Free Market Research Articles

Digital Beacons of Hope? The Challenges and Potentials of Digital Health Applications for Children and Adolescents with Mental Disorders in Germany

Digital Beacons of Hope? The Challenges and Potentials of Digital Health Applications for Children and Adolescents with Mental Disorders in Germany Abstract: With the Digital Healthcare Act, Germany has taken a decisive step toward promoting high-quality, evidence-based digital health applications (DiHAs). Presently, there is a significant gap in the provision of mental health services throughout Germany, particularly regarding children and adolescents and especially in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. DiHAs as low-threshold, location- and time-independent additional mental health services - may offer a way to address this situation. Particularly in the emerging generation of digital natives, there is a high demand for digital mental health services. However, despite the rapidly growing supply of DiHAs for adults, there is a lack of approved DiHAs for children and adolescents with mental disorders. Rather, the demand for care is left to the unregulated market of diverse internet- and mobile-based interventions; early studies have questioned the evidence base, safety, and quality. This discrepancy arises from various specific challenges and risks that reduce incentives to develop DiHAs for this particularly vulnerable target group, including (1) limited evidence, (2) high complexity in study execution, (3) high complexity in the development of applications, (4) poorly researched specific risks, and (5) high regulatory requirements. This article discusses these challenges and risks and outlines the perspectives for a high-quality, safe, and evidence-based digital mental healthcare for children and adolescents.

Additional public procurements in health services: Lessons from Finnish physiotherapy markets

Private providers are often acquired through public procurements to provide publicly financed health services. The number of contracted providers and their capacity often turns out to be deficient during the contract period. Typically, the purchasers then organize additional procurements or negotiate directly with available uncontracted providers to acquire more capacity. In this study, we examine an unusual additional public procurement in Finnish physiotherapy markets, in which incumbent providers with an existing contract were also eligible to participate. In practice, these contracted providers did not bear any risk when they submitted their bids in the additional procurement. We compare contracted and uncontracted providers’ prices to free market prices using a difference-in-differences approach. The results show that contracted providers increased their prices on average by 9%, while the originally uncontracted providers decreased their prices by 8% compared to the development of free market prices. Although this inefficient procurement led to a waste of public funds, a simple back-of-the-envelope calculation indicates that additional procurement can still be a more efficient way to increase capacity than directly contracting providers that were not contracted in the initial procurement.

EVOLUTION OF FORMS OF STATE REGULATION IN THE LOGISTICS SPHERE

The article summarizes the evolution of forms of state regulation in the logistics sphere. The architecture of the system of state regulation in logistics involves a structured and complex approach to the management of logistics processes at the state level. It includes several main components that interact to ensure the efficient functioning of the logistics services market. The study of the architecture of logistics systems makes it possible to clearly define their structure and functional relationships, which significantly affects the effectiveness of material flow management. Micrologistics, metallogistics, mesologistics, macrologistics and global logistics systems have their own peculiarities of state regulation. The global logistics system is an integrated network that ensures the efficient movement of goods at the international level, supporting sustainable development and competitiveness. State regulation of logistics in Ukraine is carried out through direct and indirect forms, each of which has its own characteristics and advantages. The balance between state control and market freedom is key to effective regulation of logistics. Direct and indirect regulation can be used together to achieve optimal results, taking into account the historical context and specific needs of the country. The implementation of digital technologies and innovations is an important element of modern state regulation of logistics services. Digitization, in particular the creation of a state logistics blockchain platform (DLBP), can significantly increase the transparency, efficiency and security of logistics operations at the national level. DLBP unites various participants in the logistics process, providing up-to-date data exchange and automation of business processes, which reduces bureaucratic barriers, reduces paperwork, optimizes routes and resources, and also contributes to reducing costs and delays. Research results indicate that the development of a scientific research base in the field of logistics can provide a scientific basis for effective supply chain management models. Investment in education and personnel training for the logistics industry is another important element of successful government regulation. The formation of a professional community that possesses modern knowledge and skills in the field of logistics will contribute to increasing the overall competitiveness of the national economy.

