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In its iron ore operations, Vale, the largest mining company in Brazil and the fourth largest mining company in the world by market value, has 77 dams considered with high potential damage in case of a failure in the stability controls. This classification follows the criteria of the sector regulatory agency in Brazil and determines that, for this class, a mass alert system is necessary for the resident population and workers immediately downstream of the dam within a region preset by legislation, considering a simulated flood area. For Vale, the mass alert system for dam emergencies is part of a critical mitigating control for a business risk analysis considering the hypothetical dam break as an unwanted material event. Therefore, both the probability of failure on demand, spurious failure, and availability of the assets of this protection barrier are important elements for this purpose, as well as the emergency response plan and the evacuation simulation of flood areas, which are part of a risk management system that require continuous verification and continuous improvement. Currently, Vale has 375 sirens, and it is planned to reach 420 sirens by the end of 2024. The purpose of this article is to present how the safety concepts applied to these systems were developed, the good practices applied from this study, and the lessons learned from the dam emergency management arising from the break of the Brumadinho dam in 2019. The reliability analyses of the systems involved and the main contributors to the Safety Critical Unavailability are presented, as well as the results of the reduction in the maintenance time and increase in system availability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Taiwan Law Review is the property of Angle Publishing Co., Ltd 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.)

New Zealand's state schools have been self-managing since 1989, with government agencies playing a more limited role in terms of support than in other countries. This radical change was intended to improve education and make it more responsive and equitable. These goals have not been achieved. In 2018, the Labour-led government asked for an independent review of its schooling system, as part of an ambitious government programme to improve education. The first report from the Tomorrow's Schools Independent Taskforce came out in late 2018. Martin Thrupp made major contributions to New Zealand education as both a researcher and a public intellectual drawing attention to inequitable provision, and the need for respect and support for the teaching profession. In early 2019 he and Katrina McChesney used a series of four Ipu Kereru blogs to draw attention to the wide sweeping recommendations of this report to encourage submissions during the consultation period following. While they were positive about quite a few of the recommendations, Martin and Katrina critiqued the emphasis given to equity in the framing of the first report, seeing this as inviting pushback from the often-powerful leaders and parents who are more interested in positional rather than common good. They questioned the wisdom of situating all schools within hubs that provided both support and oversight. They thought that insufficient attention had been paid to the undermining emphasis on managerialism evident in the central government agencies. As one of the five members of this independent review, I provide some reflection on Martin and Katrina's critique, in relation to what transpired in the second report, after the consultation. While this second report's recommendations were largely accepted by the government, implementation has been limited, not least because of the managerialist approach of the Ministry of Education, coupled with the lack of additional resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The frequency and severity of major disruptions (e.g., disasters, epidemics/pandemics) are increasing, significantly impacting business survival in regional areas. Using the dynamic capabilities approach, this paper reports on the recovery pathways and resilience of Australian regional businesses during the recent COVID-19 pandemic. A case study approach is adopted to explore the capabilities through which regional businesses can plan for, recover from, and develop strategies for building resilience. Using the data from 18 semi-structured interviews with business owners operating in different industry sectors and a web-based forum with 10 key stakeholders in regional South Australia, a dynamic capabilities resilience framework is developed. Results suggest that the dynamic capabilities approach during crises can become integral to the long-term business recovery of regional Australian businesses. By revealing both the determinants of business survival and the constraints regional businesses face during major crises, the study contributes information that businesses, government and non-government agencies that support them can use to develop effective recovery pathways, which is central to the future sustainability of regional Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate adaptation policy in Canada is emerging in the context of another major challenge: the diminishing availability of affordable housing. Housing is a well‐known driver of social vulnerability to environmental risks, so as governments respond to these challenges, it will be essential to understand how housing is being situated within adaptation, particularly with respect to differences in housing tenure and how decisions around equity and social vulnerability are factored into planning and policy processes. This research examines how adaptation plans and policies in Nova Scotia are addressing the needs of the non‐profit co‐operative housing sector and assesses the adaptation readiness of housing co‐operatives in the province. Two methods are employed: a systematic content analysis of municipal and provincial climate policy documents, and interviews with key