bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The perspectives of parents in relation to the concepts of the quality of pre-school education. Analysis of research discourse
Authors: Majerčíková Jana , Horníčková Beata
Published: April 2021

This theoretical study analyses interpretation of quality in pre-school education with regard to the position of the children’s parents. This text is supported by research papers, mostly from the last two decades, and is based on three main sub-topics. The importance and benefits of systematic pre-school education for the child and the economic development of society is initially discussed. High-quality pre-school education for children gives them a strong start in their educational career and investment into effective education during the pre-school age provides a social and economic return to the whole of society. The following section defines the term quality and its interpretation in relation to education. Quality is interpreted through structure and process, the multi-dimensionality of quality and the objectiveness and subjectiveness of the interpretation of the quality of pre-school education are reflected. The interesting but undervalued position of parents, the perspectives of which are elaborated on in subsequent passages, appear in these concepts. This paper comes to two main conclusions. The first is that the quality of education is a multi-dimensional, variable and difficult to define concept. The second is that, although the status of parents in relation to pre-school education is strong, it is not adequately taken into consideration during definition of quality. When evaluating quality the perspective of the parents is only utilised to a limited degree, because it usually has different semantics to evaluation by experts.
Teachers’ use of Bloom’s higher order questions in class to augment EFL learners’ listening comprehension and critical thinking ability
Authors: Faravani Akram , Taleb Ensie
Published: April 2021

The current emphasis on questioning techniques has inspired many EFL teachers to explore the impact of applying different pedagogical teaching strategies on the enhancement of thinking skills. Therefore, the present study aims to investigate the influence of using higher order questioning technique on the listening comprehension achievement and critical thinking ability of Iranian intermediate EFL learners. To reach this end, 40 participants in 4 intact classes in Kish Air Language institute in Mashhad were selected and divided in two groups to be assigned into experimental and control group. The experimental group received higher order questions based on Bloom’s Taxonomy classification for 12 sessions. A pretest and a posttest of English listening comprehension test of TOEFL (TOEFL PBT) and California Critical Thinking Skill Test (CCTST) were administrated in both groups. 2 Independent sample t-tests were utilized to examine the data. Sample t-tests were run to compare the experimental and the control group means on the pretest and posttest of listening comprehension and critical thinking tests. The results surmised that there was a statistically significant difference between the pretest and posttest scores regarding listening comprehension and critical thinking in the experimental group. The results imply that using higher order questions as an instructional technique can enhance learners’ listening comprehension achievement and critical thinking ability.
Investigating cultural contents in English language teaching materials through textbook evaluation
Authors: Arshad Amna , Shah Syed Kazim , Ahmad Muhammad
Published: April 2021

The shift in the status of English as a lingua franca has challenged native-speaker culture in English language teaching and learning. That is why it is not enough to expose language learners through monoculture language teaching. Rather being communicatively competent, learners may require inter-cultural understanding. Therefore, the aim of this research is to investigate the representation of cultures through different senses in Oxford Progressive English (OPE), Level-10 (Rachel Redford, 2016). As OPE caters the needs of Pakistani language learners, it is hypothesized that learners’ source culture prevails more than other two cultures (i.e. international, and target). To confirm this hypothesis, a detailed content analysis of cultural senses (prevailed in OPE) is carried out through Adaskou, Britten and Fahsi (1990). The results show that the frequency of reading texts in OPE is highly imbued with learners’ target culture that is followed by the international culture, and least by learners’ source culture. Moreover, culturally neutral texts lack in inter-cultural understanding, and appear to be disseminated to marginalize L2 learners from target and international cultures.
An App-Assisted Travel Survey in Official Statistics: Possibilities and Challenges
Authors: McCool Danielle , Lugtig Peter , Mussmann Ole , Schouten Barry
Published: April 2021

Advances in smartphone technology have allowed for individuals to have access to near-continuous location tracking at a very precise level. As the backbone of mobility research, the Travel Diary Study, has continued to offer decreasing response rates over the years, researchers are looking to these mobile devices to bridge the gap between self-report recall studies and a person’s underlying travel behavior. This article details an open-source application that collects real-time location data which respondents may then annotate to provide a detailed travel diary. Results of the field test involving 674 participants are discussed, including technical performance, data quality and response rate.
Survey Mode Effects on Objective and Subjective Questions: Evidence from the Labour Force Survey
Authors: Schork Joachim , Riillo Cesare A.F. , Neumayr Johann
Published: April 2021

Web questionnaires are increasingly used to complement traditional data collection in mixed mode surveys. However, the utilization of web data raises concerns whether web questionnaires lead to mode-specific measurement bias. We argue that the magnitude of measurement bias strongly depends on the content of a variable. Based on the Luxembourgish Labour Force Survey, we investigate differences between web and telephone data in terms of objective (i.e., Employment Status) and subjective (i.e., Wage Adequacy and Job Satisfaction) variables. To assess whether differences in outcome variables are caused by sample composition or mode-specific measurement bias, we apply a coarsened exact matching that approximates randomized experiments by reducing dissimilarities between web and telephone samples. We select matching variables with a combination of automatic variable selection via random forest and a literature-driven selection. The results show that objective variables are not affected by mode-specific measurement bias, but web participants report lower satisfaction-levels on subjective variables than telephone participants. Extensive supplementary analyses confirm our results. The present study supports the view that the impact of survey mode depends on the content of a survey and its variables.
Quantifying the Effects of Climate Change on Crop Production
Authors: Tambi Mbu Daniel
Published: April 2021

