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This paper aims to present a comprehensive and complete analysis of the separatist movements from the ex-Soviet space, especially in the Republic of Moldova. The paper focuses on presenting both the national and international context immediately after the fall of the USSR, as well as the factors that determined the apparition of the separatist movements. Multiple causes and effects are paired and presented to expose the chronology that followed the unfolding of those historical events. The paper is split into three main topics: the Transnistrian conflict and its consequences, the Georgian conflict, its aftermath, and the ongoing conflicts between Armenia and Azerbaijan. One of the most important aspects discussed is regarding the understanding of Russia’s foreign policy and how it contributed to an accumulation of tensions in the former USSR in the quest to consolidate its position of power in the region. The causes that led to the Transnistrian conflict, as well as the narrative of the situation and the current stalemate are provided.

Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI) is one of the largest banks in the country with a fleet of over ten thousand bank branches. The bank is one of the biggest microfinance lenders in the country and is committed to accelerating financial inclusion in Indonesia through digital transformation. Agent BRILink, a nationwide network of branchless agents, enables Bank BRI to reach rural Indonesia. BRILink agents are bank customers who have a high-reliability score (calculated using the banks’ big data) and who maintain a minimum balance of USD 800. The agents can open a bank account, facilitate withdrawals, and disburse loans. The purpose of this study is to explore the agent's motivation to become a BRILink agent and the level of customer trust on the BRILink agents in the North Jakarta Administrative City. The sample for this study was BRILink agents in the North Jakarta Administrative City, among them: micro product marketing officers at BRI Pertamina Sindang Unit, BRILink Agent Officers at BRI Branch Office Jakarta Tanjung Priok, Managers in the BRI Head Office and customers of BRILink Agents. The data collection methodology for this study includes observations, surveys and interviews, as well as analysis of random questionnaires provided to 177 BRILink agents located in the of North Jakarta Administrative City. The survey data were processed using SPSS (Statistical package for the social sciences). It was revealed that the motivation to become the BRILink agent is based on the agent's desire to provide more convenient customer service by providing more services, which ultimately will increase the turnover of all bank services. This motivation can be closely related to business concerns in creating customer trust. Improving the quality of service in the event of a complaint will increase customer loyalty and encourage them to continue to do business with the BRILink agent. Improving the work of BRILink agents in terms of the quantity and quality of services will lead to better results of the bank's activities, since these processes are interrelated.

The main direction of improving the repair processes of all types and the current maintenance of the track is to reduce the time and labor costs with the highest possible level of mechanization and automation of all types of track work. At the same time, a significant place is occupied by cleaning the tracks from weeds and excess ballast. The working body of the machines for performing these works is a brush picker with flexible blades, which provides cleaning of weeds and ballast below the level of the rail head. As a rule, on domestic machines, flexible blades are segments of a steel cable with a diameter of 16…21 mm. One of the main disadvantages of brush pickers with cable blades is the relatively low efficiency due to fatigue breaking of the flexible blades at the point of exit from the seal. There are also known design solutions with the use of blades made of rubber tape. The most successful is the combination of cable and belt blades on one picker. The main type of drive for such a working body should be considered a volumetric hydraulic drive, which allows you to solve the problem structurally in the simplest and most effective way. Since the picker blades interact with the object (ballast rubble) alternately ( usually there are 8-12 blades) the load on the drive is non-stationary, the pressure in the pressure line of the drive hydraulic motor changes sinusoidally, which negatively affects the reliability and durability of the drive. To smooth out pressure fluctuations, it is recommended to use a hydropneumulator.

The relevance of the work is due to the need to extract additional information in the study of the polarization properties of the geological environment from experimental data in the method of ac resistance using multifrequency measurements. The introduction provides a brief review of the literature on the problem of studying the polarization properties of rocks in the frequency domain and the method of frequency dispersion, which is successfully used in prospecting and exploration works in sulfide and copper pyrite deposits. The questions of determining the polarizability of the medium in the frequency domain and the parameter of the polarization process depending on the structural and petrophysical characteristics are discussed. Purpose of this research is to compare the characteristic features of studying the polarization properties of a medium in the frequency domain and to establish the relationship between polarizability and the frequency dispersion coefficient of electrical resistance. To propose an algorithm for determining the polarization characteristics of a medium from the data of multifrequency measurements in the method of resistances on alternating current. Research methodology: substantiation of the choice of the model of induced electric polarization in the frequency domain and the peculiarities of its application to establish the relationship between the frequency dispersion coefficient and the apparent polarizability of the medium. Research methods: theoretical calculations and comparative analysis of the obtained dependences on the model parameters. Results of work. The choice of the model of induced electric polarization Cole-Cole in the frequency domain is substantiated to establish a relationship between the frequency dispersion coefficient and the apparent polarizability of the medium. The possibility of using multifrequency measurements of electrical resistance to study the polarization characteristics of a medium based on this model is shown. An algorithm has been developed and expressions have been obtained that make it possible to determine the polarizability of the medium and the parameter of the relaxation time from the data of measuring the apparent resistance at three frequencies in the method of electric sounding on alternating current. Application area. The obtained results can find application in the processing of data from conductive electrical soundings on alternating current, for the correct interpretation of the frequency effect and the study of the polarization properties of the medium, in particular, when research by the method of frequency dispersion.

Providing a fiscal function, tax calculations are one of the key processes in the activities of enterprises. A study of the practice of using modern software products for accounting automation showed that even powerful decision support systems such as SAP cannot provide ease, efficiency and clarity of conducting business operations in compliance with historically established tax laws and accounting procedures. At the same time, VAT calculations are the most laborious, since they significantly depend on the peculiarities of the tax legislation of each country. The article reveals the key directions for improving the process of making calculations for VAT using the SAP ERP system. Taking into account practical experience, the main difficulties in complying with the regulatory requirements of Ukrainian legislation in accounting of business transactions in SAP ERP are highlighted. The features of tracking the first event in VAT-related transactions with the display of accounting procedures on the example of product sales were disclosed, taking into account the technical features of the information system. The methodological and technical reasons for the impossibility of full automation of tracking the first event were shown, based on the practice of Ukrainian enterprises. The standard process for calculating a tax credit for VAT in the SAP ERP system was outlined. It was determined that the existing procedures not only meet the requirements of the current legislation, but also provide significant efficiency in the rapid achievement of correct reporting indicators. To expand the automation of the accounting process, authors' substantiated recommendations were provided, some of which were implemented in the SAP program, in particular, the mass creation of accounting documents in the system and the assignment of status for electronic tax documents in individual cases determined by the current regulatory framework.

This article proposes an algorithm to describe the motion of a body in the atmosphere using the added mass. Attached mass is the property of a medium to form additional mass, as I assume with a relativistic denominator at the speed of sound instead of the speed of light. Newton’s second law for added mass assumes two terms with the same speed, one is relativistic at the speed of light, and the other is attached mass with a relativistic denominator at the speed of sound. The use of a relativistic denominator with the speed of sound is a new idea that allows, according to well-known formulas with added mass, which is valid at low speeds of a body, to describe

The article focuses on two lecture courses - The Idea of time and The History of the Idea of Time - delivered by the French philosopher Henri Bergson at Collge de France in 1901-1903. While these courses cannot replace Bergsons published works for understanding his philosophy, they can shed new light on Bergsons popularity. Due to the requirements of the genre, Bergson presents his views in a most succinct and convincing manner and showcases his most original ideas. In these lectures Bergson reinterprets traditional philosophical categories such as the absolute and the relative, the infinite and the finite, and explores two major modes of cognition - conceptual and intuitive knowledge. Major thrust of Bergsons arguments is targeted at conceptual cognition because it is incapable of grasping the duration. Conceptual cognition relies on signs to operate representations of reality. Bergson demonstrates that signs, including concepts, are general, fixating and they appeal to action. Conceptual cognition, therefore, is based on fragmenting continuous processes in reality. However, when discussing intuitive cognition Bergson provides but an outline by referring to intellectual sympathy, plunging into the thing in itself. Despite this apophatic description of the alternative - intuitive - mode of cognition Bergson insists on fundamental transformation of philosophy. We conclude that already in the early 1900s Bergson has in mind an entire project of reconstituting metaphysics and reorienting it towards the problem of time, what might be described as temporal turn in philosophy of the twentieth century.

