bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bioavailability of heavy metals in the soil from different locations of medicinal herbs
Authors: Kaličanin Biljana , Velimirović Dragan , Arsić Ivana , Đorđević Sofija
Published: March 2014

Medicinal herbs and their mixtures, which are widely used for prevention and treatment of some disease, can also present health risks due to the presence of toxic metals such as Pb and Cd. The application of different agrotechnical practices during plant growing season, as well as the process of circulation of substances in nature, may be the cause of plant contamination.

The aim of this study was to determine the content of lead, cadmium and copper from soil which are bioavailable for absorption by plant, as well as the total content of these metals in some medicinal herbs that were cultivated in two different locations. The presence of these metals in the samples was detected using highly sensitive microanalytical technique potentiometric stripping analysis (PSA).

The mean value of lead total content in the analyzed samples of medicinal herbs Chamimillae flos, Urticae folium, Menthae folium, Altheae radix and Basilici herba, which were grown at the sites near the industrial zone, was about 1.55 μg/g, 1.82 μg/g, 1.90 μg/g, 1.99 μg/g and 2.74 μg/g, respectively. Contrary to this, the total content of this toxic metal in the analyzed plant samples grown on rural areas was detected only on some sites.

Based on the results of this study, it can be concluded that medicinal herbs contained a certain amount of lead and that its content varied depending on the location at which the plant species were grown as well as on plant affinity to certain metal. Cadmium and copper were not detected in the tested plant material.
Antimicrobial activity of selected plant species of Genera arbutus l., Bruckenthalia rchb., Calluna salisb. and Erica l. (Ericaceae)
Authors: Pavlović Dragana , Lakušić Branislava , Kitić Dušanka , Milutinović Milica , Kostić Milica , Miladinović Bojana , Kovačević Nada
Published: March 2014

Uvae ursi folium (Arctostaphylos uva ursi, Ericaceae) is the best known and most widely used herbal urinary antiseptic. In traditional medicine, other Ericaceae species are also used for the treatment of urinary tract infections. The present study investigates antimicrobial activity of five species of Ericaceae family native to the Balkan Peninsula: Arbutus unedo, Bruckenthalia spiculifolia, Calluna vulgaris, Erica arborea and Erica carnea.

Ethanolic extracts were tested against 10 different gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria by the disc diffusion technique, where standard tetracycline, streptomycin and penicillin discs and discs containing crystal violet (1 mg/ml) and solvent (70.0% v/v ethanol) were used as controls.

The most prominent antibacterial effect was achieved on Staphylococcus aureus with extracts of Calluna vulgaris and Erica carnea. Tested samples showed no activity against the gram-negative strains Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Inhibitory effects on the growth of gram-positive bacteria were more potent. The exception is Arbutus unedo ethanol extract which exhibited certain activity against a laboratory strain of wild Escherichia coli. Antimicrobial activity of the ethanolic extracts against 10 tested strains of bacteria in disc diffusion assay was generally weak, even for sample in which HPLC determination confirmed the presence of arbutin (secondary metabolite responsible for most of the antibacterial activity of Uvaeursi folium).
Uniqueness of Entire Functions Sharing One Set
Authors: Xiong Wei-Ling , Zhang Yi , Lin Wei-Chuan
Published: March 2014

In this paper, we prove a uniqueness theorem for entire functions sharing values on a finite set. The result extends and improves some theorems obtained earlier by Fang, Zhang-Lin and Zhnag-Xiong.
A New Application of Almost Increasing Sequences
Authors: Özarslan H.S. , Keten A.
Published: March 2014

Bor has proved a main theorem dealing with | N̄ , pn|k summability factors of infinite series. In this paper, we have generalized this theorem to the φ − |A, pn|k summability factors, under weaker conditions by using an almost increasing sequence instead of a positive monotonic non-decreasing sequence.
Recognition of atherosclerotic plaques and their extended dimensioning with computerized tomography angiography imaging
Authors: Markiewicz Tomasz , Dziekiewicz Mirosław , Maruszyński Marek , Bogusławska-Walecka Romana , Kozłowski Wojciech
Published: March 2014

In this paper the authors raise the issue of automatic discrimination of atherosclerotic plaques within an artery lumen based on numerical and statistical thresholding of Computerized Tomography Angiographic (CTA) images and their advanced dimensioning as a support for preoperative vessel assessment. For the study, a set of tomograms of the aorta, as well as the ilio-femoral and femoral arteries were examined. In each case a sequence of about 130-480 images of the artery cutoff planes were analyzed prior to their segmentation based on morphological image transformation. A crucial step in the staging of atherosclerotic alteration is recognition of the plaque in the CTA image. To solve this problem, statistical and linear fitting methods, including the least-squares approximation by polynomial and spline polynomial functions, as well as the error fitting function were used. Also, new descriptors of atherosclerotic changes, such as the lumen decrease factor, the circumference occupancy factor, and the convex plaque area factor, are proposed as a means of facilitating preoperative vessel examination. Finally, ways to reduce the computational time are discussed. The proposed methods can be very useful for automatic quantification of atherosclerotic changes visualized by CTA imaging.
From the slit-island method to the Ising model: Analysis of irregular grayscale objects
Authors: Mazurek Przemysław , Oszutowsk A-M Ażurek Dorota
Published: March 2014

