bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Numerical Simulation of the Burning Process in a King-Size Cigarette Based on Experimentally Derived Reaction Kinetics
Authors: Li Qiaoling , Zheng Quanxing , Deng Xiaohua , Yu Zhiqiang , Deng Nan , Xing Fei , Chen Xin , Cai Guohua , Wang Chenlu , Yang Renqiang , Ma Pengfei , Li Bin , Chen Xiao Dong , Zhong Hongxiang 
Published: April 2021

Summary
A comprehensive two-dimensional (2D) mathematical model has been proposed to simulate the burning process of a king-size cigarette. The characteristics of this model are including: 1) the use of kinetic models for the evaporation of water, the pyrolysis of tobacco and the oxidation of char, 2) the application of mathematical relationships between the release amounts of certain products (i.e., “tar” and CO) and different reaction variables (i.e., temperatures and oxygen concentrations), 3) the introduction of mass, heat and momentum transports, 4) the consideration of filtration effects of the cigarette filter on “tar”. These characteristics were expressed in a set of coupled equations that can be solved numerically by FLUENT. The information about the char density field, temperature field, flow velocity field, “tar” and CO density fields and the filtration efficiency could be obtained from the model. This model was validated by comparing the predictions with experimental data on puff number, the temperatures at specific locations, the filtration efficiency and the yields of “tar” and CO under different puff intensities. The calculated results show a good agreement with the experimental data. The predicted puff number was 7.3, and the experimental puff number was 6.8. The standard root mean square error (NRMSE) between the experimental and the predicted temperatures at specific locations is < 18%. The predicted filtration efficiency for “tar” was 46.1%, and the experimentally determined filtration efficiency for nicotine was 44.5%. The maximum relative deviations of the yields of “tar” and CO under different puff intensities were 8.9% and 10.6%, respectively.
Impact of Upgrade Programmes on the Competitiveness: Case of the Algerian Companies
Authors: Ghomari Souhila 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
Faced to a socio-economic environment that is marked by globalization of trade and competitiveness, Algeria is committed, like its neighbours, to do upgrade programmes which aim to support the dynamic of restructuring process, the industrial integration and growth. The strategic goal is to upgrade to the requirements of the free trade to take advantage of the positive effects of liberalization and strengthen the production capacity, sales and export. This general target will lead the Algerian companies to achieve two ambitions: to become competitive in price / quality, innovation, and to be able to survive and control the evolution of the technology and the markets. Achieving these ambitions requests from the Algerian companies a major effort, i.e., to adapt and change their organisational methods and practices, especially in technology, innovation, cost control and quality supervision, training, products and markets, sales policies, management, openness to technical and commercial partners. The present paper describes the impact of upgrade programmes on the competitiveness of Algerian companies. For this reason, a model has been developed that analyses the competitiveness of a company across several dimensions (commercial, financial, technical, human, as well as social & managerial). To process the data collected in the survey, an exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory analysis and structural equation methods have been used. The results of the research have confirmed the main hypothesis that upgrading has a positive impact on the overall competitiveness of companies that have initiated and finalised an upgrade programme.
The Impact of Food Safety Management System ISO 22000 on Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty, Case Study of Coca-Cola Company in Algeria
Authors: Mekimah Sabri , Sayad Nawel 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
The present paper aims at determining the impact of Food System Management ISO 22000 on Coca-Cola customer’s loyalty in Algeria through satisfaction as an intermediate variable. Based on a descriptive, analytical approach and a case study method, an electronic questionnaire was used as the main tool for data collection. It was distributed to a random sample of 385 customers at Coca Cola Company in Algeria. In addition, SPSS and AMOS programs were used to analyse the data and test the research hypotheses. The paper reached significant conclusions that the level evaluation of ISO 22000, in customers’ point of view, varied between a weak rate of green and safe products, while innovative and quality products were highly rated. The result also demonstrated a weak indirect effect between food safety management system and customer loyalty through satisfaction expressed by a correlation coefficient, which was estimated at 0.23. The direct effect was greater with a correlation coefficient of 0.56. In fact, the output of food safety management system leads directly to the saturation of customer satisfaction and also to loyalty.
Economic Tendencies of the European and Latvian Medical Device Market
Authors: Semjonova Nadezhda 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
