bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Relationship of Cash Conversion Cycle with Firm Size, Working Capital Approaches and Firm’s Profitability: A Case of Pakistani Industries
Authors: Bhutto Niaz Ahmed , Abbas Ghulam , Rehman Mujeeb ur , Shah Syed Mir M
Published: September 2018

This study is aimed to analyze the comparative performance management of different industrial groups at single time scale from multiple perspectives. The study investigates the relationship between the length of CCC, firm size, firm profitability and aggressive/conservative Working Capital policies of 12 industrial groups. Descriptive analysis, Pearson correlation and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) with post-hoc test (Least Significant Differences) have been used for empirical investigation. The data is collected from the financial statements of the 157 public limited companies listed in the Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) for the year 2009. It is found that significant differences lie among the mean values of CCC across the Industries and more specifically, Oil and Gas industry is significantly different from all the other industries in term of its length of CCC. Findings of the study show that there is a significant and positive relationship between firms’ aggressive investing policies and conservative financing policies. It is concluded that length of CCC has negative relationship with sales revenue, return on equity (ROE) and financing policies of the firms and has positive relationship with total assets, return on assets (ROA) and investing policies of firms. The practical implications of this study are for the management of the firms to consider the importance of the length of CCC in formulating their policies because the length of CCC is closely related to aggressive/conservative Working Capital approaches of firms. This is the first study of its nature conducted in Pakistan so far which has taken into account all these variables simultaneously and tried to investigate their relationship with each other.
Marine Ecological Assessment for LNG Terminal at Port Qasim
Authors: Amjad Dr. Shahid , Khan Moinuddin Ali
Published: September 2018

Multinational companies intend to develop a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal with floating storage and regasification arrangement (FSRA) in the jurisdiction of Port Qasim. Approximately 500 MMSCFD or 3.5 million tons per annum of LNG would be transferred through a mooring arrangement, which would require marine works/structures such as a berth for docking and mooring of LNG Carriers and Floating Ship Regasification Arrangement (FSRA) i.e., unloading, storage and vapor recovery and return unit and pipelines to the delivery point for transport to off-takers. The FSRA will deliver the re-gasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG) via jetty and onshore associated facilities to the gas network operated by the in-country transmission pipeline providers SSGCL and SNGPL. The approach channel of Port Qasim is associated with Gharo Phitti Creek System consists of three creeks: Gharo Creek, Kadiro Creek and Phitti Creek has tidal creeks and are with associated mangrove and mudflats ecosystems that are linked with a network of creeks in the Indus Delta. Dredging will be required to create the berthing and the turning basin of diameter 400 to 700 m with a depth of -13.5 m below chart datum (CD). Approximate dredged material would be upto 5.5 Million cubic meters. The dredged material will be utilized for the reclamation and to construct shore protection structure. Land Area of 75-100 acres with water front of 1000 m has been allocated in the PQA for this project. This would be the first time that LNG terminals are being set up in PQA.
Environment Friendly Products: Factors that Influence the Green Purchase Intentions of Pakistani Consumers
Authors: Ali Afzaal , Ahmad Israr
Published: September 2018

This study examines the influence of various factors on the green purchase intentions of Pakistani consumers. To this end, a conceptual model has been proposed and subjected to empirical verification with the use of a survey. The survey results obtained in two major Pakistani cities provide reasonable support for the validity of the proposed model. Specifically, the findings from the correlation matrix, simple regression followed by multiple regression analysis confirm the influence of OGI, EK, EC and PPP&Q on consumers purchase intentions toward green products. The OGI, EK and EC, in turn, also seem to affect consumers green purchase intentions via the moderating role of PPP&Q of a green product. Although the present findings provide a better understanding of the process and significant antecedents of green purchasing intentions, this also highlights one area for more thorough investigation. This is the significant moderating role of PPP&Q variables in consumers’ green purchasing process. As the findings suggest that respondents have a high positive attitude regarding green products and are ready to buy green products more often, but as for as the product price and quality are concerned, green products must perform competitively just like the traditional products. This study also discusses how the present findings may help the Pakistani government and green marketers to fine-tune their environmental programs.
Data Mining in Educational Settings
Authors: Naqvi Rabab
Published: September 2018

Educational mining is an evolving trend in research capacity that
deals with the growth of tools and techniques to discover hidden
pattern lying in the data in an educational context. Mining is helping
all the educational stakeholders working in different lines of
education. It is helping administrators to manage resources effectively
and faculty to analyze students’ performance, their learning behavior,
and to predict their future path. Problem definition, data gathering
and preparation, model building and evaluation, and knowledge
development are the four steps typically involve in educational
mining.
Treatment of Reactive Routing Protocols Using Second Chance Based on Malicious behavior of Nodes in MANETS
Authors: Belgaum Muhammad Riyaz , Soomro Safee , Alansari Zainab , Alam Muhammad
Published: September 2018

