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The #metoo movement prompted many librarians to self-disclose accounts of sexual harassment within their workplaces. In 2022, we used the validated Sexual Experiences Questionnaire to survey people who had recently worked in public libraries in order to measure the prevalence of sexual harassment within the field. A very high percentage of respondents stated they had experienced inappropriate behaviors from coworkers, patrons, and/or board of trustees. Nearly a quarter also shared qualitative comments which revealed a lack of psychological safety for those working in public libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Librarians are on the front lines of today's partisan and civic conflicts, fueled by fragmentation in ways different groups of citizens know the world, the shattering of common agreement about what it means to be an American, and loss of human connections across different epistemic communities. In this article, I argue that concepts of public work and its expression in "citizen professionalism" and the idea of nonviolent civic politics developed through decades of educational public work in the black freedom movement are profound resources for library professionals to use in addressing such conflicts. The article describes the little-known movement of Jeanes Teachers, who organized black communities to build thousands of Rosenwald libraries and schools and created interracial alliances in the American South. They had deep belief in the potential of everyone, black and white. Their pedagogical, political, and relational skills and constructive nonviolent philosophy have many lessons for librarians today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Contemporary Accounting Research is the property of Canadian Academic Accounting Association 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.)

To mitigate global warming, replacing concrete and steel with timber as the primary construction material for construction projects, such as check dams, is being promoted in Japan and other countries. Timber check dams have more limited installation sites than concrete or steel dams because of installation conditions such as locations less susceptible to debris flows and locations where there is constant running water. However, even when the installation conditions are met, engineers and contractors are reluctant to select timber as a construction material because of its high construction cost. In this study, an input-output table was used to compare the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with the construction of a timber check dam at the design stage with those associated with the construction of concrete and steel check dams to quantitatively evaluate the added value of timber utilization (in addition to its construction cost). The results revealed that replacing concrete and steel check dams with timber check dams could reduce GHG emissions by 61% and 34%, respectively. This study demonstrated the possibility of evaluating the GHG emissions associated with a construction project at the design stage. Moreover, it highlights the importance of considering the GHG emissions associated with construction materials when selecting the most appropriate materials for public works projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tranchant, J.; Fenech, D.; Gauci, C.; Ghirxi, D.; Martins, I.F.; Colica, E., and Buhagiar, G., 2025. Evaluating Ordnance Survey sheets (1890s–1957) for shoreline change analysis in the Maltese Islands: Identification of differences in cartographic techniques and precision. Journal of Coastal Research, 41(1), 83–93. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208. The assessment of coastal erosion through shoreline change analysis is an exercise of national utility undertaken in many countries. The Maltese Islands are particularly vulnerable to coastal erosion given the economic value of coastal activities and the islands' high ratio of coast-to-land surface. The integration of historical cartographic material is often used to hindcast shoreline change across long periods, as well as to model future erosion rates. The Public Works Department has produced detailed 1:2500 maps of Malta in collaboration with the British Ordnance Survey from the end of the 19th century to 1957; however, these maps have not been scientifically assessed until now. The initial research evaluated the usefulness of the two oldest 63.5-cm Maltese map series (early 20th century and 1957) for shoreline change analysis. The two series were digitized, georeferenced, and compared in a GIS environment to assess their differences. Inaccuracies of the original drawings, absent shoreline indicators, and the absence of a geographic coordinate system (datum and projection) were identified as limitations for their use in evaluating small gradual changes, but the series were ideal for the identification of stochastic, large-scale, historic erosion events using difference maps. This assessment showed that the two series are highly congruous and that changes between the two series are largely attributed to changes in infrastructure. There were minor exceptions, and these need to be explored case by case. These methods and the insights garnered from their production will function as scientific stepping stones toward developing a holistic coastal erosion national monitoring program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses the civil–military relations in Kenya in the context of civilian-activated politicization that is taking place the same way it happens in Latin America and the United States under the former Trump administration. In Kenya, this involves the use of the military in noncombat internal missions such as infrastructure development and management of public institutions especially where such institutions are perceived to be inefficient due to corruption both in public and private sectors. Judging from the outcomes of public works undertaken by the military, corruption and inefficiencies cannot be ruled out. This is demonstrated by the Kenya–Somalia Border Securitization Project where 34 million dollars was used to erect a 10-km fence in the war against terrorism. The outcomes of this study negate the logic of the proponents of developmental militarism in Africa who have been vocal in advocating the deployment of the soldiers to solve noncombat social challenges in the continent. Based on three case studies examined, deploying the military to engage in public works projects brings the military into a political minefield, is not productive, and proves to be an unreliable way to combat internal political corruption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of EURE is the property of Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile 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.)

