scholarly journals Down the Sewer: How Semi-Informal Tanneries Management Policies Affect Residual Water Disposal in Colombian Business Scenarios

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-26
Author(s):  
Omar BORDA ◽  
Gregorio PUELLO-SOCARRÁS
Keyword(s):  
Control Strategies ◽  
Field Work ◽  
Organizational Level ◽  
Common Denominator ◽  
Residual Water ◽  
Business Practices ◽  
Leather Industry ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Discussion Section ◽  
Tanning Process

In Colombia, the issue of waste discharges derived from the tanning process to water bodies is a scenario that has been widely documented. However, measurement exercises have failed to identify improvements in this process that integrates administrative knowledge with concepts of labor, social and environmental welfare. The present article is the culmination of research conducted within the framework of the project “Estudio comparativo de la administración y las repercusiones socio-ambientales en las empresas del sector de curtiembre. Case Bogotá (Barrio San Benito), Case Barranquilla and Case Villapinzón (Cundinamarca)” (Comparative study of the administration and the socio-environmental repercussions in tanning sector companies. Case Bogotá (Barrio San Benito), Case Barranquilla and Case Villapinzón (Cundinamarca)) concerning the administrative practices and the negative effects derived from the absence of management systems for negative externalities caused to the environment by companies in the tanning sector. The study was developed as follows: initially, a systematic documentary review of the laws, decrees and regulations that have a direct or indirect impact on the tanning sector was carried out, followed by field work using data collection instruments (questionnaires) in the San Benito neighborhood (Bogotá), in the town of Villapinzón (Cundinamarca) and in the city of Barranquilla (Atlántico), where there are formal and informal work clusters dedicated to the leather industry. The objective of this study was to identify the relationship between administrative styles and formal processes of strategic planning activities development with the adoption of dumping control systems and other aspects related to environmental management, oriented to the organizational level. Based on the above, the information was analyzed with emphasis on those companies with a common denominator in their control strategies in relation to those policies that were the result of administrative and business practices and that finally led to the desired effects in the social, environmental and economic spheres. Finally, the discussion section focuses on the recognition of these good practices and the possibility that they could be replicated by other actors on the global level.

scholarly journals Composite Polymers from Leather Waste to Produce Smart Fertilizers

Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (24) ◽  
pp. 4351
Author(s):  
Daniela Simina Stefan ◽  
Magdalena Bosomoiu ◽  
Rodica Roxana Constantinescu ◽  
Madalina Ignat
Keyword(s):  
Waste Disposal ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
The Other ◽  
Leather Industry ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Chemical Fertilizers ◽  
New Class ◽  
Composite Polymers ◽  
Tanning Process ◽  
Leather Wastes

The leather industry is facing important environmental issues related to waste disposal. The waste generated during the tanning process is an important resource of protein (mainly collagen) which can be extracted and reused in different applications (e.g., medical, agricultural, leather industry). On the other side, the utilization of chemical fertilizers must be decreased because of the negative effects associated to an extensive use of conventional chemical fertilizers. This review presents current research trends, challenges and future perspectives with respect to the use of hide waste to produce composite polymers that are further transformed in smart fertilizers. Hide waste contains mostly protein (collagen that is a natural polymer), that is extracted to be used in the cross-linking with water soluble copolymers to obtain the hydrogels which are further valorised as smart fertilizers. Smart fertilizers are a new class of fertilizers which allow the controlled release of the nutrients in synchronization with the plant’s demands. Characteristics of hide and leather wastes are pointed out. The fabrication methods of smart fertilizers and the mechanisms for the nutrients release are extensively discussed. This novel method is in agreement with the circular economy concepts and solves, on one side, the problem of hide waste disposal, and on the other side produces smart fertilizers that can successfully replace conventional chemical fertilizers.

scholarly journals An Agent-Based Crop Model Framework for Heterogeneous Soils

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 85
Author(s):  
Jorge Lopez-Jimenez ◽  
Nicanor Quijano ◽  
Alain Vande Wouwer
Keyword(s):  
Growth Models ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Soil Heterogeneity ◽  
Crop Growth ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Model Framework ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Crop Growth Models ◽  
Definition Of

