Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
Environmental Information (environmental + information)
Selected AbstractsInfluence of Health and Environmental Information on Hedonic Evaluation of Organic and Conventional BreadJOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE, Issue 4 2008L.E. Annett ABSTRACT:, Grain from paired samples of the hard red spring wheat cultivar "Park" grown on both conventionally and organically managed land was milled and baked into 60% whole wheat bread. Consumers (n= 384) rated their liking of the bread samples on a 9-point hedonic scale before (blind) and after (labeled) receiving information about organic production. Consumers liked organic bread more (P < 0.05) than conventional bread under blind and labeled conditions. Environmental information about organic production did not impact consumer preference changes for organic bread, but health information coupled with sensory evaluation increased liking of organic bread. Ordinary least squares (OLS) and binary response (probit) regression models identified that postsecondary education, income level, frequency of bread consumption, and proenvironmental attitudes played a significant role in preference changes for organic bread. The techniques used in this study demonstrate that a combination of sensory and econometric techniques strengthens the evaluation of consumer food choice. [source] The use of economic, social and environmental indicators as a measure of sustainable development in SpainCORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 2 2006Isabel Gallego Abstract In recent years the concept of corporate social responsibility has gained prominence among academics from a wide range of disciplines. According to the Green Paper issued by the Commission of the European Communities in July 2001, corporate social responsibility is defined as a concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basis. The problem is how firms have made known the information on corporate social responsibility. With this in mind, we undertook the present work in an attempt to verify empirically how certain Spanish firms present their economic, social and environmental information, how they use the indicators proposed by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) that are accepted in all countries and how this information can affect sustainable development. To perform this study we examined some Spanish firms that present economic, social and environmental information according to the GRI framework. Certain relevant conclusions indicate that in Spain in the last few years there has been an increase and an improvement in the information given by firms on economic, social and environmental concerns and that the information most presented by firms has to do with the social indicators related to labour, practices and decent work, strategy and management, non-discrimination, freedom of association, child labour and forced and compulsory labour as well as the environmental indicators related to energy, water, biodiversity and emissions, effluents and waste. This information reveals the great importance afforded in Spain to social and environmental information for sustainable development. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] An exploration of corporate attitudes to the significance of environmental information for stakeholdersCORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2003David Collison This paper reports on a questionnaire survey sent to environmental managers in quoted UK firms from environmentally sensitive sectors. A total of 58 usable responses was received, with most but not all being returned by environmental managers. While contextual information regarding perceptions of their companies' environmental sensitivity and management systems was sought, the main focus of the questionnaire was on respondents' views about stakeholder concerns. There was broad agreement that external stakeholders attached importance to environmental communications. The results indicate that respondents' perceptions of these issues were associated with the formality of their internal management systems and with the role of the respondents within their firms. It was also found that shareholders were thought to be the least interested stakeholder group. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] What are you looking at?DEVELOPMENTAL SCIENCE, Issue 1 2008Infants' neural processing of an adult's object-directed eye gaze Previous research suggests that by 4 months of age infants use the eye gaze of adults to guide their attention and facilitate processing of environmental information. Here we address the question of how infants process the relation between another person and an external object. We applied an ERP paradigm to investigate the neural processes underlying the perception of the direction of an adult's eye gaze in 4-month-old infants. Infants showed differential processing of an adult's eye gaze, which was directed at a simultaneously presented object compared to non-object-directed eye gaze. This distinction was evident in two ERP components: The Negative component, reflecting attentional processes, and the positive slow wave, which is involved in memory encoding. The implications of these findings for the development of joint attention and related social cognitive functions are discussed. [source] LCC,The economic pillar of sustainability: Methodology and application to wastewater treatmentENVIRONMENTAL PROGRESS & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY, Issue 4 2003Gerald Rebitzer Industrial applications of supply chain cost management, along with life cycle costing of goods and services, are increasing. Several industrial sectors, in particular the automotive, electronics, and primary materials, have engaged in programs to coordinate upstream and downstream activities to reduce environmental burdens. At the same time, there is an increasing need to pass on information on product, material, and energy flows along the supply chain, as