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This study applies multicriteria mathematical modeling to optimize municipal solid waste (MSW) management across a three bottom-line (BL) framework: environmental, social and economic. The interrelationships and the ripple secondary impacts among the three BLs are examined systematically using an augmented simplex lattice mixture (ASLM) method. Detailed waste and waste treatments, including pyrolysis (PY), anaerobic digestion (AD), animal feed (AF), composting (CP), recycling (RE), incineration (INC) and landfilling (LF), are constructed based on waste stream fractions and treatment allowable limits. The environmental BL is assessed using life cycle assessment (LCA). The economic BL is determined by calculating the per ton capital recovery with return, and the social bottom line is assessed using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). The three bottom lines are optimized through a mathematical model using CPLEX solver. The results indicate that CP abates 973 kgCO2eq/t compared to 61.8 kgCO2eq/t from AD and 28.3 kgCO2eq/t from AF. CP generates $23.5/t despite its low social desirability. Plastic waste PY credits ethylene by 364 kg/t, however, it costs $226.7/t despite the subtraction of credited energy and recovered byproducts. Metal RE carbon and water footprints are −236 kgCO2eq/t and 268 m3/t, respectively. AF is the second-best economic scenario after metal RE as it generates up to $122.6/t in profit. AF production scores are second highest within the social BL after plastic PY; however, the supporting legislation sub-indicator is low. The ASLM support policy that assigns 66% to the environmental BL and 16.7% to the economic and social BL to achieve carbon neutrality within the MSW sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The meat processing industry is rapidly growing, aiming to enhance the accessibility and affordability of meat products. However, this vital sector also presents significant environmental and social challenges alongside substantial waste management issues. Efforts to improve sustainability in this industry include introducing advanced waste treatment technologies. This study evaluates the overall sustainability of the meat processing industry by comparing the current waste treatment system with an advanced system incorporating improved technologies for water reuse, solid waste valorization, and energy production. We conducted environmental, social, and economic Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) using OpenLCA and the SOCA v2 database, with 1 kg of processed meat as the functional unit. The comparative analysis highlights significant improvements in the '50%' scenario, where half of the wastewater undergoes advanced treatment. Environmental impacts decreased notably: Freshwater Eutrophication and Human Carcinogenic Toxicity by 25.9% and 31.5%, respectively, and Global Warming and Fossil Resource Scarcity S by 9.2% and 8.8%. Social risk indicators improved by 33.7% to 37.0%. The treatment system achieved a cost saving of EUR 0.00187 per kg of meat (EUR 63,152.70 annually), though these results are specific to this study and heavily dependent on the location and time period. Further analysis of four scenarios, including the baseline, demonstrated that increasing the proportion of wastewater treated by the new system improved environmental, social, and economic outcomes, with the 75% treatment scenario proving the most sustainable. Overall, the advanced treatment system significantly enhances sustainability in the meat industry, promoting a more environmentally, socially, and economically friendly waste management approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social outcomes from conservation and development activities on a local scale are often assessed using five livelihood assets—Natural, Physical, Human, Financial and Social—and their associated indicators. These indicators, and the variables used to measure them, are typically based on 'common practice' with limited attention being paid to the use of alternative indicators. In this article, we present a typical survey of socioeconomic benefits for ecological restoration workers in South Africa, and ask whether the common livelihood indicators used are adequate and sufficient, or whether any relevant indicators are missing. Results from the livelihood survey show the value of income, food and education as strong indicators of financial and human assets, and the importance of open-ended questions in eliciting details of workers' perceived changes in their livelihoods. However, by complementing the survey results with qualitative data from semi-structured interviews and stakeholder workshops, we show how unconventional livelihood indicators and aspects provide a deeper understanding of changes in livelihoods that are tied to restoration projects. We guide scholars and practitioners to advance their process of selecting livelihood indicators, in particular to include three additional types of indicators: intangible indicators to assess life quality; relative indicators reaching across spatial and temporal scales to capture community outcomes and livelihood resilience; and, political indicators to uncover causal relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Access to sustainable, clean, affordable, and reliable electricity is crucial for social and economic development, yet Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) struggles significantly in this context. In CHAD, only 11.3% of the population is able to access electricity, making it one of the least electrified countries in SSA with the lowest clean energy access. In rural areas, electricity access falls to just 1.3%. This research applies and executes a Multi-Objective Particle Swarm Optimization (MOPSO) algorithm using MATLAB R2023b to assess the techno-economic, environmental, and social impacts of a hybrid system based on optimal PV/Wind/Battery/Fuel Cell (FC)/Diesel generator (DG) sizing for rural electrification in CHAD. The proposed system's self-sufficiency index (SSSI) and the Annualized System Cost (ASC) were chosen as objective functions to guarantee the economic feasibility of the system, higher self-sufficiency, and lower dependence on external energy sources (DG). The simulation results show that the optimal size of the proposed system supplies the load demand by 100% of the renewable energy sources (RES) fraction, and the optimal capacities of the main components to supply the load demand are: Solar Power (493 KW), Wind Turbine (166 KW), Battery Energy Charge/Discharge (229180 kWh /221300 kWh), Hydrogen tank storage energy (83 874 kWh), Electrolyzer size (202 KW), Fuel cell size (144 KW). The evelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of 0.2982 $/kWh, which is 51.12% lower than the national unit production costs of electricity in rural areas of CHAD (0.61 $/kWh). This LCOE is also the lowest compared to previous works done using HOMER Pro for the country of CHAD. The results also give a levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) of 3.8563 US $/kg, lower than for all studies found in the literature for the country of Chad. The proposed system's yearly avoided greenhouse gas (GHG) emission is 374 640 kg. The proposed system will create five (5) new jobs (JCO) and improve the Human Development Index (HDI) of the study area by 17.66% (the obtained HDI is 0.4683, and the CHAD HDI is 0.398) with an SSSI of 51.14%. This study provides a better practical energy design tool in decision-making for designers, companies, investors, policymakers, and the Chadian government when implementing this type of system in particular rural locations.

