bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Small-Area Estimation with Zero-Inflated Data – a Simulation Study
Authors: Krieg Sabine , Boonstra Harm Jan , Smeets Marc
Published: November 2016

Many target variables in official statistics follow a semicontinuous distribution with a mixture of zeros and continuously distributed positive values. Such variables are called zero inflated. When reliable estimates for subpopulations with small sample sizes are required, model-based small-area estimators can be used, which improve the accuracy of the estimates by borrowing information from other subpopulations. In this article, three small-area estimators are investigated. The first estimator is the EBLUP, which can be considered the most common small-area estimator and is based on a linear mixed model that assumes normal distributions. Therefore, the EBLUP is model misspecified in the case of zero-inflated variables. The other two small-area estimators are based on a model that takes zero inflation explicitly into account. Both the Bayesian and the frequentist approach are considered. These small-area estimators are compared with each other and with design-based estimation in a simulation study with zero-inflated target variables. Both a simulation with artificial data and a simulation with real data from the Dutch Household Budget Survey are carried out. It is found that the small-area estimators improve the accuracy compared to the design-based estimator. The amount of improvement strongly depends on the properties of the population and the subpopulations of interest.
Dead or Alive? Dealing with Unknown Eligibility in Longitudinal Surveys
Authors: Watson Nicole
Published: November 2016

Longitudinal surveys follow people over time and some of these people will die during the life of the panel. Through fieldwork effort, some deaths will be reported or known, but others will be unobserved due to sample members no longer being issued to field or having inconclusive fieldwork outcomes (such as a noncontact that is not followed by a contact at a later wave). The coverage of deaths identified among sample members has flow-on implications to nonresponse correction. Using the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, four methods are used to examine the extent of missing death reports. The first method matches the sample to the national death register. The second method uses life-expectancy tables to extrapolate the expected number of deaths among the sample with unknown eligibility. The third method is similar but models deaths from data internal to the survey. The fourth method models deaths as part of the attrition process of a longitudinal survey. The last three methods are compared to the first method and the implications for the construction of balanced panel weights and subsequent population inference are explored.
Claims of Religious Morality: The Limits of Religious Freedom in International Human Rights Law
Authors: Mawhinney Alison
Published: November 2016

The right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion is not a constant. As human rights law has progressively acquired a conceptual status as a means of reconciling tensions, the substantive legal content of the right to freedom to manifest religion or belief has widened. This paper argues that the admittance of claims of religious morality within this expanded understanding of the right exposes the conceptual imprecision underlying the right and presents a complex challenge to human rights supervisory bodies to address such claims without undermining their founding objectives. The first part of the paper traces the historical treatment of the right to freedom of religion or belief as a means of understanding its evolving and multifaceted nature. Part II draws on this overview to develop a taxonomy of aspects of the right and, in particular, it suggests that claims of religious morality ought to be viewed and treated as a distinct facet. The final part of the paper examines a group of recent cases before the European Court of Human Rights to explore current judicial responses to such claims and considers the risks posed by claims of religious morality for the contemporary right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.
Questions and Verbal Feedback and their Implications on Thai Undergraduate Student Participation
Authors: Tharawoot Yaowaret
Published: November 2016

This study investigated effects of teachers’ questions and verbal feedback on student participation in three undergraduate English conversation classes. The research instruments were observations, a questionnaire, and interviews. The results showed that for the question types, referential questions were the most frequently asked questions in two classrooms and display questions were more common asked questions in one class. Regarding effects of display and referential questions on student participation, longer student responses were elicited by referential questions (3.6 the average words per a referential question, but about 2 words per a display one). Concerning the verbal feedback types, the results showed the high occurrence of interactional feedback in all classes. For effects of evaluative and interactional feedback on student participation, surprisingly in two classes evaluative feedback was associated with longer statements and answers than interactional one. In terms of student satisfaction on questions and verbal feedback, from the questionnaire results it was seen that the students were satisfied with referential questions and interactional feedback. Another interesting result from the questionnaires was that the students were motivated to participate in classroom discussion by both teachers’ questions and verbal feedback. Regarding the effects of teachers’ questions and verbal feedback on student participation in general, the verbal feedback was associated with a bit longer statements and answers than the questions (3.4 the average words per verbal feedback, but about 3 words per question). It can be concluded that in these classes, both questions and verbal feedback had the potential to be supportive of different aspects of student learning. Since questions and verbal feedback allows teachers to increase or reduce students’ opportunities for discussion, it is necessary to select the appropriate type to support students’ participation. Teachers should develop their use of questions, verbal feedback, and aim for patterns of classroom communication that are appropriate for students’ abilities, interests and motivation.
A Blended Learning Approach to Academic Writing and Presentation Skills
Authors: Tuomainen Satu
Published: November 2016

