Convergence Of Opinions Research Articles

Exploring hybrid models for identifying locations for active mobility pathways using real-time spatial Delphi and GANs

The spatial planning process is considered an extremely complex system, as it comprises different variables that interrelate and interact with each other. Effectively addressing this spatial complexity necessitates a multidisciplinary approach, as unified methodologies may prove insufficient. Specifically, in urban planning, it is increasingly crucial to prioritize bike lanes, bike stations, and pedestrian zones, for functional transportation infrastructures. This approach can enhance cities by improving air quality, reducing emissions, and boosting public health and safety through physical activity and accident prevention. However, implementing these changes requires careful planning, community engagement, and stakeholder collaboration. This paper proposes a hybrid model for identifying optimal locations for bike lanes, bike stations, and pedestrian zones adopting Real-Time Spatial Delphi and Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs). The Real-Time Spatial Delphi is a modified version of the traditional Delphi method that incorporates real-time feedback and visualization of group response in real-time, aiming to achieve a convergence of opinions among experts on the territory. Nevertheless, these judgments are a spatial representation not visible in reality, and with the spread of artificial intelligence models, different implementations can support the planning process, such as the use of GANs. In this case, GANs can be exploited by adopting pre-existing location images resulting from experts’ judgments to illustrate the proposed intervention’s visual impact. To demonstrate the effectiveness of our hybrid model, we apply it to the city of Dublin. The results showcased how the method helps stakeholders, policymakers, and citizens in visualizing the proposed changes and gauging their potential impact with greater precision.

신고법제에 있어 「행정기본법」과 「행정절차법」의 관계

Since the law is a compulsory norm for maintaining social order, it must naturally have a normative system consistent with the system of social order. Nevertheless, the legal system for reporting under the current legislation is in such a mess that it is called an abode of demons, and this stems from systematic problems as well as from the content of the reporting law, resulting in a lot of normative confusion not only for the people but also for the administration that applies the law. Under these circumstances, the enactment of the General Act On Public Administration in March 2021 attempted a legislative solution to the ambiguity of the reporting law, but due to the ambiguity of the identity and discipline of the Framework Act on Administration itself, many questions are already raised about whether the General Act On Public Administration is a “legislative solution” to the normative confusion caused by the distinction between reports. In addition, the current legislative situation, in which the Administrative Procedure Act is repeatedly added to the regulations on the reporting law, is increasingly demanding the need for the improvement of the legal system. Of course, since legislation recognizes considerable freedom of legislation, the issue of legal reorganization of the relationship between the General Act On Public Administration and the Administrative Procedure Act in the reporting law is not socially and legally easy. In particular, legislative policy requests are bound to intervene strongly in this issue, and in the end, this is not a matter of legal normative a priori logic, but a matter of legislative policy that focuses on the harmony and convergence of various opinions of members of society for the “Optimization Act”. However, in terms of its direction, the legalization of reporting requires sufficient discussion and social consensus to ensure procedural legitimacy from the perspective of the people, not from the perspective of administration. Given the social function of the law, the law should be “good legislation”. Legislation is a product of a country's diverse history and culture, and the current level of legislation is an important measure of a country's development and competitiveness. From the perspective of good legislation, the General Act On Public Administration and the Administrative Procedure Act need to be integrated. Of course, there is no uniform legally conclusion in that legislative policy discretion is recognized in the specific direction and content of the integration, but the integrated legislation into the Framework Act on Administration seems to be basically a reasonable direction. It is a well-known fact that there is a lot of criticism about the enactment process and regulations of the General Act On Public Administration, and in this regard, it is true that the current General Act On Public Administration is not the best legislation as “good legislation”. Nevertheless, it is also an undeniable normative meaning that it is the next best choice for general legal calls for an administrative legal system centered on unwritten law. Therefore, it is time for social efforts to ensure that the previously enacted General Act On Public Administration no longer stays in the next best legislation and establishes itself as the best ‘good law’ as soon as possible, and the integration of the reporting law is one step in such efforts.

