bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Subacute Toxicity, Subacute Anti-inflammatory and Anti-arthritic Activities of Combination of Hydroethanolic Extract of Terminalia macroptera and Ximenia americana In-vivo
Authors: Ballo Mahamadou , Da Filkpièrè Léonard , Bah Sékou , Sanogo Rokia , Youl Estelle N. H.
Published: July 2023

The aim of this study was to assess the anti-inflammatory effects of a combination of medicinal plants on two models of inflammation. Subacute toxicity was assessed by daily oral administration of 2000 mg/kg body weight (bw). Subacute inflammation and arthritis were induced using the carrageenan air pouch granuloma model and Complete Freund's Adjuvant (CFA) respectively. After 28 days of administration, the combination at 2000 mg/kg proved to be non-toxic and induced a significant reduction (p<0.05) in transaminases and total cholesterol. The combinations C3 (150 mg/kg of T. macroptera + 250 mg/kg of X. americana), C2 ((250 mg/kg of T. macroptera + 150 mg/kg of X. americana) and C1 (250 mg/kg of T. macropteria + 250 mg/kg of X. americana) inhibited fresh granuloma formation by 40.37, 45.63 and 58.32% and dry granulomas by 47.77, 55.08 and 61.24% respectively. The combinations significantly (p<0.001) reduced air pouch fluid volume and massive leukocytes infiltration compared with the control group. With regard to the anti-arthritic effect, the combination C1 showed significant inhibition (p<0.05) of primary and secondary lesions compared with the control CFA. The increase in serum ALT, AST and uric acid concentrations observed in the CFA control group was significantly reduced (p<0.001) by the combination C1. An antioxidant effect was observed with the administration of the combination C1 and prednisone, which resulted in a significant increase (P<0.01) in GSH, SOD and catalase activity and a decrease in MDA concentration (P<0.001) compared with the CFA control group.The results suggest that the combination C1 has anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic effects and prevents oxidative stress in arthritic rats.
The In vitro and In vivo Antifungal Activities of Akhizunber, and Therapeutic Effects Against Biofilm Forming Candida Isolates in Combination with Fluconazole
Authors: Munkhbat Batsuuri , Bayarmagnai Sapaar , Battsagaan Bayasgalan , Jagdagsuren Urjinlkham
Published: July 2023

Recent studies indicate that the incidence of oral mucosal diseases has increased worldwide due to predisposing factors, including unbalanced dietary intake, prolonged therapy with antibiotics, bad habits, and environmental pollution. Akhizunber, a novel herbal preparation delivered for the treatment of oral mucosal ulcers, was prepared from the medicinal herbs of Achillea asiatica Serg, leaves of Juniperus sabina L, and roots of Bergenia crassifolia (L) Fritsch in a ratio of 2:1:2, immersed for 1 week in 40% ethanol. Previous studies revealed effectiveness of Akhizunber in the treatment of oral aphthous stomatitis. Simultaneously, Akhizunber showed in vitro inhibitory effect on development of Candida albicans. For those reasons, we aimed to study effect of Akhizunber in the treatment of oral candidiasis. First, we studied in vitro effects of Akhizunber on biofilm formation by C. albicans on type I collagen cell desks, precoated with mucin. In a clinical study, a total of 50 patients diagnosed with oral candidiasis were participated. In the experimental group, oral administration of azole antifungal agents combined with local application of Akhizunber was performed. In biofilms grown under exposure to higher concentrations of Akhizunber, inhibitory effects on formation of hyphae from yeast cells were observed. The local treatment of oral lesions with Akhizunber combined with oral administration of antifungal agents accelerated healing of mucosal lesions by 3-5 days in comparison with the local use of povidone iodine. Oral administration of antifungal agents in combination with the local application of Akhizunber on mucosal lesions in combined therapy of patients with oral candidiasis showed high effectiveness and can be considered as an alternative treatment option.
Genetic Polymorphism in the Organic Cation Transporters 1 (OCT1) Gene and its Effect on Therapeutic Efficacy and Gastrointestinal Side Effects of Metformin in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Basrah/ Southern Iraq.
Authors: Aladhab Rawnaq A. , H. Abd Abdulkareem , A. Alidrisi Haider , Alabbood Majid H.
Published: July 2023

Objectives: This study aims to detect the association of the OCT1 genetic polymorphism with the efficacy and gastrointestinal side effects of metformin in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes and drug naïve patients in Basrah/Southern Iraq. Methods: This was a prospective cohort population-based study of (102) newly diagnosed type 2 diabetics from February 2022 to December 2022. Newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes, drug naïve patients with an HbA1c range of (6.5-9.9) were included in the study. All the participants received immediate-release metformin. Metformin responders were patients whose HbA1c levels decreased by ≥1% after three months of treatment. Patients were genotyped for one of the most common SNPs in the OCT1 gene (SLC22A1): M420del (rs72552763) of axon 7, using ARMS- PCR genotyping assays. Results: Gastrointestinal side effects were observed in 15% of the patients. Out of the total of 102 participants, 69 were responders and 33 were non-responders. The homozygous genotype (AA) “reference type” of the SLC22A1 (rs72552763) gene polymorphism was significantly found in the responders' group; p-value = 0.0001. The homozygous genotypes (deletion/deletion) of the SLC22A1 (rs72552763) gene were more common among the non-responders' group; p-value = 0.0001. About 87% of those with gastrointestinal side effects carried the AA genotype. All the patients without gastrointestinal side effects carried the homozygous del/del genotype; P-value 0.005. Conclusions There was a significant association between the rs72552763 gene polymorphism and metformin efficacy and GI side effects.
Contamination of Face Masks and Mask Hygiene Amongst Health Care Workers and General Population in Hamidia Hospital Premises- A Comparative Study
Authors: Kamble Mugdha , Toppo Manju , A Aseem , Sharma Archa , Husain Syed Zia
Published: July 2023

