Life Of Country Research Articles

Epilepsy surgery education and practice around the globe: An ILAE taskforce report.

Up to 80% of the world's population with epilepsy lives in low and middle-income countries. Around one-third of these patients will have drug-resistant epilepsy, for which epilepsy surgery is an option. Unfortunately, many of these regions, as well as some more developed nations, lack sufficient epilepsy surgery units and trained neurosurgeons. With this in mind, the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) formed the Epilepsy Surgery Education Taskforce to address the shortage of further educational opportunities for surgeons and neurologists and to promote the creation of more epilepsy surgery units around the world. In this article, we publish our findings from a web-based international survey, in which we investigated the global distribution and experience of neurosurgeons who perform epilepsy surgery, their educational paths, and opinions on the further need for epilepsy surgery education, as well as the resources available to them. We report a detailed analysis of the 202 survey replies received from 35 different countries across six continents. The lack of adequate numbers of epilepsy surgery units in the Southern Hemisphere is notable, and the aim of this task force with other ILAE committees, is to improve access to epilepsy surgery for patients and to enhance training for their health care providers.

Exploring the Impact of Environmental Degradation, Income Inequality, Technological Development and Food Availability on Quality of Life: Recent Evidence From South Asia

ABSTRACTThis study investigates the determinants of quality of life in South Asian countries, focusing on Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Pakistan from 2000 to 2018. Life expectancy is used as the dependent variable, representing life quality. The independent variables include carbon emissions, remittances, information and communication technology, income inequality, government health expenditure, economic development, and food security. Cross‐sectional time series FGLS is the main analytical method, supplemented by Pedroni and Kao cointegration tests and the Drisc/Kraay method. The findings indicate that information and communication technology, remittances, economic progress, and food security positively impact life expectancy, while CO2 emissions, income inequality, and government health expenditures negatively affect it. The study proposes several policy recommendations to improve the quality of life in the South Asian region.

Gender inequality in the public sphere as perceived by Muslim female graduate students at a Pakistani higher education institution – a critical grounded theory perspective

Purpose The subject of gender inequality has been approached by academics of various fields – psychologists, political scientists, developmental economists, feminists, sociologists, among others. Although there is a considerable amount of evidence indicating the presence of gender bias in various aspects of educational and work life in Muslim countries, not many studies have attempted to understand the female perspective during extra- and co-curricular activities in higher education institutions (HEIs) and their coping strategies. Design/methodology/approach A critical grounded theory approach was used. Findings The findings indicate that the role of female “religio-socio-cultural” stereotypes mutually reinforces each other to perpetuate an uneven playing field. Females have evolved many strategies to cope, including creation of sub-private spheres within larger public spheres and restricting their interactions to specific strata within the public sphere. Originality/value The study provides a female perspective regarding participation during extra- and co-curricular activities in a HEI in a Muslim majority context using critical grounded theory.

Economic burden of vulvar, vaginal, anal, penile and head & neck cancers in Bulgaria

A retrospective, cost-of-illness study aimed at identifying direct healthcare costs of vulvar, vaginal, anal, penile, and H&N cancers in Bulgaria from the payer perspective and calculating indirect costs and the associated years of life lost was carried out. Costs’ data were obtained from the National Health Insurance Fund from January 2018 to December 2020. Years of life lost were calculated based on the country and gender-specific life expectancy. The human capital approach was used to evaluate the indirect costs. The total treatment costs for 3623 patients were EUR 10,875,771 (2018), EUR 11,922,521 (2019) and EUR 12,329,463 (2020). The costs associated with radiotherapy and drug acquisition and administration accounted for the majority (75–78%) of total healthcare costs. A cumulative loss of approximately 33,299 life years occurred between 2018 and 2020. The costs of productivity losses were estimated at EUR 14,113,265.

The Role of Cultural Heritage in The Development of Tourism and Some Cultural Industries in Vietnam

Many nations now view the cultural industry as a significant role in the country's cultural life and as a vital economic sector supporting sustainable development. Vietnam has an affluent cultural history with diverse cultural identities and is valuable in every way. The development of various cultural industries benefits greatly from the resources provided by cultural heritages. In order to elucidate the significance of cultural heritage in the growth of particular cultural industries, such as music, film, and cultural tourism, we employ synthetic analysis techniques and field research in this article. According to the research findings, cultural heritages are becoming important resources for the growth of cultural tourism, giving travellers motivation to travel, learn, and carry out research. Cultural heritage also provides resources and inspiration for music and film production, meeting the public's needs for cultural entertainment. The article makes inferences about the value of cultural heritage; development constraints, and potential solutions for preserving and enriching cultural heritage within the cultural industry. It also provides ways to improve human resources in the fields of music, film, and cultural tourism.

