National Technical Standards Research Articles

Surface modified molybdenum disulfide nanosheets for corrosion resistance improvement on polyurethane coatings

Abstract Organic–inorganic hybrid coating has been applied on metallic corrosion protection effectively. Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) nanosheets with graphene-like two-dimensional lamellar structure were an anticorrosion inorganic additive, rendering the organic coating better corrosion resistant. However, the aggregation and poor solubility are still current issues that should be addressed. Functionalization MoS2 nanosheets with surface modified by polydopamine (PDA) and silane coupling agent (KH560) were prepared in polyurethane (PU) composite coatings to obtain dense and intact multilayer network structure coatings for corrosion protection. KH560-PDA-MoS2/PU coating with crosslinked polymer network structure has a high impedance modulus, large contact angle, and strong hydrophobicity. The coating meets the national technical standards for salt spray testing and nitric acid (HNO3) titration testing, demonstrating excellent corrosion resistance.

Rwanda Towards the Implementation of Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. the Current Status of ODS, Ods Alternatives, and HFCS Alternatives.

In August 2003, Rwanda ratified both the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer and the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, along with all the subsequent amendments, including the Kigali Amendment, which was most recently ratified in May 2017. Within this context, by the Law n°63/2013 of 27/08/2013, Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) was created with the legal mandate for national environmental protection, conservation, promotion and overall management, including advisory to the government on all matters pertinent to the environment and climate change. According to Decision XIX/6 of the 19th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on accelerated phase-out of HCFCs, Rwanda is committed to phase-out use of HCFCs by 2030 except for 2.5% for servicing essential use appliances up to 2040. The Hydro chloro fluorocarbons Phase-out Management Plan (HPMP) Stage-I for Rwanda was approved at the 64th Meeting of the Executive Committee for the period 2011 to 2020 to meet a 35% reduction of HCFC by 2020. The HPMP Stage-II has been approved by the 86th meeting of the Executive Committee of the Multilateral Fund Secretariat, to be implemented by UNEP, UNIDO and REMA to enable Rwanda achieve phase-out targets on consumption of Annex C Group 1 Substances of the Montreal Protocol by 2030. The HPMP Stage-II has prioritized key activities to be implemented which include: establishment and implementation of a robust certification scheme for refrigeration technicians, development and implementation of national technical standards in the Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning (RAC) sector that will promote safe use of natural refrigerants and further promote use of highly energy efficiency technologies, capacity building of refrigeration technicians on handling natural refrigerants, training of customs and other enforcement officers on controlling and monitoring HCFC trade and strengthening the Refrigeration Association of Rwanda, technical training institutes and the consumers.The implementation of HPMP Stage-II activities will enable RWANDA reduce consumption of HCFC-22 from the baseline of 4.1 ODP tonnes to 80 percent by 2025 and 100 percent by 2030.This paper represents the results of the national survey conducted to inform the preparation of the project proposal for Kigali HFC Implamentation plan as well as the strategic KIP/HFC phase-down plan.

Standards-based hierarchical governance of a digital trade network

Standards are the cornerstone of digital trade; however, the ideal method of governance of digital trade networks using technical standards remains underexplored. This study establishes a theoretical framework by investigating the effect of technical standards on a digital trade network and exploring the policy implications of technical-standards-based hierarchical governance. The findings reveal the heterogeneous patterns of digital trade networks and their governance characteristics. Furthermore, international, regional, and national technical standards are integral to the hierarchical governance of digital trade networks. Digital trade flow diffuses through a digital trade network, wherein technical standards have different levels of compatibility and security, and digital-trading countries make trade-offs. The results highlight that digital-trading countries need to explicitly incorporate the compatibility and security of technical standards into trade agreements, promote the harmonization of digital standards, and advance international cooperation to guarantee the flow of digital trade and reap its benefits.

Widen your vision: from technical accessibility to semantic intelligibility of information

Access to information and digital services is a fundamental right. To this end, websites and digital services must be designed in accordance with international technical standards, in particular the guidelines for the accessibility of Internet pages issued by the World Wide Web Consortium and, in addition, with national technical standards. However, people with disabilities are still at great risk of digital exclusion. Thus, our research is interested in examining (1) to what extent do technical standards support people with visual impairments (PVI) to overcome the digital divide, and (2) to what extent the digital information of an electronic state voting system is understood by PVI. To answer these research questions, we combined an interpretive literature review with a bibliometric analysis and conducted a three cycles action research in the context of an electronic state voting system in Switzerland. Inspired by the communication theory of Shannon and Weaver, our results show that to bridge the digital divide for PVI, it is necessary to improve (1) the technical accessibility of information and (2) the semantic intelligibility of information. Considering the comments of PVI on semantic intelligibility of information helps to improve information systems (IS) and to overcome the digital divide. IS designers and coders must rely on ex ante standards during development.

