bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Visão de professores e equipe de saúde sobre a atuação da Fonoaudiologia na educação infantil
Authors: Moura Thais Fernanda Oliveira Rolim de , Maldonade Irani Rodrigues
Published: September 2018

Objetivo: o presente estudo buscou refletir sobre a visão de professores e profissionais da saúde, que trabalham em equipe multidisciplinar na escola, acerca da atuação fonoaudiológica na Educação Infantil, bem como suas percepções sobre a relação entre saúde e educação. Métodos: Os dados foram colhidos por meio da aplicação de um questionário semiestruturado e autoaplicável em doze professores da Educação Infantil que atuam em uma escola privada, na cidade de Campinas e em quinze profissionais da área da saúde, tais como: Fisioterapia, Terapia Ocupacional, Odontologia, Nutrição, Psicologia e Fonoaudiologia, todos participantes de um programa de Saúde que atua em ambiente escolar, na Educação Infantil. O estudo caracteriza-se como pesquisa descritiva e de corte transversal. A análise dos dados foi realizada com base na Análise de Conteúdo. Resultados: Pôde-se observar que tanto as professoras quanto as profissionais da saúde têm o conhecimento de áreas de atuação da Fonoaudiologia. Relataram que a atuação fonoaudiológica na escola é importante por auxiliar em condutas com as crianças e por atuar junto aos professores. As professoras souberam relatar as relações entre os conhecimentos das áreas da saúde e as profissionais da saúde mostraram que o diferencial do fonoaudiólogo na equipe se faz por ele contribuir com conhecimentos da própria área. A relação entre Saúde e Educação foi considerada pelas participantes como importante, citando correlações entre ambas. Conclusão: a atuação fonoaudiológica na escola é importante e pode ser o caminho que permite uma relação mais estreita e eficaz entre Saúde e Educação.
Impactos da gagueira nas atividades e participação de adolescentes e adultos
Authors: Romano Nátali , Bellezo Jéssica Fontoura , Chun Regina Yu Shon
Published: September 2018

Introdução: A gagueira pode causar repercussões nas atividades e participação, nos aspectos sociais e pessoais de indivíduos com gagueira. Objetivo: Investigar a repercussão da gagueira e suas implicações nas atividades e participação de pré-adolescentes/adolescentes e adultos gagos, tomando a Classificação Internacional de Funcionalidade, Incapacidade e Saúde como base conceitual. Método: Estudo transversal qualitativo e quantitativo, com 40 participantes, 10 adultos e 10 pré-adolescentes/adolescentes gagos em acompanhamento fonoaudiológico (G1) e 10 adultos e 10 pré-adolescentes/adolescentes sem queixas de gagueira (G2). A coleta de dados englobou: i) questionário com o perfil dos participantes; ii) produção de uma narrativa oral para classificação do Perfil de Fluência da Fala e iii) entrevistas semiestruturadas. Resultados: Em relação ao Perfil de Fluência da Fala, todos participantes do G1 apresentaram alterações nos parâmetros estudados, diferente do observado no G2. Quanto aos domínios da Classificação Internacional de Funcionalidade, Incapacidade e Saúde, os participantes do G1, especialmente adultos, relataram mais problemas em fatores ambientais, funções do corpo e atividades e participação do que o G2. Conclusão: Os resultados reiteram o impacto da gagueira na vida das pessoas com gagueira, baseados na Classificação Internacional de Funcionalidade, Incapacidade e Saúde, o qual fornece subsídios para uma atenção integrada à saúde. A comparação entre grupos mostra percepções diferenciadas dos participantes quanto às suas falas, sendo que o G1 apresentou piores resultados, especialmente para o grupo de adultos.
A influência da música amplificada no perfil auditivo de estudantes de ensino médio
Authors: Oliveira Daniela Dos Santos de , Zamboni Maiara , Quevedo Lenita Da Silva , Daroit Luciane
Published: September 2018

Objetivo: Verificar o perfil auditivo de estudantes de Ensino Médio, usuários de música amplificada em dispositivos de escuta pessoal. Método: Foi aplicado questionário e concedidas informações sobre saúde auditiva, sendo realizada a avaliação audiológica composta por Audiometria Tonal Liminar, Imitanciometria e Emissões Otoacústicas Evocadas por Produto de Distorção. Resultados: A média de faixa etária dos 19 estudantes de Ensino Médio participantes foi 16,36 anos. Todos fazem uso de fone de ouvido, 31,6% usam o fone de ouvido de 1 a 3 anos e 42,1% utilizam-no de 1 a 3 horas por dia, 52,6% dos sujeitos fazem uso de 51 a 75% da potência do aparelho e 42,1% classificam o som que ouvem como alto. As médias de limiares auditivos de via aérea apresentaram-se dentro da normalidade, porém, observou-se leve rebaixamento na frequência de 6000 Hz em relação à frequência de 4000 Hz e 8000 Hz, em ambas as orelhas. Indivíduos com zumbido apresentaram as médias de sinal/ruído de emissões otoacústicas inferiores em praticamente todas as frequências, ocorrendo diferença estatisticamente significante na frequência de 5000 Hz na orelha direita. Conclusões: Observaram-se sinais indicativos de possíveis alterações em frequências altas, que são comumente afetadas pela exposição ao ruído e música amplificada. Mesmo reconhecendo que ouvem música alta e sabendo que a mesma prejudica a audição, grande parte dos indivíduos deste estudo não está ciente de que a alteração causada pela música amplificada é irreversível.
Potencial evocado auditivo de longa latência em crianças com desenvolvimento típico
Authors: Souza Amália El Hatal de , Ferreira Laís , Bertuol Bianca , Simoni Simone Nicolini de , Biaggio Eliara Pinto Vieira
Published: September 2018