Only 44% of Indians were found to be correctly using masks, according to the latest survey.1,2 91.5% of participants did not wash their hands before using the mask, and 97.3% did not wash their hands after removing it.3 People touch their faces about 23 times every hour, and of those touches, 44% make contact with the mucosal membranes. The mucous membrane of the nose, eyes, and mouth can be self-inoculated, which is a significant method of virus transmission.3 To determine the bacterial load and microbial contamination on the mask, this study was designed with the objective: 1. To study the bacterial load and type of microbes growing on masks in Hamidia Hospital premises. 2. To suggest appropriate recommendations according to the study findings. A cross-sectional comparative study was planned in Hamidia Hospital for three months. Two groups were selected one containing 31 healthcare workers and the other constituting 30 general population visiting Hamidia Hospital. Result and conclusion: This study shows that the prolonged use of a mask (>6 hours) increases the risk of self-inoculation in the general population and frequent clinical contact in a healthcare setting adds to the risks for healthcare workers. Reuse of single-use masks, sharing of masks, and fabric masks should be avoided at all costs. Hand hygiene practices and replacing masks once they become damp are of key importance to avoid contamination. Additionally, it is usually advisable to discard medical face masks after each usage, whereas cotton face masks should be carefully cleaned.
DNA quality from buccal swabs in neonates: comparison of different storage time
Authors: Yuliarti Klara , Mansyur Muchtaruddin , Timan Ina Susianti , Ariani Yulia , Ernawati  , Sidhiarta I Gusti Lanang , Ramadhani Nadhifa Tazkia , Prakoso Nurul Muhammad , Sjarif Damayanti Rusli
Published: July 2023

BACKGROUND Genomic medicine has great potential for diagnoses, disease prediction, and targeted treatment. Buccal swabs are a suitable non-invasive method for neonates to obtain DNA samples. Due to Indonesia's geographical conditions, samples require a prolonged time to reach the genetic laboratory. This study aimed to compare the DNA quality of buccal swabs in neonates between immediate and after-storage extraction.

METHODS This study was part of a study about the profile of human milk oligosaccharide and FUT2 genotype in Indonesian mother-infant dyads consisting of 20 neonates. 1 swab stick for each participant was taken using a standardized buccal swabbing protocol and divided into 2 isovolume aliquots, which were grouped into the immediate (extraction was performed within 3 days after sampling) and storage groups (extraction was performed on the 14th day after storage in 4°C). DNA yield and purity A260/280 ratio were measured by spectrophotometry. The PCR amplification and Sanger sequencing were performed to validate the DNA isolate quality for downstream application.

RESULTS The DNA yield for the immediate group was similar compared with the storage group (9.50 [4.89] versus 9.10 [5.05] µg), p = 0.659, as well as DNA purity A260/280 (1.58 [0.24] versus 1.56 [0.28]), p = 0.785. PCR and sequencing of FUT2 results also showed similar quality between both groups.

CONCLUSIONS The similar DNA quality and sequencing results between immediate and storage extraction confirmed that buccal swabs could be stored for 2 weeks, allowing ample time for sample shipping from remote areas to the laboratory.
Image formation from a concave mirror
Authors: Gunaratne Gemunu H. , Shulman Jason , Wood Lowell T.
Published: July 2023

Computing locations and extent of images, except in the most trivial configurations or special cases, is a complex task. Even rays emanating from a point source and passing through an optical system generally fail to converge at a single image point, highlighting the care needed to establish image locations. We use three approaches to study image formation in a simple configuration, that of a point source following reflection from a spherical concave mirror. We calculate the caustic surfaces, compute cross sections of flux densities on image surfaces, and compare the results with experimentally generated light intensity fields. One of the two caustic surfaces is one dimensional while the other forms a surface. The latter undergoes a metamorphosis from a distorted cone to an open surface as the source is moved away from the axis. Cross sections of the caustic surfaces with an image plane are found to coincide with peaks in the flux density. Experimental studies validate these conclusions.
Compact oblique-incidence nonlinear widefield microscopy with paired-pixel balanced imaging
Authors: Khan Tuhin , John Ben , Niemann Richarda , Paarmann Alexander , Wolf Martin , Thämer Martin
Published: July 2023

Nonlinear (vibrational) microscopy has emerged as a successful tool for the investigation of molecular systems as it combines label-free chemical characterization with spatial resolution on the sub-micron scale. In addition to the molecular recognition, the physics of the nonlinear interactions allows in principle to obtain structural information on the molecular level such as molecular orientations. Due to technical limitations such as the relatively complex imaging geometry with the required oblique sample irradiation and insufficient sensitivity of the instrument this detailed molecular information is typically not accessible using widefield imaging. Here, we present, what we believe to be, a new microscope design that addresses both challenges. We introduce a simplified imaging geometry that enables the measurement of distortion-free widefield images with free space oblique sample irradiation achieving high spatial resolution (∼1 µm). Furthermore, we present a method based on a paired-pixel balanced detection system for sensitivity improvement. With this technique, we demonstrate a substantial enhancement of the signal-to-noise ratio of up to a factor of 10. While both experimental concepts presented in this work are very general and can, in principle, be applied to various microscopy techniques, we demonstrate their performance for the specific case of heterodyned, sum frequency generation (SFG) microscopy.
Engineerable wavevector diagrams of non-Moiré geometry-based photonic crystals for beam steering applications
Authors: Rachel Darthy R. , Venkateswaran C. , Kumar Lalit , Yogesh N.
Published: July 2023