This study investigates the consequences of intergenerational social mobility for the transmission of political ideology from parents to adult children, taking the parental ideology explicitly into account. Analyses using German and Swiss household data show that especially the vertically upwardly mobile are less influenced by the parental ideology. However, longitudinal analyses do not indicate causal effects, but a self-selection mechanism into social mobility. These findings have consequences for the perception of social mobility effects.

The article is devoted to the study of the influence of individual factors on the state of economic security of agricultural enterprises. The subject of the study is the theoretical and methodological aspects of the application of expert assessment to determine the influence of individual factors on the state of economic security of agricultural enterprises. The author presents and interprets the results of an expert survey conducted by the Method of expert assessment of the influence of individual factors on the state of economic security of agricultural enterprises, and also substantiates the advisability of using expert assessment methods in the context of a study of the economic security of agricultural enterprises. The stages of the expert assessment were disclosed. The survey was conducted by questioning a group of experts - leading scientists, economists and production representatives with practical experience in agricultural enterprises. It was revealed that none of the experts identified the level of economic security of their own enterprise as high. Key external and internal threats to economic security were systematized. The level of influence of individual functional components on the formation of economic security of agricultural enterprises was estimated. The proposed by the author peer review method meets the following requirements: the ability to obtain reliable results from a survey of experts; ease of use; clarity and consistency of presentation of the material; the possibility of automated data processing using computer devices; efficiency (obtaining survey results in a short time without losing their credibility); the ability of experts to use both quantitative and qualitative estimates. The results obtained and presented in the article are of exceptional theoretical and practical value, and therefore will be used in further studies, in particular, in developing a strategy for the development of economic security of the agricultural sector.

Today, financial support for small agribusiness through the development of microfinance institutions is an alternative to consumer lending and a priority of socio-economic policy in many countries around the world. The purpose of the article is to justify the need to improve the credit system, adapted to the needs of banks and the microfinance sector, as the most effective mechanism for lending to small agribusiness, taking into account the design of its scientific, theoretical and methodological basis, consistent with best foreign practice. The subject of the study is a system of effective interaction between microfinance organizations and financial market participants. The article discloses the main principles of modelling a credit system to expand and develop the microfinance segment and create mutually beneficial cooperation between credit organizations and microfinance organizations. The economic nature of microfinance was clarified. The most essential features characterizing the possibilities of using microloans by small agribusiness were identified. Direct and indirect approaches of banks to enter the microfinance market were considered. Institutional prerequisites for the development of microfinancing models of small agribusiness were justified. The current state of microfinance infrastructure in foreign countries was examined, as well as its tools, taking into account existing legislation. The western practice of microfinance organizations functioning was reviewed and the differences in their activities in different countries were structured. The mechanism of interaction between banks and microfinance organizations in the foreign practice of microfinancing of small agribusiness was specified. The forms of improving the credit infrastructure for the development of microfinance organizations were justified. The decision-making model for commercial banks in microfinance of agricultural production was proposed. The developed credit system modeling strategy based on partnership of banks with microfinance organizations for financial support of small agribusiness. Methodical recommendations on improving the microfinance segment of small agribusiness were developed.

This paper deals with the measurement of spectral moments of Serbian fricatives. The four spectral moments: centre of gravity, spectral variance, skewness, and kurtosis were measured at the onset of the fricative, on the stable-state part and at the fricative offset. The results show that the highest values for the centre of gravity can be found in non-sibilants, except for the sound [v]. The measurements were taken in both Hertz and Bark scales, and the results show that the Bark scale serves better in distinguishing fricative types. The energy which is generated during the fricatives' production is not evenly allocated in the time-course of the fricative length. Voiced and voiceless fricatives differ in force of articulation within the fricative duration. The greatest factor effects were found to be the place of articulation and phonological voicing. The vowel that follows does not statistically influence the spectral moments’ values, except for the difference in fricative [x] which surfaces as an acoustically different segment before the vowels [i] and [u].

One of the actual problems of transport energetic is to meet the requirements for both environmental and technical and economic characteristics of automobile engines. Therefore, to meet these requirements, a new working process for the internal combustion engine was proposed and a new design of the electronically controlled injector was developed in accordance with the requirements of the new working process. One of the essential requirements for the developed design of an electronically controlled injector is high operating speed. Therefore, the objective of this work is the implementation of research to improve the operating speed of the injector. By the method of mathematical modeling investigated the influence of various design parameters on the performance and the operating speed of the injector. The results of the numerical investigations are presented and analyzed. As a result, the rational values of the design parameters of the developed electronically controlled injector are determined.

This study examines the effectiveness of the innovative product container-transformer «SmartBox» in the Russian market of transport and logistics services. The transport companies need not just machines for cargo transportation, but effective solutions to transport problems, that allow increasing the profitability of the business. The container-transformer «SmartBox» claims to be a qualitative decision of the problems formed in the market of transport and logistics services today. The investigation is carried out in agro-industrial sector of the economy as the most significant for the Rostov region. According to experts the agro-industrial complex will soon become a driver for the development of cargo transportation. The study was conducted on the example of the largest agricultural holding of the Rostov region group of companies «Yug Rusi». The research task is to substantiate the technical and economic advantages of using the container-transformer «SmartBox» for the transportation of liquid vegetable oil. The analysis of the current state of the transport and logistics system in the field of agriculture was carried out to solve this problem. A review of currently used methods of road transportation of liquid vegetable oil was conducted, the shortcomings was identified. The existing shortcomings in the sphere of container cargo transportation are analyzed. The key requirements for container transportation by transport and logistics companies are identified. A qualitative comparative analysis of the technical and economic parameters of the container-transformer «SmartBox»and traditional methods of transportation of liquid vegetable oil was carried out. The relevance of this research is the practical value for the development and improvement of the system of cargo transportation.

Um die Frequenz rezidivierender Harnwegsinfektionen (rHWI) und die damit verbundene fortwahrende Zunahme multiresistenter Uropathogene zu reduzieren, werden neuartige Praventionsmasnahmen und Therapieansatze benotigt. Ziel dieser Ubersichtsarbeit ist es, die aktuell verfugbare Evidenz uber das Mikrobiom der Harnblase gesunder Frauen und solcher mit rHWI systematisch zu prasentieren. Auserdem werden relevante Studien zur Wirksamkeit von Probiotika bei rHWI strukturiert dargestellt. Hierdurch soll der gegenwartige Stand der Forschung und ein Ausblick auf eine Therapie abseits der ublichen antimikrobiellen Behandlungsoptionen gegeben werden.

