bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On the fatigue notch sensitivity of Ti6Al4V specimens with α+β microstructure produced by laser powder bed fusion
Authors: Cutolo Antonio , Elangeswaran Chola , Muralidharan Gokula Krishna , Hooreweder Brecht Van
Published: May 2021

Laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) is an additive manufacturing (AM)
process which offers several advantages over conventional manufacturing
techniques, including material savings and design possibilities. For
these reasons several industrial sectors such as biomedical, aerospace
and automotive, are considering L-PBF for customized parts production.
Among the processable material palette, Ti6Al4V gained increasing
interest due to the high specific strength, and stiffness, and excellent
bio-compatibility, and corrosion resistance. However, to include L-PBF
Ti6Al4V parts in load bearing applications it is important to properly
understand the mechanical properties of AM’ed materials with a specific
focus on fatigue behaviour. In this study the fatigue notch sensitivity
of Ti6Al4V L-PBF manufactured specimens is investigated in depth.
Samples with different notches were subjected to stress relieving heat
treatment to generate a fine α+β microstructure. The results were used
to define a relation between the perturbed stress field generated by the
geometrical discontinuity, the microstructure size and the notch
sensitivity. Moreover, the critical distance has been calculated using
the theory of critical distance formulated with the line method (LM).
The estimated value were adopted to predict fatigue properties of
notched components with different notch radii.
Prenatally Diagnosed Left Atrial Appendage Aneurysm with Various Postnatal Imaging Investigations: A Case Report
Authors: Sasaki Takeshi , Kawasaki Yuki , Murakami Yosuke , Fujino Mitsuhiro , Nakamura Kae , Yoshida Yoko , Suzuki Tsugutoshi , Nishigaki Kyoichi , Ehara Eiji
Published: May 2021

A congenital left atrial appendage aneurysm (LAAA) is a rare cardiac
malformation that is usually diagnosed in adulthood. It is rarely
diagnosed prenatally. In most cases, surgical resection is recommended
soon after the diagnosis has been made due to the risk of arrhythmia and
thrombotic events. The present report describes a case of LAAA which was
prenatally diagnosed and was asymptomatic postnatally. Imaging revealed
the relation of the cardiac and airway structures around the LAAA in
detail. The patient underwent surgical resection of the LAAA
successfully at 7 months of age and is currently healthy at 5 years of
age.
A note to further explain the mechanism of turbulent flow drag reduction by polymer from chemistry view
Authors: Zhang Xin , Dai Xiaodong , Zhao Jishi , Jing Dengwei , Liu Fei , Li Lei , Xin Yanping , Liu Kun
Published: May 2021

In our previous work regarding the mechanism of drag reduction and
degradation by flexible linear polymers, we proposed a correlation based
on the Fourier series to predict the drag reduction and its degradation,
where a phase angle was involved, but the physical meaning for the
correlation especially of the employed phase angle was not clear, which
is however important for reasonable explanation of the drag reduction
mechanism over flexible linear polymers. This letter aims to clarify
this issue. We use several steps of deduction from the viscoelastic
theory, and conclude that the Fourier series employed to predict the
drag reduction and its degradation is due to viscoelastic property of
drag-reducing polymer solution, and the phase angle represents the
hysteresis of polymer in turbulent flow. Besides, our new view of drag
reduction by flexible polymers can also explain why a maximum drag
reduction in rotational flow appears before degradation happens.
Liquefied fuel from plastic wastes using nitro cracking method with refinery distillation bubble cap plate column
Authors: Sundarraj M. , Meikandan M.
Published: May 2021

Development and modernization have resulted in an immense increase in the production of all kinds of goods, which indirectly produce waste to the globe. Plastic is one of the materials that produces more waste due to its wide range of applications that is due to its versatility and relatively low cost. In most cases, thermoplastic polymers make up a high proportion of waste and steadily increasing worldwide pollution to the environment. As a result, waste plastics pose a severe environmental challenge due to their non-biodegradable properties and disposal problems. Diverse innovations are being developed to address plastic drawbacks, which can boost the profits of the recycling industry and shrink the world plastic waste landfills. As a part of recycling, the present work is aimed at producing liquefied fuel through the nitro cracking method using a pyrolysis reactor induced with bubble cap plate column with Y zeolite as a catalyst. The liquefied fuel results produced from plastic wastes (plastics bags, plastic bottles, packing materials, and medical plastics) are compared with fuel produced from virgin plastics. The 8% higher pyrolytic oil yield is achieved compared with the results of oil produced without catalyst, and 82% of total waste plastic material is converted into liquefied fuel by the presence of a catalyst. FTIR, GC-MS, and bomb calorimeter characterized the obtained fuel results by adopting the standard ASTM methods, and the results were compared with virgin and waste plastics.
Dyeing of polyester fibers with sulfur- and nitrogen-containing anthraquinone derivatives
Authors: Deniz Nahide , Sayil Cigdem , Oner Erhan , Atak Onur , Stasevych Maryna , Zvarych Viktor , Shyyan Halyna , Novikov Volodymyr
Published: May 2021

