This study investigates the role of agricultural exports as a potential engine of economic growth in South Africa, employing a cointegration and error correction model (ECM) framework on time series data from 1980 to 2023. The results confirm a long-run equilibrium relationship between agricultural exports and economic growth, with lagged total exports and employment significantly influencing GDP growth in the short run. However, other factors like foreign direct investment, gross capital formation, and population growth did not exhibit a statistically significant impact. These findings underscore the importance of agricultural exports in driving South Africa’s economic growth. To further enhance this potential, the study recommends establishing a consistent and transparent policy environment to foster investor confidence and long-term planning in the agricultural sector, expanding the range of agricultural exports to reduce vulnerability to external shocks and enhance overall economic resilience and streamlining customs procedures, reducing trade barriers, and improving logistics to enhance the competitiveness of South African agricultural exports in the global market. These policy recommendations, grounded in empirical evidence, offer a roadmap for harnessing the full potential of agricultural exports to drive sustainable economic growth in South Africa.
Introduction, purpose of the study: In Central Europe, in Hungary, the state guarantees access to health care and basic health services partly through the Semmelweis Plan adopted in 2011. The Health Plan aims to optimize and transform the health system. The objectives of hospital integration, as set out in the Plan, started with the state ownership of municipal hospitals in 2012, continued with the launch of integration processes in 2012–2013 and culminated today. The transformation of a health system can have an impact on health services and thus on meeting the needs of the population. We aim to study the effectiveness of integration through access to CT diagnostic testing. Our hypothesis is that integration has resulted in increased access to modern diagnostic services. The specialty under study is computed tomography (CT) diagnostic care. Our research shows that the number of people receiving CT diagnostic care has increased significantly because of integration, which has also brought a number of positive benefits, such as reduced health inequalities, reduced travel time, costs and waiting lists. Test material and method: Our quantitative retrospective research was carried out in the hospital of Kalocsa through document analysis. The research material was comparing two time periods in the Kalocsa site of Bács-Kiskun County, Southern Hungary. The number of patients attending CT examinations by area of duty of care according to postal codes was collected: Pre-integration period 2014.01.01–2017.11.30. (Kalocsa did not have CT equipment, so patients who appeared in Kecskemét Hospital but were under the care of Kalocsa), post-integration period 2017.12.01–2019.12.31. (period after the installation of CT in Kalocsa). The target group of the study consisted of women and men together, aged 0–99 years, who appeared for a CT diagnostic examination. The study sample size was 6721 persons. Linear regression statistics were used to evaluate the results. Based on empirical experience, a SWOT analysis was carried out to further investigate the effectiveness of integration. Results: As a result of the integration, the CT scan machine purchased in the Kalocsa District Hospital has enabled an average of 129.7 patients per month to receive CT scans on site without travelling. The model used is significant, explaining 86% of the change in the number of patients served (F = 43.535; p < 0.001, adjusted R2 = 0.860). The variable of integration in the model is significant, with an average increase in the number of patients served of 129.7 per month (t = 22.686; p < 0.001) following the introduction of CT due to integration. None of the month variables representing seasonal effects were found to be significant, with no seasonal effect on care. The SWOT analysis has clearly identified the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats related to the integration, the main outcome of which is the acquisition of a CT diagnostic tool. Conclusions: Although we only looked at one segment of the evidence for the effectiveness of hospital integration, integration in the study area has had a positive impact on CT availability, reducing disparities in care.
This research aims to explain the management of the Cekungan Bandung Urban Area with a focus on three policy formulations, namely process, content and context in the social, environmental and economic dimensions. The research method used is a qualitative approach. Data collection techniques include observation and interviews with stakeholders, using purposive sampling techniques, including the Head of West Java Province Regional Development Planning Agency, district/city Bappeda heads, planners (Badan Perencanaan Dan Pembangunan Daerah, Bappeda), Regional People`s Representative Assembly (Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Daerah, DPRD members), Legal Bureau and Collaboration Bureau Heads in West Java Province, and Academic Manuscript Compiler. Due to the absence of comfortable, safe, and punctual public transportation, people continue to use private vehicles, leading to unresolved traffic congestion and environmental pollution, thus resulting in economic losses. The results show the formulation of policies for managing the urban area of the Cekungan Bandung, specifically the establishment of BP Cek ban, faced challenges due to a lack of authority in managing financial and human resources. The agency couldn’t execute programs or activities and implement the development due to limitations in legal authority over state finances. Alternative policies were not effectively synchronized between government levels and lacked legislative support, hindered by regional autonomy. The contribution of the research is as reference material for the government in formulating management policies for the Cekubgan Bandung urban area.
In today’s digital education landscape, safeguarding the privacy and security of educational data, particularly the distribution of grades, is paramount. This research presents the “secure grade distribution scheme (SGDS)”, a comprehensive solution designed to address critical aspects of key management, encryption, secure communication, and data privacy. The scheme’s heart lies in its careful key management strategy, offering a structured approach to key generation, rotation, and secure storage. Hardware security modules (HSMs) are central to fortifying encryption keys and ensuring the highest security standards. The advanced encryption standard (AES) is employed to encrypt graded data, guaranteeing the confidentiality and integrity of information during transmission and storage. The scheme integrates the Diffie-Hellman key exchange protocol to establish secure communication, enabling users to securely exchange encryption keys without vulnerability to eavesdropping or interception. Secure communication channels further fortify graded data protection, ensuring data integrity in transit. The research findings underscore the SGDS’s efficacy in achieving the goals of secure grade distribution and data privacy. The scheme provides a holistic approach to safeguarding educational data, ensuring the confidentiality of sensitive information, and protecting against unauthorized access. Future research opportunities may centre on enhancing the scheme’s robustness and scalability in diverse educational settings.
Research has shown that understanding the fundamental of public support for carbon emission reduction policies may undermine policy formulation and implementation, yet the direction of influence and the transmission mechanism remain unclear. Using data from using data from 1482 questionnaires conducted in Hangzhou, China, this paper has examined a comprehensive model of the factors and paths influencing public support for carbon emission reduction policies, and evaluated the determinants and predictors of policy support regarding individual psychological perceptions, social-contextual perceptions, and perceptions of policy features. The results show that the variables in both the individual psychological perception and social contextual perception dimensions have no significant effect on carbon tax, however, be important constructure in carbon trading; in the policy characteristics perception dimension, both variables have a significant positive effect on both carbon tax and carbon trading, and are also the strongest predictors of policy support for carbon policies. Further evidence suggests that future policies could be more acceptable to residents by strengthening their environmental values, social norms can further arouse residents’ social responsibility to care about climate, and whether the policy is effective or fair to help residents realize the importance of the policy as well as the need for their participation and willingness to dedicate themselves to the mitigation of climate change.
In the realm of modern education, the integration of technology has emerged as a powerful catalyst for transforming traditional classrooms into dynamic and engaging learning environments. This paper provides a concise overview of the multifaceted ways in which technology contributes to enhanced classroom engagement.
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