Are Industrial Structure Adjustment and Technical Progress Conducive to Environmental Improvement?

China actively broadens its channels for environmental protection and limits pollutant emissions through industrial structure adjustment and technical progress. Based on panel data of 30 provinces in China from 2003 to 2017, this study investigated the effects of industrial structure adjustment and technical progress on environmental pollution using spatial Dubin models. The findings show the following. (1) As the economy develops, the situation of environmental pollution in various regions deteriorates; moreover, spatio-temporal dependence is an aspect of environmental pollution. (2) Industrial structure adjustment and technical progress are beneficial to environmental improvement. Furthermore, there are spillover effects in factors such as industrial structure and technical progress to varying degrees. Thus, this study suggests that the path of coupling between industrial structure and technical progress should be explored to establish a pollution filtering mechanism, thereby improving environmental quality.

Radar as a Key to Global Aeroecology

Open, systematic, and global approaches are needed to address the challenges of aeroconservation and pest management. Recent technical progress enables deeper investigation and understanding of aeroecology. Radar plays a central role in flying species monitoring in the global scope. The technology provides various ways of target detection and tracking, working for multiple ranges and different visibility. The existing technology allows deploying global monitoring of avian and insect species. This work discusses the essentials of the technology and the history of its application for bird and insect detection. The author describes the development of the topic according to the main groups of radar approaches: pulsed sets, vertical-looking solutions, harmonic systems, and efficient frequency modulated continuous wave radar. Advances in big data processing, robotics, computation, and communications enable practitioners to combine the discussed radar solutions aiming at global avian and insect biodiversity monitoring and negative human impact systematic estimation.

Industry Process Safety

This chapter deals with the issue of process safety in industrial companies and major accident prevention. In the present-day technologically advanced world, industrial accidents appear ever more frequently, and the field of major accident prevention has become a dynamically developing discipline. With accelerating technical progress, risks of industrial accidents are to be reduced. In the first part, possible approaches to quantitative risk assessment are presented; and continuing it focuses on the system of risk management in industrial establishments. This chapter aims at providing experiences, knowledge, as well as new approaches to the prevention of major accidents caused by the implementation of the Seveso III Directive.

Trends in the development of fire alarm system controllers for fire alarm systems

Introduction. Fire alarm system controllers are the main technical aids that serve as the backbone of a fire alarm system (a unit) at a facility. They consolidate fire alarm messages, coming from fire detectors, analyze, process, and deliver them to the user and display them in the pre-set format. The technical capacity of fire alarm system controllers is constantly improving in line with the technical progress and tightening fire safety requirements.Aims and purposes. The purpose of the article is to analyze the state of and trends in the development of fire alarm system controllers, that improve the fire safety of protected facilities. The task encompasses the retrospective review of principal tactical and technical characteristics of fire alarm devices for the period starting from the early 1950s to the present time in Russia, as well as the statistical analysis of the pace of their supply on the market of automatic fire fighting systems.Methods. Methods of system analysis and mathematical statistics were used.Results and discussion. The main stages of development of instruments for fire alarm systems that are reflective of the technical progress, primarily in the field of radio electronics, as well as the socio-economic transformations in Russia are specified. The article presents the results of statistical studies, carried out by the co-authors at different times and characterizing a change in the Russian market based on the comparative data on domestic and foreign alarm systems. The main trends in the development of the product mix and technical specifications of devices during the analyzed period are identified. The co-authors focus on the generalized layout of a blockmodular apparatus of a fire alarm system controller and determine the requirements for communication between functional modules to ensure the reliable operation of a fire alarm system.Conclusions. The main trends in the development of fire alarm system controllers, designated for fire alarm systems, focus on the application of new communication technologies and microelectronic devices that solve comprehensive safety problems with regard for the top-priority requirements of fire safety. The pace of improvement of tactical technological characteristics of devices is reflective of the state of and trends in the development of automatic fire fighting systems in Russia.

