Massachusetts Community Mediation Center Grant Program: Fiscal Year 2022 Report & Evaluation, Madhawa Palihapitiya

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

The FY2022 evaluation report prepared by MOPC for the tenth year of the Grant Program operations confirms that the state’s FY2022 appropriation of $2.7 million[1]continued to strengthen community mediation center operations statewide, expanded public awareness and utilization of community mediation, and maintained critical public programs focused on housing stability, youth empowerment, reducing recidivism and building capacity for diversity, equity and inclusion for center practices and services, while producing significant social and economic impacts, including a $22.1 million return on the state’s investment in cost-savings and leveraged resources. This impact demonstrates the public value and cost-effectiveness of this local …

Challenges And Measurements For Governance Of Modern Cyber Space Society, Pinghui Wang, Hongbin Pei, Junzhou Zhao, Tao Qin, Chao Shen, Dongliang Liu, Xiaohong Guan

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The rapid development of information technology has unprecedentedly created a prosperous cyber society and greatly enhanced productivity facilitated by social interaction. At the same time, many problems emerge in the cyber society, such as telecom fraud, privacy leakage, Internet pollution, and algorithmic discrimination. The problems bring new challenges to social order and security. In order to find the way of cyber society governance and promote the modernization of national governance, this paper first presents the analyses on the new problems encountered in the cyber society in three typical scenarios, i.e., identity governance, behavior governance, and algorithm governance, as well as …

Digitalization Of National Industrial Clusters In China: Estimation From Online Industrial Belts, Zuoquan Zhao, Yichang Dai, Qiuci Fan, Shuyan Ma

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Digitalized industrial cluster is the new development trend of China’s digital economy. This study estimates the extent of digitalization of national industrial clusters in China, by using spatial statistics, visualization techniques, and cluster-belt matching, with data on clusters promoted by the National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Industry and Informalization Technology, and Ministry of Science and Technology, and on-line industrial belts (2021) developed by Alibaba Group. The estimation finds that both the national clusters and on-line industrial belts co-existed in 72 cities, which account for 91.1 percent of the cities with national clusters; 134 or 84.3 percent of the …

Ecological Green Integration In Yangtze River Delta From Perspective Of Intercity Green Technology Transfer, Debin Du, Hong Jin, Dezhong Duan

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Green technology innovation is the core driving force for the high-quality development of regional integration in the Yangtze River Delta, and the free flow of innovative elements represented by green technology across cities is the due meaning of the construction of ecological green integration in the Yangtze River Delta. Based on the inter-city green patent transfer data from 2001 to 2020, this study analyzed the characteristics of the spatial evolution of green technology diffusion in the Yangtze River Delta, and discussed the development degree of ecological green integration in the area from the three levels of overall development, green technology …

Study On Pattern And Types Of Technological Innovation Efficiency Of Three Major Urban Agglomerations In China, Dan Cui, Guoping Li

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

From the perspective of patent industry innovation chain, this paper analyzed the regional differences of the patent technology innovation efficiency and industrial technology innovation efficiency in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, the Yangtze River Delta and the Pearl River Delta, as well as the spatial patterns and industrial characteristics of cities with various types of technological innovation efficiency. It is found that there are significant differences in patent and industrial technology innovation efficiency among the three urban agglomerations. The patent technology innovation efficiency in the Pearl River Delta urban agglomeration is relatively high, while that in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and Yangtze River Delta urban agglomerations is …

Study On Coordinated Development Of Scientific Research And Technological Innovation In Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Yun Wang, Yu Yang, Yi Liu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The development of scientific research in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is unbalanced and inadequate, and its contribution to technological innovation is insufficient to meet the huge demand for industrial innovation in the Greater Bay Area. This paper tries to clarify the coordination relationship between scientific research and industrial innovation in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area since 1997 by constructing the scientific research-industrial innovation coordination data sets, correlation index and relative development index for ten industries in the area. This paper analyzes the evolution and interaction rules of scientific research and industrial innovation in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater …

Study On Innovation Networks And Its Spillover Effect Of China’S New Energy Automobile Industry, Zhifei Xiong, Wenzhong Zhang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The network spillover effect of knowledge has been playing an increasingly significant role in the development of industrial innovation. The urban cooperation matrix of China’s new energy automobile industry is built based on new energy automobile patent data, and the structure and evolution process of China’s new energy automobile industry are depicted. On this basis, the spatial Dubin model (SDM) is used to calculate the network spillover effect, and its results are compared with the results of spillover effect based on the relationship of spatial contiguity and distance of cities. The results show that the innovation activities of China’s new …

