bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Flora of vascular plants of the Seili island and its surroundings (SW Finland)
Authors: Brzeg Andrzej , Szwed Wojciech , Wojterska Maria
Published: September 2019

The paper shows the results of floristic investigations of 12 islands and several skerries of the inner part of SW Finnish archipelago, situated within a square of 11.56 km2. The research comprised all vascular plants – growing spontaneously and cultivated, and the results were compared to the present flora of a square 10 × 10 km from the Atlas of Vascular Plants of Finland, in which the studied area is nested. The total flora counted 611 species, among them, 535 growing spontaneously or escapees from cultivation, and 76 exclusively in cultivation. The results showed that the flora of Seili and adjacent islands was almost as rich in species as that recorded in the square 10 × 10 km. This study contributed 74 new species to this square. The hitherto published analyses from this area did not focus on origin (geographic-historical groups), socioecological groups, life forms and on the degree of threat of recorded species. Spontaneous flora of the studied area constituted about 44% of the whole flora of Regio aboënsis. In the studied flora, 22 species threatened in Finland were found.
Comparison of the Yield of Very Low Nicotine Content Cigarettes to the Top 100 United States Brand Styles
Authors: Carmines Ed , Gillman I. Gene
Published: September 2019

The objective of this work was to compare the nicotine content and yield of new very low nicotine content cigarettes (VLN™) to the top 100 cigarette brand styles in the United States. Nicotine in tobacco filler and nicotine in smoke were measured. On a dry weight basis, VLN™ cigarettes averaged 0.5 mg of nicotine/g tobacco as compared to 19.4 for the top 100 brand styles in the United States. On a cigarette basis, VLN™ cigarettes contained 0.27 mg of nicotine compared to 12 mg for the top brands. On an ISO smoke yield basis, VLN™ produced 0.03 mg nicotine/cig compared to 0.903 mg nicotine/cig for the leading brands. VLN™ cigarettes contained > 95% less nicotine on a per gram basis of tobacco or per cigarette basis than the top 100 brand styles in the U.S. VLN™ cigarettes yielded > 95% less nicotine in smoke than the top brand styles in the United States.
Effects of Varying Tobacco Rod Circumference on Cigarette Combustion: An Experimental Investigation
Authors: Deng Nan , Wang Yalin , Cui Xiaomeng , Zhao Wenkang , Li Qiaoling , Liu Chuan , Wang Le , Jiang Xingyi , Chen Hexiang , Li Bin
Published: September 2019

To study the effects of tobacco rod circumference on cigarette combustion status, cigarettes were made with three different circumferences of 24 mm, 20 mm, 17 mm and otherwise identical construction. Their combustion characteristics, including combustion coal volume, characteristic temperature distribution, heating rate, instantaneous burn rate, and yields of selected mainstream smoke chemicals, were systematically measured. The results indicated that the cigarettes with the lowest circumference of 17 mm showed higher combustion temperatures with a smaller coal volume. The maximum instantaneous burn rate was distinctly different for the three cigarettes, from 1.84 mm/s to 2.48 mm/s, when their circumference was reduced from 24 mm to 17 mm. The tobacco mass consumption per puff showed a negative trend when the circumference decreased. The majority of the chemical compounds (16 of 21) measured in mainstream smoke decreased when the circumference was reduced, except for formaldehyde, while the yields of the chemical compounds produced per weight of cut tobacco, consumed during puffing, showed an obverse trend.
Trophic characteristics of Lymnaea stagnalis (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Lymnaeidae) in toxic environment
Authors: Pinkina Tetiana , Zymaroieva Anastasiia , Matkovska Svitlana , Svitelskyi Mykola , Ishchuk Oksana , Fediuchka Mykola
Published: September 2019

The influence of ions of heavy metals (copper, cadmium, nickel, zinc, cobalt and manganese) was investigated on the basis of trophic characteristics: the average daily ration (ADR), and duration of food passage (DFP) of the Lymnaea stagnalis L. in various concentrations of toxicants in vivisection experiment. In addition to these indicators, the total amount of food consumed in the solutions with various concentrations of pollutants was found out during the chronic experiment and it was calculated for an individual (average monthly ration – AMR). It leads to the conclusions about the intensity of food consuming considering different levels of intoxication. In solutions with lethal concentrations, the death of animals occurs during the first day of its impact due to the damage of tissues and organ systems. Chronic lethal concentrations of toxicants inhibit the nutrition of pond snails dramatically. At the beginning of the experiment, solutions of heavy metals with sublethal concentrations give some stimulatory effect on the digestive system of molluscs that is replaced by its suppression in case of longer being in the toxic environment. The influence of toxicants within a subthreshold limit cannot be considered safe because of the cumulative properties of heavy metals – they become sublethal with prolonged exposure time.
The Rationale and Conditions for the Issuing of Polish Treasury Bonds on Foreign Markets
Authors: Frydrych Sylwia
Published: September 2019

The aim of this article is to present the analysis of treasury bonds issued by the Ministry of Finance on international financial markets to finance debt. The author identifies the structure of bonds on the domestic and international markets. The study attempts to answer the question of whether the Ministry of Finance should issue bonds on foreign markets and what kinds of risk should be understood in the process of managing issues.
Psychometric properties of the Bangla version of the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6)
Authors: Khan Asaduzzaman , Uddin Riaz , Alam Naznin , Sultana Shuhana , Alam Mahbub-Ul , Ahmed Rushdiá
Published: September 2019

Objective

The 6 item Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) is a screening tool for psychological distress with robust psychometric properties; however, information is lacking on such properties of the scale on its Bangla version. The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Bangla version of the K6 scale in young people.