Evaluation of cannabis product mislabeling: The development of a unified cannabinoid LC-MS/MS method to analyze e-liquids and edible products

The 2018 Agricultural Improvement Act federally legalized the cultivation of hemp and manufacture and sale of cannabidiol (CBD). The overproduction of CBD led to a significant drop in price. To maintain profitability, manufacturers began producing synthetic and semi-synthetic cannabinoids, marketing them as “legal” and “hemp-derived” due to their synthesis from CBD. The cannabis industry is adaptable, and laboratories have struggled to keep up with the rapid emergence of new compounds. This has resulted in products with unlabeled or mislabeled cannabinoids, causing unexpected adverse events. A liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed for the separation and quantitation of 21 cannabinoids. The method was applied in the analysis of 55 commercially available products. Results demonstrate significant issues with quality assurance and labeling in the unregulated cannabis market. Many products either did not contain the cannabinoids listed on their labels or contained cannabinoids that were not listed. When cannabinoids were present, their concentrations were often incorrect, with some products showing high concentrations that could pose a potential health risk. Moreover, safety, dosing, and other pharmacological data of these newly proliferated cannabinoids are lacking. Reports of adverse events are increasing to poison controls centers and emergency departments following cannabis product use. Often, the actual cannabinoids involved in the case reprots are not determined. It is critical to develop more comprehensive testing methodologies to determine the content of cannabis products and to implement stronger quality assurance measures and regulations to protect the public from low-quality and potentially dangerous products.

Punjabi “housewives” in central Italy: navigating patriarchy, labor exploitation, and welfare exclusion

Who benefits from the exploitation of women’s work, and how? Marxist feminists in the 1970s–1980s and recently theorists of Social Reproduction argued that women’s work is exploited twice, or “super-exploited,” by capital and patriarchy. Such “super-exploitation” is sustained by the process of “housewifization,” which legitimizes the extraction and accumulation of surplus value from the social reproductive work of women. The housewife ideology not only mystifies social reproductive work as natural — thereby legitimizing it as free — but also frames women’s productive work as marginal — thereby legitimizing it as cheaper and more precarious. Building on Maria Mies’ (1981) famous study of women lacemakers in India, where the devaluation of women’s work is shown to serve both capital and patriarchy, I analyze the experiences of Punjabi “housewives” in central Italy, exploring them through the lens of one family and specifically its youngest and eldest daughters, whom I interviewed during ethnographic fieldwork. I show how, despite the essential role played by these women in their family mobility project, the housewife ideology — together with other patriarchal constructs of honor and caste endogamy — obscures the value of their social reproductive and productive work and imposes a number of restrictions on their freedom. I find, further, that their super-exploitation is aggravated in the context of migration: the labor exploitation and welfare exclusion that they face in Italy due to the country’s exclusionary immigration regime and unregulated capitalist market complicate their chances to challenge the oppressive relations they are involved in.

Life Insurance Market Development Prospects in Georgia

Reforms and changes carried out in all spheres of coexistence are aimed at ensuring the development of the state's free economic market. The establishment of free market relations made business a natural component of the Georgian economy. On the way to building the country as a legal state, an important role is played by the protection of property and non-property interests and the creation of its guarantees of compliance with international standards. All this is directly related to the development of the country's insurance market. Keywords: insurance market, non-property interest, object of insurance, life insurance.

Xylazine in the Unregulated Drug Market: An Integrative Review of Its Prevalence, Health Impacts, and Detection and Intervention Challenges in the United States.

Xylazine, a veterinary sedative, has emerged as a concerning element in the landscape of substance use in the United States. This integrative review synthesizes evidence from a systematic examination of 14 selected studies conducted between 2008 and 2023. The primary objective is to comprehensively understand the epidemiology and prevalence of xylazine use, particularly its involvement in drug-related deaths, regional variations, national impact, co-occurrence with opioids, and challenges associated with detection and intervention. The results underscore stark regional disparities in xylazine prevalence. West Virginia and Miami-Dade County have experienced alarming surges in xylazine-involved drug-related deaths. Nationally, its influence extends beyond regional boundaries, predominantly affecting white males in the Northeast. The co-occurrence of xylazine with opioids, especially fentanyl and heroin, significantly amplifies the risks of fatal overdoses. Detecting xylazine presents formidable challenges due to its frequent presence alongside other substances, necessitating enhanced surveillance and more effective detection methods. User perspectives emerge as pivotal, emphasizing the importance of user-informed harm reduction strategies. In conclusion, this review has significant policy implications. Tailored, region-specific strategies are imperative to address the diverse prevalence of xylazine use. A nationwide response is indispensable, prioritizing harm reduction initiatives, enhanced detection methods, and active user engagement. The multifaceted nature of the xylazine issue requires comprehensive approaches to mitigate its profound risks effectively. Policymakers are urged to consider regional disparities and the co-occurrence of xylazine with opioids when crafting targeted interventions. Immediate, user-informed harm reduction is vital to address the evolving landscape of xylazine use in the United States.