Due to ageing of the population in developed counties and increase of the demand for the healthcare worldwide, the industry of medical devices (MD) becomes one of the fast-growing businesses. The present paper analyses the current state of the MD sector in Europe and in Latvia on the basis of the data obtained from open sources. Review of the current situation in the MD sector has demonstrated that the MD field still is and will remain an attractive sector of economics. The growth of the EU MD market by 3.5 % per year is sustainable. The market is highly innovative and leaves enough room for small and mediumsize enterprises that provide up to 95 % of all MD sector turnover. This indicates that MD sector manufactures products with high added value that make the sector attractive for countries with limited resources, such as Latvia. Although key players on the market do not changes much, example from Ireland demonstrates that investment in human capital is an important pre-requisite for country’s success in the MD sector. Unfortunately, the development of the MD industry in Latvia is very slow, the growth is around 0.7 % per year that may be explained just by inflation. There is also a lack of information on the Latvian MD industry both for professionals and society.
External Debt and Economic Growth in Niger: a Vector Autoregression and Variance Decomposition Analysis
Authors: Oumarou Issoufou 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
In the quest for quick economic development, many Sub Saharan African (SSA) countries borrow money to finance their budget deficits and vital infrastructure. Niger has seen its external debt increase year after year without really reaching economic development. This study uses a vector autoregressive (VAR) model to investigate the relation linking external debt and economic growth in Niger and variance decomposition forecast to verify if there is any significant impact from shocks for a period of 5 years in the future. The study utilises time series yearly data provided by the World Bank for the period covering 1970–2019. The empirical results reveal no long-run relationship between economic growth, external debt and government spending in Niger. The results also indicated that, on average ceteris paribus, the past realisation of economic growth is related to an increase of 97.75 % in economic growth, while the past realisation of external debt and government spending is associated with an increase of 83.77 % and 79.70 % in external debt and government spending, respectively. The results furthermore show that economic growth has a statistically significant causal effect on government spending in the short term. One percentage increase in economic growth accounts for an increase of 35.28 % in government spending on average ceteris paribus. The variance decomposition forecast reveals that economic growth has a significant influence on predicting government spending in the future.
Measures of Residential Energy Access in Mexico, 2008–2014
Authors: Perez Rafael , Widner Benjamin 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
The concept of energy access in developing countries, such as Mexico, encompasses the accessibility to reliable fuels for heating, cooking, and lighting purposes while reducing coal and firewood consumption. This paper suggests residential energy access indicators by applying accessibility theory and estimating demand equations for electricity, natural gas, propane, firewood, and coal using Mexican households’ survey data from 2008 to 2014. Sprawl measures, gravity model, and central place theory are the accessibility theories supporting the accessibility indicators. The suggested energy access indicators are statistically significant and show the expected signs when applied to propane in Mexican households in 2014. The greater the household income, population size, education level of the household head, energy access, and the lower the energy price and the household size, the greater the demand for energy from 2008 to 2014. By contrast, the greater the education, the lower the demand for firewood and coal. Policy-makers in Mexico can use the suggested results to complement the energy access indicators suggested by international agencies to evaluate energy access performance and better understand the drivers of the different energy goods consumed by Mexican households.
Exploring critical success factors for the implementation of lean manufacturing in machinery and equipment SMEs
Authors: Yuik Chong Jia , Perumal Puvanasvaran A. , Feng Chin Jeng 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
This study aims to explore the predominant critical success factors (CSFs) for the implementation of lean manufacturing (LM) in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) producing machinery and equipment (M&E). The convergent parallel mixed-methods (qualitative and quantitative) were employed in three Malaysian M&E manufacturing SMEs. The study identified four predominant CSFs that significantly impact on the LM application in M&E manufacturing SMEs, namely, leadership and commitment of the top management, training to upgrade skills and expertise, employee involvement and empowerment, and the development of LM implementation framework for SMEs. This study can assist the M&E manufacturing SMEs in prioritising these predominant CSFs so that the management teams can work on the improvement strategy and achieve a higher level of lean sustainability. It offers valuable insights into the LM implementation that could provide a practical reference guide to other industrial companies.
Association of lipoprotein levels with sleep apnea: role of autonomic dysfunction
Authors: Siarnik Pavel , Penesova Adela , Radikova Zofia , Hluchanova Alzbeta , Hanus Oto , Klobucnikova Katarina , Turcani Peter , Kollar Branislav 
Published: April 2021