A series of disperse dyes, 9,10-anthraquinone containing dithiocarbamate, thiourea and triazole fragments, were prepared via consecutive refunctionalization of aminoanthraquinones in our previous studies and their structures were confirmed by the 1H-, 13C-NMR, IR spectra, LC-MS and elemental analysis data. The obtained compounds were applied on polyester fabrics by the exhaustion method at 130?C at pH 4.0-5.0, and their dyeing properties were evaluated by color measurements, the washing fastness test and the light fastness test. Many of these dyes gave solid and level dyeings on polyester fabric with low % concentration of dye. The dyed samples displayed very good color fastnesses. The color change and staining test results were quite good with ratings of ?4-5? or above. The light fastness test results were also satisfactory for the most of the dyed samples.
Economic and legal aspects of international scientific and technical cooperation
Authors: Kozhina Veronika Olegovna , Chernaya Ilona Vitalievna , Orlova Elena Yurievna , Levchenko Victoria Victorovna , Kurtynov Igor Vladimirovich
Published: May 2021

The study is devoted to the systematization of the economic and legal aspects of international scientific and technical cooperation. The implementation of international scientific and technical cooperation opens up new opportunities for additional funding, which, in turn, makes it possible to bring scientific cooperation to a qualitatively new level, as well as obtain more significant results from the joint work of teams with diverse competencies. Equal cooperation between the foundations of the parties providing support on a competitive basis to the most active and competitive teams carrying out research at a high international level can help in the implementation of the most ambitious scientific tasks. As a coordination mechanism of bilateral agreements, a mixed commission on scientific and technical cooperation should be formed, in which both parties are represented and which has a certain potential to ensure the development of scientific and technical cooperation.
Barriers to screening for diabetic retinopathy: the role of primary care providers
Authors:   , Gayse Sarah
Published: May 2021

Diabetes is a serious health concern that affects millions of people world-wide. The comorbidities and complications of diabetes are complex and require awareness within the healthcare system. Diabetic retinopathy affects a significant number of patients living with diabetes. Early detection through screening is recognized as the standard of care, in order to assess and monitor for diabetic retinopathy progression. Unfortunately, screening services are not always accessed, especially within the suggested time frames and frequencies. Currently there is limited data regarding the barriers that exist for individuals to access these crucial screening services. An integrative literature review approach was conducted to answer the research question: What strategies can nurse practitioners in the primary care setting use to promote screening for people living with diabetes to reduce their risk and progression to blindness from diabetic retinopathy? Four themes emerged from the findings which provided insight into determinants that affect diabetic retinopathy screening adherence: structural barriers to care, socioeconomic conditions, emotional barriers to accessing healthcare, and knowledge deficits. Discussion of three recommendations for primary care practice focus on: reassessing screening methods and intervals, activity sharing, and providing education. Implications for future research to enhance patient care are outlined.
Galdós y los «Episodios Nacionales» durante la Segunda República y la Guerra Civil. Su influencia en «De Barcelona a la Bretaña francesa», de Luisa Carnés
Authors: Alfonso García María del Carmen
Published: May 2021

En este artículo, se aborda la interpretación de la figura y la obra de Benito Pérez Galdós, sobre todo de la primera serie de los Episodios Nacionales, durante la Segunda República y la Guerra Civil (bando republicano). Especialmente, se pone de manifiesto cómo se construye el mito del escritor republicano y popular en sí mismo y en sus vínculos con el patrón simbólico que permite considerar la contienda como segunda guerra de la Independencia.

A partir de ese contexto general, con el objetivo de indagar en el ciclo recepción/producción, se estudia De Barcelona a la Bretaña francesa, las memorias que Luisa Carnés escribe en 1939 como testimonio de su salida al exilio, estudiadas en su relación intertextual con los Episodios Nacionales como mecanismo que revela su incardinación en el paradigma identitario y cultural antes expuesto.
As lutas pela terra, trabalho e cultura no Quilombo do Mutuca – Mato Grosso, Brasil
Authors: Othon de Souza Elizabeth , Zuquim Maria de Lourdes
Published: May 2021

Este texto trata do habitat rural na Comunidade Negra Rural do Quilombo Mutuca, localizada no Sul do estado de Mato Grosso – Brasil. Analisa a luta dessa comunidade pelo território e territorialidades à luz das políticas públicas territoriais implementadas nos últimos 20 anos. As políticas e programas específicos para comunidades quilombolas reconheceram o direito às terras, aos modos de vida e a sua cultura singular. Apesar desse avanço, a comunidade segue na luta pela terra e seu direito de permanência e pela manutenção de seus modos de vida, de mais de 130 anos, diante da intensa pressão do agronegócio no Mato Grosso.
De urbanización ilegal de fin de semana a barrio precario: las parcelaciones ilegales en Córdoba
Authors: López-Casado David
Published: May 2021

