Journal articles on the topic 'Other environmental management not elsewhere classified'

In this era of startling developments in the medical field there remains a serious worry about the hazardous potential of various by products which if not properly addressed can lead to consequences of immense public concern. Hospitals and other health care facilities generate waste products which are evidently hazardous to all those exposed to its potentially harmful effects. Need for effective legislation ensuring its safe disposal is supposed to be an integral part of any country's health related policy. This issue is of special importance in developing countries like Pakistan which in spite of framing various regulations for safeguarding public health, seem to overlook its actual implementation. The result unfortunately is the price wehave to pay not only in terms of rampant spread of crippling infections but a significant spending of health budget on combating epidemics which could easily have been avoided through effective waste disposal measures in the first place. Waste classified under the heading 'bio-hazardous' includes any infectious or potentially infectious material which can be injurious or harmful to humans and other living organisms. Amongst the many potential sources are the hospitals or other health delivery centres which are ironically supposed to be the centres of infection control and treatment. Whilst working in these setups, health care workers such as doctors, nurses, paramedical staff and sanitation workers are actually the ones most exposed and vulnerable to these challenges. Biomedical waste may broadly be classified into Infectious and toxic waste. Infectious waste includes sharps, blood, body fluids and tissues etcwhile substances such as radioactive material and by-products of certain drugs qualify as toxic waste. Furthermore health institutions also have to cater for general municipal waste such as carton boxes, paper and plastics. The World Health Organisation has its own general classification of hospital waste divided into almost eight categories of which almost 15% (10% infectious and 5% toxic) is estimated to be of a hazardous nature while the remaining 85% is general non hazardous content.1A recent study from Faisalabad, Pakistan has estimated hospital waste generation around 1 to 1.5 kg / bed /day for public sector hospitals in the region,2while figures quoted from neighbouring India are approximately 0.5 to 2 KG / hospital bed /day.3 Elsewhere in the world variable daily hospital waste production has been observed ranging from as low as 0.14 to 0.49 kg /day in Korea4 and 0.26 to 0.89 kg/day in Greece5to as high as 2.1 to 3.83 kg/day in Turkey6 and 0.84 to 5.8 kg/day in Tanzania.7Ill effects of improper management of hospital waste can manifest as nosocomial infections or occupational hazards such as needle stick injuries. Pathogens or spores can be borne either through the oro-faecal or respiratory routes in addition to direct inoculation through contact with infected needles or sharps. Environmental pollution can result from improper burning of toxic material leading to emission of dioxins, particulate matter or furans into the air. The habitat can also be affected by illegal dumping and landfills or washing up of medical waste released into the sea or river. Potential organisms implicated in diseases secondary to mismanagement of hospital waste disposal include salmonella, cholera, shigella, helminths, strep pneumonia, measles, tuberculosis, herpesvirus, anthrax, meningitis, HIV, hepatitis and candida etc. These infections can cause a considerable strain on the overall health and finances of the community or individuals affected. The basic principal of Public health management i.e 'prevention is better than cure' cannot be more stressed in this scenario as compared to any other health challenge. Health facilities must have a clear policy on hazardous waste management. To ensure a safe environment hospitals need to adopt and implement international and local systems of waste disposal. Hospital waste management plan entails policy and procedures addressing waste generation, accumulation, handling, transportation, storage, treatment and disposal. Waste needs to be collected in marked containers usually colour coded and leak proof. Segregation at source is of vital importance. The standard practice in many countries is the Basic Three Bin System ie to segregate the waste into RED bags/ boxes for sharps, YELLOW bags for biological waste and BLUE or BLACK ones for general/ municipal waste. All hospital staff needs to be trained in the concept of putting the right waste in relevant containers/ bags. They need to know that more than anything else this practice is vital for their own safety. The message can be reinforced through appropriate labelling on the bins and having posters with simple delineations to avoid mixing of different waste types. Sharps essentially should be kept in rigid, leak and puncture-resistant containers which are tightly lidded and labelled. Regular training sessions for nurses and cleaning staff can be organised as they are the personnel who are more likely to deal with waste disposition at the level of their respective departments. Next of course is transportation of waste products to the storage or disposal. Sanitary staff and janitors must be aware of the basic concepts of waste handling and should wear protective clothing, masks and gloves etc, besides ensuring regular practice of disinfection and sterilization techniques.8Special trolleys or vehicles exclusively designed and reserved for biomedical waste and operated by trained individuals should be used for transportation to the dumping or treatment site. Biomedical waste treatment whether on site or off site is a specialised entity involving use of chemicals and equipment intended for curtailing the hazardous potential of the material at hand. Thermal treatment via incinerators, not only results in combustion of organic substances but the final product in the form of non-toxicash is only 10 to 15% of the original solid mass of waste material fed to the machine. Dedicated autoclaves and microwaves can also be used for the purpose of disinfection. Chemicals such as bleach, sodium hydroxides, chlorine dioxide and sodiumhypochlorite are also effective disinfectants having specialised indications. Countries around the world have their own regulations for waste management. United Kingdom practices strict observance of Environmental protection act 1990, Waste managementlicensing regulations 1994 and Hazardous waste regulations 2005 making it one of thesafest countries in terms of hazardous waste disposal. Similar regulations specific for each state have been adopted in United States following passage of the Medical Waste tracking act 1988. In Pakistan, every hospital must comply with the Waste Management Rules 2005 (Environment Protection Act 1997), though actual compliance is far from satisfactory. It is high time that the government and responsible community organisations shape up to seriously tackle the issue of bio hazardous waste management through enforcement of effective policies and standard operating procedures for safeguarding the health and lives of the public in general and health workers in particular.

Abstract“Precision agriculture” was a favorite buzzword in agricultural discussions in the 1990s. Proponents of precision agriculture note its promises are twofold: economic benefits for the producer and environmental benefits for society. These benefits are to be achieved by improving the efficiency of input use, based on data obtained with global positioning systems (GPS) and geographic information systems (GIS) technologies. Although fulfillment of these promises has been mixed to date, it appears that “precision agriculture” will continue in the agriculture vernacular into the 21st century. In this article, we propose another sense of the term, and argue that precision agriculture, or at least long strides in that direction, is possible short of these highly complex methods and capital investments, through integrated crop management (ICM). As practiced by the producer and/or provided by independent crop consultants, ICM is one alternative to providing information-intensive management on the farm, and has proven efficiency of input use. That is, the promise of economic and environmental benefits holds true in a manner that makes it possible for any producer to implement “precision agriculture.” Using data from users and nonusers of independent crop consultants implementing ICM, this study reveals that several economic and environmental benefits are gained from the information and management recommendations provided by consultants. Pest and nutrient management recommendations have led to decreases in pesticide and commercial fertilizer use. For the majority of users, these input reductions have resulted in an increase in profits since hiring a consultant. Users attributed changes in total cost of production to their consultant's effectiveness, and some reported receiving double or greater return for every dollar invested in consultant services. The results confirm the important role that Iowa's independent crop consultants could play in agricultural production and environmental protection through their promotion of ICM activities. However, the scarcity of consultants in Iowa, and possibly elsewhere, presents a challenge within the industry. Addressing this issue may help in contributing to rural development, economic benefit for the producer, and environmental benefit for all of society.

Projects transforming the concept of eco-city into practices became a challenge to the Eastern countries to countermeasure with the global warming and climate change. We can be witnesses of rising number of significant eco-city models than might be a real fine model to other countries and cities that would like to change their current environmental situation. In particular Japan Government launched “Eco-model cities” program in 2008, to create model cities replicable elsewhere both in Japan and in the world.

Increasingly extended and alternative methods for urban stormwater management have been discussed in Germany and elsewhere. Without question an economically and ecologically sound combination of central and decentral measures will be a concept of the future. Yet, at present the introduction of approaches other than traditional combined sewer systems is restricted due to missing planning tools and technologies. Adding a number of frequently used Best Stormwater Management Practices (BSMP's) has widely extended the applicability of an existing stormwater water balance and pollution load model.

Forest fuel production is a growing industry in Canada and elsewhere, as governments strive to increase energy security and find alternatives to the use of fossil fuels. While forest bioenergy can provide environmental benefits such as renewability and carbon emissions reductions, the industry can also pose environmental risks through increasing pressure on forest resources. Because large-scale forest bioenergy production is relatively new to Canada, much is still unknown about how such an industry might evolve and impact forest ecosystems. These unknowns, along with the cross-sectoral, multistakeholder nature of the industry, make planning for sustainable forest bioenergy systems quite challenging. In this paper, we introduce some of the challenges to creating sustainable systems, and we discuss how sustainable forest management frameworks like Adaptive Forest Management and Sustainable Forest Management Certification can help to meet these challenges. We also discuss the importance of technology transfer to ensuring that the best available knowledge forms the basis for effective standards and management plans. Sustainable forest management frameworks can help to organize, distil and communicate the growing body of research on forest bioenergy production, link policy to practice through the creation of standards, and incorporate provisions for continual learning and system adaptation, all of which are key to the long-term sustainability of the rapidly evolving forest bioenergy sector. Key words: bioenergy, sustainable forest management frameworks, adaptive forest management, certification, standards, technology transfer

The European Union is taking several policy initiatives to combat climate change and the loss of biodiversity with direct impact on agriculture. For farmers the European Commission is promoting an instrument called OECM, Other effective area-based conservation measures. Other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) are a new conservation approach, separate from protected areas, where conservation is achieved mainly as a by-product of other management. OECMs can be counted towards the EU target if: i) Conservation objectives and measures are in place; ii) the area is covered by a national or international legal or administrative act or a contractual arrangement achieving long-term conservation outcomes and iii) effective management and monitoring of the biodiversity in the area is in place. A new growth strategy that aims to transform the EU into a fair and prosperous society with a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy where there are no net emissions of greenhouse gases in 2050 and where economic growth is decoupled from resource use. While those initiatives mainly impact the life and work of European farmers, there is as well an indirect impact to farmers elsewhere in the world

A LCC Analysis of Rainwater Management VariantsThe paper presents results of the Life Cycle Cost (LCC) analysis carried out for several variants of rainfall water management in a newly designed multi-family dwelling house. According to the LCC methodology, calculations were performed for the whole undertaking life cycle with both investment outlays and operation/maintenance costs taken into account. The LCC analysis was carried out, in particular, for a variant assuming that the rainwater collected from the roof will be entirely discharged to the sewage system. On the other hand, the second variant provided for replacement of traditional building roof with a green one. Facilities of that type, thanks to their retention properties, may delay runoff of rainwater and reduce the overall quantity of water discharged from roof surface and therefore can be classified as Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems. In the third case considered, rainwater is to be utilised in the building. It was assumed that precipitation water will be stored in a tank and used in the sanitary water supply system for flushing toilets, thus reducing the overall tap water purchase costs.

