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This research is motivated by the need for special attention to natural resource management amid the ongoing environmental degradation in the world. The objective of this study is to explore the management of natural resources for the creation of human welfare from the perspective of Islamic economics. The research employs a qualitative methodology. The findings indicate that the preservation of natural resources must align with the teachings of Islam as outlined in the Quran and Sunnah. As citizens of Indonesia, the community is obliged to comply with existing regulations in managing available natural resources. Any party that violates these regulations and causes environmental damage will face criminal sanctions commensurate with the offenses committed. The community can utilize natural resources such as marine resources, water, wind, flora, vegetation, and fauna by allocating them to various sectors in order to obtain compensation, provided that the sustainability of these resources is maintained and excessive exploitation is prevented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seaweeds have been utilized for millennia in Asian countries, although they have only more recently become popular in Western society. They began to be used in ancient times because of their long-term properties and, nowadays, seaweeds are being targeted as a potential tool to combat climate change. There are not many laws governing seaweeds because they have just lately been utilized as food. However, guidelines are being developed to regulate their manufacture and use. Because of seaweed's tendency to accumulate components, whether helpful or poisonous, limited doses of certain substances have been established to prevent consumer overdosage. Aside from chemical safety, microbiological safety is important for people, and preventing any pathogen from spreading and infecting seaweeds is critical. As a result, systems and ways to safeguard consumers must be developed. Because various seaweed species have varied compositions, certain seaweeds may be safer nutraceuticals than others. To ensure the safety of seaweed-based food items, the HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) system needs to be used. The majority of seaweeds consumed come from aquaculture; however, others come from wild harvesting. To ensure the success of the cultures, the waters must be tested for chemicals and biological risks, as well as for the pH, salinity, and temperature. Seaweeds have enormous promise in many industries, but in the food industry, they are beginning to play a major role, and seizing the chances to produce innovative, safe, and sustainable food sources is strongly advised. This critical review investigates the real potential of seaweed as a human food source and as a nutraceutical solution. This review also focuses on the usage of seaweed as a food product and the procedures required to prepare it. In addition, it compiles information on the applicable legislation and regulations, and it addresses the lengthy road that has to be traveled to increase human well-being by employing a new food source in a controlled manner while simultaneously reducing the human population's health problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seaweeds have been utilized for millennia in Asian countries, although they have only more recently become popular in Western society. They began to be used in ancient times because of their long-term properties and, nowadays, seaweeds are being targeted as a potential tool to combat climate change. There are not many laws governing seaweeds because they have just lately been utilized as food. However, guidelines are being developed to regulate their manufacture and use. Because of seaweed’s tendency to accumulate components, whether helpful or poisonous, limited doses of certain substances have been established to prevent consumer overdosage. Aside from chemical safety, microbiological safety is important for people, and preventing any pathogen from spreading and infecting seaweeds is critical. As a result, systems and ways to safeguard consumers must be developed. Because various seaweed species have varied compositions, certain seaweeds may be safer nutraceuticals than others. To ensure the safety of seaweed-based food items, the HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) system needs to be used. The majority of seaweeds consumed come from aquaculture; however, others come from wild harvesting. To ensure the success of the cultures, the waters must be tested for chemicals and biological risks, as well as for the pH, salinity, and temperature. Seaweeds have enormous promise in many industries, but in the food industry, they are beginning to play a major role, and seizing the chances to produce innovative, safe, and sustainable food sources is strongly advised. This critical review investigates the real potential of seaweed as a human food source and as a nutraceutical solution. This review also focuses on the usage of seaweed as a food product and the procedures required to prepare it. In addition, it compiles information on the applicable legislation and regulations, and it addresses the lengthy road that has to be traveled to increase human well-being by employing a new food source in a controlled manner while simultaneously reducing the human population’s health problems.

