Overview of TS 1170.5:2025 and changes from NZS 1170.5:2024

This article includes information about development of technical specifications (TS) and changes to the TSs for refractories by institute in 2016. In 2016 in accordance to the requirements of the state standardization system 10 TS and 14 changes to the current TS have been developed, agreed with the companies and approved, including 7 new TS and 6 change to TS for pilot batches of refractories manufactured by PJSC “THE URIR NAMED AFTER A. S. BEREZHOY”, 3 TS and 8 change to TS for serial refractory products, produced by Ukrainian enterprises. Institute plans to continue work on the development of TS for refractory products, study and analysis of the global level of standardization in the field of refractories.

Joint Stock Company “The Ukrainian Research Institute of Refractories named after A. S. Berezhnoy” (JSC “URIR named after A. S. Berezhnoy”) serves as the secretariat of the technical committee for standardization “Refractories” (TC 7), that is, it provides organizational support for the activities of TC 7 and coordinates its work.
 TC 7 “Refractories” participates in the work of the international technical committee for standardization ISO/TC 33 as an active member, the European technical committee CEN/NC 187 as an observer.
 In the absence of national standards for refractory products or if it is necessary to concretize or supplement certain requirements, the Institute develops technical specifications at the request of product manufacturers. Also, in order to improve the quality of products and (or) extend the validity of technical specifications for pilot batches of refractory products manufactured by JSC “URIR named after A. S. Berezhnoy”, the Institute carries out work on the development of technical specifications and changes to specifications.
 In 2020, eleven technical specifications and eighteen changes to the current technical specifications were developed, agreed, approved, registered, including: one technical specifications and fife changes to the technical specifications for serial products manufactured by refractory enterprises of Ukraine, ten technical specifications and thirteen changes to the specifications for pilot batches of refractory products manufactured by the Institute.
 The development of technical specifications was carried out in accordance with the modern requirements of the normative documentation of the state standardization system of Ukraine (SOU KZPS 74.9-02568182-003: 2016, DSTU 1.5: 2015; SOU MPP 01.120-090: 2005).

This article includes information about development of technical specifications (TS) and changes to the TSs for refractories by institute in 2018.
 In 2018, the following standards were developed, agreed with enterprises in accordance with the requirements of the state standardization system and approved: one new technical specification and 14 change to TS for serial refractory products, produced by Ukrainian enterprises; 3 new TS for serial refractory products developed PrJSC “KDZ” were checked and agreed; 6 new technical specification and 11 change to the current specifications for the pilot batches of refractories manufactured by JSC “The URIR named after A. S. Berezhnoy”.
 Changes to technical specifications and new technical specifications have been developed in concordance with requirements of the modern system standardizations of the Ukraine (СОУ КЗПС 74.9­02568182­003:2016, ДСТУ 1.5:2015, СОУ МПП 01.120­090:2005), endorsed by manufacturers and enterprise consumers, tested for compliance with current legislation, technical regulations and regulatory documents and entered into the database «Technical conditions of Ukraine» — SE “Kharkivstandartmetrology”, and approved by the technical committee TC 7 “Refractories”.
 Institute plans to continue work on the development of TS and changes to the TSs for refractory products, study and analysis of the global level of standardization in the field of refractories.

Hydrogen is emerging as one of the premising energy sources to achieve carbon neutral society. To efficiently store and make use of the produced hydrogen by various methods, liquid hydrogen and liquid hydrogen refueling station (LHRS) are spotlighted as solutions for storage and utilization sector respectively. However, technical limitations of cryogenic pumps, heat exchangers and unconsolidated standards for LHRS led to hinder the wide spread of the stations. This paper reviews general technical specifications and safety standards of commercialized small-scale LHRS and suggests technical specifications and safety standards for large-scale LHRS. Especially, an application of separated cryogenic pumps and heat integration for the vaporizer specializes the designed station charging 1000kg of hydrogen per day in this paper from small-scale LHRS and other large-scale LHRS. The authors expect commercializing large-scale LHRS with the proposed technical specification and process system requirements to be able and the safety standards set for the designed station can contribute to the unification of world LHRS standards.

