bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hotel conference managers: skills and training needs in New Zealand
Authors: Ryan Chris , Barnett Shirley
Published: September 2014

The paper reports the results of a survey of New Zealand conference managers working in hotels. It presents evidence of differences between their assessment of the importance of various skills, their training and their self ratings in those skills. The authors conclude that while gaps exist, tile main need for training might be in aiding managers to determine appropriate standards of performance rather than a need to remedy serious deficiencies in skill. Based upon responses to a questionnaire a suggestion for training is outlined.
The consumer marketing revolution: the impact of IT on tourism
Authors: Bennett Marion M.
Published: September 2014

The combined forces of the information superhighway and multimedia technology are presenting new opportunities for communicating with the consumer. The inherent characteristics of the tourism product render it an amenable candidate for new channels of distribution. Interactive television, PC-activated on-line networks and multimedia kiosks are just some of the ways in which information can be filtered directly to the consumer. Indeed such is the growth of these developments that many commentators have referred to a revolution taking place. This paper explores these developments in the context of tourism by presenting a series of examples. In conclusion it is found that the process of change is evolutionary in nature.
Destination marketing systems: a new role for tourist board marketing in the information age
Authors: Tunnard Christopher R. , Haines Philip
Published: September 2014

Sweeping changes in the world-wide travel industry in recent years have left tourist boards trying to adapt their missions, marketing and organisations to new models, with widely varying levels of success. Instead of growing closer, in many cases the public and private sectors have been drawn further apart, leaving older, overstaffed and outmoded governmental organisations trying to impose their authority on more nimble, fonvard looking private sector companies.
Soft amenity attribute preferences of resort vacationers
Authors: Masterson Lynn A. , Verhoven Peter J.
Published: September 2014

The purpose of this investigation was to identify the key 'soft amenity' attributes resort vacationers perceived as benificial to meeting their vacation goals. A second purpose was to examine whether vacation soft amenity attribute preferences differed significantly across segments comprised of resort vacationers homogeneously grouped on the basis of gender, age, employment, place of residence and vacation goal. An open-ended questionnaire format generated over 4,300 soft amenity attributes which were subsequently grouped into eight categories. The most frequently cited attributes coincide with the results of most previous research on vacation behaviour. Chi-square analyses were performed to determine the influence that the independent variables had on resort vacationers' soft amenity attribute preferences. Region of vacationer residence exerted more influence over the preference of attributes than any other variable tested. Eleven of the 25 most frequently cited soft amenity attributes were significantly influenced by the region of residence. Age exerted the next strongest influence on attribute preference. Seven of the 25 most frequently cited attributes were significantly influenced by this variable. Preferences for golf, fishing, reading, walking and shopping were significantly influenced by gender. Resort vacationers who described themselves as 'doers' preferred sight-seeing significantly more than those with other principal vacation goals while relaxing and sunbathing were significantly preferred by 'relaxers'. A resort vacationer's employment status was found to have virtually no significant bearing on soft amenity attribute preference. The results suggest that interval resort owners believe that a wide array of soft amenity attributes are important to their vacation enjoyment. Merely offering them opportunities to use a variety of recreation facilities is inadequate to assuring owner vacation satisfaction. These results can also assist resort marketers in more effectively and efficiently matching prospective purchasers with the attribute preferences they are seeking to enhance vacation enjoyment.
Evaluating vacation destination brochure images: the case of local authorities in Wales
Authors: Pritchard Annette , Morgan Nigel
Published: September 2014

The paper demonstrates a method for analysing destination brochure images as a means to asking evaluative questions. First, it discusses the match, or mismatch, between product images and the separate findings of consumer attribute research. Secondly, it questions the efficacy of marketing practices that are liable to over-arching political influences and finally, it considers the extent of integration of destination image promotion across comparable tiers of a geopolitical system and between levels of local and national government.

The empirical data are drawn from Wales in the United Kingdom. Local authority vacation brochures are examined using a content analysis and a methodology for examining brochure images is developed which categorises images into six major groups: scenery; activities ; people; heritage; urban and rural; and iconic destination images. Categorising images in this may reveals some interesting findings that have implications for tourism marketing planners both in the case study area and in other destinations which may be attempting to establish an identity as a vacation destination.
How to develop a strong hotel branding strategy with a weak branding budget
Authors: Taylor Hugh
Published: September 2014

Branding is a vital part of a hotel company's marketing strategy. The strong brands belonging to the big chains seem to be winning the awareness battle for customers. But this all comes at a cost, and many hotel chains, particularly the non-international ones, simply cannot afford to match the big brands with heavyweight advertising and high-profile pro motional campaigns.

