bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
DEVELOPMENT OF THE LEASING INDUSTRY IN THE ALBANIAN MARKET. AN OVERVIEW OF THE LAST 20 YEARS FROM LEGAL FRAMEWORK TO PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
Authors: Lubonja Fatjola
Published: November 2018

Financial leasing, known as well as the financial rent, has been available in the Albanian market since 2005 although most of the leasing operating companies have only been registered since 2009. Even though in developing countries financial leasing is widely available and growing considerably, in the case of Albania this product has faced difficulties in getting recognition in the eyes of the public. Based on the European practices, small and middle enterprises compose 99% of the operating businesses in Albania and these types of enterprises are among the main users of leasing in Europe, about 50%. These elements are exactly what made leasing an alternative to financial borrowing even though financial leasing yet has an unused potential compared to loans and other forms of financing. This article aims to give a general description of the meaning of financial leasing, the legal and the regulatory framework in which this form of financing has been applied in Albania and further provide several conclusions that will focus on the factors that are expected to affect the future of financial leasing in Albania.
EFFECTS OF INNOVATION ON PRODUCTIVITY OF RUSSIAN FIRMS: DOES SIZE MATTER?
Authors: Mariev Oleg S. , Pushkarev Andrey A.
Published: November 2018

The purpose of this study is to analyze the influence of a number of external factors on the productivity of individual enterprises in the Urals Federal District. As the main analysis tool, a panel regression with fixed effects at the firm level is used. The paper considers both Ural enterprises in general, and their individual subgroups, separated by their size.The main results of the work are as follows. There is a positive impact of the number of patent applications per capita and technology imports on the company’s productivity, with greater effects observed in medium sized firms, while in small and micro sized firms, the results are less significant. This, as well as the negative impact of spending on innovation on the dependent variable, may indicate an inadequate level of development of basic industries, which in turn slows the growth rates of all the companies, irrespective of their size. The obtained results are proposed to be used as a recommendation for the construction and improvement of the regional innovation policy.
EMPLOYMENT OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES AS A CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY INITIATIVE: NECESSITY AND VARIANTS OF IMPLEMENTATION
Authors: Miethlich Boris , Šlahor Ľudomír
Published: November 2018

Although companies recognize and promote the benefits of a diverse corporate culture, persons with disabilities (PWD), are more likely to be unemployed. Using secondary sources of information, this paper examines the need to address the employment of PWD as part of a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy, highlighting various implementation measures and variants. It shows that the employment of PWD can only be promoted by companies themselves. Measures at the national and international levels have so far shown little success. For a successful implementation, an obligation in the CSR strategy is not enough, measures need to be described explicitly. At its core, it is always necessary to remove physical and mental barriers in the company in order to enable the employment of PWD. The adaptation of CSR initiatives concerning the employment of PWD should be further investigated. The research should particularly focus on “best practice” approaches from business practice.
THE GROWTH OF THE NUMBER OF MOTOR VEHICLES IN THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC
Authors: Otto Ivan , Vaculík Juraj , Žáčik Nikolas
Published: November 2018

Transport and delivery of shipments in the shortest possible time should be a priority for any company working in the field of postal and logistics services. The aim of this paper is to point to an annual increase in the number of registered motor vehicles in the Slovak Republic. The first part of the paper contains a test of statistical hypotheses and in the second part estimates the future growth of motor vehicles in 2017. The paper highlights the increased growth of motor vehicles in the Slovak Republic registry. The final part contains a proposal for a new way of delivery of shipments.
ANALYSIS OF WORK EFFICIENCY IN HARD COAL MINING IN POLAND
Authors: Rybak Aurelia , Włodarczyk Ewelina
Published: November 2018

Motivation: This article presents the analysis of work efficiency in hard coal mining in Poland. Labour costs in Polish mining enterprises account for over 40% of the total production cost. For this reason, the labour productivity of employees has a key impact on the final operating profit.Problem statement: In the case of Polish coal companies, the efficiency is the index value of which particular restructuration programs have attempted to increase for years. However, because of the effect of overstaffing and a decrease in hard coal exploitation, the task was impossible.Approach and results: In this article the effects of the latest recovery programme have been presented, the production efficiency index has been determined; the rate of changes in production volume has been presented as well as the employment figure and the average salary in the Polish mining industry in the recent decade.  Moreover, the prognosis of the employment figure using the ARIMA and ARMAX class model was conducted.Conclusions: It should be noted that in the last four years a significant reduction in the employment figure has been onserved in the hard coal mining industry. This figure has been adjusted to the production volume level.  This, in turn, has positively influenced the work efficiency coefficient level.
COMPARISON OF THE TAX BURDEN OF A SELECTED TAXPAYER GROUP IN THE SLOVAK AND CZECH REPUBLICS
Authors: Stalmašeková Natália , Štofková Jana , Genzorová Tatiana
Published: November 2018

