bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
EXPLORATION OF ENDOPHYTIC FUNGI OF DRAGON SCALE’S FERN (Pyrrosia piloselloides (L.) M.G. Price) AS AN ANTIBACTERIAL SOURCES
Authors: Asiandu Angga Puja , Widjajanti Hary , Nurnawati Elisa
Published: December 2019

Endophytic fungi are fungi which live inside the host plant tissue and have been undergone a horizontal gene transfer process. Endophytic fungi are able to synthesize the same bioactive compounds which synthesized by their host plants. The host plant used in this research was dragon’s scales fern (Pyrrosia piloselloides (L.) M.G. Price). Dragon’s scales fern produces various of bioactive compounds which used as antibacterial agents such as polyphenols. This research was aimed to obtain endophytic fungi isolates from trophophyll fronds and sporophyll fronds of dragon’s scales fern, to determine the antibacterial activity of the secondary metabolite extracts of endophytic fungi, to determine the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC), to determine the characteristics of the endophytic fungi isolates which potentially as antibacterial source. Based on the research, 13 endophytic fungi isolates were obtained from dragon’s scales fern fronds consist of 5 isolates from trophophyll fronds and 8 isolates from sporophyll fronds. The antibacterial activity test showed that the extract of secondary metabolites of the isolate DTP2 had the highest inhibition zone diameter against E.coli 14.82 ± 4.05 mm, DTP4 against S.aureus 8.80 ± 0.03 mm and DSP4 against S.dysentriae 10.15 ± 0.36 mm. MIC of ethyl acetate extracts of secondary metabolites of isolate DTP2 against E.coli was 125 µg/mL, DTP4 against S.aureus was 125 µg/mL and DSP4 against S.dysentriae was 31.25 µg/mL. The endophytic fungi isolate DTP2 identified as Aureobasidium melanogenum, DTP4 identified as Penicillium alliisativi and DSP4 identified as Aspergillus flocculosus.
ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY of THE SECONDARY METABOLITES PRODUCED by ENDOPHYTIC FUNGI ISOLATED from JERUJU (Acanthus ilicifolius L.) PLANT
Authors: Putri Amanda Rahmaniah , Salni Salni , Widjajanti Harry
Published: December 2019

Twelve endophytic fungi were isolated from Jeruju plant. Three of which have the best antioxidant activity, namely Culvularia lunata DJS1, Diaporthe phaseolorum DJS2, and Colletotrichum siamense BJS4. The fungi can produce secondary metabolites that have the potential as antioxidant compounds. This study aims to isolate the antioxidant compound using a chromatography column and test the antioxidant activity using DPPH method. Isolation of secondary metabolites produced 40 eluates. The IC50 value of DJS111 and BJS42 eluates were 10.20 µg/ml and 20.89 µg/ml, which is an antioxidant compound with very strong activity. The IC50 value of DJS24 eluate was 54.45 µg/ml, which is strong antioxidant activity. DJS111 eluate has antioxidant activity that approaches to ascorbic acid as a standart antioxidant compound (7.76µg/ml). From TLC, DJS111 contains flavonoid compound and DJS24 and BJS42 contain terpenoid compound.
EFECT OF LEAF FERTILIZER ON SECOND TREATMENT TO THREE GENOTYPES CORN EFFICIENT CROPS IN TIDAL LAND
Authors: Andesta Andesta , Munandar Munandar , Yakup Yakup
Published: December 2019

This study aims to determine the effect of leaf fertilizer on three nutrient efficient corn genotypes in tidal land. This research was coducted  in Village Mulia sari, Sub-district Tanjung Lago, District Banyuasin, South Sumatra in the noble village of Sari Tanjung Lago sub-district from August to December 2017. This study uses the Split Plot Design consisting of 3 factors, namely the first factor of genotype, the second factor is the dose of urea A0 = 0 kg, A1 = 250 kg, A2 = 300 kg and the third factor of leaf fertilizer consists of: P0 = (control without spraying), P1 = 30 days of spray, P2 = 45 days of spray, P3 = 30 + 45 days of spray, P4 = 60 days of spray, P5 = 75 days of spray, P6 = 60 + 75 days of spray. repeated three times. Observation results used of 300 kg of urea fertilizer and leaf fertilizer had a good influence on the growth of G3 corn genotypes and the production of corn plants in tidal land. The combination of giving 300 kg of urea fertilizer + leaf fertilizer gives a pretty good influence on the growth of G3 corn genotypes with a production of 7.44 Ton/hectares
The Importance of Using SOX10 for Exact Diagnosis of Desmoplastic Melanoma
Authors: Adamicova K , Fetisovova Z , Bobrovska M , Homola I
Published: December 2019