Purpose – The primary aim of this study was to better understand the grounds to develop a monitoring and performance measurement method to support the environmental management of construction operations. The practical purpose was to improve environmental activities in construction sites. This study helps to fill the gap between environmental needs and practices on construction sites. Design/methodology/approach – Action research was the principal research method. The research procedure was executed in collaboration with construction companies. The EICS meter was originally developed to create rules for environmental competition between construction sites. Since the time of this competition, the meter has been further improved in other studies. Findings – Based on the literature and feedback gained in the testing round of the EICS, five relevant categories were formulated to evaluate environmental operations: environmental information management, waste management, material handling and shielding, energy use and emissions. A simple index method was applied for these five categories. Furthermore, observation targets and acceptance criteria were defined for these categories. The meter supports environmental management in practise. The method can be used to analyse the starting point level when developing environmental processes. Originality/value – This study offers insights based on action research for both academics and practitioners. The meter is outlined for Nordic conditions, but the structure of the method is also suitable elsewhere. The national demands can be locally fine-tuned.

The submerged evergreen aquatic plant Myriophyllum heterophyllum is among the worst invasive species in Europe, causing severe problems especially in navigation channels but also lentic systems. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview and update on the current distribution and risks associated with this species in Europe and elsewhere. We provide an evaluation of current identification keys since misidentification can underestimate the extent of its spread. In addition, hybridization with other milfoil species has been reported in North America but seems unlikely in Europe. We further describe in detail the ecology, specifically resource requirements and biotic interactions with other plants, herbivores and pathogens as well as the spread potential of the species. Good knowledge of the autecology and synecology of this species should allow some conclusions about environmental factors possibly related to its invasive growth and is mandatory for the preparation of species-specific management measures. Finally, we outline the status of regulations coming into effect in member states of the European Union (EU) and provide an overview of applied and potential management practices.

Environmental risk assessment is becoming an increasingly important factor in the assessment process for new projects. The oil and gas industry is familiar with assessing and managing risks from a wide range of sources. In particular, risk assessment and management is fundamental to the evaluation and implementation of Safety cases. Risk assessment is essential in valuing exploration acreage. Various industry and government risk management standards and criteria have been developed for public and occupational health and safety.This paper examines the extension of these approaches to environmental risk management for the offshore oil and gas industry and proposes a conceptual management scheme.We regard risk as the probability of an event occurring and the consequences of that event. The risk is classified into four categories, namely:primary risk, which relates to the mechanical oilfield equipment;secondary risk, which relates to the natural transport processes. For example dispersion of oil in the water column and surrounding sea;the tertiary risk, which relates to the impact on some defined part of the physical, biological or social environment; andthe quaternary risk, which relates to the recovery of the environment from any impact.Generally the methods of quantitatively analysing primary and secondary risks are well known, while there remains considerable uncertainty surrounding the tertiary and quaternary risk and they are at best qualitative only. An example of the method is applied to coral reef and other sensitive areas which may be at risk from oil spills.This risk management scheme should assist both operators and regulators in considering complex environmental problems which have an inherent uncertainty. It also proves a systematic approach on which sound environmental decisions can be taken and further research and analysis based. Perceived risk is recognised, but the management of this particular issue is not dealt with.

This paper presents a partial equilibrium model of dairy sector international trade which has been extended to include physical dairy production systems and their effect on water quality. This combined model, LTEM (Lincoln Trade and Environment Model), is then used to simulate the effects of liberalisation policies on trade flows, dairy production systems and groundwater nitrate levels across different countries. The results show expected variation in price and production impacts, but also varying effects on groundwater quality between and within countries. More specifically, whilst liberalisation lowers dairy production in the EU and reduces the EU nitrate pollution slightly, the balancing production increases elsewhere lead to marginally higher pollution in other countries. This is of policy relevance given contemporary debates about the likely net environmental effect of further trade liberalisation.

