Indirect Benefits Research Articles

The Impact of Seasonal Influenza in Reducing the Spread of Diseases in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Seasonal influenza remains a significant public health concern globally, with its impact extending beyond the direct effects of the virus. In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where unique climatic conditions and high-density population events, such as the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages, create an elevated risk for disease transmission, influenza management has become a critical focus. This study examines the indirect benefits of seasonal influenza control measures in reducing the spread of other infectious diseases within the Kingdom. Drawing on epidemiological data, vaccination coverage reports, and public health policies, the study highlights the role of widespread influenza vaccination campaigns, particularly among high-risk populations such as healthcare workers, the elderly, and pilgrims. The findings reveal a significant correlation between high influenza vaccine uptake and the reduced incidence of respiratory infections, such as pneumonia and bronchitis, and a decline in healthcare utilization during peak seasons. Furthermore, the seasonal influenza vaccination program has enhanced public health awareness, improved disease surveillance infrastructure, and strengthened healthcare preparedness, contributing to the mitigation of other communicable diseases. This study also explores the broader implications of integrating influenza management strategies into Saudi Arabia’s public health framework, including the development of herd immunity and reduced economic burdens on healthcare systems. By showcasing the Kingdom’s efforts in combating influenza and its indirect benefits, the study underscores the importance of sustained investment in vaccination campaigns and the adoption of a comprehensive approach to disease prevention.

Charities and politics: where did we go wrong?

AbstractThis paper examines a long-standing doctrine in charities law – that if an organisation's main purpose is political then it cannot be charitable. This doctrine is not without controversy because it has the potential to exclude many worthwhile organisations from charitable status, and fetter worthwhile advocacy by those that do have status. While no jurisdiction remains unwaveringly committed to the orthodox political purpose doctrine, we argue that none so far have confronted the public benefit – and detriment – of political advocacy adequately. This paper proposes a way of assessing the public benefit of political advocacy in liberal democratic societies. It argues that political advocacy can give rise to clear public benefit: this is an indirect or process benefit associated with advocacy itself regardless of the end advocated for. However, recognising political advocacy purposes as charitable should still be subject to two constraints: the altruism requirement (reflected in the ‘public’ aspect of public benefit); and consistency with liberal democratic values (as part of the ‘benefit’ aspect). These constraints are needed because, while political advocacy can generate benefit, detriments may also be associated with political advocacy.

From fishing village to atomic town and present: A grounded theory study.

Thurso/Caithness in the United Kingdom has gone through a lot of changes and transitions in the last decades. The decision to build a nuclear reactor test facility in the 1950's in Dounreay/Caithness UK, as well as the current phase of decommissioning impacted not only the technology development but also the social fabric of the community and individuals within it. This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of people impacted by the nuclear project at Dounreay. The results will form the basis for the discussion about locating future experimental or development facilities, possibly at historic sites. This study employed an exploratory qualitative research approach based on the constructivist grounded theory methodology. Constructivist grounded theory applies a systematic, inductive, iterative, and comparative approach to investigate the meanings behind people's experiences. It was chosen as the method to explore an under-researched area: the host community for nuclear research in Thurso/Caithness. Purposeful snowball sampling from March 2023 till November 2023 through gatekeepers, media and social media was used. 19 participants including 10 women and 9 men in the age range 36-71 took part. The semi-structured interviews were conducted via phone or online platforms. Participants fondly recalled the hey-day when the Dounreay site was built and the population increased rapidly. They shared memories of how the town of Thurso/Caithness was thriving then which had a huge impact on individuals' opportunities to receive a very good education, earn a good salary, indirect benefits beyond the nuclear project, and a cosmopolitan sense of community. However, the changes over time and the process of decommissioning had more complex implications for individuals as well as for the community. The work opportunities are still favourable. However, this study also highlights new challenges such as decaying infrastructure, a lack of hope of prosperity, and a feeling of being forgotten. This unique study highlights how a politically driven project impacts a community fundamentally. We identified two themes: mostly positive nostalgic views and Changes and Challenges for the community.