The wavevector diagrams or eigenfrequency contours (EFCs) (also called dispersion surfaces) are the best tools to explore the optical properties of photonic crystals (PhCs). Many optical phenomena, such as self-collimation, super-prism, negative refraction, and lensing, have been extensively explored in PhCs based on EFCs. Also, several approaches have been continuingly pursued to modulate the EFCs of PhCs for molding the flow of light. This work presents the modulated wavevector diagrams of PhCs formed by asymmetric non-Moiré (NM) patterns. The NM patterns are contours of trigonometric functions that generate attractive tiles and shapes. Employing such shapes to design a PhC tailors the dispersion of PhCs with stretching, squeezing, and shape-modulated EFCs. Based on the modulated EFCs of the proposed structures, we demonstrate the direction-dependent beam steering phenomenon. The ray tracing, full-wave electromagnetic simulations, far-field patterns, and electric field profiles corroborate the beam steering application of the modulated EFCs. We anticipate that the modulated EFCs of non-Moiré pattern-based PhCs are useful for reconfigurable wave optics and beam steering applications.
Expression of Protein Markers in Spermatogenic and Supporting Sertoli Cells Affected by High Abdominal Temperature in Cryptorchidism Model Mice
Authors: Wanta Arunothai , Noguchi Kazuhiro , Sugawara Taichi , Sonoda Kayoko , Duangchit Suthat , Wakayama Tomohiko
Published: July 2023

Cryptorchidism is a congenital abnormality resulting in increased rates of infertility and testicular cancer. We used cryptorchidism model mice that presented with the translocation of the left testis from the scrotum to the abdominal cavity. Mice underwent the surgical procedure of the left testis at day 0 and were sacrificed at days 3, 5, 7, 14, 21, and 28 post-operatively. The weight of the left cryptorchid testis decreased significantly at days 21 and 28. The morphological changes were observed after 5 days and showed detached spermatogenic cells and abnormal formation of acrosome at day 5, multinucleated giant cells at day 7, and atrophy of seminiferous tubules at days 21 and 28. The high abdominal temperature disrupted the normal expression of cell adhesion molecule-1, Nectin-2, and Nectin-3 which are essential for spermatogenesis. In addition, the pattern and alignment of acetylated tubulin in cryptorchid testes were also changed at days 5, 7, 14, 21, and 28. Ultrastructure of cryptorchid testes revealed giant cells that had been formed by spermatogonia, spermatocytes, and round and elongating spermatids. The study’s findings reveal that cryptorchidism’s duration is linked to abnormal changes in the testis, impacting protein marker expression in spermatogenic and Sertoli cells. These changes stem from the induction of high abdominal temperature.
Effects of nitrogen reduction combined with bio-organic fertilizer on soil bacterial community diversity of red raspberry orchard
Authors: Yuan Xu , Zhang Jiaan , Chang Feiyang , Wang Xinyue , Zhang Xuemei , Luan Haoan , Qi Guohui , Guo Suping
Published: July 2023

Understanding soil bacterial diversity under nitrogen reduction is necessary for the crucial role in soil nitrogen cycling. However, the effects of combined fertilization on soil chemical properties, microbial community structure, and yield are unknown. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of nitrogen fertilizer reduction with bio-organic fertilizer on soil bacterial community diversity of red raspberry orchard. Six treatments were set in this study: NF-100%, NF-75%, NF-50%, NF-25% and CF, no nitrogen fertilizer and bio-organic fertilizer for CK. The bacterial community structures of soil were analyzed by 16S rRNA gene amplification high-throughput sequencing technology. Nitrogen fertilizer reduction with bio-organic fertilizer increased soil organic matter (SOM), total nitrogen (TN), alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen (AN), available phosphorus (AP), available potassium (AK), and reduced soil pH. NF-50% and NF-25% treatments increased the yield of red raspberry. Nitrogen reduction combined with bio-organic fertilizer increased the relative abundance of copiotrophic bacteria and decreased the relative abundance of oligotrophic bacteria. The increase in copiotrophic bacteria in the soil of red raspberry orchard could indicate an increase in soil nutrient availability, which have positive implications for soil fertility and production. However, nitrogen fertilizer reduction with bio-organic fertilizer altered the abundance and diversity of soil bacteria, which was reduced compared to CF treatments. The PCoA analysis of the soil bacterial community showed that the community structure of NF-25% treatment was more different from other treatments, indicating that the fertilization method changed the community structure of soil bacteria. The results of a redundancy analysis showed that SOM, pH, AN, TN, and AP were the main factors affecting the microbial community structure. Overall, the reduction of nitrogen fertilizer with bio-organic fertilizer significantly increased the soil nutrient content, reduced the relative abundance and diversity of soil bacteria, increased the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria in the soil, changed the bacterial community structure of soil, increased production and created suitable soil conditions for the red raspberry growth.
Human-robot collaborative task planning using anticipatory brain responses
Authors: Ehrlich Stefan K. , Dean-Leon Emmanuel , Tacca Nicholas , Armleder Simon , Dimova-Edeleva Viktorija , Cheng Gordon
Published: July 2023

