bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Establishing the Optimal Solution for Obstacle Crossings. Application for Bridge Km.14+162 Placed on the Bypass of Bistrita City
Authors: Iordanescu Radu Adrian
Published: May 2017

The Bistrita city bypass crosses obliquely at km 14+162 the Bistrita river and a local road. In the area where the bridge is situated the river has a width of about 50.00m and the local road has 5.00m, being located at 12.00m from the bank of Bistrita. The bridge should provide a roadway that is 7.80m wide and two sidewalks of 1.50m.

The challenge is to design a bridge that allows the crossing of the two barriers (the river and the local road) in the most efficient way possible from an economical point of view, but in such a way that both the geometrical constraints and the design requirements contained in the family of the European standards Eurocodes are respected.

In order to achieve this goal, the author has investigated the design situation by comparing different possible technical solutions, by conducting a series of parametric studies and by utilizing mathematical optimization techniques.

Following these investigations a 100.00m long bridge resulted. The superstructure is a continuous beam with three spans: 20.00m + 60.00m + 20.00m and consists of a composite steel - concrete deck. The deck cross section is composed of two steel beams with variable height and a reinforced concrete slab disposed on top. This configuration of the superstructure leads to the development of negative reaction forces in the bearings located at the end points of the deck.

The study has covered 8 key steps as follows:

- Establishing the technical solution.

- Establishing the number and the length of the spans.

- Setting the static scheme.

- Determining the optimal cross section of the steel beams.

- Setting longitudinal beam geometry.

- Establishing the number of beams in the cross section.

- Determining the optimal mounting order of the concrete slabs.

- Establishing the optimal type and distribution of the bearing devices.
A review on green supply chain aspects and practices
Authors: Islam Shamimul , Karia Noorliza , Fauzi Firdaus Bin Ahmad , Soliman Mohamed
Published: May 2017

The field of green supply chain is expanding rapidly, and new authors are venturing in this field to conduct further research. Although some literature reviews have beeen conducted over time, a complete list of green supply chain practices is not available. Hence, the objective of this study is to present an up-to-date list of green supply chain practices. To achieve this, the study employed structured review process, as well as critically examined the contents to ensure that the data are filtered from high-quality peer-reviewed journals and from influential authors in this field. 91 high-quality papers were selected from top ten journals in GSCM area to produce the list. A total of 58 green supply chain practices comprising 15 aspects were featured, e.g. reverse logistics, industrial symbiosis, green information technology, green design, carbon management etc. This paper contributes to the existing literature by providing a comprehensive list of aspects and practices of the green supply chain. Finally, limitations and directions for future studies are provided in the conclusion section.
The focus of marketing communication efforts of smes within south Africa
Authors: Kallier Safura Mohamed
Published: May 2017

Marketing communication is seen as a vital activity for the survival and success of SMEs. Traditionally tools such as pamphlets, local newspapers, posters and business cards were primarily used to promote SMEs. Today, however, the communication landscape has evolved due to technological advancements. As a result, there are many more communication tools that can be used by SMEs to conduct marketing communication activities of the business. The focus of this study is thus to determine the usage of traditional and technology-enabled marketing communication tools employed by SMEs in South Africa. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from SMEs in South Africa. The results of this study indicate that most SMEs make use of e-media such as websites and e-mails as marketing communication tools. This article provides insight into the marketing communication tools that are being used by SMEs in South Africa which will contribute to the understanding of SMEs marketing practices. Studies suggest that there are many similarities regarding the challenges faced by SMEs globally and as such the findings of this study can be applied universally.
How Should Liberal Perfectionists Justify the State?
Authors: Mills Chris
Published: May 2017

Liberal institutions should respect citizens as autonomous agents. But what does this mandate require and how should it shape the demands of liberal legitimacy? I trace the contemporary disagreement between liberal perfectionist and anti-perfectionist accounts of legitimacy back to this requirement to respect the autonomy of citizens in order to weigh up how well each approach fulfils this mandate. I argue that further reflection over the nature of respect for the value of personal autonomy gives liberals reason to favour moderate forms of perfectionism and be sceptical of criticisms of perfectionism grounded in concerns over respect.
Some results on the intersection graph of submodules of a module
Authors: Akbari Saieed , Tavallaee Hamid , Khalashi Ghezelahmad Somayeh
Published: May 2017

Let R be a ring with identity and M be a unitary left R-module. The intersection graph of submodules of M, denoted by G(M), is defined to be a graph whose vertices are in one to one correspondence with all non-trivial submodules of M and two distinct vertices are adjacent if and only if the corresponding submodules of M have non-zero intersection. In this paper, we consider the intersection graph of submodules of a module. We determine the structure of modules whose clique numbers are finite. We show that if 1 < ω(G(M)) < ∞, then M is a direct sum of a finite module and a cyclic module, where ω(G(M)) denotes the clique number of G(M). We prove that if ω(G(M)) is not finite, then M contains an infinite clique. Among other results, it is shown that a Noetherian R-module whose intersection of all non-trivial submodules is non-zero, is Artinian.
Class number parities of compositum of quadratic function fields
Authors: Bae Sunghan , Jung Hwanyup
Published: May 2017

The parities of ideal class numbers of compositum of quadratic function fields are studied. Especially, the parities of ideal class numbers of