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to test the impact of selected characteristics of jobseekers on employers' decisions regarding potential hires (direct and probabilistic signals). The main focus of the study is to test the impact of jobseekers' participation in selected active labour market programmes on employers' hiring decisions for three positions: unskilled worker, skilled worker and administrative employee. Other characteristics tested include age, gender, presence of children in the household, state of health, experience of short- and long-term unemployment and indebtedness. Design/methodology/approach: This study analyses data from a representative survey of employers with five or more employees in the Czech Republic. The survey was conducted in December 2020 using stratified random sampling, combining online questionnaires and personal interviews. The study includes 1,040 employers and uses the factorial survey experiment (FSE) design. Findings: The results of the FSE suggest that the perceived positive impact of completing one of the activation programmes depends on the position for which the candidate is being recruited. While for the unskilled job category, the completion of any of the tested schemes (training, subsidised jobs or public works) had a positive effect; for the skilled job category, only the training and subsidised jobs schemes had a positive effect; and for the administrative job category, public works programme even had a negative effect. Research limitations/implications: A somewhat limiting factor in the context of this study seems to be the definitions of the positions tested (unskilled and skilled workers and administrative staff). The decision-making of the respondents was somewhat restricted by such broadly defined categories. Typically, studies with FSE designs have a focus on a specific sector of the economy, which allows for a better definition of the positions or jobs under test. The relationship between position and the impact of individual characteristics is clearly a matter for further research. Practical implications: The results of the study confirm that completion of the activation programme, as well as other candidate characteristics, constitute differentiating signals for employers that influence their hiring decisions. At the same time, there is evidence that the training programme and the subsidised jobs programme are effective in terms of increasing participants' chances of employment. Originality/value: The demand side should be included in the evaluation of activation policies. The design of the FSE provides an appropriate way to test the impact of activation measures on the decision-making of employers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local governments will be forced to navigate uncertain sea level rise projections as they fight to protect their key infrastructure systems from rising seas. As leaders in their departments, public works directors must make key project prioritization decisions as seas rise. So, how do they navigate the risk and uncertainty of sea level rise? This study tests if public works directors' prioritization decisions align with the predictions of cumulative prospect theory, by inviting public works directors working in local governments on the United States coast to participate in a decision-making experiment. Results indicate that public works directors' risk preferences differ from cumulative prospect theory because directors tend to be decreasingly sensitive to increases in assets' criticality and probability of failure. As a result, public works directors are characterized as risk averse when prioritizing projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to explore the less explored area of leadership behaviors within public construction project organizations. A correlational research design was adopted, with data collected through a questionnaire-based survey of 169 professionals involved in public construction projects in Vietnam. Structural equation modeling with partial least squares estimation was used to analyze the data. The results confirmed five behavioral dimensions, namely motivating leadership, goal setting, supportive leadership, participative leadership, and directive leadership, which can be used to assess the leading function in public construction work management. The study also revealed that supportive leadership and directive leadership have a significant impact on management effectiveness. Additionally, supportive leadership acts as a mediator for goal setting, motivating leadership, and participative leadership, while directive leadership acts as a mediator for goal setting and participative leadership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study is to empirically explore and analyze the concrete tasks of output measurement and the inherent challenges related to these tasks in a traditional and autonomous professional public work setting – the judicial system. Design/methodology/approach: The analysis of the tasks is based on a categorization of general performance measurement motives (control-motivate-learn) and main stakeholder levels (society-organization-professionals). The analysis is exploratory and conducted as an empirical content analysis on materials and reports produced in two performance improvement projects conducted in European justice organizations. Findings: The identified main tasks in the different categories are related to managing resources, controlling performance deviations, and encouraging improvement and development of performance. Based on the results, key improvement areas connected to output measurement in professional public organizations are connected to the improvement of objectivity and fairness in budgeting and work allocation practices, improvement of output measures' versatility and informativeness to highlight motivational and learning purposes, improvement of professional self-management in setting output targets and producing outputs, as well as improvement of organizational learning from the output measurement. Practical implications: The paper presents empirically founded practical examples of challenges and improvement opportunities related to the tasks of output measurement in professional public organization. Originality/value: This paper fulfils an identified need to study how general performance management motives realize as concrete tasks of output measurement in justice organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses three books that focus on the historical experiences of Indigenous peoples in the Chicago area and the Great Lakes region during the nineteenth century. "Muddy Ground" by John William Nelson explores the impact of Euro-American infiltration on the region, particularly through the transformation of the overland portage southwest of Chicago. "Making Relatives of Them" by Rebecca Kugel delves into Native diplomacy and kinship structures in the Great Lakes region, emphasizing how Indigenous communities resisted American attempts to impose cultural constructs. "Unfair Labor" by David R. M. Beck examines the economic landscape for Native peoples at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, highlighting their struggles for fair compensation and control over their narratives. These books provide critical insights into Indigenous responses to external forces and changes in their social, political, and economic worlds. [Extracted from the article]

In the 1850s, Portugal initiated an ambitious public works program spearheaded by railroads. In this article, I analyze how policymakers (congressmen, government officials, engineers, and military officers) debated and managed the construction and operation of the Portuguese railroad network using the theoretical framework of critical infrastructure. I show that railroads were deemed critical to modernize the country, draw it closer to the European core nations and further from the periphery, and to attract traffic to the Portuguese harbors. The absence of railroads was considered a vulnerability that could jeopardize Portugal as a nation and it fostered a sense of urgency that motivated policymakers to act, to a large extent, hastily. The construction of the network brought about other vulnerabilities that, for different motives, could threaten the future of the country. In a parallel way, the implementation of the system was marked by vulnerabilities that originated within or surrounding it, which limited its technical potential. Balancing between a literature review and the use of primary sources (parliamentary debates, technical reports, the press, and photography), I argue that the criticality associated with railroads, as a sociotechnical construction, was central to motivate their construction, but different vulnerabilities, inherent or external to the system, limited their influence and the advantages touted by its promoters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista 180 is the property of Revista 180 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.)

Due to their genesis, volcanic rocks present some singularities that make their geotechnical characteristics significantly different from other, more common types of rock masses, such as sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. The formation mechanisms of volcanic rocks are varied, rapid and generally high energy. These processes give this type of rock geotechnical behaviour and geomechanical properties that are completely different from those of nonvolcanic materials, due to their high heterogeneity and anisotropy. In volcanic rock slopes, applying widely used geomechanical classifications to assess the quality of any rock mass present several challenges due to their distinctive and singular characteristics, which detract from their validity. For this reason, the Center for Studies and Experimentation of Public Works (CEDEX) of the Ministry of Public Works, under the agreement signed with the Ministry of Public Works and Transport of the Government of the Canary Islands, carried out during 2017 and 2018 an exhaustive analysis and reviews of existing geomechanical classifications and their applications to volcanic terrains. They developed a new geomechanical classification called VSR (volcanic slope rating), based on data obtained from 85 slopes across the Canary Islands, which allowed for the estimation of the stability of volcanic rock slopes by evaluating seven geotechnical parameters. This article presents the work conducted to review and calibrate this tool, based on the study of 94 slopes of different lithotypes throughout the Canary Islands (lavas, pyroclasts, heterogeneous), culminating in the proposal of a new classification for pyroclastic massifs (with new parameters and different weightings) and the adjustment of the current classification for the other slopes (regarding the Surface Regularity parameter). Therefore, the VSR geomechanical classification was applied to assess the stability of these 94 slopes, revealing a strong fit for Types A and C (R2 > 0.97), while the tool overestimated stability in Type B slopes, prompting a new classification proposal for this category. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work is to analyse the quality and transparency of data on the additional costs of public works. The problem identified is the lack of detailed and accessible information that allows for an adequate analysis of the performance and final state of public works, especially in relation to prices and deadlines. This is a case study carried out in Portugal, in which information from public works contracts with a closing date in 2022 was analysed. The data were extracted from the public access portal, responsible for making available and publishing information on the execution of public works contracts. The information was subjected to a statistical treatment process seeking to identify answers to transparency issues. The originality of this study lies in the quantitative and statistical approach applied to the evaluation of the transparency of the data made available on the portal, contributing to the debate on improving public management. The results indicate the need to expand the content available on the portal since the information provided does not allow for an analysis of the final state and performance of the works carried out, especially those relating to price and deadline, which in turn limits the construction of forecasting models and performance indicators. Corrective measures are proposed that include information that allows for answering questions about transparency and that allows for the construction and analysis of statistics and indicators, contributing to identifying the need for improvements in legislation, and the adoption of mechanisms that can improve, correct and or reinforce actions with an impact on the management of public resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Urban