scholarly journals An invasive foundation species enhances multifunctionality in a coastal ecosystem

2017 ◽  
Vol 114 (32) ◽  
pp. 8580-8585 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aaron P. Ramus ◽  
Brian R. Silliman ◽  
Mads S. Thomsen ◽  
Zachary T. Long
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Coastal Ecosystem ◽  
Foundation Species ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Positive Density ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Native Habitat ◽  
Southeastern Us ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Habitat Formers

While invasive species often threaten biodiversity and human well-being, their potential to enhance functioning by offsetting the loss of native habitat has rarely been considered. We manipulated the abundance of the nonnative, habitat-forming seaweed Gracilaria vermiculophylla in large plots (25 m2) on southeastern US intertidal landscapes to assess impacts on multiple ecosystem functions underlying coastal ecosystem services. We document that in the absence of native habitat formers, this invasion has an overall positive, density-dependent impact across a diverse set of ecosystem processes (e.g., abundance and richness of nursery taxa, flow attenuation). Manipulation of invader abundance revealed both thresholds and saturations in the provisioning of ecosystem functions. Taken together, these findings call into question the focus of traditional invasion research and management that assumes negative effects of nonnatives, and emphasize the need to consider context-dependence and integrative measurements when assessing the impact of an invader, including density dependence, multifunctionality, and the status of native habitat formers. This work supports discussion of the idea that where native foundation species have been lost, invasive habitat formers may be considered as sources of valuable ecosystem functions.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Pandemic Turns Life-Science Students into “Citizen Scientists”: Data Indicate Multiple Negative Effects of Urbanization on Biota

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 2992
Author(s):  
Jens Schirmel
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Science ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
Teaching Strategy ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Ecological Data ◽  
Pollinating Insects ◽  
Impact Of Urbanization ◽  
Data Collections ◽  
The Impact

The COVID-19 pandemic and its restrictions strongly affect the higher education community and require diverse teaching strategies. We designed a course where we combined online teaching with independently conducted ecological data collections by students using a “citizen science” approach. The aim was to analyze the impact of urbanization on biota by comparing urban and rural grasslands. Seventy-five students successfully conducted the data collections and the results provide evidence for prevailing negative effects of urbanization. Individual numbers of ground-dwelling invertebrates (−25%) and pollinating insects (−33%) were generally lower in urban sites. Moreover, animal and seed predation were reduced in urban grasslands, indicating the potential of urbanization to alter ecosystem functions. Despite the general limitations of online teaching and citizen science approaches, outcomes of this course showed this combination can be a useful teaching strategy, which is why this approach could be used to more actively involve students in scientific research.

scholarly journals Veteran Status Matters! Life Course Perspectives on the Health and Well-Being of Aging Veterans

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 636-636
Author(s):  
Avron Spiro
Keyword(s):  
Life Course ◽  
Vietnam Veterans ◽  
Military Service ◽  
Combat Veterans ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Veterans Health ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Veteran Status ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract Military service during early life can result in exposure to traumatic events that can reverberate throughout life. Although much attention is focused on the negative effects of military service, many veterans report positive effects. These papers explore life course effects of military service on veterans’ health and well-being. Three used national US longitudinal cohorts (HRS, MIDUS); two sampled veterans from Oregon or from Korea. Three compared veterans to non-veterans; two examined veterans only. Cheng and colleagues found that veterans in HRS are more likely to be risk-averse than non-veterans. Risk aversion matters because it determines how people make decisions and predicts a wide array of health and economic outcomes. Kurth and colleagues examined Oregon veterans from several wars, finding PTSD symptoms were highest among Vietnam combat veterans, the oldest cohort; there were no differences among non-combat veterans. Piazza and colleagues examined in MIDUS the impact of veteran status on cortisol, a stress biomarker, finding older veterans more likely had non-normative patterns than did younger or non-veterans. Lee and colleagues studied patterns of mental health among Korean Vietnam veterans, identifying two patterns as ‘normal’ and ‘resilient’ encompassing half the sample; these veterans demonstrated positive outcomes of military service. Frochen and colleagues compared depression trajectories between veterans and non-veterans in HRS, finding veterans had less depression than non-veterans, but among veterans, trajectories varied based on extent of service. in sum, these papers demonstrate that military service can have positive as well as negative effects on veterans’ health and well-being in later life. Aging Veterans: Effects of Military Service across the Life Course Interest Group Sponsored Symposium.

