scholarly journals SMEs Sustainability in Times of Crisis

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Otilia-Maria Bordeianu ◽  
◽  
Claudia-Elena Grigoras-Ichim ◽  
Lucia Morosan-Danila ◽  
◽  
...  

The global crisis generated by the COVID-19 pandemic among the population and at the level of companies, state institutions, etc., underlined the importance of analysing its impact at different levels (intern, national and international level). The concepts of sustainability, development and growth must be aware, adapted and implemented more and more frequently, even constantly, in order to cope with the current evolution of the economy (and not only). The paper is an empirical research conducted in the North-East Region of Romania, aiming to analyse the impact of COVID-19 on local companies (especially SME’s), in the context of existing correlation between the COVID-19 impact on resizing, restricting, changing the number of active employees, changing revenue, changing turnover and changing profit, based on the Spearman correlation coefficients. In this sense, it was important to implement sustainability strategies and ensure the activity and resources of companies in the long term, because the effects of an economic crisis (natural resources, human resources, not only financial) are felt in 2021 and will be felt in the future 10 years. The paper concludes with two practical solutions to ensure the sustainability of the companies involved in the study, solutions that can be applied by all companies that have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 113-130
Author(s):  
Beata Bieszk-Stolorz ◽  
Krzysztof Dmytrów

Research background: Because the active labour market policy requires high resources, it is important to analyse the effectiveness of its instruments. For the unemployment, it is essential to identify the groups of persons threatened by the long-term unemployment, to assess the impact of programmes on exit from unemployment and monitoring the disbursement of funds. Purpose of the article: The goal of the article was identification of clusters of poviats in Poland with respect to cost and employment effectiveness of basic forms of professional activisation in the years 2008–2014. Methods: The poviats were clustered by means of the k-means method. Variables were standardised and the number of clusters was determined by means of the v-fold cross-validation. Findings & Value added: The analysis did not allow to unambiguously specify areas in Poland with better use of funds allocated in the activisation programmes. The poviats in the middle-east Poland were generally characterized by worse values of effectiveness. However, the unemployment rate in these areas was relatively small. On the contrary, the poviats in the north-east Poland had high unemployment rate and the funds were used effectively. Assessment of effectiveness of forms of professional activisation is very important because the activities of poviat labour offices influence the counteraction to unemployment.


Author(s):  
Sohana Debbarma ◽  
Geetanjali Kaushik

India's North-East Region has greater demand for road and personalized modes of transport powered by fossil fuels. And due to emissions, there has been evidence of climate change. It has been found that diesel cars cause greater emissions (per kilometer travelled) as compared to petrol cars; therefore, the use of diesel should be discouraged. The chapter suggests that the emissions in case of public transport passenger-km are lesser than other modes of transport. However, in the North-East Region, there is negligible share of public transport due to poor infrastructure and service facilities. Therefore, improvements should be made with regard to public transport system so that considerable number of passengers shifts to public transport modes. Further, it is inferred that use of alternate vehicle or fuel technologies like hybrid electric vehicles, biofuel, biodiesel, hydrogen fuel need to be initiated to mitigate the climate change.


2022 ◽  
pp. 156-180
Author(s):  
Sohana Debbarma ◽  
Geetanjali Kaushik

India's North-East Region has greater demand for road and personalized modes of transport powered by fossil fuels. And due to emissions, there has been evidence of climate change. It has been found that diesel cars cause greater emissions (per kilometer travelled) as compared to petrol cars; therefore, the use of diesel should be discouraged. The chapter suggests that the emissions in case of public transport passenger-km are lesser than other modes of transport. However, in the North-East Region, there is negligible share of public transport due to poor infrastructure and service facilities. Therefore, improvements should be made with regard to public transport system so that considerable number of passengers shifts to public transport modes. Further, it is inferred that use of alternate vehicle or fuel technologies like hybrid electric vehicles, biofuel, biodiesel, hydrogen fuel need to be initiated to mitigate the climate change.


