Macroeconomic and Social Impacts of Economic Partnership Agreements on Ivorian Economy： A New Assessment

This study reassesses the macroeconomic and social impacts of Economic Partnership Agreements （EPAs） on Ivorian economy using Computable General Equilibrium （CGE） model with positive externalities of public investment in education, health, and economic infrastructure. Previous studies highlight negative effect of these agreements stressing particularly on losses in government revenues due to the removal of all tariffs on imports. This analysis aims to provide some insight into this question by refreshing the debate to show how this situation could be transformed into opportunities for Ivory Coast in order to promote growth and reduce poverty. To do so, this study postulates that government spending （investment） in economic infrastructure （roads, bridges, communication network, etc.）, in education and health sectors produces positive externalities in each industry. This assumption has not been set anymore in previous studies. Simulation results reveal that, despite this decline in government revenues, if it invests in economic infrastructure, health and education sector, EPAs will generate more revenue for government due to the rise in income tax on firms and households, and tax on overall production. Furthermore, household income will increase which will in turn stimulate （final） consumption. There won＇t also be a decline in economic growth.

Environmental and Social Impacts of Mini-hydropower Plants--A Case Study from Sri Lanka

This research study was conducted to review the environmental and social impact of mini hydropower plants （run-of-the-river type） by selecting Denawaka Ganga mini hydropower plant, which is located in Ratnapura district, Sri Lanka. Field visits and discussions among the authors, authorities and the residents were carried out. Then, the environmental and social impacts were scientifically analysed using regulation degree （RD） and environmental impact value （EIV） scores. It was found out that the Denawaka Ganga mini hydropower plant has induced some environmental concerns; however, significant positive social impact to the society. This is in addition to the green energy generation. Therefore, it can be concluded herein that the Denawaka Ganga mini hydropower is an asset to the country, Sri Lanka.

Drawbacks of Social Impacts Assessment in Brazil: Is It Time for a New Approach?

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has shown a progressive improvement in addressing environmental impacts worldwide. However, EIA practice in Brazil and in other developing countries has been recognized as insufficient to deal with relevant issues related to the implementation of projects. One of the reasons found in the literature is related to the difficulties to integrate the biophysical environment and social issues within the decision-making process. In this paper, the practice of EIA in Brazil is analyzed in order to verify the relevance that social, cultural and economic impacts have been given for the acceptability of development projects. Firstly, a quality review of 23 randomly selected Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) from federal and state levels were checked in order to verify the range of social issues that have been encompassed. Secondly, seven EIS were scrutinized to check the adherence to international principles of Social Impact Assessment (SIA) best practices and guidelines applied to this instrument. The outcomes reveal a gap between the legal and empirical frameworks that describe the practice of SIA in Brazil and the main principles and guidelines for best practice in SIA. The paper concludes for the need to improve the effectiveness in the assessment of the social dimensions of environmental impacts in order to better inform the decisions. Also, the practice of EIA Brazil would benefit from guidelines for SIA and its integration to the EIA process.

Generation Mechanism and Social Impact of Knowledge in the Era of"New Quality Productivity"

The changes in knowledge forms in the era of"new quality productivity"are closely related to the development of society.With the rise of the Internet,"the world of dataism is coming".The traditional knowledge production model is undergoing fundamental changes in structure and nature.The most prominent change is that knowledge is becoming increasingly inseparable from data networks.The collaborative production of knowledge based on the Internet is becoming increasingly common,and Wikipedia is a prominent example of this.Wikipedia makes the networked production of knowledge possible by utilizing collective intelligence and data connectivity.Wiki users are commonly referred to as"wiki".This paper conducted interviews with 30 Wiki users and used content analysis to statistically analyze the interview records,in order to study the significance and value of the Wiki knowledge production model for online users,and to glimpse the impact of the knowledge structure changes in the era of"dataism"on social change.