The decision-making process of China's national forest park (NFP) system typically excludes the consideration of the public's perceived benefits. In this regard, the objective of this study was to elucidate the type of cultural ecosystem benefits (CEB) that NFP can provide and to inform the evidence-based design of forest parks by establishing its linkage to the public's perceived sensory dimensions (PSD). A CEB evaluation scale was developed for forest parks, and a 6-day public participation GIS (PPGIS) survey was conducted in Fuzhou NFP to collect evaluations of CEB and PSD at different sites from 853 respondents. The findings revealed that the CEB furnished by NFP is comprised of three dimensions. The three dimensions of cultural ecosystem benefits (CEB) are identities, experiences, and capabilities. The impact of different PSDs on CEBs varies, as do the impacts of high and low scores on CEBs for the same PSD. It can be concluded that the creation of more serene and open spaces will result in an increase in the CEB available to the public. Furthermore, designers may wish to consider enhancing single dimensions of PSDs in order to characterize different areas, which may prove to be a more effective approach than enhancing PSDs across the board. In summary, our PPGIS survey is expected to enable community-based governance of the NFP and provide a basis for a comprehensive sustainability dialogue between people and forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is growing impetus for social work to move beyond a human-centric social justice orientation to include the consideration of animals. Social work programs in Australia are currently not required to include content related to animals within the curricula and little is known about the extent to which this content is currently being taught in Australia. The aim of this study was to explore how consideration of human–animal relations has been incorporated into Australian social work programs. Fifteen social work educators were surveyed with three of these participants also undertaking semistructured interviews. The findings revealed that where animal-related content was included it predominantly took an "instrumental" or "anthropocentric" focus related solely to human wellbeing. Exceptions to this focus were found to exist within some ethics and theory units under topics such as "green social work". Participants report barriers to including such content citing factors related to challenges within the university context and the perceived relative importance of other topics within a crowded social work curriculum. Despite an upsurge in interest in animal-related content reflected in the literature and a broader shift in societal attitudes towards animals, the findings of this small study indicate that Australian social work curriculum currently does not reflect this increasing interest. As a social justice–oriented profession social work has an ethical responsibility to expand its focus to include consideration of human–animal relations within the Australian social work curriculum. There is evidence that inclusion of content related to animals is limited and is often a reflection of the educator's commitment and passion for the topic rather than curriculum priorities or requirements. Further research is needed to gain a better understanding of the extent to which human–animal relations content is included within Australian social work curriculum and what barriers may exist to its inclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Actas de Diseño is the property of Facultad de Diseno y Comunicacion, Fundacion Universidad de Palermo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Economic growth is the main focus of the country's development, especially measured through Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In the Indonesian context, the blue economy concept is a promising strategy because of the abundant potential of marine resources. This study aims to analyze the influence of the blue economy on economic growth in Indonesia. Through a literature review, it is revealed that the government has implemented various innovative policies and financial instruments to support the blue economy. The research results show that the blue economy has a significant influence on economic growth. However, the challenge of maximizing the benefits of marine resources while maintaining environmental sustainability remains the main focus. By maintaining the sustainability of marine resources, Indonesia can build a strong and sustainable blue economy, providing long-term economic and social benefits for its people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Under the term Culture of Care, procedures have been developed to reduce the distress caused to animals and humans by animal experimentation. It has been recognized that animal welfare is human welfare and vice versa. Here, we look at the distress that laboratory animals and the staff are exposed to in animal experimentation. We also focus on the question of what laboratory animal facility managers can do to improve the welfare of laboratory animals, especially mice and other rodents, and the staff involved. Laboratory animal facility managers must ensure that animal experiments can be carried out under optimal scientific conditions, that all legal requirements are met, and that animal welfare is maximized. Animal experimentation is stressful not only for the animals involved but also for the people who maintain these animals or carry out the experiments. Many of those involved find themselves in a constant conflict between scientific necessity, care, and harm. Under the term Culture of Care, procedures have been developed to reduce the burden of animal experimentation on the animals and the staff involved. The focus here is on what laboratory animal facility managers can do to improve the welfare of laboratory animals and the people working with them. Exemplary measures are the improvement of the housing conditions of laboratory animals, the introduction of uniform handling measures, clear and transparent structures via a quality management system, implementation of a no-blame culture of error (e.g., via Critical Incident Reporting System in Laboratory Animal Science [CIRS-LAS]), and open and respectful communication with all parties involved in animal experimentation, including the public and representatives of the authorities (public webpage, open house policy). The 6 Rs must be considered at all times: replacement, reduction, refinement, respect, responsibility, and reproducibility. We are writing this article from the perspective of laboratory animal facility managers in Germany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research delves into the impact of human-induced regime shifts on ecosystem services in Iran’s Zayandeh-Rud River Basin, during the onset of the Anthropocene epoch marked by rapid changes attributed to human activities. Employing network analysis techniques, including in-degree and out-degree centrality, pivotal actors or drivers contributing to these shifts were identified. A total of 43 experts and researchers in humanities and environmental sciences completed questionnaires to assess the relationship network of regime shift drivers within the river basin, revealing the significant influence of governmental administration, water transfer projects, and water allocation. These factors were found to drive regime shifts, subsequently impacting environmental well-being. The study also thoroughly analyzed the ecosystem services and factors affecting human and environmental welfare affected by these shifts. Insights gained from this research offer crucial information for the development of effective management strategies and policies aimed at mitigating and adapting to regime shifts. By highlighting the key drivers and their impact on ecosystem services, the research provides actionable strategies for addressing regime shifts in the study area. Ultimately, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of the intricate interplay between human activities, regime shifts, and environmental well-being, essential for informed decision-making and sustainable management practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors argue that appreciation of the biological underpinnings of human behavior can alter the beliefs and actions of multiple marketing stakeholders in ways that have immense welfare implications. However, a biological perspective