Safe Environment Research Articles

Quality improvement initiative: implementing and redefining video review of real-time neonatal procedures using action research

Video review (VR) of procedures in the medical environment can be used to drive quality improvement. However, first it has to be implemented in a safe and effective way. Our...

Remediate and sense: alginate beads empowered by portable electrochemical strips for copper ion removal and detection at environmental sites.

The contamination of environmental sites due to the presence of persistent species represents an important issue to be tackled. In particular, the presence of high levels of metals in soil and surface water is more frequent. One of the metals that sometimes exceeds the permissible limit set by regulatory authorities is copper. For instance, copper-based fungicides are widely used in viticulture. However, copper ions remain in soil and can enter the food chain, posing threats to human health and environmental safety. Although the rapid detection of copper ions using portable sensors is effective in enhancing early warning, it sometimes solves only half of the problem as remediation is not considered. In this paper, we present a novel integrated/portable approach that merges the remediation and sensing of metals by proposing a remediate-and-sense concept. In order to realize this concept, alginate beads were coupled with printed electrochemical strips for on-site copper detection. Within the same architecture, alginate beads were used to remove copper ions from the soil, and printed electrochemical strips were used to evaluate the efficacy of remediation at the point of need. The concept was applied towards soil containing copper ions at the parts per billion level; with few alginate beads and in the absence of additional species, copper ions were quantitatively removed from the matrix; and 3D printing allowed us to combine the printed strips and spheres within a unique tool. The architecture was optimized and the results were compared to inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) measurements with a recovery percentage of 90%-110%. It should be noted that this novel portable approach may be applied to other pollutants, opening new possibilities for integrated remediation and sensing.

Safe Environment for Working Women - A Critical Analysis

Safe Environment for Working Women - A Critical Analysis

Current status and future challenges of digital twins for structural health monitoring in civil infrastructures

Abstract Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) ensures the reliability, effectiveness, and performance of buildings and other structures. The introduction of digital twin technology in the last several decades has changed the field of SHM, allowing for real-time monitoring, analysis, and prediction of structural behavior. This research looks in depth at the usage of digital twins in the structural health monitoring of civil infrastructure developments. It analyzes the main features, benefits, challenges, and recent advancements in this rapidly increasing area. The review also discusses case studies and practical applications of digital twins for tracking and managing the health of civil infrastructures, providing insights into their potential for improving structural performance, lowering maintenance costs, and increasing the resilience of our built environment. This review paper provides a comprehensive overview of the usage of digital twins in critical infrastructure project structural health monitoring. It's an excellent tool for academics, scientists, and practitioners interested in utilizing digital twin technologies to improve our built environment's safety, performance, and resilience. This study aims to promote more significant research and innovation in developing and deploying digital twins for structural health monitoring by stressing the benefits, limits, and current advances in this field.

Sustainable recycling management: configuration of risk factors and resilience strategies

Purpose Recycling is associated with positive social and environmental impact, but previous studies have overlooked the cost of recycling operations. Based on the dynamic capability view, the purpose of this study was to identify and evaluate risk factors and resilience strategies within the recycling industry, prioritize these factors and identify the optimal combination of resilience strategies and risk factors to improve market performance. Design/methodology/approach The research questions were addressed in three subsequent studies. In Study 1, qualitative interviews were conducted to identify risk factors and strategies to mitigate those risks. In Study 2, quality function deployment methodologies were implemented via case studies derived from three different companies. Based on the results of Studies 1 and 2, in addition to the use of fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis, Study 3 aimed to determine the optimal combination of risk factors and strategies impacting market performance. Findings The results across the three studies revealed a number of risk factors as well as which risk factors and resilience strategies have the greatest impact on market performance. Specifically, it was found that higher levels of readiness, response and recovery strategies lead to greater market performance, whereas weak readiness, response and recovery strategies, along with low societal, environmental and health and safety risk factors, significantly inhibit performance. Originality/value This research extends current understandings of market performance in relation to recycling industry management and offers insight for decision-makers toward combating significant risk factors in business-to-business settings.