POTENCIALIDADE DA ATUAÇÃO DA EDUCAÇÃO FÍSICA NA ATENÇÃO PRIMÁRIA À SAÚDE: UMA REVISÃO SISTEMÁTICA

Physical education in primary health care plays a vital role in promoting health, preventing disease and improving quality of life. Despite the clear benefits, implementing physical education practices in primary health care faces some challenges. In this sense, this research aims to investigate the role of physical education in primary health care, through a systematic review of the literature. This research was carried out through a systematic bibliographic review of the literature, of a qualitative nature. The articles used in this study were searched in the databases SciELO, Virtual Health Library (VHL), in Portuguese. The following descriptors were used: Educational practices; Health Education; Hypertension. The time frame comprises articles published from 2019 to January 2024. The data were analyzed with the help of the software Interface de R by Analyzes Multidimensionnelles de Textes et de Questionnaires (IRAMUTEQ). 35 qualified studies were found, however, 9 of these were included in the research. The analysis of studies on Physical Education practices in Primary Health Care reveals a convergence of opinions on the importance and need for integration of these professionals into the Unified Health System (SUS). There is agreement that physical activities and body practices are essential tools for promoting health and preventing diseases, and that their implementation must be carried out comprehensively, considering individual and collective contexts.

Large-scale multiple criteria group decision-making with information emendation based on unsupervised opinion evolutions

Large-scale multiple criteria group decision-making (MCGDM) is prevalent in diverse decision-making scenarios, involving numerous decision makers (DMs), the set of alternatives and criteria, and continuous temporal cycles. Opinions from DMs dynamically evolve through iterative interaction, leading to dynamic opinion evolutions. However, traditional MCGDM methodology usually establish the opinion formation on a static time point throughout information aggregation, which will lead to information distortion. This study develops a novel large-scale MCGDM method with information emendation based on an unsupervised opinion dynamics (UOD) model, combining with the intuitionistic fuzzy set (IFS) and the technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution (TOPSIS). The IFS is utilized to quantify opinions since it can effectively achieve a tradeoff between information retention and convenience of evaluation. Simultaneously, in the proposed UOD model, the weight updating mechanism is further considered to improve the interaction adequacy, and the unsupervised mechanism for interaction threshold helps to decrease the influences of subjectivity from DMs. Moreover, numerical simulations validate the UOD model’s feasibility. Finally, a school site selection problem is carried out to elaborate the effectiveness of the proposed method. This study will provide a methodological reference for solving large-scale MCGDM problems, facilitating rapid convergence of opinions within large-scale groups, and enrich the research on opinion dynamics in the field of decision-making.

The adaptive consensus reaching process with the ER-PSO interaction mechanism and its application in public charging stations evaluation

BackgroundPublic charging stations (PCSs) have become integral public infrastructure in China, responding to the considerable and rapidly growing demand. Evaluating the service quality of PCSs by a diverse user base has become essential for the effective management of PCSs. ObjectivesIn the group evaluation of PCSs' service quality, which encompasses broad public interests, consensus reaching process (CRP) is commonly utilized to manage group conflicts and achieve evaluation consensus. The intricate interactions among decision makers (DMs) significantly influence the evolution and resilience of collective viewpoints. Against this backdrop, this research aims to develop an adaptive CRP to enhance the discriminatory power of group consensus and improve consensus robustness in the presence of non-cooperative behavior. MethodologyWith the above objectives, this study proposes an adaptive CRP supported by a novel interaction mechanism, consisting of two stages: (1) In the interaction network generation stage, based on the Erdős-Rényi (ER) random network model, innovative interaction signals are generated to guide the generation of an ER-based interaction network, enhancing the dissemination of dominant viewpoints, and constraining the influence of minority opinions. (2) In the decision opinion interaction stage, based on the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm, utilizing novel dual individual fitness functions, the PSO algorithm is employed to formulate the expected updated belief, driving the internal evolution and convergence of opinions. The proposed adaptive CRP is implemented in the group evaluation of PCSs' service quality in Nanjing. FindingsComparative analysis reveals that the proposed CRP offers significant advantages in consensus efficiency, the discriminatory power of group consensus, and consensus robustness in the presence of non-cooperative behavior compared to existing CRPs. NoveltyDiffering from previous CRP research primarily focuses on minimizing adjustment scales, this study emphasizes the adaptive evolution and convergence of opinions, providing a more suitable description of group opinion dynamics. Additionally, from a methodological perspective, this research utilizes the ER network model and the PSO algorithm to support the adaptive CRP at both structural and preference levels, enhancing consensus discriminatory power and robustness.

