bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MULTIPLE-ACTOR COST CONTROL AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEM: THE UML BLUEPRINT
Authors: Leon Hany , Georgy Maged , Ibrahim Moheeb
Published: March 2020

Proper cost control and management is pivotal for the success of construction projects and companies alike. However, several of the systems in usage are fragmented, especially in regards to how cost data at the project, department and company levels are portrayed. This is particularly observed when companies carry a sizeable portfolio of projects in diverse and sometimes remote locations. This calls for establishing an integrated cost control and management system capable of addressing these deficiencies while portraying the cost status at various levels of the company’s chain of command. Paper introduces an information system (IS) developed for such purpose and which pools multiple actors in the company’s hierarchy. It has the potential to streamline the dataflow between the different departments and throughout the company’s chain of command. System’s functionality is based on the Object-Oriented (O-O) approach and the Unified Modelling Language (UML) known in System Analysis and Design (SAD) of computer-based IS.
EVALUATION OF THE ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY OF HONEYCOMB GIRDERS OF ROOFS OF INDUSTRIAL STEEL-FRAMED BUILDINGS
Authors: Petersen Tobias , Krahwinkel Manuel , Behrens Matthias
Published: March 2020

A honeycomb girder (HCG) is defined by a mirror symmetric composition of two trapezoidal corrugated steel sheets (TCSSs). Mechanical fasteners such as screws or rivets connect them. This connection creates a honeycomb-like profile, which permits double height and thereby explicitly improves the stiffness compared to a single TCSS. The present paper investigates the economic efficiency of HCGs in the application as a cladding of roofs and facades of industrial steel-framed buildings. The typical primary structure of industrial steel buildings consists of steel frameworks, which where arranged in an equidistant manner. Orthogonally to the span direction of the steel frameworks TCSSs span between them, catch wind and snow loads and conduct the forces in the primary structure. Based on a numerical parametric study on the load carrying behavior of HCGs under bending 30 different industrial steel-framed building systems where structurally designed due to the rules of Eurocode 3. The investigated systems differ in framework distances, framework width and snow loads. By comparing the determined steel tonnage of each system with the steel tonnage of a reference system, which is constructed with commonly used TCSSs, the economic efficiency of HCGs in the application as a cladding of roofs and facades of industrial steel-framed buildings becomes evaluated.
PROBABILISTIC CONDITION ASSESSMENT TECHNIQUE FOR TIMBER POWER POLES
Authors: Rajeev Pathmanathan , Gad Emad , Sriskantharajah Baraneedaran
Published: March 2020

Timber poles are extensively used in Australia to support overhead electric and telecommunication facilities. The strength of the pole degrades over time, and pole failure can have serious safety and economic implications. The failure occurs when stresses exceed the remaining strength of the timber element. In this paper, a probabilistic framework is developed to estimate the remaining life of the timber power pole system. The developed framework permits the user to consider the variability in the capacity of the timber pole and cross-arm, loading and deterioration processes, and to propagate the uncertainty associated in each stage of the assessment procedure. Further, the time-dependent failure rate of the pole system is estimated to develop the risk matrix to improve the current renewal and replacement decision making process used by the utility companies in Australia.
TEACHING INNOVATION IN CONSTRUCTION
Authors: Cheung S. O. , Chan K. Y. , Chow P. T.
Published: March 2020

Construction industry is a major contributor to many economies. Hong Kong is no exception. The culture of the industry is geared to accept the inevitability of competition and to develop a keen competitive spirit. Construction projects are typically secured through competitive bidding; survival of construction organizations is very much hinged on their ability to sustain competitive advantage that can be achieved through innovation and knowledge. Innovation is manifested as the successful implementation of creative ideas. Thus, creativity lies in the heart of innovation and means the production of novel and useful ideas in any domain. Built facilities are often non-repeating products and require careful considerations of numerous on-site and off-site factors. These characteristics are conducive to innovations. It is believed that feedback from the industry into the education system can enhance creativity of the construction profession. As such, universities can act as innovation brokers by consolidating experience and knowledge from innovation champions, then sharing with those future industry players. Ability to innovate is an effective, if not the most, means to meet the upcoming world challenges. Innovative products and services make an organization stands out from the competitors. Exposing students to innovations shall be the first step in fostering an innovative attitude. Further development in innovation can be optimistically projected. This study presents a pragmatic approach to showcase recent innovations in construction to students through the development of a construction innovations catalogue. Construction students are accorded the opportunity to gain insightful and novel ideas. These ideas may venture into their own spheres of innovation. Features of the innovation catalogue are reported in this paper.
MITIGATING AND MANAGING RISKS IN MOBILE TELECOM PROJECTS
Authors: Mostafa Eid M. , Georgy Maged , Osman Hesham , Ibrahim Moheeb
Published: March 2020

Proper risk management is one of the key drivers of successful project delivery. This is more apparent in competitive and fast growing industries such as telecommunication. To better understand the risks faced in construction and deployment of mobile telecom sites (MTS), a research was initiated to: (a) examine risks associated with deploying MTS, and (b) understand the means to mitigate and handle them. The first point was addressed in an earlier publication whilst this paper focuses on the second. Knowledge pertinent to mitigating and handling MTS risks has been acquired via rounds of interviews and questionnaire surveys with a panel of telecom industry experts. Flow charting has been utilized to code the acquired procedural knowledge and provide basis for developing a knowledge base expert system (KBES). The rules technique was selected for knowledge representation. Automation of the KBES is also demonstrated.
OPTIMIZED LOW-EMBODIED AND OPERATIONAL CARBON SOLUTIONS FOR SINGLE-STORY INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS
Authors: Moutaftsis Dimitrios , Resalati Shahaboddin , Heywood Martin , Ogden Raymond
Published: March 2020

