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Found 6341 publications
Environmental apprehension under COP26 agreement: Examining the influence of environmental-related technologies and energy consumption on ecological footprint
Publication Name: International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology
Publication Date: 2024-08-01
Volume: 21
Issue: 12
Page Range: 7999-8012
Description:
Governments internationally strive to balance environmental health and economic development. Modern economies, specifically emerging ones, emphasize the importance of eco-friendly progress, where the pace of economic growth limits the ecological footprint. The ecological footprint denotes both the trajectory of natural resource extraction in the economic process and how quickly these resources can be replenished, as well as the capacity of the ecological sector to absorb waste from this process. This study examines 38 countries from 1994 to 2020 to investigate the drivers of the ecological footprint and found that environmentally related technologies harmfully influence ecological deprivation but are positively affected by gross domestic product growth. Renewable energy diminishes pollution levels, while urbanization has an insignificant effect. Imports were only found to be significant with one econometric technique, and their impact on the ecological footprint was positive. Income level affects the influence of gross domestic product on the ecological footprint. Lower-income quantiles have a more significant impact than higher quantiles. The Granger causality test shows bidirectional causality between the ecological footprint and exogenous factors: eco-technologies, gross domestic product/capita, renewable energy, urbanization, and imports.
Open Access: Yes
Strategic assessment of groundwater potential zones: a hybrid geospatial approach
Publication Name: Applied Water Science
Publication Date: 2024-08-01
Volume: 14
Issue: 8
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Groundwater aquifers constitute the primary water supply for populations in arid regions, exemplified by the Goharkooh Plain in Iran's driest drainage basin, where conditions of high evapotranspiration and low precipitation prevail. With the escalating demand for water resources, driven mainly by agricultural expansion, the strategic management of groundwater assets has become increasingly critical. This study focuses on delineating groundwater potential zones (GWPZs) through an integrated approach combining multi-criteria decision analysis and geospatial tools. Based on an extensive literature review, nine thematic layers were selected and developed: lithology, geology, drainage density, slope gradient, elevation, vegetation cover, lineament density, land use, and precipitation. These criteria were initially weighted using the analytical hierarchical process (AHP) and subsequently integrated via weighted overlay analysis. In this research, the strategic selection of thematic layers for assessing groundwater potential in arid regions has been identified as an innovative approach that could significantly advance studies in similar settings. The analysis revealed that approximately 60% of the study area, primarily in the southwestern parts, exhibited moderate to very high groundwater potential. This potential is primarily attributed to the presence of alluvial deposits, low drainage density, and favorable slope and elevation conditions. Applying the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve yields an area under the curve (AUC) of 81.5%, indicating a relatively high level of predictive accuracy. These findings demonstrate the efficacy of this integrated approach, suggesting its broader applicability in regions with analogous groundwater challenges and management needs.
Open Access: Yes
Long-term impact of unhealthy food tax on consumption and the drivers behind: A longitudinal study in Hungary
Publication Name: Health Policy
Publication Date: 2024-08-01
Volume: 146
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Several countries have introduced public health product taxes with the objective of reducing the absolute amount of consumption of unhealthy food and tackling obesity. This study aims to estimate the long-term impact of the Hungarian public health product tax introduced in 2011. To achieve this, a unique consumer purchase dataset was analysed to examine daily fast-moving consumer goods purchases from a representative sample of 2,000 households from 2010 to 2018. The results indicate that the tax has been fully reflected in consumer prices. A decline in consumption was observed initially, consistent with previous experiences in Hungary and other countries. However, over time, the data suggests a recovery and even an increase in line with the growth of disposable income. The proportion of taxed products in total fast-moving consumer goods purchases increased from 5.9 % (95 % CI: 5.7 % to 6.0 %) in 2010 to 7.4 % (95 % CI: 7.3 % to 7.6 %) in 2018. Furthermore, the tax has contributed to increased inequality as low-income households spend a higher proportion of their total expenditure on it. Although taxes on unhealthy foods have proven effective in the short-term, they may not be adequate for reducing overall consumption in the long-term, particularly as disposable income increases. In conclusion, implementing complex interventions is necessary to achieve sustainable positive changes in dietary habits.
