bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Simulationsplattform zum integrierten Prozess- und Automatisierungsentwurf von Abwassersystemen
Authors: Alex Jens
Published: July 2015

In diesem Beitrag wird eine neue Simulationsplattform für Abwassersysteme und insbesondere Kläranlagen vorgestellt, mit der neben der
verfahrenstechnischen Funktion vor allem Betriebsführungskonzepte und Steuerungs- und Regelungsvarianten untersucht werden
können. Besonderes Augenmerk bei der Entwicklung des Simulationssystems lag auf der Gestaltung der Bedienungsführung, um auch
unerfahrenen Anwendern einen schnellen intuitiven Einstieg in die verfahrenstechnische und regelungstechnische Simulation dieser
Anlagen zu ermöglichen. Neben der Fließbild-orientierten Erstellung des Modells der Verfahrenstechnik wird eine ständig wachsende
Bibliothek von grafischen Funktionsblöcken entwickelt, um automatisierungstechnische Funktionen (u. a. Petri-Netze, Prädiktivregler) zu
beschreiben.
stadtliebe.ch – ein virtueller Ort für Erinnerungen
Authors: Betschart Andres
Published: July 2015

Als Projekt für ein Stadtjubiläum entwickelten die Winterthurer Bibliotheken den Erinnerungsblog stadtliebe.ch und betrieben ihn im Jahr 2014. Gegen 600 Erinnerungen aus der jüngeren und älteren Geschichte der Stadt nahe Zürich hielten Stadtbewohner und Bibliotheksmitarbeiter darin fest; ein Veranstaltungsprogramm stellte den Bezug zwischen der virtuellen und der realen Welt her. Der Blog mit seiner grafischen Benutzeroberfläche wird in einem nächsten Schritt fest in den Bibliotheksalltag einbezogen.
Was nichts kostet, macht keine Arbeit?! Weiteres zur Farbenlehre Grün, Gold, Grau
Authors: Maier Susanne
Published: July 2015

Der neunte Konsortialtag des Friedrich-Althoff-Konsortiums e. V. lockte über 140 Interessierte zum Thema „Was nichts kostet, macht keine Arbeit?! Weiteres zur Farbenlehre Grün, Gold, Grau“ nach Potsdam. Die Veranstaltung bot ein breites Forum für Praxisberichte aus Einrichtungen der Region zum Umgang mit kostenfrei zugänglichen elektronischen Materialien. Die Palette der Vorträge umfasste u. a. die Identifizierung von Open-Access-Rechten in Allianz- und Nationallizenzen, die Probleme und Erfolge beim Betreiben institutioneller Repositorien, die Aspekte der Rechteeinholung für die Speicherung von Internetquellen sowie die Möglichkeiten des systematischen und kooperativen Nachweises frei verfügbarer Volltexte.
Capitalism in the Twenty-First Century: An Overview
Authors: Grantham George
Published: July 2015

Thomas Piketty’s capitalism in the twenty-first century is arguably the most significant book in empirical economics since Simon Kuznets’s Modern Economic Growth (
Numerical analysis of thermal stresses in a new design of microtubular stack
Authors: Pianko-Oprych Paulina , Zinko Tomasz , Jaworski Zdzisław
Published: July 2015

Microtubular Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (mSOFCs)
are one of the most promising and efficient devices
that convert chemical energy of fuels into electrical
energy. However, mSOFC stacks work at high operating
temperature over 650°C, which leads to thermally
induced mechanical stresses and in consequence may
cause failure of stack components. In order to reduce the
local thermal gradients and prevent high stresses in the
stack components, it is desirable to study the effect of
stack design on its performance. For this purpose a 3D
numerical approach was developed to estimate thermal
expansion of fuel cell inside an mSOFC stack and to reduce
the associated experimental efforts and costs. Initially,
a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model was used
to calculate the temperature and species concentration
profiles. During the second modeling step temperature
profiles were used in the thermo-mechanical model to
calculate the thermal stress distribution in the mSOFC
stack. The results maximum thermal axial elongation
that equals 1.4 mm for the mSOFC stack. The modelled
maximum radial elongation was equal to 0.5 mm in the
contact areas of the cylindrical housing and manifolds on
the fuel inlet side.
Struvite recovery from solution containing phosphate(V) and sulphate(VI) ions
Authors: Hutnik Nina , Kozik Anna , Piotrowski Krzysztof , Matynia Andrzej
Published: July 2015

