bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Moisture sorption characteristics of pistachio
Authors: Koç Banu , Atar Gamze , Çağlar Nazan
Published: January 2019

In this study, the moisture adsorption isotherm of pistachio was determined at 25°C and relative humidity (10-90%), using the standard static, gravimetric method. Eleven sorption models were tested to fit the experimental data. A non-linear regression analysis method was used to evaluate the constants of the sorption equations. The GAB equation gave the best fit to the experimental data for a wide range of water activity, while BET gave the best fit for a water activity range of 0.1-0.5. The agreement between experimental and predicted values of these models was found to be satisfactory. Keywords: Moisture adsorption isotherm; Sorption model; Pistachio
Biodrying process: a sustainable technology for treatment of municipal solid wastes organic fraction
Authors: Kechaou Nabil , Ammar E
Published: January 2019

The Municipal Solid Waste of Agareb (Sfax –Tunisia), characterized by high organic fraction and moisture contents is the most worrying pollution source that must be managed by innovative treatment and recycling technologies. Bio-drying, as a waste to energy conversion technology, aims at reducing moisture content of this organic matter. This concept,  similar to composting, is accomplished by using the heat generated from the microbial degradation of the waste matrix, while forced aeration is used. The purpose of this work was to reduce the moisture content of the waste, by maximizing drying and minimizing organic matter biodegradation, in order to produce a solid recovered fuel with high calorific value.Keywords: Municipal solid wastes; organic matter; biodrying; composting; energy recovery.
Spray dried proliposomes of Rosmarinus officinalis polyphenols: a quality by design approach
Authors: Oliveira Wanderley Pereira , Bankole Victor Oloruntoba , Souza Claudia Regina F.
Published: January 2019

Harnessing the benefits of rosemary polyphenols is limited by variability in their physicochemical properties. These limitations may be overcome by encapsulation in systems possessing hydro-lipophilic centers thereby accommodating molecules of different polarities. Proliposomes offer a viable option in this regards, being particles which form liposomal suspension in water. Lyophilized extracts of rosemary was encapsulated in hydrogenatedsoyphosphatidylcholine/cholesterol by solvent replacement method. Spray dried proliposomes were obtained with lactose as carrier. Using Central Composite Design, the effects of lipid, extract and carrier concentrations on response variables including bioactive content and retention, moisture content characteristics, recuperation and redispersibility were evaluated by statistical analysis. Keywords: Polyphenols; antioxidant;  proliposomes; spray drying
Valorization of the tomato to obtain a powder rich in antioxidant constituents
Authors: Mennouche Djamel , Boubekri Abdelghani , Bouchekima Bachir , Boughali Slimane , Moumeni Rebiha , Boutadjine Djihad
Published: January 2019

The tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum), widely consumed fresh fruit but also in processed form, is recognized for its nutritional qualities, rich in micro components, such as carotenoids (lycopene in particular), phenolic compounds and vitamin C. The goal of this work is to valorize the tomato; in the form of paste, seeds, peel and mixture of seeds-peel; in order to obtain a powder rich in antioxidant constituents. Convective drying of the various tomato by-products (paste, seeds, peel and mixture) is an essential process in the valorization of the studies products. The results obtained, showed that our analysed samples are rich in phenolic compounds. The mixture seeds-peel has slightly higher total polyphenol content (190.65 mg EAG / ml), peel (157.36 mg EAG / ml), seeds (140.56 mg EAG / ml) and the paste (120 mg EAG / ml). The evolution of the color of dried by-products (method L, a, b), shows that the mixture (seeds-peel) has a better result of parameter "a" (indicates the red color and signifies the presence of Lycopene). Keywords: tomato, drying, antioxidant, polyphenols
Effect of particle size of blueberry pomace powder on its properties
Authors: Betoret Noelia , Calabuig-Jiménez Laura , Barrera Cristina , Seguí Lucia
Published: January 2019

Producing dried powders from blueberry pomace allows to reduce its environmental impact and gives value to this waste material. This work aims to evaluate the effect of particle size (fine or coarse) of blueberry pomace dried at 70 ºC on its fibre content and main physicochemical properties, including antiradical capacity, total phenols and anthocyanins content, hydration and emulsifying properties. The effect of storage on antioxidant properties was also evaluated. Results showed a significant effect of particle size on fibre content and consequently, on water retention, holding and emulsifying capacity of the powder. Neither phenols nor anthocyanins were affected by particle size or storage time. Keywords: blueberry pomace, powders, fibre, antioxidant properties.
Energy analysis of an ultrasound-assisted atmospheric freeze-drying process for food
Authors: Cárcel Juan A. , Merone Daniele , Colucci Domenico , Fissore Davide , Sanjuán Neus
Published: January 2019

