bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Linguistic and Non-Linguistic Elements in Detecting (Hungarian) Fake News
Authors: Veszelszki Ágnes
Published: January 2018

Fake news texts often show clear signs of the deceptive nature; still, they are shared by many users on Facebook. What could be the reason for this? The paper tries to answer the question by collecting the linguistic and non-linguistic characteristics of fake news. Linguistic characteristics include among others the exaggerating, sensational title, the eye-catching, tabloid-style text, the correct or incorrect use of terms, and the fake URLs imitating real websites; non-linguistic characteristics are expressive pictures often featuring celebrities, the use of all caps, excessive punctuation, and spelling mistakes. The corpus was compiled using snowball sampling: manipulative news not originating from big news portals were collected from the social networking website Facebook. The aim of the study is to identify the characteristics of Hungarian fake news in comparison to the English ones and to elaborate a system of aspects which help identify fake news.
Holocaust Representation and Graphical Strangeness in Art Spiegelman’s Maus: A Survivor’s Tale: “Funny Animals,” Constellations, and Traumatic Memory
Authors: Gavrilă Ana-Maria
Published: January 2018

Art Spiegelman’s MAUS, a Pulitzer-prize-winning two-volume graphic novel, zooms into wartime Poland, interweaving young Vladek’s – the author’s father – experiences of World War II and the present day through uncanny visual and verbal representational strategies characteristic of the comics medium. “I’m literally giving a form to my father’s words and narrative”, Spiegelman remarks on MAUS, “and that form for me has to do with panel size, panel rhythms, and visual structures of the page”. The risky artistic strategies and the “strangeness” of its form, to use Harold Bloom’s term, are essential to how the author represents the horrors of the Holocaust: by means of anthropomorphic caricatures and stereotypes depicting Germans as cats, Jewish people as mice, Poles as pigs, and so on. Readings of MAUS often focus on the cultural connotations in the context of postmodernism and in the Holocaust literature tradition, diminishing the importance of its hybrid narrative form in portraying honest, even devastating events. Using this idea as a point of departure, along with a theoretical approach to traumatic memory and the oppressed survivor’s story, I will cover three main topics: the “bleeding” and re-building of history, in an excruciating obsession to save his father’s – a survivor of Auschwitz – story for posterity and to mend their alienating relationship and inability to relate; the connection between past and present, the traumatic subject, and the vulnerability it assumes in drawing and writing about life during the Holocaust as well as the unusual visual and narrative structure of the text. The key element of my study, as I analyse a range of sections of the book, focuses on the profound and astonishing strangeness of the work itself, which consequently assured MAUS a canonical status in the comics’ tradition.
Prediction of Electric Permittivity of Threads in Woven Fabric
Authors: Leśnikowski Jacek
Published: January 2018

In the article, a new method for the estimation of electric permittivity of threads (filaments) was presented. The proposed recursive method is based on the results of computer simulation of 3D model of transmission stripline. This model contains a model of flat fabric having threads, with which electric permittivity should be determined. The described procedure uses the method proposed by Barry to obtain permittivity of flat fabric from the so-called s parameters of the simulated stripline. In the proposed method, the permittivity of the flat fabric obtained from simulation is compared with the measured value of permittivity of real flat fabric in order to estimate the threads’ permittivity. This comparison is needed to obtain the electric permittivity of threads forming this fabric. The article also presents examples of the obtained values of threads’ permittivity and discussion about the accuracy of the method. The presented method will be useful in situations where the knowledge of permittivity of threads is necessary in the conducted research.
Fixed Point Theorem for Cyclic (μ, ψ, φ)-Weakly Contractions via a New Function
Authors: Almahalebi Muaadh , Ansari Amir Hojat , Chandok Sumit
Published: January 2018

In this paper, we introduce a generalization of cyclic (μ, ψ, φ)-weakly contraction via a new function and derive the existence of fixed point for such mappings in the setup of complete metric spaces. Our results extend and improve some fixed point theorems in the literature.
Iterative Convergence with Banach Space Valued Functions in Abstract Fractional Calculus
Authors: Anastassiou George A. , Argyros Ioannis K.
Published: January 2018

The goal of this paper is to present a semi-local convergence analysis for some iterative methods under generalized conditions. The operator is only assumed to be continuous and its domain is open. Applications are suggested including Banach space valued functions of fractional calculus, where all integrals are of Bochner-type.
On Almost Generalized Weakly Symmetric LP-Sasakian Manifolds
Authors: Baishya Kanak Kanti , Chowdhury Partha Roy
Published: January 2018

The purpose of this paper is to introduce the notions of an almost generalized weakly symmetric LP-Sasakian manifolds and an almost generalized weakly Ricci-symmetric LP-Sasakian manifolds. The existence of an almost generalized weakly symmetric LP-Sasakian manifold is ensured by a non-trivial example.
Schatten Class Operators in
ℒ(La2(ℂ+))\msbm=MTMIB${\cal L}\left( {L_a^2 \left( {{\msbm C}_+ } \right)} \right)$
Authors: Das Namita , Behera Jitendra Kumar
Published: January 2018

In this paper, we consider Toeplitz operators defined on the Bergman space

L
a
2

(

ℂ
+

)

