Introducing Regime Cluster Theory: Framing Regional Diffusion Dynamics of Democratization and Autocracy Promotion

Internationalization of universities has become a worldwide phenomenon as global economic integration continues to make its way forcefully into the higher education. The objective of the study is to develop a model for internationalization of universities with the transformation of some promising macroeconomic variables i.e., educational reforms and economic growth in the seven largest regions of the world [namely, East Asia and Pacific (sample 25 countries); Europe and Central Asia (40 countries); Latin America and Caribbean (27 countries); Middle East and North Africa (17 countries); North America (22 countries); South Asia (7 countries) and Sub-Saharan Africa (21 countries)]. The data has been analyzed by panel fixed effect regression from the period of 1990---2011. In addition to transform inputs into output, the study employed eleven indicators of education and five indicators for growth, where the resulting vector is internationalization. The results show the dynamic linkages between educational indicators and economic factors in the selected regions of the World. In East Asia and Pacific region, tertiary and higher education expenditures per student increase the economic factors. Higher education is a powerful driver of long-term growth in Europe and Central Asia. Governments of the state should have to focus on higher education enrolment, as it does not have any significant contribution to increase GDP; gross capital formation and FDI in Latin America and Caribbean region. Higher education enrolment in MENA region significantly increases growth factors on the cost of increase gross national expenditures. Investment in general education and other generic human capital is of the utmost importance in creating an enabling environment for FDI in North America. It is imperative for South Asia to encourage the skill levels and education opportunities for females, in order to maximize the effects of FDI on the female human capital stock and therefore economic growth. Tertiary school enrolment and tertiary expenditures per student identified the importance of tertiary education in Sub-Saharan Africa. The results conclude that educational indicators improve the economic gains, which ultimately reap out the benefit of internationalization.

Government policy interventions during COVID-19 pandemic and economic performance

Due to the development of the metallurgical and energy industries and the operation of incinerators, more and more environmental pollution is occurring. Toxic elements accumulate in the biosphere and affect the state of the population of the regions of large-scale production or the disposal of industrial waste. The main goal of this study was to compare the toxic elements hair composition in people from different regions of the world. The concentrations of toxic and potentially toxic elements (Al, As, Be, Cd, Hg, Pb, Sn) in 198 people, first-year students of People's Friendship University of Russia, who arrived from different regions of the world, were measured with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Students were divided into 6 groups: from South and East Asia, from Latin America, from Arab countries, Central Asia and Afghanistan, from South and Central Africa, from Iran and Azerbaijan, and from Russia, Ukraine, and Moldova. Medians of the concentrations of elements in the hair in the general group were 5.8 μg/g for Al, 30 ng/g for As, 0.6 ng/gfor Be, 9.0 ng/g for Cd, 0.11 μg/g for Hg, 0.24 μg/g for Pb, and 0.11 μg/g for Sn. All these values fall within the normal range. Students from Russia, Moldova, and Ukraine showed a significantly higher Sn content (0.28 μg/g) in their hair than subjects from other regions except for Latin America, p<0,05. Except for As, cases of exceeding their recommended concentrations in the hair were identified. However, the proportion of subjects with deviations in each group was not high - not more than 7%. In all regions, a positive correlation was found between Cd, Pb, and Sn, p<0.05, r>0.5 for all. Cases of exceeding the maximum permissible concentrations of various toxic elements in the hair were detected in people from all regions of the Earth included in the study. And although the overall picture of the content of toxic elements in the hair of students from all regions in our study does not look critical, the results of previous studies, as well as information about the total deterioration of the environmental situation throughout the Earth, necessitate further large-scale environmental studies.

