bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Health Status of Healthcare Professionals Working in an Institute for Chronically Ill Psychiatric Patients
Authors: Nagyváradi Katalin , Mátrai Zsuzsa
Published: July 2015

Several research works in the related international literature on sociology and health sciences deal with the state of health in one selected population. In these studies, the chosen sample is often connected with special jobs, especially with healthcare professionals and their working conditions. These studies predominantly examine the self-rated subjective health status using questionnaires. There are others that assess the state of health based not only on self-rated subjective indicators, but also using objective data gained by measuring. Considering the international experiences, we chose a special population in our research – healthcare professionals working in an institute for chronically ill psychiatric patients. Our choice was influenced by the fact that we wanted to include their unique working conditions when exploring and assessing their health status. Moreover, our approach was to assess the objective state of health alongside the subjective factors, as our hypothesis was that the majority of the indicators presumably coincided. The data were collected with the help of three questionnaires and some indicators of the objective health statuses were measured. The findings were processed using the SPSS 17.0 mathematical-statistical software package. Following the descriptive statistics, we applied hierarchic cluster-analysis based on results of the WHOQOLD-BREF26 life-quality questionnaire, the WHO WBI-5 Well Being Index, and on the body composition analysis. The results show the objective and subjective health status of population and the factors that influenced it; the working conditions and the interpersonal contacts in the workplace. The conclusion was that in the examined population the subjective and objective health status doesn’t coincide.
Accesibility to Basic Urban Services in Mbour City (Senegal): An Approach Based on Geographical Information System
Authors: Thiam Sokhna , Roșu Lucian , Faye Ousmane , Niang Aminata Diène , Muntele Ionel
Published: July 2015

The uneven spatial distribution of basic facilities within urban areas is a major problem for developing countries like Senegal due to the emphasis of accessibility disparities and the use of this services. The efforts to quantify the problem and its consequences on people are constrained by the lack of satisfactory data and methods. The study seeks to examine the spatial accessibility to basic services (access to water, health, education, economic infrastructure and transportation services) in a very heterogeneous urban system and to highlight inequalities in access for improving the geographical accessibility and to ensure equity. The article explore the use of spatial analysis method (Closest Facility) to measure the potential accessibility to services and facilities in the city of Mbour. The analyses uses all the inhabited houses of the city as the potential demand. Results emphasis unequal access to basic urban services in the city and a center-periphery model with a high concentration of services around the city. The study demonstrates the utility of this method for the identification of disadvantaged areas, decision making and planning of basic services. It also provides paths for improving accessibility in urban areas with a high density of population.
Electronic Waste in Bangladesh: Evaluating the Situation, Legislation and Policy and Way Forward With Strategy and Approach
Authors: Alam Mahbub , Bahauddin Khalid Md.
Published: July 2015

Electronic waste (e-waste) is one of the fastest-growing pollution problems worldwide given the presence if a variety of toxic substances which can contaminate the environment and threaten human health, if disposal protocols are not meticulously managed. In Bangladesh almost 2.7 million metric tons of e-waste generated per year. Of this amount only 20 to 30 percent is recycled and the rest of the waste is released in to landfills, rivers, drains lakes, canals, open spaces which are very hazardous for the health and environment. Since Bangladesh is in the stream of rapid technological advancement, it is seldom to take necessary steps to avoid the future jeopardized situation because of e-waste. The current practices of e-waste management in Bangladesh suffer from a number of drawbacks like the difficulty in inventorisation, unhealthy conditions of informal recycling, inadequate legislation and policy, poor awareness and reluctance on part of the corporate to address the critical issues. The paper highlights the associated issues and strategies to address this emerging problem, analyses the policy and its gaps. Therefore, this paper also suggest that e-waste policy development may require a more customized approach where, instead of addressing e-waste in isolation, it should be addressed as part of the national development agenda that integrates green economy assessment and strategic environmental assessment as part of national policy planning. Finally this work also suggests some alternative strategies and approaches to overcome the challenges of e-waste.
Ecological-Geochemical Analysis and Evaluation of Rural Geosystems Mountain Areas of Northern Bukovina (Ukraine)
Authors: Tanasiuk M.V.
Published: July 2015

The study of general ecological peculiarities of rural geosystems should be conducted on the basis of analysis and evaluation of geochemical showings. Among anthropogenic factors influencing the formation of ecological-geochemical peculiarities of rural geosystems considerable negative influence have unpractical nature management and the economic activity human being. That’s why the study of ecological-geochemical condition of rural geosystems all enables us to estimate them and to determine the change dynamics.

