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Energy justice is a topic that is currently being explored by energy law experts around the world and used across several academic fields in energy research. However, we note that this concept is quite novel in Japan (there have been no substantial publications published in either English or Japanese) and could be expanded. This is especially important in light of Japan’s aspirations to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and implement a just energy transition. In this context, the article’s goal is to present the energy justice theory in a legal (energy law) and policy (climate-energy policy) framework in Japan. The article discusses the five basic types of justice, referring to Japanese energy legislation and climate-energy policy as examples. The analysis includes an assessment of the carbon neutrality pillars (seen through the prism of energy justice theory), aimed at supporting Japan in meeting its climate targets, and directions related to the use of renewable, conventional and nuclear energy sources requiring examination in terms of energy justice (due to failures of energy policy, such as lack of stakeholder recognition, local conflicts, NIMBY, etc.). Furthermore, the article demonstrates the improvements required in the legal and policy frameworks in Japan to make the application of human rights and the Sustainable Development Goals across the energy life-cycle effective. This will also include an examination of potential legal and organisational changes, and new structures and appointments in the Japanese administration.

Purpose India is a fast-growing economy, that has a majority share in the global information technology industry (IT). Rapid urbanisation and modernisation in India have strained its energy sector, which is being reformed to cope. Despite being the global IT heart and having above average research output in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), India has not yet managed to leverage its benefits to the full. This study aims to address the role of AI and information management (IM) in India’s energy transition to highlight the challenges and barriers to its development and use in the energy sector. Design/methodology/approach The study, through analysis of proposed strategies, current policies, available literature and reports, discusses the role of AI and IM in the energy transition in India, highlighting the current situation and challenges. Findings The results show dispersed research and development incentives for IT in the Indian energy sector; however, the needed holistic top-down approach is lacking, calling for due attention in this matter. Adaptive and swift actions from policymakers towards AI and IM are warranted in India. Practical implications The ongoing transition of the Indian energy sector with the integration of smart technologies would result in increased access to big data. Extracting the maximum benefits from this would require a comprehensive AI and IM policy. Social implications The revolution in AI and robotics must be carried out in line with sustainable development goals, to support climate action and to consider privacy issues – both areas in India must be strengthened. Originality/value The paper offers an original discussion on certain applicable solutions regarding the energy transition of AI coming from the Global South; they are based on lessons learned from the Indian case studies presented in this study.

Smart cities do not exist without robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI). As the case of the COVID-19 pandemic shows, they can assist in combating the novel coronavirus and its effects, and preventing its spread. However, their deployment necessitate the most secure, safe, and efficient use. The purpose of this article is to address the regulatory framework for AI and robotics in the context of developing resilient organisations in smart cities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study provides regulatory insights necessary to re-examine the strategic management of technology creation, dissemination, and application in smart cities, in order to address the issues regarding the strategic management of innovation policies nationally, regionally, and worldwide. To meet these goals, the article analyses government materials, such as strategies, policies, legislation, reports, and literature. It also juxtaposes materials and case studies, with the help of expert knowledge. The authors emphasise the imminent need for coordinated strategies to regulate AI and robots designed for improving digital and smart public health services globally.

Nowadays, there are a number of respiratory illnesses that directly affect children. Exhaled nitric oxide measurement (FeNO) is one of the modern methods of investigation used for diagnosing and controlling allergic eosinophilic airway inflammation. It is a simple, painless and time-saving method for the patient. Because of its non-invasiveness and simplicity, it is a valuable diagnostic method, especially in younger children. Measurement of FeNO is a recognized biomarker and an accurate quantitative indicator in the detection, assessment and monitoring of airway inflammation, including asthma. However, only a few studies assess the relationship between FeNO and level of air pollution. The aim of our study is to determine the relationship between FeNO in third-grade students of primary schools and the level of air pollution in Ruzomberok. 146 children aged 8-10 years were included in the research. This is the first stage of a wider research project involving FeNO measurements in children at different times of the year. The goal of the research is to determine the concentration of FeNO in the studied group of children in the autumn when air pollution is lower than in second stage which is observed in winter. The study showed elevated values of FeNO>20ppb in 11% of the tested children and correct values 3and for NO2 – from 28 to 44 μg/m3. The study shows that the significant majority of children have normal levels of nitric oxide in the exhaled air when air pollution is low. Analysis of the second phase of FeNO measurements in winter, when air pollution was higher, will allow to compare the results and assess the correlation between the FeNO value and air pollution.