• A complementary analysis of social evaluations in informal recycling is performed. • SLCA methodology requires adaptations for informal settings. • Our discussion encompasses adjustments made in each phase of SLCA. The transition towards Circular Economy (CE) is a promising approach to sustainable development that may cause significant social impacts. Despite the benefits of CE initiatives, key players such as informal recyclers face serious social issues such as poverty, lack of social security, and discrimination. Although evaluating social impacts remains a considerable challenge, Social Life Cycle Assessment (SLCA) is recognized as a suitable methodology with a life cycle perspective. While most SLCA experiences are conducted in the formal sector, it is important to consider the informal sector, which plays a crucial role in developing countries. This article presents an analysis of SLCA studies in informal recycling settings in order to identify the challenges and adjustments required for informal settings. The analysis is based on a literature review and a documentary review of a pilot application of SLCA in the informal recycling system in Cuenca, Ecuador. The results show that SLCA requires adaptation to be applied in informal settings. There are particular challenges in delineating boundaries due to the fuzzy nature and variability of informal activities. Tasks such as establishing specific indicators, developing reference scales and data collection, require careful planning and active stakeholder participation. For instance, indicators regarding Fair Salary or Working hours were adapted based on best practices. Furthermore, tasks such as verifying and disseminating results should be included in interpretation phases to generate long-term impacts and influence behaviors. The study underscores SLCA's multidimensional view but highlights the need for further standardization and adaptation for informal sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Society & Social Work is the property of Journal of Society and Social Work 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.)

The transport sector is one of the main contributors to global CO2 emissions and the transport sector in the Kingdom of Morocco is no exception. To combat this, two important agreements aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions were created, the Paris Agreement and the Nationally Determined Contributions. The adoption of battery electric vehicles is one way of helping to reduce transport-related emissions. However, there are several barriers to the adoption of battery electric vehicles in Morocco. The objective of this paper is to identify these barriers and to propose solutions to overcome them based on a survey of 209 responses that were analyzed using the Smart-PLS 4 approach. The study found that the financial attributes, maintenance, design, social reinforcement, and lack of incentives related to battery electric vehicles are the most significant factors that could cause the hindrance of the adoption of battery electric vehicles. Therefore, more affordable and attractive battery electric vehicles should be made more accessible. Moreover, increased technical training facilities should be mobilized to boost further efforts and increase experience in the field of BEV maintenance in Morocco. By implementing these solutions, Morocco can increase the uptake of battery electric vehicles and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. This will help Morocco reach its Nationally Determined Contributions and protect the environment as well as the health of its population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Social aspects of miscanthus cultivation have been investigated in a limited way in the scientific literature. Adopting existing frameworks for social life‐cycle assessment enables assessments to include numerous social aspects; however, the relevance of these aspects depends on the local context. This study aims to identify the most relevant social aspects from the farmers' perspective using a previously proposed framework for the assessment of the stakeholder ‘farmer’. It is based on a case study for miscanthus production in Sisak Moslavina in Croatia. The existence of abandoned lands in Croatia presents an opportunity for the cultivation of miscanthus as a potential source of biomass for the production of bio‐based materials and fuels. The study seeks to assess the feasibility of cultivating miscanthus in the region, taking into account potential challenges and opportunities, as well as farmers' willingness to adopt the crop, and to understand the reasons behind land abandonment. We conducted a survey among 44 farmers in the region and used a scoring method to identify the most relevant social aspects. The aspects most valued by the farmers were health and safety, access to water, land consolidation and rights, income and local employment, and food security. Responses to the question of whether they would adopt the crop highlight the importance of an established market, good trading conditions and profitability of cultivation. The survey also enabled an understanding of farmers' preferences with respect to the production conditions of crops. The farmers regarded the provision of subsidies as one of the main factors that render a crop attractive. Opportunities for the adoption of the miscanthus cultivation include high yields and low input requirements. Barriers include land conflicts and land availability. Despite the opportunities for miscanthus development in the region, there are important challenges to consider for successful implementation of the crop.

