Sector Issues Research Articles

A call to reform the Libyan oral health care system

The Libyan healthcare system was once described as one of the best healthcare systems in Africa.1 A recent study describing the Libyan oral health care system has been published which shows that health care is mainly privatized, and the governmental sector is poorly functioning with limited funding and unclear targets.2 It is well known structural determinants of health such as the health system can have a negative impact on the health outcomes. 3 In the case of the Libyan systems, it seems the impact is heavy on preventive dental care which is deterred by limited resources in the governmental sector and payment issues in the private sector. This has been manifested in the high rates of oral disease in Libyan children and adults.4-10 Furthermore, challenges in the oral health care system include barriers such as time constraints, insufficient incentives, and limited resources that hinder the provision of care.11 However, in Libya, the oral health care system could experience similar or even more severe difficulties due to political instability, inadequate infrastructure, and a lack of trained professionals, which could further aggravate these issues. There is an urgent need to raise the issue and mobilize actions to reform the oral health care system to meet the needs of the society and avoid further deterioration of health services and creating jobless dentists. Government expenditure on oral health in Libya primarily follows an outdated model that emphasizes diagnosis and treatment of oral and dental diseases, rather than funding programs aimed at preventing these conditions.12 In 2012, Libya had approximately six dentists per 10,000 people.13 Although the numbers of dentists is considered sufficient, large numbers of dental graduates are bombarded into the Libyan oral health care system which reflect improper planning of the dental workforces.10 The one might say the dental system of Libya was studied in Benghazi as a case,2 however, similar situation applies to the whole country. For example, the dental faculty in Tripoli enrols up to 1,000 new students each year, and other institutions also admit substantial numbers.14 This situation places considerable strain on the educational system and could, over time, negatively impact the job market for private dental practitioners.

Private equity renewable energy investments in India.

India is anticipated to grow its total energy consumption and CO2 emissions by more than any other country over the next two decades. India will have to attract around $400 billion in financing to realize its 500GW target of renewable energy by 2030. Given complex renewable energy sector risks, rapidly scaling-up risk-friendly private equity financing will be critical to achieve India's target. This research seeks to answer questions regarding the motivation, perceptions, strategies, and investment behavior of private equity investors in the Indian renewable energy sector. The answers to these questions presented herein have been distilled from primary research interviews with 40 executive-level sector practitioners and literature analysis. This research finds that global-macro forces and sector-specific appeal are attracting varied investors to the sector. These investors primarily deploy capital in existing developer platforms, creating control developer platforms, and Infrastructure Investment Trusts. Critical investment criteria and value creation strategies of these investors are comprehensively discussed. Emerging investment opportunities to create new renewable energy sector value by partnering with companies across the power sector value chain are also presented. This research concludes that despite significant sector risks, investors remain confident they can achieve outsized risk-adjusted returns relative to most other global infrastructure assets. This optimism stems from the confidence of investors in their own ability to manage risk-return dynamics through judicious investment selection and management strategies, the sector's uniquely large demand growth and market size, and the Indian central government's perceived strong commitment to finding creative solutions to chronic sector issues. Lessons from the investment insights, themes and factor analyses discussed herein can be drawn upon in evaluating renewable energy investments and policymaking worldwide.

Case-Study: Unethical Practices leads Un-Natural Death of Handicraft Products

The given case study discusses about the burning issues of the handicraft sector. As we know that the handicraft was a key sector in ancient time regarding employment generation, foreign exchanges, and expertise in unique crafts. The case study highlighted some fiery issues of handicraft sector which created hurdles against growth and development of sector.