well as to provide data on the use and end-of-life phases of goods and services. Therefore, methods to analyze, assess, and manage these flows, from an economic as well as an environmental perspective, are of essential importance, particularly in established large-scale industries where suppliers are increasingly challenged to provide comprehensive cost and environmental information. In this context, a life cycle costing analysis (LCC), conducted as part of life cycle management activities, can provide important opportunities. Therefore, this paper focuses on a life cycle assessment (LCA)-based LCC method, which utilizes an LCA model as a basis for cost estimations in product development and planning. A case study on life cycle costing of wastewater treatment illustrates the practical use and benefits of the method. [source] Data analysis of environmental air pollutant monitoring systems in EuropeENVIRONMETRICS, Issue 6 2004Kristina Voigt Abstract Public access to information about the environment is being strengthened across Europe. The concept of public's right to information gives the basis for the access to environmental information. In this paper the quality of air pollutant monitoring systems in the 15 European member states is analyzed. For pragmatic reasons only the capitals are looked upon. Comprehensive data on environmental monitoring programs concerning air pollutants like ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), nitrogen oxide (NO), carbon dioxide (CO2) and carbon monoxide (CO), and sometimes suspended dust, benzene and other environmental chemicals are available on the free Internet. As different monitoring information systems exist in the European member states a comparison of these systems with their pros and cons is of great interest to the public. Environmental air pollutant monitoring systems in the capitals of the 15 EEC member countries (objects) are evaluated by applying 5 evaluation criteria for the differentiation of these systems. The scores run from 0,=,insufficient, 1,=,medium, to 2,=,excellent. Different data-analysis methods will be applied. As order theory is still not sufficiently presented in the scientific literature, a short overview about the so-called Hasse diagram technique and POSAC method is outlined. In several steps the data-matrix is analyzed coming to the conclusion that all methods (additionally PCA is used) identify one criterion as specifically important. Not unexpected, each method has its own advantage. The aim of this data-analysis is the evaluation of the publicly available air quality monitoring systems in Europe with their pros and cons. This might help the interested public to find and understand the information given on the Internet. Furthermore our evaluation approach might give some recommendations for an improvement of the air quality monitoring systems. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Targeted genomic detection of biosynthetic pathways: anaerobic production of hopanoid biomarkers by a common sedimentary microbeGEOBIOLOGY, Issue 1 2005W. W. FISCHER ABSTRACT The lipid biomarker principle requires that preservable molecules (molecular fossils) carry specific taxonomic, metabolic, or environmental information. Historically, an empirical approach was used to link specific taxa with the compounds they produce. The lipids extracted from numerous, but randomly cultured species provided the basis for the interpretation of biomarkers in both modern environments and in the geological record. Now, with the rapid sequencing of hundreds of microbial genomes, a more focused genomic approach can be taken to test phylogenetic patterns and hypotheses about the origins of biomarkers. Candidate organisms can be selected for study on the basis of genes that encode proteins fundamental to the synthesis of biomarker compounds. Hopanoids, a class of pentacyclic triterpenoid lipid biomarkers, provide an illustrative example. For many years, interpretations of biomarker data were made with the assumption that hopanoids are produced only by aerobic organisms. However, the recent discovery of 13C-depleted hopanoids in environments undergoing anaerobic methane oxidation and in enrichment cultures of anammox planctomycetes indicates that some hopanoids are produced anaerobically. To further examine the potential distribution of hopanoid biosynthesis by anaerobes, we searched publicly available genomic databases for the presence of squalene-hopene cyclase genes in known obligate or facultative anaerobes. Here we present evidence that Geobacter sulfurreducens, Geobacter metallireducens, and Magnetospirillum magnetotacticum, all bacteria common in anoxic environments, have the appropriate genes for hopanoid biosynthesis. We further show that these data accurately predict that G. sulfurreducens does produce a variety of complex hopanoids under strictly anaerobic conditions in pure culture. [source] Climatology at Urban Long-Term Ecological Research Sites: Baltimore Ecosystem Study and Central Arizona,PhoenixGEOGRAPHY COMPASS (ELECTRONIC), Issue 1 2009Anthony J. Brazel The Baltimore Ecosystem Study (BES) and Central Arizona,Phoenix (CAP) Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) programs, established in 1997, are part of an international National Science Foundation long-term ecology monitoring and research network. The study sites are excellent laboratories to integrate ideas on climate of urban areas and how climate change and local variability of climate relate to social, political, economic, and ecological processes over a long time period. A large variety of research data are available online from individual LTER Web sites and a combined database called CLIMDB/HYDRODB is available for climate and ecology researchers and others, to investigate climate and hydrology in LTER study regions including those of BES and CAP. The basic program, climate aspects of these two areas, selected past research, and current ongoing work is briefly reviewed. A large benefit of this National Science Foundation