Search Results (144)

Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE), a widely known speed management strategy, extends beyond its safety benefits and is shaped by public trust, broader governance, and policy frameworks. This study evaluated public opinions of the ASE program in school zones in Georgia, United States, which has recently undergone multiple policy changes. An online survey was conducted targeting Georgia drivers aged 18 years or older, which gathered 502 responses from a representative sample based on exposure, direct school connections, and sociodemographic factors. Respondents indicated their agreement levels on a Likert scale across multiple statements about ASE and their thoughts on enhancing the program’s transparency, trustworthiness, and fairness. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistical techniques and cross-classification. Among all respondents, 71 percent supported the program, and among individuals who had driven through speed-enforced school zones, 81 percent reported that ASE led them to reduce speeds. Issuing the citation to the actual driver at the time of violation, publicizing revenue allocation and utilization, publicizing safety benefits, and clearly posting the speed limits and the hours under evaluation were among the key concerns. These findings highlight the significance of integrating public perceptions into ASE policy, identifying areas needing improvement, and promoting community-endorsed traffic safety interventions. Full article

Against the backdrop of high digital uncertainty in the 2023 Thai General Election, this study examines how social media reshapes voting intentions through a novel hybrid framework integrating Fuzzy Rough Set Theory (FRST), Hierarchical Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), and Random Forest Regression (RFR). A three-stage design—combining 23 expert opinions with survey data from 812 voters—overcomes expert ambiguity and non-linear dynamics. The findings reveal a hierarchy in digital campaigning: while Party Image (Importance = 0.3056) is the primary predictor for initial voter attention, substantive Campaign Policy (β = 0.98) remains the definitive driver of final commitment. Other perceptual constructs, including Trust, Loyalty, and Perceived Quality, function as reinforcing dimensions that validate policy claims within the digital ecosystem. This suggests a shift where traditional broadcasting is superseded by interactive digital streaming, allowing voters to scrutinize policies through replays and public comments. The model’s robustness, validated through 10-fold Random Forest Cross-Validation, demonstrates high predictive stability (Mean CV R² = 0.840) and minimal error (MAE = 0.064). This study offers a sensitive instrument for emerging democracies and provides actionable insights, showing that substantive policy remains the ultimate driver of voter choice, even when mediated through Party Image in interactive digital environments. Full article

Public administration research provides structured explanations of collaborative governance. PPP scholarship, however, has largely emphasized macro governance frameworks, leaving micro-level collaborative drivers between internal partners underexplored. Additionally, internal transparency has seldom received attention as a governance outcome of collaboration. Building upon collaborative governance theories, this study conceptualizes collaboration in PPPs through four focal collaborative elements (FCEs): organizational capacity asymmetries, commitment to process, effective communication, and trust building. A survey instrument was used to collect experts’ opinions regarding the impact of PPP-specific characteristics, as practical mechanisms, on collaboration. The results show strong endorsement of mechanisms related to post-procurement capacity asymmetries, role/authority shifts, contractual complexity, and lifecycle discontinuities (staff changes and phase transitions). Such PPP characteristics undermine communication and information continuity. Trust building appeared to have an ambivalent role shaped by long-term incentives alongside goal drift and contractual rigidity. This study identifies the most salient mechanisms framing collaborative elements in PPP and translates them into governance implications for sustained collaboration and strengthened internal transparency across PPPs’ lifecycle. Limitations and future avenues for research based upon these findings are presented. Full article

Climate change is altering the marine environment in many ways, including increasing sea surface temperatures and decreasing sea ice. Species distributions are changing and ‘out of habitat’ marine mammals are being recorded. ‘Out of habitat’ (OOH) refers to individuals recorded outside of their natural range or within environments unsuitable for their survival. This phenomenon is currently understudied. This study aimed to identify the scale of the issue, identify consensus opinions on trends and possible causes of these OOH events, as well as assessing the preparedness of local authorities and rescue networks in responding to OOH marine mammals. This study is the first to assess and quantify this issue through a formal consultation process, conducted through an online questionnaire and a detailed examination of two case studies, from the UK and Peru. Sixty-three questionnaire responses were received from six different continents and the majority (60%) reported OOH events in their region. Through the questionnaire and case studies, 42 different marine mammal species were reported to be affected. This clearly indicates this is a global phenomenon, affecting at least 32% of all known pinniped and cetacean species. Most participants (77%) also believed these OOH events are increasing, and 55% believe these events are forerunners to distribution changes. Data from Peru showed an endangered species, the Galápagos fur seal (Arctocephalus galapagoensis), had made a range shift. Of the reported OOH species, four are classified as either endangered or critically endangered. The consensus opinion was that climate change is the leading driver of these OOH events, with sea surface temperatures and changes in prey distribution reported as the most important factors. The success of OOH responses was reported as highly inconsistent and, in many cases, requires specialist training, e.g., in human–wildlife conflict. The information derived from this study can be used to advise conservation plans, as well as provide a foundational step for future research into the possible trends in these OOH movements. Full article

