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The gradual shift in power relations between organized employers and employees since the 1970s has increasingly affected the functioning of national industrial relations systems. According to a broad literature, the most important of these consequences is an increase in employer discretion. This article tests this claim by performing a longitudinal content analysis on three Dutch collective contracts. It develops an analytical framework based on four dimensions of employer discretion. Results show that although employer discretion did increase on all four dimensions between the mid-1970s and the 2020s, significant temporal and sectoral variation has occurred. In addition, the article argues that a loss of democratic influence by employees intensified the increase of the one-sided decision-making powers of employers, and that the collective contract is being transformed from a joint labor–capital effort to solve workplace problems to a management instrument. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The liberalization of the media stands very much at the forefront in public, policy and academic concerns on how our current model of media governance affects democracy. But the discussion on the effects of media liberalization has obscured the vital question why liberalization was able to become the dominant media governance paradigm in the first place. This research note makes the case for a historical turn to answer this question. It argues that it is essential to contextualize media liberalization in the history of contemporary democracy in Europe rather than see it primarily through the perspective of technological innovation or top-down promotion of neo-liberal policies. It explores how three insights in historiography might form the core of a research agenda for media governance that takes history seriously. These include (a) the study of actors from below that pushed for reform outside the realm of government; (b) the influence of ideas on shaping institutional reform and (c) reading history forward rather than project today's assumptions and outcomes into the past. Jointly, this historical turn will not only provide an enhanced understanding of how past reforms shaped the present, but also enlighten prospects for future changes of media governance paradigms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the authors examine the role of labor immigration as a source of institutional change. They use a "most different systems" comparative case study analysis of the Danish and Australian construction sectors to examine the impact of increased labor migration on skill-sourcing practices in countries with distinct national skill formation and industrial relations institutions. Drawing on 73 interviews with industry stakeholders, the authors find that labor migration has produced liberalizing pressures in both Denmark and Australia, albeit in ways that differ from each other. The article contributes to comparative institutional scholarship by illustrating how labor migration can promote or support institutional change in a liberalizing direction by disincentivizing coordinated skill formation. Findings suggest that while national institutions mediate external pressures, such as labor migration, such pressures may affect the incentive structures that can either maintain or erode national institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For decades, Egypt has been developing under the pressure of unfavorable factors that consistently complicate the work of its reproductive mechanisms, the functioning of the market and other institutions, and result in a series of economic turmoil, social tensions, and political upheavals. In certain periods, the country managed, under favorable circumstances, to mobilize its capabilities to temporarily offset and compensate for the negative influence of internal and external factors and even demonstrate signs of some macroeconomic stability. But the general trend, characteristic of and inherent in an economy developing in harsh conditions, did not give a chance to stay on a more or less constant course for a long time. At the beginning of the second decade of the new century, violent popular uprisings and demonstrations actually led the country to a serious crisis. Its echoes are still felt today, and they carry an element of extremely undesirable destabilization for the largest state in the region. Egypt has historically retained the status of a regional power, no longer the only one, but involved in almost all economic and political initiatives and processes developing in the Arab region, playing an important role in them, which, naturally, should be supported by the corresponding economic potential.

