The importance of monitoring endocrine-disrupting chemicals and essential elements in biological samples of fertilizer industry workers.

Exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) can lead to adverse health effects, including immune and endocrine system disruption, respiratory problems, metabolic issues, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular problems, growth impairment, neurological and learning disabilities, and cancer. Fertilizers, which contain varying levels of heavy metals, are known to pose a significant risk to human health, especially for those residing or working near fertilizer industries. This study aimed to investigate the levels of toxic elements in biological samples of individuals working in a fertilizer industry's quality control and production units and those residing within 100-500 m of the industry. Biological samples, including scalp hair and whole blood, were collected from fertilizer workers, individuals living in the same residential area, and control age-matched persons from nonindustrial areas. The samples were oxidized by an acid mixture before analysis using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The accuracy and validity of the methodology were verified through certified reference materials from scalp hair and whole blood. The results showed that the concentrations of toxic elements, such as cadmium and lead, were higher in biological samples of quality control and production employees. In contrast, lower essential element levels (iron and zinc) were detected in their samples. These levels were higher than those found in samples collected from residents living within 10-500 m of the fertilizer manufacturing facilities and unexposed areas. This study highlights the significance of adopting better practices to reduce exposure to harmful substances and protect the health of fertilizer industry workers and the environment. It also suggests that policymakers and industry leaders should take measures to minimize exposure to EDCs and heavy metals to promote worker safety and public health. These measures could include implementing strict regulations and better occupational health practices to reduce toxic exposure and promote a safer work environment.

Death Anxiety Among Pakistani HCWs: The Role of COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance and Positive Religious Coping Strategy.

Background: The mental health of healthcare workers (HCWs) has been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. To address this, spirituality and religious coping mechanisms have been suggested as a way to maintain well-being and reduce anxiety levels. Additionally, vaccination has been shown to play an essential role in lowering anxiety levels, including death anxiety. However, there is a lack of evidence on how positive religious coping strategies and COVID-19 immunization affect death anxiety levels. To fill this gap, this study uses a Pakistani HCWs sample. Methods: This study collected cross-sectional data from 389 HCWs on socio-demographics, positive religious coping strategies, vaccine acceptance, and death anxiety. Hypothesis testing was done using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and Partial Least Squares (PLS) by adopting the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) technique. Results: The results showed that the positive religious coping strategy and acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine reduced death anxiety among HCWs in Pakistan. HCWs practicing the positive religious coping strategy and vaccine acceptance had lower levels of death anxiety symptoms. Thus, the positive religious coping strategy has a direct effect on reducing death anxiety. Conclusion: In conclusion, COVID-19 immunization positively affects individual mental health by reducing death anxiety. Vaccines protect individuals from COVID-19 infection, providing a sense of security that reduces the chance of death anxiety among HCWs attending to COVID-19 patients.

Recent analytical tools to mitigate carbon-based pollution: New insights by using wavelet coherence for a sustainable environment.

Anthropogenic activities are a ubiquitous source of carbon-based pollution. A sustainable environment is endangered due to inefficiently regulated pollution policies, and the rise in world population further enhances the severity of this formidable challenge. This study has investigated the impact of the annual CO2 emissions in Pakistan on electricity production from different sectors, GDP, and the population by focusing on the control of carbon-based pollution. This research study intends to fill the gap in previous studies by providing significant measures to link the control of carbon-based pollution, increased GDP, and Pakistan's population, using data from 1990 to 2020. A set of 15 variables are mainly used to investigate all of these relations. Carbon pollution drastically impacts both the external and internal environment. The graphical analysis undertaken in this study finds an upward trend and significant positive correlation among the variables. It demonstrates that Pakistan shows minimal contribution in CO2 emission compared to other Asian economies, but in recent decades, an increasing growth rate has been noticeable and needs to be controlled. The ECM and ARDL approaches confirm that all the variables positively affect CO2 emission both in the long- and short-term, except for electricity production from gas and hydro in the long term, which shows negative relation. The long-term shifts also indicate that high CO2 emissions can be recovered from by adjusting these variables. The study also suggests that the government should convert high carbon use to low carbon energy use to control CO2 emissions in Pakistan.