The research results concerning the application of magnesium and ammonium ions for continuous removal of phosphate(V) ions from solution containing 1.0 or 0.20 mass% of PO4
3– and from 0.10 to 0.50 mass% of SO4
2– are presented. A continuous struvite MgNH4PO4 × 6H2O reaction crystallization process was carried out both under stoichiometric conditions and using 20% excess of magnesium ions. The research was conducted in a DT MSMPR type crystallizer with internal circulation of suspension driven by a propeller stirrer, in constant temperature 298 K. The pH varied from 9 to 11 and mean residence time of suspension in a crystallizer τ varied from 900 to 3600 s. It was concluded, that sulphate(VI) ions influenced product quality disadvantageously. Depending on process parameter combinations struvite crystals of mean size from ca. 18 to ca. 44 μm and of moderate homogeneity: CV 7–95% were produced. Presence of sulphate(VI) ions favored crystallization of struvite as prismatic crystals, but tubular forms were also identified. The best shaped struvite crystals were produced at relatively low concentration of sulphate(VI) ions, pH 9 and for mean residence time of suspension in a crystallizer elongated up to 3600 s.
Effective bounds of linear series
on algebraic varieties and arithmetic varieties
Authors: Yuan Xinyi , Zhang Tong
Published: July 2015

In this paper, we prove effective upper bounds for effective sections of line bundles on projective varieties and hermitian line bundles on arithmetic varieties in terms of the volumes. They are effective versions of the Hilbert–Samuel formula and the arithmetic Hilbert–Samuel formula. The treatments are high-dimensional generalizations of [25] and [26]. Similar results are obtained independently by Huayi Chen [7] with less explicit error terms.
Die Grenzen der Informationsbeschaffung, -transfer und -verarbeitung in der deutschen Wehr- und Kriegswirtschaftsverwaltung im Dritten Reich
Authors: Scherner Jonas
Published: July 2015

During World War II an increasing share of the industrial output of Germany and the Nazi-ruled European economies was converted for use in the German war effort. In order to steer this conversion, information gathering and processing were crucial. This paper examines the institutions and instruments of the German system of information gathering and processing and tries to identify its successes and failures. It will be shown that the origins of the system stemmed predominately from specific bottlenecks Germany faced during the pre-war period, which necessitated a more active role of the state given the aims of the Nazi regime. The ad-hoc character of some of the measures implemented in order to improve the information basis of the German economic administration produced a system which was ill-coordinated and incomplete. During the war, the information needs further increased and several reforms considerably improved the information basis of the state. Nevertheless, some fundamental problems stemming from the private-property based economic order in Germany and the specific industrial structure remained unresolved even after Speer had become armaments minister.
Knowledge Transfer in the Industrial Age: The Case of Gutehoffnungshütte, 1810-1945
Authors: Banken Ralf , Marx Christian
Published: July 2015

The question about how companies solved their existing information and knowledge problems is rarely examined for companies of the 19th and 20th century. Therefore the following contribution takes a closer look at the methods used by Gutehoffnungshütte in this period for obtaining the relevant information and how it ensured that the information would reach the particularly targeted employee. This case study of one of the most important pioneers of the German industrialization shows that the company’s management used different methods (bureaucratisation, reports, meetings etc.) which developed only slowly in an evolutionary and implicit way because knowledge basically remained bound to certain persons until 1914. After the First World War, the company grew enormously under the leadership of the new chairman of the executive board Paul Reusch, who created a management-by-letter system that provided him with a lot of information and a monopoly on power until his dismissal during the Second World War.
Transfer of Information within Organizations – First Results
Authors: Schröter Harm G.
Published: July 2015

A first overview on the usefulness of systems of information transfer for business history is provided, taking into account the contributions of this volume as well as others. The confrontation of empirical information and theory was useful to a certain extent, while it showed little progress in a couple of other cases. Within such systems of information transfer, trust, author and cultural knowledge play a significant role, which helps explain management results. Their degree can explain success and failure, though not in a linear way. The human factor plays an overriding part only in exceptional cases where an extremely strong personality represents the top of an organization, otherwise structural factor prevail. Since there is no taxonomy it is difficult though not impossible to evaluate the quality and usefulness of a specific system of information. There is some indication that organizations which are exposed to competition make better use of their systems than non-competitive organizations.
Pfadabhängigkeiten internationaler Infrastrukturnetze
Authors: Ambrosius Gerold , Franke Christian Henrich
Published: July 2015

Since the 19th century, the development of international networks of infrastructure has been characterized by a stronger path dependency than national networks. This article discusses the reasons and concludes that various economic and technical factors as well as political and organizational causes were responsible. The interdependencies between national and international standards had the greatest influence: standards within the international framework opened up corridors for national specifications. These specifications themselves complicated the consequent change of standards at the national level. Furthermore, the mutual influence and stabilization of economic and technical as of political and organizational arrangements were important. In the light of the general qualities of networks, potential mechanisms for self-stabilization will be discussed first. In a second step, historical examples from the railways, telecommunication and broadcasting will be explored. Finally, general hypotheses about the path dependency of international infrastructure networks will be proposed
Gene expression changes in subcutaneous adipose tissue due to Cushing's disease
Authors: Hochberg Irit , Harvey Innocence , Tran Quynh T , Stephenson Erin J , Barkan Ariel L , Saltiel Alan R , Chandler William F , Bridges Dave
Published: July 2015

