scholarly journals Anthropogenic transformations of river ecosystems are not always bad for the environment: Multi-taxa analyses of changes in aquatic and terrestrial environments after dredging of a small lowland river

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e12224
Author(s):  
Robert Stryjecki ◽  
Andrzej Zawal ◽  
Tomasz Krepski ◽  
Edyta Stępień ◽  
Edyta Buczyńska ◽  
...  

Rivers are one of the most commonly transformed aquatic ecosystems. Most papers present significantly negative effects of activities such as dredging or channel regulation on the ecological status of rivers. The purpose of this work was to compare the response of various groups of invertebrates (Mollusca, Hydrachnidia, Odonata, Heteroptera, Coleoptera and Trichoptera) to an intervention involving dredging in conjunction with the removal of riparian vegetation. Habitat diversity increased after the dredging, and more individuals and species were caught than before the dredging. The increase in habitat diversity after the dredging translated into an increase in the species diversity of most investigated groups. Individual groups of invertebrates showed varied responses to the dredging, depending on the role of the terrestrial phase in their life cycle: the greater the role of the terrestrial phase in the life cycle, the more the group was affected by changes in the terrestrial environment following the intervention. In consequence, the intervention had the greatest negative impact on insects, and among these, on adult Odonata. The following conclusions can be drawn: (1) Dredging can benefit a previously anthropogenically transformed river ecosystem by increasing habitat diversity; (2) Odonata are particularly useful for assessing the impact of this type of intervention on invertebrate communities. They can be considered good indicators of habitat disturbances in both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanghyun Kim ◽  
Hyunsun Park ◽  
Moon Jong Choi

Social network service (SNS) information has benefited many individuals. However, as such information has increased exponentially, the number of SNS users has increased dramatically and negative effects of SNSs on users have emerged. Many SNS users experience negative psychological conditions such as fatigue, burnout, and stress. Thus, in this study, we investigated the SNS and user characteristics that affect SNS fatigue, living disorder, and reduced SNS use intention. We developed a research model to examine the impact of two SNS characteristics (irrelevant information overload and open reachability) and two user characteristics (engagement and maintaining self-reputation) on SNS fatigue. We also examined the role of the experience of privacy violations in the relationship between living disorder and reduced SNS use intention. We collected data from 579 SNS users and created a partial least squares structural equation model to test the hypotheses. The results of the analysis showed that three factors, other than open reachability, positively affected SNS fatigue. Furthermore, we found that SNS fatigue significantly affected living disorder and reduced SNS use intention, and that experience of privacy violations significantly affected the relationship between living disorder and reduced SNS use intention. These results expand our understanding of SNS fatigue and users’ negative behaviors.


Author(s):  
Karzan Wakil ◽  
Rebwar Nasraddin ◽  
Rajab Abdulrahan

In academia, social media is an educational tool that can attract students inside and outside classrooms and affect their total success. Using social media can have negative effects on the students like wasting time and social problems which have negative effects on grades and studying performance. In this work, conducted a survey in a basic school at Sulaymaniyah Governorate about the impact of using social media on students, Facebook particularly. We received 127 forms; then our analysis shows that using social media has a negative impact on students’ grades. Students who use Facebook for more than three hours had average grades of (66.88%), (73.59%) for one to three hours, and (%82.93) for less than an hour usage. Overall, every one hour using Facebook, the average score decreases by (%5.35). Therefore, decreasing the duration of using Facebook is helpful to increase the student’s average grades. Abstrak Dalam dunia pendidikan media sosial merupakan perangkat pendidikan yang dapat menarik perhatian siswa baik di dalam maupun di luar kelas dan memengaruhi kesuksesan mereka. Salah satunya wujudnya adalah penggunaan media sosial yang berlebihan dan membuahkan masalah-masalah sosial serta berimbas pada prestasi akademik mereka. Dalam penelitian ini peneliti melakukan survei di beberapa sekolah dasar di daerah Sulaimaniyah berkaitan dengan efek penggunaan media sosial, terutama Facebook, terhadap capaian akademik siswa. Balikan survei yang diterima oleh peneliti sejumlah 127 dokumen dan hasil analisis menunjukkan bahwa penggunaan media sosial berimbas negatif pada prestasi siswa. Rinciannya, siswa yang menggunakan Facebook lebih dari tiga jam rata-rata prestasinya 66,88%, untuk penggunaan antara satu hingga tiga jam rata-rata prestasinya 73,59%, dan untuk penggunaan di bawah satu jam rata-rata prestasinya 82,93%. Secara keseluruhan tiap penggunaan Facebook selama satu jam rata-rata prestasi siswa menurun 5,35%, oleh karena itu dapat disimpulkan bahwa pengurangan durasi penggunaan Facebook dapat membantu meningkatkan skor ratarata prestasi siswa  Keywords: Facebok; educational technology; social media; GPA


