Major Actors Research Articles

Dinamika Pembangunan Sumber Daya Manusia (SDM) terhadap Perekonomian dengan Kontribusai Pendapatan Asli Daerah (PAD) sebagai Pemoderasi

The vulnerability of Bali's economy, which only depends on the tourism sector during the Covid-19 pandemic, has given rise to the idea of economic transformation to develop other sectors. In this effort, human development is a key factor as a major economic actor. Human Development Index (HDI) as an indicator of human resource quality is thought to have a positive influence on the economy as seen from Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) at constant prices. Original Local Government Revenue (OLGR) as financial capital is considered capable of strengthening empowerment programs and policies that directly touch the community and downstream can strengthen the economy. The data used is secondary data for the 2013-2022 period obtained from Regencies and Cities in Bali Province (panel data). This research was tested using Econometric Views (Eviews) software (panel data regression). The analysis techniques used include descriptive statistics, panel data model analysis, classical assumption tests, interaction tests or Moderated Regression Analysis (MRA) and hypothesis testing with analysis of the coefficient of determination and t test. The aim of the research is to determine the effect of HDI on GRDP and to find out whether OLGR is able to moderate the influence of HDI on GRDP. The results show that HDI has a significant positive effect on GRDP. This means that increasing HDI will have a positive impact on increasing GDP. OLGR strengthens the positive influence of HDI on GRDP. This means that OLGR is able to strengthen and have an impact on human resource development and ultimately increase GDP growth which is an indicator of regional economic growth. Suggestions that can be given from the results of human resource investment research can be a priority so that regional communities can become the driving force of the regional economy. It is hoped that the use of OLGR for empowerment programs and policies that touch the community can be implemented more optimally so that it can improve the quality of human resources and have an impact on positive economic growth.

1 - Soft Power Diplomacy

For decades, and despite sanctions and turbulent relations with major international actors since the 1960s, Cuba has managed to assert itself in the international system. A small island with very limited natural resources, Cuba leveraged its international affairs on its provision of healthcare. This article investigates the role and impact of Cuban medical assistance in Africa. It proceeds from the premise that soft power has useful explanatory value in understanding the Cuba–Africa diplomatic intercourse. The article argues that despite its political ideology and limited political freedoms, Cuba established itself as a model and prominent player in the unique and consistent provision of healthcare and humanitarian assistance to the African continent, and in the development of Africa’s healthcare systems, for more than sixty years. It has also offered community-based healthcare training, which most African countries consider to be more relevant and cost-effective than hospital-based training. Furthermore, the Cuban training gave African medical students a shift in perspective and orientation to focus on public service, not profit-making.

The Rise of Decolonial Image: Postcolonial Reading to Django Unchained Movie by Quentin Tarantino

This paper provides postcolonial analysis of Django Unchained movie which is written and directed by American Film writer Quentin Tarantino in 2012. More specifically, the analysis focused on three primary components: firstly, Quentin Tarantino’s critique for slavery of blacks and racial discrimination, secondly, Orientalized Oriental discourse via postcolonial lens, and thirdly, decolonization discourse which is represented by Django, the protagonist of the movie. Throughout the movie, the viewers can see many scenes of slavery and racial intolerance which reflects many historical facts in the era of American slavery; including how blacks were obliged to work and how they were treated inhumanely. In a similar vein, the viewer can see the spirit of Orientalized Oriental phenomenon through Stephen as one of the major actors of the movie who embodies the phenomenon which supported abusing with blacks although he is a black actor. Quentin Tarantino gives a spectacular role to Django who becomes a symbolic emancipation of blacks and earns his freedom and frees his wife, Broomhilda. Postcolonial critics react against the imperial history of colonization, like the structure of racism as well as colonial power which reshaped itself by Orientalized Oriental discourse. After all, Django Unchained Movie contributes to the discourse of postcolonialism in which Quentin Tarantino reveals some historical facts about African American slavery, and in contrast to many other Film Makers, he gives a good role to non-European hero, Django.

