The Implementation of Fraud Risk Assessment and Anti-Fraud Strategy in Government Institution XYZ

Government Institution XYZ is one of the government institutions trying to build bureaucratic reform and minimize fraud risk. This study attempted to conduct a fraud risk assessment to identify, analyze, evaluate, and determine appropriate anti-fraud strategies to various fraud risk scenarios that may occur in Government Institution XYZ. The research was conducted qualitatively with a case study approach. The data were collected through document analysis, questionnaires, interviews, and Focused Group Discussion (FGD). Based on the FRA results, researchers identified thirteen fraud risk scenarios that organization needs to anticipate. Considering the organization’s risk appetite, there are two very high-level risk scenarios, four high-level risk scenarios, four medium-level risk scenarios, and three low-level risk scenarios among all of these risk scenarios. Several anti-fraud strategies need to be implemented to reduce fraud risk, including preventive, detective, and responsive strategies by optimizing existing and other relevant anti-fraud strategies.

Loss of SATB2 Occurs More Frequently Than CDX2 Loss in Colorectal Carcinoma and Identifies Particularly Aggressive Cancers in High-Risk Subgroups

Background: Special AT-rich sequence-binding protein 2 (SATB2) has emerged as an alternative immunohistochemical marker to CDX2 for colorectal differentiation. However, the distribution and prognostic relevance of SATB2 expression in colorectal carcinoma (CRC) have to be further elucidated. Methods: SATB2 expression was analysed in 1039 CRCs and correlated with clinicopathological and morphological factors, CDX2 expression as well as survival parameters within the overall cohort and in clinicopathological subgroups. Results: SATB2 loss was a strong prognosticator in univariate analyses of the overall cohort (p < 0.001 for all survival comparisons) and in numerous subcohorts including high-risk scenarios (UICC stage III/high tumour budding). SATB2 retained its prognostic relevance in multivariate analyses of these high-risk scenarios (e.g., UICC stage III: DSS: p = 0.007, HR: 1.95), but not in the overall cohort (DSS: p = 0.1, HR: 1.25). SATB2 loss was more frequent than CDX2 loss (22.2% vs. 10.2%, p < 0.001) and of higher prognostic relevance with only moderate overlap between SATB2/CDX2 expression groups. Conclusions: SATB2 loss is able to identify especially aggressive CRCs in high-risk subgroups. While SATB2 is the prognostically superior immunohistochemical parameter compared to CDX2 in univariate analyses, it appears to be the less sensitive marker for colorectal differentiation as it is lost more frequently.

UK Women’s Views of the Concepts of Personalised Breast Cancer Risk Assessment and Risk-Stratified Breast Screening: A Qualitative Interview Study

Any introduction of risk-stratification within the NHS Breast Screening Programme needs to be considered acceptable by women. We conducted interviews to explore women’s attitudes to personalised risk assessment and risk-stratified breast screening. Twenty-five UK women were purposively sampled by screening experience and socioeconomic background. Interview transcripts were qualitatively analysed using Framework Analysis. Women expressed positive intentions for personal risk assessment and willingness to receive risk feedback to provide reassurance and certainty. Women responded to risk-stratified screening scenarios in three ways: ‘Overall acceptors’ considered both high- and low-risk options acceptable as a reasonable allocation of resources to clinical need, yet acceptability was subject to specified conditions including accuracy of risk estimates and availability of support throughout the screening pathway. Others who thought ‘more is better’ only supported high-risk scenarios where increased screening was proposed. ‘Screening sceptics’ found low-risk scenarios more aligned to their screening values than high-risk screening options. Consideration of screening recommendations for other risk groups had more influence on women’s responses than screening-related harms. These findings demonstrate high, but not universal, acceptability. Support and guidance, tailored to screening values and preferences, may be required by women at all levels of risk.

Spatial priorities for biodiversity and ecosystem services considering theoretical decision-makers' attitudes to risk

Choosing appropriate spatial priorities for protected areas (PAs) to conserve ecosystem services (ESs) and biodiversity is a challenge for decision-makers under limited land resources, especially when facing uncertain protection consequences or conflicting protection objectives. Attitudes toward risk will influence actions, which will, in turn, impact consequences. To understand how theoretical decision-maker attitudes towards risk impact protection effectiveness for biodiversity and ESs (e.g., water retention, soil retention, flood mitigation, water purification and carbon sequestration) and how this information can be integrated into effective PAs management, we examined Hainan Island as a case study. We used the ordered weighted averaging algorithm to assess the impact of attitude towards risk in PA management. Decision-makers’ attitude towards risk scenarios (from risk-averse and risk-taking) showed higher mean protection effectiveness (2.41–2.85) than existing PAs (2.37), indicating that there is still room for improvement in biodiversity and ESs conservation in existing PAs. In addition, among the seven examined risk scenarios, the higher risk aversion scenario showed the best outcome. In comparison to existing PAs, this scenario improved mean protection effectiveness (20.13%) as well as the protection effectiveness of water retention (24.84%), water purification (11.46%), flood mitigation (8.84%), soil retention (16.63%), carbon sequestration (5.31%), and biodiversity (12.84%). Thus, our research shows that the influence of theoretical decision-makers’ attitudes towards risk could be considered by OWA method which could provide a normative model of what the right choice given theoretical risk attitudes is while selecting priority area for biodiversity and ESs.

