The Middle East competitiveness report: regional and territorial analysis

This report explores the extent to which Middle Eastern regions have generated relatively high or low levels of competitiveness. Whilst many Middle Eastern regions may owe some of their competitiveness to the natural advantages of oil reserves, for others their competitiveness has been achieved through other means. Their small size and high degree of autonomy means that many of the regions are effectively independent states. Middle Eastern nations and their regions have been characterized by some as ‘rentier states’ (Brach, 2009), whereby a rent-seeking culture characterized by traits such as a large welfare deadweight loss, a perception of the market as rewarding the rich and well-connected, and a focus on rent capture rather than innovation (Krueger, 1974), is likely to hold back regional competitiveness. As Rodrik et al. (2004) find, institutions are often more important than geography and trade integration for economic development, and it is quite conceivable that the unique political economy of Middle Eastern regions will have profound effects on both their overall competitiveness and also the sources of this competitiveness

Mapping the business systems of 61 major economies: a taxonomy and implications for varieties of capitalism and business systems research

Efforts to build a universal theory of the world’s business systems require empirical grounding in an understanding of the variety that need explaining. To support such theorizing, we analyzed the institutional structures of 61 major economies, accounting for 93.5% of 2013 world GDP at purchasing power parity. We found nine main types of business systems: Highly Coordinated, Coordinated Market, Liberal Market, European Peripheral, Advanced Emerging, Advanced City, Arab Oil-Based, Emerging, and Socialist Economies. Our findings illustrate the need to go beyond the Varieties of Capitalism and Business Systems frameworks; provide empirical support for the CME versus LME dichotomy for part of the OECD; identify some of the business systems proposed recently as sub-types of larger clusters; indicate that institutional diversity may increase with development level; and cast doubt on the notions of state-led and family-led capitalism as types of business systems. Our discussion further suggests numerous avenues for theory development and empirical research

SARS-CoV-2 infection provoking autoimmunity

For decades, infections have been recognized as strong stimulators of the immune system and subsequently serve as a trigger for autoimmunity and autoimmune diseases. While infection is a very broad term, infectious agents such as bacteria, viruses and parasites, but particularly viruses present a key player in this regard and have been considered a classical example for this correlation

Autoimmune autonomic dysfunction syndromes: Potential involvement and pathophysiology related to complex regional pain syndrome, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, silicone breast implant–related symptoms and post-COVID syndrome

The pathophysiological mechanisms involved in chronic disorders such as complex regional pain syndrome, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, silicone breast implant–related symptoms, and post-COVID syndrome have not been clearly defined. The course of the pain in some of the syndromes, the absence of evident tissue damage, and the predominance of alterations in the autonomic nervous system are shared similarities between them. The production of autoantibodies following a trigger in the syndromes was previously described, for instance, trauma in complex regional pain syndrome, infectious agents in fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and post-COVID syndrome, and the immune stimulation by silicone in women with breast implants. In fact, the autoantibodies produced were shown to be directed against the autonomic nervous system receptors, leading to the amplification of the perception of pain alongside various clinical symptoms seen during the clinical course of the syndromes. Therefore, we viewed autoantibodies targeting the autonomic nervous system resulting in autonomic dysfunction as likely the most comprehensive explanation of the pathophysiology of the disorders mentioned. Based on this, we aimed to introduce a new concept uniting complex regional pain syndrome, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, silicone breast implant–related symptoms, and post-COVID syndrome, namely “autoimmune autonomic dysfunction syndromes”. Due to its etiological, pathophysiological, and clinical implications, the suggested term would be more precise in classifying the syndromes under one title. The new title would doubtlessly facilitate both laboratory and clinical studies aimed to improve diagnosis and make treatment options more directed and precise

Innovation in Multi-stakeholder Engagemnet

This paper is concerned with the multitude of interleaving issues which emerge in engaging multiple stakeholders in decision making. Whilst recognizing the intrinsic values of group work (including shared views, wide option selection, public spirited focus, legitimacy of decisions and improved intellectual content) and keeping in mind the numerous issues which confuse and obscure clear findings from group work (including multiple roles of participants, bias due to domination and distortion emerging from uneven group inputs) this paper uses an innovative theory and methodology, the triple task, to propose a new framework for organizing multi-stakeholders consultations. The Triple Task methodology was applied to test the new framework on multi-stakeholders in the context of education in Abu Dhabi, where various small groups are tasked and assessed using the methodology. The results indicate that moving participants from heterogeneous to homogenous groups results in these groups becoming more focused in their outcomes with a greater clarity in the thinking of group members

