scholarly journals ECOLOGY AND PREVENTIVE MEDICINE: PROBLEMS OF INTERACTION

2019 ◽  
Vol 98 (4) ◽  
pp. 353-358 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. I. Melnichenko ◽  
A. M. Bolshakov ◽  
Vladimir D. Meleshenko ◽  
I. K. Ostapovich ◽  
T. M. Khodykina

The authors made an attempt to show the differentiation and integration of preventive medical Sciences and ecological disciplines as a complex dialectical process characteristic for the development of the science of the late 20th - early 21st centuries, and to analyze the methodological links of preventive medical Sciences with numerous ecological disciplines developed in recent decades. The article deals with the processes of formation of new ecological disciplines studying the system “environment - human”, a comparative analysis of preventive medical and environmental Sciences on their goals, subjects and objects of study. The study of the environmental impact on human health was shown to be carried out by already formed medical Sciences, and primarily preventive orientation (General hygiene, Social hygiene, Communal hygiene, Food hygiene, Occupational health, Military hygiene, Radiation hygiene, etc.), having accumulated considerable experience in the areas of knowledge studied by them. Disciplines arising from the differentiation of the environment and studying the preservation of life and health, in essence, duplicate preventive medical Sciences, which inevitably leads to the repetition of the path and does not give the desired results in the increment and development of new scientific knowledge. At the same time, the process of interaction and unification of efforts of preventive medical Sciences and environmental disciplines can make a significant contribution to the successful solution of such important state tasks as the preservation of public health and environmental protection from the negative impact of anthropogenic factors. The application of a systematic interdisciplinary approach in the interaction of preventive medical Sciences and environmental disciplines involves the presence of scientific facts, a complex of deep knowledge in the areas under study, the development of a number of theories, as well as the analysis of environmental and medical problems.

2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 116-123
Author(s):  
A. P. Korzh ◽  
T. V. Zahovalko

Recently, the number of published works devoted to the processes of synanthropization of fauna, is growing like an avalanche, which indicates the extreme urgency of this theme. In our view, the process of forming devices to coexist with human and the results of his life reflects the general tandency of the modern nature evolution. Urbanization is characteristic for such a specific group of animals like amphibians, the evidence of which are numerous literature data. Many researchers use this group to assess the bioindicative quality of the environment. For this aim a variety of indicators are used: from the cellular level of life of organization up to the species composition of the group in different territories. At the same time, the interpretation of the results is not always comparable for different areas and often have significantly different interpretations by experts. Urban environment, primarily due to the contamination is extremely aggressive to amphibians. As a consequence, the urban populations of amphibians may be a change in the demographic structure, affecting the reproductive ability of the population, the disappearance of the most sensitive species or individuals, resizing animals, the appearance of abnormalities in the development, etc. At the same time play an important amphibians in the ecosystems of cities, and some species in these conditions even feel relatively comfortable. Therefore, it is interesting to understand the mechanisms of self-sustaining populations of amphibians in urban environments. To assess the impact of natural and anthropogenic factors on the development of amphibian populations were used cognitive modeling using the program Vensim PLE. Cognitive map of the model for urban and suburban habitat conditions were the same. The differences concerned the strength of connections between individual factors (migration, fertility, pollution) and their orientation. In general, factors like pollution, parasites, predators had negative impact on the population, reducing its number. The birth rate, food and migration contributed to raising number of individuals. Some of the factors affected on the strength to of each other as well: the majority of the factors affected the structure of the population, had an influence on the fertility. Thanks to it the model reflects the additive effect of complex of factors on the subsequent status of the population. Proposed and analyzed four scenarios differing strength and duration of exposure. In the first scenario, a one-time contamination occurs and not subsequently repeated. The second and third scenario assumes half board contamination, 1 year (2 scenario) and two years (scenario 3). In the fourth scenario, the pollution affected the population of amphibians constantly. In accordance with the results of simulation, much weaker than the natural populations respond to pollution - have them as an intensive population growth and its disappearance at constant pollution is slow. Changes to other parameters of the model showed that this pollution is the decisive factor -only the constant action leads to a lethal outcome for the populations. All other components of the model have a corrective effect on the population dynamics, without changing its underlying trand. In urban areas due to the heavy impact of pollution maintaining the population is only possible thanks to the migration process – the constant replenishment of diminishing micropopulations of natural reserves. This confirms the assumption that the form of existence metapopulations lake frog in the city. In order to maintain the number of amphibians in urban areas at a high level it is necessary to maintain existing migration routes and the creation of new ones. Insular nature of the placement of suitable habitats in urban areas causes the metapopulation structure of the types of urbanists. Therefore, the process of urbanization is much easier for those species whicht are capable of migration in conditions of city. In the initial stages of settling the city micropopulationis formed by selective mortality of the most susceptible individuals to adverse effects. In future, maintaining the categories of individuals is provided mainly due to migration processes metapopulisation form of the species of existence is supported). It should be noted that the changes in the previous levels are always saved in future. In the case of reorganizations of individuals we of morphology can assume the existence of extremely adverse environmental conditions that threaten the extinction of the micropopulations. 


