Social and Ecological Floods in the Attica Basin

Urbanization without industrialization, which is observed among others in many African countries and causes severe damage in the social system, leads to absolute or disguised dictatorships. This proportionally applies to the Attica basin, which counts up to 40% of the Greek population and 48% of the GDP. Marianne Fay and Charlotte Opal, in their article written for the World Bank entitled “Urbanization without Growth: A not so uncommon phenomenon”, highlight these phenomena in African countries, of course with significant differences between them, but also with similarities. In Greece, many similarities with these countries are also observed

A Preliminary Index of SARS-CoV-2 Diagnostic Testing Patents

Diagnostic testing for COVID-19 is an important part of the management of the current pandemic. In this paper we reason that previous knowledge in diagnostic testing for Coronaviruses (such as MERS-Cov and SARS-Cov) might prove critical to the development and deployment for COVID-19 testing. By extracting keywords from this knowledge, we construct an indicator of inventive activity in the area of Coronavirus diagnostic tests and analyse this over time and measure where this knowledge is located in the world, with potentially important implications for the development and deployment of diagnostics for SARS-CoV-2.JRC.B.7 - Innovation Policies and Economic Impac

Inequality and Incentives: The Quasi-Natural Experiment of Hungary, 1914-2008

We construct the first top income share series of a formerly socialist economy before, during, and after socialism in order to exploit the effect of the quasi-natural experiment of the absence of markets on incentives. We investigate top income shares dynamics and the sources of income at the upper tail of the income distribution. Within this setup, we study the effect of capital markets and liberalized wage settings on top income shares. Our estimates show that the introduction of wage-setting decentralization during socialism had a role in increasing the skill premium and income inequality in years prior the transition

Data-driven Economies in Central and Eastern Europe. Challenges and Perspectives

The recently published Communication on “Building a European Data Economy” (COM(2017)9) clearly highlights the increasing importance of data as a driver for growth, innovation and job creation. It is estimated that by year 2020, the value the EU data economy will increase to EUR 643 billion, representing over 3% of the EU GDP. At the same time there is no comparable and quantifiable evidence on the current state and the future perspectives of the data driven economy in the European Union neighbouring countries. It can however safely be assumed that the role of data will be following a similar pattern, and is therefore expected to be contribution to an increasing relative share of GDP. Furthermore, some European neighbouring countries, most notably those in Central and Eastern Europe, are a recognised destination for IT businesses that grow two to three times faster than in their economy of origin. Within this context, a workshop was co-organized by the World Bank, the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (JRC). The workshop took place on 05 September as part of the annual INSPIRE Conference in 2017 (co-organised in Strasbourg and Kehl by France and Germany). The workshop explored the challenges and possibilities related with Data driven economy in Central and Eastern Europe. All the presentation of attendees are available online. The rapidly emerging spatial data infrastructures (SDI) were used as a use case to have a better insight into the data economy as they address a broad spectrum of topics that relate to the legal, technological and organisational challenges towards the use and reuse of data. Particular emphasis was put on good practices that if re-used and extended, can further foster innovation and intensify growth. This JRC technical report summarises the outcomes of the WB/UNECE/FAO/JRC workshop. It includes (i) overview of relevant processes on the global and European agenda, (ii) good practices from countries in the target region on the value-added from data that provide indications future policy directions and emerging opportunities.JRC.B.6 - Digital Econom

Protocol for EHS Rapid Guideline: Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, GRADE Assessment, and European Recommendations on Parastomal Hernia Prevention

Background: Parastomal hernia presents frequently after construction of a permanent end colostomy. Previous guidelines recommend using a prophylactic mesh for hernia prevention. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published hereafter demonstrate conflicting outcomes.Methods and Analysis: A rapid guideline will be developed and reported in accordance with GRADE, GIN and AGREE-S standards. The steering group will consist of general and colorectal surgeons, members of the EHS Scientific Advisory Board with expertise and experience in guideline development, advanced medical statistics and evidence synthesis, and a certified guideline methodologist. The guideline panel will consist of three general surgeons, three colorectal surgeons, two stoma care nurses, and two patient representatives. A single question will address the safety and efficacy of the use of a prophylactic mesh in patients with a permanent end colostomy, and sensitivity analyses will focus on the use of non-absorbable versus absorbable meshes, and on different anatomical spaces for mesh placement. A systematic review will be conducted and evidence synthesis will be performed by statisticians independently. The results of evidence synthesis will be summarized in summary of findings tables. Recommendation(s) will be finalized through Delphi process of the guideline panel within an evidence-to-decision framework.Ethics and Dissemination: The funding body will not be involved in the development of this guideline. Conflicts of interest, if any, will be addressed by re-assigning functions or replacing participants with direct conflicts, according to Guidelines International Network recommendations

Access Control in Industrial Internet of Things

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is an ecosystem that consists of - among others - various networked sensors and actuators, achieving mainly advancements related with lowering production costs and providing workflow flexibility. Introducing access control in such environments is considered to be challenging, mainly due to the variety of technologies and protocols in IIoT devices and networks. Thus, various access control models and mechanisms should be examined, as well as the additional access control requirements posed by these industrial environments. To achieve these aims, we elaborate on existing state-of-the-art access control models and architectures and investigate access control requirements in IIoT, respectively. These steps provide valuable indications on what type of an access control model and architecture may be beneficial for application in the IIoT. We describe an access control architecture capable of achieving access control in IIoT using a layered approach and based on existing virtualization concepts (e.g., the cloud). Furthermore, we provide information on the functionality of the individual access control related components, as well as where these should be placed in the overall architecture. Considering this research area to be challenging, we finally discuss open issues and anticipate these directions to provide interesting multi-disciplinary insights in both industry and academia

