bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Online teaching effectiveness: Lessons from Indian universities during the Covid‐19 pandemic
Authors: Mahajan Ritika , Kumar Satish , Agrawal Monika
Published: March 2023

This research aims to study the effectiveness of online teaching, from student and faculty perspectives, during the Covid‐19 Pandemic in higher education institutions across India. Using the Student's Evaluation of Online Teaching Effectiveness (SEOTE) scale, a survey was conducted among 1042 students in different Indian universities. The scale measured student faculty contact (SFC), cooperation among students (CAS), active learning (AL), prompt feedback (PF), time on task (TT), high expectations (HE), and diverse talents and ways of learning (DTWL). The research instrument also included three open‐ended questions. The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Human Development Index (HDI). The Online Teaching Effectiveness Index (OTEI) value was moderate at 0.62. Challenging aspects of online education were found to be access, learning experience, technology, resources, and infrastructure, the need for face‐to‐face interaction, and the health hazards of long screen time. The survey of 60 faculty members recorded online teaching to be sustainable, backed by institute support, flexible, and creates the possibility of peer learning. Lack of training resources, unsuitability of course design and practical courses for online mode, and the need for an overhaul of pedagogy were the challenges. Policymakers and digital companies should include infrastructural changes and investments at both the institutional and digital platforms level.
Does financial fragility affect consumer well‐being? Evidence from COVID‐19 and the United States
Authors: Baker H. Kent , Goyal Kirti , Kumar Satish , Gupta Prashant
Published: March 2023

Financial fragility is of considerable concern for consumer well‐being. Besides unleashing a public health crisis, COVID‐19 also ignited a financial crisis and thus represents a natural event from the field to study financial well‐being. We maintain that well‐being is a corollary to one's financial situation. We investigate the linkage between financial fragility and well‐being and the moderating role of financial literacy and personality using US data. We find that financial fragility is negatively associated with well‐being. This pervasive phenomenon during a financial crisis has harmful consequences. We also find evidence of a differential impact of financial fragility on well‐being based on Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Neuroticism, supporting our argument that personality has varying degrees of explanatory and predictive power in terms of well‐being. Surprisingly, financial literacy does not modify this relationship, possibly due to the well‐being affecting an individual's cognition and emotions rather than financial knowledge. Our findings could aid policy makers and financial educators in devising timely strategies to deal with post‐crisis complications.
Synergistic modification of collagen structure using ionic liquid and ultrasound to promote the production of DPP‐IV inhibitory peptides
Authors: He Long , Cao Yingying , Wang Xinyue , Wang Yanru , Han Ling , Yu Qunli , Zhang Li
Published: March 2023

BACKGROUND

Dual modification of collagen was performed using ionic liquid (IL) and ultrasound (US) to modulate the activity of collagen hydrolyzed peptides and reveal the production mechanism of cowhide‐derived dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP‐IV) inhibitory peptides.

RESULTS

The results revealed that dual modification (IL + US) significantly improved the hydrolytic degree of collagen (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, IL and US tended to promote the break of hydrogen bonds, but inhibit the crosslinking between collagens. The double modification reduced the thermal stability and accelerated the exposure of tyrosine and phenylalanine of collagen, and improved the proportion of small molecular (< 1 kDa) peptides in collagen hydrolysates. Interestingly, the hydrophobic amino acid residues and DPP‐IV inhibitory activity of collagen peptides with small molecular weight (< 1 kDa) was increased further under the combination of IL and US.

CONCLUSION

Enhanced hypoglycemic activity of collagen peptides can be attained through the dual modification of IL and US. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
Valorization of orange peels exploiting fungal solid‐state and lacto‐fermentation
Authors: Ricci Annalisa , Díaz Ana Belen , Lazzi Camilla , Blandino Garrido Ana María
Published: March 2023

Background

Orange peels can serve as a cost‐effective raw material for the production of lactic acid. Indeed, given their high concentration of carbohydrates and low content of lignin, they represent an important source of fermentable sugars, recoverable after a hydrolytic step.

Results

In the present article, the fermented solid, obtained after 5 days of Aspergillus awamori growth, was used as the only source of enzymes, mainly composed of xylanase (40.6 IU g−1 of dried washed orange peels) and exo‐polygalacturonase (16.3 IU g−1 of dried washed orange peels) activities. After the hydrolysis, the highest concentration of reducing sugars (24.4 g L−1) was achieved with 20% fermented and 80% non‐fermented orange peels. The hydrolysate was fermented with three lactic acid bacteria strains (Lacticaseibacillus casei 2246 and 2240 and Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus 1019) which demonstrated good growth ability. The yeast extract supplementation increased the lactic acid production rate and yield. Overall, L. casei 2246 produced the highest concentration of lactic acid in mono‐culture.

