Socio-economic Crisis Research Articles

THE ESSENCE OF THE TRANSFORMATION OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC RELATIONS IN THE NATIONAL ECONOMY: THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL ASPECT

The article is devoted to a thorough study of the theoretical and methodological foundations of the essence of the transformation of socio-economic relations of the national economy. Based on the study of scientific sources, a proper definition of the concept of "transformation of socio-economic relations" was formed. It is proposed to consider transformational processes from the point of view of their direct or indirect impact on other sectors and the economy in general. The need to understand and perceive the essence of transformation from the point of view of the transformation of socio-economic relations as such is well-founded. The article formulates the author's approaches to identifying the types of transformation of socio-economic relations, it’s possible and confirmed forms of manifestation, basic characteristics and features. The author's understanding of the concept of transformation potential of socio-economic relations of the national economy and the transformation cycle is outlined. A vision of the intensity, efficiency and frequency of transformational changes and the limits of transformation was formed. Characterization of the period and stages of transformational changes that lead to socio-economic shocks and cause socio-economic instability, periods of fluctuations, including ups and downs, socio-economic crisis, transformational trap is made.

ANTI-CRISIS MANAGEMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SYSTEMS UNDER THE POST-WAR PERIOD UNCERTAINTY

The article analyses main indicators reflecting the state of Ukraine’s economy during the war. We studied the core approaches to the formation of economic policy, development strategy and management of Ukraine economy in the pre-war period. The priorities of the country’s modern economic policy were defined and the necessary structural changes of the national economy, the main components of impact on its effective development in the post-war period, were determined. The goals and content of the post-war recovery plan for Ukraine’s economy were studied. Strategically important industries for the post-war economy of Ukraine, attractive directions for foreign investment and the main components of recovery and development were defined: international support, effective investment policy, modern reorganisation and restructuring of the economy. In order to get out of the micro-level socio-economic systems crisis primary measures of the anti-crisis plan have been formed. Three stages of the crisis have been identified and tasks and functions for the anti-crisis team of business structures have been specified. Changes in HR management in the anti-crisis management system of business entities in the war and post-war periods were analysed, the most important modern anti-crisis HR tools were formulated and characterised.

Regulatory and legal aspects of social support for multiple-child families: regional experience

The priority direction of the state family and demographic policy is the social support of multiple-child families. This article clarifies the essence and specifies the concept of social support in accordance with regulatory documents. The distinctive features of support as a technology of social work are determined. The analysis of the regulatory framework at the federal and regional levels in the organization of social support for multiple-child families is carried out. The features of the practical implementation of the regulatory framework in a number of regions of Russia are formulated. The approved form of the passport of social support and intradepartmental interaction on social support is presented on the example of the Ulyanovsk Region. The algorithm of providing social support to multiple-child families in the conditions of a general education organization is described. The mechanism of implementation of the technology of social support in modern conditions of socio-economic crisis is substantiated.

Assessing fiscal multipliers in times of crisis: evidence from selected CEE countries

The COVID-19 pandemic proved to be an unprecedented socio-economic crisis in the last decades. More than three years after its outbreak, there is still uncertainty regarding its future evolution. National and international authorities adopted a prompt and synchronized response to limit the adverse effects of the health crisis, in terms of socio-economic damage. Against this background, this paper assesses the efficiency of the measures implemented by fiscal authorities in selected Central and Eastern European countries to ameliorate the economic repercussions of the crisis. The analysis reveals that the impact of expenditure-side measures is stronger than that of revenue-side ones. Additionally, the results of a time-varying parameter model indicate that the fiscal multipliers are higher in times of crisis. In view of the ongoing war in Ukraine, the related geopolitical turmoil and energy crisis, the findings of this paper are especially pertinent, given the need for additional fiscal support.

