bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mitochondrial markers for identification and phylogenetic studies in insects – A Review
Authors: Mandal Surajit De , Chhakchhuak Liansangmawii , Gurusubramanian Guruswami , Kumar Nachimuthu Senthil
Published: May 2014

Similar morphology and high genetic diversity poses problems in phylogenetic studies of insects. To solve these problems, mitochondrial based markers have been adopted and are increasingly used as molecular markers for phylogenetic studies. Varied markers have been used for different species of insects, viz., markers for 16S r RNA, 12S r RNA, ND (1-6 genes), ATPase and control regions. Among which protein coding gene, CO-1 is found to be best because of its advantage over others whereas, AT rich region of mitochondrial DNA is the least used marker. A recent advanced technology in phylogenetic analysis; namely mitogenomics have greatly improved this research field. This short review attempted to summarize recent studies on the application of various mitochondrial molecular markers for phylogenetic study of insects.
About Implementation of IEC 61131-3 IL Function Blocks in Standard Microcontrollers
Authors: Chmiel Mirosław , Mocha Jan , Hrynkiewicz Edward , Polok Dariusz
Published: May 2014

The paper presents considerations on implementation of function blocks of the IL language, as fragments of control programs that use these blocks. Subsequently, the predefined function blocks of the IL language have been applied to implementation in a Central Processing Unit for a programmable controller based on standard microcontroller from such families as MCS-51, AVR and ARM with the Cortex-M3 core. The considerations refer to the IL language revision that is fully compliant with the IEC-61131-3 standards. The completed theoretical analysis demonstrated that the adopted method of the module description is really reasonable and offers substantial advantages as compared to direct calls of function modules already developed as subroutines. Also the executed experiments have proved the feasibility to arrange central units of programmable controllers on the basis of standard microcontrollers and such central units may be competitive to compact CPUs available on the market for typical PLCs.
Design of an Ultra-Low Power CT ΣΔ A/D Modulator in 65 nm CMOS for Cardiac Pacemakers: From System Synthesis to Circuit Implementation
Authors: Wang Yelin , Cai Hao
Published: May 2014

A high performance, ultra-low power, fully differential 2nd-order continuous-time ΣΔ analogue-to-digital modulator for cardiac pacemakers is presented in this paper. The entire design procedure is described in detail from the high-level system synthesis in both discrete and continuous-time domain, to the low-level circuit implementation of key functional blocks of the modulator. The power consumption of the designed modulator is rated at 182 nA from a 1.2V power supply, meeting the ultra-low power requirement of the cardiac pacemaker applications. A 65 nm CMOS technology is employed to implement the ΣΔ modulator. The modulator achieves a simulated SNR of 53.8 dB over a 400Hz signal bandwidth, with 32KHz sampling frequency and an oversampling ratio of 40. The active area of the modulator is 0.45 × 0.50mm2
Comparative Analysis of the results obtained after Unicondylar Knee Arthroplasty and High Tibial Osteotomy in Isolated Gonarthrosis
Authors: Karamitev Stanislav S. , Stavrev Vladimir P. , Chifligarov Albert G.
Published: May 2014

The AIM of this study was to analyse the results of the surgery and compare the outcomes of unicondylar knee arthroplasty and high tibial osteotomy performed in isolated gonarthrosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between 2007 and 2011, 65 patients were implanted a partial knee endo-prosthesis in the Clinic of Orthopedics and Traumatology. Men were 23 (35.4%) and women were 42 (64.6%). High tibial osteotomy was performed to manage the unicompartmental gonarthrosis in 92 patients (47 men and 45 women) for 13 years between 1975 and 1987. These two modalities were used only in cases in which one of the knee joint compartments was affected. Clinical, para-clinical, functional tests and radiographic examination were conducted of the affected knee joint. RESULTS: The results of the study were assessed by the rating system proposed by the Knee Society and modified by John Insall. At four-year follow-up study the outcomes of the partial prosthesis were assessed as excellent in 85.13%, good - in 13.11% and satisfactory in 1.77% of patients. After high tibial osteotomy the results were considered very good in 54.18% of patients, good - in 32.29%, satisfactory - in 6.25%, and poor - in 7.8%. CONCLUSIONS: Partial knee arthroplasty is a resurfacing procedure, while high tibial osteotomy is used only to slow the overall degenerative process with gradual progressive exacerbation of osteoarthritis with age. The results after prosthetic treatment had a better dynamics than that in high tibial osteotomy
Laparoscopic Resection of the Pancreatic Tail with Preservation of the Spleen in a Patient with a Large Pseudopapillary Tumor of the Pancreas
Authors: Dimov Rosen S. , Kantchev Rangel I. , Boev Boris G. , Ivanov Todor I. , Apostolov Ilia A. , Hinov Anton G. , Cheshmedjiev Nedelcho M. , Stoilova Maria B. , Mitev Kamen D. , Chonova Emilia K. , Dzhegalova Mariana P.
Published: May 2014

