bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fissidens Subgenus Aloma (Bryophyta) in Tropical Africa I. the Large-Celled Costate and Ecostate Species
Authors: Bruggeman-Nannenga Maria Alida
Published: November 2017

A revision of the large-celled costate and ecostate species of Fissidens subgenus Aloma Kindb. from tropical Africa is presented. Fissidens flaccidus var. mammillosus Brugg.-Nann. var. nov. is described and the Neotropical F. mollis Mitt. is reinstated. Most African specimens previously identified as F. enervis Sim are referred to Fissidens dealbatus Hook. f. & Wilson, a new indigene for Africa. Fissidens molliculus P. de la Varde, F. hedbergii P. de la Varde and F. hookerioides Bizot & Onr. in Bizot are subsumed under F. dealbatus. Fissidens enervis s.str. appeared to be a rare species. The distributions in O’Shea (2006) are revised, updated and, when necessary, amended. Fissidens flaccidus Mitt. is for the first time reported from South Africa and Guinea, F. zollingeri Mont. from Ghana, F. grandifolius Broth. & P. de la Varde from Cameroon and F. usambaricus Broth. from Malawi and Gabon. Pending further research, F. palmatus Hedw. is excluded from the African bryoflora. It is stressed that, since vegetative and perichaetial stems are different, perichaetial stems (and leaves of perichaetial stems) are to be compared with perichaetial stems (and leaves of perichaetial stems), whereas vegetative stems (and leaves of vegetative stems) should be compared with other vegetative stems (and leaves of vegetative stems).
Primary sinonasal mucosal melanoma – Case report and literature review
Authors: Evsei Anca , Birceanu-Corobea Adelina , Melinte Violeta , Sarafoleanu Codrut
Published: November 2017

BACKGROUND. Primary sinonasal mucosal melanoma is a rare tumor with a poor survival rate. There is an inherent difficulty in diagnosing these lesions, especially because their complex anatomic locations and symptoms can be frequently confused with other benign or malignant processes. The purpose of our study was to report a difficult case and review the literature and recent research on therapeutic modalities.

MATERIAL AND METHODS. We herein report a 61-year-old female patient, with a history of right eye enucleation and prosthesis, who presented with obstruction of the left nostril, anterior and posterior mucopurulent rhinorrhea, anosmia, left facial numbness, left exophthalmia accompanied by ipsilateral epiphora and decreased visual acuity.

RESULTS. Clinical and imagistic testing revealed a large, grayish, fleshy tumor localized in the left maxillary sinus, with extension to the left orbit (producing osteolysis of the inferior and medial orbital walls), nasopharynx, ethmoidal cells and left frontal sinus. Pathological and immunohistochemical examination confirmed the diagnosis of mucosal melanoma. Other primary sites were excluded. The patient succumbed shortly after, following only palliative treatment.

CONCLUSION. Early diagnosis of primary sinonasal mucosal melanoma is essential but very difficult to detect. Any symptoms such as unilateral epistaxis or nasal obstruction in a patient over the age of 60 should be rendered suspicious. Pathological and immunohistochemical examination for diagnosis and prognostic factors are important. Although surgery is the first option for treatment, one must consider, according to tumor staging, radiotherapy and chemotherapy with immunotherapy as a viable course of treatment for advanced cases.
Signal void and pseudo-pneumatized sinus in fungal rhinosinusitis – Case report
Authors: Vuzitas Alexis , Petrica Marian , Manea Claudiu
Published: November 2017

BACKGROUND. Signal void, or the absence of signal on MRI sequences, in the sinonasal region may be encountered in fungal rhinosinusitis cases with the aspect of a pseudo-pneumatized sinus, leading to diagnostic errors.

CASE REPORT. We present the case of a 75-year-old woman referred to our clinic for complete and persistent right-sided nasal obstruction. The patient was evaluated using sinus CT and contrast-enhanced head MRI. Opacification of the right maxillary, ethmoid and frontal sinuses as well as of the right nasal fossa were seen on CT, with maxillary sinus expansion and osseous erosion. The MRI showed T2 signal void in the maxillary sinus with extension to the nasal fossa, creating the appearance of a pseudo-pneumatized sinus, and hyperintense signal in the ipsilateral anterior ethmoid and frontal sinuses. The patient underwent endoscopic sinus surgery. The dual imaging evaluation of the patient aided the preoperative differential diagnosis and choosing the surgical approach.
Investigation on the Relationship between Microstructure and Fracture Properties of Self-Compacting Concrete (SCC)
Authors: Hemalatha T. , Chandra Kishen J. M. , Ramaswamy Ananth
Published: November 2017