F

q

(
t
)
(

P

,

Q

)
 and 

F

q

(
t
)
(

P

,

Q

,

R

)

$\mathbb{F}_q(t)(\sqrt P,\sqrt Q) \text{ and } \mathbb{F}_q(t)(\sqrt P,\sqrt Q,\sqrt R)$

are completely determined in detail, where P,Q,R are monic irreducible polynomials of even degrees.
Examples of beurling prime systems
Authors: Al-Maamori Faez A
Published: May 2017

A generalized prime system 𝓟 is a sequence of positive reals p
1, p
2, p
3, … satisfying 1 < p
1 ≤ p
2 ≤ ⋯ ≤ p

n
≤ ⋯ and for which p

n
→ ∞ as n → ∞. The {p

n
} are called generalized primes (or Beurling primes) with the products

p

1

a

1

⋅

p

2

a

2

…

p

k

a

k

${p^{a_{1}}_{1}}\cdot {p^{a_{2}}_{2}}\dots {p^{a_{k}}_{k}}$

(where k ∈ ℕ and a
1, a
2, ⋯, a

k
∈ ℕ ∪ {0}) forming the generalized integers (or Beurling integers).

In this article we generalise Balanzario’s result [BALANZARIO, E.: An example in Beurling’s theory of primes, Acta Arith. 87 (1998), 121–139] by adapting his method to show that for any 0 < α < 1 there is a continuous g-prime system for which

Π

P

(
x
)
=

l
i

(
x
)
+
O
(
x

e

−
(
log
⁡
x

)
α

)
,

$$ \Pi_{\mathcal {P}}(x)={\rm li}(x)+ O(x\text{e}^{-(\log x)^\alpha}), $$

(0.1)

and

N

P

(
x
)
=
ρ
x
+

Ω

±

(
x

e

−
c
(
log
⁡
x

)
β

)
,

$$ \mathcal {N}_{\mathcal {P}}(x)= \rho x + \Omega_{\pm}(x\text{e}^{-c(\log x)^\beta}), $$

(0.2)

We use the method developed by Diamond, Montgomery and Vorhauer [DIAMOND, H.—MONTGOMERY, H.—VORHAUER, U.: Beurling primes with large oscillation, Math. Ann. 334 (2006), 1–36] and Zhang [ZHANG, W.: Beurling primes with RH and Beurling primes with large oscillation, Math. Ann. 337 (2007), 671–704] to prove (by using some measure theoretical results) that there is a discrete system of Beurling primes satisfying (0.1) and (0.2) which is similar to the continuous system.

Finding discrete example is typically more challenging since one cannot control the various growth rates (of π
𝓟(x), 𝓝𝓟(x) and ζ
𝓟(s)) so easily.
Crystal structure of bis(2-(2′-hydroxy-5′-methoxyphenyl)-1H-benzimidazole)boron – tetrahydrofuran (1/1), C36H37N4O6B
Authors: Yin Guo-jie , Zhang Bin
Published: May 2017

C36H37N4O6B, monoclinic, C2/c, a = 9.3404(4) Å, b = 19.8395(10) Å, c = 17.8985(9) Å, β = 103.301(5)°, V = 3226.0(3) Å3, Z = 4, R
gt(F) = 0.0626, wR
ref(F
2) = 0.2086, T = 293 K.
Gender Representation of Athletes in Finnish and Swedish Tabloids
Authors: Laine Antti
Published: May 2017

The study examines quantitatively and qualitatively gender representation in Finnish and Swedish tabloids’ sports coverage during Athens 2004 summer and Turin 2006 winter Olympics. Several media studies argue that sports journalism marginalises women’s sports and sexualises female athletes. The results of this study show that male athletes received more coverage than female athletes in every tabloid, but when the number of domestic participants and their level of success were considered, neither country’s tabloids quantitatively marginalised women’s sports. Qualitative analysis found that research stereotypes showing trivialisation and sexualisation of female athletes were incorrect, with the exception of Finnish tabloids representations of female athletes participating in sports that are considered masculine. For the most part, female athletes were represented in the same way as male athletes. However, it should be emphasised that the material is limited to Olympics coverage: during such major sporting events women are treated more equally, particularly quantitatively.
Qualia of God: Phenomenological Materiality in Introspection, with a Reference to Advaita Vedanta
Authors: Louchakova-Schwartz Olga
Published: May 2017

Applying Michel Henry’s philosophical framework to the phenomenological analysis of religious experience, the author introduces a concept of material introspection and a new theory of the constitution of religious experience in phenomenologically material interiority. As opposed to ordinary mental self-scrutiny, material introspection happens when the usual outgoing attention is reverted onto embodied self-awareness in search of mystical self-knowledge or union with God. Such reversal posits the internal field of consciousness with the self-disclosure of phenomenological materiality. As shown by the example of Vedantic self-inquiry, material introspection is conditioned on the attitude ‘I “see” myself’ and employs reductions which relieve phenomenological materiality from the structuring influence of intentionality; the telos of material introspection is expressed by the inward self-transcendence of intentional consciousness into purified phenomenological materiality. Experience in material introspection is constituted by the self-affection and self-luminosity of phenomenological materiality; experience is recognized as religious due to such essential properties as the capacity of being self-fulfilled, and specific qualitative “what it’s like”(s). Drawing on more than 5000 live accounts of internal religious experience, it is shown that introspective attention can have different trajectories, producing, within a temporal extension of material introspection, different spatial modifications of embodied self-awareness and a variety of corresponding religious experiences.
New amorphous nanophosphors obtained by evaporation of silicates and germanates REE
Authors: Zuev Mikhail G. , Il’ves Vladislav G. , Sokovnin Sergey Yu. , Vasin Andrei A. , Zhuravleva Elena Yu.
Published: May 2017