This article reassesses the role of foreign investments in China's rural industrialization in the 1980s and the early 1990s. It draws upon the power disputes between agribusiness transnational corporations (TNCs) and central domestic players in the country's soybean complex. I follow Chris Bramall's argument that food processing infrastructure grew progressively since the Maoist era in the 1960s and 1970s, instead of springing from foreign investments or pro-business local state officials during the reform and opening up. However, I go beyond this assumption by suggesting that foreign investments often had a detrimental role in rural industrialization, depending on their political action. I show through in-depth empirical analyses that due to the Maoist industrial legacy, soybean processors from Northeast China consolidated an endogenous form of accumulation based on local circuits of production and consumption under state protectionism. This specific industrialization trajectory has put them on opposite sides from agribusiness TNCs. The liberalization agenda pushed by the TNCs through bilateral and multilateral levels of influence culminated in the opening of China's soybean imports in the late 1990s, allowing the consolidation of their global trade monopoly to the detriment of domestic players. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Politics in Latin America is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Since the 1940s research has suggested that higher education has a liberalizing influence on sociopolitical orientation, although none has demonstrated how this might occur. In the U.S. there is an increasing trend among conservative politicians and media to depreciate the value of a college education, by alleging that college turns people into liberals. To examine the charge that 'college turns people into liberals', I conducted biographical narrative interviews with 24 American college-educated young adults who changed their sociopolitical orientation from conservative to liberal. Utilizing Bourdieu's concepts of habitus and habitus clivé, and grounded theory methods of analysis, I developed a processual model of such transformation. Findings from this study refute narratives of professorial or institutional indoctrination. Instead, the model indicates a more complex process of habitus transformation, that in most cases begins before college students arrive on campus. This study is important because a successful democracy requires an educated populace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the literature that discusses how liberalization affects emerging stock markets on the cost of equity, stock volatility, stock liquidity, and informational efficiency. The survey consists of two parts, theoretical arguments and empirical evidence. Four primary mechanisms explaining the impacts are risk diversification, information‐sharing, friction channel, and market competition. Our survey indicates that liberalization was evidenced to reduce the cost of equity (via risk diversification mechanism), stabilize stock volatility (mainly through risk diversification mechanism), increase stock market liquidity (in both friction channels and informational‐sharing mechanisms), and improve the local market's informational efficiency (by informational‐sharing mechanism). Also, we suggest some aspects of theoretical arguments that still need further examination by empirical research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International trade agreements contribute to the development of international trade and services. The European Union is currently modernizing the system and structure of international agreements related to international trade, investment and services. The aim of the scientific study is to clarify and identify the characteristic features of the agreements of new generation that are concluded between the European Union and non-EU member states. Based on the facts, we can confirm that trade policy supports, among others, values such as the protection of human rights, the protection of labor rights, the environment and the fight against climate change. Such an approach of the European Union to the liberalization of world trade through comprehensive trade agreements is also supported by the strategy of the European Commission „Trade for All”.

Regional trade agreements (RTAs) are important instruments of the world trade system, which have been increasingly developed in recent decades, since they complement the existing World Trade Organization (WTO) and WTO+ agreements and allow taking into account the specificities of regions. The principle of ensuring non-discriminatory trade is the main principle of multilateral trade of the WTO, or in other words, observes the rule of not favoring one trading partner over another. RTAs are, in fact, an exception to this approach, as it is the signatories that enjoy more favorable market access conditions. At the same time, the WTO recognizes the legitimate role of RTAs in facilitating trade between their parties, but requires that they not create barriers to trade with third parties. RTAs cover more than half of world trade, and new transcontinental agreements have been concluded in recent years: the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, the Comprehensive Regional Economic Partnership, and the African Continental Free Trade Area. There are different types of RTAs in international cooperation, ranging from free trade agreements to common markets, including between countries of a territorially contiguous or transcontinental nature, based on WTO and WTO+ agreements or protectionist in nature. The article reflects the consequences for the national economies of developing countries, it is revealed that the European Union in the RTAs is actively promoting its values as the absolute truth for all peoples and nations, and their non-acceptance is considered as a factor causing possible restrictions. Other developed economies have also imposed obligations on signatories in terms of ensuring the transformation of the national economies of developing countries, but in recent years this trend has weakened somewhat. China, initiating the RTA, pursues the realization of its national interests, without imposing any political, mental or social aspects, and at the same time is ready to develop mutually acceptable compromises. The transformation of RTАs in modern conditions is carried out in three basic directions: preference for the preservation of full sovereignty by the signatory countries; the inclusion of articles that condition the promotion of sustainable development; control and monitoring to ensure compliance with labor safety regulations, non-damage to the ecological environment, as well as the use of tools of responsible corporate business conduct.