This study attempts to analyze the impact of climate change on crop production using household consumption survey collected by the national institute of statistics and data imported from the department of statistics of ministry of agriculture and rural development. The main research question is: what is the relationship between climate change and crop production? Methodologically, used is made of instrumental variable and control function models to compute for the data. We realized that to a lesser extent climate change has an effect on agricultural production and more of a fishing phenomenon. In terms of policy, mainstreaming climate change adaptation into national development strategy and budgets could promote proactive engagement on the formulation and implementation of climate change adaptation strategy; this is a wise step towards increasing crop production and malnutrition reduction.
Learnings from the #IndigenousESD Global Research: Twenty-First Century Competencies for All Learners
Authors: Kohl Katrin , Hopkins Charles A.
Published: April 2021

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development promotes with the Sustainable Development Goal 4 a quality education for all and aims to ensure equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for vulnerable groups, such as Indigenous Peoples. However, most education systems are not yet in a position to embrace a culturally appropriate way of teaching children and youth of their Indigenous communities. The #IndigenousESD research creates a voice for relevant education stakeholder groups, including Indigenous Elders/leaders, ministry officials, parents, students, and teachers from communities with Indigenous students on their perceptions of quality education.

Based on a participatory research approach developed together with Indigenous communities and researchers from around the world, dialogues held in 54 research settings in 26 countries show a focus on the acquisition of twenty-first century competencies for learners amongst the most important aspects of a quality education.

For this article, the authors focused on knowledge, attitudes and skills, providing recommendations for policy makers in education to better address the needs and priorities of Indigenous communities. Findings from the research indicate that teaching twenty-first century competencies are at the center of concern in all stakeholder groups, yet want these competencies taught in a context to which Indigenous students can readily relate. Adjusting the pedagogy of delivering these common competencies in the classroom could be an important step towards a feasible and affordable path within existing education systems to better serve Indigenous students and all learners.
Clinical use of the parasympathetic tone activity index as a measurement of postoperative analgaesia in dogs undergoing ovariohysterectomy
Authors: Hernández-Avalos Ismael , Valverde Alex , Antonio Ibancovichi-Camarillo José , Sánchez-Aparicio Pedro , Recillas-Morales Sergio , Rodríguez-Velázquez Desiderio , Osorio-Avalos Jorge , Armando Magdaleno-Torres Luis , Chavez-Monteagudo Julio , Manuel Acevedo-Arcique Carlos
Published: April 2021

Introduction

While the current tools to assess canine postoperative pain using physiological and behavioural parameters are reliable, an objective method such as the parasympathetic tone activity (PTA) index could improve postoperative care. The aim of the study was to determine the utility of the PTA index in assessing postoperative analgaesia.

Material and Methods

Thirty healthy bitches of different breeds were randomly allocated into three groups for analgaesic treatment: the paracetamol group (GPARAC, n = 10) received 15 mg/kg b.w., the carprofen group (GCARP, n = 10) 4 mg/kg b.w., and the meloxicam group (GMELOX, n = 10) 0.2 mg/kg b.w. for 48 h after surgery. GPARAC was medicated orally every 8 h, while GCARP and GMELOX were medicated intravenously every 24 h. The PTA index was used to measure the analgaesia–nociception balance 1 h before surgery (baseline), and at 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 36, and 48 h after, at which times evaluation on the University of Melbourne Pain Scale (UMPS) was made.

Results

The baseline PTA index was 65 ± 8 for GPARAC, 65 ± 7 for GCARP, and 62 ± 5 for GMELOX. Postoperatively, it was 65 ± 9 for GPARAC, 63 ± 8 for GCARP, and 65 ± 8 for GMELOX. No statistically significant difference existed between baseline values or between values directly after treatments (P = 0.99 and P = 0.97, respectively). The PTA index showed a sensitivity of 40%, specificity of 98.46% and a negative predictive value of 99.07%.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that the PTA index measures comfort and postoperative analgaesia objectively, since it showed a clinical relationship with the UMPS.
Studies on the inhibitory properties of leaf ethanolic extracts obtained from Ficus (Moraceae) species against Aeromonas spp. strains
Authors: Pękala-Safińska Agnieszka , Tkachenko Halyna , Kurhaluk Natalia , Buyun Lyudmyla , Osadowski Zbigniew , Honcharenko Vitaliy , Prokopiv Andriy
Published: April 2021

Introduction

The most frequently isolated bacteria in Polish aquaculture are of the Aeromonas genus; also pathogenic to human fish consumers, they cause substantial economic losses, and require antibiotic therapy to treat. Antibiotic residues in animal-derived food provoke concern. The aim of the study was to appraise the antimicrobial activity of ethanolic extracts of Ficus plant species against Aeromonas strains.