This article seeks to contribute to the knowledge of energy transitions in Europe by focusing on community perceptions in two European regions belonging to two divergent spatial models of energy transition on the continent. Through a series of questions, it addresses the social assessment of the impact of renewable energies in three main dimensions: environmental, landscape and socio-economic. The article is based on the comparison of two case studies, the province of Jaén (Spain) and the county of Somogy (Hungary). Both are characterised as rural inland regions with a similar level of renewable energy development (not very high) and fairly similar socio-economic characteristics (agrarian economy and ageing). The results show that there are no major differences between the two territories. In general, there is a tendency to assess the impact of renewable energies as negative, especially in the case of wind farms, with the exception of the positive assessment made by respondents when they were asked about local tourism. However, the option “No impact” was mainly selected by respondents when assessing the impact in most questions. Factors such as the lack of knowledge and information, the lack of social consideration in projects or even a lack of interest towards these topics could explain this social stance.

Many protected wild animal species are threatened with extinction because of degraded forest habitats. We conducted a monetary assessment of social responses to this issue in North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Respondents were asked to determine a monetary value for forest services, and we measured willingness to pay (WTP) using the collection of compensation funds every year for five years. A descriptive statistical model, a correlation analysis, and a double-bounded dichotomous choice (DBDC) model were used in this study. There were 92.1% of respondents who claimed to be aware of the environment, as well as 96% of protected animals, and 89.8% who agreed with the compensation fund. There is a need for current socialization of the environmental situation, and it is necessary to consider education and income factors for real actions in the future. The estimated monetary value probability for WTP was determined using accepting the median estimate of IDR 264,820 (USD 18.26). These results estimated the value of annual forest protection over five years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Investigaciones Geograficas is the property of Universidad de Alicante, Instituto Universitario de Geografia 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.)

Social aspects of miscanthus cultivation have been investigated in a limited way in the scientific literature. Adopting existing frameworks for social life‐cycle assessment enables assessments to include numerous social aspects; however, the relevance of these aspects depends on the local context. This study aims to identify the most relevant social aspects from the farmers' perspective using a previously proposed framework for the assessment of the stakeholder 'farmer'. It is based on a case study for miscanthus production in Sisak Moslavina in Croatia. The existence of abandoned lands in Croatia presents an opportunity for the cultivation of miscanthus as a potential source of biomass for the production of bio‐based materials and fuels. The study seeks to assess the feasibility of cultivating miscanthus in the region, taking into account potential challenges and opportunities, as well as farmers' willingness to adopt the crop, and to understand the reasons behind land abandonment. We conducted a survey among 44 farmers in the region and used a scoring method to identify the most relevant social aspects. The aspects most valued by the farmers were health and safety, access to water, land consolidation and rights, income and local employment, and food security. Responses to the question of whether they would adopt the crop highlight the importance of an established market, good trading conditions and profitability of cultivation. The survey also enabled an understanding of farmers' preferences with respect to the production conditions of crops. The farmers regarded the provision of subsidies as one of the main factors that render a crop attractive. Opportunities for the adoption of the miscanthus cultivation include high yields and low input requirements. Barriers include land conflicts and land availability. Despite the opportunities for miscanthus development in the region, there are important challenges to consider for successful implementation of the crop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the energy system changes, metrics used to describe energy use for modelling, socioenvironmental assessment, and other applications should be continually evaluated to ensure ongoing relevance and applicability. Decarbonization highlights the need for fit-for-purpose assessment tools as energy systems undergo an expected transition from mostly fossil to mostly nonfossil resources. Energy use has historically been a high-quality proxy for socioenvironmental impacts of interest, but this characteristic depends on the relatively stable historical relationship between energy use (typically measured as exchanges of marketed energy resources and carriers like natural gas and electricity) and these impacts—a relationship that is increasingly weak. Already, energy use metrics used in tools like energy footprinting and life cycle assessment have developed maladaptations to include nonfossil resources, including many flow resources. For example, nonmarketed energy use is typically ignored; metrics like heat rate are applied to nonthermal resources in ways with limited physical meaning; and definitional exceptions are made without clear justification. Part of the challenge is that energy is a conserved quantity with highly variable quality, but energy footprint metrics have historically implicitly assumed that all energy, and energy use, is the same. The assessment community can improve the clarity and value of energy use quantification under decarbonization by drawing on the experience of footprinting with another highly heterogeneous conserved resource: water. This discussion introduces the concept of a yellow, red, and brown energy footprint framework as an expansion of traditional energy footprinting and analogue of the green, blue, and grey water footprinting framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a need to generate micro‐scale indicators to measure progress towards meeting Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 6 and 8. In this sense, this study applies Social Life Cycle Assessment, including Quality of Employment (QoE) and Adequate Public Water Supply (AWS) indicators to assess the social performance of Mexico City's water cycle to identify the level (low, medium and high) of the potential risk of social impact (PR). The results show that the labor hours (WH) required by 1m3 of water in Mexico City is equivalent to 0.062 WH. The QoE indicator shows that 94% of WH