scholarly journals Emotional associations with soundscape reflect human-environment relationships

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paola Moscoso ◽  
Mika Peck ◽  
Alice Eldridge
Keyword(s):  
Social Groups ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Urban Landscapes ◽  
Potential Contribution ◽  
Natural Sounds ◽  
Human Environment ◽  
Landscape Modification ◽  
Human Wellbeing ◽  
The Impact

In line with the development of socio-ecological perspectives in conservation science, there is increasing interest in the role of soundscape perception in understanding human-environment interactions; the impact of natural soundscapes on human wellbeing is also increasingly recognized. However, research to date has focused on preferences and attitudes to western, urban locations. This study investigated individual emotional associations with local soundscape for three social groups living in areas with distinct degrees of urbanization, from pristine forest and pre-urban landscapes in Ecuador, to urban environments in UK and USA. Participants described sounds that they associated with a range of emotions, both positive and negative, which were categorized according to an adapted version of Schafer’s sound classification scheme. Analyses included a description of the sound types occurring in each environment, an evaluation of the associations between sound types and emotions across social groups, and the elaboration of a soundscape perception map. Statistical analyses revealed that the distribution of sound types differed between groups, reflecting essential traits of each soundscape, and tracing the gradient of urbanization. However, some associations were universal: Natural Sounds were primarily associated with positive emotions, whereas Mechanical and Industrial Sounds were linked to negative emotions. Within non-urban environments, natural sounds were associated with a much wider range of emotions. Our analyses suggest that Natural Sounds could be considered as valuable natural resources that promotes human wellbeing. Special attention is required within these endangered forest locations, which should be classified as a “threatened soundscapes,” as well as “threatened ecosystems,” as we begin to understand the role of soundscape for the wellbeing of the local communities. The methodology presented in this article offers a fast, cheap tool for identifying reactions towards landscape modification and identifying sounds of social relevance. The potential contribution of soundscape perception within the current conservation approaches is discussed.

scholarly journals Molecular Hydrogen, a Neglected Key Driver of Soil Biogeochemical Processes

2019 ◽  
Vol 85 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Piché-Choquette ◽  
Philippe Constant
Keyword(s):  
Energy Requirement ◽  
Keystone Species ◽  
Physiological Role ◽  
Atp Synthesis ◽  
Potential Contribution ◽  
Biogeochemical Processes ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
C Cycling ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTThe atmosphere of the early Earth is hypothesized to have been rich in reducing gases such as hydrogen (H2). H2has been proposed as the first electron donor leading to ATP synthesis due to its ubiquity throughout the biosphere as well as its ability to easily diffuse through microbial cells and its low activation energy requirement. Even today, hydrogenase enzymes enabling the production and oxidation of H2are found in thousands of genomes spanning the three domains of life across aquatic, terrestrial, and even host-associated ecosystems. Even though H2has already been proposed as a universal growth and maintenance energy source, its potential contribution as a driver of biogeochemical cycles has received little attention. Here, we bridge this knowledge gap by providing an overview of the classification, distribution, and physiological role of hydrogenases. Distribution of these enzymes in various microbial functional groups and recent experimental evidence are finally integrated to support the hypothesis that H2-oxidizing microbes are keystone species driving C cycling along O2concentration gradients found in H2-rich soil ecosystems. In conclusion, we suggest focusing on the metabolic flexibility of H2-oxidizing microbes by combining community-level and individual-level approaches aiming to decipher the impact of H2on C cycling and the C-cycling potential of H2-oxidizing microbes, via both culture-dependent and culture-independent methods, to give us more insight into the role of H2as a driver of biogeochemical processes.

scholarly journals Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Urban Development

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 4964
Author(s):  
Ingo Kowarik ◽  
Leonie K. Fischer ◽  
Dave Kendal
Keyword(s):  
Urban Development ◽  
Biodiversity Conservation ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Sustainable Urban Development ◽  
Urban Landscapes ◽  
Sustainable Cities ◽  
Cultural Ecosystem Services ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Conservation Policies

Urbanization is a major driver of environmental change and is closely linked to the future of biodiversity. Cities can host a high richness of plants and animals, and this urban biodiversity supports multiple regulating, provisioning and cultural ecosystem services. Developing biodiversity-friendly cities is thus inextricably linked to sustainable urban development and human wellbeing. The contributions to this Special Issue on “Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Urban Development” in the journal Sustainability illustrate the role of urban environments as pressures on biodiversity, and envision pathways towards developing more biodiverse urban environments that are accepted and supported by people. Contributions reveal promising opportunities for conserving biodiversity within many urban landscapes. The insights from this Special Issue can support urban conservation policies and their implementation in the development of sustainable cities.