POST-HARVEST LOSSES OF MAIZE SUPPLY CHAIN IN PUNJAB, PAKISTAN

Maize holds significant importance in Pakistan's agricultural sector, as it is among the primary cereal crops grown extensively throughout the country. The growing food demand due to the increasing population is a significant issue. Post-harvest losses (PHL) of maize relate to losses that happen laterally in the whole grain logistics network, after harvest to final consumption. The study was conducted in the district Vehari to assess the different types of post-harvest losses and identify the underlying factors responsible for such losses in the maize supply chain. For this purpose, data were collected from 210 respondents by using purposive samplingtechnique. The sample size includes 120 growers, 30 village traders, 30 commission agents cum wholesaler and 30 retailers. Structured questionnaires were used to gather data from major supply chain actors. The study findings revealed that the average losses at the grower’s level, village traders, commission agent cum wholesaler and retailer were 12.21, 2.36, 3.21 and 1.01 percent of the total production respectively. It is recommended that the implementation of modern storage facilities, drying using advanced technologies, training programs for the supply chain actors, financial innovations, and efficient transportation systems will result in significant reduction of post-harvest losses (PHL) in maize production and thus contribute to food security.

Providing healthcare shopping advice through knowledge-based virtual agents

Knowledge-based virtual shopping agents, that advise their users about which products to buy, are well used in technical markets such as healthcare e-commerce. To ensure the proper adoption of this technology, it is important to consider aspects of users’ psychology early in the software design process. When traditional adoption models such as UTAUT-2 work well for many technologies, they overlook important specificities of the healthcare e-commerce domain and of knowledge-based virtual agents technology. Drawing upon health information technology and virtual agent literature, we propose a complementary adoption model incorporating new predictors and moderators reflecting these domains’ specificities. The model is tested using 903 observations gathered through an online survey conducted in collaboration with a major actor in the herbal medicine market. Our model can serve as a basis for many phases of the knowledge-based agents software development. We propose actionable recommendations for practitioners and ideas for further research.

Revisiting the interaction between complement lectin pathway protease MASP-2 and SARS-CoV-2 nucleoprotein.

Complement activation is considered to contribute to the pathogenesis of severe SARS-CoV-2 infection, mainly by generating potent immune effector mechanisms including a strong inflammatory response. Involvement of the lectin complement pathway, a major actor of the innate immune anti-viral defense, has been reported previously. It is initiated by recognition of the viral surface Spike glycoprotein by mannose-binding lectin (MBL), which induces activation of the MBL-associated protease MASP-2 and triggers the proteolytic complement cascade. A role for the viral nucleoprotein (N) has also been reported, through binding to MASP-2, leading to protease overactivation and potentiation of the lectin pathway. In the present study, we reinvestigated the interactions of the SARS-CoV-2 N protein, produced either in bacteria or secreted by mammalian cells, with full-length MASP-2 or its catalytic domain, in either active or proenzyme form. We could not confirm the interaction of the N protein with the catalytic domain of MASP-2 but observed N protein binding to proenzyme MASP-2. We did not find a role of the N protein in MBL-mediated activation of the lectin pathway. Finally, we showed that incubation of the N protein with MASP-2 results in proteolysis of the viral protein, an observation that requires further investigation to understand a potential functional significance in infected patients.

When DNA Mutations Interplay with Cellular Proliferation: A Narrative History of Theories of Carcinogenesis.

While cancer is one of the most documented diseases, how normal cells become cancerous is still debated. To address this question, in the first part of this review, we investigated the long succession of theories of carcinogenesis since antiquity. Initiated by Hippocrates, Aristotle, and Galen, the humoral theory interpreted cancer as an excess of acid, the black bile. The discovery of the circulation of blood by Harvey in 1628 destroyed the basis of the humoral theory but revived the spontaneous generation hypothesis which was also promoted by Aristotle. In 1859, the theory of microbes promoted by Pasteur demonstrated the irrelevance of this last theory and contributed to the emergence of the germ cancer theory, opposed to the cellular theory of cancer, in which cancer was supposed to be caused by microbes or transformed cells, respectively. These theories were progressively refined by the notions of initiation, promotion, and progression thanks to advances in mutagenesis and cellular proliferation. In the second part of this review, recent discoveries and paradigms in carcinogenesis, notably the role of the protein ATM, a major actor of the stress response involved in both mutagenesis and cellular proliferation, were discussed to better understand the current state of the art of carcinogenesis.