Material and Methods

Leaves of 41 Ficus species were collected from two Ukrainian botanic gardens. They were crushed, washed, homogenized in ethanol and centrifuged, and the supernatants were applied in the Kirby–Bauer disc-diffusion method to assess the susceptibility to them of Aeromonas hydrophila, A. sobria, and A. salmonicia subsp. salmonicida isolates confirmed as K886, K825, and St30 strains. Analogous assessment was also made of these bacteria’s susceptibility to sulfonamides, quinolones, tetracyclines, and one amphenicol. Data were analysed statistically.

Results

The majority of the extracts considerably inhibited bacterial growth, A. sobria being susceptible to 14 Ficus species, A. salmonicida subsp. salmonicida to 13, and A. hydrophila to 10.

Conclusion

Treatment with plant extracts has promise as an alternative to antibiotic therapy. Botanic gardens may offer new sources of plant-derived agents with a broad spectrum of biological and antimicrobial action. Further research will be useful to broaden knowledge of Ficus’ therapeutic potential.
Modification of a haematoxylin, eosin, and natural saffron staining method for the detection of connective tissue
Authors: Ceccopieri Cassandra , Skonieczna Joanna , Madej Jan P.
Published: April 2021

Introduction

The aim of our study was to optimise an existing staining procedure: haematoxylin-eosin saffron (HES). The method follows the classical haematoxylin and eosin protocol with the addition of a staining step using natural saffron to better identify the collagen fibres.

Material and Methods

The saffron solution was obtained by dissolving ground saffron stigmas in absolute alcohol. In order to test the HES method for its staining ability on four main types of collagen (I, II, III, and IV), specific tissues (skin, tooth, cartilage, aorta, spleen, and penis) were chosen.

Results

The procedure showed a sharp differentiation between muscle, stained red or pink, and connective tissue, stained bright yellow or orange.

Conclusion

HES allows the diagnosis of reticulin fibrosis undetected in HE and in previous saffron staining procedures. HES represents an advantageous alternative to HE staining giving highly reproducible results with high diagnostic value.
The impact of selected risk factors on the occurrence of highly pathogenic avian influenza in commercial poultry flocks in Poland
Authors: Gierak Anna , Śmietanka Krzysztof
Published: April 2021

Introduction

Introduction of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) into a country and its further spread may have a devastating impact on the poultry industry and lead to serious economic consequences. Various risk factors may increase the probability of HPAI outbreak occurrence but their relative influence is often difficult to determine. The study evaluates how the densities of selected poultry species and proximity to the areas inhabited by wild birds impacted HPAI outbreak occurrence during the recently reported epidemics in Poland.

Material and methods

The analysis was developed using these risk factors in the locations of affected and randomly chosen unaffected commercial farms. Generalised linear and non-linear models, specifically logistic regression, classification tree and random forest, were used to indicate the most relevant risk factors, to quantify their association with HPAI outbreak occurrence, and to develop a map depicting spatial risk distribution.

Results

The most important risk factors comprised the densities of turkeys, geese and ducks. The abundance of these species of poultry in an area increased the probability of HPAI occurrence, and their farming intensity in several areas of central, western, eastern and northern Poland put these areas at the highest risk.

Conclusion

The results may improve the targeting of active surveillance, strengthen biosecurity in the areas at risk and contribute to early detection of HPAI in outbreak reoccurrences.
Methods of increasing the fire resistance of paper products
Authors: Nováková M. , Ďurovič M.
Published: April 2021

The search deals with the possibilities of increasing the fire resistance of paper, cardboard or paperboard. The article includes the principles of fire retardancy as well as requirements for a suitable preparation and lists substances and mixtures which, according to the literature, are/were used in the manufacturing process or after-treatment of paper products. The article is also continuously supplemented by examples from the patent literature.
Zoonotic Endoparasites in Dogs from the Bosnian-Podrinje Canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Authors: Omeragić Jasmin , Alagić Davor , Šerić-Haračić Sabina , Kapo Naida , Soldo Darinka Klarić , Šabić Emina , Crnkić Ćazim , Hadžijunuzović-Alagić Dženita , Aganović Edin , Škapur Vedad
Published: April 2021

