scholarly journals Integrating Individual-Based Indices of Contaminant Effects

2001 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 703-712 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher L. Rowe ◽  
William A. Hopkins ◽  
Justin D. Congdon
Keyword(s):  
Population Change ◽  
Sublethal Effects ◽  
Rana Catesbeiana ◽  
Swimming Performance ◽  
Behavioral Changes ◽  
Contaminated Site ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Exposed Population ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Growth Energy

Habitat contamination can alter numerous biological processes in individual organisms. Examining multiple individual-level responses in an integrative fashion is necessary to understand how individual health or fitness reflects environmental contamination. Here we provide an example of such an integrated perspective based upon recent studies of an amphibian (the bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana) that experiences several, disparate changes when larval development occurs in a trace element�contaminated habitat. First, we present an overview of studies focused on specific responses of individuals collected from, or transplanted into, a habitat contaminated by coal combustion residues (CCR). These studies have reported morphological, behavioral, and physiological modifications to individuals chronically interacting with sediments in the CCR-contaminated site. Morphological abnormalities in the oral and tail regions in contaminant-exposed individuals influenced other properties such as grazing, growth, and swimming performance. Behavioral changes in swimming activities and responses to stimuli appear to influence predation risk in the contaminant-exposed population. Significant changes in bioenergetics in the contaminated habitat, evident as abnormally high energetic expenditures for survival (maintenance) costs, may ultimately influence production pathways (growth, energy storage) in individuals. We then present a conceptual model to examine how interactions among the affected systems (morphological, behavioral, physiological) may ultimately bring about more severe effects than would be predicted if the responses were considered in isolation. A complex interplay among simultaneously occurring biological changes emerges in which multiple, sublethal effects ultimately can translate into reductions in larval or juvenile survival, and thus reduced recruitment of juveniles into the population. In systems where individuals are exposed to low concentrations of contaminants for long periods of time, research focused on one or few sublethal responses could substantially underestimate overall effects on individuals. We suggest that investigators adopt a more integrated perspective on contaminant-induced biological changes so that studies of individual-based effects can be better integrated into analyses of mechanisms of population change.

scholarly journals Pro-Environmental Behavior in an Aging World: Evidence from 31 Countries

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 1748
Author(s):  
Yan Wang ◽  
Feng Hao ◽  
Yunxia Liu
Keyword(s):  
Linear Models ◽  
Population Change ◽  
Population Aging ◽  
Environmental Behavior ◽  
National Level ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Contemporary World ◽  
The Individual

Population change and environmental degradation have become two of the most pressing issues for sustainable development in the contemporary world, while the effect of population aging on pro-environmental behavior remains controversial. In this paper, we examine the effects of individual and population aging on pro-environmental behavior through multilevel analyses of cross-national data from 31 countries. Hierarchical linear models with random intercepts are employed to analyze the data. The findings reveal a positive relationship between aging and pro-environmental behavior. At the individual level, older people are more likely to participate in environmental behavior (b = 0.052, p < 0.001), and at the national level, living in a country with a greater share of older persons encourages individuals to behave sustainably (b = 0.023, p < 0.01). We also found that the elderly are more environmentally active in an aging society. The findings imply that the longevity of human beings may offer opportunities for the improvement of the natural environment.

scholarly journals Trust predicts COVID-19 prescribed and discretionary behavioral intentions in 23 countries

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. e0248334
Author(s):  
Stefano Pagliaro ◽  
Simona Sacchi ◽  
Maria Giuseppina Pacilli ◽  
Marco Brambilla ◽  
Francesca Lionetti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Intentions ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Behavioral Changes ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Moral Principles ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Psychological Differences ◽  
Discretionary Behaviors ◽  
Health Experts ◽  
Do So

The worldwide spread of a new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) since December 2019 has posed a severe threat to individuals’ well-being. While the world at large is waiting that the released vaccines immunize most citizens, public health experts suggest that, in the meantime, it is only through behavior change that the spread of COVID-19 can be controlled. Importantly, the required behaviors are aimed not only at safeguarding one’s own health. Instead, individuals are asked to adapt their behaviors to protect the community at large. This raises the question of which social concerns and moral principles make people willing to do so. We considered in 23 countries (N = 6948) individuals’ willingness to engage in prescribed and discretionary behaviors, as well as country-level and individual-level factors that might drive such behavioral intentions. Results from multilevel multiple regressions, with country as the nesting variable, showed that publicized number of infections were not significantly related to individual intentions to comply with the prescribed measures and intentions to engage in discretionary prosocial behaviors. Instead, psychological differences in terms of trust in government, citizens, and in particular toward science predicted individuals’ behavioral intentions across countries. The more people endorsed moral principles of fairness and care (vs. loyalty and authority), the more they were inclined to report trust in science, which, in turn, statistically predicted prescribed and discretionary behavioral intentions. Results have implications for the type of intervention and public communication strategies that should be most effective to induce the behavioral changes that are needed to control the COVID-19 outbreak.

