Effectiveness Of Countermeasures Research Articles

An anesthetized rat assay for evaluating the effects of organophosphate-based compounds and countermeasures on intracranial EEG and respiratory rate

The development of medical countermeasures (MCMs) against organophosphate (OP) induced poisoning is of substantial importance. Use of conventional therapeutics is complicated by off-target effects and restricted penetration of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Therefore, a concerted effort is underway to discover improved acetylcholinesterase (AChE) reactivators, muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) antagonists, and other countermeasures with broader spectrum activity and enhanced CNS efficacy. We recently developed a rat brain slice assay to assess the efficacy of AChE reactivators and mAChR antagonists against the acute effects of the organophosphorus AChE inhibitor 4-nitrophenyl isopropyl methylphosphonate (NIMP) in the basolateral amygdala (BLA). Here we introduce a complimentary anesthetized animal model to evaluate the same compounds in vivo with concurrent monitoring of EEG and respiratory rate. We find that intravenous delivery of 0.5 mg/kg NIMP reliably produces seizure like activity in the BLA, with concurrent respiratory depression and eventual respiratory failure. The central effects of AChE reactivators and mAChR antagonists delivered intravenously are consistent with their expected ability to cross the BBB. Combining our previously described in vitro assay with the methods described here provides a relatively comprehensive set of preclinical tools for evaluating the efficacy of novel MCMs. Notably, using these methods is expected to reduce the need to subject conscious animals to cholinergic crises, which aligns with the AAALAC’s 3Rs principle of refinement.

Energy efficiencies model for thermal comfort in urban applications

Improving people's standard of living has increased their requirements for the environment. Increasing air temperature in urban areas due to urban heat islands (UHI) has been a global concern since industrialization. Apart from suitable facilities and landscapes, a comfortable outdoor thermal environment can improve the efficiency of urban space use. Ensuring outdoor comfort is an integral part of the design agenda where the UHI phenomenon plays a significant role. A study has been conducted on a residential building campus to analyze the effect of these heat island countermeasures (individual and combined) with the help of the simulation tool Grasshopper. A 3D reference model of a small residential campus is developed. The outdoor thermal comfort level is studied for this case, and Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) is evaluated. Further, several UHI mitigation strategies such as wall and roof reflectivity, vegetation, plantation, pavement configuration, and shading are applied to find their effect on the micro-climate and outdoor thermal comfort. Based on the simulation outcomes, urban geometry is identified as the most influential design factor in decreasing the urban heat island effect and outdoor thermal comfort. The study's principal objective is to develop a simulation framework including all mitigation strategies and find the best case for UHI reduction.

Identifying transaction laundering red flags and strategies for risk mitigation

Purpose Transaction laundering has become an increasingly intricate and rampant form of financial misconduct in the age of digital commerce. This research paper conducts an exhaustive examination of this issue, categorizing the various techniques criminals use to highlight areas where existing risk management practices could be further refined. Amid escalating regulatory scrutiny of both financial and nonfinancial entities, the paper stresses the implications of not meeting regulatory standards. As a novel contribution, this study advocates for a shift in risk management strategies. It argues that entities under obligation should harness advanced technological methods to counter transaction laundering challenges effectively. The study serves as a relevant guide for online businesses aiming to strengthen their measures against transaction laundering. For future work, the potential effectiveness of technology-driven countermeasures deserves further scrutiny. Design/methodology/approach This study used a conceptual legal research method, using a library-based doctrinal legal research approach with a conceptual legal perspective, drawing from existing literature. This study reviewed primary and secondary legal sources, including case law and provisions of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amended) Act, 2012, and the Terrorism (Prevention) Act 2013 (as amended). This study also assessed the provisions of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004. This research further incorporated a blend of archival and secondary legal sources. This study conducted comparative analyses, examining the legal frameworks of Canada, the UK, Hong Kong and China alongside Nigeria to identify potential lessons for enhancing Nigeria’s legislation concerning money laundering and terrorism financing. This study also assessed problems and derived insights from the study’s findings. This research method was chosen to establish the credibility of the findings regarding the issues of money laundering and terrorist financing. Findings The analysis uses a comprehensive network dataset, encompassing ties among individuals and businesses in the Netherlands from 2005 to 2019. It integrates administrative data, including family ties, shared bank accounts and employment history, with corporate information and ownership relations from the Chamber of Commerce. Criminal data related to police interventions, legal convictions and suspicious money laundering transactions are linked to these networks. This unique approach overcomes the scarcity of large empirical datasets in criminological research, offering valuable insights into criminal network behavior and dynamics. Understanding how criminal networks adapt to anti-money laundering policies aids regulatory authorities in designing more effective and efficient measures while also enhancing the tools available to enforcement authorities for detection and investigation. Originality/value AML policies are often criticized for their high costs relative to the perceived benefits. This paper's method avoids dark number estimations and relies on high-quality administrative data. The theoretical contribution includes an examination of specialization, competition and collaboration within criminal networks. The empirical aspect uses a unique dataset and emerges as a methodology for evaluating the effects of AML policy measures using temporal cluster analysis.