Copyright of Knowledge: International Journal is the property of Institute for Knowledge Management and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper provides a legal analysis of the direct line in the legislation of the European Union. The direct line, serving as a legal instrument to implement off-grid solutions, plays a crucial role in amplifying competition within the energy market. Compared to other instruments introduced by the First Liberalization Package in 1992, the direct line is not a subject commonly brought about by legal literature. The core part of legal analyses is divided into two parts, which focus on different approaches of direct line, i.e., European Union and selected Member States (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland). The motives of the Union in establishing the direct line instrument was to support opening the energy market to increase energy generating units. During the transposition of the direct line into national laws, analysed countries have directed the usage of this mechanism to promote renewable energy sources. The presented case studies create a rare pattern of how the Member States form their own interpretations and hence use the Union law in practice, which differs from the direction established in the Union forum. The research focused on legal dogmatic examining of regulations at both European and national levels, with a particular emphasis on the definition part while figuring a crucial role in shaping the direct line concept. The paper also presents other convoluted legal schemes, such as the permit issuance process for direct line construction. The conclusions assess the modifications in the European Union regime, but also their impact on electricity prices and green investments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Law / Teise is the property of Vilnius University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

We study the association of shareholder returns with liberalization in government policy during Britain's railway run-up of 1844–5. The findings sustain two main claims. First, the railway returns during the run-up were associated with the advent of liberalizing policies, especially related to free trade, enhanced transparency and governance of firms, and industry consolidation. Second, analysis of cross-sectional variation reveals higher returns to large railways in the South and Midlands of England, several of which were leading consolidators. This study is the first to report an association between policy liberalization and run-up returns and to identify consolidators as the prime beneficiaries of the liberalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Residential electricity markets in European countries are still characterized by low consumer engagement, especially where regulated and liberalized markets coexist. Using an original dataset on 2015--2018 prices for the Italian electricity market, augmented with the number of residential consumers, we study the presence and magnitude of switching costs--i.e., time-based and cognitive-based costs on consumers changing providers--in the liberalized market. We find that switching from the incumbent involves high costs--almost as high as the yearly energy expenditure--while switching from competitors is less expensive. We also carry out two counterfactual analyses. In the first, we show that consumers would have incurred lower average switching costs over the years had the market been less concentrated. In the second, we simulate how switching costs could evolve once regulated prices are phased out, and the market is fully liberalized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study adopted historical research and in-depth interviews with artists, dealers, art writers, and collectors in addressing two overarching questions, which are (1) How have state actions manifested as the impetus and impediments to art market development in Nigeria and (2) To what extent is Bourdieu's artistic field model applicable to the Nigerian art world? As the boost in artistic production and consumption in Renaissance Italy was attributed to the wealth generated from banking by the Medici, the research also shows that the art market in Nigeria emerged as an upshot of the economic policy of financial deregulation, which manifested as an "implicit" cultural policy. The financial sector liberalization policy was aimed at addressing the economic depression that stemmed from the drastic global fall in crude oil prices in the 1980s. It stimulated the proliferation of banking and other financial services institutions in Nigeria, which engendered intense competition that lured operators into harnessing esthetics for competitive advantages. This bolstered art collection and patronage, underpinning the emergence of the contemporary art market in Nigeria with an auction segment that grew from about $250,000 in 1999 to over $5.5 million in 2017. Paradoxically, the research also revealed that inadequacies resulting from the lack of "explicit" state plans for the cultural sector constitute impediments to the optimization of the market's potential. As a mark of power, high art and advanced taste have always been associated with elitism. Thus, the research also establishes a high degree of applicability of Bourdieu's artistic field model in exploring the dynamics of power structures in the Nigerian art world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The past two decades have witnessed Macao's development into the casino capital of the world. Casinos have significantly transformed all respects of Macao society—a phenomenon termed as the casinoization of Macao. While much research has explored how casinoization has affected