bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modelo conceptual de fertilización nitrogenada para maiz (Zea mays L.) en Veracruz, México
Authors: Capetillo-Burela A. , López-Collado C. J. , Zetina-Lezama R. , Reynolds-Chávez M. A. , Matilde-Hernández C. , Cadena-Zapata M. , López-López J. A.
Published: October 2021

El balance nutrimental, es un enfoque para generar recomendaciones de fertilización, el cual requiere menos recursos y tiempo para su implementación, se basa en que la dosis de fertilización depende de la demanda del nutrimento por el cultivo, el suministro del nutrimento por el suelo y la eficiencia de recuperación del nutrimento aplicado como fertilizante. El objetivo fue evaluar el modelo conceptual de fertilización para generar dosis nitrogenadas en maíz en la Costa del Golfo de México. Este consistió en el balance entre demanda de nitrógeno del cultivo, menos el suministro de nitrógeno por el suelo entre la eficiencia del fertilizante en cuatro tratamientos (VS-536 y V-537 C con y sin fertilizante). Los parámetros fisiotécnicos evaluados en las localidades Jamapa, Paso Real y El Rincón, del municipio de Jamapa, Veracruz fueron: demanda del cultivo, suministro de nutrimentos por el suelo y eficiencia del fertilizante. La demanda de nitrógeno con fertilizante fue estadísticamente superior a la no fertilizada; el suministro en ambos tratamientos fue estadísticamente similar. La eficiencia del fertilizante nitrogenado fue menor al 50% en las tres localidades. Las dosis de nitrógeno estimadas con el modelo conceptual fueron diferentes en las tres localidades (Jamapa 85, Rincón 55, y Paso Real 72 kg N ha-1, respectivamente) en comparación con la dosis aplicada (150 kg N ha-1), lo que representa una sobrefertilización del 44%, 64% y 52% para Jamapa, Rincón y Paso Real. Se concluye que este modelo permitió generar dosis adecuadas de Nitrógeno en menor tiempo y con una menor inversión.
“SOLID AS SOLVENT”- NOVEL SPECTROPHOTOMETRIC ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUE FOR ORNIDAZOLE TABLETS USING SOLIDS (EUTECTIC LIQUID OF PHENOL AND NIACINAMIDE) AS SOLUBILIZING AGENTS (MIXED SOLVENCY CONCEPT)
Authors:   Department of Pharmacy, Shri G S Institute of Technology and Science, Indore - 452 003, Madhya Pradesh, India., Maheshwari R. K , Fouzdar A. , Singh S , George P.
Published: October 2021

The present investigation is an attempt to show that solids can also be wisely used to act as solvent precluding the use of organic solvents. Present study describes the application of solvent character of eutectic liquid consisting of phenol and niacinamide in 25:10 ratio (PNM 2510) on weight basis for spectrophotometric estimation of ornidazole tablets. Proposed method is novel, rapid, free from toxicity of organic solvent, accurate and reproducible. Recovery studies and statistical data proved the accuracy, reproducibility and precision of the proposed method.
A NEW BIOANALYTICAL METHOD DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION FOR ESTIMATION OF TOLTERODINE TARTRATE IN HUMAN PLASMA BY USING RP-HPLC
Authors:   Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis and Quality Assurance, A.K.R.G College of Pharmacy, Nallajerla, West Godavari, 534 112, Andhra Pradesh, India., Kumar S. A , Debnath M. , Rao J. V. L. N. S. , Sankar D. G
Published: October 2021

A new RP-HPLC method was developed for the quantitative determination of tolterodine tartrate in human plasma and validated as per US-FDA guidelines. The drug was spiked in the plasma and extracted with the mobile phase by the precipitation method. The extracted analyte was injected into a Symmetry C18 (4.6 x 150mm, 5 μm, Make: Kromosil), maintained at 25°C and the effluent was monitored at 282 nm. The mobile phase consisted of potassium dihydrogen phosphate [pH 3.0]: acetonitrile [HPLC Grade] (50:50 V/V). The flow rate was maintained at 0.8 mL/min. The calibration curve for tolterodine tartrate was linear from 5.0 to 30.0 µg/mL (r2= 0.999). The inter-day and intra-day precision was found to be within the limits. The Lower Limit of Quantification (LLOQ) for tolterodine tartrate was found to be 0.35µg/mL. The average % recovery for tolterodine was 99.49-100.08% and reproducibility was found to be satisfactory. The proposed method has an adequate sensitivity, reproducibility, and specificity for the determination of tolterodine tartrate in human plasma.
ANALYTICAL METHOD DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF ALISKIREN AND VALSARTAN IN BULK AND TABLET DOSAGE FORM BY RP-HPLC
Authors:   Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, V. V. Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Krishna District, Gudlavalleru-521 356, Andhra Pradesh, India., Kalyani L , Rao A. L.
Published: October 2021