Existing studies conduct general cost analyses for prefabricated components, yet structural heterogeneity results in distinct cost drivers. Most studies concentrate on the technical performance of prefabricated staircases, with insufficient investigation into dedicated cost-estimation methods. This study establishes a hybrid prediction framework integrating GAN-based data augmentation and SHAP-empowered Multilayer Perceptron (SHAP-MLP) modeling, using prefabricated straight staircases as empirical objects for multidimensional analysis. Total cost is classified into production, transportation, and on-site installation phases, followed by systematic screening of 33 influencing factors for predictive modeling. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), with a 1–9 scale, is adopted to quantify indicator weights and prioritize features. Triple verification (multi-expert consistency test, group opinion coordination test, and sensitivity analysis) removes five weakly correlated parameters to form a preliminary indicator system. Based on 240 original engineering data samples, the GAN generates 60 high-fidelity synthetic samples. Distribution consistency between synthetic and original data is validated via the Kolmogorov–Smirnov (KS) test, p-value verification, and kernel density estimation (KDE). SHAP interpretability analysis identifies four core determinants: prefabrication rate, total staircase area, standardization level, and number of floors. Eight low-impact parameters are excluded to optimize model input, leaving 20 validated indicators. The GAN-SHAP-MLP model maintains superior performance in testing, with a test-set RMSE of 49.538, representing improvements of 41.3%, 22.5%, and 25.7% over LSTM (89.33), CNN (67.59), and standard MLP (70.56), respectively. The difference between its test-set and overall R² is only 0.69%, significantly lower than 2.06% for LSTM and 5.47% for MLP. Empirical validation with real engineering cases from four different regions further confirms the model’s high prediction accuracy, with a minimum error of only 1.49%. The integration of data augmentation and interpretable deep learning provides a high-precision, interpretable cost prediction tool for prefabricated straight staircases, promoting methodological progress in construction economics. Full article

Children with complex care needs represent a growing and highly vulnerable population within inpatient hospital settings. They experience disproportionately long lengths of stay, higher rates of safety incidents, and poorer care experiences than other children. Their increasing prevalence in hospitals reflects broader advances in medical care that have improved survival, yet current inpatient systems remain largely designed around episodic, single-condition models of care. As a result, children with complex care needs and their families frequently encounter inpatient services which are fragmented and stretched and environments which are not adequately suited to their needs. The challenges are well recognised, and current drivers exist to move toward meaningful system change. Recent policy drivers, workforce development agendas, and new funding streams provide an opportunity to reimagine how inpatient services are organised and delivered for this population. This opinion piece, situated within the UK healthcare context, offers a structured analysis of the systemic challenges facing inpatient services for children with complex care needs and identifies priority domains of safe care, workforce development, and knowledge generation, where targeted redesign is both feasible and urgently required. Full article

Background: Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus is transmitted to humans via tick bites and occasionally via the consumption of unpasteurized milk products. According to the literature, the most important driver of TBE emergence and increase in incidence in humans is changes in human behaviour/activities. Method and principal findings: To compensate for the lack of data, expert opinions were gathered to identify the risk factors for exposure to tick bites linked to twenty-eight human activities (professional or recreational) in forests and to target prevention messages at the populations most at risk. Opinions were elicited from a total of twenty-five European experts. Seven criteria were included in the analysis for each activity: frequency, seasonality, duration of exposure, distance covered, degree of contact with vegetation, speed and average level of protection against tick bites. The activities considered to be the most at risk of exposure to tick bites are, in descending order: three occupational activities (forest monitoring activities, forestry and wood industry activities and scientific and/or analytical activities), five recreational activities and one hunting activity (mushroom picking, spending the night in the forest, hunting, naturalist activities, orienteering, and berry or fruit picking). Conclusions and significance: Prevention messages regarding tick bites could be targeted at people who engage in activities considered in this analysis to be at highest risk of exposure to tick bites. Full article

