bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
testamento de Diego de Guevara (c. 1450-1520)
Authors: Vázquez Dueñas Elena
Published: December 2019

Don Diego de Guevara (c. 1450-1520), ilustre español afincado en Flandes, llegó a ocupar un lugar destacado en la corte de los Habsburgo como embajador de Felipe el Hermoso, Margarita de Austria y Carlos V. Pero además tuvo una importante colección artística, llegando a poseer obras como El matrimonio Arnolfini de Jan van Eyck. El presente artículo analiza y transcribe en anexo final un documento inédito: su testamento. Asimismo, se aportan nuevos datos como el que lleva a modificar la fecha de nacimiento de su hijo don Felipe, conocido sobre todo por su Comentario de la pintura y pintores antiguos.
Robin Fiddian, Postcolonial Borges. Argument and artistry. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2017; xvi + 222 pp.
Authors: Galván Fernando
Published: December 2019

En tal sentido, la interpretación que hace Fiddian en este libro no se dirige sólo a los lectores de las literaturas escritas en lengua española, sino a otros muchos, tanto a los de las lenguas europeas como a los de aquellas cuyas literaturas nacionales han ido surgiendo y consolidándose en las últimas décadas con figuras y obras de gran distinción. Por ello, este libro de Fiddian merece, a mi juicio, una buena difusión. Ojalá esta primera edición inglesa conozca pronto versiones en otras lenguas.
Exploratory factor analysis on situational judgment data after controling for scenario effect
Authors: Namgung JunJae , Lee Soonmook , Kim HyoSun
Published: December 2019

We demonstrated how to perform exploratory factor analysis on situational judgment data of creative personality. Situational judgment test(SJT) has a long history of 80 years and has settled down in industrial/organizational settings for the last 20 years. However, we have not overcome the problem of estimating construct because item scores in SJT contain method effect generated by the scenarios as well as response scores to the substantive questions. We applied Asparouhov and Muthen’s(2009) logic of explorary structural equation modeling(ESEM) to open an approach to estimating common factor structures after controling for the method effect generated by scenarios. Using ESEM, it is possible to specify measurement error correlations in the frame of structural equation modeling and to use exploratory approach to factor analysis on the remaining part of data. As a result we could estimate a four-factor structure on data of 40 items with eight scenarios measuring creative personality of college students.
Sinking Skin Flap Syndrome and Paradoxical Herniation Provoked by a Malfunction of External Lumbar Drainage and CSF Leak
Authors: Hanko M , Snopko P , Opsenak R , Benco M , Richterova R , Kolarovszki B
Published: December 2019

The sinking skin flap syndrome represents a less-frequent complication in patients after a decompressive craniectomy. It is defined as a neurological deterioration accompanied by a flat or concave deformity of the craniectomy-related skin flap. The underlying brain parenchyma is distorted correspondingly with its blood flow and metabolism being impaired and cerebrospinal fluid hydrodynamics being disturbed, thus causing cerebral dysfunction and neurological symptomatology. The most important options for reversal of this syndrome include Trendelenburg position, maintaining of the cerebrospinal fluid balance, and cranioplasty as a definite solution. We present a patient who underwent a decompressive craniectomy complicated by a cerebrospinal fluid leak in the operative wound treated by means of an external lumbar drainage. Subsequently he developed the sinking skin flap syndrome and a paradoxical cerebral herniation after the drainage system malfunction with a massive cerebrospinal fluid leak at the site of the lumbar drain insertion parallel to the drain itself. His symptoms were, however, successfully alleviated by a positional change, rehydration, and interruption of the lumbar drainage. This illustrational case suggests that clinicians should be aware that patients after decompressive craniectomy may develop a sinking skin flap syndrome as it may either represent an acute risk of a paradoxical brain herniation or complicate the further postoperative care if developed in a chronic way.
Changes in Snowbed Vegetation in the Western Carpathians Under Changing Climatic Conditions and Land Use in the Last Decades
Authors: Palaj Andrej , Kollár Jozef
Published: December 2019