Power ultrasounds have been proposed and extensively investigated as an effective way to speed up the atmospheric freeze-drying process, thus making this dehydration process attractive from an industrial viewpoint. Nevertheless, a rigorous investigation on the impact of power ultrasounds on the energy consumed by the process is still missing. This paper aims to investigate this issue. Apple, carrot and eggplant were chosen as representative products with different textures and water content. A mathematical model of the whole plant required to carry out the atmospheric ultrasound-assisted drying process was developed to assess the effect of the operating conditions on the energy consumption. Model parameters were tuned on the basis of the results obtained in a pilot-scale unit, thus allowing the use of the model to simulate the whole industrial dehydration process. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was used as a complementary tool to gain an insight on the environmental impact of the process. Results showed that due to differences in the water diffusivity for the analyzed products, substantial differences in energy consumption can be highlighted. In fact, when the water diffusivity increases, the capacity of the material to move water away also increases and the time to obtain a dry product is thus reduced. Moreover, although the use of ultrasound causes an increase in the hourly energy consumption (kWh·h-1), the total energy consumption of the whole process (kWh) is lower, since the total operation time is reduced. The LCA results highlighted the cooling system as the most critical stage for all the impact categories studied. This is mainly due to the use of ethylene glycol and R-404 in the refrigeration cycle. Nevertheless, when dehydrating low porosity products the energy consumption of the air dryer increased and this stage becomes, the most critical from an environmental point of viewKeywords: atmospheric freeze-drying, ultrasounds, process modeling, LCA.
Radio frequency-vacuum drying of kiwifruits: kinetics, uniformity and product quality
Authors: Wang Shaojin , Zhou Xu
Published: January 2019

A radio frequency (RF) vacuum technology is proposed for drying kiwifruit slices using a 27.12 MHz, 3 kW RF-vacuum drying system. The results demonstrated that electrode gap, vacuum pressure and sample thickness had major effects on the RF-vacuum drying. The RF-vacuum drying was associated with internal heating and rapid drying, resulting in 65% reduction of hot air (60ºC) drying time. Moreover, kiwifruits dehydrated by RF-vacuum drying were associated with better color stability, higher vitamin C retention and higher rehydration capacity (P<0.05). Overall, the RF-vacuum drying process may provide a more effective and practical method for high-quality dehydration of kiwifruits. Keywords: radio frequency-vacuum drying; hot air; moisture content distribution; moisture effective diffusivity; quality
Characteristics of oven-dried Jerusalem artichoke powder and its applications in phosphate-free emulsified chicken meatballs
Authors: Öztürk Burcu , Serdaroğlu Meltem
Published: January 2019

In this study, we aimed to investigate chemical and technological characteristics of oven-dried Jerusalem artichoke powder (JAP) to be further incorporated into emulsified chicken meatballs (with/without sodium carbonate) as sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) replacers. The dietary fiber content of JAP was quite high to improve the health profile of the meat system. JAP samples showed equivalent technological quality to industrial inulin in terms of water-holding, oil-binding, emulsification and gelling abilities. Phosphate-free meatballs formulated with JAP and sodium carbonate had better health impacts compared with phosphate containing meatballs while cooking characteristics were similar. The results showed that oven-dried JAP presented a good health profile and high technological quality to be evaluated as inorganic phosphate replacers in formulation of emulsified poultry products. Keywords: Jerusalem artichoke, oven-drying, emulsified chicken meatball, sodium tripolyphosphate, phosphate-free
Wall deposition experiments in a new spray dryer
Authors: Langrish Timothy A. G. , Huang Xing , Zhong Chao
Published: January 2019

Wall deposition tests have been conducted on a new spray-drying sytem. Solutions of salt and skim milk powder have been dried with different inlet temperatures (170 °C and 230 °C) and solid contents (8.8 wt% and 30 wt%). The experiment showed that increasing the temperature caused an decrease in the amount of deposition for salt solution, but an increase for skim milk. The experiments also showed that a higher solid content caused an increase in deposition. The trends agreed with the studies using a conventional spray dryer, but the amount of deposition appeared to be lower in the new spray dryer at the same operating conditions Keywords: Spray drying; wall deposition
Rotary Wheel Atomizer Study Using Computational Fluid Dynamics and Full-Scale Testing
Authors: Vinther Frank , Joensen Tórstein Vincent , Kuhnhenn Maximilian , Reck Mads , Tropea Cameron
Published: January 2019

This study models the internal fluid flow from the center to the edge of a rotary atomizer wheel, the flow out of the atomizer, including the film, rivulet and ligament formation, as well as the subsequent atomization process associated with the atomizer outflow using computational fluid dynamics with a volume of fluid approach. The model shows how fluid exits through the overflow and not through the bushing at high inlet fluxes and can reproduce experimental results of power consumption. Furthermore, the drop-size distribution at a given distance from the bushing exit is in good agreement with experimental results. Keywords: Spray drying; Rotary Atomizer; CFD; Droplet size; Volume of Fluid.
Reflexões sobre a rede social Instagram: do aplicativo à textualidade
Authors: Ghiotto Tuão Ramos Penha Élida , Martins Analice De Oliveira
Published: January 2019

