This article explores the characteristics of data resources from the perspective of production factors,analyzes the demand for trustworthy circulation technology,designs a fusion architecture and related solutions,inc...This article explores the characteristics of data resources from the perspective of production factors,analyzes the demand for trustworthy circulation technology,designs a fusion architecture and related solutions,including multi-party data intersection calculation,distributed machine learning,etc.It also compares performance differences,conducts formal verification,points out the value and limitations of architecture innovation,and looks forward to future opportunities.展开更多
The Book on Contracts of the Civil Code does not recognize"intellectual property contracts"as nominate contracts.Owing to both substantive and structural shortcomings,the Chapter on Technology Contracts fall...The Book on Contracts of the Civil Code does not recognize"intellectual property contracts"as nominate contracts.Owing to both substantive and structural shortcomings,the Chapter on Technology Contracts falls short of providing comprehensive regulation of transactions involving intellectual property,and its Article 876 linking clause has given rise to legal controversies over application by reference and priority of application.There is therefore an urgent need to recognize intellectual property contracts as a nominate category.The rules on such contracts that are dispersed across standalone intellectual property statutes,specialized regulations,adjudicated cases,and judicial interpretations have already produced decodification and should be integrated in the course of enacting the Intellectual Property Code,so as to achieve the recodification of contracts concerning intellectual property.Specifically,the Chapter on Contracts should consist of two parts,General Provisions and Nominate Contracts,to articulate the common features and specific rules of the various contract types while confirming the applicability of the General Provisions in the Book on Contracts.In this way,systemic disorder from mechanically adding nominate contracts to the Civil Code and unnecessary complexity from creating a separate sectoral contract code can both be avoided,and the status of the Book on Contracts as the basic law in the field of contract can be preserved.展开更多
With the rapid proliferation of Internet ofThings(IoT)devices,ensuring their communication security has become increasingly important.Blockchain and smart contract technologies,with their decentralized nature,provide ...With the rapid proliferation of Internet ofThings(IoT)devices,ensuring their communication security has become increasingly important.Blockchain and smart contract technologies,with their decentralized nature,provide strong security guarantees for IoT.However,at the same time,smart contracts themselves face numerous security challenges,among which reentrancy vulnerabilities are particularly prominent.Existing detection tools for reentrancy vulnerabilities often suffer from high false positive and false negative rates due to their reliance on identifying patterns related to specific transfer functions.To address these limitations,this paper proposes a novel detection method that combines pattern matching with deep learning.Specifically,we carefully identify and define three common patterns of reentrancy vulnerabilities in smart contracts.Then,we extract key vulnerability features based on these patterns.Furthermore,we employ a Graph Attention Neural Network to extract graph embedding features from the contract graph,capturing the complex relationships between different components of the contract.Finally,we use an attention mechanism to fuse these two sets of feature information,enhancing the weights of effective information and suppressing irrelevant information,thereby significantly improving the accuracy and robustness of vulnerability detection.Experimental results demonstrate that our proposed method outperforms existing state-ofthe-art techniques,achieving a 3.88%improvement in accuracy compared to the latest vulnerability detection model AME(Attentive Multi-Encoder Network).This indicates that our method effectively reduces false positives and false negatives,significantly enhancing the security and reliability of smart contracts in the evolving IoT ecosystem.展开更多
The challenge for supply chain management is to create appropriate supply chain contracts so as to optimize the system performance. To examine the role of asymmetric information in a two-echelon supply chain system an...The challenge for supply chain management is to create appropriate supply chain contracts so as to optimize the system performance. To examine the role of asymmetric information in a two-echelon supply chain system and derive supply chain contracts to deal with existing asymmetric information, a two level supply chain model including one Supplier and one retailer under the demand of price elasticity is developed. By using the principalagent principle and the optimal control theory, three types of supply chain contract, i. e. , a wholesale pricing contract, a two-parameter linear and a two-parameter nonlinear contracts are obtained. In these contracts, the Supplier has asymmetric information about the retailer cost structure. Simulation results show that the two-parameter contracts are more effective strategies to achieve supply chain coordination.展开更多
