Social Costs Research Articles

Acupuncture in the treatment of cocaine addiction: how does it work?

Cocaine is a frequently abused and highly addictive drug that damages brain health and imposes substantial social and economic costs. Acupuncture has been used in the treatment of cocaine addiction and has been shown to improve abnormal mental and motor states. This article mainly focuses on the neurobiological mechanisms involving the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS) that underlie the effects of acupuncture in the treatment of cocaine addiction. The central dopamine system is a key player in acupuncture treatment of cocaine addiction; the ventral tegmental area (VTA)-nucleus accumbens (NAc) signaling pathway, which has a modulatory influence on behavior and psychology after chronic use of cocaine, is a significant target of acupuncture action. Moreover, acupuncture alleviates cocaine-induced seizures or acute psychomotor responses through the paraventricular thalamus and the lateral habenula (LHb)-rostromedial tegmental (RMTg) nucleus circuits. The data suggest that acupuncture can impact various cocaine-induced issues via stimulation of diverse brain areas; nevertheless, the interconnection of these brain regions and the PNS mechanisms involved remain unknown. In this review, we also discuss the effects of specific acupuncture protocols on cocaine addiction and note that variations in needling modalities, current intensities and traditional acupuncture point locations have led to different experimental results. Therefore, standardized acupuncture protocols (with respect to stimulation methods, point locations and number of sessions) may become particularly important in future studies.

Sustainability Science Communication: Case Study of a True Cost Campaign in Germany

The Anthropocene, marked by human-induced climate change, necessitates urgent action to address climate goals and respect planetary boundaries. While sustainability research provides knowledge, the first challenge lies in communicating the findings in an adequate manner to the public and several stakeholders, such as economic and political actors. Therefore, this study explores the significance of science communication in sustainability science, focusing on a case study—the True Cost Accounting (TCA) campaign by the University of Greifswald, Technical Institute of Nuremberg, and German retailer PENNY. TCA herein serves as a transparency tool, economic incentive, and discussion basis for sustainable consumption. This study investigates consumer perceptions of ecological prices of foods through a face-to-face survey during the 2023 PENNY campaign, comparing results to an informational campaign carried out in 2021. Findings indicate a high awareness of the true cost campaign in 2023, with 50.8% of participants hearing about it. Consumers’ willingness to pay true costs and potential behavior changes were explored. In comparison to results from the informational campaign of 2021, customers showed a decrease in this WTP when the true prices would actually impact their spending, indicating an attitude–behavior gap. In addition, a willingness to reduce the consumption of animal foods—if TCA was implemented—of 60.5% was determined, which suggests that TCA has the potential for sustainable behavior change. This study highlights factors that influence consumer attitudes and preferences regarding the inclusion of TCAs, such as environmental, social, and animal welfare costs. Customers’ understanding of increased prices—like, in this case, the compensation for environmental and social costs—is an argument in favor of true prices. The results emphasize the need for differentiated scientific communication strategies to bridge knowledge and action gaps in sustainability science.

Who Took the Fall in 1408, and Why? Vienna's Elites in Alliances and Conflicts with Habsburg Dukes

Abstract This article focuses on the involvement of Viennese elites in wide-reaching political conflicts around 1400. Central European princes often held positions as city lords, which resulted in ambivalent relations between them and urban elites, as well as with their kin residing in the countryside. Setting aside grand categories of institutional history in favor of the interactions and relations of concrete actors, their social networks, and their involvement in shaping politics, the article follows six urban actors through a major conflict that involved the city lords, urban authorities, and individual actors and eventually resulted in the beheading of three of them. The article adopts a prosopographical approach to find out more about patterns of social costs and benefits in these conflicts. It argues that considering polyvalent and relational dimensions of belonging can help us better understand constellations of conflict and alliance and the modes and mechanisms of late medieval politics. It eventually establishes the boundaries of social network approaches when it comes to assessing individual motives and their alleged resonance in contemporary narratives of community.

