modeling (SEM). Results indicated that there were obviously different bacterial composition and diversity in composting from diverse sources. FW had a low pH and different physiochemical characteristics compared to other composts but they all achieved similar maturity products. Redundancy analysis suggested total organic carbon, phosphorus, and temperature governed the composition of microbial species but key factors were different in diverse composts. Network analysis showed completely different interactions of core bacterial community from diverse composts but Thermobifida was the ubiquitous core bacteria in composting bacterial network. Sphaerobacter and Lactobacillus as core genus were presented in the starting mesophilic and thermophilic phases of composting from manure (CM, DM, SM) and municipal solid waste (FW, VW), respectively. SEM indicated core bacteria had the positive, direct, and the biggest (>?80%) effects on composting maturity. Therefore, this study presents theoretical basis to identify and enhance the core bacteria for improving full-scale composting efficiency facing more and more organic wastes.

     

Assessing the nexus between COVID-19 pandemic–driven economic crisis and economic policy: lesson learned and challenges

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - This study examines China’s budgetary policy during the COVID-19 pandemic as a result of China’s insufficient ability to deal with a new...