A majority of contracts will use many prepositions and prepositional phrases to reflect their preciseness which cause the treaty wording complicated and hard to understand. This paper tends to demonstrate the characte...A majority of contracts will use many prepositions and prepositional phrases to reflect their preciseness which cause the treaty wording complicated and hard to understand. This paper tends to demonstrate the characteristics of the prepositions and prepositional phrases used in business English contracts and explore the translation strategies used in translating the features of the prepositions and the prepositional phrases in business English contracts. The findings of this paper can provide a reference for the majority of the trade workers, which can help them accurately and effectively draft or translate a contract and avoid unnecessary disputes.展开更多
In this paper,we deal with questions related to blockchains in complex Internet of Things(IoT)-based ecosystems.Such ecosystems are typically composed of IoT devices,edge devices,cloud computing software services,as w...In this paper,we deal with questions related to blockchains in complex Internet of Things(IoT)-based ecosystems.Such ecosystems are typically composed of IoT devices,edge devices,cloud computing software services,as well as people,who are decision makers in scenarios such as smart cities.Many decisions related to analytics can be based on data coming from IoT sensors,software services,and people.However,they are typically based on different levels of abstraction and granularity.This poses a number of challenges when multiple blockchains are used together with smart contracts.This work proposes to apply our concept of elasticity to smart contracts and thereby enabling analytics in and between multiple blockchains in the context of IoT.We propose a reference architecture for Elastic Smart Contracts and evaluate the approach in a smart city scenario,discussing the benefits in terms of performance and self-adaptability of our solution.展开更多
The emergence of smart contracts has increased the attention of industry and academia to blockchain technology,which is tamper-proofing,decentralized,autonomous,and enables decentralized applications to operate in unt...The emergence of smart contracts has increased the attention of industry and academia to blockchain technology,which is tamper-proofing,decentralized,autonomous,and enables decentralized applications to operate in untrustworthy environments.However,these features of this technology are also easily exploited by unscrupulous individuals,a typical example of which is the Ponzi scheme in Ethereum.The negative effect of unscrupulous individuals writing Ponzi scheme-type smart contracts in Ethereum and then using these contracts to scam large amounts of money has been significant.To solve this problem,we propose a detection model for detecting Ponzi schemes in smart contracts using bytecode.In this model,our innovation is shown in two aspects:We first propose to use two bytes as one characteristic,which can quickly transform the bytecode into a high-dimensional matrix,and this matrix contains all the implied characteristics in the bytecode.Then,We innovatively transformed the Ponzi schemes detection into an anomaly detection problem.Finally,an anomaly detection algorithm is used to identify Ponzi schemes in smart contracts.Experimental results show that the proposed detection model can greatly improve the accuracy of the detection of the Ponzi scheme contracts.Moreover,the F1-score of this model can reach 0.88,which is far better than those of other traditional detection models.展开更多
In the global supply chain in a setting characterized by exchange rate uncertainties,it is quite necessary to focus on comparative research trying to find out which kind of purchasing strategy is better in different s...In the global supply chain in a setting characterized by exchange rate uncertainties,it is quite necessary to focus on comparative research trying to find out which kind of purchasing strategy is better in different situations.The two common global purchasing strategies,risk sharing(RS)and quantity flexibility(QF),are selected to be compared.Using a real-options approach,the valuation models of RS and QF purchasing contracts are established.By means of binomial lattice technique,numerical simulation and sensitivity analysis of two stochastic dynamic programs are presented.The effects on expected discounted value by changing relative parameters are described clearly.Based on comparative analysis,it is concluded that the QF purchasing strategy is better than that of the RS especially where great volatility exists for exchange rate processes in the global supply chain.展开更多
Cloud computing has emerged as a viable alternative to traditional computing infrastructures,offering various benefits.However,the adoption of cloud storage poses significant risks to data secrecy and integrity.This a...Cloud computing has emerged as a viable alternative to traditional computing infrastructures,offering various benefits.However,the adoption of cloud storage poses significant risks to data secrecy and integrity.This article presents an effective mechanism to preserve the secrecy and integrity of data stored on the public cloud by leveraging blockchain technology,smart contracts,and cryptographic primitives.The proposed approach utilizes a Solidity-based smart contract as an auditor for maintaining and verifying the integrity of outsourced data.To preserve data secrecy,symmetric encryption systems are employed to encrypt user data before outsourcing it.An extensive performance analysis is conducted to illustrate the efficiency of the proposed mechanism.Additionally,a rigorous assessment is conducted to ensure that the developed smart contract is free from vulnerabilities and to measure its associated running costs.The security analysis of the proposed system confirms that our approach can securely maintain the confidentiality and integrity of cloud storage,even in the presence of malicious entities.The proposed mechanism contributes to enhancing data security in cloud computing environments and can be used as a foundation for developing more secure cloud storage systems.展开更多