Background/Objectives: Nutritional management is fundamental to intestinal rehabilitation in children with short bowel syndrome (SBS), yet clinical practice remains heterogeneous and largely guided by expert opinion. Enteral nutrition (EN) is the main driver of intestinal adaptation and progression toward enteral autonomy, but optimal strategies vary according to residual bowel anatomy, postoperative phase, and feeding tolerance. This review aimed to synthesize available evidence on nutritional strategies for pediatric SBS, with a focus on EN initiation, advancement, composition, and outcomes. Methods: A structured literature search was conducted in MEDLINE (PubMed), Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), SciELO, and Google Scholar for studies published between January 1975 and October 2025. Pediatric clinical studies addressing nutritional management in SBS were eligible. Study selection followed predefined PICO criteria, with independent screening and quality appraisal by two reviewers, in accordance with PRISMA-ScR reporting standards. Results: One hundred and thirty pediatric clinical studies were included, the majority of which were observational, with few randomized controlled trials. EN consistently emerged as a key determinant of intestinal adaptation and progression toward enteral autonomy across all phases of SBS. Outcomes were strongly influenced by residual bowel anatomy, presence of the ileocecal valve and colon, and feeding tolerance. Substantial variability was observed in feeding routes, modalities, diet composition, and advancement strategies. Conclusions: EN is a cornerstone of intestinal rehabilitation in pediatric SBS; however, current recommendations rely mainly on observational evidence. Prospective multicenter studies are needed to define optimal nutritional strategies and strengthen evidence-based practice. Full article

Bio-based fertilisers (BBFs), produced from various types of biological waste using different processing methods, have demonstrated encouraging levels of agronomic efficiency and environmental benefits, consistent with the principles of sustainable development (SD). Nevertheless, bringing these newly developed products to market remains difficult due to limited farmer awareness, perceived risks, and regulatory uncertainties. In this paper, we examine the attitudes, opinions, and awareness of farmers regarding the use of various BBFs in their fertilisation practices. We applied a survey research method, using the Paper and Pen Personal Interview (PAPI), and answers were collected by agricultural advisors. A questionnaire, consisting of open, closed, and Likert scale questions, focusing on general information about farmers, current practices regarding fertiliser use, and the determinants of fertiliser choice, was used. Descriptive statistics, cross-tabulations, chi-square tests, Cramer’s V coefficients, 95% confidence intervals, and McNemar’s test were used to analyse the data. This study was conducted in all 16 voivodeships in Poland, collecting a total of 800 responses. Factors influencing the negative or positive attitude of farmers toward this practice were identified. Currently, mineral fertilisers remain the dominant choice among Polish farmers due to their accessibility, cost-effectiveness, and agronomic performance. There is observed growing, albeit cautious, interest in alternative fertilisation strategies and the correct understanding of sustainable agriculture practices. About half of farmers expressed willingness to partially replace mineral fertilisers with organic options, but only a minority showed interest in adopting BBFs. The findings indicate that concerns about contaminants, heterogeneous quality, limited availability, and regulatory uncertainty continue to constrain interest in BBFs. Although respondents recognised potential environmental benefits, economic and agronomic considerations remained the primary drivers of decision-making. As the survey was conducted in late 2021, the results reflect pre-2022 market conditions and should be interpreted as a baseline rather than a direct indication of current attitudes. Overall, this study provides insights into behavioural and structural factors influencing fertiliser use in Poland and highlights areas where further policy, advisory, and market developments may help support more sustainable nutrient management. Full article