Productive Safety Net Program is one of Africa's most ambitious social protection initiatives, and it has achieved measurable successes. However, existing literature focusing on the role of programs in improving people's lives, especially in ensuring food security and income diversification, gives more focus to rural areas and depends on data from individuals beyond those directly targeted by the program. Hence, this study examines beneficiaries' perceptions of the program's contribution to food security and livelihood diversification in the South Ethiopia Regional State. The study used a mixed research approach that included a questionnaire, interviews, observation, and focus group discussions. To select 310 survey household heads, a multistage sampling procedure was employed. We analyzed the quantitative data using SPSS version 27, while the qualitative data was analyzed through narration and summarization. The findings indicate that the selection process for beneficiaries, activities performed by public work groups, and beneficiaries graduating with reliable sources of income are generally positive, whereas negative assumptions exist regarding the adequacy and timeliness of cash transfers and the overall living status of residents. Therefore, the program managers and zonal-level team leaders should collaborate closely to directly engage with beneficiaries, monitor the support system, and raise awareness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This study investigates the confounding effects of reverse-coded items on the measurement of confidence in mathematics using data from the 2019 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). Methods: The sample came from the Saudi Arabian cohort of 8th graders in 2019 involving 4,515 students. Through mixture modeling, two subgroups responding in similar ways to reverse-coded items were identified representing approximately 9% of the sample. Results: Their response to positively valenced and negatively valenced items showed inconsistency and the observed unexpected response patterns were further verified using Lz*, U3, and the number of Guttman errors person fit indicators. Psychometric analyses on the full sample and the truncated sample after deleting the aberrant responders indicated significant improvements in both internal consistency reliability and factorial validity. Discussion: It was concluded that reverse-coded items contribute to systematic measurement error that is associated with distorted item level parameters that compromised the scale's reliability and validity. The study underscores the need for reconsideration of reverse-coded items in survey design, particularly in contexts involving younger populations and low-achieving students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

This study investigates the effects of procurement tools to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in public contracts by analysing contract awards for public works published on Tenders Electronic Daily in 2018–2022. Focusing on dividing contracts into smaller lots, a key feature of the 2014 EU modernised procurement framework, this study's findings reveal that splitting contracts might not necessarily attract SMEs to bid but increases their chances of winning such contracts. Other factors, such as using open and unrestricted bidding procedures and allowing SMEs to showcase their specialisation by awarding contracts based on the best price-quality ratio, positively affect the SMEs' bidding. The findings of this study emphasise the importance of thoroughly considering individual contract characteristics and overall procurement settings to accommodate SMEs' limited resource capacities and foster their performance in the public procurement marketplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of discretion in public procurement has been the subject of wide debate in regulation literature and practice. Greater discretion potentially may allow for greater efficiency in procurement. However, when social capital and institutional quality are low, more discretion can easily open the door to bribery and corruption. In this paper, adopting a semiparametric approach and using a large dataset of public works managed by Italian municipalities, we empirically assess the effects of a reform in the regulation of public works in Italy, approved in 2011, that has increased the discretion of bureaucrats in the choice of the firms. The results provide evidence that the reform has exerted a positive, although mild, effect on the performance of public works execution. However, the positive role of the reform is more relevant in those areas where the effect of public service norms and prosocial behaviors are higher. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work is to analyse the quality and transparency of data on the additional costs of public works. The problem identified is the lack of detailed and accessible information that allows for an adequate analysis of the performance and final state of public works, especially in relation to prices and deadlines. This is a case study carried out in Portugal, in which information from public works contracts with a closing date in 2022 was analysed. The data were extracted from the public access portal, responsible for making available and publishing information on the execution of public works contracts. The information was subjected to a statistical treatment process seeking to identify answers to transparency issues. The originality of this study lies in the quantitative and statistical approach applied to the evaluation of the transparency of the data made available on the portal, contributing to the debate on improving public management. The results indicate the need to expand the content available on the portal since the information provided does not allow for an analysis of the final state and performance of the works carried out, especially those relating to price and deadline, which in turn limits the construction of forecasting models and performance indicators. Corrective measures are proposed that include information that allows for answering questions about transparency and that allows for the construction and analysis of statistics and indicators, contributing to identifying the need for improvements in legislation, and the adoption of mechanisms that can improve, correct and or reinforce actions with an impact on the management of public resources.

