bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The case study of 10 historical gardens in the Banat region
Authors: Hegedűs Noémi Melitta
Published: February 2019

The object of the research is developed around the historical gardens belonging to certain historical monuments, more precisely in relation to the palaces and manors of aristocratic families from the Banat area. These gardens are selected according to certain criteria that preserve physical and documentary stylistic and memorial values. The aim of the research is the studying of a frequently met phenomenon both as specialists in the field and as simple citizens, that is, the loss of values of a building and its surroundings, which at the time of their construction had a special historical and architectural value, but with the passing of time they lost some of these values due to political, social, and cultural changes. The gardens, manors, and palaces are testimonies of the past. They present a private and urban lifestyle at a certain social, cultural, and architectural level. This paper has the purpose of investigating these still existing landscape arrangements as well as the main factors that lead to their transformation, their problematics being discussed from its historical, architectural, and social-cultural perspective.
Researches on the reliability of spraying machines in vineyards and orchards
Authors: Rittner Tibor , Țenu Ioan , Marian Ovidiu
Published: February 2019

The goal of the research was to determine the level of abrasion of different types of nozzles during different types of uses and at different pressure values.

The experiment assembly consists of an ATOM-300 carried sprayer, manufactured by S.C. TEHNOFAVORIT S.A. Bonţida-Cluj, and a stand for testing the distribution uniformity of the vineyard and orchard sprayers Herbst ED20-900, manufactured by Ernst Herbst Prüftechnik e. K. Hirschbach-Germany.

The 4 types of nozzles used were Lechler Ceramic 1.0 and 1.2; Lechler TR 80-30 and Lechler ITR 80-015 with air induction.

The measurements were made on a water pressure of 10 bar and 20 bar, and the testing period was equivalent with the duration of a campaign. The study below presents the variations of the debit measured in each type of nozzle according to the time and pressure.
Lack of association between TCF7L2 gene variants and type 2 diabetes mellitus in a Brazilian sample of patients with the risk for cardiovascular disease
Authors: Wunsch Camile , Dornelles Thais Fernanda , Girardi Pricila , Arndt Marcelo Emilio , Genro Julia Pasqualini , Contini Veronica
Published: February 2019

Objective. Genetic variants in the transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) gene have been described as the most noteworthy ones regarding the type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) liability. This work is aimed to evaluate the association between rs12255372 and rs7903146 polymorphisms and T2DM in patients with cardiovascular disease (CAD) risk.

Methods. A sample of six hundred and forty-seven patients that underwent the coronary angiography in a Cardiac Catheterization Lab was evaluated. The patients were investigated for the presence of T2DM and coronary stenosis. The TCF7L2 polymorphisms were genotyped by real-time PCR and the haplotype analysis was performed with the MLOCUS software. All genetic tests were carried out by considering the haplotype combinations in patients divided into three groups: 0 – carrying none disease risk allele, 1 – carrying one or two risk alleles and 2 – carrying three or four risk alleles.

Results. No significant associations between TCF7L2 risk haplotypes and the presence of T2DM or CAD were detected.

Conclusions. Our results indicate that the TCF7L2 rs12255372 and rs7903146 polymorphisms do not influence T2DM in Brazilian patients with the high risk for CAD. Therefore, we assume that these variants may only be relevant for a specific subgroup of T2DM patients or some particular human population.
One-month of high-intensity exercise did not change the food intake and the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus proopiomelanocortin and neuropeptide Y expression levels in male Wistar rats
Authors: Khajehnasiri Nazli , Khazali Homayoun , Sheikhzadeh Farzam , Ghowsi Mahnaz
Published: February 2019

Objective. The hypothalamic arcuate nucleus proopiomelanocortin (POMC) and neuropeptide Y (NPY) circuitries are involved in the inhibition and stimulation of the appetite, respectively. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of one-month lasting high-intensity exercise on the POMC mRNA and NPY mRNA expression in the above-mentioned brain structure and appetite and food intake levels.

Methods. Fourteen male Wistar rats (250±50 g) were used and kept in the well-controlled conditions (22±2 °C, 50±5% humidity, and 12 h dark/light cycle) with food and water ad libitum. The rats were divided into two groups (n=7): 1) control group (C, these rats served as controls) and 2) exercised group (RIE, these rats performed a high-intensity exercise for one month (5 days per week) 40 min daily with speed 35 m/min. The total exercise time was 60 min. The body weight and food intake were recorded continuously during the experiments.

Results. The results showed relative mRNA expression of POMC and NPY estimated in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus. There were no significant differences in the NPY and POMC mRNAs expression levels and food intake between C and RIE groups.

Conclusions. The present data indicate that one-month regular intensive exercise did not alter the levels of NPY and POMC mRNAs expression (as two important factors in the regulation of appetite) in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus and food intake suggesting that this type of exercise itself is not an appropriate procedure for the body weight reduction.
Evaluation of ameliorative effect of sodium nitrate in experimental model of streptozotocin-induced diabetic neuropathy in male rats
Authors: Oghbaei Hajar , Alipour Mohammad Reza , Mohaddes Gisou , Hamidian Gholam Reza , Keyhanmanesh Rana
Published: February 2019

Objective. Diabetes induces sensory symptoms of neuropathy as positive (hyperalgesia), negative (hypoalgesia), or both.