The effect of air tamponade among patients undergoing vitrectomy with membrane peeling for removal of epiretinal membranes (ERM) is controversially discussed. The aim of the present study was to analyze differences in outcomes between air tamponade and balanced salt solution (BSS) in a study population with preoperative intraretinal cystoid changes.This randomized study included patients scheduled for pars plana vitrectomy with membrane peeling owing to ERM and intraretinal cystoid changes. Air tamponade or BSS at the end of surgery was applied according to preoperative randomization. Optical coherence tomography and best-corrected distance visual acuity (DCVA) measurements were performed before surgery, 5 days after surgery, and 3 months after surgery.From 96 patients included, 85 eyes had full follow-up and could be included for analysis. Median improvement of DCVA was + 16 EDTRS letters (IQR: 8 to 22) among patients with BSS, while it was + 13 EDTRS letters (IQR: 8 to 17) among patients with air tamponade. There was a trend for better improvement of DCVA when BSS was left at the end of surgery, compared to air tamponade, but not reaching statistical significance.There were no statistically significant differences concerning resorption of preoperative intraretinal cystoid changes, improvement of visual acuity, and final DVCA between air tamponade and BSS.Die Auswirkungen der Lufttamponade bei Patienten nach Vitrektomie mit Membrane Peeling aufgrund von epiretinalen Membranen (ERM) werden kontrovers diskutiert. Ziel der Studie ist es, Unterschiede in den Ergebnissen zwischen Lufttamponade und „balanced salt solution“ (BSS) in einer Patientengruppe mit präoperativen intraretinalen zystoiden Veränderungen zu untersuchen.Diese randomisierte prospektive Studie inkludierte Patienten mit ERM und intraretinalen zystoiden Veränderungen, die zur Pars-plana-Vitrektomie mit Membrane Peeling vorgesehen waren. Lufttamponade oder BSS am Ende der Operation wurde entsprechend der Randomisierung durchgeführt. Optische Kohärenztomografie und Bestimmung des bestkorrigierten Fernvisus (DCVA) erfolgten präoperativ, 5 Tage und 3 Monate nach der Operation.Von 96 in die Studie rekrutierten Patienten hatten 85 ein vollständiges „follow-up“ und konnten in die Analysen der Ergebnisse eingeschlossen werden. Die mediane Verbesserung des DCVA war + 16 ETDRS-Buchstaben (IQR: 8 – 22) bei Patienten mit BSS und + 13 ETDRS-Buchstaben (IQR: 8 – 17) bei Patienten mit Lufttamponade. Es zeigte sich ein Trend für eine stärkere Verbesserung des DCVA bei BSS verglichen zur Lufttamponade, jedoch nicht statistisch signifikant.Es zeigten sich keine statistisch signifikanten Unterschiede in Bezug auf Resorption der präoperativen intraretinalen zystoiden Veränderungen, Verbesserung des DCVA und des postoperativen DCVA zwischen BSS und Lufttamponade.

The text presents newly discovered graves of Strzyżów culture from the Early Bronze Age, located at a cemetery in Rogalin, Poland. The funeral rites of Strzyżów culture are multifaceted. Most of the dead were placed in graves in supine position, equipped with vessels, tools, and ornaments – and then buried. This text, however, discusses burial rites involving the use of fire both in open burial pits and after burial, as well as subsequent practices of opening and disturbing graves. Analysis was supplemented by results of radiocarbon dating.

Conventional CMOS image sensors with a linear transfer characteristic only have a limited dynamic range (DR) of about 60–70 dB. To extend the dynamic range considerably, the already successfully demonstrated concept of a linear self-reset pixel was employed in this work. With the self-reset concept the limit of the maximum analyzable photo generated charge (Qmax⁡) during the exposure time is extended to a multiple of the saturation charge of the photo diode (Qsat) by asynchronous self-resets of the photo diode. Additionally, the remaining charge at the end of the exposure time is evaluated to increase the resolution of the opto-electronic conversion. Thus we achieved pixels with a DR of more than 120 dB combined with an improved low light sensitivity using a pinned photodiode. This paper focuses on two topics: One is the realization and opto-electronic characterization of further self-reset pixel cells for an experimental optimization of the functionality with respect to linearity and high signal-to-noise ratio. The second one is the assembly and digital readout of a cluster structure composed of 16 × 16 pixel matrix on a CMOS test chip. One constraint for later usage of the pixel cells in a high resolution (> VGA) image sensor is the required layout area of the individual circuit blocks. For the cluster structure a size of 20 × 20 µm2 for the analog part of the pixel containing the photo diode and the other analog circuit blocks, the comparator and the signal shaping, was desired. The circuit design and layout work included several variants of the pinned photo diode with floating diffusion (FD) readout node, which is also used for analog voltage storage, and different control transistors. Further for the comparator a telescopic differential amplifier with high gain was implemented as well as peripheral 10 bit counter/shift register as static and dynamic versions. Test chips have been fabricated in an advanced 0.18 µm CMOS technology for optical sensors with low leakage currents. The sensor chips have been evaluated with a specifically developed test setup which gives the flexibility to arbitrarily generate the digital and analog control signals in terms of timing and voltage levels. Based on this, the number of asynchronous self-resets could be read out from the counters of the pixel cells as coarse values. The remaining charge at the end of the integration time was digitized using a ramp analog to digital conversion and could be read out as fine values. An opto-electronic characterization with adjustable illumination from 0 lx to 13 klx was done to measure and analyze the opto-electronic conversion function (OECF) and the noise of six different self-reset pixel cells having the high-gain differential amplifier as comparator. Finally the coarse values of two implemented 16 × 16 pixel clusters could be read out as a mini camera using a lens for optical image formation.

We analyze tidal (diurnal, semidiurnal, terdiurnal, quarterdiurnal) phases and related wind shear in the mesosphere/lower thermosphere as observed by meteor radar over Collm (51.3∘ N, 13.0∘ E). The wind shear phases are compared with those of sporadic E (Es) occurrence rates, which were derived from GPS radio occultation signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) profiles measured by the COSMIC/FORMOSAT-3 satellites. At middle latitudes Es are mainly produced by wind shear, which, in the presence of a horizontal component of the Earth's magnetic field, leads to ion convergence in the region where the wind shear is negative. Consequently, we find good correspondence between radar derived wind shear and Es phases for the semidiurnal, terdiurnal, and quarterdiurnal tidal components. The diurnal tidal wind shear, however, does not correspond to the Es diurnal signal.

In April 2018 the PMWE1 sounding rocket campaign was conducted at the Andøya Space Center involving coordinated measurements with rockets and ground instruments to measure parameters relevant for testing of the existing theories of polar mesospheric winter echo (PMWE) formation. The Middle Atmosphere Alomar Radar System (MAARSY) was operated to detect PMWE with multiple beam directions to detect favorable launch conditions. A dedicated experiment configuration with five different beam positions was used to point the radar beam along the planned trajectory of the payload. This special radar experiment allowed to obtain basic information about the spatial structure of the PMWE and its dynamical behavior around the flight of the two rockets. PMWE with signal strengths between 10−17 and 10−15 m−1 have been observed by MAARSY during the whole campaign period, starting with a moderate occurrence at the beginning which decreased towards the end of the campaign. Furthermore real common-volume observations by rocket instruments and radar soundings have been carried out at PMWE altitudes on up-leg and down-leg of the rocket flights. The Saura MF radar was operated during both flights probing the mesosphere with a multiple beam scan experiment to derive horizontal winds and electron density profiles. The obtained PMWE characteristics as signal strength and spectral width of the received radar signals as well as estimated horizontal winds and electron densities are presented with particular emphasis to the launch times of the sounding rockets.

People's stories is one of the important types of folk narratives. Plays an important role in public education products and these products are created folk stories and attributes of the society that created it, is possible to see people's thoughts and ways of life significantly. In this respect, the development of basic language skills, and thus folk tales Turkish, Turkish Literature, and important materials that can be used by teachers in classes for Language and Speech. Because one of the most important problems encountered in the development of these skills will be used in the works and their attributes. Folk tales content, wording and meaning and direction to explain the nature of language courses to choose from, and be based on the qualifications sources. Above all, this works great skills in the language of national identity is important to bear .

