Harmful Impact Research Articles

Sustainable practices in the hospitality industry: A case study of green initiatives in Thailand

This research paper extensively investigates the adoption and implementation of sustainable practices within the thriving hospitality industry in the beautiful country of Thailand. The study is primarily focused on highlighting the significance of green initiatives that aim to effectively mitigate the potentially harmful environmental impact caused by the rapidly growing tourism sector in this mesmerizing destination. Undoubtedly, it emphasizes the critical and urgent need for hotels, resorts, and other accommodation providers to comprehensively integrate and incorporate eco-friendly practices into their day-to-day operations. This forward-thinking approach is deemed essential due to the substantial socio-economic contributions made by the tourism industry to the remarkable country of Thailand. Comprehensive study delves into various dimensions and aspects of sustainable practices within the hospitable world. It delves into the exploration of innovative and energy-efficient technologies that can be effectively adopted to minimize the consumption of valuable resources. Additionally, the research investigates waste management systems which play a pivotal role in ensuring the preservation and conservation of the environment, while also reducing the ecological footprint associated with hospitality operations. Moreover, the study encompasses singly explores sustainable food and beverage operations, embracing the idea of utilizing locally sourced ingredients and promoting responsible consumption practices, ultimately leading to a healthier ecosystem. While analyzing the implementation process of these eco-friendly initiatives, the research also wholeheartedly acknowledges the barriers and challenges that hotel operators and managers face. These hurdles might include financial constraints, lack of knowledge and awareness, and difficulties in balancing the immediate costs with the long-term benefits. By acknowledging and addressing these obstacles, the research aims to provide valuable insights and potential solutions, ultimately promoting and facilitating a smooth transition towards sustainable hospitality practices. Through thoroughly examined case studies of successful and exemplary green practices within the hospitality industry, this research extensively highlights and emphasizes the vast array of potential benefits that can be derived from adopting sustainability measures. These positive outcomes include substantial cost savings, improved brand reputation, enhanced guest loyalty, and the creation of a unique selling proposition that sets the establishment apart from competitors. Furthermore, the findings of this study strongly advocate and call for a collaborative and cooperative approach among multiple stakeholders. It emphasizes the importance of active involvement and engagement between and among government policymakers, esteemed industry leaders, hotel operators, and the local communities. By fostering this culture of shared responsibility, it becomes possible to effectively foster and promote a proactive inclination towards environmental sustainability within the hospitality sector in Thailand. Ultimately, this enlightening and groundbreaking paper serves to underscore and emphasize the utmost importance of adopting and integrating green initiatives not only for the sustainability and preservation of Mother Nature but also for the long-term viability and competitiveness of the Thai hotel industry within the dynamic global hospitality landscape. By prioritizing the environment and acknowledging the potential risks associated with unsustainable practices, this research aims to empower and inspire all relevant stakeholders to make informed decisions and embrace change for a brighter and greener future.

AI and machine learning for detection and management of delirium in care home residents

Background Presently, diagnosing delirium in older people is a challenge. Diagnostic support tools such as the Confusion Assessment Method and 4AT provide structure but require specialist training, resources, and implementation support, while some subjectivity persists in diagnosis. This is particularly the case in people who live with dementia who often experience rapid fluctuation in cognitive abilities and behaviours. This leads to variation in diagnosis between settings and care providers, with consequent harmful impact on those experiencing delirium. These challenges become greater in care homes where dementia is prevalent, daily fluctuation is the norm and where the majority of staff are not trained healthcare professionals. Summary Here we outline the potential for AI-based Human Activity Recognition (HAR) approaches to identify and flag deviations from normal behaviour that may be precursors of a delirium state, enabling earlier detection and management, and better outcomes. We outline how Statistical Process Control (SPC) approaches could form the basis of diagnostic algorithms and the steps required to test the feasibility of this approach in the care home setting. Key Messages Delirium detection and diagnosis, difficult in any setting, is more difficult in care homes because of resident, staff and organisational factors. Artificial intelligence, machine learning and human activity recognition have potential to make diagnosis more reliable because of their ability to recognise changes from normal patterns of behaviour at an individual level.

