Abstract: The Implementation of the Union law faces major
challenges today. If for a long period of time, the Community and the
Union have persevered in their legislative vocation, now one can
notice that this large legislative quantity has complicated the task of
knowledge and of application the European standards. Under these
circumstances, it became necessary, in order to give effectiveness to
the European legislation, the development of some operational
application criteria and the generation of some new implementation
tools. The correct application of the European Union legislation by
the national public administrations was considered by the European
Commission as being crucial for further integration and proper
functioning of the internal market. Among the initiatives launched in
the past years to promote the exchange of good administrative
practices in the correct application of European Union legislation,
SOLVIT net has proved to be one of the most effective.
Abstract: Nowadays there is a growing environmental concern
and the business communities have slowly started recognising
environmental protection and sustainable utilization of natural
resources into their marketing strategies. This paper discusses the
various Ecolabeling and Certification Systems developed world
over to regulate and introduce Fair Trade in Ornamental Fish
Industry. Ecolabeling and green certification are considered as part
of these strategies implemented partly out of compulsion from the
National and International Regulatory Bodies and Environmental
Movements. All the major markets of ornamental fishes like
European Union, USA and Japan have started putting restrictions on
the trade to impose ecolabeling as a non tariff barrier like the one
imposed on seafood and aqua cultured products. A review was done
on the available Ecolabeling and Green Certification Schemes
available at local, national and international levels for fisheries
including aquaculture and ornamental fish trade and to examine the
success and constraints faced by these schemes during its
implementation. The primary downside of certification is the
multiplicity of ecolabels and cost incurred by applicants for
certification, costs which may in turn be passed on to consumers.
The studies reveal serious inadequacies in a number of ecolabels
and cast doubt on their overall contribution to effective fisheries
management and sustainability. The paper also discusses the
inititive taken in India to develop guidelines for Green Certification
of Fresh water ornamental fishes.
Abstract: In this paper the FPGA implementations for four
stream ciphers are presented. The two stream ciphers, MUGI and
SNOW 2.0 are recently adopted by the International Organization for
Standardization ISO/IEC 18033-4:2005 standard. The other two
stream ciphers, MICKEY 128 and TRIVIUM have been submitted
and are under consideration for the eSTREAM, the ECRYPT
(European Network of Excellence for Cryptology) Stream Cipher
project. All ciphers were coded using VHDL language. For the
hardware implementation, an FPGA device was used. The proposed
implementations achieve throughputs range from 166 Mbps for
MICKEY 128 to 6080 Mbps for MUGI.
Abstract: We propose a low-cost uniform analysis framework
allowing comparison of the strengths and weaknesses of the
bicycling experience within and between cities. A primary
component is an expedient, one-page mobility survey from which
mode share is calculated. The bicycle mode share of many cities
remains unknown, creating a serious barrier for both scientists and
policy makers aiming to understand and increase rates of bicycling.
Because of its low cost and expedience, this framework could be
replicated widely, uniformly filling the data gap. The framework has
been applied to 13 Central European cities with success. Data is
collected on multiple modes with specific questions regarding both
behavior and quality of travel experience. Individual preferences are
also collected, examining the conditions under which respondents
would change behavior to adopt more sustainable modes (bicycling
or public transportation). A broad analysis opportunity results,
intended to inform policy choices.
Abstract: Studying alternative raw materials for biodiesel production is of major importance. The use of mixtures with incorporation of wastes is an environmental friendly alternative and might reduce biodiesel production costs. The objective of the present work was: (i) to study biodiesel production using waste frying oil mixed with pork lard and (ii) to understand how mixture composition influences biodiesel quality. Biodiesel was produced by transesterification and quality was evaluated through determination of several parameters according to EN 14214. The weight fraction of lard in the mixture varied from 0 to 1 in 0.2 intervals. Biodiesel production yields varied from 81.7 to 88.0 (wt%), the lowest yields being the ones obtained using waste frying oil and lard alone as raw materials. The obtained products fulfilled most of the determined quality specifications according to European biodiesel quality standard EN 14214. Minimum purity (96.5 wt%) was closely obtained when waste frying oil was used alone and when 0.2% of lard was incorporated in the raw material (96.3 wt%); however, it ranged from 93.9 to 96.3 (wt%) being always close to the limit. From the evaluation of the influence of mixture composition in biodiesel quality, it was possible to establish a model to be used for predicting some parameters of biodiesel resulting from mixtures of waste frying oil with lard when different lard contents are used.
