National Entities Research Articles

Primary Objectives of the Activities of Actors Ensuring National Security

The article is devoted to clarifying the key tasks of the actors ensuring national security, taking into account modern understanding of national security and its provision. Based on the analysis of current scientific literature, the authors highlight the approaches of Ukrainian scientists to the understanding of the complex of tasks of ensuring national security, which are consistent with the modern doctrine of national security and its provision. Considering the scientific views on the structure of the tasks of ensuring national security, seven main groups of the objectives of the national security entities are outlined. It is concluded that these targets envisage planning, creation, improvement and monitoring (in particular, for clarity and legal certainty, consistency and adaptability, taking into account complex and dynamic features of modern risks and challenges faced by the national security actors) in national security law making, and the results of standard-setting.

Exact and heuristic approaches for the Modal Shift Incentive Problem

It is widely acknowledged that freight transportation in general, and road freight transportation in particular, contributes significantly to greenhouse gas and pollutant emissions. In response, many countries have implemented incentive schemes to divert freight traffic from roads towards more environmentally friendly transportation modes (e.g., rail, maritime). However, incentive-based policies to promote modal shift are often sporadic and uncoordinated across non-road modes, thus preventing full leverage of dedicated budgets. In this study, we present a strategic problem encountered by national and supranational entities aiming to reduce emissions from the freight transportation sector, referred to as the Modal Shift Incentive Problem (MSIP). The problem involves designing incentive policies in the form of subsidies aimed at reducing the cost of eco-friendly transportation modes, with the aim of minimizing the volume of freight transported via less environmentally friendly modes. These incentive policies must satisfy various constraints, including a limited budget for incentives, equity requirements, and compliance with regulations pertaining to competitiveness and free-market dynamics. To address the MSIP, we propose an original mathematical formulation on the basis of a deterministic threshold modal choice model used to simulate the shipper behavior in selecting the transportation modes. Then, we develop a two-phase solution method, able to determine good solutions with a small computational burden based on the generation of a subset of promising incentive schemes. Finally, we solve real-world instances generated utilizing data derived from a comprehensive case study in Italy. The results on different instance types, in terms of number of shipments, budget, and costs, show the relationship between these factors, the complexity of the MSIP, and the modal shift.

Exploring Complex Thinking in Latin American Universities: Comparative Analysis Between Programs and Alternative Credentials

ABSTRACT Training the high-order competency of complex thinking encompasses addressing its sub-competencies of critical, innovative, scientific and systemic thinking. In this framework, how do the practices of reasoning for complexity in Latin American institutions differ from other regions? This study focused on comparing training practices that promote complex thinking in national and international educational entities through analysis of their programs and alternative professional credentials to identify best educational practices. The comparative education method benchmarked the selected institutions and compared the best educational practices. The four categories of analysis were the philosophical, theoretical, and political components and the educational process. A significant-document analysis was applied to publications found on the websites of 19 educational institutions, and the data were triangulated. The findings accounted for (a) educational institutions seeking to educate individuals who can improve the quality of life in society and contribute to sustainable development, (b) educational practices aimed at developing complex thinking competencies and lifelong learning as essential for new educational models, (c) the collaboration of researchers, faculty, and other stakeholders, and appropriate tools for formative assessment, promoting the development of complex reasoning competencies in changing environments, and (d) educational processes focused on developing high skills, innovation, and digital transformation as essential for designing the future of education. This study is intended to be of value to managers, decision-makers, professors, researchers, and society interested in creating new programs to develop high-level capabilities, such as complex thinking.

Towards Social Justice: Investigating the Role of Labor, Globalization, and Governance in Reducing Socio-Economic Inequality within Post-Communist Countries