A simple, precise and accurate RP-HPLC method was developed and validated for the simultaneous estimation of aliskiren and valsartan in combined tablet dosage form. The chromatographic separation of the two drugs was achieved on Symmetry C8 column (250 x 4.6 mm, 5 μm). The mobile phase consisted of acetate buffer: acetonitrile (60:40 V/V) and pH was adjusted to 5.8 with glacial acetic acid was delivered at the flow rate of 1.4 mL/min and detection was performed at 220 nm. Separation was completed within 4 minutes. The calibration curves were linear with a correlation coefficient of 0.999 over the concentration range of 7.5 to 75 µg/mL of aliskiren and 8 to 80 µg/mL of valsartan. The relative standard deviation (RSD) was found
IN VITRO ANTHELMINTIC ACTIVITY OF BARK EXTRACT OF FICUS GLOMERATA ROXB. AGAINST EUDRILUS EUGENIAE
Authors:   Department of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, Vilasrao Deshmukh Foundation Group of Institutions, VDF School of Pharmacy, New MIDC, Airport Road, Latur - 413 531, Maharashtara, India., Hogade M. G , Poul B. N , Kuthar S. S , Panchal C. V. , Hugar J. C.
Published: October 2021

The present study was undertaken to evaluate anthelmintic activity of ethanolic and aqueous bark extracts of Ficus glomerata against Eudrilus eugeniae. For this study, we used various concentrations (25-100 mg/mL) of aqueous and ethanolic extracts and these were evaluated in the bioassay involving determination of time of paralysis (P) and time of death (D) of the worms. Albendazole was used as standard anthelmintic drug and distilled water was used as control. The results of present study indicate that the ethanolic and aqueous extracts significantly exhibited paralysis (P<0.01) in worms in lower doses (25, 50 and 100 mg/mL) and also caused death of worms, especially at higher concentration of 100 mg/mL, as compared to standard drug.
PHARMACOLOGICAL STUDIES OF N-MANNICH BASE PRODRUGS OF IBUPROFEN
Authors:   MET Institute of Pharmacy, Bandra Reclamation, Bandra (w), Mumbai - 400 050, India, Doshi A , Deshpande S. G.
Published: October 2021

The final efficacy and safety of N-mannich base prodrugs of amides of ibuprofen, IBMB-M and IBMB-P, were confirmed by performing pharmacological studies on animals. The antiinflammatory activity of the prodrugs was evaluated by rat paw edema method. The results confirmed that both the prodrugs have sufficient antiinflammatory activity. The gastrointestinal toxicity was evaluated on fasted rat model and these studies confirmed that both the prodrugs had remarkably reduced gastrointestinal ulceration. Finally, acute toxicity studies were performed on rats by administering the prodrugs at the dose level equivalent to LD50 of ibuprofen and higher doses. The LD50 of both the prodrugs was much higher than the LD50 of ibuprofen, which confirmed the safety of the prodrugs.
Detection and Quantitative Estimation of Toxic Acrylamide Levels in Selected Potatoes Chips and French Fries from the Libyan Market Using HPLC-UV Method
Authors: Khreit Osama I. G. , Elfowiris Abdulsalam , Aljali Abdulrahman A. , Abduljalil Omukalthum
Published: October 2021

Acrylamide is a potential health hazardous compound occurring in baked and fried food as a result of excessive dry heating during the preparation and/or processing of foods. Exposure to a high level of acrylamide may cause cancer, neurotoxicity, and mutagenicity. In this study, an isocratic reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method using a C18 column was used for the determination of acrylamide in selected food. The mobile phase consisted of 0.1% formic acid in water: acetonitrile (98:02), and the flow rate was 1.0 mL min-1, elution was monitored at 200 nm. Validation in selected conditions showed that the chosen method is sensitive, selective, precise, and reproducible with a linear detector response for the determination of acrylamide. The limit of detection (LOD), and the limit of quantification (LOQ), were achieved at 0.41μg mL-1 and 1.25 μg mL-1respectively. The proposed method was also applied after validation to the most popular six brands of chips and French fries available in the Libyan market. Acrylamide was extracted by a simplified extraction method avoiding cleanup by solid-phase extraction (SPE), then analyzed by HPLC-UV. The highest level of acrylamide was found in one brand of chips with a concentration of 16.33 μg mL-1, whereas only one of the French fries products analyzed exhibited an acrylamide concentration of 10.26 μg mL-1.
Effect of Different Dietary Protein Levels on Survival Rate and Growth Per-formance of Guppy (Poecilia reticulata)
Authors: Fadel Abdalbast H. , Lamin Awad J. , Ali Randa Rajab , Momen Karema A.
Published: October 2021

This study was carried out to evaluate the growth response of guppy Poecilia reticulata to different dietary protein levels. A total of 72 fry of guppy fish of an initial body weight 0.365± 0.01g were distributed randomly into 60 L aquaria at the density rate of 0.05 g/L. Fish were fed to satiation twice daily for eight weeks with diets containing different dietary protein levels (20%, 30%, or 40%.). The survival rate of guppy was unaffected by increasing dietary protein levels. At the end of the experiment, weight gains (g) ranging from 1.93 to 3.55 were obtained corresponding to 20% and 40% crude protein respectively. The growth performance and feeding efficiencies were significantly improved (P < 0.05) by increasing dietary protein levels. However, no significant difference (P > 0.05) was observed in the specific growth rate of fish that were fed 20% and 30% dietary protein levels. The value of the condition factor was significantly high in fish fed at 40% dietary protein. It can be concluded that a 40% dietary protein level is recommended for guppy fish.
The Incidence of Isolated Ventricular Septal Defect in Libyan Newborns
Authors: Ali Mohamed Thabet , Ali Faiza Mohamed
Published: October 2021

