Модели и показатели техносферной безопасности

The monograph sets and solves the following tasks in a complex: systematization of types of safety; formalization of the structure and models of accidents; unification of the concepts of "safety" and "risk", primarily in relation to technical systems "protection - object - subject - environment"; as well as the tasks of combining and (or) generalization of algorithms for calculating safety indicators and the risk of systems based on probabilistic and possibilistic (fuzzy) measures of occurrence of accidents and the establishment of application boundaries for "objective" and (or) "subjective" indicators of safety and risk of technical systems. Using typical examples, the methods and results of solving the stated tasks are considered. For students, postgraduates and teachers of technical and technological universities and faculties, as well as for a wide range of readers interested in technosphere security issues.

Advances in our scientific understanding and technological power in recent decades have dramatically amplified our capacity to intentionally manipulate complex ecological and biological systems. An implication of this is that biological and ecological problems are increasingly understood and approached from an engineering perspective. In environmental contexts, this is exemplified in the pursuits of geoengineering, designer ecosystems, and conservation cloning. In human health contexts, it is exemplified in the development of synthetic biology, bionanotechnology, and human enhancement technologies. Designer Biology: The Ethics of Intensively Engineering Biological and Ecological Systems consists of thirteen chapters (twelve of them original to the collection) that address the ethical issues raised by technological intervention and design across a broad range of biological and ecological systems. Among the technologies addressed are geoengineering, human enhancement, sex selection, genetic modification, and synthetic biology. This collection advances and enriches our understanding of the ethical issues raised by these technologies and identifies general lessons about the ethics of engineering complex biological and ecological systems that can be applied as new technologies and practices emerge. The insights that emerge will be especially valuable to students and scholars of environmental ethics, bioethics, or technology ethics.

The Safety Monitoring Programme (SMP), Thailand’s new drug safety monitoring system, aims to perform new drug safety profiles for Thailand. There has been an increasing number of new drugs in Thailand and only a few studies have explored this particular issue. This study was therefore aimed to perform situational analysis of new drug Safety Monitoring Programme in Thailand and identify safety indicators of the SMP system through the structure, process and outcome model. Various methods including documentation analysis, modified Delphi method, semi-structure interviews, and a case study strategy were used for analyzing the SMP system. Coxibs and Statins were the case study drugs to explain how structure, process affected the safety of new drug in the SMP. The results revealed that there were essential elements in the SMP influencing the qualify of safety profile of new drug. Policy, law, regulation and guideline were critical to safety profiles which affecting structure and process components such as information system, organization and ADR management system at both national and local level. The safety indicators of the SMP were identified by the 3-round Modified Delphi method. Seventy-one indicators were identified in the first round, 40 indicators in the second and 19 indicators in the final round. The assessment of the SMP through the 19 core safety indicators found that there were 6 existent elements of 9 structure indicators, 1 existent element of 6 process indicators and 2 of 4 outcome indicators. From these findings, the amendment of law, regulation and national policy should be strengthened to better the effectiveness of the SMP system. The safety indicators should be further developed and continuing used and improved.

The reviewed monograph presents the results of a) a complex comparative study of ecological discourse specifics in English, French and Russian, b) theoretical and practical issues of ecological terminological systems functioning in the three languages, c) features of ecological terms and ways of translating them, d) various aspects of didactics and techniques of training in the translation of ecological scientific and publicistic texts. Works on terminology, polylingualism, translation theory, cross-cultural communication, cultural science and lexicography formed the theoretical basis for the monograph. Comparison of the three languages enabled to reveal and generalize the trends of the terminological systems development, to offer recommendations for ecological scientific and publicistic texts translation as well as practical didactic and methodical recommendations for training in the language features of ecological discourse including ecoterms. The authors’ original contribution was to define the common features characterizing the terminological subsystems of the three languages, which in itself is an important prerequisite for further theoretical researches both in the field of terminology and comparative typology of languages...