The article analyses the bureaucracy in constructing public works in the former African colonies under Portuguese rule and its historical background. Focusing on the country’s late colonialism, it problematises the interpretation that justifies the exceptionality of the architecture built in these territories, unparalleled in the metropolis, with the purported lesser agency of central power in its implementation. To this end, legislation is examined on: a) the organisation of colonial public works services and its application to a particular colony (Mozambique); b) the evolution of the colonial public works sector in the central administration; and c) the awarding, evaluation and supervision of public works. By cross-referencing it with archival documentation, the extensive interference of the Ministry of Colonies/Overseas Territories in the supervision of public architecture projects is proven, a contribution is made to the reinterpretation of the coexistence between colonialism and modern architecture, and avenues for future research are proposed.

This article proposes a new form of self-targeted social protection scheme: beneficiaries carry out a series of small tasks on their mobile phones, each linked to a small payment. Key advantages over traditional public works include potentially large reductions in leakage, costs, and delays. The proposed scheme may also be suitable to wider demographics as it does not require physical labour and can be availed from home. A prototype implementation of a ‘cellfare’ scheme was tested in rural India, and 42 participants with experience of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, a large Indian public works programme, favourably compared the proposed scheme to the existing one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates how being employed in public works exposes workers and their households to poverty. Public works consist of centrally planned and financed works targeting long‐term unemployed or inactive. Evidence is primarily negative concerning improved employment trajectories, while we still know little about the poverty outcomes. To examine this, we draw on the 2014–2019 cross‐sectional data of the EU‐SILC survey for Hungary. Hungary has invested significantly in these programmes over the last few years, and since 2014, it has provided a unique opportunity to access income and public works information within EU‐SILC. Results highlight the relevance of both quantity and quality of employment. Public workers are better off than long‐term unemployed. However, they show higher poverty risk than non‐public workers (about twice as much). Living with non‐public workers substantially reduces their poverty risk, while households of only public workers struggle more to avoid poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay introduces our special issue by arguing that the concept of infrastructure can help us better understand eighteenth-century culture and history even if the word did not exist in that period. It shows moreover how scholars of the eighteenth-century world can contribute to the burgeoning field of infrastructure studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Influence of Motivation, Work Environment, and Competence on the Performance of Civil Servants in the Public Works, Spatial Planning, Housing and Settlement Areas Office (PUTRPKP) of Takalar Regency, guided by Andi Mappatompo Badawi and Dg. Maklassa. This study aims to analyze and explain the Influence of Work Motivation, Work Environment, and Competence on the Performance of Civil Servants in the Public Works, Spatial Planning, Housing and Settlement Areas Office (PUTRPKP) of Takalar Regency. This type of research is quantitative research, which is research based on data that can be calculated to produce a solid assessment using SPSS. This study used 68 respondents using multiple linear analysis techniques. The results of this study show that work motivation has a significant positive influence on ASN performance with P = 0.007 < 0.05 with a coefficient value of 0.380. The work environment has a positive and insignificant influence on ASN performance with P = 0.502 > 0.05 with a coefficient value of 0.118. Competence has a significant positive influence on ASN performance with P = 0.024 < 0.05 with a coefficient value of 0.280. The Work Motivation variable is the most dominant variable that affects ASN Performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Red micro-light-emitting diodes (μ-LEDs) with AlGaInP/GaInP multiple quantum wells are fabricated with an oxide perimeter region to control the current injection path. When the values of the external quantum efficiency (EQE) of the 30 μm-size μ-LED with the oxide perimeter region are compared with those of the device without the oxide perimeter region, an improvement as high as 40% is observed at current densities <80 A/cm2. From the finite-difference time-domain simulation of the light-extraction efficiency (LEE), which shows that the LEE of the device with the oxide perimeter region is ∼12% smaller than that of the device without the oxide perimeter region, it can be seen that the increased EQE is attributed to the improvement of the internal quantum efficiency (IQE). Since the oxide perimeter region limits the current paths to the sidewalls of the μ-LED chips, the nonradiative recombination via sidewall defects is considered suppressed, resulting in the improvement of the IQE. The oxidation of the AlGaAs layer utilized in this work is easy to implement and accurately controllable, suitable for mass-production of high-efficiency red μ-LEDs for display applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freedom of information (FOI) laws are known to expose governmental weaknesses, but do they improve the structural workings of public administration, professionalizing governance? This study examines FOI's effect on a cornerstone of effective governance—bureaucratic hiring. Using coarsened matching methods to compare over 5400 municipalities in Brazil—approximately half possessing FOI regulations and half without—we identify significant reductions in discretionary patronage‐based appointments. Municipalities with FOI regulations reduce both higher level "political control" and lower‐level "electoral rewards" hires. Our explanation, tentatively supported by a comparison of early versus late FOI adopters, centers on sequencing: in the short term, leaders view FOI as a supplement to administrative control and thus reduce higher‐level hires. As FOI becomes more institutionalized and exposures more probable, leaders reduce lower‐level hires. Contributing to scholarship on transparency and bureaucracies, our results enjoin policymakers to double‐down on commitments to FOI policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecosystem restoration