Industrial Code Research Articles

Hazard Identification and Physical Parameters Measurement in Dental Laboratories

Substances such as dental materials routinely used in dental procedures such as acrylate compounds, organic solvents, disinfectants can spread into air within the dental working environment and affect the indoor air quality (IAQ). This study aimed to identify the hazards at dental laboratories and measure the physical parameters of IAQ such as particulate matter (PM), temperature and humidity. Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment and Risk Control (HIRARC) analysis was conducted during walk through survey, then the area monitoring of PM10, PM2.5, temperature and humidity was conducted using particle air counter for eight hours at each dental laboratories: Prostethic Lab, Orthodontic Lab, Maxillofacial Lab, Plaster Room, Teaching Lab 1 and Teaching Lab 2. The concentration of PM10 and PM2.5 were below the acceptable level at each laboratory except for PM10 at the Prostethic Lab (205.8 μg/m3 in 2018 and 163.0 μg/m3 in 2020) which were above 150 μg/m3 as referred to the Industry Code of Practice on Indoor Air Quality 2010 by the Department of Occupational Health and Safety, Malaysia. It is important to assess the HIRARC and determine the physical parameters in dental laboratories to ensure the safety and health of the workers are guaranteed. Hence continuous monitoring and training should be conducted to ensure the prevention and control measures are efficient.

Industry Specialization and Small Business Lending

This paper examines the rise and competitive impact of industry-specialized small business lenders. Using loan-level data with detailed industry codes from the Small Business Administration (SBA), we document a recent increase in lenders that originate loans nationally but to a limited number of industries. We then examine the impact of these industry-specialized lenders on credit availability and banking competition. Exploiting the staggered entry of a large, specialized lender, we find significant increases in total SBA-backed lending with no evidence of substitution from other lenders. We then explore potential mechanisms behind the increase in lending.

Evaluating the association between in-person work and the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection through June 2021.

Recent studies have evaluated COVID-19 outbreaks and excess mortality by occupation sectors. Studies on SARS-CoV-2 infection across occupation and occupation-related factors remain lacking. In this study, we estimate the effect of in-person work on SARS-CoV-2 infection risk and describe SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among working adults. We used Wave 1 data (May to June 2021) from CalScope, a population-based seroprevalence study in California. Occupation data were coded using the National Institute for Occupational Safety and HealthIndustry and Occupation Computerized Coding System. Dried blood spot specimens were tested for antibodies to establish evidence of prior infection. We estimated the causal effect of in-person work on SARS-CoV-2 infection risk using the g-formula and describe SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence across occupation-related factors. Among 4335 working adults, 53% worked in person. In-person work was associated with increased risk of prior SARS-CoV-2 infection (risk difference: 0.03; [95% CI: 0.02-0.04]) compared with working remotely. Workers that reported job loss or who were without medical insurance had higher evidence of prior infection. Amongst in-person workers, evidence of prior infection was highest within farming, fishing, and forestry (55%; [95% CI: 26%-81%]); installation, maintenance, and repair (23%; [12%-39%]); building and grounds cleaning and maintenance (23%; [13%-36%]); food preparation and serving related (22% [13%-35%]); and healthcare support (22%; [13%-34%]) occupations. Workers who identified as Latino, reported a household income of <$25K, or who were without a bachelor's degree also had higher evidence of prior infection. SARS-CoV-2 infection risk varies by occupation. Future vaccination strategies may consider prioritizing in-person workers.

Non-intrusive implementation of Multiscale Finite Element Methods: An illustrative example

Multiscale Finite Element Methods (MsFEM) are finite element type approaches dedicated to multiscale problems. They first compute local, oscillatory, problem-dependent basis functions which generate a specific discretization space, and next perform a Galerkin approximation of the problem on that space. We investigate here how these approaches can be implemented in a non-intrusive way, in order to facilitate their dissemination within industrial codes or non academic environments.