Conclusion

To the best of our knowledge this is the first study exploiting orange peels as low‐cost raw material for the production of lactic acid avoiding the employment of commercial enzymes. The enzymes necessary for the hydrolyses were directly produced during A. awamori fermentation and the reducing sugars obtained were fermented for lactic acid production. Despite this preliminary work carried out to study the feasibility of this approach, the concentrations of reducing sugars and lactic acid produced were encouraging, leaving open the possibility of other studies for the optimization of the strategy proposed here. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
High transparency and performance slot‐die‐coated large‐area polymer solar module
Authors: Sung Yun‐Ming , Tsao Cheng‐Si , Cha Hou‐Chin , Ma Wei‐Yang
Published: March 2023

We fabricate polymer solar cells (PSCs) and modules by sheet‐to‐sheet slot‐die coating under air environment based on halogen‐free host solvent. How to upscale small‐area PSC to large‐area PSC module is demonstrated here. The opaque module exhibits the most superior performance among the slot‐die‐coated modules reported. The scaling of both the semitransparent top electrode and PSC module is a challenge due to the complex difficulties. In this study, the semitransparent MoO3/Ag/MoO3 top electrode is successfully upscaled to be in the large‐area semitransparent PSC module. Ag layer thickness as reflector in the tri‐layer electrode is used to tune the trade‐off between transmittance, conductivity, and the light absorption in the active layer. The matching combination of transmittance, absorption spectra of MoO3/Ag/MoO3 top electrode, and active layer is a main key of our approach greatly improving photovoltaic and optical performance. The power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of the semitransparent PSC modules with Ag thickness of 25, 20, and 15 nm are 7.1%, 5.9%, and 4.4%, respectively. The corresponding average visible transmittance (AVT) values are 20.5%, 28.3%, and 36.1%, respectively. The transmittance values at 550 nm are ranging from 24% to 40%. According to the review of all the reported semitransparent modules (>10 cm2), our modules demonstrate the excellent trade‐off performance about two times better than the large‐area semitransparent PSC modules currently reported either based on the similar PCEs or AVTs.
Integration of pharmacogenomic and pharmacomicrobiomic data for personalized medicine
Authors: Shamsuzzaman Muhammad , Ahsan Tamim , Rahman Hadisur , Das Keshob Chandra , Salimullah
Published: March 2023

Adverse drug reaction (ADR) is quite common and poses a huge medical and economic burden all over the world. Understanding the role of genetic variant and microbes in drug response and using this knowledge in prescribing drugs will help to reduce ADR and improve drug efficacy. We have collected pharmacogenomic and pharmacomicrobiomics data currently available for several drugs. We found both the associated genetic variants and microbes for only five drugs (Fluorouracil, Irinotecan, Methotrexate, Ribavirin, Warfarin). Among them, 14 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were found to be associated with response to fluorouracil, 6 with Ribavirin, 8 with warfarin, 1 with irinotecan, and 3 with methotrexate. Allelic distribution shows significant differences among different populations and African population have lower extent of linkage disequilibrium than non‐Africans. Various microbial species are associated with either increasing or decreasing drug effectivity or toxicity of those drugs. This study indicates a great potential if these two fields are explored more and used in combination for drug therapy.
Evaluation of safety, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of apixaban in pediatric subjects at risk of venous or arterial thrombotic disorder
Authors: Merali Samira J. , Byon Wonkyung , Patel Yogesh T. , Elsrougy Amira , Marchisin David , Perera Vidya , Chen Weidong , He Bing , Murthy Bindu
Published: March 2023

Apixaban is an oral small‐molecule, direct factor Xa (FXa) inhibitor approved in adults for treatment of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, and for reducing risk of venous thromboembolism recurrence after initial anticoagulant therapy. This phase I study (NCT01707394) evaluated the pharmacokinetics (PKs), pharmacodynamics (PDs), and safety of apixaban in pediatric subjects (<18 years), enrolled by age group, at risk of venous or arterial thrombotic disorder. A single apixaban dose, targeting adult steady‐state exposure with apixaban 2.5 mg, was administered using two pediatric formulations: 0.1 mg sprinkle capsule (age <28 days); 0.4 mg/ml solution (age 28 days to <18 years; dose range, 1.08–2.19 mg/m2). End points included safety, PKs, and anti‐FXa activity. For PKs/PDs, four to six blood samples were collected ≤26 h postdosing. A population PK model was developed with data from adults and pediatric subjects. Apparent oral clearance (CL/F) included fixed maturation function based on published data. From January 2013 to June 2019, 49 pediatric subjects received apixaban. Most adverse events were mild/moderate, and the most common was pyrexia (n = 4/15). Apixaban CL/F and apparent central volume of distribution increased less than proportionally with body weight. Apixaban CL/F increased with age, reaching adult values in subjects aged 12 to <18 years. Maturation affected CL/F most notably in subjects aged <9 months. Plasma anti‐FXa activity values were linearly related to apixaban concentrations, with no apparent age‐related differences. Pediatric subjects tolerated single apixaban doses well. Study data and population PK model supported phase II/III pediatric trial dose selection.
Bilinear Planar Hall Effect in Topological Insulators Due to Spin‐Momentum Locking Inhomogeneity
Authors: Zarezad Amir N. , Barnaś Józef , Qaiumzadeh Alireza , Dyrdał Anna
Published: March 2023