This study aimed to evaluate the incidence and spontaneous closure of ventricular septal defects in a randomly selected newborn population, using color Doppler echocardiographic screening. Color flow Doppler echocardiographic screening was performed in 635 neonates within the first week of life. Patients with a ventricular septal defect were also followed up for 6 months to detect spontaneous closure rate and its timing. The incidences of a ventricular septal defect in all neonates, preterm neonates, and term neonates were found as 48.8/1,000, 64/1,000, and 48.1/1,000 live births, respectively. Only three patients were symptomatic. 21 cases had a muscular ventricular septal defect and 10 cases had a perimembranous ventricular septal defect. Most of them had a small ventricular septal defect (≤3 mm). Spontaneous closure was observed in 64.5% of ventricular septal defects within 6 months Closure rate was found as 80% for preterm infants and 66.8% for term infants (p>0.05). The incidence of a ventricular septal defect was considerably high in neonates when routine color flow Doppler echocardiographic examination was performed. Despite the increased incidence of ventricular septal defect, spontaneous closure rate was remarkably high within the first 6 months of life. These defects may result from delayed physiologic development and have a good prognosis.
Circumcaval Ureter: An Extremely Rare Vascular Anomaly Causing Hdroureteronephrosis: Case Report
Authors: Elkhafifi Muftah H. Elkhafifi , Mohamed Kalifa S.
Published: October 2021

Circumcaval (retrocaval) ureter is a very rare vascular (venous) anomaly caused by an error in the embryonic development of the inferior vena cava in which an embryologically normal ureter becomes entrapped behind the inferior vena cava causing varying degrees of upper urinary tract hydronephrosis. Herein, the current study presents a case report of a 19-year-old Libyan male, single patient, who presented with right flank pain and dysuria of one-year duration. On abdominal examination, he had tenderness on the right renal angle. His laboratory investigations (Hematological and biochemical) were within normal limits. Urine analysis showed Escherichia coli infection, which was treated with antibiotics. His workup, including abdominal ultrasonography, showed a moderate degree of hydronephsis. Intravenous urogram showed typical reverse "J" Shaped (fish-hook) deformity and dilatation of the proximal ureter and hydronephrosis on the right side. He underwent the right ureteroureterostomy through a conventional midline approach. He passed an uneventful post-operative course and had a good outcome.
Physiologic cardiovascular studies in resuscitated normotensive septic shock with persistent hyperlactatemia.
Authors: Somboonviboon Dujrath , Tiyanon Waraporn , Wacharasint Petch
Published: October 2021

Background: To study effects of increasing vasopressor dosage and fluid resuscitation on ventriculoarterial (VA) coupling and venous return (VR)-related parameters in resuscitated normotensive septic shock patients with persistent hyperlactatemia.

Methods: We performed a prospective experimental study in patients with septic shock who was admitted to medical intensive care unit and still had hyperlactatemia even received initial resuscitation to maintain mean arterial pressure (MAP) >65 mmHg. All patients received incremental dose of norepinephrine (NE) to increased MAP, then NE was titrated to baseline dosage and waited for 15 mins, then fluid bolus was given. VA coupling-related parameters [arterial elastance (Ea), left ventricular end-systolic elastance (Ees), left ventricular stroke work (SW), potential energy (PE), stroke volume (SV), and Ea/Ees], and VR-related parameters [central venous pressure (CVP), mean systemic pressure analogue (Pmsa), venous return pressure (Pvr)] were measured at 4 time points including pre-increased NE phase, post-increased NE phase, pre-fluid bolus phase, and post-fluid bolus phase. Primary outcome was average of Ea/Ees. Secondary outcomes were differences in VA coupling-related parameters and VR-related parameters between pre- vs. post- interventions.

Results: All 20 patients were normotensive [MAP 74 (66-80) mmHg] with elevated blood lactate [2.7 (2.4-3.6) mmol/L] at enrollment. Average Ea/Ees was 0.89 (0.61-1.16). Compared to pre-increased NE phase, post-increased NE phase had significantly higher MAP, CVP, SV, SW, PE, Pmsa, and Pvr. Likewise, compared to pre-fluid bolus phase, post-fluid bolus raised MAP, CVP, SV, Ees, SW, Pmsa, and Pvr significantly. No difference in Ea/Ees compared between before- vs. after- received both interventions.

