Risk assessment informatics and analysis for toxic chemical release.

摘要

Computational science techniques and the principles of informatics—the application of computing systems to analyze data—enhance interdisciplinary research by creating an environment whereby disparate sciences can complete one another. This research uses techniques and principles of informatics to examine the effect of incorporating processes represented in higher resolution into a complex model. The work involves a variety of physical sciences, including chemistry, meteorology, geography, and biology. The results provide new insights on how best to enhance the complex modeling process.; This research uses the determination and identification of patterns of casualties on the battlefield (visualization) resulting from the use of chemical weapons. It integrates mathematical models representing different resolutions of information (computational science techniques) and applications of information (informatics) to determine the potential impacts of new scientific discoveries on military science. It demonstrates how various quantities, qualities, and types of disparate scientific and analytical information can be combined and introduced to enhance complex models at minimum cost.; Enhancements of three aspects of a complex model were examined: the meteorology (weather), the treatment of toxicology, and representation of the positioning of military units. The results show that, depending on the nature of the enhancements to the process, increased resolution accounts for a change in the number of expected casualties from no change (when an enhanced meteorological representation against soldiers who can protect themselves is examined) to an increase in casualties by 1,709% (when new toxicological values and a fractal representation of unit deployment is examined). It was found that the current complex modeling of processes from different disciplines to determine chemical casualties on the battlefield is not adequate, and should be enhanced by inclusion of the proposed meteorological representation, new toxicological values, and, especially, the enhanced unit representation.; Finally, the implications of this research are that applying computational science and informatics techniques to examine the impact of model enhancements, before the enhancements are actually implemented, would be beneficial in increasing the validity and efficiency of complex models.