Open Access: Yes
Prioritising water-related regional development project ideas based on stakeholder involvement activities: A case study from Szigetköz, Hungary
Publication Name: Environmental Challenges
Publication Date: 2024-08-01
Volume: 16
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Szigetköz—a large island of the Danube in Hungary—is attracting a new wave of interest in water-related regional development projects from the public and private sectors alike. The revived interest in the Szigetköz floodplain area, which has historically endured the adverse effects of large-scale water management initiatives, draws attention to the necessity for careful consideration and the active involvement of local stakeholders in the decision-making process. In our research, we conducted various stakeholder engagement activities, including interviews, questionnaires, and workshops. These activities helped define the problems and objectives of each stakeholder group. Through collaborative consultations, we gathered over 100 proposed water related development project ideas. Additionally, to address key issues in project development and selection, we evaluated the integrative potential of each proposed project, considering the number of distinct water management issues it addressed. We also assigned an attitude score to each project, derived from the diverse objectives of various stakeholder groups, and analysed these quantities using a multiple-criteria analysis. This paper details a novel approach to assess and rank the proposed water-related regional development project ideas based on the calculated integrative potential and attitude scores. The goal was to prioritise and further develop these proposed projects to benefit Szigetköz and its surrounding areas. Main results of the study have shown the average project scored between 0.33–0.50 in integrative potential out of a maximum of 1.00 For positive attitude score the average was between 0.28–0.43, out of a maximum of 1.00 while for the negative attitude score the average project scored between -0.14–0.00 out of a minimum of -1.00. The ranking of projects that was based on these scores, highlighted three types of proposed projects that need to be further developed in different ways. The top-ranked positive attitude integrative projects need cost-benefit calculations involving all ecosystem services to justify their economic sustainability. Top-ranked opposing attitude integrative projects need conflict resolution to be socially sustainable. Finally, project ideas that scored low on integrative potential need to be developed to make use of blue-green infrastructure, and circular economical advancements to foster their environmental sustainability.
Open Access: Yes
Biology, phylogenetic and evolutionary relations of Tradescantia mild mosaic virus isolates from Hungary
Publication Name: Journal of Plant Pathology
Publication Date: 2024-08-01
Volume: 106
Issue: 3
Page Range: 1369-1374
Description:
In Western Transdanubia in 2018 and in Central-Hungary in 2022 spiderwort plants showed flower breaking symptoms and mild mosaic on the foliage, which indicated a potential virus infection. One gram of symptomatic leaf sample was collected at both locations. Potyvirus-specific ELISA tests demonstrated potyvirus infection. To identify the virus species, potyvirus-specific RT-PCR was carried out on the samples. In both samples specific PCR products were detected and cloned into pGEM®-T Easy vector. The nucleotide sequences of the inserts were determined by Sanger sequencing. BLASTn searches on the complete coat protein region of both isolates demonstrated more than 99.87% identity with Tradescantia mild mosaic virus (TraMMV; accession number OL584375). Koch postulates were fulfilled by sap inoculating seed grown spiderwort plants. Phylogenetic analyses of the TraMMV coat protein sequences revealed two distinct evolutionary lineages: a tropical subgroup with at least 97.84% identity within the group and temperate subgroup with at least 98.97% identity within the group. One major difference between the subgroups was in the triplet responsible for vector transmission. The isolates belonging to the tropical subgroup had DAG triplets, while the temperate subgroup had NAG triplets. The difference in the triplets could be caused by natural diversification, directional selection or disruptive selection. License: CC BY-NC-ND
Open Access: Yes
Aerodynamic Behavior of Hump Slab Track in Desert Railways: A Case Study in Shuregaz, Iran
Publication Name: Buildings
Publication Date: 2024-08-01
Volume: 14
Issue: 8
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
The development of rail transport necessitates expanding environmentally friendly infrastructure. However, specific challenges arise in desert and sandy regions. One innovative solution to manage the effects of windblown sand on desert railways is the use of hump slab track superstructure. This paper develops a solid–fluid aerodynamic model based on ANSYS Fluent 2021 R2 software to simulate the hump slab track during a sandstorm. The model is validated through wind tunnel testing. A case study of a railway sandstorm in the Shuregaz region of Iran is presented, evaluating various sandstorm parameters and hump heights to determine their impact on sand concentration and particle velocity within the sand transit channels. The results indicate that increasing the sand particle diameter (from 150 to 250 µm) leads to higher sand concentration (up to 40%) and lower sand movement velocity (up to 28%). These results have been observed with a higher incremental approach concerning the sand flow rate. Conversely, increasing sandstorm velocity (from 10 to 30 m/s) decreases sand concentration and increases sand movement velocity up to 80% and 150%, respectively. Additionally, a 25 cm hump height significantly enhances sand passage by creating larger channels.