Method

A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted between August 2017 and April 2018 among 718 students aged 13-24 years (45% females) from Dhaka, Bangladesh. Psychological distress was assessed using the Bangla K6. The survey was repeated in a week. Statistical software AMOS 25 and Stata SE 14 were used to conduct the analyses.

Results

The Bangla K6 scale demonstrated an acceptable internal consistency with high Cronbach alpha. Principal component analysis confirmed a single-factor structure of the scale. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the one-factor structure of the scale with adequate fit to the survey data. Test-retest reliability was acceptable with good reliability coefficients. Receiver operating characteristic analyses showed good prediction of depressive symptoms by the Bangla K6 scores.

Discussion

This study provides an initial support for the Bangla K6 scale as an acceptable instrument to assess psychological distress of Bangla-speaking young people. More research is needed to understand our ability to identify vulnerable individuals, whose native language is Bangla and who are in need of mental health support.
Effect of macromolecular mass transport in microgravity protein crystallization
Authors: Martirosyan Arayik , DeLucas Lawrence J. , Schmidt Christina , Perbandt Markus , McCombs Deborah , Cox Martin , Radka Christopher , Betzel Christian
Published: September 2019

To investigate the effect of macromolecular transport and the incorporation of protein aggregate impurities in growing crystals, experiments were performed on the International Space Station (ISS) and compared with control experiments performed in a 1G laboratory environment. Crystal growth experiments for hen egg-white lysozyme (HEWL) and Plasmodium falciparum glutathione S-transferase (PfGST) were monitored using the ISS Light Microscopy Module (LMM). Experiments were performed applying the liquid–liquid counter diffusion crystallization method using rectangular, optically transparent capillaries. To analyze the quantity of impurity incorporated into growing crystals, stable fluorescently labeled protein aggregates were prepared and subsequently added at different percent concentrations to nonlabeled monomeric protein suspensions. For HEWL, a covalent cross-linked HEWL dimer was fluorescently labeled, and for PfGST, a stable tetramer was prepared. Crystallization solutions containing different protein aggregate ratios were prepared. The frozen samples were launched on 19.02.2017 via SpaceX-10 mission and immediately transferred to a -80°C freezer on the ISS. Two series of crystallization experiments were performed on ISS, one during 26.02.2017 to 10.03.2017 and a second during 16.06.2017 to 23.06.2017. A comparison of crystal growth rate and size showed different calculated average growth rates as well as different dimensions for crystals growing in different positions along the capillary. The effect of macromolecular mass transport on crystal growth in microgravity was experimentally calculated. In parallel, the percentage of incorporated fluorescent aggregate into the crystals was monitored utilizing the fluorescent LMM and ground-based fluorescent microscopes.
Genetic Markers Associated with Power Athlete Status
Authors: Maciejewska-Skrendo Agnieszka , Cięszczyk Paweł , Chycki Jakub , Sawczuk Marek , Smółka Wojciech
Published: September 2019

Athletic performance is a multifactorial phenotype influenced by environmental factors as well as multiple genetic variants. Different genetic elements have a great influence over components of athletic performance such as endurance, strength, power, flexibility, neuromuscular coordination, psychological traits and other features important in sport. The current literature review revealed that to date more than 69 genetic markers have been associated with power athlete status. For the purpose of the present review we have assigned all genetic markers described with reference to power athletes status to seven main groups: 1) markers associated with skeletal muscle structure and function, 2) markers involved in the inflammatory and repair reactions in skeletal muscle during and after exercise, 3) markers involved in blood pressure control, 4) markers involved in modulation of oxygen uptake, 5) markers that are regulators of energy metabolism and cellular homeostasis, 6) markers encoding factors that control gene expression by rearrangement of chromatin fibers and mRNA stability, and 7) markers modulating cellular signaling pathways. All data presented in the current review provide evidence to support the notion that human physical performance may be influenced by genetic profiles, especially in power sports. The current studies still represent only the first steps towards a better understanding of the genetic factors that influence power-related traits, so further analyses are necessary before implementation of research findings into practice.
The Influence of Grip Width on Training Volume During the Bench Press with Different Movement Tempos
Authors: Wilk Michal , Gepfert Mariola , Krzysztofik Michal , Golas Artur , Mostowik Aleksandra , Maszczyk Adam , Zajac Adam
Published: September 2019

