Material Resources Research Articles

Design and Optimizing of Precision Seeder of Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica L. Bud-Seeds for Containerized Nursery Production

Mongolian pine holds immense ecological and economic values as a vital biobased material. Its wood fiber, rosin and turpentine are important raw materials suitable for multiple industrial applications, it also exhibited soil and water conservation capabilities. To improve its seeding efficiency, this study designed a precision seeding machine for Mongolian pine (Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica L.) bud-seeds, and optimized the technical seeding parameters, which utilized a combined vibration-air blowing fluidization device to overcome seed flowability limitations and facilitate accurate seed selection. A particle model was established based on the seeds’ physical characteristics, and EDEM software was utilized to simulate the spatial distribution of seed particles under various seeding parameters through seeding experiments. The optimal air pressure for the combined seed supply was approximately 0.24 kPa, with a frequency of 20 Hz and an amplitude of 5 mm, to obtain an optimal spatial distribution of the seed particles. The most effective seeding area for seed adhesion was determined to be 5–15 mm from the bottom of the seeding plate. When the seed suction negative pressure is set to 6.7 kPa, with an upper hole diameter of 0.9 mm, a lower hole diameter of 3 mm, and a hole depth of 1.5 mm, the seedling emergence rate reached 89.06%, and the fastest emergence time was 2 days. One month after sowing, the seedlings exhibited a height growth rate of 16.1%, and a ground diameter growth rate of 20.9%. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of the precision seeding machine and optimized parameters in achieving efficient and accurate sowing of Mongolian pine bud-seeds. This work provides basic technical and data support for advancing the development and sustainable utilization of Mongolian pine as a vital biobased material resource.

A bibliometric analysis and visualization of sustainable production scheduling

Future shortage of material and energy resources also scarcity that might happen in manufacturing world have become public interest in world. This challenge build innovative needs like resource-efficient engineering, as the transition from a linear to a circular economy. There are more researches on energy-efficiency in many kind of manufacturing settings, including scheduling As a result, there have been numerous studies on sustainable production scheduling reviews, but only a few have documented the literature. This paper aims to provide summary of existing researches by bibliometric analysis. Bibliometrics is the interdisciplinary science of quantitative analysis of all knowledge carriers mathematical and statistical methods and a commonly used method of identifying developments from certain fields

Towards routine proteome profiling of FFPE tissue: insights from a 1,220-case pan-cancer study

AbstractProteome profiling of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) specimens has gained traction for the analysis of cancer tissue for the discovery of molecular biomarkers. However, reports so far focused on single cancer entities, comprised relatively few cases and did not assess the long-term performance of experimental workflows. In this study, we analyze 1220 tumors from six cancer entities processed over the course of three years. Key findings include the need for a new normalization method ensuring equal and reproducible sample loading for LC-MS/MS analysis across cohorts, showing that tumors can, on average, be profiled to a depth of >4000 proteins and discovering that current software fails to process such large ion mobility-based online fractionated datasets. We report the first comprehensive pan-cancer proteome expression resource for FFPE material comprising 11,000 proteins which is of immediate utility to the scientific community, and can be explored via a web resource. It enables a range of analyses including quantitative comparisons of proteins between patients and cohorts, the discovery of protein fingerprints representing the tissue of origin or proteins enriched in certain cancer entities.

Exploring the Role of the Built Environment on the Functional Ability and Social Participation in Community-dwelling Older Adults