This paper, taking the example of the author's company, Jarvis Hotels, argues that hotel companies can enjoy equal success in brand awareness by breaking their business down into its constituent parts and sub-branding products to serve specific customers with specific hotel needs.
Methods used by airlines to determine ticket prices
Authors: Chapman Janice
Published: September 2014

This is the first in a series of articles to explain why the fares paid by the travelling public have become so varied and the rules so complex. The price of a ticket has many factors including the rules associated with a fare, the scheduled routes of the airlines, the expected demand for a ticket, and the number of competitor airlines in a market. The routing of passengers and the impact the routings may have on the price paid for a fare is covered in this issue.
The 'greening' of ski resorts: a necessity for sustainable tourism, or a marketing opportunity for skiing communities?
Authors: Hudson Simon
Published: September 2014

For a growing number of skiers, the sport represent one of the great dileminas and conflicts between recreational enjoyment of the countryside and the conservation of the fragile Alpine and mountain areas where skiing inevitably takes place. The situation is particularly acute in the Alps where, in recent years, the issue has been given a high profile by many concerned environmentalists. This paper looks at the impact of skiing on the environment both in North America and in Europe, and at the emerging concept of sustainability. The author looks at the marketing opportunities for destinations seeking to green' their operations, and uses Verbier in Sivitzerland as a case study.
Marketing in the northern European ferry industry: An overview of on-board activity
Authors: Gilmore Audrey
Published: September 2014

Initially this paper considers the dimensions of service quality relevant to the marketing activity of the ferry industry. Based on a review of the literature and an exploratory study of ferry industry marketing it argues that service quality will incorporate both the tangible and intangible dimensions of ferry service delivery.

The findings from an empirical study of Northern European ferry operators' marketing activity carried out between 1991 and 1993 are presented in the context of both the tangible and intangible dimensions offered. The study provides an overview of the similarities and differences of the ferry industry's marketing activity in different geographical regions in northern Europe during this period.
Vacation motives and personal value systems
Authors: Thrane Christer
Published: September 2014

The study explores the relationship between a set of vacation motives and personal value systems as they are expressed in the List of Values (LOV) methodology. Survey data from a representative sample of a local community in Norway (n = 401) were collected, and the results indicate that importance ratings of vacation motives can be predicted on the basis of personal value system segments. This finding is also supported when certain key demographic variables are used in conjunction with the personal value systems as segmentation criteria.
Heritage marketing: The role of information technology
Authors: Bennett Marion M.
Published: September 2014

At first glance, heritage and information technology (IT) may seem an incongruous fit. Yet on closer exmination, it becomes apparent that IT has an increasingly important role to play in the marketing of heritage. Consideration of the characteristics of heritage highlight the challenge presented to heritage sites to become more marketing orientated than they have been in the past. IT provides a potent means by which heritage marketing can become more dynamic from the perspectives of management, presentation and distribution. This paper explores each of these areas in turn. In conclusion, it is found that IT is not a panacea but a tool which has the potential to add value to the product. For this to happen, IT in heritage sites must adhere to the first principles of marketing, namely the need to be consumer-driven not innovation-led.
Evaluation through performance and reliability: Marketing China's travel agencies
Authors: Honggen Xiao
Published: September 2014

China's travel industry has been developing rapidly in scope, yet administration or management of travel agencies is still in its infancy. This paper takes an analytic and descriptive approach to review international and domestic travel in China and proposes the reliability rating system as an alternative supplement to Quality Guarantee Fund System (QGFS) which is now a popular administration practice in China's travel agencies. The reliability rating system as a supplementary administration instrument is defined and its variables in actual operation are identified. The paper concludes by evaluating reliability rating as an effective marketing tool for China's travel agencies.
Service attributes of travel agencies: A comparative perspective of users and providers
Authors: Oppermann Martin
Published: September 2014

This study compares residents' perception of travel agency service attributes' importance with travel agents' beliefs as to what their customers find important. Based on the responses from 266 travel agents and 405 New Zealand residents, the study concludes that there is a wide gap between residents' perceptions and travel agents' beliefs. It is argued that travel agents need to be more aware of what their clients actually want in order to remain competitive and to ensure their long-term viability. Few significant differences were found between different types of travel agencies. However, the segmentation of residents into users and non-users yielded a large number of significant differences based on the mean score results but few differences in attribute rank order.
The role of tour operators' promotional material in the formation of destination image and consumer expectations: The case of the People's Republic of China
Authors: Santos Jessica
Published: September 2014

Image formation has been seen as important in destination marketing. However, image formation and development is a complex process that is intricately entwined with the destination selection process. A variety of sources helps to form the image of a destination in the mind of a potential holidaymaker. Similar factors will also influence consumer expectations.