On the basis of the conducted researches geosystems in the mountain areas of Northern Bukovina, the concentration coefficients are calculated, total showings of contamination, there being determined the showings of contamination intensivity of the natural component and the integral indicator of the ecological danger, there being given a general evaluation of the ecological-geochemical situation of the rural geosystems of the investigated area.
The Influence Of Obesity On Results Of AT (Doxorubicin Plus Docetaxel) Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy In Locally Advanced Breast Cancer Patients
Authors: Karpińska Agnieszka , Safranow Krzysztof , Kładny Józef , Sulżyc-Bielicka Violetta
Published: July 2015

The achieve pathologic complete response is proven to be the most important parameter of prognosis. Thereports evaluating the impact of obesity on the obtained pathologic response to chemotherapy are unequal.

was to evaluate in locally advanced breast cancer patients, treated with AT(doxorubicin plus docetaxel) neoadjuvant chemotherapy: 1. The relationship of obesity with obtaining pathological response. 2. The relationship of obesity and free of disease recurrence survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) associated with the tumour.

A retrospective study was carried out in a group of 105 patients with locally advanced breast cancer, treated with AT neoadjuvant chemotherapy and then treated with radical surgery. Two variants of pathological response have been adopted: a pCR (T0N0) and pCR1 (TisN0, TxN1, T1N0, T1N1, T0N1). The relationship of obesity with pathological response and survival was investigated.

In univariate analysis the pCR1 was obtained with its arising from the borderline of statistical significance with lower incidence of obesity. In pCR1 multivariate analysis, negative pCR1 relationship with obesity was on the borderline of the statistical significance. The multivariate analysis showed a significant negative association OS with obesity (p=0.047) and positive with the occurrence of menopause (p = 0.029).

In patients with locally advanced breast cancer treated with AT neoadjuvant chemotherapy. 1. Obesity seems to be an independent and unfavourable predictor of the lack of obtaining pCR1 pathological response 2. In the multivariate analysis, the obesity was a significant independent factor related to shorter OS.
Comparative analysis of markers of cell proliferation in canine mast cell tumours according to current classifications
Authors: Kandefer-Gola M. , Madej J.A. , Dzimira S. , Nowak M. , Janus I. , Ciaputa R.
Published: July 2015

The study aimed at immunohistochemical analysis of various markers of cell proliferation and comparison of the results with canine mast cell tumours grading systems according to the Patnaik and Kiupel. Tissue sections were stained using classical technique with haematoxylin and eosin, and immunohistochemical studies were performed with Ki-67, PCNA and MCM-3 antibodies. Additionally the mitotic index was assessed. Statistical analysis including rank correlation Spearman’s and ANOVA Friedman analysis was performed. The significance was set at p<0.05. Expression of all examined antigens was detected. The results obtained allow concluding that there is a strong relationship between all the cell markers. However, due to the very strong response and positive reaction in the majority of tumours PCNA is not recommended as a prognostic indicator. Ki-67 and MCM-3 can be successfully used in the evaluation of canine mast cell tumours.
Effects of propofol and carbon dioxide on acid-base balance in Siberian sturgeon
Authors: Gomułka P. , Czerniak E. , Dągowski J. , Łuczyński M. , Szczerbowski A. , Szkudlarek M.
Published: July 2015

The aim of this study was to compare physiological responses in Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baeri) induced by propofol and CO2 anaesthesia. Two procedures were applied during the experiment. In procedure I, blood samples were collected immediately after exposure (1, 2, 5, 10 min) to the anaesthetic. In procedure II, fish were exposed to the anaesthetic for 10 minutes and then were moved to anaesthetic free water. Blood was sampled after 5, 10, 20 or 30 min of recovery time. Gasometrical and biochemical analyses were performed on collected blood.

In CO2 anaesthetized fish strong hypercapnic acidosis was revealed. The drop of the HCO3−/CO2 ratio, from 28:1 in control fish up to 4:1 in CO2 anaesthetized ones, proved that the compensation mechanism is not capable of preventing acidosis during CO2 anaesthesia in Siberian sturgeon. In contrast, only moderate, respiratory acidosis occurred in sturgeons anaesthetised with propofol. Hypercapnic acidosis during CO2 anaesthesia was followed by a fourfold increase of ammonia level in the blood. Glucose level, increasing only during recovery time, indicates that a secondary stress response occurred when awareness of anaesthetized fish had been restored.
Effect of supplementation with vitamins E, C and β-carotene on antioxidative/oxidative status parameters in sows during the postpartum period
Authors: Szczubiał M.
Published: July 2015

The effect of vitamins E, C and β-carotene supplementation in sows on the parameters of antioxidative/oxidative status during the postpartum period was investigated. Twenty four primiparous sows, divided into two groups (experimental and control), were included in the study. After the half-way point of pregnancy until farrowing, each experimental sow received feed supplemented twice a week with 200 mg of vitamin E and 1000 mg of vitamin C, and additionally, 70 mg of β-carotene were administered via intramuscular injection, on day 14 and day 7 before farrowing. The control group was not supplemented. Blood samples were collected before supplementation (gestational day 57-58), 48 hours and 7 days after parturition. The following antioxidative and oxidative parameters were measured using spectrophotometric methods: glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), vitamin C, vitamin E, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and sulfhydryl groups (SH groups). In supplemented sows the erythrocyte activity of GSH-Px and CAT was found to be significantly higher on day 7 after farrowing and the activity of SOD was significantly higher at 48 hours postpartum, compared to the control group. The concentration of vitamins C and E in plasma of the supplemented group was found to be significantly higher and the content of TBARS was found significantly lower at both postpartum measurement points, compared to the control group. The content of SH groups was significantly higher on day 7 postpartum, compared to the control group. The study findings indicate that supplementation of pregnant sows with vitamins E, C and β-carotene in the second half of pregnancy has beneficial effects on the antioxidative/oxidative balance in the postpartum period by increasing the antioxidative potential and reducing lipid and protein peroxidation.
Short-term heart rate variability (HRV) in healthy dogs
Authors: Bogucki Sz. , Noszczyk-Nowak A.
Published: July 2015

