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Polyvinyl Alcohol Enhancement of Electrochemical Stability of Silver ion on Paper-Based Biosensor for Cyanide Detection
No full textCyanide is a highly toxic compound that poses significant risks to human health and environmental safety, Consequently, the development of portable and environmentally sustainable platforms for cyanide detection is of critical importance. In this study, a ready-touse paper-based electrochemical device is presented for the detection of cyanide. The detection mechanism is based on the electrochemical formation of a stable silver–cyanide complex, enabling direct quantification. The device is fabricated by immobilizing silver ions (Ag⁺) and supporting electrolytes onto a cellulose-based substrate, with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) incorporated as a stabilizing polymer matrix. PVA forms a semi-permeable, hydrophilic film that mitigates oxidative degradation and volatilization of Ag⁺, thereby enhancing the long-term stability of the sensor. The optimized sensor demonstrates a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.77 µM and exhibits stable analytical performance for up to 60 days with minimal signal attenuation. Validation yielded results in strong agreement with ion chromatography, confirming the practical applicability of the platform. This work highlights the potential of PVA-stabilized electrochemical devices for effective and field-deployable monitoring of cyanide in resource-limited settings
Investigating the Digital Technology Impact on Cyber-Security in Financial Sector
No full textThe application of digital technologies in the financial sector has revolutionized businesses by enabling increased efficiency and effectiveness and more favourable financial performance. However, this development is accompanied by several challenges that have not been addressed to the desired level by academic research. Consequently, this study examines one of the most critical challenges, the impact of cybersecurity on privacy and customer trust in this sector. The study focuses on the role and importance of investments in security and the application of digital technologies for data protection. These two factors are interconnected, and it is often not clear whether they always have a positive correlation first with each other and then with customer loyalty and the reliability of financial services. The research methods are designed as a friend, including a survey with members engaged in this sector in different functions and managerial levels, as well as case studies. The results show that investments in cybersecurity positively affect customer loyalty, making them more likely to continue using financial services. In addition, digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence and data analytics, play a key role in increasing security and protecting financial data from cyberattacks. In terms of control, the impact of education on cybersecurity was considered important, which supposedly increases customer awareness and trust in financial services. The results confirm that the need for investments in cybersecurity justifies the increase in overall business costs. The study is geographically limited in the quantitative aspect to Kosovo, while in the qualitative aspect, it includes international cases
Interaction of Monetary Incentives, Feedback, and Recognition to Improve Performance of State Universities Lecturers: An Experimental Study
No full textThe performance of state universities is a key factor in increasing the competitiveness of higher education. These achievements are greatly influenced by the individual performance of lecturers, considering that key assessment indicators, such as research quality, scientific publications, teaching, and impact on society, directly reflect the lecturer\u27s contribution to the institution. Therefore, improving the performance of universities cannot be separated from systematic efforts to improve lecturer performance. This study aims to prove causality effect of monetary incentives, feedback, and recognition on lecturer performance. This experimental study employing a 2×2×2 factorial design provides robust empirical evidence on the effects of monetary incentives, feedback, and recognition on the performance of lecturers in Indonesian state universities. Using the non-parametric Kruskal Wallis test to address non-normal data distribution, the results show a highly significant difference among eight treatment groups. Performance increased systematically from the control group to the full treatment group, representing a 173.7% improvement. Post hoc Bonferroni analysis revealed that monetary incentives alone significantly improved performance, while feedback and recognition required combination with other factors to be effective. Interaction effects among all variables were significant, confirming synergistic rather than additive impacts. The three way interaction produced the highest performance gains. Practically, these findings emphasize that an integrated performance management system combining adequate incentives, structured feedback, and formal recognition is essential to achieve optimal lecturer performance in state universities
Bridging the Scale Gap in Climate Action Plans: Conceptual and Spatial Fragmentation from Ecocity Visions to Building-Scale Strategies
No full textCities are increasingly developing strategies to adapt to the impacts of climate change. The need for strategies from urban planning to building-scale interventions, is also emphasized in the climate action plans of European capitals. In this context, considering values such as climate resilient design and citizen involvement in the process should be the most important part of an effective climate response. This paper examines this disconnect in the context of Europe’s differing climatic problems—floods and heavy rainfall in the North, drought and urban heat island effects in the South—and the shifts in climate zones that cause these problems to become uncertain. The concept of ecocity, which emerged because of the fight against climate change, is also frequently mentioned in these climate action plans. The aim of this paper is to provide a critical assessment of the concept of ecocity and adaptation strategies. Analyses conducted in recent years have shown that ecocity initiatives in Europe generally take the form of urban expansion or retrofitting of existing building stock; new city construction is rare. In addition, it is observed that while most of these initiatives are technology-focused, approaches prioritizing citizen participation remain quite limited. The inconsistent use of terms such as ecocity, econeighborhood, eco-region, eco-community reflects the institutional and conceptual disorganization across scales. On the other hand, while the climate action plans and ecocity frameworks define urban-scale targets in detail, they do not sufficiently detail for the building scale; this makes it difficult for adaptation strategies to find a response on the ground and leaves the architectural scale in the background as a critical interface. This paper questions why and how building-scale strategies cannot be integrated into urbanscale planning policies with a theoretical analysis based on climate-sensitive urbanization literature. In addition, urban scale climate adaptation strategies should not remain solely at the technical planning level; they should be supported by collective learning, participation and awareness processes. The community engagement can facilitate the transformation and resilient of the cities. In this context, a conscious, and locally-sensitive approach both increases the effectiveness of planning and supports the formation of communities resilient to climate change
