National Infrastructure Research Articles

On the Construction Safety Control of Water Conservancy and Hydropower Projects

Water conservancy and hydropower project, as the core part of national infrastructure, has always carried the heavy responsibility of national economic development. With the progress of society and the rapid change of science and technology, water conservancy and hydropower projects have achieved unprecedented development in scale and technology. However, in this development trend, we have to face up to a crucial issue construction safety. Construction safety is not only directly related to the life safety of the construction personnel, but also related to the progress and quality of the whole project, and even affect the stability of the surrounding environment and the society. This paper aims to discuss the importance of construction safety control by analyzing the safety risks of water conservancy and hydropower project construction, and put forward a series of feasible control measures.

Childhood Cancer Survivorship Passport Challenges in the European Health Data Space.

Innovation in cancer therapy has increased childhood cancer survival rates. However, survivors are still at risk of developing late effects. In the digital transformation of the health sector, the Survivorship Passport (SurPass) can support long-term follow-up care plans. Gaps in seamless connectivity among hospital departments, primary care, combined with the time of health professionals required to collect and fill-in health data in SurPass, are barriers to its adoption in daily clinical practice. The PanCareSurPass (PCSP) project was motivated to address these gaps by a new version of SurPass (v2.0) that supports semi-automatic assembly from organizational Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems of the treatment summary data using HL7 FHIR, to create SurPass, and to link it to regional or national digital health infrastructures in six European countries. In this paper we present the methodology used to develop the SurPass technical implementation strategy with special focus on the European Health Data Space (EHDS). The recently provisionally approved EHDS regulation instruments a digital health data ecosystem with opportunities for cost-effective SurPass implementation across Europe. Moving forward, a European HL7 FHIR SurPass Implementation Guide along with synthetic data sets, and validation tools can enrich the European Electronic Health Record Exchange Format (EEHRxF) with use cases on health & wellness of childhood cancer survivors.

Short-Term Training, a Useful Approach for Sustainable Pharmacovigilance Knowledge Development in Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia and Rwanda.

Continuous professional development among stakeholders involved in drug safety monitoring and surveillance is imperative in strengthening pharmacovigilance (PV) systems. The "Pharmacovigilance infrastructure and post-marketing surveillance system capacity building for regional medicine regulatory harmonization in East Africa" (PROFORMA) project aims to enhance the national PV infrastructure, post-marketing surveillance systems and clinical trial regulatory capabilities in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya and Rwanda. To achieve this, training, including short-term training (STT) activities, at various levels is required. This article aims to describe the experiences of the authors during the development and implementation of STT in an attempt to improve the PV training landscape of these countries. To identify gaps, a baseline assessment of PV teaching and practices at the national medicines regulatory authorities (NMRAs) and medical universities was conducted. Five successive training sessions, tailored to each country's specific needs and regulatory environments, were conducted; three focusing on fundamental concepts in PV and two dedicated to training-of-trainers courses. The training targeted staff from PV units of the NMRAs and medical universities. Enabling participation from all four countries in the same training fostered cross-country learning and collaboration. The contribution of STT to university education and the operational methodologies within NMRAs are explored, showcasing the impact on knowledge transfer and skill development in each country. In conclusion, by investing strategically in STT activities and fostering partnerships with academic institutions and NMRAs, we demonstrated a sustainable approach to PV capacity strengthening in resource-limited settings. The success of this model underscores its potential for adoption and replication across the African continent, offering a valuable framework for strengthening drug safety regulation and ultimately protecting public health.

Risk assessment of national railway infrastructure due to sea-level rise: an application of a methodological framework in Italian coastal railways

Nowadays, within the built environment, railway infrastructures play a key role to sustain national policies oriented toward promoting sustainable mobility. For this reason, national institutions and infrastructure managers need to increase their awareness in relation to the current and future climate risks on their representative systems. Among climate change impacts, preventing the effects of sea-level rise (SLR) on coastal railway infrastructures is a priority. The first step in the climate change adaptation policy cycle is the development of an ad hoc climate risk assessment. In this view, this research develops a vulnerability and a risk assessment metric to identify the hotspots within a national coastal railway due to the SLR impacts. The proposed methodology required different steps to quantify the SLR projections and the vulnerability characteristics of the assets, in terms of sensitivity and adaptive capacity. The investigated case study is the coastal railway infrastructure in Italy, thanks to an initial approach of co-design participative processes with the national Infrastructure Manager: Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI). The results of this application, although not included in the paper due to confidential reasons imposed by the infrastructure manager — led to a clear identification of the areas and the coastal railway sections which are exposed to high levels of risks and of the places which require priority actions for urgent adaptation in a view of climate proof infrastructures.