Author(s):  
Kgomotso Lebelo ◽  
Ntsoaki Malebo ◽  
Mokgaotsa Jonas Mochane ◽  
Muthoni Masinde

Historically, chemicals exceeding maximum allowable exposure levels have been disastrous to underdeveloped countries. The global food industry is primarily affected by toxic chemical substances because of natural and anthropogenic factors. Food safety is therefore threatened due to contamination by chemicals throughout the various stages of food production. Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in the form of pesticides and other chemical substances such as Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) have a widely documented negative impact due to their long-lasting effect on the environment. This present review focuses on the chemical contamination pathways along the various stages of food production until the food reaches the consumer. The contamination of food can stem from various sources such as the agricultural sector and pollution from industrialized regions through the air, water, and soil. Therefore, it is imperative to control the application of chemicals during food packaging, the application of pesticides, and antibiotics in the food industry to prevent undesired residues on foodstuffs. Ultimately, the protection of consumers from food-related chemical toxicity depends on stringent efforts from regulatory authorities both in developed and underdeveloped nations.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Afsaneh Dehnad ◽  
Maryam Jalali ◽  
Saeed Shahabi ◽  
Parviz Mojgani ◽  
Shoaleh Bigdeli

Abstract Background Supportive co-teaching (SCT) is the practice of employing two or more experts whose knowledge and experiences are needed simultaneously to make a connection across different disciplines in a classroom. Although this interdisciplinary approach seems to be beneficial, there are many features which need further examination. This study was conducted to systematically review studies addressing the use of this approach and learners’ views on SCT in medical sciences. Methods We searched for the studies addressing students’ views on SCT in medical sciences from January1st 2000 to June 31st, 2019. All the studies, both quantitative and qualitative published in English language, investigating the students’ views on SCT, in non-clinical courses in the setting of medical sciences were included. We searched electronic databases of PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, WHO Global Health Library, Health Systems Evidence, and ERIC with the keywords and phrases related to the topic which were: “co-teaching”, “team teaching”, “collaborative teaching”, “peer-to-peer co-teaching”, “partnership teaching”, and“ teacher collaboration”. Results By the initial search, 9806 studies were found and after deletion of duplicates and screening, 111 remained for selection. Upon the independent review by two researchers, we were able to discern 12 studies eligible to be included for data extraction. All the studies reported positive views of the students towards SCT although some identified concerns and drawbacks. The students stated that they could better perceive the relationship between basic and clinical sciences, were more engaged in the learning process, and their learning experience was optimized in a course directed by SCT. Conclusion Overall, the students showed positive views of this approach of teaching, and their grades indicated they learned better than expected. However, mismatch and lack of coordination between instructors would make the class distracting, confusing and even disturbing. Further studies investigating different variables related to teachers and students in SCT classes are suggested.


2021 ◽  
Vol 145 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 311-321
Author(s):  
Damir Ugarković ◽  
Nenad Potočić ◽  
Marko Orešković ◽  
Krešimir Popić ◽  
Mladen Ognjenović ◽  
...  

