Regional Level Research Articles

Art Education Program for Pre-School Children in China

Involving Art Education teachers in the Pre-School, and, School Administrators as respondents, this study was conducted to assess the level of the implementation of Art Education in the Pre-School Instruction for school year 2022-2023 in China. The researcher employed the descriptive method of research by utilizing a questionnaire as the main tool for gathering the needed data. The Intervention Measures were designed to address the problems encountered by the Art Education Teachers in the Pre-School. It was found that all of the respondents are educationally qualified to teach Art Education in the Pre-School. The majority of them have earned units leading to a Master’s degree and a good number of the respondents have earned units leading to the doctoral program. The majority of the teachers teaching Art Education in the Pre-School have 1 to 6 years of teaching experience in this field. In-service training at the international level appears to be inadequate while training at the school, division regional, and national levels appears to be adequate. Based on the findings the most commonly implemented teaching strategies are guided observations, question and answer strategy, listening, problem-solving, constructivism in teaching, simulation, brainstorming inquiry-discover lesson strategy and. demonstration The following teaching strategies namely: lecture-discussion, reading, activities such as songs, and dance, games, using real-life situations, role-playing were fully implemented however, hands-on activities on art and drawing were poorly implemented. It was concluded that all of the teachers in this study are qualified to teach preschool., The teachers teaching Art Education in the preschool are using/implementing a variety of teaching strategies and instructional materials to bring about effective instruction in the school., Some serious problems, i.e., competence in the use of Art Education in the preschool, instructional materials, facilities and equipment curriculum content and standards, supervisory and technical assistance, and training and seminars affect quality instruction and hence can account for the poor performance of preschool learners. Keywords: Art Education, preschool, school administrator, curriculum contents, teaching strategies

Exports of Renewable Energy Goods among RCEP members: Potential and Constraints

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Objective: The paper, specifically examines whether the recently formed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) can potentially facilitate minimising the constraints to renewable energy goods exports at the regional level in Asia. Data, Methodology and Findings: Using the panel data from 11 RCEP members from 2006 to 2014, this study has applied the ‘meta frontier stochastic gravity frontier’ methodology and confirms that the establishment of RCEP has the potential to improve trade in renewable energy commodities within the RCEP region. Policy Implications: The policy implication is that when countries work together, it will lead to enormous benefits for national, regional, and worldwide prospects of a more sustainable energy future. Practical Policy Implications: In terms of practical policy implications, the developed RCEP member countries should actively engage in promoting R&D activities and protecting intellectual property rights concerning renewable energy production, which are essential for countries to integrate with the world market and to lift the export frontiers of both the developed and developing RCEP member countries to reach the unrestricted export of renewable energy technology.</span></p>

Effectiveness of Regional Insurance Networks and the European Stability Mechanism

The article is dedicated to approaches to assessing the effectiveness of re- gional insurance networks in comparison with classic financial institutions established under the auspices of the UN – International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group. On the basis of the evolution of the anti-crisis tools of international financial organisations, the place of regional financial mechanisms (regional insurance networks) is analysed as a new form of debasement of financial imbalances of the region, mitigating certain shortcomings of the IMF anti-crisis regulation model. Close attention is paid to the taxonomy of the Regional Financial Arrangements (RFA) in terms of forming a resource base and directions of the use of funds, their integration into global safety networks. The European Stability Mechanism is understood as a specified form of the RFA, which has the largest resources, the possibility of attracting them on a market basis and an extended range of areas of use. The author used specially tailored criteria to assess the effectiveness of the RFA in terms of lock of crisis events at the regional level. It is concluded that the RFA can only partially be considered as a lender of last resort for a group of major states, while a special model of the functioning of the European Stability Mechanism allowed to solve the tasks of anti-crisis regulation in the EU.

Business Cycles Synchronization: Literature Review

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: 'Cambria',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 宋体; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Following the seminal paper on Optimum Currency Areas (OCA) by Mundell (1961) a wealth of literature has been published on the business cycles synchronisation and its main determinants. This work provides a systematic review of this research field both at country-level synchronization and regional level. The paper aims to evaluate the contribution of the related literature’s methodologies to the measurement of the business cycle and the estimation of the level of synchronization. The discussion of the collected papers is expected to substantially assist researchers, practitioners, and policy makers keen to employ themselves in the area of business cycles synchronisation. </span></p>

Journalist\'s information needs and information seeking - behaviors in the digital age

