The economical and international dimensions of the environmental problems,environmental problems in the Black Sea region and the role of the voluntary organizations

Differently than in the past, today environmental problems have local, national and international concern. The environmental problems in the Black Sea region are a good example for this phenomenon. These problems have affected all six countries that have shores with the Black Sea. The current study analyses these problems in detail. It intends to detect potential reasons for problems and provide suggestions to solve these problems by considering the economic dimensions. In addition, the impact of problems on the city life is examined. Also, the roles and importance of voluntary organizations on solving environmental problems are emphasized.     

Accommodating discontent: youth,conflict and the housing question in Hong Kong

Young people across many societies face growing problems in making the transition from the parental home to independent living. Rising house prices and the lack of affordable alternatives to home ownership is most commonly blamed. This paper explores these issues in relation to young people in Hong Kong. The paper argues that the housing question in Hong Kong has distinct local characteristics and cannot be disconnected from wider political and economic tensions. It also shows that the housing choices and views of young people are shaped by more than issues of cost and access. The paper draws on a unique data-set which explores the attitudes and expectations with regard to housing among young people in Hong Kong. Addressing the housing problem is widely regarded as a political priority and essential to maintain social cohesion. However, political imperatives and economic interests are pulling in different directions.     

荷兰的绿色规划:空间规划与环境规划的整合

荷兰是世界上首先制定和实施绿色政策的国家之一,也是首先将空间规划与环境规划协调整合的国家之一.“整合”是当今荷兰规划政策的关键词,也是其过去有效控制城市增长及保护生态环境的核心手段.整合的字面意思为将不同的事物联系结合,使之成为一个系统.荷兰的规划整合既考虑不同规划(环境规划和空间规划)内容与目标的协调、融合、彼此兼顾,也考虑不同利益群体(政府、市场、市民社会)的平衡、协商、妥协.荷兰规划整合的经验表明,绿色规划需要平衡经济、社会、环境三方面关系,而非只强调严苛的环境保护门槛,限制其他两方面的发展.否则,绿色规划便会失去公众基础和经济支撑,也就失去了可持续性.同时,绿色规划需要兼顾目标和过程,用行动计划保证实施的效率.本文概述荷兰规划整合的驱动因素和多部门协作的行政框架,总结整合从概念到实践的发展阶段;举例说明不同的规划整合政策工具在实践中的应用;然后分析规划整合的隐形保障;最后对比中国的绿色规划现状,总结荷兰经验的借鉴意义.     

Knowledge sharing in information systems development projects: Explicating the role of dependence and trust

This study provides empirical evidence for the role of dependence and trust in knowledge sharing in information systems projects. As critical antecedents of dependence and trust among team members, four constructs are included in the study—environmental complexity, domain expertise, similarity of project value, and communication frequency. Partial least square analyses are conducted, using data collected from 135 project teams in two large IT firms. The results confirm that dependence and trust maintain a strong impact on knowledge sharing, leading to good team project performance. This study uses a cross-sectional survey as a research method. Longer term exploration seems necessary to further explore how trust and dependence are actually formed among team members. Findings indicate that team members share their knowledge when they trust their partners and when they feel dependent. Feelings of dependence and trust are influenced by the communication frequency, perceived similarity of the project's value, and the perceived expertise. Project managers need to pay attention to these variables in order to increase the level of knowledge sharing among team members especially in information systems development projects where primary tasks are critically knowledge-intensive.     

Coverage of environmental events in US and UK newspapers: frequency,hazard, specificity,and placement

This study analyzes how well two major newspapers – one from the US and one from the UK – cover important environmental issues. The article includes a literature review of media and the environment, problems with environmental media, and methods of assessing news quality; the research focus; methodology, with an explanation of the content categories and rationale, which applies a conceptual framework of ‘technological hazard’; results; and a discussion with limitations and possible additional research.     