THE INDONESIAN RADIATION DATA MONITORING SYSTEM (IRDMS) IS A NETWORK CATEGORIZED AS COMPLEX PROBLEMS WITH INFLUENCING FACTORS INTO A SINGLE UNIT AS MULTIPLE PROBLEMS THAT MUST SOLVE THROUGH VARIOUS APPROACHES OPTIMALLY. One of the approaches required is the application of optimization. For example, optimization is needed between the detection sensitivity of the radiation source and the number of false alarms due to the permissible background radiation by determining the operating parameters of the monitor. In addition, optimization is needed between costs and data (information) obtained through determining the influencing factors in establishing a monitoring base, namely the purpose of installation at the location (safety and security), demographics, legal subjects, resources, type (technology) detectors, and environmental radioactivity. To increase the national content for the use of the product, the problem statement of this paper focuses on developing technical specifications for the type of low-resolution gamma spectrometer-based monitor (detector) following the analytical method developed by the authors for the determination of alarms triggered by radiation from facilities and equipment. This study aims to develop IRDMS technical specifications following the needs of nuclear control and bridge the gap (transition) of acceptance of national content before the parties can accept it as SNI. This proposed technical specification was adopted from the international standard IEC 61017:2016 and modified to suit the proposed alarm determination analysis method and Indonesian conditions, including consultation with interested parties. The content of this technical specification is relatively broad in scope. It is hoped that it can be adopted by parties who must carry out environmental monitoring following regulatory criteria and with the ability to provide alarms by increasing radiation doses equivalent to natural events (especially by rain). Keywords: environmental monitoring, gamma spectrometer, regulatory oversight, early warning

Chapter 32 - Technology procurement

This research investigates coffee agroforestry systems' financial feasibility and technical specifications in community forests (HKm). Coffee agroforestry is acknowledged for its potential to enhance biodiversity, increase land productivity, maintain ecological balance, and provide economic benefits for small-scale farmers. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, utilizing in-depth interviews, field observations, and questionnaires to gather primary data while incorporating reports and literature as secondary data sources. The analysis reveals that the coffee agroforestry system in HKm demonstrates financial viability, with a positive NPV, a BCR exceeding 1, and an IRR of 33%. However, challenges such as insufficient technical knowledge and limited financial support persist as significant barriers. Furthermore, this research develops technical specifications, including selecting high-quality coffee seeds, shoot grafting techniques, fertilization, and pest management practices. These specifications are intended to serve as a practical guide for farmers adopting coffee agroforestry systems, enabling them to improve productivity and economic well-being. Moreover, the findings of this study provide a solid foundation for developing policies that encourage the widespread adoption of coffee agroforestry. As a result, this research makes notable contributions to both the scientific and practical aspects of coffee agroforestry for Community Forest farmers, paving the way for further research and formulating comprehensive strategies to address the challenges farmers face.

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) can progress to cirrhosis and liver failure and is associated with an increase incidence of liver cancer. Currently, there are no approved therapies for treatment of NASH fibrosis.  During evaluation of a new drug application, it can be challenging to differentiate between progression of liver disease and potential drug-induced liver injury (DILI) in subjects with NASH fibrosis and DILI.  Therefore, clinical trials for treatment of NASH fibrosis require standardized disease-specific metadata to adequately support evaluation of efficacy and safety, including potentially DILI assessment. To improve reviewability and quality of data submission, it is helpful for all stakeholders to understand specifications needed for subject level data submission to the FDA. Development of technical specifications requires a multidisciplinary approach. This report describes the rationale, process and methods used in developing Technical Specifications for Submitting Clinical Trial Data Sets for Treatment of Noncirrhotic Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH). The recommendations outlined in the NASH technical specifications pertain to submission of the sponsor’s tabulated and analysis data sets in a standardized manner based on CDISC standards to improve reviewability. These specifications also provide an opportunity for dialogue between the sponsor and regulatory agency to discuss issues related to trial design or conduct that may affect the content of these data sets. These specifications are intended to support the draft guidance for industry Noncirrhotic Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis with Liver Fibrosis: Developing Drugs for Treatment (NASH Guidance) and reflect the data standards and processes described in the FDA Study Data Technical Conformance Guide and the FDA Data Standards Catalog.

