Government Sources Research Articles

Subsidizing a sports arena in a bankrupt city: Detroit's Little Caesars Arena

AbstractObjectivesThe potential for ancillary real estate transformation and downtown revitalization has moved to the forefront of sports venue subsidy arguments. Despite the City of Detroit being in the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history at the time, $324 million in public funding was directly provided to Little Caesars Arena, a new home for the Detroit Red Wings hockey team. Using the Detroit context, this article examines how a major arena subsidy deal arose in a severely financially distressed city.MethodsUsing a snowball technique, documents were collected from government, media, industry, community, legal, and academic sources to inform a retrospective, single case study. Over 300 documents covering a period from 1992 to 2021 were then reviewed for prospective relevance. A review of secondary media sources was conducted in lieu of traditional interviews.ResultsThe arena funding outcome is best explained by three interrelated aspects: local growth coalitions, real estate development promises, and lacking procedural and financial transparency exacerbated by both the chosen funding mechanism of tax increment financing (TIF) and the bankruptcy.ConclusionsWhere flexible financial subsidies and arena deal making are concerned, procedural transparency matters. Growth coalitions and rent‐seeking team owners can use the earmarked nature of TIF to circumvent traditional budgetary processes and mute prospective opposition through promises of self‐financing subsidies that will not result in new tax rate hikes. For venue deals where the substance is in the details of contractual obligations, transparency and adequate time for scrutiny are especially important.

Continental Scale Regional Flood Frequency Analysis: Combining Enhanced Datasets and a Bayesian Framework

Flood frequency analysis at large scales, essential for the development of flood risk maps, is hindered by the scarcity of gauge flow data. Suitable methods are thus required to predict flooding in ungauged basins, a notoriously complex problem in hydrology. We develop a Bayesian hierarchical model (BHM) based on the generalized extreme value (GEV) and the generalized Pareto distribution for regional flood frequency analysis at high resolution across a large part of North America. Our model leverages annual maximum flow data from ≈20,000 gauged stations and a dataset of 130 static catchment-specific covariates to predict extreme flows at all catchments over the continent as well as their associated statistical uncertainty. Additionally, a modification is made to the data layer of the BHM to include peaks over threshold flow data when available, which improves the precision of the discharge level estimates. We validated the model using a hold-out approach and found that its predictive power is very good for the GEV distribution location and scale parameters and improvable for the shape parameter, which is notoriously hard to estimate. The resulting discharge return levels yield a satisfying agreement when compared with the available design peak discharge from various government sources. The assessment of the covariates’ contributions to the model is also informative with regard to the most relevant underlying factors influencing flood-inducing peak flows. According to the developed aggregate importance score, the key covariates in our model are temperature-related bioindicators, the catchment drainage area and the geographical location.

Analysis of agricultural development in Ngringo Village, Kecamatan Jaten, Karanganyar District

Background: Agricultural development is crucial for rural economic growth and food security. This study analyzes agricultural development in Ngringo Village, Indonesia, examining potentials, challenges, structural and institutional transformations, technology transfer, and appropriate development models. Previous research has focused on broader regional agricultural trends, while this study provides an in-depth analysis of a specific village undergoing rapid change. Method: The study employed purposive sampling to select Ngringo Village. Data collection involved observations, structured interviews with key informants, and document analysis. Both primary data from village officials and secondary data from government sources were utilized. Findings: Ngringo Village exhibits both physical potential (strategic location, affordable land) and non-physical potential (socio-cultural life, efficient administration). Challenges include limited farmer knowledge of marketing and post-harvest processing. Structural transformation is evident in the shift from agriculture to industrial and service sectors due to urbanization pressures. Institutional transformation has led to the establishment of farmer groups and associations. Technology transfer is occurring, with the adoption of mechanized farming equipment, though digital technologies are not yet fully embraced. Conclusion: The agricultural development model in Ngringo Village aligns with the location model, influenced by its proximity to urban areas. Ngringo Village is undergoing significant agricultural transformations driven by urbanization and industrialization. While facing challenges in land conversion and marketing, the village demonstrates resilience through institutional adaptations and selective technology adoption. Future agricultural development strategies should focus on enhancing digital marketing skills, strengthening farmer institutions, and balancing agricultural preservation with urban expansion. Novelty/Originality of this article: This study proposes an integrated digital platform for sustainable agricultural development. The platform connects farmers to markets, provides online training, and facilitates stakeholder collaboration, adaptable to different peri-urban contexts across the country.