program is the maintenance of support over a very long period of time. With the advent of a National Ecological Observatory Network, continuing collection of climate and environmental information over the coming decades at the local and regional scales, and maintenance of protocols of measurement, it is hoped that a more meaningfully integrated urban climatology with urban ecology will emerge. This will better prepare scientists to gage the impending rapid global warming expected not only of natural environments, but also of burgeoning urban places around the world. [source] Ease of reading of mandatory information on Canadian food product labelsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CONSUMER STUDIES, Issue 4 2009Mary Alton Mackey Abstract Food product labels present individual product information, safety, nutrition, electronic inventory, container and environmental information, in various formats, languages and images. Some information is mandatory; much is promotional. The food label is an essential tool for regulators of safe food handling, nutrition policy and fair competition. Mandatory information on food labels in Canada is required to be presented in both English and French, readily discernable, prominently displayed and legible. This study examines the ease of finding and reading of mandatory label components on selected Canadian food products. A validated typographical scoring system assessed the lists of ingredients on a purposive sample of 100 food labels representing foods in all groups in Canada's Food Guide. Seven percent of the ingredient lists were easy to read; 26% were difficult to read and 67% were very difficult to read. Well-educated resourceful readers in consumer focus groups examined food labels for key elements that influence ease of finding and reading information. Focus groups and typographical scoring identified: colour contrast, case, print style, print size, space between the lines, reverse print, organization, justification, type of surface, hyphenation and print reproduction as factors that affect ease of reading. Print that curves around a container, lack of paragraphing or point form organization make reading difficult; text blocks at right angles to each other make comparisons difficult; separation of the nutrition facts table from the list of ingredients makes decision making tedious. Inadequate spacing between lines of print creates problems for readers of English and exacerbates problems for readers of French. Words placed over illustrations, busy backgrounds or watermarks increase reading difficulty. Hazard statements, instructions and storage information imbedded in other information without added space or appropriate heading is difficult to find and read. Canadian consumers echo consumers in 28 European countries who find label information difficult to find and to read and want clear guidelines/regulations on the placement and the typography of mandatory food label components [source] Fish assemblages of the Casiquiare River, a corridor and zoogeographical filter for dispersal between the Orinoco and Amazon basinsJOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY, Issue 9 2008Kirk O. Winemiller Abstract Aim, The aim of this study was to determine whether the Casiquiare River functions as a free dispersal corridor or as a partial barrier (i.e. filter) for the interchange of fish species of the Orinoco and Negro/Amazon basins using species assemblage patterns according to geographical location and environmental features. Location, The Casiquiare, Upper Orinoco and Upper Negro rivers in southern Venezuela, South America. Methods, Our study was based on an analysis of species presence/absence data and environmental information (11 habitat characteristics) collected by the authors and colleagues between the years 1984 and 1999. The data set consisted of 269 sampled sites and 452 fish species (> 50,000 specimens). A wide range of habitat types was included in the samples, and the collection sites were located at various points along the entire length of the Casiquiare main channel, at multiple sites on its tributary streams, as well as at various nearby sites outside the Casiquiare drainage, within the Upper Orinoco and Upper Rio Negro river systems. Most specimens and field data used in this analysis are archived in the Museo de Ciencias Naturales in Guanare, Venezuela. We performed canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) based on species presence/absence using two versions of the data set: one that eliminated sites having < 5 species and species occurring at < 5 sites; and another that eliminated sites having < 10 species and species occurring at < 10 sites. Cluster analysis was performed on sites based on species assemblage similarity, and a separate analysis was performed on species based on CCA loadings. Results, The CCA results for the two versions of the data set were qualitatively the same. The dominant environmental axis contrasted assemblages and sites associated with blackwater vs. clearwater conditions. Longitudinal position on the Casiquiare River was correlated (r2 = 0.33) with CCA axis-1 scores, reflecting clearwater conditions nearer to its origin (bifurcation of the Orinoco) and blackwater conditions nearer to its mouth (junction with the Rio Negro). The second CCA axis was most strongly associated with habitat size and structural complexity. Species associations derived from the unweighted pair-group average clustering method and pair-wise squared Euclidean distances calculated from species loadings on CCA axes 1 and 2 showed seven ecological groupings. Cluster analysis of species assemblages according to watershed revealed a stronger influence of local environmental conditions than of geographical proximity. Main conclusions, Fish assemblage composition is more consistently associated with local environmental conditions than with geographical position within the river drainages. Nonetheless, the results support the hypothesis that the mainstem Casiquiare represents a hydrochemical