Embodied geopolitics and negotiations of belongings from Turkey to Athens after 2016

This article employs the notion of embodied geopolitics in order to re-ground geopolitical relations at the scale of everyday life. Specifically, it explores how geopolitical relations between Greece and Turkey that historically oscillate between enmity and friendship, mediate the everyday lives of Turkish citizens who moved to Athens after 2016, in a context of intertwined crises (i.e. the refugee, socio-economic and pandemic-related health crisis). Drawing on in-depth interviews with Turkish citizens, we seek to understand how their diverse positionalities defined by gender, class, ethnicity and religion, become reconfigured as they negotiate their belongings in Athens. We are interested, in particular, in how this negotiation is shaped by the ever-present geopolitical past, as well as the experiences of displacement and precarity. Through an engagement with critical and feminist geopolitics, we argue that the historical and political relations between Greece and Turkey ‘haunt’ the lives of Turkish citizens, (re)producing stereotypes and othering processes. At the same time, we propose that their everyday relational geographies are constituted by ‘sheltered’ spaces, which enable them to reconfigure their positionalities as well as boundaries, constraints, and haunting histories. The article concludes with a discussion of the potential the negotiations of belonging that ensue by the haunting geopolitical relations and the everyday sheltered spaces have, to challenge and/or reproduce geopolitical relations on the ground.

The role of behavioral economics during the Covid-19 pandemic

Over the past few decades, one of the significant events of economic science can be considered the emergence of a new direction of its development, which has been called behavioral economics. Behavioral economics explains why people are not always rational when making decisions. Behavioral economics has made it possible to overcome the socio-economic crisis caused by COVID-19. The state used the concepts of PE to push people towards desirable behavior that helped stabilize the situation, reduce disease, and reduce fear among the population.

Socio–Economic Crises (Historical and Political Aspect)

The relevance of the research is due to the fact that we are at the breaking point of the world system, called the capitalist formation, and showing how this happens and what it leads to is one of the most important tasks for social scientists around the world. The arguments about the crises of the economy, world politics, education, ideology, etc. are scattered and do not allow us to see the main thing that is happening at the present time, namely, that all these crises are united by the stadium completion of the system that has dominated in the last six centuries and is distinguished by a special expansionist orientation, which is the meaning of its existence. Analyzing these aspects, the author comes to the conclusion that globalization, hegemonic plans for the dominance of the United States, the coronavirus pandemic and the desire of the hegemon to get out of the crisis by unleashing a big war, dragging Russia into it, contributed to the aggravation of the existing capitalist system. The historical analogies of the country's exit from difficult situations, cited by the author, allow us to use historical experience in modern conditions, taking into account milder forms of mobilization character than those that have been in our history. The author analyzes in detail the economic measures that can help our country to withstand the severe trials that have befallen it. Finally, it is concluded that in order for Russia to survive, in addition to the partial mobilization announced by the president and the realization of the goals of denationalization and demilitarization of nationalist Ukraine, it is also necessary to carry out decolonization and deliberation in the country and participate in deglobalization as much as possible.

Frames of war and welfare

Frames of war and welfare

CLONING OF THE MAJOR OPEN READING FRAMES OF SARS-COV-2, THEIR EXPRESSION IN ESСHERICHIA COLI AND PURIFICATION OF SARS-S-6HIS, SARS-S1-6HIS, SARS-N-6HIS, SARS-M-6HIS AND SARS-E-6HIS PROTEINS

A novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has been associated with the COVID-19 atypical pneumonia pandemic, which caused a devastating healthcare and socioeconomic crisis worldwide. Effective diagnosis of the disease is important to prevent the spread of infection. Since the detection of antigens and antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay is of great importance in the diagnosis of COVID-19, we developed recombinant analogs of the main structural proteins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The genes of the main open reading frames, including the surface spike (S) glycoprotein, the small membrane (M) protein, the envelope (E) glycoprotein and nucleocapsid (N) protein, were cloned in expression plasmids pET23c in polyhistidine reading frames. We obtained the strains of Esсherichia coli BL-21(DE3) that produce recombinant S-6His, M-6His, E-6His и N-6His proteins. N-6His protein was produced in sufficient quantities, for the purification of which the conditions of dialysis and its concentration were optimized. We obtained pure preparation of N protein (the target protein concentration is 80%). Further studies should be performed to identify its antigenic activity.

