ICT Affordability and Coping With Disaster

2018 ◽  
pp. 212-226
Author(s):  
Carl Adams ◽  
Sam Takavarasha Jr.
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Temporal Perspective ◽  
Support Mechanism ◽  
Sendai Framework ◽  
Support Mechanisms ◽  
And Coping ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Development Perspective

This chapter explores the impact of a disaster on communities from a development perspective and the corresponding importance of access to ICT. Poorer communities are often most vulnerable to disasters, a situation that can affect the economic development of such communities for decades. The chapter uses the UN's Sendai framework to emphasize the role of ICT in supporting communities throughout the different stages of disaster situations, towards long-term recovery and development. Some key themes emerge in the chapter, notably access to technology is a key support mechanism; a longer-term temporal perspective of such disasters indicates there are likely to be different waves of “disaster” refugees; the initial ones being classed as humanitarian migrants with all the humanitarian supports that they attract; whereas longer term any resulting “refugees” would more likely be classed as economic migrants. The chapter also explores longer term support mechanisms such as the role of remittances.

The Sexual Experience of Married Middle-Aged Women as a Source of Mental Wellbeing: Perceptions, Challenges and Coping Mechanisms

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 181-203
Author(s):  
Tal Braverman-Uriel ◽  
Tal Litvak-Hirsch
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Sexual Experience ◽  
Women's Leadership ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Significant Development ◽  
And Coping ◽  
The Impact

The impact of sexuality on mental wellbeing in women in long-term relationships has only been partially investigated. Emphasis has been on quantitative research studies that do not capture the breadth of the field. The present study looked at how and to what extent women maintain sexual desire in long-term relationships, and how sexuality affects their mental wellbeing. The study used a qualitative narrative approach and included semi-structured interviews with approximately 20 Israeli women aged 40–55 from similar socioeconomic backgrounds and in longstanding, permanent relationships. The findings indicate significant development over the years in the perception of the role of sexuality and its impact on mental wellbeing. The path to good sexuality can and should follow women’s leadership and initiative. Such women have the desire to make an impact, willingness to make an effort, and even an actual ability to exert influence. The interviewees’ tools, strategies, insights and ways of coping can serve as models for other women seeking better sexuality in a long-term relationship.

Covid-19 In Man: A Very Dangerous Affair.

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giuseppe Lisco ◽  
Vito A. Giagulli ◽  
Giovanni De Pergola ◽  
Anna De Tullio ◽  
Edoardo Guastamacchia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Poor Prognosis ◽  
Metabolic Diseases ◽  
Systemic Disease ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Immune System Dysfunction ◽  
Data Support ◽  
Systemic Spread ◽  
The Impact

Background: The novel pandemic of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has becoming a public health issue since March 2020 considering that more than 30 million people were found to be infected worldwide. Particularly, recent evidences suggested that men may be considered as at higher risk of poor prognosis or death once the infection occurred and concerns surfaced in regard of the risk of a possible testicular injury due to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Results: Several data support the existence of a bivalent role of testosterone (T) in driving poor prognosis in patients with COVID-19. On one hand, this is attributable to the fact that T may facilitate SARS-CoV-2 entry in human cells by means of an enhanced expression of transmembrane serine-protease 2 (TMPRSS2) and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). At the same time, younger man with normal testicular function compared to women of similar age are prone to develop a blunted immune response against SARS-CoV-2, being exposed to less viral clearance and more viral shedding and systemic spread of the disease. Conversely, low levels of serum T observed in hypogonadal men predispose them to a greater background systemic inflammation, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, and immune system dysfunction, hence driving harmful consequences once SARS-CoV-2 infection occurred. Finally, SARS-CoV-2, as a systemic disease, may also affect testicles with possible concerns for current and future testicular efficiency. Preliminary data suggested that SARS-CoV-2 genome is not normally found in gonads and gametes, therefore sex transmission could be excluded as a possible way to spread the COVID-19. Conclusion: Most data support a role of T as a bivalent risk factor for poor prognosis (high/normal in younger; lower in elderly) in COVID-19. However, the impact of medical treatment aimed to modify T homeostasis for improving the prognosis of affected patients is unknown in this clinical setting. In addition, testicular damage may be a harmful consequence of the infection even in case it occurred asymptomatically but no long-term evidences are currently available to confirm and quantify this phenomenon. Different authors excluded the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in sperm and oocytes, thus limiting worries about both a potential sexual and gamete-to-embryos transmission of COVID-19. Despite these evidence, long-term and well-designed studies are needed to clarify these issues.