Dynamic factor copula models with estimated cluster assignments

This paper proposes a dynamic multi-factor copula for use in high-dimensional time series applications. A novel feature of our model is that the assignment of individual variables to groups is estimated from the data, rather than being pre-assigned using SIC industry codes, market capitalization ranks, or other ad hoc methods. We adapt the k-means clustering algorithm for use in our application and show that it has excellent finite-sample properties. Applying the new model to returns on 110 US equities, we find around 20 clusters to be optimal. In out-of-sample forecasts, we find that a model with as few as five estimated clusters significantly outperforms an otherwise identical model with 21 clusters formed using two-digit SIC codes.

Competitiveness of Vietnam’s Frozen or Processed Tuna Export Industry in the United States and Canada Markets

Purpose: This study aims to assess the competitiveness of Vietnam’s frozen and processed tuna export industry (code 160414) in the US and Canada markets. Design/methodology/approach: In this study we used the Revealed Comparative Advantage index (RCA), export market share (MS) and export prices on a comparative basis with 9 of the 10 largest tuna exporters, and based on the theory of absolute advantage and comparative advantage to assess the competitiveness of the fish export industry tuna in the US and Canada markets. Findings: Research results show that the competitiveness of Vietnamese tuna in the US and Canada markets is quite high, second only to Thailand and is tending to increase. Originality/value: The research’s findings highlight the importance of enhancing product quality, catering to consumer demands in importing nations so that Vietnam’s tuna export products are in line with import market preferences, and taking advantage of opportunities provided by the CPTPP agreement to benefit from preferential tariffs when exporting to Canada in order for Vietnam to increase competitiveness and increase export scale in these two markets. To boost the competitiveness of Vietnam’s tuna export business, particularly for the US market, it is critical to have trade promotion solutions, extend trade cooperation to benefit from advantageous tariffs, and match the product needs of importing nations. The long-term objective for Vietnam’s tuna export sector must be for sustainable and effective development.

Investigation of Indoor Air Quality in Natural Ventilated Classroom in Perlis

Indoor air pollutants have been linked to many health effects in humans and particularly children who are more vulnerable to the poor IAQ. This study presents quantitative assessment of IAQ in the selected primary schools in Perlis that is situated at northern peninsular of Malaysia. The objectives of this study was to investigate indoor air quality and comfort parameters in the natural ventilated school classroom in Perlis. A real-time monitoring method that was derived from Industry Code of Practice on IAQ 2010 by Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) was used in this research. IAQ monitoring was conducted using Aeroqual Series 500, Tactical Air Sampler, SKC Aircheck XR5000, Elitech Rc-4 and UT363BT Anemometer were carried out at two primary schools which are SK Seri Perlis and SK Putra. Selected parameters such as respirable particulates (PM10), total volatile organic compound (TVOC), formaldehyde (CH2O), carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O3), temperature, relative humidity and velocity were measured for two months period. The IAQ monitoring results revealed that the air pollutants were recorded higher in SK Seri Perlis compared to SK Putra due to its location that is nearby roadside. The examined pollutants concentration such as PM10, CO, and O3 were within the acceptable limits of Industry Code of Practice on Indoor Air Quality (2010) by DOSH, while CH2O, temperature, relative humidity and velocity were detected higher than the acceptable limits.

Application of the Beneish Model on the Warsaw Stock Exchange

This paper investigates irregularities in financial statements by applying the Beneish and Roxas models to Polish firms listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange from 2015 to 2020. The total sample included 110 observations. The sample comprised companies that had received an adverse or disclaimer opinion by the auditors, but had not been fined by the Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF Board). The control firms were selected based on the industry as selected by the standard industrial classification code and on the financial year, with minimizing the difference in the size of total assets. The results indicate that the Roxas model revealed greater accuracy than the Beneish model on the tested sample. The use of logistic regression allowed a modification of the Beneish model to align it with the conditions of the Polish market. The modified Beneish model showed greater accuracy for the tested sample and companies fined by the KNF Board.