Vulnerability and Critical Human Security in the Era of COVID-19 and Beyond in the UK and South Korea

The COVID-19 pandemic destabilised the political, social, and economic life of countries as it spread around the world. It posed multiple threats to individuals, societies, and across different domains of life, highlighting their intersectionality and uneven impacts. The paper focuses on the UK and South Korea, countries which took very different paths in framing and addressing the crisis. It draws on secondary data and an integrated critical human security and state capacity approach to compare how state responses, institutional capacity, and the mobilisation of policy instruments themselves construct constellations of insecurity which intersect with human security and vulnerability. It will demonstrate the structural constraints that have continued to shape vulnerability and the dynamics of human security and insecurity in turbulent times.

An Empirical Evaluation of Eritrean Expatriates in the USA

The number of Eritreans leaving Eritrea in search of a better life and future in foreign countries has increased in the past years. As a consequence of the conflict that has erupted between Ethiopia and Eritrea, Eritrean communities in the USA have established organizations and consortiums in order to encourage their members to work together towards common goals. The aim of this research study is to investigate and evaluate the positive and negative sides of being a first-generation Eritrean expatriate in the USA through empirical qualitative interviews with 20 respondents. The study begins with the backstory of the respondents regarding the reasons why they moved to the USA in the first place. It then goes on to examine the respondents' acculturation process in terms of Eritrean culture and American culture. Furthermore, the results from the interviews are analyzed and evaluated in terms of supporting and opposing arguments, as well as implications, applications, and recommendations for future similar research projects. The research study provides insight into the experiences of Eritrean expatriates in the USA, making it useful for anyone who has an interest in the lives of expatriates. Additionally, it is believed that the findings of this research project will be useful for organizations that concern themselves with the welfare of Eritrean communities abroad.

Ecohydrological Dynamics and Temporal Water Origin in a European Mediterranean Vineyard

ABSTRACTViticulture is an essential sector in agriculture as wine production plays a vital role in the socio‐economic life of many countries, especially in the Mediterranean area. Grapevines are a valuable, long‐lived species able to grow in hot and dry regions. We currently do not know whether rain‐fed grapevines entirely rely on deep soil water or make substantial use of shallow water from summer precipitation events. Without knowing this, we poorly understand what fraction of summer precipitation inputs contributes to grapevine transpiration. This has implications for how we quantify grapevine‐relevant precipitation budgets and for predicting the impacts of climate change on grape and wine production. We investigated grapevine water use in a vineyard in the Chianti region, central Italy. During the growing season of 2021, we monitored precipitation and soil moisture at 30‐ and 60‐cm depth. We collected over 250 samples for stable isotope analysis from rainfall, soil, and plants. Since traditional plant water sampling is problematic for grapevines, we collected samples from shoots, leaves, and condensed leaf transpiration after sealed plastic bags were wrapped around a shoot. We use these alternative plant samples to reconstruct the isotopic signal in the xylem water and infer the plant's seasonal water origin throughout the growing season. The analysis of the seasonal origin of water revealed that, throughout the growing season, soil water and plant water received disproportional contributions by rain that had fallen in the winter, even when compensating for the Mediterranean climate of the area. Only in late summer did the grapevines use substantial amounts of summer rainfall, whose contribution occasionally became dominant. These results provide a better understanding of ecohydrological interactions and uptake dynamics in valuable socio‐economic agroecosystems such as vineyards.

FUNDAMENTALS OF THE TOURIST DESTINATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

In the present period, tourism has become one of the priority areas of development of economic and cultural spheres of life in many countries of the world. Actions in this direction are actively taking place in Kazakhstan, considering the identification of the main development factors specified in the strategic and programmatic planning documents. The purpose of the study: to develop methodological approaches and practical recommendations for managing the process of developing tourist destinations with the active participation of the main tourism entities in order to promote them as a tourist destination in tourism. The basis of management of the tourist destination is to bring the tourist product of the region to the market and ensure its competitiveness in order to achieve a high level of well-being and quality of life. At the same time, the organizational and economic relations arising in the process of managing the development of the tourist destination are the mechanisms for realizing the tourist and recreational potential in the regions and promoting the tourist product. The article deals with the evaluation mechanisms of the management system of tourist destinations.