Cancer-Related Stigmatization, Quality of Life, and Fear of Death Among Newly Diagnosed Cancer Patients.

The purpose of the study is to investigate the gender differences among newly diagnosed cancer patients from the cultural perspective of Pakistan. The data comprised two equal groups: men (50%) and women (50%). Most participants were 31-45 years old, and the duration of the cancer diagnosis was less than 6 months (74.6%). The data was collected on the following scales: the discrimination and stigma scale, the internalized stigma scale, the WHO-quality of life scale, and the fear of death scale. Data was analyzed using SPSS v.25; descriptive statistics, an independent sample t-test, and simple linear regression were applied to the data. The results revealed that men and women are both experiencing cancer-related stigmatization in Pakistan. However, women face a higher level of stigmatization, lower quality of life, and higher fear of death than men. Furthermore, the regression analysis result confirms that the cancer-related stigma faced by the diagnosed patients decreases the patient's quality of life and induces the fear of death.

Modeling the relationship between carbon emissions and environmental sustainability during COVID-19: a new evidence from asymmetric ARDL cointegration approach.

The study aims to examine the CO2 emissions by considering the implication of COVID-19 under strict lockdown in India. The nonlinear (asymmetric) relationship is investigated between CO2 emission and COVID-19 with its specific determinants. The positive and negative asymmetries of COVID-19 determinants are also captured by using econometric techniques. The daily data series of CO2 emission, new confirmed cases, confirmed deaths, and lockdown as dummy variables from January 30, 2020, to December 1, 2020, for India is analyzed by employing the nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag model. This research revealed a significant nonlinear relationship between CO2 emission and COVID-19. The bound test and asymmetric coefficients are confirmed by the variables' long- and short-run relationships. The dynamic multiplier graphs present that India's strict lockdown due to the rapid increase in COVID-19 patients significantly reduces toxic gas emissions, especially CO2 emissions. This asymmetric relationship has been proficiently declared that unhealthy public routine, extra traffic, and unhygienic gases released in the air become the reason for environmental destruction. The lockdown is practically imposed for specific periods and reasons, contributing to reducing toxic emissions, but it is not a permanent solution for environmental sustainability. The government of India, policymakers, and environmentalists should make people aware of unhealthy and environmentally envying activities and policies and long-term applicable strategies should be designed to upgrade the environment's quality.

Health hazards in sports: Exploring the influence of despotic leadership and perceived organizational politics on well-being.

In recent years, the concept of despotic leadership has garnered considerable attention in sports. Despotic leadership significantly reflecting leaders' deviant behavior has today heightened the risk of health hazards in the workplace. In addition, the perceived organizational politics have also yielded a deleterious result on employees' well-being. In the dynamic landscape of healthcare, understanding the implications of organizational behavior on well-being is paramount for risk management. This study elucidates the relationships between despotic leadership, perceived organizational politics, workplace incivility, emotional exhaustion, person-organization unfit, and health harm, which can pose significant risks in a healthcare setting. The quantitative study was conducted using an empirical survey with respondents representing sports organizations. A Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Model (PLS-SEM) was used to analyze data from 429 participants using Smart PLS. The study findings suggest that despotic leadership and perceived organizational politics can lead to increased risks, manifested as workplace incivility, emotional exhaustion, and person-organization unfit. These organizational risks subsequently translate to tangible health harm for employees. Mediation analyses revealed that workplace incivility, emotional exhaustion, and person-organization unfit mediate the detrimental health outcomes rooted in leadership and organizational politics. The study underscores the urgent need for risk management strategies to foster a healthier organizational culture and leadership approach in healthcare settings. This will ensure enhanced employee well-being and a reduction in associated health risks, thus aligning with best practices in healthcare policy.

Eco-consciousness to eco-consumption: unraveling the drivers of sustainable consumption behavior under the mediated-moderated Model.