El artículo propone una actualización del fenómeno de las parcelaciones ilegales desarrollado en buena parte de España desde los años sesenta. Se acude a fuentes bibliográficas, estadísticas, cartográficas y documentales, que se complementa con el trabajo de campo desarrollado en el municipio de Córdoba, elegido para la contrastación empírica. Se sostiene que, dada la larga trayectoria del proceso y los avatares socioeconómicos, muchos de estos asentamientos han mutado desde su destino original para el ocio y segunda residencia hacia zonas de vivienda habitual. A partir de las fuentes y del trabajo de campo se constata que, a pesar de la clasificación como suelo urbano o urbanizable de muchas de las parcelaciones, estas no han conseguido legalizarse; y, por otro lado, la paulatina conversión en zona de residencia habitual sin que se hayan resuelto los problemas de déficits de servicios ha devenido en la incipiente configuración de asentamientos urbanos precarios.
Hacia los territorios inteligentes frente a incendios forestales
Authors: Pulido Fernando
Published: May 2021

Ante el creciente impacto de los grandes incendios en las últimas décadas, se presenta el marco conceptual y una nueva herramienta para la planificación participativa del territorio que ayude a mitigar el problema. Se aboga por un enfoque basado en la prevención de los incendios (no sólo en la reacción que supone la extinción) apoyado en los usos del territorio capaces de extraer vegetación potencialmente combustible de forma rentable (explotaciones madereras, ganaderas, agrícolas y mixtas). Se proponen los “cortafuegos productivos” como infraestructura preventiva básica diseñada estratégicamente para evitar la propagación del fuego y capaz al mismo tiempo de dinamizar los territorios rurales despoblados que favorecen los incendios catastróficos.
Ion Baciu – a musician who needs to be rediscovered
Authors: Vasiliu Alex
Published: May 2021

Ion Baciu is remembered in the history of Romanian music as the organiser of a musical institution, orchestra trainer and a performer of great depth of George Enescu’s works. His exceptional achievements were the foundation and training of the new symphonic ensemble of the Iași Philharmonic, equal to the few high-performing collectives of the country, which had reached a level of European quality, the assertion of superior conceptual-aesthetic standards in deciphering the particular features of Enescu’s music. The encomiastic chronicles of the most important musical critics, the audio-video recordings, the evocations of those who knew him intimately remain precious, incontestable documents regarding the value of an artist who deserves to be brought back to public consciousness. The micro-study reproduced in what follows sketches a few defining trajectories of Ion Baciu’s personality on the basis of archival samples, from bibliographic testimonies, some of them unresearched until nowadays, to patrimony recordings, unfortunately ignored. In the year of the celebration of nine decades from his birth, of four decades from the historic version of the opera Oedipe, on the commemoration of 120 years from George Enescu’s birth, one should emphasise the merits of the Conservatoire professor, philharmonic manager and conductor who contributed essentially to the inscription of Iași among the important musical centres of the country.
Polystylism in the context of Postmodern Music. Alfred Schnittke’s Concerti Grossi
Authors: Balan Mihaela-Georgiana
Published: May 2021

One of the multiple orientations of the musical postmodernism is polystylism – a concept used and theorized by the Russian composer and musicologist Alfred Schnittke. He identified its specific techniques in previous academic tradition and organized its principles by writing many essays, papers and by applying these compositional methods in his own work. The approach of polystylism offers the opportunity to observe artistic phenomena in a synthetic perspective and to understand the compositional methods by which tradition is still revalued in some directions of the postmodern period. This paper deals with the problems encountered in the research on this subject, the lack of this term in the dictionaries, the political and cultural context when polystylism was introduced, the tendency to consider unorganized and unoriginal those works based on quotes, previous writing techniques and musical languages, traditional genres or structures and therefore, the perception of some musicians to underestimate Schnittke’s talent and mastery as a composer.
Verdian lyric theatre. Hermeneutics of the performance and contemporary challenges
Authors: Adetu Edith Georgiana
Published: May 2021

Engaging the viewer in a dialogue with the opera of Giuseppe Verdi is an approach that involves him spiritually, culturally, morally. You can enter this universe of opera music through several gates. The wide path of science will walk through the portal of stylistics, aesthetics, philosophy or art history. On another road comes the profane, motivated by the love for the beautiful. The opera Nabucco was the first step in the evolution of Italian lyrical theatre – from melodrama to realistic drama – characterised by the unity and strength of artistic conception, the energy and simplicity of musical language. Verdi’s dramatic sense and affinity for realism propelled him over time into the role of composer- playwright, his name being closely linked to titles such as: Ernani, Luisa Miller, Macbeth, Othello, Falstaff. However, we can note in recent decades the lack or low presence of important titles among Verdian operas in the repertoire of lyrical theatres. Can the contemporary public still receive this composer’s authentic message? Can current performers wear the clothes of truthful characters and meet the composer’s requirements for the vocal approach? The mission of hermeneutics – this interdisciplinary science – is to discover, as far as possible, the mechanisms of the interpretation of a social phenomenon (as the opera of Giuseppe Verdi has been repeatedly perceived), and its reminiscences in contemporary society.
Voices in Space or the Contemporary Realism in the Pedagogy of the Future Opera Singer
Authors: Condurache Dumitriana , Radu-Țaga Consuela
Published: May 2021