Increasing Security Levels in the Tourism and Air-Transport Industries Could Enhance African People’s Quality of Life and Tourism Demand

The aims of this study are to analyze the tourism and air-transport industries in Africa and determine how African governments could improve the safety of tourists and local communities in this region to improve resident quality of life and tourism demand. Indeed, this study tries to improve African people’s lives through the tourism and travel sectors so that they can thrive in terms of their quality of life and happiness. The findings of the current study reveal that Morocco, Egypt, South Africa, and Tunisia are the most visited countries by international tourists; in fact, these four countries are the ones that generated the most income from international tourism in the period analyzed. Moreover, the results suggest that the tourism and air-transport industries in Africa could improve national economies, infrastructure, and resident quality of life thanks to international tourism receipts and increasing security levels around travel and tourism activities. Obviously, the tourism industry cannot be developed when there is constant insecurity, terrorism, and perpetual armed conflicts, as is the case in Nigeria, Somalia, DR Congo, Libya, Mali, and Cameroon, among many others. Security is the most important factor for a tourist destination because the safety and security of residents and tourists are the primary factors affecting tourism growth. The novelty of this research resides in its willingness to improve African people’s quality of life through air-transport and tourism activities, providing security guarantees for tourist and resident safety. This manuscript also contributes to enhancing and bootstrapping the literature on security in the travel and tourism sectors industry, particularly in Africa, where security is a priority more than a necessity.

Quality leadership, technology integration and patient care quality across countries: moderating roles of national culture and infrastructure development

PurposeTo better understand the nature and effective delivery of quality health-care globally, this paper aims to study the role of quality leadership on patient care quality (PCQ) delivered in hospitals, including the intervening role of technology integration and two country-level factors – national culture and infrastructure development – in North America (Canada, Mexico and the USA).Design/methodology/approachPCQ comprises four facets: interpersonal, technical, environmental and administrative quality. Using survey data and interdisciplinary theoretical support (e.g. quality management and the Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness Project [GLOBE] model of national culture), this paper tested for moderated mediation between hospital quality leadership and the four-facet PCQ model with technology integration as the mediator and national culture and infrastructure development as moderators.FindingsResults show that technology integration partially mediates the relationship between hospital quality leadership and PCQ and that national culture and infrastructure development shape the role of hospital quality leadership on PCQ. Hence, these national factors must be considered holistically to understand the impact of hospital quality leadership on patient care.Practical implicationsTo improve PCQ, hospital leaders should broaden their understanding of quality health-care to include technology integration and an awareness of cultural and institutional differences across nations.Originality/valueThis paper used primary data from hospital quality leaders and the four-facet PCQ conceptualization across three large North American nations, offering a more global understanding of service quality in health-care.

AI-Driven Threat Detection and Response Systems for Secure National Infrastructure Networks: A Comprehensive Review

Abstract: Due to the increased complexity and damage of cyberattacks in this digital age, the security of national infrastructure networks has become a vital concern. However, a possible approach to improve the cybersecurity of these crucial networks is to incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) into threat detection and response systems; to rapidly evaluate large data sets, identify anomalies, and automate countermeasures to lessen the effects of cyberattacks. The impact, implementation and approaches for anomaly detection and response automation of AI-powered solutions for safeguarding national infrastructure are examined in this paper. Understanding how AI technologies are used to automate threat detection and response, reviewing the operational usefulness of AI in enhancing cybersecurity measures and evaluating the deployment of these systems in critical infrastructure settings were also examined. The study revealed that the speed and accuracy of threat detection and response are greatly increased by AI-powered systems. The automation capacity of AI can potentially reduce the need for human analysts, while also providing faster threat mitigation. Additionally, the usefulness of AI across sectors indicates its practicality in situations and how it may adapt in response to new threats. In conclusion, AI-driven threat detection and response systems are an important development in national infrastructure network cybersecurity. Therefore, by improving the capacity to recognize and address cyber-attacks these technologies can ultimately increase the overall resilience of national infrastructures.

Методическое сопровождение аудита консолидированной финансовой отчетности в условиях обеспечения технологического суверенитета Российской Федерации

The article describes problems and presents solutions in the field of methodological support for auditing. The goal is to consider the key points of the methodology for conducting an audit of the consolidated financial statements with the designation of innovations to ensure the technological sovereignty of the Russian Federation. Recommendations and procedures that should be created based on big data technology are presented. The need to adopt and implement innovations in training, the creation of domestic software for auditors, and a national infrastructure for processing databases is explained.

