Economic Concepts Research Articles

Safflower cake as an ingredient for a composite flour development towards a circular economy: extrusion versus conventional mixing

Food waste is responsible for the loss of 1.3 billion tons of food, some of which are related to by-products with great nutritional and energy potential that are still underexplored, such as safflower cake derived from the oil extraction industry. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of incorporating safflower cake (Carthamus tinctorius) and the mixing method used to produce composite wheat-based flour in order to develop a new ingredient. The results were analyzed using ANOVA, and the Tukey test was applied at a significance level of 5 %. The composite flours obtained by the conventional mixing method showed, when compared to wheat flour, a higher concentration of proteins (+5g 100 g−1), minerals (+86 mg kg−1 of Fe, +30 mg kg−1 of Zn), phenolic compounds (15 mg GAE g−1), flavonoids (0.3 mg QE g−1), and lower oil absorption (−0.5 g oil g sample-1), making them suitable for hot flour-based sauces, salad dressings, frozen desserts, cookies and fried products. While extruded composite flours presented better homogenization, reduction of moisture (1 g 100 g−1), lipids (3 g 100 g−1), and mycotoxin concentrations, increased antioxidant activity (DPPH −0.07 IC50 mg/L and ORAC +9 µmol Trolox Eq/g), water absorption and solubility indexes, and oil absorption index, making it suitable for bakery products, meat, and dairy sausages. The developed composite flour proved to be a good nutritional ingredient; thus, its consumption can represent an important nutritional strategy with low production costs, as well as a sustainable solution, reducing food waste and, therefore, toward the concepts of the circular economy.

Strengthening the Green Economy for Developing Countries through the Implementation of Maqasid Syariah

Economic development that does not follow the rules of its existence can be detrimental to the living ecosystem. Many efforts have been made throughout the world to eliminate these negative impacts. Recently, religious concepts related to green economics have received attention again, including Islamic views on this matter. The problem formulation in this article is the concept of Islam in sustainable development. So this research aims to find the ideal concept of Islam in sustainable development. The research method used is a qualitative descriptive method with a library study type of research, where the researcher relies on various literature related to the study topic. The research results show that Islam has the ideals concept of sustainable development. At least there are basic principles in supporting sustainable development with the concept of a green economy, namely the application of fiqh al-bi’ah (fiqh environment) based on values guided by maqashid sharia for managing sharia resources in the economy.

Циркулярна економіка: особливості та перспективи впровадження в Україні в умовах війни

The circular economy is a prerequisite for the new industrial revolution, because it contributes to achieving maximum economic efficiency in industry and reducing the negative impact on the environment. Its implementation involves a set of measures aimed at the sustainable development of enterprises, the country and society. Introducing the concept of circular economy is an important and necessary step for the development of our country, its integration into the European Union and post-war recovery. The purpose of the study is to identify problems on the path of reorientation of Ukrainian enterprises to the principles of circularity and sustainable development and to develop methods for their rapid adaptation, in particular, taking into account the consequences of European integration and full- scale war. The goals of the research: analysis of the current state of waste management in Ukraine, clarification of the essence and key principles of circularity and sustainable development, identification of the main strategies for the implementation of the circular economy, analysis of the peculiarities of the implementation of circular business models in Ukraine, taking into account the experience of the EU, development of recommendations for rapid adaptation circular business models in conditions of war. The peculiarities of waste management in Ukraine, in particular in the conditions of war, the readiness of companies and resource provision for the introduction of new circular business models are analyzed. The advantages and weaknesses of the implementation of circular principles, the opportunities that open up to enterprises, the positive impact on the economic, social, technological spheres, etc. are characterized. Before the full-scale invasion into Ukraine, most of the factors of the external environment were generally favorable for the implementation of circular economy business models by Ukrainian enterprises: accelerated accession to the EU, commitment to Ukrainian business in the world market, attraction of foreign investments, development of innovative technologies in Ukraine, gradual change in the culture of consumption, increasing consumer trust in “green” brands, increasing the level of social responsibility of enterprises. The amount of waste in Ukraine as a result of military operations as of June 2023 was 12 million tons (excluding temporarily occupied territories): destruction of admini- strative buildings, private houses, agricultural lands, etc. At the same time, it was stated that the pre- war methods of waste management, which were already ineffective, cannot be used in principle today. Therefore, now more than ever, it is important to promptly and effectively eliminate its consequences, which, on the other hand, is also a potential for the development of the circular economy and the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine.

