bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Use of Trichoderma Hamatum for Biocontrol of Lentil Vascular Wilt Disease: Efficacy, Mechanisms of Interaction And Future Prospects
Authors: El-Hassan Saïd A. , Gowen Simon R. , Pembroke Barbara
Published: April 2013

Trichoderma hamatum (Bonord.) Bainier was evaluated for its antagonistic potential against Fusarium oxysporum Schlecht. emend. Snyder and Hansen sp. lentis, the causal agent of vascular wilt disease of lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus). Hyphal interactions on Petri plates resulted in an increase in the number of conidial spores and an increase in the vegetative growth of T. hamatum, and a decrease in the hyphal formation and sporulation of F. oxysporum f. sp. lentis. Electron and light microscopical observations suggested that hyphae of T. hamatum established aggressive contact and attachment with the hyphae of the pathogen. Growing in parallel, coiled densely and tightly, T. hamatum may penetrate those of the pathogen hyphae causing collapse due to the loss of turgor pressure. The cellulolytic enzymes produced by T. hamatum presented sufficient characteristics for its antifungal activity in the hyphae hydrolysis and competition process. In growth room and glasshouse experiments, the addition of the conidial suspension of T. hamatum or its culture filtrate to soil, significantly (p ≤ 0.05) reduced development and spore germination of F. oxysporum. In the rhizosphere, T. hamatum occupied the same ecological niches (rhizosphere, roots, and stems) parasitizing F. oxysporum f. sp. lentis. Treatments using T. hamatum delayed the time of infection by F. oxysporum, promoted the growth, and increased the dry weight of a susceptible variety of lentil (cv. Precoz). The percent of mortality was reduced to 33 and 40% when using T. hamatum and its filtrate, respectively, compared to 93% in the control treatment during the 65 days of growing in loam/sand (2:1 vol/vol) under glasshouse conditions. Plant colonization results indicate that T. hamatum and its filtrate significantly (p ≤ 0.05) reduced development of the pathogen in the vascular tissue of lentil to < 30 and < 40% stem colonization, respectively, compared to 100% in the plant pathogen control. Our results suggest that potential biocontrol mechanisms of T. hamatum towards F. oxysporum f. sp. lentis were antibiosis by production of antifungal enzymes, complex mechanisms of mycoparasitism, competition for key nutrients and/or ecological niches, growth promotion, and a combination of these effects. This study results hold important suggestions for further development of effective strategies of the biological control of Fusarium vascular wilt of lentil.
Residual Toxicity of Some Pesticides on the Larval Ectoparasitoid, Habrobracon Hebetor Say (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)
Authors: Mahdavi Vahid
Published: April 2013

Habrobracon hebetor Say is an idiobiont and gregarious larval ectoparasitoid of many moths. In this study, the effects of field recommended concentrations (FRC) of seven biorational and conventional pesticides in cotton fields (imidacloprid, thiacloprid, deltamethrin, thiodicarb, carbaryl, abamectin and spinosad) were studied on the larval ectoparasitoid, H. hebetor. Exposure cages were used for the bioassay experiments. The experiments were carried out in the laboratory at 26±1°C, 60±5% relative humidity (RH) and with a photoperiod of 16:8 (L:D). Experiments were done in three replications. The results showed that all pesticide treatments had significant differences compared to the control treatment. The results also showed that synthetic and biorational pesticides had lower toxicity than conventional pesticides. We demonstrated that imidacloprid and thiacloprid had lower adverse effects on the parasitoid and could be used as compatible chemical materials with the parasitoid in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs.
Seasonal Incidence of Mite and Infuence of Pesticidal Application on Orchid Flower Production
Authors: Meena Narottam Kumar , Pal Ram , Pant Rajendra Prasad , Medhi Rajendra Prasad
Published: April 2013

Investigations were carried out in 2010 to determine the influence of abiotic factors on the incidence of the two spotted spider mite; Tetranychus urticae Koch and to determine the influence of pesticides on orchid flower production. Initially, in January, the mite population was very low (1.0 mite/10 cm2 leaf area). The population gradually increased and peaked to 22.98 mites/10 cm2 leaf area in the first fortnight of May along with the rise in temperature and sunshine. Then, the population declined to a low level of 3.43 mites/10 cm2 leaf area in the first fortnight of December. Maximum and minimum temperatures had a significant positive correlation and sunshine had a non-significant positive correlation, whereas relative humidity and rainfall had a non-significant negative correlation with the mite population. Infestation of the two spotted spider mite was more severe in untreated conditions in comparison to the treated ones. The difference was due to various abiotic factors and natural pest infestation occurrence which drastically affected the flower quality and yield. In unprotected conditions, the number of flower spikes/plant (1.90±0.44 spikes), number of flowers/spike (7.35±1.04 flowers), spike length (42.59±5.69 cm), flower spike diameter (5.26±0.66 mm), and flower size (6.27±0.86 cm) was very low. In protected conditions, flower quality and yield were superior than in unprotected conditions i.e. number of flower spike/plant (2.92±0.57 spikes), number of flowers/spike (11.78±1.16 flowers), spike length (57.59±7.35 cm), diameter of flower spikes (9.09±1.01 mm), and flower size (6.73±1.16 cm).
Simulation of Elastic Gears with Non-Standard Flank Profiles
Authors: Phu Do Trong , Ziegler Pascal , Eberhard Peter
Published: April 2013