The Capture Effect: How Media Capture Affects Journalists, Markets and Audiences

As the literature aimed at defining and explaining media capture has grown in recent years so has the interest in documenting the impact of capture in greater depth. There is still a relatively wide gap between the literature focused on defining and describing the concept, which is rich and increasingly sophisticated, and the body of research aimed at measuring the impact of capture, which now consists of a collection of disparate analytical papers primarily focused on case studies. This paper aims to contribute to this second body of knowledge: building on existing research, it looks to identify the changes that media capture leads to in three key areas: journalism (with a focus on the impact of capture on professional standards and the performance of journalists), market (with a focus on the effects of capture on free competition, market health and viability of investments), and audience (analysing the content limitations that audiences are faced with in environments where propaganda media is dominant).

Atlas asunder? Neo-liberal think tanks and the radical right

Abstract How are neoliberal thought leaders reacting to the rise of radical conservatism? Looking at Atlas, a worldwide network comprising approximately 500 free market think tanks and campaign groups, this study examines how its affiliates prioritize threats. This is accomplished through a qualitative analysis of a sample of documents that Atlas partners published on their websites from 2017 to 2022. The findings range from expected to puzzling. First, there is a reliable adherence to core neo-liberal ideas such as globalization and marketization. Second, explicit evidence of ideological tension is scarce, as only a few think tanks openly signal alignment with illiberal and authoritarian positions. However, as a whole, the network appears consistently—and wilfully—apathetic towards the radical right. This indifference contrasts with the vigour and regularity with which the network confronts left-of-center ideas, parties and governments. Delving into this contrast and its political implications, the study highlights the twin concepts of strategic and selective ignorance and considers their analytical potential.

From fair market value to judicial market value of real estate

ABSTRACT The paper proposes a brief analysis of the main elements that, on a theoretical, normative and situational basis, affect the value of properties placed as collateral for loans, with particular reference to the value they assume in the event that they are affected by an enforced procedure instead of being subject to normal sale, in free market conditions. Starting from the classic analytical estimate of the fair market value of a real estate asset in free market conditions, the paper will quantify the value that the asset should have when the appraiser has to indicate the value from which to start the judicial auction. Considering the regulatory mechanisms in place in Italy, the paper will put in evidence how a value calculated for an execution sale of a property occurring in a foreclosure process is considerably far from its fair market value and even more from its final judicial value, considered as the amount that will be recovered at the end of the sale of the property by judicial auction. For both debtors and creditors, the significant differences between fair market, execution and judicial values become an increasingly topical issue in the face of the growing number of default and distress of loans.

A Cross-National Analysis of Prosperity, Inequality and Trust in the Free Market

A Cross-National Analysis of Prosperity, Inequality and Trust in the Free Market

Analisys The Influence of Social Media on Product Purchasing Decisions

This research is a literature study conducted through journal reviews and literature studies that are relevant to the research. The type of data used is secondary data, namely data obtained indirectly. Data collection techniques are carried out by reviewing and analyzing books and journals with rules related to the influence of social media, product purchasing decisions. From the research results, it is known that the use of social media is very important in influencing product purchasing decisions in the current industrial era. Human Resources of an organization, demanding the 5.0 era revolution and the current era of free competition, it is hoped that organizations must have quality, innovative and creative human resources. Because the organization is a network and decisions for succession policies and marketing decisions for quality products globally. Social media is used as a performance benchmark with the aim of getting loyal consumers and being able to promote the products they enjoy. The industrial revolution 5.0 has brought many changes, especially changes in very rapid technological developments which have greatly influenced the industrial world, namely that humans are required to master technology, especially for officials in companies who have direct contact with consumers throughout the world. And companies are also required to be able to follow technological developments and adapt them to global product marketing activities using social media. This speeds up the broader marketing process and improves employee performance

Legal problems of state regulation economic activities in a special period

The paper reveals the role and problems of determining the peculiarities of solving legal problems of state regulation of economic activity in a special period as one of the conditions for the development of a modern democratic society. A detailed study of this issue was conducted, aspects of the regulatory and legal environment and the problems of Ukrainian business work in such difficult conditions were considered. The last few years, the most difficult in the history of the state, have shown that there is a need to move from direct administrative assistance to the formation of a favorable economic and social environment for the improvement of mechanisms and tools for stimulating the development of business entities. It is the priority of state regulation and support of entrepreneurship in such conditions that will provide an opportunity not only to preserve business, but also to expand it with a simultaneous increase in the number of jobs, which is one of the foundations of the functioning of the welfare state. Any difficulties in economic activity quite often give rise to new opportunities for growth, the economy is being restructured, new niches are opening that can be used for growth, and in the future, filling the state and local budgets. The historical experience of the states that have gone through the war shows that the economic system and business development is a key area of further reform and modernization, and the main goal of this process is to create favorable conditions for economic activity, to activate the investment potential of the country and to create comfortable conditions for the functioning of the capital involved. One of the fundamental elements of creating a favorable business environment in Ukraine is the deregulation of economic activity, that is, the maximum simplification of business and government cooperation, the formation of a free market, a transparent permit system, and partnership relations with state regulatory and supervisory bodies. An important aspect of state regulation of economic activity in a special period of state development is, first of all, the conscious formation by state structures of appropriate direct and indirect business support tools, in particular, the creation of incentives, the use of material, financial and other resources that are attracted to its subjects. Special attention was paid to the need to develop and implement specialized legal acts that would regulate the protection of business activities in such emergency situations.