This paper uses the People's Republic of China as an example, and explores the role tour operators play in creating and developing image and expectations when there is lack of personal experience or word-of-mouth communications. Content analysis is used to examine the role of promotional materials used by tour operators in forming image and expectations. Results indicate that tour operators use their promotional material to create a heritage tourism image in China. This image may also result in inappropriate expectations of the holiday experience overall and hence potentially result in elements of dissatisfaction.
German and British tourists' perceptions of African, Latin American and Caribbean travel destinations
Authors: Omotayo Brown Desmond
Published: September 2014

This study is concerned with identifying those destination attributes (pull) factors which influence European travellers' selection of Africa as a vacation destination region. It seeks to provide a database and an identification of a positioning framework within which the relevant tourism planners and promoters can promote the various sub-regions to selected European visitor markets. The research data suggests that African tourism marketers should pay attention to factors over which they have comparative advantage rather than trying to copy destinations in other parts of the world.
Intergeneration social support affects the subjective well-being of the elderly: Mediator roles of self-esteem and loneliness
Authors: Tian Qian
Published: September 2014

The mental health of the elderly is an important issue in the area of health psychology. This study investigated the effect of intergeneration social support on the subjective well-being of 429 elderly participants. Results suggested that intergeneration social support, self-esteem, and loneliness were significantly correlated to subjective well-being. Structural equation modeling indicated that self-esteem and loneliness partially mediated the effect of intergeneration social support on subjective well-being. These findings provided insights into the effect of intergeneration social support on the subjective well-being of the elderly.
Predictors of psychological distress and interest in mental health services in individuals with cancer
Authors: O’Hea Erin L , Monahan Brigitte R , Cutillo Alexandra , Person Sharina D , Grissom Grant , Boudreaux Edwin D
Published: September 2014

Identifying risk factors for psychological distress in patients with cancer may help providers more efficiently screen, identify, and manage distress. This article presents predictors of psychological distress in a large heterogeneous sample of cancer patients. In total, 836 patients were enrolled in a large randomized control trial and completed computerized psychosocial assessments Mental Health Assessment and Dynamic Referral for Oncology. Multivariate regressions examined predictors of distress and interest in mental health services. Final models suggest that psychological distress was related to six variables, and interest in mental health services was related to previous history of mental health counseling, total number of cancer-related symptoms, and race/ethnicity. Results may be used to identify high-risk patients who may benefit from proactive psychosocial interventions.
Social capital across the life course and functional somatic symptoms in mid-adulthood
Authors: Jonsson Frida , Hammarström Anne , Gustafsson Per E.
Published: September 2014

Aim: To examine social capital across life and functional somatic symptoms in middle-age, according to life-course models of cumulative risk and sensitive periods. Methods: Data from the 26-year prospective study the Northern Swedish Cohort enabled complete case analyses on 940 individuals (451 women and 489 men) participating in questionnaire surveys at ages 16, 21, 30 and 42. Social capital was operationalized at the individual level, comprising items on social participation, social influence and social support. Functional somatic symptoms were a summary measure of self-reported physical symptoms, palpitation and sleeping difficulties occuring during the 12 months prior to the data collection. Linear regression was used as the main statistical method, examining the relationship between functional somatic symptoms at age 42 and social capital across life. Results: Lower levels of social capital accumulated over the life course were associated with higher levels of functional somatic symptoms at age 42, for both women and men. Social capital was, especially among adolescent men, related to functional somatic symptoms at age 42, independently of social capital later in life and baseline material circumstances. Conclusions: The health impact of poor social capital may be due to accumulation across the life course and to adolescence being a particularly sensitive period. It is relevant for preventive work to acknowledge effects of social capital throughout life.
Quasi-periodic spatiotemporal models of brain activation in single-trial MEG experiments
Authors: Ventrucci Massimo , Bowman Adrian W , Miller Claire , Gross Joachim
Published: September 2014

Magneto-encephalography (MEG) is an imaging technique which measures neuronal activity in the brain. Even when a subject is in a resting state, MEG data show characteristic spatial and temporal patterns, resulting from electrical current at specific locations in the brain. The key pattern of interest is a ‘dipole’, consisting of two adjacent regions of high and low activation which oscillate over time in an out-of-phase manner. Standard approaches are based on averages over large numbers of trials in order to reduce noise. In contrast, this article addresses the issue of dipole modelling for single trial data, as this is of interest in application areas. There is also clear evidence that the frequency of this oscillation in single trials generally changes over time and so exhibits quasi-periodic rather than periodic behaviour. A framework for the modelling of dipoles is proposed through estimation of a spatiotemporal smooth function constructed as a parametric function of space and a smooth function of time. Quasi-periodic behaviour is expressed in phase functions which are allowed to evolve smoothly over time. The model is fitted in two stages. First, the spatial location of the dipole is identified and the smooth signals characterizing the amplitude functions for each separate pole are estimated. Second, the phase and frequency of the amplitude signals are estimated as smooth functions. The model is applied to data from a real MEG experiment focusing on motor and visual brain processes. In contrast to existing standard approaches, the model allows the variability across trials and subjects to be identified. The nature of this variability is informative about the resting state of the brain.
Moving Through the Future
Authors: Cunningham Kim
Published: September 2014