The impact of climate change has malformed the world's ecosystem, thus making humans call for environmental protection. Climate change, the biggest trauma of the twenty-first century, has made humans switch towards natural consumption. In this regard, the growing phenomenon of industrialization has spurred consumers to invest more in ecological products. Consuming eco-friendly products has several benefits; however, countries are still unable to satisfy the consumer's concern for the environment. The current study presents literature on environmental concerns, psychological well-being, willingness to pay for pro-environmental products, pro-environmental self-identity, and pro-environmental consumer behavior, which are required to ensure the consumer's organic behavior. The research used a questionnaire-driven methodology to gather data from 379 participants. Data analysis was conducted using statistical software packages, specifically SPSS (Version: 4.1.0.0). The suitability of the measurement model was evaluated through structural equation modeling (SEM), which was performed utilizing the SmartPLS. According to the research findings, there is a positive relationship between variables in the study, and individuals with greater levels of psychological well-being are more likely to engage in behaviors that promote sustainable consumption. In order to foster more sustainable consumption patterns in society, policymakers, marketers, and educators may find these findings to be valuable insights. As a result of its empirical exploration of these relationships, the study contributes to the growing body of literature on environmental psychology and sustainable marketing, emphasizing the important role psychological factors play in promoting a greener environment.

Forging green Horizons: Revealing Catalysts of pro-environmental behavior in emerging market.

In recent years, environmental pollution has started to threaten global economies. The understanding of consumer behavior within the context of sustainable development has become increasingly important to deal with this growing ecological complexity. Urbanization has accelerated in Pakistan, resulting in urban consumers raising more environmental concerns and promoting eco-friendly products. These concerns have demonstrated their commitment to sustainability and pro-environmental behaviors, such as reducing waste materials (e.g., plastics) and pollutants (i.e., smoke, dust, etc.), thus supporting eco-friendly behaviors. Today, Pakistan's urban consumers are well-aware of environmental complexities. As such, environmental knowledge is the driver of consumers' pro-environmental behavior, affective commitment and social capital also compel individuals to acquire ecological knowledge to enhance consumer behavior. This research considers customers' environmental knowledge and affective commitment, both of which actively contribute to pro-environmental activity. It explores the relationship between environmental knowledge, affection commitment, social capital, and environmental behavior in Pakistan. Data was gathered from Pakistan's urban customers and analyzed using Covariance-based Structural Equation Modeling (CB-SEM). The results indicate that affective commitment and social capital have a positive and significant effect on environmental knowledge and behavior. Notably, the relationship between social capital, affective commitment, and environmental behavior is mediated by knowledge of environmental issues. Through its findings, this study fosters an understanding of environmental behavior and explains the sense of responsibility and greater commitment in individuals, which thus leads them toward sustainability.

What determines the entrepreneurial intentions of employees? A moderated mediation model of entrepreneurial motivation and innovate work behavior.

Innovation is a vital element of an organization's success. Companies must implement efficient, innovative plans and policies to consistently develop novel innovations. Based on the theory of planned behavior, the current framework formulated the idea of entrepreneurial education, entrepreneurial mindset, and technological knowledge with entrepreneurial intention in the healthcare industry. Further, this concept comprises the mediating role of innovative work behavior and the moderating effect of entrepreneurial motivation between constructs. The study adopted a quantitative method and collected data from 529 employees working in healthcare organizations (e.g., medical services, manufacturing medical equipment, and drugs/Pharmaceutical companies). The study's findings revealed that entrepreneurial education, entrepreneurial mindset, and technological knowledge positively and significantly affect entrepreneurial intention. The mediation results show that innovative work behavior significantly affects other constructs, and entrepreneurial motivation has a significant moderating effect. The study highlighted the notable transformations in the healthcare industry by proposing the need for relevant entrepreneurial education, traits, and characteristics in accelerating business activities. The study found a link between entrepreneurial education, mindset, technological knowledge, and entrepreneurial intention. This study is helpful for managers and practitioners in executing effective strategies for innovation in healthcare companies.

The Nexus Between Ethical Leadership and Employees' Perception of Workplace Safety During COVID-19 Under Mediation and Moderation Model.