\msbm=MTMIB$L_a^2 \left( {{\msbm C}_+ } \right)$

of the right half plane and obtain Schatten class characterization of these operators. We have shown that if the Toeplitz operators 𝕿
φ
on

L
a
2

(

ℂ
+

)

\msbm=MTMIB$L_a^2 \left( {{\msbm C}_+ } \right)$

belongs to the Schatten class Sp
, 1 ≤p < ∞, then

φ
˜

∈

L
p

(

ℂ
+

,
d
ν

)

\msbm=MTMIB$\tilde \phi \in L^p \left( {{\msbm C}_+ ,d\nu } \right)$

, where

φ
˜

(
w
)

=

〈

φ

b

w
¯

,

b

w
¯

〉

$\tilde \phi \left( w \right) = \left\langle {\phi b_{\bar w} ,b_{\bar w} } \right\rangle $

w ∈ ℂ+ and

b

w
¯

(
s
)
=

1

π

1
+
w

1
+

w
¯

2
Rew

(

s
+
w

)

2

$b_{\bar w} (s) = {1 \over {\sqrt \pi }}{{1 + w} \over {1 + \bar w}}{{2 Rew} \over {\left( {s + w} \right)^2 }}$

. Here

d
ν
(
w
)
=

|

B
(

w
¯

,
w
)

|

d
μ
(
w
)

$d\nu (w) = \left| {B(\bar w,w)} \right|d\mu (w)$

, where dμ (w) is the area measure on ℂ+ and

B
(

w
¯

,
w
)
=

(

b

w
¯

(

w
¯

)

)

2

$B(\bar w,w) = \left( {b_{\bar w} (\bar w)} \right)^2 $

: Furthermore, we show that if φ ∈ Lp
(ℂ+,dv), then

φ
˜

∈

L
p

(

ℂ
+

,
d
ν
)

\msbm=MTMIB$\tilde \phi \in L^p ({\msbm C}_+ ,d\nu )$

and 𝕿
φ
∈ Sp
. We also use these results to obtain Schatten class characterizations of little Hankel operators and bounded operators defined on the Bergman space

L
a
2

(

ℂ
+

)

\msbm=MTMIB$L_a^2 \left( {{\msbm C}_+ } \right)$
Iterated Function Systems Consisting of Generalized Convex Contractions in the Framework of Complete Strong b-metric Spaces
Authors: Georgescu Flavian
Published: January 2018

The concept of generalized convex contraction was introduced and studied by V. Istrăţescu and the notion ofb-metric space was introduced by I. A. Bakhtin and S. Czerwik. In this paper we combine these two elements by studying iterated function systems consisting of generalized convex contractions on the framework ofb-metric spaces. More precisely we prove the existence and uniqueness of the attractor of such a system providing in this way a generalization of Istrăţescu’s convex contractions fixed point theorem in the setting of complete strongb-metric spaces.
η-Ricci Solitons on Sasakian 3-Manifolds
Authors: Majhi Pradip , De Uday Chand , Kar Debabrata
Published: January 2018

In this paper we studyη-Ricci solitons on Sasakian 3-manifolds. Among others we prove that anη-Ricci soliton on a Sasakian 3-manifold is anη-Einstien manifold. Moreover we considerη-Ricci solitons on Sasakian 3-manifolds with Ricci tensor of Codazzi type and cyclic parallel Ricci tensor. Beside these we study conformally flat andφ-Ricci symmetricη-Ricci soliton on Sasakian 3-manifolds. Alsoη-Ricci soliton on Sasakian 3-manifolds with the curvature conditionQ.R= 0 have been considered. Finally, we construct an example to prove the non-existence of properη-Ricci solitons on Sasakian 3-manifolds and verify some results.
The marriage unemployment gap
Authors: Choi Sekyu , Valladares-Esteban Arnau
Published: January 2018

In this paper we document that married individuals face a lower unemployment rate than their single counterparts. We refer to this phenomenon as the marriage unemployment gap. Despite dramatic demographic changes in the labor market over the last decades, this gap has been remarkably stable both for men and women. Using a flow-decomposition exercise, we assess which transition probabilities (across labor force states) are behind this phenomenon: For men, the main driver is the higher job losing probabilities faced by single workers. For females, the participation margin also plays a crucial role.
First report of the invasive macroalga Acrothamnion preissii (Rhodophyta, Ceramiales) in the Atlantic Ocean
Authors: Parente Manuela I. , Gabriel Daniela , Micael Joana , Botelho Andrea Z. , Ballesteros Enric , Milla David , dos Santos Rodolfo , Costa Ana C.
Published: January 2018

Acrothamnion preissii is an invasive species in the Mediterranean Sea, and is listed among the 100 worst non-indigenous species. In July and August 2009, this non-native red macroalga was found for the first time in the Azores (on Santa Maria), and this represents the first record of this species in the Atlantic. Here, we describe the establishment of this invasive species in the Atlantic. In recent surveys, A. preissii displayed an invasive behaviour. As suggested for the Mediterranean Sea, hull fouling is the most likely vector for its introduction into the Azores.
GSTP1 methylation in cancer: a liquid biopsy biomarker?
Authors: Gurioli Giorgia , Martignano Filippo , Salvi Samanta , Costantini Matteo , Gunelli Roberta , Casadio Valentina
Published: January 2018

