Normative Requirements Research Articles

Computational Methods for Verifying the Normative Requirements Regarding the Lateral Correction Force of a Powered Roof Support

The article discusses laboratory methods and the corresponding computational methods verifying compliance with the normative requirements regarding the lateral correction force of the powered roof support. The currently used flat model only allows for checking the normative requirement in relation to the sum of active forces of the correction cylinders installed in the roof support. Determining the required value of the active force of each cylinder is possible due to the simplified FEM model of a powered roof support, described in the research work, treated as a uniform weightless elastic body loaded with a concentrated force recreating the weight of the roof support located on an inclined longwall panel. The third analysed computational method involves determining the reaction in the four correction cylinders of the roof support, creating a spatial, statically indeterminate system of forces. It enables determining the range of variability of the response in the correction cylinders as a function of the distribution of floor pressure on the roof support base. The discussed computational methods were used to determine, for example, the lateral correction force of one of the types of powered supports used in a longwall panel inclined at an angle of 35°. The usefulness of the discussed calculation methods at various stages of the designing process of the powered support and its certification has been confirmed.

Применение высокопрочной стали для создания полувагонов повышенной грузоподъемности

Purpose: substantiation of the possibility to increase the load capacity of gondola cars using high-strength steel in the car body structure. Methods: gondola cars load capacity changing analysis. Numerical research of the effect of the steel yield strength value on the mass of the beam structure according to the criteria of strength and stiffness for a beam on two hinged supports operating in bending, and also according to the buckling criteria of a compressed beam. Gondola car body structure finite element analysis in order to confirm the strength and buckling parameters with the normative requirements. Results: the analysis of load capacity of universal fouraxle gondola cars built in the period from the beginning of production of the first Russian cars up to the present time was performed. Results of the analysis of the effect of steel yield strength on the mass of the structure according to the strength criteria and stiffness for a beam on two hinged supports operating in bending, and also according to the buckling criteria of a compressed beam was presented. High-strength steel technical requirements for welded structures of freight wagons is considered. Parameters for evaluating the suitability of rolled high-strength steel for freight wagon construction are given. The results of strength and stability analysis of the gondola car model 12-6744 with high-strength steel, which confirm the design compliance of the car in terms of normative parameters of strength and stability with the requirements of the existing standards are given. The gondola car model 12-6744 advantages are described, as well as the economic effect of its operation for the consignor. Practical importance: the possibility of using high-strength steel to increase the load capacity of gondola cars is substantiated. The gondola car model 12-6744 with high-strength steel was designed. Its advantages are given, and the economic effect of operating such a wagon for the consignor is shown.

A-164 Establishment and Verification of Reference Intervals for Red Blood Cell Series and Total Leukocytes in Whole Blood Counts of Chilean Adults Using refineR and Multi Criteria Expectation Maximization Methods

Abstract Background This study aimed to define RIs for red blood cell series and total leukocytes in the complete blood count, in adult patients. Methods We used a sample of 822 patients aged 18 to 60 years, both female and male. The study focused on the red blood cell series (RBC Count, hemoglobin, Hematocrit, MCV, MCH, MCHC and RDW) and total leukocytes. RIs and respective 90% confidence intervals were estimated using the refineR method and a multi-criteria method combining the Expectation Maximization algorithm, mode, antimode analysis, an adapted Horn algorithm (5 cycles of Tukey's test with intermediate trimming and 2 cycles of Tukey's test with Box-Cox transformed data if applicable after analyzing Lambda, kurtosis, and skewness coefficients) and distribution truncation based on clusters and antimode. The RIs estimates using refineR and multi-criteria methods were compared to the manufacturer's specifications (Mindray). Flagging Rates were used to validate the method that estimates the most representative RI for the population served by the laboratory. Equivalence Interval and Bias Ratio were utilized to assess the practical relevance of sex-based partitioning. Results The method based on the multicriteria approach demonstrated the best performance, with flagging rates showing results lower than 4.7% and higher than 0.9% after the truncation of the results distribution. In general, the refineR method generated very narrow RIs, while the manufacturer's specifications resulted in very wide or shifted RIs, which do not adequately represent the data distribution profile. It was identified the need to partition by sex for the parameters Red Blood Cell Count, Hemoglobin, and Hematocrit, which is in agreement with the manufacturer's specifications. Conclusions The estimated RIs better represent the laboratory-served population, highlighting the importance of adhering to ISO 15189 normative requirements. This involves verifying and/or determining RIs to provide representative information of the served population, thereby aiding in medical decision-making.