Background: Workplace safety is a crucial aspect of employee well-being and organizational success, with ethical leadership playing a key role in shaping employees' perceptions of safety. Today, the underlying mechanisms through which ethical leadership influences workplace safety perception remain underexplored, especially in the Pakistan healthcare industry. Based on the social cognitive theory, this study aims to investigate the relationship between ethical leadership and workplace safety perception and examine the mediating role of media quality, communication climate, and supervisory communication and the moderating role of moral attentiveness. Methods: An empirical survey method was used to conduct the quantitative study, with respondents representing nursing staff from hospitals in Pakistan. Data was collected using an online questionnaire during COVID-19, and Smart PLS was used to analyze the data. Results: The study demonstrated that ethical leadership positively and significantly affects workplace safety perception. Media quality, communication climate, and supervisory communication mediate between ethical leadership and workplace safety perception. Moral attentiveness moderates the relationship between ethical leadership and workplace safety perception. Conclusion: Ethical leadership is an essential tool that improves media quality, communication climate, supervisory communication, and moral attentiveness. The article presents a novel approach to examining the relationship between ethical leadership and workers' safety perceptions under the influence of mediating and moderating variables. By better understanding these dynamics, the study contributes to developing organizational strategies to improve workplace safety and overall employee well-being. In addition, it is a pioneering study exploring ethical leadership's role in influencing workers' perceptions of safety. Overall, the study is a great initiative that fosters the ethical concepts of individuals, thus achieving health protection and safety.

Unveiling green synergies: sustainable performance through human resource management, CSR, and corporate image under a mediated moderation framework.

In the twenty-first century, the surge in natural resource consumption and climate change has necessitated stringent measures to ensure ecological integrity and corporate sustainability. Organizations are increasingly adopting green practices, including green human resource management (HRM), green corporate social responsibility (CSR), and the promotion of green firms' image. These strategies are central to fostering sustainable performance and responsible environmental stewardship. These constructs have also elevated consumers' satisfaction and trust in firms' ecological practices. This study employs a quantitative research approach and utilizes convenient sampling methods to explore the ecosystem within the hospitality sector of China. A survey was conducted among middle- and senior-level managers working in top 3-, 4-, and 5-star hotels. The study results demonstrate that green notions are the key to a corporate's sustainable performance. The study reveals that firms' eco-friendly motive ensures the greening of the hotel industry due to their eco-friendly motive. Therefore, companies should be responsible for the environment. They should ensure the implementation of green sustainable practices toward achieving corporate performance.

Energizing sustainable development: renewable energy's impact on South Asian environmental quality.

This study examines the impact of CO2 emissions, globalization, economic growth, and renewable and non-renewable energies consumption in South Asian countries between 1985 and 2019. We employ a fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) method to achieve the purpose of this study. The empirical results of this study indicate that globalization positively impacts CO2 emissions. Furthermore, the study indicates that the consumption of non-renewable energy contributes to environmental pollution. Moreover, the findings support the existence of the EKC hypothesis in these countries. As economic growth increases, environmental degradation will also increase, and vice versa. Environmental degradation, however, decreases as economic growth increases after a certain threshold. For countries to cope with the problem of environmental degradation, the pragmatic results recommend that they promote and subsidize all green energy sources.

How does organizational culture affect employees' mental health during COVID-19? The mediating role of transparent communication.

BACKGROUND: Over the years, the workplace landscape has significantly evolved, demanding an optimal psychological approach to establish an environment that values individual work and health. A firm's culture inspires it to adopt business practices that enable its employees to live healthier lives. OBJECTIVE: The study aims to measure the mediating relationship of transparent communication between organizational culture and mental health in the Pakistani healthcare industry. The study also explores the relationship between organizational culture and mental health. METHODS: The study collected primary data via purposive sampling from the healthcare employees of Pakistan between March and May 2022. The study's sample size consists of 509 respondents from the healthcare industry sector, and the research used Smart PLS software to measure the relationship through bootstrapping and algorithms. RESULTS: Organizational culture has a positive effect on the employee's mental health. The study has found significant positive mediation of transparent communication and moderation of organizational trust between organizational culture and mental health. CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 pandemic has deteriorated workers' mental health, causing considerable changes in the healthcare sector. Positive mental health at work is a critical factor that improves the working environment. As such, this study highlights the importance of mental health in the workplace setting. It extends the literature in the context of the healthcare industry, thus supporting employees' well-being. The findings suggest a significant relationship between an organization's culture and mental health. This study suggests the theoretical and practical implications for policymakers' and researchers' perspectives concerning employees and organizational culture.