Trust as a weapon of war: fighting corruption and corporate crime in Ukraine

We explore the ways in which elite crimes impact the development of society, and specifically address the harmful impact of such activities on social trust. We single out the issue of corruption in Ukraine during the Russian war to analyse the ways in which political elites exploit social trust in emergency situations. Employing a critical criminological approach to crime and justice, we analyse the effect of anti-corruption reforms in Ukraine, paying particular attention to the issue of trust to consider how and why trust has been “weaponized” by war. The war has changed Ukrainian attitudes towards state authorities and engendered in them a remarkably high degree of trust. We hypothesise that this change is based more on emotion than on rationality. The understanding of how and why the political elite might use this trust in the future is important for the development of anti-corruption policy both in Ukraine and generally in Europe. We conclude that the weaponization of trust poses a number of risks to advancing anti-corruption efforts in Ukraine. Sustaining progress in this area, therefore, will require a careful navigation of competing wartime priorities.

Political ideology drives the integration of country-of-origin and offshoring sustainability impact information toward globally prosocial product decisions

Purpose We investigate how white Western consumers make prosocial decisions on domestically branded products manufactured in countries with a developing economy (CDEs). Citizens in these countries manufacture products routinely sold in Western markets under Western companies and brands as part of an offshore supply chain. Design/methodology/approach We propose that prosocial decision-making about these products can be traced to an interactive effect between consumers’ perceptions of the social sustainability impact of offshoring on CDE nations and social dominance orientation (SDO)-Dominance (SDO-D), an ideological preference for higher-status groups to forcefully oppress lower-status groups. In three studies with white Western consumers, this paper measured SDO-D, measured or experimentally manipulated the harmful versus beneficial impact of offshoring on CDEs, and presented assessed participants’ willingness to purchase domestically branded and CDE-manufactured products across a series of decision trials. Findings White Western consumers with low SDO-D prosocially displayed weaker purchase intentions toward products with a domestic brand manufactured in a CDE (“DCDE products”) when offshoring was perceived as harming those countries, and stronger intentions when offshoring was perceived as beneficial. This effect was mediated by consumers’ trust in domestic firms to treat workforce issues appropriately. Conversely, high SDO-Ds’ intentions were unaffected by the perceived harmful or beneficial impact of offshoring. Research limitations/implications Future work in this area will ideally use field purchasing situations while testing for brand familiarity – as a covariate or moderator. Practical implications Firms that market or sell these products are advised to understand if their target segments have lower or higher levels of SDO-D, and how they evaluate the impact of the offshored supply chain on CDE citizens. Our research also suggests Western low SDO-Ds attributed the responsibility of foreign worker treatment to their own domestic companies, rather than foreign governments or offshoring agencies, when CDE workers were harmed by offshoring. Originality/value These findings have broad implications for the various markets and policies behind the sale and positioning of DCDE products and help identify the consumers who demand socially sustainable supply chains and offshore operations.

The Role of Prenatal Exposure to Lead and Manganese in Child Cognitive Neurodevelopment at 18 Months: The Results of the Italian PHIME Cohort.

Prenatal lead (Pb) and manganese (Mn) exposure can impair neurodevelopment, targeting the central nervous system. This study investigated the effects of prenatal exposure to Pb and Mn on neurodevelopment in children at 18 months of age, using data from 607 Italian mother-child pairs enrolled in the Northern Adriatic Cohort II (NAC-II). All children born at term (≥37 weeks) were assessed with the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, third edition. Cord blood concentrations of Mn and Pb were categorized as low or high exposures based on the 75th percentile of their distribution. Sociodemographic and lifestyle information was collected via questionnaires. Using simple and multiple linear regressions, the study examined the relationship between the cognitive composite score (COGN) and Mn and Pb co-exposure, including their interaction. Stratified regressions explored how Mn exposure influenced the effect of Pb, in the whole cohort and by the child's sex. Beta coefficients (β) and the 90% confidence interval (90% CI) were estimated. Boys showed an interaction effect between Mn and Pb, with a reduction in COGN (β = -5.78, 90% CI: -11.17; -0.40), further described as a negative effect of high Pb on cognition when Mn exposure was also high (β = -6.98, 90% CI: -10.93; -3.04). No clear effects were observed in girls or the entire cohort at these levels of exposure. The findings highlight the harmful impact of combined prenatal Pb and Mn exposure on cognitive development in boys.