informants across the co‐operative housing sector and government agencies. Using a modified adaptation readiness framework, we consider the potential for co‐operative adaptation and complimentary public policy to address vulnerability at the intersection of housing and climate change. Findings indicate that non‐market forms of tenure have been largely neglected by adaptation planners and state policymakers. Several barriers which contribute to a low level of adaptation readiness for co‐ops are highlighted, notably a lack of usable science and funding to facilitate adaptation. Characteristics such as affordability and a propensity for collective action position housing co‐ops to be agents of equitable and systemic adaptation, but this potential will only be realized in Canada if key barriers are overcome through targeted governmental rt for non‐profit housing organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2019, the New Zealand government established a Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care to investigate the abuse and neglect of children, young people and vulnerable adults in Aotearoa/New Zealand between 1950 and 1999. The public hearings, witness statements and interim reports have charted horrific violence by state and faith-based workers including torture, sexual assaults, serious physical violence, and layers of neglect and discrimination. Māori have been especially targeted as victims of abuse and harms. This article considers the multiple layers of ignorance-making from state representatives. It shows how state agencies have navigated Commission hearings through 10 strategies that demonstrate some acknowledgement of their offending and trauma-making while simultaneously minimising their responsibility and resecuring their institutional legitimacy as protectors of the vulnerable and saviours of Te Tiriti (the Treaty of Waitangi), ethics and integrity. This careful performance stands at odds with the ongoing layers of violence and harms in state care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A defining feature of the past two and a half centuries has been the extraordinary and unprecedented velocity of technological change. The rush of new technologies has affected every area of society including the law. Legal systems, even while promoting technological progress through legal structures such as intellectual property, have struggled to adapt to the enormous changes wrought by human creativity. One persistent question--indeed an issue of ever-growing importance as progress accelerates--is how to apply and adapt the law of the past to the new realities of the present and the future. This Article approaches that question with insight drawn from an emerging and important doctrine in the law governing federal statutory interpretation--the "major questions doctrine." That doctrine requires existing statutes delegating power to an administrative agency to be interpreted as simply not addressing--and thus not authorizing agency action on--major economic and social issues unless the statutory language is relatively clear. The major questions doctrine thus prevents preexisting statutes from being viewed as controlling authority when the inference is weak that the ratifying Congress meant to make any decision on the issue, including a decision to delegate the issue to an administrative agency. This Article argues that courts should adopt a similar posture when preexisting sources of law, including both statutes and caselaw, are invoked as controlling major new technological questions. For example, courts should be skeptical that an authorization for cryptocurrency regulation lies in a generally-worded statute enacted three-quarters of a century before the rise of cryptocurrencies and their markets. Courts should also doubt that authoritative rules for artificial intelligence can be gleaned from the caselaw and statutes governing such issues as libel and copyright. Such skepticism helpfully allows statutory and common law-makers to develop much-needed experience with nascent technologies before making important regulatory decisions and restrains the dead hand of the past from thoughtlessly tyrannizing the present and future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Punishing corporate crime typically involves fines. The limited research examining corporate crime sanctioning hampers our understanding of the punishments corporations receive, the extent to which they are fined, the nature of the offenses for which they are fined, and the fining practices of government agencies. Existing research suggests that corporate recidivism is problematic, and the effectiveness of fines has been questioned. This paper addresses corporate punishment by examining fines received by the 50 highest revenue generating US corporations for the period 2016–2020. Specifically, the study examines various aspects of the fines imposed, the fining practices of various agencies, and the frequency of repeat offenders among fined corporations. Among other findings, we found that companies in our sample had a mean of approximately 12 violations per year, and all companies were recidivists within a five-year period. Questions concerning the deterrent potential of the fines, corporate practices, and legal responses to corporate misconduct are explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyze the optimal design of deferred compensation for bank executives under agency conflicts in a continuous time model with a bank liability structure. Our model demonstrates that a well‐designed deferred compensation contract can effectively mitigate bank executives' asset substitution problem and significantly enhance the total value of the bank, which aligns with existing empirical studies. Moreover, we find that the motivation for bank executives to shift risk under deferred compensation is diminished when supervision is more stringent, the bank has greater market power, or the write‐down ratio of debt is lower. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although numerous studies evaluate the efficacy of mental health courts (MHCs), most of this research examines a limited number of variables, often focusing on graduation and recidivism rates for a single court or county. By contrast, there is little systematic research that evaluates MHCs comprehensively. This article examines why that might be the case by comparing and contrasting publicly available reports on MHCs from across the United States. Notably, more than half of all states have no such reports available on the websites of their judicial branches, state departments of health and human services, or similar state agencies. Of the 23 U.S. jurisdictions that make an evaluation report publicly accessible, many are more than a decade old and most fail to report a host of relevant data that researchers would need to conduct analyses on MHC effectiveness. The article offers some suggestions for addressing this problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study investigates the factors behind growing communal violence in Bangladesh that is mostly perpetrated against non-Muslim communities by examining three different cases. The qualitative study has been undertaken with the help of available secondary resources and in-depth interviews of experts as primary sources. The findings confirm that the ongoing communal violence in Bangladesh is not spontaneous but rather comprises deliberate and well-orchestrated incidents. It has been noted that apart from communal identity or ideological discord, other factors have played a pivotal role in these constant attacks. All these attacks are primarily intertwined with local politics and power relations as there is evidence of local political leaders' and members' involvement in the assaults. Besides, the entrenchment of extremist elements and growing intolerance at the mass level have a formidable impact on the gradual alienation of non-Muslim communities. The inaction of the state agencies and a culture of impunity have been largely responsible for the deterioration of communal harmony in Bangladesh. Due to these factors, no organised cultural campaign or resistant mechanism could gain a strong foothold against communal violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Cadernos de Dereito Actual is the property of Asociacion Xuristas en Accion 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.)

Introduction: Fluoroscopy uses collimators to limit the radiation field size. Collimators are often evaluated annually during equipment performance evaluations to maintain compliance with regulatory and/or accreditation bodies. A method to evaluate and quantify fluoroscopy collimator performance was developed. Methods: A radiation field and displayed image measurement device consisting of radiopaque rulers and radiochromic film strips was placed on the x‐ray source assembly exit window to evaluate fluoroscopy collimator performance. This method was used to evaluate collimator performance on 79 fluoroscopic imaging systems including fixed C‐arms, mobile C‐arms, mini C‐arms, and radiographic fluoroscopic systems. Results: The excess length (EL), excess width (EW), and sum EL + EW of the radiation field relative to the displayed image were measured and compared to the limits specified in 21CFR1020.32. Four systems exceeded these limits. Placing the radiation measurement device at the x‐ray source assembly exit window relative to the image receptor cover increased the film exposure rate by a factor up to 14.6. The time required to set up and complete the fluoroscopy collimator performance measurements using this method ranged from 5 to 10 min. Conclusions: This method provides an easily implemented quantitative measure of fluoroscopy system collimator performance that satisfies regulatory and accreditation body requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information about imminent bankruptcy is crucial for financial institutions, decision-making managers, and state agencies. Since bankruptcy prediction is a prevalent research topic, many new methods have been continuously proposed. Bankruptcy prediction is frequently approached as a binary classification task. Since bankruptcy datasets are inherently imbalanced, bankruptcy classification is usually performed using class imbalance learning methods. The nature of these methods is very diverse, but they can usually be categorized as ensemble, cost-sensitive, sampling, and hybrid methods. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive experimental comparison of 45 methods. These methods were selected because they cover the approaches and algorithms frequently employed for bankruptcy prediction and imbalanced learning. Extensive experiments on 15 publicly available datasets with different imbalance ratios showed that the methods based on a combination of ensemble learning and undersampling are able to handle data imbalance and achieve the best results for bankruptcy classification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildlife management across Europe is increasingly characterised by a 'war on wild boar'. In response to epidemiological and economic threats to pig production and agriculture, state agencies, policymakers and hunting organizations have altered their management as they attempt to contain wild boar. Through a cross-section overview of eight European countries with differentiated strategies – the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Great Britain, Norway, Poland, Spain, and Sweden – we analyze five critical components of contemporary wild boar management: categorizing, responsibilizing, calculating, controlling, and sanitizing. We consider three critical triggers that change how wild boar and, by extension, a range of other 'wild' species are managed in relation to the aforementioned categories: (over)abundance and population growth, biosecurity crises, and technological innovation. While these triggers, on one hand, might streamline transborder management policies, we show how wild boar also uproot longstanding wildlife