often deviates from the lay perspective. The realization of improved welfare depends in part on narrowing this gap. The authors review biological evidence on self-control and report ten empirical studies that examine lay response to biological characterizations of self-control. The authors contrast lay response with scientific understanding and then offer implications of biology—as well as the gap between the scientific and lay perspectives—for policy makers, firms, consumers, marketing educators, and scholars. The authors also identify opportunities for future research. They conclude that marketing scholars can and should play an active role in narrowing the gap between the scientific and lay perspectives in the service of both theory development and human welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the theory of maqāṣid al-Qurān conceptualized by Abd al-Karīm Hāmidī, which leads to the concept of human welfare (al-maṣlahah). There are several developments from the concepts of his predecessors, such as Rasyid Riḍa, Mahmūd Syaltūt, and Ibn Āsyūr, formulated in their concept of maqāṣid al-Qurān. Hāmidī extensively elaborates on the maqāṣid al-Qurān oriented towards the welfare of individuals, society, and nature. The discussion in this article will focus on answering two questions: first, what is the concept of maqāṣid al-Qurān according to Abd al-Karīm Hāmidī, and second, what is the purpose of maqāṣid al-Qurān in relation to maqāṣid al-syarīah. This research is a type of literature study using a descriptive-analytical method. The researcher will describe Hāmidī's thoughts on maqāṣid al-Qurān and then analyze the concept of al-maṣlahah he intended. The findings of this study show that maqāṣid al-Qurān has a hierarchy consisting of al-maqāṣid al-āmmah, which is the overall wisdom of the Qur’an covering: the goals of individual goodness, the goals of social and community welfare, and the goals of worldly goodness. Al-maqāṣid al-khāṣsah, specifically the shariah, which includes the goals of improving the mind, self, body, family, wealth, law, legislation, and politics. Then, al-maqāṣid al-juz’iyyah, meaning, and rules related to laws that stand alone, such as the goal of purification, facing the qibla, prayer times, and others. The three aspects of maqāṣid al-Qurān have one goal, which is to realize the welfare and goodness of humanity on this earth. Additionally, there is a continuity between the concept of maqāṣid al-Qur`ān proposed by Hāmidī and the concepts in maqāṣid al-syarīah formulated by Muslim scholars before him

Early childhood care and education (ECCE) have received increased attention in recent years, as this formative period has a significant impact on children's development (Kim, 2021). Effective human welfare organisational behaviour can improve the organisation's reputation, and contribute to the community's overall social and economic development (Veltmeyer & Rushton, 2011). This study explains human welfare organisational behaviour in the early childhood education service. A qualitative approach was employed, and a documentary method was used. In-depth interviews were conducted with ten early childhood development experts and academics in Thailand. The data were analysed using content analysis. The findings indicate that human welfare organisational behaviour in early childhood education services in Asia encompasses the attitudes and practices of organisations involved in providing education and care to children. This perspective focuses on fostering supportive environments that promote the well-being of children, families, and educators, while also ensuring the quality of educational services. Key elements of this viewpoint include prioritising the child's needs, promoting positive relationships, creating a safe and inclusive environment, and valuing the contributions of all stakeholders. Effective human welfare organisational behaviour in the early childhood education sector has the potential to enhance children's outcomes and contribute to the long-term development of Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the realm of sustainable development has been sharply associated with energy savings and a decrease in contamination, the concept deserves a much more comprehensive approach. Sustainable development, as the only respectful and safe way to progress, involves—besides the mentioned rational use of energy and resources—a broad variety of economic, technical, cultural, and behavioral issues. In this context, the total or partial recovery of abandoned singular infrastructure facilities for alternative uses (leisure time activities for human welfare) is to be considered an original, interesting, and efficient approach. In this research, the so-called "El Caminito del Rey" [The King's Little Path] will be studied as a paradigmatic model of successful achievement. The path is located in Málaga, South of Spain, and was originally built to provide access to a hydroelectric power plant. Due to the construction of new routes, the track and walkways were progressively abandoned. The recovery enterprise was conceived in the framework of circular economy-based planning and with full respect to environmental requirements. The facts and figures that will be presented and analyzed will show that when the project is thoroughly designed and carefully implemented, the rehabilitation of obsolete infrastructure facilities located in natural spaces is suitable, feasible, and profitable. Prudent and rational use of these assets for alternative purposes (human welfare through rural tourism and open-air activities) may be fruitful not only in economic terms but also in environmental, cultural, and social ones. The main objective of the current work is to demonstrate that obsolete abandoned facilities can be rehabilitated into worthwhile amenities that may turn into key factors for the sustainable development of determined rural areas. Moreover, the "El Caminito del Rey" experience could represent a model for similar development projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multidrug resistance is a condition enabling a disease causing microorganism to resist distinct drugs or chemical of wide variety of structure and function targeted at eradicating the bacteria. Microorganisms that display multidrug resistant can be pathogenic cells. In this study, table eggs are used commonly, because it considered the most nutritious economical source of protein that can be a part of healthy diet. However, egg shell carries bacteria which cause illness; even unbroken clean fresh shell egg may also contain harmful bacteria. In egg shell presence of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were found. Out of total examined sample, no Salmonella was detected. Several disease occurred in poultry are caused by Staphylococcus sp. such as Staphylococcus aureus. It produces Enterotoxins which create food poisoning in consumers. Eggs are the potential source of transmitting antibiotics. Resistant Staphylococcus strain to human causing food-borne infection through Staphylococcus strains can potentially be harmful to humans. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is considered as one of the important bacterium. As a result, Multidrug resistance (MDR) in the bacteria may develop. Nowadays poultry farm increase day by day in Tamilnadu, there is a chance of transmitting the MRSA to Human through egg consumption. This present study was conducted to isolate the bacterial species and the characterization of Staphylococcus aureus along with remedial measure on egg Shell surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay intends to investigate John A. Hobson’s theory of liberal- ism from a political perspective, starting from his declaration of the death of liberalism, analysing his writings on social problems to ex- plain his so called science of human welfare. In particular, the essay focuses on some crucial knots around which his revision of liberalism moves: 1. the need for an ethical vision of economy; 2. the conception of society, subjectivity and the state in the face of the crisis of individualism and laissez faire; 3. his conception of an a «organic plan of social progress» and its political meaning. The analysis of these aspects of his work shows his importance for the history of political thought also beyond his famous study on imperialism and shows the rise of a new concept of liberal democracy, bringing into light its problems and contradictions.