From Bergson’s “spatialization of time” to Deleuze’s concept of the “time-image,” it seems clear that time is central to any theory of movement. But what happens to our ability to “move” chronologically through time in the era of preemptive governance and the statistical management of populations? This chapter looks critically and evocatively at what is happening to time in the era of catastrophic risk and how subjects adjust to their own “dividual-ization” in the biopolitical assemblage of preemptive temporality, drawing on the work of Sarah Lochlann Jain. In her studies of the cancer patient’s body in time and risk, Jain argues that “living in prognosis” is a way of moving, albeit one that problematizes attempts to move through linear time. Unable to either anticipate or/and preempt future risk with certainty or mourn a clear and inevitable death, prognosis places the body in the in-between of statistical calculation, ever vulnerable to the emergence of new threats unforeseen, marking a shift in subjectivity and a sense of “the end before the beginning” for bodies sensing their own suspension between life and death as calculated. What happens to memory in such an assemblage of time? This piece offers a critical glimpse into a new and emerging turn in approaches to the governance of traumatic memory, now visible in neuroscience research and humanitarian psychiatric outreach following disasters—preemptively modifying the brain or environment in advance of a potentially traumatic future event. But preemptive approaches fail to eradicate memory in its nonlinearity, instead burning into memory the very trace of preemption itself, the insecurity Massumi argues is produced in the seeking of preemptive securitization, future haunting effect. Memory gets caught in the same temporal contradictions of prognosis time.
The Feeling of Being Hunted
Authors: Bertozzi Elena
Published: September 2014

The debate over whether or not playing video games focused on shooting makes players more violent in daily life has obscured the potential benefits of playing these games. This article argues that playing games that virtually simulate predation (which is true of most shooters) actually has many positive effects that have not been adequately considered. Predation games are an important part of the cultural landscape and worthy of more nuanced analysis and discussion of how they may be affecting players positively.
Use of Microdialysis-Based Continuous Glucose Monitoring to Drive Real-Time Semi-Closed-Loop Insulin Infusion
Authors: Freckmann Guido , Jendrike Nina , Pleus Stefan , Buck Harvey , Bousamra Steven , Galley Paul , Thukral Ajay , Wagner Robin , Weinert Stefan , Haug Cornelia
Published: September 2014

Background:

Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) and automated insulin delivery may make diabetes management substantially easier, if the quality of the resulting therapy remains adequate. In this study, a semi-closed-loop control algorithm was used to drive insulin therapy and its quality was compared to that of subject-directed therapy.

Method:

Twelve subjects stayed at the study site for approximately 70 hours and were provided with the investigational Automated Pancreas System Test Stand (APS-TS), which was used to calculate insulin dosage recommendations automatically. These recommendations were based on microdialysis CGM values and common diabetes therapy parameters. For the first half of their stay, the subjects directed their diabetes therapy themselves, whereas for the second half, the insulin recommendations were delivered by the APS-TS (so-called algorithm-driven therapy).

Results:

During subject-directed therapy, the mean glucose was 114 mg/dl compared to 125 mg/dl during algorithm-driven therapy. Time in target (90 to 150 mg/dl) was approximately 46% during subject-directed therapy and approximately 58% during algorithm-driven therapy. When subjects directed their therapy, approximately 2 times more hypoglycemia interventions (oral administration of carbohydrates) were required than during algorithm-driven therapy. No hyperglycemia interventions (delivery of addition insulin) were necessary during subject-directed therapy, while during algorithm-driven therapy, 2 hyperglycemia interventions were necessary.

Conclusions:

The APS-TS was able to adequately control glucose concentrations in the subjects. Time in target was at least comparable or moderately higher during closed-loop control and markedly fewer hypoglycemia interventions were required, thus increasing patient safety.
Calcaneal Avulsion Fractures
Authors: Gitajn I. Leah , Abousayed Mostafa , Toussaint Rull James , Vrahas Mark , Kwon John Y
Published: September 2014

