Human Society Research Articles

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the etiological agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is characterized by its high contagiousness. The COVID-19 pandemic has exerted profound impacts on human society. The persistent circulation of SARS-CoV-2 in human populations continues to pose re-exposure risks for both vaccinated individuals and those with prior natural infection. Against this epidemiological background, there is an urgent need to characterize the transmission dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 in the context of pre-existing immunity. Using a ferret infection model, this study systematically addresses critical scientific questions, including viral transmission efficiency, temporal patterns of transmissibility, and the ability of pre-existing immunity to mitigate reinfection and viral shedding. The findings provide robust experimental evidence for elucidating the transmission mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 and offer scientific insights to inform the rational design of optimized antiviral strategies.IMPORTANCEIn this study, a ferret infection model was used to systematically investigate SARS-CoV-2's in vivo transmission dynamics and modes with pre-existing immunity. By characterizing viral transmission efficiency, temporal shedding patterns, and immunity's role in mitigating re-infection severity and dissemination, it provides direct evidence for understanding SARS-CoV-2 spread in immune-exposed hosts. It quantifies how humoral immunity modulates viral load (primary/secondary infections) and ferret contact transmission. Findings establish a key SARS-CoV-2 transmission framework-pre-existing immunity shortens shedding, reduces secondary attack rates but retains residual transmissibility-fill knowledge gaps, guide vaccine/herd immunity/public health measures, and lay a foundation for predicting real-world transmission and antiviral policies via integrated endpoints.

Analysis of Key Enzymes and Mechanisms Involving Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) Degradation in Tenebrio molitor Using iTRAQ Technology.

Abstract Artificial intelligence (AI) systems are ubiquitous in human society, and the quality of human–AI relationships is closely related to people's well‐being. In the context of frequent human–technology interactions, understanding psychological processes – particularly, the motivational mechanisms – underlying people's engagement with AI is of increasing research interest. Based on the overarching framework of agency and communion, we review research on how agentic and communal motivations shape two key aspects of engagement with AI: the perceived mind in AI and attitudes or behaviours towards AI. We also identify cultural differences in motivational engagement with AI. Moreover, we flesh out key directions for future research, which include considering how motivational systems shape and are shaped by human–AI interaction; examining how agentic and communal motivations jointly shape engagement with AI; and exploring how cultural differences in engagement with AI develop. Finally, we conclude that studying motivational engagement with AI could provide an opportunity to deepen the understanding of people's motivational processes and human–technology relationships.

Abstract The article is a critical-philosophical reflection of some economic–political and technological–political trends triggered by the process of digitalization and enhanced by AI technologies. From the perspective of environmental political philosophy, it points out that the rapid emergence of AI technologies is neither politically nor environmentally neutral. It deepens several contradictions of democratic political and constitutional systems, thereby undermining democratic institutions and processes. This paper understands contemporary constitutional democracies as normative systems of limits aimed at limiting the possibility of abuse of power. However, the economic and political reality of nominally democratic states differs in many ways from normative constitutional documents. Even constitutionally democratic states are thus unable to adequately respond to environmental devastation caused by technological and economic power. Based on the critique of this techno-political constellation, the article introduces the concept of environmental democracy as a normative theory, which seeks to reconcile the concept of constitutional democracy with the knowledge of Earth System Science. From this perspective, the paper critically assesses some phenomena associated with digitalization and the development of AI technologies, which threaten the existing constitutional democracies and practically make their socio-environmental transformation impossible. The concept of environmental democracy assumes the possibility of extending equal access to public functions to equal access to basic life resources as prerequisites of survival for all in the New Climate Regime. It relies on several UN documents and declarations. The article points out that the AI revolution is occurring simultaneously with an unprecedented disruption of the planetary system that is changing the environmental preconditions for the existence of organized human society to an extent that threatens both the survival of existing political systems and civil and human rights, and brings a new perspective on how AI technologies undermine democratic institutions and processes of socio-environmental transformation.