Optimizing Social Impact in Organizations:Concepts,Levers and Barriers

With the socio-economic change that has taken place over the last years,in addition to an increase in sustainability regulation,stakeholders have gained importance and organizations are more active in relation to generating social impact,but society demands more and better social impact from organizations.The objectives of this paper are to clarify the concepts of impact and social impact optimization,and to detect levers and barriers to help organizations optimize the social impact that they generate.A qualitative approach based on interviews with social impact leaders from organizations with different forms(big companies,small and medium-sized enterprises,corporate foundations,b-corps,community foundations,public and private foundations,associations and investing firms)is applied,together with focus groups with stakeholders from those organizations that are best practices.

The Socio-Economic Impacts of Aged-Dam Removal: A Review

Water storage dams worldwide are ageing, and many will reach the end of their designed lifespan by the middle of the 21st century. Some of these dams will likely need to be removed. While dam construction impacts have been widely discussed, dam removal impacts on society and the economy need to be synthesized and considered in the ageing dams’ decision-making process. This paper summarizes dam removal impacts on the local economy and industry, culture, history and heritage, property value, recreation, aesthetics, and disaster avoidance from identified studies worldwide. It demonstrates that these impacts may vary depending on geography and between developed and developing countries. It concludes that dam removal should consider the cost, environmental, and the socio-economic impacts while including all stakeholders who could be positively and negatively impacted by dam removal.

Physical, Psychological, and Social Health Impact of Temperature Rise Due to Urban Heat Island Phenomenon and Its Associated Factors

The Urban Heat Island Effect（UHI）has now become a commonly observed phenomenon worldwide.Indeed,it has become a significant environmental effect of urbanisation.In Malaysia,research results showed that UHI effects are very evident in several cities such as Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.UHI effect has long been observed to cause temperature of cities.

Economic and Social Impact Assessment of the Alternatives to DDT Usage for Antifouling Paint Production in China

China is the only nation that uses DDT in antifouling pain at present, approximately 5% of DDT is applied as the additive of the antifouling paint production. Therefore, actions shall be taken urgently for banning the use of DDT and substituting with non-POPs alternatives in antifouling paints. The paper researches the social and economic backgrounds of DDT booster antifouling paint production and usage, analyzes the social and economic impact assessment of the alternatives to DDT usage for antifouling paint. The implementation of the project of alternatives will completely eliminate the adverse impact of DDT booster antifouling paint on terrestrial, marine ecosystem and human health. The broad use of alkali silicate and pepper alkali as substitutes will be feasible if appropriate measures will be taken to encourage their development, and the social and economic risk will be reduced to accepted levels.

On the Social Influences of News Photography

The continuous development of the society gave birth to the photography technologies, and the science and technology has provided the impetus and support for the enhancement of the levels of the photography technologies. The news photography, as an important part of the photography, contains a wealth of the cultural connotations, which have a great impact on all areas of the society. With the development of the photography technologies, their impact on the society is more in-depth, and the author of this paper carries out the analysis and research from several aspects.

Study on the Impact of Beijing-Shanghai Highspeed Railway on Highquality Economic and Social Development

Based on the new development concept in China's new stage of high-quality development,this paper qualitatively analyzes the impact of Beijing-Shanghai Highspeed Railway(HSR)on high-quality economic and social development.We select the data of areas along Beijing-Shanghai HSR and adjacent unopened areas for quantitative comparative study,and summarize the important demonstration and enlightenment role of Beijing-Shanghai HSR.The results show that Beijing-Shanghai HSR,as an important national infrastructure project,not only improves the travel quality of people,but also drives the high-quality economic and social development,which is of great significance in promoting the formation of a new pattern of high-quality development along the line,especially in promoting green development.

A Study of the Residents’Perception on the Socio-cultural Impact of Coastal Tourism

In the process of tourism development,destination residents,as an important interest group,their perception and attitude towards the impact of tourism has a vital significance to the success of the development of coastal tourism industry.This research studies the perception and attitude to the socio-cultural impact of community residents who live in coastal tourism destination Qingdao through an empirical case study.The results of the study draw that residents’perception of positive influences produce positive effects on their attitude while perception of negative impact generates negative effects.Cluster analysis and descriptive statistical analysis were used to divide Qingdao community residents into four types,namely optimistic supporters,pessimistic opponents,rational supporters,and neutral.Through the different categories of demographic analysis and logistic regression model analysis,the influence degree of residents’subjective factors posed on tourism effect perception has been explored.The research adds a new applied case study for a comprehensive understanding of impacts of coastal tourism destinations.