There exist cases where precise simulations of contact forces do not allow modeling the gears as rigid bodies but a fully elastic description is needed. In this paper, a modally reduced elastic multibody system including gear contact based on a floating frame of reference formulation is proposed that allows very precise simulations of fully elastic gears with appropriately meshed gears in reasonable time even for many rotations. One advantage of this approach is that there is no assumption about the geometry of the gears and, therefore, it allows precise investigations of contacts between gears with almost arbitrary non-standard tooth geometries including flank profile corrections.

This study presents simulation results that show how this modal approach can be used to efficiently investigate the interaction between elastic deformations and flank profile corrections as well as their influence on the contact forces. It is shown that the elastic approach is able to describe important phenomena like early addendum contact for insufficiently corrected profiles in dependence of the transmitted load. Furthermore, it is shown how this approach can be used for precise and efficient simulations of beveloid gears.
Structural analisys of concrete pre-stressed reservoirs for sludge fermentation – water waste treatment plant bucharest – glina. numerical fem assessment of the structural response for static in-duty loads
Authors: Bugnariu Tudor
Published: April 2013

The paper refers to a structural finite element analysis on the reservoirs for sludge
fermentation subjected to static in-duty loads, at Glina Water Waste Treatment Plant. The purpose
was to assess the stress and deformation states in subsequent erection and service conditions, to
verify the design provisions and to emphasize the sensitivities, for a structure which was designed
in the ‘80s based on analytical procedures. The results obtained on the numerical models highlight
the importance of the soil-structure interaction, in peculiar the one influenced by the soil mass
deformability, on the overall structural response. Based on the calculated stresses, all structural
components were verified according to the actual design codes at the ultimate limit state and the
service limit state (water tightness/crack emergence).
Biometrological Method of Pelvis Measurement and Anatomical Positioning of Endoprosthesis of Hip Joint
Authors: Ryniewicz Andrzej , Ryniewicz Anna Maria , Madej Tomasz , Sładek Jerzy , Gąska Adam
Published: April 2013

This elaboration presents the method of virtual positioning of the construction of an endoprosthesis of hip joint in a patient’s pelvis and femoral bone, reconstructed on the basis of imaging obtained from computer tomography. It is based on the matching of an implant to individual anatomical-biomechanical conditions. The method is established on the following procedures: diagnostic, spatial modeling, virtual measuring and targeted biometrological application for the model of bone structures. The final effect of the completed procedures is selection and optimal positioning of the endoprosthesis of hip joint before a planned medical intervention. The determined geometrical parameters of bone structures and settled positioning of the endoprosthesis can create data for the system of computer navigation.
Smes’ Performance Evaluation and Optimization Based on DEA and CFI
Authors: Shi Zhao , Takala Josu , Muhos Matti , Poikkimaki Jyrki , Chen Yang
Published: April 2013

It is a core content of enterprise performance research evaluating and comparing enterprise performance in dynamic environment. In allusion to this problem, a variety of enterprise performance assessment methods and indexes systems are proposed. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is a kind of effective mathematical model which is used for comparing the performance among enterprises or different units inside an enterprise, based on the real-world data. Through comparing the performance, DEA can evaluate the enterprise performance from scale effectiveness and technological effectiveness, and then get the performance optimization goals. Critical Factor Index (CFI) is a new enterprise performance assessment method proposed in recent years. This method, based on the performance perception of business leaders or staffs, evaluates the enterprise performance in different dimensions, and then gets the optimization strategy of enterprise resource allocation to improve integrated enterprise performance. This paper has structured a new evaluation and optimization system for performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which combine properly the DEA and CFI method to evaluate and optimize the SMEs’ performance comprehensively, and has confirm this system with data of 5 Finnish SMEs.
Investigation of Short-term Amplitude and Frequency Fluctuations of Lasers for Interferometry
Authors: Hrabina J. , Lazar J. , Holá M. , Číp O.
Published: April 2013

One of the limiting factors of accuracy and resolution in laser interferometry is represented by noise properties of the laser powering the interferometer. Amplitude and especially frequency fluctuations of the laser source are crucial in precision distance measurement. Sufficiently high long-term frequency stability of the laser source must be achieved especially in applications in fundamental metrology. Furthermore, the short-term frequency variations are also important primarily for measurements done at high acquisition speeds. This contribution presents practical results of measurements of short-term amplitude and frequency noises of a set of laser sources commonly used in laser interferometry. The influence of the interferometer design and electrical parameters of the detection system are also discussed.
The Impact of Socially Responsible Reporting on Successful Corporate Operations
Authors: Peršič Anton , Markič Mirko
Published: April 2013

