Nuclear Liability and Post-Fukushima Developments

The international community has developed a series of conventions on civil liability for nuclear damage, which aim to ensure compensation is available for damage, including transboundary damage, caused by a nuclear incident. Those conventions have struggled to gain universal adherence, and the “global regime” called for in 2011 is at best a patchwork quilt, with a number of treaties with differing memberships, and many States (including States with large and growing nuclear sectors) not party to any convention. However, the principles of the conventions are reflected in national laws in most States which operate nuclear power reactors and associated facilities. This chapter assesses the current global nuclear liability regime and discusses a series of recommendations made by the International Expert Group on Nuclear Liability (INLEX) to allow the international community to respond to the continued evolution of the nuclear industry.

Efficient resampling features and convolution neural network model for image forgery detection

The extended utilization of picture-enhancing or manipulating tools has led to ease of manipulating multimedia data which includes digital images. These manipulations will disturb the truthfulness and lawfulness of images, resulting in misapprehension, and might disturb social security. The image forensic approach has been employed for detecting whether or not an image has been manipulated with the usage of positive attacks which includes splicing, and copy-move. This paper provides a competent tampering detection technique using resampling features and convolution neural network (CNN). In this model range spatial filtering (RSF)-CNN, throughout preprocessing the image is divided into consistent patches. Then, within every patch, the resampling features are extracted by utilizing affine transformation and the Laplacian operator. Then, the extracted features are accumulated for creating descriptors by using CNN. A wide-ranging analysis is performed for assessing tampering detection and tampered region segmentation accuracies of proposed RSF-CNN based tampering detection procedures considering various falsifications and post-processing attacks which include joint photographic expert group (JPEG) compression, scaling, rotations, noise additions, and more than one manipulation. From the achieved results, it can be visible the RSF-CNN primarily based tampering detection with adequately higher accurateness than existing tampering detection methodologies.

Modeling of Appropriate Norms of Physical Readiness of Pre-Conscription Youth for Service in the Army

Research purpose: is a substantiation and modeling of appropriate norms of physical readiness of youth for service in the army. Materials and Methods. The expert group included 21 specialists (whose field of activity is physical education, special training, physical training in the security and defense forces). The following research methods were used to solve the problem posed in the work: theoretical analysis, comparison, systematization and generalization of materials of scientific, historical, methodical literature and guiding documents; expert evaluation (Delphi and analysis of Saati hierarchies); methods of mathematical statistics. Results. It is determined that even simple statistical methods in combination with expert information when choosing promising solutions often give better results than accurate calculations with a focus on averages. A comprehensive approach using peer review (Delphi), a method of modern theory of hierarchical systems Saati allowed to determine the structure of the projected model of physical fitness of young people for military service. The structural interconnected components of the predicted model with the corresponding weighting factors are the level of formation and development of general and special physical qualities (ρ1 = 0.411), the level of formation and development of special physical qualities (ρ2 = 0.235), the level of acquisition of military applied motor skills (ρ3 = 0.216), the state of the cardiovascular system (ρ4 = 0.138). Conclusions. The presented structural predictable model of integrated assessment of physical readiness of youth for service in the army allows to define limits of levels of components and to estimate their level of formation in points from 1 to 12, and also to correct the maintenance of means of physical training depending on such components which lag behind a proper norm.

Orphan Medicine Incentives: How to Address the Unmet Needs of Rare Disease Patients by Optimizing the European Orphan Medicinal Product Landscape Guiding Principles and Policy Proposals by the European Expert Group for Orphan Drug Incentives (OD Expert Group)

Today policy makers face the challenge to devise a policy framework that improves orphan medicinal product (OMP) development by creating incentives to deliver treatments where there are none and to authorize innovative and transformative treatments where treatments already exist. The European Expert Group on Orphan Drug Incentives (hereafter, OD Expert Group) came together in 2020 to develop policy proposals to facilitate EU policy makers to meet this challenge. The group brings together representatives of the broad rare disease community, including researchers, academia, patient representatives, members of the investor community, rare disease companies and trade associations. The group’s work builds on the recognition that only an ambitious policy agenda developed in a multi-stakeholder setting can bring about the quantum leap needed to address unmet needs of rare disease patients today. Along the OMP development path, the OD Expert Group has identified four main needs that a policy revision should address: 1) Need to improve the R&D ecosystem for basic research and company take-up of development. 2) Need to improve the system of financial incentives and rewards. 3) Need to improve the flexibility, predictability and speed of the regulatory pathway. 4) Need to improve the coherence and predictability of demand and pricing for OMPs. This article presents the results of the OD Expert Group work as a set of guiding principles that the revision of the policy framework should follow and a set of 14 policy proposals that address the main needs of OMP development in Europe today.

Russian-language dictionary of terms used in clinical electromyography and ultrasound examination of the neuromuscular system

Modern electrodiagnostics (ED) and ultrasound examination of the neuromuscular system dictates the need to use unified terminology in order to avoid inter-expert variability in describing the results of the study and drawing up a conclusion in accordance with international criteria. The results of a survey of clinical electromyography specialists and the methodology of translation of the latest version of the English-language glossary on electrodiagnostic medicine are presented.The purpose of the publication is to popularize the use of modern nomenclature among the professional community. An anonymous survey was conducted on the use of the most common terms ED. The translation of the latest English-language version of the glossary on ED and ultrasound examination of the neuromuscular system was carried out, followed by editing and discussion by an expert group. 236 people from 68 cities of Russia and neighboring countries took part in the survey. The survey results demonstrated maximum disunity, as well as conservatism in the use of terms. The nomenclature of ED terms was first compiled in 1980 by the American Association of Electromyography and Electrodiagnostics and subsequently regularly revised and supplemented in accordance with new data. The unification of terms is necessary for the standardization of conclusions, multicenter research and scientific publications.