Fairness norm enforcement represents a defining characteristic of human societies and is significantly influenced by group dynamics. However, the direction in which group relations influence the fairness norms enforcement remains controversial, and the underlying mechanism by which social value orientation modulates this effect has not yet been examined. A mixed experimental design with 2 (social value orientation: pro-socials vs. pro-selves) × 2 (group relationship: in-group vs. out-group) × 3 (proposal size: 5:5, 3:7, and 1:9) was employed to examine the impact of social value orientation and group relationship on the fairness norms enforcement during group resource allocation scenarios using a single anonymous ultimatum game. The results revealed that pro-socials were more likely to accept unfair distribution offers when interacting with in-group members compared to out-group members. However, no significant interaction effect between group relationship and proposal size on pro-selves’ acceptance rates was detected. Moreover, pro-selves responded significantly faster to the extremely unfair offers (1:9) when dealing with out-group members, whereas pro-socials exhibited shorter response times when interacting with in-group members. Responses to the other two distribution offers (3:7 and 5:5) were not significantly affected by either social value orientation or group relationship. Notably, for the 3:7 offers, pro-socials demonstrated higher in-group favoritism scores than pro-selves, while no such differences were observed for the 5:5 and 1:9 offers. These findings indicate that social value orientation and group relationship can jointly influence individuals’ normative responses to unfair distribution schemes.

Societal Impact Statement Plants provide oxygen, food, shelter, medicines and environmental services, without which human society could not exist. Tackling pressing and global challenges requires well‐trained plant scientists and plant‐aware individuals. This manifesto provides a practical evidence‐based vision to strengthen plant science education, focused on five strategic priorities. It is relevant to all stakeholders within plant science and beyond: from frontline educators to institutional leaders; from commercial or charitable professionals to entrepreneurs and donors; from individual community members to their legislative representatives. Strengthening plant science education demands concrete actions from all stakeholders, ultimately to the benefit of us all. Summary Plant science education needs urgent attention. Skilled plant scientists are needed to address major environmental and societal challenges, and global communities require plant‐aware professionals to drive impactful policy, research and environmental stewardship. This manifesto was collaboratively generated by a community of educators who gathered to reflect on the state of plant science education. The forward‐facing document provides a clear strategy for plant science education, complementing existing research strategies. Five themes were identified as essential for meeting the evolving needs of plant science, educators and learners: (i) plants must be at the centre of an education that addresses global challenges and societal values; (ii) plant science education must prepare students for their futures using bold and effective pedagogies; (iii) equity, diversity and inclusion must be robustly embedded in educational practices; (iv) local and strategic partnerships (with industry and beyond) are required to strengthen academic education; and (v) plant science educators need resources and opportunities to develop and connect. The manifesto is intended as a framework for change. Educators, funders, publishers, industry representatives, policymakers and all other members of our communities must commit to sustained investment in plant science education. By proactively and collectively embracing the recommendations provided, the sector has an opportunity to cultivate a new generation equipped with the knowledge, skills and passion to unlock the full potential of photosynthetic organisms.

As an inorganic non-metallic material with a long history and wide application, glass has exerted a profound impact on the production, life and technological development process of human society since its birth. In order to investigate how the type of glass can be classified, this process is here to point out how to solve this kind of problem. This study addresses the inefficiencies of traditional glass classification methods by systematically evaluating four machine learning algorithmsLogistic Regression (LR), Random Forest (RF), K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), and Support Vector Machine (SVM)for accurate glass type identification. Leveraging glasss chemical and physical properties as features, the research incorporates feature engineering and hyperparameter tuning to optimize model performance. Experiments on a dataset of 214 glass samples show that optimized SVM achieved the highest test accuracy (0.7632), followed by tuned KNN (0.7368), RF (0.7105), and LR (0.6842). Cross-validation confirms model generalization, while RFs feature importance highlights magnesium and aluminum content as key classification drivers. This work provides a cost-effective, automated solution for glass classification, with value for both material science research and industrial applications like quality control and recycling.