Laparoscopic resections of the pancreas have gained in popularity in the last few years. Those preserving the integrity of the spleen are performed very rarely and are a challenge for every surgeon. We hereby report a case of laparoscopic resection of the pancreatic tail with preservation of the spleen and the integrity and the blood supply to the spleen in a 26 year-old patient with a large pseudopapillary tumor of the pancreas. Postoperative recovery was quick and without complications. The functional and aesthetic result was satisfactory. Laparoscopic resection of the pancreas is a safe and effective therapeutic procedure in selected patients
Dinosaur tracks from the Jurassic Shemshak Group in the Central Alborz Mountains (Northern Iran)
Authors: Abbassi Nasrollah , Madanipour Saeed
Published: May 2014

The Shemshak Group includes alternating layers of coal-bearing shale and siliciclastic sediments in the Baladeh area in the central Alborz Mountains of northern Iran. A diverse and abundant Jurassic dinosaur footprint assemblage is now recognized in the group, which is Toarcian to Bajocian in age in the northern Baladeh. This is the first report of a diverse dinosaur ichnoassemblage from Iran that includes the footprints of sauropods. These tracks can be assigned to three groups of trackmakers: theropods, ornithopods and sauropods. Those of theropods are typically tridactyl in shape, their trackways reflecting bipedal movement. Theropod footprints are very abundant in both northern and western Baladeh. The studied theropod tracks themselves are divided into three major dimensional groups. The medium sized footprints (footprint length, 11-15 cm) are abundant and have a stride length, digit and pace angles like the coelurosaurs footprints and trackway. Theropod footprints were identified as similar to Schizograllator otariensis, Talmontopus tersi and Wildeichnus isp. Ornithopod footprints are tridactyl with rounded and thick toes and belong to bipeds. Some didactyl imprints were also observed. Skin imprints were well preserved in these footprints. The ornithopod tracks resemble Jiayinosorupus johnsoni, as well as Velociraptorichnus sichuanensis for didactyl footprints. Sauropod footprints found in the western part of Baladeh are assigned here to Eosauropus isp., which are pentadactyl pes imprints of a quadruped. The assemblage from Iran resembles similar associations from eastern Asia.
Ground Reaction Forces and Throwing Performance in Elite and Novice Players in Two Types of Handball Shot
Authors: Rousanoglou Elissavet , Noutsos Konstantinos , Bayios Ioannis , Boudolos Konstantinos
Published: May 2014

The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in the ground reaction force (GRF) patterns between elite and novice players during two types of handball shots, as well as the relationships between throwing performance and the GRF variables. Ball velocity and throwing accuracy were measured during jump shots and 3-step shots performed by 15 elite and 15 novice players. The GRF pattern was recorded for the vertical and the anterior-posterior GRF components (Kistler forceplate type-9281, 750Hz). One-way ANOVA was used for the group differences and the Pearson coefficient for the correlation between throwing performance and GRF variables (SPSS 21.0, p ≤ 0.05). The elite players performed better in both types of shot. Both groups developed consistent and similar GRF patterns, except for the novices’ inconsistent Fz pattern in the 3-step shot. The GRF variables differed significantly between groups in the 3-step shot (p ≤ 0.05). Significant correlations were found only for ball velocity and predominantly for the novice players during the 3-step shot (p ≤ 0.05). The results possibly highlight a shortage in the novice ability to effectively reduce their forward momentum so as to provide a stable base of support for the momentum transfer up the kinetic chain, a situation that may predispose athletes to injury.
Norms for an Isometric Muscle Endurance Test
Authors: Strand Sarah L. , Hjelm John , Shoepe Todd C. , Fajardo Marie A.
Published: May 2014

Musculoskeletal performance assessment is critical in the analysis of physical training programs in order to prioritize goals for decreasing injury risk and focusing performance goals. Abdominal endurance as part of this analysis is often assessed with techniques that have validity that has been debated in literature. The purpose of this study was to develop normative sex- and athlete-specific percentiles for a trunk stabilization and muscular endurance by using a prone forearm plank test in college-aged students. A second purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of habitual physical activity and the reason for test termination. There were 471 participants (means [xxx] SE; males: n = 194, age 20.4 [xxx] 0.2 years, body height 179.4 [xxx] 0.5 cm, body mass 81.1 [xxx] 1.2 kg; females: n = 277, age 20.2 [xxx] 0.2 years, body height 165.7 [xxx] 0.4 cm, body mass 63.9 [xxx] 0.7 kg) who performed this test to volitional or technique failure. Males produced significantly higher test durations than females (means [xxx] SD; 124 [xxx] 72 seconds vs. 83 [xxx] 63 seconds) and athletes produced significantly longer test durations than non-athletes (123 [xxx] 69 s vs. 83 [xxx] 63 s) but no interaction effects were seen in the variables of sex and athletic status. The activity level was found to have a threshold of influence (>3 times/week) on abdominal endurance that is dose-specific where greater than 5 times/week showed the greatest influence. The fatigue of the abdominals was the termination reason producing the lowest test duration and there was no sex effect on reason for test termination. These normative percentiles for abdominal endurance suggest that the abdominal plank test can now be used as an alternative to other abdominal assessments in college students, but further investigation is warranted prior to confirmation and generalization to other populations.
Physical Determinants of Interval Sprint Times in Youth Soccer Players
Authors: Amonette William E. , Brown Denham , Dupler Terry L. , Xu Junhai , Tufano James J. , De Witt John K.
Published: May 2014