are associated with high PR due to low wages. For AWS, 5% is associated with a high PR for local communities in the Cutzamala system due to poor water quality and consumption of bottled water. This case study demonstrates that progress on QoE and AWS indicators can significantly contribute to achieving SDGs 6 and 8 in the water management of communities involved in Mexico City's water cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transport sector is one of the main contributors to global CO2 emissions and the transport sector in the Kingdom of Morocco is no exception. To combat this, two important agreements aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions were created, the Paris Agreement and the Nationally Determined Contributions. The adoption of battery electric vehicles is one way of helping to reduce transport-related emissions. However, there are several barriers to the adoption of battery electric vehicles in Morocco. The objective of this paper is to identify these barriers and to propose solutions to overcome them based on a survey of 209 responses that were analyzed using the Smart-PLS 4 approach. The study found that the financial attributes, maintenance, design, social reinforcement, and lack of incentives related to battery electric vehicles are the most significant factors that could cause the hindrance of the adoption of battery electric vehicles. Therefore, more affordable and attractive battery electric vehicles should be made more accessible. Moreover, increased technical training facilities should be mobilized to boost further efforts and increase experience in the field of BEV maintenance in Morocco. By implementing these solutions, Morocco can increase the uptake of battery electric vehicles and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. This will help Morocco reach its Nationally Determined Contributions and protect the environment as well as the health of its population.

Cognition is mediated and combined by mental processes formed by internal speech and cognitive processes play a key role in generalized anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder. The aim of this study was to compare the frequency and content of inner speech in people with generalized anxiety disorder traits, obsessive-compulsive disorder traits and normal. 348 (boys: 203, girls: 145) students of Shahid Beheshti University were selected by convenience sampling method and participants answered the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Scale (Spitzer et al., 2006), the Self-talk Scale (Brinthaupt et al.., 2009) and the Padua Inventory–Washington State University Revision (Burns et al.., 1996). Findings were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance and multivariate analysis of variance. The results showed a significant difference in frequency between the normal group and clinical groups. Also, the research findings showed a significant difference between the normal group and clinical groups in the negative subscales of inner speech content (self-criticism and social assessment) and not the positive subscales (self-regulation and self-reinforcement). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the transport sector is one of the biggest challenges in the German energy transition. Furthermore, sustainable development does not stop with reducing GHG emissions. Other environmental, social and economic aspects should not be neglected. Thus, here a comprehensive sustainability assessment for passenger vehicles is conducted for 2020 and 2050. The discussed options are an internal combustion engine vehicle (ICEV) fuelled with synthetic biofuel and fossil gasoline, a battery electric vehicle (BEV) with electricity from wind power and electricity mix Germany and a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) with hydrogen from wind power. The life cycle-based assessment entails 13 environmental indicators, one economic and one social indicator. For integrated consideration of the different indicators, the MCDA method Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) is chosen. For the assessment, a consistent assessment framework, i.e. background scenario and system boundaries, and a detailed modelling of vehicle production, fuel supply and vehicle use are the cornerstones. The BEV with wind power is the most sustainable option in 2020 as well as in 2050. While in 2020, the second rank is taken by the ICEV with synthetic biofuel from straw and the last rank by the FCEV, in 2050 the FCEV is the runner-up. With the help of MCDA, transparent and structured guidance for decision makers in terms of sustainability assessment of motorized transport options is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background To assess social skills, professionals require a tool that is grounded in science, age-appropriate and sensitive to deviations from normal expectations. The Paediatric Evaluation of Emotions, Relationships and Socialisation Questionnaire (PEERS-Q) was developed to address this gap. This study aimed to detail the psychometric properties of PEERS-Q. Method 571 parents of children aged 5-15 years completed questionnaires about their child’s social competence (PEERS-Q, Social Skills Improvement System (SSIS), Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)). Children completed a measure of estimated IQ. Confirmatory factor analysis explored reliability and validity of PEERS-Q. Age- and sex-adjusted T-scores were derived and relationships between these and validation instruments were explored. Results Six subscales were derived; Relationships, Participation, Social Rules, Social Communication, Social Cognition and Behaviour. PEERS-Q has good to very good internal consistency (α = 0.89, subscales 0.78-0.95); good convergent validity with the SSIS and the SDQ (r = 0.76, subscales 0.47 to 0.59), and good discriminant validity using Matrix Reasoning (r = – 0.11, subscales – 0.08 to – 0.11). Conclusions PEERS-Q is a useful tool for measuring domains of social competence in children/adolescents. PEERS-Q may improve a clinician’s ability to identify a young person’s social difficulties and hence guide intervention. Further research in clinical populations is required to determine these benefits. KEY POINTS What is already known about this topic: (1) There is currently a lack of robust and developmentally appropriate social skills assessment tools for children and adolescents. (2) Exisiting measures either fail to assess the complexity of social function, or are included as smaller sub-scales of broader outcome measures. (3) Without valid and reliable measures that target the specific subdomains of social skills, interventions cannot be targeted to specific social skills strengths and weaknesses. What this topic adds: (1) The PEERS-Q is a new tool for measuring social skills in children, grounded in developmental neuroscience. (2) PEERS-Q is a valid and reliable measure. (3) PEERS-Q may improve a clinician’s ability to identify a young person’s social difficulties and tailor the type of intervention required.

