bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Study on in vitro Toxicity of Biometal(II) Monensinates Against Rat Zajdela Liver Tumour
Authors: Alexandrova Radostina , Zhivkova Tanya , Ivanov Dimitar , Andonova-Lilova Boika , Dyakova Lora , Pantcheva Ivayla , Dorkov Peter 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
The ability of Monensic acid A (MonH∙H2O) and its neutral metal complexes [M(Mon)2(H2O)2]with ions of Mg2+, Ca2+, Mn2+, Co2+, Ni2+ and Zn2+ to decrease viability and proliferation of primary cell cultures, originating from a chemically induced transplantable liver tumour of Zajdela in rats, and bone marrow cells from the same tumour-bearers, was evaluated. Experimental data revealed that manganese(II) and nickel(II) complexes of Monensin A are relatively more selective against the tumour as compared to the healthy bone marrow cells.
Impact of Armed Conflicts on the State of Ecological Security
Authors: Olechowski Adam Paweł 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
Contemporary armed conflicts, although not as global in scope as the two world wars in the 20th century, create serious threats in many dimensions. One of the areas of their influence is the natural environment.
In fact every armed conflict, also one that takes place in a relatively small territory, causes a number of negative consequences in the natural environment. These, in turn, may have further consequences.
Apart from the damage caused by military operations, accompanying phenomena appear on a large scale. In recent years, a series of armed conflicts in Africa and West Asia resulted in huge migrations of millions of people. In addition to the resulting humanitarian crises, large-scale environmental problems are observed.
Thus, it clearly shows that even potentially minor military conflicts can lead to serious disturbances of the natural environment.
The author shows the various consequences of armed conflicts for the natural environment over the last half century.
Contribution of Internationalisation to SME Growth: Evidence from the Kenyan Manufacturing Sector
Authors: Safari Kulondwa 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
Sub-Saharan African countries are among the poorest countries in the world and there is a need to develop their economies. Researchers suggest the promotion of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to foster economic development in countries. Internationalisation has been proved to be a key strategy for SME growth. This study investigates the effect of internationalisation on manufacturing SME growth in Kenya. Kenya is a developing country and the leading economy in the East African community. Using data from the World Bank enterprise survey, a sample of 94 SMEs operating in Kenya between 2013 and 2018 was selected. Multiple linear regression analysis using ordinary least square (OLS) was applied and the results revealed that internationalisation through direct exports contributed positively to the growth of manufacturing SMEs in Kenya. The findings of the study suggest that policy makers should promote internationalisation of SMEs in Kenya to improve the doing business environment in general and remove external barriers to internationalisation of SMEs at the national and international level in particular.
Modelling road traffic safety indices by means of regression with panel data
Authors: Brzozowska-Rup Katarzyna , Nowakowska Marzena 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
Although the occurrence of road accidents and the number of road accident casualties in almost all Polish voivodeships has decreased over the last few years, the rate of this change varies considerably from region to region. To provide a better understanding of such a tendency, panel data regression models are proposed to conduct this pilot research which evaluates the relative performance of Polish regions in terms of their road traffic safety. Panel data are multi-dimensional data which involve measurements over time. In the research, a voivodeship is a unit analysed at a group level, whereas a year is a unit analysed at a time level. A two-way error component regression model has been applied to survey the impact of regressors, the group effects, and time effects on a dependent variable. The analysis has been conducted using data acquired from the Statistics Poland Local Data Bank website, as well as from the General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways. The panel data from 16 regions in Poland and the 2012–2018 period have been investigated. The examined models refer to road traffic safety indices defined based on the following characteristics: the number of road accidents, the number road fatalities, and the number of people injured. The results of all the three models indicate a negative effect as regards the GDP per capita, (car) motorisation rate, the indicator of government expenditure for current maintenance of national roads, and the road length per capita. A positive association has been found between the truck motorisation rate and the indicator of local government expenditure on roads. The impact of the region's urbanisation indicators on road safety is ambiguous as, on the one hand, its increase causes a reduction in the road accident and accident injury indices, but, on the other hand, it produces a rise in the accident fatality index. In the models, the significance of time effects has been identified; a decreasing time trend suggests a general improvement in road safety from year to year. Most of the group effects have turned out to be highly significant. However, the effects differ as regards both the road accident and the accident injury indices in magnitude and direction.
Neuroendocrine responses to a psychosocial stress test for larger groups of participants: comparison of two test exposures
Authors: Rajcani Jakub , Solarikova Petra , Brezina Igor , Jezova Daniela 
Published: April 2021

Abstract

Objective. Individual stress tests characterized by social evaluative threat and uncontrollability are known to elicit strong neuroendocrine responses. We tested whether a psychosocial stressor submitted to a larger group of participants (up to 60) may elicit comparable stress responses.

