Normative Requirements Research Articles

Textual analysis of teaching-learning evaluations in higher education: Deep learning and lexical investigation approaches

Textual analysis of teaching-learning evaluations in higher education: Deep learning and lexical investigation approaches

Sustainable Construction and Technical Performance: The Durability of Ceramic Coatings According to ABNT NBR 15575

Objective: This study analyzes the application of ABNT NBR 15575 with a focus on the durability of ceramic coatings in façades, exploring the impact of material selection and application on the sustainability and longevity of buildings. Grounded in concepts of material durability and sustainable practices in civil construction, the research highlights the relevance of technical criteria and informed choices to reduce environmental impacts and improve building efficiency. The methodology combined quantitative and qualitative approaches, including the survey method and a structured questionnaire based on the Likert Scale, applied to industry professionals such as engineers, architects, sustainability consultants, and material suppliers. The quantitative analysis of data collected through an online platform was complemented by qualitative interpretation, enabling a comprehensive understanding of the results. These findings indicate that recurring issues, such as cracks and detachment in façades, are associated with inadequate practices in material selection and application, compromising the durability and sustainability of buildings. The study provides practical guidelines to enhance compliance with ABNT NBR 15575, promoting more durable buildings with lower environmental impact. By integrating sustainability and technical performance concepts, the research contributes to advancements in civil construction, offering practical recommendations to improve durability and reduce the environmental impacts of ceramic-clad façades. Theoretical Framework: The research is based on studies on the evolution of ABNT NBR 15575, emphasizing the integration of sustainability concepts into material selection and the environmental performance of buildings. The theoretical foundations include analyses of durability and sustainable practices that promote more efficient constructions with lower ecological impact. Method: The methodology combines a literature review on durability and sustainability, the application of Likert scale questionnaires, and field research for empirical data collection. These methods help identify gaps between current construction practices and normative requirements, focusing on environmentally responsible solutions. Results and Discussion: The results highlight that many of the practices analyzed present challenges in both durability and sustainability. Gaps in material selection and execution negatively impact environmental efficiency and building performance. The discussion addresses the results from the perspective of sustainable construction, emphasizing strategies to minimize pathologies and extend the lifespan of façades. Research Implications: The research proposes practical guidelines that integrate durability and sustainability as fundamental pillars. These contributions aim to reduce pathologies in façades, optimize resource use, and promote environmentally responsible construction practices. Originality/Value: This study stands out by offering a detailed analysis of compliance with ABNT NBR 15575, proposing practical and sustainable solutions based on empirical data. The research adds value to the sector by integrating sustainability as a central axis for more durable buildings with a lower environmental impact.

О проблемах формирования технического и технологического суверенитета в сельском хозяйстве Российской Федерации

The article is devoted to problems and tendencies of formation of technological sovereignty and its basis. The research is based on the tasks set by the top officials of the state in the issues of ensuring technological sovereignty in Russian agriculture, the works of domestic scientists considering these issues. The main reasons limiting and negatively influencing the formation of technological (technical) sovereignty in agriculture are considered. Within the framework of the analysis of these reasons, the structure of investments in the purchase of agricultural machinery in recent years in the farms of one of the regions of the Urals Federal District is considered, the correlation analysis is carried out to assess the relationship of indicators characterizing the low share of participation of credit resources in the technological capacity building of the industry. As a result of mathematical calculations and correlation analysis, the optimal interest rate of the Central Bank is determined so that the banking system can become a driver of technological development. The authors emphasize the fundamental difference between the structure of investments in small farms and in agricultural enterprises. The study defines the role and capabilities of the state in the development of the domestic agro-industrial sector, including the agricultural machinery industry and the agricultural sector. Using the methodology for determining the normative requirements for the main types of agricultural machinery, the authors modeled the dynamics of the formation of the agricultural machinery fleet to ensure technical sovereignty in Russian agriculture. It is concluded that in order to achieve technical (technological) sovereignty it is necessary to increase the production of the main types of agricultural machinery and to create conditions for their purchase by agricultural producers.

