Present Crisis Research Articles

Exploiting artificial intelligence for combating COVID-19: a review and appraisal

Machine learning algorithms immediately became critical in the battle against the COVID-19 outbreak. Diagnoses, medicine research, an illness spread predictions, and population surveillance all required the use of artificial intelligence (AI) methods as the epidemic grew in scope. To combat COVID-19, screening procedures that are both effective and rapid are required. At COVID-19, AI developers took a chance to show how AI can benefit all mankind. It was only after the employment of AI in the battle against COVID-19. AI's various and diverse applications in the epidemic are documented in this study. It is the purpose of this study to help shape the future development and usage of these technologies, whether in the present or future health crises.

The lines of descent of the present crisis

The neoliberal settlement has been comprehensively destabilised by the 2007 financial crisis, the imposition of austerity, growing social inequalities and the emergence of populism as a social force. This article explores why institutional opposition to this settlement has principally taken a nationalist form in Britain. It does so through a history of the present by tracing the labyrinthine lines of descent and the social forces and conflicts from which the contemporary moment emerged. In particular, I show how the conditions for the emergence of these nationalist projects were produced incrementally over time and through a series of interrelated social processes. These included the caesura of the 1970s and the shift from Fordist to flexible regimes of accumulation secured by extinguishing the educated hope generated by an increasingly multi-ethnic politics and language of class; the bipartisan commitment to neoliberalism; the racialisation of class through state multiculturalism; and the long-term failure to arrest the structural decline of non-urban localities caused by the technical decomposition of class. In this explanation, the 2007 financial crash and the continuing indifference of the political elites to the deepening injuries of class and locality constituted an accelerant placed on an already emergent crisis of representation helping to engineer a transformation in the political opportunity structure by opening a space for nationalist mobilising structures to fill the political vacuum.

Die Rechtfertigung der Gier und die Finanzkrise

The aim of this article is at first to answer the question of greed (the justification of this “virtue” in the modern economic system), which is meant, in the light of Christian social ethics to be the primary cause of the present economic crisis. In the three steps of catholic social teaching (see, judge, act) we want to interpret the signs of our time (present age problems) in the light of the Gospel (and the teaching and tradition of the Church). The relevant question we have to pose in our statement is: Why does catholic social teaching, in opposite to the modern view of economic and political science, object to a justification of greed? The third (practical) step of our explanations we can paraphrase with the question: what shall we do? The focusing on institutional reforms, the belief in arrangements which exclusively accentuate sociological key aspects and believe in changes of structures (in education, politics, economics and welfare) led not only to market crisis, but also to a crisis of culture. If the human being in his/her deepest dimension (the ecology of person) is suffering, then the Church cannot remain silent, because its mission and way is the person. Not until we – like king Solomon – turn to God and ask for help and the ability to judge between good and evil, just and unjust, shall we find a safe basis to lead us out of despair and disorientation into a more humane civilization of humanity and solidarity.

Economic Crisis Management During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Entrepreneurship for Improving the Nigerian Mono-Economy

The study develops a crisis response theory that could help Nigeria sustain itself in the present crisis, which is deepening unemployment, poverty, and misery due to the tremendous economic crisis it faced after the global pandemic. Entrepreneurship is viewed as a pivotal engine for reinstating the declining economic state of a country. Through the positivist research approach, the study is conducted on the owners and business executives of SMEs established and operated by entrepreneurs in Nigeria. The data analyzed through surveys, in-depth telephone interviews, and secondary sources shows that Nigeria’s economic instability is mainly because of a lack of financial assistance, industrialization, and technology limitations. Though it was observed that the government reduced certain unfriendly business regulations, corruption still caused funding conditions to shift frequently, and unreliable government policies made it challenging for entrepreneurs to thrive.