Detailed studies have been performed with the aim of determining optimum low-carbon solutions for buildings, and investigating the complex issues involved in their delivery. The evidence presented below suggests that building envelope specification has reached the point where the embodied carbon of any additional insulation balances, and may even outweigh, the corresponding savings in operational carbon. However, the extra material in the envelope has an inherent strength and stiffness that could be utilized to reduce the embodied carbon in the structure if appropriately designed. An extensive series of analyses was undertaken to (a) quantify the aggregated operational and embodied carbon related to modern envelope systems, and (b) evaluate the opportunities for embodied carbon reduction of the frame through the exploitation of the envelope’s structural capability. Particular attention was given to the use of long-span composite panels to reduce the number of supporting structural members. It was found that a considerable saving in embodied carbon is possible compared to traditional construction solutions. The study also suggested the absolute significance of combining operational and embodied carbon analyses, in order to demonstrate the effectiveness of carbon reduction strategies and requirements to shift away from “operational carbon only” methods. The focus of the initial phase of the work has been single-story industrial buildings, but the conclusions are applicable more broadly.
BARRIERS IN IMPLEMENTING SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION
Authors: Siew Renard Y. J. , Sepasgozar Samad M. , Akbarnezhad Ali
Published: March 2020

The construction sector lags other industries when it comes to the implementation of sustainability. This paper highlights some of the key barriers in implementing sustainability within the construction industry sector and proposes recommendations to address them. The paper suggests that the four main barriers faced by the construction industry in implementing sustainability are unclear definitions of sustainable construction, ineffectiveness of sustainability reporting tools (SRTs), slow adoption of ‘green’ technology and the negligence of human resource management. This paper provides an original perspective and challenges current practices (or lack thereof) which hinders the successful implementation of sustainability in construction. It will be of interest to project owners, contractors, academics and other construction practitioners who are interested in the outlook of sustainability within the property and construction industry.
EFFECT OF ACCELERATED CURING ON ABRASION OF HIGH VOLUME SUPPLEMENTARY CEMENTITIOUS MATERIAL SELF CONSOLIDATING CONCRETE
Authors: Alghazali Hayder H. , Myers John J.
Published: March 2020

Sustainability of precast/prestressed concrete plant can be promoted by using supplementary cementitious material and that significantly reduces the embodied energy of precast/ prestressed concrete products. Usually, up to 25% of the cement can be replaced with supplementary cementitious materials (SCM). Increasing the level of replacement to exceed 25% is considered to be High-Volume SCM. Appropriate testing should be conducted to ensure desired performance of the concrete. This context reports the results of an experimental investigation of effect of accelerated curing on abrasion resistance of High Volume Supplementary Cementitious Material – Self Consolidating Concrete (HVSCM-SCC). Different mixes proportion with supplementary cementitious materials such as Fly Ash, Micro Silica, and lime (Up to 75% of cement replacement) were tested. Rheological properties of the HVSCM-SCC were measured. Mechanical properties at different ages 1, 3, 7, 28, 56, and 90 days were monitored. To investigate the abrasion resistance, 12 x 12 x 3.5 in specimens at age of 28, 56, and 90 days were conducted. The results of abrasion resistance of HVSCM-SCC were compared to the same mixes cured in the moist room. The result showed that the accelerated curing has a significant influence on abrasion resistance of concrete at early ages.
KINETIC MODEL TO PREDICT ULTIMATE MORTAR EXPANSION
Authors: Islam Mohammad S. , Ahmad Syed F.
Published: March 2020

This study reports the prediction of ultimate mortar expansion (UME) due to alkali-silica reactivity. The investigated sixteen aggregate groups with a wide range of geology and mortar expansion that were utilized in this study were obtained from two existing experimental studies. The expansions over the 28-day testing period were fitted with the ASR decay model to predict the UME and time required to reach 50%, 75%, 90% and 95% of UME. The study showed that the ultimate mortar expansion varied with aggregate mineralogy. Finally, aggregates susceptible to alkali-silica reactivity were determined based on the proposed limit of ultimate mortar expansion, and they were compared with the results obtained by the aggregate geology and expansion limits at test durations of 14 and 28 days.
THE SHEAR STRENGTH OF 50 MPA CONCRETE BEAMS MADE USING RECYCLED CONCRETE COARSE AGGREGATES
Authors: Rahal Khaldoun , Alrefaei Yazzan
Published: March 2020