Snowbed vegetation is one of the most sensitive alpine vegetation type to the climate change, because shortened period of snow cover has essential impact on the snowbed environment. We focus on its changes in the Western Tatras, which is a part of the Western Carpathians (Slovakia). The assessment of changes in snowbed vegetation is based on the method of pair comparison. In 2016–2018, we resampled 21 historical phytocoenological relevés of Festucion picturatae and Salicion herbaceae alliances from 1974 and 1976. Historical data include 45 species, while recent data include 50 species. We observed a decrease in the frequency of species characteristic for snowbeds and, on the other hand, an increase in that for strong competitors, especially grasses and small shrubs from adjacent habitats. According to Ellenberg’s ecological indices, there is some increase in temperature and decrease in light ecological factors in snowbed habitats. In S. herbaceae data, a statistically significant increase in the average species number was observed with new species that penetrated from the adjacent habitats. Changes in species composition between historical and recent data are confirmed by Non-metric multidimensional scaling (nMDS) ordination diagram. Linear mixed-effect models showed big variability in factors that have impact on phytodiversity; nevertheless, temperature is the most significant factor.
Simulation of Decline of Norway Spruce (Picea Abies L. Karst.) Forests in Gorgan Mountains (Ukrainian Carpathians): Case Study Using Forkome Model
Authors: Parpan Taras , Kozak Ihor , Shparyk Yuriy , Mylenka Myroslava , Balaniuk Ivan
Published: December 2019

The FORKOME model used in the article contains elements of forest and ecological approaches and was specially developed for the conditions of the Gorgans. The modeling was performed based on the single simulation results and statistically averaged forecast of 200 simulations (“Monte Carlo”) in order to show the tendency of changes and their correspondence with single simulations. The forecast of the forest dynamics was conducted at the 100th anniversary period with “control” and “warm-dry” scenarios. It has been revealed that the rapid decrease in biomass in the first decade was caused by Norway spruce decline. It was revealed that in the control scenario, the most active biomass growth during the 100th year forecast was shown by Silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) and beech (Fagus sylvatica L.). The fir reacted relatively sensitively to the warming and decrease in rainfall. The relationships between tree species and the influence of biomass of Norway spruce tree on the biomass of the whole forest tree stand were analyzed.
Managing ambidexterity in internationalisation of SMEs from an emerging country: A dynamic capability perspective
Authors: Priyono Anjar , Nursyamsiah Siti , Darmawan Baziedy A.
Published: December 2019

Ambidexterity is the ability of firms to undertake exploration and exploitation concurrently. Empirical evidence suggests that ambidextrous organisations are better able to manage the trade-off between flexibility and efficiency. Although ambidexterity has been the subject of many previous research studies, relatively little attention has been paid to how SMEs manage ambidexterity in an international market. A multiple case study research design was used to explore ambidexterity in two SMEs. The research utilised an inductive approach. SMEs adopt different strategies to manage ambidexterity. Larger SMEs, supported with more resources, can carry out exploration and exploitation simultaneously. By contrast, smaller sized SMEs must perform exploration and exploitation intermittently. In addition, the impacts of managers, resource flexibility, and network supports in managing ambidexterity are also discussed. This study suggests that managers of SMEs should consider resource availability and the characteristics of the international customers being served before designing a strategy for managing ambidexterity. This study contributes to the limited empirical evidence on how SMEs manage ambidexterity in international markets.
Are Eastern Baltic Ports the drivers of Eurasian trade?
Authors: Efimova Elena , Vroblevskaya Svetlana
Published: December 2019

Since “Belt and Road initiative” (BRI) has been launched, the major volume of academic studies focus on the consideration of Eurasian land and maritime transport routes. Experts on Chinese foreign policy and geopolitical strategy emphasize possible positive and negative aspects of the initiative for the states involved. The business and political circles from Eastern Baltic Sea region are looking for possible ways to attract cargo to its ports. Yet, the possible transformations of Chinese foreign trade flows in the context of BRI are now under academic consideration. We focus on the evaluation of ports’ possibilities to handle Chinese cargo. The key issues of our study include the choice of cargo transportation routes and opportunities to attract Chinese investment to expand port and logistics infrastructure. The methodology of the research is based on statistical data analysis for the further comparison of transport routes. Our empirical results demonstrate that Eastern Baltic Sea ports can attract little part of Chinese trade flows.
Coenzyme Q10 and Selenium in Heart Failure – A New Perspective
Authors: Bolog Mihaela Ioana
Published: December 2019

Optimal treatment of heart failure (HF) is a continuous challenge. Pharmacological progress, interventional or surgical procedures, kinesio-therapeutic rehabilitation have modestly improved the prognosis of HF with reduced ejection fraction (EF), and patients with HF with preserved EF, or those hospitalized for HF regardless of EF still have a high mortality risk1,2. The association to the standard treatment of HF either of CoQ10 (CoQ10) or selenium has been evaluated over the last 30 years in many small and non-statistical powered studies. The recent publication of randomized trials Q-SYMBYO and Kisel-10 renewed interest in these supplements. The article aims to synthesize literature data on the role and mechanism of action of CoQ10 and selenium in HF as well as the results of the published trials and meta-analyses, focusing on the latest.
Particularities in Cardiovascular Recovery by Physical Training in a Patient with Prosthetic Valve, Permanent Electrical Cardiac Stimulation and Aortocoronary Bypass
Authors: Adam Cristina , Mitu Magda , Mîndru Dana , Gîlcă Ana-Karina , Gavril Radu Sebastian , Roca Mihai , Mitu Florin
Published: December 2019

Introduction: Going through a complete cardiac rehabilitation is essential for all cardiac patients undergoing complex surgery, including those who wear intracardiac devices. Determining the effort capacity after the surgical intervention might provide satisfactory results with the improvement of the quality of life.