Risk-based public health impact assessment for drinking water contamination emergencies

Chemical spills in surface waters pose a significant threat to public health and the environment. This study investigates the public health impacts associated with organic chemical spill emergencies and explores timely countermeasures deployable by drinking water facilities. Using a dynamic model of a typical multi-sourced New England drinking water treatment facility and its distribution network, this study assesses the impacts of various countermeasure deployment scenarios, including source switching, enhanced coagulation via poly‑aluminum chloride (PACl), addition of powdered activated carbon (PAC), and temporary system shutdown. This study reveals that the deployment of multiple countermeasures yields the most significant reduction in total public health impacts, regardless of the demand and supply availability. With the combination PAC deployed first with other countermeasures proving to be the most effective strategies, followed by the combination of facility shutdowns. By understanding the potential public health impacts and evaluating the effectiveness of countermeasures, authorities can develop proactive plans, secure additional funding, and enhance their capacity to mitigate the consequences of such events. These insights contribute to safeguarding public health and improving the resilience of drinking water systems in the face of the ever-growing threat of chemical spills.

Resistance exercise following short term muscle disuse leads to enhanced mitochondrial activity and dynamics

Introduction: Short-term muscle unloading (~7-10 days) can be usually experienced following injury or hospitalisation, leading to muscle disuse atrophy, muscle weakness and changes in motor control. In such contexts, exercise countermeasures can be employed to overcome these neuromuscular impairments. Surprisingly, the effects of exercise countermeasures following the exposure to muscle unloading has been scarcely investigated. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the functional and molecular adaptations to a 21-day resistance training (RT) program following short term muscle disuse. We hypothesised that a period of resistance exercise following short-term unloading would speed up the recovery on muscle mass and function mostly by an effcient counteraction of the molecular regulators of muscle disuse atrophy consistent with the exercise modality employed. Methods: A 10-day unilateral lower limb suspension (ULLS) model was applied to eleven healthy young males (22.09 ± 2.91 y), followed by a 21-day RT program for the knee extensors performed at 70% of the 1RM (3 times/wk, 9 sessions in total). Data acquisition was performed before the ULLS period, after 10 days of unloading and after 21 days of resistance exercise. Quadriceps femoris isometric maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) was evaluated by dynamometry and quadriceps CSA was assessed by ultrasonography. Succinate dehydrogenase (SDH, a key component of the citric acid cycle and of the respiratory electron transfer chain) staining was performed on frozen cryosections obtained from VL biopsies, whereas western blot analyses were carried out for several mitochondrial-related proteins and transcriptomics data were obtained by RNA-seq. Results: Following ULLS, QF MVC and CSA decreased (-29.3%, p<0.001, and -4.5%, p<0.05, respectively). After the 21-d of RT, MVC was fully brought back (+42% compared to post-ULLS) whereas QF CSA showed a very marked hypertrophy (+18.6%, p<0.001, compared to post-ULLS). SDH immunoreactivity was not affected by unloading but revealed a significant increase after exercise compared to post ULLS values (~+20%, p<0.001). In addition, mitochondrial dynamics were highly influenced by resistance exercise, as mitochondrial pro-fusion (MFN1, MFN2, OPA1) and fission (DRP1, pDRP1616) proteins were markedly increased in response to RT compared to post-ULLS values (p<0.05). Further, PGC-1a levels showed a trend to decrease after ULLS but even a stronger trend to increase after resistance exercise compared to post-ULLS (p=0.056). Transcriptomics analyses showed that the most differentially expressed genes were identified in the pathways related to oxidative phosphorylation, in which the top regulated genes after resistance training were mitochondrial related genes (CKMT2, UQCRH, ACSS1, MDH1, COX7A2, CYCS, SLC16A1), presenting a marked reduction after ULLS and being significantly enhanced after RT. When compared to baseline, the genes which showed a positive “rebound effect” after resistance exercise were mostly related to mitochondrial function (MT-ATP6, MT-CO2, MT-ND3). Noteworthy, among these latter genes, the top upregulated one was APLNR, coding for apelin receptor protein, a positive regulator of inter-myofibrillar mitochondrial content in sarcopenia and ageing. Conclusions: Resistance exercise was effective in recovering muscle mass and function after 10 days of disuse, but it enhanced mitochondrial activity, biogenesis, and dynamics far beyond the expected effects for such exercise modality. In fact, mitochondrial-related genes expression was the most affected by exercise. This suggests that mitochondrial dynamics could play an essential role in the recovery of neuromuscular alterations induced by short term disuse. We put forward the hypothesis that the prior level of physical activity and a prior exposure to short-term muscle disuse could be driving the nature of adaptations to subsequent resistance training. Funding: The present work was funded by the Italian Space Agency (ASI), MARS-PRE, Project, n. DC-VUM-2017-006. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Incorporating Driving Behavior Metrics Derived from Naturalistic Driving Data into Macroscopic Safety Modeling