Forestry contracts of the Qing Dynasty in Jinping County, southwest China’s Guizhou Province, are a unique historical legacy of China. It came into being with the development of society and economy of Jinping. Resear...Forestry contracts of the Qing Dynasty in Jinping County, southwest China’s Guizhou Province, are a unique historical legacy of China. It came into being with the development of society and economy of Jinping. Research on these contracts is becoming widespread domestically and abroad as well. This paper is intended to make a review of the collection and research of forestry contracts in Jinping according to the chronological sequence.展开更多
The study was conducted with the aim of exploring the barriers to the adoption of BOT contract systems for infrastructural development of technical universities in Ghana. In an empirical questionnaire survey with prof...The study was conducted with the aim of exploring the barriers to the adoption of BOT contract systems for infrastructural development of technical universities in Ghana. In an empirical questionnaire survey with professionals and experts in the construction and education sector, the respondents were invited to rate their perception on the barriers to the adoption of the BOT contracts systems. An interview session to satisfy ways of adopting the BOT contracts for infrastructural development in technical universities was conducted with selected professionals. The study revealed that the major barriers to the adoption of the BOT contract system are: delays in approval, corruption, reliability and credit worthiness of entities and expropriation. The study suggested that detailed policy or framework for implementing BOT contracts;proper planning by technical universities;and adequate protection for lenders is required for successful BOT implementation. Therefore there is a need to explore this concept, using adequate policy initiatives, proper measures and support from government to improve on the proper implementation of the BOT contracts in Technical Universities in Ghana.展开更多
This paper presents the role of E-commerce and E-technology in simplifying operations of preparing quotations and contracts of supporting engineering and scientific laboratories by required equipments and tools at Jor...This paper presents the role of E-commerce and E-technology in simplifying operations of preparing quotations and contracts of supporting engineering and scientific laboratories by required equipments and tools at Jordanian universities.The experimental and practical sides of education in scientific colleges in Jordanian universities is very important,so many quotations and contacts are performed and required each year,and E-commerce also offers the required information and specifications to persons responsible to do such contacts by using Business-to-Consumer,Consumer-to-Consumer or Business-to-Business principles.By searching about such equipments using search engines,many companies present their products and their specifications and give you the opportunity to select the suitable devices and tools depending on their specifications and prices.Case studies are discussed for some devices to show how much E-commerce simplifies this operation.It was found that E-commerce and E-technology reduces both time and efforts required to support both engineering and scientific labs with their needs from equipments,catalogs and tools required to such devices.展开更多
The aim of this paper is to verify the existence of a clause in contracts of promise of property sale which defines the consequences of delay in the delivery of property, and to discover whether owners demanded any co...The aim of this paper is to verify the existence of a clause in contracts of promise of property sale which defines the consequences of delay in the delivery of property, and to discover whether owners demanded any compensation for delays occurred. The number of buildings delivered after the scheduled deadline in two cities between December 2009 and January 2011 was found (n = 542), and a sample of 82 residential units was taken. In order to obtain the data, a semi-structured questionnaire was given to the homeowners. It was observed that only 35% (n = 29) of the contracts included a penalty clause for delay. However, in 19 of the 29 contracts the clause regarding delay came with other clauses that allowed the company to delay the delivery of the building for up to six months. This clause is considered null in Brazilian legislation. As for compensation, only one (1.82%) owner demanded that the company provide a rental property during the period of delay. It could be concluded that contractors are not observing Brazilian legislation regarding the delay in the delivery of residential units. In addition, conformism is perceived in the attitude of the homeowners.展开更多
The problem that consumers often fail to read the standard form contracts they willingly enter into has been recognized by many scholars.This is a pressing issue because it may result in the consumers being disadvanta...The problem that consumers often fail to read the standard form contracts they willingly enter into has been recognized by many scholars.This is a pressing issue because it may result in the consumers being disadvantaged in bargains.Several laws have already been put in place to protect consumers,but the protection is often inadequate.This essay assesses how the current solutions are carried out and investigates whether new methods can be put in place.It argues that the key to dealing with the no-reading phenomenon is to make contracts more accessible to consumers so that they can be more inclined to guard their own interests.展开更多