Case presentation: We present the case of a male patient, 44 years old, known with aortic bicuspid valve, aortic mechanical valve evolved with prosthesis mismatch and aortocoronary bypass (right coronary artery), followed by total atrioventricular block which required cardiac pacemaker VVI, who is admitted in the Cardiovascular Rehabilitation Clinic to continue the second phase of the rehabilitation program. The ergospirometry test (which was performed in order to evaluate the impairment of the effort capacity) showed a moderate-severe decrease of effort capacity (42% of maximal oxygen consumption, class C Weber), effort hypotension and chronotropic incompetence which led to pausing cardiopulmonary test before anaerobic threshold. Stepper exercise or climbing stairs did not cause the lowering of blood pressure and heart rate, which led to the idea of controlling and adjusting the stimulation parameters. Within cardiopulmonary testing in patients with pacemaker special regards should be paid towards: parameters assessment during effort (heart rate during the test in pacemakers without adaptation to exercise, heart rate during the test in pacemakers with adaptation to exercise, evaluation of the effort response in patients undergoing resynchronization therapy) and diagnosis of exercise-induced arrhythmia (atrial fibrillation, ventricular extrasystoles, ventricular tachycardia, as well as identification of arrhythmias in patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillator).

Conclusion: The cardiopulmonary stress test in patients with cardiostimulation should respect certain conditions in conducting the test in order to obtain realistic results of functional capacity. Due to the position of the piezoelectric crystal and the immobilization of the limbs during the cycle ergometer test it is recommended testing using the treadmill.
A Folklorist in the Soviet Spotlight
Authors: Treija Rita
Published: December 2019

The article seeks to illuminate the ideologically motivated circumstances of Latvian folklore studies during the period of unconditional Soviet totalitarianism. With the strengthening of the Soviet occupation regime in Latvia in the late 1940s, many interwar folklorists became victims of ideologically motivated disdain and subsequent career limitation. ‘Bourgeois’ scholarship and the methods applied in folklore studies during the interwar period were denounced and recognised as harmful to the new Soviet order. The central part of the article presents a case study of one individual folklorist of the time, Anna Bērzkalne (1891–1956). Both increasing criticism of Bērzkalne’s folklore research approach (the historical–geographical method) and her efforts to accommodate the requirements of the Soviet regime have been analysed.
The Role of Ethnographers in the Invention of Socialist Traditions in the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic
Authors: Boldāne-Zeļenkova Ilze
Published: December 2019

This study, based on archive document research and analysis of publications by Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic (LSSR) ethnographers, discusses the process of invention and implementation of Socialist traditions and the role of scientists in this. The introduction of Soviet traditions in Latvia did not begin immediately after the Second World War when the communist occupation regime was restored. The occupation regime in the framework of an anti-religious campaign turned to the transformation of traditions that affect individual’s private sphere and relate to church rituals – baptism, confirmation, weddings, funerals, Latvian cemetery festivities – in the second half of 1950s, along with the implementation of revolutionary and labour traditions. In order to achieve the goals set by the Communist Party, a new structure of institutions was formed and specialists from many fields were involved, including ethnographers from the Institute of History at the LSSR Academy of Sciences (hereinafter – LSSR AS). Ethnographers offered recommendations, as well as observed and analysed the process, discussing it in meetings of official commissions and sharing the conclusions in scientific publications, presentations, etc.
Do Soft Skills matter? A Study on Employability of Engineering Graduates in Bangladesh
Authors: Afroze Rumana , Eva Tamanna Parvin , Sarker Atiqur Rahman
Published: December 2019

Objective: University graduates in Bangladesh are presently confronted with high job competition. Because of less job availability, engineering graduates are facing more challenges in getting job opportunities than business graduates. Moreover, engineering graduates are more proficient in technical skills than with their human skills. The most important barrier for engineering graduates’ employability at their initial stage of career is that they have less focus on acquisition of their soft skills. Therefore, this study is concentrating to analyse the current situation of the engineering graduates’ soft skills deficiency and to investigate the impact of having soft skills on employability.

Methodology:The nature of the study is qualitative and data has been gathered through in-depth interview and Focus Group Discussion (FGD). Respondents of in-depth interview are experienced engineers and HR experts who are working in engineering based organizations especially at the power solution service providing companies in Bangladesh. FGD among final year undergraduate engineering students has also been conducted to validate the interview data. Thematic analysis is used to analyse the qualitative data.

