bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Distributed Brillouin frequency shift extraction via a convolutional neural network
Authors: Chang Yiqing , Wu Hao , Zhao Can , Shen Li , Fu Songnian , Tang Ming
Published: February 2020

Distributed optical fiber Brillouin sensors detect the temperature and strain along a fiber according to the local Brillouin frequency shift (BFS), which is usually calculated by the measured Brillouin spectrum using Lorentzian curve fitting. In addition, cross-correlation, principal component analysis, and machine learning methods have been proposed for the more efficient extraction of BFS. However, existing methods only process the Brillouin spectrum individually, ignoring the correlation in the time domain, indicating that there is still room for improvement. Here, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a BFS extraction convolutional neural network (BFSCNN) to retrieve the distributed BFS directly from the measured two-dimensional data. Simulated ideal Brillouin spectra with various parameters are used to train the BFSCNN. Both the simulation and experimental results show that the extraction accuracy of the BFSCNN is better than that of the traditional curve fitting algorithm with a much shorter processing time. The BFSCNN has good universality and robustness and can effectively improve the performances of existing Brillouin sensors.
Long-term Culture of EBV-induced Human Lymphoblastoid Cell Lines Reveals Chromosomal Instability
Authors: Volleth Marianne , Zenker Martin , Joksic Ivana , Liehr Thomas
Published: February 2020

To preserve material for future genetic studies, human B-lymphocytes from whole blood samples are routinely transformed into lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) by in vitro infection with Epstein–Barr virus. To determine the rate and frequency of chromosomal changes during long-term culture, we established 10 LCLs (from eight individuals). Before transformation, these cases showed a normal karyotype (three cases), a small supernumerary marker chromosome (three cases), or an aberrant karyotype (four cases). Chromosome analyses were performed at 8-week intervals over a period of at least 1 year, up to 3 years. Surprisingly, we demonstrate that chromosomal instability is the rule, rather than the exception, during long-term culture of LCLs. The most commonly observed acquired clonal aberration was trisomy 12, which emerged in all cell lines within 21 to 49 weeks after infection. Telomeric fusions indicating telomere shortening were found after ~21 weeks. After 1 year of cultivation, the proportion of cells with the original karyotype decreased to ≤10% in 7 of the 10 cell lines. To preserve cells with aberrant genomes, we conclude the cultivation time of LCLs must be restricted to the absolute minimum time required:
User profiles for populist counter-media websites in Finland
Authors: Noppari Elina , Hiltunen Ilmari , Ahva Laura
Published: February 2020

This article examines the users of Finnish populist counter-media (PCM) websites with the aim of exploring their motives for consuming and engaging with populist online media content. The article is based on a qualitative analysis of 24 semi-structured, focused interviews. We conclude that consuming and engaging with populist counter-media content is typically motivated by scepticism and mistrust of legacy media journalism and aspirations of constructing and sharing representations and narratives that challenge those of the dominant public sphere. These efforts are often motivated by deeply held personal beliefs and political stances. Three user profiles are devised to illustrate different types of counter-media users: (1) system sceptics, who express all-encompassing societal mistrust; (2) agenda critics, who express politicised criticism towards media representations of selected themes; and (3) the casually discontent, who sporadically browse sites for alternative information and entertainment.
Effect of feeding fermented mixture of cassava pulp and Moringa oleifera leaf meal on immune responses, antioxidative status, biochemistry indices, and intestinal ecology of broilers
Authors: Sugiharto Sugiharto , Widiastuti Endang , Isroli Isroli , Yudiarti Turrini , Sartono Tri A. , Wahyuni Hanny I.
Published: February 2020

Aim: The study investigated the effect of feeding fermented mixture of cassava pulp and Moringa oleifera leaf meal (FCPMO) on the immune responses, antioxidative status, biochemical parameters, and intestinal ecology of broiler chickens.

Materials and Methods: Four hundred Lohmann broiler chickens were distributed to four groups of diets including CONT (corn-soybean-based feed with no additive), BACI (corn-soybean-based diet supplemented with 0.1% zinc bacitracin), FERM (diet containing 20% FCPMO), and FERB (diet containing 20% FCPMO and added with 0.1% Bacillus subtilis). At days 4, 14, and 19, the chicks were vaccinated using commercial Newcastle disease-infectious bursal disease (ND-IBD), IBD, and ND vaccines, respectively. At day 35, blood was sampled and digesta was obtained from the ileum and caecum. Furthermore, the duodenal segment was obtained.

Results: The BACI, FERM, and FERB groups had higher (p<0.05) serum superoxide dismutase activity than control. The malondialdehyde was lower (p=0.07) in BACI, FERM, and FERB than that in CONT. The BACI and FERM had lower (p<0.05) leukocytes and lymphocytes than CONT. The hemoglobin, erythrocytes, and hematocrit were lower (p<0.05) in BACI and FERM than those in CONT and FERB. Serum total triglyceride was lower (p<0.05) in FERM and FERB than that in CONT. The FERM and FERB had higher (p<0.05) albumin levels. Serum globulin level was lower (p<0.05) in FERB than that in BACI, but did not differ from that in CONT and FERM. The numbers of coliform, lactose-negative enterobacteria and enterobacteria were lower (p<0.05) in FERB than that in other treatment groups. Crypt depth (CD) was higher (p<0.05) in FERM, while the villi height to CD ratio was lower (p<0.05) in FERM than that in CONT and FERB. The treatments showed no effect (p>0.05) on cecal volatile fatty acids production.