Analyzing resource saving and environmental safety in oil and gas waste processing system to provide sustainable development

The problems of environmental safety and resource conservation in the processing of industrial waste at Russian oil and gas enterprises are becoming more and more significant, especially in the context of current trends focused on decarbonization and sustainable development. The growth of industrial waste is not compensated by the corresponding growth in the volume and quality of processing, since only 10% of oily waste is processed, and the rest is buried or incinerated, which has an additional harmful impact on the environment. The article proposes a new approach to multifactor analysis of resource conservation and environmental safety in the integrated processing of industrial waste from oil and gas enterprises to achieve sustainable development goals. The algorithm developed by the authors, the theoretical basis of which is the method of data envelopment analysis (DEA), determines the sequence of solving interrelated problems of multifactor comparison of objects of the waste processing system by heterogeneous quality criteria: resource value, resource potential, resource saving and environmental safety. These problems are formulated on the basis of the super-efficiency model of the DEA method as a mathematical programming problem. The presented and tested approach to multifactor analysis of resource conservation and environmental safety of the waste treatment system allows: (1) to obtain and analyze relative comparative assessments of waste storage facilities and technologies regarding heterogeneous quality criteria, and (2) forming local and general decision-making strategies that provide sustainable development goals. The proposed approach appears promising for multiple prospective applications in the oil-bearing regions of the Russian Federation, where the growth in the formation of industrial waste has severe and irreversible environmental consequences.

A CLINICAL STUDY ON THE EFFICACY OF VARISARA DHAUTI (SHANKHA PRAKSHALANA) IN IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG APPARENT-LY HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS

Relevance: In this modern era, faulty dietary habits such as increased intake of processed food, low-fibre diet, and sedentary lifestyle, along with increasing stress and anxiety, can lead to a harmful impact on quality of life. Thus, Varisara Dhauti (Shankha Prakshalana) may be helpful because it helps in the natural cleansing of the gastrointestinal tract. Also, it is a costless procedure because only warm saline water is required. Aim: To study the efficacy of Varisara Dhauti or Shankhaprakshalana in improving the quality of life of apparently healthy in-dividuals. Materials and Methods: The WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire was adopted to evaluate the effective-ness of Varisara Dhauti (Shankha Prakshalana) in improving the Quality of life among 100 healthy individuals. One hundred healthy individuals were equally divided into two groups, 50 in each. In Group I, Varisara Dhauti (Shankha Prakshalana) was performed, and the procedure was repeated every 4 weeks for 8 weeks. In Group II, study subjects were observed for general health profiles. Results: In Group I, improvement in Domain 1(Physical Health) and Domain 2 (Psychological) was highly significant (p<0.001), improvement in Domain 3 (Social relationships) was moderately significant (p=0.001), and the quality of life of all the three domains im-proved from moderate to good. Improvement in Domain 4 (Environment) was insignificant (p=0.080), and there was no change in quality of life. Discussion: It was found that after the procedure, an excellent response was found in Domain 2 (Psychological).

Development of agar-alginate marine polysaccharides-based hydrogels for agricultural applications to reduce environmental hazards.

In order to meet global food requirement, innovation in agricultural techniques and pesticide delivery system will be required for sustainable food supply with minimal harmful impact on environment. This article discusses the synthesis of hydrogels for use in controlled release formulations (CRFs) to increase agricultural output while reducing ecotoxicity and health risks. These hydrogels were designed by graft-copolymerization reaction of polyacrylamide and polyvinyl sulfonic acid onto agar-alginate marine polysaccharides. Copolymers were characterized by SEM, AFM, XRD, FTIR and 13C NMR. One gram of copolymeric hydrogels absorbed 14.80 ± 0.53 g of water. The glyphosate herbicide was released in a slow regulated manner over 72 h which is useful to avoid herbicide loss through leaching, evaporation and to reduce environmental hazards. The herbicide released via a non-Fickian diffusion mechanism and release profile was best described by the Korsmeyer-Peppas kinetic model. The release of herbicide from hydrogels occurred slowly and consistently in simulated soil conditions for a prolonged period. A soil adsorption studies of herbicide revealed a reduction in ground water ubiquity score (GUS) for glyphosate encapsulated hydrogels as compared to commercial formulations. Soil water retention was enhanced by the addition of hydrogel in the soil. The degradation of these CRFs can provide micronutrients (N and S) to improve soil quality and minimize the risk of water pollution by reducing the leaching of herbicides.