This study delves into the evolving information-seeking practices of newspaper journalists in Karnataka, highlighting how digitalization has impacted their approach to gathering, verifying, and delivering news. With a sample of 610 journalists from 39 newspapers across national, state, and regional levels, the research identifies key patterns and challenges journalists face in the digital age, including the need for diverse information sources and the persistent obstacles within newsroom libraries. The information-seeking behavior of journalists in Karnataka has significantly evolved to accommodate the fast-paced, digital-driven demands of modern journalism. Young journalists, with over 60% of respondents under the age of 35, heavily rely on digital tools like news apps, social networks, and digital newspaper archives to access and cross-verify information quickly. However, despite advancements, challenges remain—particularly around access to adequately organized information and the necessary skills for effective digital information retrieval. More than half of the journalists reported needing information at a moderately significant level across various topics, indicating a broad requirement rather than specialized information needs. The study also highlights key barriers: limited availability of necessary information, insufficient search skills, language barriers, and a lack of qualified library staff. Addressing these issues through continuous digital literacy and library resource improvements will be essential for supporting journalists in this rapidly evolving landscape.

Africa in British Security Strategy after Brexit: Risks, Instruments, Prospects

The UK after withdrawal from the EU and guided by the ideas of “Global Britain”, proclaimed itself a leading state with global interests. The rationale behind it is not only to declare ambitions, but practically implement them, taking into consideration security challenges on national, regional and global levels. Africa plays an ambiguous role in this configuration which affects both security in the UK (migration and the activities of British companies). In addition, the risks associated with competition in Africa directly affect the UK prospects in the region and its position in the world. It is not surprising that Britain plans to strengthen its presence in Africa through interaction with African countries in the field of security. Based on strategic documents dedicated to security British experts’ discussions, the role of Africa in British international strategy is analyzed. The author concludes that despite the significant efforts, the UK tools are seriously limited by their own allies in Africa, not to mention China and Russia. It is argued that currently UK just initiated its return to Africa. At the same time, the emphasis in further advancement in Africa will no longer be made by the British on military cooperation, which will continue with a minimum number of countries (Kenya, Nigeria), but rather on financial and investment instruments, as well as programs related to “soft power” still related to security issues.

К вопросу о формировании промышленной политики на уровне региона

The article deals with the development of industrial policy on the level of the region. In the course of the study, the basic principles were formed on the basis of which it is possible to build the development of various elements of both investment and innovation infrastructure for the interaction of administrative resources at the federal and regional levels. The priorities of the industrial development of the region are formulated. Recommendations in the field of structural and investment policy are given. The necessity of clustering the industrial potential of the region is proved. The necessity of developing regional support based on an individual regional approach in the field of industrial potential development is substantiated. The main tasks of regional development in the field of industrial policy implementation are formulated.

Simulation of nitrate nitrogen concentrations and DOM characteristics in groundwater from Southwest China's Karst Wetlands using an improved GMS model.

Existing models often face limitations in the understanding and prediction of nitrate nitrogen (NO3--N) concentrations in karst groundwater. In this study, to tackle this issue, a Gaussian function model was coupled with the Groundwater Modeling System (GMS) to simulate NO3--N concentration changes in the southwest karst wetland of China. Additionally, fluorescence spectroscopy was employed to measure dissolved organic matter (DOM) components in the groundwater, providing insights into their variation and influence on NO3--N dynamics. The results demonstrated that coupling the Gaussian curve fitting method with the GMS model accurately simulated NO3--N concentration changes in the study area. The simulation revealed lower NO3--N levels in the northern region, with higher concentrations in the central area, peaking at 20.73mg/L at lower elevations. NO3--N was primarily distributed in the southwestern region and upper Mudong Lake, exhibiting a diffusion trend from west to east. DOM analysis indicated significant autochthonous contributions, particularly microbial metabolic by-products. The total fluorescence intensity and DOM components increased downstream, with the lowest values at the source and the highest values at river confluences. The humification index (HIX) was correlated with NO3--N concentrations, where lower NO3--N levels corresponded to lower HIX values, and higher NO3--N levels corresponded to higher HIX values. In conclusion, this study provides valuable insights into NO3--N prediction in groundwater and the role of DOM, offering a reference for groundwater protection in the southwest China karst basin.

