Growth and Coalescence of γ’-Precipitates in Nickel-Based Alloy 115NC during Slow Cooling for Membrane Manufacturing

By coarsening of the γ’-precipitates and selective extraction of one of the two existing phases, porous structures can be produced from nickel-based superalloys. There are two basic approaches to achieve a bicontinuous γ/γ’-microstructure—directional and incoherent coarsening. Single crystalline superalloy membranes are produced by the so-called rafting of the microstructure, i.e., directional coarsening. Unlike this process, incoherently coarsened membranes lack a detailed understanding of the mechanisms leading to cross-linking of the precipitates. In this paper, the growth and coalescence of precipitates during initial slow cooling from above the γ’ solvus temperature was studied. In addition to the three-dimensional morphological changes of the precipitates, it is also shown that only little coalescence of the particles occurs despite the high γ’ content and, therefore, their very small distance. The loss of coherency that occurs during this part of coarsening must first advance through further aging before a bicontinuous microstructure is formed.

Units of Military Fortification Complex as Phenomenon Elements of the Czech Borderlands Landscape

This paper is focused on selected units of casemates with enhanced fortification in the military fortification complex of the Czech borderlands landscape as specific forms of brownfields. They represent a functional system that interacts with surrounding nature, landscape character, and human society. Four approaches were chosen to study the function and potential of selected individual abandoned casemates with enhanced fortification, where each of them corresponds to one of the four landscape layers: genius loci, socio-economic sphere, functional relationship (between human and the landscape), and natural conditions. There is a corresponding research method for each of the landscape layers (guided interview with respondents, data analysis on abandoned casemates with enhanced fortifications as brownfields, analysis of their landscape functions, and zoological survey of interior). The main results could show that abandoned casemates with enhanced fortifications can play important roles in all landscape layers: stories and genius loci, abandoned casemates with enhanced fortification as a special type of military brownfield but also as a semi-natural ecosystem, and the same time as a habitat for invertebrates. The analyses and surveys conducted clearly demonstrate that abandoned casemates with enhanced fortification as units of military fortification complex of the Czech borderlands landscape perform several hidden important functions in the landscape for which they cannot be viewed as brownfields. This hidden functional potential is most likely best described by the concept of hidden singularity, which offers itself for integration into basic approaches to brownfields.

Conjunctivitis

Conjunctivitis represents an inflammation of conjunctiva with cellular infiltration, exudation, and vascular dilation. According to the course of the disease, conjunctivitis can be acute, hyperacute, and chronic. Morphologically, conjunctivitis can appear with papillary reaction, follicular reaction, cicatrizing, granulomatous and membranous changes. This chapter discusses all types of conjunctivitis, their clinical signs and symptoms, and basic approaches of treatment. This chapter includes before and after treatment photos of atypical inferiorly localized shield ulcer, Tularemia-associated Parinaud oculoglandular syndrome, and Stevens-Johnson disease. Pictures are included In the ligneous conjunctivitis patient's case taken at diagnosis as well as 10 years later, demonstrating stable condition with appropriate treatment throughout the period.

Cognitive Metaphor and Discourse: Research Methods and Paradigms

The article dwells on a modern cognitive and discourse study of metaphors. Taking the advantage of the analysis and fusion of information in foreign and domestic papers, the researcher delves into their classification from the ontological, axiological and epistemological points of view. The ontological level breaks down into two basic approaches, namely metaphorical nature of discourse and discursive nature of metaphors. The former analyses metaphors to fathom characteristics of discourse, while the other provides for the study of metaphorical features in the context of discursive communication. The axiological aspect covers critical and descriptive studies and the epistemological angle comprises quantitive and qualitative methods in metaphorical studies. Other issues covered in the paper incorporate a thorough review of methods for identification of metaphors to include computer-assisted solutions (Word Sense Disambiguation, Categorisation, Metaphor Clusters) and numerical analysis of the metaphorical nature of discourse – descriptor analysis, metaphor power index, cluster analysis, and complex metaphor power analysis. On the one hand, the conceptualization of research papers boils down to major features of the discursive approach to metaphors and on the other, multiple studies of metaphors in the context of discourse pave the way for a discursive trend in cognitive metaphorology.

The Case Against Censoring of Progression-Free Survival in Cancer Clinical Trials – A Pandemic Shutdown as an Illustration

Missing data may lead to loss of statistical power and introduce bias in clinical trials. The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on patient health care and on the conduct of cancer clinical trials. Restricted access to sites, medication and evaluations brings challenges to the analysis of clinical trials due to missing data. Although several endpoints may be affected, progression-free survival (PFS) is of major concern, given its frequent use as primary endpoint in advanced cancer and the fact that missed radiographic assessments are to be expected. If patients with progression have delayed radiographic assessment due to the pandemic, there is controversy between censoring at the last visit prior to a shutdown period or ascribing the progression date to the day the assessment is eventually done after the end of the shutdown. The recent introduction of the estimand framework creates an opportunity to define more precisely the target of estimation and ensure alignment between the scientific question and the statistical analysis. Two basic approaches can be considered for handling missing tumor scans due to the pandemic: a “treatment policy” strategy, which consists in ascribing events to the time they are observed, and a “hypothetical” approach of censoring patients with events during the shutdown period at the last assessment prior to that period. In this article, we show through simulations how these two approaches may affect the overall power of a study and bias the estimated treatment effect and median PFS estimates. As a general rule, we suggest that the treatment policy approach, which conforms with the intent-to-treat principle, should be the primary analysis in order to avoid unnecessary loss of power and minimize bias in median PFS estimates.