Abstract

Objectives. Although multiple mechanisms, including autonomic dysfunction, seem to link sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) with dyslipidemia in animal studies, the data in clinical studies are limited. The aim of this study was to explore the association of lipoprotein levels with SDB measures in healthy habitual snorers. We supposed that autonomic dysfunction is the linking mechanism.

Methods. We enrolled 110 previously healthy subjects with complaints of habitual snoring. To assess SDB, polysomnography was performed. Blood samples for the analysis of total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), and triglycerides (TG) were obtained in a fasting condition after the polysomnography. Baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) was used to assess the autonomic dysfunction.

Results. In stepwise multiple linear regression analysis, minimal nocturnal blood oxygen saturation (beta=–0.240, p=0.020) and neck circumference (beta=0.224, p=0.03) were the only significant contributors in model predicting TG. SDB measures were not identified as significant contributors in models predicting TC, LDL, and HDL. We failed to find any significant difference in BRS in SDB subjects when compared according to the presence or absence of hypercholesterolemia/ hypertriglyceridemia. In SDB subjects, the area under the curve in a receiver operating curve to predict hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia by BRS was 0.468 (95% CI: 0.328–0.608) and 0.425 (95% CI: 0.304–0.546), respectively.

Conclusions. Our results suggest that minimal nocturnal blood oxygen saturation is significant contributor in model predicting TG. No significant decrease in BRS was found in SDB subjects with hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia. In SDB subjects, the role of autonomic dys-function in the development of dyslipidemia remains controversial.
An evaluation of the conservation status of the forest vegetation of the Volyn Upland, Ukraine
Authors: Datsyuk Vadim V. 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
The current conservation status of the rare vascular plant species and rare forest communities of the Volyn Upland (Ukraine) was characterized and analyzed. We found 14 rare plant species belonging to the Red Data Book of Ukraine in this territory (Lycopodium annotium L., Allium ursinum L., Cephalanthera longifolia (L.) Fritsch, Cephalanthera rubra (L.) Rich., Cypripedium calceolus L., Epipactis atrorubens (Hoffm.) Schult., E. helleborine (L.) Crantz, Lilium martagon L., Listera ovata (L.) R. Br., Neottia nidus-avis (L.) Rich., Platanthera bifolia (L.) Rich., P. chlorantha (Cust.) Reichenb., Galanthus nivalis L., Carex umbrosa Host) and 28 locally rare species preserved within the Volyn, Rivne and Lviv regions. The major threats for these species were indicated. Four rare associations, according to the Green Data Book of Ukraine, were studied in the Volyn Upland (Carpineto (betuli)–Quercetum (roboris) hederosum (helicis), Carpineto (betuli)–Fraxineto (excelsioris)–Quercetum (roboris) alliosum (ursini), Tilieto (cordatae)–Carpineto (betuli)–Quercetum (roboris) alliosum (ursini) and Pinetum (sylvestris) caricosum (humilis)) and their structure, main features and status were characterized in detail. The importance of further research, and the development of recommendations for the conservation and continued preservation of these forest ecosystems of the Volyn Upland was highlighted.
New Entrants in Agriculture – The Case of Young Immigrant Farmers in Sweden
Authors: Grubbström Ann , Joosse Sofie 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
The opportunities available to start up a successful farm business structure the future of European farming. As fewer farm daughters and sons are projected to take over the family farm, there is increasing policy and academic interest in new entrants and the challenges they meet when they start their farm. This study focuses on new entrants that immigrate to Sweden. This group can be considered an extreme case of new entrants, as key resources (land, local networks, family labour support and farm specific knowledge are usually lacking for these farmers). Based on interviews with immigrant farmers in the Mälardalen region, we present the different ways they get access to economic, cultural and social capital. These insights are valuable for policy aimed at helping immigrant farmers starting up.
