Depopulation: infrastructure challenges and opportunities

Rural, remote, and northern Indigenous communities in Canada frequently face limited access to healthcare services with ongoing physician and staff shortages, inadequate infrastructure, and resource challenges. These healthcare gaps have produced significantly poorer health outcomes for people living in remote communities than those living in southern and urban regions who have timely access to care. Telehealth has played a critical role in bridging long-standing gaps in accessing healthcare services by connecting patients and providers across distance. While the adoption of telehealth in Northern Saskatchewan is growing, its initial implementation faced several barriers related to limited and stretched human and financial resources, infrastructure challenges such as unreliable broadband, and a lack of community involvement and engaged decision-making. Emerging ethical issues during the initial implementation of telehealth in community contexts have been wide ranging including concerns around privacy that have also shaped patients’ experiences and particularly the need to consider place and space within rural contexts. Drawing from a qualitative study with four Northern Saskatchewan communities, this paper offers critical perspectives on the resource challenges and place-based considerations that are shaping telehealth in the Saskatchewan context and provides recommendations and lessons learned that could inform other Canadian regions and countries. This work responds to the ethics of tele-healthcare in rural communities in Canada and contributes perspectives of community-based service providers, advisors, and researchers.

This study investigates in “Impact of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) on Nigerian Economy from 2001 to 2022”, using various economic methods including regression analysis and multiple regression models. The findings reveal that FDI positively influences Nigeria’s trade balance, with regression results showing a significant positive coefficient, suggesting enhanced export capabilities and reduced import dependencies. The analysis also confirms that FDI significantly contributes to Nigeria’s GDP growth, supporting the view that foreign investments drive economic activities and enhance productivity. Conversely, FDI’s impact on employment was not significant, suggesting that FDI in Nigeria might be more capital-intensive than labour-intensive. This emphasizes the need for policies that encourage investments in labor-intensive sectors to boost employment. Additionally, the effectiveness of FDI in Nigeria is significantly influenced by infrastructural quality and political stability, as indicated by the significant coefficients for these factors in the multiple regression analysis. Infrastructural challenges and political instability hinder the positive impacts of FDI, highlighting the necessity of improving infrastructure and ensuring political stability to maximize the benefits of foreign investments. Regulatory quality, however, did not show a significant impact of FDI effectiveness, suggesting that while regulatory frameworks are important, and their current state might not ne the primary barrier compared to infrastructural and political factors. While FDI positively impacts Nigeria’s trade balance and GDP growth, its effects on the agricultural sector and employment are less direct and significant. The study underscores the need for comprehensive strategies addressing infrastructural and political challenges to fully leverage the benefits of foreign investments

Objective: This study aims at mapping the big data landscape in India and scrutinizing the challenges and opportunities in it. The blueprint of size, rate of growth of this sector and infrastructural challenges will enhance the knowledge on Indian Big Data Landscape. Methods: This study has been carried out using issue analysis method using different points of view on India’s big data Landscape. This method is suitable for the analysis of ongoing processes. As India’s Big data landscape is still growing and is facing infrastructural and policy level challenges, issue analysis method is perfect for analyzing the state of the art, challenges and opportunities. Findings: The study finds that India’s big data landscape is facing severe security challenges. Information security in Indian cyberspace is critically low and needs to address urgently. The Information Security Policy of India has serious limitations and it needs to be improved. Users and Usage aspect of big data is also not clear at policy level. This study suggests for change in policy at five levels: 1. Data Management level, 2. Users’ right level, 3. Responsibility level, 4. Infrastructural level and 5. Contradiction level. By adopting these policies only Indian Big data landscape can bring new opportunities and the cyber security will be safeguarded. Applications/Improvements: This study has scope of advancements at micro-level, on how to safeguard cyber security using state of the art technologies in third world countries, where technology comes first and regulation come next, may be an interesting field of study. Keywords: Big Data, Cyber Security, Data Protection, Policy, Issue Analysis

This study examines the impact of gender dynamics and infrastructural challenges on the implementation of blended learning in higher education, focusing on students at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Nigeria. The research employs a descriptive survey design with a stratified random sample of 100 students to assess the influence of blended learning on academic performance across gender groups. Findings reveal that while both male and female students benefit from blended learning, male students demonstrate marginally higher engagement and academic performance. Additionally, infrastructural challenges, including inadequate ICT resources and unreliable internet connectivity, hinder the effective implementation of blended learning, particularly in rural areas. The study identifies a preference for offline over online learning modalities due to these limitations, emphasizing the need for targeted infrastructural investments and gender-sensitive policies to enhance inclusivity. Recommendations include providing digital tools for female students and improving ICT infrastructure to bridge the digital divide and maximize the potential of blended learning. These findings contribute to the discourse on equitable and sustainable educational practices in developing contexts.