Relationships between sprinting speed, body mass, and vertical jump kinetics were assessed in 243 male soccer athletes ranging from 10-19 years. Participants ran a maximal 36.6 meter sprint; times at 9.1 (10 y) and 36.6 m (40 y) were determined using an electronic timing system. Body mass was measured by means of an electronic scale and body composition using a 3-site skinfold measurement completed by a skilled technician. Countermovement vertical jumps were performed on a force platform - from this test peak force was measured and peak power and vertical jump height were calculated. It was determined that age (r=-0.59; p<0.01), body mass (r=-0.52; p<0.01), lean mass (r=-0.61; p<0.01), vertical jump height (r=-0.67; p<0.01), peak power (r=-0.64; p<0.01), and peak force (r=-0.56; p<0.01) were correlated with time at 9.1 meters. Time-to-complete a 36.6 meter sprint was correlated with age (r=-0.71; p<0.01), body mass (r=- 0.67; p<0.01), lean mass (r=-0.76; p<0.01), vertical jump height (r=-0.75; p<0.01), peak power (r=-0.78; p<0.01), and peak force (r=-0.69; p<0.01). These data indicate that soccer coaches desiring to improve speed in their athletes should devote substantive time to fitness programs that increase lean body mass and vertical force as well as power generating capabilities of their athletes. Additionally, vertical jump testing, with or without a force platform, may be a useful tool to screen soccer athletes for speed potential.
Relationship Between Repeated Sprint Performance and both Aerobic and Anaerobic Fitness
Authors: Dardouri Wajdi , Selmi Mohamed Amin , Sassi Radhouane Haj , Gharbi Zied , Rebhi Ahmed , Yahmed Mohamed Haj , Moalla Wassim
Published: May 2014

The aims of this study were firstly, to examine the relationship between repeated sprint performance indices and anaerobic speed reserve (AnSR), aerobic fitness and anaerobic power and secondly, to identify the best predictors of sprinting ability among these parameters. Twenty nine subjects (age: 22.5 ± 1.6 years, body height: 1.8 ± 0.1 m, body mass: 68.8 ± 8.5 kg, body mass index (BMI): 22.2 ± 2.1 kg•m-2, fat mass: 11.3 ± 2.9 %) participated in this study. All participants performed a 30 m sprint test (T30) from which we calculated the maximal anaerobic speed (MAnS), vertical and horizontal jumps, 20m multi-stage shuttle run test (MSRT) and repeated sprint test (10 x 15 m shuttle run). AnSR was calculated as the difference between MAnS and the maximal speed reached in the MSRT. Blood lactate sampling was performed 3 min after the RSA protocol. There was no significant correlation between repeated sprint indices (total time (TT); peak time (PT), fatigue index (FI)) and both estimated VO2max and vertical jump performance). TT and PT were significantly correlated with T30 (r=0.63, p=0.001 and r=0.62, p=0.001; respectively), horizontal jump performance (r = -0.47, p = 0.001 and r = -0.49, p = 0.006; respectively) and AnSR (r=-0.68, p= 0.001 and r=-0.70, p=0.001, respectively). Significant correlations were found between blood lactate concentration and TT, PT, and AnSR (r=-0.44, p=0.017; r=-0.43, p=0.018 and r=0.44, p=0.016; respectively). Stepwise multiple regression analyses demonstrated that AnSR was the only significant predictor of the TT and PT, explaining 47% and 50% of the shared variance, respectively. Our findings are of particular interest for coaches and fitness trainers in order to predict repeated sprint performance by using AnSR that can easily identify the respective upper performance limits supported by aerobic and anaerobic power of a player involved in multi-sprint team sports.
Somatotype of Top-Level Serbian Rhythmic Gymnasts
Authors: Purenović-Ivanović Tijana , Popović Ružena
Published: May 2014

Body size and build influence performance in many sports, especially in those belonging to the group of female aesthetic sports (rhythmic gymnastics, artistic gymnastics, and figure skating). These sports pose high specific demands upon the functional, energy, motor and psychological capacities of athletes, but also upon the size, body build and composition of the performers, particularly of the top-level female athletes. The study of the top athletes (rhythmic gymnasts, in this case) may provide valuable information on the morphological requirements for achieving success in this sport. Therefore, the main objective of this research was to analyze the somatotype of 40 Serbian top-level rhythmic gymnasts, aged 13.04±2.79, and to form the five age group categories. The anthropometric variables included body height, body mass, the selected diameters, girths and skinfolds, and the Heath-Carter anthropometric somatotype. All of the anthropometric data were collected according to International Biological Programme, and then processed in the Somatotype 1.2. The applied analysis of variance indicated an increase in endomorphic component with age. The obtained results show that the balanced ectomorph is a dominant somatotype, being similar for all of the athletes that took part in the research (3.54-3.24-4.5). These results are in line with the ones obtained in previous studies.
Inter-individual Variability in Soccer Players of Different Age Groups Playing Different Positions
Authors: Nikolaidis Pantelis , Ziv Gal , Lidor Ronnie , Arnon Michal
Published: May 2014

