bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Large-Scale Errors In CCD Photometry of M67
Authors: Laugalys V. , Boyle R. P. , Kazlauskas A. , Vrba F. J. , Philip A. G. Davis , Straižys V.
Published: February 2017

The accuracy of new CCD photometry in the Vilnius system of the M67 cluster is analyzed. The observational material is obtained during six observing runs in 1994-2001 with the 1 meter telescope of the USNO Flagstaff Station. The main task was to establish CCD standards of high accuracy and to eliminate large-scale errors from our CCD photometry. We compare our results with the published CCD photometric data in other photometric systems. The comparison reveals considerable systematic errors in some datasets.
Variations of the Ratio of Total-To-selective Extinction in the Galaxy
Authors: Sūdžius J. , Raudeliūnas S.
Published: February 2017

The results of the study of variations of total-to-selective extinction RV near the Galactic plane (-12° ≤ b ≤+12°) are presented. It is shown that variations of RV range from 1.9 to 3.4 and it is not possible to determine its typical value for the Galaxy. The conclusion that variations of the parameter RV closely correlates with the distribution of interstellar extinction is confirmed.
Selecting a Photometric System for Gaia: C, N, O and Alpha-Process Elements
Authors: Tautvaišienė G. , Edvardsson B. , Bartašiūtė S.
Published: February 2017

The sensitivity of stellar spectra to C, N, O and α-process element abundances is discussed with the aim of taking this effect into account when selecting a photometric system for the Gaia orbiting observatory. On the basis of a spectrometric, photometric and theoretical study of spectra of evolved first-ascent giants and clump stars in the open cluster NGC 7789 it is demonstrated that evolutionary alterations of carbon and nitrogen abundances can cause noticeable spectral changes and, if not taken into account, may yield misleading photometric [Fe/H] determinations. Carbon features in stellar atmospheres show a particularly complex behavior being dependent on mixing processes in stars, on the stellar surface gravity and on the abundance of oxygen which can also be altered by different reasons. NH bands could serve for the evaluation of mixing processes in stars and the interpretation of carbon dominated spectral regions. Abundances of α-process elements can be evaluated photometrically by using the direct indicators - Ca II H and K lines and Mg I b triplet.
Molėtai Observatory as a Part of The Whole Earth Telescope
Authors: Janulis R.
Published: February 2017

A short description is presented of the instrumentation used at the Molėtai Observatory (Lithuania) for the Whole Earth Telescope collaboration and an overview of the observation campaigns in which the Vilnius WET group took part.
Long-Term Photometry of Very Slow Novae
Authors: Chochol D. , Pribulla T. , Parimucha Š. , Vaňko M.
Published: February 2017

Long-term photographic, photoelectric and recent CCD photometry of the classical nova V723 Cas and symbiotic novae V1329 Cyg, PU Vul, V1016 Cyg and HM Sge were used to find their orbital periods. The arguments in favor of the presence of the third components in these systems are given. Physical processes, responsible for the brightness variations, are discussed.
Dual-Star Photometer at the Tallinn Observatory
Authors: Kalv P. , Harvig V. , Aas T. , Pustylnik I.
Published: February 2017

We briefly describe the dual-star photometer designed by P. Kalv, a former director of Tallinn Observatory (1934-2002) for multicolor photometry of close binaries and intrinsic variable stars.
Joint overview of the Rhédey Castle and Park in Sângeorgiu de Pădure based on maps resulting from military measurements
Authors: Kovács Lóránt
Published: February 2017

Sângeorgiu de Pădure (in Hungarian: Erdőszentgyörgy) is situated 37 km south-east of Târgu-Mureș, in the Târnava Mică valley, at an altitude of 340 m above see level. It was first mentioned in 1333 as ‘Sancto Georgio's’ in contemporary documents. In the middle of the 16th century, the most important holder was the Göncruszkai Kornis family [1]. Councillor John Rhédey became the owner in 1627, when the settlement’s name was already the actual name ‘Sangherghiu de Padure’. On January 16, 1629, it was donated by Gábor Bethlen to John Rhédey and his wife, Margit Kornis. According to tradition, a reinforced abbey, church, and monastery were placed where the actual castle and its garden were settled. In 1569, the new building named Kornis Castle was built on the ruins of the former monastery. Here was born on September 1, 1812 Klaudia Rhédey, her later name being Countess of Hohenstein, known as the founder of the well-known British Windsor house dynasty.
Short evaluation of eggplant production and variety usage in Romania – short overview and perspectives
Authors: Kovács András , Szappanyos Levente , Ledó Darázsi Hajnalka , Felföldi Zoltán , Szabó Csanád-Tas
Published: February 2017

Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) became wide-spread after the First World War in Romania. The most important growing areas of this plant are located in the southern, south-eastern, and south-western parts of Romania and are usually cultivated on open fields as well as in unheated greenhouses. In the past, only Romanian OP varieties were grown. Over the past ten years, requirements of eggplant varieties have increasingly shifted towards productivity, uniformity, and high tolerance to stress factors, diseases, and pests. Therefore, the cultivation of hybrids and the disappearance of Romanian OP cultivars have intensified. Due to monoculture practice, the soil was attacked by pathogens in many areas. As a result, grafting became necessary to be put into practice. Consumption of eggplants is about 4.5 kg per person per year in Romania and they are consumed in many different ways such as baked, grilled, or as a special cream. Agrosel SRL has gained a significant role in supplying the Romanian vegetable seed market over the past twenty years and has started its own hybrid programme to renew eggplant production in Romania.
A Statistical Toolbox For Mining And Modeling Spatial Data
Authors: D’Aubigny Gérard
Published: February 2017

Most data mining projects in spatial economics start with an evaluation of a set of attribute variables on a sample of spatial entities, looking for the existence and strength of spatial autocorrelation, based on the Moran’s and the Geary’s coefficients, the adequacy of which is rarely challenged, despite the fact that when reporting on their properties, many users seem likely to make mistakes and to foster confusion. My paper begins by a critical appraisal of the classical definition and rational of these indices. I argue that while intuitively founded, they are plagued by an inconsistency in their conception. Then, I propose a principled small change leading to corrected spatial autocorrelation coefficients, which strongly simplifies their relationship, and opens the way to an augmented toolbox of statistical methods of dimension reduction and data visualization, also useful for modeling purposes. A second section presents a formal framework, adapted from recent work in statistical learning, which gives theoretical support to our definition of corrected spatial autocorrelation coefficients. More specifically, the multivariate data mining methods presented here, are easily implementable on the existing (free) software, yield methods useful to exploit the proposed corrections in spatial data analysis practice, and, from a mathematical point of view, whose asymptotic behavior, already studied in a series of papers by Belkin & Niyogi, suggests that they own qualities of robustness and a limited sensitivity to the Modifiable Areal Unit Problem (MAUP), valuable in exploratory spatial data analysis.
Diagnosis of Placenta Percreta after Cesarean Delivery
Authors: Pumpure Elizabete , Grabe Zane , Jansone Maira , Rezeberga Dace
Published: February 2017

A 30-year-old woman presented for elective cesarean section due to the suspicion of placental growth into uterine scar on ultrasound examination. At the time of the delivery morbidly adherent placenta was not detected but massive postpartum hemorrhage occurred. Patient was discharged and 13 days later emergency hysterectomy and suturing of urinary bladder was performed as a consequence of placenta percreta.
First Successful Full Term Pregnancy Outcome in Latvia Following a Radical Trachelectomy for the Patient with a Combined Pathology of a Cervical Cancer and Severe Subfertility
Authors: Mitildzans Androniks , Bazarova Jelena , Brikune Jana , Gelderina Elina , Isajevs Sergejs , Lakutins Jaroslavs , Mumdzjans Androniks , Rezeberga Dace , Romanovskis Zenons , Vitina Sandra
Published: February 2017

Traditionally the treatment for invasive cervical carcinoma which has progressed beyond micro invasion has been radical hysterectomy, unfortunately directly affecting fertility. Long term experience of radical surgery for Stage IB carcinoma has shown that it produces excellent results in terms of survival; however there is always a loss of potential for future fertility. Increasingly large numbers of young women (24-35 years) are being diagnosed with cervical cancer (7). Saving uterus where is safely possible is the main challenge to a surgeon as the loss of fertility for women can be devastating.

Approximately one-third of infertility is attributed to the female partner, one-third attributed to the male partner and one-third is caused by a combination of problems in both partners.

The incidence of a cervical cancer diagnosis in reproductive age women has increased in parallel to the quality in diagnostic in Latvia. However along with a scientifically evident knowledge, new surgical techniques and modern technologies we have recently started implementation of a fertility saving surgeries.
“Hare Krishna vs. Shiva Shiva”: Swami Agehananda Bharati, Drugs, and the Mystical State in Hindusim
Authors: Helton Christopher Jason
Published: February 2017

This paper will form an overview of Swami Agehananda Bharati’s views about drugs as a catalyst for achieving the mystical state (in both a Hindu and general context), as well as his observations of the perception of drugs throughout the Hindu community, inside and outside South Asia. It will demonstrate that Bharati considered drugs a valid means toward achieving the mystical state, both as a scholar of Hinduism and as a practicing sannyasin.
Sovereign Wealth Funds in Central and Eastern Europe: Scope and Methods of Financial Penetration
Authors: Wiśniewski Piotr , Kamiński Tomasz , Obroniecki Marcin
Published: February 2017