Background. The purpose of this study was to evaluate prognostic predictors of complications and need for secondary surgery in a series of calcaneal avulsion fractures. Methods. Thirty-three patients who sustained extra-articular calcaneal avulsion fractures from 2002 to 2011 were retrospectively identified. Main outcome measurement was need for secondary surgical procedures. Secondary complications such as soft tissue complications and loss of fixation were noted. Prognostic factors for outcome measures were identified. Results. There was a need for secondary operations in 12 cases. Of those, 10 (83%) had wound complications and 5 (41.7%) had failure of fixation. Two subjects required below knee amputation. Of the entire cohort of 33 patients, 13 (39.4%) had soft tissue complications. Of the 22 that underwent surgery, 6 (27%) had failure of fixation. Increased age was significantly associated with wound complications (P = .029). Hypothyroidism (P = .003), peripheral vascular disease (P = .022), and presence of more than one comorbidity (P = .005) were significantly associated with need for secondary surgical intervention. Skin compromise at presentation was significantly associated with soft tissue complication (P = .036) and failure of fixation (P = .046). Conclusions. Calcaneal avulsion fractures have a high incidence of soft tissue problems, failure of fixation, and need for additional surgeries. Comorbid conditions and increased age portend a poor prognosis with a significant association with wound complications and need for additional surgeries.

Levels of Evidence: Prognostic, Level II: Retrospective Analysis
Inhibiting Self-Protection in Romantic Relationships
Authors: Murray Sandra L. , Gomillion Sarah , Holmes John G. , Harris Brianna
Published: September 2014

A daily diary study of married couples tested the hypothesis that automatic partner attitudes regulate self-protection for low, but not high, self-esteem people. For 14 days both partners reported trust in the other’s caring and perceived and actual rejecting and selfish behavior. On days after low self-esteem people reported less trust in their partner’s caring, those with more positive automatic partner attitudes perceived their partner to be less rejecting and selfish. They also engaged in less rejecting and selfish behavior toward their partner and their partner engaged in less selfish and rejecting behavior toward them. The current findings present the first evidence that automatic partner attitudes may help low self-esteem people inhibit the rejection sensitivity and distancing behaviors that too often undermine their relationships.
Effect of UV/ozone treatment on polystyrene dielectric and its application on organic field-effect transistors
Authors: Huang Wei , Fan Huidong , Zhuang Xinming , Yu Junsheng
Published: September 2014

The influence of UV/ozone treatment on the property of polystyrene (PS) dielectric surface was investigated, and pentacene organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) based on the treated dielectric was fabricated. The dielectric and pentacene active layers were characterized by atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that, at short UVO exposure time (<10 s), the chemical composition of PS dielectric surface remained the same. While at long UVO exposure time (>60 s), new chemical groups, including alcohol/ether, carbonyl, and carboxyl/ester groups, were formed. By adjusting the UVO exposure time to 5 s, the hole mobility of the OFETs increased to 0.52 cm2/Vs, and the threshold voltage was positively shifted to -12 V. While the time of UVO treatment exceeded 30 s, the mobility started to shrink, and the off-current was enlarged. These results indicate that, as a simple surface treatment method, UVO treatment could quantitatively modulate the property of PS dielectric surface by controlling the exposure time, and thus, pioneered a new way to modulate the characteristics of organic electronic devices.
Evaluation of oral mucosal epithelium in diabetic male patients by exfoliative cytology method
Authors: Seifi Safoura , Feizi Farideh , Moazzezi Zoleikhah , Mehdizadeh Mohammad , Zamani Babak
Published: September 2014

Background

The goal of present study is to examine comparatively the epithelium of oral mucosa in persons with diabetes types I and II and the healthy persons by cytomorphometric method.

Methods

Cytology smear was prepared from oral mucosa epithelium in 24 persons with diabetes and 30 healthy persons were stained by papanicolao method. Its before, from patients were requested acquiring written. The quantitative cytomorphometric characteristics were measured in each group by motic plus 2 software. Also, the qualitative evaluation of cytology slides are performed in three groups.

Results

There were decrease in the nuclear and cytoplasmic size, (P < 0.001) and increase in the ratio of nuclear to cytoplasm size in buccal mucosal areas (P = 0.001) and tongue (P = 0.011) of diabetic persons compared to the healthy persons. There was no significantly statistical difference in diabetic persons types I and II in buccal mucosal area (P = 0.15) and tongue (P = 0.86) in quantitative characteristics of cytomoerphometry. In nuclear and cytoplasm size, there was a significant statistical difference in persons with diabetes type I and persons of control I and persons with diabetes type II and persons of control II in buccal mucosa and the tongue (P < 0.001). Bilobed or multi-lobed nuleous, karyorrhexis and vacuolization of cytoplasm were more in diabetic persons compared to the healthy ones (P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Diabetes are effective in creating some quantitative and qualitative cytometric alterations in the oral mucosa but the type of diabetes doesn’t seem to be effective on these changes.
Role competences of professionals engaged in child-with-special-needs-raising-family follow-up activities
Authors: Карасева Валентина , Karaseva Valentina
Published: September 2014

The article is devoted to the issues of personnel training for the sphere of social and pedagogical followup of families raising children with special needs, especially the issues of role competences (those of an adviser providing metholodological recommendations to parents in relation to child up-bringing; a consultant on family law and arranging for the support of experts in other fields; a defender responsible for the protection of children’s rights in cases of careless discharge of duties by the parents) of professionals providing assistance and support to children with special needs and their families. Each role requires a complex of professional knowledge and competences acquired in the course of professional training. The author puts forward practical suggestions concerning improvements of professional education and training of personnel for this field.