Symbolic and Cultural Codes of Military Realities in Ukraine

Modern ways of verbalizing a long-ago sacred concept, such as the deliberate killing of an enemy, who has threatened the existence of a kin or a tribe are investigated in the article. Such a murder in ancient times has been considered as a sacred act, sanctified by the necessity of survival, and therefore heroized. It is considered so now, but there is an unwritten taboo on direct statements on it because of the moral principles and remorse. The source material for this paper includes the published works of three well-known Ukrainian Telegram-channels and internet meme, promulgated from February 24, 2022, i.e. during the period of Russian-Ukrainian war. Four cultural-symbolic codes to express the concept of murder have become the most popular in wartime, namely obscene, spectacular, agrarian-industrial and culinary. They are used to create new euphemisms and paremias. The obscene code uses a fairly significant layer of vocabulary related to the lower body. The spectacular code is an indisputable product of modern mass culture. The agrarian and industrial codes also belong to the military mainstream, and some imaginary strategies for the use of war prisoners and enemy corpses are detailed with their help. The culinary code, in which the destruction of enemy troops is described as the process of cooking various meat and vegetable dishes with the help of fire or grinding, has gained particular popularity. New cultural-symbolic codes (except the spectacular) have a mythological basis, creatively reinterpreting and playing with ancient mythologemes. In particular, the mythological ideas about life as a vegetation cycle, about the eternally hungry death-devourer and about the culinary treatment of raw products with fire as a way of their civilizing have served as the foundation for the formation of new euphemisms, and ritual vituperation is used as a way of humiliating and morally destroying the enemies.

Can hurricanes drive green innovations?

We propose that natural disasters (specifically hurricanes) encourage the development of green innovations in small island developing states (SIDS). Using a novel and unique dataset of hurricane instances and green innovation activities in SIDS, we find that hurricanes follow a U-shaped relationship with green innovations. This suggests that while initially hurricanes negatively impact green innovations, as firms experience more hurricanes, this will trigger the development of green innovations. Our results also reveal that present and future government regulations act as antecedents to green innovation, however government incentives (i.e., grants, subsidies, and financial incentives) are not found to impact on firms' willingness to develop green innovations. Furthermore, customer/market demand and industry codes of environmental good practice (societal influences) are found to trigger green innovation activities in SIDS firms. Finally, we find that hurricanes have no significant effect on other ‘traditional’ types of innovation. Our study deepens understanding of the underexplored nexus between natural disaster events and green innovations and has implication for optimizing policy design (‘command and control’ regulations vs ‘market-based’ incentives) for green innovations.

Mean wind flow reconstruction of a high-rise building based on variational data assimilation using sparse pressure measurements

The paper investigates the applicability of the variational data assimilation approach to reconstruct three-dimensional wind flows around a high-rise building model, and provides guidelines towards an efficient reconstruction. The objective is to determine the best distributed control parameters based on the Reynolds-averaged-Navier–Stokes (RANS) model coupled with pressure data. The strategy considers a distributed additive forcing control parameter, acting on the momentum equation and/or the transport equation of turbulent dissipations, where the closure is performed. To avoid unphysical solutions and accelerate the optimization convergence a Sobolev gradient descent regularization is proposed and compared with penalty techniques. The proposed data assimilation framework is applied to a realistic wind engineering estimation problem combining sparse wall pressure measurements with a routinely used industrial three-dimensional RANS numerical code. Results demonstrate that wall-pressure data is a meaningful enough piece of information to recover accurately the wake flow extension. A hybrid control parameter on the transport of the dissipation and the momentum equations leads to very precise results, whereas the Sobolev gradient descent direction gives efficient regularization and a fast convergence. These findings can be useful for future application of such a data assimilation technique to wind engineering problems.

Prevalence and Level of Occupational Exposure to Asbestos in Canada in 2016.