The Slit Island Method (SIM) is a technique for the estimation of the fractal dimension of an object by determining the area- perimeter relations for successive slits. The SIM could be applied for image analysis of irregular grayscale objects and their classification using the fractal dimension. It is known that this technique is not functional in some cases. It is emphasized in this paper that for specific objects a negative or an infinite fractal dimension could be obtained. The transformation of the input image data from unipolar to bipolar gives a possibility of reformulated image analysis using the Ising model context. The polynomial approximation of the obtained area-perimeter curve allows object classification. The proposed technique is applied to the images of cervical cell nuclei (Papanicolaou smears) for the preclassification of the correct and atypical cells.
Discretization of singular systems and error estimation
Authors: Karampetakis Nicholas P. , Karamichalis Rallis
Published: March 2014

This paper proposes a discretization technique for a descriptor differential system. The methodology used is both triangular first order hold discretization and zero order hold for the input function. Upper bounds for the error between the continuous and the discrete time solution are produced for both discretization methods and are shown to be better than any other existing method in the literature.
Center-based l1–clustering method
Authors: Sabo Kristian
Published: March 2014

In this paper, we consider the l1-clustering problem for a finite data-point set which should be partitioned into k disjoint nonempty subsets. In that case, the objective function does not have to be either convex or differentiable, and generally it may have many local or global minima. Therefore, it becomes a complex global optimization problem. A method of searching for a locally optimal solution is proposed in the paper, the convergence of the corresponding iterative process is proved and the corresponding algorithm is given. The method is illustrated by and compared with some other clustering methods, especially with the l2-clustering method, which is also known in the literature as a smooth k-means method, on a few typical situations, such as the presence of outliers among the data and the clustering of incomplete data. Numerical experiments show in this case that the proposed l1-clustering algorithm is faster and gives significantly better results than the l2-clustering algorithm.
Approximation of phenol concentration using novel hybrid computational intelligence methods
Authors: Plawiak Pawel , Tadeusiewicz Ryszard
Published: March 2014

This paper presents two innovative evolutionary-neural systems based on feed-forward and recurrent neural networks used for quantitative analysis. These systems have been applied for approximation of phenol concentration. Their performance was compared against the conventional methods of artificial intelligence (artificial neural networks, fuzzy logic and genetic algorithms). The proposed systems are a combination of data preprocessing methods, genetic algorithms and the Levenberg-Marquardt (LM) algorithm used for learning feed forward and recurrent neural networks. The initial weights and biases of neural networks chosen by the use of a genetic algorithm are then tuned with an LM algorithm. The evaluation is made on the basis of accuracy and complexity criteria. The main advantage of proposed systems is the elimination of random selection of the network weights and biases, resulting in increased efficiency of the systems.
In Vitro Cellulase Production from Five Herbivore Microbial Ecosystems and Consortia
Authors: Fon Fabian Nde , Nsahlai Ignatius Verla , Scogings Peter Frank , Basha Nasreldin Abdelrahim Dafaalla
Published: March 2014

As the most abundant biomass in nature, cellulose is the main chemical component in herbivore forages. The energy locked in these complex polymers can only be released by cellulolytic enzymes. Therefore, research aiming to increase the expression of cellulolytic enzymes or browsing uncultured microbial ecosystem in search of potential fibrolytic enzymes is imperative. The main objectives were to: (a) investigate the variation of cellulase enzymes in cow (CW), horse (H), miniature horse (mH), wildebeest (WB) and zebra (ZB); and (b) identify their presence and activeness in microbial consortia, N1 (H+WB), N2 (H+ZB), N3 (WB+ZB) and N4 (H+WB+ZB). Fresh faecal or rumen inocula were cultured in the laboratory on maize stover and lucerne (1:1) with salivary buffer for 72 h at 38°C. Crude proteins (CPZ) were precipitated from both fresh and cultured inocula using 60% ammonium sulfate for enzyme assays and zymography. Endocellulases and their activity were identified on 1% (m/v) carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) zymograms stained with Congo red. All CPZ extracts were active as reducing sugars were produced after incubation with crystalline cellulose, CMC and xylan. The number and types of proteins with endocellulase activity varied (P<0.05) among and within the different animal species CW (15), H (14), mH (14), WB (13) and ZB (13). Microbial consortia were active with relatively higher number of endocellulases, N1 (17), N3 (14), N4 (14), and N2 (13). Cellulase enzymes vary among and within herbivore species grazing on the same or different fields. Therefore, identifying specific enzymes and microbes with higher fibrolytic potentials from different ecosystems for transinoculation could play a vital role in improving forage digestibility in ruminants
Effect of Noise Generated by the Wind Turbine on the Quality of Goose Muscles and Abdominal Fat
Authors: Karwowska Małgorzata , Mikołajczak Jan , Borowski Sylwester , Dolatowski Zbigniew Józef , Marć-Pieńkowska Joanna , Budziński Waldemar
Published: March 2014

