Transparent State Research Articles

Organizational and Legal Cooperative Aspects between Government and Public Institutions as a Key Factor in the Formation of an Efficient and Transparent State Administration System

Organizational and Legal Cooperative Aspects between Government and Public Institutions as a Key Factor in the Formation of an Efficient and Transparent State Administration System

DEVELOPMENT OF INFORMATION SUPPORT FOR FISCAL RISK MANAGEMENT WITHIN CRISES

Crisis phenomena, such as economic downturns, health emergencies and geopolitical conflicts, had a significant impact on the transparency of information support for public financial management processes and the development of digitalization of the economy.The objective of the study is to assess the current state of information support and transparency of the management of fiscal risks caused by state-owned enterprises' activities under uncertainty.Within the study, the existing international approaches to identifying and assessing fiscal risks are analyzed; the areas for improving information support for managing fiscal risks caused by the activities of state-owned enterprises in emergency situations are identified; the impact of digital finance development on mitigating fiscal risks caused by emergencies is assessed. Proposals to increase the transparency of public finances and create additional revenues to the state budget by the development of innovative technologies are substantiated.Implementation of fiscal and monetary policy measures to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 and ensure sustainable post-pandemic recovery requires relevant financial information reflecting the country's financial position. A reliable source of such information is public financial and budgetary statements prepared by IPSAS and on an accrual basis. Given the negative impact of uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic and war on the activities of state-owned enterprises, an important tool for improving the efficiency of fiscal risk management is the unification of approaches to establishing indicators for assessing relevant risks and providing information for their calculation. In response to lockdowns and social distancing measures during crises, citizens have increasingly relied on digital channels to access government services, pay taxes, and receive financial support. This has necessitated improved digital infrastructure and service delivery mechanisms.

Self‐Assembled Multistable Scattering Mode for Versatile Energy‐Saving Smart Windows

AbstractSmart windows are crucial to dynamic control over light transmission to fulfill various demands in energy saving, privacy, and information display; however, most present technologies still perform a single function (often tint or haze adjustment) and require continuous electricity for operation. In this study, novel self‐assembled ionic liquid crystals (ILCs) doped with negative cholesteric liquid crystals (CLCs) to offer electrically switchable and stable scattering‐mode light modulators are presented. The novel smectic A phase based on the ILCs exhibits high solubility in the adopted nematics, enhancing the LC device's performance in several ways, including improved homogeneity, stable alignment quality, prolonged stability, and simplified fabrication. The LC device can potentially offer a dynamically rapid switching function between stable transparent (imperfect fingerprint textures) states and stable scattering (focal conic textures with small domains) states by using external stimuli and highly maintained multistable states for prolonged periods, even when the external stimuli are removed. The LC device also offers polarization‐independent scattering and transparent‐mode LC light modulators, low operating voltage, excellent contrast, and broad viewing angles. Its versatility and outstanding field‐off stability make it ideal for various applications such as smart lighting, building climate control, energy‐saving displays, and augmented reality (AR) glasses.

Transparency and Accountability of Village Fund Management

This Literature System Review seeks to assess the application of financial management principles, specifically transparency and accountability, in the management of state finances at the Village APBDes. The Elucidation to Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 17 of 2003 on State Finances states that the overall objective of state financial management is to promote good governance in state administration. Therefore, state financial management should be conducted in a professional, transparent, and responsible manner, adhering to the fundamental regulations outlined in the Constitution. The extensive litigation surrounding the misappropriation of village finances by village heads and officials serves as a fundamental premise for this research. When discussing the state financial management system, it is essential to address the management of village funds. These monies are a component of state finances, and their utilization must be properly accounted for. Analysis of fiscal matters at the state level. To ensure the proper functioning of state activities, it is imperative for the government to establish a robust and transparent state financial administration system. This system should effectively prevent any instances of financial leakage, both in terms of revenue collection and expenditure management. State financial management refers to the comprehensive actions undertaken by state financial management officials in accordance with their position and power. These actions encompass planning, execution, oversight, and responsibility. The findings of the literature system review research indicate that in order to establish transparency and accountability in the management of village funds, it is necessary to have legal clarity, coordination and oversight, and community engagement. Additionally, this endeavor requires officials who possess competence and have access to suitable facilities.

Thermosensitive Scattering Hydrogels Based on Triblock Poly-Ethers: A Novel Approach to Solar Radiation Regulation.