The 60-year downward trend of economic growth in the industrialized countries of the world

This report, using data from a range of authoritative sources, studies the long-term postwar economic growth of the industrialised North and shows that this has fallen continuously, with only brief and limited interruptions, since at least the early 1960s. The trend is extremely strong and includes all major Northern economies without exception. It is confirmed by both Purchasing-Power-Parity (PPP) and a range of standard real GDP measures, by a variety of weightings of the growth rates, and a variety of aggregations of different countries. The Newly-Industrialised Countries (NICS), after early high growth rates, joined the general trend of other industrialised countrieds after the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997. It is thus an extremely well-confirmed historical trend. Recent data show no evidence of any post-COVID reversal. These results sheds new light on the current difficulties of the world economy and have many implications. They conflict with any idea that Secular Stagnation as it is increasingly referred to even in mainstream literature, originates in some recent upset such as the 2008 crash, or in the incidence of, or problems created by, a putative new régime of accumulation such as neoliberalism or financialisation. In fact, the roots of the present crisis lie in a long historical process which set in very shortly into the ‘Golden Age’ of postwar expansion.

Environmental attitudes among students at the University of Madeira, Portugal

In the face of the present ecological crisis, improving environmental attitudes is crucial to encourage a cultural transformation that can rebalance the equilibrium between human activities and the planet. The New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) scale was used to measure the environmental attitudes of students at the University of Madeira, Portugal, and to unveil the challenges that need to be addressed at the local and global level through an environmental education effort. This article presents two dimensions of the NEP scale: the high levels of the ecocentric world view and the rejection of anthropocentrism. It also points out some inconsistencies in the NEP scale. For example, the belief in human ingenuity to properly manage natural resources and keep the planet habitable should be seen as supporting our ability to move towards sustainability, and not the opposite. However, the lack of concern about human population growth requires this to be brought to the centre of the environmental education effort.

Economic Crisis Adaptation in Sri Lankan Construction Industry: Pathway to Prosperity

Abstract The construction industry is a critical sector in the nation’s economic growth, accounting for a sizable share of GDP growth. However, it is the most vulnerable industry to a financial depression, whether local or worldwide. The present economic crisis has had an impact on the Sri Lankan construction industry, with more than half a million employees lost their jobs in the previous year. Many major construction firms have either paused or abandoned their projects and shifted to overseas construction. Therefore, understanding the consequences of financial crises regarding construction initiatives in Sri Lanka, as well as anticipated post-crisis growth paths in this sector, necessitates a thorough examination. The goal of this study is to extensively examine the consequences of the 2022 economic crisis on Sri Lankan construction projects and investigate remedies that might start a post-crisis rebound. The study utilized a mixed-method approach, combining quantitative and qualitative research methods. Purposive sampling was used to choose construction industry participants from various backgrounds in order to get a varied range of perspectives. The findings of this study not only emphasize the negative consequences of the crisis but also reveal prospects for development within the industry. The article offers construction professionals and other industry stakeholders useful insights about the foreseeable future of the country’s construction sector. The research looks at prospective growth areas such as the development of infrastructure, sustainable construction strategies, and the usage of emerging technology. The findings of the research can help to ensure that the sector has a robust and productive future.

Island and Indigenous systems of circularity: how Hawaiʻi can inform the development of universal circular economy policy goals

Given the dire consequences of the present global climate crisis, the need for alternative ecologically based economic models could not be more urgent. The economic and environmental concerns of the circular economy are well-developed in the literature. However, there remains a gap in research concerning the circular economy’s impact on culture and social equity. The underdeveloped social and cultural pillars of the circular economy, along with universal policy goals calling for a context- and need-based framework, makes it necessary to bridge natural and social science objectives in the circular economy. Islands can serve as model systems for studying the circular economy. We examine how Hawaiʻi, through the philosophy of aloha ʻāina, the Hawaiian ancestral circular economy, and contemporary community approaches toward advancing Indigenous economic justice can be one model system for understanding principles of circularity and policy advocacy. We introduce the concept of the ancestral circular economy and how aspects of this Indigenous institution can inform the development of universal circular economy policy goals. Furthermore, we present aloha ʻāina as a framework for reciprocal care between human–environment relations while addressing the social and cultural pillars that aid in the development of these dimensions of the circular economy.

