National Cooperative Research Articles

Framework for Integrating the Reliability of the Inspection Technique into Risk-Based Inspection Practice

In compliance with recent (2022) federal legislation found in the Code of Federal Regulations Part 650 Subpart C, risk-based inspection (RBI) practices for determining inspection intervals for highway bridges are now permitted. The RBI approach allows for a systematic assessment of risk and prioritizes inspection resources where they are most needed. However, to ensure an optimal level of safety and serviceability, it is necessary to utilize reliable inspection techniques in conjunction with an appropriate inspection interval, as emphasized by National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 782. Utilizing ineffective inspection techniques may lead to uncertainty about the element’s condition and thus increase the risk associated with the component. Therefore, this paper proposes a framework that integrates a new factor, called the inspection effectiveness factor (IEF), into the RBI process to rationally estimate the inspection interval considering the reliability of the inspection technique. The inspection interval in the proposed approach is determined based on the damage mode, associated likelihood, consequences, and effectiveness of the inspection technique, offering a rational approach for decision-makers in estimating the inspection interval of bridges and identifying appropriate inspection techniques for different defects. The effectiveness of the proposed method is validated through experts’ judgment. In addition, the proposed approach is demonstrated through a case study utilizing historical inspection reports.

Numerical modeling and simulation of cable barriers under vehicular impacts on a sloped median

Cable barriers are flexible barrier systems that are commonly used as median barriers in the United States for their general effectiveness and low installation and maintenance costs. The current cable median barrier (CMB) adopted by the North Carolina Department of Transportation was previously evaluated on flat terrain and found to satisfy the requirements of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program Report 350. Under in-service conditions (i.e., on a sloped median), the current CMB failed to stop small passenger cars in many incidents. The new roadside safety standard, Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH), recommends that CMBs be tested and/or evaluated on sloped medians. However, conducting full-scale crash tests on sloped median is extremely difficult and few experimental studies exist. In this study, finite element simulations were used to evaluate the performance of the current CMB design on a 6H:1V sloped median under MASH Test Level 3 conditions. To address the issue of vehicle underriding on the current CMB, two retrofit designs were developed and also evaluated on the sloped median. Two MASH compliant vehicles, a 1996 Dodge Neon and a 2006 Ford F250, were used to evaluate all three CMBs from both frontside and backside and with two initial impact points. The MASH exit-box criterion, MASH Evaluation criteria A, D, and F, vehicular responses, exit angles, and residual velocities were used to evaluate the CMB performance for structural adequacy, occupant risk, and post-impact trajectories. The simulation results showed that one of the retrofit designs could improve the CMB performance on a sloped median at MASH Test Level 3 conditions.

Evaluation of nurse practitioners' roles and competencies among rheumatology nurses: Results of a national survey.

To investigate nurse practitioners' roles and competencies among rheumatology nurses in China, an online, cross-sectional survey was conducted between July 7 and 14, 2020 among the national cooperation group of nursing experts on management of rheumatic and immune diseases. A total of 796 valid questionnaires were returned and participants' mean total scores on the Nurse Practitioners' Roles and Competencies Scale (NPRCS) was 2.51 (SD = 0.55), indicating a medium level. Medical assistance, leadership reform, and clinical research had low scores in the six dimensions of the NPRCS. Nurse practitioners' roles and competencies in the area of rheumatology require improvement. Training should focus on medical assistance, leadership reform, and clinical research. The current study can provide a reference for an improved training framework of nursing practitioners in the rheumatology field.

International Cooperation of Member Nations of the CIS on Counteracting Cybercrime

