Infrastructure Services Research Articles

A roadmap for a middleware as a federation service for integrative data retrieval of agricultural data.

Agriculture is confronted with several challenges such as climate change, the loss of biodiversity and stagnating productivity. The massive increasing amount of data and new digital technologies promise to overcome them, but they necessitate careful data integration and data management to make them usable. The FAIRagro consortium is part of the National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI) in Germany and will develop FAIR compliant infrastructure services for the agrosystems science community, which will be integrated in the existing research data infrastructure service landscape. Here we present the initial steps of designing and implementing the FAIRagro middleware infrastructure to connect existing data infrastructures. The middleware will feature services for the seamless data integration across diverse infrastructures. Data and metadata are streamlined for research in agrosystems science by downstream processing in the central FAIRagro Search and Inventory Portal and the data integration and analysis workflow system "SciWIn".

PROGRESS: the sectoral approach to cyber resilience

AbstractEach critical infrastructure and vital service represents a unique instance of a complex socio-technical–economic system. Resilience in complex systems is an emergent behaviour that occurs from interactions between components and is not easily predictable from understanding each component in isolation. Yet, cybersecurity practice and maturity models still focus on the robustness of separate components: organizational units, firms, or IT applications. Such a fundamental mismatch between theory and tools is among the causes of pervasive cyber insecurity. We introduce the sectoral capability maturity model to enable a comprehensive improvement of systemic resilience. The promoting global cyber resilience for sectors cyber-capability maturity model incorporates the science of complex systems, cybersecurity frameworks, and two decades of CIP operations experience. The model was successfully applied in resilience assessment projects in a dozen countries. Real-life experience emphasizes the benefits of the sectoral approach to cyber resilience: creating feedback loops within the sector, integrating supply chain and third-party risks, facilitating information flows between stakeholders, enabling cooperation with and among ministries, departments and other authorities, weighting in the links and processes between actors in cybersecurity issues. The established value of the sectoral approach calls for applications that will improve the resilience of essential services while lowering sector-wide cybersecurity expenditures.

Impact of 2022 flood on socio-economic and health status of people residing in flood-stricken areas of Pakistan: a cross-sectional survey

Background: The events of extreme weather and climate-related disasters such as drought, flood, and heat waves are increasing worldwide. This paper highlights the impact of the 2022 flood in Pakistan on the socio-economic and health status of people residing in flood-stricken areas of Pakistan. Methodology: A post-flood survey was conducted from three districts of Pakistan with a myriad of questions inquiring about the biopsychosocial aspects of the affected community. Data were collected through a validated questionnaire and was analyzed through SPSS software version 25. Results: Forty percent of people became homeless; the number of individuals with a low income decreased by 9%; and the number of individuals with a moderate income decreased by 22%. Additionally, 48.7% of subjects lost their income due to flooding, 83.4% of subjects reported having some type of illness or disability since the flooding (previously 16.4%), and 92.8% believed that the floods had affected the health and sanitation of their area. Importantly, 22.6% of subjects expressed difficulty in accessing food after flooding compared to before and 59.9% of respondents noted they were unaware of proper pre-flood evacuation protocols in their area. Conclusion: The authors’ study indicates that the floods had a significant impact on the socio-economic and health status of residents, particularly those with lower incomes depriving a large proportion of nutrition, health facilities, and property. Without access to necessities and healthcare, individuals are more vulnerable to illnesses, such as chronic respiratory disease, diabetes, and heart disease. The authors stress the importance of providing infrastructural, nutritional, and medical services support to ensure that a community such as Pakistan can recover and thrive post-environmental disaster.

Using Time-Series Databases for Energy Data Infrastructures

The management of energy market data, such as load, production, forecasts, and prices, is critical for energy market participants, who develop in-house energy data infrastructure services to aggregate data from many sources to support their business operations. Energy data management frequently involves time sensitive operations, including rapid data ingestion, real-time querying, filling in gaps from missing or delayed data, and updating large volumes of timestamped and loosely structured data, all of which demand high processing power. Traditional relational database management systems (RDBMSs) often struggle with these operations, whereas time series databases (TSDBs) appear to be a more efficient solution, providing enhanced scalability, reliability, real-time data availability and superior performance. This paper examines the advantages of TSDBs over RDBMS for energy data management, demonstrating that TSDBs can either replace or complement RDBMSs. We present quantitative improvements in digestion, integration, architecture, and performance, demonstrating that operations such as importing and querying time-series energy data, along with the overall system’s efficiency, can be significantly improved, achieving up to 100 times faster operations compared to relational databases, all without requiring extensive modifications to the existing information system’s architecture.