Methods. A total of 59 adult subjects (33 women, 26 men) participated in the study, whereas 24 of them suffered from allergy and 35 were healthy. The stress test consisted of a distraction stress task followed by a speech task, in which the participants were randomly subjected to questions related to a topic that they had to prepare as well as arithmetic questions in front of their peers and a committee that responded in standardized and non-supporting manner. State and trait anxiety inventory (STAI) for anxiety state was administrated before and after the test and salivary samples taking. The test was repeated after five months.

Results. The results showed that the shared psychosocial stress application in a larger group of subjects was prosperous. The larger group test (LGST) resulted in an enhanced subjectively experienced stress and an intensive sympathetic nervous system activation, reflected by elevated salivary alpha-amylase activity and the heart rate. The cortisol increment after exposure to the stress test was not significant. Repeated exposure to the test failed to reproduce the original stress responses with exception of the heart rate rise.

Conclusions. In a larger group of subjects, the psychosocial stress test did elicit stress responses similar to the individual stress tests. Our data indicate that the above-mentioned stress test is apparently not an appropriate approach for the repeated use.
Temporal characterization of the insulin resistance during puberty in mice
Authors: Teixeira Pryscila D.S. , Tavares Mariana R. , Jose Donato 
Published: April 2021

Abstract

Objectives. The onset of puberty in humans is followed by an increase in insulin resistance and this transient phenomenon decreases at the end of the puberty. However, the insulin resistance during puberty has not been described in mice. Thus, in the present study we performed a temporal characterization of the development of insulin resistance during puberty in male and female C57BL/6 mice.

Methods. From the fourth week of life male (n=18) and female (n=32) C57BL/6 wild-type mice were weekly subjected to insulin tolerance tests until the seventh week of life. Blood glucose levels were determined using a glucose meter through samples collected from the tail tip. Vaginal opening was assessed daily in female mice. Preputial separation was determined in a subgroup of males.

Results. We observed a transient increase in the area under the curve of the insulin tolerance tests and in basal glycemia in female mice at the time of vaginal opening (between the fourth and fifth week of life) compared with previous and subsequent weeks of pubertal development. In contrast, male mice show no changes in insulin sensitivity during puberty.

Conclusions. Our findings demonstrate that the insulin resistance at puberty can also be observed in female mice and this peak occurs at the time of vaginal opening. Our temporal characterization can be used as a reference for future studies that aim to study glucose homeostasis during puberty in rodents.
Pheochromocytoma: a retrospective study from a single center
Authors: Soares Neuza Alves , Pacheco Mariana Teixeira Pinto Ferreira , de Sousa Manuel Joao Rocha Ferreira Rodrigues , Matos Mariana Lopes , Ferreira Susana Alexandra Lourenco 
Published: April 2021

Abstract

Objectives. Pheochromocytoma (PCC) is a neuroendocrine tumor derived from chromaffin tissue more frequently found in the adrenal medulla. Many discoveries over the last decade have significantly improved our understanding of PCC.

Methods. We retrospectively reviewed all patients with a histological diagnosis of PCC at the Centro Hospitalar Universitario de Sao Joao, a tertiary and university hospital in Oporto, Portugal, between January 2009 and December 2017.

Results. The study group included 33 patients. In most cases the diagnosis was suspected with more than half of patients presenting with hypertension and the third diagnosed during the work-up of an adrenal incidentaloma. About half of the patients was referred for genetic testing and 6 patients had a positive inherited susceptibility genetic pathogenic variant associated with classic cancer predisposition syndromes and also associated with newly described genes. In the incidentaloma group, genetic testing was performed in 3 (9%) patients with only 1 positive result. In the suspected group, 15 (45%) genetic tests were performed.

Conclusions. In contrast to other studies, where only a minority of patients with PCC were referred for genetic counselling, in our study 54% of patients was referred for genetic testing. This study suggests that clinicians were correctly recognizing the need to refer young patients and patients with positive family history. However, opportunities for genetic testing are frequently missed due to low referral rates in patients with apparently sporadic PCC, particularly older than 30 years old. It is imperative that all the providers involved in the multidisciplinary care of patients with pheochromocytomas are aware of the genetic disorders associated with these unique tumors.
Mindset Patterns of Newcomers to Organic Farming in Hungary
Authors: Varga Enikő , Baracskai Zoltán 
Published: April 2021