Cybercrime is the threat to national and international informational security. The objects of cyberthreats are economics security, critical information structure, information state sovereignty. All states admit necessity to take effective measures for anti-cybercrime in this time. Such organizations, as Commonwealth of Independent States, Collective Security Treaty Organization, Shanghai Cooperation Organization are to take active measures on counteracting cybercrime.Aim . The aim of this article is to define principal directions on effective counteracting cybercrime, including creation of law base on national, regional and international levels, measures for prevention cybercrime and development of international collaboration.Tasks. There are following tasks in this article: to define “cybercrime”, categories of cybercrime and measures for prevention cybercrime, to analyze experience of member nations of the CIS and world law mechanism for cybercrime control.Methods. There is necessity to define terminology in accordance with the international standards for cybercrime control.Results . Member nations of the CIS are giving important attention to creation the law base for national and international security, and also Criminal Law about responsibility for cybercrime.The Model Law “On counteracting cybercrime” was adopted by Interparliamentary Assembly of the CIS on 14 Aprile 2023, which is the base of development of national legislation in sphere of cybercrime control.On 30 July 2021 Russia was carry in General Assembly of the United Nations the Project of Convention United Nations Countering the use of information and communications technologies for criminal purposes for creation of international law mechanism for anti-cybercrime.In the result of this research author is defined cybercrime and it’s variety in accordance with international standards, and also principal directions of counteracting cybercrime in contemporary period.Conclusion. Implementation by member nations of the CIS of Model Law “On counteracting cybercrime” will allow unify national legislation and assist strengthening and extension international cooperation between these states on combating cybercrime.There is necessity to adopt such complex Federal Law “On counteracting cybercrime” and the Strategy on cybersecurity in Russia.

Modern Security Dilemma: A Space Security Perspective for the Future World

In an increasingly interconnected and technologically advanced world, the domain of space has emerged as a critical frontier for both national security and international cooperation (Johnson, 2019). However, as nations expand their presence in space, the risks and challenges associated with ensuring security in this domain have become more pronounced (Fountain, 2020). This research article examines the modern security dilemma through the lens of space security, exploring the complexities, tensions, and opportunities that arise as states navigate the dual imperatives of safeguarding their interests while promoting stability and cooperation in outer space (Weeden & Sampson, 2021). By analyzing current trends, emerging threats, and potential pathways for collaboration, this article seeks to provide insights and recommendations for addressing the space security dilemma in the future world.

Программа «Официальная помощь в целях безопасности» Японии: цели и перспективы в условиях новой геополитической реальности

The article analyzes the new program of the Government of Japan – “Official Security Assistance” (OSA). Its key concepts were published in April-July 2023. The purpose of the implementation of the OSA program is to create a group of ‘like-minded countries’, which share foreign policy priorities of Japan, primarily regarding China and Russian Federation, bilateral relations of Japan with these countries have deteriorated in the second decade of the 21th century. Philippines, Malaysia, Bangladesh and Fiji were selected as OSA recipient countries in 2023. The author analyzes numerous national security-related international cooperation programs of Japan, and compares OSA with the similar program aimed at socio-economic support for developing countries – “Official Development Assistance” (ODA). The author also determines the level of participation of Southeast Asian and Oceania countries in the above-mentioned international programs of Japan. The analysis of the socio-political discourse shows that the implementation of the OSA program may be held at the same time with the revision of the basic documents restricting the export of weapons from Japan. Other negative outcome is connected with strengthening of global negative perceptions of Japan as a country that has departed from the former principles of pacifism. The negative consequences of the OSA for the Russian Federation include the potential expansion of the pro-Japanese bloc in terms of number of member state, as well as the decision to include Ukraine as OSA recipient country.

Misinformation in Communication Studies: A Review and Bibliometric Analysis

The dissemination of misinformation is a concern for political parties, news consumers and scholars of communication, and the purpose of this paper is to explore the current state, development, and important issues of misinformation research in the field of communication over the past decade. This study analysed 768 SSCI articles from the year 2014-2023 through the Web of Science database using bibliometrics. The study found that the number of published papers peaked in 2022 with 191 SSCI papers, and is considered the highest number recorded. Michael Hameleers, a scholar from the University of Amsterdam, U.S., are the largest contributor in research literature on misinformation in the field of communication at the macro, meso, and micro levels, respectively; meanwhile, "Health Communication" was the largest contributing journal. Three national level cooperation networks were seen through the cooperation network analysis, which were the United States of America, European and Asian cooperation networks; and from the institutional perspective, four basic cooperation networks were formed; whilst from the author perspective, the largest cooperation network had 22 researchers. These findings indicated that there is well-established cooperation network of authors research about misinformation in communication field. Through the citation and co-citation analysis, it was concluded that the most influential researcher in the field of communication is Emily K. Vraga. Through the cluster analysis of communication area, the misinformation studies was mainly found in the research of sharing information, governance, health, and politics. This study provides a macro framework for future researchers to examine pertinent issues of misinformation in the field of communication. Keywords: Misinformation, communication, bibliometric analysis, social media, research scholar.