More than 30 dog parasite species have been identified in Bosnia and Herzegovina so far, and half of these are zoonotic. The aim of the study was to investigate the occurrence of parasitic infections in dogs from Bosnian-podrinje canton with a focus on zoonotic parasites. The study included 212 dogs (107 owned and 105 stray). One or more of the twenty parasite species were found in 82.55% of tested samples. Dicrocoelium dendriticum (Class Trematoda) was found in 0.94% of dogs. Dipylidium caninum and Mesocestoides lineatus (Class Cestoda) were found in 7.55% and 0.94% of dogs, respectively. Taenia spp. and Echinococcus spp. (Family Taeniidae) were found in 0.47% and 0.94% of samples, respectively. In the family of Nematoda, the following parasite species were identified with corresponding percent among tested dogs: Toxocara canis (25.94%), Toxascaris leonine (8.96%), Strongyloides stercoralis (0.47%), Ancylostoma caninum (3.77%), Uncinaria stenocephala (52.36%), Trichuris vulpis (22.17%), Eucoleus aerophilus (1.42%), Dirofilaria immitis (1.89%) and Dirofilaria repens (1.42%). In the kingdom of Protozoa, the following parasite species were identified with corresponding percent among tested dogs: Cystoisospora canis (8.49%), C. ohioensis (2.36%), Cryptosporidium spp. (4.72%), Sarcocystis spp. (0.47%), Babesia spp. (5.19%), and Giardia duodenalis (15.57%). Leishmania infantum was not identified in tested samples. The results showed a high level of parasitic infestation in the dog population in the Bosnian-Podrinje canton, with a high occurrence of zoonotic parasites. Significant differences were found between owned and stray dogs for all classes of detected parasites with exception of the class Trematoda, disregarding specific parasite species.
Evaluation of Video-Otoscopic, Radiographic and Computed Tomographic Examinations of Cats and Dogs with Ear Diseases
Authors: Parlak Kurtulus , Yalcin Mustafa , Erol Hanifi , Akyol Eyüp Tolga , Uzunlu Elgin Orcum , Zamirbekova Nuriza , Arican Mustafa
Published: April 2021

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of imaging techniques (video-otoscopy-VO, radiography-RTG, computed tomography-CT) in diagnosing ear diseases in cats and dogs. Seven cats and thirteen dogs diagnosed with ear diseases were used for the research. Clinical examination, VO, RTG and CT were performed. Three (42.9%) unilateral otitis externa (OE), three (42.9%) unilateral otitis media (OM), and one (14.2%) bilateral otitis media (OM) with OE were diagnosed in 7 cats. Five (38.4%) unilateral OE, one (7.7%) unilateral OM, four (30.8%) bilateral OE, and three (23.1%) bilateral OM with OE were diagnosed in 13 dogs. All diagnostic methods were determined to be highly efficient for the specified diagnosis. VO and RTG were confirmed as sufficiently effective for the diagnosis of OE. OE plays a major role in the etiopathogenesis of OM, and for this reason, RTG and CT are required diagnostic methods for this condition.
Seminarium.no – Cultivating Discourse through Artistic Intervention
Authors: Roar Per , Pape Sidsel
Published: April 2021

Seminarium is an art project that explores the intersection between seminar and performance. It is centred around a series of live events, titled Seminarium #1, #2, #3 etc, which take place in different geo-political locations and contexts in Norway. In this art project artists are invited to reflect upon their artistic practices and earlier works in a performative format and setting for an audience. Each Seminarium highlights a specific topic and uses the template of academic conferences, staged and employed for an artistic purpose, to explore new ways to present and discuss artistic endeavours and enquiries, and to accumulate experiences. The aim is to enhance artistic development and critical knowledge in the field of dance and movement based performing arts. See: www.seminarium.no.
Cultural Rights, Well-being and Democracy in Elderly Care: The Dance Ambassadors as a Case Study
Authors: Lehikoinen Kai
Published: April 2021

The aim of this article is to introduce how the Dance Ambassadors are perceived by nursing staff and supervisors in institutions of elderly care. The Dance Ambassadors are a dance-based service concept offered in various social contexts by the Dance Centre of Western Finland. Three central themes were identified in the perspectives of nursing staff: dance as a form of rehabilitation and support, dance as a contribution to a meaningful life, and participation in dance as a basic right. In the research, a multi-sited dance ethnographic approach was adopted to collect data. Then a thematic analysis was conducted in tandem with a descriptive-interpretative mixed methods approach to code and interpret the data. Social and theoretical frames as well as key concepts including cultural rights and cultural well-being are introduced in the article. In the discussion, some critical concerns are highlighted regarding the rehabilitation discourse in relation to dance in elderly care contexts and the unequal access to dance for people in late adulthood, which stands in stark contrast to the Constitution and its emphasis on human rights and equal treatment. Some suggestions are provided to improve the situation.
Subjectobject and Movementmaterial: A Diffractive Reading of the Becoming of Dance through the Subject
Authors: Yates Rebecca
Published: April 2021

With this study, which is linked to the research topic of ‘choreography’, I wish to contribute to our understanding of how internal and external factors are involved in the becoming of dance through the subject. I want to increase our understanding of the multilayered relationships that are ongoing in the becoming of dance and provide and develop understandings for didactical and pedagogical contexts. By studying my own praxis in a teaching context, I want to understand what is involved in the becoming of dance through the subject.

In the article, I use post-humanist theories, with an emphasis on materialists such as Rosi Braidotti and her concept of the nomadic subject. The nomadic subject is fundamental for this study because it uses materialistic understandings of the world without renouncing the subject’s previous situational experience and embodied knowledge. In addition to the nomadic subject, I use concepts such as diffraction, intra-action and agents. These concepts have their roots in the theories of Karen Barad, also a post-humanist.