In this era of startling developments in the medical field there remains a serious worry about the hazardous potential of various by products which if not properly addressed can lead to consequences of immense public concern. Hospitals and other health care facilities generate waste products which are evidently hazardous to all those exposed to its potentially harmful effects. Need for effective legislation ensuring its safe disposal is supposed to be an integral part of any country's health related policy. This issue is of special importance in developing countries like Pakistan which in spite of framing various regulations for safeguarding public health, seem to overlook its actual implementation. The result unfortunately is the price wehave to pay not only in terms of rampant spread of crippling infections but a significant spending of health budget on combating epidemics which could easily have been avoided through effective waste disposal measures in the first place. Waste classified under the heading 'bio-hazardous' includes any infectious or potentially infectious material which can be injurious or harmful to humans and other living organisms. Amongst the many potential sources are the hospitals or other health delivery centres which are ironically supposed to be the centres of infection control and treatment. Whilst working in these setups, health care workers such as doctors, nurses, paramedical staff and sanitation workers are actually the ones most exposed and vulnerable to these challenges. Biomedical waste may broadly be classified into Infectious and toxic waste. Infectious waste includes sharps, blood, body fluids and tissues etcwhile substances such as radioactive material and by-products of certain drugs qualify as toxic waste. Furthermore health institutions also have to cater for general municipal waste such as carton boxes, paper and plastics. The World Health Organisation has its own general classification of hospital waste divided into almost eight categories of which almost 15% (10% infectious and 5% toxic) is estimated to be of a hazardous nature while the remaining 85% is general non hazardous content.1A recent study from Faisalabad, Pakistan has estimated hospital waste generation around 1 to 1.5 kg / bed /day for public sector hospitals in the region,2while figures quoted from neighbouring India are approximately 0.5 to 2 KG / hospital bed /day.3 Elsewhere in the world variable daily hospital waste production has been observed ranging from as low as 0.14 to 0.49 kg /day in Korea4 and 0.26 to 0.89 kg/day in Greece5to as high as 2.1 to 3.83 kg/day in Turkey6 and 0.84 to 5.8 kg/day in Tanzania.7Ill effects of improper management of hospital waste can manifest as nosocomial infections or occupational hazards such as needle stick injuries. Pathogens or spores can be borne either through the oro-faecal or respiratory routes in addition to direct inoculation through contact with infected needles or sharps. Environmental pollution can result from improper burning of toxic material leading to emission of dioxins, particulate matter or furans into the air. The habitat can also be affected by illegal dumping and landfills or washing up of medical waste released into the sea or river. Potential organisms implicated in diseases secondary to mismanagement of hospital waste disposal include salmonella, cholera, shigella, helminths, strep pneumonia, measles, tuberculosis, herpesvirus, anthrax, meningitis, HIV, hepatitis and candida etc. These infections can cause a considerable strain on the overall health and finances of the community or individuals affected. The basic principal of Public health management i.e 'prevention is better than cure' cannot be more stressed in this scenario as compared to any other health challenge. Health facilities must have a clear policy on hazardous waste management. To ensure a safe environment hospitals need to adopt and implement international and local systems of waste disposal. Hospital waste management plan entails policy and procedures addressing waste generation, accumulation, handling, transportation, storage, treatment and disposal. Waste needs to be collected in marked containers usually colour coded and leak proof. Segregation at source is of vital importance. The standard practice in many countries is the Basic Three Bin System ie to segregate the waste into RED bags/ boxes for sharps, YELLOW bags for biological waste and BLUE or BLACK ones for general/ municipal waste. All hospital staff needs to be trained in the concept of putting the right waste in relevant containers/ bags. They need to know that more than anything else this practice is vital for their own safety. The message can be reinforced through appropriate labelling on the bins and having posters with simple delineations to avoid mixing of different waste types. Sharps essentially should be kept in rigid, leak and puncture-resistant containers which are tightly lidded and labelled. Regular training sessions for nurses and cleaning staff can be organised as they are the personnel who are more likely to deal with waste disposition at the level of their respective departments. Next of course is transportation of waste products to the storage or disposal. Sanitary staff and janitors must be aware of the basic concepts of waste handling and should wear protective clothing, masks and gloves etc, besides ensuring regular practice of disinfection and sterilization techniques.8Special trolleys or vehicles exclusively designed and reserved for biomedical waste and operated by trained individuals should be used for transportation to the dumping or treatment site. Biomedical waste treatment whether on site or off site is a specialised entity involving use of chemicals and equipment intended for curtailing the hazardous potential of the material at hand. Thermal treatment via incinerators, not only results in combustion of organic substances but the final product in the form of non-toxicash is only 10 to 15% of the original solid mass of waste material fed to the machine. Dedicated autoclaves and microwaves can also be used for the purpose of disinfection. Chemicals such as bleach, sodium hydroxides, chlorine dioxide and sodiumhypochlorite are also effective disinfectants having specialised indications. Countries around the world have their own regulations for waste management. United Kingdom practices strict observance of Environmental protection act 1990, Waste managementlicensing regulations 1994 and Hazardous waste regulations 2005 making it one of thesafest countries in terms of hazardous waste disposal. Similar regulations specific for each state have been adopted in United States following passage of the Medical Waste tracking act 1988. In Pakistan, every hospital must comply with the Waste Management Rules 2005 (Environment Protection Act 1997), though actual compliance is far from satisfactory. It is high time that the government and responsible community organisations shape up to seriously tackle the issue of bio hazardous waste management through enforcement of effective policies and standard operating procedures for safeguarding the health and lives of the public in general and health workers in particular. Outbreaks, defined as excess cases of a particular disease or illness which outweighs the response capabilities, have the capacity to overwhelm health care facilities and need timely response and attention to details in order to avoid potentially disastrous sequelae . In this day and age when improvement in public health practices have significantly curtailed outbreak of various diseases, certain viral illnesses continue to make headlines. One of the notable vector borne infectious disease affecting significant portions of south east Asia in the early part of twenty first century is 'Dengue fever'. Dreaded as it is by those suffering from the illness, a lot of the hysteria created is secondary to a lack of education and understanding of the nature of the disease and at times a result of disinformation campaign for vested interests by certain political and media sections.'Dengue' in fact is a Spanish word, assumed to have originated from the Swahili phrase -ka dinga peppo -which describes the disease as being caused by evil spirit. 1 Over the course of time it has been called 'breakbone fever', 'bilious vomiting fever', 'break heart fever', 'dandy fever', 'la dengue' and 'Phillipine, Thai and Singapore hemorrhagic fever' Whilst the first reported case referring to dengue fever as a water poison spread by flying insects, exists in the Chinese medical encyclopedia from Jin Dynasty (265-420 AD), the disease is believed to have disseminated from Africa with the spread of the primary vector, aedes egypti, in the 15th to 19th century as a result of globalisation of slave trade 45In 80% of the patients affected by this condition the presentation is rather insidious and at best characterized by mild fever. The classical 'Dengue fever' present in about 5% of the cases is characterized by high temperature, body aches, vomiting and at times a skin rash. The disease may regresses in two to seven days. However inrare instances (<5%) it may develop into more serious conditions such as Dengue hemorrhagic fever whereby the platelet count is significantly reduced leading to bleeding tendencies and may even culminate in a more life threatening presentation i.e Dengue shock syndrome.6To understand the actual dynamics of Dengue epidemic it is important to understand the mode of its spread in affected areas. Aedes mosquito (significantly Aedes Egypti) acts a vector for this disease. Early morning and evening times7 are favoured by these mosquitos to feed on their prey. There is some evidence that the disease may be transmitted via blood products and organ donation. 8 Moreover vertical transmission (mother to child) has also been reported 9Diagnostic investigations include blood antigen detection through NS-I or nucleic acid detection via PCR. IO Cell cultures and specific serology may also be used for confirming the underlying disease. Whilst sporadic and endemic cases are part of routine medical practice and may not raise any alarm bells, outbreaks certainly need mobilization of appropriate resources for effective control. Needless to say 'prevention is better than cure' and should be the primary target of the health authorities in devising strategies for disease control.The WHO recommended 'Integrated Vector control programme', lays stress on social mobilisation and strengthening of public health bodies, coherent response of health and related departments and effective capacity building of relevant personnel and organisations as well as the community at risk. For Aedes Egypti the primary control revolves around eliminating its habitats such as open sources of water. In a local perspective in our city Peshawar, venue of the recent dengue epidemic, it may be seen in the form of incidental reservoirs such as receptacles and tyres dumped in open areas such as roof tops with rain water accumulating in them and provtdjng excellent breeding habitats, Larvicidal and insecticides may be added to more permanent sources such as watertanks and farm lands. There is not much of a role for spraying with organophosphorous agents which is at times resorted to for public consumption. Public education is the key to any effective strategy which must highlight the need for wearing clothing that fully covers the skin, avoiding unnecessary early morning and evening exposure to vector agents, application of insect repellents and use of mosquito nets. It is also important not to panic if affliction with the disease is suspected as in a vast majority of instances it is a self limiting illness without any long term harmful effects and needs simple conservative management like antipyretics and analgesics.An important consideration for responsible authorities in a dengue epidemic is to ensure that maximum management facilities for simple cases are provided at the community level through primary and secondary health care facilities and that the tertiary care hospitals are not inundated with all sort of patients demanding consultation. These later facilities should be reserved for those patients who end up with any complications or more severe manifestation of the disease.Research is underway to develop an ideal vaccine for Dengue fever. In 2016, a vaccine by the name 'Dengvaxia' was marketed in Phillipines and Indonesia. However with development of new serotypes of the virus, its efficacy has been somewhat compromised.As for treatment , there are no specific antiviral drugs. Management is symptomatic revolving mainly around oral and intravenous hydration. Paracetamol (Acetaminophen) is used for fever as compared to NSAIDS such as Ibuprophen infusion as well as blood and platelet transfusion.Data to date shows that slightly more than twenty three thousand people have been diagnosed with dengue over the past three months ie August to October there is a lower risk of bleeding with the former. Those with more severe form of the disease may need Dextran 2017, in Peshawar, Pakistan with around fourteen thousand needing admission and about sixty nine recorded deaths. The mortality is well within the acceptable international standards of less than 1% for the disease. In the backdrop of all the debate surrounding the current epidemic, one can infer that such outbreaks are best addressed with effective planningwell ahead of the time before the disease threatens to spiral out of control. Simple measures such as covering water storage facilities, using larvicidals where practical, use of insect repellents, mosquito nets and avoiding unnecessary exposure can offerthe best protection. Public health messages via print and electronic media can help educate people in affected areas and allay any anxiety building up from a fear of developing life threatening complications. Health department must mobilise all its resources to ensure local management of diagnosed patients with simple dengue fever and facilitate hospital admission only for those suffering from more severe form of the disease. Moreover the media hype into such situations needs to be addressed through constant updates and discouraging any negative politicking on the issue. To sum up Dengue fever is not really an affliction to be dreaded provided it is viewed and managed in the right perspective.