Clustering Analysis of Food Security, Waste and Loss: Malaysia Agricultural Insights

As the world population grows rapidly nowadays, the demand for food has come to rise. The escalating demand for food has caused substantial wastage and loss, which not only hampers food security efforts but also aggravates greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, intensifying the environmental crisis. Among numerous countries, Malaysia, with its diverse agricultural profile, emerges as a good fit for our case study. This study chooses the clustering technique to examine food sector data in Malaysia and investigate the link between the clustering results on food data and the data on GHG emissions. This case study aims to find crops depending on their production efficiency, underline those that match major waste, and estimate their contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. Three clustering techniques, Gaussian Mixture Modelling (GMM), Birch, and Density Peak clustering, are applied in the Production and Supply Utilisation Accounts (SUA) datasets, help to identify and cluster crops based on their similar traits to acquire uncovered patterns between the food sector and environmental issues. Using cutting-edge clustering algorithms and visualization tools, this study investigated in-depth the complex interactions among food production, waste, and greenhouse gas emissions in Malaysia. By addressing food production efficiency and waste reduction, the outcome will be a cascade of benefits that not only improve food security but also help to lessen negative environmental effects. This study illuminates the multifaceted dynamics of food production, waste, and environmental impact, offering valuable insights and pathways toward a more sustainable future for Malaysia and potentially other nations.

Transitioning identities in professional education: an appreciative enquiry

ABSTRACT Higher education lecturers who have moved into teaching on professional education programmes from careers in professional practice are an under-researched group. Questions related to self-concept combined with wider social and sectoral issues relating to perceptions about the nature and purpose of higher education can affect the development of their new professional identity. Building on previous research into the experiences of new and developing academics, the research reported here sought to gain an understanding of the experiences and dispositions that contribute to shaping professional identity for those who have moved from professional practice into teaching roles in higher education within an education and social work faculty. Utilising an Appreciative Inquiry model, the objective of this research was to better understand participants’ professional perspectives and needs. Findings are organised around three areas: i) the importance of values and goals as catalysts for identity change, ii) the role of social and professional perceptions that impinge on (in)security of identity, and iii) the sense that academic identity development is an iterative and elastic process. These findings suggest the need for future research that engages with exploring how best to promote and nurture productive and satisfying academic careers for those moving between professional and professional education contexts.

Hegemony and Colonialization in the Water Management Sector: Issues and Lessons for IWRM

Water resources management and the broad concept of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) attract varied perspectives about their effectiveness and equity as they address diverse needs across sectors and contextual situations. Managers in the water sector generally support their current governance models, while anti-poverty advocates seek more equity in the distribution of resources. Another group of stakeholders claims a lack of inclusivity in decision-making, leading to inequitable outcomes due to hegemony and colonialization of the water management domain by sector experts, officials, and other actors. IWRM focuses on reforms in water governance to achieve greater participation and sharing of power by all sectors of society in decision-making. It can facilitate the involvement of all groups of stakeholders, including those who may in some cases need to engage in social action to address water issues. This paper reviews the claims about the validity of IWRM and analyzes them according to management scenarios where water is a connector among sector issues. The scenarios show that participation in utility and local government decisions is the main pathway for urban water, wastewater, and stormwater management, while the same pathway is more difficult to organize in dispersed situations for domestic supply and irrigation in rural areas, some cases of aquifer management, and management of sprawling flood risk zones. The body of knowledge about participation in water resources management is robust, but organizational and financial capacities among existing entities pose barriers. Water resources management and IWRM do involve hegemony, and the field of practice has been colonialized, but the existential issues and complexity of the decisions and systems involved challenge society to manage successfully while assuring equity and participation through governance reform. The debates over hegemony and colonialization in water management provide an opportunity to continue improving the norms of practice and water resources education.

Information Systems and Mechanism for Prevention of Cyber Frauds

Cyber criminals are targeting online frauds, exploiting anonymity to deceive. They use fake websites, fake ads and stolen credit or debit cards for purchases. Bank frauds, despite high-speed processing and technical assistance, can damage a bank's reputation and operational efficiency, necessitating a strong emphasis on business ethics in the banking sector. The machine learning and artificial intelligence enhance online security of information systems. US enforces anti-trust laws and promotes stakeholder rights, addressing fraud and identity theft through safety tips and civil law implementation. Cyber criminals steal personal information for unauthorized purchases, identity theft, and fraudulent activities. Machine learning and artificial intelligence can enhance online security and user awareness. AI-based threat detection analyzes network activity for cyberattacks, limiting damage. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) combines traditional passwords with biometric authentication for enhanced security. The application of Big Data systems allows administrations for the collection and analysis of Data and its storage obtained from various sources, using platforms like Hadoop, Apache Spark, and Kafka for real-time processing and data analytics. Digital devices are increasingly being used in banking frauds, posing significant risks to both customers and the banking sector, necessitating stricter regulations and enforcement measures. Common banking sector issues include negligent, fraudulent, and deviant behavior, affecting various functions of getting, gathering, transporting, disbursing, loaning, trading, capitalizing, replacing, and servicing money-claims domestically and internationally. This paper discusses machine learning and anomaly detection techniques for preventing fraud in online payment systems, including behavioral profiling and Bagged Decision Tree models along with other methods.