Glucocorticoids have major effects on adipose tissue metabolism. To study tissue mRNA expression changes induced by chronic elevated endogenous glucocorticoids, we performed RNA sequencing on the subcutaneous adipose tissue from patients with Cushing's disease (n=5) compared to patients with nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas (n=11). We found a higher expression of transcripts involved in several metabolic pathways, including lipogenesis, proteolysis and glucose oxidation as well as a decreased expression of transcripts involved in inflammation and protein synthesis. To further study this in a model system, we subjected mice to dexamethasone treatment for 12 weeks and analyzed their inguinal (subcutaneous) fat pads, which led to similar findings. Additionally, mice treated with dexamethasone showed drastic decreases in lean body mass as well as increased fat mass, further supporting the human transcriptomic data. These data provide insight to transcriptional changes that may be responsible for the comorbidities associated with chronic elevations of glucocorticoids.
Physiological roles of connexins in labour and lactation
Authors: M Kidder Gerald , Winterhager Elke
Published: July 2015

The connexin family of proteins are best known as oligomerizing to form intercellular membrane channels (gap junctions) that metabolically and ionically couple cells to allow for coordinated cellular function. Nowhere in the body is this role better illustrated than in the uterine smooth muscle during parturition, where gap junctions conduct the contraction wave throughout the tissue to deliver the baby. Parturition is followed by the onset of lactation with connexins contributing to both the dramatic reorganization of mammary gland tissue leading up to lactation and the smooth muscle contraction of the myoepithelial cells which extrudes the milk. This review summarizes what is known about the expression and roles of individual connexin family members in the uterus during labour and in the mammary glands during development and lactation. Connexin loss or malfunction in mammary glands and the uterus can have serious implications for the health of both the mother and the newborn baby.
The Whole of Human Relations: Learning More than Art, More than Making
Authors: Shantz Susan
Published: July 2015

The article discusses a six-week long experimental, inter-media art course organized at the University of Saskatchewan in partnership with Saskatoon Tribal Council. This community-engaged teaching initiative, Project Charter: Call for Artisans, The Child Taken, provided art students in a senior interdisciplinary studio course with an opportunity to partake in the creation of an art commission commemorating Indian Residential Schools. Focusing on various dimensions of the project the article discusses the professional and experiential learning generated in response to the partnership request from the Saskatoon Tribal Council and highlights project undertakings as best practices in community-engaged pedagogy.
Building Engaged Scholarship in Canada: Introducing the First Issue of the Engaged Scholar Journal
Authors: Khanenko-Friesen Natalia
Published: July 2015

The submissions profiled in our inaugural issue represent the diversity of scholarly engagement in Canada as evidenced in the titles and abstracts of the essays. Our authors come from the health sciences, the arts, sociology, education, linguistics, policy studies, business, women and gender studies, psychology, biodiversity and environmental studies, and other scholarly areas. They speak about their work conducted in Canada and abroad, with various social groups, ethnic and indigenous communities. Most of them are university-based researchers; others are community-based co-authors while some are students, and yet others are firmly positioned in both academic and community worlds. All are united by their commitment to real community-driven partnerships and engaged scholarshipÂ
Balancing the Tension Between Hyperoxia Prevention and Alarm Fatigue in the NICU
Authors: Ketko Anastasia K. , Martin Craig M. , Nemshak Michelle A. , Niedner Matthew , Vartanian Rebecca J.
Published: July 2015

BACKGROUND:

After the implementation of narrowed oxygen saturation alarms, alarm frequency increased in the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital NICU which could have a negative impact on patient safety. The Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations issued a Sentinel Event Alert for hospitals in 2013 to improve alarm safety, resulting in a 2014 National Patient Safety Goal requiring institutional policies and procedures to be in place to manage alarms.

METHODS:

A multidisciplinary improvement team developed an alarm management bundle applying strategies to decrease alarm frequency, which included evaluating existing strategies and developing patient care–based and systems-based interventions. The total number of delivered and detected saturation alarms and high saturation alarms and the total time spent within a targeted saturation range were quantitatively tracked. Nursing morale was assessed qualitatively.

RESULTS:

SpO2 alarms per monitored patient-day increased from 78 to 105 after the narrowing of alarm limits. Modification of the high saturation alarm algorithm substantially decreased the delivery and escalation of high pulse oxygen saturation (SpO2) alarms. During a pilot period, using histogram technology to individually customize alarm limits resulted in increased time spent within the targeted saturation range and fewer alarms per day. Qualitatively, nurses reported improved satisfaction when not assigned >1 infant with frequent alarms, as identified by an alarm frequency tool.

CONCLUSIONS:

Alarm fatigue may detrimentally affect patient care and safety. Alarm management strategies should coincide with oxygen management within a NICU, especially in single-patient-bed units.
Trends in Hospitalization for Pediatric Pulmonary Hypertension
Authors: Maxwell Bryan G. , Nies Melanie K. , Ajuba-Iwuji Chinwe C. , Coulson John D. , Romer Lewis H.
Published: July 2015

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) has been associated with substantial morbidity and mortality in children, but existing analyses of inpatient care are limited to small single-institution series or focused registries representative of selected patient subgroups. We examined US national data on pediatric PH hospitalizations to determine trends in volume, demographics, procedures performed during admission, and resource utilization.

