This study describes factors promoting child labour in small-scale gold mines in rural Tanzania, a pernicious problem despite the country's adoption of laws and regulations intended to curb it.
...Employing a phenomenological design, we collected qualitative data using focus group discussions and in-depth interviews to describe factors promoting children's engagement in small-scale gold mining activities in three districts in Tanzania. Data analysis applied constructs from the ecological system theory.
Child labour was reported to be common in the small-scale gold mines and abject household poverty was reported as the main factor pushing children to work in the mines because of their respective households’ inability to provide for their basic needs. Other underlying factors stated included divorce and family disintegration and limited diversification of income-earning activities. The migratory nature of artisanal mining led some miner parents to not prioritize the education of their children. Furthermore, peer pressure and parental influence, especially of mothers, promoted entry into mining or reinforced its continuation. Early socialisation of children as future miners and lack of perspective and societal expectations of other life trajectories contributed to persistent child labour within mining communities. At the government level, the study participants mentioned poor reinforcement of mining regulations as another factor that legitimised child labour in the mines.
Since factors promoting child labour in small-scale gold mines are multifaceted, efforts for its elimination require a multi-layered approach aimed at addressing the root-causes at the micro-, meso-, exo- and macro-level systems.
Environmental factors have a major impact on the distribution and yield of plant species. For this purpose, considering the importance of Astragalus ovinus (L.) Boiss. in forage production and the ...possibility of using it in improvement and reclamation of forest ecosystem. In the present study, the responses of A. ovinus were evaluated to some environmental factors in one of its habitats of southwest of IRAN (Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province) in 2018- 2020. Redundancy Analysis (RDA) and Generalized Additive Models (GAM) were used to determine the ecological factors affecting vegetation changes and to evaluate the response of A. ovinus along the gradients of ecological factors, respectively. Data analysis was performed using SPSS17 and CANOC4.5 software. According to the results, the response pattern of A. ovinus along the gradient of soil surface litter, percentage of bare soil, percentage of land slope, and altitude, followed the unimodal model and the optimum growth levels for these factors were 20%, 20%, 30%, and 2220 m, respectively. Also, the response of this species to aspects has followed the unimodal model, so that in the eastern and western slopes, the presence of the species increased and the northern, southern slopes of the species decreased. The reaction of this species to changes in soil sand content followed the bimodal model indicatinga competitive constraint along the environmental gradient. The results of the A. ovinus phenology study showed that the best time for livestock to use of this species is mid-May and the best time to collect seeds of this species is late June to the first half of July. Percentage of canopy cover in forest it has not affected the performance and frequency of this species. Regarding the response of this plant to the gradient of studied environmental factors, it is recommended to pay attention to its habitat characteristics and ecological requirements in improvement programs on oak forests understorey vegetation.
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•Non-traditional monitoring data allow evaluation of abundance and distribution trends.•White sharks’ regional status remains stable despite localized decline.•Human-shark incidents ...demonstrate a shift eastwards from traditional aggregation sites.•Future monitoring would benefit from improved standardization to track population status.•Understanding ecological drivers and mortality sources is crucial.
Unprecedented levels of change in ocean ecosystems bring an ever-increasing need for re-analyses of existing data to explore pressing conservation questions. Substantial declines in white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) presence at two primary aggregation sites have raised concerns about the species’ status throughout South Africa. Using the most comprehensive suite of abundance indices compiled to date, we evaluated temporal trends and the strength of evidence for regional redistribution. Individual indices from all primary aggregation sites in South Africa were highly variable. The overall temporal trend from a log-linear Generalized Additive Model was relatively flat, indicating largely unchanged abundance throughout South Africa since protection in 1991. However, reports of human-shark incidents showed a general shift from the Western to the Eastern Cape. Correlations among individual abundance indices demonstrated that movements were not as simple as animals leaving one site to inhabit another. Further research is needed to explore the effect of movement on monitoring data. Our results reaffirm the need for better standardization in data collection methods to generate abundance indices and to develop long-term monitoring programs on the Eastern Cape. Ideally, environmental or operational factors affecting abundance indices should also be explored in future status assessments at a regional level. Our results provide a baseline for future work, directing research to understand drivers of localized and regional changes and focusing management on reducing anthropogenic sources of mortality within their Southwest Indian Ocean range.
•Majority of immature mosquitoes developed in containers located outdoors.•Pupae production significantly varies by container type and container size.•Pupae productivity is the highest in ≥50 L ...containers.•Containers with partial shade produced more pupae than containers without any shade.•Plastic-containers and flower-tubs/trays should be targeted for interventions.