Conclusion: Feeding FCPMO improved immune responses, antioxidative status, and physiological conditions, but had less effect on the intestinal ecology of broilers.
Gestação na Adolescência: As Perspectivas de Futuro destas Jovens Mães / Teenage Pregnancy: The Future Prospects of These Young Mothers
Authors: Felipe Daiane Fernandes , Ceretta Luciane Bisognin , Tuon Lisiane , Simões Priscyla Waleska Targino de Azevedo , Nunes Rafael Zaneripe de Souza , Amboni Graziela , Gomes Karin Martins
Published: February 2020

A gravidez na adolescência tornou-se um grave problema de saúde pública, podendo causar sérios comprometimentos físicos e psicológicos, tanto para a mãe quanto para o filho. A partir dessa problemática, objetiva-se identificar as características psicossociais, vulnerabilidades e anseios na vida destas adolescentes. Trata-se de um estudo observacional, descritivo e com uma abordagem qualitativa. Foram realizadas entrevistas com 41 adolescentes de 13 a 19 anos em um município do Sul Catarinense. A interpretação dos dados ocorreu a partir da técnica de análise de conteúdo, disponibilizadas e discutida em quatro tabelas. Através dos resultados apresentados foi possível concluir que maioria destas adolescentes deseja continuar seus estudos e adentrar no mercado de trabalho, entretanto, tais anseios muitas vezes se apresentam de maneira conflituosa com a nova vida estabelecida durante e após a gravidez, dessa forma, em certas circunstâncias, seus objetivos acabam sendo projetados na vida de seus filhos.
Percepção do envelhecimento: mulheres de meia idade e idosas que buscam por procedimentos estéticos
Authors: Carrara Flávia Franco
Published: February 2020

Objetivos: analisar se há diferença estatística significativa relativa à percepção do envelhecimento entre mulheres de meia idade e mulheres idosas que buscam por procedimentos estéticos e à percepção da melhora da saúde com a realização de procedimentos estéticos neste mesmo grupo. Método: Estudo clínico, piloto, observacional e transversal, realizado com 70 mulheres de 40 anos a 75 anos de idade, adeptas de procedimentos estéticos, na cidade de São Paulo (SP), Brasil. Os instrumentos utilizados foram: Questionário de Percepção do Envelhecimento validado e Questionários sociodemográfico e de caracterização das participantes. Para a análise dos dados foram utilizados os Testes Qui-quadrado, Exato de Fisher, t-Student e Teste de Mann Whitney. Resultados: as voluntárias de meia idade apresentaram diferença significativa no domínio consequências negativas (p=0,0121), além disso, atribuíram um número maior de doenças ao envelhecimento, o que sugere uma percepção mais negativa do envelhecimento neste grupo. A maioria das voluntárias associou procedimentos estéticos à melhora na saúde (88,6%) mas sem diferença estatística significativa entre os grupos. Conclusão: Nos grupos estudados, os resultados sugerem uma  percepção mais negativa do envelhecimento entre as mulheres de meia idade. A maioria das voluntárias relacionou os tratamentos estéticos com melhora na saúde.
O Papel Determinante do Currículo no Processo de Recrutamento e Seleção / The Role of Curriculum in the Recruitment and Selection Process
Authors: Oliveira Ikaro Ramon Vidal de , Macêdo Maria Erilúcia Cruz
Published: February 2020

A busca por profissionais qualificados tem sido uma preocupação cada vez mais constante no cenário mercadológico atual, e, por esta razão, os processos de recrutamento e seleção tornam-se mais criteriosos, tendo na análise curricular, uma de suas etapas, talvez a mais importante delas. É por esta razão que se apresenta este estudo com o objetivo de identificar o papel do currículo no processo de recrutamento e seleção e sua relevância para a inserção no mercado de trabalho. Outros objetivos são: estabelecer aspectos conceituais e históricos sobre a Gestão de Recursos Humanos, nas empresas; compreender o papel do RH na atração e retenção de talentos; determinar quais os aspectos mais importantes na produção de um currículo e a relação currículo x mercado de trabalho. Trata-se de uma revisão de literatura, sendo que, inicialmente, discorre-se os conceitos e a evolução da gestão de Rh; em seguida, aborda-se sobre o papel do Rh na atração de talentos, e, depois, o foco é o tema central do estudo, abordando-se sobre a importância do currículo. Entre os aspectos mostrados no estudo, observou-se que a análise curricular não tem na experiência teórica o ponto mais forte, ela em si não é suficiente para que o candidato considere que pode se destacar, sendo levado em conta, com peso significativo, as experiências pessoais, em que são incluídas participações em eventos coletivos. Além disso, a experiência, a escolaridade e a faixa etária aparecem como aspectos importantes em um currículo convencional. Conclui-se que o currículo têm relevância para a inserção no mercado de trabalho, sendo necessário, no entanto, que este seja produzido de forma a atender às exigências de um mercado cuja exigência de perfil profissional vem atrelada a competências e habilidades que tornam os candidatos com um currículo mais rico, mais aptos a conquistar seu posto neste mercado.
Família e Escola no enfrentamento do Deficit Cognitivo / Family and School in facing the Cognitive Deficit
Authors: Oliveira Fátima Dyanne De Souza , Sobral Maria do Socorro Cecílio
Published: February 2020