Macao's socioeconomic developments, empirical research on the relationship between casinoization and law enforcement agencies is extremely limited. Using official statistics and interviews with serving and retired police officers as well as police applicants in Macao, this article examines the quick-money mentality, laissez-faire regulation, and the paradox of plenty, three features of casinoization, and their profound impact on the Macao police. First, the early phase of casino liberalization created a draining effect on human capital from the police force. Second, the lucrative casino tax revenues empowered the government to resolve the labour shortage issue and significantly improve the police image. Third, casinoization inadvertently reinforced the colonial legacy of laissez-faire regulation, hampering the progress of institutional reforms. Fourth, the decline of casino has contributed to the unprecedented "police fever" among the youth in Macao. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International trade agreements contribute to the development of international trade and services. The European Union is currently modernizing the system and structure of international agreements related to international trade, investment and services. The aim of the scientific study is to clarify and identify the characteristic features of the agreements of new generation that are concluded between the European Union and non-EU member states. Based on the facts, we can confirm that trade policy supports, among others, values such as the protection of human rights, the protection of labor rights, the environment and the fight against climate change. Such an approach of the European Union to the liberalization of world trade through comprehensive trade agreements is also supported by the strategy of the European Commission „Trade for All". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article looks at contemporary changes in the professional expertise of notaries, who in France are faced with changes in the techniques and knowledge used in their work. Today’s notaries mobilise various forms of knowledge, know-how and expertise: legal and tax knowledge, but also managerial knowledge, ethos, interactive and relational expertise, interdependence, etc. With digitalisation and the extension of entrepreneurial approaches, against a backdrop of reform of the profession and major demographic changes, a pragmatic approach to problem-solving is more legitimate in the notarial profession, even if this means calling into question certain specific features of the profession.

Cocoa producers respond differently to volatile price shocks, but the nature of these responses remains unknown, especially in the liberalized and non-liberalized markets in Nigeria and Ghana, respectively. Therefore, we assess the extent to which price volatility affects the supply of cocoa while also analyzing the effect of price volatility on Nigeria's cocoa producer price share vis-à-vis Ghana's cocoa producer price share. We further analyze how producers react given the asymmetric nature of price volatility in Nigeria and Ghana. Annual secondary data were obtained from the World Development Index, National Bureau of Statistics, International Cocoa Organization, Central Bank of Ghana, Nigeria, and so on, from 1970 to 2019. We used the Ordinary Least Squares method, generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedastic (GARCH) model, extensions, and the Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) for this study's analysis. Our results show the presence of volatility in price series and that volatility is asymmetric in nature. The results of the supply response show that price volatility has no significant relationship with cocoa supply in Ghana. In contrast, price volatility has a significantly positive relationship with the supply of cocoa in Nigeria at the 1 % level. The results of the VECM show that, in the long run, the cocoa producer price in Ghana will be negatively affected by both international price volatility and inflation rates at 5 % and 1 %, respectively. We suggest that cocoa farmers should have licensing to sell commodities to the international market directly without interference from the marketing board.

The global economy has fostered a dynamic environment of economic globalization, leading to amplified interconnectedness, integration, and worldwide influence in both commercial transactions and monetary activities. This occurrence emphasizes the vital role of liberalizing capital and international trade in economic discussions, particularly in emerging economies where banking-centric systems wield considerable influence. The objective of this study is to investigate the correlation between trade liberalization and financial inclusivity, specifically concerning the resilience of the banking industry in developing nations throughout the period of 2010–2020. Utilizing the dynamic data model of Arellano-Bond’s Generalized Method of Moment Estimator, this study yields a significant revelation. The interaction between trade openness and financial transparency exerts a noticeable and advantageous impact on banking stability, with each 1% increase in openness resulting in a remarkable improvement of 98.9445 in Net Interest Margin, 116.2575 in Z score, and 119.9189 in Non-Performing Loans. Consequently, this investigation confirms the presence of a diversification effect on stability while concurrently applying the concept of voltage fragility. In essence, trade openness propels the banking sector toward heightened competitiveness due to increased demand from local businesses, while financial openness fosters heightened competition within the credit market.