Perilous Power: The Middle East and US Foreign Policy Dialogues on Terror, Democracy, War and Justice. By Noam Chomsky, Gilbert Achar, Stephen R. Shalom. Boulder, CO: Paradigm Press, 2009. 319 pp., $18.95 (ISBN-13: 978-1-59451-313-8). The United States and Latin America after the Cold War. By Russell C. Crandall. New York City: Cambridge University Press, 2008. 260 pp., $24.95 paperback (ISBN-13: 978-0-521-71795-3). America and Its Critics: Virtues and Vices of the Democratic Hyperpower. By Sergio Fabbrini. Malden, MA: Polity Press, 2008. 222 pp., $22.95 paperback (ISBN-13: 978-0-7456-4251-2). To See Ourselves as Others See Us: How Publics Abroad View the United States after 9/11. By Ole R. Holsti. Ann Arbor, MI: The University of Michigan Press, 2008. 234 pp., $24.95 paperback (ISBN-13: 978-0-472-05036-9). The Obama administration faces many challenges in the world from the ongoing war on terrorism and the quest for peace in the Middle East, to issues of the environment and trade. Each of the books reviewed suggest that the United States cannot solve these problems alone. Ole Holsti argues, “few contemporary international problems lend themselves to unilateral solutions” (p. 218). However, a hallmark of the Bush administration has been the idea that you are either with us or against us. This philosophy of unilateralism has led to short-sighted and reactionary policies that have unintended consequences. The alienation of our allies and the “wariness of China and Russia” have led to a situation where “we have more to fear from our own mistakes” (Chase 2002:8). According to Russell C. Crandall, the challenge for future policymakers is “not [to] let outdated assumptions…automatically lead us to foregone conclusions” (p. 247). The authors reviewed analyze American policy in different regions of the world, ask different research questions and use different methodological approaches. But the thread that ties these books together is a call for a more multilateral approach to foreign policy or, in the words of Holsti, “a cold eye assessment of policies and consequences” (p. 187). In Crandall's, The United States and Latin America after the Cold War we get an exhaustive look at American foreign policy in Latin and South America. Crandall contends that the end of the Cold War “diminished the ideological and strategic constraints that…dictated US policy” (p. xi). However, he states that political analysis of the region continues to suffer because we continue to view it through an outdated security paradigm. This text is an attempt to fill that gap in the literature by systematically addressing US policy through the post-Cold War administrations. He finds that America has “acted …

This chapter aimed to assess the role of women in enterprises in various world regions. Three research questions were developed within the study. The first concerned whether the percentage of companies with women in ownership (WPinO) differs in different regions of the world. The second research question addressed whether the percentage of companies with women in top management (WTM) varies around the world. The third question explored whether the percentage of workers employed full-time who are women (F-TWW) differs across global regions. The countries were divided into six regions, i.e. East Asia and Pacific (EAaP), Europe and Central Asia (EaCA), Latin America and Caribbean (LAaC), Middle East and North Africa (MEaNA), South Asia (SA) and Sub-Saharan Africa (S-SA). The data for the analysis were obtained from the Enterprise Surveys database maintained by the World Bank. In response to the research questions, it was stated that there are differences in the significance of women in enterprises in different regions of the world. Homogeneous groups were also identified in the research process. For the first and second research questions, these groups are: EAaP and LAaC (highest percentage), EaCA and S-SA (average percentage), MEaNA and SA (lowest percentage). In the third research question, the groups identified were: EAaP, EaCA and LAaC (higher percentage) and MEaNA, SA and S-SA (lower percentage). The research also reveals that F-TWW is higher in regions with higher WPinO and WTM.

