bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analyzing the Performance of Ceramic Kiln by Using Thermal Image Technique for Reducing Energy Costs
Authors: Lawanwadeekul Siwat , Bunma Mattika
Published: April 2018

The aim of this research was to find a way to reduce energy costs by using thermal image techniques for investigating the thermal efficiency of ceramic furnaces. The case study was “Ban Nam Jo Ceramic”. The researchers collected the information by performing an in-depth interview at the research area, collecting preliminary data and using the thermal camera in the technical analysis part. The researchers also measured the temperature and volume of gas in the furnace. After that, those data were used to calculate the energy balance and the thermal efficiency of ceramic kilns. The data showed that the first measured furnace had calculated thermal efficiency of 9.99%. After the maintenance, the thermal efficiency increased to 16.64%. Furthermore, the volume of liquid petroleum gas decreased by 40%, and the damage in products after firing decreased by 3 %.
Fracture Energy and Fracture Toughness of In Situ Calcium Hexaluminate (CA6)-Alumina Monolithic Refractory
Authors: Khajornboon Jiraprabha , Washijima Kouichiro , Shiono Takeshi
Published: April 2018

One of main raw materials for monolithic refractory is calcium aluminate cement which provides CA6 hexagonal plate-like microstructure with self-toughening properties and fracture resistance. In the present study, in-situ CA6 was formed by using sintered alumina mixing with alumina cement in stoichiometric composition to achieve 100 mass% and 50 mass% of CA6 in alumina monolithic refractory with 2 mass% of silica addition. Samples were fired from 1400-1500°C for 5 h and characterized for physical and mechanical properties. The results showed that both samples could not obtain CA6 content as expected and apparent porosity did not exhibit in the same tendency. However, only proper amount of CA6 content could gain proper amount of apparent porosity which is the main effect of mechanical properties. Especially the formation of CA6 lower than 50 mass% with the presence of low melting phase caused low apparent porosity and led to high fracture toughness and effective fracture energy.
Non-Proportionality and Scintillation Properties of YAG:Ce Scintillator by Compton Coincidence Technique
Authors: Chaiphaksa Wuttichai , Sangwaranatee Narong , Limkitjaroenporn Pruittipol , Kim Hong Joo , Kaewkhao Jakrapong
Published: April 2018

The work is focused to study the non-proportionality and scintillation properties of YAG:Ce scintillator by the Compton coincidence technique (CCT). The 137Cs was used as a radioactive source with an energy 662 keV and were recorded at seven scattering angles ranging 30°-120°. The electron energy resolution, the light yield and non-proportionality were measured. It was found that, the linear relations were observed for YAG:Ce scintillator indicated that the energy resolutions are inverse proportional to the square root of energy. The results show that the light yield increases with increase in electron energy. The non-proportionality of YAG:Ce scintillator, it can be observed the crystal demonstrated good proportional property in the electron energy range. For the electron energy range below 350 keV, the electron response decreased at approximately 3.5 % over the measured energy range.
Nasopharyngeal Exposure to Streptococcus pneumoniae Induces Extended Age-Dependent Protection against Pulmonary Infection Mediated by Antibodies and CD138+ Cells
Authors: Bou Ghanem Elsa N. , Maung Nang H. Tin , Siwapornchai Nalat , Goodwin Aaron E. , Clark Stacie , Muñoz-Elías Ernesto J. , Camilli Andrew , Gerstein Rachel M. , Leong John M.
Published: April 2018

Streptococcus pneumoniae commonly resides asymptomatically in the nasopharyngeal (NP) cavity of healthy individuals but can cause life-threatening pulmonary and systemic infections, particularly in the elderly. NP colonization results in a robust immune response that protects against invasive infections. However, the duration, mechanism, and cellular component of such responses are poorly understood. In this study, we found that repeated NP exposure of mice to S. pneumoniae TIGR4 strain results in pneumococcal-specific Ab responses that protect against lethal lung challenge. Abs were necessary and sufficient for protection because Ab-deficient μMT mice did not develop postexposure protection, only becoming resistant to lung infection after transfer of immune sera from NP-exposed mice. T cells contributed to immunity at the time of NP exposure, but neither CD4+ nor CD8+ T cells were required. The protective activity was detectable 20 wk after exposure and was maintained in irradiated mice, suggesting involvement of long-lived Ab-secreting cells (ASC), which are radioresistant and secrete Abs for extended periods of time in the absence of T cells or persistent Ag. CD138+ bone marrow cells, likely corresponding to long-lived ASC, were sufficient to confer protection. NP exposure of aged mice failed to protect against subsequent lung infection despite eliciting a robust Ab response. Furthermore, transfer of CD138+ bone marrow cells or sera from NP-exposed old mice failed to protect naive young mice. These findings suggest that NP exposure elicits extended protection against pneumococcal lung infection by generating long-lived CD138+ ASC and that the protective efficacy of these responses declines with age.
Decomposition of the technical efficiency of the banking system
Authors: Abel Sanderson , Bara Alex , Le Roux Pierre
Published: April 2018

