Comenius University Bratislava

The development of low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (LT-SOFCs) is of significant importance for realizing the widespread application of SOFCs. This has stimulated a substantial materials research effort in developing high oxide-ion conductivity in the electrolyte layer of SOFCs. In this context, for the first time, a dielectric material, CaCu 3 Ti 4 O 12 (CCTO) is designed for LT-SOFCs electrolyte application in this study. Both individual CCTO and its heterostructure materials with a p -type Ni 0.8 Co 0.15 Al 0.05 LiO 2− δ (NCAL) semiconductor are evaluated as alternative electrolytes in LT-SOFC at 450–550 °C. The single cell with the individual CCTO electrolyte exhibits a power output of approximately 263 mW cm ⁻² and an open-circuit voltage (OCV) of 0.95 V at 550 °C, while the cell with the CCTO–NCAL heterostructure electrolyte capably delivers an improved power output of approximately 605 mW cm ⁻² along with a higher OCV over 1.0 V, which indicates the introduction of high hole-conducting NCAL into the CCTO could enhance the cell performance rather than inducing any potential short-circuiting risk. It is found that these promising outcomes are due to the interplay of the dielectric material, its structure, and overall properties that led to improve electrochemical mechanism in CCTO–NCAL. Furthermore, density functional theory calculations provide the detailed information about the electronic and structural properties of the CCTO and NCAL and their heterostructure CCTO–NCAL. Our study thus provides a new approach for developing new advanced electrolytes for LT-SOFCs.

The present study examines the impact of induced social stress on facial trustworthiness judgments in individuals with schizophrenia (SCZ) and the associations between symptoms and trustworthiness ratings. Thirty‐three individuals with SCZ and forty healthy controls (HC) were asked to rate the trustworthiness of 24 digitally morphed faces in two counterbalanced conditions. Mild social stress was induced by listening to loud noises from a busy street. BPRS, CAPE‐42, and the Paranoia Scale measured the severity of symptoms. We did not observe significant differences in trustworthiness judgments between the patient and control groups. Social stress did not impact trust judgments. Paranoia was negatively connected to trustworthiness ratings in the control group. Subjective rating of stress in noise condition was negatively associated with paranoia only in the control sample. In the patient group, a negative correlation was found between trustworthiness ratings in stress conditions and the severity of self‐reported negative symptoms. Our results suggest that mild social stress does not significantly affect trustworthiness judgments in either patients with SCZ or in HC. Differences between the patient and control groups in trustworthiness judgments were negligible. Overall, the results of this study can be considered mainly negative and contrast with previous studies. The stress induction paradigm or a smaller sample size might cause observed results. In controls, biased face perception was linked to trait paranoia. By contrast, in SCZ, other factors might impact trust perception and need further examination.

Cystic partially differentiated nephroblastoma (CPDN) is a rare pediatric renal tumor composed of multiple cystic spaces divided by septa containing immature nephrogenic elements. The presence of expansile solid areas in the septa of such a lesion indicates an alternative diagnosis of Wilms tumor (WT). We present a unique case of CPDN associated with grossly visible polypoid proliferations, which histologically correspond to botryoid growth of intralobar nephrogenic rests. Correct pathological diagnosis of CPDN and its differentiation from cystic WT can be challenging, but is critical, because of the distinct treatment approaches and prognoses of these entities, since CPDN is a low-risk tumor not requiring further postoperative therapy.

Data envelopment analysis (DEA) models appear in envelopment and multiplier forms, which are in a primal-dual relationship. In this paper, we derive the general multiplier form of path-based models, encompassing radial, directional distance function, and hyperbolic distance function models as special cases. We investigate the economic interpretation of the multiplier models and uncover the link between shadow profit inefficiency and technical inefficiency provided by path-based models. Using the optimality conditions for the primal-dual pair, we precisely describe the two-way relationship between the optimal solutions of the multiplier model and the supporting hyperplanes of the technology set at the projection. This relationship serves as a mathematical justification for extending one of the early approaches to measuring returns-to-scale (RTS) onto the entire class of path-based models. Moreover, we demonstrate the eligibility of this method by revealing the fact that the set of all strongly efficient benchmarks for the assessed unit in path-based models does not need to belong to a single strongly efficient face of technology set. This finding changes the view on traditional approaches to RTS measurement that rely on supporting hyperplanes encompassing a single strongly efficient face of the technology set. In this new perspective, we propose two methods for RTS measurement. The first is based on the hyperplanes at the projection, and the second method adapts the minimum face method to be suitable for path-based models. Both methods are fully justified and brought to an algorithmic form.