Air pollutants and greenhouse gases (GHGs) pose threats to the sustainable development of human society and ecosystems. While various established techniques are available for reducing air pollutant and GHG emissions from industrial sources, they typically focus on pollutant treatment rather than conversion and utilization. Electrocatalysis is a promising technology for converting these harmful gases into valuable chemicals using renewable energy inputs under mild conditions. Air pollutants and GHGs always coexist industrially and share some similar properties. Their electrochemical conversion, which occurs through similar electron-transfer mechanisms, can therefore be achieved synergistically in a specific scenario. This review critically examines the rationality, key considerations, and practical strategies for the synergistic conversion of air pollutants and GHGs, bridging the gap between laboratory research and industrial adoption. We assess the current state of electrocatalytic technologies, covering fundamental mechanisms, electrode materials, and reactor designs. Detailed analyses of electrocatalysts for anodic, cathodic, and synergistic reactions are provided along with investigations into reactor configurations and the role of external fields in enhancing performance. By exploring the challenges and future perspectives in gas-involved electrocatalysis, this review identifies critical barriers that need to be overcome to enable large-scale industrial implementation.

This study aims to analyze the role of non-formal education based on women’s empowerment in enhancing business competence, economic independence, and household welfare in the era of social transformation. The method used is a literature review with a qualitative approach through descriptive analysis. Data were obtained from Google Scholar and credible websites with a publication range between 1964–2025. Data analysis was conducted using qualitative descriptive analysis, which involved organising information, identifying key themes, comparing findings across studies, and presenting comprehensive interpretations. From 50 initial articles, after a strict selection process based on relevance and quality, 32 articles were used as the main sources. The results indicate that non-formal education contributes significantly to building women’s entrepreneurial skills, increasing financial independence, and strengthening family welfare. The integration of digital literacy, social capital reinforcement, and community support has proven to enhance the effectiveness of non-formal education programs amid the dynamics of social transformation. This study also highlights the relevance of Human Capital Theory, Empowerment Theory, Capability Approach, and Network Society in understanding the relationship between non-formal education and women’s empowerment. The findings provide practical implications for the development of community-based programs, theoretical implications in enriching the literature on women’s empowerment, and policy implications in formulating sustainable socio-economic development strategies.

The origin of human speech is a complex and multidisciplinary topic that lies at the intersection of linguistics, biology, anthropology, and cognitive science. Understanding the biological prerequisites for speech provides insight into how anatomical, neurological, and genetic factors collectively enabled humans to develop this unique communicative capacity. This paper examines the evolutionary development of the human vocal apparatus, the specialization of brain regions responsible for language processing, and the role of genetic mutations such as FOXP2 in facilitating speech production. Additionally, it explores the adaptive advantages of vocal communication in early human societies and its relationship with cognitive and social evolution. By integrating findings from comparative studies between humans and primates, this research highlights the biological foundations that made the emergence of speech possible, emphasizing that language evolution is both a product of biological adaptation and a driver of human cultural advancement.

The results of content analysis of foreign publications on the issue of personal integration are presented. It is noted that in striving for internal consistency and integration, a person finds integration in the movement towards spirituality. Spirituality is positioned as a force and factor in the construction of human society. Personal integration demonstrates internal consistency in terms of the harmonious combination of a person's values, motives, attitudes, tendencies and dispositions. Such consistency is a means of achieving balance in life and maintaining mental and physical health. A lack of personal integrity (a state of disintegration) leads to internal inconsistency, intrapersonal conflict, and maladjustment in society. Personal disintegration causes a range of health problems. Therefore, there is a need for further study of the processes of acting as a driving force for personal development, as well as the creation of means for diagnosing the level of maturity of such actions. The maturity of actions and the integration of personality play a special role in the increased social responsibility of individuals who make significant and complex decisions within their professional activities. The maturity of actions is associated with personal and, as a result, professional growth, while insufficient personality integration becomes one of the risks of developing personal maladjustment and emotional burnout. The author offers his own working definition of the concept of ‘personal integrity’ as the consistency and relatively uncontradictory combination of values, motives, attitudes, tendencies and dispositions accepted by a person. In short, personal integrity can be defined as consistency of intentions.

