Official Standards Research Articles

INNOVATIVE ASPECTS OF THE CONCRETE PAVEMENT DESIGN STANDARD FOR SÃO PAULO HIGHWAYS

During the last decades there were no official national standards for the design of concrete pavements for highways and streets in Brazil. Due to technical differences between each region, it is necessary to develop consistent research to establish design tools for pavements. Researches carried out last five years could immediately be used to assure highway officials that both rupture criteria and climate-traffic effect models for concrete slabs are reliable and sound for a specific project condition. This paper presents the calibration of stress equations for the design of concrete slabs based on field measurements, models for defining thermal differentials for tropical conditions, and the main results for calibration of a fatigue model for concrete, all in an attempt to determine appropriate rules for the local design of concrete pavements.

Review on the laboratory analysis and patient monitoring of generic and branded drug for type 2 diabetes melitus: a focus on efficacy, lipid profile and sugar level.

Context: Insulin resistance and poor glucose metabolism are hallmarks of Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), a chronic illness that calls for long-term pharmaceutical treatment. A common prescription drug used to control blood glucose levels is metformin. It is critical to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of branded and generic formulations, particularly with regard to glycemic management, lipid profiles, and renal function, given the growing availability of generic medications. Evaluation test for tablets: The purpose of this study was to analyze and assess the efficacy of several marketed brands of metformin pills, both branded and generic. Two 500 mg tablets Glumetza (branded) and okamet 500mg (generic) were chosen, and their chemical and physical properties were assessed. Official standards, such as thickness, hardness, weight fluctuation, friability, disintegration time, and dissolution studies, PH measurement, Assay of API, Identification of impurities, were used to assess each brand’s physicochemical equivalency. Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the safety and effectiveness of branded and generic forms of metformin in patients with Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus over a six-month period, with an emphasis on lipid profiles, renal function, and glycemic control. Materials & Procedures: Patients with type 2 diabetes were split into two groups and given either generic or branded versions of diabetes medications. At baseline, three months, and six months, fasting blood sugar (FBS) and HBA1C values were used to measure glycemic control. The safety and possible effects on renal function were assessed by measuring serum creatinine and lipid profiles, which include cholesterol levels. Outcomes: Over a six-month period, both branded and generic Metformin shown notable drops in HBA1C, with the former going from 8.00% to 6.80% and the latter from 8.00% to 6.90%. FBS levels dropped from 190 mg/dl to 177 mg/dl for branded products and 182 mg/dl for generic products. The branded group experienced a greater drop in cholesterol (from 198 mg/dl to 180 mg/dl) than the generic group (to 185 mg/dl). The levels of serum creatinine stayed constant. Conclusion: There was no discernible difference in the safety profiles of branded and generic forms of metformin, and both were equally successful in enhancing lipid profiles and glycemic management.

Service Performance of Transjakarta City Bus Public Transportation System Corridor 1, 3 And 9

Transjakarta has implemented smart mobility i.e. the information technology (IT) and artificial intelligence (AI), and therefore this study focuses to discuss the performance of its smart mobility practices. The measurement of smart mobility performance in Transjakarta was carried out using in-depth analysis for each of variables such as load factor, travel speed, headway, frequency, waiting time, service time and circulation time. The perception of Transjakarta passangers was collected using distributed questionnaires in online surveys to obtain public aspirations for smart mobility service performance improvement. A total of 434 respondents filled the questionnaires which were distributed randomly in three bus corridors. As a result, 261 resondents (60,14%) stated that Passenger Information System (PIS) has given accurate information about the schedule of Transjakarta, while 173 respondents (39,86%) stated otherwise. In conclusion, the service performance in Transjakarta Corridor 1,3, and 9 can be categorized as medium when compared to official minimum service standard.

