Suchergebnisse

The effect of soil degradation on human, animal and plant health
Soil degradation is the biological, physical, chemical, and biological decline of soil quality or health. This phenomenon is problematic because it reduces the capacity of soils to support plant and animal life. Additionally, it reduces the ability of soils to regulate essential ecosystem services such as water regulation and nutrient cycling. Soil degradation has become a global issue and has come about largely due to land conversion from forests and grasslands to intensive agricultural practices. Land conversion depletes soil organic matter values, releasing large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, contributing to global climate change and reducing soil fertility and soil health. Dr. Christine Sprunger, soil scientist and ecologist at W.K. Kellogg Biological Station (KBS) and the Department of Plant, Soil, and Microbial Sciences at Michigan State University, discusses the danger of soil degradation on human and animal life, and what we can do to mitigate it.

AbstractThere are many ways for truths to be true. How should we understand that idea? One is that there are different kinds of truth: the ways are different truth-like properties. Another understanding is that a truth can be made true in different ways, by different kinds of entities. The former understanding supports alethic pluralism. But the latter can be understood as a kind of monism: truth is the existential property of having some truthmaker or other. On this view, the differences reside in how a truth is made true, but not in its being true. I'll discuss how these two understandings differ and what the potential advantages of the latter idea might be.

The results of the first Australian National Crime Victims Survey concerning the socio‐economic status of victims of crime in Australia are discussed. While the findings on occupational status and household income are somewhat equivocal, the data show a strikingly higher rate of criminal victimization among the unemployed for a number of types of crime. The unemployed, spending a large proportion of their lives in public rather than private space, may paradoxically be more likely to be both victimized by criminals and victimized by the police.

Development debates have been greatly influenced by the growth consensus: the conventional wisdom that economic growth should be the primary priority for less-developed countries (LDCs) because it most effectively improves the well-being of the world's poor. We compare the impact of growth to other independent variables in an unbalanced panel analysis of up to 109 LDCs and 580 observations across six time points (1980, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, and 2003). Our dependent variables include caloric consumption, infant survival probability, one-to-five year survival probability, female life expectancy, and male life expectancy. First, we find that gross domestic product (GDP) has significant positive effects on caloric consumption, female life expectancy, and male life expectancy. Second, GDP does not have robust effects on infant and one-to-five survival probabilities. Third, fertility, urbanization, and secondary school enrollment have larger effects than GDP in the majority of models. The more powerful effects of fertility, urbanization, and secondary schooling cannot simply be attributed to an indirect effect of GDP. Fourth, we find that dependency variables do not have robust significant effects. Fifth, over time, GDP has become much less effective at improving caloric consumption and infant and one-to-five survival. We infer that there are serious limitations to concentrating exclusively on economic growth to improve well-being in LDCs. Adapted from the source document.

The topics of climate change and ecosystem disruption are at the forefront of global discussion. Accordingly, there is a sense of urgency among citizens, environmental experts, and political leaders for action and policy change. While the effect of a changing climate on the environment is well recognized, its impact on the human body has not been sufficiently described. In our review, we will attempt to outline some of these effects. We will discuss how the recent surge of immunologic disease may be related to the changing profile of microorganisms and antigens in our every-day environment. We will explore how the introduction of antibiotics may result in an altered gut microbiome, and subsequently abnormal neurodevelopment. Finally, we will discuss a possible link between chemical preservatives and neoplastic disease.

The topics of climate change and ecosystem disruption are at the forefront of global discussion. Accordingly, there is a sense of urgency among citizens, environmental experts, and political leaders for action and policy change. While the effect of a changing climate on the environment is well recognized, its impact on the human body has not been sufficiently described. In our review, we will attempt to outline some of these effects. We will discuss how the recent surge of immunologic disease may be related to the changing profile of microorganisms and antigens in our every-day environment. We will explore how the introduction of antibiotics may result in an altered gut microbiome, and subsequently abnormal neurodevelopment. Finally, we will discuss a possible link between chemical preservatives and neoplastic disease.

This study explores how Human Resources (HR) environment (i.e., job autonomy, opportunities for advancement, involved communication, and decisive action) promotes psychological well-being of public employees. We advance the literature by identifying organizational identification (OID) as the underpinning mechanism through which HR environment can foster employees' well-being. OID is termed as a "social cure," owing to its strong link with employee health and well-being. The results of structural equation modeling show a positive association among HR practices and OID, which subsequently enhances well-being of public sector employees. Managerial implications for public sector leaders are discussed in detail.