The value of incoherence

AbstractI argue that level‐incoherence is epistemically valuable in a specific set of epistemic environments: those in which it is easy to acquire justified false beliefs about normative requirements of epistemic rationality. I argue that in these environments level‐incoherence is the rationally dominant strategy. Nevertheless, level‐incoherent combinations exhibit a distinctive tension, and this tension has been thought by many to indicate that level‐incoherence is always irrational. Although this idea has proved resilient, I argue that it is incorrect. I evaluate three candidate explanations for the distinctive tension exhibited by level‐incoherent combinations, only one of which is the traditional view (which I call the ‘Prohibition View’) that epistemic level‐incoherence is prohibited by epistemic rationality. I argue instead for the ‘Inquiry View’, according to which level‐incoherence is not rationally criticisable but is a reason to undertake further inquiry.

Treating people as individuals and as members of groups

AbstractMany believe that we ought to treat people as individuals and that this form of treatment is in some sense incompatible with treating people as members of groups. Yet, the relation between these two kinds of treatments is elusive. In this paper, we develop a novel account of the normative requirement to treat people as individuals. According to this account, treating people as individuals requires treating people as agents in the appropriate capacity. We call this the Agency Attunement Account. This view has the surprising implication that it's not only possible to fail in treating people as individuals but also possible to fail in treating people as members of groups, on the presumption that people's agency is sometimes nested in, and exercised via, agential groups.

A moral community of a realm of ends: Its (im)possibility in education?

When education only is affected by the instrumental principle and its substantiation vis-à-vis specific normative requirements as narratives, practices and traditions of certain kinds, education merely promotes and preserves such normative requirements rather than altering them. I therefore argue that education should not only be affected by the instrumental principle and its substantiation through certain narratives etc. Education should also embrace the value of moving beyond these so that new ways of thinking can be made possible. This it can do when it engages in the creation of a moral community of a realm of ends. However, even though such a creation is possible in principle, it is not necessarily the case that each and every one will engage in making such a moral community possible or that each and every one will be successful in such a pursuit. It is, nonetheless, a worthy quest, and when people engage in creating such a moral community, they strive to set and pursue morally permissible ends in systematic connection, rather than merely external ends valued in specific circumstances. By doing so, they respect each other as ends-in-themselves rather than as means to some further end, or so I argue.

Investigation of the Influence of Aluminosilicate Adhesives Modified with Magnesite on the Strength Properties of Glued Wood Products

The work is devoted to the study of magnesite influence on the strength properties of glued wood products with aluminosilicate adhesive. It they shown that the introduction of magnesite in the composition of aluminosilicate glue in the amount from 0.5 to 1.5 % contributes to an increase in the shear strength along the fibres by 1.57 times compared to the normative requirement (not less than 4 MPa). It we found that the bending strength of glued wood on a toothed spike is 1.4 times higher than the normative (not less than 26 MPa). After fire tests, no destruction of the glue joint on the spike we observed, and the bending strength of the samples increases proportionally to the introduction of magnesite in the glue composition. Water resistance of glue joints on the toothed spike when the samples we kept for 48 hours at the temperature 20 °С is higher than the standard value and increases with the increase of magnesite content in the glue composition. After boiling at the temperature 100 °С for 3 hours the samples containing 1.5 % magnesite meet the normative requirements (3 MPa).

Trade-offs in biomethane production by substrate mixture optimization under German market conditions