BackgroundDespite countless benefits of home care, unfortunately, the variety and quality of services provided by homecare centers are uncertain. This study was conducted to explore of home care challenges.MethodsThe present qualitative study used the content analysis approach. A total of 17 participants, including nurses, managers of home care centers, and patients, were enrolled through purposive sampling. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and analyzed through Granheim’s qualitative content analysis method.ResultsIn order to explain the challenges of home care, after analyzing the data, 700 primary codes, 15 initial categories, sub-subcategories and two main categories, including ‘infrastructural challenges’ and ‘challenges related to the process of home care services provision’ emerged. The main category, “infrastructural challenges”, consisted of 4 sub-categories (the challenge of acculturalization of home care services, economic challenges of providing services, challenges related to human resources, and the challenge of policymaking and setting regulations and rules for home care). The second main category, “challenges related to the process of home care services provision”, consisted of 2 subcategories: challenges of improving the quality of home care services and the challenge of facilities for service provision.ConclusionIn order to promote and improve the quality of home care services, in addition to providing insurance coverage for the services, acculturalization and revising the bylaws, empowering the human resource, enhancing the monitoring of the performance of home care centers, and employing modern technology need to be taken into account.

IntroductionPoor road and communication infrastructure pose major challenges to tuberculosis (TB) control in many regions of the world. TB surveillance and patient support often fall to community health workers (CHWs)...

As we begin a new year—AWWA's 140th, by the way—I cannot help but feel hopeful. Even though there isn't a true bright line between years and we still need to wear masks to protect each other's health (at least as 2021 begins), I feel hope. From time to time I have been known to say, “The world is run by those who show up.” The last time I publicly used that phrase was at the Young Professionals Summit last February. The point I make with this phrase is that if you want to change the world for the better, you must engage in the solution—you must show up. From the number of tweets, it appears the phrase and the concept resonate with the young professional audience. That, too, provides hope. Almost seven years ago, AWWA, Engineers Without Borders USA, and the American Society of Civil Engineers banded together to create Community Engineering Corps (CECorps). CECorps’ noble mission is to bring underserved communities and volunteers together to advance local engineering solutions. Learn about the Community Engineering Corps at www.CommunityEngineeringCorps.org. Every year, CECorps “shows up” to change the world for the better. While the technical support CECorps provides to underserved communities is critical, the magic of CECorps is the power of hope its volunteers bring to the communities they serve. Two recent examples show how CECorps helped with water infrastructure solutions. The Culver Lake Water Company—despite the implication of its name—depends on a single well (not a lake) as its water supply. The well is situated in a 1910 concrete structure. The system was challenged in meeting New Jersey regulatory standards, and the company lacked the necessary engineering analysis and funding to address the infrastructure issues until a small team of CECorps volunteers from AWWA's New Jersey Section stepped in to help. Today, equipped with a detailed report and analysis from the CECorps team, Culver Lake Water Company has a clear path for financing and improving its system. In Seattle, the educational opportunities at Nathan Hale High School include a commercial-sized greenhouse and a half-acre school garden—known as the Nathan Hale Urban Farm. The educational idea is to provide students with hands-on experiences that connect them to the earth, the food they eat, and their community. With the program's introduction came increased water demand for the school and the need for a better water solution. CECorps volunteers provided a preliminary design and concept for a rainwater collection system to supply the garden with water. The preliminary design and concept were used as part of a grant application which, along with additional assistance from the CECorps team, successfully led to a finished project for the school. CECorps’ core values require it to go beyond the technical projects, knowledge-sharing, and providing hope to these communities and groups. CECorps members also are committed to addressing infrastructure challenges in a socially responsible way. This includes promoting solutions that improve equity in access to public infrastructure, considering the needs of diverse populations, and engaging volunteers who reflect the communities helped by CECorps. In 2020, in support of advancing social responsibility, CECorps entered into a cooperative agreement with the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). NSBE is a 45-year-old, student-governed, nonprofit organization. Cementing this collaboration is the fact that NSBE's mission also envisions hope for a better world. NSBE's mission is to increase the number of culturally responsible Black engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally, and have a positive impact on the community. Even with great partners like NSBE, CECorps may not solve all the infrastructure challenges for all the underserved communities; but that will not stop us from showing up, providing hope, and solving what we can where we can. Steve Barr, who leads AWWA's CECorps work, puts it this way: “Solving these infrastructure challenges sometimes seems like pushing a big boulder uphill, but through CECorps I see the passion AWWA members have to help those who need help the most. I like showing up for that. It gives me hope.” It is a new year, so if you'd like to become a volunteer for CECorps, contact Steve Barr at sbarr@awwa.org to learn about how you or your section can get involved.