Mobilizing social transformation with technology. The shaping of social processes since the development of industrial society and beyond: innovation input and social processes

Technological development is a key factor for shaping social life, transforming the ways in which societies organize their production, mobility and communication processes. Since the beginning of industrialization, the pace of the transformations brought about by technological change has increased dramatically, and has further accelerated since the advent of the new digital technologies. These development processes has also impacts in terms of social, economic and environmental costs, a fact that has been addressed in the past few decades by various social movements as well as theoreticians, becoming a key issue in political and social discussion agendas. In this paper, we outline a historical perspective of these changes and their effects, from pre-industrial, industrial, post-Fordism and network societies, and we focus on the mobilizing potential of technological change. We analyze the role that technological interfaces play today in social transformation, as well as the implications for our present day that our interactions become increasingly intermediated by digital technologies. Finally, we discuss digital technologies and their impacts on social inequity. We argue that a public and democratic agenda comprising both development and technological issues should be put in place for guaranteeing social development processes.

Financing for pandemic preparedness and response measures: a systematic scoping review.

To obtain insights into reducing the shortfall in financing for pandemic preparedness and response measures, and reducing the risk of another pandemic with social and economic costs comparable to those of the coronavirus disease. We conducted a systematic scoping review using the databases ScienceDirect, Scopus, JSTOR, PubMed® and EconLit. We included articles published in any language until 1 August 2023, and excluded grey literature and publications on epidemics. We categorized eligible studies according to the elements of a framework proposed by the World Health Organization Council on the Economy of Health for All: (i)root/structural causes; (ii)social position/foundations; (iii)infrastructure and systems; and (iv)communities, households and individuals. Of the 188 initially identified articles, we included 60 in our review. Most (53/60) were published after 2020, when academic interest had shifted towards global financing mechanisms. Most (37/60) addressed two or more of the council framework elements. The most frequently addressed element was infrastructure and systems (54/60), discussing topics such as health systems, financial markets and innovation ecosystems. The roots/structural causes were discussed in 25 articles; communities, households and individuals in 22 articles; and social positions/foundations in 11. Our review identified three important gaps: a formal definition of pandemic preparedness and response, impeding the accurate quantification of the financing shortfall; research on the extent to which financing for pandemic preparedness and response has been targeted at the most vulnerable households; and an analysis of specific financial instruments and an evaluation of the feasibility of their implementation.

Identification, management and pecuniary impact of major carbon footprint contributor in Potato production system of North-west India

Assessment of carbon footprint of a crop is an important component of sustainable crop production, as it helps in framing effectual and viable crop management strategies to minimize ecosystem tampering. Thus, in present investigation carbon footprint of potato production system in different agro-climatic zones viz. undulating plain zone, central plain zone and western plain zone of North-west India were estimated, and compared with the recommended practices of these zones. The carbon footprint was higher in undulating plain zone followed by central plain zone and western plain zone with values being 343, 296 and 220 kg CO2 eq. /t tuber yield (TY), sequentially, whereas same were 198 kg CO2 eq. /t tuber yield (TY) in case of recommended practices. The social cost of carbon (SCC), that represents economic damage from the CO2 emissions, was also estimated. The integrated net economic balance (net return from yield – SCC) was also better in case of recommended practices. The major sources of emission from potato production system were fertilizer (NPK) application (42%), irrigation (20%), seed (14%), fertilizer production (13%) and energy use (excluding Irrigation) (5%). Top most in the list of carbon footprint contributors was fertilizer application which was due to imbalanced application of these, and for getting the clear picture of this imbalance as well as its impact, a new and exclusive index- Relative Imbalance Fertilization Index (RIFIcf) was developed and tested. Carbon footprints were also related to tuber yield and an empirical model was developed that can be used to predict tuber yield on the basis of carbon footprint of potato production system. An increase in tuber yield with increasing carbon footprint was noticed, which became somewhat static at higher emissions. The findings of this investigation provide a clear picture of quantitative GHG emissions due to imbalanced inputs that can be plummeted to some extent if already existing recommendations are followed.