Anaesthesia Technical Assistants (ATA) in the Recovery Room

For two years now, anaesthesia technical assistance has been a state-recognized profession in Germany and entitles graduates to work in all fields of anaesthesiology, with the exception of the intensive care unit. The job profile is comparable to the nurse anesthetist in Great Britain (Operation Department Practitioner) or in the Netherlands (Anesthesiemedewerker). In an initial empirical research project in 2023, the professional field was described and the question of whether graduates are adequately prepared for the fields of anaesthesiology was discussed with the focus particularly on the recovery room. The normative requirements of the theoretical and practical training prepare the trainees well for all fields of the profession. However, the study showed that training should be improved by including practical work in the intensive care unit during schooling. The existing training and examination regulations currently only offer a small amount of scope for an assignment in the intensive care unit. Therefore, the training and in particular the practical assignments should be evaluated and modified in the future.

English Challenges for Romanian prosecutors in exercising their duties of defense during pre-trial stage

Current paper aims to emphasise that, over the time, it has been proven that the accuracy of an analysis of criminal procedural law is accomplished only whether it is certified by the conviction that norms and decisions of national and European courts enshrine and guarantee human rights. Thus, the legislation in criminal procedural matters can be rationalized compulsorily starting from European premises – “the unit of European conventionality” – and going further to constitutional, organic and ordinary normative requirements. In the same time, from a methodological point of view, for reaching the human rights goals in criminal procedures, it is crucial to be adopted an approach which includes the requirement for the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code to be interpreted in the light of the general principles of the criminal trial – many of these principles being principles of human rights, in fact. Equally, indispensable appears the feature of the principle of subsidiarity of European protection of human rights which underlines the role of the main guarantees of the European Convention on Human Rights for national judicial authorities. Whether a hierarchy of the rights relevant for criminal procedures is established, the right to defense should be one of the most important rights to discuss. This traditional approach underlines the horizontal effects of the right to defense, like the need to have regulated the defense of the suspect or the accused by Code of Criminal Procedure. Alike, the vertical effects of the right to defense complete the challenges for national judicial authorities. In this context, it has to be accentuated the role of the prosecutor within the criminal investigation and prosecution phase, respectively the prosecutor must defend the legal order and fundamental rights. Beyond legal techniques, an exquisite study of the right of the defense must contain interdisciplinary references which value the current requirements for emancipation in criminal procedural matters focused on the legal education of civil society and the change of mentality of judicial authorities.

Artificial Intelligence as a Director of a Limited Liability Company from a Legal Perspective

The advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) has raised questions about its potential utilization in various roles, including as a member of the board of directors in a Limited Liability Company. In Indonesia, this phenomenon was highlighted when PT Suryadhamma Investama claimed to have appointed an AI named Ardi as its Director. This study aims to examine the legal feasibility of AI serving as a corporate director within the Indonesian legal framework. Employing a doctrinal research method, this study relies on secondary data obtained from literature studies. The analysis is conducted using Article 1367 paragraph (1) of the Civil Code to explore the legal status of AI and Article 93 paragraph (1) of the Company Law to examine the normative requirements for the position of a Director. The findings indicate that, under Article 1367 paragraph (1) of the Civil Code, AI can be analogized as a legal object categorized as goods under the supervision of its creators, sponsors, and owners. Furthermore, based on Article 93 paragraph (1) of the Company Law, the role of a Director is normatively restricted to natural persons who meet specific eligibility criteria, thereby excluding AI from such appointments. These findings have implications for corporate governance and the legal responsibilities associated with AI utilization, emphasizing the need for regulatory clarity in addressing AI's role within organizational structures.