No ciberespaço, relações sociais e culturais são reorganizadas, reformulando contextos, entre os quais, encontra-se o artístico. Como exemplo, está a poesia, que, sob matizes da cibercultura, (des) territorializa-se no ambiente digital, tomando fluidez em redes sociais, como o Instagram. Surgem, assim, os instapoemas e seus respectivos instapoetas, garantindo circularidade à poesia por meio do compartilhamento nas redes. Tendo em vista esses aspectos, propõe-se uma reflexão sobre a rede social digital Instagram enquanto uma (macro) textualidade que pode ser vinculada ao processo de autoralidade. Para tanto, foram tomados como referência o Instagram dos poetas João Doederlein e Ryane Leão, bem como a hashtag #purpleart, amparando-se teoricamente em Lévy (1996), Koch (2000), Santaella (2014) e Maingueneau (2016), entre outros teóricos. Foi possível perceber que o Instagram engloba várias textualidades que, conjuntamente, constituem outra, maior, que se amplia para a manutenção da autoralidade, especialmente, dos instapoetas. Migrando para o ciberespaço, a poesia encontra seu nicho nos algoritmos e a arte suscita sua função humanizadora.
Investigações teórico-práticas sobre o uso de características formais de textualidades verbo-visuais analógicas na criação de poemas digitais
Authors: Duarte Rafael Soares
Published: January 2019

O presente artigo propõe a investigação de características formais de textualidades verbo-visuais, mais especificamente a história em quadrinhos e a poesia visual moderna, como ponto de partida possível para a reflexão sobre seu uso na criação de poemas digitais. Nesse sentido, será realizada uma breve análise sobre algumas características basilares da literatura digital como o transbordamento de significantes e significações e a ideia de excesso e excessividade. Em seguida são realizadas breves comparações entre o cibertexto e características da poesia visual moderna e da história em quadrinhos como meio de pensar proposições estéticas para poemas digitai que ao mesmo tempo mantenha características da página analógica mas que consiga agregar propostas impossíveis fora do meio digital, para criar obras que se utilizem de uma potencial página infinita.
Atame: performar o corpo maquínico despedaçado
Authors: Tavares Otávio Guimarães
Published: January 2019

Este ensaio explora a obra Atame: a angústia do precário do artista digital Wilton Azevedo tendo em vista a multiplicidade de versões disponíveis da obra – como performance ao vivo, versão interativa em DVD e vídeo-poema – e as possíveis implicações destes diferentes modos de operar. Ao mesmo tempo, lê-se a obra como marcada pela fragmentação corpórea em um cenário pós-rompimento amoroso, em que o corpo dilacerado da personagem se torna materialmente presente a partir do modo de navegar pela obra. Opera-se então uma dupla articulação em que a multiplicidade das diferentes versões da obra e a tentativa de reconstituição de um corpo perdido da personagem se apresentam como invariavelmente frustradas diante de uma tensão entre os elementos humanos e maquínicos que amarram o modo de ser atual da personagem e da obra.
Modiano historiador: a ambiguidade francesa durante a ocupação alemã compreendida na obra Ronda da noite
Authors: De Lemos Thiago Tremonte
Published: January 2019

A partir da obra do escritor francês Patrick Modiano, o presente artigo propõe uma reflexão sobre os limites e os encontros entre a história e a ficção literária nas narrativas da ocupação alemã na França, durante a Segunda Guerra Mundial. Concomitantemente, discute-se a ambígua posição da sociedade francesa, particularmente em Paris, ora tolerando e, às vezes, colaborando com os invasores, ora resistindo à presença estrangeira.
Civil society in times of change: shrinking, changing and expanding spaces and the need for new regulatory approaches
Authors: Anheier Helmut K. , Lang Markus , Toepler Stefan
Published: January 2019

The relationship between many G20 governments and organized civil society has become more complex, laden with tensions, and such that both have to find more optimal modes of engagement. In some instances, state-civil society relations have worsened, leading some experts and activists to speak of a “shrinking space” for civil society. How wide-spread is this phenomenon? Are these more isolated occurrences or indeed part of a more general development? How can countries achieve and maintain an enabling environment for civil society? The authors suggest that much of the current impasse results foremost from outdated and increasingly ill-suited regulatory frameworks that fail to accommodate a much more diverse and expanded set of civil society organizations (CSO). In response, they propose a differentiated model for a regulatory framework based on functional roles. Based on quantitative profiling and expert surveys, moreover, the paper also derives initial recommendations on how governments and civil society could find ways to relate to each other in both national and multilateral contexts.
Spectrum of magnetic resonance imaging findings in ovarian torsion
Authors: Singh Tulika , Prabhakar Nidhi , Singla Veenu , Bagga Rashmi , Khandelwal Niranjan
Published: January 2019

Purpose

Ovarian torsion is the twisting of the ovary on its vascular pedicle resulting in vascular compromise. Diagnosis of ovarian torsion is challenging in patients who have atypical clinical or ultrasound (US) findings. The objective of our study was to demonstrate the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of ovarian torsion to help radiologists make a conclusive diagnosis when the clinical and US findings are unclear.