Herein, the effect of spin‐momentum locking inhomogeneity on the planar Hall effect in topological insulators (TIs) is studied. Using the minimal model describing surface states of 3D TIs and semiclassical Boltzmann formalism, the planar Hall conductivity (PHC) within the generalized relaxation time approximation is derived. Herein, it is found that the total PHC consists of linear and nonlinear (in electric field) components. The linear term is a conventional PHC which scales quadratically with an external magnetic field, whereas the nonlinear term reveals bilinear behavior, that is, changes its sign when either charge current density or in‐plane magnetic‐field orientation is reversed. It is shown that the emergent nonlinear planar Hall effect is a consequence of spin‐momentum locking inhomogeneity in the TIs with isotropic energy dispersion, and dominates over the conventional planar Hall effect.
Spatial Mapping of Conductance and Electric Defects in Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Electrode Assemblies Using Lock‐In Thermography with AC Excitation
Authors: Naumann Volker , Grunwald Erik , Giesenberg Lennard , Münchgesang Wolfram , Witte-Bodnar Kerstin , Ilse Klemens
Published: March 2023

The characterization of performance and losses of proton exchange membrane (PEM) and anion exchange membrane (AEM) electrolysis cells is typically carried out by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and polarization curve measurements. With these common methods, lateral inhomogeneities, local degradation, or defects cannot be mapped. Lock‐in thermography (LIT) offers the possibility of mapping current flows and electrical losses. It has already been used successfully for many years in microelectronics and photovoltaics, among others. Conventional LIT with pulsed DC excitation does not work below the reversible voltage of water electrolysis. Therefore, high frequencies are used to generate the conductivity of the ion exchange membrane. Herein, for the first time, the method variable‐frequency AC excitation (VACE)‐LIT is presented. It combines aspects of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy with LIT and is applied to a PEM electrolysis membrane electrode assembly. It is shown that PEMs can exhibit strongly nonhomogeneous current densities, presumably resulting from contact resistances in the layer stack. In addition, local currents flowing at low frequencies indicate electronically conductive defects in the membrane.
Topology Effects on Phonons and Thermal Conductivity in Rolled‐Up Nanotubes
Authors: Bogush Igor
Published: March 2023

Rolled‐up nanostructures provide new opportunities to control and modify thermal properties. The topology and geometry of nanoscale architectures have a strong influence on phonon spectrum and thermal conductivity. In the theoretical description, rolled‐up nanotubes are often approximated with nanotubes constructed from concentric multiwalled nanotubes. Herein, the phonon spectrum is shown not to differ for these two nanotubes if the radius of the nanotube is much larger than the lattice constant. If the contact between layers of the rolled‐up or concentric nanotubes is weak, the thermal conductivity is not influenced by the contact, and it can be approximated by the conductivity of the one‐layered flat membrane. In the limit of weak contact, the diffusive heat transfer is shown to demonstrate an appreciable difference between rolled‐up and concentric nanotubes with large radii. The experimental measurements can be significantly distorted by the effects of the weak interlayer contact.
Preparation of biomass water‐soluble carbon quantum dots and their application in Cr (VI) ions detection
Authors: He Miao , Fu Xijun , Du Guitao , Li Houbin , Zhao Ping Ping , Liu Xinghai
Published: March 2023

To quickly and quantitatively detect the concentration of harmful Cr6+ in food and packaging, biomass nitrogen‐doped blue fluorescent carbon quantum dots (CQDs) were synthesized by a one‐step hydrothermal method using longan peel. The synthesized biomass CQDs are spherical, and the particle size is distributed between 1 and 6 nm. There are functional groups such as carboxyl, hydroxyl and amino groups on the surface of the CQDs, which promotes the excellent water dispersibility of the CQDs. CQDs have good fluorescence stability in salt solutions, different pH environments and long‐term storage. A fluorescence sensor for detecting Cr6+ was constructed, based on the specific quenching effect of Cr6+ on the fluorescence of CQDs. There is a good linear relationship between the fluorescence quenching rate of the fluorescence sensor and the Cr6+ concentration of the detected sample. The sensor has a linear range of 20–200 μM and a detection limit of 1.4 μM. In addition, the CQDs fluorescence sensor has an ideal recovery rate in the actual water sample spiked with Cr6+. This research innovatively combined longan and hydrothermal method to prepare a quantitative, fast and wide detection limit Cr6+ sensor.
Emergency management and the final frontier: Preparing local communities for falling space debris
Authors: Louis‐Charles Hans M. , Kalokoh Amidu , Torres Jose , Jamieson Thomas
Published: March 2023