Heart rate variability (HRV) is a well established mortality risk factor in both healthy dogs and those with heart failure. While the standards for short-term HRV analysis have been developed in humans, only reference values for HRV parameters determined from 24-hour ECG have been proposed in dogs. The aim of this study was to develop the reference values for short-term HRV parameters in a group of 50 healthy dogs of various breeds (age 4.86 ± 2.74 years, body weight 12.2 ± 3.88 kg). The ECG was recorded continuously for at least 180 min in a dark and quiet room. All electrocardiograms were inspected automatically and manually to eliminate atrial or ventricular premature complexes. Signals were transformed into a spectrum using the fast Fourier transform. The HRV parameters were measured at fixed times from 60-min ECG segments. The following time-domain parameters (ms) were analyzed: mean NN, SDNN, SDANN, SDNN index, rMSSD and pNN50. Moreover, frequency-domain parameters (Hz) were determined, including very low frequency (VLF), low frequency (LF) and high frequency (HF) components, total power (TP) and the LF/HF ratio. The results (means ± SD) were as follows: mean NN = 677.68 ± 126.89; SDNN = 208.86 ± 77.1; SDANN = 70.75 ± 30.9; SDNN index = 190.75 ± 76.12; rMSSD = 259 ± 120.17, pNN50 = 71.84 ± 13.96; VLF = 984.96 ± 327.7; LF = 1501.24 ± 736.32; HF = 5845.45 ± 2914.20; TP = 11065.31 ± 3866.87; LF/HF = 0.28 ± 0.11.
Caudal mesenteric ganglion in the sheep – macroanatomical and immunohistochemical study
Authors: Sienkiewicz W. , Chrószcz A. , Dudek A. , Janeczek M. , Kaleczyc J.
Published: July 2015

The caudal mesenteric ganglion (CaMG) is a prevetrebral ganglion which provides innervation to a number of organs in the abdominal and pelvic cavity. The morphology of CaMG and the chemical coding of neurones in this ganglion have been described in humans and many animal species, but data on this topic in the sheep are entirely lacking. This prompted us to undertake a study to determine the localization and morphology of sheep CaMG as well as immunohistochemical properties of its neurons. The study was carried out on 8 adult sheep, weighing from 40 to 60 kg each. The sheep were deeply anaesthetised and transcardially perfused with 4% paraformaldehyde. CaMG-s were exposed and their location was determined. Macroanatomical observations have revealed that the ovine CaMG is located at the level of last two lumbar (L5 or L6) and the first sacral (S1) vertebrae. The ganglion represents an unpaired structure composed of several, sequentially arranged aggregates of neurons. Immunohistochemical investigations revealed that nearly all (99.5%) the neurons were DβH-IR and were richly supplied by VACHT-IR nerve terminals forming „basket-like” structures around the perikarya. VACHT-IR neurones were not determined. Many neurons (55%) contained immunoreactivity to NPY, some of them (10%) stained for Met-ENK and solitary nerve cells were GAL-positive. CGRP-IR nerve fibres were numerous and a large number of them simultaneously expressed immunoreactivity to SP. Single, weakly stained neurones were SP-IR and only very few nerve cells weakly stained for VIP.
The effect of selected environmental Fusarium mycotoxins on the ovaries in the female wild boar (Sus scrofa)
Authors: Zielonka Ł. , Gajęcka M. , Żmudzki J. , Gajęcki M.
Published: July 2015

The contamination of agricultural crops with Fusarium mycotoxins poses one of the greatest problems in food production. Wild boars live in specific habitats and are physiologically sensitive to Fusarium mycotoxins, therefore, they are an interesting model for studies investigating the effects of the discussed toxin, in particular under low-dose exposure. The objective of this study was to determine potential effects of Fusarium mycotoxins ingested with naturally contaminated food on reproductive function based on the proliferation and apoptotic indices of ovarian follicles in female wild boars. The experiment was conducted on 40 wild boars inhabiting north-eastern Poland. The effect of seasonal variations in the quantity and quality of ingested food on the concentrations of Fusarium mycotoxins and their metabolites in the blood of wild boars was analyzed. The observed differences in toxin levels were accompanied by changes in proliferation and apoptotic indices. Proliferation processes were most intense in autumn-winter and were least advanced in winter-spring. The intensity of apoptotic processes was inversely correlated with proliferation.
Bluetongue in Europe and the role of wildlife in the epidemiology of disease
Authors: Niedbalski W.
Published: July 2015

