Combining marine ecology and economy to roadmap the integrated coastal management: A systematic literature review

Integrated coastal management (ICM) relies on the inclusion of economic issues within marine ecology. To assess the progress of this integration, we applied topic modelling and network analysis to explore the pertinent literature (583 Isi-WoS, and 5459 Scopus papers). We classified the topics of interest (i.e., concepts, approaches, and sectors) that combined ecological and economic issues within marine science, we aggregated these topics in fields pertinent to ICM, and tracked the knowledge-exchange between these fields by using an information-flow network. Main findings were: (i) the high trans-disciplinary fashion of studies about marine protection and of those about commercial fisheries, (ii) the weak interaction between studies focusing on potential biohazards and those about environmental management, (iii) the isolation, in the overall information-flow, of studies about ecotourism and aquaculture. We included in a roadmap all the integration routes we detected within ICM, based on the combination of ecological and economic issues. We conclude that, to improve integration, ICM should: (i) Exploit marine protection as a bridge between ecological and economic concepts and approaches, and between maritime economy sectors, (ii) employ systems ecology to pursue trans-disciplinary investigations, (iii) complement systems ecology with citizen science by means of inclusive economic initiatives, such as ecotourism

The S-Cycle performance matrix : supporting comprehensive sustainability performance evaluation of technical systems

The work reported in this paper consolidates and rationalises disparate evaluation methods in a novel, generic framework to support the selection of comprehensive material/energetic sustainability performance indicators (SPIs) for technical systems. The S-Cycle Performance Matrix (S-CPMatrix) is comprised of 6 generic sustainability goals, 11 SPI archetypes, and 23 corresponding metrics identified from a model of technical system sustainability (the S-Cycle). The matrix was evaluated by interpreting and classifying 324 indicators currently applied to evaluate technical system sustainability performance in the literature, with 94.1% found to be fully classifiable with respect to the matrix following several refinements. The remaining 5.9% suggested additional SPI archetypes and a goal that were not initially identified. The matrix is intended to support decision makers in meeting three criteria for comprehensiveness identified from the literature: (C1) inclusion of indicators measuring performance at all relevant scales; (C2) inclusion of efficiency and effectiveness indicators; and (C3) coverage of all system sustainability goals. It may be applied to different systems in conjunction with different evaluation methods, thereby contributing to more consistent guidance on the selection of comprehensive SPIs for technical systems. In addition to industrial evaluation and comparison with existing evaluation methods, four avenues for future research were identified: (i) use of the S-CPMatrix to support systems comparison/benchmarking; (ii) further investigation of unsupported metrics; (iii) the nature and measurement of contaminants; and (iv) the comprehensiveness of SPI sets currently used in sustainability performance evaluation of technical systems

Intersecting Ecosystem Services Across the Aquatic Continuum: From Global Change Impacts to Local, and Biologically Driven, Synergies and Trade-Offs

The study of ecosystem services requires the integration of different observational points. This is particularly true in Water, as this element continuously cycles, increasing chances of interaction among services originating in different ecosystems. However, aquatic scientists historically approached the study of inland/freshwater and open/marine waters in different ways and this cultural division potentially hampers integrative approaches. Herein, we explored the literature pertaining to ecosystem services across the last 23 years, analysing 4,590 aquatic papers. By aggregating and intersecting topics included in this papers’ collection using text-mining and topical network approaches, we saw that the study of local environmental conditions (e.g., river estuary management) and synergies and trade-offs between services (e.g., carbon sequestration and water purification) can display several potential conceptual links between freshwater and marine sciences. Our analyses suggest that to intersect ecosystem services across the aquatic continuum, the conceptual integration between marine and freshwater science must be reinforced, especially at the interface between different “salinity realms.” Such integration should adopt a “system thinking” perspective, in which the focus is on multiple socio-ecological processes giving rise to interactions that are (i) biologically mediated, (ii) potentially conflicting, and (iii) entangled within networks

Globalization, the ambivalence of European integration and the possibilities for a post-disciplinary EU studies

Using the work of Manuel Castells as a starting point, this article explores the ambivalent relationship between globalization and European integration and the variety of ways in which the mainstream political science of the EU has attempted to deal with this issue. The analysis here suggests that various 'mainstreaming' disciplinary norms induce types of work that fail to address fully the somewhat paradoxical and counter-intuitive range of possible relationships between globalization and European integration. The article explores critically four possible analytical ways out of this paradox—abandonment of the concept of globalization, the development of definition precision in globalization studies, the reorientation of work to focus on globalization as discourse, and inter- and post-disciplinarity. The argument suggests that orthodox discussions of the relationship require a notion of social geography that sits at odds with much of the literature on globalization and while greater dialogue between disciplines is to be welcomed, a series of profound epistemological questions need to be confronted if studies of the interplay between global and social process are to be liberated from their disciplinary chains

Big Data Opportunities for Global Infectious Disease Surveillance

Simon Hay and colleagues discuss the potential and challenges of producing continually updated infectious disease risk maps using diverse and large volume data sources such as social media

Bioinformatics tools for marine biotechnology: A practical tutorial with a metagenomic approach

Background: Bioinformatics has pervaded all fields of biology and has become an indispensable tool for almost all research projects. Although teaching bioinformatics has been incorporated in all traditional life science curricula, practical hands-on experiences in tight combination with wet-lab experiments are needed to motivate students. Results: We present a tutorial that starts from a practical problem: finding novel enzymes from marine environments. First, we introduce the idea of metagenomics, a recent approach that extends biotechnology to non-culturable microbes. We presuppose that a probe for the screening of metagenomic cosmid library is needed. The students start from the chemical structure of the substrate that should be acted on by the novel enzyme and end with the sequence of the probe. To attain their goal, they discover databases such as BRENDA and programs such as BLAST and Clustal Omega. Students' answers to a satisfaction questionnaire show that a multistep tutorial integrated into a research wet-lab project is preferable to conventional lectures illustrating bioinformatics tools. Conclusion: Experimental biologists can better operate basic bioinformatics if a problem-solving approach is chosen

Clinicians’ experience of providing care: a rapid review

Background: Health care services internationally are refocussing care delivery towards patient centred, integrated care that utilises effective, efficient and innovative models of care to optimise patient outcomes and system sustainability. Whilst significant efforts have been made to examine and enhance patient experience, to date little has progressed in relation to provider experience. This review aims to explore this knowledge gap by capturing evidence of clinician experience, and how this experience is defined and measured in the context of health system change and innovation. Methods: A rapid review of published and grey literature review was conducted utilising a rapid evidence assessment methodology. Seventy-nine studies retrieved from the literature were included in the review. Fourteen articles were identified from the grey literature search and one article obtained via hand searching. In total, 94 articles were included in the review. This study was commissioned by and co-designed with the New South Wales, Ministry of Health. Results: Clinician experience of delivering health care is inconsistently defined in the literature, with identified articles lacking clarity regarding distinctions between experience, engagement and work-related outcomes such as job satisfaction. Clinician experience was commonly explored using qualitative research that focused on experiences of discrete health care activities or events in which a change was occurring. Such research enabled exploration of complex experiences. In these contexts, clinician experience was captured in terms of self-reported information that clinicians provided about the health care activity or event, their perceptions of its value, the lived impacts they experienced, and the specific behaviours they displayed in relation to the activity or event. Moreover, clinician’s experience has been identified to have a paucity of measurement tools. Conclusion: Literature to date has not examined clinician experience in a holistic sense. In order to achieve the goals identified in relation to value-based care, further work is needed to conceptualise clinician experience and understand the nature of measurement tools required to assess this. In health system application, a broader ‘clinician pulse’ style assessment may be valuable to understand the experience of clinical work on a continuum rather than in the context of episodes of change/care

External and internal noise surveys of London primary schools

Internal and external noise surveys have been carried out around schools in London, UK, to provide information on typical levels and sources to which children are exposed while at school. Noise levels were measured outside 142 schools, in areas away from flightpaths into major airports. 86% of the schools surveyed were exposed to noise from road traffic, the average external noise level outside a school being 57 dB LAeq. Detailed internal noise surveys have been carried out in 140 classrooms in 16 schools, together with classroom observations. It was found that noise levels inside classrooms depend upon the activities in which the children are engaged, with a difference of 20 dB LAeq between the 'quietest' and 'noisiest' activities. The average background noise level in classrooms exceeds the level recommended in current standards. The number of children in the classroom was found to affect noise levels. External noise influenced internal noise levels only when children were engaged in the quietest classroom activities. The effects of the age of the school buildings and types of window upon internal noise were examined but results were inconclusive

Dispelling the myths of online education: learning via the information superhighway

There continues to be a perception that online education is inferior to traditional education. In the U.S. online learning is more developed than in the U.K. This paper provides insights into a U.S. provision and takes a close look at what are perceived as weaknesses of on line learning and argues that these are not necessarily inherent weaknesses of this form of educational delivery. Then, results of two major studies, undertaken in the U.S. are provided comparing the effectiveness of online education to traditional education as perceived by current MBA students and past graduates. Results of these studies suggest that students of MBA modules and MBA graduates perceive the quality and effectiveness of online education to be similar to, if not higher than, the quality and effectiveness of traditional modules and programmes

The Effects of Protamine on a Murine Leukemia Virus

This study indicated that: (1) i.p. inoculation of protamine into (Rauscher) leukemic mice increased their X death time, (2) protamine was more toxic for leukemic than normal mice and (3) the in vitro reaction between Rauscher virus and protamine reduced its infectivity for mice