Findings:The impact of having soft skills in getting employment of new graduates at the entry level is identified in this paper.

Value Added: Higher education can assist in developing employability through increasing employment prospect and also achieving individual learning goals. However, fresh engineering graduates have social skills gap and lack of practical knowledge which can be reduced through acquiring soft skills. Different techniques such as self-training, institutional training, joining language sessions, attending presentation skills development classes and social programs can assist graduates in the acquisition of soft skills.

Recommendations: As the most important reason of engineers’ unemployment is the lacking of collaboration between industry and academic institutions, this study focuses to draw the attention of engineering students, educational institutes and policy makers to highlight the importance of developing soft skills for employability and career growth.
Particularities of the Recent Evolution of Higher Education in Romania. Analysis and Forecasts
Authors: Bălan Mariana
Published: December 2019

Objective: The purpose of this article is to present a brief analysis of the Romanian higher education system from the perspective of basic indicators, as well as the use of Markovian techniques for studying the evolution of the schooling process.

Methodology: The descriptive statistical analysis was mainly used to visualize and synthesize the information extracted from the data on the Romanian higher education system. Markovian methods were used to study and predict the evolution of the schooling process.

Findings: The rapid dynamics of the number of students in Romania in the last two decades has been accompanied by a series of structural changes, of which the most important are: a) constantly increasing the degree of feminisation of student achievements and b) increasing the relative importance of economic studies, legal studies and other social sciences, while reducing the relative importance of technical sciences and of medical-pharmaceutical studies within university specialties. Also, the distribution of the graduates’ specializations correlated to a very small extent with the requirements of economic and social activity. It can be said that the development of tertiary education in Romania was stimulated mainly by the action of factors of social and cultural nature and only at second level by the demand for qualified personnel generated by the productive apparatus.

Value Added: This study highlights the current state of Romanian higher education. The fact that the evolution of tertiary education has been “explosive” over the past two decades makes some econometric methods, involving the use of stationary data or which have a high degree of complexity, more difficult to use. In this context, the use of Markovian modelling methods for studying and forecasting the evolution of the schooling process can contribute to improving access to and participation in higher education.

Recommendations: In the current conjucture, when trying to increase the insertion of graduates into the labour market, it is natural for decision-makers to use various estimation methods and techniques that allow them to correlate university study programs with the needs of the labour market and at the same time provide them with scientific support for their prognosis.
Novice Teachers of English as a Foreign Language in the Czech Republic and their Drop-Out Intentions
Authors: Hanušová Světlana , Píšová Michaela , Kohoutek Tomáš
Published: December 2019

Problems with staffing play a crucial role among factors influencing the quality of English language teaching at Czech primary and lower secondary schools. Since 1990 the shortage of teachers of English as a foreign language has been repeatedly reported by the Czech School Inspectorate. The shortage is largely caused by the reluctance of English language teacher education study programme graduates to accept teaching positions at primary and lower secondary schools. A drop-out syndrome in the early stages of the teachers’ career is another factor that may contribute to the lack of teachers of English. Unfortunately, it has not been researched in the Czech Republic and it has not been systematically monitored by the state. In the research study focusing on novice teacher drop-out, conducted in 2015–2017, we deal with the process of socialisation of novice teachers in schools and with external factors that influence the socialisation and that can be seen as predictors of novice teachers’ decision to stay in their current school or leave either the school or the teaching profession. The current paper presents partial findings related to drop-out intentions of novice teachers of English as a foreign language in comparison with teachers of other subjects. Our findings indicate that drop-out intentions are more frequent in teachers of English as a foreign language than for other teachers and that teachers of English evaluate their cooperation with colleagues and leadership at their schools more critically than other teachers.
Test Banking in English for Medical Purposes (Dentistry)
Authors: Doykova Ilina
Published: December 2019

Activities and questions to assess knowledge in English for medical purposes were designed to incorporate terminology, academic vocabulary and grammar items in computer-based tests for bachelor students in Dentistry at Medical University - Varna. During the two-semester study course identification of key words, core lexical patterns, specific collocations and emphasis on their recurrent use were the selected strategies for student retention of specialized language and improved learning outcomes. Medical terms as single-word lexical units with straightforward definitions are easy to learn compared to collocations and multi-word terms including polysemous adjectives. In the present paper we concentrate on the process of formation of structures containing attributive adjectives which can be quite a problematic and error-generating area for second language learners. The aim of the on-going research study is to extract current lists of the sub-technical vocabulary and the terminological units in specialized medical domains as linguistic resources. The collection of assessment materials into a test bank for specific educational purposes is a customizable electronic resource, imported into the University platform to facilitate the process of compilation and creation of new tests.

