The impact of artificial lighting on bats along native coastal vegetation

2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grant D. Linley
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Coastal Vegetation ◽  
Native Vegetation ◽  
Light Pollution ◽  
Species Loss ◽  
Artificial Lighting ◽  
Bat Activity ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
The Impact

Anthropogenic light pollution is increasing rapidly within urban areas around the world, causing a raft of ecological issues, including species loss. I used echolocation detectors to uncover the impact of artificial lighting on insectivorous bat (Chiroptera) species in Melbourne’s south-east. Surveys were undertaken in native vegetation at a lit treatment, which was illuminated by a street light, and an unlit treatment, which was dark. Bat activity and species richness at unlit treatments was significantly higher when compared with lit treatments. The temperature at which the greatest activity occurred was ~2°C higher at unlit treatments than lit treatments. Bat activity at both the lit and unlit treatments increased rapidly after sunset. Bat activity moderately decreased during the night at lit treatments until sunrise, whilst activity at unlit treatments remained steady throughout the night before rapidly decreasing two hours before sunrise. The negative effect of artificial lighting on bat activity and species in urban areas may have major long-term implications on the ecology of urban areas.

The Impact of Tariff Regulation on Potential Investor’s Decision in District Heating

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 (5) ◽  
pp. 92-112
Author(s):  
Viktoriya Gimadi
Keyword(s):  
Current System ◽  
Investment Decision ◽  
District Heating ◽  
Rate Of Return ◽  
Total Revenue ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Empirical Analysis ◽  
Efficiency Indicators

The paper analyses the ways how long-term tariff regulation impacts on investment decision in district heating in Russia. Concessions in district heating gave us good chance to analyze impact of tariff regulation on the potential concessionaire decision who is choosing between agreements. The empirical analysis shows that potential concessionaire makes such decisions taking into account specific tariff parameters. The probability of attracting potential investor increases because of indicated volume of rate of return or including energy efficiency indicators; the ratio of operating expenses has negative effect on the probability. The growth rates of total revenue indicated for all years of the planned agreement has no effect on the probability. Potential concessionaire prefers to choose agreements, where the volume of investment commitments is lower, because he is not ready to assume ambitious commitments in the district heating in the current system of regulation.

scholarly journals Landscape Potential and Light Pollution as Key Factors for Astrotourism Development: A Case Study of a Slovak Upland Region

Land ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 374
Author(s):  
Radoslava Kanianska ◽  
Jana Škvareninová ◽  
Stanislav Kaniansky
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Socioeconomic Development ◽  
Multicriteria Analysis ◽  
Anthropogenic Factors ◽  
Light Pollution ◽  
Land Utilization ◽  
Recreation Area ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Night Sky ◽  
Study Sites

Astrotourism is considered to be a modern form of ecotourism. The main resource for astrotourism is a high-quality night sky, but this is very sensitive to natural as well as anthropogenic factors; for example, land utilization and expansion of urban areas often cause the negative effect of light pollution. The aim of the study is to perform a lighting survey by night sky brightness (NSB) measurements using the sky quality meter (SQM-L) at 20 study sites of the Slovenské stredohorie Upland region (Slovakia) and to assess the region’s potential for astrotourism development (PAD) using a multicriteria analysis. The NSB values ranged from 19.90 (city Žiar nad Hronom at Žiarska kotlina Basin) to 21.54 mag/arcsec2 (recreation area Poľana at Poľana Mountains). At 14 out of 20 study sites, the NSB values even reached 21.2 mag/arcsec2, as recommended by the International Dark-Sky Association for dark-sky parks. Four study sites were categorized as sites with medium PAD, and sixteen with low PAD. No study site reached a high or very high PAD. The best conditions for astrotourism development are fulfilled mainly by the Poľana Mountains geographical unit. The findings can be used for sustainable astrotourism development, land management, and planning to ensure socioeconomic development, together with nature and dark-sky conservation.

The impact of preoperative dexamethasone on long-term survival following surgery for colorectal cancer.

