Consequences Of Accidents Research Articles

Navigating ethical challenges of explainable ai in autonomous systems

The rapid integration of autonomous systems, such as vehicles, drones, and robots, into various sectors brings forth significant ethical challenges concerning their decision-making processes. This paper examines the role of Explainable AI (XAI) in addressing these challenges, particularly regarding accountability in the event of accidents and the necessity of human oversight in automated environments. We discuss the critical ethical implications of transparency, emphasizing how XAI can bridge the gap between complex algorithmic decision-making and public understanding, thereby fostering trust in these technologies. The paper also outlines the current regulatory frameworks for AI safety, analysing their effectiveness in promoting responsible innovation. Furthermore, we investigate the consequences of opaque algorithms, especially in life-critical applications where the stakes are exceptionally high. Through an analysis of case studies, we showcase how organizations have successfully implemented XAI to enhance safety measures and uphold ethical responsibility in their autonomous systems. Ultimately, this study advocates for the integration of XAI as a vital component in developing responsible autonomous technologies, ensuring accountability, and safeguarding public trust in an era increasingly defined by automation.

In-hospital outcomes of ventricular tachycardia catheter ablation in the presence of intra-cardiac thrombus

Abstract Background Ventricular tachycardia (VT) catheter ablation in the presence of intracardiac thrombi was evaluated in very few studies. Objectives To investigate in-hospital outcomes of VT ablation in the presence of an intracardiac thrombus, in a large inpatient US registry. Methods Using the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database, patients who underwent non-elective VT catheter ablations in the US between 2016 and 2019 were identified using ICD-10 codes. Sociodemographic, clinical data, in-hospital procedures and outcomes as well as in-hospital mortality were collected. In-hospital outcomes were compared using propensity score (PS) matching analysis with a 1:3 ratio between patients with and without intracardiac thrombus. Results A weighted total of 15,725 admissions for non-elective VT ablation were included in the study, of which 190 (1.2%) had a discharge diagnosis of intracardiac thrombus. Patients with intracardiac thrombus had a higher comorbidity burden and were more likely to have ischemic cardiomyopathy and a diagnosis of cardiac aneurysm. In PS analysis, the presence of intracardiac thrombus was significantly associated with higher rates of any in-hospital complications (42.1% vs 19.3%, P<0.009), driven by higher periprocedural cerebrovascular accident and vascular injury events. In-hospital mortality rates were not significantly different between the groups. Conclusions In patients undergoing non-elective VT ablation, intracardiac thrombus was associated with higher rates of in-hospital complications, but not higher in-hospital mortality. These findings suggest that intracardiac thrombus should not contraindicate VT ablation when deemed necessary, while efforts should be made to decrease potential complications.

Emergency Capability Evaluation of Port-Adjacent Oil Storage and Transportation Bases: An Improved Analytic Hierarchy Process Approach

The large-scale storage and stable supply of oil products are essential for national energy security and economic development. As the economy expands and energy demands rise, centralized storage and supply systems become increasingly vital for ensuring the efficiency and reliability of oil product distribution. However, large oil storage depots present substantial safety risks. In the event of fires, explosions, or other accidents, emergency response efforts face stringent demands and challenges. To enhance the emergency response capabilities of oil storage and transportation bases (OSTBs), this paper proposes an innovative approach that integrates the improved analytic hierarchy process (IAHP) with the Entropy Weight Method (EMW) to determine the combined weights of various indices. This approach reduces the subjective bias associated with the traditional analytic hierarchy process (AHP). The emergency response capabilities of OSTBs are subsequently evaluated through fuzzy comprehensive analysis. An empirical study conducted on an OSTB in the Zhoushan archipelago quantitatively assesses its emergency preparedness. The results show that the base excels in pre-incident prevention, demonstrates robust preparedness and response capabilities, and exhibits moderate recovery abilities after incidents. These findings provide a theoretical foundation for reducing the likelihood of accidents, enhancing emergency response efficiency, and mitigating the severity of consequences. Practical recommendations are also offered based on the results.

From forensic chemistry: an educational experience

Abstract The study of forensic chemical analysis not only aids justice in the investigation of accidental or criminal events but also trains chemistry students in analysing hypothetical scenes, such as the design of scientific experiments, and alerting them to potential dangers. In this way, it contributes to generating awareness about safety and security, ethics, and the professional responsibilities of chemists. These, although ambitious, are some of the objectives that have led to the development of this course on Chemical Analysis in Forensic Investigation, whose thematic units and teaching details are developed. This work presents a detailed programme for the Forensic Chemistry course offered at the Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences at the University of Buenos Aires. It includes examples of activities and bibliography, allowing it to be used as a template for similar courses or to adapt some of the thematic units to other chemistry courses. The suggested bibliography supports the education of both students and educators in the field of forensic chemistry. The incorporation of topics such as fires, explosives, chemical warfare agents (CWA), and environmental crimes aims to develop professional profiles for a new generation of chemists more committed to the societal impact of their work.