Herpes simplex virus and SLE: Though uncommon yet with significant implications

To the Editor,The relation between infectious agents, particularly viruses, withautoimmunity and autoimmune diseases, has been extensivelystudied during the last decades. Recently, the association was shownto be even stronger during the pandemic of COVID‐19, as thecausative virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) has been linked to severe autoimmune sequela ininfected individuals. The concerned consequences in patients withCOVID‐19 were documented during the acute viral infection,throughout the long recovery phase (so‐called post‐COVID syn-drome), as well as secondary to the vaccines of COVID‐19.1Actually,the autoimmune nature of SARS‐CoV‐2 has been vastly reported inthe medical literature and it is beyond the scope of our currentpaper.2However, it shows the strong bond between infection andautoimmunity. Subsequently, with a deep interest in the field, weanalyzed the article of Chang et al.3concluding that there is nocorrelation between herpes simplex viral infections and systemiclupus erythematosus (SLE) in terms of causality using Mendelian randomization

International researcher mobility and knowledge transfer in the social sciences and humanities

This article explores knowledge outcomes of international researcher mobility in the social sciences and humanities. Looking in particular at international experiences of longer durations in the careers of European PhD graduates, it proposes a threefold analytical typology for understanding the links between the modes, durations, and outcomes of this mobility in terms of the exchange of codified knowledge; the sharing of more tacit knowledge practices; and the development of a cosmopolitan identity. The findings suggest that, under the right conditions, there can be an important and transformative value to longer stays, which can lead to enduring outcomes in terms of knowledge production and innovation and the spatially distributed networks that sustain it

Social determinants, ethical issues and future challenge of tuberculosis in a pluralistic society: the example of Israel

Tuberculosis is a very serious respiratory infectious disease, caused by the bacillus Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which generates a relevant societal and clinical burden. It has always represented a permanent concern and a public health challenge over the course of human history, because of its severe epidemiological, and economic-financial implications. The present review aims at over-viewing the impact on tuberculosis on the Israeli healthcare system, its temporal trend and evolution, stratified according to ethnicities and minorities, the need of establishing new facilities and implementing screening techniques, public health strategies and diagnostic tests, following massive immigration waves from countries characterized by a high incidence rate of tuberculosis during the fifties-sixties until the nineties, and the policies implemented by the Israeli government in the control, management and treatment of tuberculosis, as well as the role played by Israeli prominent scientists in discovering new druggable targets and finding bioactive compounds and bio-molecules in the fight against tuberculosis. Israel represents a unique, living laboratory in which features of developed and developing countries mix together. This country as a case-study of immigrant, pluralistic society underlines the importance of adopting a culturally-sensitive community intervention approach. The understanding of the subtle interplay between race/ethnic host and pathogen factors, including the role of gene variations and polymorphisms can pave the way for a personalized treatment and management of tuberculosis patients, contributing to the development of new tools for targeted tuberculosis therapeutics, immunodiagnostics and vaccination products

Vaccines and autoimmunity—From side effects to ASIA syndrome

Since vaccines are in fact manufactured chemical compounds such as drugs, the appearance of side effects following their use is not surprising. Similarly, as the main goal of vaccines is to stimulate the immune system bringing out the production of protective antibodies, autoimmune-related side effects as a consequence of increased immune activity do not seem irrational. Fortunately, the rate of such side effects is low; however, the importance of reporting adverse events following vaccinations, understanding the mechanisms behind their appearance, making early diagnosis, and appropriate treatment cannot be overemphasized. In fact, autoimmune-related side effects of vaccines, particularly those based on adjuvants, were reported long before the introduction of the autoimmune/inflammatory syndrome induced by adjuvants (ASIA). Nevertheless, ASIA gathered and united the side effects of vaccines under one title, a step which helped organize the research and call for better immune stimulators than adjuvants. New technologies and methods of making vaccines were clearly noticed during the pandemic of COVID-19 after the introduction of mRNA-based vaccines. In our current paper, we introduce the notion of side effects to vaccines, particularly those of autoimmune nature, the mechanisms of ASIA, and the main vaccines linked with the syndrome including the recent COVID-19 vaccines. The transition from side effects to ASIA is the main idea behind our work