Author(s):  
M. von der Thannen ◽  
S. Hoerbinger ◽  
C. Muellebner ◽  
H. Biber ◽  
H. P. Rauch

AbstractRecently, applications of soil and water bioengineering constructions using living plants and supplementary materials have become increasingly popular. Besides technical effects, soil and water bioengineering has the advantage of additionally taking into consideration ecological values and the values of landscape aesthetics. When implementing soil and water bioengineering structures, suitable plants must be selected, and the structures must be given a dimension taking into account potential impact loads. A consideration of energy flows and the potential negative impact of construction in terms of energy and greenhouse gas balance has been neglected until now. The current study closes this gap of knowledge by introducing a method for detecting the possible negative effects of installing soil and water bioengineering measures. For this purpose, an environmental life cycle assessment model has been applied. The impact categories global warming potential and cumulative energy demand are used in this paper to describe the type of impacts which a bioengineering construction site causes. Additionally, the water bioengineering measure is contrasted with a conventional civil engineering structure. The results determine that the bioengineering alternative performs slightly better, in terms of energy demand and global warming potential, than the conventional measure. The most relevant factor is shown to be the impact of the running machines at the water bioengineering construction site. Finally, an integral ecological assessment model for applications of soil and water bioengineering structures should point out the potential negative effects caused during installation and, furthermore, integrate the assessment of potential positive effects due to the development of living plants in the use stage of the structures.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 4513
Author(s):  
Summaira Malik ◽  
Muhammad Taqi ◽  
José Moleiro Martins ◽  
Mário Nuno Mata ◽  
João Manuel Pereira ◽  
...  

The success of a construction project is a widely discussed topic, even today, and there exists a difference of opinion. The impact of communication and conflict on project success is an important, but least addressed, issue in literature, especially in the case of underdeveloped countries. Miscommunication and conflict not only hinder the success of a project but also may lead to conflicts. The focus of this paper was to examine the impact of communication on project success with the mediating role of conflict. By using SPSS, demographics, descriptive statistics and correlation were determined. Smart PLS version 3.0 was used for confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), internal accuracy and validity estimates, hypothesis checking and mediation testing. The results showed that formal communication has a negative impact on the success of a construction project, resulting in conflicts among project team members, whereas informal communication and communication willingness have a positive impact on project success because people tend to know each other, and trust is developed. Task, process and relationship conflicts were used as mediating variables. It was found that task conflict effects the relations positively because project team members suggest different ways to do a certain task, and, hence, project success is achieved. On the contrary, process conflict and relationship conflict have a negative impact on communication and project success. Both of these conflicts lead to miscommunication, and project success is compromised. Hence, it is the responsibility of the project manager to enhance communication among project team members and to reduce the detrimental effects of process and relationship conflict on project success.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Davide Vittori

Abstract Scholars have long debated whether populism harms or improves the quality of democracy. This article contributes to this debate by focusing on the impact of populist parties in government. In particular, it inquires: (1) whether populists in government are more likely than non-populists to negatively affect the quality of democracies; (2) whether the role of populists in government matters; and (3) which type of populism is expected to negatively affect the quality of liberal-democratic regimes. The results find strong evidence that the role of populists in government affects several qualities of democracy. While robust, the findings related to (2) are less clear-cut than those pertaining to (1). Finally, regardless of their role in government, different types of populism have different impacts on the qualities of democracy. The results show that exclusionary populist parties in government tend to have more of a negative impact than other forms of populism.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Faiz Ur Rehman ◽  
Muhammad Nasir

AbstractThe 2011 National Nutrition Survey of Pakistan revealed that 51% of the country’s population was consuming less than 2,100 calories a day. In the backdrop of rising food insecurity, hunger, and malnutrition in Pakistan, this study aims to measure the effects of indirect taxation on health outcomes of children (<5 years). More specifically, the impact of the incidence of General Sales Tax (GST) in the province of Punjab has been estimated on a child’s height and weight. The proponents of the uniform GST argue that the tax would not affect children because most food items consumed by children are exempted from the GST. However, the opponents believe that households, especially those belonging to the lower-income group, would reallocate resources away from children in the face of higher GST. To study these effects, we utilized three different waves (2007–08, 2011 & 2014) of Multiple Indicators Cluster Surveys (MICS). The results show that the tax incidence, and not the GST rate, has a significantly negative impact on children’s height-for-age Z-score (HAZ). No effect was found on the weight-for-age-z-score (WAZ). These results are robust to different specifications and exhibit considerable heterogeneity across different income groups. These findings suggest that the exemption of certain food items for children from the GST may not eliminate the negative effects of this tax on a child’s health. Thus, our study raises concerns about the long term welfare consequences of GST.