Climate change and the efficient use of freshwater for irrigation pose a challenge for sustainable agriculture. Traditionally, the prediction of agricultural production is carried out through crop-growth models and historical records of the climatic variables. However, one of the main flaws of these models is that they do not consider the variability of the soil throughout the cultivation area. In addition, with the availability of new information sources (i.e., aerial or satellite images) and low-cost meteorological stations, it is convenient that the models incorporate prediction capabilities to enhance the representation of production scenarios. In this work, an agent-based model (ABM) that considers the soil heterogeneity and water exchanges is proposed. Soil heterogeneity is associated to the combination of individual behaviours of uniform portions of land (agents), while water fluxes are related to the topography. Each agent is characterized by an individual dynamic model, which describes the local crop growth. Moreover, this model considers positive and negative effects of water level, i.e., drought and waterlogging, on the biomass production. The development of the global ABM is oriented to the future use of control strategies and optimal irrigation policies. The model is built bottom-up starting with the definition of agents, and the Python environment Mesa is chosen for the implementation. The validation is carried out using three topographic scenarios in Colombia. Results of potential production cases are discussed, and some practical recommendations on the implementation are presented.

scholarly journals Minimal Effects, Maximum Panic: Social Media and Democracy in Latin America

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 205630512098445
Author(s):  
Eugenia Mitchelstein ◽  
Mora Matassi ◽  
Pablo J. Boczkowski
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Latin America ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Hate Speech ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Electronic Government ◽  
Qualitative Assessment ◽  
Common Denominator ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Positive Effects

In face of public discourses about the negative effects that social media might have on democracy in Latin America, this article provides a qualitative assessment of existing scholarship about the uses, actors, and effects of platforms for democratic life. Our findings suggest that, first, campaigning, collective action, and electronic government are the main political uses of platforms. Second, politicians and office holders, social movements, news producers, and citizens are the main actors who utilize them for political purposes. Third, there are two main positive effects of these platforms for the democratic process—enabling social engagement and information diffusion—and two main negative ones—the presence of disinformation, and the spread of extremism and hate speech. A common denominator across positive and negative effects is that platforms appear to have minimal effects that amplify pre-existing patterns rather than create them de novo.

scholarly journals Novel Antibiofilm Non-Biocidal Strategies

2021 ◽  
pp. 117-136
Author(s):  
Francesca Cappitelli ◽  
Federica Villa
Keyword(s):  
Control Strategies ◽  
Model Systems ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Alternative Strategies ◽  
Biofilm Model ◽  
Biocidal Products ◽  
Multiple Species ◽  
Cultural Heritage Objects ◽  
And Control ◽  
By Products

AbstractSubaerial biofilm (SAB) formation on cultural heritage objects is often considered an undesirable process in which microorganisms and their by-products, e.g., enzymes and pigments, cause damage or alteration to a surface. Since biofilms are widespread phenomena, there has been a high demand for preventive and control strategies that resist their formation or reduce their negative effects once formed. Up to date, the main strategy to control biofilms has been the use of biocides. Because of their intrinsic properties, biocidal products can pose risks to humans, animals, and the environment. In this chapter, the authors call “green” only those alternative strategies to biocides able to prevent/control biofilms but that do not kill microorganisms, i.e., irrespective of the use of natural compounds. Here, we describe some of the methods that are most commonly used to test the effectiveness of antibiofilm compounds with multiple-species biofilm model systems. A unified terminology and well described protocols and guidelines are still required to compare and test the effectiveness of traditional or novel compounds against biofilms retrieved on heritage surfaces.

scholarly journals Detection of Bactrocera oleae (Diptera: Tephritidae) DNA in the gut of the soil species Pseudoophonus rufipes (Coleoptera: Carabidae)

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. e1007
Author(s):  
Alice Albertini ◽  
Sónia A. P. Santos ◽  
Fátima Martins ◽  
José A. Pereira ◽  
Teresa Lino-Neto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Control Strategies ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Olive Tree ◽  
Carabid Beetles ◽  
Bactrocera Oleae ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Cytochrome Oxidase Subunit ◽  
Mtdna Sequences ◽  
Olive Orchard ◽  
Control Service