In this era of startling developments in the medical field there remains a serious worry about the hazardous potential of various by products which if not properly addressed can lead to consequences of immense public concern. Hospitals and other health care facilities generate waste products which are evidently hazardous to all those exposed to its potentially harmful effects. Need for effective legislation ensuring its safe disposal is supposed to be an integral part of any country's health related policy. This issue is of special importance in developing countries like Pakistan which in spite of framing various regulations for safeguarding public health, seem to overlook its actual implementation. The result unfortunately is the price wehave to pay not only in terms of rampant spread of crippling infections but a significant spending of health budget on combating epidemics which could easily have been avoided through effective waste disposal measures in the first place. Waste classified under the heading 'bio-hazardous' includes any infectious or potentially infectious material which can be injurious or harmful to humans and other living organisms. Amongst the many potential sources are the hospitals or other health delivery centres which are ironically supposed to be the centres of infection control and treatment. Whilst working in these setups, health care workers such as doctors, nurses, paramedical staff and sanitation workers are actually the ones most exposed and vulnerable to these challenges. Biomedical waste may broadly be classified into Infectious and toxic waste. Infectious waste includes sharps, blood, body fluids and tissues etcwhile substances such as radioactive material and by-products of certain drugs qualify as toxic waste. Furthermore health institutions also have to cater for general municipal waste such as carton boxes, paper and plastics. The World Health Organisation has its own general classification of hospital waste divided into almost eight categories of which almost 15% (10% infectious and 5% toxic) is estimated to be of a hazardous nature while the remaining 85% is general non hazardous content.1A recent study from Faisalabad, Pakistan has estimated hospital waste generation around 1 to 1.5 kg / bed /day for public sector hospitals in the region,2while figures quoted from neighbouring India are approximately 0.5 to 2 KG / hospital bed /day.3 Elsewhere in the world variable daily hospital waste production has been observed ranging from as low as 0.14 to 0.49 kg /day in Korea4 and 0.26 to 0.89 kg/day in Greece5to as high as 2.1 to 3.83 kg/day in Turkey6 and 0.84 to 5.8 kg/day in Tanzania.7Ill effects of improper management of hospital waste can manifest as nosocomial infections or occupational hazards such as needle stick injuries. Pathogens or spores can be borne either through the oro-faecal or respiratory routes in addition to direct inoculation through contact with infected needles or sharps. Environmental pollution can result from improper burning of toxic material leading to emission of dioxins, particulate matter or furans into the air. The habitat can also be affected by illegal dumping and landfills or washing up of medical waste released into the sea or river. Potential organisms implicated in diseases secondary to mismanagement of hospital waste disposal include salmonella, cholera, shigella, helminths, strep pneumonia, measles, tuberculosis, herpesvirus, anthrax, meningitis, HIV, hepatitis and candida etc. These infections can cause a considerable strain on the overall health and finances of the community or individuals affected. The basic principal of Public health management i.e 'prevention is better than cure' cannot be more stressed in this scenario as compared to any other health challenge. Health facilities must have a clear policy on hazardous waste management. To ensure a safe environment hospitals need to adopt and implement international and local systems of waste disposal. Hospital waste management plan entails policy and procedures addressing waste generation, accumulation, handling, transportation, storage, treatment and disposal. Waste needs to be collected in marked containers usually colour coded and leak proof. Segregation at source is of vital importance. The standard practice in many countries is the Basic Three Bin System ie to segregate the waste into RED bags/ boxes for sharps, YELLOW bags for biological waste and BLUE or BLACK ones for general/ municipal waste. All hospital staff needs to be trained in the concept of putting the right waste in relevant containers/ bags. They need to know that more than anything else this practice is vital for their own safety. The message can be reinforced through appropriate labelling on the bins and having posters with simple delineations to avoid mixing of different waste types. Sharps essentially should be kept in rigid, leak and puncture-resistant containers which are tightly lidded and labelled. Regular training sessions for nurses and cleaning staff can be organised as they are the personnel who are more likely to deal with waste disposition at the level of their respective departments. Next of course is transportation of waste products to the storage or disposal. Sanitary staff and janitors must be aware of the basic concepts of waste handling and should wear protective clothing, masks and gloves etc, besides ensuring regular practice of disinfection and sterilization techniques.8Special trolleys or vehicles exclusively designed and reserved for biomedical waste and operated by trained individuals should be used for transportation to the dumping or treatment site. Biomedical waste treatment whether on site or off site is a specialised entity involving use of chemicals and equipment intended for curtailing the hazardous potential of the material at hand. Thermal treatment via incinerators, not only results in combustion of organic substances but the final product in the form of non-toxicash is only 10 to 15% of the original solid mass of waste material fed to the machine. Dedicated autoclaves and microwaves can also be used for the purpose of disinfection. Chemicals such as bleach, sodium hydroxides, chlorine dioxide and sodiumhypochlorite are also effective disinfectants having specialised indications. Countries around the world have their own regulations for waste management. United Kingdom practices strict observance of Environmental protection act 1990, Waste managementlicensing regulations 1994 and Hazardous waste regulations 2005 making it one of thesafest countries in terms of hazardous waste disposal. Similar regulations specific for each state have been adopted in United States following passage of the Medical Waste tracking act 1988. In Pakistan, every hospital must comply with the Waste Management Rules 2005 (Environment Protection Act 1997), though actual compliance is far from satisfactory. It is high time that the government and responsible community organisations shape up to seriously tackle the issue of bio hazardous waste management through enforcement of effective policies and standard operating procedures for safeguarding the health and lives of the public in general and health workers in particular. Outbreaks, defined as excess cases of a particular disease or illness which outweighs the response capabilities, have the capacity to overwhelm health care facilities and need timely response and attention to details in order to avoid potentially disastrous sequelae . In this day and age when improvement in public health practices have significantly curtailed outbreak of various diseases, certain viral illnesses continue to make headlines. One of the notable vector borne infectious disease affecting significant portions of south east Asia in the early part of twenty first century is 'Dengue fever'. Dreaded as it is by those suffering from the illness, a lot of the hysteria created is secondary to a lack of education and understanding of the nature of the disease and at times a result of disinformation campaign for vested interests by certain political and media sections.'Dengue' in fact is a Spanish word, assumed to have originated from the Swahili phrase -ka dinga peppo -which describes the disease as being caused by evil spirit. 1 Over the course of time it has been called 'breakbone fever', 'bilious vomiting fever', 'break heart fever', 'dandy fever', 'la dengue' and 'Phillipine, Thai and Singapore hemorrhagic fever' Whilst the first reported case referring to dengue fever as a water poison spread by flying insects, exists in the Chinese medical encyclopedia from Jin Dynasty (265-420 AD), the disease is believed to have disseminated from Africa with the spread of the primary vector, aedes egypti, in the 15th to 19th century as a result of globalisation of slave trade 45In 80% of the patients affected by this condition the presentation is rather insidious and at best characterized by mild fever. The classical 'Dengue fever' present in about 5% of the cases is characterized by high temperature, body aches, vomiting and at times a skin rash. The disease may regresses in two to seven days. However inrare instances (<5%) it may develop into more serious conditions such as Dengue hemorrhagic fever whereby the platelet count is significantly reduced leading to bleeding tendencies and may even culminate in a more life threatening presentation i.e Dengue shock syndrome.6To understand the actual dynamics of Dengue epidemic it is important to understand the mode of its spread in affected areas. Aedes mosquito (significantly Aedes Egypti) acts a vector for this disease. Early morning and evening times7 are favoured by these mosquitos to feed on their prey. There is some evidence that the disease may be transmitted via blood products and organ donation. 8 Moreover vertical transmission (mother to child) has also been reported 9Diagnostic investigations include blood antigen detection through NS-I or nucleic acid detection via PCR. IO Cell cultures and specific serology may also be used for confirming the underlying disease. Whilst sporadic and endemic cases are part of routine medical practice and may not raise any alarm bells, outbreaks certainly need mobilization of appropriate resources for effective control. Needless to say 'prevention is better than cure' and should be the primary target of the health authorities in devising strategies for disease control.The WHO recommended 'Integrated Vector control programme', lays stress on social mobilisation and strengthening of public health bodies, coherent response of health and related departments and effective capacity building of relevant personnel and organisations as well as the community at risk. For Aedes Egypti the primary control revolves around eliminating its habitats such as open sources of water. In a local perspective in our city Peshawar, venue of the recent dengue epidemic, it may be seen in the form of incidental reservoirs such as receptacles and tyres dumped in open areas such as roof tops with rain water accumulating in them and provtdjng excellent breeding habitats, Larvicidal and insecticides may be added to more permanent sources such as watertanks and farm lands. There is not much of a role for spraying with organophosphorous agents which is at times resorted to for public consumption. Public education is the key to any effective strategy which must highlight the need for wearing clothing that fully covers the skin, avoiding unnecessary early morning and evening exposure to vector agents, application of insect repellents and use of mosquito nets. It is also important not to panic if affliction with the disease is suspected as in a vast majority of instances it is a self limiting illness without any long term harmful effects and needs simple conservative management like antipyretics and analgesics.An important consideration for responsible authorities in a dengue epidemic is to ensure that maximum management facilities for simple cases are provided at the community level through primary and secondary health care facilities and that the tertiary care hospitals are not inundated with all sort of patients demanding consultation. These later facilities should be reserved for those patients who end up with any complications or more severe manifestation of the disease.Research is underway to develop an ideal vaccine for Dengue fever. In 2016, a vaccine by the name 'Dengvaxia' was marketed in Phillipines and Indonesia. However with development of new serotypes of the virus, its efficacy has been somewhat compromised.As for treatment , there are no specific antiviral drugs. Management is symptomatic revolving mainly around oral and intravenous hydration. Paracetamol (Acetaminophen) is used for fever as compared to NSAIDS such as Ibuprophen infusion as well as blood and platelet transfusion.Data to date shows that slightly more than twenty three thousand people have been diagnosed with dengue over the past three months ie August to October there is a lower risk of bleeding with the former. Those with more severe form of the disease may need Dextran 2017, in Peshawar, Pakistan with around fourteen thousand needing admission and about sixty nine recorded deaths. The mortality is well within the acceptable international standards of less than 1% for the disease. In the backdrop of all the debate surrounding the current epidemic, one can infer that such outbreaks are best addressed with effective planningwell ahead of the time before the disease threatens to spiral out of control. Simple measures such as covering water storage facilities, using larvicidals where practical, use of insect repellents, mosquito nets and avoiding unnecessary exposure can offerthe best protection. Public health messages via print and electronic media can help educate people in affected areas and allay any anxiety building up from a fear of developing life threatening complications. Health department must mobilise all its resources to ensure local management of diagnosed patients with simple dengue fever and facilitate hospital admission only for those suffering from more severe form of the disease. Moreover the media hype into such situations needs to be addressed through constant updates and discouraging any negative politicking on the issue. To sum up Dengue fever is not really an affliction to be dreaded provided it is viewed and managed in the right perspective.

PurposeThis research aimed to determine the differences and similarities in each pilot project to understand the primary design forms and concepts of sponge city concept (SCC) projects in China. It also aimed to examine ten pilot projects in Shanghai to extrapolate their main characteristics and the processes necessary for implementing SCC projects effectively.Design/methodology/approachA literature review and field survey case study were employed. Data were mostly collected through a field survey in Shanghai, focusing on both the projects and the surrounding environment. Based on these projects' examination, a comparative method was used to determine the characteristics of the ten pilot SCC projects and programs in Shanghai.FindingsSix main types of SCC projects among 30 pilot cities were classified in this research to find differences and similarities among the pilot cities. Four sponge design methods were classified into ten pilot projects. After comparing each project size using the same geographical size, three geometrical types were categorized into both existing and new city areas. SCC project characteristics could be identified by combining four methods and three geometrical types and those of the SCC programs by comparing the change in land-use and the surrounding environment in ten pilot projects.Originality/valueThe results are valuable for implementing SCC projects in China and elsewhere and future research on the impact of SCC projects.

Abstract The transnational scope of corporate activities often results in extraterritorial environmental harm elsewhere on the planet. Within the European context, two legal developments are challenging this state of affairs. First, several legislative initiatives seek to establish due diligence standards for corporate activities along global supply chains. Second, domestic courts increasingly assume jurisdiction over environmental damage arising from corporations’ subsidiary operations abroad. This article argues that both these developments are emblematic of the transnationalization and judicialization of environmental governance in the twenty-first century. Rather than providing particularized relief only, national judges may become crucial allies in the construction and enforcement of polycentric regimes. However, the advent of unilateral judicial interventions in the environmental affairs of other countries also raises concerns over the international and institutional legitimacy of the emerging corporate accountability apparatus.