An alternate approach to regulatory analyses of the findings of a 20-airport social survey

Miller, Czech, Hellauer, Nicholas, Lohr, Jodts, Broene, Morganstein, Kali, Zhu, Cantor, Hudnall, and Melia [(2021). HMMH Report 308520.004.001] reported the findings of a 20-airport social survey sponsored by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration that had been designed and conducted six years earlier. Their primary analyses yielded FICON (1992) style (national average and airport-specific bivariate logistic regression) functions relating aircraft noise exposure to the prevalence of high annoyance [FICON (1992). "Federal agency review of selected airport noise analysis issues" (Department of Defense, Washington, DC)]. Alternate analyses of these field observations offer pragmatic benefits for regulatory purposes. Community Tolerance Level (CTL) analysis yields a national average exposure-response predictive function that is nearly indistinguishable from that of a bivariate logistic regression function. Since it natively distinguishes dose-related from collective, non-dose influences on annoyance, it also permits a more parsimonious and readily understood account of the association between aircraft noise exposure and annoyance. Within the exposure range of primary contemporary regulatory concern, CTL analysis accounts for as much variance as FICON-style analysis in the association between noise exposure and predicted annoyance; provides a causal basis for regulation; and can be more effectively implemented and defended than a purely correlation-based analysis. In addition, CTL analysis helps to address the substantial disagreement between the findings of the literature and those of national and international technical consensus standards.

A Device Used for The Elevator Shaft Wall out of Tolerance Measurement Based on The Laser Ranging Technology

The national safety technical specifications and standards have clear provisions on the distance between the elevator car and the well wall facing the car entrance. Current measuring methods are lower measurement efficient and accuracy, and poor repeatability. With the increasing number of elevators, this traditional method is far from meeting the requirements of practical work. This paper studied on the Laser ranging technology applied to the distance measurement aiming to overcome those problems. The new measuring equipment was consisted of the laser ranging module, rotary encoder and Bluetooth module, which can measure and record all data related to the distance between the car and the car entrance shaft wall. The advantages of the new device are higher repeatability and reliability, which greatly improve the measurement efficiency. It is suitable for measuring the distance between elevator car and shaft well of high-rise building, thus the inspectors can be free from the heavy work of measurement.

INDOOR AIR QUALITY REQUIREMENTS FOR CIVIL BUILDINGS IN RUSSIAN REGULATIONS IN COMPARISON WITH INTERNATIONAL GREEN STANDARDS

A new trend combining the concept of "green" buildings with the idea of preserving and strengthening peoples’ health in order to eliminate sick building syndrome and building related illnesses has been observed worldwide. The COVID – 19 pandemic consequences outlined the necessity of updating the regulatory framework considering health preserving built environment principles in order to create sustainable and comfortable living environments. Indoor air quality directly correlates with human health: exposure to polluted air increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, myocardial ischemia, angina pectoris, hypertension and heart disease. It is known that indoor air quality depends not only on ambient air quality, but also on indoor sources of chemical and biological pollutants. Existing regulatory framework does not cover the civil buildings indoor sources of air pollution topic. This article discusses the terms of the Russian national technical and hygienic standards concerning the indoor air quality. A comparative analysis of the Russian Federation regulatory framework that refers the civil buildings indoor air quality with international "green" standards was carried out. Based on the analysis, the necessity to update the Russian regulatory framework is highlighted.