Ambient fine particulate matter provokes multiple modalities of cell death via perturbation of subcellular structures.

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is increasingly recognized for its detrimental effects on human health, with substantial evidence linking exposure to various forms of cell death and dysfunction across multiple organ systems. This review examines key cell death mechanisms triggered by PM2.5, including PANoptosis, necroptosis, autophagy, and ferroptosis, while other forms such as oncosis, paraptosis, and cuprotosis remain unreported in relation to PM2.5 exposure. Mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, and lysosomes emerge as pivotal organelles in the disruption of cellular homeostasis, with mitochondrial dysfunction particularly implicated in metabolic dysregulation and the activation of pro-apoptotic pathways. Although PM2.5 primarily affects the nucleus, cytoskeleton, mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, and lysosomes, other organelles like ribosomes, Golgi apparatus, and peroxisomes have received limited attention. Interactions between these organelles, such as endoplasmic reticulum-associated mitochondrial membranes, lysosome-associated mitophagy, and mitochondria-nuclei retro-signaling may significantly contribute to the cytotoxic effects of PM2.5. The mechanisms of PM2.5 toxicity, encompassing oxidative stress, inflammatory responses, and metabolic imbalances, are described in detail. Notably, PM2.5 activates the NLRP3 inflammasome, amplifying inflammatory responses and contributing to chronic diseases. Furthermore, PM2.5 exposure disrupts genetic and epigenetic regulation, often resulting in cell cycle arrest and exacerbating cellular damage. The composition, concentration, and seasonal variability of PM2.5 modulate these effects, underscoring the complexity of PM2.5-induced cellular dysfunction. Despite significant advances in understanding these pathways, further research is required to elucidate the long-term effects of chronic PM2.5 exposure, the role of epigenetic regulation, and potential strategies to mitigate its harmful impact on human health.

Chromium adsorption using a composite adsorbent of corn waste and bentonite

Chromium, a highly toxic heavy metal, poses significant risks to both human health and environmental quality. Its adsorption in wastewater using low-cost, easily implementable technologies has emerged as a crucial solution for mitigating its harmful impact. This study explores the effectiveness of a composite adsorbent made from bentonite and corn waste for chromium adsorption. Experiments were conducted in a laboratory-scale batch system. The research examined the adsorption kinetics and equilibrium, process optimization, and the mechanisms of chromium adsorption. For optimization, a response surface methodology was applied considering three variables: adsorption time (min), adsorbent dosage (g/L), and initial chromium concentration (mg/L). The findings suggest that the adsorption kinetics fit best with the pseudo-first-order model (R2 = 0.968), and the adsorption equilibrium fits with the Freundlich model (R2 = 0.997). During optimization, the adsorbent dosage emerged as the most critical factor for chromium removal. The optimal operating conditions were determined to be 103 minutes, 29.71 g/L of adsorbent, and an initial chromium concentration of 31.13 mg/L. The results indicate that chromium adsorption is a multifaceted process involving diffusion and subsequent interaction at the surface and edges of the bentonite layers. Chemical analysis, coupled with changes in the FTIR spectrum, suggests an interaction between chromium and the silicon and aluminum components of the bentonite. These findings underscore the potential of the composite adsorbent for effective chromium removal.

Where do we go from here? The personal impact of adverse events and complications in surgeons: Results from a cross-sectional study.

Medical error is an inevitable part of modern healthcare, with a potential harmful impact for the patient and the surgeon. The phenomenon of negative personal responses for healthcare workers in the aftermath of adverse events is described as the "second casualty" and can involve significant physical and psychological distress. We present results from a cross-sectional survey of surgeons and their experience in the aftermath of adverse events or complications. Following ethical approval an anonymous online survey was distributed to all training and consultant surgeons in the Republic of Ireland. Data collected included basic demographics, personal response to an adverse event, coping strategies, contributing factors and perception of potential support structures. A total of 110 responses were received representing surgeons with a broad range of experience and specialty. Eighty-nine percent (n=98) of surgeons described negative psychological symptoms in the aftermath of adverse events. The predominant responses were anxiety, guilt and low mood. Sixty-seven percent (n=74) reported that their training did not prepare them for the personal impact of events but found informal peer and family support to be beneficial and were open to the implementation of formal support structures. Surgeons suffer in the aftermath of negative outcomes and feel unprepared to manage the personal consequences. Institutions and representative bodies must step forward to change culture and develop supports for surgeons in the aftermath of adverse events and complications.