By implementing corpus linguistic tools into test design, the instructor aims at providing an authentic e-assessment environment based on the idea of key words in context, concordances, and lexical patterns as per the contents of the selected textbooks and teaching materials during the course. The paper highlights some strategic issues about creating test resources in EMP such as the adherence to a set of selected linguistic items and grammatical structures based on their frequency in the domain.
Origin, Types, and Functioning of Chandeliers with Serpent Arms: From the Netherlands to Lithuania
Authors: Valtaitė-Gagač Alantė
Published: December 2019

Chandeliers with serpent arms held at the National Museum of Lithuania and the Lithuanian Art Museum are among the earliest found in Lithuania. Previous efforts to find chandeliers of similar décor in Latvia or Poland while collecting material on lighting fixtures in Lithuania and the neighbouring countries were unsuccessful. Due to that reason, it was thought that the spread of these chandeliers of extraordinary décor was limited to the territory of Lithuania. A closer and more thorough look into collections of Western European museums has revealed that the motif of an elegantly coiled snake on chandelier arms should be related to Hans Rogiers, a founder who worked in Amsterdam in 1598–1638.

In the article, the origin of chandeliers with serpent arms in Western Europe and the ways they could have possibly reached Lithuania are traced back for the first time. Specimens that survived or did not survive in Lithuania, their development and problems of dating are analysed. Their functioning space is explored and the subject of their symbolism is addressed. The article aims to present and evaluate the surviving chandeliers with serpent arms in Lithuania. In the research, instruments of formal, comparative, iconographic, and reconstructive analysis were used.
Between (in)Visible Influences and (Im)Pure Traditions: Hybrid Character of the Postdramatic in Lithuanian Theatre
Authors: Staniškytė Jurgita
Published: December 2019

Lithuanian theatre has always been known for its visual metaphors and dramaturgy of directorial images, where the language of literary text is translated into visual metaphors created on stage by a director. Due to this quality, some critics have argued that Lithuanian theatre has been demonstrating postdramatic characteristics for a long time. However, one should note that visual metaphors of modern Lithuanian theatre have been based on and controlled by literary text and never quite established a more autonomous and self-contained visuality. Dramatic text remained the point of departure whether the director chose to illustrate or concretise it, to transform or deform it. However, in post-Soviet Lithuanian theatre, these relations have been gradually turning discontinuous, their intensity often varied within the framework of the same performance. Fragmentary cracks, when images, departed from the roles of commentators or illustrators of textual meanings, turned into flashes of independent visions that were seen by the critics as an obvious shift towards a radical image-centric position or, to use the term of Hans-Thies Lehmann, postdramatic theatre. However, the recent performance Lokis (2017, Lithuanian National Drama Theatre) by Polish theatre artist Lukasz Twarkowski, produced twenty years after the initial introduction of the term postdramatic into the Lithuanian context, has paradoxically started a storm of divisive opinions in the Lithuanian theatre milieu. It became the focal point of discussions about the intrinsic character of Lithuanian theatre, especially its embedded attitudes towards drama text and acting—notoriously challenging factors for many international collaborations. The article analyses the ongoing debates about the term postdramatic theatre and its interpretations in Lithuanian theatre criticism, taking the example of Lokis as a case study.
Bandit: Here to Haunt You! On Why I Became an Émigré Theatre Maker
Authors: Florea Bogdan Mihai
Published: December 2019

The article employs concepts of time lag, inspired by Ernst Bloch, and ghost and haunting, borrowed from Jacques Derrida. It also draws on Svetlana Boym’s and Vilém Flusser’s vision of the émigré and on Dominick LaCapra’s and Slavoj Žižek’s interpretations of trauma. The analysis is also informed by Karen Jürs-Munby’s and Cathy Caruth’s views on trauma and its representation in theatre.

This critical apparatus is put into motion in the particular context of BANDIT: a theatre project developed in the UK by two Romanian émigré theatre-makers. The main focus is on exposing links between the references to trauma contained in the theatre piece BANDIT and the makers’ self-imposed artistic exile in the UK. The article seeks to answer the following question: what has pushed us, the makers of BANDIT, to leave our native country and what is our (new) role (as artists) in the country of emigration? The discussion is carried out within the wider context of the vast waves of Romanian emigration to Western Europe (after the fall of the Iron Curtain). The article critiques the troublesome relation of the contemporary Romanian society to its Communist past and the apparent inability and/or unwillingness to deal with the repressed/traumatic memories of that past. Analysis of BANDIT as performance of lingering trauma also references the historical Percentages agreement between Stalin and Churchill—the informal agreement that established spheres of influence in Europe at the end of the Second World War. Identifying the Iron Curtain as the epicentre of traumatic memory for Eastern Europeans, the discussion about BANDIT also makes a reference to Communist crimes against political prisoners committed in Romanian prisons in 1951–1952, put in parallel with the toxic EU referendum campaign in the UK in 2016. Underpinned by Derrida’s thinking, the article explains how the Romanian émigré-artist (as a paragon of the Romanian / Eastern European émigré in general) has to fashion herself into a ghost that haunts the adoptive culture, using artistic exile as a platform for processing the traumatic memories of an unresolved past.
On positive weak solutions for a class of weighted (p(.), q(.))−Laplacian systems
Authors: Azroul Elhoussine , Boumazourh Athmane , Srati Mohammed
Published: December 2019

