bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Role Modeling: A Precious Heritage in Medical Education / Učenje po modelu: dragoceno nasleđe u medicinskom obrazovanju
Authors: Mirhaghi Amir , Karimi Moonaghi Hossein , Sharafi Simin , Emami Zeydi Amir
Published: May 2015

Role modeling is a powerful form of learning and an integral part of medical education. Although role modeling has a longstanding history, it has not received enough attention in medical education. The aim of this study was to present a comprehensive review of the literature to describe dimensions of role modeling in medical education. Review of the literature was undertaken using the international databases with the following search terms or their combinations: “role modeling”, “observational learning” and “medical education” up to September 2014. Relevant articles were retrieved. A total of 39 articles were included in this review. The results showed that clinical excellence, humanistic personality and excellence in teaching composed three essential elements of role modeling. Basic outcomes of role modeling in medical education are humanism and professionalism. In conclusion, role modeling as an outstanding educational approach has been recommended for enhancing humanism and professionalism in medical education.
Exotic trilobites from the uppermost Cambrian Series 3 and lower Furongian of Sweden
Authors: Żylińska Anna , Weidner Thomas , Ahlgren John , Ahlberg Per
Published: May 2015

Seventeen taxa of exotic trilobites representing eight families are described from the olenid- and agnostoid-dominated strata of the uppermost Cambrian Series 3 and lower Furongian alum shale facies of Sweden and from glacial erratic boulders of Denmark. Only five taxa are assigned to species level, i.e., Maladioidella abdita (Salter, 1866), Olentella rara (Westergard, 1922), Pedinocephalus peregrinus (Henningsmoen, 1957), Ptychoparia pusilla (Westergard, 1922), and Westergaardella olenorum (Westergard, 1922), whereas the others are left under open nomenclature or remain unrecognized. Most are described for the first time from the Cambrian of Scandinavia. Their affinities point to a strong connection with East Gondwana, Laurentia, Kazakhstania and Siberia. Exotic trilobites appear in the succession directly after periods of very low oxygen concentration in the Alum Shale Sea; their occurrences correspond to the ranges of agnostoid arthropods in the succession and seem to be linked to global transgressive events causing an influx of cool and/or oxygen-depleted waters onto the shelf of the Baltica palaeocontinent.
Some Aspects Of Greenery Restoration And Maintenance Management Of Woody Plants In Cemeteries In Nitra, Slovakia
Authors: HALAJOVÁ Denisa , KUBIŠTA Richard
Published: May 2015

Greenery of cemeteries creates a substantial part of the public greenery in our towns but often does not subserve greenery functions. The older architectonical burial places where the greenery is diminished on tree-lined communications by reason of spatial limitation represent the most widespread cemetery type of Slovak towns. Existence of woody plants at these conditions is affected by various negative factors which result in vitality decreasing and poor aesthetic standard of woody plants in burial places. The article is focused on evaluation of greenery in the two eldest cemeteries in Nitra town. The obtained data describe complex dendrological analysis, species composition, landscape value and health assessment of woody plants. On base of evaluation results we have proposed the principles of framework methodology for greenery restoration and maintenance management of woody plants in sepulchral places.
Diagnosis Of The Impact Of The Gabčíkovo Water Project On Soil Water Regime In The Surroundings
Authors: JARABICOVÁ Miroslava , PÁSZTOROVÁ Mária , VITKOVÁ Justína , MINARIČ Peter
Published: May 2015

Rye Island is a unique natural formation, which lies between the main flow of the Danube River and the Little Danube River and is the largest river island in Europe. It is located in the southwest of Slovakia and with its mild to slightly warm climate is one of the most fertile agricultural areas in Slovakia. The whole Rye Island is also our greatest reservoir of quality waters used for drinking purposes, where groundwaters of Rye Island are permanently supplied with water from the Danube River. It means that as water levels in the Danube River were unstable before the construction of the Gabčíkovo Water Project, also the groundwater level faced large fluctuations. Changes occurred after putting the Gabčíkovo Water Project into service, with a decrease in groundwater levels. Thereby, the conditions for agriculture have improved and drying of surrounding protected floodplain forests has stopped. Through the present contribution we decided to analyse the impact of Gabčíkovo on soil water regime in the area of Rye Island, and evaluate the course of groundwater level, precipitation and soil water storage over time. For the representative area we chose a forest ecosystem of Král’ovská Lúka and evaluated the period 1999 to 2009.
Atrazine levels in the Jaboticabal water stream (São Paulo State, Brazil) and its toxicological effects on the pacu fish Piaractus mesopotamicus / Razine atrazina u vodotoku Jaboticabal (São Paulo, Brazil) i njihovi toksikološki učinci na ribu Piaractus mesopotamicus
Authors: Santos Edson Aparecido dos , Cruz Claudinei da , Carraschi Silvia Patrícia , Marques Silva José Roberto , Grossi Botelho Rafael , Velini Edivaldo Domingues , Pitelli Robinson Antonio
Published: May 2015