gradient between clearwaters at its origin and blackwaters at its mouth, and as such appears to function as a semi-permeable barrier (environmental filter) to dispersal and faunal exchanges between the partially vicariant fish faunas of the Upper Orinoco and Upper Negro rivers. [source] The ED strategy: how species-level surrogates indicate general biodiversity patterns through an ,environmental diversity' perspectiveJOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY, Issue 8 2004D. P. Faith Abstract Biodiversity assessment requires that we use surrogate information in practice to indicate more general biodiversity patterns. ,ED' refers to a surrogates framework that can link species data and environmental information based on a robust relationship of compositional dissimilarities to ordinations that indicate underlying environmental variation. In an example analysis of species and environmental data from Panama, the environmental and spatial variables that correlate with an hybrid multi-dimensional scaling ordination were able to explain 83% of the variation in the corresponding Bray Curtis dissimilarities. The assumptions of ED also provide the rationale for its use of p-median optimization criteria to measure biodiversity patterns among sites in a region. M.B. Araújo, P.J. Densham & P.H. Williams (2004, Journal of Biogeography31, 1) have re-named ED as ,AD' in their evaluation of the surrogacy value of ED based on European species data. Because lessons from previous work on ED options consequently may have been neglected, we use a corroboration framework to investigate the evidence and ,background knowledge' presented in their evaluations of ED. Investigations focus on the possibility that their weak corroboration of ED surrogacy (non-significance of target species recovery relative to a null model) may be a consequence of Araújo et al.'s use of particular evidence and randomizations. We illustrate how their use of discrete ED, and not the recommended continuous ED, may have produced unnecessarily poor species recovery values. Further, possible poor optimization of their MDS ordinations, due to small numbers of simulations and/or low resolution of stress values appears to have provided a possible poor basis for ED application and, consequently, may have unnecessarily favoured non-corroboration results. Consideration of Araújo et al.'s randomizations suggests that acknowledged sampling biases in the European data have not only artefactually promoted the non-significance of ED recovery values, but also artefactually elevated the significance of competing species surrogates recovery values. We conclude that little credence should be given to the comparisons of ED and species-based complementarity sets presented in M.B. Araújo, P.J. Densham & P.H. Williams (2004, Journal of Biogeography31, 1), unless the factors outlined here can be analysed for their effects on results. We discuss the lessons concerning surrogates evaluation emerging from our investigations, calling for better provision in such studies of the background information that can allow (i) critical examination of evidence (both at the initial corroboration and re-evaluation stages), and (ii) greater synthesis of lessons about the pitfalls of different forms of evidence in different contexts. [source] Spatial and temporal analysis of vegetation mosaics for conservation: poor fen communities in a Cornish valley mireJOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY, Issue 9 2003E. J. Southall Abstract Aim Biogeographers increasingly realize the importance of seeing plant communities as spatial mosaics and understanding the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of a site is often a key to successful conservation. The aim of this paper is to examine the approaches to the description and analysis of spatial and temporal variation in sub-communities within patch mosaics of vegetation in order to inform conservation management. The activities of the tin streaming industry in Cornwall over the last century have created a highly varied mosaic of poor fen vegetation on Goss Moor National Nature Reserve (NNR). The wetland mosaics comprise dry hummocks and different sized wet pools. The size and depth of the pools determines the rate and type of vegetation that develops, as does the nature of boundary or edge. The ergodic hypothesis is used to describe the various plant sub-communities and their boundaries to identify pathways of hydroseral succession. A further aim was to test the use of Ellenberg Indicator (EI) values as a tool for the rapid description of spatial and temporal environmental change on wetland sites with a view to their management. Location Goss Moor National Nature Reserve, Cornwall, UK. Methods An extensive survey of the whole wetland complex was undertaken to identify patches of poor fen vegetation containing Potentilla palustris (L.) Scop. and Menyanthes trifoliata L. At each patch, species abundance data were collected as well as associated environmental information such as depth of the organic layer and standing water depth, patch location, patch size and boundary type. The plant sub-communities present were defined using techniques of numerical classification [two-way indicator species analysis (twinspan)] and ordination [detrended correspondence analysis (DCA)] and these were ordered using the ergodic hypothesis in order to characterize the stages of the hydrosere. Floristic and environmental relationships were examined using canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). Further environmental differences between the poor fen sub-community types were characterized by weighted EI values for acidity (R), moisture (F), nitrogen (N) and light (L). Results and conclusions Twelve poor fen sub-community types were described and found to be distributed along a primary environmental gradient of organic matter depth, surface water height and bare substrate. Separation of the poor fen communities by a moisture gradient was considered as spatial evidence for hydroseral