The aim of our research was to study the impact and purpose of the reporting on socially responsible conduct on the success of corporate operations. The data and information were gathered with the quantitative research method, whereas the instrument for gathering them was a questionnaire that was distributed among 759 large and medium sized organisations from the field of market services in the Republic of Slovenia. We have established that activities aimed at socially responsible conduct are directly connected with the success of corporate operations, especially the revenue (p = 0.001), the profit of a company (p = 0.000), operational growth (p = 0.007) and operational economy (p = 0.002), and are typical for organizations with a larger number of employees (p = 0.032). In this regard, the real estate and construction market activities received the lowest scores. Research results provide theoretical as well as practical benefits for everyone dealing with the planning, implementation and control of sustainable development, as well as socially responsible conduct within the organization.
Development of a Simulation Model for Controlling and Improving the Productivity of Batch Reactors
Authors: Henini Ghania , Souahi Fatiha , Laidani Ykhlef
Published: April 2013

This paper describes the development of a dynamic simulator model for a jacketed batch reactor equipped with a mono-fluid heating/cooling system. The Mono-fluid flows at constant flow-rate through the jacketed reactor. The heating and cooling are assured respectively by electrical resistance and two plate heat exchangers. A detailed description of the equations leading to the development of simulation model is presented. The model is based on writing the equations of the mass balance and the heat balance for the reactor and the thermal loop in unsteady state. To validate the simulation model, we first studied the thermal behavior of the reaction mixture during heating and cooling, using water as the reaction mixture. We then considered the consecutive chemical reaction of the synthesis of cyclopentanediol from cyclopentadiene by studying the yield of this reaction. The results show that heating the reaction mixture increases significantly the yield of this synthesis reaction.
Removal of phenol from wastewater using activated waste tea leaves
Authors: Kazmi Mohsin , Saleemi Anwar R. , Feroze Nadeem , Yaqoob Amir , Ahmad Syed Waqas
Published: April 2013

This investigation enumerates the treatment of phenol contaminated synthetic wastewater by Activated Waste Tea Leaves (AWTL). Phosphoric acid was used for the modification of waste tea leaves. The effects of initial pH, biosorbent dose, contact time, and initial phenol concentration were studied on the phenol uptake from the synthetic solution. Kinetic modelling was performed using pseudo 1st and 2nd order kinetics. The Langmuir and Freundlich’s Models were employed to interpret the AWTL behaviour at various mass transfer gradients. The results show that the optimum values for pH, biosorbent dose and contact time were 2.2 g/L and 180 minutes, respectively. Pseudo 2nd order kinetic and the Langmuir’s Models best described the kinetic and equilibrium behaviours, respectively.
Application of multi-dimensional grouping to building steel stiffened shell structures
Authors: Iwańkowicz Remigiusz
Published: April 2013

In this paper the present state of grouping technology theory is discussed. Attention is paid to lack of publications on grouping methods based on linear operators instead of classical incidence matrices. A computation algorithm for generating three-dimensional groups has been proposed. Every group contains joined structures, working cells and final (output) structures. Operation of the algorithm has been compared with results gained from literature sources dealing with binary grouping. And, calculations based on real assembly sequencing of a set of ship hull sections, have been performed.
Source-Side Discontinuous Phrases for Machine Translation: A Comparative Study on Phrase Extraction and Search
Authors: Huck Matthias , Scharwächter Erik , Ney Hermann
Published: April 2013

Standard phrase-based statistical machine translation systems generate translations based on an inventory of continuous bilingual phrases. In this work, we extend a phrase-based decoder with the ability to make use of phrases that are discontinuous in the source part. Our dynamic programming beam search algorithm supports separate pruning of coverage hypotheses per cardinality and of lexical hypotheses per coverage, as well as coverage constraints that impose restrictions on the possible reorderings. In addition to investigating these aspects, which are related to the decoding procedure, we also concentrate our attention on the question of how to obtain source-side discontinuous phrases from parallel training data. Two approaches (hierarchical and discontinuous extraction) are presented and compared. On a large-scale Chinese!English translation task, we conduct a thorough empirical evaluation in order to study a number of system configurations with source-side discontinuous phrases, and to compare them to setups which employ continuous phrases only.
Utilisation Des Ressources Externes Pour la Reformulation des Requêtes Dans un Système de Recherche D’Information
Authors: Abderrahim Mohammed El Amine
Published: April 2013

Dans un Système de Recherche d’Information (SRI), les démarches pour la reformulation de la requête sont nombreuses. Elles peuvent être classées selon les ressources utilisées en trois grandes approches : l’utilisation des ressources externes, l’analyse globale et l’analyse locale. Dans ce contexte et dans le cadre des SRI pour les textes Arabes, nous nous intéressons à l’évaluation des performances de la première approche. A cet effet deux ressources différentes ont été utilisées à savoir : WordNet Arabe et le Dictionnaire (thésaurus) des Sens Arabe. Les expérimentations réalisées sur un corpus de texte Arabe nous ont permis de mesurer l’apport de cette approche de reformulation de requête dans un SRI arabe.
Requirements for two-source entanglement
concentration
Authors: Vidrighin Mihai , Bartley Tim J. , Donati Gaia , Jin Xian-Min , Barbieri Marco , Kolthammer W. Steven , Datta Animesh , Walmsley Ian A.
Published: April 2013

