This study examines the impact of state highway construction contracts on state spending efficiency controlling for production structure, service demands, and situational factors. The theoretical argument is that because highway construction projects are relatively large in scale, complex, and can be monitored through objective performance measurement, state highway construction programs may save government production costs through contracts. Contracting helps highway producers achieve efficiency by optimizing production size based on workload and task complexity. The unit of analysis is 48 state governments’ highway construction contracts from 1998 to 2008. Through a two-stage analysis method including a Total Function Productivity (TFP) index and system dynamic panel data analysis, the results suggest that highway construction contracts enhance state highway spending efficiency, especially for large-scale construction projects.

Proposed herein is an environment-friendly method to realize oil/water separation. Nylon mesh is exposed to atmospheric pressure plasma for surface modification, by which micro/nano structures and oxygen-containing groups are created on nylon fibers. Consequently, the functionalized mesh possesses superhydrophilicity in air and thus superoleophobicity underwater. The water pre-wetted mesh is then used to separate oil/water mixtures with the separation efficiency above 97.5% for various oil/water mixtures. Results also demonstrate that the functionalized nylon mesh has excellent recyclability and durability in terms of oil/water separation. Additionally, polyurethane sponge slice and polyester fabric are also functionalized and employed to separate oil/water mixtures efficiently, demonstrating the wide suitability of this method. This simple, green and highly efficient method overcomes a nontrivial hurdle for environmentally-safe separation of oil/water mixtures, and offers insights into the design of advanced materials for practical oil/water separation.

This research introduces a novel framework integrating stochastic finite element analysis (FEA) with advanced circular statistical methods to optimize heat pump efficiency under material uncertainties. The proposed methodologies and optimization focus on balancing the mean efficiency and variability by adjusting the concentration parameter of the Von Mises distribution, which models directional variability in thermal conductivity. The study highlights the superiority of the Von Mises distribution in achieving more consistent and efficient thermal performance compared to the uniform distribution. We also conducted a sensitivity analysis of the parameters for further insights. The results show that optimal tuning of the concentration parameter can significantly reduce efficiency variability while maintaining a mean efficiency above the desired threshold. This demonstrates the importance of considering both stochastic effects and directional consistency in thermal systems, providing robust and reliable design strategies.

The study aims to explore the role of artificial intelligence in enhancing the efficiency of public relations practitioners in Jordanian telecommunication companies. This study belongs to the category of descriptive research and adopted a survey methodology. The study surveyed (86) individuals representing the community of public relations practitioners and customer service personnel in the Jordanian telecommunication companies Zain and Orange.The study findings revealed that less experienced public relations personnel in Zain and Orange, with less than five years of experience, exhibit greater acceptance and enthusiasm for using artificial intelligence applications compared to their more experienced counterparts. The study also indicated that most public relations practitioners in Zain and Orange perceive artificial intelligence applications to have a moderate to significant contribution to achieving public relations functions and enhancing their work, reflecting technological advancement and the need to adapt to rapid changes in the business environment. Moreover, the study also discussed the limits, including that artificial intelligence can analyze large amounts of data related to the market and the audience, which provides further research and study.

Poverty is a major challenge caused by various situations as well as cultural, social, economic, and political interactions. Therefore, poverty alleviation programs and strategies require an integrated approach carried out in consistent and organized stages. It required the participation of all parties, both regional heads, Regional People’s Representative Assembly (RPRA) members, entrepreneurs, and other elements of society. This study aimed to investigate the effect of local spending efficiency on public welfare in Indonesia, using a quantitative and explanatory method. The analysis method used in this study is the panel data regression model. The research population in all provinces in Indonesia was 34 provinces, and a purposive sampling method was used, where a total of 26 provinces were selected. The research period is 2017–2021. The efficiency of local spending (education, health, and infrastructure) is estimated using the Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA) cost function approach. The results showed that the higher the efficiency of education spending, the more it will increase public welfare in Indonesia. Meanwhile, the health spending efficiency and the infrastructure spending efficiency do not affect public welfare. The implications of this study for the development of science are that the efficient allocation of education spending will be able to improve the quality of education which is a long-term solution to overcome poverty in Indonesia and for policymakers to be able to optimize education spending to achieve the expected educational goals.

Objectives: This study aims to examine the impact of Sun Tzu’s Art of War Five Virtues Leadership on innovation and the efficiency of the Chinese brand passenger vehicle industry, explore the role of innovation in enhancing industry efficiency, and propose strategies for leveraging the Five Virtues Leadership to improve operational performance and competitiveness in the sector. Methodology: A mixed research method using quantitative research (questionnaire survey) as the main method and qualitative research (in-depth interview) as the auxiliary method. Result: Quantitative and qualitative research results confirm the positive correlation between the Five Virtues Leadership, innovation, and the efficiency of Chinese brand passenger vehicle companies. And through effective data analysis, it explains the importance of the five virtues of leadership in traditional Chinese culture. Further understanding of the effectiveness and competitiveness of China’s passenger car brands, with leadership references. Conclusion: Five Virtues Leadership can foster a favorable environment for innovation, enhance time utilization, optimize resource allocation, and strengthen brand image. By developing and validating a measurement for Five Virtues Leadership, this study enhances the understanding of its role and significance in modern management, paving the way for future research.