Asbestos use has decreased over time but occupational exposure still exists today due to the presence of asbestos in older buildings. The objective of this study was to update CAREX Canada's prevalence of exposure estimate from 2006 to 2016, and to assess the level of occupational exposure by industry, occupation, province/territory, and sex. Estimates by occupation, industry, province/territory, and sex were calculated using labor force data from the 2016 Census of Population and proportions of workers exposed by occupation and industry, which were previously developed for the 2006 estimates and updated here to reflect new knowledge and changes in exposures. Statistics Canada concordance tables were used to account for changes between the 2006 and 2016 job and industry coding systems. Expert assessment was used to qualitatively assign levels of exposure (low, moderate, or high) for each occupation and industry, with consideration of workers' proximity and access to asbestos-containing material, and the condition and content of asbestos. Approximately 235 000 workers are exposed to asbestos on the job in Canada. The majority of Canadian workers exposed to asbestos are male (89%). Only 5% of all exposed workers are in the high-exposure category, while most workers are in the low (49%) or moderate (46%) exposure categories. The construction sector and associated jobs (e.g. carpenters, trades helpers and laborers, electricians) accounted for the majority of exposed workers. Occupational exposure to asbestos continues to occur in Canada. Updating the prevalence of exposure estimate and adding exposure levels highlights the shift from high to lower-lever exposures associated with asbestos-containing materials remaining in the built environment.

Indoor Air Quality Level at Medical Clinics, University Hospital in Klang Valley, Malaysia

Introduction: Patient health can be influenced by indoor air quality (IAQ) level, where the risks of IAQ pollution are proportionate with the occupant number in the clinic. This research aims to determine the level of IAQ in Medical Clinic 1 and 2 of University Hospital in Klang Valley, Malaysia. Methods: The indoor exposure to physical (temperature, relative humidity and air movement), chemical (formaldehyde, CO2, CO, TVOC and PM10) and biological (bacterial and fungal count) parameters following Industry Code of Practice (ICOP) IAQ (2010) were assessed in the morning and afternoon using relevant equipment. Data was analysed with One-Sample T Test and Independent T Test using SPSS Version 25. Results: No statistically significant mean difference (p&gt;0.05) of IAQ parameters between both Medical Clinics (morning &amp; afternoon) except for Rh and CO by Independent T Test analysis. In contrast, the One-Sample T Test showed there was statistically significant mean difference (p&lt;0.01) of all parameters as compared to the ICOP (2010) standard in both Medical Clinics (morning and afternoon). There was a positive correlation of CO2, CO and formaldehyde with bacterial counts (TBC) for both Medical Clinics. Meanwhile, CH2O concentration was slightly higher in the morning due to the usage of cleaning products which may have released CH2O gas killing the bacteria, thus lower the rate of bacterial growth in the afternoon. Fungal counts showed no significant impact. Conclusion: All measured parameters were complied with the ICOP (2010) standard except air movement and CO2 in both Medical Clinics.

A fully non-invasive hybrid IGA/FEM scheme for the analysis of localized non-linear phenomena

This work undertakes to combine the interests of IsoGeometric Analysis (IGA) and standard Finite Element Methods (FEM) for the global/local simulation of structures. The idea is to adopt a hybrid global-IGA/local-FEM modeling, thereby benefiting from: (i) the superior geometric description and per-Degree-Of-Freedom accuracy of IGA for capturing global, regular responses, and (ii) the ability of FEM to compute local, strongly non-linear or even singular behaviors. For the sake of minimizing the implementation effort, we develop a coupling scheme that is fully non-invasive in the sense that the initial global spline model to be enriched is never modified and the construction of the coupling operators can be performed using conventional FE packages. The key ingredient is to express the FEM-to-IGA bridge, based on B{\'e}zier extraction, to transform the initial global spline interface into a FE one on which the local FE mesh can be constructed. This allows to resort to classic FE trace operators to implement the coupling. It results in a strategy that offers the opportunity to simply couple an isogeometric code with any robust FE code suitable for the modelling of complex local behaviors. The method also easily extends in case the users only have at their disposal FE codes. This is the situation that is considered for the numerical illustrations. More precisely, we only make use of the FE industrial software Code Aster to perform efficiently and accurately the hybrid global-IGA/local-FEM simulation of structures subjected locally to cracks, contact, friction and delamination.