Energy conservation in buildings is paramount, especially considering that glass accounts for 50% of energy consumption. The solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) of glass is a critical energy-saving index for transparent structures. However, the fixed SHGC of ordinary glass makes it difficult to provide both summer shading and winter heating. In this study, we synthesized a hydrogel with a thermosensitive scattering (TS) property using triblock polyether and acrylamide. This hydrogel can realize the transition of clearness and atomization based on the temperature. When sealed within a glass cavity, it exhibits a high SHGC of 0.682 in its transparent state and a low SHGC of less than 0.31 when atomized. The lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of the TS glass can be adjusted from 0 to 70 °C to suit different regions. The photothermal properties of the material remained stable after 200 hot and cold cycles and 200 h of ultraviolet irradiation. This glass can prevent solar radiation from entering the room in summer, thereby reducing air conditioning usage and power consumption. In winter, it allows solar heat radiation to enter the room, minimizing the need for artificial heating. Its adaptable temperature design makes it an excellent solution for designers to create energy-efficient building exteriors.

Hybrid Active–Passive Control of an Unconventional Smart Window Based on Dye‐Doped Dual‐Frequency Liquid Crystal

The allure of dual‐frequency liquid crystal (DFLC) stems from its unique feature of the switchable and revertible sign of dielectric anisotropy. In addition to the common frequency‐modulation method, this study focuses on manipulating the dielectric anisotropy in DFLC through change in temperature. Herein, the hybrid control of a dichroic‐dye‐doped DFLC smart window is proposed, which offers a passive‐control function by reacting to the temperature and automatically switching to one of the three distinct transmission levels: the transparent, variably gray (tinted or translucent), and opaque states. In contrast to conventional, passively controlled smart windows that typically exhibit a gray or opaque state at high temperatures and become transparent at low temperatures, the suggested smart window thermally operates in the opposite manner, presenting a unique characteristic that holds significant potential for a wide range of applications. This thermally reverse‐mode smart window allows one to actively control the degree of transparency by applied voltage at various frequencies as well. A parameter termed the “crossover temperature” is introduced as an indicator of the potency for the change in dielectric anisotropy of the DFLC by temperature. The operation scheme of the hybrid electrical‐and‐thermal control for the proposed vertically aligned dye‐doped DFLC smart window is summarized.

Thermochromic Printable and Multicolor Polymeric Composite Based on Hybrid Organic-Inorganic Perovskite.

Hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites (PVKs) are among the most promising materials for optoelectronic applications thanks to their outstanding photophysical properties and easy synthesis. Herein, a new PVK-based thermochromic composite is demonstrated. It can reversibly switch from a transparent state (transmittance > 80%) at room temperature to a colored state (transmittance < 10%) at high temperature, with very fast kinetics, taking only a few seconds to go from the bleached to the colored state (and vice versa). X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calometry, rheological, and optical measurements carried out during heating/cooling cycles reveal that thermochromism in the material is based on a reversible process of PVK disassembly/assembly mediated by intercalating polymeric chains, through the formation and breaking of hydrogen bonds between polymer and perovskite. Therefore, differently from other thermochromic perovskites, that generally work with the adsorption/desorption of volatile molecules, the system is able to perform several heating/cooling cycles regardless of environmental conditions. The color and transition temperature (from 70 to 120°C) can be tuned depending on the type of perovskite. Moreover, this thermochromic material is printable and can be deposited by cheap techniques, paving the way for a new class of smart coatings with an unprecedented range of colors.

Light-adaptable artificial iris with dynamically scalable pupil-aperture function by radially patterned photochromic transition control

The iris is an ocular organ that actively controls the size of the pupil-aperture in response to external light, thereby regulating the amount of light reaching the retina for better visual acquisition. Herein, we propose a light-adaptive pupil-scalable artificial iris for addressing human iris defects with biomimetic self-regulating light control similar to human iris actuation, which is realized by a radially gradient and reversible photoswitching of photochromic dyes doped within a biocompatible hydrogel matrix. The radial photochromic switching of light transmissions was achieved by the gradient patterning of the crosslinking density of the hydrogel matrix using a near-infrared light-absorbing photomask that generated radially thermal gradience during hydrogel matrix polymerization. With the effective pupil-aperture control, the proposed artificial iris exhibited a variation in the visible-light transmittance from ∼82 % at the ultraviolet light (UV) intensity of 0.5 mW/cm2 to ∼43 % at 3.0 mW/cm2 representing the transparent and colored states, respectively. The switching times for the transitions to the colored and transparent states were 27.42 and 112.25 s, respectively, at a UV intensity of 3.0 mW/cm2, which can be faster under the hydrated state. The artificial iris demonstrated potential in biomedical applications by offering reliable light-adaptive attenuation control through human-like pupil-aperture adjustments.