Amorphous nanophosphors have been produced by pulsed electron beam evaporation of bulk phosphors of rare earth elements (REE) silicates and germanates with oxyapatite structure activated with europium. The processes of crystallization of amorphous nanopowders (NP) have been studied by differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetry (40–1400°C) methods. A modification of the Raman and IR spectra of the samples was found when the particle size decreased from bulk to nanostate due to insignificant polymerization of Si(Ge)O4 tetrahedra. The spectral and luminescence characteristics of the bulk samples as well as nanoamorphous samples have been examined. It was established that Eu3+ forms two types of optical centers. Upon the transition of Sr2Gd8(SiO4)6O2:Eu3+ phosphor from bulk state to nanostate during laser excitation, the luminescence intensity of Eu3+ ions increases 10 times. Blue and white amorphous nanophosphors have been obtained for the first time by evaporation of Ca2M8(SiO4)6O2:Eu (M=Y, Gd) and Ca2La8(GeO4)O2:Eu phosphors. Radiation reduction of ions Eu3+→Eu2+ in electron beam has been presumably found.
Detection of Bordetella avium by TaqMan real-time PCR in tracheal swabs from wildlife birds
Authors: Stenzel T. , Pestka D. , Tykałowski B. , Śmiałek M. , Koncicki A. , Bancerz-Kisiel A.
Published: May 2017

Bordetella avium, the causing agent of bordetellosis, a highly contagious infection of the respiratory tract in young poultry, causes significant losses in poultry farming throughout the world. Wildlife birds can be a reservoir of various pathogens that infect farm animals. For this reason the studies were conducted to estimate the prevalence of Bordetella avium in wildlife birds in Poland. Tracheal swab samples were collected from 650 birds representing 27 species. The bacterial DNA was isolated directly from the swabs and screened for Bordetella avium by TaqMan real-time PCR.

The assay specificity was evaluated by testing DNA isolated from 8 other bacteria that can be present in avian respiratory tract, and there was no amplification from non-Bordetella avium agents. Test sensitivity was determined by preparing standard tenfold serial dilutions of DNA isolated from positive control. The assay revealed to be sensitive, with detection limit of approximately 4.07x10^2 copies of Bordetella avium DNA. The genetic material of Bordetella avium was found in 54.54% of common pheasants, in 9.09% of Eurasian coots, in 3.22% of black-headed gulls and in 2.77% of mallard ducks.

The results of this study point to low prevalence of Bordetella avium infections in wildlife birds. The results also show that described molecular assay proved to be suitable for the rapid diagnosis of bordetellosis in the routine diagnostic laboratory.
Values of apoptosis of lymphocytes and granulocytes in peripheral blood of Polish mixed-breed rabbits in the annual cycle
Authors: Tokarz-Deptuła B. , Hukowska-Szematowicz B. , Niedźwiedzka-Rystwej P. , Trzeciak-Ryczek A. , Deptuła W.
Published: May 2017

The objective of the study was to determine values of apoptosis for peripheral blood lymphocytes and granulocytes, including dependency on the season of the year, in Polish mixed-breed rabbits and in mixed-breed rabbits with the addition of blood of meat-breed rabbits. The study was carried out in four seasons of the year (spring, summer, autumn, winter) involving 120 Polish mixed-breed rabbits - group I, and 120 Polish mixed-breed rabbits with addition of meat-breed rabbit blood - group II. Assessment of apoptosis of lymphocytes and granulocytes was performed using as FACScan cytometer by Becton Dickinson with FACSDiva software (USA), using as ApoFluor®Green Caspase reagent kit (MP Biomedicals, USA) to detect the activity of the total caspase pool 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 in granulocytes and lymphocytes of rabbit peripheral blood. The results for apoptosis of lymphocytes and granulocytes in peripheral blood in the animals investigated (group I and II) were subjected to statistical analysis with the t’Student test at p=0.05. It was noted that, in rabbits from group I, the values for apoptosis of lymphocytes were the highest in winter and autumn (36.02% and 31.24%, respectively), and the lowest in spring and summer (26.73% and 22.72%, respectively), whereas in the case of granulocytes the highest values were in summer and spring (14.69% and 12.95%, respectively), and the lowest in winter and autumn (8.16% and 8.57%, respectively). In mixed-breed rabbits with the addition of meat-breed blood (group II), the values for apoptosis of lympocytes were the highest in spring (29.13%), and the lowest in summer (25.43%); whereas in the case of granulocytes the highest values were in summer and spring (14.0% and 11.15%, respectively), and the lowest in autumn and winter (7.46% and 7.64%, respectively).
Thromboelastographic profile of goat blood after the experimental injury of the femoral artery and use of QuikClot gauze and Celox gauze dressings
Authors: Sobiech P. , Adamiak Z. , Holak P. , Jastrzębski P. , Rogowski J. , Brzeziński M. , Bury K. , Jałyński M. , Baumgartner W.
Published: May 2017