The aim of this study was to determine the environmental concentration of atrazine (ATZ) in five streams located in the north of São Paulo state (Brazil) and evaluate its toxicological impact on young specimens of the pacu fish Piaractus mesopotamicus. Samples of water were collected on three occasions between 2010 and 2011, corresponding to periods signifying the beginning, middle, and end of rain season. ATZ levels were estimated by a high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) triple quadrupole. Later, the quotient of environmental risk (QR) was determined based on the medium lethal concentration (LC50 48 h), non-observable effect concentration (NOEC), and the estimated environmental concentration (EEC) of ATZ detected in the environment. Histological changes in gills and liver were also studied, along with the brain activity of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE). The highest concentration of ATZ measured was 10.4 μg L-1. The ATZ LC50 (48 h) for young P. mesopotamicus was 24.46 mg L-1 and the QR was classified as “safe”. Although the QR indicated that ATZ could be safe for the tested species, it caused many histological alterations in the liver and gills of the exposed specimens, and an increase in the AChE levels.
Measuring and modelling the radiological impact of a phosphogypsum deposition site on the surrounding environment / Mjerenje i modeliranje radiološkog utjecaja odlagališta fosfogipsa na okoliš
Authors: Bituh Tomislav , Petrinec Branko , Skoko Božena , Vučić Zlatko , Marović Gordana
Published: May 2015

Phosphogypsum (PG) is a waste product (residue) from the production of phosphoric acid characterized by technologically enhanced natural radioactivity. Croatia’s largest PG deposition site is situated at the edge of Lonjsko Polje Nature Park, a sensitive ecosystem possibly endangered by PG particles. This field study investigates two aspects relevant for the general radiological impact of PG: risk assessment for the environment and risk assessment for occupationally exposed workers and local inhabitants. Activity concentrations of natural radionuclides (238U, 235U, 232Th, 226Ra, 210Pb, and 40K) were measured in the PG (at the deposition site), soil, and grass samples (in the vicinity of the site). The ERICA Assessment Tool was used to estimate the radiological impact of PG particles on non-human biota of the Lonjsko Polje Nature Park. The average annual effective dose for occupationally exposed workers was 0.4 mSv which was within the worldwide range.
Stress and Fatigue in Operators Under Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Radiation and Shift Work
Authors: Vangelova K. , Velkova D.
Published: May 2015

The aim was to study the effect of radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation (EMR) on stress indices, health complaints and fatigue of operators working fast-rotating extended shifts. Working conditions, job content, job control, social support, health complaints and fatigue were followed in 220 operators, 110 exposed to EMR and 110 control operators, matched by age and sex. The EMR was measured and time-weighted average (TWA) was calculated. The excretion rates of stress hormones cortisol, adrenaline and noradrenaline were followed during the extended shifts in 36 operators, working at different levels of exposure and 24-hour exposure was calculated. The exposed group pointed more problems with the working conditions, including EMR, noise, currents and risk of accidents, more health complaints and higher level of fatigue. The most common health complaints were mental and physical exhaustion after work, pains in the chest, musculoskeletal complaints, headache, and apathy. High level EMR exposure (TWAmean = 3.10 μW/cm2, TWAmax = 137.00 μW/cm2) significantly increased the 24-hour excretion of cortisol and noradrenaline, whereas the increase of adrenaline excretion did not reach significance, as well as hormone excretion rates under low level exposure (TWAmean = 1.89 μW/cm2, TWAmax = 5.24 μW/cm2). In conclusion, higher number of health complaints, higher stress hormone excretion rates and fatigue were found in operators under EMR.
Efficiency of Intraligamentary Anesthesia of Inferior Molars for Endodontic Treatment
Authors: Peycheva K.
Published: May 2015

The periodontal ligament injection appears to be the most consistently reliable in achieving clinically adequate pulpal anaesthesia. Materials and Methods: 130 inferior molar teeth; technique: The tooth was first cleaned with chlorhexidine 0.2% solution. The penetration of the ligament is performed with special intraligamentary needle (30 G - 9, 17,21 mm) “sliding” along the side of the tooth, 300º angle between the needle and the tooth, having taken the care of determining support points which will prevent the needle from twisting. The penetration must be deep enough to obtain the seal required for the injection, injection for each root in particular points; volume of solution per root is 0.2-0.4 ml. Results: In 125 cases the technique was absolutely efficient. In only 5 cases with pulpitis chronica ulcerosa there was need for additional intrapulpal anesthesia. Conclusions: The method could be used as a primary anesthetic method for endodontic treatment.
Clinical and Experimental Study of Gaalas Phototherapy for Tемрoromandibular Disorders
Authors: Nencheva-Svechtarova S. , Svechtarov V. , Gisbrecht A. , Uzunov Tz.
Published: May 2015