The coding region ofGSTP1gene is preceded by a large CpG-rich region that is frequently affected by methylation. In many cancer types,GSTP1is affected by hypermethylation and, as a consequence, it has a low expression. The aim of this review is to give an overview onGSTP1methylation studies with a special focus on liquid biopsy, thus to summarize methods, results, sample types, different diseases, to have a complete information regarding this promising epigenetic biomarker. We used all the most valuable scientific search engines (PubMed, Medline, Scopus and Web of Science) searching the following keywords:GSTP1, methylation, cancer, urine, serum, plasma and blood.GSTP1is a largely investigated tissue biomarker in several malignancies such as prostate, breast, lung and hepatocellular carcinoma with good performances especially for diagnostic purposes. As a liquid biopsy biomarker, it has been mainly investigated in prostate cancer (PCa) where it showed a high specificity but a low sensitivity; thus, it is recommended in combination with other biomarkers. Despite the large number of published papers and the promising results,GSTP1has not yet entered the clinical practice even for PCa diagnosis. For this reason, further large and prospective studies are needed to validate this assay.
An update report on the harmonization of adult reference intervals in Australasia
Authors: Koerbin Gus , Sikaris Ken , Jones Graham R.D. , Flatman Robert , Tate Jillian R.
Published: January 2018

The Australasian Association of Clinical Biochemists (AACB) has over the past 5 years been actively working to achieve harmonized reference intervals (RIs) for common clinical chemistry analytes using an evidence-based checklist approach where there is sound calibration and metrological traceability. It has now recommended harmonized RIs for 18 common clinical chemistry analytes which are performed in most routine laboratories and these have been endorsed by the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (RCPA). In 2017 another group of analytes including urea, albumin and arterial blood gas parameters were considered and suggested harmonized RIs proposed. This report provides an update of those harmonization efforts.
Development of the urban space surrounding selected railway stations in Poland
Authors: Dragan Weronika
Published: January 2018

At present, many railway stations, in spite of being architecturally valuable, are subject to de-capitalization and degradation, which increasingly leads to demolition including elements or even entire railway stations of historical importance. Therefore, there arises a need to transform these facilities – as well as their nearby surroundings – into service areas not only for railway passengers but also for the consumer or tourist. This article presents an overview of the types of development of functional and spatial areas around a railway station, as well as the building itself, on selected examples in cities of Poland. In past historical periods, the surroundings of railway stations often became the new core of the studied centres, creating new urban structures. Train station forecourts, as well as access roads leading to railway stations, became specific links of railway infrastructure, the main points of which were railway stations, with the original urban layout. Unfortunately, the decline in the importance of rail transport has contributed to the recession and degradation of these spaces, and often to changes in their functions. This article refers to the concept of redevelopment of the railway station area, which emphasizes the creation of hubs integrating various modes of transport on the one hand, and transforming the area around the stations into an area of development of new business activities, on the other. Some of the discussed train stations have undergone a thorough renovation (e.g. Kraków Główny, Katowice and Poznań Główny), frequently in an attempt to allude to global trends in the commercialization of space and transport integration within station squares. However, this poses a problem and a challenge for decision-makers attempting to redevelop such facilities and the spaces associated with them.
Reliability Test Plan for the Gumbel-Uniform Distribution
Authors: Jose K. K. , Joseph Jeena
Published: January 2018

Reliability sampling plans are used for determining the acceptability of any product. In this paper, reliability sampling plans for acceptance or rejection of a lot of products submitted for inspection are developed when the lifetimes follow the Gumbel-uniform distribution. The sampling plan proposed here can save the test time in practical situations. Some tables are also provided for the new sampling plans so that this method can be used conveniently by practitioners. Operating characteristic values and minimum ratios of the true value and the required value of the parameter with a given producers risk with respect to the newly developed sampling plans are also presented. The new test plan is applied to ordered failure times of software release to illustrate its use in industrial contexts.
Some Random Coupled Best Proximity Points for a Generalized ω-Cyclic Contraction in Polish Spaces
Authors: Kongban C. , Kumam P.
Published: January 2018

In this paper, we will introduce the concepts of a random coupled best proximity point and then we prove the existence of random coupled best proximity points in separable metric spaces. Our results extend the previous work of Akbar et al.[1].
On (Ί, γ )-g*-Closed Sets Via Ideal Topological Spaces
Authors: Selvakumar A. , Parimala M. , Shanthakumari S.
Published: January 2018

In this paper we introduce (I, γ)-g*-closed sets in topological spaces and also introduce γg* - TI-spaces and investigate some of their properties.
Meromorphic Solutions of Linear Difference Equations with Polynomial Coefficients
Authors: Zhang Y. , Gao Z. , Zhang H.
Published: January 2018