PeerJ ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. e9815
Author(s):  
Emilia Ludwiczak ◽  
Mariusz Nietupski ◽  
Agnieszka Kosewska

This study, concerning the epigeic fauna of carabid beetles (Coleoptera; Carabidae), was conducted in the north-east of Poland, in an area which is part of the Dąbrówka Forest Subdistrict and has been included in the “Small water retention program for the Province of Warmia and Mazury in 2006–2015”. The purpose of the study was to assess the impact of the water retention implemented within the framework of the above program on assemblages of ground beetles. These insects are highly sensitive to any anthropogenically induced transformations. This analysis was based on the interactions among the analyzed insects caused by changes occurring in their habitat. During the 3-year study, 5,807 specimens representing 84 species were captured. The water storage had a significant influence on the structure of the Carabidae assemblages. Before the earthworks were constructed for the project, the beetle assemblages had comprised a large group of xerophilous species, whereas after the small retention reservoirs had been created, an increase in the contribution of hygrophilous species was noticed. The results indicate that the retention works cause alterations in the water and environmental conditions of the habitats, and thereby effect changes in the composition of Carabidae assemblages. Moreover, modification in water relations within a habitat causes long-term changes in the structural and functional diversity of the beetles.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Upama Gurung

The impact of climate change upon the basic human rights of the people is emerging as a frontline research area particularly in the North East region of India- the region which is more prone to the gushing impacts of global climate change due to its geo-ecological delicateness, shared international boundaries, rugged mountain terrains and the regions’ high dependency on climate sensitive livelihood such as agriculture, tea and forestry. Profound impacts of climate change in the region are being seen already in the form of rise in average temperature, slight changes in rainfall patterns, changes in the biodiversity, decrease of air quality which has ultimately threatened an array of human rights of the people in the region such as their Right to Life, Right to Food, Right to health and so on. Although Climate change has a cascading effect upon the people of the North East region of India, this area has been under-acknowledged and under-researched. Therefore, the paper purports to explore and evaluate the threats that anthropogenic climate change has imposed upon the human rights of the people of North-East India along albeit interrogating the measures that have been undertaken to address the issue and their efficacy.


2021 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 98-108
Author(s):  
Z.K. Mohammed ◽  
B.B. Petrol ◽  
U. Ahmad

Fermented cereal-based gruels with poor nutritional value form a major component of the diet of infants during the transition phase of childhood. With the recent security challenges affecting people in the north- east region of Nigeria, food security is at stake, malnutrition is common among infants and young children while reliance on UNICEF for supplies of ready- to- use therapeutic foods is not a long-term solution. A complementary food blend was prepared following the guideline of WHO/FAO on infants’ nutritional requirements in a 60:20:20 ratio from fermented yellow maize (improved variety), roasted soybean and fishmeal respectively. All the sample materials were pre-processed by either fermentation, drying or roasting prior to food blend formulation. Standard methods (AOAC) were used to evaluate the nutritional values of the raw and processed materials and the formulated complementary food blend. Water absorption capacity of the fermented yellow maize significantly decreased (P< 0.05) with decrease in pH and increase in titratable acidity from 20% - 51% (0 – 72h). The carbohydrate (64.35±0.03%) and protein contents (14.55±0.03% and energy value (351.64±0.03 Kcal/100g) of the complementary food blend was closely comparable to the commercial complementary food blend cerelac® (Carbohydrate 69.00%, Protein 15.0%, and energy 426.00 Kcal/100g) and satisfied the needs of infants. The low moisture content (3.1±0.02%) exhibited by the complementary food blend might give a good storage stability. The iron level of the complementary food blend (40.33± 0.03%) was higher than that of the commercial complementary food blend celerac® (10.0%), though the levels of potassium, zinc and calcium were lower. Microbial analysis showed no contamination with pathogenic organisms in the formulated food blend. The formulated complementary food blend met the WHO estimated requirements of infant 6 – 23 months in terms of nutritional quality and may therefore be a good substitute to the imported, expensive alternatives.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Veronika Siska ◽  
Anders Eriksson ◽  
Bernhard Mehlig ◽  
Andrea Manica