Study on the Effect of Monoacrylic Monomers on the Polymer Network Morphology and Electro-Optical Performance of Reverse-Mode Polymer Stabilized Liquid Crystal Devices

A polymer-stabilized liquid crystal (PSLC) device has been a promising candidate in several scenarios like smart vehicle windows and glass curtain walls in recent years due to its remarkable features like a fast switch from the initial transparent state to the scattering state with a rather low driving voltage, high transmittance at off-state, and broad viewing angle. The electro-optical characteristics of PSLC devices are determined by the synergistic attributions of liquid crystal (LC) molecules and the influence of the polymer network exerted on the movement of LC molecules. A systematic study of the influence of the polymer network on the movement of LC molecules is conducted, with the polymer network formed by methoxy/cyano/carboxyl monomers and diacrylate C6M. The polymer network morphology of PSLC film is greatly affected by the molecular structures and content of monoacrylic monomers. Additionally, the electro-optical performance and peel strength of PSLC films could be improved by modulating the molecular structures and morphology of polymer networks. PSLC devices containing carboxyl monomers show enhanced electro-optical performance and peel strength due to their directional filiform topology. This study might provide guidance for optimizing the performance of PSLC devices and establishing the relationship between the molecular structure, polymer network morphology, and electro-optical performance of reverse-mode dimming films.

Thermally-induced phase fusion and color switching in ionogels for multilevel information encryption

The growing significance of data security has propelled the advancement of information encryption materials. Here, thermochromic poly(4-hydroxybutyl acrylate) (PHBA) ionogels with broad response range and excellent cyclic stability were successfully developed through photopolymerization. Due to the reversible phase diffusion between PHBA polymer networks and ionic liquids (ILs), the PHBA ionogels can switch between opaque and transparent states in response to changes in heating temperature. The enthalpic and entropic properties of the PHBA ionogels were modified by adjusting the crosslinking density (1.0%–2.5%) of polymer networks and concentration (30%-60%) of ILs, which in turn accurately controlled their phase fusion temperature (32 °C to over 68 °C). The size and optical properties of ionogels can be effectively maintained even after exposure to surpass daily ambient temperatures (−10 and 50 °C) or humidity (75%) levels for 12 h, as well as undergoing heating–cooling cycles or operating in ambient environments for 60 days. These findings demonstrate the exceptional stability of these ionogels, rendering them suitable for application as reversible information encryption devices. For the first time, proof-of-concept demonstrations of a thermochromic ionogel system for six-level information encryption and ionogel barcodes are presented here. This work is particularly significant for smart soft materials and information encryption fields.

Price Transparency for Cervical Spinal Fusion Among High-Performing Spine Centers in the United States.

As of January 1, 2021, all US hospitals are required by the Hospital Price Transparency Final Rule (HPTFR) to publish standard charges for all items and services, yet the state of price transparency for cervical spinal fusion is unknown. Here, we assess the nationwide price transparency landscape for cervical spinal fusion among high-performing spine centers in the United States. In this cross-sectional economic evaluation, we queried publicly available price transparency websites of 332 "high-performing" spine centers, as defined by the US News and World Report. We extracted variables including gross charges for cervical spinal fusion, payor options, price reporting methodology, and prices relevant to consumers including listed cash prices and minimum and maximum negotiated charges. While nearly all 332 high-performing spine surgery centers (99.4%) had an online cost estimation tool, the HPTFR compliance rate was only 8.4%. Gross charges for cervical spinal fusion were accessible for 68.1% of hospitals, discounted cash prices for 46.4% of hospitals, and minimum and maximum charges for 10.8% of hospitals. There were large IQRs for gross charges ($48 491.98-$99 293.37), discounted cash prices ($26 952.25-$66 806.63), minimum charges ($10 766.11-$21 248.36), and maximum charges ($39 280.49-$89 035.35). There was geographic variability in the gross charges of cervical spinal fusion among high-performing spine centers within and between states. There was a significant association between "excellent" discharge to home status and lower mean gross charges. Although online cost reporting has drastically increased since implementation of the HPTFR, data reported for cervical spinal fusion remain inadequate and difficult to interpret by both providers and patients.

The importance of transparency: Declaring the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in academic writing.

The integration of generative artificial intelligence (AI) into academic research writing has revolutionized the field, offering powerful tools like ChatGPT and Bard to aid researchers in content generation and idea enhancement. We explore the current state of transparency regarding generative AI use in nursing academic research journals, emphasizing the need for explicitly declaring the use of generative AI by authors in the manuscript. Out of 125 nursing studies journals, 37.6% required explicit statements about generative AI use in their authors' guidelines. No significant differences in impact factors or journal categories were found between journals with and without such requirement. A similar evaluation of medicine, general and internal journals showed a lower percentage (14.5%) including the information about generative AI usage. Declaring generative AI tool usage is crucial for maintaining the transparency and credibility in academic writing. Additionally, extending the requirement for AI usage declarations to journal reviewers can enhance the quality of peer review and combat predatory journals in the academic publishing landscape. Our study highlights the need for active participation from nursing researchers in discussions surrounding standardization of generative AI declaration in academic research writing.