Due to the high levels of alcohol use, alcohol-attributable mortality and burden of disease, and detrimental drinking patterns, Lithuania implemented a series of alcohol control policies within a relatively short period of time, between 2008 and 2019. Based on their expected impact on alcohol consumption and alcohol-attributable harm, as well as their target population, these policies have been classified using a set of objective criteria and expert opinion. The classification criteria included: positive vs. negative outcomes, mainly immediate vs. delayed outcomes, and general population vs. specific group outcomes. The judgement of the alcohol policy experts converged on the objective criteria, and, as a result, two tiers of intervention were identified: Tier 1—highly effective general population interventions with an anticipated immediate impact; Tier 2—other interventions aimed at the general population. In addition, interventions directed at specific populations were identified. This adaptable methodological approach to alcohol control policy classification is intended to provide guidance and support for the evaluation of alcohol policies elsewhere, to lay the foundation for the critical assessment of the policies to improve health and increase life expectancy, and to reduce crime and violence.

The paper gives an overview of the possibilities to achieve a more sustainable sludge management strategy by recovering and reusing valuable products as much as possible. Discussion separately deals with the recovery of products suitable for “material” uses and those for “energy” ones. Discussion on material recoveries includes organic matter, nutrients, carbon source, coagulant, bricks, pumice, slag, artificial lightweight aggregate (ALWA) and Portland cement. Regarding energy recovery, (i) conversion processes, including thermo-chemical conversion of dry sludge to oil, thermo-chemical liquefaction of wet sludge to oil and conversion/combustion processes, (ii) deep shaft wet air oxidation, and (iii) gasification processes, including starved air combustion, are outlined. Only general indications are given because the selection of an appropriate system for sludge management is strongly influenced by many other important factors, such as local economy and geography, climate, land use, regulatory constraints and public acceptance of the various practices. Also, the conventional and more traditional recycling options, like agricultural and other land uses, and incineration with energy recovery, are not dealt with because they are well known and extensively discussed elsewhere.

SUMMARY Melioidosis, caused by the gram-negative saprophyte Burkholderia pseudomallei, is a disease of public health importance in southeast Asia and northern Australia that is associated with high case-fatality rates in animals and humans. It has the potential for epidemic spread to areas where it is not endemic, and sporadic case reports elsewhere in the world suggest that as-yet-unrecognized foci of infection may exist. Environmental determinants of this infection, apart from a close association with rainfall, are yet to be elucidated. The sequencing of the genome of a strain of B. pseudomallei has recently been completed and will help in the further identification of virulence factors. The presence of specific risk factors for infection, such as diabetes, suggests that functional neutrophil defects are important in the pathogenesis of melioidosis; other studies have defined virulence factors (including a type III secretion system) that allow evasion of killing mechanisms by phagocytes. There is a possible role for cell-mediated immunity, but repeated environmental exposure does not elicit protective humoral or cellular immunity. A vaccine is under development, but economic constraints may make vaccination an unrealistic option for many regions of endemicity. Disease manifestations are protean, and no inexpensive, practical, and accurate rapid diagnostic tests are commercially available; diagnosis relies on culture of the organism. Despite the introduction of ceftazidime- and carbapenem-based intravenous treatments, melioidosis is still associated with a significant mortality attributable to severe sepsis and its complications. A long course of oral eradication therapy is required to prevent relapse. Studies exploring the role of preventative measures, earlier clinical identification, and better management of severe sepsis are required to reduce the burden of this disease.

ABSTRACT Raynaud’s phenomenon (RP) is a chronic episodic attack of digital ischemia provoked by exposure to cold or emotional stres. This phenomenon affects 3-5% of the population, with female ratio more than men and is categorized into a primary and secondary form. Primary form of RP is idiopathic, meanwhile the secondary form is associated with underlying diseases and other condition such as connective tissue disease, obstructive arterial disease, neurologic disorders, drugs and toxin, hyperviscosity disorders, infections, endocrine disturbance, neoplasms, and occupation or environmental exposure. Until today, to classified and build the diagnosis of RP is still a clinical challenge. Therefore, a careful history and a physical examination, together with laboratory tests and nailfold capillaroscopy are mandatory. A combination of conservative measures and medications can help in the management of RP. The approach to the RP patients requires therefore a coordinated care of specialists including dermatology.

A key forest management challenge in Canada, and elsewhere, is to strike an acceptable balance between the various values for which forests are to be managed. Striking that balance between commodity, aesthetic, environmental, and other values is difficult because (a) what defines an acceptable balance varies between parties who weight such values differently, and (b) some values are incompatible, in that managing for the betterment of one occurs at the expense of another. Timber supply is an important economic value in Canada, but there is clear evidence of an increasing social demand to favour non-timber values in forest management to a greater extent than has occurred in the past. Accommodating this demand often has negative timber supply consequences, thus forcing difficult decisions involving tradeoffs between values. Such tradeoffs occur when management decisions affect any of three primary factors of timber production, namely, landbase size, stand growth rates, and treatment timing choices. In New Brunswick, where aggressive industrial development has resulted in intensive use of the forest for timber production, the tradeoffs between timber and non-timber values are particularly difficult to make. Using New Brunswick as an example, this paper explores the mechanisms by which forest values conflict. It employs a simple land allocation schematic to illustrate the nature of that conflict, to identify plausible future scenarios in which that conflict is likely to intensify, and to discuss possible mitigating strategies. Key words: forest management, land zoning, nontimber values, trade-offs, New Brunswick forestry

European "Technical Recommendations" have proposed, in addition to the use of substance concentrations, the use of a pH (≤ 2 or ≥ 11.5) and an acid / base buffering capacity to classify waste into according to their hazardous properties HP 4 'Irritant' and HP 8 'Corrosive'. Buffer capacity refers to a 2018 UK classification guide referring to the 'corrosive' level of a method proposed in 1988 for substances and preparations but not retained in EU regulations. The different methods of classifying products and wastes in terms of corrosivity or irritation are compared. The waste method using pH and buffering capacity is expressed as an acid / base concentration and compared to the product method (CLP). The “corrosive” level of 1988 corresponds to an average acid / base concentration ≥ 14.4Ͽie 14 times less severe than CLP (acid / base concentration ≥ 1Ͽ These methods were applied to five alkaline wastes (pH ≥ 11.5). Minimum pH waste is not classified by both methods, and three higher pH wastes are classified by both methods. Intermediate waste is classified by CLP but not by the proposed waste method. In order not to innovate and create a new divergence between products and waste, it seems preferable to use the product regulations for HP 4 and HP 8. Fortunately, the elimination of the danger HP 4 and HP 8 from acidic or alkaline waste can be obtained by neutralization (possibly by other wastes), including for alkaline wastes by (natural) carbonation by atmospheric CO2.

ABSTRACTDiscrimination against old age and work with elderly people are evident in the practices and organisation of caring professions, of which social work may be taken as an example because of its central role in community care provision. This article examines the implications for the status of professional social work with elderly people of recent proposals to develop the role of care manager in place of the case management model developed in Kent and elsewhere. It is argued that such a move derives from managerial concerns, which ignore the likely consequences for retrenching ageism and other forms of discrimination in services for older people. It is concluded that more careful consideration will be required concerning the context in which new professional models are being developed, if these discriminations are not to be reproduced and reinforced, as well as the benefits from case management systems being lost.

A growing awareness of the difference between the supply and demand for fish products is fueling rapid growth of an aquaculture industry in Canada, including a freshwater sector, based mainly on the cage farming of rainbow trout. Cage farms can release relatively large loads of organic matter and nutrients to the environment. In consequence, federal and provincial resource management agencies need to develop regulatory instruments that will foster the growth of the industry while ensuring minimal water quality impacts. Such instruments should be science based, but there are currently key gaps in our understanding of the water quality implications of the operations of freshwater cage aquaculture. Here I review the state of science of the water quality implications of cage aquaculture and identify 11 knowledge gaps that currently hamper the development of sound, science-based cage culture management instruments. Perhaps the most important finding of the review is the recognition that, while aquaculture has produced significant increases in lakewater total phosphorus (TP) levels in some situations, classic phosphorus mass balance models may substantially overestimate the contributions of cage farms to TP concentrations in some lakes. Research on this, and perhaps the other knowledge gaps identified in this review, should aid the development of sound management instruments for freshwater cage aquaculture in Canada and elsewhere. Key words: aquaculture, cage culture, water quality issues, phosphorus, BOD, review, research needs, freshwaters.

AbstractObjectivesTo estimate the dietary intakes of heterocyclic amines (HCAs), to examine the intakes in relation to socio-economics, lifestyle and other dietary factors and to compare the classification of subjects by intake of HCA versus intake of meat and fish.DesignCross-sectional analysis within the Malmö Diet and Cancer (MDC) cohort. Data were obtained from a modified diet history, a structured questionnaire on socio-economics and lifestyle, anthropometric measurements and chemical analysis of HCAs. HCA intake was cross-classified against meat and fish intake. The likelihood of being a high consumer of HCAs was estimated by logistic regression analysis. Dietary intakes were examined across quintiles of HCA intake using analysis of variance.SettingBaseline examinations conducted in 1991–1994 in Malmö, Sweden.SubjectsA sub-sample of 8599 women and 6575 men of the MDC cohort.ResultsThe mean daily HCA intake was 583 ng for women and 821 ng for men. Subjects were ranked differently with respect to HCA intake compared with intake of fried and baked meat and fish (κ = 0.13). High HCA intake was significantly associated with lower age, overweight, sedentary lifestyle and smoking. Intakes of dietary fibre, fruits and fermented milk products were negatively associated with HCA intake, while intakes of selenium, vegetables, potatoes, alcohol (among men) and non-milk-based margarines (among women) were positively associated with HCA intake.ConclusionsThe estimated daily HCA intake of 690 ng is similar to values obtained elsewhere. The present study suggests that lifestyle factors (e.g. smoking, physical activity, fruit and vegetable intakes, and types of milk products and margarines) may confound associations between HCA intake and disease. The poor correlation between HCA intake and intakes of fried meat and fish facilitates an isolation of the health effects of HCAs.

