Critical Project Research Articles

Implication of Macroeconomic Fundamentals on the Twin-Evil of Macroeconomic Phenomena: “With the Focus on Nigeria”

Purpose of the Study: This study was designed to analyze the implication of Macroeconomic fundamentals on twin-evil of Macroeconomic phenomena: “with the focus on Nigeria.’’ Methodology: The study Utilized annual time-series data on exogenous variables (Government Deficit Spending, GDS; Official exchange rate, OEXCHR; Monetary policy rate, MPR) to capture Macroeconomic fundamentals. While, Unemployment rate, UNEMPLR; Inflation rate, INFLR and Consumer price index, CPI were used as a summation of Macroeconomic phenomena to capture Misery index. The data on variables used in the study were sourced from Nigerian federal ministry of finance; Central Bank of Nigeria; and World Bank data bank between 1991and 2022 respectively. The study employed econometric techniques of ordinary least square and Two-stage least to analyze its data. Findings: The study of Ordinary Least Square revealed that Government deficit spending and official exchange rate significantly eradicate misery index in a positive manner. Meanwhile, monetary policy rate insignificantly eradicate misery index in a negative manner. There was also a further revelation from the findings of two-stage least square that government deficit spending and official exchange rate exert concerted significant strength to eradicate misery from every citizen of Nigeria within the periods under study.. Meanwhile, the result found that it was insignificantly weak for monetary policy rate (MPR) to minimize misery index from every Nigerian citizen within the periods under study. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study concluded that the authority should maintain a sound policy that will oversee money borrowed for critical projects and use it to create employment opportunity for Nigerian citizenry, ensure exchange rate is kept within a certain band that will reduce high cost of goods and services in the economy that we are currently facing and jettison the idea of increasing monetary policy rate, since this displayed a negative sign to help reducing misery index of the Nigerian populace during the periods of study.

Scientific Research Methodologies in Advanced Quranic Studies: Challenges and Ways of Development

In light of the pivotal role of scientific research, world powers vie for extensive research institutions and allocate hefty budgets for them. Universities have responded by creating specialized faculties for scientific and postgraduate studies, all aimed at fostering distinguished research. These efforts seek to enhance human knowledge with innovative scientific and practical advancements and uncover new truths, a practice embraced by progressive nations to meet societal needs that evolve with time and place. Scientific research in advanced Quranic studies is integral to this trend, emerging as a critical project within the "review and development" discourse. It is an urgent necessity, driven by the era's fast-paced changes, and faces challenges that hinder its developmental potential and societal contribution. We aim for further innovation in the methodologies of scientific research in Quranic studies, calling for a coalition of efforts among scholars and researchers. Emphasizing the utilization of field studies and comprehensive research, alongside modern technologies, is paramount in advancing this field.

Nonknowledge in Computation. Reflecting on Irrevocable Uncertainty

Abstract My paper approaches the theme of computational creativity by looking at uncertainty as an epistemic and aesthetic tool that must be examined to address the challenges brought to critical practice by planetary computation. It positions uncertainty as central to how the encounter of the human practitioner with non-human machines is conceptualized, and as a resource for building speculative-pragmatic paths of resistance against algorithmic capture. It proposes ways to cultivate uncertainty and use it as a design material to produce new types of knowledge that question machines’ pre-emptying manoeuvres and resist their capture of potential. The argument proposed is that uncertainty affords the production of new imaginaries of the human-machine encounter that can resist the foreclosure of futures (what will be) and are sustained instead by the uncertainty of potential (what might be) (Munster 2013). Dwelling in a space of potential – Deleuze’s virtual, or what I call a space of ‘maybes’, requires of the practitioner a repositioning of their epistemic perspective and reflecting on the following questions: how can material knowledge be made by engaging with modes of un-knowing and not-knowing in machine interaction? How can these modes of un-knowing and not-knowing be fostered as a critical and political onto-epistemological project of reinventing critical practice for the algorithmic age? (Horl et al. 2021; Hansen 2021, 2015, Pasquinelli and Joler 2020). The paper argues that the machinic unknown should be engaged with - not through the conventional paradigm that pitches human vs machine creativity and attempts to rank and score them through similarities, but rather through a (paradoxical) deepening of the unknowability at the core of the machine (Parisi) and machine’s own incommensurability (Fazi 2020). It then proposes the Chinese notion of wu wei (active non action) (Jullien 2011, 2004, 2000, 1995; Allen 2015, 2011) as a stratagem to experiment with to craft speculative-pragmatic interventions, and to augment the ‘power of maybes’ as a space of anti-production, and resisting reduction (Ito 2019).