A comprehensive assessment of buildings in accordance with the concept of sustainable development requires their analysis in three economic, environmental and social aspects. J It is a multi-criteria assessment, which takes into account many factors and their significance for the purpose of this assessment. Due to the complexity of this assessment, it can be performed due to a particular aspect, and the result obtained is a component of the global quality indicator as an additive function. The article presents the results of research conducted in large-panel buildings (LPB) enabling their assessment due to the social aspect. It is particularly important in the assessment of residential buildings, and the existing large resources of LPB are the basis for choosing them for such assessment According to the PN-EN 16309 + A1: 2014-12 standard, during conducting a social assessment of buildings, six main categories should be taken into account, which include: accessibility, adaptability, health and comfort, impact on the neighborhood, maintenance and maintainability, safety and security. The presented data was obtained as a result of the analysis of the features of selected buildings from the “large panel” located in housing estates in Cracow and Jędrzejów using a computer application. It is based on a mathematical model that was developed as part of a doctoral dissertation.

The validity of joint attention assessment in school-aged children with ASD is unclear (Lord, Jones, Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 53(5):490-509, 2012). This study examined the feasibility and validity of a parent-report measure of joint attention related behaviors in verbal children and adolescents with ASD. Fifty-two children with ASD and 34 controls were assessed with the Childhood Joint Attention Rating Scale (C-JARS). The C-JARS exhibited internally consistency, α = 0.88, and one factor explained 49% of the scale variance. Factor scores correctly identified between 88 and 94% of the children with ASD and 62-82% of controls. These scores were correlated with the ADOS-2, but not other parent-report symptom measures. The C-JARS appears to assess a unique dimension of the social-phenotype of children with ASD.

Excessive municipal solid waste (MSW) generation and a heavy reliance on fossil fuels for electricity production presents a critical opportunity for waste to energy (WtE) in Thailand. Despite the potential benefits, there are gaps in understanding the sustainability of various WtE technologies. Through rigorous environmental, social, and financial assessment employing tools such as life cycle assessment (LCA), income-based community wellbeing, and capital budgeting methods such as net present value (NPV), benefit-cost ratio (BCR), and internal rate of return (IRR), this research demonstrated the considerable potential of WtE to address environmental concerns, diminish reliance on fossil fuels, and yield positive socio-economic outcomes. The results revealed that MSW anaerobic digestion with energy recovery and fertilizers production had the highest NPV of THB 20,805, the highest BCR of 2.51, and an IRR of 20 %, making it the most economically feasible option. Integrated MSW incineration with anaerobic digestion with energy recovery and fertilizers production, while environmentally beneficial with the lowest overall environmental costs (THB -1.35 × 105), was less favorable economically due to higher capital and operational costs. The study underscored crucial policy implications, advocating for an approach that aligns with Thailand's sustainable renewable energy objectives following the Alternative Energy Development Plan and nationally determined contributions. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present world, rapid industrialization and extensive use of resources have led to an unprecedented increase in waste volumes. Industries seeking to produce more to satisfy the upsurge demand while exploiting the potential provided by advancements in technology contribute to this. This situation is leading to fast-approaching expiration date for natural resources, which calls for immediate intervention, sustainable practices, and proper waste disposal strategies. As pillars to sustainability, not only the environmental and economic aspects should be considered, the social domain is also very important to take into account. For the particular case of the waste-to-energy (WtE) technologies, the social domain entails several concerns that have never been thoroughly and representatively appraised, a clear understanding of the reasons behind this being missing. Thus, the purpose of this work is to conduct a literature review on social assessments related to the thermal conversion of wastes. Then, distinct methodologies already used for the social aspects in other areas were compared to the achieved results to better frame them and potentially suggest a workflow for this type of assessment in the WtE sector. The aim is to identify and address knowledge gaps, in order to facilitate a comprehensive evaluation of the current context surrounding this controversial topic. The main findings indicate a lack of consistent reporting practices for social life cycle assessment (S-LCA) implementation, the UNEP/SETAC approach appearing as the most commonly used. Social concerns primarily focus on employment, human health, accessibility, safety, and odor-related issues. Knowledge gaps persist, including the need for a better understanding of the interrelation between dimensions, the absence of concise and binding legislation, low sector engagement, discrimination issues, inconsistency in sensitivity analysis, and a lack of objectivity. Based on the literature review, it can be concluded that while WtE techniques have the potential to contribute to a more sustainable and resilient society, there are social