Human Dimensions Research Articles

Geospatial Public Participation Tool Adoption in U.S. Natural Resource Agencies

Government agencies increasingly adopt geospatial online participation tools (geo-OPTs) for public engagement. Yet, little is known about the enablers and constraints surrounding their adoption. We draw from organizational innovation theory to address this knowledge gap related to the adoption of geo-OPTs by U.S. natural resource agencies. We conduct 35 interviews with natural resources agencies and triangulate our findings with policy documents. We find that enablers and constraints interact in distinctive ways that support and hinder innovation of geo-OPTs. Organizational champions navigate enablers and constraints within organizations and their broader environment to propel tool adoption and overcome structural barriers to public engagement in natural resources decision-making. By doing so, geo-OPTs become a pathway for agencies to overcome structural barriers and a tool for advancing human dimensions of natural resource management. These findings provide lessons applicable to public participation activities across diverse governance scales and issue areas.

Sexual education around the world: in Australia and Oceania and Europe.

Sexual education is a vital process of teaching and learning about various aspects of human sexuality, including physical, emotional, social, and cultural dimensions. Its primary goal is to equip individuals, especially adolescents, with the necessary knowledge, skills, and values to make informed, responsible, and safe decisions regarding their sexual and reproductive lives. This article examines sexual education programs in Australia, Oceania, and Europe, addressing the current state, the unique challenges, and recommendations for enhancing these programs to meet the needs of modern society.

Can Gamification Foster Trust-Building in Human-Robot Collaboration? An Experiment in Virtual Reality

Abstract With the increasing deployment of robots to support humans in various activities, a crucial factor that has surfaced as a precondition for successful human-robot interaction (HRI) is the human’s level of trust in the robotic companion. A phenomenon that has recently shifted into the foreground for its potential to influence cognitive and affective dimensions in humans is gamification. However, there is a dearth of knowledge whether and how gamification can be employed to effectively cultivate trust in HRI. The present study investigates and compares the effects of three design interventions (i.e., non-gamified vs. gameful design vs. playful design) on cognitive and affective trust between humans and an autonomous mobile collaborative robot (cobot) in a virtual reality (VR) training experiment. The results reveal that affective trust and specific trust antecedents (i.e., a robot’s likability and perceived intelligence) are most significantly developed via playful design, revealing the importance of incorporating playful elements into a robot’s appearance, demeanor, and interaction to establish an emotional connection and trust in HRI.

Conceptualizing data-driven entrepreneurship: from knowledge creation to entrepreneurial opportunities and innovation

Abstract Digital transformation and the possibility to collect large amount of data, the so-called big data, from different sources can lead to the redefinition of business processes, models and infrastructures. In this respect, data-driven decision making (DDDM) emphasizes the need to rethink management practices to view data as a driving force that can improve the effectiveness of decisions and nurture innovation. Over time, data-driven principles have been reframed as the foundations for the development of a new mind-set that considers data as a key asset that redesigns entrepreneurship and encompasses orientation, culture and human resources management to help entrepreneurs catch, evaluate and launch entrepreneurial opportunities that can improve technology and knowledge by stimulating innovation. For this reason, the study aims at reconceptualizing entrepreneurship according to a multi-levelled perspective based on the integration of cultural, human, knowledge-based and technological dimension to assess the impact of data-driven management on entrepreneurial opportunities creation and on the development of different kinds of innovation. To assess these goals, empirical research based on constructivist grounded theory and on the administration of semi-structured interviews is performed through the investigation of an Italian public–private Consortium specialized in big data. The findings allow the elaboration of a conceptual framework which classifies the activities of data-driven entrepreneurial processes, the phases of opportunity creation and the different kinds of innovation enabled in the Consortium by guiding entrepreneurs and managers in the elaboration of effective data analysis strategies.

A Microphysiological Model of Progressive Human Hepatic Insulin Resistance.

