Foreseeable Effects of Nuclear Detonations on a Local Environment: Boulder County, Colorado

1984 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 155-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey O. Bennett ◽  
Patricia S.C. Johnson ◽  
Jeffrey R. Key ◽  
Douglas C. Pattie ◽  
Alan H. Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Synergistic Effects ◽  
Local Environment ◽  
Human Consumption ◽  
Global Changes ◽  
Agricultural Crops ◽  
Nuclear War ◽  
Boulder County ◽  
Environmental Systems ◽  
Recovery Times ◽  
Made In

The effects on Boulder County, Colorado, of a major nuclear war are predicted. Although many of the effects of such a horrific event would be global in nature, the direct ones on Boulder County were considered in terms of being primarily due to three one-megaton blasts in Denver, situated 40 km to the south-east. Under assumed wind conditions, agricultural crops would be contaminated with radionuclides for prolonged periods, rendering them dangerous for human consumption. Loss of animal life, flooding, increased sedimentation, and extensive soil-erosion, should also be expected. Recovery times for environmental systems are difficult to predict. Indeed, unknown synergistic effects and global changes in atmospheric conditons might preclude eventual recovery.Although numerous assumptions were made in these predictions, and the impacts described are scenario-dependent, the implications are clear: even if Boulder County received no direct hit, a nuclear war would have a devastating impact on the environmental systems that were considered.The prognosis from this study and others for human societies and involved ecosystems in the event of nuclear war is grim. We hope that continued research and dignified publicity of results on the effects of nuclear war will increase the urgency with which solutions to the nuclear dilemma are sought.

Optimizing physical and psychological health in performing musicians

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dianna T. Kenny
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Health ◽  
Synergistic Effects ◽  
Music Performance ◽  
Careful Analysis ◽  
Music Performance Anxiety ◽  
Psychological Stressors ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
Physical And Psychological Health ◽  
Physical Challenges ◽  
Made In

Performing musicians face a number of physical, social, and psychological challenges that must be mastered if their musical career is to be both rewarding and sustainable. However, musicians are at high risk of physical and psychological strain and injury in the execution of their art. Physical and psychological stressors exert reciprocal and synergistic effects on the musician, and careful analysis of the intrinsic characteristics of the performer and the extrinsic demands on the musician must be made in order to develop appropriate interventions. This article provides an overview of the risks and challenges facing musicians, with the aim of developing awareness and understanding of how to prevent and manage these challenges. It is divided into two sections: physical challenges and psychological challenges, focusing on music-performance anxiety. Each section outlines the key issues and then provides an overview of evidence-based treatment.

Russian nuclear war, made in Omaha

2000 ◽  
Vol 56 (4) ◽  
pp. 72-72
Author(s):  
William M. Arkin
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear War ◽  
Made In

Ancient and Modern Cultivation of Lathyrus Clymenum L. in the Greek Islands

1990 ◽  
Vol 85 ◽  
pp. 363-368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anaya Sarpaki ◽  
Glynis Jones
Keyword(s):  
Local Environment ◽  
Human Consumption

Types of pulse cultivated for human consumption in present-day Thera (and adjacent islands) and archaeobotanical material from Akrotiri are identified. It is suggested that they are both the same variety, not identified elsewhere as used for human consumption, suggesting it is particularly suited to the local environment.

scholarly journals Impact of Apoidea (Hymenoptera) on the World’s Food Production and Diets

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Israel Lorenzo-Felipe ◽  
Carlos A Blanco ◽  
Miguel Corona
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
State Level ◽  
Human Consumption ◽  
Agricultural Crops ◽  
Wasp Species ◽  
The World ◽  
Food And Feed ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Bees and some wasp species of the superfamily Apoidea pollinate most of the crops used for food and feed, producing different impacts on agricultural production. Despite the considerable importance of Apoidea, the relevance of this group’s impact on global crop production and human diets is controversial. To measure the pollination effect of these insects on crop production, factors such as the myriad of agricultural practices, different crop varieties, fluctuating pollinators’ densities, constantly changing environmental conditions, and demands for food items in a diverse diets must be considered. An ‘Apoidea impact factor’ (AIF), a value calculated taking into consideration the effect of this superfamily on enhancing crop production through pollination, the diversity of crops in a given area, the area planted by specific crops, and agricultural output, was calculated for 176 agricultural crops. Consistently with previous estimations, our results show that Apoidea have a direct impact on 66% of the 128 most important agricultural crops consumed in the world. However, the analysis of the impact of Apoidea on global production and human consumption revealed a different perspective: Apoidea pollination affects only 16% of the total tonnage output, 14% of the cultivated area, and 9% of the kilocalories consumed. Because 25 of the most cultivated crops in the world do not require, or are slightly affected by Apoidea pollination, and these plants grow in 84% of the world’s cropland, constituting 50% of the world’s diet, and 89% of the kilocalories consumed by peoples around of the world, the AIF at the world level is reduced to 11% of food consumed, and 6% of the kilocalories. The AIF, when applied to a small geographical scale, for example, the municipality or county level rather than country or state level, becomes more useful identifying areas where bees and wasps have greater impact in agriculture. In this report, we update the widely popular quote ‘One out of every three bites of food we eat is a result of pollinators like honey bees’ to a more accurate one: ‘nearly 5% of the food we eat, and about 10% of the calories we burn have a direct relationship with Apoidea pollination’. This new estimate does not diminish the need for pollinators for many of the world’s most nutritious foods, but merely suggests that these foods do not provide an extensive part of the human diet. The AIF can be used to identify specific areas where these pollinators have greater impact and direct conservation efforts directly into them. This approach can serve as a better estimate of the role of these pollinators in our food, using data-driven arguments.