METHODS:

Retrospective cohort study using a national administrative database of pediatric hospital discharges: the Kids’ Inpatient Database.

RESULTS:

Children with PH accounted for 0.13% of the 43 million pediatric hospitalizations in the United States between 1997 and 2012, and discharges demonstrated an increasing trend over the study period (P < .0001). Cumulative, inflation-adjusted national hospital charges for PH hospitalizations rose (P = .0003) from $926 million in 1997 to $3.12 billion in 2012. Patients with PH without associated congenital heart disease (CHD) comprised an increasing and majority (56.4%) proportion over the study period (P < .0001), children without associated CHD admitted at urban teaching hospitals comprised the fastest-growing subgroup. In-hospital, all-cause mortality was high (5.9%) in children with PH, but demonstrated a decreasing trend (P < .0001).

CONCLUSIONS:

Morbidity and mortality of pediatric PH continue to represent substantial and growing health care burdens. Shifts in case mix toward PH not associated with CHD, toward noncardiac procedures, and toward care in urban teaching hospitals will increase pressure to manage resource utilization in this small but growing patient group and to improve expertise and define excellence in PH care across a wide range of clinical settings.
Integrating a Parenting Intervention With Routine Primary Health Care: A Cluster Randomized Trial
Authors: Chang Susan M. , Grantham-McGregor Sally M. , Powell Christine A. , Vera-Hernández Marcos , Lopez-Boo Florencia , Baker-Henningham Helen , Walker Susan P.
Published: July 2015

OBJECTIVE:

More than 200 million children globally do not attain their developmental potential. We hypothesized that a parent training program could be integrated into primary health center visits and benefit child development.

METHODS:

We conducted a cluster randomized trial in the Caribbean (Jamaica, Antigua, and St Lucia). Fifteen centers were randomly assigned to the control (n = 250 mother-child pairs) and 14 to the intervention (n = 251 mother-child pairs) groups. Participants were recruited at the 6- to 8-week child health visit. The intervention used group delivery at 5 routine visits from age 3 to 18 months and comprised short films of child development messages, which were shown in the waiting area; discussion and demonstration led by community health workers; and mothers’ practice of activities. Nurses distributed message cards and a few play materials. Primary outcomes were child cognition, language, and hand-eye coordination and secondary outcomes were caregiver knowledge, practices, maternal depression, and child growth, measured after the 18-month visit.

RESULTS:

Eight-five percent of enrolled children were tested (control = 210, intervention = 216). Loss did not differ by group. Multilevel analyses showed significant benefits for cognitive development (3.09 points; 95% confidence interval: 1.31 to 4.87 points; effect size: 0.3 SDs). There were no other child benefits. There was a significant benefit to parenting knowledge (treatment effect: 1.59; 95% confidence interval: 1.01 to 2.17; effect size: 0.4).

CONCLUSIONS:

An innovative parenting intervention, requiring no additional clinic staff or mothers’ time, was integrated into health services, with benefits to child cognitive development and parent knowledge. This is a promising strategy that merits further evaluation at scale.
Análisis de umbrales de precipitación de procesos de remoción en masa, en laderas urbanizadas de la costa de Chile centro-sur
Authors: López Filun Pablo Andrés
Published: July 2015

Este artículo refleja el análisis del registro histórico de precipitación en 24 horas, asociado a procesos de remoción en masa, desencadenados durante 1990-1999 y 2000-2013, en laderas urbanizadas de la ciudad de Talcahuano, Chile centro-sur, para lo cual se analizaron umbrales de precipitación, mediante la relación intensidad-duración (I-D) y se determinó el periodo de retorno y la probabilidad de excedencia. El resultado indicó que a partir de un periodo de retorno de 4 años existe un 75% de probabilidad de exceder, bajo las condiciones climáticas registradas en los años mencionados, una precipitación menor o igual a 85,1 mm en 24 horas. La precipitación concentrada en un tiempo menor a 4 horas sería el umbral crítico de desestabilización, con intensidades del orden de 26,5 mm. 
Polyaniline Protonation and Deprotonation Process as the Main Mechanism for Ionic Field Effect Sensors
Authors: Alcarás José Renato , Mello Hugo J.N.P.D. , Mulato Marcelo
Published: July 2015

In this work, Polyaniline (PANI) was used as a sensing film for pH measures due to its characteristic of switching protonation states under acid and alkaline solutions. Equally produced films had their sensitivity (electric response versus pH) measured before and after being under the influence of a constant electric potential (from 3.5 to 6 V, one for each film) for the analysis on how the electric potential influenced the sensitivity. Then, the protonation caused by the application of the first potential was reversed by applying a constant 5 V reverse potential and the sensitivity was then evaluated again. The results show, on average, a constant relation between intensity of protonation and the potential applied and that the process of protonation is reversible by applying a higher opposite potential then the protonation one.
Reconstructing online metaphor processing and its optimal principles
Authors: Li Meixia , Han Jiaxiang
Published: July 2015

