Questioning North Korea’s digraphic inflection point: Kim Il Sung’s 1964 and 1966 conversations with linguists reconsidered

Kim Il Sung’s 1964 and 1966 conversations with linguists are appropriately deemed important as the establishment of the North’s “cultured language” as a standard, as well as guidance related to language purification and script. In the analysis of inflection point related to language planning and policy in the North, is the often guidance on re-enshrinement of teaching “Chinese characters” (hanja) in North Korean education. Clearly this was official pronouncement of functional, synchronic digraphia, which has been preserved and operationalized down to the present. Scholarship on these conversations, amounting to policy guidance, attribute the shift in policy related to script as an inflection point. The author of this article concurs with its importance, but with respect to digraphia in the North, the conversations related to hanja instruction served as a confirmation for what was a broad trend in North Korean language planning during the years 1953-1964, a language planning and policy fait accompli, diminishing the portrayal of the conversations as a digraphic inflection point in North Korea.

Identifying Potential Barriers and Solutions to Patient Partner Compensation (Payment) in Research

Research that engages patients on the research team is often supported by grant funding from different organizations and, in some cases, principal investigators (who control the grant funding) provide patient partners with compensation (or payment) for their contributions. However, we have noted a gap in resources that identify and address barriers to compensating patient partners. In this paper, we present thoughts and experiences related to barriers to compensating patient partners with the goal of helping individuals identify and find solutions to these obstacles.Based on our experiences as individuals who live with chronic conditions and are patient partners, and those who are researchers who engage patient partners, we have identified eight barriers to compensating patient partners. We discuss each of these barriers: lack of awareness about patient partnership, institutional inflexibility, policy guidance from funders, compensation not prioritized in research budgets, leadership hesitancy to create a new system, culture of research teams, preconceived beliefs about the skills and abilities of patient partners, and expectations placed on patient partners. We demonstrate these barriers with real life examples and we offer some solutions. To further demonstrate these barriers, we ask readers to reflect on some scenarios that present realistic parallel situations to those that patient partners face. The intention is to illustrate, through empathy or putting yourself in someone else’s shoes, how we might all do better with respect to institutional barriers related to patient partner compensation. Last, we issue a call to action to share resources and identify actions to overcome these barriers so we can create a resource hub.

Promising Long-Term Residential Care Policy Guidance for Staff to Support Resident Quality of Life

This paper reviews 63 policy documents in four Canadian jurisdictions that guide long term residential care staff on how to enhance 11 resident quality of life in Canada. We found guidance in each jurisdiction that provide clear language to support staff discretion and flexibility to navigate regulatory tensions and enhance resident quality of life. Newer policies tend to reflect more interpretive approaches to staff flexibility and broader quality of life concepts. We argue that if interpreted through a resident quality of life lens and with the right structural supports, these promising texts offer important counters to the rigidity of long term residential care policy landscape and can be leveraged to effectively broaden and enhance quality of life for residents in long term residential care.

Insights from modelling malaria vaccines for policy decisions: the focus on RTS,S

Mathematical models are increasingly used to inform decisions throughout product development pathways from pre-clinical studies to country implementation of novel health interventions. This review illustrates the utility of simulation approaches by reviewing the literature on malaria vaccine modelling, with a focus on its link to the development of policy guidance for the first licensed product, RTS,S/AS01. The main contributions of modelling studies have been in inferring the mechanism of action and efficacy profile of RTS,S; to predicting the public health impact; and economic modelling mainly comprising cost-effectiveness analysis. The value of both product-specific and generic modelling of vaccines is highlighted.

Stakeholders and their view on forest-based bioeconomy in Slovakia

Within the concept of bioeconomy at Slovak level, forestry is often seen as a key sector. For that reason, the concept of forest-based bioeconomy gained a specific importance. To this concept is on the European level already paid increasing attention not only in research, but also in politics. Whether or not the forest-based bioeconomy will have a success in Slovakia is greatly dependent on stakeholders´ perception and attitude towards the concept. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to identify stakeholders´ perception of forest-based bioeconomy. To achieve this, we identified 13 stakeholders from various, bioeconomy-related, sectors that were suitable for qualitative interviewing. The respondents are representants of public and private organizations and are active in relevant areas. The study was conducted using structured interview consisting of 12 questions. Respondents in general tend to lean towards forest-based bioeconomy, as they feel that it brings more opportunities (for the forest and wood-processing sector, economy, industry, nature protection) than risks. However, a threat has presented itself during the study, being the fact that forest stakeholders do not feel to be sufficiently involved in bioeconomy discussion. For the bioeconomy to fulfil its role as an all-purpose weapon, there is an urgent need for more precise policy guidance and for involving of all relevant stakeholders into discussion.