PERUBAHAN TATA GUNA LAHAN TERHADAP PARAMETER Cp DAN Ct HSS SNYDER PADA DAERAH ALIRAN SUNGAI SANGAT KECIL (DAS CODE)

The growth in population over time requires improvements in infrastructure services, which often lead to changes in land use within watersheds. These changes frequently result in the ground surface becoming more impervious, ultimately increasing runoff discharge. Land use changes have a significant impact on the Cp and Ct parameters within watersheds. To assess the impact of land use changes, we conducted research using the Snyder Synthetic Unit Hydrograph (SUH) Method on the Code Watershed in 2016 and 2020. Determining the Ct and Cp parameters is essential in predicting peak discharge. Cp is a characteristic watershed parameter that naturally changes as the watershed itself changes, while Ct is a parameter related to watershed slope, which also varies with changes in land use. The analysis shows an increase in the values of both parameters over the two different time periods, leading to an increase in peak discharge. In 2016, Cp and Ct values were 0.40 and 1.80, respectively, with a peak discharge of 0.47 m³/s. By 2020, these values had risen to 0.60 and 1.85, with a peak discharge of 0.68 m³/s. The increase in the Cp parameter indicates that the Code Watershed has become more impervious, reflecting a change in its characteristics. Similarly, the increase in the Ct parameter indicates changes in the watershed slope due to land use constraints. The RMSE calculation results show that the SUH Snyder prediction is consistent with the unit hydrograph calculations.Keywords: land use, discharge, Cp , Ct , SUH Snyder

Causes and Impacts of Flood Events in Emilia-Romagna (Italy) in May 2023

On 1–3 May 2023, severe hydro-meteorological events occurred in the Italian Emilia-Romagna region. Such events caused extensive flooding, landslides, isolation of many areas, evacuation of many families, and severe damage to infrastructure, agriculture, buildings, and essential services. Several municipalities were affected, thousands of civilians had to be evacuated, and losses of life occurred. The consequences beyond the recorded immediate impacts on infrastructure and life were impressive, and extended to the regional economy, specifically in the Fruit Valley, where, in addition to immediate yield losses, long-term damage to orchard production is expected due to persistent flooding. The civil and cultural building heritage has also been heavily affected, both in the countryside and in inhabited centers. Some of the damage, direct and indirect, caused by flooding on buildings will also see an evolution in the medium- to long-term that needs to be addressed. This paper analyzes the manifold aspects of such an atmospheric phenomenon and its impacts to understand the potential increasing occurrence of similar events in the climate change context.

SolarWinds Attack: Stages, Implications, and Mitigation Strategies in the Cyber Age

SolarWinds is a software company based in the United States that provides IT monitoring and management tools. Founded in 1999, SolarWinds offers a variety of products that help organizations manage networks, systems, IT infrastructure, applications and cloud-based services. SolarWinds products are used for performance monitoring, log management, IT security, and data analysis. The company became widely known after a major cybersecurity incident came to light in late 2020, in which their network management software, Orion, was used as a vector for attacks by a state-backed hacking group. These attacks affected many organizations, including government agencies and private companies, and led to an increased focus on software supply chain security. This paper has reviewed stages, Implications, and mitigation strategies of SolarWinds.

Impact of E-Governance on Public Service Efficiency

This study examines the complex relationship between e-governance implementation and public service efficiency across diverse socio-economic contexts. Through a comprehensive review of recent literature, the research investigates how digital technologies reshape government operations and citizen interactions. The analysis reveals that while e-governance generally leads to improvements in service delivery, cost reduction, and increased transparency, these benefits vary significantly based on factors such as technological infrastructure, digital literacy, and specific service domains. The study challenges assumptions about immediate efficiency gains, particularly in developing countries where initial costs may increase due to the need for parallel traditional systems. The research emphasizes the importance of context-specific approaches, continuous evaluation, and addressing digital divide issues for successful e-governance implementation. These findings contribute to a nuanced understanding of e-governance's impact on public service efficiency, offering valuable insights for policymakers and public administrators navigating the digital transformation of government services.