Entanglement enhancement is a key task for quantum technologies.
This operation performed on states produced by
parametric down-conversion sources has been the object of
several recent experimental investigations. In particular, conditional
preparation by photon-subtraction has been shown to
improve the entanglement of these states. Here we analyse
the role played by non-Gaussian and Gaussian measurements
in more general entanglement concentration operations
performed on a pair of two-mode squeezed vacua.
We find stringent requirements for achieving an improved entanglement
enhancement by measuring jointly these two resource
states.
Dosimetric evaluation of an ipsilateral intensity modulated radiotherapy beam arrangement for parotid malignancies
Authors: Yirmibesoglu Eda , Fried David V. , Kostich Mark , Rosenman Julian , Shockley William , Weissler Mark , Zanation Adam , Chera Bhishamjit
Published: April 2013

Background. We conducted a dosimetric comparison of an ipsilateral beam arrangement for intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) with off-axis beams.

Patients and methods. Six patients who received post-operative radiotherapy (RT) for parotid malignancies were used in this dosimetric study. Four treatment plans were created for each CT data set (24 plans): 1) ipsilateral 4-field off-axis IMRT (4fld-OA), 2) conventional wedge pair (WP), 3) 7 field co-planar IMRT (7fld), and 4) ipsilateral co-planar 4-field quartet IMRT (4fld-CP). Dose, volume statistics for the planning target volumes (PTVs) and planning risk volumes (PRVs) were compared for the four treatment techniques.

Results. Wedge pair plans inadequately covered the deep aspect of the PTV. The 7-field IMRT plans delivered the largest low dose volumes to normal tissues. Mean dose to the contralateral parotid was highest for 7 field IMRT. Mean dose to the contralateral submandibular gland was highest for 7 field IMRT and WP. 7 field IMRT plans had the highest dose to the oral cavity. The mean doses to the brainstem, spinal cord, ipsilateral temporal lobe, cerrebellum and ipsilateral cochlea were similar among the four techniques.

Conclusions. For postoperative treatment of the parotid bed, 4-field ipsilateral IMRT techniques provided excellent coverage while maximally sparing the contralateral parotid gland and submandibular gland.
Stability Analysis of the Impoundment of Ash
Authors: Slávik Ivan
Published: April 2013

An impoundment is an engineering construction used for the safe deposition of unexploitable waste from industrial and mining facilities. In terms of the legislative requirements of the Slovak Republic, a “Measurements Project” must be developed for each impoundment. In this document the prerequisites for the safe operation of an impoundment, the limit and critical values of the monitored phenomena and the facts influencing the safety of the impoundment and the area endangered by such a site are also defined. The safety and stability of an impoundment are verified according to a ”Measurements Project” by considering stability at regular time intervals. This contribution presents, in the form of a parametric study, a stability analysis of an ash impoundment. The stability analysis provides an example of the utilization of an information database of the results of the regular monitoring of the geotechnical properties of the materials forming the impoundment´s body and the surrounding rock mass. The stability of the impoundment is expressed for a recent state - without a continuous water level in its body and, at the same time, for a hypothetical limit and critical water level according to the valid “Handling Regulations“.
Pathophysiological importance of nitric oxide in coronary heart disease / Patofiziološki značaj azot-monoksida u koronarnoj bolesti srca
Authors: Đorđević Vidosava B. , Stojanović Ivana , Kundalić Slavica , Ristić Tatjana , Pavlović Radmila , Ćosić Vladan , Cvetković Tatjana
Published: April 2013

Nitric oxide (NO) is produced by many cells in the body; however, its production by vascular endothelium is particularly important in the regulation of blood flow. Vascular actions of NO include the following: direct vasodilation, indirect vasodilation by inhibiting the vasoconstrictor influences, anti-thrombotic, anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative effects. Due to its importance in vascular function, abnormal production of NO, occurring in different diseases can adversely affect blood flow and other vascular functions. It has been suggested that alterations in NO generation are a critical cause of injury in the ischemic heart. A biologic link between the endothelial damage and atherosclerotic coronary arterial disease has been presumably related to de - creased arterial bioavailability of NO through the increased leucocyte and platelet adhesions, vasoconstriction and smooth muscle cell proliferation. However, the precise me - chanism of the impaired NO generation is not known, and there is a considerable controversy regarding whether myo - cardial ischemia results in increased or decreased NO for - mation. Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) is a natural, com petitive inhibitor, and one of the primary factors controlling the nitric oxide production. ADMA was found to be elevated and closely correlated with the impaired vasodilator function in conditions associated with the endothelial dysfunction, such as hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, and renal failure. But ADMA also seems to be involved in myocardial ischemia, since its plasma levels predict future coronary events in patients with the elevated cardiovascular risk. It has been recently reported that the elevated plasma ADMA concentrations in the acute coronary events are an independent cardiovascular risk factor.
Vitamin D – challenges in diagnosing and monitoring of hypovitaminosis D / Vitamin D – izazovi u dijagnozi i praćenju hipovitaminoze D
Authors: Vogeser Michael , Seger Christoph
Published: April 2013