Based on the review of previous research, this article, taking Conceptual Blending Theory and the Schema Theory as theoretical rationale, attempts to reconstruct the procedure of online metaphor processing in discourse comprehension and to tease out the factors influencing the metaphor processing. This is followed by the reporting of an experiment in which 36 Chinese university students participate. The results from data analysis show that this reconstruction is feasible. It is proposed that there are six optimal principles involved in online metaphor processing in discourse comprehension: the principle of economy, the principle of recursion, the principle of the target domain, the principle of the source domain, the principle of the context and the principle of the culture of the mother tongue.
Interrelationship between linguistic identity, perception, psychological wellbeing and context
Authors: Tananuraksakul Noparat
Published: July 2015

The present era of globalization has witnessed the influence of use of global English between non-native and native speakers giving rise to a variety of accented speech. In this paper, it is argued that when these two groups interact through the medium of English, there is a sense of power attached to non-native interlocutors’ ability to communicate with culturally different others. Their sense of power appears to be influenced by their intrapersonal and interpersonal perceptions of the ability to speak English like a native, which mirrors how they want to present their face or identity when they socially and academically interact with culturally different others. Their intrapersonal and interpersonal perceptions of failure to communicate in English will in turn affect their psychological wellbeing. The argument is based on an empirical study, which was undertaken in an Australian context. Fifteen international postgraduate students from non-native English and culturally diverse backgrounds voluntarily participated in this study
Zastosowanie analizy wartości w monitorowaniu kontraktowanych usług społecznych
Authors: Ćwiklicki Marek
Published: July 2015

The objective of this article is to present the conclusions of studies on the use of the concept of value analysis to monitor contracted social services. Based on the products that came out of the project entitled "PI NAWIKUS - an innovative method of monitoring contracted social services", a preliminary version of the method is discussed. The main feature of the NAWIKUS project - value analysis which integrates quality and effectiveness issues - is explained. The description of the solution is enriched with examples of the interpretation of Index Value as an aggregate measure. The article concludes with an attempt to assess the approach and a recommendation for further research in the area of social services outsourcing.
Pomiar sprawności działania w zwinnych metodykach projektowania oprogramowania
Authors: Woźniak Krzysztof
Published: July 2015

The paper presents theoretical and methodological considerations in matters of efficiency in software project development teams which use agile methodologies. In the contemporary literature, those methodologies are described as a universal solution to all organisational problems faced by managers of large teams working on complex IT projects.This article attempts to answer the question of the extent to which agile software development methodologies fulfill the conditions of the classical methodological efficiency. I suggest that even when using agile design methodology, managers should attempt to operationalise the basic parameters describing the efficiency and effectiveness of the team. This will allow them to make effective decisions based on facts, not assumptions and hunches.
Budowanie wartości w sieciach organizacyjnych
Authors: Barczak Beata
Published: July 2015

Participation in a network and the ability to effectively use information and knowledge is a source of value. Taking this assumption as its starting point, the article presents the problem of creating value in organisational networks. It discusses the concept of value from the point of view of network efficiency, and the mechanisms and factors of value creation in organisational networks. It also looks at the problem of synergies in organisational networks and the importance of knowledge management processes and learning for value creation networks.
Komunikacja a dzielenie się wiedzą w projektowych zespołach międzykulturowych
Authors: Winkler Renata , Chmielecki Michał
Published: July 2015

The purpose of this article is to analyse the process of knowledge sharing in a multicultural project team and to present aspects of communication to improve its effectiveness. We have conducted a qualitative research study involving 14 managers from nine international companies operating in the finance, outsourcing and IT sectors. The study was designed to isolate key areas of communication and its impact on knowledge sharing in project teams.
Wykorzystanie metod komunikacji w uczeniu tradycyjnym i empirycznym
Authors: Łukasik Paweł
Published: July 2015

Traditional and empirical learning are basic elements of the organisational learning process. Companies use different methods in the frame of traditional and organisational learning. The article presents communication methods functions in the use of organisational learning methods. The hypotheses have been proven by survey research done among more than two hundred respondents. At the end of the article I draw practical conclusions about the role of communication methods in organisational learning.
Wykorzystanie public relations w kształtowaniu wizerunku biura nieruchomości
Authors: Sobula Joanna
Published: July 2015

The purpose of this article is to present the activities undertaken by public relations agencies operating on the real estate market. Image is made up of a collection of information about a person, institution, company or other entity, and is very important in the daily operations of the office. Public relations activities are being pursued by small local companies to large agencies nationwide. They are mainly based on communication processes, as well as establishing and maintaining good relations with both clients and colleagues. Unlike small businesses, large agencies, operating throughout the country, have large marketing budgets and also employ public relations specialists. The strength of small businesses is their loyalty, reliability and individual approach to each client. Research shows that only those companies that better compete to gain new customers, with whom they can form durable and strong relationships, gain market advantage over others and are more likely to stay in business.
Rola jakości w budowaniu relacji z klientami na rynku usług ciepłowniczych
Authors: Dziadkowiec Joanna , Podmokła Paulina
Published: July 2015