The article is dedicated to the legacy of Saint Philaret (Drozdov). Based on statements taken from sermons, opinions, reviews and letters of Metropolitan Philaret, which touch upon the themes of the origins of statehood and the structure of public life in the country, the features of his views on the relationship between the Church and the state are revealed. The article analyzes the range of ideas associated with his teaching on the structure of the earthly state in the image of the Kingdom of Heaven. It is noted that the Metropolitan’s views on church-state relations are based on the idea of the state as part of God’s plan in human society. Despite the fact that the Church and the state have different natures and origins, and the forms of their relationship are continuously developing in a historical context, the saint defines their common goals, attaching great importance to the role of the earthly city in the preparation of citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven. The Moscow Metropolitan points out a direct connection between the political stability of the state and the moral level of its citizens. The article focuses on the fact that in these conditions the Church acts as a bearer of spiritual and moral values. The legacy of the saint is of interest from the point of view of political axiology in terms of a deeper understanding of the provisions of the 809th Decree of the President of Russia, which specifies the concept of “traditional values”. Decree 809 includes moral guidelines passed down from generation to generation, which shape the worldview of Russian citizens and form the foundation of the all-Russian identity.

The article looks into two manuscripts containing copies of a thematic Arabic-Malay vocabulary titled al-Jadwal fī kalām al-ʿArab (A list in Arabic speech). Originating in mid-19th-century West Sumatra, the manuscripts are housed in the Leiden University Library with the numbers Or. 3231(8) and 3233(2) and belong to the collection of Dutch linguist Herman Neubronner van der Tuuk (1824–1894). The vocabulary features a list of Arabic words arranged in thematic sections and provided with Malay equivalents below the line. Starting with God’s names and words describing the natural world, it proceeds to sections dealing with human society and everyday life. The article discusses the encyclopaedic nature of such an arrangement and addresses the pedagogical functions of this thematic dictionary as a tool for teaching and learning Arabic as a foreign language in the Indonesian-Malay world. Juxtaposing two versions of the same text, it questions the modes of this text’s transmission and reasons for employing an interlinear model of translation in a dictionary. Considering the divergences between the two manuscripts as well as different misspellings they contain, the article argues that the interlinear Malay translations were transmitted separately from the Arabic wordlist. Keywords: Arabic-Malay lexicography, West Sumatra, dictionary, interlinear translation, Islamic education

Punish, compensate, or both? Children's fairness decisions in varying choice contexts.

Estuaries and lagoons are recognized as vital nursery habitats for coastal ecosystems, providing essential ecosystem services to human societies while also facing significant threats from human activities and climate change. However, long-term monitoring data for these ecosystems remain scarce. This dataset presents the occurrences and morphological measurements of fish collected from the Qigu Lagoon over a seven-year period (2015–2021). Additionally, seven water quality parameters which are basic to aquatic life over four years (2018–2021) are included. A total of 15,009 individuals representing 190 species were collected. Among the families, Leiognathidae, Clupeidae, and Mugilidae were the most abundant, while the dominant species included Eubleekeria splendens, Leiognathus equulus, Planiliza macrolepis, Nematalosa japonica, and Nuchequula mannusella. This dataset serves as a baseline for understanding interannual changes in fish assemblages in relation to environmental changes. It may provide valuable references for researchers in related fields and for managers of estuaries and coastal lagoons.

Global warming has become a major challenge facing human society, with carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions being its primary driver. Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) represents a promising technology for mitigating CO2 emissions from industrial and energy sectors. However, challenges such as high energy consumption, lengthy construction cycles, significant costs, and inadequate policy and market mechanisms hinder the widespread adoption of CCUS technology. This paper reviews the potential, applications, and related policies of CCUS technology, highlighting current research progress and obstacles. First, it provides a comprehensive overview of the CCUS technology framework, detailing developments and engineering applications in capture, transport, enhanced oil recovery, and storage technologies. Through global case studies and analysis, the review also examines advancements in CCUS infrastructure and technology strategies, along with operational experiences from major global projects. Second, it delves into the mechanisms, applications, and challenges of CCUS-related technologies, which are crucial for advancing their industrial deployment. It also outlines policy measures adopted by different countries to support CCUS technology development and large-scale deployment. Finally, it projects future directions for CCUS technology and policy development.