Introdução: O Potencial Evocado Auditivo de Longa Latência é utilizado para avaliar o processamento cortical da informação acústica. Objetivo: Descrever e comparar os valores de latência e amplitude do Potencial Evocado Auditivo de Longa Latência em crianças. Além disso, fornecer valores de referência. Material e Método: Estudo transversal e quantitativo, no qual foram avaliados 20 indivíduos com idade entre 5 e 9 anos e 11 meses, com desenvolvimento típico. Realizou-se tal potencial auditivo, com o equipamento Smart EP (Intelligent Hearing Systems), com estímulos verbais utilizando fones de inserção. Teste de Wilcoxon e teste de Mann-Whitney foram utilizados. Resultados: Não houve diferença estatisticamente significante em relação aos valores de latência e amplitude dos componentes deste potencial, considerando as variáveis orelha e gênero. Forneceram-se os valores de referência para latência e amplitude dos componentes deste potencial. Conclusão: A partir deste estudo foi possível propor valores de referência para os componentes deste potencial para a amostra estudada, considerando que não houve diferença estatisticamente significante para as variáveis estudadas.
The development of low-emission public urban transport in Poland
Authors: Taczanowski Jakub , Kołoś Arkadiusz , Gwosdz Krzysztof , Domański Bolesław , Guzik Robert
Published: September 2018

The aim of the paper is to identify the main factors and mechanisms behind the development of low-emission public transport vehicles in Polish cities. This innovation is primarily connected with growing environmental requirements for transport, with the EU environmental and transport policies being the key factors. However, strategies of local governments and municipal transport companies as well as the organization of urban transport - which differs significantly between cities - also play an important role. Three basic types of approach towards low-emission buses can be observed in Polish cities: tests of electric and hybrid vehicles, purchases of small quantities of buses in order to implement new solutions, and finally attempts to replace the majority or even the entire transport fleet with low-emission vehicles. It should be emphasised that an important element which affects the development of low emission public urban transport in Poland is the fact that the country has become one of the main bus producers in Europe - a fact which is a result of both large-scale foreign investments and the success of Polish manufacturers.
A Novel Multi-Epoch Particle Swarm Optimization Technique
Authors: Yuriy Romasevych , Viatcheslav Loveikin
Published: September 2018

Since canonical PSO method has many disadvantages which do not allow to effectively reach the global minima of various functions it needs to be improved. The article refers to a novel Multi-Epoch Particle Swarm Optimization (ME-PSO) technique which has been developed by authors. ME-PSO algorithm is based on reinitializing of the stagnant swarm with low exploration efficiency. This approach provides a high rate of global best changing. As a result ME-PSO has great possibility of finding good local (or even global) optimum and does not trap in bad local optimum. In order to prove the advantages of the ME-PSO technique numerical experiments have been carried out with ten uni- and multimodal benchmark functions. Analysis of the obtained results convincingly showed significant superiority of ME-PSO over PSO and IA-PSO algorithms. It has been set that canonical PSO is a special case of ME-PSO.
Data Pre-Processing and Classification for Traffic Anomaly Intrusion Detection Using NSLKDD Dataset
Authors: Gnanaprasanambikai L. , Munusamy Nagarajan
Published: September 2018

Network security is essential in the Internet world. Intrusion Detection is one of the network security components. Anomaly Intrusion Detection is a type of intrusion detection that captures the intrinsic characteristics of normal data and uses it in the detection process. To improve the performance of specific anomaly detector selecting the essential features of data and generating a good decision rule is important. The paper we present proposes suitable feature extraction, feature selection and a classification algorithm for traffic anomaly intrusion detection in using NSLKDD dataset. The generated rules of classification process are initial rules of a genetic algorithm.
FDI Inspired Energy Consumption in Selected Emerging Markets: Does Financial Development Matter?
Authors: Tsaurai Kunofiwa
Published: September 2018