O presente artigo traz o desenvolvimento de um pensamento que relata os benefícios e a qualidade da parceria família e escola na aprendizagem e desenvolvimento de alunos com deficiência intelectual no ensino regular. Seu objetivo é analisar a efetividade da parceria entre a família e a escola nos bons resultados da aprendizagem e do desenvolvimento educacional de alunos com deficiência intelectual. Ele traz essa resposta através de pesquisas onde afirmam que tal parceria geram resultados. A metodologia usada foi a pesquisa bibliográfica, onde foi realizada uma discussão através dos textos obtidos em livros, artigos, sites e documentos que trouxeram um norteamento para a realização do mesmo. É possível afirmar que trazer a criança deficiente para o ensino traz na sua vida mudanças das quais ele jamais esquecerá. Tais mudanças só poderão acontecer no ambiente escolar com cautela e aplicação no ensino. Alunos com deficiências tem sim a capacidade de aprender, mas isso só é possível através de muita dedicação de ambas as partes (família e escola). A mudança está dentro de cada um e ela é necessária no âmbito educacional. Aprender é algo que todos precisam, inclusive e principalmente alunos com deficiência intelectual. Inserir-se na escola é algo desafiador, mas necessário.
Nível de Compreensão de Pacientes Internados em um Hospital da Região Metropolitana do Cariri-CE sobre os Medicamentos Prescritos na Alta Hospitalar / Understanding Level of Hospitalized Patients in a Hospital in the Metropolitan Region of Cariri-CE About the Prescribed Drugs at Hospital Discharge
Authors: Feitosa Gabriella Gonçalves , Coelho José Leonardo Gomes , Santana Willma José de , Mendes Rafael De Carvalho , Saraiva Emanuela Machado Silva , Rangel Francisca Eritânia Passos
Published: February 2020

Objetivando avaliar o nível de compreensão de pacientes hospitalizados em um Hospital da Região Metropolitana do Cariri-CE sobre os medicamentos prescritos na alta hospitalar, trata-se de um estudo exploratório, descritivo com abordagem quantitativo. Foram entrevistados 38 pacientes maiores de 18 anos que receberam alta hospitalar no mês de abril de 2019, por meio de um questionário aplicado de forma individual e reservada, em um Hospital localizado na Região do Cariri Cearense. Os resultados mostraram que 29% dos entrevistados não receberam orientações do médico no momento da alta hospitalar sobre o uso dos medicamentos em casa, 76% afirmaram que o médico não perguntou sobre alergia medicamentosa, 47% não sabem sobre efeitos adversos, 45% já interromperam ou trocaram a medicação por conta própria, mostrando que o nível de conhecimento dos pacientes sobre a utilização de medicamentos prescritos na alta hospitalar é ruim. Portanto, faz-se necessário ações de conscientização direcionadas aos prescritores enfatizando a necessidade de melhorar as informações passadas para o paciente no momento da alta hospitalar.
Endividamento e Desempenho Acadêmico sob a perspectiva dos Discentes de Contabilidade / Debt and Academic Performance under Accounting Student's perspective
Authors: Montanha Filho José Pinheiro , Soares José Mauro Madeiros Velôso , Souza Neto Moisés Ozório De , Quirino Márcio César Oliveira , Souza Arlindo Nonato Morais de
Published: February 2020

O presente estudo busca analisar a percepção dos discentes quanto a influência do endividamento no desempenho. Para tanto, como objetivos específicos é necessário (i) verificar como ocorre o endividamento, e a propensão, dos discentes; (ii) analisar o perfil socioeconômico e a propensão ao endividamento; (iii) identificar como o desempenho do discente é afetado pelo endividamento. O estudo enquadra-se como quantitativo e qualitativo, sendo a coleta de dados realizada por meio de questionários. A unidade de análise é composta por 137 estudantes que participaram desta pesquisa e responderam aos instrumentos. Após transcrição e a codificação os dados foram analisados em planilha eletrônica e em software de análise de dados qualitativos. Os principais resultados evidenciam que os estudantes apresentaram endividamento, ainda que não possuam atividade extra-classe sendo desempenhadas. No tocante a como o endividamento ocorre, a má gestão foi relatada como a principal causa, seguida do desemprego. Sobre a influência no desempenho acadêmico, em síntese, as evidências corroboram com a perspectiva de que o desempenho pode ser influenciado pelo endividamento, tanto de forma positiva como de forma negativa (mais frequentemente relatada).
As Diretrizes Nacionais para o funcionamento das Escolas Indígenas e sua aplicabilidade na Escola Estadual Indígena de Ensino Fundamental e Médio Dr. José Lopes Ribeiro na Aldeia Monte Mor do Povo Potiguara em Rio Tinto – PB / National Guidelines for the functioning of Indigenous Schools and their applicability in the Indigenous State School of Fundamental and Middle Education Dr. José Lopes Ribeiro in the Village Monte Mor do Povo Potiguara in Rio Tinto - PB
Authors: Silva Jailza Hortencio da , Alves José Jakson Amancio
Published: February 2020