Tracking transitions: an ethnographic visual study of the manual sand miners in Bihar, India

This ground-breaking visual essay encapsulates a 20-year ethnographic study on manual sand miners in Koilwar, Bihar, India, along the River Sone. Highlighting the participant perspective of the miners, this work is the result of a close collaboration between the miners and the researchers. It traces the evolving lifestyle patterns of manual sand miners in Koilwar – depicting the humble beginnings, a peak phase, and a subsequent gradual decline. It underscores the decline of a once-sustainable manual sand mining culture, sacrificed in the pursuit of advancing the national economy and infrastructure in a developing country like India. This independent study is a collaboration between Puneet Gupta, a photography researcher and faculty member and Ashish Gupta, a documentary photographer. Ashish started photographing sand miners in 2003, and Puneet joined in 2013.

Regional public infrastructures and development in decentralized Indonesia

ABSTRACT Empirical evidence on how investment in public capital by different levels of government plays a role in influencing socioeconomic development within the context of decentralized developing countries has been relatively limited. Using a case study of Indonesia, this paper aims to analyse the relationships between regional public infrastructures developed by different levels of government using different sources of budget and regional socioeconomic development. To achieve this goal, this paper utilizes a longitudinal data at district/city level, covering over 513 districts and cities in the country, for the period of 2010–2017. Our results show that, compared to those developed by district/city governments, infrastructures developed by provincial governments using their infrastructure budgets or utilizing national government infrastructure budgets deconcentrated to them have been more effective in inducing regional socioeconomic development in their regions. This paper recommends that the Indonesian government enhance the roles of provincial governments in developing regional infrastructure and provide strong incentives to support districts and cities in planning and implementing infrastructure projects.

Distributed leadership and the shaping of infrastructure project portfolios

Important socio-technical changes are increasingly being implemented through major programmes or portfolios of projects (Maylor et al., 2006). These interventions, while necessary for modernisation and the green transition, cause short-term disruption which generates discord and opposition impacting stakeholder perception. The long-term sustainable transformation of rail transportation infrastructure toward electrification, greater speed, digital signalling, creates great benefit in terms of energy and carbon efficiency, reliability, and punctuality, but the short-term disruption caused by the projects can reduce the attractiveness of this mode of transport. This paper reports findings from an embedded case study with the Danish national railway infrastructure owner and analyses how the leadership team uses distributed leadership as a dynamic process of project and portfolio shaping which internalises diverse external perspectives and reconciles competing objectives. Using the “Tesseract” four-dimensional model of project success Ika and Pinto (2022a)to frame these competing interests, this paper presents a model of how distributed leadership shapes the railway project portfolio through the considerations of coherence, disruption, and benefit.

Optimizing electronic health records to support artificial intelligence

Electronic health records (EHRs) provide the most important data sources for artificial intelligence (AI). Gaining access to quality data suitable for advanced analytics continues to be challenging. This rapid review documents the current state of available data; identifies foundational AI data/information needs; and explores the benefits of adopting new and emerging technologies to design and implement next-generation EHRs. Opportunities to optimize EHRs for AI purposes are identified. This review was informed by expert knowledge and shared experiences supported by the literature, including technical standards. Main findings include poor ecosystem-wide infrastructures due to the lack of adopting the right set of standards, and current data and knowledge governance no longer fit for purpose. While many jurisdictions are continuing the use of legacy systems, some forward-looking national health systems and health-care facilities are adopting transformational strategies by adopting a strong data and digital focus to transition to new-generation systems. New foundational-level national infrastructures with strong leadership and governance are essential to enhance the governance and quality of available data, from collection at source throughout the entire data supply chain. Secure and ubiquitous access to high-quality EHR data at scale will foster the evolution of more intelligent and trustworthy AI. Key characteristics of next-generation EHRs supported by currently available technologies and standards that are able to meet digital era demands are provided in this paper. We conclude that the use of generative AI in clinical settings can only be reliably achieved when EHRs are optimized throughout the entire global digital health ecosystem.

