bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tyre-Road friction Coefficient: Estimation Adaptive System
Authors: Kashkanov A.A. , Rotshtein A.P. , Kucheruk V.Yu. , Kashkanov V.A.
Published: February 2021

This paper offers an upgraded method for estimating the magnitude of friction between tyres of a motor vehicle and a road surface while investigating road accidents. The above-mentioned method is based on the resultant data of tyre-and-road interworking field tests in case of emergency braking. Such estimation of the magnitude of friction is to be carried out with a focus on the factors affecting the friction processes in the tyreand-road contact. The most important factors, which are included in the synthesized adaptive system used for friction coefficient estimation, have been defined based on the theoretical analysis of the data of deceleration and braking length of motor vehicles. The study of the existing expert methods used for estimating the level of tyre-and-road engagement and the effect of such level on the motional parameters of a motor vehicle has demonstrated the need for upgrading of the existing approaches. Unlike the existing practices, the friction coefficient estimation adaptive system offered by the authors hereof is a self-trainable system. Such system reduces any simulation uncertainty and the probability of occurrence of Type 1 and Type 2 errors. Such result is achieved owing to the fact that the system takes into account the upgraded design of the present-day brake systems and tyres, as well as the speed of motor vehicles and load of their wheels; the system is also efficient because it makes use of the up-to-date mathematical methods which are able to process raw (initial) data under conditions of stochastic and fuzzy uncertainty. The approach offered hereby has demonstrated its efficiency for motor vehicles belonging to categories М1 and N1 and has proven its potential applicability for other categories of motor vehicles.
CULTURAS AGROENERGÉTICAS UTILIZADAS PARA A PRODUÇÃO DE ETANOL
Authors: Divina Costa da Silva Aldriene , Rodrigues de Souza Micaele , Martins Daúde Matheus , Aparecida Ságio Solange
Published: February 2021

Os impactos ambientais causados pelo intenso uso de combustíveis fósseis impulsionam a realização de vários estudos nas últimas décadas voltados a culturas energéticas. Atualmente, o maior produtor mundial de etanol é os Estados Unidos que utiliza, para este fim, a cultura do milho (Zea mays). O Brasil se apresenta como o segundo maior produtor de culturas energéticas, fazendo uso, principalmente, da cultura da cana-de-açúcar. Entretanto, a cultura da batata-doce tem atraído bastante atenção do setor energético, devido ao alto teor de amido presente em sua composição. No Estado do Tocantins, há trabalhos referentes ao melhoramento genético da batata-doce visando a produção de etanol, indicando o seu enorme potencial para ser utilizada na cadeia produtiva de biocombustíveis. O etanol produzido por culturas agroenergéticas pode, futuramente, substituir o combustível fóssil, pois existem muitas culturas com potencial para serem empregadas com essa finalidade. Contudo, ainda é necessária uma maior consolidação por meio de pesquisas para a inserção dessas culturas na cadeia produtiva do etanol. Assim, nesta revisão bibliográfica, são abordadas as principais culturas empregadas para a produção de biocombustível, como a batata-doce.
The method of determining research units for the needs of valorisation of rural landscape at the level of plant cover on the example of the Puchaczów commune.
Authors: Szefler Sylwia
Published: February 2021

The idea of ​​sustainable development of rural areas is not possible to implement without previous research on landscape quality. One of the methods of landscape valorisation is assessment based on the vegetation cover. the method makes it possible to recognize changes that occur in environment. A characteristic feature of plant communities is the development of a specific combination of species in similar habitat conditions. This allows to conclude about other landscape features. the value of flora as an indicator is based on different levels - species, biocenotic, landscape. Plant cover can be an indicator on various scales of landscape research. One of the first stages of valorisation is the designation of relevant research units. The aim of the article is to present a model way of separating research units for the needs of valorisation of rural landscape. The area where the author presents the research model is the Puchaczów commune.
Higher Education in Pakistan and Malaysia: A Comparative Analysis of their Education Policies in the Modern Era of Technology
Authors: Haider Kamal , Kerio Ghulam Ali , Kazimi Anjum Bano
Published: February 2021

The Government of Pakistan through the Ministry of Education (Now Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training) has formulated various Education Policies since 1970, all could not have achieved the target objectives due to poor governance, lack of budget, and a dearth of implementation of formulated policies. While Malaysia through the Ministry of Higher Education has successfully introduced "NHEAP 2007-2010, NHESP 2011-2015 and MEBHE 2015-2025" to achieve the vision of making Malaysia an international hub for HE by 2020. To serve the mentioned purpose, five International University Campuses were established. The current study is conducted to compare Pakistan's and Malaysian HE policies so to highlight the gaps/weaknesses of Pakistan's HE policies and strategies adopted by Malaysian policymakers to form a better HE system. For the purpose qualitative approach was selected and contents of written documents were compared and analyzed, i.e., education policies & reports, research papers/scholarly articles, dissertations & books.
Social Exclusion and Older Persons: A Case of Millennium of Isolation
Authors: Zeeshan Mahwish
Published: February 2021