The article reviews a current bluetongue (BT) epidemiological situation in Europe, BT restricted zones and the role of wild ungulates as a reservoir for bluetongue virus (BTV) and its transmission. BT has been eradicated from central and northern Europe, however it is still circulating in some regions of southern and south-eastern Europe. According to the recent information of the Directoriate General for Health and Consumer Affairs (DG SANCO) disease caused by BTV1 was spreading at the beginning of 2014 in Corsica (France). Moreover, four BTV1 cases were noticed in the west Spain (Cáceres province), 59 BTV4 outbreaks in south Spain (Andalusia), 10 in the region of Algarve in Portugal and about 200 outbreaks of BTV4 in Greece (Peloponesse and Evros regions). On 4th July the first outbreak of BTV4 was also confirmed at the south Bulgarian border and by 5th September 2014 disease was noticed in 21 of 28 administrative districts of Bulgaria. In August 2014 the BTV4 disease was reported in south-east of Romania and as for 8th September 184 outbreaks of BT were confirmed in 17 counties of this country. As of 3 September 2014 in Europe there has been fourteen BT-affected zones, in different regions of Italy, Spain, Portugal, Cyprus, Malta, France (Corsica), Greece, Bulgaria and Romania. Most species of wild ruminants and camelids are susceptible to BTV infection, although frequently asymptomatically. Wild sheep, bighorn and mouflon, are susceptible to BTV infection and can develop fatal clinical disease, as do domestic sheep. Experimental or natural infection of antelope, wapiti, musk, ox, bison, yak, white-tailed deer and African buffalo also produced clinical disease, whereas blesbock, mountain gazelle, roe deer, red deer and Eurasian elk did not show clinical sign after natural or experimental infection and infection was recognized by the presence of BTV viral RNA or specific antibodies. The wildlife due to the long-term carrier state may act as a reservoir for BTV and play an important role in its transmission.
Risk Analysis Of Collision Between Passenger Ferry And Chemical Tanker In The Western Zone Of The Baltic Sea
Authors: Przywarty Marcin , Gucma Lucjan , Marcjan Krzysztof , Bąk Andrzej
Published: July 2015

This paper presents assumptions and process of the forming of a risk assessment model for collision between a passenger ferry departing from or approaching port of Świnoujście and a chemical tanker carrying a dangerous cargo. In order to assess navigational safety on the basis of data obtained from AIS system, were prepared probabilistic domains of ships, which made it possible to estimate number of navigational incidents as well as their spatial distribution, that consequently allowed to determine potentially dangerous areas. The next phase was formulation of a simulative model intended for the calculating of probability of collision between the ferry and chemical tanker as well as the determining of characteristic scenarios for such collision. This paper presents also an analysis of consequences of the collision with taking into consideration a damage of cargo tanks.
Analysing Applicability Of Selected Methods To Smooth Indicator Diagrams Of Marine Medium-Speed Engine
Authors: Pawletko Rafał
Published: July 2015

The article analyses the applicability of selected smoothing methods to smooth indicator diagram curves and to filter disturbances. An intermediate goal of the study was an attempt to extract disturbances recorded during pressure curve smoothing, which are believed to be a source of important diagnostic information.

Within the framework of the reported analysis, a comparison was made between the moving average method, the Savitzky-Golay filter, and the frequency filtration method. The research was performed on a marine medium-speed engine Sulzer 3Al 25/30, which has a relatively long indicator passage.
Simplified Procedure For The Free Vibration Analysis Of Rectangular Plate Structures With Holes And Stiffeners
Authors: Cho Dae Seung , Vladimir Nikola , Choi Tae Muk
Published: July 2015

Thin and thick plates, plates with holes, stiffened panels and stiffened panels with holes are primary structural members in almost all fields of engineering: civil, mechanical, aerospace, naval, ocean etc. In this paper, a simple and efficient procedure for the free vibration analysis of such elements is presented. It is based on the assumed mode method and can handle different plate thickness, various shapes and sizes of holes, different framing sizes and types as well as different combinations of boundary conditions. Natural frequencies and modes are determined by solving an eigenvalue problem of a multi-degree-of-freedom system matrix equation derived by using Lagrange’s equations. Mindlin theory is applied for a plate and Timoshenko beam theory for stiffeners. The applicability of the method in the design procedure is illustrated with several numerical examples obtained by the in-house developed code VAPS. Very good agreement with standard commercial finite element software is achieved.
Selected Aspects Of Building, Operation And Environmental Impact Of Offshore Wind Power Electric Plants
Authors: Mroziński Adam , Piasecka Izabela
Published: July 2015