management cultures by transforming hunting traditions, landowner-hunter relations and meat handling practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This research paper explores the transformative potential of Industry 5.0 for environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors within corporate settings. This study aims to elucidate the role of Industry 5.0 and its related technologies in influencing ESG factors, explore potential risks linked to ESG and present strategies for mitigation through Industry 5.0. Design/methodology/approach: This paper is the literature review that introduces Industry 5.0 as a pivotal factor in implementing and mitigating ESG and its related risks. It outlines Industry 5.0's characteristics, driven by advanced technologies. Findings: Literature reviews suggest that Industry 5.0 has the potential to significantly influence ESG factors within corporate settings. It can promote sustainability, enhance working conditions and offer operational advantages. Practical implications: The practical implications of this research paper are twofold. First, it provides valuable insights to policymakers, organizations and regulatory bodies, guiding them in adapting their frameworks to embrace Industry 5.0. This adaptation is essential for achieving ESG goals and facilitating sustainable development. Second, it highlights the critical role of Industry 5.0 in mitigating ESG-related risks, offering a robust structure for sustainable development. Originality/value: This research paper contributes to the existing body of knowledge by highlighting the transformative potential of Industry 5.0 in the context of ESG. It offers a comprehensive exploration of the historical evolution of corporate governance, the integration of sustainability and the growing focus on ESG. It also highlights the originality and value of Industry 5.0 as a critical mitigating factor for ESG-related risks, presenting a holistic approach to sustainable corporate practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We show that distortion in the size distribution of banks around regulatory thresholds can be used to identify costs of bank regulation. We build a structural model in which banks can strategically bunch their assets below regulatory thresholds to avoid regulations. The resultant distortion in the size distribution of banks reveals the magnitude of regulatory costs. Using U.S. bank data, we estimate the regulatory costs imposed by the Dodd-Frank Act. Although the estimated regulatory costs are substantial, they are significantly lower than banks' self-reported estimates. Authors have furnished an Internet Appendix , which is available on the Oxford University Press Web site next to the link to the final published paper online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractCannabidiol (CBD) in industrial hemp is a promising functional food ingredient with multifarious health benefits, including anticancer activity, antioxidant activity, anti-inflammatory properties, and anxiolytic effects. In recent years, the application of CBD in the food industry has been emerging and several CBD fortified products are available across the globe. Currently, the scientific information associated with CBD are segregated, and there is a lack of connectivity between their recent explorations. Therefore, in this review, the findings associated with CBD that are crucial for extending its food applications are comprehensively discussed. It begins by exploring the global regulatory landscape of CBD. Followingly, the factors that affect CBD production in the field, CBD isolation techniques from industrial hemp flowers, and their functional properties are comprehensively detailed. Importantly, this review examines reported delivery systems for enhancing the physicochemical properties and bioavailability of CBD, thus broadening its potential applications in the food industry. Overall, this review would connect the patches of CBD information available from the field to food and would be resourceful for food scientists, regulatory agencies, and hemp farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the concept of crime prevention (criminal offenses) in the field of security activities, providing a characterization of the directions and measures of its prevention. Various approaches to understanding these definitions are examined, taking into account the experience of Ukrainian scholars in classifying crime prevention measures. Based on a general theoretical analysis of approaches to understanding the concept of «crime prevention» and defining its content, establishing the main crime prevention measures with their characteristics, as well as studying the system of crime prevention measures (criminal offenses) in the field of security activities and approaches to their classification, the author concludes that crime prevention is a multi-level socio-preventive activity aimed at eliminating and hindering the action of determinants or preventing the commission of acts at various stages of criminal manifestations that lead to the emergence of a certain type of crime, with the aim of ultimately ov ercoming it. The main goal and directions of crime prevention (criminal offenses) in the field of security activities in Ukraine are to create a positive, socially acceptable activity for individuals, introducing into their consciousness a correct, socially recognized understanding of criminal offenses and fostering intolerance towards their commission. General social crime prevention (criminal offenses) in the field of security activities includes a complex of measures conducted by state bodies, public organizations, and other entities aimed at reducing conflicts and stabilizing socio-economic, political, moral-psychological, and legal relations within the state and society. Special criminal crime prevention (criminal offenses) in the field of security activities includes a system of special government agencies that act to influence criminogenic factors, as well as identify the