Search

Digital accessibility has become an important topic in the field of HCI, but when looking at accessibility on a global scale, we find that the representation of accessibility research is mostly centered in the Global North with countries that are WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic). Our paper explores digital accessibility in Iran, focusing exclusively on its national policies on accessibility. Iran is a non-WEIRD country located in the Global South, with no reports on its digital accessibility status from the Global Initiative for Inclusive Information and Communication Technologies (G3ict). We found that there is not enough focus on accessibility in Iran's regulations and we conclude our paper by recommending directions for improving this situation such as HCI and disability organizations in Iran cooperating with G3ict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foreign direct investment (FDI) is a powerful economic growth tool, particularly in today's global environment. The host nations try their best to create an appealing and advantageous investment climate for international investors in order to attract FDI inflows. Both developing countries i.e. India, Bangladesh and even developed economy like USA have dependency on FDI. All these three Bangladesh, USA and India have made significant efforts in recent years to attract FDI, offering a variety of lucrative incentives and benefits. Due to this covid pandemic there was some reduction in the trends of FDI inflows but eventually it again resumed momentum due to policies of the government. In this research paper we have tried to do the comparison between FDI inflows between these three countries and even tried to do the prediction for next 2 years. Statistical tools like Mean, Standard Deviation and CAGR have been used for this research paper. This paper also included the data of FDI inflows into these three countries for 6 years, top 10 countries' share in FDI inflows of these countries and some general comparison is also being done. This paper revealed that Mauritius is the top investor in India whereas in Bangladesh its China and in USA, its Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study interrogates the locus of innovation in urban planning within Porto Alegre, a city globally recognized for its pioneering participatory budgeting. It posits that recentering public participation constitutes a pivotal innovation in formulating policies that genuinely cater to citizen needs. This hypothesis is grounded in the assertion that reviving participatory mechanisms, for which Porto Alegre is renowned worldwide, serves as a critical pathway to achieving social innovation success. Employing a qualitative methodology, this research synthesizes data from participant observation, document analysis, and interviews to explore the dynamics of public engagement in urban planning processes. The inquiry aims to elucidate how such participatory approaches can redefine the landscape of public policy, ensuring that innovation benefits all city dwellers. By examining the reintegration of public participation in urban governance, this paper seeks to contribute to the discourse on social innovation, positing that inclusivity in policy formulation enhances the efficacy and relevance of public policies in addressing contemporary urban challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This manuscript stems from an ongoing research project on gender inequality in Portuguese businesses, particularly concerning access to leadership positions. It aims to provide new insights into the constraints that limit women's access to managerial roles -- both from the worker/employee's perspective, by exploring expectations, aspirations, and perceived barriers, and from the employer/hierarchy's perspective, by analysing which biases in recruitment and promotion processes are likely to limit women's rise to top management positions. Against this analytical background, this paper aims to provide a reflection on the inquiry protocol developed within the project, with particular emphasis on the quantitative approach based on an experimental design. A survey has been developed targeting professionals and directors of large, listed companies and large/medium unlisted companies, where the respondents are given the framework of hiring hypothetical applicants for a management position. The methodological protocol involves elaborating different fictitious CV profiles, representing hypothetical candidates. These profiles are constructed by varying attributes according to various dimensions, specifically gender, combined with educational and professional characteristics. Based on the process of designing the experimental setting, the aim is to reflect on the nuances, obstacles, and limitations in constructing a set of stimulus materials and manipulating the experimental conditions regarding the fictitious applicants' characteristics (including gender), vertical segregation ('glass ceiling' in access to top management positions), horizontal segregation (i.e., associating candidates with typically female or male occupations) and measurement items/scales for assessing the applicants in different dimensions (e.g., perceived competence, job fit, promotion recommendation, etc.). Therefore, this paper aims to reflect on the methodological challenges and advantages of an experimental research design and data analysis strategy to address gender bias in hiring contexts and capable of sustaining an ongoing data observatory to support the definition of public policies and organisational practices aimed at promoting gender equality in top positions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental permits have conditions that require operators to control pollution -- this includes controlling noise and vibration. The Environment Agency (EA), Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), Natural Resources Wales (NRW)and Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) produced and published new guidance for Management of Noise for Permitted Processes in 2021, to help holders and potential holders of permits apply for, vary, and comply with their permits. The guidance is common to all four regulators. This guidance replaced the original Horizontal guidance for noise usually referred to as H3. The paper will cover the development, authoring and publishing of the guidance. It will also cover some of the reasoning behind and the major clarifications which are contained within the new guidance. Issues with noise impact assessments and demonstrations of Best Available Techniques and Appropriate Measures will also be covered. The guidance was developed to be consistent with the noise policies of all four devolved governments. The paper will briefly cover requirements of both operators and their consultants under legislation and the published guidance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the possibilities of the national and European policy for the development of innovations are considered. The aim of the paper is to analyse the opportunities provided by the main strategies and programmes in the new programming period 2021-2027, 2030 of the industrial companies in Bulgaria and their potential for the development of innovation activity. The research has been done by analyzing and synthesizing data and information collected, and information, studies, strategies and work guidelines from national and European strategies and policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the opportunities for South Africa to promote economic activities in the context of the fourth industrial revolution. Hence, the study examined science, technology & innovation (STI) as the main driver of the fourth industrial revolution. Meta-analysis was conducted to elicit information from key government policy documents on STI since 1994 to check the political will of South Africa's