Methods. In the present study, fifty male Wistar rats were allocated to five groups: control, control+nitrate, diabetes, diabetes+insulin, and diabetes+nitrate. Thirty days after diabetes confirmation, insulin (2–4 U/day) was injected subcutaneously in diabetes+insulin group and nitrate (100 mg/l) was added into drinking water of the control+nitrate and diabetes+nitrate groups for a period of 2 months. In order to assess the mechanical and thermal algesia, tail immersion, hot plate, and von Frey tests were performed. The serum insulin levels were determined with insulin ELISA Kit. Serum level of NOx was determined by the Griess method.

Results. Both thermal and mechanical nociceptive thresholds showed a significant decrease (p<0.05) which was followed by a significant increase (p<0.01) in the thermal nociceptive threshold in the diabetes group. Chronic nitrate or insulin treatment led to a significant decrease (p<0.01) in blood glucose levels, as well as a significant (p<0.05) increase in the body weight and serum NOx. Moreover, nitrate treatment significantly increased serum insulin levels (p<0.001) compared to the other groups.

Conclusion. Chronic nitrate treatment modified the thermal and mechanical sensitivities in diabetic animals.
The effect of peptide tyrosine tyrosine (PYY3–36), a selective Y2 receptor agonist on streptozotocin-induced diabetes in albino rats
Authors: Abdel-Hamid Heba A. , Abdalla Mona M. I. , Zenhom Nagwa M. , Ahmed Rasha F.
Published: February 2019

Objective. The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of the PYY3–36, as a potential therapy for the type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), induced by high fat diet (HFD) and an intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of streptozotocin (STZ) in albino rats.

Methods. Forty adult male albino Wistar rats were divided into: 1) control group (C, in which the rats were fed with a standard diet and received vehicle; 2) diabetic group (D, in which T2DM was induced by feeding the rats with HFD for four weeks followed by a single i.p. injection of 35 mg/kg STZ, this group was also allowed to have HFD till the end of the study; and 3) D+PYY3–36 group (in which the diabetic rats were treated with 50 µg/kg i.p. PYY3–36 twice a day for one week). Food intake, water intake, body weight (b.w.), visceral fat weight (VFW), liver glycogen content, serum levels of glucose, insulin, and interleukin-6 (IL-6), were measured. Homeostatic-model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was estimated. The gene expression of the hypothalamic neuropeptide Y (NPY) and visceral nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) were assessed by a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

Results. The PYY3–36 administration to the diabetic group of rats significantly increased the serum insulin levels and liver glycogen content, decreased the body weight, VFW, food intake, water intake, serum levels of the glucose, IL-6, and HOMA-IR. It also decreased the expression of both the hypothalamic NPY and the visceral fat NF-κB.

Conclusion. With respect to the fact of improved insulin release and enhanced insulin sensitivity (an effect that may be mediated via suppressing accumulation of visceral fat and inflammatory markers), in the rats treated with PYY3–36, the PYY3–36 might be considered for the future as a promising therapeutic tool in T2DM.
Expression of genes encoding IGF1, IGF2, and IGFBPs in blood of obese adolescents with insulin resistance
Authors: Minchenko Dmytro O. , Tsymbal Dariia O. , Davydov Vadim V. , Minchenko Oleksandr H.
Published: February 2019

Objective. The development of obesity and its metabolic complications is associated with dys-regulation of various intrinsic mechanisms, which control basic metabolic processes via changes in the expression of numerous regulatory genes. The main goal of this work was to study the association between the expression of insulin-like growth factors (IGF1 and IGF2) and IGF-binding proteins and insulin resistance in obese adolescents for evaluation of possible contribution of these genes in development of insulin resistance.

Methods. The expression of IGF1, IGF2, and IGFBPs mRNA was measured in blood of obese adolescents with normal insulin sensitivity and insulin resistance in comparison with the normal (control) individuals.

Results. In the blood of obese adolescents with normal insulin sensitivity the expression of IGFBP4, IGFBP5 and HTRA1 genes was down-regulated, but IGFBP2 and IGFBP7 genes up-regulated as compared to control (normal) group. At the same time, no significant changes in IGF1 and IGF2 gene expressions in this group of obese adolescents were found. Insulin resistance in obese adolescents led to up-regulation of IGF2, IGFBP2, and IGFBP7 gene expressions as well as to down-regulation of the expression of IGF1, IGFBP5 and HTRA1 genes in the blood in comparison with the obese patients, which have normal insulin sensitivity. Furthermore, the level of IGFBP4 gene expression was similar in both groups of obese adolescents.