This paper describes essence of work of offshore wind power electric plants and crucial aspects of their building and operating. Prospects for development of global, European and domestic markets of offshore wind power industry have been delineated. A comparative analysis of environmental impact of an offshore and land-based 2MW wind power electric plant has been performed by using LCA method and Ecoindex – 99 (Ekowskaźnik 99) modelling.
Smoothie or Fruit Salad? Learners’ Descriptions of Accents as Windows to Concept Formation
Authors: Henderson Alice
Published: July 2015

This paper explores the linguistically naive descriptions which one set of EFL learners provided when identifying and describing accents. First and second-year English majors at a French university were asked to do two tasks. First, they listened to two extracts to determine whether the speaker’s accent sounded more British or American, and to explain which features helped them to decide. Later they answered two questions: a) What do you do when you want to sound more like an American? and b) more like a British person? The analysis of their answers highlights learners’ underlying representations of accents as well as concept formation in relation to English pronunciation. I argue that this cognitive aspect of L2 learning should be addressed explicitly in instruction.
An Integrated Approach to Real Estate (Porfolio) Management
Authors: Muczyński Andrzej
Published: July 2015

Real estate management activities evolved with the development of the real estate industry, the needs of property investors and general changes in the market environment. Today, these activities require a comprehensive approach on the one hand, but on the other, are more and more specialized. The paper presents an integrated view of real estate management on the example of a multidimensional basic concept of real estate management developed under German market conditions. Detailed analysis of this concept was preceded by a review of approaches to real estate management made on the basis of literature and own research. It was on this basis that opportunities and application fields of the integrated model of real estate management in Polish market conditions were characterized. The presented concept can be used both as a raster to harmonize real estate management activities and tasks in business practice, as well as a classification scheme for the evaluation of scientific research. This concept is an important step on the way to structuring and organizing real estate management as a professional service according to the indications of management science.
Applying the Phenomenon of Real Estate Market Subject Translocality to Determine the Regional Development Level of Polish Voivodeships
Authors: Brzezicka Justyna , Wisniewski Radoslaw
Published: July 2015

The article pertains to the issue of subject translocality on the real estate market and indicates the scope of its practical application connected with determining the level of the economic development of voivodeships. The issue of real estate market subject translocality was analyzed on the basis of a review of literature connected with the locality of the real estate market in its subject plane, as well as by setting apart a category referring to the subject plane of the real estate market. The work is of an empirical nature. In this part, coefficients of real estate market subject translocality were used in order to assess the level of development of individual voivodeships. Cluster analysis was also used in order to establish the groups of voivodeships similar in terms of the level of real estate market subject translocality.
Territorial Marketing as an Element Boosting the Development of a Commune
Authors: Renigier-Biłozor Małgorzata , Biłozor Andrzej
Published: July 2015

Recently, it has become popular to streamline the way of managing territorial units by adapting the marketing approach to a territorial dimension. The majority of cities and communes in Poland have realized that, in order to achieve their set goals under conditions of fierce competition for limited resources, it is necessary to introduce territorial marketing as one of the key and significant own tasks to be implemented. The objective of the article is to develop principles of the effective use and management of the area of a commune by carrying out suitable marketing projects, based on an analysis of the social, economic and geopolitical situation of the commune, with particular emphasis placed on location factors.
Real Estate Management in Malaysian Public Schools: Determination of Success Factors
Authors: Abdullah Shardy , Mat Nah Mohd Nurfadzli , Razak Arman Abdul
Published: July 2015

Effective real estate management practice is needed to ensure that the property in Malaysia, including public schools, can be fully utilized. The purpose of this study is to identify the success factors of the real estate management of Malaysia’s public schools. To achieve this aim, a questionnaire was developed as a research tool. The respondents involved were representatives of public schools and officers from the state education department offices (on the basis of whom the total population was calculated) in Pulau Pinang, Malaysia. The respondents were chosen using a random sampling method. The success factors of managing property in public schools were identified by Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), using the principals of component analysis, the t-test, Cronbach’s alpha and mean analysis. The findings show that the majority of the respondents agreed that all of the listed 18 success factors within the 4 main factor groups as addressed in the survey are important for the efficient and effective improvement of real estate management, especially in Malaysian public schools.
Real Estate as a Subject of Spatial Conflict Among Central and Local Authorities
Authors: Źróbek-Różańska Alina , Zysk Elżbieta
Published: July 2015

Currently, real estate located in rural areas neighboring cities are under pressure to become a location for the realization of urban and metropolitan projects. Thus, spatial conflicts are an inherent characteristic of modern urban development. Such conflicts vary in terms of the scope, intensity and course they take. An interesting case illustrating the given issue can be the conflict over real estate owned by the State Treasury (central authority) and localized within the power of local authorities (gminas). Such a situation requires mediating and producing an outcome that satisfies the goals of both sides. The authors based the deliberations on the topic of spatial conflicts on the example of the relation between the Agricultural Property Agency division in Olsztyn (APA Olsztyn) and the smallest local administration units (gminas) located within the borders of the Warmia-Masuria (Województwo Warmińsko-Mazurskie) and Podlasie (Województwo Podlaskie) Provinces. The aim of the research was to describe the background for potential conflict and to study its proceedings. The aim was achieved through studies of relevant literature and data analysis.
Use of Statistical Models for Simulating Transactions on the Real Estate Market
Authors: Cellmer Radosław , Szczepankowska Katarzyna
Published: July 2015