AbstractCounterurbanization, rural in-migrant trend studies rarely focus on the individual decision-making process. This paper studies the mindset patterns and frames the decision to select organic farming as a next career. We aimed to deepen our understanding of the complex reasoning that motivates newcomers to choose organic farming on a personal level. Based on semi-structured interviews, we developed a questionnaire and collected data from the newcomer to organic farming community in Hungary. The responses were analyzed using: (1) factor analysis to assess the dimensionality of the factors and (2) knowledge-based expert system to identify the logical connections between the aspirations. Our conceptual model was developed based on if-then rules between the identified aspirations, which describe the mindset patterns of newcomers to organic farming.
Knowledge Transfer, Knowledge Acquisition and Qualifications in the Context of Rural Development in Poland
Authors: Greser Jarosław , Kamiński Ryszard , Klatta Piotr , Knieć Wojciech , Martinez-Perez Jonatan , Sitek Anna , Wagstaff Anthony 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
The aim of this study is to analyse the knowledge acquisition and transfer system in rural Poland, in comparison with nonrural areas. In addition, to determine the importance of market qualifications and the effects that the Integrated Qualification System can have in the rural areas. This study shows that life in the countryside is becoming more diverse and agriculture is no longer the main source of income because the share of income from non-agricultural activities is increasing. This is linked to the fact that rural areas have become more attractive for the development of non-agricultural jobs, which in turn is associated with the need not only to raise, but also to confirm qualifications acquired in everyday activities. The conducted analysis shows that acquisition and transfer of knowledge can come from two different platforms, individual and supralocal. These platforms work in two totally different ways. Our analysis also shows a gap between formal and non-formal or informal education in relation to the rural areas´ needs. This gap can be bridged by using the Integrated Qualification System. Like a bidirectional tool, this system works on the one hand confirming acquired skills and knowledge, and on the other hand incorporating and updating the formal education system with non-formal or informal knowledge. The recognition of informal or non-formal qualifications has an important role in sustainable development and improving quality of life of rural areas. The article refers to the issue of qualifications of rural population, it is difficult to consider this issue in isolation from rural areas. The aim of the authors was to focus on the analysis of the issue of qualifications among people directly related to the countryside. The authors do not refer only to farmers, nevertheless, the reference to this social group finds its justification in the studies that are cited.
The Role of Local Products in Tourism
Authors: Gonda Tibor , Angler Kinga , Csóka László 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
There is a resurgence of regional and local products in Hungary today. Thanks to the development of local businesses, communities and towns are also able to derive a number of economic, environmental, social and cultural advantage. The products in focus are emerging in tourism more often, frequently acting as foundations of tourist attractions built upon them, providing the receiving end with a unique and authentic force of attraction that follow the present trends. The aim of our study was to explore tourists’ needs for local products and the role of local food in regional tourism services. The region of our empirical research was the area of Baranya and Tolna counties in Southern Hungary where we analyzed local producers’ and their consumers’ attitudes towards local products.
Evaluation of Quality of Life and Living Space in the Balaton Destination (Hungary) Based on the Perceptions of the Local Residents and the Owners of Second Homes
Authors: Lőrincz Katalin , Grósz Annamária Sasné , Csapó János 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
The study aims to reveal the evaluation of quality of life (QOL) factors of the local residents and the owners of the second homes from a regional perspective. As a case study we analyse the second most important tourism destination of Hungary, Lake Balaton in terms of evaluation of quality of life and living space within the scope of three target groups, two groups of local residents (who live there and work there, and who live there but work elsewhere) and the owners of second homes. The authors believe that the understanding of the decisive factors of quality of life and living space is becoming increasingly important in the successful management of local governments and in the field of sustainable tourism development and tourism management as well. The authors also intend to detect and understand the differences between the target groups. One of the most important results of the article is the creation of an aggregated settlement quality of life (QOL) indicator. The research observes both objective and subjective factors based on a primary questionnaire survey conducted in 2018 resulting from a sample of 844 respondents. The results are interpreted with crosstab, correlation and variance analysis.
Figuration, constructions and English phrasal verbs: The instances of come up
Authors: Tsaroucha Efthymia 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
The paper investigates the evocation of the figurative meanings of English phrasal verbs of the form: component verb come + component particle up when they are employed in resultative constructions. Four instances of come up are discussed. It is suggested that the figurative meanings of come up are rooted to conceptual metaphors.