causes and conditions of committing criminal offenses in this sphere and take measures to eliminate them. Individual preventive work in the field of security activities includes early individual prevention, direct individual prevention, and post-criminal prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Veterinary pharmaceuticals must be safe and effective for treating and preventing diseases in animal sectors. Strict adherence to regulations at every stage of production, storage, and administration is necessary as the global sector grows in order to lower the possibility of adverse veterinary drug events. Strong pharmacovigilance regulatory systems are critical in monitoring and managing safety concerns related with veterinary pharmaceuticals. Objective: This review aimed to investigate the implementation of veterinary pharmacovigilance, collaborative initiatives, and reporting practices within the veterinary sector across East African countries. Methods: A thorough search was performed using online platforms such as Google Scholar, PubMed, the Web of Sciences, and regulatory Web sites. The search strategies relied heavily on selecting relevant published findings related to veterinary pharmacovigilance status, veterinary adverse drug event reporting practice, and collaborative efforts in veterinary pharmaceutical sectors within the East African landscape. This article search approach confirmed the inclusion state of veterinary pharmacovigilance and associated collaborative initiatives in the region. Results: In comparison to more developed regions, the review indicated that the veterinary pharmacovigilance system in East African countries was still in its early state. A strong legislative foundation and a large commitment from the veterinary profession are needed to establish a nationwide veterinary pharmacovigilance system. The review reveals a significant lack of consistency in the infrastructure of veterinary pharmacovigilance among the countries of East Africa. Tanzania, Kenya, and Ethiopia have some institutional processes for veterinary pharmaceutical safety, but they lack thorough documentation, which suggests that this systems still require improvement. The analysis emphasizes how inadequate the reporting systems are for adverse veterinary medication events in the majority of East African nations. Given the challenges East Africa faces, customized strategies are required to guarantee the safety and oversight of veterinary medications and improve veterinary pharmacovigilance. For systems to be more effective, veterinary pharmaceutical legal frameworks must be strengthened and stakeholder collaboration must be improved. Stakeholders include legislators, law enforcement, customs officials, regulatory organizations, scientists, pharmaceutical businesses, veterinarians, farmers, and the general public. Conclusion: A multidisciplinary strategy is needed to solve current gaps in veterinary pharmacovigilance and improve overall veterinary drug safety in East Africa. It is feasible to create more reliable methods for tracking and guaranteeing the safety of veterinary medications by combining the efforts of numerous stakeholders, including as legislators, regulatory agencies, veterinary practitioners, and the general public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article approaches regulation of the wholesale energy market as a part of coordinated effort to establish single EU-27 energy market. We analyze the forms of the cooperation among the national regulators responsible for competition in the wholesale energy markets; such responsibility is split - between two, three or more regulators. The principle of cooperation dominates in the oversight of the wholesale energy market [over concurrency] and has been institutionalized in the form the memo, statute or code; it had also evolved in the EU acquis. Domestic legal system of a state remains a fundamental framework in the traditional nation-state world order as the domestic regulators (NCA, NRA or SMA), along with domestic authority, get also to vote in the EU authorities. Previous research concentrated on delegation of the sovereign powers to the EU level and, to a lesser extent, on coordination between national and state level in the federal EU Member States. This article, instead, looks at horizontal cooperation on the national level only using the comparative legal method. The national level appears to generate the ideas for the EU level and not vice versa, at least, in the analyzed settings of Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom. The working arrangements on the information exchange, pooling of resources in the form of task force, investigation crew, joint unit as well as consultations and mutual comments on the policy proposals are common cooperation formats in each of the countries analyzed, often as a formal legislative rule. At the same time, the EU level inter-agency cooperation for the wholesale energy market can boast only memoranda of understanding, quite short. The research also lay prospectives of how Ukrainian government could fit in with its oversight mandate split among the competition authority, financial market authority and energy regulating authority given decision by the European Council on 14-15 December 2023 to open accession negotiations with Ukraine. This publication is third in the planned series of four comparative legal research papers on the inter-action between the regulatory agencies, the first two papers deal with the characterization of the wholesale energy product and wholesale energy market, undertake a content-analysis of the EU-level agencies interactions; the closing fourth part will systematize regulatory policy proposals for the domestic inter-agency cooperation in Ukraine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Open data refers to non-confidential data that is made available without restrictions on use or distribution. Open government data is a tool for empowering citizens and giving them access to and permission to utilize data produced