Blended learning is a common learning mode in higher education which combines the use of online and face-to-face classroom learning. The use of blended learning for English for Academic Purposes (EAP) with non-native university students, however, can pose challenges from the methods and materials to the student perceptions. This article describes the blended learning implementation of an EAP course for academic writing and presentation skills and how the students perceived the blended course mode, methods, workload, learning atmosphere and challenges. Results indicate that non-native university students appreciated blended learning for the EAP course and found the flexibility and convenience of blended learning beneficial to their EAP learning. This encourages the further development of blended learning options for EAP writing and presentation skills as students no longer require the extensive classroom teaching context but instead adapt well to self-regulated and reflective learning of EAP.
Translation as Testimony: The Politics of Cultural Representation in Daoud Hari’s The Translator and Laura Esquivel’s Malinche
Authors: Farid Sonia
Published: November 2016

When the Nahua woman known as La Malinche became the interpreter of Hernán Cortés, the conqueror of Mexico, she was not only carving her name as one of history’s most influential translators, but was also rendered one of the most enduring symbols of the cultural intricacies of translation. Malinche’s knowledge of both Spanish and Nahuatl and the way it made her instrumental in the conquerors’ success took her role from the level of linguistic mediator to that of an active agent in cultural transformation, or rather cultural erosion. Having used her linguistic abilities to help the invaders against her people, Malinche has since the conquest been labeled a traitor. Becoming Cortés’s mistress served to further confirm this idea. Yet, being arguably the bearer of the first “mestizo,” Malinche came to be perceived as the mother of the Mexican people and the progenitor of the new race. In both cases, La Malinche has till this moment been emblematic of the complexities of cultural representation.

Laura Esquivel’s novel Malinche (2007) explores the heroine’s position at the crossroads between two cultures where the demarcations between the target and source languages are blurred as her allegiance is put into question. The act of translation is rendered ambivalent with the translator, being a slave to the Spaniards, lacking the free will for such a vocation, thus unable to choose sides or determine who she represents. She, however, could have played a major role in preserving the memory of her pre-Colombian world just before its eradication. Daoud Hari’s The Translator: A Tribesman’s Memory of Darfur (2008) offers a different perspective of the role of the translator. Hari, who belongs to the Zaghawa tribe in Western Sudan, acts as a mediator between his people, who are being subjected to systematic genocide by the government-backed Janjaweed militia, and the outside world. Through making the conscious decision to go back to Darfur, Hari turns his knowledge of English into the tool through which he can make the voice of his people heard, hence choosing to be their representative and taking upon himself the task of documenting their trauma.

This paper tackles the nature of translation through comparing the role of the translators in both works and exploring the different levels of representation associated with the process of translation. This will be done through examining the loyalty-treason paradigm and how far it affects, positively and/or negatively, the role of the translator as the bearer of his/her people’s memory. The paper will, therefore, deal with the relation between translation and testimony and will investigate how far translation can, in this sense, complement storytelling as a means of chronicling and resistance.
Cultural Memory in the Novel Unterstadt by Ivana Šojat-Kuči
Authors: Sabljić Jakov , Oswald Tina Varga
Published: November 2016

Unterstadt (2009) by Ivana Šojat-Kuči can serve as an example of a literary and artistic intervention in the process of cultural oblivion. It is a novel that has won numerous literary awards in Croatia for its innovativeness. For the first time, it tells a story in which minority culture members themselves narrate about their ideologically suppressed family memory in order to imaginatively (re)construct the past, considering the needs of re-examining the destiny of a bourgeois family of German ancestry in the town of Osijek. Themes such as reminiscence, remembering and raising awareness of the town space are a textual polygon for telling the story as a family saga about the destiny of women in four generations – great-grandmother, grandmother, mother, and daughter. Remembering and reminiscence are considered as social and cultural constructs that arise out of mutual interaction between the members of a specific family and community. Thereunto, the role of remembering and forgetting in the process of establishing historical events, female identity and the town’s toponymy as cultural/material objects should be determined, and vice versa, the role of culture-moulded objects in memory formation should be defined. There are three methodological approaches or perspectives to the reading of the novel. First, the historiographic layer of the novel is analysed, followed by the analysis of the town as a physical givenness and a cultural construct – a point of intersection of different identities, but also as an area of trauma. The issue of oblivion and reminiscence of the German national minority in the context of specifically female history is tackled as the third perspective. The novel Unterstadt is an example of a text presenting the mechanism of official remembering and forgetting and re-creation of the past by using the discursive act of narrating human fates conditioned by great historical events.
Internationalization of Universities and Teacher Preparation for the 21st Century
Authors: Kurincová Viera , Klimentová Anna
Published: November 2016