The study investigated the technical efficiency of the commercial banks in Zimbabwe during the period 2009–2015. The study entailed the decomposition of the technical efficiency into pure technical and scale efficiency to understand the sources of the technical inefficiency in the commercial banks in Zimbabwe. To accomplish the task, the study sampled 11 commercial banks of which 6 are domestic and the other 5 are foreign banks. The study used the data envelopment analysis method. The results of the study revealed that commercial banks in Zimbabwe are technically inefficient with an efficiency score of 82.9%. The average pure technical and scale efficiency scores were 96.6% and 85.6%, respectively. The results imply that technical inefficiency of the Zimbabwean commercial banks is mainly a result of scale inefficiency emanating from decreasing returns to scale. The deduction is that commercial banks in Zimbabwe are operating at below their optimum capacity and hence have scope to increase their operations in order to improve on technical efficiency.
On the sensitivity of the Devonian climate to continental configuration, vegetation cover and insolation
Authors: Brugger Julia , Hofmann Matthias , Petri Stefan , Feulner Georg
Published: April 2018

Abstract. During the Devonian period (419 to 359 million years ago), life on Earth witnessed decisive evolutionary break-throughs, most prominently the colonisation of land by vascular plants and vertebrates. At the same time, it is also a period of major marine extinction events coinciding with marked changes in climate. There is limited knowledge about the causes of these changes and their interactions. It is therefore instructive to explore systematically how the Devonian climate system responds to changes in critical boundary conditions. Here we use coupled climate-model simulations to investigate separately the influence of changes in orbital parameters, continental configuration and vegetation cover on the Devonian climate. Variations of Earth's orbital parameters affect the Devonian climate system, with the warmest climate states at high obliquity and high eccentricity, but the amplitude of global temperature differences is smaller than suggested by an earlier study based on an uncoupled atmosphere model. The prevailing mode of climate variability on decadal to centennial timescales relates to surface air temperature fluctuations in high northern latitudes which are mediated by coupled oscillations involving sea-ice cover, ocean convection and a regional overturning circulation in the Arctic. Furthermore, we find only a small biogeophysical effect of changes in vegetation cover on global climate during the Devonian, and the impact of changes in continental configuration is small as well. Assuming decreasing atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations throughout the Devonian, we then set up model runs representing the Early, Middle and Late Devonian. Comparing the simulations for these timeslices, the temperature evolution is dominated by the strong decrease in atmospheric carbon dioxide. In particular, the albedo change due to the in- crease in land vegetation alone cannot explain the temperature rise found in Late Devonian proxy data which remains difficult to reconcile with reconstructed falling carbon-dioxide levels. Simulated temperatures are significantly lower than estimates based on oxygen-isotope ratios, suggesting a lower δ18O ratio of Devonian seawater.
Water remote sensing reflectance from radiative transfer
simulations on a global scale of Inherent Optical Properties
Authors: Kritten Lena , Preusker Rene , Brockmann Carsten , Fincke Tonio , Koponen Sampsa , Fischer Jürgen
Published: April 2018

Abstract. The remote-sensing reflectance (Rrs) is in someway an artificial unit, that is constructed in order to contain the spectral colour information of the water body, but to be hardly influenced by the atmosphere above. In ocean colour remotesensing it is the measure to define the optical properties of the water/water constituents. Rrs is the ratio of water-leaving radiance and down-welling irradiance. It is derived from top-of-atmosphere radiance/reflectance measurements through atmospheric correction. A database with Rrs from radiative 5 transfer simulations is capable to serve as a forward model for the retrieval of water constituents. For the present database the Rrs is simulated in dependency of inherent optical properties (IOPs) representing pure water with different salinities and 5 water constituents (Chlorophyll-a-pigment, Detritus, CDOM (coloured dissolved organic matter), a "big" and a "small" scatterer) in a global range of concentrations. The interpolation points for each IOP were chosen in order to reproduce the entire functional relationship between this particular IOP and the corresponding Rrs. The IOPs are varied independently. The data is available for 9 solar, 9 viewing zenith and 25 azimuth angles. The spectral resolution of the data is 1nm, which allows the convolution to any ocean colour sensors’ spectral response function. The data is produced with the radiative transfer code MOMO (Matrix Operator Model), which simulates the full radiative transfer in atmosphere and ocean. The code is hosted at the institute of space sciences at Freie Universität Berlin and is not publicly available. The look-up table (LUT) is available at: doi:10.1594/WDCC/LUT_for_WDC_I (Kritten et al., 2017).
Anatomy of simultaneous flood peaks at a lowland confluence
Authors: Geertsema Tjitske J. , Teuling Adriaan J. , Uijlenhoet Remko , Torfs Paul J. J. F. , Hoitink Ton J. F.
Published: April 2018