The container-inhabiting Aedes mosquitoes are the major vectors transmitting dengue and several other arboviral diseases such as chikungunya and zika across the tropical world. Surveillance for immature Aedes, particularly pupae, is an effective tool for measuring dengue outbreak risk. While in Bangladesh, the greatest burden of dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever cases has periodically been occurring since the first major outbreak in 2000, very limited research has yet been pursued to understand the dynamics of Aedes pupal production in this country. In this backdrop, this study was carried out to i) identify containers at household premises contributing to dengue vector productivity; ii) measure the extent of pupae productivity of household containers; and, iii) determine the effects of household ecological factors upon productivity of pupae in the city of Dhaka, Bangladesh. During the monsoon months of 2013, a total of 1,033 containers (674 wet and 363 dry) in 727 household premises in 12 wards of the city of Dhaka were inspected to measure container productivity and collect household ecological, and human behavioural data. The results reveal that the majority of immature mosquitoes (73.52% larvae and 84.91% pupae) developed in containers located outdoor that are used mostly for household chores. Plastic containers (57.55% of all immature mosquito-positive containers) used for household chores produce most of the immature mosquitos. The results of the zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) model reveal that pupae production significantly varies by container type (p-value = 0.0136) for the count regression group. However, when considering container size along with container type, container size is found significant for pupae production (p-value = 0.0041), showing that container size is confounded with the container type and the pupae production. Containers greater than 50 litres (L) are likely to produce 4.9 times more pupae than containers with <1L. Two household ecological factors are found to be significant (shade: p-value = 0.005 in the count regression group and type of water: p-value = 0.001 in the excess zero group) for pupae production. We found that containers with partial shade produce 4.6 times more pupae than without any shade, whereas in the excess zero group the expected number of observed zero pupae count is 86.5% lower in containers filled with rain water than those with tap water, tube-well water, ring well water and water from other sources. The most commonly used plastic-made containers (i.e., refrigerator trays, drums, buckets) and flower tubs/trays are the most abundant immature mosquito-positive containers. These findings would help the concerned authorities to formulate programs for changing human behaviour targeting the most productive containers for Aedes habitat management and vector control in the city of Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Introduction Psychiatric emergency visits have been associated to several climate variables. However, the influence of relative humidity has been not well stablished. Objectives The analyse the ...influence of relative humidity on emergency care visits. Methods Daily urgency visits were extracted from electronic medical records of Hospital Universitario La Paz from 1st January 2019 to 31st December 2019. Relative humidity data (%) was obtained from a local climate station. A negative binomial multivariate regression model was performed with relative humidity, weekday and month as covariates. Results Relative humidity was not associated with number of psychiatric emergency department visits (IRR 1.00; 95%CI 0.99-1.00) Conclusions Relative humidity did not influence emergency help seeking for patients suffering from suicidal phenomena Disclosure No significant relationships.
To explore the effect of ecological factors on the features of ginsenosides and amino acids of mountainous forest cultivated ginseng (MFCG) and distinguish it from garden ginseng (GG). The main ...active constituents of ginsenosides and primary metabolites-amino acids of MFCG were determined by the high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) technique; The climatic factors were obtained by Geographic Information System for Global Medicinal Plants (GMPGIS), and the topographic factors were recorded at the place of origin; Mineral elements in rhizosphere soils of MFCG were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) and atomic absorption spectrometry and other rhizosphere soil factors, inclusive of pH and available N, P and K. The findings indicated that the warmer, relatively humid, and relatively shady environments are suitable for the accumulation of ginsenosides of MFCG, in addition, they were also influenced by its rhizosphere soil. Contrastingly, conditions of lower temperature, more precipitation, weaker light, and higher altitude are beneficial to the accumulation of amino acids; Additionally, mineral elements are conducive to the accumulation of amino acids, while soil acidification is unfavorable. Surprisingly, the present study found that the temperature could regulate ginsenosides and amino acids in an opposite direction, and the ecological environment has a greater effect on primary metabolites of amino acids than secondary metabolites of ginsenosides. Finally, the Ser, Arg, Gly, Thr, Pro, Cys, Ile, Leu, Phe, Tyr, and GABA in MFCG were lower than those in GG (p < 0.01); The dencichine (p < 0.05) and dencichine/GABA (p < 0.01) in MFCG were higher than those in GG. Among them, the average ratio of dencichine to GABA is about 6:1 in MFCG and 3:1 in GG in most instances. It is for the first time that the effects of ecological factors on the chemical composition of MFCG and its distinction from GG by amino acids were investigated.
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•Ecological environment has a greater effect on primary metabolites than secondary metabolites.•Temperature can regulate ginsenosides and amino acids in an opposite direction.•Minor amounts of heavy metal elements are useful for the accumulation of food composition.•Key ecological factors of mountainous forest cultivated ginseng were identified.•The characteristics of amino acids in mountain- and garden- cultivated ginseng.