The Communicative Dimension of Personal Autonomy

Paul Benson and Andrea C. Westlund have proposed conceptualising personal autonomy in terms of the readiness to respond to criticism that targets the agent’s actions and intentions (Benson) or commitments (Westlund). While incorporating this dialogical facet into a theory of personal autonomy is a step in the right direction, a theory of personal autonomy that is exclusively construed in terms of this facet and that posits discursive accountability as the sole criterion against which actions, choices, and commitments can be judged as autonomous or not is too restrictive and entails counterintuitive ideas. In this article, an alternative conceptualisation is proposed, one that avoids reductively construing personal autonomy exclusively in terms of the discursive and communicative facet and that conceptualises this facet in terms of communicative spaces which agents can claim authority over and in which and through which they can take ownership of claims, actions, and commitments. This alternative conceptualisation is initially formulated – by way of analogy – in terms of the normative requirement to respect the physical space of individuals. The article also outlines a set of conditions which indicate when one should claim authority over communicative spaces and the manner in which one takes ownership of claims, actions, and commitments in order to be autonomous.

Identification Tests of Modern Vehicles’ Electromagnetic Environment as Part of the Assessment of Their Functional Safety

Are the regulations relating to electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) sufficient to ensure the safety of all autonomy systems? EMC is one of the critical factors influencing the proper functioning of a vehicle and its safety. However, the safety of autonomous vehicles from the perspective of EMC has not been comprehensively researched to date. The purpose of this article is to evaluate whether the currently imposed requirements are adequate. To assess research methods and requirements, it is necessary to determine the electromagnetic environment of vehicles. For this purpose, identification tests of the vehicle’s operating environment were conducted. The article presents the results of research on both the internal and external electromagnetic environments of vehicles. These studies were carried out using normative methods. Despite the significant importance of EMC and the existence of defined normative requirements, the results of the conducted research indicate that some devices available on the market, including those unrelated to vehicle autonomy, fail to meet these standards. Consequently, devices responsible for vehicle safety must be resistant to such electromagnetic exposures. In extreme cases, the malfunction of a single vehicle component due to inadequate electromagnetic compatibility could lead to the disruption of vehicle functions or driver disorientation. Such occurrences pose a direct threat to road traffic safety and the well-being of passengers.

Определение местоположения людей в горных выработках угольной шахты: реальность и мифы

The paper compares systems for determining the location of workers in coal mine workings. Fundamental differences of zonal and continuous systems are considered. Each type of system has been analysed and its compliance with the requirements of the Safety Rules in coal mines has been assessed in terms of structural design, functionality and technical parameters. It is shown that modern continuous action systems offer additional industrial safety and organisational functions due to their design features, which increase the practical value of such devices, and in the case of a zonal action system, it is possible to meet regulatory requirements within a five-second period data update, provided that the maximum distance between readers does not exceed 60 meters. The personnel spatial positioning systems of the zonal type make it possible to fulfil the normative requirement for the data update period of five seconds while maintaining the maximum distance between the readout devices of not more than 60 m.

Participation at the margins – participation practices from the viewpoint of young people in residential care

ABSTRACT This article critically discusses young service users’ participation rights and participation processes in residential group care concerning the challenges, requirements, and opportunities that such a form of organised participation entails for them. A comparative analysis of findings from two qualitative studies from Germany and Switzerland is an empirical basis. Experiences of lived, negotiated, or subtle struggles for the participation of children and youth in everyday institutional life are presented. Identified resistant practices of children and youth, which are of great importance to them, deviate from the usual organisational and normative requirements for participation. The article closes a vital research gap: It presents young people's strategies for dealing with organised and sometimes tokenistic participation. The focus on the self-will of the young actors offers the possibility of supplementing a frequently normative discourse about securing children´s rights in alternative care without making the lifeworld of the young service users and their views a starting point for interventions and legal interpretations. Moreover, the results of both research projects indicate that participation in the everyday life of young people in residential care organisations entails special requirements and challenges, which will be presented here in more detail.