Modeling Group Opinion Evolution on Online Social Networks: A Gravitational Field Perspective

The research on group behavior is effective for establishing a good network environment since people in social networks tend to form groups spontaneously. Most studies on group behavior on online social networks assume that all individuals are reduced to one cluster, ignoring the existence of potential clusters and their importance in group opinion dynamics. This article introduces a novel group-gravitational field (GGF) model to investigate the opinion evolution based on group behavior by the following aspects: 1) the GGF model reduces a cluster in the social network into a charge and the whole network into a gravitational field; 2) the GGF model calculates the initial influence of a cluster according to the topology information and further constructs a gravity matrix of the network based on the Coulomb law; and 3) opinion-leader clusters exert the internal field force on common opinion clusters inside the gravitational field. The GGF model simulates the evolution of opinions among clusters in a network and studies the law of group behavior according to the influence between clusters based on Coulomb’s law. Experiments on real social networks verify that the GGF model enhances the speed of opinion evolution significantly. The simulation experiments indicate that the existence of clusters promotes the rapid convergence of opinions, a gathering of followers influences information dissemination in social networks, and the GGF model fits the reality better. This article provides a new approach to network supervision and control.

Optimizing spatial survey administration adopting RT-GSCS: A statistical perspective on performance metrics

The Real-Time Geo-Spatial Consensus System (RT-GSCS) is a web-based open-source tool designed for the administration of real-time spatial surveys. One distinguishing feature of this system lies in the adoption of the Real-Time Spatial Delphi logic as the main computational algorithm to achieve a convergence of opinions within a group of individuals. The system is available at http://rtgscs.com/ and is particularly instrumental in supporting the decision-making process when spatial data is absent or when user judgments are solicited for territorial actions. Since the release of the beta version, the system has undergone multiple iterations and significant changes, and for this reason, an updated assessment should be conducted. In this paper, we present an in-depth exploration of the latest version of RT-GSCS (v3.0), which includes novel algorithms, statistical analysis, and spatial techniques, optimized for survey administration. The analysis is meticulously conducted by evaluating a comprehensive array of parameters, encompassing performance metrics, spatial elements, security, updates, and privacy assessments. Moreover, a thorough examination of user feedback is presented, enriching the depth of our investigation. This mixed-method approach ensures a robust and updated investigation of the system, facilitating a nuanced comprehension of the process and the attainment of spatial consensus.•Existing spatial survey administration systems cannot facilitate group collaboration for achieving a spatial consensus on the territory in real-time.•The RT-GSCS experienced substantial modifications, necessitating a revised technical evaluation from the initial beta version to its current version.•The proposed method fills the gaps of a technical performance evaluation of the latest version of RT-GSCS, useful for achieving a spatial consensus among a group of individuals with an assessment of the overall performances.

The National Security Debacle: Escalating the Bald Conversations on Rural Banditry in Northern Nigeria