Material and methods

We retrospectively reviewed the clinical and MRI features in 10 females with surgically proven ovarian torsion, who had inconclusive clinical, US, or computed tomography findings.

Results

All patients showed a significantly enlarged ovary with size ranging from 5 to 18 cm. ‘Twisted ovarian pedicle’ sign was seen in seven patients. Eight cases showed areas of haemorrhage within the ovarian stroma. Non-enhancement of ovarian stroma was observed in six patients. Seven patients showed an ipsilateral deviation of the uterus.

Conclusions

MRI features of ovarian torsion include ovarian enlargement, twisted ovarian pedicle, ovarian haemorrhage, abnormal ovarian enhancement, and ipsilateral deviation of the uterus. Awareness of these imaging features will enable the radiologist to recognise ovarian torsion and differentiate it reliably from other benign or malignant ovarian lesions.
Analysis of Flow in Complex Terrain Using Multi-Doppler Lidar
Retrievals
Authors: Bell Tyler , Klein Petra , Wildmann Norman , Menke Robert
Published: January 2019

Abstract. The Perdigão Field Experiment set out to study atmospheric flows in complex terrain and to collect a high-quality dataset for the validation of meso- and micro-scale models. An Intensive Observation Period (IOP) was conducted from May 1, 2017 through June 15, 2017 where a multitude of meteorological instruments were deployed in a study area with the unique feature of two nearly parallel, 5 km long ridges separated by a 1.4 km wide valley perpendicular to the prevalent wind directions in the region. An essential part of the instrumentation were scanning Doppler lidars (DL) strategically placed to capture flow features above the ridges and in the valley. The arrangement of DLs presented an opportunity to create virtual towers where range height indicator (RHI) scans of individual instruments intersected. By combining DLs it is possible to retrieve multiple snapshots of the wind field in the form of a virtual tower. In total, four virtual towers distributed along the valley are retrieved every 15 minutes. The virtual towers typically cover heights from 50 m to 600 m above the valley floor. The Perdigão project also included a network of meteorological towers of different heights with wind measurements at an exceptionally high density (55 towers with 195 sonic anemometers) that are critical for studying turbulent exchange processes but provide only limited information about the complex interactions between the flow inside the valley and higher up across the ridges. The virtual towers extend the range of traditional in-situ observations and can fill in low altitude areas where traditional lidar processing techniques may have trouble retrieving accurate wind speeds due to the high spatial flow variability and prevalence of significant vertical motions in complex terrain. Along with the wind speed and direction, uncertainties of the virtual tower retrieval were analyzed. A case study of a nighttime stable boundary-layer flow with wave features in the valley is presented to illustrate the usefulness of the virtual towers in analyzing the spatially complex flow over the ridges during the Perdigão campaign.
Enhanced microbial nitrogen transformations in association with macrobiota from the rocky intertidal
Authors: Pfister Catherine A. , Altabet Mark A.
Published: January 2019

Abstract. Microbial nitrogen processing in direct association with marine animals and
seaweeds is poorly understood. Microbes can both attach to the surfaces of
macrobiota and make use of their excreted nitrogen and dissolved organic
carbon (DOC). We tested the role of an intertidal mussel (Mytilus californianus) and red alga (Prionitis sternbergii), as well as
inert substrates for microbial activity using enclosed chambers with seawater
labeled with 15N-enriched ammonium and nitrate. Chambers with only
seawater from the same environment served as a control. We found that 3.21 nmol
of ammonium per gram of dry mass of mussel, on average, was oxidized per
hour, while 1.60 nmol of nitrate was reduced per hour. Prionitis
was associated with the oxidation of 1.50 nmol of ammonium per gram of wet mass per
hour, while 1.56 nmol of nitrate was reduced per hour. Inert substrates
produced relatively little change compared to seawater alone. Extrapolating
to a square meter of shoreline, microbial activity associated with mussels
could oxidize 2.5 mmol of ammonium and reduce per 1.2 mmol of nitrate per
day. A square meter of seaweed could oxidize 0.13 mmol ammonium per day and
reduce the same amount of nitrate. Seawater collected proximal to the shore
versus 2–5 km offshore showed no difference in ammonium oxidation or nitrate
reduction. Microbial nitrogen metabolism associated with mussels was not
influenced by the time of day. When we experimentally added DOC (glucose) as
a carbon source to chambers with the red alga and inert substrates, no change
in nitrification rates was observed. Added DOC did increase dissolved inorganic
nitrogen (DIN) and phosphorus uptake, indicating that DOC addition stimulated heterotrophic
microbial activity, and suggests potential competition for DIN between
heterotrophic and chemolithotrophic microbes and their seaweed hosts. Our
results demonstrate that microbes in direct association with coastal animals
and seaweeds greatly enhance nitrogen processing and likely provide a
template for a diversity of ecological interactions.
Groundwater influence on soil moisture memory and land–atmosphere interactions in the Iberian Peninsula
Authors: Martínez-de la Torre Alberto , Miguez-Macho Gonzalo
Published: January 2019