The Central and Eastern European (CEE) capital markets (of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Ukraine and, to a limited extent, Belarus) are gradually evolving towards increased breadth (diversity) and depth (liquidity), however, they are still exposed to considerable cross-country volatility and interdependence spill-overs - especially in times of capital flight to more established asset classes (“safe havens”). Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWFs) have widely been censured for their undesirable political interference and chronic operational opacity. This paper demonstrates that in CEE, contrary to widespread perceptions attributable to developed markets, SWFs can act as natural and powerful risk mitigators (contributing to a more stable capital base and reduced systemic volatility). Such a proposition is premised on several factors specific to SWFs oriented to CEE. They comprise: strategic long-termism and patience in overcoming interim pricing deficiencies, commitments to elements of a broadly interpreted infrastructure, and absence of overt conflicts of interest with the CEE host economies. The paper, besides reviewing the utilitarianism of SWFs in the CEE’s risk mitigation context, highlights regulatory and technical barriers to more SWF funding for CEE. It also recommends policy measures to the CEE economies aimed at luring more host-friendly SWF investment into the region.
Commercialization as a Recommended Approach to Hospital Restructuring Case Study of Łańcut Medical Center
Authors: Patena Wiktor , Kaszyk Bartłomiej
Published: February 2017

Our society is on the brink of health care system reorganization and implementation of new medical technology. Hospitals have to be a core component of the medical revolution so they have to be prepared for the upcoming leap in their development. If Poland wants to be a pioneer in providing new medical solutions, the current ineffective system has to be changed. The necessary action should be taken to deal with the financial problems Polish hospitals have faced for over 20 years. The current structure of hospitals - SPZOZ, is old-fashioned and cannot adapt to a turbulent social and economic environment. The hospitals should be commercialized and restructured. Being capitalized companies will give incentives and new tools to deal with financial problems.

The article presents an example of the commercialized hospital in Łańcut. We make the observations that commercialization increases: a hospital’s profitability, its employment productivity, its capital investment spending and leverage. The case proves that the transformation of hospitals to capital companies proposed by the Ministry of Health may be an appropriate approach and it does work once a reasonable management board is in charge. However, the legal structure alteration should be treated as the first step in the overall restructuring process. The article highlights the problem of managers of Polish hospitals who do not only struggle with financial shortages, but barely know which business model they should follow after commercialization to successfully run the restructuring process. Having examined the LMC the authors are crafting a prelude to the overall research on already commercialized hospitals to find an appropriate business model.
Causes of The Outbreak of the Eurozone Crises: The Role of the Usa and the European Central Bank Monetary Policy
Authors: Białek Natalia
Published: February 2017

This paper argues that the loose monetary policy of two of the world’s most important financial institutions-the U.S. Federal Reserve Board and the European Central Bank-were ultimately responsible for the outburst of global financial crisis of 2008-09. Unusually low interest rates in 2001- 05 compelled investors to engage in high risk endeavors. It also encouraged some governments to finance excessive domestic consumption with foreign loans. Emerging financial bubbles burst first in mortgage markets in the U.S. and subsequently spread to other countries. The paper also reviews other causes of the crisis as discussed in literature. Some of them relate directly to weaknesses inherent in the institutional design of the European Monetary Union (EMU) while others are unique to members of the EMU. It is rather striking that recommended remedies tend not to take into account the policies of the European Central Bank.
The Influence of Currency Risk Upon the Market Value of Commercial Banks Operating in the Polish Banking Sector
Authors: Korzeb Zbigniew
Published: February 2017

The objective of the paper is to analyse the impact of the Swiss National Bank’s decision to introduce the floating exchange rate of the franc on January 15th, 2015, upon the market value of commercial banks operating in the Polish banking sector. The analysis involved twelve commercial banks quoted on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. The results are inconclusive. The predicted reduction of the banks’ market value was less significant than indicated by market investors’ reaction on the day after the announcement of the decision to introduce the floating exchange rate of the franc. The banks most prone to granting credit denominated in CHF did experience the largest reduction of their share quotations. However, the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient calculated for the correlation between the average cumulative abnormal returns on shares for the entire analysed sample, and the proportion of credits denominated in Swiss francs in the total credit portfolio, indicated only a moderate correlation between both variables.
Coffee: An Indian Ocean Perspective
Authors: Barter Shane J.
Published: February 2017

Studies of coffee production and consumption are dominated by emphases on Latin American production and American consumption. This paper challenges the Atlantic perspective, demanding an equal emphasis on the Indian Ocean world of Eastern Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. A geographical approach to historical as well as contemporary patterns of coffee production and consumption provides an opportunity to rethink the nature of coffee as a global commodity. The Indian Ocean world has a much deeper history of coffee, and in recent decades, has witnessed a resurgence in production. The nature of this production is distinct, providing an opportunity to rethink dependency theories. Coffee in the Indian Ocean world is more likely to be produced by smallholders, countries are less likely to be economically dependent on coffee, farmers are more likely to harvest polycultures, and countries represent both consumers and producers. A balanced emphasis of Atlantic and Indian Ocean worlds allows us to better understand coffee production and consumption, together telling a more balanced, global story of this important commodity.
Algebro-Geometric Solutions of the Harry Dym Hierarchy
Authors: Li Zhu
Published: February 2017

