Big Problem Research Articles

SUBSTANTIATION OF THE REGULARITIES OF THE SUBGRADE STRESS-STRAIN STATE AFTER THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EUROPEAN TRACK

Purpose. The implementation of the European track (1435 mm) on the existing subgrade, built on the territory of Ukraine, is a factor that leads to a change in the stress-strain state. The purpose of the article is to substantiate the regularities of the stress-strain state of the subgrade based on the results of numerical analysis of finite-element models. Methodology. For numerical analysis based on the finite element method, a 6 m high subgrade model for the combined track was developed. The developed model reproduces all the real geometric characteristics of the subgrade, the upper structure of the track, as well as the sleeper for the combined track. The developed model allows to vary the application of the train load with the setting of a couple of forces on the rails, which have the Ukrainian value of the track gauge (1520 mm), as well as the European one. The model also simulates the reinforcement of the subgrade for four options (without pile, with pile length of 2.0, 4.0 and 6.0 m). Findings. The results of the numerical analysis made it possible to obtain the values of horizontal and vertical stresses, as well as to obtain the regularities of the stress-strain state of the subgrade before the introduction of the European track. Qualitative analysis of the train position shows that the reduction of the track gauge and its asymmetric location on the sleeper increases vertical deformations. The biggest problem is precisely the asymmetric distribution of vertical displacements. It was found that the increase in the length of the vertical reinforcement element provides a reduction in displacements by 1.1 … 1.2 times. It was found that the patterns of changes in the displacements of the subgrade, when the length of the vertical reinforcement element is varied, are linear for the horizontal component and polynomial of the second degree for the vertical component. Originality. For the first time, based on the regularities of the stress-strain state of the subgrade, a picture of the stresses formation and the distribution of deformations before and after the implementation of the European track was obtained. Practical value. Based on the results of the numerical analysis, it was found that increasing the length of the vertical reinforcement element by 2.0 m provides a reduction in displacements by 10 … 20 %. This data makes it possible to create a methodology for the initial selection of the reinforcement element parameters.

Challenges of Continuous Wave EPR of Broad Signals—The Ferritin Case

The study of continuous wave (cw) electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra still poses a challenge for very broad signals, especially when the spectrum extends over a large part of the accessible field range. The difficulties derive from instrumental challenges, because of insufficient modulation depth and the need to apply measurement conditions that enhance cavity background. The biggest problem, however, is how to define a baseline such that spectral distortions are minimized. Conventional methods rely on a suitable choice of points outside the range of the signal of interest to perform a polynomial interpolation. These methods are effective in most cases where the signal of interest comprises only a narrow range of magnetic field (narrow features). In this study, a novel method of baseline correction for broad signals is proposed and compared to conventional methods. It takes into account that there are only few anchor points for the baseline. The method is applied to the signal of the iron-storage protein ferritin. The ferritin signal is a broad band that extends from zero to 0.8 T. An approach is developed by which this broad signal is analyzed reliably. The method is also extended to the case where the broad signal is superimposed on narrow signals and enables to extract the parameters of both types of signals in a fitting pipeline.

The always changing data problem of using AI in manufacturing : Using synthetic data from the digital twin to feed AI models

Production is becoming increasingly flexible, which also requires the flexibility of the support system for the production. And the key here is the speed of decisions, in which the support of modern artificial intelligence systems can be crucial. Flexible production is based on a well-planned control of production, which increasingly uses some artificial intelligence component. Artificial intelligence can already be useful in the early stages of planning the production line, and of course it can also control the daily operation of the production line after the installation of the production place or line. The biggest problem is supplying the neural network that controls the artificial intelligence with training data. The production lines typically change every 2-4 months, new products appear, the layout changes, and the main process data also changes due to the development of the processes. This results in the training data becoming outdated or obsolete very quickly and thus cannot be used to train models anymore. High-quality learning data can be produced by digital twin models of production lines. Such synthetic data has several advantages over data collected from production. In this article, we investigate how useful this synthetic data is during the life cycle of the production line.