Old age social exclusion is a crucial issue all over the world. The ways in which social exclusion may affect older people have largely been neglected. This article seeks to generate a better understanding of the dimensions of social exclusion relevant to older people highlighting the causes and effects of social exclusion of old age. Poverty and health issues are important elements of the social exclusion. This data is based on in-depth interviews from the old age people of union council Jalalabad in Multan. 38 respondents were selected from the union council Jalalabad through purposive sampling. Based on in-depth interviews of the respondents containing questions related to the causes and effects of social exclusion it is recommended that government and private institutions should promote the awareness in people to alleviate the social exclusion issue from the society.
Facebook Mania of Youth and Satisfaction of their Needs in Pakistan: A uses and Gratification Analysis
Authors: Jan Azam , Mehsud Muhammad Imran , Adnan Malik
Published: February 2021

The consumption of social media has become a universal phenomenon. Everyone around the globe makes use of social networking media in its own way and style. Some users are found engaged in social media use around the clock, whereas others make use of the same for varying time duration. Some of the users use social networking sites just to kill time while others use these sites for the satisfaction of their social and psychological needs. This paper intended to investigate the consumption pattern of Facebook to ascertain how maniac the students are in use of the site. The study also aimed at exploring the satisfaction of youth’s needs through Facebook use. The intended needs the users were supposed to satisfy by making use of Facebook included information, social interaction and entertainment. The study was quantitative in nature and employed survey method as the research design. The data was gathered through a questionnaire from 181 respondents drawn as a sample from the two southern universities of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa. In the sample, 137 were male students, whereas 44 were female students of Kushhal Khan Khattak University Karak and Kohat University of Science and Technology Kohat. The questionnaire consisted of four items, such as respondents’ consumption pattern, and the needs of information, social interaction, and entertainment. Collected data were analyzed through SPSS version 23. The findings revealed that most of the students, both male and female, spent a fair amount of time in Facebook use to gratify their social and psychological needs of information, social interaction, and entertainment.
Low-molecular-weight heparin versus unfractionated heparin in pediatric traumatic brain injury
Authors: van Erp Inge A. , Gaitanidis Apostolos , El Moheb Mohamad , Kaafarani Haytham M. A. , Saillant Noelle , Duhaime Ann-Christine , Mendoza April E.
Published: February 2021

OBJECTIVE

The incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) has increased significantly. The Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma recommends using low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) over unfractionated heparin (UH) in pediatric patients requiring VTE prophylaxis, although this strategy is unsupported by the literature. In this study, the authors compare the outcomes of pediatric TBI patients receiving LMWH versus UH.

METHODS

The authors performed a 4-year (2014–2017) analysis of the pediatric American College of Surgeons Trauma Quality Improvement Program. All trauma patients (age ≤ 18 years) with TBI requiring thromboprophylaxis with UH or LMWH were potentially eligible for inclusion. Patients who had been transferred, had died in the emergency department, or had penetrating trauma were excluded. Patients were stratified into either the LMWH or the UH group on the basis of the prophylaxis they had received. Patients were matched on the basis of demographics, injury characteristics, vital signs, and transfusion requirements using propensity score matching (PSM). The study endpoints were VTE, death, and craniotomy after initiation of prophylaxis. Univariate analysis was performed after PSM to compare outcomes.

RESULTS

A total of 2479 patients met the inclusion criteria (mean age 15.5 ± 3.7 years and 32.0% female), of which 1570 (63.3%) had received LMWH and 909 (36.7%) had received UH. Before PSM, patients receiving UH were younger, had a lower Glasgow Coma Scale score, and had a higher Injury Severity Score. Patients treated in pediatric hospitals were more likely to receive UH (12.9% vs 9.0%, p < 0.001) than patients treated in adult hospitals. Matched patients receiving UH had a higher incidence of VTE (5.1% vs 2.9%, p = 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS

LMWH prophylaxis in pediatric TBI appears to be more effective than UH in preventing VTE. Large, multicenter prospective studies are warranted to confirm the superiority of LMWH over UH in pediatric patients with TBI. Moreover, outcomes of VTE prophylaxis in the very young remain understudied; therefore, dedicated studies to evaluate this population are needed.
Age-Related Chronic Diseases and Alzheimer’s Disease in Texas: A Hispanic Focused Study
Authors: Sheladia Shyam , Reddy P. Hemachandra
Published: February 2021

The emergence of age-related chronic diseases within the United States has led to the direct increase of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) as well as other neurological diseases which ultimately contribute to the development of dementia within the general population. To be specific, age-related chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, and kidney disease contribute greatly to the advancement and rapid progression of dementia. Furthermore, unmodifiable risk factors such as advancing age and genetics as well as modifiable risk factors such as socioeconomic status, educational attainment, exercise, and diet further contribute to the development of dementia. Current statistics and research show that minority populations such as Hispanic Americans in the United States face the greatest burden of dementia due to the increase in the prevalence of overall population age, predisposing genetics, age-related chronic diseases, low socioeconomic status, as well as poor lifestyle choices and habits. Additionally, Hispanic Americans living within Texas and the rural areas of West Texas face the added challenge of finding appropriate healthcare services. This article will focus upon the research associated with AD as well as the prevalence of AD within the Hispanic American population of Texas and rural West Texas. Furthermore, this article will also discuss the prevalence of age-related chronic diseases, unmodifiable risk factors, and modifiable risk factors which lead to the progression and development of AD within the Hispanic American population of the United States, Texas, and rural West Texas.
Research on improved hough algorithm and its application in lunar crater
Authors: Zhou Lanfeng , Li Ling
Published: February 2021