Arsenic (As), the silent poison, is a widespread environmental pollutant which finds its way into drinking water supplies from natural or man-made sources and affects over 200 million people worldwide, including in Pakistan. It has been demonstrated that As causes serious health complications as well as social and economic losses. A quick, cost-effective, and simple method for efficiently filtering As from drinking water is urgently needed. The present study evaluates the ability of chemical treatment solutions to activate the sorption capacity of biochar derived from cotton stalks. The surface characteristics of CSB (cotton stalk biochar), HN-CSB (treated with nitric acid: HNO3), and Na-CSB (treated with sodium hydroxide: NaOH) were investigated for their As sorption capacities and efficiency in removing As from contaminated drinking water. The chemical modification of biochar significantly increased the surface area and pore volume of CSB, with a maximum observed in HN-CSB (three times higher than CSB). Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis revealed several functional groups (OH−, −COOH, C=O, N-H) on CSB, though the chemical modification of biochar creates new functional groups on its surface. Results showed that the maximum sorption capacity of CSB was (q = 90 µg g−1), of Na-CSB was (q = 124 µg g−1) and of HN-CSB was (q = 140 µg g−1) at an initial As concentration of 200 µg L−1, an adsorbent dose of 1 g L−1, with 4 h of contact time, a pH of 6 and a temperature of 25 ʰC. However, As removal was found to be 45–88% for CSB, 62–94% for Na-CSB and 67–95% for HN-CSB across all As concentrations. An isotherm model showed that As sorption results were best fitted to the Langmuir isotherm model in the case of CSB (Qmax = 103 µg g−1, R2 = 0.993), Na-CSB (Qmax = 151 µg g−1, R2 = 0.991), and HN-CSB (Qmax = 157 µg g−1, R2 = 0.949). The development of the largest surface area, a porous structure, and new functional groups on the surface of HN-CSB proved to be an effective treatment for As removal from contaminated drinking water. Both HN-CSB and Na-CSB are clearly cost-effective adsorbents under laboratory conditions, but HN-CSB is cheaper and more efficient in As removal than Na-CSB, allowing it to be used as a powerful and promising adsorbent for the removal of pollutants like Arsenic from aqueous solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil pollution is a highlighted concern of modern society, particularly in developing countries. The Drosh-Shishi valley, which is a hilly region near Afghanistan with a land area of around 15,000 km2, is situated in the south of Chitral District (Pakistan) and has a population of approximately 450,000. Nowadays, this region is being explored for soil pollution, specifically heavy metals which pose a potential risk to human health. Therefore, our main goal was to investigate possible sources of heavy metals' spread and to assess the content levels in soil and the associated risks for human. We collected 34 representative samples from transported sediments and 31 from agricultural crops. We analyzed the soil samples for the contents of Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn using ICP-OES analyzers. These values were used to obtain the contamination factor (CF) and to estimate the potential health risk caused by heavy metals according to the USEPA dose–response model. Our results suggest that the heavy metal pollution has a geogenic source, but it is also aggregated by chemical fertilizers used in farming. Regarding levels, most of the metals except Pb showed contents above the permissible level, with CF values from moderate to high. Overall, Cu and Ni showed a significant total cancer risk (TCR > 1 × 10−4) in children. Therefore, we conclude that heavy metal pollution is causing a serious threat to humans in this area, and we recommend that authorities should make more efforts in monitoring the heavy metals content in soils to reduce potential health risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most conceptions of giftedness overly focus on the gifted "individual" and leave out the social and global context in which the individual grows. However, human lives are intricately interconnected. An individual's actions can have large effects on other individuals, societies, and nature. In this article, I argue a paradigm shift is needed in the way giftedness is construed today. I draw on the three C's conception of giftedness in which gifted behaviors are seen as an interplay of competence in action, commitment to task, and concern for others. I discuss seven profiles of gifted behaviors: Profile 1—competent (high competence); Profile 2—committed (high commitment); Profile 3—concerned (high concern); Profile 4—indifferent expert (high competence and commitment); Profile 5—amateur altruist (high commitment and concern); Profile 6—uncommitted thinker (high competence and concern); and Profile 7—fully developing talent (high competence, commitment, and concern). Further, I discuss how this taxonomy can inform education and identification practices in gifted education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the realm of sustainable development has been sharply associated with energy savings and a decrease in contamination, the concept deserves a much more comprehensive approach. Sustainable development, as the only respectful and safe way to progress, involves—besides the mentioned rational use of energy and resources—a broad variety of economic, technical, cultural, and behavioral issues. In this context, the total or partial recovery of abandoned singular infrastructure facilities for alternative uses (leisure time activities for human welfare) is to be considered an original, interesting, and efficient approach. In this research, the so-called “El Caminito del Rey” [The King’s Little Path] will be studied as a paradigmatic model of successful achievement. The path is located in Málaga, South of Spain, and was originally built to provide access to a hydroelectric power plant. Due to the construction of new routes, the track and walkways were progressively abandoned. The recovery enterprise was conceived in the framework of circular economy-based planning and with full respect to environmental requirements. The facts and figures that will be presented and analyzed will show that when the project is thoroughly designed and carefully implemented, the rehabilitation of obsolete infrastructure facilities located in natural spaces is suitable, feasible, and profitable. Prudent and rational use of these assets for alternative purposes (human welfare through rural tourism and open-air activities) may be fruitful not only in economic terms but also in environmental, cultural, and social ones. The main objective of the current work is to demonstrate that obsolete abandoned facilities can be rehabilitated into worthwhile amenities that may turn into key factors for the sustainable development of determined rural areas. Moreover, the “El Caminito del Rey” experience could represent a model for similar development projects.