We study the growth of the transcendental meromorphic solution f(z) of the linear difference equation:where q(z), p0(z), ..., pn-(z) (n ≥ 1) are polynomials such that p0(z)pn(z) ≢ 0, and obtain some necessary conditions guaranteeing that the order of f(z) satisfies σ(f) ≥ 1 using a difference analogue of the Wiman-Valiron theory. Moreover, we give the form of f(z) with two Borel exceptional values when two of p0(z), ..., pn(z) have the maximal degrees.
Anatomical Arrangement of the Subclavian Artery Branches in the Rabbit and European Hare
Authors: Maženský D. , Flešárová S.
Published: January 2018

The aim of this study was to compare the anatomical arrangements of the branches arising from the subclavian arteries in the domesticated rabbit and hare. The study was carried out on ten adult rabbits and ten adult European hares using the corrosion cast technique. After the euthanasia, the vascular network was perfused with saline. The arterial system of the entire body was injected by Batson’s corrosion casting kit No. 17. After polymerization of the medium, the maceration was carried out in KOH solution. The arrangement of the origins of the branches of the bilateral subclavian arteries were more variable in the hare. The number of branches arising from the subclavian artery were more regular in the rabbit on the right side and in the hare on the left side. In the rabbit, we found in two cases, the origins of the branches of the left subclavian artery from the aortic arch. The anatomical found between the rabbit and the hare may possibly be associated with their different ways of life.
Evaluation of the Genotoxic Effect of the Commercial Fungicide Tango® Super on Bovine Lymphocytes
Authors: Grajciarová M. , Holečková B.
Published: January 2018

This study investigated the potential genotoxic effects of the fungicide Tango® Super using methods of conventional cytogenetic analysis, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and detection of DNA fragmentation in bovine lymphocytes. After exposure of two donor cell cultures to several concentrations of fungicide (0.5, 3.0 and 15.0 mg.ml-1 for conventional cytogenetic analysis; 0.5 and 3.0 mg.ml-1 for FISH) we detected the insignificant occurrence of chromosome and chromatid breakages. In both donors we observed a significant decrease in mitotic index (MI) percentage with increasing concentrations of fungicide (P < 0.01; P < 0.001), which indicated a cytotoxic effect of the preparation. Electrophoretic analysis of DNA fragmentation in lymphocytes exposed to increasing concentrations (0.5; 1.5; 3.0; 6.0 and 15.0 mg.ml-1) of this preparation showed its ability to induce formation of fragments, which is a characteristic manifestation of the last stage of apoptosis.
Patterns of children’s travel to school, their body weight, spatial factors, and perceptions: A survey on nine European cities
Authors: Masoumi Houshmand E. , Zanoli Gabriele , Papageorgiou Athanasios , Smaga Soultana , Miloš Ana , van Rooijen Martin , Łuczak Monika , Komorek Joanna , Çağan Birol
Published: January 2018

Increasing rates of body weight of children has become a motivation for investigating active transportation to school during the past years. Lack of proper data covering different geographical contexts is a problem seen in the literature of this subject. The present paper reports the findings of a recent survey on nine cities in seven European countries funded by the European Commission. The objective of the survey was to provide data covering several topics in relation with active commuting to school and body mass index, such as parental perceptions of safety and security, neighborhood facilities, land use characteristics, etc. in different regions of Europe in a way that cross-sectional comparisons between regions and city sizes is facilitated. For that, 2735 children/parents were handed out questionnaires, from whom 1424 filled out the questionnaires (response rate: 52%). This led to 1304 validated questionnaires. The respondents studied in 21 elementary schools of Foggia, Italy; Berlin, Germany; Thessaloniki, Greece; Rijeka, Croatia; Utrecht, The Netherlands; Łódź, Poland; Konstantynow, Poland; Malatya, Turkey, and Doğanşehir, Turkey as of March 2016 until January 2017. The survey instrument enables development of continuous and categorical variables for empirical research with strong focus on the built environment using the aggregate data provided by this study. It is expected that the output data eases production of knowledge about less-studied European contexts as well as cross-sectional comparison of results with more studied areas of Western Europe.
Assessing the geotourism potential of abandoned quarries with multitemporal data (České Středohoří Mts., Czechia)
Authors: Beranová Lucie , Balej Martin , Raška Pavel
Published: January 2018

Quarrying represents a major human impact on the landscape. The positive effects of quarrying have also been appreciated over the last several decades and concern the role of quarries as sites with the potential for geoscientific education and geotourism. In this paper we present a procedure for establishing a multitemporal database of abandoned quarries and their multicriterial assessment in order to determine sites suitable for geotourism purposes. The case of the České středohoří Protected Landscape Area in Northern Czechia is used, as an example of conflicting interest between nature conservation and intense quarrying. Using the combination of old maps and current orthophotomaps, we identified 80 (mid-19th Century), 57 (mid-20th Century) and 38 (2007) quarries. 104 of them were further evaluated according to criteria of scientific and educational value and ‘potential use’ value (visibility, accessibility and extent). This process enabled to determine sites with the highest suitability for geotourism purposes. Finally, we discuss management context for these sites, and possible threats to the sites caused by increased geotourism.
Synthesis, crystal structure, molecular docking studies and bio-evaluation of some N
4-benzyl-substituted isatin- 3-thiosemicarbazones as urease and glycation inhibitors
Authors: Pervez Humayun , Khan Nazia , Iqbal Jamshed , Zaib Sumera , Yaqub Muhammad , Tahir Muhammad Nawaz , Naseer Muhammad Moazzam
Published: January 2018