거시경제학의 근본적인 문제점: 항등식을 인과성으로 사용

GDP, which only measures the value of the final product, ignores the various production processes that take place in the real world before the final product is produced. In this sense, GDP is not a reflection of the real world, but rather an artificially constructed measure of a ‘fictitious economy’. A bigger problem with GDP is that the identity equation, by which GDP is expressed as the sum of consumer spending, business investment spending, government spending, and net exports, is used in a causal way. Using this identity equation, governments often implement policies that increase spending to stimulate the economy and grow the economy. However, the principle of human behavior that one must first produce in order to consume implies that production is the cause and consumption is the effect. The idea, which implies that consumption is the cause, is thus incorrect because it goes against the principle of human behavior. This idea is based on Keynes's theory. Keynes's theory, as presented in his General Theory, is a misinterpretation of Say's Law of the Market, which states that “when one product is produced, it creates a demand for another product,” as “supply creates its own demand.” Macroeconomics, which was started based on the wrong Keynes' theory, is also a theory that is far from the real world and does not explain the economic problems that are occurring in the real world, such as the financial crisis. Therefore, in order for macroeconomics to properly explain the real world, it is necessary to establish a new macroeconomics. The new macroeconomics should be based on the principles of human behavior and should include the actual production process and the activities of entrepreneurs, who play an important role in the production process. The Austrian Business Cycle Theory, which covers these aspects, can serve as the cornerstone of a new macroeconomic theory.

FROM ENERGY INTENSITY TO SUSTAINABILITY: AN ANALYSIS OF TRENDS IN THE ALUMINIUM INDUSTRY

The article analyses trends in the aluminium industry from the point of view of sustainable development and energy efficiency. The significant impact of industrial enterprises on the environment is discussed, particularly, the high level of greenhouse gas emissions caused by energy consumption in aluminium smelting. Possibilities of reducing the negative impact due to the use of renewable energy sources, such as hydropower, as well as the implementation of energy-efficient practices, have been identified. A taxonomic analysis was used to assess the sustainable development of aluminium enterprises due to its advantage in identifying problems and directions for production improvement. The proposed method of analysis is based on the system of factors that influence the development of the industry and correspond to the concept of sustainable development. Based on the available data of the International Aluminium Institute (IAI), the analysis was carried out using the following factors: economic (volume of production, energy intensity of primary aluminium smelting, total energy consumption of production, labour productivity, impact of energy intensity on emissions), environmental (emissions of greenhouse gases and energy consumption of aluminium smelting using different energy sources), social (million hours reported worked, lost time accident rate, restricted work/medical treatment accident rate). Approbation of the proposed methodology on the example of international statistical data makes it possible to determine the biggest gaps in ensuring the sustainable development of aluminium industry production, including the use of various energy sources. Based on the results of the analysis, it was found that none of the factors used in monitoring the activities of aluminium producers reach the reference values. In the block of economic factors, the taxonomic indicator varies between 0.18 and 0.38 (the worst efficiency is observed in terms of total production volumes). Environmental factors have taxonomic values in the range of 0.07–0.36 (the largest reserves exist in ensuring the efficiency of energy consumption using hydropower, as well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the process of primary aluminium production). Among the social factors, the biggest problems are labour safety and lost working hours; as a result, the taxonomic indicator for this block is in the range of 0.04 - 0.33. The obtained results indicate the need for constant improvements in the production of aluminium, which is one of the main producers of greenhouse gases due to the high energy intensity of production. The proposed approach for conducting an analysis can be improved depending on the available statistical data and the goals of the analysis. In any case, it is valuable for obtaining information on the most critical areas in supporting the sustainable development of the industry.