Economic and social costs of flood disasters in Nigeria: Implications for sustainable national development

Nigeria is susceptible to flood disasters, resulting in significant economic and social costs due to natural and human factors. This paper examines the implications of flood disasters on Nigeria's sustainable national development by identifying drivers, estimating costs, analyzing social dimensions, and discussing policy options. The methodology this paper adopted relied on a range of secondary sources such as government reports, academic studies, and media sources which were analyzed through qualitative methods of content and thematic analysis. The study revealed that flood disasters caused economic losses, including damage to infrastructure, loss of income, and reduced agricultural production, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations. Effective disaster risk management requires an integrated approach, including investments in flood risk infrastructure, coordination among government levels, and engaging local communities to build disaster reduction capacity. The paper highlights the need for Nigeria to mainstream disaster risk reduction into national development planning for sustainable development.

A Review of Mobile App-Based Psychosocial Intervention for Personal and Clinical Recovery for People With Psychosis

Objectives: The social and economic costs of severe mental illness, including psychosis, are increasing, and methods to reduce costs such as a mobile app-based approach have been tried more than ever. This study aims to explore and analyze the methods that have been used in previous studies for mobile app-based psychosocial interventions for personal and clinical recovery of psychosis.Methods: To identify mobile apps associated with psychosis, psychotic disorder, and other related terms, we searched for literature published from 2017 to 2023 (n=21). After classifying them into personal and clinical recovery, we qualitatively analyzed each study’s topics, objectives, measurement tools, results, and other aspects.Results: For personal recovery, the focus was mainly on improving daily living, self-management, and cognitive and social function improvement, and for clinical recovery, the focus was mainly on preventing symptom recurrence and managing symptoms. Mobile apps for improving daily living functions, cognitive functions, and relapse prevention have significant effects. While mobile apps for improving social function and symptom management mainly reported smaller effects.Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that mobile app-based psychosocial interventions for personal and clinical recovery of psychosis are likely to be utilized. Finally, the significance and limitations of the studies were discussed.

Settlement of Traffic Offences: A Shift in the Presumption of Innocence and the Impact on Legal Justice

Traffic offences are a serious issue in Indonesia, creating complex challenges for the justice system and social costs. Although Law No. 22/2009 has defined the rules, the high number of accidents and offences indicates the ineffectiveness of law enforcement. This study aims to investigate the impact of traffic offences on legal justice, the effectiveness of sanctions, and the shifting presumption of innocence in Indonesia. The research methodology included both quantitative and qualitative approaches, involving analyses of accident data and interviews with authorities. The results showed a high number of offences, a lack of effectiveness of Law No. 22 of 2009, and the phenomenon of "peace in place." The implementation of ETLE cameras became an alternative, despite internet access constraints. Perma No. 12/2016 changed the judicial process, moving from a presumption of innocence to a presumption of guilt. This shift provides uniform sanctions without considering individual circumstances. The limitation of violators' rights in ticket hearings violates the principle of justice. The implementation of e-ticket technology shows advantages, but the dependence on the internet and the potential for misuse are obstacles. The shift to the presumption of innocence in the Perma raises doubts about the fairness of the justice system. Improving fairness requires a re-evaluation of the application of sanctions, technological improvements, and a deeper understanding of the rights of offenders. These recommendations are expected to improve the justice system related to traffic offences in Indonesia.

Business Management for Sustainability

The purpose of this paper is to address a fundamental flaw in prominent approaches to managing businesses for sustainability. Current management strategies fail to recognize the fundamental differences between economic, social, and moral or ethical values. Economic values are instrumental, individual, and impersonal. Social values are reciprocal, communal, and personal. Moral values are altruistic, spiritual, and universal. These are not arbitrary definitions but expressions of basic differences among the three types of value. These differences reveal the fundamental flaws in attempts to assign economic value or objectively quantify the social and ecological costs and benefits of economic enterprises. The transactional, social, and moral economies are defined in ways that avoid compromising the differences in values. In addition, a natural hierarchy exists among nature, society, and economy that requires a corresponding hierarchy of moral, social, and economic values in managing sustainable organizations. The strategies, motives, and metrics that have dominated sustainable business management for the past several decades, and the related research and educational programs that support them, fail to reflect differences among economic, social, and moral values that are critical to sustainability.

The long-term effectiveness of a personality-targeted substance use prevention program on aggression from adolescence to early adulthood.