O presente estudo visa metodologicamente realizar uma análise acerca da aplicabilidade da Resolução n° 3 da Câmara de Educação Básica – CEB do Conselho Nacional de Educação – CNE, de 1999, que fixou as Diretrizes Nacionais para o Funcionamento das Escolas Indígenas. Em 2019, tal resolução completou vinte anos desde sua aprovação, o que torna imprescindível a presente análise, visto que é necessário analisar o impacto prático da resolução no âmbito das escolas indígenas após essas duas décadas de vigência. Para tanto, foram realizadas entrevistas com profissionais de educação que atuam na Escola Indígena de Ensino Fundamental e Médio Dr. José Lopes Ribeiro, localizada na cidade de Rio Tinto/PB, para a construção de um comparativo qualitativo do que é proposto em âmbito normativo e a realidade vivenciada na escola indígena, campo desta pesquisa.
O Método de Ponderação de Fatores como Critério de Localização Industrial / The Factor Weighting Method as an Industrial Location Criterion
Authors: Lourenço Axel Dos prazeres , Santos Jackson Oliveira , Sousa Josiano Cesar de , Rodrigues Luciana Da Luz
Published: February 2020

O presente artigo tem como objetivo avaliar critérios de escolhas voltadas à localização de indústrias, em especial utilizando o método de ponderação de fatores. Para sua elaboração foi utilizado uma abordagem exploratória e qualitativa, tendo como critério aprofundar o conhecimento da teoria de localização e avaliar características do método de ponderação de fatores. Como resultado, foi possível observar que ponderar os vários fatores que são essenciais na escolha da localização contribui para a redução de riscos e incertezas no momento da instalação de uma indústria.  O artigo contribuiu ainda para ressaltar que o método de ponderação de fatores utiliza todos os fatores relevantes no estudo da localização, contribuindo para um resultado mais objetivo, podendo ser considerado o mais adequado e o mais abrangente na geografia locacional.
Esophageal Actinomycosis Masquerading as Cancer in an Immunocompetent Patient
Authors: Baig Sher N. , Rehman Sadia , Daniel Mina , Deshpande Vrushak , Abdelsayed George , Gonzalez Manuel
Published: February 2020

A 79-year-old African American woman presented with acute hematemesis after progressive dysphagia for 6 weeks and 12-pound weight loss. She had no predisposing immunocompromising comorbidity such as the human immunodeficiency virus or active malignancy. Computed tomography showed air-fluid levels within the esophagus with partial obstruction. Upper endoscopy revealed a 1-cm mass lesion in the midthoracic esophagus, and biopsy results surprisingly showed esophageal actinomycosis. The patient's symptoms resolved on antimicrobial therapy at a one-month follow-up, and the lesion was not seen on repeat endoscopy with biopsy at 3 months. We believe that inhaled corticosteroids for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease may have created the growth milieu by impairing local defenses. Correct inhaler technique, avoiding swallowing the water after mouth rinsing, and a spacer device are recommended to reduce esophageal corticosteroid exposure.
Edge-Reinforced Convolutional Neural Network for Road Detection in Very-High-Resolution Remote Sensing Imagery
Authors: Lu Xiaoyan , Zhong Yanfei , Zheng Zhuo , Zhao Ji , Zhang Liangpei
Published: February 2020

Road detection in very-high-resolution remote sensing imagery is a hot research topic. However, the high resolution results in highly complex data distributions, which lead to much noise for road detection—for example, shadows and occlusions caused by disturbance on the roadside
make it difficult to accurately recognize road. In this article, a novel edge-reinforced convolutional neural network, combined with multiscale feature extraction and edge reinforcement, is proposed to alleviate this problem. First, multiscale feature extraction is used in the center part
of the proposed network to extract multiscale context information. Then edge reinforcement, applying a simplified U-Net to learn additional edge information, is used to restore the road information. The two operations can be used with different convolutional neural networks. Finally, two public
road data sets are adopted to verify the effectiveness of the proposed approach, with experimental results demonstrating its superiority.
Assessment of Salt Marsh Change on Assateague Island National Seashore Between 1962 and 2016
Authors: Campbell Anthony , Wang Yeqiao
Published: February 2020

Salt marshes provide extensive ecosystem services, including high biodiversity, denitrification, and wave attenuation. In the mid-Atlantic, sea level rise is predicted to affect salt marsh ecosystems severely. This study mapped the entirety of Assateague Island with Very High Resolution
satellite imagery and object-based methods to determine an accurate salt marsh baseline for change analysis. Topobathy-metric light detection and ranging was used to map the salt marsh and model expected tidal effects. The satellite imagery, collected in 2016 and classified at two hierarchical
thematic schemes, were compared to determine appropriate thematic richness. Change analysis between this 2016 map and both a manually delineated 1962 salt marsh extent and image classification of the island from 1994 determined rates off change. The study found that from 1962 to 1994, salt
marsh expanded by 4.01 ha/year, and from 1994 to 2016 salt marsh was lost at a rate of -3.4 ha/ year. The study found that salt marsh composition, (percent vegetated salt marsh) was significantly influenced by elevation, the length of mosquito ditches, and starting salt marsh composition.
The study illustrates the importance of remote sensing monitoring for understanding site-specific changes to salt marsh environments and the barrier island system.
MOTIF KORUPSI DALAM AL-QUR’AN PERSPEKTIF TINDAKAN SOSIAL
Authors: Muwahidah Siti
Published: February 2020