The tax system is nowadays an important tool that can greatly influence the economy of every country. Its proper setup and the setup of all its parts is an extremely important task. This system has the task of raising funds for the state budget through the collection of taxes. The tax system is constantly evolving over time and adapts to the changing needs of the country. The aim of the paper is to compare the tax burden of a selected taxpayer group in the Slovak and Czech Republics. Part of the paper is an analysis of the conditions under which a taxpayer can benefit from a tax exemption and when he is required to pay contributions to the Social Insurance Company. The paper refers to the possibilities of advantageous application of tax rules to specific groups of taxpayers. The paper also includes specific examples of such situations.
ANALYZING AND CHOOSING THE TARGET SEGMENTS OF THE MARKET FOR CARGO FREIGHT TRANSPORT SERVICES
Authors: Tzvetkova Svetla
Published: November 2018

In order to attract more customers, transport enterprises strive towards providing transport services that fully meet their marketing criteria for quality. However, transport enterprises are not always capable of fully satisfying customers’ needs. Therefore, when choosing their “own” customers, transport enterprises need to develop a program for segmenting the transport market by recognizing its real capabilities for performing marketing events. The segmentation criteria depend on the economic and geographical peculiarities of the region, the development of transport infrastructure, the peculiarities of management and the transport enterprise’s capabilities.The report indicates the main stages of conducting effective segmentation of the cargo transport market. The necessity for analyzing the competitive advantages of enterprises working in a specific region has been determined; one instance involves the use of key factors that influence the quality of the transport service whose improvement in turn helps improve the competitiveness of enterprises. The paper’s main idea is to showcase the necessity and approaches for analyzing and assessing those target segments of the transport service market that carry out cargo freights. Segmentation is an essential element of the marketing concept that allows transport enterprises to choose those target segments of the market that are the most convenient and effective for them, thus guaranteeing the optimization of their expenses and profits.
ORGANIZATION OF COAL DISTRIBUTION IN PGG
Authors: Włodarczyk Ewelina , Rybak Aurelia
Published: November 2018

Motivation: The aim of this article is to show how the distribution of hard coal (and energy fuels) is organized in one of the largest coal companies in Europe. The analyzed company merged (1.04.2017) with Katowicki Holding Węglowy to form a new business entity. These actions have changed the organizational structure of the companies.Problem statement: During the planning of the hard coal distribution the specific nature of the coal industry must be taken into account. First of all, an analysis of the hard coal sales time series reveals a regularity of this phenomenon. The increased consumption of this fuel is clearly marked in the winter. As a result, mining companies are not able to eliminate sales and production seasonality due to natural causes. Therefore, in order to adapt to variable market conditions mining companies must manage production and distribution in order to survive the period of reduced demand, but also to meet the increased demand when needed.Approach and results: To examine the company's newly established structure a document analysis method was used. This study allowed to clarify the hard coal market in terms of marketing and to divide it on the basis of the coal consumption level. Two groups of customers, i.e. large customers and so-called small customers have been identified. The distribution channels of hard coal have been analyzed, as well as the methods of coal carriage to individual customers. The analysis of documents shows that small customers are the primary recipients of broken coal and small quantities of pea and rice coal. In the case of the coal distribution to small customers the most common solution is merchant participation. The role of the merchant is to reach the largest number of customers and to reduce seasonal fluctuations. The delivery of coal is usually carried out for those buyers by road transport.Conclusions: The conducted research allowed to clarify the hard coal market in terms of marketing and to divide it based on the level of hard coal consumption. Analysis of coal distribution was carried out in order to enable future modifications of the company's distribution process using geomarketing tools such as for example geocoding, Voronoi polygons, and geoprocessing.
HOME BIAS: EVIDENCE FROM THE STOCK EXCHANGE
Authors: Zadorozhna Olha , Gawronska-Nowak Bogna
Published: November 2018

This paper deals with issues connected to the home bias, which is a tendency of investors to keep more domestic assets versus foreign ones. We use annual data on the value of share trading of 68 stock exchanges in 68 countries for the period of 2003-2015 to find out if home bias exists given domestic and foreign shares are traded under the same regulatory framework, with the same transaction costs and rules for information availability applied; and if it does, then what factors are responsible for it. We find that the home bias increases in periods of crisis and becomes lower in periods of relative stability. In addition, home bias tends to be smaller in countries with better control of corruption and that are more open to investments. A Hausman-Taylor estimation confirms this result and suggests that countries with better institutional environments tend to have smaller home bias. Moreover, countries that are more open to investments have more foreign companies listed on their stock exchanges.
YOUTUBE VIDEO LECTURES IN UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES
Authors: Baranov Aleksey , Pivovarov Ivan
Published: November 2018