Conclusions: In resuscitated normotensive septic shock patients with persistent hyperlactatemia, we found an average Ea/Ees of 0.89. Increasing NE dosage or fluid bolus increased most of VA coupling-related parameters and VR-related parameters, but not Ea/Ees. Further large study is warranted to validate these findings.
Ectopia cordis: uma condição rara
Authors: Ribero Juan Carlos Montero , Morales Kilenda Peñalver , Ernesto Lavie Manuel
Published: October 2021

N/A
Influence of population density and access to sanitation on Covid-19 in Mozambique
Authors: Cambaza Edgar
Published: October 2021

In 2020, as COVID-19 spread through the world, prestigious entities published faulty predictions about the level of dissemination, especially when describing African countries and others with “weak healthcare systems.” How could the best fall so short, even when using well-known epidemiological variables to predict the behavior of a hygiene-related malady? It might have been due to insufficient data since COVID-19 was a novelty, still poorly understood. The current study aimed to analyze how two variables – population density and percentage of people with access to improved sanitation – affected the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Mozambique by February 2021, almost one year since the country's first case. All data were publicly available: population density in Census 2017, access to sanitation in the Mozambique Public Expenditure Review 2014, and the number of COVID-19 cases in the Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 daily bulletin (no. 332). JASP 0.13.1.0 allowed correlating all variables, and Microsoft Excel™ was the choice to perform fitting analysis to model the algebraic relationship between the number of cases and the other variables. The cases showed a positive correlation (r = 0.663) with density, and their relationship was consistent with a cubic function. Sanitation coverage also showed a positive correlation (r = 0.679), but the most straightforward algebraic representation was a quadratic function. The impact of population density on the number of COVID-19 cases was intuitive, but the logic points towards the highest number of cases where sanitation facilities lacked the most. Perhaps the influence of other factors outweighed the effect of sanitation, or people tend to be careless before the sense of security where the sanitation is better. These findings can support predictions and decision-making, and the population needs to abide by the Government’s recommendations.
Current Trends in the Treatment of Pediatric ADHD: A Case Study
Authors: Meyer Caroline , Goodall Maddie
Published: October 2021

Pediatric patients presenting with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD or ADD) are a common occurrence in naturopathic practice. While the state of the research is evolving, there is evidence supporting the use of naturopathic treatments like omega-3 fatty acids and pycnogenol as well as novel uses of supplements like vitamin D and saffron.
Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Canada
Authors: Watson Danielle
Published: October 2021

According to emerging research, Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs) have increased during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The psychological stress associated with the pandemic has made new mothers more vulnerable to mental health issues. A number of factors have been shown to predispose mothers to this, including, financial, relational, seclusion, changes to perinatal care and fear of the virus. Research has also identified protective facts, including sleep, support and exercise. Given the sequelae of untreated mental health issues, impacting the entire family unit, it is important that naturopathic doctors are aware of this and have strategies to support mothers in the perinatal period.
Kontribusi Manajerial Kepala Sekolah dan Kinerja Guru Terhadap Peningkatan Mutu Pendidikan di SMK Muhammadiyah Prambanan
Authors: Yuliyati Erlina , Santosa Sedya
Published: October 2021

The quality of education in schools is influenced by many factors, including the contribution of the principal as a leader that determines whether or not the educational goals achieved at the institution he leads, and the performance of teachers who determine the success of the educational process at school. This study aims to determine whether the improvement of school quality is dominated by the principal managerial contributions and teacher performance, or there are other factors that more strongly influence the improvement of the quality of education in SMK Muhammadiyah Prambanan. This research is a quantitative research with a descriptive approach. Data were collected by a questionnaire involving 43 respondents and then analyzed by multiple regression statistical analysis. The quantitative method as an approach in data analysis is to use SPSS version 17.0 tools. The results of the study and data analysis showed that the managerial variable of principals partially had an effect of 0.944 which meant that there was a strong influence of the managerial variables of principals on improving quality, which was 94.4%. Furthermore, teacher performance variables have an effect of 0.937, which means that 93.7% of teacher performance contributes or significantly influences the quality of education at SMK Muhammadiyah Prambanan. Simultaneously, the contribution of influence given by the managerial variables of school principals and teacher performance to quality improvement was 96.8%, while another 3.2% was influenced by other variables in SMK Muhammadiyah Prambanan. This means that, managerial principals and teacher performance contribute greatly to improving the quality of education in SMK Muhammadiyah Prambanan.
Strategi Promosi Jasa Pendidikan di Pondok Pesantren Nurul Ulum Kabupaten Blitar
Authors: Waruwu Nurdelima , Munawwaroh Zahrotul , Mu'affa Syifa' Nurda
Published: October 2021

Promotion is a marketing activity carried out by the company (school) to introduce to the public (community) about the products they have. This study aims to determine the promotion strategy through the marketing mix of educational services at the Nurul Ulum Islamic Boarding School, Blitar Regency, which is a broad unified plan for the long term and is integrated with all available resources and connects strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. This study uses a qualitative approach with a descriptive method. The data sources were selected purposively and snowball sampling. The research data was collected through interviews, observations, and document studies. Data analysis was carried out with qualitative analysis techniques which included data collection, data reduction, data presentation, and drawing conclusions. Meanwhile, to check the validity of the data, the researcher used triangulation techniques, namely data triangulation and method triangulation. The results of the research conducted by the authors show that the promotion carried out by the Nurul Ulum Islamic Boarding School in Blitar Regency has been carried out well. The implementation of the promotion strategy through the 7P mix (product, price, place, promotion, people, physical evidence, process) went quite well even though there was no planning and special program for each promotional mix activity carried out.
TAFSIR SURAT AL-ALAQ AYAT SATU SAMPAI LIMA
Authors: Maskhuroh Lailatul , A’yun Kurroti , Lestari Zuni
Published: October 2021