initiatives present natures as intervention-requiring problems. However, not all stakeholders may be able to recognise and relate to the issues that motivate restoration. Instead, they may put forward alternative understandings of natures as problematic issues in need of management and collective action. Therefore, ecosystem restoration can turn generative into new forms of publics that are brought together – and drawn apart – by distinctive configurations of nature-issues. This paper analyses such a reorganisation by focusing on three restoration projects carried out in Finland. The projects sought to engage farmers in restoring agricultural streams while proposing the practice of stream restoration as an extensive ecosystem revitalisation. In the studied cases, farmers could become attentive to the potential of stream habitats to develop into viable and rich ecosystems, while their neighbours only showed interest in improving the drainage functions of streams. The restoration initiatives generated connectedness between farmers, streams habitats and the restoration projects, but also disconnectedness between natures and publics. The possibilities of the studied projects to carry out their restoration plans rested mostly on the specification of the restoration plans as a means to manage ontological differences. The findings indicate that instead of promoting ecosystem restoration as a tightly coupled practice, it can be useful to generate space for collective action that unfolds in terms of partially different natures and nature-issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

This article analyzes representations of mobility and public transport in the following Mozambican novels: Terra Sonâmbula [Sleepwalking Land] (1992), O Outro Pé da Sereia [The Mermaid's Other Foot] (2006) by Mia Couto, O Comboio de Sal e Açúcar [The Train of Salt and Sugar] (1999) by Licínio Azevedo, and Museu da Revolução [Museum of the Revolution] (2022) by João Paulo Borges Coelho. Despite the importance of mobility and public transport in these works, existing scholarship has not considered these themes but has opted for more traditional categories such as 'travel', 'diaspora', and 'migration'. Focusing on the literary portrayals of public transport and infrastructure of mobility – i.e. buses, ships, and railway stations (Couto), a slow-moving train (Azevedo), and a Toyota Hiace car (Borges Coelho) – this article aims to demonstrate the central role that the mobility/immobility binomial plays in the representation of post-independent Mozambique. The main argument of this article is that the images of the railway, the road, automobility, and maritime travel are the literal driving force of the narratives and contribute to the (un)building of the national space. I use literary perspectives on mobility studies and world-system approaches developed within the framework of world-literature (Warwick Research Collective) to demonstrate that the tropes of mobility and the representations of public transport in the four novels register and encode the social, political, and economic transitions in Mozambique's colonial and post-colonial history and its incorporation into the capitalist world-system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Public and patient involvement is critical to ensure that research is relevant and addresses what matters most to the person through co-production. Involvement at the design stage where ideas for research are developed prior to formal ethical approval, can positively influence the direction of research design, methods, and outcomes. Although ethical approval is not required at this stage, being ethically conscious is imperative to prevent unwarranted unethical practices. To ensure this, the public and patient intervention at the design stage of a doctoral research project was benchmarked against Pandya-Woods 10 ethically conscious standards and the INVOLVE values and principles framework. Ethical approval was also gained for publication. Main body: Patient and public involvement was undertaken with two diverse patient and public groups as an agenda item in their regular Teams meeting. Thoughts on the research project, the timeline, what matters most to the individuals in the group with regarding the design and outcomes from the research, the best method for data collection for public research, and next steps were discussed. Conclusion: Public and patient involvement had a positive influence on the design and outcomes of a doctoral research proposal and held the researcher accountable for impact of the research on the public. Positive changes to the research from working with public and patients exploring 'what matters to you' included: An ontological change in the way that the research was conducted, identification of some main themes to run as a thread throughout the research, development of content for an international scoping review, identification of the best method for data collection for patient research, and accountability of the researcher to write a plain English summary at the beginning of each thesis chapter, and a summary report at the end for dissemination. Plain English summary: Public and patient involvement (PPI) is encouraged at every stage of research to make sure that research is relevant, and addresses what matters most to the person by working together as equal partners. This commentary reflects on how PPI at the beginning of a research idea can positively influence the design, methods, and outcomes of the research. This stage of research is known as the 'design phase'. It is important that although ethical approval is not needed for this phase, that the researcher acts in an ethically conscious way. The doctoral research 'What factors and influences demonstrate quality and impact of the Southeast Consultant development Programme?' commented on in this paper, has been mapped against some standards and has gained ethical approval for publication. Two public and patient groups (PPG) were approached to be involved in the design phase of this research as an agenda item in their regular meeting. The PPG lead sent an involvement information sheet and consent form prior to the meeting to aid decision making whether to attend or not. Those involved could leave at any point and all discussion was anonymised. The PPI positively influenced the research in the following ways: A change in the way that the research was conducted. Identification of main themes to be addressed based on 'what matters to me'. Development of content for an international scoping review. The best method for patient research. Accountability held of the researcher to write a plain English summary at the beginning of each thesis chapter and a summary report at the end. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Journal of Architectural Education features an interview with Amy Stelly and Virginia Hanusik, focusing on their work in South Louisiana. Stelly's advocacy work centers around the removal of the Claiborne Avenue highway in New Orleans, while Hanusik's photography documents the architectural objects and infrastructures of fossil capital in the region. Both artists explore themes of environmental justice, racial capitalism, and community engagement in their practices, aiming to reimagine the built environment and challenge oppressive systems. Their work reflects a deep connection to the Gulf South and a commitment to telling the stories of the region through art and activism. [Extracted from the article]