The Harry Dym hierarchy is derived with the help of Lenard recursion equations and zero curvature equation. Based on the Lax matrix, an algebraic curve$\mathcal{K}_{n}$of arithmetic genus$n$is introduced, from which the corresponding meromorphic function$\phi$and Dubrovin-type equations are given. Further, the divisor and asymptotic properties of$\phi$are studied. Finally, algebro-geometric solutions for the entire hierarchy are obtained according to above results and the theory of algebraic curve.
Acupuncture decreases competitive anxiety prior to a competition in young athletes: a randomized controlled trial pilot study
Authors: Zarei Sahar , Shayestehfar Monir , Memari Amir-Hossein , SeifBarghi Tohid , Sobhani Vahid
Published: February 2017

Background

Although a certain level of competitive anxiety may increase performance, many athletes with anxiety experience uncontrolled negative feelings and cognition that in turn can have overwhelming effects on their performance.

Methods

We aimed to assess the effect of acupuncture on competitive anxiety of the adolescent football players prior to the competition using psychological and physiological markers. A total of 30 athletes were randomly and equally allocated to either acupuncture or sham control group.

Results

The results of t-test on posttest scores showed that acupuncture had a significant effect on cognitive anxiety (p=0.001) and somatic anxiety (p<0.001) but not self-confidence (p>0.05). Furthermore, the results showed that acupuncture significantly decreased the skin conductance in acupuncture group compared to sham group (p=0.006) (p<0.001).

Conclusions

In conclusion, the results suggested that acupuncture has the capacity to decrease cognitive and somatic anxiety prior to competition in adolescent athletes while this was accompanied by significant physiological changes.
Red blood cell (RBC) aggregation and its influence on non-Newtonian nature of blood in microvasculature
Authors: Murali Chitra , Nithiarasu Perumal
Published: February 2017

A robust computational model is proposed to investigate the non-Newtonian nature of blood flow due to rouleaux formation in microvasculature. The model consists of appropriate forces responsible for red blood cell (RBC) aggregation in the microvasculature, tracking of RBCs, and coupling between plasma flow and RBCs. The RBC aggregation results have been compared against the available data. The importance of different hydrodynamic forces on red blood cell aggregation has been delineated by comparing the time dependent path of the RBCs. The rheological changes to the blood flow have been investigated under different shear rates and hematocrit values and quantified with and without RBC aggregation. The results obtained in terms of wall shear stress (WSS) and blood viscosity indicate a significant difference between Newtonian and powerlaw fluid assumptions.
Determination of a diffusion coefficient in a quasilinear parabolic equation
Authors: Kanca Fatma
Published: February 2017

This paper investigates the inverse problem of finding the time-dependent diffusion coefficient in a quasilinear parabolic equation with the nonlocal boundary and integral overdetermination conditions. Under some natural regularity and consistency conditions on the input data the existence, uniqueness and continuously dependence upon the data of the solution are shown. Finally, some numerical experiments are presented.
Isomorphism theorems for some parabolic initial-boundary value problems in Hörmander spaces
Authors: Los Valerii , Murach Aleksandr
Published: February 2017

In Hörmander inner product spaces, we investigate initial-boundary value problems for an arbitrary second order parabolic partial differential equation and the Dirichlet or a general first-order boundary conditions. We prove that the operators corresponding to these problems are isomorphisms between appropriate Hörmander spaces. The regularity of the functions which form these spaces is characterized by a pair of number parameters and a function parameter varying regularly at infinity in the sense of Karamata. Owing to this function parameter, the Hörmander spaces describe the regularity of functions more finely than the anisotropic Sobolev spaces.
Crystal structure of yttrium gallium antimonide, Y5Ga1.24Sb2.77
Authors: Yan Chang , Zhao Meng , Gao Ju , Yao Jinlei
Published: February 2017

Y5Ga1.24Sb2.77, orthorhombic, Pnma (no. 62), a = 7.9629(1) Å, b = 15.175(2) Å, c = 7.9795(1) Å, V = 964.2(2) Å3, Z = 4, R
gt(F) = 0.0701, wR
ref(F
2) = 0.0741, T = 293 K.
Subversive Victims?
Authors: Houge Anette Bringedal
Published: February 2017