Computational Methods for Verifying the Normative Requirements Regarding the Lateral Correction Force of a Powered Roof Support

The article discusses laboratory methods and the corresponding computational methods verifying compliance with the normative requirements regarding the lateral correction force of the powered roof support. The currently used flat model only allows for checking the normative requirement in relation to the sum of active forces of the correction cylinders installed in the roof support. Determining the required value of the active force of each cylinder is possible due to the simplified FEM model of a powered roof support, described in the research work, treated as a uniform weightless elastic body loaded with a concentrated force recreating the weight of the roof support located on an inclined longwall panel. The third analysed computational method involves determining the reaction in the four correction cylinders of the roof support, creating a spatial, statically indeterminate system of forces. It enables determining the range of variability of the response in the correction cylinders as a function of the distribution of floor pressure on the roof support base. The discussed computational methods were used to determine, for example, the lateral correction force of one of the types of powered supports used in a longwall panel inclined at an angle of 35°. The usefulness of the discussed calculation methods at various stages of the designing process of the powered support and its certification has been confirmed.

Применение высокопрочной стали для создания полувагонов повышенной грузоподъемности

Purpose: substantiation of the possibility to increase the load capacity of gondola cars using high-strength steel in the car body structure. Methods: gondola cars load capacity changing analysis. Numerical research of the effect of the steel yield strength value on the mass of the beam structure according to the criteria of strength and stiffness for a beam on two hinged supports operating in bending, and also according to the buckling criteria of a compressed beam. Gondola car body structure finite element analysis in order to confirm the strength and buckling parameters with the normative requirements. Results: the analysis of load capacity of universal fouraxle gondola cars built in the period from the beginning of production of the first Russian cars up to the present time was performed. Results of the analysis of the effect of steel yield strength on the mass of the structure according to the strength criteria and stiffness for a beam on two hinged supports operating in bending, and also according to the buckling criteria of a compressed beam was presented. High-strength steel technical requirements for welded structures of freight wagons is considered. Parameters for evaluating the suitability of rolled high-strength steel for freight wagon construction are given. The results of strength and stability analysis of the gondola car model 12-6744 with high-strength steel, which confirm the design compliance of the car in terms of normative parameters of strength and stability with the requirements of the existing standards are given. The gondola car model 12-6744 advantages are described, as well as the economic effect of its operation for the consignor. Practical importance: the possibility of using high-strength steel to increase the load capacity of gondola cars is substantiated. The gondola car model 12-6744 with high-strength steel was designed. Its advantages are given, and the economic effect of operating such a wagon for the consignor is shown.

A-164 Establishment and Verification of Reference Intervals for Red Blood Cell Series and Total Leukocytes in Whole Blood Counts of Chilean Adults Using refineR and Multi Criteria Expectation Maximization Methods

Abstract Background This study aimed to define RIs for red blood cell series and total leukocytes in the complete blood count, in adult patients. Methods We used a sample of 822 patients aged 18 to 60 years, both female and male. The study focused on the red blood cell series (RBC Count, hemoglobin, Hematocrit, MCV, MCH, MCHC and RDW) and total leukocytes. RIs and respective 90% confidence intervals were estimated using the refineR method and a multi-criteria method combining the Expectation Maximization algorithm, mode, antimode analysis, an adapted Horn algorithm (5 cycles of Tukey's test with intermediate trimming and 2 cycles of Tukey's test with Box-Cox transformed data if applicable after analyzing Lambda, kurtosis, and skewness coefficients) and distribution truncation based on clusters and antimode. The RIs estimates using refineR and multi-criteria methods were compared to the manufacturer's specifications (Mindray). Flagging Rates were used to validate the method that estimates the most representative RI for the population served by the laboratory. Equivalence Interval and Bias Ratio were utilized to assess the practical relevance of sex-based partitioning. Results The method based on the multicriteria approach demonstrated the best performance, with flagging rates showing results lower than 4.7% and higher than 0.9% after the truncation of the results distribution. In general, the refineR method generated very narrow RIs, while the manufacturer's specifications resulted in very wide or shifted RIs, which do not adequately represent the data distribution profile. It was identified the need to partition by sex for the parameters Red Blood Cell Count, Hemoglobin, and Hematocrit, which is in agreement with the manufacturer's specifications. Conclusions The estimated RIs better represent the laboratory-served population, highlighting the importance of adhering to ISO 15189 normative requirements. This involves verifying and/or determining RIs to provide representative information of the served population, thereby aiding in medical decision-making.

