bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A new species of Characidium Reinhardt (Ostariophysi: Characiformes:
Crenuchidae) from headwaters of rio Pacaás Novos, rio Madeira basin, Rondônia, Brazil
Authors: ZANATA ANGELA M. , OHARA WILLIAN M.
Published: September 2015

Characidium summus, new species, is described from rio Pacaás Novos, rio Madeira basin, Rondônia, Brazil. The new species is the unique among congeners for completely lacking an adipose fin and having a complete lateral line. Characidium summus can be further distinguished from congeners, including C. vestigipinne that also has a complete lateral line and adipose fin absent, vestigial or reduced by the absence of dark bars or spots on head, body or fins, except for a dark blotch on the rear of the opercle, a narrow midlateral dark stripe, and a dark basicaudal spot. In addition, C. summus possess a vestigial supraorbital and a remarkably small pseutotympanum. The possible mimetic relationship between the new species with Erythrinus erythrinus is discussed.
Słownictwo osobliwe w „Ścieżkach polnych” Leopolda Staffa
Authors: Białoskórska Mirosława
Published: September 2015

Peculiar vocabulary in Ścieżki polne by Leopold StaffIn the article „Peculiar vocabulary in Ścieżki polne by Leopold Staff” Mirosława Białoskórska presented the roles and functions of peculiar vocabulary, i.e. the words characterized by chronological, geographical, emotional-expressive and stylistical features in creation of images of people, animals and countryside nature against the background of the general vocabulary of the Polish language in the beginning of the XX century. The examined vocabulary (204 vocabulary words in 229 usages) is presented in 52 lyric verses (83,9% of the entire collection), including the average concentration index of evaluative vocabulary in 2400 poetic lines amounts to 10,5. The  predominant use of chronologically-evaluative words (old, outdated, and rare words) and geographically-evaluative (lexical regionalisms and dialectisms) words over emotional-expressive words (neologisms, neosemantisms, poetisms) made it possible for the poet to make idealized creations of people, animals and birds who are tired of working against the background of the countryside landscape and different phenomena of Polish nature – the heroes of his poems.
Polszczyzna wobec tendencji języków indoeuropejskich do szyku progresywnego (człon nadrzędny → człon podrzędny)
Authors: Gawełko Marek
Published: September 2015

Polish against the tendency of changing word-order in indo-European languages (left-branching shift to right-branching)One of the evolutive tendencies in indo-European languages is the gradual shift toward right-branching constructions (the head precedes the modifier). The right-branching has begun to dominate in the Romance languages; but not in Latin and not in Polish. However, these languages show this tendency, too; Latin in a lesser degree than Polish. Despite the innovations, Latin still displayed a considerable number of left-branching constructions, which it inherited from the protolanguage. Its specificity is that the basic construction (OV) is archaic, but some others, such as NG, Vmod Inf, N, Rel, NA are innovations. The majority of archaic constructions used in Latin are also acceptable in Polish, but they are much more rare.Contrary to the Romance languages, Polish 1) uses sometimes archaic constructions, and 2) its right-branching constructions are relatively rare.
Słowiańskie nazwy ‘źrenicy’ w świetle materiałów gwarowych i źródeł historycznych
Authors: Siatkowski Janusz
Published: September 2015

Slavic names of the ‘pupil’ (‘źrenica’) in the light of dialect materials and historic sourcesDespite a considerable mixture of names of “the pupil”, their collateral use and not quite distinct borders of ranges of specified lexemes, it is possible to specify several express, albeit not quite well-defined, areals (map 1).In Russia and in eastern regions of Belarus and Ukraine, the name *z//orčьkъ (// > d) dominates. In the areal of this name, it is possible to define the areal of a separate or collateral occurrence of names *Z//ьrъkъ, more rarely *z//irъkъ (Z > s, ž; // > v) southward and eastward from Moscow, names *ględělьce, *ględělьca and *ględělьcь in the vicinity of Pskov and Novgorod and *čьrnyšь, *čьrnyšьkъ and *čьrnyšьko in the north of Russia.In Poland and in the Czech Republic, *GЪpanьnъka (GЪ > ø) occur, besides, *zьrěnica also occurs in Poland.In Ukraine and in eastern Belarus, *čelověčьkъ dominates, while *čelověčьko is less numerous; in southern Bulgaria, Macedonia and in Slavic settlements on the territory of  Greece and Turkey the forms  *čELoVěčę, *čELověčьlę and *čELoVěčьčь (EL > ø; V > ø) dominate.In Serbia and Croatia and somewhat in Slovenia and south-western Bulgaria, the name *zěnica prevails.Map 2 (motivation map) shows most visibly two types: from the verbs meaning ‘patrzeć’ („to see”), which occur in the prevailing part of the Slavic territory, and from the words meaning persons and things that are reflected in „the pupil” (‘źrenica’) and are represented in western Ukraine and western Belarus, on the prevailing territory of Poland, in the Czech Republic and Moravia, in the south-eastern part of Slovakia and also in Macedonia, southern Bulgaria and in Slavic settlements on the territory of Greece and Turkey. Both of these types were registered as a certain mixed type, in particular, in eastern Ukraine and eastern Belarus.The names that are motivated by the black color of “the pupil” (‘źrenica’) are found mainly in northern russian and in southern Macedonian dialects; less frequently they appear in the territory of Austria and in Łużyce. Motivation types from the names meaning round, shining and luminous objects, and from the names that are diminutive names of the eye are very sporadic and occur in great dispersion.
Język Polaków na Bukowinie Karpackiej
Authors: Krasowska Helena
Published: September 2015