Abstract. Lowlands are vulnerable to flooding due to their mild topography in often densely populated areas with high social and economic value. Moreover, multiple physical processes coincide in lowland areas, such as those involved in river-sea interactions and in merging of rivers. Simultaneous occurrence of such processes can result in amplifying or attenuating effects on water levels. Our aim is to understand the mechanisms behind simultaneous occurrence of discharge waves in a river and its lowland tributaries. Here, we introduce a new way of analyzing lowland discharge and water level dynamics, by tracing individual flood waves based on dynamic time warping. We take the confluence of the Meuse river (~33,000 km2) with the joining tributaries of the Dommel and Aa rivers as an example, especially because the January 1995 flood at this confluence was the result of the simultaneous occurrence of discharge peaks in the main stream and the tributaries. The analysis shows that the exact timing of the arrival of discharge peaks is of little relevance, because of the long duration of the average discharge wave compared to typical time lags between peaks. The discharge waves last on average 9 days, whereas the lag time between discharge peaks in the main river and the tributaries is typically 3 days. This result in backwaters that can rise up to 1.5 m over a distance of 4 km from the confluence.
Combined resistive and thermoelectric oxygen sensor with almost temperature-independent characteristics
Authors: Bektas Murat , Stöcker Thomas , Mergner Angelika , Hagen Gunter , Moos Ralf
Published: April 2018

Abstract. The present study is focused in two directions. In the first part,
BaFe(1-x)-0.01Al0.01TaxO3−δ (BFATx) thick films
with a Ta content between 0.1 and 0.4 were manufactured using the novel room
temperature coating method “aerosol deposition” (ADM), and its material
properties were characterized to find the best composition of BFATx for
temperature-independent oxygen sensors. The material properties “Seebeck
coefficient” and “conductivity” were determined between 600 and
800 ∘C at different oxygen partial pressures.
BaFe0.69Al0.01Ta0.3O3−δ (BFAT30) was found out to
be very promising due to the almost temperature-independent behavior of both
the conductivity and the Seebeck coefficient. In the second part of this
study, films of BFAT30 were prepared on a special transducer that includes a
heater, equipotential layers, and special electrode structures so that a
combined direct thermoelectric/resistive oxygen sensor of BFAT30 with almost
temperature-independent characteristics of both measurands, Seebeck
coefficient and conductance could be realized. At high oxygen partial
pressures (pO2 > 10−5 bar), the electrical
conductance of the sensor shows an oxygen sensitivity of m = 0.24 (with
m being the slope in the logσ vs. logpO2 representation
according to the behavior of σαpO2m), while the Seebeck
coefficient changes with a slope of
−38 µV K−1 per decade of pO2 at 700 ∘C. However,
at low pO2 (pO2 < 10−14 bar) the conductance
and the Seebeck coefficient change with pO2, with a slope of
m = −0.23 and −21.2 µV K−1 per decade pO2,
respectively.
Water quality modelling of an impacted semi-arid catchment using flow data from the WEAP model
Authors: Slaughter Andrew R. , Mantel Sukhmani K.
Published: April 2018

Abstract. The continuous decline in water quality in many regions is forcing a shift
from quantity-based water resources management to a greater emphasis on
water quality management. Water quality models can act as invaluable tools
as they facilitate a conceptual understanding of processes affecting water
quality and can be used to investigate the water quality consequences of
management scenarios. In South Africa, the Water Quality Systems Assessment
Model (WQSAM) was developed as a management-focussed water quality model
that is relatively simple to be able to utilise the small amount of
available observed data. Importantly, WQSAM explicitly links to systems
(yield) models routinely used in water resources management in South Africa
by using their flow output to drive water quality simulations. Although
WQSAM has been shown to be able to represent the variability of water
quality in South African rivers, its focus on management from a South
African perspective limits its use to within southern African regions for
which specific systems model setups exist. Facilitating the use of WQSAM
within catchments outside of southern Africa and within catchments for which
these systems model setups to not exist would require WQSAM to be able to
link to a simple-to-use and internationally-applied systems model. One such
systems model is the Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) model, which
incorporates a rainfall-runoff component (natural hydrology), and reservoir
storage, return flows and abstractions (systems modelling), but within which
water quality modelling facilities are rudimentary. The aims of the current
study were therefore to: (1) adapt the WQSAM model to be able to use as input
the flow outputs of the WEAP model and; (2) provide an initial assessment of
how successful this linkage was by application of the WEAP and WQSAM models
to the Buffalo River for historical conditions; a small, semi-arid and
impacted catchment in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. The simulations of
the two models were compared to the available observed data, with the
initial focus within WQSAM on a simulation of instream total dissolved
solids (TDS) and nutrient concentrations. The WEAP model was able to
adequately simulate flow in the Buffalo River catchment, with consideration
of human inputs and outputs. WQSAM was adapted to successfully take as input
the flow output of the WEAP model, and the simulations of nutrients by WQSAM
provided a good representation of the variability of observed nutrient
concentrations in the catchment. This study showed that the WQSAM model is
able to accept flow inputs from the WEAP model, and that this approach is
able to provide satisfactory estimates of both flow and water quality for a
small, semi-arid and impacted catchment. It is hoped that this research will
encourage the application of WQSAM to an increased number of catchments
within southern Africa and beyond.
Sedimentary evolution and ecosystem change in Ahémé lake, south-west Benin
Authors: Amoussou Ernest , Totin Vodounon Henri S. , Vissin Expédit W. , Mahé Gil , Oyédé Marc Lucien
Published: April 2018