Integration of Regional and Global Quaternary Data: A Comprehensive Review to Enhance Understanding and Strategic Planning of Environmental Futures, Case of Morocco

The Quaternary, a period spanning the last 2.58 million years, is crucial for understanding the climatic and environmental dynamics that have shaped the modern planet. This article explores how data specific to Morocco fit into the global context of Quaternary studies, drawing parallels between local and global information to reveal significant trends and features. By examining paleoclimatic, geomorphological, archaeological and palaeobotanical data, the analysis highlights similarities and differences between local and global observations. The results show that Moroccan data, although reflecting global trends, present specificities that enrich the understanding of climatic and environmental processes at the regional level. This integration not only makes it possible to complete global models but also to identify the local impacts of climate change, thus offering a more nuanced view of Quaternary dynamics and the challenges posed by current climate change.

Tackling the Burden of Substandard and Falsified Medicines and Health Technologies in Somaliland and Somalia

Background: The problem posed by the substandard and falsified (SF) medicines is a rising global challenge. WHO estimates that sales of SF medical products in low- and middle-income countries is around US$ 30 billion whereby 1 in 10 medical is substandard or falsified. Objectives: The purpose of this article was to enlighten the actions by the Somali NRA to tackle the scourge of SF medicines in Somalia. Methods: The literature was reviewed on the topic and evidence from other sources were incorporated including reports of post-marketing surveillance surveys, assessments at national and regional levels, as well as author’s experiences. Findings: The medicines regulatory capacity is weak in Somaliland and Somalia, where only 16% of total indicators for the regulatory system was in place as per WHO/IGAD rapid benchmarking of the National Regulatory Authority (NRA) in 2017, increasing the risk of circulation of SF medicines in the local private sector dominated and exclusively import relied pharmaceutical supply chain. Key actions by the NRA to address this problem include: regulatory reliance mechanisms such as using the WHO PQ/EUL for emergency authorization of vaccines, i.e. COVID-19 vaccines, enhanced licensing procedures, information exchange with NRAs in the region as well as technical collaboration with WHO. Conclusion & Recommendation: However, a lot has to be done and considering the weak laboratory capacity and the porous national borders, the risk of local circulation of SF medicines is high and swift actions are needed to ensure access to safe and quality medicines and health technologies in Somaliland and Somalia.

The effect of labour tightness on wages at the regional level in Central Europe

I estimate the effect of tightness on wages in Hungary and Slovakia. The Mortensen Pissarides model predicts a positive relationship but the empirical evidence is scarce. I instrument tightness by the distance of a district from the Austrian border, interacted with a dummy that marks the opening of the Austrian labour market to these countries in 2011. I find a positive effect of tightness on wages, which is in line with the conclusion of the models. If tightness increase by 1 per cent than ceteris paribus wages increase by roughly 0.2 per cent both in Hungary and Slovakia as well.

Reconstruction of the Threshold Setting for Regional Head Candidacy in the Perspective of Electoral Democracy in Indonesia

This study explores the reconstruction of threshold regulations for regional head candidacy within the framework of Indonesia’s democratic electoral system. The threshold regulation, requiring political parties or coalitions to meet specific parliamentary support levels for candidate nomination, has been a critical yet controversial component of Indonesia’s Pilkada process. While initially designed to ensure political stability and legitimacy, this policy has faced criticism for marginalizing independent candidates and smaller parties, undermining the principles of inclusivity and proportional representation. Grounded in the Constitutional Court Decision No. 60/PUU-XXII/2024, this research analyzes the implications of threshold policies and their alignment with democratic principles such as justice, equality, and broad-based participation. The decision emphasizes reducing the threshold percentage and simplifying the requirements for independent candidates, aiming to enhance electoral inclusivity and prevent political monopolies by dominant parties. The study highlights the importance of a nuanced policy design that accommodates regional sociopolitical diversity, promoting equitable competition while safeguarding electoral justice. Additionally, it proposes strategies to encourage coalition-building among smaller political parties and amplify opportunities for independent candidates, thereby enriching democratic representation. This reconstruction is anticipated to address long-standing criticisms of the threshold system, fostering a more inclusive and transparent electoral process. By aligning with democratic ideals, these reforms aspire to improve the quality of governance and enhance citizens’ trust in the democratic process at the regional level. The findings contribute to broader discussions on policy reform in electoral systems to balance stability, fairness, and inclusivity.