The aim of this study was to evaluate the suitability of thromboelastometry for the analysis of blood test results in goats after the use of hemostatic dressings to control massive bleeding. The study was carried out on 12 goats, 6 animals in each of two subgroups. In all experimental animals incision of the femoral artery was performed, and bleeding was controlled with QuikClot gauze in the first group and Celox gauze in the second group. Dressings were applied for 60 minutes. Blood samples for thromboelastometry were collected from the jugular vein before the incision and 60 min after the application of a dressing. Clotting time (CT), clot formation time (CFT), maximum clot firmness (MCF) and α angle (°) were measured in three standard ROTEM assays (system with generation of reaction curve, numerical parameters and size of the blood clot): intrinsic coagulation pathway (INTEM), extrinsic coagulation pathway (EXTEM) and functional fibrinogen (FIBTEM). Complete hemostasis of the injured femoral artery was found in all goats. No significant differences between pre- and post-incision thromboelastometric parameters were found in any tests in any of the groups, which indicates that the use of dressings was not associated with blood coagulation disorders. This study is the first to describe the use of thromboelastometry in goats for the assessment of clot formation and hemostatic disorders.
Effect of boar ejaculate fraction, extender type and time of storage on quality of spermatozoa
Authors: Dziekońska A. , Świąder K. , Koziorowska-Gilun M. , Mietelska K. , Zasiadczyk Ł. , Kordan W.
Published: May 2017

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect the sperm-rich fraction (F1) and the post-F1 fraction (F2) on the quality of boar spermatozoa stored in a liquid state. Ejaculates were collected from three Polish Landrace boars. Each ejaculate fraction was diluted with BTS short-term extender and Safe-Cell Plus (SCP) long-term extender and stored for seven days (D1-D7) at 17°C. Analyses included sperm motility parameters, normal apical ridge (NAR) acrosomes and plasma membrane integrity (PMI). Prior to the dilution of fractions, marked changes (p<0.05) were noted between F1 and F2 in progressive motility (PMOT), velocity average pathway (VAP) and velocity straight line (VCL). After the ejaculate was diluted, the type of fraction and type of extender significantly affected (p<0.05) PMOT, being markedly higher (p<0.05) for F1 extended in BTS. No marked changes (p<0.05) were observed between F1 and F2 extended in SCP for any of the analyzed sperm quality parameters during seven days of storage. Significantly higher (p<0.05) values of sperm quality parameters were noted in F1 compared with F2 for BTS on D7 of storage. The results of the four-way ANOVA analysis indicate that boar, fraction of ejaculate, extender type and day of storage had significant effects on the quality of boar stored spermatozoa. The F1 was characterised by higher quality of spermatozoa during storage in comparison with F2 in the short-term extender. Using the long-term extender containing the proteins allowed for a better application of F2, which could be important for the pig industry.
Molecular characterization and detection of enterotoxins, methicillin resistance genes and antimicrobial resistance of Staphylococcus aureus from fish and ground beef
Authors: Arslan S. , Özdemir F.
Published: May 2017

A total of 120 samples including 40 freshwaterfish(Oncorhynchus mykiss), 40 seawater fish (Sparus aurata) and 40 ground beef samples were examined for the presence of Staphylococcus aureus. The isolates were identified using biochemical tests and a PCR for the species-specific fragment (Sa442) and thermonuclease gene (nucA). The presence of staphylococcal enterotoxin genes (sea, seb, sec, sed and see), toxin genes (eta, etb, tsst), methicillin resistance gene (mecA) and some phenotypic virulence factors was also tested. Genotypic characterization of the isolates was analyzed by PCR-RFLP of the coa gene. Overall, 36 (30%) meat samples were contaminated with S. aureus. Of the 36 isolates, 3 (8.3%) were found to be positive for enterotoxin genes. Only 1 isolate (5.9%) from ground beef had the sea gene. In addition, 1 (12.5%) of the freshwater fish and 1 (9.1%) of the seawater fish carried both the sea and sed genes. The presence of seb, sec, see, eta, etb and tsst was not detected among the isolates of S. aureus. The amplified coa gene revealed five different clusters. Seven and six distinct RFLP patterns were obtained with AluI and HaeIII digestion, respectively. All isolates were found to be positive for slime, hemolytic and DNase activity while 41.7% of them were beta-lactamase positive. The presence of methicillin resistance was neither detected by PCR nor the disk diffusion method. A total of 94.4% of the isolates were resistant to at least one antimicrobial while 44.4% of them were resistant to at least two or more antimicrobials.
Influence of β2- and β3-adrenoceptor agonists on contractile activity of the porcine myometrium in the luteal phase and the first days of pregnancy
Authors: Markiewicz W. , Jaroszewski J.J.
Published: May 2017