Breathing dirty air, struggling in school: The case of air pollution and Student Learning in Chile

AbstractAir pollution has been linked to various health problems in children, including respiratory and neurological issues. Existing research has also found that exposure to air pollution can affect children's cognitive ability and academic performance, with some studies showing a decrease in test scores and grade point averages associated with increased exposure to hazardous air pollution. This study examined the association between air pollution and children’s academic performance in Chile. This research addressed a critical gap in the literature by providing data from an understudied context and tracking children's academic performance at an individual level over time. We constructed a panel dataset that followed students from 1st to 8th grade and estimated their exposure to PM2.5, based on the distance of their school to air monitoring stations from elementary to middle school. We tracked students' academic performance using a longitudinal fixed-effects regression model to assess the relationship between their grade point average (GPA) and air pollution. The results revealed that, on average, an increase in the percentage of days exceeding different official air quality standards significantly affected students' annual GPA. The study also showed that academic performance among students from families with lower economic resources is disproportionately affected by air pollution. The findings underscore the pressing issue of environmental justice, highlighting that numerous students attend schools in the unhealthy environments of several Chilean cities that frequently bear the burden of socioeconomic disadvantage.

Changes in physicochemical and antioxidant properties over one year of Apis mellifera honey

Objective: Quantify the physicochemical and antioxidant properties of honey harvested in the four seasons of the year, to determine the variation in its quality with respect to official standards. Design/methodology/approach: Honey samples were collected in the municipality of Tantoyuca, during the four seasons of the year, in the presence or absence of rain. For each sample, color, electrical conductivity, moisture, pH, free acidity, diastase activity, total reducing sugars, Brix degrees, caloric content, phenolic and total flavonoid content and antioxidant capacity were determined by the FRAP and ABTS assays. Results: The Brix degrees and moisture were found within the limits accepted by NOM-004-SAG/GAN-2018 and CXS 12-1981 throughout the year, however, in the rainy period these variables were higher (82.1 °Brix and 19.6 g 100 g-1). The FRAP and ABTS values ​​showed variation depending on the absence or presence of rain. The highest antioxidant content occurred in the winter season (63.91 and 68.82 µmol TE 100 g-1). The results obtained are attributed to the geographical origin and the floral species present during the bees' foraging. Limitations on study/implications: Climate change in the region has decreased rainfall, reducing the floristic resource. Findings/conclusions: The effect of the season of the year affects the characteristics of the honey evaluated, however, it complies with the parameters established in the Mexican standard and the codex alimentarius, which can encourage and support its commercialization in the international market.

Aloe Vera as a Printed Coating to Mitigate the Wear of Textiles

Aloe vera is well known for its biological properties as a bioflavonoid anti-inflammatory and antibacterial agent. It has been used frequently in the food sector as a food coating due to its hygroscopic properties and as an ingredient in the lucrative cosmetic industry. Studies have also included aloe vera as an eco-friendly green solution based on these properties. The current research focuses on the use of aloe vera gel in printing pastes as an alternative sustainable solution to synthetic thickeners, evaluating its wet performance and ease of fabric stitching, and has been inspired by studies that similarly used this substance and measured its effect on the fabric’s coefficient of friction and antimicrobial action. In the current study, printing pastes with natural colourants, such as saffron, curcumin, and annatto, and aloe vera gel thickener derived from natural leaves from Crete increased the fabric’s mechanical resistance to abrasion compared to the untreated pastes. The measured performance did not differ substantially from prints with traditional synthetic pastes, hence tolerating the substitution with the non-contaminant variant. The enhanced resistance to abrasion and wear extends the fabric’s serviceable life and resulting garments, decreasing the need for high industry processing volumes and, as a result, reducing pollution. The resistance to wear was evaluated using the dominant method in textile testing of the Martindale apparatus, which measured the cycles to failure, weight loss, and general appearance deterioration using the official photographic standards.

Making Decisions When Cataloging Bound-with Books

Frequently, bound-with books are the subject of catalog clean-up projects, often discovered years after first being added to a collection as a monograph. Alternately, bound-with books may have a structure that works within one library system, but become a persistent thorn in the side when migrating to a new system that models them differently. This only compounds the existing descriptive challenges of cataloging them, and can become a paralyzing state of affairs for catalogers. Decision-making guidance is needed because these resources are highly inconsistent in their composition and official cataloging standards for bound-with books have varied widely over the lifetime of the MARC format. This paper provides a general description of bound-with books, their importance as library resources, and outlines guidance for cataloging decisions.