Global dependence on satellite technologies, along with expanding space exploration, and commercial space travel have made rocket launches routine modern‐day events. As a result, there is an increasing probability of civilian casualty from rocket launch anomalies, or from falling space debris already in orbit. This study provides an empirical analysis of local emergency management publicly available guidelines for the risks associated with human‐made space hazards, natural space hazards, and unknown space hazards. A multicase approach is utilized with a document analysis of 391 emergency management documents provided by 512 local jurisdictions across the states of California, Florida, Texas, and Virginia. Descriptive statistics and a QGIS vector spatial analysis is conducted to identify high risk counties in close proximity to rocket launch sites. A logit regression model informs us on the relationship between a county containing a rocket launch site or being in close proximity to a launch site and their likelihood of including falling space hazards in their emergency management documents. A significant number of documents mention falling aircrafts, missiles from tornadoes and weapons of mass destruction. Rocket launch anomalies and falling space debris remain outside the scope or imaginability of local emergency management plans.
High Efficiency Transparent and Semi‐Transparent Photovoltaics Based on a Layer‐By‐Layer Deposition
Authors: Bates Matthew , Malhado Carson , Yang Chenchen , Herrera Christopher K. , Lunt Richard R.
Published: March 2023

Transparent and semitransparent photovoltaics offer an exciting opportunity to integrate existing infrastructure with renewable energy. Organic photovoltaics (OPVs) are key enablers for wavelength‐selective transparent photovoltaics (TPVs) because of their selective absorption in the near‐infrared (NIR) that enables simultaneously high power conversion efficiency (PCE) and average visible transmittance (AVT). The recent rise of OPVs and TPVs has been accelerated in large part by the development of nonfullerene acceptors (NFAs) as highly adaptable deep NIR harvesting materials. Herein, sequential layer‐by‐layer (LBL) deposition of a selectively NIR absorbing nontraditional acceptor polymer is paired with a NIR absorbing donor IEICO‐4F that is typically considered an NFA via solvent orthogonality. With detailed optimization of the active layers and top electrode, semi‐transparent photovoltaics with a PCE of 8.8%, AVT of 40.9%, and a light utilization efficiency of 3.6% are demonstrated. The LBL approach enables explicit optical modeling of the device structure to extract exciton diffusion lengths >100 nm for both the polymer and IEICO‐4F with a transition in charge collection length regimes dependent on the acceptor thickness. Furthermore, the LBL deposition technique enables an investigation of the full range of polymer thickness and its impact on power generation and optical performance.
Achieving High‐Efficiency in Binary Organic Solar Cells by the Structural Fine‐Tuning of Coumarin‐Based Donor
Authors: Pradhan Rashmirekha , Khandelwal Kanupriya , Panda Subhra Jyoti , Purohit Chandra Shekhar , Bag Bhawani Prasad , Singhal Rahul , Liu Wenrui , Zhu Xiaozhang , Sharma Ganesh D. , Mishra Amaresh
Published: March 2023

The choice of molecular material plays a crucial role in improving the performance of organic solar cells. Herein, two coumarin‐based small molecules are designed and synthesized in which the π‐system is extended by the introduction of double bonds. The molecules are differed by the attachment of central acceptor units. The replacement of the carbonyl group in C3 by the dicyanomethylene unit in C3–CN red‐shift the absorption, reduced the energy gap, and stabilized the highest occupied molecular orbital and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy levels. When blended with a complementary absorbing all‐fused acceptor F13, the binary devices using C3 donor delivered a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 11.09%. In contrast, C3–CN:F13‐based binary device displayed an impressive PCE of 14.84% due to the obvious increase in all open circuit voltage, short circuit current density, and fill factor values. The inclusion of CN group to the molecular backbone induces a tighter intermolecular packing, which is beneficial for the charge transport properties. The study demonstrates that the subtle modification in conjugation length and tuning of the energy level by the proper choice of acceptor could be a promising way to improve the device's performance.
Vanadium‐Based Cathodic Materials of Aqueous Zn‐Ion Battery for Superior‐Performance with Prolonged‐Life Cycle
Authors: Saha Protity , Ali Ahmar , Nayem S. M. Abu , Shaheen Shah Syed , Aziz Md. Abdul , Saleh Ahammad A. J.
Published: March 2023

Aqueous Zn‐ion battery systems (AZIBs) have emerged as the most dependable solution, as demonstrated by successful systematic growth over the past few years. Cost effectivity, high performance and power density with prolonged life cycle are some major reason of the recent progress in AZIBs. Development of vanadium‐based cathodic materials for AZIBs has appeared widely. This review contains a brief display of the basic facts and history of AZIBs. An insight section on zinc storage mechanism ramifications is given. A detailed discussion is conducted on features of high‐performance and long life‐time cathodes. Such features include design, modifications, electrochemical and cyclic performance, along with stability and zinc storage pathway of vanadium based cathodes from 2018 to 2022. Finally, this review outlines obstacles and opportunities with encouragement for gathering a strong conviction for future advancement in vanadium‐based cathodes for AZIBs.
Hydrochemistry of drinking water sources and water purifiers in relation to epidemiological study in Hisar, North‐West India
Authors: Singh Nirankar , Bala Renu , Poonia Twinkle
Published: March 2023