Curbing insecurity in Nigeria: The role of libraries

This paper assessed the role of libraries in curbing protracted insecurity to which Nigeria as a state has found itself in the last one decade. The objective of the paper was to show that the libraries, through their primary responsibilities of information management chain, have roles to play in the fight against insecurity. However, to achieve the objective, the paper critically reviewed meaning of library and different types of library that are involved in information services and their roles in curbing insecurity; it looked at nature, justifications and effects of the present crisis bedeviling the nation and the government efforts at curbing it; and stressed that security is everybody’s business. The paper, having established the necessity for libraries to be active in the struggle to curb insecurity, called for collaborative efforts to end the crisis. It made other appropriate recommendations thereon to ensure that insecurity is totally eliminated from the Nigerian territories.

RELATIONS BETWEEN JAPAN AND THE EUROPEAN UNION IN THE MIRROR OF WORLD AND NATIONAL HISTORIOGRAPHY

The development of relations between Japan and Europe after the Second World War in the second half of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century has become the subject of numerous historic- political and economic studies. The subject in question is of interest for researchers from Japan and Europe as well as to scientific communities from various other countries. Obvious spikes of researchers’ activity occurred in the times of transformation of relations such as the shift to neoliberalism by the end of the 20th century, the formation of the European Union and the recent signing of the Economic Cooperation and Strategic Partnership agreements. Today researches of the matter at hand appear to be highly relevant. Japan and Western Europe have come a long way from trade wars and open standoff at international fora to successful economic cooperation and strategic partnership in relatively short time. Analyzing their experience will be useful for finding solutions to present day international crises. The present article presents the most relevant studies of relations between Japan and Western Europe in the second half of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century. The relevant publications are reviewed by the author in chronological order. This way the distinguishing features of researchers’ approaches to the subject in question in different time periods can be demonstrated more distinctly. The problematic-chronological method was used to carry out the research because it allows to trace the correlation between the topics of historical research papers and the stage of development of historical science. Additionally, the author made use of the periodization method.

Biohythane: a Potential Biofuel of the Future.

Today, the world is becoming more dependent on fossil fuels. The major drawbacks of these non-renewable energy resources include an extreme environmental pollution and an extinction threat. Several technologies including microalgal biodiesel production, biomass gasification, and bioethanol production have been explored for the generation of renewable energy especially, biofuels. One such promising research has been carried out in the generation of biohythane which has the potential to become an alternative fuel to the existing non-renewable ones. It has been reported that biohydrogen can be produced from organic wastes or agricultural feedstocks with the help of acidogens. Dark fermentation can be carried out by acidogens to produce biohydrogen under anaerobic conditions by utilizing lignocellulosic biomass or sugarcane feedstocks in the absence of light. The spent medium contains volatile short-chain fatty acids like acetate, butyrate, and propionate that can serve as substrates for acetogenesis followed by methane biosynthesis by methanogens. Therefore, the sequential two-stage anaerobic digestion (AD) involves a production of biohydrogen followed by the biosynthesis of methane. This combined process is termed as a single eponym "Biohythane" (hydrogen + methane). Several studies have demonstrated about the effectiveness of biofuel, and it is believed to have a greater energy recovery, environmental friendliness, and shorter fermentation time. Biohythane can serve as an alternative future green biofuel and solve the present energy crisis in India as well as the entire world.

Influences of the present crises from Romania on employment

The article is showing the main consequances of the multiple but especially energy crises on some of the relevant social and economic indicators of Romania during 2020-2022, with accent on the field of employment and working places. We analize also, the intervention of the Romanian social protection system in order to improve quality of life for the poor population, the used data being compared with European relevant context. The article is supporting its allegations by some objective indicators published by Eurostat, Romanian National Institute for Statistics, UniCredit Romania, Bruegel.org and others.