Hepatic insulin resistance is a fundamental phenomenon observed in both Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and metabolic (dysfunction) associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). The relative contributions of nutrients, hyperinsulinemia, hormones, inflammation, and other cues are difficult to parse in vivo as they are convoluted by interplay between the local and systemic events. Here, we used a well-established human liver microphysiological system (MPS) to establish a physiologically-relevant insulin-responsive metabolic baseline and probe how primary human hepatocytes respond to controlled perturbations in insulin, glucose, and free fatty acids (FFAs). Replicate liver MPS were maintained in media with either 200 pM (normal) or 800 pM (T2D) insulin for up to 3 weeks. Conditions of standard glucose (5.5 mM), hyperglycemia (11 mM glucose), normal (20µM) and elevated FFA (100 µM), alone and in combination were used at each insulin concentration, either continuously or reversing back to standard media after 2 weeks of simulated T2D conditions. Hepatic glucose production, activation of signaling pathways, insulin clearance, transcriptome analysis, and intracellular lipid and bile acid accumulation were assessed. Hyperinsulinemia alone induces insulin resistance after one week of exposure, while hyperglycemia and increased FFAs significantly exacerbate this phenotype. Hyperinsulinemia, along with elevated glucose and FFAs, transcriptionally predisposes hepatocytes to insulin resistance through altered metabolic and immune signaling pathways. The phenotypes observed in hyperinsulinemia and nutrient overload are partially reversible upon return to normophysiologic conditions. Our enhanced in vitro model, replicating multiple aspects of the insulin-resistant condition, offers improved insights into disease mechanisms with relevance to human physiology. The many nutritional, hormonal, and systemic inflammatory factors that contribute to the loss of sensitivity to insulin in Type 2 Diabetes and other metabolic disorders are difficult to parse in human patients, and animal models fail to capture all the human dimensions of the relevant biology. We, therefore, developed a microphysiological systems model, involving a microfluidic platform that cultures a simulated human liver for weeks at a time, under controlled nutrient and hormone concentrations, to analyze how the effects of nutrition (glucose and free fatty acids) together with increased insulin cause pathological features seen in human liver in vivo . We found that continually high levels of insulin predispose the liver to some of these features, along with reversal when the nutritional and insulin levels were restored to healthy values.

The neurosociological paradigm of the metaverse.

Metaverse integrates people into the virtual world, and challenges depend on advances in human, technological, and procedural dimensions. Until now, solutions to these challenges have not involved extensive neurosociological research. The study explores the pioneering neurosociological paradigm in metaverse, emphasizing its potential to revolutionize our understanding of social interactions through advanced methodologies such as hyperscanning and interbrain synchrony. This convergence presents unprecedented opportunities for neurotypical and neurodivergent individuals due to technology personalization. Traditional face-to-face, interbrain coupling, and metaverse interactions are empirically substantiated. Biomarkers of social interaction as feedback between social brain networks and metaverse is presented. The innovative contribution of findings to the broader literature on metaverse and neurosociology is substantiated. This article also discusses the ethical aspects of integrating the neurosociological paradigm into the metaverse.

Traces of Postmodernism and Posthumanism in the Construction of Body and Identity in Greek Mythology

This paper intends to explore how the notions of the body and identity are conceptualized, represented, and experienced in Greek mythology by pointing out the parallelism between Greek mythology and postmodernism since postmodern concepts and theories of the body and identity politics can be traced back to myths. Myths offer enchanting narratives about the creation of the universe, the nature of existence, and natural events, alongside fantastical tales of deities, extraordinary beings such as monsters, superhuman heroes, magical transformations, and polymorphous metamorphoses. Classical mythology is also fascinated with etiology, the study of first causes, and the origins of the conditions in our lives. In this sense, how mythical bodies emerge and identities take on certain shapes and develop in various ways gain importance. Myths are full of boundary-breaking forms of existence, transgressive and subversive identities, fluid beings, indeterminate origins, and hybrid bodies, through which we are transported into alternative visions. They defy all kinds of rigid categories, unalterable formations, and the hierarchical order of existence. Similarly, postmodern bodies blur the boundaries among different forms of beings and they are characterized by fluidity, hybridity, multiplicity, fragmentation, discontinuity, and uncertainty. In this sense, this paper sets out to argue that myths align with postmodern and posthumanist understanding of body and identity and mythic thinking is integral to human intellectual dimension and has influenced the emergence of bodies and identities in postmodern texts.