government. Grey literature from government departments were also reviewed to examine the strength of South Africa’s Research and Innovation System. Based on the assessment of data and information gathered, the study concludes that though strong institutions characterize South Africa's research and innovation system, but the relatively low intensity of linkages and interaction among the key actors of the innovation system continues to pose a threat to South Africa taking a leadership position to significantly contribute to the fourth industrial revolution. However, strong coordination among South Africa’s financial, human, natural, physical, and institutional resources will situate the country in a position to develop the necessary capabilities for the fourth industrial revolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various studies for solving problems in electrical power have been published. Many of these studies are related to the development of technology to solve the problem of electrical power alone or to solve the problem of electrical power and consider the environmental impact, often referred to as green technology. This paper discusses government policy support in encouraging technology development to have an economic impact and specific constraints in technological development in electrical power concerning the economic impact compared to the technology in communication and information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on identifying and addressing the challenges hindering renewable energy development in Saudi Arabia. A literature review and expert insights pinpointed seven key obstacles: lack of a stable investment climate, political instability, technical expertise, limited institutional capacity, varying environmental conditions, dependence on fossil fuel, and limited public awareness. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was employed to prioritize these challenges, revealing that limited public awareness is the most crucial barrier and varying environmental conditions are followed. To counter these challenges, the paper proposes seven strategies: encouraging private sector investment, providing financial incentives, strengthening the regulatory framework, developing a skilled workforce, promoting public awareness, collaborating with international organizations, and implementing policies. The effectiveness of these strategies was assessed using the combined compromise solution (CoCoSo) method, which highlighted policy implementation as the foremost approach. This research aims to guide decision-makers in Saudi Arabia in effectively allocating resources and making informed decisions to facilitate the growth of renewable energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper conducts qualitative and quantitative analysis on the national innovation systems (NIS) of America and China. Quantitative analysis demonstrates that in a mature economy like America innovative performance is chiefly triggered by knowledge accumulation, external openness, and industrial sophistication. On the contrary, in an emerging economy like China, innovative performance is chiefly triggered by R&D investments and bureaucratic efficiency. To conclude, innovative inputs, innovation infrastructure and government policies all contribute to innovative performances of both countries, though in different modes of influence. The research findings demonstrate distinctive national innovation paths followed by America and China. For America it has long been well-selected government policies targeted at the general innovation environment that is conducive to long-term knowledge accumulation and industrial sophistication. For China it has long been well-executed government policies supporting specific industries and selected enterprises, plus grand public investments in R&D activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the roles and challenges faced by Brazilian national and regional State-owned financial institutions (SFIs). SFIs' actions go beyond complementing private institutions or acting countercyclically; they have a permanent mandate as a public policy toolkit in the development process. In Brazil, SFIs have historically shown a strong presence in financing fixed capital formation and innovation. After revising the historical path of Brazilian SFIs, the paper concludes with a specific discussion on the obstacles currently faced by regional SFIs. This paper's main contribution is to describe the complexity of the Brazilian set of SFIs as well as to draw a set of policies to strengthen them and their impact on regional development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to transform China into a powerhouse of higher education and promote the internationalization of Chinese higher education, the Chinese government and the Ministry of Education implemented the first round of the "Double World First-Class Universities Construction Project (Double First-Class)" in 2015. The second round of the project also started in 2022. This study aims to review the goals, summarize the implementation results, explore the issues and problems of the first round of "Double First-Class," and find implications for the ongoing second and future third rounds of policy. The study used the literature review analysis method to collect and analyze government policy documents, real-time data, and academic papers published in China on the "Double First-Class." The results showed that the fundamental goal of the "Double First-Class" is to cultivate top universities and disciplines to make China a world power in higher education. The detailed goals focus on constructing top teaching staff, cultivating outstanding research talents, and improving scientific research levels. Nonetheless, science and engineering are overemphasized, while the arts and social sciences are ignored, and there have been controversial problems, such as the corruption of professors. Based on our findings, we further provided the implications of developing a systematic education management and evaluation system, introducing senior professional scholars, and strengthening the management system to improve China's higher education competitiveness during the second and future third rounds of the project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines how governance failure on behalf of the Irish Government led to the ‘mica’/defective blocks catastrophe. It will examine the governance process adopted by the Irish state in the ‘mica’ case and review the recommendations made in 2012 (Pyrite Panel, 2012) following a similar crisis – ‘pyrite’ and whether the Irish Government’s response to these recommendations were acted upon in a timely manner. It will further examine whether the government’s action/inaction in relation to these recommendations could have contributed to the scale of this mica crisis and whether it may have exacerbated this crisis further. This paper will also establish the key lessons to be learnt from this crisis. The findings of this research will be of value to Public Sector organisations /Government departments when considering governance approaches at a local and a national level that should be in place, in particular when permitting concrete products to be placed on to the marketplace. Finally, it will be of interest to other researchers/ academics interested in Governance at both an organisational and at a governmental level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of toll roads has increased since 2005 in Indonesia. The benefits of toll road investment have increased connectivity, accessibility, and mobility. This paper presents the calculation of the estimated direct benefits of the new toll road investment. In general, to evaluate immediate user benefits, benefits are associated with direct user benefits. They are reflected in travel time savings and vehicle operating cost savings, from the