Urban environmental mercury in Changchun, a metropolitan city in Northeastern China: source, cycle, and fate

Mercury concentrations in each environmental compartment in Changchun City had obvious spatial and temporal trends. Particulate Hg (HgP) and total gaseous mercury (TGM) concentrations in air, total Hg (HgT) concentrations in precipitation and ratios of HgP to HgT (total Hg in air) in the atmosphere in heating season were higher than those in non-heating season, which resulted from civil heating. In contrast, reactive Hg (HgR) concentrations in precipitation were higher in non-heating season than those in heating season. TGM and SO2 in air had good agreement. HgP concentrations in the atmosphere were correlated with HgT concentrations in precipitation. Based on Hg concentrations in each environmental compartment, Hg exchange fluxes between environmental interfaces were estimated. Only 11.6% of Hg, emitted from coal combustion, deposited into land surface in urban district and the rest part participated in regional or global cycle, so urban district was the source of Hg global and regional cycle. Net fluxes of Hg into land surface and water were 34.26 kg year(-1) and 0.051 kg year(-1), respectively, which were clearly accumulated in the water and soil. Therefore considering urban local Hg cycle, each environmental compartment of urban ecosystem (water, air and soil) was the sink of Hg.     

Knowledge integration at the edge of technology: On teamwork and complexity in new turbine development

This paper takes an empirical point of departure in the development of a new steam turbine. Project work here relied on a process of iteration between a small core group of team members with extensive experience and team members with less of that currency. In this project, the core group had a major integrative role, whereas other team members were mainly responsible for the specific tasks assigned to them. Quite a few of the latter category felt uneasy about their role and felt ‘decoupled’ from the project. In our analysis we use the Teamwork Quality (TWQ) construct proposed by Hoegl and Gemuenden (2001). In conclusion, our findings suggest that in highly complex projects of this type, team-based knowledge integration need not presuppose equality of participation and we introduce the notion of a Segregated Team to account for these findings.     

Knowledge integration in IPPD project: role of shared project mission,mutual trust,and mutual influence

Project integration is an important management issue related to product development performance outcomes. Design, development, production, and commercialization of new products and services require a project team's ability to acquire and integrate different knowledge bases of internal capabilities, customers, and suppliers. A literature gap exists regarding critical drivers of knowledge integration and shared knowledge in product development projects that needs to be identified and scientifically validated. Based on goal setting, social exchange, and information processing theories, the current study identifies antecedents of knowledge integration in terms of a shared project mission, mutual trust, and mutual influence, and investigates key relationships among these antecedents to determine the effect of knowledge integration on integrated product and process development (IPPD) project outcomes. Proposed hypothetical relationships among these constructs were tested on primary data collected from 191 respondents (OEM project managers and team members, suppliers, and customers) from IPPD projects from the U.S. automotive industry. With regards to the antecedents of knowledge integration in IPPD projects, our results indicate a statistically significant positive association between shared project mission, mutual trust, mutual influence and knowledge integration. Further, our results indicate a positive relationship between knowledge integration and performance outcomes measured in terms of IPPD project success and IPPD product success. Our results also indicate a partial mediating effect of mutual trust and mutual influence between the relationships of shared project mission and knowledge integration. Discussion of our empirical results, limitations, and recommendation for future studies in the area of knowledge integration in the area of IPPD projects are also provided.     

Knowledge formation and learning in the management of projects: A problem solving perspective

In contrast to traditional projects, which are assumed to be fully specified and then executed with little learning anticipated, complex projects cannot be fully specified at the outset and require continuous learning over their life cycles. Nevertheless, the key role of knowledge formation and learning in managing complex projects is under-developed for expanding project capability boundaries to include knowledge uncertainty and indeterminacy.     

