scholarly journals Social narcissism – how society pushes us to overestimate our capacities, leaving many behind

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 382-388
Author(s):  
Peter Herrmann ◽  
Maria Yudina

The following introduces the concept of overlife, not claiming that it is an entirely new idea, however suggesting that it is a suitable term to bring different problems of contemporary societal development together. Broadly speaking, overload is defined as simultaneously condensing patterns of life and the actual living, i.e. intensifying living by establishing patterns of multitasking; however, doing so occurs for the price of a shallowed concept of life by a differentiated system of standardization. Simplification of cognition and education, not least in the context of digitization, are important factors: The apparently increasing control, everybody experiences, goes hand-in-hand with increasing difficulties of understanding – and enjoying – the complexity with which we are confronted. Still, although this seems to be a secular process concerning humanity and humans in general, control and power remains in the hands of a few who, as individuals and corporations, design life and society. Paradoxically, the theoretically gained possibility to answer complex questions and develop long-term perspectives, turns, at least under capitalist conditions, into narcissistic idiosyncrasies, and wasting huge amounts of monies for the thrill of egos instead of strategically developing socio-economic strategies addressing major challenges as poverty, environmental threats, digitisation and new forms of stupidification

Author(s):  
W. Sloterdijk ◽  
M. Hommes

In today’s challenging environment, the priority for many oil and gas operation companies is to design, build and safely operate facilities at optimum cost efficiency. This means that new facility designs must consider critical facility integrity and that existing facilities are operated well beyond their intended design life. Main gas transmission systems are now some 50 years old and operate for longer periods than anticipated during design and construction for reasons such as; the transition to renewables with another 50 years of service foreseen, and; gas transmission systems that operate satisfactorily, have very low failure rates and for which the planned safe life time extension is expected to be the lowest cost option.


2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 167-177
Author(s):  
Tatiana Vladimirovna Kornienko

The ultimate establishment of the agricultural economy in the central zone of the Fertile Crescent took place in the late Pre-Pottery Neolithic (PPNB), while the heyday of symbolism, establishing complex social relations among the population of Northern Mesopotamia occur in the era of the early Pre-Pottery Neolithic (PPNA). In this period, the domestication of any plant species is not yet registered in South-Eastern Anatolia (an area where the long-term intertribal cult center of Gbekli Tepe was found) unlike the neighboring Levant. The paper discusses possible models for the producing economy establishment in the region, analyzes materials suggesting that the ritual practices of the transition period to the Neolithic in some cases could contribute to the emergence and new economic strategies spread on the territory of Northern Mesopotamia. At the same time, the comparison of the climatic changes scientific studies results, archeobotanical and archaeozoological collections and material evidence of the development of social and spiritual life from Epipaleolithic and early Neolithic monuments of Northern Mesopotamia shows the coevolution/mutual influence of people and the surrounding natural environment. In our opinion, on the basis of the available data it is impossible to assert the primacy of the symbol revolution in the process of Neolithization in relation to early attempts at plant cultivation.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
Oyindrila Basu ◽  

Covid-19 is not just a virus which is risking human lives everyday, but it is a phenomenon which has inflicted major changes on the long-term global survival and economic strategies. The pandemic has brought about major diversions in the world order, which philosophers and scientists have predicted to occur once in a century’s time. Covid-19 has also affected the personal health, physical and psychological of all human beings. It has forced people to change their social behaviors significantly, which has had consequential effect on their mental health. One significant result of the pandemic is the increased consumption of alcohol and other psychoactive substances among people. As people are forced to lock themselves up inside their homes, some have resorted to exercising, biking, running, and meditation to maintain sanity, while others have boosted their addictive behavior by consuming more alcohol and drugs to make staying-indoors more entertaining. Nielsen has reported a 54% rise in the national consumption of alcohol on the week of March 21st 2020, as compared to the same in 2019. The online sales of alcohol have also risen enormously from 2019 to 2020. The study aims to address the problem of increased alcoholism and substance abuse during Covid-19 by understanding the causes of this rise. The method is based on analysis and comparison of available survey reports, to find out exactly what amount of human consumption has increased during the pandemic. From the findings we can conclude that alcoholism and substance abuse has risen significantly during Covid-19, and psychological distress, anxiety and depression can be some major causes for this abnormal social behavior. It can also be implied that this increased alcoholism is likely to affect the physical health, neural and social behavior, and the work life of many human beings through the pandemic.