AbstractThe Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD), a unique case of a transmissible cancer, had a devastating effect on its host, the Tasmanian Devil. Current estimates of its density are at roughly 20% of the pre-disease state, and single-population epidemiological models have predicted the likely extinction of the host. Here we take advantage of extensive surveys across Tasmania providing data on the spatial and temporal spread of DFTD, and investigate the dynamics of this host-pathogen system using a spatial metapopulation model. We first confirm a most likely origin of DFTD in the north-east corner of the island, and then use the inferred dynamics to predict the fate of the species. We find that our medium-term predictions match additional data not used for fitting, and that on the longterm, Tasmanian Devils are predicted to coexist with the tumour. The key process allowing persistence is the repeated reinvasion of extinct patches from neighbouring areas where the disease has flared up and died out, resulting in a dynamic equilibrium with different levels of spatial heterogeneity. However, this dynamic equilibrium is predicted to keep this apex predator at about 9 % of its original density, with possible dramatic effects on the Tasmanian ecosystem.


2018 ◽  
pp. 149-154

Vera Antonovna Martynenko (17.02.1936–06.01.2018) — famous specialist in the field of studying vascular plant flora and vegetation of the Far North, the Honored worker of the Komi Republic (2006), The Komi Republic State Scientific Award winner (2000). She was born in the town Likhoslavl of the Kali­nin (Tver) region. In 1959, Vera Antonovna graduated from the faculty of soil and biology of the Leningrad State University and then moved to the Komi Branch of USSR Academy of Science (Syktyvkar). From 1969 to 1973 she passed correspondence postgraduate courses of the Komi Branch of USSR Academy of ­Science. In 1974, she received the degree of candidate of biology (PhD) by the theme «Comparative analysis of the boreal flora at the Northeast European USSR» in the Botanical Institute (St. Petersburg). In 1996, Vera Antonovna received the degree of doctor of biology in the Institute of plant and animal ecology (Ekaterinburg) «Flora of the northern and mid subzones of the taiga of the European North-East». The study and conservation of species and coenotical diversity of the plant world, namely the vascular plants flora of the Komi Republic and revealing its transformation under the anthropogenic influence, was in the field of V. A. Martynenko’ scientific interests. She made great contribution to the study of the Komi Republic meadow flora and the pool of medi­cinal plants. She performed inventorying and mapping the meadows of several agricultural enterprises of the Republic, revealed the species composition and places for harvesting medicinal plants and studied their productivity in the natural flora of the boreal zone. The results of her long-term studies were used for making the NPA system and the Red Book of the Komi Republic (1998 and 2009). Vera Antonovna participated in the research of the influence of placer gold mining and oil development on the natural ecosystems of the North, and developed the method of long-term monitoring of plant cover. Results of these works are of high practical value. V. A. Martynenko is an author and coauthor of more than 130 scientific publications. The most important jnes are «Flora of Northeast European USSR» (1974, 1976, and 1977), «Floristic composition of fodder lands of the Northeast Europe» (1989), «The forests of the Komi Republic» (1999), «Forestry of forest resources of the Komi Republic» (2000), «The list of flora of the Yugyd va national park» (2003), «The guide for vascular plants of the Syktyvkar and its vicinities» (2005), «Vascular plants of the Komi Republic» (2008), and «Resources of the natural flora of the Komi Republic» (2014). She also was an author of «Encyclopedia of the Komi Republic» (1997, 1999, and 2000), «Historical and cultural atlas of the Komi Republic» (1997), «Atlas of the Komi Republic» (2001, 2011). V. A. Martynenko made a great contribution to the development of the botanical investigations in the North. Since 1982, during more than 10 years, she was the head of the Department of the Institute of Biology. Three Ph. D. theses have been completed under her leadership. Many years, she worked actively in the Dissertation Council of the Institute of biology Komi Scientific Centre UrB RAS.  The death of Vera Antonovna Martynenko is a heavy and irretrievable loss for the staff of the Institute of Biology. The memory of Vera Antonovna will live in her numerous scientific works, the hearts of students and colleagues.


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