Weak Economy Research Articles

Nurturing Socioculturally and Medically Appropriate Palliative Care Delivery: Lessons Learned by Israeli Medical Faculty

Israel is one of the few countries worldwide with a national policy and defined standards of palliative care (PC); its culture is highly diverse and more traditionally oriented in comparison with Western countries. This study describes the current state of PC in Israel through examination of: (1) its current status, self-image and structural factors; (2) its relation to cultural and political characteristics; and (3) the chances, goals and obstacles of advancing PC in Israel. Face-to-face interviews were conducted at all five public medical faculties in Israel from November 2017 to February 2018. The following findings are reported: (1) definition of palliative care, (2) multidisciplinary approach, (3) special role of nurses, (4) personal perceptions of death, (5) understanding the role of medicine, (6) specialty palliative medicine, (7) religious, spiritual and cultural aspects, (8) political and economic aspects, (9) obstacles and weaknesses, and (10) prospects and goals of palliative care. Participants perceive PC as an integrative healthcare service that should be available to all patients, including children and their families, at any stage of illness. They internalize that PC principles apply regardless of ethnic, cultural, and religious background. Utilizing nurses’ leadership, enhancing multidisciplinary teamwork, and person-centered approach, supports better PC to more people.

Poverty as a Consequence of Structural Imbalances and State-led Growth Failure in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region (1970 - 2020)

This paper sheds light on economic contradictions, or structural imbalances, of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), with special references to Iraq and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), which occurred across the last 50 years. These contradictions, or imbalances, have resulted in a weak economy and political instability, and gradually generated a high level of poverty. The study emphasizes the correlation between state-led growth, structural imbalances, resource curse, and socio-economic outcomes such as poor economic performance, low levels of private-sector development, and increasing poverty rate. It also analyzes the constraints of reforms by social actors. The paper relies on secondary data collected by NGOs, government organizations, researchers, etc. It concludes that poverty is first and for most a consequence of the economic contradictions, or economic imbalances and state-led growth including but not limited to instability in oil rents versus high growth rate of population, and a large public sector versus a weak private sector.

Voices from the past: economic and political vulnerabilities in the making of next generation EU

In this article, we show that Next Generation EU (NGEU) is mainly a response to the economic and political imbalances left over from the Eurozone crisis. It is a pre-emptive intervention, especially targeted at structurally weak economies with rising Euroscepticism, to avoid costly ex-post bailouts as in the Great Recession. We demonstrate, using quantitative analysis, that pre-existing vulnerabilities, rather than the impact of the pandemic, drove the allocation of NGEU resources: per capita grants largely correspond to past economic vulnerabilities, as well as to political ones. Countries most vulnerable to another adjustment by austerity after the COVID-19 economic crisis receive most resources. Also, countries with strong anti-EU sentiments are entitled to larger NGEU grants per capita. In contrast, grants are not correlated with the severity of the health crisis. Then, we show the domestic relevance of economic and political vulnerabilities through qualitative case studies of national political debates and domestic positions on NGEU in Italy, Germany and the Netherlands. Despite its innovative traits, NGEU is a politically constrained solution to address the mess from the previous decade, and as such, it is a Janus solution: promising a fresh start, but haunted by the past.

A neoclassical realist perspective on Russian foreign policy in the Eastern Mediterranean in the Putin era

Russian regional activity in the Eastern Mediterranean represent a significant part of its global positioning. Reassuring itself as a great power capable of bringing loud voice into international affairs, Russia secures its national interests by building up its power capabilities in the Eastern Mediterranean, which consequently influence the geopolitical balance of power in the region. However, against the background of Russia’s economic weakness and political isolation, expressed in a decrease in its relative material capabilities, why does it continue to expand its participation in remote regions like the Eastern Mediterranean? What systemic and domestic factors are driving its foreign policy towards this region? How Moscow perceive the Eastern Mediterranean? Which strategy does Russia apply in maintaining its position in the region, and how it behaves vis-à-vis key regional actors? Taking neoclassical realism as a theoretical basis, this article aims to answer the above questions providing an analysis of systemic incentives and domestic (unit) level variables, which are instrumental in understanding Russian foreign policy behavior in the region (dependent variable), as well as globally. Focusing on the geographical area of Eastern Mediterranean, this article offers insights into Russia’s interaction with this region and within it, its behavior pursuing its interests exposing areas of potential conflict and cooperation with relevant actors, and the patterns of Russia’s interaction in regional balance of power. The significance of this study lies in the applying of a relatively new theoretical approach (neoclassical realism) to a specific geographical case (Eastern Mediterranean) in a certain time frame (Putin era) in the study of Russian foreign policy. Keywords: Russia, Eastern Mediterranean, neoclassical realism