The aim of this research article is to study and evaluate YouTube as an effective instrument of transmitting lecture information. The factors that motivate teachers to use YouTube in undergraduate studies are specified. Within the scopes of the research study, students were shown a YouTube video lecture before each lecture in a classroom. According to the author’s idea, these YouTube video lectures contained theoretical fundamentals, which created the necessary background for lectures in the classroom, where some case studies based on theories from video lectures were discussed. During the study, students were asked about their preferences on the YouTube video lectures, factors that motivate them to watch these lectures, things they would like to improve in the video lectures, and types of video lectures they mostly like. The findings show, that an unusual background location in the video can attract the students’ attention. Another conclusion that was made was that students get used to video lectures during the semester and hence by the end of the course they stop perceiving video lectures as something new. To conclude, video lectures no matter how popular they are in terms of number of views, allow teachers to use a time, which was originally planned for theory, for case studies that in many ways makes the educational process more attractive for students and practically focused.
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF INNOVATIONS IN THE STATE CULTURAL POLICY FOR STRENGTHENING THE NATIONAL SECURITY OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Authors: Goloborodko Andrey , Vorontsov Sergey , Ponedelkov Aleksandr
Published: November 2018

This article reviews the modern hazards and challenges of national security for the Russian Federation and the need to reformat its main issues and determining factors. The authors examine the concept of cultural policy, the interdependence of politics and culture, where the political sphere is considered a product of cultural and social life, or in other words, where politics is a form of cultural existence. The authors describe the previous political science research concerning culture and the phenomenon of cultural policy where culture is considered the main mechanism of socializing an individual (Goloborodko, 2012). They also examine a cultural policy as an instrument reflecting the social and political systems’ relationships. The authors explore the concept of national security and ways to ensure that national interests are protected within the systems of both Russia and international affairs. It is noted that in recent years, the problems of culture and cultural policies, as factors of national security, have drawn crucial public and scientific attention, substantiating reasons for increased effort on the humanitarian issues of national security. The authors conclude that the culture accumulated in the political sphere could influence the regulation of social development and ensure a stable public and political existence.
THE ORGANIZATION'S SAFETY CULTURE, ITS INDICATORS AND ITS MEASUREMENT CAPABILITIES
Authors: Halaj Martin , Kutaj Milan , Boroš Martin
Published: November 2018

Safety is a fundamental condition for the existence of an organization creating conditions for the fulfilment of its basic functions. It is important to identify the safety factors that affect an organization’s level. In this article, we identify and describe one of these factors, which is a safety culture. In order to assess a safety culture, its indicators have to be identified. Safety culture indicators reflect its level in various areas. Some of the indicators of safety culture are universal and usable in a large number of organizations, while some of them are more specific and usable only for certain organizations. After identifying the critical thresholds of all safety culture indicators identified, they can be used to assess the final level of safety culture. It is crucial to propose the right combination of methods and practices, while also using safety culture indicators to determine this final level of safety culture. In this article we present a combination of two data obtaining tools: a questionnaire survey conducted among the employees of the organization and managed interviews with the management of the organization. In order to properly evaluate the safety culture, it is necessary to compare the obtained data. The main contribution of the article is the proposal of a possible scheme for assessing the safety culture of organizations using the safety culture indicators.
INCREASING OF THE STUDY PROCESS ORGANIZATION EFFICIENCY IN MILITARIZED EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION
Authors: Indriksons Alens
Published: November 2018

The correct organization of the study process serves as a basis for the development of theoretical knowledge and practical skills in students. The present paper explores the specificity of the study process organization in the militarized educational institution with hierarchy, discipline and one way communication. Therefore, the study process and pedagogical work is diverted into a second place, thereby reducing their effectiveness. The aim of the research is to perform a study of the professional training system of border guards to detect the factors that influence the training system and to determine the possibilities to improve and increase the organization and efficiency of the study process in the State Border Guard College. In order to explore the possibilities to increase the organization and efficiency of the study process, questionnaires for the teachers were created and factors that influence the professional training system of border guards were detected. The author brought forward the conclusion that increasing the organization and efficiency of the study process in militarized educational institution is not possible without correct and planned organization of the study process, giving priority to the study process, reducing the involvement of the students in internal service duties, and applying "subject-subject" communication in the implementation of professional and general education courses.
REHABILITATION EDUCATORS’ BURNOUT SYNDROME AND SELF-ESTIMATION OF THEIR PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE
Authors: Karłyk-Ćwik Anna
Published: November 2018

