Escalation Factors Research Articles

Biological effectiveness of uniform and nonuniform dose distributions in radiotherapy for tumors with intermediate oxygen levels

Objective. We propose a criterion of biological effectiveness of nonuniform hypoxia-targeted dose distributions in heterogeneous hypoxic tumors based on equivalent uniform aerobic dose (EUAD). We demonstrate the utility of this criterion by applying it to the model problems in radiotherapy for tumors with different levels of oxygen enhancement ratio (OER) and different degrees of dose nonuniformity.Approach. The EUAD is defined as the uniform dose that, under well-oxygenated conditions, produces equal integrated survival of clonogenic cells in radiotherapy for heterogeneous hypoxic tumors with a non-uniform dose distribution. We define the dose nonuniformity effectiveness (DNE) in heterogeneous tumors as the ratio of the EUAD(DN) for a non-uniform distributionDNand the reference EUAD(DU) for the uniform dose distributionDUwith equal integral tumor dose. The DNE concept is illustrated in a radiotherapy model problem for non-small cell lung cancer treated with hypoxia targeted dose escalation. A two-level cell population tumor model was used to consider the hypoxic and oxygenated tumor cells.Results. Theoretical analysis of the DNE shows that the entire region of the OER can be separated in two regions by a threshold OERth: (1) OER > OERthwhere DNE > 1 indicating higher effectiveness of nonuniform dose distributions and (2) OER < OERthwhere DNE < 1 indicating higher effectiveness of uniform dose distributions. Our simulations show that the value of the threshold OERthin radiotherapy with conventional fractionation is significant in the range of about 1.2-1.6 depending on selected radiotherapy parameters. In general, the OERthincreases with reoxygenation rate, relative hypoxic volume and dose escalation factor. The threshold value of OERthis smaller of about 1.1 for hypofractionated radiotherapy.Significance. The analysis of dose distributions using the DNE shows that the uniform dose distributions may improve biological cell killing effect in heterogeneous tumors with intermediate oxygen levels compared to targeted nonuniform dose distribution.

Obesity and Beyond: The Novel Technical Standard to Study the Small Bowel Microbiome

The small intestinal microbiome (SIM) is colonized by a variety of bacteria, archaea, viruses, and eukarya which contribute to the overall health of the human host. Commensal bacteria of the small intestine are crucial suppliers of essential nutrients, aid in the metabolism of indigestible carbohydrates, provide defenses against pathogenic bacteria, and are critical components of the mucosal architecture. Initial work in this field focused on characterization using stool as a surrogate for the whole gut microbiome due to ease and frequency of collection. Most of the literature continues to use stool as the vehicle for gut microbial analysis. However, studying only stool is limited due to significant variances of structure, environment, and ecology which exist along the length of the gastrointestinal tract. These variances are significant enough that studying only stool does not reflect the microbial composition of the small intestine, requiring a new approach to accurately characterize the relationship between the SIM and host physiology. Our most recent work characterizes the SIM in people with normal and elevated body weights (overweight and obesity); we identified key genera associated with elevated body weight, as well as escalation factors, de-escalation factors, and associated predicted pathways that may represent potential targets for future therapeutics.

Agent-based modeling methodology and temporal simulation for Natech events in chemical clusters

In chemical clusters, technological accidents triggered by natural events (Natech events) can lead to the failure of large number of units and cause catastrophic consequences. Previous studies on Natech events give primary concerns on the static analysis at small-scale region with few thoughts the impact of various safety barriers. From the perspective of the large-scale region and temporal characteristics, an agent-based modeling methodology is proposed to present the dynamic evolution process. All the units associated with the evolution are divided into natural hazard agent, hazard-affected facility agent, safety barrier agent, and escalation factor agent to reduce the computational complexity. The time-dependent state transition mechanism of each agent is analyzed to represent the evolution process, simultaneously, the temporal effect of natural hazards, safety barrier and multi escalation factors is considered by utilization of time steps. Moreover, Monte Carlo simulation is adopted to quantify the uncertainties accompanying an accident evolution. The proposed methodology is demonstrated on a complex chemical system in the large-scale region. The results of simulation show that the number of failed hazard-affected facilities in the Natech events scenario will cyclically increase and keep constant, with strong temporal characteristic. The intensity of natural hazards and the probability of failure of safety barriers make a big impact on the temporal characteristic. The results are valuable to support natural hazard prevention in chemical cluster.