Five 50 MPa longitudinally reinforced beams were loaded in a four-point testing setup to study their shear behavior. The beams were three meters long, and their cross section was 150 mm by 420 mm. The testing region did not contain stirrups. The beams were shallow, with a span to depth ratio of 3. All beams were similar except for the percentages of replacement of natural coarse aggregates with recycled concrete coarse aggregates, which were 0%, 10%, 20%, 35% and 100%. The results have shown that the replacement of natural coarse aggregates with recycled ones had a negligible effect on the ultimate shear strength. However, the results on the modulus of elasticity showed a reduction of less than 10% in beams with the use of recycled aggregates.
TIME-HISTORY ANALYSIS RESULTS OF RC FRAMES FOR DIFFERENT GROUND ACCELERATIONS
Authors: Kwon Hak Sub , Shin Kyung Jae , Park Sung Hyun , Min Gi Yo , Lee Joon Sub
Published: March 2020

Recent earthquake in Japan has increased the interest in seismic-resistance performance of building structures in Korea. Earthquake damages not only collapsed the buildings but also caused huge loss of both human lives and property. Therefore, the school buildings, which are often used as an emergency shelter during an earthquake, should be evaluated of their seismic-resistance performance. This study used a nonlinear dynamic analysis program, OpenSees, to perform nonlinear static and dynamic analyses for the seismic-resistance evaluation of school buildings, which were not designed for an earthquake load. Actual earthquake waves were normalized to make them similar to design acceleration spectrum as specified by current seismic design code KBC 2009. Three actual ground accelerations (i.e., El Centro 1940, Kobe 1995 and Northridge 1994) were used to carry out time-history analysis in order to evaluate the overall behavior of the structure and local nonlinear deformation at the element level. The analysis result shows that the old school building not designed for an earthquake may be damaged seriously by an earthquake load of the magnitude equivalent to current design spectrum standard.
RELATION BETWEEN NONLINEAR RESPONSE TO BI-DIRECTIONAL SEISMIC INPUT AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF STRUCTURES
Authors: Hotta Hisato , Takahashi Yoshina
Published: March 2020

The effect of horizontal bi-directional seismic input is not considered in current designing method with equivalent linearizing method, even though there have been cases where a nonlinear response to bi-directional input exceeds the one to one-directional input. The objective of this paper is to grasp the characteristics of nonlinear response of structures to bi-directional seismic input. With an analytical model of a single-mass two-degrees-of-freedom system, we conducted examinations with parameters of mechanical properties: shape of yield surface and yield resistance. It was verified that the response to bi-directional input was often much greater than the one-to-one directional input, and oblateness of the elastic response to bi-directional input was concerned with the characteristics of bi-directional elasto-plastic response.
AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF IN-PLANE, ARCH-SHAPED FLEXURAL DAMPER
Authors: Wang Yen-Po , Chen Di-Hung , Lee Chien-Liang
Published: March 2020

An innovative displacement-dependent metallic yielding damper designed to deform inelastically under in-plane flexural bending for seismic protection of building structures is proposed. The in-plane flexural damper that originated from a portal frame is modified by replacing the beam with a circular arch so that the effect of stress concentration can be minimized. Component tests of the in-plane dampers were conducted and compared with analytical results. Hysteresis of the component test indicates a consistent energy-dissipative characteristic of the damper. Moreover, seismic performance of the proposed damper via a series of shaking table tests was carried out. Excellent seismic performance of the proposed in-plane arched damper was observed. The acceleration responses in both peak and root-mean-squares of all floors are significantly reduced, and were greater in extent compared to the earthquake intensity increases.
The words to say it: student-led exploration of students’ written responses to the year abroad experience
Authors: Day Michela , Hampton Cathy
Published: March 2020

This chapter examines a student-led internship project to repurpose a Residence Abroad (RA) reflective survey in order to achieve better meta-cognitive self-analysis and more productive communication between outgoing and returning students and staff. Evidence from the project and from scholarships pointed to the limitations of free-text reflective reports in prompting effective articulation of lifelong learning skills, despite the RA being viewed as transformational. The interns, recent RA returnees, became peer researchers, analysing survey data and consulting staff experts (a careers consultant, learning technologist, RA co-ordinators, and pastoral care co-ordinators) to produce a more user-friendly and pedagogically-helpful questionnaire. The project permitted an effective two-way sharing of stakeholder needs and allowed the voice of student experience (itself becoming progressively insightful in the course of the project) to critique staff assumptions. New, more cognitively-demanding question sets tied explicitly to employability, wellbeing, intercultural awareness, and personal motivation are now producing much more usable data for staff and students.
Microwave-assisted synthesis of 1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-3-(4-methoxyphenyl)prop-2-en-1-one and its activities as an antioxidant, sunscreen, and antibacterial
Authors: Ikhtiarudin Ihsan , Agistia Nesa , Frimayanti Neni , Harlianti Tria , Jasril Jasril
Published: March 2020

Chalcone analogs have been reported to have a variety of exciting biological activities, such as anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, photoprotective, antibacterial, and antidiabetic activities. Therefore, analogs of these compounds have been widely synthesized as intermediate compounds or target molecules in the discovery of bioactive compounds to be applied in the pharmaceutical field. The purpose of this study is to synthesize chalcone analog compounds (E)-1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-3-(4-methoxyphenyl) prop-2-en-1-on with the microwave irradiation method and explore some of the biological activities of these compounds, including testing the antioxidant activity by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method, in vitro sunscreen activity by microplate method, and antibacterial activity by disk diffusion method. DPPH test results indicate that the compound has weak antioxidant activity, with an IC50 value of 300.43 µg/mL. However, the compound showed excellent potential as a UV B and UV A filter at a concentration of 150 µg/mL with a value of %Te of 0.73±0.10% (sunblock), %Tp of 0.07±0.00% (sunblock), SPF value of 21.10±1.46 (ultra-protection) and potentially better than benzophenone-3 as a standard sunscreen. Then, disk diffusion testing showed that the compound had weak antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and did not show antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli bacteria at test concentrations of 30, 60, and 120 µg/disk.
Profil Kandungan Protein dan Tekstur Tahu Akibat Penambahan Fitat pada Proses Pembuatan Tahu
Authors: Sarjono Purbowatiningrum Ria , Mulyani Nies Suci , Aminin Agustina L. N. , Wuryanti Wuryanti
Published: March 2020