Vaspin: a novel adipokine, member of the family of serine protease inhibitors

In 2000, the novel adipokine vaspin, which belongs to the superfamily of serpins, was isolated from visceral adipose tissue. Vaspin is mainly produced in the visceral adipose tissue and is related to insulin resistance, blood glucose levels, sex hormones (women have higher levels compared to men) and nutritional status. Moreover, vaspin levels are modulated by weight loss and several agents, and it possibly constitutes a connecting link between obesity and its associated metabolic disorders. Many patients with polycystic ovary syndrome have insulin resistance, obesity (mostly visceral) and glucose intolerance, conditions associated with abnormalities in the production of vaspin. The role of vaspin in the regulation of human metabolism is unclear at present, but it appears that vaspin might represent a novel marker of obesity and insulin resistance. However, the controversial findings of existing studies on vaspin stress the need for further research in women with obesity and metabolic disorders in order to elucidate the role of this adipokine in these diseases and particularly in the polycystic ovary syndrome

Web Application Programming Interfaces (APIs): general-purpose standards, terms and European Commission initiatives

From their inception, digital technologies have had a huge impact on our everyday life. In both the private and the public sectors, they have contributed to, or at times driven, change in organisational structures, ways of working, and how products and services are shaped and shared. Governments and public administration units, driven by the digital evolution of information and communications technology (ICT), are evolving from traditional workflow-based public service provisions to digital equivalents (e-government), with more innovative forms of government and administration looking for the engagement of citizens and the private sector to co-create final services through user-centric approaches. Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), which are one of the most relevant ICT solutions, have contributed to this notable shift in the adoption of technology, especially when used over the web. They have affected the global economy of the private sector and are contributing to the digital transformation of governments. To explore this in more detail, the European Commission recently started the APIs4DGov study. One of the outputs of the study is an analysis of the API technological landscape, including its related standards and technical specifications for general purpose use. The goal of the analysis presented in this brief report is to support the definition of stable APIs for digital government services adopted by governments or single public administration units. Such adoption would avoid the need to develop ad hoc solutions that could have limited scalability or potential for reuse. Instead, the work suggests that we should consider a number of existing standards provided by standardisation bodies or, at least, technical specifications written by well-recognised consortia, vendors or users. The aim of this report is also to support API stakeholders in the identification and selection of such solutions. To do this, it first gives a series of definitions to help the reader understand some basic concepts, as well as related standards and technical specifications. Then, it presents the description and classification (by resource representation, security, usability, test, performance and licence) of the standards and technical specifications collected. A shortlist of these documents (based on their utilisation, maintenance and stability) is also proposed, together with a brief description of each of them. Finally, the report provides a useful glossary with definitions of the relevant terms we have collected so far within the APIs4DGov study.JRC.B.6-Digital Econom

Application Programming Interfaces in Governments: Why, what and how

Application programming interfaces (APIs) are a 50-year-old technology that can be applied to many fields and that, for some years, the public sector has used to implement its digital transformation (e.g. for the publication of public sector information and for public service provision in different areas), although this technology is not yet fully used to support government policies. Recently, the European Commission has produced a series of policy instruments that require or suggest the adoption of APIs in governments and in some specific areas in particular. These initiatives include the Open Data EU Directive 2019/1024, which requires the use of APIs for ‘high-value’ and dynamic datasets and the European Commission ‘European strategy for data’ Communication COM/2020/66 that reports on future investment in ‘the establishment of EU-wide common, interoperable data spaces’. The goal of this report is to present the main results of a 2-year study on the adoption of APIs in governments, which also supports the adoption of the abovementioned policy instruments. Even though the cohesive and coordinated adoption of APIs in the public sector is still in its early stages, the results of this study demonstrate that APIs present many benefits for the public sector, including fostering innovation in governments and related public services, improving efficiency, improving access to government open data, increasing economic opportunities for private companies using government APIs and enabling the creation and facilitation of interactions between governments (G2G) and between governments and businesses (G2B) in relation to digital ecosystems. However, these benefits also carry technical and organisational costs. In adopting APIs, governments can also encounter risks and challenges. These include cybersecurity issues, missing API governance structures, the difficulty in adopting proper legal instruments to adhere to current regulation, the lack of an API culture and the need for agile platforms to adapt digital public services provision to a rapidly evolving society. To tackle these issues, this study has developed a basic API framework for governments. It provides a cohesive, coordinated approach to APIs that deals with the problems and complexity that result from ad hoc implementation of APIs. It frames existing efforts within a more coordinated suite of activities including (i) the alignment of API adoption with policy goals, (ii) the creation of platforms and ecosystems based on APIs, (iii) the organisation of teams and the development of an API culture and (iv) designing processes based on API best practices. The recommendations and actions outlined in this framework, to be performed in policy priority areas, should also be followed. APIs need to be explicitly adopted to support the new Commission priorities and EU and Member State policies; this adoption should be accompanied by the creation of shared best practices and guidelines to implement an API culture in governments. In addition, the proposed framework should be adopted, further validated and continuously refined to guide government API strategies and digital government strategies, and governments should be more digital ecosystems aware, engaging multiple stakeholders to co-create and co-design API-based systems.JRC.T.1 - Digital Econom