I am interested in what agents are entangled in the process of becoming and what hierarchies are at work within my practice. I want to determine how they figurate and whether it is possible for these hierarchies to reach positions that are more anti-essential.
Silence in Aviation: Development and Validation of a Tool to Measure Reasons for Aircraft Maintenance Staff not Reporting
Authors: Under Ilker , Gerede Ender
Published: April 2021

Background and purpose: Organizational silence, seen as the greatest obstacle to the success of organizations and expressed as a refraining from expressing feelings, and ideas about problems encountered in their organizations, is identified as the avoidance of voluntary reporting in aviation organizations. The main purpose of this research is to identify and develop a tool to measure the various reasons for aviation employees’ remaining silent about the unsafe acts and events they witness, and the factors causing them to refrain from adopting safety enhancement proposals.

Methodology: Within the scope of the study, a data collection tool was developed. Explanatory and confirmatory factor analysis of the data obtained from 483 employees was conducted to test the reasons for not reporting voluntarily in aviation.

Results: As a result, it was found that employees did not participate in voluntary reporting due to factors of silence based on relational and prosocial factors, disengagement, quiescence and acquiescence, along with fear and defensiveness.

Conclusion: Accordingly, organizations need to acknowledge and act with the awareness that organizational silence is a common phenomenon. The importance of voluntary reporting should be explained to employees at every opportunity and the number of quality voluntary reports should be increased. However, this should go beyond the simple slogans of ‘Safety comes first in this workplace’ or ‘Safety first’ hanging on the wall of every organization.
Exploring the Cultural, Managerial and Organizational Implications on Mergers and Acquisitions Outcomes
Authors: Da Costa Renato Lopes , Miguel João , Dias Álvaro , Pereira Leandro , Santos José
Published: April 2021

Background/Purpose: This work is focused on the variables that influence the outcomes of mergers and acquisitions, by learning from past mistakes, adopt better strategies and make wiser decisions to enhance the outcomes of their mergers and acquisitions. Using a qualitative approach, this research contributes to existing knowledge on mergers and acquisitions performance by exploring the cultural, managerial and organizational factors dimensions through an integrative approach using multiple perspectives.

Methodology: Fifteen interviews were conducted with experienced professionals in multiple areas of mergers and acquisitions. Content analysis was used to interpret the results. This enabled to achieve a more complete set of answers and potential solutions while comparing opinions on the same problems from slightly different angles.

Results: Results show the existence of managerial hubris, emotional attachment and over-optimism in mergers and acquisitions. There was a relative support towards standardizing the process of mergers and acquisitions deals, but respondents advise to keep some creativity and flexibility.

Conclusion: The article concludes by addressing key issues for mergers and acquisitions performance: capabilities and experience; organizational communication; internal coordination; and, key issues for decision-making.
Estimation of the excavator actual productivity at the construction site using video analysis
Authors: Šopić Martina , Vukomanović Mladen , Car-Pušić Diana , Završki Ivica
Published: April 2021

Current estimates of the actual productivity of heavy construction machinery at a construction site are not supported by an appropriate and widely used methodology. Recently, for the purpose of estimating the actual productivity of heavy construction machinery, vision-based technologies are used. This paper emphasizes the importance of estimating actual productivity and presents a way (i.e. a research framework) to achieve it. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to propose a simple research framework (SRF) for quick and practical estimates of excavator actual productivity and cycle time at a construction site. The excavator actual productivity refers to the maximum possible productivity in real construction site conditions. The SRF includes the use of a video camera and the analysis of recorded videos using an advanced computer program. In cases of continuous application of SRF, a clear and transparent base for monitoring and control of earthworks can be obtained at an observed construction site.
On-site factories to support lean principles and industrialized construction
Authors: Rosarius Anton , García de Soto Borja
Published: April 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the use of on-site factories that combine the strengths of both prefabrication techniques and a traditional work environment to support lean principles and promote industrialized construction for on-site operations.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the principles of lean construction and design for manufacturing and assembly (DfMA), discrete-event simulation is used to evaluate different arrangements and configurations of an on-site factory for the prefabrication of structural insulated panels (SIPs).

Findings

The proposed on-site factory provided a feasible way to promote lean and industrialized construction principles. Also, these types of factories are particularly relevant for projects in remote areas that do not have sufficient infrastructure. Further, it is also a good solution for strengthening the local economy by using local labor and suppliers, hence assisting in the creation of a socially responsible framework.

Originality/value

This study presents the design of an on-site factory for the prefabrication of SIPs. This type of on-site assembly supports not only lean principles but also promotes social responsibility by capitalizing on local labor. This approach could be particularly interesting for construction companies in developing countries or working in a project with limited infrastructure.
The cartographic visualisation of spatial data. An example of nature protection areas in the Podlaskie Voivodship (north-eastern Poland)
Authors: Andruszkiewicz Anna , Korycka-Skorupa Jolanta
Published: April 2021

The authors attempt to visualise nature conservation issues in the Podlaskie Voivodship using a series of small-scale thematic maps. Publicly available spatial and statistical data was used. The authors discuss the effects of applying the adopted methodological solutions. Some of them present a new approach to cartographic visualisation of spatial data. It may be an opportunity to look at various visualisation methods, their effectiveness, and the possibility of visualising nature issues on small-scale thematic maps.
Applying a Newly Learned Second Language Dimension to the Unknown: The Influence of Second Language Mandarin Tones on the Naïve Perception of Thai Tones
Authors: Schaefer Vance , Darcy Isabelle
Published: April 2021