Addressing aggressive behavior in adolescence is a key step toward preventing violence and associated social and economic costs in adulthood. This study examined the secondary effects of the personality-targeted substance use preventive program Preventure on aggressive behavior from ages 13 to 20. In total, 339 young people from nine independent schools (M age = 13.03 years, s.d. = 0.47, range = 12-15) who rated highly on one of the four personality traits associated with increased substance use and other emotional/behavioral symptoms (i.e. impulsivity, anxiety sensitivity, sensation seeking, and negative thinking) were included in the analyses (n = 145 in Preventure, n = 194 in control). Self-report assessments were administered at baseline and follow-up (6 months, 1, 2, 3, 5.5, and 7 years). Overall aggression and subtypes of aggressive behaviors (proactive, reactive) were examined using multilevel mixed-effects analysis accounting for school-level clustering. Across the 7-year follow-up period, the average yearly reduction in the frequency of aggressive behaviors (b = -0.42; 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.64 to -0.20; p < 0.001), reactive aggression (b = -0.22; 95% CI 0.35 to -0.10; p = 0.001), and proactive aggression (b = -0.14; 95% CI -0.23 to -0.05; p = 0.002) was greater for the Preventure group compared to the control group. The study suggests a brief personality-targeted intervention may have long-term impacts on aggression among young people; however, this interpretation is limited by imbalance of sex ratios between study groups.

Development of antipsychotic-induced weight gain management guidance: patient experiences and preferences - a qualitative descriptive study

Abstract Introduction It is estimated that 50% of patients with a severe mental illness (SMI) do not adhere to their medication regimen. Antipsychotic-induced weight gain (AIWG) is one of the most common reasons for patient disengagement with treatment.[1] Clinically significant weight gain has been linked to almost all antipsychotics and contributes significantly to the 2-3-fold higher rates of obesity seen in psychiatry.[2] Given the personal, social, and healthcare costs of overweight, obesity and relapse of mental illness, effectively managing AIWG is a priority for patients, clinicians, and policymakers. However, effectively managing AIWG is challenging. Sparse guidance for clinicians invariably contributes to management complexity. An important barrier to the development of high-quality AIWG management guidance is the lack of empirical research assessing patient values and preferences for management and other key guideline decision-making criteria including acceptability, feasibility, and equity considerations. Integration of patient experiences and preferences for management into guidance informing practice is essential to ensure recommendation relevance, applicability, and transferability. Aim To elicit the values and preferences of those with lived experience of AIWG regarding preferred management. Methods Qualitative descriptive methodology was used as it avoids high-level interpretation and theory development in data analysis and results in outputs that can be more readily implementable by policymakers and guideline developers. The study recruited adult outpatients attending a secondary psychiatric care setting with a diagnosis of a SMI and experience of AIWG. Purposive sampling informed recruitment whereby participants who had a diverse range of experiences of AIWG were recruited. Participants took part in online semi-structured interviews. Reflexive thematic analysis informed data analysis. Results Seventeen participants were recruited (24% male; mean age: 51.7 years [range: 26-66]). Participants conceptualised preferred AIWG management as being individualised, proactive, collaborative, and holistic. Participants were asked how the tenets of preferred management could be realised in practice and within clinician management guidance. Results are summarised in Figure 1. Conclusion Use of this research by guideline developers will provide opportunities to maximise the impact of recommendations in practice for those funding, providing, and using services. The opportunity to include a culturally diverse group was unavailable, which may limit transferability of study findings.

Internalization of External Cost in the Thermal Power Generation on Social Welfare Maximization