Traditional Hough circle detection algorithm usually determines the center and radius of a circle by mapping points in cartesian coordinate system to polar coordinate system. Since it accumulates in the three-dimensional space, it requires more calculation consumption. In this paper, we solve the problem of high time complexity of Hough algorithm in judging circle radius and circle center from two aspects of circle angle and circle radius according to the geometric features of quasi-circles. A large number of experiments show that, compared with the traditional algorithm, this algorithm can not only identify quasi-circles, but also improve the detection success rate of circles by about 10%, with efficient running speed, and obtain good experimental results in the detection of craters.
Information security assessment of wireless sensor networks based on bayesian attack graphs
Authors: Chen You Ying , Xu Bing , Long Jun
Published: February 2021

Network security issues have become increasingly prominent, and information security risk assessment is an important part of network security protection. Security risk assessment based on methods such as attack trees, attack graphs, neural networks, and fuzzy logic has problems such as difficulty in data collection during the assessment process, excessive reliance on expert experience, failure to consider the actual network environment, or ineffective joint application. The qualitative and quantitative information security fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method uses the theory of fuzzy mathematics to better solve the above problems, so that the evaluation method is scientific, comprehensive and operable. To improve the accuracy of information security risk assessment in wireless sensor networks, we propose a fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method based on Bayesian attack graphs. This considers the impact of environmental factors of the assessed system on security risk and the spread of the effects on the Bayesian network. Therefore, this model can reflect possible situations due to network attacks in the wireless sensor network system. The results show that this quantitative evaluation method is applicable to assessing risk in wireless sensor network systems, and the results are more objective and accurate.
Report of the Board of Directors to the Congress of Colombia - July 2020
Authors: Carrasquilla-Barrera Alberto , Galindo-Andrade Arturo José , Hernández-Correa Gerardo , Maiguashca-Olano Ana Fernanda , Soto Carolina , Steiner-Sampedro Roberto , Echavarría-Soto Juan José
Published: February 2021

In Colombia, as well as in the rest of the world, the Covid-19 pandemic has seriously damaged the health and well-being of the people. In order to limit the damage, local and national authorities have had to order large sectors of the population to be confined at their homes for long periods of time. An inevitable consequence of isolation has been the collapse of economic activity, expenditure, and employment, a phenomenon that has hit many countries of the world affected by the disease. It is an unprecedented crisis in modern times, not so much for its intensity (which is undoubtedly immense), but because its origin is not economic. That is what makes it so unpredictable and difficult to manage. Naturally, its economic consequences are enormous. Governments and central banks from all over the world are struggling to mitigate them, but the final solution is not in the hands of the economic authorities. Only science can provide a way out. In the meantime, the economic indicators in Colombia and in the rest of the world cause concern. The output falls, the massive loss of jobs, and the closure of businesses of all sizes have become daily news. Added to this, there is the deterioration in global financial conditions and the increase in the risk indicators. Financial volatility has increased and stock indexes have fallen. In the face of the lower global demand, export prices of raw materials have fallen, affecting the terms of trade for producing countries. Workers’ remittances have declined due to the increase of unemployment in developed countries. This crisis has also generated a strong reduction of global trade of goods and services, and effects on the global value chains. Central banks around the world have reacted decisively and quickly with strong liquidity injections and significant cuts to their interest rates. By mid-July, such determined response had succeeded to revert much of the initial deterioration in global financial conditions. The stock exchanges stopped their fall, and showed significant recovery in several countries. Risk premia, which at the beginning of the crisis took an unusual leap, recorded substantial corrections. Something similar happened with the volatility indexes of global financial markets, which exhibited significant improvement. Flexibilization of confinement measures in some economies, broad global liquidity, and fiscal policy measures have also contributed to improve global external financial conditions, albeit with indicators that still do not return to their pre-Covid levels.
Nurbs modeling for design waterline based on the variation of sectional area curve
Authors: Nguyễn Hoa Thị Ngọc , Vu Ngoc Bich , Le Tat-Hien
Published: February 2021

Hull form design from parent ships transforms the ship's parameters based on the variation of theoretical sectional area curve of the Lackenby method. The correction and modification of the theoretical sectional area curve is essentially the change of ship displacement, hull form coefficients, and the longitudinal center of buoyancy from the parent ships. In the preliminary design stage, the hull form design approach from parent ships minimizes the risks compared to the new design while still retaining hydrostatic and hydrodynamics' advantages. However, the Lackenby method of ship hull form variation uses a linear or quadratic function to shift the sectional area curves, regardless of the ship's hull form faring, especially the curvature's discontinuity the bow, stern, and midship. Therefore, the computer graphic algorithm based on the B-spline function is studied and applied; simultaneously, the mathematical model for the designed waterline is built in the form of a continuous curve instead of the B-spline segments. In this study, the mathematical model for the coastal container ship's design water line is constructed, ensuring continuity and fairing throughout the continuous B-spline curve. The geometry continuity evaluation results are expressed through the parameter curve's curvature and resistance component calculations' performance by computational analysis.
Use of 99m Tc in The Field of Radiofarmation: A Review
Authors: Kelutur Faruk Jayanto , Abdul Holik Holis
Published: February 2021