During recent years, it has been recognized that sub-optimum vitamin D-status, often defined as decrease of PTH concentrations in response to supplementation of vitamin D, is a very widespread finding with potential health effects on a population level. As a consequence, there is a con tinuously increasing interest in the laboratory-based asses sment of the vitamin D status, with 25-hydroxyvitamin D as the most widely used analyte. However, there is a number of challenges in the characterization of the individual vitamin D status that are addressed in this article; they in clu - de analytical issues of 25-hydroxyvitamin D measurement; interpretation of results; development of guidelines for ratio - nal indication for laboratory testing; and evaluation of the role of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the context of complementary markers of the vitamin D status.
Assessment of occupational internal exposure to beta emitters from the nuclear reactor primary coolant circuit
Authors: Pliszczyński Tomasz , Ciszewska Katarzyna , Dymecka Małgorzata , Ośko Jakub , Haratym Zbigniew
Published: April 2013

Fission products of 235U or isotopes from activation may appear in technological waters at normal operation of a research reactor. Therefore, reactor cooling water may contain a number of beta radioactive isotopes including yttrium and strontium isotopes, which can pose potential hazard to reactor personnel. In order to asses internal exposure urinalysis is carried out. This work presents the method of sample preparation and measurement used by Radiation Protection Measurements Laboratory (RPLM) of the National Centre for Nuclear Research (NCNR). Method of various isotopes of yttrium and Sr-90 activity calculation is also shown. Determination of these isotopes activities in urine sample allows estimating the effective doses
Plant Communities with Yellow Oat Grass (Trisetum Flavescens (L.) Pb.) In The Submontane And Montane Regions Of Slovenia
Authors: Tina Petras Sackl , Mitja Kaligarič , Danijel Ivajnšič , Sonja Škornik
Published: April 2013

In the present study, we investigated plant communities with Yellow Oat Grass (Trisetum flavescens (L.) Pb.) in the submontane and montane regions of Slovenia. In 2005-2007 ninety-one relevés were collected by using the standard procedure of the Braun-Blanquet approach. Relevés were analysed with multivariate analysis and classified within two associations: Astrantio-Trisetetum (Polygono-Trisetion) and the Pastinaco-Arrhenatheretum (Arrhenatherion). Management practices, soil conditions and altitude were found to be significant factors for a further subdivision of both associations. Within the Astrantio-Trisetetum association three subassociations could be distinguished: -typicum, -buphthalmetosum and -trollietosum, and subassociations -typicum, -medicagetosumlupulinae, as well as -lolietosum subass. nova in the Pastinaco-Arrhenatheretum. The floristic composition and ecological characteristics of these plant communities are described and their implications for grassland conservation in Slovenia are discussed.
Evaluation of Meat Used for Human Consumption in Latvia
Authors: Jemeļjanovs Aleksandrs , Zītare Inese , Konošonoka Ināra Helēna , Krastiņa Vera , Proškina Lîga , Jansons Imants , Strazdiņa Vita
Published: April 2013

Over the last decade in Latvia, the production levels of beef, pork and poultry meat have been dramatically reduced. The yearly meat consumption per capita in Latvia is about 60 kg. Traditionally, pig meat consumption is higher than consumption of bovine meat, which has higher production costs. Lower priced meat from European countries is imported and placed on the market in Latvia. The Research Institute of Biotechnology and Veterinary Medicine “Sigra”, Latvia, LUA, performs important research on meat quality and acquisition of safe and healthy food of animal origin. Cattle herds of meat breed are highly varied both from the aspect of animals and the quality of the sold meat produce. In meat of bovine animals, the settling of cholesterol on the blood vessel walls is precluded by 5.4-8.13% ω-3 and 12.97-16.27% ω-6 on average. The meat of the beef breed cattle contains wholesome proportions of proteins, fatty acids in quantities sufficient for humans, a relatively low cholesterol level (about 77 mg%) and good qualities of the culinary flavours and aromas. There are on-going research studies on the quality of meat of different pig breeds and their influencing factors, as well as on acquisition of meet in accordance with the consumer requirements. Extensive research is carried out also on the quality of broiler meat, with the target of acquisition of new quality meat. Assessment of the role of game meat in human consumption and the hygiene aspects of its acquisition are also included. Due to the development of heliculture in Latvia, the assessment of snail meat and its role in human consumption has also been launched.
Role of Body Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis in the Assessment of the Nutritional Status of Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Metabolic Syndrome
Authors: Bodnieks Edgars , Puķītis Aldis , Pokrotnieks Juris
Published: April 2013