Desmoplastic malignant melanoma is a rare variant of spindle cell melanoma commonly seen in older adults on sun-exposed areas. It accounts for 1–4 % of all cases of cutaneous melanoma. The common location of the desmoplastic melanoma is the head and neck region, whereasother sites are less common. A 45-year-old male presented with an proliferative growth on nose, after a trauma that was diagnosed as tumor. Histopathological examination with the help of wide panel of immunohistochemical methods and with emphasis on SOX10, was, after a broad diferential diagnosis concluded as a desmoplastic melanoma.
Landsliding as a Limit to Possible Territorial Development in the Kysuce Region
Authors: Barančoková Mária , Barančok Peter
Published: December 2019

The growing development of settlements in mountainous areas and their sustainable development constantly requires new approaches to assess the land in terms of occurrence of landslides. The flysch zone, where the monitored area is located, is one of the most landslide prone areas in Slovakia. Landslides respond sensitively to the quality of the individual factors that form the landscape and to the change of natural conditions. Their occurrence is a geo-barrier that reduces or totally prevents the use of natural environment and negatively affects the life of population and territorial development. The reason for the increased hazard of landslides is not only demographic pressure on territories, but also its poor management. Consistent spatial planning addresses not only the spatial layout but also the functional use of the territory. Landslides represent one of the limits of land use. This study is based on the assessment of landsliding as a limit to possible territorial development. The input parameters for the assessment were elements of the current landscape structure (built up structure, forest stands, transitional woodland-shrubs, traditional agricultural land, permanent grasslands and arable land) and occurring landslides (active, potential and stabilized). On most of the determined elements of the landscape, landslides occur on about a quarter of their area. They have a smaller share only in areas of mixed forests, built up areas and have the smallest share on arable land. Potential landslides have the largest proportion on all landscape elements. They occupy the largest areas on coniferous forests (1578.93 ha) and on permanent grasslands (741.33 ha). By evaluating the overall endangerment of the area by landslides according to the degree of threat, we found that the greatest threat of landslides is in the Skalité and Svrčinovec cadastral areas, the smallest threat is in the Čadca cadastral area. In addition to the danger of landsliding in the individual elements of the landscape, we have also set limits for its development. Spatial planning limits have been divided into two categories according to the sectors they affect the most: limiting the development of an area assigned for residential building, or restricting the development of an area designed for agricultural and forestry purposes.
Fitting Competing Models of the Population Abundance Distribution: Land Snails from Nikopol Manganese Ore Basin Technosols
Authors: Kunakh Olga , Kovalenko Darya
Published: December 2019

This paper examines the temporal dynamics of terrestrial mollusks of the Nikopol manganese ore basin technosols. The research was carried out at the Research Centre of the Dnipro Agrarian and Economic University in Pokrov (Ukraine). Sampling was carried out in 2012–2014 on four variants of artificial soil: formed on red-brown clays, on loess-like loams, on gray-green clays, and on humus-rich layer. The distribution of the number of individuals in a mollusk population was described by broken stick, Motomura, log-normal, Zipf, and Zipf-Mandelbrot models. It was shown that the series of models that best describe mollusk abundance distribution is specific for a particular species and technosols type and generally is invariant over time.
Breeding Biology of Booted Eagle Hieraaetus Pennatus (Gmelin, Jf, 1788): The First Study in North Africa
Authors: Bouchahdane Issam , Boukhemza Mohamed , Souttou Karim , Derridj Arezki
Published: December 2019

Knowledge and study of breeding birds’ biology is essential to understand the dynamic, assess productivity and identify threats. The population of booted eagles (Hieraaetus pennatus) was studied during three consecutive breeding seasons (2013−2015) in the Chettabah forest. Each year, arrivals of Booted eagles are recorded during March (15 individuals in 2013, 12 in 2014 and 11 in 2015). For the three years of study, the mean breeding pair’s density was 1.23 ± 0.153/km2, incubation period ranged from 33 to 38 days, whilst the frequency distribution of clutch size was 67.6% for 2 eggs, 27% for 1 and 5.4% for 3. Amongst the 63 eggs monitored, 55 hatched. No significant variation in hatching rate was observed during the 3 years (90% in 2013, 76.19% in 2014 and 84% in 2015). The comparison of breeding parameters with those reported in Spain showed a noticeable similarity. Further investigations should be conducted to improve the provision of information to support sound management interventions of this North African population.
Model of the Representative Geoecosystem at Regional Level
Authors: Izakovičová Zita , Moyzeová Milena
Published: December 2019

The paper is aimed at the presentation of the new conception of nature protection. The new conception is based on the creation and protection of the representative geoecosystems. The strategic aim of defining the representative geo-ecosystem is: to determine a representative geo-ecosystem for each territorial unit on the given hierarchical level - the regional principle, to determine a representative occurrence for each type of the geo-ecosystem – the typological principle. The list of types of representative geo-ecosystems should serve as an ecologically based systematic framework for new protected areas (according to the analysis of unsufficiently protected representative geo-ecosystems) designations, as well as for methodical proposals of biocentres of the territorial system of ecological stability. The new approach to nature conservation is based not only on the protection of life forms but also on the protection of living conditions.