Telah dilakukan penelitian yang bertujuan untuk mempelajari profil kandungan protein dan tekstur tahu akibat penambahan fitat pada proses pembuatan tahu dengan koagulan asam asetat. Fitat merupakan senyawa monoinositol heksafosfat yang terdapat pada biji-bijian berkisar 1-5 % (b/b) dan dikenal sebagai antioksidan alami. Oleh karena itu diupayakan untuk memanfaatkan fitat kedalam proses pengolahan makanan untuk meningkatkan produknya.Pada penelitian ini tekstur tahu diukur dengan alat Penetrometer dan kadar protein dengan metode Kjeldahl pada variasi pH penggumpalan protein susu kedelai tanpa penambahan fitat dan dengan penambahan fitat.Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa variasi pH penggumpalan protein susu kedelai yang ditambahi fitat ternyata mempengaruhi gumpalan tahu yang terbentuk. Jika dibandingkan dengan tahu tanpa penambahan fitat maka terjadi penurunan berat protein tahu pada pH titik isoelektrik (4,5) yaitu dari 8,131 g menjadi 6,273 g. Bertambahnya konsentrasi fitat hingga 0,05 % (b/v) menyebabkan naiknya kekerasan tahu dari 3,02 cm menjadi 1,88 cm. Diatas konsentrasi tersebut kekerasan tahu menurun. Dari hasil tersebut dapat disimpulkan bahwa penambahan fitat akan menyebabkan meningkatnya kekerasan tahu namun dapat menurunkan kadar protein tahu.Kata kunci: tahu, fitat, titik isoelektrik.
Amplifikasi In Vitro dan In Vivo Fragmen 0,4 KB D-Loop mtDNA Sampel Forensik
Authors: Asy’ari Mukhammad , Noer A. Saifuddin
Published: March 2020

Daerah DNA mitokondria (mtDNA) manusia yang mempunyai tingkat polimorfisme tertinggi adalah D-loop. Urutan nukleotida D-loop mtDNA dapat dijadikan alat untuk menentukan identitas genetik seseorang. Saat ini aplikasinya banyak digunakan untuk memecahkan kasus-kasus di bidang forensik. Isolasi fragmen 0,4 kilobasa (kb) D-loop mtDNA dapat dilakukan dengan mengekstrak mtDNA dari dalam sel, kemudian menggandakan (amplifikasi) mtDNA secara in vitro dengan metoda Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) dan secara in vivo dengan metoda Kloning. Pada penelitian ini telah berhasil diamplifikasi secara in vitro fragmen 0,4 kb mtDNA sampel forensik dengan metoda PCR menggunakan primer M1 (5’CACCATTAGCACCCAAAGCT-3’) dan M2 (5’GATTTCAC GGAGGATGGTG-3’) dan secara in vivo dengan metoda kloning menggunakan vektor pGEM-T dalam sel inang Eschericia coli JM 109. Identifikasi hasil PCR dilakukan dengan metoda elektroforesis gel agarosa 1% menggunakan pewarna fluorisen Etidium Bromida. Sedangkan sel rekombinan hasil kloning diseleksi menggunakan media selektif mengandung antibiotik ampisilin dan zat pewarna kultur rekombinan yaitu X-gal dan IPTG sebagai indusernya. Identifikasi plasmid rekombinan yang mengandung fragmen 0,4 kb D-loop mtDNA dilakukan menggunakan enzim restriksi Pst I. Hasil kloning diperoleh jumlah koloni putih (sel rekombinan) : biru (sel non rekombinan) adalah 2 : 1. Hasil analisis restriksi enzim PstI pada plasmid rekombinan diperoleh fragmen berukuran 3,4 kb, hal ini menunjukkan bahwa DNA insert berukuran 0,4 kb sesuai dengan fragmen mtDNA hasil PCR. Plasmid rekombinan selanjutnya digunakan pada penelitian berikutnya, yaitu penentuan urutan nukleotida dengan metode sekuensing sehingga dapat diketahui identitas genetika dari sampel forensik yang dianalisis.
Perbaikan Mutu Fraksi Kerosin Melalui Proses Adsorpsi oleh Karbon Aktif
Authors: Arnelli Arnelli , Hanani Asti
Published: March 2020

Proses adsorpi menggunakan karbon aktif telah digunakan untuk mengurangi kandungan senyawa sulfur dan meningkatkan kualitas warna pada fraksi kerosin. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa berat karbon aktif dan waktu kontak optimum pada proses adsorpsi adalah 150 gram dan 80 menit dengan pengurangan kandungan sulfur 32,2 % sedangkan kualitas warna meningkat 87,5 % dengan demikian proses adsorpsi oleh karbon aktif lebih efektif dalam meningkatkan kualitas warna fraksi kerosin.Kata kunci: Adsorpsi, karbon aktif, fraksi kerosin
Amobilisasi Enzim Bromelin dari Bonggol Nanas dengan Bahan Pendukung (Support) Karagenan dari Rumput Laut (Euchema cottonii)
Authors: Wuryanti Wuryanti
Published: March 2020