A B S T R A C TTechnetium-99m ( 99m Tc) has been applied in nuclear medicine as a radiopharmacyfor both diagnosis and therapy. 99m Tc is obtained from a 99 Mo/ 99m Tc (half-life 66 h)generator in the form of sodium pertechnetate (Na[ 99m TcO 4 ]) by decaying to 99 Tc for 6hours and emitting gamma energy rays (Eɤ = 140 keV). This radionuclide has anelectron configuration of 4d 5 5s 2 , which will form complexes with different ligandsand have oxidation rates from +1 to +7. The coordinated complex of technetium-99mhas been utilized in nuclear medicine in tissues and organs (thyroid, red and whiteblood cells, kidneys, brain, myocardial, and bone). The resulting kit production musthave based on Good Manufacturing Practice, which consists of batch planning,washing, sterilization of glassware and stopper, starting material, preparation oflarge quantities of the solution, sterile filtration, dispensing, crimping, a summary ofprocess control, quarantine, packaging and leaving the production premises.
Bioethical Principles of Use of Experimental Animals in Biomedical Research
Authors: Hidayat Rachmat , Patricia Wulandari
Published: February 2021

A B S T R A C TResearch is an activity carried out based on scientific principles and methodssystematically to obtain information, data, and information from related subjects, withunderstanding the theory and proving assumptions and / or hypotheses. The resultsobtained are conclusions that can be applied or become additional knowledge for theadvancement of science. However, research activities must still respect the rights anddignity of research subjects. Health research includes biomedical, epidemiological,social, and behavioral research. Some health research can be done in vitro, usingmathematical models, or computer simulations.
KETERANGKUMAN KEWANGAN DAN PERTUMBUHAN FIRMA DI MALAYSIA DAN INDONESIA: ANALISIS REGRESI AMBANG (Financial Inclusion and Firm Growth in Malaysia and Indonesia: A Threshold Regression Analysis)
Authors: Abdul Karim Zulkefly , Nizam Rosmah , Sarmidi Tamat , Abdul Rahman Aisyah
Published: February 2021

Kertas ini bertujuan untuk mengkaji kesan keterangkuman kewangan terhadap pertumbuhan firma dalam kalangan firma kecil, sederhana dan besar (275 buah firma) di negara Malaysia dan Indonesia dengan menggunakan teknik penganggaran regresi ambang keratan rentas. Tahap keterangkuman kewangan diukur berdasarkan agihan perkhidmatan kewangan merentasi firma iaitu akses kepada kredit. Keputusan kajian mendapati wujud kesan tidak monotonik dalam hubungan antara keterangkuman kewangan dan pertumbuhan firma, yang mana kesan keterangkuman kewangan terhadap pertumbuhan firma hanya signifikan dan positif di bawah tahap ambang. Implikasi dasar daripada kajian ini mencadangkan pemilik firma dan institusi kewangan perlu mengekang pengagihan akses kepada kredit supaya berada dalam lingkungan nilai optimum atau tahap ambang untuk menjamin pertumbuhan firma.      Abstract    This paper aims to investigate the effects of financial inclusion on the firms’ growth from selected small, medium and large firms (275 firms) in Malaysia and Indonesia countries using a cross section threshold estimation technique. The levels of financial inclusion across firms were measured based on the distribution of financial services across the selected firms (access to credit).  This paper reveals that there is a non-monotonic effect in the financial inclusion-firm’s growth nexus in which the impact of financial inclusion on firm growth is significantly positive below a certain threshold point. The main finding suggest that the firms’ owners and banking institutions should restrict the distribution of credit access within the optimum value or threshold level in promoting the growth of the firms.    Keywords: Financial inclusion; firm growth; threshold estimation.
VARNOST STAVB OB TERORISTIČNEM BOMBNEM NAPADU
Authors: PAJNTAR TOMAŽ
Published: February 2021

Teroristične organizacije pogosto izvajajo bombne napade v bližini objektov, v katerih se ljudje zbirajo. Eksplozija v bližini stavbe ima lahko na stavbo katastrofalne učinke in lahko povzroči progresivno rušenje stavbe. Da bi ugotovil, kako varne so stavbe ob eksploziji, sem v članku s praktično računsko metodo pokazal učinke eksplozije in odziv gradbene konstrukcije glede na oddaljenost vira eksplozije in količine eksplozivnega sredstva. Preprečevanje progresivnega rušenja zgradbe, izpostavljene eksploziji, je glavni način obvarovanja stavb pred učinki eksplozije, to pa najlažje zagotovimo z vzpostavitvijo varnostne razdalje. Tako se prepreči možnost približevanja vira eksplozije v bližino stavb.

