Next Generation Nuclear Plant Structures, Systems, and Components Safety Classification White Paper

This white paper outlines the relevant regulatory policy and guidance for a risk-informed approach for establishing the safety classification of Structures, Systems, and Components (SSCs) for the Next Generation Nuclear Plant and sets forth certain facts for review and discussion in order facilitate an effective submittal leading to an NGNP Combined Operating License application under 10 CFR 52

The competences of command cadre of the airport fire service on the example of safety assurance of Warsaw Okęcie Airport

The globalization process in almost all spheres of our life causes a possibility of making equal living standards in all countries of the world. An introduction to globalization was undoubtedly the development of air transport which greatly accelerated the possibility of travelling on all continents. Along with the development of technology, airplanes used for carrying people and cargo become much better, quicker, but they also become more and more complicated in respect of their construction. This also gives rise to requirements that airports have to comply with, i.e. in order to receive super modern machines they must be equipped with modern navigational facilities, modern equipment for surface handling of airplanes and passengers. This, in turn, requires a continuous development of knowledge and competence from airport staff to be flexible in the constantly modernized environment. In consideration of a rapid development of air transport, and consequently its increasing importance for the world economy countries face a problem how to assure the high quality of aviation services, its access for a man-in-the-street, and first of all safety in its broad meaning, which is a synonym of quality in air transport. Nowadays, this is the main problem in air transport which has priority before the comfort of a traveller. Safety in aviation is approached in two dimensions – prevention of occurrence events and removal of results of unforeseeable incidents, accidents or catastrophes. A special part in this area is performed by the airport rescue and firefighting service, commonly called the Airport Fire Service (AFS). The main requirement for airport rescuers set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is conducting rescue and firefighting operations in case of an aircraft or airport incident (disaster) [...]

A Low-Overhead Script Language for Tiny Networked Embedded Systems

With sensor networks starting to get mainstream acceptance, programmability is of increasing importance. Customers and field engineers will need to reprogram existing deployments and software developers will need to test and debug software in network testbeds. Script languages, which are a popular mechanism for reprogramming in general-purpose computing, have not been considered for wireless sensor networks because of the perceived overhead of interpreting a script language on tiny sensor nodes. In this paper we show that a structured script language is both feasible and efficient for programming tiny sensor nodes. We present a structured script language, SCript, and develop an interpreter for the language. To reduce program distribution energy the SCript interpreter stores a tokenized representation of the scripts which is distributed through the wireless network. The ROM and RAM footprint of the interpreter is similar to that of existing virtual machines for sensor networks. We show that the interpretation overhead of our language is on par with that of existing virtual machines. Thus script languages, previously considered as too expensive for tiny sensor nodes, are a viable alternative to virtual machines

An Integrated Software-based Solution for Modular and Self-independent Networked Robot

An integrated software-based solution for a modular and self-independent networked robot is introduced. The wirelessly operatable robot has been developed mainly for autonomous monitoring works with full control over web. The integrated software solution covers three components : a) the digital signal processing unit for data retrieval and monitoring system; b) the externally executable codes for control system; and c) the web programming for interfacing the end-users with the robot. It is argued that this integrated software-based approach is crucial to realize a flexible, modular and low development cost mobile monitoring apparatus.Comment: 9 pages, Proceeding of the 10th International Conference on Control, Automation, Robotics and Visio

A structural approach to reimagining community: biomimicry, biophilia and living labs

The global economic operating system of capitalism is incongruent with the values required to sustain life on a planet with a growing population and finite resources. Living in marginalized communities the impoverished are the most negatively affected by the current system, as they are the most vulnerable to the vicissitudes of climate change, resource extraction, labor exploitation and wealth concentration. Our way of life needs to be reimagined to align with principles that are in accordance with the ecological worldview. Aspects of an effective strategy rooted in the ecological worldview - especially Biomimicry, Biophilia and a Living Labs approach - are being created in silos but lack application at a systems level. The objective of this research is to bridge the disparate streams of these concepts into a community-based model, with the aim of replicating the emergent system in order to build alternatives to the current model. The research question to explored is the following: how can the principles of Biomimicry, Biophilia, and Living Labs be integrated and systemically applied in communities? Investigating this question will bring forth the Principles for Transition Infrastructure - an approach to building a resilient, self-sustaining, regenerative model for an alternative way of living. This research concludes that there is an opportunity to dismantle the mechanistic worldview of isolating problems in silos and rather observe the multiple points of interconnectivity that weave together a solution that transcends the parts of the whole. In doing this, we draw from multiple disciplines and find the synergies to construct a reality that is conducive to building new systems and structures to support a harmonious life on this planet

Travel Behaviour Response to Major Transport System Disruptions: Implications for Smarter Resilience Planning

No abstract available

Peacetime cyber responses and wartime cyber operations under international law: an analytical vade mecum

Tallinn Manual 2.0 on the International Law Applicable to Cyber Operations examines the application of extant international law principles and rules to cyber activities occurring during both peacetime and armed conflict. It was intended by the two International Groups of Experts that drafted it to be a useful tool for analysis of cyber operations. The manual comprises 154 Rules, together with commentary explaining the source and application of the Rules. However, as a compendium of rules and commentary, the manual merely sets forth the law. In this article, the director of the Tallinn Manual Project offers a roadmap for thinking through cyber operations from the perspective of international law. Two flowcharts are provided, one addressing state responses to peacetime cyber operations, the other analyzing cyber attacks that take place during armed conflicts. The text explains each step in the analytical process. Together, they serve as a vade mecum designed to guide government legal advisers and others through the analytical process that applies in these two situations, which tend to be the focus of great state concern. Readers are cautioned that the article represents but a skeleton of the requisite analysis and therefore should be used in conjunction with the more robust and granular examination of the subjects set forth in Tallinn Manual 2.0

Bringing forth mathematical concepts: signifying sensorimotor enactment in fields of promoted action

Inspired by Enactivist philosophy yet in dialog with it, we ask what theory of embodied cognition might best serve in articulating implications of Enactivism for mathematics education. We offer a blend of Dynamical Systems Theory and Sociocultural Theory as an analytic lens on micro-processes of action-to-concept evolution. We also illustrate the methodological utility of design-research as an approach to such theory development. Building on constructs from ecological psychology, cultural anthropology, studies of motor-skill acquisition, and somatic awareness practices, we develop the notion of an “instrumented field of promoted action”. Children operating in this field first develop environmentally coupled motor-action coordinations. Next, we introduce into the field new artifacts. The children adopt the artifacts as frames of action and reference, yet in so doing they shift into disciplinary semiotic systems. We exemplify our thesis with two selected excerpts from our videography of Grade 4–6 volunteers participating in task-based clinical interviews centered on the Mathematical Imagery Trainer for Proportion. In particular, we present and analyze cases of either smooth or abrupt transformation in learners’ operatory schemes. We situate our design framework vis-à-vis seminal contributions to mathematics education research

A Taxonomy for Attack Patterns on Information Flows in Component-Based Operating Systems

We present a taxonomy and an algebra for attack patterns on component-based operating systems. In a multilevel security scenario, where isolation of partitions containing data at different security classifications is the primary security goal and security breaches are mainly defined as undesired disclosure or modification of classified data, strict control of information flows is the ultimate goal. In order to prevent undesired information flows, we provide a classification of information flow types in a component-based operating system and, by this, possible patterns to attack the system. The systematic consideration of informations flows reveals a specific type of operating system covert channel, the covert physical channel, which connects two former isolated partitions by emitting physical signals into the computer's environment and receiving them at another interface.Comment: 9 page