The objective of this study was to assess the physicochemical properties of breast and thigh muscles and fatty acid composition of abdominal fat of geese reared at a distance of 50 metres from the wind turbine compared to those reared 460 metres from the wind turbine. The study was carried out on 40 Kołuda White® geese (Anser anser f. domestica) divided into two groups: Treatment 1 - reared at a distance of 50 metres and Treatment 2 - reared at a distance of 460 metres from the wind turbine (Vestas V90 wind turbine). The muscles were analysed for pH, thermal loss, shear force, TBARS values and colour parameters (L* a* b*). The fatty acids composition of abdominal fat was also analysed. The results of the present study suggest that noise generated by the wind turbine affected the quality of muscles and the fatty acid profile of abdominal fat of geese. The results showed that the muscles of geese reared at a distance of 50 metres from the wind turbine were characterized by higher pH and TBARS values compared to those reared at a longer distance from the wind turbine. The significantly lower content of C 18:3 n-3 fatty acid in abdominal fat was observed for geese reared 50 metres from the wind turbine. Further studies should be undertaken to establish the safe distance of a wind turbine from livestock buildings
Preliminary Evaluation of the use Value of Jumping Horses Based on Their Results Achieved in Grand Prix Competitions
Authors: Próchniak Tomasz , Rozempolska-Rucińska Iwona , Zięba Grzegorz
Published: March 2014

The aim of the work was preliminary evaluation of predispositions of Polish racehorses to sports. The tests covered 273 horses taking part in CC class and CC1 class competitions in the finals of the big tour. The probability of achieving the best result in the competitions depending on the horse breed was evaluated using multivariate analysis of variance. With the use of Spearman’s rank correlations, the initial correspondence between the horse’s rank in breeders’ ranking and the ranking based on sport results was defined. It was stated that horses starting in Grand Prix competitions represented only 6.85% of all horses registered in the Polish Equestrian Federation. In the group, foreign breeds were predominant. The proportion of native breeds was marginal. The lack of a significant influence of the race on differentiation of sports results of horses proves that the best specimens were chosen within individual races. The preliminary results revealed lack of rank agreement between the evaluation of the breeding value and sports achievements of an individual. This suggests the necessity of performing broader analyses covering different aspects
Study on the influence of stochastic properties of correction terms on the reliability of instantaneous network RTK
Authors: Próchniewicz Dominik
Published: March 2014

The reliability of precision GNSS positioning primarily depends on correct carrier-phase ambiguity resolution. An optimal estimation and correct validation of ambiguities necessitates a proper definition of mathematical positioning model. Of particular importance in the model definition is the taking into account of the atmospheric errors (ionospheric and tropospheric refraction) as well as orbital errors. The use of the network of reference stations in kinematic positioning, known as Network-based Real-Time Kinematic (Network RTK) solution, facilitates the modeling of such errors and their incorporation, in the form of correction terms, into the functional description of positioning model. Lowered accuracy of corrections, especially during atmospheric disturbances, results in the occurrence of unaccounted biases, the so-called residual errors. The taking into account of such errors in Network RTK positioning model is possible by incorporating the accuracy characteristics of the correction terms into the stochastic model of observations. In this paper we investigate the impact of the expansion of the stochastic model to include correction term variances on the reliability of the model solution. In particular the results of instantaneous solution that only utilizes a single epoch of GPS observations, is analyzed. Such a solution mode due to the low number of degrees of freedom is very sensitive to an inappropriate mathematical model definition. Thus the high level of the solution reliability is very difficult to achieve. Numerical tests performed for a test network located in mountain area during ionospheric disturbances allows to verify the described method for the poor measurement conditions. The results of the ambiguity resolution as well as the rover positioning accuracy shows that the proposed method of stochastic modeling can increase the reliability of instantaneous Network RTK performance.
Discrete Fourier transform based pattern classifiers
Authors: Hui S. , Żak S.H.
Published: March 2014

A technique for pattern classification using the Fourier transform combined with the nearest neighbor classifier is proposed. The multidimensional fast Fourier transform (FFT) is applied to the patterns in the data base. Then the magnitudes of the Fourier coefficients are sorted in descending order and the first P coefficients with largest magnitudes are selected, where P is a design parameter. These coefficients are then used in further processing rather than the original patterns. When a noisy pattern is presented for classification, the pattern’s P Fourier coefficients with largest magnitude are extracted. The coefficients are arranged in a vector in the descending order of their magnitudes. The obtained vector is referred to as the signature vector of the corresponding pattern. Then the distance between the signature vector of the pattern to be classified and the signature vectors of the patterns in the data base are computed and the pattern to be classified is matched with a pattern in the data base whose signature vector is closest to the signature vector of the pattern being classified.
Modeling of pneumatic melt drawing of polypropylene super-thin fibers in the Laval nozzle
Authors: Blim A. , Jarecki L. , Blonski S.
Published: March 2014