As the major responsibility of social counselors is currently the provision of pedagogical, social, psychological, diagnostic and medical assistance, the article elaborates the types of activities to be carried out in the framework of each of the above-mentioned branches of activity. Drawing on personal experience in the field of personnel training, the author emphasizes the fact that none of these lines of activity are followed in isolation, thus, it seems possible to identify a certain pattern of interdependence, with pedagogy underpinning each pattern.

The article takes into account the democratic reforms providing for the prerequisites for social adaptation of children with special needs.
On the prospects of network-communication-technology-based management of the housing and utilities sector
Authors: Минаев Владимир , Minaev Vladimir
Published: September 2014

The major tasks to improve Russia’s housing and utilities infrastructure is the provision of an influx of private investment and qualified personnel, the creation of a network of regional service-quality-public-control centres, and the development and introduction of a state information system of the housing and utilities sector. The technological solutions developed for the sphere of network information technologies available and the scientific advances in the field of public conscience management afford an opportunity to create a «Special Social Network for Collaboration in the Housing and Utilities Sector» network. At the same time, Russian experts are developing and implementing a complex of measures intended to solve the informationtechnology-related problems that arise. However, little attention is paid to developing e-user competences of the housing and utilities sector’s costumers. Thus, not infrequently, the e-data collected by facility management companies are unreliable. In the course of developing an effective and financially sound management of the housing and utilities sector, special attention should be paid to creating professionally trained «small groups of continuous communication» among the population; the groups would be capable of exercising self-organized and self-modified control over the housing the utilities sector. Through the «Special Social Network for Collaboration in the Housing and Utilities Sector» network, «small groups» could share best consumer-rights-protection practices and improve their competences on a continuous basis. The network would also allow of interaction between experts, service consumers, facility management companies, and civil servants responsible for the local housing and utilities infrastructure.
Major repairs of tenement buildings and its role for sustaining the human living environment
Authors: Михайленко Сергей , Mikhaylenko Sergey
Published: September 2014

The article is devoted to the role and contribution of major repairs of tenement buildings for sustaining a comfortable human living environment, which is directly linked to a region’s living standards. The

author identifies the constituents of a living environment and the factors influencing its maintenance in the framework of normative regulation. Major repairs include the maintenance of the performance properties — eliminating the physical deterioration and obsolescence of a tenement building, as well as ensuring the tenants’ and other persons’ safety (in terms of a wide variety of microclimate-creating factors like the quality of breathing air, lighting, noise, vibration, etc.) during and after the repair works. However, it does not target the principal technical and economic characteristics. In compliance with legal and normative regulations, major repairs programs target parts of hard assets and public premises of a tenement building.

The author proposes a methodological approach to the assessment of the factors affecting the quality of life during and after the major repairs. The approach is based on the well-known method of socio-economic

research involving a systemic analysis, which incorporates the multitude of interdependent and interrelated living-environment-forming factors.
Loss of femininity by Medea: Reasons and an ethical evaluation
Authors: Иванова Ирина , Ivanova Irina
Published: September 2014

The author of the article seeks to reveal the reasons for the loss of femininity by heroines’ suffering from the Medea complex. To this end, the author considers the various developments of the plot featuring a betrayed woman taking revenge on her husband to be found in mythology, Euripides’ tragedies, Jean Marie Lucien Pierre Anouilh’s dramas, Yuri Petrovich Lyubimov’s theatrical performances at the Taganka Theatre. The author demonstrates that the revenge of mythological Medea is extolled and sanctified by Helios. In «Medea» created in a patriarchy-dominated period, Euripides shows a different attitude: his sympathy for the heroine reveals itself in Medea’s monologue, however, his condemnation of children-destruction by Medea is evident through the chorus cues. The image of the heroine is still elevated and stirs up sympathy. Lyubimov theatrical performance is inspired by Euripides’ tragedy, but the director gives a broad hint at the Medea tragedy repeating itself in the contemporary context. Kama Ginkas’ theatrical performances, emphasis is laid on Medea’s villainy, rather than on a feat of love. The author of the article claims that

the evolution of the interpretation of Medea’s image is in tune with the evolution of cultural values over time. The view of Medea as alien to femininity is related by the author to the dominance of patriarchy and