Critical Success Factors for Public–Private Partnerships in Urban Regeneration Projects

Public–Private Partnership (PPP) arrangements are used in different sectors in the provision of infrastructure and public services. The use of PPP agreements in urban regeneration projects, although more recent, has been gaining prominence in different contexts. However, in many cases, PPP projects have a controversial implementation, often not achieving the proposed objectives and presenting negative results. Their controversial implementation is the result of a lack of knowledge and lack of application of the best practices and Critical Success Factors (CSFs) associated with them. Based on this, the present study aims to identify and analyze the CSFs for PPP arrangements in urban regeneration projects. The study was conducted in two distinct parts. The first part consists of a literature review on the PPP CSFs in general. The second part consists of the development of a questionnaire seeking to identify the CSFs of PPP arrangements for urban regeneration projects. Based on the literature review and the questionnaire answers, the main success factors of PPP projects for urban regeneration were identified and structured in the framework with five main clusters: two related to the external environment (enabling environment and exogenous factors) and three related to the internal environment (preparation phase, procurement phase, and contract management phase).

Physical activity habits among members of the Athens Medical Society in Greece

Abstract Introduction Benefits of regular physical activity and exercise are well documented. Healthcare workers play a crucial role in counseling and appropriately referring their patients to adopt physical activity. However, doctors’ exercise habits range between different medical specialties and health service infrastructure. Purpose In this study, we assess physicians’ exercise performance according to the recommendations of 2020 ESC Guidelines. Methods The population of this cross-sectional study comprised 742 physicians of the Athens Medical Society (AMS), Greece. The study instrument was a self-administered questionnaire mailed in October 2023 to investigate physicians’ exercise habits, baseline characteristics of population, specialty, and health service infrastructure [Greek National Healthcare System (GNHS) or Private Practice (PP)]. European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Guidelines recommend at least 150 min/week of moderate-intensity exercise in all healthy adults. Subjects were divided in two groups according to their compliance to ESC Guidelines: 1. Moderate-intensity endurance exercise training per week ≥ 150 min (Group A); 2. Moderate-intensity endurance exercise training per week <150 min (Group B). Results The recommended exercise training per week goal is achieved by the majority of AMS members (53.4%) with an estimated mean exercise endurance training time of 240 ± 285 minutes. Between Group A and Group B there was no difference in age (50±12years vs. 50±13years, p=0.73), whereas there was significant difference in male sex prevalence (58% vs. 43%, p <0.001), in Body Mass Index (24.7 ± 3.8 kg/m2 vs. 26.2 ± 4.7 kg/m2, p <0.001), in Smoking habits (17.4% vs. 23.5%, p=0.04), in diabetes mellitus incidence (6.6% vs. 11.8%, p= 0.01) and in the use of activity monitoring wearables (45.2% vs. 29.8%, p<0.001). Interestingly, there was significant difference between GNHS and PP doctors representation in Group A and B with more doctors in the PP categorized in the Group A (p=0.008) (Figure 1). Importantly, logistic regression analysis revealed that even after adjustment for the aforementioned confounders there was significant under-representation of the GNHS in the Group A or otherwise doctors in the GNHS have 33% decrease odds of achieving the recommended exercise training per week (Odds Ratio: 0.676, 95%CI 0.484, 0.943, p=0.02) (Table 1). Conclusion A significant proportion of the AMS members follows the recommended ESC guidelines for minimum exercise training per week. Several factors affect their adherence to exercise time recommendation. Interestingly, AMS doctors working on the GNHS independently of other factors are less adherent to exercise recommendations. These findings emphasize the need to strengthen prevention strategies to AMS.