The aim of the study was to determine the effect of the wide-grip bench press (WGBP) and the close-grip bench press (CGBP) on the number of performed repetitions (REPs) and time under tension (TUT) using a variable tempo of movement. Twenty (20) women experienced in resistance training were enrolled in the study (1RM-CGBP = 55.2 ± 9.5 kg; 1RM-WGBP = 52.7 ± 8.5 kg). Participants performed 5 sets of the BP with a maximal number of REPs at 70%1RM. Different tempos of movement, i.e., slow (6/0/X/0) and fast (2/0/X/0), and grip widths, i.e., the CGBP and the WGBP, were employed. The following variables were registered: maximal number of repetitions in every set (REPSet1-5), total number of repetitions performed in 5 sets (TREP), maximal time under tension in every set (TUTSet1-5) and total time under tension in 5 sets (TTUT). The two-way ANOVA revealed statistically significant differences between the WGBPFAST and the WGBPSLOW in TUTSet1-5 (p < 0.05) and TTUT (p < 0.01), as well as between the CGBPFAST and the CGBPSLOW in TUTSet1-5 (p < 0.01) and TTUT (p < 0.01). Significant differences between the WGBPFAST and the WGBPSLOW were also observed in REPSet1-5 (p < 0.01) and TREP (p < 0.01) as well as between the CGBPFAST and the CGBPSLOW in REPSet1-5 (p < 0.01) and TREP (p < 0.01). No significant differences between the WGBPSLOW and the CGBPSLOW nor the WGBPFAST and the CGBPFAST were found. The study demonstrates that the tempo of movement, regardless of the width grip, has a significant effect on the volume of effort in resistance training.
Postactivation Potentiation of Bench Press Throw Performance Using Velocity-Based Conditioning Protocols with Low and Moderate Loads
Authors: Tsoukos Athanasios , Brown Lee E. , Veligekas Panagiotis , Terzis Gerasimos , Bogdanis Gregory C.
Published: September 2019

This study examined the acute effects of the bench press exercise with low and moderate loads as well as with two predetermined movement velocity loss percentages on bench press throw performance and surface electromyographic (sEMG) activity. Ten trained men completed 5 main trials in randomized and counterbalanced order one week apart. Mean propulsive velocity (MPV), peak velocity (PV) and sEMG activity of prime movers were evaluated before and periodically for 12 minutes of recovery under five conditions: using loads of 40 or 60% of 1 RM, until mean velocity dropped to 90 or 70%, as well as a control condition (CTRL). MPV and PV were increased 4-12 min into recovery by 4.5-6.8% only after the 60%1RM condition during which velocity dropped to 90% and total exercise volume was the lowest of all conditions (p < 0.01, Hedges’ g = 0.8-1.7). When peak individual responses were calculated irrespective of time, MPV was increased by 9.2 ± 4.4 (p < 0.001, Hedges’ g = 1.0) and 6.1 ± 3.6% (p < 0.001, Hedges’ g = 0.7) under the two conditions with the lowest total exercise volume irrespective of the load, i.e. under the conditions of 40 and 60% 1RM where velocity was allowed to drop to 90%. sEMG activity of the triceps was significantly greater when peak individual responses were taken into account only under the 60%1RM condition when velocity dropped to 90% (p < 0.05, Hedges’ g = 0.4). This study showed that potentiation may be maximized by taking into account individual fatigue profiles using velocity-based training.
The Influence of the Menstrual Cycle on Muscle Strength and Power Performance
Authors: Romero-Moraleda Blanca , Coso Juan Del , Gutiérrez-Hellín Jorge , Ruiz-Moreno Carlos , Grgic Jozo , Lara Beatriz
Published: September 2019

This study aimed to investigate the fluctuations of muscle performance in the Smith machine half-squat exercise during three different phases of the menstrual cycle. Thirteen resistance-trained and eumenorrheic women volunteered to participate in the study (58.6 ± 7.8 kg, 31.1 ± 5.5 years). In a pre-experimental test, the half-squat one-repetition maximum (1RM) was measured. Body mass, tympanic temperature and urine concentration of the luteinizing hormone were estimated daily for ~30 days to determine the early follicular phase (EFP), the late follicular phase (LFP), and the mid-luteal phase (MLP) of the menstrual cycle. On the second day of each phase, performance of the Smith machine half-squats was assessed using 20, 40, 60 and 80% of one repetition maximum (1RM). In each load, force, velocity, and power output were measured during the concentric phase of the exercise by means of a rotatory encoder. The data were analyzed using one-way repeated measures ANOVA coupled with magnitude-based inferences. Overall, force, velocity and power output were very similar in all menstrual cycle phases with unclear differences in most of the pairwise comparisons and effect sizes >0.2. The results of this investigation suggest that eumenorrheic females have similar muscle strength and power performance in the Smith machine half-squat exercise during the EFP, LFP, and MLP phases of the menstrual cycle.
Ketogenic Diet and Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy: a Frenemy Relationship?
Authors: Paoli Antonio , Cancellara Pasqualina , Pompei Pierluigi , Moro Tatiana
Published: September 2019