Terrorist organizations often carry out attacks in the vicinity of buildings that serve as gathering points. A blast in the vicinity of any construction may have catastrophic consequences and can lead to progressive collapse of the building. In order to determine the level of safety of buildings in the event of a blast, I used a practical calculation method of blast effect and a structural response of buildings, depending on the amount of explosive used and its distance from the target. The main method to protect buildings, exposed to a blast, from effects of a blast is to prevent their progressive collapse. The easiest way to do this is to establish a safe distance, which prevents the source of a blast from getting close to a building.
GLOBAL SUCCESS OF »EUROPE 2020« – REMODELLING EDUCATION SYSTEMS, EVEN MILITARY ONES?
Authors: Stănică Olivian
Published: February 2021

For 2020-2025, according to forecasts, the education system will be different from today, because it will be necessary for a new set of skills and competencies to be developed among the young generation, new curricula or types of curricula, new paths and innovative ways of learning and assessment, different roles for teachers/ instructors and educational institutions as a result of the different impacts of the new technologies. Promoting a European security culture through military education at all levels of the military career will require a common approach. In national education systems, as in the education systems in the European Union, there is a clear trend in favour of teaching and learning based on skills and of a result-oriented approach to learning that should explicitly express the real needs of the beneficiaries. All European Armed Forces have been undergoing a transformation process for several years. They have reduced their military power as a result of the changing threats and the emergence of new missions. In strategic planning, conventions and processes, the Armed Forces have taken into account the challenges the military personnel (officer, non-commissioned officer, warrant officer, professional soldier) must face. Therefore, the modern military education system is inevitably required to permanently comprise the features of war, in terms of complexity and indisputable uncertainties. Po napovedih naj bi se v letih 2020–2025 sistem izobraževanja razlikoval od današnjega, saj bo za mlado generacijo zaradi različnih vplivov novih tehnologij treba oblikovati nov nabor znanja, spretnosti in kompetenc, nove izobraževalne programe ali vrste izobraževalnih programov, nove poti in ustvarjalne načine učenja in ocenjevanja ter različne vloge učiteljev oziroma inštruktorjev in izobraževalnih ustanov. Spodbujanje evropske varnostne kulture z vojaškim izobraževanjem na vseh stopnjah vojaške poklicne poti zahteva skupen pristop. V nacionalnih izobraževalnih sistemih, kot so izobraževalni sistemi v Evropski uniji, obstaja jasna težnja k poučevanju in učenju, ki temelji na spretnostih, ter k ciljno naravnanemu pristopu k učenju, ki naj bi izrecno izražal resnične potrebe upravičencev. Pri vseh evropskih oboroženih silah že več let poteka transformacija. Njihova vojaška moč se je zaradi spreminjajočih se groženj in novih poslanstev zmanjšala. Pri strateškem načrtovanju, konvencijah in procesih oborožene sile upoštevajo izzive, s katerimi se spopada njihovo vojaško osebje (častniki, podčastniki, vojaški specialisti in poklicni vojaki), zato morajo biti v sodobni sistem vojaškega izobraževanja vedno nujno vključene tudi značilnosti vojne v smislu kompleksnosti in neizpodbitne negotovosti.
IZOBRAŽEVANJE ČASTNIKOV – OD RAZPRAV O ORGANIZIRANOSTI K RAZMISLEKU O VSEBINAH
Authors: VEGIČ VINKO , ZABUKOVEC STOJAN
Published: February 2021

Sodobne vojaške organizacije izobraževanje častnikov nenehno prilagajajo novim zahtevam. V prispevku so najprej na kratko prikazani sedanji izzivi, s katerimi se pri izobraževanju častnikov srečujejo v večini zahodnih držav. V drugem delu je predstavljen pristop k izobraževanju in usposabljanju v Natu, predvsem z vidika značilnosti, ki so aktualne tudi za razmislek o izobraževanju v Slovenski vojski. V zadnjem delu pa prikažemo značilnosti, temeljne težave in izzive izobraževanja častnikov v Slovenski vojski. Pomanjkljivosti izobraževanja se kažejo predvsem na nadaljevalni ravni. Programe bi bilo treba prilagoditi sodobnim zahtevam vojaške profesije in ob tem tudi izboljšati kakovost njihovega izvajanja. Do zdaj je bila pozornost namenjena predvsem spremembam organizacijske strukture izobraževanja, vprašanja zahtev in ciljev ter kakovosti pa niso bila ustrezno obravnavana. V prihodnje bo treba več pozornosti nameniti prav tem vprašanjem in šele, ko bodo znani jasni odgovori, je smiselna tudi razprava o organizacijskih rešitvah. Contemporary military organizations constantly adjust officer education to new requirements. The article begins with a short depiction of the current challenges in officer education, which appear in most Western states. This is followed by the presentation of NATO’s approach to education and training, from the viewpoint of the characteristics relevant for consideration in the Slovenian Armed Forces. The last part of the article deals with characteristics, basic issues and challenges in officer education in the Slovenian Armed Forces. Shortcomings mostly exist at a higher level of education. Educational programmes need to be aligned with contemporary requirements of the military profession, and the quality of implementation should be improved. So far, attention has mainly been given to changes in the organizational structure of education, while educational requirements, goals and quality issues were not adequately addressed. In the future, more attention should be devoted to the latter issues, and only after reaching clear solutions, the discussion on organizational issues seems reasonable.
IDENTIFICATION OF RELATION BETWEEN BUSINESS MODEL AND BUSINESS STRATEGY AND MEASUREMENT OF ITS TIGHTNESS
Authors: Slávik Štefan , Hanák Robert
Published: February 2021

