Socio-Economic Challenges Affecting Construction Women Labourers (WCLs) in The Nigerian Construction Sector (NCS)

Women constitute about half of the population of Nigeria and thus a critical mass in the human capital of the country. They make significant contributions to social and economic development of the society, yet they are never appreciated nor supported by public or private institutions. Recently there have been a growing number of women in construction labour work in the Nigerian Construction Sector (NCS) - an area hitherto exclusively preserved of the male folks. This study investigates aspects of social and economic conditions of women construction labourers (WCLs) in Ondo State Southwest Nigeria. Convenience and Snowball sampling were used to sample 101 WCLs. Simple descriptive statistics was used to analyze the data. The result indicates that most WCLs are low in education and skills hence they mostly participate in supportive roles that are energetic. The WCLs are exposed to multiple risks due to poor Health, Safety and Environment (HSE), welfare and social protection of Nigerian Construction Contractors (NCCs) in the informal construction sub sector of the NCS. The study recommends for the improvement and enforcement of HSE standards, welfare package and training in the NCS.

A Crop Modelling Strategy to Improve Cacao Quality and Productivity

Cacao production systems in Colombia are of high importance due to their direct impact in the social and economic development of smallholder farmers. Although Colombian cacao has the potential to be in the high value markets for fine flavour, the lack of expert support as well as the use of traditional, and often times sub-optimal technologies makes cacao production negligible. Traditionally, cacao harvest takes place at exactly the same time regardless of the geographic and climatic region where it is grown, the problem with this strategy is that cacao beans are often unripe or over matured and a combination of both will negatively affect the quality of the final cacao product. Since cacao fruit development can be considered as the result of a number of physiological and morphological processes that can be described by mathematical relationships even under uncontrolled environments. Environmental parameters that have more association with pod maturation speed should be taken into account to decide the appropriate time to harvest. In this context, crop models are useful tools to simulate and predict crop development over time and under multiple environmental conditions. Since harvesting at the right time can yield high quality cacao, we parameterised a crop model to predict the best time for harvest cacao fruits in Colombia. The cacao model uses weather variables such as temperature and solar radiation to simulate the growth rate of cocoa fruits from flowering to maturity. The model uses thermal time as an indicator of optimal maturity. This model can be used as a practical tool that supports cacao farmers in the production of high quality cacao which is usually paid at a higher price. When comparing simulated and observed data, our results showed an RRMSE of 7.2% for the yield prediction, while the simulated harvest date varied between +/−2 to 20 days depending on the temperature variations of the year between regions. This crop model contributed to understanding and predicting the phenology of cacao fruits for two key cultivars ICS95 y CCN51.

Priority social and economic development areas as an economic development tool for the Siberian mono-settlements

The article is discussing the Priority Social and Economic Development Areas (PSEDAs) which are formed in the Siberian part of the Russian Federation (Siberian Federal District and the Baikal region). One of the goals for the PSEDAs formation is the diversification of mono-specialized towns and the reduction of their reliance on the city-forming enterprises. A typology of mono-settlements was carried out and the areas of activity that receive support within the framework of this mechanism in Siberia were presented.

The influence of water source protection zone delimitation on development in Huanren Manchu Autonomous County

Under the background of rapid urbanization and industrialization development, in order to satisfy the increasing demand of residents for domestic water, the establishment of water source protection zone is the most effective way to protect water resources at present. However, the influence on the social and economic development could not be ignored. The article analyzes the influence of the delimitation of water source protection zone on economy such as ecological migration, urban municipal pipe network construction, rural drinking water and urban water supply. The impact on economy like industrial enterprises, agricultural planting, livestock industry, aquaculture, tourist industry were also mentioned. The article triggers the exploration of the way to realize the coordination and sustainable development of economy, society, resources and environment

Scheduling Strategy Optimization and Security Protection Technology in Smart Distribution Network

In the power system, distribution network is a very important link, and its operation quality and power supply reliability have a great impact on the whole social and economic development. Firstly, this paper analyzes the structure, function and characteristics of intelligent distribution network. Then it introduces the research status of optimization strategy based on genetic algorithm and its security protection technology, as well as the relevant basic theoretical knowledge. Then, aiming at the existing problems, the security protection system is designed for the power grid. Finally, through the performance test of the system, it is verified that the method is efficient and practical, and can effectively improve the security and stability of the power system, promote the further acceleration of China’s sustainable construction process, improve the benefit level of power supply enterprises, and achieve the goal of social and economic development.