analysis identified from VOC via toll road, which is more expensive than the arterial road. This has been caused by the distance reached if using the toll road and added the size of the tariff of the toll held by the users. The saving of the VOC will be a significant element from one appraisal in investing in a toll road, and this matter will be used as a basic policy for the government to invest in the transport sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emission-free economy is an achievable target with the formulation of policies by the Governments around the globe. A major contribution is made by the transport industry. Delhi is one of the examples among the cities in India which is polluting the air by transportation which is about 20 percent. Towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, the nation has to take a different trajectory from concentrating on the technical aspect of reducing the hazardous emissions to refining the regulatory awareness. The research study is based on the statistical inputs provided by the government agencies and the judicial verdicts seeking a pollution free atmosphere. The Judiciary has been proactively recommending and directing the respective government to take necessary action towards controlling the pollution caused due to road transport. Nevertheless, the use of Artificial Intelligence has been an area which has not been strongly recommended by the apex court. The regulatory and judicial control over the emissions is towards a penalizing perspective and the technological assistance has not been resorted to. Though a one hundred percent emission-free economy is not a possibility, the areas which are still not explored or have not been brought under the purview of consideration have been the scope of study in the research paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transportation electrification is one of the most effective ways to reduce the emission pollution in metropolitans. For this reason, the government of many of countries defined an incentive based policies to increase the penetration of electric vehicles in the cities, especially in large cities. Although the electric vehicles can have a positive impact of emission reduction, their development have some strong challenges that should be considered in roadmap designing process. The electric vehicles have various strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) that need to be analyzed. In this paper, the SWOT analysis of electric vehicles will be carried out from technical, economic, and environmental perspectives. The challenges of electric vehicles integration on electricity networks will be investigated and the practical solutions to address these challenges will be presented. Moreover, from the economic perspective, the market challenges from the buyers, manufactures, and governments points of view will be analyzed. Finally, the impact of electric vehicles on emission reduction will be studied and the practical ways to increase their positive impacts will be presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The risks of non-fulfillment of the target indicators of the federal project "Export of Education", which are systemic in nature and are associated with the peculiarities of the socio-economic, cultural development of Russian regions and their conditions for implementing the internationalization of higher education, have undergone a transformation during 2020-2021 in the context of a pandemic and active use of distance technologies and electronic educational resources. This placed the emphasis on the level of competitiveness and the development of these technologies in comparison with large international providers - foreign universities. The goal of this paper is to identify and substantiate internationalization features of Russian higher education at the regional level and to forecast further scenarios of development in the context of a long term impact on public policy in this area. The research revealed and systematized the features of the internationalization of higher education at the regional level with their division into positive, negative, and crisis features. Trends in the number and structure of foreign students studying in Russia were identified and analyzed. The calculation of the effective rating of foreign students by importing countries was carried out. The authors developed and tested a six-factor function for assessing the level of internationalization of the university. The paper presents a model of interaction between regional universities and universities participating in the implementation of the Federal project "Export of Education". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research Question Policy makers, businesses, nonprofits and individuals have been seeking solutions to the single-use plastic waste problems found in their communities. Many researchers have studied green values and sustainability as a means to encourage sustainability decision making. Our exploratory research will provide insight and knowledge on two research questions: (1) Are consumers' green values and concern about single-use plastic waste more concentrated to individuals close to the ocean? (2) How can you increase consumers' concern for single-use plastic waste and their behavioral changes? Based on our survey analysis and thematic analysis of over 100 single-use plastic waste solutions we have developed a guide around five policy solution categories: (1) business resources, (2) public policy resources, (3) non-profit resources, (4) education resources, (5) personal resources. These solution categories and strategies will be discussed more in the following manuscript. Method and Data The methodology uses a mixed method of research that includes both quantitative survey analysis and qualitative thematic analysis to build a guide for single use plastic solutions that meet policy makers, businesses, non-profits and individuals in their solutions process. The survey analysis is a Qualtrics Q-panel with participants evenly distributed across the U.S. Each participant was asked to review the Plastic Pollution Coalition (2016) video produced in collaboration with Jeff Bridges to educate consumers on the impacts of single use plastic waste on humans and their environment. Participants were asked to answer a series of questions on (1) Green Consumer Value Questions (Haws, Winterich, and Naylor 2012), (2) Concern for Contamination (Petrowski et al 2010) specifically single-use plastic waste disgust questionnaire developed by the research team. A structured search was conducted to find other means of communicating the single-use plastic message beyond the video produced by the Plastic Pollution Coalition. The results of a 6-month search utilizing Google Trends to narrow the results applying keywords such as: "what are single use plastic", "single-use plastic", "single use plastic ban", "plastic bag bans" developed categories for (1) name of resource, (2) content type, (3) policy solution, (4) link to information. Summary of Findings The results address consumers' closeness to the ocean and are more likely to be concerned about green values. Equally distributing the survey across the US allows to explore the individual's placement and green values. [California: (n=95) had a Green Consumer Value (M=1.99, SD=1.03), Single Use Plastic (M=4.15, SD=0.64) and Contamination (M=3.37, SD=0.93)] [New York: (n=20) had a Green Consumer Value (M=2.06, SD=0.81), Single Use Plastic (M=4.08, SD=0.81) and Contamination (M=2.69, SD=1.12)] [Florida: (n=18) had a Green Consumer Value (M=2.03, SD=1.14), Single Use Plastic (M=4.29, SD=0.82), and Contamination (M=2.85, SD=1.12)] [Texas: (n=18) had a Green Consumer Value (M=2.37, SD=1.24), Single Use Plastic (M=4.62, SD=0.73), and Contamination (M=3.10, SD=0.87)] [Oregon: (n=12) had a Green Consumer Value (M=1.81, SD=0.71), Single Use Plastic M=4.14 (0.47), and Contamination (M=3.29, SD=0.65)]. Key Contributions The key contributions to practice include the implementation guide for organizations, government and policy makers as a scalable plastic reduction program. A collection of over 100 policy solutions has been categorized into five major resource groups: (1) Business Resources (N=25), (2) Public Policy Resources, (N=5) (3) Nonprofit Resources, (N=15) (4) Education Resources, (N=25) and (5) Personal Resources, (N=33). This solution guide provides those in practice with the necessary information needed to continue to build their own tailored single-use plastic waste solution. The tools and links to more information include: books, videos, websites, educational kits, documentaries, movies, packaging alternatives and many more have been compiled. The current research adds to the existing knowledge by expanding the discussion on sustainability more narrowly to single-use plastic. In addition, the paper synthesizes many resources as a form of a meta-analysis enabling stakeholders to meet their needs as well as provide scalable solutions for future endeavors. As we continue to research single-use plastic waste and solutions, we will share with the growing list of strategies enabled by non-profits organization, educational institutions and individuals to help build awareness, understanding and progress to protect our planet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small hydropower is one of the most cost-effective and environmentally benign energy technologies for production of electrical power worldwide. In India, the available potential of small hydro is at about 15,000MW and small hydro can provide electricity to 120,000 unelectrified rural villages. Hence, this paper focuses the status of small hydro development in India and discusses the barriers/obstacles to the development of small hydro in India by taking government policy, economical aspects and environmental benefits of few countries into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper outlines our efforts in foresight technology, utilizing the TASDA framework, with a specific focus on the utilization of scenario planning. Scenario planning is a valuable tool for aiding management in comprehending potential future scenarios and making well-informed decisions. In this context, we are applying it to the development of research topics concerning Indonesia's maritime industry. This research aims to enhance stakeholders' understanding of issues related to the growth of maritime research topics in Indonesia, encompassing aspects such as tourism, oceanography, fisheries, infrastructure, energy, and mineral resources. Moreover, the study investigates changes in the strategic environment, including socio-political and economic factors that influence the progression of maritime research in Indonesia. We employ scenario planning analysis to chart the strategic environment and its ramifications on maritime research topics in Indonesia. This includes an examination of both global and national trends. We formulate driving and uncertainty factors within the framework of scenario planning analysis, which are then crafted into strategic environmental scenarios. The outcome of this scenario planning exercise yields four distinct scenarios. This methodology is well-suited for establishing the trajectory of national development aimed at constructing a research-driven maritime industry by 2045. However, achieving these objectives necessitates substantial advancements in science and technology, as delineated in current national policies, rather than adhering to conventional, business-as-usual approaches. To further refine the roadmap for the national maritime research industry, strategic planning and technology road mapping become imperative to optimize progress towards technological confidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Indian government has proposed a national education policy designed by an eminent panel of experts, with the audacious goal of transforming the Indian education system. The policy plans to bring significant changes in the teaching-learning process from the school level to the university level. This paper studies the current information technology infrastructure that is available in Indian Universities for enabling e-learning. The data relating to IT infrastructure to facilitate e-learning was collected from 252 Universities across India. This was used to understand the present scenario of e-learning in the higher education context. An IT governance framework has been proposed which can effectively facilitate e-learning in alignment with the goals of the Indian National Education Policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the public administration's interest in using the service design approach to solve wicked problems through innovation departments called Public Sector Innovation Labs, this research aims to identify and characterize notorious aspects of design as a generator of public action. To this end, it analyzes projects carried out in two innovation laboratories that are municipal and federal, respectively. From the field research, which took place through the triangulation of interviews, institutional reports and other academic publications on the respective laboratories, the study revealed characteristics related to the creation, implementation and refinement of public policies, as well as the reinforcement of the tangibility of information, collaboration, experimental vision and challenge to the status quo in the conduct of projects, aspects considered to be basic to the creation in service design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case study examines the potential benefits and barriers of the ‘Freeport’ initiative within the context of South West Wales and the impact it could have on the Regional Innovation system (RIS), while also achieving policy potential for Smart Specialisation. In addition, this paper adds to the existing cases relating to RIS Theory and how this initiative can facilitate in the activities of Knowledge Transfer (KT) and Technology Transfer (TT). Also, this further contributes to the existing literature relating to Regional Innovation policy in this specific region. Furthermore, it expands examination of Smart Specialisation, with a review of this post-industrial region in the emerging BREXIT context. Smart Specialisation is an EU policy, while the ‘Freeport’ initiative is a post BREXIT UK government led policy within a devolved region. It poses a question for its orchestration in a developing multi-level governance. Additionally, this supplements the literature around the ‘Freeport’ movement and how it can support a region such as South West Wales, which can open additional avenues for international trade. This examines the impact of University-Industry collaboration and its importance to regional development. The data comprises semi-structured interviews involving key stakeholders from industry, academia, and government. To conclude, there are many similarities between that of the Enterprise Zone (EZ) and the Freeport initiative, which questions if the constant progression of these initiatives takes away from the previous one and not allowing for them to have enough time and resources to make a notable and long-lasting difference. However, it was unanimously agreed of the importance of such initiatives like the Port Talbot Waterfront Enterprise Zone (PTWEZ) and the potential Freeports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a comprehensive and diachronic overview of the history of the of education for entrepreneurship programmes in Portuguese schools. Following the example of other European countries, these programmes began in Portugal in 2006 as a response to recommendations issued by the European Commission. This text will provide an account of the political and social initiatives that propelled these