This research leveraged datasets from the Strategic Highway Research Program 2 (SHRP2) Naturalistic Driving Study (NDS) to explore the potential benefits of incorporating macroscopic measures derived from NDS into traditional safety modeling. Large datasets with traversals from more than 1,700 unique drivers were used to extract driving behavior on freeway segments. New sets of time series totaling over 1,600 h of driving were developed, including vehicle dynamics exclusively during car-following, while also tracking the spacing between the instrumented vehicle and the vehicle being followed. This paper focuses on the statistical modeling of crash frequency incorporating macroscopic metrics derived from the new time-series datasets as regards the mean, median, variance, and 85th percentile of vehicle spacing, vehicle speed, and traffic density. Results of this exploration indicate that an increase in the traffic density variance, an increase in the speed variance, and a decrease in the mean vehicle spacing had significant effects associated with increases in multi-vehicle crash frequencies. These results can be used to estimate the safety effect of countermeasures that may change speed, density, and or spacing, along with changes in annual average daily traffic (AADT).

Frequency and Clinical Features of Space Headache Experienced by Astronauts During Long-Haul Space Flights.

Few anecdotal cases and 1 small retrospective study during short-duration space missions suggest that headache may occur early in flight, as part of the space motion syndrome. Whether headaches may also occur at later stages of space flights is unknown. We aimed to prospectively characterize the incidence, timing, clinical features, and management of space headaches during long-duration flights. We prospectively evaluated the occurrence, characteristics, and evolution of space headaches and the effects of treatment and countermeasures during long-haul flights with onboard questionnaires and correlated them with prevailing temperature, pressure, and ambient O2 and CO2 levels, measured within the International Space Station. In addition, we analyzed retrospective headache data from a different astronaut cohort. Headache data were reported using descriptive statistics and correlation data with intraindividual logistic regression models. Astronauts were included through (inter)national aerospace organizations. In the prospective study, 22/24 (91.7%) astronauts (mean ± SD age: 46.6 ± 6.5 years, 95.8% male) experienced ≥1 episode of headache during a total of 3,596 space days. A total of 378 episodes were reported (median 9; range 1-128) with detailed information on 189. Phenotypically, 170/189 (89.9%) episodes were tension-type headache (TTH) and 19/189 (10.1%) were migraine. Episodes in the first week differed from those in later periods in terms of phenotype (migraine 12/51 [23.5%] vs 7/138 [5.1%]; TTH 39/51 [86.5%] vs 131/138 [94.9%]; overall p = 0.0002) and accompanying symptoms: nausea: 17.6% vs 6.9%, p = 0.05; vomiting: 9.8% vs 0.7%, p = 0.005; nasal congestion: 52.9% vs 29.7%, p = 0.004; facial edema: 41.2% vs 1.4%, p < 0.001; and duration (p = 0.001). Severity and treatments were similar: acute antiheadache medication: 55.6%; other medication: 22.4%; and alternative treatments: 41.1%. Headache occurrence was not associated with temperature or ambient pressure/levels of O2 and CO2 (all p > 0.05). In the retrospective study, 23/42 (54.8%) astronauts (43.5 ± 7.2 years, 90.5% male) reported experiencing ≥1 headache episode during mission. Nasal congestion was the most common (8/33; 24.2%) accompanying symptom. Seventeen of 42 astronauts have been previously described. Astronauts during space flights frequently experience headaches. These most often have characteristics of TTHs but sometimes have migrainous features, particularly during the first week of flight in astronauts without a history of recurrent headaches before or after the space flight.