The study investigated the impact of the complementarity between foreign direct investment (FDI) and financial development on energy consumption in emerging markets. Although the relevance of the FDI‑led energy consumption hypothesis is no longer contestable, the combined influence of FDI and financial development on energy consumption is not yet resolved. Random and fixed effects show that the interaction between outstanding domestic private debt securities and FDI had a significant positive influence on energy consumption whereas pooled ordinary least squares (OLS) noted that the interaction between FDI and outstanding domestic public debt securities positively and significantly affected energy consumption. The dynamic generalized methods of moments (GMM) shows that the interaction between (1) FDI and stock market capitalization and (2) FDI and stock market value traded had a significant negative influence on energy consumption. The study urges emerging markets to deepen the bond sector market in order to enhance FDI‑led energy consumption.
Determinants of Pakistan’s Exports: An Econometric Analysis
Authors: Jadoon Arshad Ullah , Guang Yangda , Ahmad Anwar , Ali Sajad
Published: September 2018

The research investigated the determinants of Pakistan’s exports by using time series data from 1990–2016. Certain econometric tests were also applied to check cointegration among variables. A unit root test was used to check the stationarity of selected variables. After the stationarity of the data, a vector error correction model is used to estimate the effect of regressors, like foreign direct investment, gross domestic product, employment level, and consumption expenditures on a dependent variable, i.e. exports in the short run. The result shows the positive relationships that foreign direct investment, gross domestic product and employment level have on exports, and the adverse impact of consumption expenditures on the dependent variable. The study uses Johansen’s cointegration test for the long run. The results show that all the variables are co‑integrated in the long run. It is suggested that the government should encourage foreign direct investment and gross domestic product, which would help accelerate Pakistan’s exports. It is also suggested that whenever policymakers provide a trade policy, in particular, in relation to exports, then the adverse effect of exchange rate depreciation, external debt burdens, taxes, sanctions and protectionism should be quantified, and necessary measures be suggested so as to minimize any repercussions.
First distribution records of Calamagrostis abnormis (Poaceae, Agrostidinae) from Sichuan and Xizang Provinces, China
Authors: Paszko Beata , Liu Bing
Published: September 2018

Calamagrostis abnormis, a Sino-Himalayan species, is reported with new distribution records in southern Sichuan and southeastern Xizang, China. The species was previously recorded to be distributed in Yunnan and western Guizhou in China, Nepal, Bhutan, India, and Northwest Vietnam. The general distribution map of C. abnormis is presented.
Non-native fish species in River Odra and Morava basins in the Czech Republic
Authors: Lojkásek Bohumír , Lusk Stanislav
Published: September 2018

There has been the assessment of current occurrence and situation of non-native fish species in two hydrological regions – the Upper Odra and Morava river basins. The river basin of Upper Odra is situated in the area of River Odra springs featuring mostly minor streams which are not currently accessible for the migration of fishes from the lower river parts and from the Baltic Sea because of the existence of tens of migration barriers in the area of Poland. There has been actually proved the occurrence of eight non-native fish species the presence of which is, with the exclusions of Carassius gibelio and Pseudorasbora parva, the result of the planned introduction related to the fish management activities. The River Morava basin consists of two parts – the system of the River Morava itself and the entire River Dyje basin. Currently, there are 16 non-native fish species. Apart from the eight species existing also in the Odra river basin, there are also eight other species the existence of which relates to the migration accessibility from the confluence of these two rivers for fishes from the River Danube through the lower part of the River Morava. The species Lepomis gibbosus, Neogobius melanostomus and Proterorhinchus semilunaris were the last ones which have arrived there by themselves. Coregonus maraena and Coregonus peled are bred in fishponds.

The basic part of the non-native fishes’ spectrum existing in free waters of the two basins consists of the species which are bred in aquaculture and fishponds (Oncorhyncus mykiss, Salvelinus fontinalis, Ctenopharyngodon idella, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, and Hypophthalmichthys nobilis). These species, with the exception of Hypophthalmichthys molitrix and Hypophthalmichthys nobilis, introduced also into the fishing grounds and especially Oncorhynchus mykiss and Ctenopharyngodon idella make the important fishes for anglers. Their presence in the waters of the Czech Republic might be considered as beneficial from the economic point of view. From the ecological point of view, the im- portant fact is that they have become very well acclimatised in the local conditions and their natural breeding does not take place and their distribution in water ecosystems, as well as their numbers are fully determined by the management of the Czech Anglers Union. However, Carassius gibelio, Pseudorasbora parva and also Lepomis gibbosus in the River Morava basin have been assessed as distinctly invasive species having more negative impacts on the original ichthyocenosis and biodiversity. Neogobius melanostomus is also potentially dangerous in this basin. In the case of spread of Lepomis gibosus into the River Odra basin, it might become also potentially highly dangerous.
Genetic testing for lymphatic malformations with or without primary lymphedema
Authors: Paolacci Stefano , Rakhmanov Yeltay , Maltese Paolo Enrico , Zulian Alessandra , Michelini Sandro , Bertelli Matteo
Published: September 2018