Mobile nodes of various routing protocols in Mobile Ad hoc Networks follow different strategies in transmission and receiving of data. Security, packet delivery and routing overhead are important concerns for any protocol during designing them. The presence and absence of malicious nodes in the network affect a lot on the performance of the protocol. This research focused on the study of the threats, attacks and reasons for malicious behavior of nodes in the network for reactive routing protocols in MANETS. DSR and AODV are the two reactive routing protocols that considered the study to propose a second chance strategy to given to the nodes considering the reason for malicious behavior to improve the packet delivery ratio and reduce the routing overhead in the network. A simulative study has conducted using Ad hoc Simulator (ASIM) considering the DSR and AODV routing protocols in the presence of malicious nodes and in the absence of malicious nodes that showed, that the packet delivery ratio is low and routing overhead is high in the absence of malicious nodes. The second chance strategy proposed considers the reasons for malicious behavior and helps the node to be reintegrate in the network to improve the packet delivery ratio and reduce the routing overhead.
Bankruptcy Prediction for Financial Sector of Pakistan: Evaluation of Logit and Discriminant Analysis Approaches
Authors: Khan Usama Ehsan
Published: September 2018

Bankruptcy prediction is one of the core area in finance that is quite rich in empirical and theoretical work. This study compares two models for measuring the financial position of financial firms listed in Karachi Stock Exchange. The study gives a comprehensive review of two models, namely Altman’s [1] Z-score and an O-Score derived from Ohlson [14]. The purpose of this paper is two folded. First to identify unique characteristics of business failure and to compare effective variables responsible for this response. Secondly to compare two popular accounting-based measures. summarize publiclyavailable information about bankruptcy. The sample period for this study is from 2009 to 2015. From the KSE listed financial firms, a total of 40 firms were selected and accounting ratios were extracted from balance sheet analysis reports published by State bank of Pakistan. The empirical results concluded that the logit model has a high rate of classification as compared to multiple discriminant analysis. The model has obtained overall 85.5% accuracy and identified three significant accounting ratios that are: retained earnings to total asset, earnings before income and taxes to the total asset, and current liabilities to total asset. The finding of this study would benefit stakeholders that are affected by bankruptcies. So in order to take an advantage, it is important to understand the phenomenon that causes bankruptcies.
Relationship of Social Progress Index (SPI) with Gross Domestic Product (GDP PPP per capita): The moderating role of Corruption Perception Index (CPI)
Authors: Qaiser Bilal , Nadeem Sajid , Siddiqi Muhammad Usman , Siddiqui Ahmed F
Published: September 2018

This study investigated the impact of social progress on economic development in 119 countries, while taking their individual corruption perception into consideration. Simple linear regression was use on the secondary data for 119 countries and 5 continents while the SPSS PROCESS macro was used to test the moderating effect of corruption perception. As hypothesized, a positive relationship of the social progress index (SPI) with gross domestic product (GDP) PPP per capita was observe. This means that countries, which fulfill basic human needs, foundations of wellbeing and foster availability of opportunities have enhanced economic development. Moreover, the moderating role of corruption perception between the relationship of social progress and economic development was confirmed; thus indicating that countries with better corruption perception rating possess a stronger relationship of SPI and GDP (PPP) per capita and vice versa. When checked for continents, moderation results showed that the continents that have higher values of corruption perception index (CPI) are more socially and economically developed.
The Effects of Contract Framing on Misconduct and Entitlement
Authors: Nichol Jennifer E.
Published: September 2018

This study examines the effects of incentive contract framing on misreporting and entitlement. I conduct a 2 × 2 between-subjects experiment, manipulating incentive contract framing (Bonus/Penalty) and the awareness of the opportunity to misreport (Before Effort/After Effort). I predict and find that (1) penalty contracts cause a higher rate and degree of misreporting, and (2) this greater misreporting occurs due to a greater sense of entitlement to the incentive funds. Collectively, this study's theory and results indicate that while penalty contracts can sometimes increase effort relative to bonus contracts, they also encourage greater dishonesty in reporting when that effort is not successful.

Data Availability: Contact the author.
A Correspondência Entre Governança Relacional e Resultados Sociais em Redes de Cooperativas de Material Reciclável
Authors: Ramos de Lima Aline , Ferreira de Almeida Lucimar , Michelangelo Giglio Ernesto , Silva Corrêa Victor
Published: September 2018

Este artigo busca contribuir para o entendimento teórico e para o desenvolvimento de metodologia, apresentando indicadores de governança relacional e resultados sociais. Como base teórica, utilizam-se as afirmativas da abordagem social em redes, segundo as quais as relações sociais são variáveis importantes no desenvolvimento e resultados da rede. A pesquisa é descritiva, qualitativa, com método de estudo de casos múltiplos. A coleta de dados utiliza os instrumentos questionários e entrevistas com roteiro semiestruturado e dados de fontes secundárias. Os resultados indicam que a proposição é sustentada, porque se encontraram correspondências entre os indicadores de governança relacional e os indicadores de resultados sociais. Apresenta como benefício teórico uma correspondência raramente investigada e como benefício metodológico indicadores operacionais e confiáveis.
Katsaus suomalaiseen CAM-tutkimukseen
Authors: Vuolanto Pia , Sorsa Minna , Aarva Pauliina , Helin Kaija
Published: September 2018