The concern related to the drinking of reverse osmosis (RO) water containing low levels of minerals is growing day by day. This study involves the analysis of water samples from various drinking water sources in a rural site, Mirchpur village, an Indus Valley civilization site (grid location: 29° 18′ 42.3″ N, 76° 10′ 33.0″ E) of Hisar, India, along with the health survey of human subjects. The hydrochemistry of water collected from hand pumps, river canals, tube wells, submersibles, and the RO systems installed in various homes was explored for pH, EC, TH, TDS, turbidity, cations (Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+), anions (CO32−, HCO3−, Cl−, SO42−, NO3−, F−), and elements (Fe, Pb, Se) employing the ion chromatography, flame photometry, and ICP‐AES techniques. Lead (Pb) and Selenium (Se) were detected in trace amounts (0.30–2.6 μg L−1; 0.10–4.1 μg L−1, respectively) in all the samples, including the samples collected from RO purifiers, but Iron (Fe) was not detected in RO samples even in trace amounts. The F‐levels in hand pump water (HPW) and submersible water (SW) (1.9  and 1.7 mg L−1, respectively) and TDS levels in SW (3048 mg L−1) were found to be above WHO and BIS safe limits. TDS levels in the river canal (900 mg L−1), tube well (1104 mg L−1), hand pump (1170 mg L−1), and submersible samples (3048 mg L−1) were found significantly higher as compared to the RO personal water (ROPW; 216 mg L−1) and RO supply water (ROSW; 90 mg L−1). The collected epidemiological data reveals that 21%, 19%, 13%, and 12% of natives reported skin, kidney, hair fall, liver, and stomach issues, respectively, suspecting the crucial role of high TDS and fluoride levels in the area. This study also provides a comparison between the quality of RO and the direct supply water, along with correlation matrices for different parameters, which gives a rationale for the limitations of drinking direct supply water without any purification and RO water containing low mineral content.
Polyneuropathy and primary erythrocytosis in a cat
Authors: Galer Jack , Ibarrola Patricia , Royaux Emilie
Published: March 2023

A 22‐month‐old, male, neutered, domestic longhair cat presented with a 2‐month history of progressive paraparesis and severe muscle atrophy; neuromuscular dysfunction was suspected on neurological exam. A manual packed cell volume was 73%, and serial measurements following fluid therapy remained high. Investigations for secondary causes of erythrocytosis were unremarkable, so a diagnosis of primary erythrocytosis was made. Electromyography showed spontaneous activity within all tested muscles of the pelvic limbs. Motor nerve conduction velocity for the sciatic‐tibial nerve was prolonged, and the compound muscle action potential measured at the hip was reduced. Phlebotomy achieved a reduction of the packed cell volume to 52%, and oral hydroxyurea was started. An improvement in the degree of paraparesis was seen 3 weeks after discharge, and this continued until the cat was normal at 4 months. Fluctuations in the packed cell volume necessitated adjustments in hydroxyurea dosage, but no relapse of paraparesis occurred during the 18‐month follow‐up period.
Challenges to global food security: A policy approach to the 2021–2022 food crisis
Authors: Wegren Stephen K.
Published: March 2023

Food crises represent a challenge to global food security because of their recurrence and severity. The world is experiencing its third food crisis in the past 15 years. The 2021–2022 crisis affects more people than the previous two crises in 2007–2008 and 2011–2012. Previous food crises share the common characteristic of bad state actor behavior. In each case, several states enacted trade restrictions or even outright export bans on grain and other food. The impact was to decrease global supplies, put upward pressure on global prices, and worsen the food crisis. Food crises cannot be prevented, but they can be managed better. To deal with future food crises, the paper proposes an international agreement whereby grain exporting nations would not be allowed to enact export bans or to restrict the volume of grain exports.
Factors influencing survival of female eastern wild turkeys in northeastern South Dakota
Authors: Tyl Reina M. , Rota Christopher T. , Lehman Chadwick P.
Published: March 2023

Population growth can be sensitive to changes in survival rates for many avian species. Understanding sources of mortality, and how to mitigate negative effects on survival, can give managers insight into factors contributing to population change. Harvest trends of eastern wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) in northeastern South Dakota suggest a decline in abundance. We investigated factors influencing survival of wild turkeys to identify potential factors contributing to the decline. We monitored 122 female wild turkeys using VHF radio transmitters from February 2017 to April 2019. Annual survival was 0.52 (95% CI = 0.33–0.64) for juvenile and 0.49 (95% CI = 0.23–0.63) for adult females, respectively. Daily survival probability was significantly lower during the spring (log‐odds ratio [LOR] = −0.9; 95% CI = −1.5–−0.2) and while a juvenile female was incubating (LOR = −0.67; 95% CI = −1.23–−0.09) but not while an adult female was incubating (LOR = −0.35; 95% CI = −0.92–0.24). Mammalian predation was the leading cause of mortality, and female wild turkeys were most vulnerable to predation during the spring while engaging in nesting and rearing of young broods. Wild turkeys were at risk for additional sources of mortality while incubating nests that were not contributors to mortality during other periods of the year, as deaths caused by haying equipment—the second greatest cause of mortality—only occurred while a female was incubating. Reducing female mortality due to haying, by delaying cutting, installing flushing bars on haying equipment, or increasing availability of suitable nesting cover types to reduce the probability of nesting in hayfields, could improve female survival. Annual survival during our study was about 16–29% lower than survival estimates from northeastern South Dakota during the 1990s, suggesting that reduced female survival could be contributing to the apparent decline in wild turkey abundance.
Transboundary conservation of large carnivores in West Africa: The case of the WAP complex
Authors: Sogbohossou Etotépé A.
Published: March 2023

