bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Risk Factors for Postpartum Thyroid Dysfunction in Euthyroid Women Prior to Pregnancy
Authors: Nonchev Boyan I. , Argatska Antoaneta V. , Pehlivanov Blagovest K. , Orbetzova Maria M. 
Published: July 2017

AbstractBackground:Thyroid dysfunction is common during the postpartum and the predisposing factors for its development are considered specific for the population studied. The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk factors for the occurrence of postpartum thyroid dysfunction (PPTD) in euthyroid women prior to pregnancy.Materials and methods:Forty-five women with PPTD and 55 age-matched euthyroid postpartum women from Plovdiv, Bulgaria were included in the study. TSH, FT4, FT3, TPOAb, TgAb, TRAb were measured and ultrasound evaluation of the thyroid was performed in the first trimester of pregnancy and during the postpartum.Results:The study found higher risk of developing PPTD in women with family history of thyroid disease (OR 4.42; 95% CI 1.87,10.43), smokers (OR 4.01; 95% CI 1.72,9.35), personal history of autoimmune thyroid disease (OR 5.37; 95% CI 1.15,28.53), positive TPOAb (OR 18.12; 95% CI 4.93,66.65) and thyroid US hypoechogenicity during early pregnancy (OR 6.39; 95% CI 2.53,16.12) and those who needed levothyroxine during pregnancy (OR 3.69; 95% CI 1.28,10.61). BMI before pregnancy was significantly lower in women with PPTD than in euthyroid postpartum women (22.80±0.55 vs 26.25±0.97, p=0.013). The multivariate logistic regression analysis identified as most important independent risk factors for PPTD occurrence the TPOAb positivity during early pregnancy, family history of thyroid disease, smoking and lower BMI before pregnancy.Conclusion:Our data suggest that in the population studied several factors are associated with an increased risk of PPTD and screening for thyroid disorders among those women can be beneficial.
Diversity of southern sweet-grass in its natural habitat and in cultivation
Authors: Bączek Katarzyna 
Published: July 2017

Summary

Introduction: Southern sweet-grass (Hierochloë australis /Schrad./Roem. & Schult.) is a wild growing plant. Its leaves, collected from natural sites, are aromatic raw material used in alcohol industry and as a food additive. Their quality is highly diversified.

Objective: The aim of the study was to compare the development of plants and the accumulation of coumarin in leaves of southern sweet-grass occurring in natural environment and introduced into cultivation.

Methods: The in situ and ex situ studies were carried out on the same population. Observations on plant development, morphological parameters of leaves and their weight were made. In the leaves, the level of the coumarin was detected by HPLC-DAD as well as the total contents of flavonoids and phenolic acids were determined spectrophotometrically.

Results: Plants from the natural stand and from cultivation differed significantly in the developmental and morphological parameters as well as in the content of biologically active compounds. Plants from natural site were characterized by a significantly higher coumarin content in leaves, whereas those from cultivation – higher weight of leaves and higher generative reproductive capacity.

Conclusions: In cultivation, H. australis is characterized by much less variation in both developmental and yielding parameters, including leaf weight and coumarin content.
Sources of Value Creation in Born Global Companies
Authors: Augustyniak Dobrochna 
Published: July 2017

Abstract
Research about the phenomenon of rapid internationalization of small and medium size companies has evolved over the last two decades. Nevertheless, questions about business models or value creation in born global enterprises are rarely addressed in the literature. The objective of this article is to develop a theoretical framework for analyzing the sources of value creation in the business models of international new ventures (INV) global companies, starting with adapting the model by Amit and Zott [2001, 2010] to early internationalizing venture. Current literature on international entrepreneurship, business models and value creation is also used as a basis for suggesting future empirical research recommendations.
International Scope of Operations and the Nature of Supply Chain Members’ CSR Policy
Authors: Klosa Edyta , Kisperska-Moroń Danuta 
Published: July 2017