New challenges and threats in the digital space: security as a criterion for the development of information technologies

The object of this study is public relations related to information security in The Russian Federation in the face of new challenges and threats, as well as digital transformation and geopolitical changes. The subject of the study forms a set of legal norms of normative legal acts of the Russian Federation regulating public relations in the field of information security, as well as the provisions of theoretical interdisciplinary research in this area. Special attention is paid to security issues, which occupy one of the key values in the domestic and foreign policy of the state, determining further national interests and strategic national priorities, goals and objectives of state policy and sustainable development of the state for the long term. The issues of ensuring information security are becoming more and more urgent in view of the global digital transformation of all spheres of life, as well as the aggravation of geopolitical contradictions and the strengthening of interstate information warfare. The author concludes that it is obvious that it is expedient to legislate at the federal level the legal foundations of the national information security system in the Russian Federation in order to use information and legal means in the conditions of digitalization, the growth of geopolitical challenges and risks, the global socio-economic crisis, the formation of a multipolarity of the world, aimed at increasing the security of Russian information resources, information systems and objects of information infrastructure. The author raises the question of the possibility of including certain legal norms in the domestic information legislation in the part in which such norms regulate relations in the field of performance by public administration bodies of functions ensuring security in the information sphere.

Impact of COVID-19 on Sleep and Role of Yoga as a Non – Pharmacological Intervention

COVID-19 pandemic vastly affected the mental health of people causing psychological distress with problems as emotional disturbance, stress, mood alterations, anger, depression, irritability, confusion, emotional exhaustion, emotional isolation, insecurity, social stigma, post-traumatic stress symptoms, insomnia reported in almost all sectors and strata of the society globally. The impact of ongoing mutations in the nature of the SARS COVID -2 virus, changing presentations of the disease, ongoing disease and deaths, quarantine, isolation, post COVID complications, lock-down, socio economic crisis all have impacted the mental health of people negatively having a major brunt on the sleep. Sleep is a vital biophysiological phenomenon playing a crucial role in systemic physiology, including metabolism, immunity, endocrinal, brain and cardiovascular functions. Disruption of sleep is related with both short-term as well as long term consequences, ranging from increased stress responsivity, mood disorders, impaired cognition and performance, somatic problems like headache, abdominal pain to hypertension, dyslipidemia, CVD, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and increased risk of cancers and death. Studies have reported mental health and sleep to be affected by COVID-19 in general population as well as in health care workers. Mental health and sleep are deeply interrelated with one affecting the other and also the general health, healing and quality of life of the individual. Still, sleep remains to be an underrecognized component of health as concerned to its management. This paper presents the impact of COVID – 19 on sleep form the studies documented and how yoga can be an effective non-pharmacological intervention for prevention and managing the sleep disturbances.

The Contagion of Misgovernance in Nigeria: Reflections on the Influence of Non-Administrative Criteria

Successive governments in Nigeria have failed to curtail the downward spiral of the sectors of her economy. The deepening socio-economic and political crises are assessed as occasioned by the dysfunctionality of the arms of government that jeopardizes essential service delivery to the detriment of the polity at whose behest they occupy the public offices. Despite the changes and institution of new administrative leadership through democratic processes, the quality of governance continues to dwindle. Poor policy formulation, implementing non-target-specific measures to deal with the malaises bedeviling the economy, and/or outright government inaction define the practical realities of Nigeria’s sociopolitical landscape. These plausible facts have driven wedges between the elected representatives in government and the polity who bear the brunt of the leadership failures in all spheres. The study determined whether a contagion effect birthed by non-administrative criteria underlies the transcendently perpetual misgovernance pervading the sectors of Nigeria’s economy. The study evaluates the influences of these criteria on the individuals, the potency of ‘group’ membership and sentiments, the contexts of leadership, and the implications for the trajectory of governance. With prioritization over the desired state of affairs in the country despite leadership changes and successive governments, these group memberships and sentiments remain inimically parallel to target-specific policy-making and de-emphasize national growth and development. The paper relies on the postulations of the social contagion theory of collective behavior and Riggs' assertions on non-administrative criteria in prismatic societies in assessing the misgovernance in Nigeria. A semi-structured Contagion in Leadership (CiL) e-questionnaire was designed to evaluate the influence of social contagion on the members of the arms of government and, consequently, on the quality of governance and service delivery in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic. It was disseminated on two social media platforms - WhatsApp and Twitter, for a wider reach. Two hundred ten (210) responses were recorded across an age range of 18 and 65+ years, with a mean age of 42. Strategies for enhancing the quality of governance, including entrenching constitutionalism, and engendering the responsibility of political officeholders toward policy actions, are proffered.