Testicular Atrophy Following Torsion in Pediatric Patients: Results of a Long-Term Follow-Up.

To assess torsion outcomes and evaluates the rate of testicular atrophy. The study was done over the 2000-2024 period during which 103 patients of average age 12.9±3.0 were echosonographically followed up after operative detorquation and testicular salvage. The study included three groups based on the timing of intervention: Group 1 "<6hours," Group 2 "6-12hours," and Group 3 ">12hours." The median follow-up for all groups was 65 (60-84) months. The presence of a detorsed testis was significantly higher in the Group 1 where all cases had existing testis, compared to 64.7% in the Group 2 and only 20.8% in the Group 3 (P<.001). The detorsed testis volume was significantly larger in the Group 1 compared to the Group 2 and the Group 3 (P <.001 for both comparisons). The analysis of blood flow through the testis revealed significant differences between the groups (P<.001). The structure homogenousness was present in 20 (55.6%) patients in the Group 1, and non-existent in all the patients in the Group 2 and the Group 3, (P<.001). The risk of testicular atrophy after many years of follow-up is significantly higher compared to the current literature. Testicular salvage is not possible if more than 6hours have passed since the onset of symptoms. The high incidence of heterogeneous presentation on ultrasound of salvaged testes, which did not show signs of atrophy, raises the question of the possible harmful impact of salvaged testes on male fertility.

Наслідки воєнних дій для водних екосистем і рибного господарства України. Тематична вебліо-бібліографія

Purpose. Numerous facts of the harmful impact of military actions caused by the military aggression of the Russian Federation on the environment of Ukraine were recorded and documented by many Ukrainian and foreign scientists and other specialists. The purpose of this work was to form a reference list of publications on the impact of war on water resources and hydrobionts, as well as the aquaculture industry of Ukraine in general and fisheries in particular. Methods. The complete and selective methods were applied in the process of the systematic search. The bibliographic and webliographic core have been consisted of publications in Ukrainian and English, including monographs, materials of round tables, conferences and meetings, public reports, articles in collections of scientific collections and journals, as well as reviews, chronicles, news on the subject of the work, posted on publicly available websites. Results. A thematic list of publications with a total quantity of 97 sources covering the time interval from 2015 to 2024, and showing the issues of the impact of military operations on natural hydroecosystems, as well as the aquaculture industry of Ukraine has been composed. In addition, the range of issues covered includes methods for calculating the damage caused by war and possible ways to overcome its harmful consequences. The literary sources were arranged in alphabetical order by author or title, and described according to DSTU 8302:2015 “Information and documentation. Bibliographic reference. General principles and rules of composition”, with the amendments (code UKND 01.140.40), as well as in accordance with the requirements of APA style — international standard of references. Practical value. The list may be useful for ecologists, ichthyologists, hydrobiologists, fish farmers — both scientists, specialists, and teachers, students, and everyone interested in the topic of the publication. Key words: military aggression of the Russian Federation, hydroecosystems, fisheries of Ukraine, aquaculture, damage, fish kills, ecocide, Kakhovka Reservoir, recovery.

Extreme Heat Stress and Unplanned Hospital Admissions.

The burden and health impact of heat stress on child hospitalization is limited. This study aims to investigate associations between extreme heat stress exposure based on a Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI), emergency department (ED) visits, and ED visits that translate into unplanned hospital admissions. This population-based case-crossover study included all ED visits and unplanned hospital admissions among children and adolescents aged 0 to 18years from New South Wales, Australia, from July 2001 to June 2020. Heat stress was measured by heatwave days defined as 2 consecutive days or more with daily maximum UTCI in the 95th percentile or higher. Distributed lag nonlinear regression models with a quasi-Poisson distribution were applied, and the relative risks from the models were presented. Totals of 8 240 170 ED visits and 1 427 736 unplanned hospital admissions were recorded. Compared with nonheatwave days, heatwave days were associated with an increased risk of ED visits and hospital admissions due to infectious diseases and infectious enteritis by 5% to 17% and heat-related illness by 78% to 104%. Findings were consistent for subgroup analyses. Children aged younger than 1year and those from the most disadvantaged areas were more vulnerable to heat-related illness on heatwave days. Effects on hospitalization were attenuated using ambient temperature only. This study provides evidence of the effectiveness of UTCI to more completely demonstrate the harmful impact of extreme heat stress on increased infection and heat-related hospitalizations among children, which were not fully captured by using ambient temperature alone. Findings can inform targeted area-based strategies, particularly among vulnerable groups to mitigate the effects of extreme heat events.