Corruption is one of the actions included in the category of extra-ordinary crime. A large number of this criminal activity has led many researchers to analyze the sources and causes from various aspects, including theological aspects. Qur'an, the main guide that governs all aspects of life, does not specifically mention this term. However, some terms in Qur'an have an equivalent meaning and characteristics with corruption. This research uses a thematic method to collect verses that have the same theme and uses the social action approach of Alfred Schutz. Through the thematic method, this research found a term mentioned in the Qur'an that has a meaning and character equivalent to corruption. These terms are scattered in several Surahs in the Qur'an, namely al-Ghulul contained in the Q.S. Ali Imran (3): 161; al-hirabah in Q.S. al-Maidah (5): 33; al-idla' in the Q.S. al-Baqarah (2): 188; al-suht in Q.S. al-Maidah (5): 42, 62 and 63; and the term al-khasr in the Q.S. al-Mutaffifin (83): 3. By analyzing word structure and its chronological context, this study found two types of motives that underlie the act of corruption. First, because motive which is always related to property. This motive does not stand alone but is influenced by previous traditions and behavior that have accustomed acts of corruption. Second, in order to motive which is influenced by one's desire to achieve certain goals, thus encouraging acts of corruption.
IMPLIKASI PENYANDINGAN SALAT DAN ZAKAT PERSPEKTIF SEMIOTIKA
Authors: Hariani Hidayah
Published: February 2020

The Qur'an has the structure and rules of language that are part of its i'jaz (miracle). It has a deep meaning, even a secret in every syntactic structure. One of them is the mention of salat and zakat in many verses. The mention of these two services suggests that certain objectives are not merely literal interpretations. Therefore, in-depth studies are needed to look for reason and meaning contained therein. To achieve this goal, this research uses the semiotics method, which emphasizes its discussion on the sign system to look for the meaning that is in the marker. From searches conducted related to the theme of the discussion, 27 verses were found that contain the words salat and zakat together in one place. The verses are found in one concept, which is about faith in God. Nevertheless, the mention of salat and zakat in various verses has a different context. First, concerning the Children of Israel. Second, regarding the formation of faith through deeds. Third, the context related to jihad efforts. Fourth, signs of believers. Fifth, efforts to repent. And sixth, as an intermediary get mercy. This study also found that the mention of salat and zakat together and related to the element of faith indicated that salat and zakat were suggestions for connecting God, humans, and society in a circle. This shows that this study provides a reinforcing argument in the arguments of Toshihiko Izutsu.
INTERPRETASI SUFISTIK ATAS HADIS MELALUI SASTRA DALAM SYAIR PERAHU KARYA HAMZAH FANSURI
Authors: Ahsin M. , Suryadilaga M. Alfatih
Published: February 2020

The understanding of hadith is so far still dominated by hadith scholars with various methodologies and approaches that have been standardized in conducting studies on the hadith. Understanding of hadith is not only performed by hadith scholars but also by Sufism scholars. One of the applications in understanding hadith by Sufism scholars is done through poetry media. One of the figures included in this category is Hamzah Fansuri that can be seen from his works, One of which is the "Syair Perahu" (the boat poem). Syair Perahu loads hadith contents such as faith, knowledge, preparing charity towards the afterlife, Barzakh eschatology, and tawhid values. Syair Perahu is full of signs used as symbols in conveying prophetic messages, such as boats, merchants, sea, islands, and so on. To find the content of the meaning contained in the Syair Perahu, the writer will apply Charles S. Peirce's semiotic theory. The results of this study found that literature, in this case Syair Perahu, became a medium to convey meaning understood by interpretant. This study also found the tendency of the Sufis represented by Hamzah Fansuri towards hadiths that have eschatological nuances. Hamzah Fansuri's understanding of the hadith in the Syair Perahu rejected the assumption of some people that his Sufism understanding deviated from correct understanding. Through the study of semiotics, Hamzah Fanzuri used the type of icon and index signs by using ligisign representamen, which indicated that he maintains the principles of meaning by paying attention to signs close to the intended meaning in the text of the hadith.
THE EFFECT OF FIBER DISPERSION ON STRENGTH PROPERTIES OF FIBER-REINFORCED CEMENT COMPOSITES WITH MWCNT
Authors: Kang Su-Tae , Ha Sung-Jin
Published: February 2020

This experimental study was intended to improve the strength properties of Multi-walled Carbon Nano-tubes (MWCNT) reinforced cementitious composites. CNT is a very promising construction material with excellent mechanical properties. However, the strong van der Waals force between their particles hinders their dispersion, limiting strength development. Therefore, homogeneous dispersion is required to obtain enhanced strength of composites by incorporating MWCNT. With this purpose, the variables considered in this study are the level of sonication, the amount of surfactant, the replacement ratio of silica fume, etc. Studies through an optical microscope indicated that the fiber dispersion of CNT was improved with the increase of sonication period, and that compressive strength was enhanced as the degree of sonication increased. When superplasticizer as a surfactant had a SP/CNT ratio of 4∼6, the best improvement in strength was obtained. Silica fume was shown to produce the highest compressive strength at 10% replacement.
INFLUENCE OF CURING CONDITIONS AND ALKALI HYDROXIDE ON STRENGTH OF FLY ASH GEOPOLYMER CONCRETE
Authors: Nguyen Khoa Tan , Le Tuan Anh , Huynh An Thao , Ahn Namshik
Published: February 2020