Summary: Environmental letters of formal notice and reasoned opinions take at present about 40 per cent of all letters and reasoned opinions which the Commission issues. In 1985 Rehbinder and Stewart wrote in their book on EC environmental policy that access to information held by the EC institutions was easier to obtain for strong, powerful vested interest groups; this has not changed in the meantime. Where insurance, competition, state aid or industrial interests are at stake, the letters of formal notice or reasoned opinions are normally abundantly quoted in the press, the media and elsewhere, and no problem exists in obtaining copies. This is very different in the environmental field, where the preservation of habitats, rules against the hunting of species or groundwater or river pollution hardly ever are discussed in public. There is an international convention on access to information (the Aarhus Convention), which gives rights to the public in relation to environmental matters, but there is no such convention on access to information in industrial or other matters: that information is already available to the interested groups. This article examines whether individual persons have a right of access to these letters of formal notice and to the reasoned opinions which are issued by the Commission.

Large areas of trees are being planted in Australian agricultural lands for a range of environmental, ecological and economic reasons. In the medium to low rainfall zones, these plantings can negatively impact upon adjacent agricultural production through competition for soil moisture. The nature of the tree–crop competition zone and the means of managing it have been studied in the main southern cropping zones. However, the differences in soil, climate and agronomic systems in Australia’s northern dryland cropping zones could lead to differences in the competition processes and the management options needed to minimise them. In this study, the competition for soil moisture and resultant impacts on crop production were studied for a Eucalyptus argophloia windbreak on a farm near Warra, Queensland (26.93°S, 150.93°E). The results indicate well defined inner and outer competition zones, the extents of which agree with those found elsewhere in Australia and overseas. However, while the extent of the competition is comparable with other regions, local agronomic practices developed for variable climatic conditions and deep clay soils allow trees to extract soil water stored during fallow periods resulting in relatively higher production losses.

Ground-based monitoring of rangeland condition is common in Australian pastoral administration systems. In the Northern Territory (NT), such monitoring is officially seen as a key plank of sustainable pastoral land use. In the NT and elsewhere, these monitoring schemes have sought to increase participation by pastoralists. Involvement of pastoralists in monitoring is theoretically an educative process that will cause pastoralists to more critically examine their management practices. Critical perspectives on the relationship between rangelands science/extension and pastoralist knowledge systems and concerns, however, suggest that pastoralists' reception of such monitoring schemes will be influenced by a range of social contexts, including the character of pastoralist environmental knowledge. Fieldwork with pastoralists in Central Australia shows that the process by which pastoral environmental knowledge develops has rich experiential, historical and social dimensions. These contexts play a role in framing pastoral environmental knowledge and in shaping pastoralists' interpretations of environmental events and information from other parties. Pastoralists will assess information from monitoring in light of these contexts. The nature of the ground-based monitoring scheme is such that the very environmental knowledge that it seeks to reform may in fact be confirmed or otherwise interact with pastoral knowledge in unanticipated ways. Lack of systematic evaluation of the scheme and of pastoral environmental knowledge, however, precludes definitive judgements at this stage. The apparently central role of monitoring in NT pastoral land administration, however, suggests that the assumptions underlying the scheme and its implementation be reassessed.

Since the commercialization of transgenic glyphosate-tolerant (GT) crops in the mid-1990s, glyphosate has become the dominant herbicide to control weeds in corn, soybean, and other crops in the United States and elsewhere. However, recent public concerns over its potential carcinogenicity in humans have generated calls for glyphosate-restricting policies. Should a policy to restrict glyphosate use, such as a glyphosate tax, be implemented? The decision involves two types of tradeoffs: human health and environmental (HH-E) impacts versus market economic impacts, and the use of glyphosate versus alternative herbicides, where the alternatives potentially have more serious adverse HH-E effects. Accounting for farmers’ weed management choices, we provide empirical evaluation of the HH-E welfare and market economic welfare effects of a glyphosate use restriction policy on US corn production. Under a glyphosate tax, farmers would substitute glyphosate for a combination of other herbicides. Should a 10% glyphosate tax be imposed, then the most conservative welfare estimate is a net HH-E welfare gain with a monetized value of US$6 million per annum but also a net market economic loss of US$98 million per annum in the United States, which translates into a net loss in social welfare. This result of overall welfare loss is robust to a wide range of tax rates considered, from 10 to 50%, and to multiple scenarios of glyphosate’s HH-E effects, which are the primary sources of uncertainties about glyphosate’s effects.

SUMMARYDespite sound logic supporting decentralized resource management, the results of community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) efforts have been mixed. Many conditions are thought to contribute to the sustainable use of common pool resources, but as practitioners evaluate the likelihood of CBNRM success, it is necessary to understand which particular conditions have the greatest impact and how these differ across contexts. This paper describes the harvest of the matsutake mushroom and its decline in two rural communities in Bhutan that possess many of the conditions thought to facilitate resource management. Data from surveys, informal interviews and focus group meetings suggest the decline in the matsutake harvest can be attributed to the absence of a small number of enabling characteristics and an additional factor that is often overlooked in the CBNRM literature. Factors contributing to the decline include environmental dynamics, lack of leadership, and the difficulty of monitoring and enforcing harvesting guidelines. However, communities are reluctant to absorb the costs of developing institutions owing to the lack of perceived scarcity and salience of matsutake and, perhaps most importantly, to a historical dependence on a paternalistic government. This reliance on the government may preclude communities from assuming the responsibilities of matsutake management and enforcing rules to assure a sustainable harvest, a trend seen elsewhere in Bhutan. CBNRM may succeed if governments can simultaneously build capacity in communities while empowering them to take ownership over resource management. Though a relatively small number of factors have impeded CBNRM in this case, many of the obstacles can be overcome and these efforts should be considered a work in progress in Bhutan.

Managing the bank risk well are very needed so that the bank can operate smoothly. One of the important bank risk to managed well is bank asset quality risk. The banks are required to be careful and wiser in manage these asset quality risk. The object of this study is to obtain evidence of the effect of productive asset quality management on bank profit. The empirical studies conducted on rural banks in Indonesia. As the independent variable is productive asset quality consist of classified productive asset, productive asset quality and non-performing loan, while as the dependent variable is bank profit measured by return on asset. Return on asset of 89,6% explained by classified productive asset, productive asset quality and non-performing loan. While the rest return on asset of 10,4% effect by other variables that not examined in this study. Keywords: Classified Productive Asset, Productive Asset Quality, Non-performing Loan, Return on Asset.

Although well over 1000 journal articles, conference papers, books, technical notes and theses have been written on the subject of information technology (IT) evaluation, only a relatively small subset of this literature has been concerned with the core issues of what precisely is meant by the term ‘value’ and with the process of making (specifically) IT investment decisions. All too often, the problem and highly complex issue of value is either simplified, ignored or assumed away. Instead the focus of much of the research to date has been on evaluation methodologies and, within this literature, there are different strands of thought which can be classified as partisan, composite and meta approaches to evaluation. Research shows that a small number of partisan techniques are used by most decision makers with a minority using a single technique and a majority using a mixture of such techniques of whom a substantial minority use a formal composite approach. It is argued that, in mapping the set of evaluation methodologies on to what is termed the investment opportunity space, that there is a limit to what can be achieved by formal rational evaluation methods. This limit becomes evident when decision makers fall back on ‘gut feel’ and other non-formal/rigorous ways of making decisions. It is suggested that an understanding of these more complex processes and decision making, in IT as elsewhere, needs tools drawn from philosophy and psychology.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the main causes of delay in public construction projects. This is motivated by feedback from public construction experts concerning substantive delays during the last decade. The study thus seeks to help decision makers in Jordan and elsewhere identify problems and develop mitigating strategies. Design/methodology/approach Causes of delay were identified from previous related studies and then augmented after consultation with experts. This resulted in 56 delay factors classified into eight groups. The sampling frame for the study was defined in terms of public construction projects (mostly related to roads) owned by the Ministry of Public Works and Housing in Jordan. A survey was conducted with engineers working as representatives of the owner, contractors or consultants to elicit and evaluate the importance of the 56 delay factors. Findings Overall, 113 completed questionnaire responses were returned and analyzed to rank the causes of delay using the relative importance index method. Owners and consultants showed more interest in factors related to themselves, while contractors showed highest interest in an external factor related to the owner of services. Four recommendations are put forward for decision makers to mitigate against delays. Originality/value This research investigates a relatively large number of delay factors compared to other studies and these are categorized into groups to facilitate thematic understanding. Further, compared to previous related research, this research fills a gap by exploring the opinions of different contract parties.

The World Health Organization has raised concerns about the increasing number of Hansen disease (HD) relapses worldwide, especially in Brazil, India, and Indonesia that report the highest number of recurrent cases. Relapses are an indicator of MDT effectiveness and can reflect Mycobacterium leprae persistence or re-infection. Relapse is also a potential marker for the development or progression of disability. In this research, we studied a large cohort of persons affected by HD treated with full fixed-dose multibacillary (MB) multidrug therapy (MDT) followed for up to 20 years and observed that relapses are a rare event. We estimated the incidence density of relapse in a cohort of patients classified to receive MB regime (bacillary index (BI) > 0), diagnosed between September 1997 and June 2017, and treated with twelve-dose MB-MDT at a HD reference center in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We obtained the data from the data management system of the clinic routine service. We linked the selected cases to the dataset of relapses of the national HD data to confirm possible relapse cases diagnosed elsewhere. We diagnosed ten cases of relapse in a cohort of 713 patients followed-up for a mean of 12.1 years. This resulted in an incidence rate of 1.16 relapse cases per 1000 person-year (95% CI = 0.5915–2.076). The accumulated risk was 0.025 in 20 years. The very low risk observed in this cohort of twelve-dose-treated MB patients reinforces the success of the current MDT scheme.