Ketogenic diet (KD) is a nutritional regimen characterized by a high-fat and an adequate protein content and a very low carbohydrate level (less than 20 g per day or 5% of total daily energy intake). The insufficient level of carbohydrates forces the body to primarily use fat instead of sugar as a fuel source. Due to its characteristic, KD has often been used to treat metabolic disorders, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes. Skeletal muscle constitutes 40% of total body mass and is one of the major sites of glucose disposal. KD is a well-defined approach to induce weight loss, with its role in muscle adaptation and muscle hypertrophy less understood. Considering this lack of knowledge, the aim of this review was to examine the scientific evidence about the effects of KD on muscle hypertrophy. We first described the mechanisms of muscle hypertrophy per se, and secondly, we discussed the characteristics and the metabolic function of KD. Ultimately, we provided the potential mechanism that could explain the influence of KD on skeletal muscle hypertrophy.
A Lexical Approach to Estimating Environmental Goods and Services Output in the Construction Sector via Soft Classification of Enterprise Activity Descriptions Using Latent Dirichlet Allocation
Authors: Keogh Gerard
Published: September 2019

The research question addressed here is whether the semantic value implicit in environmental terms in an activity description text string, can be translated into economic value for firms in the construction sector. We address this question using a relatively new applied statistical method called Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA). We first identify a satellite register of firms in construction sector that engage in some form of environmental work. From these we construct a vocabulary of meaningful words. Then, for each firm in turn on this satellite register we take its activity description text string and process this string with LDA. Thissoftly-classifiesthe descriptions on the satellite register into just seven environmentally relevant topics. With this seven-topic classification we proceed to extract a statistically meaningful weight of evidence associated with environmental terms in each activity description. This weight is applied to the associated firm’s overall output value recorded on our national Business Register to arrive at a supply side estimate of the firm’s EGSS value. On this basis we find the EGSS estimate for construction in Ireland in 2013 is about EURO 229m. We contrast this estimate with estimates from other countries obtained by demand side methods and show it compares satisfactorily, thereby enhancing its credibility. Our method also has the advantage that it provides a breakdown of EGSS output by EU environmental classifications (CEPA/CReMA) as these align closely to discovered topics. We stress the success of this application of LDA relies greatly on our small vocabulary which is constructed directly from the satellite register.
Spatial structure of the economy – the evolution of nodes and networks in South and Central America
Authors: Czerny Mirosława , Czerny Andrzej
Published: September 2019

The form assumed contemporarily by spatial organization in South and Central America as a network of nodes and spatial linkages represents the outcome for the space of this region of long-acting external influences plus internal conditions that have – at different times in different ways – shaped spatial relationships and the manner in which space in this part of the world is planned. Naturally, the spatial structure of today’s economy is influenced further by globalization, with growing competition for access to resources, be these either mineral deposits or agricultural in nature. These impacts ensure that, notwithstanding the widely-voiced opinion on the need to protect nature in areas of the continent supporting moist tropical forests, and in the high Andes, the governments of the different countries continue to award concessions allowing corporations of global reach to exploit resources of value that are in demand worldwide. This aggressive “resources race” has its serious consequences with regard to the forms and scope the region’s spatial management and organization assume.

These processes ought to be regulated by spatial planning, which is thus failing to play its proper role at regional levels. Those researching South America refer without hesitation to the lack of planning and overexploitation of raw materials, with all the serious consequences this has for society, not least with regard to internal migration, expulsions, the impoverishment of groups in society deprived of their land, and so on.
Mapping India since 1767: transformation from colonial to postcolonial image
Authors: Mondal Tarun Kumar
Published: September 2019

Indian civilization has over 2500 years of mapping tradition. With the establishment of the Survey of India in 1767, British rulers initiated the mapping of colonial India with high precision and accuracy. They started mapping to establish British power and supremacy in the Indian subcontinent that portrayed a British image of India. Following independence in 1947, the Survey of India and other national agencies started mapping India for planning and development. Hence, questions have been raised that, how far British image of India have been transformed into an Indian image. In this context, in this paper an attempt has been made to analyse the mapping of India from the perspectives of transforming a colonial into a postcolonial image. The transformation occurred mainly in terms of purpose i.e. maps as a tool for the expansion of territory to planning, development and governance, from analogue to digital in method and in strategy from restricted to liberal access.
Framing Gender Justice
Authors: Askanius Tina , Hartley Jannie Møller
Published: September 2019

This study examines the media coverage of the #metoo movement in neighbouring countries Denmark and Sweden. A comparative content analysis shows differences in genres, sources and themes across the two samples. Further, the analysis shows that the coverage predominantly positioned #metoo within an individual action frame portraying sexual assault as a personal rather than societal problem in both countries. However, the individual action frame and a delegitimising frame focused on critique of #metoo were more prevalent in the Danish coverage. A framing analysis revealed four different news frames in the coverage: #metoo as (1) an online campaign connecting networked individuals, (2) part of a broader and long-standing social movement for gender justice, (3) an unnecessary campaign fuelled by cultures of political correctness and, finally, (4) a witch hunt and “kangaroo court”. Finally, we discuss and relate these findings to the political and cultural contexts of the two countries and their different historical trajectories for the institutionalisation of feminism and implementation of gender equality policies.
Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy for identification of carcinogen transformation stages in skin tissue
Authors: Shurrab Kawthar , Kochaji Nabil , Bachir Wesam
Published: September 2019