Background and Objectives. The built environment or physical environment consists of surroundings and conditions constructed by human activity. It includes urban design, neighborhoods, transportation, and smaller scale structures like the design and layout of rooms within buildings. The built environment can affect the physical, social, and functional wellbeing of older adults, both within their own homes and in the neighborhoods in which they live, and additionally plays a part in promoting healthy aging. This narrative review of the literature aims to present the ways in which the built environment can influence the functional ability of community-dwelling older adults, and affect their ability to live independently and age in place. Methods. Narrative literature review and inductive thematic analysis. Results. Forty-five full-text, English language publications from peer-reviewed sources were selected for this review, with the majority (35) presenting quantitative research findings and originating from North America (28). Older adults in rural and developing countries were underrepresented in the literature, despite acknowledgement that health of the aging population is a worldwide problem. Three major themes emerged. First, the built environment affects older adults in the most fundamental way at home through design considerations, modifications, and technological advances promoting aging in place and accessibility. Secondly, built environments outside the home can affect older adults’ physical activity and overall function with regard to mobility, transportation, and activities of daily living. The majority (22 of 45 publications) focused on this theme. Finally, the built environment in neighborhoods can affect older adults’ perception of social support, their social participation, and quality of life. Conclusion. As the built environment is created by humans and can be substantially modified, it possesses considerable potential for enhancing functional ability, social participation, and overall quality of life in community-dwelling older adults. It is possible to design a better person-environment fit, promoting safety, independence, optimal health, and quality of life. In order to support healthy aging, improvements in the built environment need to be accompanied by appropriate health and social policies, systems, and services. These changes require political will, as well as material resources that may not be readily available especially in the global South. A socioecological approach with adequate resources directed to older adults’ health and healthcare is necessary in order to achieve the ultimate goal of healthy aging in this population.

How climate volatility influences human rights

We explore how climate volatility influences human rights practices. We argue that climate volatility intensifies competition for material resources, increases citizens’ grievances against the state, and leads to more frequent repression as governments seek to respond to environmentally induced protests and local conflicts. We situate this argument in the existing literature’s emphasis on three mechanisms linking climate shocks and repression: resource shocks, mobilization shocks, and migration shocks. We assert that the climate volatility-human rights relationship is strongest in the context of civil conflict as rebel groups and governments place a higher priority on survival and material well-being rather than governance and public goods provision. Using a pooled time series dataset of 194 countries from 1946 to 2017, we estimate a panel vector autoregression (PVAR) model. Our analyses show that for countries experiencing armed conflicts, increased precipitation volatility significantly reduces human rights protections for multiple years. Indicators for the three mechanisms also show indirect relationships to repression through the precipitation variable, consistent with our theory. We illustrate our findings with case vignettes from Benin and Mali. Our results demonstrate that climate volatility alters states’ strategies for addressing internal security threats.

Public Preparedness for Agricultural Investment and its Contribution to Sustainable Economic Growth in Nigeria

Purpose: The study investigated public preparedness for agricultural investment and its contribution to and economic growth in Nigeria. The study was guided by the following objectives; to assess the level of individuals' awareness on the current condition of the agriculture industry in Nigeria, public's perspective of the substantial influence of agricultural on Nigeria's overall economic growth, the preparedness of citizens to invest in the agriculture sector for the enhancement of Nigeria's economic growth and delineate the agriculture sector's contribution to GDP. Theoretical Framework: The study was anchored on Lewis (1979) theory of impacting economic growth. Method: The study utilized a descriptive research approach involving 133 respondents across the 36 states, including the federal capital territory, whose major vocation is food production. The samples were selected by a convenience sampling method, considering the respondent geographic closeness and included only those present throughout the survey. Closed-ended questionnaire was utilized as a data-collecting instrument to assess the variables under study; the data on the contribution of agricultural practices to GDP was access from Nigeria Bureau of Statistics (2022-2023). To ensure content validity, the survey instrument was validated utilizing the Lawshe's template. A threshold of 0.99 was noted, signifying that the questionnaire was both representative and comprehensible. The Cronbach alpha technique yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.83, affirming the instrument's homogeneity. The data was analyzed using frequency counts (f) and percentages (%) while the results was presented in graphs. Findings: The survey revealed that most respondents are aware of the current state of agriculture in Nigeria. The heightened awareness has impacted public perception of agriculture's significant role in national economic growth, as the majority of respondents acknowledged that agriculture not only provides food for the populace but also improves farmers' living standards by reducing poverty and hunger, thus promoting economic development. They are willing to invest in agriculture despite a decline in production and a reduced contribution to the national GDP. Conclusion: Although the agricultural sector's contribution to GDP has diminished, individuals are inclined to invest in agriculture therefore, enhanced engagement in agriculture, along with Nigeria's extensive arable land and various people and material resources, and the implementation of sustainable agricultural innovations, will result in significant economic growth.