The professional burnout syndrome, which is a real threat in the job of rehabilitation educators, lowers the quality of their psychophysical functioning and, as a result, significantly impacts the quality of their work, reducing the effectiveness of the rehabilitation process. The purpose of the research presented in the article was to determine the structure and the intensity of the special educators’ burnout syndrome, and to establish the relationship between burnout and self-estimation of professional competence of teachers. The studies covered a group of 51 educators working with juvenile delinquents in three correctional institutions (borstals) in Poland. The main research tool was the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). A survey showed a slightly elevated level of burnout in the test group and a relationship between the respective components of the professional burnout syndrome and self-estimation of professional competencies of rehabilitation educators: a statistically significant negative correlation between depersonalisation and subjectively assessed level of practical and moral competencies of the examined charges, and a positive correlation between a sense of personal accomplishment and the level of technical as well as practical and moral competence. The results obtained suggest that the development of professional competence should constitute the basis of mental hygiene and burnout prevention in the profession of rehabilitation educator.
SOCIAL WELFARE POLICY PREFERENCES IN LATVIA: EVIDENCE FROM ISSP SURVEYS
Authors: Niklass Mareks
Published: November 2018

This study seeks to find out how social welfare policy preferences have changed over time and what factors account for those preferences in Latvia. The author analyses ISSP survey data gathered in 1996, 2007 and 2016. The data analysis shows that most Latvians still support government interventions in providing social welfare. However, economic factors like material wellbeing and self-interest have decreased the overall support for social welfare policies during the last 20 years. The article provides a long-term perspective missing in previous studies on social welfare policy preferences in Eastern Europe.
A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE SENTENCE PLACEMENT OF ADJECTIVES FROM THE ALBANIAN TO THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Authors: Nuhiu Majlinda
Published: November 2018

Our main aim in this research paper is to analyze the place of adjectives in translated paradigms from the Albanian to the English language. The corpus is taken from translated books of the well known Albanian writer, Ismail Kadare, translated into the English language, exclusively by native English translators. Firstly, we’ll try to present the general place of adjectives in each language separately. Secondly, by comparing and contrasting the corpus of the both languages we will try to find out numerous and diverse similarities and differences in both of the languages, and with the help of the corpus we will check the results. With the help of Levenstone’s (1965) translational’ paradigms we’ll try to find out if adjectives in the Albanian language change their sentence position after they are translated into English. The technique being used is an objective technique, working with the corpus, one-way translation and  a group test of Gjorgevic (1982).
THE CONCEPT OF ANDRAGOGICAL VOCATIONAL CONSULTANCY FOR MARGINALIZED TEACHERS
Authors: Pavlov Ivan , Krejčíková Katarína
Published: November 2018

The article describes a proposal for the concept of andragogical vocational consultancy for teachers at schools with a high number of pupils from socially disadvantaged environments. The teachers themselves show almost no interest in supporting a solution for complex pedagogical-educational problems. The concept of andragogical vocational consultancy complements other educational services through highly individualized and personalized support reflecting the specific needs of these marginalized teachers directly in school conditions.
ANALYSIS OF THE SPECIFIC PROFILE OF ART ORGANIZATIONS IN PLOVDIV, BULGARIA
Authors: Ruseva Margarita , Kazashka Vesela , Kolev Vasil
Published: November 2018

This paper presents the results of fundamental research into the cultural organizations of Plovdiv, Bulgaria. The overarching aim of the research is to determine the specific profile of art organizations. Factors examined are areas of work, types of ownership, and category (small, medium, or large enterprises). An objective is to collect and analyze data for several projects that are developed and funded by the art organizations over a five-year period. Empirical research and analysis of quantitative and comparative data are conducted to achieve these objectives. This involves a survey using a questionnaire developed by experts with two main groups of questions. The first group is a set of general questions targeting the specific profile of the organizations, and the second aims to specify the type, area, frequency, and source of funding for the projects developed by the art organizations. The obtained data and results provide the profile and the financial framework of the cultural and art organizations in Plovdiv city, Bulgaria and can be used as a basis for further studies and research.
ON THE FACTORS HINDERING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE GENERAL LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY THEORY IN RUSSIAN SCIENCE
Authors: Shapsugov Damir Y. , Radachinsky Yuri N. , Kurochkin Andrey V.
Published: November 2018

The current methodology of the study of legal responsibility does not ensure the solution of important theoretical and practical problems regarding its nature. This article is devoted to the problems of the development of a general legal responsibility theory and draws attention to the trends of modern science, which hinder the identification and description of legal responsibility as a general legal phenomenon. Authors provided and analyzed a set of retrospective opinions on the formation and development of legal responsibility phenomenon. To overcome the adequacy of understanding the social and scientific grounds for the development of the general theory of legal responsibility the authors state that the legal responsibility phenomenon must be developed in the light of its possible integration into the theory of general social responsibility.
ROMA PEOPLE IN INTERGENERATIONAL LEARNING – EMERGING APPROACH TO LEARNING
Authors: Vaněk Barbora
Published: November 2018