Review of the impact Covid-19 has on the Psychosocial factors affecting Well-Being

2021 ◽  
pp. 3404-3408
Author(s):  
Sheila Menon FBSCH ◽  
Vidya Bhagat
Keyword(s):  
Psychosocial Factors ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Security Measures ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
The Impact

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the psychosocial factors that effect people globally. Particularly affected are children, students and health workers and the common symptoms identified are stress, anxiety disorders, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. In addition, the various security measures implemented to ensure public safety have adversely affected relationships between people. This study directs public awareness to the value of psychotherapeutic support. Tele-therapy can be offered easily to people both at home or in the workplace, providing both cost effective and time sensitive solutions during times of crisis. The current review article provides an overview of the importance of maintaining psychological well-being during a pandemic and the identifies the role that empathetic communication has on wellbeing. The literature review was completed using electronic databases such as PubMed, Medline, and Scopus databases using the keywords covid-19, affected groups, affected relationships, psychology and its technological interventions, negative effects of pandemic so on.

scholarly journals Environmental noise, its types and effects on health

2021 ◽  
pp. 41-48
Keyword(s):  
New Technologies ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Traffic Noise ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Environmental Noise ◽  
Road Traffic Noise ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Railway Traffic ◽  
The Impact

Noise can be defined as an undesirable sound that pollutes the environment. If noise is continuous and exceeds certain levels, negative effects on health can be observed. In recent years, the impact of environmental noise (road traffic noise, railway traffic noise, air traffic noise and industrial noise) on human health has come under increasingly intense scrutiny. Noise can cause a number of negative effects on health that directly or indirectly affect humans. The occurrence of some certain and harmful health effects drives the onset of others and may contribute to the development of various diseases. Health is not only a state of physical well-being, but also mental well-being. Mental health primarily depends on the quality of life, which can be affected by various environmental factors, such as noise. An important aspect of fighting noise is the most effective protection of the population by avoiding sources of noise and reducing it. This can be achieved by introducing new technical solutions and new technologies, including devices that generate less noise. Another important measure is educating the society and influencing the change of individual and collective behavior, which may contribute to reducing the harmful factor, which is noise in human life, and minimize the resulting negative effects on health.

scholarly journals A Personalised Emotion-Based Model for Relaxation in Virtual Reality

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (17) ◽  
pp. 6124
Author(s):  
Joris Heyse ◽  
Maria Torres Vega ◽  
Thomas De Jonge ◽  
Femke De Backere ◽  
Filip De Turck
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Emotional State ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Relaxation Therapy ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Emotion Model ◽  
Relaxation Exercises ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Reducing Stress ◽  
Personalised Therapy

One of the most frequent health problems is stress. It has been linked to negative effects on employee well-being in many occupations, and it is considered responsible for many physical and psychological problems. Traditional in-person relaxation therapy has proven to be effective in reducing stress. However, it has some drawbacks such as high cost, required infrastructure and the need for qualified trainers. Relaxation therapy in Virtual Reality (VR) tries to solve these problems. However, one aspect has received little attention, that is personalised therapy. Indeed, while many studies show the need for patient-tailored relaxation exercises, little existing work focuses on personalised VR content. One reason for this is the complexity of recognising emotions, which is required for emotion-based adaptive VR. In this work, a method for adapting VR content to the emotional state of the user is presented. This model has been applied in a VR relaxation therapy application, which adapts to the user’s emotional state utilising a heuristic optimiser. Simulations have proven the performance and usability of the emotion model. Additionally, this paper explores the impact of the order in which adaptations are performed on the effectiveness of the relaxation experience.

scholarly journals Unemployment in Socially Disadvantaged Communities in Tennessee, US, During the COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anzhelika Antipova ◽  
Ehsan Momeni
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Economic Recession ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Disadvantage ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Market Outcomes ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Vulnerable Communities ◽  
Southeastern Us ◽  
The Impact

Urban studies related to previous pandemics and impacts on cities focused on vulnerable categories including poor and marginalized groups. We continue this tradition and analyze unemployment outcomes in a context of a multi-dimensional social disadvantage that is unfolding during the ongoing public health crisis. For this, we first propose an approach to identify communities by social disadvantage status captured by several key metrics. Second, we apply this methodology in the study of the effect of social disadvantage on unemployment during the COVID-19 and measure the COVID-19-related economic impact using the most recent data on unemployment. The study focuses upon vulnerable communities in in the southeastern US (Tennessee) with a concentration of high social vulnerability and rural communities. While all communities initially experienced the impact that was both sudden and severe, communities that had lower social disadvantage pre-COVID were much more likely to start resuming economic activities earlier than communities that were already vulnerable pre-COVID due to high social disadvantage with further implications upon community well-being. The impact of social disadvantage grew stronger post-COVID compared with the pre-pandemic period. In addition, we investigate worker characteristics associated with adverse labor market outcomes during the later stage of the current economic recession. We show that some socio-demographic groups have a systematically higher likelihood of being unemployed. Compared with the earlier stages, racial membership, poverty and loss of employment go hand in hand, while ethnic membership (Hispanics) and younger male workers are not associated with higher unemployment. Overall, the study contributes to a growing contemporaneous research on the consequences of the COVID-19 recession. Motivated by the lack of the research on the spatial aspect of the COVID-19-caused economic recession and its economic impacts upon the vulnerable communities during the later stages, we further contribute to the research gap.

scholarly journals The Impact of Technological Advancement on Digital Addiction Level of Youth in India