Al-Alaq verses explain human creation from a clot of blood. The research finding shows that the concept of Islamic education according to M. Quraish Shihab are (a) The purpose of Islamic education is the formation of a nurtured human who includes physical, mental, and intellect (b) reading the name of Allah SWT (bismi Rabbik) when doing all works (c) there is an interdependent nature of humans, since they are social creatures (d) reading it repeatedly, and sincerity will gain new knowledge, understanding, and insight. (e) Allah will give knowledge to everyone who has taught it with or without tools (kalam). Therefore, self-improvement is important to increase devotion to Allah.
PENINGKATKAN PERILAKU SOSIAL KEAGAMAAN PESERTA DIDIK KELAS 6 SDN SIMOMULYO I SURABAYA MELALUI PENDIDIKAN AGAMA ISLAM
Authors: Badar M. S.
Published: October 2021

This PTK study is motivated by the existence of religious activities at SDN Simomulyo I Surabaya such as tartil suroh-suroh juz 'amma, chanting Asmaul Husna, congregational prayer and infaq. These problems were discussed through field study research conducted in grade 6 SDN Simomulyo I Surabaya, with 36 students as respondents. Meanwhile, the data collection method used questionnaires, observation and documentation. The data were obtained by distributing questionnaires with a total of 30 questions and given to 36 students in grade 6. All data were analyzed using a quantitative approach and descriptive statistical analysis. The study shows that: (1) The application of Islamic religious education for 6th grade students of SDN Simomulyo I Surabaya has an average value of = 41.31. This shows that the intensity of students in participating in religious activities is in the High category, which is in the value interval 31–45. (2) The socio-religious behavior of grade 6 students at SDN Simomulyo I Surabaya has an average value of = 37.83. This shows that the socio-religious behavior of students is included in the High category, which is in the value interval 31 - 45. (3) There is an influence of variable X (Implementation of Islamic Education) on variable Y (Religious Social Behavior of Class 6 SDN Simomulyo Students. I Surabaya). Thus it can be said that there is a positive and significant influence between the application of Islamic religious education on the socio-religious behavior of students in grade 6 SDN Simomulyo I Surabaya is accepted.
Problematika Pembelajaran SKI Di MTs Salafiyah Syafiiyah Bandung Diwek Jombang
Authors: Azizah Mar'atul , Winanda Rina Bayu
Published: October 2021

The subject of Islamic history is underestimated or is only considered a complementary subject by students. So that here the researcher is interested in researching about how the problems of learning Islamic Cultural History at MTs Salafiyah Syafiiyah Bandung Diwek Jombang and how the teacher's efforts in overcoming the problems of learning the History of Islamic Culture at MTs Salafiyah Syafiiyah Bandung Diwek Jombang. This research uses a qualitative approach. Data collection methods: observation, interviews and documentation. The data analysis technique used Miles and Huberman's interactive model which included data reduction, data presentation and conclusion drawing. To check the validity of the data, it was used research extension, observation persistence and triangulation. The results of this study found that: Mathematics of learning resource problems are incomplete, lack of understanding of the method, the lack of media so that it meets the learning objectives, student problems before and during learning, some evaluation scores are below standard. The teacher's efforts: learning resources are handled with the internet as a complementary source, methods are handled with other methods prepared by the teacher, media are overcome with other media that are easy to find, students are overcome with several common things, evaluation is overcome with remedial programs.
Aliran-Aliran Filsafat Barat Kontemporer (Postmodernisme)
Authors: Maskhuroh Lailatul
Published: October 2021

Philosophy in the contemporary era has different characteristics from the previous era. Some of its characteristics, namely departing from humans who live in this age are very careful in following scientific development methods as well as examining language, meaning, symbols and emotions, human life attitudes. Technology dominates in this era so that many philosophers who are realists and the human soul experience emptiness. It can be said that the distinctive feature of this contemporary philosophy is that it does not have a flow form but continues to conduct studies and propose solutions that are continuously updated, a school of philosophy emerged in the postmodernism era, namely phenomenology and existentialism, analytical philosophy and philosophy of language, critical philosophy, postmodernism, while those which are used as a discussion in the era of Western contemporary philosophy and its surroundings, namely logical positivism, neomarxism, pragmatism, Neo-kantianism, phenomenology and existentialism, philosophy of life, postmodernism, contemporary atheism, hermeneutics.
Novel Modeling of Parameters Related to Intra-Firm Diffusion Innovation
Authors: Senyefia Bosson-Amedenu , Joseph Acquah , Eduboah Eric Justice , Ouerfelli Noureddine
Published: October 2021