Copyright of Revista Nicolaita de Estudios Económicos is the property of Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolas de Hidalgo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Despite the high propensity of energy usage in driving the economic activities, the issues of global climate change and global warming which pose enormous threats to human welfare have motivated the growing need for energy sustainability globally. In the light of the above, the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 7) advocates for the usage of energy from cleaner sources. Meanwhile, impact of energy usage on human welfare has largely been the issue of concern among the scholars in Nigeria. Against this backdrop, this study examined energy sustainability and human welfare in Nigeria. Consequently, data was collected from secondary sources, and analyzed within the framework of Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS) and Granger causality test. The summary of the principal findings in this is enunciated as follows; energy sustainability and life expectancy had a positive and significant relationship in Nigeria. Government expenditures on health had both negative and insignificant relationship with life expectancy in Nigeria. Also, there was a unidirectional causality flowing from life expectancy to electricity consumption from hydroelectric sources in Nigeria. Furthermore, one way feedback flows from government expenditure on health to life expectancy. From these findings, this study recommends that Nigeria would want to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals one (1) - promoting good life for the people, and seven (7) - affordable and clean energy simultaneously before the SDGs timeline elapses in 2030, the Nigerian policymakers and all stakeholders should be aggressively involved in energy sustainability movement in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This lecture concerns a major interest of Professor S. S. Sarkar: The contributions that Human Biology can make to human welfare. The value of the human biological perspective in anthropology is that it integrates knowledge of cultural and biological characteristics of human groups to explain how and why they vary in health, illness and well-being. Three examples of the current application of this perspective are considered: (1) the genetics of disease, (2) the impact of climate change, and (3) the effect of displacement due to climate and economic changes. Professor Sarkar thought Human Biology could be particularly effective in providing an understanding of population differences in health and disease. This continues to be an important interest of modern human biologists, and now includes a much more sophisticated knowledge of the genetic/genomic underpinnings of disease and disease distribution. Recent climate changes represent a challenge that was not significantly related to human welfare in Professor Sarkar's time. However, modern human biologists can provide insights into how different groups respond to the growing perils of extreme heat, extreme droughts and violent weather, and why particular groups and individuals may be more (or less) susceptible to climate-caused morbidity and mortality. Finally, climate and economic changes have created a growing number of "displaced" persons - groups and individuals who are forced to abandon their traditional homes. The research methods and perspectives of human biologists are ideally suited to the study of these groups, and thus can contribute significantly to what little is known about how conditions associated with their refugee status affects their health and welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to better understand the meaning of caring for employees at the organisational level as well as to disclose its relationship with the well-being of the organisation. It explores literature on caring for employees at the organisational level by integrating two research streams – the relational and morality perspectives. Building on the findings of this literature review, a number of propositions are proposed that associate the well-being of the organisation with many antecedent factors, i.e., strategic caring, perceived organisational support, disinterested organisational support, organisational caring, caring culture, caring climate and caring leadership. This paper contributes to the literature on the well-being of the organisational members at the level of the organisation.

Soil pollution is a highlighted concern of modern society, particularly in developing countries. The Drosh-Shishi valley, which is a hilly region near Afghanistan with a land area of around 15,000 km2, is situated in the south of Chitral District (Pakistan) and has a population of approximately 450,000. Nowadays, this region is being explored for soil pollution, specifically heavy metals which pose a potential risk to human health. Therefore, our main goal was to investigate possible sources of heavy metals’ spread and to assess the content levels in soil and the associated risks for human. We collected 34 representative samples from transported sediments and 31 from agricultural crops. We analyzed the soil samples for the contents of Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn using ICP-OES analyzers. These values were used to obtain the contamination factor (CF) and to estimate the potential health risk caused by heavy metals according to the USEPA dose–response model. Our results suggest that the heavy metal pollution has a geogenic source, but it is also aggregated by chemical fertilizers used in farming. Regarding levels, most of the metals except Pb showed contents above the permissible level, with CF values from moderate to high. Overall, Cu and Ni showed a significant total cancer risk (TCR > 1 × 10−4) in children. Therefore, we conclude that heavy metal pollution is causing a serious threat to humans in this area, and we recommend that authorities should make more efforts in monitoring the heavy metals content in soils to reduce potential health risks.

