Human Development Research Articles

The nexus of industrial employment, financial development, urbanization, and human capital in promoting environmental sustainability in E7 economies

ABSTRACT Financial development supports economic growth, reduces unemployment, ensures justice, and has an impact on the environment. Human development significantly supports E-7 countries in achieving the goal of stable and qualified economic development in the next decade. This factor affects people’s ability to manage environmental problems and increases their productivity by contributing to people’s industrial and production processes. It can be a guide for states to choose technologies that take into account the clean environment and increase energy efficiency in areas where energy is constantly used. Increasing urbanization encourages various development activities. This study aims to investigate the impact of financial development, human development, urbanization, and industrial employment on environmental quality for E-7 countries with regularized common correlated effects and the Augmented Mean Group long-run estimators. Another important aim of the study is to achieve Sustainable Development Goals 4, 8, 9, 11 and 13. Increasing financial development improves environmental quality in Russia and India, according to robust results from long-run estimators. Increasing human development in China increases environmental pollution. While the expansion of urbanization increases environmental quality in Brazil, it decreases it in China. The increase in employment in the industry increases the load capacity factor in the panel group, Brazil, China, Indonesia, and India. In addition to these results, the current article presents policy recommendations for governments to increase environmental quality on a country basis and provides feasible solutions on how to use the independent variables in the study as environmental tools.

Unravelling the Factors of Acceptance of Violence in Marriage by Women: Insights on Deficit of Reporting Cases of Domestic Violence in Empowered Action Group (EAG) and States of South India

Globally, 30% women, in a relationship, have been experiencing both physical and sexual violence by their intimate partners, particularly in the South-East Asian region. The grave reality of violence in marriage is the acceptance and justification of wife beating by women themselves. Recent cross-sectional studies have pointed out that a woman’s acceptance of wife abuse is related to her actual experience of being a victim, such that the victims of violence are perhaps more likely to justify the behaviour. This study analyses the role, if any, played by measures of women’s autonomy, access and freedom in impacting the acceptance of wife beating in marriage by women. This is undertaken in the background of different levels of human development attained in different groups of states in India. Two groups of states are identified: (a) one group of states represented by states of South India—scoring above national average figures in all parameters of human development including measures of gender empowerment. (b) Second group of states represented by the Empowered Action Group states—scoring lower than national average figures in all parameters of human development, including measures of gender empowerment. Indicators selected related to women’s access to microcredit, freedom of movement, ownership of assets, employment status and literacy levels. In addition, the proportion of households in a state in the lowest quintile also was selected as a factor of wealth. This study further analyses the role that acceptance of violence in marriage by women plays in explaining the deficit in reporting cases of domestic violence in the selected group of states.

The role of school leaders in developing inclusive practices in Icelandic compulsory schools

ABSTRACT Icelandic education policy has a strong focus on inclusive education, but available Icelandic evidence indicates a lack of well-defined procedures in schools and municipalities aimed at inclusive education. Research literature has placed emphasis on the central role that school leaders play in developing inclusive schools. The purpose of this qualitative case study is to develop an understanding of school leaders’ role in developing inclusive practices in Icelandic compulsory schools. Inclusive practices refer to the strategies, approaches, and frameworks created to ensure that all students, regardless of their abilities, backgrounds, and learning needs, can participate fully in educational opportunities. Data collection took place between May 2022 and January 2023. Interviews were conducted in two compulsory schools and in this paper, we build on 8 interviews with 14 teachers and school directors. The interviews were recorded and then transcribed verbatim before the thematic analysis commenced. The findings are introduced according to three main themes: Inclusive school leaders’ role in setting direction, Inclusive school leaders’ role in organisational development and Inclusive school leaders’ role in human development.