This study monitored surface water quality around a reservoir for a 2-year period. It was found that the total coliform test could be used in new ways, and in conjunction with other bacterial and viral indicators, to provide valuable information on the sources of fecal inputs and their potential impact on water quality. Two new approaches to the use of total coliforms were developed. Specifically, it was found that atypical colonies (AC) from the total coliform, membrane filtration test were invaluable input parameters for neural network models that could be trained to recognize and predict potentially hazardous fecal sources from agricultural activities. AC counts were also used in conjunction with total coliphage (TP) concentrations to create a reference index relative to domestic sewage to rank the level of fecal contamination at sites within the watershed. Atypical colonies isolated from total coliform tests of surface water samples were further classified with the API 20E system. The classification showed that the heterogeneous group known as atypicals consisted of three main groups of bacteria: modified coliforms, Aeromonas, and a mix of predominantly Vibrio and Samonella.

Scientific research has focused to delineate the core aspects of stress tolerance mechanisms and to apply the crucial components for enhancing the tolerance of plants and their growth under stressed environments. Metallothioneins (MTs) are known to play pivotal roles in stress regulation. They are known in bacteria, fungi, and all other eukaryotic organisms. MTs are low molecular weight, cysteinerich proteins. They are important metal chelators and also possess antioxidant properties. MTs work upon reactive oxygen species (ROS), whose production is induced by different stresses and is known to damage various cellular biomolecules. MT proteins are classified into two classes, plant MTs belong to class II type, while animal MTs belong to class I type. MTs have been investigated in the vast number of plant species and their crucial roles in stress modulation has been uncovered. Hence, MTs are a promising tool for stress management, acting as essential stress biomarkers and ensuring food security in the coming future to achieve sustainable development goals worldwide. This review discusses the roles of MTs in plants under different abiotic stresses, including drought, salinity, low temperature, light, in oxidative stress regulation and heavy metals homeostasis and detoxification including toxic nanoparticle management in plants.

The role of soil in the existential environmental problems of declining biodiversity, climate change, water and energy security, impacting on food security has highlighted the need to link the soil functions to ecosystem services. We describe and illustrate by a limited example, the concepts and assessment of soil’s capacity measured through its capability and condition as contributors to an overall soil security framework. The framework is based on the concepts of genosoils and phenosoils. The links to other notions, such as threats to soil and soil functions are made. The framework can be potentially applied elsewhere to quantify soil changes under natural processes and human activities.

The development since the late 1970s of four Special Economic Zones in South China, in which a variety of economic change is being piloted, has now been widely documented. These zones have certain similarities with Export Processing Zones in some other countries within Southeast Asia, although they are more comprehensive in development and include the provision of housing for foreigners and local Chinese, as well as social services and many other facilities. Housing and service provision has, to an extent, however, lagged behind the economic and physical development of the Chinese zones. The authorities in the zones have begun to view housing as an item worthy of investment, and the coexistence of foreign firms and joint ventures with Chinese-owned undertakings within the zones has meant that incomes and aspirations, and hence demands for facilities, are often higher than elsewhere in the country. This has meant an important re-examination of socialist principles in the zones. Housing in particular is becoming a commodity which is of higher quality than elsewhere in China and can be bought and sold, and many types of social and retail services are also being provided by individuals and firms rather than by the state or larger production units. In this paper the authors examine some of the changes currently being witnessed in these zones and the dilemmas which they pose for a government still attempting to maintain an avowed socialist orientation in its policy. In particular, they discuss the emergence of competition for housing and resources, and consider the extent to which the commodification of social facilities is compatible with the continuation of socialist state policy.

This article explores the linkages between the local and the global in the case of the increasing dependence on cotton in West African economies. It argues that West African states are too poor to engage in the wide spread extremely damaging environmental practices the former Soviet republics or Latin American states have followed and then suffered from. This article demonstrates that this poverty leads to relatively minor environmental damage on the one hand and, on the other hand, is caused to a large extent by external forces. Cotton is a key export crop and the region is vulnerable to price fluctuations on world markets and to domestic consequences of cotton farming such as environmental and social problems. This article explores the structural origins and environmental consequences of cotton farming in West Africa from a holistic perspective, thus outlining the position of cash-crop dependent states in the global political economy from a social and environmental perspective. Although West Africa's subordinate role in the globalization process also means that problems arising out of the privatization of nature are not as acute as elsewhere, the lack of opportunity for higher-level integration perpetuates and aggravates West Africa's position in the world, leaving little room for ecological, social and welfare improvement. It is an ideal illustration of the classic sustainable development dilemma: poverty means relatively low environmental damage but the way out of poverty can only be achieved with substantial environmental sacrifices, thus making sustainable development an oxymoron.

In Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser argues that slaughterhouse workers use methamphetamines to manage the harsh physical and emotional demands of the meatpacking industry. Similar ideas have been raised elsewhere; however, empirical tests of this hypothesis are in short supply. In this article, we elaborate on theoretical mechanisms that may explain why the meatpacking industry encourages methamphetamine use and provide a macro-level test of the meatpacking–methamphetamine hypothesis using 11 years (2001-2012) of hospital admission data and information from annual livestock slaughter reports. Decomposition modeling is used to examine variations across states and within states over time. Results show only modest support for the hypothesis. Specifically, a combined measure of meat is positively and statistically significantly associated with methamphetamine use both within and across states. However, the relationships are not consistently positive or statistically significant across all types of meat. In other words, the meatpacking–methamphetamine relationship is varying and complex.

Understanding the dynamics and spatial variation of subaquatic sediment contamination in the Santos Estuarine System has been of interest to the scientific community and environmental managers; the hazardous contaminant compounds, either individually or synergistically, can affect the health of the local community. In the present study, water column salinity and sediment geochemical properties (calcium and organic matter content, grain size) of the Santos Estuarine System were correlated with heavy metal concentrations (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn and Fe) in order to elucidate the relationship between the toxic elements and the dynamics of water mixing. To assess the potential relationships, Spearman’s correlation test and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) between were applied. The heavy metal concentrations were also evaluated by calculating Contamination Factor, Geoaccumulation index and Enrichment Factor. Results revealed extremely heterogeneous particle sizes within the sampling stations. Most of the heavy metal concentrations were not at critical levels. The only exception was arsenic, which reached levels above the threshold effect. The statistical analysis allowed the influence of organic matter and grain size on the dynamics of heavy metal accumulation to be demonstrated. The values between these binding matrices and metals were mostly significant. Bottom water salinity, on the other hand, showed no apparent influence on the distribution of metals. However, the various pollution indices used were contradictory, with certain cases presenting critical results. The Geoaccumulation Index presented the Mn as highly polluting at all sampling stations and classified the environment as moderately polluted by Zn. The same pollution pattern was not found by the other contamination indexes.

The use of recycled materials in roadway construction and rehabilitation can achieve significant benefits in saving natural resources, reducing energy, greenhouse gas emissions and costs. Construction and demolition waste (CDW) recycled aggregate as an alternative to natural one can enhance sustainability benefits in roadway infrastructure. The objective of this study was to quantitatively assess the life cycle economic and environmental benefits when alternative stabilized-CDW aggregates are used in pavement construction. Comparative analysis was conducted on a pavement project representative of typical construction practices in northern Italy so as to quantify such benefits. The proposed alternative sustainable construction strategies considered CDW aggregates stabilized with both cement and cement kiln dust (CKD) for the base layer of the roadway. The life cycle assessment results indicate that using CDW aggregate stabilized with CKD results in considerable cost savings and environmental benefits due to (i) lower energy consumption and emissions generation during material processing and (ii) reduction in landfill disposal. The benefits illustrated in this analysis should encourage the wider adoption of stabilized CDW aggregate in roadway construction and rehabilitation. In terms of transferability, the analysis approach suggested in this study can be used to assess the economic and environmental benefits of these and other recycled materials in roadway infrastructure elsewhere.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the metrics used in the literature to measure social issues in sustainable supply chains. Design/methodology/approach – A systematic literature review was conducted to identify peer-reviewed articles containing metrics pertaining to social issues in the supply chain. A structured content analysis of each identified article was conducted to extract the metrics. This analysis provided a basis for a frequency analysis to determine how often the various metrics appeared in the literature. The metrics were also analyzed to determine whether they: simultaneously addressed the other areas of the triple bottom line, namely, environmental and/or economic issues; were quantitative or qualitative metrics; and could be classified as absolute, relative or context-based metrics. Findings – A total of 53 unique metrics were identified. The analysis of the results showed that a limited number of environmental (3 metrics) and economic (11 metrics) issues were addressed by the metrics as well. A combination of quantitative (39.6 per cent) and qualitative (60.4 per cent) measurements were used. The vast majority of the metrics (90.6 per cent) were further classified as absolute metrics. Originality/value – This paper presents one of the first in-depth analyses of metrics used to measure social issues in supply chains. This is important because social issues are often overlooked in research focused on performance measurement in sustainable supply chains.