by the government sector. This enables individuals to use, store, redistribute, and integrate the data with other sources. Providing information as open data helps reduce corruption, fosters public trust, and contributes to the development of a democratic society. Open data offers significant opportunities for monitoring governance activities. Unfortunately, despite the importance of this issue and the existence of legal requirements, no reliable model has yet been developed to assess the open data status of Iranian government institutions. This study aims to design and validate a model for evaluating the open data status of these institutions, focusing on general axes to promote transparency within governmental organizations. Method: The research method is applied in terms of purpose and utilizes a mixed data type, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Three sources of information were utilized to identify the items for evaluating the open data index. Initially, the theoretical foundations and research conducted in this field were reviewed, and items suggested by experts were extracted. Subsequently, elites and scholars in the field were selected using purposive and snowball sampling methods, and in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with them until theoretical saturation regarding the items was achieved. The third source of information was Resolution No. 1 from the 16th session of the Executive Council of Information Technology in Iran. This resolution was proposed to enhance transparency and ensure citizens have free access to the open data of executive agencies. According to the resolution, all executive agencies are required to publish their data in twelve categories. After identifying and combining similar items and weighting them, the initial model was developed. To assess the validity of the items in the initial model, the Content Validity Index (CVI) was employed. Finally, structural equation modeling and related statistical tests were employed to validate the initial model, leading to its finalization. Findings: A review of the three previously mentioned information sources used to identify open government data evaluation indicators resulted in the identification of 33 indicators categorized into four distinct dimensions: basic information, financial information, participation, and legal and functional systems. Following an examination of the validity and reliability of the initial model, 29 indicators within these four dimensions were approved for the evaluation of open government data. The results of the best-worst method used to prioritize dimensions based on their importance revealed that the dimensions of financial information, with a weight of 51.08%, are the most important, followed by the legal and functional system at 23.57%, participation at 18.42%, and basic information at 6.94%. These findings indicate the ranking of dimensions in the evaluation of open government data, from most to least important. Conclusion: The findings of this study have the potential to enhance the accurate evaluation of open government data by focusing on the relevant indicators and dimensions. The findings can assist officials, researchers, and the general public in properly evaluating government organizations or institutions by taking into account the specified evaluation indicators. This approach will enable the positive impacts of open government data to be observed in society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The COVID‐19 pandemic continues to cause nurses stress and trauma, with alcohol potentially being used to manage this stress. Prior studies of nurses' alcohol consumption during the COVID‐19 pandemic have shown increases in alcohol consumption to manage stress associated with the pandemic. The aim of this paper is to explore perceptions of alcohol consumption and stress among nurses, particularly since the declared end of the COVID‐19 pandemic. We used semi‐structured interviews with Australian nurses (n = 55), using a qualitative‐descriptive study design, conducted between October 2023 and January 2024. Data were analysed using structural coding and reported in accordance with CORE‐Q guidelines. Four key themes emerged from the data: (1) Alcohol consumption in response to ongoing role stress, (2) Alcohol consumption in response to incidents, (3) The lasting impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic and (4) Do nurses feel comfortable seeking help for alcohol use? High‐risk alcohol consumption has persisted beyond the end of the COVID‐19 pandemic to manage the stress associated with clinical environments. Alcohol was also used in response to incidents, and the ongoing trauma and impact of the pandemic was described as a significant source of stress and anxiety. Not all nurses in our study felt comfortable seeking help for alcohol use, with participants describing concern for their nursing registration if they self‐reported their alcohol consumption. Participants reported stronger links between stressful working environments and increased alcohol consumption. Nurses in our study do not feel safe seeking help or self‐reporting alcohol consumption for fear of the regulatory body instituting sanctions that lead to loss or suspension of their registration. These factors require urgent attention to ensure workforce wellbeing and sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of global climate change, sustainable development has become a critical factor in housing and commercial construction projects. This research aims to propose a framework of criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of construction investment projects aligned with sustainable development goals. The proposed framework is divided into five key groups: time and cost efficiency, quality and safety performance, environmental protection, social accessibility and affordability, and satisfaction and legal compliance. A total of 21 criteria have been identified for empirical surveys. The study will collect and analyze data, assess