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (12S) ◽  
pp. 775-783
Keyword(s):  
Sample Size ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Demographic Variables ◽  
Technological Advancement ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
The People ◽  
Digital Addiction ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Structured Questionnaire

As India is overrunning towards digitalization, and along with showing technological advancements and conveniences, it has also presented some unfortunate consequences for the youth. This research paper focuses on the serious concern of negative effects of technology on the teenagers and youngsters of the country. The researcher has attempted to identify the various factors having influence on youth’s digital addiction level and also analysis the impact of demographic variables on it. The study has been conducted through the structured questionnaire rolling among the people of different age groups to analyse the perception of the different occupation on the addiction level of the youth. With the sample size of 405 people, the finding has uncovered the facts of addiction level, and the mess between the youth and overuse of gadget. The results also suggest how the parents can tackle with the negative effects of technology for the well-being of their children.

scholarly journals Sexual Assault: Women's Voices on the Health Impacts of Not Being Believed by Police

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen McQueen ◽  
Jodie Murphy-Oikonen ◽  
Ainsley Miller ◽  
Lori Chambers
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Public Discourse ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Cumulative Effect ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Impacts ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Women's Voices ◽  
Loss Of Self ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background. Sexual assault is a prevalent crime against women with known negative effects on health. Recent media attention has identified that many sexual assault reports are not believed by police, and therefore coded as “unfounded”. This is consistent with public discourse of inaccurate rape myths that indicate that some women lie about sexual assault. Whereas he actual rate of false reporting is low. Negative reporting experiences of sexual assault have been associated with re-victimization and trauma among survivors. However, little is known about the impact that being sexually assaulted and not believed by police has on a survivor’s health and well-being. Thus, the purpose of this qualitative study was to explore women’s experiences of not being believed by police after sexual assault and their perceived impact on health. Results. Thematic analysis revealed three salient themes: 1) Broken Expectations, 2) Loss of Self, and 3) Cumulative Effect. Within the theme of Broken Expectations, two subthemes emerged including Loss of Trust and Re-victimization.Conclusion. The findings highlighted that not being believed by police resulted in additional mental and social burdens beyond that of the sexual assault. Many survivors felt re-victimized at a time when they needed support, leading to maladaptive coping mechanisms. Having a better understanding of the negative health impacts is important for police, health, and social service providers who may be able to positively influence reporting experience and overall health effects.

scholarly journals The Impact of Writing About Gratitude on the Intention to Engage in Prosocial Behaviors During the COVID-19 Outbreak

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raquel Oliveira ◽  
Aíssa Baldé ◽  
Marta Madeira ◽  
Teresa Ribeiro ◽  
Patrícia Arriaga
Keyword(s):  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Empathic Concern ◽  
Prosocial Behaviors ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Gratitude Intervention ◽  
Prosocial Intentions ◽  
The Impact

The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has quickly swept the globe leaving a devastating trail of lost human lives and leading to a public health and economic crisis. With this in mind, prosociality has been heralded as a potential important factor to overcome the negative effects of the pandemic. As such, in this study, we examined the effectiveness of a brief reflexive writing exercise about recent experiences of gratitude on individuals’ intentions to engage in prosocial behaviors using a sample of 253 participants living in Portugal and 280 participants living in Brazil. Participants were randomly assigned to either a condition in which they were asked to write about recent experiences of gratitude or a control group in which they were asked to write about daily tasks. We predicted that the gratitude intervention would increase state gratitude and, consequently, increase positive affect and empathic concern, and decrease negative affect, leading to increased intentions to engage in prosocial behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. A moderated serial–parallel mediation analysis, in which we controlled for gender, age, and level of religiosity, indicated that our manipulation led to increases in state gratitude, which in turn increased positive emotions and empathic concern, leading to increased prosocial intentions in both countries. A content analysis of participants’ responses in the gratitude group revealed that relationships with others and health and well-being were the central themes of their gratitude experiences during the COVID-19 global pandemic.

scholarly journals Impact of caring for people living with HIV on the psychosocial well-being of palliative caregivers

Curationis ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lavashni Valjee ◽  
Alta C. Van Dyk
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Stress ◽  
Psychosocial Support ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Coping Mechanisms ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Living With Hiv ◽  
The Impact

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) continues to be a serious public health issue, and it is often the caregivers who carry the brunt of the epidemic. Caregivers of people with AIDS face distinctive demands that could make them more prone to occupational stress, with serious consequences for their psychosocial well-being. The impact of caring for people living with HIV infection on the psychosocial well-being of palliative caregivers was investigated using in-depth interviews and questionnaires in 28 participants. The results indicated no burnout, but occupational stress was prevalent. Factors impacting negatively on well-being were stressors inherent in AIDS care, such as suffering and dying of the persons being cared for, work-related stressors such as heavy workload, lack of support and ineffective coping mechanisms. Positive aspects of caring such as job satisfaction, holistic palliative care, effective coping mechanisms and psychosocial support were identified. Recommendations to curb the negative effects of caregiving are provided.

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