The objective of this study was to test the clinical effectiveness of the gallium-aluminum-arsenide laser (GaAlAs; 785 nm) and superluminiscent diodes (633 nm) phototherapy (MedX 1100 device) for the treatment of patients with temporomandibular disorders and myofascial pain syndrome. The results demonstrated a positive effect in pain relief. A significant reduction (p < 0.05) in the level of pain was observed for the temporomandibular joint and for the masseter muscles using paired samples t-test and Wilcoxon signed rank test. The experimental study on pork muscle samples showed that a) the main part of laser radiation is absorbed by the tissue in thin layer of 3-4 mm, b) in the spectral region 650-950 nm the intensity of light penetration is about 0.2-0.25 percent of the initial light intensity.
Crohn’s Disease Ocular Manifestations
Authors: Koev Kr.
Published: May 2015

Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory bowel disease which causes inflammation of the digestive tract. Crohn’s disease most frequently affects the ileum and the colon. In the active stage of the disease signs and symptoms may include diarrhea, abdominal pain and cramping, blood in the stools, reduced appetite and weight loss. In patients with severe Crohn’s disease the following signs and symptoms may be observed: fever, fatigue, arthritis, eye inflammation, oral ulcers, skin disorders, inflammation of the liver or bile ducts or delayed growth. Heredity and dysfunctions of the immune system are considered to cause the development of Crohn’s disease. About 10% of people with inflammatory bowel disease have also ocular problems. The most common ocular manifestations of Crohn’s disease are uveitis, iritis, episcleritis, keratopathy, keratoconjunctivitis and retinal vasculitis. Untreated uveitis may cause glaucoma and vision loss. Uveitis and iritis are four times more common in women than in men. In patients in the active stage of the disease, episcleritis also flares. Symptoms of episcleritis include inflammation, bright red spots on the sclera and localized pain. Keratoconjunctivitis in Crohn’s disease is caused by decreased tear production or increased tear film evaporation. Dry eyes can cause itching, burning or infection. Keratopathy usually causes no pain or vision loss, therefore in most cases no treatment is needed. In retinal vasculitis tortuosity of retinal veins, retinal edema at the posterior pole and intraretinal blood near blood vessels are observed. Intravenous fluorescein angiography shows intraretinal neovascularisation and haemorrhage in the posterior pole.
Robust Quasi–LPV Model Reference FTC of a Quadrotor Uav Subject to Actuator Faults
Authors: Rotondo Damiano , Nejjari Fatiha , Puig Vicenç
Published: May 2015

A solution for fault tolerant control (FTC) of a quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is proposed. It relies on model reference-based control, where a reference model generates the desired trajectory. Depending on the type of reference model used for generating the reference trajectory, and on the assumptions about the availability and uncertainty of fault estimation, different error models are obtained. These error models are suitable for passive FTC, active FTC and hybrid FTC, the latter being able to merge the benefits of active and passive FTC while reducing their respective drawbacks. The controller is generated using results from the robust linear parameter varying (LPV) polytopic framework, where the vector of varying parameters is used to schedule between uncertain linear time invariant (LTI) systems. The design procedure relies on solving a set of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) in order to achieve regional pole placement and H∞ norm bounding constraints. Simulation results are used to compare the different FTC strategies.
Supervisory Fault Tolerant Control of the GTM UAV Using LPV Methods
Authors: Péni Tamás , Vanek Bálint , Szabó Zoltán , Bokor József
Published: May 2015

A multi-level reconfiguration framework is proposed for fault tolerant control of over-actuated aerial vehicles, where the levels indicate how much authority is given to the reconfiguration task. On the lowest, first level the fault is accommodated by modifying only the actuator/sensor configuration, so the fault remains hidden from the baseline controller. A dynamic reallocation scheme is applied on this level. The allocation mechanism exploits the actuator/sensor redundancy available on the aircraft. When the fault cannot be managed at the actuator/sensor level, the reconfiguration process has access to the baseline controller. Based on the LPV control framework, this is done by introducing fault-specific scheduling parameters. The baseline controller is designed to provide an acceptable performance level along all fault scenarios coded in these scheduling variables. The decision on which reconfiguration level has to be initiated in response to a fault is determined by a supervisor unit. The method is demonstrated on a full six-degrees-of-freedom nonlinear simulation model of the GTM UAV.
Fault Tolerant Control Using Gaussian Processes and Model Predictive Control
Authors: Yang Xiaoke , Maciejowski Jan M.
Published: May 2015

Essential ingredients for fault-tolerant control are the ability to represent system behaviour following the occurrence of a fault, and the ability to exploit this representation for deciding control actions. Gaussian processes seem to be very promising candidates for the first of these, and model predictive control has a proven capability for the second. We therefore propose to use the two together to obtain fault-tolerant control functionality. Our proposal is illustrated by several reasonably realistic examples drawn from flight control.
An SFDI Observer–Based Scheme for a General Aviation Aircraft
Authors: Ariola Marco , Mattei Massimiliano , Notaro Immacolata , Corraro Federico , Sollazzo Adolfo
Published: May 2015