Business model and business strategy fundamentally characterize and predetermine the essence of a company and its action. Research has already brought a fairly extensive knowledge of the model and strategy too. There is also emerging evidence that describes the relationship between model and strategy, but it is not verified by empirical research. The research confirmed the existence of a real relation between model and strategy using quantitative methods. Business model impacts significantly on the market position of the company, has got implications for competitive advantage, originality/uniqueness of the company action and of its passivity/activity. The acquired knowledge can be used to purposeful alignment of model and strategy. A higher degree of intensity of this relationship improves the market position of the company and may be a potential source of higher company performance.
Keywords: business model, business strategy, model-strategy-relation, market position.
Wilson’s Disease Presenting With Haematuria and Swelling
Authors: Dutta Pradip Kumar , Md Jabed Syed , Kashem Md Abul , Das Saibal , Huda Md Nurul
Published: February 2021

Wilson’s disease gene located in Chromosime 3 is also expressed in Kidneys. So Wilson’s disease may have renal manifestations either as primary even or secondarily as Hepato renal syndrome. Patients commonly manifest as Fanconi syndrome or Urolithiasis. Haematuria and proteinuria is a rare manifestation. Here we are presenting a case who initially presented with haematuria and proteinuria (Acute nephritic syndrome) which masked features of Wilson’s disease and late diagnosis.

JCMCTA 2012; 23(1): 51-52
ВИЗНАЧЕННЯ НЕСУЧОЇ ЗДАТНОСТІ ЗАЛІЗОБЕТОННИХ БАЛОК З ПОШКОДЖЕНЯМ ЗА ДІЇ НАВАНТАЖЕННЯ
Authors: ЛОБОДАНОВ М.М. , ВЕГЕРА П.І. , БЛІХАРСЬКИЙ З.Я.
Published: February 2021

В статті наведено результати експериментальних та теоретичних досліджень залізобетонних балок з пошкодженням бетону в стиснутій зоні за дії навантаження. Для порівняння впливу пошкодження, було виконано дослідження залізобетонних балок без пошкодження, з пошкодженням без дії навантаження і з пошкодженням за дії навантаження. В останньому випадку зменшення стиснутої зони здійснювалось при рівні 0.3 від руйнівного навантаження контрольного зразка. Таким чином, пошкодження здійснювалось в першій стадії напруженодеформованого дослідного зразка - до появи тріщин. Для моделювання було взято розрахункову програму FEMAP, з використанням розрахункового апарату NX Nastran. Пошкодження здійснене по середині стиснутої зони розмірами 30х20мм. Для теоретичного моделювання використовувався програмний розрахунковий комплекс FEMAP з використанням обчислювального апарату NX Nastran. Також, було проведено порівняння розподілу внутрішніх напружень експериментального і теоретичного зразків при пошкодженні бетону. Дослідження показало збільшення несучої здатності при пошкодженні елемента при навантаженні 0,3 від очікуваної величини руйнівного навантаження контрольного зразка, в порівнянні при пошкодженні до дії навантаження. Втрата несучої здатності при пошкодженні під дією навантаження в порівнянні зі зразком без пошкоджень становить 18,9%. Пошкодження впливає і на тріщиностійкість елемента, та утворення не типових тріщин. Утворення не типових тріщин відбувається зарахунок зміни напрямку головних напружень із виконанням пошкодження. Цей досвід показав, що допустиме відхилення не було перевищено за рахунок значного зменшення точності розрахунку. Однак, при необхідності можна зменшити відсоток відхилення показань через складність розрахунку. Існують різні способи зменшити відхилення, підвищити відповідності фізико-механічних характеристик матеріалів (наприклад, використовувати нелінійні діаграми замість білінійних), збільшення кількість кінцевих елементів та інші. А також їх комбінації.
Potential Relationship Between Lifestyle Changes and Incidence of Hospital Admissions for Acute Coronary Syndrome During the COVID-19 Lockdown
Authors: Tsigkas Grigorios , Koufou Eleni-Evangelia , Katsanos Konstantinos , Patrinos Panagiotis , Moulias Athanasios , Miliordos Ioannis , Almpanis Georgios , Christodoulou Ioannis , Papanikolaou Fotini , Dimitroula Theodora , Kivetos Andreas , Vardas Panagiotis , Davlouros Periklis
Published: February 2021

Aims: To evaluate the impact of lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic on lifestyle changes of the general population, and on admissions for acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

Methods and Results: All ACS admissions during the COVID-19 lockdown (10 March to 4 May, 2020), in 3 municipalities (3 spoke, and 1 hub hospital), in Southwestern Greece (411,576 inhabitants), were prospectively recorded and compared to the equivalent periods during 2018, and 2019. A telephone survey of 1014 participants was conducted to explore the lifestyle habits of citizens aged ≥35-years-old before and during lockdown. The median ACS incidence rate decreased from 19.0 cases per week in 2018 and 21.5 in 2019 down to 13.0 in 2020 (RR: 0.66 during the Covid-19 lockdown; 95%CI: 0.53–0.82; P = 0.0002). This was driven by a significant reduction of admissions for Non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) (RR: 0.68; 95%CI: 0.52–0.88; P = 0.0037), mainly in patients with a lower burden of cardiovascular risk factors, as we noticed an inverse association between the reduction of the incidence of ACS during the Covid-19 lockdown period and the number of registered patient risk factors. There was no difference in the rates of STEMI and population-based all-cause mortality across the examined time periods. The telephone survey demonstrated reduction of passive smoking, working hours, alcohol, junk food and salt consumption, and an increase in sleeping hours, mainly in participants with a lower burden of cardiovascular risk factors.