DETECTION OF WIRELESS NETWORK ATTACKS USING SUPERVISED MACHINE LEARNING TECHNIQUE

The security and integrity of computer networks are seriously threatened by network assaults. Keeping a safe network environment requires the capacity to anticipate and stop these threats. Supervised machine learning methods have become powerful instruments for attacking network traffic and spotting patterns that point to malicious behaviour. We provide an in-depth examination of supervised machine learning methods for network attack prediction. We gather the data, preprocess it, extract pertinent features, and structure it so that machine learning algorithms may use it.We assess these algorithms' performance. To understand the fundamental patterns and traits of network assaults, we look at how interpretability the trained models are. This enables network managers to comprehend the types of threats and create suitable. Keywords - Network Attacks, Supervised Machine Learning, Network security,Network traffic analysis, Malicious behavior detection, Feature extraction,Machine learning algorithm,Model interpretability,Network attack patterns,Network defense strategies,Naive Bayes Algorithm, Ridge Classfier ,Random Forest Classfier

Taking Charge of One’s Own Safety While Collaborating with Robots: Enhancing Situational Awareness for a Safe Environment

Taking Charge of One’s Own Safety While Collaborating with Robots: Enhancing Situational Awareness for a Safe Environment

Legal regulation of the ecological network in Ukraine

In the context of the European integration of Ukraine, the evolution of human rights, the development of civil society, environmental problems in Ukraine, including those caused by the military actions of the aggressor, the study of the problems of legal regulation of the ecological network in Ukraine is of important practical and theoretical importance. Researching the issues of legal regulation of the ecological network in Ukraine is important for the further improvement of environmental legislation, as well as for the improvement of law enforcement practice in this area. As a result of this research, the problems of legal regulation of the ecological network in Ukraine and its elements are important for the development of the sciences of constitutional, administrative and environmental law. The article is devoted to the problems of legal regulation of the ecological network in Ukraine. In this article legal regulation of the ecological network in Ukraine is characterized. In the context of the modern European integration of Ukraine, the evolution of human rights, the development of civil society, environmental problems in Ukraine, including those caused by the military actions of the aggressor, the study of the legal regulation of the ecological network in Ukraine is of great practical and theoretical importance. Ensuring the effective functioning of the ecological network of Ukraine, including the protection of the environment, overcoming the negative consequences of damage to the environment caused by hostilities, prompt demining of de-occupied territories, is an important element for the effective functioning of the system of natural human rights in Ukraine, among which the right for a safe environment for life and health in Ukraine. The concept of "legal regulation of the ecological network in Ukraine” can be defined as a system of norms and principles of law aimed at regulating social relations by legal norms in the field of formation, preservation and rational, tireless use of the ecological network in Ukraine as one of the main prerequisites for ensuring the sustainable development of Ukraine, protection of the environment, protection of flora and fauna, nature conservation areas, satisfaction of ecological, economic, social and other interests of individual citizens, society, territorial communities and the state. The elements of the ecological network of Ukraine includes: key, connecting, buffer and renewable territories.

The importance of constitutional protective norms in the system of principles for the implementation of the right to a safe environment

The scientific article analyzes the doctrinal provisions for the classification of constitutional norms. Two main approaches were clarified and preference was given to the one that gives a special place to protective norms in the system of constitutional norms. The concept of "environmental protection” has been analyzed, three main approaches have been identified, in which we have singled out the following common features - the systematicity of those protective measures that are applied and the purpose of their use (to contribute to the preservation and restoration of natural resources). The constitutional protective norms contained in the Basic Law of Ukraine, as well as in general and special legislative acts, were analyzed and highlighted. Among the main protective norms in the field of environmental protection, which are contained in the Law of Ukraine "On environmental protection”, the following are highlighted: the basis of sustainable development is not only environmental protection, but also rational approaches to the use of natural resources, which must proportionally take into account the tools of protection and prevention negative impacts from business entities, etc.; predicting environmental safety, monitoring compliance with relevant regulations and limits in the field of natural resource use; protective regulations stimulate the introduction of new technological solutions in the process of greening production processes, guaranteeing conditions for the restoration of natural resources, their integrity and diversity; protective regulations must be scientifically based, take into account interdisciplinary and be predictable, etc. It is substantiated that the list of protective norms-principles defined in Article 3 of the Law "On environmental protection” needs to be supplemented with such a principle as "guaranteeing sustainable development for better environmental protection”.