Lymphatic malformations (LMs) show phenotypic variability, as well as clinical and genetic heterogeneity. Inheritance is autosomal dominant, recessive or X-linked and major genes involved in predisposition for LMs are continuously being discovered. The literature also indicates that somatic mutations play an important role in the development of LMs. In fact, activating somatic mutations in PIK3CA have been reported in lymphatic endothelial cells obtained from patients with different kinds of LM. This Utility Gene Test was developed on the basis of an analysis of the literature and existing diagnostic protocols. It is useful for confirming diagnosis, as well as for differential diagnosis, couple risk assessment and access to clinical trials.
Genetic testing for vascular anomalies
Authors: Paolacci Stefano , Rakhmanov Yeltay , Maltese Paolo Enrico , Fanelli Francesca , Mattassi Raul Ettore , Amato Bruno , Bertelli Matteo
Published: September 2018

Vascular anomalies (VAs) have phenotypic variability within the same entity, overlapping clinical features between different conditions, allelic and locus heterogeneity and the same disorder can be inherited in different ways. Most VAs are sporadic (paradominant inheritance or de novo somatic or germline mutations), but hereditary forms (autosomal dominant or recessive) have been described. This Utility Gene Test was developed on the basis of an analysis of the literature and existing diagnostic protocols. The genetic test is useful for confirming diagnosis, as well as for differential diagnosis, couple risk assessment and access to clinical trials.
Genetic testing for atrial septal defect
Authors: Rakhmanov Yeltay , Maltese Paolo Enrico , Zulian Alessandra , Beccari Tommaso , Dundar Munis , Bertelli Matteo
Published: September 2018

Atrial septal defect (ASD) is a congenital heart defect characterized by an opening in the atrial septum. About 1/3 of patients with Noonan syndrome caused by mutation in the PTPN11 gene have ASD. The prevalence of ASD is estimated at 100 per 100,000 live births. ASD may have autosomal dominant or recessive inheritance. This Utility Gene Test was prepared on the basis of an analysis of the literature and existing diagnostic protocols. It is useful for confirming diagnosis, as well as for differential diagnosis, couple risk assessment and access to clinical trials.
Genetic testing for large-caliber vessel aneurysms
Authors: Rakhmanov Yeltay , Maltese Paolo Enrico , Zulian Alessandra , Bertelli Matteo
Published: September 2018

Large-caliber vessels are those with a diameter of 10 mm or more. Most aneurysms remain asymptomatic until they expand or rupture. Aortic aneurysms are of special interest for physicians and scientists because of their prevalence. Aortic aneurysms and dissections account for 1-2% of all deaths in western countries. Expansion and rupture of vascular aneurysms show a strong correlation with hyperlipidemia, hypertension, smoking, sex and age. Heritability estimates have been as high as 70%. This Utility Gene Test was developed on the basis of an analysis of the literature and existing diagnostic protocols. It is useful for confirming diagnosis, as well as for differential diagnosis, couple risk assessment and access to clinical trials.
Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on Proximal-to-Distal Sequencing in Team Handball: Prospects for Talent Detection?
Authors: Serrien Ben , Baeyens Jean-Pierre
Published: September 2018

The proximal-to-distal sequence has previously been discussed in the light of performance and injury prevention. Sports biomechanics literature in general, and in team handball in specific, has claimed to be of importance to inform coaches on what constitutes a ‘good’ technical performance. However, hitherto no prospective studies exist on how this information may be used and this may in part be due to the general small sample sizes. We therefore performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of proximal-to-distal sequencing in team handball throwing motions. A total of fourteen articles were included in the systematic review. Meta-analyses were performed for the timing of maximal angles and angular velocities as well as initiation of joint angular velocities in the penalty throw, the standing throw with run-up and the jump shot of experienced team handball players. For the initiation of joint angular velocities, the overall sequence was estimated to start with pelvis rotation, followed by trunk rotation, trunk flexion, shoulder internal rotation and elbow extension. For maximal velocities, the sequence started with pelvis rotation, followed by trunk rotation, trunk flexion, elbow extension, and shoulder internal rotation (post ball release). The obtained results were discussed in the light of talent identification purposes. Limitations to individual study methodology and of the present meta-analysis were also discussed. Much more research will be necessary, but at the very least, this review can provide a starting point for evidence-based discussions between movement scientists and team handball coaches to include proximal-to-distal sequencing as a measure of coordination to gauge early onset of talent.
Relative Age Effect and the Re-Selection of Danish Male Handball Players for National Teams
Authors: Wrang Christian M. , Rossing Niels N. , Diernæs Rasmus M. , Hansen Christoffer G. , Dalgaard-Hansen Claus , Karbing Dan S.
Published: September 2018