The Paths of Ecological Civilization Construction under the Concept of Sustainable Environmental Education

Ecological civilization is a new stage of human civilization development after industrial civilization, and it is an inevitable choice to cope with the global ecological crisis and achieve harmonious coexistence between humans and nature. With the deepening of China's ecological civilization construction, sustainable development education has gradually become an important means of cultivating public ecological awareness. This article first elaborates on the connotation of ecological civilization and its relationship with education, analyzes the current situation of ecological education in schools and society, and points out the existing problems. We must adhere to the integration of ecological civilization and sustainable development education, the integration of ecological civilization and educational governance, and develop education with the people as the center, building a path for the development of ecological civilization.

Influence of reef habitat on coral microbial associations

AbstractCorals have complex symbiotic associations that can be influenced by the environment. We compare symbiotic dinoflagellate (family: Symbiodiniaceae) associations and the microbiome of five scleractinian coral species from three different reef habitats in Palau, Micronesia. Although pH and temperature corresponded with specific host‐Symbiodiniaceae associations common to the nearshore and offshore habitats, bacterial community dissimilarity analyses indicated minimal influence of these factors on microbial community membership for the corals Coelastrea aspera, Psammocora digitata, and Pachyseris rugosa. However, coral colonies sampled close to human development exhibited greater differences in microbial community diversity compared to the nearshore habitat for the coral species Coelastrea aspera, Montipora foliosa, and Pocillopora acuta, and the offshore habitat for Coelastrea aspera, while also showing less consistency in Symbiodiniaceae associations. These findings indicate the influence that habitat location has on the bacterial and Symbiodiniaceae communities comprising the coral holobiont and provide important considerations for the conservation of coral reef communities, especially for island nations with increasing human populations and development.

Parental Acceptance of Fetal Tissue Donation

ImportanceHuman fetal tissue is essential for biomedical research, providing unparalleled insights into human development and disease.ObjectiveTo assess changes in parental decisions to donate fetal tissue following termination of pregnancy after the introduction of the Dutch Fetal Biobank (DFB) and to identify factors associated with consent to donate.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis cohort study collected data from all individuals assigned female at birth (hereafter referred to as participants) who underwent a termination of pregnancy at the Amsterdam University Medical Center from January 1, 2008, to December 31, 2022. No exclusion criteria were applied.ExposureIntroduction of the DFB on September 1, 2017, which offers the option to donate fetal tissue after pregnancy termination.Main Outcome and MeasureRates of fetal tissue donation before and after DFB introduction and associations between patient characteristics (maternal age, race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gestational age, and reason for termination) and consent to donation were assessed using multivariable binary logistic regression modeling.ResultsOf a total of 1272 participants (mean [SD] age, 33.0 [5.4] years), 576 (45.3%) were nulliparous. The mean (SD) gestational age at termination was 18 weeks 3 days (26 days), and reasons for termination were primarily because of structural defects (567 participants [44.6%]), with only a small portion (58 participants [4.6%]) terminating for social reasons (eg, unwanted or unplanned pregnancy). Fetal tissue donations increased from 1.2% (8 donations among 663 terminations) before the DFB introduction to 21.7% (132 donations among 609 terminations) after its introduction. This rise was primarily due to a shift from collective cremation to donation, while individual cremation or burial rates remained stable. The consent rate was 30.3% (132 of 436) for participants informed about the donation option. No significant demographic differences were found between participants who consented and those who did not, except for gestational age; consent rates decreased with advanced gestational age (odds ratio per week, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.83-0.94). Higher consent rates were observed for terminations due to social reasons (odds ratio, 3.56; 95% CI, 1.40-9.10).Conclusions and RelevanceThese findings suggest that a substantial proportion of individuals may be willing to donate fetal tissue for biomedical research after pregnancy termination. Integrating donation options in posttermination counseling respects patient autonomy and could ethically increase tissue availability for research. Expanding biobanks and fostering international collaboration is crucial for standardizing practices and ensuring equitable research benefits.