In the midst of contemporary global challenges, including the repercussions of the pandemic, geopolitical conflicts, and transitional shifts, a notable surge in attention toward income inequality has materialized, garnering significant focus from both national and international entities. The urgency surrounding this issue is amplified by the imperative need for economic sustainability, recognizing poverty and inequalities as fundamental global security threats. Particularly within Europe, the persistent disparities in living standards, evident across and within countries, serve as potent indicators of enduring poverty and inequality. These concerns underscore potential barriers to the European Union’s pursuit of convergence and cohesion, aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which prioritize addressing poverty (SDG 1) and reducing inequalities (SDG 10) for sustainable development. This study aims to scrutinize the dynamics of income inequality, concentrating on post-communist countries in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). Employing panel data analysis, the research identifies and tests variables influencing income inequality in the region, specifically emphasizing labor market structures, globalization, economic development, and governance mechanisms, which hold particular relevance for the region’s context. The primary findings underscore the potential impact of enhancing these sectors in mitigating income inequality within the specified region. These insights provide a foundation for informed policy-making, presenting opportunities to address and mitigate inequalities effectively. They pave the way for fostering pathways toward greater equality and equitable socio-economic development within post-communist nations, ensuring a more inclusive and sustainable future.

Relevance of International Humanitarian Law in International Relations: National and International Contexts

International Humanitarian Law (IHL) holds significance within the realm of international relations which encompasses various disciplines such as international law, diplomacy, and interactions among national and international entities. The prevalence of over 100 armed conflicts underscores the imperative for parties involved in conflicts and other influential actors to comprehend IHL. In the face of ongoing armed confrontations worldwide, the continued relevance of IHL in shaping international relations becomes apparent. States must prioritize the promotion of respect for IHL to establish a robust international relations system. This article endeavors to explore the interconnectedness of IHL with international relations and assess its importance. The study will delve into the role and significance of IHL in the context of international relations, with a particular focus on Nepal, where the Ministry of Law and Justice assumes a leading and coordinating role in promoting IHL. The study involves an extensive review of pertinent literature on international humanitarian law and international relations, primarily sourced from online publications.

Vendors’ Perceptions and Experiences with WIC Online Shopping Implementation

BackgroundOnline shopping (OS) holds promise for improving the shopping experience for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). However, little is known about vendors’ perspectives on implementing OS in the context of WIC. ObjectivesThe present study aimed to understand vendors’ experiences, needs, and barriers to WIC OS implementation. MethodsWe recruited vendors at various stages of WIC OS planning and implementation (n = 16). Semistructured interviews were conducted, transcribed, and coded using subconstructs of the i-PARIHS framework domains (e.g., Characteristics of the Innovation, recipient, context, and facilitation) to assess determinants related to adoption and implementation of WIC OS among vendors. ResultsInterviewees represented various organizations, including local (n = 5), regional (n = 4), and national (n = 5) entities, along with enablement platforms (n = 2). The interviews yielded themes related to experiences planning and implementing a WIC OS system (n = 7) and perceived needs and barriers (n = 3). Vendors drew on prior experiences with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) OS to inform WIC OS projects, stressing the importance of building relationships and collaborating, particularly in technical partnerships, during WIC OS implementation. They also highlighted the value of leveraging existing OS systems to implement WIC OS projects, discussed WIC OS perceived benefits, emphasized the role of educating staff and participants on its usage, and valued WIC OS implementation guidance provided by WIC agencies. Needs and barriers for vendors contemplating WIC OS implementation included the need for evidence of successful implementation of WIC OS projects, understanding current regulatory implications, and appraising existing priorities and financial considerations for adopting and implementing WIC OS. ConclusionsWIC OS innovations are integral to modernizing the federal food assistance program. The present study highlights the role of vendor engagement, collaboration, guidance from WIC agencies, and knowledge sharing in ensuring WIC OS success. These insights can inform how WIC State agencies engage vendors to implement WIC OS.

A Modular IoT-Based Architecture for Logistics Service Performance Assessment and Real-Time Scheduling towards a Synchromodal Transport System

Logistics is significantly impacted by quality/quantity issues associated with data collection and data sharing restrictions. Nonetheless, public data from national entities and internet-of-things (IoT) solutions enable the development of integrated tools for performance analysis and real-time optimization of logistics networks. This study proposes a three-module data-driven system architecture that covers (a) logistics data collection tools, (b) logistics services performance evaluation, and (c) the transition to synchromodal systems. Module 1 integrates multisource data from national logistics platforms and embedded devices placed within intermodal containers. A multigraph representation of the problem is conceived. Environmental, economic, and operational data are generated and injected into a digital twin. Thus, key performance indicators (KPIs) are computed by simulation or direct transformation of the collected data. Module 2 uses Multi-directional Efficiency Analysis, an optimization algorithm that benchmarks multimodal transportation routes of containers using prior KPIs. Outputs are a technical performance index relevant to logistics clients and improvement measures for logistics service providers. A real case study application of the solution proposed for Module 2 is presented. Module 3 provides real-time scheduling and assignment models using CP-sat solvers, accommodating varying system dynamics and resource availability, minimizing makespan and operational costs.

