On the legitimacy and apoliticality of public sector performance audit: exploratory evidence from Canada and Denmark

PurposeThe increasing uptake of performance auditing (PA), which entails both the facilitation and the control of government policies, has seriously challenged state auditors' claims that they are apolitical. This article aims to understand how supreme audit institutions (SAIs) operate to maintain and nurture the political neutrality and legitimacy of their PA.Design/methodology/approachThe authors draw on Suchman's typology on legitimacy (1995) to analyze the PA reports of two countries with a long history of both performance auditing and accusations of political interference, namely Canada and Denmark. Documentary analysis and interview methods are employed.FindingsThis study shows how the two SAIs have been pursuing pragmatic, moral and cognitive legitimacy through the professionalization and standardization of both the form and the content of their PA reports. Engaging and maintaining the dialogue with the audited administration, triangulating recognized social science methods, and emphasizing the “public interest” basis of PA reflect some of the tools adopted to navigate the “grey zone” between objective, relevant and politically sensitive audits.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper's explorative approach limits the possibility for robust testing of the causal forces impinging on SAIs' choices of legitimation strategies. Nevertheless, variations between the Canadian and Danish SAIs in the strategic use of some legitimacy tools such as the media suggest a difference in the role of Public Accounts Committee in the two countries that can be investigated in future research.Originality/valueMuch research exists questioning the political neutrality of PA, yet there has not been much discussion on how SAIs have been able to develop and preserve the prevalent legitimacy of their PA amid the criticism. More specifically, our research reveals the tendency of both the Canadian and Danish SAIs to strategically underline the “public interest” dimension of their performance audits in an attempt to increase both their legitimacy and political neutrality.

Investigating the Unfavored Factors That Interfere MALDI-TOF Based AI in Predicting Antibiotic Resistance

Combining Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight (MALDI-TOF) spectra data and artificial intelligence (AI) has been introduced for rapid prediction on antibiotic susceptibility test (AST) of S. aureus. Based on the AI predictive probability, the cases with probabilities between low and high cut-offs are defined as “grey zone”. We aimed to investigate the underlying reasons of unconfident (grey zone) or wrong predictive AST. A total 479 S. aureus isolates were collected, analyzed by MALDI-TOF, and AST prediction, standard AST were obtained in a tertiary medical center. The predictions were categorized into the correct prediction group, wrong prediction group, and grey zone group. We analyzed the association between the predictive results and the demographic data, spectral data, and strain types. For MRSA, larger cefoxitin zone size was found in the wrong prediction group. MLST of the MRSA isolates in the grey zone group revealed that uncommon strain types composed 80%. Amid MSSA isolates in the grey zone group, the majority (60%) was composed of over 10 different strain types. In predicting AST based on MALDI-TOF AI, uncommon strains and high diversity would contribute to suboptimal predictive performance.

Financial aspects of unregistered employment in Poland and other Eastern European countries

A review of the specialist literature and analysis of own study results reveal that a scale of the phenomena of undeclared work is both globally and locally significant and differentiated. Comparative research for the entire geographical area is difficult, as these are countries with very diverse economies. This was due to historical conditions, dynamic of socio-political changes and ties with other political alliances, membership in organizations and economic partnerships. The aim of the empirical research was to identify the financial aspects of undertaking work in the grey zone from the workers point of view. The study target group were chosen from unemployed registered at the Municipal Employment Office in Płock, Mazovia Region. Results show that the unemployed turn to undeclared work for financial reasons, such as higher reimbursement, unsatisfactory income or excessively high social insurance contributions. Respondents assessed their financial situation most often as bad, and indicated difficulties in finding work through registered employment. People who undertake work in a grey zone are predominantly those from low income groups, socially excluded, migrants, long time unemployed.

From Cyberpunk to Cramped Dweller: The Peculiar History of Hong Kong ‘Heterotopias’

75.6% of land comprising Hong Kong remains undeveloped according to the special administrative region’s planning department. In turn, Hong Kong’s constricted real estate, now estimated to be the world’s costliest, has created eye-popping living arrangements historically and contemporarily. Denizens’ colorful reputation and imagination for flouting city ordinances, zoning laws, and spatial management stand emblematic of tenacious self-sufficiency and a free-spirited brand of runaway capitalist initiative. Why is this conspicuous trademark of Hong Kong’s societal fabric very much alive in the 21st Century? Why does this matter in a rapidly urbanizing world witnessing the ascension of mega-urban centers alongside ever-widening socioeconomic chasms? This paper intends to illuminate the peculiar origins and longevity of the Kowloon Walled City, an urban monolith of notoriety and autonomy that blossomed in a semi-legal grey zone unencumbered under British protectorate rule for nearly a century. Parallels will connect the linear trajectory between Kowloon’s hardnosed living to today’s comparable Chungking Mansions and the hundreds of thousands of cage homes appearing in all corners of the city. This paper aims to answer why these residential paradoxes continue to function with efficiency and relevancy, posing solutions for indigent housing while exacerbating the stigma of social and economic ostracism.