The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to profile physical characteristics and motor abilities of three age groups of soccer players - under 14 years, 14-17, and over 17, playing different positions - goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders, and forwards; and (b) to examine the inter-individual variability among the players in each age group in all physical and physiological measurements performed in the study. In addition, anthropometric, power, strength, and flexibility tests were administered. Findings showed large inter-individual variability in all three age groups and in all playing positions. Differences between playing positions were found only in the 14-17 group (body mass) and in the over-17 group (body height, body mass, fat-free mass, and mean power in the Wingate Anaerobic Test). Due to the observed large inter-individual variability, it was concluded that the findings obtained in the physical and physiological tests should be interpreted with caution when attempting to differentiate between successful and unsuccessful soccer players, as well as when trying to predict future success in soccer.
Drying kinetics and colour change of lemon slices
Authors: Darvishi Hosain , Khoshtaghaza Mohammad H. , Minaei Saeid
Published: May 2014

The effect of microwave-convective heating on drying characteristics and colour change of lemon slices was investigated. The drying experiments were carried out at 180, 360, 540 and 720Wand at 22°C, with air velocity of 1ms-1. The values of effective moisture diffusivity were found to be in the range between 1.87 10-8 and 3.95 10-8 m2 s-1, and the activation energy was estimated to be 10.91 Wg-1. The drying data were fitted with ten mathematical models available in the literature. The model describing drying kinetics of lemon slices in the best way was found. The colour change of the dried lemon slices was analysed and considered as a quality index affecting the drying quality of the product. The values of lightness/darkness, yellowness/blueness and hue angle increased, while the value of redness/greenness decreased with increasing microwave power.
Cell orientation in potato tuber parenchyma tissue
Authors: Gancarz Marek , Konstankiewicz Krystyna , Zgórska Kazimiera
Published: May 2014

The paper presents the results of the research of the size and shape of parenchyma tissue cells in potato tubers depending on the direction and site of sampling in tubers. An optical confocal microscope was used to observe samples in their natural state. The investigation was carried out for 1 mm thick samples cut from cylindrical samples (10x10 mm)taken in two mutually perpendicular directions of the inner and outer core of each variety. The analysis was done ten times.The methods developed for the composition and image analysis ensure obtaining a sufficient number of cells to determine tissue structure parameters (surface, shape, elongation and number of cells per 1 mm2) and decays of these parameters were obtained. Statistical analysis was performed using the λ-Kolmogorov-Smirnov compliance test.Arelationship between the direction of sampling and the size and shape of the inner core of cells was found. Greater surface area and elongation of the inner core cells for the longitudinal direction in the tuber (stolon - top) was demonstrated. There was no such a correlation for the outer core in the tubers of the cultivars examined.
Sequestration of Organic Carbon Influenced by the Application of Straw Residue and Farmyard Manure in Two Different Soils
Authors: Mahmoodabadi Majid , Heydarpour Elina
Published: May 2014

Soil organic carbon is one of the most important soil components, which acts as a sink for atmospheric CO2. This study focuses on the effect of different methods of organic matter application on the soil organic carbon sequestration in a 4-month experiment under controlled greenhouse conditions. Three rates of straw residue and farmyard manure were added to uncultivated and cropland soils. Two treatments of straw residue and farmyard manure incorporation were used into: a soil surface layer and 0-20 cm soil depth. The result showed that the application of organic matter, especially the farmyard manure incorporation led to a significant increase in the final soil organic carbon content. Higher amounts of soil organic carbon were stored in the cropland soil than in the uncultivated soil. On average, the soil surface layer treatment caused a higher sequestration of soil organic carbon compared to the whole soil depth treatment. If higher rates of organic matter were added to the soils, lower carbon sequestration was observed and vice versa. The result indicated that the carbon sequestration ranged farmyardmanure > strawresidue and cropland soil > uncultivated soil. The findings of this research revealed the necessity of paying more attention to the role of organic residue management in carbon sequestration and prevention of increasing global warming.
Leaching Kinetics of Atrazine and Inorganic Chemicals in Tilled and Orchard Soils
Authors: Szajdak Lech W. , Lipiec Jerzy , Siczek Anna , Nosalewicz Artur , Majewska Urszula
Published: May 2014

The aim of this study was to verify first-order kinetic reaction rate model performance in predicting of leaching of atrazine and inorganic compounds (K+1, Fe+3, Mg+2, Mn+2, NH4 +, NO3 - and PO4 -3) from tilled and orchard silty loam soils. This model provided an excellent fit to the experimental concentration changes of the compounds vs. time data during leaching. Calculated values of the first-order reaction rate constants for the changes of all chemicals were from 3.8 to 19.0 times higher in orchard than in tilled soil. Higher first-order reaction constants for orchard than tilled soil correspond with both higher total porosity and contribution of biological pores in the former. The first order reaction constants for the leaching of chemical compounds enables prediction of the actual compound concentration and the interactions between compound and soil as affected by management system. The study demonstrates the effectiveness of simultaneous chemical and physical analyses as a tool for the understanding of leaching in variously managed soils.
Some Physical Properties of Kola Nuts – A Response Surface Approach
Authors: Akinoso Rahman , Aremu Ademola K. , Balogun Ismail S.
Published: May 2014

This work studied the effect of drying temperature and duration on some physical and mechanical properties of two varieties of kola nuts using a response surface methodology approach. Physical properties determined were length, breadth, thickness, sphericity, aspect ratio, colour and moisture loss, while mechanical properties were force at break, yield, and peak, deformation at break and peak, energy to peak, energy to break, and yield, and Young modulus. At 5% level of significance, only mass, moisture loss, and sphericity were the physical properties affected. However, all measured mechanical properties were affected by drying temperature and duration (p<0.05).
Will We Hit a Wall? Forecasting Bottlenecks to Whole Brain Emulation Development
Authors: Alstott Jeff
Published: May 2014