Abstract
Dynamic relations among supply chain members have forced some changes in those members’ business philosophy. One such change involves Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), which posits an alternative attitude for companies towards business, the natural environment and society. The supply chain structure provides an excellent framework to disseminate the CSR idea among other members. That process is affected by different factors, including the level of internationalization of a given business. The purpose of this paper is to specify relations between the international nature of operations and CSR approach in 150 Polish companies. To better understand these relations a literature review and statistical analysis are conducted. Methods used in the quantitative analysis are a frequency analysis (with usage of One-Sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov and One-Sample Chi-Square tests) and a correlation analysis (Spearman ratio). This research addresses a gap concerning international aspects of supply chain operations and its CSR sensitivity. The results can be used to support supply chain decision makers when applying CSR in their companies as well as can be an outgoing source of data for further, more detailed research.
Deficiency Judgments as a Mortgage Pricing Factor
Authors: Pruszkowski Tomasz 
Published: July 2017

AbstractThe subject of the deficiency judgments has been poorly examined due to a lack of relevant data and the complexity of the issue. Some comprehensive studies have explored whether allowing deficiency judgments decreases the likelihood of strategic defaults in the U. S. mortgage market. Little, however, has been done to determine whether there is any direct correlation between legal standing allowing recourse and loan pricing. Hence, additional work regarding this subject is needed.This study seeks to fill this gap by exploring the impact of allowing deficiency judgments on mortgage pricing policy in various U. S. states. Seven distinctive mortgage types in two groups of states were compared. We conclude that there is no statistically significant difference between recourse and non-recourse states in terms of mortgage pricing, regardless of mortgage type.
Intracoronary Imaging in the Management of a Complex and Recurrent Acute Coronary Syndrome Associated With Multiple Comorbidities. A Case Report
Authors: Rodean Ioana , Himcinschi Elisabeta , Tirca Alexandra , Cernica Daniel 
Published: July 2017

Abstract
Coronary artery disease represents a major cause of morbidity and mortality around the world. Unstable angina pectoris is a serious manifestation of ischemic heart disease and represents an acute condition caused by the narrowing of the coronary lumen as the result of an atheromatous plaque formation. In most cases the trigger of this process is represented by the rupture of a plaque that has become vulnerable or unstable. The first-line intracoronary imaging technique for the evaluation of plaque vulnerability is optical coherence tomography, which can measure the thickness of the fibrous cap (a significant predictor of plaque vulnerability) and can also assess other characteristics of plaque vulnerability (macrophage infiltration, lipid pool, intracoronary thrombus, or neointimal rupture). We present the case of a 67-year-old male with symptoms suggestive of unstable angina pectoris, caused by the presence of a vulnerable plaque on the left main coronary artery, where optical coherence tomography had a significant contribution in identifying the etiology of chest pain.
Unrelated Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation in a Patient with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia in Blast Crisis
Authors: Benedek István , Lázár Erzsébet , Köpeczi Judit Beáta , Benedek István , Tunyogi Aliz Beáta , Jakab Szende , Pakucs Annamária 
Published: July 2017

Abstract
Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a clonal myeloproliferative disorder, which can involve the hematopoietic stem cell or early progenitor cells, without the loss of their capacity to differentiate. Typically, CML has three clinical phases: a chronic phase, an accelerated phase, and an aggressive transformation in blast crisis, analogous to acute leukemia. The following article presents the case of a 49-year-old patient diagnosed with Philadelphia-negative CML in blastic transformation, where after multiple conventional acute leukemia induction chemotherapy regimens an unrelated allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant was performed.
Cardiac Computed Tomography Assessment in Acute Coronary Syndromes — Do We Have Time for It in Emergency Settings?
Authors: Stănescu Alexandra , Himcinschi Elisabeta , Morariu Mirabela , Rat Nora , Bordi Lehel , Rațiu Mihaela , Benedek Annabella , Benedek Imre , Benedek Theodora 
Published: July 2017