2019 ◽  
Vol 46 ◽  
pp. 68-83
Author(s):  
Barbara Horejs

This paper provides an overview of our current knowledge about the transformation towards the Neolithic in western Anatolia and the Aegean, and offers a narrative for their interpretation. Within the longue durée perspective of the long revolution in the Near East, the first millennia of the Holocene of the Aegean and western Anatolia are contrasted with each other. Economic strategies, environmental conditions, technologies, raw material procurement and cultural practices in the Aegean Mesolithic and the Pre-Neolithic times in western Anatolia are analysed to classify potential similarities and differences. The evidence of new cultural and symbolic practices, eco-nomies, and technologies in the seventh millennium is discussed as the paradox of a short revolu-tion embedded in a long-term process of interaction, knowledge-transfer and adaptation, setting the scene for the Neolithic pioneers establishing a new social life.


2020 ◽  
Vol 45 (8) ◽  
pp. 579-585 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Anthony Provenzano ◽  
B Todd Sitzman ◽  
Samuel Ambrose Florentino ◽  
Glenn A Buterbaugh

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant clinical and economic consequences for medical practices of all specialties across the nation. Although the clinical implications are of the utmost importance, the economic consequences have also been serious and resulted in substantial damage to the US healthcare system, including pain practices. Outpatient pain practices have had to significantly change their clinical care pathways, including the incorporation of telemedicine. Elective medical and interventional care has been postponed. For the most part, ambulatory surgical centers have had to cease operations. As patient volumes have decreased for non-emergent elective care, the financial indicators have deteriorated. This review article will provide insight into solutions to mitigate the clinical and economic challenges induced by COVID-19. Undoubtedly, the COVID-19 pandemic will have short-term and long-term implications for all medical practices and facilities. In order to survive, medical practices will need dynamic, operational, and creative strategic plans to mitigate the disruption in medical care and pathways for successful reintegration of clinical and surgical practice.


2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jong In Kim ◽  
Gukbin Kim ◽  
Yeonja Choi

Abstract Background Country-level inequality in life expectancy (ILE) and deaths of children under age five due to air pollution (DCAP) can be influenced by country-level income per capita, solid fuel, electrification, and natural resource depletion. The ILE and DCAP in the short-term are useful indicators that can help in developing ways to reduce environmental threats. This study confirms evidence for ILE and DCAP as the effects of environmental threats by country-level income, energy, and natural resource levels from a socioecological approach. Methods This study based on life expectancy and children data on 164 countries acquired from the United Nations Development Programme. We obtained the country-level socioecological data from the United Nations and the World Bank database. We assessed the associations between ILE, DCAP, and the country-level indicators applying correlations coefficient and the regression models. Results These study findings showed considerable correlations between ILE and country-level socioecological indicators: gross national income per capita (GNI), non-solid fuel (NSF), electrification rate (ER), and natural resource depletion (NRD). The DCAP in short-term predictors were low NSF and low ER (R2 = 0.552), and ILE predictors were low GNI, NSF, and ER and higher NRD (R2 = 0.816). Thus, the countries with higher incomes and electrification rates and more sustainable natural resources had lower expected DCAP in the short-term and ILE in the long-term. Conclusions Based on our results, we confirmed that country-level income, energy, and natural resource indicators had important effects on ILE in long-term and DCAP in short-term. We recommend that countries consider targeting high standards of living and national incomes, access to non-solid fuel and electricity as energy sources, and sustainable natural resources to reduce ILE and DCAP in short-term.