Valorizing municipal organic waste to produce biodiesel, biogas, organic fertilizer, and value-added chemicals: an integrated biorefinery approach

Economically viable alternatives for utilizing municipal solid waste are still a major challenge for society, especially in less developed countries. A potential pathway is using the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) to produce energy, biofuels, organic fertilizers, and value-added chemical compounds. We evaluated an integrated biorefinery structure for the treatment of used cooking oil, pruning biomass, and organic and food residues to produce biodiesel, biogas, organic compost, 1,3-propanediol, and electrical energy at the campus of the Federal University of Pernambuco, which was considered a case study to represent a small city of Northeastern Brazil. A pilot transesterification plant, a biodigestion unit, and a compost unit were installed to process 3.3 tons daily of OFMSW produced. Additionally, research was carried out to produce 1,3-propanediol on a laboratory scale from residual glycerol. The quality of the biodiesel generated from the used cooking oil met national technical standards and the conversion of residual oil into biodiesel reached 93%. The average biogas production was 0.584 ± 0.176 Nm3 kgVS−1, with an average methane production of 50% generating up to 44 MWh of electricity per year. The organic compost produced met the quality requirements of organic fertilizers, such as maturation and nutrient contents. Glycerol treatment increased the yield of 1,3-propanediol production. Our findings demonstrate that the integrated biorefinery will lead to a reduction of US$ 80,000 in the costs of OFMSW management. More importantly, this approach generates incentives for circular economy initiatives in small municipalities in Brazil and other less developed countries.

Development of a construction quality assessment tool for houses in South Africa

Housing is a critical socio-economic driver in the vast majority of developing countries, including South Africa. It involves many aspects such as construction quality, affordability, geographic location, long-term financing, and the environment. A key research concern is the quantification of the construction quality of houses and how this may be used to assist in the delivery of better quality houses. This article is based on studies undertaken on housing construction sites in South Africa. A construction assessment tool is developed using principles similar to those used by CONQUAS in Singapore and Malaysia. The tool thus developed is capable of measuring the quality of ‘as-built’ construction elements of a house against national technical standards and specifications, within reasonable time and cost. Studies on the quality of houses were then conducted on 700 houses (two low-income projects and one middle-income project). The results showed that the two low-income projects had average quality scores of 58% and 64%, while the middle-income project scored 80%. Details of the sub-elements of the scores indicated the developmental needs of the contractors involved in the projects. Using the construction quality assessment tool, the government and other authorities can make better informed decisions when awarding contracts. If introduced and implemented correctly, the quality of the houses delivered across the entire housing spectrum can be measured and monitored, and improvement measures put in place. The data collected through this quality assessment tool will be invaluable for national authorities, regulators, and Statistics South Africa to evaluate and report if the housing stock being delivered is consistently improving. Risk assessment studies will assist the regulators in developing proper quality management strategies.

An analysis of biosecurity of agriculture

The most pressing issue confronting emerging countries is population growth and accompanying food insecurity. It is essential to safeguard crops and plants from both deliberate and accidental threats in order to satisfy the demands of the nation's population for meals, feeds, and fibers. There are many challenges to the agricultural system, all of which will have an impact on its long- term viability. To combat all of the dangers to agriculture, the United States was the first to use the Biosecurity technique, which is used to prevent or reduce the spread of infectious illnesses in crops and livestock. Population expansion and poverty, globalization, climate change, and varied agricultural infrastructure are the most prevalent problems for agriculture biosecurity that can be observed among all natives, both locally and globally. Other issues affecting agricultural bio- security include a lack of a suitable communication network for joint diagnosis and the growth of national and international technical standards to promote rapid global development. Governments or legislations should arrange educational programs to help farmers get a better knowledge of agricultural biosecurity. Various infectious illnesses may be identified on time as a result of biosecurity in agriculture, as well as appropriate information for climate change and other agricultural risks. It will also facilitate appropriate trade between the two nations and may be utilized for early detection of crop health, harvesting times, and advising farmers on the best approach for protecting their crops against intruders.

Moving up the On-Site Sanitation ladder in urban India through better systems and standards

Wastewater management predominantly takes the form of On-Site Sanitation (OSS) in low- and lower-middle-income countries (LMICs). In India, households construct and operate OSS systems in the absence of regulatory oversight and seldom in compliance with the national technical standards – posing a risk to water sources and public health. The present paper reviews novel evidence on the quality of these systems from a multi-state survey of 3000 households in India to identify policy and practice interventions for creating sustainable urban sanitation futures. The paper argues for local and national governments to unlock the potential of OSS as a safe and long-term wastewater management solution through (1) re-envisioning the system design to simultaneously meet household and environmental needs, (2) fostering prefabrication of systems as a means to distribute the compliance responsibility optimally, and (3) updating technical standards for facilitating such a paradigm shift.