succession, which begins with the colonization of open-water pools created by tin excavations. High water levels were associated with the swamp communities, increased organic depth was associated with poor fen, and the type of boundary was shown to affect the resulting community composition. Weighted Community Ellenberg Indicator values for nitrogen, light, reaction and moisture are recommended as an effective tool for indicating differences between plant (sub-)communities. The importance of examining sub-community mosaics in the study of hydroseral development is stressed and the manner in which both sets of information may be used to underpin the conservation management of the site is demonstrated. [source] Social and Environmental Disclosure and Corporate Characteristics: A Research Note and ExtensionJOURNAL OF BUSINESS FINANCE & ACCOUNTING, Issue 3-4 2001Rob Gray This paper is concerned with the attempts to explain the disclosure of social and environmental information in the annual reports of large companies by reference to observable characteristics of those companies. An extensive literature has sought to establish whether variables such as corporate size, profit and industry segments can explain corporations' disclosure practices. The results from that predominantly North American and Australasian literature are largely inconclusive. This paper provides an extension of that literature by considering a more disaggregated specification of social and environmental disclosure and by employing a detailed time-series data set. By so doing, the paper tests two possible explanations for the inconclusiveness of prior research: namely that any relationships between corporate characteristics and disclosure are dependent upon the type of disclosure and that any such relationships are not stable through time. The results provide support for these explanations as sufficient, if not necessary, conditions for explaining the inconsistency in prior results. [source] Non-Mandatory Approaches to Environmental ProtectionJOURNAL OF ECONOMIC SURVEYS, Issue 3 2001Madhu Khanna The approach to environmental protection has been evolving from a regulation-driven, adversarial ,government-push' approach to a more proactive approach involving voluntary and often ,business-led' initiatives to self-regulate their environmental performance. This has been accompanied by increasing provision of environmental information about firms and products to enlist market forces and communities in creating a demand for corporate environmental self-regulation by signaling their preferences for environmentally friendly firms. This paper provides an overview of the non-mandatory approaches being used for environmental protection and surveys the existing theoretical literature analyzing the economic efficiency of such approaches relative to mandatory approaches. It also discusses empirical findings on the factors motivating self-regulation by firms and its implications for their economic and environmental performance. It examines the existing evidence on the extent to which information disclosure is effective in generating pressures from investors and communities on firms to improve their environmental performance. [source] A New Navigation Method for an Automatic Guided VehicleJOURNAL OF FIELD ROBOTICS (FORMERLY JOURNAL OF ROBOTIC SYSTEMS), Issue 3 2004Chen Wuwei This paper presents a new navigation method for an automatic guided vehicle (AGV). This method utilizes a new navigation and control scheme based on searching points on an arc. Safety measure indices are defined and are generated from the output of a fuzzy neural network which define the actions the AGV is to take when in the presence of obstacles. The proposed algorithm integrates several functions required for automatic guided vehicle navigation and tracking control and it exhibits satisfactory performance when maneuvering in complex environments. The automatic guided vehicle with this navigation control system not only can quickly process environmental information, but also can efficiently avoid dynamic or static obstacles, and reach targets safely and reliably. Extensive simulation and experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness and correct behavior of this scheme. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Integration of Life Cycle Assessment Into Agent-Based ModelingJOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY, Issue 2 2009Toward Informed Decisions on Evolving Infrastructure Systems Summary A method is presented that allows for a life cycle assessment (LCA) to provide environmental information on an energy infrastructure system while it evolves. Energy conversion facilities are represented in an agent-based model (ABM) as distinct instances of technologies with owners capable of making decisions based on economic and environmental information. This simulation setup allows us to explore the dynamics of assembly, disassembly, and use of these systems, which typically span decades, and to analyze the effect of using LCA information in decision making. We were able to integrate a simplified LCA into an ABM by aligning and connecting the data structures that represent the energy infrastructure and the supply chains from source to sink. By using an appropriate database containing life cycle inventory (LCI) information and by solving the scaling factors for the technology matrix, we computed the contribution to global warming in terms of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalents in the form of a single impact indicator for each instance of technology at each discrete simulation step. These LCAs may then serve to show each agent the impact of its activities at a global level, as indicated by its contribution to climate change. Similar to economic indicators, the LCA indicators may be fed back to the simulated decision making in the ABM to emulate the use of environmental information while the system evolves. A proof of concept was developed that is illustrated for a simplified LCA and ABM used