The European Authorities have promoted a specific and innovative framework for the use of electronic signatures, allowing the free flow of electronic signature-related products and services cross borders, and ensuring a basic legal recognition of such facilities. The core aim was to promote the emergence of the internal market for certification products, mainly intending to satisfy various requirements for the proper use and immediate “adoption” of electronic signature applications related to e-government and personal e-banking services. Thus, a number of technical, procedural, and quality standards for electronic signature products and solutions have been developed, all conforming to the requirements imposed by the EU regulation and the relevant market needs. In the present work, we examine the role of standardization activities for the promotion of several needs of an “open” European market based on the effective usage of e-signatures, and being able to affect a great variety of technological, business- commercial, regulatory, and other issues. In any case, the transposition of legal requirements into technical specifications (or business practices) needs to be harmonized at a European member-states’ level in order to enable adequate interoperability of the final solutions proposed. Appropriate technical standards for the sector can help to establish a presumption of conformity that the electronic signature products following or implementing them comply with all the legal requirements imposed, in the background of the actual European policies. Thus we discuss recent European and/or national initiatives to fulfil such a fundamental option. The European Electronic Signature Standardization Initiative (EESSI) has been set up under the auspices of the European Commission for the carrying out of a work program aiming at the development of standards (be it technical specifications or policy practices) that would facilitate the implementation of the basic legal instrument (the “Electronic Signatures Directive”). Two major streams of possible standards-setting work have been determined, covering: (i) Qualitative and procedural standards for the provision of certification services and (ii) technical standards for product interoperability. We identify (and evaluate at a primary level) the basic components/modules of EESSI’s specific results, already developed and offered in the market either as technical regulations and/or as recognized standards, with respect to essential requirements imposed by the European regulation. We also discuss relevant “feedback” already gained from various market areas and we focus on challenges for further implementation, progress, adoption, and development, especially in the framework for the promotion of converged broadband (Internet-based) communications facilities. It is important for the market that expected standardization work takes into account new technological developments as, in the future, users will move their e-signature key from device-to-device in a connected world. The added value of standards in the e-signatures sector, for both end users and assessing parties (judge, arbitrator, conformity assessment body, etc.) is of extreme importance for the future of the European electronic communications market.

The European Authorities have promoted a specific and innovative framework for the use of electronic signatures, allowing the free flow of electronic signature-related products and services cross borders, and ensuring a basic legal recognition of such facilities. The core aim was to promote the emergence of the internal market for certification products, mainly intending to satisfy various requirements for the proper use and immediate “adoption” of electronic signature applications related to e-government and personal e-banking services. Thus, a number of technical, procedural, and quality standards for electronic signature products and solutions have been developed, all conforming to the requirements imposed by the EU regulation and the relevant market needs. In the present work, we examine the role of standardization activities for the promotion of several needs of an “open” European market based on the effective usage of e-signatures, and being able to affect a great variety of technological, business- commercial, regulatory, and other issues. In any case, the transposition of legal requirements into technical specifications (or business practices) needs to be harmonized at a European member-states’ level in order to enable adequate interoperability of the final solutions proposed. Appropriate technical standards for the sector can help to establish a presumption of conformity that the electronic signature products following or implementing them comply with all the legal requirements imposed, in the background of the actual European policies. Thus we discuss recent European and/or national initiatives to fulfil such a fundamental option. The European Electronic Signature Standardization Initiative (EESSI) has been set up under the auspices of the European Commission for the carrying out of a work program aiming at the development of standards (be it technical specifications or policy practices) that would facilitate the implementation of the basic legal instrument (the “Electronic Signatures Directive”). Two major streams of possible standards-setting work have been determined, covering: (i) Qualitative and procedural standards for the provision of certification services and (ii) technical standards for product interoperability. We identify (and evaluate at a primary level) the basic components/modules of EESSI’s specific results, already developed and offered in the market either as technical regulations and/or as recognized standards, with respect to essential requirements imposed by the European regulation. We also discuss relevant “feedback” already gained from various market areas and we focus on challenges for further implementation, progress, adoption, and development, especially in the framework for the promotion of converged broadband (Internet-based) communications facilities. It is important for the market that expected standardization work takes into account new technological developments as, in the future, users will move their e-signature key from device-to-device in a connected world. The added value of standards in the e-signatures sector, for both end users and assessing parties (judge, arbitrator, conformity assessment body, etc.) is of extreme importance for the future of the European electronic communications market.