Learning a foreign language means not only learning the structural use of a language, but also a meeting a new culture, being acquainted with that culture and finally adopting culture. The learners of a foreign associate their own culture with the one that learn via recognizing the people’s thought and attitudes in that new culture and they also make comparisons between them. As a result they get more tolerant viewpoints. The close relationship between language and culture reveals the fact that it is impossible to master a language without learning its culture. In the recent language teaching approaches among the transfer of culture has become important, the course book which are the essential part of classroom materials are based on culture of target language and reflect it. With the conscious selection of the text in the course book prepared to teach a foreign language, they might be highly efficient during learning process in terms of transfer of the culture. Regarding the idea that language teaching is an area of intercultural encounter, in this study the place and the significance of written texts which are among cultural transfer instruments and at the same time which have been used in Turkish as a foreign language courses are questioned, analyzed and culture transfer through textbooks has been evaluated following certain criteria within the context of teaching Turkish to foreigners based on İstanbul Turkish for foreigners series A1, A2, B1 and B2 course book. The evaluation of the İstanbul Turkish for foreigners course book series from the perspective of cultural transmission has revealed that they contain limited cultural elements in A1 and A2 levels course book, in B1 and B2 levels contains more cultural elements than A1 an A2 levels but they have to be enhanced more cultural elements.

In the southernmost part of the Colchian plain (Georgia), the Supsa and Rioni rivers represent important catchments for reconstructing Holocene landscape changes. Using granulometric methods, geochemical analyses and radiocarbon dating, we demonstrate that significant palaeoenvironmental changes have taken place in the surroundings of the Supsa fan since at least 4000 BCE. The initial foothill fan accumulation was prolonged by delta plain progradation. Due to continued fluvial sediment supply, mainly from the Rioni, the lagoon silted up and extended peat bogs formed east of the beach ridge complex. The Supsa fan first prograded northwards (since the third millennium BCE) and later shifted westwards, eventually following an avulsion of the Rioni. While Supsa deposits remain limited to the area of the fan and the modern estuary, the alluvial fines of the Rioni dominate the surrounding areas. The relative sea-level (RSL) index points of the region suggest a gradual RSL rise from ∼-9 m between 4000 and 3500 BCE to −3/−2 m below the modern sea level in the second half of the first millennium BCE, the period during which Greek colonization and Colchian settlements are attested by archaeological remains.

In order to predict the immunity to electromagnetic interference of vulnerable systems, not only the electronic system but also its enclosure has to be taken into consideration. In this work, the coupling behavior of electromagnetic pulses (EMP) and continuous wave (CW) signals into the shielded enclosure of a generic system is investigated by metrological and numerical methods. Since this enclosure forms an unwanted or parasitic cavity resonator, the enclosure`s resonance behavior as well as the characteristic quantities, i.e., the resonance frequencies and corresponding quality factors are of great interest, too. The usage of an optical field sensor reduces the influence of the measuring setup on the investigated system and thus, enables the analysis of the enclosure's resonance behavior, which delivers revealing information about the dependence of the quality factor on the aperture size of the enclosure.

The article studies the possibilities of terminological nomination of a set of newspaper articles published in a number of consecutive issues of the same newspaper. The articles cover a definite referential situation and form a big text. The textual formation under analysis is characterized both by narrative characteristics (depicted space, time and subjects) and by discourse characteristics (unity of the authors’ position, the readers’ expected reaction, relation to the referential situation which takes place around the main event or events). In this research we will study three possible variants of nominating the corpus of texts under analysis: supertext, hypertext and macrotext. Each of these terms has its own domain of use and a number of definite semantic features. Supertext is characterized by such parameters as invariance (there exists a text-invariant and each of the texts belonging to the set is considered to be its variant), atemporality (the temporal factor isn’t important), dominance of aesthetic function (opposed to the informative function). In its turn, hypertext is characterized by fragmentation (division into fragments, text-units) which provides cross-referencing, accessibility (hypertext can be entered from any fragment), active readership (the reader chooses the entrance point), communication “equality” between separate texts united by the same theme and constituting the big text. In accordance with the narrative and discourse features of the studied set of texts (connection between the narrative time and real time, the integrity based on the subject manifestation, plot development), we suggest using the term « macrotextе» to denote the set of newspaper articles under analysis.

This paper introduces a framework for managing bias in machine learning (ML) projects. When ML-capabilities are used for decision making, they frequently affect the lives of many people. However, bias can lead to low model performance and misguided business decisions, resulting in fatal financial, social, and reputational impacts. This framework provides an overview of potential biases and corresponding mitigation methods for each phase of the well-established process model CRISP-DM. Eight distinct types of biases and 25 mitigation methods were identified through a literature review and allocated to six phases of the reference model in a synthesized way. Furthermore, some biases are mitigated in different phases as they occur. Our framework helps to create clarity in these multiple relationships, thus assisting project managers in avoiding biased ML-outcomes.

Mitochondria are essential cellular organelles, which supply eukaryotic cells with the universal energy carrier adenosine triphosphate. These organelles feature a unique double-membrane architecture, which is formed by a smooth outer membrane and a highly folded inner membrane. Harnessing super-resolution light and electron microscopy, we investigate the role of MICOS, a large mitochondrial protein complex, in determining the complex folding of the inner membrane.

Literature review on phyto-therapeutics for the treatment of bovine mastitis.Um eine Alternative zur konventionellen antibiotischen Behandlung boviner Mastitiden zu finden, wurde 2015 eine Literaturrecherche zu weltweit in vitro untersuchten und in vivo (an Patienten) verwendeten Phytotherapeutika durchgeführt. Eine Literaturrecherche stellt einen der ersten Schritte in der Entwicklung eines peroralen Phytotherapeutikums gegen bovine Mastitiden nach der Methode der «reversen Pharmakologie» dar. Weltweit genannte Phytotherapeutika in allen Verabreichungsarten wurden zusammengetragen und ausgezählt. Insgesamt wurden 935 verschiedene relevante Zitate in 195 Publikationen gefunden, die nach ihrer Anwendungsart und Zielspezies aufgetrennt und ausgezählt wurden. Die Liste aller Pflanzen und Zitate kann unter http://vets.ch/desktop/liste-des-plantes_fuchs_def_sat.pdf heruntergeladen werden. Es wurden 106 Pflanzen zur peroralen, 45 Pflanzen zur intramammären, und 24 ätherische Öle (peroral, intramammär oder topisch) zur Behandlung boviner Mastitis in der vorliegenden Studie aufgelistet. Voraussetzung für diese Auswahl war, dass die Pflanzen in der Literatur als Therapeutikum erwähnt waren. Zudem wurde berücksichtigt, ob bereits in vitro oder in vivo Studien durchgeführt worden sind. Diese Liste soll einerseits als Nachweis für den traditionellen Gebrauch der Pflanzen bei der Behandlung von boviner Mastitis dienen und zudem eine Grundlage für weiterführende Forschungen darstellen.Afin de trouver une alternative aux traitements antibiotiques conventionnels des mammites bovines, une recherche bibliographique a été menée en 2015 sur les agents phytothérapeutiques qui ont été étudiés in vitro et utilisés in vivo (sur des patients) dans le monde entier. Une recherche bibliographique est l’une des premières étapes du développement d’un agent phytothérapeutique peroral contre les mammites bovines en utilisant la méthode de «pharmacologie inverse». Des phytothérapies citées dans le monde entier dans tous les types d’administration ont été compilées et comptées. Un total de 935 citations pertinentes différentes ont été trouvées dans 195 publications, qui ont été séparées et comptées en fonction de leur type d’appli­cation et de l’espèce cible. La liste de toutes les plantes et les citations peuvent être téléchargés à partir de http://vets.ch/desktop/liste-des-plantes_fuchs_def_sat.pdf . On a répertorié dans la présente étude 106 plantes pour l’application perorale, 45 plantes pour l’application intra mammaire et 24 huiles essentielles (perorale, intra mammaire ou topique) pour le traitement des mammites bovines. La condition préalable à cette sélection était que les plantes soient mentionnées dans la littérature comme agent thérapeutique. En outre, il a été pris en compte si des études in vitro ou in vivo avaient déjà été menées. D’une part, cette liste devrait servir de preuve de l’utilisation traditionnelle des plantes dans le traitement des mammites bovines et, d’autre part, constituer une base pour de nouvelles recherches.Con lo scopo di trovare un’alternativa al trattamento antibiotico convenzionale per la mastite bovina, nel 2015 è stata condotta una rassegna bibliografica sulla fitoterapia studiata in vitro e utilizzata in vivo (su ­pazienti) in tutto il mondo. Una ricerca bibliografica rappresenta uno dei primi passi nello sv iluppo di un trattamento fitoterapico perorale contro la mastite ­bovina con il metodo della «farmacologia inversa». Sono stati raccolti e contati i trattamenti fitoterapici (così ­chiamati mondialmente) in tutte le loro modalità di somministrazione. In 195 pubblicazioni sono state ­trovate un totale di 935 diverse citazioni significative, che sono state separate e contate in base alla loro ­modalità di somministrazione e alle specie mirata. La lista di tutte le piante e di tutte le citazioni può essere scaricata su http://vets.ch/desktop/liste-des-plantes_fuchs_def_sat.pdf. Nel presente studio sono state elencate 106 piante per via perorale, 45 piante per via intramammaria e 24 oli essenziali (perorale, intramammario o topico) per il trattamento della mastite bovina. Questa selezione si è basata sul prerequisito che le piante fossero menzionate nella letteratura come trattamento terapeutico. Inoltre, si è valutato se erano già stati effettuati studi in vitro o in vivo. Da un lato, questa lista dovrebbe essere una prova dell’uso tradizionale delle piante nel trattamento della mastite bovina e dall’altro fornire una base per ulteriori ricerche.