Individuals matter: predicting koala road crossing behaviour in south-east Queensland

2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 67 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. E. Dexter ◽  
R. G. Appleby ◽  
J. Scott ◽  
J. P. Edgar ◽  
D. N. Jones
Keyword(s):  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Urban Landscapes ◽  
Phascolarctos Cinereus ◽  
The Road ◽  
Crossing Structures ◽  
Dramatic Decline ◽  
Road Mitigation ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Road Crossing

The ability to predict the frequency with which koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) cross roads is an important step in developing mitigation strategies aimed at maintaining metapopulation viability for this species. In south-east Queensland, Australia, rapid urban development, including fragmentation and vehicle-related mortality, has contributed to a dramatic decline in local koala populations. Assessment of wildlife crossing structures that mitigates the impact of roads demonstrates these to be beneficial for many species. However, building enough structures to enable animals to move freely across impacted landscapes may be prohibitive in complex urban landscapes. The focus for this study was to consider the role of differing characteristics for species at risk. We examined the frequency of road crossings by individual koalas among six subpopulations in south-east Queensland. We explored the influence of potential predictor variables including: age, sex, and distance from roads. We established that road crossings were limited to a subset of individuals, with only 18 of 51 (~35%) koalas studied ever crossing a road. We found that koalas were disproportionately more likely to cross a road if they had initially been found within a distance of 100 m of that road. Males were more likely to cross roads than females, as were koalas aged less than five years. We suggest that successful wildlife road mitigation can be improved by better understanding the road-crossing behaviour of species such as the koala.

scholarly journals Urban ecophysiology: beyond costs, stress and biomarkers

2020 ◽  
Vol 223 (22) ◽  
pp. jeb203794
Author(s):  
Caroline Isaksson
Keyword(s):  
Physiological Responses ◽  
Redox System ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Evolutionary Context ◽  
Urban Conditions ◽  
System Metabolism ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Physiological Systems

ABSTRACTNatural habitats are rapidly declining due to urbanisation, with a concomitant decline in biodiversity in highly urbanised areas. Yet thousands of different species have colonised urban environments. These organisms are exposed to novel urban conditions, which are sometimes beneficial, but most often challenging, such as increased ambient temperature, chemicals, noise and light pollution, dietary alterations and disturbance by humans. Given the fundamental role of physiological responses in coping with such conditions, certain physiological systems such as the redox system, metabolism and hormones are thought to specifically influence organisms’ ability to persist and cope with urbanisation. However, these physiological systems often show mixed responses to urbanisation. Does this mean that some individuals, populations or species are resilient to the urban environmental challenges? Or is something missing from our analyses, leading us to erroneous conclusions regarding the impact of urbanisation? To understand the impact of urbanisation, I argue that a more integrated mechanistic and ecological approach is needed, along with experiments, in order to fully understand the physiological responses; without knowledge of their ecological and evolutionary context, physiological measures alone can be misinterpreted. Furthermore, we need to further investigate the causes of and capacity for individual plasticity in order to understand not only the impact of urbanisation, but also species resilience. I argue that abiotic and biotic urban factors can interact (e.g. pollution with micro- and macronutrients) to either constrain or relax individual physiological responses – and, thereby, plasticity – on a temporal and/or spatial scale, which can lead to erroneous conclusions regarding the impact of urbanisation.

scholarly journals Impact of transposable elements on the genome of the urban malaria vector Anopheles coluzzii