Tämä katsausartikkeli käsittelee suomalaista täydentävän ja vaihtoehtoisen lääkinnän tutkimusta. Käytämme siitä lyhennettä CAM-tutkimus (CAM eli Complementary and Alternative Medicine, täydentävä ja vaihtoehtoinen lääkintä). Artikkelin tavoitteena on selvittää, millaista CAM-tutkimusta Suomessa on tehty ja mihin tutkimus on kohdistunut. Tutkimusaineisto koostui CAM-hoitoja käsittelevistä 53 tutkimusartikkelista ja 12 väitöskirjasta ajanjaksolta 1980–2014. Aineisto haettiin kotimaisista ja ulkomaisista tietokannoista. Tutkimusmenetelmä oli sisällönanalyysi. CAM-tutkimusta tehtiin erityisesti 1990-luvulla ja 2000-luvun alussa. Useimmiten tutkimukset tehtiin yliopistossa tai yhteistyössä yliopistojen kanssa. Valtaosa aineistomme julkaisuista käsitteli CAM-hoitoja kokonaisuutena erittelemättä eri hoitomuotoja toisistaan. CAM-hoidoiksi tutkimuksissa luettiin erilaisia terveyden ylläpitoon tai sairauden hoitoon tarkoitettuja yrttejä, rohdoksia, homeopaattisia ja antroposofisia lääkkeitä, ruokavaliohoitoja sekä kehomielihoitoja, joista useimmin mainittiin henkiparannus, akupunktio ja vyöhyketerapia. Erittelemme artikkelissa suomalaisen CAM-tutkimuksen luokittelun kansainvälistä luokittelua mukaillen seuraavasti: 1) CAM-hoitojen vaikuttavuuden ja käytettävyyden tutkimus, 2) CAM-hoitojen historian ja kansanperinteen tutkimus, 3) CAM-hoitojen käytön yleisyyden ja käyttäjäryhmien tutkimus, 4) hoitohenkilökunnan asenteiden ja suhtautumisen tutkimus. Lisäksi hahmottelimme viidennen – tosin Suomen kontekstissa hyvin vähäisen – luokan: CAM-ammattien tutkimus, tieteentutkimus ja hoitonäkemysten tutkimus. Suurin osa tutkimuksista kohdistui CAM-hoitojen käyttöön ja käyttäjätyyppeihin. Tulosten mukaan vähintään kolmannes aikuisista oli käyttänyt tai kokeillut jotakin CAM-hoitoa. Muita tutkimuskohteita olivat CAM-hoitojenvaikutukset, terveydenhuoltohenkilökunnan asenteet ja hoitojen historia. Vaikutustutkimuksista suurin osa kohdistui jäsenkorjaukseen, jolla todettiin olevan myönteisiä vaikutuksia. Lääkärien ja sairaanhoitajien CAM-asenteet osoittautuivat jakautuneiksi.
Surveillance des cas suspectés d’intoxication et de blessures liées aux opioïdes : tendances et contexte tirés
du Système canadien hospitalier d’information et de recherche en prévention des traumatismes, mars 2011 à juin 2017
Authors: Do Minh T. , Chang Vicky C. , Tibebu Semra , Thompson Wendy , Ugnat Anne-Marie
Published: September 2018

Introduction

La crise actuelle des opioïdes est un problème de santé publique majeur au
Canada. Il est nécessaire de connaître les facteurs de risque en amont associés à la consommation
d’opioïdes pour éclairer les efforts de prévention des blessures, de promotion
de la santé et de réduction des méfaits.

Méthodologie

Nous avons analysé les données sur les blessures subies par des personnes
traitées dans les services d’urgence (SU) de onze hôpitaux pédiatriques et de six
hôpitaux généraux au Canada et recueillies par le Système canadien hospitalier
d’information et de recherche en prévention des traumatismes en ligne (SCHIRPTe) entre
mars 2011 et juin 2017. Nous avons identifié les blessures apparemment liées aux opioïdes
au moyen de chaînes de recherche et nous les avons vérifiées manuellement. Nous avons
calculé des rapports proportionnels de blessures (RPB) en fonction de l’âge et du sexe
ainsi que des intervalles de confiance à 95 % pour comparer les blessures liées à la consommation
d’opioïdes à l'ensemble des blessures figurant dans le SCHIRPTe. Une régression
binomiale négative a été utilisée pour déterminer les tendances au fil du temps. Nous
avons effectué des analyses qualitatives des informations descriptives afin d'en dégager
les thèmes communs spécifiques à chaque étape de vie.

Résultats

Nous avons identifié 583 cas d'intoxications ou de blessures apparemment
liées aux opioïdes dans le SCHIRPTe pour la période allant de mars 2011 à juin 2017. La
majorité concernaient des femmes (55 %) et sont survenues au domicile des patients
(51 %). Quarante-cinq pour cent des blessures étaient des automutilations intentionnelles.
Chez les enfants (1 à 9 ans), la plupart des blessures ont été causées par une consommation
accidentelle d’opioïdes laissés sans surveillance. Chez les jeunes (10 à 19 ans)
et les adultes (20 à 49 ans), la consommation d’opioïdes était associée à une maladie
mentale sous-jacente. Dans l’ensemble, on observe une augmentation de la variation
annuelle moyenne en pourcentage (VAMP) du taux de blessures (pour 100 000 cas dans le
SCHIRPTe) depuis 2012 (VAMP = 11,9 %, p $lt; 0,05), particulièrement marquée chez les
hommes (VAMP = 16,3 %, p $lt; 0,05). Les personnes victimes de blessures apparemment
liées à la consommation d’opioïdes étaient plus susceptibles d’être admises à l’hôpital
que les personnes victimes d'autres types de blessure (RPB = 5,3, IC à 95 % : 4,6 à 6,2).