Centella asiatica (L.) Urban (CA) has high demand in traditional medicine, skin care, pharmaceutical industries and as a leafy vegetable. India and Madagascar are its key producers. Due to its ever ...growing demand, CA is collected at an uncontrolled rate from its natural habitats, and this results in destruction of its wild genotypes. Here we report the screening of 106 CA accessions collected from their natural habitats in a wide geographical area in south India for their ASI and MAD contents by HPTLC-densitometry. The edaphic-ecologic parameters of the collection locations of CA accessions were recorded and correlated with their saponin (ASI, MAD) contents. Multilocation trials of CA elite lines at four different agro-climatic locations in Kerala were conducted, and their saponin-biomass yields were determined. Crucially, of these 106 CA accessions, only 6 showed saponin contents above the elite benchmark of industries (ASI+MAD ≥ 4.0%), viz., 45/Ca-55 (6.18 ± 0.26%), 46/Ca-56 (5.88 ± 0.11%), 48/Ca-58 (4.64 ± 0.15%), 49/Ca-59 (6.94 ± 0.23%), 53/Ca-63 (5.59 ± 0.20%), 55/Ca-65 (5.94 ± 0.18%). Multilocation trials of these elite lines revealed highest saponin contents in Plot 1, characterized by sandy soil (pH 6.0), organic carbon 2.71%, nitrogen 74.20 Kg/ha, phosphorous 100.70 Kg/ha and potassium 23.52 Kg/ha. GC-MS and ICP-MS analyses showed absence of pesticides in CA elite lines and heavy metal contents were within the permissible levels. Highest (ASI+MAD) content (7.55%, dry wt.) and biomass yield (7534.73 Kg/ha) at Plot 1 were shown by the elite line, 49/Ca-59. Average (ASI+MAD) content and biomass yield at Plot 1 were 5.38 ± 1.82% (dry wt.) and 3462.39 ± 2032.54 Kg/ha (n = 6). Noticeably, all six CA elite lines with high ASI, MAD and (ASI+MAD) contents were originally collected from high altitude (700–1700 m) locations. This ASI, MAD screening of CA accessions over a wide geographical area and multilocation trials of elite lines reveal its edaphic and ecological preferences. Our study discovered a hotspot of CA elite clones in south India. This and our previous two reports on a total of 216 accessions provide the range of ASI, MAD and (ASI+MAD) in CA accessions in south India. Further, these studies urge the restriction of random (uncontrolled) collections of CA from its natural habitats, and for the development of cultivation practices of the elite lines for commercial purposes. Overall, this study provides collection, cultivation and conservation strategies towards sustainable management of the resources of this high value medicinal herb.
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•Centella asiatica accessions (106) from south India were screened for ASI, MAD.•Of 106 CA accessions, only 6 satisfied the elite benchmark of ASI+MAD ≥ 4.0%.•In multilocation trials, elite line showed ASI+MAD 7.55%, biomass 7534.73 Kg/ha.•Altitudes of CA collection locations were correlated to ASI, MAD, ASI+MAD contents.•Discovered a hotspot of CA elite clones in a vast geographical area in south India.
Whereas emerging technologies, such as touchscreen tablets, are bringing sensorimotor interaction back into mathematics learning activities, existing educational theory is not geared to inform or ...analyze passages from action to concept. We present case studies of tutor-student behaviors in an embodied-interaction learning environment, the Mathematical Imagery Trainer. Drawing on ecological dynamics-a blend of dynamical-systems theory and ecological psychology-we explain and demonstrate that: (a) students develop sensorimotor schemes as solutions to interaction problems; (b) each scheme is oriented on an attentional anchor-a real or imagined object, area, or other aspect or behavior of the perceptual manifold that emerges to facilitate motor-action coordination; and (c) when symbolic artifacts are introduced into the arena, they may both mediate new affordances for students' motor-action control and shift their discourse into explicit mathematical re-visualization of the environment. Symbolic artifacts are ontological hybrids evolving from things with which you act to things with which you think. Students engaged in embodied-interaction learning activities are first attracted to symbolic artifacts as prehensible environmental features optimizing their grip on the world, yet in the course of enacting the improved control routines, the artifacts become frames of reference for establishing and articulating quantitative systems known as mathematical reasoning.
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•A new rainwater harvesting suitability model is introduced.•The model differs from other because it flexibilizes weights of suitability attributes.•The model brings novelty because ...it considers site and project specific attributes.•The model is tested with an irrigation project located in a contaminated watershed.•Nitrosamines in the food chain may be hindered by irrigation with harvested rainwater.
This study introduces an improved rainwater harvesting (RWH) suitability model to help the implementation of agro-forestry projects (irrigation, wildfire combat) in catchments. The model combines a planning workflow to define suitability of catchments based on physical, socio-economic and ecologic variables, with an allocation workflow to constrain suitable RWH sites as function of project specific features (e.g., distance from rainfall collection to application area). The planning workflow comprises a Multi Criteria Analysis (MCA) implemented on a Geographic Information System (GIS), whereas the allocation workflow is based on a multiple-parameter ranking analysis. When compared to other similar models, improvement comes with the flexible weights of MCA and the entire allocation workflow. The method is tested in a contaminated watershed (the Ave River basin) located in Portugal. The pilot project encompasses the irrigation of a 400ha crop land that consumes 2.69Mm3 of water per year. The application of harvested water in the irrigation replaces the use of stream water with excessive anthropogenic nutrients that may raise nitrosamines in the food and accumulation in the food chain, with severe consequences to human health (cancer). The selected rainfall collection catchment is capable to harvest 12Mm3·yr−1 (≈ 4.5×the requirement) and is roughly 3km far from the application area assuring crop irrigation by gravity flow with modest transport costs. The RWH system is an 8-meter high that can be built in earth with reduced costs.
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