Scholarly preoccupation with socio-political development in Nigeria appeared to have dwelt more on the fulfillment of great expectations and much less on the uncertainties of social change brought about by democratization in Africa. Thus, when Huntington reflected on the possibility of reversal following the onset of ‘Third wave’ in Africa, the emphasis on social conflict is very instructive in the democratization process of many states in Africa. Whereas some democracies have managed to consolidate or are still democratizing, a few others have relapsed into reverse wave or at best, are caught up in what Thomas Carothers described as “The gray zone”. In Nigeria for example, after almost half a century of democratization, there is rising wave of atavistic consciousness or what Engels described as the “Lowest instinct or passion in man”, where the political space is characterized by rampaging non-state actors. In specific terms, the new wave of dramatic reverses relates to terrorist attacks, ethnic violence, armed banditry, farmers-herders imbroglio, cattle rustling, kidnapping for ransom, and unknown gunmen. In the circumstance, marauders and brigands now reign supreme over what is described as ungoverned space, prompting a convergence of expert opinions that Nigeria is fast degenerating unto a failed state. Among the various descriptions of criminal enterprises in Nigeria, there is scholarly preoccupation with the nuances and pattern of armed banditry. This paper seeks to deepen this preoccupation by scoping the infamy of rural banditry in northern Nigeria. It argues that, beyond the much-touted ethno-religious sentiment and convoluted diversity, the worsening human condition occasioned by the increasing parlous governance situation in the country, are more persuasive in explaining the dramatic wave of criminal enterprises. The theoretical perspective of Cohen and Felson which treat crime as the consequence of the convergence of a motivated offender, a vulnerable target and the absence of capable guardian, comes close to a real-life connotation of rural banditry in northern Nigeria. The paper recommends among others, the urgent need to ups the quality of good governance in order to address the human condition, and that a collaboration among the leadership strata in the wider society must demonstrate sufficient commitment to compliment government efforts in a genuine governance project that seeks to emancipate Nigeria from her current sorry state.

Investigation and Evaluation of the Most Important Factors Affecting Non-Native Medical Tourists' Reception of the Historical City of Yazd Using Delphi Technique

Background: Medical tourism in Yazd city has been greatly developed as one of the treatment poles of the country and can be said that this industry has become one of the development axes of Yazd city. The purpose of this research is to identify the most important factors influencing the attraction of non-native medical tourists to the historical city of Yazd.
 Methods: The current research was of a qualitative type conducted in the fall of 1401. Desk research and Delphi method were used to collect data. The statistical sample of this study included 41 experts in the fields of treatment, tourism, and urban planning, and these experts were selected based on their related specialties using a snowball method. After studying the theoretical foundations of the research, 41 effective factors in attracting medical tourists were specified from related research texts, and during studying, categorization and editing, 23 indicators were provided to the experts in the form of a questionnaire on a 5-point Likert scale, and at the end of the questionnaire, an open question was provided. After analyzing the answers, the results were recorded and a new questionnaire was created for the next stage, which was repeated 3 times. According to the results of the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test at a significance level of 0.05, the correlation between the factors was analyzed using the W. Kendall non-parametric correlation test and the SPSS 18 software, and the Delphi technique was used to achieve the research objectives.
 Results: In the course of data analysis, indicators with an average difference of less than 0.1 were confirmed, indicators with an average of less than 4 were removed, and other indicators were moved to the next stage. After completing 3 stages of the test, 12 factors were identified as the most important factors affecting medical tourism in Yazd city, and these factors were placed in 5 categories: characteristics of the treatment staff, characteristics of the hospital, economic factors, giving information and communication, and other related factors. According to W. Kendall's correlation coefficients obtained during the 3 Delphi steps, the convergence and agreement of experts' opinions were confirmed.
 Conclusion: Considering that infrastructure indicators, personnel skills and economic factors are among the most important indicators of attracting medical tourists to the historical city of Yazd, it is suggested that to develop medical tourism in Yazd city, these items should be taken into consideration in managing the current situation of medical centers; Furthermore, investment should focus on the development of medical infrastructure.

O.4.4-5 Transition of the chronically ill patient to a physically active lifestyle: a DELPHI study with experts from the field of sport

Abstract The purpose of this study is to gather the opinion of experts from the sports/association context on the theme of physical activity for chronically ill patients in the out-of-hospital context. To conduct this study, we used the DELPHI methodology (Dalkey & Helmer, 1963). This method is used to reach a convergence of opinions on a subject with experts from the related field. This methodology consists in a succession of survey submitted to our population of sport experts (n = 62). Every survey is preceded by a feedback about the previous results: in that way experts can answer the following survey taking into account the opinion from the majority of respondents. Surveys have been sent to the expert electronically using SurveyMonkey®. This study contains three consecutive surveys (rounds). Each survey has been validated by the Content Validity Index (CVI) methodology to assess the relevance and the clarity of statements (Rubio et al., 2003). Each steps of the DELPHI process have been segmented in six sections: participants, stakeholders, communication/transition, type of activity, financial aspects and motivation. After the three rounds of the DELPHI a consensus has been reached for every section of the survey (more than 60% of approval on the topic). 81% of the experts agreed that assessments were needed for participants before taking part in sport activities. 63% of the experts agreed that stakeholders needed at least a bachelor’s degree in sport sciences to supervise activities. 75% agreed that the groups must be rather small (4-5 persons). 78% agreed that participants have to pay, at least partly, for their participation. 81% agreed that social interactions are the main motivational factor of out-of-hospital sport activity among those participants. Despite several limitations, this study led to encouraging results concerning the development of physical activities for chronically ill patient in out of hospital context. We believe that these results will enable sports associations to have a basis for developing “sport-health” activities, tailored to the local context. In the other hand, we also believe that our research will raise awareness of the role of local specialists in physical activity promotion among this type of population.