Modern physics experiments often utilize FPGA-based systems for real-time data acquisition. Integrated analog electronics demand for complex calibration routines. Furthermore, versatile configuration and control of the whole system is a key requirement. Beside low-level register interface to the FPGA, also access to I$^2$C and SPI buses is often needed to configure the complete system. Calibration through an FPGA is inflexible and yields a complex hardware implementation. On the contrary, calibration through a remote system is possible but considerably slower due to repetitive network accesses. By using SoC-FPGA solutions with a microprocessor, more sophisticated configuration and calibration solutions, as well as standard remote access protocols, can be efficiently integrated in software. Based on Xilinx Zynq US+ SoC-FPGAs, we implemented a versatile control framework. This software framework offers a convenient access to the hardware and a flexible abstraction via remote-procedure calls (RPCs). Based on the open source RPC library gRPC, functionality with low-latent control flow, complex algorithms, data conversions and processing, as well as configuration via external buses can be provided to a client via Ethernet. Furthermore, client interfaces for various programming languages can be generated automatically which eases collaboration among different working groups and integration into existing software. This contribution presents the framework as well as benchmarks regarding latency and data throughput., IEEE Real Time Conference 2020

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate changes in visual acuity, corneal curvature, elevation, pachymetry, and objective quality of vision of experienced orthokeratology patients using their contact lenses during a simulated 30-min afternoon nap. Method: Twelve patients aged 30.8±8.3 years were recruited for the study, with a history of overnight orthokeratology of 27.4±23.0 months. Patients were instructed to close their eyes for 30 min while wearing their contact lenses or without lenses. Anterior corneal curvature, elevation, and corneal pachymetry were assessed with the Pentacam Scheimpflug System at 17 predefined corneal locations, and the HD Analyzer (Terrassa, Spain) was used to measure objective quality of vision. Measurements were conducted before eye closure (baseline), immediately after eye opening/lens removal (M1), and 30 min later (M2). Results: No statistically significant differences were found in anterior corneal curvature and elevation between baseline values and M1 or M2, with and without contact lenses. Corneal swelling at M1 was greater without contact lenses (change in central corneal thickness of 2.3%±3.1%, P=0.001) than with contact lenses (1.7%±1.3%, P

Originalpublikation: 10.1007/s00101-020-00859-7

The diffraction limit of light confines fluorescence imaging of subcellular structures in fungi. Different super-resolution methods are available for the analysis of fungi that we briefly discuss. We exploit the filamentous fungus Fusarium fujikuroi expressing a YFP-labeled membrane protein showing the benefit of correlative light- and electron microscopy (CLEM), that combines structured illumination microscopy (SIM) and scanning election microscopy (SEM).

In the last decade, artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms have been more and more established for the screening and detection of diseases and pathologies, as well as for describing interactions between measures where classical methods are too complex or fail. The purpose of this paper is to model the measured postoperative position of an intraocular lens implant after cataract surgery, based on preoperatively assessed biometric effect sizes using techniques of machine learning.In this study, we enrolled 249 eyes of patients who underwent elective cataract surgery at Augenklinik Castrop-Rauxel. Eyes were measured preoperatively with the IOLMaster 700 (Carl Zeiss Meditec), as well as preoperatively and postoperatively with the Casia 2 OCT (Tomey). Based on preoperative effect sizes axial length, corneal thickness, internal anterior chamber depth, thickness of the crystalline lens, mean corneal radius and corneal diameter a selection of 17 machine learning algorithms were tested for prediction performance for calculation of internal anterior chamber depth (AQD_post) and axial position of equatorial plane of the lens in the pseudophakic eye (LEQ_post).The 17 machine learning algorithms (out of 4 families) varied in root mean squared/mean absolute prediction error between 0.187/0.139 mm and 0.255/0.204 mm (AQD_post) and 0.183/0.135 mm and 0.253/0.206 mm (LEQ_post), using 5-fold cross validation techniques. The Gaussian Process Regression Model using an exponential kernel showed the best performance in terms of root mean squared error for prediction of AQDpost and LEQpost. If the entire dataset is used (without splitting for training and validation data), comparison of a simple multivariate linear regression model vs. the algorithm with the best performance showed a root mean squared prediction error for AQD_post/LEQ_post with 0.188/0.187 mm vs. the best performance Gaussian Process Regression Model with 0.166/0.159 mm.In this paper we wanted to show the principles of supervised machine learning applied to prediction of the measured physical postoperative axial position of the intraocular lenses. Based on our limited data pool and the algorithms used in our setting, the benefit of machine learning algorithms seems to be limited compared to a standard multivariate regression model.In den vergangenen Jahren wurden zunehmend Systeme der künstlichen Intelligenz in der Medizin etabliert, die Pathologien oder Erkrankungen erkennen und schwer zu erfassende Zusammenhänge zwischen Eingangsgrößen beschreiben sollen. Ziel der Studie ist es, anhand von biometrischen Messgrößen vor der Kataraktoperation die physikalische Position der Intraokularlinse nach der Operation mit Verfahren des maschinellen Lernens vorherzusagen.249 Augen von Patienten, die sich zur elektiven Kataraktoperation an der Augenklinik Castrop-Rauxel vorstellten, wurden mit dem IOLMaster 700 (Carl Zeiss Meditec) und vor sowie nach der Operation mit dem Casia 2 (Tomey) untersucht. Aus den Effektgrößen Augenlänge, Hornhautdicke, interne Vorderkammertiefe, Linsendicke, mittlerer Hornhautradius und Hornhautdurchmesser wurde eine Auswahl von 17 Algorithmen des Maschinenlernens auf ihre Vorhersagequalität hin getestet für die Bestimmung der postoperativen internen Vorderkammertiefe (AQD_post) und der Lage des Linsenäquators relativ zum Hornhautscheitel (LEQ_post).Die 17 Modelle (4 Algorithmusfamilien) variierten im mittleren quadratischen/mittleren absoluten Vorhersagefehler zwischen 0,187/0,139 mm und 0,255/0,204 mm (AQD_post) und 0,183/0,135 mm und 0,253/0,206 mm (LEQ_post) bei einer Kreuzvalidierung (5-fold cross validation). Der Algorithmus mit der besten Performance war bei beiden Vorhersagen ein Gaussian Process Regression Model mit einem exponentiellen Kernel. Prüft man am gesamten Datensatz (ohne Aufteilung in Trainings- und Validierungsdaten) ein einfaches multiples lineares Regressionsmodell gegen den Algorithmus mit der besten Performance, so ergibt sich bei der Vorhersage von AQD_post/LEQ_post ein mittlerer quadratischer Vorhersagefehler von 0,188/0,187 mm gegenüber dem Gaussian Process Regression Model mit 0,166/0,159 mm.In der Arbeit soll das Prinzip des überwachten Maschinenlernens in der Anwendung auf die Nachbildung der physikalisch gemessenen postoperativen axialen Position von Intraokularlinsen gezeigt werden. Bei den vorliegenden Daten ist der Gewinn durch die Verwendung von Algorithmen des maschinellen Lernens (bei den hier verwendeten Algorithmen) gegenüber einem multiplen linearen Regressionsansatz gering.