The problem of detecting and isolating sensor faults (sensor fault detection and isolation-SFDI) on a general aviation aircraft, in the presence of external disturbances, is considered. The proposed approach consists of an extended Kalman observer applied to an augmented aircraft plant, where some integrators are added to the output variables subject to faults. The output of the integrators should be ideally zero in the absence of model uncertainties, external disturbances and sensor faults. A threshold-based decision making system is adopted where the residuals are weighted with gains coming from the solution to an optimization problem. The proposed nonlinear observer was tested both numerically on a large database of simulations in the presence of disturbances and model uncertainties and on input-output data recorded during real flights. In this case, the possibility of successfully applying the proposed technique to detect and isolate faults on inertial and air data sensors, modelled as step or ramp signals artificially added to the real measurements, is shown.
Simultaneous State and Parameter Estimation Based Actuator Fault Detection and Diagnosis for an Unmanned Helicopter
Authors: Wu Chong , Qi Juntong , Song Dalei , Qi Xin , Han Jianda
Published: May 2015

Simultaneous state and parameter estimation based actuator fault detection and diagnosis (FDD) for single-rotor unmanned helicopters (UHs) is investigated in this paper. A literature review of actuator FDD for UHs is given firstly. Based on actuator healthy coefficients (AHCs), which are introduced to represent actuator faults, a combined dynamic model is established with the augmented state containing both the flight state and AHCs. Then the actuator fault detection and diagnosis problem is transformed into a general nonlinear estimation one: given control inputs and the measured flight state contaminated by measurement noises, estimate both the flight state and AHCs recursively in each time-step, which is also known as the simultaneous state and parameter estimation problem. The estimated AHCs can further be used for fault tolerant control (FTC). Based on the existing widely used nonlinear estimation methods such as the unscented Kalman filter (UKF) and the extended set-membership filter (ESMF), three kinds of adaptive schemes (KF-UKF, MIT-UKF and MIT-ESMF) are proposed by our team to improve the actuator FDD performance. A comprehensive comparative study on these different estimation methods is given in detail to illustrate their advantages and disadvantages when applied to unmanned helicopter actuator FDD.
Can ancestry be consistently determined from the skeleton?
Authors: Sierp Ingrid , Henneberg Maciej
Published: May 2015

Although the concept of race has been thoroughly criticised in biological anthropology, forensic anthropology still uses a number of methods to determine the ‘race’ of a skeleton. The methods must be evaluated to see how effective they are given large individual variation. This study used 20 cases of skeletons of varied provenance to test whether the nine published methods of ‘race’ determination, using a range of various approaches, were able to consistently identify the ethnic origin. No one individual was identified as belonging to just one ‘major racial class’, e.g. European, meaning that complete consistency across all nine methods was not observed. In 14 cases (70%), various methods identified the same individual as belonging to all three racial classes. This suggests that the existing methods for the determination of ‘race’ are compromised. The very concept of ‘race’ is inapplicable to variation that occurs between populations only in small ways and the methods are limited by the geographic population from which their discriminant functions or observations of morphological traits were derived. Methods of multivariate linear discriminant analysis, e.g. CRANID, are supposed to allocate an individual skull to a specific population rather than a ‘major race’. In our analysis CRANID did not produce convincing allocations of individual skeletons to specific populations. The findings of this study show that great caution must be taken when attempting to ascertain the ‘race’ of a skeleton, as the outcome is not only dependent on which skeletal sites are available for assessment, but also the degree to which the unknown skeleton’s population of origin has been investigated.
Hospitality and the Other: Anglican Schools as Places of Transformative Encounter
Authors: Wilson Tom
Published: May 2015

This article argues that Anglican foundation schools have a positive impact on pupils’ sense of belonging to the wider community by creating safe spaces within which to encounter difference in a positive and transformative manner. The paper is divided into three main sections. First, the context in which the article was written is outlined. Details of the author's two years of fieldwork in a multi cultural Anglican primary school are set out and an understanding of Anglican schools as places which display an authentic outworking of a Christian worldview is explained. Second, the role of Anglican schools as places of encounter is discussed, with reference both to relevant Anglican literature and to the author's own experience of Anglican schools. This includes a substantial discussion of the Anglican understanding of hospitality as the foundation for creating safe spaces for transformative encounters. Hospitality is understood solely in a religious sense, of a Christian school acting as host to those of all faiths and none. Third, the core values of respect, forgiveness and freedom, which support the status of Anglican schools as safe spaces of encounter are elucidated. This involves both examples from the author's fieldwork and also published literature on the topic. Respect is discussed as a foundational value for any encounter with difference, which must be balanced with a willingness to forgive those who react negatively to such encounters. Freedom is understood specifically in the context of freedom of religious belief, reinforcing an understanding that Anglican schools do not engage in proselytising activity. The article concludes by reinforcing the central argument of the paper that Anglican faith schools contribute to a sense of belonging to a wider community through creating safe spaces to encounter the other and taking deliberate steps to engage with that other.
Impact of the Atmospheric Drag on Starlette, Stella, Ajisai, and Lares Orbits
Authors: Krzysztof Sośnica
Published: May 2015