For decades, Kenya has incorporated thermal power technology into its grid to generate electrical energy using fossil fuels such as petroleum, natural gas, and coal. The burning of fossil fuels has become a major source of air pollutants and is associated with several undesirable side effects on the environment and human health. However, the impact of pollutants on environmental sustainability and public welfare has yet to be evaluated. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the external cost of electricity generated by thermal power plants in Kenya. Both survey data and secondary data were used. The analysis was conducted using externality valuation and welfare maximization approaches, and the research hypotheses were tested using a negative binomial regression model. The annual external cost ($/2022) was determined to be $ 1,333,904,970.76, with the following distribution: environmental at $ 993,488,336.26, Public health at $ 86,760,038.01, and socio-economic at $ 253,656,596.49. Equally, the thermal power generation marginal social cost ($/2022) was determined to be 1.22 $cents/kWh with the following distribution: Marginal Private Cost (MPC) at 0.01 $cents/kWh and Marginal External Cost (MEC) at 1.21 $cents/kWh. The established marginal social cost (MSC) (i.e. Σ MPC+MEC) was 1.22 ($cents/kWh). Thus, MSC is significantly greater than the established social marginal benefit (SMB) of 0.089 ($ cents/kWh); hence, we conclude that the burden of social welfare loss is highly significant, making thermal power a non-sustainable and economic energy source.

The Effects of Sports Betting on Cross-Border Substitution in Casino Gambling

This paper tests for potential cross-border substitution in casino gambling between Illinois and Missouri due to the launch of sports betting in Illinois. Using casino-level gambling revenue and admissions data, difference-in-differences, event study analysis, and regression discontinuity design, our findings suggest that the launch of sports betting increased casino revenues and admissions in the Illinois casinos and decreased revenue and admissions in Missouri casinos close to the border of Illinois and Missouri. Thus, Missouri not only lost potential sports betting tax revenue but also tax revenue from casino gambling revenue and admissions resulting from cross-border substitution between Missouri and Illinois after the launch of sports betting. The size of the lost casino and foregone sports betting tax revenues suggests Missouri and other states in similar circumstances are likely to experience continued fiscal pressure to legalize sports betting despite possible moral objections or an intent to minimize social costs through prohibition.

Estimating additional health and social costs in eating disorder care for young people during the COVID-19 pandemic: implications for surveillance and system transformation

BackgroundThe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young people with eating disorders (EDs) and their families was profound, with surging rates of hospitalizations and referrals reported internationally. This paper provides an account of the additional health and social costs of ED care for young people living in Canada incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, drawing attention to the available data to inform these estimates while noting gaps in data capacities to account for a full view of the ED system of care.MethodsThree methodologies were used to capture costs: (1) provincial administrative data holdings available at the Canadian Institute of Health Information (CIHI) were used by Deloitte Access Economics to conduct analyses on costs related to hospitalizations, emergency room visits, outpatient visits with physicians and loss of well-being from being on a waitlist. These were examined across three fiscal years (April 1 to March 31, 2019–2022) to compare costs from one year before to two years after the onset of the pandemic, (2) data collected on support-based community ED organizations and, (3) costs identified by young people, caregivers and health care professionals.ResultsEstimates of additional health care costs and social costs arising from ED care waitlists were estimated to have increased by 21% across the two years after the onset of the pandemic and is likely to represent an underestimate of costs. Costs related to some standard ED care services (e.g. day treatment programs) and support-based community ED organizations that saw a 118% increase in services during this time, are some examples of costs not captured in the current cost estimate.ConclusionsThis paper provides a first account of the additional health and social ED care costs associated with the pandemic, which indicate at minimum, a 21% increase. The results invite discussion for more investments in ED services for young people in Canada, as it is unclear if needs are expected to remain elevated. We suggest a call for a national surveillance strategy to improve data holdings to aid in managing services and informing policy. A robust strategy could open the door for much-needed, data-informed, system transformation efforts that can improve ED care for youth, families and clinicians.

Costs of care trajectories of people with dementia compared with matched controls. Longitudinal analysis of linked health and administrative data.

To provide insight into the health and social care costs during the disease trajectory in persons with dementia and the impact of institutionalization and death on healthcare costs compared with matched persons without dementia. Electronic health record data from family physicians were linked with national administrative databases to estimate costs of primary care, medication, secondary care, mental care, home care and institutional care for people with dementia and matched persons from the year before the recorded dementia diagnosis until death or a maximum of 4years after the diagnosis. Total mean health and social care costs among persons with dementia increased substantially during the disease trajectory, mainly due to institutional care costs. For people who remained living in the community, mean health and social care costs are higher for people with dementia than for those without dementia, while for those who are admitted to a long-term care facility, mean health and social care costs are higher for people without dementia than for those with dementia. The steep rise in health and social care costs across the dementia care trajectory is mainly due to increasing costs for institutional care. For those remaining in the community, home care costs and hospital care costs were the main cost drivers. Future research should adopt a societal perspective to investigate the influence of including social costs.