ANALISIS KECELAKAAN KERJA PADA STRUKTUR BAWAH BLENDING SILO PROYEK “EPC TALAVERA” TUBAN MENGGUNAKAN METODE BOWTIE

The "EPC Talavera" Tuban Project is one of the major projects located in Tuban. Given that the construction of the Blending Silo is being built at a considerable height and certainly requires a large foundation structure, the construction of the Blending Silo carries a relatively high risk of workplace accidents. The purpose of this research is to identify workplace accident risks and evaluate the causes, impacts, and risk responses to accidents during the construction of the substructure of the Blending Silo in the "EPC Talavera" project. To determine the dominant workplace accident risks, risk assessment is performed using probability and severity calculations based on the Risk Management Standard AS/NZ 4360:1999, resulting in an Importance Index value. The method used to evaluate the causes, impacts, and risk responses to workplace accidents is the Bowtie Analysis Method. The results of this research indicate that the most dominant workplace accident risks are the risk of workers being pierced by sharp equipment, the risk of fingers getting caught in the bar bender machine, and the risk of workers being shocked/electrocuted by electrical currents. Based on the bowtie method, the most dominant causes of workplace accidents are scattered sharp equipment, careless/inattentive/unhealthy workers, inadequate equipment, poor bar bender machine conditions, bar bender machine operating methods, exposed welding tool cables, rainy/extreme weather conditions, and electrical current leaks in welding tool bodies. The most dominant impacts of workplace accidents are minor injuries, serious injuries/death, fires, and damage to the bar bender machine. Using the bowtie method, risk responses or controls for the most dominant workplace accident risks are also analyzed, along with an analysis of escalation factors and their controls.

Assessing the Effects of Price Escalation on Building Construction Projects in Adama, Ethiopia

In the Ethiopian construction sector, one key issue is that contemporary building projects demonstrate price escalation. The Management of Cost escalation requires more understanding of its driving forces. Hence, this research aimed to assess the price escalation factors and their effects on building construction projects in Adama, Ethiopia. Through an in-depth literature review and project archives, thirteen (13) possible price escalation-causing attributes and five (5) its effects were identified for this research. Forty-eight (48) self-administered questionnaire survey has been sent to clients, consultants, and contractors that actively participated in Adama city construction projects and forty-three (43) responded. The relative importance index (RII) had computed to rank the price escalation-causing factors and their effects on building projects. The five most significant factors these causing price escalation on building projects were fluctuation in foreign currency exchange rates, an increase in material cost and unstable market conditions, unbalanced demand and supply of construction materials, limitation of construction material producer's capacity, and project schedule changes. While in this study, delayed project progress, cash flow (financing) problems, higher construction projects cost, and increasing disputes between contracting parties were among the utmost significant impact of rising prices happening on building construction in Adama, Ethiopia. To evaluate the respondents' observed level of agreement on the ranking of price escalation factors and their effects, the Spearman rank correlation coefficient with the aid of SPSS version 26 was used. The outcomes were 0.914 among client and consultant, 0.815 with the client and contractor, as well as 0.856 for consultant and contractor on ranking price increase factors, whereas, 0.921 among client and consultant 0.821 with the client and contractor, and 0.975 for consultant and contractor on ranking price increase effects. Therefore, the result implies a positive relationship among respondents towards factors causing price escalation and their effects on building construction projects in Adama city.

Investigation of Price Escalation and Its Mitigation Mechanisms on Selected Building Construction Projects of Jimma University

Fee escalation in construction refers to a boom in the price of an item inside the preliminary agreement or the bottom cost of an undertaking. racking production mission fees must be an ongoing procedure that must always be carried out on all projects, because the reasons for which the price will increase vary from project to project and due to the construction segment. The motive of this observation was to assess fee escalation, escalation factors and mitigation mechanisms in deciding on construction initiatives. From February 1 to 30, 2020, a questionnaire was administered to twelve workers and interviews with seven key informants were conducted for an in-depth look at four selected Jimma University construction projects, which were project A to project D. Relative importance index values were generated and ranked for the elements affecting fee escalation to see their relative significance. It was found that there has been a moderate degree of charge increase within the initiatives studied, from 12% to 21%. The mitigation modalities observed with the aid of the projects, particularly inserting escalation clauses in contractual agreements, making changes requiring funding and increasing time limits, seem to be inadequate, as they do not provide a foundation for choices and remedy of disputes instead of mitigating the escalation of tasks starting from 3.21% to 12%. KEYWORDS: Escalation, Mitigation, Price, Construction projects.