The paper covers regulating renewable energy communities (RECs) and citizen energy communities (CECs) within the European Union. It offers ideas regarding RECs: establish a register to tackle regul...

The measurement of the exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) is a recognized biomarker in the detection and monitoring of airway inflammatory infections, this including asthma. Due to its simplicity, and noninvasiveness, it is more and more widely used in diagnostics of children. Few studies indicate the relationship between FeNO and atmospheric air pollution. The goal of the following study was the measuring of FeNO for 8-9year old children in Krakow and Ruzomberok and relating the results of these measurements to the level of air pollution in the PM10 and PM2,5 range. 250 children aged 8-9 (125 in Krakow and 125 in Ruzomberok) attending third grades of primary schools, have constituted the research group. The measurement has been taken in accordance with the applicable standards with the application of a MediSOFT Belgium analyzer with a disposable head with an antibacterial filter. The results of the measurements have been referred to the PM10 and PM2,5 concentration of particulate matter in the air. Within the group of 125 children participating in the study in Krakow, the FeNO levels were normal for 104 (83.2%) children and increased for 21 (16.8%) children. During the period of the study, the average PM10 concentration was 55,7µg/m3and PM2,5 was 37.0µg/m3. As far as the group of 125 children examined in Ruzomberok, the FeNO levels were correct (5-20 ppb) for 114 (91,2%) children and increased (21-55) for 11 child­ren (8.8%). During the period of the study, the average PM10 concentration was 24.1µg/m3and PM2,5 was 15.4µg/m3. As one can see from the comparison, 1.9 times more increased FeNO levels have been recorded in Krakow than in Ruzomberok (18.6 vs 8.8%), and, within the range of the heavily increased values (>50ppb), this difference was as much as 4 times greater (3.2% vs 0.8%). These results correlate with the PM10 and PM2,5 levels in Krakow, which are respectively 2.3 and 2.4 times higher than those in Ruzomberok.

India is one of the most important global players in the energy sector in terms of production and consumption. The way in which the country shapes its energy policy not only affects India itself, but also the global climate action. On the one hand, India led by PM Narendra Modi declares the commitment to pro-climate actions, including the enhancement of the energy efficiency and renewable capacity. On the other hand, the development of India's conventional energy sector (coal) was indicated as one of the reasons for the US′ exit from the Paris Agreement. This dilemma lead to a discussion on the shape of India's energy policy, seen from the climate's standpoint. In this context, the article discusses the pillars of India's energy policy presented by Modi in 2016. The main energy pillars (access, efficiency, sustainability and security) are juxtaposed with the previous Indian strategic documents concerning the energy sector, including electricity (National Electricity Policy of 2005, Draft National Energy Policy of 2017). A climate-energy policy analysis is extended by legal comments on Indian energy law. As a result, the article draws a picture of India's energy policy and climate agenda in ‘black’ (conventional energy) and ‘green’ (renewable capacity) colours.

Dentists in the workplace are exposed to a number of factors that affect the condition of the movement system. The main problem seams to be the static nature of work due to the adoption of forced body position. The aim of the study was to demonstrate the relationship between the use of ergonomics principles in the professional work of dentists and the occurrence of motor disorders. In addition, knowledge of the principles of dental ergonomics in this group was assessed. The study was conducted among 79 dentists. The knowledge and application of the principles of ergonomics and the occurrence of ailments within the motor system were evaluated. Only 4% of dentists were taking a break from work after each patient, while 18% were working without interruption. The vast majority (84%) of dentists, while performing dental surgery, took a sitting position. More than half (54%) of dentists who participated in the study worked with assistants. Among people who experience pain in the cervical spine 54% of people worke in the position with neck inclined to the right. Most principles of ergonomics are not correct, so they should be adjusted individually to a particular dentist taking into account its physical capabilities, the geometry of the work environment, the range of activities performed, and personal preferences as well.