This article argues that medieval urban authorities developed nodal spatial strategies to mitigate various risks—from accidents, floods, and military vulnerability to sickness and scarcity. Using digital methods (Geographic Information System [GIS]) to map public works during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries in one large city (Ghent), it offers a fuller understanding of urban governance in dialogue with a city's topography and environmental and sociopolitical challenges. Ghent's authorities invested in gates, bridges, markets, thoroughfares, key buildings, and waterworks. Tracing their interventions reveals the city as an interconnected, moving system, an economy of movement. Attention concentrated on these points because several types of interests related to communal well-being converged there. The city was thus capable of absorbing shocks (war, floods) through regular maintenance and monitoring. Tracing public works that promoted mobility can therefore tell us much about power dynamics and how communities functioned in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Algorithms are rapidly transforming government bureaucracies. The implications of this transformation for the work of public service employees are not yet well understood. So far, the literature has mostly neglected the use of algorithms by these "screen-level bureaucrats", and this constitutes a major gap in our knowledge about how algorithms affect bureaucracies. To understand the work of screen-level bureaucrats and to explore how they actively engage with algorithmic software to support their assessment of online fraud, we analyzed 45 hours of observations and 12 in-depth interviews at the Netherlands Police. We employ a socio-material perspective to analyze the dynamics between screen-level bureaucrats and algorithms. We conclude that for administrative tasks, algorithms help screen-level bureaucrats to perform their work by providing structured data and allowing them to focus more on assessments which need a nuanced judgement. At the same time, algorithmic advice in a decision-making task is simply ignored by the screen-level bureaucrats as they predominantly rely on their professional judgement in the assessment of online fraud reports. This highlights the need to further investigate how an algorithm should not only provide accurate advice to the screen-level bureaucrats but also convince them to follow it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a comparative study about the male teacher who works in the primary public education in Rio de Janeiro -- Brazil and Aveiro -- Portugal. We intended, fundamentally, to investigate the reasons of teachers 'professional choice who are engaged in area typically associated to women, for this we analyze the teachers' professional choice from questionnaires and interviews that we made with them. We note that the representations of the attributes considered feminine exert great influence on male 'teachers' career choice, which have repercussions on the high percentage of primary female teachers and in low percentage of male primary teachers. However, we demonstrate that man can choose this activity for pleasure and success and those individuals are capable of doing their job regardless of gender prejudice in education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Need in Deed's work with Philadelphia public school teachers and their students centers empathy, informed investigation, and civic action. Bolstered by these values and with the support of the My Voice framework and dedicated Need in Deed staff, educators are equipped to co-create authentic classroom communities with their students. In Need in Deed classrooms, students feel a sense of belonging, are supported in taking academic risks, and understand their agency as change makers. In this piece, Need in Deed staff and teachers give an overview of the My Voice framework and share stories from Need in Deed classrooms that highlight Dr. Gholdy Muhammad's five pursuits of culturally and historically responsive teaching - identity, skills, intellectualism, criticality, and joy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article, titled "On the Subject of WBS or BRM," is a letter to the editor written by Crispin Piney in response to Dr. Kenneth Smith's musings on work breakdown structures (WBS) and the value of assigning weights to milestones. Piney analyzes Smith's example of the Public Health Project and proposes a benefits map (BM) as an alternative approach to organizing components and determining their contributions to the target benefit. Piney argues that milestone weighting is important for tracking progress in programs, but it should be based on a valid representation of how each milestone contributes to the goal. The benefits map can serve as a planning tool and facilitate communication among team members and stakeholders. [Extracted from the article]

Copyright of Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaftliches Institut Mitteilungen is the property of Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study aims to investigate whether individual differences in public service motivation (PSM) between the public and private sectors are a cause or a consequence of choosing a job, testing self‐selection and socialization hypotheses using a longitudinal dataset from a nationally representative cohort in Korea. The study uses two samples from the data of three successive waves (t − 2, t, t + 2) surveyed biennially, finding that "self‐selection" can more persuasively explain the state that employees in the public sector have higher levels of PSM than those in the private sector, with job seekers with high PSM levels being more likely to work in the public sector and with the magnitude of differences in PSM between the public and private sectors maintained through the early years after entry into the workplace, while the levels of PSM, however, decrease in all job sectors. Implications of our findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Foco (Interdisciplinary Studies Journal) is the property of Revista Foco 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.)