The first global landscape analysis of multiple sclerosis research funding

Introduction: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated central nervous system disorder and a growing global health challenge affecting nearly 3 million people worldwide. Incidence and prevalence continue to increase with no known cause or cure. Globally governments and non-profit organizations fund research toward better understanding of and treatments for multiple sclerosis. Methods: This study identified MS research projects funded between 2021 and 2023 by government and non-profit organization sources. Projects were described by type of scientific approach, Pathways to Cure research category (i.e. Stop, Restore, End), and other key characteristics. Results: Over 2,300 MS research projects were identified through 16 non-profit MS organizations and 18 government databases. The overall global portfolio of these projects is valued at nearly one and a half billion Euros. The majority of projects were classified in the Stop category (60%). Research collaboration occurs in many forms among the research community; around 272 projects were reported to be co-funded. Conclusion: Global MS research collaboration will accelerate progress toward increased knowledge, effective treatments, improved health outcomes, and ultimately cures for MS. This landscape analysis highlights the current distribution of MS research investment between topics and begins to suggest where the MS community should focus to increase potential impact for current and future endeavors.

On Concepts, Analytics, and Statistics in Comparative Policy Studies: An Introduction from the New Section Editors

Effective comparative public policy research necessitates three key aspects. Firstly, it requires concepts that allow the differences in policies and policy developments across various domains to be discerned. Secondly, even with robust concepts established, they typically must be “put into practice”. This means scholars need analytical tools that can either provide theoretical insights helpful in creating careful research designs or extract relevant information from laws, legislation, and other governmental sources and organize it meaningfully. Lastly, the objective of these endeavors is to produce statistics on policies or their effects that permit robust conclusions to be drawn about policy efficacy and impact. Building upon this “trinity” as the foundation of successful comparative policy research, the new section editors of the Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis (JCPA) are seeking contributions in the areas of policy concepts, analytics, and statistics. This introductory article further clarifies what these aspects entail and presents examples from existing research that may align with this section.

Patients With Shoulder Labral Tears Search the Internet to Understand Their Diagnoses and Treatment Options

PurposeTo analyze the most frequently searched questions associated with shoulder labral pathology and to evaluate the source type availability and quality. MethodsCommon shoulder labral pathology related search terms were entered into Google and the suggested frequently asked questions were compiled and categorized. Suggested sources were also recorded, categorized, and scored for quality of information utilizing Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmark criteria. Statistical analysis was performed to compare the types of questions and their associated sources, as well as the quality of sources. ResultsFive-hundred and thirteen questions and 170 sources were identified and categorized. The most popular topics were Diagnosis/Evaluation (21.5%) and Indications/Management (21.1%.). The most common website types were Academic (27.9%), Commercial (25.2%), and Medical Practice (22.5%). Multiple statistically significant associations were found between specific question categories and their associated source types. The average JAMA quality score for all sources was 1.56 and medical websites had significantly lower quality scores than non-medical sites (1.05 vs 2.12, p<0.001). ConclusionPatients searching the internet for information regarding shoulder labral pathology often look for facts regarding the management of their condition. They use various source types to understand their conditions, with government sources being the highest quality, while medical sites showed statistically lower quality. Across the spectrum of questions, the quality of readily available resources varies substantially.