This article questions the reliability of the amount of revenue recognized in the percentage of completion (POC) method of revenue recognition in construction industry and recommends a new method based on the progre...This article questions the reliability of the amount of revenue recognized in the percentage of completion (POC) method of revenue recognition in construction industry and recommends a new method based on the progress billing which is more reliable. The most commonly used method of revenue recognition in the construction industry is the percentage of completion method (POC), where the revenue is recognized on the basis of the percentage of work completed. The calculation of percentage of work completed is made on the basis of the cost incurred for the contract work during the financial period and the cost required for completion of the work as estimated by the contractor. Here, the acceptance of the product by the buyer (contractee) is not involved in recognizing the revenue. The reliability of the amount of revenue and its collectability can be assured only when the buyer accepts the product. The approval of the progress bill by the contractee is needed to assure the reliability and collectability and it must be the event that triggers the recognition of revenue.展开更多
This study explores the translation of business English contracts from English to Chinese from the perspective of functional equivalence.The functional equivalence theory involves three aspects of functional equivalen...This study explores the translation of business English contracts from English to Chinese from the perspective of functional equivalence.The functional equivalence theory involves three aspects of functional equivalence:lexical equivalence,sentential equivalence,and textual equivalence.As far as translation is concerned,translators adopt different translation techniques for different types of texts,striving to achieve equivalence in lexical,sentential,and textual functions.Therefore,translators are to recognize the different characteristics of business English contracts and highlight English translation styles and characteristics with the help of the functional equivalence theory.展开更多
The Chongqing Branch of the China National Packaging Import and Export Corporation is an economic entity integrating trade with industry and technology. It specializes in importing and exporting packaging materials an...The Chongqing Branch of the China National Packaging Import and Export Corporation is an economic entity integrating trade with industry and technology. It specializes in importing and exporting packaging materials and a range of other commodities in Chongqing.展开更多
Two years ago I had a chance to read four unpublished Sumerian texts newly housed in the Okayama Orient Museum, Okayama-shi, Japan. With the generous permission of Prof. Dr. Taksahi TANIICHI, Director General of the M...Two years ago I had a chance to read four unpublished Sumerian texts newly housed in the Okayama Orient Museum, Okayama-shi, Japan. With the generous permission of Prof. Dr. Taksahi TANIICHI, Director General of the Museum, I offer three of the texts below.展开更多
文摘This article explores the characteristics of data resources from the perspective of production factors,analyzes the demand for trustworthy circulation technology,designs a fusion architecture and related solutions,including multi-party data intersection calculation,distributed machine learning,etc.It also compares performance differences,conducts formal verification,points out the value and limitations of architecture innovation,and looks forward to future opportunities.
基金Fund Project:NationalSocial Science Fund of China(NSSFC)Key Project 18AFX021:Research on Intellectual Property Legislation Issues in the Post-Civil Code Era。
文摘The Book on Contracts of the Civil Code does not recognize"intellectual property contracts"as nominate contracts.Owing to both substantive and structural shortcomings,the Chapter on Technology Contracts falls short of providing comprehensive regulation of transactions involving intellectual property,and its Article 876 linking clause has given rise to legal controversies over application by reference and priority of application.There is therefore an urgent need to recognize intellectual property contracts as a nominate category.The rules on such contracts that are dispersed across standalone intellectual property statutes,specialized regulations,adjudicated cases,and judicial interpretations have already produced decodification and should be integrated in the course of enacting the Intellectual Property Code,so as to achieve the recodification of contracts concerning intellectual property.Specifically,the Chapter on Contracts should consist of two parts,General Provisions and Nominate Contracts,to articulate the common features and specific rules of the various contract types while confirming the applicability of the General Provisions in the Book on Contracts.In this way,systemic disorder from mechanically adding nominate contracts to the Civil Code and unnecessary complexity from creating a separate sectoral contract code can both be avoided,and the status of the Book on Contracts as the basic law in the field of contract can be preserved.