The high-quality satellite orbits of geodetic satellites, which are determined using Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) observations, play a crucial role in providing, e.g., low-degree coefficients of the Earth's gravity field including geocenter coordinates, Earth rotation parameters, as well as the SLR station coordinates. The appropriate modeling of non-gravitational forces is essential for the orbit determination of artificial Earth satellites. The atmospheric drag is a dominating perturbing force for satellites at low altitudes up to about 700-1000 km. This article addresses the impact of the atmospheric drag on mean semi-major axes and orbital eccentricities of geodetic spherical satellites: Starlette, Stella, AJISAI, and LARES. Atmospheric drag causes the semi-major axis decays amounting to about ▲a = -1.2, -.12, -.14, and -.30 m/year for LARES, AJISAI, Starlette, and Stella, respectively. The density of the upper atmosphere strongly depends on the solar and geomagnetic activity. The atmospheric drag affects the along-track orbit component to the largest extent, and the out-of-plane to a small extent, whereas the radial component is almost unaffected by the atmospheric drag.
The use of MRI and CT in Imaging Occult Hip Fractures
Authors: Obadă B. , Șerban Al. O. , Botnaru V. , Valcu Al.
Published: May 2015

Diagnosis of hip fractures is particularly important due to the high dependence on the integrity of this structure for people to function in their daily lives. Left unrecognized, patients face increasing morbidity and mortality as time from the original injury lengthens. A delay of just 2 days in surgical treatment for an acute hip fracture doubles mortality. In addition, an unrecognized non-displaced fracture may displace, requiring surgery of much higher risk. This may be part of the reason that the most frequent lawsuit against Emergency Physicians is for missed orthopedic injury. We reviewed the use of MRI and CT for occult hip fractures (OHF) detection at a major urban trauma unit. Our study is a retrospective review. Inclusion criteria: all patients presenting to the Emergency Clinical Hospital of Constanta with a suspected, posttraumatic, occult hip fracture, over a 5 years period were included. All patients had negative initial radiographs and underwent further imaging with either CT or MRI. A total of 185 cases meeting the inclusion criteria were identified. 72 occult hip fractures were detected with both imaging modalities. Although MRI certainly enables greater image detail, in our experience both modalities are able to provide satisfactory fracture characterization. The choice of imaging should be determined by availability and indication. MRI provides superior imaging of soft tissue but is less sensitive for degenerative changes in presence of bone edema.
Neoplastic Diseases Incidence in Constanta County During 2007 – 2012
Authors: Chirilă S. , Rugină S. , Broască V.
Published: May 2015

According to the reports provided by the World Health Organization, cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. Recognised methods for reducing the burden of cancers are screening for early detection followed by proper treatment.

We studied the cancer incidence during 2007 - 2012 for the population in Constanta County.

The main results support the importance of wide screening programs in early detection of neoplastic diseases, especially for elder and lower access to medical services populations, such as people from rural areas.
Pflegerobotik als Innovationstechnik in alternden Gesellschaften – Eine Analyse der Einflussfaktoren auf die Entstehung eines Lead-Markets in Japan
Authors: Rabe Benjamin , Kohlbacher Florian
Published: May 2015

Japan is an ideal country for studying the effects of demographic change and population ageing. This paper focuses on an ongoing market creation process for innovative technologies such as care robotics in Japan. The shortage on the Japanese care market is worsening, and this is why some creative inventors and entrepreneurs try to develop technologies that can (1) enable aged persons to continue living independently in their usual environment and (2) improve processes in care facilities. Combining lead market theory, stakeholder theory and the literature on market emergence, we analyse two case studies involving the most notable developments in care robotics in Japan: the HAL robot suit and the therapeutic robot Paro. We identify the stakeholders in the market creation process of Japanese care robots and evaluate the lead market potential of this developing sector. The acceptance of such robotic technologies will also be discussed with reference to the cultural specifics of Japan and other countries.
Mechanical Damage Of Strawberry During Harvest And Postharvest Operations
Authors: Aliasgarian Saeed , Ghassemzadeh Hamid R. , Moghaddam Mohammad , Ghaffari Hossein
Published: May 2015

Strawberry is a non-climacteric fruit with a limited harvesting period. Because of high susceptibility to mechanical damage, strawberry has a small postharvest life. In this research, an experiment was designed to study the mechanical damage phenomena in strawberry during the harvest and postharvest operations together with some physical properties of strawberry. Influences of some other factors such as variety, fruit position in the box as well as box position on the truck were also investigated. Results indicated that the variety, operation stage, fruit position in the box, and box position on the truck, had significant effects on the extent of the fruits‘ mechanical damage. Maximum damage index was related to picking stage. The variety Gaviota showed more susceptibility to mechanical damage than Selva. The maximum damage occurred at the bottom rows in the boxes. Furthermore, it was observed that the higher the position of a box on the truck, the more the susceptibility of fruits would be to mechanical damage.
How Online Access Changed Amateur Video Editing
Authors: Eugster Benjamin
Published: May 2015