Open Access: Yes
Placebo and nocebo interventions impact perceived but not actual proprioceptive accuracy
Publication Name: Plos One
Publication Date: 2024-08-01
Volume: 19
Issue: 8
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Changes in performance caused by positive and negative expectations (i.e., placebo and nocebo responses) were found to play an important role in many aspects of motor performance. This study aimed to test the impact of placebo/nocebo responses and the assumed moderating role of dispositional optimism and anxiety on proprioceptive accuracy, an essential aspect of motor functions. 78 undergraduate university students completed questionnaires assessing dispositional optimism, state anxiety, and motivation to cooperate, then were randomly assigned to three experimental groups. A sham subliminal electric stimulation was applied with claimed positive (placebo group, n = 26), negative (nocebo group, n = 26) or neutral (control group, n = 26) impact on proprioceptive accuracy. Proprioceptive accuracy was measured with active and passive versions of the Joint Position Reproduction task before and after the intervention. Expected and perceived changes in performance were also assessed; changes in state anxiety, optimism, and motivation to cooperate were used as control variables (covariates). Mixed analyses of variance indicated that the experimental manipulation did not affect actual proprioceptive accuracy but impacted expected and perceived performance. Adding the covariates to the models did not substantially change the results. Further, no significant association emerged between actual and perceived change in performance in the active test, and only a weak correlation was found in the passive test. Expected performance did not predict actual performance but predicted perceived performance in both tasks. The results suggest that only perceived (subjective) aspects of proprioceptive accuracy are susceptible to placebo and nocebo interventions.
Open Access: Yes
Parasitological Examination of the Digestive System of Wild Boar from a Practical Point of View—Endoparasitological Sampling under Field Conditions
Publication Name: Methods and Protocols
Publication Date: 2024-08-01
Volume: 7
Issue: 4
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
From 2015 to 2023, we conducted a comprehensive study in the 11,893-hectare hunting area managed by the Marcal-Bitvaközi Hunting Company, characterised by its substantial wild boar population. The research was carried out across various settings, including a free-range wild boar garden during large-scale hunts and free-living areas during individual hunts. We examined 216 wild boars in total, with 173 individuals from free-living areas and 43 from free-range areas. Throughout the sample collection process, we encountered numerous technical challenges that are infrequently detailed in the professional literature, often mentioned only tangentially. This oversight in existing publications neglects the significance of addressing field sampling difficulties, which are crucial for ensuring the precision and accuracy of research. This paper details the equipment requirements, sampling methodologies, and practical solutions to streamline fieldwork. While our primary focus was on endoparasitic infections of the stomach and small intestine, the described methodologies and findings are broadly applicable to research involving all internal organs.
Open Access: Yes
DOI: 10.3390/mps7040065
Well-Reproducible Swine Model of Human Myocardial Infarction
Publication Name: Magyar Allatorvosok Lapja
Publication Date: 2024-08-01
Volume: 146
Issue: 8
Page Range: 465-474
Description:
SERTÉS Background: Coronary artery disease is the leading cause of death in the developed countries and myocardial infarction is the most serious manifestation of the disease. Swine are being chosen with increasing frequency as subject for interventional cardiology research. Their similarities to humans in their cardiovascular physiology, size and coronary anatomy make them better experimental subjects than most species. Moreover, regular human coronary catheter systems and techniques can be readily used to access their coronary vasculature. Objectives: In this paper, a simple swine model of human myocardial infarction is studied in detail using a percutaneously inserted balloon catheter. The main role of the present paper is to introduce and troubleshoot the technique and its potential pitfalls. Materials and Methods: Myocardial infarction was confirmed by the detection of ST segment elevation on the surface ECG, total creatine kinase release, gadolinium enhanced contrast MRI scan and by histology. Results and Discussion: We conclude that if investigators are familiar with both human and animal research, this model is practical, inexpensive and can provide reproducible and consistent infarct sizes that closely mimic the human myocardial infarction. With very careful technique inducing LAD infarction distal to the second diagonal branch and done by trained team, our mortality was lower than in the literature, only 12.5%. It was also proven that the size of myocardial infarction induced by this technique was big enough to be used for different interventional cardiology research. From our study, it is clearly visible, that only a close collaboration between veterinary medicine and human cardiology can avoid the difficulties of complex swine coronary experiments and leads to success.
Open Access: Yes