The relationship between the date of birth and expertise in various sports among both elite and youth level athletes is well established, and known as the relative age effect (RAE). However, new results in for example Canadian Hockey and British cricket and rugby have indicated a reversal of RAE among selected talents where the youngest athletes are more likely to remain selected than their older peers. As such, RAE may therefore depend on the age and the level of competition. The purpose of this study was therefore to analyse RAE from the youth to senior national level in a sample of successful Danish male national teams. The sample included 244 players from Danish under-19, under-21 and senior national levels. These players have been part of successful teams, winning 18 medals at 24 youth European and World championships and 8 medals during 12 years at the senior level. The results showed a significant RAE on both youth and national levels. However, RAE was less marked from the under-19 to under-21 and further to the senior national level. Results show that at the national youth level talent selection favours the relatively older players, of whom a larger proportion fails to be re-selected to the senior level compared to their younger peers. RAE appears to play a central and reversing role in the identification and re-selection in Danish male handball. The results also show that the presence of both a constant and constituent year structure affects RAE, even when introduced at late adolescence.
Diurnal Variations in Physical Performance: Are There Morning-to-Evening Differences in Elite Male Handball Players?
Authors: Pavlović Ljubomir , Stojiljković Nenad , Aksović Nikola , Stojanović Emilija , Valdevit Zoran , Scanlan Aaron T. , Milanović Zoran
Published: September 2018

The purposes of this study were to determine: 1) morning-to-evening differences in physical performance with and without a ball; and 2) associations between sleep outcomes (duration and quality) and physical performance in handball players. Sixteen elite, male handball players (25.4 ± 5.8 yr, 94.0 ± 7.4 kg, 193.5 ± 7.5 cm) completed physical performance tests without a ball (a zig-zag test assessing closed-skill agility, linear sprints, and countermovement (CMJ) and squat jumps) and with a ball (a zig-zag test and linear sprints) in the morning and evening. In addition, sleep quality and quantity during the night before testing were obtained using self-reported measures. Superior physical performance was evident in all tests during the evening compared to the morning hours (p < 0.003). Specifically, jump height was moderately (effect size (ES) = 0.73 to 1.02) higher during the evening. Similarly, moderate (ES = 1.17) and large (ES = 1.67) improvements in zig-zag test performance were apparent during the evening with and without the ball, respectively. Also, large to very large (ES = 1.29 to 2.09) increases in sprint performance with and without the ball were evident in the evening. No significant correlations (p > 0.05) were apparent between sleep duration and quality and physical performance in both the morning and evening sessions. Diurnal variations in physical performance were apparent in elite male handball players with enhanced performance with and without the ball in the evening compared to morning hours. These findings indicate that morning-to-evening differences in physical performance should be considered when developing conditioning plans or preparing for competition in handball.
The Relationship Between Handball Players and Alcohol and Smoking Habits
Authors: Karnincic Hrvoje , Cavala Marijana , Rogulj Nenad
Published: September 2018

Recent studies have revealed that sport activity is a protective factor regarding smoking, but a risk factor for alcohol abuse. Considering these findings, it is necessary to investigate the occurrence of substance misuse. Sports that are associated with a substantial amount of physical/mental stress are very interesting from the perspective of substance misuse (e.g., handball). This research was performed to more closely study the population engaged in handball regarding the risk for alcohol and/or tobacco consumption. The sample of respondents consisted of 150 senior handball players who were members of 9 first-league handball clubs from Croatia and abroad. The respondents were grouped into sub-samples according to sex, age, experience, the number of weekly training sessions and their social environment (clubs). Alcohol consumption data were obtained using the AUDIT questionnaire. The differences between groups were tested using the Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests. The study revealed that handball players engaged in alcohol misuse, and they were grouped in the harmful drinking category (AUDIT score, 16-19 for all groups). Regarding tobacco product consumption, the risk groups were women (who smoked significantly more than men, MWU test: Z = 3.30. p < 0.001), handball players with less experience (who smoked significantly more than experienced players, MWU test: Z = 3.68, p < 0.001). Borderline significance was observed for the impact made by social environments, and age was not a significant predictor of tobacco consumption. Regarding alcohol consumption, the highest hazard group were national handball players, who drank much more than foreign players did (MWU test: Z = 2.04, p = 0.04); however, sex, age, experience and training habits were not alcohol consumption predictors in handball. This study reveal that the typical behaviors regarding alcohol and tobacco consumption followed by the general population do not apply to handball players. Targeted prevention can be much more precisely established considering this research.
Postural Stability in Goalkeepers of the Polish National Junior Handball Team
Authors: Wilczyński Jacek
Published: September 2018

The aim of the study was to assess postural stability of goalkeepers from the Polish national junior handball team. Eleven juniors of the Polish national handball team (age 16.82 ± 1.6 years, body height 191.27 ± 3.1 cm, body mass 88.41 ± 12.26 kg, BMI 24.18 ± 3.22 kg/m2) were selected for the study. The Biodex Balance System and AccuGait AM¬TI platform were used to evaluate postural stability. The obtained results indicated good postural stability of the subjects. During the Biodex Balance System platform tests, all subjects presented very good postural stability and maintained within Zone A. Postural sway was greater in the sagittal plane compared to the frontal one. Most of the participants demonstrated slight backward tilts, but maintained in Quadrant IV. During the AccuGait AMTI platform trial, Path Length and Average COP Speed significantly increased in the test performed with closed eyes. Furthermore, there were significant positive correlations between the number of variables obtained during the Biodex Balance System and AccuGait AMTI tests. Proper and stable posture are necessary conditions to be met to carry out most free movements and locomotion. They play a significant role in the game of a handball goalkeeper and for that reason, postural stability testing of handball goalkeepers is an important element of coordination training. Thus, the use of postural stability exercises implementing the biofeedback method on stabilo and dynamometric platforms is practical and justifiable.
Cooperative relay beamforming in IDMA communication networks
Authors: Shukla Aasheesh , Goyal Vishal , Mishra Puneet , Deolia Vinay Kumar
Published: September 2018