Self-compacting concrete (SCC) is a high-performance concrete that is increasingly replacing conventional concrete because of its many advantages. SCC is prepared with chemical and mineral admixtures to achieve increased flowability. These admixtures modify the microstructural characteristics of SCC, which in turn affect the mechanical and fracture properties of concrete. In this study, an attempt has been made to establish the relationship between the microstructure and fracture properties of SCC mixes. The fracture properties are studied by using the RILEM work of fracture method, Bazant’s size effect, and the Wittman boundary effect models. Microstructural characterization has been carried out using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and microindentation techniques. It is revealed that the presence of mineral admixtures alter the microstructural skeleton of SCC, which in turn increase its brittleness. However, it is also found that the reason for brittleness is not because of cracking through aggregates as is reported in many literature regarding high-strength concrete; on the contrary, the cracks are passing through the interfacial transition zone or matrix in all SCC mixes, as is revealed by SEM images. Furthermore, it is found that the mechanical properties of the aggregate used have a significant influence on the fracture properties of the mixes.
Tele Alert System for Epileptic Seizure on a Study of EEG Signal Classification by GBE-NLSVM through ICA Preprocessed and AR Extracted Signal in a BCI System
Authors: Velumani R. , Vijayakumar M. , Ramasamy M.
Published: November 2017

Brain computer interface is an action of translating the brain signal into a command for activating artificial object such as limb. BCI is the collaboration of biomedical, electrical, computer, and mechanical engineering. An action potential is created in the form of electrical signal in the brain for every action of a human being, either physical or mental. The patient himself suffering from epileptic seizure poses danger severely during the absence of continuous monitoring. Taking care of epileptic patients from remote locations has become essential since the patient loses his whole control during epileptic seizure. This paper presented an epileptic tele alert system (ETAS) for a patient being monitored from out of the hospital premises. The brain signals tapped using a noninvasive electro encephalographic (EEG) electrode was given to independent component analysis (ICA) to preprocess the tapped signal. The auto regressive method (AR) was employed to extract the feature from training the brain signal for the normal and abnormal condition of the patient. The support vector machine technique named Gaussian basis function non-linear support vector machine (GBF-NLSVM) was used to classify the signal that is a vulnerable point in the cause of the epileptic seizure with respect to brain action potential for various statuses of activities. The frequency beyond the beta level was identified and the signal was transformed as a command for activating handheld devices using microcontroller via global system for mobile communication (GSM). The MATLAB, Simulink software having built in functions for studying the brain signal was used to analyze the brain signal. The proposed model discussed the signal tapping, feature extraction, classification, and activation of mobile phone using microcontroller. The proposed system incorporating ICA, AR, and GBF- NLSVM was compared with other techniques for identifying epileptic seizure and ensured that the system provided about 97 % of accuracy over the other standalone technique.
Electrical and Gravimetric Estimation of the Corrosion Inhibition of Three Synthesized Cationic Surfactants N-(3-(Butylidene Amino) Propyl)-N, N-Dimethyl Alkan-1-Ammonium Bromide Derivatives in 1 M HCl
Authors: Aiad Ismail , Shaban Samy M. , El-Sukkary Mohamed M. , El-Awady Moshira Y. , Soliman E. A.
Published: November 2017

The inhibiting effect of three synthesized corrosion inhibitors that are based on Schiff base and named N-(3-(butylidene amino) propyl)-N,N-dimethyl decan-1-ammonium bromide, N-(3-(butylidene amino) propyl)-N,N-dimethyl dodecan-1-ammomium bromide, and N-(3-(butylidene amino) propyl)-N,N-dimethyl hexadecan-1-ammonium on the corrosion rate of mild steel in 1.0 M hydrochloric acid was monitored through gravimetric and electrochemical techniques at 25°C. The temperature effect ranging from 25°C to 70°C on the corrosion rate has been studied and used for predicting the adsorption isotherm and thermodynamic parameters. The propensity of the synthesized compounds to adsorb on the steel surface were found to obey Villamil adsorption isotherm. The inhibition efficiency was increased concurrently with a plethora of inhibitor concentration and a rise of the solution temperature. Polarization curves prove that the tested compounds act as mixed-type inhibitors. Double-layer capacitances of inhibitors decrease when compared to the blank solution.
Modeling the structure of the sensitive element of the magnetoresistic converter
Authors: Zinkovsky Yu. F. , Vityaganets A. I.
Published: November 2017