Ethics, law, and politics in palaeontological research: The case of Myanmar amber

Fossil material in Myanmar amber can provide important insights into mid-Cretaceous forest ecosystems, but has been receiving increased international attention due to reported links between amber mining and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in northern Myanmar, as well as the legal issues associated with its exportation. Here, we conduct a bibliometric analysis of Myanmar amber publications (1990–2021) and demonstrate how research interest in Myanmar amber is explicitly linked to major political, legal, and economic changes. An analysis of the authorship networks for publications on amber inclusions reveals how current research practices have excluded Myanmar researchers from the field. In addition, the international trade of Myanmar amber with fossil inclusions falls into a legal ‘grey-zone’ which continues to be exploited. This case study vividly demonstrates that systemic changes, alongside an increased awareness of inequitable research practices amongst the broader scientific and allied communities, are urgently needed to curb illegal practices in palaeontology.

PENGUATAN STRATEGI PENANGKALAN DALAM MERESPONS AKSI KOERSIF CINA DI LAUT NATUNA UTARA

China�s claims to all areas in the South China Sea have caused conflict with several states, such as Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei Darussalam, and Taiwan. China�s claims are based on historical aspects by referring to the nine-dash line map, whether other claimant states are based on the UNCLOS 1982. Indonesia initially acted as a non-claimant state in this conflict. However, along with many violations committed by China in the North Natuna Sea, which is the Indonesian Exclusive Economic Zone, Indonesia is increasing its national vigilance. China is playing smart by pursuing a grey zone strategy. China�s strategy requires Indonesia to strengthen its deterrence strategy. This research uses a qualitative approach. Desk research is conducted as the collection data method. The results of this study indicate that it is necessary to strengthen Indonesia�s deterrence strategy, both military and non-military approaches. Keywords: coercion, deterrence, North Natuna Sea, South China Sea, Strategy

MXene-assisted organic electrochemical transistor biosensor with multiple spiral interdigitated electrodes for sensitive quantification of fPSA/tPSA

Background The ratio of fPSA/tPSA in the "grey zone" of tPSA with the concentration range between 4 ng/ml and 10 ng/ml is significant for diagnosis of prostate cancer, and highly efficiency quantification of the ratio of fPSA/tPSA remain elusive mainly because of their extremely low concentration in patients' peripheral blood with high biosample complexity. Methods We presented an interdigitated spiral-based MXene-assisted organic electrochemical transistors (isMOECTs) biosensor for highly sensitive determination of fPSA/tPSA. The combination of MXene and the interdigitated multiple spiral architecture synergistically assisted the amplification of amperometric signal of biosensor with dual functionalizations of anti-tPSA and anti-fPSA. Results The ultrasensitivity of the biosensor was enhanced by tunable multiple spiral architecture and MXene nanomaterials; and the sensor exhibited improved detection limit of tPSA and fPSA down to 0.01 pg/ml and acceptable performance of selectivity, repeatability and stability. Moreover, the isMOECTs displayed area under the curve (AUC) value of 0.8138, confirming the potential applications of isMOECTs in clinics. Conclusions The merits of isMOECTs biosensor demonstrated the reliability of MXene-assisted organic electrochemical transistor biosensor with multiple interdigitated spiral for ultrasensitive quantification of fPSA/tPSA, suggesting potential current and future point-of-care testing applications. Graphical Abstract

Neuroprotective Role of Curcumin Against Benzo[a]pyrene-Induced Neurodegeneration in Zebrafish

Curcuma longa L. has been shown to exhibit neuroprotection in the brain. Curcuma longa L. has been used for its neuroprotective effect in humans of neurological disorders. The present study is aimed to evaluate the neuroprotective role of curcumin, a key component of Curcuma longa L., following exposure to waterborne B[a]P. Wild-type adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) were assigned as naïve, control (dimethyl sulfoxide), curcumin, B[a]P (Benzo[a]pyrene) and B[a]P+ curcumin group. B[a]P-induced altered antioxidant levels were enhanced by curcumin in the B[a]P+curcumin group. Findings showed that B[a]P induced anti-anxiety behavioral response and altered antioxidant activity in zebrafish is reduced by curcumin. The periventricular grey zone (PGZ) located on the optic tectum (TeO) in the zebrafish brain regulates anxiety-like behavior. Our histological study showed a significant increase in pyknotic neuronal counts in PGZ of TeO in adult zebrafish brain following B[a]P exposure and was improved by curcumin co-supplementation. Recent findings showed that curcumin improves glutathione production, an antioxidant necessary for maintaining redox homeostasis and shows a neuroprotective role in brain cells. The present study's findings address the potential role of curcumin co-supplementation as a herbal therapeutic against B[a]P-induced neurotoxicity in zebrafish.