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Vargas-Chavez ◽  
Neil Michel Longo Pendy ◽  
Sandrine E. Nsango ◽  
Laura Aguilera ◽  
Diego Ayala ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Transposable Elements ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Central Africa ◽  
Organic Pollution ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Anopheles Coluzzii ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTBackgroundAnopheles coluzzii is one of the primary vectors of human malaria in sub-Saharan Africa. Recently, it has colonized the main cities of Central Africa threatening vector control programs. The adaptation of An. coluzzii to urban environments is partly due to an increased tolerance to organic pollution and insecticides. While some of the molecular mechanisms for ecological adaptation, including chromosome rearrangements and introgressions, are known, the role of transposable elements (TEs) in the adaptive processes of this species has not been studied yet.ResultsTo better understand the role of TEs in rapid urban adaptation, we sequenced using long-reads six An. coluzzii genomes from natural breeding sites in two major Central Africa cities. We de novo annotated the complete set of TEs and identified 64 previously undescribed families. TEs were non-randomly distributed throughout the genome with significant differences in the number of insertions of several superfamilies across the studied genomes. We identified seven putatively active families with insertions near genes with functions related to vectorial capacity. Moreover, we identified several TE insertions providing promoter and transcription factor binding sites to insecticide resistance and immune-related genes.ConclusionsThe analysis of multiple genomes sequenced using long-read technologies allowed us to generate the most comprehensive TE annotations in this species to date. We found that TEs have an impact in both the genome architecture and the regulation of functionally relevant genes in An. coluzzii. These results provide a basis for future studies of the impact of TEs on the biology of An. coluzzii.

scholarly journals Blue-Green infrastructure determines the microclimate mitigation potential targeted for urban cooling

2021 ◽  
Vol 918 (1) ◽  
pp. 012010
Author(s):  
R Sanusi ◽  
M Jalil
Keyword(s):  
Air Temperature ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Open Space ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Tree Canopy ◽  
Urban Landscapes ◽  
Community Benefits ◽  
Tree Canopy Cover ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Urban Heat Island (UHI) exacerbated by global warming can increase the thermal load in cities, which leads to more extreme climate events. One of the strategies to mitigate the impact of extreme climates and UHI is through nature-based solutions such as the Blue-Green Infrastructure as it provides environmental and community benefits However, Blue-Green Infrastructure’s role in urban cooling in the tropics still needs to be further investigated. Therefore, this study examined the role of Blue-Green Infrastructure on microclimate modifications in an urban park. Microclimate measurements were made using systematic random sampling with random start (total of 64 sampling points) at a waterbody (Blue Infrastructure) and tree and grass (Green Infrastructure) areas during solar noon time (1200-1400). Blue-Green Infrastructure showed greater microclimate benefits compared to the open space with the reduction of air temperature by up 1.6°C. However, green infrastructure had greater cooling benefits compared to Blue Infrastructure especially trees with significantly lower air temperature and solar radiation interception (0.71°C and 250.3 W/m2, respectively) as well as higher relative humidity (12.17%). Moreover, stand characteristics determine the microclimate mitigation function. This study provides a useful indication of the role of blue and green spaces in urban cooling, where it further emphasizes the importance of Blue-Green Infrastructure utilization in urban landscapes. It further recommends that urban planners, managers and policymakers should consider these strategies for urban cooling purposes : 1) Utilising Blue and Green Infrastructures especially trees 2) Tree canopy cover and DBH should be set as priority traits.

scholarly journals Effects of Temporary Markets on Spatial Inter-relations: A behavioural analysis of a public realm in the UK

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 41
Author(s):  
Ali Cheshmehzangi ◽  
Tim Heath
Keyword(s):  
Urban Space ◽  
Publishing House ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Public Realm ◽  
Urban Identity ◽  
The Public ◽  
International Publishing ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

This research focuses upon the socio-environmental dimensions and urban identity of urban environments by evaluating human behaviours and space-to-human relations. In addition, approaches to urban re-branding will be analysed to evaluate the role of engineered identities in enhancing social integration. This particular study will focus upon the installation of temporary activities into the public realm and the impact that these can have upon perception, identity and activity within public spaces. A case study of temporary markets taking place in Nottingham’s Old Market Square in the UK will be evaluated to explore possibilities of maximising the potential of urban space. Keywords: human behaviour, urban identity, spatial inter-relation, socio-environmental © 2017. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BYNC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.