Geopolymer concrete is known as an alternative to Portland cement, with low carbon dioxide emissions compared with the conventional building materials. In this research, the influence of curing conditions and alkali hydroxide were investigated, using curing temperatures between 40 to 100℃, curing times from 4 to 12 hours, and various types of hydroxide and concentrations of sodium hydroxide solution. Geopolymerization needs energy and time to occur, and higher curing temperatures resulted in larger compressive strength, while longer curing times resulted in higher compressive strength. At the same curing temperature, longer curing time resulted in a higher compressive strength because the longer curing time extends the chemical reaction. For geopolymer concrete, sodium hydroxide is a better property than potassium hydroxide, because the atomic size of sodium anion is smaller than potassium. Further, the strength of concrete increased when the concentration of sodium hydroxide increased. In conclusion, geopolymer concrete is suitable for traditional building materials. Finding renewable materials to satisfy the increasing demand for building structures will be the primary challenge in future.
A NEW METHODOLOGY FOR ADDRESSING CLIENT RISKS IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS
Authors: Albogamy Abdullah , Dawood Nashwan , Scott Darren
Published: February 2020

Delay-risk factors associated with clients in a construction project have a major impact on a successful delivery on time and within budgeted cost. Risk management studies so far have not effectively managed project risk factors in a way that can assist clients in creating strategies to reduce impacts and risk. To address these issues, the study aims to provide a new methodology for analyzing and managing the risks by building a conceptual model. The study includes the development of a framework, named the client risk management model (CRMM), by integrating the findings from a literature review and a construction industry survey. A client risk analysis system was developed by integrating the analytical hierarchy process and a Monte Carlo simulation within an @Risk program. A case study demonstrated the methodology to analyze and quantify the impact of risk factors, and to create a suitable risk mitigation strategy at the design stage of a construction project. The system was found to be useful for quantifying the impact of client risks and the support in taking proactive decisions.
TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT USING PARETO DIAGRAMS AND STATISTICAL PROCESS CONTROL CHARTS (SPC) APPLIED TO PRECAST BEAMS
Authors: Priyanto Mifta
Published: February 2020

This paper presents the application of Total Quality Management Method using Pareto diagrams and Statistical Process Control charts (SPC). These tools can be applied to both the manufacturing and construction sectors. A Pareto diagram can figure out some of the dominant problems of the projects, and SPC can determine whether the data variation is within control limits. SPC can measure the quality of performance in learning curve using the upper-range limit and lower-range limit of the control analysis. A case study was conducted on a precast beams installation at a rental multi-story residential project in Jakarta, Indonesia. Based on the measurement, some data are outside of the control limit due to the problems identified in the Pareto diagram. Further analysis by measuring the Process Capability Ratio (Cp) produces a value <1, indicating that project management needs to be careful about process variation.
FLEXURAL PERFORMANCE OF RC BEAMS UNDER TROPICAL CLIMATE EFFECTS
Authors: Suki Nauwal , Mohd Hashim Mohd Hisbany , Abu Bakar Afidah
Published: February 2020

This study investigates the flexural performance of RC beams under the effects of a tropical climate. Effects from the tropical climate, such as heat and rain throughout the year, may cause deterioration to the surface of concrete. Concrete will gradually erode and may expose the steel inside the beam. If the steel is exposed, it may be oxidized, thus decreasing the strength of the RC structure. To avoid this situation from happening, the Near Surface Mounted (NSM) method of strengthening may be applied as an alternative. Three beams with the size of 125 mm x 300 mm x 1800 mm (width; height; length) were constructed for this study. The first one is a beam without strengthening, while the other two beams were strengthened with CFRP plate horizontally positioned on the tension zones, where one beam is placed under room temperature conditions, while the other is left to endure the conditions of the tropical climate for a period of 6 months. All three beams were then tested under a four-point bending test. Results show that the strengthened beam placed under room temperature conditions has 1% more flexural strength compared to the exposed beam. The exposed beam, however, has 21% more flexural strength compared to the control beam. Thus, NSM is proven to strengthen beams even in a tropical climate.
THE INFLUENCE OF INITIAL MATERIALS ON THE COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH OF GEOPOLYMER SOILS
Authors: Nguyen Hong Chan , Nguyen Anh Tuan , Ahn Namshik
Published: February 2020

In recent years, geopolymers have received significant attention because they show environmental benefits, such as a reduction in the consumption of natural resources and a decrease in the net production of CO2. In addition, as green material, soil has low carbon dioxide production emissions compared to other building materials. In this research, soil was combined with activator alkaline to produce hardening materials as geopolymer soils. An alkaline solution with sodium hydroxide, sodium silicate and fly ash was used. The influence of clay content on the geopolymer soils’ compressive strength was investigated. The best strengths were obtained from 5% to 12% clay content. SEM photos were also taken from specimens to investigate the structure of geopolymer soils. When combined with soil and fly ash in geopolymerization, fly ash reacted to the alkali solution quickly. The relationships between many variables such as clay content, fly ash, alkaline solution, curing time, and curing temperature were investigated by using a statistical analysis program with over 100 initial parameters. These results also indicate that the use of soils in geopolymer soil should have been limited. Additionally, increasing the sodium silicate in the alkaline liquid affected the geopolymerization reaction significantly. However, the suitable Si on the alkaline solution and soil should be limited.
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF FLY ASH BASED GEOPOLYMER CONCRETE WITH ADDITION OF GGBS
Authors: Bhikshma V. , Naveenkumar T.
Published: February 2020