The living in 21st century’s global world has a great impact on various aspects of life in interdependent society. Teachers and educators are expected to be well prepared to teach in classrooms characterized by diversity in culture, language, abilities and other characteristics of pupils. The other challenge for teachers is to support development of new competences of pupils, competences, which enable them to understand global world and to be active participants in new living conditions. The task of teacher training institutions is to find the ways how to prepare globally competent teachers, as their training as well as a real educational practice has always been connected to the existing socio-historical context. The authors of presented paper pointed out some issues linked to the global competence of teachers and the requirements of globally competent students. The paper is focused on the importance of internationalization of future teachers’ preparation. Based on collected empirical data, the authors present possible ways, outcomes and benefits of international study stays of students (prospective teachers) for their professional growth, teachers’ competences and personal development.
Energy Production from Biogas: Competitiveness and Support Instruments in Latvia
Authors: Klāvs G. , Kundziņa A. , Kudrenickis I.
Published: November 2016

Use of renewable energy sources (RES) might be one of the key factors for the triple win-win: improving energy supply security, promoting local economic development, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The authors ex-post evaluate the impact of two main support instruments applied in 2010-2014 – the investment support (IS) and the feed-in tariff (FIT) – on the economic viability of small scale (up to 2MWel) biogas unit. The results indicate that the electricity production cost in biogas utility roughly corresponds to the historical FIT regarding electricity production using RES. However, if in addition to the FIT the IS is provided, the analysis shows that the practice of combining both the above-mentioned instruments is not optimal because too high total support (overcompensation) is provided for a biogas utility developer. In a long-term perspective, the latter gives wrong signals for investments in new technologies and also creates unequal competition in the RES electricity market. To provide optimal biogas utilisation, it is necessary to consider several options. Both on-site production of electricity and upgrading to biomethane for use in a low pressure gas distribution network are simulated by the cost estimation model. The authors’ estimates show that upgrading for use in a gas distribution network should be particularly considered taking into account the already existing infrastructure and technologies. This option requires lower support compared to support for electricity production in small-scale biogas utilities.
Use of Computer-Generated Holograms in Security Hologram Applications
Authors: Bulanovs A. , Bakanas R.
Published: November 2016

The article discusses the use of computer-generated holograms (CGHs) for the application as one of the security features in the relief-phase protective holograms. An improved method of calculating CGHs is presented, based on ray-tracing approach in the case of interference of parallel rays.

Software is developed for the calculation of multilevel phase CGHs and their integration in the application of security holograms. Topology of calculated computer-generated phase holograms was recorded on the photoresist by the optical greyscale lithography. Parameters of the recorded microstructures were investigated with the help of the atomic-force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) methods. The results of the research have shown highly protective properties of the security elements based on CGH microstructures. In our opinion, a wide use of CGHs is very promising in the structure of complex security holograms for increasing the level of protection against counterfeit.
Detection of Staphylococcus Aureus Among Coagulase Positive Staphylococci from Animal Origin Based on Conventional and Molecular Methods
Authors: Rusenova Nikolina Velizarova , Rusenov Anton Georgiev
Published: November 2016

The present study aimed to detect Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) among other coagulase positive staphylococci from animal origin by using conventional methods (biochemical tests and latex agglutination) and a molecular method, based on the nuc gene, as the gold standard and to assess the usefulness of these methods. For this purpose, total of 344 staphylococcal isolates were collected and analysed. A total of 156 isolates suspicious for S. aureus were detected by a conventional biochemical method - 88 from cows, 18 from goats, 7 from pigs, 17 from poultry, 7 from rabbits and 19 from dogs. The majority of S. aureus strains gave typical biochemical reactions with the exception of 30 (19.2%) and 25 (16%) that were VP negative and weak positive in fermenting mannitol, respectively. Twelve strains were found to be non-haemolytic (7.7%) and four strains did not ferment trehalose (2.6%). Other staphylococci were identified as S. pseudintermedius (n = 103), S. hyicus (n = 23) and the rest were coagulase-negative staphylococci. Latex agglutination test resulted in rapid positive reactions with S. aureus with exception of 5 strains (3.2%) from cow mastitis milk. Positive agglutination reactions were also established with S. pseudintermedius, and S. hyicus. PCR confirmed all strains that were preliminary identified as S. aureus by amplification of 270 bp fragment of nuc gene specific for this species. The atypical reactions in certain strains established in this study have shown that the precise detection of S. aureus from animal origin should be done by combination of conventional and molecular methods.
Pow, Punch, Pika, and Chu: The Structure of Sound Effects in Genres of American Comics and Japanese Manga
Authors: Pratha Nimish K. , Avunjian Natalie , Cohn Neil
Published: November 2016

As multimodal works, comics are characterized as much by their use of language as by the style of their images. Sound effects in particular are exemplary of comics’ language-use, and we explored this facet of comics by analyzing a corpus of books from genres in the United States (mainstream and independent) and Japan (shonen/boys’ and shojo/girls’). We found variation between genres and between cultures across several properties of the content and presentation of sound effects. Foremost, significant differences arose between the lexical categories of sound effects (ex. onomatopoetic:
Multimodal Legitimation Strategies on TV Cooking Shows
Authors: Matwick Keri
Published: November 2016