In the diversified services market, most organisations do apply basic quality management principles, including customer orientation, but in practice this principle is implemented in various ways. Differences between the companies stem not only from types of services provided, but also the actions, in the specific environment, which often determine the implementation of the quality policy used. One of the specific types of services are public utilities, which, in delivering energy, water and the like, help fulfil society's basic needs. The objective of this paper is to analyse the quality activities undertaken by companies operating in one department of public utilities in the district heating sector. The first part of the paper focuses on the external factors which stimulate or limit the development of the district heating industry, while the second part discusses the selected aspects of the pro-consumer approach based on the example of a major heating company operating in Poland.
Rola standardów IFS i BRC w ocenie dostawców przez sieci handlowe
Authors: Balon Urszula , Sikora Milena
Published: July 2015

Food industry companies have an obligation to ensure the safety of products by implementing the mandatory requirements laid out for GHP, GMP and HACCP systems. Additionally, they can also implement ISO 22000 requirements. However, retailers additionally require of suppliers an IFS and/or BRC certificate. The article presents the requirements of IFS and BRC standards, with particular emphasis on audits as part of the verification of the requirements. Comparisons of requirements of both standards are also described. IFS/BRC standards compliance certified companies reap numerous benefits, including the opportunity to sell their products to markets throughout the world.
Screening of Transforming Growth Factor Beta 3 and Jagged2 Genes in the Malay Population with Nonsyndromic Cleft Lip with or without Cleft Palate
Authors: Ghazali Norliana , Rahman Normastura Abd , Kannan Thirumulu Ponnuraj , Jaafar Saidi
Published: July 2015

Objective

To determine the prevalence of mutations in transforming growth factor beta 3 (TGFβ3) and Jagged2 genes and their association with nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL±P) patients.

Design

Cross-sectional study on nonsyndromic CL±P and noncleft patients.

Setting

Reconstructive clinic and outpatient dental clinic, Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia.

Patients

Blood samples of 96 nonsyndromic CL±P and 96 noncleft subjects.

Main Outcome Measure

Prevalence and association of mutations in TGFβ3 and Jagged2 genes with nonsyndromic CL±P.

Results

Most of the nonsyndromic CL±P patients (53.1%) had left unilateral CLP. There were slightly more females (56.6%) compared with males. The prevalence of the mutations in the TGFβ3 gene was 17.7% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 9.5, 24.5) and in the Jagged2 gene was 12.5% (95% CI: 5.5, 18.5), which was higher compared with the noncleft group. For the TGFβ3 gene, there was no mutation in the coding region in either of the groups. All variants were single nucleotide polymorphisms located within the intronic flanking region. Two variants were identified (g.15812T>G and g.15966A>G) in both nonsyndromic CL±P and noncleft patients. However, the association was not significant ( P > .05). Three variants (g.19779C>T, g.19547G>A, and g.19712C>T) were identified in the Jagged2 gene among nonsyndromic CL±P and noncleft patients. Only g.19712C>T showed a significant association with nonsyndromic CL±P patients ( P = .039).

Conclusion

g.19712C>T might play a crucial role in the development of cleft lip and palate. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the mutation found within intron 13 of the Jagged2 gene among nonsyndromic CL±P Malay patients.
Metakaolin-, fly ash- and calcium hydroxide-based geopolymers: effects of calcium on performance
Authors: Guo Xiaolu , Shi Huisheng
Published: July 2015

Effects of calcium on the performance of geopolymers prepared from metakaolin, class C fly ash (CFA) and calcium hydroxide are studied, including setting times and compressive strength testing. Leaching concentrations of calcium from prepared geopolymers are investigated by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. Relative contents of geopolymeric products and hydration products are studied by acid dissolving testing. The mineral composition, morphology and chemical groups of geopolymeric products and hydration products are analysed by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Geopolymer setting time is much faster when calcium content increases. Calcium has a positive effect on compressive strength of geopolymers. By acid dissolving testing, the ratio of geopolymer value/ordinary hydration product value in metakaolin-based geopolymer was 4·4 : 1, whereas in CFA-based and CFA + 6% calcium hydroxide-based geopolymers the values were 1 : 1·7 and 1 : 1·5, respectively. Thus, the main product in metakaolin-based geopolymer is geopolymeric products, whereas in CFA-based geopolymer, hydration products also occur. In the alkali-activated condition, CFA-based geopolymer is a composite system with geopolymeric gel and calcium–silicate–hydrate gel co-existing.
Effect of water phase of cationic asphalt emulsion on cement early hydration
Authors: Liu Yunpeng , Liu Muyu , Wang FaZhou , Hu Shuguang
Published: July 2015

