Information Agency Research Articles

Digital Governance and Electronic Waste Management at Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul – Brazil

The Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS) has the Information and Communication Technology Master Plan (PDTIC) to guide and monitor the performance of the Information Technology (IT) area within the institution. The IT area at UFMS has the Digital Governance Committee (CGD), responsible for drafting the Information Security Policy (PSI); the Information and Communication Technology Procurement Plan (PCTIC); the Open Data Plan (PDA); and the University's PDTIC. In addition to the Information and Communication Technology Agency (AGETIC), which is responsible for coordinating, guiding, supervising, executing, and controlling the organization's IT activities. This work aims to demonstrate that sustainability is part of both Digital Governance and the curriculum of UFMS students, focusing on the management of Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) within the University. The UFMS Solid Waste and Health Services Management Plan (PGRS/PGRSS) outlines guidelines for the management of these materials, and annually, since 2017, the Faculty of Computing (FACOM) at UFMS organizes the Electronic Waste Collection Week, a project aimed at raising awareness among the academic community about disposal, reuse, and recycling, helping to conserve the environment. This action assists in the education of these students by making them protagonists in this initiative. In each edition hundreds of electronic devices have been reused by students and community, serving as an example of socio-environmental impact action. The methodology employed by UFMS to organize and advance electronic waste management efforts involved the establishment of digital governance regulations, along with sustainability management and governance practices, in order to structure and promote electronic waste management actions at UFMS.

Information Asymmetry Effect on Stock Liquidity Effect on Dividend Payout in Market Microstructure in Indonesia

The impact of market microstructure in shaping corporate governance has been distinguished in several previous research. Market Microstructure becomes prominent factor in emerging markets. This study tested the effect of market microstructure, in the scheme of stock liquidity, on dividend payouts. This study has set focus mainly on the impact of stock liquidity on the corporate payout policy. Later, the researcher examined the interaction given to the stock liquidity factor with information transparency and agency problem properties since the researcher believed that transparency is linked to the and, subsequently, affecting the corporate agents. This research examined observations using quantitative research method, Tobit regression on 256 non-financial firms of the Indonesian capital market during 2010-2018. Stock liquidity significantly impacted dividend policy. The result showed robustness with other stock liquidity measures. This study found that information asymmetry and agency problems had a moderation effect on stock liquidity effect on dividend payout. However, the interaction of stock liquidity and disparity of control rights and cash flow rights did not give a moderation effect on the dividend payout policy. The result supports the notion that dividend payout is an outcome of firm good governance and an inverse of dividend signaling theory.

Changes in practices concerning urethral stricture surgery: Analysis of French data for the period 2013–2022

IntroductionThe prevalence of urethral stricture is estimated at 0.9%. American, European and French recommendations have reduced the place of endoscopic treatments due to their poor outcomes, especially in the case of repeated procedures. Urethroplasty is the new reference treatment for urethral stricture. Our aim was to assess the evolution of national practices from 2013 to 2022. Material and methodsWe collected national CCAM coding data for all procedures involving urethral stricture surgery using the Scansanté internet platform produced by the Technical Agency for Information on Hospitalization, which prospectively collects all procedures coded according to CCAM coding from public, liberal and ESPIC healthcare structures. ResultsThe overall number of urethral surgical procedures has been steadily increasing over the past 10 years. Endoscopic procedures remain largely predominant in 2022, totaling 23,982, but have remained stable over the decade. Urethroplasties have been on the rise since 2019, reaching 1600 cases in 2022 compared with 1100 cases in 2020. Although urethrotomies currently outnumber urethroplasties by a factor of 10, this ratio has been consistently decreasing since 2016. The most significant contributor to the 10-year increase is urethroplasty by augmentation, particularly free flap techniques on the anterior urethra. Resection-anastomosis and urethrostomy techniques have remained stable. DiscussionIn 2022, endoscopic treatments remain by far the majority, but urethroplasties are on the increase. A significant number of patients can benefit from initial endoscopic treatment because short bulbar localization is the most common presentation, but long-term success rates are poor compared to urethroplasty, which boasts approximately 80% success rates. Urethroplasty should no longer be considered a last-resort surgery but rather a reference technique in treating urethral stricture.