The Romanian opera and operetta repertoire is a constant objective in the Opera Class of the Faculty of Performing, Composition, and Musical Theoretical Studies in “George Enescu” National University of Arts from Iași. The stylistic diversity and the richness of the drama make not only an important instrument for the study out of it, but also a moral debt for the knowledge and transmission of a music whose beauty – once (re)discovered – is a source of enchantment for the artists, as well as for the public. If in the beginning of the professional route singing in the mother tongue facilitates the work and the study of the opera singer, over time this option may enter an ethic of the performer, happily completing his repertoire. Although one of our main goals is to guide the students, future opera singers, to gain and to develop their acting skills so as to be natural and convincing on stage, contemporary realism does not exclude experiments. Having this in mind and in order to make studentsʼ work visible, we made an experimental video document, based on a first selection from our recitals, which is aimed to let the audience take a glance into the intimacy of our class study on Romanian opera and operetta, both from the musical and drama perspective. By changing the original objective – the entire presentation in semester exams of studentsʼ classroom work – the fragmentary nature of the processing gives a certain dynamism to our work. Changing the purpose brings things to a new light, the artistic overbearing the pedagogical, and last but not least, the Romanian music proving that it supports an experimental treatment.
Emotional and spiritual intelligence, aesthetical and semantic implications
Authors: Petruta-Maria Coroiu
Published: May 2021

Musical art is built on its semantics, in the absence of semantics – which is the main reason why a composer writes music, why a singer interprets it, but also the most important reason for the music listener as the receiver – music loses its meaning. Musical compositions can be problematic for interpreters and listeners at various levels of human sensitivity, intelligence and semantic ability, which are all fundamentally connected to conveying and receiving a message transmitted through music. These creations have emotional (psychological) implications, but also more profound ones, spiritual (religious), of which we are more aware and which are emphasized if we take into consideration the concepts of EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE and SPIRITUAL INTELLIGENCE.
Noi istorii ale muzicilor românești [New histories of Romanian types of music] – The most important editorial publication in the Romanian musicology of recent years
Authors: Vasiliu Laura-Otilia
Published: May 2021

The vast work Noi istorii ale muzicilor românești [New histories of Romanian types of music]1 (816 pages), published by Editura Muzicală in 2020 was a project of the Romanian Composers and Musicologists’ Union, represented by composer and university professor Adrian Iorgulescu, a project meant to mark the celebration of a century of activity of the organisation. The two volumes of the New histories, coordinated by Valentina Sandu-Dediu and Nicolae Gheorghiță, reflect the fulfilment of a long research project, begun in the 1990s, with a view to reassessing the musical past of Romania, expressing ideas verified in time through repeated analyses. The coordinators’ vision is edified through the following directions: 1. the joining of all musical genres – Byzantine, folkloric, military, academic, jazz, entertainment – and creating a modern perspective on the types of Romanian music; 2. using the tools of modern musicology – interdisciplinary relating, archival and recent bibliography, an objective, critical, accessible style, efficient and orderly elaboration; 3. removing all influences of the communist ideology reflected by the writings about music in the second half of the 20th century by assimilating the ideas formulated by historians after 1990; 4. capitalising on foreign authors’ writings about Romania and about Romanian music, but also on last-minute research on international music for the synchronisation with the contemporary manner of historical research.
“People Eat Their Dinner, Just Eat Their Dinner…”: Food Discourse in Anton Chekhov’s The Three Sisters and Beth Henley’s Crimes of the Heart
Authors: Vysotska Natalia
Published: May 2021

The essay sets out to explore the functions of food discourse in the plays Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov and Crimes of the Heart by Beth Henley. Based on the critically established continuity between the two plays, the essay looks at the ways the dramatists capitalize on food imagery to achieve their artistic goals. It seemed logical to discuss the alimentary practices within the framework of everyday life studies (Edmund Husserl, Alfred Schütz, Fernand Braudel, Bernhard Waldenfels and others), moved to the forefront of literary scholarship by the anthropological turn in the humanities. Enhanced by a semiotic approach, this perspective enables one to understand food products and consumption manners as performing a variety of functions in each play. Most obviously, they are instrumental in creating the illusion of “everydayness” vital for new drama. Then, for Chekhov, food comes to epitomize the spiritless materiality of contemporary life, while in Henley’s play it is predominantly used, in accordance with the play’s feminist agenda, as a grotesque substitute for the lack of human affection. Relying upon the fundamental cultural distinction between everyday and non-everyday makes it possible to compare representations of festive occasions in the two plays seen through the gastronomical lens of “eating together.” Despite substantial differences, the emphases on alimentary practices in the plays serve to realize the inexhaustible dramatic potential inherent in the minutiae of quotidian life.
“The Reason for War is War”: Western and Eastern Interrogations of Violence in Michael Ondaatje’s Anil’s Ghost
Authors: Ganz Shoshannah
Published: May 2021