Tree dieback is a complex process involving negative impact of various abiotic, biotic and anthropogenic factors. Climate change, comprising all those effects, is generally considered as the largest threat to forest ecosystems in Europe. Although the scale of climate change impacts on forests is not yet fully understood, especially on the regional or species level, significant damage seems to be caused by weather extremes, such as drought and strong winds. With the expected increase in the number, length, and/or intensity of extreme weather events in Croatia, research into the causes of tree mortality is both important and timely. Silver fir is the most damaged and endangered conifer tree species in Croatia. The dieback of silver fir can be attributed to various factors, therefore the goals of this research were to determine the mortality of silver fir trees (by number and volume) for various causes of mortality, among which the climatic and structural parameters were of most interest. The twenty-year data for tree mortality in pure silver fir stands in the area of Fužine (Gorski kotar, Croatia) were collected and analysed. The largest number and volume of dead trees was caused by complex (multiple causes) dieback in the overstorey (0,75 N/ha, 2,35 m<sup>3</sup>/ha), and the smallest (0,17 N/ha, 0,02 m<sup>3</sup>/ha) by dieback of supressed trees. No significant differences were determined regarding the timing of tree death for different causes of mortality. Climatic parameters (drought, air temperature, PET) and structural parameters of the stands (tree DBH, social position, crown diameter, shading, physiological maturity) as well as plot inclination were found to be the factors of a significant influence on the mortality of silver fir trees.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael Freire ◽  
Melanie Massaro ◽  
Simon McDonald ◽  
Philip Trathan ◽  
Christine J. Nicol

Wild penguins are facing increased threats to their populations and their welfare as a consequence of human activities. Understanding the perception of animal welfare is essential to identify ethical concerns related to the negative impact of anthropogenic factors on wild species and to guide conservation efforts that reflect societal values. Since penguin conservation is of general interest, we examined the human dimension of welfare assessment across a range of interest groups concerned with penguins, seabird biology and wildlife conservation. We provided participants with a Penguin Welfare Assessment Tool (PWAT) based on the five domains model. The PWAT supports consideration of the impact of four physical aspects on welfare-relevant mental states. Bibliometric analysis of keywords from 347 scientific articles indicated that penguins around the world face five main types (themes) of anthropogenic factors and we then developed five hypothetical scenarios, each related to one theme. Seventy-five participants scored the overall impact of the events described in the scenarios on penguin welfare as negative using the PWAT. Participants rated short-duration, high-intensity events (i.e., being trapped in a ghost fishing net) as having a significantly more severe impact on penguin welfare than low-intensity, long-duration events (P &lt; 0.0001). Scores provided by participants for each domain for each scenario were largely as expected and we found good correlation (all P &lt; 0.0001) between the physical domains and “mental state” for all scenarios, indicating that the tool was facilitating the participants' assessment of welfare. No evidence was found that experience of working or studying penguins, or indeed any other demographic factor investigated, influenced the assessments of welfare. We found little agreement between participants in the scores provided (unalike scores mostly between 0.7 and 0.8), and agreement between participants with experience of working with penguins was no better than between participants without such experience. We discuss the possibility that low agreement within different interest groups may be improved by providing more scientific information to support the evaluation of penguin welfare. We conclude that scientific knowledge of penguin biological responses to anthropogenic factors is vital to support the evaluation of wild penguin welfare by the public and other stakeholders.


Author(s):  
Dennis C. Daley ◽  
Antoine Douaihy

Children of parents with SUDs are at increased risk for alcohol and drug use, behavior problems, school problems, depression and anxiety, and medical problems. Children can appear fine on the outside but suffer quietly on the inside, especially if they keep feelings, fears, and worries bottled up. Not all people, including children, are affected by a parent’s SUD in the same way. Strong connections with school, religious community, adults and mentors (teachers, coaches, relatives, friends), and involvement in meaningful activities (academic, creative, athletic, social) may help offset some of the negative impact of living in a family with an SUD. Many children show resilience and cope with difficult situations, including having a parent with an SUD.


Symmetry ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 1317 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Shadrina ◽  
Nina Turmukhametova ◽  
Victoria Soldatova ◽  
Yakov Vol'pert ◽  
Irina Korotchenko ◽  
...  

