Biological citizenship: The science and politics of Chernobyl-exposed populations

En la transición del socialismo al capitalismo de mercado, los cuerpos, las poblaciones y las categorías de ciudadanía han sido reordenados. La gestión racional y técnica de los grupos afectados por el desastre de Chernóbil en Ucrania es una ventana a este controvertido proceso. Chernóbil ejemplifica un momento en el que el conocimiento científico se colapsó y emergieron nuevos mapas y categorías. Los modelos antiguos de bienestar dependen de definiciones precisas que sitúan a los ciudadanos y sus atributos en un embrollo cruzado de categorías conocidas en las que se basan las reclamaciones de derechos. En ello se observa cómo las ambigüedades relacionadas con la categorización del sufrimiento crearon un campo político en el que un estado, formas de ciudadanía y economías informales fueron reconstruidosIn the transition out of socialism to market capitalism, bodies, populations, and categories of citizenship have been reordered. The rational-technical management of groups affected by the Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine is a window into this contested process. Chernobyl exemplifies a moment when scientific knowability collapsed and new maps and categories of entitlement emerged. Older models of welfare rely on precise definitions situating citizens and their attributes on a cross-mesh of known categories upon which claims rights are based. Here one observes how ambiguities related to categorizing suffering created a political field in which a state, forms of citizenship, and informal economies were remad

Biological Citizenship: The Science and Politics of Chernobyl-Exposed Populations

In the transition out of socialism to market capitalism, bodies, populations, and categories of citizenship have been reordered. The rational-technical management of groups affected by the Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine is a window into this contested process. Chernobyl exemplifies a moment when scientific knowability collapsed and new maps and categories of entitlement emerged. Older models of welfare rely on precise definitions situating citizens and their attributes on a cross-mesh of known categories upon which claims rights are based. Here one observes how ambiguities related to categorizing suffering created a political field in which a state, forms of citizenship, and informal economies were remade

Decision making in structural engineering problems under polymorphic uncertainty : a benchmark proposal

The treatment of diverse uncertainties is an important challenge in structural engineering problems, especially from the viewpoint of realistic analysis. Inaccuracy and variability are always present and have to be quantified by either probabilistic, possibilistic, polymorphic or other uncertainty approaches. Regardless to the applied uncertainty quantification method, the numerical predictions have to be useful for structural assessment and decision making. The authors propose in this contribution a benchmark example of a portal frame structure including various uncertainties. The goal of this benchmark study is to compare justifications and decisions provided by probabilistic and non-probabilistic methods with respect to clear challenges of decision making with and without measurements and data assimilation. The engineering problem itself is simple enough to understand and complex enough not to be reduced to a simple formula with uncertain parameters.DFG, 273721697, SPP 1886: Polymorphe Unschärfemodellierungen für den numerischen Entwurf von Strukture

Acquisition of polymorphic uncertain data based on computer tomographic scans and integration in numerical models of adhesive bonds

Since commercial wind turbines were introduced around 1980, the length of rotor blades has increased substantially up to 80m with consequently higher demands on availability and failure prevention. One of the typical failure mechanisms of rotor blades in operation are fatigue cracks in adhesive bonds often caused by air voids with a-priori unknown properties, which results from the manufacturing process. In this contribution, the usage of computer tomography as non-destructive testing (NDT) on a representative sub-component, called the Henkel beam, is proposed for air void detection and quantification. By using the NDT data, structural failure is simulated by means of a finite element approach under polymorphic uncertainties to consider diverse uncertainty sources in the data acquisition. On the one hand, aleatory irreducible uncertainties are described with stochastic variables and on the other hand, interval and fuzzy variables are used for epistemic reducible uncertainties. For solving the problem under polymorphic uncertainties, different computational methods within a MATLAB framework called PolyUQ are used and compared with regard to accuracy and efficiency.DFG, 273721697, SPP 1886: Polymorphe Unschärfemodellierungen für den numerischen Entwurf von Strukture

Parameterization of arbitrary hole shapes using non-destructive testing and resulting stress concentration in a 2D plate with finite dimensions