Agricultural economic complexity and regional inequalities: a new approach using census data from Brazil

ABSTRACT The paper presents an original application of economic complexity to the agricultural sector aiming to determine its suitability to measure and depict regional structural inequalities across Brazilian regions. Using census data, we calculate agricultural complexity indexes for products (PCI-Agro) and regions (ECI-Agro) and the agricultural product space. We show that higher PCI-Agro is associated with higher levels of productivity, education, income and human development. Also, we found that ECI-Agro is associated with higher productivity in agriculture. The econometric evidence points to an inverted ‘U’-shape curve relationship between ECI-Agro and agricultural productivity, which has significant policy implications.

Essential Characteristics for School Administrators in the Digital Age for Thailand

Introduction: It is well known that education and teaching practices are affected by technological developments. The ubiquitous spread of information and communication technologies in recent years has forced educational institutions to undergo a digital transformation so as to keep up with the today’s technological age. Educational activities have become sustainable in virtually all environments and under virtually all conditions, with interactive whiteboards having long since replaced the traditional blackboard in most schools. Changes emerging today include revised job definitions, changing patterns of daily life, and the desire for economic value; together they represent the primary results of this digital transformation. Objective: This study aims to explore the essential characteristic for school administrators in the digital age. Method: This is quantitative approach. The population was educational administrators in Thailand who are responsible for management in educational institutions. This Quantitative Research analyzed the data using Descriptive Statistics, Inference Statistic and Multivariate by IBM SPSS and Structural Equations Modeling (SEM) was analyzed by IBM SPSS AMOS. Results: 1) Government Policy (GP) 2) Performance Attribute (PA) and 3) Competent Innovation directly influence on Perceived Value. Moreover, Perceived Value directly influences on Performance Identification. Analysis of the SEM model was found to be accurate because the model is consistent with empirical data, harmonization index passed all criteria, Chi-Square = 173.53, df = 88 RMSEA = 0.04 and RMR = 0.03, index GIF = 0.96 and AGIF = 0.94 and R2/ df = 1.97. Conclusion: These findings can be used to develop academic fields such as research and strategic planning effectively and can be applied in educational industry as well, so making the product feature that meets the needs of the customer will result in the perception of the value of the product and making a purchase decision. This finding has benefits on human resources development and school management and school administrators as well.

A Review of Data-Driven Intelligent Monitoring for Geological Drilling Processes

The exploration and development of resources and energy are fundamental to human survival and development, and geological drilling is a key method for deep resource and energy exploration. Intelligent monitoring technology can achieve anomaly detection, fault diagnosis, and fault prediction in the drilling process, which is crucial for ensuring production safety and improving drilling efficiency. The drilling process is characterized by complex geological conditions, variable working conditions, and low information value density, which pose a series of difficulties and challenges for intelligent monitoring. This paper reviews the research progress of the data-driven intelligent monitoring of geological drilling processes, focusing on the above difficulties and challenges. It mainly includes multivariate statistics, machine learning, and multi-model fusion. Multivariate statistical methods can effectively handle and analyze complex geological drilling data, while machine learning methods can efficiently extract key patterns and trends from a large amount of geological drilling data. Multi-model fusion methods, by combining the advantages of the first two methods, enhance the ability to handle complex multivariable and nonlinear problems. This review shows that existing research still faces problems such as limited data processing capabilities and insufficient model generalization capabilities. Improving the efficiency of data processing and the generalization capability of models may be the main research directions in the future.

Human capital, creativity and innovation as pillars of leading technology systems

The relevance of the research is determined by the need of modern agricultural enterprises for innovations. Only on the basis of innovative development they can be competitive and later enter industry 4. The purpose of the article is to analyze and justify an innovative approach to the formation of technological networks in the agricultural sector based on the use of competitive advantages of human capital and strengthening of its creativity. The authors note that in order to attract innovation, project managers must coordinate the company's strategy with the strategy of knowledge management and creativity development. The study summarizes the results of using an innovative model in the Brazilian agricultural sector that promotes human capital development and knowledge generation, as well as environmental sustainability (the UTAUT model). The evaluation of these results showed that a significant factor in the successful implementation of the innovation model is the creation of an appropriate organizational and management culture, focused on the involvement of innovations in the activities of agricultural enterprises. The authors conducted a survey of agricultural workers of large and small enterprises of this industry in order to identify their need and degree of readiness for innovations. The results of the survey showed significant differences between large and small enterprises in the given parameters, which require the choice of different ways and sources of strengthening their innovativeness. The problem raised in the article is also relevant for Ukraine as a country with a traditional agricultural sector.