Background: During pregnancy, mothers and their infants are at increased risk for complications due to COVID-19 infection, influenza, and pertussis. At the time of writing, the previous advisory committee on immunization practices (ACIP) recommended that pregnant women receive the COVID-19 vaccine, influenza, tetanus-toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid, and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine, as well as respiratory syncytial virus vaccinations during pregnancy. The COVID-19 pandemic greatly impacted routine vaccinations especially among medically underserved women in the South. The barriers to recommended vaccinations during pregnancy for medically underserved women in the South are unclear and require further investigation. The purpose of this study is to examine the attitudes, opinions, and beliefs of a multiracial pregnant cohort from diverse backgrounds in Central Tennessee about their experiences with the vaccines that are recommended during pregnancy. The vaccines included in the study are COVID-19, flu, and Tdap because RSV was not yet FDA-approved for pregnant women at the launch of this study. Methods: In this study, we focus on medically underserved women in Nashville, Tennessee, and the surrounding rural counties regarding vaccine acceptance and initiation of the COVID-19, influenza, and the Tdap vaccines. This study involved 208 pregnant people (100%) aged 18–49 years. All respondents were pregnant at the time of the study. The study consisted of a 26 question Redcap survey about participants’ beliefs, attitudes, opinions, and experiences with the COVID-19, flu, and Tdap vaccines during their pregnancy. Results: The randomly selected participants in the cohort were 40.4% White, 31.7% Black, 21.6% Hispanic, and 6.3% other race/ethnicity. The mothers in the cohort were young, with an average age of 27 years, most were married, and 52.8% had an annual household income before taxes of less than USD 35,000. Only 19.2% of the mothers in this study were very confident of the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine, compared to 32.7% for both the flu and Tdap vaccines. Overall, primary care providers were identified as the most trusted messengers for both disease and vaccine information for COVID-19, flu, and Tdap. However, only 11 participants out of 208 received all three of the ACIP recommended vaccines during their pregnancies in the study, barring the time-dependent vaccination for Tdap. The most common reasons for not receiving these vaccines involved concerns for the safety of themselves and their babies and a fear of needles. Conclusions: Education and awareness of ACIP-recommended vaccines during pregnancy needs improvement, and the support of primary care providers as the main driver of pregnancy vaccine initiation is essential. Full article

Türkiye’s forest governance exhibits a persistent policy–implementation gap rooted in a governance paradox: while the Ecosystem-Based Functional Planning (EBFP) system promotes ecological integrity and adaptive management, the foundational Forest Law No. 6831 (1956) still legitimizes extractive uses under a broad “public interest” doctrine. This contradiction has enabled 94,148 permits covering 654,833 ha of forest conversion, while marginalizing nearly seven million forest-dependent villagers from decision-making. The study applies a doctrinal and qualitative document-analysis approach, integrating legal, institutional, and socio-economic dimensions. It employs a comparative design with five EU transition countries—Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Czechia, and Greece—selected for their shared post-socialist administrative legacies and diverse pathways of forest-governance reform. The analysis synthesizes legal norms, policy instruments, and institutional practices to identify drivers of reform inertia and regulatory capture. Findings reveal three interlinked failures: (1) institutional and ministerial conflicts that entrench centralized decision-making and weaken environmental oversight—illustrated by the fact that only 0.97% of Environmental Impact Assessments receive negative opinions; (2) economic and ecological losses, with foregone ecosystem-service values exceeding EUR 200 million annually and limited access to carbon markets; and (3) participatory deficits and social contestation, exemplified by local forest conflicts such as the Akbelen case. A comparative SWOT analysis indicates that Poland’s confrontational policy reforms triggered EU infringement penalties, Romania’s fragmented legal restitution fostered illegal logging networks, and Greece’s recent modernization offers lessons for gradual legal harmonization. Drawing on these insights, the paper recommends comprehensive Forest Law reform that integrates ecosystem-service valuation, climate adaptation, and transparent participatory mechanisms. Alignment with the EU Nature Restoration Regulation (2024/1991) and Biodiversity Strategy 2030 is proposed as a phased transition pathway for Türkiye’s candidate-country obligations. The study concludes that partial reforms reproduce systemic contradictions: bridging the policy–law divide requires confronting entrenched political-economy dynamics where state actors and extractive-industry interests remain institutionally intertwined. Full article

Biotechnology is increasingly recognized as a key driver for achieving the United Nations 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, public awareness of its role remains uncertain. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, perceptions and opinions regarding the relationship between the SDGs and biotechnology among the general adult population in Spain. A validated online survey was distributed, yielding 274 responses. Although 84.3% of the respondents were familiar with the 2030 Agenda, positive perceptions of the SDGs were especially common among women and individuals with higher levels of education. Regarding biotechnology, 54.4% considered themselves knowledgeable, and nearly half (48.2%) recognized its potential contribution to health (SDG 3) and environmental sustainability, but its role in social and economic SDGs was less recognized. This study highlights the need for targeted educational and communication strategies to raise awareness and show how concrete biotechnological applications can contribute to sustainable development. Emphasizing these practical contributions can position biotechnology as a visible driver of progress and foster greater public engagement with science in achieving the 2030 Agenda. Full article