Air void inclusions are mostly unavoidable in many different materials resulting from manufacturing processes or environmental conditions. In this contribution, non-destructive testing (NDT) like computer tomography (CT) is used for air void detection and quantification. The air voids lead to stress concentrations around them which influence significantly the structural integrity and at worst, lead to structural failure. By nature, air voids exhibit arbitrary shapes on which circular, elliptical, slotted and rounded rectangular holes are fitted by a least-square optimization algorithm to reduce the amount of necessary shape parameters. The mentioned shapes are compared in relation to the arbitrary one and with regard to the resulting stress concentration factor as well as the location of the maximum first principal stress in a 2D plate with finite dimensions under uniaxial tension. Finally, aleatory and epistemic uncertainties are derived from the conducted CT analysis which leads to a problem under polymorphic uncertainties. The problem is solved by a surrogate model based on cubic spline interpolation and points out the importance of the consideration of different hole shapes for analyzing the stress concentration.DFG, 273721697, SPP 1886: Polymorphe Unschärfemodellierungen für den numerischen Entwurf von Strukture

Decision making in structural engineering problems under polymorphic uncertainty : a benchmark proposal

The treatment of diverse uncertainties is an important challenge in structural engineering problems, especially from the viewpoint of realistic analysis. Inaccuracy and variability are always present and have to be quantified by either probabilistic, possibilistic, polymorphic or other uncertainty approaches. Regardless to the applied uncertainty quantification method, the numerical predictions have to be useful for structural assessment and decision making. The authors propose in this contribution a benchmark example of a portal frame structure including various uncertainties. The goal of this benchmark study is to compare justifications and decisions provided by different uncertainty models with respect to clear challenges of decision making with and without measurements, data assimilation and design. The engineering problem itself is simple enough to understand and complex enough not to be reduced to a simple formula with uncertain parameters.DFG, 273721697, SPP 1886: Polymorphe Unschärfemodellierungen für den numerischen Entwurf von Strukture

Biological targets in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: a comprehensive review of current and in-development biological disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs

Enhanced understanding of the rheumatoid arthritis (RA) pathophysiology and the role of cytokines has enabled the development of innovative biological agents in the last 10 years that target specific parts of the immune response. Failure to achieve adequate response with traditional disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and increasing evidence of ongoing radiographic deterioration of the affected joints despite seemingly clinical response were essential stimuli for the development of biologics. The current and upcoming biological agents are primarily aimed at neutralizing circulating and cell-bound pro-inflammatory cytokines, interfering in the interaction of antigen-presenting and T-lymphocytes, eliminating circulating B-lymphocytes or by interfering with the intracellular signaling mechanisms of immuno-competent cells that lead to inflammation. These agents have improved the currently available treatments due to greater efficacy, fast action and greater tolerability. However, use of these agents has also been associated with significant, although rare, adverse events and considerable cost. Therefore, these agents should be used with caution by experienced clinicians. The present work aims to provide a global and updated review of the current and in-development biological DMARDs for the treatment of RA

Technologization of Innovative Educational Processes in Higher Education Establishments

The needs of Ukraine’s economic development require the creation of new, innovative technologies that take into account changes in the social and spiritual life of young people, the need to form a harmonious personality and optimize the learning process. New pedagogical technologies are aimed primarily at “providing conditions for self-realization of student’s essential capabilities in various kinds of theoretical and practical activities, in dynamic life in the new market conditions”. An essential feature of modern innovation processes in the field of education and upbringing is their technologization – a strict compliance with the content and sequence of stages of innovation implementation. The difference between technology and methodology is a fundamental issue for modern pedagogics. Technology and methodology are distinguished by two main points: the guarantee of the final outcome and planning of the future educational process. The varieties of personality-centered pedagogical technologies include personality developmental teaching, productive teaching, personalized teaching and technology of higher labor, self-development, technology of humanism. Analyzing the features of higher pedagogical education technologization, the attention should be paid to an increase in the need for the use of new information technologies in the training of new generation specialists for modern educational systems. New information technologies (NIT) are defined as a set of methods and technological means of collecting, organizing, storing, processing, transmitting and presenting information that increases people’s knowledge and develops their capabilities to manage technological and social problems. Pedagogical technology is interpreted according to three aspects: the scientific aspect (pedagogical technology as a component of pedagogical science that creates pedagogical processes in pedagogical systems); procedural and descriptive aspect (description, process algorithm, a set of goals, content of methods and means to achieve guaranteed results according to the goal); procedural and effectual aspect (implementation of the technological process, functioning of all personal tools)