Built Environment Typologies Prone to Risk: A Cluster Analysis of Open Spaces in Italian Cities

Planning for preparedness, in terms of multi-hazard disasters, involves testing the relevant abilities to mitigate damage and build resilience, through the assessment of deterministic disaster scenarios. Among risk-prone assets, open spaces (OSs) play a significant role in the characterization of the built environment (BE) and represent the relevant urban portion on which to develop multi-risk scenarios. The aim of this paper is to elaborate ideal scenarios—namely, Built Environment Typologies (BETs)—for simulation-based risk assessment actions, considering the safety and resilience of BEs in emergency conditions. The investigation is conducted through the GIS data collection of the common characteristics of OSs (i.e., squares), identified through five parameters considered significant in the scientific literature. These data were processed through a non-hierarchical cluster analysis. The results of the cluster analysis identified five groups of OSs, characterized by specific morphological, functional, and physical characteristics. Combining the outcomes of the cluster analysis with a critical analysis, nine final BETs were identified. The resulting BETs were linked to characteristic risk combinations, according to the analysed parameters. Thus, the multi-risk scenarios identified through the statistical analysis lay the basis for future risk assessments of BEs, based on the peculiar characteristics of Italian towns.

Lena Guyed Tower Decommissioning Engineering

The Mississippi Canyon 280-A platform, also known as Lena Guyed Tower located in 1,000 ft water depth in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM), was successfully decommissioned and reefed in-place in 2020. To meet the regulatory requirements on offshore platform decommissioning, i.e. BSEE decommissioning requirements and the LDWF artificial reef program, an environmental study and an engineering study were performed to ensure that the platform decommissioning satisfies these critical requirements on environmental protection and operational safety. The environmental study revealed the abundance of marine lives residing on the tower and rare coral species only observed in deepwater region. This justified the environmental benefit of turning the tower into an on-site artificial reef and functioning as a vibrant marine life habitat at the end of its production service life. The engineering study on Lena decommissioning, as addressed in this paper, involved three (3) stages of engineering work: tower decommissioning concepts and feasibility study; selected concept definition; and detailed tower reef-in-place laydown (toppling) plan and design. High-level tower reef-in-place criteria were set up in the early engineering stage as guidelines to the detailed laydown design, including specific project requirements on minimal environmental impact and safe offshore field operations. This engineering study relied heavily on multiple expert brainstorm sessions on various decommissioning concepts and options, and advanced structural modeling and computer simulations for assessment and design. A large number of tower structural models were developed to verify the plan and check various factors and risk scenarios that may affect the tower performance in different stages of the decommissioning operation. Advanced analytical techniques were developed and applied, which feature the driving mechanisms of the problem such as soil-structure-interaction, guyline tension, structural member contact and sliding, large displacement simulation, structural collapse, and hydrodynamics. Stringent quality assurance and testing procedures were followed to ensure the credibility of developed analytical techniques and engineering technologies. The most challenging part that differentiates the decommissioning engineering from typical structural design is how to properly estimate the platform in-situ "as-is" condition and carry out the assessment as such to make a regulatory compliant, feasible, reliable, and efficient plan. Therefore, engineering judgment had to go beyond the scope covered by existing industry codes and standards, and rely on the most recent advances in industry research and technology. This engineering study resulted in a clearly defined tower decommissioning plan and procedure, backed up with contingency plans for various risk scenarios and potential deviations in field operation due to limitations and/or uncertainties. The decommissioning plan minimized the offshore field construction scope and risk, and kept the required tower laydown pull loads within the capacity range of typical GoM offshore tugboats. As a result, the Lena tower was successfully laid down on seafloor in an anticipated reefing position, with no major deviations from the plan. Lena Guyed Tower is the first deepwater compliant structure decommissioned. This decommissioning effort may provide the most valuable information and lessons learned to the industry for similar decommissioning and abandonment operations in the future.

Nuclear Escalation Strategies and Perceptions: The United States, the Russian Federation, and China

This study is the first in a series that profiles different “friction points” among nuclear-armed and nuclear-allied States, examining issues of contention in their relations that can spark potential conflict and nuclear escalation. It considers the multipolar dynamics between the United States, the Russian Federation, and China, and examines how fundamental mistrust among the three filters into their readings of each other’s nuclear strategies, with the potential to have an impact on escalatory risk scenarios. It then outlines a series of recommendations for the ‘great powers’ to bridge strategic perception gaps and reduce relevant risks. Part of UNIDIR’s ongoing research on nuclear risk reduction, this study is intended to feed into the dialogue on taking forward risk reduction – and on the development of practical and feasible baskets of measures that can close pathways to use of nuclear weapons.