Radioprotection in the production of 18F-FDG at Brazilian cyclotron facilities: A comparative study based on dosimetry

Since the end of the Brazilian state monopoly in 2006, allowing private enterprises to act in producing and commercializing short half-life radiopharmaceuticals, the country observed a growth in the laboratories that use 18F-FDG to PET/CT exams. Considering the radiological protection and safety techniques applied to radioisotope-producing facilities or units, this study assembled the current situation of radiological protection showing the received doses of the professionals of four facilities with cyclotrons for 18F-FDG located in south and southeast Brazil in the years 2020 and 2021. The dose values observed are below the dose limits established by national and international regulatory entities but can still be optimized considering differences between the production units.

Examining the Electoral Dynamics: A Comparative Analysis of National Party Performance in the Past Three Indian General Elections

This research explores the complex electoral dynamics of India’s major national parties, focusing on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian National Congress (INC) over the last three general elections. The electoral landscape in India is intricately shaped by the interplay of national and regional political entities, as well as the influence of civil society organizations. Central to this dynamic are national parties, which attain their status by meeting specific criteria in the Representation of the People Act, of 1951. Through a detailed analysis of vote share and seat distribution, the study uncovers significant trends and patterns that highlight the evolving electoral landscape. It examines changes in the overall vote share of these parties, identifying factors contributing to their fluctuating performance. Additionally, the research compares the electoral outcomes of the BJP and INC, providing insights into the competitive dynamics between these two dominant political forces. A critical aspect of this study is the investigation of regional variations and their impact on the electoral performance of national parties. The research identifies emerging trends and shifts in regional political alignments by exploring how regional contexts and voter preferences influence election results. Furthermore, the role of civil society organizations is scrutinized to understand their potential as catalysts in shaping electoral outcomes, mobilizing voter bases, and influencing public opinion. By integrating quantitative electoral data with qualitative analysis of political strategies and regional influences, this research aims to comprehensively understand the factors driving the electoral success of major national parties in India. The findings offer valuable insights into the electoral dynamics between national and regional political entities and the broader implications for India’s democratic processes and political stability.

Unmasking International Relations in the Times of War in Africa: Beyond Rhetoric, Reality and Trust

This paper unmasks the concept of international relations using the lenses of realist school of thought. Relations of nation states towards each other, and with international organisations, including sub national entities is what international relations (IR) is all about (Antunes and Camisao, 2018; Adams, 2003; Wendt, 1992; Axelrod and Keohane 1993). The significance of IR in the contemporary world, as it were in the past cannot be overemphasized. It seeks to comprehend the roots of war and the preservation of peace both stemming from the nature and exercise of power within the global system. To this effect, the discipline of international relations comprises of numerous theories, each attempting to explain the power relations and the resultant behaviour of nation states on the international scene. Of particular interest to this article is how the realism theory of IR enhances the prospects of cooperation within the international environment and the realists’ main obstacles to achieving cooperation in international development. As one of the many theories in the IR discourse, Realism claims to explain the reality of international politics. Realists believe that sovereign states are the principal actors on the international political system, having at their disposal justifiable actions or tools for the protection of their interests. Proponents of realism argue that states are unitary and rational actors of importance seeking to secure their survival through reliance on their own means even if it meant war (Glaser, 1994; Brown, 2007; Milner, 1992).Drawing from secondary sources of data and using a desk top review approach, this study found that realists come close to explaining the actual happenings on the IR scene i.e. the survival of the state at all costs, also called the ethics of responsibility rather than by moral principles as other theorists argue. Realism as a school of thought in the IR discourse has generated a significant volume of debate and criticisms igniting valuable insights and remains an important analytical tool for stakeholders in IR.