Dynamic Awareness and Strategic Adaptation in Cybersecurity: A Game-Theory Approach

Awareness and human factors are becoming ever more important in cybersecurity, particularly in the context of small companies that may need more resources to deal with cybersecurity effectively. This paper introduces a theoretical framework for game analysis of the role of awareness in strategic interactions between the manager and a hacker. A computable approach is proposed based on Bayesian updating to model awareness in a cybersecurity context. The process of gaining awareness considers the manager’s perception of the properties of the hacker’s actions, game history, and common knowledge. The role of awareness in strategy choices and outcomes is analyzed and simulated, providing insights into decision-making processes for managers and highlighting the need to consider probabilistic assessments of threats and the effectiveness of countermeasures. The accuracy of the initial frequencies plays a significant role in the manager’s success, with aligned frequencies leading to optimal results. Inaccurate information on prior frequencies still outperforms complete uncertainty, emphasizing the value of any available intelligence. However, the results suggest that other awareness modeling approaches are necessary to enhance the manager’s agility and adaptiveness when the prior frequencies do not reflect the immediate attacker’s type, indicating the need for improved intelligence about cyber-attacks and examinations of different awareness modeling approaches.

Research on multi-UAV collaborative electronic countermeasures effectiveness method based on CRITIC weighting and improved gray correlation analysis

Multi-UAV cluster technology is a hot topic in modern electronic countermeasures research. Based on the “OODA loop” theory of electronic countermeasures, this paper analyzes the effectiveness evaluation method of multi-UAV collaborative electronic countermeasures. We establish an electronic countermeasures correlation state analysis model based on CRITIC weighting and improved gray correlation theory. This method combines multi-UAV collaborative scene examples and use the gray state correlation analysis method based on the dynamic resolution coefficient. We simulate the effects of electronic countermeasures and various influencing factors on the expected task objectives and verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. The results show that this method can better adapt to the dynamic electronic countermeasures scenarios of multi-UAV clusters and has certain participation value for comprehensively and systematically improving the effectiveness evaluation of electronic countermeasures.

Collateral effects of COVID-19 countermeasures on hepatitis E incidence pattern: a case study of china based on time series models

BackgroundThere are abundant studies on COVID-19 but few on its impact on hepatitis E. We aimed to assess the effect of the COVID-19 countermeasures on the pattern of hepatitis E incidence and explore the application of time series models in analyzing this pattern.MethodsOur pivotal idea was to fit a pre-COVID-19 model with data from before the COVID-19 outbreak and use the deviation between forecast values and actual values to reflect the effect of COVID-19 countermeasures. We analyzed the pattern of hepatitis E incidence in China from 2013 to 2018. We evaluated the fitting and forecasting capability of 3 methods before the COVID-19 outbreak. Furthermore, we employed these methods to construct pre-COVID-19 incidence models and compare post-COVID-19 forecasts with reality.ResultsBefore the COVID-19 outbreak, the Chinese hepatitis E incidence pattern was overall stationary and seasonal, with a peak in March, a trough in October, and higher levels in winter and spring than in summer and autumn, annually. Nevertheless, post-COVID-19 forecasts from pre-COVID-19 models were extremely different from reality in sectional periods but congruous in others.ConclusionsSince the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chinese hepatitis E incidence pattern has altered substantially, and the incidence has greatly decreased. The effect of the COVID-19 countermeasures on the pattern of hepatitis E incidence was temporary. The incidence of hepatitis E was anticipated to gradually revert to its pre-COVID-19 pattern.