Neoliberalism and Linguistic Governmentality

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luisa Martín Rojo
Keyword(s):  
Final Section ◽  
Social Groups ◽  
Language Policies ◽  
Neoliberal Governmentality ◽  
Educational Programmes ◽  
Current Context ◽  
The Impact

This chapter examines the role of language policies, ideologies, knowledge, and practices in the expansion and consolidation of neoliberalism and the forms of governance that emerge from it. It explores the current context of neoliberalism, explaining how it becomes a practice of governance of individuals and social groups. Adopting Foucault’s concept of governmentality, the chapter traces the main features of neoliberal governmentality, including its linguistic components. The chapter examines how neoliberalism is transforming language policies, educational programmes, and practices through the discourses of personal enterprise and language as profit. The impact of these discourses on speakers’ experiences and trajectories, particularly in the processes of linguistic self-training and capitalisation, are examined, as well as new forms of subjectivity that emerge from these processes. The final section discusses how the effects of neoliberalism as a practice of governance provide a window to a better understanding of the changes and challenges of language policies.

scholarly journals The Role of Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cell Derived Extracellular Vesicles (MSC-EVs) in Normal and Abnormal Hematopoiesis and Their Therapeutic Potential

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 856 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aristea K. Batsali ◽  
Anthie Georgopoulou ◽  
Irene Mavroudi ◽  
Angelos Matheakakis ◽  
Charalampos G. Pontikoglou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Bone Marrow ◽  
Extracellular Vesicles ◽  
Therapeutic Potential ◽  
Biological Effects ◽  
Potential Contribution ◽  
Scale Production ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem ◽  
The Impact

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) represent a heterogeneous cellular population responsible for the support, maintenance, and regulation of normal hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). In many hematological malignancies, however, MSCs are deregulated and may create an inhibitory microenvironment able to induce the disease initiation and/or progression. MSCs secrete soluble factors including extracellular vesicles (EVs), which may influence the bone marrow (BM) microenvironment via paracrine mechanisms. MSC-derived EVs (MSC-EVs) may even mimic the effects of MSCs from which they originate. Therefore, MSC-EVs contribute to the BM homeostasis but may also display multiple roles in the induction and maintenance of abnormal hematopoiesis. Compared to MSCs, MSC-EVs have been considered a more promising tool for therapeutic purposes including the prevention and treatment of Graft Versus Host Disease (GVHD) following allogenic HSC transplantation (HSCT). There are, however, still unanswered questions such as the molecular and cellular mechanisms associated with the supportive effect of MSC-EVs, the impact of the isolation, purification, large-scale production, storage conditions, MSC source, and donor characteristics on MSC-EV biological effects as well as the optimal dose and safety for clinical usage. This review summarizes the role of MSC-EVs in normal and malignant hematopoiesis and their potential contribution in treating GVHD.

scholarly journals The Role of Education in Irish Public Service Broadcasting

2004 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 5-22
Author(s):  
Bernie Grummell
Keyword(s):  
Public Service ◽  
The Political ◽  
Economic Systems ◽  
Potential Contribution ◽  
Irish Society ◽  
Service Model ◽  
The Public ◽  
Radio Broadcasting ◽  
The Impact

The media's contribution to the creation of a healthy public sphere and civil society is the focus of public debate, especially in the light of concerns about the impact on them of the economic and political spheres. The media's ideal contribution to the development of a democratic society has traditionally been framed within the structures of the public service model of broadcasting, where education plays a crucial role. This article traces the evolution of education in Irish broadcasting, exploring the consequences for Irish democracy and civil life. It outlines how education's potential contribution has continually been shaped by the institutional demands of the political and economic systems, including the cultural nationalist ethos of early radio broadcasting, its role in the modernisation of Irish society, and the growth of commercialism and pluralist approaches. These trends had a formative influence on education's role in Irish broadcasting, and consequently on the civic and democratic lives of Irish citizens.

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