Royal Society of Canada working group on health research system recovery: strengthening Canada’s health research system after the COVID-19 pandemic

The Royal Society of Canada Working Group on Health Research System Recovery developed actionable recommendations for organizations to implement to strengthen Canada’s health research system. Recommendations were based on input from participants from G7 countries and Australia and New Zealand. Participants included health research funding agency leaders; research institute leaders; health, public health, and social care policy-makers; researchers; and members of the public. The recommendations were categorized using the World Health Organization’s framework for health research systems and include governance/stewardship: (1) Outline research logistics as part of emergency preparedness to streamline research in future pandemics. (2) Embed equity and inclusion in all research processes. (3) Facilitate streamlined, inclusive, and rigorous processes for grant application preparation and review. (4) Create knowledge mobilization infrastructure to support the generation and use of evidence. (5) Coordinate research efforts across local, provincial, national, and international entities. Financing: (6) Reimagine the funding of health research. Capacity building: (7) Invest in formative training opportunities rooted in equity, diversity, and anti-racism. (8) Support researchers’ career development throughout their career span. (9) Support early career researchers to establish themselves. Producing and using research: (10) Strengthen Indigenous health research and break down systemic barriers to its conduct. (11) Develop mechanisms to produce novel research. (12) Enhance research use across the health research ecosystem.

(Invited) Water Splitting Materials for Solar Thermochemical Hydrogen Production

Solar thermochemical hydrogen (STCH) production uses concentrated sunlight to produce hydrogen using reduction/oxidation of metal oxides. Typically, the metal oxide is heated to high temperature (>1400 oC) causing it to release oxygen, then it is cooled to a lower temperature (<1000 oC) in steam whereby it re-oxidizes, stripping oxygen from water molecules and producing hydrogen. Due to improved stability, non-stoichiometric oxides that do not change phase during the STCH process are typically used, even though the reversible oxygen content is less than phase changing materials. HydroGEN (h2awsm.org) is an Energy Materials Network supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office, and is focused on the development of new water splitting materials for STCH by fostering collaboration between U.S. national laboratories and external entities such as academia and industry. In this presentation, recent progress in developing new water splitting materials led by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) will be presented. STCH performance of select materials predicted from a defect Graph Neural Network trained on crystal structures derived from density functional theory, subsequently synthesized and characterized using thermogravimetric analysis and flow reactor measurements, will be presented. Additionally, there will be discussion of benchmarking metrics and characterization of exemplar STCH materials. Lastly, trends in water splitting materials and durability considerations and challenges for commercialization will be discussed.SNL is managed and operated by NTESS under DOE NNSA contract DE-NA0003525

Legal aspects of the cybertechnology development and the cyberweapon use in the state defence sphere: Global and Ukrainian experience

The research relevance is determined by the development of the digital sphere, which entails an increase in the number of cybercrimes and cyberattacks that pose a threat to the security of people and organisations and can lead to serious consequences. The study aims to examine how cyber technologies are formed and developed, as well as how they are used in the field of state defence in Ukraine and some European Union countries, namely Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and Indonesia. In the course of the study, were used structural-functional and dialectical methods, the method of synthesis, logical and comparative analysis, and the method of generalisation. It is established that cybertechnologies are gaining more and more development both in the world and in Ukraine, and cyberweapons, due to their effectiveness and negative consequences, are equated with methods of mass destruction. That is why the issue of cyber defence is one of the main challenges of our time. Ukraine needs to adopt international experience to successfully formulate policies and create its own legal and organisational framework for cybersecurity. Using the experience of other countries, Ukrainian experts will be able to improve their technologies and strategies, strengthen defences in the information space, and develop new advanced defence systems. The importance of the National Coordination Centre for Cybersecurity should be emphasised. The body’s work is focused on ensuring coordination of the activities of the national security and defence entities of Ukraine in the implementation of the cybersecurity strategy in the country and on improving the efficiency of the public administration system in the formation and implementation of the state policy in the field of cybersecurity. The study is practically important, since all the theoretical provisions, conclusions and recommendations can be used by legislators and other specialists to improve the system of legal guarantees of cybersecurity in the field of defence of the State