Motivated reasoning about climate change and the influence of Numeracy, Need for Cognition, and the Dark Factor of Personality

Human information processing is not always rational but influenced by prior attitudes, a phenomenon commonly known as motivated reasoning. We conducted two studies (N1 = 556, N2 = 1198; UK samples) investigating motivated reasoning in the context of climate change with a focus on individual differences as potential moderating factors. While previous research investigated motivated reasoning regarding the debate whether climate change is anthropogenic, we focused on current discourses about the effectiveness of different countermeasures. To this end, participants evaluated fictitious scientific data on the effectiveness of regulations to reduce CO2 emissions. In both studies, participants exhibited motivated reasoning as indicated by the observation that prior attitudes about CO2 reduction policies predicted evaluation of the scientific data. The degree of motivated reasoning was not related to individual difference variables, namely the ability to understand and reason with numbers (Numeracy), the willingness to show this ability (Need for Cognition), and the tendency to maximize one’s individual utility (Dark Factor of Personality). However, numeracy was associated with a less biased interpretation of the presented information. Our research demonstrates that motivated reasoning is a general phenomenon, and points to numerical training as one way to improve reasoning.

The impact of indirect benefits (reduced travel time, fuel use and emissions) in cost benefit analysis of road safety countermeasures.

In cost benefit analysis of road safety countermeasures, all relevant effects on safety, travel time and environment have a substantial impact during economic appraisal. However, in the most widely used road safety appraisal tools such as SafetyAnalyst and International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP), indirect effects related to travel time and environment are not considered. Most economic appraisal studies conducted for road safety countermeasures consider only the safety benefits and ignore the indirect benefits due to lack of models to evaluate them. This study attempts to document the quantitative impact of indirect benefits during economic appraisal of road safety infrastructure investments particularly from the angle of reduced crashes. To this effect, data from 9 European countries and the 20-year infrastructure improvement programme developed for the Netherlands are applied to demonstrate the impact of these indirect benefits through a quantitative study. The results show that indirect benefits increase the value of benefits by 7%, which improves the cost effectiveness of countermeasures. Consequently, the number of countermeasures selected for implementation are increased due to addition of these benefits. Travel time benefits constitute the largest share of indirect benefits with a contribution of 6% to the overall benefits due to countermeasure implementation. In conclusion, indirect benefits have a substantial impact on the computation of benefits and countermeasure selection process. In order to present improved business cases for road safety infrastructure investments, there is need to include these benefits during economic appraisal process. Travel time benefits have the highest portion of all indirect benefits compared to vehicle operating costs (VOCs) and emission benefits. The study recommends conducting more research related to travel time benefits due to countermeasure implementation.

Verification Behaviors and Countermeasures in the Age of Misinformation

Across the globe, social media have become dominant channels of communication and news for many citizens. They also provide online spaces where misleading information can exacerbate social cleavages and political differences in societies, which can then lead to deleterious democratic outcomes. Therefore, much work has sought to understand the ways in which the effects of misinformation can be attenuated. This virtual theme collection highlights eight studies that examined the conditions in which individuals would actively verify information as well as the effectiveness of certain countermeasures designed to help individuals discern information veracity.

Pervasive User Data Collection from Cyberspace: Privacy Concerns and Countermeasures

The increasing use of technologies, particularly computing and communication paradigms, has significantly influenced our daily lives. Interconnecting devices and networks provides convenient platforms for information exchange and facilitates pervasive user data collection. This new environment presents serious privacy challenges. User activities can be continuously monitored in both digital and physical realms. Gathered data can be aggregated and analysed, revealing aspects of user behaviour that may not be apparent from a single data point. The very items that facilitate connectivity simultaneously increase the risk of privacy breaches. The data gathered to provide services can also be used for monitoring and surveillance. This paper discerns three novel categories of privacy concerns relating to pervasive user data collection: privacy and user activity in cyberspace, privacy in personal cyber–physical systems, and privacy in proactive user-driven data collection. We emphasise the primary challenges, ranging from identity tracking in browsing histories to intricate issues in opportunistic networks, situating each within practical, real-world scenarios. Furthermore, we assess the effectiveness of current countermeasures, investigating their strengths and limitations. This paper explores the challenges in preserving privacy in user interactions with dynamic interconnected systems and suggests countermeasures to mitigate identified privacy risks.