Learnings from the past to inform future ecosystem restoration projects: an Australian perspective

Coastal and marine ecosystems provide valuable ecosystem services and functions. Unfortunately, these habitats have experienced increasing anthropogenic and climate‐related pressures, leading to significant degradation and loss not only in Australia but also globally. Hence, the urgency for coastal and marine ecosystem restoration has never been more pronounced. We present a synthesis of 151 projects on coastal and marine restoration in Australia spanning mangrove, seagrass, tidal marsh, kelp, shellfish reef, and coral ecosystems. Our findings reveal increased restoration efforts over the past 30 years, with an increased focus on coral and shellfish reef habitats. Across Australia, most efforts were in southeastern Australia, with a noticeable gap in the Northern Territory. Restoration strategies focused on enhancing propagule availability (74%) and substrate availability (42%), with additional efforts toward implementing top–down (7%) and bottom–up (4%) controls to boost natural recruitment. Projects were carried out with the participation mostly of research universities (45%), followed by state government entities (42%), philanthropy (34%), and private companies (16%). Funding came primarily from governmental sources, such as state government entities (50%), the commonwealth (44%), and philanthropy (19%). Restoration outcomes are centered on monitoring growth and survival resulting from both single and multiple restoration actions. Our findings highlight key factors influencing natural recruitment across habitat types, where sedimentation and species reproductive biology play a critical role. While acknowledging that our results represent only a small fraction of Australia's coastal and marine restoration efforts, our intent is to contribute insights that can support large‐scale restoration actions not only in Australia but also on a global scale.

Navigating vaccination choices: The intersecting dynamics of institutional trust, belonging and message perception among Congolese migrants in London, UK (a reflexive thematic analysis).

The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately impacted intersectionally marginalised migrants, revealing systemic disparities in health outcomes and vaccine uptake. Understanding the underlying social and structural factors influencing health behaviours is necessary to develop tailored interventions for migrants, but these factors have been seldom explored. This qualitative study aimed to explore contextual factors shaping COVID-19 vaccination decision-making among Congolese migrants in the UK.A community-based participatory research study was designed and led by a community-academic partnership in London, UK (2021-2022). Peer-led, semi-structured interviews were conducted in Lingala with 32 adult Congolese migrants and explored beliefs, perceptions and lived experiences of migration, healthcare, vaccination and the COVID-19 pandemic. Reflexive thematic analysis generated two themes and a model conceptualising the vaccination decision-making process. Participants and community partners were financially compensated; ethics was granted by the University of London ethics committee (REC: 2021.0128).Participants highlighted the incompatibility of lockdown restrictions with their communal culture, which intensified feelings of exclusion and alienation. Concerns about COVID-19 vaccination were attributed to safety and effectiveness, partly informed by experiences and legacies of racial discrimination and exploitation. Inequality in the pandemic response and COVID-19 outcomes heightened participants' sense that their views and needs were being overlooked, and government sources and information were perceived as coercive. Our model depicts the interplay between institutional trust, belonging, and message perception, which shaped participants' vaccination decisions and led to (non-)engagement with COVID-19 vaccination. This research enhances understanding of how social and contextual factors may influence migrants' engagement with health interventions. It underscores the importance of partnering with migrant communities to understand their needs in context and co-design tailored interventions and inclusive messaging strategies that promote trust and belonging. Implementing systemic changes to address structural inequalities will be crucial to create an environment that supports engagement with health-protective behaviours and enhances health outcomes among migrant communities.

Evaluation of Watershed Carrying Capacity on Flood Management in Greater Malang East Java Indonesia