The language of Polish people in Carpathian BukovinaThe Polish group which was settling in Bukovina since 18th century was various as far as the place of origin is concerned. These are comers from Galicia, Lesser Poland and the region of Czadca in Slovakia. In this article the author presented linguistic situation in particular villages according to the division of Polish community which varies regarding the origin and present place of residence.In the Polish language of Bukovina – according to the research – relatively faint traces of the dialect of Lesser Poland can be found. The speech of comers from lesser Poland weakened due to the prestige of the speech of settlers from Eastern Galicia which developed mainly in conditions of Polish-Ukrainian bilinguism as well as Polish–Ukrainian–Romanian trilinguism or even Polish–Ukrainian–Romanian–German  polylinguism.The author circumstantiated linguistic contacts of the Polish group in Kaczyka, Nowy Sołoniec, Paltynoasa, Plesza, Pojana Mikuli (in Southern Bukovina) as well as in Stara Huta, Dolne Piotrowce, Tereblecze (in Northern Bukovina) and Czerniowce, Storożyniec and Panka. The most important linguistic features were named in the article.As a result, the Polish community in the Southern Bukovina region can be divided into four groups varying as far as the language and origin are concerned: the dialect of Kaczyka village, dialect of Bukovinian Highlanders; dialect of Ruda village; dialect of Bulaj and Michoweny villages. There is the Polish language, so called all-Bukovinian which is a variation of the Polish language of South-Eastern borderland and the dialect of Bukovinian Highlanders (with different features than the mentioned above).
Synonimia w polskiej terminologii medycznej przełomu XIX i XX wieku. Rekonesans
Authors: Jankowiak Lucyna Agnieszka
Published: September 2015

Synonyms in Polish medical terminology at the turn of the 20th century. ReconnaissanceThe paper concerns the phenomenon of synonyms in the medical terminology. On the basis of Słownik terminologii lekarskiej polskiej (Dictionary of Polish Medical Terminology, 1881) and Słownik lekarski polski (Polish Dictionary of Medicine, 1905) the author examines (in terms of a structure, origin and chronology) 88 series of synonyms (regarding illnesses) present in both dictionaries. From the examination it results that during a conscious tiding up and shaping of Polish medical terminology it was impossible to eliminate synonyms, a phenomenon undesired in every terminology. Admittedly, in the Słownik lekarski polski (Polish Dictionary of Medicine, 1905) one may observe a tendency to reduce on the number of synonyms in the series of synonyms and the general number of the series, however, scale of this phenomena is still significant. Even if, till the half of twentieth century, nearly half of series of synonyms did not survive, as it is proven by researches conducted by K. Musiołek-Choinski, phenomena of synonyms could not be eliminated. The old series of synonyms are replaced by new ones, and this situation is greatly affected by English vocabulary.
Sens dziejów narodowych a struktura tekstu historycznego. O niektórych mechanizmach tekstotwórczych na przykładzie historii Polski
Authors: Czerwiński Maciej
Published: September 2015

The understanding of national history and the structure of historical text. About some text-forming devices on the example of Polish historyIn the article some operational terms in historical text (here in the genre of the popular-scientific synthesis of a national history) are taken into consideration, notably: final (term by Boris Uspienski) and narration/narrative. It is demonstrated how the last link of a chain of events in historical representation – called by Uspienski the final – influences, and in fact enables, the very construction of any story about the past. Moreover, the final makes it possible to grasp all historical entities (protagonists, events, etc.) within a defined axiological sphere. Thus, some entities are considered to be good whereas some other are bad. Their role in a narrative is determined in relation to the final that affirms a teleology of a nation (here in the example of Polish nation). In this context, the two concepts that of event and process, taken from narratology (Doležel and van Dijk), are elaborated.
Adama Stanisława Krasińskiego zapomniany Słownik synonimów polskich i jego poprzednicy
Authors: Jankowiak Lucyna Agnieszka , Kędelska Elżbieta
Published: September 2015