Michael Ondaatje’s Anil’s Ghost (2000) is set in civil war-torn Sri Lanka. This contemporary violent moment becomes a rupture through which the writer interrogates the division between Western and Eastern ways of approaching a violent situation. This essay sets out to investigate historical instances of violence and justifications for violence in the Buddhist context. The essay then turns to Buddhist scholars’ contemporary critical examination of violence and war in light of the teachings of ancient Buddhist texts. Then, having established the Buddhist history and contemporary debate around violence and war, the essay explores how Ondaatje comments on this history through the contemporary moment of civil war in Sri Lanka. The essay argues that rather than illustrating the need for a purer Buddhism or the separation between the political and the religious, as some scholars have argued in relation to Anil’s Ghost, according to Ondaatje, the only way to approach the problem of violence with any hope of reaching understanding is through appreciating the different ways of knowing offered by the East and the West.
Phonological Patterns in the Translations of Poe’s “The Bells” into Romanian
Authors: Creangă Maria-Teodora
Published: May 2021

Of all translation work in the world at any given time, poetry makes up just a small proportion. And of all theorists in translation, only a few tackled the issue of poetry translation for reasons that need no expatiation. The article below discusses two translations into Romanian of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Bells,” focusing on the approaches and techniques used by the translators in what concerns the transfer of phonological patterns from English into Romanian. The aim is to determine to what extent the target-language texts are faithful replicas in terms of orchestration and aesthetic function, and, whether the outcome has suffered any meaning transformation as a result of the transfer of phonological patterns.
Blood Pressure Control in Hypertensive Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Pârvu Irina , Verde Ioana , Nicolae Camelia , Iliesiu Adriana
Published: May 2021

Introduction and objective. Blood pressure (BP) goals and glycemic targets are only reached in 40% and 50% of patients, respectively. The objective of this observational retrospective cohort study was analyzing BP control with antihypertensive therapy in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) and arterial hypertension (HTN) in clinical practice.

Methods. 156 hospitalized hypertensive patients with type 2 DM were divided into 2 groups (G): G1 - uncomplicated and G2 - complicated DM, with micro- and macrovascular involvement, followed retrospectively for 2 years. BP control with antihypertensives was analyzed with respect to DM control, complications, hospital readmissions for cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality.

Results. Of the 156 patients, 71 (45.6%) males, mean age 66.7 ± 9.8 years, 94 (60.3%) were included in G2. Ninety-one patients (58.3%) were rehospitalized, G2 patients having a significantly higher risk of readmission (p=0.006). BP was controlled in 57.7% patients at first, and in 59.3% patients on the last hospitalization, while DM was initially controlled in 49.3% patients, and in 54.9% on the last readmission.

The number of antihypertensive drug classes was significantly higher in G2 (3.5 vs 3.1, p=0.03). Fifteen (9.6%) patients were initially on fixed-dose combinations (FDC). All-cause mortality after 2 years was 12.2%, strongly associated with DM complications (p=0.005), with a protective effect from controlled DM (p=0.045).

Conclusion. More than forty percent of the patients had uncontrolled long term HTN with frequent re-hospitalizations and increased mortality. Better BP control could be achieved by changing therapy, notably by FDC, promoting patient adherence.
Risk Factors for Cardiovascular and Renal Disease in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Patients with Normal and Mildly Reduced Glomerular Filtration Rate
Authors: Stoiţă Marcel , Popa Amorin Remus
Published: May 2021

In this study are investigated the cardiovascular risk factors that as shown in literature also represent risk factors for early glomerular function alteration in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. The patients were divided according to their glomerular filtration rate in 2 groups, one group of patients with GFR ≥90 mL/min/1.73 m (118 patients) and the other with GFR between 60-89 mL/min/1.73 m2 (126 patients). Older age, hypertension, poor glycemic control, increased BMI, high LDL-cholesterol, high triglyceride level, insulin resistance and high level of apolipoprotein-B appeared to be more prevalent in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus with mildly reduced kidney function. Even patients with mildly reduced GFR (without confirmed diabetic kidney disease) have an important aggregation of cardiovascular risk factors and their early identification is important for controlling them in order to further prevent glomerular decline.
Global Versus Non-Global Banks: A Capital Ratios-Based Analysis
Authors: Drakos Konstantinos , Malandrakis Ioannis
Published: May 2021