Intergenerational learning brings many benefits to individuals and society. It is based on mutual learning amongst generations with learning outcomes for each participant. Lifelong learning is challenged as a concept as it should be able to deal with diversity, marginalization and variety of social contexts while trying to promote inclusion and equity in societies. The article discusses intergenerational learning as a concept developing the educational potential of an adult, described as the ability of an individual to develop their personal attributes, to overcome problematic situations and to reach his/her objectives by andragogical intervention. Taking into consideration the Roma people, as one of the most marginalized ethnic groups (minority) in Slovakia, the following research question is raised: How can intergenerational learning, so widely beneficial, develop the educational potential of adult Roma?Roma families are of open communication amongst family members, they often live more generations together in common household and thus potentially open to intergenerational learning. The research had a qualitative design that included individual interviews and focus groups conducted with Roma parents and teachers (37 interviewees overall), which was then evaluated by thematic content analysis. It should be noted that only preliminary findings are presented in this article. The results showed that amongst parents, the future education of their children was of greater value than the education they originally achieved. Their future is significantly linked to children’s development, which clearly represent a source of joy and happiness in their life. It was common for parents to prioritize the education and future of their children over their own. However, there were cases identified in which parents agreed they had learned something from their children: use of internet, social media and new technologies. Intergenerational learning clearly exists within Roma families, but is widely unintentional. Those families in which its use was intentional (stimulated by external intervention), the effect on children as well as Roma parents was beneficial. Common learning – mothers with children – occurs very naturally and can be structured, content based and intergenerational. Educational institutions such as schools can be highly effective facilitators of this process.
GENDER DIFFERENCES IN ORAL CARE HABITS, ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOURS OF ADOLESCENTS IN THE CITY OF KLAIPEDA
Authors: Barsevičienė Šarūnė , Žymantienė Eglė , Andruškienė Jurgita
Published: November 2018

Background. For many, the adolescent years can be a difficult emotional period and a time when dental and medical needs may be neglected. Oral health is one of the most unmet health care needs of adolescents. Oral diseases can have a profound effect on overall health, including pain, missed school, heart disease, and even death (Silk and Kwok, 2017).Aim of the survey: to study the gender differences in oral hygiene habits, attitudes and behaviours in Klaipeda city adolescents sample.Methods: There were 1206 questionnaires distributed (response rate 95.3 %). A total of 1150 adolescents participated in the study, with 52.4 % being girls, and the mean age was 13.4 years.Results. The study results demonstrated girls more often brushed their teeth than boys, 86.8 % and 68.5 %, respectively (p<0.001). Almost all the participants (98.5 %) used toothpaste and a toothbrush on a daily basis, but girls more often used dental floss (66.3 % as compared to boys 33.7 %, p<0.001), mouthwash (60.3 % as compared to boys 39.7 %, p<0.001) and other dental care products (79.5 % as compared to boys 20.5 %, p<0.05) for toothbrushing and daily dental care. The girls brushed their teeth in the morning (92.9 %) and before bedtime (91.0 %), as well as the boys (85.0 % and 77.5 %, respectively, p<0.001).Conclusions. Girls demonstrated better oral health care habits, comparing to boys. Boys had greater, as compared to girls, dental fear, restricting them from having regular appointments for check-ups at the dental office. Girls more frequently than boys had an attitude that teeth should be kept clean for aesthetic purposes and in order to ensure their longevity. Girls preferred to seek a dentist’s help as soon as it is needed and to maintain good oral health, because it’s essential to human health in general.
ANALYSIS OF THE DEGREE OF ADHERENCE TO THERAPY IN PATIENTS WITH DIAGNOSED DEPRESSION
Authors: Kondova Antonia , Todorova Anna , Tsvetkova Antoaneta , Andreevska Kalina , Grekova Daniela , Petkova Valentina
Published: November 2018

Introduction: Depression is the most common form of mental disorder of great social significance. Antidepressant treatment is a standard approach to treat depressed patients, but in order to be effective, patients need to follow their strictly prescribed treatments. Bad compliances are mostly associated with side effects, poor patient awareness, comorbidity of the disease, and a lack of communication with healthcare professionals.Objectives: The aim is to investigate the level of adherence to the therapy of patients with a diagnosed depressive condition.Methods: In order to achieve this aim, a survey was conducted among 120 patients with diagnosed depression when receiving their prescribed drugs from a pharmacy. Determination of patient`s adherence was done using the Morriski test- as well as a short questionnaire in parallel as a validated tool giving a clear idea of the degree of adherence to therapy.Results: The results show that the patients under study exhibited unsatisfactory adherence to the assigned therapy. The total coefficient for the entire population is 1.68. Compared with the reference values (0-4), patients were found to have 42% adherence.Conclusions: Inadequate adherence to therapy leads to a worsening of the condition of patients with depression while also increasing the cost of health care. A number of approaches are required such as patient education, quality communication between doctors, patients and pharmacists, socio-economic measures to change patient's beliefs and perceptions of treatment, and to improve adherence to the therapy and quality of life of patients suffering from depression.
PILOT SURVEY OF THE MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS IN BULGARIA ON INTEGRATING EBM TRAINING IN MEDICAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM
Authors: Leventi Nikoleta , Yanakieva Antoniya
Published: November 2018