A Case Study of Modern Heritage Building: Base Isolation Seismic Retrofit for Preservation of its Architectural Distinguishing Features

Several Italian buildings designed by eminent architects and structural engineers in the second half of the 20th century are now included in modern heritage listings. At the same time, as they were designed before the issue of coordinate national Technical Standards, often require important structural rehabilitation interventions. One of the most representative case studies of that period in Florence, i.e. the building now housing the Automobile Club Headquarter and a B&B Hotel, is examined in this paper. A seismic assessment analysis carried out on the structure highlighted strength deficiencies in several members and potentially severe pounding conditions between the two constituting wings of the building, separated by a narrow technical gap. In order to improve the seismic performance without altering the architectural appearance of the building, characterized by large windows in the façades, free internal spaces and elegant proportions of the main structural members, a base isolation retrofit hypothesis is proposed. A substantial seismic improvement is obtained in rehabilitated conditions, as assessed by the achievement of safe stress states for all members up to the basic design normative earthquake level, as well as of maximum relative lateral displacements of the two wings constrained below the technical gap width.

Bridging research to policy for the prevention and control of parasitic neglected tropical diseases in the Philippines: the War on Worms campaign

BackgroundIn the Philippines, the Department of Health (DOH) is the governing agency for the health system and is mandated to provide national policy direction and develop national plans, technical standards, and guidelines on health. Under the Local Government Code of 1991, local government units (LGUs) were granted autonomy and responsibility for provision of health services. This decentralisation has posed challenges in terms of capacity and coordination. Here, we describe the War on Worms (WOW) campaign, which was developed and implemented to provide technical support to DOH and LGUs in the prevention and control of helminth infections in the Philippines. MethodsIn 2012, the WOW Campaign was implemented in Davao del Norte, Philippines. Advocacy fora were conducted to forge partnerships between different sectors and solicit support of local officials. Health workers received training and resources, and social mobilisation activities were conducted in the community to raise awareness of helminth control. With the endorsement of the Department of Education (DepEd), children in schools aged 5–12 years were given anthelmintics via school-based, teacher-assisted mass drug administration (MDA). Combined MDA for soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH) and schistosomiasis was eventually implemented in schistosomiasis-endemic sites to simplify and increase efficiency of treatment for both infections. Parasite assessment using the Kato-Katz technique was conducted in sentinel sites at the beginning of the project to provide baseline helminth status in the area. After MDA, we monitored coverage rates, and adherence to the programme. Follow-up parasitological assessment after four rounds of MDA was also conducted to monitor outcomes of the deworming programme. FindingsIn its 5 years of implementation, the WOW Campaign has generated evidence for policy formulation to improve control of intestinal helminthiasis. The combined MDA among school-aged children showed a marked increase from the 31% coverage rate in 2013 to 69% in 2014. This increasing trend continued with the 75% and 90% combined MDA coverage rates in 2015 and 2016, respectively. The baseline and follow-up parasitological assessments conducted in 2012 and 2015, respectively, showed reductions in the prevalence of STH and schistosomiasis. In 2012, the baseline parasitological assessment in school children showed a cumulative STH prevalence and moderate-to-heavy intensity STH prevalence of 14·7% and 0·5%, respectively, with 3·1% schistosomiasis prevalence. In 2015, the follow-up parasitological assessment showed a decrease in the prevalence of STH and moderate-to-high intensity STH to 4·2% and 0·3%, respectively. Schistosomiasis prevalence also showed a reduction to 0·3%, meeting WHO target schistosomiasis prevalence of <1%. Lessons from the WOW Campaign, such as the school-based teacher-assisted combined MDA, increased coverage rates, and decreased prevalence rates, contributed in the formulation of policies for the National School Deworming Day (NSDD), National School Deworming Month (NSDM), and Harmonized Schedule and Combined Mass Drug Administration (HSCMDA). Likewise, a memorandum of understanding among the DOH, Department of Education, Department of Interior, and local governments was developed for the implementation of policies. InterpretationAside from generating evidence to inform programmes and policies, research serves as a good platform to initiate intersectoral collaboration. Support of local governments was crucial in the implementation of the campaign. Initiating intersectoral collaboration and soliciting the support of local officials are key steps in bridging research to policy, particularly in decentralised health systems like the Philippines. FundingAsian Community Trust.