This paper examines the Leverage Ratio and Total Capital Ratio of global versus non-global banks in both the pre- and post-crisis periods. A panel data set of 165 global and non-global financial institutions from 38 countries is used for the period 1999-2015 and a random effects model is employed to examine whether global banks perform better or not compared to their non-global counterparts. This study comes up with two important findings. First, global banks do not exhibit heterogeneous behaviour with respect to both ratios neither in the pre- and especially nor in the post-crisis period. Second, the Leverage Ratio is crisis-insensitive, but the Total Capital Ratio is not. Our findings encourage further research on the topic of the contribution of global banks to the financial crisis propagation (at least as far as leverage is concerned).
How Do Bank Capital and Capital Buffer Affect Risk: Empirical Evidence from Large US Commercial Banks
Authors: Abbas Faisal , Younas Zahid Irshad
Published: May 2021

This research aims to investigate the influence of bank capital, risk-based capital and bank capital buffers on the behaviour of bank risk-taking by applying GMM on the data of US commercial banks ranges from 2002 to 2018. The findings show that bank capital has a positive influence on total risk. However, risk-based capital and capital buffer have a negative impact on total risk. In addition, the results showed that the relationship between bank asset risk and bank capital, risk-based capital and a capital buffer is negative in pre, amid and post-crisis periods. The findings also reveal that the result of bank capital, risk-based capital and a capital buffer is not similar in case of well, adequately, under, significantly under, and critically undercapitalized banks. Our conclusions have numerous implications for policymakers and regulators in the banking sector.
A financial Stability Index for Jordan
Authors: AL-Rjoub Samer A.M.
Published: May 2021

Financial stability is an important part of the Central Bank of Jordan (CBJ) role in parallel with maintenance of monetary stability. The impact of the global financial crises from 2007-2009 and the economic slowdown has left the Jordanian banking sector in a generally weaker position than before.

This paper constructs an index of financial stability of the Jordanian banking sector that will adequately reflects the effects of the crises in 2008-2009 and measure the resilience of the banking sector against negative shocks. The index is based on the aggregation of the fifteen announced soundness indicators into four main categories: (i) Capital Adequacy, (ii) Earnings and Profitability, and (iii) liquidity to build one aggregate composite index. Using two weighting schemes the Financial Stability Index (FSI) proved to be a good indicator of banking reactions to shocks and changing economic conditions. FSI is intuitively attractive as it could enable policy makers to better monitor the banking sector’s resilience to shocks and can help further in anticipating the sources and causes of financial stress to the system. The index of financial stability of the banking sector in Jordan shows that the banking system has been consciously resilient against shocks and negative economic conditions.
A generalized PID controller for high-order dynamical systems
Authors: Ablay Günyaz
Published: May 2021

This paper introduces a generalized PID type controller for controlling high-order dynamical systems. An optimal generalized PID control design method is developed to provide a simplified high-order output feedback control design procedure and tunable response characteristics. The controller design procedure is reduced to the specification of the desired natural frequency and the solution of a polynomial equation. The control method is capable of providing a desired control performance under set-point and disturbance variations. The performance of the proposed control method is implemented on some unstable and nonlinear mechatronic systems to illustrate the robustness, e ectiveness and feasibility of the method.
Alternative derivations for the fields inside a waveguide
Authors: Kulkarni Raghavendra G.
Published: May 2021

Generally, the longitudinal magnetic field of the transverse electric (TE) wave inside a waveguide is obtained by solving the corresponding Helmholtz wave equation, which further leads to the derivation of the remaining fields. In this paper, we provide an alternative way to obtain this longitudinal magnetic field by making use of one of the Maxwell’s equations instead of directly relying on the Helmholtz wave equation. The longitudinal electric field of the transverse magnetic (TM) wave inside a waveguide can also be derived in a similar fashion. These derivations, which are different from those found in the introductory textbooks on microwave engineering, make the study of waveguides more interesting.
Impact of the fixed and variable component of electricity price on the economic viability of a small-scale photovoltaic power plant
Authors: Janíček František , Poničan Ján , Sadloň Matej
Published: May 2021

The article analyzes electricity prices in Slovakia, their distribution tari component, and their significant impact on small-scale photovoltaic power plants (PVPs). Fixed part of the distribution tari component in Slovakia varies considerably, given the region of operation of the distribution system operator as well as the allocated tari rate. Profitability of the small-scale PVP in Slovakia is widely discussed, with differing opinions of the lay and professional public. The article will explain under what circumstances all the opinions may be true. Profitability predictions available online or done by PVP installers are extremely simplified and lead to misleading results. The existence of fixed and variable components of the price plays a significant role and a simple change of the electricity tari may bring significant savings and shorten the payback time of the PVP investment. However, this is a complex issue and requires several other factors to be considered, too. The most important ones are the fixed component of the electricity price, household consumption diagram and the distribution system to which the household is connected.
Assessment of the Quality of Governance and Competitiveness at the Local Level: The Case of Slovenian Municipalities
Authors: Benčina Jože , Kozjek Tatjana , Rakar Iztok
Published: May 2021