Abstract. Groundwater plays an important role in the terrestrial water cycle, interacting with the land surface via vertical fluxes through the water table and distributing water resources spatially via gravity-driven lateral transport. It is therefore essential to have a correct representation of groundwater processes in land surface models, as land-atmosphere coupling is a key factor in climate research. Here we use the Land Surface and Groundwater Model LEAFHYDRO to study the groundwater influence on soil moisture distribution and memory, and evapotranspiration (ET) fluxes in the Iberian Peninsula over a 10-year period. We validate our results with time series of observed water table depth from 623 stations covering different regions of the Iberian Peninsula, showing that the model produces a realistic water table, shallower in valleys and deeper under hilltops. We find patterns of shallow water table and strong groundwater–land surface coupling over extended interior semi-arid regions and river valleys. We show a strong seasonal and interannual persistence of the water table, which induces bimodal memory in the soil moisture fields; soil moisture remembers past wet conditions, buffering drought effects, and also past dry conditions, causing a delay in drought recovery. The effects on land-atmosphere fluxes are found to be significant, on average over the region, ET is 17.4 % higher when compared with a baseline simulation with LEAFHYDRO's groundwater scheme deactivated. The maximum ET increase occurs in summer (34.9 %; 0.54 mm day−1). The ET enhancement is larger over the drier southern basins, where ET is water limited (e.g. the Guadalquivir basin and the Mediterranean Segura basin), than in the northern Miño/Minho basin, where ET is more energy limited than water limited. In terms of river flow, we show how dry season baseflow is sustained by groundwater originating from accumulated recharge during the wet season, improving significantly on a free-drain approach, where baseflow comes from water draining through the top soil, resulting in rivers drying out in summer. Convective precipitation enhancement through local moisture recycling over the semiarid interior regions and summer cooling are potential implications of these groundwater effects on climate over the Iberian Peninsula. Fully coupled land surface and climate model simulations are needed to elucidate this question.
Record of Early to Middle Eocene paleoenvironmental changes from lignite mines, western India
Authors: Khanolkar Sonal , Sharma Jyoti
Published: January 2019

Abstract. Various Eocene hyperthermal events have been recorded from lignite sections of western India in the past decade. To infer the paleoenvironment, during a warm paleotropical climate of India, we have assessed multiple microfossil groups like pollen/spores, dinoflagellates and foraminifera from Early Eocene lignite mine sections from the Cambay (Surkha) and Barmer (Giral) basins and Middle Eocene sections from the Kutch Basin (Matanomadh and Panandhro mines) of western India. The Surkha and Giral sections exhibit a dominance of rainforest elements (Arengapollenites achinatus, Longapertites retipilatus), thermophilic mangrove palm Nypa and (sub)tropical dinoflagellate cyst Apectodinium, Cordosphaeridium and Kenleyia. This palynomorph assemblage is indicative of a marginal marine setting within a hot and humid climate. During the Middle Eocene, the diversity of dinocyst assemblage increased and a decrease in percentage of mangrove elements was observed in the Matanomadh and Panandhro mine sections of the Kutch Basin as compared to the Early Eocene sections of western India. Bloom of triserial planktic (Jenkinsina columbiana) and rectilinear benthic (Brizalina sp., Trifarina advena rajasthanensis) foraminifera indicates eutrophic conditions of deposition during the Late Lutetian–Early Bartonian in the lignite sections of the Kutch Basin which later changed to oligotrophic, open marine conditions towards the Bartonian (planktic E12 zone). This change to oligotrophic conditions coincides with a drastic increase in diversity of planktic foraminifera in the top portion of lignite mines of the Kutch Basin which may be correlated with the Kirthar–Wilson Bluff transgression event in the Bartonian observed across basins in India, Pakistan and Australia potentially linked to sea level rise around the Middle Eocene Climatic Optimum.
Impacts of Transportation and Logistics on Brazilian Soybean Prices and Exports
Authors: Fliehr Olivia , Zimmer Yelto , Smith Linda H.
Published: January 2019

As Brazilian soybean exports doubled between 2001/02 and 2011/12 and major production areas consolidated in remote inland Cerrado regions, moving product to port has proven to be a challenge. A review of the literature, data analysis, and interviews with experts in the logistics chain revealed that a lack of grain storage, overreliance on trucking, poor road conditions, and inefficient operations at rail terminals and ports impede a smooth flow of grain from farm to port. Because of the comparatively low per-unit values of agricultural bulk commodities, transportation may account for a large share of the total cost of soybean exports. As a result, it was hypothesized that increases in transportation costs may reduce farm-gate prices, affecting producer profitability and, thus, national production. To test that hypothesis, this study examined transportation costs from inland production regions to traffic hubs and the Santos seaport. A comparison of theoretical producer prices calculated based on logistics costs versus actual local prices was employed to confirm that transport inefficiencies have led to depressed farm gate prices.
Resolving conflicts with violable constraints: On the cross-modular parallelism of repairs
Authors: Murphy Andrew
Published: January 2019