Electrical Surge Protection Device (SPD): An Alternative to Reduce Material Loss

The SPD is undoubtedly the equipment designed to protect the electronics of any building, one of the protections that together with proper grounding and SPDA, are widely used by industry to protect their equipment and people. This research shows the importance of SPD for electrical installations in general, shows that we still do not have the risk of encircling all electrical protections in our homes, which lead to inquiring. Why not use all safety measures in our residential electrical installations, viewed as people who build a bus camera rated by a qualified professional, to guide their client, explaining to him the importance of a safe installation, ie the values with electrical material are still elevated for safe construction. In this research, some brands of SPD were analyzed and compared as to the method of manufacture, classification and prices, a survey that also did not comply with Law No. 11,337, of July 26, 2006. Determines the obligation that the buildings have a system grounding and electrical installations used with the use of conductor protective earth, as well as making the presence of conductor protective earth mandatory in the electrical appliances it specifies. Law 12,119 / 09, of December 15, 2009, amends art. 2 of Law No. 11,337, of July 26, 2006, to better detail the scope of its content and to adapt the nomenclature used to the technical standards used. "Art. 2 Electrical and electronic equipment, with metal housing marketed in the Country, classified in class I, in accordance with the relevant national technical standards, the items allowed for use in earth protection and with plugs, are also allowed in accordance with Brazilian technical standards.

Adherence to antiretroviral therapy and the associated factors among people living with HIV/AIDS in Northern Peru: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundThere are approximately 72,000 people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) in Peru. Non-adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is the most important factor for therapeutic failure and the development of resistance. Peru has achieved moderate progress in meeting the 90-90-90 targets, but only 60% of PLHIV receiving ART are virally suppressed. The purpose of this study was to understand ART adherence in the Peruvian context, including developing sociodemographic and clinical profiles, evaluating the clinical management strategies, and analyzing the relationships between the variables and adherence of PLHIV managed at a regional HIV clinic in Lambayeque Province (Northern Peru).MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study with 180 PLHIV adults, non-randomly but consecutively selected with self-reported ART compliance (78.2% of the eligible population). The PLHIV profile (PLHIV-Pro) and the Simplified Medication Adherence Questionnaire (SMAQ) were used to collect sociodemographic information, clinical variables, and data specific to ART adherence. Descriptive analysis of sociodemographic and clinical characteristics was performed. Bivariate analysis was performed with the Mann–Whitney test, Chi square test, and Yates correction.ResultsThe 180 PLHIV sample included 78.9% men, 49.4% heterosexual, 45% with a detectable HIV-1 viral load less than 40 copies/ml, 58.3% not consistently adherent, and only 26.1% receiving Tenofovir + Lamivudine + Efavirenz. Risk factors significant for non-adherence included concurrent tuberculosis, discomfort with the ART regime, and previous pauses in ART. Multivariate analysis of nested models indicated having children is a protector factor for adherence.ConclusionsSelf-reported adherence appeared to be low and the use of first-line therapy is not being prescribed homogeneously. Factors associated with nonadherence are both medical and behavioral, such as having tuberculosis, pausing ART, or experiencing discomfort with ART. The Peruvian government needs to update national technical standards, monitor medication availability, and provide education to health care professionals in alignment with evidence-based guidelines and international recommendations. Instruments to measure adherence need to be developed and evaluated for use in Latin America.

Lightning Protection Systems Suitable for Stables: A Case Study

The evolution of climate and of electrical devices are raising users’ awareness about the protection of structures and plants against common overvoltage phenomena and those ones of atmospheric origin. Therefore, a continuous evolution of thunderstorm phenomena, increasingly concentrated and intense, is occurring. Conversely, electric devices are increasingly being equipped with electronics indispensable for their right functioning and are very sensitive to electromagnetic phenomena of an induced and conducted nature. In Italy, the law concerning work health and safety compels employers to assess the risk raised by lightning and to ensure that buildings, systems, structures, and equipment are protected from the effects of lightning in agreement with national and international technical standards. In the agricultural livestock sector, the new guidelines of agricultural policy in Italy requires farms to re-examine their structures, in particular the compatibility with animal protection requirements. In the event of a fault, the electric circuit must be interrupted in times not higher than expected and, in particular in the agricultural and zootechnical structures, it is necessary to maintain the contact voltages to negligible values by carrying out additional equipotential connections among the masses and with foreign masses that can be touched. Furthermore, particular attention is required in limiting the step voltage to which animals are particularly sensitive to, by connecting the electro-welded metal grids, which are commonly located under the concrete floor of animal shelters, to the earth collector. Taking in mind the aforesaid, the aim of this work was to analyze the technical standard concerning the protection from lightning with reference to the agricultural livestock sector and the study of the salient components to set up a suitable lightning protection system for a medium-sized stable.