On Adam Stanisław Krasiński’s forgotten Słownik synonimów polskich and its predecessorsThe paper consists of two parts. The first one covers characteristics of dictionaries (dated from XVIth to XIXth century), groups of synonyms regarding mainly the Latin (e.g. Gradus ad Parnassum), which also include equivalents of national languages (especially the Calagius three-language dictionary was examined and Czech-Latin dictionaries of synonyms dated XVIth century). The second part of the paper is a discussion over methodology of the first Slavic dictionary of synonyms (Słownik synonimów polskich [Dictionary of Polish Synonyms]) by A. S. Krasiński. Not-elaborated in details so far (in the subject-matter literature) the dictionary combines a few types of dictionaries (apart from the dictionary of synonyms): general dictionary of Polish language, dictionary of phrasal verbs, language correctness dictionary, book of quotations and proverbs and translational dictionary.
Z badań nad rękopisem wielkopolskiej księgi ziemskiej. Problem transliteracji
Authors: Trawińska Maria
Published: September 2015

Researching the manuscript of Wielkopolska Land Book: a transliteration problemThe paper discusses the fourteenth century use of minuscule in Polish and Latin records. The present analysis of the book’s excerpts shows that the use of majuscule letters is, generally speaking, determined by the individual writing style. One of the authors employed the letters at the beginning of proper names, but at the same time there was a group of records that did not follow the rule, these being proper names written in lower-case letters and common nouns written in upper-case letters. The matter looks quite different in another author who clearly favored miniscule letters, as he used them in the most of proper names. This varied use of majuscule letters by various judiciary writers ought to be faithfully rendered in the transliteration of the manuscript.
Nowomowa po jugosłowiańsku
Authors: Czerwiński Maciej
Published: September 2015

The Yugoslav NewspeakIn the article the issue of a language of the Yugoslav communists – called here after Orwell the totalitarian Newspeak – is taken into consideration. It aims at finding similarities and differences between the Polish and Yugoslav Newspeak basing on analysis of discourses of the Yugoslav dictator – Josip Broz Tito, Yugoslav historiography and political slogans. In the first section concrete linguistic phenomena are taken into account (like lexical items, semantic dichotomies, periphrases, metaphors and so on), whereas in the second: extra-linguistic circumstances – including social-political and cultural context – making the Yugoslav communicative practices specific and different from the Polish ones.
O słowiańskiej duszy w wierzeniach, kulturze, języku na przykładzie frazeologizmów sztokawszczyzny literackiej
Authors: Koncewicz-Dziduch Edyta
Published: September 2015

About Slavic soul in beliefs, culture and language on the example of Shtokavian idiomsThe article is devoted to the issue of soul in language and culture of the Slavs. Analysis includes presentation of the phenomenon of soul in old Slavic beliefs and religion, before adoption of Christianity. Many of these beliefs is still present in Slavic culture and language, despite the acceptance of Christian soul conception.Linguistic analysis is carried out on the Serbian and Croatian idioms with soul lexeme. Four semantic group were extracted:Soul as a symbol of life, motion and elusiveness of life;Soul as a symbol of good, positive energy;Soul as a metaphor of awareness, brain responsible for deciding;Soul as a human equivalent.
The German heritage in Balkan languages
Authors: Schaller Helmut Wilhelm
Published: September 2015

The German heritage in Balkan languagesAll Balkan languages show some German elements in their vocabulary, beginning with Old Bulgarian Bible texts up to modern Balkan languages, including Bulgarian, Macedonian, Serbian, Albanian, Romanian and Modern Greek. Etymologies of Balkan words and German words must be distinguished. Loanwords in Balkan languages are confined to words which are traceable back to Germanic languages, e. g. Gothic, Old and Middle High German and contemporary German. Not only the word store but also onomastics were occasionally influenced by German languages, but it is not possible to speak of a German substrat or adstrat in the way we can speak of a Thracian or Illyrian substrat, or Greek or Romance adstrat. Dziedzictwo germańskie w językach bałkańskichW słownictwie każdego z języków bałkańskich występują pewne germańskie elementy, poczynając od starobułgarskich tekstów biblijnych, a kończąc na współczesnych językach bałkańskich, jakimi są: bułgarski, macedoński, serbski, albański, rumuński i nowogrecki. W badaniach nad etymologią należy wyraźnie rozgraniczać dwa nurty rozwojowe: germański i bałkański. Katalog zapożyczeń ograniczamy do wyrazów obecnych w językach bałkańskich, których etymologię możemy prześledzić wstecz do gockiego, staro- i środkowo-wysoko-niemieckiego oraz współczesnego niemieckiego. Nie tylko słownictwo, lecz także onomastyka wykazują okazjonalnie wpływy niemieckie, jednak w żadnym razie nie ma podstaw, by mówić o germańskim substracie czy adstracie w takim sensie, w jakim mówimy o substracie trackim czy iliryjskim, bądź adstracie romańskim lub greckim.
Надградени показатели на динамичните просторни релации во македонскиот јазик (во балкански контекст)
Authors: Марковиќ [Markovikj] Марјан [Marjan]
Published: September 2015