Conclusions. Results of this investigation provide evidence that insulin resistance in obese adolescents is associated with gene specific changes in the expression of IGF1, IGF2, IGFBP2, IGFBP5, IGFBP7, and HTRA1 genes and these changes possibly contribute to the development of glucose intolerance and insulin resistance.
Neuronal morphology alterations in autism and possible role of oxytocin
Authors: Falougy Hisham El , Filova Barbora , Ostatnikova Daniela , Bacova Zuzana , Bakos Jan
Published: February 2019

Current understanding of the neuroanatomical abnormalities in autism includes gross anatomical changes in several brain areas and microstructural alterations in neuronal cells as well. There are many controversies in the interpretation of the imaging data, evaluation of volume and size of particular brain areas, and their functional translation into a broad autism phenotype. Critical questions of neuronal pathology in autism include the concept of the reversible plasticity of morphological changes, volume alterations of brain areas, and both short- and long-term consequences of adverse events present during the brain development. At the cellular level, remodeling of the actin cytoskeleton is considered as one of the critical factors associated with the autism spectrum disorders. Alterations in the composition of the neuronal cytoskeleton, in particular abnormalities in the polymerization of actin filaments and their associated proteins underlie the functional consequences in behavior resulting in symptoms and clinical correlates of autism spectrum disorder. In the present review, a special attention is devoted to the role of oxytocin in experimental models of neurodevelopmental disorders manifesting alterations in neuronal morphology.
Openess and Transparency of Fiscal Reporting in Poland – Assessment and Recommendation
Authors: Jastrzębska Maria
Published: February 2019

The aim of the paper is to answer the question of whether fiscal reporting (more precisely, financial reporting of public finance sector entities (PFSE)) earnestly expressed the results of activities (information included is reliable, understandable and complete), and provide suggestions on how to increase openness and transparency in that field. First of all, the essence of openness and transparency of public finance is described. Then the international institutions involved in preparing and promoting international fiscal transparency standards and guidelines are indicated. Next are noted the most important reasons for limited openness and transparency of financial reporting of PFSE. In the end, actions are recommended to increase openness and transparency. Results are presented of theoretical studies on the basis of related literature, the reports by the Supreme Audit Office in Poland and the authors’ own experience connected with preparing formal opinion for two houses of Polish Parliament. Simple research methods are used such as descriptive analysis and also inferential and inductive thinking.
Financing of Smart Growth in Less Developed Regions on the Example of Poland
Authors: Murzyn Dorota
Published: February 2019

The aim of this paper is twofold. First, the smart growth concept is examined with a focus on challenges associated with applying this concept in the less developed regions. Second, the impact of EU structural funds on smart growth in Poland is analyzed at the regional level with a view to contributing to the debate on public intervention in this area. The research questions are as follows: “Is the concept of smart growth, as postulated by the European Union, well suited to the less developed regions?” and “Whether and to what extent do EU funds contribute to achieving smart growth in Poland?”

Smart growth has accelerated after 2007, which could suggest a significant impact of EU structural funds, whose allocation to measures supporting innovative activity rose markedly after 2007. However, among the various factors influencing regional development processes, the impact of structural funds was not as strong as might be expected, which was confirmed by further analysis.
Partial Fiscal Decentralization and Local Government Spending Policy
Authors: Kopańska Agnieszka
Published: February 2019

The aim of this paper is to analyze how limits in revenue and spending autonomy of sub-sovereign governments influence their decisions. Revenue and spending autonomy indicators for Polish towns were established and used in analysis on school education expenditures during 2003–2016. The influence of limits on revenue autonomy on municipal spending has been extensively addressed in both theoretical and empirical literature. However, studies related to spending autonomy are rare. The analysis presented in this paper suggests that when limits exist in spending autonomy, more decentralized tasks are crowded out by regulated obligations. That is why the spending autonomy analysis is important to evaluate the equity between local units and the adequacy of local revenues to decentralized expenditures.The basic principle of local finance is that there should be an adequate relationship between the financial resources available to a local authority and the tasks it performs. However, in practice, the assessment of whether this has been achieved is very difficult. Often, only problems with the solvency of local governments indicate that we are dealing with a poorly constructed system of local finances. The expenditure autonomy indicator proposed in this article is a tool that provides a way to indicate problems with the adequacy of revenues before such anextreme situation occurs.
Corporate Income Tax Rates in the EU Member States: Why Lower Means Better
Authors: Karpowicz Andrzej
Published: February 2019

Governments of EU Member States have been reducing statutory corporate income tax rates (“CIT”) for several years. What encourages them to take part in tax competition? The article discusses several issues which are in favor of lower CIT rates. They are selected based on their relevance. The study is performed with use of data available from applicable statistical bodies/literature and is based on literature review (especially in cases where required data is not available). It seems that the commonly raised issue of rivalry for capital in the globalizing world economy with highly mobile capital could be only one of a number of reasons for CIT rate depression. Tax competition is fueled by the various sizes of the economies of EU countries as well. The following important rationale may include the aspiration of governments to curb the local shadow economy. There are also some issues of a more theoretical nature that explain decreasing CIT rates. They include: (i) the necessity to accommodate CIT rate levels from the perspective of double taxation of dividends, (ii) the requirement to consider political responsibility of CI or (iii) the need to manage a deadweight loss. As a result of these challenges EU Member States often broaden the legal CIT base to maintain government revenues.
Local Taxes and Fees as a Source of Revenue for Polish Municipalities: Substitutes or Complements?
Authors: Łukomska Julita , Neneman Jarosław
Published: February 2019