The paper presents an example of the creation of representative geoecosystems on the regional level–Trnava region.
Trends of Corporate Mission Statements: From pursuing profit to distinctive and social value
Authors: Seo Gang-Hoon , Itoh Munehiko
Published: December 2019

A mission statement has a significant meaning as the initial and essential step in a company’s strategic planning process. Previous studies have pointed out the necessity of monitoring and longitudinal study of corporate mission statements as they should be continuously revised against changes in companies’ strategies and business environment. This study aims to shed light on what types of strategies and values are currently highlighted in companies’ mission statements in comparison with the findings of a well-known previous study. Therefore, this study conducted a content analysis of 491 Fortune 500 companies’ mission statements. As a result, we found that “philosophy” is mostly highlighted and “profitability” is not emphasized in contemporary companies’ mission statements. Compared to the past study, these findings imply that there have been dramatic changes in the content of corporate mission statements. Besides, this study divided 491 Fortune 500 companies into two groups, high performers and low performers, according to their Fortune ranking and investigated significant differences between high and low performers using t-tests. The high performers were found to more often highlight “selfconcept” and “public image” than low performers. However, the difference in mean scores between high and low performers has become smaller than in the past finding. In particular, there is no statistical difference in mission statement component numbers between high and low performers. These findings can provide futher understanding about changes of companies’ strategic emphasis and the nature of corporate mission statements. This study provides a comparative insight for practitioners making company mission statements.
The effect of audit tenure, disclosure, financial distress, and previous year’s audit opinion on acceptance of going concern audit opinion
Authors: Nurbaiti Annisa , Permatasari Ni Putu Ayu Intan
Published: December 2019

Going concern is about the survival of business entities, as well as a assumptions in financial statements of a business. When business entities experience conditions that are not supposed to be, the business entity is said to be in trouble. This research which aims to analyze the acceptance of going concern audit opinion using audit tenure, disclosure, financial distress, and previous year’s audit opinion with case study on mining sector companies listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange in period 2013-2017.. This research used quantitative methods, and the samples were taken by using purposing sampling technique. To analyze the effect of independent variables to dependent variable was using logistic regressions analysis by using IBM Statistical Product and Service Solutions Statistics version 23. The results of this research, financial distress and the previous year audit opinion variables have a positive direction towards the acceptance of going concern audit opinion. While the audit tenure and disclosure variables have no significant influence on the acceptance of going concern audit opinion.
The antecedents influencing shoppers’ frequencies of visit and purchase intention in the shopping mall: A study on the pull factors
Authors: Yeo Amy Chu May , Ong Wei Seng , Kwek Choon Ling
Published: December 2019

The study aims to examine the perceived antecedents that influence the selection of shopping malls and determine the predictive nature of visit frequency that might lead shoppers to the intended purchase. Hence, the research question asked “to what extent the six determinants would most likely to affect shoppers frequency of visit to the malls and their purchase intention”. The method employed was positivist paradigm using questionnaires administering to young and adult respondents. A total of 200 usable samples were used for the SPSS analyses. Several primary statistical tools were used such as descriptive analyses, reliability test, factor analysis, multivariate and bivariate regressions. The results revealed that all constructs reliability were above Cronbach alpha 0.70 and both the convergent and discriminant validities were met via the exploratory factor analysis. The finding concluded that convenience, tenant variety, functional attributes, hedonic value and promotion are positively related to the frequency of visit. In addition, frequency of visit is also positively related to the purchase intention. The finding of this research provided both theoretical and practical implications.
Starbucks in the World
Authors: Chuang Hui-Jung
Published: December 2019

Many young people want to work in coffee shops or even open coffee shops, so they set off a wave of entrepreneurship, but according to a survey by the world magazine, Entrepreneurial momentum is strong in Taiwan, and the proportion of entrepreneurship is higher than that of the United Kingdom, Singapore, South Korea, and Japan, second only to the United States, but Taiwan’s entrepreneurial “death rate” is also significantly higher than these countries. According to the information of the chief accounting office, Taiwan’s entrepreneurship rate was far greater than the rate of business closure before 2000, but after 2000, the chances of successful entrepreneurship fell sharply. Also, many people are used to sipping a cup of coffee in the morning to start a good day. In recent years, the coffee market has developed rapidly in Taiwan, and convenience stores have launched promotional advertisements for cheap coffee. However, we have found that Starbucks, a high-priced coffee brand, has not joined the ranks of cheap coffee. They still maintain their high price and high quality. The most important thing is that we did not see Starbucks ads on any TV commercials or print media. Why did Starbucks not use advertising, but still stand in front of the coffee market?