Thinking from the Home: Emanuele Coccia on Domesticity and Happiness

Abstract This article traces the idea of domesticity through the work of Emanuele Coccia to explain his conception of happiness. Coccia argues that it is only by taking domestic concerns seriously that philosophy can begin to theorize the possibility of happiness today, claiming that rather than beginning with the polis, “philosophy must think the city from the home, and the home from the kitchen.” The article begins by situating Coccia's work in the tradition of Giorgio Agamben's critical project and then explores the idea of the home from his 2016’s The Life of Plants through 2020’s Metamorphoses to understand the reason for devoting an entire book to the topic in 2021’s Philosophy of the Home. The final sections of this article turn to Philosophy of the Home itself to explain his conception of happiness more concretely, focusing on his conceptions of love and interdependency, as well as the fundamental importance of nourishment and the kitchen.

Schedule Acceleration Planning in Construction Project (Case Study: Japek II Selatan Tollroad)

This study focuses on the remaining work at stations (STA) 53+950 to 54+550 in Jakarta – CikampekII Selatan Toll Road Package III project to find the critical path, completion durations, and projectcosts before and after acceleration. The CPM Technique was used to compile network planningdiagrams, determine the critical path and project duration. Crashing Project was applied to crashschedule through the total project duration and cost whose changes due to the implementation of thecrashing method. The critical path was found in mobilization, tree felling, clearing, dig and haul,borrow material, subgrade preparation, base course (A grade), subbase course (B grade), drainagelayer, lean concrete (t=10 cm), concrete pavement, concrete barrier type B, and signage. In the CPM,the duration of project completion is 214 days. The total project budget under normal circumstancesis Rp22.073.412.654. After accelerating with the Crashing Project by proposed overtime was obtainedthe reduced total cost of Rp32.004.882 from the total normal cost of Rp22.073.412.654 toRp22.041.407.771 with an optimum duration of 183 days

The Rise of Tech Ethics: Approaches, Critique, and Future Pathways

In this editorial to the Topical Collection “Innovation under Fire: The Rise of Ethics in Tech”, we provide an overview of the papers gathered in the collection, reflect on similarities and differences in their analytical angles and methodological approaches, and carve out some of the cross-cutting themes that emerge from research on the production of ‘Tech Ethics’. We identify two recurring ways through which ‘Tech Ethics’ are studied and forms of critique towards them developed, which we argue diverge primarily in their a priori commitments towards what ethical tech is and how it should best be pursued. Beyond these differences, we observe how current research on ‘Tech Ethics’ evidences a close relationship between public controversies about technological innovation and the rise of ethics discourses and instruments for their settlement, producing legitimacy crises for ‘Tech Ethics’ in and of itself. ‘Tech Ethics’ is not only instrumental for governing technoscientific projects in the present but is equally instrumental for the construction of socio-technical imaginaries and the essentialization of technological futures. We suggest that efforts to reach beyond single case-studies are needed and call for collective reflection on joint issues and challenges to advance the critical project of ‘Tech Ethics’.

ФОРМУВАННЯ НА СУЧАСНОМУ ЕТАПІ РИНКУ ФІНАНСОВИХ ТЕХНОЛОГІЙ В СВІТОВІЙ ЕКОНОМІЦІ

The current stage of development of the world economy is characterized by the process of increasing the role of the financial sector, as well as the transition to a new phase of development - innovation. Globalization in financial innovations is critical in international innovative development in today's conditions. The rapid spread of financial innovations under the conditions of financial globalization has become the main driver of the formation of the world economic system, contributing to the deepening of financial globalization. The formation of the financial services market is uneven because various factors influence it, including the level of development of information and communication technologies, the stability of the financial sector, and others. These factors have been studied by researchers, but the development of specific segments of the fintech market has its peculiarities. Fintech is a complex system that unites the sectors of new technologies and financial services, startups, and the relevant infrastructure. The financial services sector is increasingly actively using new technologies and tools to perform its functions and implement fundamentally new solutions in which consumers of services are interested. New technologies inherently changed not only the historically formed landscape of providing financial services, giving it freshness and dynamics, but also changed the attitude to such a concept as "money", realizing the transition from cash to virtual money in a reasonably short period. The industry provides subjects of financial relations with a wide range of innovative technologies, among which robotics, biometrics, remote banking, P2P lending, and many others have become vital. The fintech industry is expected to grow due to increased market penetration rates for existing services and their international expansion. The transition from the traditional financial services system to a digital one provides excellent opportunities for large financial companies and FinTech startups to work with banks or financial organizations. As more critical financial infrastructure projects come into production, more players will be interested in implementing digital financial technologies.