A Review on Photovoltaic Model Cleaning Robot

The PV Sun oriented Board made a difference us tackle the control of the sun and change over it into electrical vitality with adequate productivity and comfort. Sun powered vitality is one of the most solid and maintainable sources of renewable vitality. But the productivity is unfavorably influenced by the collection of tidy, fog, winged creature droppings, and snow and in this manner it is the require of the hour to have normal cleaning of sun oriented boards. Along with the planned cleaning, it is moreover basic to have fitting and viable sun based board cleaning. Customarily, Sun powered boards are cleaned physically. The impediments of manual cleaning are non-uniform cleaning, detachment, harm to boards, hazard of human casualties (particularly in roof- top boards) and development troubles. The labour-hire is too a lumbering errand for PV board cleaning. The errand of PV board cleaning gets to be troublesome an exorbitant if work is contracted. The drawback can be overcome with the offer assistance of an robotized mechanical cleaning arrangement. This extend, we propose an programmed sun powered following framework with an programmed cleaning solar-based instrument to keep up the effectiveness of sun powered boards. The plan, execution, and appraisal of a sun oriented following framework with an programmed board cleaning component are secured in this venture. By expanding sun powered vitality retention and protecting the cleanliness of sun oriented boards, the framework looks for to increment the viability of control era.

Trade liberalization and total factor productivity in Brazil: A vecm modeling

This paper aims to investigate trade openness’s effects on total factor productivity (TFP) using monthly data from December 1991 to March 2024. The analysis also incorporated absorptive capacity to examine the behavior of TFP components. Our findings from a multivariate VECM model indicated that absorptive capacity did not significantly impact TFP, even in the short term. Conversely, the increase in openness contributes to raising TFP by about 26 and 0.16 percentage points in the short and long term, respectively. Additionally, absorptive capacity and trade openness Granger-Cause short- and long-term components of TFP. These results are statistically significant at conventional significance levels. Policymakers should consider the dynamic effects of their policy actions on other sectors of the economy that were not initially the focus of the policy. Policymakers should develop concrete policies that improve the efficient use of resources in production chains to potentialize the productive impact of trade liberalization, including investment in human capital, ICT, and research and development.

The Effects of Cognitive Self-Consciousness, Cultural Values, and Socioeconomic Context on Anxiety in Youth: A Meta-Analysis

Youth mental health is a global health priority due to its increasing prevalence and adverse outcomes. Although the relationship between metacognitions and anxiety is well-documented in adults, further research is needed for the younger populations. This research examines two questions: (a) What is the correlation between cognitive self-consciousness and anxiety in children and adolescents? (b) Is this correlation moderated by cultural and socioeconomic differences? Based on 22 effect sizes from 8,459 participants in 11 countries, a meta-analysis was performed to find the overall effect size, heterogeneity, publication bias, and the moderating effect of Hofstede’s four cultural dimensions and United Nation Development Programme’s (UNDP) Human Development Index (HDI). Using the random-effects model, the results revealed that cognitive self-consciousness ( r = .312, p < .0001, 95% confidence interval: [.257, .365]) showing moderate effect size in association with anxiety in children and adolescents. Meta-regressions indicated that power distance, masculinity, and HDI were important moderators. The findings show a significant correlation between cognitive self-consciousness and mental wellness in youth. The results have important implications for understanding the influence of cultural beliefs and national-level context on the associations between cognition and psychopathology. This article provides consistent evidence that there is a lack of mental health research resources in the Global South.