Correlation of Stature and Hand Dimension Among Medical Students of South Tamil Nadu, India

Background & Objectives Estimation of stature from the incomplete skeletal remains have importance in personal identification in the events of murders, accidents or natural disasters and considered as one of the biggest challenges of forensic science. Objectives: To study the relationship of stature in relation with hand dimensions and to derive a mathematical model to predict the stature from hand dimensions. Methods This cross-sectional study was done among 50 medical students studying at a medical college in South Tamilnadu. Age, gender, hand dimensions and height of all the subjects were noted. Pearson correlation was done to find the correlation between hand dimensions and height. Linear regression was used to derive the equations to predict the stature of an individual using various dimensions of hands. Results The mean age of the study population was 20.06 ± 1.28 years. Regression equations were derived to predict the stature of an individual with length and breadth of right and left hand. There was statistically significant positive correlation between stature and dimensions of both right and left hand. Linear regression equations were derived to predict the stature of an individual with any of the hand dimensions. Interpretation & Conclusion Hand dimensions have statistically significant positive correlation with the stature. The length or breadth of the right or left hand can be used to predict the stature of an individual. Keywords: Breadth of hand, Height, Identification, Length of hand, Linear regression, Prediction, Stature.

Secondary Sarcopenia in Patients with Locomotor Disorders: Prevalence, Diagnosis and Medical Rehabilitation. A Review

INTRODUCTION. The development of rehabilitation methods for patients with sarcopenia, a generalized age-associated loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength, is important, since sarcopenia leads to pronounced weakness, functional and motor disorders and an increased risk of death in the elderly. AIM. To analyze the prevalence, features of pathogenesis, diagnosis of secondary sarcopenia, including against the background of motor disorders due to stroke, as well as methods of treatment and medical rehabilitation of such patients. MAIN CONTENT. Among the secondary forms, sarcopenia is of the greatest clinical importance against the background of the consequences of acute cerebrovascular accident (ACA), due to muscular atrophy associated with paralysis and immobility, spasticity, inflammation and denervation of muscles, malnutrition and intestinal absorption of protein and vitamin D. Recent studies show that the prevalence of sarcopenia in stroke patients in emergency hospitals is 8.5–33.8 %, according to other data — more than 42 %. Muscle weakness after a stroke contributes to a decrease in physical functions and the development of disability, and sarcopenia leads to adverse outcomes 90 days after a stroke. According to the meta-analysis, which included 7 cohort studies with a total sample of 1,774 patients who underwent ACA, 27.1 % of them had sarcopenia. Moreover, the presence of sarcopenia negatively affected the clinical and functional outcomes of ACA, as well as the results of medical rehabilitation (odds ratio: 2.42, 95 % confidence interval: 1.76–3.33, p 0.001). CONCLUSION. Despite the prevalence and relevance of this pathology, rehabilitation programs for patients with sarcopenia against the background of the consequences of ACA have not been developed. Isolated foreign publications demonstrate the effectiveness of certain methods of physical therapy and electrical stimulation, but the evidence base for their effectiveness is low.

Analysis of the radiation accidents prevalence in nuclear medicine in the Russian Federation

Radiation events (accidents) appearance is an integral part of the use of ionizing radiation sources in medicine in general and nuclear medicine in particular. To minimize the negative impact on patients, workers, and public due to such events, it is necessary to have reliable information about real prevalence of the radiation events (accidents). The current work presents the analysis of the radiation accidents with medical ionizing radiation sources registered in the “Data bank of radiation accidents and incidents” of the Rospotrebnadzor Information and Analytical Centre for Radiation Safety and the results of workers questionnaires conducted in 25 nuclear medicine departments (about 30% of all nuclear medicine departments in the Russian Federation). The results of the analysis showed that the most common registered radiation accidents in the “Data bank of radiation accidents and incidents” are identification of passengers with high external dose rate as well as identification of waste contaminated by medical radionuclides. The results of the questionnaire showed that the most common radiation accidents (events) in nuclear medicine are contamination of work clothes or work surfaces with radionuclides, or patient fluids containing radionuclides; conducting examination without proper referral; extravasation of radiopharmaceutical. Existing systems of identification and registration of radiation accidents do not allow to identify radiation events (accidents) specific to nuclear medicine. The further research aimed at developing a classification of radiation events (accidents) in medicine and methods for responding to such events are feasible.