Age-driven energy poverty in urban household: Evidence from Guangzhou in China

Energy poverty occurs when a household cannot fulfill its energy needs. Despite its widespread occurrence, Chinese cities have yet to formally recognize energy poverty as distinct from general poverty at the national level, thereby limiting the effectiveness of countermeasures. Guangzhou, a subtropical first-tier city in China, has a complex population comprising diverse migrants and locals of all ages. This age diversity greatly affects energy demand and poverty sensitivity, so analyzing age's impact on energy poverty is crucial. Thus, this paper surveyed 1072 households in 2020 to measure the extent of energy poverty. The energy poverty rate was found to be 13.85 %. Additionally, a U-shaped relationship was discovered between age and energy poverty, with a turning point at age 44. The adults in Guangzhou who are in energy poverty are not in income poverty. Higher education levels were found to impact energy consumption in households of both younger and older adults. For individuals older than 42—or 46 with a higher education level—the likelihood of experiencing energy poverty gradually decreases with age. Our findings indicate a unique pattern in which both younger and older individuals are susceptible to energy poverty in a humid subtropical climate. To achieve the UN's 2030 clean energy goals, policymakers must focus on tailored skill training, enhanced social welfare, and effective affordable housing policies to alleviate energy poverty.

Simulated surrogate measures to assess the effectiveness of countermeasures at signalized intersections

The traditional method for assessing safety conditions at signalized intersections depends on historical crash data. Difficulty and long waits for data collection as well as lack of reliability, represent some limitations. As a result of safety evaluation using traditional methods, countermeasures may be proposed to improve the degree of safety. This paper aims to assess the effectiveness of countermeasures at signalized intersections using micro-simulation model (VISSM10) software and the Surrogate Safety Assessment Model (SSAM) to deal with traffic conflicts as surrogate measures rather than crash data. The study relied on VISSIM10 to create a trajectory file as input of SSAM to conduct a traffic safety assessment using traffic conflict indicators of time to collision (TTC). Four four-legged signalized intersections in the city of Diwaniya are chosen to assess safety and then propose appropriate countermeasures. Different countermeasures are tested through simulation to estimate their effectiveness using two measures: the increase in time to collision and the percentage reduction in traffic conflicts. The results showed that model calibration reduced the mean absolute error of prevention (MAPE) and improved the fit between both the actual conflicts and simulated conflicts. A validation simulation has been performed compared with the observed conflict. According to the linear regression the number that simulated conflicts which highly related to the number of actual conflicts. Additionally, R2 can be described by the difference in simulated conflicts. Results go with effectiveness based on crash data and promising for unknown ones.

Effects of Class Imbalance Countermeasures on Interpretability

Effects of Class Imbalance Countermeasures on Interpretability

Enhancing Cooperation to Counter Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in Kenya

The threat posed by Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in Kenya necessitates robust and coordinated countermeasures. This study investigates collaborative approaches to countering IEDs, focusing on opportunities for enhanced cooperation among stakeholders. The primary objective is to assess the impact of multi-agency collaboration on improving the effectiveness of IED countermeasures and to provide policy recommendations for strengthening these efforts. The study is grounded in the theory of collaborative governance, which emphasizes the importance of interconnectedness and cooperative strategies among various agencies to address complex security challenges. Data were collected from a target population comprising security professionals, government officials, and international partners through a mixed-methods approach. This included a survey with 95 respondents and semi-structured interviews with 15 key informants. Findings from the study indicate a high level of engagement in collaborative efforts to counter IEDs. Survey results reveal that 69.8% of respondents agree or strongly agree that multi-agency collaboration is crucial for addressing IED threats, with a mean rating of 3.59. Similarly, 66.8% acknowledge the significant contributions of international partnerships, with a mean rating of 3.73. Despite these positive perceptions, challenges such as poor coordination and transparency issues in international collaborations were frequently cited. Interviews corroborated these findings, highlighting the need for improved communication channels and trust-building measures. Data analysis involved both quantitative and qualitative methods. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics to summarize the level of agreement on various aspects of collaboration, while qualitative data were subjected to thematic analysis to identify recurring themes and insights. Key recommendations include the establishment of structured frameworks for information sharing, enhancing leadership capacities, and prioritizing transparency in international partnerships. Continuous engagement and knowledge-sharing initiatives are also vital for fostering innovation and effectively refining strategies to counter IED threats. In conclusion, this study underscores the critical importance of enhanced cooperation among stakeholders in mitigating the impact of IEDs in Kenya. By addressing identified challenges and leveraging collaborative opportunities, policymakers and practitioners can develop more effective strategies to improve security outcomes and protect public safety.