the level of consensus, and rank the criteria accordingly. The research outcomes will provide a framework to assist regulatory agencies and investors in evaluating and selecting projects with sustainable development potential, thereby contributing to the long-term and comprehensive development of the city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a collaborative effort to develop localized solar photovoltaic (PV) power output (PPV) forecasting models for the Philippines using geospatial data. It underlines the importance of solar energy in the country and discusses the opportunities and challenges associated with PPV forecasting. Project SINAG, a two-year research project, aimed to develop solar PV output forecasting models through a collaborative approach with academic institutions, solar energy industries, and government agencies. Actual PPV data from 43 solar PV installations were analyzed alongside meteorological data from the PAGASA weather bureau, ERA5, AHI-8, and FY- 4A. These datasets were filtered based on a one-year period to ensure quality. The study employed SARIMAX, LSTM, and XGBoost models individually and in hybrid models to develop the forecasting models. Model performance was evaluated using root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE). In a case study in Baguio City, the SARIMAX model exhibited strong seasonal dependence, providing more accurate forecasts in dry seasons than in wet seasons. Additionally, the forecasting accuracy of each model (SARIMAX, LSTM, and XGBoost) varied based on the month and location of the installation, emphasizing the need for local and season-based PPV forecasting models. Despite implementation challenges, such as collaboration arrangements, bureaucratic barriers, and budget constraints, the project produced thirteen research publications and provided data for three student theses. This paper also demonstrated diverse engagements and contributions that emphasize the significance of collaborative research in conducting nationwide-scale data-driven projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the role of root-seeking summer camps in enhancing Chinese cultural identity among the new ethnic Chinese generation (ECNG) amidst the challenges of globalization. Semi-structured interviews with thirty campers revealed that ECNG often lack clear ethnic consciousness, experience conflict in community relationships, and have limited opportunities for traditional cultural experiences. The study found that summer camps exert both intrinsic and extrinsic influences on campers. Intrinsically, they facilitate the internalization of leisure motivation, foster a deepened leisure experience, and promote strengthened leisure interactions. Extrinsically, they provide opportunities for leisure education and cultural immersion. Through this synergy, summer camps enhance the cultural identification of ECNG. However, the study also noted that course enjoyment and teaching staff behavior could influence perceptions of the camp. This study contributes to understanding the relationship between leisure and identity, explaining how summer camp activities enhance ECNG's cultural identity, and offering insights for governments and agencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Background Methods Results Discussion Immigrants and newcomers are identified by many provincial midwifery associations as “priority populations.” Recently, newcomer populations have shifted considerably, with more people coming to Canada with precarious immigration status who are increasingly ineligible for public healthcare insurance and facing barriers to accessing care. Our aims were to: (1) gain an understanding of the policies related to equitable access to midwifery care and how they may apply to migrant groups without public healthcare insurance and (2) identify existing policy themes, gaps, and regulatory barriers that limit access for this vulnerable population in Canada.We conducted a high‐level document content analysis using a health equity framework. We aimed to identify language related to equitable access in midwifery services, with particular emphasis on uninsured populations. A total of 64 documents were analyzed, including legislation and publicly available statements from midwifery regulatory bodies and associations.Midwifery regulatory authorities and associations across Canada are consistent in establishing an expectation that midwives will provide accessible care to diverse clientele. However, how these commitments are put into practice varies considerably between jurisdictions. We compared the cases of Manitoba and Ontario to illustrate the disconnect between commitments to priority populations and implementation.While there is a clearly demonstrated intention to provide equitable access to midwifery care to all people, including “priority populations” like migrants and newcomers, in practice, these commitments have not been fully realized. Equity is encumbered by broader structural issues, such as the growth in the number of newcomers without access to public health insurance. Moves toward equity within midwifery and healthcare more broadly need to meaningfully engage with other policy sectors, such as immigration, to be able to adapt to emerging issues affecting reproductive care, such as the growing precarity of newcomer populations in Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rise of digital technologies, a political‐economic configuration recognised as “platform capitalism” has raised concerns over monopolistic tendencies, lack of accountability, expanded rentiership, workers’ precarity, and more. Existing analyses, however, show a distinctly urban bias—centring on housing, transportation, retail, and gig labour—and have yet to engage with the agrarian dimensions of this phenomenon despite considerable potential impacts on the future of farming. Here we begin the process of theorising agrarian platform capitalism, offering a typology of platforms in the agri‐food sector, and bringing together