Status of the Recovery Mandate Under Section 7(a)(1) of the U.S. Endangered Species Act

The U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) is widely considered to be one of the strongest laws for protecting imperiled wildlife, with nearly all species protected under the law still existing today. Among the ESA's strongest provisions, at least as written, is the requirement under section 7(a)(1) that federal agencies use their authorities to help recover imperiled species. New initiatives like 30 x 30, the campaign to conserve at least 30% of U.S. lands and waters by 2030, offer opportunities to reinvigorate and expand 7(a)(1) programs to play a significant role in biodiversity conservation. To gauge the current status of 7(a)(1) plans and assess their effectiveness, we collected all section 7(a)(1) materials available to the public through internet searches and direct requests to agencies. We evaluated the scope of existing 7(a)(1) programs and found that despite the clear potential benefits of strong programs, the section has been significantly underused by federal agencies. Further, we show that existing plans are highly inconsistent in content and style, and we trace that inconsistency to the lack of policy guidance for their creation and implementation. Based on these findings, we recommend five strategies for improving 7(a)(1) implementation: establishment of formal guidance from the federal wildlife agencies, tailored guidance from other federal agencies to help them meet their 7(a)(1) obligation, dedicated funding, integration of 7(a)(1) into existing initiatives and opportunities, and top-level executive branch coordination and cooperation.

ENHANCING CAPACITY FOR LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN CREATING VIBRANT, PRODUCTIVE AND SUSTAINABLE RURAL COMMUNITIES

Since the advent of South Africa’s democracy, there have been many pressing questions; one of which has been: ‘to what extent has the newly found political and civil freedoms, which is guaranteed for all South Africans, translated into an a more economically-viable life?’ This research investigated whether local economic development (LED) interventions necessarily improve the livelihoods of poor communities. The methods used were hinged upon the interpretivist paradigm, using literature as a basis of enquiry. Furthermore, semi-structured interviews with target groups (eg. project beneficiaries, government officials, municipal manager, town mayor, etc) were conducted, followed by focus group-style interviews with key stakeholders. The study found that sound economic development vision may thrive if linked to the following: clear policy guidance, institutional capacity building, intersectoral collaboration, political will and real empowerment.

DRIVERS FOR LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTH AFRICAN MUNICIPALITIES

Local economic development (LED) within municipalities in South Africa has been viewed as a failing project by many commentators, practitioners and scholars. One of the areas attributed as a causal factor for distrust on efforts related to local economic development is lack of clarity on foundational dynamics and drivers of LED. This study used interpretivist approaches to analyze key theoretical frameworks that provide explanations for challenges related to articulation of drivers for LED. As a theoretical paper authors established rigor through mapping theories to building blocks of a theoretical argument being the what, when, how and why. The central argument of this paper is that while the potential of LED strategies is not disputed and the economic value of land is , the implementation of such strategies does not assist in achieving the intended objectives of poverty alleviation and economic development. The study concluded that while local municipalities are mandated by the Constitution to “promote social and economic development”, they will not be able to do this without clear policy guidance; institutional capacity-building; inter-sectoral collaboration; political ‘champions’ to drive the process; and real empowerment of the beneficiaries whom the projects is supposed to assist.Key Words : Local economic development. Theoretical framework, Commonage, Business development, Black economic empowerment,

Social-Costs Perspective Impacts of Cybercrime in World-Economy, Country-Wise: Policy-Guidance under Piecemeal Approach

Today’s technology-driven human-society(s) country-wise are counted more than ever before where UAE-society is no exception. Tech-users here compete for comparative time-saving options for marginalizing operating costs. It has resulted in huge data usages, a high number of users & devices, which has attracted criminals for taking advantage, which is called cybercrime. Addressing cybercrime, the UAE, like many countries, is not out of control by-laws. However, laws like cybercrime for its society are not always for absolutely eliminating the crime. Thus, besides cybercrime law in place, UAE needs a piecemeal approach in practice where one department may vary from approaches of other-department. With awareness about risky online behaviors & options, tech-users as defenders are needed to invest their efforts. This study has laid out the foundation of the proposal, Akim’s Model-2021, using the Theory of Consumer Choice & Behaviors and Welfare Analysis. Tech-user’s actual utility-received is the sum of utility-received from awareness & own-effort and utility-received from cybercrime-law. Any changes to services received from joint efforts may risk tech-user, to be a victim. Welfare analysis shows tech user's actions - awareness & own-effort, besides cybercrime-law can create, Net Social-gain, which largely depends on tech user's actions. Tech-user’s economic surplus is greater than government expenses for implementation of cybercrime law in UAE. Net-loss to the UAE is the sum of deadweight loss and net-loss to tech producers for underutilized resources.

The Privacy Fix

Online surveillance of our behavior by private companies is on the increase, particularly through the Internet of Things and the increasing use of algorithmic decision-making. This troubling trend undermines privacy and increasingly threatens our ability to control how information about us is shared and used. Written by a computer scientist and a legal scholar, The Privacy Fix proposes a set of evidence-based, practical solutions that will help solve this problem. Requiring no technical or legal expertise, the book explains complicated concepts in clear, straightforward language. Bridging the gap between computer scientists, economists, lawyers, and public policy makers, this book provides theoretically and practically sound public policy guidance about how to preserve privacy in the onslaught of surveillance. It emphasizes the need to make tradeoffs among the complex concerns that arise, and it outlines a practical norm-creation process to do so.