This article measures and evaluates the Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten’s coverage of the extensive use of sexual violence during the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina, with a particular focus on sexual violence against men. According to an extensive report written by a UN Commission of Experts, the use of sexual violence against men as well as women was widespread and took place on all sides of the conflict. Yet what we heard about sexual violence in the media concerned women victims almost exclusively. The purpose of this study is to analyse the coverage with respect to gender from a feminist, critical constructivist perspective. The present argument is that the coverage of male victims is insufficient. According to the framework, this involves several constraints related to the power of dominant masculinity constructs and the social stigma attached to sexual violence, as well as some poor journalism, or lack of knowledge on the part of journalists.
Downcast Eyes
Authors: Grønstad Asbjørn
Published: February 2017

In Austrian director Michael Haneke’s Caché (2005), the specter of the culturally repressed returns in the form of mute, unrelenting images that seem to demand something of the protagonists in the film. This article argues that Caché, in its troubled but timely reflection on the enigmatic images that make up our shared visual culture, negotiates an ethical space within the film-world in which the audience is confronted not only with historical events that they would rather forget but also with their own complicity in the more contemporary injustices of which the subaltern is victim. With a view toward understanding the complex rhetoric of the film’s images of confrontation, the article suggests that the director’s iconoclastic project derives much of its psychological and emotional force from the narrative deployment of the figure of intrusion.
The Archived Website and Website Philology
Authors: Brügger Niels
Published: February 2017

Website history can be considered an emerging discipline at the intersection between media history and Internet history. In this discipline, the individual website is regarded as the unifying entity of the historical analysis rather than the Internet or the Web. Writing the history of a website involves using many sources and methods similar to those used in writing the history of any other media type. But one document type requires special attention: the archived website. This is so because the problems involved in finding, collecting and preserving the website are different from those characterizing the archiving of other types of traces of human activity, including other media types. The primary problem is that the actual act of finding, collecting and preserving changes the website that was on the live web in a number of ways, thus creating a unique version of it and not simply a copy. The present article sets out, first, to discuss to what extent the archived website can be considered a new type of historical document and how its characteristics affect the task of the website historian who must later use it; second, the article discusses and attempts to formulate some methodological principles, rules and recommendations for a future critical textual philology of the website.
Professor Nukem
Authors: SandviK Kjetil , Thorhauge Anne Mette
Published: February 2017

The experience economy, that is, the creative and communicative turn in today’s social, cultural and economic structures, implies, as explained by Pine and Gilmore (1999), that consumption is embedded in a communicative format that conveys some kind of experience to the consumer. The consumer in turn becomes more than just a passive user - he or she becomes an active participant in the experiential/communicative design. As such, the mode of consumption in the experience economy is an interactive and play-centric one. And the computer game embodies the very core logic of this experience economy. In the experience economy, the focus is not on consumption of commodities and services, but on the consumer’s engagement in an experience that uses products, services and information as props and creative tools. Taking the user-centred mode of consumption as our point of departure, the present paper examines how the computer game format may be used as a new tool for communicating academic research to a broader audience. By applying some findings from a recent project, we will focus on the ways in which academic research can be communicated in a format that causes the recipient to take part in the process of communication and acquiring knowledge. This opens up new opportunities as well as challenges. On the one hand, communication of academic research is provided with new types of involvement, as the focus is not only on knowledge as content, but also on knowledge as activity. On the other hand, questions are raised here concerning what kind of knowledge is actually communicated/created in the process of active participation.
Open Standards in Scientific Communication and Publishing
Authors: Vaagan Robert W.
Published: February 2017

The paper takes as a starting point a recent EU Commission report on scientific publishing in Europe (Dewatripont et al 2006). In Norway, where a new system of documentation of scientific publishing was introduced in 2005, several of the recommendations in this report have already been anticipated. The Norwegian documentation system which has already proven controversial in parts of the research community and lacks parallells in other Nordic countries like Denmark and Sweden, is expected to have considerable consequences on Norwegian publishing patterns, such as increased use of electronic journals and of open standards such as Open Access and Open Source (Vaagan 2005). As e-publishing grows as part of the process of globalization, there is increasing awareness in many countries of ethical concerns in science and in scientific publishing, including the need for public access to publicly-funded research results. In this perspective, the paper links open standards in scientific communication and publishing to the principle of universality of science and to information ethics priorities identified by Capurro (2004). Qualitative methodology is used with critical & typical case sampling (Patton 2002) of key policy documents as well as international articles on e-publishing 2000-2005, especially from DLib magazine. In conclusion, it is suggested that open standards such as Open Access and Open Source are likely to increase in scientific publishing in the future, both in Norway and in the EU.
Courting, Criticism, Censorship and Bombs
Authors: Figenschou Tine Ustad
Published: February 2017