When grammatical constraints impose conflicting requirements on a linguistic expression, this conflict is often resolved by employing a repair operation. This repair can take various forms, for example insertion, deletion or modification of linguistic material. In this paper, I provide a number of case studies in morpho-syntax, showing how there are striking parallels between the repairs employed in phonology and morpho-syntax with regard to the context, type and shape of the repair. Ultimately, it is argued that, given clear similarities between these distinct domains of grammar, repairs should be governed by the same basic principles, namely a system of violable constraints. This view supports the hypothesis of Cross-modular Structural Parallelism (Nevins 2008; Arregi & Nevins 2012).
Measuring the Performance of Hospitals in Lebanese qadas Using PCA- DEA Model
Authors: Nasser Alissar
Published: January 2019

We study in this paper the performance of Hospitals in Lebanon. Using the nonparametric method Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), we are able to measures relative efficiency of Hospitals in Lebanon. DEA is a technique that uses linear programming and it measures the relative efficiency of similar type of organizations termed as Decision Making Units (DMUs). In this study, due to the lack of individual data on hospital level, each DMU refers to a qada in Lebanon where the used data represent the aggregation of input and outputs of different hospitals within the qada. In DEA, the inclusion of more number of inputs and /or outputs results in getting a more number of efficient units. Therefore, selecting the appropriate inputs and outputs is a major factor of DEA results. Therefore, we use here the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) in order to reduce the data structure into certain principal components which are essential for identifying efficient DMUs. It is important to note that we have used the basic BCC-input model for the entire analysis. We considered 24 DMUs for the study, using DEA on original data; we got 17 DMUs out of 24 DMUs as efficient. Then we considered 1 PC for inputs and 1 PC for output with almost 80 percent variances, resulting in 3 DMUs as efficient and 21 as inefficient. Using 1 PC for input and 2 PCs for output with 90 percent variance for both input and output, we got 9 DMUs as efficient and 15 DMUs as inefficient. Finally, we have attempted to identify the efficient units with 2 PCs and for 2 PCs for input and outputs with variance more than 95 percent, resulting in 10 efficient DMUs and 14 inefficient DMUs. In Principal Component analysis, if the variance lies between 80 percent to-90 percent it is judged as a meaningful one. It is concluded that Principal Component Analysis plays an important role in the reduction of input output variables and helps in identifying the efficient DMUs and improves the discriminating power of DEA.
A Preliminary Study on Challenges and Solutions for College EFL Education in Ethnic Minority Regions of Chin
Authors: Liu Dianping , Xue Sijia , Hu Rong
Published: January 2019

The internationalization of education brings different challenges to local education of different communities. Traditional EFL education in Chinese universities may also encounter such challenges. Against this background, this study investigates the challenges and solutions for college EFL education in ethnic minority regions of China. A narrative research method was conducted. Three college EFL teachers from three universities in China’s ethnic minority regions were selected as participants. Interviews and document analysis were employed to collect data. Results by an inductive approach to qualitative content analysis showed that three aspects of challenge existed for EFL education in these regions, including financial, pedagogical and cultural. Solutions to these challenges suggested by the participating teachers included enhancing teaching methods, promoting teacher development and employing educational technology.
The Development of the Political System in Afghanistan: Current Perspective in the Context of National Consensus-Building
Authors: Rahman Amini Abdul , Sidy Camara , Musoevich Mаnopov Mukhammadsolekh , Njeebullah Shir Aqa
Published: January 2019

The relevance of the topic is due to the fact that at present the political system of Afghanistan requires fundamental changes: the political situation in the country continues to be complex and tense, and the tendency to aggravate the situation in the country is stable: terrorism, drug crime and corruption are common threats to both Afghanistan and the entire world community. Therefore, the search of the current perspective of the development of the political system of Afghanistan is the key factor to resolve this situation. Afghanistan continues to be a place of conflict between the interests of world and regional powers: the advantageous geopolitical and strategic location of Afghanistan makes it a key region in ensuring the stability of the military and political situation in the entire Central Asian region and gives it the opportunity to play an important role in economic, political and cultural interaction between the countries of the region. The purpose of the study is to consider the current perspective of the political system of Afghanistan. The article is devoted to the state of the modern political system of Afghanistan and the search for ways of its development and transformation. The current problems and ways of development of the political system of Afghanistan through the introduction of federalization and secularization are considered in detail. The author pays special attention to the fact that there are a lot of options for the development and transformation of the political system of Afghanistan, but on the way of their implementation in this country there are many problems.
Het belemmeren van buitenlandse financiering van geloofsgemeenschappen
Authors: Overbeeke Adriaan
Published: January 2019

Restrictions on foreign funding of religious communities. A sensitive human rights issue

According to the Coalition Agreement 2017-2021, the Dutch government intends to develop policy to prevent religious communities from receiving support from abroad if this support comes from so-called ‘unfree countries’. In the article, the author argues that restrictive measures in this area touch upon the collective freedom of religion, which is protected by the ECHR, measures that can only be justified under strict conditions in the light of religious freedom as guaranteed in article 9 ECHR.
Unia Rynków Kapitałowych – ewolucja czy rewolucja
europejskiego modelu rynku kapitałowego?
Authors: Czykierda Michał
Published: January 2019