Application of microcomputed tomography to calculate rat intervertebral disc volume as a surrogate measure of degeneration

ABSTRACT Chronic low back pain (LBP) is a global socioeconomic crisis. Etiological research suggests the predominant pathology associated with chronic LBP is disc degeneration. The disc is a composed of a cartilaginous end plate, nucleus pulposus, and annulus fibrosus. The disc is predominantly avascular and aneural, predisposing it to degeneration. Disc degeneration in humans can be diagnosed using X-ray imaging and quantified using a measurement known as disc height index (DHI). DHI is also the current gold standard for evaluating disc degeneration in animal models. Unfortunately, X-ray imaging suffers poor spatial resolution, limiting the precision of DHI in rodents. Further, the application of disc height as a surrogate for degeneration involves subjective choices by experimenters, decreasing reliability. Microcomputed tomography (µCT) generates 3D reconstructions with profound spatial resolution. µCT has been used to measure disc degeneration, however, this work used costly contrast agents that increase procedure time. The objective of this work was to create a novel method for using µCT to assess disc degeneration in real-time, non-invasively and without contrast agents. Herein we describe a method for quantifying disc volume in vivo using µCT and the data suggest that this metric is precise, reliable, and sensitive to disc degeneration.

Essential elements of self-organization illustrated through localized agri-food systems

ABSTRACT Self-organization is prevalent in local agri-food systems (LAFS), which must often adapt rapidly to both internal and external pressures. This was evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, which required rapid self-organization in LAFS due to increased demand for smaller-scale and localized food producers and distributors. Previous research has explored drivers of self-organization in LAFS, often as an artifact of slow-boil socioeconomic or environmental crises. However, there is less research investigating the ingredients required for self-organization to successfully materialize. This paper argues that there is a gap in both the literature and practice that overlooks three core elements required for effective self-organization, or ideas that can transition from thought into action. These fundamental elements – agency, demand, and resource – must all be present and work in harmony for effective self-organization to occur and must be understood as a package. From evidence collected through “patchwork ethnographic” research in Oxford, UK and Freiburg, Germany this paper details how these elements impact decisions and actions taken by LAFS actors. Understanding these core elements can have practical ramifications for practitioners, facilitating better understanding of why ideas or actions may be (in)effective and how to foster effective self-organization, as well as highlighting avenues for self-organization research.

Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) based COVID-19 health impact assessment: a systematic review

BackgroundThe emergence of COVID-19 has resulted in health, socio-economic, and political crises. The overall health impact of this disease can be measured by disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) which is the sum of the life years lost due to disability (YLDs) and the years life lost due to premature death (YLLs). The overarching objective of this systematic review was to identify the health burdens of COVID-19 and summarise the literature that can aid health regulators to make evidence-based decisions on COVID-19 mitigation strategies.MethodsThis systematic review was conducted using the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. DALYs-based primary studies were collected from databases, manual searches, and included studies’ references. The primary studies published in English language, conducted since the emergence of COVID-19, and using DALYs or its subsets (years life lost due to disability and/or years life lost due to premature death) as health impact metrics, were the inclusion criteria. The combined disability and mortality health impact of COVID-19 was measured in DALYs. The risk of bias due to literature selection, identification, and reporting processes was assessed using the Joanna Bridges Institute critical appraisal tool for cross-sectional studies, and the certainty of evidence was assessed using the GRADE Pro tool.ResultOf the 1459 identified studies, twelve of them were eligible for inclusion in the review. The years life lost due to COVID-19 related mortality was dominant over the years life lost due to COVID-19 related disability (disability times from the onset of COVID-19 to recovery, from diseases occurrence to mortality, and the long-term consequences of COVID-19) in all included studies. The long-term consequence disability time and the pre-death disability time were not assessed by most of the reviewed articles.ConclusionThe impact of COVID-19 on both the length and quality of life has been substantial and has been causing considerable health crises worldwide. The health burden of COVID-19 was greater than other infectious diseases. Further studies focussing on issues examining increasing preparedness for future pandemics, public sensitization, and multi-sectorial integration are recommended.