An Economic Analysis of Dairy Sector in India with Special Reference to Milk Dairy Co-Operatives in Karnataka

Dairy activities play a predominate role in the Indian economy. Due to fail in agricultural crops the farmers not only depending upon cropping pattern alone, indeed they depend on other allied agricultural activities like poultry farming, fishing, agro based activities, family enterprises, food products. Among the allied agricultural activities, dairy is one of the prominent activities to the farmers. Dairying is not only cheap but also yield more returns. This is especially where more of woman are engaged in this activity. Due to various constraints in this dairy activity, co operative sector play a very important role in not only protecting the dairy activities but also promote it with various polices and packages of co operative sector. With this background the present study is more relevant as well to identify various issues of the cooperative dairy sector both in Karnataka and Tamilnadu.

Farmers’ adaptation to climate change in Southern Issyk-Kul

Agriculture is a key sector for people’s livelihoods in Kyrgyzstan, which highlights the role of local people’s perceptions of agricultural practices and optimisation of land use management. The purpose of this study was to assess the understanding of land use practices by local residents in four districts of the Southern Issyk-Kul. The level of awareness of sectoral issues was investigated by randomly selected farmers. The study found that modern farmers are aware of the existing problems and their contribution to the decline in agricultural productivity and increased vulnerability to environmental change. It was generalised that the solution of the problem under study requires practical interaction between government agencies and farmers aimed at providing the necessary information and resources for adaptation to climate-oriented agricultural practices. The potential of innovative precision farming technologies in the context of the studied issues was analysed. An important problem of the lack of a mechanism for the exchange of agricultural knowledge between farmers was identified, as it is difficult for them to determine where and from whom to gain experience. It was substantiated that the integration of agricultural consulting elements into the environment of farm operation has the potential to significantly stimulate the positive dynamics of agricultural development. Such an approach would allow for the most accurate selection of optimisation measures, which would affect the economic efficiency and environmental performance of farming. The practical value of the results of the study is seen in the possibility of using them to mitigate the process of adaptation of agricultural production in developing countries to inevitable climate change

A Study of Recent Indian Banking Sector Issues and Challenges in the Digital Era

A Study of Recent Indian Banking Sector Issues and Challenges in the Digital Era

Advancing a multi-actor model of artist-in-residence practice

ABSTRACT Increasingly, the public sector is interested in incorporating the arts into community development and service delivery. At the same time, scholars recognise the benefits of artists as co-creators in collaboration with government and nonprofits to solve public sector and societal issues. Despite growing attentiveness, gaps remain in the organizing structures, implementation, outcomes, and value of arts-based residencies in the governmental context. This paper builds upon existing knowledge of artists as co-creators to develop the potentiality of artists-in-residence with government. We undertake a conceptual analysis of literature in order to position artists as co-creators, advance nonprofit organizations as essential contributors and capacity builders, and provide a multi-actor model to build understanding and application. Ultimately, this research aims to advance understanding, impact, and practical adoption of successful artist-in-residence models.