Purpose: The over-depletion of natural resources in the Ambang watershed is the recent cause of the flooding in the region. The Ambang watershed, located in the larger Malang region of Indonesia's East Java Province, is the subject of this article because of the importance of this resource to local residents.This study follows the rules set out by Regulation No. P.61/2014 of the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry, which governs the assessment and monitoring of watershed management, in order to determine the Ambang watershed's effectiveness. Finding out how much water the Ambang watershed can hold and how well the regulation works to control floods were the two main goals of this research Method: This study primarily uses data on floods, conservation initiatives, land use, and water value in the Ambang river basin. Data and information on floods, conservation regulations, and the worth of water infrastructure comes from government sources and community discussions. The data on land usage was derived from the analysis of satellite images. Literature reviews and reports from key government agencies (such as the regional agricultural agency, the regional environmental protection agency, and the district government) were used to gather secondary data for the Ambang watershed management study Results and Conclusion: Land cover, as a percentage, can reduce run-off rates and enhance infiltration capacity in a watershed, hence monitoring it is crucial for assessing the state of land carrying capacity. With an area of 86,783.77 ha, the Ambang sub-watershed has 27,311.79 ha of vegetative land cover (PPV), which is classed as poor, falling between 20 and 40%. The result is expressed as a percentage. One way to measure the difference between allowed and actual erosion is via the Erosion Index. Based on the analysis, the Ambang sub-watershed, which covers an area of 86,783.77 ha, experiences heavy erosion on average with 190.8 tons/ha/year. The erosion index is 14.2, and the IE classification is &gt; 2, which is very bad. This is due to factors such as steep to very steep slopes in some areas, poor to moderate soil conservation, and the presence of annual plants on the land, with some exceeding 25%. Research Implications: In order to better educate the public about the conservation and restoration efforts of different stakeholders and to improve the recommendations for potential conservation and restoration actions in each of the Ambang watershed regions, a series of investigations and experimental projects are planned. Laws enacted by the Indonesian government (number 37/2012) and the Ministry of Forestry (number 6061/2014) control the administration of water-related regions in the country. Before receiving any funds from the National State Budget, regional (provincial) governments must develop a management plan that takes into account the watershed's ability to sustain initiatives. Our investigation showed that Regulation 61/2014, issued by the Federal Forestry Minister, does not adequately evaluate the Ambang watershed's harbor capacity. Especially in arid regions, further studies should help Indonesian watersheds better gauge the potential of their water supplies.

Haunting Messages: Online Videos and Public Belief in Paranormal Phenomena.

Despite broad skepticism within the scientific community regarding paranormal phenomena such as ghosts and unidentified flying objects (UFOs), many members of the public believe in these phenomena. Previous studies have argued that viewing paranormal-themed television-including documentary, reality, and news programming-can cultivate such beliefs. In addition, recent research suggests that the online video-sharing platform YouTube may serve as an important source of messages about fringe phenomena. With that in mind, this study builds on theoretical accounts of genre-specific cultivation and social media affordances to examine how YouTube videos present paranormal topics and whether YouTube use predicts belief in the paranormal. A content analysis of 50 highly viewed YouTube videos about paranormal topics (25 about hauntings and 25 about UFOs) showed that a large majority of these videos featured paranormal claims and that a majority included purported footage of paranormal phenomena. Scientific sources appeared in only a quarter of UFO videos and almost no haunting videos, while government sources appeared in most UFO videos, but few haunting videos. An analysis of data from a survey of the U.S. public (n = 1,035), in turn, found that paranormal documentary or reality television viewing, paranormal news use, and YouTube use predicted belief in hauntings, controlling for a range of other media use variables and background factors. These results highlight the potential for video-sharing platforms such as YouTube to reinforce paranormal beliefs among the public.

Prevention policies for the marine ecological environment in the South China Sea as a consequence of excessive plastic compound use in Vietnam.

Vietnam suffers from a distressing predicament: It ranks among the most heavily contaminated nations on earth. Its coastal and marine domains are plagued by an excess of plastic waste. Vietnam has consistently discharged a substantial amount of waste into the oceans, ranging from 0.28 to 0.73 million metric tons annually. Numerous areas have emerged as focal points of plastic pollution throughout its extensive seashore and marine areas. The escalating presence of marine litter poses an increasingly grave threat to the intricate equilibrium of Vietnam's marine ecosystems. This comprehensive policy study reveals that the mounting problem of ocean plastic pollution, characterized by the abundance of floating plastic debris, imperils both plant and animal life, placing various marine species such as seabirds, fish, turtles, and cetaceans at risk. The consumption of minuscule plastic particles and the harmful impact of chemical pollutants from plastic waste in the ocean not only endangers the vitality of marine life but also poses a substantial hazard to human well-being because plastic waste infiltrates the food chain. This research reveals that, despite the existence of numerous laws and policies-including the Law on Environmental Protection 2020, the Marine Plastic Waste Management Initiative for the Fisheries Sector 2020-2030, and the National Action Plan for Management of Marine Plastic Litter-a significant amount of plastic waste is infiltrating the river network and eventually infiltrating oceans as a result of improper monitoring and ineffective enforcement of these legislations. Relying primarily on existing data released by the government and other sources and a wide range of gray literature retrieved from reputable databases, this study aims to evaluate the role of Vietnam's legal framework for combating the critical issue of marine plastic pollution in the South China Sea. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;20:2088-2106. © 2024 SETAC.