concerns that must be addressed. The review highlights the importance of conducting comprehensive social assessments in the context of thermal waste conversion. By filling knowledge gaps and considering the social implications of these techniques, a more informed evaluation can be conducted, leading to better decision-making and the development of more sustainable waste management strategies. This effort should be tightly connected to the sustainability efforts and goals in place, such as the ones preconized by the European Commission and the United Nations. [Display omitted] • Social assessments in the thermal conversion of wastes were reviewed and analysed. • Challenges, opportunities and discrepancies with existing frameworks were identified. • A lack of consistent enactment and reporting for S-LCA was observed in the sector. • The social dimension needs to be addressed towards a holistic view of sustainability. • Actionable steps were suggested as leverage for in-depth social impact assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A novel framework to design sustainable biorefineries was applied through simulation. • The distribution of feedstock in the biorefinery processes impacts profitability. • The baker's yeast vinasse has a high potential as a feedstock in circular processes. The present work deals with the biotechnological valorization of the vinasse through a sustainable biorefinery. The aim was to design and analyze, through process simulation, a biorefinery for the valorization of vinasse in products such as organo-mineral fertilizers, supplements for animal feed, and biogas. For this purpose, the SuperPro Designer software was used, and a modified hierarchical decomposition method was applied. One base case and three scenarios were techno-economically assessed, and the net present value was used as a selection criterion. The technological configuration with the best techno-economic criterion was analyzed socially and environmentally. The results suggest that the best configuration of the biorefinery corresponded to scenario 3, with a net present value of USD$73,364,000, a number of direct employees of 38, and a blue water footprint of 16.16 m3/h. These findings highlight the potential of the design of biorefineries to address the valorization of vinasses in Colombia and worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mining is a major economic activity in many developing countries including Nigeria. This paper examines the social and health challenges of Cement production on Obajana communities. This was necessitated to providing a sustainable safe environment to the people and communities where industrial activities take place. The study involved empirical observation and interview of residents of the study area. A total of four hundred respondents were randomly selected from four communities, to appraise the social and health impacts of cement production on human populations in the study area. Descriptive statistics and one sample T-Test were used to analyze the data. The result of the test statistic of P-value 0.00 shows that there is significant relationship between cement production and its associated social and health impact on the people in obajana communities. Obajana community recorded the highest socio and health impact of cement production (43.3%). A significant proportion of the sampled population and clinic records revealed increasing cases of malaria within the study area. Malaria alone account for 37.4% of the incidence of disease in the study area. Additionally, there are health related problems at the host communities that were not properly documented, let alone attempting a resolution process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

В данной статье описываются семантические и стилистические особенности регионального медиадискурса, обусловленные как лингвистическими, так и экстралингвистических факторами. Мемориально-краеведческая функция отмечается как одна из основных функций любого регионального издания, являющаяся специфической, присущей только региональному медиадискурсу. Данная функция тесно связана с социальной оценкой и осуществляется посредством информирования читателя и воздействия на аудиторию. Подчеркивается, что реализация мемориально-краеведческой функции в публицистическом тексте происходит через три основные принципа: принцип непосредственной коммуникации с аудиторией, принцип градоцентризма и регионоцентризма, принцип краеведческого фокусирования.

Social evaluation of natural resource projects in rural areas of Iran, which has certainly numerous positive and negative impacts, can have an important role in identifying the strengths and weaknesses and improving the implementation process of such projects in the future. The purpose of this research is the social evaluation of the Hosseinabad carbon sequestration project in South Khorasan using the network analysis method to investigate the level of trust formed between the people and the organizations involved in the implementation of this project. According to the results of this study, the evaluation of different trust network indicators showed the formation of a coherent and integrated network among the beneficiaries of the project. The formation of trust indicates the positive impact of the project executives on the local people's perspective and promises to provide a suitable environment for the implementation of natural resource projects in this area. A study of the power distribution among organizations also shows that out of the 44 organizations studied, most of the power is owned by about 10 organizations, which is one of the weaknesses of this project and it is suggested to distribute the relationships based on uniformity. Confidence in the entire network with proper planning and policy reduced the focus of power in one or more limited organizations.