programmes, as well as an understanding of how they have been implemented. We propose a critical, multi-level analysis of a circumstance that reaches beyond the realm of education and extends well into other, crucial aspects of public policy, such as: citizenship and entrepreneurship competences, evidence-based policymaking, and the relation between entrepreneurship and economic development. This is the first study that examines the history of the education for entrepreneurship programmes in Portugal. Using a case study approach, this paper contributes to the knowledge of the development of this education strand in the country and its presence in the regions that have had a continued exposure to them – through a systematisation and presentation of original qualitative and quantitative data (concerning the number of students, institutions and educators involved) and results. Moreover, this paper will also highlight the pedagogic strategies and methodologies used (in the face of the difficulties presented) in the implementation of these programmes, in order to make sure that the learning outcomes were aligned with best practices observed in the field of entrepreneurship education. We also add to the literature by showing how initiatives might be enhanced and strengthened through public policymaking and how they refresh the education system and introduce new challenges for all parts involved (i.e., students, parents, schools, teachers, businesses, and local entities – which, as we will see for the Portuguese case, are still far from acting in an articulated manner and under a common strategy). The conclusions include the identification of best practices and success factors (as well as the identification of blocking factors), thus meaning that this study not only provides a deeper comprehension of socio-political phenomena, but also a vision for future projects and strategies connected to this field of education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While communities and neighbourhoods place a premium on quiet living areas, home-sharing platforms bring tourism to ordinary homes. Noise has serious negative implications for public mental health and overall wellness. However, when residential neighbourhoods host sharing platform guests, their character may change to reflect the activities of short-stay, touristic inhabitants. To study the noiserelated externalities generated by home-sharing platforms, this short paper empirically examines the relationship between Airbnb listings in the city of New York, and frequency of residential noise complaints made. First estimations using negative binomial specifications on a panel dataset of NYC boroughs shows a higher number of Airbnb listings, higher occupancy and commercial use is associated with noisy boroughs, whereas noise complaints are lesser in boroughs with expensive listings. We outline steps for future work and development. This study speaks to IS literature on platform negative externalities disrupting community life, and offers insights for remedial public policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews a project carried out in the Brazilian Congress that, since 2020, monitors and selects relevant articles from the federal government gazette using Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning as part of an executive branch overseeing effort. The selected articles are also used to produce a daily bulletin that is open to the general public. The technical details are presented, and the successes and possible improvements are highlighted. Overall, the project is evaluated as a positive use of AI in government with minimal adverse side effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unmatched construction increase happened in last decade and the domestic construction from late 80s can be labelled as inefficient energy units. Building sector consumes energy more than 54 % and residential sector around 24 % in north region. The rising cost of per unit energy is huge concern especially the cooling loads. The inefficient houses are raising the peak demand becomes a challenge to meet the demand versus generation. This issue must be addressed at micro level. The major energy loss happened through windows (being the crucial component of building services) and more heat inside the building than other components such as wall, roof etc. This paper investigates the possible reasons and gaps that why residential sector is not susceptible towards sustainable windows to lower their electricity bills. The research carried in two phases and questionnaire is framed to gather the data for analysis with aid of experts and literature reviews. It is concluded that awareness of occupant plays a pivotal role in advancement of sustainable windows besides other crucial factors such as orientation, make, glazing type etc. The collective efforts of architect, engineer, vendors and occupant can bridge the gap to reduce energy consumption. The initial cost of sustainable windows can be offset with savings and aid of government policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cities have been affected, throughout History, by earthquakes, big fires, epidemics, and pandemics that sparked moments of reflection and change in the city form and public space quantity and quality. For example, this happened after the Great Fire of London (1666) or the Great Earthquake of Lisbon (1755). After episodes of destruction or disruption, debates and projects forge the urban answer to diminish future losses and risks. From this starting point, we discuss the impact of two distinct public health crisis - the epidemics of the 19th century and the current COVID-19 pandemic - on Lisbon's public spaces. For both periods, we analyze primary sources - strategies, plans, projects, and papers - designed by Lisbon City Council and that depict the ideas and tactics to tackle the urban challenges imposed by the public health crises. With this research, we discuss the impact of public health crises on public spaces policies design through two particular examples in Lisbon, from the 19th century and the current days. Furthermore, we question if these crises served, to any extent, the intentions to qualify public places and introduce a new form and image on Lisbon public spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, Cybersecurity is one of the most critical challenges for anyone who is connected to the Cyberspace. However, there are limited visibility and public awareness towards this issue. This paper review the fundamentals of the Cybersecurity awareness among the Higher Learning Institution students in Malaysia. The aim is in line with the Malaysia's Cyber Defense initiatives on the National Cybersecurity policy. This study aims to bridge the gap of the levels of Cybersecurity awareness on Cybersecurity threats among the students in the Malaysian Higher learning Institutions. Awareness in this project conceived of as comprising knowledge, behavior, and attitudes, and its relationship among these elements that influences towards Cybersecurity awareness. Since there has not been any standardized Cybersecurity policy in Higher Learning Institutions, there is a need for this research to do a critical analysis of factors affecting students' Cybersecurity awareness in Higher Learning Institutions. The findings of this study will be helpful for the students to improve their livelihood and people around them, higher learning institutions, academicians, future employers and indirectly will help the Cybersecurity Malaysia (CSM) department. In line with the Cybersecurity Malaysia, the study contributes to a betterment of society in Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19's rapidly spread in Indonesia is a serious concern for government. Various government policies, such as large-scale social restrictions, which is called as PSBB, and the imposing restrictions on community