Poland has been praised for the development of onshore wind energy in recent years. This may be stopped by the act on the investments in wind power plants of May 2016. Seemingly it looks like a typical regulation concerning spatial planning. However, its provisions raise many controversies, as in practice it does not address running wind investments but rather blocking them. The new law eliminates several investment opportunities in terms of land for their construction (inter alia, because of a buffer zone enacted in the new legislation). These circumstances are highlighted in my paper in which I delve into the legislative process related to the investment act, providing analysis of the initial proposal and the current law in force, as well as listing the controversies and burdens imposed on the wind energy sector.

The paper discusses Polish and Spanish experiences related to the introduction in the public administration the latest technological solutions enabling the transition to the state of e-government (e-state). The study identifies legal issues related to the implementation of the e-state model which varies in its forms; it ranges from already implemented to not implemented covering different mediate conditions (satisfactory, correct - but needs improvement, incorrect and requires change). This covers the best solutions regarding the process of implementation: the most effective and efficient (in terms of implementation costs, service quality and burdens for the administration itself) legal, organisational and technological approaches related to e-government. As discussed in the paper, despite an established legal framework on e-administration the implementation of electronic services in Spain is very unsatisfactory; while Poland lacks a clear policy goal on these issues offering ideas, good in theory, which do not work in practice.

In the paper the results of AFM surface profile measurements of seven new long-wear contact lenses (CL) available in Poland are presented. Calculated statistical roughness parameters are shown, namely standard deviation (RMS), mean roughness, maximum difference between peak and valley, skewness, and kurtosis. It is demonstrated that CLs manufactured using recent methods, such as two-stage polimerisation or extending silicon chains exhibit small RMS, less than 10 nm, in comparison with older generation CLs which maintains RMS on the level of tens of nanometers. Then, a comparison of results obtained using a typical silicon tip and a silicon tip covered with alkylsilane is also demonstrated. As a result, roughness parameters, such as RMS, are higher for the case of alkylsilane-coated tip than for a typical silicon tip, 8.39 ± 0.16 nm vs. 6.22 ± 0.9 nm, which leads to the conclusion that the proper choice of the tip material significantly influences the outcome of the experiment. Finally, the reliability and limits of such measurements are discussed.

Since the very beginning of European integration, electricity has been within the legal sphere of the EU. Much of this is found within the binding European acts making up the framework of the Energy Packages. The established legal institutions have had a significant impact on the shape of the energy market in Europe. Nevertheless, the European energy market still seems to be developing, as demonstrated by the current lively discussion about the state of the Energy Union. Regulation in the European Electricity Sector delves into European energy law and reflects on some of the primary issues related to the public legal impact on the European energy sector. The book offers a brief explanation of the background operation of the electricity sector, as well as liberalisation within the area, and traces the evolution of the EU’s approach towards the issue of public law regulation within the electricity sector. Finally, the book presents an analysis of European and national laws, considering their interpretation, and explores the future of public law regulation. Aimed at giving the reader a deep insight into a nature of the state’s presence in the power sector, this book will be of great interest to students and scholars of EU energy law and policy.

The experimental investigation on the frost-salt scaling resistance of air-entrained concrete containing CEM II/B-S 42.5N and CEM III/A 42.5N-HSR/NA slag-blended cements was performed. The air void system in concrete was evaluated in fresh concrete using AVA and in hardened concrete using an automated image analysis procedure. The mass of scaled material was increased for an increased slag content, in spite of increased compressive strength and flexural strength, decreased water absorption and decreased depth of water penetration of concrete. Increasing slag content resulted in a decrease of the total volume of air in hardened concrete and in a corruption of the air void system exhibited by a decrease of micropores content. The increase of mass of scaled material was proportional to the increase of the spacing factor of air voids, except for CEM III/A cement concrete exhibiting accelerated scaling.

The twin paradox of special relativity formulated in the geometrical setting of general relativity gives rise to the problem of determining the longest timelike curve between a given pair of points. As a first step one solves the local problem for a bundle of nearby curves (geodesics) in terms of Jacobi fields and conjugate points. These provide important information about geometrical properties of the given spacetime. The second step, to determine the globally maximal length curve in the set of all timelike curves with common endpoints, is harder and may be effectively performed only in spacetimes with high symmetries.