The Mediating Effects of Implied Volatility and Exchange Rate on the U.S. Tourism-Growth Nexus

In this paper, we examine the impact of destination risk and currency valuation on the U.S. tourism-growth nexus using the recently developed nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag cointegration technique. Tourism development is proxied by tourist arrivals, while growth is measured by real GDP. Empirical results show evidence of long-run asymmetric bidirectional causality. Positive shocks in tourism development directly impact growth, while negative shocks in GDP have a negative causal effect on tourism. This latter finding, which supports the growth-led tourism hypothesis, suggests that in the long run, tourism tends to improve following periods of economic weakness, perhaps due to the dollar’s weakness at such times. However, we have evidence only of unidirectional causality running from GDP to tourism in the short run. An important implication of these findings is the need to promote inbound tourism, especially when weakness in the U.S. economy is accompanied by a decline in the value of the dollar.

Keterlibatan Peran Orang Tua Dalam Pelaksanaan Blended Learning Pada Masa Pandemi Di Desa Enggal Rejo Kabupaten Pringsewu

This research describes the involvement of the role of parents in the implementation of blended learning during the covid-19 pandemic in Enggal Rejo village of Pringsewu Regency. The method in this study is qualitative with parent informants and children aged 6 to 12 years, data collection techniques using observation, interviews, and documentation. The results showed that the involvement of parents in the implementation of blended learning during the pandemic acted as facilitators, motivators, as teachers and as influences. In addition, the difficulties faced by parents include; Low educational background, weak economy, parental employment and limited time.

THE HISTORY OF THE FORMATION OF THE NATIONAL INTELLIGENTSIA IN TURKESTAN AT THE ORIGINS OF SOVIET POWER

The article describes the process of active formation on a socialist basis of social units of the structure of a socialist society, like Soviet workers and intelligentsia. The creation of completely new social strata, characteristic only of Soviet society, is also noted - cooperative handicraftsmen, collective farmers, workers of Soviet farms. But due to the small number and economic weakness, their activities were practically not noticeable either in the city or in the village. KEY WORDS: intelligentsia, society, education, profession, industry, citizen, party, socialism, bolshevik, paniIslamism, panturkism, clergy, school, madrasah, university.

Household food security during the COVID-19 pandemic in urban and semi-urban areas in Indonesia

BackgroundOne of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic was the weakening of the community's economic condition. The weak economy of the community will have an impact on household food security. This study aims to determine food security in the COVID-19 pandemic situation and the impact of the pandemic on food security in urban and semi-urban areas.MethodsA cross-sectional study with a total sample of 517 people who live in urban (Jakarta) and semi-urban (Depok) areas. The research data was collected online and purposively through Posyandu cadres who have access to family/community. Food security was measured using HFIAS (Household Food Insecurity Access Scale) method, while impact of COVID-19 pandemic was categorized into two categories: impacted (reduced income and laid off) and less impacted (not reduced income and laid off). Data analysis used the Chi-square test and multiple logistic regression.ResultsThere were 65.0% of households with various level of food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of the multivariate analysis showed that family income during the COVID-19 pandemic (AOR = 4.2; CI = 2.7–6.7), the type of impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, i.e., reduced income and stopped working (AOR = 2.6; CI = 1.6–4.1), and the age of the respondent (AOR = 1.7; CI = 1.1–2.5) were significantly related to household food security during the pandemic after being controlled by husband's work status. Households with lower income had 4 times higher risk to experience food insecurity compared to those with higher income. Heavily impacted households (through reduced income and stopped working) had 3 times higher risk to experience food insecurity compared to those who did not. Additionally, we found that households with younger respondent (< 31 years old) had 2 times higher risk to experience food insecurity compared to those older counterparts.ConclusionsThe COVID-19 pandemic impacted household food security in both urban and semi-urban areas through worsening employment status and income condition.