Unlocking Innovation Capacity: Strategies for Micro-, Small, and Medium Enterprises in Ukrainian Agriculture

Innovation is a crucial driver of competitiveness and development of enterprises. Access to innovation is influenced by a multitude of factors, including, among others, an enterprise’s strategy, operation efficiency, and the availability of resources. Middle, small, and micro-enterprises (MSMEs) are pivotal to agricultural production, employment, and food security in Ukraine; however, innovative technologies have predominantly been accessible to large enterprises. The aim of this study is to examine the innovation capacity of MSMEs in the Ukrainian agricultural sector and to identify potential strategies for integrating them to improve access to and inclusion of innovative practices. This study undertakes a quantitative evaluation of the innovation capacity of agricultural enterprises in Ukraine for the years 2019–2022, the latter marking the onset of wartime conditions. A comprehensive framework comprising indicators across technological, resource, financial, managerial, and human capital dimensions was developed to assess the innovation capacity of these enterprises. Utilizing data normalization techniques, composite indicators that offer a unified measure of innovation capacity were derived. Our findings substantiate the Schumpeterian hypothesis within the Ukrainian agricultural sector, revealing that MSMEs exhibit significantly lower innovation capacity compared to their larger counterparts, which causes serious problems with access to innovation. This disparity is particularly pronounced in terms of resources and technological capabilities, whereas the gap in financial performance and managerial and human capital is not significant. Conclusively, the recommendations on strengthening the innovative capacity of agricultural MSMEs—based on integration strategies—have been developed.

أثر التحول الرقمي على تحقيق الميزة التنافسية: دراسة ميدانية على العاملين بالشركة الليبية الضمانية للتأمين المساهمة - بنغازي

The study aimed to identify the impact of digital transformation in its dimensions on achieving institutional excellence. The researcher used the descriptive analytical approach. To obtain data from the study population, which numbered (70) employees, a questionnaire form was used, and after modifying and judging it, it was randomly distributed to a random sample consisting of (59) employees After examining it, a number of (16) questionnaires were excluded because they did not complete the data, and therefore the number of questionnaires that were subjected to statistical analysis was (43). The study reached several results, the most important of which are: The level of digital transformation increased in its four dimensions, where the human resources dimension came in first place, followed by the organizational structure dimension, then the strategic planning dimension, and in last place was the infrastructure dimension. The results also showed an impact of the dimensions of digital transformation (organizational structure, infrastructure, connectivity). Except for the human resources dimension, where the results showed that it had no effect on the institutional excellence of the Libyan Guarantee Insurance Company.

Four Key Questions to Guide Human Rights–based Social Listening during Infodemics

AbstractThis paper considers what a human rights–based approach to the use of social listening to counter infodemics during a serious health threat might entail, using COVID-19 as a primary example. The paper considers social listening in the context of human rights including health, life, free speech, and privacy, and outlines what a rights-compliant form of social listening to infodemics might entail. The paper argues that human rights offer guardrails against illicit and unethical forms of social listening as well as signposts towards a more equitable, ethical, and effective public health tool. The paper first expands on the human rights dimensions of COVID-19, infodemics, and social listening. Second, it considers the human rights dimensions of social listening in relation to rights to health, life, and free speech, given international human rights law principles for limiting these rights. Finally, using this framework, the paper poses four key questions to frame a rights-based approach to social listening: Why do we listen? How do we listen? Who do we listen to and who is doing the listening? And what are the outcomes of such listening?

Delivering More from Land: A Review of Integrated Land Use Modelling for Sustainable Food Provision

We conduct a literature review on integrated land use modelling to guide policy on sustainable food provisioning. Modelling approaches are discussed in the spatial, temporal, and human dimensions, as well as environmental and socio-economic considerations. Many studies have focused on model development over their application to specific policy objectives, often relying on top-down approaches. While ecosystem services are a frequent focus, indicators for their assessment are inconsistently quantified. Socio-economic considerations are coarse in scale compared to biophysical ones, limiting their use in nuanced policy development. Recommendations are made such as standardising data collection and sharing to streamline modelling processes and collaboration. Comprehensive ecosystem services frameworks would benefit from a more uniform classification of values. More bottom-up modelling, connected with top-down models, could account for the heterogeneity between smaller units of analysis such as the landscape, farms, or people. This could reveal further insights into the local contexts and decision-making responses essential for effective land use policy. These advancements would help to design policies that address the complexities of sustainable food provisioning. By connecting local and global perspectives, future models can support more resilient and adaptive food systems, ensuring sustainability in the face of environmental and socio-economic challenges.

Humanizing urban spaces: an evaluation of smart technologies and community integration in Ali Mendjeli, Constantine

The rapid urban development in most Algerian cities has primarily focused on providing housing, often at the expense of other amenities and the human dimension in new built environments. This is particularly evident in the new city of Ali Mendjeli in Constantine, where significant shortcomings in urban facilities have affected residents' utilization of urban spaces. To address these issues, the research explores the potential of employing smart technologies in these spaces. The aim is to propose planning solutions that incorporate modern ideas for humanizing the study area. The research employs an inductive methodology to monitor and analyze the current situation, using a matrix to evaluate the implementation of smart technologies in the city's urban spaces. The study includes both theoretical and applied aspects, and concludes with results and recommendations.