In September 2015, the European Commission announced the first actions of its plan to build a Capital Markets Union in Europe. The undertaken restructuring of the financing model is designed to make a shift in the main channel through which enterprises raise investment funds, from loans to capital, and – as a result – contribute to more dynamic growth in the EU Member States. I describe the key features of the Commission’s plan and discuss the economic rationale behind it. The plan has many strengths but also some weaknesses, such as limited ambition in the supervision and enforcement of securities regulations. Other challenges to the development of European capital markets include the financial transactions tax, the low-interest-rate environment, cultural reasons, and potential political opposition. My paper deals first of all with highlighting the structure of the financial sector in the European Union. It provides a overview of the role of the different financial and no financial sectors in offering capital funds to accomplish the needs of households, companies, governments, etc.. I also describe the history of capital market integration in the EU. The paper also analyses some important aspects of the implementation of the Capital Markets Union, which will be a key step in completing the EU Single Market. I concluded that the integration of the capital markets will be a strong step in supporting economic growth and competitiveness in the EU in the long run.
Prawo do sądu w orzecznictwie Trybunału Konstytucyjnego oraz Europejskiego Trybunału Praw Człowieka
Authors: Kutwin Michał
Published: January 2019

The article focuses on the main issues identified by the European Court of Human Rights and the Constitutional Tribunal in regard of implementation of the law and access to the court in civil proceedings. Further discussed issues include financial obstacles as well as excessive lenght of these proceedings. we also proposedseveral legislative actions that could contribute to imporving this situation.
New technologies or new human rights: the right
to a government by humans and the right to one’s own thoughts?
Authors: Piotrowski Ryszard
Published: January 2019

The rapid development of information and communication technology has made it imperative that new human rights be spelled out, to cope with an array of expected threats associated with this process.
With artificial intelligence being increasingly put to practical uses, the prospect arises of Man’s becoming more and more AI-dependant in multiple walks of life. This necessitates that a constitutional and international dimension be imparted to a right that stipulates that key state-level decisions impacting human condition, life and freedom must be made by humans, not automated systems or other AI contraptions. But if artificial intelligence were to make decisions, then it should be properly equipped with value-based criteria.
The culture of abdication of privacy protection may breed consent to the creation and practical use of technologies capable to penetrate an individual consciousness without his or her consent. Evidence based on such thought interference must be barred from court proceedings. Everyone’s right to intellectual identity and integrity, the right to one’s thoughts being free from technological interference, is as essential for the survival of the democratic system as the right to privacy – and it may well prove equally endangered.
Czy „Król może czynić źle”? Odpowiedzialność cywilna za
wykonywanie władzy publicznej w prawie angielskim
Authors: Słup Paweł
Published: January 2019

The principle of state liability has been widely recognised in 20th century and codified in certain jurisdictions. English law, however, has been traditionally reluctant to recognise the liability of Crown distinct from the of its servants. According to the long-standing principle of rule of law, servants of the Crown should be liable for torts committed in their official capacity just as individuals. The principle has been allegedly designed to protect the individuals from arbitrary decisions of public authorities, which fall in their actions under jurisdiction of common courts. It was not until the advance of Crown Proceedings Act 1974 when the Crown took material liability for torts committed by its servants. The nature of tortious liability of the public bodies, however, remained peculiar. The aim of this article is to indicate that the underlying concept of individual liability of servants, once designed to protect the individuals, now restricts the scope of civil liability of public bodies in English law.
CROSS-CULTURAL ANALYSIS OF INTERPERSONAL METADISCOURSE MARKERS IN PERSUASIVE LOCAL NEWSPAPER ARTICLES
Authors: Farnia Maryam , Mohammadi Nahid
Published: January 2019

This paper aims to explore the role interpersonal metadiscourse markers play in the construction and achievement of persuasion in local British and Iranian newspapers. To this end, a corpus of 120 persuasive opinion articles published in two local Iranian newspapers, namely Isfahan Ziba and Isfahan (Emrooz) Today, and two local British newspapers, namely Liverpool Echo and Chronicle Live, from July 2015 to June 2016, were randomly selected and analyzed based on Dafouz-Milne’s (2008) taxonomy of interpersonal metadiscourse markers. The overal findings disclose that interpersonal metadiscourse is present in the two corpora; however, there are variations in the distribution and frequency of interpersonal markers.
Computational Tool Development for Weld Sequence Planning in Major Assemblies
Authors: Fisher Charles R. , Denault Lori L. , Rhodes Shawn , Finley Jonathan , Gooroochurn Yogendra
Published: January 2019

For the U.S. Navy, the use of computational simulations is prevalent for structural finite-element analysis but not for shop floor fabrication during construction. However, prevention and mitigation of welding-induced deformation creates a significant manufacturing challenge during fabrication of major ship assemblies, especially for thin-plate steel construction. The objective of this project was to improve weld sequence planning (WSP) capabilities for major ship assemblies through the development of a quick and user-friendly WSP software tool. An approximately 5× reduction in analysis time (from model setup through solve time) was realized through process automation, development of a weld joint database, and two-step weld sequence optimization algorithms. Physical testing of tank-like structures validated the computational tool, which established high correlation between measured and predicted distortion results. Sequence optimization analysis for an eggcrate structure showed a 43% reduction in maximum distortion from the two-step optimization process within the WSP tool. The end goal of this program is improved confidence in, and use of, computational weld mechanics techniques to more cost-effectively serve the U.S. Navy enterprise.