Television cooking shows have grown in popularity within the last two decades. As a media text, they reflect the surrounding culture and social practices and elicit various emotional responses in people. As a multimodal text, television shows utilize multiple modes to create meaning. Based on the view of cooking shows as a multimodal texts, this paper draws on Kress and Van Leeuwen’s social semiotic approach and examines how multimodal elements (linguistic, visual, sound, spatial, gestural) convey the authority of the tv host. In doing so, five different tactics from Van Leeuwen’s legitimation theory – personal, expert, role model, tradition, and conformity – of authority are identified and revealed. This paper provides an analysis of cooking shows that has resulted in a better understanding of the ways in which authority is constructed multimodally, and subsequently contributes to developing applications of multimodal analytical approaches in linguistic, cultural, and communication studies.
»Orientfahrten«
Authors: Stein Oliver
Published: November 2016

Eine Reise in den Orient gehörte am Vorabend des Ersten Weltkrieges zu denjenigen Unternehmungen, die zwar viele ersehnten, die jedoch nur wenigen möglich waren. Die erzwungene Massenmobilität im global geführten Ersten Weltkrieg aber ermöglichte es Tausenden von Deutschen als Soldaten in die Gegend zu gelangen, die ihnen bereits durch ihre Jugendlektüre als vertraut erschien. In diesem Beitrag wird auf der Grundlage von Tagebüchern, Feldpostbriefen und Erinnerungen gezeigt, dass ungeachtet des Zwangscharakters, den der Kriegseinsatz für den Einzelnen hatte, das Reiseerleben die dominierende Rolle in der Wahrnehmung und Erinnerung der im Osmanischen Reich dienenden Soldaten einnahm. Damit unterschied sich die Kriegserfahrung dieser Soldaten grundlegend von derjenigen ihrer Kameraden an den europäischen Fronten. Auf keinem anderen Kriegsschauplatz war eine Verdrängung des Krieges und des auch dort gegenwärtigen Leidens derart wirksam. Stattdessen wurden die Erfüllung von Sehnsüchten und das Gefühl von Freiheit zu den bestimmenden Merkmalen deutscher Kriegserfahrung im Osmanischen Reich. Letztlich ergab sich aus der Erfahrung des Krieges als Reise vielfach auch eine Erweiterung des persönlichen Horizonts.
Kein Vergessen.
Authors: Schütz Mathias
Published: November 2016

Der Artikel behandelt die ersten Kontakte zwischen westeuropäischen und deutschen Veteranen nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg. Diese Kontakte wurden von der Union Européenne des Féderaliste initiiert, führten in den Jahren 1952/53 zu verschiedenen Zusammenkünften und hatten die Gründung einer europäischen Veteranenorganisation zum Ziel. Die Veteranentreffen und die sie begleitenden Diskussionen stellten einen Versuch dar, die europäische Einbindung der Bundesrepublik voranzutreiben und den nationalen Perspektiven auf die Vergangenheit in Deutschland wie in Westeuropa ein gemeinsames europäisches Narrativ entgegenzusetzen. Die Auseinandersetzung mit Konfliktpunkten wie der Waffen-SS, den Kriegsverbrecherprozessen und der Résistance, die während dieser kurzen, aber intensiven Episode der europäischen Veteranenkontakte geführt wurden, verdeutlichen das Verständnis und die Bedeutung des »deutschen Problems« in der frühen europäischen Einigungsgeschichte.
The Road Pavement Condition Index (PCI) Evaluation and Maintenance: A Case Study of Yemen
Authors: Karim Fareed M.A. , Rubasi Khaled Abdul Haleem , Saleh Ali Abdo
Published: November 2016

The pavement condition index (PCI) is a simple, convenient and inexpensive way to monitor the condition of the surface of roads, identify maintenance and rehabilitation (M-and-R) needs as well as ensure that road maintenance budgets are spent wisely. In this research, the pavement condition was evaluated in terms of the surface distresses existing at the time of the field evaluation. The PCI procedure was used in this research because it deals with the subject of pavement distress identification most comprehensively and is based on a sound statistical technique of pavement sampling.

Because of limited maintenance fund availability in Yemen, timely and rational determination of M-and-R needs and priorities are very important factors. The PAVER™ (1982) condition rating procedure, as described in the Technical Manual TM 5-623, Pavement Maintenance Management, which is based on the PCI, was used in this study to evaluate a major heavy-traffic road corridor connecting Aden city (the commercial capital of Yemen) with major cities located in the northern region of the country. Based on the PCI of the road sections, the necessary maintenance or rehabilitation procedure is suggested.
Mathematics Admission Test Remarks
Authors: Ideon Erge , Aruvee Eve
Published: November 2016