Codification of industrial property law of Poland: analysis of the main provisions of the new draft law

Keywords: intellectual property, industrial property, codification of legislation, innovation, inventor, amount of fee, law, patent, EU law&#x0D; The article examines the state and trends of legal regulation in the field of intellectual property (IP), forms of systematization of legislation in the field of IP in international treaties, EU regulations, and national legislation. The models of legal regulation of IP are highlighted, the classification of their objects is given. The structure and content of the main provisions of the new draft law Industrial Property Law are analysed (on the example of Poland). The bill comprehensively regulates all objects of industrialproperty. The changes are mainly aimed at streamlining, speeding up and reducing the costs of obtaining protection of industrial property objects, especially inventions, utility models, industrial designs, trademarks and geographical indications. System changes are shown: the institution of preliminary notice of invention, the registration system for the protection of utility models, a deposit containing technical and technological information that constitutes a commercial secret, conciliation procedures for disputes, IP COMBO — discounts when calculating the amount of state duty in the case of simultaneous presentation of three different objects of industrial property. As a result of the changes made, the attractiveness of the national system of industrial property protection will increase, and the established fees will be an incentive for applicantsto obtain legal protection for as many innovative solutions as possible. Possible ways of systematizing legislation in the field of industrial property in Ukraine are proposed. It is concluded that one of the most effective ways to solve the problem ofcodification is the development and adoption of the Industrial Property Code (following the example of Poland), which would combine and consolidate the main norms regarding the legal protection of industrial property rights.

The Analysis of Application Prospect and Sustainable Mode of Regional Resources in the Context of Tibetan Medicine Culture

At present, the Tibetan medicine culture formed by Tibetan medicine and Tibetan Buddhism has a state of aphasia in the global multicultural context. Furthermore, the medicinal resources bred in the special geographical location of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau are not only the important material basis for the formation and development of Tibetan medicine culture but also provide potential value for modern drug discovery and medical research. Based on the existing research texts and scientific research data, this paper constructs the SPS sustainable development framework by combing the general situation of the medicinal resource and industry in the Qinghai-Tibet plateau, the background, and the prospect of the formation of Tibetan medicine culture, which provides the basic theoretical research and relevant countermeasures for the sustainable development and resource reuse of Tibetan medicine in the context of Tibetan medicine culture. It is meaningful that the research on the cultural propaganda of Tibetan medicine's national idea and medicinal value has found that the cultural industry code and the resource application potential in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau region will have prominent geo-economic benefits in the near future, especially in the moment when the global epidemic is suddenly spreading.

COMPLIANCE OF THERMAL COMFORT PARAMETERS WITHIN THE STUDENTS’ DORMITORY, RESIDENTIAL, AND PUSAT ISLAM ENGINEERING CAMPUS, USM BASED ON INDUSTRY CODE OF PRACTICE ON INDOOR AIR QUALITY (ICOP) 2010