CONSIDERATION OF THE SEISMIC IMPACT’S WAVE NATURE IN THE DESIGN JUSTIFICATION OF HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS’ SEISMIC RESISTANCE

This paper presents the seismic resistance calculation results for a high-rise building that considers the wave nature of the impact, its heterogeneity and irregularity in the structural plan, performed in SCAD Office. The analysis of normative requirements to consider the wave action and existing calculation methodologies is carried out. Recommendations are given on possible consideration of the seismic impact’s irregularity using the direct dynamic method to solve the MDE-level seismic impact on the structures.

The value of incoherence

AbstractI argue that level‐incoherence is epistemically valuable in a specific set of epistemic environments: those in which it is easy to acquire justified false beliefs about normative requirements of epistemic rationality. I argue that in these environments level‐incoherence is the rationally dominant strategy. Nevertheless, level‐incoherent combinations exhibit a distinctive tension, and this tension has been thought by many to indicate that level‐incoherence is always irrational. Although this idea has proved resilient, I argue that it is incorrect. I evaluate three candidate explanations for the distinctive tension exhibited by level‐incoherent combinations, only one of which is the traditional view (which I call the ‘Prohibition View’) that epistemic level‐incoherence is prohibited by epistemic rationality. I argue instead for the ‘Inquiry View’, according to which level‐incoherence is not rationally criticisable but is a reason to undertake further inquiry.

Treating people as individuals and as members of groups

AbstractMany believe that we ought to treat people as individuals and that this form of treatment is in some sense incompatible with treating people as members of groups. Yet, the relation between these two kinds of treatments is elusive. In this paper, we develop a novel account of the normative requirement to treat people as individuals. According to this account, treating people as individuals requires treating people as agents in the appropriate capacity. We call this the Agency Attunement Account. This view has the surprising implication that it's not only possible to fail in treating people as individuals but also possible to fail in treating people as members of groups, on the presumption that people's agency is sometimes nested in, and exercised via, agential groups.

The Maintenance Factor as a Necessary Parameter for Sustainable Artificial Lighting in Engineering Production—A Software Approach

The presented article addresses the issue of the maintenance factor, which forms a part of the design variables in artificial lighting within engineering practices from a sustainability perspective. The maintenance factor was monitored using two simulation tools—Dialux, version 5.12.0.5527 and Relux, version 2024.2.8.0. In a production hall, inadequate lighting was identified with a value below 300 lx, prompting a redesign of the lighting system. The overall methodology of the Ergonomic Rationalization Sequence was expanded in the “Design of Lighting System” phase to include the determination of the maintenance factor as a necessary parameter for sustainability, which was subsequently verified in a virtual environment using two options in a practical study. According to the in situ measurements, the virtual environments of the production hall were created for both software, in which four alternatives for the lighting system were developed. The illuminance values met the normative requirements in each alternative; however, the first two (illuminance values 1000 lx–1200 lx) were predicted to have long-term high-energy consumption. In alternatives 3 and 4, the number of luminaires was therefore reduced from 6 pieces to 4, with a total illuminance in the range of 680 lx–780 lx. The determination of the variations in the methods for establishing the maintenance factor identified a deviation of 5%, which, indicating the changes in illuminance values, can be considered as the occurrence of a gross error in lighting design.

A moral community of a realm of ends: Its (im)possibility in education?