Since 2014, there have been admission tests in mathematics for applicants to the Estonian University of Life Sciences for Geodesy, Land Management and Real Estate Planning; Civil Engineering; Hydraulic Engineering and Water Pollution Control; Engineering and Technetronics curricula. According to admission criteria, the test must be taken by students who have not passed the specific mathematics course state exam or when the score was less than 20 points. The admission test may also be taken by those who wish to improve their state exam score. In 2016, there were 126 such applicants of whom 63 took the test. In 2015, the numbers were 129 and 89 and in 2014 150 and 47 accordingly. The test was scored on scale of 100. The arithmetic average of the score was 30.6 points in 2016, 29.03 in 2015 and 18.84 in 2014. The test was considered to be passed with 1 point in 2014 and 20 points in 2015 and 2016. We analyzed test results and gave examples of problems which were solved exceptionally well or not at all.
How to Recognize and Avoid Potential, Possible, or Probable Predatory Open-Access Publishers, Standalone, and Hijacked Journals
Authors: Danevska Lenche , Spiroski Mirko , Donev Doncho , Pop-Jordanova Nada , Polenakovic Momir
Published: November 2016

Introduction and aim: The Internet has enabled an easy method to search through the vast majority of publications and has improved the impact of scholarly journals. However, it can also pose threats to the quality of published articles. New publishers and journals have emerged so-called open-access potential, possible, or probable predatory publishers and journals, and so-called hijacked journals. It was our aim to increase the awareness and warn scholars, especially young researchers, how to recognize these journals and how to avoid submission of their papers to these journals.

Methods: Review and critical analysis of the relevant published literature, Internet sources and personal experience, thoughts, and observations of the authors.

Results: The web blog of Jeffrey Beall, University of Colorado, was greatly consulted. Jeffrey Beall is a Denver academic librarian who regularly maintains two lists: the first one, of potential, possible, or probable predatory publishers and the second one, of potential, possible, or probable predatory standalone journals. Aspects related to this topic presented by other authors have been discussed as well.

Conclusion: Academics should bear in mind how to differentiate between trustworthy and reliable journals and predatory ones, considering: publication ethics, peer-review process, international academic standards, indexing and abstracting, preservation in digital repositories, metrics, sustainability, etc.
Hormone Therapy Reduces Bone Resorption but not Bone Formation in Postmenopausal Athletes
Authors: Honisett Suzy Y , Pagliaro David , Tangalakis Kathy , Kingwell Bronwyn , Ebeling Peter , Craven Robyn , Antonopillai Juliana , Apostolopoulos Vasso , Stojanovska Lily
Published: November 2016

Introduction: Independently, hormone therapy and exercise have well-established protective effects on bone parameters. The combined effects of hormone therapy and exercise, however, are less clear. We, therefore, examined the effects of hormone therapy on bone turnover markers in postmenopausal women undergoing regular high intensity exercise.

Methods: In a randomised, double blind study, postmenopausal athletes competing at Masters level, received either hormone therapy (50 μg transdermal oestradiol, 5 mg MPA, n = 8) or placebo (n = 7) for 20 weeks. Women were tested before and after treatment for plasma concentrations of oestradiol, FSH, LH, and serum bone formation marker -osteocalcin (OC); and urine bone resorption markers-pyridinoline (PYD) and deoxypyridinoline (DPD).

Results: As a result of treatment with hormone therapy there were significant reductions in levels of FSH (73.3 ± 13.7 to 48.6 ± 10.5 mmol/L, p = 0.01) and bone resorption markers (PYD, 81.9 ± 7.7 to 57.8 ± 3.7 nmol/mmol Cr, p = 0.001, and DPD, 18.5 ± 3.1 to 11.8 ± 2.1 nmol/mmol Cr, p = 0.01). Oestradiol and bone formation markers were not significantly altered as a result of hormone therapy. There were no changes to any variables with placebo treatment.

Conclusion: Hormone therapy reduced bone resorption, but not bone formation, in postmenopausal athletes. These favorable reductions in bone turnover; therefore, provide an effective treatment in combination with high intensity exercise to further reduce the subsequent risk of osteoporosis and associated fractures.
The Effects of Hormonal Therapy and Exercise on Bone Turnover in Postmenopausal Women: A Randomised Double-Blind Pilot Study
Authors: Honisett Suzy Y , Tangalakis Kathy , Wark John , Apostolopoulos Vasso , Stojanovska Lily
Published: November 2016

Introduction: Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and walking were investigated independently and in combination, to determine which treatment provided most effect on bone turnover in postmenopausal women.

Methods: Using a randomised double-blind pilot study, 10 subjects received HRT (transdermal estradiol, 50 μg/day and oral MPA 5 mg/day) and 12 received placebo for 20 weeks. Following a baseline period of treatment, both groups undertook a graduated walking regimen, which increased in intensity, duration and frequency parameters from weeks 8–20. Measurements of aerobic capacity, female sex hormones, bone formation markers [osteocalcin (OC) and bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP)] and bone resorption markers [deoxypyridinoline (DPD) and pyridinoline (PYR)] were measured at baseline (T1), week 8 (T2) and week 20 (T3).