This study investigates whether L2 Mandarin learners can generalize experience with Mandarin tones to unfamiliar tones (i.e., Thai). Three language groups – L1 English/ L2 Mandarin learners (n=18), L1 Mandarin speakers (n=30), L1 monolingual English speakers (n=23) – were tested on the perception of unfamiliar Thai tones on ABX tasks. L2 Mandarin learners and L1 Mandarin speakers perceived Thai tones more accurately than L1 English non-learners. Mandarin learners L1 speakers showed priming on Mandarin tones on a lexical decision task with repetition priming, suggesting L2 tones had been encoded within lexical representations of L2 Mandarin words. However, results must be interpreted cautiously, with an absence of expected priming and presence of unexpected priming. In sum, learners can transfer L2 tone experience to unfamiliar tones, expanding the Feature Hypothesis (McAllister, Flege, & Piske, 2002) to include L2 influence as well. In addition, results indicate a potential disconnect between perception and encoding.
Automated Extraction and Presentation of Data Practices in Privacy Policies
Authors: Bui Duc , Shin Kang G. , Choi Jong-Min , Shin Junbum
Published: April 2021

Privacy policies are documents required by law and regulations that notify users of the collection, use, and sharing of their personal information on services or applications. While the extraction of personal data objects and their usage thereon is one of the fundamental steps in their automated analysis, it remains challenging due to the complex policy statements written in legal (vague) language. Prior work is limited by small/generated datasets and manually created rules. We formulate the extraction of fine-grained personal data phrases and the corresponding data collection or sharing practices as a sequence-labeling problem that can be solved by an entity-recognition model. We create a large dataset with 4.1k sentences (97k tokens) and 2.6k annotated fine-grained data practices from 30 real-world privacy policies to train and evaluate neural networks. We present a fully automated system, called PI-Extract, which accurately extracts privacy practices by a neural model and outperforms, by a large margin, strong rule-based baselines. We conduct a user study on the effects of data practice annotation which highlights and describes the data practices extracted by PI-Extract to help users better understand privacy-policy documents. Our experimental evaluation results show that the annotation significantly improves the users’ reading comprehension of policy texts, as indicated by a 26.6% increase in the average total reading score.
Efficient homomorphic evaluation of k-NN classifiers
Authors: Zuber Martin , Sirdey Renaud
Published: April 2021

We design and implement an efficient, secure, homomorphic k-Nearest Neighbours determination algorithm, to be used for regression or classification over private data. Our algorithm runs in quadratic complexity with regard to the size of the database but is the only one in the literature to make the secure determination completely non-interactively. We show that our secure algorithm is both efficient and accurate when applied to classification problems requiring a small set of model vectors, and still scales to larger sets of model vectors with high accuracy yet at greater (sequential) computational costs.
Use of Flow Cytometry for Producing Tetraploids in Red Clover
Authors: Rebāne Aija , Grauda Dace , Rancāne Sarmīte , Jansons Aldis , Rashal Isaak
Published: April 2021

Sprouts of diploid red clover ‘Stendes Agrais’ were treated with 0.2% colchicine solution. The ploidy level of plants was detected by flow cytometry. Most of the treated plants were mixoploids and sterile. From progenies of fertile plants, mixoploids were selected that had a proportion of tetraploid cells higher than 60%. In the next generation, stable tetraploid plants were selected, and 49 lines were included in the breeding process.
MRI of the Morel-Lavallée lesion – a case series
Authors: Volavc Tajda Srot , Rupreht Mitja
Published: April 2021

Introduction

The aim of the study was to review the appearances of Morel-Lavallée (ML) lesions on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Patients and methods

14 patients diagnosed with the ML lesion on MRI were analysed retrospectively (mean age = 35 years). Mechanism of injury, time frame from injury to MRI, location, shape, T1 and proton-density fat-suppression (PDFS) signal intensity (SI), presence of a (pseudo)capsule, septations or nodules within the collection, mass effect and fluid-fluid levels were analyzed. The Mellado and Bencardino classification was utilized to classify the lesions.

Results

In most cases, mechanism of injury was distortion. Mean time frame between the injury and MRI was 17 days. Lesions were located around the knee in 9 patients and in the peritrochanteric region in 5 patients. Collections were fusiform in 12 patients and oval in 2 patients. 9 collections were T1 hypointense and PDFS hyperintense. 4 collections had intermediate T1 and high PDFS SI. 1 collection had intermediate T1 and PDFS SI. (Pseudo)capsule was noted in 3 cases. Septations or nodules were found in 4 cases. According to the Mellado and Bencardino, collections were classified as seroma (type 1) in 9, subacute hematoma (type 2) in 1 and chronic organizing hematoma (type 3) in 4 cases.