The digital transformation of the construction industry: a review

PurposeAlthough the recent increased efforts to implement digital transformation (DT), the construction sector field lags behind other sectors, and the academic research on the DT process remains rather fragmented. This study is an integrative review of the construction related literature concerning the context, interventions and outcomes of the DT process.Design/methodology/approachWe have reviewed 15 cases presenting the DT process of construction companies, by employing the context-intervention-mechanism-output (CIMO) framework.FindingsRegarding the context (C), the major drivers of DT are top management support, organizational culture pro DT and customer requirements. Concerning the intervention (I), BIM technology dominates construction firms' approaches to DT, followed by cloud computing and Internet of Things (IoT). The outcomes (O) of DT include direct and indirect benefits related to accurate cost calculations, cost reduction, improved work efficiency, high quality, as there are more complex results related to new business models and increased long-term competitiveness. DT in this field can be described considering three mechanisms (M), similar to a maturity model: traditional DT, niche DT and advanced DT.Originality/valueThis review contributes to the literature by integrating existing studies on the context, interventions and outcomes of the DT process of the construction industry.

Effects of Time-Restricted Eating on Body Composition, Biomarkers of Metabolism, Inflammation, Circadian System and Oxidative Stress in Overweight and Obesity: An Exploratory Review.

Obesity is a chronic, complex and multi-factorial condition with an increasing prevalence worldwide. Irregular eating schedules might be a contributing factor to these numbers through the dysregulation of the circadian system. Time-restricted eating (TRE), an approach that limits eating windows, has been studied as a strategy to treat obesity, aligning eating occasions with metabolic circadian rhythms. This review aims to provide an overview of the impact of TRE protocols on metabolic, inflammatory, oxidative stress, and circadian rhythm biomarkers in people with overweight or obesity. Most studies report significant weight loss following TRE protocols. While glucose levels decreased in nearly all TRE interventions, only a few studies demonstrated statistically significant differences when compared to the control groups. The findings for CRP and TNF-α were inconsistent, with limited significant differences. Changes in lipid profile changes were variable and generally did not reach statistical significance. Both 4-hour and 6-hour TRE interventions significantly reduced 8-isoprostane levels. Additionally, TRE significantly altered clock gene expression, as well as that of genes associated with metabolic regulation in subcutaneous adipose tissue. While the evidence is still inconsistent, limiting eating to a consistent daily window of 8 to 12 hours can improve insulin sensitivity, reduce blood glucose, cholesterol and triglyceride levels and promote weight loss. These effects are likely attributable to both direct metabolic impacts and indirect benefits from weight loss and improved dietary habits. However, data on circadian, inflammatory, and specific metabolic biomarkers remain scarce and occasionally contradictory, highlighting the need for further research on these interventions.

Unveiling benefits: A framework for analyzing small hydropower refurbishment activities

Small hydropower is a crucial renewable energy source in China and plays a significant role in achieving social, economic, and ecological sustainable development goals. However, rapid Small hydropower development has led to various issues, resulting in closure or dismantling of many Small hydropower plants. To maximize the positive impact of Small hydropowers, green transformation and Small hydropower plant upgrades are urgently required. Hence, Small hydropower refurbishment activities are performed to enhance overall benefits. Therefore, this study integrated grounded theory, a qualitative research method, with a comprehensive decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory-fuzzy analytic hierarchy process evaluation model. This formed a new framework to analyse refurbishment activities and was applied in Tangban and Maoyandong plants. Small hydropower refurbishment activity benefits were categorized as internal (direct economic and indirect production benefits) and external (social and ecological benefits), with interconnections and trade-offs. The most critical factors influencing benefits were internal factors, whereas social benefits had a greater influence on external factors. The refurbishment activities at Tangban and Maoyandong were rated high and moderate, respectively, owing to differences in corporate nature, location, and primary business focus. This study not only provides a theoretical model for China’s Small hydropower to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals under the premise of sustainable operations, but also offers a new global framework for evaluation and decision-making in Small hydropower plants.