The Italian political class: two multilevel datasets on the profiles and opinions of elected politicians

Abstract The datasets on the Italian political class provides two sets of information: (a) census data on a broad spectrum of individual-level variables on elected politicians, offering an updated mapping of the characteristics of more than 20,000 Italian representatives at all governmental levels; (b) survey data on politicians' attitudes towards elections, participation, public opinion, several national and international policy issues, and their views of political representation. Between September 2020 and January 2021, 2134 elected politicians at the local (n = 1917), regional (n = 128), national (n = 75) and European (n = 14) levels were interviewed, making this one of the largest surveys of the Italian political elites ever conducted and a valuable resource for researchers interested in the study of democratic representation.

Climate Change Governance Practices of Non-governmental Organisations in Bangladesh

This article examines the climate change governance practices of non-governmental organisations in Bangladesh. Various stakeholders, including government and non-governmental organizations, are working at national, regional and local levels to address climate change issues. NGOs follow climate change governance practices in their works to make better results for the vulnerable people. In this study five criteria namely, accountability, transparency, participation, effectiveness, and resources were considered to assess the climate change governance practices of NGOs. This paper is based on published documents such as journal articles, reports, books etc. as well as key informant interviews of 34 respondents, to analyse climate change governance practices of the selected seven NGOs of Bangladesh. The surveyed NGOs are now operating to tackle challenges connected to climate change. Moreover, they follow governance protocols while working on climate change–related issues. NGOs, via their efforts in addressing climate change, are significantly improving the lives and quality of life of marginalised individuals. Despite various constraints, the successful contribution of NGOs in enhancing climate governance might strengthen the capacity of vulnerable people to combat climate change-induced disasters. The Dhaka University Journal of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Vol. 13(1), 2024, P 105-119

Legal Quagmire of Arbitrary Arrests and Detention in Tanzania: Analysis of The Law and Practice

This study is on the prevailing arbitrary arrest and detention in Tanzania. While there is a possibility of a person committing a criminal offence, his right to be protected under the law remains intact and thereby he should not be subjected to arbitrary arrest and detention, torture, and inhuman or any degrading punishment. These protections are afforded in myriad legal instruments both at global, regional and domestic levels. However, in Tanzania, the act of arresting a person has been associated with a variety of disturbing forms of conduct, torture, inhuman and degrading treatments during the time of arrest and hence leading to arbitrary arrest and detention contrary to the clear constitutional protections accorded to the suspects by the law. There is perceived insufficiency prevailing in the existing laws on arrest and detention in Tanzania which attribute to the violation of basic and fundamental human rights during arrest and detention in Tanzania. The insufficiencies include the laws giving overwhelming powers to arresting authorities, giving multiple authorities powers to arrest and detain, increased practices of arbitrary arrest and detention and overwhelming powers given to the DPP. On the other side, the study revealed that the perceived insufficiencies in the laws on arrest and detention in protecting human rights against abuse during arrest and detention have led to multiple legal effects or consequences such as delays in the prosecution of cases, denial of justice to the accused and victim of crime, denial of the constitutional right to bail, forum shopping by the prosecution, retracted and repudiated confessions and trial within trials

Trends and variation in issuance of high-cost narcolepsy drugs by NHS England organisations and regions from 2019 to 2022.

Clinicians and people with narcolepsy report varied access to higher-cost narcolepsy treatments in England associated with variations in national and local commissioning. There are no publicly available data quantifying use of these drugs to support policy decisions. We therefore aimed to describe national, regional and local prescribing trends for higher-cost narcolepsy drugs using new national databases. We used the English prescribing dataset and secondary care medicines data to quantify volumes of high-cost narcolepsy drugs issued between 01 January 2019 and 31 December 2022. Volumes were converted to World Health Organisation defined daily doses, to estimate the monthly number of defined daily doses of sodium oxybate, pitolisant and solriamfetol issued by each integrated care board and region. We compared national, integrated care board, and regional level issuance of each drug over time. Analysis of almost 6000 primary care prescriptions and 2000 cumulative months of secondary care pharmacy stock data, issued across 41/42 integrated care boards in England, revealed a 49.1% increase in issuance of high-cost narcolepsy drugs between 2019 and 2022. In 2022, sodium oxybate accounted for 52.66% of issuance, pitolisant 43.09% and solriamfetol 4.25%, with 22.31% of defined daily doses issued in primary care. Three integrated care boards (NHS Southeast London, NHS Cumbria and North-East, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside) predominate, issuing 56.33% of all defined daily doses. Variations between integrated care boards and regions differ substantially by drug and route of issuance. Our findings describe substantial variation in the use of specialist narcolepsy drugs in England, and highlight the untapped potential of using large, public domain datasets to publicly review higher-cost drug prescribing.