activities, be called as PPKM, have been applied to slow the spread of COVID-19. These policies were supposed to control people activities in many areas, especially that will invite the crowd happening. In this paper, the control charts be explored to obtain the overview of the daily new COVID-19 cases number, which is considered as a production process. The proportion of positive COVID-19 cases be observed and monitored using P-control chart. The data used is from the specimen COVID-19 test in DKI Jakarta Province, since April 2020 to January 2021. It is obtained that the process of daily new COVID-19 cases number has not been statistically controlled. It is detected some mean shifts of proportion in some point of times. Several findings indicate an upward trend, suggesting that the proportion of positive cases COVID-19 is rising. The public's conduct in Jakarta has served as a model for the government in designing policies to tackle the spread of Covid-19. However, due to the high mobility of Jakarta residents and its lack of consistency in the region, the COVID-19 process still remained out of control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digitalisation, algorithmic management and AI are transforming business models, work practices and occupations, with consequences for skills demands (Eurofound, 2018; Ojanperä et al. 2018). Blockchain is a key technological trend in the ICT sector. Fifty per cent of businesses in the EU, regardless of size and field, see blockchain as a top priority for growth (Deloitte, 2019). Furthermore, there is a significant increase in blockchain start-ups (annual growth rate of 40%) and blockchain spending in the EU is forecasted to rise from €720m in 2019 to €4.5bn in 2023 (IDC, 2019). LinkedIn ranks Blockchain as the top tech skill sought after by EU companies in 2020 and the Glassdoor reported a 300 per cent growth in blockchain job postings in 2019. The fast pace of development is pushing up the demand for blockchain relevant skills. This paper examines the development of blockchain skill demand and supply in Europe to examine the key determinants of blockchain skill demand. This paper uses data scraping of online job vacancy (OJV) data to analyse the OJV data on key terms related to blockchain skills. This provides a set of key competencies and skills (keywords) that characterise blockchain occupations and jobs. Subsequently, blockchain skill demand is modelled as a function of the macro-environment and sector-specific variables. This task relies on the identification of a reliable time-series for blockchain demand and relevant explanatory variables over the same time period across multiple regions. We have extended our analysis from the scraped job advertisement data by using the occupational categories identified to construct the relevant panel dataset using the EU-LFS at a disaggregated country level. Our modelling framework uses the number of people in occupations (3-digit ISCO level) identified as blockchain-relevant occupations as our dependent variable in a GMM estimation framework. We use occupations identified previously to model this as a function of supply and demand variables e.g. education, unemployment rate, participation rate, etc. In addition, this research is further enhanced by the inclusion of semi-structured interviews with field experts, stakeholders and decision makers (sectoral and national level) to examine the developments in blockchain skill demand and supply across Europe. Due mainly to data constraints there has been relatively little assessment of blockchain skill demand from an aggregate country level perspective. By examining and comparing the determinants of blockchain skills at a comparative, cross-country level, we greatly improve our understanding of the macroeconomic, demographic and institutional forces that drive it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Popularity of blockchain technology has increased over the last decade. This is due to growing interest in faster, more transparent, and decentralised transfer of information. Although organisations from a wide range of industries and different areas of operations are using blockchain technology it requires a unique set of skills to implement such technology in any institutional setting. The key objective of this study is the development of a forecasting model for the supply and demand of blockchain skills in order to examine the impact of this emerging technology on the labour force across Europe over the next five years. We have collected a sufficient volume of blockchain labour market data to perform the time series analysis and forecast the evolution of blockchain skill demand and supply. In order to forecast blockchain skills demand, we map over 6,500 blockchain related job adverts in 2021 to ISCO categories that are most likely to contain blockchain employment. We build on CEDEFOP's employment and occupational forecasts across Europe and incorporate EU-LFS occupational data to estimate changes in blockchain related occupations from 2021 to 2026. In order to forecast blockchain skills supply, we utilise information on the number of graduates from blockchain related and blockchain specific courses across Europe. The data for skills supply comes from national educational authorities and Eurostat. We apply linear trends to graduate data from 2015 to 2019 to forecast blockchain skills supply from 2020 to 2026. We find that on average approximately 85% of blockchain related jobs in Europe are represented by the following five ISCO categories: software developers, database and network professionals, ICT Service managers, business services administration managers, and legal professionals. The remaining 15% of blockchain related are in 'Other' ISCO categories. Our forecasting results indicate that approximately 25,000 new blockchain jobs in Europe will be created from 2021 to 2026 of which 12,000 are estimated to be entry level or graduate jobs. We also find that approximately 14,000 new blockchain graduates in Europe will be available from 2020 to 2026. The results suggest that the number of blockchain graduates when compared to the demand for blockchain work at the graduate level in total across Europe are roughly in line. However, the findings vary distinctively at a country level, and it is likely that more specific training courses, focusing on key skill development areas that are relevant for blockchain labour demand are still required over the coming years. This paper is the first to map blockchain related jobs to occupational categories in Europe, providing evidence on the occupations that blockchain workers are most likely to be employed in. Our findings from the blockchain skills forecasts also estimate the supply of blockchain workers over time to satisfy the demands by the sector. This paper provides detailed information, at a country level for Europe, to assist in the anticipation of future blockchain skill demand and supply, in order to act as an early warning information mechanism to mitigate possible labour market imbalances, and support education, training and labour market actors in making evidence-based decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the changes in mobility trends due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore in the six different sectors: Retail and Recreation, Grocery and Pharmacy, Parks, Transit Stations, Workplaces and Residential. The period of observation is from 15 February 2020 to 18 August 2021. The observed patterns obtained from the descriptive data analysis sheds light on the effectiveness of social distancing measures in Singapore as well as the level of compliance among the country's residents. Correlation analysis is used to explore the relationship between different sectors during the pandemic period. The results reveal a strong sense of compliance with government policies and personal responsibility to social