In this paper, we present a novel intra-firm diffusion model to predict the variation of Penetration Level (PL) with the Intensity of Use (IU) and Speed of Adoption (SA) with respect to information and communication technologies (I.C.T) within Tunisian Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs). The study was motivated by the work of Youssef et al., (2014), and its inspired data scope/range. The method of modeling focuses on optimization and non-linear regression. The first model has the capacity to compute the variation of PL with IU. However, this first model was modified to a second model through transformation in order to derive physical meaning to the parameters. The modified second model shows a quasi-vertical curvature which approximates the reciprocal of hyperbolic tangent. The Variation of PL with the SA was computed using the second model which estimated the parameters with the variables explaining about 62% variation in PL with SA χ2=0.0655, R2=0.61651 . We further formulated a third model to predict correlation of SA with PL, while imposing boundary assumptions to avoid problems of divergence; with the final model having a PL as the only adjustable parameter. The model exhibited a plateau effect at points (0.9933,0.4373) and (0,0) between two steeply vertical asymptotes at -0.06105 and 1.0013, respectively. The developed model can be useful for eliciting information when data from different countries (or surveys) are compared for same or different span time through examining the behavior of the parameters, especially after Covid-19 era.
Selection and analysis of input parameters influencing pedestrian micro-simulated crossing time
Authors: Gruden Chiara , Ištoka Otković Irena , Šraml Matjaž
Published: October 2021

Pedestrian unrestrained behaviour, sudden movements and vulnerability are elements, which can highly affect road safety, especially when interacting with motorized vehicles. Therefore, it is important to have a deep insight in pedestrian behaviour. A way to tackle this issue is micro-simulation. Modern micro-simulation tools, indeed, allow, thanks to the implemented mathematical formulation of the problem, to model and repeat a real situation in a virtual environment. Nevertheless, they need to well-fit the real observed behaviour: the calibration step allows to make the model reliable, by adapting selected, influential model input parameters. By dealing with pedestrian issues, software Vissim/Viswalk has been selected for micro-simulation, which implements Helbing's Social Force model. This model is based on several parameters, like relaxation time, side preference, strength and range of pedestrian interactions, amount of anisotropy, parameters governing the forces among pedestrians, noise, number of reacting pedestrians, queue order and straightness, which need to be set by the user when creating the model, but they can be hardly measured. This paper presents a selection of the recalled input parameters, on which statistical tests are carried out to understand their influence on the behavioural output – crossing time - that is supposed to describe pedestrian crossing behaviour. This is the first step towards the development of a new calibration methodology, which will keep advantage of artificial intelligence tools to fine-tune micro-simulation input parameters.
Inclusive Mobility – how to tackle needs and challenges of persons with reduced mobility
Authors: Šemrov Darja
Published: October 2021

Mobility is an essential component of all European societies and is at the heart of the European Integration project. It is widely recognized that all citizens should be able to participate in economic, social and cultural life. European Union addresses investment in multimodal, environment-friendly, green, safe transport and mobility, to name some of the objectives, it seeks to achieve by mobilizing different funds. The idea of accessible transport is also high on the EU agenda. Accessibility is a multi-faceted objective, it can include the availability of information, the connection of metropolitan areas with rural or remote areas and also other aspects. However, the basic idea of accessibility in an integrated area should primarily mean the barrier-free mobility of people with disabilities and people with reduced mobility. This problem deserves to receive much more attention than is currently the case, considering that many recent studies estimate that the number of senior citizens and people with disabilities will double in the next 20 years.
Electro mobility acceptance: The influence of political bonus and malus factors and preferences for charging stations
Authors: Gutjar Margarita , Kowald Matthias
Published: October 2021

As a considerable amount of greenhouse gas emissions are caused by the transport sector with road traffic being the biggest polluter, the German government has initiated programs to promote electric vehicles (EVs). Currently, the main activity is to install charging infrastructure and to provide a financial bonus for the purchase of EVs. As part of the project “Electric City Russelsheim”, CAPI interviews have been conducted to determine the acceptance of EVs among the population. The survey aims to investigate the effects of possible bonus and malus factors to promote EVs. Moreover, it analyses people’s preferences for the configuration of charging stations in a discrete choice experiment. In choice tasks, respondents indicate their preferences by choosing a charging station configuration between two alternatives. Preliminary results from a Multinomial Logit Model on a sample of 462 respondents are presented in this paper. As configuration, respondents mostly prefer Plug & Charge as authentification method, card-based payment method, billing according to the amount of charged electricity, and a higher share of energy from renewable sources.
Application of FIDIC general conditions in transport infrastructure projects in Croatia
Authors: Čulo Ksenija , Skendrović Vladimir
Published: October 2021

Infrastructure is a broad term encompassing a wide range of facilities from roads and railway lines to wind, waste and water projects, oil and gas facilities, pipelines and processing plants. Whilst infrastructure construction contracts have key provisions in common, there is no one standard form that fits all projects. Any standard form will need to be tailored to suit the demands of the projects, the risk profile of the parties and comply with the legal jurisdiction of the contract and project location. Increasingly contractors are enhancing their expertise and working on infrastructure projects internationally. As a result, the forms of construction contracts used are becoming more standardized. Nowadays, FIDIC forms of contract are intended to be suitable for projects carried out around the world by all types of employers with the extensive support of large investors such as the World Bank or the European Union. The terms of the Conditions of Contract for Construction have been prepared by the Fédération Internationale des Ingénieurs-Conseils (FIDIC). Two most frequently used FIDIC models of construction contracts are Conditions of Contract for Construction (known as Red Book) and Conditions of Contract for Plant and Design-Build (known as Yellow Book). These general conditions are also used as contract conditions in Croatia for public procurement of transport infrastructure projects. The use of FIDIC General Conditions of Contract in the realization of transport infrastructure construction works in Croatia is presented in the paper.
Reconstruction and modernization of railway line Stalać – Kraljevo - Rudnica: Option analysis
Authors: Milić Marković Ljiljana , Marković Ljubo
Published: October 2021

