How could local communities regulate the assessment of the overlooked environmental and social impacts?

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is a process to determine the significant environmental and social impacts of a proposed project to put forward strategies for preventing or mitigating the impacts. While the legal requirement for EIA procedure is the same, case studies throughout the world illustrate occasions of overlooked environmental and social impacts. This could be either due to the division between environmental and social impacts during the assessment or caused by the failure to adopt proper strategies particularly for mitigation of the impacts. This can affect local communities whose life is directly dependent on their surrounding ecosystem. Therefore, in order to fill the gap between law and social reality, this chapter, based on a body of theories concerning regulation, proposes that through using qualitative engagement methods, there is the capacity for local communities to participate in the process of impact identification meaningfully to ensure impacts are properly listed and ranked in the EIA, and social license to operate (SLO) plays a key role in granting local communities the authority to do so because otherwise there will be financial and reputational risks for companies

Diverse and variable virus communities in wild plant populations revealed by metagenomic tools

Wild plant populations may harbour a myriad of unknown viruses. As the majority of research efforts have targeted economically important plant species, the diversity and prevalence of viruses in the wild has remained largely unknown. However, the recent shift towards metagenomics-based sequencing methodologies, especially those targeting small RNAs, is finally enabling virus discovery from wild hosts. Understanding this diversity of potentially pathogenic microbes in the wild can offer insights into the components of natural biodiversity that promotes long-term coexistence between hosts and parasites in nature, and help predict when and where risks of disease emergence are highest. Here, we used small RNA deep sequencing to identify viruses in Plantago lanceolata populations, and to understand the variation in their prevalence and distribution across the Aland Islands, South-West Finland. By subsequent design of PCR primers, we screened the five most common viruses from two sets of P. lanceolata plants: 164 plants collected from 12 populations irrespective of symptoms, and 90 plants collected from five populations showing conspicuous viral symptoms. In addition to the previously reported species Plantago lanceolata latent virus (PlLV), we found four potentially novel virus species belonging to Caulimovirus, Betapartitivirus, Enamovirus, and Closterovirus genera. Our results show that virus prevalence and diversity varied among the sampled host populations. In six of the virus infected populations only a single virus species was detected, while five of the populations supported between two to five of the studied virus species. In 20% of the infected plants, viruses occurred as coinfections. When the relationship between conspicuous viral symptoms and virus infection was investigated, we found that plants showing symptoms were usually infected (84%), but virus infections were also detected from asymptomatic plants (44%). Jointly, these results reveal a diverse virus community with newly developed tools and protocols that offer exciting opportunities for future studies on the eco-evolutionary dynamics of viruses infecting plants in the wild.Peer reviewe

The importance of cultural aspects in impact assessment and project: developmentreflections from a case study of a hydroelectric dam in Brazil

Failure to consider the cultural and social factors of projects can lead to situations where mitigation does not effectively address the impacts they were intended to alleviate, and can even create other impacts. We critically analyse the processes of designing and implementing a social and environmental compensation program for the Lajeado Hydroelectric Dam in the Amazon region of central-northern Brazil. This mitigation program caused a wide range of social and environmental impacts on the Xerente Indigenous people, such as intra-group conflict, and changes in agricultural practices and food regime. Based on qualitative fieldwork and an extensive document analysis, we present a contextualization of the region, the project, the Xerente people, and their cosmological understandings. We consider the perspectives of a broad range of stakeholders about the compensation program and its outcomes, and demonstrate how traditional cultural practices and values played a role in the unfolding of the program. Better comprehension of sociocultural aspects through the use of ethnography, ongoing consultation, and meaningful community participation in the planning and implementation of mitigation measures are recommended.</p

The social impacts of large projects on Indigenous Peoples:Procedures, processes and protests

Hanna, P. (2016). The social impacts of large projects on Indigenous Peoples: Procedures, processes and protests [Groningen]: University of Groningen Bedrijven die de sociale impact van hun activiteiten onvoldoende aandacht geven, zullen minder makkelijk een Social Licence to Operate verkrijgen of behouden. Dit betekent dat bedrijven minder steun van de plaatselijke gemeenschap zullen hebben om een bepaald project te implementeren of uit te voeren, wat een flinke financiële tegenslag kan betekenen. Grote projecten met grote sociale en milieu effecten voor lokale gemeenschappen komen wereldwijd veelvuldig voor en kunnen tijdens de implementatie en uitvoering zelfs tot schendingen van mensenrechten leiden. Als aan de sociale impact te weinig aandacht wordt besteed, kan dat leiden tot ongewenste effecten op de lokale bevolking: zoals zorgen over, en angst voor, projecten en hun impact op de verbintenis met de leefomgeving (sense of place), sociaal kapitaal en welzijn. Wanneer Inheemse volken beïnvloed worden, worden deze gevolgen vergroot vanwege de specifieke cultuur en de sterke band met de leefomgeving en het milieu. Negatieve effecten kunnen betrekking hebben op de sociale organisatie, de taal, het levensonderhoud, de plaatselijke voedselvoorziening en gezondheid. Deze studie biedt een overzichtelijk perspectief op de implementatie van grootschalige projecten die waarschijnlijk grote maatschappelijke impact hebben en milieubelasting betekenen voor Inheemse volken. Op een Braziliaanse case study gebaseerd worden aanbevelingen gedaan hoe projecten de rechten van gemeenschappen kunnen respecteren en conflict kan worden verminderd teneinde de relaties tussen de bedrijven en Inheemse volken te verbeteren

Pneumatosis cystoidis intestinalis presenting as bowel perforation, a rare entity

AbstractIntroductionPneumatosis cystoides intestinalis (PCI) is an uncommon condition. This following article describes a case of primary PCI presenting as acute abdomen due to perforation of a small bowel cyst.Presentation of caseThis following article describes the case of an 88 year-old woman admitted at the hospital with peritonitis and consequently operated for a presumed bowel ischemia and perforation. However surgical exploration revealed perforated PCI.DiscussionThe pathophysiology of secondary PCI is poorly understood. Gas produced by Gas-forming bacteria may enter the mucosal barrier due and consequently this gas accumulates within the bowel wall. Also malnutrition can prevent the digestion of carbohydrates, which leads to increased bacterial fermentation, and production of large volumes of gas leading to distention and ischemia and subsequently the submucosal dissection of gas. Colonoscopy is helpful in excluding other colonic lesions and it shows the submucosal cysts that have a typical dual appearance: multiple white small cysts coupled to a sub-atrophic mucosa or larger cysts (up to 3cm) with a reddened overlying mucosa.ConclusionThe treatment unless complicated should be conservative even in the presence of pneumoperitoneum, after excluding complications

Comida forte e comida fraca: alimentação e fabricação dos corpos entre os Kaingáng da terra indígena Xapecó (Santa Catarina, Brasil)

Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Filosofia e Ciências Humanas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Antropologia Social, Florianópolis, 2009Este trabalho se propõe a compreender a alimentação dos Kaingáng da Terra Indígena (TI) Xapecó (SC) por uma perspectiva antropológica, contemplando seus aspectos práticos e simbólicos. Entre os povos ameríndios a alimentação articula-se intimamente com suas concepções sobre corpo, influenciando-o diretamente. Entre os Kaingáng, a fabricação dos corpos articula-se com a mudança ocorrida na alimentação entre o "tempo dos antigos" e hoje. De acordo com a rede semântica nativa, a "comida antiga" era mais "forte" que a atual, bem como o corpo das pessoas que dela comiam. A nova comida, do "branco", considerada "fraca", estaria construindo corpos também "fracos" e mais suscetíveis à doenças entre os jovens. São abordados ainda festas, jogos, visitas e outros modos de compartilhamento de comida. Esses eventos serão analisados à luz da cosmologia Kaingáng, a fim de entender a lógica da generosidade e as diversas trocas operadas nesses contextos, seja entre homens ou entre homens e deuses. Essas práticas são compreendidas como práticas de auto-atenção à saúde do grupo um como todo, tendo em vista que fortalecem todo o corpo social, além de valorizarem a distribuição e produção de "comida forte", considerada saudável pelos Kaingáng.This study seeks to understand alimentary practices of the Kaingáng of the Xapecó Indian Reservation from an anthropological perspective that considers its practical and symbolic aspects. Among Amerindian peoples, food is closely tied to their views on the body, influencing it directly. Among the Kaingáng these bodily aspects are articulated with changes in alimentation between the "time of the elders" and today. According to the native semantic network, "ancient food" is "stronger" than that which has been introduced with contact, as well as the bodies that consumed it. The new food, "white" food, is considered "weak", and it is producing the weak" bodies of the youth, making them more susceptible to illness. Festivities, games, visiting and other occasions that involved the sharing food were studied. These events were analyzed in the light of Kaingáng cosmology, in order to understand the logic of generosity and the various exchanges performed in these contexts, be they between humans or between humans and gods. These practices are also considered to be health practices for the group as a whole, since they strengthen the social body, and value the distribution and production of the "strong food" considered healthy by the Kaingáng

Righting a Wrong: Woodrow Wilson, Warren G. Harding, and the Espionage Act Prosecutions

International audienc

Contribution of temporal dominance of sensations performed by modality (M-TDS) to the sensory perception of texture and flavor in semi-solid products: A case study on fat-free strawberry yogurts

This study aimed to perform Temporal Dominance of Sensations by modality (M-TDS) combined with a multi-intake approach to investigate texture and flavor perception in semi-solid products. Trained panelists (n = 15) evaluated fat-free strawberry yogurts enriched with functional proteins involving texture modifications. As yogurt is a semi-solid product, its in-mouth residence time is short. A multi-intake approach was therefore expected to give more reliable information about the sensory properties perceived by panelists. The two modalities of texture and flavor were analyzed separately to characterize the effect of added proteins. Trials were made according to an experimental design with two factors (protein type and concentration) and three levels each. Different statistical treatments, taking or not the temporality of attributes into account, were performed on standardized and non-standardized data. The implementation of M-TDS was essential to highlight differences of flavor perception in addition to the more evident texture modifications. The study of sensory trajectories evidenced that texture modifications, induced by the use of different whey proteins, slightly modified the perception of flavor and sweetness. The global flavor perception of the samples varied with the number of spoons, which particularly impacted the taste attributes. This study highlighted the importance of using M-TDS when studying texture and flavor in semi-solid products, and the relevance of the multi-intake approach to characterize flavor perception. This methodology enabled panelists to evidence both marked texture differences and subtler flavor modifications, and these useful data were emphasized by combining different statistical treatments