Structural analysis of global mineral governance system from the perspective of country

The uneven spatial distribution of mineral resources necessitates the construction of mature global mineral governance system to ensure rational allocation of mineral resources. To this end, it is essential to analyze the structure of the global mineral governance system to provide a theoretical basis for the construction. The governance actor is the crucial element in driving the governance process, and country serves as the most central actor. Therefore, clarifying the roles and statuses of different countries in the governance system will be helpful to analyze the structure of the governance system. In the context of advancing globalization, a complex cooperative relationship has been presented between countries based on international organizations. Thus, we establish a national cooperation network based on the principle of the co-existence of countries in international organizations, to quantify these relationships between countries and identify the role and status of different countries, as well as the country communities in the cooperation network, by combining the characteristics of the countries in the network with the actual performance in the organizations. The research findings are as follow: (1) The UK, Germany, France, Sweden, and Canada play pivotal roles in promoting international cooperation as well as leading governance in the governance system. (2) Emerging economies are more actively engaged in these organizations and can promote international cooperation, but lack the capacity to assume leadership roles in governance. (3) The U.S. and China have a stronger ability to lead than to cooperate in the governance system. (4) Most African and South American countries, as well as some European nations, are marginalized in the governance system. (5) Countries with the same needs and similar economic and political conditions belong to the same community: The European countries and the U.S., consumer with a high level of economic and political development but low mineral resource endowment are in the first community. Canada, Australia, and certain African and South American countries, producers with high mineral resource endowments are in the second community. Most African and South American countries with lower levels of economic and political development are in the third group.

‘Practically useful, scientifically important, and to the honour of the country’: geological maps and services provided by the Geological Survey of Norway these past 165 years

Abstract Geological maps document knowledge of considerable value (economic, cultural and aesthetic) for societies, enterprises and people in general. Knowledge illustrated in geological maps also helps us to foresee how landscape interventions and climate change may affect our living ground and make us vulnerable to geohazards. The present paper presents an overview of geological mapping carried out by the Geological Survey of Norway since 1858 while also focusing on mapping activities and products produced in the present millennium. Key issues to consider are how we are moving into the digital world, how we use geological mapping to follow up on national agendas like Green Shift and Blue Growth and how national agreements and cooperation help us to make geological and other geographic information available to everyone through open access web portals and services.

Germany’s first Action plan on the pathways of invasive alien species to prevent their unintentional introduction and spread

The increase in global trade and traffic networks contributes to the introduction and spread of invasive alien species, posing a threat to biodiversity. EU Regulation 1143/2014 addresses the prevention and management of invasive alien species and requires an action plan on the priority pathways of unintentional introduction and spread of invasive alien species by each member state. To this end, the first German action plan was developed for the German government in cooperation with relevant Ministries and authorities, scientists, administrative experts, stakeholder working groups and political as well as public deliberation processes. As a result, 14 priority pathways of unintentional introduction, escape or release and spread were identified, resulting in 24 targeted measures. Nineteen sectors will be involved in the implementation of these measures. Here we describe the development process and outcome of Germany’s first action plan. By this, we aim making the process public and transparent, which can facilitate a revision of the action plan required at least every six years, and trigger broader European as well as national cooperation in the future.