THE IMPACT OF RUSSIA’S SPECIAL MILITARY OPERATION IN UKRAINE ON THE ARAB WORLD

In this article, the author considers the Arab reaction to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and studies the economic consequences of these events. In the course of his work, the author separates politics and economics and also divides the Arab countries into several groups. In the political aspect, the Arab countries are divided into allies loyal to Russia, those states that want to sit on two chairs and countries that want to distance themselves as much as possible from the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. The study revealed that Russia has few loyal allies in the Arab East and most countries try to maintain neutrality in order to maintain ties with all participants in the international system. In the economic sphere, the author also sees three groups, but he divides them in a different way. The article highlights rich countries, a state with a weak economy and prone to crisis, as well as Arab countries whose crisis has been aggravated by cattle since the beginning of this conflict. The scientific article reflects that the consequences of the embargo on the export of grain from Moscow and Kyiv created an extremely negative situation in North Africa and the Middle East, from which many countries are actually facing a threat to food security and an increase in the number of hungry people. In conclusion, the author comes to the conclusion that this conflict is extremely unfavorable for the Arab East. In fact, in the interests of the country of the Arab East, the peaceful coexistence of Russia and the European continent would not force individual countries to take sides and become someone’s enemy.

Negative Impact of Covid-19 On Oil Price and Export: An Assessment of CounterMeasures Taken by The Nigerian Government

The unprecedented outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has affected individuals and countries in diverse ways. One of such areas that have suffered a massive hit is the socio-economic aspect of man. Efforts to contain the spread resulted in close down of manufacturing centres of major economies of the world, travel restrictions, total lockdown, border closures and a host of others. This has negatively affected world trade as it has led to decrease in the demand of raw materials particularly crude oil by producers and drastic fall in its price following disagreement of oil price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia. Nigeria is greatly affected as it relies heavily on crude oil as its major export commodity coupled with an already weak economy. The negative impact of the drop in oil price and export is taking its toll on the economy. In a bid to manage the situation, the federal government has taken certain countermeasures. The study examined the negative impact of the drop in oil price and exports on the Nigerian economy and counter measures to checkmate the effects therein. By analyzing secondary data, the study found out that the negative impact on the Nigerian economy is drastic and there is a need to cushion its effects, some of the countermeasures identified include devaluation of the naira, extension of moratorium, review of the budget, release of 50 billion naira to households and affected SMES among others. The study recommends that there is increased need to diversify the economy and increase local production.

Leveraging the community development approach to examine the natural capital effect on sustainable development goal 3 - target 2

ABSTRACT This study investigates if natural capital abundance matters for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3, Target 2, to reduce under-five mortality rates in 56 low and lower-middle-income countries. The empirical investigation is based on a health production conceptual framework using data for 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2014. The findings confirm that natural capital abundance has not translated into reductions in under-five mortality rates in any of the four-time periods. It is concluded that weaker economies with natural resource abundance should institute policies that target the sustainable extraction of natural capital and develop effective synergies with the extractive sector to improve child health and the timely achievement of SDG 3, Target 2.

Poor Economics – Knowledge Economy and The Existing Knowledge Gaps (Higher and Academic Education) In Healthcare; How To Overcome?