Approaches to establishing voltage control requirements for distributed generation units

Analysis of Russian national regulation and technical standards requirements for generating equipment participation in voltage and reactive power control in the power system carried out. Summary of some international experience in voltage control organization under conditions of distributed generation units’ deep integration in public grid is presented in article. Advantages of voltage and reactive power control automation over decentralized and poorly coordinated control are substantiated. Problematic aspects of distributed generation units (including RES) integration, as well as ENTSO-E approaches to voltage and reactive power control in the synchronous zone of continental Europe are considered. Technical requirements of Deutsch and Danish regulations, regarding participation of distributed generation facilities in voltage control are given. Approaches to establishing voltage control requirements for distributed generation units’ operation with national power system are presented.

A Study on Technical Barriers to Trade and Certification System in China : Focusing on the Technical Requirement of Anti-counterfeiting Traceability Code

본 연구는 중국의 무역기술장벽 현황과 2010년 중국에서 실행된 “상업제품코드(CPC)”, 2018년 2월에 실시된 중국 국가기술표준 “위조방지역추척코드기술조건”을 고찰하였다. 중국의 새로운 국가기술표준이 비관세무역장벽(TBT)으로서 수입제품에 적용될 경우, 우리나라 수출기업의 초기 시장진출 지연 및 행정비용 발생에 따른 추가적인 가격경쟁력 하락의 효과를 도출하였다. 국내기술표준의 높은 기술력 요구는 자국 생산품 품질향상을 촉진시킬 것이지만, 수입상품의 국내시장진입을 저해하는 요소로도 작용하게 될 것이다. 이에 무역기술장벽(TBT)의 대응방안으로 우리나라 국내기술표준의 국제표준화에 초점을 두어 중국 신규 무역기술장벽에 대한 사전 준비의 필요성을 제안하였다.This study is a Chinese national technical standard conducted in China Technical Barriers to Trade Situation and parts of February 1, 2018 “Technical Requirement of Anti-counterfeiting Traceability Code” and in March 2010 has been executed part one day in the Chinese domestic “Commerce Product Code (CPC)” was examined. When China s new national technical standards are applied to imported products. As a non-tariff trade barriers were drawn down the additional effect of price competitiveness in the market early delays and related administrative costs. High technology requirements of local technical standards will also act as factors that will promote improved its product quality, inhibiting the domestic market of imported goods. In response to the measures of technical trade barriers by focusing on international standardization of national technical standards it suggests the need for advance preparation for the Chinese New Technical Barriers to Trade.

Industry 4.0 and explosion prevention

Industry 4.0 creates so called “smart factory”, what involves cyber - physical systems, the Internet of things, cloud computing and cognitive computing. One of design principles in Industry 4.0 is technical assistance, understood as the ability of cyber - physical systems to support humans physically by conducting a range of tasks that are unpleasant, too exhausting or unsafe for their human co - workers. Such new approach to production will affect, among others, area of workplace safety and machine safety - also, at the field of explosion safety for works performed in areas with potentially explosive atmospheres. At present, this important issue is regulated in EU by Directive 1999/92/EC (ATEX Worker Directive), Directive 2014/34/EU (ATEX Directive), harmonized national law and technical standards. However, one of important challenges in implementation of idea of Industry 4.0 is lack of regulations, standards and forms of certification. Presented paper discusses problem if existing regulations concerning explosion safety are adequate for such new conditions, sometimes referred to as the fourth industrial revolution.

Assessment of competitiveness in Ukraine and its regions measured by indicators of international trade (based on the methodology of IMD, Lausanne)

The research paper reveals the importance of maintaining the international trade at the appropriate level in order to ensure high competitiveness of countries and regions. On the basis of the methods developed by experts of the International Institute for Management Development (IMD in Lausanne, Switzerland), the author has presented an original approach to assessment of the international trade as a factor of competitiveness of countries and their regions. The competitiveness of Ukraine and its regions is assessed through key indicators of the international trade (balance of payments, exports and imports of goods / services, national currency rate, etc.). The article offers strategies for enhancing the competitiveness of Ukraine and its regions by improving the international trade, particularly by maintaining a positive trade balance, increasing the import-export ratio, harmonizing national technical standards to international ones, developing international tourism, benefiting from accession to the WTO and Ukraine-EU Association Agreement.