Christianity, which the author is agreed with and concludes that currently the image of Medea is to be seen as a negative example which serves to demonstrate that revenge, murder, and lack of maternal duty are incompatible with the concept of femininity. The author proves that the Medea complex identification and its ethics- and aesthetics-informed interpretation are currently of utmost importance.
Economocentrism as a dominant world outlook pattern of modern society
Authors: Семерник Снежана , Semernik Snezhana
Published: September 2014

The article deals with economocentrism as a current social phenomenon. Economocentrism is a world outlook pattern which regards economy and economy-related phenomena as pivotal for all the major spheres of life. Such a pattern reflects a purely material orientation of the public and private conscience, with cultural, spiritual, moral, and interpersonal relationship-building principles relegated. By giving absolute

priority to economocentrism, scientific theory reduces a vast range of causal baseline socio-economic development-shaping factors to mathematically calculated regularities and patterns which do not take into

account the specifics — differing views on the natural and geographical heterogeneity of economic systems, and, hence, differing mentality of economic agents, as well as ethical, social, and political aspects — of the environment they describe. Exclusive reliance on the principles of economocentrics is socially destructive and results in crises, thus, breaking the current economocentric paradigm of social development is a vital issue. A possible solution could be a reverse to culture, ethics, human personality, and, most importantly, a contextual approach to economic problems.
The problem of normative regulation in the context of private-social interaction (case study: the phenomenon of morals)
Authors: Дмитриева Ирина , Dmitrieva Irina , Ивахнов Василий , Ivakhnov Vasiliy
Published: September 2014

Based on the analysis of the public conscience as demonstrated in the context of private and social behaviour control patterns, the authors identify mechanisms and principles of normative regulation. For the purpose of the analysis, the authors compare the platforms of Russian and non-Russian researchers and make conclusions about the subject-object nature of moral oughtness.

The authors use an integrative approach to morals as ontology-based normative regulation, rather than a will-constraining norm. A critical review of the works by Russian and Soviet philosophers reveals that,

when considering the issue of the correlation between the moral and the social, Russian/ Soviet philosophy tends to emphasize and, not infrequently, intentionally exaggerate the determination of the moral oughtness by the social.

The authors hold that one of the key aspects of moral determination is the source and the foundation of the moral claim, which, in turn, involves a number of interrelated issues: first, the correlation of the subjective

and the objective in the moral plane; second, the correlation of the personal free will and choice of action and behaviour in the framework of moral function.
When Politics and Law Collide
Authors: Laidler Paweł
Published: September 2014

Most scholars conducting research on the U.S. presidency analyze a particular presidency, ranking the ideology and political role of the chief executive, his rhetoric, interior policy program, foreign policy activity, and impact on the economy, as well as the role of the president as national commander of the armed forces. My main field of research is not the presidency, but the American judiciary. However, careful analysis of the theoretical and practical aspects of the functioning of American courts, and especially the U.S. Supreme Court, reveals the enormous impact of presidents on justice. Presidents nominate judges (and Supreme Court Justices), they may determine the scope of legal briefs presented in cases where the government is the party, and they can influence governmental participation as amicus curiae before the Court, which has become a vital tool of the United States in recent years.The growing political role of the Supreme Court, its enormous activity in applying judicial review, and its high position within the U.S. governmental structure have not only caused changes to the checks‑and‑balances system, but, above all, have resulted in the increased political activity of various presidents towards the tribunal. As a result, many chief executives consider their ‘judicial policy’ as one of the most important elements of their legacy. From this perspective, we may rank presidents who had the greatest (or the least) impact on the membership and operation of the Court (i.e. Washington, F.D.R., Lincoln versus Taylor, Harrison, Carter), as well as presidents who were willing to impose revolutionary changes in American constitutional law and succeeded (F.D.R., J.F.K.) or failed (Reagan). Analysis of the amicus curiae participation of the U.S. Solicitor General before the Supreme Court can also rank presidents as more or less active in their judicial politics.The aim of this paper is to show certain ranks of presidents with regard to their policy towards the Supreme Court, and also to present the ideological model which governed the majority of presidents in their politics towards the judiciary throughout U.S. history, leading to an ongoing clash of law and politics.
2012 Presidential and Congressional Elections
Authors: Turek Maciej
Published: September 2014