Deep Ecology: A Contemporary Response of Islam and Hinduism for sustaining Man-Nature Relationship in An Era of Environmental Crisis

Man, and nature are two inseparable entities. The bond between them is so inextricably interwoven that whatsoever happens to the phenomena of Earth is reflected on the life of man, and whatever is the action of man is sure to have impact on the natural resources. The modern secular worldview has changed the harmonious attitude of man and created disequilibrium in nature. The consideration of mankind as the master and possessor of nature has changed the sustainability of our home planet Earth and caused environmental crisis such as deforestation, desertification, biodiversity loss, climate change, water, air, and soil pollution. In this respect, the deep ecological approach of Islam and Hinduism describe the sacredness of earth and natural resources. It considers mankind as an equal partner with the rest of God’s creatures and is originated in the bosom of creation. In contemporary period, Seyyed Hossein N?sr, Fazlun Majeed Kh?lid, Mah?tm? Gandhi and Ranchor Pr?me as eco- religious scholars have tried to interpret the deep ecology of Islam and Hinduism. On the basis of deep ecology, they attempt to solve present ecological crisis in purely religious understandings. N?sr and Kh?lid tried to address these issues from an Islamic understanding of nature while Gandhi and Pr?me attempted to deal with ecological crisis from Hindu faith. This interfaith research presents a comparative analysis of the deep ecological thoughts of contemporary scholars of Islam and Hinduism to sustain Man-Nature relationship in 21st century. Through discussion of their eco-religious views, this paper motivates mankind to divert his negative destructive attitudes into positive constructive ones to avoid future catastrophes and to ensure the sustainability of natural resources.

Efficiency Dynamics of Sugar Industry of Pakistan.

Pakistan is the 15th largest producer of sugar in the world, 5th largest in terms of area under sugar cultivation and 60th in yield. The sugar industry is the 2nd largest agro based industry which comprises of 81 sugar mills. With this scenario, Pakistan has to import sugar which exposes it to the effects of shortage and rising prices in the world. The present sugar crisis has opened up new avenues for researcher to analyse the performance and efficiency of the firms in this sector. Total factor productivity plays a significant role in measuring the performance of a firm which ultimately affects the shareholder’s value. This paper analyses the performance of sugar firms in Pakistan and estimate/calculate the Malmquist total factor productivity growth indices using non-parametric approach. TFP growth is further decomposed into technical, scale and managerial efficiency change using balanced panel data of 20 sugar firms listed on Karachi Stock Exchange for the period 1998 to 2007. The results reflect a tormenting picture for the sugar industry. Overall sugar industry improved technological progress by 0.8 percent while managerial efficiency change put a negative effect on the productivity by a same percentage; as a result the overall total factor productivity during 1998-2007 remained almost static with a decline of 0.1 percent. The analysis of TFP and its sources in individual year for overall sugar industry also presents divergent trend. The research suggests that sugar industry is facing serious productivity growth problems where no increase is recorded in total factor productivity during 1998 to 2007. The sugar industry is lacking in terms of managerial efficiency which could be explained by a general reduction in the quality of managerial decision-making among the best practice firms. Regardless of the reason for this decline, it has potentially serious implications for the longer-term financial viability of these sugar firms. The pattern of TFP growth tends to be driven more by technical change (or technical progress) rather than improvements in technical efficiency.

‘When God sees us in the circuses’: Salvian of Marseille’s De gubernatione Dei and the critique of Roman society

This article addresses Salvian of Marseille’s treatise on God’s governance (De gubernatione Dei), one of the most important sources for the Germanic peoples’ period of migration at the beginning of the fifth century. It focuses in particular on Salvian’s critique of public entertainment, in the middle of Book VI. As I would like to show, his invective against this aspect of Roman life is closely connected to the theme underlying the entire treatise, since it offers a key argument for Salvian’s attempt to demonstrate collective responsibility for the present crisis. At the same time, the author’s critique of the circus and the theatre stands as a defining point in his greater appeal for moral reform, letting him challenge the desire in Trier to bring back the city’s glorious past through a restoration of public entertainment.