140 Background: Studies have shown that lower socioeconomic (LS) status contributes to heavier disease burden. While finances and infrastructural challenges have contributed to these inequities, access to the latest medical information has been cited as an equally important contributor. To address this, MedNews Week (MNW), a free, digital education platform was developed to provide global oncology education through its programming featuring Keynote presentations from oncology’s global leaders. To reach healthcare professionals (HCP), MNW has partnered with VuMedi, a global video education platform for physicians. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of MNW’s oncology programming on VuMedi’s education platform for HCP. Methods: From September 2022 to February 2023, MNW hosted 37 global oncology leaders and their Keynote Presentations were showcased on VuMedi. Data including viewership, global reach, page views, tumor subtype views, unique visits, and audience occupation demographics. In collaboration with VuMedi, descriptive analysis was performed, and a mixed-methods approach was employed to assess engagement. Results: During this 6-month period, the MNW channel on VuMedi demonstrated increased linear growth. Programming generated 4,387,213 total page views and 206 channel views with viewership from 22 countries— 12 of which are from LS areas, including Nigeria, Sudan, Georgia, and Bangladesh. Viewers were largely surgeons compared to Allied HCP (11:2). Solid tumors had high viewership [706 (0.012%) page views and 9717 (7%) impressions] compared with heme malignancies [689 (0.001%) page views and 1688 (1.22%) impressions]. Within solid tumors, GI oncology presentations were the most viewed— generating 3755 (0.06%) page views and 28067 (20%) impressions, and the highest number of registrations recorded for this category. During this period, the channel had 1,750,161 total visits with 44,982 new registrants. Conclusions: MNW has demonstrated an ability to attract and sustain a diverse, global, growing physician audience— especially within LE areas. While previous studies have identified internet access, cost, and infrastructural challenges as barriers to high-quality medical information, MNW has experienced steady growth and reachability especially within these limited areas. The platform’s ability to showcase global leaders to HCP offers an effective and practical approach to combat educational inequity, while positively impacting oncology education globally.[Table: see text]

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has become pivotal in our daily lives and educational institutions' teaching and interaction between instructors and learners. As a result, universities are restructuring their curriculum and classroom instruction bridging the digital gap between education and learning. However, research seldom centers on policies and infrastructure challenges as key ICT implementation factors. Empirical literature identified a substantial technological gap among the ICT policies and infrastructure that significantly influences ICT implementation. The review is essential given the different cultural contexts in which the interplay between ICT implementation, ICT policies, and infrastructure, of which the documentation has been relatively minor. The present study centers on the complex interplay between policy and infrastructural challenges that influence ICT implementation. In line with the study target and contributing to the existing literature, the researcher analyzed the literature drawn from qualitative and quantitative studies from different sources. The review established that ICT implementation depends on policies and relevant ICT infrastructure. Therefore, stakeholders need to intervene and address the challenge of effective ICT implementation. The study findings provide valuable baseline information to stimulate investment in ICT policies and infrastructure to streamline university education by enhancing accessibility, quality, and efficiency through ICT implementation.