Abstract: There is limited evidence from various countries
about the possible impact of various criteria to be used to determine
the scope of the IFRS for SMEs issued in 2009 and, research is
needed in this area. We provide evidence from Romania, an
emerging economy member of the European Union. The aim of this
paper is to analyze in a local setting if size is a relevant factor for
deciding between local and global standards for SMEs. Our results
indicate that size is a moderate indicator of the existence of possible
users interested in financial statements and that there is a difference
between the scopes of the standard determined on various criteria..
Also, we suggest that the international exposure is quite reduced in
the case of SMEs, but is sufficient to suggest that at least some SMEs
would benefit from international comparability of financial
statements
Abstract: The genre of fantasy depicts a world of imagine that triggers popular interest from a created view of world, and a fantasy is defined as a story that illustrates a world of imagine where scientific or horror elements are stand in its center. This study is not focused on the narrative of the fantasy, i.e. not on the adventurous story, but is concentrated on the image of the fantasy to work on its relationship with intended themes and differences among cultures due to meanings of materials. As for films, we have selected some films in the 2000's that are internationally recognized as expressing unique images of fantasy containing the theme of love in them. The selected films are 5 pieces including two European films, Amelie from Montmartre (2001) and The Science of Sleep (2005) and three Asian films, Citizen Dog from Thailand (2004), Memories of Matsuko from Japan (2006), and I'm a Cyborg, but That's OK from Korea (2006). These films share some common characteristics to the effect that they give tiny lessons and feelings for life with expressions of fantasy images as if they were fairy tales for adults and that they lead the audience to reflect on their days and revive forgotten dreams of childhood. We analyze the images of fantasy in each of the films on the basis of the elements of Mise-en-Scène (setting and props, costume, hair and make-up, facial expressions and body language, lighting and color, positioning of characters, and objects within a frame).
Abstract: Combining energy efficiency with renewable energy
sources constitutes a key strategy for a sustainable future. The wind
power sector stands out as a fundamental element for the
achievement of the European renewable objectives and Portugal is no
exception to the increase of the wind energy for the electricity
generation. This work proposes an optimization model for the long
range electricity power planning in a system similar to the
Portuguese one, where the expected impacts of the increasing
installed wind power on the operating performance of thermal power
plants are taken into account. The main results indicate that the
increasing penetration of wind power in the electricity system will
have significant effects on the combined cycle gas power plants
operation and on the theoretically expected cost reduction and
environmental gains. This research demonstrated the need to address
the impact that energy sources with variable output may have, not
only on the short-term operational planning, but especially on the
medium to long range planning activities, in order to meet the
strategic objectives for the energy sector.
Abstract: As a by-product of its "cyberspace" status, electronic
commerce is global, encompassing a whole range of B2C
relationships which need to be approached with solutions provided at
a local level while remaining viable when applied to global issues.
Today, the European Union seems to be endowed with a reliable
legal framework for consumer protection. A question which remains,
however, is enforcement of this protection. This is probably a matter
of time and awareness from both parties in the B2C relationship.
Business should realize that enhancing trust in the minds of
consumers is more than a question of technology; it is a question of
best practice. Best practice starts with the online service of high
street banks as well as with the existence of a secure, user-friendly
and cost-effective payment system. It also includes the respect of
privacy and the use of smart cards as well as enhancing privacy
technologies and fair information practice. In sum, only by offering
this guarantee of privacy and security will the consumer be assured
that, in cyberspace, his/her interests will be protected in the same
manner as in a traditional commercial environment.
Abstract: Two-phase frictional pressure drop data were
obtained for condensation of carbon dioxide in single horizontal
micro tube of inner diameter ranged from 0.6 mm up to 1.6 mm over
mass flow rates from 2.5*10-5 to 17*10-5 kg/s and vapor qualities
from 0.0 to 1.0. The inlet condensing pressure is changed from 33.5
to 45 bars. The saturation temperature ranged from -1.5 oC up to 10
oC. These data have then been compared against three (two-phase)
frictional pressure drop prediction methods. The first method is by
Muller-Steinhagen and Heck (Muller-Steinhagen H, Heck K. A
simple friction pressure drop correlation for two-phase flow in pipes.
Chem. Eng. Process 1986;20:297–308) and that by Gronnerud R.
Investigation of liquid hold-up, flow-resistance and heat transfer in
circulation type evaporators, part IV: two-phase flow resistance in
boiling refrigerants, Annexe 1972. Then the method used by
FriedelL. Improved friction pressures drop in horizontal and vertical
two-phase pipe flow. European Two-Phase Flow Group Meeting,
Paper E2; 1979 June, Ispra, Italy. The methods are used by M.B Ould
Didi et al (2001) “Prediction of two-phase pressure gradients of
refrigerant in horizontal tubes". Int.J.of Refrigeration 25(2002) 935-
947. The best available method for annular flow was that of Muller-
Steinhagen and Heck. It was observed that the peak in the two-phase
frictional pressure gradient is at high vapor qualities.