The 2018 United Nations Development Program (UNDP) presents clearly that the lower the human development indices (HDI), the more significant the decrement in secondary and tertiary education enrolment (higher and academic). For example, tertiary education in the very high-HDI countries shows 72% enrolment, where enrolment in the medium and low HDI parts of the world is only 24% and 8% respectively. The data illustrate the impressive paucity in education, hence knowledge production. This paucity in education is predicted to result in a weak knowledge economy of available and accessible knowledge. This root cause analysis discloses a significant area of attention to narrow and bridge the existing knowledge gap. Education in these countries has been focused almost exclusively on vocational education of technical skills with limited theoretical attention (knowledge) and rudimentary attention to topics such as governance, human capacity investment, and appropriate application. Education needs the proper environment and climate at primary, secondary and tertiary education levels, resulting in an effective knowledge economy and contributing to advancing progress and improvement of quality. The healthcare system for example needs to be available and accessible to all. This environment can only be created and developed when countries establish national structures, institutional environment, and a competent leadership and management cadre. This depends on the existence of a well-educated and motivated cadre of ‘intelligentsia’, competent and responsible policymakers and governors, and creating an inviting and inspiring education climate, irrespective of the level of knowledge to be acquired.The paper provides a global situation analysis of qualified and quantified key elements of the knowledge economy, and analysis of the impact of differentials between knowledge economies of the various human development groups on national healthcare structures and patient safety as a final outcome. Additionally, it alludes to methods on how to improve on the identified gaps.

Imperialism after empire? Britain and Qatar in the aftermath of the withdrawal from East of Suez

The existing historiography on relations between Britain and the states of Lower Gulf after British withdrawal from ‘East of Suez’ in 1971 suggests that the former imperial power successfully established an informal role in the 1970s and beyond which amounted to empire in all but name. While Britain certainly sought to retain as much of its influence and as many of its interests in the economically important Lower Gulf as possible, an analysis of Anglo-Qatari relations after 1971 demonstrates that Britain’s former exclusive position was substantially eroded. British economic weakness, fierce competition from Britain’s industrial rivals, and the encroachment of the Arab world into the affairs of Qatar all militated still further against the preservation of British influence and interests, let alone the establishment of an informal imperial relationship with Qatar.

Impact of COVID-19 on South Sudan: A Review on Social and Economic Management Policies from the First Wave

In December 2019, a new respiratory disease, i.e., novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) emerged in Mainland China in Wuhan the capital of Hubei Province. It spreads through droplets produced while coughing or sneezing. Its symptoms include fever, dry cough, fatigue, sputum production, shortness of breath, sore throat, etc. In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 as a “Pandemic” which affected human lives and economies. South Sudan is a developing country and does not have adequate resources to overcome this pandemic (COVID-19).&#x0D; Aims: The primary objective of this article is to explore the impact of COVID-19 on the youngest country in the African continent (South Sudan) on its weak economy coupled with hyperinflation and depreciation of currency etc. and lessons learned from other countries in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.&#x0D; Methodology: A review was carried out to accomplish the objective of the study by extracting data from the database of Science Direct, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Research Gate, and authentic websites for World Health Organization (WHO), World Bank, etc., studies covered major areas across the globe but more especially countries that have trade ties with South Sudan and the East African&#x0D; Results: There is a drop in South Sudan’s crude oil export which is crucial for the economy. The responsive rate to vulnerable citizens was low, inadequate policies implementations, there was massive unemployment, it has created the state of xenophobia between nationals and foreigners, online learning through the use of televisions (TVs) and radio stations has not been effective.&#x0D; Conclusion: The management of the COVID-19 pandemic call for collaboration between authorities the public, and inter-states as there is no country immune. The use of e-commerce is crucial for developing countries, which reduces social interaction between traders and consumers, reducing the chances of a complete economic shutdown. Lastly, there is also a need to establish learning infrastructures for online studies and birth control initiatives, especially for the least developed countries.