The article draws on research on the quality of governance and its impact on Slovenian municipalities’ competitiveness. It presents the research results guided by two hypotheses: “Municipalities with a higher quality of governance are more competitive” and “The assessments of the quality of governance in Slovenian municipalities vary more than the assessments of the quality of governance in EU regions”. Starting from the general idea of governance as an undirected network of vertical and horizontal relations supports the importance of the research on the quality of governance and public administration in the EU environment on the local, regional, and national levels. As the low quality of governance impacts divergence in cohesion, mainly less developed and catching-up EU countries should focus on the development of the quality of governance and competitiveness at the regional and local levels. According to the research results, the Slovenian municipalities form several groups according to the behavior measured by the correlation between the quality of governance and the level of competitiveness. Additionally, the international comparison indicates that the quality of governance measured in Slovenian municipalities varies at least as much as in the EU regions. The evidence supports the quest for further research on the quality of governance and competitiveness to understand the dynamics of the development at the local and regional levels and develop proposals for improvement and measures adapted to the needs and capacities of groups of municipalities with similar behavior.
Stakeholder Involvement in the Civil Security Systems: How (Dis)Similar are the CEE Countries Compared to the Rest of Europe ?
Authors: Brázová Věra-Karin
Published: May 2021

Civil security is one of the crucial public goods provided by the state to protect its society from devastating disasters. The increasing complexity of disasters and the expanding scope of non-military challenges call for an increased heterogeneity of core actors and for more participatory governance. Yet little is known about the patterns of stakeholder involvement in civil security across countries. Based on a comprehensive dataset covering 22 European countries, the article presents systematic evidence on the official involvement of different types of stakeholders in the national civil security governance systems. The goal is to explore whether the European countries with similar characteristics fall into geographically and culturally similar categories and whether similar patterns can be observed across the Central and Eastern European (CEE) region. The research questions addressed are: Do the European countries with similar characteristics fall into geographically and culturally similar categories ? Is the CEE region distinct from others ? To answer the questions, a hierarchical cluster analysis is conducted using security governance as a framework for analysis. The association is further tested between the different clusters of countries and broader cultural variables. The results suggest that despite sharing cultural similarities and geographical proximity, the CEE countries form mixed clusters with other non-CEE European countries. While the involvement of civil society organizations is quite universal, especially the involvement of private for-profit actors and multilateral engagement seem to discriminate among different types of civil security governance setup.
Digitalization of Public Procurement in the Russian Federation: Case Study
Authors: Egorova Maria , Andreeva Luibov , Andreev Vladimir , Tsindeliani Imeda , Kikavets Vitaly
Published: May 2021

Using the case study method, the study examines the prospects and initiatives of the state that can create preconditions for the formation of new areas of legal regulation in the field of digital public procurement as well as issues of improving the mechanisms of information systems, taking into account the specifics of states with a multi-structured economy. The objective of the study is to assess the applicability of the tools for digital transformation of the Russian Federation in the field of public procurement in the context of international practice. Confirming all the advantages of the idea of digital transformation of public procurement systems, the Russian experience is intended to demonstrate what problems at the level of legislative regulation the state policy associated with the implementation of such systems can face. In this case, in contrast to foreign practices, the Russian system of electronic public procurement in the aggregate creates a single information space that, in fact, has no direct analogues and is a special example of interaction between electronic platforms in this area. In addition, the example of introducing distributed ledger technology into such systems is significant from the point of view of the functioning of electronic public procurement platforms. The results of this study and the tools used to assess legal regulation in the field of public procurement can be used by state authorities of the Russian Federation, taking into account the needs of entrepreneurs, to better assess the feasibility and consequences of participation in public procurement procedures. This study’s results can also be of relevance to researchers of comparative legislation in the field of legal regulation of public procurement.
Multi-level Governance and Internally Displaced Persons Policy in Ukraine: Bridging the Gap between the Global and Local; Governmental and Civic
Authors: Sakhanienko Sierhiei , Kolisnichenko Natalia , Rosenbaum Allan
Published: May 2021

This paper examines the means by which Ukraine has sought to address a critical and highly complex unanticipated policy problem. This is the emergence of almost 2 million internally dislocated people (IDPs) within the country in 2014 as a consequence of major, highly violent and continuing border conflict in the country’s South and East. In large part, as a consequence of its financial and administrative circumstances, Ukraine has addressed this situation in what has been a relatively unique manner for the country, relying upon organizations other than a central government ministry to shape and implement critically important policy and service delivery. This paper documents and maps both the extensive array of organizations whose involvement has gradually led to the emergence of what has become essentially a fledgling system of multi-level governance (MLG) which has been critical to the nation’s success in addressing the very difficult and complex policy problems created by massive internal dislocation. In so doing, the paper explores MLG, both theoretically and as it has developed in actuality, in terms of Ukraine’s response to the critical problems posed by the need to address its large and serious IDP crisis. The paper also examines the issue of community adaptation by IDPs and develops two models of community response. In order to do this, the paper relies upon historical review, comparative analysis, personal interviews and the use of expert focus groups.
Decentralization Policy in Ukraine: How Voluntary Amalgamation, Inter-Municipal Cooperation and Fiscal Incentives Impacted the Local Government System
Authors: Wright Glendal , Slukhai Sergii
Published: May 2021