Rethinking Regulation beyond the Normative Threshold: Mechanisms of Control and Access to the Central Market of Kinshasa

The article explores regulation practices governing access to the central market of Kinshasa. It argues that, contrary to conventional ideas, urban trading places do not escape state regulation, nor are they outside the realm of legitimacy. These places and the economic activities that take place in them are highly regulated. Yet, their regulations do not always conform to official standards. The dominant binary divide of formal/informal obscures different processes and scales of effective regulation. Hence, to better understand how these places and activities are regulated, it is necessary to go beyond the binary divide. Drawing on practical norms’ literature, the article shows the multiplicity of overlapping norms, their corresponding logics, and how different actors navigate regulation. Regulations can have diverse effects on people. Some deviations from official laws have reassuring effects, leading to forms of organisation that serve traders’ needs or provide them with space for resistance against exclusion. However, certain other deviations serve to extract more resources from vendors and can lead to the (re)production of social inequalities.

Влияние уровня «защищенных» жиров в рационах высокопродуктивных коров на молочную продуктивность

The amount of fat in the diets of Kholmogory dairy cows is known to affect milk yield and its quality, as well as the economic efficiency of milk sales. In this research, the content of protected fats in the diets of high-yielding dairy cows was raised from 771.9 g to 1,023.9 g (32.6%) during full lactation by adding 300 g calcium salts of fatty acids per day. As a result, the milk yield increased by 8.0% (P = 0.95). The mass fraction of fat increased by 0.05% while that of protein rose by 0.03%, which improved the overall quality of milk. The experimental milk samples demonstrated a slight increase in non-fat milk solids (0.052%). The level of urea rose slightly (2.9 mg/100 mL) and reached 21.1 mg/100 mL, which corresponded to official standards and was a marker of a balanced diet. The study revealed a moderate positive correlation (r = 0.35) between the feed energy and the lactation performance. Protected fats had no significant effect on coagulation time and cottage cheese yield. The experimental diet demonstrated economic efficiency by increasing the potential profits from milk sales by 15.5%.

An automatic workflow for the quantitative evaluation of bit wear based on computer vision

As global oil exploration ventures into deeper and more complex territories, drilling bit wear and damage have emerged as significant constraints on drilling efficiency and safety. Despite the publication of official bit wear evaluation standards by the International Association of Drill Contractors (IADC), the current lack of quantitative and scientific evaluation techniques means that bit wear assessments rely heavily on engineers' experience. Consequently, forming a standardized database of drilling bit information to underpin the mechanisms of bit wear and facilitate optimal design remains challenging. Therefore, an efficient and quantitative evaluation of bit wear is crucial for optimizing bit performance and improving penetration efficiency.This paper introduces an automatic standard workflow for the quantitative evaluation of bit wear and the design of a comprehensive bit information database. Initially, a method for acquiring images of worn bits at the drilling site was developed. Subsequently, the wear classification and grading models based on computer vision were established to determine bit status. The wear classification model focuses on the positioning and classification of bit cutters, while the wear grading model quantifies the extent of bit wear. After that, the automatic evaluation method of the bit wear is realized. Additionally, bit wear evaluation software was designed, integrating all necessary functions to assess bit wear in accordance with IADC standards. Finally, a drilling bit database was created by integrating bit wear data, logging data, mud-logging data, and basic drilling bit data.This workflow represents a novel approach to collecting and analyzing drilling bit information at drilling sites. It holds potential to facilitate the creation of a large-scale information database for the entire lifecycle of drilling bits, marking the inception of intelligent analysis, design, and manufacture of drilling bits, thereby enhancing performance in challenging drilling conditions.

Prenatal Vitamin D Deficiency and Maternal and Fetal Health Outcomes.

Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) is a significant health issue that could have serious implications for the well-being of women and their offspring. Prenatal vitamins are widely used, but deficiency still occurs frequently in the preconception period, during pregnancy, and in breastfed infants. We analyzed the association between prenatal VDD and maternal and fetal health outcomes by reviewing studies conducted in Europe. The literature was searched for articles published in the last 10 years focusing on preeclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus, preterm birth, low birth weight, asthma, and autism spectrum disorder. We identified a total of 43 review articles, 31 original articles, and two guidelines. During pregnancy, VDD is associated with a higher likelihood of developing gestational diabetes mellitus and preeclampsia. It may also lead to an increase in the risk of preterm birth, low birth weight, as well as asthma, and autism spectrum disorder in the offspring. While the official guidelines for vitamin D dosage differ in various countries, health authorities usually recommend a total daily supplement intake of 400-2,000 IU. In conclusion, this review emphasizes the importance of establishing guidelines for vitamin D supplementation as well as the requirement of official standards for the consumption of vitamin D in the prenatal period. Future research should concentrate on developing more unified approaches to vitamin D assessment and establishing preventative measures that can be incorporated into prenatal care programs.

Selective editing for asymmetry analysis in intra-EU trade Micro-Data Exchange (MDE)

Since January 2022, the Regulation on European Business Statistics (EU 2019/2152) requires EU Member States to compulsorily share microdata on intra-EU exports. Establishing intra-EU export Micro-Data Exchange (MDE) provides National Statistical Institutes with a new data source to compile intra-EU import statistics. The availability of MDE tackles two key challenges: diminishing the overall response burden on data providers and meeting user expectations regarding the quality of the produced statistics. However, transitioning to a data production system based on MDE data requires the assessment of the coherence and comparability between MDE and National import data. To identify asymmetries between the two data sources, Istat developed an innovative application designed to foster cooperation among Member States. The tool was developed using the Shiny package in R. The implemented solution allows users to perform exploratory analysis, systematic error detection, and selective editing. The most relevant asymmetries are identified through relative contribution and the asymmetry suspicion indices assessed by user-defined thresholds. Sharing the open tool within the European Statistical System enhances interoperability, promotes method harmonization, and encourages the adoption of official statistical standards.

Incremental implementation concept for healthy eating habits in German school with kiosk

PurposeSchool kiosk offerings play a crucial role in the dietary behavior of students. The importance of healthy meals in schools is emphasized again and again, but there is a lack of practical implementation and literature data on kiosk offers and acceptance. This study aimed to analyze the reasons and improve the situation.Design/methodology/approachIndividual nutrition knowledge and behavior as well as purchasing behavior at a typical kiosk scenario at schools were collected. Based on the outcome, a concept for improving the school kiosk offerings according to the quality standard of the German Nutrition Society was developed. Many obstacles and challenges had to be overcome in the transition to healthier offerings and their implementation. In the course of these changes, the creation of a new feel-good cafeteria lounge was deemed necessary and finally realized.FindingsA large percentage of the school kiosk offerings did not meet the desires of the school community. Opportunities to improve the school kiosk service were identified. The skillful planning of structural changes towards healthy food offers and warm meals on two weekdays made it possible to implement the official nutrition standards for healthier meals at school kiosks, despite long-term challenges for food providers.Originality/valueAfter a critical analysis of the reasons for the lack of politically desired standards for healthier meals at school kiosks, a new implementation culture is presented and was successfully applied to overcome barriers and challenges through an incremental-dynamic concept strategy with iterative cooperation between the actors of food service providers, school administration, school management, teachers and students.

Procedure for rapid determination of bile-tolerant gram-negative bacteria in drugs

The European Pharmacopoeia is a single reference study for the quality control of drugs. The official standards published within it provide a legal and scientific basis for quality control in the processes of drugs development, production and marketing. However, the long experience and the multitude of studies have demonstrated that medicinal forms represent unstable dispersed systems and can undergo various manifest or non-manifest changes, leading to drug incompatibilities. Along with the physico-chemical transformations, microbiological transformations can occur with the contamination of the final product with pathogenic, conditionally pathogenic or even saprophytic germs, especially medicines that do not undergo final sterilization or are not aseptically prepared. Microbial contamination of the drug can be an indicator of the production conditions; it can cause the instability of the product through the microbial decomposition of auxiliary substances, the alteration or definitive cancellation of the therapeutic effect of the active substances, the appearance of metabolites with toxic properties, especially those fractions of endotoxins on the wall cell of gram-negative bacteria with the development of allergenic, pyrogenic substances and the induction of the danger of local orgeneral infections. An important role is attributed to the group of bile-tolerant gram-negative bacteria as representatives of microorganisms that are inadmissible in one g/ml for the absence test and for the quantitative test <10 NCP/g/ml (probable number of bacteria), inadmissible in non-sterile medicinal products, herbal medicinal products for oral use and extracts used in their preparation. Due to the diversity of medicinal forms in terms of content, method of application, and therapeutic action, these preparations fulfil the indispensable conditions for the growth of microorganisms, therefore a primary concern is to avoid microbial contamination from the technological phase to the administration phase in order to prevent complications associated with bacterial infections. The given study reveals the testing of the procedure for the rapid determination of inadmissible microorganisms in non-sterile medicinal products and herbal drugs for oral use and the extracts used in their preparation, especially microorganisms of the group Enterobacteriaceae spp.