Fostering firm performance through the lens of environmental leadership and knowledge learning: a mediated moderation model.

In the current era of business, environmental sustainability has emerged as an issue of critical relevance. The main purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between environmental leadership and environmental learning and its impact on the organization's performance. This research contributes to the existing body of knowledge by identifying the primary characteristics that help companies enhance their performance. Using a convenience sample approach, data was obtained from 417 respondents working in the construction industry. For direct and indirect hypothesis testing, we used the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and structural equation modelling (SEM). According to the study's findings, environmental leadership (EL) and environmental knowledge learning (EKL) significantly influence environmental passion (EP), green corporate social responsibility (CSR), and company performance. The link between EL, EKL, and firm performance (FP) is mediated by EP. The study's results indicate that green CSR significantly moderates the relationship between EP and firm performance. The study findings benefit business managers, policymakers, and government institutions.

Perceived Organizational Support and Reduced Job Performance During COVID-19.

Current research aims to identify a framework to enhance the performance of employees in government sector healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic. Perceived organizational support was identified to enhance employees' performance through the intervention of a psychological process containing 3 states, that is, psychological safety, felt obligation and organization-based self-esteem. Job performance is considered as planned behavior, and psychological links are developed on the basis of the theory of planned behavior. This study is quantitative and used an empirical survey. Respondents of the study were nursing staff of government hospitals in Pakistan. The data were collected during the first wave of COVID-19 in Pakistan through online distributed questionnaires, and the data were analyzed using Smart PLS. Results show that perceived organizational support positively affects job performance during the COVID-19 crisis, and all the psychological states mediate the relationship. The study results are helpful for decision-makers of public sector organizations dealing with the most common problem of performance reduction during COVID-19. Results are also helpful for policymakers to address reduced performance in most government hospitals. Future research should consider antecedents of the perception of organizational support in the context of government and private hospitals.

Does sectoral energy consumption depend on trade, monetary, and fiscal policy uncertainty? Policy recommendations using novel bootstrap ARDL approach.

Since the inception of the twenty-first century, there has been a profound upsurge in economic policy uncertainty (EPU) with several economic and environmental impacts. Although there exists a growing body of literature that probes the economic effects of EPU, the EPU-energy nexus yet remains understudied. To fill this gap, the current study probes the impact of disaggregated EPU (i.e., monetary, fiscal, and trade policy uncertainty) on energy consumption (EC) in the USA covering the period 1990M1-2020M12. In particular, we use sectoral EC (i.e., energy consumed by the residential sector, the industrial sector, the transport sector, the electric power sector, and the commercial sector) in consort with total EC. The findings from the bootstrap ARDL approach document that monetary policy uncertainty (MP) plunges EC, whereas trade (TP) and fiscal policy uncertainty (FP) escalate EC in the long run. On the contrary, there is a heterogeneous impact of FP and MP across sectors in the short run, while TP does not affect EC. Keeping in view the findings, we propose policy recommendations to achieve numerous Sustainable Development Goals.

Does perceived supervisor support reduce turnover intention? The mediating effects of work engagement among healthcare professionals.