Characteristics of exposure to radioactive iodine during a nuclear incident.

During a nuclear accident, numerous products of nuclear fission are released, including isotopes of radioactive iodine. Among them is iodine-131, with a half-life of 8.02 days, which emits β radiation. For decades, it has been effectively and safely used in medicine. However, in the event of a nuclear accident, uncontrolled exposure can have harmful biological effects. The main sources of internal contamination with iodine-131 are contaminated air, food and water. The most exposed organ is the thyroid gland, where radioactive iodine accumulates via the Na+/I- symporter (NIS). NIS does not distinguish between radioactive iodine isotopes and the stable isotope iodine-127, which is essential for the synthesis of thyroid hormones. Exposure to radioactive iodine during a nuclear accident is primarily associated with papillary thyroid cancer, whose incidence begins to increase a few years after exposure. Children and adolescents are at the highest risk, and the risk is particularly significant for individuals living in iodine-deficient areas. Ensuring an adequate iodine supply is therefore crucial for lowering the risk of the harmful effects of exposure to radioactive iodine at the population level. Protecting the thyroid with potassium iodide tablets significantly reduces radiation exposure, as stable iodine prevents the entry of radioactive iodine into the thyroid. Such protection is effective only within a narrow time window - a few hours before and after the exposure and is recommended only for those under 40 years of age, as the risks of excessive iodine intake outweigh the potential benefits in older individuals.

Evaluating the effect of wood composition on the performance of impact limiters for dry storage containers

This study evaluated how the proportions of redwood and balsa wood influence the impact-absorption performance of the impact limiters in dry storage containers (DSCs). Analyses revealed that the safety and structural integrity of the DSC in the event of vertical, oblique, and horizontal drop accidents can be improved by optimizing the proportions of redwood and balsa wood in the impact limiters. Considering the impact-absorption characteristics of the constituent woods, impact limiters with different proportions of redwood and balsa wood were modeled, and their impact response characteristics for each drop scenario were investigated via finite-element analysis of the DSC and its components. Based on the findings, the optimal proportion of balsa wood was determined for each drop scenario, considering the dynamic responses and impact-absorption performance of the impact limiters. Additionally, stress-based evaluation in accordance with ASME BPVC Sec. III Div. 3 was performed on all the impact limiter models for the drop scenarios considered.

Смертность от болезней системы кровообращения среди ликвидаторов последствий аварии на Чернобыльской АЭС из числа работников предприятий атомной промышленности

Summary. The aim of the study was to evaluate the mortality from circulatory system diseases (CSD) and its dynamics in liquidators of the Chernobyl accident consequences, workers of nuclear industry enterprises. Materials and research methods. The information base of the study was the data contained in the Industry Register of persons exposed to radiation as a result of the Chernobyl NPP accident (ORCh) functioning since 1987 in FGBU GSC FMBC named after A.I. Burnazyan FMBA of Russia. The database (DB) of the ORCH contains information about 21356 liquidators of the Chernobyl accident consequences. The study covers the period from 1987 to 2021. 304023 persons/years were accumulated in the register for the observation period. The material was processed using the Excel statistical package, the growth rate was calculated when assessing the dynamics of mortality. The results of the study and their analysis. In the structure of CSD mortality (ICD10: I00-I99,9) in liquidators of Chernobyl accident consequences the first rank place is occupied by chronic ischaemic heart disease unspecified (CIHD) (ICD10: I25,9), the second rank place – cerebrovascular diseases (CVD) (ICD10: I67,9), the third rank place – Unspecified cardiomyopathy (ICD10: I42,9). The growth rate of CSD mortality during the observation period is mainly positive, the highest in liquidators of working age.

Oględziny miejsca wypadku przy pracy - cz. 3

This publication is the third and last part of the article systematizing the practical aspects of conducting inspections of workplace accidents. It presents in detail the issues of conducting inspections of places of this type of events. Particular atten-tion was paid to the role of the prosecutor in ensuring the proper course of this evidentiary and forensic activity. It also outlines the tasks that lie with the employer and the post-accident team appointed by him in the event of such events. Actions taken by inspectors of the National Labor Inspectorate in the event of such events are also discussed, emphasizing the need for cooperation of investigators with representatives of this service during the inspection of accident events.

In-Hospital Outcomes of Ventricular Tachycardia Catheter Ablation in the Presence of Intra-Cardiac Thrombus.