Ecocide in the dimension of the constitutional and economic law of Ukraine

The article reveals the concept of ecocide, its negative impact on constitutional and economic legal relations and the consequences of such an act, especially during the period of martial law. In fact, since the beginning of the war, we have been observing the purposeful destruction of the ecosystem, flora, fauna, industrial, energy and infrastructure facilities, natural resources and the environment of the country. These offenses directly encroach on the normal state of social and legal relations in the sphere of economy, on the right to a safe environment and on the preservation of the gene pool of the Ukrainian people. The author draws attention to the fact that in Ukrainian legislation the concept of ecocide is defined in the Criminal Code of Ukraine and the appropriate measure of punishment is provided, namely from eight to fifteen years of imprisonment. It is emphasized that this criminal offense encroaches on a wider range of social and legal relations, namely property, economic entities and objects, the social position of the population, the life and health of a person, his safety and integrity. This is a violation of the norms of the constitutional and economic law of Ukraine. The study concluded that the mass destruction of flora and fauna, forests, poisoning of water bodies, interference with the ecosystem of Ukraine has extremely socially dangerous consequences not only for Ukraine itself, but also for Europe (for example, many objects of the Emerald Network are under threat of destruction and they are protected at the pan-European level) and for the world in general (for example, the impact on the atmosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere of the Earth as a result of the use of weapons). Unfortunately, air pollution has no boundaries. The article emphasizes that it is military ecocide as a criminal offense against the environment that requires clearer and more detailed legal regulation in the national legal system as well as in the international legal field, and generally recognition of such an offense that encroaches on humanity as a whole. After all, ecocide can be equated to such criminal offenses as crimes against humanity and genocide.

Special issue: Multimedia data analysis for smart city environment safety

Special issue: Multimedia data analysis for smart city environment safety

Modernizing and harmonizing regulatory data requirements for genetically modified crops—perspectives from a workshop

Genetically modified (GM) crops that have been engineered to express transgenes have been in commercial use since 1995 and are annually grown on 200 million hectares globally. These crops have provided documented benefits to food security, rural economies, and the environment, with no substantiated case of food, feed, or environmental harm attributable to cultivation or consumption. Despite this extensive history of advantages and safety, the level of regulatory scrutiny has continually increased, placing undue burdens on regulators, developers, and society, while reinforcing consumer distrust of the technology. CropLife International held a workshop at the 16th International Society of Biosafety Research (ISBR) Symposium to examine the scientific basis for modernizing global regulatory frameworks for GM crops. Participants represented a spectrum of global stakeholders, including academic researchers, GM crop developers, regulatory consultants, and regulators. Concurrently examining the considerations of food and feed safety, along with environmental safety, for GM crops, the workshop presented recommendations for a core set of data that should always be considered, and supplementary (i.e., conditional) data that would be warranted only on a case-by-case basis to address specific plausible hypotheses of harm. Then, using a case-study involving a hypothetical GM maize event expressing two familiar traits (insect protection and herbicide tolerance), participants were asked to consider these recommendations and discuss if any additional data might be warranted to support a science-based risk assessment or for regulatory decision-making. The discussions during the workshop highlighted that the set of data to address the food, feed, and environmental safety of the hypothetical GM maize, in relation to a conventional comparator, could be modernized compared to current global regulatory requirements. If these scientific approaches to modernize data packages for GM crop regulation were adopted globally, GM crops could be commercialized in a more timely manner, thereby enabling development of more diverse GM traits to benefit growers, consumers, and the environment.

The Need for a Chainsaw Safety Training Program for Female Forest Landowners

Female forest landowners (FFLO) are increasing in numbers but have been marginalized in technical training programs in the past. We conducted chainsaw safety training programs geared towards FFLO and compared program evaluation results with results from male-dominated chainsaw training workshops. FFLO are limited in their technical knowledge at the beginning of a workshop, are more likely to own different types of chainsaws than male participants, and generally liked having a women-only workshop. The takeaway is that FFLO strive in a women-only environment and that more women-focused extension training programs are needed to provide with a safe and inclusive learning environment.

Consequences of using renewable energy sources

Developed countries offset global warming by abandoning high-carbon products in favour of low-carbon products and by introducing a transboundary carbon tax for those countries that are unable to make the transition immediately. One of the ways of the transition in developed countries is proposed generation of electricity from renewable energy sources (hereinafter referred to as RES). The purpose of the article is to assess the consequences of ­using RES as one of the ways to the transition to low-carbon products. RES are the object of the study, especially wind and solar power plants. Energy generation on them is considered an environmentally friendly production and does not require large operational costs. The subject of the study is economic relations that occur concerning construction and use of RES. The methodological basis of the study includes general scientific methods (generalization, systematisation) and economic-statistical methods (comparative analysis, tabular techniques for data visualisation). The main results of the study lie in justifying large investment costs in RES which are associated with provision of significant areas of land and sea and their withdrawal from agricultural turnover; with scarce and poorly developed deposits of non-energy commodities which are necessary for the creation of RES equipment; with unevenness in energy production and its low density in wind and solar power plants. That requires investments in storage and balancing systems. In pursuit of environmentally friendly production the West does not consider many components of economic efficiency: environmental protection and safety of working and living conditions of some countries in Asia, Africa and South America, and natural means of absorbing greenhouse gases. It should be ignored in the future when justifying economic efficiency of RES.