distance. We establish that the Transit Stations Sector, and Retail and Recreation Sector are two of the most sensitive sectors to mobility changes, while Grocery and Pharmacy Sector is the most unaffected one as it is considered as a necessity during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A number of actors and factors, whose action can be decisive for decision-making in the political process, are involved in the public policies making. Different authors have identified a number of factors, grouped in relation to some elements that may favor, streamline or, in some cases, have adverse effects on policy implementation. The actors involved in decision-making in public policies can exercise their influence, through their interests, but also the resources they have at their disposal. Over the course of the paper, the authors' opinions on the presence of several groups of actors were taken into account, the need to study them being given just by their influence within politics. The present study aims getting over the grouping of different categories of actors and factors, identified by foreign and domestic specialized literature, taking into account issues related to their role and impact, ways of intervention, relevant elements for their influence within the process. The conclusions summarize the essential ideas retained in the material, trying to capture the relevance of the research results of this topic. The novelty elements brought in the paper consist just in bringing together, in a synthetic manner, the aspects noted during the research and highlighting the contribution of each category of factors and actors in the implementation of public policies. The methodology used was the information from the foreign and domestic specialized literature, getting over the text and assimilation of the essential ideas on this subject, their processing from the perspective of the author's own interpretation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globalization has interconnected markets, businesses and economies. Recessions are economic phenomena that may affect the economic growth, and occur from time to time. The global economy goes through various economic fluctuations that represent the ups and downs of the economic cycle. This paper investigates and presents the entitled research "Economic fluctuations, global recession and the trends for economies, businesses and markets in times of globalization". As a methodology of research, authors focused on literature review and a descriptive quantitative and qualitative data analysis. The research questions are "What are the trends of the economic fluctuation and recession for business, markets and economies?" and "has there been a possibility of recession recently?". The results showed that economies in times of globalization could face the risk of recession that remains a phase of the economic cycle and appears with a decrease of the economic activity and real GDP. Generally, inflation comes out from foreign demand, private consumption and government policies and it hits goods and services, the level of consumption and investments decreases during the period of recession. The increase of inflation could generate difficulties in the purchase power. As a result, companies and businesses should find a way to be resilient during the periods of recession. Advanced economies know better how to survive during the periods of recession, as the analysis showed that globalization transmits the trends between economies, the real GDP in both advanced and developing economies appears in parallel lines of fluctuations. In conclusion, strengthening global cooperation remains the best way to improve the economic prospects. Furthermore, political adjustments, effective negotiations and investments could be useful to survive in times of recession. Due to globalization and internationalization, advanced economies and developing economies are highly connected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data governance policy is of great importance for the development of digital economy. This paper proposes a four‐dimensional policy mining framework to analyze the 1,097 central data governance policies. We depict the development trajectory, analyze the policy subjects involved into the policy‐making, trace the sources of policy, and characterize the policy tool structure based on the policy coding. We find that the core departments of data governance policy making need to strengthen the awareness of data governance; Policy‐making should source enough convincing and authoritative policies to strengthen the long‐term effectiveness and impact policies; There are imbalances and deficiencies of policy tool structure. It provides reference for other countries in data governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The climate change can be a natural process where temperature, rainfall, wind, and other elements vary over time. However, nowadays we are experiencing a rapid warming arising from human activities that increase greenhouse gas emissions which consequently increase temperatures making the living hood tougher and the World more asymmetric. Every aspect of national energy systems will be affected by these changes along with several factors such as the energy policy, financing, advancements in technology and shifts on the supply and demand of energy. Indeed the energy sector faces several challenges for instance the rising populations and demand, providing modern energy access to approximately 700 million people underserved, a high share of total GHG emission (65%) which has to be reduced significantly to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. The need for an increase in resiliency to future economic and environmental shocks as well as the shift towards a greener economy requires the strong intervention of the public policies. The role of the government and its policy actions is crucial for addressing these challenges. As a matter of fact, the broad scope of consequences arising from climate change on society added to the impact on firm cost structures puts the Government in the center of this transition. Policy actions on green innovations must be heterogeneous and, therefore, the government needs to adapt to the local situation and accelerate the establishment of a market-oriented green technology innovation environment. Likewise, public policy should not be homogeneous since there are economic driven innovations which reduce cost structure while enhancing competitive strategies, conversely, others that need subsidization for their implementation due to their negative effects on costs. In another words, public policy can´t follow the “one rule fits all” approach. This paper contributes is to refine the underlying differences between environmental and eco-innovations in the greener transition as well as the effectiveness of the different policy instruments for each case, thus providing the necessary knowledge to allow for a more effective policy package. Furthermore, though a set of logistic regressions using the CIS 2018 database, we aim to understand the role of environmental regulations as barriers or promoters of innovations reinforcing the green transition as a vehicle to promote sustainable and just ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extrinsic factors such as the Russia-Ukraine war and COVID-19 pandemic have negatively impacted the ability of food supply chain (FSC) networks to operate effectively. This research explores FSC network performance, operating under the auspices of geographical indication (GI) legal protection. Our study examines a FSC network within five agricultural regions in Turkey that distributes products to local, national, and global markets. Information from 30 key informants using a semi-structure research protocol was collected. From that a conceptual framework was developed to show how the underlying elements