Research On Evolution Of Yellow River Basin Innovation Network And Cultivation Of Zhengzhou-Luoyang-Xi’An Innovation Corridor, Dandan Li, Haitao Ma, Changhong Miao

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Constructing innovation networks and cultivating innovation corridors are important to realize regional innovation development. Based on the data of patent transfer from 1987 to 2018, this paper analyzes the spatial-temporal evolution of technology transfer network at different scales in the Yellow River Basin, and proposes the cultivation path of Zhengzhou-Luoyang-Xi’an innovation corridor. Firstly, it is found that a majority of technology transfer within the basin is switching from inter-provincial transfer to intra-provincial transfer, with provincial capitals being the main source of technology. Xi’an is the primary source of technology transfer network, and cities, such as Zhengzhou, Qingdao, and Jinan, are …

Unwilling Gamblers And Loaded Dice: Considering Recession And Crisis As A Natural Effect Of Financial Capitalism, Darlene N. Moorman

The Downtown Review

Under financial capitalism, ordinary people are increasingly becoming 'unwilling gamblers' of a risky and unstable system. This paper explores the social and institutional change behind the neoliberal movement and considers how the politics and policies of neoliberalism have contributed to a certain environment of financial instability. Looking at the changing nature of the economy, the rapid expansion of the financial sector, and the persisting issue of moral hazard underlying risky and speculative behaviors among other items, reveals a financial system in which recessions and crises can be considered a natural, although not inevitable, effect.

Examining The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Violent Crime In The City Of Pittsburgh, Brittany Urban

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this research is to examine patterns of Part I crimes [including Part I Person/Violent: Homicide, Rape, Aggravated Assault, and Robbery, and Part I Property: Burglary, Larceny-Theft, Motor Vehicle Theft, and Arson, as defined by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Standards] in The City of Pittsburgh, framing the COVID-19 pandemic as a major stressor that Robert Agnew’s General Strain Theory suggests may lead to increased opportunity for crime, due to the perceived unjustness of the associated lockdown orders and potential incentive for criminal coping (Agnew 1992). This descriptive analysis is based primarily upon …

New York City’S Wage Theft Crisis, Amanda Rozon

Capstones

In New York City, all workers regardless of citizenship status are granted the same rights under New York State labor laws. But in the construction industry, undocumented immigrant workers who are reluctant to report violations are at risk of being exploited by their employers and often fall victim to wage theft. Despite efforts by the city and local immigrant rights organizations, wage theft remains high; according to a study by the Center For Popular Democracy, New Yorkers are cheated out of roughly $3 billion annually. https://medium.com/@amanda.rozon37/new-york-citys-wage-theft-crisis-9595917491ce

Psychological Self-Sufficiency And Financial Literacy Among Low-Income Participants: An Empowerment-Based Approach To Financial Capability, Philip Young P. Hong, Maria V. Wathen, Alanna Shin, Intae Yoon, Jang Ho Park

Social Work: School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Other Works

Building on theory and research in financial capability, this study enhances a financial capability model by integrating psychological self-sufficiency (PSS) theory as part of the financial literacy component. Using PSS, a concept from workforce development literature, this study investigates the extent to which an empowerment-based PSS process in targeting financial goals is associated with financial literacy. Path analyses were conducted using a sample of 187 low-income individuals from a large social service agency in Chicago. Findings suggest that perceived financial barriers and financial hope—the two targets of PSS interventions—are associated with financial attitude and behavior, controlling for other demographic variables. …

What Ukraine Taught Nato About Hybrid Warfare, Sarah J. Lohmann, Chuck Benson, Vytautas Butrimas, Georgios Giannoulis, Gabriel Raicu, Michael Bervell, Milagro Castilleja, Chris Clyde, Christopher J. Eaton, Alex Elmore, Ryan Fisk, Erin Hodges, Frank J. Kuzminski, Vishwa Padigepati, Caitlin Quirk, Brenton M. Riddle, Shuo Zhang, Lucas Cox, Samira Oakes

Monographs, Collaborative Studies, & IRPs

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 forced the United States and its NATO partners to be confronted with the impact of hybrid warfare far beyond the battlefield. Targeting Europe’s energy security, Russia’s malign influence campaigns and malicious cyber intrusions are affecting global gas prices, driving up food costs, disrupting supply chains and grids, and testing US and Allied military mobility. This study examines how hybrid warfare is being used by NATO’s adversaries, what vulnerabilities in energy security exist across the Alliance, and what mitigation strategies are available to the member states.