Practice architectures for bridging the semantic gap in museum documentation

ABSTRACT In this paper we address a persistent widespread issue in museum documentation, the semantic gap: a disconnect between how users search online collections and staff apply metadata. By applying a systems-level understanding to documentation practices, we not only interrogate the complexity of the semantic gap, but also envision ways to bridge it. To examine documentation practices in depth, we use the case study of National Museums Scotland, undertaking interviews and a workshop with staff cross-institutionally. We apply practice architectures, initially developed for educational practice, as a systems-level framework, adapting it for the analysis of cultural heritage documentation. Using practice architectures as a lens, we examine and deconstruct different arrangements (encompassing cultural, material, social, and economic resources) that are entangled and prefigure documentation practices. We thus re-envision practice architectures at National Museums Scotland and beyond that transform documentation practices, supporting staff to place users at the centre.

A Low-Cost Workflow to Generate Virtual and Physical Three-Dimensional Models of Cardiac Structures.

Three-dimensional modeling and printing (3DMP) of anatomical structures from cross-sectional imaging data can enhance the understanding of spatial relationships in complex congenital heart defects. Partially due to the substantial financial, material and personnel resources required, 3DMP is not yet universally used. Here, we describe a workflow that addresses and eliminates these drawbacks. The workflow utilizes the open-source software "3D Slicer" (The Slicer Community) and "Blender" (Blender Foundation) for segmentation and post-editing of datasets. This approach enables the generation of virtual or physical 3D models. The physical models are printed using a standard fused deposition modeling printer. The financial challenges that likely constrain the wider use of 3DMP are largely addressed by this approach. However, the workflow still requires a considerable amount of time to manually segment the imaging data. Three-dimensional modeling and printing might improve planning and safety of congenital cardiac surgical treatment. Furthermore, it is a useful tool for education of parents and medical professionals. This workflow increases its suitability for routine use also in regions with low economic resources.

Centering intersectional breast cancer screening experiences among black, Latina, and white women: a qualitative analysis

ObjectiveMammography screening guidelines in the United States highlight the importance of informing and involving women when making their breast cancer screening decisions. However, the complexity of interpreting and applying these population-level guidelines can contribute to patient burden. Patient-centered communication strategies can alleviate patient burden, but few consider perspectives from racially and ethnically marginalized populations. We examine diverse women’s perspectives on screening to characterize patient-centered experiences.MethodsWe conducted 28 focus groups with 134 non-Latina Black (n = 51), non-Latina White (n = 39), and Latina (n = 44) participants. We coded participants’ discussion of their screening influences. We used deductive and inductive qualitative methods to identify common themes.ResultsWe identified three themes: (1) personal relationships with primary care providers, (2) potential impacts of cancer on families, and (3) interactions with medical systems. Most White participants described trusting physician relationships in contrast to perfunctory, surface-level relationships experienced by many Black participants; high costs of care prevented many Latina participants from accessing care (Theme 1). Diagnosis was a concern for most Black participants as it could burden family and most Latina participants as it could prevent them from maintaining family well-being (Theme 2). While many White participants had general ease in accessing and navigating healthcare, Latina participants were often held back by embarrassment—and Black participants frequently described disrespectful providers, false negatives, and unnecessary pain (Theme 3).ConclusionCultural and structural factors appeared to influence participants’ approaches to breast cancer screening. Structural barriers may counteract culturally salient beliefs, especially among Black and Latina participants. We suggest patient-centered communication interventions be culturally adjusted and paired with structural changes (e.g., policy, insurance coverage, material resources) to reflect women’s nuanced values and intersectional social contexts.