Smart double glazing integrated polymer dispersed liquid crystal for enhancing building's thermal performance in hot-arid climate

Polymer-dispersed liquid crystal glazing is an electrically activated smart switchable glazing that requires an AC power supply to become transparent and remains opaque without power. This dynamic feature, with multiple transparency states, is suitable for building in hot and arid climates. It can effectively reject unwanted solar energy, allowing visible light while contributing to building energy efficiency by reducing the carbon footprint. In this work, the PDLC glazing system was included with a low-e coated glass and this coupled system was investigated with two control approaches for residential buildings in hot arid climates. The first control is a standard On-Off operation based on the tenant preferences, while the second is able to set glazing transparencies according to the solar radiation intensity, in order to minimize the penetration of direct solar radiation and to provide daylighting and indoor privacy protection. The system is reversed to examine the proper positions and layer order in the glazing system. The proposed system demonstrates remarkable enhancements in indoor thermal performance, surpassing clear glass by 21 % in the south orientation and 25.5 % in the west orientation. Furthermore, when the PDLC is oriented towards the outdoor environment, the system achieves an impressive 53.9 % improvement in heat gain control compared to clear glass. Additionally, the system not only enables dynamic control over direct solar radiation but also offers efficient daylighting and indoor privacy protection.

A Dual‐Responsive Liquid Crystal Elastomer for Multi‐Level Encryption and Transient Information Display

AbstractInformation security has gained increasing attention in the past decade, leading to the development of advanced materials for anti‐counterfeiting, encryption and instantaneous information display. However, it remains challenging to achieve high information security with simple encryption procedures and low‐energy stimuli. Herein, a series of strain/temperature‐responsive liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) are developed to achieve dual‐modal, multi‐level information encryption and real‐time, rewritable transient information display. The as‐prepared polydomain LCEs can change from an opaque state to a transparent state under strain or temperature stimuli, with the transition strains or temperatures highly dependent on the concentration of long‐chain flexible spacers. Information encrypted by different LCE inks can be decrypted under specific strains or temperatures, leading to multi‐level protection of information security. Furthermore, with the combination of the phase transition of polydomain LCEs and the photothermal effect of multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), we achieved a repeatable transient information display by using near‐infrared (NIR) light as a pen for writing. This study provides new insight into the development of advanced encryption materials with versatility and high security for broad applications.

A Dual-Responsive Liquid Crystal Elastomer for Multi-Level Encryption and Transient Information Display.

Information security has gained increasing attention in the past decade, leading to the development of advanced materials for anti-counterfeiting, encryption and instantaneous information display. However, it remains challenging to achieve high information security with simple encryption procedures and low-energy stimuli. Herein, a series of strain/temperature-responsive liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) are developed to achieve dual-modal, multi-level information encryption and real-time, rewritable transient information display. The as-prepared polydomain LCEs can change from an opaque state to a transparent state under strain or temperature stimuli, with the transition strains or temperatures highly dependent on the concentration of long-chain flexible spacers. Information encrypted by different LCE inks can be decrypted under specific strains or temperatures, leading to multi-level protection of information security. Furthermore, with the combination of the phase transition of polydomain LCEs and the photothermal effect of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), we achieved a repeatable transient information display by using near-infrared (NIR) light as a pen for writing. This study provides new insight into the development of advanced encryption materials with versatility and high security for broad applications.

Lattice constant and polarization-independent high transmission in tellurium-based dielectric metasurfaces

High-refractive-index dielectric metasurfaces give rise to unprecedented control of light manipulation, such as control of phase, polarization and amplitude, giving rise to interesting properties, such as directional beam steering, polarization detectors and sensors. Dielectric metasurfaces of sub-wavelength dimensions have tremendous applications in the field of optics, such as negative refractive index, cloaking, perfect absorbers and reflectors. The study of light–matter interactions in such materials has gained impetus due to the formation of novel states, such as anapoles, and transparent states obtained by interference between resonant electric, magnetic and higher-order modes. In this article, we investigate the light–matter interaction of an array of periodic dielectric metasurfaces made from high-refractive-index tellurium in cubic geometries and study its electromagnetic response as a function of the lattice constant, angle of incidence and angle of polarization. More specifically, we observe a non-resonant transparent state at 60.69 THz, which is independent of both the lattice constant and polarization of the input radiation. Moreover, this state shows high transmission for a broad range of incident angles with potential applications as optical filters. It also depends on the incident polarization, thus acting as a perfect polarization detector. Detailed investigations of scattering parameters, the spatial distribution of electric and magnetic fields in the near- and far-field regions and detailed multipole analysis are carried out to analyze the electromagnetic response of the metasurface.