1. Introduction

Within shipbuilding, the construction of major ship assemblies (e.g., foundation tanks, bulkheads, and deck plating) can result in significant welding-induced deformation, especially in thin-plate steel construction (Spraragen & Ettinger 1950). Prevention and mitigation of this distortion typically creates a significant manufacturing challenge to the fabrication shop floor in terms of impact to cost and schedule. In addition, the skilled trades do not typically have weld sequence and clamping plans for major structures, instead relying on trade knowledge (i.e., prior experience paired with trial and error) with limited documentation across successive (but corollary) builds.

A more rigorous approach using computational weld mechanics (CWM) techniques would involve finite-element analysis (FEA) of the welded component. CWM techniques enable better documentation (possessing a digital component) and sequence optimization for distortion reduction. However, current FEA tools using a transient heat source model and an implicit solver require days, weeks, or even months to prepare the computational model, run the simulation, and analyze the results for major ship assemblies because of their size relative to the size of weld beads. This lengthy calculation time is not feasible for use in a shipyard environment. In addition, the users of the transient heat source FEA tools are typically highly trained, with PhD.-level experience in computational simulation, and are not typically found on the production floor of most shipyards.
Profesor y alumnado conectados en una red pública compartida
Authors: García Gómez Teresa , Carmona Fernández Juan José
Published: January 2019

El presente trabajo analiza el modo en el que el uso de las TIC y medios digitales impulsan la creación de participación ciudadana en el aula; siendo el profesor el vehículo que guía estos procesos de enseñanza y aprendizaje. La metodología utilizada es de corte cualitativo, concretamente una investigación con Estudio de Caso en un aula de secundaria, en la que se ha indagado en qué medida el uso de las herramientas web 2.0 incentivan la construcción de ciudadanía. Como resultados destacan una ruptura con el estilo docente «tradicional», creándose una Red de redes donde usa Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus de manera activa e interconexionada entre sí, potenciando una formación en y para la ciudadanía a través de un propuesta didáctica para el ejercicio de la autonomía, donde la competencia digital y la competencia social y ciudadana están íntimamente interrelacionadas. En conclusión, la participación democrática y la colaboración entre iguales, unido al desarrollo de ambas competencias, fomentan un estilo de ciudadanía activa.

This paper discusses how ICT and digital media can promote involvement in civil society, with teachers being the vehicle for these educational and learning processes. Through a qualitative approach focused on a case study of a secondary school classroom, it shows to what extent the use of Web 2.0 tools encourage the building of citizenship. The most significant results show a break with "traditional" teaching through a complex network system, including active and connected uses of Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus to promote the learning of citizenship through a teaching method aimed at exercising autonomous behaviour where digital and social capacities are deeply intertwined. To conclude, citizen involvement and peer to peer cooperation, as well as the development of both capacities, promote an active-style citizenship.
Determinantes del rendimiento académico en los estudiantes de grado. Un estudio en administración y dirección de empresas
Authors: Tomás-Miquel José-Vicente , Expósito-Langa Manuel , Sempere-Castelló Saúl
Published: January 2019

El Plan Bolonia ha favorecido la puesta en marcha de nuevas metodologías en el aula que influyen sobre los alumnos, por lo que nuevos factores pueden desempeñar un papel relevante para explicar su rendimiento académico. El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar la influencia de un rango de factores sobre el rendimiento, comparando estos resultados con contribuciones anteriores. A partir de un estudio en alumnos del Grado de Administración y Dirección de Empresas, los resultados confirman la existencia de factores en línea con trabajos anteriores. Sin embargo, otros factores como la organización y planificación personal, o la participación en programas de integración, toman mayor influencia que en el pasado. Por tanto, consideramos que las universidades deberían incidir en la formación de competencias de organización y hábitos de estudio, así como en el fomento de planes de acción tutorial para contribuir a la mejora del rendimiento académico de los alumnos.

The Bologna Process has led to the implementation of new methodologies at university that may influence students in such a way that new factors may play a relevant role in explaining academic performance. The aim of this paper is to analyse the influence of a range of factors on students’ performance by comparing results with previous contributions. The study focused on management and business administration students. Results confirm the existence of factors in line with previous studies. However, other factors such as personal organization and planning, or participation in integration programs have a greater influence than in the past. We therefore believe that universities should place more emphasis on training organizational skills and study habits, as well as on promoting tutorial action plans to help improve students’ academic performance.