Time Management with Quality Control in Construction Projects by Critical Chain Project Management

The construction industry consistently grapples with challenges related to project delays, budget overruns and quality control, particularly in the residential sector. Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM) emerges as a promising approach to address these issues by integrating resources availability with project scheduling. This literature review explores the application of CCPM in residential construction, highlighting its effectiveness in improving time management and project out comes. By analysing existing research, case studies and practical examples the findings demonstrate that implementing CCPM can lead to significant reductions in project duration and enhancements in resource utilization. The review aims to provide insights into the unexplored areas of CCPM in scheduling, ultimately emphasizing its potential to transform time management practices in the construction industry.

A de-risking toolkit for legal practitioners: the core critical and strategic minerals compendium

Over the course of the past decade, critical and strategic minerals lists have soared in popularity globally. Though nomenclature may range from critical minerals to critical raw materials, the core understanding is generally one informed by critical functionality – often linked to the energy or digital transition or to military purposes – and economic scarcity, which renders it vulnerable to supply chain disruptions. This paper develops a compendium of core critical and strategic minerals with global importance by comparing the critical and strategic minerals lists of ten jurisdictions (Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States) and collating a single list on the basis of clear majority representation. Because most mining law practitioners are not trained geologists, the paper then unpacks information that will be valuable to practitioners who encounter a given critical mineral in their practice: Where is it listed as a critical and strategic mineral? Geopolitically speaking, what does the world's security of supply look like? What are its main uses and why is it critical? How is it mined and refined, and are there any particular associated risks? What are the social and environmental impacts that are specifically associated with this mineral (as opposed to impacts broadly associated with all mining)? How easily substitutable is this commodity (given that that constitutes an economic risk to the mine)? Finally, what is the position regarding recyclability? Critical and strategic minerals vary in important ways from one another. The careful practitioner will want to derisk critical and strategic mineral projects in a targeted manner, mindful of the characteristics of the commodity at hand. Thus a rare earths project raises different considerations than a lithium one. Bespoke contracts require insight into the characteristics of critical and strategic minerals, as outlined in the Core Critical and Strategic Minerals Compendium.

Putting People First in Data Quality: Feminist Data Ethics for Open Government Datasets

ABSTRACTOpen government information systems offer great potential for advancing civic life and democracy, but they also reflect and reinforce the biases and systematic inequalities faced by members of socially marginalized groups. We present results from a critical data modeling project that uses a data quality framework to examine open datasets published by police departments in order to understand how data modeling choices shape the social impact of these datasets. Using an arrest record dataset published by the Los Angeles Police Department as a case study, we present we present results detailing the representation of racial data and the presence of children in the dataset. We argue that current data quality frameworks for open government data are insufficient for critical data studies due to an orientation around institutional and computational interests. Incorporating feminist data ethics into data quality analysis provides an approach to data quality that centers people and communities. We propose a definition for data quality of open government datasets based on an ethics of care that centers the needs of vulnerable populations and accountability of institutions toward their communities.

Practitioners’ Experiences of School Readiness in Rural Early Childhood Centres in QwaQwa Free State, South Africa