Conclusion

Les déterminants en amont des blessures liées à l’utilisation d’opioïdes sont
complexes et varient probablement selon les sous-populations. La surveillance continue
des facteurs de risque est donc importante afin d'obtenir les données probantes nécessaires
à la prévention d’autres surdoses et décès.
Editorial
Authors: CTyP Revista
Published: September 2018

Editorial del Número de la revista CTyP
Producción pública de medicamentos: desafíos para una política estratégica en materia de salud
Authors: Santos Guillermo , Thomas Hernán
Published: September 2018

La producción pública de medicamentos constituye la solución a un problema de disponibilidad de medicamentos y de su accesibilidad por parte de amplios sectores de la población. Se trata de un sector estratégico que requiere la necesidad de implementar y articular políticas públicas, que integren las áreas de ciencia y tecnología con las de investigación y desarrollo en salud.En este artículo se analizan algunas de las capacidades tecno-productivas y socio-institucionales de la producción pública de medicamentos en Argentina y se señalan sus fortalezas y debilidades para constituirse como un sector estratégico en el área de salud. Este tipo de análisis permite una mejor comprensión de las posibilidades locales de desarrollo productivo para resolver problemas sociales. Por otro lado brinda elementos para orientar la gestión de políticas y tecnologías vinculadas con el desarrollo estratégico de un país.
Apropiación de semillas: soberanía alimentaria y tecnológica en riesgo
Authors: Perelmuter Tamara
Published: September 2018

Desde mediados del siglo veinte dos hechos impactaron decisivamente en la producción y comercialización de semillas: la aparición de las semillas híbridas, y la expansión de las biotecnologías aplicadas al agro, que condujo a un salto en la privatización del conocimiento. Las semillas adquirieron así un interés estratégico en el desarrollo de la agricultura global. En este trabajo se analizan estos procesos en Argentina y se discuten diversos dispositivos desarrollados en el país vinculados con esta temática. En particular la Ley de Semillas y los diversos intentos por modificarla; las disputas por el cobro de regalías y los contratos bilaterales entre Monsanto y productores. Se concluye, por un lado, que todo avance de la lógica de apropiación y eliminación de derechos de los agricultores a la resiembra pone en riesgo nuestra Soberanía Alimentaria. Por otro lado, se hace necesario un nuevo modelo agroalimentario basado en la agroecología, con eje en la producción de alimentos sanos y culturalmente apropiados, y en el cuidado de la biodiversidad y los recursos naturales.
Effect of Sweet Marjoram (Origanum majorana L.) Cogermination and Aqueous Extracts on Maize (Zea mays L.)
Authors: Bonea Dorina , Urechean Viorica
Published: September 2018

The purpose of this study was to examine the allelopathic effect of sweet marjoram (O. majorana) on the germination and early stages of maize seedlings. Two experiments were performed under laboratory conditions (in Petri dishes). In the first experience, Origanum majorana seeds were cogerminated with maize (Zea mays) seeds in the same Petri dish. For the second experience were used aqueous extracts from fresh and dry aboveground biomass of the sweet marjoram (stem, leaves) in concentrations of 1%, 2% and 3%. Cogermination of O. majorana with maize seeds has significantly stimulated the germination index (Gi) and growth of maize seedlings. Aqueous extracts of sweet marjoram in a concentration of 1% and 2% have significantly stimulated shoot length of maize. On the other hand, aqueous extracts at a concentration of 3% significantly inhibited root length of maize. These results suggest that the cogermination with sweet marjoram seeds may be an alternative to biostimulation of maize initial growth, and aqueous extracts in low concentrations could be used as growth bioregulators.
Researches Regarding New and Improved Technologies for Sunflower and Sorghum Crops in the Context of Climate Changes in Dobrogea Region
Authors: Manole Dumitru , Jinga Vasile , Giumba Ana Maria , Dudoiu Roxana , Cristea Stelica
Published: September 2018

At Sport Agra in Amzacea, in the last few years there have been experimented new sunflower and sorghum crop technologies designed to face the current climate changes. These technologies for the intended crops include the following elements: changing the sowing epoch with one month before the usual period recommended by classical technologies; application of herbicides in order to control both weeds and Orobanche cumana Wallr. parasite in plots cultivated with various hybrids from Syngenta and Limagrain companies; application of last generation fungicides during the vegetation period, which will reduce the attack of the main crop pathogens; screening of hybrids with good behavior towards the main pest agent of area - Orobanche cumana parasite, which cause important yield losses in the south east past of Romania. There were tested 8 hybrids from Syngenta Company, 6 hybrids from Limagrain and 4 hybrids from NARDI Fundulea. The yields obtained for most of the hybrids were over 4 t/ha. For sorghum crop, there were performed various experiments such as: changing the sowing period - beginning of April in order to benefit from the soil’s humidity at 4-5 cm depth boosting the germination process; choosing early hybrids in order to avoid the drought season which starts in June; applying adequate crop protection treatments, with pre-emergent and postemergent herbicides and last generation insecticides. The obtained production from sorghum crop were over 10 t/ha for most of the varieties tested.
Extreme Dry Years in the 21st Century at the Level of the Agricultural Areas of Muntenia, Romania
Authors: Oprea Oana-Alexandra , Mateescu Elena , Barbu Anda , Tudor Rodica
Published: September 2018