Physicochemical, nutritional and sensory qualities of salted Philippine mallard duck (Anas platyrhynchos L.) eggs

Food Research ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 279-287
Author(s):  
L.E. Mopera ◽  
P.M. Saludo ◽  
F.P. Flores ◽  
B.R.R. Oliveros ◽  
W.T. Tan
Keyword(s):  
Raw Materials ◽  
Salt Content ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Human Consumption ◽  
Crude Fibre ◽  
Alternative Source ◽  
Sensory Qualities ◽  
Salted Duck Eggs ◽  
Made In

Diet diversification as well as a sustainable supply of the raw materials for utilization in processing salted eggs leads to an increase in the demand and consumption of salted duck eggs in the Philippines. In this study, the physicochemical, nutritional and sensory properties of salted duck eggs made in the laboratory were evaluated. Physicochemical properties revealed that the sample collected registered a pH and water activity of 7.1 and 0.88, respectively. In addition, the samples showed a total colour difference of 15.01 using the Hunter scale system. The samples exhibited an average of 1.03% salt content. Furthermore, proximate composition, mineral and fatty acid analyses of samples proved that a considerable amount of these nutrients were present in salted duck eggs that were analysed. Protein, fat, carbohydrate, crude fibre and ash content were 11.49, 10.15, 3.54, 1.07 and 1.01%, respectively. On the other hand, minerals such as phosphorus, potassium and calcium were recorded at 4.46, 3.92 and 3.61 mg/100 g, respectively. In general, the major fatty acids found in the samples were oleic acid (C18:1), myristic acid (C14:0) and linolenic acid (C18:2). Sensory evaluation revealed that flavour was regarded by the panellist as a major consideration in evaluating the quality of salted duck eggs. This study proved that salted duck eggs have nutritional and quality characteristics that can be considered as an alternative source of protein, fat and minerals for human consumption.

scholarly journals Ecotypic changes of alpine birds to climate change

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria del Mar Delgado ◽  
Chiara Bettega ◽  
Jochen Martens ◽  
Martin Päckert
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Local Environment ◽  
Global Changes ◽  
Tarsus Length ◽  
Closely Related Species ◽  
Pertinent Question ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Environmental Variations ◽  
Gloger’S Rule ◽  
Increasing Temperature

Abstract In endotherm animals, several traits are related to climate. For example, Bergmann’s rule predicts a decrease in body size within species and across closely related species with increasing temperature, whereas Gloger’s rule states that birds and mammals should be darker in humid and warm environments compared to colder and drier areas. However, it is still not clear whether ecotypic responses to variation in the local environment can also apply to morphological and colouration changes through time in response to climate change. We present a 100-year-long time series on morphological and melanin-based colours of snowfinch (325 Montifringilla, 92 Pyrgilauda and 30 Onychostruthus) museum specimens. Here we show that the tarsus length of the species has decreased and the saturation of the melanin-based colour has increased, which was correlated with the increase of temperature and precipitations. As ecotypic variations are tightly linked to individual behavioural and physiological responses to environmental variations, differently sized and coloured individuals are expected to be differently penalized by global changes. This study opens the pertinent question about whether ecotypic responses can enhance population persistence in the context of global change.

Review on ZnO hybrid photocatalyst: impact on photocatalytic activities of water pollutant degradation

2016 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohd Azam Mohd Adnan ◽  
Nurhidayatullaili Muhd Julkapli ◽  
Sharifah Bee Abd Hamid
Keyword(s):  
Band Gap ◽  
Electronic Band Structure ◽  
Synergistic Effects ◽  
Visible Region ◽  
Carrier Generation ◽  
Electronic Band ◽  
Metal Metal ◽  
Photocatalytic Activities ◽  
Water Pollutant ◽  
Made In

AbstractZinc oxide (ZnO) is one of the most widely used benchmark standard photocatalysts in the field of environmental applications. However, the large band gap of ZnO and the massive recombination of photogenerated charge carriers, especially in its nanosize, limit the overall photocatalytic efficiency. This can be further overcome by modifying the electronic band structure of ZnO by hybridization with a narrow band gap material, including metal, metal oxide, carbon based, and polymeric based. Indeed, ZnO hybridization with the respective materials contributed to its sensitizer by shifting the absorption wavelength to the visible region of the spectrum. This review encompasses several advancements made in the mentioned aspects, and also some of the new physical insights related to the charge transfer events, such as charge carrier generation, trapping, detrapping, and their transfer to surface, are discussed for each strategy of the hybrid ZnO. The synergistic effects in the mixed polymorphs of ZnO and also the theories proposed for their enhanced activity are reported. The review also highlights the potential application of ZnO hybrid for different kinds of pollutants from different wastewater sources.

scholarly journals Does global change increase the risk of maladaptation of Atlantic salmon migration through joint modifications of river temperature and discharge?