Starbucks products often seem as a luxury. The most common cup of American coffee costs NT$100, whereas a cup of coffee at the convenience store costs only NT$45. Why are so many people willing to pay twice the price? The main reason is the quality and service of Starbucks. Enter into Starbucks, customers can order the beverages without the ice and full of milk, or anything which you want. Customers also enjoy free WIFI in the store, provide mobile phone charging or laptop socket, the staff will serve you with the most enthusiastic attitude. The brand advertise that as long as you ask for what he can do, the partners will meet your needs. In addition, Starbucks products are quite diversified, attracting a large number of consumer groups. From high-quality coffee, decaffeinated beverage juices and Frappuccino, to localized tea drinks in the Greater China region, the needs of every guest are met. Apart from the food, it also sells coffee makers, coffee beans, trendy mobile phone cases that are popular among young people, mobile power supplies, CDs in the store, and mugs and accompanying cups for various themes.
The Controversy of the Amendment of Anti-Extradition in Hong Kong-Threat to the people of Hong Kong
Authors: Chen Yu-Han
Published: December 2019

The purpose of this article was to analyze the amendment of Fugitive Offenders Ordinance & Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Ordinance, which caused widespread controversy in Hong Kong recently. This amendment stemmed from a murder case that occurred in Taiwan, which led the Hong Kong government to decide to fill the legal loopholes in the extradition law. The amendment abolished the prohibition of extradition of China and made the fundamental changes to the vetting procedure for extradition. However, based on the question to the judicial environment in China and the unequal relationship between Hong Kong and China, many Hong Kong people believed that the amendment would seriously threaten their personal safety. The amendment mattered important because people it affected were not only Hong Kong citizens, but also foreigners staying in Hong Kong. And as an important international financial center, the influence of Hong Kong couldn’t be underestimated. Therefore, the amendment had triggered a high degree of international concern. This article will analyze the contents of the amendment and the supports and the oppositions to clarify the dispute and discuss whether the amendment is good or bad.
Imitation vs Innovation: Is there an alignment between supply chain organizational learning and Islamic HRM practices?
Authors: Muafi  , Uyun Qurotul
Published: December 2019

This research emphasizes on the importance of having an alignment of organizational strategy (innovation and imitation) with supply chain organizational learning, and Islamic HRM practices toward Batik MSMEs performance in Pekalongan, especially environmental, social, and religious performance. The population of this research is Batik MSMEs in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia. Pekalongan is known as the City of Batik and has religious society that can live in peace although they live side by side with different religion and ethnicity. The respondent of this research is Batik MSMEs owner/manager in Pekalongan City that is counted using purposive sampling technique about 170 respondents. The statistic technique is using Euclidience Distance Regression. After organizational strategy being tested separately, it is proved that there is an alignment between organizational strategy both innovation and imitation with innovation organizational learning and imitation organizational learning. There is also an alignment of organizational strategy both innovation and imitation in innovation Islamic HRM Practices and conservative Islamic HRM Practices. The theoretical implication in this research provides a theory contribution about the importance of alignment of organizational strategy with the contingency of supply chain organizational learning and Islamic HRM practices. The managerial implication is that while improving organizational performance, organization needs to have practical policy in the alignment of organizational strategy with the contingency of supply chain organizational learning and Islamic HRM practices.
Migration and globalization: citizen journalism and immigration policies
Authors: Vasilca Sorinel Ionel , Ciupercă Ella Magdalena , Nen Madlena
Published: December 2019

International migration represents one of the most important aspects of globalization that contributes to the evolution and transformation of our lives. In 2000, as the United Nations reports showed, approximately 175 million people lived outside their native country for more than 12 months, a number that doubled with respect to the reference year 1975. This means that there are more and more “clashes” between people around the globe, involving greater responsibility for states in integrating the “moving” society. The public perception is continuously impacted by the migration phenomenon in its different aspects, but the effects are highly dependent on the communities’ social, cultural and religious pre-determination. In this respect, our paper aims to analyse the reflection of the traditional values of the host society to the individual perceptions on immigration, as expressed in various social media. In our view, in order to maximize the success potential of the public policies adopted by the host states in the field of immigration, these must be tightly correlated with the traditional social values, as observed in the real context, and also closely follow the evolution of these values, as expressed in the digital space. For this purpose, we will compare the social media and real life to show differences and resemblances of the attitudes towards the immigrants who might come in Romania from Middle East.
The Analysis of Marketing performance in Yogyakarta SMEs
Authors: Hutami Lusia Tria Hatmanti , Kurniawan Ignatius Soni
Published: December 2019

The general concept of this research is to elaborate on the specific aspect of the marketing performance point of view that has been used by exported SMEs business in a region in Indonesia called Yogyakarta. The aim of this research to analyze the relationship between innovation orientation, marketing communication orientation, international marketing, and marketing performance. The methodology of this research used path analysis, purposive sampling used in this research which only exported product of SMEs business met the criterion. The result showed that only the direct relationship between innovation orientation and marketing performance was not supported. It strengthens international marketing as a mediator between innovation orientation and marketing performance. Innovation orientation toward international marketing was accepted with path coefficient and international marketing toward marketing performance was accepted with path coefficient. Meanwhile, the strongest path coefficient showed by marketing communication orientation. It means that the successful marketing performance needs an excellent marketing communication strategy to ensure the delivery of adding value to the customers by each SMEs business.
Preliminary Revision of the Palynological Collection of Professor Blanka Pacltová – A Significant Collection of Cenomanian Microflora Housed at the National Museum, Prague
Authors: Barrón Eduardo , Kvaček Jiří , Dašková Jiřina
Published: December 2019