Human-robot interaction (HRI) describes scenarios in which both human and robot work as partners, sharing the same environment or complementing each other on a joint task. HRI is characterized by the need for high adaptability and flexibility of robotic systems toward their human interaction partners. One of the major challenges in HRI is task planning with dynamic subtask assignment, which is particularly challenging when subtask choices of the human are not readily accessible by the robot. In the present work, we explore the feasibility of using electroencephalogram (EEG) based neuro-cognitive measures for online robot learning of dynamic subtask assignment. To this end, we demonstrate in an experimental human subject study, featuring a joint HRI task with a UR10 robotic manipulator, the presence of EEG measures indicative of a human partner anticipating a takeover situation from human to robot or vice-versa. The present work further proposes a reinforcement learning based algorithm employing these measures as a neuronal feedback signal from the human to the robot for dynamic learning of subtask-assignment. The efficacy of this algorithm is validated in a simulation-based study. The simulation results reveal that even with relatively low decoding accuracies, successful robot learning of subtask-assignment is feasible, with around 80% choice accuracy among four subtasks within 17 minutes of collaboration. The simulation results further reveal that scalability to more subtasks is feasible and mainly accompanied with longer robot learning times. These findings demonstrate the usability of EEG-based neuro-cognitive measures to mediate the complex and largely unsolved problem of human-robot collaborative task planning.
Understanding the characteristics of high users of hospital services in Singapore and their associations with healthcare utilisation and mortality: A cluster analysis
Authors: Ginting Mimaika Luluina , Ang Yan Hoon , Ho Soon Hoe , Sum Grace , Wong Chek Hooi
Published: July 2023

Introduction

High users of hospital services require targeted healthcare services planning for effective resource allocation due to their high costs. This study aims to segmentize the population in the “Ageing In Place-Community Care Team” (AIP-CCT), a programme for complex patients with high inpatient service use, and examine the association of segment membership and healthcare utilisation and mortality.

Methods

We analysed 1,012 patients enrolled between June 2016 and February 2017. To identify patient segments, a cluster analysis was performed based on medical complexity and psychosocial needs. Next, multivariable negative binomial regression was performed using patient segments as the predictor, with healthcare and programme utilisation over the 180-day follow-up as outcomes. Multivariate cox proportional hazard regression was applied to assess the time to first hospital admission and mortality between segments within the 180-day follow-up. All models were adjusted for age, gender, ethnicity, ward class, and baseline healthcare utilisation.

Results

Three distinct segments were identified (Segment 1 (n = 236), Segment 2 (n = 331), and Segment 3 (n = 445)). Medical, functional, and psychosocial needs of individuals were significantly different between segments (p-value<0.001). The rates of hospitalisation in Segments 1 (IRR = 1.63, 95%CI:1.3–2.1) and 2 (IRR = 2.11, 95%CI:1.7–2.6) were significantly higher than in Segment 3 on follow-up. Similarly, both Segments 1 (IRR = 1.76, 95%CI:1.6–2.0) and 2 (IRR = 1.25, 95%CI:1.1–1.4) had higher rates of programme utilisation compared to Segment 3. Patients in Segments 1 (HR = 2.48, 95%CI:1.5–4.1) and 2 (HR = 2.25, 95%CI:1.3–3.6) also had higher mortality on follow-up.

Conclusions

This study provided a data-based approach to understanding healthcare needs among complex patients with high inpatient services utilisation. Resources and interventions can be tailored according to the differences in needs among segments, to facilitate better allocation.
Fire on the island: Chester Weinberg and the first generation lost to AIDS
Authors: O’Connell Mark Joseph
Published: July 2023

This article looks at the forgotten fashion designer Chester Weinberg, once very famous during his heyday, but then, as one of the first we lost to AIDS, he was stricken from the fashion history books. Through the case of Weinberg, the article examines the effects of AIDS on the fashion industry in the 1980s and early 1990s and consequently on gay culture as a whole during that era. It also uses Fire Island as a microcosmic metonymic of what was happening all across North America. That lush and hedonistic safe haven where ‘people who had felt like outcasts [found] community’ proved to be no match for the onslaught of the virus. As all of the hard-wrought gains of 1970s gay liberation imploded, AIDS devastated the lives of the first generation of truly liberated and free gay men. This article not only eulogizes and returns Weinberg to his deserved place within fashion history but also brings some of those lost pioneering men from Weinberg’s era back into focus again as well, alive again in memory, so that none of them will ever be forgotten.
The hero and the heroin: Inscriptions of AIDS on the male body
Authors: Campagna Leonardo
Published: July 2023

Contrary to popular belief, the HIV/AIDS pandemic has not only impacted on the languages of fashion and clothing in matters of communication and corporate social responsibility, but also on the very creation of the fashioned bodies. Two very different examples of the metaphorization and inscription of AIDS on the male body are the heroic, muscular and healthy figures of the Versace and Calvin Klein models, inherited from the white Yuppie culture, and the popularization of the heroin chic aesthetics of Marc Jacobs and, later, Hedi Slimane’s Dior Homme. Much more than simple body types, the hero and the heroin might be considered as different answers to the same epistemic crisis that the HIV/AIDS pandemic has caused in terms of body, sexuality, otherness, health and illness, from the late 1980s to the 1990s. The aim of this article is to read and deconstruct western high fashion of that period through a critical discourse analysis involving masculinity studies and queer theory concerning AIDS, to understand the narratives that the pandemic has created on the male fashioned bodies.
‘Unruly rubber’: Brenton Heath-Kerr’s costume and the queer agency of latex
Authors: Lawrence Blake
Published: July 2023