Fifteen N
4-benzyl-substituted isatin-3-thiosemicarbazones 5a–o were synthesized and evaluated for their urease and glycation inhibitory potential. Lemna aequinocitalis growth and Artemia salina assays were also done to determine their phytotoxic and toxic effects. All compounds are potent inhibitors of the urease enzyme, displaying inhibition [half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50)=1.08±0.12–11.23±0.19 μm] superior to that of the reference inhibitor thiourea (IC50=22.3±1.12 μm). Compounds 5c, 5d, 5h, 5j,k are potent antiglycating agents, showing glycation inhibitory activity better than that of the reference inhibitor rutin (IC50 values 209.87±0.37–231.70±6.71 vs. 294.5±1.5 μm). In the phytotoxicity assay, 11 thiosemicarbazones 5a–d, 5g, 5h, 5j–l, 5n,o are active, demonstrating 5–100% growth inhibition of L. aequinocitalis at the highest tested concentrations (1000 or 500 μg/mL). In the brine shrimp (A. salina) lethality bioassay, three derivatives 5b, 5j and 5o are active with median lethal dose (LD50) values of 3.63×10−5, 2.90×10−5 and 2.31×10−4
m, respectively.
Dimensional changes of cell wall and cell lumens upon water sorption revisited. Literature review and mathematical considerations based on the cylindrical model
Authors: Nakano Takato
Published: January 2018

The dimensional changes of the cell wall and cell lumens are revisited based on literature data and on the mathematical cylindrical model. The external swelling ratio in the cross-section of the wood cell is considered as a function of the moisture content (MC)mfrom the point of view of the swelling ratio of the cell wall, the swelling parameterk, which is defined as the ratio of the outer variation to the cell wall thickness variation, and the cell wall densityds. The swelling behavior of the cell lumen is evaluated based on the parameterkcalculated from experimental observations, which accounts for both the swelling direction and variation degree of the lumen: the lumen radius (i) decreases atk<1, (ii) remains fixed atk=1, and (iii) increases atk>1. The derived equation was applied to 176 wood species from the literature, and it was found that 0.4<k<1.4, while in most cases 0.8<k<1.0. In other words, the lumen radius in most wood species is decreasing with water sorption. As expected, the S2 layer swelling is differently restricted in the circumferencial direction by the S1 and S3 layers with their different cell wall architecture.
Optimization of the Stainless Steel Dust Briquette Reduction Process for Iron, Chromium, and Nickel Recovery
Authors: Zhang Huining , Hui Li , Dong Jianhong , Xiong Huihui
Published: January 2018

The recovery of iron, chromium, and nickel from stainless steel dust (SSD) has attracted considerable attention for their utilization as secondary resources in the ever-growing field of steelmaking. This paper investigates the reduction process of SSD briquettes in iron-baths in detail in order to determine the optimum processing parameters. A novel method of analysis by studying the erosion behavior of a corundum crucible was adopted to accurately calculate the recovery rate of the metals, and the effect of the parameters on the triple metals recovery rate was determined by orthogonal testing. The results show that the most important factor for the SSD briquetting process is water, followed by sucrose, carbon, and pressure. The optimum parameters of the SSD briquetting process are 13 wt% sucrose, 13 wt% water, 11 wt% carbon, and 30 MPa pressure. The compressive intensity was found to be 27.6 MPa. When a basicity of 1.6, 17% carbon, 5 wt% ferrosilicon, and 6% CaF2 were used in the SSD briquette reduction process, the triple metal recovery rate was in the range of 94 –100 %, 90 –100 %, and almost 100 %, respectively.
Automated Feedback Selection for Robot-Assisted Training
Authors: Gerig N. , Wolf P. , Sigrist R. , Riener R. , Rauter G.
Published: January 2018

Robot-assisted training can be enhanced by using augmented feedback to support trainees during learning. Efficacy of augmented feedback is assumed to be dependent on the trainee's skill level and task characteristics. Thus, selecting the most efficient augmented feedback for individual subjects over the course of training is challenging.

We present a general concept to automate feedback selection based on predicted performance improvement. As proof of concept, we applied our concept to trunkarm rowing. Using existing data, the assumption that improvement is skill level dependent was verified and a predictive linear mixed model was obtained. We used this model to automatically select feedback for new trainees. The observed improvements were used to adapt the prediction model to the individual subject. The prediction model did not over-fit and generalized to new subjects with this adaptation.