The past 40 years have formed a transitional period in Sweden’s education and political history. The social democratic reforms from the 1940s that aimed to create a centralised, expanded and integrated comprehensive education system came to an end. Decentralisation, neoliberal governance and the introduction of new public management with the creation of private schools and competition have shaped the policy regime since then. Ethnography emerged in Swedish educational research as a significant research methodology during this transitional period. Using a qualitative and quantitative investigation of research dissertations that classified and counted the use of ethnography as either classical (using core references and long-term participation research at one or a limited number of sites), or adapted (used within adaptations to other research methods), the present article explores these developments at two universities. It suggests that Swedish education ethnography has developed along similar kinds of historical trajectories to ethnography in other places, with roots similar to those in other European countries, though also with some variations. For instance, as elsewhere, ethnography needed a breakthrough point in Swedish education research. It got this in the 1980s. However, it quickly became an important part of educational research from the 1990s onwards and a strong quantitative take off early in the new millennium followed. Presently more than half of all PhD dissertations in Education at the two universities have some kind of participant observation, over half of which are also classically ethnographic. This leads us to conclude that education ethnography in Sweden has changed across its period of growth and that though configured in contemporary social science as having originated in anthropology as a methodology that employed long-term embedded participant observation, this does not limit the variations of ethnography’s development or its application.

WSPs are widely used in North America, and offer huge potential for other continental climate regions. The standard design and operating protocol is robust even at high latitudes, but may be conservative elsewhere. A simple model based on first-order kinetics for biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) is used to consider some alternative design and operating protocols, using long-term daily climate records for cities across continental central Asia. Options include changing the discharge period; retaining treated water in the pond over the winter; and changing the facultative pond loading. Annual variability in climate parameters has a major effect, in particular on the date at which treated wastewater meets appropriate standards for discharge or re-use: the earlier the discharge, the greater the variability in effluent quality. Skilful management of these systems may therefore be required to maximise their performance. While current models require development, it is clear modelling could provide tools and guidelines that would allow the design of continental climate WSP to be tailored to specific regional and local climate conditions.

Companies have been witnessing major changes in their environment and environmental models have been developed aiming to improve their strategic planning. The objective of this study was to examine the environmental approach adopted by companies within the Pulp and Paper, Metallurgical and Sugar and Alcohol sectors, in order to evaluate their environmental performances. The analysis was based on a matrix which relates managerial functions with a set of environmental approaches and performance indicators, classifying the company environmental performance as weak, moderate or strong. The managerial functions approached in this model are: Management (General, Legal Affairs, Finance, Human Resources and Purchasing); Product and Process Development; Production and Maintenance; and Marketing. The analyzed indicators include: international insertion; capital origin and location. The pulp and paper and metallurgical companies obtained average scores of 54.5 and 51.56 points, respectively, being classified as having a strong environmental performance. On the other hand, the sugar and alcohol companies obtained average score of 46 points, being classified as moderate in environmental performance. The high level of environmental performance of pulp and paper and metallurgical companies can be attributed to the following factors: larger international insertion, presence of foreign capital in controlling shares, performance in the international market and company location near large population centers. Pulp and paper and mainly sugar and alcohol companies are less efficient in meeting the requirements of the environmental legislation, particularly those related to the conformity of permanent protected areas and legal reserves.

Understanding the causes and consequences of previous climate changes is essential for testing present-day climate models and projections. Archaeological sites are paleoenvironmental archives containing unique ecological baselines with data on paleoclimate transformations at a human timescale. Anthropogenic and nonanthropogenic forces have destroyed many sites, and others are under immediate threat. In the face of this loss, previously excavated collections from these sites—referred to as legacy collections—offer a source of climate and other paleoenvironmental information that may no longer exist elsewhere. Here, we 1) review obstacles to systematically using data from legacy archaeological collections, such as inconsistent or unreported field methods, inadequate records, unsatisfactory curation, and insufficient public knowledge of relevant collections; 2) suggest best practices for integrating archaeological data into climate and environmental research; and 3) summarize several studies to demonstrate the benefits and challenges of using legacy collections as archives of local and regional environmental proxies. Data from archaeological legacy collections contribute regional ecological baselines as well as serve to correct shifting baselines. They also enable regional climate reconstructions at various timescales and corroborate or refine radiocarbon dates. Such uses of legacy collections raise ethical concerns regarding ownership of and responsibility for cultural resources and highlight the importance of Indigenous involvement in planning and executing fieldwork and stewardship of cultural heritage. Finally, we discuss methodologies, practices, and policies pertaining to archaeological legacy collections and support calls for discipline-wide shifts in collections management to ensure their long-term utility in multidisciplinary research and public engagement.

PurposeThough enormous research studies were conducted on corporate environmental responsibility (CER), few of them could empirically justify how CER helps to improve firm’s competitive advantage and firms are still hesitant to incorporate CER with their business strategy at present. The purpose of this paper is to theoretically and empirically explore how the CER strategy could help the firm to gain competitive advantage in Chinese context, particularly in terms of achieving brand sustainability (BS).Design/methodology/approachIn this study, 310 listed companies in China were chosen as research sample. First, the CER strategies were classified into developing eco-friendly products, adopting EMAS or other eco-management, enhancing the impact of CER through value chain and charitable CER. Second, BS is constructed as two dimensions, i.e. resource-acquisition and consumer impact. Accordingly, this paper analyzed the relationship between CER and BS with regression model analysis, taking account of several moderating and control variables.FindingsThe results indicate that CER strategies have positive effect on BS. Among all CER strategies, developing eco-friendly products and charitable CER undertakings are the most effective ones to promote BS performance. Also, the paper found that the length of time in adopting CER strategy moderates the effect of CER on BS. The empirical evidence proves that CER strategies could enhance the brand value in terms of BS and help the company to gain competitive advantage.Research limitations/implicationsFirst, most of our samples are of the state-owned enterprises, so our assumption might not be applicable to other types of business. Second, corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication is an important factor in the relation between CSR and corporate performance, but it is not taken into account in this study. Third, the difference in industries and ownership in this research is out of concern.Practical implicationsAs this paper has provided empirical evidence to reveal the effectiveness of different CER strategies, firms in China could be more motivated to undertake CER not only for the sake of environment but also for their brand value and competitive advantage. More importantly, this paper could be a valuable reference for the firms in China to choose suitable and effective CER strategies, as proved in this study, to gain competitive advantage in the market.Originality/valueAt first, while public environmental awareness has improved gradually, we introduce the BS concept to explain how the CER strategies affect CCA. This approach gives us another perspective to highlight the relationship between these two constructs. Second, we conducted our research from practical perspective to explore how to apply the CER undertakings as the company’s strategy. Third, we conducted our empirical research in Chinese context, which will enrich the theoretical CER and CSR literature.

Waste management is a new concept for most of the Asian countries including India. The lack of financial and technical resources and regulatory control for the management of hazardous waste in the past has led to the unscientific disposal of hazardous waste in India. Now a days urbanization not only concentrates waste but also raises generation rates. New and expensive technologies are being pushed to deal with our urban waste problem ignoring their environmental and social implications. Hazardous waste can be classified into solid, liquid, gases and sludge waste. There are various methods of disposal of waste management. Disposing the waste in a landfill involves burying the waste. In incineration the solid organic wastes are subjected to combustion so as to convert them into residue and gaseous products. In recycling, the collection and reuse of waste materials are done such as empty beverage containers. Biological reprocessing in which waste materials that are organic in nature such as plant material, food scraps can be recycled using biological compositing and digestion process to decompose the organic matter. Energy recovery as well as avoidance and reduction methods are also the other ways of disposal.

AbstractObjectiveTo investigate the association between the weight status of first–year female students (FYFS) and various weight management–related characteristics to identify possible components of a weight management programme for students.DesignCross‐sectional study.SettingFemale residences at a South African university.SubjectsA total of 360 FYFS.ResultsMean (± standard deviation (SD)) body mass index (BMI) of the FYFS was 21.8 ± 2.6 kg m−2, with 7.2% being underweight, 81.9% normal‐weight, 10.0% overweight and 0.8% obese. Underweight, normal–eight and overweight students differed with regard to their perception of their weight (P < 0.001), weight goals (P < 0.001) and previous weight–loss practices (P < 0.001). Mean ± SD score on the 26-item Eating Attitudes Test (EAT–26) was 8.5 ± 9.0 with 8.4% classified as high scorers. Mean ± SD score on the 34-item Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ) was 87.7 ± 32.2, with 76.1% classified as low, 11.9% as medium and 11.9% as high scorers. The self-concept questionnaire indicated that 36.7% had a high, 43.9% a medium and 19.4% a low self-concept. Higher BMI correlated with a higher BSQ score (P < 0.001), a lower self-concept (P = 0.029) and a higher EAT-26 score (P < 0.001). Smoking was prevalent amongst 13.1% of students, and 51.2% used vitamin and/or mineral supplements. Students who quitted smoking had higher (P = 0.006) BMI (22.7 ± 2.9 kg m-2) than those who never smoked before (21.6 ± 2.5 kg m−2). Normal-weight students were more physically active than underweight or overweight students (P = 0.038).ConclusionsThe specific weight management-related needs of FYFS include information about supplement use, smoking, realistic weight goals, safe and sound weight-loss methods, weight cycling, body-shape perceptions, eating attitudes and behaviours, self-concept and physical activity. Interventions aimed at correcting these problems should target all students, regardless of their BMI.

Groups usually carry out science and decision-making activities involving geographic information. However, current mapping and related geospatial technologies are not group-friendly, and attempts to extend (or reinvent) technologies for group use have been largely ad hoc. Elsewhere, we have developed a comprehensive conceptual approach to geocollaboration that provides a framework for both studying collaborative work with geospatial information (and technologies) and the development of new technologies designed to support group work. We are applying that approach to a range of prototype systems that support same- and different-place as well as same- and different-time group activities.Our focus in this paper is on same-time, same-place group work environments that enable that work through use of large-screen displays supporting natural, human-system dialogue and multi-user interaction. Two environments are described and compared. Both make use of hand gestures as a mechanism for specifying display locations. One adopts a combined wall map/white board metaphor while the other adopts a drafting table metaphor. We focus on crisis management as a typical use case.