The current New Zealand seismic design provisions are expected to be updated with a proposed Technical Specification (TS). The update is motivated primarily by the recent release of the 2022 National Seismic Hazard Model, with new seismic hazard estimates across the country. The updates are being carried out by the Seismic Risk Working Group (SRWG). One of the SRWG’s primary intentions for the proposed TS was to maintain the Building Code objective of safeguarding people from injury in light of these hazard changes. While previous code development in New Zealand has not explicitly assessed whether the life-safety risk was tolerably low, the SRWG sought to implement a new life-safety risk assessment methodology. The risk assessment takes an Ultimate Limit State (ULS) design spectrum as input and provides an expected distribution of the fatality risk, representing the variety of buildings that could be designed in accordance with the minimum requirements associated with ULS. The methodology is made up of four modules representing (A) the shaking hazard, (B) the building performance (collapse fragility), (C) the probability of fatality given collapse, and (D) the variability in performance among code-conforming buildings. The first three modules quantify fatality risk for a single building, while the fourth module iterates over many buildings to produce a full risk distribution. Using this methodology, the SRWG found that for Importance Level 2 (IL2) buildings, a ULS design spectrum with an annual probability of exceedance (APoE) of 1/500 typically corresponds to an annual individual fatality risk (AIFR) ranging between 10−6 and 10−5. Comparison with the ULS design spectra from the current NZS 1170.5:2004 provisions shows that the proposed spectra result in more uniform risk across the country, across different site classes, and across different periods. Additionally, the IL3 ULS design spectrum with an APoE of 1/1000 was considered, demonstrating that increasing the importance level to mitigate mass casualty events in high occupancy buildings is functionally equivalent to reducing the tolerable AIFR level. In summary, the risk assessment methodology can provide valuable information to the code development process by evaluating and comparing the life-safety risk associated with various options for the ULS design spectra.

Project success criteria are dependent variables that measure the successful outcome of a project, while project success factors are the independent elements of a project that can increase the likelihood of success. In other words, success criteria are used to measure success whilst success factors facilitate the achievement of success. The purpose of this paper is to systematically record and identify project success criteria as well as critical success factors found in the literature and published in academic journals in order to form an effective and widely accessible framework to measure project success. Time - schedule, cost - budget, user satisfaction, quality-performance, business and commercial performance are the most frequently used success criteria, followed by technical specifications and requirements, stakeholders’ satisfaction, strategic goals/objectives and competitiveness, functionality, project team satisfaction and safety. Some researchers also refer to contractor satisfaction, future perspective and environmental impact, while handful are those that support that effectiveness and suppliers’ satisfaction can influence project success. The critical factors influencing the success of projects are identified and commonly related to the following areas: project (e.g. clear goal, realistic schedule, adequate funds, resources, size, complexity), project manager and leadership (e.g. leadership, management of changes, effective conflict resolution, communication), project team members (e.g. communication, technical background, qualified team), organization (e.g. top management support, responsibility and authority chart) and external environment (client, technological environment, political environment, social environment, physical environment).

Plantar pressure distribution measurements. Technical background and clinical applications

In the decade since the National Space Weather Program (NSWP) Implementation Plan (see http://www.nswp.gov/images/nswpip2000.pdf) was drafted and then published (2000), and the NSWP Assessment Committee produced its 2006 follow-on report (http://www.nswp.gov/nswp_acreport0706.pdf), an updated vision has been needed to guide our nation's space environment activities as the decade near solar maximum begins. This vision must include two parts: placing space weather management at the forefront of activities to go beyond the ongoing specification and prediction efforts, and working to create international space environment standards so that space activities are conducted with safety, efficiency, and the maximization of space commercialization.

The construction technical management occupies an important place for ensuring the construction quality in the project construction activities. Its tasks cover: correctly carry out the State’s technical policies, supervision procedures, technical specifications and standards; rationally arrange the construction work procedures in conformity with scientific laws; properly develop the technical programs for construction work; provide complete basis and execution evidence for technical work and ensure that the construction quality is in compliance with the requirements of design documents, applicable standards and the contract. So we must normalize the construction quality management work of project and guarantee the construction quality of the project.