In view of the limited capacities in intensive care units and the increasing economic burden, identification of risk factors could allow better and more efficient planning. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess independent risk factors for the duration of intensive care unit stay after pancreatoduodenectomy (PD).147 patients who underwent pancreatoduodenectomy in the time period from 2013 to 2015 were identified from a prospective database and a retrospective analysis was performed. The primary endpoint was length of time spent in the ICU. A retrograde analysis was performed using univariate and multivariate regression analysis. All pre-, intra- and postoperative parameters were considered in the analysis.The median time spent in the intensive care unit (ICU) is one day. The univariate analysis demonstrated increased pack years, cerebrovascular events, anticoagulation, elevated creatinine and CA 19-9 as preoperative risk factors. In multivariate analysis, antihypertensive medication (AHT; OR 2.46; 95% CI 1.57 - 3.87; p = 0.05), operation time (OR 1.01; 95% CI 1.00 - 1.01; p = 0.03), extended LAD (OR 5.46; 95% CI 2.77 - 10.75; p = 0.01) and severe PPH (OR 4.01; 95% CI 2.07 - 7.76; p = 0.04) are significant risk factors for longer ICU stay.Patients with cardiovascular risk factors and elevated preoperative creatinine level are at greater risk for a prolonged ICU stay. Risk and benefit of an extended LAD should be weighed during the operation. Median duration on ICU/IMC after PD is one day or less for patients without risk factors. Whether routine monitoring in the ICU/IMC after PD is necessary must be clarified in further studies.Angesichts der begrenzten intensivmedizinischen Kapazitäten und der zunehmenden wirtschaftlichen Belastung könnte die Ermittlung von Risikofaktoren für intensivmedizinische Nachbetreuung eine bessere und effizientere Planung ermöglichen. Ziel dieser Studie war es daher, unabhängige Risikofaktoren für die Dauer des Aufenthaltes auf der Intensivstation nach der Pankreatoduodenektomie (PD) zu ermitteln.147 Patienten, die sich im Zeitraum 2013 – 2015 einer PD unterzogen hatten, wurden aus einer prospektiven Datenbank identifiziert und eine retrospektive Analyse wurde durchgeführt. Der primäre Endpunkt war die Dauer der Zeit, die auf der Intensivstation verbracht wurde. Eine uni- und multivariate Regressionsanalyse wurden durchgeführt, um prä-, intra- und postoperative Risikofaktoren zu ermitteln. Alle erhobenen prä-, intra- und postoperativen Parameter wurden in der Analyse berücksichtigt.Die durchschnittliche Liegezeit auf der Intensivstation nach PD beträgt 1 Tag. Die univariate Analyse zeigte bei den präoperativen Risikofaktoren vermehrte Pack Years, zerebrovaskuläre Ereignisse, Antikoagulation, erhöhtes Kreatinin und CA 19-9 als präoperative Risikofaktoren. In der multivariaten Analyse waren antihypertensive Medikamente (OR 2,46; 95%-KI 1,57 – 3,87; p = 0,05), Operationszeit (OR 1,01; 95%-KI 1,00 – 1,01; p = 0,03), erweiterte Lymphadenektomie (OR 5,46; 95%-KI 2,77 – 10,75; p = 0,01) und die schwere pankreasspezifische Nachblutung (PPH Grad B/C; OR 4,01; 95%-KI 2,07 – 7,76; p = 0,04) signifikante Risikofaktoren für einen verlängerten Intensivaufenthalt.Patienten mit kardiovaskulären Risikofaktoren und erhöhten präoperativen Kreatininwerten haben ein höheres Risiko für einen längeren Aufenthalt auf der Intensivstation. Risiko und Nutzen einer erweiterten Lymphadenektomie sollten während der Operation abgewogen werden. Patienten ohne Risikofaktoren liegen im Median ≤ 1 Tag auf der ITS/IMC. Ob daher eine routinemäßige Überwachung auf der ITS/IMC nach PD nötig ist, muss in weiteren Studien geklärt werden.

In the era of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and calls for climate action, business is challenged to respond more effectively to societal and environmental challenges. Collaboration with stakeholders requires an ability for broader collaboration competencies. These form a part of an established literature on responsible leadership (RL) competencies. Human resources managers, consultants and educators in charge of developing such competencies demand clarity on the definition and a practical measurement tool for RL. This paper addresses both by proposing a RL definition and a RL competency model, that has been operationalized into a free online tool for individuals and groups. This free Competency Assessment for Responsible Leadership (CARL) tool is used to assess stakeholder engagement, individual and group leadership development, and internal sustainable development transformation work. The CARL online tool serves to systematically analyze and develop RL competencies, both in business and educational practices, and helps advance the RL theory based on insights from practice.

Se han estudiado tres pulidores de piedra pómez con ranuras de características formales y huellas de uso muy similares. Dos han sido hallados en el nivel III del yacimiento de la cueva de Santa Catalina (Lekeitio, Bizkaia); este nivel ha proporcionado un abundante y variado conjunto tecnoindustrial del Magdaleniense superior, datado en el Tardiglaciar. El tercero procede de un nivel Magdaleniense de la cueva de Aitzbitarte IV (Errenteria, Gipuzkoa). La función de estos objetos está relacionada con los procesos de fabricación de agujas o apuntados en hueso, asta u otras materias como la madera. Pulidores semejantes del mismo período cultural, también en piedra pómez, se han localizado en un territorio relativamente limitado, en el suroeste de Francia, junto a la Cordillera pirenaica. El área de localización de todos estos útiles era cercana a la costa, ecosistema en el que sería recogida la piedra pómez arrastrada por las corrientes marinas hasta el litoral del Golfo de Bizkaia, del que se difundiría hacia zonas interiores. ____________________________________________ ABSTRACT Three fragments of pumice stone have been recovered at two sites near the southern coast of the Bay of Biscay, with extensive grooves and traces of wear caused by their use as polishers. Two come from level III of the Santa Catalina cave, dating from between 12900 and 15000 Cal BP, and one from level IV of Aitzbitarte IV, with no radiocarbon dating. All three were found in Magdalenian cultural contexts. The most plausible hypothesis concerning their acquisition is that they were picked up on the beaches near the settlements. The Santa Catalina cave, now open on a cliff, was about 5 km from the coast at that time. The archaeological record from level III of Santa Catalina attests to the fact that its occupants fished extensively and collected marine resources during the final phases of the Late Glacial. The Aitzbitarte IV cave was not far from the sea either. A small number of similar tools were found on the northern slope of the Pyrenees, which have also been attributed to the same cultural period. With the exception of one found in a cave in the central Pyrenees, they all lie in a small area of south-western France, in settlements close to each other. These pumice stones must have had a similar origin to the specimens found in the cavities along the Cantabrian coast: volcanic areas in the Arctic or the Caribbean, from where they would have floated, carried by the sea currents. It is very possible that it was obtained by being collected on the Atlantic paleo-coast, although it cannot be ruled out that, in some cases, it was due to exchanges between neighbouring communities. These types of tools have been linked to working with hard animal materials, in particular with making needles or other pointed objects, although we should not rule out other possible uses.