Mainly, feedback was selected that showed the highest baseline to retention learning in previous studies. By this replication of our former best results we demonstrate that a simple decision rule based on improvement prediction has the potential to reasonably select feedback, or to provide a comprehensible suggestion to a human supervisor. To our knowledge, this is the first time an automated feedback selection has been realized in motor learning.
The Accuracy and Reliability of a New Optical Player Tracking System for Measuring Displacement of Soccer Players
Authors: Mara J. , Morgan S. , Pumpa K. , Thompson K.
Published: January 2018

Recently, a novel optical player tracking system has been developed to determine positional information of athletes in a non-invasive manner. The aim of this study was to measure the accuracy and reliability of displacement estimates derived from the system. Participants completed five soccer-specific running courses at three different speeds three times each, while being filmed using the multi-camera system. The participant’s x,y field positions were determined by the optical player tracking system and displacement was estimated using Euclidean distance, and compared with real distance. On average, the difference between actual distance and estimated displacement was 0.25% (mean absolute difference = 0.79 ± 0.56m) with a slightly larger coefficient of variation during 90° turns (4.89%) when compared with straight line running (4.09%). In addition, there were strong correlations between actual distance and measured displacement (r = 0.986 – 0.988). Collectively, the typical error (0.25 – 0.36 m), typical error as a coefficient of variation (1.06 – 1.75%) and intraclass correlation coefficient (0.88 – 0.93) showed high levels of intra-operator reliability. The optical player tracking system provides accurate and reliable estimates of displacement of players on a soccer field. This system provides non-invasive position detections for players and opposition players during soccer matches.
A comparison of competitive profiles across the Spanish football leagues
Authors: Vales-Vázquez A. , Casal-López C. , Gómez-Rodríguez P. , Blanco-Pita H.
Published: January 2018

The purpose of this study was to compare the competitive profiles across the Spanish football leagues at the present time. The final standings (n=32) and results of the matches played (n=11,122) in the 2015/2016 season were analysed. Four categories of analysis were selected: Level of competitive balance of matches, Level of compactability of team standings, Magnitude of home-field advantage effect, and Degree of openness of the matches. Using statistical procedures for the comparison of means by analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the Chi-Squared test, it was concluded that in the panorama of Spanish football, the men's 2nd division stands out as the Championship that corresponds to a competitive profile with greater equality and that the women's 1st division presents the most unbalanced competitive profile (p < .05). A trend was also observed that indicated that the more professionalized Championships present a higher level of competitive balance of the matches, a higher level of compactability of the team standings, and a lower degree of openness of the matches with respect to the less professionalized Championships, due to the presence of statistically significant differences (p < .05) in the set of categories analysed.
System of Integrated Energy Supply of Separate Facilities from Renewable Energy Sources
Authors: Stoyanov N. , Abornev D. , Smirnov S. , Stoyanov A.
Published: January 2018

The relevancy of the study is due to low efficiency of using solar and geothermal energy in the existing process schemes. In this regard, this article is aimed at revealing the possibilities of using solar and geothermal energy for the integrated energy supply of separate facilities from renewable energy sources. The mathematical simulation method based on the theory of graphs of energy system operation, which makes it possible to analyze the efficiency of the integrated use of solar and geothermal energies for the heat-cold supply of separate facilities, is the main approach to studying this problem. Energy consumption throughout the year and the emergency energy source capacity in “peak” modes were determined based on the developed mathematical model of managing the system of integrated power supply of separate facilities from renewable energy sources plotted with the use of the theory of graphs. The article materials are of practical value for the designers of the systems of integrated heat-cold supply of separate facilities.
Properties of nanocrystalline Si layers embedded in structure of solar cell
Authors: Jurečka Stanislav , Imamura Kentaro , Matsumoto Taketoshi , Kobayashi Hikaru
Published: January 2018

Suppression of spectral reflectance from the surface of solar cell is necessary for achieving a high energy conversion efficiency. We developed a simple method for forming nanocrystalline layers with ultralow reflectance in a broad range of wavelengths. The method is based on metal assisted etching of the silicon surface. In this work, we prepared Si solar cell structures with embedded nanocrystalline layers. The microstructure of embedded layer depends on the etching conditions. We examined the microstructure of the etched layers by a transmission electron microscope and analysed the experimental images by statistical and Fourier methods. The obtained results provide information on the applied treatment operations and can be used to optimize the solar cell forming procedure.
Morphology and FT IR spectra of porous silicon
Authors: Kopani Martin , Mikula Milan , Kosnac Daniel , Gregus Jan , Pincik Emil
Published: January 2018

The morphology and chemical bods of p-type and n-type porous Si was compared. The surface of n-type sample is smooth, homogenous without any features. The surface of p-type sample reveals micrometer-sized islands. FTIR investigation reveals various distribution of SiOxHy complexes in both p-and n-type samples. From the conditions leading to porous silicon layer formation (the presence of holes) we suggest both SiOxHy and SiFxHy complexes in the layer.
Optical properties of the plasma hydrogenated ZnO thin films
Authors: Chang Yu-Ying , Stuchlík Jiří , Neykova Neda , Souček Josef , Remeš Zdeněk
Published: January 2018

We have optimized the deposition of the highly electrically resistive undoped (intrinsic) polycrystalline ZnO thin layers on fused silica substrates by the DC reactive magnetron sputtering of metallic zinc target in argonne/oxide atmosphere and we introduced the post-deposition hydrogen plasma doping. The thickness of thin film was evaluated by reflectance interferometry using the metallographic optical microscope fiber coupled to the CCD spectrometer operating in 400-1000 nm spectral range. The optical absorption was measured by photothermal deflection spectroscopy operating in 300-1600 nm spectral range. The change of the optical absorption edge and the increase of the infrared optical absorption was detected in hydrogenated ZnO. The increase of the infrared optical absorption goes with the increase of the electrical conductivity. We conclude that the plasma hydrogenation of the intrinsic ZnO thin films is related to increase of the free carrier concentration.
PV cells electrical parameters measurement
Authors: Cibira Gabriel
Published: January 2018