Whole brain emulation (WBE) is the possible replication of human brain dynamics that reproduces human behavior. If created, WBE would have significant impact on human society, and forecasts frequently place WBE as arriving within a century. However, WBE would be a complex technology with a complex network of prerequisite technologies. Most forecasts only consider a fraction of this technology network. The unconsidered portions of the network may contain bottlenecks, which are slowly-developing technologies that would impede the development of WBE. Here I describe how bottlenecks in the network can be non-obvious, and the merits of identifying them early. I show that bottlenecks may be predicted even with noisy forecasts. Accurate forecasts of WBE development must incorporate potential bottlenecks, which can be found using detailed descriptions of the WBE technology network. Bottlenecks identification can also increase the impact of WBE researchers by directing effort to those technologies that will immediately affect the timeline of WBE development
Global Eustatic Sea-Level Variations for the Approximation of Geocenter Motion from Grace
Authors: Bergmann-Wolf Inga , Zhang Liangjing , Dobslaw Henryk
Published: May 2014

Global degree-1 coefficients are derived by means of the method by Swenson et al. (2008) from a model of ocean mass variability and RL05 GRACE monthly mean gravity fields. Since an ocean model consistent with the GRACE GSM fields is required to solely include eustatic sea-level variability which can be safely assumed to be globally homogeneous, it can be empirically derived from GRACE aswell, thereby allowing to approximate geocenter motion entirely out of the GRACE monthly mean gravity fields. Numerical experiments with a decade-long model time-series reveal that the methodology is generally robust both with respect to potential errors in the atmospheric part of AOD1B and assumptions on global degree-1 coefficients for the eustatic sea-level model. Good correspondence of the GRACE RL05-based geocenter estimates with independent results let us conclude that this approximate method for the geocenter motion is well suited to be used for oceanographic and hydrological applications of regional mass variability from GRACE,where otherwise an important part of the signal would be omitted.
Reflections of intercultural communication from the perspective of a foreign teacher
Authors: Ponce Durán Fabiola
Published: May 2014

The challenges of the globalized world, the constant progress of science and technology increasingly lead to a state of interdependence between countries which should lead to intercultural relations generate an attitude of respect for diversity with a more humane vision of life to work in international teams. Universities as organizations embedded in the dynamics of globalization offer academic programs with international or multicultural approach that encourage the development of skills, aptitudes and values according to international defendant. To do this, the recruitment of foreign personnel becomes imperative in meeting planned objectives, so the challenge of foreign teachers is presented to be inserted in different cultural environments transcend and reach their educational work in the formation of their students. The aim of this paper is to offer some reflections on the importance of intercultural communication product born of the increasing mobility of teachers who face the challenge of surviving in a country with different culture.
Strategic Management as the Ideology of Power
Authors: Sułkowski Łukasz
Published: May 2014

The purpose of this paper is to present the key themes of strategic management from the perspective of Critical Management Studies [More: Sułkowski, 2012]. Strategic management seen as the most advanced and sophisticated form of targeting reseved only for the elite top menagement is interpreted by critical scholars as an ideology of power exercised by elites. The article presents the analysis of the foundations of the CMS, and then puts these issues in the field of strategic management.
Advertisement in the Perspective of World Religions – from Negation to Necessary Acceptance
Authors: Ignatowski Grzegorz
Published: May 2014

There are a few factors which influence the awareness and culture of the modern man. The most essentials include: religions, developing globalization and advertisements. The mentioned elements are related to each other and mutually restricted. Authors of advertisements still often use elements of religious life in order to encourage customers to buy particular products or make them loyal to a particular brand. Developing globalization allows for using multicultural elements, including the elements related to all major religions. We should point out that religions which promote self-restriction, renouncement and devotion remain in opposition to the developing advertising industry. In this world of advertisement, which seems unavoidable, religions have no choice but accept them. By setting forth justified ideas they make people think over the methods and limits of using religious elements in advertisements of products.
International mobility of Polish managers
Authors: Przytuła Sylwia
Published: May 2014

Due to the internationalization of Polish enterprises, it is appropriate to look at the tendency of managers to take up business and compete in the global labor market. The purpose of this article that is of theoretical and empirical character, is, therefore, an attempt to evaluate the mobility of Polish managers, or their willingness to change their place of work outside the home country. The matrix is a theoretical discussion of the importance of mobility for today’s corporations. Empiricism refers to the author’s own research (these are telephone interviews with 15 managers and two expert opinions) carried out for such this article, and also presented the results of the exploration of other researchers addressing these topics.
Preliminary Wrf-Arw Model Analysis of Global Solar Irradiation Forecasting
Authors: Isvoranu Dragos , Badescu Viorel
Published: May 2014