In this paper, a new combination of Interleave division multiple access (IDMA) and spatial diversity offered by cooperative relay aided distributed beam forming is proposed. In the offered scheme communication strategy consists two steps. All users broadcast their message to relays in the first step and then relays amplifies and forward the information to the desired destination. IDMA, which is popular non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) technique is used to combat the effect of multiple access interference (MAI) at relay as well as destination nodes. Each relay processed the signal to maintain the QoS of destination. The goal of this work is to find the appropriate beam forming weights by minimising the transmit power and without compromising the QoS in terms of SINR. However power minimization is not the convex problem, so semi-definite relaxation is used to modify the problem in to semi-definite programming (SDP) problem and the conventional SDP problem solver CVX is used for solution. The numerical explanation and simulation experiment of the proposed scheme shows the performance improvements in terms of bit error rate.
Modern Learning and Training Tools which can be Properly Adapted and Designed to Reinforce Specialized Courses on Effective Crisis Management
Authors: Baltos Georgios C. , Chomata Filippa S. , Vidakis Ioannis G. , Balodis Janis
Published: September 2018

This paper highlights the effectiveness of several modern training tools that could be applied within the context of training organizations, aiming towards the introduction of theoretical and practical fields, like the assessment of critical risks, the impact of time pressure and the importance of situational awareness, into the contents of a training course. The first part deals with present training tendencies and tools like distance and technology-based learning, while it is highlighted that knowledge management has gone through a deep and wide re-orientation. Quality assurance issues regarding education are also of great significance. The second part then studies the psychology of serving in combat or irregular crisis situations. It is about the particularities that compose the military, business or civil protection reality, resulting in new approaches of training courses that pursue excellent performance, particularly in dynamic and changing with high-velocity environments. Concepts like shared-ness of information, maturity in leadership decision making and cognitive task analysis can all determine a new domain of acceptable measures for crisis management training at professional level. The scope ranges from a routine organizational context to rapid response in a larger-scale emergency under pressure, requiring respective training adjustments.
Strategy as Practice: An Organizational Culture Approach in a Higher Education Institution in Kosovo
Authors: Berisha Hajdin , Mustafa Saxhide , Ismail Yusof
Published: September 2018

Organizational members perceive top management as the sole authority for strategy making. Whilst this has been true for a number of years, the last decade has provided a shift to this traditional strategy practice in some sectors in the society. This paper attempts to address two major questions: firstly, whether the classical view of strategy as a property of organizations and the sole responsibility of top management in strategy making holds true in one of the higher education institutions in Kosovo as a member of western Balkan and eastern European countries. Secondly, how top management influences strategy practices of sense-making and sense-giving through organizational culture. The research analyses organizational culture and its effect on strategy as practice before and after a shift of institution’s top management based on its six strategy dimensions. The study employs multiple sources of data to address the research questions: secondary sources, semi-structured interviews, informal discussions with institution’s staff members, two-week of shadowing, observations and viewing artefacts of the institution. Results reveal three threads: organizational culture plays an important role on strategy as practice; top management is perceived to primarily provide sense through face-to-face interaction and procedural measures of strategy practices; and staff members are mostly involved in implementation. Moreover, clan and hierarchical types of organizational culture are identified to shape strategy practices of the institution. The study suggests that while the strategy making practice should be at the core of institution, a pleasant and non-confronting organizational culture is crucial to attract new students and retain elite staff.
The Universities and Elite Formation and Transformation in Kosovo
Authors: Baliqi Bekim
Published: September 2018

This research aims to explore the relationship between the universities and political elite formation based on the case study of Kosovo. The key questions raised throughout the research are; how do the universities influence the formation of the political elites and how were the elites changed throughout time? Analysing these relationships in different periods, each with a different impact on the elite building processes, namely from the establishment of the University of Prishtina until recently. Central assumption here is that higher education institutions were the catalyst in the transformation of the political elites. Being a vital source of power, a control over it represents also a struggle for power between the rival forces with different political outcomes. Theoretical framework consists of John Higley approach on the elite formation, based in the context of post-conflict and divided society, such as Kosovo case.
Asymmetry in Priority Perception Form Local Community to PA – Budgeting through Citizen Participation (Municipality of Elbasan)
Authors: Bejtja Merita
Published: September 2018