THE RISE OF PRIVATIZATION IN HEALTH SECTOR: EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PRIVATE HEALTH CARE AND THE UPPER CLASS

In the past twenty years, the transfer of health care services from public to private ownership has been a topic of significant interest in almost every country worldwide. Privatization and the free-market system have become attractive options for countries dealing with rising healthcare costs, growing dissatisfaction with the effectiveness and quality of care in public health facilities, and limited public resources to support healthcare services. The purpose of the research to explore the relationship between private health care and the upper class. The study identifies the causes of privatization, including globalization, modernization, urbanization, capitalism, neoliberal policy formation, and people's access to it. This study is based on primary data. In order to collect primary data, a comprehensive study questionnaire was designed, including both structured closed-ended and open-ended questions, and data have been collected randomly from ten private hospitals in Madaripur. The research included a sample size of 130 respondents, consisting of 110 patients, 20 nurses, and hospital authorities. The findings conclude that private health care is the outcome of elites’ demand, which is decorated with advanced facilities. In a public hospital, it is impossible for a patient to anticipate a simple pathological or radiological examination. Patients ultimately find themselves compelled to visit private clinics. However, the high cost of these clinics often restricts people's access to them. Aside from this, capitalism has given birth to private ownership and class categorization in society, while neoliberal policy has reduced government control over public expenditure. Market competition, individual responsibility, consumer choice, and lifestyle change have also increased the privatization of health services in Madaripur, as well as in the larger cities of Bangladesh. KEYWORDS: privatization, health care, globalization, capitalism, public health, neoliberal policy

STUDYING THE EXPERIENCE OF FORMING AGRICULTURAL LAND MARKETS IN OTHER COUNTRIES

Ukraine is facing the challenge of improving the agricultural land market, which is of great importance for the economic and socio-economic development of agriculture. The lack of a clear action plan in this direction due to divergent views among stakeholders requires attention. International experience has been considered, and pathways for further development of the land market in Ukraine have been identified. Analyzing best practices from other countries can help avoid negative consequences and ensure compliance with European standards. The research findings indicate the need for regular market monitoring and measures to ensure that land use aligns with its intended purpose. The purpose of the work. The goal is to study international experience in establishing a land market in Ukraine and identifying opportunities for its further development. Practical significance. An important strategic task for Ukraine is to create conditions for the observance of all human rights, including the right to own, use, and dispose of property freely. The implementation of a free land market in Ukraine has the potential to contribute to the emergence of freedom of choice, new opportunities, and development prospects both in agriculture and in the economy as a whole. Results. Both positive and negative consequences of implementing market land relations have been considered in various countries, and priority stages of this process have been identified in our country. The results of the analysis indicate the need for regular monitoring of the land market and taking measures to ensure that land use aligns with its intended purpose.

Defining faces, defying borders: authority conflicts between medical specialties through cosmetic interventions

At first glance, medical specializations seem to be delineated according to well-defined scientific criteria; the apparently-functional division of labor generates a general hierarchy of specialized knowledge and practice. However, this unequal apportionment of professional power and authority also depends on capitalistic organization. While the medical rationale has always been market-related, starting in the 1980s—with the initiation of its neoliberal agenda—Turkey has enacted progressively aggressive policies, privatizing healthcare service and reconceptualizing it as a dynamic market, thereby forming a medical ethos entangled with neoliberal motifs. In this article, we analyzed how unregulated market conditions give rise to a chaotic scientific field, and how this apparent disorder serves to reproduce an underlying capitalistic logic. Of the multitude of human body parts, we choose the face, because it has become a hot zone in medicine as cosmetic demands from patients have skyrocketed, and because it is an area generating conflict between medical specialties seeking more authority and power. To this end, we interviewed thirty-three specialists from dermatology, otorhinolaryngology, and plastic surgery about their experiences on authority conflicts and their motivations for entering into an unregulated market. Our research highlights how actors in the medical field constitute a relational social context within which boundaries are fiercely negotiated through a market logic. Thereafter, we argue how the ambiguities of pathology, aesthetics, body, and norms that underlie cosmetic procedures are fluidized and become instruments of power, such that this ambiguity has become the very defining characteristic of the scientific field.