The purpose of this research is focused on the evaluation of short term global solar irradiation forecasting performance in order to assess the outcome of photovoltaic power stations. The paper presents a comparative analysis between the predicted irradiation obtained by numerical simulation and measurements. The simulation data is obtained from WRF-ARW model (Weather Research Forecasting-Advanced Research WRF), whose initial and boundary conditions are provided by the global forecasting model GFS. Taking into account the complexity of options for the physics models provided with WRF, we embarked upon a parametric analysis of the simulated solar irradiance. This complex task provides a better insight among the coupling of various physics options and enables us to find the best fit with the measured data for a specified site and time period. The present preliminary analysis shows that the accuracy of the computed global solar irradiance can be improved by choosing the appropriate built-in physics models. A combination of physics models providing the best results has been identified.
Wind Data Analysis and Wind Flow Simulation Over Large Areas
Authors: Terziev Angel , Antonov Ivan , Velichkova Rositsa
Published: May 2014

Increasing the share of renewable energy sources is one of the core policies of the European Union. This is because of the fact that this energy is essential in reducing the greenhouse gas emissions and securing energy supplies. Currently, the share of wind energy from all renewable energy sources is relatively low. The choice of location for a certain wind farm installation strongly depends on the wind potential. Therefore the accurate assessment of wind potential is extremely important. In the present paper an analysis is made on the impact of significant possible parameters on the determination of wind energy potential for relatively large areas. In the analysis the type of measurements (short- and long-term on-site measurements), the type of instrumentation and the terrain roughness factor are considered. The study on the impact of turbulence on the wind flow distribution over complex terrain is presented, and it is based on the real on-site data collected by the meteorological tall towers installed in the northern part of Bulgaria. By means of CFD based software a wind map is developed for relatively large areas. Different turbulent models in numerical calculations were tested and recommendations for the usage of the specific models in flows modeling over complex terrains are presented. The role of each parameter in wind map development is made. Different approaches for determination of wind energy potential based on the preliminary developed wind map are presented.
DT-CWT Robust Filtering Algorithm for The Extraction of Reference and Waviness from 3-D Nano Scalar Surfaces
Authors: Ren Zhi Ying. , Gao ChengHui. , Han GuoQiang. , Ding Shen , Lin JianXing.
Published: May 2014

Dual tree complex wavelet transform (DT-CWT) exhibits superiority of shift invariance, directional selectivity, perfect reconstruction (PR), and limited redundancy and can effectively separate various surface components. However, in nano scale the morphology contains pits and convexities and is more complex to characterize. This paper presents an improved approach which can simultaneously separate reference and waviness and allows an image to remain robust against abnormal signals. We included a bilateral filtering (BF) stage in DT-CWT to solve imaging problems. In order to verify the feasibility of the new method and to test its performance we used a computer simulation based on three generations of Wavelet and Improved DT-CWT and we conducted two case studies. Our results show that the improved DT-CWT not only enhances the robustness filtering under the conditions of abnormal interference, but also possesses accuracy and reliability of the reference and waviness from the 3-D nano scalar surfaces.
Predisposing, enabling and need factors of heroin addicts' using prescribed methadone or buprenorphine for a year or longer: An exploratory study of drug treatment for heroin addicts in the Swedish welfare system
Authors: Nilsson Marcus Blom , Lundgren Lena M. , Chassler Deborah
Published: May 2014

Aim

This exploratory study draws on national register data for 2,638 opioid users from 2004-2008 to examine whether or not certain predisposing, enabling and need factors are associated with taking methadone or buprenorphine continuously on doctor's orders for one year or more.

Design

Chi-square analysis, one-way Anova and logistic regression methods were used to explore the association between self-reported demographic characteristics, alcohol/drug use severity, substance use disorder treatment history, criminal justice history, level of mental health symptomatology, mental health treatment history, and whether or not adult opioid users had taken methadone or buprenorphine continuously on doctor's orders for one year or longer.

Results

Having a job and having had more voluntary treatment episodes were significantly associated with using methadone or buprenorphine. Those opioid users who had a job were 19 times more likely to be on methadone or buprenorphine than opiate users who did not have a job.

Conclusions

In our study, individuals who were working were significantly more likely to medicate against their opioid abuse. This suggests that they may be more socially integrated than their non-medicating counterparts.
Structure of the Flora of Railway Areas under Various Kinds of Anthropopression
Authors: Galera Halina , Sudnik-Wójcikowska Barbara , Wierzbicka Małgorzata , Jarzyna Ingeborga , Wiłkomirski Bogusław
Published: May 2014

Floristic studies were carried out in NE Poland in 2007-2008 in three types of railway areas: operating tracks, tracks abandoned less than 10 years ago, and tracks abandoned more than 10 years ago. In the 41 sections of railway tracks surveyed, 338 species were recorded, including 22 species that occurred at > 50% frequency, 27 species strongly associated with operating railway areas, and 4 species typical of railway areas in Poland. Comparative analysis of the flora of the 3 types of railway areas investigated showed significant differences in the richness and structure of their floras.
First Records of the Lichen Septotrapelia Usnica (Lecanorales, Ascomycota) from West Africa
Authors: Kukwa Martin , Piątek Marcin
Published: May 2014

Septotrapelia usnica (Sipman) Kalb & Bungartz is reported as new for West Africa from Togo. Its taxonomy, distribution and habitat requirements are discussed. Notes on other usnic acid-containing leprose species are presented.
Hieracium Sudetotubulosum (Asteraceae) Rediscovered Outside the Karkonosze Mts
Authors: Szeląg Zbigniew , Wójcik Grzegorz
Published: May 2014