The main purpose of this article is analysis of the relationship between local tax and fee policies in Poland. We argue that local authorities have similar and significant discretion over tax and fee policy and, therefore, they can be analysed in a similar way. Links between these policies are analysed to find out whether they are of complementary or substitutive nature. Panel data on 578 Polish municipalities from 2012 to 2016 includes information on property tax rates and tariffs for water provision and sewage disposal for households and companies and is used to run panel regression analysis and to perform a quasi-experiment. The results indicate that there is a relationship between tax and fee policies as well as that taxes and fees are complements for local authorities. Only when a property tax rate has reached a “ceiling”, the municipalities increase fees at a faster rate than comparable municipalities below the ceiling – in this case a fee can be regarded as a substitute for a tax.

The paper is based on results of the “Fees for local public services - financial and political importance” research project. The project is funded by Narodowe Centrum Nauki (National Science Centre) grant number UMO-2015/19/B/HS4/02898
An Analysis of Codified Corporate Governance Practices in the Banking Industry: The Case Study of Bangladesh
Authors: Suzuki Yasushi , Hasan A K M Kamrul
Published: February 2019

Introducing a well-designed system of corporate governance is considered an effective tool to ensure the stability and resilience of a banking system. It was in 2006 when Bangladesh initiated its first corporate governance code (CG code). Despite trying to meet the code of enhancing the internal monitoring mechanisms and transparency in governance, it is apparent that the quality in bank credit portfolios continuously deteriorated. This paper aims to empirically analyze the impact of adopting the CG code on performance for eight years (2010–2017) of 21 major commercial banks of Bangladesh. In this case study, we suggest that the CG code may have given the Bangladeshi commercial banks an ill-incentive for the reduction of executive directors under the pressure of meeting a guideline to increase the ratio of independent directors. This incentive structure had a negative impact on bank performance during the period. Another finding is that the fundamental structure of ownership and control by sponsor directors remained unchanged during the period. This structure of maintaining the control of power by a group with its vested interest may have hindered the effectiveness of the CG code in Bangladesh. We suggest that the agenda of CG practices should go together with a policy for mitigating a potential bias under the ownership concentration because any attempt of adopting codified CG practices would be futile under the fundamental structure in Bangladesh.
Determinants of Public Indebtedness in European Union Countries
Authors: Kudła Janusz
Published: February 2019

The paper strives to determine the impact of fiscal variables on factors determining the dynamics of public debt in European Union countries. Based on the literature, the dynamics of public debt are determined by changes of three elements: the primary balance, interest-rate-growth-differential and the change of government assets. Therefore, it seems reasonable to estimate the dynamics of these three values to find the variables crucial for limiting the growth of public debt. Three groups of dynamic panel regressions were estimated based on the one-step Generalized Method of Moments. The data was collected for the 1995-2015 period for 27 EU countries. Dependent variables included: primary balance, interest-rate-growth-differential and change of government assets. Independent variables consisted of: interest payable to GDP ratio, unemployment rate, squared unemployment rate, FDI stock to GDP, net FDI inflow to GDP, general government expenditures to GDP, share of social security expenditures and openness of the economy measured by the ratio of export and import to GDP. On the basis of statistical data, three components of debt changes were distinguished, and estimations of the dynamic panel regressions were applied to find the impact of independent variables. According to the basic models, the primary balance is lower for: countries with higher unemployment, greater FDI stock and higher general government expenditures. The interest-rate-growth-differential is lower in the case of: high subsidies and for a more open economy. However, unemployment and FDI remain the most important determinants of this variable. The change of government’s assets ratio decreases as FDI net inflows or the share of expenditures to GDP increase as well as in the case of very high unemployment.
Principle of Vat Neutrality and the Reverse Charge Mechanism
Authors: Famulska Teresa , Rogowska-Rajda Beata
Published: February 2019

The principle of VAT neutrality is among the fundamental characteristics of this tax. It is implemented through reduction of VAT output by the amount of VAT input. The right of deduction constitutes an integral part of the VAT mechanism and is intended to free the entrepreneur entirely from the burden of VAT paid for the goods and services purchased within the framework of business activity. However, in certain situations it is possible to shift the obligation to pay VAT to the customer being a taxable person by introducing a reverse charge mechanism. The purpose of the article is to identify the relationship between the implementation of the principle of VAT neutrality and the reverse charge mechanism. The conducted analysis of the essence and functioning of the reverse charge and the detailed findings drawn on its basis allow us to conclude generally that this mechanism does not affect implementation of this principle.
Arithmetic Operations on Short Finite Sequences
Authors: Ziobro Rafał
Published: February 2019

In contrast to other proving systems Mizar Mathematical Library, considered as one of the largest formal mathematical libraries [4], is maintained as a single base of theorems, which allows the users to benefit from earlier formalized items [3], [2]. This eventually leads to a development of certain branches of articles using common notation and ideas. Such formalism for finite sequences has been developed since 1989 [1] and further developed despite of the controversy over indexing which excludes zero [6], also for some advanced and new mathematics [5].