Colonic fermentation of enzymatically treated cocoa bean shells (CBSs) and short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) production.

Cocoa bean shells (CBSs) are a by-product of the cocoa production chain characterized by a substantial dietary fiber (DF) content. The aim of this work was the evaluation of the prebiotic activity of DF from raw CBSs as well as defatted and dephenolized CBSs (polyphenols in their free form) treated with different enzymes mixtures to increase the fermentable fiber portion. Fermentability was tested through an in vitro model of colon fermentation using microbiota selectively adapted to more proximal and most distal compartments of the colon. Results showed a significant amount of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) produced, particularly acetate, from fermentation of the lipid- and polyphenols-free CBS treated with the cellulase mixture. In both colonic regions, this sample boosted the production of SCFAs, suggesting the potential usefulness of this enzyme-driven processing to improve the prebiotic effect of CBS. Despite these findings, there was not a change in the DF content of the enzymatically treated samples, especially regarding the soluble dietary fiber (SDF) fraction. This outcome suggests that a structural change may have occurred in the fiber fraction increasing its fermentability. These outcomes open a new scenario in the bio-valorization of CBSs, in accordance with the concept of circular economy.

A Biometrics Analysis of Economics and Finance Concepts in the Hadith Literature

A Biometrics Analysis of Economics and Finance Concepts in the Hadith Literature

Circular Economy as an Important Lever to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Case of an Electricity Distribution Company in Morocco

This article discusses the major challenges related to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the electricity sector and their impact on global climate change. The electricity sector is responsible for about a quarter of total global GHG emissions. To address these challenges, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is used to measure the environmental impact of different energy sources and electricity generation and distribution processes. The circular economy is presented as a promising approach to reducing the carbon footprint of the electricity sector. By optimizing the use and value of materials throughout their life cycle, this approach contributes to waste minimization and resource efficiency. Morocco is committed to reducing its GHG emissions and has adopted policies and regulatory frameworks to combat climate change. This study aims to calculate the climate change impacts of electricity distribution phases by applying a life-cycle approach to the case of an electricity distribution company in Morocco. This assessment makes it possible to identify significant contributors from each area. In the context of this company, it is a question of demonstrating how the application of the principles of the circular economy concepts contributes to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, in particular, that of scope 3. This study may be useful for other similar companies.

Utilizing waste rocks from phosphate mining in Jordan as concrete aggregates

This study investigates the potential of replacing natural aggregates in concrete with aggregates obtained from Phosphate Mine Waste (PMW) rocks in Jordan. Several tests were conducted to determine the PMW rocks' chemical, physical, and mechanical properties according to ASTM standards. A comprehensive experimental investigation was conducted, involving thirty-six concrete cylinder specimens, to evaluate the strength and durability properties of concrete made with PMW rocks compared to concrete made with natural limestone aggregates. The tested aggregates of PMW rocks consist mainly of quartz, dolomite, montmorillonite, and fluorapatite. Their physical and mechanical properties were found to be similar to the natural aggregates used for concrete. Concrete specimens made of waste rocks had an average compressive strength of 28.72 MPa at 28 days versus 30.18 MPa for concrete specimens made with natural aggregates. The tensile splitting strengths of the concrete made with PMW aggregates were higher than expected, with an average of 5.36 MPa at 28 days, whereas the reference specimens had an average tensile splitting strength of 5.49 MPa at 28 days. According to the findings, PMW rocks can successfully replace natural aggregates in structural and infrastructural constructions, enhancing the circular economy concept and contributing to a more environmentally friendly mining industry.

SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS, GENDER AND TEACHERS' FACTORS AS PREDICTORS OF ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN ECONOMIC CONCEPT IN SOCIAL STUDIES

The role of the teacher in the teaching-learning process is crucial for facilitating students’ learning.. However, there is a dearth of literature that incorporate socio-economic status such as parental (qualification, occupation, education, income), teachers' factors such as (qualification, work attitude and competence) and gender as they predict students’ academic achievement, particularly in economic concepts within the field of Social Studies. This study therefore investigated socio-economic status, gender and teachers' factors as predictors of students' academic achievement in economic concepts in Social Studies. The study adopted cross-sectional survey research design. Questionnaire was the instrument used to collect data from 350 respondents drawn from five senior secondary schools in Ibadan, Oyo State. Seventy students were selected each from the five schools drawn from Ibadan North local government areas of Oyo state. Data collected were analysed using chi-square and t-test at 0.05 level of significance. The result of the data analysis showed that there is prominent association between socio-economic status and students' academic achievement; there is significant relationship between teachers' factor and students' academic achievement and there is no significant relationship between academic achievement of male and female students in economic concepts in Social Studies. Based on the findings, it was recommended parents should improve the conditions of their home environment to suite the purpose of their children performing better in school work while teachers improve their method of instruction to address various personality traits of students.Keywords: Socio-economic status; Gender; Academic performance; Teacher’s factor

Measuring the quality of a match

The quality of an employment match is a central concept in labor economics. It is relevant for evaluating the welfare impact of labor market policies, and for our understanding of labor market dynamics. This paper reviews the challenges associated with measuring match quality. We first review measures commonly used in the literature, their advantages, and drawbacks. We then present novel evidence from a survey sample of US employees where alternative measures were collected simultaneously. We show that while some of these measures correlate well, others do not. Finally, we present additional partial evidence on the correlations between measures based on the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY79), a substantially larger and nationally representative survey. The takeaway message is a word of caution regarding the interpretation of some of these measures and specific concerns regarding using wages and tenure as indicators of match quality.

The impact of circular economy strategies on municipal waste management: A system dynamics approach

The low levels of reuse and recycling of solid waste in cities in developing countries can be attributed to decision-making processes with sub investment that do not consider waste streams, recovery capacities, and potential for recycling. This is due to a lack of understanding of the systemic structure of urban waste management.This article presents the development of a model of an urban waste management system that integrates decisions based on strategies that close cycles, belonging to the concept of a circular economy. These strategies aim to increase the potential use of organic waste, plastics, and glass.The model was built using the Systems Dynamics methodology, which allows obtaining mathematical models for the study and observation of trends and future scenarios of complex systems. The model is made up of three modules: health, financial, and circular economy. The strategies evaluated and compared in the simulation environment were: Economic incentives at the price of the material used; Increase in waste sorting capacity; Increase in the capacity to use waste.Methodologically, novel mathematical representations were achieved for the estimation of the useful life of sanitary landfills. Likewise, a mathematical formulation was found for the automatic evaluation of the efficiency in the capacity to use different wastes, which allows to know the need for investment or increase of capacity to use the type of waste evaluated.Using novel mathematical representations, this study achieved a methodological breakthrough in estimating the useful life of sanitary landfills and waste transformation efficiency. These representations also enable the automatic evaluation of how effectively different types of waste can be utilized. This information can then be used to determine the need for investment in, or expansion of, the capacity to handle specific waste types or to increase the overall waste collection capacity of the city.