After significant gains in the 2010 midterm congressional elections, along with succeeding in winning many state and local races, the Republican establishment was waiting for the 2012 presidential and congressional elections with high and justified hopes. As the U.S. economic situation had not recovered the way President Obama had expected, which translated into his rather moderate job approval ratings, Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney was expected to make Barack Obama a one‑term president. However, as in contemporary presidential campaigns, electoral context alone seems not to be enough to claim the presidency, and other factors intervened which ensured the re‑election of the 44th president of the United States. At the same time, while the same electoral context gave Democrats more votes in congressional elections, somehow it did not give them the majority in the House of Representatives, guaranteeing the status quo from the 2010 cycle. In this paper, the author identifies the main forces behind the results of both presidential and congressional 2012 elections, arguing that while context was vital for the conducting of the campaign, other factors contributed to the contemporary, post‑2012 American political scene. What is important is that the so‑called structural factors in the presidential and congressional election seem likely to make this scene stagnate for many years to come.
Raczej koniunkturalizm niż idealizm. Kilka refleksji na temat „realizmu” Zjednoczonego Stronnictwa Ludowego i jego członków
Authors: Szpytma Mateusz
Published: September 2014

Opportunism instead of idealism. Some reflections about the “realism” of the United Peasant Party and its members

The article deals with the functioning of the United Peasant Party during the years of the “People’s” Republic of Poland. The essays analyses the scholarly literature and the views of the researchers on the statute od the Party, as well as recounts the basic facts from its history between 1949 and 1989. The author based his findings on a detailed historical research on the operating of UPP in the Krakow region (1949‑1956) and concluded that during the Stalinism period the party did not rise to the expectations of the Polish United Worker’s Party (PZPR), although it acted against the peasant’s cause. During the later times (1956‑1989) it gained some independence but still served the interests of the PZPR. According to the author, the party’s membership was based mainly on opportunistic reasons. On the other hand, as an example of the realistic approach may serve the case of Stanisław Mierzwa.
Językowe środki deprecjacji przeciwnika w debatach telewizyjnych między liderami partyjnymi
Authors: Zając Beata
Published: September 2014

Language means of depreciation of an opponent in television debates between party leaders

The article raises the issue of rhetoric means used in Polish parliamentary campaigns, exemplified by the 2007 campaign. However only an extract of such electoral activities was taken into consideration, namely the televised debates between the party leaders. The basis of the analysis consists of three debates broadcasted in Polish Television between: Donald Tusk and Jarosław Kaczyński (12th October 2007), Donald Tusk and Aleksander Kwaśniewski (15th October 2007), Jarosław Kaczyński and Aleksander Kwaśniewski (7th October 2007). The author focused on the language operations carried out in order to depreciate the opponent in the context of the situation created by media debate. The most common acts of depreciation – both overt and concealable in many ways – their action mechanisms, as well as the defence methods against them were analyzled in the article.
Dyskurs medialny i polityka wobec młodzieży a jej społeczne reprezentacje
Authors: Messyasz Karolina
Published: September 2014

Media discourse, policy towards youth and its social representations

The article attempts to trace the discourse of the press about youth from the perspective of twenty years of transition appearing in media communications by „Gazeta Wyborcza”, „Dziennik. Polska‑Europa- Świat”, „Tygodnik Powszechny” and „Przegląd Polityczny”. Discursive construction of reality is treated as a social activity. Symbolic activity understood as ways of defining reality for young people, is, in my opinion, a key to try to answer questions about youth identity, position and role in the social world. Analysis were based on eight debates with the participation of young people. The analysis allowed to reconstruct a complete pictures of each debate, which were then presented in the form of graphic diagrams. It helped to restore the views of young people, the world around them, their place in it, subject of their concerns, fears, anxieties, dreams, life goals, values, etc. What is more, that knowledge reveal four collective representation of youth: “Generation ‘68”, “Generation ‘89”, “Generation 2000”, “Generation 2010”: and conditions under which they were created. Analysis are testimony to the progressive deconstruction of cultural tools, by which young people could define themselves in terms of a community. As a result, in discourse there appear a pragmatic and individualistic attitudes to reality and materialization of the awareness of young people.
Harmonia i postęp
Authors: Grygieńć Janusz
Published: September 2014

Harmony and Progress. Social and Political Views of Leonard Trelawny Hobhouse
The subject of the article is the social and political thought of Leonard Trelawny Hobhouse, one of the pioneers of British sociology and one of the main ideologists of the doctrine of New Liberalism. This essay’s aim consists in presenting both Hobhouse’s academic profile and his most important theoretical claims. It will depict the sources of his philosophical and sociological inspiration as well as his antipathies (particularly, his attitude towards Herbert Spencer). Hobhouse’s theoretical worldview will be portrayed as a systemic entity. The sources of all his social and political theses will be shown to spring from the content of his first, strictly philosophical work, The Theory of Knowledge. Hobhouse’s teleology, evolutionism and organicism originate directly form here.