Environmental Justice in the Context of Access to Urban Green Spaces for Refugee Children

Accessible and high-quality urban green space (UGS) can provide significant benefits to refugee children for their development, health, and well-being. However, few studies have examined the actual accessibility of UGS from refugee children’s perspectives (i.e., with restricted walking radius, particular vulnerability towards barriers such as traffic infrastructures and disconnected road forms) and related them with other environmental or social burdens under the context of environmental justice. It is necessary to explore related evidence and investigate the underlying causes since refugee facilities are primarily located in areas with restricted social and environmental resources strongly related to attributes of environmental justice. This paper investigated (1) availability, accessibility, and attractiveness of UGS in 30 refugee accommodation locations in Berlin using GIS and Space Syntax, (2) environmental burdens using the Berlin Atlas of Environmental Justice, and (3) neighbourhood characteristics. Findings indicate that 63% of refugee accommodations have availability of green space that is above average official standards, but from refugee children’s perspectives, 60% of the locations have limited access to UGS, lower attractive green spaces, and most locations face multi-environmental burdens. Currently, little guidance focuses on ensuring equal access to and the usability of UGS for specific socioeconomic and demographic groups, such as refugee children. Therefore, this paper has contributed empirical materials to begin such research and develop inclusive decision-making strategies in environmental and health policy to ensure the provision and high quality of UGS for refugee children who need it.

Cryptocurrency; the new unleashed financial instrument, should it be regulated

The decentralized anonymous cryptocurrency is a new kind of technology that can be used for many purposes such as transferring money and investing. However, they do not have a legal entity that is in charge monitoring its uses. Its extraordinary rise raises critical questions such as, should we regulate it or ban it? Since its purposes have been converted from an anonymous payment system to a tool that is used in illegal actions and undermining financial standards. This paper seeks CC regulation options. Plus, it attempts to lay out the various risks they pose and benefits they bring with the technology they use (blockchain). The objective is to investigate which approach will be more reasonable for the country’s conditions. The regulators will try to convince CC service providers to obey rules and operate under official standards, while banners restrict the new instrument’s integration with the financial system. The study relied on the descriptive approach to achieve its objectives. The recent literature and publications of the most important related bodies around the world were reviewed. Findings reveal that it is too early for CCs to be considered legal tender. Moreover, both approaches could be adopted according to the country’s conditions. Plus, alternatives may have their say. Some suggestions are made for local agencies and investors.

Experimental Behavior of Solar Still Using Mixed Oxides Mn-Fe/Silicone Resin Composite as Selective Solar Absorber

In this research, the optical properties of a black pigment of mixed Mn-Fe oxides synthesized by the precipitation method dispersed in silicone resin at different concentrations for use as a solar absorber in a two-slope passive solar still were evaluated. The transmittance of different thicknesses of float glass with 0.1% Fe2O3 was also studied for use as a condenser in the construction of the solar still. Regarding the pigments, the absorbance and spectral emittance were evaluated, the floated. With the above information, both the absorbent surface and the condensers were optimized to propose the best design of the solar still. The novel hybrid material used as a selective coating in the still, which corresponds to 2.3% Mn-Fe mixed oxides, exhibited a high solar absorbance of 91.82% and a relatively low infrared thermal emission of less than 57.22%, as well as good stability to the corrosive and hot environment of the solar still, in addition to great durability over time and in real operating conditions. The float glass with the highest transmittance corresponds to a thickness of 3 mm and an average transmittance of 82.57%. The built prototype was characterized by obtaining the temperature profiles of the absorber and condensers, thermal efficiency, production and water quality. The prototype has a thermal efficiency of 29.6%, requiring only energy from the sun for its operation. The water produced by this device becomes an option for human use and consumption in accordance with current official standards, allowing supply in communities that do not have access to drinking water but have access to seawater or waters with high hardness.