Disentangling the gender-differentiated determinants of home-based self-employment choices in Nigeria

Abstract Understanding gender disparities in home-based self-employment (HBS) and their links to homeownership and socioeconomic factors is crucial for advancing sustainable development goals (SDGs) in Sub-Saharan Africa, especially Nigeria. This study uses data from the 2010/2011, 2012/13, 2015/16, and 2018/19 waves of the Nigerian General Household Survey (GHS). It employs random effect probit regression, the LASSO method for identifying predictors, and the Blinder–Oaxaca decomposition technique to analyse gender differences in nonlinear binary outcomes. The results show that female business owners are more likely to engage in HBS compared to males, highlighting the importance of gender equality (SDG 5) and decent work (SDG 8). While male entrepreneurs are mainly driven by profit, females prioritise balancing paid and unpaid work, reflecting motivations beyond profit within heterodox economics. Significant gender-differentiated impacts are observed in relation to monthly rent, post-secondary education, dwelling space, energy, and regional locations. Notably, the presence of children significantly increases female involvement in HBS, a trend not seen among males. Marriage also influences female participation, suggesting that marital circumstances and economic benefits play a role. These findings highlight the need for policies addressing gender-specific constraints, challenging traditional gender roles, and promoting inclusive human development within the SDG framework.

A greener approach to assess bioactive compounds in tropical pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) using colorimetry

Bioactive compounds have been shown to promote healthy human development and protect against certain diseases including some cancers. Tropical pumpkins bred for consumption, such as calabaza (Cucurbita moschata), possess these compounds, though concentrations vary considerably between varieties. Bioactive compound quantification methods can be expensive, complex, and generate considerable hazardous waste. A predictive tool utilizing the relationship between extrinsic properties and tristimulus colorimetry values of calabaza would allow for significantly higher throughput with lower requirements for equipment, training, and laboratory consumables. Therefore, this study examined correlations between flesh color and bioactive compound quantities of several calabaza germplasm lines to assess the utility of a sustainable and portable predictive tool. CIEL* a* b* values of pumpkin flesh were assessed using a colorimeter and compared to bioactive compound concentrations determined analytically. Redness was found to correlate with increased ascorbic acid and total soluble solids content. Yellowness correlated with β-carotene equivalent carotenoids and ascorbic acid content. These results suggest that colorimetry may be a viable pre-screening technique for quantifying bioactive compounds in C. moschata.

Assessing the impact of ecological, climatic, and socioeconomic factors on age-specific malaria incidence in India: a mixed-model approach using the Global Burden of Disease Study (2010–2019)

BackgroundMalaria continues to be a critical public health concern in India, predominantly driven by complex interplays of ecological, climatic, and socioeconomic factors.MethodsThis study aimed to assess the association between climatic variables (temperature and precipitation) and malaria incidence across India from 2010 to 2019, utilizing data from the Global Historical Weather and Climate Data for climate metrics and the Global Burden of Disease Study for malaria incidence rates. Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMMs) with a Poisson distribution were employed to analyze the data, adjusting for socio-economic status, as indexed by the Human Development Index (HDI).ResultsThe results indicated a declining trend in both the number of malaria cases and age-specific incidence rates (ASIR) over the study period. In 2010, India reported approximately 20.7 million cases with an ASIR of 1688.86 per 100,000 population, which significantly reduced to 9.8 million cases and an ASIR of 700.80 by 2019. High malaria incidence was consistently observed in the states of Jharkhand and Odisha, whereas Sikkim reported the lowest numbers. Statistical analysis identified significant associations between malaria incidence and both temperature deviations and precipitation levels, with variations also linked to HDI, suggesting better detection and reporting capabilities in more developed areas.ConclusionThe study underscores the critical interactions between climatic variables and socio-economic factors in shaping the trends of malaria incidence across India. These findings highlight the necessity for adaptive, localized public health strategies that integrate environmental monitoring with socio-economic data to efficiently predict and manage malaria outbreaks.