Ventricular tachycardia (VT) catheter ablation in the presence of intracardiac thrombi was evaluated in very few studies. To investigate in-hospital outcomes of VT ablation in the presence of an intracardiac thrombus, in a large inpatient US registry. Using the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database, patients who underwent non-elective VT catheter ablations in the United States between 2016 and 2019 were identified using ICD-10 codes. Sociodemographic, clinical data, in-hospital procedures, and outcomes as well as in-hospital mortality were collected. In-hospital outcomes were compared using propensity score (PS) matching analysis with a 1:3 ratio between patients with and without intracardiac thrombus. A weighted total of 15,725 admissions for non-elective VT ablation were included in the study, of which 190 (1.2%) had a discharge diagnosis of intracardiac thrombus. Patients with intracardiac thrombus had a higher comorbidity burden and were more likely to have ischemic cardiomyopathy and a diagnosis of cardiac aneurysm. In PS analysis, the presence of intracardiac thrombus was significantly associated with higher rates of any in-hospital complications (42.1%vs. 19.3%, p<0.009), driven by higher periprocedural cerebrovascular accident and vascular injury events. In-hospital mortality rates were not significantly different between the groups. In patients undergoing non-elective VT ablation, intracardiac thrombus was associated with higher rates of in-hospital complications, but not higher in-hospital mortality. These findings suggest that intracardiac thrombus should not contraindicate VT ablation when deemed necessary, while efforts should be made to decrease potential complications.

A guide to the use of the Inter-University Bio-Backup Project (IBBP) for the sustainability of individual research, even in the event of natural disasters or other unexpected accidents

A guide to the use of the Inter-University Bio-Backup Project (IBBP) for the sustainability of individual research, even in the event of natural disasters or other unexpected accidents

Challenges of Street Vending Market in Urbanization from Gender Perspective: The Case of Nifas Silk Lafto Sub City, Jemo-01 Area, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Street vending is informal market. There are debates about street vendors, some argue that they cause problems in urbanization activities like pedestrian &amp; traffic congestion, pollution, crime, illegality and should be eliminated and other argue that they are essential for promoting urban economic activities and reduce unemployment. The aim of this study is to identify the main driving causes and challenges of street vending in Nifas Silk Lafto sub-city, Jemo- 01 Site from gender perspectives. Quantitative data collected from 216 questionnaires and qualitative data obtained from 36 key informants and in-depth interviewee. The quantitative data analyzed using, percentage frequency, correlation, Chi-square &amp; Mann-Whitney U test and qualitative data processed using thematic analysis. The result indicate that the driving cause for street vending are, high family poverty (P, 0.001) and easy to enter (P, 0.001) to street vending are more significant in male than female. However, lack of other job option (P, 0.001) is more significant in female. Regarding the consequence of street vending market, traffic congestion and car accident (P, 0.004), encourage illegality (p, 0.003) were the major significant negative consequence of street vending market. Whereas street vending support economic activities and mobilize work force is the positive consequence that the p, 0.034 &amp;lt; 0.05 at 95%. Regarding challenge of vending market, the result found that great challenge for female than male (P, 0.002), according to qualitative analysis, theft, physical harassment, confiscation of goods, health problem were major challenge. In conclusion, street vending market has both negative and positive consequence in urbanization process and different root cause for both male and female.

Experimental Research on the Influence of Repeated Overheating on the Thermal Diffusivity of the Inconel 718 Alloy

The Inconel 718 superalloy, a precipitation-hardenable material, is of particular interest for applications involving components operating under extreme conditions due to its excellent mechanical properties, high corrosion resistance at temperatures up to 700 °C, and good workability. At high temperatures, thermal transfer processes are crucial for temperature distribution across the component’s section, structural transformations, and variations in the alloy’s properties. The history of accidental overheating events is critical for the microstructure and properties of the alloy. Studies on thermal transfer in the Inconel 718 alloy available in the literature typically focus on the alloy in its as-delivered state. The experimental research presented in this paper examines the influence of repeated overheating history on the thermal diffusivity of the alloy.

ANALISIS PARTISIPASI PROGRAM ASURANSI NELAYAN MANDIRI TERPERCAYA DI KOTA SIBOLGA

The purpose of this research is to analyse the participation of the trusted independent fishermen insurance program in sibolga city. Descriptive qualitative research type. Data collection methods are observation, interview and documentation. Information in this research totalled 5 people from small fishermen and traditional fishermen and the main informant in this research was the sibolga city marine and fisheries office. The number of fishermen who participated in the independent fisherman insurance programme in sibolga city amounted to 800% of fishermen or 69% of this programme recorded since 2012 and this is the first life insurance provided to fishermen. While the number of fishermen who do not participate in the independent fishermen insurance programme is 359 fishermen or 31%. The reason for fishermen who do not participate in the independent fishermen's insurance programme is because fishermen think that there are many cases of fraudulent insurance and fishermen are wary of the programme, then low public knowledge of the independent fishermen's insurance programme, besides that they also think that by following the insurance, they pray for us to be harmed in business. Whereas this government programme is very helpful to the community in the event of accidents and unwanted events when sailing for fishing.