When measuring optical parameters of a photovoltaic silicon cell, precise results bring good electrical parameters estimation, applying well-known physical-mathematical models. Nevertheless, considerable re-combination phenomena might occur in both surface and intrinsic thin layers within novel materials. Moreover, rear contact surface parameters may influence close-area re-combination phenomena, too. Therefore, the only precise electrical measurement approach is to prove assumed cell electrical parameters. Based on theoretical approach with respect to experiments, this paper analyses problems within measurement procedures and equipment used for electrical parameters acquisition within a photovoltaic silicon cell, as a case study. Statistical appraisal quality is contributed.
About complex refractive index of black Si
Authors: Pinčík Emil , Brunner Robert , Kobayashi Hikaru , Mikula Milan
Published: January 2018

The paper deals with the complex refractive index in the IR light region of two types of samples (i) as prepared black silicon, and (ii) thermally oxidized black silicon (BSi) nano-crystalline specimens produced both by the surface structure chemical transfer method using catalytic Ag evaporated spots (as prepared sample) and by the catalytic Pt catalytic mesh (thermally oxidized sample). We present, compare, and discuss the values of the IR complex refractive index obtained by calculation using the Kramers-Krönig transformation. Results indicate that small differences between optical properties of as prepared black Si and thermally oxidized BSi are given by: (i) – oxidation procedure, (ii) – thickness of the formed black Si layer, mainly, not by utilization of different catalytic metals, and by iii) the different thickness. Contamination of the surface by different catalytic metals contributes almost equally to the calculated values of the corresponding complex refractive index.
An optimization algorithm for determining a point heat source position in a 2D domain using a hybrid metaheuristic
Authors: Kurt Mehmet , Günel Korhan
Published: January 2018

In this paper, we study an inverse problem of determining the unknown heat source position of a point-wise heat source in a two-dimensional steady-state heat conduction problem governed by a linear elliptic equation with the Dirichlet boundary conditions. The problem is solved by the hybridization of particle swarm optimization and the gravitational search algorithm with a newly defined mutation operator. Some empirical studies are also performed to gauge the accuracy of the proposed approach.
Global Leadership: How to Lead Multicultural Teams Effectively?
Authors: Dziatzko Nina , Struve Franziska , Stehr Christopher
Published: January 2018

Global leadership is a buzz word in today’s business world. It is not clearly defined however who global leaders are: Do they work abroad or with people from different nationalities? Are they themselves living abroad or having a cross-cultural background? Are they leading virtual or non-virtual teams? Do global leaders exist or is not every leader a global leader in today’s world? The following article gives a definition of global leadership and compares it with other leadership profiles: local, expat and glocal leadership. Another challenge about global leadership are the expectations towards this group of people: their expertise, skills and personality. Global leaders seem to be the answer to many questions of our globalised world. This paper describes the challenges global leaders encounter and the competencies they are supposed to dispose of. Interviews with global leaders and their teams show the way they deal with those challenges in practice. Finally, the results of the interviews help the leader discovering new opportunities to develop himself towards an inspiring global leader.
Responsible Leadership and Organizational Commitment among Physicians: Can Inclusive Diversity Climate Enhance the Relationship?
Authors: Mousa Mohamed
Published: January 2018

As a result of the attention paid to the concept of ethics over the past decade, responsible leadership has come to be a focus of research interest for management scholars. The concept entails the degree of stakeholder engagement besides the sense of societal obligation organizations have to fulfill. The growing concept also assumes that focusing only on maximizing shareholder profit is no longer acceptable in the global business and economic sphere. That is why the concept has found a place in management literature as mentioned. Over the past four decades, organizational commitment has come to be considered a buzzword in both management and organization studies. The concept was developed in 1960 to assess employee emotional attachment to their workplace, and currently its scope has been extended to include all employee-employer relationships. The importance of the concept stems from its strong correlation with many wanted and unwanted workplace behaviors like absenteeism, turnover, performance levels, citizenship behaviors and justice as proved by many quantitative studies. This study focused on Kasr El Eini hospital (Egypt) and identified the effect of responsible leadership on physicians’ affective, continuance and normative commitment through mediating the role of an inclusive diversity climate by conducting a quantitative study. Upon collecting 140 questionnaire forms and using chi-square analysis followed by multiple regressions, it appears that responsible leadership has a positive association with an inclusive diversity climate, an inclusive diversity climate has a positive association with physicians’ organizational commitment and finally, responsible leadership affects physicians’ organizational commitment through mediating the role of an inclusive diversity climate.
Early childhood teachers’ perceptions of intercultural education in state schools of Thessaloniki and surrounding areas
Authors: Zotou Eleni
Published: January 2018