Metallothionein and metal levels in cytosol of liver, kidney and brain in relation to growth parameters of Mullus surmuletus and Liza aurata from the Eastern Adriatic Sea

Two wild fish populations (Mullus surmuletus (striped red mullet) as a bottom, and Liza aurata (golden grey mullet) as a pelagic species, were sampled in Kastela Bay, Middle Dalmatia. Metallothionein (MT) and metal content (Cu, Zn, Cd) was determined in heat-treated supernatants (S50) of fish tissues. MT levels were statistically different in liver and kidney of sampled species, with highest value in kidney of M. surmuletus (31.1 +/- 7.96 micrograms mg-1 proteins). Metal levels are statistically different between all tissues. Highest metal concentrations are in liver cytosols, especially of Cu in L. aurata (6.46 +/- 3.45 micrograms ml-1 S50). High positive correlation of MT and cytosolic metals is established with Zn in liver of M. surmuletus (0.95) and with Cu in liver of L. aurata (0.69). Total length, body weight and age are mostly correlated biometric parameters with MT and soluble metal concentrations. MT and metal levels increase with age in liver cytosol of both species.     

Distribution and bioaccumulation of microcystins in water columns: a systematic investigation into the environmental fate and the risks associated with microcystins in Meiliang Bay, Lake Taihu

For the purpose of understanding the environmental fate of microcystins (MCs) and the potential health risks caused by toxic cyanobacterial blooms in Lake Taihu, a systematic investigation was carried out from February 2005 to January 2006. The distribution of MCs in the water column, and toxin bioaccumulations in aquatic organisms were surveyed. The results suggested that Lake Taihu is heavily polluted during summer months by toxic cyanobacterial blooms (with a maximum biovolume of 6.7x10(8)cells/L) and MCs. The maximum concentration of cell-bound toxins was 1.81mg/g (DW) and the dissolved MCs reached a maximum level of 6.69mug/L. Dissolved MCs were always found in the entire water column at all sampling sites throughout the year. Our results emphasized the need for tracking MCs not only in the entire water column but also at the interface between water and sediment. Seasonal changes of MC concentrations in four species of hydrophytes (Eichhornic crassipes, Potamogeton maackianus, Alternanthera philoxeroides and Myriophyllum spicatum) ranged from 129 to 1317, 147 to 1534, 169 to 3945 and 124 to 956ng/g (DW), respectively. Toxin accumulations in four aquatic species (Carassius auratus auratu, Macrobrachium nipponensis, Bellamya aeruginosa and Cristaria plicata) were also analyzed. Maximum toxin concentrations in the edible organs and non-edible visceral organs ranged from 378 to 730 and 754 to 3629ng/g (DW), respectively. Based on field studies in Lake Taihu, risk assessments were carried out, taking into account the WHO guidelines and the tolerable daily intake (TDI) for MCs. Our findings suggest that the third largest lake in China poses serious health threats when serving as a source of drinking water and for recreational use. In addition, it is likely to be unsafe to consume aquatic species harvested in Lake Taihu due to the high-concentrations of accumulated MCs.     

Environmental decision-making and the precautionary principle: what does this principle mean in environmental sampling practice?

Increasingly, environmental decision-making is scrutinised with respect to a precautionary principle. This principle asserts that where uncertainty and doubt make it impossible to be sure about a correct decision, any errors should favour the long-term sustainability of the environment.Although there are problems in practical adherence to this principle, it has particular meaning and value for quantitative, ecological aspects of environmental sampling and monitoring. When probabilistic (or statistical) interpretations of data are made, there are two potential errors: Type I, or rejecting a null hypothesis when it is true and Type II, or retaining a null hypothesis when it is wrong. In environmental terms, these can often be translated as Type I error occurring if it is claimed that there is an environmental impact when there is none. A Type II error would represent failing to detect an impact even though one has occurred.Most ecological and environmental work is designed to keep the possibility of Type I error small (and by convention at about one in twenty). Usually, there is little or no concern about Type II errors. The precautionary principle. however, dictates that Type II errors are a serious problem for environmental management-and much more so than Type I errors. Thus, not detecting impacts (Type II) is not precautionary.This paper summarizes the relevant features of environmental monitoring and sampling that decrease the chance of Type II error (and therefore increase the ‘power’ of a sampling program to detect impacts). Better consideration of these issues in the design of sampling would greatly increase adherence to the precautionary principle and would enhance the prospects of sustainable environmental decision-making.Interpreting precautionary principles in terms of environmental sampling and measurement would increase the need (and potentially the capacity) to define possible environmental disturbances and responses to them in more quantitative and less vague terms.     