Abstract: The aim of this paper is to present current and future
procedures in castings procurement. Differences in procurement are
highlighted. The supplier selection criteria used in practice is
compared to literature findings. Different trends related to supply
chains are presented and it is described how they are reflected in
reality to castings procurement. To fulfil the aim, interviews were
conducted in nine companies using castings. It was found that largest
casting users have the most subcontractor foundries and it is more
typical that they have multiple suppliers for the same parts. Currently
only two companies out of nine purchase castings outside Europe,
but the others are also progressing in the same direction. The main
reason is the need to lower purchasing costs. Another trend is that all
companies want to buy cast components or sub-assemblies instead of
raw castings from foundries. It was found that price is a main
supplier selection criterion. All companies use competitive bidding in
supplier selection.
Abstract: According to the European laws, there is the
possibility of reusing the washing wastes for the environmental
requalification of quarry lakes. The paper deals with the
hydrogeological aspects involved in this possibility, as the
introduction of finest wastes in the quarry lakes can generate
alterations of the hydrogeological setting of the area, and problems
for the future accessibility of the zone. To evaluate the
hydrogeological compatibility of the washing wastes reuse in quarry
lakes a groundwater numerical model was carried out, pointing out
both the hydrogeological feasibility of this intervention and some
guide lines for its optimization, in terms of inflow point with regard
the groundwater flow direction and loss of volume in the quarry lake.
Abstract: This paper discusses aspects of re-design of loadshedding
schemes with respect to actual developments in the Kosovo
power system. Load-shedding is a type of emergency control that is
designed to ensure system stability by reducing power system load to
match the power generation supply. This paper presents a new
adaptive load-shedding scheme that provides emergency protection
against excess frequency decline, in cases when the Kosovo power
system might be disconnected from the regional transmission
network. The proposed load-shedding scheme uses the local
frequency rate information to adapt the load-shedding pattern to suit
the size and location of the occurring disturbance. The proposed
scheme is tested in a software simulation on a large scale PSS/E
model which represents nine power system areas of Southeast Europe
including the Kosovo power system.
Abstract: The IFRS for Small and Medium-sized Entities
(SMEs) was issued in July 2009 and currently regulators are
considering various implementation strategies of this standard.
Romania is a member of the European Union since 2007, thus
accounting regulations were issued in order to ensure compliance
with the European Accounting Directives. As the European
Commission rejected recently the mandatory use of IFRS for SMEs,
regulatory bodies from the Member States have to decide if the
standard will affect or not the accounting practices of SMEs from
their countries. Recently IASB invited stakeholders to discuss the
revision of IFRS for SMEs. Empirical studies on the differences and
similarities between national standards and IFRS for SMEs could
inform decision makers on the actual level of convergence in
different countries. The purpose of this paper is to provide empirical
evidences on the convergence of the Romanian regulations with IFRS
for SMEs analyzing the results in the context of the last revisions
proposed to the EU Accounting Directives.
Abstract: From food consumption surveys has been found that potato consumption comparing to other European countries is one of the highest. Hence acrylamide (AA) intake coming from fried potatoes in population might be high as well. The aim of the research was to determine acrylamide content and estimate intake of acrylamide from roasted potatoes bred and cultivated in Latvia. Five common Latvian potato varieties were selected: Lenora, Brasla, Imanta, Zile, and Madara. A two-year research was conducted during two periods: just after harvesting and after six months of storage. Time and temperature (210 ± 5°C) was recorded during frying. AA was extracted from potatoes by solid phase extraction and AA content was determined by LC-MS/MS. estimated intake of acrylamide ranges from 0.012 to 0.496μgkg-1 BW per day.
Abstract: Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is a widely used
method for material identification for laboratory and industrial applications.
While standard spectrometers only allow measurements at
one sampling point at a time, NIR Spectral Imaging techniques can
measure, in real-time, both the size and shape of an object as well as
identify the material the object is made of. The online classification
and sorting of recovered paper with NIR Spectral Imaging (SI)
is used with success in the paper recycling industry throughout
Europe. Recently, the globalisation of the recycling material streams
caused that water-based flexographic-printed newspapers mainly from
UK and Italy appear also in central Europe. These flexo-printed
newspapers are not sufficiently de-inkable with the standard de-inking
process originally developed for offset-printed paper. This de-inking
process removes the ink from recovered paper and is the fundamental
processing step to produce high-quality paper from recovered paper.