Zusammenfassung. Für ein optimales Management der COVID-19 (Coronary Virus Disease 19) sind wir auf eine schnelle und zuverlässige Diagnose sowie Schweregradeinschätzung angewiesen. Der Goldstandard ist bisher die RT-PCR (Reverse-Transkriptase-Polymerase-Kettenreaktion) aus dem nasopharyngealen Abstrich. Die aktuellen Tests weisen eine Sensitivität zwischen 60 und 90 % auf. In der Folge müssen wir mit 10–40 % falsch-negativen Ergebnissen rechnen. Neben der Sauerstoffsättigung zur Schweregradeinteilung werden das Stethoskop, das Thoraxröntgen und die Lungen-Computertomografie routinemässig für die Diagnose eingesetzt. Die Standardmethoden Stethoskop und Thoraxröntgen sind jedoch unzuverlässig. Überdies setzen alle drei diagnostischen Untersuchungsverfahren Ärztinnen, Ärzte, Hilfspersonal sowie Patientinnen und Patienten einem zusätzlichen Expositionsrisiko aus. Angesichts der Kontagiosität des SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus) ist der Lungen-Point-of-Care-Ultraschall (PoCUS), insbesondere in der Anwendung als Taschenkittelgerät, eine noch zu wenig genutzte, wertvolle Alternative. In dieser Review werden die aktuelle Wertigkeit und Rolle von Stethoskop, Pulsoximetrie, Thoraxröntgen, Lungen-Computertomografie und Lungen-Point-of-Care-Ultraschall anhand der vorliegenden Literatur bestimmt.

This article offers a new look at the stratigraphy and chronology of Mesolithic and Neolithic deposits at Lepenski Vir, particularly based on newly available Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) dating and aDNA genomic evidence. It focuses on a detailed analysis of several key contexts for which new radiocarbon dates are available while at the same time reviewing taphonomic and age-offset problems when dating human remains and other materials affected by the aquatic reservoir effect in the Danube Gorges area. The robust chronological evidence as well as available stratigraphic data overwhelmingly show that the start of the main and iconic phase of the occupation of this site, represented by the architecture of trapezoidal buildings and sculpted sandstone boulders, should unequivocally be dated to the period of the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition in the last two centuries of the seventh millennium cal BC. At this time, local forager populations of distinct hunter-gatherer genetic ancestry came into contact and mixed with incoming Neolithic, farming populations of north-western Anatolian genetic ancestry, based on the available genomic data but also supported by studies of material culture traditions. The article deals directly with the recent criticism of this chrono-stratigraphic model for Lepenski Vir.

Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic there is a need for a rapid increase in intensive care and ventilation capacities. Delivery times for additional intensive care respirators are currently not foreseeable. An option to increase ventilation capacities not only for COVID-19, but for all patients requiring mechanical ventilation is to use home respirators. Home respirators are turbine respirators, so they can usually be operated without high-pressure oxygen connections and can therefore also be used in areas outside the classical intensive care medical infrastructure. Due to their limited technical features, home respirators are not suitable for the treatment of severely affected patients but can be used for weaning after respiratory improvement, which means that intensive care respirators are available again more quickly. Respiratory therapists are specially trained nurses or therapists in the field of out of hospital ventilation and can independently use home ventilation respirators, for example for weaning in the intensive care unit. Thus, they relieve intensive care nursing staff in the pandemic. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic medical students from the Oldenburg University are currently being trained in operating home respirators to provide basic support in the hospital if necessary.

The processing of carbon fibre reinforced polymers (CFRP) is complex due to the heterogeneous material structure and the hard and brittle fibres. For the creation of the final contour during component manufacture, the trimming of semi-finished products is necessary. For these processing steps, multiple cutting processes are available. Depending on the chosen process, the structure of the edges can show considerable differences [1]. Reference [2] proves that the surface condition of CFRP influences the diffusivity, maximum moisture content and concentration. The cutting edge forms part of the component surface. The aim of the present study is an evaluation of the influence of the cutting edge condition on the moisture uptake of CFRP. A systematic analysis of the water sorption behaviour of CFRP with edges generated with thermal remote laser and mechanical processing technologies was performed. Also, the effect of edge sealing was considered. Depending on the applied process, differences in the moisture uptake of CFRP could be shown. Several remote laser cut samples with a distinct heat-affected zone (HAZ) absorbed water rapidly. Thermally exposed fibre ends may form capillaries. By choosing suitable laser processing parameters or edge sealing, this effect could be avoided, resulting in inconspicuous water sorption behaviour., Technologies for Lightweight Structures, Vol 3 No 1 (2019): Special Issue: 4th International MERGE Technologies Conference (IMTC), 18th - 19th September 2019, Chemnitz

With increasing radar activities in the automotive, industrial and private sector, there is a need to test radar sensors in their environment. A radar target simulator can help testing radar systems repeatably. In this paper, the authors present a concept of low-cost hardware for radar target simulation. The theoretical foundations are derived and analyzed. An implementation of a demonstrator operating in the 24 GHz ISM band is shown for which the dynamical range simulation was implemented in a FPGA with fast sampling ADCs and DACs. By using a FIR filtering approach a fine discretization of the range could be reached which will furthermore allow an inherent and automatic Doppler simulation by moving the target.

There is first hand record, pictorial, cartographic and in published texts of the presence of a small Roman square in plan temple-tomb in the Corinthian Order constructed of very white marble on a prominent coastal hilltop behind Hadrian’s horrea at Andriake, the port of Myra. It was a structure that from its location would also have served as a coastal navigational marker over the course of about 1600 years. All of the surviving primary evidence for it dates from the two decades between 1792 and 1812. Although reference continued to be made to this structure from these first hand sources into the latter part of the 19th c., this building no longer stood in this location. There is no primary evidence for the presence of this Roman structure on this hilltop at Andriake after 1812. Due to the absence of visible physical remains in this location today, in the recent literature, the record made of it, has been regarded as a inaccurate record of a nearby Hellenistic tower, a caprice introduced by the artist Luigi Mayer into his view of Hadrian’s horrea at the Port of Myra-Andriake of 1792, which, was then repeated by the British Admiralty hydrographer Captain Beaufort in his work, which seems inexplicable, or has been ignored.This article shows this building stood in this hilltop location at Andriake the port of Myra until 1812 and provides record to indicate that this structure was deliberately and methodically removed without Ottoman permission from its hilltop location in September-early October 1812, at the time that the Society of the Dilettanti Mission to Ionia led by William Gell was at Myra-Andriake. It also suggests a measured architectural record of this structure was certainly made, but note of these dra­wings was not published by the Society of Dilettanti in 1814. Suggestions are made as to the possible location of this building today and it seems most probably the case, in the absence of record of this reassembled Roman structure in Britain or elsewhere over the course of the past 200 years, that the vessel transporting the disassembled parts of this Roman building sank, was sunk, or to save the ship, this heavy cargo was cast into deep water, most probably in late 1812 or in 1813. The name of the vessel used by William Gell for transport, or perhaps, two vessels, if the Andriake Marbles were offloaded within the Mediterranean for transshipment, as was often the case, is unknown today, as the handwritten Journal of the Dilettanti Mission to Ionia of 1811 to 1813, the property of the Society of Dilettanti, which would have recorded this, and much else besides concerning this monument, has been lost.