Releasing financial pressure through released time religious education: the fiscal impact of one released time programme on a state’s funding for public education

ABSTRACT We sought to quantify the fiscal impact of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ released time programme in the state of Utah, in the United States of America, on funding for American public education. The guiding research question for this study was: How much money does the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ seminary programme save public education in the state of Utah? We collected data from one school district in Utah and then extrapolated those findings, on a per pupil basis, to the entire state. Findings are reported in three approximates of the actual fiscal impact of the Church’s seminary programme in Utah: high, medium, and low. Our conclusion is that the actual fiscal impact of seminary on funding for public education lies within this reported range. We report that the Church’s seminary programme saves the state of Utah between $45,000,000 and $64,000,000 annually. While these figures only constitute 0.6% to 0.8% of the total funding for public education, this released time programme provides district officials with financial and scheduling flexibility. In addition, there are indirect fiscal benefits associated with seminary as well as direct and indirect costs.

Do psychological costs matter? The mechanism of perceived value on green consumption behaviour

Green consumption is critical for achieving sustainable development goals. Many studies have focused on explaining why customers choose green consumption, but rarely have scholars considered the significant impacts of the psychological costs. This study conducted an online survey of 677 sampled individuals in China. A structural equation model (SEM) was adopted to explore how three types of psychological costs (i.e., stress, stigma, and autonomy) moderate the indirect relationships of perceived hedonic value and perceived utilitarian value with green consumption (i.e., green purchasing, recycling, and refusing to use disposable products) through the willingness to pay a green premium (WPGP). The results show that perceived values can promote green consumption behaviours by increasing WPGP. In addition, the indirect benefit of perceived hedonic value was shown to be stronger than that of perceived utilitarian value. However, the direct association of perceived hedonic value with green consumption was shown to be weaker (compared to perceived utilitarian value) when the influence of WPGP was excluded. Moreover, the indirect associations of perceived hedonic value with green consumption were stronger among individuals with high stress than those with low stress. In contrast, the indirect associations of perceived utilitarian value on green consumption were weaker for people with high stigma than those with low stigma. However, no evidence was found to show that autonomy can moderate the indirect relationships. These findings emphasize the different mechanisms of perceived hedonic value and perceived utilitarian value on green consumption, as well as the moderating role of psychological costs in understanding the relationship between perceived value and green consumption. Accordingly, this study suggests that policymakers should highlight the hedonic value rather than the utilitarian when encouraging a green lifestyle that involves a green premium. This is particularly true of situations with a high level of customers’ psychological costs. However, if there is no way to further increase people’s WPGP, then promoting the utilitarian value should be used to promote green consumption.

Assessing the impact of a potential canine vaccine for the control of Chagas disease: a mathematical modeling study

IntroductionChagas disease, a zoonotic infection transmitted by triatomine bugs, poses serious public health risks in endemic areas. As dogs are important reservoirs in the disease’s spread, developing a canine vaccine could be transformative for controlling disease transmission to dogs and humans.MethodsWe developed a compartmental Susceptible-Infected model to simulate the transmission dynamics of Trypanosoma cruzi, considering interactions among dogs, humans, cats, rodents, and triatomine vectors. We used the model to assess the direct and indirect impacts of two vaccine mechanisms—all-or-nothing and leaky—on disease incidence across different host populations. The sensitivity of the model’s outcomes to changes in input parameters was analyzed using univariate sensitivity analysis.ResultsOur model showed that with a 90% vaccine efficacy, an all-or-nothing vaccine could reduce the cumulative incidence of T. cruzi in dogs by 91.3% over five years. The 60% and 30% vaccine efficacies would result in reductions of 63.47% and 33%, respectively, over 5 years. Similarly, the leaky vaccine achieved a 92.62% reduction in dog infections over 5 years with 90% efficacy. The indirect effects on human T. cruzi infection were notable; the all-or-nothing vaccine reduced human disease incidence by 14.37% at 90% efficacy, while the leaky vaccine achieved a 32.15% reduction over 5 years. Both vaccine mechanisms may substantially reduce T. cruzi incidence among dogs, and generate indirect benefit to other hosts, such as humans, by reducing their infection risk. The indirect benefits of vaccination were heavily influenced by the proportion of triatomine bugs blood meals taken from dogs.DiscussionThe study highlights the potential of targeted canine vaccination in controlling Chagas disease transmission and burden in endemic countries. It provides additional evidence for pursuing the development of a canine vaccine as a valuable tool for Chagas disease elimination.

The potential impact of new TB vaccines on the burden of TB in people living with HIV in South Africa.