In the analysis of the electromagnetic structure the distribution and direction of current and the tangential electric field (E-fields) are found. The sensing element of the converter, which is used in the magnetoresistive system, is designed to measure active power in the frequency range from DC to hundreds of megahertz. An expression for the input resistance of the measuring transducer of the active power required for calculating the current in the film is obtained.
The simulation of the current distribution and tension of the tangential electric field in the three-dimensional structure of the sensitive element of the magnetoresistive measuring converter of active power was carried out. Knowing the direction of current along the structure it is possible to dampen the parasitic components of the current across the structure, which allows improving the topology of the sensitive element of the converter.
A history of the occurence of Blidinje lake (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Authors: Radoš Denis
Published: November 2017

Blidinje lake, or more commonly just Blidinje, is the biggest mountain lake in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in Herzegovina, between the mountains Vran and Čvrsnica, at an altitude of approximately 1,180 m. Some publications refer to it as a glacial lake. Although undoubtedly there is evidence of the prior existence of glaciers and glacial relief in the area around the lake, the morphology of the lake’s bottom and shores, changeability of the surface, and a number of records on the lake’s origin challenge the theory of the lake’s glacial origin. The aim of this paper is to use cartographic sources of spatial data, historical records, geomorphological analysis, existing literature and interviews with the local population in order to determine how and when Blidinje lake was formed. The methods used in the paper are the analysis of the available written and oral sources, geomorphological analysis, the analysis of old maps, and the analysis of toponymy. The existing historical and contemporary maps were used to perform lake surface measuring in GIS environment. All data acquired were used to disprove the glacial origin theory and to provide evidence that the lake was formed artificially by the end of the 19th century.
Otok Vir, ur. Damir Magaš, Sveučilište u Zadru, Općina Vir, Zadar, 2016.
Authors: Čuka Anica
Published: November 2017

Recenzija
Growth hormone insensitivity: Mexican case report
Authors: Castilla-Cortazar I , De Ita J R , Aguirre G A , García–Magariño M , Martín-Estal I , Lara-Diaz V J , Elizondo M I
Published: November 2017

Herein, we present a 14-year-old patient with short stature (134 cm) referred from Paediatrics to our department for complementary evaluation since growth hormone (GH) treatment failed to show any improvement. He was born premature and small for gestational age. Genital examination classified the patient as Tanner I–II with small penis and testicular size for his age. Biochemical analyses revealed normal GH levels with low serum insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). Molecular diagnosis confirmed several mutations in IGF1R and IGFALS, and so he was diagnosed with Laron Syndrome or GH insensibility and treated with IGF-1 substitutive therapy.

Learning points:

Evaluation of the GH/IGF-1 axis when short stature does not respond to conservative treatment must be included in the ordinary practice.

Laron Syndrome real incidence should be calculated once undiagnosed cases arise, as treatment, due to lack of market, is unaffordable.

Even when adulthood is reached, and no longitudinal growth can be achieved, still IGF-1 treatment in Laron Syndrome patients should be pursued as metabolic and protective derangements could arise.
Capsaicin Cream for Treatment of Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome in Adolescents: A Case Series
Authors: Graham Jessica , Barberio Michael , Wang George Sam
Published: November 2017

Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) is an underrecognized diagnosis among adolescents. In the adult literature, it is characterized as nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain in patients with chronic marijuana use. CHS is often refractory to the standard treatment of nausea and vomiting. Unconventional antiemetics, such as haloperidol, have been successful in alleviating symptoms; however, even 1 dose of haloperidol can lead to grave adverse effects, such as dystonia, extrapyramidal reactions, and neuroleptic malignant syndrome. The use of topical capsaicin cream to treat CHS has been well described in the adult literature. This treatment is cost-effective and is associated with few serious side effects. Here, we describe 2 adolescent patients with nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain in the setting of chronic cannabis use whose symptoms were not relieved by standard antiemetic therapies, but who responded well to topical capsaicin administration in our pediatric emergency department. We also discuss the pathophysiology behind capsaicin’s efficacy. These are the first reported cases in which capsaicin was successfully used to treat CHS in pediatric patients.
Angażowanie interesariuszy w proces brandingu miasta – teoria versus praktyka
Authors: Glińska Ewa
Published: November 2017