Current state of legal regulation of self-employment in Ukraine

The work analyzes the current state of legal regulation of self-employment in Ukraine. It is noted that self-employment of the population is an alternative way out of the crisis situation on the labor market, for a certain part, a way of survival in a difficult life situation. Thanks to it, additional jobs are created, there is an opportunity to show one's own initiative and receive income. At the same time, it does not require state capital investments, has a mobile organizational structure, is based on strong labor motivation, focuses on consumer needs and promptly satisfies them. The basis of the legal regulation of this form of employment in Ukraine is the Constitution, special normative legal acts that regulate the procedure for the employment of self-employed persons. It is noted that the non-regulation of this form of population employment by the main acts of labor legislation has a negative consequence for the regulation of these legal relations. Attention is focused on the importance of self-employment as a separate type of employment, especially today, when the country is in a state of war. Currently, the processes of formation and development of the labor market of Ukraine and its regions are under the significant influence of the socio-economic crisis, the systemic nature of which produces the growth of labor migration, a high level of unemployment, an existing imbalance in the structure of labor supply and demand, the imperfection of the wage system, the development of shadow labor socio-economic and contractual relations, as well as the underdevelopment of incentives to improve labor efficiency. Therefore, aspects of effective employment of the population, creation of an effective labor market, prevention of mass unemployment and labor migration are of particular importance. The state should pay special attention to the issue of self-employment of the population in Ukraine, in particular by introducing regional strategies to support employment; improvement of the organizational and economic mechanism of interaction of the self-employed with local authorities. The implementation of the mentioned measures should lead to the development of territorial programs to promote the development of micro-businesses, the development of regulatory documents, the optimization of tax payments, the construction of a system of social protection and social benefits for the self- employed.

Intention to Vaccinate against COVID-19 among Young Adults: The Role of Conspiratorial Thinking.

The anti-scientific and anti-vaccine movements gained momentum amidst the health and socio-economic crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. These widespread pseudoscientific beliefs and the endorsement of conspiracy theories likely contributed to the COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. The aim of this study was to explore which variables best differentiated between groups of vaccinated (n = 289), vaccine-hesitant (n = 106), and vaccine-refusing (n = 146) young adults. The study was conducted online at the beginning of the mass vaccination campaign in Croatia when the vaccine just became available for younger and non-vulnerable members of the general population. The demographic variables, COVID-19 anxiety, and conspiratorial thinking regarding COVID-19 were entered into the discriminant analysis. The function explaining 89.2% of the group differences, mostly between the vaccinated and vaccine-refusing, was largely defined by conspiratorial thinking regarding COVID-19 (0.852), followed by variables with substantially less discriminative power, including COVID-19 anxiety (0.423; lower in the vaccine-refusing group), political orientation (0.486; vaccine-refusing leaning less to the left), financial and educational status (0.435 and 0.304, respectively; both lower in the vaccine-refusing group), and religiosity (0.301; higher in the vaccine-refusing group). These results confirm that among young adults, the decision to vaccinate against COVID-19 might be heavily influenced by one's proclivity to engage in conspiratorial thinking.