People living with HIV (PLHIV) are at increased risk of tuberculosis (TB). New TB vaccines may help reduce this burden. New TB vaccine candidates are safe and immunogenic in PLHIV.There is currently limited data on vaccine efficacy in this population. Using mathematical modelling we explored the potential impact of a novel TB vaccine on TB burden in PLHIV in South Africa between 2030-2050. We compared the impact of a vaccine delivered irrespective of HIV status to vaccination of either PLHIV or people without HIV. We explored the impact of reduced vaccine efficacy and duration of protection in PLHIV relative to people without HIV on our model predictions. Vaccination irrespective of HIV status, with a vaccine with equal efficacy and duration in PLHIV, could avert up to 1.01 (95% range: 0.96-1.22) million TB cases in PLHIV. Restricting vaccination to PLHIV or people without HIV would achieve 65% (60-70) and 48% (46-53) of the total impact respectively. These results are strongly dependent on the assumed efficacy and duration of protection in PLHIV. Further information on these characteristics is important to identify the most efficient use of new vaccines to reduce TB burden in PLHIV. Our results suggest that new vaccines could play an important role in reducing the TB burden in PLHIV. Vaccines targeted at people without HIV individuals could provide significant indirect benefit to PLHIV, but vaccines which are safe and effective in PLHIV will be critical to maximizing the impact in this population.

Nilai Ekonomi Pengelolaan Hutan Lindung Blok Kawae KH. Maria/RTK 25 BKPH Maria Donggomasa Dinas LHK Provinsi NTB

One part of the Sari watershed, which was a strategic area for Bima City, was the Kawae Block protected forest area. This forest area acted as a catchment area for the Bima City Region and supports the lives of the people of Wawo, Bima Regency and its surroundings. In the last decade, the Kawae Block protected forest area has come under pressure from vulnerability in several ways, especially pressure from destruction due to illegal logging and encroachment on forest areas for farming of seasonal crops (corn). The aim of this research were to analyze the factors that directly cause damage and the economic value of damage as well as the economic value of potential natural resources in the Kawae Block Protected Forest Area. This research was conducted in the Kawae KH Block Protected Forest Area. Maria/RTK 25 BKPH Maria Donggomasa Provincial LHK Service. NTB with an area of 1,500 hectares. The sample used was 210 respondents. The variables used in this research were the price value of NTFPs and the price value of water to calculate the value of direct benefits of forest areas, ecological benefits, flood control and carbon emission reduction/carbon credits to calculate the value of indirect benefits of areas and the value of biodiversity to calculate the value of selected benefits. Data analysis was carried out for regional economic valuation using the total economic value valuation method (Total Economic Value). The research resulted in the factors that directly cause damage to the area; they were land burning, encroachment on areas for agricultural land for seasonal crops/corn, excessive community management, rosewood theft/illegal logging and opening of farming roads. Meanwhile, the total economic value of the HL Kawae Block area was IDR. 61,135,306,500,-. The economic value resulting from sustainable forest management is much more profitable than the results of cultivating seasonal crops (especially corn).

Long-Run Impacts of an Early-life Nutrition Program: Evidence from the Introduction of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

To study how access to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) during the prenatal and early childhood periods affects long-term health outcomes of the affected cohorts. In order to identify the effects of the WIC program, we exploit variations in the timing of its introduction in different counties and analyze future health indicators of affected cohorts. We use the restricted version of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, which includes county-level identifiers through the interview year 2019. Our findings suggest that extending WIC access by one month correlates with a 0.2-0.3% point decrease in asthma incidence (p < 0.1 to p < 0.01) of affected cohorts. Although the connection between WIC and asthma is not fully understood, existing studies suggest potential pathways. Micronutrient deficiencies during early life can impact immune function and inflammation, both relevant to asthma. Moreover, adopting healthier dietary habits may improve microbiome composition, lowering asthma risk. Other indirect benefits of WIC, such as increased use of preventive healthcare services, may also contribute to the prevention of asthma. Despite uncertainties, these estimates remain robust across various model specifications. Our study implies that early-life nutritional support programs such as WIC may alleviate the burden of asthma, although the specific mechanisms and effect sizes remain unclear. Given the substantial impact of asthma in the U.S., our findings underscore the potential long-term benefits of early-life nutritional support programs for lifelong health.