Echoes of Sapphic Gods and Goddesses, Immortality, Eros and Thanatos in the Work of Modernist Women Poets
Authors: Rusu Iris 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
In the context of Modernism’s constant return to the past that results in self-knowledge and innovation, certain women writers found Sappho’s writings relevant for their own poetic endeavours. My article will mainly focus on the mythological aspects of both Sappho’s and the modernist women’s poetry. Invocations of and allusions to gods and goddesses and other mythical figures, which involve introspection and expressing certain erotic concerns in stylised ways, will be discussed in order to show how all these women poets innovated. and, in many different ways, significantly enriched the literature of their times. Critics have mainly focused on H.-D.’s poetry in relation to Sappho’s, most likely because the modernist poet had also translated (or adapted, according to most scholars) a number of Sappho’s poems. As regards other modernist women poets, such as, for instance, Amy Lowell or Marianne Moore, critics have refrained, for various reasons, from analysing their work in relation to Sappho’s. There are very few critical accounts of Sappho’s influence on their (and even H.-D.’s) poetry, and this article will, perforce, draw on these, but aims, all the while, to provide new and relevant insights.
On Telling the Truth: A Cognitive Stylistic Reading of Philip Larkin’s “Talking in Bed”
Authors: Malkawi Sohaib 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
This essay presents a cognitive stylistic analysis of Philip Larkin’s “Talking in Bed,” highlighting the linguistic functions that aid the reader in the meaning-making process. In the poem, the realization of truth dawns upon the persona in the final moments of a lingering introspection, shedding light on the reason for which he is lying in bed beside his partner, profoundly incapable of uttering a word. It seems to him, in the end, that truth is indispensable to human relationships. This essay represents a thorough attempt at textually analyzing the poem, broaching snippets of knowledge from multiple fields – philosophy, psychology, linguistics, and literature – all in an attempt to present a comprehensive interpretation of Larkin’s poem. The aim is to further evidence the speaker’s realization, that the articulation of truth is a vital element in a healthy relationship, and to provide an understanding of the stylistic technique most utilized by Larkin, namely, the linguistic deviation he usually deploys by the end of his poems. I argue that the ambiguity he instills at the end of this poem makes for a cognitive attempt at empathically communicating to the reader the sense of meaninglessness the persona suffers from throughout the poem.
Slow Tourism – The Fashion for Slowness or a Conscious Choice?
Authors: Zielińska-Szczepkowska Joanna 
Published: April 2021

Abstract

Research background: The fast pace of life of contemporary people living in developed countries results in a search for peace and relaxation, which is reflected in new forms of tourism. One of them is slow tourism, which is at an early stage of development. A new type of tourist is emerging – one who is conscious, responsible, critical, respectful of nature, open to learning about the customs, culture and religion of local populations.

Purpose: This paper analyses the changes that take place in tourism from a socio-economic perspective, characterized by withdrawing from mass tourism and a shift towards individual tourism, with particular emphasis on slow tourism.

Research methodology: The paper is based on a compilation of the current literature of the subject, reports and analysis of Polish websites devoted to slow travel. It is a synthesis of economic and social aspects of slow tourism development, including the motives for taking up slow tourism by tourists and the offer of slow travel in Poland.