INTRODUCTION: Many medical schools all over the world have incorporated evidence-based medicine (EBM) training into their curriculum. According to their results, teaching EBM helps health professionals both to update their knowledge and also to provide better care to their patients in their daily practice while improving the quality of the healthcare system. OBJECTIVE: The main purpose of this paper is to present the necessity of the integration of EBM training into the medical curriculum in order to improve the quality of education. The introduction of EBM in medical professionals’ education in Bulgaria is explored with a pilot study together with the respective opportunities and challenges.METHODS: About one hundred practicing medical professionals (physicians, dentists, nurses, midwives, and physiotherapists) were included in this pilot study. A paper questionnaire, including three parts (demographic characteristics, attitude towards EBM, application of EBM in everyday clinical practice), was used for collecting data.RESULTS: Completed questionnaires were received from 84 medical professionals. From the respondents 55 were familiar with the term EBM. The majority (59) of the participants agreed that EBM training would help them in their daily practice. According to 59 of the respondents EBM improves the quality of the provided health and care services to the patients. From the data collected, 65 participants support the necessity of incorporating EBM in their medical education, 9 do not support, and 10 cannot evaluate. Most of the respondents (69) speak and understand a foreign language good enough to read and understand scientific literature without difficulty, as well as the majority (81) of the participants reported computer skills at a good level.CONCLUSIONS: Data from this pilot study demonstrated a positive attitude from medical professionals toward EBM. The majority confirmed the need to integrate EBM training as a discipline into the medical education curriculum.
EMBRYOGENESIS OF THE HUMAN RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
Authors: Tsyhykalo Olexandr , Khodorovska Аlla , Popova Iryna
Published: November 2018

One of the topical issues of morphology is studying general regulations of development and structural formation dynamics of respiratory system. The aim of the study was to determine peculiarities of the embryogenesis of respiratory system organs during prenatal development in humans. Research was conducted on 22 series of histological specimens of human embryos which were 4,5-8,0 mm of parieto-cocygeal lengths (PLC), and by using complex morphological methods of study (morphometry, histological assessment, three-dimensional reconstruction). It was established that the source of human lungs primordium is a traheopulmonary primordium, which at the end of 4th week of human prenatal development is represented by an odd bud-shaped entity which departs with an acute angle from the ventral wall of the foregut and is located in front of foregut. The beginning of the 5th week of human prenatal development is considered to be a critical period, which holds intensive processes of organogenesis of the respiratory system and is a possible time for the occurrence of some congenital defects or anomalies and structural variants. Sources of pulmonary vessels are islands of intraorgan hematopoiesis and extraorgan main vessels, communication between which occurs during the end of 4th and at the start of 5th weeks of human prenatal development.
TRICHOBEZOAR OF A SMALL INTESTINE IN A 10 YEAR OLD FEMALE
Authors: Mozhaiev Ievgen , Mozhaieva Natalia , Modna Yuliya , Khashchuk Daniel
Published: November 2018

The majority of items which accidentally enter the organism significantly threaten the health and life of a child. The problem of bezoars in the practice of pediatric surgeons and emergency pediatric surgery remains relevant, as evidenced by this clinical case. As a clinical picture of bezoars is diverse and this pathology is quite rare in childhood each case with a bezoar represents a practical interest for pediatric surgeons. This case is interesting because it describes a clinical case involving a bezoar of a child’s small intestine with the clinical picture of an acute mechanical (obstructive) intestinal obstruction.
ACHIEVING MAXIMUM SFN SIZE FOR A DVB-T2 TRANSMISSION SYSTEM
Authors: Andoni Loreta
Published: November 2018

The GE-06 Agreement “On planning the terrestrial digital broadcasting services in parts of Region 1 and 3, in the frequency bands of 174-230 MHz and 470-862 MHz” has been based in the DVB-T system of transmission. Most of the signatory countries of this agreement use or are going to use the most advanced digital terrestrial technology such as DVB-T2. One of the main advantages of DVB-T2 comparing with DVB-T is an increased size of SFN networks, which is closely related with guard interval or inter-transmitters distances. To achieve the maximum size of DVB-T2 SFNs, it is important to find optimal parameters of DVB-T2 networks. But even though the GE-06 Plan gives opportunities to implement DVB-T2 there are some limitations on using all its benefits. One of these limitations is the availability to increase the distance between transmitters because changes in the location of any transmitter require long and intensive coordination with neighboring countries. The aim of this paper is to investigate the optimal DVB-T2 networks configuration for two existing SFN networks in Albania with the purpose to achieve maximum SFN size without adding transmitters or changing the location of existing transmitters.
LAB SCALE STUDY OF HRT AND OLR OPTIMIZATION IN A UASB TREATING SLAUGHTERHOUSE WASTEWATER
Authors: Chollom Martha N. , Rathilal Sudesh , Swalaha Feroz M. , Bakare Babatunde F. , Tetteh Emmanuel Kweinor
Published: November 2018

