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Substance use disorder is one of the most prevalent health issues among prison populations. In this regard, addiction treatment and harm reduction programs have been implemented in Iranian prisons since 2002. The purpose was to describe the practical experience of implementing harm reduction programs in Iran’s prisons, emphasizing the impact of policy decisions on it.

The study was qualitative study. In addition to analyzing 16 documents, the authors conducted face-to-face semi-structured interviews with 11 key informants who were asked questions about the evolution of treatment and harm reduction programs in prisons. The authors analyzed the data using the content analysis method and MAXQDA-10 software.

The HIV outbreak in Iranian prisons in the late 20th century posed a significant challenge. Initially, policymakers’ responses were varied from denying the issue to solving it, reflecting the prevailing abstinence paradigm among drug experts and politicians. However, a legal amendment was eventually issued based on evidence-based health literature. Despite initial obstacles such as financial constraints and lack of human resources, the successful implementation of large-scale harm reduction measures, including methadone maintenance treatment and interventions targeting infectious diseases, has led to the development of a unique health model in the Persian Gulf region. This model, born out of the Iranian experience, offers hope for the future of prison health.

Lessons from the Iran case could provide valuable insight for countries about the role of policy in implementing harm reduction programs in prisons. Policy advocacy and reform is one of the main measures to provide evidence-based health interventions in prisons.

This study investigates trends in environmental leadership research in the MENA region from 2003 to 2023, highlighting the region’s unique environmental challenges and the increasing importance of sustainability governance.

A systematic review of 140 articles was conducted using VOSviewer and Biblioshiny to identify key theoretical landscapes, research streams and contextual factors. The findings are analysed within the PEST framework to explore the influence of political, economic, social and technological dimensions on environmental leadership.

Research activity in environmental leadership within the MENA region has significantly increased post-2012, driven by global sustainability initiatives and regional policies such as Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. Key themes include sustainability governance, corporate social responsibility and the application of ISO 14001 standards, reflecting the region’s strategic priorities amidst socio-political and economic complexities.

By addressing gaps in the literature, this study integrates the PEST framework to offer a nuanced understanding of environmental leadership, contributing to theoretical advancements and practical applications in sustainability governance.

The purpose of this study is to explore the intricate relationship between oil prices, house prices in the UK and Norway, and the mediating role of gold and stock prices in both the short- and long-term, unraveling these complex linkages by employing an empirical approach.

This study benefits from a comprehensive set of econometric tools, including a multiequation vector autoregressive (VAR) system, Granger causality test, impulse response function, variance decomposition and a single-equation autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) system. This rigorous approach enables to identify both short- and long-run dynamics to unravel the intricate linkages between Brent oil prices, housing prices, gold prices and stock prices in the UK and Norway over the period from 2005:Q1 to 2022:Q2.

The findings indicate that rising oil prices negatively impact house prices, whereas the positive influence of stock market performance on housing is more pronounced. A two-way causal relationship exists between stock market indices and house prices, whereas a one-way causal relationship exists from crude oil prices to house prices in both countries. The VAR model reveals that past housing prices, stock market indices in each country and Brent oil prices are the primary determinants of current housing prices. The single-equation ARDL results for housing prices demonstrate the existence of a long-run cointegrating relationship between real estate and stock prices. The variance decomposition analysis indicates that oil prices have a more pronounced impact on housing prices compared with stock prices. The findings reveal that shocks in stock markets have a greater influence on housing market prices than those in oil or gold prices. Consequently, house prices exhibit a stronger reaction to general financial market indicators than to commodity prices.

This study may have several limitations. First, the model does not include all relevant macroeconomic variables, such as interest rates, unemployment rates and gross domestic product growth. This omission may affect the accuracy of the model’s predictions and lead to inefficiencies in the real estate market. Second, this study does not consider alternative explanations for market inefficiencies, such as behavioral finance factors, information asymmetry or market microstructure effects. Third, the models have limitations in revealing how predictors react to positive and negative shocks. Therefore, the results of this study should be interpreted with caution.

These findings hold significant implications for formulating dynamic policies aimed at stabilizing the housing markets of these two oil-producing nations. The practical implications of this study extend to academics, investors and policymakers, particularly in light of the volatility characterizing both housing and commodity markets. The findings reveal that shocks in stock markets have a more profound impact on housing market prices compared with those in oil or gold prices. Consequently, house prices exhibit a stronger reaction to general financial market indicators than to commodity prices.

These findings could also serve as valuable insights for future research endeavors aimed at constructing models that link real estate market dynamics to macroeconomic indicators.

Using a variety of econometric approaches, this paper presents an innovative empirical analysis of the intricate relationship between euro property prices, stock prices, gold prices and oil prices in the UK and Norway from 2005:Q1 to 2022:Q2. Expanding upon the existing literature on housing market price determinants, this study delves into the role of gold and oil prices, considering their impact on industrial production and overall economic growth. This paper provides valuable policy insights for effectively managing the impact of oil price shocks on the housing market.

The current study focuses on the relationship between total quality management (TQM) and sustainable performance (SP) and examines how TQM practices can facilitate firms' achievement of sustainable performance. Knowledge management (KM), with its four dimensions, i.e. knowledge creation (KCR), knowledge acquisition (KAC), knowledge sharing (KSH) and knowledge application (KAP), is also an essential factor for organizations. Therefore, this study also focuses on the mediating role of KM in the relationship between TQM and sustainable performance.

This study used a survey method to collect data from the managers of 485 manufacturing SMEs working in five major industrial cities in Pakistan. Collected data were analyzed through PLS-SEM with the help of smart-PLS.

The study's findings reveal that TQM practices positively influence the environmental and economic sustainability of the firm. At the same time, there is no evidence that TQM practices positively affect the social sustainability of the firm. Results further elaborate that TQM practices significantly affect all four dimensions of KM. Moreover, KM positively affects the two dimensions of SP, i.e. economic and social sustainability, but surprisingly, the impact of KM on environmental sustainability is not found. Finally, results indicate the significant mediating role of KM between TQM and SP.

This study contributes to bridging research gaps in the literature and advances how TQM, directly and indirectly, helps firms improve sustainable performance via the mediating role of KM.