Serbia is upgrading its Core Railway Network in line with international agreements with a view to reaching the EU standards of interoperability. It aims to revitalise and develop the railway network giving priority to Pan-European Corridor X, which is the backbone of the system, and to SEETO routes 10 and 11 (as part of Indicative Extension of TEN-T Core rail network) on which the Stalać-Kraljevo-Rudnica line is located. The overall objective of Reconstruction and modernization of the railway line Stalać-Kraljevo-Rudnica is to safeguard the functionality by aligning it with the relevant standards as specified in the TEN-T regulations and TSI requirements. The purpose of this paper is to define the options for each of the proposed parameters (Single-track or Double-track, Axle load, Design speed, Technical solutions for structures (tunnels, bridges, underpasses and overpasses), Electrification, Signalling, Telecommunications and management, Stations, Environmental protection and Social Environment) and select the desired option.
Model for assessment of external transport costs
Authors: Krakutovski Zoran , Moslavac Darko , Spiroski Darko , Glavinov Aleksandar
Published: October 2021

The term "external effect" can be explain as a condition that occurs when production or consumption activities of an entity affect the welfare of other(s) subject(s) without having to pay compensation for that impact. The major difficulty for determining external costs is that they cannot be confirmed through the application of market laws and well-known market analysis with interactive effects of demand and supply. The transport greatly affects the quality of life of people, flora and fauna. The interest of studying transport externalities is objective of several researches and special attention is given to how reduce these negative externalities of transport in practice. This paper considers the external transport costs, their significance and their monetary values estimated in relevant EU studies. The methodology for estimating external transport costs as well as specification of a model for assessment of these costs in Republic of North Macedonia is also shown in this paper. The results obtained by this model are discussed and commented.
Geotechnical ULS design issues of bridge shallow foundations
Authors: Papadopoulou Konstantina , Gazetas George
Published: October 2021

Some important issues referring to the Ultimate Limit States of geotechnical design of bridge shallow foundations are discussed using results of 2D and 3D FE analyses, as follows: (a) The effects of highly eccentric and inclined loadings on the bearing capacity of footings on cohesionless soils, (b) the effects of soil inhomogeneity in the special case of 2-layered clay, (c) the scour effects in case of abutment and piers in riverbed, from the geotechnical point of view.
The implications of climate change conditions in the pavement design
Authors: Hodáková Dominika , Zuzulová Andrea , Cápayová Silvia , Schlosser Tibor
Published: October 2021

The design of pavement structure is as a set of several activities related to the design of road construction, dimension and model calculations. This includes calculations of load effects, taking into account the properties of the materials, the subgrade conditions, and the climatic conditions. The measurements of climatic conditions in Slovakia were the basis for assessing changes in average daily air temperatures in individual seasons. Since the 19th century we have seen in Slovakia an increase in the average air temperature of 1.5 ° C. Currently, there are scenarios of climate change until 2100. An increase in air temperature is assumed, with an increase in average monthly temperatures of 2.0 to 4.8 °C. In road construction, as well as in other areas of engineering, we must respond to current climate change and also to expected changes. The average annual air temperature and the frost index are the critical climatic characteristics are the main for the design (input parameter) and evaluation of pavement. From the practical side it is possible to use the design maps of average annual air temperature and frost index according to STN 73 6114 from year 1997. In cooperation with the Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute from the long-term monitoring of temperatures, different meteorological characteristics were measured in the current period. From the measurements of twelve professional meteorological stations for the period 1971 to 2020, the dependence between two variables in probability theory is derived. The average annual air temperatures used for prognoses are collected from long-term measurements (fifty years). The design of road constructions and calculations of road construction models, which are in the system design solution (comparative calculations of asphalt pavement- and cement-concrete pavement models), we have also tested road construction materials - especially asphalt mixtures. The results were used to correct the values of input data, design criteria, as well as measures to reduce the impact of changes in climate conditions.
Extra-long steel piles production and transport of Bridge Mainland – Pelješac, Croatia
Authors: Tang Bicheng , Zhu Cong , Zeng Linghua , Liu Hao
Published: October 2021