Longitudinal pathways linking peer victimization to academic efficacy in adolescence: Indirect effects via sleep

Although past research links greater peer victimization to poorer academic achievement, much less is known about if or how peer victimization contributes to adolescents’ academic efficacy, a potentially malleable predictor of academic success. Informed by the biopsychosocial framework of sleep that emphasizes the interplay of interpersonal dynamics and bioregulatory processes in shaping developmental outcomes, the current study investigated pathways from peer victimization to academic efficacy across adolescents’ first 2 years of high school, testing sleep as a potential underlying mechanism. Participants were 388 ninth-grade adolescents ( Mage = 14.05, SD = 0.41; 61% female) who completed five online assessments of peer victimization, sleep, and academic efficacy across ninth and 10th grades. Multilevel mediation models indicated that higher levels of peer victimization during ninth grade predicted increased daytime dysfunction and sleep disturbances at the beginning of 10th grade, which, in turn, predicted poorer academic efficacy by mid-year of 10th grade. No significant indirect effects were found for the models testing sleep duration and latency as mediators. The findings highlight specific dimensions of sleep as potential modifiable targets for interventions that could mitigate the harmful impact of peer victimization on adolescents’ academic efficacy.

The impact of using cannabis during pregnancy on the infant and mother: An overview of systematic reviews, evidence map, targeted updates, and de novo synthesis.

Cannabis use during pregnancy is becoming more prevalent. While numerous studies have explored the relationship of cannabis use during pregnancy and outcomes for mothers and infants, uncertainty remains regarding the impact of cannabis use on pregnancy complications and later-life outcomes for offspring. To produce a summary of the short and long-term effects of prenatal cannabis exposure on fetal growth and development, neonatal conditions, later-life, and maternal outcomes. An overview of systematic reviews, an evidence and gap map, targeted updates of previous reviews, and de novo evidence synthesis was conducted. The databases searched include PubMed (National Center for Biotechnology Information); MEDLINE (Ovid); Embase (Ovid) and CINAHL with Full Text (EBSCO). Assessment of risk of bias was conducted in duplicate for all studies. Relevant studies were coded and are presented as an evidence and gap map. Where possible, meta-analyses were conducted with a narrative synthesis of the results. Primary studies and systematic reviews examining the relationship between cannabis consumption in pregnancy and the effect on fetal/child development, antenatal, and obstetric outcomes during pregnancy were eligible for inclusion. There were 89 studies/reviews eligible for inclusion in this review. There was a potentially harmful impact of prenatal cannabis exposure on all fetal growth and development outcomes, some neonatal outcomes, some later-life outcomes, and some maternal outcomes. The evidence regarding other neonatal conditions, later-life, and maternal outcomes was mixed. The evidence suggests cannabis should be avoided during pregnancy.

Improving the Methods of Solid Domestic Waste Disposal to Reduce Its Human Impact on the Environment

Kazakhstan is embarking on a fresh approach to managing waste, aiming to recycle and repurpose solid household waste while integrating innovative, eco-friendly technologies for its treatment and disposal. The main goal is to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills and instead convert it into more stable forms, lessening its harmful impact on the environment. This effort requires a comprehensive strategy, especially as existing landfills still need to be managed and rehabilitated when they reach capacity. It is essential to use municipal solid waste as a resource for producing various goods, which not only helps in landfill management but also aligns with principles of sustainability. This approach aligns with circular economic principles and helps to reduce the technological impact of landfills on the surrounding environment. The main types of waste in the Aktas landfill were identified as a result of this research: it is glass, of which only 3% is recycled. In our results, the setup allowed for the extraction of valuable components from the fine fraction, which can then be recycled. This enriches the organic material ready for composting (organo-mineral raw material mixture) with food waste.