This is an exclusively systematic background study reviewing 85 Mesozoic (latest Jurassic and Cretaceous) cockroaches and praying mantises from northern palaeo-polar (i.e. deposited within polar circles) deposits in Yakutia, Taimyr, Khabarovsk, Magadan and Chukotka (Russia), revealing 15 new species, which are herein characterised using systematic two-way analysis. The taphonomic conditions within these ‘Arctic’ paleo- polar sites were strongly influenced by long periods of pre-depositional transport.

The primary goal of this paper is to define Katugampola fractional integrals in multiplicative calculus. A novel method for generalizing the multiplicative fractional integrals is the Katugampola fractional integrals in multiplicative calculus. The multiplicative Hadamard fractional integrals are also novel findings of this research and may be derived from the special situations of Katugampola fractional integrals. These integrals generalize to multiplicative Riemann–Liouville fractional integrals and multiplicative Hadamard fractional integrals. Moreover, we use the Katugampola fractional integrals to prove certain new Hermite–Hadamard and trapezoidal-type inequalities for multiplicative convex functions. Additionally, it is demonstrated that several of the previously established inequalities are generalized from the newly derived inequalities. Finally, we give some computational analysis of the inequalities proved in this paper.

The article deals with the study of the existence of a fundamental system of solutions to the differential equations: ( D ² − 2 Dα + α ² + β ² ) y = 0, ( D ² − 2 Dα + α ² − β ² ) y = 0, which are created using higher derivatives of the appropriate functions which are solutions to these equations. Special attention is paid to the solution of the generalized Cauchy problem with initial conditions.

The diagnostic prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) shows boys to be more affected than girls. Due to this reason, there is a lack of research including and observing ASD girls. Present study was aimed to detect hormones of steroidogenesis pathway in prepubertal girls (n = 16) diagnosed with ASD and sex and age matched neurotypical controls (CTRL, n = 16). Collected plasma served for detection of conjugated and unconjugated steroids using gas chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry. We observed higher levels of steroids modulating ionotropic receptors, especially, GABAergic steroids and pregnenolone sulfate in ASD group. Concentration of many steroids throughout the pathway tend to be higher in ASD girls compared to CTRL. Pregnenolone and its isomers together with polar progestins and androstanes, i.e. sulfated steroids, were found to be higher in ASD group in comparison with CTRL group. Based on steroid product to precursor ratios, ASD group showed higher levels of sulfated/conjugated steroids suggesting higher sulfotransferase or lower steroid sulfatase activity and we also obtained data indicating lower activity of steroid 11β-hydroxylase compared to CTRL group despite higher corticosterone level observed in ASD. These findings need to be generalized in future studies to examine both genders and other age groups.

Background Nowadays, obesity has become a major health issue. In addition to negatively affecting body composition and metabolic health, recent evidence shows unfavorable shifts in gut microbiota in individuals with obesity. However, the effects of weight loss on gut microbes and metabolites remain controversial. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a 12-week program on gut microbiota and metabolic health in patients with obesity. Methods We conducted a controlled trial in 23 male and female patients with obesity. Twelve participants completed a 12-week program of caloric restriction combined with strength and HIIT training (INT, pre-BMI 37.33 ± 6.57 kg/m²), and eleven participants were designated as non-intervention controls (pre-BMI 38.65 ± 8.07 kg/m²). Metagenomic sequencing of the V3-V4 region of the 16S rDNA gene from fecal samples allowed for gut microbiota classification. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy characterized selected serum and fecal metabolite concentrations. Results Within INT, we observed a significant improvement in body composition; a significant decrease in liver enzymes (AST, ALT, and GMT); a significant increase in the relative abundance of the commensal bacteria (e.g., Akkermansia muciniphila, Parabacteroides merdae, and Phocaeicola vulgatus); and a significant decrease in the relative abundance of SCFA-producing bacteria (e.g., the genera Butyrivibrio, Coprococcus, and Blautia). In addition, significant correlations were found between gut microbes, body composition, metabolic health biomarkers, and SCFAs. Notably, the Random Forest Machine Learning analysis identified predictors (Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens, Blautia caecimuris, Coprococcus comes, and waist circumference) with a moderate ability to discriminate between INT subjects pre- and post-intervention. Conclusions Our results indicate that a 12-week caloric restriction combined with strength and HIIT training positively influences body composition, metabolic health biomarkers, gut microbiota, and microbial metabolites, demonstrating significant correlations among these variables. We observed a significant increase in the relative abundance of bacteria linked to obesity, e.g., Akkermansia muciniphila. Additionally, our study contributes to the ongoing debate about the role of SCFAs in obesity, as we observed a significant decrease in SCFA producers after a 12-week program. Trial registration The trial was registered on [05/12/2014] with ClinicalTrials.gov (No: NCT02325804).

