Bioaccumulation of heavy metals in the tissues of Schizothorax plagiostomus at River Swat

Snow trout (Schizothorax plagiostomus) is an economically important freshwater fish, mostly found in northern areas of water reservoirs of Pakistan. The current study was conducted in River Swat to analyze the bioaccumulation of heavy metals (Pb, Cr, Ni, and Zn) in tissues of Schizothorax plagiostomus. Tissues were extracted and dissolved in perchloric acid (HClO4) and nitric acid (HNO3) along with hotplate. The heavy metals, zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), and Nickel (Ni) were determined using Perkin Elmer 2380 atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Results shows great variation in the content of the metal related to tissue type and sampling sites. A high concentration of bioaccumulation was reported at Charbagh, whereas lowest at Odigram: Charbagh>Landakai>Odigram. In the same way, Cr was the most accumulated heavy metal followed by lead, nickel, and Zinc:

Identification of three novel pathogenic mutations in cystathionine beta-synthase gene of Pakistani intellectually disabled patients

Background Classical homocystinuria (HCU) is an autosomal recessive inborn error of metabolism, which is caused by the cystathionine-β-synthase (CBS: encoded by CBS) deficiency. Symptoms of untreated classical HCU patients include intellectual disability (ID), ectopia lentis and long limbs, along with elevated plasma methionine, and homocysteine. Methods A total of 429 ID patients (age range: 1.6–23 years) were sampled from Northern areas of Punjab, Pakistan. Biochemical and genetic analyses were performed to find classical HCU disease in ID patients. Results Biochemically, nine patients from seven unrelated families were identified with high levels of plasma methionine and homocysteine. Targeted exonic analysis of CBS confirmed seven causative homozygous mutations; of which three were novel missense mutations (c.451G>T; p.Gly151Trp, c.975G>C; p.Lys325Asn and c.1039 + 1G>T splicing), and four were recurrent variants (c.451 + 1G>A; IVS4 + 1 splicing, c.770C>T; p.Thr257Met, c.808_810del GAG; p.Glu270del and c.752T>C; p.Leu251Pro). Treatment of patients was initiated without further delay with pyridoxine, folic acid, cobalamin, and betaine as well as dietary protein restriction. The immediate impact was noticed in behavioral improvement, decreased irritability, improved black hair color, and socialization. Overall, health outcomes in this disorder depend on the age and symptomatology at the time of treatment initiation. Conclusions With personalized treatment and care, such patients can reach their full potential of living as healthy a life as possible. This screening study is one of the pioneering initiatives in Pakistan which would help to minimize the burden of such treatable inborn errors of metabolism in the intellectually disabled patients.

The participation of citizens in land use planning and decision-making in Northern areas – the potential of PPGIS in increasing interaction