Students of labour law, both in the UK and elsewhere, hardly need to be reminded that labour law has long been in retreat. As has been comprehensively documented, the scope of employment law protection has been pared back in innumerable ways as the view that it is obstructive of economic efficiency and advancement has become entrenched and policy choices have continued to whittle back legislation conferring employment rights. Reforms over recent years in the UK imposing the payment of fees in respect of employment tribunal proceedings are but the latest manifestation of that long-term trend. Against this background, a number of books published over recent years have considered the proper scope as a discipline of, the potential development of, and the future prospects for labour law as an academic discipline. Not only do these works consider the current areas of debate for labour lawyers but also, to a greater or lesser extent, they betray a more or less explicit existential concern about the subject, its scope and its future viability. Contributions to collections of essays such as Davidov and Langille (eds), Boundaries and Frontiers of Labour Law (Oxford: Hart, 2006), Barnard, Deakin and Morris (eds), The Future of Labour Law (Oxford: Hart, 2004) and Davidov and Langille (eds), The Idea of Labour Law (Oxford: OUP, 2011) have to some extent reflected this concern both in their titles and their substantive content. One of the starkest assessments of what it portrays as labour law’s ongoing and ultimately doomed search for continued viability and relevance is Alan Hyde’s contribution to The Idea of Labour Law (at Ch 6). Entitled ‘The Idea of the Idea of Labour Law: A Parable’, his analysis, from the US perspective, is that labour law cannot ‘like a Platonic form...survive the disappearance of every one of its earthly manifestations’ in terms of ‘jobs, strikes, cooperative employers, legislation and... specialised government officials’ and that inspiration needs to be found elsewhere than labour law ‘traditionally conceptualized’ (see pp 96–7). More prosaically, the incessant reform of labour law domestically risks labour law as a discipline being seen as unrealistically wishing to turn back the clock in economic and political terms.

Accurate modeling of CMOS logic gates for timing and power characterization is a very important task in integrated circuits technology since it facilitates significantly the design phase. Parametric models provide flexibility in determining the circuit performance in various design corners. However, the direct analysis of a complex CMOS gate aiming in an analytical and parametric model is a difficult and cumbersome task. An alternative way to model these gates is by using the equivalent inverter approach. According to this, an inverter with appropriate transistor widths is defined in order to present the same response with the complex gate it models. The challenge with this approach is to propose a simple method to predict the appropriate transistor widths of the equivalent inverter. Then, an analytical model for the CMOS inverter can be used to provide estimates for the complex gates. In this paper, a macro-modeling method is proposed for determining the transistor widths of the equivalent inverter and a technique for providing parametric expressions for these widths in terms of input transition time, output capacitive load, initial transistor width, supply voltage and temperature. A tool is developed to provide timing and power characterizations for the cells of a digital cell library, much faster than conventional numerical circuit simulators. The results prove the efficiency of the equivalent inverter approach in modeling complex gates.

Chapter 14 - The Nature of Order and Complexity in Ecological Systems

Complex Adaptive Systems of Systems, or CASoS, are vastly complex ecological, sociological, economic and/or technical systems which we must understand to design a secure future for the nation and the world. Perturbations/disruptions in CASoS have the potential for far-reaching effects due to pervasive interdependencies and attendant vulnerabilities to cascades in associated systems. Phoenix was initiated to address this high-impact problem space as engineers. Our overarching goals are maximizing security, maximizing health, and minimizing risk. We design interventions, or problem solutions, that influence CASoS to achieve specific aspirations. Through application to real-world problems, Phoenix is evolving the principles and discipline of CASoS Engineering while growing a community of practice and the CASoS engineers to populate it. Both grounded in reality and working to extend our understanding and control of that reality, Phoenix is at the same time a solution within a CASoS and a CASoS itself.

Contemporary conservation problems are typically positioned at the interface of complex ecological and human systems. Traditional approaches aiming to compartmentalize a phenomenon within the confines of a single discipline and failing to engage non-science partners are outmoded and cannot identify solutions that have traction in the social, economic, and political arenas in which conservation actions must operate. As a result, conservation science teams must adopt multiple disciplinary approaches that bridge not only academic disciplines but also the political and social realms and engage relevant partners. Five reasons are presented that outline why conservation problems demand multiple disciplinary approaches in order to move forward because: (i) socio-ecological systems are complex, (ii) multiple perspectives are better than one, (iii) the results of research must influence practice, (iv) the heterogeneity of scale necessitates it, and (v) conservation involves compromise. Presenting reasons that support multiple disciplinarity demands a review of the barriers that impede this process, as we are far from attaining a model or framework that is applicable in all contexts. Two challenges that impede multiple disciplinarity are discussed, in addition to pragmatic solutions that conservation scientists and practitioners can adopt in their work. Overall, conservation researchers and practitioners are encouraged to explore the multiple disciplinary dimensions of their respective realms to more effectively solve problems in biodiversity and sustainability.