With the rapid degradation of biodiversity worldwide, protected areas, especially transboundary ones, represent crucial safe places for wildlife. Through the example of lion conservation and research in the WAP ecosystem, spanning between Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger in West Africa, the current synthesis presents the successes and challenges of the management of a transboundary protected area. The lion, a threatened species in West Africa, has its most viable population in the WAP ecosystem. Since almost two decades, the three countries are working to harmonize their efforts to improve the status of the species. Concerted population monitoring is effective with complementarity in law enforcement. Some challenges remain, highlighting the importance of a concerted and integrated management for the successful species conservation and transboundary protected areas management.
Transnational cooperation for effective management of World Heritage Sites in Africa: Case of the biodiversity of the Gourma, Mali
Authors: Sow Nohan
Published: March 2023

The Gourma region of Mali (hereafter ‘the Gourma’) is located in the Sahelian zone; it comprises 18 communes, divided between 3 administrative regions (Mopti, Timbuktu and Gao). In 1959, part of the Gourma region (about 1.25 million hectares) was classified as an ‘Elephant Reserve’ by Law n° 59-53/AL/RS of 30 December 1959. It was inscribed onto the UNESCO Tentative List in August 2017.
The Sangha Trinational: An example of cross-border biodiversity management in Central Africa
Authors: Goué Achile Mengamenya , Kana Romain
Published: March 2023

The Sangha Tri-National (TNS) is the first cross-border management initiative in Central Africa set up in the aftermath of the Yaoundé Declaration at the Summit of Heads of State held in 1999. It was established on 7 December 2000 through the signing of the Cooperation Agreement between the Governments of the Republic of Cameroon, the Central African Republic and the Republic of Congo. As provided for in this agreement, several specific regulatory texts were subsequently signed by the States Parties to facilitate the implementation of the axes and objectives of cooperation, notably the Memorandum of Understanding on the fight against poaching signed on 28 June 2002, the Memorandum of Understanding on the free movement of TNS personnel signed on 04 February 2005, the Memorandum of Understanding on the organisation and functioning of the Anti-Poaching Brigade (BLAB) signed on 12 November 2009 and more recently in October 2019, the Memoranda of Understanding on the movement of tourists and the tri-national scientific committee.
Eco-Anxiety and the Responses of Ecological Citizenship and Mindfulness
Authors: Bourban Michel
Published: March 2023

Anxiety has become a defining feature of our time. This chapter investigates a rapidly spreading form of anxiety: eco-anxiety. The chapter begins with a working definition of eco-anxiety focused on three main features: future orientation and uncertainty; fear and insecurity; and paralysis and inaction. This definition also highlights that the distinguishing characteristic of eco-anxiety is its object: severe ecological risks and transcendental dangers. Although eco-anxiety is originally a lucid reaction to these real risks and dangers, and although it remains unclear whether or not eco-anxiety should be categorized as a mental health condition, the chapter then explains that eco-anxiety can be linked with three mental disorders: phobias; generalized anxiety disorder; and post-traumatic stress disorders. The chapter also stresses that three categories of people seem to be more vulnerable to eco-anxiety and its disorders: people directly exposed to ecological disasters; environmental scientists and the researchers and students who draw on their work; and especially children and young people. Finally, the chapter adopts the normative framework of ecological citizenship and a virtue ethics approach focused on mindfulness to propose a possible way to cope with eco-anxiety and its potentially pathological consequences. The objective is not only to better understand eco-anxiety and its effects, but also to find possible ways to live with it.
Multi-scale Integrated Analysis of Societal and Ecosystem Metabolism
Authors: Giampietro Mario
Published: March 2023

MuSIASEM provides a set of new narratives about the economic process that responds to the original challenges of the field of Ecological Economics. These alternative narratives can be used to identify and integrate four aspects of sustainability: (i) feasibility – compatibility with external constraints (processes outside of human control); (ii) viability – compatibility with internal constraints (processes under human control), (iii) desirability – compatibility with the stability of the social bonding (affective interactions in societal practices); (iv) security – the level of openness of the metabolic pattern (the extent of externalization of socio-economic and environmental pressures to other countries and ecosystems through imports). To achieve this result, MuSIASEM uses a complexity frame of reference. Starting out from the principles of bioeconomics of Geoergescu-Roegen, it elaborates the concept of metabolic pattern of social-ecological systems to explore the impredicative relations over the characteristics of structural and functional elements across scales and dimensions. Using relational analysis and integrating three different accounting metrics, the analytical toolkit generates a rich information space describing the impredicative entanglement of different attributes of performance across dimensions and scales. Rather than making predictions, MuSIASEM explores the option space of plausible changes based on a series of “what if” questions. This quantitative accounting framework can be applied in diagnostic mode, to identify critical sustainability issues, and in anticipation mode, to identify implausible policies. MuSIASEM thus provides a flexible decision support for multi-level governance while guaranteeing the transparency of the choices made by the analyst.
Flow/Fund Theory and Rural Livelihoods
Authors: Silva-Macher Jose Carlos
Published: March 2023