Perbandingan Evaluasi Kerentanan Menggunakan Tenable Nessus Scanner dan Owasp Zed Attack Proxy untuk Meningkatkan Keamanan Sistem Informasi Kepegawaian di Universitas Merdeka Malang

This study aims to compare the vulnerability analysis between Tenable Nessus Scanner and OWASP Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP) for improving the security of the Human Resource Information System (HRIS) website at Universitas Merdeka Malang. The research methodology includes the use of both Nessus and OWASP ZAP tools to scan the HRIS website for potential vulnerabilities. The findings of this research indicate that OWASP ZAP identified several critical web application vulnerabilities such as the absence of Anti-CSRF tokens, lack of Content Security Policy (CSP) headers, and missing Anti-Clickjacking headers, which are essential for maintaining the security and integrity of user data. On the other hand, Nessus Scanner focused more on network and server infrastructure vulnerabilities. The results suggest that OWASP ZAP is more effective for web application security in this context. Recommendations are provided to address the identified vulnerabilities and enhance the overall security of the HRIS website.

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION UNDER MILITARY THREATS: UKRAINIAN EXPERIENCE OF ADAPTING TO CRISIS SITUATIONS

The article examines the Ukrainian experience of public administration under conditions of military threat as of 2022-2024. The key challenges faced by Ukraine during the full-scale war are analyzed, including the destruction of critical infrastructure and the need to ensure uninterrupted provision of public services. Special attention is paid to the digitization of public administration, which played a decisive role in maintaining the stability of state institutions. The role of the «Action» platform and other innovative solutions that enabled interaction between citizens and the government in crisis conditions is described. The impact of decentralization on the ability of local authorities to respond to the challenges of war has been studied. The interaction with international partners within the framework of the SIGMA program, which is aimed at providing support in the reform of public administration with a course towards European integration, is characterized. A comparative analysis of the Ukrainian experience with other European countries that faced large-scale crises was carried out, and unique aspects of the Ukrainian model of adaptation were revealed. The article analyzes strategies for the restoration and modernization of the state administration of Ukraine in crisis conditions. Attention is focused on the interaction between the state and corporate sectors to maintain economic activity even in conditions of active hostilities. The role of business relocation to safer regions and the influence of state support on the stabilization of the labor market and the economy are outlined. Programs aimed at restoring infrastructure and vital services in cooperation with international partners are mentioned. The experience of implementing temporary solutions to ensure the basic needs of the population is described. It examines the impact of international aid and financial support through IMF and World Bank programs that helped maintain budget stability and avoid economic collapse. The perspectives of public administration during Ukraine's integration into European structures and further strengthening of public administration are highlighted. Special attention is paid to the prospects for the development of public administration in the post-war period, the solution of socio-economic problems, the restoration of infrastructure and the attraction of investments. Strategic directions for reforming public administration for the future are proposed, taking into account the experience of the war and cooperation with international institutions.

Sustainability nexus AID: infrastructure resilience

Infrastructure resilience advanced through nexus thinking is pivotal for societies to handle disruptions and ensure sustainable functionality. This interconnected approach understands infrastructure as an interdependent complex system and enables cooperative planning to achieve resilience. However, challenges like data inadequacy, financial limitations and governance issues impede its adoption, especially in developing regions. The United Nations University (UNU) Sustainability Nexus Analytics, Informatics and Data (AID) Programme strives to promote integrated resource management for sustainable development and fulfilling the UN 2030 Agenda. Through its Infrastructure Resilience Module, the initiative provides tools, data platforms and localised capacity building to empower professionals and communities for evidence-based, collaborative decision-making accounting for intersectoral relationships. By supporting context-specific analytical capabilities, bridging data gaps, and governance silos, the programme aims to pave the way for resilient and sustainable infrastructure development, particularly across vulnerable regions in the Global South, which face disproportionate infrastructure service disruptions.