Results: Age, time of postmenopause, weight or body mass index were no different between each groups. The HRT group had significantly higher estradiol levels compared with the placebo group at T2 and T3. FSH and LH levels were significantly reduced following HRT. DPD and PYR were significantly reduced from baseline levels at T2 and T3 with HRT. No significant changes occurred in OC or BAP levels with either HRT or walking. Walking did not change bone turnover markers in either the HRT or placebo group.

Conclusion: HRT reduces bone resorption, however, walking alone at the intensity and duration prescribed, or the combination of HRT and walking, provided no additional benefit after menopause. Therefore, HRT, but not walking is an effective treatment in reducing bone turnover in postmenopause women.
Renal Replacement Therapy in Patients with Heart and Kidney Failure
Authors: Goumenos Dimitrios S , Papachristou Evangelos , Papasotiriou Marios
Published: November 2016

The incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) is high as CKD and CHF share underlying risk factors such as arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus and atherosclerosis. Cardiac failure leads to renal hypoperfusion and dysfunction and then fluid overload and need for aggressive diuretic therapy. However, development of diuretic resistance represents a significant problem in the management of these patients.

The role of Renal Replacement Therapy (RRT) is important for patients who do not response to conservative management of fluid overload facilitating the failing heart to restore function. According to the guidelines, venovenous isolated Ultrafiltration (UF) is indicated for patients with refractory congestion not responding to medical therapy with loop diuretics and infusion of dopamine. A systematic review of randomized controlled trials on the effect of UF vs. IV furosemide for decompensated heart failure showed a benefit of UF on total body weight loss and on readmissions due to heart failure in patients with decompensated heart failure and CKD. Peritoneal dialysis (PD) can provide efficient ultrafiltration and sodium extraction in volume overloaded patients followed by decline of hospitalization days, decrease of body weight and improvement of LVEF in patients with refractory heart failure. The continuous draw of ultrafiltrate is followed by a lesser risk of abrupt hypotension and better preservation of the residual kidney function. This represents a significant advantage of PD over intermittent UF by dialysis.

In conclusion, application of UF by dialysis and PD is followed by significant total body weight loss, reduced need for hospital readmissions and better quality of life. PD has a higher probability of preservation of residual kidney function and can be used by patients at home.
The Role of Serum Coagulation Factors in the Differential Diagnosis of Patients with Pneumonia and Parapneumonic Effusion
Authors: Marinkovic Sanja Petrusevska , Topuzovska Irena Kondova , Milenkovic Zvonko , Kaeva Biserka
Published: November 2016

The aim of this study was to identify the participations of the serum coagulations and fibrinolysis factors that contribute to the differential diagnosis of the patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) without effusion, uncomplicated parapneumonic effusion (UCPPE) and complicated parapneumonic effusion (CPPE).

The coagulations system is fundamental for the maintenance of homeostasis, and contributes to the inflammatory process responsible for CAP and the parapneumonic effusion. The factors of coagulations and fibrinolysis participate in the cellular proliferation and migration as in the synthesis of the inflammatory mediators.

We evaluated the laboratory profile of coagulations and fibrinolysis in the serum of 148 patients with CAP without effusion, 50 with UCPPE and 44 with CPPE. We determined the test of the coagulation cascade which measures the time elapsed from the activation of the coagulation cascade at different points to the fibrin generation. As a consequence, there is an activation of the fibrinolytic system with the increased D-dimer levels measured in the plasma in the three groups.

The patients were with mean age ± SD (53,82 ± 17,5) min – max 18–93 years. A significantly higher number of thrombocytes was in the group with CPPE with median 412 × 109/L (rank 323–513 × 109/L). The extended activation of the prothrombin time (aPTT) was significantly higher in the same group of patients with median of 32 sec. (rank 30–35 sec). The mean D-dimer plasma level was 3266,5 ± 1292,3 ng/ml in patients with CPPE, in CAP without effusion 1646,6 ± 1204 ng/ml and in UCPPE 1422,9 ± 970 ng/ml.

The coagulations system and the fibrinolysis play important role in the development and pathophysiology of CAP and the parapneumonic effusions.
Diagnostic and Surgical Approach to Prenatally Detected Urinary Tract Anomalies
Authors: Petrovski Mile
Published: November 2016

Regular ultrasound examinations carried out in the second trimester of pregnancy help in detecting many anomalies in the fetal urinary tract. Their percentage ranges from 1% to 3% of all controlled pregnancies. There is a wide spectrum of anomalies that affect the urinary tract, but the most significant are: uretero/hydronephrosis (unilateral or bilateral), kidney agenesis, dysplastic kidney, polycystic and multicystic kidneys, anomalies of ascent, anomalies of kidney rotation or fusion, bladder exstrophy, posterior urethra valve etc.