A preliminary revision of the palynological collection of Professor Blanka Pacltová was carried out considering samples from the middle Cenomanian of the Peruc-Korycany Formation, the basal most member of the Bohemian Cretaceous Basin (the Czech Republic). This collection is mainly composed of slides with palynological residues for light microscope study, which were mounted in the 1960s and 1970s. This work presents an evaluation of the state of preservation of this collection, taking into account the presence of ancient angiosperm pollen types. High percentage of preparations is affected by degradation of glycerine jelly and their remounting is necessary. The present study additionally suggests a methodology for curation of this collection with the objective of long-term preservation.
The Early Cretaceous Mesofossil Flora of Torres Vedras (Ne of Forte Da Forca), Portugal: A Palaeofloristic Analysis of an Early Angiosperm Community
Authors: Friis Else Marie , Crane Peter R. , Pedersen Kaj Raunsgaard
Published: December 2019

An Early Cretaceous mesofossil flora is described from the lower part of the Almargem Formation (late Barremian-early Aptian) from Torres Vedras (NE of Forte da Forca), Portugal. The flora is the oldest mesofossil flora containing angiosperm remains to be described in detail based on well-preserved flower, fruit and seed remains. In addition to angiosperms, the mesofossil flora also includes megaspores, sporangia and tiny leaves of spore-bearing plants. There are also twigs, cone fragments and seeds of conifers and seeds assigned to the BEG group. In total about 100 species have been distinguished. Most abundant in terms of plant fragments identified, are spore-bearing plants and conifers. Although only about 18 % of the specimens can be attributed to angiosperms, angiosperm diversity is unexpected high considering the age of the flora. Angiosperms account for about 62 % of all species recognized. Angiosperm diversity is mainly at the level of ANA-grade angiosperms, eumagnoliids and in a few cases early diverging lineages of monocots. Eudicots are subordinate. Twenty new genera and 28 new species of angiosperms are established (Anaspermum operculatum gen. et sp. nov., Appofructus nudus gen. et sp. nov., Appomattoxia minuta sp. nov., Burgeria striata gen. et sp. nov., Canrightia elongata sp. nov., Choffaticarpus compactus gen. et sp. nov., Dejaxia brevicolpites gen. et sp. nov., Dinisia portugallica gen. et sp. nov., Eckhartia brevicolumella gen. et sp. nov., Eckhartia longicolumella sp. nov., Eckhartia intermedia sp. nov., Eckhartianthus lusitanicus gen. et sp. nov., Eckhartiopsis parva gen. et sp. nov., Gastonispermum antiquum sp. nov., Goczania rugosa gen. et sp. nov., Goczania inaequalis sp. nov., Goczania punctata sp. nov., Ibrahimia verminculata gen. et sp. nov., Juhaszia portugallica gen. et sp. nov., Kempia longicolpites gen. et sp. nov., Kvacekispermum costatum sp. nov., Mcdougallia irregularis gen. et sp. nov., Nicholsia brevicolpites gen. et sp. nov., Piercipollis simplex gen. et sp. nov., Reyanthus lusitanicus gen. et sp. nov., Samylinaea punctata gen. et sp. nov., Teebacia hughesii gen. et sp. nov., Vedresia elliptica gen. et sp. nov.). Comparison with results of a palynological study from the same horizon that yielded the mesofossil flora shows a marked underestimation of angiosperm diversity in the palynoflora, a pattern that has also been recognized elsewhere.
The First Glyptostroboxylon and Taxodioxylon Descriptions from the Late Miocene of Turkey and Palaeoclimatological Evaluation
Authors: Akkemik Ünal , Bayam Nevriye Neslihan Acarca
Published: December 2019

Taxodioxylon Hartig, (emended by Gothan 1905) was widely described from the late Oligocene of the European part of Turkey (Thrace) and the early Miocene of greater Turkey, Anatolia.,C,. was also described from the early Miocene of central Anatolia. The purpose of this paper is to present a more detailed extended history of these two genera up to the late Miocene (Tortonian) with new descriptions from the Galatean Volcanic Province in central Turkey. The wood identification showed the presence of two fossil species;,D,et B,and,(G,.) G,. In conclusion, the swamp and lowland warm-temperate forest composition including,and,in the Galatean Volcanic Province, continued from the early Miocene (Burdigalian) to the late Miocene (Tortonian).
Validation of Four New Plant Fossil Names from Turkey
Authors: Akkemik Ünal
Published: December 2019

Fossil-wood descriptions from Turkey have been increasing in recent years. The aim of the present paper is to redefine four new fossil species according to the protologue for new plant fossil names. As result, these four new fossil species are verified: Cupressinoxylon pliocenica Akkemik sp. nov., Cercioxylon zeynepae Akkemik sp. nov., Zelkovoxylon yesimae Akkemik et I.Poole sp. nov. and Pistacioxylon ufukii Akkemik et I.Poole sp. nov.
Atrial Strain in Atrial Fibrillation Patients: A 2D Speckle Tracking Echocardiography Study
Authors: Toplicianu Maria-Luiza , Nanea Ioan Tiberiu
Published: December 2019

Objectives. In this study we tried to determine the values of the left atrial (LA) strain in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and set a parameter that could be a predictor of sinus rhythm (SR) maintenance.