On the eve of the conflict in Iraq, the US administration tried to re-establish more friendly relations with the Arab media. This article reviews American public diplomacy and communications strategies towards the Arab satellite networks, with particular emphasis on the Qatar-based al-Jazeera Channel, and considers the degree to which American strategies succeeded. The American experiences with al-Jazeera during the war in Iraq were similar to their experiences during the war in Afghanistan. The main finding is that the US administration lacks a comprehensive communications strategy towards al-Jazeera: In both conflicts the US administration started by courting the channel, giving exclusive interviews and participating in debates, but when war started friendly relations came to an end. When al-Jazeera focused on the ugly face of both wars, the American administration reacted with criticism, threats and attempts to silence the channel.
Media Diversity and the Politics of Criteria
Authors: Karppinen Kari
Published: February 2017

Diversity and pluralism are foundational principles that seem to underlie much of the arguments in European communication and media policy. Consequently, the positive value associated with these concepts can be exploited in arguments for various and often-incompatible objectives. This paper discusses the uses and implications of different definitions and empirical objectifications of media diversity in media policy with a particular focus on how certain definitions and political rationalities become institutionalized and normalized in expert and policy discourses. It is argued in the article that the growing body of research on media diversity as a measurable concept implies a shift from the normative and political questions to more narrowly defined technocratic and market-driven definitions of media and culture, a move which itself is not without normative and political implications.
Beyond Representation
Authors: Nordberg Camilla
Published: February 2017

Processes of defining citizenship become particularly exposed in a media context, since this is an arena where a broad range of actors get their voice heard. The aim of this contribution is to explore the claims-making activities by different actors in stories about the Roma in Finnish newspapers. I want to elucidate the access to the mediated space and provide some examples of how citizenship claims are raised and contextualised. The empirical study is based content analysis and qualitative text analysis of articles from 1990-2003 in both the largest Finnish-language and the largest Swedish-language daily newspapers (Helsingin Sanomat and Hufvudstadsbladet). While Romani voices do have the possibility to contest dominant views in newspaper stories related to the Roma, this article argues, firstly, for a diversified coverage on Romani issues and, secondly, for increasing dialogue between a broader group of actors.
Symbolic Spaces of Everyday Life
Authors: Bengtsson Stina
Published: February 2017

This article presents an analysis of the role of the media in the symbolic construction of work and leisure at home. Dealing with individuals who represent a post-industrial and cultural labour market and who work mainly at home, the analysis focuses upon the ritual transformations of everyday life and the role of the media within it.

Leaning on social interactionist Erwin Goffman and his concepts of regions and frames, as well as a dimension of the materiality of culture, this analysis combines a perspective on media use as ritual, transformations in everyday life and the organization of material space From this perspective, the discussion penetrates the symbolic dimension of media use in defining borders of behaviour and activities in relation to work and leisure at home.
The Mediated Body
Authors: Jerslev Anne
Published: February 2017

Taking Vivian Sobchack’s idea of the digital morph as not only a digital practice but also a metaphor for a culture obsessed with the idea of bodily changes, of reversibility and metamorphoses, the article takes a closer look at the visual construction of the body as a site of transformation, modification, and improvement in both television, film and fashion photography. The article focuses on the two reality programmes /Extreme Makeover/ (ABC) and /The Swan/ (FOX), the American drama-series /Nip/Tuck/ and an extended series of fashion photographs from /Italian Vogue/ July 2005 by American photographer Steven Meisel titled /Makeover Madness/. The article argues that this modifiable body is today’s /natural body /and it concludes that even though the modified body, digital or not, is noticable everywhere in contemporary visual culture it may, primarily, point out what our culture wants to deny.
What Is the Strategic Role of Online Newspapers?
Authors: Krumsvik Arne H.
Published: February 2017

The newspapers are in a pressed situation of circulation decline. This is partly a consequence of increased Internet usage, a development the papers themselves have helped push forward. This survey reveals that Norwegian newspapers executives do not approve fully of their own organizations’ online activities, and explores their rationale for online publishing: Is it marketing of the print product, the development of new business, or are the newspapers still in an explorative mode?
Interactivity in the Wild
Authors: Jensen Klaus Bruhn
Published: February 2017

Interactivity remains a central and yet notoriously difficult notion in studies of computermediated communication. Compared to most previous research, which has taken theoretical and deductive routes, this article explores interactivity empirically and inductively with particular reference to collaboration within organizations. The study relied on a theoretical sample of interview respondents - designers of web applications as well as end-users, (middle) management as well as rank-and-file employees. The findings, first, help to specify the meaning of ‘interactivity,’ ‘communication,’ and ‘information’ for everyday work practices. Second, the respondents provide contextualized arguments and narratives concerning how media that offer different degrees of interactivity, may substitute or complement each other. Third, the analyses indicate how e-mail, web applications, and other media serve to constitute specific forms of interaction between colleagues and departments within an organization. For further research, the article suggests the relevance of examining interactivity, in part, as a characteristic of the simultaneous use of several media. Finally, the interview discourses bear witness to how the understanding of interactive media forms within organizations is shaped, as well, by the wider social setting embedding both media and organizations.
Narrative Norms in Written News
Authors: Grunwald Ebbe
Published: February 2017

News writing is organized in accordance with a norm usually visualized as an inverted pyramid. The purpose is to support a focus to tell the reader, which information is the most actual, important and relevant.