Bromelin adalah enzim proteolitik yang terdapat pada tananam nanas (Ananas comosus L) Telah dilakukan amobilisasi bromelin dari bonggol nanas. Amobilisasi dilakukan dengan metode penjebakan dengan polimer karagenan. Penentuan unit aktifitas dengan substrat kasein dan penentuan kadar protein dengan metoda Lowry. Enzim bromelin dari bonggol nanas bebas mempunyai kondisi waktu inkubasi optimum 5 menit, suhu optimum 35 oC, pH optimum 6,0 dengan aktifitas spesifik 7,215 U/mg. Setelah amobilisasi enzim bromelin bonggol nanas amobil memiliki waktu inkubasi optimum 5 menit, suhu optimum 33 oC, pH optimum 6,5 dengan aktivitas spesifik 7,215 U/mg. Pada pemakaian pertama aktifitas spesifik 7,215 U/mg, pada pemakaian kedua 7,215 U/mg, pada pemakaian ketiga 7,020 U/mg. Stabilitas enzim bromelin bonggol nanas amobil dapat dipertahankan hingga dua kali pemakaian.
Z rodowodu klasycznego prawa naturalnego
Authors: Szadok-Bratuń Aleksandra , Bratuń Marek
Published: March 2020

The issue of natural law has been mentioned by almost all philosophers of law, from the classical ones of ancient Greece to contemporary postmodernists, and is presented in various ways. In compliance with Cicero’s observation that “history is the herald of the future” we have attempted to go back to the sources and to start our considerations ab ovo. The historical review does not address systematically the issue discussed here, and only serves to properly explain what natural law in a classical reflection of ius naturale is. Therefore, our approach to the classical natural law has been narrowed down to three selected sophists, Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, and their views of ius naturale in opposition to ius positivum have been briefly outlined. The article consists of two parts: the first one entitled From Heraclitus to Socrates and the second entitled From Plato to Aristotle. The first part presents sophists’ views on the law of nature. It is worth noting that sophists did not analyse the essence of the law of nature; they were primarily interested in the relationship of the law of nature to positive law. Thus Socrates, by deriving the existence of universal and unchanging laws from human nature, gave birth to the doctrine of natural law with unchanging content. The second part contains the views of Plato and Aristotle on the question of the law of nature. Plato is considered to have discovered the ideal trend of natural law, although in his dialogues the term “law of nature” is not found. It was the theory of Plato’s ideas that became the model for the concept of lex aeterna as an arrangement of divine ideas. Whereas, Aristotle distinguished two types of good that law puts before man, and accepts them as the basis for the dichotomous division of laws. He described good that is indifferent to man, which due to specific circumstances becomes the object of his desire, as positive law. Good that is closely related to the nature of man, which is always and everywhere the object of his desire, is good indicating the natural law.
Habilitacja jako warunek awansu naukowego w Polsce w latach 1990–2018
Authors: Wojtczak Krstyna
Published: March 2020

The right to conduct habilitacja (“habilitation”) proceedings under Polish law is not a new solution. These proceedings were conducted both in the interwar period, in the first years of the People’ s Poland, and during the Polish People’s Republic. The solutions adopted in those periods differed. Until the end of People’s Poland, the proceedings ended with the right to lecture (veniam legendi) but with no possibility of obtaining a scientific degree, in the years 1951–1958, following the example of Soviet solutions, the proceedings allowed to obtain a scientific degree of doctor of sciences, from 1958 to obtain a degree of a docent (assistant professor), and from 1968 – the degree of doktor habilitowany. The differences in legal solutions adopted at that time were also clearly visible in the conditions which higher education institutions had to meet in order to obtain the right to conduct the proceedings and confer titles, and candidates to be promoted to a higher degree of doktor habilitowany. Although the possibility of acquiring the degree of doktor habilitowany was re­tained from 1990 onwards, the legal conditions for the conduct of habilitacja pro­ceedings did not resemble the solutions of previous years. And so, as in the Act of 1965, as well as after 1990 the conferral of academic degrees was excluded from the law on higher education, but this law itself was subject to much more modest regulation. It was not until the Act of 2003 that solutions were introduced to grad­ually tighten the conditions imposed on organisational units applying for the right to confer the academic degree of doktor habilitowany and on persons applying for the initiation of habilitacja proceedings, as well as on the course of such proceedings. The year 2011 brought revolutionary changes in this respect. The amending law introduced a new order in the process leading to the conferral of the academic degree of doktor habilitowany. It covered not only the requirements which organisa­tional units applying for the right to ‘habilitate’ in the fields of science and scientific disciplines had to satisfy, but also a re-definition of these conditions. The course of the ‘habilitation’ proceedings and the participation in it of the Central Commission and the board of the relevant organisational unit, as well as the person applying for the degree of doktor habilitowany were significantly changed.
Swoboda wyboru prywatnoprawnej formy działania administracji gospodarczej w polskiej i niemieckiej doktrynie prawa publicznego
Authors: Sancewicz Paweł
Published: March 2020