Many of these anomalies do not have impact either on urine flow or on kidney function and hence they can be qualified rather as a condition than as a disease. At the same time, most of the hydronephroses that are seen prenatally are being resolved spontaneously, and they are not detected neither presented postnatally as uretero/hydronephroses of unobstructed type and do not require surgical treatment. Only one tenth of these anomalies are subject to active surgical treatment.

Therefore, the assessment of these conditions should be done by a specialized team, who will make adequate therapeutic decisions based on clinical guidelines, as well as will advise the parents on the future clinical implications of the detected anomaly.
To Accept or Refuse Patient’s Gift in Money? and How? – Case Report with Review
Authors: Kos Vesna
Published: November 2016

This report describes a (rare) situation when a patient’s first gift to a young doctor was in money. This happened in very specific circumstances – in a refugee camp during the War in Croatia. The data are taken from a large study on gifts, conducted on a representative sample of Croatian general practitioners (GPs), N = 265, from 2358 in total.

Pro and contra factors are discussed, considering tradition and customs, but also a lack of knowledge of young doctors in handling gifts in general. The intention of this report is primarily educative, with review of (scarce) literature, and recommendations, where the generally accepted rules might have exceptions.
Prosperity to challenges: recent approaches in SERS substrate fabrication
Authors: Ouyang Lei , Ren Wen , Zhu Lihua , Irudayaraj Joseph
Published: November 2016

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a highly promising analytical technique that has been widely applied in health and environment monitoring. As a vibrational spectroscopic tool, its fingerprint spectrum contains abundant molecular information, and the greatly enhanced signal can be used to detect analytes at extremely low concentration, even down to the single molecule level. Because water molecules give very weak Raman response, Raman spectroscopy has also been applied for in situ monitoring of targets in solution. However, the Raman signal of an analyte could only be enhanced when it is in proximity to the SERS substrate, which enhances the signal depending on the shape, size, and orientation of the particles constituting the substrate. Further, when using the method for the detection of various analytes, it is necessary to functionalize the SERS substrates, with recognition ligands and encapsulation with a suitable shell among others. Hence, the fabrication of suitable substrates is a basic step in SERS-related research. Tremendous effort has been expended in the last decade in this area, resulting in the development of substrates with unique properties. In this review, we will introduce recent achievements in SERS substrate fabrication based on their structural features. Synthesized nanoparticles, two-dimensional planar substrates, and three-dimensional substrates with effective volume will be discussed in the context of their synthesis strategies along with their characteristic properties. In the future, with further improvement in SERS substrates, the applicability of SERS for detecting a range of analytes in complex environment will become possible.
Human Security versus Human Development - Behavioristic Approach
Authors: Duralia Oana
Published: November 2016

Recent terrorist attacks in Brussels, Paris and Istanbul, are shaking a world bewildered of daily fear of violence, while the contemporary consumer has to deal with the “new wars” emerging in the context of the current socio-economic and political context. The issue is especially thorny since, most of the times, the “enemy” the citizens must face is unknown, not only when it comes to terrorist attacks, but also when dealing with the question of the “enemy” in foods purchased for consumption (food security) or the security of personal data when accessing and using the Internet (cyber security). Consequently, this paper attempts to highlight the way in which the safety and security needs of the contemporary consumer have diversified over time, often becoming determinants of social behavior in general, and of the buying and consumption behavior, in particular.
The Impact of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS): Evidence from Canada
Authors: Hilliard Theresa DiPonio , Neidermeyer Presha
Published: November 2016

The Canadian transition to IFRS provides a valuable IFRS learning opportunity. The Canadian transition and implementation of IFRS provides a unique opportunity to examine the conversion of financial reporting from a similar set of financial reporting rules as U.S. GAAP in a similar economic and business environment. The implementation and adoption of IFRS is not a monolithic event. Our ability to comprehensively understand and assess IFRS requires transparent disclosures such as those mandated by IFRS 1 and disaggregation of the equity components to observe and measure the impact of IFRS as it pertains to discretionary management implementation choices, material reclassifications, and GAAP-to-GAAP differences. Comprehensive knowledge of IFRS 1, First Time Adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards is crucial to our ability to assess the transitory and future impact of IFRS. IFRS 1 sets the precedent for financial reporting under IFRS, overrides transitional provisions included in other IFRS, and prescribes detailed disclosures. This detailed “rules-based” standard permits discretionary management policy choices which have material impact on transitory reporting as well as future financial results.
Uncovering Market Positioning Coordinates Using In-Depth Interviews. Evidence from the Romanian Modern Retail
Authors: Negricea Iliuta Costel , Edu Tudor , Balan Laura
Published: November 2016