In this paper, we study the existence of positive weak solutions for a quasilinear elliptic system involving weighted (p(.), q(.))−Laplacian operators. The approach is based on sub-supersolutions method and on Schauder’s fixed point theorem.
Recycling of the Steelmaking by-products into the Oxygen Converter Charge
Authors: Baricová Dana , Pribulová Alena , Buľko Branislav , Demeter Peter
Published: December 2019

In the technological process of the steelmaking plant, secondary products are produced in parallel with the production of the main product, which have the character of secondary by products or industrial waste. The major secondary products of steelmaking production include waste gases, process fluids, flue dust, sludge, slags and mill scales. The paper presents the results of research project directed to the utilization of demetallized steelmaking slag and oxygen converter flue dust in charge of top blowed oxygen converter. The influence of demetallized slag additions on slag regime in converter and chemical composition of final slag is described and discussed. Recommendations concerning amount of demetallized slag additions are also presented. Flue dust was recycled in form of briquettes. No significant effect of the recycling demetallized converter slag and flue dust briquette on process of hot metal refining and on quality of produced steel were recorded. Regarding the achieved results it can be confirmed that the use of the secondary products like demetallized slag and convertor flue dust in form briquettes, is environmentally acceptable as well as the use of natural materials and poses no increased risk to human health or the environment.
Defects and Incompatibilities of Pipes Manufactured by Pilgrim Method
Authors: Biś Jesica , Koczurkiewicz Bartosz , Mazur Igor
Published: December 2019

The increase in the quality requirements for the pipes and the increasing needs to reduce production costs, while increasing the efficiency of the process in market of hot rolled pipes are observed. One of the cost reduction factors is the reduction of the number of defects by early detection and, if possible, the removal of non-conformities. Incompatibility is an error that can be removed in accordance with the performance standard that does not cause defects (Norma API). The defect is imperfection that is so important that it is the basis for the removal of the product or its part based on the criteria set out in the performance standards. In pipe manufacturing processes, defects and batch incompatibilities can be distinguished, which arise in the steelworks during metal solidification and roll forming in the course of metal processing. The defect may also arise as a result of removing steel material or result from rolling processes defects. The paper presents the analysis of the process of quality control of pipes manufactured using the pilgrim method on the basis of real process data. The analysis were involved 1070 pieces of ingots from 11 different melts for rolling pipes. At various stages of production, discrepancies and defects were revealed, which were caused by metallurgical or technological defects associated with rolling pipes. The total amount of discrepancies and defects eliminated 168 pieces of finished pipes. The aim of the work is to show that by means of appropriately selected methods of eliminating imperfections, it is possible to increase the efficiency of the manufacturing process.
Risk Map for a Selected Organization
Authors: Wojtyto Dorota , Michalik Joanna , Kobuszewska Sandra
Published: December 2019

The publication presents a risk map for a selected organization concerning external hazards, i.e. those whose source is not derived from the internal conditions of the functioning of the organization. To this end, a risk management process was carried out, consisting in the identification of hazards, their analysis, risk assessment, and risk response. The risk map shows a visual presentation of these hazards together with the defined risk level. This map is used to identify hazard zones within the examined organization, serving as a database also for all entities interested in the business activity of the organization, the entities neighboring the facility, or private persons. Furthermore, this tool is particularly useful for local government administration units for the purpose of proper crisis management within the administered area. The risk map is also used to identify internal risk areas in the organization.
Analysis of Roll Wear Costs During Multi-Strand Rolling of Ribbed Bars Using New Slitting Pass System
Authors: Strycharska Dominika
Published: December 2019

The paper presents a modification of the slitting pass system, which ensured a reduction in roll wear during three-strand rolling of ribbed bars with a diameter of 16 mm, and thus reduced the associated costs. The theoretical and experimental research on the rolling process of ribbed bars with a diameter of 16 mm rolled in three-strand technology was carried out on a D350 18-stand continuous bar rolling mill conditions. To determine the cost of slitting pass wear, the results of numerical calculations of the frictional force unit of work obtained using the Forge2011® computer program was used, as well as empirical calculations.
Peculiarities of Alloying Effect on the Eutectic Cementite Behavior Under Hot Rolling
Authors: Mironova Tatiana , Proidak Svetlana
Published: December 2019