Hieracium sudetotubulosum Szeląg [= H. tubulosum (Tausch) Tausch, nom. illeg.], considered to be endemic to the Karkonosze/Krkonoše Mts, has been found on Mt. Szczeliniec Wielki in the Góry Stołowe Mts, SW Poland. This is the easternmost occurrence of the species, disjoined from its continuous geographical range in the Karkonosze Mts by ca 50 km. The occurrence of H. sudetotubulosum on Mt. Szczeliniec Wielki was published by Zahn in 1938 but it was overlooked in the modern literature.
Richard Hooker And The Later Puritans
Authors: Stafford John K.
Published: May 2014

Attention is usually drawn to the negative relationship between Richard Hooker and his Puritan opponents. Such concerns dominate the polemical landscape of the late 16th and 17th centuries. However, the extent to which later Puritans appear to converge on Hooker’s epistemology and overall attitude to the place of reason, Scripture and sacrament is often overlooked. This paper consider some key affirmations from Richard Baxter, John Owen and Hooker’s contemporary William Perkins. The paper concludes that in more settled times substantive agreement might have been found on issues that during the reigns of Elizabeth and James I were profoundly divisive including the question of ministry orders
Conceptions Of The Sacred. Reflections On Transcendence In Christian Discourse
Authors: Stafford John K.
Published: May 2014

In this reflection paper, the author considers the language and content relating to the sacred and the transcendent and the expectations arising from such language. Contending that its secular usage is sufficiently unreferenced author asks whether such language can still be used in Christian discourse which by nature is particular. The author concludes that human discourse on transcendence is common to all people in various ways sometimes mutually inclusive yet often exclusive. Christian discourse is able to use the terms available to depict the essence of human desire but historically has defended the particularity of biblical language as necessary to preserve its Christological imperative which is its distinctive departure from secular appropriation of mystery
The structure of dental procedures under general anaesthesia in children and adolescents with epilepsy
Authors: Tkaczuk-Płocica Małgorzata , Szymańska Jolanta , Rosiak Joanna
Published: May 2014

Introduction. One of the indications for dental treatment in general anaesthesia of children and adolescents is the patients’ refusal to cooperate with the dentist; this concerns especially the so-called special care patients, and among them, those suffering from epilepsy. Aim. The aim of the study was to evaluate the structure of treatment procedures in conservative dentistry and dental surgery performed under general anaesthesia in children and adolescents with epilepsy. Material and methods. The analysis covered case histories of 109 patients with epilepsy, aged 3-18 years, who received dental treatment under general anaesthesia. The patients were divided into three age groups, according to the dentition type: patients with deciduous dentition - 3-5 years of age; with mixed dentition - 6-12 years, and with permanent dentition - 13-18 years. The analysis concerned the procedures on both deciduous and permanent teeth. Results. An average number of extractions in a child with full deciduous dentition was 3.9 teeth, while in a child with mixed dentition - 2.7 teeth. The greatest number of deciduous teeth extractions concerned first and second molars. Carious cavities in the occlusal surfaces of permanent teeth, due to deep caries, were the most frequently treated lesions. Conclusions. In patients with epilepsy treated under general anaesthesia, extensive treatment needs, resulting from prophylactic and therapeutic neglect in dental care, were found. Conservative and surgical treatment, combined with prophylactic procedures, performed under general anaesthesia seems one of the necessary elements of a complex dental care in uncooperative children and adolescents
The role of Th17 lymphocytes in pathogenesis of autoimmune arthritides
Authors: Pogoda Katarzyna , Pyszniak Maria , Bańka Magdalena , Rybojad Beata , Tabarkiewicz Jacek
Published: May 2014

Th17 cells are newly described population of lymphoctyes, that recruits neutrophils to the site of inflammation and activate inflammatory phenotype of various tissues. They also play a pivotal role in autoimmune diseases and cancers. These cells secrete mainly different isoforms of IL-17, but also IL-21 and IL-22. Rheumatoid arthritis and juvenile idiopathic arthritis are the most common autoimmune joints’ inflammatory disease, affecting respectively adults and children. For a long time the immunopathogenesis of autoimmune diseases has been associated with Th1 lymphocytes. This hypothesis has changed after the discovery of Th17 cells, which are thought to be key mediators of autoimmune arthritides
Dynamic Models in Moses for Online Adaptation
Authors: Bertoldi Nicola
Published: May 2014

A very hot issue for research and industry is how to effectively integrate machine translation (MT) within computer assisted translation (CAT) software. This paper focuses on this issue, and more generally how to dynamically adapt phrase-based statistical machine translation (SMT) by exploiting external knowledge, like the post-editions from professional translators.

We present an enhancement of the Moses SMT toolkit dynamically adaptable to external information, which becomes available during the translation process, and which can depend on the previously translated text. We have equipped Moses with two new elements: a new phrase table implementation and a new LM-like feature. Both the phrase table and the LM-like feature can be dynamically modified by adding and removing entries and re-scoring them according to a time-decaying scoring function. The final goal of these two dynamically adaptable features is twofold: to create additional translation alternatives and to reward those which are composed of entries previously inserted therein.