Strip‐cropping legacy enhances potato plant defence responses to aphids via soil‐mediated mechanisms

Abstract Intensive agriculture often comes at the expense of soil health. A shift towards practices that foster soil health will support yield and defences against pests and diseases. Growing crops in monoculture is the standard in modern agriculture, though strip‐cropping, in which different crops are planted in strips, is a promising strategy in the transition towards sustainable agriculture. Increasing crop diversity is hypothesized to positively influence arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), thereby enhancing soil health, but the mechanisms by which AMF‐plant symbioses contribute to higher yields and reduced pest populations in strip‐cropping systems remain unclear. We used a green‐house experiment with potato plants to explore the soil legacy effects of mono‐cropping versus strip‐cropping systems, AMF inoculation and aphid infestation on AMF root colonization, the induction of plant defences (untargeted LCMS‐based metabolomics), aphid population size and potato yield. We found that potato plants grown in strip‐cropping soil had higher AMF colonization than plants grown in mono‐cropping soil. Potato plants grown in strip‐cropping soil also had higher shoot nitrogen content, increased solamargine levels, and reduced aphid populations. AMF root colonization was only enhanced by the addition of commercial AMF in mono‐cropping soils. Potato plant metabolites were affected by strip‐cropping soil, including jasmonic acid (JA) derivatives. Structural equation models revealed that strip‐cropping soil directly reduced aphid populations and also had a negative direct effect on the JA precursor OPC‐8, and hydroxyJA‐glucosides, indicating complex effects of strip‐cropping soils on JA‐inducible plant defences. Indirect benefits of strip‐cropping soil and AMF inoculation on tuber yield were mediated by their direct positive effects on plant nitrogen content. Our results emphasize the potential of strip‐cropping to enhance AMF root colonization in the field. We show that soil legacy effects of strip‐cropping alter the plant metabolome in ways that suppress of aphid populations. Strip‐cropping legacy effects are the result of crop diversity, crop neighbour and edge effects resulting from crop management practices. While the mechanisms by which soil from strip‐cropping supresses pest populations still need to be identified, our study underscores the potential for strip‐cropping to enhance pest control and yield via soil mediated processes. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Anthropogenic effects and ecosystem services of tropical highland forests in Ethiopia

Despite the significant direct and indirect benefits that forests, particularly tropical highland forests, provide to local communities, they are facing severe degradation primarily due to population growth and rapid land-use changes. This has made it difficult for policymakers to effectively manage these forests due to a lack of comprehensive current forest research data. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to examine the anthropogenic impacts on forest ecosystems and the ecosystem services (11ecosystem services,ESs) they provide, as well as to understand local perspectives on management of natural forests. For collecting disturbance indicators and other environmental data, 12 transect lines by 150 meter interval between each of the two consecutive parallel transects and 40 quadrats (20 m x 20 m size each) by 100 m interval were laid out in 145 ha total forest land size of the five study sites of three districts. However, for questionnaire-based data, 266 respondents were participated. As revealed in the results, the majority of households (about 78 %) relied on mixed farming and had ≤ 1 ha of land with 5.6 average family size. Besides, 74.3 % of the households used forest products for cooking food and getting energy to their homes due to little or no electricity, or other energy sources in rural communities. Nearly 85 % of the households also obtained timber from natural forests. Tree cutting, grazing, cultivation, and fires were the major anthropogenic factors leading to deforestation and loss of ecosystem services and biodiversity of the studied forest ecosystems. Disturbance assessment indicated that almost all forest patches, excluding one in the eastern subregion of the study area, were severely impacted. This suggests a widespread degradation of Ethiopia's forests. However, various ESs, mainly regulating and habitat services, followed by provisioning ones, were delivered from these sites. Hence, soil erosion controlling, flood protecting, and soil fertility regulating services were some of the most services provided by the forests. Likewise, being shelter and nursery sites for biota were the other most important habitat service. The raw materials including grass for fodder, medicinal plants, timber, fuel wood, and water for livestock watering and domestic uses were the major provisioning services provided. Thus, more than 93 % of the households had a great interest for the protection and continuity of the present forest patches in the future. Briefly, despite being heavily degraded due to anthropogenic factors, these natural forests still provided various ecological, social, and economic services to the local people; thereby the people were interested in protecting and conserving them. Thus, for restoring degraded forest areas of the zone, community-based participatory conservation strategies were recommended.