Role of Microfinance in Entrepreneurship Development

Entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship development are crucial for social and economic development. Various studies highlight and reckon this aspect of entrepreneurship development both in developed and developing economies. However, entrepreneurship development though the aim of many developing economies, the growth rate of entrepreneurs is not satisfactory. One of the prominent reasons for this is attributable to financing or lack of financing. Hence, adopting a systematic literature review method the aim of this chapter is to review critically the role of microfinance for entrepreneurship development. Further, the chapter provides solutions and recommendations for proper microfinancing to boost entrepreneurship development.

Student satisfaction with online teaching in times of COVID-19

Higher education is one of the driving forces behind the social and economic development of countries, with the ultimate aim of providing quality academic training. At present, teaching-learning models in virtual environments face a number of important challenges, particularly in the current situation caused by COVID-19. Some of these challenges will be addressed in this study. We worked with 225 third-year undergraduate students in health science degrees over two academic years during the pandemic. The objectives were: (1) to ascertain whether there were significant differences in student satisfaction with the teaching process in the first year of the pandemic (e-learning teaching) vs. the second year (b-learning teaching); (2) to determine whether there were significant differences in academic performance between the two groups. Quantitative research (using a 2x2 factorial design, ANOVA and ANCOVA) and qualitative research (using a comparative design with categorisation analysis) were carried out. The results indicate differences in some aspects of satisfaction and learning outcomes in favour of teaching in the second of the two years. Students rated the use of active methodologies and technological resources positively, although they concluded that their use required more work time. Future studies will seek to compare student satisfaction in other areas of knowledge. La Educación Superior es uno de los motores del desarrollo social y económico de los países, teniendo como objetivo último el de facilitar una formación académica de calidad. En la actualidad, los modelos de enseñanza-aprendizaje en entornos virtuales implican retos importantes, específicamente en la actual situación por la COVID-19. Algunos de estos desafíos se abordarán en este estudio. Se trabajó con 225 estudiantes de tercero de grado en titulaciones de Ciencias de la Salud, a lo largo de dos cursos académicos impartidos durante la situación de pandemia. Los objetivos fueron: 1) comprobar si existían diferencias significativas en la satisfacción de los estudiantes con el proceso docente respecto del primer año de pandemia (se aplicó docencia e-Learning) vs. el segundo año (se aplicó docencia b-Learning); 2) comprobar si existían diferencias significativas en los resultados académicos entre ambos grupos. Se realizó una investigación cuantitativa (se utilizó un diseño factorial 2x2, ANOVA y ANCOVA) y otra cualitativa (se utilizó un diseño comparativo con análisis de categorización). Los resultados indican diferencias en algunos aspectos de la satisfacción y en los resultados de aprendizaje, a favor de la docencia en el segundo año. Los estudiantes valoraron positivamente el uso de metodologías activas y de recursos tecnológicos, si bien concluyeron que su uso exigía más tiempo de trabajo. Futuros estudios se dirigirán a contrastar la satisfacción de estudiantes en otras ramas de conocimiento.

Newspaper Framing of Climate Change and Sustainability Issues in India

This article describes how climate change influences nature and human life and it is the basis for social and economic development. News reporting on climate change must address the challenges in the deeper social and economic dimensions of sustainable development. The news coverage of climate change and sustainability issues helps people to better understand the concepts and perspectives of environment. This article aims to examine how dominant newspapers in Tamil Nadu have framed climate change and sustainability issues. This is done by analyzing climate change articles (N = 120) in two mainstream newspapers – The Hindu in English and the Daily Thanthi in Tamil. Climate change communication in regional newspapers and local news stories may increase the public's interest and knowledge level regarding climate change and sustainability issues.