As global warming intensifies, changes in land surface air temperature (LSAT) exert significant influence on both natural systems and human society. This study investigated the spatio-temporal heterogeneity of global LSAT variability using the ERA5-Land reanalysis dataset from 1950 to 2022. The results indicate a significant global warming trend of 0.035 ± 0.003°C/year during 1980-2022, with pronounced hemispheric asymmetry. The warming rate in the Northern Hemisphere (0.038 ± 0.003°C/year) far surpassed that of the Southern Hemisphere (0.018 ± 0.003°C/year). Seasonal analysis revealed that peak warming occurred during the Sep-Oct-Nov period, corresponding to boreal autumn and austral spring. Spatially, 99.23% of the global land area experienced warming, with 46.07% exceeding the global mean rate, primarily in northern mid-upper latitudes. Arctic amplification was evident, with warming exceeding twice the global average. Empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis revealed that the first three modes explained 35.95%, 14.82%, and 6.03% of the variance, respectively. The first mode (EOF1) exhibits a globally coherent warming pattern associated with the long-term trend. The second mode (EOF2) displays a distribution characteristic of "North Eurasia + /Rest - ," strongly correlated with the North Atlantic Oscillation/Arctic Oscillation (NAO/AO). The third mode (EOF3) is linked to tropical Pacific sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies and correlates significantly with the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO).

Understanding how life is adapting to urban environments represents an important challenge in evolutionary biology. In this work, we investigate a widely cited example of urban adaptation, Culex pipiens form molestus, also known as the London Underground mosquito. Population genomic analysis of ~350 contemporary and historical samples counters the popular hypothesis that molestus originated belowground in London <200 years ago. Instead, we show that molestus first adapted to human environments aboveground in the Mediterranean or Middle East over the course of more than 1000 years, possibly in association with ancient agricultural civilizations of the Middle East. Our results highlight the role of early human society in priming taxa for contemporary urban evolution. They also provide insight into whether and how molestus contributes to West Nile virus transmission in modern cities.

While numeration systems are found in almost every human society, they also vary strikingly around the globe. One important feature of many systems is being structured around a base. The presence, format and size of a base have implications for how representations of numbers are composed, conceptualized and used. The numerical cognition literature is rife with claims about which bases prevail, with sweeping generalizations on their origins and evolution. Yet these claims are rarely scrutinized, and research on numeration systems is plagued by a surprising lack of consensus on what a base is. This theme issue brings together scholars from the cognitive, social and behavioural sciences for a comprehensive overview of bases, aimed at creating common ground for communication and collaboration across disciplines. Contributions include (i) proposals for conceptual clarification and consistency, aided by a tool for visualizing system structure; (ii) reports on how bases are realized across different representational formats, cultures and time, in search of patterns and evolutionary trajectories; and (iii) analyses of cognitive implications and cultural imprints of bases. The main goal of this endeavour is to help build an integrative synthesis of both theorizing and findings on the cultural evolution of a key cognitive tool.This article is part of the theme issue ‘A solid base for scaling up: the structure of numeration systems’.

Knowledge tipping points: Co-creating rainforest futures The article highlights the importance of envisioning multiple futures for human and rainforest coexistence. It emphasizes forest conviviality and knowledge co-creation, drawing insights from the PRODIGY research project, which shows that knowledge systems are essential for socioecological resilience. Imagining multiple futures is not just an intellectual exercise; it is a matter of life itself. Here, the concepts of forest conviviality and knowledge co-creation capture the need for coexistence between human societies and the rainforest. The results of the PRODIGY research project highlight that knowledge in the Southwestern Amazon is not merely a side effect of change but one of its most powerful drivers. In this context, ‘knowledge’ does not refer only to science, but to all forms of knowing: scientific, Indigenous, and forest practices in everyday life. Each of these knowledge systems holds value, offering different ways of relating to land, water, and forest. This epistemic diversity, meaning diversity in ways of knowing and understanding the world, is not simply cultural richness; it is a critical component of socioecological resilience. Forest relations shaped solely by extractive thinking tend toward instability, while those grounded in multiple ways of knowing are better equipped to adapt to crises without collapse.