The fluctuating asymmetry (FA) in Betula pendula Roth was estimated as an integrated measure of five morphometric characteristics of a lamina. Samples were collected in seven cities that differ both in climatic conditions, moderately to sharply continental. In total, 33 ecotopes were distinguished with various level of anthropogenic load. The statistical data processing involved correlation, one-way and factorial ANOVA, regression analyses, and principal component analysis (PCA). The impact of 25 climatic and anthropogenic factors on the FA value was considered. In most urban ecotopes, the integrated fluctuating asymmetry (IFA) value was higher than in natural biotopes of the same region. No significant inter-annual differences in IFA values were found. FA dependence on traffic load is noted to be statistically significant. The covariation analysis of IFA, climatic, and anthropogenic variables in various urban ecotopes revealed the impact of three groups of factors that together explain 93% of the variance in environmental parameters. The complex analysis clearly arranged the studied ecotopes by pollution gradient and climatic patterns. The primary effect of the total anthropogenic load on the developmental stability of B. pendula results in an IFA increase. IFA can play a key role in bioindication assessment of environmental quality. The climatic factors have no significant effect on the developmental stability of B. pendula in urban conditions.


Author(s):  
Angeliki Peponi ◽  
Paulo Morgado

“Smart city”, “sustainable city”, “ubiquitous city”, “smart sustainable city”, “eco-city”, “regenerative city” are fuzzy concepts; they are established to mitigate the negative impact on urban growth while achieving economic, social, and environmental sustainability. This study presents the result of the literature network analysis exploring the state of the art in the concepts of smart and regenerative urban growth under urban metabolism framework. Heat-maps of impact citations, cutting-edge research on the topic, tip-top ideas, concepts, and theories are highlighted and revealed through VOSviewer bibliometrics based on a selection of 1686 documents acquired from Web of Science, for a timespan between 2010 and 2019. This study discloses that urban growth is a complex phenomenon that covers social, economic, and environmental aspects, and the overlaps between them, leading to a diverse range of concepts on urban development. In regards to our concepts of interest, smart, and regenerative urban growth, we see that there is an absence of conceptual contiguity since both concepts have been approached on an individual basis. This fact unveils the need to adopt a more holistic and interdisciplinary approach to urban planning and design, integrating these concepts to improve the quality of life and public health in urban areas.


2018 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-32
Author(s):  
Željka Fiket ◽  
Goran Kniewald

The Zrmanja River estuary is a semi-enclosed bay immersed in a karstic landscape of the eastern Adriatic coast. It represents a highly indented system which includes part of the Zrmanja River, downstream from the Jankovića Buk, the Novigrad and the Karin Seas, and the strait connecting the Novigrad Sea with the Velebit Channel. The very fact that the estuary of the Zrmanja River is located in the karst area makes this system highly vulnerable and susceptible to possible anthropogenic pressures. Preservation of such and similar water systems relies on the knowledge of the main factors that govern its physical, chemical, biological and geochemical features. Due to the lack of geochemical data for the Zrmanja River estuary, a comprehensive study was carried out to explain sedimentation processes and the origin of the material within this estuary and provide additional knowledge necessary for its sustainable use and preservation. This paper, therefore, attempts to summarize the obtained data, focusing on the main natural and anthropogenic factors that define the geochemistry of the Zrmanja River estuary.


2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominika Dąbrowska ◽  
Marek Sołtysiak

Abstract Many plant and animal species are closely related to the aquatic environment. Small reservoirs are a place of the biodiversity concentration. Reservoirs are especially important for amphibian species as a place of feeding, shelter and wintering. Many anthropogenic factors has a significant impact on the natural values of water reservoirs (surroundings of the water reservoirs, the shore`s type, distance from roads and buildings, the role of the object and the chemical status). They can eliminate or change amphibian population. The effect of three such factors was determined for one of the cities in the Upper Silesian Agglomeration - Sosnowiec (91 km2). The paper presents an assessment of the impact of the type of surroundings, the percentage share of the open space around water reservoirs and the distance from roads and buildings on the number of amphibian species present in the reservoir. In the analysis were taken into account 20 reservoirs, in which amphibian species were found. This analysis indicates the influence urban factors on the number of amphibian species in water reservoirs based on positive correlations in the case of Spearman Rank correlation and the Fisher’s exact test. Results of these calculations highlight the negative impact of the anthropopressure (the changes in the environment) on the amphibian breeding places and the biodiversity.


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