News is also stories about selected factual events narrated and re-narrated by sources and journalists. The involved communication acts of journalism are important tools in the hands of the writer by means of which news is made understandable, credible and interesting. The tools are used differently in papers and genres, and they are still influenced by the continuous competition among the daily papers in the market.

The purpose of this article is to explore, punctually demonstrate and explain the narrative norms that govern the writing of news. It defends the point of view that the contextual conditions of this journalistic activity is developing narrative modes and voices that fit into the ongoing fight for the attention of a treacherous public.
The Norwegian Media Image of the War in Afghanistan
Authors: Ottosen Rune
Published: February 2017

This article analyzes the framing of Norwegian media coverage of the war against terror in Afghanistan with special emphasis of the coverage of the Norwegian military presence in Afghanistan. Two main issues are discussed: 1. How was the start of the war covered in the media in October 2001? 2. In what context was the Norwegian military presence covered? The two newspapers analyzed are Aftenposten and VG. The choice of these two newspapers was made to include Norway’s largest and potentially most influential morning paper (Aftenposten) and its largest tabloid, as well as largest newspaper (VG). Quantitative as well as qualitative methods are used to analyze the coverage. Both Aftenposten’s and VG’s coverage on the first day of the war in Afghanistan are dominated by pro-US framing and the use of Western sources. The pro-US framing is more obvious in Aftenposten than in VG.
The Good Portrait of the Academic Author
Authors: Thorlacius Lisbeth
Published: February 2017

This article aims to give the reader a language with which one can discuss portraits of academics and their usage. Moreover the four most frequently used genres of portraits of academic authors will be introduced. And it will be argued why insight into, and knowledge of these genres is crucial in order to make the correct choice of portrait in the light of the context. The most relevant genres within photography of academics can be found within four categories: The classical portrait, the staged portrait, the situational portrait and the news portrait. When choosing a portrait whether it is for the news, public relations or the back cover of a book it is useful to have a vocabulary about the visual elements concerning photography of academics. Such a language can be provided by semiotics, and in this context I have drawn on aspects of the semiotic theories of Ferdinand de Saussure, Roland Barthes, and Charles Sanders Peirce.
Urban Communities as a Social Space for Child Abuse
Authors: Iovu Mihai-Bogdan , Roth Maria
Published: February 2017

Statement of problem: The rate at which children are maltreated is one of the most sensitive measures of demographic, social, and economic conditions. Maltreatment may differ markedly in terms of an area’s socio-demographic and economic makeup and this phenomenon needs to be studied in a structural context. This study employs a social disorganization perspective to identify the most reliable structural factors of child maltreatment for children aged 10 to 18 years in Valcea County. Method: ICAST-CH, an instrument developed by the International Society for Prevention Child Abuse and Neglect in order to assess child maltreatment’s rates in a unitary way in different countries. It was applied to 1142 children in Valcea’s urban areas. Results: child abuse is positive correlated to high rates of community violence and negative correlated with community resources. The parents’ education and occupation status is involved in explaining high rates of child abuse in different manners. Conclusion: the urban areas are diverse spaces in terms of variables that influence child abuse. Future studies in the subject of structural child abuse would need to be done in more urban areas in order to find some additional patterns of the phenomenon.
Roma Youth Between Traditional Education and Current Occupations
Authors: Hulea Diana-Maria
Published: February 2017

Traditionally, in the Roma family, the woman is responsible for educating the children, from birth to marriage. Thus, she has an educational role of prime importance that helps to ensure the group’s survival, along with its characteristics and traditions. The father teaches his sons the traditional craft.

The main purpose of this article is to present aspects of the traditional education provided by the Roma family and to explain the Roma attitude towards school, but also to explain the relationship between traditional education and current occupation of Roma young people. The data collection method used was the semi-structured interviews on 42 people, both from rural and urban areas.