The purpose of this paper was to present views of both Polish and German public law doctrine on the issue of the possibility to choose a legal form of implementa­tion of public tasks by the public administration. This issue is not only a theoretical matter because currently administration has to cope with increasingly complex and complicated public tasks that must be implemented. The article first explains the concept of the legal forms of action, distinguished from the measures available in administration. Next, the freedom of choice of the legal form of action as well as the instances of its abuse are analysed. The considerations carried out in the article allow to adopt the position that the choice of the legal form of action by public administration cannot be actually prejudged under Polish law. The main limitation of the freedom to choose the le­gal form of action is contained in Article 7 read in connection with Article 2 of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland which stipulate a legal framework that ought to embrace them. There is also a concern that the authorities may abuse certain forms of action in order to, for example, avoid certain administrative procedures or to achieve desired fiscal objectives. As indicated in the course of the analysis, the German doctrine and practice encountered similar problems, and now the experi­ence and undoubted successes of German law and practice could be a significant inspiration for Polish lawmakers in this area. De lege ferenda, it is necessary to propose the introduction of legal regulations that will enable or facilitate a free choice of the legal form of action by administra­tive bodies. However, establishing such regulations will only be possible and and effective when the administrative agreement becomes part of the Polish legal system.
Ryan Nunn, Gabriel Scheffler, Reglamentowanie zawodowe i ograniczenia teorii wyboru zawodu, „Administrative Law Review” 2019, vol. 4, iss. 2, s. 21–41, ISSN 0001-8368
Authors: Staniszewska Lucyna
Published: March 2020

Ryan Nunn, Gabriel Scheffler, Occupational Licensing and the Limits of Public Choice Theory (Reglamentowanie zawodowe i ograniczenia teorii wyboru zawodu), „Administrative Law Review” 2019, vol. 4, iss. 2, s. 21–41, ISSN 0001-8368
Willem Janssen, Pływanie pod prąd. Harmonizacja samoorganizacji podmiotów publicznych poprzez artykuł 12 dyrektywy 2014/24/UE, „European Procurement
Authors: Różowicz Konrad
Published: March 2020

Willem Janssen, Swimming Against the Tide: The Harmonisation of Self-organisation through Article 12 Directive 2014/24/EU(Pływanie pod prąd. Harmonizacja samoorganizacji podmiotów publicznych poprzez artykuł 12 dyrektywy 2014/24/UE), „European Procurement & Public Private Partnership Law Review” 2019, vol. 14, no. 3, s. 145–155, DOI: https://doi.org/10.21552/epppl/2019/3/4
Digging the Liminal Spaces: Chronotopic Representation of Liminality in Seamus Heaney’sNorthandStation Island
Authors: Beyad Maryam Soltan , Kazemi Ehsan
Published: March 2020

Challenging the established poetic idea of Ireland as a unified whole, new Irish poetry encourages a perspective toward homeland alongside with a corresponding revision of Irish subjectivity as liminality. Introduced by Homi Bhabha as a postcolonial cultural term, the idea privileges hybrid cultures and challenges solid or authentic ones. Moreover, this liminal rationale entails a corresponding chronotopic rendition, as Bakhtin intends to theorize it, whereby the notion of spatio-temporality assists the poet in rethinking the Irish identity. An archeologist shrouded as a poet, Heaney’s early work,North(1975), is an attempt to reterritorialize the Motherland whileStation Island(1984) represents the deterritorialization of the land, a collection in which Heaney proposes an alternative notion of Irish identity. The present study seeks to show how Heaney’s aforementioned poetry collections manifest a transition from a patently nationalist reception oflandto a tendency to liminal spaces. Hence, a critical juxtaposition of these two works bears witness to an endeavor to move beyond the solid, reductionist perspective of the unified Ireland into a state of liminality with respect to Bhabha’s idea of hybridity. Furthermore, it is argued how Bakhtin’s idea of chronotope can accommodate to the accomplishment of such a poetic project.
A novel adaptive window based technique for T wave detection and delineation in the ECG
Authors: Rahul Jagdeep , Sora Marpe
Published: March 2020

The electrocardiogram (ECG) morphology determines the overall activity of the heart and is the most widely used tool in the diagnostic processes. T wave is a crucial wave component that reveals very useful information regarding various cardiac disorders. In this paper we have proposed a novel T wave detection technique based on adaptive window and simple decision rule. The proposed technique uses two-stage median filters followed by the Savitzky-Golay filter at the pre-processing stage to remove the noises in the ECG signal. The QRS complex is detected for locating the T wave as a reference in one ECG cycle. An R-R interval based window is considered for detecting the T wave, and decision logic depends on the iso-electric line value. The proposed technique is tested on the QT database and self-recorded dataset for its performance evaluation. In the present work, the results achieved for T wave detection sensitivity (Se), positive predictivity (+P), detection error rate (DER), and accuracy (Acc) on the QT database are Se = 97.57%, +P = 99.63%, DER = 2.78%, and Acc = 97.22% with an average time error of (3.468 ± 5.732) ms. The proposed technique shows Se = 99.94%, +P = 99.94%, DER = 0.01%, and Acc = 99.89% on the self-recorded dataset. The proposed technique is also capable of detecting both the upward and downward T wave efficiently in the ECG signal.
Competition with Nonexclusive Contracts: Tackling the Hold-Up Problem
Authors: Roig Guillem
Published: March 2020