Study population. We included 60 patients with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥50% - 33 (55%) of them were known to have in their personal history AF (newly diagnosed, paroxysmal and persistent) and they were examined at SR. The second group was represented by 27 (45%) patients that were examined in AF. Using two dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2D STE) it was quantified the strain of the 3 functions that characterize the physiology of the LA - reservoir, conduct and pump in the apical sections, mentioning that the pump was absent in patients examined in AF.

Results. The average of the reservoir (R%) for all sections had a significantly higher value in patients with SR (20,2±6,225%) compared to patients examined in AF (6,505±2,66%): P<0.001. With the help of the logistic regression model was observed that only systolic LA strain had the highest predictive power of maintenance of SR. The cutt off value of ≥13,25% of the R% has a sensitivity (Se) and a specificity (Sp) of 90,9%, respectively 100% for maintenance of SR.

Conclusions. In the present study, after analyzing all the parameters that were associated between the 2 groups, it was found that only R %, as the only variable, has the highest predictor power for maintenance of SR.
Past and Present of Renal Biopsy in the Management of Patients with Glomerular Diseases
Authors: Stoian Marilena , Dumitrache Ana-Maria , Stoica Victor
Published: December 2019

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is amajor health problem affecting 10–16% of the general adult population in Asia, Europe, Australia, and the United States(1,2,3,4,5,6). Progression to end stage renal disease (ESRD) remains a major clinical problem because the number and the cost: there are currently over a million patients worldwide on dialysis, with the number continuing to increase by ~7% annually(7) and the cost of dialysis is very expensive, costing ~US$80,000 per patient per year in the United States(8).

Since 1951 when was the first published report of the use of kidney biopsy in the diagnosis of medical kidney disease(9), renal biopsy is an essential procedure in the diagnosis of renal disease, and it is now hard to imagine that one could practice nephrology without knowing pathology. However, there remain no consensus guidelines available to the global renal community outlining the indications for this important diagnostic and prognostic test. In this review, we shall outline the current and potential future uses of renal biopsy in diagnosis, prognosis, response to treatment, and disease progression in the setting of current day nephrology.
Clinical and Paraclinical Considerations Regarding Acute Cholecystitis
Authors: Gabriela Bonţea Mihaela , Florin Voiţă Gh. , Mihai Mekeres Gabriel , Simina Gavra Alexandra , Adrian Maghiar Octavian
Published: December 2019

The gallbladder represents a vast pathological subject, vastly disputed because of the many diseases and conditions that can develop. One of the diseases of the bladder is acute cholecystitis, a pathological entity that is induced by the acute inflammation of the gallbladder. It is of particular interest to the patients that present gallstones, with a prevalence of 10 to 25% of the total surgical interventions regarding the gallbladder diseases.

The objective of this article is to analyze the diagnosis and treatment of acute cholecystitis and highlight the importance of diet in this pathology.

The incriminating factor of acute cholecystitis is the biliary stasis, along with bacterial infections that also intervene and the possible ischemia of the bladder wall. In about 90 to 95% cases the biliary stasis is a follow up to the calculous obstruction of the cystic duct, context in which patients are diagnosed with acute lithiasic cholecystitis

Under antibiotic therapy clinical improvement occurs rarely, most often a stationary phase of acute cholecystitis settles in. The unfavorable evolutions refer to patients who develop complications. Bile peritonitis which may be generalized or localized, most often a localized peritonitis occurs, which will develop a plastron in a few days that acts as an armor, is even to touch and presents a dull percussion

Conclusions. Acute cholecystitis is a common disease in clinical practice, and most often it represents a surgical emergency. The quality of life of a patient that suffers from gallbladder diseases may be affected, as they must follow a certain diet.
Favourite Research Topics of Estonian Ethnographers Under Soviet Rule
Authors: Jääts Indrek
Published: December 2019