Brenton Heath-Kerr was a performance artist living and working in Sydney, Australia, who died of AIDS-related complications at the age of 33 in 1995. Heath-Kerr designed, wore and staged interventions in disruptive costumes in the Sydney nightlife of his time. Grappling with declining health, his designs came to address his own mortality, exemplified by an intervention in the now unwearable costume ‘Self Portrait in Latex’ (1994). Rubber objects trouble the archival project, becoming ‘vulnerable’ or ‘unruly’ under different systemic conditions. ‘Unruly rubber’ considers the queer-ecological dimensions of latex, its material affinities in Heath-Kerr’s designs, in kink ecologies and in fashion more generally. Drawing from a framework of new materialism and queer theory, beside qualitative visual analysis, the argument proceeds with attention to archives, ephemera and the anecdote. ‘Unruly rubber’ asserts the agency of latex in queer assemblages, which continues to enact with and upon human design, desire and experience today.
Comparative Impact of Climate Change on Eri and Muga Cultivation and the Resultant Impact on Rural Income and Employment in Assam
Authors: Das Prakash , Saikia Mrinal
Published: July 2023

India has been the land of the ‘Queen of Textiles’, that is, silk, from a very old time. At present, India occupies the second position in the production of silk in the world, only next to China while occupying the first position in the consumption of the same. Mulberry silk accounts for 69.16% of the total silk production in India and eri comprises of 20.87%. However, in the state of Assam, non-Mulberry silk (eri and muga) occupies the lion’s share (around 99%) in the total silk production, thereby making the sericulture sector of Assam different from the rest of India. The IPCC (2007) has projected that the global temperature would most likely rise by 4.3 to 11.5 degrees Fahrenheit in the next century and silk being an agro-industrial product will be deeply affected. With muga being more susceptible to climate change, the muga cultivators would be more severely affected than the eri cultivators. In light of the above situation, this paper would attempt to analyse two issues. Firstly, it would try to see the differentiated impact of climate change on eri and muga cultivation of Assam and secondly, it would try to understand the resultant impact on rural income and employment.
Woody Plants Interaction with Aerosol Fine Particulate Matters and Copper in Budapest
Authors: Chen Haimei , Kardos Levente , Szabó Veronika , Diószegi Magdolna , Honfi Péter
Published: July 2023

Ambient particulate matter pollution is the primary concern as it has a significant impact on human health and the majority of the world's population lives in urban areas. Heavy metals are the most concerning component of particulate matter, and Cu is a highly traffic-related emission element whose overabundance results in toxic effects. Woody plants, on the other hand, contribute to the removal of airborne pollution in urban areas. Our aims are (1) to compare urban woody plants abilities to capture ambient fine particulate matter on leaf surface; and (2) to access the Cu concentration loads on their leaf surfaces. Consequently, our results will provide scientific knowledge for future urban planning concerning air pollution remediation. We investigated the relationship between woody plants and heavy metal pollution in Budapest. Four woody plant species were sampled at different traffic densities. Their Cu contents in the leaf and branch were measured, our results show that Tilia tomentosa and Acer platanoides are better options for ambient Cu accumulation than Fraxinus excelsior and Aesculus hisppocastanus in urban environments. At different traffic densities and sampling times, however, Cu accumulation did not vary across species. This is because, through translocation, woody plants absorb Cu not only from the air but also from the soil. Furthermore, it is also because of the long-distance transportation and long-term suspension of fine particulate matter. From the obtained results, we can conclude that woody plants are important phytoremediation elements in the urban area of Budapest. Planting T. tomentosa and A. platanoides in urban areas of central Europe will be promising for ambient heavy metal pollution phytoremediation. But environmental conditions differ from one place to another. Therefore, a comprehensive study is required in order to apply the results to different locations.
A képernyős eszközök káros hatásai, a káros hatások megelőzésének módjai
Authors: Hampel György
Published: July 2023

Az információs társadalomban megkerülhetetlen az informatikai eszközök napi rendszerességgel történő használata. Ezen eszközök közül sok képernyővel is rendelkezik (Display Screen Equipment, DSE). Céljuk, hogy támogassák az emberek mindennapjait, ugyanakkor a hosszú távú használatuknak számos, az ember egészségére ható káros következménye figyelhető meg. A megfigyelt fizikai hatások közé tartozik az ismétlődő terhelés okozta sérülés (RSI: Repetitive Strain Injury, vagy CTD: Cumulative Trauma Disorder), az izom- és ízületi fájdalom, a megerőltetett vagy fáradt szem, a szív-, hallás-, emésztési és termékenységi problémák, valamint a testmozgás hiánya miatti elhízás. Emellett mentális hatások is előfordulnak: A DSE-k megváltoztathatják az emberi gondolkodást, megtörhetik a cirkadián ritmust, káros hatással lehetnek a memóriára, függőséget, frusztrációt és más negatív érzelmi hatást, nem kívánt viselkedést válthatnak ki. Az eszközök negatív hatásainak minimalizálása érdekében számos ergonómiai ajánlás született, amelyek olvashatók kiadványokban, elérhetők weboldalakon. Jogszabályok is léteznek, amelyek szintén a káros egészségügyi hatások minimalizálását szolgálják a képernyős munkahelyeken. Ugyanakkor az ajánlások, előírások csak akkor érnek valamit, ha a felhasználók otthon és a munkahelyükön is betartják, ill. a munkáltatók betartatják azokat – hosszú távon is.
Kisüzemi és házi technológiával készült fűszerpaprika őrlemények tárolás alatti minőségromlásának elemzése
Authors: Horváth Zsuzsanna
Published: July 2023