International Law and the Crisis of COVID-19 on the International Security: A Case Study of Saudi Arabia

Purpose: This research aims to explore the role of Saudi Arabia in influencing the global system amid the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly examining its efforts in managing the crisis and its impact on international law and security. Theoretical Framework: The study is anchored in the theoretical frameworks of international law and international security. It seeks to understand how these frameworks intersect with Saudi Arabia's response to the pandemic. Method: Utilizing secondary research data, the study adopts a qualitative approach to analyze the phenomenon. It focuses on examining existing literature and data sources to derive insights into Saudi Arabia's pandemic response and its international implications. Results and Conclusions: The findings reveal that international human rights law and the World Health Organization’s (WHO) health regulations significantly shaped Saudi Arabia’s response to the pandemic. The nation adhered to WHO guidelines, contributed funds to the WHO and regional countries, and implemented strong national policies. Additionally, Saudi Arabia made notable efforts in international security by de-escalating conflict with Yemen, in line with the UN secretary-general's ceasefire call. Collectively, these actions have positioned Saudi Arabia as a responsible state in the international community. Research Implications: This study contributes to the broader understanding of state responses to global crises, highlighting the role of national policies and international cooperation. It offers insights into how countries like Saudi Arabia navigate complex challenges like a pandemic while balancing international obligations and national interests. Originality/Value: This research is unique in its comprehensive analysis of Saudi Arabia's multifaceted response to the COVID-19 pandemic, encompassing aspects of international law, health regulations, and security measures. It provides a nuanced understanding of how a key Middle Eastern country has managed a global health crisis while also navigating its own economic transformation and regional geopolitical challenges.

Characterization of Motorcycle Encroachments in the U.S

In 2020, there were 5,579 motorcyclist fatalities in the U.S., which is the highest on record. Despite accounting for only 3% of registered vehicles, motorcycles are involved in 42% of fatal guardrail impacts. Roadside safety hardware testing guidelines are outlined in the Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) for passenger vehicles and large trucks but these procedures do not include any motorcycle impacts. Although international test procedures for roadside hardware prescribe motorcycle crash tests, it is not known if the prescribed test conditions reflect the conditions at which motorcycles depart the roadway in the U.S. A better understanding of the characteristics of motorcycles departing the roadway in the U.S. is needed before the development of motorcycle crash tests. This study used the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) 17-88 database to compare the encroachment and impact characteristics of motorcycles, passenger vehicles, single-unit trucks, and tractor-trailer trucks. Motorcycles were found to have a similar distribution of impact angles to passenger vehicles, with an 85th percentile of 24 degrees. The median and 85th percentile impact angle was found to be shallower for tractor-trailer trucks compared with motorcycles and passenger vehicles. Additionally, large trucks and motorcycles were found to roll over at a higher frequency than passenger vehicles. During the first event, almost 80% of motorcycles were upright. By the second event, almost 50% of motorcyclists were separated from the motorcycle. This indicates that a large percentage of riders lose contact with the motorcycle during the first event and are separated during any subsequent events. Based on these results, future motorcycle-barrier tests should consider an upright configuration and an impact angle of 24 degrees.

Socio-economic Conditions of Dry Fishers and Wholesalers: A Case Study of the Coastal Dry Fishing Communities of Bangladesh

The coastal areas of Bangladesh, particularly the southeast region, is notorious for producing a majority of dried fish products in the country by recruiting numerous dry fishers and wholesalers (locally called Mohajon). This study examines the socio-economic condition and livelihood status of small scale dry fish producing communities in Nazirartek, a renowned fish drying village situated in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. It was perceived that the dry fishers lived in a very underdeveloped state with low income and literacy rates, poor living standards and malnourished condition, whereas the livelihood of wholesalers was comparatively better. The inadequate compensation during rainy seasons was another reason for the unimproved livelihood of the fishers. Because of this, they had to take up substitute agricultural or other occupations during the off-seasons of fish drying activities. Majority (60%) of the wholesalers had attended secondary school, considering 56.66% fishers went up to primary school with no further secondary school education. Furthermore, over 50% fishers had an annual income of 81,000 to 100,000 BDT while 70% wholesalers earned above 100,000 BDT year-1. Primarily, the major constraints encountered by the communities are vulnerability to extreme weather, reliance on loans due to low wages, inadequate off-season income opportunities, lack of good treatment facilities, no prior training and scarcity of technological facilities. With appropriate management strategies, comprehensive marketing systems, national co-operation and employment opportunities, the dry fishing industries of Bangladesh can be developed to its’ full potential.