Today, to establish a diagnosis, the patient must undergo a biopsy followed by histopathological diagnosis, which causes unnecessary cost, patient trauma, and time delay to obtain a diagnosis. However, the metastases can be discovered by diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, which is a simple method that investigates the light distribution within tissue. The theme of this paper is the use of diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) to determine the optical spectrum of hamster specimen’s tissue and to differentiate biological changes due to laser irradiation (scattering, and cell changes) under the skin. DRS measurements were made on healthy and malignant tissue to diagnose the stages of cancer formation using a fiber-optic probe. The results show that malignant tissue is characterized by a significant decrease in diffuse reflectance spectrum compared to normal tissue.
Signal suppressions of grape syrup and grape syrup/lemon aqueous solutions in magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography using heavily T2-weighted pulse sequence
Authors: Asgari Mahdi , Divband Baharak , Gharehaghaji Nahideh
Published: September 2019

Signal suppression of the gastrointestinal tract fluids in magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) has been performed using various natural and chemical substances with the different MRCP pulse sequences. This study aimed to investigate the signal suppressions of the grape syrup and the grape syrup/lemon aqueous solutions in MRCP using the heavily T2-weighted sequences. For this purpose, the potassium, iron and manganese contents of grape syrup were measured by atomic absorption spectroscopy. The grape syrup and the grape syrup/lemon solutions with the various grape syrup percentages were imaged using the heavily T2-weighted sequences of MRCP such as T2 HASTE thick slab and T2 SPACE. MRCP in the volunteers was performed before and 10 minutes after oral administration of the grape syrup solution. The concentrations of potassium, iron, and manganese in grape syrup were 34.8, 2.4 and 1 mg/l, respectively. The in vitro study showed significantly lower signal to noise ratio using the grape syrup samples comparing to the grape syrup/lemon. The effective signal suppression for the in vitro study and considerable enhancement of negative contrast in the post-contrast MRCP was obtained using a T2 HASTE thick slab sequence. As a conclusion, the grape syrup solution can be used for signal suppression of the gastrointestinal tract fluid in MRCP as an oral negative contrast material. A T2 HASTE thick slab sequence produces suitable contrast in MRCP images using the grape syrup solution.
Automated MTF measurement in CT images with a simple wire phantom
Authors: Anam Choirul , Fujibuchi Toshioh , Haryanto Freddy , Budi Wahyu Setia , Sutanto Heri , Adi Kusworo , Muhlisin Zaenul , Dougherty Geoff
Published: September 2019

This study developed a simple wire phantom and an algorithm to automatically measure the modulation transfer function (MTF) in computed tomography (CT) and implemented it to evaluate the effect of focal spot size and reconstruction filter type. The phantom consisted of a resin cylinder filled with water, with a tin wire of diameter 0.1 mm positioned along the center of the cylinder. The automated MTF algorithm used an axial image of the phantom and comprised several steps. The center position of a region of interest (ROI) was automatically determined at the center of the wire image. The pixels were then summed along the y-direction to obtain the profile of the pixel values at a point along the x-direction. Following this, both edges of the profile were made equal to zero. The profile curve was then normalized so that the total of all the data was equal to unity. The normalized profile curve is the line spread function (LSF), and the MTF curve was obtained by taking its Fourier transform. Our system (phantom and algorithm) is able to differentiate the MTFs of CT images from different focal sizes and reconstruction filter types.
Estimation of Magnetic Contact Location and Depth of Magnetic Sources in a Sedimentary Formation
Authors: Alabi A.A , Makinde V , Adewale A.O , Coker J.O , Aluko T.J
Published: September 2019

The aeromagnetic data of Idogo, Southwestern Nigeria, have been used to study the lithology and to determine the magnetic source parameters within Idogo and its environs. Idogo lies between latitudes 6°30′N and 7°00′N and between longitudes 2°30′E and 3°00′E. The magnetic anomaly map, the regional geology, the analytic signal and the local wavenumber were used to identify the nature and depth of the magnetic sources in the region. Data enhancement was carried out to delineate the residual features relative to the strong regional gradients and intense anomalies due to the basin features. The estimated basement depth using the horizontal gradient method revealed depths ranging between 0.55 km and 2.49 km, while the analytic signal amplitude and local wavenumber methods estimated depth to the magnetic sources to range from 0.57 km to 4.22 km and 0.96 km to 2.43 km, respectively. Depth computations suggested the presence of both shallow and deep sources. The total magnetic intensity values ranged from 3.1 nT to 108.3 nT. The area shows magnetic closures of various sizes in different parts of the area trending West, with prominence at the centre and distributed East–West.
Cutting Environment Impact on the Aluminium Alloy Machining
Authors: Buranská Eva , Buranský Ivan , Kritikos Michaela , Gerulová Kristína , Líška Ján
Published: September 2019