ADMINISTRATIVE AND LEGAL SUPPORT OF POLICE MANAGEMENT IN THE CONTEXT OF ECONOMIC INTEGRATION

The subject matter of the study is the conceptual, theoretical, empirical and methodological foundations of legal and economic aspects of administrative and legal support for the management of police activities in the context of economic integration. Methodology. The study uses general scientific and special methods of cognition. The dialectical method was used to analyse the essence of police management in the context of economic integration in both the legal and economic dimensions in a wide range of parameters. The analysis provided the basis for a multidimensional study of all the characteristic features of police management in the context of economic integration in economic and legal etymology. The synthesis created the basis for generalising the characteristic features of this police activity as a law enforcement agency. The formal legal method allowed for an accurate interpretation of the legal provisions defining the general and special legal framework for administrative and legal support of police management in the context of economic integration. The article aims at defining the essence of administrative and legal support for management of police activities in the context of economic integration and developing proposals for its improvement. The results of the publication show that the administrative and legal support of police management in the context of economic integration covers a number of comprehensive measures in various areas of activity of the relevant police unit, primarily aimed at ensuring economic security. The paper identifies areas for improving the administrative and legal support of police management in the context of economic integration, with a significant emphasis on lawmaking. Conclusion. In the context of economic globalisation, so-called transnational crimes play a significant role, including the creation of and participation in organised criminal groups, corruption offences, obstruction of justice, and money (income) laundering. The National Police of Ukraine is taking a number of measures to counteract unlawful manifestations in the economic sphere, which are largely components of transnational crime, by implementing appropriate management measures. In the context of administrative and legal support of the National Police, the article examines the structural elements of transnational crime and the powers of the police in this area. Some aspects related to combating crimes committed by organised groups and criminal organisations, corruption offences, economic crimes and the prevention of economic crime were highlighted. In order to overcome the negative manifestations of economic crime in the conditions of economic integration, relevant measures have been proposed, including: participation in legislative work, which should primarily incorporate the best practices of the international community in this area; development of the concept of service activities, which mediate the form and content of law enforcement activities in the economic sphere; improvement of management activities in combating manifestations of corruption in the economic sphere; creation of a qualified personnel potential in the relevant units of the National Police, whose activities are aimed at ensuring economic security in accordance with the above directions, etc. The paper provides proposals for improving the legislative definition of the concept of economic security and delineating the competence of national security entities in this area, including police units.

PATTERN of Open Science in Croatia

The PATTERN project, officially known as "Piloting open and responsible Activities and Trainings Towards the Enhancement of Researchers Networks," is a comprehensive initiative funded by the European Commission under the Horizon Europe programme. Its primary focus is to advance open and responsible research and innovation (Open RRI) across Europe through training for researchers to enhance their capacity for effectively addressing societal challenges while promoting transparency and inclusivity in research. The project spans 42 months and involves a total of 19 organisations and institutions from 13 European countries, including the Ruđer Bošković Institute in Croatia, contributing to the development and implementation of training programs tailored for researchers at allcareer stages.PATTERN's training modules cover a diverse range of topics vital to open RRI, including open access, FAIR data management, citizen science, research integrity, gender equality, non-discrimination, inclusion in research, dissemination and exploitation of results, science communication, and management and leadership skills. By addressing these crucial aspects, the PATTERN project aims to equip researchers with the knowledge and skills necessary to excel in today's dynamic research landscape. The project’s implementation began by systematic mapping and comprehensive analysis of contemporary educational opportunities for researchers on Open RRI, after which comes the development of innovative curricula, with an emphasis on inclusivity and fairness in the modules.Implementation and testing are integral components of PATTERN's strategy. The project intends to test its training modules through a variety of tailored activities conducted by nine core partners and five associated institutions, which will act as pilot institutions across Europe. PATTERN's expansive network includes Croatia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Turkey. This network, encompassing OpenAIRE members and National Open Access Desks (NOADs), ensures a broad and diverse reach for the project's training curricula.Crucially, PATTERN will establish a digital platform, where all training materials will be openly accessible, providing a solution for hosting and disseminating freely available training modules. This platform will not only facilitate knowledge sharing but also mobilise and moderate the research and innovation community. It will serve as a valuable resource for relevant bodies and institutions responsible for educating researchers, disseminating project results, and promoting OS practices in multiple languages. Based on the accumulated knowledge and insights, a series of policy recommendations will be designed and developed, targeting European Union bodies, national entities, higher education stakeholders, and research institutions, ultimately promoting open and responsible research practices at a systemic level.There is an ongoing demand for training and promotion of open science (OS) topics in Croatia among researchers, with a notable deficiency in formal OS education within Croatian higher education institutions. To bridge this gap and promote OS practices effectively, PATTERN leverages a wealth of expertise accumulated through EU projects that have laid the groundwork for comprehensive training programs designed to enhance researchers' competencies. The PATTERN project represents a pioneering effort to advance open and responsible research and innovation practices in Europe. With active participation from institutions such as the Ruđer Bošković Institute, PATTERN aspires to empower researchers and institutions alike. By developing comprehensive training modules, creating a collaborative platform, and providing policy guidance, PATTERN is poised to contribute significantly to the advancement of science and society in the European Research Area.