scholarly journals Sublethal Effects of Imidacloprid on the Population Development of Western Flower Thrips Frankliniella occidentalis (Thysanoptera: Thripidae)

Insects ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Cao ◽  
Hong Yang ◽  
Jun Li ◽  
Chun Wang ◽  
Can Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Treatment Group ◽  
Frankliniella Occidentalis ◽  
Sublethal Effects ◽  
Western Flower Thrips ◽  
Effective Control ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Population Development ◽  
Treatment Groups ◽  
Flower Thrips ◽  
Low Concentrations

The Western flower thrips (WFT, Frankliniella occidentalis) is a global polyphagous pest that is often dependent on chemical control. Imidacloprid has been a commonly used chemical insecticide for effective control of WFT. Low concentrations of insecticides can have sublethal effects on individual insects. However, no more information is known about the effects of exposure at low concentrations of imidacloprid on WFT. Here, we evaluated the effects of imidacloprid at sublethal concentrations on WFT population growth parameters. We first exposed the parental generation to LC10 (56.8 mg/L) and LC25 (79.2 mg/L) concentrations of imidacloprid. We then quantified various parameters related to the development, survival, and fecundity of the F1 generation also exposed to these same concentrations. The development time of the treatment groups exposed to imidacloprid was significantly shorter than the control group, and the net reproductive rate (R0) was significantly higher for treatment groups than for the control group. For both variables, there was no significant difference between LC10 and LC25 exposure. The generational survival rate was significantly higher for the control group, followed by the LC10 treatment group and then the LC25 treatment group. However, the opposite was true for fecundity and intrinsic rate of increase (rm) of WFT. In summary, exposure to low concentrations of imidacloprid was positive for the population development of WFT, which may contribute to the development of insecticide resistance and cause resurgence in WFT populations.

UNRAVELING MARKOV PROCESSES IN MOVEMENT PATTERNS OF INDICATOR SPECIES IN RESPONSE TO CHEMICAL STRESSORS

2011 ◽  
Vol 25 (12n13) ◽  
pp. 1143-1149 ◽  
Author(s):  
TUYEN VAN NGUYEN ◽  
YUEDAN LIU ◽  
IL-HYO JUNG ◽  
TAE-SOO CHON ◽  
SANG-HEE LEE
Keyword(s):  
Markov Processes ◽  
Transition Probability ◽  
Movement Patterns ◽  
Critical Issue ◽  
Transition Probability Matrix ◽  
Behavioral Changes ◽  
Environmental Stressors ◽  
Biological Responses ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Before And After

Revealing biological responses of organisms in responding to environmental stressors is the critical issue in contemporary ecological sciences. Markov processes in behavioral data were unraveled by utilizing the hidden Markov model (HMM). Individual organisms of daphnia (Daphnia magna) and zebrafish (Danio rerio) were exposed to diazinon at low concentrations. The transition probability matrix (TPM) and the emission probability matrix (EPM) were accordingly estimated by training with the HMM and were verified before and after the treatments with 10-6 tolerance in 103 iterations. Structured property in behavioral changes was accordingly revealed to characterize dynamic processes in movement patterns. Parameters and sequences produced through the HMM training could be a suitable means of monitoring toxic chemicals in environment.

Predicting Behavior of Passengers Using Data Collected Through Smart Cards

2018 ◽  
pp. 127-156
Author(s):  
Gaurav Ahlawat ◽  
Ankit Gupta ◽  
Avimanyou K Vatsa
Keyword(s):  
Travel Behavior ◽  
Data Analytics ◽  
Behavioral Changes ◽  
Smart Cards ◽  
Transit Systems ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Predicting Behavior ◽  
Using Data

Many attempts have been made to derive insights and any useful information about the behavior of the passengers traveling using different data analytics approaches and techniques. The different ways the researchers have tried to model the travel behavior and also their attempt to measure the behavioral changes at an individual level will be discussed in this chapter. The insights derived using these methods can help policy makers and the authorities to make necessary and important changes to the railways. The transit systems of the Railways provide us with the data, which is analysed using different techniques and methodologies and derived insights from.

scholarly journals Remediation of Metal/Metalloid-Polluted Soils: A Short Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 4134
Author(s):  
Carla Maria Raffa ◽  
Fulvia Chiampo ◽  
Subramanian Shanthakumar
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Heavy Metal ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Metal Removal ◽  
Heavy Metal Removal ◽  
Short Review ◽  
Contaminated Site ◽  
Metals And Metalloids ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Heavy Metals And Metalloids

