Rules or consequences? The role of ethical mindsets in moral dynamics

Recent research on the dynamics of moral behavior has documented two contrasting phenomena - moral consistency and moral balancing. Moral balancing refers to the phenomenon whereby behaving (un)ethically decreases the likelihood of doing so again at a later time. Moral consistency describes the opposite pattern - engaging in (un)ethical behavior increases the likelihood of doing so later on. Three studies support the hypothesis that individuals' ethical mindset (i.e., outcome-based versus rule-based) moderates the impact of an initial (un)ethical act on the likelihood of behaving ethically in a subsequent occasion. More specifically, an outcome-based mindset facilitates moral balancing and a rule-based mindset facilitates moral consistency.moral balancing, moral consistency, ethical mindsets, ethical behavior

Factors influencing the establishment of vascular plants at Sphagnum cultivation sites

Sphagnum cultivation is a type of paludiculture and a way to use formerly drained peatlands productively but under wet and therefore climate-friendly conditions. Where Sphagnum mosses are cultivated other plant species will also establish and possibly compete with the Sphagnum. The aim of this study was to determine which factors influence vascular plant cover as well as plant species numbers at Sphagnum cultivation sites and to derive recommendations for their management. Two cultivation sites were studied in northwest Germany. One of these was established directly after peat extraction while the other was rewetted seven years prior to establishment. Irrigation ditches for water management were installed at both sites. The cover of vascular plants and the number of plant species present were determined in systematically positioned plots. Six variables were tested for their influence on the assessed data by applying boosted regression tree models. The main factors influencing vascular plant cover at the two Sphagnum cultivation sites were the distance to an irrigation ditch (m), the site (location) and Sphagnum cover (%). The number of species per plot was influenced mainly by Sphagnum cover (%), the distance to an irrigation ditch (m) and the donor species used for initiating the cultivation sites. A sufficient supply of nutrient-poor water and optimal Sphagnum growth can reduce vascular plant cover and the number of plant species potentially present at a site. Insufficient water distribution and uneven Sphagnum establishment lead to inhomogeneous site conditions and thus to a higher number of plant species. The number and cover of plant species at a cultivation site are influenced by the vegetation of the sites’ surroundings and the selection of the donor site

Spatialized potential for biomass energy production in Brazil: An overview

The opportunity for renewable energy production in developing countries is a theme of high relevance within the context of climate change. In this paper we explore the production of electricity in Brazil and investigate the potential for sustainable biomass energy production. This is explored in a GIS system (1) establishing the demand centers or regions (energy demand factor), (2) checking if they can be served by existing capacity and transmission (transmission lines factor), (3) deciding on new generation and whether it will an island or the main grid connection (power plants factor), (4) locating the power plant subject to the potential biomass supply accepting the environmental constraints (land use and environmental preservation factors). Results show that even though large areas have a potential for biomass energy production, the lack of investments in technological improvements and changes in the system status quo result in a system that does not progress towards of becoming a cleaner, safer and less dependent on climatic factors. We conclude that biomass has the potential to grow as a source of renewable and clean energy. This potential can be explored by conserving respecting the environment and encouraging the creation of decentralized systems, thereby making Brazil a key player in the climate change targets in the coming years.Brazilian research incentive program Science Without Border

Examining runoff generation processes in the Selke catchment in central Germany: Insights from data and semi-distributed numerical model

Study region: Our study is focussed on a mesoscale catchment, Selke, in central Germany having an area of 463 km2 with spatially diverse land-use from upland to the low-lying areas in the vicinity of the catchment outlet. Study focus: This study used rainfall-runoff data available on daily time step to examine the spatio-temporal variation of runoff coefficients. We then applied a validated semi-distributed hydrological model, HYPE, for examining the spatio-temporal variation of runoff generating mechanisms. HYPE model was modified in a minor fashion and simulations were conducted again to find out the portion of discharge originating from different runoff generation mechanisms. New hydrological insights for the region: We examined the spatio-temporal variation of runoff generating mechanisms on the sub-basin level on seasonal basis. Our analysis reveals that the runoff generation in the Selke catchment is primarily dominated by shallow sub-surface flow and very rarely the contribution from Dunne overland flow exceeds sub-surface flow. Runoff generated by Hortonian mechanism is very infrequent and almost negligible. We also examined the spatio-temporal variation of runoff coefficients on seasonal basis as well as for individual storms. Due to higher precipitation and topographic relief in the upland catchment of Silberhutte, the runoff coefficients were consistently higher and its peak was found in winter months due to lower evapotranspiration

New urban governance: a review of current themes and future priorities

This review paper explores some of the key concepts, trends and approaches in contemporary urban governance research. Based on a horizon scan of recent literature and a survey of local government officials it provides a big picture on the topic and identifies areas for future research. Bridging the gap between the scholarly research focus and the perceptions and requirements of city administrators represents a major challenge for the field. Furthermore, because global and comparative research on urban governance is confronted with an absence of systematically collected, comparable data, the paper argues that future efforts will require experimenting with methodologies that can generate new empirical insights

Утилизация отходов биологического производства

В статье рассматривается проблема утилизации отходов, так как в год Экологии это тема стала актуальной. На каждом предприятии и в каждом доме увеличилось количество мусора и от этого страдает экологическая обстановка в каждом городе. В статье подробно узучена тема биологического производства. К биологическим отходам относятся ткани и органы, образующиеся в результате медицинской и ветеринарной оперативной практики, медико-биологических экспериментов, гибели скота, других животных и птиц, и другие отходы, получаемые при переработке пищевого и непищевого сырья животного происхождения, а также отходы биотехнологической промышленности.The article deals with the problem of waste disposal as in the year of the Environment this issue has become topical. Every enterprise and every household increased the amount of debris and suffers the environmental situation in each city. The article Azucena the theme of biological production. Biodegradable waste includes tissues and organs resulting from operational medical and veterinary practice, medical and biological experiments, loss of livestock, other animals and birds, and other waste obtained in the processing of food and non-food raw materials of animal origin and waste products of the biotechnology industry

Influence of alternative high-intensity discharge lighting sources on age-related vision problems

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1979 R62Master of Architectur