Theoretical aspects of dependence of the country's economic growth on public health and healthy nutrition

Subject. The article investigates theoretical aspects of dependence of economic growth on public health and healthy nutrition. It can help identify the relationship between these two factors and determine what dietary changes can contribute to improving the country's economic performance. Objectives. The purpose of the study is to examine theoretical aspects of dependence of the country's economic growth on the health of the population and healthy diet. Methods. The methodological basis of the study was the idea of a link between a healthy diet of the population and development of the country's economy. To implement this idea, I offered an integrated assessment of the nutrition of the population. Results. The analysis showed that rational nutrition of the population has a direct impact on the economic growth of the country through improving labor productivity, reducing health and social protection costs, and attracting investments. The findings will enable to understand the main patterns by which the dependence of the country's economic growth on public health is formed. Conclusions. Part of GDP is spent on health protection and promotion, however, the health itself is a special economic resource that largely determines the effectiveness of socio-economic development. Therefore, public health policy should be aimed at ensuring the availability and quality of medical care, preventing disease, improving human health and living conditions. An important element of such a policy is the support for healthy nutrition and development of agriculture.

Ecosystem interoperability for the architecture, engineering, construction &amp; operations (AECO) sector

Substandard performance between information systems and applications remains a problem for the Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Operations (AECO) sector leading to significant economic, social and environmental costs. The sector suffers from poor interoperability because it lacks a holistic ecosystem for exchanging data and information. Through qualitative research involving AECO sector industry partners’ views and opinions, this research extends understanding of issues which affect ecosystem interoperability in the AECO sector. Research questions guided a literature review, survey, semi-structured interview, focus group meeting, and interpretation of the results. The authors believe that incorporating AECO sector industry partners' views is essential for meaningful proposals to emerge. Open questions asked of industry partners received candid responses and confirmed key issues including: the need for the Industry Foundation Class (IFC) to be fully interoperable; the side effects and impacts of vendor lock-in; integration problems caused by multiple Common Data Environments (CDEs); handover data and information challenges; the impacts of poor interoperability on sustainable development. Through engagement with industry this research offers better understanding of interoperability challenges in the AECO sector and has generated more meaningful actions and solutions capable of improving the sector’s data and information ecosystem.

Road infrastructure maintenance: Operative method for interventions’ ranking

Planned maintenance of transportation infrastructure is a milestone in maintaining the functionality and safety of road networks. This paper is part of this process and aims to propose an easily applicable and versatile operational methodology for prioritizing maintenance interventions generally scheduled on road networks of considerable extent. An operational methodology for ranking and prioritizing maintenance interventions is proposed; this method is applicable to road networks of such size that direct inspection of each situation is impossible. The core of the paper is the analytical description of this methodology, based on a weighted sum function of three blocks: i) Category − is a score related to the purpose of the intervention; ii) Asset − is a score due to the road on which the intervention is located (considering Average Daily Traffic, Accidentality, Social Cost, Road Type, Routes); iii) Typology − is a score related to the element on which the intervention is being carried out. After describing the parameters and the implementation procedure for each block, the calibration of the relative weights is described, and a sensitivity analysis is performed. In the case study, the proposed methodology is applied to the ANAS corporate network in Italy. This case study will highlight the usefulness, versatility, and operability of the methodology with GIS (Geographic Information System) tools for implementing thematic maps. A concluding section concerns the addition of a scoring block − Spatial Context − as an additional differentiating factor due to the spatial context of each road.

Bankruptcy social cost, government intervention and stock price crash risk

This paper examines the relationship between the social cost of bankruptcy and the risk of corporate stock price collapse through a study of China's A-share non-financial listed companies from 2012 to 2022. It is found that the higher a firm's social cost of bankruptcy is, the lower its firm share price crash risk is instead. In addition, the extent to which the social cost of insolvency affects the risk of firm share price collapse is enhanced in regions with less government intervention.