The global climatic changes consisting of the increased in the average air temperature and changes in the rainfall regime have led in the last decades to the extension of the agricultural areas affected by the drought phenomenon, both worldwide and in Romania. During the last half century, the drought and the phenomena associated with it, namely aridization and desertification, are a major problem for mankind. The limiting factor affecting field crops on the largest surface is the drought, the extent and intensity of this type of risk causing annual reduction of agricultural production by at least 30-50%. Drought represents the natural phenomenon determined by the amounts of precipitations below the normal values. The absence of rainfall is due to the predominance of the anti-cyclonic type. The most frequent phenomena occur in the extra-Carpathian agricultural regions of southern and south-eastern Romania Muntenia is located in the drought-sensitive area, where the influx of continental anti-cyclones is higher. Although this phenomena is possible in all seasons and in all agricultural areas, it doesn’t occur simultaneously and doesn’t have the same intensity. In the 21st century, the agricultural years 2001-2002, 2002-2003, 2006-2007, 2011-2012 and 2014-2015 are included in the list of the most recent years in terms of rainfall quantities, the heat units recorded in the warm season, as well as the soil moisture reserve available to winter wheat and maize plants during maximum water consumption. The objective of this paper is to highlight the correlation between the pluviometric regime analyzed during periods of maximum consumption of water from winter wheat and maize crops, the phenomenon of "heat" and the soil moisture reserve. The analysis of these specific indices helped us characterize the mentioned agricultural years, in the context of analysing the phenomenon of pedological drought with an impact in agriculture in Muntenia Region. An important element in the development of agricultural management strategies is to improve scientific knowledge and capacities to better manage climate variability by examining climate data and risks and opportunities analysis. The decrease in production of winter wheat and maize wheat crops occurs in extreme dry agricultural years due to the shortening of the vegetation season as a result of the increase in air temperature and water stress during the period of accumulation of the dry matter in the grain (the filling phase grain) caused by the reduction of precipitation amounts. Drought periods are increasingly common in Romania and are a major problem for agriculture with high impact on the agricultural production.
Effects of Some Herbal Plant Supplements on Growth Performance and the Immune Response in Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis Niloticus)
Authors: Hassan Ayman Abdel Mohsen , Yacout Mohamed Helmy , Khalel Mohamed Samir , Hafsa Salma Hashim Abu , Ibrahim Mostafa Abdel Rahman , Mocuta Dorina Nicoleta , Turek Rahoveanu Adrian , Dediu Lorena
Published: September 2018

Using of natural plants as immunostimulant in fish is more useful than antibacterial drugs that cause adversely side effects for fish, environment and consumers. Therefore, the present study was to investigate the effects of dietary turmeric (Curcuma longa), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) and thyme (Thymus vulgaris) as feed additives on growth performance, proximate composition and some immuno-hematological parameters on Nile tilapia. Four nitrogenous (31.43-31.56 % crude protein) and isocaloric (17.90-18.04 kJ/g) diets were formulated to contain 0% (control), 1% of turmeric, rosemary or thyme, respectively. The results reveled that, supplementation with medicinal herbs significantly increased (P<0.05) weight gain, specific growth rates and protein efficiency ratio (PER) compared to those in the control group. Moreover, the medicinal herb additives had insignificant effect on carcass composition and some biochemical composition. Hematocrit and leukocrit levels in the fish fed with turmeric, rosemary and thyme added diet were found to be significantly (P <0.05) higher than the control group. However, leukocyte level among the experimental groups was not significantly differed (P >0.05). In neutrophils of experimental fish groups, there were higher numbers of NBT (+) cells fixed on lamellas than those of the control group. So, based on the current findings together with the low cost and the immunostimulative effect of turmeric, rosemary and thyme it can be recommended to be used in fish feed to minimize the mortalities caused by some pathogens.
Estimates of the Population Parameters and Exploitation Rate of Pontic Shad (Alosa Immaculata Bennett, 1835) in the Romanian Black Sea Coast
Authors: Tiganov George , Nenciu Magda-Ioana , Danilov Cristian Sorin , Nita Victor Nicolae
Published: September 2018

Sex ratio, morphometric characteristics, age and growth for Pontic shad from Romanian Black Sea Coast were examined. A total of 2.133 individuals were caught between March 2012 and September 2013. Female : male sex ratio was 0.62. According to the age reading, distribution varied form II to V year. The von Bertalanffy equation and growth performance index were determined by ESP software in Pontic shad. The asymptotic length (L∞ = L infinity) of Pontic shad generated by the ELEFAN I method, after introducing total length data for the two years of study, was 41.5. The natural mortality instantaneous coefficient (M) of the entire Pontic shad population, calculated according to Pauly’s empirical equation, using the growth parameters of the Von Bertalanffy formula and the mean annual temperature of the two study years of 13°C, recorded the following values: M = 0.585 in 2012 and M = 0.639 in 2013. According with the resultants, it is recommended to perform a sustainable fishing which allows the capture of legal-sized of fish.
First Outcomes of Grafting Wolfberry in Romania
Authors: Asănică Adrian , Hoza Dorel , Iacob Alexandru
Published: September 2018

Grafting berries is a topic untouched by researchers or practitioners till now in Romania due to the convenient and widely spread way of classic propagation methods. Nevertheless, the positive effect of grafted plants in commercial orchards is well known at many other species. Traits like precocity, uniformity, fruit size and yield stability is desired to be achieved in this manner. By grafting berries, we look forward to eliminate the actual shortcomings of the traditional crop systems, mainly generated by bushy crown shape that requires large distance between the plants, difficulties in mowing or weeding process along the rows, pruning and harvest operation in a uncomfortable arch position, discontinuous application of pesticides inside the bush etc. In this regard, different methods and trials have been conducted in the last two years at the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Bucharest in order to eliminate these bottlenecks in the berry technology trough grafted plants.
Control of Coffee Leaf Rust by Chitosan Oligomers and Propolis
Authors: Silva-Castro Iosody , Barreto Robert W. , Rodriguez M. Carmen H. , Matei Petruta M. , Martín-Gil Jesús
Published: September 2018