Further stimulation of mining operations, application of innovative technologies that ensure efficient extraction androcessing of mineral raw materials are limited by requirements for an aerogas dynamics safety system, one of the energy-intensive elements of which are mine turbo-machines; they are characterized by inadequate adaptability and aerodynamic loading. Purpose. On the basis of the theory of bound vortex, conformal mapping method and singularity method by S.A. Chaplygin, there is an aim to develop an additive mathematical model of a rotating circular grating of aerogas dynamics profiles with fluid control of circulation, to formulate and solve the problem of its aerodynamic calculation, to prove the uniqueness of the solution up to a constant. Methods of research. It is shown that the terms of Zhukovsky-Chaplygin-Kutta are applicable to the calculation of airgas-dynamic profiles provided that there is no attached vortex at the rear salient point of the profile. An equation is derived for calculating the circulation of the circular grating of aerogas dynamics profiles as functions of the energy parameters of the sources and sinks of the swirl-chambers. It is established that the aerodynamic coupling of the cavity of the turbo-machine with swirl-chambers, causing the dependence of the energy parameters of the source and sinks of fluid control on the characteristics of the external network, provides a significant increase in the adaptability of mine turbo-machines. Results. Modification of the theory of aerodynamic calculation of circular gratings of aerogas dynamic profiles and formation of radial aerodynamic schemes with increased adaptivity made it possible to formulate a qualitatively new direction for improving mine radial turbo-machines. Their operating principle corresponds to nature-like technologies of energy conversion and transmission. The method is proposed for increasing the pressure developed by mine turbo-machines, their economic efficiency and adaptability through the use of swirl-chambers integrated in the impeller blades, which perform the functions of adjustive fluidic device for circulation control. Application area. With the use of the proposed method, a direct-flow radial-vortex fan VRVP-12A was developed for aerage of blind workings up to 3500 m long.

Rapid technological changes, which are mainly the result of the progress in computer technology, in the last decades of the twentieth century, have touched every area of life and have enforced numerous innovations. Modern ways of communication and exchange of information, especially the development of social media, have led to a significant and complex transformation of the traditional media. Practically all media companies around the world, in order to maintain their position on the market, have had to make decisive modifications of their ways of working. On one hand they remained available to the users of traditional media, but on the other hand, they look for effective ways of reaching all those who are using only new ways. Similarly, the Vatican media could not remain indifferent to the issues mentioned above. For several years the Vatican has initiated a process of preparation for a general reform of its media institutions. However, these works have accelerated at a great rate during the pontificate of Pope Francis.The reform of the Vatican media is not an easy task. It concerns several independent institutions. Each one of them has their own history and way of announcing the Gospel. The widespread computerization, especially the development of the internet and social media, has also forced the Vatican to reflect on new ways of communicating. Among many questions, the most important were about the effectiveness of evangelization through the media, the ways of spreading the Pope’s message around the world to as many faithful as possible, and about the costs of necessary investments that would allow further, dynamic development and effective functioning of the Vatican media.After the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, the problems of the reform of the Roman Curia and the necessary savings were raised again during the discussions of the cardinals on the congregations preceding conclave. It became clear that the structural changes in the Vatican would be one of the challenges which would face the next successor of St. Peter. As from the very start of his pontificate, Pope Francis emphasized the necessity of the deep reform of the Roman Curia. The evaluation of the entire media structure of the Vatican was one of the first reforms to be tackled.The reform of the Vatican media has already begun. In the Apostolic Letter as a Motu Proprio, published on June 27, 2015, Francis set up the new Vatican dicastery: The Secretariat for Communication. The plan of changes in the Vatican media prepares for the possibility of any difficulties and turbulences. A four­‑year restructuring process was planned. The year 2015 was dedicated to the creation, elaboration and consolidation of the new Vatican media structure. And it really happened. During the next year, 2016, a common administration for the two major institutions which depended on the new dicastery: the Vatican Radio and the Vatican Television Center, was established. During the year 2017 a similar restructuring process is expected in the next four Vatican media institutions: the Vatican Printing Press, the Photo Service, “L’Osservatore Romano” and the Vatican Publishing House. The process of restructuring of the Vatican media is expected to be completed by the end of 2018. Many details of these changes are raising many questions and concerns, especially among the employees of existing media entities. However, the real questions concern the effectiveness of the new system.

Jan Patočka became politically active for the first time as a spokesperson of the dissident movement Charter 77. In this capacity he wrote several essays, the first of which, entitled "On the Matters of The Plastic People of the Universe and DG 307", I interpret as the explanation and justification of his turn toward political engagement. The following article is a reading of Patočka's essay that pays particular attention to a peculiar formal feature of the essay – namely that it's presented as a reversal of Dostoevsky's short story "The Dream of a Ridiculous Man". In reversing this story, Patočka shows us the two basic ways of human life and explains his political engagement as an action taken on behalf of the properly human way of life, which he calls "life in truth" or "the responsible life". The purpose of his political engagement thus wasn't defending human rights, but defending life in truth, to which human rights provide suitable conditions. "On the Matters…" also presents Patočka's assessment of the Communist regime with clarity and severity not seen elsewhere in his writings, and shows a shift in his views of youth and youthful rebellion.

The paper presents the legal and economic aspects of consumer protection in the Polish and international futures market and important issues for the extension of this topic. The purpose of the paper is to clarify the issue of supervision and reflections on the possibility of informing the consumer on the Polish futures market and illustrating how legal and economic protection looks in the EU and in the world. Also discussed is the general relationship between the client and the investment entities (Polish and foreign) and how such relationships affect the clarity of the futures market. W referacie przedstawione zostały prawne i ekonomiczne aspekty ochrony konsumenta na rynku terminowym w Polsce i na świecie, a także problemy istotne dla rozszerzenia tego tematu. Celem referatu jest wyjaśnienie kwestii nadzoru oraz refleksje na temat możliwości informowania konsumenta na polskim rynku terminowym, ponadto zobrazowanie jak ochrona prawna i ekonomiczna wygląda w Unii Europejskiej i na świecie. Omówiony został także wątek ogólnych relacji pomiędzy klientem, a podmiotami inwestycyjnymi (polskimi i zagranicznymi), ponadto jak takie relacje wpływają na klarowność rynku terminowego.

During the increasing dissemination of renewable energy sources the potential and actual interference effects of wind turbine plants became obvious. Turbines reflect the signals of weather radar and other radar systems. In addition to the static radar echoes, in particular the Doppler echoes are to be mentioned as an undesirable impairment Keränen (2014). As a result, building permit is refused for numerous new wind turbines, as the potential interference can not be reliably predicted. As a contribution to the improvement of this predictability, measurements are planned which aim at the high-frequency characterisation of wind energy installations. In this paper, a cost-effective FMCW radar is presented, which is operated in the same frequency band (C-band) as the weather radars of the German weather service. Here, the focus is on the description of the hardware design including the considerations used for its dimensioning.

In this work, various Lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery models are evaluated according to their accuracy, complexity and physical interpretability. An initial classification into physical, empirical and abstract models is introduced. Also known as white, black and grey boxes, respectively, the nature and characteristics of these model types are compared. Since the Li-ion battery cell is a thermo-electro-chemical system, the models are either in the thermal or in the electrochemical state-space. Physical models attempt to capture key features of the physical process inside the cell. Empirical models describe the system with empirical parameters offering poor analytical, whereas abstract models provide an alternative representation. In addition, a model selection guideline is proposed based on applications and design requirements. A complex model with a detailed analytical insight is of use for battery designers but impractical for real-time applications and in situ diagnosis. In automotive applications, an abstract model reproducing the battery behavior in an equivalent but more practical form, mainly as an equivalent circuit diagram, is recommended for the purpose of battery management. As a general rule, a trade-off should be reached between the high fidelity and the computational feasibility. Especially if the model is embedded in a real-time monitoring unit such as a microprocessor or a FPGA, the calculation time and memory requirements rise dramatically with a higher number of parameters. Moreover, examples of equivalent circuit models of Lithium-ion batteries are covered. Equivalent circuit topologies are introduced and compared according to the previously introduced criteria. An experimental sequence to model a 20 Ah cell is presented and the results are used for the purposes of powerline communication.