Digital technology has often been discussed in relation to how it changed either the production or the reception of audiovisual cultures. This paper will consider a combination of both as a crucial part in understanding strategies of inter- and transmedial amateur creativity. Based on an experimental ethnography of the online video subgenre/subculture “YouTubePoop,” the paper will elaborate on the connection between the individual experience and the creation of digital media. The loose collective of independent amateurs behind the YouTubePoop videos makes use of already existing audiovisual material ranging from television shows to videos of other YouTube users. The re-created remixes and mash-ups are characterized by their random selection of original material and their nonsensical humour. Hence, the rapid montage of this heterogeneous content is just as much part of the intensified aesthetic expressiveness as are the applied special effects available in the digital video editing software. Both aspects highlight the strong interdependence of the rapid accessibility of online content and digital technology and the new aesthetic expressions they are fostering. The paper will show how the experience and navigation of digital interfaces (editing software, media players, or homepages) affect the design and practice of these video-remixes. This will open the discussion about intertextual strategies of media appropriation to an aesthetic and praxeological analysis of media interaction.
Unknowable Protagonists and Narrative Delirium in American Psycho and Hotline Miami: A Case Study in Character Engagement Across the Media
Authors: Caracciolo Marco
Published: May 2015

Empathetic perspective-taking is one of the main psychological mechanisms behind audiences’ engagement with narrative (Coplan 2004; Eder 2006). What happens, however, when a story confronts with a character whose emotions, motivations, and beliefs we fail to understand? This paper examines the phenomenon of “unreadable minds” (Abbott 2008) from a transmedial perspective: how do audiences relate to a character who defies all attempts at making sense of his or her identity despite being the main focus of a narrative? My case studies - the novel American Psycho (1991) by Bret Easton Ellis and the video game Hotline Miami (Dennaton Games 2012) - foreground two such characters: by calling attention to the opaqueness of their protagonists, they heighten the audiences’ interest in - and puzzlement at - their identity. In my comparative analysis I explore two dimensions that contribute to audiences’ sense of unknowability of the protagonists: the hallucinations and delusions experienced by both characters (an instance of what Bernaerts [2009] calls “narrative delirium”); and their extreme violence, which raises unanswered ethical questions. While bringing out the continuities between American Psycho and Hotline Miami, I also highlight how the interactivity of Hotline Miami makes the central paradox of relating to an unknowable character even more salient for the audience. In this way, I show that the video game medium has reached a level of interpretive complexity that can stand the comparison with literary fiction.
Remarks on the A** algorithm
Authors: Gregorics Tibor
Published: May 2015

The A** algorithm is a famous heuristic path-finding algorithm. In this paper its different definitions will be analyzed firstly. Then its memory complexity is going to be investigated. On the one hand, the well-known concept of better-information will be extended to compare the different heuristics in the A** algorithm. On the other hand, a new proof will be given to show that there is no deterministic graph-search algorithm having better memory complexity than A**∗. At last the time complexity of A** will be discussed.
Partitioning to three matchings of given size is NP-complete for bipartite graphs
Authors: Pálvölgyi Dömötör
Published: May 2015

We show that the problem of deciding whether the edge set of a bipartite graph can be partitioned into three matchings, of size k1, k2 and k3 is NP-complete, even if one of the matchings is required to be perfect. We also show that the problem of deciding whether the edge set of a simple graph contains a perfect matching and a disjoint matching of size k or not is NP-complete, already for bipartite graphs with maximum degree 3. It also follows from our construction that it is NP-complete to decide whether in a bipartite graph there is a perfect matching and a disjoint matching that covers all vertices whose degree is at least 2.
Reconstruction of score sets
Authors: Iványi Antal
Published: May 2015

The score set of a tournament is defined as the set of its different outdegrees. In 1978 Reid [15] published the conjecture that for any set of nonnegative integers D there exists a tournament T whose degree set is D. Reid proved the conjecture for tournaments containing n = 1, 2, and 3 vertices. In 1986 Hager [4] published a constructive proof of the conjecture for n = 4 and 5 vertices. In 1989 Yao [18] presented an arithmetical proof of the conjecture, but general polynomial construction algorithm is not known. In [6] we described polynomial time algorithms which reconstruct the score sets containing only elements less than 7. In [5] we improved this bound to 9.