Melt spinning of the fibers by supersonic air jet in the Laval nozzle is a novel, efficient and energy saving method of formation of super-thin fibers. In the process, polymer melt is extruded from a row of orifices and fast drawn by the pneumatic forces. In the modelling, air velocity, temperature and pressure distributions are computed from the k-! aerodynamic model. Computations of the polymer air-drawing dynamics are based on the mathematical model of melt spinning in a single-, thin-filament approximation and Phan-Thien/Tanner non-linear viscoelasticity of the polymer melt. Axial profiles of the polymer velocity, temperature, tensile stress and rheological extra-pressure are computed. Influence of the Laval nozzle geometry, initial air compression, an initial melt temperature, a polymer mass output and the diameter of the melt extrusion die is discussed. The role of the polymer molecular weight, melt viscosity and relaxation time is considered. Example computations show the influence of important processing and material parameters. In the supersonic process, a high negative internal extra-pressure is predicted in the polymer melt under high elongation rates which may lead to cavitation and longitudinal burst splitting of the filament into a high number of sub-filaments. A hypothetical number of sub-filaments at the splitting is estimated from an energetic criterion. The diameter of the sub-filaments may reach the range of nano-fibers. A substantial influence of the Laval nozzle geometry is also predicted.
The contact-less method of chip-to-chip high speed data transmission monitoring
Authors: Zmuda M. , Szczepański S. , Kozieł S. , Graczyk S.
Published: March 2014

This paper presents a technique of decoupling differential signals transmitted in a pair of microstrip lines on a printed circuit board (PCB), using dedicated coupler for high speed data transmission monitoring in chip-to-chip interconnections. The coupler used for signal probing is overlayed on the pair of microstrip lines under test, and provides a signal to the next blocks of the measurement system without disturbing transmission in the lines. Starting from the basic configuration obtained in the previous work, we describe a procedure of re-designing the coupler for enhanced directivity so that it is suitable for high-speed data transmission monitoring. The new coupler structure has improved topology based on stepped-impedance resonators with geometry parameters adjusted using numerical optimization techniques. The correctness of the design has been confirmed by the time-domain measurements performed for real chip-to-chip communication signals, using a dedicated measurement system based on Xilinx Virtex-6 FPGA Development Kit. The presented technology can be used for reducing the cost of the product diagnostics by eliminating dedicated measurement connectors, run-time system debugging or reverse engineering.
Rotor fault detector of the converter-fed induction motor based on RBF neural network
Authors: Kowalski C.T. , Kaminski M.
Published: March 2014

This paper deals with the application of the Radial Basis Function (RBF) networks for the induction motor fault detection. The rotor faults are analysed and fault symptoms are described. Next the main stages of the design methodology of the RBF-based neural detectors are described. These networks are trained and tested using measurement data of the stator current (MCSA). The efficiency of developed RBF-NN detectors is evaluated. Furthermore, influence of neural networks complexity and parameters of the RBF activation function on the quality of data classification is shown. The presented neural detectors are tested with measurement data obtained in the laboratory setup containing the converter-fed induction motor (IM) and changeable rotors with a different degree of damages
Bulk linearized CMOS differential pair transconductor for continuous-time OTA-C filter design
Authors: Pankiewicz B. , Szczepański S. , Wójcikowski M.
Published: March 2014

In this paper, the MOS differential pair driven simultaneously from gates and bulk terminals is described. An approximated analytical solution of the voltage to current transfer function has been found for the proposed circuit. Four possible combinations of gate and bulk connections of the input signal are presented. Basing on the configuration giving the best linearity, the operational transconductance amplifier (OTA) has been designed and compared, by computer simulations, to the amplifier utilizing the gate driven classic MOS pair. 3rd order filters using the OTAs with linearized and simple MOS pair have been designed and the resulting parameters have been compared. Linearization through the presented simultaneous use of gate and bulk terminals seems to be useful for low voltage applications.
Field test and numerical studies of the scissors-AVLB type bridge
Authors: Krason W. , Malachowski J.
Published: March 2014

Scissor bridges are characterized by high mobility and modular structure. A single module-span consists of two spanning parts of the bridge; two main trucks and the support structure. Pin joints are used between modules of the single bridge span. Some aspects of the experimental test and numerical analysis of the scissor-AVLB type bridge operation are presented in this paper. Numerical analyses, presented here, were carried out for the scissors-type BLG bridge with treadways extended as compared to the classical bridge operated up to the present in the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland. A structural modification of this kind considerably affects any changes in the effort of the force transmitting structure of the bridge. These changes may prove to be disadvantageous to the whole structure because of torsional moments that additionally load the treadways. Giving careful consideration to such operational instances has been highly appreciated because of the possibility of using this kind of bridges while organizing the crossing for vehicles featured with various wheel/track spaces (different from those used previously). The BLG bridge was numerically analysed to assess displacements and distributions of stresses throughout the bridge structure in different loading modes. Because of the complexity of the structure in question and simplifications assumed at the stage of constructing geometric and discrete models, the deformable 3D model of the scissors-type bridge needs verification. Verification of the reliability of models was performed by comparing deflections obtained in the different load modes that corresponded with tests performed on the test stand. It has been shown that the examined changes in conditions of loading the treadways of the bridge are of the greatest effect to the effort of the area of the joint which is attached to the girder bottom. Stress concentrations determined in the analysis are not hazardous to safe operation of the structure
Impact of preparation and storage of activated carbon on the high pressure sorption of CO2
Authors: Lutyński M.
Published: March 2014