As the quality of most water sources and the environment continue to deteriorate, the public is increasingly concerned about the issues of sustainability. To combat this, strict policies and legislations are being placed to enable the treatment of wastewaters before discharging and possibly reusing it.  Animal slaughterhouses have proven to be important sources of wastewater with high levels of organics such as chemical oxygen demand (COD), biological oxygen demand (BOD), total suspended solids (TSS), volatile suspended solids (VSS), fats and proteins. Discharging wastewater without any form of treatment into receiving water bodies has shown to contaminant water sources and as well to be detrimental to aquatic animals. Anaerobic processes have been proposed as a good alternative for the treatment of wastewaters with high or medium organic loads. The production of biogas through anaerobic digestion offers substantial advantages over other biological methods of waste treatment. The aim of this study was to elucidate the effect of process operational parameters on the performance of an up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor (UASB). The reactor was used for the treatment of a synthetic wastewater which was synthesised to emulate that obtainable from a slaughterhouse. Organic loading rate (OLR) was increased by varying the hydraulic retention times (HRT) from 8−16 hours. The temperature of the reactor was maintained at a constant 35 ̊C while the pH was varied from 6.5 to 7.5. The result of the work indicated an optimum OLR of 4.5−7.5 kgCOD.m-3.d-1 and an optimum COD of 75−86%. Similarly, a biogas yield of 2850 ml/day was found to be the highest at a HRT of 12 hours at the optimum OLR. At the highest OLR, flotation occurred and consequently the active biomass was washed out from the reactor. The results indicated that anaerobic treatment systems are applicable to the treatment of wastewaters with high levels of organics.
EXERCISE OF MACHINE LEARNING USING SOME PYTHON TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES
Authors: Geldiev Ertan Mustafa , Nenkov Nayden Valkov , Petrova Mariana Mateeva
Published: November 2018

One of the goals of predictive analytics training using Python tools is to create a "Model" from classified examples that classifies new examples from a Dataset. The purpose of different strategies and experiments is to create a more accurate prediction model. The goals we set out in the study are to achieve successive steps to find an accurate model for a dataset and preserving it for its subsequent use using the python instruments. Once we have found the right model, we save it and load it later, to classify if we have "phishing" in our case. In the case that the path we reach to the discovery of the search model, we can ask ourselves how much we can automate everything and whether a computer program can be written to automatically go through the unified steps and to find the right model? Due to the fact that the steps for finding the exact model are often unified and repetitive for different types of data, we have offered a hypothetical algorithm that could write a complex computer program searching for a model, for example when we have a classification task. This algorithm is rather directional and does not claim to be all-encompassing. The research explores some features of Python Scientific Python Packages like Numpy, Pandas, Matplotlib, Scipy and scycit-learn to create a more accurate model. The Dataset used for the research was downloaded free from the UCI Machine Learning Repository (UCI Machine Learning Repository, 2017).
IDENTIFICATION OF THE HONEYBEE SUBSPECIES FROM SOME ROMANIAN COUNTIES USING A SEMIAUTOMATIC SYSTEM FOR ANALYZING WINGS
Authors: Buescu Elena , Gurau Maria Rodica , Danes Doina
Published: November 2018

Morphometric analysis of honeybee wings can be used to discriminate between honeybee subspecies. The classic morphometric methods used to identify honeybee subspecies are time consuming while geometric morphometric analysis are proven to be more efficient and rapid for the identification of honeybee subspecies.  Even if the geometric morphometric analysis involves several steps such as: obtaining the image of the honeybee wing,  processing the wings image (settlement of the 19 points), classification and validation, in terms of consumed time,it  takes less than classic morphometric methodes and it is easier to apply. The aim of this study was to identify honeybee subspecies from the Romanian South-Eastern area, using the geometric morphometric method. To accomplish this, the semiautomated French system ApiClass was used. This system  allows us to identify the honeybee subspecies based on the wing's image of the Apis mellifera honeybee worker. The program is using the recent approaches of geometric morphometry and is analyzing the wing considering 19 points  corresponding to the intersections of the main veins of the bee forewings. These coordinates are processed by the system before being analyzed  after which the system returns the probability of  the analyzed honeybee belonging to one of the honeybee subspecies from its reference system. The system has more than 5000 honeybee wing references  off the main lines and honeybee subspecies.  Using this system we analyzed  samples from the counties of Braila, Buzau, Galati and Ilfov. Each sample was composed from wings of  20 honeybees. Most of the analyzed samples were identified as hybrids without being possible  to specify the type or the level of the hybridization: only three samples were identified as being Apis mellifera carnica presenting a homology degree over 90%.
EXPERIMENTAL TESTING OF PASSIVE INFRARED DETECTORS AND EXAMINING THE PROBABILITY OF INTRUDER DETECTION
Authors: Peňaška Michal , Kutaj Milan
Published: November 2018