The paper is focused on the experiment where the effects of the cutting environment and feed of drilling on the bores roughness and cylindricity were evaluated. Dry drilling of aluminium alloys (without using cutting fluids) is an environmentally friendly machining process but also an extremely difficult task, which is due to the tendency of aluminium to adhere to the drills made of conventional materials such as high-speed steel; and therefore three cutting environments (namely two different emulsions and compressed air) were used in the experiment. The article demonstrates multicriterial optimization of input factors (cutting environment, feed) for two defined target functions: roughness and cylindricity). The measured values were subjected to mathematico–statistical Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). ANOVA was used for examining the effects of machining parameters and their contribution to the surface roughness and bores cylindricity. The optimal cutting parameters were evaluated for “Smaller-the-Better” quality characteristics of both output responses, as can be seen in our article published previously. Based on the ANOVA, we determined that cutting environment exhibited higher percentage of contribution on bores quality than feed of machining. The results show 77.37 % impact of cutting environment and 8.13 % impact of feed on quality of machined bores.
Impact of Selected Electrical Cables Slope on Flame Out Time and Flame Spread
Authors: Nečas Aleš , Martinka Jozef , Wachter Igor , Štefko Tomáš , Hladová Martina , Benko Denis , Balog Karol , Ševčík Libor
Published: September 2019

The aim of the research described in this paper was to study the impact of the electrical cables slope on the flame out time and the flame spread rate. Measured cables were thermally loaded by methanol flame (diameter of the container was 106 mm) at seven different slopes with respect to the horizontal plane (the slopes were 0° – horizontal orientation, 15°, 30°, 45°, 60°, 75° and 90° - vertical orientation). The first tested electrical cable was a copper three-core power one resistant to the flame spread with circuit integrity of the cable system during 30 minutes under fire (cross-section of each core was 1.5 mm2). The second tested electrical cable was a copper two-core signal one resistant to the flame spread with circuit integrity of the cable system during 30 minutes under fire (cross-section of each core was 0.5 mm2). The first electrical cable did not show reaction to fire class. The reaction to fire class of the second tested cable was B2ca, s1, d1, a1. The obtained results proved that slope had virtually no impact on the flame out time and the flame spread over the tested cable surface (tested cables of all slopes stopped burning after 1 to 5 seconds after methanol flame burned out). Likewise, the flame spread was only negligibly beyond the border of flame action for each cable slope.
Review of Spectrophotometric Methods for Determination of Formaldehyde
Authors: Hladová Martina , Martinka Jozef , Rantuch Peter , Nečas Aleš
Published: September 2019

Formaldehyde is a toxic chemical commonly found in the environment. Owing to its increased usage, its incidence has also increased, and there is a need to determine the concentration of formaldehyde for the pollution control purposes. In general, spectrophotometric methods are easy to perform, low-cost, selective and sensitive, but every spectrophotometric method has its advantages and disadvantages, which are an important factor when selecting the method for determination of formaldehyde. Therefore, the aim of the research described in this paper was to compare the current spectrophotometric methods and to summarize their advantages and disadvantages.
Utilization of Spent Coffee Grounds for Removal of Hazardous Substances from Water: A Review
Authors: Blinová Lenka , Sirotiak Maroš
Published: September 2019

Water is one of the most important substances on earth; nowadays, its pollution is one of the main environmental problems. Textile industries pose a significant environmental problem for earth. Firstly, it is due to their huge water consumption, and secondly, they produce a lot of wastewater contaminated with dyes, chemicals, suspended solids, etc. These contaminants can make water unsuitable for the desired purposes (e.g., drinking, watering, washing and showering). The one of the promising methods for the removal of dyes from the contaminated wastewater is adsorption. In this process, we can use low cost waste materials as an adsorbent. This paper presents an overview of utilization of the spent coffee grounds for the removal of dyes from wastewater.
The Importance of Supplier Evaluation in Short Supply Chains
Authors: Pató Gáborné Szűcs Beáta , Kiss Fanni
Published: September 2019

The consideration of supply chains can foster the viability and maintainability of local producers. The formation and retention of the market may be complicated for local producers; therefore it is advisable to take the creation of supply chains into consideration. Constant feedback and evaluation is highly important to maintain successfully operating short supply chains and supplier evaluation forms could act as the starting point of these chains. These forms reflect the strengths and weaknesses of suppliers, based on which the correction of mistakes can be done and the performance of suppliers may be enhanced. The aim of this study is to examine the role of supplier evaluation form and relationships between customers and suppliers in short supply chains, from a local producer’s point of view through a case study. The scientific relevance of this study is to draw particular attention to short supply chains which are and will be of high importance considering local economies. As the case study reveals, it is recommended for the members of short supply chains to use supplier evaluation forms.
What Do Managers Think About the Success Potential of CRM Campaigns?
Authors: Castanheira Bruna Monteiro , Costa E Silva Susana , Martins Carla Carvalho
Published: September 2019