Status of the Site Investigation and Site Selection Process for a Deep Geological Repository in Switzerland

Nagra, the National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste, in Switzerland, is realizing a project of the century: the planning, construction, operation, and closure of a deep geological repository (DGR) for the nation’s radioactive waste. The site selection process for a DGR is regulated by a three-stage process described in the Sectoral Plan, which the Federal Government approved in 2008. An overconsolidated shale, the Opalinus Clay, was selected as the most suitable rock formation as a result of Stage 2 of the Sectoral Plan. The three remaining siting regions were investigated in detail during Stage 3, including more than 12.5 km of exploratory boreholes drilled since 2018 and high-resolution, three-dimensional seismic surveys covering an area of approximately 250 km2. In September of 2022, Nagra proposed Nördlich Lägern as the preferred siting region for a combined repository in Northern Switzerland. Nagra plans to submit the corresponding general license application to the authorities by the end of 2024.

Commonalities and Differences of the Language Policy in Russian-speaking Countries along “The Belt and Road”

"Bel and Road Initiative"， which is also known as the “Silk Road Economic Belt” or the "21st Century Maritime Silk Road", is a new model of national cooperation advocated by China and is considered to be the economic cooperation zone with the widest coverage in the world today. The Russian-speaking countries along "Belt and Road Initiative" refer to the countries where "Russian" is recognized by the constitution as the national language, official language, interracial common language, or exists in the form of mother tongue, minority language, etc., thus forming a "language – state – group" with Russian as its link. Due to limited length, this paper mainly studies the "three East Slavic Countries", namely Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and the "Five Central Asian Countries", namely Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Russian-speaking countries along the "Belt and Road" have complicated historical, ethnic, political, religious, linguistic and other links. This also leads to the complexity of language governance in various countries under the background of global governance and shows commonalities and differences in the basic direction of language policy in various countries. The commonalities are mainly manifested in the hierarchy of forms of language policy, the stages in history, the politics of function and the multiplicity of objectives. The differences are mainly manifested in the language abilities of countries, the degree of national language policy and the guidance of dealing with the relationship with Russian on the premise of language policy. The commonalities and differences can help us fully understand the function of language in boosting economic exchanges, the positive and negative energy contained in language, the relationship between language and national security, and the relationship between language and cultural discourse power in the context of the "Belt and Road Initiative".The extraction of the commonalities and differences of language policy in Russian-speaking countries along the "Belt and Road "is conducive to promoting the transformation of language research from a Chinese perspective to a global perspective. The cooperation in the era of globalization is always multiple and non-unitary. In the context of the "Belt and Road Initiative", under the cooperation framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and in the process of the "Belt and Road Alliance", that is, the alliance of "Belt and Road" and the "Eurasian Economic Union", these Russian-speaking countries are not only important nodes along the "Belt and Road", but also important partners of China’s cooperation and exchanges in different frameworks of exchanges.The current prominent problems of Russian-speaking countries along the "Belt and Road" include the status of the national language and interracial common languages within the country, as well as the issues of language independence, cultural independence, and language sovereignty between countries. All these issues have essentially surpassed the basic function of language itself. In the vision of a community of shared future for mankind, the highest level of communication between sovereign countries is mutual communication and mutual learning based on mutual respect for culture. Only when we have a clear understanding of the rule of law in the countries along “the Belt and Road”, including their language policies, language plannings and language strategies, can the implementation of the "Belt and Road Initiative" be better and comprehensively supported.

Capacity building, national and international cooperation for enhancing tobacco control activities in Romania

Capacity building, national and international cooperation for enhancing tobacco control activities in Romania

State Component of the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program (DOI)

State Component of the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program (DOI)

Hyperlipidemia and lipid-lowering therapy in diabetic retinopathy (DR): A bibliometric study and visualization analysis in 1993–2023