Big Data Administration in Egyptian Information Agencies: A Field Study

Big Data Administration in Egyptian Information Agencies: A Field Study

Do Investors’ Site Visits Improve Bond Market Pricing Efficiency? —An Empirical Study from the Secondary Bond Market

ABSTRACT Taking bonds issued by A-share companies listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange from 2014 to 2020 as a sample, this paper explores the effect of corporate site visits on bond trading spreads. The study finds that the more investors visit a given firm, the lower the trading spreads of bonds issued by that firm, and this phenomenon is more pronounced in companies with greater information asymmetry or agency conflicts. Further research shows that investors evaluate the financial status of the company more accurately through site visits and reduce irrational decisions caused by information uncertainty. Consequently, site visits reduce the financing gap caused by macroeconomic factors. The results show that personal communication between investors and listed companies could provide effective information for bond investors and reduce their information risk. This paper expands the existing research on issues related to secondary bond market pricing and investors’ site visits and provides important empirical evidence for regulators to use to further optimize the bond market disclosure system to reduce information asymmetry.

Estimation of carbon stocks and CO2 emissions resulting from the forest destruction in West Kalimantan, Indonesia

The issue of climate change has become a global concern, and tropical regions are strategically positioned to mitigate its effects through their forest resources. By maintaining the function of forest ecosystems to support life at local and regional levels, carbon stocks can be maintained, and emissions can be reduced. Above-ground biomass can bind and store carbon stocks. This study aims to analyse the CO2 emissions caused by deforestation and forest degradation in Kubu Raya District, West Kalimantan Province. Primary data was obtained through field observations, and secondary data was obtained through maps of forest areas and land cover for 1996–2021 from the Geospatial Information Agency and the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry. This study uses a non-destructive approach to calculate Above Ground Biomass. The results showed that Kubu Raya District, West Kalimantan Province, Indonesia, experienced deforestation of 235,597 ha and forest degradation of 9,860 ha from 1990 to 2021. This resulted in CO2 emissions of 163,702,815.53 tons. The highest level of CO2 emissions is in Batu Ampar District, and the lowest is in Sungai Kakap District. There is a positive correlation between the amount of deforestation and forest degradation and the level of CO2 emissions caused by these activities. This means that the amount of CO2 emissions depends on the area's deforestation and forest degradation. To reduce the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere and its effects on climate change, deforestation and forest degradation activities in Kubu Raya Kalimantan should be stopped.

Financial intermediation and informational efficiency: Predicting business cycles

Theory posits that financial intermediation (FI) spurs economic growth and supports financial system stability by reducing informational asymmetries and agency problems. Most of this literature focuses on bank lending and has limited success in capturing changes in macroeconomic aggregates. We consider a large set of different financial intermediaries to show that aggregate FI assets contain leading information about real GDP, investment, consumption, industrial production, and unemployment. Bank and shadow bank assets alone contain only limited information about future states of the economy. Overall, FI improves informational efficiency of the markets by providing transparent leading signals of the future economic conditions.

Powering Growth: The Dynamic Impact of Renewable Energy on GDP in ASEAN-5

This study investigates the dynamic relationships between renewable energy consumption, labor force, gross fixed capital (GFC), and GDP across ASEAN-5 nations from 1984 to 2020. Utilizing data from the World Development Indicators (WDI), the Energy Information Agency (EIA), and national labor statistics, we employ unit root tests, ARDL bound testing for cointegration, and Toda-Yamamoto causality procedures. Our findings indicate significant long-term cointegration between the studied variables in Indonesia and the Philippines, suggesting persistent economic relationships, while results for Malaysia show no cointegration and remain inconclusive for Thailand. The economic analysis reveals that GFC robustly drives GDP growth across these countries, whereas the impacts from labor force and renewable energy consumption are more variable. Causality tests further demonstrate that renewable energy consumption significantly fosters GDP growth in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, aligning with the growth hypothesis. Conversely, findings for the Philippines and Thailand support the neutrality hypothesis, indicating no direct causal impacts. These insights underline the crucial role of tailored renewable energy strategies to enhance economic growth and sustainability in ASEAN-5, providing valuable policy implications for regional energy governance.