Estimating the Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Research Community in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Ever since its outbreak inWuhan,COVID-19 has cloaked the entireworld in a pall of despondency and uncertainty.The present study describes the exploratory analysis of all COVID cases in Saudi Arabia.Besides,the study has executed the forecastingmodel for predicting the possible number of COVID-19 cases in Saudi Arabia till a defined period.Towards this intent,the study analyzed different age groups of patients(child,adult,elderly)who were affected by COVID-19.The analysis was done city-wise and also included the number of recoveries recorded in different cities.Furthermore,the study also discusses the impact of COVID-19 on the economy.For conducting the stated analysis,the authors have created a list of factors that are known to cause the spread of COVID-19.As an effective countermeasure to contain the spread of Coronavirus in Saudi Arabia,this study also proposes to identify the most effective Computer Science technique that can be used by healthcare professionals.For this,the study employs the Fuzzy-Analytic Hierarchy Process integrated with the Technique for Order Performance by Similar to Ideal Solution(F.AHP.TOPSIS).After prioritizing the various Computer Science techniques,the ranking order that was obtained for the different techniques/tools to contain COVID-19 was:A4>A1>A2>A5>A3.Since the Blockchain technique obtained the highest priority,the study recommends that it must be used extensively as an efficacious and accurate means to combat COVID-19.

Impact Assessment of COVID-19 Pandemic Through Machine Learning Models

Ever since its outbreak in the Wuhan city of China,COVID-19 pandemic has engulfed more than 211 countries in the world,leaving a trail of unprecedented fatalities.Even more debilitating than the infection itself,were the restrictions like lockdowns and quarantine measures taken to contain the spread of Coronavirus.Such enforced alienation affected both the mental and social condition of people significantly.Social interactions and congregations are not only integral part of work life but also form the basis of human evolvement.However,COVID-19 brought all such communication to a grinding halt.Digital interactions have failed to enthuse the fervor that one enjoys in face-to-face meets.The pandemic has shoved the entire planet into an unstable state.The main focus and aim of the proposed study is to assess the impact of the pandemic on different aspects of the society in Saudi Arabia.To achieve this objective,the study analyzes two perspectives:the early approach,and the late approach of COVID-19 and the consequent effects on different aspects of the society.We used a Machine Learning based framework for the prediction of the impact of COVID-19 on the key aspects of society.Findings of this research study indicate that financial resources were the worst affected.Several countries are facing economic upheavals due to the pandemic and COVID-19 has had a considerable impact on the lives as well as the livelihoods of people.Yet the damage is not irretrievable and the world’s societies can emerge out of this setback through concerted efforts in all facets of life.

Macro-Behaviour of Agents＇ Opinion under Influence of an External Field

We propose a model to study the evolution of opinion under the influence of all external field on small world network. The maero-behaviour of agents＇ opinion and the relative change rate as time elapses are studied. The external field is found to play an important role in making the opinion s（t） balance or increase, and without the influence of the external field, the relative change rate γ（t） shows nonlinear increasing behaviour as time runs. What is more, this nonlinear increasing behaviour is independent of the initial condition, the strength of the external field and the time that we cancel the external field. The results may reflect some phenomena in our society, such as the function of the macro-control in China or the mass media in our society.

Delays to Large Construction Projects in Ghana： A Risk Overview

Delay to large scale projects, which is as a result of actions or inactions of some project stakeholders, is becoming a global phenomena and Ghana is no exception. The objective of the research is to identify, rate and rank the most significant risk factors that causes delay on projects and examine the social impact of these delays to recommend modalities to help mitigate these risk factors. The study adopted quantitative methods with the distribution of 144 questionnaires to built environment professionals receiving a response rate of 75.7%. The instrument listed 58 common factors under eight categories that contribute to the causes of delay for respondents to rate. Analysis of data non-parametric test revealed that client, contractor, material and finance category factors significantly resulted in the schedule delay of large infrastructural projects. The survey analysis revealed that micro-factors that result in delays to large construction projects are time constraint, cost overrun, payment problems, dispute and litigation. The research recommended the following modalities to minimize such delays： availability of resources, improved communication and coordination, proper scope definition and feasibilities, utilization of modern technology, appropriate application of technologically based systems and competent project management＇s structures.