Nutrition has an important role in the management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and
metabolic syndrome (MS). The goal of this study was to assess the nutritive status of patients
treated with IBD and metabolic syndrome in the Gastroenterology Centre, Pauls Stradiòð Clinical
University Hospital. Body bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) using GENIUS 220 PLUS
(Jawon Medical) was used to determine Body Mass Index (BMI) kg/m², Metabolic Body Fat (MBF)
kg, Soft Lean Mass (SLM) kg, Total Body Water (TBW) kg, body composition, metabolic type,
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) kcal, and total Energy Expenditure (TEE) kcal in patients with IBD
and metabolic syndrome and in a similarly aged control group. The obtained data showed that
BMI was not correlated with MBF, BTW and Lean Body Mass (LBM). Patients with Crohn’s disease
(CD) had normal value of BMI (M 24.3 kg/m²; F 20.2kg/m²), but we found variety-specific differences
in body composition that confirmed deficiency or increase of specific body parameters.
The performed prospective study confirmed the importance of the more precise nutritional status
analysis, as it was clinically useful for the nutritional management of IBD. Patients with CD had
expressed nutrient deficiency, sarcopenia, and reduced amount of proteins and minerals. For patients
with MS, sarcopenia was present despite obesity.
Morphometrics of Cerrado Birds from the Reserva Natural Laguna Blanca (Ne Paraguay)
Authors: Smith Paul , Onley Derek , Northcote-Smith Emma , Atkinson Karina
Published: April 2013

Smith P., Onley D., Northcote-Smith E, Atkinson K. 2012. Morphometrics of cerrado birds
from the Reserva Natural Laguna Blanca (NE Paraguay). Ring 34: 51-67.

Morphometric data are provided for 204 individuals of 61 species from the Reserva Natural Laguna Blanca in Departamento San Pedro in north-eastern Paraguay. Measurements were taken according to Svensson (1984). Data for 2 cerrado endemic species, 2 species of global conservation concern and 5 species of national conservation concern are presented. These are the first published biometric data for birds of the Paraguayan cerrado.
Transforming the Classroom into a Reflective Community: A Blended Learning Instructional Approach
Authors: Dovros Nikolaos , Makrakis Vassilios
Published: April 2013

Critical and reflective thinking is acknowledged as one of the key skills within education for sustainable development whereas sustainable development requires a shift in the mental models which frame our thinking and inform our decisions and actions. This paper describes the implementation of a blended learning lesson unit which aimed at activating pupils’ reflective thinking in order to negotiate the controversial topic of genetically modified food (GMF). It describes a small case study that was implemented in a semi-rural school in Chania, Crete, with the participation of 23 pupils from Form 6. Specific changes in the pedagogical practices were adopted, pertaining to content, time and space conventions and the use of online learning activities. The instructional design incorporated a five-stage instructional session, which started by the introduction of a problematic situation, continued with the infusion of cognitive dissonance procedures and ended with a reflective evaluation activity. The pupils’ stances towards the open learning procedure and the integration of online activities were positive, while certain changes in their beliefs about the issue of GMF were observed, due to the design of the learning approach.
An Integrated Approach to Conventionality and Its Implications for the Semantics of Emotion Terms
Authors: Strugielska Ariadna
Published: April 2013

The aim of this article is to demonstrate that an integrated methodology can shed a new light on the understanding of notions inherent in contemporary conceptual approaches to linguistic analysis. One of the key ideas around which the cognitive paradigm is built is conventionality. It is assumed, however, that various strands of the cognitive enterprise view conventionality in dissimilar ways. Consequently, by extrapolating diverse interpretations of the notion, we are going to argue that certain conceptual approaches are more cognitive than others. As a result, it will be argued that a conceptual metaphor methodology, an apparently dominant approach to the semantics of emotion terms, is too coarse-grained to account for the richness of cognitive processes observable in real data. Providing a corpus-assisted verification of selected instantiations of the attributive construction, we are going to argue that a conceptual metaphor approach cannot be successfully applied within a usage-based model.
A Testimonie’S Stance: Editorial Positioning in Ælfric’S Sermo in die Pascae
Authors: Mele-Marrero Margarita
Published: April 2013

Being one of the first texts to reproduce in printed form the Anglo-Saxon characters, A Testimonie of Antiquity, basically an edition of Ælfric’s “Sermo in Die Pascae”, has been the object of philological studies. Its subject matter related to the Anglican reform has also been analysed from a religious perspective. This article intends to focus on a different aspect, the reason for the text’s success evidenced in its several reproductions and content discussions, which have reached the 20th century. We claim the main credit for this success is to be given to its editors and, therefore, a pragmatic analysis concentrating on stance and engagement (Hyland 2005, 2009) is an adequate study frame. The conclusions will reveal how although there are quantifiable markers that facilitated the positive reception of the text, there were other elements (closer to modern writing implements) the authors utilized to achieve their final objective.
Denjoy and P-path integrals on compact groups in an inversion formula for multiplicative transforms
Authors: Tulone Francesco
Published: April 2013

Denjoy and P-path Kurzweil-Henstock type integrals are defined on compact subsets of some locally compact zero-dimensional abelian groups. Those integrals are applied to obtain an inversion formula for the multiplicative integral transform.
Measures: continuity, measurability, duality, extension
Authors: Frič Roman
Published: April 2013