Dominant exponents of dynamic spatial relations in the Macedonian language (in a Balkan context)In the Macedonian language, 'doubling' of prepositions is well documented in grammars and monographs, but now we can witness increased use of prepositional sequences both in the modern Macedonian standard and in dialects. The need for more precise spatial determination became necessary, and this is precisely where the role of the (secondary) complex prepositions are used: nasred, nakaj, dokaj, otkaj, etc. However, Macedonian has so-called double prepositions (prepositional sequences), whose main function is more precise spatial determination (od pred, od zad, od pod, do pred, za pred, za vo, za na, etc.). The first preposition in those sequences becomes the dominant exponent of dynamic spatial relation (ablative or adlative) while the second preposition becomes part of the prepositional phrase – the localizer.The high frequency of prepositional sequences is common not only in modern Macedonian but also exists in western peripheral dialects which have had closer contacts within the Balkan linguistic environment.It can be concluded that the balkanised structure of Macedonian language allows certain Balkan tendencies to expand and evolve in some new directions and still retain the primary goal – more transparent and clearer communication among the speakers of the language. Nadrzędne wykładniki dynamicznych relacji przestrzennych w języku macedońskim (w kontekście bałkańskim)Występowanie podwójnych przyimków w języku macedońskim jest dobrze udokumentowane, tak w gramatykach, jak i w odrębnych monografiach. Teraz jednak jesteśmy świadkami niebywałego wzrostu liczby takich konstrukcji we współczesnym macedońskim standardzie oraz w dialektach macedońskich. Powstaje w związku z tym potrzeba bardziej precyzyjnego zdefiniowania relacji przestrzennych, i w tym właśnie punkcie rola (sekundarnych) złożonych przyimków typu: nasred, nakaj, dokaj, otkaj itp. okazuje się przydatna. Jednakże w macedońskim występują również podwójne przyimki (sekwencje przyimków), których główną funkcją jest bardziej precyzyjne nazwanie relacji przestrzennej (od pred, od zad, od pod, do pred, za pred, za vo, za na itp.). Pierwszy przyimek sekwencji jest dominującym wykładnikiem dynamicznej przestrzennej relacji (ablatywnej lub adlatywnej), podczas gdy drugi przyimek stanowi część wyrażenia przyimkowego – lokalizatora.Wysoka frekwencja sekwencji przyimkowych jest cechą nie tylko współczesnego języka macedońskiego, lecz także peryferyjnych zachodnich dialektów, które znajdują się w ścisłym kontakcie z innymi bałkańskimi językami.Można zatem zakładać, że silnie zbałkanizowana struktura języka macedońskiego otwiera się na ekspansję niektórych bałkańskich tendencji i ewoluuje w kierunku bardziej precyzyjnego, dosłownego przekazywania treści.
Delineating the Barotropic and Baroclinic Mechanisms in the Midlatitude Eddy-Driven Jet Response to Lower-Tropospheric Thermal Forcing
Authors: Nie Yu , Zhang Yang , Chen Gang , Yang Xiu-Qun
Published: September 2015

Observations and climate models have shown that the midlatitude eddy-driven jet can exhibit an evident latitudinal shift in response to lower-tropospheric thermal forcing (e.g., the tropical SST warming during El Niño or extratropical SST anomalies associated with the atmosphere–ocean–sea ice coupling). In addition to the direct thermal wind response, the eddy feedbacks—including baroclinic mechanisms, such as lower-level baroclinic eddy generation, and barotropic mechanisms, such as upper-level wave propagation and breaking—can all contribute to the atmospheric circulation response to lower-level thermal forcing, but their individual roles have not been well explained. In this study, using a nonlinear β-plane multilevel quasigeostrophic channel model, the mechanisms through which the lower-level thermal forcing induces the jet shift are investigated. By diagnosing the finite-amplitude wave activity budget, the baroclinic and barotropic eddy feedbacks to the lower-level thermal forcing are delineated. Particularly, by examining the transient circulation response after thermal forcing is switched on, it is shown that the lower-level thermal forcing affects the eddy-driven jet rapidly by modifying the upper-level zonal thermal wind distribution and the associated meridional wave propagation and breaking. The anomalous baroclinic eddy generation, however, acts to enhance the latitudinal shift of the eddy-driven jet only in the later stage of transient response. Furthermore, the barotropic mechanism is explicated by overriding experiments in which the barotropic flow in the vorticity advection is prescribed. Unlike the conventional baroclinic view, the barotropic eddy feedback, particularly the irreversible PV mixing through barotropic vorticity advection and deformation, plays a major role in the atmospheric circulation response to the lower-level thermal forcing.
Secondary school teachers’ perceptions of student misbehaviour: A review of international research, 1983 to 2013
Authors: Crawshaw Michael
Published: September 2015

This literature review of secondary school teachers’ perceptions of student misbehaviour from 1983 to 2013 comprised studies from various countries including Australia, China, Greece, Jordan, Malta, the United Kingdom and the United States. Identified materials enabled international comparisons and the analysis of changes over time. Of the 20 papers included in the final review, most were categorised as looking at perceptions of serious student misbehaviours or high frequency student misbehaviours. The main conclusions were that teacher perceptions of high frequency misbehaviours and serious misbehaviours were largely consistent over time and between countries. Teachers perceived talking out of turn and similar misbehaviours as being most frequent. Teachers consistently perceived stealing and vandalism as serious misbehaviours while more extreme violent or potentially violent behaviours were not reported to occur frequently. The study raises the issue of the lack of a common research methodology in the reviewed materials, including agreed student behaviour descriptors, which impede conclusive recommendations.
Information and communication technologies in peacebuilding: Implications, opportunities and challenges
Authors: Tellidis Ioannis , Kappler Stefanie
Published: September 2015

