Taking on a wider view: public value interests of construction clients in a changing construction industry

For financial and strategic reasons, public and semi-public construction clients increasingly depend on private parties to carry out public service delivery. They subcontract operational responsibilities to private parties while remaining socio-politically responsible for ensuring public values. Public administration literature mainly addresses the importance of procedural and performance values in safeguarding public values. However, safeguarding the quality of the built environment also requires a focus on product values. In this study, we aim to increase the understanding of the meaning and significance of public values in the daily practice of public construction clients and identify the challenges they face in commissioning these seemingly opposing values. A set of semi-structured interviews with the public administrators of a variety of public and semi-public construction client organizations in the Netherlands shows that both internal and external factors influence the collaborative practices between clients and contractors. This causes a value shift from an emphasis on procedural values to managing performance and product values, indicating that clients need to take on a wider view on public values. Six main public value dilemmas were found that complicate the task of developing an open, transparent and sustainable long-term client–contractor relationship. The current contractual system, however, lacks the flexibility to facilitate this product-based value view in construction.     

Integrated optical spectrum analyser using planar technology on oxidised silicon substrate

We report, for the first time, the achievement of an integrated optical spectrum analyser on oxidised silicon substrate. This device uses an entire planar technology fully compatible with microelectronic processes.     

Alveolar and skeletal dimensions associated with lower face height

NTBC is a triketone with herbicidal activity that has been shown to have a novel mode of action by inhibiting the enzyme 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase in plants. Early studies on the toxicity of this compound found that rats treated with NTBC developed corneal lesions. Investigations aimed at understanding the mechanistic basis for the ocular toxicity discovered that the rats developed tyrosinaemia and excreted large amounts of 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate and 4-hydroxyphenyllactate, owing to inhibition of the hepatic enzyme 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase. The corneal lesions resemble those seen when rats are fed a diet supplemented with tyrosine, leading us to conclude that the ocular toxicity seen with NTBC is a consequence of a marked and sustained tyrosinaemia. Studies in collaboration with Professor Sven Lindstedt showed that NTBC was a potent inhibitor of purified human liver 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase. This interaction lead to the concept of using NTBC to treat patients with tyrosinaemia type 1, to block or reduce the formation of toxic metabolites such as succinylacetoacetate in the liver. Zeneca Agrochemicals and Zeneca Pharmaceuticals made NTBC available for clinical use and, with the approval of the Swedish Medical Products Agency, a seriously ill child with an acute form of tyrosinaemia type 1 was successfully treated in February 1991. Subsequently, other children with this inborn error of metabolism in Sweden and other countries have been treated with NTBC. The drug is now available to those in need via Swedish Orphan AB.     

Reduction of temperature and vibration sensitivity of a polarimetric current sensor

We present a new type of Faraday-effect current sensor using a twisted single-mode fibre as the probe. The temperature drift is cancelled by a `double-twist? configuration, and the sensitivity to vibrations and bends is drastically reduced by use of polarisation-maintaining fibres as the input and output connecting leads.     

Effect of acetylation and oxidation on some properties of breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) seed starch

Starch extracted from seeds of Artocarpus altilis (Breadfruit) was chemically modified by acetylation and oxidation, and its functional properties were evaluated and compared with these of native starch. Analysis of the chemical composition showed that moisture content was higher for modified starches. Ash, protein, crude fiber and amylose contents were reduced by the modifications, but did not alter the native starch granules' irregularity, oval shape and smooth surface. Acetylation produced changes in water absorption, swelling power and soluble solids, these values were higher for acetylated starch, while values for native and oxidized starches were similar. Both modifications reduced pasting temperature; oxidation reduced maximum peak viscosity but it was increased by acetylation. Hot paste viscosity was reduced by both modifications, whereas cold paste viscosity was lower in the oxidized starch and higher in the acetylated starch. Breakdown was increased by acetylation and reduced with oxidation. Setback value was reduced after acetylation, indicating it could minimize retrogradation of the starch.     

借景——中国《园冶》(1634)理论与17世纪日本造园艺术实践

借景作为一种设计策略最早出现在日本某些17世纪的庭院营建中。就在这些庭院营造前，关于造园的《园冶》一书在中国面世了。从历史上看造园实践和理论同时出现并不是偶然的事件。在中国和日本都对以同样的方式来认识自然界，并通过人的创造力来完善它有十足的兴趣。中国和日本两国的知识精英彼此有密切的联系和交流，彼此对自然式景观都怀有极大的兴趣，并且知道如何通过借景来激发我们的愉悦情感。     

Evaluation of the flour and starch from white and purple varieties of mapuey (Dioscorea trifida)

Mapuey (Dioscorea trifida), is a tropical America tuber, which is appreciated for its taste and fine texture. It has not been fully cultivated in Venezuela, even though products like its flour and starch could replace conventional used products. In this work physical and chemical characteristic of flours from mapuey (varieties white and purple), were assessed, as well as some of their micronutrients. Physical, physicochemical and rheological properties, and chemical composition of isolated starches were also evaluated. Flours were obtained by a drying process and starches by aqueous extraction. Chemical analysis was performed following standard methodologies. The flour yield of purple mapuey was the highest, as was its protein content. The minerals content, showed significant differences between both varieties, presenting purple variety a higher content. Isolated starches showed high purity, this was corroborated by the scanning electron microscopy which showed irregular shaped granules (oval and elongated), with truncated end and smooth surfaces. Purple mapuey granules were smaller. Both varieties exhibited a B type diffraction pattern. The greater swelling power and water absorption capacity was presented by white mapuey, while the highest solubility was shown by the purple one. The white mapuey had maximum viscosity, as well as the highest value of breakdown, suggesting more fragile granules. Setback was lower in the white mapuey, suggesting lower tendency to retrogradation. The purple mapuey although, it showed a higher amylose content, presented lower consistency, even though the difference was not relevant.     

Design of a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) plan to assure the safety of a bologna product produced by a meat processing plant

The Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) is a systematic integral program used to identify and estimate the hazards (microbiological, chemical and physical) and the risks generated during the primary production, processing, storage, distribution, expense and consumption of foods. To establish a program of HACCP has advantages, being some of them: to emphasize more in the prevention than in the detection, to diminish the costs, to minimize the risk of manufacturing faulty products, to allow bigger trust to the management, to strengthen the national and international competitiveness, among others. The present work is a proposal based on the design of an HACCP program to guarantee the safety of the Bologna Special Type elaborated by a meat products industry, through the determination of hazards (microbiological, chemical or physical), the identification of critical control points (CCP), the establishment of critical limits, plan corrective actions and the establishment of documentation and verification procedures. The used methodology was based in the application of the seven basic principles settled down by the Codex Alimentarius, obtaining the design of this program. In view of the fact that recently the meat products are linked with pathogens like E. coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes, these were contemplated as microbiological hazard for the establishment of the HACCP plan whose application will guarantee the obtaining of a safe product.