The influence of the water phase of an asphalt emulsion on cement hydration is investigated. In addition, the effect of possible components in the water phase is studied and results are compared with those of the water phase. Results indicate that it is the addition of cationic emulsifier lignin-amine that retards cement hydration, prolongs its induction period and reduces maximum hydration heat. However, non-emulsifier alkylphenol polyoxyethylene and hydrochloric acid only reduce maximum heat. No significant differences exist in terms of calcium hydroxide content and non-evaporable water content between the plain cement paste and cement paste with the aforementioned chemical components. Zeta potential results show that the adsorption of lignin-amine on the cement grains is quite different from that of superplasticiser. Although cement hydration and calcium hydroxide crystal growth are retarded with the addition of lignin-amine, calcium hydroxide crystals are fully developed and thus show a strengthened diffraction peak.
Autonomy in Secondary Education: Independence and Accountability of Secondary General Education Schools in Kazakhstan
Authors: Omarbekova Ayzhan
Published: July 2015

Autonomy of educational institutions has been consistently extended in Kazakhstan over the last years: national educational standards have been broken into invariable and variable components, boards of regents have been introduced, per capita financing system is being tested, and autonomous educational organizations have been established, such as Nazarbayev University in higher education and Nazarbayev intellectual schools in secondary education. The paper analyzes legislative instruments, standards and official documents regulating the process of education in the secondary education system to define the extent to which educational institutions enjoy autonomy. Besides, the article uses the data of interviews and focus groups with 46 administrators and 95 teachers of schools, gymnasia and lyceums in different regions of Kazakhstan to analyze how they understand the notion of ‘autonomy of educational institutions’ and how they assess the current degree of autonomy of organizations they work in. The conclusion is that granting more autonomy and independence comes from above but is not requested by schools. Autonomy becomes a challenge for contemporary schools, as more independence implies greater responsibility.
Criteria for Assessment of Current Condition and Development of Research Studies Based on Scientometric Data Analysis (Comment by P. Arefiev)
Authors: Tarasevich Yury , Shinyaeva Taisiya
Published: July 2015

The article reviews criteria for scientific research performance assessment. It analyzes feasibility of the task to develop scientifically based methods that would allow assessment of activities performed by individual research departments and teams. The authors believe that a full-scale study of the dynamics of scientific departments and teams development should be based on the Current Research Information Systems (CRIS) within companies integrated into the national CRIS. The authors suggest a method to assess performance of the ongoing research studies based on the review of ratings of journals on which a research team’s studies are published.
Legislation in Education in Pre-Revolutionary Russia (Introducation by R. Usachyova)
Authors: Dneprov Eduard
Published: July 2015

The topic of this research is legislation in education in pre-revolutionary Russia of the 19th—beginning of the 20th century. Law concept had various interpretations in pre-revolutionary theory of state and law. The only common principle was the fact of its sanctioning by the monarch, the so-called “highest approval” both written and verbal. In other words, no right was to determine the law, but the political will, which formed the right itself, based on the political and social–economical current state of affairs. The main emphasis is placed on distinctive characteristics of lawmaking, namely that the main landmarks of the country’s history were embodied in the legislature, and the fact that the highest Government bodies were involved in the process. The main forms of the Russian Empire’s legislature including the ones in the sphere of education—a Manifest (manifesto decree), Ukaz (decree), povelenie (expression of the will), mnenie (opinion) of the Council of State, polozhenie (position) of the Committee of Ministers, vsepodanneishii (“humble”) report of the Minister, rescript, the law—were primarily set at the beginning of the XIX century, and existed without significant changes up to 1917. Special attention is given to the analysis of the main Government bodies (State Council, the Committee of Ministers or Council of Ministers, State Duma). Materials display the data on the legislature as such, as well as multiple administrative rulings in the sphere of education—main purpose being to reflect the intent, goals, ideology and means of carrying out the reforms, proposed by various legislative acts. The dynamics of how problems of education were reviewed and ruled upon in the main Government bodies are presented, as well as the process of publication and codifying of these legislative acts.
Reforming European Universities: The Welfare State as a Missing Context
Authors: Kwiek Marek
Published: July 2015

The argues that welfare state reforms and higher education reforms are closely linked to increasing intergenerational conflicts over public resources in aging societies, and reforms pressures are linked to the shrinking tax base, the power of neoliberal ideology, and changing social attitudes across Europe. The indirect impact of aging societies on all public sector services will lead to growing pressures on all public expenditures and to increased competition for public funding. A new context of university reforms in Europe is therefore defined in this paper as welfare state reforms. The paper discusses global agenda-setting and global diffusion of ideas; the impact of aging societies on intergenerational conflicts over public priorities (and public resources); globalization and pressures on welfare states; “university attitudes”, parallel to “welfare attitudes”; post-industrial societies; the role of supportive discourses in the survival of public institutions; and the role financial and ideological pressures, as well as of changing social beliefs, in reforming European welfare states and higher education.
A computer-based vision systems for automatic identification of plant species using kNN and genetic PCA
Authors: Babatunde Oluleye Hezekiah , Armstrong Liesa , Leng Jinsong , Diepeveen Dean
Published: July 2015