Despite the volume of research exploring the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for destructive purposes (terrorism, crime, war propaganda) on the one hand, and development (ICT4D) on the other hand, very little has been said about the role that traditional, and especially new social media, can play for the transformation and prevention of conflicts. This paper recognises ICTs as a tool, thus accepting their multi-level and multi-dimensional potential in the transformation as well as the intransigence and promotion of conflict. The paper seeks to explore: (a) whether ICTs can empower marginalised actors to transcend the peacebuilding and statebuilding processes, and lead to a more locally-owned, more representative transformation of the conflict; (b) whether ICTs can foster more hybrid forms of peace; and (c) whether they can be co-opted as a platform by donors to promote their agendas and impede resistance.
On stopping doing those things that are not getting us to where we want to be: Unlearning, wicked problems and critical action learning
Authors: Brook Cheryl , Pedler Mike , Abbott Christine , Burgoyne John
Published: September 2015

This article explores the idea of unlearning on the basis of empirical data drawn from 73 social workers’ accounts of addressing their problems and challenges in critical action learning sets. To address intractable or wicked problems, characterized by having multiple stakeholders with competing perspectives and by an absence of obvious solution, it may be necessary first to unlearn existing responses and to ask fresh questions to illuminate what is as yet unknown. Action learning privileges questions over solutions in seeking learning from action on organizational challenges, whilst critical action learning is a variety that employs insights from critical social theory to promote critical reflection and unlearning in this process. The article breaks new ground in claiming: first, that unlearning in the context of the wicked problems of social work is characterized less by the discarding of outmoded knowledge and routines and more by a critical unlearning that opens up new possibilities of not knowing and non-action; and second, that critical unlearning is much more likely to take place when supported by a deliberated and social process such as that provided by critical action learning.
California’s 2004 Workers’ Compensation Reform
Authors: Hansen Benjamin
Published: September 2015

The large excess fraction of difficult-to-diagnose injuries that occur on a Monday was originally thought to reflect employees’ use of workers’ compensation to cover weekend injuries. Evidence has not necessarily supported this notion, however. Substantial reforms in California in 2004 have made filing false workers’ compensation claims more difficult and less attractive because of reduced benefits. The author empirically tests the effects of the reforms using 2002 to 2006 workers’ compensation claims from a nationwide firm that contracts temporary staffing, an industry with pronounced asymmetric information. He finds strong evidence that claim rates and costs fell following the reforms, and that the fraction of claims on Monday for difficult-to-diagnose injuries dropped by 7 percentage points in California—with no change for the firm’s branches in other states. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that false claims explain a part of the Monday effect, at least in industries with substantial asymmetric information. That being said, when taking into account the effects of the reforms on claim costs and overall claim rates, the excess number of Monday claims makes up less than 4% of the cost reductions after the reforms.
Delivering education to the poor: investigating the role of self-motivation in Brazil
Authors: Andrews Christina W. , Rezende Simone , Almeida Wilson M.
Published: September 2015

In this multiple-case study, which involved seven municipalities in Brazil, we argue that good education is a by-product from educators’ commitment, which in turn is explained through self-determination theory. The research findings suggest that the support provided by local officials to teachers, their social status in small municipalities, and the lack of externally imposed educational targets all contributed to the fulfilment of educators’ needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness, thereby enabling the emergence of self-motivation, and, as a consequence, of commitment. It is also argued that these practices enhanced educators’ engagement in prosocial behaviour, which explains why they went a step further to help their poorest students. The authors suggest that the insights provided by self-determination theory can offer an alternative view to the carrot-and-stick approach in educational policies. The article closes with suggestions for further research on the role of motivation and prosocial behaviour on public service effectiveness.

Points for practitioners

Administrative practices associated with social policies have often avoided clarifying their theoretical assumptions, failing to state the implications that these may have on human motivation. By examining the case of education in poor municipalities, the study shows not only that commitment is a key factor for achieving policy goals but also that self-determination theory provides the theoretical explanations for this commitment. The knowledge of theoretical principles related to self-motivation can assist practitioners in social policy design, where the long-term goals are more relevant than short-term targets. Policy-makers can find creative alternatives to deal with specific contexts when instructed by overarching theories on motivation such as self-determination theory.
I Want You! The Determinants of Military Conscription
Authors: Asal Victor , Conrad Justin , Toronto Nathan
Published: September 2015