Abstract. Tropical moist ecosystems, such as Ahémé lake, south-west Benin, are increasingly marked by water degradation, linked with the activities of increasing riparian populations. The objective of this study is to analyze sedimentary dynamics and its influence on the changing ecosystem of Ahémé lake from 1961–2010. Data used to carry out the study are records of precipitation, flows, turbidity, suspended sediment, mineral elements and bathymetry. Grain size data from the sieving of sediment samples were used to interpret suspended solids distribution in the lake. Linear correlation coefficients were used to assess the degree of dependence between rainfall and runoff inputs to the lake. Lake depth measurements in some areas of the lake serve to determine the rate of infilling. The sorting index was used to highlight the distribution and origin of sediments in the lake. The results show a degradation of the lake Ahémé ecosystem characterized by infilling of its bed, a high correlation (r=0.90) between rainfall and runoff, seasonal change in physicochemical parameters (total suspended sediment decrease by −91 %) and decrease in fish production by 135.8 t yr−1. The highest mean suspended sediment concentrations in lake inputs occur during high water periods (123 mg L−1) compared to low water periods (11.2 mg L−1).
The Informal Tourism Economic Model of the Ethnic Minority Regionsin Southwest China
Authors: Qin Yusu , Qi Yang
Published: April 2018

Yunnan province located in Southwest China and owns a variety of tourism resource that makes him become one of the most popular tourist resorts. But, due to these ethnic minorities who are directly transferred from the primitive commune economy and feudal lord economy to modern market economy disable to grip the operation essence of the current economy system and the out-comers who are proficient in the market competition crowded out the natives and occupied the resources, the economy of Yunnan separated into two skin which produced the ethnic tensions and obstacles of economic development. Under this circumstance, informal economy plays a non-negligible role. Through a field work in the northeast areas of these regions, we found that a kind of informal tourism economy model that through constituted an informal tourism network which consisted of varieties of travel agencies, local restaurants, hotels and inns to collecting the individual tourists to forming a tour group called Individual Spell Group. This complementary network attracts tourists to buy their tour package in an ultra- low price and inducing them to shopping in some of special shopping spots operated by local ethnic minorities in a way we called ‘Soft compulsive shopping’. So, that, the funds be ingeniously transferred to the pocket of local ethnic minorities and then distributing to the other members of this network. In addition, our research found that by artfully utilizing the change of tax levy way, this kind of informal model also help local government to avoiding revenue levied by the state and keep the funds to developing this region. We believe the informal economy not only play an important role in some economic system especially where the modernity absent but also could efficiently solving the social problems, changing political force and, ultimately, effecting the people’s thinking.
A Multiliteracies Approach to Teaching Korean Multimodal (Im)politeness
Authors: Yoon Sue Y. , Brown Lucien
Published: April 2018

This study provides and tests pedagogical materials for teaching Korean multimodal (im)politeness, reflecting recent findings on the role of nonverbal means of communication in the communication of (im)politeness. A pedagogy of multiliteracies is implemented in this study, which supports the development of language learners' multimodal competence. Within the multiliteracies classroom, learners are encouraged to actively express their identities via language and other multimodal means. In order to examine the effectiveness of multiliteracies framework in enhancing identity negotiation, the activities performed by language learners to express their identities are analyzed from an activity-theoretic perspective. This study includes an 80-minute lesson designed around the theme of yeyuy ‘manners, etiquette’ in Korea for intermediate-level Korean learners as well as a qualitative analysis of the classroom interaction where the lesson was carried out. The analysis shows that language learners construct and negotiate their first-language and second-language identities producing multimodal identity artifacts, while expressing their own perspectives on Korean (im)politeness and dealing with the views held by the teacher, their classmates, and materials. It is also demonstrated that learners recognize the significance of multimodal resources involved in authentic media texts and critically evaluate the (im)politeness-related meanings that the resources intend to signal.
Teaching Listener Responses to KFL Students
Authors: Lee Hyo Sang , Yoon Kyung-Eun , Yoon Sang-Seok
Published: April 2018