The Road to Crime: An Unintended Consequence of the Interstate Highway System

Abstract The necessity to overhaul national infrastructure has become one of the key issues of US domestic policy in recent years. While the benefits of infrastructure spending are often straightforward, its unintended consequences are less well understood. This paper studies the impact of transportation infrastructure on local crime, focusing on the construction of the Interstate Highway System (IHS), the largest public works project in US history. Using a staggered difference-in-differences design and a county-by-year panel dataset spanning all US counties between 1960 and 1993, we find that a highway opening in a county led to an 8% rise in total index crime. This effect is driven by property crime (burglary, larceny, and motor vehicle theft), although some evidence suggests an increase in violent crime as well. Exploring potential mechanisms, we show that the positive effect of highways on crime is concentrated in counties with low pre-existing stock of police resources where increased connectivity may have raised the returns to crime. Moreover, we find that highway construction induced higher local employment, average firm size, and the local population size, thus increasing the returns to criminal activity, and ultimately the risk of victimisation in the newly-connected counties.

Prospects for the development of national logistics under sanctions

The article examines the theoretical background and practical experience of creating a logistics startup in the context of the national logistics infrastructure. The purpose of this scientific article is to develop a system of recommendations for implementing a logistics startup in conditions of economic turbulence. The relevance of the stated topic is due to the fact that due to international instability of economic relations, a significant part of the logistics export and import channels have collapsed, which requires entrepreneurial initiative to create new supply channels taking into account current foreign economic realities. At the same time, in the current conditions, the problems of the Russian logistics system related to its lack of self–sufficiency and the presence of certain links, the existence of which is necessary to ensure its integrity, have become urgent. In particular, these links are represented by structures providing container transportation, structures authorized to carry out international insurance and technology companies used in organizing navigation and dispatch processes. The high probability that Russia will be cut off from global logistics processes for a long time indicates that there are unfilled niches in the country for the creation of domestic logistics start–ups, which requires the implementation of logistics start–ups on conditions other than standard market ones.

Legal Regulation of Cybersecurity and Privacy on the Internet as SDG's

Objective: The article focuses on the conceptual framework for the formation and development of legal regulation of cybersecurity and privacy on the Internet. Theoretical Framework: Technological development has provided humanity with many clear benefits. However, it has also created severe challenges and threats to national security, critical infrastructure, private persons and states, as well as the international community. In Ukraine, these issues have been exacerbated by the Russian-Ukrainian war. Method: The research methodology is based on a logical and systematic presentation and analysis of the material related to the process of legal support for cybersecurity and privacy. Results and Discussion: Today, states and international organizations have to pursue two different policies: one in the virtual environment and the other in the real world. The Presidential Commission on Critical Infrastructure Protection was established in 1996 in the United States. As of today, the definition of “cybersecurity” has been determined at the legislative level. It includes 10 fundamental principles related to the development of the Internet and its impact on human life. Research Implications: The previous legislative experience of international law related to cybersecurity and privacy has been summarized. Originality/Value: In Ukraine, the process of legal support for cybersecurity and privacy on the Internet is also ongoing. Ukraine has both ratified several international documents related to this issue and has its own legislative framework.

Perspectives on U.S. University research reactor policy

Abstract Widely promoted by the Atomic Energy Commission in the 1950s and 1960s, university research reactors allowed faculty to experiment with neutron scattering, advancing our understanding of organic and inorganic materials. These advances led to innovations in commercial products, including automobiles, computers, medicine, and batteries. However, since the 1980s, more than half of all the university research reactors have been decommissioned and remaining reactors are ill-suited for modern needs. RTI International assembled a team of economists, neutron scientists, and policy analysts to examine the history of university research reactor policy in the USA, assess barriers to greater usage, and consider how US policy differs from those in other countries. We present three policy options to enhance the role of university research reactors in federal research and the national science infrastructure landscape.

The Current Status and Challenges of Cybersecurity Risks

<i>Research Context and Aims</i>: The swift expansion of internet technologies has rendered the digital network essential to contemporary life, highlighting the significance of cybersecurity. Network data not only encompasses personal information management and communication but also pertains to the protection of confidential corporate, governmental, and vital national infrastructures. Consequently, cybersecurity has become a critical issue in current society. Frequent occurrences like privacy violations, data thefts, and national security threats underline the critical need for enhanced network defenses and protective measures. <i>Research Approach</i>: This study examines the state of cybersecurity by assessing pertinent studies across public databases such as PubMed, CNKI, and CrossRef. It compiles and evaluates significant cybersecurity events including data breaches, malware attacks, and phishing, outlining key security challenges faced by networks. The paper also evaluates the current cybersecurity technologies and methods, pinpointing their effectiveness and limitations in addressing network threats. <i>Research Findings</i>: The findings reveal that cyber attackers have refined their methods, employing sophisticated, covert techniques for prolonged periods, which often outpace current defenses. In cases of data breaches, perpetrators frequently utilize precise social engineering or deploy advanced persistent threats (APTs). Additionally, the proliferation of IoT technology has not only obscured the boundaries of cybersecurity but also broadened potential attack vectors. Despite the implementation of security measures like encryption and multi-factor authentication, these can be compromised by managerial or operational oversights. <i>Research Conclusions</i>: With the cybersecurity landscape becoming increasingly challenging, future defenses will likely prioritize the adoption of integrated, proactive strategies. It is crucial to foster the development of smart security solutions, such as leveraging artificial intelligence to detect and respond to anomalies. Furthermore, boosting security awareness among users and ensuring standardized practices are imperative. Ultimately, formulating future cybersecurity policies will require a holistic approach, integrating technological, managerial, legal, and educational initiatives to forge a robust network defense architecture.