Korean perspective for integrated deterministic-probabilistic safety assessment and its synergetic strategy with conventional methods

The PSA (Probabilistic Safety Assessment) is presented as a method of comprehensively evaluating the types of accidents that can occur at nuclear power plants. One of the key components to obtain technical success was the introduction of event tree analysis, and its strength and weakness has been reviewed and enhanced with the term, for instance, Integrated Deterministic-Probabilistic Safety Assessment (IDPSA) since 1980s. However, the technical and policy maturity of IDPSA appears to have room for improvement: the terminologies need to be arranged internationally, and there are no official standards or guidelines for the method itself. Due to a misperception of IDPSA, there are even concerns that appropriate contribution in risk assessment cannot be made. For this reason, surveys and focus group interviews, sharing development experiences, and the direction of regulation and R&D on IDPSA were conducted targeting PSA experts in Korea. In order to support such process, authors have structured an overview of the development history and technical features of IDPSA. Finally, we will explore the ways to achieve synergy between the deterministic safety analysis and PSA, which may the origin of motivation how to deal with dynamic variability more properly such that an undue risk can be minimized.

The Effect of Technological Progress on Yarder Productivity: An Example from the Bulgarian Mountains

In recent years, a significant import of modern tower yarders has been registered in Bulgaria, where official productivity standards are routinely used for operational planning and control. Given the higher potential of the newer yarder models, the Bulgarian forestry sector has started a review of the older productivity standards dating back to the 1970s. This new endeavor has offered an ideal opportunity for gauging the effect of technological progress in yarder technology. Therefore, the authors have used the very first results achieved during the development of the new standards for conducting a preliminary quantitative comparison between older and newer yarder types. Modern yarders (e.g., Konrad Mounty 4000) are much faster than the older ones (e.g., Koller K300), and their time consumption per cubic meter is half as large, especially on longer distances. At short distances, however, their performance evens out. Regardless of the distance, the installation time of the Konrad Mounty 4000 is twice as short. As they are largely automated, the new machines can be manned by smaller crews (e.g., two workers instead of three) and are easier and safer to operate. Finally, the new machines are equipped with built-in loaders and processors, which allows them to integrate delimbing, crosscutting and stacking within the same work cycle. With older models, a separate team must be deployed for those tasks.

Experimental Behavior of Solar Still Using Mixed Oxides Mn-Fe/Silicona Resin Composite as Selective Solar Absorber

The optical properties of a black pigment of mixed Mn-Fe oxides synthesized by the precipitation method, dispersed in silicone resin in different concentrations as well as different thicknesses of float glass with 0.1% of Fe2O3 for use in the construction of a two-slope passive solar still. Regarding the pigments, the spectral absorbance and emittance were evaluated, the x-ray diffraction patterns were obtained to know their crystalline structure and their morphology was studied through surface profilometry, in addition the spectral transmittance for the different samples of float glass was evaluated. With the previous information, both the absorbing surface and the condensers were optimized to propose the best design of the solar still. The hybrid material used as a selective coating in the still, which corresponds to 2.3% Mn-Fe mixed oxides, exhibited a high solar absorbance of 91.82% and a relatively low infrared thermal emission, less than 57.22%, as well as good stability to the corrosive and hot environment of the solar still, in addition to great durability over time, real operating conditions. The float glass with the highest transmittance corresponds to a thickness of 3 mm and an average transmittance of 82.57%. The built prototype was characterized by obtaining the temperature profiles of the absorber, water column and condensers, thermal efficiency, production and water quality. The prototype has a thermal efficiency of 27%, requiring only energy from the sun for its operation and the product water is distilled water, free of salts, of great potential value for human use and consumption in accordance with current official standards.