This research analyzes cause-related marketing (CrM) from the perspective of companies. The study aims to achieve a better understanding about what managers think about CrM by analyzing the level of acceptance and usage of this marketing tool, based on the UTAUT model. Using in-depth interviews as research method, we conclude that managers see the benefit of company partaken in initiatives as such, but not necessarily CrM. The reasons why managers choose to participate in Cause-related Marketing initiatives originate from the mix obtained through improving the firm by doing something considered socially positive. CrM was well evaluated by the participants and considered well positioned in terms of acceptance and usage, based on four factors: performance and effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions. Interviewees expressed excitement towards CrM and believe in it as a powerful tool to improve the firms’ image and consumers feeling towards it. While the literature uses several concepts (Corporate Social Responsibility or Social Marketing), the interviewees emphasize genuine caring and showing interest, time and funds to support consumers social concerns.
The Economic Growth and the Opportunity for the Private Equity Funds to Divest: An Empirical Analysis for Eastern Europe
Authors: Precup Mihai
Published: September 2019

The author studies the private equity divestments in Eastern Europe and tests a long-term relation between these divestments and the real GDP variation. This research paper focuses on a sample covering the period 2000-2013 which considers the dynamics of the private equity divestments during the last financial crisis. The empirical analysis follows the methodology developed by Granger (1969), Toda and Yamamoto (1995), Dufour and Renault (1998), Konya (2004), Foresti (2006) and Onuoha, Okonkwo, Okoro, Kingsley (2018). The analysis shows that Eastern European private equity divestment market is still emerging characterized by high volatilities. The results prove that GDP recession explains in at certain degree the evolution of private equity divestments during the crisis. However, the Granger causality test shows that the information provided by the past variation of the real GDP cannot allow us to predict the short-term movements of private equity divestments in Eastern Europe.
Subgroups of 3-Factor Direct Products
Authors: Neuen Daniel , Schweitzer Pascal
Published: September 2019

Extending Goursat’s Lemma we investigate the structure of subdirect products of 3-factor direct products. We construct several examples and then provide a structure theorem showing that every such group is essentially obtained by a combination of the examples. The central observation in this structure theorem is that the dependencies among the group elements in the subdirect product that involve all three factors are of Abelian nature. In the spirit of Goursat’s Lemma, for two special cases, we derive correspondence theorems between data obtained from the subgroup lattices of the three factors (as well as isomorphisms between arising factor groups) and the subdirect products. Using our results we derive an explicit formula to count the number of subdirect products of the direct product of three symmetric groups.
How Many Weak-Keys Exist in T-310 ?
Authors: Courtois Nicolas T. , Scarlata Matteo , Georgiou Marios
Published: September 2019

T-310 is an important Cold War cipher. The cipher is extremely complex and it outputs extremely few bits from the internal state. A recent paper [Courtois, N. T.: Decryption oracle slide attacks on T-310, Cryptologia, 42 (2018), no. 3, 191–204] shows an example of a highly anomalous key such that T-310 can be broken by a slide attack with a decryption oracle. In this paper, we show that the same attacks are ALSO possible for regular keys which satisfy all the official KT1 requirements. Two other recent papers [Courtois, N. T.—Georgiou, M.—Scarlata, M.: Slide attacks and LC-weak keys in T-310, Cryptologia 43 (2019), no. 3, 175–189]; [Courtois, N. T.—Oprisanu, M. B.—Schmeh, K.: Linear cryptanalysis and block cipher design in East Germany in the 1970s, Cryptologia (published online), December 5, 2018] show that some of the KT1 keys are very weak w.r.t. Linear Cryptanalysis. In this paper, we show that a vast number of such weak keys exist and study the exact pre-conditions which make them weak. In addition we introduce a new third class of weak keys for RKDC (Related-Key Differential Cryptanalysis). We show that the original designers in the 1970s have ensured that these RKDC properties cannot happen for 4 rounds. We have discovered that these properties can happen for as few as 5 rounds for some keys, and for 10 to 16 rounds they become hard to avoid. The main reason why we study weak keys is to show that none of these properties occur by accident, rather that they are governed by precise pre-conditions which guarantee their existence, and countless other keys with the same properties exist. Eventually, this is how interesting attacks can be found.
A Cryptographic System Based on a New Class of Binary Error-Correcting Codes
Authors: Dömösi Pál , Hannusch Carolin , Horváth Géza
Published: September 2019

In this paper we introduce a new cryptographic system which is based on the idea of encryption due to [McEliece, R. J. A public-key cryptosystem based on algebraic coding theory, DSN Progress Report. 44, 1978, 114–116]. We use the McEliece encryption system with a new linear error-correcting code, which was constructed in [Hannusch, C.—Lakatos, P.: Construction of self-dual binary 22
k, 22
k−1, 2
k-codes, Algebra and Discrete Math. 21 (2016), no. 1, 59–68]. We show how encryption and decryption work within this cryptosystem and we give the parameters for key generation. Further, we explain why this cryptosystem is a promising post-quantum candidate.
On the Information Ratio of Graphs with Many Leaves
Authors: Gyarmati Máté , Ligeti Péter
Published: September 2019

We investigate the information ratio of graph-based secret sharing schemes. This ratio characterizes the efficiency of a scheme measured by the amount of information the participants must remember for each bits in the secret.