Currently, cast iron remains one of the major modern casting materials in metallurgy and machine-building industry and is sure to take the lead in the future. Chilled cast iron has high hardness and wear resistance due to a large number of carbide phases in its structure. However, low ductility and impact hardness essentially limit its applicability in terms of processing. Hot plastic working, under which the eutectic net crushing is observed, appears to be one of the most effective means of the eutectic alloy products shape and microstructure transformation. Chilled cast iron properties fundamentally improve after hot plastic working: ductility, strength and impact hardness increase by 2-3 times on retention of the high hardness factor. Chilled cast iron ductility increase can be attained when using phase transformations in eutectic cementite under lean alloying with carbide forming elements. The purpose of the paper is to study alloying effect on the chilled cast iron ductility as well as eutectic cementite behavior under hot rolling. In the paper hardening and softening of the structural components in chilled cast iron under hot working have been studied. The deformation texture forming in eutectic cementite under hot rolling has been revealed, which is connected with the dynamic softening and depends on the degree and the nature of its alloying. The mechanism and regularities of the phase transformation effect in cementite on its behavior under plastic deformation and on the alloys ductility in general have been studied. In cementite chromium alloying initiates processes, that can be characterized as the pre-precipitation stage of the new phases, and this way it contributes to the cast iron ductility reduction and embrittles cementite. Carbide transformation, that occurs in eutectic cementite under alloying with vanadium, stimulates softening of the alloy and increases its ductility level. Moreover, the multiple glide planes {130},{011},{112} in cementite have been determined. It has been found out, that in supersaturated cementite vanadium carbides precipitation stimulates the extra glide plane {111} occurrence under hot rolling. The essence of the carbide transformation phenomenon is that under hot working there occurs the lubricating effect at the transition of the metastable iron carbide condition, which is strengthened with vanadium supersaturation and mechanical hardening, to a more stable condition due to precipitation of the proeutectoid constituents on the one hand, and because of the dynamic softening processes on the other hand. At that, the autocatalyticity effect is observed: there is precipitation of carbides with hardening and softening, similar to the processes that arise as a result of the superplastic effect induced by phase transformations.
Microstate of Basic Phase of High-Alloyed Ferritic Steels
Authors: Baranov M.A. , Dubov E.A. , Kawałek A
Published: December 2019

In according with the stated conception the purpose of the present work is the reconstruction of some of innumerable microstates of α phase of ferritic steels, definition of its macroparameters and their subsequent comparison with indicators of mechanical properties of industrially let out steels. The establishment of a correlation between the measured indicators of mechanical properties of already created materials and the calculated state parameters of their basic phase opens an opportunity of mechanical properties prediction of materials in dependence on their prehistory that as a matter of fact represents the central task of material science. Simulation of α-phase state of series of industrially let out ferritic steels and alloys is executed in the assumption of identity of its composition to composition of steel or alloy as a whole. The correlation between indicators of mechanical properties of steels and alloys and state parameters of their basic phase is traced.
Does salinity affect body proportions and “size/mass” ratios of highly halotolerant Baeotendipes noctivagus larvae (Diptera, Chironomidae)?
Authors: Shadrin Nickolai V. , Belyakov Victor P. , Bazhora Alexandra I. , Anufriieva Elena V.
Published: December 2019

Measuring the linear characteristics of chironomid larvae is easier and faster than measuring their mass. The relationships between them are approximated by parabolic equations. Generalized equations are provided for all chironomid larvae. However, these relations vary in different water bodies. Measurements of 1424 chironomid larvae representing several species were taken in Crimean waters with salinity ranging from 0 to 280 PSU. There was a high correlation between three traits. In the case of Baeotendipes noctivagus and Cricotopus gr. sylvestris, dimorphism was found in the “head capsule length– width” relationship. Salinity affects the head capsule. The exponent “b” varied from 1.43 to 3.06 in the “body length-mass” equation for B. noctivagus, and from 1.943 to 2.592 for C. gr. sylvestris. It is inappropriate to use only one coefficient “b” for all chironomid larvae. In B. noctivagus and Paratanytarsus confuses, the mass of one-size larvae decreased with increasing salinity. Salinity is not the only factor affecting the size and mass of chironomid larvae.
First record of the abyssal bivalve Halicardia flexuosa (Bivalvia: Verticordiidae) in the Bay of Biscay
Authors: Arias Andrés , Fernández-Rodríguez Irene , Anadón Nuria
Published: December 2019