Author(s):  
Rade M. Ciric ◽  
Sasa N. Mandic

AbstractThe Republic of Serbia must make significant efforts to promote and exploit renewable energy sources and increase energy efficiency in all energy sectors to ensure energy security and economic competitiveness, reduce the negative impact on the environment from energy production and use, and contribute to global efforts to reduce greenhouse gases. Within the paper several issues of integration of recently realized CHP plant are introduced and discussed. Firstly, the legal and energy policy issues in the Republic of Serbia regarding connecting CHP to the grid are presented. The challenges and technical solutions for CHP connection to the grid, as well as power quality issues and the role of the CHP plant during the restoration of power supply during the maintenance of the substation and unplanned loss of high voltage supply, are presented and discussed. Finally, the impact of prospective massive integration of CHP on the energy balance and CO2 emission reduction in the province of Vojvodina in Serbia is investigated and discussed. Since it is the first CHP plant realized in Serbia, it is crucial that experience be shared to all potential stakeholders in the future energy efficiency projects.


2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Rachida Khaled ◽  
Lamine Hammas

The diffusion of the technological innovation can affect the agricultural sector in the three-sided (social, economic and environmental), a hand, it can contribute to solve problems of the agricultural sector: the effects of the climatic changes, the farming exodus and the migration and the problems of poverty and it can improve the agricultural productivity. But on the other hand, he can lead to new problems, such as depletion of energy resources caused by excessive use of energizing technologies, pollution of air and water and the destruction of soil by industrial waste. This paper aims to theoretically and empirically analyze the role of technological innovation in improving agricultural sustainability through the impact of mechanization on agricultural productivity, energy production and net income per capita for a panel of three Maghreb countries (Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia) during the period 1997-2012. By using simultaneous equations, the authors' finding that technological innovation cannot achieve the purpose of sustainable development in the agriculture sector in the Maghreb countries through the negative impact of mechanization and research and development on agricultural productivity.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 6294
Author(s):  
Peiqing Zhu ◽  
Jianbo Song

Internal control plays a role in risk prevention for firms when dealing with serious emergencies, which ensures the sustainable development of firms during a crisis. Based on the rapid outbreak of COVID-19 in China, this paper empirically tests whether internal control alleviates the negative impact of the pandemic on firm performance. Using a sample of Chinese listed firms from the first quarter of 2019 to the third quarter of 2020 and employing the difference-in-difference (DID) method, we find that the firms with a higher quality of internal control achieve better financial performance during the pandemic period; the more serious the pandemic is, the more obvious effect internal control plays. Furthermore, we consider the industry heterogeneity and firm heterogeneity of the risk resistance effect of internal control. In the manufacturing industry, which is a “disaster zone” of the pandemic, and the non-high-tech industry with a low degree of digitization, internal control can play a more important role in firms’ performance. Moreover, for state-owned enterprises, and firms with strong financing constraints, the role of internal control is more prominent. The above results provide empirical evidence for the risk prevention function of internal control and shed new light on the measures for firms to resist emergencies in the future.


2014 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 453-475 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sepehr Ghazinoory ◽  
Ali Bitaab ◽  
Ardeshir Lohrasbi

Purpose – In the last two decades, researchers have paid much attention to the role of cultural values on economic and social development. In particular, the crucial role of different aspects of culture on the development of innovation has been stressed in the literature. Consequently, it is vital to understand how social capital, as a core cultural value, affects the innovation process and the innovative performance at the national level. However, to date, the impact of different dimensions of social capital and innovation has not been properly portrayed or explained. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of four different dimensions of social capital (institutional and interpersonal, associational life and norms) on two of the main functions of national innovation system (NIS) (entrepreneurship and knowledge creation) based on over 50,000 observations in 34 countries. Design/methodology/approach – In this regard, national-level data from the World Values Survey database was employed to quantify social capital. Entrepreneurship is, in turn, assumed to consist of three sub-indexes and 14 indicators based on the Global Entrepreneurship Index. Knowledge creation is also measured through US Patent Office applications. Also, exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modeling approach were used to build the measurement model and investigate the impact that each factor of social capital had on entrepreneurship and knowledge application, respectively. Measurement and structural models were built and their reliability and validity were tested using various fit indices. Research findings suggest the strong positive effect of institutional trust and networking on entrepreneurship. Also, interpersonal trust and networks were shown to have high influence on knowledge development at the national level. Norms appear to have naïve to medium negative effects on both functions. Findings – Research findings suggest the strong positive effect of institutional trust and networking on entrepreneurship. Also, interpersonal trust and networks were shown to have high influence on knowledge development at the national level. Norms appear to have naïve to medium negative effects on both functions. Originality/value – However, to date, the impact of different dimensions of social capital and innovation has not been properly portrayed or explained.


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