基金supported by theHigher Education Research Project of Jilin Province:JGJX24C118the National Defense Basic Scientific Research Program of China(No.JCKY2023602C026).
文摘With the rapid proliferation of Internet ofThings(IoT)devices,ensuring their communication security has become increasingly important.Blockchain and smart contract technologies,with their decentralized nature,provide strong security guarantees for IoT.However,at the same time,smart contracts themselves face numerous security challenges,among which reentrancy vulnerabilities are particularly prominent.Existing detection tools for reentrancy vulnerabilities often suffer from high false positive and false negative rates due to their reliance on identifying patterns related to specific transfer functions.To address these limitations,this paper proposes a novel detection method that combines pattern matching with deep learning.Specifically,we carefully identify and define three common patterns of reentrancy vulnerabilities in smart contracts.Then,we extract key vulnerability features based on these patterns.Furthermore,we employ a Graph Attention Neural Network to extract graph embedding features from the contract graph,capturing the complex relationships between different components of the contract.Finally,we use an attention mechanism to fuse these two sets of feature information,enhancing the weights of effective information and suppressing irrelevant information,thereby significantly improving the accuracy and robustness of vulnerability detection.Experimental results demonstrate that our proposed method outperforms existing state-ofthe-art techniques,achieving a 3.88%improvement in accuracy compared to the latest vulnerability detection model AME(Attentive Multi-Encoder Network).This indicates that our method effectively reduces false positives and false negatives,significantly enhancing the security and reliability of smart contracts in the evolving IoT ecosystem.
文摘The challenge for supply chain management is to create appropriate supply chain contracts so as to optimize the system performance. To examine the role of asymmetric information in a two-echelon supply chain system and derive supply chain contracts to deal with existing asymmetric information, a two level supply chain model including one Supplier and one retailer under the demand of price elasticity is developed. By using the principalagent principle and the optimal control theory, three types of supply chain contract, i. e. , a wholesale pricing contract, a two-parameter linear and a two-parameter nonlinear contracts are obtained. In these contracts, the Supplier has asymmetric information about the retailer cost structure. Simulation results show that the two-parameter contracts are more effective strategies to achieve supply chain coordination.
文摘A majority of contracts will use many prepositions and prepositional phrases to reflect their preciseness which cause the treaty wording complicated and hard to understand. This paper tends to demonstrate the characteristics of the prepositions and prepositional phrases used in business English contracts and explore the translation strategies used in translating the features of the prepositions and the prepositional phrases in business English contracts. The findings of this paper can provide a reference for the majority of the trade workers, which can help them accurately and effectively draft or translate a contract and avoid unnecessary disputes.
基金This work was partially supported by FEDER/Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación-Agencia Estatal de Investigación under project HORATIO(RTI2018-101204-B-C21)by Junta de Andalucía under projects APOLO(US-1264651)and EKIPMENT-PLUS(P18-FR-2895)by the TU Wien Research Cluster Smart CT.
文摘In this paper,we deal with questions related to blockchains in complex Internet of Things(IoT)-based ecosystems.Such ecosystems are typically composed of IoT devices,edge devices,cloud computing software services,as well as people,who are decision makers in scenarios such as smart cities.Many decisions related to analytics can be based on data coming from IoT sensors,software services,and people.However,they are typically based on different levels of abstraction and granularity.This poses a number of challenges when multiple blockchains are used together with smart contracts.This work proposes to apply our concept of elasticity to smart contracts and thereby enabling analytics in and between multiple blockchains in the context of IoT.We propose a reference architecture for Elastic Smart Contracts and evaluate the approach in a smart city scenario,discussing the benefits in terms of performance and self-adaptability of our solution.