The analysis of the school preparation experiences of rural early childhood practitioners. Multiple complex issues exist regarding school preparedness in South Africa. Research has found that many South African children are unprepared for formal schooling. Some of the challenges experienced by these young learners were low reading strength, learning setbacks and complications, and sluggish general development. As a result of these issues, young children face long-term repercussions. These include the inability to escape the cycle of poverty, lack of educational support, and poor socioeconomic conditions within their environment. Therefore, it can be argued that teaching within the South African public schooling context is marred with difficulties and unforeseen challenges. It is difficult to imagine how to modify South African infrastructure so all children can reach their full potential. Given that our ancient past is still rife with historical and power changes, the government must consider several factors while developing ways to aid transformation. This study investigated the perspectives of practitioners on school preparedness. At the same time, it investigates the significant learning at the grass-roots level that emerged from participation in a critical paradigm-based participatory action research project. The study is anchored in a philosophical methodology that leverages Practitioners’ idea that early childhood learners are ready for formal school. They do not emphasize play as a pedagogy for learning in preparation for school readiness. This paper is grounded in constructivism, which helps comprehend how school readiness knowledge improves formal education for young students. The author used the qualitative research approach with an interpretive paradigm to explore practitioners’ school readiness experiences. The author developed a semi-structured interview schedule to collect data from six practitioners in the Thabo-Mofutsanyana district in the Free State Province. The findings revealed practitioners lacked appropriate training and support in preparing young learners in ECD centres. Furthermore, practitioners lacked appropriate pedagogical skills to strengthen teaching and learning. The study recommended that practitioners receive ongoing professional teacher development in school readiness and use various teaching and learning strategies such as play pedagogy.

Highly efficient selective hydrogenation of furfural to tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol over MOF-derived Co-Ni bimetallic catalysts: The effects of Co-Ni alloy and adsorption configuration

The targeted conversion of furfural (FA) over inexpensive catalyst is a critical and challenging project. Herein, CoNi alloy catalysts (xCoyNi/C) were prepared through one-step pyrolysis of metal–organic frameworks and used in furfural (FA) hydrogenation to tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol (TFOL). The formation of CoNi alloy leads to a reconfiguration of the electronic structure on the metal surface, which affects the adsorption of functional groups on FA and furfuryl alcohol (FOL). In situ FT-IR analysis and DFT calculations verify that bimetallic CoNi alloy catalyst exhibits more suitable reactants adsorption and hydrogenation rate in comparison with the monometallic Co and monometallic Ni catalysts. Meanwhile, CoNi alloy significantly reduces the activation barrier from FOL to TFOL. Hence, the 1Co1Ni/C catalyst gives the highest TFOL yield of > 99 %. This study provides a simple strategy for the preparation of alloy catalysts for tuning product selectivity and presents practical potential for upgrading biomass-derived platform molecules.

Critical Project Impact Factors for Federal Capital Facility Projects

Critical Project Impact Factors for Federal Capital Facility Projects

Could Justice40 reproduce injustices in the critical mineral sector?

The United States is reprioritizing domestic extraction and processing of critical minerals, with billions of dollars of investments. Because of their uses in low-carbon technologies, the mining and processing of these resources falls under the scope of the Justice40 Initiative, the Biden administration’s flagship environmental justice policy. Justice40 prioritizes green investments to benefit communities deemed disadvantaged, including all recognized Tribes. This can lead to the siting of “green” mineral projects in disadvantaged communities (DACs), which is problematic if such projects are unwelcome or reproduce environmental injustices. These unintended consequences are our focus. We analyze how DACs are defined and operationalized, before examining whether and under what conditions critical mineral projects could be considered beneficial for local communities. We suggest three ways to better align Justice40’s spirit with its (currently problematic) application to critical minerals and other controversial projects – (1) centering free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) and the transparency and power restructuring needed to achieve it; (2) incentivizing community ownership to strengthen economic benefits and democratize decision making; and (3) bringing currently-exempted critical mineral activities within the purview of Justice40, particularly for the Department of Defense.

What Is Animal Prehistory?

This paper engages animal archaeologies with key debates in animal history. Animal archaeology is currently and primarily framed as a multi-species venture, and a brief review of its disciplinary genealogies illustrates dominant foci on questions of ecology and (posthuman) ontology. I argue that this situation, paradoxically, has led archaeologists to largely neglect the challenges of the historical animal. To overcome this constriction, animal archaeology needs to conceive of itself also as a critical and conceptual project—coevally celebrating and problematizing the notion of “the animal.” Importantly, this project pivots to questions of historicity, with regard to both its animal subjects of study and animal scholarship itself. I position “animal prehistory” as a strategic lens to bring to the fore and interrogate these unattended animal specificities and articulate them with long-standing concerns in animal history. I suggest this can proffer a new, exciting field of inquiry and exchange for both historians and archaeologists.