Abstract
The diagnosis and treatment of acute coronary syndrome remain a challenge for clinicians in many clinical settings, especially in patients with previous low-to-intermediate risk. Due to its high specificity and sensitivity for detecting significant coronary artery stenoses, cardiac computed tomography angiography (CCTA) tends to be used more frequently in the emergency room (ER) in the last years. This technique has been associated with a higher rate of safe discharge in patients with chest pain, less time spent in the ER, and decreased costs related to further investigations. In cases positive for coronary artery stenosis, CCTA can accurately evaluate the indication for percutaneous coronary angioplasty and can offer relevant information related to the characteristics of the coronary plaques, being able to detect vulnerable coronary plaques. The aim of this manuscript is to highlight the possibility of using CCTA in the ER in the assessment of patients with chest pain and to show the benefits of the procedure regarding safety, costs, accuracy, and time.
Exploring the variability and geographical patterns of population characteristics: Regional and spatial perspectives
Authors: Netrdová Pavlína , Nosek Vojtěch 
Published: July 2017

AbstractThe variability and geographical patterns of population characteristics are key topics in Human Geography. There are many approaches to exploring and quantitatively measuring this issue. Besides standard aspatial statistical methods, there is no universal framework for incorporating regional and spatial aspects into the analysis of areal data. This is mainly because complications, such as the Modifiable Areal Unit Problem or the checkerboard problem, hinder analysis. In this paper, we use two approaches which uniquely combine regional and spatial perspectives of the analysis of variability. This combination brings new insights into the exploration of the variability and geographical patterns of population characteristics. The relationship between regional and spatial approaches is studied with models in a regular grid, using variability decomposition (Theil index) as an example of the regional approach, and spatial autocorrelation (Moran’s I) as an example of the spatial approach. When applied to empirical data based on the Czech censuses between 1980 and 2011, the combination of these two approaches enables us to categorise the studied phenomena according to the regional and spatial nature of their variability. This is a useful advance, especially for assessing evolution over time or comparisons between different phenomena.
Comparing two distance measures in the spatial mapping of food deserts: The case of Petržalka, Slovakia
Authors: Bilková Kristína , Križan František , Horňák Marcel , Barlík Peter , Kita Pavol 
Published: July 2017

AbstractOver the last twenty years or so, researchers’ attention to the issue of food deserts has increased in the geographical literature. Accessibility to large-scale retail units is one of the essential and frequently-used indicators leading to the identification and mapping of food deserts. Numerous accessibility measures of various types are available for this purpose. Euclidean distance and street network distance rank among the most frequently-used approaches, although they may lead to slightly different results. The aim of this paper is to compare various approaches to the accessibility to food stores and to assess the differences in the results gained by these methods. Accessibility was measured for residential block centroids, with applications of various accessibility measures in a GIS environment. The results suggest a strong correspondence between Euclidean distance and a little more accurate street network distance approach, applied in the case of the urban environment of Bratislava-Petržalka, Slovakia.
Pilot Study of Readiness of Czech Companies to Implement the Principles of Industry 4.0
Authors: Basl Josef 
Published: July 2017

AbstractThis article describes results of the survey, which was conducted in the context of investigating the readiness of selected companies in the Czech Republic to implement the principles of Industry 4.0. The main objective of the survey was to analyze the level of a basic knowledge of this topic in enterprises, the existence of appropriate strategies, responsible persons, and the general awareness among employees.
Comparative Simulation Study of Production Scheduling in the Hybrid and the Parallel Flow
Authors: Varela Maria L.R. , Trojanowska Justyna , Carmo-Silva Silvio , Costa Natalia M.L. , Machado Jose 
Published: July 2017

