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Waste Management Practices and Circular Economy Initiatives in Balkan Countries : current trends and future prospects
No full textThis study examined the current state and prospects of waste management and circular economy practices in ten Balkan countries. A cross-sectional design was applied, using structured surveys among households and waste management authorities, along with national reports and policy documents. Descriptive and comparative analyses revealed notable differences in performance across the region. Slovenia and Croatia demonstrated the most advanced systems, with higher rates of recycling, effective collection processes, and greater public awareness of sustainability principles. In contrast, Albania and Kosovo reported considerably lower recycling rates and less developed waste management infrastructure. The findings indicated a significant positive relationship between awareness of circular economy principles and recycling behaviours. The study also highlighted the importance of structured policies, stable funding, and regional cooperation in promoting sustainable practices and improving outcomes. Based on the results, there is a clear need for targeted public education campaigns, coordinated policy development, and the adoption of modern technologies to improve waste management across the Balkans. These measures will help bridge existing gaps between countries and support the transition to a more integrated and sustainable circular economy that benefits the environment and society as a whole
Shared Deterrence,Shared Responsibility : the legal fault lines in the Saudi–Pakistan nuclear pact
Get PDFhe recent defence and nuclear cooperation pact between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan has ignited considerable global attention. Its most surprising clause declares that “any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both.” While this language resembles NATO’s Article 5, its implications in the nuclear and Middle Eastern context are far more precarious. The pact raises difficult questions about the prohibition on the use of force, collective self-defence, and state responsibility when deterrence arrangements violate the realms of sovereignty and accountability
Evaluation of the biopsychosocial model of health among emerging adults
Get PDFUnited Nations SDG 3 highlights the need for healthy life and promotes mental well-being at all ages. Given the growing significance of mental health and its declining status among emerging adults, it is imperative to reevaluate the biopsychosocial (BPS) model.
A cross-sectional research design was employed to analyse biological, social, and psychological components of health. The biological component was assessed through the Reaction Time test (Psychopy Version 2024.2.5). Resilience, personality, and overall mental health in the psychological domain were assessed through the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), Behaviour Inhibition and Behaviour Activation System (BIS-BAS) Scale, and Mental Health Continuum (MHC) Scale, respectively. The social component was assessed through the Multidimensional Scale for Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). Through convenience sampling, 333 private university students (115 males and 218 females) with a mean age of (20.3 + 1.8) years were recruited for the study.
The results of this study indicated no associations between the biological and the psychological components, but the biological variable was associated with the family component of perceived social support (rs = − 0.155, p = 0.004). There were also associations between the psychological and social components of the BPS model (MSPSS with MHC (rs = 0.37, p < 0.001) and BRS (rs = 0.19, p < 0.001). Hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that only BAS Drive and BAS Fun Seeking were predictors of Reaction Time (RT) (f2 ≈ 0.06). This could be because (RT) is a response based on activation, and the task did not reward the individual.
The findings indicate the need to develop individualised interventions and healthcare plans that enhance wellness among emerging adults, thereby contributing to SDG 3: Good Health & Well-being
Cyber-physical fusion architecture: To mitigate risk for resilient supply chain
No full textDisruptive technologies have transformed supply chain (SC) operations into automated SC. However, SC firms still lack transparency and accuracy in SC networks and work under high-risk conditions. In this direction, a cyber-physical fusion architecture is proposed to gain interoperability and technical integration between the cyber and physical worlds, resulting in a resilient SC. The core components of the architecture include a cyber-physical production system (CPPS), big data, augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR), additive manufacturing (AM), and incorporation of blockchain technology (BCT), which provide a realistic solution for traditional SC models to mitigate risk. This study highlights the proposed cyber-physical fusion architecture that can lead to SC innovation and reconfiguration in the digital era. The objective of this study is to explore the potential opportunities of the proposed architecture through which SC performance can be enhanced by capturing real-time data, SC risks, disruptions, product visualization, or logistic tracking that can be accessed by edge services or portable terminals. It is underlined that adopting the proposed architecture will synchronize and resilient the SC and provide many provisions for cost reductions, controlled carbon emissions, and optimal usage of resources to mitigate risk. This chapter presents a cyber-physical fusion architecture with the extant literature on integrated SC and Industry 4.0, its functional implementation, opportunities, and future perspectives
Conversational AI in E-Commerce: Strategic Implications of Voice-Based Chatbots for Consumer Engagement and Trust
Get PDFAI-powered chatbots are disruptive innovations with great potential for easing online business communication. This study aims to empirically investigate the influence of the voice mode of chatbot technology on consumer continuance intention toward e-commerce websites by examining the role of perceived technological optimism (PTO), cognition-based trust (CBT), and perceived customer care (PCC). A 2X2 factorial design is employed for a between-subjects laboratory experiment. ANOVA was used to test the treatments’ comparative effects, and the final analyses were done using Hayes PROCESS Macro in SPSS. The results reveal consumer preference for the voice mode of chatbots over the text mode when seeking service assistance. It empowers consumers by giving them greater control over their interaction with technology and the problem-solving process. With a seamless interaction with a virtual assistant, consumers develop CBT in the technology, leading to positive PCC and, eventually, continuance intention toward the website. The study offers recommendations on how to save a firm’s resources by retaining its customers rather than spending on new acquisitions. Firms need to implement a competent technology that allows customers to express themselves using autonomy, thereby building trust and continued engagement
Adaptation Process of a Culturally Tailored Smoking Cessation Intervention for People living with Severe Mental Illness in South Asia: IMPACT 4S
No full textIntroduction: Despite high smoking prevalence in people from low- and middle-income countries living with severe mental illness (SMI), smoking cessation interventions adapted for this population and context are lacking. This article describes the adaptation process of a smoking cessation intervention for people living with SMI in South Asia.
