Prediction Model of the Resulting Dimensions of Welded Stamped Parts.

The combination of stamping and subsequent welding of components is an important area of the automotive industry. Stamping inaccuracies affect the final size of the stamping and the welded part. In this article, we deal with a specific component that is produced by such a procedure and is also a common part of the geometry of a car. We focused on the possibility of using a negative phenomenon-deformation during welding-on the partial elimination of inaccuracies arising during stamping. Based on the planned experiment, we created a prediction model for the selected part and its production, with the help of which it is possible to determine suitable welding parameters for a specific dimension of the stamping and the required monitored dimension of the welded part. The article also includes the results of additional experimental measurements verifying the accuracy of the model and prediction maps for practice.

Influence of Climate Warming on Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) Phenology in Conditions of Central Europe (Slovakia).

The impact of warming on the phenology of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) in conditions of central Europe was evaluated at the locality of Dolné Plachtince in the Slovakian wine region. In Welschriesling and Pinot Blanc model varieties, the onset of phenophases as defined in the BBCH scale over the period of 1985 to 2018 was observed. Based on the data obtained, the influence of the average and average maximum temperature and GDD on the onset of phenophases was evaluated. The results observed indicate earlier budburst by five to seven days, earlier beginning of flowering by 7 to 10 days, earlier berry softening by 18 days, and harvest dates advanced by 8 to 10 days on average. In both varieties, the highest influence of the average monthly temperature in March on budburst, the highest influence of the average monthly temperature and the average maximum temperature in May on the beginning of flowering, and the highest statistically significant influence of the average maximum temperature in June on the softening of berries was found. Warming observed in moderate climate conditions of northern wine regions in central Europe (Slovakia) has not yet caused changes in the grapevine phenology stable enough to require serious adaptation measures.

Devitalisation of pathogens in stored pig slurry and potential risk related to its application to agricultural soil.

The study investigated the risks arising from application of pig slurry to soil in relation to viability of Salmonella typhimurium, Escherichia coli, total coliforms, faecal enterococci and eggs of Ascaris suum at different temperatures. Potential effect of changes in physico-chemical parameters, particularly dry matter (DM), pH and ammonia, were also investigated. Examination showed that S. typhimurium was devitalised after storage in the slurry for 115 days at 4 °C and after 90 days at 20 and 42 °C. Devitalization of E. coli and faecal entrerococci required more than 115 at temperature of 4 °C and faecal enterococci were recovered from slurry after 115 days of storage even at temperature of 20 °C. Total coliforms survived for 115 days at all investigated temperatures. Complete devitalization of A. suum eggs was not achieved even after 115 days at 42 °C. Our investigations indicated potential microbial and parasitic risk related to application of pig slurry to soil even after 115 days of storage.

Nutrition and immune system: the size of the thymus as an indicator of the newborn's nutrition status.

SUMMARY: The thymus is a central lymphatic organ reaching its largest size after the delivery. Its size is significantly affected by endogenous and exogenous negative factors. In our research, we investigated the relationship between the size of the thymus determined by sonography and anthropometric parameters as well as indexes demonstrating the nutritional status. The examined group consisted of 212 full-term newborns, all of which passed an anthropometric examination during the first five days after delivery (birth weight and length, mid-arm and head circumference). The following nutritional status indexes were calculated from estimated anthropometric dimensions: Quételet's index, Rohrer's index, birth weight-to-length ratio and mid-arm-to-head circumference ratio. The size of the thymus was assessed by sonography and expressed as the multiple of transversal width of the cranial thymus part and sagittal area of the major thymus lobe (so-called 'Thymic Index'). The Thymic Index showed a positive correlation with the majority of indicators of the newborn's nutritional status, but all of these correlations are low (Spearman correlation coefficients 0.228-0.409). The correlation of the size of thymus with the birth weight or birth weight-to-length ratio was stronger than the correlation with the Quételet's index or mid-arm circumference. The size of the thymus reflects the newborn's nutritional status assumed by anthropometry and can represent one of the "barometers of nutrition". Normal nutrition in the prenatal period plays a relatively critical role in the development of the immune system.

Assessment of the thymic morphometry using ultrasound in full-term newborns.

PURPOSE: The size of thymus is variable and depends on age of the individual. Thymus undergoes its maximum development at the time of birth, when it also has the greatest relative weight. The aim of our study was to compare the two ways of expressing the size of the newborns' thymus, the Thymus index and estimated volume of thymus. METHODS: The examined group consisted of 212 full-term newborns from Slovakia, Europe. We estimated the length, width and thickness of the left and right lobes. We used these data to calculate the approximate volume of the thymus. We also expressed size of the thymus as a multiple of the transverse diameter of the cranial part of the thymus and the sagittal area of the larger lobe of the thymus, the so-called Thymus index. Bilateral differences in thymus lobes' sizes, as well as the thymus' sizes between sexes and among the newborns of different types of birth were also analysed. RESULTS: Our results show that (1) the left thymus lobe is longer and thicker than the right lobe; (2) the Thymus index and the estimated volume of the thymus have a strong significant and positive correlation; (3) boys reach significantly higher values of the Thymus index than girls; and (4) when comparing the differences in the thymus size between the newborns born in two different ways (spontaneous and operatively), no significant difference was discovered. CONCLUSION: Ultrasound examination is safe, effective and suitable for simple assessment of the thymus size, which has a great variability in children. In other hand, the use of the Thymus index in everyday clinical practice is limited due to different mean values in a number of studies.

Association among size of thymus, anthropometric dimensions and number of lymphocytes in peripheral blood in newborns from Slovakia.

AIMS: Thymus is the central lymphatic organ in humans with important endocrine function that is involved in maturation of immunocompetent T-lymphocytes. In our study we investigated the relationship among thymus size and the anthropometric dimensions as well as between thymus size and the number of lymphocytes in peripheral blood in full-term newborns. METHODS: The examined group consisted of 212 full-term newborns from the region of Southern Slovakia. We examined birth weight, birth body length, head circumference and chest circumference. Thymus size was estimated by ultrasonography and it was expressed as Thymic Index. The number of lymphocytes in peripheral blood was determined from the number of total leukocytes and from the leukogram. RESULTS: We have found a statistically significant positive correlation among thymus size and the body dimensions of newborns. The highest correlation with thymus size was found for birth weight (r = 0.409; P < 0.001) followed by birth body length (r = 0.368; P < 0.001), head circumference (r = 0.365; P < 0.001) and chest circumference (r = 0.340; P < 0.001). We have proven also a statistically significant positive correlation between the number of lymphocytes in peripheral blood and thymus size (r = 0.208; P = 0.039). CONCLUSION: Our results confirmed the findings of other authors about a close relationship of Thymic Index and basic body parameters in newborns.