TOPONIMI NAMA PANTAI DI BELITUNG

This research examines the toponymy of beaches in Belitung using the socio-onomastic approach. The names of beaches in Belitung Regency were studied using written and oral data. The written data was obtained from three maps, i.e., the map from the Geospatial Information Agency, the geological map of Belitung and the digital Google Maps. The oral data was obtained through interviews with resource persons and informants in Belitung. Based on map searches and interviews, seven beach names and the origin of their names have been obtained, as follows (i) Tanjung Tinggi Beach, (ii) Tanjung Pendam Beach, (iii), Penyabong Beach, (iv) Tanjung Kelayang Beach, (v) Tanjung Binga Beach, (vi) Bukit Berahu Beach, and (vii) Batu Bedil Beach. In addition to these beaches, there may be other beach names worth examining. Beach names in Belitung Regency have four naming patterns: (i) beach toponyms with elements of topography, (ii) beach toponyms with elements of topography and fauna, (iii) beach toponyms with elements of topography and flora, and (iv) beach toponyms with elements of sound. Sometimes, a beach has more than one name. From socio-onomastics perspective, it is a natural phenomena, because names of place have various characteristics and influence people’s preferences in using names.

SPATIAL TEMPORAL ANALYSIS OF LAND SURFACE TEMPERATURE CHANGES IN AMBON ISLAND FROM LANDSAT 8 IMAGE DATA USING GEOGLE EARTH ENGINE

This study aims to analyze land surface temperature changes on Ambon Island using Landsat 8 imagery data and Google Earth Engine. The research method involves the use of Ambon Island boundary data from the Geospatial Information Agency (BIG) as well as Landsat 8 Collection 2 Tier 1 and Real-Time satellite image data that have been calibrated to reflect the reflectance of the Earth's surface to the atmosphere. The analysis steps include temperature conversion from Kelvin to Celsius, land surface temperature classification, and data export to Arc GIS software. The results showed an increase in land surface temperature associated with urban development in Ambon City, highlighting the importance of sustainable urban planning and good resource management to mitigate the negative impacts of land surface temperature increase and support adaptation to climate change. Keywords: Ambon Island, Geogle Earth Engine, Land Surface Temperature

Evaluation of E-Government System Policies in Timor-Leste From 2017 To 2023

Information and communication technology is increasingly developing in the current era, the government is required to issue a policy to prepare and develop it in the government. In this case, the implementation of e-government system policies in Timor-Leste through the central agency of information and communication technology aims to digitize government activities and services towards a modern government and ensure a transparent, effective, and efficient government. In this study descriptive qualitative research methods. Data collection is carried out by interviews, observation, and documentation with the determination of informants determined by purposive techniques or methods. This study shows that the implementation of the e-government system policy in Timor-Leste is still not effective or optimal because there are still factors that become obstacles to its implementation. Furthermore, the central agency of Tic Timor. I.P. still lacks human resources in the field of IT or adequate technical personnel, lacks facilities, and slow or unstable internet networks. The conclusion in the research obtained from the results of this study is that the Timor-Leste government through the central agency Tic Timor. I.P. has tried to develop an e-government policy system but there are still many shortcomings such as human resources in the field of informatics and technology, and low internet networks. The input suggestion given by the researcher is that the government needs to increase the capacity of supervisors and human resources to develop and accelerate the implementation of e-government policies in various government agencies at the central and regional levels.

Change in Trust in US Government Health Agencies for Cancer Information in the COVID-19 Era.

This cross-sectional study assesses changes in levels of public trust in US government health agencies providing cancer information.