Liberalization of international trade is currently the goal of many countries in the world, as well as in the European Union. However, the EU does not give up the possibility to intervene and influence that specific area of imports of goods that liquidate or threaten to liquidate a certain industry in the EU. An instrument that does not conflict with liberal policy is the institution of anti-dumping duties, which is a legitimate means of restricting imports that harm certain EU production sectors. If we look at the history of the EU, we can say that the anti-dumping process is not a new one in the European markets, and the first legislation that regulated the introduction of anti-dumping duties in the EU was adopted in 1968. Anti-dumping duties are an integral part of trade policy, they are often perceived only as a means of "improving" incomes, but also as unilateral decisions of the EU authorities, which cannot be influenced in any way.

Abstract Background Over the past three years, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought an overwhelming impact on China’s hospital system and health care workers, which can lead to post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Previous research has shown that the COVID-19 pandemic had long-term adverse effects on the mental health of health care workers. Indeed, PTSD symptoms have emerged as one of the significant mental health issues for health care workers arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, we conducted this cross-sectional survey to investigate the prevalence of PTSD symptoms in health care workers and its relationship with the fear of COVID-19 and the COVID-19 burden after the full liberalization of COVID-19 prevention and control policy in China. Methods This study was conducted three years after the global COVID-19 pandemic (January 15 to January 16, 2023). This study was conducted via the Wenjuanxing platform and used the Chinese versions of the scales PC-PTSD-5, COVID-19 Anxiety Scale (FCV-19S), Social Support Scale, COVID-19 Stress Scale, GAD-2, and PHQ-2. Results The prevalence of PTSD symptoms in health care workers was 24.3% (232/955). depression(P

On May 23, 1997, a victory of Muhammad Khatami in the presidential election in the Islamic Republic of Iran started a brief period of liberalization in the country long mired in a repressive and authoritarian political regime. The new government loosened the restrictions imposed on the public space, widened the scope of some civil liberties and under the slogans of "religious democracy", "rule of law" and "participation" aroused expectations of a further political change. Nevertheless these expectations were futile and the widely popular reform movement was stifled by a repression on the part of the conservative core of the regime. This study attempts to analyze these events as a failed attempt to democratic transition, leaning on the theory of Guillermo O'Donnell and Philipe Schmitter. It demonstrates that the transitive period under Khatami's presidency followed the typical path of the disintegration of the post-World War II authoritarian regimes, which usually begins by the split within the governing elite of the regime itself and proceed through gradual and contingent introduction of liberalizing and democratizing reforms by its "soft-liner". On this basis it attempts to capture the overall dynamic of the transitive process, define its turning points, identify the causes of its ultimate successful obstruction by the "hard-line" conservatives and derive from this experience implications for a possibility of democratic change in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The general insurance industry in India, established in the late 19th century, has undergone significant transformations including nationalization and liberalization. Despite recent challenges, it is projected to grow at a CAGR of 15% over the next five years, aided by technological advancements like digitalization, AI, Blockchain, and Data Analytics. Digitalization, AI, Blockchain, and Data Analytics have significantly impacted the insurance industry. These technologies have streamlined processes, improved customer experience, increased efficiency, and enabled better risk assessment and fraud detection. The study aims to understand the new face of the Indian general insurance Industry and comprehend the technological and general reforms of recent times. The research adopts a cross-sectional design to investigate the evolving Indian general insurance industry. Primary data is gathered through structured questionnaires, with statistical analysis employed for interpretation. The findings reveal a positive impact of technology and digitalization on the Indian general insurance industry. However, there is a need for better communication with those who express uncertainty or perceive no significant impact. The study also highlights a diverse range of information sources used by individuals to stay informed about changes in the general insurance industry. Key suggestions include incorporating advanced technological solutions for personalized policies, leveraging technology for streamlined processes, enhancing customer services through digital technologies, and launching awareness and educational initiatives. The study acknowledges limitations such as restricted time for data collection and analysis, potential response bias due to flexibility in data collection methods, and feasibility issues that may have resulted in missed research papers or books. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malaysia should adhere to the WTO's policy on agrifood trade liberalization. Agrifood regulations are designed to ensure the protection of farmers and achieve food sovereignty. This research investigates and plots the evolution of agrifood laws that promote food sovereignty and trade liberalization towards rice sustainability. The qualitative study is based on the application of social jurisprudence theory and secondary data. The structure list in the current legislation is mapped to the regulations and standard operations applied in the matrix table. Malaysia's agrifood regulations are found to reinforce the WTO policy of liberalizing trade for agriculture, which undermines food sovereignty and provides inadequate protection for farmers. The interdependence of supporting sustainable agriculture and empowering small farmers is recognized by SDG2, which aims to address hunger, food security, nutrition, and climate change. The government should provide policies that improve the management of the food system to achieve food sovereignty. A review of the Control of Padi and Rice Act 1994 is necessary for creating new provisions on 'seed', which includes a provision on food sovereignty for individuals working in the rice industry. The development of people in agrifood to support their global market can be explained in another provision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Over the past three years, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought an overwhelming impact on China's hospital system and health care workers, which can lead to post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Previous research has shown that the COVID-19 pandemic had long-term adverse effects on the mental health of health care workers. Indeed, PTSD symptoms have emerged as one of the significant mental health issues for health care workers arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, we conducted this cross-sectional survey to investigate the prevalence of PTSD symptoms in health care workers and its relationship with the fear of COVID-19 and the COVID-19 burden after the full liberalization of COVID-19 prevention and control policy in China. Methods: This study was conducted three years after the global COVID-19 pandemic (January 15 to January 16, 2023). This study was conducted via the Wenjuanxing platform and used the Chinese versions of the scales PC-PTSD-5, COVID-19 Anxiety Scale (FCV-19S), Social Support Scale, COVID-19 Stress Scale, GAD-2, and PHQ-2. Results: The prevalence of PTSD symptoms in health care workers was 24.3% (232/955). depression(P < 0.001), anxiety(P < 0.05), the fear of COVID-19(P < 0.001), and COVID-19 burden(P < 0.001) were highly correlated with PTSD symptoms in health care workers. Social support(P < 0.05) was a protective factor of PTSD symptoms. Conclusions: This survey shows that PTSD symptoms were highly prevalent among Chinese health care workers after the COVID-19 pandemic. Governments and leaders of medical institutions should, through psychological interventions, address the current situation of PTSD symptoms among health care workers and develop targeted programs and strategies to reduce their psychological problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The airline market is constantly evolving and requires managers to adopt strategies to meet the changing demands and organizational requirements of the sector. As a result of its liberalization, the European market has transformed from a set of national protected sectors to a single sector. Although the market has grown over the last two decades, the industry has faced difficulties due to various economic, safety, environmental, and health issues, which have recently emerged. This study analyzes the airlines' strategic responses to increased competition from the turn of the century to 2019, excluding the pandemic period, to focus on market dynamics driven by European competition policy. A five-pillar strategic framework highlighting common strategies and divergences between major European network carriers is outlined through a multi-case analysis of major European markets. The sample includes France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. Results have managerial implications that highlight the importance of strategic adaptability in an industry landscape that continues to evolve. Managerial implications fall into the following three categories: strategic positioning, cost optimization, and business diversification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research study aims to analyze the impact of visa liberalization on increasing the standard of living and quality of life in Kosovo. Visa liberalization is a process that can have a profound impact on raising the sustainable standard and developing the quality of life in a country. The study focuses on the analysis of the benefits and changes brought about by visa liberalization in the context of Kosovo. Through a detailed analysis of various sources, including previous studies, reports of international institutions, and empirical data, the main factors influencing the increase in the standard and quality of life after visa liberalization in Kosovo are identified. These factors include increased economic opportunities, improved living conditions, personal development, and education, increased foreign direct investment, and increased tourism and exports. Visa liberalization is a process that can have a profound impact on raising the sustainable standard and development of quality of life in a country. This process aims to facilitate the movement of citizens across different countries without the need for visa restrictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social life in Mexico’s state of Michoacán is consumed by a crisis of violence. Foregrounding critical planning, this paper presents a grounded local history of the municipality of Tancítaro, Michoacán, which has the largest concentration of avocado production globally, and analyzes violence there in light of the production of space, uneven development, and the spatial politics of land. This quantitative and archival research, coupled with theoretical explanations on violence, suggests that considerations of crises and planning require situated analyses with ethnographic methods and embedded fieldwork that cross geographic scales and disciplinary boundaries as they foreground perspectives of affected community residents.