Adsorption of carbon dioxide on activated carbons has become extremely interesting in the field of energy and environment. Activated carbon is either used as a model to understand sorption processes on coals as a part of research on CO2 geological storage/Enhanced Coalbed Methane or as an adsorbent for processes such as natural gas treatment or CO2 separation from flue gas. The paper presents results of high-pressure CO2 sorption at the temperature of 318K on two similar activated carbons (Filtrasorb 400 and WAZ 0.6-2.4 mm) where one sample of WAZ was not subjected to any pretreatment procedure. Experimental results were fitted with three parameter Langmuir and therefore it was possible to calculate CO2 adsorbed phase densities. The WAZ activated carbon has a slightly lower sorption even though it was pretreated with the same procedure. The untreated sample of WAZ exhibited sorption which was lower over 15%. Calculated adsorbed phase densities differ between the activated carbons and the lowest value was obtained for the untreated WAZ sample (21.0 mol/dm3).
Selected parameters of immune response in pregnant sows vaccinated against Trueperella pyogenes
Authors: Kostro Krzysztof , Lisiecka Urszula , Żmuda Andrzej , Niemczuk Krzysztof , Stojecki Krzysztof , Taszkun Iwona
Published: March 2014

Expression of CD4, CD8, and CD25 surface markers on T lymphocytes and levels of IFNγ, IL-10, and TNF-α in colostrum and milk were determined in sows vaccinated against Trueperella pyogenes in the final stage of pregnancy. The autovaccine, prepared from Trueperella pyogenes, administered twice to pregnant sows six and three weeks before the anticipated delivery significantly increased the percentages of TCD4+, TCD8+, and TCD25+ as well as levels of IFNγ, TNF-α, and IL-10 in colostrum and milk. The enhanced immune potential of colostrum effectively protected the piglets against T. pyogenes infections during weaning and thus reduced the economic losses on the particular farm concerned, where T. pyogenes infections occur endemically. Knowledge of the profile of cellular and humoral immune response in colostrum and milk of vaccinated sows will enable the design of a T. pyogenes infection prophylactic programme for suckling pigs and weaners, which are most susceptible to infections.
Changes in the expression of galanin and galanin receptors in the wall of the colon in pigs experimentally infected with Brachyspira hyodysenteriae
Authors: Wąsowicz Krzysztof , Podlasz Piotr , Chmielewska Małgorzata , Łosiewicz Katarzyna , Kaleczyc Jerzy , Żmudzki Jacek , Załęcki Michał , Pidsudko Zenon , Łakomy Mirosław
Published: March 2014

The expression of galanin (GAL) and its three receptors (GalR1, GalR2, and GalR3) were studied with real-time PCR in the colonic wall of pigs suffering from experimental colitis caused by the infection with Brachyspira hyodysenteriae. The expression was studied in the muscular membrane, mucosa/submucosa layer, and in lymphocytes isolated from mucosa/submucosa. The expression levels were normalized to glyceraldehyde-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) expression and compared to expression levels in control animals. GAL expression was found in all three studied compartments of the colonic wall. A significant decrease in GAL expression level was found in the mucosa/submucosa and in isolated lymphocytes, whereas the decrease was much less profound in the muscular membrane. In the case of galanin receptors their expression was found in all studied compartments of the colonic wall, however at different levels, as compared to GAPDH expression. The decrease of galanin receptors expression was found in all studied compartments of the colonic wall of the sick animals.
Prevalence of Babesia canis, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, and Anaplasma phagocytophilum in hard ticks collected from meadows of Lubelskie Voivodship (eastern Poland)
Authors: Dzięgiel Beata , Kubrak Tomasz , Adaszek Łukasz , Dębiak Piotr , Wyłupek Dagmara , Bogucka-Kocka Anna , Lechowski Jerzy , Winiarczyk Stanisław
Published: March 2014

The aim of the study was to assess the distribution of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, and Babesia canis in adult females and males of Ixodes ricinus and Dermacentor reticulatus ticks, inhabiting meadows near large forest complexes throughout the Lubelskie Voivodship (eastern region of Poland). Ticks were collected using the flagging method. Among 720 ticks collected, 506 were identified as D. reticulatus, and 214 as I. ricinus. DNA of B. canis and B. burgdorferi s.l. was detected in 21.3% and 0.6% of D. reticulatus ticks, respectively. In I. ricinus ticks, DNA specific to B. burgdorferi s.l. and A. phagocytophilum was detected in 5.6% and 10.3%, respectively. Co-infections of B. burgdorferi s.l. and A. phagocytophilum were found in two I. ricinus ticks. These results indicate that the Lublin region is an area at risk of tick-borne diseases of humans and animals, which must be considered in clinical practice.
Chlorinated hydrocarbons residues in milk fat of selected farm animals from the north-eastern part of Poland
Authors: Pietrzak-Fiećko Renata , Gałgowska Michalina , Bakuła Sylwia , Felkner-Poźniakowska Barbara
Published: March 2014