Cyberattacks targeting the renewable energy landscape during Europe’s green …

Maladies Of Public Administration: Factors That Exacerbate Corruption In Kenya, Moses Waithaka

Dissertations

This study examines factors that exacerbate corruption in Kenya, focusing on institutional weakness as a key factor that fosters corruption in government institutions. Thus, the study examines difficulty in accessing public services, lack of availability of the broadest and most straightforward access to information, and electoral manipulation -voter intimidation, and inability to remove elected leader through the ballot. The study uses Afrobarometer round 8 dataset collected between November and December 2019. This data set was collected under the guidance of the University of Nairobi Institute for Development Studies IDS. Additionally, the study considers a comprehensive literature review to assess and …

Clear Then Grow: Integrating Mine Action With Food Security In Northeast Syria, Katarina Cvikl Balić

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Over the past several years, considerable attention within the mine action community and in the wider development sector has been devoted to conceptualizing mine action interventions within the broader sustainable development goals (SDGs), or more recently, the so-called triple nexus. Aiming to find linkages between, for instance, clearance efforts and food security is not a new concept. This article, however, looks at the operationalization of these links through an integrated mine action and agricultural recovery program within Northeast Syria (NES).

The Journal Of Conventional Weapons Destruction Issue 26.1 & 26.2 (2022), Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

• Ukraine
• Open-Source Research
• Environmental Mapping
• Mine Detection Dogs
• Mine Action and Food Security
• Gender
• World War II in Alaska
• Free From Explosives
• Syria
• Digital EORE
• PSSM

Ukraine: Through The Eyes Of The People, Sean Sutton

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

I have seen first-hand the long-lasting destruction that can be caused by explosive weapons and landmines across the world. My trip to Ukraine in April 2022 was no different. Ukraine has been ravaged by conflict for more than eight months. During my time there, I found many examples of makeshift signs warning returning civilians that strategically planted explosive weapons were somewhere inside or nearby. Written in bold, the signs serve as a warning for all types of unexploded ordnance (UXO) such as bombs and booby traps and landmines.

How Can Mine Action Improve The Management Of Free From Explosive (Ffe) Items?, Roly Evans

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Assessing and making items free from explosive (FFE) are among the most dangerous things we do in mine action and are perhaps the least regulated. Mine action operations use items that have been made FFE or INERT for training and demonstration purposes. However, the sector does not really have sufficient procedures or qualifications to assess items as certified free from explosive (CFFE), or to make items FFE/INERT. Assessing or making items FFE are explosive processes and should be treated as such more consistently within the mine action sector. This article will outline the current state of play concerning FFE items …

The Time Has Come For Digital Explosive Ordnance Risk Education, Robin Toal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The increase in the number of civilian casualties from landmines and other explosive ordnance (EO) in recent years has driven the demand for new and innovative ways to provide communities with risk education. Additionally, with access limited by the COVID-19 pandemic, humanitarian organizations like MAG (Mines Advisory Group) have had to adapt their approach, focusing on digital explosive ordnance risk education (EORE) to reach individuals and communities affected by EO.

Open-Source Research And Mapping Of Explosive Ordnance Contamination In Ukraine, Andro Mathewson

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Due to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the scale of explosive ordnance (EO) contamination in Ukraine has reached unprecedented levels, necessitating new methods to assess and track the different types of ordnance and the level of contamination across the country. As the most documented, active war on social media to date, The HALO Trust (HALO) has successfully harnessed open-source research to better plan and conduct survey, clearance operations, and explosive ordnance risk education (EORE) across the country.

Explosive Weapons Use And The Environmental Consequences: Mapping Environmental Incidents In Ukraine, Linsey Cottrell, Eoghan Darbyshire, Phd, Kristin Holme Obrestad

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

All conflicts result in environmental impacts. The use of explosive weapons can cause massive damage to civilian and industrial infrastructure, resulting in the contamination of air, soil and water resources. The war in Ukraine has highlighted the heavy toll on the environment, and the risk of significant environmental harm.

A Brief History Of Mine Detection Dogs, Roly Evans

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Since their first use in World War II, the use of Mine Detection Dogs (MDD) has been subject to ongoing debate. How effective are they really in finding mines? Are they really worth the expense they entail? As with so many aspects of modern survey and clearance operations, many of the lessons we continue to learn today have already been learned in the past. A brief history of the contribution of MDD over the past eight decades can help us put their performance into perspective and understand where they can add significant value, while also appreciating their limitations.