Development of a novel WO3 self-powered electrochromic window technology with a self-rechargeable battery application (ChromoVolt)

For zero-energy buildings, electrochromic smart windows are one of the most essential components, but the external power demand makes this purpose ambiguous. Here, we report a self-powered electrochromic smart window (ECSW) operated by internal electrochemical voltage (chromoVolt). This WO3-based ECSW provides a unique structured device as the 2 mm width Al strip (counter electrode) is placed at one side, making the total window transparent from the front or back point. The WO3 working electrode was fabricated by the large-scale roll-to-roll (R2R) slot-die wet coating method. This device goes into coloured (blue) or bleached (transparent) states spontaneously simply by connecting and disconnecting WO3 and Al electrodes respectively. Going into a deep blue stable-colored state takes approximately 2 min and shows a maximum 56.5 % transmittance change at 600 nm wavelength. Also, this ECSW can provide output potential through internal chemical reactions in a transparent state and can be charged up through disconnection: a self-rechargeable transparent battery application. Three small cells of an active area of 30 mm × 15 mm each provide an output voltage of around 3 V and can power up a small white LED light for up to 1 h. All these phenomena make this electrochromic smart window perfect for a zero-energy building.

Liquid crystal smart window with bistable and dynamic modes

Smart windows provide electrical control over light transmission to promote energy efficiency, architectural aesthetics, and environmental comfort in buildings, offices, and conveyances. However, most smart windows consume significant amounts of power to maintain their scattering or transparent states. To address this issue, a gelator-doped liquid crystal (LC) smart window with bistable and dynamic modes is introduced in this study. In the dynamic mode, the transmittance of the gelator-doped LC film can be controlled by applying a low voltage ranging from 0 to 5 V. Meanwhile, the bistable mode enables the LC smart window to switch between the field-free scattering and transparent states via a pulse voltage and temperature manipulation. Compared to other smart window systems, the proposed LC smart window can more efficiently save energy than other smart window systems.

Active and passive modulation of solar light transmittance in a uniquely multifunctional dual-band single molecule for smart window applications

Functional materials may change color by heat and electricity separately or simultaneously in smart windows. These materials have not only demonstrated remarkable potential in the modulation of solar radiation but are also leading to the development of indoor environments that are more comfortable and conducive to improving individuals' quality of life. Unfortunately, dual-responsive materials have not received ample research attention due to economic and technological challenges. As a consequence, the broader utilization of smart windows faces hindrances. To address this new generational multi-stimulus responsive chromic materials, our group has adopted a developmental strategy to create a poly(NIPAM)n-HV as a switchable material by anchoring active viologen (HV) onto a phase-changing poly(NIPAM)n-based smart material for better utility and activity. These constructed smart windows facilitate individualistic reversible switching, from a highly transparent state to an opaque state (thermochromic) and a red state (electrochromic), as well as facilitate a simultaneous dual-stimuli response reversible switching from a clear transparent state to a fully opaque (thermochromic) and orange (electrochromic) states. Absolute privacy can be attained in smart windows designed for exclusive settings by achieving zero transmittance. Each unique chromic mode operates independently and modulates visible and near-infrared (NIR) light in a distinct manner. Hence, these smart windows with thermal and electric dual-stimuli responsiveness demonstrate remarkable heat regulation capabilities, rendering them highly attractive for applications in building facades, energy harvesting, privacy protection, and color display.

A liquid crystal smart window for energy saving and harvesting

Energy conservation, particularly in buildings, has become a critical focus area. Among the various components of a building, windows play a significant role in the exchange of heat and light. Electrochromic systems, known for their ability to switch between transparent and opaque states with the aid of external energy, have served as the basis for conventional smart windows. This research introduces a novel approach to smart window technology by incorporating a luminescent solar concentrator (LSC) that incorporates thin photovoltaic cells at the window's edges, coupled with a thermally and optically adjustable liquid crystal cell. The device intelligently transitions between an energy-saving, opaque mode (day mode) and a transparent, idle mode (night mode), based on ambient temperature and incident light levels. Through this innovative design, the proposed smart window offers enhanced energy efficiency and harvesting capabilities, promising significant benefits for sustainable building practices.