Osh risk management of tank sinking procedure using bow tie analysis on the construction of a shell gasoline station in Surabaya

Introduction: The rate of work accidents in the construction sector is still high. Such a situation has led to the need for risk management in the area of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH). This study is aimed at finding the OSH risk management of the tank sinking procedure using Bow Tie Analysis method in the construction of a Shell Gasoline Station in Surabaya. Methods: This is a qualitative descriptive study with case study design. The subjects of the study were the employees of PT Usaha Jaya Engineering who worked on the Tank Sinking procedure in the construction of a Shell Gasoline Station in Surabaya with the minimum service period of 2 years and with a total number of 7 people. Data collection was executed using primary data derived from interviews and field observation as well as secondary data in the forms of supporting documents from the company. Results: As many as 9 hazards were found in the tank sinking procedure in the construction of a Shell Gasoline Station in Surabaya. These hazards were caused by 5 factors, i.e., human, machine/equipment, method, material, and environment. The possible consequence of such hazards is that the employees may experience light to serious injuries and even fatality. Prevention and mitigation measures might be implemented in 4 hierarchical steps of risk management, i.e., substitution, technical management, administrative management, and personal protective equipment (PPE). This study found 6 escalation factors and the barrier of escalation factor in the tank sinking process. Conclusion: The tank sinking procedure in the construction of a Shell Gas Station in Surabaya was a job with risks of work accident. Prevention and mitigation measures derived from the Bow Tie analysis might be implemented to prevent work accidents from occurring.

Thermal resilience to overheating assessment in a Belgian educational building with passive cooling strategies during heatwaves and power outages

Airtight and highly insulated educational buildings are subjected to overheating risks, even in moderate climates, due to unforeseeable events like frequent heatwaves (HWs) and power outages (POs) leading to heat-stress and negative impact on the health conditions and cognitive performance of the students. The focus of this paper is to evaluate thermal resilience for two lecture rooms equipped with the low-energy cooling strategies natural night ventilation (NNV) and indirect evaporative cooling (IEC). To assess the thermal resilience to overheating, the lecture rooms were tested with and without passive cooling strategies for 3 Typical meteorological years (TMYs), 3 severe HWs and those 3 HWs + POs. Results evaluating the existing indicators unmet degree hours, indoor overheating degree (IOD), ambient warmness degree (AWD), and overheating escalation factor (αIOD) demonstrated that with passive cooling strategies the two test lecture rooms have good thermal resilience during TMY and HW periods (except long-term severe HW), with 18% higher unmet degree hours during HWs. Lecture room with heavier thermal mass demonstrated higher thermal resilience to overheating in long-term assessment. Furthermore the need to develop a holistic resilience indicator taking into account building and system parameters was also pointed out in this study.

Gewalt gegen Rettungsdienstpersonal

ZusammenfassungHintergrund und ZielAngriffe gegen Rettungsdienstpersonal werden zwar medial und politisch vermehrt diskutiert, was sich auch in politischen Initiativen und Gesetzesänderungen widerspiegelt, die wissenschaftliche Studienlage in Deutschland ist allerdings noch lückenhaft und zeichnet insbesondere hinsichtlich der Prävalenzen solcher Vorfälle kein einheitliches Bild. Der vorliegende Artikel widmet sich einerseits den Prävalenzen, andererseits werden situative Eskalationsfaktoren sowie Folgen der Vorfälle und Wünsche der Einsatzkräfte in Bezug auf Angriffe dargelegt.MethodenMittels eines Mixed-Methods-Ansatzes, der eine Langzeitbefragung zu den Häufigkeiten von Gewaltdelikten in Form eines Onlinefragebogens und qualitative Interviews mit Expert*innen und Betroffenen umfasst, wurde Rettungsdienstpersonal im Zeitraum von Mai bis August 2021 befragt.ErgebnisseEs zeigt sich, dass Angriffe, insbesondere verbaler Art, zum Arbeitsalltag von Rettungsdienstpersonal gehören. Im Durchschnitt wurden wöchentlich 29 % der Befragten beleidigt, belästigt oder verbal bedroht. Aber auch körperlichen Angriffen waren pro Woche durchschnittlich 8 % der Befragten ausgesetzt. Gleichzeitig wird hinsichtlich der Nachbetreuung und bezüglich der Ausbildungslage der Wunsch nach Anpassungen und Änderungen betont.DiskussionEine Ausbildung sowie Schulungen, die für Gefahren sensibilisieren, Deeskalationsansätze in den Blick nehmen und Eigensicherung thematisieren, könnten das Risiko von Angriffen und somit Belastungen dieser Art im Berufsalltag senken.