Time Trends in Consumption of Breastmilk, Formula and Animal Milk by Young Children From 2000 to 2019: Analyses of 113 Countries

The strategic and doctrinal documents of the United States, China and the Russian Feder-ation set out the views of the military and political leadership of these countries on how each country presents its main priorities in the field of foreign policy and ensuring global and regional security. This will allow us to formulate the interests of Russia, the United States and China. The paper examines the interests of Russia, the United States and China in the regions of the world and identifies the priorities of Russia's activities in Europe, Central Asia and the Caucasus, the Asia-Pacific region, the Arctic, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America, a comparative assessment with the interests of the United States and China. The proposed ap-proach to assessing the impact of the possible consequences of the activities of the United States and China on the realization of Russia's interests makes it possible to identify the priorities of the policy of the Russian Federation in various regions of the world. The results of the study can be used to substantiate recommenda-tions to the military-political leadership of our country. It is concluded that the discrepancy between the inter-ests of the United States and China is important for the implementation of the current economic and military policy of the Russian Federation.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate whether there is a global divergence or convergence with regard to the ethics of corporate governance.Design/methodology/approachRegional perspectives on the ethics of corporate governance from four regions, namely, Africa, Asia, Continental Europe and North America are first briefly introduced and characterized in terms of distinctions between the ethics of governance and the governance of ethics, internal and external corporate governance, and shareholder and stakeholder orientations to corporate governance. Thereafter these regional perspectives are compared in order to determine whether there is a global divergence or convergence with regard to the ethics of corporate governance amongst these four regions of the world.FindingsThere are four factors that potentially may have an impact on the ethics of corporate governance, namely, patterns of ownership, the prevailing view of the role of the firm in a society, cultural and societal norms, and socio‐political priorities. The influence of these factors makes a global convergence on the ethics of corporate governance neither likely nor desirable.Research limitations/implicationsNot all regions of the world were included in this comparative study. Regions that need to be included in future studies are Latin America, Central Asia and the Middle East.Practical implicationsThe main finding, namely, that a global convergence on the ethics of corporate governance is neither likely nor desirable, should be taken into consideration by promoters of global corporate governance standards.Originality/valueBased on regional perspectives from Africa, Asia, Continental Europe and North America, the paper provides a global perspective on the question of whether there is global divergence or convergence with regard to the ethics of corporate governance amongst these four regions of the world.

Neural tube defects (NTDs) represent a significant global concern, impacting an estimated 300,000 individuals each year. Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is considerably affected due to various biopsychosocial factors, dietary issues such as folic acid deficiency, and fumonisin-contaminated maize consumption, and sex-based disparities. This study sought to understand epidemiology and trends in NTD in SSA from 1990 to 2021. The Global Burden of Disease database was utilized to obtain epidemiological data on the variables of interest, which included disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), incidence, prevalence, and mortality of patients with NTD in SSA. The countries in SSA were divided into 4 separate regions-Central, Eastern, Western, and Southern-based on the designations by the African Union. Variations in measurements of NTDs between regions in SSA were assessed using R Studio, and statistical significance was determined with a threshold p value of < 0.05. The global burden of NTDs was significantly lower than the burden of NTDs in Central, Eastern, and Western SSA (p < 0.0001). Among the regions, Southern SSA experienced better outcomes in terms of DALYs, mortality, incidence, and prevalence, compared to the other regions of SSA (p < 0.001). When a sex-specific burden analysis was performed, female sex was associated with higher DALYs and mortality of NTDs within SSA, especially in Western SSA (p < 0.0001). Other regions of the world, including North America, Latin America and Caribbean, Europe and Central Asia, and Middle East and Northern Africa, also showed associations between female sex and higher DALYs and mortality of NTDs (p < 0.05). When the incidence and prevalence of NTDs was analyzed, there were mixed results, as female sex was associated with higher and lower rates in different regions of the world. Understanding the epidemiology of NTDs in SSA underscores the need for quality interventions that not only increase disease awareness and healthcare access but strive for prevention. With identification of the multifaceted factors contributing to NTDs and promotion of proactive health practices, significant strides could be made toward reducing the incidence of NTDs. Partnerships between governments and international agencies are vital to mobilize resources and reduce the burden and related health disparities.