Precision farming involves integration of different areas of disciplines to lower production costs and improve productivity. One major arm of precision farming or agriculture is the development of computer-based vision systems for automatic identification of plant species. This work involves application of k Nearest Neighbour (kNN) and genetic principal component analysis (GA-PCA) for the development of computer-based vision systems for automatic identification of plant species. As the first contribution, several image descriptors were extracted from the images of plants found in the Flavia dataset. Lots of these image features are affine maps and amalgamation of such massive features in one study is a novel idea. These descriptors are Zernike Moments (ZM), Fourier Descriptors (FDs), Lengendre Moments (LM) Hu 7 Moments, Texture, Geometrical properties and colour features. The GA-PCA (1907 x 41) feature space improved the classification accuracy of kNN from 84.98% to 88.75%.
Description of Timing Belt Coupling Using a Pendulum with Variable Coupling Point
Authors: Domek Grzegorz , Dudziak Marian , Kołodziej Andrzej
Published: July 2015

In the description of the process of coupling of pulleys with the toothed belt often existing solutions are used. Depending on the application they are similar to flat belt, chain or hellical gears. Euler made a first approximation of the coupling by ratio of the stress of active and passive tendon in the form of an exponential function of the natural logarithm base. The exponent of this function contained a number of factors related to the material of belt and pulleys. The coupling takes place at successive coupling of the teeth and its nature depends on both the material and the geometry of the teeth. The most appropriate process used for a description of the motion is a pendulum with variable coupling point.
Reliably Measure at the Push of a Button – The new, intelligent ZEISS O-SELECT digital measuring projector
Authors: Fischer Martin , Balle Bernd
Published: July 2015

ZEISS O-SELECT allows you to quickly and reproducibly measure at the push of a button. The digital measuring projector autonomously selects the right distance, automatically eliminates blur at the edges and even chooses the right measurement program. O-SELECT independently recognizes features such as circles or lines and suggests characteristics such as distance and radius.
Óleos essenciais de manjericão e capim citronela no controle de larvas de Aedes aegypti
Authors: Veloso Ronice Alves , Castro Henrique Guilhon de , Cardoso Dione Pereira , Chagas Líllian França Borges , Chagas Júnior Aloisio Freitas
Published: July 2015

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito larvicida do óleo essencial do manjericão (Ocimum basilicum L.)e do capim citronela (Cymbopogon nardus L.) em larvas de Aedes aegypti. Os tratamentos utilizados para cada tipo de óleo foram: água destilada; água destilada + dimetilsulfóxido (DMSO); 2,5µL do óleo essencial; 5,0µL do óleo essencial; 7,5µL do óleo essencial; e 10,0µL do óleo essencial. As avaliações consistiram de contagem do número de larvas mortas em oito épocas (intervalos regulares de três horas). Os óleos essenciais de manjericão e do capim citronela apresentaram eficiente ação larvicida, causando a morte das larvas de A. aegypti em última fase larval. As alíquotas de 5,0, 7,5 e 10,0 µL do óleo essencial do capim citronela foram mais eficientes apresentando a partir da segunda época de avaliação 100% de larvas mortas.
The Price of Distrust: Trust, Anxious Attachment, Jealousy, and Partner Abuse
Authors: Rodriguez Lindsey M. , DiBello Angelo M. , Øverup Camilla S. , Neighbors Clayton
Published: July 2015

Trust is essential to the development of healthy, secure, and satisfying relationships (Simpson, 2007a). Attachment styles provide a theoretical framework for understanding how individuals respond to partner behaviors that either confirm or violate trust (Hazan & Shaver, 1994). The current research aimed to identify how trust and attachment anxiety might interact to predict different types of jealousy and physical and psychological abuse. We expected that when experiencing lower levels of trust, anxiously attached individuals would report higher levels of both cognitive and behavioral jealousy as well as partner abuse perpetration. Participants in committed romantic relationships (N= 261) completed measures of trust, attachment anxiety and avoidance, jealousy, and physical and psychological partner abuse in a cross-sectional study. Moderation results largely supported the hypotheses: Attachment anxiety moderated the association between trust and jealousy, such that anxious individuals experienced much higher levels of cognitive and behavioral jealousy when reporting lower levels of trust. Moreover, attachment anxiety moderated the association between trust and nonphysical violence. These results suggest that upon experiencing distrust in one’s partner, anxiously attached individuals are more likely to become jealous, snoop through a partner’s belongings, and become psychologically abusive. The present research illustrates that particularly for anxiously attached individuals, distrust has cascading effects on relationship cognitions and behavior, and this should be a key area of discussion during therapy.
The Stigma Surrounding Intimate Partner Violence: A Cluster Analysis Study
Authors: Murray Christine E. , Crowe Allison , Brinkley Jason
Published: July 2015

Existing research suggests that a significant stigma surrounds intimate partner violence, and this stigma can make it difficult for survivors to receive help. This article presents the results of a research study that used hierarchical cluster analysis to identify whether certain types of stigma are more likely to co-occur. Survey results revealed four clusters based on participants’ stigma-related experiences: low stigma, blamed and black sheep, shame and separation, and high stigma. Participants in the high stigma group reported the highest levels of verbal abuse. Implications for theory, research, and practice are discussed.