Stress-induced nucleoid remodeling in Deinococcus radiodurans is associated with major changes in Heat Unstable (HU) protein dynamics.

Bacteria have developed a wide range of strategies to respond to stress, one of which is the rapid large-scale reorganization of their nucleoid. Nucleoid associated proteins (NAPs) are believed to be major actors in nucleoid remodeling, but the details of this process remain poorly understood. Here, using the radiation resistant bacterium D. radiodurans as a model, and advanced fluorescence microscopy, we examined the changes in nucleoid morphology and volume induced by either entry into stationary phase or exposure to UV-C light, and characterized the associated changes in mobility of the major NAP in D. radiodurans, the heat-unstable (HU) protein. While both types of stress induced nucleoid compaction, HU diffusion was reduced in stationary phase cells, but was instead increased following exposure to UV-C, suggesting distinct underlying mechanisms. Furthermore, we show that UV-C-induced nucleoid remodeling involves a rapid nucleoid condensation step associated with increased HU diffusion, followed by a slower decompaction phase to restore normal nucleoid morphology and HU dynamics, before cell division can resume. These findings shed light on the diversity of nucleoid remodeling processes in bacteria and underline the key role of HU in regulating this process through changes in its mode of assembly on DNA.

A Mathematical Model of an Electoral Process and Predicting of Outcome

We developed and analysed a mathematical model to study the dynamics of an electoral process and predict the outcome in Nigeria with three political parties as major actors. We model the ruling party (P1); major opposition party (P2) and minority opposition parties (P3). The model includes party campaigners of the three political parties and a class of eligible voters. The model also incorporates the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), electoral observers, judiciary, security personnel and thugs. The influx of voters into the system is determined by the registration rate of voter cards. The model’s interest lies in the measure of positive influence that the party campaigners who eligible voters to join their party. With this, the model mirrors election’s outcome and the movement of voters between the three groups of political parties involved. The model has proven that the pattern of election’s outcome for each political party is affected by the defection of party members and lack of policy consistency. We determine the equilibria analytically and discuss the stability of the system. Numerical simulations are graphed in combination with curve fitting to compare each party’s performances over the years. The result shows that no political party remains in power steadily from 2007 to 2019. Thus, the prediction of elections outcome to the political space of any region in Nigeria depends on political party structures and voters’ decisions.

Borderline content and platformised speech governance: Mapping TikTok's moderation controversies in South and Southeast Asia

AbstractContent moderation comes with trade‐offs and moral dilemmas, particularly for transnational platforms governing borderline content where the boundaries of acceptability are subject to debate. While extensive research has explored the legality and legitimacy of platformised speech governance in established democracies, few address the complexities of less‐than‐democratic developing nations. Through sociolegal analysis and controversy mapping of TikTok's localised moderation in South and Southeast Asia, the study examines how major actors negotiate the shifting boundaries of online speech. The analysis reveals that neither the platform nor regional states are well‐positioned to achieve sound governance of borderline content. Primarily, TikTok localises its moderation based on pragmatic necessity rather than moral obligations, deliberately sidestepping contentious political controversies. Governments demonstrate determined efforts to control online discourse, leveraging legal uncertainty to further political agendas. Thus, local content governance often relies on vague rationales around securitisation and morality. The contradictory motives of (de)politicising borderline moderation seemingly counterbalance each other, yet in practice lead to an accountability vacuum where legitimate interests are sidelined. Given the lack of normative common ground, ensuring procedural justice and encouraging civic participation are essential to counteract rhetoric that rationalises imposition of certain speech norms hinging on imbalanced political power.

Redox regulation of epigenetic and epitranscriptomic gene regulatory pathways in plants.

