Role of behavioural factors in green supply chain management implementation in Indian mining industries

Green supply chain management (GSCM) integrates ecological concepts with those of supply chain management in order to minimize energy and material usage and to reduce adverse impacts of supply chain activities on the environment. GSCM implementation in mining industries depends largely upon certain factors which are influenced by human behaviours. Human behaviour is dynamic in nature and the relationships between them continuously evolve and change. In this ever-changing context, therefore, identifying and ranking the behavioural factors that affect GSCM implementation becomes essential. This can be taken as a reference by the decision makers while deciding the hierarchy of action necessary for effective implementation of green practices in mining supply chains. The present research attempts to explore various behavioural factors affecting GCSM practices and their interactions which help to attain green-enabled needs. Interpretive structural modelling (ISM) is employed in this research to extract the interrelationships among the identified behavioural factors.     

中晚全新世泰国湾Chanthaburi海岸Welu河口区沉积物的敏感粒级组分及其对季风气候变化的指示意义

对泰国湾Chanthaburi海岸Welu河口区三根沉积物柱样(WLE08、WLE10和WLE12)进行了210Pb测年分析、AMS14C测年分析和粒度分析.粒度分析结果表明,研究区三根柱样的沉积物类型均属于粘土质粉砂,包含部分贝壳及生物碎屑,分选差,呈正偏态,属于中晚全新世以来形成的沉积物.通过粒级-标准偏差方法对沉...     

Traumatic brain injury-related hospitalizations and deaths among American Indians and Alaska natives — United States, 2008–2014

IntroductionDespite progress, injury remains the leading cause of preventable death for American Indian and Alaska Natives (AI/AN), aged 1 to 44. There are few publications on injuries among the AI/AN population, especially those on traumatic brain injury (TBI). A TBI can cause short- or long-term changes in cognition, communication, and/or emotion. Methods: To describe changes over time in TBI incidence by mechanism of injury, injury intent, and age group among AI/ANs, the CDC analyzed hospitalization and death data from the 2008–2014 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) National Inpatient Sample (NIS) and the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS), respectively. Results: From 2008-2014, the incidence of TBI-related hospitalizations increased by 32% (1,477 in 2008 to 1,945 in 2014) and resulted in a 21% increase in age-adjusted rates of people hospitalized with TBI. TBI-related deaths increased in number (569 in 2008 to 644 in 2014) and age-adjusted rate (22.7 in 2008 to 25.4 in 2014) by approximately 13% and 12%, respectively. Motor-vehicle crashes were the leading cause of TBI-related deaths among AI/ANs aged 0–54 years. Practical application: Prevention efforts should focus on increasing motor-vehicle safety and advancing prevention strategies for other leading causes of TBI, including: falls, intentional self-harm, and assaults.     

Distribution of cadmium in oilseed rape and Indian mustard grown on cadmium contaminated soil

Heavy metal distribution in the specialized accumulating plants was important for phytoextraction technique. Hydroponic and pot experiment were conducted to investigated Cd phytoextraction ability and Cd distribution in the plant of oilseed rape species. The results showed that oilseed rape Chuanyou Ⅱ-10 was more effective in phytoexetraction Cd among 21 varieties of oilseed rape and indicator plant Indian mustard. Cd concentration in the shoot of Chuanyou Ⅱ-10 and Indian mustard gradually decreased with an increase in growth period, while the amount of Cd uptake increased with the increase of growth period. There was constantly decrease in Cd concentration from the base leaves to the top leaves of Chuanyou Ⅱ-10 and Indian mustard, the percentages of Cd uptake in older leaves were higher than those of younger leaves. Older leaves of Chuanyou Ⅱ-10 and Indian mustard extracted more Cd for the Cd contamination soil, leaves should as far as possible develop before they reached the soil and the older leaves were harvested in priority.     

青藏高原东北部气候变化的异质性及其成因

利用1961-2016年西宁等青藏高原东北部13个气象台站气温、降水等气象资料以及国家气候中心发布的南海季风指数、西伯利亚高压指数等大气环流特征量数据,分析近56年来气候变化与高原主体的差异性及其可能的气候成因。研究表明：近56年来青藏高原东北部气候变暖趋势十分显著,年平均气温气候倾向率高达0.39 ℃/10 a,呈现出三次明显的阶梯性增高态势,并于1994年前后发生了由冷到暖的突变,同时具有明显的空间差异性;年降水量及四季降水量均没有明显变化趋势,虽然经历了2002年左右由少到多的变化,但并未出现明显突变,年降水量具有3年、5年的准周期,而年降水日数微弱减少,降水强度呈增加趋势;该区域气候变化的年际波动主要受到东亚季风、高原季风和南海季风的年际振荡及其相互作用的影响,而西风环流的作用并不明显,植被覆盖的恢复既是对2002年以来降水量增加的具体反应,同时也对于气候变暖趋势起到了一定的缓和作用。     