Influenza vaccine allocation in tropical settings under constrained resources.

Influenza virus seasonality, synchronicity, and vaccine supply differ substantially between temperate and tropical settings, and optimal vaccination strategy may differ on this basis. Many national vaccine recommendations focus on high-risk groups, elderly populations, and healthcare workers despite previous analyses demonstrating broad benefits to vaccinating younger high-contact age groups. In this study, we parameterized an age-structured nonseasonal asynchronous epidemiological model of influenza virus transmission for a tropical low-income setting. We evaluated timing and age allocation of vaccines across vaccine supplies ranging from 10 to 90% using decade-based age groups. Year-round vaccination was beneficial when compared with more concentrated annual vaccine distribution. When targeting a single age group for vaccine prioritization, maximum vaccine allocation to the 10-19 high-contact age group minimized annual influenza mortality for all but one vaccine supply. When evaluating across all possible age allocations, optimal strategies always allocated a plurality of vaccines to school-age children (10-19). The converse, however, was not true as not all strategies allocating a plurality to children aged 10-19 minimized mortality. Allocating a high proportion of vaccine supply to the 10-19 age group is necessary but not sufficient to minimize annual mortality as distribution of remaining vaccine doses to other age groups also needs to be optimized. Strategies focusing on indirect benefits (vaccinating children) showed higher variance in mortality outcomes than strategies focusing on direct benefits (vaccinating the elderly). However, the indirect benefit approaches showed a lower mean mortality and a lower minimum mortality than vaccination focused on the elderly.

Investigation of the Link Between Food Assistance Programs and Physical Activity Among Children and Adolescents.

While the direct benefits of food assistance programs are well-documented, there is a need to explore indirect benefits like increased physical activity. This study examined whether participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) was associated with improved physical activity levels in children and adolescents aged 2-17 in the United States during 2017-2018. Study Design: A cross-sectional study. This cross-sectional study used a subset of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data (n=2620). In the NHANES 2017-2018 dataset, physical activity was measured through self-report questionnaires, which captured participants' frequency, duration, and intensity of various activities. We used weighted logistic regression and the Hosmer - Lemeshow - Sturdivant forward model - building strategy to investigate this hypothesized association using SAS version 9.4. In the adjusted model, controlling for the other variables in the model, we found that children and adolescents from households that had received SNAP/Food Stamps had 1.53 times higher odds (odds ratio [OR]=1.53, 95% CI: 1.24-1.89) of achieving the recommended guidelines of 60 minutes of daily physical activity compared to those who had not received benefits. Each additional year of age resulted in 0.82 times lower odds (OR=0.82; 95% CI: 0.79, 0.85) of meeting the recommended amounts of physical activity. Additionally, each unit increase in BMI was associated with 0.96 times lower odds (OR=0.96, 95% CI: 0.93, 0.98) of engaging in recommended physical activity. These findings suggest that participation in the SNAP/Food Stamps program may indirectly benefit participants by increasing physical activity levels.

Effectively Utilizing Infrastructure to Achieve Economic and Societal Growth in Developing Countries

Developing countries can benefit economically and socially from the construction of infrastructure. However, poor policy decisions regarding investment in public goods and services often impede infrastructure’s effectiveness in achieving such benefits. This paper seeks to provide a coherent framework for developing countries to consider when planning and implementing infrastructure projects. Gathering insights and policy suggestions from various relevant studies, it proposes three factors necessary for developing countries to consider. These three factors emphasize individual quality of life and long-term development instead of simple short-term economic growth described by basic economic indicators. They also account for the social and environmental concerns or implications of infrastructure construction, often overlooked in many policy agendas. The first factor is the efficiency of expenditure and accessibility of infrastructure, achieved through the consideration of diminishing returns to scale for capital investment and an emphasis on the delivery, not just the provision, of public services; the second is resilience and sustainability in the context of local environmental attributes and regional independence during the decision-making process; the third is the maximization of indirect benefits, most notably the increases in human capital and productivity caused by infrastructure construction.

The contributions of direct and indirect selection to the evolution of mating preferences.