Target Situation Needs Analysis of English Language Skills Required by Syrians in the Arabian Gulf Area

The English language has always been a barrier facing Syrians who aim to find a better life and job opportunities in countries where English has excellent value. This research paper investigates and analyzes the linguistic skills needed by Syrians who are part of the field of business in the Arabian Gulf countries. The study utilizes a mixed-method approach for collecting data and analyzing it through a questionnaire and interviews. This research aims to specify the specific English language needs of Syrian students in countries where English is drastically needed for life and business to help design online English for Business course that aligns with those needs. The study aims to provide descriptive insights into the linguistic challenges faced by Syrian students and to propose recommendations for curriculum development in English for Business. The findings of this study can be useful for English language teachers, developers of curriculums, and policymakers.

'The abortion gave me my life back': the long-term impact of access to self-managed medication abortion through telemedicine on women's lives in legally restricted countries.

Approximately 753 million women (38%) of reproductive age live in countries with restrictive abortion laws. To overcome these legal constraints, women access safe self-managed medication abortions through telemedicine abortion services. This study aimed to explore the long-term impact of accessing a self-managed medication abortion through telemedicine service on women's lives in countries with restrictive abortion laws. We conducted interviews with eleven women (from eleven different countries) who accessed a self-managed medication abortion through online telemedicine between 2014 and 2018 in a legally restricted country. We analysed interviews thematically. Three key themes were developed: (1) access to abortion positively impacted life plans; (2) the negative influence of the legally restricted environment wore off and their well-being improved; (3) participants are now using their own experiences to help others by either sharing information or facilitating access to abortion. In summary, our findings highlight the positive impact of access to self-managed medication abortion and underline the importance of ensuring access to abortion for everyone.

EFFICIENCY OF MONETARY POLICY IMPLEMENTATION AS A BASIS FOR CENTRAL BANK STABILISATION POLICY UNDER MARTIAL LAW (UKRAINIAN AND ISRAELI PRACTICES)

The purpose of the paper is to summarise and present the anti-crisis practices of a central bank during martial law in the country, based on the experience of the National Bank of Ukraine and the Bank of Israel. The research methodology is based on an analysis of reports, guidelines, statistical data, scientific articles, legislation bases, and other relevant materials. One of the methodological aspects of this study is a comparison of the knowledge acquired about the regulations implemented by the two central banks after the introduction of martial law in the countries. The objective is to identify potential lessons learned for the banking regulations of Ukraine and the State of Israel. The results of the study show that the practical implementation of stabilisation measures by central banks is crucial for achieving financial stability of the state both during and after wartime, as well as the ability to predict possible deepening of crises and minimise their consequences. The tools and methods used by these central banks differ. In particular, the NBU's main monetary policy instrument was foreign exchange interventions, while the BoI actively used the key policy rate. The proper formation of international currency reserves and the possibility of using them during a war-related crisis is critical for both countries. This fact confirms that crisis management has different types of scenarios. Each anti-crisis scenario is unique. This paper highlights the practical need for interaction between monetary and macroprudential policies of the central bank in wartime. It demonstrates various combinations of methods and instruments of the central bank's monetary policy. This study also shows the interdependence of the economies of these two countries. Practical implementation. This analysis provides insight into the anti-crisis activities of central banks during unpredictable periods in a country's life, namely, during martial law. At the present stage, banking systems do not often face the challenges of war. Therefore, studying each case is important for improving theoretical knowledge and deepening practical research. Value / Originality. The author of the study collected the experience and practices of stabilisation activities of the central banks of Ukraine and Israel during the war.

Kontribusi Ekonomi Islam dalam Membentuk Kesejahteraan Ekonomi dan Sosial Global

This study aims to investigate the contribution of Islamic economics in shaping economic and social well-being globally. Through literature analysis and empirical studies, the study identifies the underlying principles of Islamic economics, including justice, equality, and balance, and evaluates their impact on various aspects of economic and social life in different countries. The research methods used include document analysis and case studies of the implementation of Islamic economic principles in various contexts. The results highlight that Islamic economics has played a significant role in increasing financial inclusion, promoting sustainable economic growth, and alleviating poverty and inequality. The implications of this research provide valuable insights for policymakers, economic practitioners, and the general public in efforts to promote global economic and social well-being.

Michael Green and Ineke Huysman (eds), Private Life and Privacy in the Early Modern Low Countries

Michael Green and Ineke Huysman (eds), Private Life and Privacy in the Early Modern Low Countries

BODY LANGUAGE VOCABULARY IN ALBANIAN AS A PROOF OF AN ABUNDANT AND ANCIENT LANGUAGE!