In this paper we present and analyze new algorithms Hole-Map, Hole-Pairs, Hole-Max, Hole-Shift, Fill-All, Prefix-Deletion, and using them improve the above bound to 12, giving a constructive partial proof of Reid’s conjecture.
‘Transfers’ in Hungarian Literature from Vojvodina
Authors: Bence Erika
Published: May 2015

The study examines the variants of the postmodern phenomena of literary ‘transfer’ (‘trans-correspondence,’ ‘transpass’) and their relationships with Hungarian literature (in Vojvodina) from the beginnings (the creative tradition of Kornél Szenteleky’s oeuvre) up to the events of present-time literary history (e.g., to the publication of Esti by Péter Esterházy). Referential aspects (the literary themes of the railway, the train, the change of trains), specific contexts (e.g., Kornél Esti as a contextual ‘transferring’ literary character) and metaphorical contents (e.g., the meanings of the straight line and the plane in the literature of the region) come into the focus of our research. Another significant aspect of the research is the interpretation of the intricate web of cross-cultural ‘transfers’ (between the works of Dezső Kosztolányi-Danilo Kiš-Péter Esterházy). The dominant motif of Central-Eastern European man’s experience of space is the straight line of the flatlands: lacking the sea-experience of the Southern European or of the more southern regions, as well as the related mythical experience of the world, infinity-experience, or reality perceptions hosting unrealities. The trip in this sense is an intermediate form of life: movement towards other shapes. The direction and extent of this movement has always been defined by the ‘straight line,’ the main road, and later the straight line of the railway
Translation and Political Discourse
Authors: Bánhegyi Mátyás
Published: May 2015

The paper describes the text linguistic research of political texts in the field of Translation Studies and presents an overview of critical discourse analysis-based studies. First, the relationship between text, power and ideology and its implications on the role of translation are explored. This is followed by a review of a number of studies on the translation of political texts and on the power relations involved. The paper classifies such studies into the following six categories representing distinct research fields: translators' professional roles and politics; translators acting as mediators in situations of political conflict; translators' professional responsibilities and the strategies they apply; the inference of translators' own historical, social and cultural backgrounds; manipulation in the translation of literary texts and other text types; and critical discourse awareness in Translation Studies. The most recent studies in the above research fields and their results are also presented. It is concluded that these approaches exhibit quite varied research methods and their results are almost impossible to compare. With a view to the future development of this research field, it seems expedient to introduce a unified research theory, method and tool.
How (Not) to Fail as a Multimedia Translator
Authors: Imre Attila
Published: May 2015

The article is trying to highlight the major skills of a present-day translator, without which failure is assured. Although we start with general (classical) requirements, particular ones will be discussed, such as the gradual shift from PRAT (paper-and-rubber-assisted translation) to CAT (computer-assisted translation). We argue that professional translators in the 21st century must make use of personal computers and specific software designed to support translation: translation memories (TM), term bases (TB) and translation environments (TE), which already have built-in machine translation (MT) possibility as well. This shift also entails that translators have to deal with further impediments as well: the so-called "text"-to-be-translated has changed to "whatever"-to-be-translated. We argue that would-be translators are hardly ever prepared for this new type of multimedia challenge (e.g. surtitles), thus leaving room for technical experts to discover their skills in translating multimedia. It is our belief that managing translations is directly linked with managing translators, and there are more traps for translators in the 21st century than a layman would think. Consequently, we would like to offer some tips how to build and acquire translation databases in order to catch up with the 21st century rush hour in the field of translation.
Enhanced Fiscal Governance in the European Union: The Fiscal Compact
Authors: Kukk Merike , Staehr Karsten
Published: May 2015

Several reforms aiming to strengthen budgetary discipline in the European Union have been implemented since the outbreak of the European debt crisis. Arguably the most important one is the Fiscal Compact, which stipulates that each signatory country must enshrine in domestic legislation an upper limit on the structural budget deficit, that is, the deficit after cyclical and other temporary factors have been excluded. This paper analyses the contents of the Fiscal Compact and discusses challenges for its implementation and efficacy. The conclusion is that the Fiscal Compact may be challenging to implement and enforce because the rules are very complex and require complicated calculations that are subject to very large forecasting uncertainty. The Fiscal Compact could, however, lead to a stronger national commitment to fiscal prudence.
The Disciplinary Liability of Lithuanian Lawyers: a Comparative Approach
Authors: Gruodytė Edita
Published: May 2015

The article presents basic findings about courts of honor in Lithuania. The data about disciplinary violations in five legal professions-judges, lawyers, prosecutors, notaries, and bailiffs-was obtained while implementing a scientific project on certain issues of legal ethics. The article provides data on the following issues: subjects initiating disciplinary cases; the number of cases for each legal profession; decisions taken in cases of disciplinary violations; categories of disciplinary violations; sanctions provided. The article is intended to initiate further discussion about these matters among scientists, practitioners, and the general public, not just in Lithuania but in other countries as well.
Natural Law and Political Ontology: a Historico-Philosophical Outline of a Major Human Transformation
Authors: Berkmanas Tomas
Published: May 2015