Opinion dynamics of improved Hegselmann-Krause model with agent's stubbornness and stubborn agents

In this work, we improve the Hegselmann-Krause model (HK model) by combining the agent's stubbornness and the quantitative impact of stubborn agents on the evolution of other agents’ opinions. We divide stubborn agents into expert stubborn agents, environmentally stubborn agents and intrinsically stubborn agents based on the impact weight and agent's characteristics. We simulate the evolution of opinions of the improved HK model, and find that it is closer to reality. We also study the impact of the influence coefficient and the proportion of intrinsically stubborn agents on the stabilization time, and find that the presence of non-expert stubborn agents reduces the rate of convergence of opinions. Finally, we verify the effectiveness of the improved HK model by two real social events.

Best practice guidance for antibiotic audit and feedback interventions in primary care: a modified Delphi study from the Joint Programming Initiative on Antimicrobial resistance: Primary Care Antibiotic Audit and Feedback Network (JPIAMR-PAAN)

BackgroundPrimary care is a critical partner for antimicrobial stewardship efforts given its high human antibiotic usage. Peer comparison audit and feedback (A&F) is often used to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing. The design and implementation of A&F may impact its effectiveness. There are no best practice guidelines for peer comparison A&F in antibiotic prescribing in primary care.ObjectiveTo develop best practice guidelines for peer comparison A&F for antibiotic prescribing in primary care in high income countries by leveraging international expertise via the Joint Programming Initiative on Antimicrobial Resistance—Primary Care Antibiotic Audit and Feedback Network.MethodsWe used a modified Delphi process to achieve convergence of expert opinions on best practice statements for peer comparison A&F based on existing evidence and theory. Three rounds were performed, each with online surveys and virtual meetings to enable discussion and rating of each best practice statement. A five-point Likert scale was used to rate consensus with a median threshold score of 4 to indicate a consensus statement.ResultsThe final set of guidelines include 13 best practice statements in four categories: general considerations (n = 3), selecting feedback recipients (n = 1), data and indicator selection (n = 4), and feedback delivery (n = 5).ConclusionWe report an expert-derived best practice recommendations for designing and evaluating peer comparison A&F for antibiotic prescribing in primary care. These 13 statements can be used by A&F designers to optimize the impact of their quality improvement interventions, and improve antibiotic prescribing in primary care.

Dynamics of social influence on consumption choices: A social network representation

In this work, through employing Friedkin Johnsen's model, we provide a valuable tool for understanding the complex dynamics of social influence and informational inducements in shaping consumption behaviour and highlight the need for governments, businesses, and individuals to address environmental concerns proactively. People mostly derive anticipation utility from consuming commodities through online shopping. Results suggest that in an information-loving society, people tend to follow the opinion of their groups, which can lead to inefficient choices. On the other hand, in a completely information-averse society, people tend to make inconsistent choices, leading to a lack of consensus. However, in a responsible society, individuals prioritise their own opinions and preferences while still taking into account the information and opinions of others. This results in a slow convergence of opinions, which can lead to responsible consumption and decision-making. People should be encouraged to form their own opinions based on their own experiences and preferences while still considering the information and opinions of others. It can lead to a more efficient and responsible society. Individuals with high self-confidence and self-control are more likely to resist peer pressure and make decisions that align with their values and goals. So, it is essential to consider the context and nature of the social influence when evaluating its impact on people's decision-making. Consumers are not the only players who can shape the world's future. Consumers, governments, corporations, and the media all have important roles to play, and their efforts must be coordinated and complementary to create a more sustainable future.