The paper examines the interests of Russia, the United States and China in the regions of the world and identifies the priorities of Russia's activities in Europe, Central Asia and the Caucasus, the Asia-Pacific region, the Arctic, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America, their comparative assessment with the interests of the United States and China. An approach to assessing the impact of possible consequences of the activities of the United States and China on the realization of Russia's interests is proposed. This makes it possible to identify the priorities of the policy of the Russian Federation in various regions of the world. The results of the analysis can be used to substantiate recommendations to the military-political leadership of our country. It is concluded that the discrepancy between the interests of the United States and China is important for the implementation of the current economic and military policy of the Russian Federation.

The 21st century has seen several infectious disease outbreaks that have turned into epidemics and pandemics including Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) which began in Asia in 2003 (Poon, Guan, Nicholls, Yuen, & Peiris, 2004), followed by H1N1 that emerged in Mexico and the United States in 2009 (Belongia et al., 2010). Next came the lesser known Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) originating in Saudi Arabia in 2012 (Assiri et al., 2013), after which the Ebola outbreak in West Africa took place from 2014 to 2016, with a more recent occurrence in the Democratic Republic of Congo from 2018 to 2019 (Malvy, McElroy, de Clerck, Günther, & van Griensven, 2019). To date, the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak that started in Wuhan, in the Hubei province of China, in late December 2019 seems to be eclipsing all of these previous infectious diseases in terms of its global reach and impact (Wang, Horby, Hayden, & Gao, 2020). After being declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a public health emergency on 30 January 2020 (World Health Organization, 2020c), it was elevated to a pandemic status on 11 March 2020 (World Health Organization, 2020d). As of 28 April 2020, there are more than 2.9 million cases and 202,597 deaths reported worldwide (World Health Organization, 2020b).

Previous theoretical reviews about the development of Psychology in Latin America suggest that Latin American psychology has a promising future. This paper empirically checks whether that status remains justified. In so doing, the frequency of programs/research domains in three salient psychological areas is assessed in Latin America and in two other regions of the world. A chi-square statistic is used to analyse the collected data. Programs/research domains and regions of the world are the independent variables and frequency of programs/research domains per world region is the dependent variable. Results suggest that whereas in Latin America the work on Social/Organizational Psychology is moving within expected parameters, there is a rather strong focus on Clinical/Psychoanalytical Psychology. Results also show that Experimental/Cognitive Psychology is much underestimated. In Asia, however, the focus on all areas of psychology seems to be distributed within expected parameters, whereas Europe outperforms regarding Experimental/Cognitive Psychology research. Potential reasons that contribute to Latin Americas situation are discussed and specific solutions are proposed. It is concluded that the scope of Experimental/Cognitive Psychology in Latin America should be broadened into a Cognitive Science research program.

IntroductionChronic noncommunicable diseases are the major cause of death and disability in all regions of the world, with the exception of sub Saharan Africa, with particularly high levels in parts...

An Introduction to Cultural Sensitivity and Global Pharmacy Engagement

This review describes the vitamin D status in different regions of the world with the objective of understanding the scope of hypovitaminosis D and the factors related to its prevalence that may contribute to the pathogenesis of osteoporosis and fragility fractures. Vitamin D status has been linked to the pathogenesis of hip fractures as well as other skeletal and non-skeletal disorders. The purpose of this review is to provide a global perspective of vitamin D status across different regions of the world and to identify the common and significant determinants of hypovitaminosis D. Six regions of the world were reviewed-Asia, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Latin America, North America, and Oceania-through a survey of published literature. The definition of vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency, as well as assay methodology for 25-hydroxyvitamin D or 25(OH)D, vary between studies. However, serum 25(OH)D levels below 75 nmol/L are prevalent in every region studied whilst levels below 25 nmol/L are most common in regions such as South Asia and the Middle East. Older age, female sex, higher latitude, winter season, darker skin pigmentation, less sunlight exposure, dietary habits, and absence of vitamin D fortification are the main factors that are significantly associated with lower 25(OH)D levels. Reports from across the world indicate that hypovitaminosis D is widespread and is re-emerging as a major health problem globally.