This paper is going to argue that while early childhood teachers seem to have positive perceptions about intercultural education, the in-question students seem to be compelled to adopt different cultural habits. Data were gathered through a questionnaire distributed in 9 areas of Thessaloniki, completed by 161 teachers. The results showed that most teachers feel that they have enough knowledge about the curriculum regarding intercultural education, perform activities regarding interculturalism and diversity; they believe that students from different cultures feel welcomed and equally treated and participate in all class activities. Teachers suggest that students from different cultures build good relationships with all their peers and there is positive communication between students from different cultures as well as between their parents and teachers. However, the suggestion of most of the sample that students are compelled to adopt Greek cultural habits constrains this positive picture. It is possible that teachers feel that they are achieving positive results regarding intercultural education. It may be possible to recommend that the approaches that teachers report as part of their current practice should continue or that teachers’ own recommendations should be explored further to determine what sort of approach to intercultural education is being adopted.
Environmental Vegetarianism: Conflicting Principles, Constructive Virtues
Authors: Mishori Daniel
Published: January 2018

This Article contemplates the environmental argument in favor of vegetarianism or
veganism, while reviewing its historical development and relevance to the
current environmental debate. Today there is an apparent synergy between
ecological ethics and animal rights discourse; nevertheless, this presents an
inherent paradox. Whereas the moral, environmental and health arguments
advocating for vegetarianism and veganism seem to reinforce one another,
conflicts may also arise between them. Under certain conditions, the
environmental stance may lead to different and perhaps even contradictory
attitudes about the raising of livestock and the permissibility of animal-based
food. Therefore, this Article first addresses the affinities and conflicts
between both versions of non-anthropocentric ethics: biocentrism (individual
animals’ rights and welfare) and ecocentrism (intrinsic value of nature
and ecosystems). It then examines the historical development and creeds of
environmental vegetarianism, and reviews the debates on the precise impact of
animal-based food products on the environment. It suggests that recent
estimations of the negative impacts underlying the argument for environmental
vegetarianism depend on currently unsustainable (and utterly unethical)
practices of factory farming and industrialized agriculture. These facts could
change if such destructive methods were halted and replaced by sustainable
practices which, perhaps, may sometimes tolerate or even require livestock and
the ecological services it provides in order to grow sustainable plant-based
food. However, many activists still hold both biocentric and ecocentric values,
and see them as different facets of their non-anthropocentric intuitions. In
order to account for such intuitions, the paper shortly explores two concepts:
the mixed society (of both humans and domesticated animals) and virtue ethics. A
mixed non-anthropocentric ecological society might not be strictly vegetarian
(e. g., semi-vegetarian or even carnistic) and still be environmentally
sustainable. In such a sustainable society, caring for nature and non-human
animals are considered righteous, even virtuous, and “biophilic”
intuitions could be respected and even reinforced, without being committed to
strict ethical biocentric principles. Virtue ethics could provide ways to
communicate different non-anthropocetric intuitions in such an ecological mixed
society, where moral values and intuitions regarding both individual animals and
holistic nature is respected, even if certain dilemmas and conflicts between
non-anthropocentric ethical positions still prevail.
The effect of urban and rural habitats on activity budgets of the endangered Northern Plains sacred langur, Semnopithecus entellus (Dufresne, 1797) in Jessore, Bangladesh
Authors: Khatun Mst. Tahmina , Jaman Mohammad Firoj , Rahman Md. Mokhlesur , Alam Md. Mahabub
Published: January 2018

The Northern Plains sacred langurs are characterized by their ability to adapt to a variety of habitats. We compared activity budgets of two langur groups, one living in the rural area and the other in the center of Keshabpur town. Data was collected from September, 2012 to August, 2013 through continuous focal animal sampling. Types of different food items and its availability in two habitats were mainly responsible for the variations in activity budgets. We found time spent feeding and resting were significantly higher in the urban group whereas, langurs of the rural group spent more time in moving. There were no significant differences in time spent on grooming and other social interactions. Seasonal variations in all major behaviors were significantly affected by groups. Langurs of both groups spent greater time on feeding and resting in the winter than other seasons while moving was at its peak in the summer. Females spent more time in grooming than males while males spent more time in vigilance and interaction than females. The langurs showed a considerable behavioral plasticity in response to variation of habitat and resources, and the knowledge of these differences is important for the conservation and management of this species.
Knowledge Creation and Regional Spillovers: Empirical Evidence from Germany
Authors: Akhvlediani Tinatin , Cieślik Andrzej
Published: January 2018

The paper examines the effects of intra- and inter-regional knowledge spillovers on innovative activities in German states using the augmented Griliches-Jaffe knowledge production function. The “Harris market potential” type index is calculated to proxy for inter-regional knowledge transfers of two types: industrial knowledge transfers generated from the business enterprise sector and academic spillovers generated from universities across all German states. The model also includes the concentration of high-tech enterprises, in order to capture the agglomeration effect in the local economy. The estimation results reveal that not only do local private and university research efforts have a positive and significant effect on local innovative activities, but there are also important interregional knowledge spillovers across the German regions.
Polymeric Forms of Al13and Silicon Compounds as Unconventional Binding Agents for some Toxic Metals in Soils
Authors: Badora Aleksandra
Published: January 2018

Own studies and literature data allowed for the evaluation of sorbents in view of the general verification criteria, which are necessary for any sorbent to be applied with no harm to the environment. Polymeric forms of Al13and Si compounds are examples of mineral sorbents that influence metals' toxicity in the environment.