The article aims to add some new machinery for dealing with finite sequences, especially those of short length.
Some Remarks about Product Spaces
Authors: Koch Sebastian
Published: February 2019

This article covers some technical aspects about the product topology which are usually not given much of a thought in mathematics and standard literature like [7] and [6], not even by Bourbaki in [4].

Let {Ti}i∈I
be a family of topological spaces. The prebasis of the product space T = ∏
i∈I Ti
is defined in [5] as the set of all π
−1

i
(V) with i ∈ I and V open in Ti
. Here it is shown that the basis generated by this prebasis consists exactly of the sets ∏
i∈I Vi
with Vi
open in Ti
and for all but finitely many i ∈ I holds Vi
= Ti
. Given I = {a} we have T ≅ Ta
, given I = {a, b} with a≠ b we have T ≅ Ta ×Tb
. Given another family of topological spaces {Si}i∈I
such that Si
≅ Ti
for all i ∈ I, we have S = ∏
i∈I Si
≅ T. If instead Si
is a subspace of Ti
for each i ∈ I, then S is a subspace of T.

These results are obvious for mathematicians, but formally proven here by means of the Mizar system [3], [2].
Evaluation of Natural Attractions of the Island of Gran Canaria for Geoscience Tourism Requirements
Authors: Schejbal Ctirad , Michalík David
Published: February 2019

The study analyzes the natural attractions of the island of Gran Canaria and subsequently how to improve their usability for tourism. In the analysis, such natural attractions were chosen like natural monuments and beaches belonging to the Blue Flag programme. Other natural attractions were chosen according to their originality. The assessment of the selected attractive places is based partly on quantified criteria (distance, elevation, area, length, etc.), and on expert assessments using the criteria that affect the properties of the evaluated objects relevant to tourism. The principles of description of the selected indicators for the evaluated attractions vary by type of objects and the existing conditions of their spatial distribution and tourism facilities. The proposed methodology for evaluating natural attractions has proven suitable for the needs of the selection of attractions for geoscience and montanistic tourism products. The necessary data are readily obtainable both from maps and from our own observations. On the basis of the analysis, certain modifications of the selected attractions were recommended, and an cognitive excursion route oriented on natural attractive places of the island was designed.
Creation of the Web Service of Ukraine’s National Natural Parks as an Instrument for the Analysis of Territories and Determining Issues in the Administration and Land Use of Territories
Authors: Bugaenko I. S.
Published: February 2019

The paper focuses on the development and implementation of an electronic cadastre for territories of all National Natural Parks (NPPs); the creation of effective mechanism for registration, monitoring and research of NPP territories, etc., using GIS-technologies. Geographic information systems (GIS) are used by the countries across the world to create conditions for predicted development and sustainable land use to increase the efficiency of management of territories within the NPPs, and the improvement of the natural environment (NE) in leading countries of the world.
Can We Abandon a Traditional Irrigation in the Ouakda Oasis (Algeria)?
Authors: Remini Boualem , Rezzoug Cherif
Published: February 2019

Can we abandon traditional irrigation to the detriment of modern irrigation in the oasis of Ouakda? This is the question we pose in this study. Indeed, based on three missions carried out in the oasis of Ouakda during the years 2013, 2015 and 2016, we made visits and investigations to ancestral works as well as surveys of the local population. The results indicate that the Ksourian population irrigated the gardens and the palm grove by surface and underground water. Two ancestral dams made on the Bechar River for irrigation the gardens of the lower part. On the other hand, the foggaras irrigated the upper part of the palm grove. Today, new land has been built on the upper part of the palm grove. Thanks to new hydraulic techniques such as drilling and motor pumps, modern agriculture has developed on the other side of the palm grove to the detriment of oasis agriculture.
Water Supply Status in Rural Areas of the Mekong Delta and Development Measures
Authors: Chi Nguyen Thuy Lan , Dao Phan , Kyncl Miroslav
Published: February 2019

Rural people in the Mekong Delta (MD) use surface water from rivers and canals for daily activities; and in areas far from the canals, people use rainwater for cooking and drinking. In certain areas, people use shallow layered groundwater and deep layered groundwater from drilled wells 80m – 100m deep. The quality of water used in daily activities of rural people is almost uncontrolled. Somewhere water supply systems are used, but they have been built over many periods, certain ones for over 50 years ago, thus having a lot of damage and many deposits, causing loss of pressure and huge loss of water. The issue of repairing, replacing and installing more water supply networks in urban areas is facing lots of financial, technical difficulties.
Acute Phase Proteins – As Indicators of Claw Diseases in Dairy Cattle
Authors: Ilievska Ksenija , Atanasov Branko , Dovenski Toni , Smolac Ozren , Stojanov Boris , Trojachanec Plamen
Published: February 2019