The aim of the study was to determine and compare the concentrations of chlorinated hydrocarbons residues (DDT, DDE, DDD, γ-HCH) in the milk fat of selected species of farm animals. The experiment was carried out on cow’s, sheep’s, goat’s, and mare’s milk samples originating from different parts of north-eastern Poland. The samples were prepared using Röse-Gottlieb’s and Ludwicki’s methods. The determination of the compounds was conducted with gas chromatography. All tested samples contained the residues of chlorinated hydrocarbons. The results varied depending on the animal species as well as the places of sample collections. The highest content of γ-HCH and ΣDDT was determined in cow’s milk (22.75; 53.12 μg/kg of fat, respectively). The lowest level of γ-HCH and ΣDDT was observed in sheep’s milk (0.25; 5.94 μg/kg of fat, respectively). The content of chlorinated hydrocarbons did not exceed the maximum acceptable levels of these compounds.
Gross and histological evaluation of early lesions of navicular bone and deep digital flexor tendon in horses
Authors: Komosa Marcin , Łazowski Stanisław , Włodarek Jan , Kowalczyk Karolina , Charuta Anna , Zdun Maciej
Published: March 2014

The study aimed at evaluation of pathological lesions on flexor surface of navicular bone and deep digital flexor tendon in horses graded in standard X-ray examination as 2 (fair). The evaluation was performed on fifteen horses (6-9 years of age). Analysis procedure involved examining navicular bones on X-ray pictures, post-slaughter preparation of navicular bones from the hoof capsule, macroscopic evaluation of fibrocartilage on flexor surface, and analysis of histologic preparations. In horses with navicular bones graded as 2, early pathological changes have already developed, even if such horses were not lame. The pathological changes included fibrillation and disruption of deep digital flexor tendon surface, loss of fibrocartillage in sagittal ridge area of navicular bone, thinning of subchondral bone on its flexor surface, and fibromyxoid changes in chondroid matrix. In terms of clinical relevance, more studies are needed to understand the sequence of changes in a better way.
Immunoreactivity of S100β protein in the hippocampus of chinchilla
Authors: Krawczyk Aleksandra , Rycerz Karol , Szalak Radosław , Jaworska-Adamu Jadwiga
Published: March 2014

The aim of the study was to investigate S100β protein in astrocytes of CA1 and CA3 areas of the hippocampus proper and the dentate gyrus with the hilus yet undefined in mature males of chinchilla. The presence of S100β was determined using indirect immunohistochemical peroxidase-antiperoxidase method with specific monoclonal antibody against this protein. Most of the S100β-positive cells were detected in the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus and in the middle part of the hilus. In CA3 area, it was found that the most numerous cells with S100β are in stratum radiatum. In CA1 area, there were single astrocytes expressing this protein. This data demonstrates species differences and a large quantity of S100β immunoreactive cells in the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus of chinchilla, which may be associated with structural reorganisation of the hippocampus and with neurogenesis, learning, and memorising process dependent on the hippocampus.
Cytological image of the endometrium in cows in follicular and luteal phases of the ovarian cycle and in cows with follicular and luteal ovarian cysts
Authors: Brodzki Piotr , Brodzki Adam , Kostro Krzysztof , Kurek Łukasz , Marczuk Jan , Krakowski Leszek
Published: March 2014

The experiment was conducted on 30 Holstein-Friesian cows: 10 cows in the follicular phase of the cycle and in the luteal phase 10 d later, 10 cows with follicular cysts, and 10 with luteal cysts. The presence of the ovarian structures was confirmed by ultrasonography. Serum levels of progesterone and 17β-oestradiol were tested with ELISA. Samples for cytological examination were collected from the uterus of all cows using a cytological brush. Following staining, the smears were evaluated in terms of quality and percentages of endometrial cells. In the follicular phase of the oestrous cycle, cells of type A - superficial cells (64.6 ± 4.48) were proportionally the largest group of cells. Cells of type C - basal cells (19.8 ± 2.75) were also present. In the luteal phase, the highest percentage of cells was of type B - intermediate cells (76.9 ± 4.26). When follicular cysts were present on the ovaries, the cytology resembled the follicular phase of the cycle, but with many younger type C cells (33.1 ± 4.11). In the case of luteal cysts on the ovaries, the cytology was similar to that of the luteal phase of the cycle, however with a lower percentage of type B cells (58.1 ± 5.71), and a slightly higher percentage of the other types. The differences in the cytological image of the uterus when different ovarian structures are present, depend on the hormonal activity of those structures. Due to the lack of literature data, the results of the study are important as a model, and may substantially facilitate identification of phases of the oestrus cycle, or the pathologies described, as well as indicate the current status of the endometrium
Effect of seminal plasma zinc–binding proteins on motility and membrane integrity of canine spermatozoa stored at 5°C
Authors: Mogielnicka-Brzozowska Marzena , Dziekońska Anna , Strzeżek Rafał , Załęcki Michał , Majewska Anna , Tołścik Karolina , Kordan Władysław
Published: March 2014