This study analysed the relaxant properties of salbutamol (β2-adrenoceptors agonist) and BRL 37344 (β3-adrenoceptors agonist) regarding the contractility of porcine myometrium on days 10-14 of the oestrous cycle (cyclic group; n = 10) and on days 3-5 of pregnancy (early pregnant group; n = 6). The activity of myometrial strips (tension, frequency and amplitude) was recorded under isometric conditions using force transducers. The contractility was assessed further following the administration of increasing concentrations of the agonists (10-9-10-4M), both with and without β-adrenoceptor antagonists (butaxamine - a selective β2- adrenoceptor antagonist, propranolol- a non-selective β1- and β2-adrenoceptor antagonist and bupranolol - a non-selective β1-, β2- and β3-adrenoceptor antagonist) at a concentration of 10-4M. Although neither salbutamol nor BRL 37344 caused changes in the tension, at the highest concentrations they decreased the frequency and amplitude of contractions. These changes were more evident after salbutamol treatment and in the early pregnant group. Antagonists given alone did not cause changes in the parameters examined but changed some activity of the agonists. Butoxamine reduced the decrease in frequency and amplitude induced by salbutamol and produced a decrease in the tension after BRL 37344 treatment in the early pregnant group. Propranolol reduced the decrease in frequency and amplitude induced by salbutamol in both examined groups and did not cause significant changes in BRL 37344 activity. The administration of bupranolol before salbutamol treatment caused an increase in the tension and reduced the decrease in the frequency in the cyclic group. Moreover, bupranolol eliminated a decrease in frequency and induced an increase in amplitude caused by BRL 37344 in both groups and these changes were more evident in the early pregnant group. The data indicates that both β2- and β3-adenoreceptors are involved in the regulation of the contractility in both groups, but the changes after agonists and antagonists treatment are more evident in the early pregnant myometrium.
Short-term heart rate variability in dogs with sick sinus syndrome or chronic mitral valve disease as compared to healthy controls
Authors: Bogucki Sz. , Noszczyk-Nowak A.
Published: May 2017

Heart rate variability is an established risk factor for mortality in both healthy dogs and animals with heart failure. The aim of this study was to compare short-term heart rate variability (ST-HRV) parameters from 60-min electrocardiograms in dogs with sick sinus syndrome (SSS, n=20) or chronic mitral valve disease (CMVD, n=20) and healthy controls (n=50), and to verify the clinical application of ST-HRV analysis. The study groups differed significantly in terms of both time - and frequency- domain ST-HRV parameters. In the case of dogs with SSS and healthy controls, particularly evident differences pertained to HRV parameters linked directly to the variability of R-R intervals. Lower values of standard deviation of all R-R intervals (SDNN), standard deviation of the averaged R-R intervals for all 5-min segments (SDANN), mean of the standard deviations of all R-R intervals for all 5-min segments (SDNNI) and percentage of successive R-R intervals >50 ms (pNN50) corresponded to a decrease in parasympathetic regulation of heart rate in dogs with CMVD. These findings imply that ST-HRV may be useful for the identification of dogs with SSS and for detection of dysautonomia in animals with CMVD.
Impact of Physical Parameters on Dosing Errors due to a Syringe Exchange in Multi-Infusion Therapy
Authors: Snijder Roland A. , Konings Maurits K. , van den Hoogen Agnes , Timmerman Annemoon M.D.E.
Published: May 2017

Introduction

Infusion therapy is challenging and dosing errors may occur due to physical phenomena related to the infusion hardware, despite the use of accurate syringe pumps. These errors typically occur after interventions, such as the exchange of a syringe. We aimed to characterize and quantify dosing errors due to a syringe exchange in relation to physical properties of infusion hardware.

Methods

An analytical simulation model was used to investigate dosing errors due to two different syringe exchange protocols (variations). Each protocol involved a fast syringe pump, containing a non-critical medication, and a slow syringe pump, containing a critical drug. The protocols were also reproduced in

Results

The syringe exchange of the slow pump resulted in an additional delay of up to 3536 seconds due to backflow. Syringe exchange of the fast pump resulted in an undiluted volume of critical drug (0.17 ml) accumulated in the infusion system, which may result in a dosing error rate of 2400 %. The quantity of the dosing errors are related to the syringe exchange duration; however, impact of infusion hardware properties is generally larger. Smaller syringes, catheters with larger diameters and less compliant infusion systems in general give rise to smaller dosing errors during a syringe exchange. If both lines are clamped, additional dosing errors can be prevented.

Conclusion

Infusion hardware has a substantial impact on the dosing errors during a syringe exchange. Clamping or blocking the infusion lines using, e. g. stopcocks, on all infusion lines during a syringe exchange is essential.
Breast dynamic contrast enhanced MRI: fibrocystic changes presenting as a non-mass enhancement mimicking malignancy
Authors: Milosevic Zorica C. , Nadrljanski Mirjan M. , Milovanovic Zorka M. , Gusic Nina Z. , Vucicevic Slavko S. , Radulovic Olga S.
Published: May 2017

Background

We aimed to analyse the morphokinetic features of breast fibrocystic changes (nonproliferative lesions, proliferative lesions without atypia and proliferative lesions with atypia) presenting as a non-mass enhancement (NME)in dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) examination.

Patients and methods

Forty-six patients with histologically proven fibrocystic changes (FCCs) were retrospectively reviewed, according to Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) lexicon. Prior to DCE-MRI examination, a unilateral breast lesion suspicious of malignancy was detected clinically, on mammography or breast ultrasonography.

Results

The predominant features of FCCs presenting as NME in DCE-MRI examination were: unilateral regional or diffuse distribution (in 35 patients or 76.1%), heterogeneous or clumped internal pattern of enhancement (in 36 patients or 78.3%), plateau time-intensity curve (in 25 patients or 54.3%), moderate or fast wash-in (in 31 patients or 67.4%).Nonproliferative lesions were found in 11 patients (24%), proliferative lesions without atypia in 29 patients (63%) and lesions with atypia in six patients (13%), without statistically significant difference of morphokinetic features, except of the association of clustered microcysts with proliferative dysplasia without atypia.