Design Strategies for Anti‐Freeze Electrolytes in Aqueous Energy Storage Devices at Low Temperatures

AbstractWith the continuous development of electrochemical energy storage technology, especially in the current pursuit of environmental sustainability and safety, aqueous energy storage devices, due to their high safety, environmental friendliness, and cost‐effectiveness, are becoming an important direction of development in the field of energy storage. Diverse application scenarios require that energy storage systems be capable of continuous power supply under low temperature conditions. However, conventional aqueous electrolytes freeze at extremely low temperatures, causing limited ion transport and slow reaction kinetics, degrading the performance of the energy storage system. The design of low‐temperature anti‐freeze aqueous electrolytes has become an effective way to address this issue. In this review, the deep connection between hydrogen bonds (HBs) interactions in aqueous electrolytes and the liquid‐to‐solid conversion process, and the fundamental principles of the anti‐freeze mechanism is first explored. Subsequently, a systematic categorization and discussion of the design strategies for low‐temperature anti‐freeze aqueous electrolytes are conducted. Finally, potential directions are proposed. This review aims to provide comprehensive scientific guidance and technical reference for the development of anti‐freeze aqueous electrolytes with excellent low‐temperature performance, thereby promoting the application and innovation of aqueous energy storage devices in low‐temperature environments.

A qualitative analysis of post-hoc interviews with multilevel participants of a randomized controlled trial of a community-based intervention.

Community-based health interventions often demonstrate efficacy in clinical trial settings but fail to be implemented in the real-world. We sought to identify the key operational and contextual elements of the Los Angeles Barbershop Blood Pressure Study (LABBPS), an objectively successful community-based health intervention primed for real-world implementation. LABBPS was a cluster randomized control trial that paired the barbers of Black-owned barbershops with clinical pharmacists to manage uncontrolled hypertension in Black male patrons, demonstrating a substantial 21.6 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure. Despite this success, the LABBPS intervention has not expanded beyond the original clinical trial setting. The aim of this study was to determine the facilitating and limiting factors to expansion of the LABBPS intervention. We undertook a qualitative assessment of semi-structured interviews with study participants performed after trial completion. Interviews included a total of 31 participants including 20 (6%) of the 319 LABBPS program participants ("patrons"), 10 (19%) barbers, and one (50%) clinical pharmacist. The semi-structured interviews were focused on perceptions of the medical system, study intervention, and influence of social factors on health. Several common themes emerged from thematic analysis of interview responses including: importance of care provided in a convenient and safe environment, individual responsibility for health and health-related behaviors, and engagement of trusted community members. In particular, patrons reported that receiving the intervention from their barber in a familiar environment positively influenced the formation of relationships with clinical pharmacists around shared efforts to improve medication adherence and healthy habits. All interviewee groups identified the trust diad, comprising the familiar environment and respected community member, as instrumental in increasing health-related behaviors to a degree not usually achieved by traditional healthcare providers. In conclusion, participants of an objectively successful community-based intervention trial consistently identified key features that could facilitate wider implementation and efficacy: social trust relationships, soliciting insights of trust bearers, and consistent engagement in a familiar community setting. These findings can help to inform the design and operations of future community-based studies and programs aiming to achieve a broad and sustainable impact.

A comparative survey between cascade correlation neural network (CCNN) and feedforward neural network (FFNN) machine learning models for forecasting suspended sediment concentration