Capacity Planning in Paediatric Palliative and Hospice Care: An Italian Case

Although the growing demand for healthcare services has enhanced the occurrence of inefficiencies in care provision, healthcare systems should ensure safe, timely and equitable access to care. In particular, the long waiting lists, the lack of beds, and the shortage of healthcare workforce have highlighted the necessity to effectively manage and strategically plan the available resources. Capacity Planning (CP) contributes to determine what, when, where and how much product or service to deliver, with the goal of analysing and optimizing the use and allocation of human and material resources (e.g., physical spaces, equipment, beds, workforce) based on the demand. CP demonstrates to be extremely relevant for hospital units to schedule appointments, diagnostics, surgeries and admissions. Complex contexts and broader healthcare networks could benefit even more from this approach, helping to coordinate multiple care providers and aligning the available resources with the demand pace. The current research presents the implementation of CP in the context of Paediatric Palliative and Hospice Care (PPHC), delivered in an Italian facility. PPHC provides long-term, interdisciplinary and coordinated care between territorial, ambulatory and hospice services. It encompasses follow-up activities, parental training, end-of-life and respite care. In the Italian case analysed, the shortage of beds affects the quality of care delivered to these patients, in terms of accessibility to the service, effectiveness and timeliness of care. Hence, a CP analysis has been performed to pursue a twofold objective: a) to understand if the current capacity of the facility meets the demand for care; b) to improve productivity through an optimized allocation of resources, particularly the available beds and the healthcare workforce. The expected results involve a more effective use of resources, an increased bed occupancy rate and a reduction in rescheduled admissions due to inadequate planning. Optimizing capacity in this specific setting can serve as a pilot project for other similar contexts, aiming to improve patients’ access to healthcare services, their quality of life and supporting the workforce involved in PPHC. This research offers new insights from both the academic and managerial point of view, providing evidence about the implementation of CP in complex healthcare settings.

S-LCA of lithium mining in Chile and its potential impacts on water and the local community

Abstract Purpose Lithium is critical to the clean energy transition, specifically for lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles and grid-level energy storage. Chile is a major source of lithium hydroxide and lithium carbonate from brine. The main production facilities are in the Salar de Atacama (SdA), a hyper-arid region home to indigenous communities. A social life cycle assessment (S-LCA) was conducted to better understand the potential impacts of lithium mining on these communities, particularly in relation to water consumption as this is a concern within the region. Methods A cradle-to-gate S-LCA on lithium was performed from brine extraction to the gate of the chemical plant. A hotspot analysis using the Social Hotspots Database (SHDB), in combination with literature and local discussions, was used to prioritize stakeholder groups and subcategories for data collection. Local community, Worker, and Society were selected as stakeholder groups. Subcategories for the Local community included Access to material resources (with a focus on freshwater), Cultural heritage, Respect of indigenous rights, Community engagement, and Local employment. Data sources included primary data from a mining company and interviews with the local community during a site visit. The reference scale approach was applied using Chilean laws and international best practices. Results and discussion Two scoring approaches yielded different scores on the reference scale. With an average scoring approach, all subcategories were at compliance level or above for all stakeholders. The mining company has many projects and initiatives ongoing to improve the wellbeing of the local community. Policies and projects lead to higher scores when applying the average scoring approach. However, with a precautionary approach, where the worst performing indicator determines the score, four subcategories were identified as potential issues for the Local community: Access to material resources — freshwater, Access to material resources — agriculture, Delocalization and migration, and Respect of indigenous rights. For Access to material resources — freshwater, local community members had varying perspectives on freshwater scarcity, but some connected it to lithium mining and also described the cultural importance of water. Conclusions The results of this S-LCA can be used to better understand the potential social impacts from lithium production and how they can be improved. Recommendations are provided to address the potential social impacts of lithium mining in the SdA, including continuing increased communication and projects with the communities, fostering initiatives to improve the understanding of the lithium production process, and considering that community members have equal access to benefit from projects.