Conclusions: A significant decline in ACS admissions during the COVID-19 lockdown was noted, affecting mainly NSTEMI patients with a lower burden of cardiovascular risk factors. This was accompanied by significant lifestyle changes. Thus, it is tempting to speculate that to some extend the latter might be associated with the observed decline in ACS admissions.
Improving the Methanol Tolerance of an Escherichia coli Methylotroph via Adaptive Laboratory Evolution Enhances Synthetic Methanol Utilization
Authors: Bennett R. Kyle , Gregory Gwendolyn J. , Gonzalez Jacqueline E. , Har Jie Ren Gerald , Antoniewicz Maciek R. , Papoutsakis Eleftherios T.
Published: February 2021

There is great interest in developing synthetic methylotrophs that harbor methane and methanol utilization pathways in heterologous hosts such as Escherichia coli for industrial bioconversion of one-carbon compounds. While there are recent reports that describe the successful engineering of synthetic methylotrophs, additional efforts are required to achieve the robust methylotrophic phenotypes required for industrial realization. Here, we address an important issue of synthetic methylotrophy in E. coli: methanol toxicity. Both methanol, and its oxidation product, formaldehyde, are cytotoxic to cells. Methanol alters the fluidity and biological properties of cellular membranes while formaldehyde reacts readily with proteins and nucleic acids. Thus, efforts to enhance the methanol tolerance of synthetic methylotrophs are important. Here, adaptive laboratory evolution was performed to improve the methanol tolerance of several E. coli strains, both methylotrophic and non-methylotrophic. Serial batch passaging in rich medium containing toxic methanol concentrations yielded clones exhibiting improved methanol tolerance. In several cases, these evolved clones exhibited a > 50% improvement in growth rate and biomass yield in the presence of high methanol concentrations compared to the respective parental strains. Importantly, one evolved clone exhibited a two to threefold improvement in the methanol utilization phenotype, as determined via 13C-labeling, at non-toxic, industrially relevant methanol concentrations compared to the respective parental strain. Whole genome sequencing was performed to identify causative mutations contributing to methanol tolerance. Common mutations were identified in 30S ribosomal subunit proteins, which increased translational accuracy and provided insight into a novel methanol tolerance mechanism. This study addresses an important issue of synthetic methylotrophy in E. coli and provides insight as to how methanol toxicity can be alleviated via enhancing methanol tolerance. Coupled improvement of methanol tolerance and synthetic methanol utilization is an important advancement for the field of synthetic methylotrophy.
Insomnia – A Heterogenic Disorder Often Comorbid With Psychological and Somatic Disorders and Diseases: A Narrative Review With Focus on Diagnostic and Treatment Challenges
Authors: Bjorvatn Bjørn , Jernelöv Susanna , Pallesen Ståle
Published: February 2021

Patients with insomnia complain of problems with sleep onset or sleep maintenance or early morning awakenings, or a combination of these, despite adequate opportunity and circumstances for sleep. In addition, to fulfill the diagnostic criteria for insomnia the complaints need to be associated with negative daytime consequences. For chronic insomnia, the symptoms are required to be present at least 3 days per week for a duration of at least 3 months. Lastly, for insomnia to be defined as a disorder, the sleep complaints and daytime symptoms should not be better explained by another sleep disorder. This criterion represents a diagnostic challenge, since patients suffering from other sleep disorders often complain of insomnia symptoms. For instance, insomnia symptoms are common in e.g., obstructive sleep apnea and circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders. It may sometimes be difficult to disentangle whether the patient suffers from insomnia disorder or whether the insomnia symptoms are purely due to another sleep disorder. Furthermore, insomnia disorder may be comorbid with other sleep disorders in some patients, e.g., comorbid insomnia and sleep apnea (COMISA). In addition, insomnia disorder is often comorbid with psychological or somatic disorders and diseases. Thus, a thorough assessment is necessary for correct diagnostics. For chronic insomnia disorder, treatment-of-choice is cognitive behavioral therapy, and such treatment is also effective when the insomnia disorder appears comorbid with other diagnoses. Furthermore, studies suggest that insomnia is a heterogenic disorder with many different phenotypes or subtypes. Different insomnia subtypes may respond differently to treatment, but more research on this issue is warranted. Also, the role of comorbidity on treatment outcome is understudied. This review is part of a Research Topic on insomnia launched by Frontiers and focuses on diagnostic and treatment challenges of the disorder. The review aims to stimulate to more research into the bidirectional associations and interactions between insomnia disorder and other sleep, psychological, and somatic disorders/diseases.
Protein Hydrolysates Supplement in the Nutrient Solution of Soilless Grown Fresh Peppermint and Spearmint as a Tool for Improving Product Quality
Authors: Aktsoglou Danai-Christina , Kasampalis Dimitrios S. , Sarrou Eirini , Tsouvaltzis Pavlos , Chatzopoulou Paschalina , Martens Stefan , Siomos Anastasios S.
Published: February 2021