基金This work was supported by the Scientific and Technological Project of Henan Province(Grant No.202102310340)Foundation of University Young Key Teacher of Henan Province(Grant Nos.2019GGJS040,2020GGJS027)+1 种基金Key Scientific Research Projects of Colleges and Universities in Henan Province(Grant No.21A110005)National Natual Science Foundation of China(61701170).
文摘The emergence of smart contracts has increased the attention of industry and academia to blockchain technology,which is tamper-proofing,decentralized,autonomous,and enables decentralized applications to operate in untrustworthy environments.However,these features of this technology are also easily exploited by unscrupulous individuals,a typical example of which is the Ponzi scheme in Ethereum.The negative effect of unscrupulous individuals writing Ponzi scheme-type smart contracts in Ethereum and then using these contracts to scam large amounts of money has been significant.To solve this problem,we propose a detection model for detecting Ponzi schemes in smart contracts using bytecode.In this model,our innovation is shown in two aspects:We first propose to use two bytes as one characteristic,which can quickly transform the bytecode into a high-dimensional matrix,and this matrix contains all the implied characteristics in the bytecode.Then,We innovatively transformed the Ponzi schemes detection into an anomaly detection problem.Finally,an anomaly detection algorithm is used to identify Ponzi schemes in smart contracts.Experimental results show that the proposed detection model can greatly improve the accuracy of the detection of the Ponzi scheme contracts.Moreover,the F1-score of this model can reach 0.88,which is far better than those of other traditional detection models.
基金The National Key Technology R&D Program of China during the 11th Five-Year Plan Period(No.2006BAH02A06)CSC(China Scholarship Council)Scholarship Program for Graduate Student Studying Abroad 2007
文摘In the global supply chain in a setting characterized by exchange rate uncertainties,it is quite necessary to focus on comparative research trying to find out which kind of purchasing strategy is better in different situations.The two common global purchasing strategies,risk sharing(RS)and quantity flexibility(QF),are selected to be compared.Using a real-options approach,the valuation models of RS and QF purchasing contracts are established.By means of binomial lattice technique,numerical simulation and sensitivity analysis of two stochastic dynamic programs are presented.The effects on expected discounted value by changing relative parameters are described clearly.Based on comparative analysis,it is concluded that the QF purchasing strategy is better than that of the RS especially where great volatility exists for exchange rate processes in the global supply chain.
文摘Cloud computing has emerged as a viable alternative to traditional computing infrastructures,offering various benefits.However,the adoption of cloud storage poses significant risks to data secrecy and integrity.This article presents an effective mechanism to preserve the secrecy and integrity of data stored on the public cloud by leveraging blockchain technology,smart contracts,and cryptographic primitives.The proposed approach utilizes a Solidity-based smart contract as an auditor for maintaining and verifying the integrity of outsourced data.To preserve data secrecy,symmetric encryption systems are employed to encrypt user data before outsourcing it.An extensive performance analysis is conducted to illustrate the efficiency of the proposed mechanism.Additionally,a rigorous assessment is conducted to ensure that the developed smart contract is free from vulnerabilities and to measure its associated running costs.The security analysis of the proposed system confirms that our approach can securely maintain the confidentiality and integrity of cloud storage,even in the presence of malicious entities.The proposed mechanism contributes to enhancing data security in cloud computing environments and can be used as a foundation for developing more secure cloud storage systems.
文摘Forestry contracts of the Qing Dynasty in Jinping County, southwest China’s Guizhou Province, are a unique historical legacy of China. It came into being with the development of society and economy of Jinping. Research on these contracts is becoming widespread domestically and abroad as well. This paper is intended to make a review of the collection and research of forestry contracts in Jinping according to the chronological sequence.
文摘The study was conducted with the aim of exploring the barriers to the adoption of BOT contract systems for infrastructural development of technical universities in Ghana. In an empirical questionnaire survey with professionals and experts in the construction and education sector, the respondents were invited to rate their perception on the barriers to the adoption of the BOT contracts systems. An interview session to satisfy ways of adopting the BOT contracts for infrastructural development in technical universities was conducted with selected professionals. The study revealed that the major barriers to the adoption of the BOT contract system are: delays in approval, corruption, reliability and credit worthiness of entities and expropriation. The study suggested that detailed policy or framework for implementing BOT contracts;proper planning by technical universities;and adequate protection for lenders is required for successful BOT implementation. Therefore there is a need to explore this concept, using adequate policy initiatives, proper measures and support from government to improve on the proper implementation of the BOT contracts in Technical Universities in Ghana.