دور برامج المسؤولية الاجتماعية في تعزيز الصورة الذهنية للشركة المتقدمة للبتروكيماويات لدى القطاع غير الربحي في المنطقة الشرقية: دراسة مسحية

The study aimed to know the extent of the impact of commitment to the socio-economic dimension of social responsibility in enhancing the mental image of Advanced Petrochemical Company in the non-profit sector in the Eastern Province, and to identify the impact of commitment to the ethical dimension of social responsibility in enhancing the mental image of Advanced Petrochemical Company in the non-profit sector in the Eastern Province, and to show the impact of commitment to the legal dimension of social responsibility in enhancing the mental image of Advanced Petrochemical Company in the non-profit sector in the Eastern Province, and to know the effects of commitment to the human dimension in social responsibility in enhancing the mental image of Advanced Petrochemical Company in the non-profit sector in the Eastern Region. This study relied on the descriptive analytical approach. The response size was (89) items. The questionnaire was relied upon as the main tool for collecting the data necessary for this study. The study concluded that Advanced Petrochemical Company shows a very high interest in social responsibility, and is highly aware of the importance of adhering to the socio-economic dimension of social responsibility in enhancing the corporate image. The company under study also pays a very high attention to the ethical dimension of social responsibility to enhance its corporate image, and is highly committed to the legal dimension of social responsibility. The company is also highly concerned with the human dimension of social responsibility. The study also concluded that there is a role for social responsibility in enhancing the corporate image of Advanced Petrochemical Company in the non-profit sector in the Eastern Province, and that there is an impact of commitment to the economic, ethical, legal and human dimensions of social responsibility in enhancing the corporate image of Advanced Petrochemical Company in the non-profit sector in the Eastern Region. The study recommends the necessity of adopting a strategic vision to implement the philosophy of social responsibility and increasing the company's interest in serving the community by providing job opportunities and contributing to supporting social, cultural, health and sports activities and services, preparing training programs for its employees, and enacting legislation that guarantees the elements of transparency and disclosure for institutions and companies that adopt social responsibility. The study suggests conducting more studies in the areas of social responsibility and image.

La espiritualidad de una ecología integral

Spirituality in an ecological key raises the urgency of giving a response from the human spiritual dimension to the challenges that the environmental crisis of today's world continually throws up. To this end, it contrasts an integral ecology, of purely humanistic, spiritual and cultural roots, with an ecology of disaster, of purely technological and geoengineering roots. In contrast to an ecology of disaster focused on short-term reactions that give primacy to technical geoengineering solutions, integral ecology focuses on the current challenges of the relationship between human beings and nature by exploring its spiritual roots, questioning the consumerist lifestyle and identifying the underlying political and ideological responsibilities. To do so, it takes up the teachings of Pope Francis in his magisterium on this problem and relates it to the voices of other thinkers, theologians and humanists. Through this reflection it becomes evident that, although technical solutions are necessary in the face of certain emergencies, a spiritual change in the attitude of human beings towards nature is needed. The ecology of disaster is based on techno-optimism that seeks to reduce pollution and promote food industrialization without questioning the habits of the first world. Integral ecology, on the contrary, seeks to establish the social priorities that make it possible to live in a less polluted, less noisy and more friendly world with people, their spiritual values and their relationship with the environment. This is where the ecological spirituality of good living is inserted, which seeks to reconstruct the creatural relationship of human beings with the earth, air, water and all living beings.

The Impact of Technological Advancements in Accounting Information Systems on Achieving Alignment Between Financial Accounting Theory and Practical Application at Jordanian Commercial Banks

The study aimed to find out the impact of technological advancements in accounting information systems on achieving alignment between financial accounting theory and practical application at Jordanian commercial banks. The descriptive analytical approach was adopted using the quantitative method to achieve the purpose of the study. A questionnaire tool was constructed to collect data and verify its reliability and stability. A sample of 385 employees of Jordanian commercial banks answered the questionnaire. The results showed that AIS technological progress has a significant impact in achieving alignment between financial accounting theory and practical application in Jordanian commercial banks. All technological dimensions such as the technical dimension, human dimension, organizational dimension, security, environmental and administrative dimensions showed a positive and noticeable impact. It was found that the environmental and technical dimensions had the greatest impact, while the organizational dimension came in last place in terms of impact.