In an environment in which a buyer and a seller make ex-ante investments, competition among sellers can solve the hold-up problem without the design of ex-ante contracts but, in the case of low levels of competition, this may lead to inefficient investments. This paper shows that a seller invests efficiently when each seller offers latent contracts designed to exclude any other seller from trade (i. e. most intense competition). Because competition among sellers allows the buyer to appropriate part of the gains from his investment, the hold-up problem vanishes for most of the buyer’s investment costs. However, the seller appropriates more than his marginal contribution to the gains from trade, and over-invests, when a group of sellers does not offer latent contracts (under less intense competition). Therefore, efficient investments can only be implemented when competition is at its most intense.
PL/Vancomycin/Nano-hydroxyapatite Sustained-release Material to Treat Infectious Bone Defect
Authors: Liu Jianhui , Wang Wantao , Wang Xinpeng , Yu Damiao , Wang Zhenglei , Wang Wenbo
Published: March 2020

Objective

To evaluate the therapeutic effect of platelet lysate (PL)/vancomycin/nano-hydroxyapatite sustained-release material on treating staphylococcus aureus-induced infectious bone defects.

Methods

40 New Zealand white rabbits were inoculated with staphylococcus aureus to construct the chronic tibial infectious bone defect model. After incision, debridement and washing, control group 1 was not given any filling, control group 2 was filled with PL/nano-hydroxyapatite sustained release material, control group 3 was filled with vancomycin/ nano-hydroxyapatite sustained release material, and the treatment group was filled with PL/vancomycin/nano-hydroxyapatite sustained-release material. Afterwards, the drug release profiles were determined in vitro and in vivo. Then, X-rays and bone specimens were used to evaluate the efficacy of the treatments.

Results

TGF-β and PDGF were effectively released for 28 days in vitro. In addition, results of the inhibition zone experiment of the composite material proved that vancomycin had favorable antibacterial activity, which effectively suppressed bacteria for as long as 43 days, thus achieving the sustained-release antibacterial effect. The drug release profiles in vitro also demonstrated that the vancomycin concentration within the lesion region was the highest in composite material, and the infection in experimental rabbits was markedly alleviated. The original backbone deformity regained the normal shape, the normal bone marrow structure began to recover 6 weeks later, and the nano-hydroxyapatite transformed into the trabecula structure. By contrast, the inflammation in the control group still existed, with no obvious new bone formation.

Conclusion

The PL/vancomycin/nano-hydroxyapatite sustained-release material effectively treats chronic infectious bone defects.
The International Organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO), Europe, Brexit, and Rethinking Cross-border Regulation: A Call for a World Finance Organisation
Authors: Conac Pierre-Henri
Published: March 2020

The need to promote cross-border regulation and cooperation between supervisors of financial markets has become acute ten years after the 2008 global financial crisis. This is due to a rise in extra-territorial legislation and cross-border access to foreign markets conditioned on “equivalence” and “deference” among jurisdictions. Brexit has made the issue more critical in Europe because the United Kingdom will rely on “equivalence” decisions on many aspects of its future cross-border financial relationships with the European Union. Equivalence decisions by the European Commission are based on a technical assessment but also include a political dimension which can punish or reward the other party. It is not just a European issue since the financial world will be more connected in the next twenty years and will need to rely even more on cross-border cooperation and equivalence. In addition, the amount of bilateral equivalence assessments and decisions could very quickly become unmanageable with dozens of jurisdictions dealing with hundreds of various regimes. The global financial architecture needs to be adapted, market fragmentation to be pre-empted, and international standards to become more granular. The International Organisation of Securities Commission (IOSCO), made up of all securities supervisors in the world, should play a leading role in cross-border regulation and deference. It is the interest of many Europeans countries, and not just the European Union, to be the driving force to strengthen IOSCO so that a more rule-based and cooperative system can prevail and prevent future market fragmentation. For this goal to be achieved, IOSCO should become a new treaty-based World Finance Organisation.
Uterine-conserving approach in ruptured intramyometrial ectopic pregnancy
Authors: Esther Loh Sweet Yi , Chew Kah Teik , Rahman Rahana Abd , Zainuddin Ani Amelia , Hing Erica Yee , Kampan Nirmala
Published: March 2020

Intramyometrial ectopic pregnancy (IMEP) is a rare form of ectopic pregnancy. It is defined as a conceptus implanted within the myometrium and is completely surrounded by myometrium with clear separation from both the uterine cavity and tubes. IMEP possesses not only diagnostic but also therapeutic challenge. The majority of reported cases were managed by hysterectomy. Early management of unruptured IMEP using methotrexate may help to preserve fertility. We, for the first time, report a case of ruptured IMEP managed successfully using suction and curettage followed by Bakri balloon tamponade and avoiding hysterectomy. Post-procedure, the patient received two doses of intramuscular methotrexate 50 mg/m2 due to plateauing serial beta human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) levels and subsequently achieved undetectable level 10 weeks post-methotrexate. She also had complete resolution of the ectopic intramyometrial mass.
Interfacial characteristics of a carbon nanotube-polyimide nanocomposite by molecular dynamics simulation
Authors: Jiang Qian , Tallury Syamal S. , Qiu Yiping , Pasquinelli Melissa A.
Published: March 2020