The serum concentration of certain acute phase proteins significantly increases during various pathological conditions in cattle. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of claw disorders etiology on the concentrations of two major acute phase proteins in dairy cattle: haptoglobin (Hp) and serum amyloid protein A (SAA). Fifty dairy cows with claw pathology were included. Fourteen clinically healthy heifers served as controls. The animals were subdivided in 5 groups according to the pathological findings on their claws: 1. Heel horn erosion (HE), 2. Acute laminitis (AL), 3. Sole ulcer (SU), 4. Digital dermatitis (DD) and 5. White line separation (WLS). Hp and SAA concentrations were measured in serum samples using commercial ELISA kits. Higher concentrations of both Hp and SAA were found in the AL and SU groups (p<0.01) compared to the HE, DD and WLS and control groups. Dairy cows in the DD group had higher (p<0.05) Hp and SAA concentrations than the HE and WLS groups and the controls. The serum values between the HE, WLS and the control group did not differ significantly. The presented results indicate that the claw diseases are associated with a systemic acute phase response. Hp and SAA could be used as valuable biomarkers for early detection of claw diseases in dairy cows.
Emperipolesis: Sternal and Femoral Microenvironment Induces Megakaryiocyte Emperipolesis in the Wistar Strain
Authors: Suljević Damir , Filipić Filip , Islamagić Erna
Published: February 2019

Emperipolesis is considered a physiological phenomena often present in various pathophysiological conditions, but its etiology is still unknown. In this study, we analyzed the number of megakaryocytes and the percentage of emperipoletic cells in the sternal and femoral bone marrow of Wistar rats. Five types in the thrombopoiesis lineage (megakaryoblasts, promegakaryocytes and megakaryocytes - acidophilic, basophilic and thrombocytogenic) were determined. Except for basophilic megakaryocytes, significant differences were found for number of thrombopoietic cells in the sternal and femoral bone marrow. A larger number of thrombocytogenic megakaryocytes were present in the sternal bone marrow. Emperipoletic cells were significantly present in the femoral compared to the sternal bone marrow. Emperipolesis was typical for lymphocytes and neutrophils individually, while emperipolesis with two or more cells within thrombopoietic cell was also present (1-7 %) and significant differences between the sternal and femoral bone marrow were detected. Emperipolesis was found in all analysed rats and it most commonly occured within mature megakaryocytes and rarely megakaryoblasts, while it was not recorded in the promegakaryocytes. The high incidence of megakaryocytes with emperopolesis in rats could be a consequence of “normal” cell retention in the cytoplasm of megakaryocytes while passing blood cells to circulation or related to haematopoietic response due to high incidence of inbreeding.
Estimation of optical parameters of silicon single crystals with different orientations
Authors: El-Nahass M.M. , Ali H.A.M.
Published: February 2019

Optical properties of Si single crystals with different orientations (1 0 0) and (1 1 1) were investigated using spectrophotometric measurements in a spectral range of 200 nm to 2500 nm. The data of optical absorption revealed an indirect allowed transition with energy gap of 1.1 ± 0.025 eV. An anomalous dispersion in refractive index. The normal dispersion of the refractive index was discussed according to Wemple-DiDomenico single oscillator model. The oscillator energy Eo, dispersion energy Ed, high frequency dielectric constant ∈∞, lattice dielectric constant ∈L and electronic polarizability α
e were estimated. The real ∈1 and imaginary ∈2 parts of dielectric constant were also determined.
Aging effect of the precursor solution on the structural, morphological and opto-electrical properties of spray deposited CdO thin films
Authors: Raja N. , Nagarethinam V.S. , Balu A.R.
Published: February 2019

Nanostructured CdO thin films have been prepared on glass substrates by spray pyrolysis technique using perfume atomizer from fresh and aged (1, 2, 3 and 4 days) precursor solutions. XRD studies confirm that all the films exhibit cubic crystal structure with a (1 1 1) preferential orientation. The preferential orientation factor f(1 1 1) increases with an increase in aging the period of precursor solution. The 2θ value of the (1 1 1) plane shifts towards lower Bragg angles with aging inferring an expansion in the lattice volume of the aged films. Increased crystallite size is observed for the 3-days aged film for which minimum strain and dislocation density values are obtained. Optical transparency increases with an increase in aging period of the precursor solution and the optical band gap exhibits a red shift from 2.48 eV to 2.32 eV. Minimum resistivity of 0.78 × 10−2 Ω·cm is observed for the CdO film prepared from 3-days aged solution. The obtained results infer that the CdO film prepared from 3-days aged solution exhibits better physical properties than the others.
Machine Vision System Measuring the Trajectory of Upper Limb Motion Applying the Matlab Software
Authors: Kuryło Piotr , Pivarčiová Elena , Cyganiuk Joanna , Frankovský Peter
Published: February 2019