Broad scale use of chemical pesticides is known to have produced broad scale environmental impact worldwide and, at the same time, discovery and registration of new molecules to be used as insecticides, herbicides and fungicides have slowed significantly along the last decades, reducing the number of options for pest control by the farmers. Searches for novel environmentally friendly products are a recognized priority. In this work, aqueous solutions of chitosan oligomers (COs) and propolis (P), individually or as binary mixtures, were tested against Hemileia vastatrix, the fungus which causes coffee leaf rust, the worst disease of coffee. Germination of H. vastatrix was inhibited up toll 99 % by COs, followed by the mixture of COs-P and P individually (germination inhibition of 96 % and 54 % respectively). Testing those products on detached coffee leaf discs also produced promising results when COs were applied before H. vastatrix inoculation. These results may lead to the discovery of new antifungal products for the control of coffee leaf rust.
Study on the Potential of Winetourism in Alba County
Authors: Popa Andrada I. , Coros Monica M.
Published: September 2018

The present paper addresses an analysis of the economic, touristic and gastronomic evolution of the county starting from the period before the 1990s until 2016. Initially, the economic growth of Alba County started with its industry, especially the chemical, wood processing, machine building, and food industry, but also with mining. Afterwards, there was a period of economic decline, thereafter the industry in this area started to relaunch, however, below the 1990s level. The results of the study show the existence of many tourist attractions with great potential for growth and it also present the economic growth potential of Sebes, Cugir, Blaj, Alba Iulia, Rosia Montana, Zlatna, Ocna Mures, Arieseni and Aiud. The conclusions of the study highlight the need identified at county level, namely the necessity to turn into account the wine route by expanding accommodation capacities, taking advantage of the touristic objectives, developing the infrastructure and tailoring the offers
Evaluation of Droughts and Fires in the Dobrogea Region, Using Modis Satellite Data
Authors: Angearu Claudiu-Valeriu , Irimescu Anisoara , Mihailescu Denis , Virsta Ana
Published: September 2018

Drought is one of the most significant extreme event facing the world, affecting the society and the environment. Located in SE Romania, Dobrogea Region is characterized by a temperate climate with strong continental influences, being affected by drought episodes which cause significant damages and economic costs over extensive agricultural areas. Risk reduction, continuous vegetation monitoring, and management implementation are facilitated by complementary use of vegetation indices and biophysical parameters derived from satellite products (gridded data) within-situ data (point data). The paper focuses on:i) evaluating the extent and intensity of drought in Dobrogea, Romania, based on Normalized Difference Drought Index (NDDI) and Fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FAPAR); ii) fires analysis, based on the Thermal Anomalies/Fire locations product (MCD14DL); iii)the correlation between the fires with the NDDI; iv) and the correlation between fires with the Land Surface Temperature (LST) product. The vegetation indices, biophysical parameters and fires are computed from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) daily and eight days’ synthesis products, during 22th of March - 29th of August 2000-2015. The results highlight the areas most affected by drought (moderate, severe and extreme) and fires in the Dobrogea.
Observations on Xylazine-Ketamine-Isoflurane Anesthesia in Constrictor Snakes
Authors: Schuszler Larisa , Popovic Dejan , Zaha Cristian , Sicoe Bogdan , Bumb Daniel , Igna Cornel
Published: September 2018

Anesthetic management of the reptilian patient, including the design of the anesthetic protocol, is a challenge due to multiple anatomical and physiological features. Usually, anesthetic and analgesia protocols, including monitoring techniques, some of which are of low value, established in domestic animals are also applied to these patients. In the study were included five constrictor snakes in which, under xylazine-ketamine-isoflurane anesthesia, various surgical interventions lasting up to 50 minutes were performed. The severity of CNS inhibition as well as the length of different anesthetic times was monitored. The association used ensured the achievement of the surgical anesthesia depth and immobility with optimal conditions for performing surgical interventions in the oral cavity, cutaneous or amputation of hemipenis. The length of induction, surgical anesthesia and recovery fall within the limits recorded in the specialty literature for reptile.
Fatty Acids Effect on Lipase and Biosurfactant Induction in Rhodotorula Glutinis CMGB-RG5
Authors: Csutak Ortansa , Corbu Viorica , Stoica Ileana , Vassu Tatiana
Published: September 2018