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (4_suppl) ◽  
pp. 644-644
Author(s):  
Stephen Thomas McSorley ◽  
Bo Khor ◽  
Campbell SD Roxburgh ◽  
Paul G. Horgan ◽  
Donald C McMillan
Keyword(s):  
Colorectal Cancer ◽  
Propensity Score ◽  
Cox Regression ◽  
Elective Surgery ◽  
Matched Cohort ◽  
Curative Intent ◽  
Term Survival ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
The Impact

644 Background: Steroids given at the induction of anaesthesia are associated with a reduction in the magnitude of the postoperative systemic inflammatory response and fewer complications following elective surgery for colorectal cancer (McSorley et al. Ann Surg Oncol 2017;24(8):2104-2112). The present study examined their impact on survival. Methods: Patients who underwent elective surgery, with curative intent, for stage I-III colorectal cancer at a single centre between 2008 and 2016 were included. Data on preoperative dexamethasone was obtained from anaesthetic records, and its impact on cancer specific (CSS) and overall survival (OS) assessed using Cox regression in an unmatched (n=556) and a propensity score matched cohort (n=276) (Table 1). Results: After excluding postoperative mortalities (n=3), there were 98 deaths (18%), with 57 (10%) due to cancer. Of those alive at censoring, the median follow up was 47 months (range 16-110). In the unmatched cohort, there was no significant association between dexamethasone and CSS (HR 0.90, 95% CI 0.52-1.53, p=0.688) or OS (HR 0.95, 95% CI 0.63-1.43, p=0.804). In the propensity score matched cohort, there was no significant association between dexamethasone and CSS (HR 1.18, 95% CI 0.55-2.53, p=0.668) or OS (HR 1.21, 95% CI 0.67-2.17), p=0.532). Conclusions: These results suggest that whilst preoperative steroids are associated with improved short term outcomes following surgery for colorectal cancer, they have no negative effect on long term outcomes. [Table: see text]

scholarly journals 60 years of UK visibility measurements: impact of meteorology and atmospheric pollutants on visibility

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 2085-2101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ajit Singh ◽  
William J. Bloss ◽  
Francis D. Pope
Keyword(s):  
Relative Humidity ◽  
Aerosol Particle ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Gas Absorption ◽  
Atmospheric Pollutants ◽  
Light Extinction ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Aerosol Hygroscopicity

Abstract. Reduced visibility is an indicator of poor air quality. Moreover, degradation in visibility can be hazardous to human safety; for example, low visibility can lead to road, rail, sea and air accidents. In this paper, we explore the combined influence of atmospheric aerosol particle and gas characteristics, and meteorology, on long-term visibility. We use visibility data from eight meteorological stations, situated in the UK, which have been running since the 1950s. The site locations include urban, rural and marine environments. Most stations show a long-term trend of increasing visibility, which is indicative of reductions in air pollution, especially in urban areas. Additionally, the visibility at all sites shows a very clear dependence on relative humidity, indicating the importance of aerosol hygroscopicity on the ability of aerosol particles to scatter radiation. The dependence of visibility on other meteorological parameters, such as wind speed and wind direction, is also investigated. Most stations show long-term increases in temperature which can be ascribed to climate change, land-use changes (e.g. urban heat island effects) or a combination of both; the observed effect is greatest in urban areas. The impact of this temperature change upon local relative humidity is discussed. To explain the long-term visibility trends and their dependence on meteorological conditions, the measured data were fitted to a newly developed light-extinction model to generate predictions of historic aerosol and gas scattering and absorbing properties. In general, an excellent fit was achieved between measured and modelled visibility for all eight sites. The model incorporates parameterizations of aerosol hygroscopicity, particle concentration, particle scattering, and particle and gas absorption. This new model should be applicable and is easily transferrable to other data sets worldwide. Hence, historical visibility data can be used to assess trends in aerosol particle properties. This approach may help constrain global model simulations which attempt to generate aerosol fields for time periods when observational data are scarce or non-existent. Both the measured visibility and the modelled aerosol properties reported in this paper highlight the success of the UK's Clean Air Act, which was passed in 1956, in cleaning the atmosphere of visibility-reducing pollutants.

scholarly journals The New Wave of Currency Devaluations in Africa – Will the Devalued Birr Help the Coffee Exports?

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (4.) ◽  
pp. 101-118
Author(s):  
Szabolcs Pasztor
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Current Account Deficit ◽  
Balance Of Payments ◽  
New Wave ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Short And Long Term ◽  
Coffee Sector ◽  
The Impact

Despite the fact that currency devaluations are likely to have a negative effect on the economy in the long run, Ethiopia devalued its national currency, the birr (ETB), by 15 percent in 2017. They turned to this option in the hope of attracting more investments from abroad, decreasing import bills, improving the current account deficit and giving a boost to the exports of the coffee sector. A couple of months later, the impact seems to be promising because the export has been revived in some areas. However, it has to be stressed that the imported commodities may experience a price increase, there can be a widening balance of payments deficit and rising inflation. The paper aims to shed more light on the short- and long-term impacts of currency devaluations in the developing countries with a special emphasis on Ethiopia. Also, the recent Ethiopian measure is to be analyzed in greater detail highlighting the impacts on export earnings, import bills, the balance of payments, and on the overall competitiveness of the coffee sector.