Estonian ethnography as one of the Estonia-related disciplines was tied with Estonian nationalism from the very beginning. Defined as a science investigating mainly the material side of vanishing traditional peasant culture in the 1920s, it fitted rather well with the Soviet understanding of ethnography as a sub discipline of history. Thanks to the major cooperation projects initiated and coordinated by ethnographers from Moscow, Soviet Estonian ethnographers could continue studying Estonian traditional peasant culture. Their favourite research topics (folk costume, peasant architecture and traditional agriculture) supported Estonian national identity, but also suited the framework of Soviet ethnography. Studying contemporary (socialist) everyday life was unpopular among Estonian ethnographers because the results had to justify and support Soviet policy. They did so unwillingly, and avoided it completely if possible. Despite of some interruption during the Stalin era, ethnography managed to survive as a science of the nation in Soviet Estonia.
The Regional Studies Movement in Soviet Lithuania
Authors: Savoniakaitė Vida
Published: December 2019

This article* is dedicated to the regional studies movement in Soviet Lithuania, primarily to ethnography, and argues that Lithuanian ethnographers conducted ethnographic research in different ways. The focus is on the Ramuva movement, founded in 1970 at Vilnius University and continuing until 1994. The activities of the Lithuanian regional studies movement were characterised by diverse education and ethnographic practices. I assert that the key to the success of Ramuva’s activity was a creative circumventing of Soviet ideology and practice. Through a discussion of theoretical issues and the results of fieldwork, I analyse the following questions: How did Marxism–Leninism change ethnography in Soviet Lithuania? What were the activities, methods and theory of regional research? Was Ramuva’s policy of knowledge production in opposition to the Soviet regime?
Between Abjection and World-Making: Spatial Dynamics in the Lives of Indonesian Waria
Authors: Toomistu Terje
Published: December 2019

The lives of Indonesian waria (transgender women) are substantially shaped by spatial dynamics. As a result of social and spatial exclusion, subsequent migration and economic needs, a lifestyle pattern around daily work in beauty salons and street nightlife tied to transactional sex has evolved in many parts of urban Indonesia. Drawing on ethnographic research in the Indonesian regions of Java and West Papua, I demonstrate that despite tremendous spatial abjection, salons and street nightlife are also productive, transformative and conjoining spatialities that foster waria subjectivity in affective relations with their intimate partners, the community, the phantasmic promise of the transnational mediascape and Indonesia as a nation. The places that waria occupy may spark moral prejudice and targeted violence, but simultaneously they are sites of agency at which waria experience self-affirmation and a sense of belonging while embodying through gendered performance the envisioned mobility at both national and transnational scales. The paper thus foregrounds how spaces and subjectivities are mutually constitutive, forging one another, as well as how certain spatialities hold potential to disrupt the sense of marginality.
Relations of University Values and Competences of University Teachers
Authors: Blašková Martina , Tumová Dominika , Blaško Rudolf
Published: December 2019

Objective: The paper deals with the theoretical and empirical examination of university values in relation to key competences of university teachers. The combination of values that universities should prioritize and the competences that university teachers should possess is seen in the paper as an important precondition for improving the quality and acceleration of modern university progress. The theoretical part analyzes, compares and synthesizes opinions on key terms examined in the paper, i.e. higher education, university, values, and competences. The empirical part presents, on the one hand, the results of the questionnaire survey aimed at defining important university values. The survey was carried out on a sample of n = 279 students of the University of Žilina, Slovak Republic, and obtained 1,786 statements on crucial values or sub-values of the university. On the other hand, based on results of the previous survey (n = 27 university teachers) which was targeted on key competences of the great university teachers, the empirical part seeks to experimentally link university key values with teachers’ key competences.

Methodology: Analysis, synthesis, comparison, abstraction, questionnaire survey, thinking experiment. Hypothesis H1: University values defined by students will be repeated in the survey, i.e. student views on the core values of university will be identical or similar in content. Negation hypothesis H0: University values defined by students will not be repeated in the survey.

Findings: Respondents reported a total of n0 = 1,786 statements regarding the university values or sub-values. A substantial consensus was found: many of values were repeated for respondents. Defined values were subsequently grouped: from the initially defined n1 = 229 values, n2 = 32 complex values were generated. This leads to a rejection of H0, in favor of H1: the university values generated by students are similar in the content.

The results in the evaluative question confirmed the assumption that respondents considered most important mostly those values that the previous open question most frequently reported. Although depending on the study program is always the quality of education in the first place of importance, the order of importance of other values varies to some extent.

Value Added: Opinions on university teachers’ competences and university’s values were discussed. Experimental linking of university values to competences of teachers was performed based on the survey results conducted by the authors in 2012 (this one consisted of three sequential interviews/workshops with teachers of University of Žilina). A logical conclusion was formulated: All the university teachers and scientists are becoming authorities competent to build, preserve and transform universal knowledge into an ever-higher level.