Structural and functional analysis of reconnaissance and fire system and decomposition of its functions and subsystems

It is established that the role of reconnaissance and fire systems in the implementation of enemy fire damage in military conflicts occurring at the beginning of the XXI century. Increased to 75%. However, it was found that the effectiveness of these systems depends on the quality of their equipment. The main factors that are often not taken into account in the acquisition are the possibility, interoperability, stability of each element, the impact of elements on the stability of each other and the functioning of the RVS as a whole. The analysis of recent research and publications has shown that as of today, the approaches to determining the composition of reconnaissance fire systems taking into account these factors are not justified. Given the above, it was decided to conduct a structural and functional analysis of the reconnaissance fire system and the decomposition of its functions and subsystems. To this end, based on the method of cluster analysis, an algorithm for combining a set of tasks performed by reconnaissance and fire systems into groups has been developed and substantiated. The method of expert evaluation was used to obtain substantiated data on the implementation of such a merger. According to the proposed algorithm, the main tasks were first identified, which involve reconnaissance and fire systems. Subsequently, an expert group was formed and the coefficient of relative competence of each member of the expert group was determined. The experts were then asked to combine the identified tasks according to their characteristics into an arbitrary number of groups. After processing the opinions of experts, 10 characteristic groups were identified. Finally, the experts were asked to combine the obtained groups in such a way that each association consisted of similar objects and the objects of different associations differed significantly. The results of the work revealed the functional interconnectedness of the tasks, processes and subsystems of the reconnaissance and fire system. It is also established that a typical reconnaissance fire system will consist of three subsystems (control, reconnaissance and fire influence), which perform specific functions for each of them.

Nachweislich eine gute Entscheidung: Qualitätssicherung für künstlich-intelligente Verfahren in der Industrie

ZusammenfassungWelche Arten von Künstlicher Intelligenz (KI) sollen in europäischen Industrieunternehmen eingeführt und genutzt werden? Wie kann es gelingen, europäisch-demokratische Werte wie Mitbestimmung, Transparenz, Widerspruchsmöglichkeit und Anpassungsfähigkeit für die Nutzung von KI-Technologien zu gewährleisten? Diese Fragen werden aktuell unter den Debatten um erklärbare KI und KI-Zertifizierung verhandelt. Der folgende Beitrag legt an einem konkreten Fallbeispiel aus der Industrie die ALTAI-Kriterien an, die von der High Level Expert Group für die Gestaltung „vertrauenswürdiger KI“ formuliert wurden. Entlang der drei ausgewählten Kriterien „Menschliches Handeln und Aufsicht“, „Transparenz“ und „Robustheit“ wird exemplarisch skizziert, wie Erklär- und Kontrollierbarkeit KI-basierter Verfahren im industriellen Arbeitsumfeld zunehmend umgesetzt und prüfbar gemacht werden können. Es zeigt sich, dass technische Benutzeroberflächen als Teamarbeit gestaltet werden müssen und dass die Zusammenarbeit unterschiedlicher Unternehmen in der Bereitstellung von Datensätzen und Algorithmen im Fokus einer Prüfung stehen muss (Software-Genese). Als mögliches Handlungsfeld werden Auditing-Verfahren vorgestellt.

Evidence-based recommendations for economic evaluations in spine surgery: study protocol for a Delphi consensus

IntroductionConsidering the rising global healthcare expenses, economic evaluations are more important than ever. Even though the number of studies regarding costs and cost-effectiveness is increasing, the quality of these studies remains relatively low. This is mainly caused by abundant heterogeneity in methods used for determining, calculating and reporting cost data, despite current general guidelines for the conduct of economic evaluations. Disease-specific recommendations for the conduct of economic evaluations in the field of spine surgery, as complement to existing general guidelines, will ameliorate overall research quality, comparability and interpretability and thus, the overall quality. We aim to provide expert-based recommendations for the design, conduct, and reporting of economic evaluations in spine surgery.Methods and analysisA modified Delphi study will be conducted to formulate expert-based recommendations. The following steps will be taken:(1) The conduct of a systematic review to identify relevant publications and identify relevant authors. Formation of an expert group and a Delphi-panel. (2) Drafting of statements based on articles included in the systematic literature review. Validation of drafted statements by the expert group. Step 2 can be repeated up to three times, statements can be discarded and adjusted in these rounds. Statements with more than 75% agreement will be accepted as consensus statements. (3) Validation of statements by the Delphi-panel. (4) Final recommendations.Ethics and disseminationThe underlying work is based on existing literature and published data and does not include participation of patients, and thus does not require ethical review approval. The final recommendations are intended for (clinical) researchers in the field of cost-effectiveness in spine surgery. The Delphi method ensures that the final output reflects the opinions of international participants and gives insight in the adherence level to the recommendations. The aim is to reach uniformity in design, conduct and reporting of these studies, as is currently lacking. This will provide a solid basis to determine cost-effectiveness of spine surgeries and consequently aid to limit the rising healthcare costs. The findings of this study and the final recommendations will be disseminated in conferences and seminars and will be published in an international peer-reviewed journal.