The richness of language vocabulary is directly related to the personal culture of reading and educational background of the person belonging to a specific ethnic community, altogether with the tradition, customs and folklore, as factors of its historic cultural development. The historical development of an ethnicity plays a decisive role in the richness of words and the abundance of vocabulary for specific types and fields of cultures, such as the musical culture, the culture of fine arts, legal and institutional culture, culture of housing buildings, culture of healthy living, etc. The national conscience is related to the common language speaking and the cultivation of tradition, folklore and clothing by the people living in a common geographic territory. Their fights for survival and freedom, as well as the wars for defense of the territory has produced an abundant vocabulary up to details and stylistic varieties and a detailed description of the fighting tools and processes, such as struggle, fight, wars, call for freedom, on the other hand, but also is a lack of words and poorness of vocabulary related to the technical description of the manufactured products and merchandises coming from abroad. Depending on the cultural development of the institutions, the law enforcement and written rules regulating the rights and the responsibility for obeying the legal restrictions and prohibitions has produced a better legal and institutional culture in one country, rather than in an old fashioned organization of social life in countries of a specific stage of national development, where the legal institutions were perceived as strange and hostile originating by an occupying country or nation. These institutions were only accepted as temporary and people obeyed them only by coercion, unwillingly and due to the threat of use of force, in case of lack of obedience. The culture of reading newspapers and watching TV has influenced the richness of vocabulary by meeting new words of the literary, official and the international language, except for the vocabulary of the dialects in their native language.

SPECIFIC FEATURES OF THE SYSTEM OF PROFESSIONAL TRAINING OF FUTURE FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHERS IN GERMANY

The structural dynamics of socio-economic life in most countries of the world creates new requirements for the organization of the educational process of future teachers. In this context, the analysis of the structure, content and organizational features of the system of professional teacher training in European countries is of great importance for the higher education environment of Ukraine. The study is devoted to the analysis of the characteristic features of professional training of future foreign language teachers in Germany. Research methodology. The study used logical-semantic, structural-logical and system-functional methods. Scientific novelty. The functionality of the higher education system in the professional training of future foreign language teachers is determined. It has been established that in Germany, professional competence is acquired by potential teachers in different types of educational institutions, including general higher education schools, universities, higher pedagogical schools and specialized colleges. It is substantiated that the studied training system in Germany is characterized by certain specifics. Attention is focused on the potential of modern information technologies in the process of professional training of foreign language teachers, innovative possibilities of digital optimization of the studied educational process in the context of Germany are highlighted. The article describes trends in the field of improving the content of education at universities, which demonstrate a shift away from narrow specialization and the revival of compulsory training for students of all specialties. Conclusions. It has been established that the active implementation of the experience of leading European countries in the system of professional higher education in Ukraine necessitates systematic professional development of the scientific and pedagogical staff of higher education institutions of Ukraine. It is proved that in the process of standardizing the system of professional training of foreign language teachers in accordance with the requirements of the Bologna Process, a special role is given to the awareness of the optimal structure, content, organizational paradigm of the higher education environment of European countries.

Do CBDCs promote financial inclusion and strengthen the monetary regulations?

Digital currencies are impacting the financial lives of people and countries around the world; particularly developing countries see the retail Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) as an opportunity to increase financial inclusion and introduce new monetary policy implementation mechanisms. The decision to launch a digital currency mainly depends upon the goals and objectives being set by the Central Bank of any respective country. Digital currencies help to implement monetary policy more effectively to achieve the financial system stability. Kazakhstan is the leading economy in the Commonwealth of Independent States region; the digital payments market is changing rapidly in Kazakhstan, being driven by fintech innovations and public investments in payment technologies. In this article, we thoroughly discussed how launching of “Digital Tenge” is promoting financial inclusion and strengthening the monetary regulations across Kazakhstan. We took the case of Kazakhstan because it’s the first country from Central Asia which took the initiative of launching digital currency, and the National Bank of Kazakhstan has already announced that implementation of “Digital Tenge” would be completed in Kazakhstan by the end of 2025. The implementation of a “Digital Tenge” as a CBDC in Kazakhstan would expand the range of financial services being available to the nation. Having direct authority over the digital currency will empower the National Bank of Kazakhstan to adopt more efficient monetary policy, exerting influence over interest rates, money supply, and general economic stability. Furthermore, by providing digital financial services to marginalized communities, the digital Tenge would also help to solve the difficulties of financial inclusion in Kazakhstan. The article provides the possible policy routes for the governments of developing countries and the financial regulators about adopting CBDCs for promoting financial inclusion and to strengthen the monetary regulations.