In connection with the development of the relational paradigm in marketing of public organizations, as well as in territorial branding, it is increasingly emphasized that involvement of local stakeholders in the process of formulating and implementing the city brand concept is a key condition for the success of such projects. The aim of the paper is to determine whether a more participatory approach in forming the desired image of cities, taking into account the opinions of various groups of local stakeholders, allows municipalities in Poland to define a clearer concept of city brand. The study uses statistical analysis of the results of a survey carried out among heads of promotion departments of 217 municipalities. The results show the presence of a statistically significant correlation between the number of stakeholders and ordinary citizens (as one of the local interest groups) involved in the process associated with the formation of the desired image of the city, and the level of clarity the local governments have regarding the definition of the concept.
Powiązania kultury organizacyjnej i zarządzania zasobami ludzkimi w szpitalach publicznych
Authors: Buchelt Beata Irma , Jończyk Joanna Anna
Published: November 2017

Organizational culture (OC), along with organizational structure or strategy, is one of the most crucial determinants of successful human resource management practices implementation. The factor’s importance increases in unique organizations such as public hospitals. In the literature, the aspect of organizational culture in hospitals is widely discussed. However, at the same time researchers rarely focus on the inf luence of OC on human resource management practices. Due to the fact, the paper’s objective is to detect relationships between organizational culture and human resource management practices. In order to fulfil the objective, in the first part of the paper the authors discuss theoretical aspects of OC and HRM in public hospitals. In the second part, they analyze the relationship between these two categories. Additionally, a research was conducted in the years 2014/2015 in Poland on the sample of 468 respondents employed in 8 public hospitals. Its results confirm that there is a correlation between different types of organizational culture and particular human resource management practices such as recruitment of employees who are open to change and development and ready to share knowledge and reward staff for innovativeness. The findings can be regarded as reasonable premises for management in the organizations and a further research area.
Ownership changes in the Hungarian healthcare sector, 1990-2017
Authors: Mihalyi Peter
Published: November 2017

The paper’s objective is to provide a historical account of the most important changes in two aspects of Hungarian healthcare: financing and provision. It will be shown that after a promising start to the necessary post-communist reforms, a complete reversal took place after 2010. The separation between financing and provision ended. By 2017, the Ministry of the Economy – like the Planning Office under the socialist system – has regained absolute control over the entire healthcare sector, including both financing and provision. Even the Ministry of Health ceased to exist in 2010.
Procesos de significación: una mirada pragmática a los mensajes publicitarios de compañías telefónicas en la web
Authors: López Lozano Juana Alejandra
Published: November 2017

Tomando como horizonte teórico la pragmática y los datos obtenidos tras el seguimiento de mensajes publicitarios de cuatro empresas de telefonía celular en Colombia, este artículo reflexiona acerca de los procesos de significación de los mensajes publicitarios online, en términos de la redundancia de códigos y de los contextos de interpretación previstos en el mensaje. Este acercamiento preliminar mostró que la redundancia orienta los procesos de significación de los destinatarios del mensaje publicitario en dos sentidos: contribuye a preservar las intenciones comunicativas que han motivado la producción del mensaje y privilegia la construcción de contextos interpretativos que favorecen su significado.
Particle breakage energy and stress dilatancy in drained shear of rockfills
Authors: Guo W.-L. , Zhu J.-G.
Published: November 2017

Particle breakage can be quite considerable even at low-stress levels, and it has a significant influence on the stress dilatancy of rockfill materials. In order to reasonably quantify the energy consumed by particle breakage, which has yet to be satisfactorily addressed, a function of friction ratio relating to the distortional strain and critical state stress ratio is proposed in this paper. The friction ratio references the widely accepted evolution rule of particle breakage and the new calculated energy consumption by particle breakage is proved to result in a reasonable distribution against increasing strain. Then, the rate of energy consumption per unit volume of aggregates is certified and suggested to be a linear relationship with the proposed friction ratio. Additionally, a stress dilatancy relationship for rockfill materials, based on modified Rowe's dilatancy law, is derived and verified by successfully predicting the stress dilatancy of drained rockfill triaxial specimens. It is believed to be an effective stress dilatancy for the study of elastoplastic constitutive model of rockfill materials.
Editorial
Authors: Quispe Gluder
Published: November 2017

Editorial
Cartas de Caldas [Francisco José] ilustradas. Bogotá, Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas/Casa Museo Caldas/ Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, 2016, 548p. Compilación y preparación de las cartas Nataliya Savitskaya y Diego Caldas Varona.
Authors: Silva Renán
Published: November 2017

Reseña bibliográfica
Megabase DNA Extraction from Animal Blood v1
Authors: Zhihai Huang , Xu Jiang not provided , