Machiavellianism and spiritual intelligence as predictors of waste-prevention behaviours among Malaysian university students

Understanding the psychological factors related to waste-prevention behaviours of university students could enable local governments and policy makers to craft effective policies to reduce waste. This study utilised a questionnaire-based survey to assess the associations between spiritual intelligence and Machiavellianism as factors that influence waste-prevention behaviours. A total of 210 participants from Universiti Putra Malaysia completed the questionnaires, including the demographic questions, spiritual intelligence inventory, Mach IV, and the waste-prevention behaviours. The data were analysed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). The results showed that individuals with higher spiritual intelligence and lower Machiavellianism were more likely to report a positive attitude towards waste-prevention behaviours, and that an inverse association existed between spiritual intelligence and Machiavellianism. Overall, these variables explained 12.0% of the variance in waste-prevention behaviours. Therefore, these findings reinforce the importance of personality traits and cognitive abilities in waste-prevention behaviours

Convergent Validity and Reliability of the Persian Version of the Bay Area Functional Performance Evaluation-Task-Oriented Assessment in People with Severe Psychiatric Disorders

Background: Functional performance plays an important role in the independence and participation of people with severe psychiatric disorders. The Bay Area Functional Performance Evaluation-Task-Oriented Assessment (BaFPE-TOA) is a tool that evaluates functional performance. The present study aimed to assess the convergent validity and inter-rater reliability of the BaFPE-TOA tool using the classic test theory. Methods: In this psychometric study, the population comprised people with severe psychiatric disorders. Participants were selected according to the inclusion criteria and convenience sampling. Consent to participate in the study was given by all participants. To examine the convergent validity, two tests, the BaFPE-TOA test and Kohlman Evaluation of Living Skills (KELS) test, were performed for 55 patients. To assess the inter-rater reliability, two examiners (occupational therapists) performed the BaFPE-TOA test for 26 patients simultaneously. Then, the Pearson correlation coefficient was used to examine convergent validity, and the intraclass correlation coefficient was used to assess inter-rater reliability. Results: Participants in this study comprised 44 men (81.8%) and 10 women (18.2%). The age of participants ranged from 22 to 69 years with a mean of 41.5 years (SD = 10.5). The Pearson correlation coefficient between the BaFPE-TOA and the KELS was good (r=0.74, p -value <.001). The Intraclass correlation coefficient and Pearson correlation coefficient between the two examiners showed a good relation (r= 0.75, p -value <0.001). Conclusion: The results showed that the Persian version of the BaFPE-TOA has acceptable convergent validity with KELS and inter-rater reliability that represents the suitability of this tool for use in the healthcare environment

Micro(nano)plastics sources, fate, and effects : what we know after ten years of research

The last decade has been transformative for micro(nano)plastic (MnP) research with recent discoveries revealing the extent and magnitude of MnP pollution, even in the world's most remote places. Historically, while researchers recognized that most plastic pollution was derived from land-based sources, it was generally believed that microplastic particles (i.e., plastic fragments <5 mm) was only a marine pollution issue with effects largely impacting marine biota. However, over the last decade MnP research has progressed rapidly with recent discoveries of MnPs in freshwater, snow, ice, soil, terrestrial biota, air and even found in ocean spray. MnPs have now been found in every environmental compartment on earth, within tissues and gastrointestinal tracts of thousands of species, including humans, resulting in harmful effects. The last 10 years has also seen the development of new techniques for MnP analysis, and re-purposing of old technologies allowing us to determine the extent and magnitude of plastic pollution down to the nano size range (<1 µm). This short review summarizes what key milestones and major advances have been made in microplastic and nanoplastic research in the environment, including their sources, fate, and effects over the last decade

Assessment of Organophosphorus Pesticide Residues in Water and Sediment Collected from the Southern Caspian Sea

Pollution of water resources by uncontrolled pesticide use is a serious health and environmental issue. In this study, concentrations of three organophosphorus pesticides (diazinon, malathion, and azinphos-methyl) in water and sediment samples from five estuaries (Sefidrud, Chalus, Babolrud, Tajan, and Gorganrud) along the Caspian Sea were investigated. Samples were collected from surface water and sediment during summer to autumn, and pesticides were analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Results indicated that salinity and turbidity in Gorganrud were higher (salinity: range 2–8%; turbidity: range 1–9%) compared to other stations. Higher diazinon (water: 0.08±0.06, sediment: 0.04±0.01), malathion (water: 0.09±0.06, sediment: 0.05±0.01) and azinphos-methyl (water: 0.1±0.08, sediment: 0.06± 0.02) concentrations were observed in the Tajan river compared to other stations. Mean concentrations of diazinon, malathion and azinphos-methyl pesticides were higher in the summer compared to the autumn. Azinphos-methyl concentrations were higher than sediment quality guidelines (SQGs), which warrants ongoing monitoring. Our research provides insights into the presence of organophosphate pesticides (OPs) in rivers that enter into the Caspian Sea. Further work to better understand the environmental pollution of OPs in the Caspian Sea is ongoing

Effect of initial planting density and tree features on growth, wood density, and anatomical properties from a Hevea brasiliensis trial plantation

The effect of initial planting density (500, 1,000, 1,500, and 2,000 trees per ha) on tree growth, wood density, and wood anatomical properties was studied in a 9-year-old Heave brasiliensis plantation in Malaysia. Results showed that effects of initial planting density on tree radial growth, wood density, fiber length, fiber wall thickness, and ray density were more visible in trees planted at 500 trees per ha compared with the other planting densities. Bole length was significantly increased with higher planting densities. However, vessel density showed an infinite pattern with increasing planting density. For vessel and ray areas, no significant effect of initial planting density was detected. A negative relationship was observed between wood density, fiber length, and fiber wall thickness with planting density, bole length, and height-to-diameter ratio. The ray density was significantly and positively correlated with stand/tree features with the exception of a negative correlation with radial growth increment. The regression models with various degrees of goodness of fit indicated that wood density followed by fiber wall thickness was successfully quantified due to selected stand/tree features. According to the results of this study, it is recommended that a low planting density of 500 trees per ha is ideal for rubberwood plantation development

Abundance and characteristics of microplastics in commercial marine fish from Malaysia

Plastic debris is widespread and ubiquitous in the marine environment and ingestion of plastic debris by marine organisms is well-documented. Viscera and gills of 110 individual marine fish from 11 commercial fish species collected from the marine fish market were examined for presence of plastic debris. Isolated particles were characterized by Raman spectroscopy, and elemental analysis was assessed using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Nine (of 11) species contained plastic debris. Out of 56 isolated particles, 76.8% were plastic polymers, 5.4% were pigments, and 17.8% were unidentified. Extracted plastic particle sizes ranged from 200 to 34,900 μm (mean = 2600 μm ±7.0 SD). Hazardous material was undetected using inorganic elemental analysis of extracted plastic debris and pigment particles. The highest number of ingested microplastics was measured in Eleutheronema tridactylum and Clarias gariepinus, suggesting their potential as indicator species to monitor and study trends of ingested marine litter

Alterations in juvenile diploid and triploid African catfish skin gelatin yield and amino acid composition: effects of chlorpyrifos and butachlor exposures

Skin is a major by-product of the fisheries and aquaculture industries and is a valuable source of gelatin. This study examined the effect of triploidization on gelatin yield and proximate composition of the skin of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus). We further investigated the effects of two commonly used pesticides , chlorpyrifos (CPF) and butachlor (BUC), on the skin gelatin yield and amino acid composition in juvenile full-sibling diploid and triploid African catfish. In two separate experiments, diploid and triploid C. gariepinus were exposed for 21 days to graded CPF [mean measured: 10, 16, or 31 mg/L] or BUC concentrations [Mean measured: 22, 44, or 60 mg/L]. No differences in skin gelatin yield, amino acid or proximate compositions were observed between diploid and triploid control groups. None of the pesticide treatments affected the measured parameters in diploid fish. In triploids, however, gelatin yield was affected by CPF treatments while amino acid composition remained unchanged. Butachlor treatments did not alter any of the measured variables in triploid fish. To our knowledge, this study is the first to investigate changes in the skin gelatin yield and amino acid composition in any animal as a response to polyploidization and/or contaminant exposure

Changes in nutritional values in diploid and triploid african catfish (Clarias gariepinus Burchell, 1822) exposed to chlorpyrifos and butachlor

Despite the widespread distribution of pesticides in aquatic environments, very little is known about the effects of contaminants on nutritional parameters in fish. Also limited information is known about the impacts of environmental stressors on polyploid organisms. This study investigated the effects of two commonly used pesticides, chlorpyrifos and butachlor, on the nutritional values of juvenile full-sibling diploid and triploid African catfish (Clarias gariepinus). In two separate experiments, diploid and triploid C. gariepinus were exposed for 21 days to three nominal concentrations of chlorpyrifos (50, 100, 150 μg/L) or butachlor concentrations (50, 100, 150 μg/L). The effect of chlorpyrifos on the skin gelatine yield and amino acid (AA) composition, and AA, fatty acid (FA), and proximate composition in the muscle of juvenile diploid and triploid C. gariepinus were investigated in the chlorpyrifos experiment. Similarly, the effect of butachlor on the skin gelatine yield and AA composition, and AA, FA, and proximate composition in the muscle of juvenile diploid and triploid C. gariepinus were investigated in the butachlor experiment. This study also compared the skin gelatine yield and AA composition, and muscle AA, FA, and proximate composition between unexposed (control) groups of juvenile diploid and triploid fish.No significant difference (p>0.05) was shown for the skin gelatine yield and AA composition, and muscle AA, FA and proximate composition between diploid and triploid C. gariepinus in the control groups of both experiments. However, the triploids contained higher levels of myristic acid (C14:0) and lower levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6n-3) and total omega-3 FA in the muscle as compared to diploids only in the control groups of the chlorpyrifos experiment. For the chlorpyrifos-exposed groups (150 μg/L), there were significant reductions (p0.05). In addition, chlorpyrifos changed the moisture content of the diploids and the ash content of the triploids. In the chlorpyrifos-exposed groups (50 and 100 μg/L), the triploids showed higher levels of stearic acid (C18:0), docosapentaenoic acid (DPA; 22:5n-3), DHA, and total omega-3 FAs, and lower levels of palmitic acid (C16:0) in the muscle. The diploids, however, contained higher levels of palmitic acid and total saturated fatty acid (SFA). However, the level of total unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) was lower. The butachlor treatments did not alter the skin gelatine yield and AA composition in both the diploid and triploid fish. However, the changes in concentrations of some AAs, FAs, and protein content in the muscle of the diploids were more significant (p0.05). This study showed the different biochemical responses of diploid and triploid C. gariepinus upon exposure to pesticides such as chlorpyrifos and butachlor. Significant (p<0.05) changes in AA, FA and protein content in the muscle of diploids following chlorpyrifos or butachlor exposure may indicate a lower adaptability of diploid C. gariepinus than triploids to environmental stressors. Meanwhile, parameters such as AA, FA, and protein content were suggested as reliable biomarkers due to their sensitivities to pesticides exposure. Triploids were heavier, longer and exhibited fewer changes in nutritional values under chlorpyrifos and butachlor exposure. Also, despite comparable gelatine yield and protein per unit of skin and muscle, heavier body weight and longer body length in triploid C. gariepinus should produce higher total gelatine, flesh and protein yield compared to diploids. Therefore, triploid C. gariepinus is more attractive in the aquaculture industry and fisheries management

The Bay Area Functional Performance Evaluation-Task Oriented Assessment (BaFPE-TOA) in Severe Psychiatric Patients: A Psychometric Study