BackgroundNew regulations and market conditions in Germany affect the profitability of biomethane upgrading as a repowering option for existing biogas plants following on-site CHP utilization. These conditions present trade-off challenges between higher sustainability requirements, maintaining production capacity and new revenue opportunities. Optimization methods, such as linear programming (LP), are essential for determining the ideal substrate mixture and profitable solutions amidst multiple market conditions, plant-specific process constraints, and substrate properties.MethodsWe updated a substrate mixture optimization model within an assessment framework for the repowering of existing biogas plants (BGPs), which focuses on the operator’s perspective. By integrating multiple German biomethane markets for various BGPs, we assessed changes in the substrate mixture, GHG emissions, contribution margins, and constraint parameters to derive conclusions for operators and future framework design.ResultsIntegrating market revenues and constraints can increase contribution margins by 12–55%. Additional gains can be achieved by considering multiple markets simultaneously but limited to a few BGPs. The plant-specific LP solution space and used benchmark market are decisive. The former limits the potential of high substrate-specific contribution margins, which has a significantly higher impact than the relation between plant-specific characteristics and process constraints. The advanced fuel market is currently the lead market for biomethane, incentivizing GHG-emission extensive substrates, decreasing gas production and GHG emissions but increasing levelized cost of energy (LCOE) and partially CO2 abatement costs.ConclusionsThe key to improve profitability and to supply an increasing biomethane demand while fulfilling new requirements is a large LP solution space. Increasing market options, substrate availability, and digestion system capacity achieve this on the operator’s side. Policy makers could reduce normative requirements such as the maize cap or double counting of advanced fuels and favor high but uniform GHG requirements. Operators can prepare robustly for the future substrate mixture by adding digester volume and pre-treatment tech, ensuring long-term and diverse substrate availability, and contracts with flexible components. Although current market conditions can improve specific GHG emissions, they do not necessarily increase manure usage when other options, such as straw, are viable. Other regulatory support systems will be required to do so.

ORTHODOXY IN THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE FORMATION OF COMPLIANCE WITH LEGAL, JOURNALISTIC, SCIENTIFIC-HISTORICAL AND ARTISTIC SOCIAL SUBCULTURES IN THE SECOND QUARTER OF THE 19TH CENTURY (ACCORDING TO NATIONAL CORPUS OF THE RUSSIAN LANGUAGE)

The second quarter of the XIX century became the era of the reign of Nicholas the First, when the number of texts with the lexeme “Orthodoxy,” according to the materials of the linguistic academic resource “National Corpus of the Russian Language,” exceeded their volume for the entire XVIII century. We can say about continuation of the formation of an academic tradition of objective description of confessional, ethnic, ethno-confessional and religious communities in a multi-confessional country of the Enlightenment, combined with the formation of the so-called “protective” direction in politics. In search of compensation (consent) between the court, legal, journalistic, church and scientific elites, new denotations and connotations are formed (for example, “Orthodoxy of the Greek-Russian Church”, “Christian Orthodox Catholic Faith of the Eastern Confession”, etc. in the texts of laws), a romantic understanding of “Orthodoxy” is developing as “the unanimity of the people” (I.V. Kireevsky), normative requirements for the work of writers called upon to create literary works “in the spirit of autocracy, Orthodoxy and nationality” are being constructed (N.A. Polevoy). Along with this, the importance of “inner Christian life” is recognized (V.A. Zhukovsky). The article sets out the position of social philosophy with an orientation towards the approaches of modern philosophical religious studies.

Verification of the analytical performance of the anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide assay on ALINITY ci ® experience from the biochemistry laboratory of Mohammed VI University Hospital in Oujda

The aim of our work was to evaluate the analytical performance of the anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide determination by a two-step immunoassay using microparticle chemiluminescence immunoassay (CMIA) technology, in accordance with the Scope A criteria of the guide of the verification/validation of medical biology methods. We evaluated the repeatability and the intermediate precision of the assay. The results obtained are very satisfactory for the two levels (low and high) both for intermediate fidelity, with coefficients of variation (CV) of CV1= 1.9% and CV2=1.8% respectively, and for repeatability, with coefficients of variation of CV1 = 1.7%, CV2= 1.61%. respectively. The results obtained made it possible to verify the method's performance and compare it with the analytical objectives set in order to meet the regulatory and normative requirements set by the supplier and learned societies.

ELSI-Forschende für technische Innovationen in der Pflege: Perspektiven zwischen kritischer Distanz und anwendungsbezogener Einflussnahme

This article presents the results of a self-reflective analysis of the role of research on ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) in projects that aim to develop and implement technology solutions for care. Four perspectives of ELSI research are used to examine their significance for this endeavor: (1) ELSI research as a ‘contribution to promoting acceptance,’ (2) ELSI research as a ‘seal of approval for new technologies,’ (3) ELSI research as ‘distanced-critical observation,’ (4) ELSI research as a ‘component of integrated research’. It becomes clear that these perspectives differ according to how they cope with the tension between the demands of a scientifically sound self-image and the fulfillment of practical and normative requirements of the field of investigation. Insights into these differences provide clues for the design of ELSI research that can self-critically reflect on its mediating role in the transfer of knowledge between technology development and technology use.