Post-Truth and Information Warfare in their Technological Context

As citizens are faced with an overabundance of information, their reliance on intuitive sorting strategies and platform-enabled content selection and delivery increases correspondingly. Under such circumstances, political action tends to be based on haphazard encounters with opinion-congruent content than on anything else, giving rise to so-called post-truth condition and, in turn, opening up conditions for manipulating such information encounters as part of information warfare operations. In particular, this novel environment necessitates a rethinking of informational agency, locating it within interactions between humans and technological artefacts, whereby humans as generators of data and algorithms as tools that structure the information domain based on such data co-construct political and social spaces. The impact of digital technologies is further amplified by the advent of synthetic (Artificial Intelligence-generated) media, which is foreseen to bring about epistemic confusion, that is, increasing inability to separate between reality and fiction. Under such conditions, and in any situations of actual or perceived crisis and tension, audiences are inclined to rely on narratives as coping strategies, which is where information warfare operations come to the fore. Either capitalising on the existing fertile ground or having manufactured a condition of crisis and distrust, such operations are geared towards hijacking audience cognitive processes with narratives that suit their perpetrators.

An Exploratory Study of Information Access and 1:1 Devices

Abstract This exploratory study investigated the experiences of students using school-issued devices to access information for school and lifelong learning. 1:1 programs have evolved to enable learning anywhere, allowing students to complete coursework both inside and outside school while taking their school-issued devices with them. This qualitative study suggests that school-issued devices have many restrictions that impact access to information, free-agent or instructor-led learning, and information autonomy, identifying a need for public information and learning agencies, such as libraries and schools, to address these constraints.

Analisis Keberhasilan Sistem Informasi Sentuh Tanahku Badan Pertanahan Nasional Menggunakan Metode ISSM

The use and usefulness of information technology is an important issue in today's life. This can be seen as a way of using technology to support human activities in various sectors or fields, including government and user security. Of course, the use and usefulness of information technology in various agencies is very necessary to support the implementation of better government programs. The use and utilization of technology in the government environment can be carried out with the help of a research information system. Research is located at two government information agencies: Lubuk-Linggau City National Land Agency; The information system used by the National Land Agency is called Touch My Land based on Android. The implementation of an information system is said to be successful if it can be proven that the information system produces significant positive impacts or benefits for some of its users. The DeLone and McLean evaluation concept is considered a successful information system model. The research method used in this research is a quantitative method with a sample size as many as 61 people from National Land Agency. This research uses six variables and nine hypotheses. The sixth variable consists of information quality, system quality, service quality, usage intention, user satisfaction and net profit. The research results show that several research hypotheses are accepted because the t-statistic value is greater than 1.96.

Parallel role played by tight gas resource in fulfilling United States’ Energy requirement and reducing emission profile from hydrocarbon exploration and production industry (Life cycle analysis lens)

Tight gas has revolutionized the energy picture in North America. The US energy information agency states that the tight gas and oil in the USA has boosted the production of natural gas by around 35% in recent years. This has reduced the need for gas imports. Thousands of meters underground, tight gas trapped in microscopic pores of very dense rocks requires hydraulic fracturing to fracture the rock and releases the gas into the well, known as tight gas. Environmental impact of producing tight gas has caused concerns related to air emissions, water contamination and disposal of waste generated by the tight gas production. There are also concerns related to the possibility of methane escaping into the air during tight gas production and development of this resource class causing minor earth tremors. The advancements in the drilling technologies have recently enabled greater volume of gas to be produce from a single drilling site. This reduces the operational footprint, which is directly proportional to emission profile of tight gas resource. There is a knowledge gap in understanding of Green House Gas (GHG- CO2 equivalent) footprint of tight gas’ resource development because of lack of operational constraints in previous environmental impact assessment of this resource. The objective of this study is to add value and reduce the scientific gap with respect to understanding of tight gas’ resource development techniques, related environmental, and land impact. There remain concerns about development of tight gas related to chemical and methane release into the local water and air, seismic events because of hydraulic fracturing and waste disposal. In order to understand this phenomenon better the work establishes the tight gas production foundation by in depth understanding of 1) Features of Tight gas reservoirs; 2) Geological environment, deposition and generation of tight gas resource; 3) Field development techniques of tight gas resource including construction, production and processing. The work then uses methodology of accounting input and out parameters of cradle to grave tight gas system boundary throughout its life cycle and understands previous GHG (CO2 equivalent) number of tight gas resource development. The work does systematic analysis and summarizes the previously published life cycle analysis to understand further the potential environmental impacts of resource development of tight gas. This will help hydrocarbon exploration and production operators to optimize the operations of tight gas production by better understanding of each sub block of tight gas field development in terms of C02 numbers by using low carbon technologies thus reducing the potential impacts.