The adoption of business mobile applications (BMAs) in the hospitality industry has surged globally, facilitated by the rapid growth of smartphones and mobile technologies. Using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as a theoretical lens, this study examines the factors influencing the adoption of BMAs in Nigeria and South Africa's hospitality sectors. TAM posits that perceived ease of use (PEOU) and perceived usefulness (PU) are critical factors that determine user acceptance of technology. In the context of the hospitality industry, BMAs enhance customer experience by streamlining booking processes, improving customer service, and offering tailored services through personalized applications. In Nigeria, the increasing penetration of mobile devices and digital payment platforms like Flutterwave and Paystack has driven BMA adoption, though infrastructural challenges and data privacy concerns remain. South Africa, on the other hand, has seen a rapid adoption of BMAs due to government initiatives promoting the digital hospitality industry despite language and cultural barriers affecting user engagement. In South Africa, high internet penetration and an established digital ecosystem have accelerated BMA adoption in hospitality, with an emphasis on enhancing customer engagement through artificial intelligence and data analytics, leading to mobile technology adoption, driven by innovations in mobile payment systems like Alipay and ChatPay, enabling seamless integration of BMAs into the hospitality sector. However, government regulations around data security pose significant challenges. Across these diverse regions, the study concludes that cultural, infrastructural, and regulatory factors play pivotal roles in shaping BMA adoption. Despite contextual differences, TAM remains a useful model to understand the adoption patterns of BMAs, suggesting that improving PEOU and PU will drive further technological integration in the hospitality industry. The adoption of business mobile applications (BMAs) in the hospitality industry has surged globally, facilitated by the rapid growth of smartphones and mobile technologies. Using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as a study, examines the factors influencing the adoption of BMAs in the hospitality sectors of Nigeria and South Africa. TAM posits that perceived ease of use (PEOU) and perceived usefulness (PU) are critical factors that determine user acceptance of technology. In the context of the hospitality industry, BMAs enhance customer experience by streamlining booking processes, improving customer service, and offering tailored services through personalized applications. In Nigeria, the increasing penetration of mobile devices and digital payment platforms like Flutterwave and Paystack has driven BMA adoption, though infrastructural challenges and data privacy concerns remain. South Africa, on the other hand, has seen a rapid adoption of BMAs due to government initiatives promoting the digital hospitality industry despite language and cultural barriers affecting user engagement. In South Africa, high internet penetration and an established digital ecosystem have accelerated BMA adoption in hospitality, with an emphasis on enhancing customer engagement through AI and data analytics. However, government regulations around data security pose significant challenges. Across these diverse regions, the study concludes that cultural, infrastructural, and regulatory factors play pivotal roles in shaping BMA adoption. Despite contextual differences, TAM remains a useful model to understand the adoption patterns of BMAs, suggesting that improving PEOU and PU will drive further technological integration in the hospitality industry.

Abstract
 This study makes an analysis of infrastructural challenges and the cashless policy in Kaduna state, Nigeria. A survey was conducted to collect the primary data through a structured questionnaire and interviews with bank customers, bank officials, and security personnel to obtain information on infrastructural challenges since the introduction of the Cashless policy by the Central Bank of Nigeria in 2012. Frequency distribution and simple percentage methods are used to analyze the data. Findings show that infrastructural challenges include network failure and infrastructural deficiency, debiting by Automated Teller Machine (ATM) without disbursing cash to beneficiaries, problems not rectified quickly by the banks, and charging by banks for using electronic banking methods. This leads to fraud, cybercrimes, and reduced confidence in the banking system. It is recommended that banks should be made to provide the minimum infrastructure required for cashless policy to succeed. In addition, there should be adequate cyber security measures implemented by banks and the government.

BackgroundThere have been longstanding calls for public health systems transformations in many countries, including Canada. Core to these calls has been strengthening performance measurement. While advancements have been made in performance measurement for certain sectors of the health care system (primarily focused on acute and primary health care), effective use of indicators for measuring public health systems performance are lacking. This study describes the current state, anticipated challenges, and future directions in the development and implementation of a public health performance measurement system for Canada.MethodsWe conducted a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with public health leaders (n = 9) between July and August 2021. Public health leaders included researchers, government staff, and former medical officers of health who were purposively selected due to their expertise and experience with performance measurement with relevance to public health systems in Canada. Thematic analysis included both a deductive approach for themes consistent with the conceptual framework and an inductive approach to allow new themes to emerge from the data.ResultsConceptual, methodological, contextual, and infrastructure challenges were highlighted by participants in designing a performance measurement system for public health. Specifically, six major themes evolved that encompass 1) the mission and purpose of public health systems, including challenges inherent in measuring the functions and services of public health; 2) the macro context, including the impacts of chronic underinvestment and one-time funding injections on the ability to sustain a measurement system; 3) the organizational structure/governance of public health systems including multiple forms across Canada and underdevelopment of information technology systems; 4) accountability approaches to performance measurement and management; and 5) timing and unobservability in public health indicators. These challenges require dedicated investment, strong leadership, and political will from the federal and provincial/territorial governments.ConclusionUnprecedented attention on public health due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has highlighted opportunities for system improvements, such as addressing the lack of a performance measurement system. This study provides actionable knowledge on conceptual, methodological, contextual, and infrastructure challenges needed to design and build a pan-Canadian performance measurement system for public health.