Considering several developments recently, especially at local self-government level, on budget design and application, we can notice that citizens have a deeply different perception on local PA performance than this last itself. Local government continuously claims their increasing performance, especially on accountability processes, even measuring it through effectiveness and efficiency of their investments as well as number and size of public services offered to the local community. Their pay-offs are not far of being glorious and making happy everybody taking notice on the presentation. While, on the other side, citizens of the same community have a far different view and estimation on this regard. They complain on communication, quality of public services, distribution quality of investments, division of local budget through sectors, till that point to refuse paying local taxes and tariffs, as well as burning career of “highly performance” local leaders (mayors) voting ‘no’ on elections not considering their ‘glorious increasing performance’ during the governmental mandate. Introducing citizen participation in a process of budget decision making in local self-government, especially during priority selection stage, as well as budgeting an important part of the local budget through common decision making – PA and community representativeness, analysing, first, the state of nature through adverse pricing or asymmetry reduction, both in their perception on prioritization, as well as estimating investments to each priority through independent estimation by each participator in a common Committee PA&citizens, Participatory Budgeting Committee, and second, presenting their project proposal, as well as defending it in front of the City Council, could produce a far better perceived performance by both sides.
A machine learning approach in predicting mosquito repellency of plant – derived compounds
Authors: Janairo Jose Isagani B. , Janairo Gerardo C. , Co Frumencio F.
Published: September 2018

The increasing prevalence of mosquito – borne diseases has prompted intensified efforts in the prevention of being bitten by the vector. Among the various strategies of vector control, the application of repellents provides instant and effective protection from mosquitoes. However, emerging concerns regarding the safety of the widely used repellent, DEET, has led to initiatives to explore natural alternatives. In order to fully realize the potential of natural repellents, focusing on the discovery of natural compounds eliciting repellency is of paramount importance. In this paper, machine learning was utilized to establish association between the mosquito repellent activity of 33 natural compounds using 20 chemical descriptors. Individually, the descriptors had insignificant monotonic relationship with the response variable. But when optimized, the formulated model through boosted trees regression exhibited reliable predictive ability (r2 train = 0.93, r2 test = 0.66, r2 overall = 0.87). The findings presented have also introduced new descriptors that exhibited association with repellency through ensemble learning such as heat capacity, Log P, entropy, enthalpy, Gibb’s free energy, energy, and zero-point energy.
Andrena florea Fabricius, 1793 (Hymenoptera, Apoidea, Apiformes): a rare bee species in Poland, related to the expansion of the alien plant Bryonia dioica Jacq. (Cucurbitaceae)
Authors: Banaszak Józef , Twerd Lucyna , Ratyńska Halina , Banaszak-Cibicka Weronika , Zyś Teresa
Published: September 2018

Although research into alien species usually focuses on their negative aspects associated with their penetration into native ecosystems, their influence is much more complicated. This study investigated the pollinators of Bryonia dioica, an invasive climber in the temperate zone. Flowers of this plant in two cities in western Poland (Bydgoszcz and Poznań) were visited by 27 bee species, the most frequent ones being Apis mellifera and Andrena florea. Until recently, the latter was regarded as rare and threatened in Poland. Our results indicate that the spread of Bryonia dioica into urban areas has enabled large and stable populations of Andrena florea to flourish there. This study investigated the daily and seasonal dynamics of its activity. A positive relationship was found between the spread of Bryonia dioica and the presence of its obligatory pollinator Andrena florea. Alien plant species are thus not only an additional source of food for local pollinators but also may favour the occurrence of otherwise rare species with specific food requirements, such as A. florea.
Ants from Thessaly, Greece (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
Authors: Borowiec Lech , Salata Sebastian
Published: September 2018

A complete list of 107 ant species (including morphospecies not attributed to any known taxon) recorded from Thessaly, Greece, is presented. New records from 40 sampling localities explored during two field trips in 2012 and 2017, and also from literature data are included. Temnothorax sordidulus (Müller, 1923) and Temnothorax tauricus (Ruzsky, 1902) are new to Greece; 38 species were recorded from Thessaly for the first time.
PGPR-Induced Growth Stimulation and Nutrient Acquisition in Maize: Do Root Hairs Matter?
Authors: Weber N. F. , Herrmann I. , Hochholdinger F. , Ludewig U. , Neumann G.
Published: September 2018

Here we describe the effects of the well-characterized, commercial plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) strain Pseudomonas sp. DSMZ 13134 (Proradix®) on plant growth, root morphology, and nutrient acquisition of a maize mutant (rth2) with impaired root hair production as compared with the corresponding wild type line, to study the importance of root hairs for the interaction of the PGPR strain with the host plant. The study was conducted in rhizobox culture with a sand–soil mixture and moderate P supply. Root hair development of the mutant was clearly impaired, reflected by slower growth and limited elongation as compared with the wild type line. This defect was compensated by more intense root growth and fine root production of the mutant which was particularly expressed after inoculation with Proradix®. By contrast, PGPR inoculation had no effect on root hair length. The beneficial effects of Proradix® on root growth were reflected in higher shoot contents of the macronutrients P and K. Interestingly, negative effects on shoot accumulation of the micronutrients Zn and Cu were observed. These findings support proposed PGPR effects of this strain but also show limitations that may be explained by additional strain-specific properties. Possible implications of these findings are discussed.
Intensive Mowing Effect of One Patch on the Metapopulations of Two Phengaris Species
Authors: Bubová T. , Kulma M. , Koleška D. , Vrabec V.
Published: September 2018