Caregiver burden, mental health, quality of life and self-efficacy of family caregivers of persons with dementia in Malaysia: baseline results of a psychoeducational intervention study

BackgroundThe majority of persons with dementia (PWD) are mainly cared for by their family members in the home. Evidence is however scarce on family caregivers’ psychosocial burden and quality of life in Asian countries including Malaysia. This study describes the baseline data of a telephone-delivered psychoeducational intervention study and examines the determinants of outcome measures (caregiver burden, depressive and anxiety symptoms, quality of life and caregiving self-efficacy) among Malaysian family caregivers to PWD.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study originated from the baseline survey of a randomized control trial of 121 family caregivers recruited from lists of PWD who were registered at memory and psychiatry clinics in three tertiary care hospitals in Malaysia. The participants were assessed for caregiver burden by the Zarit Burden Interview, depressive and anxiety symptoms by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, quality of life by the Control, Autonomy, Self-Realization, and Pleasure Scale, and caregiving self-efficacy by the Revised Scale for Caregiving Self-Efficacy.ResultsPrevalence of caregiver burden was 69.4%, depressive symptoms 32.2% and anxiety symptoms 32.2%. Family caregivers to PWD having perceived peer support e.g., social/family/friend/significant other supports were less likely to report caregiver burden, depressive and anxiety symptoms, and more likely to report higher levels of quality of life and caregiving self-efficacy. Being married and PWD’s ability to self-care were associated with lesser likelihood of experiencing caregiver burden, depressive and anxiety symptoms. The other determinants of greater probability of reporting better quality of life were caregivers’ employment and having Islamic faith. Marital status (married), PWD’s ability to self-care, spousal relationship with PWD and shared caregiving process were associated with higher likelihood of reporting caregiving self-efficacy.ConclusionCaregiver burden, depressive and anxiety symptoms are prevalent in family caregivers to PWD in Malaysia. Social support and caregiving related factors influence family caregivers’ quality of life and caregiving self-efficacy. Implementing psychoeducational intervention and support in the psychiatry and memory clinics may help improve the psychosocial burden, quality of life and caregiving self-efficacy in family caregivers of PWD.Trial registrationISRCTN14565552 (retrospectively registered).

Bringing Religion into Public Value Theory and Practice: Rationale and Perspectives

Public Value (PV) is a notion and an approach to the governance and management of public services that has gained traction over the past three decades. However, there seems to be a major gap in PV theory: the influence that institutionalized religions have on public life in countries around the world and hence on the ways in which PV notions become acceptable across different countries. This article seeks to address this gap by developing an analytical framework to understand the influence of religions on PV. The nature of the religious regime in a given country—whether liberal or non-liberal—is a key mediating factor.

O-105 Contribution of ART to fertility rates and family size

Abstract In the last three decades declining fertility has become an increasing global trend. One-half of the global population today lives in countries where the period Total Fertility Rate is below 2.1 births per woman. Many countries in Europe and Asia are experiencing “ultra-low” fertility rates of 1.0-1.4 births per woman. This decline in births creates both social and economic challenges. In addition, most countries have gone through a long period of increasing average age at birth. The shift in births at older ages has been accompanied by a concomitant decline in completed family size. As the average age at having children has increased over time, the proportion of women experiencing difficulty in achieving a pregnancy has also increased, with assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatments becoming increasingly important in counteracting this decline. However, the demographic impact of ART widely varies across countries, with the proportion of babies born as a result of ART, ranging from almost 10% of birth in in some European countries to < 1% in Latin America and 2% in the USA. ART is increasingly being raised as a potential policy tool to increase fertility. While ART can broaden the range of possible responses to low fertility rates, there are a number of challenges in quantifying contribution to fertility rates. There are also a number of important unintended consequences that need to be taken into account when trying to estimate their effectiveness as a policy tool to increase fertility. In this presentation, the evidence for the contribution of ART to total and age-specific fertility rates in different settings will be summarized and compared with other pronatalist policies. The contribution of ART and other forms of fertility treatment to completed family size and childbearing timing will also be described and discussed. Assisted reproduction is making a modest and increasing contribution to the fertility rate of high-income countries, but its potential impact should not be overestimated.