The regularities and relations between real estate prices and the factors that shape them may be presented in the form of statistical models, thanks to which the diagnosis and prediction of prices is possible. A formal description of empirical observation presented in the form of regressive models also offers a possibility for creating certain phenomena in a virtual dimension. Market phenomena cannot be fully described with the use of determinist models, which clarify only a part of price variation. The predicted price is, in this situation, a special case of implementing a random function. Assuming that other implementations are also possible, regressive models may constitute a basis for simulation, which results in the procurement of a future image of the market.

Simulation may refer both to real estate prices and transaction prices. The basis for price simulation may be familiarity with the structure of the analyzed market data. Assuming that this structure has a static character, simulation of real estate prices is performed on the basis of familiarity with the probability distribution and a generator of random numbers. The basis for price simulation is familiarity with model parameters and probability distribution of the random factor.

The study presents the core and theoretical description of a transaction simulation on the real estate market, as well as the results of an experiment regarding transaction prices of office real estate located within the area of the city of Olsztyn. The result of the study is a collection of virtual real properties with known features and simulated prices, constituting a reflection of market processes which may take place in the near future. Comparison between the simulated characteristic and actual transactions in turn allows the correctness of the description of reality by the model to be verified.
Concept of hybrid embankment
Authors: Fukue Masaharu , Lechowicz Zbigniew , Takahashi Rie , Uehara Kouji
Published: July 2015

An innovative technique which is similar to a natural process, i.e., biogeochemical (carbonate) diagenesis, is proposed to construct a hybrid embankment. In this study, the hybrid embankment is defined as a soil embankment which has a microbially induced framework structure of sand sheets and columns in the soft soil matrix. The sand materials are cemented with magnesium-calcite or dolomite, induced by ureolytic microbes. To design and construct hybrid embankments, fundamental problems, such as feasibility in terms of stability, geoenvironmental engineering practices, etc., are examined and discussed. It was shown that the hybrid embankment can be environmentally friendly and also can contribute solving technical and financial problems encountered in actual practice.
Vertical and horizontal permeability measurements in organic soils
Authors: Malinowska Edyta E. , Szymański Alojzy
Published: July 2015

The paper is referring to vertical and horizontal laboratory permeability measurements in soft organic soils. The estimation of anisotropic permeability in soft organic soils, as peats, requires to use a special apparatus and the knowledge of proper analysis of the test results. During loading the void ratio decreases substantially that causes the changeability of the permeability. The change of permeability during the compression is very important because of the influence of the consolidation co-efficient. Initial strain in soft organic soils appears very quickly, just after loading, and brings immediately the decrease of permeability. In most of the estimations, it is assumed that during the consolidation process the water flows just in the vertical direction. In soft organic soils, like peats, the consolidation theory should consider the changes of mechanical and physical properties in consolidation period, in both directions. The direct measurement of vertical and horizontal permeability of organic soil and the non-Darcian flow theory may be of considerable importance in estimating pore water pressure dissipation, and settlement rates in the consolidation model. In the paper, the method of investigation and the test results of the vertical and horizontal permeability are presented. The Modified Rowe Cell Set for obtaining consolidation and flow characteristics in different directions is used.
Numerical Simulation Of The Treatment Of Soil Swelling Using Grid Geocell Columns
Authors: Fattah Mohammed Y. , Al-Omari Raid R. , Ali Haifaa A.
Published: July 2015

In this paper, a method for the treatment of the swelling of expansive soil is numerically simulated. The method is simply based on the embedment of a geogrid (or a geomesh) in the soil. The geogrid is extended continuously inside the volume of the soil where the swell is needed to be controlled and orientated towards the direction of the swell. Soils with different swelling potentials are employed: bentonite base-Na and bentonite base-Ca samples in addition to kaolinite mixed with bentonite. A numerical analysis was carried out by the finite element method to study the swelling soil's behavior and investigate the distribution of the stresses and pore water pressures around the geocells beneath the shallow footings. The ABAQUS computer program was used as a finite element tool, and the soil is represented by the modified Drucker-Prager/cap model. The geogrid surrounding the geocell is assumed to be a linear elastic material throughout the analysis. The soil properties used in the modeling were experimentally obtained. It is concluded that the degree of saturation and the matric suction (the negative pore water pressure) decrease as the angle of friction of the geocell column material increases due to the activity of the sand fill in the dissipation of the pore water pressure and the acceleration of the drainage through its function as a drain. When the plasticity index and the active depth (the active zone is considered to be equal to the overall depth of the clay model) increase, the axial movement (swelling movement) and matric suction, as a result of the increase in the axial forces, vary between this maximum value at the top of the layer and the minimum value in the last third of the active depth and then return to a consolidation at the end of the depth layer.
Advantages Of A Time Series Analysis Using Wavelet Transform As Compared With A Fourier Analysis
Authors: Sleziak Patrik , Hlavčová Kamila , Szolgay Ján
Published: July 2015