The contamination of soil by heavy metals and metalloids is a worldwide problem due to the accumulation of these compounds in the environment, endangering human health, plants, and animals. Heavy metals and metalloids are normally present in nature, but the rise of industrialization has led to concentrations higher than the admissible ones. They are non-biodegradable and toxic, even at very low concentrations. Residues accumulate in living beings and become dangerous every time they are assimilated and stored faster than they are metabolized. Thus, the potentially harmful effects are due to persistence in the environment, bioaccumulation in the organisms, and toxicity. The severity of the effect depends on the type of heavy metal or metalloid. Indeed, some heavy metals (e.g., Mn, Fe, Co, Ni) at very low concentrations are essential for living organisms, while others (e.g., Cd, Pb, and Hg) are nonessential and are toxic even in trace amounts. It is important to monitor the concentration of heavy metals and metalloids in the environment and adopt methods to remove them. For this purpose, various techniques have been developed over the years: physical remediation (e.g., washing, thermal desorption, solidification), chemical remediation (e.g., adsorption, catalysis, precipitation/solubilization, electrokinetic methods), biological remediation (e.g., biodegradation, phytoremediation, bioventing), and combined remediation (e.g., electrokinetic–microbial remediation; washing–microbial degradation). Some of these are well known and used on a large scale, while others are still at the research level. The main evaluation factors for the choice are contaminated site geology, contamination characteristics, cost, feasibility, and sustainability of the applied process, as well as the technology readiness level. This review aims to give a picture of the main techniques of heavy metal removal, also giving elements to assess their potential hazardousness due to their concentrations.

scholarly journals Impacts of The Invasive Seaweed Asparagopsis armata Exudate on Rockpool Invertebrates

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla O. Silva ◽  
Sara C. Novais ◽  
Amadeu M.V.M. Soares ◽  
Carlos Barata ◽  
Marco F.L. Lemos
Keyword(s):  
Native Species ◽  
Marine Invertebrates ◽  
Sublethal Effects ◽  
Physiological Status ◽  
Invasive Seaweed ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
The Media ◽  
Palaemon Elegans ◽  
Global Change Scenarios ◽  
Asparagopsis Armata

The marine red algae Asparagopsis armata is an invasive species which competitive advantage arises from the production and release of large amounts of toxic compounds to the surrounding invaded area, reducing the abundance of native species. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of this invasive seaweed on marine invertebrates by exposing the common prawn Palaemon elegans and the marine snail Gibbula umbilicalis to the exudate of this macroalgae. The seaweed was collected and placed in tanks, for 12 hours, in the dark in a 1:10 ratio. Afterwards the media containing its secondary metabolites was collected for further testing. Lethal and sublethal effects of A. armata were investigated. Biochemical biomarkers responses associated with energy metabolism (lactate dehydrogenase, LDH; electron transport system activity, ETS; content in lipids, proteins and carbohydrates) were analysed. The biomarker responses showed invertebrates&rsquo; physiological status impairment after exposure to low concentrations of this algae exudate. Highest concentrations of exudate significantly increased lipid content in both organisms. In the shrimp, protein content, ETS, and LDH were also significantly increased. On the contrary, these parameters were significantly decreased in G. umbilicalis. A behavioural impairment was also observed in G. umbilicalis exposed to A. armata exudate, with reduction in feeding consumption. These results represent an important step in the research of natural toxic exudates released to the environment and prospective effects of this seaweed in invaded communities under increasing global change scenarios.

scholarly journals In a Lonely Place: Investigating Regional Differences in Loneliness

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanne Buecker ◽  
Tobias Ebert ◽  
Friedrich Martin Götz ◽  
Theresa Entringer ◽  
Maike Luhmann
Keyword(s):  
Regional Differences ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Population Change ◽  
Panel Study ◽  
Regional Distribution ◽  
Public Health Care ◽  
Public Parks ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Geographical Regions

Loneliness has traditionally been studied on the individual level. This study is one of the first to systematically describe and explain differences in loneliness on a fine-grained regional level. Using data from the nationally representative German Socioeconomic Panel Study (N = 17,602), we mapped the regional distribution of loneliness across Germany and examined whether regional differences in loneliness can be explained by both individual and regionalcharacteristics. Perceived neighborhood relation, perceived distance to public parks and sport/leisure facilities as well as objective regional remoteness and population change were positively related to loneliness. Individual-level characteristics, however, appeared to be more important in explaining variance in loneliness. In sum, loneliness varies across geographical regions, and these differences can partly be linked to characteristics of these regions. Our results may aid governments and public health care services to identify geographical areas most at risk for loneliness and resulting physical and mental health issues.

Toxicity and Sublethal Effects of Methanol on Swimming Performance of Juvenile Florida Pompano

2005 ◽  
Vol 134 (3) ◽  
pp. 730-740 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. M. Baltz ◽  
E. J. Chesney ◽  
M. A. Tarr ◽  
A. S. Kolok ◽  
M. J. Bradley
Keyword(s):  
Sublethal Effects ◽  
Swimming Performance
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