The vanishing of the divergence of the matter stress-energy tensor for General Relativity is a particular case of a general identity, which follows from the covariance of the matter Lagrangian in much the same way as (generalized) Bianchi identities follow from the covariance of the purely gravitational Lagrangian. This identity, holding for any covariant theory of gravitating matter, relates the divergence of the stress tensor with a combination of the field equations and their derivatives. One could thus wonder if, according to a recent suggestion [1], the energy-momentum tensor for gravitating fields can be computed through a suitable rearrangement of the matter field equations, without relying on the variational definition. We show that this can be done only in particular cases, while in general it leads to ambiguities and possibly to wrong results. Moreover, in nontrivial cases the computations turn out to be more difficult than the standard variational technique.

(1998). Does Mathematics Distinguish Certain Dimensions of Spaces? The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 105, No. 5, pp. 456-463.

The energy spectrum and stability of the effective theory resulting from the Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet gravity theory with compactified internal space are investigated. The internal space can evolve in its volume and/or shape, giving rise to a system of scalar fields in the external space-time. The resulting scalar-tensor theory of gravity has physically unacceptable properties. First of all, the scalar fields’ energy is indefinite and unbounded from below, and thereby the gravitational and scalar fields form a self-exciting system. In contradistinction to the case of multidimensional Einstein gravity, this inherent instability of the effective theory cannot be removed by field redefinitions in the process of dimensional reduction (e.g. by a conformal rescaling of the metric in four dimensions, as is done in the former case). To get a viable effective gravity theory one should discard either the geometric scalar fields or the Gauss-Bonnet term from the Lagrangian of the multidimensional theory. It is argued that it is the Gauss-Bonnet term that should be discarded.

The concept of gravitational radiation in multidimensional Einstein gravity is studied. Due to technical difficulties the Petrov classification of the conformal tensor and the “peeling off” theorem cannot be generalized to spaces of dimensiond > 4. A multidimensionalpp wave is defined by analogy with that ford = 4. If the definition is supplemented by the Lichnerowicz condition for purely radiative spacetimes, the admitted solutions of the dimensionally reduced gravity theory describe a scalar (dilaton) and a gravitationalpp wave moving in the external spacetime in the same direction. The existence of the extra dimensions can be traced back by measuring the frequence of thepp wave in the external space. The condition is equally restrictive in a more general case of the internal space being a flat anisotropic manifold (i.e. an abelian group space).

This chapter will discuss cements and concretes with the addition of high quality mineral components that are used in common and special engineering construction. Concrete based on these components contain high quality parameters and external resistance factors. Particular attention is paid to the durability of concrete in different aggressive environments. As a sample of the use of mineral additives (fly ash), the chapter presents properties of concrete resistance to fuels and oil derivatives according to the requirements of PN-EN 858-1 and PN-EN 858-2. This chapter shows how concrete was made with the technology of almost self-compactive concrete (ASCC) and achieved laboratory test results that gave the foundation for industrial applications. Composition test results of concrete as well as photos will also be presented. The properties of cored specimens (visual inspection, resistance for chemical aggression) kept in different solutions will also be presented in the chapter.

Optically induced allotropic phase transformations of carbon were studied. Under irradiation with a laser beam of 337.1 nm wavelength, at an energy density of 1.9 mJ per 0.1 mm2, graphite transformed into α-carbin, and amorphous carbon-film transformed into rhombohedral graphite with no evidence of high-temperature effects. The transformations differ from the changes occurring due to heating alone. We suggest that the results could be explained by the one-photon excitation and recombination of electrons.

The optically induced allotropic phase transformations of boron nitride were studied. Under irradiation with laser beam of 337.1 nm wavelength, at energy density of 1.9mJ per 0.1 mm2 a hexagonal boron nitride transformed into the cubic form. The suggestion is made that the results obtained could be explained by the multiphoton excitation and recombination of electrons.