This doctoral dissertation studies the use of the public participation geographic information system (PPGIS) in land use planning and decision-making in sparsely populated Northern regions. The main research question is: What types of practices and knowledge does PPGIS bring to public participation in land use planning in Northern regions? Sparsely populated Northern regions pose a specific challenge for planning. In those regions, land ownership by the state or the municipality is general and there are many different interests by locals and non-locals in the same regions. The reconciliation of different land uses is essential because of the many interests (e.g., tourism, nature conservation, mining, forestry, indigenous people, interests of locals and non-locals, recreation and reindeer herding). The different roles of the information, land use and the development of the participation and interaction in land use planning are in focus. The relevant question is who and which interests lead land use planning and decisions. In this research, the participation in land use planning processes in sparsely populated Northern regions has been examined and participation possibilities have been developed with a mixed method approach. Both qualitative and quantitative methods have been used in the data collection and analysis. The best practices of the use of PPGIS have been studied as well as the novelty of the PPGIS knowledge. The implementation of PPGIS data in decision making, one of the biggest challenges in the field of PPGIS research, has also been examined. The approach of the research is empirical. The research is a case study and three different sets of data have been collected from Finnish Lapland, sparsely populated regions, from 2015 - 2019. This research used electronic and paper PPGIS, interviews and studying reports and documents. The data is qualitative, quantitative and spatial, and was analyzed with the principles of theory driven content analysis and GIS analyzing methods (theme maps). The results show that the maintenance and development of the participation possibilities in land use planning are an important part of democratic society. It is essential to maintain discussion, debate, criticism and right of appeal. In the Northern regions with many land use interests, there is no one right way to involve people. The participation is context sensitive; the involvement process and involvement groups need to be estimated in every situation, place and context. PPGIS has the possibility to improve interaction in sparsely populated regions. The benefits of PPGIS appeared strongly for different data, for example, visually and presenting data on the map in the spatial mode, the possibility to virtually and remotely collect information from a big audience (both locals and non-locals) and the possibility to handle and combine a large amount of digitalized, spatial data. Increasing trust and transparency between different groups were remarkable issues as well. In sparsely populated regions, the fear of stigma is important to take into account when people participate. Thus, PPGIS can encourage people to participate in the land use planning processes due to its characteristics of maintaining anonymity. It is essential that PPGIS method is used for the real, and even acute, land use needs and thus, motivating respondents to answer is easier and the likelihood of the results being used increases. If the use of the PPGIS method is not strongly linked to the planning process, the results might be of little consequence. Hence, it is recommended that the use of PPGIS is connected with the planning process and in the early phases. The interest of the organizational managers toward the PPGIS method is essential so that the benefits would be as strong as possible. The PPGIS method cannot replace other participation methods, but it is good to view as one tool in participation and collecting social spatial data. When the PPGIS method is used, it is important to be critical because the tool is often a commercial product and there is a risk that the needs of the user are not responded to, for example, with the technical characteristics. Making an internet-based PPGIS survey is relatively easy, but it is relevant to use sufficiently deep analysis after gathering the data, for example, with GIS analyzing methods. Systematic storing of PPGIS data in the IT-system of the organization is crucial so that the information is subsequently easy to access. Keywords PPGIS, land use planning, participation, reconciliation of land use interests, sparsely populated Northern areas

EL TURISMO COMO FACTOR DE EXPLICACIÓN DE LOS DESEQUILIBRIOS TERRITORIALES: EL EJEMPLO DE LA ISLA DE LA GOMERA

La Gomera es una de las ocho Islas Canarias, un archipiélago considerado como uno de los destinos turísticos más importantes de Europa y del mundo. Su economía se desenvolvió históricamente a través de las actividades agrarias, pero a partir de los años ochenta del pasado siglo pasó a depender del sector terciario, siendo el turismo una base económica fundamental. El modelo turístico de La Gomera ha girado en torno al tradicional binomio de «sol y playa», favoreciendo su concentración en unos pocos espacios costeros del sur, lo que ha provocado una profunda polarización territorial -desde el punto de vista económico y demográfico- entre estas localidades y el resto de entidades de la isla. La consecuencia de ello ha sido el abandono casi total del territorio insular, el cual ahora se instrumentaliza como producto de promoción turística, apoyado en la idealización del paisaje como patrimonio natural y cultural, en la presentación del mismo como un espacio bucólico que seduzca y cautive a los visitantes alojados en la costa, principales consumidores de estos espacios del interior y norte insular, pero que poco aporta a la pobre economía de los habitantes que ellos residen. La Gomera is one of the eight Canary Islands, an archipelago considered one of the most important tourist destinations in Europe and the world. Its economy was historically developed through farming activities, but from the eighties decade of the past century, it became dependent on the service sector, with tourism being a fundamental economic basis. La Gomera´s tourism model has revolved around the classic "sun and beach" combination, favoring its concentration in a few coastal areas in the south, which has led to a profound territorial polarization -from an economic and demographic point of view- between these places and the rest of the island. As a consequence, there has been an almost total abandonment of the island territory, which is now instrumentalized as a tourism promotion product, supported by the idealization of the landscape as a natural and cultural heritage, being presented as a bucolic space that seduces and captivates visitors staying on the coast, who are the main consumers of these interior and northern areas of the island, but which contributes little to the poor economy of the inhabitants residing in these areas.