Vizsgálataink célja annak elemzése volt, a kisüzemi vagy házi technológiával készült őrlemények színezéktartalma, illetve színjellemzői hogyan változnak a különböző tárolási körülmények között. Méréseinket 17 különböző őrleményen végeztük el. Minden őrleményt 10 hónapig tároltunk, három tárolási körülményt alkalmazva (átlátszó csomagolásban világos helyen, átlátszó csomagolásban sötét helyen és hűtőszekrényben). A tárolás során folyamatosan mértük az őrlemények színezéktartalmát és színjellemzőit. A színezéktartalom mérése az MSZ EN ISO 7541:2010 szabványban leírtaknak megfelelően történt. A színjellemzésére a CIE Lab színtérben értelmezett L*, a*, b* színkoordinátákat használtuk, a színmérés elvégzése HunterLab MiniScan XE PLUS spektrum alapú színmérő készülékkel történt. A színezék tartalom adatok analízise azt mutatta, hogy a tárolás során fokozatosan csökken a színezéktatalom, és a csökkenés mértékét szignifikánsan befolyásolja a tárolás módja. Nincs szignifikáns különbség a sötét, illetve világos helyen tárolt őrlemények között, miközben a hűtőszekrénybe tárolt minták esetén a színezéktartalom vesztés mértéke szignifikánsan kisebb volt. A színjellemzők változásának elemzése hasonló tendenciát mutatott. A kezdeti és a tárolás során mért színkoordináta értékek között számított színkülönbség értékek azt mutatták, hogy a legnagyobb színváltozás azoknál az őrleményeknél volt jellemző, melyek csumával együtt feldolgozva készültek. Hűtőszekrényes tárolásnál a legtöbb esetben nem vagy csak alig volt érzékelhető szemmel a színkülönbség, míg a másik két tárolási módnál jól látható volt a változás. Az őrlemények színe fakóbb, világosabb, kevésbé piros lett.
Blokkláncok szerepe az üzleti életben
Authors: Nagy Péter
Published: July 2023

Melyek azok a területek a vállalati szektorban, ahol hasznos a blokklánc technológia? A világ különböző pontjain segíti az üzleti élet alakítását ez az innováció. Számos területet forradalmasíthat, többek között az ellátási láncot, élelmiszer-elosztást, pénzügyi szolgáltatásokat és a kiskereskedelmet. Több európai és világcég alkalmazza ezt a technológiát. Magyarországon is egyre elterjedtebb megoldás az üzleti hatékonyság és eredményesség fejlesztése érdekében. A tanulmányban bemutatásra kerül a blokklánc technológia, valamint a fent említett területeket érintve létrejön egy átfogó kép a blokkláncok létjogosultságáról az üzleti életben nemzetközi és hazai szinten egyaránt.
A lean szemlélet jelentősége az ellátási lánc menedzsmentben
Authors: Panyor Ágota
Published: July 2023

Az ellátási lánc menedzsment átfogja és integrálja a gyártótól a végfelhasználóig terjedő kulcsfontosságú folyamatokat úgy, hogy közben érték, termék vagy szolgáltatás keletkezik. Az ellátási lánc irányítását és fejlesztését az ügyfélközpontúság jellemzi. A megfelelő vevőközpontú rendszer kialakításához folyamatosan figyelemmel kell kísérni a vevő oldaláról megjelenő kereslet változásait. Mindamellett kiemelten fontos a vállalat hatékonysága szempontjából az értékadó folyamatok növelése, a rendszer pazarlásainak és esetleges veszteségeinek feltárása, amelyhez számos lean eszköz áll rendelkezésre. Kiemelten három lean eszköz kerül bemutatásra, amelyek a folyamatok felmérésére, a veszteségek azonosítására és megszüntetésére, továbbá elemzések elkészítésére szolgálnak.
Csicsókaliszt-búzaliszt keverékek és ostyák funkciós tulajdonságainak vizsgálata
Authors: Pintér Gáborné
Published: July 2023

A magas rosttartalmú, könnyen emészthető, értékes tápanyag összetételű alapanyagokból készített termékek iránt egyre nő a fogyasztói igény. Egy méltatlanul mellőzött hazai zöldségféle, a csicsóka, ezeket az elvárásokat nagymértékben kielégíti. A csicsóka gumóban a fő hatóanyag a diétás (élelmi) rostnak minősülő inulin (kb. 14-19%), de ezen kívül kedvező biológiai adottságokat jelent teljes beltartalma. Jelentős a makro- és mikroelemek (káliumtartalma kb. 500 mg/100 g), a különböző vitaminok, növényi rostok, fehérjeépítő aminosavak stb. mennyisége. Kutató munkám során a csicsókalisztben található poliszacharid típusú növényi rostanyagnak, az inulinnak a csicsókaliszt-búzaliszt keverékek reológiai tulajdonságaira gyakorolt hatását vizsgáltam. A csicsókaliszt inulin tartalmát meghatározva 1; 2; 4% inulin tartalmú lisztkeverékek funkcionális tulajdonságait mértem valorigráffal, majd a keverékekből ostyákat sütöttem. Eredményeim szerint a lisztkeverékekben a csicsókaliszt megváltoztatja a sikér fizikai tulajdonságait és térbeli szerkezetét, a tészta ellágyulásának mértékét és dagasztástűrési indexét.  Az ostyák közül leginkább a 2% inulint tartalmazó ostya nyerte el az érzékszervi bírálók tetszését.
Fractional multi-loop active disturbance rejection control for a lower knee exoskeleton system
Authors: Al-Awad Nasir Ahmed , Humaidi Amjad Jaleel , Al-Araji Ahmed Sabah
Published: July 2023