Vulnerability assessment method for domino effects analysis in chemical clusters

Chemical clusters are attributed with large inventories of hazardous materials whose release could result in catastrophic events, as observed in the Tianjin Port accident. Such events are typically high-impact low-probability (HILP) accidents since multiple robust safety barriers can significantly ensure the integrity of installations. However, the consequences are extremely serious if the safety barriers broke down due to disaster factors. The current risk assessment methods cannot capture the complex multi-hazard scenarios and the interaction of escalation factors causing domino effects. To overcome such gaps, the present study proposes a quantitative vulnerability assessment method for multi-hazard scenarios triggered by natural events. The vulnerability assessment method considers the exposure of hazards, the sensitivity of causes, and the resilience of asset in modelling the primary event and the possible domino accidents. The proposed method assists in analyzing the risk of domino effects triggered by natural disasters and optimizing the deployment of safety barriers in chemical clusters. The application of the method is demonstrated through a detailed case study.

Bowtie Method: Study of Occupational Health and Safety Risks in Cement Production Process

The kiln area is an area that has a very complex hazard potential in the cement production process. This study aimed to assess the risks of occupational safety and health during the production process in the kiln area of ​​PT. X uses the bowtie method. This study used a qualitative descriptive design. The informants used were three managers of the clinker production department, one safety manager, and one field operator. Research data were collected through interviews and observations. The data were analyzed qualitatively using the bowtie method. The study results stated that hot dust could be dangerous if it comes out of the system caused by positive pressure, such as the Induced Draft Fan (IDF) turning off, causing losses such as burns to workers. Heat can be dangerous if it experiences a significant increase due to excess fuel, causing losses, such as health-related illnesses. Preventive controls were carried out such as routine inspections. Mitigation controls were carried out such as light signals. Escalation factors can thwart hot dust and heat control, such as the deformation of raw meals. Escalation factor control, such as the implementation of work instructions. PT. X has carried out control in the kiln area, but additional controls are needed.

Investigative and probabilistic perspective of the accidental release of styrene: a case study in Vizag, India

In addition to revealing the cracks in global health care, emergency preparedness, and response systems, COVID-19 also exposed the lack of capacity to run chemical plants safely under such conditions. On 7th May 2020, self-polymerization runaway reaction from an atmospheric storage tank in a polymer facility triggered the release of styrene to the atmosphere, resulting in 12 fatalities and hospitalization of more than 1000 individuals. A similar incident had happened 35 years back at Bhopal involving the release of methyl isocyanate resulting in one of the deadliest process safety incidents to date. Therefore, it is very important to understand the causal factors so that such high-risk incidents can be prevented in future. This paper presents a comprehensive investigative study of styrene gas leak at Vizag with special emphasis on probabilistic risk analysis of the loss of containment. Hazard perception study was performed to understand the possible hazardous scenarios in bulk styrene storage facilities for preventing such catastrophic recurrences. Energy barrier analysis was performed to study the inadequacy of pro-active and reactive barriers with respect to the accident case study. The analysis also considers the escalation factors resulting from extremities of COVID-19 lockdown. The self-polymerization reaction that resulted in toxic styrene dispersion was preventable owing to the advancements in safety engineering and loss prevention since Bhopal Gas Tragedy (1984). Based on the investigative analysis, it can be pointed out that this accident would have occurred even in the absence of COVID-19 restrictions, mainly due to negligence and complacency shown towards safety by the company’s management.