Sperm surface binding sites for non-zinc-binding proteins (nZnBPs) and zinc-binding proteins (ZnBPs) were studied by the fluorescence technique with biotin-labelled proteins. The nZnBPs binding pattern was unspecific, no characteristic sites on plasmalemma were found. ZnBPs were attached mainly to the acrosomal region of sperm head and to the sperm flagellum. ZnBPs added to the incubation mixture of the canine spermatozoa allowed the preservation of higher values for total motility, progressive motility, curvilinear line velocity, straight line velocity, and beat cross frequency (P < 0.05), both at time 0 and after 1 h incubation at 5ºC. The addition of nZnBPs to the incubation mixture caused only weak positive effects when compared with control sample (PBS). A higher percentage of canine-ejaculated spermatozoa with intact membranes were observed when ejaculate was incubated with ZnBPs in comparison to control sample stored with PBS (P < 0.05) or nZnBPs (P < 0.05). Spermatozoa diluted with ZnBPs and nZnBPs exhibited a higher percentage of cells with active mitochondria when compared with control, both at time 0 and after 1 h; however, no statistical differences were observed. Our results emphasise the role of seminal plasma protein in securing the correct quantity and availability of zinc ions as a component regulating the motility of canine spermatozoa. The protective effect of ZnBPs against the cooling effect may be due to their ability of preventing sperm membrane damage.
Taking investment decisions on the futures contracts market with the application of Bat harmonic pattern – the increased efficiency of investment
Authors: Bednarz Krzysztof
Published: March 2014

The Bat harmonic pattern presented in the article shows that transactions made thanks to it on the contract market are characterized by an above-average rate of return (206.43% within 27 days) while accepting the initial risk (R). The use of the potential reversal zone (PRZ) calculated thanks to the Fibonacci retracements (internal and external retracements as well as pricing projections) makes profits that arise in such a short time to be considered impressive. This article presents also one of the simple methods of profits protection which involves exceeding the local maximum (for a short position) or the local minimum (for a long position), modified by the degree of the accepted risk (R).

It is worth noting that the POO can be calculated for several hours (days, weeks, months - depending on the time interval) before the actual transaction is concluded. In this, among other things, the harmonic trading with XABCD pattern differs from many other investment methods. This is a decision making based on the data available up to the last bar in the chart of what is likely to happen after this last bar. You could even say that POO is buying fear when prices are falling heavily and selling greed when prices are rising rapidly.
Women and men propensities to smoke and drink alcohol
Authors: Doszyń Mariusz
Published: March 2014

In the article problems connected with possibilities of analyzing human behavior in context of propensities were discussed. Main focus was put on differences in propensities with respect to sex, also in context of E. Fromm’s personality theory. Methodological issues related to propensities were presented. Definition of propensity and methods of measuring propensities were also proposed. In empirical example differences in propensity to smoke cigarettes and propensity to drink alcohol with respect to sex in Polish voivodeships in year 2004 were estimated. Also, econometric models explaining that kind of propensities were introduced.
The analysis of R&D internationalization – case study of Comarch enterprise
Authors: Kozioł-Nadolna Katarzyna
Published: March 2014

The aim of this article is to present theoretical aspects to the R&D internationalization process and its reasons together with the R&D internationalization case study of a Polish enterprise Comarch. The article consists of a theoretical part discussing the essence, forms and reasons of R&D internationalization; a methodical part presenting research methods and measures for determining the degree of R&D internationalization; and a practical one in which the R&D internationalization process in a Polish IT enterprise Comarch has been presented. This process is still going on - the company is setting up R&D branches abroad (in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and France), has started research cooperation with foreign science centres, taken over foreign companies or participates in research syndicates in order to implement projects from the EU’s Framework Programmes. The analysis of the Comarch case was a part of the research conducted by the author of the present paper in 2011 on the R&D internationalization process implemented in Polish enterprises.
Protection of floristic diversity in the Sajna River valley – in view of the planned construction of hydroelectric power station in Sarkajmy
Authors: Łaska Grażyna
Published: March 2014

The study was carried out to determine the floristic diversity in the Sajna River valley, in the region of direct and indirect impact of the hydroelectric power station planned to be built in the village of Sarkajmy. Phytosociological diversity of plant communities and floristic diversity were analysed taking into account the predicted influence of the planned power station on the Sajna River. The study was performed in 2010 using field methods and GIS localisation of analysed sites. 73 phytosociological surveys were made and particular floristic patches were identified. Global Positioning System (GPS) surveys were used to delimit the different plant communities and spot the sites of protected plant species. Thirteen plant communities were identified in the study area, five of which are of European importance that require protection within Natura 2000 sites. This group of plant communities comprises four forest plant communities (Salicetum albo-fragilis, Ficario-Ulmetum, Tilio-Carpinetum, Acer platanoides-Tilia cordata) and one herbaceous community (Urtico-Calystegietum). One species under strict protection (Daphne mezereum L.) and five species under partial protection (Viburnum opulus L., Ribes nigrum L., Asarum europaeum L., Eurhynchium angustirete (Broth.) T.J.Kop., Eurhynchium striatum (Schreb. ex Hedw.) Schimp.) were noted. The presence of valuable natural habitats and protected species in the Sajna River valley indicates the natural potential of the area and illustrates its biological diversity. The studied area is threatened by negative impact of the hydroelectric power station planned to be built on the Sajna River, since water damming will flood the river terrace that will lead to the formation of a 7.25 ha pond of.
Hydrology modelling in Taleghan mountainous watershed using SWAT
Authors: Noor Hamzeh , Vafakhah Mahdi , Taheriyoun Masoud , Moghadasi Mahnoosh
Published: March 2014