Outdoor Play and Learning in Elementary Schools: A Critical Participatory Action Research Project

In this study, we enacted critical participatory action research (CPAR) within an online community of practice (CoP). The CoP was designed to build a community of outdoor play and learning (OPAL) practitioners. This paper describes how a cohort (n=18) of experienced Kindergarten to grade eight (K-8) teachers from across British Columbia shared their OPAL experiences and practice and the collective action taken. Regularly scheduled meetings over a six-month period resulted in dialogue that identified the need for quality resources that were accessible for all teachers. The concept of a website, developed for teachers by teachers experienced with OPAL, was initiated within the CPAR process. This article describes findings related to participation in a CPAR CoP, and the process of deciding upon and enacting shared action to support OPAL elementary school teachers.

Innovate and renovate: Environmental intensive care unit design.

This article describes the reallocation of space and construction of a new adult shock trauma intensive care unit implementing methods to mitigate the environmental impact. The environmental burden was reduced through innovative reallocation of space and diversity of lighting sources. Circular economy principles were implemented which enabled much of the infrastructure materials to be reused. Collaboration among interdisciplinary health care teams, such as described in this article, helped to ensure expertise was shared so that the environmental impact was lessened. This article provides insight into innovative methods to mitigate the carbon footprint of a critical care renovation project.

Determining a Fuzzy Model of Time Buffer Size in Critical Chain Project Management

Abstract Elaborating and applying a new model for estimating the time buffer size of a project programme, which shall guarantee a 90 % probability of timely project execution. The research included source text analysis to provide information on a research gap and the identification of the research problem. The research problem was identified: the time buffer size in a critical path programme does not guarantee a 90 % probability of timely project execution. A new model was then elaborated to estimate the buffer size; it was applied in a technical production preparation project. An additional comparative analysis was performed using the following methods to verify the model more accurately: half of the time total of a path, the sum of squares (SSQ), and the root square error method (RSEM). The application of the fuzzy model to estimate the buffer size in a critical chain programme offers can shorten the total planned project duration. It has a higher probability of timely project execution than other methods for estimating the buffer size. It guarantees a 90 % probability of timely project execution, keeping aggressive task times, which eliminates unwanted situations such as student syndrome, Parkinson’s law, overestimating task duration, and multitasking. Project programming is an inherent part of the project planning stage in project management. Recently, project management has been increasingly developing, which has been confirmed by the article’s source literature analysis. The analysis revealed a research gap in models estimating project buffer size, which might guarantee a 90 % probability of timely project execution. Thus, a fuzzy model for estimating time buffer size in a critical chain was developed, constituting added value to the science of management and quality of production engineering (currently, mechanical engineering). The fuzzy model for estimating time buffer size was applied in one Polish enterprise in a project for a new product’s technical production preparation. The fuzzy model for estimating time buffer size permits the shortening of the duration of tasks to aggressive times, guaranteeing a 90 % probability of project timely execution. The elaborated model for estimating time buffer size may be applied further in practice in projects programmed using the critical chain method.

Formulation Design and Optimization of High-Performance Concrete for Enhanced Properties

High-performance concrete, as a crucial construction material, finds extensive applications in critical engineering projects. This paper focuses on the formulation design and optimization of high-performance concrete. By analyzing the impact of different admixtures, additives, and mix proportions on concrete properties, the methods for enhancing concrete strength, durability, and crack resistance are explored. The study integrates experimental and simulation approaches to provide theoretical and practical support for the reliable application of high-performance concrete.

Charting a Research Agenda for Relational Dialectics Theory: Forwarding Critical Theorizing in Interpersonal and Family Communication Research

ABSTRACT In 2011, Leslie Baxter published Voicing Relationships: A Dialogic Perspective, updating the 1996 articulation of relational dialectics theory (RDT). Baxter provided clarity on concepts introduced 15 years prior. Organized around RDT’s central premise – that the meaning of phenomena transpires in the moment through struggles of competing discourses – Baxter positioned RDT within the critical postmodern project. Since then, RDT research has proliferated, but no systematic assessment of its theoretical characteristics has transpired. We conducted a prescriptive review of the first decade of research following the 2011 volume. We first identified sources citing Baxter’s (2011) volume (n = 505), ultimately narrowing to studies using RDT with its companion method, contrapuntal analysis (n = 55). We then coded for six constructs (genre, utterance, utterance chain location, speaker, addressee, and semantic object). This article presents our selection criteria and processes of review, findings, and research agenda based on our review.