Large deformation characteristics and the countermeasures of a deep-buried tunnel in layered shale under groundwater

Deep-buried tunnels constructed through layered soft rocks undergo large deformation, which threatens their safety and leads to construction delay. When a soft rock tunnel is excavated below the water table, the rock mass will deteriorate due to the presence of groundwater, aggravating the large deformation issue. In this work, the Baozhen tunnel excavated in layered carbonaceous shale was taken as a case study to investigate the mechanical behavior and support countermeasures of deep-buried tunnels with a high geostress considering the effect of groundwater. First, laboratory tests were performed to study the groundwater effect on the mechanical properties of the shale. Subsequently, the geological and large deformation characteristics of selected study areas using the original support scheme were analyzed. Using the tested constitutive parameters combined with the field-monitored deformation, a UDEC numerical model was established to investigate the tunnel deformation behavior under different bedding angles, groundwater depths, and shear stresses. Finally, the optimized support scheme was verified through numerical and on-site monitoring results. The tunnel responses at three typical monitoring cross-sections, such as the deformation distribution and normal pressures acting on the primary support and secondary lining, were compared to investigate the effect of groundwater and the optimized support scheme on the tunnel responses. An asymmetric large deformation was induced by the combined action of the soft layered rock and shearing action under the effect of groundwater. The groundwater reduced the rock strength and increased the tunnel deformation, and it also strengthened the unsymmetrical loading effect, which was reflected in the distributions of the tunnel deformation and support pressures. As a countermeasure, asymmetrically arranged rockbolts could help reduce the full-ring tunnel deformation and support pressure by 50.3 % and 22 %, respectively, which could also alleviate the unsymmetrical loading effect, thus enhancing the synergistic performance of the support structures. The insights gained in this study can help improve the effectiveness of countermeasures against layered rock instability while tunneling in the presence of groundwater.

A methodology for setting credible speed limits based on numerical analyses and driving simulator experiments

Speed management is an integral part of the Safe System approach and tackling unsafe speeds is the first action to fix a transport system that fails to protect people. There is a consensus that where traffic speeds are a safety issue, lowering the speed limit is considered “reasonable and safe” for conditions. Nevertheless, not only should a speed limit be reasonable and safe, but it should also be credible. Otherwise, that posted speed limit is likely to be ignored. In many instances, speed limits are not credible and highway agencies still need guidance on appropriate procedures to set credible speed limits. The main objective of this study is to propose and test a novel methodology to set credible speed limits, based on the integration of the results achieved by numerical analyses and driving simulator experiments. The proposed methodology is innovative since it takes into consideration both the design characteristics of the road infrastructure according to a specific procedure as well as the drivers’ operating speeds, which are evaluated using the results of both speed prediction models and driving simulator experiments. The methodology was tested to set new speed limits on the A16 Naples–Canosa motorway, section Baiano–Candela, in southern Italy, where a posted speed limit of 80 km/h is installed in both travel directions and a new speed limit of 100 km/h is proposed, based on the results of the experiments developed within the methodology. Since the speed limit selection is associated with the expected crash frequency, the final selection of the speed limit should take into account also a safety impact assessment, considering both the expected change in the speed distribution as well as the effects of the safety countermeasures implemented in association to the speed limit change. In this study, the proposed safety countermeasures are the activation of four sections with point-to-point speed control and targeted measures at 45 curves, consisting of (1) high friction surface treatments, (2) correction of superelevation deficiencies, (3) installation of curve warning signs, chevrons, and sequential flashing beacons, and (4) shoulder rumble strips. The safety impact assessment shows that the increase in the speed limit combined with the implementation of the proposed safety countermeasures allows a crash reduction of 23%. The estimated benefit/cost ratio of the safety countermeasures is 4.66.