The Role of Oil and Gas in the Economic Development of the Global Economy

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Stevens
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Primary Energy ◽  
Oil And Gas Producers ◽  
The Future ◽  
History Of ◽  
Factor Inputs ◽  
The Impact

This chapter is concerned with the role of oil and gas in the economic development of the global economy. It focuses on the context in which established and newer oil and gas producers in developing countries must frame their policies to optimize the benefits of such resources. It outlines a history of the issue over the last twenty-five years. It considers oil and gas as factor inputs, their role in global trade, the role of oil prices in the macroeconomy and the impact of the geopolitics of oil and gas. It then considers various conventional views of the future of oil and gas in the primary energy mix. Finally, it challenges the drivers behind these conventional views of the future with an emphasis on why they may prove to be different from what is expected and how this may change the context in which producers must frame their policy responses.

scholarly journals Long-term changes in the plant ecology of an African savanna landscape and the implications for ecosystem theory and conservation management

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
David Western ◽  
Victor N. Mose ◽  
David Maitumo ◽  
Caroline Mburu
Keyword(s):  
Human Impact ◽  
National Parks ◽  
Conservation Management ◽  
Plant Ecology ◽  
Ecological Resilience ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
Ecosystem Theory ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Studies of the African savannas have used national parks to test ecological theories of natural ecosystems, including equilibrium, non-equilibrium, complex adaptive systems, and the role of top-down and bottom-up physical and biotic forces. Most such studies have excluded the impact of pastoralists in shaping grassland ecosystems and, over the last half century, the growing human impact on the world’s rangelands. The mounting human impact calls for selecting indicators and integrated monitoring methods able to track ecosystem changes and the role of natural and human agencies. Our study draws on five decades of monitoring the Amboseli landscape in southern Kenya to document the declining role of natural agencies in shaping plant ecology with rising human impact. Results We show that plant diversity and productivity have declined, biomass turnover has increased in response to a downsizing of mean plant size, and that ecological resilience has declined with the rising probability of extreme shortfalls in pasture production. The signature of rainfall and physical agencies in driving ecosystem properties has decreased sharply with growing human impact. We compare the Amboseli findings to the long-term studies of Kruger and Serengeti national parks to show that the human influence, whether by design or default, is increasingly shaping the ecology of savanna ecosystems. We look at the findings in the larger perspective of human impact on African grasslands and the world rangelands, in general, and discuss the implications for ecosystem theory and conservation policy and management. Conclusions The Amboseli study shows the value of using long-term integrated ecological monitoring to track the spatial and temporal changes in the species composition, structure, and function of rangeland ecosystems and the role of natural and human agencies in the process of change. The study echoes the widespread changes underway across African savannas and world’s rangelands, concluding that some level of ecosystem management is needed to prevent land degradation and the erosion of ecological function, services, and resilience. Despite the weak application of ecological theory to conservation management, a plant trait-based approach is shown to be useful in explaining the macroecological changes underway.

Financial Access of Latin America and Caribbean Firms: What Are the Roles of Institutional, Financial, and Economic Development?

2021 ◽  
pp. 097265272110153
Author(s):  
Lan Khanh Chu
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Latin America ◽  
Jel Classification ◽  
Caribbean Region ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Latin America And Caribbean ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Moderating Role

This article examines the impact of institutional, financial, and economic development on firms’ access to finance in Latin America and Caribbean region. Based on firm- and country-level data from the World Bank databases, we employ an ordered logit model to understand the direct and moderating role of institutional, financial, and economic development in determining firms’ financial obstacles. The results show that older, larger, facing less competition and regulation burden, foreign owned, and affiliated firms report lower obstacles to finance. Second, better macro-fundamentals help to lessen the level of obstacles substantially. Third, the role of institutions in promoting firms’ inclusive finance is quite different to the role of financial development and economic growth. JEL classification: E02; G10; O16; P48

The Role of UBI in Mitigating the Effects of Psychosocial Stressors: A Review and Proposal

2021 ◽  
pp. 003329412110051
Author(s):  
Rashmi Gupta ◽  
Jemima Jacob ◽  
Gaurav Bansal
Keyword(s):  
Role Stress ◽  
Psychosocial Stressors ◽  
Basic Income ◽  
Economic Stability ◽  
The Past ◽  
Individual Outcomes ◽  
Long Term Impact ◽  
The Impact