Legal and budgetary challenges in implementing the Ecological ICMS: the case of the state of Amazonas

Environmental preservation, a global challenge, requires effective policies to ensure the sustainability of ecosystems. In this sense, the Ecological ICMS emerges as a crucial tax tool, encouraging environmental conservation by rewarding municipalities that protect their natural resources. This study aims to analyze the challenges of implementing the Ecological ICMS in the State of Amazonas, seeking to identify policies and strategies to improve its effectiveness. The research focuses on the vast Amazonian biodiversity, using a qualitative and descriptive approach. Data collection involved a comprehensive review of literature and government sources, focusing on key terms such as "ICMS Ecológico" and "Amazonas". The results point to a positive economic scenario, with growth in all sectors and an increase in tax collection. However, challenges persist, such as the need for more efficient policies and fair distribution of resources between municipalities, in addition to raising awareness about environmental preservation. Even in the face of these challenges, the Ecological ICMS stands out as a strategic tool to boost sustainable development in the Amazon region.

What Questions Do Patients Ask About Biologic Therapies for Chronic Sinusitis With Nasal Polyps?

Objective: The objective of this study is to explore the questions commonly asked online about biologic therapies for use in treatment of chronic sinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) and the quality of the available content. Methods: Most common search terms were identified via Google Trends. People Also Ask (PAA) questions were identified and extracted with their associated website using an online data-scraping program [Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Minion, Keywords Everywhere]. Sources were evaluated using Flesch Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL) and Flesch Reading Ease (FRE, higher number = better) score for readability; Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) Benchmark criteria for quality assessment (0-4, 4 = all criteria met). Results: A total of 143 unique PAA questions and unique websites were identified. Questions were organized into 3 categories: questions about biologic therapies overall (38.46%), about CRSwNP (37.76%), and about treatment options for CRSwNP (23.78%). Websites answering PAA questions were from commercial (60.14%), medical practice (13.99%), academic (13.29%), and government (12.59%) sources. FKGL scores found the average reading level to be at approximately a 12th grade level (SD = 3.297) alongside a low reading ease FRE score of 37.6 (SD = 16.77). Mean JAMA criteria scores were 0.9895 (SD = 0.848), indicating largely low-quality materials. Conclusion: Biologic therapies are a novel treatment option for CRSwNP, and participants are seeking more information about these treatments and disease state. Online resources regarding biologics should be presented at a lower reading level. Sources with evidence-based information are needed. Physicians should be aware of these limitations in online material and counsel accordingly by curating and directing patients to good sources.Level of Evidence: Step 4.

The Sharing of Pandemic-Related Information From U.S. Government Twitter Accounts

The rapid onset of COVID-19 created a desire for information about the virus and government-directed response efforts. This study explores the sharing of Twitter posts from U.S. government officials and organizations during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study followed two paths of investigation. First, significant differences in the retweet frequency of government sources were determined based on the source (public officials and agencies, Republican- or Democrat-led states) and differentiated by equal time periods (40 days pre- or post-pandemic declaration). The study findings show that the frequency at which government accounts were retweeted in the U.S. was significantly impacted by the pandemic period, with the post-pandemic period significantly more active as governments wrestled with unprecedented economic, policy, and societal concerns related to the crisis. A greater reliance on public officials as opposed to public agencies or departments was seen, as was a greater tendency to retweet the posts of government officials from Democrat-led states. The second path examined the content of government tweets to determine the linguistic factors which predict retweet frequency. Study results found that both positive and negative emotional language in tweets predicted the frequency of retweeting government sources, though the results varied based on the source. The study results provide insight into the government-affiliated information sources users chose to share with their networks as well as the types of language that appeal to citizens during times of crisis.

