Revitalising European Railways: A Comparative Assessment of the Emerging Models

In this paper, we analyse and compare the various institutional models and regulatory arrangements that have recently emerged from the restructuring of European passenger rail industries and, more specifically, the contractual agreements giving concrete expression to these policies. To do so, we developed a systemic framework consisting of seven key dimensions: the Decentralisation of regulatory control, the Disintegration of the industry, the Domain of the contractual assignment, the Discretion of management, the Distribution of risks, theDuration of contracts, and the Destination of subsidies. We use empirical material gathered on the passenger rail industries of five EU Member States, i.e. Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain, and Sweden, as well as extrapolation to highlight the most likely costs and benefits (incentive properties) associated with alternative arrangements and contract features and to show how the above dimensions, which are connected with one another in a complex web of interactions, can be traded-off against one another in order to optimize the industry s performance.Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies. Faculty of Economics and Business. The University of Sydne

USAGE OF SMARTPHONE BY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS: A STUDY ON JHIKARGACHA SUB-DISTRICT OF BANGLADESH

Students now have more access to online courses thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. The current study included high school students and aimed to comprehend the drivers behind smartphone use as well as the consequences of smartphone consumption. The school-based work in the sub-district area is not seen in that way, despite the fact that there are numerous forms of research on the use of mobile phones in the context of the city, college, or university. Bangladesh's upazila (subdistricts), in particular, do not have a lot of school-related work. The study uses a quantitative approach. In order to choose Jhikargacha Upazila of Jessore District, which is situated in the Southwest of Bangladesh, purposive sampling is utilized. Additionally, three schools were purposefully selected for data collection. A further offline survey was used to collect data, and SPSS version 24 was used to analyze the findings. In addition, the facts and context of smartphone usage are analyzed using the uses and gratification theory. Most participants claimed to use their smartphones for a range of purposes and to devote varying amounts of time to each. When the corona pandemic forces all educational activities to be conducted online, they are using cellphones. Additionally, certain changes in their daily routine have been brought about by using a smartphone. Some of them think it affects their day-to-day activities by making them feel detached from reality, stay up late, experience worry and melancholy, etc.  Article visualizations

The Potential of Insect Farming to Increase Food Security

Insect protein production through ‘mini-livestock farming’ has enormous potential to reduce the level of undernutrition in critical areas across the world. Sustainable insect farming could contribute substantially to increased food security, most especially in areas susceptible to environmental stochasticity. Entomophagy has long been acknowledged as an underutilised strategy to address issues of food security. This chapter reviews and provides a synthesis of the literature surrounding the potential of insect farming to alleviate food security while promoting food sovereignty and integrating social acceptability. These are immediate and current problems of food security and nutrition that must be solved to meet the UNDP Sustainable Development Goals