Although virtually all foreign language teaching practices advocate a communicative approach, learners' conversations lack interactional features that are essential for proper communication, and are commonly found in those of native speakers. Critically missing are listener responses (LRs) that facilitate negotiating meanings communicated among interlocutors by indicating the listener's conversational engagement, signaling the listener's stance of agreement/disagreement, alignment/disalignment, approval/disapproval, requesting clarification and confirmation, and so on. It is essential to be able to use LRs for the learners' conversation to be as natural and interactionally appropriate as those of native speakers. Therefore, it is necessary to teach how to use them implicitly or explicitly. We propose a number of procedures and activities with which learners learn how to use LRs so as to enhance their interactional competence.
A Five-Day Lesson Plan for Level 1 High School Korean
Authors: Shin Hye Young , Haley Marjorie Hall
Published: April 2018

This forum presents lesson plans on the topic of family for high school students at the beginning level in the public school system in areas where many community members speak Korean. The lessons would typically be taught in week 8 as part of the unit entitled, “Personal and Family Life,” which has a total of 20 lessons. Since this is the first unit, students' ability for speaking and writing Korean is very limited, while they should have learned how to introduce themselves using name, school year, school, and nationality, and to produce the copula verb and existence verb. For this topic on the family, students will learn family-related terminology and action verbs in simple present tense in order to talk about family events and Chu-suk and compare it with Thanksgiving. This unit plan meets the national 5C and state standards. The objectives are to enable students to use Korean to talk and write about their own family as well as to demonstrate understanding of Korean culture related to families (e.g., family relationship, family events). They should be able to compare this information with American culture through these lessons.
Función significante, función simbolizante y dinamismo simbólico. Estudio desde algunas aportaciones de la filosofía de Xavier Zubiri
Authors: Cervera Milán José Raúl
Published: April 2018

The present work intends to offer some elements in which it will be possible to enable, focus and bring in context the question on the nature of actions and symbolic elements. The study will be developed around three notions: the signifer function, the symbolizing function and the symbolizing dynamisms. The path that is proposed to achieve this goal, one hand, goes through interdisciplinary interstices, in this case, through dialogue among some of the best accomplishments of various disciplines which are related to the language and the symbols management, and on the other hand on the analysis provided by the Noology of X. Zubiri, as well as some of his philosophical elements associated to God and the Mankind. The findings of experimental disciplines allow to describe the operation of the signifer function and the symbolizing function. In the end –always provisional- we confirm that, the nature of the symbolic dynamisms explains noologically and distinguishes conveniently the symbolling function, is the zubirian contribution about reasoning March.Realidad: Revista de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades No. 149, 2017: 51-90
La masculinización del tiempo dedicado al trabajo doméstico rutinario
Authors: Moreno-Colom Sara , Ajenjo Cosp Marc , Borràs Català Vicent
Published: April 2018

El artículo analiza los cambios en la distribución del trabajo doméstico entre hombres y mujeres. La hipótesis de partida plantea que la tendencia a una mayor dedicación de los hombres al trabajo doméstico no lleva aparejada una disminución del tiempo que las mujeres dedican a las tareas domésticas, sobre todo, las más rutinarias. A partir de la Encuesta de Empleo del Tiempo (INE), se estudia el caso de las parejas de doble ingreso heterosexuales, siendo la variable a explicar el cambio en el tiempo que se dedica al trabajo doméstico según su clasificación en cuatro grupos de actividades. Los resultados apuntan que pervive la desigual dedicación de hombres y mujeres al trabajo doméstico y la segregación de tareas según su contenido, aunque se observa una disminución de dichas diferencias.
Análisis provincial de la nupcialidad en España (1887-2001)
Authors: Jesús Javier Sánchez Barricarte
Published: April 2018

A partir de los datos provinciales de la edad de acceso al primer matrimonio y la soltería definitiva presentamos un detallado análisis del comportamiento nupcial según sexo en España que cubre el período 1887-2001. Hemos podido comprobar que la gran diversidad provincial de patrones nupciales observados en España estuvo marcada fundamentalmente por la diferente intensidad del porcentaje de soltería definitiva más que por la distinta edad de acceso al matrimonio.

También hemos constatado que los tradicionales patrones provinciales se siguieron replicando al menos hasta mediados del siglo pasado. La aplicación de modernas técnicas de análisis de panel de datos nos ha permitido confirmar algunas hipótesis explicativas que habitualmente suelen aparecer en la literatura especializada (referente al nivel económico, educativo o de urbanización) respecto al devenir histórico del comportamiento nupcial en España.
Gravity, Mass and the Cosmological Constant: All Can Have the Same Origin
Authors: Veringa Hubert
Published: April 2018