Concrete plays an important role in the construction industry worldwide. New technology has made for easier development of new types of construction and alternative materials in the concrete area. Cement is the major component in the production of concrete, but its manufacture causes environmental issues and thus there is a need for alternative materials. Geopolymer concrete is a new type of material with that potential, commonly formed by alkali activation of industrial alumina silicate byproducts, such as fly ash and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS). For this paper, mechanical properties of geopolymer concrete with fly ash and GGBS cured under ambient temperatures were studied. Five different grades of concrete were considered. The results were encouraging: The workability of the geopolymer concrete was similar to that of conventional concrete. Experimental results of flexural and splitting tensile strength revealed insignificant variation compared to conventional concrete. The mechanical properties of fly ash and GGBS-based geopolymer concrete were comparable with conventional concrete.
EVALUATION OF S-WAVE AMPLIFICATION SPECTRUM USING MICROTREMORS
Authors: Nishikawa Hayato , Takatani Tomiya
Published: February 2020

To evaluate the site effects above the engineering base rock with an S-wave velocity of 300m/s, microtremor measurements on the ground surface were conducted in Maizuru, Japan. An estimation method of S-wave amplification spectrum using the microtremor H/V spectral ratio was applied at the ground surface, estimating S-wave amplification spectrum without any ground information based on the microtremor measurement results. It was found that the evaluation of S-wave amplification spectrum needs a revision on the microtremor H/V spectral ratio, using some coefficients on the microtopography classification and the shape of the microtremor H/V spectral ratio.
Przed dziełem sztuki. Wspomnienia ze studiów
Authors: Skubiszewski Piotr
Published: February 2020

The present essay includes the author’s memories of his university studies and the intellectual formation that he received as a student of art history at the University of Poznań in 1949-1954. His first professor who opened to him the door to art history and exerted on him a strong intellectual influence, was Szczęsny Dettloff, a disciple of Heinrich Wölfflin in Munich and Max Dvořák in Vienna. Dettloff taught his students that the foundation of studying art in history is the study of the form of an individual artwork He believed that without a proper analysis of form it is impossible to construct appropriate series of the works of art and specify their position in the culture of the times of their origin. Similar sensitivity to form and the understanding of its significance for the art historian’s work were represented by two other professors important for the author, both educated by Dettloff already before World War II: Gwido Chmarzyński and Zdzisław Kępiński. When in 1957–1968 the author was a postgraduate student in the Centre d’Études Supérieures de Civilisation Médiévale at the University of Poitiers (CÉSCM), it turned out that the local methodological tradition was similar to what he had learned in Poznań before. The CÉSCM was founded as a multidisciplinary institute for the study of the Middle Ages, combining history, art history, literary history, and the history of ideas. It was important that one of them could shed light on an object studied by another, but each of them, including art history, kept its material and methodological identity. In the French tradition, art history had an “autonomous” status, focusing on artistic creation as a special sphere of human activity. That idea influenced also quite strongly the study of medieval architecture, originated in the early 19th century by Arcisse de Caumont, and continued until today by many generations of French scholars. What is characteristic of their research is meticulous analysis of form, articulated with a precise, detailed, and comprehensive specialist vocabulary. The lectures of French scholars on medieval architecture, which the author attended in Paris and Poitiers, taught him precision in the analysis of the artwork’s structure and its components, as well as responsibility for every single statement made on art. For a young art historian who did not specialize in architecture but in representational arts, that French experience was a lesson of methodological rigor necessary in the intellectual pursuits of the humanities scholar.
Rok 1989 – wokół pojęcia modernizmu
Authors: Włodarczyk Wojciech
Published: February 2020

The author argues that the significance of the year 1989 for Polish art was not determined by political changes, but by the rise of postmodernism. Until that moment, the term “modernism” usually referred in academic art history to Polish art at the turn of the 20th century. The concept of postmodernism brought to the Polish language a new meaning of modernism as simply modern art, and more precisely, as modern art defined by Clement Greenberg. That change made it necessary to draw a new map of concepts referring to modern Polish art, most often defined before by the concept of the avant-garde. In Mieczysław Porębski’s essay “Two Programs” [Dwa programy] (1949), and then, since the late 1960s, in Andrzej Turowski’s publications, the concept of the avant-garde was acknowledged as basic for understanding twentieth-century Polish art. The significance of the concept of the avant-garde in reference to the art of the past century in Poland changed after the publication of Piotr Piotrowski’s book of 1999, Meanings of Modernism [Znaczenia modernizmu]. Piotrowski challenged in it the key role of that concept – e.g., Władysław Strzemiński and Henryk Stażewski, usually called avant-gardists before, were considered by him modernists – in favor of a new term, “critical art,” referring to the developments in the 1990. In fact, critical art continued the political heritage of the avant-garde as the radical art of resistance. The author believes that such a set of terms and their meanings imposes on the concept of the avant-garde some limits, as well as suggests that scholars and critics use them rather inconsistently. He argues that concepts should not be treated as just label terms, but they must refer to deeper significance of tendencies in art. He mentions Elżbieta Grabska’s term “realism,” also present in the tradition of studies on modern Polish art, and concludes with a postulate of urgent revision of the relevant vocabulary of Polish art history.
Integrated Reporting and Sustainable Corporate Governance from European Perspective
Authors: Mähönen Jukka
Published: February 2020