채권자취소권 개정방향에 관한 담론

In this paper, I propose a general direction on how to design a new creditor's right to revoke in preparation for the Ministry of Justice's future work on the revision of the Civil Code regarding the creditor's right to revoke. The Ministry of Justice's 2014 Draft of the Civil Code Amendment(hereinafter referred to as the “2014 revised draft”) proposed 11 articles (10 in the Civil Act and 1 in the Civil Execution Act) related to creditors' right of revocation, and sought to promote balanced discipline among creditor, debtor, beneficiaries, and other creditors. However, the 2014 revised draft is completely silent on the problem of logical inconsistency that arose from the combination of the theory of relative nullity, Article 407, and the compulsory execution that restores the registered title to the debtor's name after the cancellation of the fraudulent transfer. Therefore, if it is revised as in the 2014 revised draft, it seems impossible to solve the fundamental problems surrounding the existing creditor's right of revocation system. Accordingly, I have proposed the following opinions. First, it is desirable that the creditor's right of revocation be operated as a system to protect the interests of individual creditors who have filed cancellation suits. Regarding the effect of cancellation, it will be necessary to decide whether to abandon the concept of ‘cancellation’ of fraudulent transfer like Germany and France and adopt a legal structure that only restores the possibility of compulsory execution of the object of the fraudulent transfer by the creditor who has filed the cancellation suit, or to modify the meaning of cancellation according to the responsibility theory view in Korean or Japan so that cancellation has the effect of nullity in terms of liability law, and to maintain the concept of ‘cancellation’ of fraudulent transfer. Whichever way we take, I think it would better than the current case law’s ‘relative nullity theory’ system, which is ambiguous from the very concept itself. If the creditor’s right of revocation is operated as a system to protect the interests of individual creditors who have filed cancellation suits, the effect of cancellation will naturally not extend to creditors other than the creditor who has filed the suit, and therefore it is desirable to delete Article 407. However, if the legislative decision is made to operate the creditor's cancellation right system as a system to protect the interests of all creditors, as in the 2014 revision, it is logical to abandon the relative nullity theory and completely change the effect of cancellation to apply to the debtor or other creditors, as in the 2017 Japanese revised Civil Code, or to construct a theory according to the Japanese theory of responsibility, which holds that if a fraudulent act is cancelled, the effect of transferring the liability property becomes null and void, and this occurs universally and applies to all creditors. The method of restoration and enforcement after cancellation of a fraudulent act must be changed. There was no change in this regard in the 2014 revised draft, and I think this is the biggest problem. Most of the problems surrounding the creditor's right of revocation system can be resolved if the creditor files a suit against the beneficiary or successor, obtains a revocation judgment, and then directly enforces the object of the fraudulent act while it is in the possession of the beneficiary or the successor. In academic field in Korea and Japan, there is a prevailing opinion that the method of compulsory enforcement can be changed by revising the Civil Code or the Civil Execution Act or by utilizing the current system without necessarily establishing a new system such as the compulsory execution lawsuit in Germany, and I agree with this.

A Transfer Learning Approach for Arabic Image Captions

Background: Arabic image captioning (AIC) is the automatic generation of text descriptions in the Arabic language for images. Applies a transfer learning approach in deep learning to enhance computer vision and natural language processing. There are many datasets in English reverse other languages. Instead of, the Arabs researchers unanimously agreed that there is a lack of Arabic databases available in this field. Objective: This paper presents the improvement and processing of the available Arabic textual database using Google spreadsheets for translation and creation of AR. Flicker8k2023 dataset is an extension of the Arabic Flicker8k dataset available, it was uploaded to GitHub and made public for researches. Methods: An efficient model proposed using deep learning techniques by including two pre-training models (VGG16 and VGG19), to extract features from the images and build (LSTM and GRU) models to process textual prediction sequence. In addition to the effect of pre-processing the text in Arabic. Results: The adopted model outperforms better compared to the previous study in BLEU-1 from 33 to 40. Conclusions: This paper concluded that the biggest problem is the database available in the Arabic language. This paper has worked to increase the size of the text database from 24,276 to 32,364 thousand captions, where each image contains 4 captions.