Economic Effects of rising Energy Prices

Abstract Energy is an indispensable resource for everyday activities, both for the population and for economic operators. Being used for heating, cooling, and lighting buildings, driving, and putting into operation various machines, energy is essential for the entire economy. Since energy is a central element of human activity and energy prices are the quasi-permanent component in most costs, its price can be called "the most important price in the economy". The topic of the research is a highly relevant issue for both financial and energy sectors. The research aims to identify and analyse the economic effects of energy price increases. Among the proposed objectives are: to gain in-depth knowledge of the scientific background of the subject under investigation; to determine the role of energy in a country's economy; and to determine the economic and social consequences of energy crises. Using the qualitative research method, this article is the result of an integrative consultation of a large, rich, and recent scientific literature. To achieve the established objectives, official documents of the European Commission and the United Nations, reports of the International Monetary Fund, the European Central Bank, and the National Bank of Romania, academic articles and studies elaborated by various prestigious think tanks were studied. The first part of the paper briefly outlines the importance of energy for a country's economy. The second part reviews the scientific literature, thus illustrating the distinct opinions of various experts in the field. The third part presents the economic effects of energy crises and analyses the impact of rising energy prices on inflation and economic activity from a theoretical perspective.

The The Impact Of Workplace Environment On Employee Productivity At Islamic Cooperative Bank

Today in the 21st century, it is impossible to adequately emphasize how vitally important a pleasant and favorable working environment is to employees' health, productivity, and well-being. As a growing issue for banking sectors, ensuring the staff members are being productive in the performance of their assigned responsibilities that may contribute to the success of the business, is becoming more important. Many variables may affect an employee's productivity, but the working environment of the workplace is by far the most prominent aspect that may either inhibit or enhance an employee’s productivity. As this research focuses on businesses and workers, the outcome will benefit both. Using a dataset of 144 employees from BKRM Berhad in Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur branches, this study sought to determine the relationship between workplace environment on employee productivity, particularly at Islamic Cooperative Bank in Malaysia. The workplace environment is divided into two parts; physical and behavioral. According to the study’s findings, the researcher discovered that the behavioral workplace environment had a far more significant influence on employee productivity than the physical office environment.

Addressing attrition in the Indian IT industry: Evaluating the efficacy of a motivation and engagement model

This study traces the development of the Indian IT sector from TCS's founding in 1967 to its emergence as a multibillion-dollar sector in 2023. Many IT firms were set up in India after the establishment of the firm TCS with Tier 1 and Tier 2 categories, based on their size, revenue, and other factors., etc. Analyzed are two of the issues of the IT sector: a high attrition rate and low employee engagement. The reasons behind these are identified, and a methodology is created to raise employee satisfaction and lower the attrition rate in the Indian IT industry. News articles in publications including Times of India, Hindustan Times, Deccan Herald, Economic Times, and LiveMint provided information about the Indian IT industry. Google Scholar provided keywords such as "Indian IT Sector," "Employee Motivation," "Employee Engagement," "Job Satisfaction," and "Attrition." For every keyword searched from 1980 to 2022, the top 20 referenced papers were found. A total of 77 publications were reviewed, and their abstracts were examined to determine their applicability to the study question. Additionally, a number of OB and HRM textbooks were searched for information about the keywords. Definitions of motivation, employee engagement, job satisfaction, and attrition rate that are pertinent to the research study are created from a systematic literature analysis, giving these concepts more conceptual clarity. A model that connects attrition rate, job satisfaction, employee engagement, and motivation is built. Theoretical inferences of the model are examined, including the inclusion of individual characteristics, organisational commitment, and turnover intentions. The model's practical implications, such as its application in the business world and in nations with different cultural norms, are examined. Lastly, a discussion of the study's limitations is included, as the model was created using a limited number of variables.

Process Parameter Optimisation for Endohedral Metallofullerene Synthesis via the Arc-Discharge Method

Fullerenes have a unique structure, capable of both encapsulating other molecules and reacting with those on the exterior surface. Fullerene derivatives have also been found to have enormous potential to address the challenges of the renewable energy sector and current environmental issues, such as in the production of n-type materials in bulk heterojunction solar cells, as antimicrobial agents, in photocatalytic water treatment processes, and in sensor technologies. Endohedral metallofullerenes, in particular, can possess unpaired electron spins, driven by the enclosed metal atom or cluster, which yield valuable magnetic properties. These properties have significant potential for applications in molecular magnets, spin probes, quantum computing, and devices such as quantum information processing,, atomic clocks, and molecular magnets. However, the intrinsically low yield of endohedral fullerenes remains a huge obstacle, impeding not only their industrial utilization but also the synthesis and characterization essential for exploring novel applications. The low yield and difficulty in separation of different types of endohedral fullerenes results in the usage of a large amount of solvents and energy, which is detrimental to the environment. In this paper, we analyse the methodologies proposed by various researchers and identify the critical synthesis parameters that play a role in increasing the yields of fullerenes.