The Post Governance: Paving the Way for Teenagers' Role in Society Through Social Media

When there is an emphasis on governance practices or governance in Indonesia, including villages is also a priority. Therefore, it is interesting to study how governance is in the era of use and utilization of social media in village communities. By using a case study approach through interviews and focus group discussions, it turns out that this study produces a new pattern or model of governance practice. The findings of the governance model in this social media era are post governance, it turns out that the group of teenagers who dominantly use social media have the potential to become the fourth actor with a volunteer-altruist spirit for the welfare of society. This result, or post-gavernance, has two options, namely the tetragonal model and the pyramid model. The results of this study can be generalized to explain the same phenomenon in other villages or at local, regional and national levels.

The stability of the treasury system as a result of treasury risk management

Relevance. The fundamentals of control activities are based on effective risk management. The main burden on the internal control system is aimed at ensuring compliance by the audit subject with regulatory and legislative acts governing the activities of treasury bodies, timely detection and prevention of treasury risks in order to implement the necessary preventive measures aimed at minimizing the likelihood of the occurrence of negative consequences associated with them for the activities of the department.The purpose of the study is to assess the stability of the treasury system as a result of treasury risk management.Objectives: consideration of theoretical and organizational and legal aspects of budget execution, assessment of the treasury system, determination of areas for improving treasury control as a factor in operational efficiency in managing the budget process at the regional level.Methodology. The authors used general scientific methods of research, vertical and horizontal analysis, comparison, summary and grouping, generalization of scientific practice, forecasting.Results. The conducted research allowed to form and highlight the following scientific results: to determine the role of treasury bodies in the system of state financial control at the regional level, to conduct a general analysis of the activities of the Federal Treasury Department in the Kursk Region and to analyze the treasury execution of the budget of the Kursk Region, to identify risks for the treasury system when introducing the digital ruble.Conclusions. Control is the main procedure of the treasury system of budget execution. Cash servicing of budget execution involves the implementation and accounting of cash transactions on income and expenses and sources of financing deficits. The Federal Treasury Department in the Kursk Region plays an important role in the financial system of the region and contributes to sustainable development. The use of a risk-oriented approach by treasury bodies involves the selection of objects of external control of entities of audit activity based on the analysis of the risks of their activities, the application of international audit standards, which is aimed at reducing the audit time, reducing duplicate control functions, forming a unified management paradigm of public management applied in related control and supervisory bodies in the financial and budgetary sphere of Russia.

Regional Aspects of Transformations in Agriculture: The Case of the Republic of Bulgaria

Transformations in agriculture not only change the ways in which natural resources and social capital are used but are also a prerequisite for different opportunities to create added value and improve the viability and sustainability of rural areas. The purpose of this article is to assess the differences and effects of transformations in agriculture in the Bulgarian regions. Based on statistical data from the Censuses of agricultural holdings in 2010 and 2020, the DEA method was applied. Six models (three input-oriented and three output-oriented) were constructed and tested, and the efficiency coefficients were assessed on a regional level. The degree of structural changes and the efficiency of the used production and other resources were evaluated, and conclusions were drawn. In the majority of the models, differences were observed between the Northern regions of the country and the South Western and South Central regions. The most significant are the efficiency coefficient of the labor force used, and the output produced, the gross value added, and the net mixed income. In the other models, multidirectional changes were observed. The North Western is the region in which all calculated efficiency coefficients increased, and in the North Eastern and South Eastern regions, the most calculated coefficients decreased. Based on the analysis, recommendations related to region-specific agricultural policies for better resource allocation and sustainable development are proposed.

Phytoplankton Chlorophyll Trends in the Arctic at the Local, Regional, and Pan‐Arctic Scales (1998–2022)

AbstractWe analyzed the temporal trends (1998–2022) of surface phytoplankton Chlorophyll (Chl) concentration in the Arctic at the local, regional, and pan‐Arctic scales. We used four empirically derived Chl satellite ocean color products: two global merged products and two MODIS products, one calibrated to the Arctic. At the local level, between 10% and 40% of the area with valid pixels showed statistically significant Chl trends, with of those pixels showing increases, and the other third indicating a decrease. At the regional level, only the Barents and Chukchi Seas had consistent Chl increases across products. At the pan‐Arctic level, most products showed Chl increases in the months of July and September (0.3%–0.9% Chl ), even after removing the effect of new open water pixels. Overall, Chl is changing in the Arctic, although trends vary threefold depending on the product and spatial‐averaging assumptions used.