Employee Training and Delivery of Services at the Postal Corporation of Kenya

Purpose: Service delivery is an essential aspect for an organization to gain competitive advantage, since service delivery deals with how a service or a product is delivered to the client and whether it’s fairly or unfairly done hence determining prosperity or downfall of organization. A sure way of realizing full potential of an organization is use relevant human resource development mechanisms appropriately. Human resource development mechanisms describe an organization’s strategies of investing in activities and programs that are intended to develop competence, skills, and knowledge of employees. The study aimed to examine possible association between employee training efforts and service delivery in Postal Corporation of Kenya in Nairobi. Methods: The study is anchored on SERVIQAL model and it deployed a positive research philosophy paradigm and quantitative research design, targeting a population of 400 respondents comprising 300 employees and 100 clients, 40% sample size is obtained from target population translating to 160 respondents. Results: Key finding of the study was that employee training is a significant determinant of service delivery at Postal Corporation of Kenya. As such, the corporation’s efforts at enhancing the capacity of its employees were established to be significantly linked to the quality of the corporation’s services. Conclusion: The study recommends deliberate planning and enhancement of the employees’ skills and knowledge to ensure continued competitiveness of the corporation.

Toward Environmental Sustainability in Africa: The Impact of Financial Technology, Human Development, and Renewable Energy Consumption Across Income Groups

Toward Environmental Sustainability in Africa: The Impact of Financial Technology, Human Development, and Renewable Energy Consumption Across Income Groups

Investigating on Humanistic Quality Education in Medical Schools in Shandong Province as Basis for Proposed Management Intervention Program

This study aims to understand the content, methods and effective implementation strategies of humanistic education in medical colleges in Shandong Province, to construct a process model of humanistic education in medical colleges in Shandong Province, and finally to propose a management intervention plan. This study adopted a multiple case study method, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 4 humanistic education teachers, 3 medical students and 3 managers from three medical colleges in Shandong Province through purposive sampling and snowballing methods. This study used the basic ideas of grounded theory to conduct thematic analysis of the interview data. This study conducted open coding, screened typical sentences from the interviewees' answers, extracted keywords from the typical sentences; then the keywords were classified and sorted to further extract relevant information such as the content, methods, and implementation strategies of humanistic education in higher medical colleges. The research results show that the humanities education in medical schools in Shandong Province has a certain foundation, but there are still some shortcomings. In addition, the study proposed four (4) concepts, namely: humanistic leadership in medical schools, strengthening humanistic guidance, strengthening the humanistic development of medical students, and cultivating and nurturing students' humanistic qualities. Furthermore, the findings also indicated the positive impact of empathy, communication skills, and cultural awareness, which highlights the importance of integrating humanities into medical education to develop well-rounded, compassionate healthcare professionals of the future.Based on the findings, a management intervention plan is hereby proposed.

Understanding public opinion and discussion dynamics of digital humans on social media: an analysis of sentiment, themes and user characteristics

PurposeThe emergence of artificial intelligence-generated content (AIGC) technology has markedly enhanced the capabilities of digital human content generation and natural language processing, thus further advancing the development of digital humans. To enable enterprises and governments to effectively address the challenges and opportunities arising from the rapid development of digital humans, it is imperative to understand the public opinion and discussion dynamics of digital humans.Design/methodology/approachThis study initially analyzed the trends and distribution patterns of public attention to digital humans. By utilizing word cloud technology, we explored the primary focal points of public interest and conducted a topic analysis using latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) techniques. Subsequently, content analysis was conducted on the popular application domains of digital humans. Finally, this study examined the influence of user characteristics on emotional scores toward digital humans and the presence of differences in focus across user groups.FindingsThe results indicate a sustained increase in public attention toward digital humans, accompanied by notable geographic disparities in the distribution of discussions. Discussions on Weibo are primarily focused on four domains, whereas areas within the digital human application domain that provoke widespread discussion include live streaming, service, cultural entertainment and digital avatars. Significant impacts of user characteristics on sentiment scores were observed, revealing divergent focal points of interest among different user groups toward digital humans.Originality/valueThrough the deep analysis of Weibo data, this study offers new insights into the digital human industry, enabling governments and businesses to understand industry trends and develop targeted digital human customization strategies based on customer characteristics.