The ASEAN states have put an interest toward the intellectual right, including brand by trading liberalization regionally through the ASEAN Economic Community. In accordance with the recently progressive development in good and service trading, it is not surprising when the brand play a significant rule to be recognized as the mark of particular product in common and have a power and benefit when it has been managed appropriately. In recent free trading era, brand is not just the word only connected to the product or goods, but the process and business strategy also. Therefore, it has the value or equity. By the reason, the problem of research has depicted; first, how the juridical review of law amendment of brand and geographic indication on trading liberalization; and secondly, how the implication toward the regulation of brand right and geographic indication in Indonesia. The method used in research is literature study on normative law and it is the descriptive study with analysis and qualitative. Indonesia has completes the previous act of brand and publishing a new one, Act No. 20 of 2016 on Trademark and Geographic Indication. It has given many new regulations on brand such as including nonconventional brand involves 3D brand, voice, and hologram into the regulation and also provide the specific regulation in correlation with geographic indication. It is arranged in correlation with adjustment of stipulation in international society, ASEAN especially. For Indonesia, it has become a challenge and opportunity to implement the new Act of Brand, and use the agreement in properly all at once, as well as harmonizing the new brand regulation to the existing one in ASEAN. Therefore, it is required the legal protection of intellectual right in order to the trading liberalization in ASEAN Economic Community and the implication to Indonesia.

Purpose. The purpose of the study is to analyze the legal prerequisites, legal content and features of the development and implementation, by the Ukrainian state under martial law, of the tax law liberalization policy of the state, analysis and generalization of the experience gained by Ukraine in this field. Method. The methodology includes a systematic and functional analysis and generalization of the doctrinal development of the investigated problem, the law-making activity of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, and the formulation on this basis of new scientific generalizations, provisions, assessments, conclusions and recommendations, primarily to the legislator and law enforcement bodies. In the research process, the following cognitive tools were used: anthropo-sociocultural and axiological approaches; general scientific principles of objectivity and historicism, methods of systemic and functional analysis. The results. The most important reasons for the need to liberalize the tax law of Ukraine under martial law were: 1) mainly the conflicting nature of relations between taxpayers and the state, inherited from the pre-war period, as well as the state's disregard for the principles of tax law justice; the need to strengthen the real protection of the rights and legitimate interests of taxpayers; the need to achieve complete consolidation and unity of Ukrainian society and the Ukrainian state in order to protect Ukraine's sovereignty and independence from the Russian aggressor. The liberalization of the tax law of Ukraine under martial law contributed decisively to the achievement of these goals. The legal content of the liberalization of the tax law of Ukraine in the above-mentioned period consisted, first of all, in reducing the tax burden on taxpayers, simplifying tax-legal procedures for taxpayers, strengthening the real protection of their positive rights by making appropriate changes to the Tax Code of Ukraine and other legislation of Ukraine, introducing a system of tax - legal incentives for taxpayers. Scientific novelty. The scientific novelty of the study is noted as the novelty of the applied methodology of cognition - anthropo-sociocultural and axiological approaches to the cognition of tax-legal reality instead of the traditional positivist approach in such cases, as well as the fundamental theoretical novelty of the obtained research results. In particular, it has been proven that in Ukraine under martial law, a human-centric type of understanding the principle of fairness of tax law began to dominate. It is substantiated that the Russian-Ukrainian war, as the most important valuable challenge for Ukraine, radically changed the hierarchy of the needs of the state and society, put their security needs first. The key feature of these needs of the state and society was that they completely coincided, which made their synergy possible. It was found that the Ukrainian state, in the conditions of the Russian-Ukrainian war, for the first time in history, fundamentally reduced the tax burden on its taxpayers. This constituted the quintessence of its new policy of liberalization. Practical significance. The results of the research can be used in law-making and law-enforcement activities, as well as in educational and educative processes.