Establishment of clary sage (Salvia sclarea L.) regeneration system and development of glyphosate-tolerant clary sage plants through Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation

Clary sage (Salvia sclarea L.) is well known as a highly aromatic herbaceous plant and is commonly used in aromatic products and medicine. The biggest problem in the cultivation of clary sage is weeds, which not only entails a great cost of labor for weeding, but also leads to a great fluctuation in the yield and quality of its products. Therefore, there is a need to breed herbicide-resistant clary sage using genetic engineering. However, the lack of suitable regeneration and genetic transformation systems for clary sage has limited the process of molecular breeding. In this study, we firstly reported the regeneration system of clary sage, where explants from hypocotyls of sage induced adventitious shoots at a rate of 22.22% when cultured on MS medium supplemented with 2.5mg·L-1 6-BA, 0.15mg·L-1 IAA, and 0.25mg·L-1 VC. Rooting of adventitious shoots was achieved at a rate of 94.44% on 1/2 MS medium containing 0.125mg·L-1 NAA, 0.5mg·L-1 IAA, and 0.1mg·L-1 IBA. Secondly, based on the regeneration system, an efficient and stable Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation system was established in this paper, and the rate of genetic transformation was determined to be in the range of 3%-5% by transforming the hypocotyls of clary sage with pCAMBIA1301 vector and pCAMBIA1301-GR79-GAT vector. Finally, glyphosate tolerance was obtained from GR79 and GAT co-expressed clary sage plants in this study. This study not only lays the foundation of genetic transformation for the functional gene research and in-depth investigation of various biological problems of clary sage, but also provides a feasible genetic engineering solution for its industry to solve the weed problem, as well as a promotional role for precise molecular breeding of clary sage.

Utilizing synergy of MLG and MWCNT with optimized mixing protocol to improve the high temperature stability of SBS modified bitumen

High temperature instability is the biggest problem which limits the application of Styrene-Butadiene-Styrene (SBS) modified bitumen in flexible pavements. Addition of multi-layer graphene (MLG) nanomaterial improves the performance of SBS modified bitumen, but deteriorates its thermal stability. The binary additive comprising of MLG and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) can be a way to improve the thermal stability through their synergistic effects, however, mixing protocol needs to be optimized simultaneously. In this present study, MLG, MWCNT and their combination have been dispersed by two different organic solvent dissolution protocols, i.e., wet and dry to prepare the SBS-nano modified binders. Thermal stability analysis and rheological characterization (small & large amplitude oscillatory shear) have been used to optimize the method and to compare the effect of sole and binary additive. Advanced tools such as Raman spectroscopy and Field emission scanning electron microscopy have been used to understand the underlying science at micro-molecular level. The synergistic effects of combined additives are prominently visible only in dry organic dissolution method and with this method, the combination of MLG-MWCNT (0.1phr-1phr) significantly eliminates the thermal instability of SBS modified binder by upto 96 %. This SBS-nano modified bitumen may serve as futuristic binder for the black top pavements.

Problem perception and problem regulation during online collaborative learning: what is important for successful collaboration?

University students frequently prepare for exams or presentations in self-organized study groups. For this purpose, they often use videoconferencing software. During their collaboration, they need to regulate emerging problems to ensure effective learning. We suppose that regulation is facilitated when (1) the group perceives their regulation problems homogeneously, (2) they choose regulation strategies that have the potential to solve the problems immediately, and (3) they execute these strategies with sufficient intensity. We investigated which problems occur during online collaborative learning via videoconferencing and how homogeneity of problem perceptions, immediacy of the chosen strategies, and intensity of strategy use are related to regulation success. University students (N = 222) from two lectures in pre-service teacher education and educational sciences in 99 study groups. Students collaborated in a self-organized manner, that is, without a teacher present, to study the material of one lecture using videoconferencing software. After the collaboration, group members rated, individually, the intensity of different problems during collaboration, reported which strategies they used to overcome their biggest problem, and rated the success of their problem regulation, their satisfaction with their collaboration, as well as their learning gain. In addition, they answered a knowledge test. We found that most students rated technical issues as their biggest problem. Multilevel modeling showed that homogeneous problem perception moderated by problem intensity-contrary to immediate and intensive strategy use-predicted successful problem regulation and satisfaction with the collaboration but not knowledge gain. Case analyses illustrate the assumed mechanism that a homogeneous problem perception facilitates socially shared regulation. We conclude that even in only slightly structured learning contexts, students might only need to jointly identify their problems, whereas the best possible regulation of these problems seems less relevant. Therefore, training students to foster regulation competencies might prioritize identifying problems.