Mountainous regions in Iran are important sources of surface water supply and groundwater recharge. Therefore, accurate simulation of hydrologic processes in mountains at large scales is important for water resource management and for watershed management planning. Snow hydrology is the more important hydrologic process in mountainous watersheds. Therefore, streamflow simulation in mountainous watersheds is often challenging because of irregular topography and complex hydrological processes. In this study, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was used to model daily runoff in the Taleghan mountainous watershed (800.5 km2) in west of Tehran, Iran. Most of the precipitation in the study area takes place as snow, therefore, modeling daily streamflow in this river is very complex and with large uncertainty. Model calibration was performed with Particle Swarm Optimization. The main input data for simulation of SWAT including Digital Elevation Model (DEM), land use, soil type and soil properties, and hydro-climatological data, were appropriately collected. Model performance was evaluated both visually and statistically where a good relation between observed and simulated discharge was found. The results showed that the coefficient of determination R2 and the Nash- Sutcliffe coefficient NS values were 0.80 and 0.78, respectively. The calibrated model was most sensitive to snowmelt parameters and CN2 (Curve Number). Results indicated that SWAT can provide reasonable predictions daily streamflow from Taleghan watersheds.
Biofuels in transport sector of Latvia: experience, current status and barriers
Authors: Smigins R. , Shipkovs P.
Published: March 2014

During the last 10 years biofuel production and utilization in the European Union have become more extensive owing to support provided by the relevant EU Directives. Achievement of the main targets defined by Directives was not simple, being confronted with various barriers. Latvia is one of the EU member-countries that have set an ambitious goal as to the production of biofuel and its use in transport. The authors summarize the major achievements of the country in this area and analyze the main barriers to implementation of biofuels in the transport sector, providing an outlook on the current status of the bioenergy and the transport situation in Latvia.
INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE WITH COMBINED VALVE FOR BOTH INTAKE AND EXHAUST
Authors: Bolehovský Ondřej
Published: March 2014

SHRNUTÍ

Prace se zabyva počitačovou simulaci nekonvenčniho čtyřdobeho motoru v 1-D komerčnim kodu. Tento spalovaci motor využiva pouze jeden ventil pro sani i vyfuk, což přinaši jiste vyhody, ktere jsou však vykoupeny určitymi problematickymi vlastnostmi. Cilem teto studie je zhodnotit potencial tohoto motoru pomoci porovnani s konvenčnim spalovacim motorem s viceventilovou hlavou valců. Dale je v teto praci vyšetřen způsob přeplňovani pomoci tlakovych pulsů vyfukovych plynů v připadě vicevalcoveho uspořadani. Tento spalovaci motor je zhodnocen z hlediska jeho využiti jako prodlužovače dojezdu elektrickych automobilů.
Influence of agricultural utilization of sludge and compost from rural wastewater treatment plant on nitrogen passes in light soil
Authors: Czyżyk Franciszek , Rajmund Agnieszka
Published: March 2014

This paper presents the results of studies which aim was to determine the pollution of the water environment for both methods of preparation for the utilization of sewage sludge in agriculture. The study was conducted in 2008-2012 in lysimeters filled with light sandy soil (clayey sand). During the study variants with equal doses of nitrogen in an amount of 20 g . m-2 (15.7 g per one lysimeter) were supplied to the soil in sewage sludge and in the compost made from the same sludge. These variants were used three times for two species of perennial plants: Miscanthus gigantenus i Sida hermaphrodita Rusby. In a variant of sludge soil fertilizing, it was leached into water environment more than 12% of the applied nitrogen over 5 years of research. In case of compost nitrogen leaching was reduced to 8.1-10.0% of the quantity supplied to the soil.
Studies on carcinogenic PAHs emission generated by vehicles and its correlation to fuel and engine types
Authors: Kumar Vaneet , Kothiyal N.C. , Saruchi
Published: March 2014

The objective of this study was to find major PAHs produced in ambient air from the automobile exhaust as a function of fuels (diesel, petrol, and biodiesel) and engine type qualitatively and quantitatively. The recovery range was found between 30% and 70%. The study was carried out on two, three, and four wheelers. Biodiesel samples tested in the study were synthesized indigenously from different starting raw materials and analyzed for PAHs concentration in the exhaust on a Honda genset (EBK 2000AC Model). Biodiesel samples were blended with diesel in different ratio (25:75, 35:65 and 45:55) to investigate the exhaust behavior. Biodiesel was blended with Diesel the concentration of almost all PAHs reduces in comparison to pure Diesel exhaust. B(a)A and B(a) P was the common PAH found in higher concentration in almost all fuels. FTIR results indicate esterification of vegetable oil and NMR results indicate a complete conversion of oils into biodiesel.