to generate and simulate the evolution of a bioelectricity infrastructure system. [source] Community environmental policing: Assessing new strategies of public participation in environmental regulationJOURNAL OF POLICY ANALYSIS AND MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2003Dara O'Rourke This paper evaluates a new form of public participation in environmental monitoring and regulation advanced through local "bucket brigades," which allow community members to sample air emissions near industrial facilities. These brigades represent a new form of community environmental policing, in which residents participate in collecting, analyzing, and deploying environmental information, and more importantly, in an array of public policy dialogues. Use of this sampling technology has had marked effects on local residents' perceptions and participation in emergency response and citizens' right-to-know. However, when viewed through the lens of the more developed literature on community policing, the bucket brigades are currently limited in their ability to encourage "co-production" of environmental protection between citizens and the state. Means are examined to strengthen the bucket brigades and to more broadly support community participation in environmental regulation. © 2003 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management. [source] Climates of the past: evidence from natural and documentary archives,JOURNAL OF QUATERNARY SCIENCE, Issue 5 2009Iain Robertson Abstract This special issue of the Journal of Quaternary Science contains a set of 12 papers based upon a thematic session aimed at reconstructing climate of the last 1000 years from multi-proxy archives, held at the International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA) XVII Congress in Cairns, Australia. New techniques are presented to enable the extraction of proxy climatic data from natural and documentary archives with the aim of preserving environmental information across all temporal scales. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Remote Sensing and Malaria Risk for Military Personnel in AfricaJOURNAL OF TRAVEL MEDICINE, Issue 4 2008Vanessa Machault MSc Background Nonimmune travelers in malaria-endemic areas are exposed to transmission and may experience clinical malaria attacks during or after their travel despite using antivectorial devices or chemoprophylaxis. Environment plays an essential role in the epidemiology of this disease. Remote-sensed environmental information had not yet been tested as an indicator of malaria risk among nonimmune travelers. Methods A total of 1,189 personnel from 10 French military companies traveling for a short-duration mission (about 4 mo) in sub-Saharan Africa from February 2004 to February 2006 were enrolled in a prospective longitudinal cohort study. Incidence rate of clinical malaria attacks occurring during or after the mission was analyzed according to individual characteristics, compliance with antimalaria prophylactic measures, and environmental information obtained from earth observation satellites for all the locations visited during the missions. Results Age, the lack of compliance with the chemoprophylaxis, and staying in areas with an average Normalized Difference Vegetation Index higher than 0.35 were risk factors for clinical malaria. Conclusions Remotely sensed environmental data can provide important planning information on the likely level of malaria risk among nonimmune travelers who could be briefly exposed to malaria transmission and could be used to standardize for the risk of malaria transmission when evaluating the efficacy of antimalaria prophylactic measures. [source] splatche: a program to simulate genetic diversity taking into account environmental heterogeneityMOLECULAR ECOLOGY RESOURCES, Issue 1 2004M. Currat Abstract We present a program called splatche (SPatiaL And Temporal Coalescences in Heterogeneous Environments) to simulate the molecular diversity of samples of genes in an environmentally heterogeneous world. Simulations are performed by, first, simulating the colonization of the world using environmental information to constrain migrations and local densities. These simulated densities and migration rates recorded over time and space are then used to simulate genetic diversity under a coalescent framework. The program thus virtually allows the translation of ecological information into molecular diversity, a novel approach that can be used to study the effect of climatic change on genetic diversity. [source] The Neurospora circadian clock regulates a transcription factor that controls rhythmic expression of the output eas(ccg-2) geneMOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 4 2001Deborah Bell-Pedersen The circadian clock provides a link between an organism's environment and its behaviour, temporally phasing the expression of genes in anticipation of daily environmental changes. Input pathways sense environmental information and interact with the clock to synchronize it to external cycles, and output pathways read out from the clock to impart temporal control on downstream targets. Very little is known about the regulation of outputs from the clock. In Neurospora crassa, the circadian clock transcriptionally regulates expression of the clock-controlled genes, including the well-characterized eas(ccg-2) gene. Dissection of the eas(ccg-2) gene promoter previously localized a 68 bp sequence containing an activating clock element (ACE) that is both necessary and sufficient for rhythmic activation of transcription by the circadian clock. Using electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs), we have identified light-regulated nuclear protein factors that bind specifically to the ACE in a time-of-day-dependent fashion, consistent with their role in circadian regulation of expression of eas(ccg-2). Nucleotides in the ACE that interact with the protein factors were determined using interference binding assays, and deletion of the core interacting sequences affected, but did not