Population growth and the changing ecosystem in Mindanao

Mindanao is the second largest island in the Philippines. Once considered the greenest spot on earth, it has since been highly exploited. This paper discusses the changing ecosystem of the island as a result of rapid population growth since the early 1900s. Not much is known about Mindanao before 1900. From 1913, however, population grew on Mindanao as the American colonial government established agricultural colonies to open up the south for trade and development. Colonial settlement together with migration and natural population increase led to environmental resource degradation and the displacement of indigenous communities such as the Moros and Lumads. Legal and illegal logging and rampant kaingin agriculture have also stressed the environment. The opening of the Mindanao frontier, Philippine development, the Great Migration, incursion of the Mindanao upland, deforestation, the displacement of indigenous communities, and the possible maintenance and rehabilitation of the ecosystem are discussed.     

Comparison of localities of European hamster (Cricetus cricetus) in the areas of high and low level of human activity

Urban Ecosystems - European hamster (Cricetus cricetus) holds the status of a strictly protected species with the necessity to be active protected. The decline in its population and limitations in...     

Barrios and burbs: residential context and health-risk behaviors among Angeleno adolescents

The increasing size of the Latino immigrant population in the United States underscores the need for a more complete understanding of the role that social context plays in influencing the health of immigrants and their children. This analysis explores the possibility that residential location influences the health-risk behaviors of Latino youth in Los Angeles County, California. The data come from the Los Angeles Family and Neighborhood Survey. We apply multivariate, multilevel Rasch models to two scales of adolescent health-risk behaviors (substance use and delinquency). The findings suggest that residence in Census tracts characterized by above-county-average levels of Latinos and above-county-average levels of poverty is associated with increased odds of health-risk behaviors for Latino adolescents, particularly for those born in the United States. The findings lend support to the contention, put forth in the segmented assimilation literature, that disadvantaged urban contexts increase the risk that U.S.-born children of immigrants will experience downward assimilation.     

Ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) communities on green roofs in Switzerland: synthesis and perspectives

Urban Ecosystems - Green roofs have recently gained recognition for their potential contribution to urban ecosystems by providing, among other services, habitat for plants and animals, and stepping...     

Beyond the nation-state Polish national identity and cultural intimacy online

This article analyses the debate on ‘new patriotism’ in a Polish online discussion forum. We study the ways in which national identity is constructed in this setting. Digital communication contributes further to expanding discourse on national identities beyond nation-state borders. We analyse close to 6000 posts from a large Polish Internet discussion forum through the methods of quantitative concept mapping and qualitative close readings. Our results show that patriotism is negotiated beyond strictly national frameworks. It is not merely a question of national interest as it also connects people through a process of establishing and maintaining of cultural intimacy.     

Passenger Rail Security,Planning, and Resilience: Application of Network,Plume, and Economic Simulation Models as Decision Support Tools

We built three simulation models that can assist rail transit planners and operators to evaluate high and low probability rail‐centered hazard events that could lead to serious consequences for rail‐centered networks and their surrounding regions. Our key objective is to provide these models to users who, through planning with these models, can prevent events or more effectively react to them. The first of the three models is an industrial systems simulation tool that closely replicates rail passenger traffic flows between New York Penn Station and Trenton, New Jersey. Second, we built and used a line source plume model to trace chemical plumes released by a slow‐moving freight train that could impact rail passengers, as well as people in surrounding areas. Third, we crafted an economic simulation model that estimates the regional economic consequences of a variety of rail‐related hazard events through the year 2020. Each model can work independently of the others. However, used together they help provide a coherent story about what could happen and set the stage for planning that should make rail‐centered transport systems more resistant and resilient to hazard events. We highlight the limitations and opportunities presented by using these models individually or in sequence.     

Comparing a New Gini Test with Other Symmetry Tests When Median Is Unknown

Although there exists an ample literature on the tests of univariate symmetry, each article provides comparison of few selected competitors only. We are comparing the performance of 15 tests recommended in the literature and two new methods introduced by Auda (2006 Auda (Ouda), H. 2006. New Tests of Univariate Symmetry Based on the Gini Mean Difference, Kalamazoo, MI: Western Michigan University. Ph.D. thesis [Google Scholar]). One of them, rank-based test RS, compares favorably with several existing procedures in controlling the Type I error as well as in power as shown in our comprehensive simulation study. An important novelty in the article are Figs. 1– 3 enabling comparison of Type I error probabilities and power of the 16 tests for 17 null and 19 alternative distributions.     

College Student Smokers' Cognitive Appraisal of High-Risk Activities

Abstract

Objective: Students who smoke are more likely to engage in risky behaviors such as binge drinking and unprotected sex (Schnieder and Morris, Environ Behav. 1999; 23:575–591). The goals of the present study were to determine whether smokers assess these behaviors as lower risk than nonsmokers, and if smoking rate influences risk perceptions. Methods: Participants were 303 college students. Cognitive Appraisal of Risky Activities (Fromme et al., Cognit Ther Res. 1997; 21:421–442) and smoking were assessed August–November, 2006. Results: Smokers reported significantly less risk, more benefit, and more involvement in risky behaviors than nonsmokers (p < .01). In hierarchical linear regression, risk perceptions moderated the association between smoking and (a) expected benefit from risky sexual behaviors (β = ?1.121, p < .05); and (b) expected involvement with illicit drugs (β = ?.313, p < .01). Conclusions: College smokers’ assessment of high-risk behaviors influenced their intended involvement. Risk perception change may therefore alter their involvement in high-risk behaviors.