다문화 학생의 사회정서역량 증진을 위한 커뮤니티댄스 프로그램 구성요인 탐색: 델파이 연구

Purpose: This study conceptualizes the social and emotional skills required for underprivileged youth and explores the components and activities of the community dance program to enhance their social and emotional skills. The study examines the social and emotional skills needed by underprivileged youth and analyzes the components and activities of a community dance program to improve these skills.BR Method: For this purpose, the Delphi method, which is useful for collecting the opinions of experts such as professors and teachers as a mathematical principle, and synthesizing the opinions of these groups, was applied. This method collects, analyzes, and summarizes the responses to the questionnaire in three rounds in order to adapt, integrate, or improve the opinions of experts, and provide them back to the experts. The expert panel consisted of 15 people with experience in the field of underprivileged youth and community dancing. The 3rd Delphi survey was conducted to present consensus, convergence, and validity (CVR) values of expert opinions. The Delphi method, which collects and synthesizes expert opinions using a mathematical principle, was used to gather information about the social and emotional skills needed by underprivileged youth and the components of a community dance program that can enhance these skills. The expert panel consisted of 15 people with relevant experience, and the survey was conducted in three rounds to achieve consensus and ensure the validity of the results.BR Results: The final 28 components were derived by examining the identity and similarity of 53 factors extracted as a result of the first Delphi survey. As a result of the 2nd and 3rd Delphi surveys, it was structured into 4 areas and 16 components. Based on the derived results, 62 types of program content were finally identified according to self-awareness, self-management, Social-awareness, and relationship management. The final 28 components were identified by analyzing 53 factors from the first Delphi survey. After the 2nd and 3rd surveys, the components were grouped into 4 areas, resulting in 16 components. These were used to develop 26 program contents focused on self-awareness, self-management, social-awareness, and relationship management.BR Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, it is proposed to discuss the characteristics of social and emotional skills of underprivileged youth and to develop a specialized community dance program, taking into consideration their interests and aptitudes in a follow-up study.

Facilitating spatial consensus in complex future scenarios through Real‐Time Spatial Delphi: A novel web‐based open platform

AbstractThe Delphi technique is a commonly applied method for (among the various uses) achieving consensus from a group of knowledgeable experts. This approach is frequently employed to generate and prioritize ideas, identify potential solutions, and make decisions in various contexts through a series of iterative rounds. In the Futures Studies (FS) context, the Delphi method is regularly used in combination with the scenario method to explore different futures, implementing strategies in the present with the aim of averting dystopian outcomes and/or facilitating normative scenarios. Nevertheless, assuming that the convergence of opinions can also occur in spatial contexts, a shortcoming of the method is the deficiency of spatial references useful in the planning process. In this paper, we introduce the Real‐Time Geo‐Spatial Consensus System, a novel web‐based open platform useful to develop Delphi‐based Spatial Scenarios (DBSS), in an interactive and innovative interface. The platform adopts the Real‐Time spatial Delphi technique to obtain a spatial convergence of opinions among experts to offer researchers, decision‐makers, policymakers, and local authorities a new tool for complex spatial decisions. The primary innovations of the platform, including its architecture, statistical algorithms, tools, features, and outcomes, are demonstrated through a preliminary application focused on potential future climatic hazards in Dublin, Ireland.

Contexts and conditions of outgroup influence

The current study examined how the composition of intergroup contexts affects intergroup communication. We propose that when multiple outgroups exist, an extreme faction can make more moderate factions appear reasonable, creating pathways for influence. We also considered the role that an influence target’s fit with their ingroup (self-prototypicality) plays in responses to outgroup influence attempts. Specifically, we propose, and the current study showed, that both the composition of intergroup context and one’s relationship with their own group can create a pathway toward convergence of opinions and willingness to accept an outgroup’s opinion position. Two experiments (American partisans, N = 249), suggest that self-prototypicality in one’s political party positively predicts agreement with an opposing party’s message when the message appears in the presence of a more extreme outgroup than the moderate outgroup alone. This study stresses the importance of considering intragroup and intergroup comparative processes for intergroup communication research.