The challenges and potential benefits of the external assurance of mandatory non-financial reporting. Evidence from Poland

Purpose: The paper analyses the challenges and potential benefits that stem from the relationship between an auditing firm and the companies engaged in mandatory sustainability reporting from the companyʼs point of view. Methodology/approach: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sample of Polish companies that engage in mandatory non-financial disclosure. Findings: The evidence collected through the interviews suggests that cooperation with an auditing company that goes beyond the minimum normative requirements brings benefits to the reporting company while also improving the non-financial reporting process, as well as the companyʼs awareness. This is particularly true for companies that started their non-financial reporting experience when it was not mandatory, as they were able to gradually adopt and grasp the related potential benefits. Research limitations/implications: A significant limitation is that the research was conducted on a small sample. To draw broader conclusions, the sample should be expanded to include additional companies. Originality/value: The paper provides empirical evidence on the relationship and cooperation between companies and auditors in the field of non-financial reporting, focusing on the conditions that enable the potential benefits of this relationship to materialize. Such relationships can be essential drivers that foster a sustainability culture within companies.

Training of Physical Education and Sports Specialists for the Organization of Active Leisure in Places of Mass Recreation of the Population

The purpose of the article is to update the role of active leisure in preserving the health of the population, popularizing a healthy lifestyle, and analyzing the specifics of the training of physical education and sports specialists for the organization of active leisure in places of mass recreation of the population. The issue of professional training of physical education and sports specialists has been updated in the context of the expansion of the areas of sports and health work with various population groups and the organization of active leisure. The orientations of professional training for specialists in physical education and sports recreational and recreational activities have been determined, the main aspects of training specialists in the field of physical culture and sports have been revealed. Approaches in the process of training physical education and sports specialists to the organization of active leisure (epistemological, axiological, systemic, personal, activity-based, and competence-based) are highlighted. The content of the training of physical education and sports specialists for the organization of active leisure in places of mass recreation has been determined (understanding of the basic concepts, legal bases and program and normative requirements for the organization of active leisure of the population; availability of systemic and integral knowledge regarding the forms and methods of organizing active leisure; the formation of relevant beliefs, views, value attitudes, social norms, positive motivation; integration of theoretical and practical tools; ability to independently design means of sports and health activities, etc.).

Multi-scale experimental study on the failure mechanism of high-strength bolts under highly mineralized environment

High-strength bolts have become indispensable support materials in geotechnical engineering, but the incidence of safety accidents caused by bolt fractures under complex geological conditions is increasing. To address this challenge, this study focuses on a typical roadway in the Xinjulong coal mine, employing a combination of mechanical performance testing, microscopic and macroscopic analyses to investigate the failure mechanism of bolt breakage. The research indicates that the cracks in the failed bolts underground exhibit subcritical patterns, with the presence of oxides and Cl elements, and multiple intergranular fractures internally, consistent with the characteristics of stress corrosion failure. Additionally, inherent defects in the bolts are also a primary cause of failure. For instance, for type A bolts, the levels of P and S elements significantly exceed the normative requirements, forming inclusions, while the low content of elements like Si and V leads to reduced plasticity, toughness, and corrosion resistance. Furthermore, the excessive pitch in type A bolts leads to stress concentration and cracking under complex loads. The study concludes that the synergistic effect of stress corrosion cracking and inherent flaws in bolts are the main causes of failure. Therefore, it is recommended to enhance the reliability and safety of bolt support by optimizing the bolt shape and developing anti-corrosion bolts, thereby achieving long-term stability in underground engineering.

Legal anomie in the sphere of alternative (out-of-court) dispute resolution

The study aims to identify the manifestations of legal anomie in the legal regulation of alternative conflict resolution in Russia’s legal system and, based on the analysis of regulation in foreign countries, to offer possible ways to minimize anomie manifestations. Dialectical, formal-legal and comparative-legal methods were used in the research process. The article considers the legal regulation of mediation in Russia in a comparative-legal aspect with foreign countries and analyzes the current legislation and practice of its implementation. The study also revealed anomalous manifestations at the institutional and other levels of Russia’s legal system. Declarative fixation of legal responsibility of mediators, as well as insufficiency of normative requirements to their professional level; absence of normative fixation of mandatory centralized bodies (associations) of mediators, which in turn generates insufficiency of corporate regulation of their activities. The study proposes to borrow foreign experience in the legal regulation of mediators’ certification. The study also makes proposals to improve the current legislation.

