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Standards, Volume 3, Issue 4 (December 2023) – 5 articles

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11 pages, 266 KiB  
Article
The Expansion of Data Science: Dataset Standardization
by Nuno Pessanha Santos
Standards 2023, 3(4), 400-410; https://doi.org/10.3390/standards3040028 - 30 Nov 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2365
Abstract
With recent advances in science and technology, more processing capability and data have become available, allowing a more straightforward implementation of data analysis techniques. Fortunately, available online data storage capacity follows this trend, and vast amounts of data can be stored online freely [...] Read more.
With recent advances in science and technology, more processing capability and data have become available, allowing a more straightforward implementation of data analysis techniques. Fortunately, available online data storage capacity follows this trend, and vast amounts of data can be stored online freely or at accessible costs. As happens with every evolution (or revolution) in any science field, organizing and sharing these data is essential to contribute to new studies or validate obtained results quickly. To facilitate this, we must guarantee interoperability between existing datasets and developed software, whether commercial or open-source. This article explores this issue and analyzes the current initiatives to establish data standards and compares some of the existing online dataset storage platforms. Through a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis, it is possible to better understand the strategy that should be taken to improve the efficiency in this field, which directly depends on the data’s characteristics. The development of dataset standards will directly increase the collaboration and data sharing between academia and industry, allowing faster research and development through direct interoperability. Full article
15 pages, 1849 KiB  
Article
Standardization: A Necessary Support for the Utilization of Sludge/Biosolids in Agriculture
by Ludovico Spinosa and Livia Molinari
Standards 2023, 3(4), 385-399; https://doi.org/10.3390/standards3040027 - 14 Nov 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1125
Abstract
One of the issues facing modern society, regardless of the socio-economic level of the communities involved, is the development of sustainable strategies for the management of sludge/biosolids. Nowadays, it is imperative to replace solutions aimed at simply “disposing of” with those oriented toward [...] Read more.
One of the issues facing modern society, regardless of the socio-economic level of the communities involved, is the development of sustainable strategies for the management of sludge/biosolids. Nowadays, it is imperative to replace solutions aimed at simply “disposing of” with those oriented toward “maximizing recovery benefits”. It is desirable that agricultural use remains the main option in sludge/biosolids management; however, to ensure effective and safe agronomic benefits, correctly fulfill the legal requirements, and build stakeholder and public confidence, rigorous and sustainable procedures need to be established. The development of realistic and enforceable regulations is crucial, as they represent the right balance between the different aspects of coordinated and effective management. Furthermore, it is important to recognize that regulations must be supported by standardized characterization procedures and good practice guidelines because well-defined procedures allow the legal requirements to be correctly and uniformly met, as well as to reliably compare the results obtained under different conditions and their wide application in different regulatory contexts. In this article, the main aspects for (i) the sustainable application of sludge/biosolids in agriculture and (ii) the development of standardized characterization methods and procedures, thus ensuring effective agronomic benefits and guaranteeing quality/safety of agricultural products, are discussed. Some pieces on the evolution of European legislation in this field are also provided. Details and results of the research activities behind the development of these methods/procedures can be found in the referenced documents. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Standards Promoting Food Safety and Quality)
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12 pages, 265 KiB  
Article
Noise and Legal Dispute: Applications and Limits of the Italian Standard UNI/TS 11844
by Fabio Serpilli, Samantha Di Loreto, Valter Lori and Sergio Montelpare
Standards 2023, 3(4), 373-384; https://doi.org/10.3390/standards3040026 - 30 Oct 2023
Viewed by 948
Abstract
In forensic acoustics, a possible area of analysis is represented by unwanted sound that is perceived as a source of intrusion or disturbance within a certain auditory context. This context is defined as the “auditory scene” and refers to the set of sounds [...] Read more.
In forensic acoustics, a possible area of analysis is represented by unwanted sound that is perceived as a source of intrusion or disturbance within a certain auditory context. This context is defined as the “auditory scene” and refers to the set of sounds present in a specific environment. The presence of unwanted sounds in the auditory scene can cause a wide range of negative effects, including disturbance, discomfort, moral or immoral harm, and other types of negative impacts on the health and well-being of individuals exposed to noise. In 2022, the technical specification UNI/TS 11844:2022 dedicated to the measurement and analysis of intrusive noise was published. The standard introduces the concept of intrusive noise and defines its calculation methods based on environmental measurements. The purposes of this technical specification is to provide an objective support to methods already in used in acoustic disputes, where the assessment of the annoyance of a noise is often a subjective evaluation of the technician. This work delves into application to some real cases, identifying the potentiality and limits of the standardized method. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Standards in Environmental Sciences)
17 pages, 490 KiB  
Article
The Rating Scale Paradox: An Application to the Solvency 2 Framework
by Jacopo Giacomelli
Standards 2023, 3(4), 356-372; https://doi.org/10.3390/standards3040025 - 12 Oct 2023
Viewed by 1166
Abstract
This work aims to identify the optimal rating scale for the rating system used by a credit insurance company subjected to the Solvency 2 regulatory framework. To do so, we apply and further develop a previously published result concerning the rating scale properties. [...] Read more.
This work aims to identify the optimal rating scale for the rating system used by a credit insurance company subjected to the Solvency 2 regulatory framework. To do so, we apply and further develop a previously published result concerning the rating scale properties. The partition underlying a given rating scale must satisfy two needs of the rating model user: efficient information synthesis and stable semantics. Those needs cannot be addressed together in general. Nonetheless, it is possible to specify the partition as a linear combination of the two choices that meet one requirement each. We numerically show that, in general, the optimal combination is nontrivial under realistic assumptions and is mainly driven by the target return fixed by the company’s stakeholders and the debtors’ probability of default distribution. Full article
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15 pages, 4709 KiB  
Article
A Digital Certificate System That Complies with International Standards: Taiwan Digital COVID-19 Certificate
by Tzu-Chia Yu, I-Ming Parng, Jing-Sun Yeh, Gang-Wei Cao and Fu-Chung Wang
Standards 2023, 3(4), 341-355; https://doi.org/10.3390/standards3040024 - 27 Sep 2023
Viewed by 1381
Abstract
The first reported infections from COVID-19 were in 2019 and, since then, an outbreak has spread rapidly to other parts of the world, resulting in many deaths. As a result, governments began to implement border restrictions and quarantine measures, bringing the travel industry [...] Read more.
The first reported infections from COVID-19 were in 2019 and, since then, an outbreak has spread rapidly to other parts of the world, resulting in many deaths. As a result, governments began to implement border restrictions and quarantine measures, bringing the travel industry to a halt and plunging the global economy into a severe contraction. Many regions chose to coexist with COVID-19 and gradually eased their border restrictions with certain conditions, such as using personal health status certificates, vaccination certificates, etc. Digital certificates are becoming a global trend, and Taiwan has invested in developing related tools. This paper presents a technical evaluation from the government’s point of view. Taiwan uses the European Union (EU) Digital COVID Certificate as a basis to build a digital certificate that can fully meet the residents’ current international business and tourism needs. The government hopes that this digital proof will promote the public’s return to normal life and overcome the inconveniences brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the post-pandemic era, finding a way to coexist with the virus while gradually relaxing border and community epidemic-prevention policies without impacting our Taiwan’s medical capacity is a significant challenge. Providing key technological solutions to assist in risk stratification is essential in addressing this issue. Full article
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