Fatty acids represent important substrates for obtaining microbial lipases and biosurfactants. The yeast strain CMGBRG5 was identified as Rhodotorula glutinis using the BIOLOG MicroLog System. The opacity screening tests showed that R. glutinis CMGB-RG5 was able to produce lipases in presence of 1% Tween 80 after three days of incubation. Lipase induction was estimated as cell growth in presence of Tween 80, Tween 20, olive oil and tributyrin. After 48 hours, best results were obtained in presence of butyric acid, respectively, oleic acid: 2.2 × 107 cells/ml on tributyrin and 1.0 × 107 cells/ml on olive oil. Biosurfactant production was evaluated as emulsification index (E24%). After one week, high E24 values were obtained on fried sunflower oil (53%) and olive oil (35%). Crude and concentrated biosurfactants were tested against nine Candida strains. Best antimicrobial activity was observed for [20X] biosurfactants against C. tropicalis, C. guilliermondii and C. krusei. In conclusion, R. glutinis CGB-RG5 shows high potential for using fatty acids from various sources as unique carbon substrates for synthesis of biocompounds with high economic and biotechnological value.
Essential Oil Composition, Total Phenolic Content, and Antioxidant Activity - Determined from Leaves, Flowers and Stems of Origanum Vulgare L. Var. Aureum
Authors: Moisa Cristian , Copolovici Lucian , Pop Georgeta , Lupitu Andreea , Ciutina Virgiliu , Copolovici Dana
Published: September 2018

Origanum vulgare L. var. aureum is an aromatic medicinal plant belonging to the Lamiaceae family, rich in essential oils and antioxidants. Its specific chemical composition represents an important source of biologically active principles with diverse applications in food products and nutraceuticals. The aim of this study was to determine the differences between chemical composition of volatile oils, phenolic content and antioxidant activity of different plants parts: leaves, flowers, and stems. Essential oils from leaves and flowers had similar compositions with only few differences between γ-terpinene and trans-ß-ocimene. Total phenolic content and antioxidant activity were determined for the hydro-alcoholic extract obtained from post-distillation oregano waste material. The total phenolic content was determined using Folin-Ciocalteu reagent and varied from 3173 to 6522 mg GAE/L. The major compounds identified by HPLC were syringic acid, pyrocatechol, and catechin. Furthermore, all extracts showed high antioxidant activity, ranging from 31.3 to 44.5 mg GAE/L, with an inhibition percent varying from 63.1 to 88.6%.
On generalized nonlinear Euler-Bernoulli Beam type equations
Authors: Khaldi Rabah , Guezane-Lakoud Assia
Published: September 2018

This paper is devoted to the study of a nonlinear Euler-Bernoulli Beam type equation involving both left and right Caputo fractional derivatives. Differently from the approaches of the other papers where they established the existence of solution for the linear Euler-Bernoulli Beam type equation numerically, we use the lower and upper solutions method with some new results on the monotonicity of the right Caputo derivative. Furthermore, we give the explicit expression of the upper and lower solutions. A numerical example is given to illustrate the obtained results.
Totally geodesic property of the unit tangent sphere bundle with g-natural metrics
Authors: Peyghan Esmaeil , Firuzi Farshad
Published: September 2018

In this paper, we consider the tangent bundle of a Riemannian manifold (M, g) with g-natural metrics and among all of these metrics, we specify those with respect to which the unit tangent sphere bundle with induced g-natural metric is totally geodesic. Also, we equip the unit tangent sphere bundle T1M with g-natural contact (paracontact) metric structures, and we show that such structures are totally geodesic K-contact (K-paracontact) submanifolds of TM, if and only if the base manifold (M, g) has positive (negative) constant sectional curvature. Moreover, we establish a condition for g-natural almost contact B-metric structures on T1Msuch that these structures be totally geodesic submanifolds of TM.
On the ℒ-duality of a Finsler space with exponential metric αeβ/α
Authors: Kushwaha Ramdayal Singh , Shanker Gauree
Published: September 2018

The (α, β)-metrics are the most studied Finsler metrics in Finsler geometry with Randers, Kropina and Matsumoto metrics being the most explored metrics in modern Finsler geometry. The ℒ-dual of Randers, Kropina and Matsumoto space have been introduced in [3, 4, 5], also in recent the ℒ-dual of a Finsler space with special (α, β)-metric and generalized Matsumoto spaces have been introduced in [16, 17]. In this paper, we find the ℒ-dual of a Finsler space with an exponential metric αeβ/α, where α is Riemannian metric and β is a non-zero one form.
Swiss Franc from the Croatian Perspective
Authors: Bošnjak Mile
Published: September 2018

In Croatia and other countries of Central and Eastern Europe, as a consequence of deep financial integration and abolition of capital controls, considerable loans to households indexed to the Swiss franc have emerged. Although all of researchers of the Swiss franc do not agree entirely on whether the Swiss franc is a safe haven currency, its property of continuous appreciation is commonly accepted. There was a continuous appreciation of the Swiss franc over the Croatian kuna. This paper examines the performance of several ARCH-based models for Swiss franc against the Croatian kuna on daily data sets within time period from 1997 to 2010. Evaluating the models through standard information criteria Component ARCH (1,1) is found to be the best-fitting model.
Application of Ethics in the Accounting Profession with an Overview of the Banking Sector
Authors: Todorović Zoran
Published: September 2018

This paper aims to investigate the readiness of the accounting community in Montenegro to implement the Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants.

Also, the aim of this paper is to present the existing situation in the accounting profession in Montenegro, especially when it comes to the regulatory environment, in terms of whether it represents an incentive or limitation for the application of the latest ethical standards in the accounting profession.

In modern business conditions, the relationship between ethics and business becomes the subject of research by numerous experts. The accounting profession took on itself the great responsibility to provide financial information to the public through professional accountants. Professional accountants are daily influenced by the challenges of the accounting profession.