Conclusions

FCCs presenting as NME in DCE-MRI examination have several morphokinetic features suspicious of malignancy, therefore requiring biopsy (BI-RADS 4). Nonproliferative lesions, proliferative lesions without atypia and proliferative lesions with atypia predominantly share the same predefined DCE-MRI morphokinetic features.
On the performance of immobilized cell bioreactors utilizing a magnetic field
Authors: Al-Qodah Zakaria , Al-Shannag Mohammad , Al-Bosoul Mamdouh , Penchev Ivan , Al-Ahmadi Hamed , Al-Qodah Khaled
Published: May 2017

This review focuses on the performance of immobilized cell bioreactors utilizing a magnetic field. These reactors utilized immobilized cells on magnetic particles or beads as the solid phase. All published research papers dealing with the performance of immobilized cell bioreactors utilizing a magnetic field from the early 1960s to the present time were considered and analyzed. It was noted that many microorganisms such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae were immobilized on different supports in these reactors. These papers used the magnetic field for several purposes, mainly for the stabilization of magnetic particles to prevent their washout from the column while operating with relatively high substrate flow rates to enhance mass transfer processes. It was observed that most publications used an axial magnetic field. In addition, most of the magnetic particles were prepared by entrapment. Some comments are presented at the end of the review which show the gaps in this promising application.
Labor Demand and Unequal Payments: Does Wage Dispersion Matter? Using German Employer-Employee Data to Analyze the Influence of Intra-Firm Wage Inequality on Labor Demand
Authors: Koelling Arnd
Published: May 2017

A theoretical analysis examines the relationship between intra-firm wage dispersion and employment at establishments. The analysis relies on the absence of a theoretical consensus regarding the influence of wage dispersion on labor demand. To prove the theoretical considerations, regressions were conducted on German linked employer-employee data from the Institute for Employment Research (LIAB) for 1996 through 2008. More specifically, fractional probit models for the panel data and a fixed effects regression with a log-odds transformation of the dependent variable were used to estimate the share equations of a labor demand model, including different measures of wage dispersion. The results illustrate a negative influence of the residual wage inequality that takes into account the composition of the workforce in the establishment. In addition, an increasing wage dispersion at the lower end of the wage distribution decreases the labor demand of the establishment; however, this leads to the estimates of the overall wage dispersion becoming insignificant.
Global Derivatives Market
Authors: Stankovska Aleksandra
Published: May 2017

Globalization of financial markets led to the enormous growth of volume and diversification of financial transactions. Financial derivatives were the basic elements of this growth. Derivatives play a useful and important role in hedging and risk management, but they also pose several dangers to the stability of financial markets and thereby the overall economy. Derivatives are used to hedge and speculate the risk associated with commerce and finance.

When used to hedge risks, derivative instruments transfer the risks from the hedgers, who are unwilling to bear the risks, to parties better able or more willing to bear them. In this regard, derivatives help allocate risks efficiently between different individuals and groups in the economy. Investors can also use derivatives to speculate and to engage in arbitrage activity. Speculators are traders who want to take a position in the market; they are betting that the price of the underlying asset or commodity will move in a particular direction over the life of the contract.

In addition to risk management, derivatives play a very useful economic role in price discovery and arbitrage. Financial derivatives trading are based on leverage techniques, earning enormous profits with small amount of money.
The International Humanitarian Response to the Refugee Crisis Along the Balkan Route in the View of Strategies of International Organizations
Authors: Latifi Veton
Published: May 2017

Being one of the largest movements of displaced people through European borders since World War Two, the Syrian refugee crisis of 2015 and 2016, tested the coordination of the states and international organizations, and as well as the strategies for response of the latter to such enormous fluxes of displaced people along the Balkan corridor. The quick on-time reaction of the specialized humanitarian international organizations made significant achievements by the international organizations in terms of humanitarian assistance for the refugees and support for the governments of the region. Their approach mainly sought to create a partnership with the governments of the Balkan route in handling the serious humanitarian challenges (with a different strategy compared to other experiences, mainly this time through providing assistance and protection to the refugees throughout the corridor of the refugee crisis), it showed how important is such coordination at the end, with an aim to avoid further human catastrophes along refugee routes, and to avoid major security repercussions for the countries of the region.

With a comparative approach, the paper analyzes the response of the international organizations in terms of the strategies they have applied along the Balkan human corridor and their new innovative approaches used in terms of the coordination with the local authorities and governments of the Balkan route. Different to previous forms of humanitarian interventions and dynamics of the refugee crisis (dissolution of Yugoslavia in 1990s), the roles of the international organizations along the Balkan human corridor following the Syrian war of 2015 and 2016 have shaped many innovative dimensions, including firstly their advising orientation and support for refugees and local authorities (mainly through providing help on legal issues). Apart from humanitarian activities for delivering direct aid, the major intergovernmental organizations (most of them operating under the umbrella of the UN) following the implementation of border controls from very beginning of the refugee crisis have been focused in supporting the local authorities as well as on regulating the flow of migrants. The strategies of response by the international organizations in the latest case of the Balkan human corridor notably shifted from the classical humanitarian dimension of their reactions. These strategies have played as well an important role in advising, and especially in developing a partnership with the local authorities capacity building and legal support for both local institutions and refugees. However, through the comparative approaches the paper identifies that there are different models of management roles played by the specialized international organizations in various countries of the Balkan route and its frontiers.
Low genetic diversity in the endangeredTaxus yunnanensisfollowing a population bottleneck, a low effective population size and increased inbreeding
Authors: Miao Y. C. , Zhang Z. J. , Su J. R.
Published: May 2017