We discuss some basic ideas and survey some fundamental constructions related to measure (a real-valued map the domain of which is a set of measurable objects carrying a suitable structure and the map partially preserves the structure): continuity, measurability, duality, extension. We show that in the category ID of difference posets of fuzzy sets and sequentially continuous difference-homomorphisms these constructions are intrinsic. Further, basic notions of the probability theory have natural generalizations within ID.
Functional differential equations and one-dimensional distortionless propagation
Authors: Rǎsvan Vladimir
Published: April 2013

One-dimensional propagation phenomena of physics and technology are described by boundary value problems for hyperbolic partial differential equations in one space dimension. Since the paper of J. Bernoulli published in 1728, functional equations are usually associated with such problems, the best known in the last decades being the neutral differential equations with deviated arguments. The distortionless propagation corresponds to the case of the equations with pointwise (lumped) time delays. The present paper will consider some applications of these equations in nuclear and power engineering, engineering mechanics, hydraulics. The basic model validation steps (basic theory, invariant sets, inherent stability) are discussed.
Kurzweil-Henstock type integral in fourier analysis on compact zero-dimensional group
Authors: Skvortsov Valentin , Tulone Francesco
Published: April 2013

A Kurzweil-Henstock type integral defined on a zero-dimensional compact abelian group is studied and used to obtain a generalization of some results related to the problem of recovering, by generalized Fourier formulae, the coefficients of convergent series with respect to the characters of such a group.
Generalized Egoroff’s theorem
Authors: Repický Miroslav
Published: April 2013

This note is closely related to the paper [R. Pinciroli: On theindependence of a generalized statement of Egoroff’s theorem from ZFC afterT. Weiss, Real Anal. Exchange 32 (2006-2007), 225-232] and it presents slight improvements of its results. Theorem 1.13 shows a connection with Galois-Tukey embeddings; Corollary 1.14 presents another inequality which is dual to the previously known one; Corollary 3.5 shows that there is no distinction between positive outer measure and full outer measure in the given context; and Corollary 4.3 unifies the known counterexamples.
Cryptographic aspects of real hyperelliptic curves
Authors: Jacobson Michael J. , Scheidler Renate , Stein Andreas
Published: April 2013

In this paper, we give an overview of cryptographic applications using real hyperelliptic curves. We review previously proposed cryptographic protocols and discuss the infrastructure of a real hyperelliptic curve, the mathematical structure underlying all these protocols. We then describe recent improvements to infrastructure arithmetic, including explicit formulas for divisor arithmetic in genus 2, and advances in solving the infrastructure discrete logarithm problem, whose presumed intractability is the basis of security for the related cryptographic protocols.
Corrigendum to secret sharing on infinite graphs
Authors: Csirmaz László
Published: April 2013

The proof of Claim 6.8 in the Appendix of [L. Csirmaz: Secret sharing on infinite graphs, Tatra Mt. Math. Publ. 41 (2008), 1-18] is incorrect. Here we give a new (and hopefully correct) proof.
On a boundary value problem for differential equation with p-Laplacian
Authors: Rudolf Boris
Published: April 2013

The existence of a solution of a boundary value problem for differential equation with p-Laplacian is proved by the technique of lower and upper solutions. A nonlocal boundary condition and a derivative dependent nonlinearity is assumed.
Measures and idempotents in the non-commutative situation
Authors: Börger Reinhard
Published: April 2013

We investigate measures on sequential orthomodular posets with values in a vector space or a (not necessarily commutative) algebra with reasonable sequential topologies, using a universal property. Unfortunately, the universal measure and the universal multiplicative measure need not coincide any more as in the commutative situation. This may have applications in quantum physics.
Weakly ordered partial commutative group of self-adjoint linear operators densely defined on Hilbert space
Authors: Janda Jiří
Published: April 2013

We continue in a direction of describing an algebraic structure of linear operators on infinite-dimensional complex Hilbert space ℋ. In [Paseka, J.- -Janda, J.: More on PT-symmetry in (generalized) effect algebras and partial groups, Acta Polytech. 51 (2011), 65-72] there is introduced the notion of a weakly ordered partial commutative group and showed that linear operators on H with restricted addition possess this structure. In our work, we are investigating the set of self-adjoint linear operators on H showing that with more restricted addition it also has the structure of a weakly ordered partial commutative group.
On exact inference in linear models with two variance-covariance components
Authors: Volaufová Júlia , Witkovský Viktor
Published: April 2013

Linear models with variance-covariance components are used in a wide variety of applications. In most situations it is possible to partition the response vector into a set of independent subvectors, such as in longitudinal models where the response is observed repeatedly on a set of sampling units (see, e.g., Laird & Ware 1982). Often the objective of inference is either a test of linear hypotheses about the mean or both, the mean and the variance components. Confidence intervals for parameters of interest can be constructed as an alter- native to a test. These questions have kept many statisticians busy for several decades. Even under the assumption that the response can be modeled by a multivariate normal distribution, it is not clear what test to recommend except in a few settings such as balanced or orthogonal designs. Here we investigate statistical properties, such as accuracy of p-values and powers of exact (Crainiceanu & Ruppert 2004) tests and compare with properties of approximate asymptotic tests. Simultaneous exact confidence regions for variance components and mean parameters are constructed as well.
Contradiction Immunity and Guess-Then-Determine Attacks on Gost
Authors: Courtois Nicolas T. , Gawinecki Jerzy A. , Song Guangyan
Published: April 2013