Extraction of TiO2 from kaolin deposits in the Central Region, Ghana: An alternative material for the formulation of climate-smart Portland cement

This paper is one of series of papers assessing the suitability of formulating titanium dioxide climate smart Portland cement in developing countries using locally available cementitious material like kaolin. In this paper, authors highlight extraction of titanium dioxide from kaolin deposits in the Central Region, Ghana using selective flocculation techniques and later used to formulate climate-smart cement. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) a photocatalytic ingredient which studies from developed countries have shown that when nano-sized of it is added to cement is able to reduce smog-forming air pollutants, keep surfaces of buildings clean and resist sulphate attack. However, developing countries with weak economies and low technologies are not able to utilize nano-size TiO2 in the formulation of climate-smart cement. It is within this context that this study was undertaken. About 450 g of 53 μm kaolin samples were treated with dispersing agents such as sodium polyacrylate and sodium silicate in excess amount so as to produce maximum deflocculation of the kaolinite particles. The percentage of titanium dioxide extracted ranges from 86.1% for kaolin samples from Saltpond to 91.8% for kaolin samples from Assin Foso respectively; which was later used to formulate climate-smart Portland cement. The ability of the formulated TiO2-ordinary Portland climate smart cement to degrade Rhodamine B dye was tested. Mortar pastes containing various percentages of TiO2-climate smart Portland cement with Rhodamine B dye were exposed to sunlight for 0, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h respectively. The test results indicate that addition of TiO2 extracted from kaolin and used to synthesize climate -smart ordinary Portland cement is able to degrade air pollutants from vehicular exhaust such as PAHs, and as such its use in the construction industry can improve the durability of buildings and for that matter the socio-economic development of the region as well as Ghana as a whole.

Article-processing charges as a barrier for science in low-to-medium income regions.

It is widely accepted that science is universal by nature. However, to make science universal, access to research findings is imperative. The open access model of publication of academic articles was established and consolidated during the last two decades. However, most of the open access journals apply article-processing charges (APCs), which can cost more than USD 10,000.00. In regions where support for research is scarce, these funds are usually not available. Similar problems occur in countries with weak economies and, consequently, unfavorable currency conversion rates. This situation reveals a barrier to the alleged universality of science and the access to research findings. In this manuscript, the barriers faced by authors and institutions from low-to-middle income regions to cover APCs and make their science freely available are discussed and illustrated with recent numbers.

Efficiency of maturation oxidation ponds as a post-treatment technique of wastewater

In developing countries, it still suffers from endless problems regarding wastewater treatment and the problem of choosing the appropriate treatment system due to lack of proper technology and weak economy. This study highlights the maturity oxidation pond (stabilization) of small communities as an effective, low-cost and simple post-treatment technique for treating wastewater before discharging into an aquatic ecosystem. The Rashid plant was cited as a treatment plant in the city of Rashid-ElBeheira Governorate - Egypt as a model plant for applying this technology in treatment of wastewater. This work also includes the studying of the relationship between climatic conditions, physicochemical parameters and biomass of microorganisms to evaluate the efficiency of its performance.

ІМПЛЕМЕНТАЦІЯ СТРАТЕГІЇ ІМПОРТОЗАМІЩЕННЯ В СУЧАСНИХ РЕАЛІЯХ ГЕОЕКОНОМІЧНОЇ НЕСТАБІЛЬНОСТІ

The article discusses the dependence of European countries on imports of Russian oil and gas, which caused instability in supply chains and could trigger the destruction of the global financial system, against the background of the war in Ukraine. The main positions of the impact of the sanctions regime on global trade flows were highlighted. As Ukraine fights for survival, Western governments are taking steps to punish Russia. They’re aware that by doing so, they could heighten the conflict’s impact on their own economies. In this way, the sphere of sanctions had revealed the weaknesses of the national oil regime of the European Union from Russia and gas. According to the European Central Bank, the shock of gas regulation by 10% could reduce eurozone GDP by 0.7%, which will increase the figure to 40% – the share of European gas coming from Russia – means an economic decline of 3%. Maximum sanctions can lead to unpredictable consequences that lead to a system of global financial destruction with side effects for US and European banks. The Federal Reserve System is moving to sustain growth. But if higher prices lead to inflationary expectations among consumers and businesses, it will lead to the worst-case scenario of monetary policy: the need to tighten even in a weak economy. The pandemic has left the global economy with two key points of vulnerability – high inflation and jittery financial markets. Aftershocks from the invasion could easily worsen both. There’s a threat to growth too. Households spending an ever-larger chunk of their incomes on fuel and heating will have less cash for other goods and services. Plunging markets would add another drag, hitting wealth and confidence, and making it harder for firms to tap funds for investment. It is analyzed how supply chain disruptions can complicate Russia's trade with European countries and how it affects the entire Eurozone region. Against the background of a sharp decline in Russian energy supplies to Europe and the United States, there is a tendency to increase oil and gas supplies to the East and Africa. The article highlights the forecast for Europe and US inflation and identifies its impact on foreign trade policy. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine carries huge risks for a world economy that’s yet to fully recover from the pandemic shock. So it has been determined that the deterioration of the global financial system is accelerating in the context of the slow growth of world trade since the 2008 global financial crisis and the recovery of the world's economies from the shock of the COVID-19 epidemic. Therefore, in order to avoid and mitigate the negative effects on the world economy, the strategies of import substitution policy in the current realities of geo-economics’ instability were conducted and studied.