Author(s):  
Chris Alexander

Although composite materials are used to repair and reinforce a variety of anomalies in high pressure transmission gas and liquid pipelines, there continues to be widespread debate regarding what constitutes a long-term composite repair. The United States regulations require that composite repairs must be able to permanently restore the serviceability of the repaired pipeline, while in contrast the Canadian regulations take a more prescriptive approach by integrating the ASME PCC-2 and ISO 24817 composite repair standards along with a requirement for establishing a 50-year design life. In this paper the author provides a framework for what should be considered in qualifying a composite repair system for long-term performance by focusing on the critical technical aspects associated with a sound composite repair. The presentation includes a discussion on establishing an appropriate composite design stress using the existing standards, using full-scale testing to ensure that stresses in the repair do not exceed the designated composite design stresses, and guidance for operators in how to properly integrate their pipeline operating conditions to establish a design life. By implementing the recommendations presented in this paper, operators will be equipped with a resource for objectively evaluating the composite repair systems used to repair their pipeline systems.


2007 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 301
Author(s):  
G.R. Keen ◽  
M.G. Sethi

ExxonMobil Australia Pty Ltd’s subsidiary, Esso Australia Resources Pty Ltd (ExxonMobil), and BHP Billiton jointly own and operate an LPG fractionation facility at Long Island Point, near Hastings in Victoria. This facility began operating in 1970 as part of the overall development of Gippsland oil and gas resources. The facility had a nominal design life of 30 years; however, the facility will be required to operate for many more years, given the significant gas reserves remaining in Bass Strait. A plan was developed to identify and progress plant facility upgrades to ensure continued, safe operation to life end. Nine separate projects with a total value in excess of A$250 million were developed and are now in various stages of progress. The key projects include: refrigerated LPG storage tank refurbishment, fire system upgrade, a new control room and control system, and plant emergency shutdown system upgrades. These projects focus on achieving high standards of safe operations and long-term reliability through application of advances in technology to ready the facilities for their remaining life.


Author(s):  
Fredhi Agung Prasetyo ◽  
Naoki Osawa ◽  
Mohammad Arif Kurniawan ◽  
Siti Komariyah

Abstract Specific design life could be identified by using fatigue damage assessment in the structure engineering field as well as in the maritime sector. Fatigue assessment is one of the assessments to be conducted during review of ship structure design. Fatigue assessment of ship structural member is mainly conducted based on specific environmental condition. In general, specific environmental condition, which is provided by Classification Society rules, is a long term sea-state data of North Atlantic Ocean. The wave scatter diagram presents the tabulation of a long term data of sea state history in the specific ocean. Therefore, a realistic encounter of wave scatter diagram is essential to simulate the variation of wave loadings applied on the ship structure in determination of fatigue design life. Since the application of North Atlantic ocean environmental condition is commonly used by major Classification societies, this condition might give the substantial deterioration on the fatigue design life of the ship that specially operate only in specific ocean area, i.e. South East Asia area. In this work, the wave scatter diagram of various environmental conditions is chosen and the statistical characteristic is compared. The wave load sequence that is used on the fatigue damage assessment are generated by using the concept of storm model, so that the changing nature of sea state could be emulated as in real ocean. Fatigue damage of a structure member of 220 meter Bulk Carriers is calculated based on various environmental conditions.


10.29007/pn7x ◽  
2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vidal Paton-Cole ◽  
Emad Gad

Constructing residential houses with cold-formed steel in Australia dates back to the 1940’s when there was a shortage of timber for use in the industry. Subsequently, this led to the formation of the National Association of Steel-Framed Housing (NASH) in 1982 with the objective of promoting the use of cold-formed steel in the construction industry, in particular for application to construction of low-rise residential houses. Over the last few decades, NASH has made significant progress in promoting steel and has led to the inclusion of steel-framed housing in the BCA and the development of a standard on residential and low-rise steel framing. Conventional detached housing is the largest single form of residential construction in Australia with approximately 120,000 built in 2015 (ABS, 2015). Therefore, the safety, durability, performance and long-term low operational costs over the 50-year design life of a typical residential house are of significance. Constructed residential houses satisfying these requirements would not only translate to significant savings to homeowners personally but also to the nation. This paper discusses the benefits of using cold-formed steel for constructing low-rise residential structures. Based on a full-scale experimental study that was undertaken to assess the overall performance of a brick veneer steel-framed structure, the performance-based requirements of residential houses built of cold-formed steel framing are evaluated and discussed


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