<p>To deal with the high volume of traffic in the historic city center of Karlsruhe (Germany), the track system of the historic surface tram is moved underground.</p><p>First, seven underground stations are built, which are then connected by using a tunnel boring machine for excavation of the tracks. While the traffic continues on the surface, the new underground stations are being built in sections using the dig-and-cast construction method. Due to the high ground water level bore piles and diaphragm walls of reinforced concrete / concrete cut-off wall are used as excavation pit shoring. A grouted sealing blanket made using jet grouting processes serves as horizontal blanket.</p><p>The cover is made while the traffic continues overhead, to this end traffic routing of road and tram traffic is altered in several stages of construction. The subsequent removal of the soil is realized via this newly created tunnel system – this way no truck traffic has to pass through the city center.</p><p>The construction is a challenge to permit a limitation of the deformations in relation to the settlement of the immediately adjacent historic buildings and also in the logistics of the construction while keeping the traffic above ground running.</p>

This study aims to analyze the strategy for optimizing zakat collection and distribution in the digital era, especially in the context of efficiency, transparency, and service reach. The background of this study is the still low realization of zakat collection compared to the very large national potential, as well as the challenges of unequal zakat distribution. The research method used is qualitative descriptive with data collection techniques in the form of in-depth interviews, document studies, and secondary data analysis from zakat institutions and other relevant sources. The results of the study show that digitalization of zakat through applications, e-wallets, and online payment systems can increase ease of access for muzakki and expand the reach of distribution to mustahik. Transparency of digital reports also encourages public trust, while infrastructure challenges and digital literacy remain obstacles that need to be overcome. This study emphasizes the importance of collaboration between the government, zakat institutions, and the technology sector to build an effective zakat system in the digital era.The findings of this study indicate that the use of digital technology, such as mobile-based zakat applications, QRIS systems, e-wallets, and online payments, have made a real contribution to increasing ease of access for muzakki and streamlining the zakat fund collection process. Furthermore, zakat distribution has become more structured and more widely accessible due to the integration of data and technology-based tracking systems. In addition, the transparency of real-time digital reports has been proven to increase the level of public trust in zakat institutions. However, this study also found that infrastructure challenges, technological gaps between regions, and low digital literacy, both among zakat managers and recipients, are still serious obstacles in efforts to optimize the digital zakat system.

The landscape of medicine is being revolutionized by the recent breakthroughs in stem cell research that offer new possibilities for treating diseases that were once deemed degenerative, incurable, or irreversible. In low and middle-income countries like Pakistan stem cell therapy holds promise for cost-effective solutions to non-communicable diseases. However, these advancements are hindered by ongoing debates, legal challenges, and public controversies. Stem cells can differentiate into various cell types and self-renew themselves, making them appealing for regenerative medicine. Unlike traditional therapies, regenerative medicine focuses on the restoration of optimal functioning of the damaged tissues and organs. Stem cells can be categorized as embryonic and adult stem cells. Adult stem cells such as mesenchymal stem cells can differentiate into various cell types. These can be obtained from bone marrow, adipose tissue, umbilical cord tissue, and amniotic fluid. Research shows that stem cells have the potential to treat cancers and advance regenerative medicine. Genetically modified stem cells can act as delivering systems for the treatment of genetic disorders and the development of therapeutic agents directly targeted to organs. Successful differentiation of stem cells into neurons, cardiomyocytes, insulin-producing cell clusters, hepatocytes, and hematopoietic precursors. These achievements are powerful tools that can help in combating human diseases. In Pakistan, while the potential of stem cell therapy has generated significant excitement, the progress is hindered by regulatory and infrastructure challenges. Addressing these concerns and fostering a supportive research environment is essential for advancing stem cell and regenerative medicine in the country. According to the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry, there are over 3000 trials on adult stem cells in progress [1]. These trials are essential in advancing the knowledge of stem cell therapies and for the establishment of realistic expectations for their outcomes. The transplantation of stem cells into non-native environments can pose risks, including tumor formation and other complications. These risks underscore the importance of rigorous evaluation and monitoring to ensure that these promising therapies are both safe and effective before they become widely available. In conclusion, stem cell research has great potential to revolutionize healthcare in Pakistan, but ethical, regulatory, and infrastructure challenges must be overcome before its benefits can be fully realized in regenerative medicine. An environment that is supportive and safe is imperative for clinical trials and research to ensure safe and effective therapies in the future.