The article explores the possibility of comprehending natural law, together with an alternative to the Schmittean political, through an inquiry into the layers of professional philosophy with a special focus on epistemology and analytic philosophy. The starting point of the research is the controversy surrounding the ideas of Carl Schmitt, in which it is unclear what lies at the origin of law and the political - sovereign decision or the situation (Part I)? The latter possibility directs the inquiry to the conceptual field related to natural law and epistemology. Proceeding via both diachronic and synchronic perspectives, the inquiry further analyses what has happened to natural law in modernity, and what its current status is, theorizing both streams of inquiry under the concept of political exile (Part II). The Schmittean political happens to be very much at home in this context, opening up the coherent ideological framework that may be called modern political ontology, which at first appears to camouflage Schmittean antagonistic political praxis (Part III). However, through inquiry into ideas mostly attributable to analytic philosophy (or philosophy of language), this ontology is also shown to function as an ‘anti-onto’-logy - that is, as a direct (i.e. open, not hidden) ideological basis for modern political praxis. The analysis here also discloses the rivalry inside professional philosophy in relation to ‘anti-onto’-logy, the latter finding its disciplinary origin(s) in language itself. It shows that at the level of professional philosophy there is a general trend that could be helpful in the attempt to revive natural law (Part IV).
A surface EMG test tool to measure proportional prosthetic control
Authors: Sturma Agnes , Roche Aidan D. , Göbel Peter , Herceg Malvina , Ge Nan , Fialka-Moser Veronika , Aszmann Oskar
Published: May 2015

In upper limb amputees, prosthetic control training is recommended before and after fitting. During rehabilitation, the focus is on selective proportional control signals. For functional monitoring, many different tests are available. None can be used in the early phase of training. However, an early assessment is needed to judge if a patient has the potential to control a certain prosthetic set-up. This early analysis will determine if further training is needed or if other strategies would be more appropriate. Presented here is a tool that is capable of predicting achievable function in voluntary EMG control. This tool is applicable to individual muscle groups to support preparation of training and fitting. In four of five patients, the sEMG test tool accurately predicted the suitability for further myoelectric training based on SHAP outcome measures. (P1: “Poor” function in the sEMG test tool corresponded to 54/100 in the SHAP test; P2: Good: 85; P3: Good: 81; P4: Average: 78). One patient scored well during sEMG testing, but was unmotivated during SHAP testing. (Good: 50) Therefore, the surface EMG test tool may predict achievable control skills to a high extent, validated with the SHAP, but requires further clinical testing to validate this technique.
The Old City of Al Zubair. The Emergence and Physical Reality (1571-1882 Iraq)
Authors: Sami Abdulaziz Alqatrani Firas
Published: May 2015

The natural advantages of the site of the city of Al Zubair contributed to its becoming a stable settlement for the tribes migrating from Najd and Hejaz during the last four centuries. These features gave the city a fundamental stability and constant growth, turning it, later, into one of the main cities in the region and an important commercial centre.

This research study aims to examine the historical dimensions of Al Zubair's emergence, as well as the physical housing reality within the boundaries of the walled city (which represents the first phase of the city's development), and to identify the role of people adapting the local conditions of the place in ways that made it a suitable environment for human habitation.

The morphological method has been used in this study of the physical reality of the city. This sequential historical method grants geography an important third dimension: time. Al Zubair is, in terms of its architecture, a history written in the form of buildings, streets, and various other facilities; it is an historic compound that cannot be comprehended without an understanding of and insight into its historical development.
The Application of Social Survey Methods in Analysing the Tourist Activity of Seniors
Authors: Głąbiński Zbigniew
Published: May 2015

The aim of the article is to discuss the possibilities of applying social research methods in the analysis of seniors' tourism activity. It emphasises the fact that research related to the participation of seniors in tourism is of major signifi-cance in many countries with rapidly changing population. The author mentions the methodological determinants of conducting social research that derive from two basic paradigms: quantitative and qualitative. Based on examples from the literature, the article presents the benefits and limitations of their use in conducting research on seniors' tourism activity. In the final part of the article, the author lists the methodological postulates regarding the implementation of the research among seniors as a specific segment of tourism activity.
Causes and Effects of Water Consumption Drop by the Population of Cities in Poland - Selected Aspects
Authors: Gorączko Marcin , Pasela Rafał
Published: May 2015

The article presents, with an example of four cities of various size, a phenomenon of a drop in water consumption by the city population in Poland. The paper draws on 1995-2012 official statistics. A significant decrease in household water consumption was observed, which refers to both the total water volume used by households as well as the average daily water consumption per resident. The article also determines the most essential factors affecting the amount of water consumed, out of which the price of water appears to be of the most significant one.
Morphological Processes in the Spatial Structure of the Southern District of Wrocław City
Authors: Miszewska Barbara , Szmytkie Robert
Published: May 2015

The paper analyses the morphological changes in the spatial structure of the southern district of Wrocław city (Lower Silesia, Poland). The district developed from the former villages of vegetable-growers, which in the Middle Ages bordered directly with the city as set out in the charter. In the second half of the 19th century, the villages were incorporated into the city, and after a while, they started their metamorphosis. Rectangular urban blocks were formed on the basis of medieval axes in the villages. At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, the blocks were successively filled with typical tenement buildings. As a result of World War II, existing buildings were totally destroyed. In the 1960s, they started re-construction of the district, which led to its second metamorphosis. The new constructions resembled typical, socialist apartment projects in other Polish cities. The prestige the district enjoyed before World War II was lost together with its style and character.