Equity in the Australian Higher Education System: An Examination of Trends in Policy Affecting the Participation and Outcomes of Higher Education Students

This paper reviews policies affecting domestic students in the higher education system in Australia over the last several decades. It examines the implementation and expansion of Australia’s student loan program and policies to encourage widening participation in the higher education sector among equity or target groups, including those from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Using quantitative data from Australian government and university sources as well as the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey, this research seeks to assess whether equity and inclusion in higher education over this period has improved or been maintained. The findings show that while the conditions under which students are able to access higher education in Australia remain relatively generous, the participation rates of equity groups have not substantially improved over the last two decades. Further, the less advantaged circumstances of equity students continue to predict their outcomes prior to and beyond degree completion.

Financing of infrastructure projects in territorial communities

The issues of financial support for the restoration of critical infrastructure are of utmost relevance during martial law, charac­terized by limited resources and capabilities and increased risks, and must be addressed compre­hensively at the state and local levels. The structural redistribution of local budget reve­nues and expenditures that occurs during martial law necessitates the search for effective ways to attract off-budget instruments for financial support of infrastructure in commu­nities. The aim of the article is to assess the financial capacities and opportunities for restoring the infrastructure of territorial com­mu­nities and to review promising financial mechanisms. The research is based on the hypothesis that it is necessary to develop combi­ned forms of financial support at the level of territorial communities with an emphasis on intensifying the involvement of international donors. The research methods were used, such as systematic and comparative analysis and synthesis, abstract and logical method, and logical generalization. The research is based on materials from government sources on the state and local budgets and on the basis of scientific works by Ukrainian scholars. The article has presented the opinions of scientists on the financial support essence and systematized its forms, methods and tools for direct finan­cial support of infrastructure projects in communities; revealed the possibilities and prospects for their application under martial law. The expe­diency of choosing combined forms of finan­cial support as those that balance the interests of the participants has been substan­tiated. Based on the state analysis of budgetary financing of infrastructure projects at the state and local levels, the availability of financial capacity in local budgets and the continuing trend of long-term projects by international donors at the national level were established. The main method of financial support for projects at the state level is loan programs from international financial institutions and foreign governments. The author has proposed the development of promising forms of financial support for the restoration of infrastructure projects in the form of loan and grants programs combination from the Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (NEFCO)

Competency Standardization for Indonesian Tourism Human Resources: Implementation in Education, Training and Competency Certification

The increasing trend of Indonesia's tourism competitiveness has placed it as one of the priority industrial sectors in Indonesia. However, this achievement is not in line with increasing the competitiveness of human resources (HR). The national work competency standardization system (SKKN), which the Indonesian Government has implemented since 2012, has not been effective, and human resources' competitiveness has even shown a negative trend. It is feared that this situation will hamper the growth rate of Indonesia's tourism competitiveness in the future. The purpose of this study is to critically analyze the application of the SKKNI system, which is focused on education, training, and competency certification of Indonesian tourism human resources, to uncover the inhibiting factors for its implementation. This education, training, and competency certification are the main components in the performance of the SKKNI system in Indonesia. The research was carried out by reviewing the relevant literature, analyzing the processes and elements in applying the SKKNI system. Research data is secondary data collected from data sources of Government and non-government institutions and scientific and non-scientific literature available on official government websites and the internet. The research results are then triangulated to get a comprehensive picture and understanding of the application of the SKKNI system. The results showed that the implementation of the SKKN system was effective in increasing the capacity of Indonesian tourism human resources but has a tiny growth Quantitatively. The main obstacle is limited trainer, assessor, facilities, and educational, training, and certification institutions to produce trained and certified human resources of tourism.