青藏高原隆升对我国西南地区气候的影响——从季风角度研究

青藏高原隆升作为新生代最重要的地质事件,对亚洲乃至全球气候演化产生了深刻的影响。我国西南地区因紧邻青藏高原、地形地貌复杂,该区青藏高原隆升的气候效应至今仍存在许多需要探讨的问题。本文通过整理总结青藏高原隆升与亚洲季风各子系统形成与发展的相关性,从季风的角度分析了高原隆升对西南地区气候的影响。主要结论如下：（1）对西南地区气候起控制性作用的东亚季风、南亚季风以及高原季风的形成与青藏高原的隆升密切相关。虽然东亚夏季偏南风在约22 Ma就因海陆差异形成,但冬季风却是在约7.2 Ma因青藏高原隆升才出现;南亚夏季风（西南季风）约在12 Ma因喜马拉雅山脉及临近山脉形成而出现,而其冬季风形成时间及原因与东亚冬季风相似,同样离不开青藏高原的隆升;高原季风形成的直接因素就是高原隆升,其约在36 Ma青藏高原主体隆升至约1500 m时才开始形成。（2）亚洲季风各子系统对西南地区的气候演变有重要影响。尽管东亚冬季风不能直接影响西南地区,但青藏高原隆升增强了海陆差异及其热源作用,在一定程度上扩大了东亚夏季风的影响范围,并给西南地区带来水汽;南亚冬季风使得西南地区变得相对寒冷干燥,而南亚夏季风因青藏高原的隆升得到进一步加强,其通过形成南北向的水汽通道成为西南地区温暖湿润气候的主导者;高原冬、夏季风随着青藏高原隆升使得西南地区季节性干冷与湿润气候的差异更加显著。     

Historical perspectives on contemporary human–environment dynamics in southeast Africa

The human communities and ecosystems of island and coastal southeast Africa face significant and linked ecological threats. Socioecological conditions of concern to communities, governments, nongovernmental organizations, and researchers include declining agricultural productivity, deforestation, introductions of non-native flora and fauna, coastal erosion and sedimentation, damage to marine environments, illegal fishing, overfishing, waste pollution, salinization of freshwater supplies, and rising energy demands, among others. Human–environment challenges are connected to longer, often ignored, histories of social and ecological dynamics in the region. We argue that these challenges are more effectively understood and addressed within a longer-term historical ecology framework. We reviewed cases from Madagascar, coastal Kenya, and the Zanzibar Archipelago of fisheries, deforestation, and management of human waste to encourage increased engagement among historical ecologists, conservation scientists, and policy makers. These case studies demonstrate that by widening the types and time depths of data sets we used to investigate and address current socioecological challenges, our interpretations of their causes and strategies for their mitigation varied significantly.     

THE IMPORTANCE OF PERCEPTIONS IN THE DETERMINATION OF INDIAN WATER RIGHTS1

ABSTRACT The American Indian occupies a unique place in the federal system of government There are indications that this relationship will continue and that Indian reservations are at the threshold of economic development. As this occurs, the nature and extent of Indian water rights becomes more important to Indian and non-Indian alike. The determination of these rights is a matter of more than judicial decisions. To a large degree the determination of these rights will rest in the non-judicial arena and will be influenced by the perceptions of those rights held by Indians and water allocation officials, both state and federal. If the perceptions of these political actors are not congruent, then political conflict will occur as the rights become more important. To depend solely upon the judicial system to resolve these conflicts entails risks and costs to both Indians and to allocating officials. Indians are taking seriously the federal policy of Indian self-determination, and water allocation officials run decided risks in failure to realize this. An alternative suggested is to include Indians as consulting parties when decisions are being made that affect Indian interests.     

Marine Protected Areas and Dugong Conservation Along Australia's Indian Ocean Coast

/ The coastal zone of the Indian Ocean is coming under increasing pressure from human activities. Australia may be one of the few countries in this region that can afford to take adequate conservation measures in the near future. As it also has one of the longest Indian Ocean coastlines, Australia has the opportunity, and responsibility, to make a meaningful contribution to the conservation of Indian Ocean biodiversity. Threatened species, including marine turtles, inshore dolphins, and dugongs are an important component of that biodiversity. The dugong has been exterminated from several areas in the Indian Ocean, and it appears to be particularly threatened by mesh netting andhunting. Its long-term survival may depend on adequate protection in Australia, which contains the largest known Indian Ocean populations. This protection will require, in part, an appropriate system of marine protected areas (MPAs). This paper examines the adequacy of MPAs along Australia's Indian Ocean coast. Dugongs occur in two MPAs in Western Australia. The proposed expansion of the system of marine reserves is based primarily on representative samples of ecosystems from each biogeographic region. It is inadequate because it does not take into account the distribution and relative abundance of threatened species. If the conservation of biodiversity is to be maximized, the system of MPAs should incorporate both representativeness and the needs of threatened species. The level of protection provided by MPAs in Western Australia is low. Under current government policy potentially damaging activities, including commercial fishing, seismic surveys, and oil and gas drilling are permitted in protected areas.KEY WORDS: Marine protected areas; Dugongs; Western Australia; Indian Ocean; Conservation; Biodiversity     

Quantitative Analyses of Pollution-Indicator and Pathogenic Bacteria in Mumbai Waters from Ballast Water Exchange Perspective

As large numbers of ships either take in ballast from or discharge their ballast into the Mumbai Harbor region, it is pertinent to quantify microorganisms of health concerns and suggest on the suitability of water for ballasting purposes. To meet with this main aim, a selected set of general and pathogenic bacterial groups and their seasonal variations were studied from the Mumbai Harbor area. Sampling was carried out during postmonsoon (November 2001), pre-monsoon (April 2002) and monsoon (October 2002) periods. We quantified total coliforms and eight other groups of known human pathogenic bacteria from water, sediment, marine plant and animal samples collected in and around Mumbai Harbor. When compared with similar studies from other parts/harbors of the world, the Mumbai Harbor area has over 100-times higher levels of coliforms. The serotypes of Escherichia coli O157 and Shigella-Alkaligens Dispar group were abundant throughout the year. Even Vibrio cholerae, V. parahaemolyticus, Salmonella spp., campylobacters and aeromonads were present in large numbers. This comprehensive study, conducted with a view to quantify these bacterial groups and to evaluate the suitability of these waters for ballasting purposes, clearly suggests that both ballasting and deballasting be avoided in this region and alternative procedures should be developed for treating/handling ballast water.