Images of Machines and Technology. Author’s Interpretations

The problem of interaction between machines and humans has been relevant at all times of human civilization’s development. This subject arose most acutely in the era of scientific and technical progress, giving rise to a wide problem field, many aspects of which still require scientific understanding. In this discussion, the researchers tried to analyze the situation of the widespread implantation of new technologies and machines into the art field. The integration of technology generates the necessity of the author’s interpretations about the relationship between the technological and the humanistic. The authors turned to the problem of identification and draw the boundaries of the human “I” in the era of computerization of many spheres of life, to the topic of technology’s images in cinema (Polish, American, documentary), to the image of industrialization in American art of the first half of the 20th century, to modern installations by A. Reichstein, to the screen media in the stage space, in the city, and even in the virtual environment (for example on incredibly popular TikTok platform). The authors conclude that machine civilization is closely intertwined with humans. The images of technology are overgrown with countless interpretations: they can act as a theme, device, context, decoration, character, conflict with humanity, fight for its prosperity, try to identify itself in the human world.

Aspects of the formation of a tractor fleet of agricultural enterprises

Studies and production experience show that with an increase in the mass and power-weight factor of tractors, the return on investment in this technical progress field decreases. The paper justifies that at the current stage, the priority is to reduce the energy consumption of mechanized processes and comply with agro-technological requirements in the changing natural and production conditions. It reflects the areas of designing tractors and the effectiveness of their operation. The compaction effect on the soil is shown, taking into account the types of movers. The authors propose to complete the tractor fleet for various agro-industrial organizations.

OCCUPATIONAL-RELATED INJURIES OF THE PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING WORKERS IN NORTHERN BULGARIA

Mechanical engineering is traditionally well developed in Northern Bulgaria. With the development of production and technical progress, some health problems for workers appear. The aim of this study was to examine the damage of the peripheral nervous system in workers in mechanical engineering and to propose measures for the prevention of accidents and occupational diseases. Subjects of the study are 65 persons employed in mechanical engineering. Conclusions are made and recommendations given for improvement of the work conditions and organization of the work.

Business Efficiency Evaluation of Machine Tool Manufacturers by Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA): A Case Study of Taiwanese Listed Machine Tool Companies

Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is widely used to measure the business efficiency of many industries, among which the Taiwanese machine tool industry is well-known for its complete supply-chain system. Relying on DEA and Malmquist Productivity Index to analyze the business efficiency of Taiwanese listed machine tool manufacturers from 2018 to 2019, this study compared the changes in their business efficiencies and productivities. According to the five change indicators of Malmquist, only the technical efficiency, pure technical efficiency, and scale efficiency of the overall industry posted some growth during the research period, showing that the whole industry is actively improving its technical efficiency and striving to achieve the scale efficiency. However, technical change and total factor productivity declined slightly, indicating that the industry still makes more technical progress. Thus, companies should adjust their inputs and outputs to improve the production boundary for technical progress. The purposes of this study are to identify the success factors of the excellent performance of manufacturers and the benchmarking indicators of the decision-making unit on the efficient frontier results to provide some references for formulating future business strategies and direction.

Business Efficiency Evaluation of Machine Tool Manufacturers by Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA): A Case Study of Taiwanese Listed Machine Tool Companies

Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is widely used to measure the business efficiency of many industries, among which the Taiwanese machine tool industry is well-known for its complete supply-chain system. Relying on DEA and Malmquist Productivity Index to analyze the business efficiency of Taiwanese listed machine tool manufacturers from 2018 to 2019, this study compared the changes in their business efficiencies and productivities. According to the five change indicators of Malmquist, only the technical efficiency, pure technical efficiency, and scale efficiency of the overall industry posted some growth during the research period, showing that the whole industry is actively improving its technical efficiency and striving to achieve the scale efficiency. However, technical change and total factor productivity declined slightly, indicating that the industry still makes more technical progress. Thus, companies should adjust their inputs and outputs to improve the production boundary for technical progress. The purposes of this study are to identify the success factors of the excellent performance of manufacturers and the benchmarking indicators of the decision-making unit on the efficient frontier results to provide some references for formulating future business strategies and direction.