Suspended sediment concentration prediction is critical for the design of reservoirs, dams, rivers ecosystems, various operations of aquatic resource structure, environmental safety, and water management. In this study, two different machine models, namely the cascade correlation neural network (CCNN) and feedforward neural network (FFNN) were applied to predict daily-suspended sediment concentration (SSC) at Simga and Jondhara stations in Sheonath basin, India. Daily-suspended sediment concentration and discharge data from 2010 to 2015 were collected and used to develop the model to predict suspended sediment concentration. The developed models were evaluated using statistical indices like Nash and Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient (NES), root mean square error (RMSE), Willmott’s index of agreement (WI), and Legates–McCabe’s index (LM), supplemented by a scatter plot, density plots, histograms and Taylor diagram for graphical representation. The developed model was evaluated and compared with CCNN and FFNN. Nine input combinations were explored using different lag-times for discharge (Qt-n) and suspended sediment concentration (St-n) as input variables, with the current suspended sediment concentration as the desired output, to develop CCNN and FFNN models. The CCNN4 model with 4 lagged inputs (St-1, St-2, St-3, St-4) outperformed the other developed models with the lowest RMSE = 95.02 mg/l and the highest NES = 0.0.662, WI = 0.890 and LM = 0.668 for the Jondhara Station while the same CCNN4 model secure as the best with the lowest RMSE = 53.71 mg/l and the highest NES = 0.785, WI = 0.936 and LM = 0.788 for the Simga Station. The result shows the CCNN model was better than the FFNN model for predicting daily-suspended sediment at both stations in the Sheonath basin, India. Overall, CCNN showed better forecasting potential for suspended sediment concentration compared to FFNN at both stations, demonstrating their applicability for hydrological forecasting with complex relationships.

On the impact of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) - mining sector perspectives

ABSTRACT The application of the Internet of Things (IoT) in industrial systems and other new technological advancements led to the development of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). IIoT can help overcome the shortcomings of the conventional monitoring and control system while enabling enterprises to create a unified monitoring system to automate operations, provide a safe working environment, enforce compliance effectively, and regulate environmental issues. Given the advantages that IoT brings to the forefront, it makes sense that so many mining companies have raised their investment following the implementation of IoT-enabled solutions in their organisations. To increase safety, productivity, and environmental sustainability in mining operations, this article examines the current state of information technology in the mineral industry with an emphasis on the implications and challenges brought on by the technological diversity of various systems and devices used in those activities. The study contributes valuable insights into the integration of IoT technologies in the mining industry, highlighting its potential to improve safety, efficiency, and sustainability. The paper paves the way for future research and development efforts aimed at overcoming the challenges of adopting IIoT in mining operations by identifying gaps and proposing a comprehensive IoT architecture. The innovations of the study are encapsulated in its approach to detailing the application of IoT technologies in enhancing mining operations and the establishment of an overall IIoT architecture suitable for the general operations in the mining industry.

Multi unmanned aerial vehicle odor source location based on improved artificial fish swarm algorithm

Odor source location technology has important application value in environmental monitoring, safety emergency and search and rescue operations. For example, it can be used in post-disaster search and rescue, detection of hazardous gas leakage, and fire source detection. Existing odor source location methods have problems such as low search efficiency, inability to adapt to complex environments, and inaccurate odor source location. In this study, based on unmanned aerial vehicle technology and using swarm intelligence optimization algorithm, an improved artificial fish swarm algorithm (IAFSA) is proposed by combining curiosity in psychology on the basis of retaining the good optimization performance of the artificial fish swarm algorithm. The algorithm quantifies the curiosity of artificial fish searching high-concentration areas through a model, dynamically adjusts the artificial fish's field of vision and step length with the calculated curiosity factor, and avoids the oscillation phenomenon in the later stage of the algorithm. Simulation results show that the IAFSA has a higher success rate and smaller location error. Finally, odor source location experiments were carried out in an indoor physical environment, the feasibility of the odor source location method proposed in this study is verified in actual scenarios.

En] Exploring safety and agency in social media: a case study of online crossdressing

Introduction. Are there safe spaces for the construction of online communities with diverse gender identities and sexual desires? What makes some online spaces safer than others? And for whom? Does the architecture of these spaces influence the ways in which users navigate the Internet? Methodology. To address these questions, we conducted a digital ethnography on a social media platform oriented towards the Spanish-speaking crossdresser community. Findings and analysis. Our analysis suggests that this platform acts as a digital counterpublic, as it allows users to inhabit a safe environment for self-expression, building support networks, organizing as a collective, and articulating their sexual intimacies. Based on these findings, we infer that online safety and agency are closely interrelated, the latter being a result of the first. In addition, we found that the concept of online safety should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, in accordance with the feminist perspective, where online safety is always construed in a situated manner and conceives the subjects of study as active agents involved in the definition of the concept itself. Ethical considerations. The research process raised ethical questions of great relevance to the conclusions of this study, suggesting that the same factors to be considered when conducting research in digital platforms should be contemplated when designing and navigating online safe spaces. We thus propose that, both in carrying out online qualitative research and in the construction of online safe spaces, the following aspects should be taken into consideration: the implications of the privacy settings offered by the platform, the vulnerability of the users that populate it, the sensitivity of the topics covered by the platform’s community and, last but not least, an ongoing negotiation and reaffirmation of consent in the utilization of the users’ personal data.