Developmental and environmental constraints influence genome expression through complex networks of regulatory mechanisms. Epigenetic modifications and remodelling of chromatin are some of the major actors regulating the dynamic of gene expression. Unravelling the factors relaying environmental signals that induce gene expression reprogramming under stress conditions is an important and fundamental question. Indeed, many enzymes involved in epigenetic and chromatin modifications are regulated by redox pathways, through post-translational modifications of proteins or by modifications of the flux of metabolic intermediates. Such modifications are potential hubs to relay developmental and environmental changes for gene expression reprogramming. In this review, we provide an update on the interaction between major redox mediators, such as reactive oxygen and nitrogen species and antioxidants, and epigenetic changes in plants. We detail how redox status alters post-translational modifications of proteins, intracellular epigenetic and epitranscriptional modifications, and how redox regulation interplays with DNA methylation, histone acetylation and methylation, miRNA biogenesis, and chromatin structure and remodelling to reprogram genome expression under environmental constraints.

The certified sweet potato seed system evolution process: A case of Omoro and Mpigi districts in Uganda

Opportunities for Ugandan farmers to undertake the production of sweet potato have resulted in certified sweet potato seed (CSS) innovations being pursued in recent times. The CSS and farmer-saved vine sources co-exist with the latter still predominant despite the formers’ on-farm superior performance as regards yields, disease reduction and promotions. Information on the evolution process is missing, leading to ambiguous interpretations of its impact on uptake. This study described the evolution stages, emerging delivery structure and actor interactions during the CSS development process in Uganda. A case study design was employed, and data were collected through focus group discussions (FGDs) and key informant interviews (KIIs), and anchored into actor-network theory (ANT) to generate actor actions and interrelationships. Transcripts were analyzed using the thematic analysis approach by Braun and Clarke. Network analysis was done using UCINET6 V6.759 and a Network visualizer (Net Draw 2.179). Results depicted a six-stage evolution process with most actors having multiple roles, business actors involved at utilization stage only and each stage being triggered by an event. During the process, an integrated CSS system emerged with only 35.6% of the potential direct links between actors being present. The major central actors that had closer interactions with farmers and seed growers were largely public sector, with private sector coming in late. Actors were location-specific with those of Mpigi being many, more interactive (average degree of 7.8) compared to Omoro (average degree of 4.5), and high average path lengths (1.7) implying actors are remotely connected with farmers and vine multipliers being most influential. It is envisaged that the involvement of business actors in product innovation stages and imparting entrepreneurial skills to key farmer groups and vine multipliers will spur the CSS system. Future research into CSS systems should focus on building business ecosystems. Key words: Certified sweet potato seed, Evolution process, Delivery structure, Actor interactions

A situational analysis of the day-old chicks value chain in Oyo State, Nigeria: Agenda setting for policy reform

Attempts to ensure safety and quality control in the Day-Old Chicks (DOCs) value chain in Nigeria have been perceived to involve some duplicity/multiplicity of roles and/ or responsibilities, putting undue burden on the actors. Therefore, experts’ workshop on the DOCs value chain in Oyo State was implemented by the Innovation Lab for Policy Leadership in Agriculture and Food Security (PiLAF) to provide a guide for agenda setting for building a better industry. The workshop had the dual purpose of (i) undertaking a situational analysis of the DOCs value chain in Oyo State, Nigeria, and (ii) strengthening the policy process to effectively respond to the needs of the DOCs value chain in the state through clearly defined, unambiguous regulations and regulatory processes. Twenty-four experts comprising major actors along the DOCs value chain in Oyo State participated in the workshop. Using brainstorming and consensus building process, participants identified infrastructure and markets (strengths), weak regulatory control and high operating cost (weaknesses); supply gap, and good return on investment (opportunities); including adulteration and sharp practices (threats) as the most important Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) factors influencing or capable of affecting the DOCs industry in the state. The DOCs value chain operators identified National Institute of Animal Science (NIAS) followed by the Veterinary Council of Nigeria as the most visible operators in the DOCs value chain. However, the operators perceived the activities of the regulatory bodies as more geared toward revenue generation than actually enforcing compliance to standard practices in the industry. The value chain actors affirm there are overlaps in some aspects of policy guidelines for the DOCs value chain by the Veterinary Council of Nigeria and NIAS leading to what may be described as double taxation to the disadvantage of the actors. Specifically, registration and licensing, prohibition, and import and export domains are some of the aspects of the policy documents that need some minor modifications for clarity and separation of roles. Key words: Policy, Value chain, Animal Scientist, Chicks, Safety, Poultry industry, Public health, Regulation

Frailty recommendations and guidelines: an evaluation of the implementability and a critical appraisal of clinical applicability by the ISPRM Frailty Focus Group.