The implemented dynamic system is highly configurable, flexible and applicable to many tasks, like for instance online MT adaptation, interactive MT, and context-aware MT. When exploited in a real-world CAT scenario where online adaptation is applied to repetitive texts, it has proven itself very effective in improving translation quality and reducing post-editing effort.
Visualization, Search and Analysis of Hierarchical Translation Equivalence in Machine Translation Data
Authors: de Buy Wenniger Gideon Maillette , Sima’an Khalil
Published: May 2014

Translation equivalence constitutes the basis of all Machine Translation systems including the recent hierarchical and syntax-based systems. For hierarchical MT research it is important to have a tool that supports the qualitative and quantitative analysis of hierarchical translation equivalence relations extracted from word alignments in data. In this paper we present such a toolkit and exemplify some of its uses. The main challenges taken up in designing this tool are the efficient and compact, yet complete, representation of hierarchical translation equivalence coupled with an intuitive visualization of these hierarchical relations. We exploit a new hierarchical representation, called Hierarchical Alignment Trees (HATs), which is based on an extension of the algorithms used for factorizing n-ary branching SCFG rules into their minimally-branching equivalents. Our toolkit further provides a search capability based on hierarchically relevant properties of word alignments and/or translation equivalence relations. Finally, the tool allows detailed statistical analysis of word alignments, thereby providing a breakdown of alignment statistics according to the complexity of translation equivalence units or reordering phenomena. We illustrate this with an empirical study of the coverage of inversion-transduction grammars for a number of corpora enriched with manual or automatic word alignments, followed by a breakdown of corpus statistics to reordering complexity.
Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the pancreatic head – a case report of a 6 months old child and review of the literature
Authors: Tomazic Ales , Gvardijancic Diana , Maucec Joze , Homan Matjaz
Published: May 2014

Background. Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors are rare in the pediatric population. Most common localizations were reported in the lungs. A localization in the pancreas needs differentiation from other tumors and chronic pancreatitis. Treatment is surgical resection, although there are reports of treatment with oral steroids and radiation therapy.

Case report. A 6-month-old child was treated due to a tumor in the head of the pancreas. On admission he was jaundiced with pruritus. US and MRI confirmed pancreatic tumor. Preoperative biopsy wasn’t conclusive regarding the nature of the tumor. Duodenopancreatectomy was performed. Postoperative course was uneventful. Histologic examination confirmed the diagnosis of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor. On follow up, he remained with no evidence of recurrence.

Conclusions. A literature review revealed 10 cases of pancreatic inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors in the pediatric age group. Our patient is the youngest reported. Despite major resection, there were no complications. However, management of this child might be possible with steroids, but conservative treatment might be insufficient, especially in aggressive forms of tumors.
Labor Pain Control Among Women Physically Active and Inactive During Pregnancy
Authors: Dudziak Diana , Guszkowska Monika
Published: May 2014

Streszczenie

Wstęp: Ból porodowy jest zjawiskiem fizjologicznym i świadczy o postępowaniu akcji porodowej. Odczuwanie bólu, także bólu porodowego, jest silnie zindywidualizowanym doświadczeniem wewnętrznym. Niektóre rodzące ból porodowy znoszą bez potrzeby wsparcia farmakologicznego, dla innych ból porodowy jest tak silny, że wymaga interwencji medycznej. Ludzie różnią się także pod względem przekonań dotyczących możliwości kontrolowania bólu. Przekonania te wpływają na ich nastawienie wobec doznań bólowych i oczekiwania interwencji medycznych ukierunkowanych na uśmierzenie bólu.

Celem pracy było określenie, czy regularna aktywność fizyczna w czasie ciąży różnicuje przekonania dotyczące kontroli nad bólem porodowym oraz ustalenie czynników warunkujących te przekonania i ich korelatów.

Materiał i metody: Badaniami objęto 100 kobiet ciężarnych w wieku 19-38 lat, w tym 50 kobiet, które regularnie uprawiały ćwiczenia fizyczne w czasie ciąży i 50 ciężarnych nieaktywnych fizycznie. W badaniach zastosowano zmodyfikowaną wersję Kwestionariusza na Temat Kontroli Bólu (BPCQ) Skevington, zawierającą 11 stwierdzeń na temat możliwości kontrolowania bólu porodowego osobiście, poprzez wpływ personelu medycznego oraz jego zależności od czynników losowych, ankietę dotyczącą historii położniczej i sytuacji osobistej oraz Inwentarz Stanu i Cechy Lęku Spielbergera i współautorów.

Wyniki: Wyniki wskazują, że kobiety nieaktywne ruchowo są silniej przekonane niż kobiety podejmujące aktywność ruchową w czasie ciąży, że nasilenie bólu porodowego zależy od czynników zewnętrznych (pomoc personelu medycznego, czynniki losowe). Predykatorami przekonań dotyczących kontroli nad bólem porodowym są: cecha lęku, sytuacja materialna, wcześniejsze poronienia oraz aktywność ruchowa.

Wnioski: Ciężarne aktywne ruchowo w okresie ciąży ujawniają silniejsze przekonania dotyczące możliwości osobistego kontrolowania nasilenia bólu porodowego, co świadczy o bardziej wewnętrznej lokalizacji kontroli. Można oczekiwać, że podczas porodu prezentować będą bardziej aktywną postawę, współpracując z personelem medycznym, w mniejszym stopniu oczekując podejmowania różnych interwencji, w tym ukierunkowanych na uśmierzenie bólu czy przyspieszenie akcji porodowej.