critiques of platform capitalism with the distinctive features of agrarian political economy. Our analysis identifies four prominent characteristics of agrarian platform capitalism which largely corroborate existing critiques albeit with some distinctive contours. As in other sectors, platforms intensify rentiership regarding both real estate and digital assets. Agricultural platforms also display a familiar tendency to thrive in spaces of regulatory retreat and are in some cases even endorsed by regulatory agencies, highlighting the potential for public–private platformisation. Some agricultural platform companies deploy populist rhetoric beyond established tropes of consumer welfare, latching onto farmers’ deep frustrations with the highly concentrated agribusiness sector. Efforts to reign in agrarian platform power may be further constrained by legitimising discourses of hunger relief and sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Slow progress towards implementation of conventional clinical bacteriology in low resource settings and strong interest in greater speed for antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) more generally has focused attention on next-generation rapid AST technologies. In this Review, we systematically synthesize publications and submissions to regulatory agencies describing technologies that provide phenotypic AST faster than conventional methods. We characterize over ninety technologies in terms of underlying technical innovations, technology readiness level, extent of clinical validation, and time-to-results. This work provides a guide for technology developers and clinical microbiologists to understand the rapid phenotypic AST technology landscape, current development pipeline, and AST-specific validation milestones. Authors present a scoping review synthesizing new and upcoming technologies providing rapid phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Methods Results Conclusions To assess dental utilization of resettled adult refugees in Washington (WA) state and the demographic factors associated with dental utilization.Data were collected between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2015 for newly arrived adult refugees (>21 years) enrolled in Washington State dental Medicaid program. Three state agencies provided enrollment and claims data that included demographic information as well as number and types of dental claims, and time to first dental claim for the newly resettled adult refugee population.A total of 1294 adult refugees resettled in WA State in 2015. Approximately, 67% were aged 21–39 years and 32.4% White race and 93.9% without any disability. Over half (57%) of adult refugees had at least one dental claim within 12 months, and the median time to first dental utilization was 4.1 months [IQR:2.4–6.8]. Black refugees had a 74% greater chance of a first dental claim within 12 months of resettlement compared to White refugees (p < .001), and people from countries with high volume of refugees also had a 31% greater chance than those from countries with low volume of refugees (p = .005).Over half of all the adult refugees resettled in WA utilized dental services within 12 months of arrival. Understanding the mosaic of demographic backgrounds of newly resettled refugees in any given state will improve early utilization of dental care needs and therefore improve their oral health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To fulfill its constitutional functions, Congress must have access to information from within the executive branch. Whether it is assessing the need to amend the authorities of administrative agencies, determining whether to fund executive branch programs, or investigating allegations of waste, fraud, and abuse, Congress can act responsibly only if it is able to compile an accurate picture of executive branch activities. When executive branch officials resist these requests--for either legitimate or problematic reasons--the resulting conflict is traditionally resolved amicably through interbranch negotiations, not inter-branch litigation. Indeed, courts heard a total of four congressional-executive information disputes in the nation's first two hundred and forty years. Depending on how you count, however, the Trump administration alone generated at least five. This Article argues that Congress's recent litigiousness is the culmination of a long-term trend. Over the past half-century, the executive branch has unilaterally developed numerous legal doctrines that aggrandize its own bargaining power at Congress's expense, enable it to circumvent the checks and balances established by the Constitution, and justify rebuffing valid congressional information requests. The Article uses the Trump-era cases to explore this evolution, and its consequences, in the context of executive branch doctrine surrounding three issues--the claim that presidential advisors are absolutely immune from testifying before Congress, the claim that Congress must clear a high bar to request information from the executive branch, and the claim that congressional lawsuits to enforce subpoenas are not justiciable in federal court. It demonstrates the extravagance of the executive branch's claims and explores the significance of the courts' nearly universal rejection of them in the Trump-era suits. It concludes that the cases' impact will not be as significant as the courts' decisive rejections of the executive's theories might suggest, and that both Congress and the courts must act more aggressively to recalibrate the branches' bargaining power to bring the executive back to the bargaining table, where such disputes should be resolved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the provision of mental health support to the victims of the 2023 earthquake in Syria and Turkey by social workers. The recommendations are applicable to countries in which professional social work lacks recognition and have global implications for both policy and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]