Rehabilitation Exoskeleton is becoming more and more important in physiotherapists’ routine work. To improve the treatment performance, such as reducing the recovery period and/or monitoring and reacting to unpredictable situations, the rehabilitation manipulators need to help the patients in various physical trainings. A special case of the active disturbance rejection control (ADRC) is applied to govern a proper realisation of basic limb rehabilitation trainings. The experimental study is performed on a model of a flexible joint manipulator, whose behaviour resembles a real exoskeleton rehabilitation device (a one-degree-of-freedom, rigid-link, flexible-joint manipulator). The fractional (FADRC) is an unconventional model-independent approach, acknowledged as an effective controller in the existence of total plant uncertainties, and these uncertainties are inclusive of the total disturbances and unknown dynamics of the plant. In this work, three FADRC schemes are used, the first one using a fractional state observer (FSO), or FADRC1, second one using a fractional proportional-derivative controller (FPD), or FADRC2, and the third one a Multi-loop fractional in PD-loop controller and the observer-loop (Feedforward and Feedback), or FADRC3. The simulated Exoskeleton system is subjected to a noise disturbance and the FADRC3 shows the effectiveness to compensate all these effects and satisfies the desired position when compared with FADRC1 and FADRC2. The design and simulation were carried out in MATLAB/Simulink.
Neural network based patient recovery estimation of a PAM-based rehabilitation robot
Authors: Dinh Van-Vuong , Trinh Minh-Chien , Bui Tien-Dat , Duong Minh-Duc , Dao Quy-Thinh
Published: July 2023

Rehabilitation robots have shown a promise in aiding patient recovery by supporting them in repetitive, systematic training sessions. A critical factor in the success of such training is the patient’s recovery progress, which can guide suitable treatment plans and reduce recovery time. In this study, a neural network-based approach is proposed to estimate the patient’s recovery, which can aid in the development of an assist-as-needed training strategy for the gait training system. Experimental results show that the proposed method can accurately estimate the external torques generated by the patient to determine their recovery. The estimated patient recovery is used for an impedance control of a 2-DOF robotic orthosis powered by pneumatic artificial muscles, which improves the robot joint compliance coefficients and makes the patient more comfortable and confident during rehabilitation exercises.
The Influence of Market Dynamics on Retail Investor Attention
Authors: Symons-Hicks James
Published: July 2023

Retail investors have become increasingly active in global markets over the past several years. However, the factors that drive retail investors to focus on particular stocks are unclear. Using a sample of UK FTSE 100 stocks, this paper analyses whether stock volatility, liquidity, returns, and trading volume have the power to attract the attention of UK retail investors, measured using the Google Search Volume Index. Overall, this paper finds positive relationships between three of the dynamics (volatility, returns, and daily trading volume) and increased retail investor attention. Greater stock illiquidity also coincides with an increase in the Google Search Volume Index, although this may be due to liquidity-impacting events. When conditioning on stocks by quartiles of market capitalisation, I find that the effects of returns and trading volume are greater in magnitude for the top 25% of stocks.
Policy in the pandemic: lost opportunities, returning to ‘normal’ and ratcheting up control
Authors: Brooks Clare , Perryman Jane
Published: July 2023

In this article, we examine education policymaking in England during the Covid-19 pandemic, focusing on the period from 2020 to 2022. We argue that the pandemic, while obviously damaging materially, economically and psychologically, seemed to have provided a rare opportunity for a step change, a chance to recalibrate and reconsider values assumed as ‘truths’. However, policymaking in England appears to have been driven by a desire to return to normal as soon as possible or to double down on control. Through a rigorous policy analysis of two specific areas of policy – initial teacher education and inspection – we review policy and ministerial speeches, as well as academic papers, media articles and social media blogs published from the start of the pandemic in England, to analyse the extent to which policy formation was reactive in an attempt to maintain a steady state and return as quickly as possible to pre-pandemic normality and to previously stated intransigent policy positions. We suggest that this policy formation reflects a broader trend in policymaking, which seeks to use power and sustain privilege, underpinned by a constructed evidence base, to present a particular ‘truth’ about what needs to be done to improve education outcomes.
Scarcely visible? Analysing initial teacher education research and the Research Excellence Framework
Authors: Clapham Andrew , Richards Ruth , Lonsdale Katie , la Velle Linda
Published: July 2023