ВПЛИВ РЕАЛЬНОГО І ФІНАНСОВОГО СЕКТОРІВ ЕКОНОМІКИ НА ЕКОНОМІЧНИЙ РІСТ

The article is devoted to the systematization of economic thought on the features of the real and financial sector of the economy on economic growth, given that the functioning of one sector involves interaction with participants in another sector, and features and trends of interaction of these sectors determine the level, direction and effectiveness of socio-economic development. The importance of the real and financial sectors in the economic system is determined. The functions of the real and financial sectors, ways of their interaction and current trends are identified. It is established that the real and financial sectors act both as subjects and as objects of influence on each other and on economic growth in general. In economic thought there is an opinion that such an impact, depending on the specific economic conditions, may be positive, negative, neutral or non-existent, which accordingly affects the proportionality of macroeconomic processes and development. The negative impact of the financial sector is most pronounced in a weak economy, as it depends on a number of macroeconomic factors, while in developed countries, on the contrary, can create favorable conditions for investment and capital inflows into the real sector. Also the main ideas of economic theory on the influence of both sectors of the economy on the proportionality of macroeconomic processes and opportunities for economic growth are considered. The reasons for the disproportionate development of the real and financial sectors of the economy are identified. The complexity of the balanced relationship between the financial and real sectors of the economy, which has a corresponding effect on macroeconomic stability, has been confirmed. This is due to the socio-economic nature and institutional form of interaction between the real and financial sectors, which change with the development of the economic system. It was found that the type of level of development and proportionality of the real and financial sectors of the economy is determined primarily by the level of development of the economic system and requires an individual approach to analysis in a particular country.

Reservation Of Economically Weaker Sections Under the Constitution 103rd Amendment Act, 2019

The Constitution (One Hundred and Third Amendment) Act, 2019 introduced a maximum of ten per cent reservation to the “economically weaker sections” of society by amending Articles 15 and 16. This shall not be applicable to the categories already mentioned under Articles 15(4) and 16(4). Through this research paper the author aims to examine this amendment’s constitutionality and whether providing reservation to economically weaker sections is actually a task of the State or is it limited to providing equal opportunity to the socially backward classes. If the answer to the former question is affirmative, then what criteria determine the economic weakness? As the government has itself confessed that the criteria given by it are inadequate to decide so, then it puts the amendment in a difficult position to actually get implemented. The purpose of providing reservation is to do justice to the underrepresented sections of society and in turn, do justice to the whole of society. The foundation of a just society is equal liberties and equal opportunity for all. So reservation aims to put all the people at the same starting point in a race. But if a section of society has not been underrepresented or socially/educationally depressed, then is it upon the State to treat them unequally (positive discrimination) or is it the duty of the State to do positive action by providing assistance to those who are placed at the lower end of the economy? This paper aims to differentiate between formal and substantial equality and positive discrimination and positive action while analysing the objective behind the amendment. The author has used primary as well as secondary sources of research to come to the conclusion that this amendment is unconstitutional and many changes are required in it if is to be implemented fruitfully.