The polysemy of the colour term white in English, Russian, Tajik and Uzbek
Authors: Zayniev Daler 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
Colour is one of the central categories of both a conceptual and a linguistic world of image, correlated with an axiological and an esthetic assessment, a semiotic and value world of image of a given national culture, which allows us to talk about colour preferences, ethnic colour mentality, colour gaps and colour universals, that is, about the colour world of image. In addition, colours have senses specific to particular fields, from physics over printing to senses used in everyday life. In the present article, I carry out an analysis of the colour term white in English, and its counterparts in Russian, Tajik and Uzbek from the lexicological and lexicographical point of view, starting with a semasiological perspective, following Steinvall’s (2002: 56) methodology. The conceptual space of the colour term white in lexicographic work tends to be kept compact rather than articulated in great detail, just like in the case of other types of colours, i.e. in an attempt to minimize polysemy, its senses are typically lumped, rather than split. The main aims were to investigate the differences in the representation of adjectives denoting white colour across languages and to compare monolingual and bilingual dictionaries with respect how they structure their meanings, as well as collocations and idiomatic expressions (often based on metaphors and metonymies). A number of field-like clusters of concepts related to the colour terms for white were established. Based on these findings, I proceed to make some suggestions for the improvement of the approach to colour terms for white and other colours in general use and pedagogical dictionaries.
Nematicidal activity of essential oils of medicinal plants
Authors: Boyko Olexandra , Brygadyrenko Viktor 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
We studied the effect of essential oils from Picea abies (Linnaeus) H. Karsten., 1881, Cinnamomum verum J. Presl, 1825, Melaleuca alternifolia (Maiden & Betche) Cheel, 1925, Citrus paradisi Macfadyen, 1830, Rosmarinus officinalis Linnaeus, 1753, Citrus aurantiifolia (Christmann) Swingle, 1913, Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merrill & Perry, 1939, Pterocarpus santalinus Linnaeus filius, 1782, Pelargonium graveolens L’Héritier, 1789, Eucalyptus globulus Labillardière, 1861, Juniperus communis Linnaeus, 1753, Piper cubeba L.f., 1781, Calendula officinalis L., 1753, Laurus nobilis Linnaeus, 1753, Lavandula angustifolia Miller, 1768 and Citrus sinensis (Linnaeus) Osbeck (pro. sp.) on vitality of free-living larvae of Strongyloides papillosus (Wedl, 1856) and Haemonchus contortus (Rudolphi, 1803) Cobb, 1898, and also survivability of eggs of Ascaris suum (Goeze, 1782) under in vitro conditions. The most notable nematicidal properties belong to 0.5% water emulsion of essential oils from C. verum and S. aromaticum: we observed 100% mortality of larvae of S. papillosus L1–3 and H. contortus L3.
Influence of Asclepias syriaca on soil nematode communities
Authors: Jakubcsiková Michaela , Čerevková Andrea , Renčo Marek 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
The main goal of this study was to evaluate the impact of the invasive common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca L.) on soil nematode communities. The research was carried out in 2018 and 2019 in an ecosystem of permanent grassland in the basin of the Laborec River in land registries of Drahňov, a Vojany village in southeastern Slovakia. The ecosystem contained a total of 64 species of free-living and parasitic nematodes. The most prevalent trophic groups were bacterial feeders (Acrobeloides nanus), followed by plant parasites (Helicotylenchus digonicus and Pratylenchus pratensis), fungal feeders (Aphelenchus avenae), and omnivores (Eudorylaimus carteri). The number of nematode species, the composition of trophic groups and the structure of communities in areas with invasive plants were similar to those in areas with native vegetation during the two years of observation.
Multidimensional Aspects of Final Purchasers’ Marketing Activity in the Conditions of Dynamic Market Changes
Authors: Baruk Agnieszka Izabela 
Published: April 2021

Abstract

Research background: The results of the analysis of the world literature on marketing and management indicate a cognitive gap and research one regarding the forms of marketing activity of final purchasers and its image-related and relational aspects as differentiating features. These issues have not been analysed in a theoretical perspective as well as in a research one.

Purpose: The article aims to define the marketing activity of contemporary final purchasers and identify the significance of selected dimensions of this activity as its differentiating features.

Research methodology: To prepare the theoretical part the method of cognitive-critical analysis of the world literature was applied. In order to reduce the identified gaps, empirical research was conducted. To gather primary data a questionnaire survey was used. The collected data was statistically analysed using the Kruskal-Wallis test.

Results: The analysed aspects differentiate forms of respondents’ marketing activity to a various degree. A statistically significant differentiation was identified for the greatest number of activities related to the situation whether respondents making purchase decisions take into account the fact that a product has been prepared by an offeror together with purchasers.

Novelty: The originality of the proposed approach is evidenced by the fact that the aspects presented in this article have not been analysed so far, either in theoretical or in practical terms.