Results: The analysis of the literature reveals a large diversity in the definition of slow tourism. A lively discussion is going on regarding the meaning of the new trend, its importance and future. In Poland, slow tourism is becoming increasingly popular, as evidenced by, among others: an increase in the number of offers for slow tourists.

Novelty: This analysis contributes to deepening the knowledge on new trends in tourism – slow tourism. These considerations contribute to the author’s further research on the development of this phenomenon.
The impact of fertilisers and fungicides on seed germination and the initial phase of seedling growth in black alder Alnus glutinosa (Gaertn.)
Authors: Będkowski Mateusz , Buraczyk Włodzimierz 
Published: April 2021

Abstract

To test the influence of selected fertilisers and fungicides on the germination of black alder seeds and the initial phase of seedling growth, we conducted a laboratory experiment outlined in this paper. Six treatments were applied on petri dishes each containing 30 seeds. The substrate for germination was sterile filter paper wetted with an aqueous solution of either one of two fungicides, two organic fertilisers, a mineral fertiliser or distilled water (control). Fungicides and fertilisers were applied according to the manufacturers' recommendations. In order to keep genetic variability to a minimum, seeds originated from a single tree in a seed stand located in the Chotyłów Forest District, eastern Poland. Germination and growth took place at a temperature of 23°C ± 2°C with a 14 h/10 h day/night cycle. Seeds began to germinate as early as the second day after sowing, except for the mineral fertiliser treatment, in which the first sprouting was observed on day 3. Seedling length was measured daily from the day of germination of a given seed through to day 15. Germination was found to proceed most rapidly in the control, while the largest increments in length and dry mass occurred in the control and fertiliser treatment with the so-called N1 fertiliser (solely comprising growth stimulators in the form of humic acids, chitosan and silicon). The most limited growth was observed under the influence of the F1 fungicide (active compound Thiram) as well as the organic fertiliser N2 (a mixture of mineral components and organic growth stimulators). Roots were found to develop most rapidly in the control and in the treatment with N1 (no mineral components).
These are also the only two treatments in which the roots were longer than the stems after 15 days.
Fertiliser N2 was found to have the most unfavourable influence on both, germination and the first phase of seedling development. The fact that selected fertilizers and fungicides affected black alder seeds and seedlings under laboratory conditions does not mean that they will have an impact under field conditions or on other forest tree species. Therefore, this type of research will need to be conducted individually for each forest tree species.
Fungi associated withArmillariaspp. rhizomorphs onPopulus tremulaL.
Authors: Damszel Marta , Przemieniecki Sebastian , Dyczewska Katarzyna , Mastalerz Jędrzej 
Published: April 2021

AbstractThe economic significance of aspenPopulus tremulal. is only marginal, which is the main reason for its low share in the structure of stands. however, aspen can play a decisive ecological role as a pioneer tree in the succession of forest communities and may decrease the occurrence of pathogenic fungi.Aspen is also dying out and in order to determine possible biotic causes, we examined taxa of fungi using classical and molecular methods in the area of the Czerwony Dwór Forest District, Subdistrict Rogale, compartments 74b and 75j. The health of aspen trees and the quantitative and qualitative structure of microorganisms associated withArmillariaspp. was evaluated.Based on our health assessment of the aspen, we conclude that the main reason for its dying out is the intensification of root rot, which is a result ofArmillariaspp weakening the trees. In the general pool ofArmillaria-associated microorganisms, saprotrophs were dominating, and the fungusFomitopsis pinicolacommonly inhabited the poplar stems, whereas pathogen antagonists comprised the lowest proportion. In the quantitative and qualitative structure of fungi found in rhizomorphs, the composition of ecological groups inhabiting stumps was found to be favourable nevertheless. The increasing frequency of pathogens on the logs is a major premise for removing trees affected byArmillaria, because aspen stumps are a good food base forA. cepistipesandA. ostoyaewhich ultimately spread within the stand. Treatment of stumps with preparations stimulating the decomposition of wood is not recommended for logs that form the food base for pathogenic fungi.