In the accounting profession, ethical problems involve two difficulties that are interconnected. One relates to the question of the nature of the accounting information in terms of whether it is a private or public good, and the other arises from asymmetrically distributed accounting data between those who benefit from the company’s business.
Are Capital Ratios Procyclical? Evidence from Turkish Banking Data
Authors: Neslihan Topbaş Turguttopbas
Published: September 2018

This paper contributes to the literature by providing recent empirical evidence about the positioning of the capital adequacy ratios (Basel II capital adequacy ratio and leverage ratio as proposed by Basel III) of Turkish banks and the business cycle. As in many emerging countries, the Turkish real sector is highly dependent on the banking loans for financing, and consequently, the macroeconomic system is vulnerable to the supply of bank loans. The results reveal that the Basel II capital adequacy ratio of Turkish banks is procyclical at a statistical significance in normal and crisis times. The results of cyclicality tests of the leverage ratio are mixed: if nominal GDP growth is taken as a business cycle indicator, it is procyclical; however, the credit-to-GDP gap signals countercyclical leverage ratios in normal times. In crisis times, the leverage ratio of the Turkish banking system is determined to be countercyclical.
Association of FTO gene variant (rs8050136) with type 2 diabetes and markers of obesity, glycaemic control and inflammation
Authors: Bego Tamer , Čaušević Adlija , Dujić Tanja , Malenica Maja , Velija-Asimi Zelija , Prnjavorac Besim , Marc Janja , Nekvindová Jana , Palička Vladimír , Semiz Sabina
Published: September 2018

Background

FTO, a gene recently discovered in genomewide associated studies for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D), play an important role in the management of energy homeostasis, nucleic acid demethylation and regulation of body fat mass by lipolysis. The aim of this study was to analyze the association of FTO rs8050136 A>C genetic variant with clinical and biochemical parameters of T2D in the population of West Balkan region (Bosnians and Herzegovinians and Kosovars).

Methods

The study included 638 patients with T2D and prediabetes and 360 healthy controls of both genders, aged from 40 to 65 years. Patients were recruited at the Clinical Centre University of Sarajevo, University Hospital of Clinical Centre in Banja Luka, General Hospital in Tešanj and Health Centre in Prizren. Genotyping of analyzed FTO polymorphism rs8050136 A>C was performed by qPCR allelic discrimination.

Results

Genotype frequencies of the analyzed polymorphism were comparable between patients with T2D, prediabetic patients, and healthy population. Logistic regression analyses didn’t show significant association of FTO rs8050136 A allele with increased risk of T2D. However, risk A allele was significantly associated with higher levels of HbA1c, insulin, HOMA-IR index, diastolic blood pressure, and inflammatory markers (fibrinogen and leukocytes) as well as showed tendency of association with increased values of obesity markers (BMI, waist and hip circumference).

Conclusions

Results of our study showed a significant association of FTO genetic variant rs8050136 A>C with the major markers of insulin resistance, obesity and inflammation, opening new avenues for solving many unclear questions in the pathogenesis of T2D.
Comparison of selected CD45+ cell subsets’ response and cytokine levels on exhaustive effort among soccer players
Authors: Kostrzewa-Nowak Dorota , Buryta Rafał , Nowak Robert
Published: September 2018

Background

Immunological alterations may led to the reduction in capacity and endurance levels in elite athletes by e.g. increased susceptibility to infections. There is a need to explain the impact of intensive physical effort on the CD4+memory T cell subsets.

Methods

Fourteen participants median aged 19 years old (range 17–21 years) were recruited form Pogoń Szczecin S.A., soccer club. They performed progressive efficiency test on mechanical treadmill until exhaustion twice: during preparatory phases to spring and autumn competition rounds. We examined the influence of exhaustive effort on the selected CD45+, especially CD4+memory T cell subsets and inflammation markers determined before, just after the test and during recovery time.

Results

Significant changes in total CD45+cells and decrease in T lymphocytes percentage after the run was observed. Significant fluctuations in T cells’ distribution were related not only to the changes in Th or Tc subsets but also to increase in naïve T cell percentage during recovery. Increase in TNF-α and IL-8 post-exercise, IL-6 and IL-10 plasma levels in recovery was also found.

Conclusions

The novel finding of our study is that the run performed on mechanical treadmill caused a significant release of CD4+T naïve cells into circulation. Post-exercise increase in circulating NK cells is related with fast biological response to maximal effort. However, at the same time an alternative mechanism enhancing inflammation is involved.
Marine Four-Stroke Diesel Engine Crankshaft Main Bearing Oil Film Lubrication Characteristic Analysis
Authors: Xian Bin Teng , Jun Dong Zhang
Published: September 2018

The Craig-Bampton modal synthesis method was used to establish the dynamic model of marine four-stroke diesel engine body and crankshaft. Based on the Greenwood/Tripp microlong contact theory considering the surface roughness and the generalized Reynolds equation considering the oil filling rate, the elastohydrodynamic lubrication model of the main bearing of the four - stroke diesel engine is found. At the rated speed, the lubrication performance of the main bearing is simulated and analyzed by the maximum dynamic pressure, the minimum oil film thickness and the friction power. The results show that the oil pressure of 4 # main bearing is the largest and the maximum oil film pressure is in the 4 # main bearing position. The friction load of 4 # main bearing is the largest. The average oil film thickness of 4 # main bearing is the smallest and the minimum oil film The thickness also occurred in the 4 # main bearing position; it can be seen 4 # bearing the most bad lubrication conditions.