Taxus yunnanensis,which is an endangered tree that is considered valuable because it contains the effective natural anticancer metabolite taxol and heteropolysaccharides, has long suffered from severe habitat fragmentation. In this study, the levels of genetic diversity in two populations of 136 individuals were analyzed based on eleven polymorphic microsatellite loci. Our results suggested that these two populations were characterized by low genetic diversity (NE= 2.303/2.557;HO= 0.168/0.142;HE= 0.453/0.517), a population bottleneck, a low effective population size (Ne = 7/9), a high level of inbreeding (FIS= 0.596/0.702), and a weak, but significant spatial genetic structure (Sp = 0.001,b= −0.001*). Habitat fragmentation, seed shadow overlap and limited seed and pollen dispersal and potential selfing may have contributed to the observed gene tic structure. The results of the present study will enable development of practical conservation measures to effectively conserve the valuable genetic resources of this endangered plant.
Development and characterization of EST-SSR markers for Taxus mairei (Taxaceae) and their transferability across species
Authors: Wu X. , Wen Y. , Ueno S. , Tsumura Y.
Published: May 2017

Taxus is an important genus which is well-known for Taxol. Its genetic analyses were lagged behind those of other conifers due to lack of suitable molecular markers. In this paper, we explored polymorphic loci for Taxus mairei and tested their transferability across species based on 150 EST-SSR loci already developed for Taxus cuspidata previously. The results showed that 103 loci were polymorphic, the number of alleles per locus ranged from 2 to 11 over 16 individuals. The observed heterozygosity (Ho
) and expected heterozygosity (He
) varied from 0 to 1 and 0.0625 to 0.891, respectively. The PIC values ranged from 0.11 to 0.754 with an average of 0.453. The average cross-species transferability was 96.07% among 5 species. Most of these loci can be used as universal markers in Taxus genus. The PCA results showed these markers have strong power to identify different species. These markers will be useful for further studies on genetic analysis and conversation of Taxus mairei.
Slovenian Communist Legacy: After 25 Years of Independence of Slovenian Nation
Authors: Prijon Lea
Published: May 2017

It has been 25 years since Slovenia’s independence from Yugoslavia, but nevertheless it seems that Slovenia can not break its ties with the communist tradition, which for decades dictated and limited the life of Slovenians and hindered Slovenia’s development in general. Even transition (on economic and political filed) has failed, although in its beginnings it seemed that Slovenia would be a story of success. The paper deals with the rise of the Communist Party and the Communist regime and its impact on Slovenian developments till nowadays.
The Good, Bad, and Ugly of Populism: A Comparative Analysis of the U.S. and Slovakia
Authors: Walter Aaron T.
Published: May 2017

The dynamics of political campaigning is as unique as the people and party platforms that inhabit the campaign period. The progress of certain political personalities or of political parties themselves insure a positivity to the political process in contrast to statism. Not all change is welcome surely, but the fact that such activity occurs within pluralist democracy is a sign of vitality in both practice and principle. One such change in recent political campaigns has been the increased popularity of candidates and parties espousing populist platforms and rhetoric. While in the United States, such represented interest is historically based from the late nineteenth century, in Slovakia it is more recent, but no less significant in its historical roots. In the following paper the methodology of a comparative analysis is employed to investigate populism within the United States and Slovakia while utilizing the theoretical context of neoclassical realism that has populism in the national context: personalization of politics, catch-all policies, media centricity, professionalization and political marketing.
Determinants of Access to Formal Credit by the Poor Households
Authors: Biyase Mduduzi , Fisher Bianca
Published: May 2017

This paper investigates the determinants of access to formal credit by poor households in South Africa. Despite some progress in poverty reduction in the recent years, it remains astonishingly high by historical and international standards. Access to credit is believed by some scholars to be a primary means to address poverty and improve the standards of living of poor households. Thus, it is necessary to identify the determinants of the propensity to borrow and of the amount that is borrowed. Using 2008-2012 data from the National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS), a Heckman Selection model was estimated. The results from this study suggest that age of the household head, race, educational level, gender, employment, geographic location of households affect the propensity to borrow by poor households in South Africa.
Comparison of two inference approaches in Gaussian graphical models
Authors: Purutçuoğlu Vilda , Ayyıldız Ezgi , Wit Ernst
Published: May 2017

Introduction

The Gaussian Graphical Model (GGM) is one of the well-known probabilistic models which is based on the conditional independency of nodes in the biological system. Here, we compare the estimates of the GGM parameters by the graphical lasso (glasso) method and the threshold gradient descent (TGD) algorithm.

Methods

We evaluate the performance of both techniques via certain measures such as specificity, F-measure and AUC (area under the curve). The analyses are conducted by Monte Carlo runs under different dimensional systems.