This paper discusses the problem of possibilities for applying a machine vision in the measurement of the trajectory of the upper limb movement in rehabilitation exercises. The fundamental presumption of designed system was to get the image from the camera’s CCD processor, possibilities of measuring and its processing. As a result of the application system, it is possible to dynamically determine the radius between the shoulder and forearm, and also the angle between the shoulder and the chest of the man, as function of the limb motion. The created system gives the possibility to use a non-invasive method of measurement, allows visualization and full analysis of the rehabilitation progress and also allows keeping electronic records of patients.
Positioner and the Procedure for Measuring Spatial Characteristics
Authors: Drga Rudolf , Janáčová Dagmar , Palenčár Rudolf , Ďuriš Stanislav
Published: February 2019

The present work focuses on the solution of management of measuring spatial characteristics of security detectors using a positioner, a precision manipulator. It deals with program management software in LabView. Graphical programming with subroutines, which are described as virtual instruments, is used. There are published results of measurements of the spatial characteristics of the PIR detector, where it is preferably used as the measuring station.
Diagnosis of the Accuracy of the Vehicle Scale Using Neural Network
Authors: Kliment Tomáš , Markovič Jaromír , Šmigura Dušan , Adam Peter
Published: February 2019

The article describes a method for diagnosing the accuracy of the vehicle scale without using standard weights. The novel method defines the possibility to estimate whether the scale would pass the test for error of indication in the next verification or not, only by using the results from simple tests with load of estimated weight and appropriate classifier. The method is primarily developed for users of these scales. Created classifier is based on the neural network algorithm. The neural network was trained with data from verifications, which are provided by Slovak Legal Metrology. Well trained classifier can provide not only information whether the scale will potentially pass the mentioned test or not, but reliability which is associated with this result as well. In this way, the user has valuable information about the scale in the period between the verifications.
Measurement of Aerodynamic and Acoustic Quantities Describing Flow around a Body Placed in a Wind Tunnel
Authors: Mahdal Miroslav , Dobeš Josef , Kozubková Milada
Published: February 2019

Aerodynamically generated noise affects passenger comfort in cars, high-speed trains, and airplanes, and thus, automobile manufacturers aim for its reduction. Investigation methods of noise and vibration sources can be divided into two groups, i.e. experimental research and mathematical research. Recently, owing to the increase in computing power, research in aerodynamically generated noise (aero-acoustics) is beginning to use modern methods such as computational fluid dynamics or fluid-structure interaction. The mathematical model of turbulent flow is given by the system of partial differential equations, its solution is ambiguous and thus requires verification by physical experiment. The results of numerical methods are affected by the boundary conditions of high quality gained from the actual experiment. This article describes an application of complex measurement methodology in the aerodynamic and acoustic (vibro-acoustic) fields. The first part of the paper is focused on the specification of the experimental equipment, i.e. the wind tunnel, which was significantly upgraded in order to obtain the relevant aerodynamics and vibro-acoustics data. The paper presents specific results from the measurement of the aerodynamic and vibro-acoustic fields.
Influence of the Main Filter on QRS-amplitude and Duration in Human Electrocardiogram
Authors: Vranić Ivana , Vranić Ivona , Antić Boris , Stojanović Goran , Al-Salami Hani
Published: February 2019

Accurate measurement of electrocardiograms (ECG) is critical for effective diagnosis of patient’s cardiac functions. Detailed examination of filters’ effects on ECG accuracy, reproducibility and robustness covering a wide range of available commercial products can provide valuable information on the relationship between quality and effectiveness of filters, and assessments of patients’ cardiac functions. In this study, ECG device with 12 leads and built-in filters used for ECG measurements was assessed on human volunteers. Results showed that with respect to measuring QRS wave duration and R-amplitude variation, there was a 4 % inaccuracy when the main filter was ON and OFF, and R-amplitude variation was most pronounced in the V4 lead. Accordingly, variability of R-amplitude and length of QRS wave can be reduced by the use of appropriate lead, and filter activation during the ECG assessment.
Optimization Paradigm in the Signal Recovery after Compressive Sensing
Authors: Michaeli Linus , Šaliga Ján , Dolinský Pavol , Andráš Imrich
Published: February 2019

Compressive sensing is a processing approach aiming to reduce the data stream from the observed object with the inherent sparsity using the optimal signal models. The compression of the sparse input signal in time or in the transform domain is performed in the transmitter by the Analog to Information Converter (AIC). The recovery of the compressed signal using optimization based on the differential evolution algorithm is presented in the article as an alternative to the faster pseudoinverse algorithm. Pseudoinverse algorithm results in an unambiguous solution associated with lower compression efficiency. The selection of the mathematically appropriate signal model affects significantly the compression efficiency. On the other hand, the signal model influences the complexity of the algorithm in the receiving block. The suitability of both recovery methods is studied on examples of the signal compression from the passive infrared (PIR) motion sensors or the ECG bioelectric signals.
Knowledge and Attitude of Hungarian Athletes towards Long-term Sports Injuries
Authors: Szabó Tünde , Stocker Miklós , Győrffy Balázs , Nemes András
Published: February 2019