Pest control service provided by natural enemies of Bactrocera oleae, the key pest of the olive tree, is nowadays recognized as fundamental. B. oleae has developed resistance to common insecticides, and negative effects both on consumers’ health and non-target species are the major drawbacks of conventional control strategies. Carabid beetles are potential B. oleae pupae predators, but their predation on field still need to be assessed. We tested adult Pseudoophonus rufipes, a species known to be active in olive orchard when pest pupae are abundant in the soil, in order to detect B. oleae pupae consumption at different post feeding times for both male and female carabids. An already existing protocol was used for detecting B. oleae mtDNA sequences of the cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene in carabids’ gut, and its versatility improved. B. oleae mtDNA was detected up to 20 h after pupa ingestion with a high percentage of success, without significant differences between sexes and pair primers used. Prey DNA extraction was tested from both dissected and non-dissected carabids, obtaining comparable results. The trapping system used to collect carabids for molecular assays and the new elements introduced in the protocol represent cost-effective solutions that may be beneficial for future laboratory trials and, mostly, for the analysis of field-collected predators. Fostering the investigation of soil predators in olive orchard may increase the design of conservation control strategies against B. oleae.

A multilevel perspective on the perceived effects of COVID-19 on nurses in China

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mengyao Sun ◽  
Sophie Hennekam
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Organizational Level ◽  
Chinese Society ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Perceived Effects ◽  
Multilevel Perspective ◽  
Societal Level ◽  
Depth Interviews

PurposeThis study examines the effects of COVID-19 on individual, organizational and societal level as perceived by nurses in China.Design/methodology/approachWe draw on two qualitative studies consisting of 483 qualitative surveys and 28 in-depth interviews with nurses in China.FindingsThe pandemic has enhanced the profile of the nursing profession in Chinese society and has led to an increase in recognition, respect and visibility of nurses. In addition, participants point to an improved workplace culture in which there is a strong sense of pride in the collective effort they put. Simultaneously, however, nurses reported how COVID-19 was perceived to be detrimental to their own psychological well-being, while also interfering with their work–life balance.Originality/valueThe data reveal the paradoxal effects of COVID-19 on nurses in China. On societal and organizational level, the pandemic seems to have had a positive effect, while on individual level a range of perceived negative effects is identified.

A Vision for the Future: Redeeming Psychology and Business, Managing Managed Care, and Partnering with the Church

1997 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 155-163
Author(s):  
Kirk E. Farnsworth ◽  
Michael W. Regier
Keyword(s):  
Managed Care ◽  
Transformation Process ◽  
Business Practices ◽  
Christian Counseling ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Contractual Relationships ◽  
The Future ◽  
Caring Communities ◽  
Biblical Principles ◽  
The Church

A vision for the future of Christian counseling is presented, focusing on four integration issues: incorporation of psychology and theology into one's practice, integration of business practices and biblical principles, intrusion of managed care into mental health care, and isolation of counselors from the church. The negative effects of professionalism are considered, including the spiritual mediocrity created by contractual relationships. In contrast, covenantal relationships are more biblical as well as foundational to Christian counseling. A covenantal biblical view of reality is discussed, followed by a comparison of the transactional—contract-based—and transformational—covenant-based—approaches to counseling. Engendering covenantal understanding in others, engaging them in covenantal actions and encouraging their ongoing participation in covenant community are pivotal in the future of Christian counseling. Finally, guidelines for the future are given, with special emphasis on partnering with local churches in developing caring communities for the completion of the transformation process.

scholarly journals Coordinated path-following control for networked unmanned surface vehicles

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 172988142093057
Author(s):  
Dong-Liang Chen ◽  
Guo-Ping Liu ◽  
Ru-Bo Zhang ◽  
Xingru Qu
Keyword(s):  
Predictive Control ◽  
Controller Design ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Path Following ◽  
Control Performance ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Unmanned Surface Vehicles ◽  
Path Following Control ◽  
Control Scheme ◽  
Networked Predictive Control

In this article, the coordinated path-following control problem for networked unmanned surface vehicles is investigated. The communication network brings time delays and packet dropouts to the fleet, which will have negative effects on the control performance of the fleet. To attenuate the negative effects, a novel networked predictive control scheme is proposed. By introducing the predictive error into the control scheme, the proposed control strategy admits some advantages compared with existing networked predictive control strategies, for example, a degree of robustness to disturbances, lower requirements for the computing capacity of the onboard processors, high flexibility in controller design, and so on. Conditions that guarantee the control performance of the overall system are derived in the theoretical analysis. At last, experiments on hovercraft test beds are implemented to verify the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme.