경제교육프로그램이 중학생의 친사회적 행동과 진로의식 형성에 미치는 영향

This study was conducted on 56 middle school students located in C City to determine the impact of the economic education program in the school curriculum on cultivating pro-social behavior and forming career awareness. Descriptive statistical analysis, univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), and multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) were conducted on the pre- and post-test results regarding behavior and career awareness formation, and the following results were obtained. The satisfaction evaluation of middle school students' economic programs for acquiring basic economic concepts, improving pro-social behavior, and forming career awareness was overall positive. The economic education program aimed at forming middle school students' pro-social behavior and career awareness had a positive impact on the formation of basic economic concepts, pro-social behavior, and career awareness. Lastly, since this study was conducted with a limited number of subjects, there are limitations in generalizing it, so follow-up research is needed to develop and disseminate economic education programs.

Welfare in Islamic Economics Perspective: Literature Review

The main issue in the economy is growth. Economic growth is always an indicator of prosperity and a solution to every economic crisis. This growth is driven by increased resources, especially human resources and technology. The aim of this research is to explain in depth the study of welfare from an Islamic economic perspective. The type of research used is qualitative research with a literature review approach. The object of this research is, of course, texts and references or library literature related to welfare from an Islamic economic perspective. Data collection techniques used library and documentation methods. Data analysis techniques are used: data collection, data reduction, data display, and an overview of conclusions or verification. This literature review concludes that Sharia’s economic prosperity aims to achieve overall human welfare, namely Material, spiritual, and moral welfare. The Sharia economic concept of welfare is based not only on the manifestation of economic values, such as ethical, spiritual, social??, and Islamic political values. From this understanding, it can be understood that social welfare issues are in line with the mission of Islam itself. This mission is also the apostolic mission of the Prophet Muhammad. The contribution of this research provides an understanding and application of the concept of welfare in Islamic economics, emphasizing the importance of balancing material, spiritual, and moral well-being in achieving sustainable and inclusive development goals.

Penerapan Produk Blue Economy Melalui Pembuatan Nugget Udang Di Kampung Matara Merauke Papua Selatan

and sustainability of natural potential so that marine resources are maintained and can be used by the next generation. Matara Village is a coastal area in Merauke, south papua South Papua Province which has abundant marine potential. One of them is shrimp which is a leading commodity in this village. The use of shrimp is still limited to selling them whole. In the process, the shrimp are sold at cheap prices to agents and often the small shrimp are not sold so they are wasted which ultimately causes an unpleasant smell on the beach. Apart from that, fishermen in Matara Village generally live in the lower middle economic strata. The abundance of marine products has not been processed optimally. In fact, if the Blue Economy is implemented optimally, it can increase the income of the people there. Training and assistance in making Blue Economy products in the form of shrimp nuggets was provided to the women of Matara Village. as an effort to increase the economic value of shrimp, increase the variety of healthy foods that are contemporary and popular with all groups, overcome waste caused by unsold small shrimp, and can increase income variations This activity was carried out by Musamus University KKN lecturers and students for 1 month. This activity was carried out by observing the community, lectures about the importance of implementing the Blue Economy concept in coastal areas, demonstrations and assistance in making shrimp nuggets, and surveying community satisfaction. This activity was responded very well by the community and said that assistance should be carried out in the manufacture of Blue Economy products in the future

“Minorities”, the nation and Europe in the history textbooks of Germany, Spain and Turkey

A feature of the concept of “minorities” is the invisibility and stigmatization of communities, more so within the idea of the nation. The European Union project stimulated new vistas, and offers challenges to reconcile peoples under a new political, social and economic concept. However, in the midst of crisis and war in Europe, mistrust and hostility are increasing, incited by right-wing populism and nationalism and these aims of the last century are slowly making their way into history textbooks. This article analyses the representation and construction of these complex concepts in eight German, Turkish and Spanish secondary school history textbooks. In times of strengthening nationalism, it is also discussed here whether the representations convey essentialist ideas and imperialistic structures hidden between the lines in school textbooks, or whether they reflect the concept of “minorities” as a component of a pluralistic and hybrid European society. The research is divided into two areas: 1) A quantitative analysis of textbooks: A comparative research will be carried out on the representation of 'minorities' in English, German, Turkish and Spanish history textbooks. The textbook research is temporally limited to the period from the sixteenth until the twenty-first centuries.