What explains the use of military conscription? Using a new data set of more than 100 countries over a period of 200 years, we examine the determinants of a state’s decision to implement a military draft. We argue that the decision to use conscription is largely dependent on historical factors. Specifically, we contend that former British colonies are less likely to use conscription as a means of military recruitment because of an anticonscription precedent set during the English Civil War. We find that former British colonies are far less likely to opt for conscription, even after controlling for counter arguments relating to a state’s colonial legacy. We also examine a number of existing explanations for the use of conscripts, using the data to arbitrate previous debates. We find that democracies are less likely to implement the draft, while states involved in an interstate war or interstate rivalry are more likely to do so.
Action-level real-time DEVS modeling and simulation
Authors: Sarjoughian Hessam S , Gholami Soroosh
Published: September 2015

For some classes of systems, it is advantageous to develop real-time models instead of step-wise or logical-time models. Toward this goal, the action-level real-time (ALRT) discrete-event system specification (DEVS) modeling and simulation approach is proposed. Modeling of actions is introduced into the parallel DEVS formalism using time invariants defined for real-time statecharts. Actions are specified in terms of time-windows that are to be executed in real-time. An abstract simulator protocol is devised for executing the ALRT-DEVS models under constrained computational resources. The approach is implemented in the parallel DEVS-Suite simulator. These models can be simulated on unitary computing platforms. A simple example switch model is detailed and tested to show the kinds of real-time modeling and simulation studies that can be supported.
Major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder and response to treatment in hepatitis C patients in Egypt
Authors: Bassiony MM , Yousef A , Youssef U , Salah El-Deen GM , Abdelghani M , Al-Gohari H , Fouad E , El-Shafaey MM
Published: September 2015

Objectives

The aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence and associated correlates of major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder in hepatitis C virus patients before and after treatment and to investigate the relationship between major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder and treatment response.

Methods

A total of 116 consecutive hepatitis C virus patients from hepatitis C virus treatment center in Zagazig city, Egypt, were included in the study and divided into treated group ( N = 58) and untreated group ( N = 58). All hepatitis C virus patients were screened for major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder using hospital anxiety and depression scale, and those who screened positive were interviewed to confirm the diagnosis of major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder using DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria. These measures were done at baseline and after 12 weeks of treatment or observation.

Results

At baseline, 3.5% and 12.1% of hepatitis C virus patients (treated group) had major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, respectively. After 12 weeks of treatment 37.9% of hepatitis C virus patients (treated group) had major depressive disorder and 46.6% had generalized anxiety disorder. There was a significant statistical difference between hospital anxiety and depression scale scores for depression (3.3 ± 2.3 vs. 6.4 ± 3.2, t = 9.6, p = 0.001) and for anxiety (4.6 ± 2.4 vs. 7.3 ± 3.0, t = 10.2, p = 0.001) before and after treatment. There was also significant statistical difference between treated group and untreated group regarding hospital anxiety and depression scale scores after treatment and observation (depression, treated group 6.4 ± 3.2 vs. untreated group 4.0 ± 2.4, t = 3.7, p = 0.001; anxiety, treated group 7.3 ± 3.0 vs. untreated group 4.5 ± 2.3, t = 4.4, p = 0.001). There was no association between major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder and treatment response.

Conclusions

Major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder are common in hepatitis C virus patients after treatment with interferon and ribavirin and were not related to treatment response.
Health and social care students pursuing different studies, and their written assignments from workshop and online interprofessional education
Authors: Hofseth Almås Synnøve , Vasset Frøydis
Published: September 2015

Interprofessional education (IPE) is of central importance to health and social care students if they are to acquire the ability and willingness to collaborate across professional boundaries. There is disagreement about when such an educational intervention should be introduced. The aim of this study is to examine how students from different studies, or student groups at different stages in their study, describe their experiences with workshop and online IPE. This qualitative study consists of two sets of data. The dataset from the first year of study consists of data from 92 health students, and the dataset from the second year of study comprises 20 health and social care students. The intervention consists of a workshop and online IPE. Students’ discussions online and their assignments were the basis for text analysis. The findings show that students describe IPE somewhat differently. Students in their first year of study seem to have acquired knowledge of the roles of the professions involved. Students in their second year give more positive and conscious descriptions of IPE, compared with first-year students.
Parental aggression as a predictor of boys’ hostile attribution across the transition to middle school
Authors: Yaros Anna , Lochman John E. , Wells Karen
Published: September 2015

Aggression among youth is a public health problem that is often studied in the context of how youth interpret social information. Social cognitive factors, especially hostile attribution biases, have been identified as risk factors for the development of youth aggression, particularly across the transition to middle school. Parental behaviors, including parental aggression to children in the form of corporal punishment and other aggressive behavior, have also been linked to aggressive behavior in children at these ages. Despite the important role played by these two risk factors, the connection between the two has not been fully studied in the literature. This study examined the link between parental aggression and children’s hostile attributions longitudinally among a diverse sample of 123 boys as they entered middle school. Results support acceptance of a model in which parental aggression to children prior to entering middle school predicted children’s hostile attributions after the transition to middle school above and beyond that which was predicted by previous levels of hostile attributions. As expected, hostile attributions also predicted change in parent- and teacher-rated child aggression. These findings provide important evidence of the role that parental behavior plays in youth social cognition at this critical age, which has implications for understanding the development of aggressive behavior.
Preadolescents and their friends
Authors: Sijtsema Jelle J.
Published: September 2015