Purpose: Social Organisational Life Cycle Assessment (SO-LCA) is a methodology to evaluate the social and socio-economic aspects of the activities of a whole organisation (or a portion of it) from a life cycle perspective. Although introduced in 2015 and outlined in the Guidelines for Social Life Cycle Assessment of Products and Organisations 2020, SO-LCA is still poorly applied. This work is an attempt to implement SO-LCA and analyse the correlations between Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) and SO-LCA. Method: SO-LCA was implemented starting from an existing S-LCA case study. The social performance of the companies involved in the supply chain of the analysed product line was assessed through Subcategory Assessment Method considering Workers, Local Community, Consumers and Value Chain Actors stakeholders. Then, the emerged correlations from the S-LCA and SO-LCA case studies were discussed. Results and discussion: SO-LCA and S-LCA have many similarities on a methodological level, although they are different with regard to the scope of the analysis. This work shows that although the distinction between the two methodologies is clear from a theoretical point of view, when implementing the existing differences are blurred. Indeed, as expected, SO-LCA results might not be different from those of S-LCA when the following conditions are met: the product portfolio includes the product already assessed in an S-LCA case study; the defined system boundaries are the same as well as the organisations involved in the considered processes, and the same Reference Scale Approach is used to assess both S-LCA and SO-LCA. Conclusions: SO-LCA results should be verified when the study is conducted with different methodological choices compared to those of the previous S-LCA case study. Further development should give attention on understanding how and to what extent a different study setup could bring to results different from those of S-LCA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess social skills, professionals require a tool that is grounded in science, age-appropriate and sensitive to deviations from normal expectations. The Paediatric Evaluation of Emotions, Relationships and Socialisation Questionnaire (PEERS-Q) was developed to address this gap. This study aimed to detail the psychometric properties of PEERS-Q. 571 parents of children aged 5-15 years completed questionnaires about their child's social competence (PEERS-Q, Social Skills Improvement System (SSIS), Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)). Children completed a measure of estimated IQ. Confirmatory factor analysis explored reliability and validity of PEERS-Q. Age- and sex-adjusted T-scores were derived and relationships between these and validation instruments were explored. Six subscales were derived; Relationships, Participation, Social Rules, Social Communication, Social Cognition and Behaviour. PEERS-Q has good to very good internal consistency (α = 0.89, subscales 0.78-0.95); good convergent validity with the SSIS and the SDQ (r = 0.76, subscales 0.47 to 0.59), and good discriminant validity using Matrix Reasoning (r = – 0.11, subscales – 0.08 to – 0.11). PEERS-Q is a useful tool for measuring domains of social competence in children/adolescents. PEERS-Q may improve a clinician's ability to identify a young person's social difficulties and hence guide intervention. Further research in clinical populations is required to determine these benefits. KEY POINTS What is already known about this topic: (1) There is currently a lack of robust and developmentally appropriate social skills assessment tools for children and adolescents. (2) Exisiting measures either fail to assess the complexity of social function, or are included as smaller sub-scales of broader outcome measures. (3) Without valid and reliable measures that target the specific subdomains of social skills, interventions cannot be targeted to specific social skills strengths and weaknesses. What this topic adds: (1) The PEERS-Q is a new tool for measuring social skills in children, grounded in developmental neuroscience. (2) PEERS-Q is a valid and reliable measure. (3) PEERS-Q may improve a clinician's ability to identify a young person's social difficulties and tailor the type of intervention required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

هدفت الدراسة إلى تقييم الأثر الاجتماعي لمشروع ما ، وإنشاء نموذج مزرعة متكامل لإنتاج الحليب واللحوم من الزراعة البحرية الطحالب لرفع المستويات المعيشية والغذائية والاقتصادية والاجتماعية في المجتمعات التي تسكنها المناطق الساحلية والمناطق المستصلحة حديثًا. تم تنفيذ المشروع في قرية (3) في منطقة ساحل التينة في شبه جزيرة سيناء من خلال مركز البحوث الصحراوية (RDC) في بالتعاون مع المركز الدولي للزراعة الملحية (إكبا) ، مصر شركة تكنولوجيا الطحالب (ECAT) وشركة Systel Telecom (ST). تم التقييم من خلال تحقيق الأهداف التالية: 1) تحديد أنشطة المشروع ، و مدى الاستفادة من تلك الأنشطة. 2) التعرف على مستوى إنجاز المشروع من خلال المؤشرات الاجتماعية المدروسة. 3) دراسة العلاقة بين المدرسين المتغيرات ودرجة استخدام المستجيبين من أنشطة المشروع. أخيرًا 4) التعرف على المشكلات المجتمعية المهمة التي تواجه المستفيدين بالقرية ومداها من مساهمة المشروع في حلها ، وكذلك المقترحات الهامة للتغلب عليها هم. تم جمع البيانات خلال شهري فبراير ومارس 2021 عن طريق أ مقابلة شخصية باستخدام الاستبيان وتم إجراؤها على عينة من 50 مزارعًا ، يمثلون 25٪ من اجمالي المستفيدين من المشروع في القرية (3). الاجتماعي اعتمد تقييم الدراسة على مؤشرات بناء القرية المصرية و هيئة التنمية (EVBDA) ، ومؤشرات Fankly للآثار الاجتماعية للتنمية المشاريع. وكانت النتائج الهامة كما يلي: 1) ارتفاع مستوى الاستفادة من أنشطة المشروع في مجال الإنتاج الحيواني والدواجن. 