Kosovo\u27s Architectural Heritage as a Source for Sustainability and Innovation in Contemporary Architecture
No full textThe architectural heritage of Kosovo represents a diverse historical, cultural and identity wealth, where different layers of civilizations are intertwined, from the Illyrian, Roman, Byzantine, Arbëro, Ottoman periods to Albanian vernacular architecture. Fortifications, traditional buildings, such as churches, mosques, towers, bazaars and urban complexes, testify to an early experience of sustainable architecture, which was based on the use of local materials, adaptation to the climate and harmony with the landscape. Today, when urban development and modernization often threaten the authenticity of heritage, there is a need to rethink these values as a source of inspiration for contemporary architecture. This paper analyzes the potential of Kosovo’s architectural heritage to contribute to innovation and sustainability in spatial planning. Through concrete examples from different cities, it will be discussed how traditional elements – natural ventilation, the use of organic materials, the organization of public spaces – can be integrated into modern architectural practices. It also addresses the importance of preserving and adapting heritage for the sustainable development of cities, seeing it not only as a cultural obligation, but also as an innovative strategy for the future
“The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on digital media, art and culture
No full textThis paper examines the growing impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on digital media, art, and culture. Through case-based analysis, it explores how AI is transforming artistic creativity, media production, and the distribution of cultural content. Technologies such as image and text generation, personalized cultural experiences, and the automation of creative processes open new opportunities while simultaneously raising ethical and social challenges. The study highlights AI’s role in reshaping the boundaries between human and algorithmic creation, fostering debates on originality, authorship, and cultural value. Ultimately, AI is viewed as a factor that not only enriches but also challenges artistic and cultural traditions, creating a new environment of interaction between technology and humanity
Precast panels, Fire, Thermo-mechanical modelling, Design criteria
No full textThis study examines the thermal performance of concrete incorporating bio-based aggregates modified with polymers and phase change materials (PCM). Four mixes were tested: conventional concrete, concrete with uncoated wood aggregates, with polymer-coated (XSBR) wood aggregates, and with PCM-saturated, XSBR-coated wood aggregates. Spherical specimens (72 mm) were cooled to ~7 °C and then exposed to convective heating (~40 °C), with core temperatures monitored using type K thermocouples. PCM-containing samples exhibited a clear thermal buffering effect, delaying heat transfer during phase transition. Wood aggregates also reduced thermal conductivity compared to conventional aggregates, further slowing heat propagation. A Finite Element Method (FEM) model was developed to simulate heat transfer. While the model accurately reproduced the reference concrete behaviour, discrepancies increased with material complexity due to bio-aggregates, coatings, and PCMs. The simplified approach could not fully capture latent heat dynamics, underscoring the need for advanced modelling techniques for heterogeneous composites with phase change functionality
Analysing the Effect of Chloride Penetration on Corrosion
No full textThis experimental study is to evaluate the influence of various factors on the acceleration of steel reinforcement corrosion in concrete exposed to chlorides. The study focuses on chloride ingress through controlled cracks introduced in the concrete, simulating real-world damage conditions in reinforced structures. The main variables investigated include the type of concrete, the type of reinforcement (with or without epoxy coating), the concrete cover thickness, and the presence of cracks. A total of 162 cylindrical specimens (100 × 120 mm) with reinforcement were prepared, along with 24 additional specimens (150 × 300 mm) without reinforcement for compressive strength testing. Several tests were applied: the pull-out test to create controlled cracks, the chloride test to see the penetration of chloride, the split test, the half-cell potential test, and the compressive strength test. Preliminary results indicate that cracking significantly increases chloride ingress and poses a greater risk of reinforcement corrosion in reinforced concrete
Efficient AI Strategies with Monte Carlo Tree Search: A Case Study on Tic-Tac-Toe
No full textTic-Tac-Toe, though a simple game, represents a clear environment to study decision-making in artificial intelligence. The challenge lies in enabling an AI to make optimal moves without relying on exhaustive search or handcrafted rules, which often limit adaptability and scalability. Traditional approaches such as Minimax guarantee optimal play but depend on complete state-space evaluation, making them inefficient for larger or more complex problems. To address this, we implement the Monte Carlo Tree Search (MCTS) algorithm, which balances exploration and exploitation through four key stages: selection, expansion, simulation, and backpropagation. By simulating numerous possible plays rather than traversing the entire game tree, MCTS offers a flexible, probabilistic decision-making process that can adapt to uncertain or dynamic domains. In this work, we design and test an MCTS-based AI agent for Tic-Tac-Toe. We evaluate its runtime efficiency, decision quality, and fairness compared to classical approaches. Experimental results show that MCTS consistently produces near-optimal strategies with modest computational requirements, though a noticeable advantage remains for the first player. These findings demonstrate both the strengths and current limitations of MCTS when applied to structured decision problems. Ultimately, this research illustrates how MCTS can provide a scalable foundation for AI decision-making. Beyond Tic-Tac-Toe, the same principles can be extended toward more complex domains such as strategic games, planning tasks, and autonomous systems
Friends Recommendation in Dynamic Social Networks Using Breadth-First Search Algorithm
No full textSocial networks are constantly evolving, and recommending new con- nections is essential for improving user engagement. This paper proposes a friend recommendation system using the Breadth-First Search (BFS) algorithm on dy- namic graphs, offering a simple, scalable, and efficient solution. The network is modeled as an undirected graph, where users are vertices and friendships are edges. BFS explores the graph level by level, identifying potential friends through mutual connections while excluding existing friends. An adjacency list representation ensures memory efficiency and supports real-time updates. Can- didate friends are ranked by the number of shared mutual connections, with higher counts indicating stronger recommendations. The system was imple- mented with both console-based and graphical user interfaces, allowing users to add members, manage friendships, and generate recommendations. Results show that BFS provides fast response times and generates meaningful suggestions in dynamic social networks, making it an effective and practical algorithm for real- time friend recommendation