Aging is associated with an increased burden of multi-morbidity and disease related functional loss and disability, widely impacting patients and health care systems. Frailty is a major actor in age-related disability and is an important target for rehabilitation interventions, considering that is a reversible condition. A working group of members of the ISPRM, responding to WHO 2030 call for action to strengthen rehabilitation, was established to assess the quality and implementability of the existing guidelines for the rehabilitation of frailty. Guidelines were retrieved using a systematic search on Pubmed, Scopus and Web of Science and from the reference lists of screened articles. The included guidelines were evaluated using the AGREE II to assess their quality and using the AGREE-REX to assess their clinical credibility and implementability. Guidelines with a score >4 in the AGREE II item evaluating the overall quality of the guideline were considered for endorsement. Finally, nine external reviewers evaluated the applicability of each recommendation from the endorsed guidelines, providing comments about the barriers and facilitators for their implementation in their country. Ten guidelines were retrieved and evaluated by the working group, of which four guidelines, i.e. the WHO Guidelines on Integrated Care for Older People, the FOCUS guidelines, the Asia-Pacific Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Frailty and the ICFSR International Clinical Practice Guidelines for Identification and Management of Frailty, were considered for endorsement. All these guidelines were rated as of adequate quality and implementability. The WHO Guidelines on Integrated Care for Older people (24) the ICFSR International Clinical Practice Guidelines for Identification and management of Frailty (15), the FOCUS guidelines (25) and the Asia Pacific Clinical Practice Guidelines (14) for the Management of Frailty have the best quality and applicability of the existing guidelines on the management of frailty, we suggest that should be employed to define the standards of care for patients with frailty. There are barriers for their implementation, as stated by our experts, to take into account, and some of them are country- or region-specific. Screening for frailty, exercise, nutrition, pharmacological management, social and psychological support, management of incontinence, and an overall comprehensive clinical management are the best tools to face upon frailty.

Article: The 2019 BLEU Model BIT: BLEU’s Vision of the Future of Investment Protection

This article compares the 2019 BLEU model bilateral investment treaty with the older 2002 version. After an overview of the BLEU’s role as a major actor in international investment law, the authors argue that the changes introduced by the 2019 Model BIT reflect the EU’s policy towards foreign investment protection. The drafters of the 2019 Model BIT were inspired by the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and trade Agreement and the European Commission’s proposal to establish a Multilateral Investment Court. The 2019 Model BIT marks a shift from liberalization of foreign direct investment (FDI) to the protection of the sovereign powers, in particular the State’s right to regulate, and the curtailing of investment protection presented as a response to the investment protection system’s misuse and abuse by investors. By placing certain limitations to substantive standards of protection, placing strong emphasis of sustainable development objectives and advocating a reform of the investor-State dispute settlement (ISDS), the 2019 BLEU Model BIT puts forward a vision for the future of investment protection that departs from the Washington Consensus of economic liberalization but also enables the investment protection system to survive in the face of the so-called backlash against ISDS and the criticism of civil society.

Working as a “Token”: Different Perspectives on the Role of International Faculty in Korean Universities

Purpose This study examined the factors influencing the tokenization of international faculty in Korean universities. It also explored how domestic faculty and staff perceive the role of international faculty and the process by which they adapt to the Korean education system. Design/Approach/Methods The study used a qualitative design. Universities were arranged by region and objectives (research-oriented, teaching-oriented, or combined teaching and research) for sampling, and in-depth interviews were conducted with three groups: international faculty, Korean faculty, and Korean staff. Findings First, Korean faculty and staff expressed low expectations of international faculty based on their different definitions of internationalization. Second, these low expectations resulted in role encapsulation, limiting the functions of international faculty. In addition, although Korean universities compete to hire international faculty, they do not provide them with adequate support post-hire. The burden of this lack of support is often passed on to Korean faculty, instilling a negative perception of international faculty. Originality/Value Using the framework of tokenism, this study analyzed Korean universities’ efforts to hire international faculty as part of university internationalization; it determined whether the latter ultimately became major actors in the internationalization strategy.