AbstractScheduling is one of the most important decisions in production control. An approach is proposed for supporting users to solve scheduling problems, by choosing the combination of physical manufacturing system configuration and the material handling system settings. The approach considers two alternative manufacturing scheduling configurations in a two stage product oriented manufacturing system, exploring the hybrid flow shop (HFS) and the parallel flow shop (PFS) environments. For illustrating the application of the proposed approach an industrial case from the automotive components industry is studied. The main aim of this research to compare results of study of production scheduling in the hybrid and the parallel flow, taking into account the makespan minimization criterion. Thus the HFS and the PFS performance is compared and analyzed, mainly in terms of the makespan, as the transportation times vary. The study shows that the performance HFS is clearly better when the work stations’ processing times are unbalanced, either in nature or as a consequence of the addition of transport times just to one of the work station processing time but loses advantage, becoming worse than the performance of the PFS configuration when the work stations’ processing times are balanced, either in nature or as a consequence of the addition of transport times added on the work stations’ processing times. This means that physical layout configurations along with the way transport time are including the work stations’ processing times should be carefully taken into consideration due to its influence on the performance reached by both HFS and PFS configurations.
Recent Developments in Abrasive Hybrid Manufacturing Processes
Authors: Ruszaj Adam , Skoczypiec Sebastian , Wyszyński Dominik 
Published: July 2017

AbstractRecent dynamic development of abrasive hybrid manufacturing processes results from application of a new difficult for machining materials and improvement of technological indicators of manufacturing processes already applied in practice. This tendency also occurs in abrasive machining processes which are often supported by ultrasonic vibrations, electrochemical dissolution or by electrical discharges. In the paper we present the review of new results of investigations and new practical applications of Abrasive Electrodischarge (AEDM) and Electrochemical (AECM) Machining.
Concept of Product Complexity Modeling in the Development of a Machine Shaft
Authors: Pokojski Jerzy , Woźnicki Łukasz 
Published: July 2017

AbstractIn the paper product and design process modeling on the basis of speed reducer is presented. The paper proposes to build the product and process models and parallel to that carry out the project activities as these models reflect the detailed structure of the projects.The most important feature of the proposed approach is its possibility to model only important parts of the models and to keep track of the development of their chronological paths. The approach may be treated as a partial CPM/MOKA model or as network-integrated CPM/MOKA models.
Studies on structure, growth and characterization of third order nonlinear optical 2-amino-5-chloropyridinium-4-amino benzoate single crystal
Authors: Krishnakumar M. , Thirupugalmani K. , Brahadeeswaran S. 
Published: July 2017

AbstractOptically transparent single crystals of 2-amino-5-chloropyridinium-4-amino benzoate (2A5CP4AB) were grown at room temperature using solution growth technique. The structure was solved with a support of single crystal XRD, which revealed that the title compound belongs to the monoclinic crystal system having centrosymmetric space group P21/n. The UV-Vis spectrum and photoluminescence properties of the title compound showed the optical transmittance and emission behavior of the compound. The optical band gap was evaluated using the Tauc plot and it was found to be about 3.53 eV. The third order nonlinear optical behavior of the crystal was determined using Z-scan technique. Mechanical properties of the title compound were studied using Vickers microhardness study.
Economies of Scale on the Municipal Level: Fact or Fiction in the Czech Republic?
Authors: Matějová Lenka , Nemec Juraj , Křápek Milan , Klimovský Daniel 
Published: July 2017

Abstract
Many countries have carried out extensive amalgamation-related territorial reforms at the level of local self-government and created relatively large municipalities. The Czech Republic is one of the few remaining European countries with a fragmented territorial structure. There is a lot of discussion in the country about the need for amalgamation, but this discussion is mainly based on political arguments rather than on empirical evidence about the feasibility of amalgamation and its potential to improve local government performance. This paper analyses economies of scale on the local level as a factor that should be reflected in debates about the pros and cons of amalgamation in the Czech Republic. To add to the existing knowledge about the reality of economies of scale on the municipal level in the Czech Republic, we processed the municipal costs of three selected areas on a representative sample of municipalities in the South Moravian Region. The analysis showed that economies of scale can be identified for collecting local fees and for pre-school and elementary education, but not for local administration. Our results suggest that the existence of too small municipalities in the Czech Republic results in inefficiencies and should be addressed.
Performance Management: How the Swedish Administration of Transportation for the Disabled Succeeded. A Case Study of Transportation Service for the Disabled, the Municipality of Gothenburg
Authors: Sobis Iwona , Okouma Offolome Guepie Victorien 
Published: July 2017