The concept of social metabolism and its relation with ecological distribution conflicts is a key theme in the work of Joan Martinez-Alier and the Barcelona school. It creates a bridge between the fields of ecological economics and political ecology. Following Georgescu-Roegen’s fund-flow theory of economic production, the present chapter has the objective to illustrate with a case study at the commodity frontier of the Andes-Amazon region in Peru, the relation between material flows and ecological distribution conflicts. The systemic and participatory approaches we have adopted can facilitate the prevention of social conflicts. Decision-makers should be aware of different perspectives hold by diverse social groups and their relation with the biophysical reality, and acknowledging them as part of social metabolism studies.
Deceitful Decoupling: Misconceptions of a Persistent Myth
Authors: Sorman Alevgul H.
Published: March 2023

Decoupling has been and continues to be a discourse used to prolong business as usual growth strategies without confronting systemic and behavioural changes. While decoupling narratives have emerged in the past in the form of its close siblings such as the Environmental Kuznets Curve, green economy, eco-efficiency, eco-innovation, and more recently, the circular economy; scholars, especially from the ecological economics community, continue to systematically challenge decoupling both empirically and theoretically. Many meta-studies have concluded that absolute resource, energy, and emissions decoupling, when internalising for trade and consumption in tandem, results in futile. Therefore, institutionalising decoupling for future policy prolongs the misconception of a persistent myth, propagating a deceitful narrative failing to tackle the urgency of the climate crisis. In this chapter, several recent publications and developments are discussed and synthesised from a unique insight with contributions from the Barcelona school of Ecological Economics and Political Ecology. In conclusion, the chapter presents a case for the rejection of decoupling environmental degradation from economic growth and calls for just, inclusive, and biophysically grounded transformative futures
Does the Social Metabolism Drive Environmental Conflicts?
Authors: Scheidel Arnim
Published: March 2023

Increases in social metabolism drive environmental conflicts. This proposition, frequently found in the literature on ecological distribution conflicts, has stimulated much research at the interface of ecological economics and political ecology. However, under which conditions is this proposition valid and useful? This chapter briefly reviews the theoretical foundations underlying this proposition and discusses further socio-metabolic properties that may shape the dynamics of environmental conflicts. Furthermore, the chapter relates the socio-metabolic perspective to other ‘grand explanations’ of environmental conflicts, particularly, to the expansion of capitalism under a neo-Marxist perspective. The chapter argues that a socio-metabolic perspective has much to offer to understand some of the structural drivers of environmental conflicts. A socio-metabolic perspective links local environmental conflicts to the resource use profiles of economies as well as to global production and consumption systems, no matter whether these are capitalist societies, resource-intensive planning economies, autocratic monarchies, or illicit resource extractions occurring in the shadow economy. The chapter closes by recalling the need to integrate biophysical and social dynamics in a balanced manner for the nuanced study of environmental conflicts.
The EJAtlas: An Unexpected Pedagogical Tool to Teach and Learn About Environmental Social Sciences
Authors: Walter Mariana , Weber Lena , Temper Leah
Published: March 2023

This chapter examines how the Environmental Justice Atlas (EJAtlas), an online platform that was initially developed by ICTA-UAB—during the EJOLT international project—to make visible and systematize contemporary struggles against environmental injustice worldwide is becoming an attractive interactive tool to teach and learn about Environmental Social Sciences such as Political Ecology, Ecological Economics, Environmental Sociology, Human Geography, Critical Cartography; as well as Environmental Humanities, in Peace and Conflict studies. In this vein, the EJAtlas has unexpectedly become a tool for teaching at undergraduate and graduate levels that is already being used in diverse countries like Argentina, Bolivia, Canada, China, Mexico, Spain, Turkey, the UK, or the USA. This chapter examines why and how the EJAtlas is used for teaching/learning Environmental Social Science–related contents. We analyze the main challenges and lessons around what is taught, to whom, and why. We discuss how The EJatlas has the potential to not only raise awareness on environmental sustainability but also to address some key concerns regarding the demotivating ‘remoteness’ students might feel due to distance from on-the-ground issues and activism, and the lack of diverse voices present in course material (particularly voices from the frontlines of environmental injustices and resistance movements), along with the difficult balance to strike between theory and practice. The Atlas offers a platform that students and educators can use to help bridge these gaps- by providing a way for students to tangibly engage with important environmental resistance movements, visibilizing diverse, frontline voices and experiences, and connecting the theoretical to the practical via a range of opportunities for promoting environmental justice work outside of the classroom including advocacy, documentation, networking, and solidarity-building.
Commons Regimes at the Crossroads: Environmental Justice Movements and Commoning
Authors: Villamayor-Tomas Sergio , García-López Gustavo , D’Alisa Giacomo
Published: March 2023