The general belief about gravity is that any suitable theory should include, or will be, a merger of classical quantum theory and relativity. In a recent publication (Veringa, H. J., 2018) a new scheme of analysis for the mutual interaction between particles that have some exchange with respect to time and space has already been presented. The remarkable thing is that, apparently for more than one reason, particles will be interacting in groups of two and only two and can give rise to gravitational interaction. This pair formation was described quantum-mechanically.This analysis starts from the from the classical Schrödinger equation to describe the behaviour of a pair of particles whose solution is used as the invariant term of the relativistic Einstein Energy equation, but this latter formulated in a quantum-mechanical setting known as the “Klein-Gordon” (KG) equation. By solving this equation the properties of the gravitational interaction, as they occur in Newton’s gravity law, are found. Next to this it is also shown that the attribution of mass is a consequence of all other masses constituting our universe and whose calculated value is within the right order of magnitude of what is experimentally observed.More or less as a surprise it became clear that the solution of the KG-equation, which already has lead to the law of gravity and particle masses, can be easily interpreted in such a way that the Cosmological Constant, as it has initially been introduced by Einstein in his famous Field Equation, emerges. This Constant appears to have basically the same properties as Einstein’s Cosmological Constant. It became clear that the existence of such a constant is necessary to have a non-zero value of the gravitational interaction.
Application of Extended Geometrical Criterion to Population Model with Two Time Delays
Authors: Ma Suqi
Published: April 2018

Geometrical criterion is a flexible method to be applied to a type of delay differential equations with delay dependent coefficient. The criterion is used to solve roots attribution of the related characteristic equation in complex plane effectively by introducing a new parameter skillfully. An extended geometrical criterion is developed to compute the stability of DDEs with two time delays. It is found that stability switching phenomena arise while equilibrium solution loses its stability and becomes unstable, then retrieve its stability again. Hopf bifurcation and the bifurcating periodic solution is analyzed by applying central manifold reduction method. The novel dynamical behaviors such as periodical solution bifurcating to chaos are discovered by using numerical simulation method.
Return Levels Approach and Periods of Currency Crises
Authors: HAMIDOU Mouridi , Mung'atu Joseph , Orwa George
Published: April 2018

Dating and observing currency crisis periods lie at the heart of much international researchers. This is due to the lack of agreement in one research methodology. Until today, there does not exist a single theory or specific international policy regulation that can explain this phenomenon in global. To identify the periods of currency crisis, many methods have been brought out. Literature first employed a combination of sample mean and standard deviation. Some recent studies have attempted to use extreme value theory (EVT). Although these procedures have been more criticized in most of the literature. These drawbacks of existing approaches give rise to a new approach which is the main goal of this research. The main purpose of this study is to employ return levels technique to date currency crisis periods. The study will discuss only one method the block maxima approach. The stress losses i.e the generalized extreme value (GEV) distribution will be fitted to the annual block maxima to estimate the T-year return levels of extreme exchange market pressure index (EMPI). The parameters of the GEV distribution are estimated using the ML estimator method. Beside, a detailed procedure of the new approach is implemented. A comparison study between our identification approach and the existing conventional approach in the most literature is also conducted. We further illustrate the method by an empirical study on identifying periods of currency crisis of Kenya as case study. For practical implement the study focuses only on one single currency crisis model known as the alternative EMP index model for the intent of arbitrating the performance among various techniques. Results suggest that our new approach (RLDT) is performing better than the conventional method when the return period is considered big. Nonetheless, our technique appears to dominate the existing conventional approaches. This paper covers only a small area of this growing field of research. Hopefully, our investigations to contribute to these efforts by showing that return level dating technique derived from stress-losses model may have a place in the toolbox of economists looking for more accurate techniques in predicting currency crises.
Relative Crash Involvement Ratio Associated with Different Sources of Young Drivers’ Distraction
Authors: Naghawi Hana , Aldalain Shatha
Published: April 2018

This paper aims to identify crash risk factors associated with young drivers’ distractions. Many factors were implicated including using mobile phones while driving or driving with passengers. Data needed for this study were collected from an online questionnaire survey. Beside young drivers’ distraction data, records on drivers’ demographics including age, gender and educational level were collected. Safety-related data on seat belt use were also collected. Each of the variables, contributing to young drivers’ distraction, safety, and educational level, was sorted into four categories according to young driver age (≤18, 19-22, 23-26, and 27-30 years old). The Relative Crash Involvement Ratio (RCIR) was estimated using the Quasi Induced Exposure Method (QIEM) using Microsoft Excel 2007. The results were then exported to the Statistical Package for Social Science Version 19 software. Paired t-test and ANOVA analysis were used to find the statistical significance in the RCIR values. Among the general findings, five outcomes were most prominent. The higher the educational level, the less likely young drivers would get involved in a crash. Young drivers ≤18 years old were almost 4.5 times more likely to get involved in a crash when 3 passengers travelled with them compared to 27-30 year-old drivers. Young drivers of all age groups were more likely to get involved in a crash when using mobile phones. Crash risk was reduced by up to 83 % when young drivers stopped using their mobile phone while driving. Crash risk was reduced by up to 93.43 % when young drivers used seat belt while driving. Finally, countermeasures to improve young drivers’ safety were proposed.
10.5555 OJS DEPV1 TEST
Authors: User Crossref
Published: April 2018

