Dynamic effects of fiscal and monetary policy instruments on environmental pollution in ASEAN

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - This study aims to re-examine the impacts of monetary and fiscal policy on environmental quality in ASEAN countries from 1990 to 2019. We utilized the...     

The effect of diazinon on blood glucose homeostasis: a systematic and meta-analysis study

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Though evidence exists on the association between diazinon (DZN), an organophosphate pesticide, with hyperglycemia, contrasting reports also exist....     

The roles of nuclear energy,renewable energy,and economic growth in the abatement of carbon dioxide emissions in the G7 countries

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In the current century, the G7 countries have attached more importance to energy security, and have prioritized low-carbon sources which have...     

Quantifying forest fragmentation spatial process in the developing State of Selangor,peninsular Malaysia

Forest fragmentation has several phases; thus, the ecological significance of each phase during a particular period of time must be interpreted. To interpret, this study quantifies the magnitude of forest loss and the changes in the temporal pattern of fragmentation in the State of Selangor, peninsular Malaysia. Using the decision tree model of land transformation, five phases of forest fragmentation were identified: perforation, dissection, dissipation, shrinkage and attrition. This analysis showed that the magnitude of forest loss was the highest during the dissipation phase. The patchiness analysis showed that dissipation contributes to the highest environmental uncertainty found for the forest patches. This study can be considered a first step in the exploration of the properties and the behavioural pattern shown by the spatial process of forest fragmentation.     

Benchmarking in municipal solid waste recycling

The paper presents an analysis of the factors influencing the recycling potential of municipalities in Israel, including population size and density, geographic location, current waste levels, and current waste management system. We employ a standard regression analysis in order to develop an econometric model to predict where potential for economically efficient recycling is highest. By applying this model to readily available data, it is possible to predict with close to 90% accuracy whether or not recycling will be economically efficient in any given municipality. Government agencies working to promote advanced waste management solutions have at their disposal only limited resources and budget, and so must concentrate their efforts where they will be most effective. The paper thus provides policy-makers with a powerful tool to help direct their efforts to promote recycling at those municipalities where it is indeed optimal.     

Biosynthesized silver nanoparticles regulate the iron status in the spleen of Plasmodium chabaudi–infected mice

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Malaria is a dangerous disease affecting millions around the globe. Biosynthesized nanoparticles are used against a variety of diseases including...     

A simplified model for reservoir operation considering the water quality issues: Application of the Young conflict resolution theory

In this study, an algorithm combining a multi-objective genetic algorithm (GA)-based optimization model and a water quality simulation model is developed for determining a trade-off curve between objectives related to the allocated water quantity and quality. To reduce the run-time of the GA-based optimization model, the main problem is decomposed to long-term and annual optimization models. The reliability of water supply is considered to be the objective function in the long-term stochastic optimization model, but the objective functions of the annual models are related to both the allocated water quantity and quality. The operating policies obtained using this long-term model provide the time series of the optimum reservoir water storages at the beginning and the end of each water year. In the next step, these optimal reservoir storage values are considered as constraints for water storage in the annual reservoir operation optimization models. The epsilon-constraint method is then used to develop a trade-off curve between the reliability of water supply and the average allocated water quality. The Young conflict resolution theory, which incorporates the existing conflicts among decision-makers and stakeholders, is used for selecting the best solution on the trade-off curve. The monthly reservoir operating rules are then calculated using an Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System, which is trained using the optimal operating policies. The proposed model is applied to the 15-Khordad Reservoir in the central part of Iran. The results show that this simplified procedure does not reduce the accuracy of the reservoir operating policies and it can effectively reduce the computational burden of the previously developed models.     

Cognitive failures, driving errors and driving accidents

INTRODUCTION: The impact of a driver's cognitive capability on traffic safety has not been adequately studied. This study examined the relationship between cognitive failures, driving errors and accident data. METHOD: Professional drivers from Iran (160 males, ages 18-65) participated in this study. The cognitive failures questionnaire (CFQ) and the driver error questionnaire were administered. The participants were also asked other questions about personal driving information. A principal component analysis with varimax rotation was performed to determine the factor structure of the CFQ. Poisson regression models were developed to predict driving errors and accidents from total CFQ scores and the extracted factors. RESULTS: Total CFQ scores were associated with driving error rates, but not with accidents. However, the 2 extracted factors suggested an increased effect on accidents and were strongly associated with driving errors. DISCUSSION: Although the CFQ was not able to predict driving accidents, it could be used to identify drivers susceptible to driving errors. Further development of a driving-oriented cognitive failure scale is recommended to help identify error prone drivers. Such a scale may be beneficial to licensing authorities or for developing driver selection and training procedures for organizations.     

Assessment of tap water quality and corrosion scales from the selected distribution systems in northern Pakistan

Corrosion deposits formed within drinking water distribution systems deteriorate drinking water quality and resultantly cause public health consequences. In the present study, an attempt was made to investigate the concurrent conditions of corrosion scales and the drinking water quality in selected water supply schemes (WSS) in districts Chitral, Peshawar, and Abbottabad, northern Pakistan. Characterization analyses of the corrosion by-products revealed the presence of α-FeOOH, γ-FeOOH, Fe₃O₄, and SiO₂ as major constituents with different proportions. The constituents of all the representative XRD peaks of Peshawar WSS were found insignificant as compared to other WSS, and the reason could be the variation of source water quality. Well-crystallized particles in SEM images indicated the formation of dense oxide layer on corrosion by-products. A wider asymmetric vibration peak of SiO₂ appeared only in Chitral and Abbottabad WSS, which demonstrated higher siltation in the water source. One-way ANOVA analysis showed significant variations in pH, turbidity, TDS, K, Mg, PO₄, Cl, and SO₄ values, which revealed that these parameters differently contributed to the source water quality. Findings from this study suggested the implementation of proper corrosion prevention measures and the establishment of international collaboration for best corrosion practices, expertise, and developing standards.