scholarly journals Exploring the Impact of a District Sharing Strategy on Application Capacity and Carbon Emissions for Heating and Cooling with GSHP Systems

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (16) ◽  
pp. 5543
Author(s):  
Yi Zhang ◽  
He Qi ◽  
Yu Zhou ◽  
Zhonghua Zhang ◽  
Xi Wang
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Emissions ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
District Heating ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Heating And Cooling ◽  
Ground Source ◽  
Sharing Strategy ◽  
Low Carbon Energy ◽  
The Impact

To meet long-term climate change targets, the way that heating and cooling are generated and distributed has to be changed to achieve a supply of affordable, secure and low-carbon energy for all buildings and infrastructures. Among the possible renewable sources of energy, ground source heat pump (GSHP) systems can be an effective low-carbon solution that is compatible with district heating and cooling in urban areas. There are no location restrictions for this technology, and underground energy sources are stable for long-term use. According to a previous study, buildings in urban areas have demonstrated significant spatial heterogeneity in terms of their capacity to demand (C/D) ratio under the application of GSHP due to variations in heating demand and available space. If a spatial sharing strategy can be developed to allow the surplus geothermal capacity to be shared with neighbors, the heating and cooling demands of a greater number of buildings in an area can be satisfied, thus achieving a city with lower carbon emissions. In this study, a GSHP district system model was developed with a specific embedding sharing strategy for the application of GSHP. Two sharing strategies were proposed in this study: (i) Strategy 1 involved individual systems with borehole sharing, and (ii) Strategy 2 was a central district system. Three districts in London were selected to compare the performance of the developed models on the C/D ratio, required borehole number and carbon emissions. According to the comparison analysis, both strategies were able to enhance the GSHP application capacity and increase the savings of carbon emissions. However, the improvement levels were shown to be different. A greater number of building types and a higher variety in building types with larger differentiation in heating and cooling demands can contribute to a better district sharing performance. In addition, it was found that these two sharing strategies were applicable to different kinds of districts.

scholarly journals 60 years of UK visibility measurements: impact of meteorology and atmospheric pollutants on visibility

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ajit Singh ◽  
William J. Bloss ◽  
Francis D. Pope
Keyword(s):  
Relative Humidity ◽  
Aerosol Particle ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Gas Absorption ◽  
Atmospheric Pollutants ◽  
Light Extinction ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Aerosol Hygroscopicity

Abstract. Reduced visibility is an indicator of poor air quality. Moreover, degradation in visibility can be hazardous to human safety; for example, low visibility can lead to road, rail, sea and air accidents. In this paper, we explore the combined influence of atmospheric aerosol particle and gas characteristics, and meteorology, on long-term visibility. We use visibility data from eight meteorological stations, situated in the UK, which have been running since the 1950s. The site locations include urban, rural and marine environments. Most stations show a long term trend of increasing visibility which is indicative of reductions in air pollution, especially in urban areas. Additionally, the visibility at all sites show a very clear dependence on relative humidity indicating the importance of aerosol hygroscopicity on the ability of aerosol particles to scatter radiation. The dependence of visibility on other meteorological parameters, such as wind speed and wind direction is also investigated. Most stations show long term increases in temperature which can be ascribed to either climate change, land-use changes (e.g. urban heat island effects) or a combination of both; the observed effect is greatest in urban areas. The impact of this temperature change upon local relative humidity is discussed. To explain the long term visibility trends and their dependence on meteorological conditions, the measured data were fitted to a newly developed light extinction model to generate predictions of historic aerosol and gas scattering and absorbing properties. In general, an excellent fit was achieved between measured and modelled visibility for all 8 sites. The model incorporates parameterizations of aerosol hygroscopicity, particle concentration, particle scattering, and particle and gas absorption. This new model should be applicable and is easily transferrable to other data sets worldwide. Hence, historical visibility data can be used to assess trends in aerosol particle properties. This approach may help constrain global model simulations which attempt to generate aerosol fields for time periods when observational data are scarce or non-existent. Both the measured visibility and the modelled aerosol properties reported in this paper highlight the success of the UK’s Clean Air Act, which was passed in 1956, in cleaning the atmosphere of visibility reducing pollutants.