Many influential mathematical models of sexual selection have stressed that mating preferences evolve due to correlations that build between mating preferences and preferred display traits - that is, through indirect selection. Nevertheless, there is a perception that indirect selection should generally be overwhelmed by direct selection, for example in the form of search costs. Recent work by Fry has used quantitative genetic models to argue that in many cases, including when there are direct benefits (a fecundity advantage to mating with the preferred male), direct and indirect selection may be of similar magnitude. Here I use population genetic models, in which the strength of the genetic correlation is an emergent property of evolution at mating preference and display trait loci, to assess the relative contributions of direct and indirect selection to the evolution of mating preferences. For the cases of direct benefits and of indirect benefits with fixed and frequency-dependent search costs, I outline parameter values of fecundity benefits, preference strengths, and search costs for which indirect selection on female preferences can potentially predominate. I also analyze male mate choice under polygyny, showing that direct selection will always outweigh indirect selection except when there are direct benefits.

Global patterns of mangrove resource utilization: a systematic review

Ecosystem services, encompassing the direct and indirect benefits of natural systems, are extensively studied in the context of mangroves. These carbon-rich ecosystems support coastal fisheries, shorelines, and harvestable resources to local communities. However, research on mangrove ecosystem services primarily are at a local scale, with limited exploration of global variations in resource utilization. This paper aims to bridge this knowledge gap through a systematic review of the existing literature conducted in Web of Science to assess the geographical variations in the coverage of mangrove use and ecosystem services. Out of 310 papers analyzed, Asia had the highest coverage (43%) with support to fisheries (39%) being the most researched ecosystem service worldwide. Direct use of mangrove resources exhibited regional variations, particularly in Asia, Africa, and North America. Mangrove wood, primarily used for fuel (16%) and construction (15%), was the most documented resource, with its usage persisting in low-income countries. Notably, a shift from being a primary income source to subsistence use was observed in Asia, Africa, and South America. Intrinsic and cultural services were less mentioned in the literature, emphasizing the need for future studies to focus on these areas to ensure culturally sensitive conservation efforts.

Pseudomonas consortium improves soil health and alleviates cadmium (Cd) toxicity in Brassica juncea L. via biochemical and in silico approaches

The exponential rise in Cd in the environment has raised concerns for its adequate remediation worldwide. Its non-biodegradable nature and highly migratory feature make it more toxic. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) have shown great potential in the remediation of Cd-polluted agricultural lands. PGPR is comparatively efficient, convenient and economical. PGPR application enhances plant growth and development by conferring direct and indirect benefits. This study aimed to evaluate bacterial strains, Pseudomonas putida (Pp) and Pseudomonas fluorescens (Pf), for their PGPR traits, soil physiochemical analyses, and physiological and anatomical traits of B. juncea under Cd stress. Results showed that both microbial strains shared positive interaction and had minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranging from 0.8mM and 0.6mM values for Pp and Pf respectively. P. fluorescens displayed better anti-phytopathogenic activity against pathogenic fungal strains (Alterneria brassicae, Alterneria brassicola, Verticillium longisporum, Fusarium oxysporum) than P. putida. They also synthesised plant growth regulators (PGRs) such as IAA (0.146,0.156μg/ml) and GA (2.062, 2.074 μg/ml). The co-inoculation of strains improved soil organic C, P, N, and K by 283.01 %, 100.42 %, 8.89 % and 40.38 %. Also, the interactive effect of Pp and Pf recovered dry matter content (DMC) by 18.13 % in comparison to Cd-stressed plants. Moreover, the strains reduced Cd-induced H2O2 production by DAB (340.38’-3’ diaminobenzidine) staining and hence restored membrane integrity. Also, in Cd-treated B. juncea plants, the anatomical characteristics were negatively affected. However, inoculated strains induce maximum recovery as indicated by well-developed vascular elements. Genes associated with PGPR traits were mined from the NCBI database. The information compiled thereafter indicated that the genes, galU, CadR, and pgl were responsible for biofilm formation, Cd resistance and lactone synthesis. In conclusion, we reported a promising consortium having PGPR traits, that improve soil and B. juncea health under Cd toxicities. Hence, the use of such bioinoculants can be a safer substitute for chemical fertilizers.