We examine the information ratio of several systems based on graphs with many leaves, by proving non-trivial lower and upper bounds for the ratio. On one hand, we apply the so-called entropy method for proving that the lower bound for the information ratio of n-sunlet graphs composed of a 1-factor between the vertices of a cycle Cn
and n independent vertices is 2. On the other hand, some symmetric and recursive constructions are given that yield the upper bounds. In particular, we show that the information ratio of every graph composed of a 1-factor between a complete graph Kn
and at most 4 independent vertices is smaller than 2.
Preventing Potential Backdoors in Bike Algorithm
Authors: Zajac Pavol , Špaček Peter
Published: September 2019

BIKE suite of algorithms is one of the candidates in NIST call for public-key post-quantum cryptographic algorithms. It is a key-encapsulation mechanism based on QC-MDPC codes with purely ephemeral keys. The security device implementing such an algorithm therefore needs to generate multiple key pairs in its lifetime very efficiently.

In our paper we explore the situation where BigBrother-type adversary can subtly corrupt the vendor(s) of the security devices (e.g., by altering the standard algorithms). In our model, BigBrother cannot preload the keys or synchronize the key generator by a covert channel, but is able to learn the secrets of security devices by observing the public execution of the KEM protocols. BigBrother typically obtains the secret through the usage of (masked) weak keys. However, we can also imagine other covert channels embedded into the ephemeral public keys by some unknown algorithm.

To prevent these classes of attacks, we propose that the standard should explicitly specify a verifiable algorithm to transform the required key randomness into a set of keys.
PERJUANGAN DAN OPIUM: MENGEPUL ASAP DARI SEBATANG BAMBU, KEHIDUPAN PETANI DI HINDIA BELANDA DI MASA CULTUURSTELSEL
Authors: Ichsan A. Muhammad Nur
Published: September 2019

AbstractDutch control over the archipelago was very strong, especially in the nineteenth century.The Netherlands Government policy set cultuurstelsel was binding for the indigeneous peopleof the archipelago. Besides, using this policy, the Netherlands provoked the natives to consumeopium by smoothen the way of the opium suppliers from China. The consumption reached itspeak when mass opium consumption occurred in 1830-1870 coinciding with the practice ofcultuurstelsel policy by the Dutch. This paper attempts to reflect the influence and linkagesbetween cultuurstelsel and opium. The data used is qualitative data which obtained by collectingwritten sources and some reports from Netherlands papers. This data was sorted and verifiedbefore having an interpretation and analysis that poured through the process of historiography.The results of this paper indicate that during cultuurstelsel period, the natives became the objectof oppression of the Dutch government in an inhumane way. The natives were forced to work andcultivate their own land yet the Dutch was the one who enjoyed the results. In order to make thenatives to be stronger and work tenaciously, they were given opium as a â€œdrugâ€ to boost theirendurance performace so that they could work optimally and reap a lot of production to be sentto Europe by the Dutch.Â AbstrakPenguasaan Belanda terhadap Nusantara sangat kuat, terutama di abad ke-19 M. Kebijakanpemerintah Belanda menetapkan cultuurstelsel sebagai pilihan adalah hal yang mengikat bagipribumi Nusantara. Di samping itu pula, dengan kebijakan tersebut, Belanda memengaruhikelompok pribumi untuk mengonsumsi opium dengan cara memudahkan para pemasok opiumdari Tiongkok dan puncaknya ketika terjadi konsumsi opium massal pada tahun 1830-1870 yangbertepatan dengan kebijakan Cultuurstelsel oleh Belanda. Tulisan ini berusaha menggambarkanpengaruh dan keterkaitan antara Cultuurstelsel dan opium. Data yang digunakan adalah datakualitatif yang diperoleh dari mengumpulkan sumber tertulis, dan beberapa laporan Belanda,kemudian dipilah dan diverifikasi sebelum adanya interpretasi dan analisa yang dituangkanmelalui proses historiografi. Hasil dari tulisan ini menunjukkan bahwa di masa Cultuurstelselkaum pribumi menjadi objek penindasan pemerintah Belanda dengan cara yang tidak manusiawi.Kaum pribumi dipaksa untuk bekerja, kerja Rodi, mengolah lahan mereka sendiri, namunpemerintah Belandalah yang menikmati hasilnya. Agar kaum pribumi kuat dan ulet bekerja,mereka diberi opium sebagai â€œobatâ€ penambah stamina agar dapat bekerja maksimal dan menuaiproduksi yang banyak untuk dikirim ke Eropa.