Methods: The adaptation process followed the first nine steps of the Escoffery framework for adapting health interventions, complemented by the Stirman adaptation classification to document the modifications. This was conducted by an interdisciplinary codesign team comprising people living with SMI, caregivers, and experts in mental health, smoking cessation, and behavioral science from India, Pakistan, and the United Kingdom. Stakeholders were consulted throughout. Evidence-based interventions were selected and contextual modifications to content and delivery identified. Staff were trained both in-person and online. The acceptability of the intervention was assessed through final consultations with community advisory panels.
Results: A UK intervention, SCIMITAR+, was selected to be adapted, drawing also on the TB & Tobacco and Smart Guide interventions from South Asia. Content and delivery adaptations focused on adding an additional “life after quitting” step, ensuring materials were understandable, with culturally relevant examples and pictures, avoiding stigmatizing SMI, incorporating caregiver support and flexible scheduling of sessions alongside routine appointments, offering hybrid delivery, and including female cessation advisors.
Conclusion: We systematically adapted a UK smoking cessation intervention for people living with SMI, tailoring it for implementation in India and Pakistan. The next steps (10 and 11 of the Escoffery framework) would be to implement and evaluate it in a pilot feasibility trial.
Implications:In this article, we describe the adaptation process for a smoking cessation intervention in South Asia for people living with SMI. The codesign approach, involving people living with SMI, their caregivers, healthcare providers, and experts in mental health, smoking cessation, and behavioral science, enhanced the intervention’s relevance for the new target population. There is still a significant gap in the literature explaining how such interventions are developed. This lack of detailed reporting hinders the ability to assess the appropriateness of adaptations and limits guidance for other initiatives. By addressing this gap, this article aims to improve transparency and show how two adaptation frameworks (the Escoffery adaptation framework and the Stirman classification of adaptations) were used in low-resource settings, which can inform future adaptation and implementation efforts
Pandemics of tomorrow: how AI and nanotech will transform global health
No full textPandemics have historically demonstrated their profound impact on global health, economies, and social structures, as evidenced by the Spanish Flu, HIV/AIDS, and the recent COVID-19 crisis. The urgency for innovative solutions to predict, prevent, and manage pandemics has never been greater. This article explores the transformative potential of two cutting-edge technologies—artificial intelligence (AI) and nanotechnology—in revolutionizing global health and pandemic preparedness. AI’s capability to analyze vast datasets, identify patterns, and simulate disease progression provides critical insights for early detection, resource allocation, and decision-making. AI-enhanced epidemiological surveillance, automated contact tracing, and predictive modeling significantly improve our ability to respond swiftly and effectively to emerging threats. Simultaneously, nanotechnology offers groundbreaking advancements in diagnostics, drug delivery, and vaccine development. By manipulating matter at the molecular and atomic levels, nanotechnology enhances the precision and speed of diagnostic procedures, enabling early detection of pathogens. Nanomaterials and nanosensors facilitate targeted drug delivery, minimizing side effects and increasing treatment efficacy. Moreover, nanotechnology’s role in developing potent vaccines and innovative diagnostic tools is crucial in managing infectious diseases. The integration of AI and nanotechnology promises a synergistic approach, resulting in intelligent nanodevices capable of detecting pathogens and administering treatments precisely. This fusion not only enhances disease detection, diagnosis, and treatment but also provides comprehensive insights into disease patterns, enabling proactive measures for future outbreak prevention. By leveraging the strengths of both technologies, we can build a resilient and adaptive healthcare infrastructure, ensuring global health security in the face of emerging threats. This article reviews the latest advancements in AI and nanotechnology, examines their applications in pandemic preparedness, and discusses the socioeconomic, ethical, and regulatory implications. It underscores the importance of international cooperation and equitable access to these technologies, aiming to improve global health outcomes and reduce the burden on healthcare systems. © 2025 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved
Introduction and Overview
No full textThis chapter provides an outline of the purpose of the book, the reasons that led to its preparation and a summary of current artificial intelligence (AI) ethical concerns. These wide- and far reaching concerns range from privacy and trust issues, through accountability, manipulation, misinformation, and explainability to socio-economic issues like the digital divide and environmental issues including just transitions in climate change mitigation. While these are areas of ethical and related concerns, AI of course offers tremendous potential for improving human well-being in areas of health, education, economics, transport, etc., and overall human well-being. After a brief survey of these issues, the four main sections of the book are summarized, namely, (1) foundations, (2) cultural and philosophical perspectives, (3) applications and (4) governance. An overview of each chapter of the book comprising the main sections is included so that the reader can quickly obtain a good feel for the contents of the book and decide which parts to read first according to their interest
Your rights in Rasrang: Claim compensation for food and drinks that are found to be defective
Get PDFFood and beverages are the most basic consumer goods. When we eat at a restaurant or buy a packaged beverage at a store, we naturally assume it will be safe. However, consumer commissions have come across numerous cases of foreign impurities or contaminants found in food and beverages. These cases highlight the responsibilities of manufacturers and service providers, as well as the remedies consumers can seek under consumer law