How Does a Decision-Making Tool Enhance Spent Mushroom Substrate Valorization into Polysaccharides?

In mushroom farming, one kilogram harvested results in about five kilograms of spent mushroom substrate (SMS), posing an environmental management challenge. As an in-tune work with the concepts of circular economy, cleaner production, and waste minimization, this study has developed a mathematical model than analyzes the valorization potential of SMS through polysaccharide production. The in-depth mathematical model is based on a system dynamics approach, which explains the interactive interplay amongst the production process, related costs, energy consumption, and caused emissions. The model has been developed in a generic way. Meaning that it can be re-adjusted flexibly for a different cleaner production process. A user-friendly interface has been developed. Users can easily maneuver around the variables within the model that offers instantaneous insight into the environmental and economic impacts of SMS valorization. This interface was later integrated into an educational context to serve as an interactive decision-making tool for cleaner production modelling. The main purpose of the developed tool was to favor understanding of causalities between production chains, energy consumption, labor, emissions, and expenses. This tool has been tested on master’s degree students in a cleaner production course. Survey results show that 82% of students report the need to incorporate similar decision-making tools in their learning curriculum. In sum, the application of system dynamics to the valorization of SMS does not only present an attractive solution for this environmental problem but also shows great potential in setting educational backgrounds for an interactive and close-to-life learning process. It is recommended to develop more interactive tools available for students.

A multi-objective fuzzy mathematical model for circular economy with leasing as a strategy

PurposeThis paper aims at developing a multi-objective mathematical model of circular economy that integrates key concept of leasing as a strategy in addition to reuse, refurbishing, primary recycling, secondary recycling and disposal.Design/methodology/approachThis paper proposes multi-objective fuzzy mixed integer linear programming mathematical model considering multi-product, multi-echelon and multi-capacitated concepts of the circular economy. The three objectives of the proposed model, namely, economic, environmental and social are solved simultaneously using constraint approach to obtain balanced trade-off between the objective functions. The model is validated by solving a case study from the literature. The proposed model is made pragmatic for industrial application by considering multi-external suppliers multi-customer zones, multi-disassembly centers, multi-collection centers and multi-refurbishing centers and accounting for purchasing, processing, transportation, set-up costs and capacity constraints at the same time.FindingsThe results show that the leasing of the products improves the economic function in addition to the known environmental improvements. The proposed model also shows that the circular economy can generate the jobs for the unskilled people at different locations.Research limitations/implicationsThe proposed model can be further improved by considering the non-linearity due to economy of scale at various centers and in transportation. The model can be further extended to make it multi-period model.Practical implicationsThe proposed model of circular economy can be used by the organizations as a policy tool to decide the optimum number of collection centers, disassembly centers, refurbishing centers, recycling centers and disposal centers and their optimum locations and allocations. The organizations can also trade-off among economic, environmental and social benefits of their proposed decisions in circular economy.Originality/valueThe originality of the proposed mathematical model is consideration of leasing as a strategy to have better control over the supply chain for circularity; considering the training of unskilled people for backward supply chain jobs and accounting for primary recycling and secondary recycling separately for economical computation.

Transparent wood-based materials: A new step toward sustainability and circularity

Wood is a natural composite material mainly consisting of three components, i.e., cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. It exhibits a complex hierarchical structure characterized by open channels, aligned in the growth direction, having specific porosity at micro-, meso-, and macro-scale, and an extended opacity, due to adsorption phenomena because of the presence of lignin and scattering, as different refractive indexes characterize its components. Even if during the historical ages some of its applications have been replaced by other materials, wood still covers a large part of common uses, which range from biomass for energy recovery to material for the building sector, or from artifacts to household/furniture manufacturing. Despite its real invention dating to 1992, only about ten years ago two independent research groups, one from the University of Maryland (USA) and the other from the Royal Institute of Technology (Sweden) rediscovered and started to thoroughly investigate the so-called transparent wood (TW). TW can be derived from almost any wood biomass through specific chemical treatments focused on lignin. These aim to completely remove this component from wood or to eliminate the chromophore groups present in the pristine material, hence obtaining, after direct densification or after infiltration with a suitable polymer resin, a new material with very high transparency, toughness, and lightness. These characteristics can further be combined with other specific features (such as environmental protection, flame retardancy, photoluminescence, and energy storage ability, among others), which open the way toward the development of new, up-to-date, advanced, and sustainable materials for both structural and functional purposes, fulfilling the current concepts of circular economy and sustainability. The present review is aimed at providing the reader with an overview of the characteristics of transparent wood, describing the latest applications and, finally, discussing some challenging issues and perspectives for possible developments in the forthcoming years.