A Machine Learning Model for Training Your AI

Artificial Intelligence is playing an increasing role in solving some of the world’s biggest problems. Machine Learning Models, within the context of reinforcement learning, define and structure a problem in a format that can be used to learn about an environment in order to find an optimal solution. This includes the states, actions, rewards, and other elements in a learning environment. This also includes the logic and policies that guide learning agents to an optimal or nearly optimal solution to the problem. This paper outlines a process for developing machine learning models. The process is extensible and can be applied to solve various problems. This includes a process for implementing data models using multi-dimensional arrays for efficient data processing. We include an evaluation of learning policies, assessing their performance relative to manual and automated approaches.

Marching exercise on balance and blood pressure among Thai community-dwelling older adults at risk of falling

Falls are a major cause of death among older people, and they are becoming a bigger problem as people lose their balance. A quasi-experimental study was conducted to examine the effects of marching exercises on the balance abilities of community-dwelling Thai seniors at risk of collapsing. Thirty-five participants were randomly assigned to the experimental or control group. The experimental group engaged in a 12-week marching exercise program that included a continuous foot-turning phase. The control group did not engage in any form of exercise. Compared to the control group, the experimental group demonstrated significant improvements in their ability to maintain their balance. The experimental group's timed up and go test (TUG) score decreased by 3.54 seconds,<em> </em>95%CI: (2.13 to 4.95), p<0.001 while the functional reach test (FRT) score increased by 4.80 centimeters, 95%CI: (2.34 to 7.25), p<0.001. The systolic blood pressure decreased by 8.62 mmHg, the diastolic blood pressure by 6.48 mmHg, and the heart rate by 4.04 beats per minute. These findings imply that regular marching exercise may improve balance in at-risk older adults. Further research is necessary to clarify the effects of marching exercise on people diagnosed with chronic diseases.

Revealing the Molecular Signatures of miR-185-5p on Breast Cancer Cells Using Proteomic Analysis.

Breast cancer is a heterogeneous type of disease in which genetic and environmental factors play a crucial role. There are several types of treatment for breast cancer (BC) patients. However, the biggest problem in the treatment of breast cancer is the resistance that occurs during the treatment with chemotherapeutic agents. Usnic acid, a secondary metabolite of lichen, has been identified as a drug candidate molecule in cancer treatment. The determination of miRNA target proteins is essential for the understanding of molecular mechanisms of miRNA-related tumorigenesis. We determined that mir-185-5p has therapeutic potential at the miRNA level by applying usnic acid to BT-474 breast cancer cells in a previous study. Herein, we aimed to investigate the molecular mechanisms of miR-185-5p on BT-474 breast cancer cells using a proteomics approach. We explored the changes in the protein expression level of BT-474 breast cancer cells in response to the up-regulation of miR-185-5p after applying usnic acid as a novel candidate anti-- cancer drug molecule. We performed quantitative proteome analysis based on an LC-MS/MS assay, which was validated by western blotting. The differentially expressed proteins were analyzed using the latest data available in bioinformatics tools. The up-regulated expression of YWHAE, Cathepsin D, and the down-regulated levels of PAK-1 were demonstrated by western blot assay. According to the results, 86 proteins showing >2-fold change were identified as differentially expressed between breast cancer and normal breast epithelial cells. The apoptosis pathway was the main clade containing most of the proteins regulated by miR-185-5p. The results indicate that miR-185-5p modulates apoptosis signaling pathways in BT-474 breast cancer cells. Breast cancer inhibition due to increased expression of YWHAE, Cathepsin D, and decreased expression of PAK-1 is likely to be mediated by inducing miR-185-5p mediated apoptosis. In this study, the identification of miR-185-5p protein targets demonstrated the potential for the development of targeted therapy and the development of miRNA-based therapeutics and presented it as a biomarker for breast cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment response. In this regard, proteome analyses provided an understanding of the molecular mechanism underlying the effect of miR-185-5p on breast cancer.