In the current study, associations between individual and friends’ direct and indirect aggression and depressive problems were examined. It was expected that social status would moderate these associations such that low-status preadolescents would be more similar to their unilateral friends with regard to indirect, but not direct, aggression. Furthermore, it was expected that preadolescents’ depressive problems were positively associated to reciprocal friends’ depressive problems, in particular in low-status preadolescents. The hypotheses were tested by studying unilateral and reciprocal friendships in 204 children (Mage=10.90; SD=0.78; 44.1% girls). Direct and indirect aggression and depressive problems were assessed via both self- and peer-reports. Social status was assessed via peer-reported rejection (i.e., dislike) and popularity (i.e., who do others want to be associated with). Analyses showed partial support for the hypotheses, showing that individual and unilateral friends’ self-reported indirect and direct aggression were positively associated in preadolescents who were lower on popularity. Moreover, in preadolescents who were more rejected by peers, depressive problems were positively associated to reciprocal friends’ depressive problems. The current study highlights the importance of including social status and distinguishing between unilateral and reciprocal friendships when examining associations between individual and friends’ behavior.
The Public Health Impact of Pediatric Deep Neck Space Infections
Authors: Adil Eelam , Tarshish Yael , Roberson David , Jang Jisun , Licameli Greg , Kenna Margaret
Published: September 2015

Objective

There is little consensus about the best management of pediatric deep neck space infections (DNSIs) and limited information about the national disease burden. The purpose of this study is to examine the health care burden, management, and complications of DNSIs from a national perspective.

Study Design

Retrospective administrative data set review.

Setting

National pediatric admission database.

Subjects and Methods

Pediatric patients diagnosed with a parapharyngeal space and/or retropharyngeal abscess were identified from the 2009 KIDS’ Inpatient Database. Patient demographic, hospital, and clinical characteristics were compared between patients who received surgical and nonsurgical management. All results for the analyses were weighted, clustered, and stratified appropriately according to the sampling design of the KIDS’ Inpatient Database.

Results

The prevalence of DNSIs was 3444 in 2009, and the estimated incidence was 4.6 per 100,000 children. The total hospital charges were >$75 million. The patients who were drained surgically had a 22% longer length of stay (mean = 4.19 days) than that of those who were managed without surgery (mean = 3.44 days). Mean hospital charges for patients who were drained surgically were almost twice those of patients who were managed medically ($28,969 vs $17,022); 165 patients (4.8%) had a complication.

Results

There are >3400 admissions for pediatric DNSIs annually, and they account for a significant number of inpatient days and hospital charges. A randomized controlled trial of management may be indicated from a public health perspective.
Head and Neck Reconstruction with Chimeric Anterolateral Thigh Free Flap
Authors: Lawson Bradley R. , Moreno Mauricio A.
Published: September 2015

Objective

Chimeric anterolateral thigh free flaps are composed of multiple skin paddles or muscular components that allow for the reconstruction of complex 3‐dimensional defects. We present our experience with the technique and applications for various head and neck defects.

Study Design

Retrospective chart review.

Setting

Academic tertiary care center.

Subjects and Methods

Subjects include 24 consecutive patients undergoing reconstruction with a chimeric anterolateral thigh free flap by a single surgeon. Our algorithm for pharyngeal reconstruction with this technique is described. Data include demographics, indications, comorbidities, operative findings, and surgical outcomes.

Results

The most frequent defects were pharyngocutaneous (n = 12, 50%) and skull base (n = 6, 25%). The flap consisted of a double skin paddle in 11 cases (45.3%) and a skin paddle with an independent component of vastus lateralis muscle in 13 cases (54.7%). Revision surgery was required in 4 cases and was associated with malnutrition (P =. 022). There were no total flap losses, but partial loss (distal skin paddle in all the cases) was observed in 3 patients and was related to severe congestive heart failure (P =. 021) and malnutrition (P =. 021). All except 1 patient who underwent pharyngeal reconstruction resumed oral diet and achieved alaryngeal speech.

Conclusion

Chimeric anterolateral thigh free flaps represent an excellent option for reconstruction of complex head and neck defects. Modifications to the technique are proposed in patients at high risk of surgical complications.
Animal performativity: Exploring the lives of donkeys in Botswana
Authors: Geiger Martha , Hovorka Alice J
Published: September 2015