文摘This paper presents the role of E-commerce and E-technology in simplifying operations of preparing quotations and contracts of supporting engineering and scientific laboratories by required equipments and tools at Jordanian universities.The experimental and practical sides of education in scientific colleges in Jordanian universities is very important,so many quotations and contacts are performed and required each year,and E-commerce also offers the required information and specifications to persons responsible to do such contacts by using Business-to-Consumer,Consumer-to-Consumer or Business-to-Business principles.By searching about such equipments using search engines,many companies present their products and their specifications and give you the opportunity to select the suitable devices and tools depending on their specifications and prices.Case studies are discussed for some devices to show how much E-commerce simplifies this operation.It was found that E-commerce and E-technology reduces both time and efforts required to support both engineering and scientific labs with their needs from equipments,catalogs and tools required to such devices.
文摘The aim of this paper is to verify the existence of a clause in contracts of promise of property sale which defines the consequences of delay in the delivery of property, and to discover whether owners demanded any compensation for delays occurred. The number of buildings delivered after the scheduled deadline in two cities between December 2009 and January 2011 was found (n = 542), and a sample of 82 residential units was taken. In order to obtain the data, a semi-structured questionnaire was given to the homeowners. It was observed that only 35% (n = 29) of the contracts included a penalty clause for delay. However, in 19 of the 29 contracts the clause regarding delay came with other clauses that allowed the company to delay the delivery of the building for up to six months. This clause is considered null in Brazilian legislation. As for compensation, only one (1.82%) owner demanded that the company provide a rental property during the period of delay. It could be concluded that contractors are not observing Brazilian legislation regarding the delay in the delivery of residential units. In addition, conformism is perceived in the attitude of the homeowners.
文摘The problem that consumers often fail to read the standard form contracts they willingly enter into has been recognized by many scholars.This is a pressing issue because it may result in the consumers being disadvantaged in bargains.Several laws have already been put in place to protect consumers,but the protection is often inadequate.This essay assesses how the current solutions are carried out and investigates whether new methods can be put in place.It argues that the key to dealing with the no-reading phenomenon is to make contracts more accessible to consumers so that they can be more inclined to guard their own interests.
文摘This article questions the reliability of the amount of revenue recognized in the percentage of completion (POC) method of revenue recognition in construction industry and recommends a new method based on the progress billing which is more reliable. The most commonly used method of revenue recognition in the construction industry is the percentage of completion method (POC), where the revenue is recognized on the basis of the percentage of work completed. The calculation of percentage of work completed is made on the basis of the cost incurred for the contract work during the financial period and the cost required for completion of the work as estimated by the contractor. Here, the acceptance of the product by the buyer (contractee) is not involved in recognizing the revenue. The reliability of the amount of revenue and its collectability can be assured only when the buyer accepts the product. The approval of the progress bill by the contractee is needed to assure the reliability and collectability and it must be the event that triggers the recognition of revenue.
文摘This study explores the translation of business English contracts from English to Chinese from the perspective of functional equivalence.The functional equivalence theory involves three aspects of functional equivalence:lexical equivalence,sentential equivalence,and textual equivalence.As far as translation is concerned,translators adopt different translation techniques for different types of texts,striving to achieve equivalence in lexical,sentential,and textual functions.Therefore,translators are to recognize the different characteristics of business English contracts and highlight English translation styles and characteristics with the help of the functional equivalence theory.
文摘The Chongqing Branch of the China National Packaging Import and Export Corporation is an economic entity integrating trade with industry and technology. It specializes in importing and exporting packaging materials and a range of other commodities in Chongqing.
文摘Two years ago I had a chance to read four unpublished Sumerian texts newly housed in the Okayama Orient Museum, Okayama-shi, Japan. With the generous permission of Prof. Dr. Taksahi TANIICHI, Director General of the Museum, I offer three of the texts below.