TERRITORIAL POLICY OF THE EU STATES: TARGETS, TOOLS, ACHIEVEMENTS

The article presents the process of formation and development of the territorial policy of the European Union and its Member States. The author defines the goals and logic of territorial and political transformation of national territorial and political systems in the context of glocalisation – macro-regional integration of national entities in Europe, where regions are proclaimed the main beneficiary of reforms, and place is proclaimed the topos, the basis of the political process. Place-based politics, development of self-government systems, decentralisation reforms, promotion of local and regional autonomy and systemic asymmetry, where status is determined by the scope of functional responsibilities, are considered as processes of de(re)construction of a new model of polycentric governance and political interaction in the context of formation of an effective supranational political space of the EU. The author examines the peculiarities of the transformation of systemic relations in the EU member states, including the relations between metropolises and non-European remote territories (on the example of France and the Netherlands), and the relations between the supranational centre of the EU and these remote territories of the EU states, which have the specifics of asymmetric involvement in the territorial and political processes of the EU. The author notes that the development of the EU political space is ahead of the process of transformation of the territorial morphology, which is manifested in the expansion of political participation rights at the supranational level and the preservation of restrictions at the national level. The paper notes that the EU’s spatial development strategy is formed on the basis of an institutional compromise between different levels of political decision-making in a multi-level and polycentric system of territorial and political relations and is provided by a set of instruments. This complex is formed by: the policy of vertical and horizontal cooperation; multilevel and polycentric governance; practices of regional and autonomy; asymmetry of statuses and functional roles; 4D decentralisation instruments; standardisation and measurement (indexation) of standards; instruments of consociative democracy, which provide for “inclusion policy”, “effective citizenship”, “mobile political participation” in the context of deepening integration, increasing mobility, and changing the functional significance of the institution of citizenship.

On Some Challenges for National and Global Space Weather Services

Space Weather (SW) hazards are discussed in terms of the operation of national SW services and global SW centers for the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The definition of threshold values of monitored parameters which are used to identify moderate and severe SW events is one of the critical problems. Due to the lack of both physical data on severe events and user feedback, we tried to approach the problem statistically. In particular, we pursued the answer to the question about what intensity of ionospheric storms and flare effects should be reported by national and global SW entities to their users. We also discussed the possible role of an active region on the Sun, and the cosmic rays’ issues that may be helpful regarding SW operational work. The presented considerations are based on examples of the ionosphere state assessment for the low-latitude American sector with a focus on the Mexican region. This work attempts to argue the possible approaches to resolve the tasks that the SW national services and global centers face.

Automatic learning model to predict transparency indicators for effective management of public resources