Conclusions

Characteristic features of ML lesion include a fusiform fluid collection between the subcutaneous fat and the underlying fascia after shearing injury. Six types can be differentiated on MRI, with the seroma, the subacute hematoma and the chronic organizing hematoma being the commonest.
Impact of coronary artery tortuosity in ischemic and non-ischemic cardiovascular pathology
Authors: Mihai Dumitru Emilian , Lupasteanu Ioana , Dan Gheorghe Andrei
Published: April 2021

The aim of this paper was to review based on the existing literature the impact of coronary artery tortuosity on coronary pathology. Primarily, an attempt was made to establish the implication of coronary tortuosity as a physio-pathological mechanism of inducing ischemia in patients with non-obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). Because the prevalence of tortuosity is higher in severe hypertensive patients, a second purpose of this paper was to review this association by understanding the physio-pathological processes and fluid dynamics in hypertrophic heart. Particularly, the effect of coronary tortuosity on systolic function with reference to longitudinal function and ventricular relaxation was addressed. Finally, the technical difficulties imposed by coronary tortuosity to percutaneous coronary interventions were discussed.
A single center experience: physician related diagnostic delay and demographic and clinical differences between patients with ankylosing spondylitis and non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis
Authors: Ulutaş Firdevs , Çobankara Veli , Şenol Hande , Karasu Uğur , Kaymaz Serdar , Yaşar Canan Albayrak , Ök Zeynep Dündar , Yiğit Murat
Published: April 2021

Background. A large number of comparative studies have been conducted for ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA), including disease burden, treatment modalities and patient characteristics. The aim of this study was to compare physician related diagnostic delay time between patients with AS and nr-axSpA.

Methods. In our retrospective study we included 266 patients with axSpA. Patients were classified into two subgroups, AS and nr-axSpA. The time from back pain onset until diagnosis of axSpA was defined as the diagnostic delay. The first specialist referred to and the first diagnosis for each patient was noted in detail. Patient characteristics, clinical manifestations and laboratory and imaging results at diagnosis were also compared between subgroups.

Results. The diagnostic delay time was significantly longer for AS patients [6 ± 8.14 years vs 1.62 ± 2.54 years]. 40.9% of all patients were initially consulted by specialists in physical therapy and rehabilitation, followed by 29.7% consulted by a neurosurgeon and 19.9% by a rheumatologist. The most common initial diagnosis was fibromyalgia, 52.6% (140), followed by ankylosing spondylitis, 28.9% (77), and lumbar disc hernia, 12.7% (34).

Conclusion. The vast majority of patients were initially evaluated by healthcare providers other than rheumatologists and mostly diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Efforts to increase awareness and to educate first healthcare providers may shorten the diagnostic delay time.
Nailfold capillaroscopy in systemic diseases: short overview for internal medicine
Authors: Dima Alina , Berza Ioana , Popescu Daniela Nicoleta , Parvu Magda Ileana
Published: April 2021

Nailfold capillaroscopy (NFC) is now one of the main imaging tools in systemic sclerosis and imposed over time as an easy, non-invasive method for the nailfold microvascular bed assessment.

In qualitative NFC normal pattern is characterized by homogeneous, parallel fashion arrangement of the last capillaries row as well as by capillaries with hairpin or non-specific variations like tortuous and/ or crossing shape.

Nailfold capillaroscopy is strongly recommended for evaluation of all patients with Raynaud phenomenon. Appearance of giant capillaries is chronologically the first relevant finding for scleroderma spectrum disorders development (systemic sclerosis, dermatomyositis, undifferentiated and mixed connective tissue disease). Collapses of the giant loops generate microhemorrhages and further capillary loss with subsequent hypoxia, and neoangiogenesis seen as ramified/ bushy capillaries. Nailfold capillaroscopy is indicated especially in systemic sclerosis, being also included in the classification criteria.

Based on these major NFC pathologic findings (giant capillaries, microhemorrhages, avascularity and neoangiogenesis), three evolutive stages were described in systemic sclerosis, namely the early, active, and late scleroderma pattern.

In other connective tissue diseases than those scleroderma-related, like systemic lupus erythematosus, psoriatic arthritis, or antiphospholipid syndrome, the interest for capillaroscopy is growing, but the attempts of defining specific characteristics failed until now.

Besides qualitative NFC, semiquantitative and quantitative capillaroscopic assessments were proposed for more accurate evaluation. Lately, automated systems are under development. There is still need of more studies to sustain the nailfold capillaroscopy validity as diagnostic and prognostic test.
Impact of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy on esophageal physiology
Authors: Popescu Andrada-Loredana , Ioniţa-Radu Florentina , Jinga Mariana , Balaban Vasile -Daniel , Costache Raluca-Simona , Săvulescu Florin , Fierbinţeanu-Braticevici Carmen
Published: April 2021

Introduction. Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is a popular weight loss surgery technique, but the impact on esophageal physiology and esophagogastric junction is still debatable. The aim of our study was to evaluate the manometric changes of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) after LSG in order to indicate LES manometry pre- procedure.

Methods. In a prospective study we evaluated clinically, with upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, and high-resolution esophageal manometry 45 morbidly obese patients before, and 6–12 months after LSG.