The purpose of this study was to investigate long-term sports injuries, their prevalence, general identification of and consultation about injuries, and the knowledge among Hungarian athletes related to injury prevention. A questionnaire was designed to survey athletes regarding these topics. Olympic medal winners, nationally selected athletes, and amateur athletes were surveyed, and altogether 502 completed questionnaires were obtained. The data was analyzed with the Chi-square test for dichotomous variables and the Kruskal-Wallis H-test for questions with the Likert scale to try the statistical power of the hypotheses. The results of our analysis show that athletes suffer injuries regardless of their level of play, and that athletes regard their sports to be moderately dangerous. Most athletes would compete despite the risk of permanent injury; they compete with injuries mostly of their own volition; and they will risk potential injuries or long-term health damage to gain exceptional outcomes. Success is the first and foremost desire of athletes, and the risk of injuries or even long-term health damage does not play an important role in the value system of Hungarian athletes. Sport managers and officers of sport federations must be made aware that the first line of prevention of sport injuries is comprehensive medical consultation with proper medical coverage.
Talent Selection and Management in View of Relative Age: the Case of Swimming
Authors: Nagy Nikoletta , Földesi Gyöngyi , Sós Csaba , Ökrös Csaba
Published: February 2019

Based on our empirical research, through the analysis of the birthdates of young competitive swimmers, the present paper aims to examine the system of talent selection and management in Hungarian competitive swimming complemented with a new element. The research population consisted of the registered junior competitive swimmers participating in the new talent management program of the Hungarian Swimming Association (N=235; average age: 11.44) due to the decision of the Coaches’ Committee. Our research was based on the analysis of documents and databases. Besides the descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests and the Kruskal-Wallis test were applied. The results show that swimmers born in the first three months of the year are still more likely to be recruited in the program than their relatively younger counterparts. Furthermore, as a potential effect of the new program, the dominance of the first quarter of the year is also characteristic among those eligible for the next level of talent management. The new selection system of Hungarian swimmers is still highly sensitive to the relative age. Thus, it is recommended to further investigate the functioning of the new talent management program in terms of selection and success.
The Chain Reaction Between the Media and Sport. The Impact of Rule Changes in Handball
Authors: Marczinka Zoltan , Gál Andrea
Published: February 2019

A long, historical cooperation exists between sport and the media. The media can lift up the profile of a sport, and sport provides a marketable topic/product to talk about. Rules have been changed and playing conditions adapted to add to the glamor and spectacle of sport, thus making sport more marketable, enhancing media coverage and making it more appealing for the viewer. In the history of handball, rule changes have been introduced for the same purpose. However, changing the rules has a great effect on the team’s performance, and thus on the coaches’ work as well. There is no doubt that among the rule modifications introduced by the International Handball Federation (IHF) in 2016, substituting the goalkeeper for another court player during an attack without wearing a special shirt has had the greatest impact on the game in recent times. The main aim of the study was to carry out empirical research in order to analyze the recent rule modifications by the IHF, particularly when substituting the goalkeeper for an extra court player during an attack. The 2017 World Championship in France provided an ideal opportunity to collate data in order to explore how often and effectively teams used this rule change at the latest world event. In addition, we have also sought out the opinions of elite coaches concerning the state of current rules in handball and what they would change in order to make this sport discipline more marketable for the media and for spectators. The results show that teams substituted their goalkeeper for an extra court player when in numerical inferiority on average twice as much as when in numerical superiority and on average twice as often when losing as when winning. Surprisingly, the teams’ average scoring effectiveness was a little bit higher than when they played in numerical superiority or with an evenly reduced number of players. In addition, the outcome of focus group interviews shows that most coaches think that measuring the attacking time, introducing the third referee into the game, and having better judgment concerning the fast start-off is necessary for the betterment of the game.
Hero and Antihero: An Ethic and Aesthetic Reflection of the Sports
Authors: Perez Carlos Rey
Published: February 2019

In Ancient Greece, the figure of the hero was identified as a demigod, possessed of altruistic and virtuous deeds. When Pierre de Coubertin reinstated the Olympic Games, the athlete was personified as a modern hero. Its antithesis, the anti-hero, has more virtue that defects, no evil but he does not care on the means to achieve his goals. In the eyes of everyone involved in sports competition, these characters captivate and at the same time, create conflicts of ethics and aesthetics. The purpose of this paper is to perform an ethical reflection linked to principles that contribute for the human growth and accomplishment, as well as the aesthetic on the perception of the sensitive, reverberated by sensations and feelings emerging from athletes. Connecting the ethic with the aesthetic spheres, we could have in the sports a phenomenon walking toward a common point between moral and aesthetic, between the good and the beauty.