Donkeys provide affordable and accessible means of transport, draught power and food security for smallholder farmers in and around Maun, Botswana. Their role and welfare is often compromised by people's extensive use of and inability to care for their animals given their individual or broader circumstances. Our paper explores the lives of donkeys and donkey-human relations in Botswana. We apply a feminist posthumanist iteration of performativity to illustrate and explain who the donkey is, what they experience, and the context within and through which these performances are constituted. Methodologically we merge tools from animal welfare science with social science to unearth donkey physical and emotional states of being, as well as the ways in which humans use, care for, and value donkeys in this particular context. Our findings reveal donkey subjectivities (experiences) characterized by relative drudgery, hardship, and compromised physical and emotional welfare; donkey subjects (identities) grounded in their marginalized status within government and everyday livelihood realms; and donkey spatiality (contextual factors) emerging from their performances as working animals, lesser than cattle, and pathways out of poverty. Contributions of our work include empirical insights on donkey-human relations, theoretical exploration of animal performativity, and methodological innovation investigating the lives of animals.
Spatialization of user-generated content to uncover the multirelational world city network
Authors: Salvini Marco M , Fabrikant Sara I
Published: September 2015

In this paper we tackle a fundamental and long-time challenge in urban geography, to uncover a functionally differentiated global city network. To this day, the empirical investigation of a global multifunctional city network remains a challenge given the scarcity of appropriate relational and multifunctional data sources. To overcome this research gap, we present an interdisciplinary network modelling approach that integrates methods from geographic information science with social network analysis, including automated semantic analyses.We apply our modelling framework to a globally available, user-generated database (ie, Wikipedia), still underutilized in urban geography and planning research. The proposed visual analytical investigation of the multifunctional world city network also includes a systematic evaluation to assess the robustness of the proposed approach, and the adequacy of crowd-sourced databases for scientific uses. By example, we discuss economical and political relations of a latent multifunctional global city network which we uncovered with our data-driven approach. Our results not only empirically replicate previously well-established world city network theory, but also generate new research questions about multiple functions of cities, as hypothesized in world city network research. Furthermore, we showcase the potential of coupling text-based user-generated data analysis with geovisual analytics for scientific investigations in urban studies.
Psychometric properties of carer-reported outcome measures in palliative care: A systematic review
Authors: Michels Charlotte TJ , Boulton Mary , Adams Astrid , Wee Bee , Peters Michele
Published: September 2015

Background:

Informal carers face many challenges in caring for patients with palliative care needs. Selecting suitable valid and reliable outcome measures to determine the impact of caring and carers’ outcomes is a common problem.

Aim:

To identify outcome measures used for informal carers looking after patients with palliative care needs, and to evaluate the measures’ psychometric properties.

Design:

A systematic review was conducted. The studies identified were evaluated by independent reviewers (C.T.J.M., M.B., M.P.). Data regarding study characteristics and psychometric properties of the measures were extracted and evaluated. Good psychometric properties indicate a high-quality measure.

Data sources:

The search was conducted, unrestricted to publication year, in the following electronic databases: Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, The Cochrane Library, EMBASE, PubMed, PsycINFO, Social Sciences Citation Index and Sociological Abstracts.

Results:

Our systematic search revealed 4505 potential relevant studies, of which 112 studies met the inclusion criteria using 38 carer measures for informal carers of patients with palliative care needs. Psychometric properties were reported in only 46% ( n = 52) of the studies, in relation to 24 measures. Where psychometric data were reported, the focus was mainly on internal consistency ( n = 45, 87%), construct validity ( n = 27, 52%) and/or reliability ( n = 14, 27%). Of these, 24 measures, only four (17%) had been formally validated in informal carers in palliative care.

Conclusion:

A broad range of outcome measures have been used for informal carers of patients with palliative care needs. Little formal psychometric testing has been undertaken. Furthermore, development and refinement of measures in this field is required.
Education, implementation, and policy barriers to greater integration of palliative care: A literature review
Authors: Aldridge Melissa D , Hasselaar Jeroen , Garralda Eduardo , van der Eerden Marlieke , Stevenson David , McKendrick Karen , Centeno Carlos , Meier Diane E
Published: September 2015

Background:

Early integration of palliative care into the management of patients with serious disease has the potential to both improve quality of life of patients and families and reduce healthcare costs. Despite these benefits, significant barriers exist in the United States to the early integration of palliative care in the disease trajectory of individuals with serious illness.

Aim:

To provide an overview of the barriers to more widespread palliative care integration in the United States.

Design and data sources:

A literature review using PubMed from 2005 to March 2015 augmented by primary data collected from 405 hospitals included in the Center to Advance Palliative Care’s National Palliative Care Registry for years 2012 and 2013. We use the World Health Organization’s Public Health Strategy for Palliative Care as a framework for analyzing barriers to palliative care integration.

Results:

We identified key barriers to palliative care integration across three World Health Organization domains: (1) education domain: lack of adequate education/training and perception of palliative care as end-of-life care; (2) implementation domain: inadequate size of palliative medicine–trained workforce, challenge of identifying patients appropriate for palliative care referral, and need for culture change across settings; (3) policy domain: fragmented healthcare system, need for greater funding for research, lack of adequate reimbursement for palliative care, and regulatory barriers.

Conclusion:

We describe the key policy and educational opportunities in the United States to address and potentially overcome the barriers to greater integration of palliative care into the healthcare of Americans with serious illness.