Why right-wing governments restrict market competition: a demographic theory

Abstract Recent scholarship on the evolution of neoliberalism points out that, despite free market discourse, right-wing rule has often resulted in re-regulation and further market concentration, to the advantage of large corporations. This article argues that such an outcome is not an inevitable result of right-wing incumbency. Instead, I identify an exogenous, demographic, change that prompts right-wing governments to increasingly embrace market concentration: the aging of the workforce, which has intensified the substitution of capital for labor, and as a result, somewhat paradoxically, reduced the amount of pure profits that can be distributed to wealthy households. In response, right-wing governments restrict competition to shore up pure profits. Drawing on data from 14 to 20 OECD countries, I show that as workforce aging intensifies, right partisanship becomes increasingly associated with more regulatory restrictions on competition, greater market concentration, and a greater pure profit share of income.

Protection of intellectual property rights against unfair trade practices in the European Union

It is indicated that each state must ensure fair competition in its market in order to support economic growth. This provision is also relevant for the European Union, within which the primary importance is to ensure free competition for the further development of a single system of circulation of goods, works and services, promotion of innovation and creativity, job creation and increased competitiveness, as all this is necessary for the EU to compete in global economy. This article provides a general analysis of the correlation and interaction between the provisions of intellectual property law and the provisions of competition law in the European Union (EU). In particular, the author examines the peculiarities of legal regulation of economic competition and intellectual property protection at the EU level, the state of compliance with EU competition law in the process of exercising and protecting intellectual property rights, and the role of court decisions in determining the balance between intellectual property protection and competition law requirements. The author emphasises that despite different objectives, competition law and intellectual property law have a common basis and therefore actively interact, i.e. these two systems are synergistic. The author analyses possible options for the relationship between protection against unfair competition and intellectual property laws, including the means that would reduce the often existing «tension» between them. Due to the need for a common regulatory framework to ensure that laws are in line with dynamic trade practices, the EU’s unfair competition laws are mostly flexible and general in nature. The author identifies the measures currently being taken by the EU to optimise the rules in this area. The author concludes that intellectual property protection, as well as effective antitrust regulation, are the most important legal mechanisms created to ensure economic growth based on the development and expanded use of innovations. The author also examines the measures currently being taken by the EU to optimize the rules in this area. It is concluded that the general trend of further development and improvement of interaction between antitrust and intellectual property legislation in the EU should be, first of all, overcoming regulatory and institutional dispersion.

The doctor vote: Interactions between political ideological preferences and healthcare reform strategies among U.S. physicians

IntroImproving the American healthcare system has consistently predominated the domestic policy agenda in the United States for decades. However, physicians have traditionally played a small role in the U.S. legislative process despite their direct observations of the obstacles that cost, access, and quality can have on their patients and their care. The goal of this study was to examine the relationship between physician political ideological preferences and health policy reform options. MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional survey of 3,001 currently practicing U.S. physicians to predict how self-identification as liberal, moderate, or conservative impacted a physician’s policy preferences under the domains of cost, access, and quality. ResultsA total of 536 (18.8%) out of 3,001 physicians responded to the survey. Overall, 32% of physicians identified as liberal, 43% as moderate, and 22% as conservative. ConclusionLiberal-identifying physicians favored traditionally liberal reform ideas (a national health plan or public option), while conservative physicians preferred conservative policies (free market optimization). However, variation within political groups and domains of healthcare suggest that no single reform policy will be unanimously supported by every physician within a political group. Nonetheless, physicians are unanimously dissatisfied with the state of our current system, and physician-supported healthcare reform should be a national priority.

How Adam Smith's banking views influenced Hamilton, Jefferson, and the debate over the Bank of the United States

AbstractThe most sophisticated monetary and banking policy advice available in the decades after 1776 was found in Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations. Smith recommended free competition among nationwide banks of issue with minimal legal restrictions and no legal privileges. Yet neither Alexander Hamilton nor Thomas Jefferson accepted Smith's recommendation, despite their familiarity with his arguments, and despite Scotland's positive experience while following it. We spell out Hamilton's and Jefferson's theoretical disagreements, and explain how Smith's advice did not serve either founder's political agenda. For Hamilton, competitive banking without a single privileged national bank would not do enough to strengthen the federal government. For Jefferson, any federal chartering of banks would strengthen the federal government too much at the expense of the states.