Results. The BMI (body mass index) decreased from 46.28±5.79 kg/m2 to 32.28±4.65 kg/m2 postoperatively (p <0.01), with a reduction of ~14 kg/m2 of BMI, 39.9 (±11.9) kg body weight and 29.9 (± 6.2)% of the TWL (Total Weight Loss index), in a median interval of 7.9 months. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) prevalence increased from 17.8% to 31.1% postoperatively, with new GERD onset in 22.2%, but mild symptomatology (the median GERD-HRQL score increased from 1.56 to 2.84 points). Postoperatory reflux was associated with lower esophageal sphincter (LES) hypotonia, shortening of LES length and IIGP (increased intragastric pressure). Hiatal hernia repair rate was 17.8%, and proton pump inhibitor consumption 20%. After weight loss, the 10 cases of esophagitis discovered preoperatively cured, but 3 patients were diagnosed with de novo esophagitis. The prevalence of manometric dysmotility after LSG was 28.9%, lower than before surgery (44.4%).

Conclusion. Even if GERD remains the main limitation of LSG, the high-resolution esophageal manometry has proved useful and should be implemented in morbidly obese evaluation protocol, to better select the bariatric procedure.
In-Depth Investigation of Contributing Factors to Car-Motorcycle Accidents in Budapest City
Authors: Farooq Danish , Juhasz Janos
Published: April 2021

Car-motorcycle accidents have been reported higher in recent years in Hungary due to increasing number of motorbikes on road. Car-motorcycle collisions mostly lead to fatal and seriously injured accidents mainly due to the vulnerability of motorcyclists and other related factors. The crash investigation studies aim to analyze the main contributing factors that cause fatal road accidents and injury outcomes. The main goal of this study is to evaluate and compare the contributing factors to car-motorcycle accidents in Budapest city by using a microsimulation tool. The procedure utilized the statistical analysis and data sampling to categorize car-motorcycle accidents by dominant accident types based on collision configurations. The police report is used as a data source for designated accidents and simulation models are plotted according to scale (M 1:200). The simulation crash study results observed the main contributing factors to car-motorcycle accidents such as driver behavior, rider behavior and view obstruction. The comprehensive in-depth investigation also found that most of the car drivers and riders could not perform collision avoidance manoeuvres before the collision. This study can help the traffic safety authorities to solve road safety issues by considering the main contributing factors to car-motorcycle collisions. The study also proposes safety measures to avoid car-motorcycle accidents in future.
Design and Execution of Turdas Tunnel
Authors: Nică Flaviu Ioan , Iftimie Teodor
Published: April 2021

The paper presents aspects of the design and execution of the Turdas tunnel located on the local variant (route), on the Coşlariu - Simeria section, from the rehabilitation project of Brasov – Simeria railway line, component part of Pan European Railway Corridor IV, for train circulation with maximum speed of 160km/h. The tunnel crosses through alluvial deposits with silt and clay with locally sand layers at the upper part, sand and gravel with water in the middle part and marly silty clay and neogenic marl, with swelling phenomena, at the lower part. The overburden is between 2.00m and 13.00m. The initial project provided execution in underground, on 510.00m in the central area and from surface at both ends, 225.00m at the entrance and 45.00m at the exit. The new optimized project, based on new geological and geotechnical studies, proposed an execution from surface for the entire length of the tunnel. To establish the optimal solution two methods of surface execution and structural solutions were analyzed comparatively: “Cut and Cover” and “Cover and Cut”. The adopted method was “Cut and Cover”, with a structural solution composed of a temporary retaining structure – diaphragm walls with a special internal lining. This has been divided in six sections with different behavioral types, taking into account the ground configuration in longitudinal profile and the geological and geotechnical data. The technological execution phases are presented in detail. To investigate the behavior of this type of structure under soil and swelling actions, three-dimensional finite element analyses were carried out, taking into account the execution phases for each cross section. A monitoring system was provided to verify the stresses in the temporary retaining structure and the internal lining and also to calibrate future calculations.
Influence of Surface Roughness on Selected Geometric Characteristics of Laser Beam Welded Joints of AW 2099 Alloy
Authors: Šugra Filip , Marônek Milan , Bárta Jozef , Lopatková Michaela , Mičian Miloš
Published: April 2021

Al-Li alloys are used in various industries owing to their good mechanical and physical properties. However, one of the limiting factors of welding the aluminium alloys by laser beam is the high reflectivity of the beam and thus the reduced efficiency of the laser. Reduction of reflectivity can be achieved by increasing the surface roughness, which may have a beneficial effect on the absorption of the laser, resulting into affecting the weld bead dimensions. The paper deals with the analysis of the influence of surface roughness of welded materials on geometry of welded joints. Specimens of AW 2099 alloy 2099 with a thickness of 3 mm were milled to achieve different levels of roughness, and then laser welded. Characteristic dimensions of the welds (weld surface/root width) were measured. The obtained data were statistically analysed using the ANOVA method, in order to assess statistical significance of the influence of individual roughness parameters on the geometric characteristics of welds. The results of the analysis showed that, within the monitored range and surface roughness parameters, only the influence of roughness parameter Rq, Rz on the weld root width can be considered statistically significant.