Market positioning is not anymore just an outcome of the marketing endeavour but actually the essence of it. Organisations must develop and implement proper market positioning plans if they want to pursue an enduring existence. In this direction, an organisation must perform a brand situation analysis, its results being the starting point of a successful market positioning. This analysis entails collecting data about the brand and its competitors being performed through various qualitative and quantitative research methods. The current study focuses on the use of in-depth interviews, a very important qualitative research instrument, in collecting data necessary to build a market position in the form of inconspicuous consumer behaviour factors, such as perceptions, attitudes and motivations. The peculiarities and advantages of this tool are detailed in an analysis of the Romanian modern retail. The findings through their richness made possible configuring market positions for several companies under study. There is no doubt about the effectiveness of this tool in collecting essential data for an effective market positioning. However, in some instances an organisation might need data of quantitative nature in making market positioning decisions, situations in which the use of the indepth interview should be complemented with a survey.
Investigating the Failure of State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) of an Emerging Economy: A Comparative Case Study
Authors: Rajib Salah Uddin , Kumara Emil Sudath , Fan Luo
Published: November 2016

This study investigates the failure and aftermath of state owned enterprises (SOEs) of an emerging economy, Bangladesh. Failure of SOEs of emerging economy has been investigated by many researchers during the last few decades. This study is an extension of previous research. Through the comparative case study, this study tries to explore the scenario of failure of SOEs, the causal factors of failure, remedial actions and aftermath in SOEs. The findings indicate that different authorities from the policy maker to the operating level employees cannot avoid the responsibilities for failure. Even proper restructuring within the ownership of government can drive the firm positively. It is expected that the comparative case study will help to make the decision for the concerned authorities of Bangladesh as well as the authorities of other countries of the world who are in the same position.
Capital Markets Union: Opportunities and Impact on the European Financial Market
Authors: Barbu Teodora Cristina , Străchinaru Adina Ionela
Published: November 2016

In developing this study we started from challenges and debates that capital markets union project engages, launched by the European Commission during 2015, both in academia and the specialists, regulators and investors. The article is structured in three parts, as follows: in the first part are highlighted theoretical and conceptual issues on the need for a union of capital markets, the second part presents empirical evidence from literature relating to this issue and in the third an econometric model is described, which aims to demonstrate the potential that Capital Markets Union may involve on increasing financing through the capital market. The contribution of this article to prior knowledge in the field consists of filling conceptual approach on the impact that Capital Markets Union will actively engage on the European financial market. The added value by our scientific approach is to highlight the complementarity between capital and banking market. Between IPO dynamics, as a representative indicator of capital market and a significant set of indicators of financial market as Stoxx Europe 600 index, the size of capital markets, changes in credit standards and key rate of the monetary policy of ECB is manifested correlations terms denoting the potential impact that Capital Markets Union will have on European financial markets.
Linguistic Criteria of Intentionality
Authors: Ciecierski Tadeusz
Published: November 2016

The aim of this paper is to discuss theories that attempt to single out the class of intentional states by appealing to factors that are supposedly criterial for intentional sentences. The papers starts with distinguishing two issues that arise when one thinks about intentional expressions: the Taxonomy Problem and the Fundamental Demarcation Problem. The former concerns the relation between the classes of distinct intentional verbs and distinct intentional states. The latter concerns the question about how to distinguish intentional states and acts from the non-intentional ones. Next, the general desiderata for theories providing criteria for singling out the class of intentional sentences are introduced. Finally, distinct proposals for providing such criteria are analyzed. Author argues that neither is satisfactory.
Indexicals and Names in Proverbs
Authors: Kijania-Placek Katarzyna
Published: November 2016

This paper offers an analysis of indexical expressions and proper names as they are used in proverbs. Both indexicals and proper names contribute properties rather than objects to the propositions expressed when they are used in sentences interpreted as proverbs. According to the proposal, their contribution is accounted for by the mechanism of descriptive anaphora. Indexicals with rich linguistic meaning, such as ‘I’, ‘you’ or ‘today’, turn out to be cases of the attributive uses of indexicals, i.e. uses whose contribution relies on the linguistic meaning of the word. Third person pronouns, names of locations as well as surnames are analyzed as non-attributive descriptive uses.
Disagreement about Taste as Disagreement about the Discourse: Problems and Limitations
Authors: Karczewska Natalia
Published: November 2016

In the present paper I present the metalinguistic solutions to the ‘lost disagreement’ problem proposed (independently) Sundell and Plunkett [2013] and Barker [2012]. I argue that metalinguistic negotiations about taste, even though successful in explaining the intuition of disagreement in a vast number of cases, are not an accurate solution to the disagreement problem in contextualism when it comes to the most paradigmatic case of “tasty”. I also argue against the account of faultless disagreement explained via vagueness of taste predicates [Barker, 2012]. I believe that the notion of faultlessness employed in the discussion of vagueness [Wright, 1994] is a different notion than the one employed in the discussion of taste discourse [Kölbel, 2003].
High Confirmation and Inductive Validity
Authors: Botting David
Published: November 2016

Does a high degree of confirmation make an inductive argument valid? I will argue that it depends on the kind of question to which the argument is meant to be providing an answer. We should distinguish inductive generalization from inductive extrapolation even in cases where they might appear to have the same answer, and also from confirmation of a hypothesis.