The present study investigated the potential of fresh peppermint (Mentha × piperita L.) and spearmint (Menthaspicata L.) production on a floating raft system combined with a commercial protein hydrolysate supplement (Amino16®) in a nutrient solution aiming to improve plant product quality. Three levels of the protein hydrolysate solution (0, 0.25 and 0.50%) were added in the nutrient solution, and the plants were harvested after twenty-four days. Plant growth characteristics were recorded, and nutritional, essential oil and polyphenolic composition were determined in fresh tissue. The addition of protein hydrolysates did not affect the fresh or dry weight but reduced plant height. Nitrate content significantly decreased, while total chlorophyll and essential oil content increased in both species. Moreover, the protein hydrolysate solution further increased total antioxidant capacity, total soluble phenol and carotenoid contents in spearmint plants, while it did not affect the essential oil and polyphenolic composition in both species. In conclusion, protein hydrolysates solution may be added in the nutrient solution, to improve the quality of peppermint and spearmint grown in a floating system, without adverse effects on crop yield or the essential oil and polyphenolic profile.
Potential Role of Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Therapies to Prevent Severe SARS-Cov-2 Complications
Authors: Fratta Pasini Anna M. , Stranieri Chiara , Cominacini Luciano , Mozzini Chiara
Published: February 2021

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is caused by a novel severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-like coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). Here, we review the molecular pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 and its relationship with oxidative stress (OS) and inflammation. Furthermore, we analyze the potential role of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory therapies to prevent severe complications. OS has a potential key role in the COVID-19 pathogenesis by triggering the NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 inflammasome and nuclear factor-kB (NF-kB). While exposure to many pro-oxidants usually induces nuclear factor erythroid 2 p45-related factor2 (NRF2) activation and upregulation of antioxidant related elements expression, respiratory viral infections often inhibit NRF2 and/or activate NF-kB pathways, resulting in inflammation and oxidative injury. Hence, the use of radical scavengers like N-acetylcysteine and vitamin C, as well as of steroids and inflammasome inhibitors, has been proposed. The NRF2 pathway has been shown to be suppressed in severe SARS-CoV-2 patients. Pharmacological NRF2 inducers have been reported to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication, the inflammatory response, and transmembrane protease serine 2 activation, which for the entry of SARS-CoV-2 into the host cells through the angiotensin converting enzyme 2 receptor. Thus, NRF2 activation may represent a potential path out of the woods in COVID-19 pandemic.
Flavonol Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Onions (Allium cepa L.) Based on the Development of New Analytical Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction Methods
Authors: González-de-Peredo Ana V. , Vázquez-Espinosa Mercedes , Espada-Bellido Estrella , Carrera Ceferino , Ferreiro-González Marta , Barbero Gerardo F. , Palma Miguel
Published: February 2021

The onion is one of the most cultivated and consumed vegetables, and is a very valuable source of antioxidant substances. Every onion variety is rich in flavonols—mainly quercetin derivatives which makes onions the main dietary source of these compounds. This study intends to develop an ultrasound-assisted extraction method (UAE), an economical, green, and efficient technique, that allows us to determine the quality of onion extracts in terms of flavonol composition and antioxidant activity. For this purpose, an ultrasound-assisted extraction method has been optimized to obtain extracts with a high amount of flavonols, as well as with a high antioxidant activity, not only separately using a Box–Behnken design, but also simultaneously, based on multi-response optimization. Multiple response optimization has not only demonstrated an efficacy level similar to that of the individual ones, but it also represents a considerable reduction in terms of cost, time and work. The optimal conditions for simultaneous extractions were determined as follows: 76.8% methanol as an extraction solvent at pH 2 and 58.5 °C temperature, 85% amplitude, 0.9 s cycle, and 0.2:13 g:mL sample mass/solvent volume ratio. Furthermore, the developed method exhibited a high precision level and great recoveries in a rather short extraction time (2 min). These results, together with the development of a fast and simple UHPLC analysis method, lead us to consider the developed UAE method as a suitable technique for the extraction of bioactive compounds from onion matrices.
Abiotic Stress and Reactive Oxygen Species: Generation, Signaling, and Defense Mechanisms
Authors: Sachdev Swati , Ansari Shamim Akhtar , Ansari Mohammad Israil , Fujita Masayuki , Hasanuzzaman Mirza
Published: February 2021

Climate change is an invisible, silent killer with calamitous effects on living organisms. As the sessile organism, plants experience a diverse array of abiotic stresses during ontogenesis. The relentless climatic changes amplify the intensity and duration of stresses, making plants dwindle to survive. Plants convert 1–2% of consumed oxygen into reactive oxygen species (ROS), in particular, singlet oxygen (1O2), superoxide radical (O2•–), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), hydroxyl radical (•OH), etc. as a byproduct of aerobic metabolism in different cell organelles such as chloroplast, mitochondria, etc. The regulatory network comprising enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant systems tends to keep the magnitude of ROS within plant cells to a non-damaging level. However, under stress conditions, the production rate of ROS increases exponentially, exceeding the potential of antioxidant scavengers instigating oxidative burst, which affects biomolecules and disturbs cellular redox homeostasis. ROS are similar to a double-edged sword; and, when present below the threshold level, mediate redox signaling pathways that actuate plant growth, development, and acclimatization against stresses. The production of ROS in plant cells displays both detrimental and beneficial effects. However, exact pathways of ROS mediated stress alleviation are yet to be fully elucidated. Therefore, the review deposits information about the status of known sites of production, signaling mechanisms/pathways, effects, and management of ROS within plant cells under stress. In addition, the role played by advancement in modern techniques such as molecular priming, systems biology, phenomics, and crop modeling in preventing oxidative stress, as well as diverting ROS into signaling pathways has been canvassed.