Examining the role of knowledge and trust on vaccine confidence in North Dakota among university students, faculty, and staff

BackgroundVaccination is one of the greatest tools for individuals to stay healthy. Individuals are, however, often exposed to misinformation via digital and social media, and thus, may miss the opportunity to develop scientific knowledge about vaccines and trust in relevant stakeholders. This has a damaging impact on vaccine confidence. Understanding vaccine confidence is particularly important in North Dakota, where vaccination rates are lower than national averages.ObjectivesThe objectives of this research are to examine the association between vaccine confidence and three potential sources of it, namely, trust, vaccine knowledge, and vaccine information sources and to investigate the relative strength of three vaccine confidence sources, while accounting for covariates.MethodsStudents (n = 517, 56.6%) and staff and faculty (n = 397, 43.4%) at the University of North Dakota (n = 914) completed an online survey. Logistic regressions estimated odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for associations among trust in doctors, family/friends, government health agencies, charitable organizations, and religious organizations, vaccine knowledge, vaccine information sources as well as vaccine confidence, accounting for gender, race, marital status, age, religion, political ideology, education, and health status.ResultsThe mean age of participants was 29.43 years (SD = 13.48). Most were females (71.6%) and white (91.5%). Great trust in doctors (OR = 3.29, p < 0.001, 95%CI 1.89, 5.73) government health agencies (OR = 2.95, p < 0.001, 95%CI 2.13, 4.08) and vaccine knowledge (OR = 1.28, p < 0.001, 95%CI 1.18, 1.38) had higher odds of vaccine confidence. Using Internet Government source as the primary source of vaccine information (OR = 1.73, p < 0.05, 95%CI 1.22, 2.44) showed higher odds of vaccine confidence before all independent variables were introduced, but it became non-significant after they were introduced. Trust in government health agencies showed strongest associations with vaccine confidence.ConclusionMultiple stakeholders are necessary to ensure verified, accessible, and accurate information in order to advance vaccine confidence in rural, conservative areas.

The Effect of Voluntary IFRS Adoption on MD&amp;A Information

ABSTRACT We analyze the textual management discussion and analysis (MD&amp;A) information of Japanese firms that voluntarily adopted International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and disclosed information in the Japanese language. We conduct a difference-in-differences analysis of firms that voluntarily adopted IFRS and those that continue to use Japanese generally accepted accounting principles. We find that the voluntary adoption of IFRS decreases the textual length but does not change the difficulty of MD&amp;A information. The results indicate that IFRS adoption decreases the level of MD&amp;A disclosure. However, the decrease in textual length is not observed after the 2018 MD&amp;A regulation changes. This suggests that the negative effect of IFRS adoption is offset by the positive effect of the regulation change. This study is unlike previous research as it contributes to international accounting literature by analyzing financial reporting in a non-English language, viz. Japanese, which is, technically, a very difficult language. Data Availability: All financial data and some textual data used in this study are available from commercial providers (NEEDS–FinancialQUEST2.0, NEEDS–MT Executive (Yakuin), and eol), and the other textual data are available from a governmental public source (EDINET). JEL Classifications: M41; M48; G14.

Socio-Eco Packages and Environmental Factors – An Analysis from Balochistan

This study examines the impact of the Socio-Economic packages announced over the past two decades for Balochistan by the Federal Government / State on Political, Social, Economic, Security, and other environmental factors, predicting the future of the province. It adopts a qualitative research design with a historical, descriptive approach using interview-based primary data collection along with the study of published and unpublished documents of government and private sources. Since the rise of President Gen (R) Pervaiz Musharaf to the premier office of Pakistan, the Federal Government undertook five ventures to support Balochistan on its way to progress. However, mismanagement and bad governance failed the very spirit of the initiatives, and the results couldn’t be achieved. The findings of the study conclude that the announcement of socio-eco packages would have proved to be beneficial towards achieving specific goals set if the welfare and development schemes had been carried out and monitored through agencies/intermediaries other than the local political or parliamentary leadership. Environmental factors, especially political factors, are directly impacted by the implementation of these packages. This study presented its analyses by interviewing the people linked with academia and the administration only owing to time constraints. However, future research should include the views of other groups directly or indirectly linked with the prevailing situation in the province, thus addressing the limitations of the present study.