The biological self-purification capacity of natural and waste waters by assessing the ratio between biodegradable and toxic pollutants

The study emphasizes the significant impact of chemical pollution in the aquatic environment, originating from various sources - continuous, intermittent, and accidental - with particular focus on small rivers in the Republic of Moldova. The article applies the methodology for evaluating the self-purification capacity of natural and waste waters using parameters as biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) and chemical oxygen demand (CODCr). These parameters are essential for assessing the contribution of pollutant biodegradation processes in natural and waste waters. The classification of waters into five levels of self-purification, from efficient to impossible, is based on the ratio BOD5/CODCr. This paper emphasizes the need to comply with the normative requirements for the treatment of wastewater from different economic sectors. Monitoring compliance with these requirements can be achieved by calculating the self-purification capacity using the BOD5/CODCr ratio.

“Creating shared value”: Time for a normative extension?

AbstractPorter and Kramer's “creating shared value” (CSV) proposal has achieved significant penetration into both the academic and corporate communities. Building on other critiques of CSV, this paper assesses whether the CSV framework, notwithstanding its popularity, currently possesses an appropriate and adequate theoretical foundation to represent an overarching normative framework for the entire business and society field. The analysis does so by comparing CSV with a series of other dominant business and society approaches including corporate social responsibility, business ethics, stakeholder management, sustainability, and corporate citizenship. The analysis finds that while CSV does address the fundamental business and society normative requirement that business activities should contribute to sustainable net societal value, it currently fails to adequately incorporate the equally important notions of (i) appropriately balancing stakeholder interests with those of the corporation's shareholders, as well as (ii) demonstrating sufficient accountability (i.e., taking responsibility) by properly reporting on and addressing any negative impacts resulting from the firm's activities. The paper concludes with a revised and expanded restatement of the CSV concept, which attempts to take into account and address its current theoretical limitations in order to enhance its appeal as an overarching business and society normative paradigm.

Transforming the Rule of Law in Environmental and Climate Litigation: Prohibiting the Arbitrary Treatment of Future Generations

Abstract This article maps the shared legal anatomy of climate and environmental lawsuits, in which plaintiffs claim protection for future generations before domestic or international courts. By closely analyzing the litigation strategies of plaintiffs and the inquiry of courts, the article argues that these proceedings revolve around structurally similar legal standards across domestic and international jurisdictions, which correspond to five normative requirements flowing from the rule of law: namely, respect for human rights, certain quality of law requirements, prohibition of arbitrary exercise of governmental powers, non-discrimination, and access to justice. The cross-jurisdictional analysis shows that courts appear to be increasingly willing to protect future generations against arbitrary treatment by present-day decision makers. The article appraises whether such an intergenerationally sensitive reinterpretation of the rule of law could help to change the short-termist paradigm of environmental and climate law.

The Principle of Unity and Differentiation in Modern Labor Protection Legislation

This article examines the manifestation of principle of unity and differentiation in the field of work safety. The institution of work safety is characterized by an imperative nature of legal regulation. Differentiation is mainly carried out based on the obligations imposed on employers by the legislature. The legislature has established an open list of regulatory acts containing normative requirements for work safety, which implies further development of new types of such acts, providing effectiveness and flexibility in legal regulation. However, there is uncertainty regarding the form, types, and functions of such regulatory acts. It is proposed to legislatively establish a classification of normative requirements for work safety by dividing them into norms aimed at “protecting health from harmful factors” and “protecting body from dangerous factors leading to injury.”

Knowing Better: Motivated Ignorance and Willful Ignorance

Abstract Motivated ignorance is an incentivized absence of knowledge that arises in circumstances of unequal power relations, a self-protective non-knowing which frees individuals from having to reflect on the privileges they have in virtue of membership in a dominant social group. In philosophical discussions, the term “motivated ignorance” gets used interchangeably with “willful ignorance.” In the first half of this paper, using Charles Mills’ (2007) white ignorance as the defining case, I argue that this is a mistake. A significant swath of cases of motivated ignorance are non-willful, or deep, following Rik Peels (2010). But in all cases, benefits accrued to some in virtue of their social position are gained and maintained at the expense of harms to others. In the second half of this paper, I argue that these harms are what ground attributions of culpability in cases of motivated ignorance and drive the normative requirement that the subject know better, so long as the facts in question are ordinarily and easily knowable (in a sense to be specified). Willfulness is not a necessary condition for culpability, even if it is a sufficient one.