Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) are mostly presented as a means to introduce efficient procurement methods and better value for money to taxpayers. However, the complexity of the PPP mechanism, their lack of transparency, accounting rules and implicit liabilities make it often impossible to perceive the amount of public expenditure involved and the long-run impact on taxpayers, providing room for fiscal illusion, i.e., the illusion that PPPs are much less expensive than traditional public investments. This psaper, thanks to a systematic review of the literature on the EU countries experience, tries to unveil the sources of this illusion by looking at the reasons behind the PPPs’ choice, their real costs, and the sources of fiscal risks. The literature suggests that PPPs are more costly than public funding, especially when contingent liabilities are not taken into account, and are employed as mechanisms to circumvent budgetary restrictions and to spend off-balance. The paper concludes that the public sector should share more risks with private sectors by reducing the amount of guarantees, and should prevent governments from operating through a sleight of hand that deflects attention away from off-balance financing, by applying a neutral fiscal recording system.

Dormancy is a state of lack of germination/sprouting in seed/tuber although required conditions (temperature, humidity, oxygen and light) are provided. Dormancy is based on hard seed coat dormancy or lack of supply and activity of enzymes (internal dormancy) necessary for germination/sprouting. Dormancy is an important factor limiting production in many field crops. Several physical and chemical pretreatments to production material (seed/tuber) are carried out for overcoming dormancy. Physical and physiological dormancy can be found together in some plants and this event makes it difficult to provide high frequency healthy seedling growth. Whereas, emerging of all production material (seed, tuber) sown/planted and forming healthy seedling are prerequisites of plant production.

To investigate the possible role of arbuscular mycrrhizal fungi (AMF) in alleviating the negative effects of salinity on Stevia rebaudiana (Bert.), the regenerated plantlets in tissue culture was transferred to pots in greenhouse and inoculated with Glomus intraradices. Salinity caused a significant decrease in chlorophyll content, photosynthesis efficiency and enhanced the electrolyte leakage. The use of AMF in salt –affected plants resulted in improved all above mentioned characteristics. Hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents increased in salt stressed plants while a reduction was observed due to AMF inoculation. CAT activity showed a significant increase up to 2 g/l and then followed by decline at 5 g/l NaCl in both AMF and non-AMF treated stevia, however, AMF inoculated plants maintained lower CAT activity at all salinity levels (2 and 5 g/l). Enhanced POX activities in salt- treated stevia plants were decreased by inoculation of plants with AMF. The addition of NaCl to stevia plants also resulted in an enhanced activity of SOD whilst, AMF plants maintained higher SOD activity at all salinity levels than those of non-AMF inoculated plants. AMF inoculation was capable of alleviating the damage caused by salinity on stevia plants by reducing oxidative stress and improving photosynthesis efficiency. 

This paper discusses the use of workforce ecosystems to manage human intellectual capital. The need for work ecosystems has emerged in the digital age because of the rapid growth in the number of engaged partners and freelancers in the digitalization of enterprises. It is shown that this growth is directly related to the use of agile management systems in design and development: agile, DevOps, microservice architecture, turquoise practices, etc. The information systems needed to manage workforce ecosystems should have competency-based metrics to link business needs, recruitment and training, and finding new partners. At the same time, training should be prioritized over recruitment and the search for new partners in the context of staff shortages. When automating workforce ecosystems, a platform approach should be used to integrate both corporate HR, time and business process management systems, and similar systems from partners.

The study of cognitive ergonomics and correct job design is a contemporary topic. This article defines and presents the main issues that ensure effective management of cognitive ergonomics and job design.

Ostensibly, theories from the eastern and western worlds have emphasized different aspects of character, while in India, greater importance is attached to character building. We must understand that character building establishes surroundings for the human being with distinct values and virtues persisting inside him. This study attempts to explain the importance of the character merits of young managers in mitigating volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) challenges encountered in a business journey. This scholarly effort, with a framework of being reflective and expressive, attempts to capture empirical and qualitative data, hence presenting a model and explaining the connection between the character of young managers and VUCA. The authors initially mine on what character implies and how it could be plausibly examined. Character, as a manifestation, is qualitatively distinguished as a sum of one’s bent of mind, embracing the brighter part of good qualities and consolidating a frame to capture the countenance of a genuine personality. We must understand that for organisation’s growth and sustainability, it is vital for the human resources department to maintain a training methodology that is systematic and focused on character building.