To the particle physicist the title question may seem bizarre, however, it concerns a significant direction of fundamental research to which a wealth of works have been devoted. Actually, the idea of connecting cosmology to search for the correct theory of gravitation comes from the leading cosmological discovery that the luminosity distance to the type Ia supernovae as a function of their redshift z, dL(z, obs) is larger than their distance computed within the Canonical Cosmological Model, dL(z,CCM). By the Canonical Model, we mean the standard Friedmann–Lemaitre dynamical model in the homogeneous and isotropic Robertson–Walker (R–W) spacetime filled with ordinary matter (including dark matter) and for the cosmological constant Λ = 0. The inequality dL(z, obs) > dL(z,CCM) is usually interpreted as an effect of an accelerating expansion of the universe, that is, the cosmic scale factor a(t) grows faster and faster, a ≡ (d2/dt2)a > 0; if true, the discovery is important since the acceleration is excluded in the Canonical Model. We wish to emphasize that the acceleration is merely an interpretation of the observations and it is not a direct and unambiguous outcome of pure measurements. What the observations actually show is that there is a discrepancy with the Canonical Model, but its origin is uncertain.

Search for a unification of Einstein’s general relativity and quantum theory in quantum gravity theory is the most important and most difficult research programme in fundamental physics since early 1980’s. In this article we present motivation for the unification and some of main difficulties which prevent contemporary physicists from achieving the aim. We focus our attention on the conceptual problems regarding the notions of time, space and spacetime in quantum gravity. After explaining of why gravity should be quantized (section 1) we present the modem notions of time and spacetime according to general relativity (in section 2) and then compare them in section 3 with the concepts of time and space as they are necessary in quantum mechanics in order for the probabilistic interpretation of the theory to work. Since the concepts in both the theories are different and reconciling them in quantum gravity is extremely hard, we present in section 4 attempts to achieve a less ambitious aim, a fully quantum theory of matter in a classical gravitational field. The current idea that the conceptual problems of foundations of quantum theory may be solved with the help of quantum theory of the Universe is discussed in the last section.

Polychlorinated dibenzodioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) as well as similar compounds are described and characterized as a group of environmental pollutants which have been arousing interest only since a short time. The toxicity of the compounds in this group of xenobiotics is compared with that of other compounds generally regarded as highly toxic. The main sources of origin of PCDDs/PCDFs are found in nearly all fields of the technological actions of man. Problems of detection and identification of these compounds extremely difficult in analysis are discussed. These problems are a challenge to even specialist laboratories.

We argue that in a nonlinear gravity theory (the Lagrangian being an arbitrary function of the curvature scalar R), which according to well-known results is dynamically equivalent to a self-gravitating scalar field in general relativity, the true physical variables are exactly those which describe the equivalent general-relativistic model (these variables are known as the Einstein frame). Whenever such variables cannot be defined, there are strong indications that the original theory is unphysical, in the sense that Minkowski space is unstable due to the existence of negative-energy solutions close to it. To this aim we first clarify the global net of relationships between the nonlinear gravity theories, scalar-tensor theories, and general relativity, showing that in a sense these are ``canonically conjugated'' to each other. We stress that the isomorphisms are in most cases local; in the regions where these are defined, we explicitly show how to map, in the presence of matter, the Jordan frame to the Einstein one and vice versa. We study energetics for asymptotically flat solutions for those Lagrangians which admit conformal rescaling to the Einstein frame in the vicinity of flat space. This is based on the second-order dynamics obtained, without changing the metric, by the use of a Helmholtz Lagrangian. We prove for a large class of these Lagrangians that the ADM energy is positive for solutions close to flat space, and this is determined by the lowest-order terms R+${\mathit{aR}}^{2}$ in the Lagrangian. The proof of this positive-energy theorem relies on the existence of the Einstein frame, since in the (Helmholtz-)Jordan frame the dominant energy condition does not hold and the field variables are unrelated to the total energy of the system. This is why we regard the Jordan frame as unphysical, while the Einstein frame is physical and reveals the physical contents of the theory. The latter should hence be viewed as physically equivalent to a self-interacting general-relativistic scalar field.

Thin layers of tetrahedral carbon phases (diamond, lonsdaleite etc.) were crystallized under reduced pressure (10 -3 / Pa) using a coaxial plasma generator. On the basis of comparison of known diamond crystallization processes under reduced pressure it was assumed that the electric charge plays an important part in the nucleation process.

The effects of an electric field E on the synthesis processes of Al2O3 by a flame fusion method [1] have been investigated. The effects of E on shape, size and phase content of the Al2O3 microcrystals obtained with E = 600 kV/m have diameter ∼ 30 A and tetrahedral coordination and possess negative electric charges.