When education only is affected by the instrumental principle and its substantiation vis-à-vis specific normative requirements as narratives, practices and traditions of certain kinds, education merely promotes and preserves such normative requirements rather than altering them. I therefore argue that education should not only be affected by the instrumental principle and its substantiation through certain narratives etc. Education should also embrace the value of moving beyond these so that new ways of thinking can be made possible. This it can do when it engages in the creation of a moral community of a realm of ends. However, even though such a creation is possible in principle, it is not necessarily the case that each and every one will engage in making such a moral community possible or that each and every one will be successful in such a pursuit. It is, nonetheless, a worthy quest, and when people engage in creating such a moral community, they strive to set and pursue morally permissible ends in systematic connection, rather than merely external ends valued in specific circumstances. By doing so, they respect each other as ends-in-themselves rather than as means to some further end, or so I argue.

Investigation of the Influence of Aluminosilicate Adhesives Modified with Magnesite on the Strength Properties of Glued Wood Products

The work is devoted to the study of magnesite influence on the strength properties of glued wood products with aluminosilicate adhesive. It they shown that the introduction of magnesite in the composition of aluminosilicate glue in the amount from 0.5 to 1.5 % contributes to an increase in the shear strength along the fibres by 1.57 times compared to the normative requirement (not less than 4 MPa). It we found that the bending strength of glued wood on a toothed spike is 1.4 times higher than the normative (not less than 26 MPa). After fire tests, no destruction of the glue joint on the spike we observed, and the bending strength of the samples increases proportionally to the introduction of magnesite in the glue composition. Water resistance of glue joints on the toothed spike when the samples we kept for 48 hours at the temperature 20 °С is higher than the standard value and increases with the increase of magnesite content in the glue composition. After boiling at the temperature 100 °С for 3 hours the samples containing 1.5 % magnesite meet the normative requirements (3 MPa).

Trade-offs in biomethane production by substrate mixture optimization under German market conditions

BackgroundNew regulations and market conditions in Germany affect the profitability of biomethane upgrading as a repowering option for existing biogas plants following on-site CHP utilization. These conditions present trade-off challenges between higher sustainability requirements, maintaining production capacity and new revenue opportunities. Optimization methods, such as linear programming (LP), are essential for determining the ideal substrate mixture and profitable solutions amidst multiple market conditions, plant-specific process constraints, and substrate properties.MethodsWe updated a substrate mixture optimization model within an assessment framework for the repowering of existing biogas plants (BGPs), which focuses on the operator’s perspective. By integrating multiple German biomethane markets for various BGPs, we assessed changes in the substrate mixture, GHG emissions, contribution margins, and constraint parameters to derive conclusions for operators and future framework design.ResultsIntegrating market revenues and constraints can increase contribution margins by 12–55%. Additional gains can be achieved by considering multiple markets simultaneously but limited to a few BGPs. The plant-specific LP solution space and used benchmark market are decisive. The former limits the potential of high substrate-specific contribution margins, which has a significantly higher impact than the relation between plant-specific characteristics and process constraints. The advanced fuel market is currently the lead market for biomethane, incentivizing GHG-emission extensive substrates, decreasing gas production and GHG emissions but increasing levelized cost of energy (LCOE) and partially CO2 abatement costs.ConclusionsThe key to improve profitability and to supply an increasing biomethane demand while fulfilling new requirements is a large LP solution space. Increasing market options, substrate availability, and digestion system capacity achieve this on the operator’s side. Policy makers could reduce normative requirements such as the maize cap or double counting of advanced fuels and favor high but uniform GHG requirements. Operators can prepare robustly for the future substrate mixture by adding digester volume and pre-treatment tech, ensuring long-term and diverse substrate availability, and contracts with flexible components. Although current market conditions can improve specific GHG emissions, they do not necessarily increase manure usage when other options, such as straw, are viable. Other regulatory support systems will be required to do so.