The paper presents an analysis of changes in the structure of the average annual discharges, average annual air temperature, and average annual precipitation time series in Slovakia. Three time series with lengths of observation from 1961 to 2006 were analyzed. An introduction to spectral analysis with Fourier analysis (FA) is given. This method is used to determine significant periods of a time series. Later in this article a description of a wavelet transform (WT) is reviewed. This method is able to work with non-stationary time series and detect when significant periods are presented. Subsequently, models for the detection of potential changes in the structure of the time series analyzed were created with the aim of capturing changes in the cyclical components and the multiannual variability of the time series selected for Slovakia. Finally, some of the comparisons of the time series analyzed are discussed. The aim of the paper is to show the advantages of time series analysis using WT compared with FT. The results were processed in the R software environment.
On South African Violence Through Giorgio Agamben’s Biopolitical Framework: A Comparative Study Of J.M. Coetzee’s Disgrace And Z. Mda’s Ways Of Dying
Authors: Bartnik Ryszard
Published: July 2015

In this article I argue that the developments of countries going through transition from authoritarian to democratic rule are always stamped by numerous references to formerly sanctioned and fully operational institutionalized violence. A perfect exemplification of this phenomenon is [post-] apartheid South Africa and its writing. In the context of the above, both the social and the literary realm of the 1990s might be perceived as resonant with Giorgio Agamben’s ‘concentrationary’, deeply divisive imaginary. Escaping from, and concurrently remembering, past fears, anxieties, yet seeking hope and consolation, the innocent but also the formerly outlawed and victimized along [interestingly enough] with [ex]perpetrators exemplify, as discussed in J. M. Coetzee’s and Z. Mda’s novels, the necessity of an exposure of the mechanism of South African ‘biopoliticization’ of life. Their stories prove how difficult the uprooting of the mentality of segregation, hatred and the policy of bracketing the other’s life as insubstantial, thus vulnerable to instrumental violence, in [post-] apartheid society was. In view of the above what is to be highlighted here is the authorial perception of various attempts at disavowing past and present violence as detrimental to South African habitat. In the end, coming to terms with the past, with the belligerent nature of local mental maps, must inevitably lead to the acknowledgement of guilt and traumatic suffering. Individual and collective amnesia conditioned by deeply-entrenched personal culpability or personal anguish is then construed as damaging, and as such is subject do deconstructive analysis.
Multidisciplinary Design Optimization on Conceptual Design of Aero-engine
Authors: Zhang Xiao-bo , Wang Zhan-xue , Zhou Li , Liu Zeng-wen
Published: July 2015

In order to obtain better integrated performance of aero-engine during the conceptual design stage, multiple disciplines such as aerodynamics, structure, weight, and aircraft mission are required. Unfortunately, the couplings between these disciplines make it difficult to model or solve by conventional method. MDO (Multidisciplinary Design Optimization) methodology which can well deal with couplings of disciplines is considered to solve this coupled problem. Approximation method, optimization method, coordination method, and modeling method for MDO framework are deeply analyzed. For obtaining the more efficient MDO framework, an improved CSSO (Concurrent Subspace Optimization) strategy which is based on DOE (Design Of Experiment) and RSM (Response Surface Model) methods is proposed in this paper; and an improved DE (Differential Evolution) algorithm is recommended to solve the system-level and discipline-level optimization problems in MDO framework. The improved CSSO strategy and DE algorithm are evaluated by utilizing the numerical test problem. The result shows that the efficiency of improved methods proposed by this paper is significantly increased. The coupled problem of VCE (Variable Cycle Engine) conceptual design is solved by utilizing improved CSSO strategy, and the design parameter given by improved CSSO strategy is better than the original one. The integrated performance of VCE is significantly improved.
Breyten Breytenbach in een zijspiegel: Het vizier van H.C. ten Berge Transnationale laterale beweging en particuliere “hetero-images” van een literaire actor/ Breyten Breytenbach Through H.C. ten Berge’s Looking-Glass: Transnational Lateral Movement and Particular “Hetero-Images” of a Writer
Authors: T’Sjoen Yves
Published: July 2015