Introduction: This article is the product of the application of predictive analytical models to measures and indicators of corruption risk, as researched by the Pascual Bravo University Institution and the Francisco José de Caldas District University in 2022 for doctoral research on the risk model for state transparency. Problem: From measurements of institutional capacities, it is possible to generate anticorruption measurements, such is the case of the National AntiCorruption Index (INAC for its Spanish acronym). However, there are improvements to be made in the indicators and the need to incorporate more and better measurements that support this scourge that has long been manifested in Colombia. Objective: The objective of this research is to emphasize the need to take advantage of open data, to generate measurements of state institutional corruption and, therefore, metrics that support its transparency and integrity based on predictive analytical models to generate predictions about government indices. Methodology: First, the importance of generating measurements for the management of corruption cases is pointed out. Then, the application of predictive analytical models to predict scores of the National AntiCorruption Index is evidenced, finding the best model to finally make a forecast based on the identification of the relevant variables. Results: The implementation of higher levels of digital government (egovernment) can significantly contribute to the fight against corruption and the generation of better public policies that support controls and sanctions. It not only facilitates citizen access to state services, but also allows for more open and agile access to data. This constantly promotes transparency at all levels and at all times. The Huber regression that has been implemented, its smaller penalty function, and its linear rather than quadratic growth, make it more suitable for dealing with outliers. This improves the error meter estimates and provides a good estimate of the National AntiCorruption Index score. Conclusion: It is essential to establish a framework that anticipates the behavior of INAC and directs public policy efforts towards transparency and the prevention of corruption. In addition, it is necessary to develop objective metrics, indicators, indices and risk models that promote and evaluate transparency in the fight against corruption. This implies generating early warnings, applying sanctions, implementing controls and designing improvement plans to promote recommendations based on data that can trigger actions and take advantage of free access to public information to support citizens and the country. Originality: A predictive analytical model based on machine learning was trained to predict the future behavior of the National AntiCorruption Index, with the aim of supporting roadmaps for entities and creating improvement actions for national entities, in which it becomes necessary to explore open government data to create new indicators and improve current ones. Limitations: The regression models on the historical data of free access for the INACs were selected, because in terms of measurement it is what is already consolidated and available for the generation of transparency policies, access to information and the fight against corruption. The challenge for future work is to have more historical data, and to create more indicators that support measurements with the creation of improvement actions per entity that is reflected in numerical measurements.

Hybrid LSTM Model to Predict the Level of Air Pollution in Montenegro

Air pollution is a critical environmental concern that poses significant health risks and affects multiple aspects of human life. ML algorithms provide promising results for air pollution prediction. In the existing scientific literature, Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) predictive models, as well as their combination with other statistical and machine learning approaches, have been utilized for air pollution prediction. However, these combined algorithms may not always provide suitable results due to the stochastic nature of the factors that influence air pollution, improper hyperparameter configurations, or inadequate datasets and data characterized by great variability and extreme dispersion. The focus of this paper is applying and comparing the performance of Support Vector Machine and hybrid LSTM regression models for air pollution prediction. To identify optimal hyperparameters for the LSTM model, a hybridization with the Genetic Algorithm is proposed. To mitigate the risk of overfitting, the bagging technique is employed on the best LSTM model. The proposed predicitive model aims to determine the Common Air Quality Index level for the next hour in Niksic, Montenegro. With the hybridization of the LSTM algorithm and by applying the bagging technique, our approach aims to significantly enhance the accuracy and reliability of hourly air pollution prediction. The major contribution of this paper is in the application of advanced machine learning analysis and the combination of the LSTM, Genetic Algorithm, and bagging techniques, which have not been previously employed in the analysis of air pollution in Montenegro. The proposed model will be made available to interested management structures, local governments, national entities, or other relevant institutions, empowering them to make effective pollution level predictions and take appropriate measures.

State of Mental Health, Healthy Behaviors, and Wellness Support in Big 10 University Nursing and Health Sciences Faculty, Staff, and Students During COVID-19.

Federal and national entities urge organizations to assess healthcare professionals' mental health and well-being as the COVID-19 pandemic has compounded the issue. This study aimed to (1) describe rates of mental health issues, healthy lifestyle behaviors, and perceptions of COVID-19's impact among Big 10 University nursing and health sciences faculty, staff, and students; (2) identify predictors of depression, anxiety, stress, and burnout; and (3) assess the relationships among perceived school wellness support, healthy lifestyle behaviors, physical/mental health, and mattering. A cross-sectional descriptive correlational design was used. Nursing and health science deans emailed invitations to faculty, staff, and students concerning an anonymous wellness assessment survey. Correlation coefficients tested associations among mental health indicators and wellness cultures. Multiple linear regression examined factors associated with mental health indicators. Faculty, staff, and students responded (N=1345). Findings indicated that most respondents were not getting adequate sleep, meeting physical activity recommendations, or eating the daily recommended number of fruits/vegetables. Fourteen to 54.9% of participants reported depression, anxiety, and burnout. Overall, students, faculty and staff at colleges that operated under a strong wellness culture had better outcomes. Wellness cultures impact the mental and physical health of faculty, staff, and students.