Psychosocial stressors and social disadvantages contribute to inequalities in opportunities and outcomes. In the current paper, we use an epidemiological perspective and highlight the role stress plays on individuals by reviewing the outcomes of major stressors such as poverty and unemployment. We further analyzed the psychological and physical cost of these stressors and their long-term impact. We examined the role of universal basic income and closely looked at income experiments that were implemented in the past, in terms of their effectiveness in enhancing the community as well as individual outcomes and propose the UBI as a tool for alleviating the impact of these stressors. At a time when a major pandemic (e.g., COVID-19) threatens economic stability and health globally, we believe the UBI is relevant now, more than ever.

scholarly journals Reform in the international food aid regime: the role of consensual knowledge

1992 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 225-264 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raymond F. Hopkins
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
International Organizations ◽  
Epistemic Community ◽  
Food Aid ◽  
Local Production ◽  
Short Term ◽  
The 1950S ◽  
Food Imports

The principles and norms adopted by the regime governing food aid in the 1950s have changed substantially during the subsequent three decades. Explaining the changes necessarily includes analyzing the efforts of an international epistemic community consisting of economic development specialists, agricultural economists, and administrators of food aid. According to the initial regime principles, food aid should be provided from donors' own surplus stocks, should supplement the usual commercial food imports in recipient countries, should be given under short-term commitments sensitive to the political and economic goals of donors, and should directly feed hungry people. As a result of following these principles, the epistemic community and other critics argued, food aid often had the adverse effects of reducing local production of food in recipient countries and exacerbating rather than alleviating hunger. The epistemic community (1) developed and proposed ideas for more efficiently supplying food aid and avoiding “disincentive” effects and (2) pushed for reforms to make food aid serve as the basis for the recipients' economic development and to target it at addressing long-term food security problems. The ideas of the international epistemic community have increasingly received support from international organizations and the governments of donor and recipient nations. Most recently, they have led to revisions of the U.S. food aid program passed by Congress in October 1990 and signed into law two months later. As the analysis of food aid reform demonstrates, changes in the international regime have been incremental, rather than radical. Moreover, the locus for the change has shifted from an American-centered one in the 1950s to a more international one in recent decades.

CONCEPTUAL PRINCIPLES OF ACHIEVING INTELLECTUAL LEADERSHIP

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 100-104
Author(s):  
Liudmyla Tsymbal
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Intellectual Capital ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Physical Capital ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
High Tech ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Intellectual Leadership

The article identifies the key conceptual foundations for the formation of intellectual leadership of economic entities, including countries as specific actors in the global economy. Thorough preconditions for increasing the level of economic development and the impact of education have been identified. It is determined that historical concepts and modern realities of economic activity only actualize the role of education and enlightenment in the economic development of the national economy and ensuring its competitiveness. The strategies of increasing the competitiveness of individual countries of the world are analyzed, their key priorities in the conditions of formation of the knowledge economy are determined. The evolution of views on the role of human and intellectual capital in increasing the welfare of countries, the impact on GDP and other macroeconomic indicators is described. The ratings of countries are analyzed, in particular by the level of investment in intellectual capital and the structure of their GDP, which confirms the dominance of science-intensive economic activities. In addition, it was determined that the leading countries are characterized by increasing the role of knowledge-intensive activities, increasing the share of intangible assets, redistribution of capital of leading international companies and increasing research spending, increasing investment in human and intellectual capital, increasing exports of high-tech products. Analytical assessment confirms the advanced development of science-intensive industries in countries with developed economies, which creates the need for training and retraining of specialists needed for such industries. In modern conditions, the educational process ceases to be predominantly the prerogative of young people, and becomes a lifelong process, which increases spending on education in developed countries, but without denying the significant asymmetries on this indicator. Research confirms the direct relationship between the quality of human and physical capital and economic development, which is typical of highly developed countries, one of the main reasons for the development lag of the poorest countries. In addition, the article substantiates the key factors of intellectual leadership and their impact on the development of economic development strategies.

scholarly journals 'To do or not to do'? The neurobiology of decision-making in daily life: I. Getting the basics

2007 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
André Palmini ◽  
Victor Geraldi Haase
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Everyday Life ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Moral Issues ◽  
Temporal Perspective ◽  
Prefrontal Cortical ◽  
Cortical Regions

Abstract The constant conflict between decisions leading to immediate pleasurable consequences versus behaviors aiming at long-term social advantages is reviewed here in the framework of the evolutionary systems regulating behavior. The inescapable temporal perspective in decision-making in everyday life is highlighted and integrated with the role of the executive functions in the modulation of subcortical systems. In particular, the representations of the 'non-existent' future in the prefrontal cortical regions and how these representations can bridge theory and practice in everyday life are addressed. Relevant discussions regarding the battle between emotions and reasons in the determination of more complex decisions in the realm of neuroeconomics and in moral issues have been reserved for a second essay.

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