The determination of land cover changes (LCCs) and their association to biophysical and socioeconomic factors is vital to support government policies toward the sustainable use of natural resources. The present study aimed to quantify deforestation, forest recovery and net cover change in tropical dry forests (TDFs) in Brazil from 2007 to 2016, and investigate how they are associated to biophysical and socioeconomic factors. We also assessed the effects of LCC variables in human welfare indicators. For this purpose, we used MODIS imagery to calculate TDF gross loss (deforestation), gross gain (forest recovery) and net cover change (the balance between deforestation and forest recovery) for 294 counties in three Brazilian states (Minas Gerais, Bahia, and Piauí). We obtained seven factors potentially associated to LCC at the county level: total county area, road density, humidity index, slope, elevation, and % change in human population and in cattle density. From 2007 to 2016, TDF cover increased from 76,693 to 80,964 km2 (+5.6%). This positive net change resulted from a remarkable forest recovery of 19,018 km2 (24.8%), offsetting a large deforested area (14,748 km2; 19.2%). Practically all these cover changes were a consequence of transitions from TDF to pastures and vice-versa, highlighting the importance of developing sustainable policies for cattle raising in TDF regions. Each LCC variable was associated to different set of factors, but two biophysical variables were significantly associated both to TDF area gained and lost per county: county area (positively) and slope (negatively), indicating that large and flat counties have very dynamic LCCs. The TDF net area change was only associated (negatively) to the humidity index, reflecting an increase in TDF cover in more arid counties. The net increase in Brazilian TDF area is likely a result from an interplay of biophysical and socioeconomic factors that reduced deforestation and caused pasture abandonment. Although the ecological integrity and permanence of secondary TDFs need further investigation, the recovery of this semi-arid ecosystem must be valued and accounted for in the national forest restoration programs, as it would significantly help achieving the goals established in the Bonn agreement and the Atlantic Rain Forest pact.

At the farm level, the most common social indicators are hours of work (wages) and the seasonality of labor. The magnitude of physical effort that workers invest in agricultural activities is not used as an indicator. In this sense, the work effort indicator (WEF) is proposed. To calculate WEF, five degrees of work effort (GE) were established; a classification of the cultivation tasks was carried out, and each one was assigned a GE. To test the method, the WEF of four potato production systems at two land slopes was calculated. The results suggest that the slope of the land has a more significant influence than the level of technification on WEF. The non-technical system on sloping land (MuiNo) generates the highest WEF (4.67), corresponding to the maximum work effort. The moderately technified system on flat land (PlnMd) obtained the lowest WEF (1.69), corresponding to little labor effort. It is expected that this indicator can be included in the social dimension of farm-scale agricultural sustainability analyzes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The abuse of inorganic fertilizers in coffee agroecosystems is a worldwide problem. In central Mexico, organic fertilizers are being introduced as an alternative way to restore soil fertility. The aim of this study was to investigate coffee farmers from central Veracruz's perceptions of bat guano as organic fertilizer. Surveys were conducted with closed and open questions followed by quantitative and qualitative analysis. Eighty-eight percent of the farmers surveyed negatively perceived bat guano. Factors influencing this perception were bats' physical appearance, their role as disease transmitters, and the difficulties in procuring guano, including the resources needed to extract it, handle it, and transport it safely to their workplaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land use/land cover (LULC) changes impact the structure and functioning of ecosystems, which consequently influences the provisioning of a range of ecosystem services (ES). There is a growing consensus regarding the merit of integrating the evaluation of ES into regional policy planning. The Yangtze River is the world's third longest and supports more than 6% of its population. However, assessing the potential impacts of different resource management policies upon ES is complicated in the Yangtze basin. To remedy this, here we designed a scenario analysis-based approach that used remotely sensed data and GIS (geographic information system) to analyze the relationships between ES (i.e., water flow regulation, water purification) and policies envisioned to improve human welfare in the Chongqing municipality, in the upper reaches of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area (TGRA) in the Yangtze basin. This watershed area has high population density and suffers from severe flood hazard and critical pollution issues. The GEOMOD modeling technique was used to predict LULC changes according to policy planning alternatives, producing scenarios by 2050 for the TGRA watershed. The GIS-based ES model (InVEST model) was developed as a tool to inform the decision-making process with the intention of aligning conservation measures with economic development. We examine policy effectiveness by comparing three scenarios for 2050: scenario-1 maintains the current policy, with no considerations of ES; scenario-2 integrates ES into policy planning; and scenario-3 integrates ES into policy planning considering the needs of local people. Our scenario-based LULC change analysis showed that the land with large increases in water flow regulation (i.e., values ≤–3000 × 103 m3 km-2) were scattered over the entire study area, while phosphorus reduction (i.e., values ≤ –30 kg km-2) were located mainly along rivers in all scenarios. Scenario-2 and scenario-3 are based on policies aiming at enhancing ES provisioning; for these, the projected ecological risks of water pollution are significantly reduced (39.97% and 37.58%, respectively). Total net changes of the investigated ES under scenario-2 or scenario-3 were almost double that occurring under scenario-1. Although scenario-2 and scenario-3 showed a near-equal total net change, water purification under scenario-2 was the greatest relative to forest expansion. However, scenario-3 offered the best future environmental development scenario, as it accounted for the demand and supply characteristics of water yield and purification in different regions. The water purification service made the greatest contribution to positive and negative effects (26%–47% and -7%, respectively) on ES provisioning. Linking water purification service to policy planning would effectively improve the overall ES. These scenario forecasting results will help the Three Gorges Dam to gain more ecological benefits via improvements to water flow regulation and the effective alleviation of degraded water quality in heavily populated regions in the Yangtze basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The empowerment construct, which means “to empower” and “to enable”, has been discussed as an interdisciplinary construct at multiple times and in different fields. At the beginning of transformation, in the fields of religion and sociology the construct referred to power sharing. During the following years, when the empowerment construct was discussed in the fields of education, psychology, and social work, the promotion of human welfare was identified as its ultimate goal. The main connection between productivity and empowerment has been considered in the field of management. This article aims to analyze the evolution of the empowerment construct in natural science, social sciences, and humanities in Iran. Thus, the required data was collected from 250 articles published in Iranian journals based on the qualitative content analysis method. The data was then analyzed according to the cluster analysis method using SPSS 23 and the Kruskal-Wallis statistical methods. The results indicate that the construct focused more on improving human resource productivity in the field of management while in other disciplines, the construct is focused on power sharing and promoting human welfare. Moreover, Iran has tried to model the subject of human excellence on an Iranian-Islamic approach. The authors recommend adopting an interdisciplinary perspective along with a psychological, structural, or combined approach for a proper understanding of the empowerment construct and designing a comprehensive model. This empowers researchers to design a comprehensive understanding of construct with multiple approaches. More extensive studies need to be conducted for the localization of these structures.