The study aims were: (1) to assess the incidence in 1 year, the cumulative incidences and the period prevalence in 3/5 years of the condition of patients accruing cumulative effective dose (CED) ≥ 100 mSv in health care centres providing CT examinations in Slovakia; and (2) to quantify their variability among different centres, to test the feasibility of establishing recurrent exposure reference levels (RERL) on a nationwide level. The data were tracked during five consecutive years using the CT dose index and dose-length-product along with the patient’s ID. ED was calculated using conversion factors. Hospitals were stratified according to the number of beds in clinics (0), small (< 200), medium (201–500), or large (> 500) hospitals. The database included 1,278,928 patients who underwent 2,157,508 CT exams in 5 years. The I100;1 (%), I100;3 (%), I100;5 (%) ranged from 0% to 6.2%, from 0.3% to 23.2% and from 0.3% to 36.9%, respectively. The P100;3 (%), P100;5 (%) ranged from 0.17% to 13.3% and from 0.19% to 17.8%, respectively. No significant differences were found in epidemiological indexes among different hospital sizes. A strong positive correlation was found between the third quartile values of yearly CED and I100;1 (%) (r = 0.84; R2 = 0.70; p < 0.0001). RERL value, set as the 75th percentiles of the distributions of the 3rd quartiles of the yearly CED, amounted to 25.7 mSv. The management of patients with recurrent CT exposures is highly variable among hospitals and unrelated to the size of the institution. Incidence should be reported instead of prevalence. Question Beyond just reporting statistics on recurrent imaging, the question which needs to be addressed is how to use such information to optimise patient protection. Findings In Slovakia the 5-year incidence of patients with CED ≥ 100 mSv average 6% and range from 0.3% to 36.9% among different hospitals. Clinical relevance The incidence of patients with CED ≥ 100 mSv is highly variable among hospitals and unrelated to their size. The heterogeneity in the radiation exposure of recurrent patients prompts the introduction of RERL to aid in the optimisation of patient protection.

An international consortium of radiocarbon laboratories has established the origin of the Church of St. Margaret of Antioch in Kopčany (Slovakia), because its age was not well known from previous investigations. In total, 13 samples of charcoal, wood, mortar, and plaster were analyzed. The ¹⁴ C results obtained from the different laboratories, as well as between the different sample types, were in good agreement. Resulting the final ¹⁴ C calibrated age of the Church, based on dating a single piece of a wooden levelling rod is 774–884 AD (95.4% confidence level), which is in very good agreement with Bayesian modeling result based on dating of wood, charcoal and mortar samples (788–884 AD, 95.4% confidence level). The probability distribution from OxCal calibration shows that 79% of the probability distribution lies in the period before 863 AD, implying that the Church could have been constructed before the arrival of Constantine (St. Cyril) and St. Methodius to Great Moravia. If we take as the terminus post quem the documented date of consecration of the church in Nitrava (828 AD), the Bayesian modeling suggests the age of the Church in the range of 837–884 AD (95.4% confidence level). Although the ¹⁴ C results have very good precision, the specific plateau shape of the calibration curve in this period caused a wide range of the calibrated age. The Church represents, together with the St. George’s Rotunda in Nitrianska Blatnica, probably the oldest standing purpose-built Christian church in the eastern part of Central Europe.

We focused on investigation of E. coli infection influence on the turnover and apoptosis of intestinal mucosa. We have verified changes in proliferation and apoptosis in epithelial lining as well as in lamina propria of jejunum and colon of germ-free (GF) piglets as healthy control group and GF piglets in which at 5th day their gut was colonized with E. coli bacteria (ECK group). According to our results we detected significant increase in proliferation of the epithelial cells only in the jejunum of the ECK group, indicating a higher sensitivity to colonization with E. coli. Significant changes in the TUNEL assay and immunohistochemistry of other studied markers (TNF-α, Caspase-3 and HSP-70) were noted only in the lamina propria mucosae of both intestinal segments in the ECK group. In conclusion, we found that the commensal gut microbiota plays a role in regulation of the turnover rate in the epithelial lining, but also in the cells in the lamina propria mucosae in both intestinal segments, and that the host response is dependent on the colonising bacteria.

A new Slovak speech database EWA-DB was created for research purposes aimed at early detection of neurodegenerative diseases from speech. It contains 1649 speakers performing various speech and language tasks, such as sustained vowel phonation, diadochokinesis, naming and picture description. The sample of speakers consists of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease, mild cognitive impairment, Parkinson’s disease, and healthy controls. In this article we describe the EWA-DB development process, the language and speech task selection, patient and healthy control recruitment, as well as the testing and recording protocol. The structure and content of the database and file formats are described in detail. We assume that the presented database could be suitable for the development of automatic systems predicting the diagnoses of Alzheimer’s disease, mild cognitive impairment, and Parkinson’s disease from language and speech features.