Abstract
Management by objectives (known also as performance management) has been perceived as a promising steering method in the public sector since the beginning of the 1990s (Smith 1993, 1995; Kravchuk and Schack 1996; Ballantine et al. 1998; Ferreira and Otley 2009Verbeeten 2008). However, working out operative goals of public organizations seem to be a challenge because major objectives formulated by politicians are oft en unclear and difficult to measure (Rombach 1991; Lundquist 1992; Gray and Jenkins 1995; Lapsley 1999). It is known that public organizations’ services like school, health care, welfare care, collective transportation, infrastructure and cultural services are usually unprofitable. The Transportation Service for the Disabled in the Municipality of Gothenburg is an exception. It fulfilled most objectives and achieved a profit of 7,890,000 SEK for 2013, while the planned one was scheduled at 5,000,000 SEK. Maybe performance management used as the steering model caused that result but the criticism targeting management by objectives suggests that this method hardly can explain such a positive result. Brorström et al. (2005) and Grönlund and Modell (2006) argue that in Sweden management by objectives is usually used in combination with other control models. The purpose of this study is to describe and explain why the Transportation Service for the Disabled succeeded in 2013 and to provide practitioners nationally and internationally with some pragmatic ideas how to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of public services. We ask three sub-questions: How were the operative goals created within the Transportation Service for the Disabled? How were the operative goals followed up? What can be learned from this case study? The research is based on the analysis of state regulations, internal policy documents, reports and interviews with key respondents. The study shows that the performance management systems (PMS) in combination with a new organizational culture based on SMART solutions, mutual cooperation among staff, with local politicians and other stakeholders resulted in the increase of efficiency and even partly effectiveness. However, these findings deserve further research if there are other public administrations that succeeded because of using PMS and friendly organizational culture.
Simulation study of an auto-thermal double-membrane reactor for the simultaneous production of hydrogen and methanol: comparison of two different hydrogen redistribution strategies along the reactor
Authors: Rahmani Farhad , Haghighi Mohammad , Estifaee Pooya , Rahimpour Mohammad Reza 
Published: July 2017

Abstract
In a continuing effort to realize the simultaneous hydrogen and methanol production via the auto-thermal methanol synthesis process, the effect of two different hydrogen redistribution strategies along a double-membrane reactor has been considered. A steady-state one-dimensional heterogeneous model was developed to compare two strategies applied in the operation of the auto-thermal methanol synthesis. It was found that the counter-current configuration exhibited the better performance compared to the reactor operated in the co-current mode from both the economic and environmental points of view. This superiority is ascribed to the establishment of a more favourable temperature profile along the reactor and also more hydrogen extraction from the reaction zone. Moreover, the influence of some operating variables was investigated on the performance of the auto-thermal double-membrane reactor in the counter-current configuration. The results suggest that utilizing this configuration for pure hydrogen and methanol production could be feasible and beneficial.
Analysing intersubjective resources in Persian and English newspaper opinion/editorials
Authors: Shokouhi Hossein , Akbarzadeh Fatemeh 
Published: July 2017

AbstractThis study is to uncover the persuasive means of inviting or restricting alternative voices in Iranian and American press. About 10,000 engagement tokens were gathered from 216 newspaper opinions/editorials written between 2005 and 2010 on the Iranian nuclear program in two Persian newspapers,