“Neither Water, nor War:” the Problem of Fresh Water in International Relations of the First Quarter of the 21<sup>st</sup> Century

In this article, the author compares the objective dynamics of changes in the state of the water problem since the beginning of the 21st century, which has continued to worsen in most regions of the world, and its foreign policy dimension, noting the transition from the global water alarmism of the 1990s to the challenges for small and medium powers, in solving the problems in which no major actor is yet actively interested. Fresh water, despite the slogans at the end of the last century about future water wars, the “blue oil” and the “new gold” of the 21ST century, has not become, and is unlikely to become, the cause of confrontation between great powers, while medium and small powers are still confine themselves to more traditional forms of conflict, including in the Tigris, the Euphrates and the Jordan basins, which have been seen for decades as a testing ground for future water wars. This does not negate the role of water bodies and ecosystems in promoting development or, conversely, in perpetuating the poverty and backwardness in entire regions. Waters remain in competition as an important source of water-intensive goods that can be converted into valuable assets – water-intensive goods, energy or the ability to achieve higher levels of the Human Development Index. And, of course, they can be used to exacerbate ethnic and political conflicts. This is where the potential of Russia, the world’s second water power, comes into play, both in terms of directly regulating regional water challenges and in influencing the approaches of international organizations and associations, in which Moscow plays a prominent role.

Gender in European Union Asylum Law: The Istanbul Convention as a Game Changer?

Abstract The European Union (EU) has historically been a proactive player in advancing equality between women and men, and fighting gender-based discrimination. The past two decades have also seen the EU becoming a major actor in asylum law, with several EU secondary law instruments and a large amount of case law in EU Member States relating to the application of the 1951 Refugee Convention. Yet, these two areas of EU legislation – gender equality and asylum – have yet to become consistently connected. Similarly, judgments of the Court of Justice of the European Union addressing gender-related elements of asylum cases are scarce. Could the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention) help bridge the gap? The Istanbul Convention identifies gender-based violence as an extreme form of discrimination and contains a whole chapter dedicated to women in the context of migration. This article sheds light on the yet-to-be-realized potential of the Istanbul Convention to amplify the protective power of the Refugee Convention in the EU. While at present neither the Common European Asylum System, nor its new iteration in the New Pact on Migration and Asylum, fully meets the standards of the Istanbul Convention, it may be expected that the EU’s accession to the treaty will further encourage a gender-sensitive approach in EU asylum law. The Istanbul Convention may well be a game changer for the protection of female asylum seekers, and possibly also for asylum seekers with other gender identities.

Consuming Royalty

Consuming Royalty

Transformations of the Beirut River: Between Temporary and Permanent Liminality

This article presents the case of the Beirut River corridor in Lebanon, which defines the administrative border between the capital Beirut, its eastern and south-eastern suburbs. The Beirut River has undergone several transformations from being a lotic environment to becoming complex urban infrastructure. This is often unnoticeable due to the scarcity of its running water and its walled existence at the edge of administrative boundaries. The separation from its riverbanks, disconnection from the urban fabric, and continuous pollution have contributed to its liminality, being simultaneously neither present nor absent. To understand this in-betweenness, the river’s spatial, temporal, and social liminality are analysed by identifying major events, actors, and key urban planning interventions that impacted the river at the national, city region, and local scales. The article explores the development of the river corridor both in terms of urbanisation and population dynamics; its distinct positionality in different periods that corresponded to major events and decisions made; and the contrasting river experiences and perceptions across generations, which vary between reminiscence and aversion. By examining the various transformative processes, collective practices, perceptions, and diverse actors, the article highlights the contextual implications of this obdurate liminality, but also Beirut River’s potential alternative future positionality amidst present and imminent urban challenges.