Islamic architecture is considered as an important and significant historical tradition. For Iranians, this tradition is more than historical and is mentioned as a part of the identity of architecture in Islamic Iran. Many theories have tried to explain Islamic architecture but could only determine a part of its coordination possibly due to their adopted methods. These theories have lost their capability of effective application because they have neglected the practical and concrete aspects (which all can be named under the title of “lifestyle”). The goal of this article is to include the concept of lifestyle in the definition of Islamic architecture, after presenting and criticizing theories mentioned in the research literature. This article emphasizes that lifestyle is the missing element of theories on Islamic architecture and that Islamic architecture can be applicable in the social life of the Iranians by including lifestyle in its definition.

There is a reflection on people's behaviour in times of crisis. In this context, the importance of changing the use of the concept of traditional health to that of well-being as part of the development of a community consciousness and a global gaze of the human being is briefly addressed. The need for a socio-emotional education that promotes people's commitment to their geographical socio-partner environment. It is further concluded that human well-being must be confronted from a multidimensional view, where the different spheres involving human development contribute to promoting community life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodiversity plays a key role in human welfare by providing agricultural, economic, and health benefits. However, following the industrial revolution, the rapid expansion of the human population and subsequent economic activities have caused a dramatic loss in global biodiversity, resulting in significant disturbances to ecosystems and our own living conditions. Accordingly, the conservation of biodiversity has become one of the most important challenges for humanity. The vast numbers of plants, animals, and microorganisms, the enormous genetic diversity of these species and the different ecosystems to which these organisms belong are all part of a biologically diverse planet. A substantial proportion of the world's biodiversity has been destroyed, this loss is a catastrophe for all living species, including humans. Fortunately, we are working to remedy the destruction of our ecosystems. Herein, we summarized the discovery and development of biodiversity as a field of study and discuss the importance of the genetic and metabolite diversity. We proposed potential solutions to the loss of biodiversity with the aim of facilitating further exploration and identification of biodiversity, contributing for human welfare through the conservation of human habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both North Korea and South Korea have a long history of sending orphans abroad, initially dating back to the Korean War (1950-1953). While South Korea utilized international adoptions as a means of obtaining foreign currency by sending orphans to its ideological allies in North America and Western Europe during the Cold War, North Korea chose to place its orphans into the families of its fraternal allies in mostly Eastern Europe with the expectation that they would be well educated and later support the war-torn economy back at home. North Korea actually halted its international adoption program and even instituted a recall of all orphans back from Eastern Europe just a few years after the Korean War, likely due to political incidents such as the Sino-Soviet Split as well as the Hungarian Revolution in the late 1950s. On the other hand, adoptions in South Korea continue until today, although at a smaller scale compared to the late 1980s, likely due to the enormous power of the international adoption lobby. While many children adopted from South Korea during and after the Korean War were true orphans or of mixed race, the vast majority of children in South Korea placed for international adoption nowadays are actually children of unwed mothers. Moreover, North Korea placed more and earlier emphasis on domestic adoptions as opposed to international adoptions, whereas South Korea did the opposite. Only starting in the mid-2000s did South Korea earnestly start to promote domestic over international adoptions, as evidenced by the finding that domestic adoptions exceeded international ones in South Korea for the time in 2007. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of large cities has brought with it a concentration of population, in spaces with high demographic density and, in general, with problems in urban planning. In this sense the person tends to lose visibility searching the city concept. This article shows a discussion on the construction of the identity, the subjectivity, and the role of social interaction on this space. On a second moment, a look concerning the distinction of other persons, people, who are part of this social organization, the importance of the construction of meaning through language and social interaction, the role of the metropolitan territory in this context of development and human welfare, with emphasis on the coexistence in the city as a common living space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an analysis of Africa's economic growth development for improvement through increasing ethics with African characteristics. The article examines corporate social responsibility, sustainability, education, and collaborative partnerships within Africa's social, environmental and economic resources both domestically and globally. Transforming Africa's economic acceleration will require improvement of responsible business and government practices. This is not something that Africa can easily achieve due to challenges of social and political instability. The authors suggest ways to enhance economic development in Africa according to the UN Guiding Principles in Africa and in other countries through responsible management education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid globalisation has translated to growth, but the resulting gains have not been reflected in qualitative welfare for most developing countries and thus, have precipitated inconclusive debates on the precise directional link between globalisation dimensions and changes in human welfare. Thus, this study examines the regional impact of the transmission channels of globalisation on human welfare in 16 Sub-Saharan African countries from 1980 to 2014. Using the panel fixed effect method, the findings reveal that trade openness enhanced human welfare development and the access of people to infrastructural facilities for the regions. FDI is found to be predominantly enhancing to human welfare in the Eastern and Southern Africa regions. Also, high labour migration and emigration of experts as a dimension of globalisation is found to worsen human welfare development and hinder basic infrastructural