What constitutes food system resilience? The importance of divergent framings between UK mainstream and local food system actors

PurposeThis paper examines how key actors in the UK food system (FS) understand the role of the local food sector in relation to FS resilience.Design/methodology/approachDiscourse analysis was used to assess and compare the framings of the UK FS in 36 publications released during Covid-19 from alternative food networks (AFNs) actors and from other more mainstream FS actors, including the UK government.FindingsThe analysis shows that AFNs actors perceive the UK FS as not resilient and identify local FSs as a route towards greater resilience (“systemic” framing). In contrast, other food actors perceive the UK FS as already resilient, with the role of local food limited to specific functions within the existing system (“add-on” framing). The two groups converge on the importance of dynamic public procurement and local abattoir provision, but this convergence does not undermine the fundamental divergence in the understanding of the role of “the local” in resilient UK FSs. The local food sector’s messages appear to have gone largely unheard in mainstream policy.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper presents an analysis of public sector reports focused on the UK FS released during the Covid-19 pandemic years 2020–2021. The corpus inclusion criteria mean that publications during this period which focus on other food sector issues, such social injustices, climate change and health, were not included in the analysis, although they may have touched upon local food issues. The authors further recognise that Covid-19 had a longer lasting effect on FSs than the years 2020–2021, and that many other publications on FSs have been published since. The time span chosen targets the time at which FSs were most disrupted and therefore aims to capture emerging issues and solutions for the UK FS. The authors’ insights should be further validated through a more complete review of both public reports and academic papers covering a wider base of food-related issues and sectors as well as a broader timespan.Originality/valueA comparison of how different FS actors understand the importance of local food, especially in relation to resilience, has not been undertaken to date. The findings raise important questions about the disconnect between AFN actors and other actors in the framing of resilience. Considering the need to ensure resilience of the UK FS, this study's findings raise important insights for UK food policy about the “local food blindspot” and for food movement actors wishing to progress their vision of transformative change.

Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) and sustainable urban mobility in the development of the European museum business: a case study of Spain

The purpose of this article is to analyze the current state of museums in Spain through the prism of the dynamic development of innovative technologies in society. The article reveals the tourist preference for Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS), which is a single digital travel platform that integrates all the necessary information. An important contribution to sustainable urban mobility is public transport, shared bike, shared e-moped, and shared car. These components, coupled with digital services offering route information to museums, information about museums, booking and purchasing tickets to museum complexes, form the basis and are the main MaaS bundle attributes. Methodology is based on scientific and special research methods. The methods used were analysis, synthesis, systematization, classification, generalization of economic and methodological sources. The authors examined the key properties of the processes of formation and development of museums as one of the most representative manifestations of the cultural heritage of society. The article addresses important issues of the tourism sector through the prism of the European museum sector, analyzing: historical aspects of the development of European social institutions of museum affairs, statistical indicators of the number of museums in European countries, emphasizing their key role in the dynamic development of tourism. To thoroughly analyze the development of European museums, the author examines one of the exemplary examples of creating a successful museum sector in Spain. It is proved that the effectiveness of the museum sector development largely depends on its integration into the socio-economic life of the country, accessibility for all social groups of visitors, sustainable development, available additional services, and a modern website with information about the museum.