This study assessed occupants’ satisfaction with their surrounding temperature conditions. The study was carried out at the student’s dormitory, residential and prayer hall of Pusat Islam Engineering Campus, USM. It entailed determining the compliance of thermal comfort parameters; temperature (T), relative humidity (RH) and air movement (AM). The parameters are then used as input in the Center for the Built Environment (CBE) Thermal Comfort Tool to obtain Predicted Mean Value (PMV) and Predicted Percentage Dissatisfied (PPD) for ASHRAE Standard-55. The monitoring for this study was conducted for three hours in a three-time period; 6 A.M. - 9 A.M., 11 A.M. - 2 P.M., and 5 P.M. - 8 P.M. for students’ dormitory and residential. For monitoring at Pusat Islam, it was conducted in two slots; 11 A.M. - 2 P.M. and 6 P.M. - 10 P.M., and it was assessed during Ramadan when the Muslims perform the Teraweh prayer. Overall, the finding indicates that most of the time, the thermal comfort parameters at the three monitoring places did not comply with the (Industry Code of Practice on Indoor Air Quality) ICOP limit. Hence, it also influenced the PMV and PPD values which did not adhere to the ASHRAE Standard-55. This could be due to the poor design of the building where the plan itself does not promote cross-ventilation, the high outdoor temperature, and insufficient indoor air movement, thus causing discomfort to the occupants

The Analysis, Modeling, and Capabilities of Grounding System Designs

The selection of a grounding configuration and design of a grounding impedance is of vital importance for the stability and functionality of power systems, including industrial and commercial power systems. These key aspects of grounding systems have been the subject of various standards, industrial codes, and recommended practices. In this article, a review, modeling, and analysis of different grounding system designs are provided. The different grounding system design discussed in this article is compared in terms of the ground potential, ground currents, and overvoltage during ground faults. The various grounding system designs are implemented for power systems components in order to assess their capabilities and performance. Several tests are conducted for ground faults, when different grounding system designs are used. Test results show that some grounding system design can limit ground currents, with minor effects on ground potentials. Other grounding system design can limit ground potentials, while fail to limit ground currents.

Imbalancing Act: India's Industrial Relations Code, 2020.

The ruling National Democratic Alliance regime in India pushed through three labour codes in September 2020 namely the Code on Social Security; Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code; and the Industrial Relations Code. These alongside the Code on Wages approved earlier in 2019 amalgamate several labour laws. This study is an endeavour towards a critical examination of the Industrial Relations Code, 2020. It engages in a comparative analysis of the various provisions of the Code vis-à-vis the laws which were its predecessors. Some key features of the Code as well as their ramifications are probed. Further, their potential impact on trade unionism and the right to strike is discussed. The relationship between capital and labour is adversarial rather than complementary. This paper argues that reforms in the real sense must seek to balance the interests of both parties rather than that of employers alone.

Measuring Work-related Risk of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): Comparison of COVID-19 Incidence by Occupation and Industry-Wisconsin, September 2020 to May 2021.

BackgroundWork-related exposures play an important role in SARS-CoV-2 transmission, yet few studies have measured the risk of COVID-19 across occupations and industries.MethodsDuring September 2020 – May 2021, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services collected occupation and industry data as part of routine COVID-19 case investigations. Adults aged 18-64 years with confirmed or probable COVID-19 in Wisconsin were assigned standardized occupation and industry codes. Cumulative incidence rates were weighted for non-response and calculated using full-time equivalent (FTE) workforce denominators from the 2020 American Community Survey.ResultsAn estimated 11.6% of workers (347,013 of 2.98 million) in Wisconsin, ages 18-64 years, had COVID-19 from September 2020 to May 2021. The highest incidence by occupation (per 100 full-time equivalents) occurred among personal care and services workers (22.4), healthcare practitioners and support staff (20.7), and protective services workers (20.7). High risk sub-groups included nursing assistants and personal care aides (28.8), childcare workers (25.8), food and beverage service workers (25.3), personal appearance workers (24.4), and law enforcement workers (24.1). By industry, incidence was highest in healthcare (18.6); the highest risk sub-sectors were nursing care facilities (30.5) and warehousing (28.5).ConclusionsThis analysis represents one of the most complete examinations to date of COVID-19 incidence by occupation and industry. Our approach demonstrates the value of standardized occupational data collection by public health, and may be a model for improved occupational surveillance elsewhere. Workers at higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 exposure may benefit from targeted workplace COVID-19 vaccination and mitigation efforts.