Gender And Operational Efficiency, Raphaela Lark, David Hewitson, Dominic Wolsey

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This study explores the relationship between gender and operational efficiency in the context of staff in field-based mine action roles. The aim of the study is to address stereotypes and unproven assumptions that may still exist in the mine action sector regarding women’s performance and availability to work in certain field-based roles. Operational efficiency was investigated using two key indicators: individual operational productivity and availability to work. Operational and human resource data was collected from fourteen country programs from four separate mine action organizations across four continents. A quantitative analysis of the data found no meaningful difference in operational productivity …

Mapping Unexploded Ordnance In Syria: Harnessing The Power Of Open-Source, Hampton Stall, Jennifer Hudson, Evan Leendertse, Hari Prasad, Chris Mcnaboe, Rana Shabb, Jonathan Robinson

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

For over a decade, the widespread use of explosive weapons by all sides in the Syrian conflict has been well documented by a litany of public sources. Many of these explosive munitions fail to detonate as intended, thereby becoming unexploded ordnance (UXO) that threaten post-conflict recovery. To begin the process of clearing these explosive remnants of war (ERW), desk studies/non-technical studies can be utilized to initially assess the concentration and distribution of explosive weapons across a conflict zone, which in turn suggest the risk of UXO in an area. Traditional methods in non-technical surveys (NTS) focus on unweighted conflict intensity …

The Evolution Of Physical Security And Stockpile Management: A Successful Implementing Partnership Perspective, Lee Moroney, Mark Veneris

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

To avoid unplanned explosion of munitions (UEM) and to lower the risk of illicit diversion, the humanitarian requirements ensuring strong ammunition management structures, systems, and processes by states have been well documented in past issues of this Journal and other publications. These needs have led to the evolution of multilateral and bilateral support from donor nations that see the humanitarian value of supporting physical security and stockpile management (PSSM).

The Deadly Legacy Of World War Ii In Alaska, Kenneth Rutherford

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In the middle of the Bering Sea—closer to Japan than the continental United States and more than 1,000 miles from Alaska’s largest city, Anchorage—sit the Alaskan islands of Attu and Kiska. It was the summer of 1942, nearly six months after Japan’s surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, that Japanese forces invaded these islands in what was some of World War II’s most brutal fighting and use of explosives.

Twenty-One Years Later: Reflections On 9/11, Bessie Blackburn, Shaddi Spencer, Hayden O'Connor

Liberty University Journal of Statesmanship & Public Policy

Twenty-one years ago, one of the greatest attacks on the American republic occurred. On September 11, 2001, American Airlines Flights 11, 77, 93, and 177 were hijacked by Islamic extremists and crashed in New York City, Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania. The atrocity of these incidents and the extensive loss of life impacted not only the United States but the entire world. Nevertheless, in light of this tragedy the American people found unity in patriotism, rekindling a sense of national purpose in the form of the “Global War on Terrorism.” This document is a compilation of reflection articles written by individuals …

First Responder Coping And Its Impact On Resilience, Ptsd Symptomology, And Hypervigilance, Bianca Bullock

Dissertations

The present study investigated coping strategies utilized by first responders and how those strategies relate to resilience, PTSD symptomology, and hypervigilance. The purpose of this study is to help provide more detailed information as to how first responders’ coping impacts their overall functioning. First responders (N = 181), including law enforcement officers, firefighters, paramedics, and emergency medical technicians, completed online surveys measuring whether engaged or disengaged coping strategies were used to manage stressful situations. Self-perceived resilience, PTSD symptoms, and hypervigilance were also measured. A one-way between-groups multivariate analysis of variance was performed to test the relationships between engaged versus disengaged …

Communities Moving Past The Daddy Daughter Dance: Adapting Gender-Exclusive Events For The 21st Century, Ezra Temko, Emily Love, Destiny Baxter, Heidi Masching, Adam Loesch

SIUE Faculty Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity

Executive Summary

Parent-child community events like father-daughter dances are a celebrated tradition in many communities. However, when these events specify the gender of who can participate, they exclude many families. They also tend to reinforce gender stereotypes (e.g., a dance for girls and a sports event for boys), and are legally questionable for public school and associated P.T.A./P.T.O. sponsors that may be violating federal Title IX requirements and for local governments that may be violating the 14^th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause.

Contemporary U.S. society is made up of families that come in diverse forms and …

Professionalizing Special Operations Forces, C. Anthony Pfaff

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.