The article describes intruder alarm systems, experimental testing of selected components of these systems, and examining the probability of intruder detection in a protected area. Component parameters are specified in the producer technical documentation (datasheets, service manuals) and they have to comply with European technical standards. Specifically, the article focuses on passive infrared motion detectors, which are among the most used components of intruder alarm systems. Experiments were carried out under the conditions specified in the European technical standards and also beyond these conditions. The experiments were performed in controlled measuring and testing laboratories. The results of the experiments can be used as a basis for improving the European technical standards, a proposal for their modification, and also for the evaluation of intruder alarm systems.
USE PROPERTIES OF DISTRIBUTIONS TO MODEL THE SYSTEMS WITH SEVERE NONLINEARITIES
Authors: Pop Emil , Ilcea Gabriel , Buzdugan Sergiu
Published: November 2018

Many times, in science and technology, we need to model and simulate some phenomena and with this we encounter lots of difficulties caused by the presence of certain nonlinear elements, which cannot be linearly approximated, called severe nonlinearities. This kind of nonlinearities contains discontinuities and non-derivable points. In other words, many nonlinearities are defined by some relations and not by the functions. This situation appears most frequently in the study of the systems when we have a mathematical model to simulate them. A solution proposed in this paper is to use a distributions theory that extends the class of functions. In order to refer to the class of nonlinear systems for which the theory of distributions will be applied, a brief presentation of nonlinear systems versus linear systems will be made. In the following paper the distribution concept, the elementary distributions were defined and several distributions and properties were illustrated by a simulation. Using properties of distributions, complex nonlinear problems, like control systems design, can be treated much easy. In this paper we can see models and simulations results for several discrete control applications used in control engineering and power electronics. The distributions are suitable for software implementation and by this offers very good support for embedded systems with software-oriented solution. Many distributions models were known for a long time, but were not used in applications. In this paper the distributions are modeled, simulated and many applications which can be used as guides in the future, was developed. As a conclusion, the distribution properties are very suitable for the development of nonlinear mathematical models especially for ones with severe nonlinearities, and through this to design controllers or other nonlinear devices.
INVESTIGATING DISSOLVED AIR FLOTATION FACTORS FOR OIL REFINERY WASTEWATER TREATMENT
Authors: Tetteh Emmanuel Kweinor , Rathilal Sudesh
Published: November 2018

The global demand for petrochemical and petroleum industry products unavoidably generates large volumes of oil refinery wastewater (ORW). The complete treatment, reclamation and disposal of the ORW to an acceptable environmental limit is currently a challenge to most of the petroleum industries. With the current development in conventional treatment methods viz. coagulation, dissolved air flotation (DAF), and biological and membrane separation processes. DAF, which is well-established separation process, effectively employs microbubbles as a carrier phase for separation. Although, DAF is frequently used in combined water and wastewater treatment plants, its fundamental characteristics and operational parameters have not yet been fully investigated for the treatment of ORW. In this study, the correlation and effects of the parameters understudy (coagulant dosage, air saturator pressure, air-water ratio and rising rate) on chemical oxygen demand, soap oil and grease, turbidity and total suspended solids removal from ORW were examined experimentally using a laboratory DAF system. The results showed that increasing the saturator working pressure and the rising rate had less effect on the system, than increasing the air-water ratio. The agglomeration of the oil droplets was found to depend solely on the polyaluminum sulphate (PAS) dosage to destabilize the oil droplets. The DAF treatability performance showed over 80% removal of the contaminants at optimum conditions of pH of 5, PAS dosage of 10 mg/L, rising rate of 15 minutes, air saturator pressure of 300-500 kPa, and air-water ratio of 5-15%. The PAS dosage was found to be the most significant factor. Therefore, a moderate increase of the PAS dosage under these optimum conditions will increase the DAF efficiency in the treatment of ORW.
Federalismo para quem? Um balanço aos 30 anos da Constituição de 1988 | Federalism for whom? A balance of 30 years of the Brazilian Constitution of 1988
Authors: Magalhães Pires Thiago
Published: November 2018

O artigo procura examinar quais entes (e valores) políticos foram prestigiados ou prejudicados pelo modelo federativo instituído pela Constituição de 1988, analisando-o por quatro ângulos: (a) a estrutura do Estado; (b) a repartição de competências; (c) a relação com o princípio democrático; e (d) o federalismo fiscal. Além do discurso jurídico, são apresentados diagnósticos e avaliações feitas nos campos da Ciência Política e da Economia.