Globally, rural regions are searching for innovative growth opportunities to reinvigorate their economies. This paper examines the redevelopment of rural communities through an ecological lens – based on the notion of continuous cycles of adaptive change within complex systems as first identified within Holling’s concept of panarchy. Panarchy suggests that complex systems have more than a single equilibrium point and, instead, have some inherent resiliency based on the notion of multiple stable regimes. As such, panarchy provides a conceptual model that describes the ways in which complex social and ecological systems are organized and structured both spatially and temporally. By drawing parallels between the characteristics of ecological communities and rural economic systems, a novel framework is developed to assist policy-makers reflect on a rural community’s position along its own adaptive change cycle and, then, implement appropriate inventions to improve system resiliency – which in this case is linked with economic resiliency through development and/or growth. Supported by empirical data emerging from both key informant interviews and content analysis of current rural development policy, this work also identifies leverage points where policy intervention may be most advantageous by specifying the timing of policy instruments on the cycle. Specifically, this framework describes four leverage points, three major and one minor, to help push or pull rural regions into an area of higher resilience.

Calculation of probabilistic testability measures for digital circuits with Structurally Synthesized BDDs

The scientific article examines the peculiarities of classification (botanical, geographical, commodity, international); requirements for the quality of tobacco raw materials and their safety for human health and life, as well as requirements for packaging and labelling in order to improve the examination of tobacco raw materials. Methodological recommendations for determining the authenticity of tobacco raw materials have been developed, which can be used in practical work by customs officers when conducting an examination of goods of group 24 of the Ukrainian Classifier of Goods for Foreign Economic Activity. The identification tasks of the commodity expertise of tobacco raw materials (identification of the type of tobacco, establishment of the grade, quality control, determination of the degree of processing, analysis of aroma and taste) are defined. Modern methods of analysis are presented, in particular, instrumental methods used to establish quality and safety indicators (visual inspection, microscopic analysis, chemical analysis, physicochemical methods, gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, spectral analysis). These methods allow to examine tobacco raw materials at the molecular, chemical and morphological levels to obtain objective information about its quality, safety and other characteristics that may be important in litigation. The article provides a systematisation of information on the characteristic defects of tobacco raw materials, namely: mould, rot, drying, cracking, deformation (these defects may arise as a result of various factors, such as climatic conditions, methods of growing, storing and processing of tobacco raw materials). Defects that are characteristic of low-quality products with signs of spoilage: impurities and contamination, mould, rot, drying out, cracking. The mechanism for conducting a forensic examination of tobacco raw materials with the aim of objective assessment of quality, safety and other characteristics is described.

Fads and fallacies in the name of ecology

The paper analyses and investigates the usage of quantum convolutional neural networks in technical, natural, and socio-economic systems. Quantum convolutional neural networks are a novel approach to information processing that is based on the principles of quantum mechanics and artificial intelligence. In technical systems, the potential of using quantum convolutional neural networks for solving complex tasks such as image processing, machine learning, and prediction has been explored. The results have shown that quantum convolutional neural networks can provide more accurate and faster computations compared to classical neural networks. In natural systems, research has been conducted on the use of quantum convolutional neural networks for modeling and predicting complex natural processes. Their effectiveness in understanding genetic data, studying complex molecular structures, and analyzing ecological systems has been investigated. It has been found that quantum convolutional neural networks can deliver more precise and rapid results compared to conventional data processing methods. In socio-economic systems, the possibilities of employing quantum convolutional neural networks for social network analysis, financial market forecasting, and resource management have been studied. The application of quantum convolutional neural networks has the potential to enhance prediction accuracy and facilitate more effective decision-making in socio-economic systems. The research findings confirm that quantum convolutional neural networks have the potential to be utilized in various domains, including technical, natural, and socio-economic systems. They can achieve higher accuracy, processing speed, and predictive capabilities compared to traditional methods.

The recent advancements in $$bubble\, logic$$ computation based on two-phase microfluidics bring into light the possibility that the use of bubbles in microfluidic devices can carry on-chip process control. In this paper, four computational models implementing two different AND–OR logic gates, one logic NOT, and a Flip-Flop are presented. More specifically, the numerical approach used combines the Navier–Stokes equation with the phase-field method. All reported models are based on generally accepted and already experimentally tested chip designs. A parametric T-junction model has been designed to be connected to the logic gate models as a droplet generator. The wider framework on the logic gate behavior in different operating conditions reveals the relevance of these models in the microfluidics chip design. Moreover, the advantage of using a simulation platform for the investigation of electrical circuits equivalent of microfluidic processes is illustrated. In this context, the focus of this paper was not only the definition of CFD models of logic gates, but the attempt to establish a workbench easily accessible for the study of the two-phase microfluidic processes.