The occurrence of the flexed verticord, Halicardia flexuosa (Verrill & S. Smith [in Verrill], 1881), is reported for the first time from the Bay of Biscay (North Iberian Peninsula). This rare bivalve was collected from deep waters (1200 m depth) of the Avilés Canyon Systems (Central Cantabrian Sea). We provide a detailed description and illustration of the species, as well as brief notes on its ecology at the new locality and its global biogeography.
Business excellence models in higher education – innovative solutions for management performance
Authors: Dima Alina Mihaela , Clodniţchi Roxana , Istudor Laura , Luchian Iulia
Published: December 2019

The present challenging environment determines organizations to differentiate themselves from their competitors finding creative solutions. Business Excellence Models (BEMs) is the appropriate instrument for organizations to create authentic competitive advantages. In dynamic and changing environments characterized by technological changes, a sustainable advantage requires strong dynamic capabilities and integrated elements of BEMs. A comparative analysis of BEMS evolution presented in the paper reflects the challenges and opportunities for further improvement in organizations. Excellence models have been used successfully also in business education. Business education reflects the added value to sound economic development, balancing social and economic interest (Emiliani, 2004). In general, it refers to competitive and motivated academic staff, quality of teaching and learning activities, leadership and management commitment, sustainability of university-business relationship, internationalization strategy and comprehensive curriculum adapted to business environment. There are a lot of environmental forces in different national environments that are placing the excellence dimension on higher education agenda. At the same time, limitations of BEMs models and the nature of higher education institutions put a lot of challenges on leadership and management of these organizations. The objective of the paper is to present and analyse the application of excellence models in higher education institutions and identify creative solutions for management performance.
Ways to create an effective positioning of Romanian universities through identity, image and promotion elements
Authors: Bălăşescu Marius , Bălăşescu Simona
Published: December 2019

The process of universities positioning, as a component of educational and university marketing consists of a synergetic system composed of all the marketing and management efforts of a university as an entity inside the educational market, materialized in identity, image and promotion elements that lead to the creation of a strong brand of the university and to contribute to the consolidation of a solid reputation. The present paper aims to address the topic of effective positioning of universities, as a tool of university marketing, in a Romanian and European higher education market with increasingly complex evolutions. Taking into account the tendencies in the field of education and university marketing (eg: competition between universities in Romania, but also at European and worldwide level), the authors consider that higher education institutions have to emphasize the various elements of identity, image and institutional promotion, because current or future bachelor students, master students and PhD students want to belong to some entities with prestige and reputation, in other words, with a strong image and identity to provide them with confidence and security. The paper considers an approach on three main components: the analysis of the stage of knowledge of the higher education field, an original marketing research research and the conclusions and solutions. The research consists of a quantitative marketing research applied among the Romanian high school graduating students, regarding their perception about different elements of identity, image and promotion of some important universities in Romania. The paper aims, as a fundamental objective, to provide results that can be integrated into the marketing strategies of the universities from Romania and Europe.
Contributions of social entrepreneurship to textile waste prevention in Romania
Authors: Staicu Daniela
Published: December 2019

The current system for producing, distributing, and using clothing is putting pressure on resources, pollutes and degrades ecosystems. Nowadays, when disposed of, clothing still has at least 70% of its useful life left. A different approach to the way clothes are made, distributed and disposed of is needed. Prevention of textile waste is one angle to address these challenges and is being taken into consideration by the European public bodies. Reuse is increasingly recognized as a waste prevention measure, specifically addressed in 25 of the 33 waste prevention programs of European countries but national approaches to encourage reuse are, so far weak. Though in Romania it is estimated that textile waste will be produced mainly by households by 2025, knowledge about clothing reuse stakeholders and the mechanisms of exchange is scarce. Some activity is however developed by charities, acting as social enterprises. The primary goal of this research was to understand the role of social entrepreneurship in textile waste prevention by identifying clothing reuse practices and stakeholders in Bucharest, the Romanian city with the largest number of households in Romania (10% of the total of households). By gaining concrete knowledge related to the clothing reuse initiatives, in terms of number and characteristics, moving from identifying current clothing reuse practices and mechanisms of exchange to the type of stakeholders involved, either public or private, the research contributed to modeling the circular business ecosystem in Romania. The main research question concerned the degree of involvement of social enterprises in the development of clothing reuse activities, and therefore textile waste prevention. The findings revealed a high disproportion between the number of private and public clothing reuse initiatives, most of the activities being developed by charities which to some extent act as social enterprises. The results were intended to provide information to support decision-making bodies and communities in building up a functional clothing waste prevention plan through benefiting of existing knowledge from stakeholders in the field. These results also open the pathway to public-private dialogue for highlighting and scaling up existing textile waste prevention activities.