Regulatory Frameworks and Governance in Islamic Banking: A Bibliometric Review of Compliance Standards

Over the past few decades, the global discourse on environmental sustainability and climate change has catalyzed a profound transformation in economic paradigms, giving rise to the concept of the green economy. This paradigm emphasizes the integration of environmental considerations into economic activities to foster sustainable development and mitigate environmental degradation. In the context of Islamic banking, which operates under the principles of Sharia, there is a growing recognition of the importance of aligning financial practices with ethical and social values, including environmental stewardship. This bibliometric review explores the regulatory frameworks and governance structures in Islamic banking with a focus on compliance standards related to environmental sustainability. Through a systematic analysis of scholarly literature, this study aims to shed light on current trends, key areas of focus, and potential areas for improvement in ensuring environmental sustainability within Islamic banking operations.

TEXTILE WASTE RECYCLE PROGRAM IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF SUSTAINABLE DESIGN BY THE COMMUNITY OF KARANGREJO VILLAGE AND PT DAUR LANGKAH BERSAMA (PABLE)

The fashion and textile industry contributes to high level of consumerism which has a major impact that leads to climate change. Facing this, PT. Daur Langkah Bersama (Pable) as a start-up company that manages textile waste offers a solution with a responsible textile waste management by empowering the people of Karangrejo Village. This research is focused on therecycle program which in the process minimizes the use of water and other resources to be more environmentally friendly. The aims of this research are (1) finding the results of the textile waste recycle program by Pable, and (2) examining Pable’s form of sustainability in processing the textile waste. This study uses a case study research method on the circular economy concept. There are three main components to be analyzed; data reduction, data presentation, and verification, that involved in interrelated processes to determine the final result. The approach used in this research is a qualitative approach with case study methods. The data relating to the upcycle process of textile waste by Pable studied qualitatively, where the conditions and situation in Karangrejo Village examined directly through interviews, observation, and documentation. Additionally, it aims to understand how sustainability has been implemented by both parties.

Meeting Report: Microbes as Safeguards of the Environment

Abstract From 12 to 14 March, a gathering of microbiologists and biotechnologists convened at the International University of Andalucía (UNIA) in Baeza (Jaén, Spain) under the auspices of UNIA and the Applied Microbiology International (AMI) Society. The primary objective of this meeting was to analyse the pivotal role microbes play in sustaining our planet in a broader context—both from the descriptive (what is the state of affairs) and the prescriptive perspective (what to do and look for regarding activities of interest). The workshop focused on exploring the ecological aspects of microbes in soil and water, including some extreme environments, the potential of microorganisms as promoters of plant growth and biocontrol agents as well as active large-scale catalysts for environmental health. Various topics were examined in this context, encompassing the application of microbes as platforms for the biosynthesis of value-added chemicals, bioremediation technologies, the concept of the circular economy, the emergence of zoonotic concerns within a dynamically changing global environment and the role of microbes in precision nutrition and precision medicine. In alignment with the strategic plan of AMI, the discussion was focused on the background of the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals (UN SDGs). These targets were formulated at the beginning of the past decade to guide humanity towards a sustainable future. The UN SDGs aim to prevent the overstepping of planetary boundaries, which are endangering Earth's biodiversity and even human survival.