Design and implementation of a driving safety assistant system based on driver behavior

<p>These days, road accidents are one of Morocco's biggest problems. Fatigue, drowsiness, and driver behavior are among the primary causes.This research aims to develop an embedded system by image processing and computer vision to ensure driving safety by monitoring driver behavior and assist drivers to awaken from micro-sleep or fatigue due to long driving hours and various other reasons. Indeed, the driver inattention, drowsiness or driver fatigue can be detected. The suggested method is designed to support drivers if needed, based on the vehicle velocity. Once the driver crosses a certain speed limit, the program starts face detection and analyzing this data to determine whether the driver is tired, sleepy, or inattentive. This activates different alarm depending on the criticality level. It can sound a voice alert to help him wake up and drive more cautiously. The system is based on AI algorithms in image processing based on OpenCV libraries and the Python language to capture the movements of the driver's eyes and head when starting the automobile. Every algorithm is run on a Raspberry-Pi 4 card, and numerous experimentation series have demonstrated overall credible performance with success accuracy of over 93% in EAR and MAR calculations.</p>

Pengaruh Pelatihan Deteksi Dini Stroke dengan Metode Fast bagi Kader di Desa Nania Kecamatan Baguala Kota Ambon

The frequency of strokes is increasing, with World Health Organization (WHO) data showing that around 15 million people suffer strokes every year. From the increase in the incidence of stroke above, death and disability due to stroke are still the biggest problems from year to year. Stroke can be prevented by early detection of stroke. This research aims to determine the effect of early stroke detection training using the fast method for cadres in Nania Village, Baguala District, Ambon City.This type of research is quantitative research. This research uses a quasi-experiment research design with a pre-post test control group design. Researchers provided an explanation to respondents about the FAST Act for early detection of signs of stroke. The sample in this study was 30 health cadres in the working area of ​​the Nania Community Health Center.The research results of the Pre Test knowledge scores were (10, 12 and 13) out of the highest total score of 20, the lowest score was 8 for 1 person (3.3%) and the highest score was 15 for 1 person (3.3%). Meanwhile, the Post Test Knowledge (17 and 18) of the highest total score was 20. The lowest score was 14, amounting to 1 person (3.3%), and the highest score was 20, amounting to 4 people (13.3%).The conclusion is that there is an influence of early stroke detection training using fast methods for cadres at the Nania Community Health Center, Baguala District, Ambon City. It is hoped that the research results will provide additional knowledge for medical personnel about the importance of preventing complications in diabetes sufferers, so that as much as possible we can help reduce the rate of death or disability in stroke patients.

Is the EU’s AI Act Merely a Distraction from Europe’s Productivity Problem?

Abstract Solving the EU’s productivity problem will require greater use of technologies. Artificial intelligence is of particular interest given its potential to boost productivity in the services sector, where productivity growth in Europe has been particularly weak. While touted as a mechanism to boost trust in and the use of AI in Europe, the EU’s AI Act risks dampening investment. Aspects of its design and implementation should mitigate these risks, however, so that the overall impact of the bloc’s landmark law on European productivity will likely prove modest. The bigger problem is that European leaders’ focus on the law has detracted from more important steps to boost productivity – such as developing the EU’s capital markets union, addressing the lack of digital skills, and developing the single market to boost business dynamism.

Science should save all, not just some.