Determining effective waste human hair hydrolyzing parameters combination and its typical physicochemical characteristics in synthesizing liquid nitrogenous organic fertilizer

Discarded Human hairs are considered as waste material in most parts of the world and its accumulation causing several environmental problems. However as a potential material resource, human hair has the advantage that it is completely biodegradable, renewable and available in every locality. Thus reutilizing human hair cut discards with a target of extracting a particular major nutrient supply, namely nitrogen, carbon, sulfur and so forth, can create a positive impact on solving soil’s infertility problems and less productivity issues of concerned agrarian communities. This study has tried to develop waste human hair based bio-fertilizer by primarily identify the better performing hydrolyzing mixture rang of formulation (H5), ratio of human hair waste mass to aqueous hydrolyzer mixture usages (1:5), favorable reacting time ( 90 min) and temperature ( 70 oC) values progressively. Then the physicochemical characteristics were analyzed to reveal the resulted final product’s viscosity (~ 76.0 cp.), density (~ 1.17 gm/l), pH (~ pH 9), organic nutrients availability concerning primary Macronutrients (~ 18:0.03:1 N-P-K ratio ), Secondary Macronutrients (~ 0.13:0:7 Ca-Mg-S ratio) and other trace micronutrient constituents; which are considered as requirements for the soil nutrient enrichments and plant growths.

Effect of Women’s Involvement in Small and Medium-Scale Enterprises on their Economic Empowerment in Calabar, Cross River State

This study examined small and medium-scale enterprises and women’s economic empowerment in Calabar, Cross River State. It specifically examined the effect of women’s involvement in SMEs on their economic empowerment dimensions such as financial independence, skills development and business networking opportunities. The study adopted a cross-sectional research design. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain primary data from 337 female operators of SMEs in Calabar. The data were descriptively analyzed, while the study hypotheses were tested using simple linear regression in the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). After the analysis, it was found that women’s involvement in SMEs operations had a significant positive effect on their financial independence, skills development and business networking opportunities in Calabar. Hence, the study recommended that women in Cross River State should genuinely be supported with financial, technical and material resources to get fully involved in entrepreneurship through SMEs in order to improve their financial independence, ensuring self-employment, income generation, and asset ownership to support their families. It was also recommended that the Government of Cross River State and relevant stakeholders should introduce credible and fully-funded programmes that enable women to gain and improve valuable entrepreneurial skills to effectively engage in SME operations in order to attain sustainable economic empowerment. Additionally, the study recommended that stakeholders in the private sector, including industrialists, non-governmental organizations, and trade associations, among others should encourage female entrepreneurs to participate in networking events, professional associations, workshops and conferences in order to build valuable connections to grow their business.

Wisdom of Crowds: A Human-Machine-Things Cooperative Scheduling Method for Heterogeneous Mobile Crowdsensing

Relying on the development of crowdsourcing ideas and mobile crowd sensing (MCS) technology, many tasks that originally required a lot of manpower and material resources have been solved efficiently. However, with the development of urbanization, the traditional MCS systems have gradually been unable to cope with the demands of massive sensing tasks and high spatio-temporal sensing coverage. The challenges are as follows: 1) The scarcity of participants and the limitation of human motion rules lead to the existence of spatio-temporal blind spots in the process of collecting sensing data; 2) The single type of participants limits the sensing ability of the system and the types of data that can be collected, which affects sensing precision and quality. With the emergence of various intelligent sensing terminals in the city, the heterogeneous crowd sensing that integrates human, machine and things participants has become a new generation of sensing mode. In the spatio-temporal related sensing scenarioes, this article designs a new human-machine-things cooperative scheduling (HMT-CS) algorithm framework by comprehensively considering the diverse sensing skills, spatio-temporal trajectories, sensing costs of heterogeneous participants and system total budget constraints. The algorithm can match suitable heterogeneous participants for each task, which greatly improves the sensing quality, sensing fairness and overall utility of heterogeneous MCS systems. We combined multiple public real urban datasets to conduct an in-depth comparative analysis and comprehensive evaluation of the algorithm, and the results show that our method is superior to other baselines in all indicators.

Comparing the psychological impact of the Shanghai lockdown on local and non-local college students: an explanatory sequential mixed method approach.