In this chapter, we offer an overview of the scholarship at the interface of commons regimes and social movements and unveil the agenda of the Barcelona School around this topic. The frontiers of theory and research on the governance of commons have notably evolved in the last decade. At the forefront of such evolution is the study of environmental conflicts around the use and management of common resources. Social movements are one means through which such conflicts manifest in relation to the discourse and practice of commons governance. As we claim here, key in this evolution has been the contributions of Joan Martínez Alier and others around the environmentalism of the poor, environmental justice movements, and alternatives to “growth”. Important research programs within the new scholarship, and scholars within the School in particular (See Sect. 19.3 where we identify the initiatives and scholars associated to this), include the study of interactions between mobilization and community-based natural resource management regimes in rural contexts; the emergence and consolidation of new urban commons; the study of processes of commoning and becoming a commoner; and the connections between commons and the degrowth scholarship.
Activism Mobilizing Science Revisited
Authors: Conde Marta , Orta-Martínez Martí
Published: March 2023

Minority groups and marginalized communities affected by extractive industries are increasingly allying with scientists to coproduce new alternative knowledge in order to challenge the data and narratives produced by the company or some state departments. Under the counter-expertise umbrella this process understood as Activism Mobilizing Science (AMS) is characterized by being driven by activists or local grassroots groups, where local and scientific knowledge are merged to coproduce new scientific knowledge. As we show through three case studies – two of uranium mines in Africa and an oil extraction case in the Peruvian Amazon – the main objective of these groups is to understand what are the negative impacts of extractive industry activities, to challenge the company’s or state’s discourse or data, and to gain legitimacy and visibility. We pose that the empowerment of these groups is as much a result of the newly coproduced knowledge as the dynamics of the AMS process itself.
Conventional Climate Change Economics: A Way to Define the Optimal Policy?
Authors: Roca Jordi , Padilla Emilio
Published: March 2023

The application of cost–benefit logic to climate change has been popularized as “the economics of climate change.” The Dynamic Integrated Climate-Economy (DICE) model of William Nordhaus, which models the interrelations between the economy and climate change and indicates the “optimal” path of emission mitigation, recommends moderate action to limit warming to 3.5 °C. This is in contrast to a recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which urges to limit it to 1.5 °C. The analyses à la Nordhaus contain several questionable assumptions, choices of methods, and parameters that are based on the value judgments of the authors, and these determine their results. The economic analysis of climate change policies should incorporate the precautionary principle and a concern for sustainability and environmental justice.
The Barcelona School of Ecological Economics and Political Ecology: Building Bridges Between Moving Shores
Authors: Villamayor-Tomas Sergio , Roy Brototi , Muradian Roldan
Published: March 2023

This chapter aims to give an overarching vision of the plural epistemological basis of the Barcelona school of ecological economics and political ecology, as well as to provide examples of the cross-fertilization between disciplines, methods and approaches that we think constitute one of the main contributions of the School. The chapter identifies the main bonding elements of the scholars that belong to the School, briefly explains the diverse core concepts and methods on which the School relies, and elaborates on how the interaction between them have resulted in an original and relevant research program during the past 30 years.
Reconciling Waste Management and Ecological Economics
Authors: Puig Ventosa Ignasi
Published: March 2023

This chapter provides a discussion of the concept of “circular economy” and how it conflicts with some of the systemic views coming from ecological economics: material and energy flows, thermodynamics and so on. The policy context in relation to waste management is presented, with focus on the European Union and on municipal solid waste. The chapter highlights the importance of separate collection, pointing to high-efficiency source separation models (such as door-to-door collection or pay-as-you-throw), as well as the importance of quality when dealing with biowaste to obtain high-quality compost, and with recyclables, to prevent downcycling. The chapter specially focuses on the relevance of aligning the environmental and the economic costs of the different waste management options. In this sense, it discusses several instruments such as landfill and incineration taxes, environmental taxes on certain products, extended producer responsibility, deposit-refund schemes, or fee-rebate schemes. The chapter concludes by identifying some areas in which ecological economics can help to understand how and why waste is generated, as well as informing the design of waste management policies.
Collective Action in Ecuadorian Amazonia
Authors: Falconí Fander , Oleas Julio
Published: March 2023

The Amazon region is an extraordinary place to study local and international power relations, social and environmental dispossession, conflicts of values and interests surrounding the environment, and the definition of public policies, study areas, and praxis of ecological economics. This interdisciplinary field has promoted the study of ecological-distributive conflicts, ecological debt, environmental justice, and poverty and its relationship with the deterioration of ecological systems. Joan Martínez Allier’s contributions to the study of these conflicts, the promotion of public policies for the benefit of Amazonian cultures, and the sustainability of this biodiverse region have been outstanding.