Guidelines for leadership development of youth with physical disabilities through leisure education: A Delphi study.

Youth with disabilities benefit by developing a skill set to help resolve any issues during their daily activities, including pursuits that lead to productive livelihoods. Acquiring leadership skills through leisure education programmes may be particularly effective for youth with disabilities to gain confidence in their leadership abilities. This study aimed to develop and reach a convergence of opinions on the preferred elements of a leisure education programme to promote leadership development among youth with physical disabilities. In this study, a three-round Delphi methodology was used. In the first round, 16 experts participated; in the second round, 14 experts participated; in the third round, nine participated. The first round of the Delphi method consisted of a qualitative questionnaire with open-ended questions, which assisted in developing guideline statements. The results from the first round informed the second and third rounds of the study. The guidelines were reviewed for consensus in subsequent rounds using a Likert scale format. In the final round (third round) of the Delphi method, the expert panel consisting of nine participants agreed that leadership development for youth with physical disabilities could be promoted by leisure, recreation, sports and activities of daily living. These guidelines are essential in building resilience, empowerment and independence and can be seen as a positive contribution to communities with disabilities and young people with and without disabilities. These guidelines would build capacity and resilience among youth and equip them with the skills and abilities to initiate leisure programmes.

What competition law can do for data privacy (and vice versa)

Attempts to temper big technology firms’ outsized influence in online advertising demonstrate a convergence of opinions between experts as to the extent that the activities of such companies impinge on aspects of citizens’ lives, ranging from the loss of privacy to instances of exclusionary behaviour by incumbents drawn up to handicap competitors. But cutting back big technology firms’ influence through competition law risks inconsistency when different values such as privacy and competition are engaged. This article presents a taxonomy of competition enforcement strategies that can help navigate disputes in online advertising. It reveals that most inconsistencies are the result of an effort in competition policy to divide up separate competition enforcement strategies into mutually exclusive accounts. If these accounts are viewed as complements rather than as substitutes, most inconsistencies disappear. The article offers a shared understanding of competition law and data privacy and seeks to cultivate a more cohesive and nuanced policy debate.

On the Design of Public Debate in Social Networks

How to Avoid Polarization in Social Networks In order to facilitate social interactions and the design of deliberative and efficient institutions, a social planner should ensure that diverse opinions can be sustained and debated and ensuring social cohesion. Grabisch et al. provide a theory of the efficient design of public debate. They develop a model of the coevolution of opinions and social relations that allow them to frame this problem in a formal setting. This model of opinion dynamics accounts for the persistence of heterogeneous opinions in society (“strong diversity”) and the dynamic interactions between opinions and social connections. The social planner faces a trade-off between fostering the convergence of opinions in society and increasing the risk of polarization and instability. To resolve this trade-off, the social planner must account for both structural and behavioral characteristics: how fragile is the social network and to what extent individuals tolerate disagreement with their peers.

External Benefits of Irrigation in Mountain Areas: Stakeholder Perceptions and Water Policy Implications

Irrigation contributes to land and ecosystem degradation, especially in intensive farming areas. However, in marginal areas, long-established irrigation systems also supply agroecosystem services. This study aimed to identify and prioritize the external benefits provided by irrigation in extensive grazing farms in an Italian alpine region (Aosta Valley, NW Italy). Three local stakeholder groups (land irrigation consortia members, non-farmer users of the irrigation water service, and non-user citizens) engaged in focus group discussions. The transcriptions were analyzed with an integrated subjective and computer-assisted approach. The main result of the study showed that a convergence of stakeholder opinions led to prioritization of the same four benefits, i.e., hydro-geological and land maintenance, traditional agricultural landscape conservation, biodiversity conservation, and leisure recreational activities provision. Incorporating this information into decision-making processes is relevant in marginal mountain areas, especially in light of the implementation of the water pricing policy laid down in the EU Water Framework Directive. To this end, the economic value of the external benefits should be considered along with the recovery costs for water services. Such information is essential to balance the environmental costs of irrigation and to compare the resource cost of alternative water uses.