Results

The results indicate that the TGD algorithm is more accurate than the glasso method in all selected criteria, whereas, it is more computationally demanding than this method too.

Discussion and conclusion

Therefore, in high dimensional systems, we recommend glasso for its computational efficiency in spite of its loss in accuracy and we believe than the computational cost of the TGD algorithm can be improved by suggesting alternative steps in inference of the network.
The Multi-sensory landscape as an inspiration in the creation of a tourism product
Authors: Rogowski Mateusz
Published: May 2017

Stimulated by growing competition in the tourism market, the offer available needs to be continuously enhanced, and as a result those doing the development reach out for increasingly sophisticated measures. An important element in this context is the popular multi-sensory perception of landscape which guarantees that the tourism product created will be interesting and unique. This helps to provide more interesting experiences and achieve greater involvement, which undoubtedly allows greater satisfaction to be drawn from participation in tourism activities. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate tha the multi-sensory approach to landscape may be applied in the creation process of the tourism product, and this proposition will be supported with examples corresponding to particular landscape stimuli. The author intends to show that contemporary tourism offers benefit from the phenomenon of the multi-sensory landscape more and more frequently.
Evaluation of the visual attractiveness of the landscape in selected areas in Poland
Authors: Podhorodecka Katarzyna
Published: May 2017

In the article photographs presenting the natural landscape of various areas of Poland: lowlands, highlands, lake districts, mountains, cliffs and dune coastlines, have been analyzed. Moreover, photographs presenting diverse natural landscapes in a single image were selected too. The purpose of this article is to answer to the following questions: Do tourists appreciate diverse natural landscapes more highly?; Is there any difference between men and women?; Do national tourists differ from foreign tourists? The study was conducted among a group of 174 students of Geography and Spatial Development as well as among foreign students who had come to Poland on the Erasmus program. The research took place between October 2015 and May 2016.
The importance of benchmarking in the innovative activities of tourism enterprises: The case study of LOT SA Polish Airlines
Authors: Gierczak-Korzeniowska Beata
Published: May 2017

The aim of this article is to identify the importance of benchmarking as a source of innovation in the activities of tourism enterprises through the case study of LOT S.A. Polish Airlines. To expand, the objective was to identify the departments within the company which used benchmarking as a stimulus to create a new or improve an existing offer. The subject was an airline belonging to Star Alliance and 27 employees from selected departments. The study used questionnaires and. with managers of selected departments only, open standardized interviews. Statistical inference methods, including a chi-square test, were applied to analyse the data. Although the introduction of benchmarking in the company's structure allows for a quick escape route from a cycle of limitation in the company’s own culture and standard behaviour (and the acquisition of knowledge during the process gives rise to new and innovative ideas) the importance of this method in innovative activities did not result in any practical application. A lack of knowledge about benchmarking was noticeable, and an identification of this method with a simple competitive analysis resulted in failures in business activity as well as a lack of creativity in its application.
Molecular structure of a brominated 2-benzazepinone – a crucial intermediate in the synthesis of novel chemokine CCR2 receptor antagonists
Authors: Kokornaczyk Artur K. , Thum Simone , Daniliuc Constantin G. , Junker Anna , Wünsch Bernhard
Published: May 2017

Chemokines (chemoattractant cytokines) together with their receptors represent key players in inflammatory processes. In order to develop novel chemokine CCR2 and CCR5 receptor antagonists, 2-benz-azepin-1-one 5 was prepared, which showed promising CCR2 affinity. During the synthesis, regioisomeric bromo substituted β-keto esters 4a and 4b had to be separated. A crystal structure determination of the regioisomer 4b displayed unequivocally the bromine atom in the 7-position and the existence of 4b as the enol ester tautomer. Although the 7-membered azepine ring is rather flat, it is distorted around the 3-methylene moiety.
Synthesis, biological activity and molecular modeling study of new Schiff bases incorporated with indole moiety
Authors: Halawa Ahmed H. , El-Gilil Shimaa Mohamed Abd , Bedair Ahmed H. , Shaaban Mohamed , Frese Marcel , Sewald Norbert , Eliwa Essam M. , El-Agrody Ahmed M.
Published: May 2017

A new series of heterocyclic Schiff bases 2–9 containing indole moiety were synthesized by facile and efficient condensation of indole-3/2/5-carboxaldehyde (1a/1b/1c) with different aromatic and heterocyclic primary amines using conventional and/or microwave irradiation methods. The structures of the obtained compounds were assigned by sophisticated spectroscopic and spectrometric techniques (1D-NMR, 2D-NMR and MS). The synthesized compounds were screened for their cytotoxicity and antibacterial activities. In vitro cytotoxicity screening revealed that compound 5 exhibited moderate activity against KB-3-1 cell line (IC50=57.7 μM) while 5-indolylimino derivative 7 indicated close to the activity (IC50=19.6 μM) in comparison with the positive control (+)-Griseofulvin (IC50=19.2 μM), while the tested compounds 5, 6b, 7 and 9 revealed good or moderate antibacterial activity. In addition, molecular docking study of Schiff bases 2–9 was performed by Molecular Operating Environment (MOE 2014.09) program on the matrix metalloproteinase-8 (MMP-8) (Protein Data Bank (PDB) ID: 1MNC) in an attempt to explore their mode of action as anticancer drugs.