VonEdgeSim: A Framework for Simulating IoT Application in Volunteer Edge Computing

Recently, various emerging technologies have been introduced to host IoT applications. Edge computing, utilizing volunteer devices, could be a feasible solution due to the significant and underutilized resources at the edge. However, cloud providers are still reluctant to offer it as an edge infrastructure service because of the unpredictable nature of volunteer resources. Volunteer edge computing introduces challenges such as reliability, trust, and availability. Testing this infrastructure is prohibitively expensive and not feasible in real-world scenarios. This emerging technology will not be fully realized until dedicated research and development efforts have substantiated its potential for running reliable services. Therefore, this paper proposes VonEdgeSim, a simulation of volunteer edge computing. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first and only simulation capable of mimicking volunteer behavior at the edge. Researchers and developers can utilize this simulation to test and develop resource management models. We conduct experiments with various IoT applications, including Augmented Reality, Infotainment, and Health Monitoring. Our results show that incorporating volunteer devices at the edge can significantly enhance system performance by reducing total task delay, and improving task execution time. This emphasizes the potential of volunteers to provide reliable services in an edge computing environment. The simulation code is publicly available for further development and testing.

A systematic review of the extant literature on the Tanzanian e-government services for economic development

This paper investigates the existing Tanzanian e-government services for economic development through a systematic review of the literature. The main objective is to examine researchers’ articles on e-government services towards achieving the Tanzanian economic growth as well as the current issues and trends on e-government globally. Specifically, this study aims to answer three research questions on: what are the functional e-government services in Tanzania? What is the level of Tanzanian e-government service performance? And what are the factors influencing Tanzanian e-government service performance for economic development? A systematic literature search was conducted on four aggregate data sources, which included Google Scholar, ResearchGate, CORE, and Refseek. A combination of search key terms was employed to obtain the data sources from 2015 to 2022. One hundred and five articles were found by the combined search and screened, resulting to eighteen articles that were recommended for the study. Content and Microsoft Excel computer application were used to analyse the screened data sources. The findings reveal that, a number of functional services is offered and considered potential for revenue collection and contribute to the nation's economic development. Nevertheless, Tanzania has improved and dynamically advanced to the transaction level of e-government implementation where the majority of the citizens interact for services and information. However, factors related to the activeness of the platforms, accessibility, usability, infrastructure, security issues, privacy, and technical support services among others, were identified to influence the performance of Tanzanian e-government services and thus call attention to the government in addressing these issues.

Key determinants of digital transformation stages in Vietnam logistics industry

This research investigates the determinants of digital transformation among Vietnamese logistics service providers (LSPs). Employing the Technological-Organizational-Environmental framework and Resource Fit theory, the study identifies key factors influencing this process across different three stages: digitization, digitalization, digital transformation. Data from in-depth interviews with industry experts and a survey of 390 LSPs were analyzed using covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM). The findings reveal that the factors influencing the digital transformation of Vietnamese LSPs evolve across different stages. In the initial phase, information technology infrastructure, financial resources, employee capabilities, external pressures, and support services are key determinants. As digitalization progresses, leadership emerges as a crucial factor alongside the existing ones. In the final stage, the impact of these factors persists, with leadership and employee capabilities becoming increasingly important.

The Impact of Toll Road Development on Urbanization Typology and Economic Structure (Case Study: Palikanci Toll Road in Ciledug District, Cirebon Regency)

This study examines the impact of toll roads on regional growth, specifically focusing on the Ciledug District, which has been crossed by the Palikanci Toll Road since 2009. The research identifies the typology of urbanization and assesses changes in the area’s economic structure due to the toll road. A mixed method approach was used, combining qualitative and quantitative data collection, land change analysis via Google Earth and ArcGis 13.1, and field observations of land use. The findings reveal gentrification in the northern part of Ciledug, marked by the growth of business centers in Jatiseeng and rising land prices. This has led to the expansion of settlements toward the southern area, particularly in Jatiseeng Kidul. The toll road and the industrial estate in North Ciledug have accelerated the transformation of the local economy, with residents diversifying their livelihoods to adapt to urbanization. However, the study also notes a lack of improvement in essential infrastructure services, suggesting that regional development policies have not yet adapted to the gentrification, posing risks of urban sprawl.