Diverse inflammatory threats modulate astrocytes Ca2+ signaling via connexin43 hemichannels in organotypic spinal slices

Neuroinflammation is an escalation factor shared by a vast range of central nervous system (CNS) pathologies, from neurodegenerative diseases to neuropsychiatric disorders. CNS immune status emerges by the integration of the responses of resident and not resident cells, leading to alterations in neural circuits functions. To explore spinal cord astrocyte reactivity to inflammatory threats we focused our study on the effects of local inflammation in a controlled micro-environment, the organotypic spinal slices, developed from the spinal cord of mouse embryos. These organ cultures represent a complex in vitro model where sensory-motor cytoarchitecture, synaptic properties and spinal cord resident cells, are retained in a 3D fashion and we recently exploit these cultures to model two diverse immune conditions in the CNS, involving different inflammatory networks and products. Here, we specifically focus on the tuning of calcium signaling in astrocytes by these diverse types of inflammation and we investigate the mechanisms which modulate intracellular calcium release and its spreading among astrocytes in the inflamed environment. Organotypic spinal cord slices are cultured for two or three weeks in vitro (WIV) and exposed for 6 h to a cocktail of cytokines (CKs), composed by tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 β) and granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), or to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). By live calcium imaging of the ventral horn, we document an increase in active astrocytes and in the occurrence of spontaneous calcium oscillations displayed by these cells when exposed to each inflammatory threat. Through several pharmacological treatments, we demonstrate that intracellular calcium sources and the activation of connexin 43 (Cx43) hemichannels have a pivotal role in increasing calcium intercellular communication in both CKs and LPS conditions, while the Cx43 gap junction communication is apparently reduced by the inflammatory treatments.

Synthesis of Practices and Tools for Cost Estimation and Cost Management for Transportation Projects

Cost escalation during project development is inevitable on transportation projects. The lack of a systematic process for establishing a baseline budget with the consideration of potential issues (risks) that negatively impact project cost throughout project development presents a major challenge for State Departments of Transportation (DOTs). The overarching objective of this paper is to identify best practices for cost estimation and management that can aid project managers and engineers throughout the project development process (PDP). To achieve the objective, this paper conducted a systematic literature review, comprehensive content analysis of cost estimation and cost management processes in other State DOTs, and interviews with transportation cost professionals. A systematic literature review identified four key areas for cost estimation and cost management, including: (1) risk analysis and contingency; (2) identification of cost escalation factors; (3) accuracy of preliminary cost estimate; (4) and constructability review. Cost estimation and control processes in Minnesota, California, Texas, Ohio, and Washington State DOTs are provided as examples of best practices for establishing reliable baseline cost estimates. This paper represents a current synthesis of state DOTs’ practices on cost estimation and cost management in the U.S.

Escalation of Turkey-Syria conflict in Idlib in February–March 2020: based on the results of event analysis.

The subject of this research is the escalation of Turkey-Syria conflict in February&amp;ndash;March 2020. The authors explore the prerequisites of the conflict, development stages, escalation factors, and consequences of confrontation. Description is given to the positions of the three opposing actors: Syrian-Russian, Turkish, and NATO bloc. The methodology of event analysis methodology is applied to the conflict. Emphasis is placed on the course of events reflected in charts. Use of the method of event analysis allows tracing the key vectors and their intersection: escalation &amp;ndash; peacemaking. The author employs media reports of all parties to the conflict for demonstrating the peculiarities of escalation of the confrontation. The novelty lies in application of the method of event analysis method for assessing the specifics of escalation of the Spring Shield military operation in the conditions of modern hybrid warm, which provides different perspectives on the conflict. The conclusion is made on interaction of the actors and their impact upon escalation and peacemaking. It is established that Syria and Turkey exerted major impact upon escalation of the conflict, while Russia acted as the arbiter and the main force of moderation. Conflict potential of the Idlib crisis remains high and characterized as protracted semi-frozen conflict.

Bow tie analysis for prioritizing actions to manage the risks of out of stock on shelves in the retail

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present a methodology to structure the problem of retail out of stock (OOS). This methodology allows investigating risk factors and barriers related to the main causes and consequences that lead to OOS occurring.Design/methodology/approachThe proposed methodology to structure the OOS problem is based on the bow- ie tool, which allows better visualisation, understanding and analysis of a complete OOS scenario. This proposal comprises exploring the main causes and consequences of OOS, the barriers to prevention and mitigation, the escalation factors to control undesirable events and to define actions to eliminate or mitigate the OSS risk.FindingsSeveral potential causal risk factors, related to technical, behavioural, cultural and organisational aspects, were identified with this methodology. With the analysis of the OOS scenario, it was observed that the factors that lead to the OOS risk are preventable. In order to improve existing barriers or implement new barriers, a set of actions can be recommended to reduce or eliminate OOS risk factors.Originality/valueFrom a better understanding of hazard, the bow-tie methodology allows identifying crucial factors that could be acted upon to reduce the incidence of OSS. Thus, the value is to propose a methodology that allows establishing the preventive and protective barriers necessaries and the escalation factors related to each of these to help structure the problem and consequently reduce the OOS in retail organisations.