This paper examines the progress of implementing a comprehensive decentralization program in Ukraine. Ukraine was practically the last country of the former Soviet bloc to undertake a comprehensive decentralization program. The decentralization program was based on three pillars: (1) a reliance on voluntary amalgamation of the local government units, (2) the use of inter-municipal cooperation, and (3) enhanced financial incentives. The authors examine how these policies were implemented as well as the impact on local governments service delivery and fiscal capacity. The analyses are based on available data and the application of statistical tests measuring fiscal resources to the population size and other variables of the local government. The study has revealed some significant flaws in Ukrainian decentralization policy implementation. The voluntary approach eventually had to be abandoned for a mandatory approach. The weak progress in inter-municipal cooperation did not establish improved service delivery across a large number of local government units. The financial incentives with greater sharing of taxes did not provide sufficient additional resources to make the units financially sustainable. Finally, the results of the local government elections held in the amalgamated units did not reveal widespread support for the new units and the decentralization reforms. These issues create significant risks for the final success of the decentralization reform.
Designing Actor Training Process In The E-Learning Environment
Authors: Ursa Iulia
Published: May 2021

The present study presents the investigations and the research carried out in order to build a developed and professional role-model in e-learning system of study activities specific to the praxis of the actor’s craft in vocational high schools that are engaged in the drama classroom. Our hypothesis has been engaged in demonstrating that a solid based research that follows scientific procedures can and could generate impressive results. Using these researched based results the drama teacher can implement the right procedures in the classroom and by doing so he can impact the positive outcomes concerning the student-subjects abilities and professional skills. The methodology combines two types of scientific investigation means: analytical research method and the experiential research method. The following research reveals the organizational systems of the practical activities in eleaning system. For a better measurement of the results of the implemented experiential research a series of documents have been subjected to an objective analysis: structured and semi-structured interviews with the student-subjects. In the final section of the study we endeavor to state the following conclusion: in order for the developed construct of learning to have an impact on its involved parties, the drama teacher has to find creative and organized approaches, to use all the logistic and technological present means and to explore all known archived sources in actor training methods that are available to him.
Coronavirus disease 2019, allergic diseases, and allergen immunotherapy: Possible favorable mechanisms of interaction
Authors: Larenas-Linnemann Désirée E. , Ortega-Martell José A. , Blandón-Vijil María V. , Rodríguez-Pérez Noel , Luna-Pech Jorge A. , Estrada-Cardona Alan , Arias-Cruz Alfredo , Del Rio-Navarro Blanca E. , Rodríguez Elsy M. Navarrete , Pozo-Beltrán Cesar F. , Takane Ernesto Onuma , Rojo-Gutiérrez María I. , Espinosa-Rosales Francisco J. , Martínez-Infante Eric A.
Published: May 2021

Background:Both, allergen immunotherapy (AIT) and SARS-COV-2 infection cause a set of immunologic changes that respectively vary during the course of the treatment or the disease.Objective:To review immune changes brought along by each of these entities and how they might interrelate.Methods:We start presenting a brief review of the structure of the new coronavirus and how it alters the functioning of the human immune system. Subsequently, we describe the immune changes induced by AIT and how these changes could be favorable or unfavorable in the allergic patient infected with SARS-CoV-2 at a particular point of time during the evolving infection.Results:We describe how a healthy immune response against SARS-CoV-2 develops, versus an immune response that is initially suppressed by the virus, but ultimately overactivated, leading to an excessive production of cytokines (cytokine-storm-like). These changes are then linked to the clinical manifestations and outcomes of the patient. Reviewing the immune changes secondary to AIT, it becomes clear how AIT is capable of restoring a healthy innate immunity. Investigators have previously shown that the frequency of respiratory infections is reduced in allergic patients treated with AIT. On the other hand it also increases immunoregulation.Conclusion:As there are many variables involved, it is hard to predict how AIT could influence the allergic patient's reaction to a SARS-CoV-2 infection. In any case, AIT is likely to be beneficial for the patient with allergic rhinitis and/or allergic asthma in the context of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic as controlling allergic diseases leads to a reduced need for contact with healthcare professionals. The authors remind the reader that everything in this article is still theoretical, since at the moment, there are no published clinical trials on the outcome of COVID-19 in allergic patients under AIT.