BackgroundDiabetic retinopathy (DR) is a common complication in diabetic patients. DR is also a neurodegenerative disease. Patients with hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension are vulnerable to retinopathy development. While the roles of blood glucose and blood pressure in the development of retinopathy have been extensively studied, the relationship between body fat and DR pathogenesis and the impact of lipid-reducing drugs on DR has just emerged as a research hotspot in DR study. We aim to visualize the contributions and cooperation of reporters, organizations, and nations, in addition to the research hotspots and trends in DR-related lipid research from 1993 to 2023, by bibliometric analysis. MethodsWe extracted all publications about DR-related lipid research from 1993 to 2023 from the Web of Science Core Collection, and bibliometric features were studied using VOSviewer and the CiteSpace program. Results1402 documents were retrieved. The number of studies has risen consistently for three decades, from an average of 16.8/year in the 1990s to 28.8/year in the 2000s, 64.5/year in 2010s, and reached 112/year in 2020–2022, confirming they are hot research topic in the field. These reports were from 93 nations/regions, with the USA, China, Japan, Australia, and England taking the leading positions. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice was the journal that published the most studies, and Diabetes Care was the most quoted. We identified 6979 authors, with Wong TY having the most papers and being the most commonly co-cited. The most popular keyword, according to our research, is diabetic retinopathy. Oxidative stress, diabetic macular edema (DME), lipid peroxidation, and other topics have often been investigated. ConclusionDR-related lipid research is conducted mainly in North America, Asia, Oceania, and Europe. Much study has centered on the relationship between lipid-lowering therapy and DR pathogenesis. These studies strongly support using lipid-reducing medications (fenofibrate, statins, and omega-3 PUFAs), combined with hyperglycemia and hypertension therapy, to prevent and treat DR. However, the impact of fenofibrate or statin on retinopathy is not correlated with their action on blood lipid profiles. Thus, more randomized clinical trials with primary endpoints related to DR in T1D or T2D are merited. In addition, the lipid biomarker for DR (lipid aldehydes, ALEs, and cholesterol crystals), the action of lipid-reducing medicines on retinopathy, the mechanism of lipid-lowering medications preventing or curing DR, and ocular delivery of lipid-lowering drugs to diabetic patients are predicted as the research focus in the future in the DR-related lipid research field.

Key growth drivers for the People's Republic of China

Subject. We investigate the key factors in the development of the national economy of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Objectives. The aim is to identify the most important factors that ensure the GDP growth of the PRC. Methods. The study rests on the general-methodological and system-information approach and applies methods of systems, comparative, structural, and logical analysis. The scientific novelty is the determination of the most important factors for ensuring the GDP growth of the People's Republic of China, among which export is the most important one. Results. We unveiled the main factors influencing the GDP growth, constructed a regression model that explains the economic growth of PRC by the variation of three the most important factors, i.e. gross investment, exports, and monetary (inflation). The study analyzed the trade balance of PRC and its dependence on the markets of other States, assessed the country export structure, and the need for reorientation of exports from U.S. markets to other markets, in particular, the countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Conclusions. The increase in China's exports will indicate that the country's foreign trade policy has sufficient flexibility and room for maneuver, and its foreign trade ensures economic growth through national production and international cooperation. At the same time, China has the ability to stabilize foreign trade, ensure global supply chains, and contribute to the promotion of global economic growth and economic globalization.

A natural experiment to determine if FitEx works: Impact of a statewide walking program.

The National Cooperative Extension System offers walking programs, but impacts are underreported. One program offered in two state systems is FitEx, an 8-week, group-based behavior change intervention. The purpose of this work was to evaluate FitEx through the RE-AIM (reach, effect, adoption, implementation, maintenance) Framework, with a primary focus on reach and effectiveness (individual-level dimensions). Through a pragmatic, natural experiment, the impact of FitEx was assessed from 2015 to 2020. Reach was operationalized as the number and characteristics of eligible community members who participated. Effectiveness was operationalized as changes in physical activity levels. From 2015 to 2020, there were 1995 FitEx participants (274 ± 233 participants per year) who were 45.22 ± 14.13 years of age, predominantly female (83%) and White (78%). At the start of the program, 33% met physical activity guidelines and during the program 58% met guidelines (X2(1, 1648) = 1.6; P < .0). The reach and effectiveness of FitEx are comparable to-and in some cases, greater than-similar community-based walking programs. FitEx consistently reached middle-aged insufficiently active adults. Future work is needed to reach a more diverse population, establish objectively measured impacts, and establish a process to scale FitEx across the nation.