GOST is a well-known government standard cipher. Since 2011 several academic attacks on GOST have been found. Most of these attacks start by a so called “Complexity Reduction” step [Courtois Cryptologia 2012] the purpose of which is to reduce the problem of breaking the full 32-round GOST to a low-data complexity attack on a reduced-round GOST. These reductions can be viewed as optimisation problems which seek to maximize the number of values inside the cipher determined at given “cost” in terms of guessing other values. In this paper we look at similar combinatorial optimisation questions BUT at the lower level, inside reduced round versions of GOST.

We introduce a key fundamental notion of Contradiction Immunity of a block cipher. A low value translates to working software attacks on GOST with a SAT solver. A high value will be mandatory for any block cipher to be secure. We provide some upper bounds for the Contradiction Immunity of GOST.
An Lwe-Based Key Transfer Protocol with Anonymity
Authors: Georgescu Adela
Published: April 2013

We introduce a new cryptographic protocol based on the wellknown LearningWith Errors (LWE) problem: a group key transfer protocol which achieves anonymity of the members against each others. This issue is almost absent in the key transfer protocols from the literature but we argue it is a practical property. We motivate our construction by a practical need. We use two essential cryptographic primitives built from LWE: LWE Diffie-Hellman key exchange derived from Regev’s work [Regev, O.: On lattices, learning with errors, random linear codes, and cryptography, in: Proc. of the 37th Annual ACM Symposium on Theory of Computing-STOC ’05 (H. N. Gabow and R. Fagin, eds.), Baltimore, MD, USA, 2005, ACM, New York, 2005, pp. 84-93] and a public key cryptosystem secure under the LWE hardness. We provide a security definition for anonymous key transfer protocol and we achieve anonymity against IND-CPA adversaries.
Reliability and cross-cultural validity of the Bulgarian version of IRES-3
Authors: Bakova Desislava R. , Mateva Nonka G.
Published: April 2013

Introduction: The IRES -3 questionnaire (Indicators of rehabilitation status, version 3) was developed to evaluate the rehabilitation effect in patients with psychosomatic, cardiac, orthopedic, oncologic, neurologic, gastroenterological and other disorders. Aim: The aim of the present study was to validate the Bulgarian version of IRES-3 and assess its reliability and internal consistency.

Materials and methods: Validation of the IRES-3 questionnaire was carried out at the Specialized Rehabilitation Hospital, the National Complex PLtd, the Hisar branch. The study included 46 patients: 14 males (30.43%) and 32 females (69.57%). Patients’ age ranged between 43 and 75 years (mean age 63.52 ± 1.27). All participants got preliminary instructions and after that, within a period of one week, they completed the questionnaire two times. To evaluate IRES-3 reliability we used the split-half-reliability model and calculated the Spearman-Brown coefficients (rsb) for each of the scales. Internal consistency was estimated using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. We used the mean value of the inter-item correlation coefficients as well.

Results: The high values of rsb and Cronbach’s coefficient alpha as well as the low values of the inter-item correlation coefficient which were obtained in our study demonstrate that the questionnaire under investigation is of high reliability and internal consistency. Our results are very similar to the results of the original German questionnaire which have been reported in literature.

Conclusion: The Bulgarian version of the IRES-3 questionnaire shows high reliability and cross-cultural validity and can be applied widely for evaluation of the effect of rehabilitation.
Prognostic significance of intraoperative pth test for the development of post-thyroidectomy hypocalcaemia
Authors: Ali Metin M.
Published: April 2013

The high incidence of postoperative hypoparathyroidism after total thyroidectomy and the significant morbidity associated with it can account for the sustained efforts to find reliable, affordable markers for the prognosis of this condition. Therefore, a lot of attention has been paid recently to the perioperative measurement of the parathyroid hormone (PTH) as an immediate indicator showing the parathyroid glands functional status. There are a lot of studies in the relevant literature demonstrating that PTH is a highly sensitive marker, with high specificity to predict development of postoperative hypocalcemia. Recent studies analyze in-depth not only the absolute values of PTH, but also the dynamics of its levels during surgery. The number and timing of sampling for testing is a matter of discussion. Importance is attached also to the hormone testing methods. Research results determine intraoperative PTH (IOPTH) as a valuable additional test for early risk assessment of hypocalcaemia allowing prevention and timely treatment of patients at risk. Early identifi cation of risk groups of patients creates a real opportunity to reduce the incidence of this complication by autotransplantation of parathyroid glands. Despite the encouraging results the predictive accuracy of this indicator is not 100%, which requires careful result interpretation. The fi ndings of researchers are not uniform, probably due to differences in study design, the methods used in PTH testing, and the accepted reference range of serum calcium. This impedes comparison of data and highlights the need for similar analyzes in each specialized center.