In the UK, the Research Excellence Framework is a mechanism used for ranking the quality of research in higher education institutions. While there has been analysis of the entire Research Excellence Framework, and of the Education unit of assessment more generally, analysis of how research on initial teacher education featured in the Research Excellence Framework has been minimal. In this article, we report on Phase I of an 18-month project that mapped the extent to which initial teacher education-focused research was included in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework. Employing a novel methodology and a theoretical framework based on policy as text and discourse, we identify a sample of 12 higher education institutions that provided initial teacher education programmes and returned outputs to the 2014 Research Excellence Framework. Analysis of over 1,600 outputs suggest that in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework only 5.5 per cent of these were focused on initial teacher education. We discuss the methodological approach, some headline findings and areas for future research, arguing that these add evidence to the literature of initial teacher education-focused research and, in doing so, can inform policy at the levels of schools, higher education institutions, Research Excellence Framework and the government. We conclude that although the Research Excellence Framework only concerns the UK, similar exercises are becoming increasingly prevalent globally, and therefore the extent to which research on initial teacher education was marginalised in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework is of interest to all concerned with teacher education.
Beyond the artisan trade test: Using the COMET Model to build occupational competence
Authors: Dr Brown, H.  , Prof. Papier, J.
Published: July 2023

The South African trade test is a mandatory end-point assessment that certifies an apprentice to practise as a qualified artisan after a specified period of training. Whereas the manufacturing sector has relied on the traditional trade test to provide assurance of an artisan candidate’s required level of competence, recent competence-development studies based on the COMET Model of competence development and measurement have challenged the ability of traditional task-based trade tests to prepare candidates adequately for integrated work processes. Studies in other contexts have shown the potential for COMET-based assessments not only to serve as a means of measuring competence, but also to develop it. This article reports on research that investigated how, through the application of COMET assessments, occupational competencies were developed beyond those measured by the traditional apprentice trade test. A mixed-methods, quasiexperimental approach produced strong evidence that COMET-inspired authentic assessments enhanced learners’ levels of competence and developed vocational identity among candidates who undertook such preparation for a trade test.
Mobility transition or just another business? Temporal and spatial analysis of the diffusion of station-based carsharing services in five German municipalities
Authors: Ritter Martin , Volkmer Verena , Schanz Heiner
Published: July 2023

Station-based carsharing systems are regularly seen as key building blocks for a successful sustainability transition of municipal mobility systems. While numerous studies deal with the optimal distribution of carsharing stations from a business perspective, none explores which spatial and temporal patterns shape the development of carsharing station networks, even though sustainability transitions and their patterns are perceived as strictly place-specific. This study uses a comparative cross-case analysis of five southwest German cities to reveal similarities in spatial and temporal patterns. The analysis differentiates between ‘efficient causes’, described by structural and social demographic characteristics of cities, and ‘final causes’, described by the causal pathway development of municipal carsharing policy. Results reveal that despite the different city characteristics and causal pathways, the spatial evolution of station-based carsharing systems follow similar growth paths, tending towards consolidation of carsharing patterns regardless of municipal support. The study adds to our understanding of mobility transitions and casts doubt on the ability of current station-based carsharing systems to shift municipal mobility systems towards ecological sustainability.
Słowo od redakcji
Authors: Stanulewicz Maksymilian
Published: July 2023

Słowo od redakcji
Ukraina a Rosja na przełomie dziejów (1917)
Authors: Lityński Adam
Published: July 2023

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Tabliczka A praw średnioasyryjskich – prawa dotyczące kobiet
Authors: Mikołajczak Tytus
Published: July 2023

Prawa średnioasyryjskie to mezopotamski zbiór praw stworzony w ok. XII w. p.n.e. w Aszur (obecnie Qal’at Szerkat w irakijskim Kurdystanie). Tekst zawiera polskie tłumaczenie i komentarz do pierwszej tabliczki tego zbioru, MAL A (VAT 10000 = KAV 001). Tabliczka MAL A (znana jako Frauenspiegel) zawiera prawa dotyczące kobiet (gdzie kobiety są albo winnymi przestępstw, albo poszkodowanymi). Dokument ten w sposób unikalny informuje nas o średnioasyryjskim i mezopotamskim społeczeństwie tego czasu, zajmując się takim zagadnieniami, jak kradzież, napaść, zdrada małżeńska i gwałt, homoseksualizm, małżeństwo i prawo rodzinne.
Karalność uwolnienia się więźnia oraz udzielenia mu pomocy w ucieczce na ziemiach polskich pod zaborami
Authors: Poniatowski Piotr
Published: July 2023

W artykule omówiono regulacje prawne odnoszące się do zjawiska ucieczek osób legalnie pozbawionych wolności obowiązujące w poszczególnych zaborach w okresie od I rozbioru do odzyskania przez Polskę niepodległości, a także w Królestwie Polskim, Księstwie Warszawskim i Rzeczypospolitej Krakowskiej. Poprzez analizę wskazanych rozwiązań oraz porównanie ich do unormowań przyjętych w polskim Kodeksie karnym z 1932 r. autor starał się ustalić, czy, a jeśli tak, to jak bardzo, wzorowano się na prawodawstwach zaborczych przy tworzeniu pierwszej ustawy karnej niepodległej Polski. Ostatecznie doszedł do wniosku, że unormowania zawarte w art. 150 i 151 k.k. z 1932 r. nie były wprost wzorowane na którejkolwiek z kodyfikacji zaborczych ani nie stanowiły połączenia różnych rozwiązań byłych państw zaborczych.
Od wolności w literaturze do wolności na uniwersytecie
Authors: Popiel Jacek
Published: July 2023

Fiction literature and philosophical texts can remarkably influence contemporary understanding of freedom. The article discusses this subject, by analyzing selected texts, written by Czesław Miłosz, Adam Zagajewski, Zbigniew Herbert, Józef Tischner, Wiesław Myśliwski. Historical events, mentioned in texts, took place during the 1970’s and the 1980’s and were associated with the Jagiellonian University.