In the second half of the 20th century, change of land use in the name of intensive agriculture was one of the most important factors caused significant loss of butterfly diversity in Europe. Phengaris nausithous and Phengaris teleius belong among the flagship species associated with wet meadows and are directly threatened by the intensive agriculture practises or management abandonment. Due to their very specific lifecycle, they are closely linked to their habitats and appropriate mowing management on their patches is thus crucial for their survival. Our research took place in Dolní Labe, Děčín, Czech Republic, on 16 patches and has been performed using Mark-Release-Recapture since 2009. This paper will illustrate how intensive mowing management, applied on only one of the patches, which forms only 9.4% of total locality size, can influence the entire local Phengaris metapopulation. The selected patch was intentionally mowed in the middle of flight season annually for four years. Even though, no significant effect was identified after the first year of study, after the second and third seasons, there was evidence of population decline of both studied species.
Does Management Matter? Assessment on Miombo Forests in Angola
Authors: Chiteculo V. , Surový P. , Panagiotidis D.
Published: September 2018

The aim of this paper is to assess the predominant management knowledge of miombo forests in Angola. It interlinks with decision support methods to assess future management plans for miombo forest where the community’s interests evolve (wild fruits, animals, firewood, charcoal, and timber). The management of miombo forests is a complex subject due to multiple outcomes particularly because of their uniqueness, while charcoal and firewood are the major products. The application of Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to data collected in Bié province showed that timber is not a priority for people that live around miombo area, whereas charcoal appears to be a priority to 68% of the community. We conclude that applying the AHP to the data collected in Bié province was a clear indication that future researches on local communities priorities will be conducted when it comes to take decisions for the entire forest community.
Effect of Fermented Cereals, Probiotics, and Phytase on the Sensory Quality of Poultry Meat
Authors: Yasar S. , Boselli E. , Rossetti F. , Gok M.S.
Published: September 2018

The sensory properties of poultry meat obtained from meat-type broiler chickens fed with fermented cereals and two different fermented supplements, and Japanese quails (Coturnix japonica) fed diets including fermented cereals (wheat, barley or oats), three probiotics (from E. faecium, B. subtilis, S. cerevisiae) and two different phytase preparations were evaluated. Fermented grains (particularly wheat and barley) decreased the sensory quality of meat. The use of three probiotic products and phytase did not negatively influence the sensory quality of the quail meats. The diets containing S. cerevisiae (probiotic) produced a highly appreciated meat. The less preferred meat samples were obtained from the quails fed diets containing fermented wheat, fermented barley, and E. faecium, due to the off-flavour and odour as well as tanginess. The supplementation of naturally or yeast-fermented liquid whey and lemon pomace was very effective to overcome the bad sensory quality (fish and metallic off-flavour and taste) of the broiler meat obtained by administering the control diet (rich in vegetable oil and fermented wheat).
Energy Balance of Briquette Production from Various Waste Biomass
Authors: Brunerová A. , Brožek M. , Šleger V. , Nováková A.
Published: September 2018

Production of briquette bio-fuel is related to several aspects of densification process. The present paper deals with the relation between briquette volume density ρ (kg·m−3) and required deformation energy Ed (J). Wood, energy crop and cardboard feedstocks were compressed by a laboratory briquetting press of two diameters (40 and 65 mm); in this way six kinds of briquette samples (W40, W65, E40, E65, C40, C65) were produced. The values of compressing force F (N) and briquette volume density ρ were measured directly during feedstock densification; the deformation energy Ed was calculated subsequently. The amount of deformation energy Ed consumed within the achievement of specific briquette volume density ρ levels differed in case of all samples, the same as the maximum achieved briquette volume density ρ levels. Best results, i.e. efficiency of briquette production (the highest ρ, the lowest Ed), were achieved by cardboard samples, followed by wood and finally by energy crop samples. An overall evaluation indicated a higher production efficiency of briquette samples 40 mm in diameter and the disadvantage of the production of briquette samples with briquette volume density ρ > 1000 kg·m−3; above such level, the amount of consumed deformation energy Ed increased disproportionately sharply.
Educación, pedagogía y modelos pedagógicos
Authors: Bernal de Rojas Aura Elena
Published: September 2018

La educación es la mejor herramienta * para construir la sociedad, puesto que es el enlace que articula a las colectividades con la cultura, el medio por el que se recrean y avanzan las civilizaciones y el mecanismo mediante el cual se prepara a los individuos para su desenvolvimiento autónomo y social. Por ello, la educación ha sido tema de interés en todos los tiempos y resulta ser un elemento indispensable cuando se trata de perfilar el futuro. 

Hoy a nivel mundial la educación tiene una posición estratégica en un nuevo milenio caracterizado por la revolución del conocimiento, el desarrollo de las comunicaciones, la globalización de la economía y el despliegue de la dinámica social.