Use of special knowledge in the investigation of crimes against the environment

The article is devoted to the actual problem of using special knowledge in the investigation of criminal offenses against the environment. The article examines the necessity and peculiarities of applying such knowledge in the process of uncovering and investigating crimes that harm the environment. The paper analyzes the current state of the problem, considers various types of environmental crimes and their consequences. Special attention is paid to the role of forensic examination and the use of modern technologies in the investigation process. In addition, the possibilities of forensic examinations to establish the truth in the investigation of crimes against the environment are analyzed. The work of scientists aimed at the development of forensic means and methods of investigation of environmental crimes, which contributed to the development of the methodology of investigation of crimes against the environment, improvement of their forensic characteristics, the role of special knowledge in the investigation of such crimes, was studied. Attention is focused on forensic examinations and their types, in particular forensic-ecological. The task of forensic environmental examination is to establish cause-and-effect relationships between the state of human health and its change and the harmful impact of human activity on the surrounding natural environment, as well as the study of violations of environmental safety rules. It is necessary to apply expertise from various fields of science, since the objects of research in the specified cases are extremely diverse. The results of the research can be used to develop new legislative norms and improve the practice of combating environmental crimes in Ukraine and beyond. Thus, the study proves that the effective application of special knowledge in the process of investigating environmental crimes is an important component of the struggle for environmental protection. However, in order to achieve maximum results, it is necessary not only to improve technical means and methods, but also to improve the personnel training system, regulatory and legal support, as well as interdepartmental interaction between various law enforcement subjects. Only a comprehensive approach will allow to significantly increase the effectiveness of the fight against environmental crimes and preserve natural resources for future generations.

Exploring the influence of gas extraction on fisheries' footprint in the Middle East: applying spatial econometrics.

The different stages of oil and gas extraction in the seabed are linked to water pollution and threaten fish reserves. This issue becomes more critical in the Middle East countries which are rich in natural resources and at the same time are facing water tensions. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the harmful impact of gas extraction on fisheries' footprint in the Middle East based on data from 1990 to 2021. In addition, as the destructive effects of gas extraction are not only limited to the extraction area but also affect the region widespread, then to examine the spreading characteristic of fishing ground footprint in the entire region of the Middle East, this study applies spatial econometrics. According to the results, local gas extraction has a considerable positive and significant effect on the home fishery's footprint. Each percent growth in local gas extraction leads to a significant increase of approximately 0.21 in the home fishing footprint index. In addition, spatial coefficients analysis reveals that a 1% growth in gas extraction in neighboring countries leads to a 4% increase in fisheries footprint inside a country. In addition, the driving force of fisheries footprint in the Middle East mainly came from gas extraction, accelerated economic development (GDP^2), and agricultural production of the country itself, as well as the urbanization, industrialization, and gas extraction of neighboring countries, respectively. Then, the catastrophe of fishing areas' demolition caused by gas extraction activities in the Middle East area is remarkable and fish conservation needs more intra- and cross-country prevention policies in the Middle East area.

DEVELOPMENT OF ECOLOGICALLY BASED PRODUCTION OF AGRICULTURAL ENTERPRISES

Priority is given to the expansion of environmentally friendly agricultural production methods that minimize the harmful impact on the environment. The methods are based on rational nature management and compliance with environmental standards. The article is devoted to the analysis of the features of modern development of agricultural production aimed at ecologization, in order to create competitive advantages for enterprises of the agrarian sector in the conditions of modern challenges. Methods used in the article: theoretical analysis and synthesis of the test material, social and qualitative research methods. The ecologization of agricultural production is investigated, and measures that contribute to the transition to the use of organic production methods are identified. The advantages of organic production, formed in some environmental, economic, social areas, are highlighted. It is substantiated that the production of organic products is important in the context of the transition to ecologically oriented management. It contributes to reducing the negative impact on the environment and supports the sustainable development of the agricultural sector. Their consumption has significant benefits for human health due to the absence of harmful impurities and higher nutritional value. The main indicators of the dynamics of organic movement and the structure of the domestic market of organic products in Ukraine are revealed. The factors restraining the development of organic production and the market of organic products have been identified. The importance of the implementation of environmental programs by enterprises of the agricultural sector is described. These programs are directly engaged in organic farming and focus their activities on minimizing the negative impact on ecosystems and ensuring sustainable productivity. Foreign cooperation in the field of organic agriculture due to the provision of financial assistance to organic producers is described. It is proposed to introduce a comprehensive mechanism of state support for organic producers through economic, environmental and social levers.