Architectural quality of the productive fa(c)ades integrating photovoltaic and vertical farming systems: Survey among experts in Singapore

Buildings could play a critical role in energy and food production while making high-density cities more resilient. Productive façades (PFs), as flexible and multi-functional systems integrating photovoltaic (PV) and vertical farming (VF) systems, could contribute to transforming buildings and communities from consumers to producers. This study analyses the architectural quality of the developed PF concept drawing on the findings of a web-survey conducted among experts – building professionals in Singapore. The developed design variants are compared with regards to key design aspects such as façade aesthetics, view from the inside, materialisation, ease of operation, functionality and overall architectural quality. The study also compares and discusses the results of the web-survey with the results of a previously conducted door-to-door survey among the potential users – residents of the Housing &; Development Board (HDB) blocks. The findings confirm an overall acceptance of the PF concept and reveal a need for synergetic collaboration between architects/designers and other building professionals. Based on the defined PF design framework and the results of the two surveys, a series of recommendations and improved PF prototypes are proposed for further assessment and implementation in order to foster their scalability from buildings into communities and cities.     

国土空间视角下国内城市更新与空间优化研究 — —基于可视化文献计量分析

城市更新伴随着城市发展的始终。 随着城市化进程推进与国土空间规划的实 行,如何把握城市更新的发展方向尤为重 要。文章以国土空间视角下国内城市更新与 空间优化的研究成果为对象,基于CNKI和 Web of Science数据库中“城市更新”主题获 取文献,并借助CiteSpace可视化分析软件, 对实行国土空间规划以来近10年内相关研究 成果进行计量统计与知识图谱分析,展示相 关文献增长趋势、研究现状和研究内容。并 进一步对比2016年前后城市更新研究的研究 成果,阐述时空特征、研究对象和策略方法 上的趋势变化。最后总结国土空间视野下城 市更新中的生态保护与修复、遗产保护与利 用、空间优化与织补三个方面的研究动向,并展望未来发展趋势,以期为后续国内城市更新与空间优化提供借鉴。     

Chloroform in indoor swimming-pool air: Monitoring and modeling coupled with the effects of environmental conditions and occupant activities

Human exposure to chloroform in indoor swimming pools has been recognized as a potential health concern. Although environmental monitoring is a useful technique to investigate chloroform concentrations in indoor swimming-pool air, in practice, the interpretations of measured data would inevitably run into difficulties due to the complex interactions among the numerous variables, including environmental conditions and occupant activities. Considering of the relevant variables of environmental conditions and occupant activities, a mathematical model was first proposed to predict the chloroform concentration in indoor swimming-pool air. The developed model provides a straightforward, conceptually simple way to predict the indoor air chloroform concentration by calculating the mass flux, J, and the Péclet number, Pe, and by using a heuristic value of the indoor airflow recycle ratio, R. The good agreement between model simulation and measured data demonstrates the feasibility of using the presented model for indoor air quality management, operational guidelines and health-related risk assessment.     