River dredging is crucial for mitigating the risk of floods by enhancing the water-carrying capacity of rivers. Nevertheless, the key difficulty lies in the appropriate disposal of dredged material, resulting in escalated costs. Predominantly consisting of silt, the dredged material demonstrates constrained bearing capacity and strength. Nonetheless, there is a prospect to derive value from excavated sediments, with potential applications in diverse public works projects. The processed product derived from dredged material can serve diverse purposes, such as filling railway and highway embankments, as well as the subgrade of pavements. The comprehensive study involved analyzing the fundamental properties of the dredged material collected from the Allochibagh flood channel of the Jhelum River. The analysis focused on determining the basic geotechnical properties of the soil mass. The tests unveiled the fine and cohesive nature of the dredged soil. To enhance its properties, sand was introduced as a stabilizing agent in varying proportions. The investigation revealed an initial augmentation in compressive strength as the proportion of sand increased, attaining an optimal mixture whereafter the strength declined. This study explores the utilization of sand as a stabilizing agent for dredged soil to enhance its strength and optimize its application. The process of stabilizing dredged soil with sand demands a thorough examination of hydrogeological processes, the specific characteristics of the dredged soil, and the intricate transport of contaminants. This formal and multidisciplinary effort seeks to elevate the overall stability of the soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study implemented a series of social work groups with physician lectures for new mothers in Shanghai, China, and evaluated the practice effects. Outcome data of the intervention (N = 84) and comparison (N = 38) groups were collected using the Maternal Social Support Scale before, immediately after, and three months after the intervention. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to compare the service effects in different periods. The intervention group showed a significant increase in total social support in three dimensions (informational, emotional, and instrumental) immediately after the intervention. Informational and total social support increased significantly over time with no group effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cost overruns, delays, and poor quality are frequent in public investment projects under the contract modality, executed by the Executing Unit: Special Project Huallaga Central and Bajo Mayo (PEHCBM). The purpose of this research is to identify the factors that affect the fulfillment of contracts for the execution of public works in the PEHCBM. This research includes the determination of the most influential factors using the relative importance index (RII), as well as surveys administered to a sample of 25 experts. A total of 91 articles from 48 academic journals were selected. With the application of the RII, 21 factors were determined, distributed among the dimensions of cost, time, and quality, and validated by the experts with a Spearman's coefficient of value 0.521. In the case study, seven relevant factors were determined in PEHCBM execution contracts, identifying overtime between 4.7% and 524.2%, as well as a cost increase between 8.8% and 52.2%. Similarly, adverse situations detected by the Comptroller's Office were determined, with an accumulated economic damage of about PEN 19 million, determining the high influence of the cost, time, and quality dimensions on them. In conclusion, this study shows the high overtime and the deficient quality of the works carried out by the contracting modality, which generated economic damage to the State. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines Charles Baudelaire's poem "The Swan" and its portrayal of the urban river, specifically the Seine in Paris, as a symbol of exile and an eerie environment. The poem reflects the effects of industrialization and urbanization on the river, which had become polluted and forgotten. It presents a hazy image of a natural landscape beneath the surface of the city, evoking feelings of nostalgia and alienation. The article also discusses the influence of romantic depictions of the urban river in French poetry, particularly the work of Victor Hugo. [Extracted from the article]