inherent in B2B relationships impact overall GI FSC network performance. Key findings indicate the role relationship marketing (RM) plays and the need to ground GI network B2B relationships in the theories of social exchange and social capital - due the presence and impact of psychological contracts and trust on network performance. Both for-profit, government and policy makers need to understand that whilst GI legal protections are critical to preserve the cultural and geographical heritage of regions this may not be a guarantee of network performance in the food sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research Question The development of effective vaccines against COVID-19 are paramount for containing the pandemic and preventing deaths. However, even though several successful vaccines were approved worldwide, available doses are insufficient to meet current demand. How this vaccine scarcity affects individuals' willingness to be vaccinated? This paper aims to address this important public policy question, as vaccine hesitancy can hinder controlling the pandemic. In addition, what key variables moderate the relationship between vaccine scarcity and intentions to be vaccinated? Method and Data In two pre-registered experimental studies (total N = 927), we manipulated whether COVID-19 vaccines were scarce or widely available, and tested the effect of scarcity frame on one's vaccination intention. Using moderated mediation models, we also explored the role of trust in doctors and compassion for others. Study 1 was conducted with a student population, while study 2 sampled participants with or without pre-existing conditions that can make one more vulnerable to COVID-19. Summary of Findings We find that scarcity of COVID-19 vaccines decreases willingness to be vaccinated (contrary to most scarcity research findings) due to lower perceived priority to receive the vaccine. Perceived scarcity in vaccine supplies reduced average intentions to vaccinate by up to10 points on a 100-point scale. Trust in doctors decreased the deleterious effect of low perceived priority due to vaccine scarcity on vaccination intentions. For participants with high compassion, namely a greater ability to understand or be aware of the suffering of others and the need to act to end that suffering, (top 48.4% of the distribution), scarcity reduced their vaccine intentions, while for participants with low compassion scores (bottom 1.4% of the distribution), scarcity increased their vaccine intentions. Statement of Key Contributions Results from two studies indicate that public health authorities should deemphasize COVID-19 vaccine supply scarcity to improve public acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine. Trust in doctors may be an important lever for improving COVID-19 vaccination acceptance when supplies are scarce. Public health messaging should also target highly compassionate individuals to emphasize how accepting a COVID-19 vaccine when available helps other people, even when vaccines are scarce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global push for sustainable and eco-friendly transportation solutions has made the adoption of electric vehicles imperative. In India, EV adoption has shown promise, fueled by diverse product offerings and supportive government policies. However, rural India lags behind in EV adoption, despite being a significant market. To unlock the untapped potential, understanding the needs, attitudes, and barriers of rural consumers is crucial. This research conducts a study of rural Indian consumers and offers valuable design insights for automotive companies to formulate effective future strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dashboards are frequently used to monitor and share data across a breadth of domains including business, finance, sports, public policy, and healthcare, just to name a few. The combination of different components (e.g., key performance indicators, charts, filtering widgets) and the interactivity between components makes dashboards powerful interfaces for data monitoring and analysis. However, these very characteristics also often make dashboards inaccessible to blind and low vision (BLV) users. Through a co-design study with two screen reader users, we investigate challenges faced by BLV users and identify design goals to support effective screen reader-based interactions with dashboards. Operationalizing the findings from the co-design process, we present a prototype system, Azimuth, that generates dashboards optimized for screen reader-based navigation along with complementary descriptions to support dashboard comprehension and interaction. Based on a follow-up study with five BLV participants, we showcase how our generated dashboards support BLV users and enable them to perform both targeted and open-ended analysis. Reflecting on our design process and study feedback, we discuss opportunities for future work on supporting interactive data analysis, understanding dashboard accessibility at scale, and investigating alternative devices and modalities for designing accessible visualization dashboards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research analyzed a sample of agricultural cultural landscapes recognized by United Nations agencies on the American continent, with the objective of study being the geographical delimitation established for each of the cultural properties. The results show the lack of "general considerations" that provide guidelines to carry out this activity, which consequently enables the protection of a territory and its management. It was identified that the perimeters of these cultural landscapes may have limits based on the following; geomorphological features, linear infrastructures, political–administrative limits, and if none of these limits are present then they are physically catalogued as vague or unclear. The establishment of general delimitation guidelines will allow the development of public policies for the organizing of such territory and a sustainable, dynamic, efficient, and resilient management for this type of living landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Safety at work is a very important aspect of a flyover construction project. Flyovers involve working at height and with a high risk of falling. Lack of safety factors can cause serious accidents or even death of workers. In an unsafe work environment, workers tend to exercise caution and slow down to reduce risk. This can result in a significant decrease in work productivity. On the other hand, when safety in the workplace is well cared for, workers will feel safe and are motivated to work efficiently, so that productivity increases. The purpose of this study is to analyze the work productivity model of the Flyover bridge construction project which is influenced by government policies related to construction safety on the work productivity of the Flyover construction project. Surveys have been conducted on several bridge construction projects in Palembang City, South Sumatra Province, INDONESIA. The number of respondents in this study was 35 respondents. Data collection techniques were carried out through distributing questionnaires and in-depth interviews. The results showed that construction safety consisted of indicators of physical health, mental health, emotions, preventive efforts, and curative efforts. These five indicators can minimize the risk of accidents or occupational diseases. Workers can complete their work on time with minimal work accidents, meaning that construction safety can affect work productivity. Government policies in the form of laws, government regulations, ministerial regulations, ministerial decrees, and director general decisions can be used as guidelines or references by companies in protecting worker safety so as not to hamper productivity at work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]