completely eliminate, rhythmic accumulation of eas(ccg-2) mRNA in vivo, whereas deletion of the entire ACE abolished the rhythm. These data indicate that redundant binding sites for the protein factors that promote eas(ccg-2) rhythms exist within the 68 bp ACE. The ACE binding complexes formed using protein extracts from cells with lesions in central components of the Neurospora circadian clock were identical to those formed with extracts from wild-type cells, indicating that other proteins directly control eas(ccg-2) rhythmic expression. These data suggest that the Neurospora crassa circadian clock regulates an unknown transcription factor, which in turn activates the expression of eas(ccg-2) at specific times of the day. [source] Using environmental accounts to promote sustainable development: Experience in southern AfricaNATURAL RESOURCES FORUM, Issue 1 2003Glenn-Marie Lange Environmental accounts bring together economic and environmental information in a common framework to measure the contribution of the environment to the economy and the impact of the economy on the environment. They enable governments to set priorities, monitor economic policies more precisely, enact more effective environmental regulations and resource management strategies, and design more efficient market instruments for environmental policies. This article uses examples from the regional environmental accounting programme in southern Africa to demonstrate the usefulness of environmental accounts to policy-making and natural resource management. The examples address the contribution of natural capital endowments (minerals and fisheries) to sustainable development in Botswana and Namibia; the economic importance of non-market forest goods and services in South Africa; and the socio-economic impact of current water allocation and pricing policies in Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. While there are many additional policy applications, these few provide a powerful argument for the use of environmental accounts in all countries. [source] Picking battles wisely: plant behaviour under competitionPLANT CELL & ENVIRONMENT, Issue 6 2009ARIEL NOVOPLANSKY ABSTRACT Plants are limited in their ability to choose their neighbours, but they are able to orchestrate a wide spectrum of rational competitive behaviours that increase their prospects to prevail under various ecological settings. Through the perception of neighbours, plants are able to anticipate probable competitive interactions and modify their competitive behaviours to maximize their long-term gains. Specifically, plants can minimize competitive encounters by avoiding their neighbours; maximize their competitive effects by aggressively confronting their neighbours; or tolerate the competitive effects of their neighbours. However, the adaptive values of these non-mutually exclusive options are expected to depend strongly on the plants' evolutionary background and to change dynamically according to their past development, and relative sizes and vigour. Additionally, the magnitude of competitive responsiveness is expected to be positively correlated with the reliability of the environmental information regarding the expected competitive interactions and the expected time left for further plastic modifications. Concurrent competition over external and internal resources and morphogenetic signals may enable some plants to increase their efficiency and external competitive performance by discriminately allocating limited resources to their more promising organs at the expense of failing or less successful organs. [source] NMR structure of the pseudo -receiver domain of CikAPROTEIN SCIENCE, Issue 3 2007Tiyu Gao Abstract The circadian input kinase (CikA) is a major element of the pathway that provides environmental information to the circadian clock of the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus. CikA is a polypeptide of 754 residues and has three recognizable domains: GAF, histidine protein kinase, and receiver-like. This latter domain of CikA lacks the conserved phospho-accepting aspartyl residue of bona fide receiver domains and is thus a pseudo -receiver (PsR). Recently, it was shown that the PsR domain (1) attenuates the autokinase activity of CikA, (2) is necessary to localize CikA to the cell pole, and (3) is necessary for the destabilization of CikA in the presence of the quinone analog 2,5-dibromo-3-methyl-6-isopropyl-p-benzoquinone (DBMIB). The solution structure of the PsR domain of CikA, CikAPsR, is presented here. A model of the interaction between the PsR domain and HPK portion of CikA provides a potential explanation for how the PsR domain attenuates the autokinase activity of CikA. Finally, a likely quinone-binding surface on CikAPsR is shown here. [source] Characterization of buried inundated peat on seismic (Chirp) data, inferred from core informationARCHAEOLOGICAL PROSPECTION, Issue 4 2007Ruth Plets Abstract Peat horizons provide a wide range of critical environmental and direct archaeological information for both archaeologists and Quaternary geologists. At present, such data are typically obtained from terrestrial exposures or cores, and occasional offshore cores. These data can provide invaluable and detailed site-specific environmental information but require a relatively high spatial sampling strategy to provide more regional-scale information. Through a comparison of laboratory, in situ acoustic and sedimentary analyses, this paper presents evidence to suggest that peat buried in fine to medium grained, marine, siliciclastic sediments has an easily identifiable acoustic signature. The very low densities recorded by buried peats result in a distinct negative peak in the reflectivity series. Comparison of synthetic seismograms with in situ seismic data confirms that this negative peak can be easily identified from seismic profiles. Reanalysis of a decade of Chirp (sub-bottom) data, acquired from the Solent Estuary, indicates that possible extensive peat deposits, dating from the Late-glacial to early Holocene, can be traced at depth in this estuary using geophysical methods. The results of this study could be significant for future research into submerged landscape reconstructions. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Green supply chains and the missing link between environmental information and practiceBUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, Issue 1 2010Cecilia Solér Abstract Within the field of green supply chain management (GSCM), an interest in supply chain cooperation to create sustainable competitive advantage, i.e. the collaborative paradigm, has made researchers turn their attention to information related aspects of the supply chain. This study contributes to an understanding of a suboptimal use of environmental information, which is critical for all collaborative efforts aiming at sustainable competitive advantage. The aim of this article is to describe the use of environmental information at different stages of the Swedish food supply chain. The results from this case study of the Swedish food supply chain indicate that environmental information is perceived and used differently by purchasers in the supply chain depending on where (in the supply chain) they are situated in relation to other chain actors. The main contribution of this study is the suggestion of a stage-dependent connection between perceived environmental cost and perceived environmentally informed consumer demand, which are barriers to GSCM practice discussed in recent GSCM literature. The missing link between information sharing and (environmental) performance of supply chains is explained as distance to end-consumer in terms of supply chain stages. Implications for GSCM practice and theory are discussed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] The effect of environmental information on investment allocation decisions , an experimental studyBUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, Issue 6 2008Pall Rikhardsson Abstract This paper focuses on the use of environmental information in investment decision making. The research approach employed is based on an experiment where three groups of final year finance students were asked to allocate investment funds between two companies based on financial accounts and information material from these companies in which environmental information was included in varying degrees. The overall conclusion is that the qualitative environmental information affects short term allocation decisions, hence indicating a risk reduction potential of environmental information comparable to the classic interpretation of financial information. The quantitative environmental information included in the experiment seems to mitigate rather than extend the directional effect of more environmental information. The evidence also seems to indicate that decision makers are not always aware which information categories affect their decision making. Hence, this has implications for how the potential value of environmental information is to be assessed. Finally, experimental studies as a methodology seem to be better suited to indicate actual effects of different types of information on decision making than attitude surveys. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] Environmental behaviour in Chicago automotive repair micro-enterprises (MEPs)BUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, Issue 3 2008Debby F. Mir Abstract This study analyzes the relationship between internal and external factors that influence environmental behaviour in traditional service micro-enterprises, focusing on Chicago motor vehicle repair (MVR) firms five years after the Clean Break amnesty program and subsequent inspections of MVR firms. The survey explored the influence of firm and manager characteristics, government intervention, and market and social pressures and opportunities on environmental awareness and action. Environmental action was significantly higher in older firms (more experienced owners) and in auto-refinishing firms practicing spray painting. While awareness levels were mixed for dealerships and franchises (contracted to larger organizations), environmental action was good for six out of the seven firms, which may reflect expectations for higher professional rather than environmental standards. However, environmental awareness and behaviour levels were mixed for trade association members. Owners obtain most environmental information from suppliers and government agencies, but confuse government responsibilities and attribute greater authority to non-environmental agencies. Finally, micro-enterprises avoid voluntary environmental compliance programs and prefer targeted enforcement and insurance requirements that promote a level playing field. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] The impact of environmental information on professional purchasers' choice of productsBUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, Issue 6 2007Gunne Grankvist Abstract Professional food purchasers are an important group of people since they influence what alternatives of a food product consumers will have the possibility to choose between. The aim of the present study was to investigate the inclination among professional purchasers to choose food products associated with more benign environmental consequences. ,,Information about product price, total use of energy, emission of greenhouse gases and use of pesticides associated with production and consumption of one kilogram of minced beef and fresh apples was varied systematically in order to study the relative influence on product preference. Product price was found to influence product preference more than any of the three environmentally related factors. Introduction of a labeling system that indicated whether the environmental impacts associated with a food product during its life cycle were ,better' or ,worse' than an average product partly increased the effect of environmental information. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||