Discussions around global equity and justice in science typically emphasize the lack of diversity in the editorial boards of scientific journals, inequities in authorship, "parachute research," dominance of the English language, or scientific awards garnered predominantly by Global North scientists. These inequities are pervasive and must be redressed. But there is a bigger problem. The legacy of colonialism in scientific research includes an intellectual property system that favors Global North countries and the big corporations they support. This unfairness shows up in who gets access to the fruits of science and raises the question of who science is designed to serve or save.

Analysis the Impact of Halal Certification Strategies on the Development of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMESs) in Bandung

The study aims to determine the strategy for halal certification in the development of Culinary SMEs in the Greater Bandung Region from an internal and external perspective. The research method used is a qualitative method with a SWOT matrix approach of IFAS (Internal Strategic Factors Analysis Summary) and EFAS (External Strategic Factors Analysis Summary) and AHP (Analytical Hierarchy Process). The population in this study are competent parties who know the strategy of halal certification in the development of SMEs in the Greater Bandung Region and sampling was carried out using a purposive sampling technique with a total sample of 18 expert respondents who are ready and willing to be respondents. Based on the results of the IFAS and EFAS assessments, the halal certification strategy is in quadrant I, namely, "Grow and Develop". This research also shows the position of the halal certification strategy in the IA quadrant with the choice of the "Rapid Growth" strategy which has an S>O value, thereby supporting the SO strategy. Meanwhile, based on AHP analysis, the biggest problems and priority solutions are in the infrastructure aspect. The theoretical and practical implications of this research confirm that the problems and solutions that are the priority need to be considered by the relevant institutions. In conclusion, the government should play a proactive role in developing Culinary SMEs by raising awareness of halal opportunities and encouraging innovation. Halal certification institutions should optimize the certification process to support the development of Culinary SMEs.

Utilizing Local Economic Development As a Technique for Development to Combat Poverty and Unemployment: A Case Study of Polokwane Municipality, South Africa

For many countries throughout the world, unemployment, poverty, and inequality are the biggest problems. These also apply to South Africa. In essence, local economic development (LED) is an ongoing procedure that is spearheaded by local stakeholders, particularly the local government, and built upon local efforts to stimulate the local economy and provide employment in a given area. Using the Polokwane municipality as a case study, the study aims to examine the contribution of local economic development in the reduction of unemployment in South Africa. The research also aims to ascertain how much Polokwane Municipality's local economic development organizations aid to the reduction of poverty. To obtain a thorough understanding of the subject matter, the study will employ a qualitative research approach and involve participants from various municipal levels who are involved in local economic development, such as agencies, municipal officials, and beneficiaries. The study followed a qualitative research methodology, which is a type of social science research that collects and works with non-numerical data and that seeks to interpret meaning from these data that help us understand social life through the study of targeted populations or places, and it employed theme analysis to find, arrange, and present themes and their sub-themes surfaced from study interviews. The research produced suggestions for using local economic development to reduce poverty and provide jobs.

Neglect of Young Widowed Women in Bojonegoro Regency

This research aimed to determine the neglect experienced by young widows in Bojonegoro Regency and the efforts needed to improve their circumstances. 80% of widows are young widows under 35 years old. In reality, Young widows in Bojonegoro are often ignored by their families, society and government. This research used Erich Fromm’s theory to find the realities of young widows and the forms of neglect they receive. This research used qualitative methods by collecting data using purposive sampling and interviewing widows aged 26-35. The results of the research are that young widows in Bojonegoro Regency experience neglect because society and the government are more focused on providing support and attention to their children, not to the widowed themselves. Community treatment is also different between widows because their husbands die and divorce. The biggest problem that burdens young widows is economic problems. Efforts to increase the government’s and society’s awareness of young widowed women can be made in three ways: providing financial assistance, emotional assistance and providing decent work opportunities. The hope of implementing this research is to reduce the neglect of women, especially young widows in Bojonegoro Regency, and increase concern for them so that they are able to be more economically independent and play a role in society. Keywords: Neglect; Young widow; Awareness