This is a test
Problem stosowania najważniejszych aktów prawa alimentacyjnego międzynarodowego
w relacjach polsko-hiszpańskich w kontekście egzekucji alimentów
na rzecz przebywającego w Polsce dziecka od zobowiązanego przebywającego w Hiszpanii
Authors: Aksamitowska-Kobos, Magdalena , Łukasiewicz Jakub M.
Published: April 2018

This publication presents the evolution of international law acts in the scope of alimony execution from the obliged one residing on the territory of Spain, for the benefit of a child, having the enforcement order and residing in Poland. In this context, it is worth noticing that in case of the discussed Polish-Spanish relations, the performance of scientific discourse concerning alimony execution seems particularly interesting, due to the fact that the prescriptive material being a kind of achievement of international diplomacy in the practical aspect, is often useless. Despite the formal introduction of other legal acts, that is the New York Convention of 1956, the Hague Convention of 1973, the Lugano Convention of 1988 and the Brussels I Regulation (regulation 44/2001), it can be stated that during the practical use of law, a jumping evolution occurred which was the fact that Polish courts only utilized the New York convention and skipped other, indicated acts herein, until the moment of implementation of the regulation 4/2009. The aim of the authors is to point the reasons of such a condition and the presentation of the process leading the obtainment of the benefits due to the entitled one.
Instrumenty prawne reglamentacji obrotu nieruchomościami rolnymi w Polsce na tle regulacji wybranych państw europejskich
Authors: Czechowski Paweł , Niewiadomski Adam
Published: April 2018

The article presents selected legal instruments affecting the turnover of agricultural real estate in Poland. Changes since 2016 have introduced not only a new legal regime, but also numerous restrictions on the purchase of agricultural real estate. In some respects, they correspond to the resolution of the European Parliament, which encourages EU Member States to protect the agricultural nature of real estate. The current legal status, however, significantly affects the Treaty free movement of capital. In addition, it limits constitutionally protected property. The Polish regulations have been presented against the background of the regulations of selected European countries.
Jeszcze w sprawie
wielostronności, kauzalności i braku wzajemności umowy spółki cywilnej
Authors: Możdżeń-Marcinkowski Michał , Rykowski Robert
Published: April 2018

By this article authors have opportunity to take part in the discussion on multilateralism, causality and non-reciprocity of civil partnership agreements in Polish legal regulation. The article provides an in-depth, normative analysis of the legal nature of a so called “civil law company” in the context of its complex, practical and theoretical organizational nature.
Authors took up the civil law firm as a legal entity. As a result of the changed legal and economic context in Poland after the period of political transformation, it became necessary to redefine many issues. An example of this is the discussion on the legal status of a civil partnership as well as the controversy about its qualification as an entrepreneur or as an organization. The intention of the authors is to try to draw attention to the fact that, with such diversity of potential application of a civil law partnership in business, the maintenance of one broad regulation, which is currently included in Art. 860–875 of Polish Civil Code is non-functional.
Amylin under examination. Fibrillogenic potential of the troublesome molecule
Authors: Marszałek Małgorzata
Published: April 2018

In patients or animals affected by 2 type diabetes mellitus (diabetes mellitus type 2 DM2, non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus NIDDM) some pathological deposits, called amyloid are observed among cells of islets of Langerhans. Among others constituents deposits consist of insoluble, fibrillar form of polipeptide neurohormone called amylin, produced by pancreatic beta cells.. It is thought that formation of fibrillar deposits of misfolded and aggregated polipeptide is highly toxic to beta cells and leads to cell dysfunction, cell loss, pancreas destruction and progress of the disease. Due to the extreme insolubility of this polipeptide and its instant fibrillation amylin constitutes a methodological problem and there is a need for a special methodology in experiments. This article reviews the most important experiments aimed at discovering fibrillogenic potential of amylin and models of interaction of the polipeptide’s monomers in man and rat. Numerous methodological difficulties in amylin research has been also emphasized.
Kształtowanie jednolitej wspólnej regulacji rynków rolnych
w Unii Europejskiej i Polsce
Authors: Osdoba Wiktoria
Published: April 2018

Pending the entry into force of the Common Agricultural Organization of Agricultural Markets in 2007, there were twenty one coexisting industry market organizations as defined in the relevant basic EU regulations. Merging in one legal act the provisions of several dozen other EU regulations and looking at the single European market in a holistic and not sectoral way, illustrates the current way of running the Common Agricultural Policy, which seeks to comprehensively address the problems of the European agricultural market. From 1st September 2017, there has been a National Support Center for Agriculture, which took over the tasks of two liquidated agencies: the Agricultural Property Agency and the Agricultural Market Agency. Adaptation of the Polish legislation within the framework of agricultural policy will have to take into account the changes taking place in the Common Agricultural Policy in the future. From 1st October 2017, the sugar-producing quota system which existed for the last 50 years, setting the limits for individual Member States of the European Union, was terminated. This was the last system of agricultural quotas within the European Union. Following the harmonization of the Polish legislation with European standards, we are aware of the fact that the EU law is constantly facing changes.
Wskazanie prawa właściwego przez osobę żądającą ochrony
dóbr osobistych według ustawy – Prawo prywatne międzynarodowe
Authors: Rycko Nikodem
Published: April 2018