In 2022, the Shanghai municipal government enforced strict COVID-19 lockdown measures. Lockdown experiences for college students varied. Local students normally returned home and had familial support while non-local students relied more on institutional support when quarantining in dormitories. The difference could profoundly impact their access to necessary material resources and emotional support, affecting their mental health. This study compared the psychological effects of the Shanghai Lockdown on local and non-local college students using an explanatory-sequential mixed methods design. Quantitative analyses of data from 327 college students examined local and non-local students' mental health outcomes during the lockdown. Follow-up qualitative interviews (N = 12) contextualized their sources of stress and group differences. Higher prevalences of probable anxiety (34.6%), depression (45.1%), and poor subjective mental well-being (65.4%) are found among non-local students compared to local students (23.7% anxiety, 29.4% depressive symptoms, and 47.9% poor well-being). Suicidal ideation was higher among local students (8.6% prevalence difference). Being a non-local college student was associated with increased odds of probable anxiety, depression, and poor well-being. Interviews identified group differences such that non-local students received more school support (i.e., food and financial) and perceived emotional support but faced poorer quarantine living environments compared to local peers. Non-local college students were more vulnerable to the impact of lockdown. Our findings also provide insights into the impact of familial versus institutional support on student mental health during times of crisis.

Problems and challenges of development of Ukraine: investment and personnel aspect

In the conceptual and methodological sense, the article considers war as a force majeure factor, the action of which has multifaceted negative consequences in the form of increasing risks of physical destruction of human and material resources, deterioration of their quality parameters, in particular, the mental and physical state of health of the population. The magnitude and scope of the loss of national wealth as a result of the full-scale war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine deepened the previously formed contradictions and asymmetries of a diverse nature in the economic system of our country. Socio-economic consequences are manifested in large-scale emigration, the appearance of forcibly displaced persons, a shortage of qualified labor, an asymmetry between demand and its supply in the domestic labor market, and a decrease in the number of jobs. Restoration of life-supporting objects of national wealth is considered as an objective prerequisite for the existence and victory of our state in this war. The article substantiates the leading role of state regulation in recovery by using a set of forms and methods of centralized influence on its organization and planning, presents the principles of participation of international partners in it. In the context of the leading role of the regulatory influence of the state on the reconstruction processes of Ukraine, the need for a systematic approach to solving the tactical and strategic tasks of restoring the economic potential of our country is substantiated. When developing and choosing a model for its restoration, priority should be given to the economic interests of domestic investors, employers, and workers. It was determined that its implementation allows to ensure the achievement of multifaceted positive results in the reconstruction of the economy of Ukraine. Objectively necessary prerequisites for the latter are the management of modernization processes by representatives of Ukrainian entrepreneurship, whose activities are based on the principles and principles of corporate social responsibility of business. In the conditions of war, this involves ensuring the functioning and development of enterprises located in the territory controlled by our state, employment of forcibly displaced persons, improvement of their welfare, compliance with laws and payment of all taxes, establishment of public-private partnership between socially responsible business and state institutions. Investing in rebuilding the economic potential of Ukraine is considered an objective phenomenon that is under the influence of state regulatory levers, the use of which is aimed at creating a favorable investment climate in the country. The negative impact on its state due to the lack of effective taxation, imperfection of land legislation, irrationality of the banking system, the absence of a national state credit investment company functionally aimed at identifying investment priorities with their technical and economic justification, control over the provision of benefits, the annexation of Crimea, the occupation of parts of the eastern oblasts and the conduct of military operations there, shelling of populated areas, which increases the likelihood of investment risks.

GAPS Phase III: incorporation of capacity based weighting in the global assessment for pediatric surgery.