The urgent pursuit of net-zero emissions presents a critical challenge for modern societies, necessitating a speedup of transformative shifts across sectors to mitigate climate change. Predicting trends and drivers in the integration of energy technologies is essential to addressing this challenge, as it informs policy decisions, strategic investments, and the deployment of innovative solutions crucial for transitioning to a sustainable energy future. Despite the importance of accurate forecasting, current methods remain limited, especially in leveraging the vast, unlabelled energy literature available. However, with the advent of large language models (LLMs), the ability to interpret and extract insights from extensive textual data has significantly advanced. Sentiment analysis, in particular, has just emerged as a vital tool for detecting scientific opinions from the energy literature, which can be harnessed to forecast energy trends. This study introduces a novel multi-agent framework, EnergyEval, to evaluate the sentiment and factuality of the energy literature. The core novelty of the multi-agent framework is found to be the use of heterogeneous energy-specialised roles with different LLMs. This investigation, using both multiple persona agents and different LLMs, provides a bespoke collaboration mechanism for multi-agent debate (MAD). In addition, we believe our approach can extend across the energy industry, where deep application of MAD is yet to be exploited. We apply EnergyEval to the case of UK offshore wind literature, assessing its predictive performance. Our findings indicate that the sentiment predicted by the EnergyEval effectively aligns with observed trends in increasing the installed capacity and reductions in Levelised Cost of Energy (LCOE). It also helps us to identify key drivers in offshore wind development. The advantage of employing a multi-agent LLM debate team allows us to achieve competitive accuracy compared to single-LLM-based methods, while significantly reducing computational costs. Overall, the results highlight the potential of EnergyEval as a robust tool for forecasting technology developments in the pursuit of net-zero emissions. Full article

The emergence of generative AI, particularly the widespread accessibility of ChatGPT, has led to challenges for higher education. The extent and manner of use are under debate. Local empirical investigations about the use and acceptance of ChatGPT contribute to effective policymaking. The study employs a specialized approach, utilizing an information system view based on the DeLone and McLean Information Systems Success Model as its theoretical framework. A survey was conducted to assess students’ opinions about ChatGPT regarding its usefulness in their studies. The model was tested using PLS-SEM with 466 Hungarian and Romanian higher education students. The model examined six constructs as information quality, system quality, service quality, use, user satisfaction, and net benefits. The results confirmed the effects of information quality and system quality on use and satisfaction, whereas service quality did not make a significant contribution. Satisfaction was found to be the key driver to use. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of AI acceptance in higher education and provides valuable considerations for policymaking. A data-oriented, task-focused policymaking is recommended over system-based regulation. Additionally, a comprehensive framework model is required for international comparisons, which combines information systems success and technology acceptance models. Full article

Employee satisfaction is a crucial factor affecting organizational performance, productivity, and overall workplace efficiency. This study investigates employment satisfaction within the Greek technology sector through sentiment analysis, focusing on employees’ responses through the Employee Experience-Satisfaction (EmEx-Sa) questionnaire. The study employs natural language processing (NLP) and, in particular, the lexicon-based sentiment analysis methodology to analyze data from 208 employees across the entirety of Greece, obtained from open and semi-open questions, multiple-choice alternatives, and demographic questions. The objective is to utilize data from sources such as the Michigan Organizational Assessment Questionnaire (MOAQ), Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) and Job Descriptive Index (JDI) to determine the primary elements that impact job satisfaction and, by applying principles of organizational ergonomics, gain insight into the attitudes and emotions of employees. Results reveal that the working environment (total sentiment score: 21.50) is the primary driver of positive sentiment, while salary (total sentiment score: −18.72) is the main source of dissatisfaction. Sentiment regarding superiors is more balanced, leaning slightly positive (total sentiment score: 0.02), but the analysis indicates opinions lack significant polarization. The findings delineate critical factors influencing job satisfaction, encompassing the work environment, leadership quality, salary, and opportunities for professional advancement. The research underscores the significance of internal marketing tactics in fostering engagement, trust, and transparency between management and employees and provides actionable suggestions for boosting working conditions, fostering employee well-being, and improving organizational performance, underscoring the strategic imperative of prioritizing job satisfaction. Full article