Law applicable to the protection of the rights of personality rights is regulated by a method of alternative indication with two equivalent connecting factors. The legislator has not specify who and how should determine which one will apply. Both the linguistic formulation and functional arguments support the conclusion that it is the right of the claimant. In case of lack of such indication the court should apply the law which is most closely connected to the situation.
Oddanie pisma w placówce operatora pocztowego – uwagi
de lege lata i de lege ferenda
Authors: Wójcicka Ewa
Published: April 2018

The aim of this article is to discuss the problems of submitting process letters to courts and public administration bodies via a postal operator as well as to indicate essential problems caused by unjustified differentiation of standards concerning the compliance with time-limits when the subject has limited or excluded opportunity to lodge a pleading a letter in person. Only in criminal proceedings and proceedings in cases of offences the participants have full freedom to choose a postal operator and to benefit from the presumption of lodging of a submitting a letter in the date of sending. In administrative proceedings, administrative court proceedings and tax proceedings, to be sure that legal deadline will be met, one should submit a letter to a court or a public administration body via a postal operator providing universal postal services. The article drew attention to a lack of consistency and consequence of the legislator relating to the regulation of submitting letters depending on the nature of proceedings and place of residence.
Contemporary Management of Osteoporotic Fractures
Authors: Czerwiński Edward , Czubak Jarosław , Synder Marek , Warzecha Maja , Berwecka Małgorzata
Published: April 2018

With aging of the population, osteoporotic fractures are becoming an increasing medical problem world­wide. It has been estimated that 2,700,000 patients experienced a low energy fracture in the Polish population in 2010. On the basis of contemporary world standards and publications in the field of orthopaedics and trau­matic surgery, a summary of the principles of management of osteoporotic fractures is presented. Both general problems of fracture treatment in elderly patients as well as difficulties in surgical and conservative treatment resulting from osteoporotic bone abnormalities are discussed. Special attention is paid to preoperative and postoperative procedures in patients with proximal femur fractures. Also presented is a contemporary strategy for the treatment of fractures of the distal forearm, proximal humerus and vertebrae. General principles of diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis are discussed.
El rol de las redes sociales en la comunicación de marca de los hospitales españoles
Authors: Medina Aguerrebere Pablo
Published: April 2018

Las redes sociales se han convertido en una herramienta de comunicación institucional muy potente para la creación de marcas reputadas. Por eso, los hospitales apuestan cada vez más por dicha herramienta como método para mejorar las relaciones que establecen con los distintos stakeholders (pacientes, autoridades públicas, medios de comunicación, etc.). El objetivo de este artículo es reflexionar sobre el impacto de las redes sociales en la construcción de la marca hospitalaria. Para ello, se realiza una revisión bibliográfica sobre la comunicación institucional, la marca y las redes sociales; y, posteriormente, se analiza la comunicación en redes sociales de los 100 mejores hospitales de España. La principal conclusión del artículo es que los hospitales deben priorizar el trabajo multidisciplinar, la colaboración entre el Departamento de Comunicación y el Departamento de Gestión del Conocimiento, así como la formación del profesional de la salud en comunicación institucional.
Marketing sensorial: merchandising a través de las emociones en el punto de venta. Análisis de un caso
Authors: Jiménez Marín Gloria , Elías Zambrano Rodrigo
Published: April 2018

No siempre se compra de forma racional siendo muchas las ocasiones en las que los consumidores se dejan llevar por emociones, por los sentidos. En este escenario aparece el concepto de marketing sensorial, que responde a la estimulación de los sentidos para intentar incrementar la rentabilidad de los establecimientos comerciales. En el caso del retail se hace uso de distintos colores para identificar secciones, se hace uso de música para aumentar el tiempo de permanencia en un espacio; se potencia un olor agradable para evocar un ambiente envolvente o dar a probar un producto y, de este modo, darlo a conocer aumentando, con ello, la probabilidad de venta. Aquellos establecimientos que ponen en práctica el marketing sensorial suelen obtener resultados muy gratos. En el presente estudio se analiza la puesta en práctica de una serie de sencillas técnicas de marketing sensorial en el caso de una empresa textil española (sevillana) adaptando el modelo de Hulten, Broweus y Van Dijk (2009). Concretamente se aplican tácticas de marketing visual, olfativo y sonoro para analizar las posteriores percepciones y actitudes de los consumidores frente a tres ítems objetivos y medibles como son: el tiempo de permanencia en la tienda, la satisfacción del cliente y el total de ventas del establecimiento.