Impact of Tourist’s Environmental Awareness on Pro-Environmental Behavior with the Mediating Effect of Tourist’s Environmental Concern and Moderating Effect of Tourist’s Environmental Attachment

Pakistan has been blessed with rich tourism potential because of its rich history, culture, biological and geographical diversity. Travelers have for quite some time been attracted to Pakistan to encounter a nation that flaunts rugged natural beauty, cultural richness, and unparalleled hospitality. Pakistan has various tourist destinations in the northern areas of Pakistan. Kumrat Valley has become a tourist hotspot in recent times after the prime minister of Pakistan, Mr. Imran Khan, visited the valley. To reduce the negative effects on these tourist destinations due to the accelerating increase in tourists, the present study used a quantitative approach to uncover whether there is an environmental awareness–behavior gap among the tourists, with their level of environmental awareness outweighing pro-environmental behavior. Using a sample of 426 tourists who have visited the valley, the analysis of the results indicates that the pro-environmental behavior is positively and significantly affected by the components, environmental awareness, environmental concern, and environmental attachment. Environmental attachment is added as a moderator between environmental awareness and pro-environmental behavior. This study suggests that environmental awareness must be promoted among tourists to ensure that they exhibit pro-environmental behavior.

ESTIMATIONS OF CARBON FOOTPRINT FROM ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION DURING COVID-19 LOCKDOWN AND PRE-LOCKDOWN IN BUTUAN CITY

The electricity consumption for commercial, residential, and industrial sectors is considered the primary cause of increasing carbon dioxide emissions. To calculate the carbon footprint, the researcher used Carbon Footprint Ltd. This study aims to quantify the carbon footprint associated with the consumption of electricity by sectors (residential, commercial, industrial, public buildings, and streetlights) in Butuan City during the pre-lockdown period (January and February), and then compare these with the carbon footprint calculated during the lockdown period (March and April 2020). A GIS-based approach was applied to generate the spatial distribution across the 86 barangays of Butuan City. The study findings that the carbon footprint in the lockdown period is ∼ −17% lower than the mean carbon footprint calculated for the pre-lockdown period. In absolute values, the total estimated carbon footprint during the pre-lockdown and lockdown period was ∼ 10,947 mtCo2e and ∼ 9,138 mtCo2e, respectively. Furthermore, the findings imply that the central and northern areas have the highest impact of savings on average ∼ 130 mtCo2e of greenhouse gas avoided by barangays. This research provides quantitative insight to understand the measured generated in lockdown and pre-lockdown periods.

A ddRADseq Survey of the Genetic Diversity of Rye (Secale cereale L.) Landraces from the Western Alps Reveals the Progressive Reduction of the Local Gene Pool

Rye (Secale cereale L.) has been at the basis of agriculture for centuries in most mountainous and northern areas of Eurasia, because it is more resistant than other cereals to low temperatures and poor soils. Rye deserves to be re-evaluated as a source of “environmentally resilient” genes in the future as well, and particularly in a perspective to grow cereals able to withstand global warming. According to recent studies, modern rye varieties have a relatively narrow genetic pool, a condition that is worsening in the most recent breeding processes. The preservation of local landraces as unique sources of genetic diversity has therefore become important, in order to preserve the genetic heritage of rye. In this study, genetic diversity of rye landraces collected in a sector of the Italian Alps particularly suited to traditional agriculture was investigated using the ddRADseq technique. A few landraces still managed with family farming turned out to be genetically distant from the commercial varieties currently in use, highlighting that the phenomenon of homogenization of the local genetic pool can be still circumvented. Ex situ conservation of genetically divergent landraces is a valid tool to avoid the dissipation of an as yet unexplored genetic potential.

On What Do the Homeless Base Their Happiness?

Objective: To determine the relationship between the characteristics and experiences of homeless persons and their state of happiness as a basis for designing appropriate social support strategies. Design: Exploratory observational study with an analytical and descriptive qualitative design. Setting: Participants were contacted, administered with questionnaires, and interviewed in the street (central and northern areas of the city) or at the “Asociación Calor y Café” center in Granada (Spain) between April 2017 and February 2018. Participants: Selected by intentional sampling, 25 participants completed questionnaires in the first study and 14 of these were administered with questionnaires and interviewed in the second study. Method: General and specific questionnaires were administered to determine the state of happiness and other variables. Descriptive statistics were followed by an analysis of the relationships between variables and the content analysis of semi-structured interviews. Results: A feeling of happiness was described by 64% of participants and confirmed by a happiness scale score of 50%. Participants who felt satisfied with their life were 4.5-fold more likely to feel happy (p = 0.021). Expectations for the future were not associated with happiness or satisfaction with life. Content analysis of interviews revealed three main themes: conditions for happiness, own happiness/unhappiness, and self-esteem. Conclusions: Many homeless people describe themselves as feeling happy and satisfied with their life. Material aspects, affective situations, daily life concerns, and self-esteem predominate in their discourse on happiness.