ESTIMATING ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY OF ENTERPRISESE FUNCTIONING

The article analyzes the essence and importance of the mechanism of estimation of production activity efficiency in a modern industrial enterprise. The main aggregated indicators of complex evaluation of economic efficiency of enterprises are determined. In accordance with the prevailing instruments and means of public administration, the main mechanisms of state regulation of the analyzed industry are identified. The theoretical principles of the concept of "enterprise efficiency" as a property and ability of the enterprise to formulate and achieve their goals, taking into account the influence of external factors and using internal conditions of functioning, to achieve the set tasks, using all available resources and means for solving social, environmental, budgetary and other problems of both society and enterprise at the established cost-benefit ratio. The basic theoretical and methodological approaches to the estimation of economic efficiency of enterprises are considered. The basic approaches to the estimation of efficiency of production activity of the enterprise are analyzed and systematized. It is proposed to use econometric modeling to improve the reliability of the estimation of the efficiency of production activity. The expediency of carrying out such an assessment by determining the dependence of the production activity efficiency on the partial indicators of the evaluation mechanism in modern industrial enterprises based on traditional and multifactorial approaches is substantiated. The basic elements of estimation of efficiency of production activity of the enterprise are selected and the integral index of estimation of efficiency of production activity is defined. The main approaches to establishing the essence of economic attractiveness and economic efficiency of investment projects are investigated in the article. It is established that the purpose of assessing economic attractiveness is to determine the efficiency of use of public resources within the project, economic efficiency - to assess the feasibility of using scarce (limited) resources of society in the framework of a specific project. The views of scientists on the choice and characteristics of indicators of evaluating the economic efficiency of functioning of enterprises for the purpose of conducting a comprehensive analysis are investigated. Methodical approaches to assessing the economic attractiveness and cost-effectiveness of investment projects are explored. The main stages of evaluating the economic attractiveness and efficiency of the investment project have been established.

Innovative development of the management potential at a modern enterprise

The development of the national economy and its components in modern conditions is increasingly dependent on technological shifts based on innovation. The ability to form and effectively use potential is becoming a decisive factor in enhancing the competitiveness and development of enterprises. The development of managerial capacity will allow enterprises to adapt quickly to new environmental conditions and make effective management decisions. With the transformation of the economic system towards social orientation, there is a transition from outdated forms of enterprise potential management to a new vision of the quality of management potential. Basic approaches to assessing the quality of management potential in its innovative development were formed. The main features of the innovative development of managerial potential were identified. The main features of the development of innovative management potential were determined. A basic structure for management potential innovative development measures was proposed, which regulates that a company’s policy in the field of improving the efficiency of management capacity is a subordinate element of the general strategy of an enterprise, but at the same time it is necessary to monitor the balance between economic performance and social justice.

Memory and History: A Comparison of the Past in Slovak Prose of the Post-2000 Period

This study focuses on how two kinds of memory: historical and personal are reflected in a section of Slovak literature of the past two decades. A variety of autobiographical genres and biographically-stylised fictional prose draw on personal memory, and history, is the domain of historical genres, particularly the novel. After the 1990s, the present was deemed important and historical presentations of the past were parodiedin the prose of Peter Pišťanek and Igor Otčenáš. At the beginning of the new millennium, however, prose portraying and reflecting on the past reappeared. Memory- based writing which is concerned with an individual situated within history, or outside of it, is more persuasive. Memory-based writing is used in different forms of autobiographical writing: within fiction it takes a form of biographical stylisation (e. g. Vilikovský, Kopcsay and Rozner). In the past ten to fifteen years, there has been a renewed interest in history in Slovak literature, mainly in pre-1989 history (e. g. Rankov, Krištúfek and Lavrík), which had been mistreated in pre-1989 Slovak literature, and later there was no interest in it or it was even rejected in the 1990s.During that time, historical memory was exploited to meet societal requirement. Silvester Lavrík was an exception—he was able to marry the two basic approaches to the past (personal history and historical) in a form of a dispute between them.

Philosophy and Cultural Heritage. An Approach to Philosophy in Museal Contexts

The following considerations form a philosophical approach to the meaning of cultural heritage. They are an attempt to answer the question, which position and task philosophy holds or may hold for this heritage. In a first section it is shown that there is no escape from the cultural heritage. For this purpose, it is resorted to the juxtaposition of «to have or to be» by the social psychologist Erich Fromm. Following this distinction, two basic approaches are sketched that precisely fail to do justice to the cultural heritage and to the way of dealing with it that is necessary for one’s own location in the world. These sketches serve as a background against which the significance of philosophy in and for the cultural heritage is discussed, in order to be able to grasp the appropriate approach to philosophy in museal contexts. As a result, museums are proving to be part of the philosophical heritage, at least in terms of possibility.

Phytophthora infestans: An Overview of Methods and Attempts to Combat Late Blight

Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary is one of the main pathogens in the agricultural sector. The most affected are the Solanaceae species, with the potato (Solanum tuberosum) and the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) being of great agricultural importance. Ornamental Solanaceae can also host the pests Petunia spp., Calibrachoa spp., as well as the wild species Solanum dulcamara, Solanum sarrachoides, etc. Annual crop losses caused by this pathogen are highly significant. Although the interaction between P. infestans and the potato has been investigated for a long time, further studies are still needed. This review summarises the basic approaches in the fight against the late blight over the past 20 years and includes four sections devoted to methods of control: (1) fungicides; (2) R-gene-based resistance of potato species; (3) RNA interference approaches; (4) other approaches to control P. infestans. Based on the latest advances, we have provided a description of the significant advantages and disadvantages of each approach.