ОЦЕНКА УСТОЙЧИВОГО РАЗВИТИЯ РЕГИОНОВ ПРИВОЛЖСКОГО ФЕДЕРАЛЬНОГО ОКРУГА

One of the main conditions for the successful implementation of the adopted Spatial Development Strategy in the Russian Federation is the sustainable development of its regions. The study was conducted in order to study the level of sustainable development of the regions of Volga Federal District, which occupies 6.1% of the territory of Russia, based on the model developed by the authors. The indicators of sustainable development proposed for assessment (economic, social, scientific and innovative, environmental) make it possible to make an objective and comprehensive assessment of the regional policy pursued in the region, show the level of sustainable development and give appropriate guidelines in further management decisions for its management. As a result of the study, following the results of 2020, the regions were ranked according to the level of their sustainable development of the year into five groups. The Republic of Tatarstan has taken a leading stable position. The group close to sustainable development includes Bashkiria, Samara and Nizhny Novgorod regions, as well as Perm Krai. Saratov region has signs of unstable socio-economic development. The Orenburg, Penza, Kirov, Ulyanovsk regions and the Udmurt Republic were included in the group with an unstable pre-crisis economic state. According to the level of sustainable development, Chuvashia, Mordovia and Mari El are classified as a group with signs of socio-economic crisis. The regions of Volga Federal District, regardless of the rank obtained, are invited to annually assess the level of sustainable development and form a development strategy based on the experience of the leading regions. The results of the study can be the basis for making a forecast of the socio-economic development of the regions of the Volga Federal District and indicators of their sustainability for the future.

The state in the post-war industrial recovery and economic renewal: historical parallels and approaches for Ukraine

In 2022, Ukrainians are experiencing the most tragic events since the Second World War - the full-scale invasion of Russian troops into Ukraine has led to numerous casualties, the destruction of cities, and the disruption of infrastructure and industrial facilities. Since the first days of the war, the dependence on the industrial imports (primarily for military purposes) became obvious, as well as the fact that the ensuing socio-economic crisis cannot be overcome with domestic resources alone - both now and even after the end of the war. This prompts the search for mechanisms to ensure the stability and recovery of Ukraine's economy. The purpose of the article is to generalize the global experience of prioritizing the industry in the state policy of the leading countries of the world under the conditions of severe tests, to illustrate the implementation by the state of the functions speeding up economic recovery; and to propose conclusions and recommendations for Ukraine. The article shows the place of industry in the policy of recovery, gaining economic independence and increasing the country's power. Using historical examples, the authors demonstrated that during 300 years the state has influenced the industry through targeted political levers and institutional frameworks, generating the optimal results of measures aimed at restructuring to overcome the consequences of wars, epidemics and crises. It is substantiated that under the severe ordeals, the state has played a leading role in economic recovery, implementing a number of functions - administration and moderation, stimulation and catalysis, integration and cooperation, entrepreneurship and consumption, conservation and protection - to speed up the development of national industry as a source of the stabilization of employment, domestic and foreign investment, inflation, foreign trade and the financial sector, contributing to national social balance and well-being. The authors propose a conceptual approach to the functions of the state during post-war recovery of Ukraine's economy, ensuring economic stability and growth based on the national industry.

Economics and Management in Time of Decline in The Western World (Status Quo and Opportunities for The Western World)

When socio-economic crises last a long time, it is a consequence of decline in the first place in society and in parallel with this – decline in economy. “Decline”, for the purpose of the study, will mean permanently fragmented society, parallel to long-term problems in the economy. “Western world”, for the purposes of this study will include Europe, The United Kingdom, and The United States. Decline in addition to social chaos also includes economic impasse (deadlock), caused by absence of significant economic growth for years; obsolete equipment and technologies; indebtedness of the countries of the West; inflation; negative population growth; frequent change of goals and priorities, and others. The “Decline” brings to the fore in the public life of the Western world aggressive and non-dialogical representatives of various social groups who do not possess any of the traditional values and culture of Western society, nor the obligatory high level of fundamental education, nor the professional abilities to distinguish the important from the unimportant. In addition to not representing the majority of society and thus continuing to create disunity, Western leaders and leadership teams do not set long-term goals in economy or for the society, limited by the mandate of governance in the Western democracies. Science and education of the society are not developed in parallel with economic specialization in specifically prioritized industries. Status quo does not allow solving the accumulated problems in society, much less ensuring socio-economic development.