At the end of the 1960s and in the beginning of the 1970s the South African poet Breyten Breytenbach had poetry and drawings published in the leading literary magazine Raster. The editor in charge at the time, H.C. ten Berge, gave the experimental writer and socially engaged Sestiger (the literary modernizing movement in South Africa in the sixties) pride of place in the line-ups of the Dutch modernist periodical. In the seventies, Ten Berge contributed to Vingermaan (1980), a collection of poems by Dutch writers (Lucebert, Kopland, Kouwenaar, Schierbeek) in support of the anti-apartheid activist. From 1975 Breytenbach was imprisoned in South Africa for political reasons. He served seven years of a nine year sentence. At that time, in the eighties, the Netherlands organized a cultural and economical boycott against the racist regime in Pretoria. Later on, Ten Berge presented his own poems dedicated to Breytenbach in his book of poetry Nieuwe gedichten (1981) and in the collection Materia prima: Gedichten 1963-1993 (1993). Before and during the imprisonment of Breytenbach Ten Berge played an important role in the introduction of the writer in the Low Countries. From a cultural-sociological point of view Breytenbach’s presence in the Dutch language area can be described, in the terminology of Francoise Lionnet and Shu-mei Shih and later on used by Louise Viljoen, as a transnational lateral movement in his writing career. This paper deals with the cultural transmission of an important political and experimental author in the literary system of Afrikaans and English in South Africa into the Dutch system. From a bibliographical viewpoint this paper affords special attention to the publication of Breytenbach’s volume of poetry in Skryt: Om ’n sinkende skip blou te verf ([1972] 1976), Vingermaan (1980) and Nieuwe gedichten ([1981] 1987). Ten Berge played an important role in the introduction of Breytenbach to the Low Countries in the way he presented the author’s political and aesthetic ideas to a Dutch-speaking audience.
Unsteady Chemically Reacting Casson Fluid Flow in an Irregular Channel with Convective Boundary
Authors: Nasir Muhammad , Butt Adnan Saeed , Ali Asif
Published: July 2015

A mathematical model has been performed for momentum, temperature, and mass concentration of a time-dependent Casson fluid flow between a long vertical wavy wall and a parallel wavy wall subject to convective boundary conditions. Perturbation technique is used to convert the coupled partial differential equations for velocity, temperature, and mass concentration to systems of ordinary differential equations. Analytical results for these differential equations are computed. The effects of various physical parameters such as thermal conductivity, thermal Grashof number, solutal Grashof number, heat absorption parameter, and Biot number are analysed graphically.
Overtaking Collision and Phase Shifts of Dust Acoustic Multi-Solitons in a Four Component Dusty Plasma with Nonthermal Electrons
Authors: Mandal Gurudas , Roy Kaushik , Paul Anindita , Saha Asit , Chatterjee Prasanta
Published: July 2015

The nonlinear propagation and interaction of dust acoustic multi-solitons in a four component dusty plasma consisting of negatively and positively charged cold dust fluids, non-thermal electrons, and ions were investigated. By employing reductive perturbation technique (RPT), we obtained Korteweged–de Vries (KdV) equation for our system. With the help of Hirota’s bilinear method, we derived two-soliton and three-soliton solutions of the KdV equation. Phase shifts of two solitons and three solitons after collision are discussed. It was observed that the parameters α, β, β
1, μ

e
, μ

i
, and σ play a significant role in the formation of two-soliton and three-soliton solutions. The effect of the parameter β
1 on the profiles of two soliton and three soliton is shown in detail.
Neonatal Acute Kidney Injury
Authors: Selewski David T. , Charlton Jennifer R. , Jetton Jennifer G. , Guillet Ronnie , Mhanna Maroun J. , Askenazi David J. , Kent Alison L.
Published: July 2015

In recent years, there have been significant advancements in our understanding of acute kidney injury (AKI) and its impact on outcomes across medicine. Research based on single-center cohorts suggests that neonatal AKI is very common and associated with poor outcomes. In this state-of-the-art review on neonatal AKI, we highlight the unique aspects of neonatal renal physiology, definition, risk factors, epidemiology, outcomes, evaluation, and management of AKI in neonates. The changes in renal function with gestational and chronologic age are described. We put forth and describe the neonatal modified Kidney Diseases: Improving Global Outcomes AKI criteria and provide the rationale for its use as the standardized definition of neonatal AKI. We discuss risk factors for neonatal AKI and suggest which patient populations may warrant closer surveillance, including neonates <1500 g, infants who experience perinatal asphyxia, near term/ term infants with low Apgar scores, those treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and those requiring cardiac surgery. We provide recommendations for the evaluation and treatment of these patients, including medications and renal replacement therapies. We discuss the need for long-term follow-up of neonates with AKI to identify those children who will go on to develop chronic kidney disease. This review highlights the deficits in our understanding of neonatal AKI that require further investigation. In an effort to begin to address these needs, the Neonatal Kidney Collaborative was formed in 2014 with the goal of better understanding neonatal AKI, beginning to answer critical questions, and improving outcomes in these vulnerable populations.
Case Report: Neonate With Stridor and Subcutaneous Emphysema as the Only Signs of Physical Abuse
Authors: Ostwani Waseem , Novis Sarah , Brady Ashley , Brown David J. , Mohr Bethany A.
Published: July 2015

A stridulous, dysphonic cry with no external signs of trauma is a unique and unusual presenting sign for physical abuse. We report a previously healthy neonate with unremarkable birth history and medical history who presented with stridor and hypopharyngeal perforation due to physical abuse. This case highlights the need for further evaluation for traumatic injuries in the setting of unexplained new-onset stridor and consideration of physical abuse in the differential diagnosis.