2) مؤشر بلغ قبول واستمرارية خدمات المشروع أعلى درجة ، يليه مؤشر إدارة الموارد الطبيعية ، ثم مؤشر تمكين المرأة الريفية المساهمة في المشروع في المرحلة الاخيرة و 3) اخيرا اهم المشاكل التي تواجهها عمال المشروع: عدم التوازن في توزيع الانشطة على المكونات من المشروع ، وغلبة بعض المكونات على أخرى ، والمالية المصاريف التي قد تعيق استدامة المشروع. شكل من ناحية أخرى ، ونقص و الحد من الخدمات الأساسية كخدمات الإرشاد الزراعي المقدمة للمزارعين. ال ساهم المشروع في التغلب على الكثير منها. وأخيرا خلصت الدراسة للبعض مقترحات للتغلب على المشاكل التي تواجه المبحوثين لتحقيق استدامة المشروع مثل: ضرورة الحث على انشاء مراكز للزراعة الطحالب البحرية واستخدامها كمحصول اقتصادي في الإنتاج الزراعي (نباتي وحيواني) ، الأسماك والأدوية ومستحضرات التجميل والوقود الحيوي. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the demand and production for renewable energies increases there is a growing need to research new technologies to increase the efficiency, productivity and profitability of production. This study aimed to investigate the priorities of bioenergy stakeholders on Geographic Information Systems based research in a variety of countries including a number throughout Europe, the United States and Australia. A voluntary questionnaire was distributed internationally to bioenergy stakeholders to discern perceived usefulness ratings for various analytics. Participants rated Economic analytics as the most useful followed by Environmental, Product quality and Social assessments. Therefore, future research within the bioenergy sector should be aimed at increasing the economic viability of bioenergy and decreasing its environmental impact. There was a difference between analytic preference and the thirteen countries surveyed and the stakeholder type however, this relationship was not significant.

• Clear methods are needed to measure human wellbeing in support of environmental policy • Wellbeing assessments need to balance trade-offs between complexity and simplicity in order to be practical to implement • We present and test a wellbeing indicator selection protocol for measuring human wellbeing • 111 candidate indicators were simplified to a 19-indicator index that explained 91% of variation in the 111 indicators • The protocol combines top-down and bottom-up perspectives to ensure statistical rigor and local relevance Improving human wellbeing is a major focus of international environmental and sustainable development policy. However, clearly defined measures of wellbeing are needed as an empirical base for the formulation and evaluation of policies. Despite conceptual progress towards agreement of universally relevant dimensions of wellbeing, consensus is still lacking on how to translate these dimensions into locally appropriate indicators to measure wellbeing in different contexts. This paper focuses on three interrelated challenges associated with this knowledge gap: (1) navigating trade-offs between complexity versus simplicity of concept; (2) integrating top-down and bottom-up perspectives; (3) ensuring a cost-effective and flexible approach suitable for different policy contexts. We contribute to filling this gap by developing a step-by-step Wellbeing Indicator Selection Protocol (WISP) for measuring wellbeing. The protocol integrates perspectives through an interdisciplinary mixed methods design that includes cross-validation between quantitative approaches of redundancy analysis and statistical modelling and qualitative approaches of focus groups and thematic analysis. In this way we promote a pragmatic approach suitable for a range of social and environmental contexts. We tested WISP in rural Tanzania, identifying 111 candidate wellbeing indicators. This list was simplified to a subset of 19 indicators that retained 91 % of measured variation among all wellbeing indicators. The simplified list was representative of both a multidimensional concept of wellbeing and the diversity of opinions sampled. We conclude that the protocol provides practical, statistically validated guidance to support the design of wellbeing assessments, maintaining coherence between universal theory and local realities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study proposes a systematic approach for identifying the relevant social issues of a sector or company to be integrated within the Social Organizational Life Cycle Assessment framework. The approach is implemented through the Pugh matrix analysis in a wine company located in Abruzzo, Italy. Methods: The Pugh matrix is suitably modelled for social organizational life cycle assessment by considering the subcategories, i.e. social issues, and the stakeholder categories proposed by the Guidelines for Social Life Cycle Assessment UNEP/SETAC. The model is implemented by involving 31 consumers, 28 workers, 36 local community, and 7 value chain actors who were interviewed and asked to give a score by comparing pairwise the subcategories of each stakeholder, respectively. Results: The results allowed the identification of the most relevant subcategories for the case under study. For example, the health and safety issue is evident as being relevant for different stakeholders (i.e. worker, local community and consumers). Furthermore, starting from the relevant subcategories, a set of indicators was identified. The indicators are allocated at two levels depending on the kind of data used for assessing the indicators (sites visit, consultation of reports or surveys and questionnaires). Conclusions: This study proposes and implements a model within the Social Organizational Life Cycle Assessment framework as well as Social Life Cycle Assessment in order to support decision-makers in sustainability decisions, taking into account the entire value chain over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]