With molecular dynamics simulations, nanocomposites were characterized that are comprised of a polyimide (PI) polymer and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with the same outer diameter but with one, two, or three walls. The simulations indicate that the PI/CNT interaction is strong, regardless of the number of CNT walls, and that there is some degree of alignment of the PI chains near the CNT interface. As the number of CNT walls increased, the density of PI chains near the CNT interface also increased and the average radius of gyration of the PI chains decreased, and these observations were attributed to changes due to the intertube van der Waals interactions. From simulations of the constant force pullout process of the CNT from the PI matrix, the limiting pullout force was calculated to be higher for the triple-walled CNT than for the single-walled one. The interfacial shear strength of the nanocomposites was also calculated from the pullout energy, and the results indicate that increasing the number of walls is a critical factor for enhancing the interfacial stress transfer during tension.
Nano-silica modified phenolic resin film: manufacturing and properties
Authors: Ding Jie , Qin Zhiying , Luo Haitao , Yang Wei , Wang Yanbing , Huang Zhixiong
Published: March 2020

Nano-silica modified phenolic resin film is prepared using different mass fractions of nano-silica by liquid composites molding (LCM). The effects of nano-silica on the rheology and curing of phenolic resin are studied by rheometer and differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). The results show that the viscosity of nano-silica modified phenolic resin decreases with the increase of temperature, and the viscosity is lowest between 70°C and 90°C. The appropriate resin film infusion (RFI) process is investigated, and the stepped curing process system is established. In addition, the microstructures of modified phenolic film and composites are tested by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Nano-silica can be uniformly dispersed in phenolic resin when the amount of nano-silica added is ≤ 4%. And the mechanical properties of nano-silica modified phenolic composites are tested by universal material testing machine. The optimum nano-silica mass loading for the improvement of mechanical properties is found. This work provides an effective way to prepare the modified phenolic resin film suitable for resin film infusion (RFI) processes, and it maybe become a backbone of thermal protection material in aerospace.
Bilingualism and sound change: perception in the /ʎ/-/j/ merger process in Majorcan Spanish
Authors: Bagudanch Assumpció Rost
Published: March 2020

Yeísmohas been accounted for as a merger process occurring in Spanish irrespective of language contact effects though some scholars have claimed that the interference between Spanish and the variety of Catalan spoken in Majorca (Balearic Islands, Spain) has an inhibiting effect onyeísmo. This paper focusses on whether this inhibiting effect can be demonstrated at the perception level and whether it has an effect in the linguistic behaviour of bilinguals. To examine these effects, we conducted an identification experiment with three groups of listeners (Majorcan Catalan-dominant bilinguals, Spanish-dominant bilinguals and a control group of Spanish monolinguals). Results show that Catalan dominants do recognise [ʎ] stimuli, but Spanish dominants only identify [ʎ] at chance level. Consequently, it would seem that bilingual subjects display a bimodal performance at the perception level.
It. utello
Authors: Schweickard Wolfgang
Published: March 2020

Judging from the cultural and linguistic facts, an etymological relation between Italian utel/utello ‘oil jar’ (which is first recorded in the Decameron) and Arabic al-uṯāl ‘sublimation vessel’, as assumed by Alessio, must be rejected. The European reflexes of the Arabic term are marginal and strictly limited to the technical terminology of medieval alchemy. Italian utello shows significant semantic and morphological differences with respect to Arabic al-uṯāl. In addition, its presence in Tuscan dialects and its early metaphorical uses are clear indications of the popular roots of the term. Consequently, the utel of the Decameron is not to be considered a learned technicism of foreign origin, but a popular term that Boccaccio probably took from Tuscan colloquial speech. Etymologically it belongs to the family of Latin uter ‘leather bag for holding liquids’. For utello, an unattested *utellus is to be postulated, which corresponds to the well-known Latin derivational pattern of ager > agellus, niger > nigellus, culter > cultellus, etc.
TLR4‐dependent shaping of the wound site by MSCs accelerates wound healing
Authors: Munir Saira , Basu Abhijit , Maity Pallab , Krug Linda , Haas Philipp , Jiang Dongsheng , Strauss Gudrun , Wlaschek Meinhard , Geiger Hartmut , Singh Karmveer , Scharffetter‐Kochanek Karin
Published: March 2020

We here address the question whether the unique capacity of mesenchymal stem cells to re‐establish tissue homeostasis depends on their potential to sense pathogen‐associated molecular pattern and, in consequence, mount an adaptive response in the interest of tissue repair. After injection of MSCs primed with the bacterial wall component LPS into murine wounds, an unexpected acceleration of healing occurs, clearly exceeding that of non‐primed MSCs. This correlates with a fundamental reprogramming of the transcriptome in LPS‐treated MSCs as deduced from RNAseq analysis and its validation. A network of genes mediating the adaptive response through the Toll‐like receptor 4 (TLR4) pathway responsible for neutrophil and macrophage recruitment and their activation profoundly contributes to enhanced wound healing. In fact, injection of LPS‐primed MSCs silenced for TLR4 fails to accelerate wound healing. These unprecedented findings hold substantial promise to refine current MSC‐based therapies for difficult‐to‐treat wounds.