Recommendations: A conclusion of the paper contains the characteristics recommended for achieve an effective process of developing university competences.
Chinese TESOL Students’ Perception of Their Speaking Anxiety in Workshops
Authors: Huashan Wu
Published: December 2019

Foreign language anxiety (FLA) is perceived as a negative factor influencing learners’ language achievement. Targeting Chinese overseas students, this paper investigates whether communicative confidence, fear of negative evaluation, attitude towards using English in workshops and trait anxiety are related to Chinese students’ speaking anxiety. The present study also aims to examine how students perceive their speaking anxiety and coping strategies both from teachers and students. The questionnaire and the semi-structured interview were adopted for data collection. 80 TESOL students at the University of Edinburgh were invited to complete the questionnaires, with 6 students participating in the interviews to get deeper insights into Chinese students’ perception of their speaking anxiety. Research findings revealed that communicative confidence, fear of negative evaluation, attitude towards using English in workshops and traits anxiety were strongly related to Chinese students’ speaking anxiety. In the interviews, 6 respondents commented that instructors’ characteristics, such as patience and humor, and their preparation before class can alleviate their speaking anxiety in workshops. It is hoped that the current study can contribute to a deeper understanding of Chinese students’ speaking anxiety in UK universities.
Impact of Teachers’ Beliefs on Teaching Phonetic Aspects: the Case of Czech as L1
Authors: Štěpáník Stanislav , Vlčková-Mejvaldová Jana
Published: December 2019

Cultivated speech with correct pronunciation and adequate prosody is important from a social, communicative and also didactic point of view. It can be regarded a “universal quality” of one’s self-presentation. Even though the Czech curriculum sets the development of phonetic aspects as one of the important elements of L1 teaching, various sources show that the educational reality in school differs. Based on a sample of 148 teachers of all educational levels from across the Czech Republic, the study analyses the teachers’ stated beliefs and pedagogical content knowledge of teaching phonetic aspects of Czech, and attempts to give at least an assumption of the actual classroom practices of teaching phonetic aspects in Czech classes and through that the extent of the mismatch between the intended and implemented curriculum. The results show that phonetic aspects are not treated with as much attention as they ought to and that teachers’ beliefs about the actual process of teaching and learning phonetic aspects seem to influence the implemented curriculum more than the intended curriculum and other formal requirements given by the government do.
Faithful Prodigals, Precarious Polity and Re-Jigging National Discourse: Readings from Two African Novels
Authors: Nwachukwu Ogbu Chukwuka
Published: December 2019

This study is informed by the observation of some dangerous threats to faith’s missionary and human developmental goals as well as Salvationist stance. The alarm has been sounded that fanaticism of any colour at all is not only inimical to the raison detre of faith’s cardinal objectives but more tellingly, constitutes a serious endangerment of humanity, particularly the Nigerian enterprise. Deploying exemplifications from Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart (1958) and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus (2006) in an eclectic combination of a body of qualitative instances drawn from the Islamic and the Christian faiths the paper underscores the danger inherent in bigoted faith both to faith itself and to the society. The paper urges the painstaking reification/inculcation of the principles of tolerance and patriotism in children in their formative years through literary creativity, the precepts of inter and intra religious tolerance respecting the West African sub-regional stance for secular imperatives and egalitarian. This is to enthrone lasting peace in the African sub continent and the world a piece.
Teaching Slovak Language and Literature in the 1st Grade of Grammar Schools: the Verification of the Development of Critical Thinking of Pupils
Authors: Kosturková Martina
Published: December 2019

Slovak language and literature belongs to the leading subjects in the system of secondary education in the Slovak Republic. The persistent traditional teaching techniques (encyclopedic-memorization) and the absence of systematic development of critical thinking in the process of education has caused an identified below average state of critical thinking of students at secondary grammar schools. The aim of our half-year experiment was to verify the effectiveness of The Programme of Development of Critical Thinking of Pupils in the Subject of Slovak Language and Literature. To meet the set target we implemented an experiment (a single-factor technique of parallel groups). Out of 16 first-grade secondary grammar schools classes (N = 365) two equivalent groups were selected for the experiment – an experimental group (n = 32) and a control group (n = 30). The main measurement means was the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal Test. The conclusions of the experiment pointed out the effectiveness of the intervention programme.
Symbiosis of Modernisation and National Identity in the Legacy of the “Baltars” (Baltic Art) Porcelain Painting Workshop, 1924–1930
Authors: Ļaviņa Dace
Published: December 2019

This article is dedicated to the “Baltars” collective porcelain painting workshop (1924–1930), founded in Riga, Latvia by three modernist artists: painters Romans Suta (1896–1944) and Aleksandra Beļcova (1892–1981) and graphic artist Sigismunds Vidbergs (1890–1970).The “Baltars” phenomenon is significant because of the innovations that the artists brought to the landscape of Latvian porcelain manufacturing and its exhibition activities in the 1920s and the early 1930s, both local and in the Baltic Sea region—Lithuania, Estonia, and Sweden. The article investigates “Baltars” foundation and closure, artistic activities of the company, its attempts to enter the international art and trade scene, and its accomplishments. Special attention is paid to the amalgamation of modernisation, nationalism, and state-building manifested in their paintings on porcelain. Due to the present growing interest in porcelain art in Latvia, triggered by numerous exhibitions and publications, discourse on the “Baltars” phenomenon has become topical.