2021 ◽  
Vol 288 (1964) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elorri Arevalo ◽  
Anthony Maire ◽  
Stéphane Tétard ◽  
Etienne Prévost ◽  
Frédéric Lange ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Global Change ◽  
Atlantic Salmon ◽  
Water Temperature ◽  
Aquatic Organisms ◽  
Local Environment ◽  
Freshwater Ecosystems ◽  
Global Changes ◽  
River Temperature ◽  
Salmon Juvenile ◽  
Key Events

In freshwater ecosystems, water temperature and discharge are two intrinsically associated triggers of key events in the life cycle of aquatic organisms such as the migration of diadromous fishes. However, global changes have already profoundly altered the thermal and hydrological regimes of rivers, affecting the timing of fish migration as well as the environmental conditions under which it occurs. In this study, we focused on Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar ), an iconic diadromous species whose individuals migrate between marine nursery areas and continental spawning grounds. An innovative multivariate method was developed to analyse long-term datasets of daily water temperature, discharge and both salmon juvenile downstream and adult upstream migrations in three French rivers (the Bresle, Oir and Nivelle rivers). While all three rivers have gradually warmed over the last 35 years, changes in discharge have been very heterogeneous. Juveniles more frequently used warmer temperatures to migrate. Adults migrating a few weeks before spawning more frequently used warm temperatures associated with high discharges. This has already led to modifications in preferential niches of both life stages and suggests a potential mismatch between these populations' ecological preference and changes in their local environment due to global change.

scholarly journals Mycobacteriophages to Treat Tuberculosis: Dream or Delusion?

Respiration ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Andreas H. Diacon ◽  
Carlos A. Guerrero-Bustamante ◽  
Bernd Rosenkranz ◽  
Francisco J. Rubio Pomar ◽  
Naadira Vanker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drug Resistance ◽  
Synergistic Effects ◽  
Case Reports ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Human Consumption ◽  
Biological Entity ◽  
Optimal Dosage ◽  
Drug Resistant ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Phage Treatment

Rates of antimicrobial resistance are increasing globally while the pipeline of new antibiotics is drying up, putting patients with disease caused by drug-resistant bacteria at increased risk of complications and death. The growing costs for diagnosis and management of drug resistance threaten tuberculosis control where the disease is endemic and resources limited. Bacteriophages are viruses that attack bacteria. Phage preparations served as anti-infective agents long before antibiotics were discovered. Though small in size, phages are the most abundant and diverse biological entity on earth. Phages have co-evolved with their hosts and possess all the tools needed to infect and kill bacteria, independent of drug resistance. Modern biotechnology has improved our understanding of the biology of phages and their possible uses. Phage preparations are available to treat meat, fruit, vegetables, and dairy products against parasites or to prevent contamination with human pathogens, such as <i>Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli</i>, or <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>. Such phage-treated products are considered fit for human consumption. A number of recent case reports describe in great detail the successful treatment of highly drug-resistant infections with individualized phage preparations. Formal clinical trials with standardized products are slowly emerging. With its highly conserved genome and relative paucity of natural phage defence mechanisms <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> appears to be a suitable target for phage treatment. A phage cocktail with diverse and strictly lytic phages that kill all lineages of <i>M. tuberculosis,</i> and can be propagated on <i>Mycobacterium smegmatis</i>, has been assembled and is available for the evaluation of optimal dosage and suitable routes of administration for tuberculosis in humans. Phage treatment can be expected to be safe and active on extracellular organisms, but phage penetration to intracellular and granulomatous environments as well as synergistic effects with antibiotics are important questions to address during further evaluation.

scholarly journals Why society is a complex problem? A review of Philip Ball’s book – Meeting Twenty-first Century Challenges with a New Kind of Science

2013 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 80
Author(s):  
Diana Tampu ◽  
Carmen Costea
Keyword(s):  
Complex Problem ◽  
First Century ◽  
Global Changes ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Social Phenomena ◽  
Complex Interactions ◽  
The Moment ◽  
The Right ◽  
Bear Witness ◽  
Made In

The 21st century is burdened by a series of dramatic changes and efforts are carried out to find potential solutions to consumerism, access to information, transient climate disequilibria, health care and demographic transformations. A new page in human history will bear witness to the introduction of new ways of thinking, new changes, new relationships and interconnections that transcend states and societies. The moment is ripe for individuals aware of the implications carried by global changes and challenges, to step up and encourage responsibility and sustainable development. Mankind is currently living in a data-rich world, where information is widely dispersed. Nevertheless, extracting the right assumptions and conclusions from the available data proves difficult as numerous social phenomena do not run with clockwork precision as the laws governing the Newtonian universe.Human awareness and intelligence demand a more responsible approach to all operations and steps should be made in determining the consequences and their impact. The goal of this paper is not restricted to providing a review but also to enforce certain ideas in relation to the complex interactions specific to society and economic activities.

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