The impact of values on consumer adoption of takāful with mediating role of religiosity and moderating role of confusion

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amer Sarfraz ◽  
Asif Khurshid Mian
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Consumer Adoption ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Rural And Urban Areas ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Moderating Role

Purpose This study aims to address a leading challenge of confusion about the concept of takāful confronted by existing and potential consumers of the insurance industry. There are multiple sources of confusion, including the lack of consensus among religious scholars to implement a standardized business model of takāful, the lack of knowledge or awareness and the lack of skilled or trained personnel, which prevent existing and potential consumers from adopting takāful products or services. The fundamental concept of takāful is introduced mainly to fulfill the religious, social and economic needs of Muslims. Thus, the choice of takāful activates the religious, cultural, family and traditional values of individuals. Hence, the primary purpose of this study is to determine the impact of tradition value and stimulation value on consumer adoption of takāful services. Further, the scope of this study is extended to establish the mediating role of religiosity and moderating role of confusion on the association between traditional value and consumer adoption of takāful services. Design/methodology/approach This study follows quantitative research methods and a cross-sectional approach for data collection. Thus, the sample is collected from 768 respondents belongs to rural and urban areas by using a close-ended questionnaire. The mediation and moderation analysis are performed by using Andrew F. Hayes process Models-4 and −5. Findings The result reveals that religiosity mediates and confusion moderates the relationship of traditional value and consumer adoption of takāful. However, the traditional value shows a negative effect on consumer adoption of takāful. Moreover, the confusion negatively moderates the association between traditional value and consumer adoption of takāful. Finally, the stimulation value also reflects a negative effect on consumer adoption of takāful services. Originality/value The findings of this study shed novel insights into the existing literature of takāful and basic human values. The outcomes of stimulation values contradict with the findings of Wang et al. (2008). The result of mediation analysis reveals that religiosity plays a vital role in activating the goals of traditional value, which motivates consumers to adopt takāful services. The present study is useful for takāful operators to understand the value priorities of prospect clients belong to rural and urban areas.

The Locked Cage

2021 ◽  
pp. 162-174
Author(s):  
Kenya Johns ◽  
Natasha Barnes
Keyword(s):  
School System ◽  
Mass Incarceration ◽  
Traumatic Experiences ◽  
Academic Environment ◽  
It Impacts ◽  
The Family ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The Impact

This chapter aims to discuss the on-going problems of mass incarceration within the USA and the impact it has on the family and the school system. Mass incarceration is a societal concern because it impacts those that are incarcerated and the families that they leave behind outside the cage. Those that are parents and are incarcerated not only have to deal with their decisions, their children do as well. It is estimated that more than 1.7 million children within the USA have experienced a parent or caregiver being incarcerated. Incarceration can have a negative effect on the students development within the classroom, leading to long-term traumatic experiences and negative behavioral, emotional academic performances within the classroom. This chapter explores the impact it has on the students and academic environment while provide tools to best support these students and families.

scholarly journals The Impact of Critical Incidents and Workload on Functioning in the Private Life of Police Officers: Does Weakened Mental Health Act as a Mediator?

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
A H M (Heilwine) Bakker ◽  
M J P M (Marc) Van Veldhoven ◽  
A W K (Anthony) Gaillard ◽  
M (Margot) Feenstra
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Critical Incidents ◽  
Private Life ◽  
Mediation Effect ◽  
Life Tasks ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
The Impact

Abstract This study examined the disintegrating effects of critical incidents (Cri) and workload (WL) on the mental health status (MHS) and private life tasks of 166 police officers. In addition, it investigated whether diminished MHS mediated the impact of Cri and WL on private life tasks. This mediation effect was based on the work–home resources model of Brummelhuis and Bakker (2012). The respondents were police officers functioning in the front line, experiencing Cri and working in urban areas. We investigated the effects on the following five private life tasks: ‘social life, maintaining mental health, household and finance, giving meaning, and maintaining positivity’. The results showed that Cri only had a negative effect on ‘maintaining positivity’. Respondents reporting more Cri had a lower MHS, which in turn had a direct effect on the functioning in all private life tasks except ‘social life’. When mediated by MHS, Cri were associated with less effective functioning in all private life tasks except for ‘social life’. Thus, the effects of Cri on functioning in private life tasks (except social life) were larger for respondents with a low MHS. The largest effects were found for ‘maintaining mental health (MMH) and maintaining positivity’. In the WL model, no significant indirect effects were found on life tasks.

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