Social insights on the implementation of One Health in zoonosis prevention and control: a scoping review

Background:The One Health (OH) concept has been promoted widely around the globe. OH framework is expected to be applied as an integrated approach to support addressing zoonotic diseases as a significant global health issue and to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of zoonosis prevention and control. This review is intended to overview the social impact of the implementation of OH on zoonosis prevention and control.Methods:A scoping review of studies in the past 10 years was performed to overview the integration feature of OH in zoonosis prevention and control and the social impacts of OH. PubMed and Web of Science were searched for studies published in English between January 2011 and June 2021. The included studies were selected based on predefined criteria.Results:Thirty-two studies were included in this review, and most of them adopted qualitative and semi-qualitative methods. More than 50% of the studies focused on zoonosis prevention and control. Most studies were conducted in low- and middle-income countries in Africa and Asia. Applying OH approach in diseases control integrates policymakers, stakeholders, and academics from various backgrounds. The impact of OH on economic is estimated that it may alleviate the burden of diseases and poverty in the long term, even though more financial support might be needed at the initial stage of OH implementation. OH implementation considers social and ecological factors related to zoonosis transmission and provides comprehensive strategies to assess and address related risks in different communities according to regions and customs.Conclusions:Based on reviewed literature, although there seems to be a lack of guidelines for assessing and visualizing the outcomes of OH implementation, which may limit the large-scale adoption of it, evidence on the contributions of implementing OH concepts on zoonosis prevention and control indicates long-term benefits to society, including a better integration of politics, stakeholders and academics to improve their cooperation, a potential to address economic issues caused by zoonosis, and a comprehensive consideration on social determinants of health during zoonosis prevention and control.

Does Corporate Social Responsibility Really Make a Difference? An Explorative Analysis for Chinese Companies

Many studies have been performed to assess the impacts of corporate social responsibility （CSR） on the financial performance of companies. There are, however, very few studies that analyze how CSR policies and instruments affect the realization of social and environmental CSR goals, such as the reduction of workplace accidents or CO2 emissions. Therefore, it remains uncertain to what extent CSR really contributes to sustainable development and whether it can serve as an alternative to government regulation to internalize external effects from market operation. The present study provides an explorative empirical analysis that aims to fill this gap. We employ regression analysis on a sample of 109 Chinese companies. The estimation results show that having a code of conduct stimtdates the implementation of other organizational CSR instruments, but CSR implementation only partly affects the realization of CSR goals. Having codes of conduct without implementing CSR does not have a significant impact on societal welfare.

Psychosocio-economic impacts of COVID-19 on gastroenterology and endoscopy practice

Beyond posing a major health crisis,the COVID-19 pandemic has inflicted profound psychological,social,and economic impacts on populations worldwide.Mass quarantines and social isolation have affected the mental health of the wider population,exacerbating other stressors,including fear of the virus and its repercussions,general uncertainty,and financial insecurity.The pandemic has challenged the broader delivery of healthcare––ranging from the need to triage limited hospital resources to balancing risk mitigation with maintaining medical care.Specific to gastroenterology,severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2)has not only been associated with complicating extant medical conditions of the gastrointestinal(GI)tract,but has also forced a shift in the practice of gastroenterology by patients,families,and healthcare providers alike.The gastroenterology field has been required to adapt its practices to minimize the possibility of viral spread while still upholding patient care.Healthcare practitioners in GI have helped to treat COVID-19 patients,stratified inpatient and outpatient visits and procedures,and shifted to telemedicine.Still,as is the case with much of the general population,healthcare providers working in GI practice or endoscopy have faced personal and professional stressors,mental health difficulties,social isolation,financial pressures,and familial burdens––all of which can take a toll on practitioners and,by extension,the provision of GI care overall.This article will highlight how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the psychological wellbeing,social engagement,and economic conditions of the public,healthcare providers,and GI professionals specifically.Recommendations for strategies that can continue GI services while maintaining safety for both caregivers and patients are put forth to help uphold critical GI care during this worldwide crisis.