development in the regions, and lead to bad and ineffective governance. The study finds that the high level of social globalisation via labour inflow, access of people to telephone and Internet facilities enhanced the development of human welfare changes as evidenced in Southern Africa. Appropriate policy options are recommended to enhance human welfare development in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The natural conservation of coastal lagoons is important not only for their ecological importance, but also because of the valuable ecosystem services they provide for human welfare and wellbeing. Coastal lagoons are shallow semi-enclosed systems that support important habitats such as wetlands, mangroves, salt-marshes and seagrass meadows, as well as a rich biodiversity. Coastal lagoons are also complex social-ecological systems with ecosystem services that provide livelihoods, wellbeing and welfare to humans. This study assessed, quantified and valued the ecosystem services of 32 coastal lagoons. The main findings of the study are: (i) the definitions of ecosystem services are still not generally accepted; (ii) the quantification of ecosystem services is made in many different ways, using different units; (iii) the evaluation in monetary terms of some ecosystem service is problematic, often relying on non-monetary evaluation methods; (iv) when ecosystem services are valued in monetary terms, this may represent very different human benefits; and, (v) different aspects of climate change, including increasing temperature, sea-level rise and changes in rainfall patterns threaten the valuable ecosystem services of coastal lagoons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable development requires that development patterns that meet the needs of the present generation do not harm the needs of future generations. Sustainable development not only demands the sustainability of natural resources and the environment, but also emphasizes sustainable human welfare and resident happiness. Urban sustainable development can be achieved easily at local scales. Urban sustainable development efficiency (USDE) reflects the relevant efficiency of human welfare and resources and the environmental input into an urban system. This paper presents an assessment framework of urban sustainable development based on the reality of natural resource limitations and human welfare needs, and evaluates the performance of urban sustainable development in Chinese cities as a case study. The assessment framework is constructed based on natural resource inputs and human welfare outputs. The assessment index system includes 11 specific indicators, and data envelopment analysis was chosen to assess the urban sustainable development performance of 287 cities in China. The USDE results of the sample cities showed an increasing trend in sustainability over the past three decades, with visible spatial differences. By assessing the urban development of society, economy, and industry in China, the results reflected various characteristics and differences in urban development. The methods and index system used in this study can be used to reveal temporal and spatial differences in urban development resource inputs, human welfare, and environmental support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasingly, animal welfare (AW) is gaining ground worldwide because of pressure from importing countries, as well as the demand from a more conscious society regarding the living conditions of farm animals. Despite the growing concern about AW, there are few studies of stock person’s welfare and how it might influence AW. The treatment of animals connects to stockpersons’ attitudes and behaviour, which in turn are associated with several human factors such as initial experience in the activity, welfare, quality of working conditions and human-animal relationship. Many authors have investigated this relationship and its association with positive attitudes of stock persons towards animals, which consequently influence AW and productivity. However, currently, there is no highlighted concern about the human issue, as the stock person welfare (SW), believed to be a key aspect of a successful implementation of AW programs. The present work suggests a broader view concerning AW, its relation to SW and the importance of improving both aspects in livestock systems.

How does democratic politics affect infant mortality? The bulk of existing research has debated whether democracies have lower levels of infant mortality than non-democracies. Yet, infant mortality varies as much within countries as it does between countries, suggesting that the political processes affecting infant mortality operate at the subnational level. To shed new light on the debate, this paper examines how three core democratic attributes affect infant mortality within a single democracy: India. I argue that higher levels of political representation, citizens' participation, and electoral competition provide political incentives for elected representatives to reduce infant mortality. The theory is tested on a times-series data set from 15 major Indian states between 1980 and 2011. Overall, the results demonstrate the significance of democratic politics, particularly political representation, in influencing infant mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To overcome the inherent shortcomings of the human development index (HDI) and to improve the comparability of evaluation results, in this study, an evaluation indicator system of regional sustainable development pressures was constructed based on catastrophe theory. An improved catastrophe model was used to calculate the sustainable development pressure index (SPI), which was combined with the human development index (HDI) proposed by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) to explore the human welfare and sustainable development pressures in 9 countries bordering the South China Sea in the period 2003–2015 based on statistical data provided by the World Bank. It was found that during the period of investigation, the level of human welfare in the region gradually increased and the HDI steadily rose, with an average annual growth rate between 0.29% and 2.50%. The sustainable development pressures in the South China Sea neighboring region were very high, and the development models in this region can be divided into 4 types: very high level human welfare with very high sustainable development pressures; high level human welfare with very high sustainable development pressures; medium level human welfare with very high sustainable development pressures; and low level human welfare with very high sustainable development pressures. It is recommended that a country should explore its own development path based on the actual situation in the country to reduce sustainable development obstacles. Moreover, bilateral or multilateral cooperation should be actively pursued to solve the bottleneck problems that restrict regional sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]