Conceptual design of the tail research experiment at the Space Plasma Environment Research Facility (SPERF-TREX)

The Space Plasma Environment Research Facility (SPERF) for ground simulation of the space plasma environment is a key component of the Space Environment Simulation Research Infrastructure (SESRI), a major national science and technology infrastructure for fundamental research. It is designed to investigate outstanding issues in the space plasma environment, such as energetic particle acceleration, transport, and interaction with electromagnetic waves, as well as magnetic reconnection processes, in magnetospheric plasmas. The Tail-Research EXperiment (TREX) is part of the SPERF for laboratory studies of space physics relevant to magnetic reconnection, dipolarization and hydromagnetic wave excitation in the magnetotail. SPERF-TREX is designed to carry out three types of experiments: the tail plasmoid for magnetic reconnection, dipolarization front formation, and magnetohydrodynamic waves excited by high-speed plasma jets. In this paper, the scientific goals and three scenarios of SPERF-TREX for typical processes in space plasmas are presented, and experimental plans for SPERF-TREX are also reviewed, together with the plasma sources applied to generate the plasma with the desired parameters and various magnetic configurations.

Utilising InSAR for monitoring infrastructure at national scales

Interferometric SAR (InSAR) is now a widely used tool for the monitoring of infrastructure, in particular mines, dams, and oil and gas facilities. The technology is also widely used for the monitoring of construction activities such as tunnelling. With the growth of globally available and continuously updated SAR datasets, the monitoring of entire regional and national infrastructure networks is now feasible. Here we show how continuously updated, network-wide, InSAR datasets can be used to proactively manage large infrastructure networks such as roads, railways, and water pipelines. In the UK continuously updated InSAR data (derived from Sentinel-1 SAR data) is being effectively used across the entire railway network to proactively monitor potential embankment failures, large-scale landslides, and potential hazards outside of the boundary fence. A challenge of using InSAR data in this way is the huge volume of data that is available, as such custom risk metrics and machine learning algorithms are applied to highlight some of the areas at heightened risk. InSAR is also being applied to tackle the issue of water pipe leakage caused by natural ground movements, such as soil shrink-swell. In this case, regularly updated InSAR data has been used in the UK and Australia to detect areas at elevated risk of pipeline failures based on ground movement patterns, and by combining historical movement data and known failure events it is possible to refine such models. With expanding global SAR constellations proactive, nationwide, monitoring of critical assets is now possible, with the challenge being how we derive insight from these very large datasets.

Aerosol, Clouds and Trace Gases Research Infrastructure (ACTRIS): The European Research Infrastructure Supporting Atmospheric Science

Abstract The Aerosol, Clouds and Trace Gases Research Infrastructure (ACTRIS) officially became the 33rd European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) on 25 April 2023 with the support of 17 founding member and observer countries. As a pan-European legal organization, ACTRIS ERIC will coordinate the provision of data and data products on short-lived atmospheric constituents and clouds relevant to climate and air pollution over the next 15–20 years. ACTRIS was designed more than a decade ago, and its development was funded at national and European levels. It was included in the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) roadmap in 2016 and, subsequently, in the national infrastructure roadmaps of European countries. It became a landmark of the ESFRI roadmap in 2021. The purpose of this paper is to describe the mission of ACTRIS, its added value to the community of atmospheric scientists, providing services to academia as well as the public and private sectors, and to summarize its main achievements. The present publication serves as a reference document for ACTRIS, its users, and the scientific community as a whole. It provides the reader with relevant information and an overview on ACTRIS governance and services, as well as a summary of the main scientific achievements of the last 20 years. The paper concludes with an outlook on the upcoming challenges for ACTRIS and the strategy for its future evolution.