scholarly journals Study of the dechroming of tanned leather wastes

2004 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 64-68
Author(s):  
Tatjana Botic ◽  
Nadezda Iliskovic ◽  
Dijana Drljaca
Keyword(s):  
Solid Waste ◽  
Alkaline Hydrolysis ◽  
Leather Industry ◽  
Primary Target ◽  
Initial Amount ◽  
Economic Saving ◽  
Tanning Process ◽  
Leather Wastes ◽  
Oxidation Agent ◽  
Tanning Industry

According to European legislation, it is not possible to dump any chromium-containing waste in Europe. The minimization of wastes is a key element in that strategy. It involves the application of clean technologies: low and non-waste technologies. The tanning industry generates substantial quantities of chromium-containing solid waste in the form of shavings and trimmings. The recycling and reuse of those wastes must be the primary target in optimizing processes of the leather industry. The problem is in a satisfying chromium separation from collagen fibers. Common hydrolysis processes-alkaline or acidic-give gelatins containing residual chromium (III). By using an oxidation agent (H2O2) before alkaline hydrolysis, in was demonstrated that chromium from chromium-containing leather wastes can be almost fully recovered by the previous oxidation of Cr(III) to Cr(VI). This chromium can be reused in the tanning process. That would represent an economic saving. The best result of the dechroming process was a gelatin hydrolyzate with only 1.11 in respect to the initial amount.

scholarly journals Asumispalvelujen hankinnan kehykset

Kuntoutus ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 17-28
Author(s):  
Markku Salo
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Field Work ◽  
Residential Facilities ◽  
Common Denominator ◽  
Service Users ◽  
New Model ◽  
Ground Floor ◽  
Adequate Understanding ◽  
Housing Services

Artikkelissa tarkastellaan, millaisia tavoitteita kunnalliset tilaajat asettavat asumispalveluille. Millaisia tilaamisen viitekehyksiä on tunnistettavissa asumispalvelujen tilaajien teemahaastattelujen perusteella? Analyysin tuloksena tunnistetaan kolme kehystä: julkishallinnollinen vahvan ohjauksen, tuotteistukseen ohjaava ja markkinaehtoinen vahvan ohjauksen kehys. Kehyksiä yhdistää se, ettei hankintaosaamiseen sisälly riittävää ymmärrystä tilattavista palveluista ja tuotteista. Tilaajien tavoitteiden saavuttaminen edellyttäisi asiantuntemuksen uutta jäsentämistä. Palvelun käyttäjien itsenäisen asumisen ja elämän sekä henkilöstön asumisen tuen asiantuntemusta tarvitaan palvelujen tilaamisessa ja näin ollen myös sosiaali- ja terveydenhuollon uudistuksessa – esimerkiksi artikkelissa luonnostellun neljännen, yhteistoiminnallisen kehyksen mukaisesti. Kilpailutus ei ole toimiva väline asumispalvelujen tilaamisessa. Sen merkitystä palvelujen laadun, kustannustehokkuuden ja tuloksellisuuden saavuttamisessa on yliarvioitu. Kilpailutus ei ole suoraan vaikuttanut palvelujen laadun eikä palvelujen käyttäjien aseman kohentumiseen, mihin yhteistoiminnallinen kehys antaa uusia mahdollisuuksia. Avainasemassa on tilaajien aloitteellisuus. Julkisen ohjauksen tehtävänä on velvoittaa kaikkia asianosaisryhmiä tyydyttävään yhteistoimintaan. Abstract Frameworks of Commissioning Residential Facilities for Mental Health and Drug Service Users. In Search of a Collaborative Framework This article analyzes the goals that commissioners of residential facilities for mental health and drug service users try to achieve. Are there specific frameworks of commissioning which can be recognized from analysis of interviews with commissioners? The research material used in this analysis is based on field work in three different parts of Finland. The article recognizes three frameworks of public steering: a strong traditional commissioning; a new model for commodification of services and a strong market based commissioning. The critical common denominator of these frameworks is that the commissioners do not have adequate understanding of the services and the contexts of service provision which they are obliged to commission and purchase. To achieve the goals set by the commissioners, a new model of collaborative framework is duly required – this framework puts stronger emphasis on the expertises of users and ground floor staff. The commissioners play a key role in forming new alliances between private and other service providers, the ground floor staff, the service users and other stakeholders. Keywords: commissioning, housing services for mental health and drug service users, collaborative framework

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