First paragraph: As the Indian agricultural landscape continues to undergo transformative shifts, the need for nuanced literature addressing agrarian change becomes increasingly pronounced. In this review, we delve into two pivotal works—Distress in the Fields: Indian Agriculture after Economic Liberalization, edited by R. Ramakumar, and Agrarian Reform and Farmer Resistance in Punjab: Mobilization and Resilience, edited by Shinder Singh Thandi. As a scholar of agriculture, food systems, and history, I bring to the forefront a critical evaluation of these books, positioning them within the broader context of agrarian evolution in India. . . .

BackgroundChina managed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) with measures against Class B infectious diseases, instead of Class A infectious diseases, in a major shift of its epidemic response policies. We aimed to generate robust information on the transmission dynamics of novel coronavirus infection in Shanxi, a province located in northern China, after the implementation of the “Class B infectious disease Class B management” policy.MethodsWe consolidated infection data in Shanxi province from December 6, 2022 to January 14, 2023 through a network questionnaire survey and sentinel surveillance. A dynamics model of the SEIQHCVR was developed to track the infection curves and effective reproduction number (Rt).ResultsOur model was effective in estimating the trends of novel coronavirus infection, with the coefficient of determination (R2) above 90% in infections, inpatients, and critically ill patients. The number of infections in Shanxi province as well as in urban and rural areas peaked on December 20, 2022, with the peak of inpatients and critically ill patients occurring 2 to 3 weeks after the peak of infections. By the end of January 2023, 87.72% of the Shanxi residents were predicted to be infected, and the outbreak subsequently subsided. A small wave of COVID-19 infections may re-emerge at the end of April. In less than a month, the Rt values of positive infections, inpatients and critically ill patients were all below 1.0.ConclusionThe outbreak in Shanxi province is currently at a low prevalence level. In the face of possible future waves of infection, there is a strong need to strengthen surveillance and early warning.

The article substantiates the expediency of distinguishing the type of non-governmental business support organization in Ukraine from among the totality of non-governmental organizations based on taking into account the key features of nongovernmental organizations as a whole and focusing their activities on such directions as liberalization of business conditions and stimulation of entrepreneurship, taking into account the existing organizational and legal forms of business in Ukraine. The key non-governmental organizations supporting business in Ukraine have been identified: the system of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Ukraine; employers' organizations, their associations (in particular, the Federation of Employers of Ukraine, the Association of Employers' Organizations of Ukraine and others); public organizations and public unions that work in the direction of creating a favorable business climate and development of entrepreneurship in Ukraine (for example, the Union of Ukrainian Entrepreneurs, the National Platform of Small and Medium Businesses, the Ukrainian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, the Association of Small and Medium Business Owners, and others); clusters, business incubators and other similar organizations registered as public associations (public organization or union); unions, unions, associations of entrepreneurs - defined by legislation as other forms of association of interests of enterprises, provided that their activity is not aimed at obtaining profit; other organizational and legal forms, including credit unions. The expediency of local representative offices of international non-governmental organizations (German-Ukrainian trade board, others) whose activities include promoting the development of Ukrainian business has been noted. It is proposed to classify non-governmental business support organizations depending on the legal basis for regulating their activities, as well as according to the priority of their activities, in the context of liberalization and stimulation of entrepreneurship in Ukraine. The possibilities of business support non-governmental organizations are proposed to be considered in three aspects, namely: organizational capacity of a separate organization (civil union) or system (TPP); the coalition capacity of nongovernmental organizations to support business, in accordance with the existing trend of joining the efforts of non-governmental organizations; institutional capacity of non-governmental organizations to support business in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]