Purpose The current research analyzes cosmetic earnings management practices in emerging and developed markets before and after the global financial crisis. Design/Methodology/Approach Using digital analysis, by applying Benford’s Law the study analyzes the earnings adjustments that exceed a key reference point to determine whether earnings management anomaly exists or not? Based on a sample of 87165 firm-year observations of UK, US, Brazil, Russia, India, China and Pakistan listed corporations. Findings Findings show that the managers of emerging markets have more incentive to manipulate earnings than their counterparts from developed markets. Further, the implementation of strict governance and legislative measures after the global financial crisis have significantly reduced the opportunistic behaviour of managers to manipulate earnings. However, the impact is lesser in emerging markets as compared to UK and US. Research implications The empirical findings of this research are useful for policy making and regulatory authorities, investors and other stakeholders as our findings shed light on the restriction of cosmetic earnings management practices. Originality/Value First study that tried to capture the cosmetic earnings management practices in both emerging and developed countries and in both pre and post financial crisis scenario.

This study quantifies the prevalence of a rarely documented occurrence of bryozoans encrusting fossil brachyuran crabs. Over 500 crab fossils were examined from the reef facies of the Rákos Limestone Member of the Leitha Limestone Formation in the quarry at Diósd, Hungary. They were deposited in the upper part of the regional Badenian stage (i.e., lower part of the international Serravallian stage) of the middle Miocene. Nine bryozoan colonies were found encrusting five dorsal carapaces of three different crab species: Panopeus wronai , Dromia neogenica , and Cancer styriacus . The bryozoans were restricted to the exterior surface of the preserved carapaces of the host crabs, so the epibiosis was most likely syn-vivo . The prevalence was calculated at 1%. The bryozoans were all cheilostome gymnolaemates identified as a cribrilinid, a calloporid, Onychocella ? sp., and two indeterminate membraniporiform species. The low prevalence of bryozoan-encrusted crabs is consistent with other fossil-based bryozoan-crab studies but much lower than similar studies in today’s faunas. This discrepancy was attributed to both colony spalling-induced preservational bias and differences in carapace size. The bryozoan-crab symbiosis was described as phoretic hitchhiking.

This article stems from Zipf's Principle of Least Effort and Martinet's theory of language economy. We examine sentential initialisms in the sub-standard language of electronic media, verifying the occurrence of 1:1 correspondence between the initialism's lexemic constituents and their graphemic representations. The sentential initialisms in which each constituent lexeme is represented by its initial letter are called canonical. As a part of the research, some regularities are established in forming non-canonical sentential initialisms.

Aim Capillary electrophoresis (CE)-based methods hold significant potential for routine use in pharmaceutical quality control (QC) laboratories. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a novel, green, and simple hydrodynamically open-system capillary zone electrophoresis method with diode-array detection (CZE-DAD) for the simultaneous analysis of lanreotide and triptorelin in a single electrophoretic run and to objectively evaluate the analytical technique’s greenness and practicality for application in the pharmaceutical QC settings. Materials and Methods The two therapeutic peptides were analysed using a commercially available CZE-DAD analytical system. The separation process was optimised by changing the composition and concentration of the background electrolyte (BGE). The developed method was validated in accordance with the International Conference on Harmonisation (ICH) Q2(R1) guidelines, and Diphereline ® (powdered form for injection, 0.1 mg of triptorelin acetate) was used as a real dosage form of triptorelin. Greenness and practicality were evaluated using Green Analytical Procedure Index (GAPI), Analytical GREEnness (AGREE), and Blue Applicability Grade Index (BAGI) metrics. Results The optimised method utilised 250 mmol/L formic acid as the BGE, achieving high separation efficiency and short migration times, where both the peptides were analysed in <5 min. The method showed excellent linearity ( r ² > 0.99), precision (relative standard deviation [RSD] <7.1%), and accuracy (92.7%–113.6%). The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were determined to be 0.5 μg/mL and 2 μg/mL, respectively. The method was also found to be environmentally friendly, with high scores achieved in both the GAPI and AGREE assessments, while also being practical, with a BAGI score of >60. Conclusions The newly developed CZE-DAD method proved to be a reliable, efficient, and environmentally sustainable alternative to liquid chromatography (LC)-based methods for the analysis of lanreotide and triptorelin. The method’s acceptable validation parameters and favourable greenness and practicality scores support its high application potential in pharmaceutical QC laboratories.