A Descriptive Analysis of Human-Environment Interactions in the Suburban Area of Pune City

The Baner-Balewadi was a rural area that transformed into a residential suburb and is now metamorphosing into a commercial and educational hub of Pune city. This area is now a part of Pune Municipal Corporation and is occupied by various schools, universities, and IT companies. The decadal population growth rate of the Baner-Balewadi area is 275%; it is much higher than the Pune district’s and city’s growth rate, which makes it a fascinating area for this study. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in this area covering three major regions: Balewadi Highstreet, Baner-Balewadi road, and NICMAR University. The data for 15 parameters were gathered, a total of 38 survey samples were collected using stratified random sampling, and land use was mapped to understand the grassroots reality. Thereafter, the parameters were analysed using a descriptive statistical technique, and spider mapping was used for data presentation. The strengths and challenges regarding infrastructural services, transportation, socio-economic factors, environment, and land use were identified. The results show that the waste collection is strong, but there are drinking water issues in the area. The recent development is causing stress on the infrastructural services and unregulated land-use change leading to environmental degradation. The metro construction is causing a lot of noise and air pollution, and people will still prefer buses as a transportation medium in the future because of good connectivity. The study is concluded with area-wise parametric recommendations made after examining the advancement, challenges, and gaps identified at the grassroots from both stakeholders’ and experts’ perspectives.

Watt’s fair in Mumbai: intermediaries’ impact on energy justice in informal settlements

Abstract India’s ongoing energy transitions are a systemic response to addressing critical challenges associated with climate change. Importantly, it leverages decarbonization as a strategic pivot to simultaneously mitigate and adapt to climate risks. The decarbonization agenda is largely skewed towards mitigation, struggling with adaptation alignments. Energy justice is a core dimension of adaptation intervention and it is important to explore how energy justice is or can be conceptualized and delivered as the decarbonization agenda is underway. Existing research suggests that, in the cities of the Global South, active involvement of intermediaries becomes a pivotal anchor and pathway to access infrastructure services, especially in low-income and informal settlements. Importantly, advocacy efforts by intermediaries also tackle existing injustices that restrict these settlements from accessing essential infrastructure services. Intermediaries become especially important in cities like Mumbai, where 41% of the people live in informal settlements (slums). Using Mumbai as a case study, this paper explores two questions in the context of intermediaries, energy access, and energy justice. First, how do intermediaries engage with infrastructure and governance structures to enable access to electricity in informal settlements? Second, does this ‘intermediation’ deliver just outcomes? Empirical fieldwork reveals that intermediaries serve as a quasi-political counterbalance by engaging in ‘politics from the bottom’ to articulate justice concerns, mobilize stakeholders, and produce knowledge that feeds back into the intermediation process. We argue that this is important if we need to ensure that energy transitions do not create systemic inequities and that the benefits of the ongoing transition are widespread and just.

Assessing the Inner Setting among Massachusetts Community Health Centers: Opportunities for Multilevel Investigation and Expansion of Influences on Health Equity.

Background Implementation science increasingly aims to improve equity in delivery of evidence-based interventions. It is important to expand the conceptualization of the inner setting, organizations like community health centers where interventions are put into place, accordingly. Taking a comprehensive, partnered approach to measuring the inner setting among a network of community health centers engaged in implementation research ensures assessment of the variability among sites and generates centralized contextual data that can be applied across studies. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey among staff (n = 63) from 12 community health centers in Massachusetts engaged in research at the Implementation Science Center for Cancer Control Equity. The survey assessed inner setting constructs from the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, including learning climate, leadership engagement, available resources, and implementation demands/stress using validated measures. Additional equity-focused inner setting items included structural characteristics of the work infrastructure and language access services. Descriptive statistics examined differences by staff role and health center. Results Staff rated learning climate (mean = 3.98) and leadership engagement (mean = 3.67) positively, while available resources (mean = 2.78) had the lowest rating, particularly staffing resources. Clinical staff rated the inner context lowest compared to other roles. Most centers provided tuition assistance and all reported supportive human resources benefits for caregiving, while fewer offered formal mentorship or affinity groups. Most community health centers reported written materials are routinely provided to patients in languages other than English and interpreter services were most common in Spanish, Vietnamese, and Portuguese. Conclusions This study provides a baseline assessment of the inner setting within Massachusetts community health centers. Periodic follow-up surveys will monitor changes over time. Data can be used in future analyses to explore how inner setting characteristics influence implementation outcomes and impact equitable translation of evidence-based interventions into practice.