Thus, the flexo-printed newspapers are a growing problem for the
recycling industry as they reduce the quality of the produced paper
if their amount exceeds a certain limit within the recovered paper
material.
This paper presents the results of a research project for the
development of an automated entry inspection system for recovered
paper that was jointly conducted by CTR AG (Austria) and PTS
Papiertechnische Stiftung (Germany). Within the project an NIR
SI prototype for the identification of flexo-printed newspaper has
been developed. The prototype can identify and sort out flexoprinted
newspapers in real-time and achieves a detection accuracy
for flexo-printed newspaper of over 95%. NIR SI, the technology the
prototype is based on, allows the development of inspection systems
for incoming goods in a paper production facility as well as industrial
sorting systems for recovered paper in the recycling industry in the
near future.
Abstract: The paper deals with an analysis of visibility records collected from 210 European airports to obtain a realistic estimation of the availability of Free Space Optical (FSO) data links. Commercially available optical links usually operate in the 850nm waveband. Thus the influence of the atmosphere on the optical beam and on the visible light is similar. Long-term visibility records represent an invaluable source of data for the estimation of the quality of service of FSO links. The model used characterizes both the statistical properties of fade depths and the statistical properties of individual fade durations. Results are presented for Italy, France, and Germany.
Abstract: Light rail systems have proliferated in Spain in the last decade, following a tendency that is common not only in other European countries but also in other parts of the world. This paper reviews the benefits of light rail systems, both related to environmental issues and mobility issues. It analyses the evolution of light rail projects in Spain and shows that light rail systems in this country have evolved towards an extensive use of public-private partnerships. The analysis of the Spanish projects, however, does not contribute any conclusive evidence about whether public-private partnerships have been more efficient than publicly owned enterprises in building and operating light rail systems.
Abstract: Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) play an important role in many economies. In New Zealand, for example, 97% of all manufacturing companies employ less than 100 staff, and generate the predominant part of this industry sector-s economic output. Manufacturing SMEs as a group also have a significant impact on the environment. This situation is similar in many developed economies, including the European Union. Sustainable economic development therefore needs to strongly consider the role of manufacturing SMEs, who generally find it challenging to move towards more environmentally friendly business practices. This paper presents a systems thinking approach to modelling and understanding the factors which have an influence on the successful uptake of environmental practices in small and medium sized manufacturing companies. It presents a number of causal loop diagrams which have been developed based on primary action research, and a thorough understanding of the literature in this area. The systems thinking model provides the basis for further development of a strategic framework for the successful uptake of environmental innovation in manufacturing SMEs.
Abstract: The aspiration of this research article is to target and
focus the gains of university-Industry (U-I) collaborations and
exploring those hurdles which are the obstacles for attaining these
gains. University-Industry collaborations have attained great
importance since 1980 in USA due to its application in all fields of
life. U-I collaboration is a bilateral process where academia is a
proactive member to make such alliances. Universities want to
ameliorate their academic-base with the technicalities of technobabbles.
U-I collaboration is becoming an essential lane for achieving
innovative goals in this century. Many developed nations have set
successful examples to prove this phenomenon as a catalyst to reduce
costs, efforts and personnel for R&D projects. This study is exploits
amplitudes of UI collaboration incentives in the light of success
stories of developed countries. Many universities in USA, UK,
Canada and various European Countries have been engaged with
enterprises for numerous collaborative agreements. A long list of
strategic and short term R&D projects has been executed in
developed countries to accomplish their intended purposes. Due to
the lack of intentions, genuine research and research-oriented
environment, the mentioned field could not grow very well in
developing countries. During last decade, a new wave of research
has induced the institutes of developing countries to promote R&D
culture especially in Pakistan. Higher Education Commission (HEC)
has initiated many projects and funding supports for universities
which have collaborative intentions with industry.
Findings show that rapid innovation, overwhelm the technological
complexities and articulated intellectual-base are major incentives
which steer both partners to establish faculty-industry alliances. Everchanging
technologies, concerned about intellectual property,
different research environment and culture, research relevancy (Basic
or applied), exposure differences and diversity of knowledge
(bookish or practical) are main barriers to establish and retain joint
ventures. Findings also concluded that, it is dire need to support and
enhance cooperation among academia and industry to promote highly
coordinated research behaviors. Author has proposed a roadmap for
developing countries to promote R&D clusters among faculty and
industry to deal the technological challenges and innovation
complexities. Based on our research findings, Model for R&D
Collaboration for developing countries also have been proposed to
promote articulated R&D environment. If developing countries
follow this phenomenon, rapid innovations can be achieved with
limited R&D budget heads.