THE STRUGGLE FOR TRUTH: UNVEILING EFFORTS TO DISCREDIT THE HISTORY AND STABILITY OF KOSOVO

This paper examines three cases of espionage arrests in Kosovo, involving two Serbian individuals and two Albanians linked to the Serbian Information and Security Agency (BIA). The aim of these spies was to discredit the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), alter the narrative of the Reçak massacre, create a “yellow house” similar to the one in northern Albania, and destabilize the state of Kosovo by inciting interethnic conflicts. Through the analysis of specific cases and motivation theories, this paper sheds light on the reasons why individuals engage in espionage against their own country, Serbia’s efforts to manipulate the history and stability of the region and the tendencies to invade Kosovo.

Information disclosure, product market competition and payout policy

The extant literature studying the impact of information asymmetry and agency problems on corporate payouts found that a lower level of information asymmetry and agency problems contributes to higher corporate payouts. However, it is unclear through which corporate governance mechanisms would information asymmetry and agency problems be reduced, thereby affecting payout policies. In this paper, we examine how information disclosure, an internal corporate governance mechanism that reduces information asymmetry, and product market competition, an external corporate governance mechanism that mitigates agency problems, affect payout policies. Using a unique information rating scheme as a measure of information disclosure for Taiwanese public firms from 2005 to 2014 and the timeliness of financial reports as an alternative measure of information disclosure for Taiwanese public firms from 2005 to 2022, we examine the interactive effects of information disclosure and product market competition on payout policy. We find that information disclosure and product market competition positively affect firms' decisions to distribute dividends and repurchase shares. In particular, information disclosure increases dividend payouts only for firms in competitive industries. Our results suggest that governance mechanisms for information disclosure are more effective for firms in competitive industries.

Integrating TQM into organizational culture for the success of the one Indonesian data (SDI) in the East Java

This study evaluates the implementation of Total Quality Management (TQM) in supporting the One Data Indonesia (SDI) policy at the East Java Provincial Communication and Information Agency (Kominfo). Employing a qualitative descriptive approach, the study well elaborates on challenges such as the lack of coordination between government agencies and the lack of regulatory support from the regional government. Despite these challenges, the implementation of TQM at the Communication and Information Agency has brought about well-described benefits, including increased data accuracy and relevance, as well as resource efficiency. However, obstacles such as the shortage of trained human resources and differences in data standards between agencies persist. The implementation of TQM has also fostered collaboration between government agencies and the private sector, enhancing the quality of public services. In conclusion, the implementation of TQM at the Communication and Information Agency supports the SDI policy by improving data service quality and strengthening organizational work culture. Further efforts in HR training and data standardization are necessary to optimize the SDI policy and improve public services.

Class Mapping of Tsunami's Risk using Global Positioning Geodetic System in Bengkulu University's Environment

Bengkulu University is located in the coastal area precisely in Muara Bangka Hulu sub-district of Bengkulu City, which is one of the sub-districts bordering the coastline. Areas or regions bordering the coastline have a higher level of tsunami hazard compared to areas or regions far from the coastline. The marking of the evacuation point area in the Bengkulu University environment has not adjusted to the disaster mitigation parameters. The purpose of this research is to analyse and map the tsunami hazard class at Bengkulu University in a preventive mitigation effort as well as a consideration for future policies. Primary data measurements used Geodetic GPS devices and were analysed using GAMIT and GLOBK 10.6 software. While secondary data obtained from geospatial information agencies and DEMNAS were analysed using arcgis software. Based on the results of the analysis, it is known that the environment of Bengkulu University as a whole has 3 classes of hazard zones including high hazard class, medium hazard class, and low hazard class.