It was found that the traditional Roma family provides continuing education based on mutual respect between children and adults without a division between theoretical education and the apprenticeship of roles in the family. The family also provides the economic discipleship, as the child learns ways to support his family. It was noted that for Roma living in urban and rural areas, schooling is not particularly important. However it was also noted that they have changed their way of thinking to some extent, because they realize that it is very important to know how to read and write. Regarding the current occupations it can be argued that, in general, Roma young people develop economic activities that imply some degree of independence. We observe an attitude of rejection towards income-generating activities that involve compliance with a fixed schedule, inclusion in a group of colleagues and strict conditions in the workplace.
Women Victims of Domestic Violence: Analysis of Their Perceptions of the Criminal Justice System in Romania
Authors: Antal Imola , Szigeti Júlia , Stoleru Maria
Published: February 2017

Criminal justice interventions are important to reduce domestic violence and protect women. In this study we will tackle the unwillingness of women in two regions of Romania to press charges and the failure of the criminal justice system in providing them protection and justice. “Why don’t women press charges?” was the main question that stood at the basis of the international research WOSAFEJUS1, where Babeş-Bolyai University (UBB) was the main Romanian partner through its Faculty of Sociology and Social Work. In our paper we will analyse the studies relevant to the field of domestic violence and we will pay a special attention to those that take into consideration the functioning of the criminal justice system. We will present a preliminary analysis of the women’s perception of the criminal justice system in Romania. Our results are based on 76 semi-structured interviews with women in a situation of domestic violence. Atlas.ti was used to aid a thematic analysis of the qualitative data. The results will highlight women’s expectations regarding the justice system, the perceived usefulness of the legal intervention as well as the main factors that come into play when they decide to stay or to leave the criminal justice process. Even though in most of the cases police intervention can’t or doesn’t provide safety and the rapid elimination of danger, the importance of non-legislative factors of intervention has nevertheless been emphasized.
Battered Women: Victims or Survivors?
Authors: Bejenaru Anca
Published: February 2017

From 1970, research into women’s responses to marital violence became much more intense than ever before. Academic literature emphasizes two explanatory perspectives: of the woman as passive victim and of the woman who uses strategies to protect herself. The main goals of this study were to explore the effectiveness of personal strategies that women use to survive violence, the factors that influence the recurrence of violence, and the demand for shelter and the role of shelters in the process of recovery and healing. We interviewed eight battered women, from rural areas, all of whom had taken refuge in shelters, some of them several time. We identified a number of psychopathological consequences of domestic violence against women. Regardless of the severity of the attacks, the assumption that women are passive in face of violence doesn’t hold water. Women’s effort to survive violence is often hampered by inefficient response of rural police and the apathy of the community at large. The study concludes with suggestions for practice.
Disclosure and Hiding Online. Pleading for Prevention of Online Violence among Teenagers
Authors: Diaconescu Maria
Published: February 2017

The present paper discusses disclosure, hiding and self protection in the current online interactions among teenagers. It focuses on disclosure of inner feelings and attitudes, and hiding as a form of self protection online. We explore more specific the following questions: How the feelings and attitudes are disclosed and understood online when teenagers use instant messenger; For what do teenagers choose to disclose themselves on instant messenger and control the conditions of their interactions online? The qualitative research method we used to explore the mentioned questions was the offline and online interview. Two hypotheses emerged and are presented as the results of this study. These are analysed, illustrated by teenager’s responses, discussed and on hand to be verified with statistical method in further quantitative research. Reduced nonverbal cues online reduce the accuracy of empathic understanding which do not stop teenagers to disclose and develop sympathy online. Teenagers choose to disclose themselves online in order to get and/or to maintain a sense of belongingness, to get help or to exercise assertiveness and self-confidence. They learn to control the conditions of their online interactions in order to play with each other or to protect their selves from potential hurts and unwanted intrusions: they choose either to gossip, attack or to hide them online. The present study pleads for action research and building social programs in order to prevent online and offline violence.
Politics and the ‘Ideology’ of Journalism in Romania: Results from Local Case Studies
Authors: Stănuş Cristina
Published: February 2017

The paper approaches the ‘ideology’ of Romanian post-communist journalism as identified in local news media organisations. We focus on the practical philosophy of journalism, emphasizing elements such as autonomy, truth, objectivity; and the relationship of journalists and news organisations with political actors. Special attention is given to the interplay between this practical philosophy and the political and economic constraints influencing news media organisations in Romania. We approach this topic using in-depth interviews with journalists and editors from news media organisations in three Romanian cities. We argue that two different ‘ideologies’ of journalism as a profession exist. These are complemented by a tendency toward reducing journalism to a simple occupation, linked to the politicization of media ownership in Romania and the widespread use of media organisations as vehicles for the free speech of their owners.
Educational Practitioners on Professional Community and Sense of Community
Authors: Popa Adela Elena
Published: February 2017

The study aims to address two areas regarding preschool education: the participation of preschool practitioners in professional groups and communities and the views and understandings they hold on the ‘professional community’ concept. A survey was completed by teachers and specialists working with preschool children in all kindergartens of Sibiu (N=308) in July 2011. A quantitative and qualitative approach of the data was used, for processing a part of the survey’s items. Results show a high participation of practitioners in professional groups within their own institution, but less implication in national or international groups and communities. The respondents’ views on professional community show a basic understanding of it, as a place for interaction and communication in order to get support and advice when needed. Several practical implications are drawn after discussing the results.