Integrating eye-movement analysis and the semantic differential method to analyze the visual effect of a traditional commercial block in Hefei,China

Eye-movement analysis was adopted to evaluate the visual perception of Chinese traditional commercial blocks, and the Chenghuangmiao block in Hefei, China, was selected as a typical case. Eye-movement data from 40 respondents viewing 14 sample pictures were recorded. The spatial elements of the sample pictures, including landmarks and commercial brands, were further extracted to analyze the visual characteristics of spatial elements and the factors that affect the respondents’ perceptions of those elements. Then, the semantic differential method was used to analyze the relationship between visual preferences and psychological perceptions of spatial elements. Seventeen pairs of opposing adjectives were selected to score the intrinsic properties and visitors’ feelings of spaces. The software SPSS 22.0 was used to analyze these data. Results showed that distinctive spatial elements, such as street corridors, Ma Tau Walls, and various landmarks, were the most visually attractive. In addition, the location of a given element within a picture was an important factor affecting eye movements. On this basis, strategies for improving spatial-visual effects are proposed. The strategies include emphasizing the visual characteristics of different spatial elements, considering the overall layout of spatial elements, and creating diversified spaces based on different spatial categories.     

Nitrogen, land and water inputs in changing cattle farming systems.: A historical comparison for France, 19th-21st centuries

This paper provides an original account of the long-term regional metabolism in relation to the cattle rearing in western France starting by the precise formulation of animal diets at three key dates of the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. We established links between the demand in fodder of the meat and dairy sectors and the necessary inputs of nitrogen, water and land as well as the land cover changes occurring on the affected local and remote cattle acreage. The average agricultural productivity for fodder supply is estimated at about 50 kg N/ha in the mid-19th, 54 kg N/ha in the early 20th and 150 kg N/ha at the turning of the 21st century. Jointly for the dairy and meat productions, the potential efficiency in the conversion of the vegetal into animal protein more than doubled over the studied period, passing from less than 9% in the 19th to 20% in the 21st century. The current cattle sector is sustained for about 25% by land situated beyond the regional frontiers and uses water at intensities that approach or exceed the availability of renewable water. The nitrogen pollution is expressed in terms of the Net Anthropogenic Nitrogen Inputs (NANI) and, by comparison to the N recovered in products, is used to define the N-Environmental Efficiency of the farming. We discuss the historical succession of the factors that contributed to the growth of the meat and milk production and make a comparison of the impacts and policy between the local and distant resources.     

The Navy and the city: conflict,cooperation and political competition in the urban governance of Toulon

This article contributes to the debate about urban governance in specialized European cities, by focusing on the interplay between changes in national defence policies and local initiatives. It is based upon qualitative research carried out in Toulon, a mid-sized French city and the biggest military port on the Mediterranean Sea. Firstly, it explains how the emergence of a new urban agenda aimed at diversifying the city from its military function challenged existing relations between the city and the Navy. As a consequence, new areas of conflict and cooperation can be observed. Secondly, it shows how political strategies adopted by elected officials respond to the need to legitimize the new agenda and to constrain the Navy to participate in it, while managing the military constituency. Despite a political discourse that proclaimed convergence of interest between the city and the Navy, the existence of a major conflict concerning the use and control of space doomed the partnership to a (partial) failure.     

Copper sulphate and DCMU-herbicide treatments increase asymmetry between sister cells in the toxic cyanobacteria Microcystis aeruginosa: implications for detecting environmental stress

Works correlating fluctuating asymmetry with environmental stress or genetic damages have been largely reported in multicellular organisms but not in single-celled ones. We hypothesize that asymmetry analysis could also be applied to single-celled organisms, because the asymmetry between two sister cells originated from a cellular division event (same genotype in similar environment) must tend to zero in the absence of environmental or genetic perturbations. Laboratory experiments with copper sulphate and DCMU-herbicide treatments as well as experiments in a water reservoir after treatment with copper sulphate algaecide show that environmental stress increases asymmetry between sister cells of Microcystis aeruginosa (Cyanobacteria). Even low Cu(2+) or DCMU doses, which were unable to reduce growth rate, considerably enlarge asymmetry with respect to untreated controls. Asymmetry between sister cells of cyanobacteria seems to be a reliable indicator of environmental perturbation. Analysis of asymmetry in single-celled organisms could become as important as fluctuating asymmetry of multicellular organisms is today.