Objective The Bay Area Functional Performance Evaluation-Task Oriented Assessment (BaFPE-TOA) is a standard test developed by Williams and Bloomer in 1977-1978 in order to evaluate functional performance. This test consists of five tasks (sorting shells, money and marketing, home drawing, block design, kinetic person design), twelve parameters (memory for written and verbal instructions, organization, attention span, evidence of disorder, ability to abstract, completion, errors, efficiency, motivation and compliance, frustration tolerance, self-confidence, general affective impression) and three components (cognitive, affective, and performance components). The purpose of this study was to translate the BaFPE-TOA in Persian and to evaluate the face and content validity, and internal consistency in patients with severe psychiatric disorders. Materials & Methods A non-experimental and methodological study was carried out in Tehran in 2017; the study population included adult patients diagnosed with severe psychiatric disorders according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). In this study, demographic questionnaire and BaFPE test were used. Convenience Sampling was done on patients who were admitted to Razi Psychiatric Hospital. In order to prepare the Persian version, the translation of the BaFPE-TOA test was carried out in accordance with the International Quality of Life Assessment (IQOLA) project, which included: 1. Translation of the original version into Persian; 2. Review by translators and professors; 3. Translation quality; 4. Translation of the Persian version into English; and 5. Comparison of the English version with the original version. The Persian version was assigned to five experts to evaluate the content validity in terms of simplicity, relevance, clarity, and necessity. The face validity of the test was performed on three patients and two healthy individuals in order to find difficulties in the understanding of words and phrases, the appropriateness of the items, the likelihood of ambiguity and inadequate perceptions of expressions or the lack of meaning in words. After confirmation, a Persian version of the test was performed on 55 patients with severe psychiatric disorders who qualified the inclusion criteria. Inclusion criteria for this study included: 1. People with psychiatric disorders based on DSM-5 and are listed in the medical records by a psychiatrist; 2. Over 18 years old; 3. Complete consent to enter the study; 4. Aability to write and read; 5. Lack of comorbidity (mental retardation, drug abuse); 6. Lack of physical constraints affecting the performance of specified tasks; 7 Lack of visual impairment or severe hearing loss. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was used to evaluate the internal consistency with respect to the four options of the test. Data analysis was performed using SPSS v.16 software. Results Experts’ opinions about the quality of translation and replacement of words in the translation process were according to the IQOLA method. The face validity of the test according to the experts’ opinion and its association with healthy subjects and patients showed that the clarity and implementation of common language were of good quality. The content validity of the test was performed according to the opinion of the five experts in mental health; the Content Validity Ratio (CVR) and the Content Validity Index (CVI), were equal to one for all domains. The minimum acceptable value for content validity based on CVI and CVR indices was 0.80 and 0.99, respectively, which indicated validity of the content and the lack of impact of culture on the parameters, tasks, and components of the BaFPE-TOA test. The results of the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for all fields was related to the twelve functional parameters, the three components, and the five tasks; the efficiency parameter was above 0.7 (the minimum acceptable value), indicative of the good internal reliability of this test. Conclusion According to the experts’ opinion, the Persian version of the BaFPE-TOA test has a proper translation, with acceptable face and content validity and internal consistency. Therefore, this test can be recommended for the evaluation of functional performance in patients with severe psychiatric disorders

Locus of control, neuroticism and spirituality as predictors of waste-prevention behaviors

Waste production is an important issue in both developed and developing countries; consequently, it is imperative to improve our knowledge about waste-prevention behaviors. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between locus of control, neuroticism, spirituality, and waste-prevention behaviors. Students (226 females and 214 males, from 17 to 46 years of age, M±SD=25.53±5.37) from Universiti Putra Malaysia were recruited for this study, and they completed self-report questionnaires. Structural equation modeling estimated that university students with internal personal control, higher levels of spirituality, and higher levels of neuroticism were more likely to report a positive attitude toward waste-prevention behaviors. These findings highlight the importance of personality traits in waste-prevention behaviors. Subsequently, the results demonstrated that waste-prevention behaviors can help prevent wasting economic efficiency and are vital to prevent nonrenewable resource depletion and environmental destruction. Key Words: Locus of control—Neuroticism—Spirituality—Waste-prevention behaviors