Risk analysis of accident-causing evolution in chemical laboratory based on complex network

Chemical laboratories usually have many high risks from various dangerous chemicals, dangerous devices, and experimental operators involved in the laboratory. Once a severe accident occurs, the accident consequence will significantly impact scientific research innovation and social progress. Aiming at laboratory safety problems, an accident evolution model is established to reveal the critical accident-causing factors and the most likely evolutionary path of accidents in the process of accident evolution. Firstly, the 24 model is used to identify the cause factors of laboratory accidents and the causal relationship between factors. Then, the complex network model of laboratory accident evolution is constructed with accident-causing factors as nodes and causal relationships between factors as edges. Secondly, using the TOPSIS method, four typical complex network characteristic indexes, including degree centrality, betweenness centrality, closeness centrality, and eigenvector centrality, are constructed into a comprehensive evaluation index to reveal the key influencing factors in the accident evolution process. Finally, the fuzzy number is introduced to quantify the uncertainty of the accident evolution path. The most likely evolutionary path is obtained through the Dijkstra and risk entropy theory. Based on the data of 151 laboratory accidents from 2001 to 2022, the accident evolution analysis of chemical laboratories was carried out. The evolution results show that the maximum probability value is the evolution path of fire accidents, and the minimum probability value is the evolution path of electric shock accidents, which accords with the general statistical law of accidents. When applied to the actual laboratory, the safety management level of the laboratory can be effectively improved by controlling the key influencing factors and cutting off the accident evolution path.

Wearable Fall Detectors Based on Low Power Transmission Systems: A Systematic Review

Early attention to individuals who suffer falls is a critical aspect when determining the consequences of such accidents, which are among the leading causes of mortality and disability in older adults. For this reason and considering the high number of older adults living alone, the development of automatic fall alerting systems has garnered significant research attention over the past decade. A key element for deploying a fall detection system (FDS) based on wearables is the wireless transmission method employed to transmit the medical alarms. In this regard, the vast majority of prototypes in the related literature utilize short-range technologies, such as Bluetooth, which must be complemented by the existence of a gateway device (e.g., a smartphone). In other studies, standards like Wi-Fi or 3G communications are proposed, which offer greater range but come with high power consumption, which can be unsuitable for most wearables, and higher service fees. In addition, they require reliable radio coverage, which is not always guaranteed in all application scenarios. An interesting alternative to these standards is Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) technologies, which minimize both energy consumption and hardware costs while maximizing transmission range. This article provides a comprehensive search and review of that works in the literature that have implemented and evaluated wearable FDSs utilizing LPWAN interfaces to transmit alarms. The review systematically examines these proposals, considering various operational aspects and identifying key areas that have not yet been adequately addressed for the viable implementation of such detectors.

Adaptation of the legislation of Ukraine on radiation protection and informing the population in the event of a radiation accident to the legislation of the European Union

Adaptation of the legislation of Ukraine on radiation protection and informing the population in the event of a radiation accident to the legislation of the European Union

Tank pool fire domino effect prevention by inherently safer layout planning: A techno-economic analytical index

Tank pool fire domino effects, represented by their capacities of accident consequence escalation and extensive damages, present substantial safety challenges within chemical storage systems. In this work, the inherent safety concept is introduced to proactively address these challenges while ensuring cost-effectiveness. Accordingly, a dedicated novel metric called Inherent Safety & Economic Risk Index (IS&ERI) is proposed to make safety and cost trade-offs for indicating the risk levels of various tank farm layout options. To develop the IS&ERI, the Dow's loss estimate procedure is adapted for representing the economic implications, and the Bayesian Networks are employed for indicating the failure probabilities of target units considering the synergistic effects of multiple pool fires. Two improved graph theory metrics are presented to determine the root nodes of the Bayesian Networks. For demonstrating the proposed IS&ERI, a case study is conducted and the results show that the IS&ERI of 4 tank farm layout options are 0.2991, 0.3120, 0.3525, and 0.2285, implying that Option 4 is the best layout with the lowest potential loss in case of the pool fire domino effects. As the key research contribution, the IS&ERI is presented and it can be used as a useful tool to compare and select the best tank farm layout option to eliminate or significantly reduce the knock-on effects of tank pool fires at their sources.