Explicating gender disparity in wearing face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic

BackgroundThe available evidence suggests that women were more likely to wear face masks as a precaution during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, few studies have explicated this gender disparity in wearing face masks. This study investigates associations of demographic factors with wearing face masks in Malaysia during the COVID-19 pandemic, then explicates gender disparity in wearing face masks from the lens of the Protection Motivation Theory.MethodsThe first part of this study employed a structured online survey of 708 Malaysian adult participants. Data collected were quantitatively analyzed by means of descriptive statistics, bivariate correlations, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and multiple linear regression. The second part of this study was conducted among 28 women to better understand gender disparity in protection motivations from the perspectives of women.ResultsGender has the strongest positive association with wearing face masks (p-value < .001), followed by age (p-value = .028). The Protection Motivation Theory adequately explicated the gender disparity in wearing face masks. Additionally, women were motivated to wear face masks beyond protection from the SARS-CoV-2.ConclusionUnderstanding the underlying motivations for wearing face masks informs design of gender-based public health messages to increase compliance with public health regulations and reduce morbidity and mortality for present and future public health crises.

Russia and power: unmasking the historical origins of the present crisis

Russia and power: unmasking the historical origins of the present crisis

Pump Up the Volume: From Covert to Overt Politics in Global Governance

Recent commentary on the state of multilateralism begins from an alarming premise: a popular backlash against globalization is underway. The prospects for multilateralism depend, by this account, on shielding global governance from the forces of mass politics. We challenge this conventional account to develop a novel conceptual framework for the mass politics of global governance and the role of contestation in resolving, rather than inciting, the present crisis of multilateralism. We distinguish between two modes of mass politics—covert and overt—and examine variation in (i) mass preferences, (ii) party strategies, and (iii) international organization between them. Building on this framework, we make the case for a shift from the current covert mode to a more overt politics of global governance that could make the multilateral system more effective, accountable, and legitimate. Concrete steps in this direction will accommodate broader political forces while defanging challenges from opportunistic political leaders. We conclude with an outline of pragmatic reforms to reinvigorate multilateralism for the post-pandemic era.

Assessing the Impact of Speed Change on Energy Consumption and Productivity: Investigating Ring Frame Process Parameters

A concern in the contemporary period is to find balance in the world's ever-increasing demand and its severely constricted output given by the present energy crisis brought on by the post-pandemic and ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. One of the most fundamental human needs is met by the production of textiles. Spinning is the first step in the production of textiles, where the ring frame machine is essential for creating yarn. In this study, a few process parameters were altered in a ring frame machine to boost production while saving time and ensuring financial feasibility. Comparative analysis was performed based on financial aspects as well as quality concerns like yarn count variation, Count Strength Product (CSP), and end yarn breakage rate. The increased machine speed of the spinning ring frame consumes higher energy but yields higher productivity without compromising quality parameters. The findings enable the spinning industry's decision-makers to understand better how process parameters change when machine speed varies, as well as offer policymakers a clear picture of the correlation between energy consumption and profitability. The machine produces roughly 420 kg/day consuming 567 kWh of energy at 14000 rpm, with 2.57% breakages/100 spindles/hour of 18.48 tex count variation and CSP of 1320. However, the production and energy usage of a machine at 15000 rpm, is approximately 449 kg and 630.44 kWh/day. Respectively, with breakages 3.06%/100 spindles/hour of count variation 18.62 tex and CSP of 1325. A potential increase in profit of 112.58 USD/machine/day, or 9682 BDT resulted from the increase in machine speed.

"Den andra världen är den här världen"

"Philip Sherrard is truly a prophet for our present age, a messenger whose winged words are addressed not so much to the twentieth century in which he lived as to the twenty-first century that is now unfolding." With this depiction metropolitan Kallistos Ware described the English poet and theologian Philip Sherrard, whose legacy and writings has a prophetic urgency in light of our current crises. For Sherrard, whose encounter with modern Greek poets in the 1950s led him to a study of the theological roots of Orthodoxy, the basic ecological challenge is not technological or economic but spiritual. Without a contemplative frame of mind, "the eye of the heart", we cannot see the world in God. And only if we see the world in God can we overcome the present crisis. The leitmotif in Sherrards work is what he terms a "theantropocosmic vision" – a vision of man and nature which makes it possible for us to perceive and experience both ourselves and the world we live in as sacred realities. Our human vocation, as priests of the creation, is to reveal anew the holiness of nature, raising up the world from its fallen state and rendering it once more transparent to the divine glory.