Steel pipe pile as one of the foundation forms has the advantage of high bearing capacity, environment protection and installation, which were widely adopted to sea-crossing bridge, offshore wind power and marine oil rig at present. With the development of project scale, the length and diameter of the piles were increasing gradually. Meanwhile, civil engineers had to face the outstanding challenges in the production and transportation of extra-long and extra-large steel pipe piles. The design parameters of steel piles were controlled under the highest and strictest execution class EXC4 B+ in accordance with the European standard EN 1090-2. Additionally, the pile length of 130,6 m set a record for entire pre-fabricated longest steel pile in the field of civil engineering worldwide at that time. All the manufactured piles were delivered by cargo vessel after long voyage to Croatia. The accumulated experience of Pelješac Bridge could be as a reference for similar projects in future.
Review of the project of reconstruction of the existing and reconstruction of the second track on the section Hrvatski Leskovac - Karlovac
Authors: Vinšćak Dražen , Popovački Neven , Kralj Stjepan , Burazer Iličić Frane
Published: October 2021

The Hrvatski Leskovac - Karlovac section is located on the M202 Zagreb GK - Rijeka railway line, which is part of the Mediterranean corridor of the EU core network. The section is currently a single-track line, and represents a bottleneck in terms of infrastructure capacity. The project envisages the reconstruction of the existing and construction of the second track with the reconstruction of the existing stations in order to meet the conditions of interoperability, the transformation of individual stations into stops, and the reconstruction of existing stops. Some of the existing railway-road crossings will be delevelled by constructing crossroads in two levels (underpasses and overpasses), some will be eliminated with the construction of connection roads and some will be reconstructed. The project is currently in the contracting phase of works and supervisions. In the period from 2017 until today, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Energy (MZOE) Decision was published on the Environmental Impact Study, the Location Permit was obtained, and the Feasibility Study was completed and approved by the JASPERS Mission in the Republic of Croatia.
BIM implementation: Route 6 Prishtine – Hani i Elezit
Authors: Strunje Dražen
Published: October 2021

Over the years, in construction industry, BIM (building information modelling) is one of the most mentioned topics with the main question: “Do we need it?” The answer should be commonly known, like with every solution that modernizes the profession and society. BIM in linear construction projects (transportation facilities and structures, sewage/water supply) and landscape design are still “one step behind” with already accepted “BIM implementation” in AEC (Architecture, Engineering and Construction) industry and MEP (Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) industry. With more than 10 years of experience KAP4 company is one of the leading brands in BIM – Croatia. Along with our knowledge, courage, and motivation, we successfully realized multitude projects in Croatia and Europe, mostly in AEC industry but also in linear construction projects. Through our biggest project in linear construction industry “ROUTE 6 PRISHTINE – HANI I ELEZIT” (Sections 2&3), on real life project we will show advantages of BIM implementation in road structures design (bridges, overpasses, underpasses, etc.), but also in survey data, road design and earthwork optimizations, along with challenges in process (changes in design, no BIM environment, etc.) and later BIM impact on our Client and associate designers on route. With dozens of BIM road/structure models on route we will demonstrate output results with drawings/documents full of information, improved graphic outputs, document and team design collaboration, process of design, associate designers’ collaboration and facilitating the client to follow the whole process and documentation. Hopefully, and answer to first question, do we need it.
Combining capital grant and availability payment to keep toll rates affordable
Authors: Queiroz Cesar A , Mladenović Goran
Published: October 2021

In several countries public budgets cannot provide all the funds needed to build priority transport and other infrastructure projects that are economically justified and environmentally and socially sound. Under certain circumstances, projects meeting such conditions can be implemented by involving private financing, through public-private partnerships (PPP), which is a means to get projects completed by leveraging scarce public resources. Priority highway PPP projects may require toll rates above the affordability level of road users, particularly when construction costs are relatively high and traffic volumes are relatively low. The provision of capital grants and/or availability payments to the concessionaire (i.e., the private partner) by the government (i.e., the public partner) would reduce the toll rate required to attract private investors for the project. Such projects, where the sources of revenue to the private partner (or concessionaire) include both the users of the facility and the government, are usually called hybrid PPPs. A key step in assuring that a proposed PPP highway project would attract private investors is to determine whether financial public support would be required, and if so, how much. To this endeavor, this paper reviews and applies a hybrid PPP financial model for highways that facilitates carrying out projects' financial viability by decision makers and practitioners. A numerical case study is used to illustrate applications of the model to conditions deemed representative of Southeastern European countries. The main outputs generated by the model include the project’s internal rate of return, equity internal rate of return, annual debt service coverage ratio, and the present value of the government’s cash flow. A sensitivity analysis carried out shows the impact of key input parameters on the main outputs. While the financial model discussed has been developed for roads, it can also be adapted to other forms of transport infrastructure, such as rail.
Research on relationship between cognitive impairment and driving behavior of starting/stopping for elderly driver
Authors: Arakawa Yuta , Miyauchi Kota , Takada Kazuyuki , Shinohara Moeko , Fujiu Makoto
Published: October 2021

Recently in Japan, traffic accidents caused by elderly drivers have attracted public attention. Elderly drivers are judged whether they can continue driving based on the cognitive test results at the renewal of their driver's license. However, it has not been to lead to the reduction of accidents. Therefore, it is important to understand the relationship between cognitive impairment and driving behavior for elderly drivers. In this study, we analysis on the relationship between cognitive impairment and driving behavior for elderly drivers. The driving ability is evaluated using the data of driving behavior during starting/stopping. Regression models that explain the relations between cognitive impairment of an elderly driver and driving ability were estimated.