Towards limiting potential domino effects from single flammable substance release in chemical complexes by risk-based shut down of critical nearby process units

The explosion load is a significant escalation factor possibly influencing the potential occurrence of domino accidents in chemical plants. It is not economical to install explosion isolation systems (e.g., extinguishing barrier) for all equipment or process units across a chemical plant. Although shutting down all equipment or process unit can prevent an explosion, it may also cause further economic losses. To prevent domino accidents, the process unit that needs to be shut down accurately should be selected, and the normal operation of other units needs to be ensured. A method to select the process unit to be isolated based on the Dimensioning Accidental Load (DAL) is proposed. By calculating the occurrence probability and consequences of the accident scenarios, the DAL of the surrounding units is determined. DAL is used as the impact intensity of the accident unit on the surrounding units. The probit model is used to calculate the damage probability of surrounding units. The case analysis results show that the method of selecting the process unit to be isolated based on DAL quantifies the impact intensity of the exploded unit on surrounding units from probability and consequence. Under the premise of meeting the acceptable risk criteria, the method can determine which units should be shut down and which units can operate normally when a release accident occurs. While preventing domino accidents, economic losses caused by the shutdown of all process units are reduced and a theoretical basis for accident prevention and safe operation of the plant is provided.

Food insecurity and commotion of workers in Russia during the World War I (July 1914 – February 1917)

The topic of the living standards of population during the World War I remains polemical, namely due to the fact that worsening of food insecurity was traditionally regarded by Soviet historiography as one of the factors of escalation of revolutionary moods in the society. The article describes the dynamics of industrial protests during the wartime, which were caused shortage and costliness of food products. The research is based on the 2019 edition of the chronicle of industrial protests during the World War I, which contains information on the higher number of conflicts than that of materials used in earlier research. Assessment of the severity of food insecurity through the prism of industrial strikes demonstrates that the situation becomes critical by the beginning of 1917, gradually changing for the worse during the wartime. In the initial stages of the war, the demands for food provision and lowering the prices were expressed during the strikes in the remote provinces. Although in 1916, the provinces of the Central Industrial District take on the leading positions, the Moscow province is not among them. The employees of light industry, and particularly textile industry, were engaged in the strikes more often. By the end of 1916, the escalation of protest activity due to food insecurity issue is observed in Moscow and Petrograd provinces, involving the workers of metal industry and defense enterprises.

Rising Costs: Augustine Revisited

ABSTRACT Rising military equipment costs were famously identified by Norman Augustine with forecasts of a single aircraft air force by 2054. This paper presents and analyses an original data set for UK military aircraft. It provides evidence on cost escalation for various UK aircraft types comprising fighter/strike, bombers, military transports, maritime patrol aircraft, helicopters, trainers and civil aircraft. Continued cost escalation is identified for almost all types but with different cost escalation factors. It is concluded that the specific Augustine hypothesis of costs rising by a factor of four every 10 years might be an under-estimate.

НАУКОВЕ ОСМИСЛЕННЯ ІНФОРМАЦІЙНОЇ ВІЙНИ Рецензія на книгу: Калініченко Б. М. Інформаційна війна: чинники ескалації і засоби протидії. Черкаси: Видавець Чабаненко Ю., 2020. 350 с.

Bohdan Kalinichenko, a candidate of political science, senior lecturer at the Department of Civil Service, Public Administration and Political Science at Cherkasy National University named after Bohdan Khmelnytsky, recently published a fundamental monograph entitled “Information Warfare: Escalation Factors and Countermeasures”. In the current conditions of the unprecedented aggression against Ukraine unleashed by the Russian Federation, this study acquires special significance. The leitmotif of the proposed study is the idea that the modern world is engulfed in an unprecedented technological revolution. Accordingly, its driver for the last half century has become information and communication technologies. This phenomenon permeates all spheres of activity of the individual, society and the state, including foreign policy.