Public-private partnership in the agrarian sector: conceptual framework for development

The article deals with the conceptual framework for the development of public-private partnership (PPP) in the agricultural sector of Ukraine. The author substantiates the need to reorient the model of agricultural development to the principles of deeper interaction between the State and business, one of the key mechanisms for ensuring which is PPP, which is carried out on a contractual basis to achieve a common goal by combining resources to obtain certain benefits for each participant. The purpose of the study is to develop a conceptual framework for the development of PPPs in the agricultural sector of Ukraine. The study shows a low level of implementation of PPP projects (18 projects out of 193, or 9,3 %) and its rather slow development in our country's economy, mainly due to legislative obstacles. It is substantiated that in the current conditions the issue of partnership development is extremely relevant, since budgetary funds are not enough to implement large-scale projects in wartime. Therefore, involvement of private partners and the use of mechanisms for building long-term relationships with them is essential. The author emphasizes the need for real changes in the implementation of PPP investment projects in agriculture, clarification of the tools for ensuring its development and their adaptation to sectoral issues, which requires the development of a Concept for the Development of Public-Private Partnership in the Agricultural Sector of Ukraine. The study argues that it is necessary to develop a unified approach to the development of PPPs, to determine the priority areas of application of such partnerships and the specifics of its use in solving the problems of agricultural development. The main factors hindering the development of such cooperation are identified and the main objectives of the Concept for the Development of Public-Private Partnership in the Agricultural Sector of Ukraine are substantiated. It is proved that improvement of PPP procedures will help to expand the scope of its application, accessibility, speed and scale of projects, as well as adaptation of such an investment support mechanism to the conditions of wartime/peace time. The article summarizes the main ways of activating PPPs as a mechanism for attracting investment in the reconstruction and development of the agricultural sector of Ukraine's economy. The fulfillment of these tasks will contribute to the revitalization of the use of PPPs in solving the problems of agricultural production development, development of the institutional framework for its implementation in Ukraine, in particular, the adoption of strategic directions for this development in the short and long term. Key words: state, concept, private partner, public-private partnership, agricultural sector, PPP projects, investment resources, development.

Mapping of Regional Strategic Issues in The Development Planning Documents (Case Study in Central Java)

In 2020, 21 regencies/cities (out of 35 regions) in Central Java will hold regional head elections. One of the consequences will be the preparation of the Regional Medium Term Development Plan (RPJMD) for the 2021-2026 period. The RPJMD was compiled during the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as the strengthening of other global issues such as the industrial revolution 4.0, society 5.0, advances in information technology, disruption and vulnerability to global economic crises, and food and energy issues. This research focuses on formulating strategic issues in the RPJMD document for the 21 regions to understand the framework, formulation process, and priority of strategic issues. This research is a descriptive study through a qualitative approach and is applied with practical purposes using desk study techniques. The research subjects were the RPJMD documents of 21 selected regencies/cities, especially in regional strategic issues. Data processing is done by classification technique, and data analysis is done by content analysis technique. The study results show that the strategic issues of concern are general, almost the same as the previous planning documents, such as bureaucratic reform, human resource capacity building, poverty (and unemployment), infrastructure, economic growth, and environmental natural resources. Some regions also place popular actual issues such as the Covd-19 pandemic and its recovery, the industrial revolution, smart cities, and SDGs, and only a small number of regions raise specific issues such as investment, village development, innovation, information technology, or sectoral issues such as agriculture, tourism, creative industries. This study concludes that the process of formulating strategic issues is still normative procedural, and general in nature, with a dominant technocratic approach, and needs to accommodate actual local issues and community discourse or aspirations. Formulating strategic issues also has no relation to regional development issues, more accommodating global, national issues and other planning documents without in-depth analysis.

The modern mechanisms of integration of medical organizations in health care system

The article considers mechanisms of cooperation of medical organizations of various forms of property, intersectoral interaction with purpose to unify resources of organizations to resolve established tasks, to form large medical clusters and to organize interaction of medical organizations with recreation structures. The actuality of issue is conditioned by the fact that population health is the most important value of society. This value is ultimate condition of prosperity and well-being of any state and depends on quality of medical care and efficiency of functioning of medical care system. In many countries occurs search for new mechanisms permitting to increase quality of medical care and its accessibility. The issues of interaction private sector with state system of financing of health care and state medical organizations, including development of integration mechanisms in health care system with private medicine potentials to update health care system is agenda priority. The purpose of the study is to consider modern mechanisms of integration of organizations in health care system and practical involvement into action.