Human Development On The Educational Dimension in East Kutai Regency

The Human Development Index (HDI) is a key metric for measuring achievement in improving human well-being. Various factors, such as economic growth and household expenditure, can have an impact on education's human development dimension. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of economic expansion on household expenditure and human development in terms of schooling. The data analysis technique employs Multiple Regression with SmartPLS SEM (Partial Least Square - Structural Equation Modeling) software. According to the study's findings, economic growth has a significant effect on household spending, but not on human development in the educational dimension, household spending has a significant impact on economic development in the educational dimension, and household spending can mediate the influence of economic growth on human development in the educational dimension in East Kutai. Finally, it is vital to boost economic growth based on the agricultural sector, which can improve the welfare of the community, hence increasing human development in the educational dimension in East Kutai Regency.

PITX2 expression and Neanderthal introgression in HS3ST3A1 contribute to variation in tooth dimensions in modern humans.

Dental morphology varies greatly throughout evolution, including in the human lineage, but little is known about the biology of this variation. Here, we use multiomics analyses to examine the genetics of variation in tooth crown dimensions. In a human cohort with mixed continental ancestry, we detected genome-wide significant associations at 18 genome regions. One region includes EDAR, a gene known to impact dental features in East Asians. Furthermore, we find that EDAR variants increase the mesiodistal diameter of all teeth, following an anterior-posterior gradient of decreasing strength. Among the 17 novel-associated regions, we replicate 7/13 in an independent human cohort and find that 4/12 orthologous regions affect molar size in mice. Two association signals point to compelling candidate genes. One is ∼61 kb from PITX2, a major determinant of tooth development. Another overlaps HS3ST3A1, a paralogous neighbor of HS3ST3B1, a tooth enamel knot factor. We document the expression of Pitx2 and Hs3st3a1 in enamel knot and dental epithelial cells of developing mouse incisors. Furthermore, associated SNPs in PITX2 and HS3ST3A1 overlap enhancers active in these cells, suggesting a role for these SNPs in gene regulation during dental development. In addition, we document that Pitx2 and Hs3st3a1/Hs3st3b1 knockout mice show alterations in dental morphology. Finally, we find that associated SNPs in HS3ST3A1 are in a DNA tract introgressed from Neanderthals, consistent with an involvement of HS3ST3A1 in tooth size variation during human evolution.

The Environmental and Human Dimension of the Ikigai Philosophy for Healthy Housing

The Environmental and Human Dimension of the Ikigai Philosophy for Healthy Housing

Value relevance of intangibles: a comparative analysis between financial and non-financial sector firms listed on the Argentine capital market

The objective of this study is to analyse whether differences exist in the value relevance of intangible assets (IA) and intellectual capital (IC) between firms in the financial sector and other industries. A quantitative approach was adopted. Drawing on the work of Ohlson (1995), an original price model is constructed in the form of a specified panel data model with fixed effects. Data from to 2009-2018, directly collected from primary sources, were used. The sample comprises 52 firms listed on the Argentine capital market without interruption throughout the period. The results show that the value relevance of IA and IC differs between non-financial and financial firms. Among the former, only the human and structural dimensions of IC were of interest to investors. In contrast, both identifiable intangible assets and the three dimensions of IC influence bank valuation, thereby confirming the importance of intangibles in this industry. The study contributes to knowledge of the impact of industry on market valuations of intangibles, which is a somewhat unexplored line of research and, likewise, to knowledge of the banking industry, a sector that has been less well studied in previous research.

<b>Conceptualizing micro-level internationalization from empirical and conceptual constructs: adding the human dimension</b><b> </b>

This Special Issue explores ‘micro-level’ internationalization’ using individual narratives as a conceptual framework for examining different dimensions of engagement in internationalization. It sheds light on the human dimension through the unrecognised and unintended positive and negative impacts of internationalization policies and practices at international, national and institutional levels. It addresses the gap in current knowledge through 10 empirical studies and 2 conceptual frameworks using diverse methodological approaches that have been written by both researchers and practitioners in a wide range of global contexts. It advances a conceptualization of micro-level internationalization through five dimensions of Mobility, Transformational Learning, Development, Context, and Conceptual Framing. Thus, micro-level internationalization offers a new lens to explore the human experience of internationalisation and provides an opportunity and call for action for better policy decisions and improvement of practice that can lead to an enhanced experience for all those involved.