BACKGROUND: The study's value is based on a complete understanding of the employee polychronicity-employee intention to leave the relationship in the health care sector. OBJECTIVE: This study examines (1) the role of job engagement in alleviating the relationship between employee polychronicity and intention to leave, and (2) the moderating impact of perceived supervisor support as a relationship. METHOD: This study employed a cross-cultural research design and collected data from nurses working in public sector hospitals. Through job engagement and perceived supervisor support (PSS), the effect of nurses' polychronicity on turnover intention was examined using the PLS-SEM approach. RESULTS: The findings of this study demonstrate that employee polychronicity has an impact on employee turnover. Employee engagement appears to operate as a mediator in the association between employee polychronicity and intention to leave and a moderating effect of PSS. CONCLUSION: By emphasizing employee engagement as a mediator and moderating role, the perceived supervisor supports the association between polychronicity and intention to leave of nurses. This study offered a crisp perspective on the complexities of the links between polychronicity, engagement, perceived organizational support, and employees' intention to leave.

The impact of public awareness, infrastructure, and technological development with economic growth on solid waste management of European countries: does governance quality matters.

Solid waste generation is a significant problem affecting the ecosystem, human health, and safety. However, the issue is not given the attention it truly deserves. Consequently, this study is aimed at assessing the impact of various factors, such as economic growth, public awareness, infrastructure, and technological advancements, on generating municipal waste in the European Union (EU) for the period 1995-2020. Furthermore, the study incorporated the mediating effect of economic growth and government effectiveness with public awareness, infrastructure, and technological development to reduce waste generation. By employing the bias-corrected method of moments, the study finds that overall waste generation does not decrease over time in EU economies. Furthermore, Denmark is the top-ranked country among the sampled countries to generate waste. However, Finland is at the top in government effectiveness. The empirical findings showed that economic growth is the significant reason for the increase in solid waste production. Additionally, the interaction effects of economic growth with public awareness, infrastructure, and technological development are positive. However, the individual impact of public awareness, infrastructure, and technological development is positive in reducing waste generation. Governance effectiveness is a significant tool to lower waste generation in European economies.

The moderating role of industry clockspeed on the relation between supply chain integration practices and new product flexibility.

This study assessed the firm's new product flexibility in the recovery phase of COVID-19. Using the theoretical lens of organizational information processing theory, it established the relationship between supply chain integration practices (supply chain planning, internal integration, and supplier involvement) and new product flexibility. It also explained the moderating effect of industry clockspeed on supply chain integration practices and new product flexibility with the help of contingency theory. This study used an online survey method to collect data from plant managers, and we received 256 useable responses. We conducted a confirmatory factor analysis to test the validity and reliability of the scales, and we tested hypotheses using moderated multiple regression technique. The results showed significant positive relationships between supply chain integration practices and new product flexibility. The moderating effects hypotheses showed that industry clockspeed significantly and positively moderated on supply chain planning-new product flexibility and internal integration-new product flexibility links. But it negatively moderated on supplier involvement and new product flexibility. Our study departs from earlier studies in the field that were conducted under normal circumstances. We conducted our study in the recovery phase of COVID-19 in Pakistan, when firms, after fourteen days of complete lockdown, resumed their operations and experienced a new business landscape.

Mitigating marine hazardous contaminants: A sustainable management perspective.

Marine hazardous contaminants, such as cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb), pose significant risks to both human health and aquatic organisms. Traditional methods may not remove contaminants to safe levels, leading to the release of hazardous materials into marine environments. This research proposes polymeric membrane bioreactors as a potential solution to this problem. We determined Cd and Pb levels in three freshwater fish species (Rita, Ompok bimaculatus, and Heteropneustes fossils) from two distinctive regions (Zone 1 and Zone 2). Additionally, Cd and Pb concentrations in feeding materials, water, and sediments were analyzed to estimate daily intake and potential hazardous effects of these contaminants on the fish species. These findings underscore the need for effective regulatory measures and policies to reduce the discharge of hazardous contaminants into freshwater and marine environments, protecting both human health and the environment. Implementing polymeric membrane bioreactors in wastewater treatment and industrial facilities could mitigate the risks associated with consuming contaminated fish species. Significantly, the Cd and Pb levels in all three fish species from both fishponds exceeded the Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) maximum permissible limits. These findings carry important implications for policymakers, regulators, and industries, urging them to act appropriately to ensure the safety of the environment and public health. This study suggests that polymeric membrane bioreactors are a promising technological approach to address marine contamination, emphasizing their potential role in safeguarding human health and aquatic ecosystems.