According to the Cadbury Committee (1992) classical definition, corporate governance is ‘the system by which companies are directed and controlled.’ In the Cadbury Report and in other mainstream corporate governance codes, ‘system’ refers only to the ‘financial aspects of corporate governance’, that is, shareholder value and emphasis on the board’s and the management’s accountability to providers of financial capital only. During the last few years however, sustainability has been included through ‘integrated reporting’ in corporate governance codes especially in Africa (South Africa) and Asia (Malaysia, Philippines). For example, the South African King reports on corporate governance connect the use of integrated reporting to report on an organisation’s corporate governance practices and economic-social-environmental triple-bottom-line performance.

The leading normative framework for integrated reporting, the International Integrated Reporting Council’s International  Framework, is based on an idea of ‘shared value creation’ by providers of the ‘six capitals’ (financial, manufactured, intellectual, human, societal and environmental capitals). As such integrated reporting represents a stakeholder management model already integrated – at least on the text level – in many corporate governance codes, just enlarging the concept of capital providers from shareholders only to other internal stakeholders, and the goal of capital efficiency and profit maximisation from financial capital only to other five forms of internal capital provisions. It is also a new step in the development of social and environmental accounting and reporting, rooting from the 1970s and sustainability reporting from the 1990s.

The concept of a ‘business model’ represents the way how an organisation creates value, comprising all its activities, its relationships with stakeholders and its tangible and intangible assets and liabilities, and finally the boards responsibilities, as for the board, ‘corporate governance’ and sustaining and developing the company’s business model are essentially the same thing. In the end of the day, it is a question what kind of ‘business model’ integrated reporting based corporate governance really reflects, and how it possible varies from shareholder-centred business model.

The purpose of this paper is to test (1) what kind of stakeholder model, if any, integrated reporting and especially International  Framework represents, (2) what is the impact, if any, of integrated reporting to material corporate governance in the codes it is included in, and (3) if yes, does an integrated view and especially the ‘integrated thinking’ behind International  Framework represent a genuine sustainable value creation driven business model based on the boundaries of the planet and social foundation for the humanity, or is it only a view to encourage organisations to take care of the profits of the specific capital providers.
Impact of water temperature on reconstitution of quality controls for routine hemostasis testing
Authors: De Nitto Simone , Salvagno Gian Luca , Favaloro Emmanuel J. , Gosselin Robert C. , Lippi Giuseppe
Published: February 2020

Background

This study aimed to investigate whether the temperature of distilled water used for reconstituting lyophilized routine internal quality control (IQC) material may influence the process of validation of analytical sessions of routine hemostasis testing.

Methods

Routine hemostasis testing was performed for 10 consecutive days using two levels of IQC materials dissolved using distilled water at three different temperatures (2–4°C, 22–24°C and 36–38°C). The tests assayed comprised prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), fibrinogen (FBG), antithrombin (AT), protein C (PC), protein S (PS) and D-dimer (D-Dimer HS 500), using the same ACL TOP 700 hemostasis instrument.

Results

Overall, 50% (i.e. 7/14) IQC measurements displayed statistically significant bias when lyophilized material was dissolved with distilled water at 3–5°C compared to 22–24°C, and in two instances (level I for both PT and D-dimer) the bias was higher than the quality specifications. Concerning lyophilized material dissolved with distilled water at 36–38°C, 21% (3/14) IQC values displayed a statistically significant bias compared to 22–24°C, and in one instance (level 2 for PT) the bias was higher than the quality specifications.

Conclusions

The results of this study show that water temperature, as used to dissolve lyophilized IQC material, may represent an important pre-analytical variable in routine hemostasis testing, especially cold temperatures. Laboratory professionals are encouraged to standardize water temperature, preferably between 22 and 24°C, before reconstituting lyophilized IQC materials used to validate routine hemostasis testing.
Effect of Swirl on Gasification Characteristics in an Entrained-flow Coal Gasifier
Authors: Li Rongbin , Xie Mingzhuang , Jin Hui , Guo Liejin , Liu Fengqin
Published: February 2020

The three-dimensional (3-D) comprehensive mathematical model was developed to simulate the coal gasification process in an entrained flow gasifier with a swirl burner. The models employed or developed includes the coal devolatilization model, the char combustion and gasification model, the gas homogeneous reaction model, the random-trajectory model, gas turbulence model, and the P-1 radiation model. The solution of models was executed based on the computational fluid dynamics (CFD). By qualitatively comparing the results at different swirl number, the significant influences of swirl on characteristics of coal gasification such as flow distributions, gas temperature and product composition including hydrogen (H2), carbon monoxide (CO), etc., and on the performance of coal gasification such as averaged exit product composition, carbon conversion rate and cold gas efficiency, were in detail discussed. Especially, a proper swirl number (S ≤ 0.65) in favor of gasification was found for the investigated gasifier in this paper.