The Global Assessment for Pediatric Surgery (GAPS) tool was developed to enhance pediatric surgical care in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. This study presents the addition of a capacity-based weighting system to the GAPS tool. GAPS, developed through a multi-phase process including systematic review, international testing, item analysis, and refinement, assesses 64 items across 5 domains: human resources, material resources, education, accessibility, and outcomes. This new weighting system differentially weighs each domain. The GAPS Score was evaluated using pilot study data, focusing on hospital and country income levels, human development index, under-five mortality rate, neonatal mortality rate, deaths due to injury and deaths due to congenital anomalies. Analysis involved the Kruskal-Wallis test and linear regression. Benchmark values for the GAPS overall score and subsection scores were identified. The GAPS score's capacity-based weighting system effectively discriminated between levels of hospital (p = 0.0001) and country income level (p = 0.002). The GAPS scores showed significant associations with human development index (p < 0.001) and key health indicators such as under-five mortality rates (p < 0.001), neonatal mortality rate (p < 0.001), and deaths due to injury (p < 0.001). Benchmark scores for the GAPS overall score and the subsection scores included most institutions within their respective hospital level. The GAPS tool and score, enhanced with the capacity-based weighting system, marks progress in assessing pediatric surgical capacity in resource-limited settings. By mirroring the complex reality of hospital functionality in low-resource centers, it provides a refined mechanism for fostering effective partnerships and data-driven strategic interventions.

Surfing the red tide: supporting the menstrual health needs and rights of students with disabilities in the classroom

ABSTRACT The states of Oregon and Connecticut and the District of Columbia in the USA mandate the teaching of menstrual education which means the teachers of students with disabilities are expected to be familiar with the topics of hygiene, self-care, and independent living skills in relation to menstrual health needs. Special education teachers may need to attend to pre-menstrual symptoms, collect data on challenging behaviour, and ensure their students have access to period products. Teachers can consult with parents about teaching these skills at home to ensure generalisation of skills across contexts, and to build strong communication between school and home. Teachers should also familiarise themselves with local resources for menstrual supplies and instructional materials for both students and parents. Teaching skills in relation to menstrual health is critical for increasing independence, maintaining individual dignity, and fostering a menstrual experience free of stigma and shame.

Impact of Material Consumption and Circular Economy on National Income in Europe – Chapter 1

Objective: This study investigates resource productivity by exploring the factors that influence it and the strength of their impact using sustainability statistics from Eurostat. Theoretical Framework: The research analyzes the interdependence between national income and material consumption, with a focus on the paradoxical effects of circular material use on these variables. Method: Data from bibliographic sources are analyzed using statistical methods, including regression and path models, to assess the relationships between material consumption, national income, and the use of circular materials. Results and Discussion: The study concludes that national income and material consumption are interdependent, with material consumption directly affecting national income. Notably, the use of circular materials, contrary to expectations, increases material use and decreases national income. The cases of Hungary and the Netherlands are specifically examined to illustrate these findings. Research Implications: The findings suggest that strategies to increase resource productivity and sustainability performance need to consider the complex and sometimes counterintuitive impacts of circular material use on national income and material consumption. Originality/Value: This study provides new insights into the relationship between resource productivity, national income, and material consumption, highlighting the unexpected effects of circular material use. It contributes to the broader understanding of sustainability performance, particularly in the context of Hungary and the Netherlands.

Impact of Material Consumption and Circular Economy on National Income in Europe – Chapter 2

Objective: This study investigates resource productivity by exploring the factors that influence it and the strength of their impact using sustainability statistics from Eurostat. Theoretical Framework: The research analyzes the interdependence between national income and material consumption, with a focus on the paradoxical effects of circular material use on these variables. Method: Data from bibliographic sources are analyzed using statistical methods, including regression and path models, to assess the relationships between material consumption, national income, and the use of circular materials. Results and Discussion: The study concludes that national income and material consumption are interdependent, with material consumption directly affecting national income. Notably, the use of circular materials, contrary to expectations, increases material use and decreases national income. The cases of Hungary and the Netherlands are specifically examined to illustrate these findings. Research Implications: The findings suggest that strategies to increase resource productivity and sustainability performance need to consider the complex and sometimes counterintuitive impacts of circular material use on national income and material consumption. Originality/Value: This study provides new insights into the relationship between resource productivity, national income, and material consumption, highlighting the unexpected effects of circular material use. It contributes to the broader understanding of sustainability performance, particularly in the context of Hungary and the Netherlands.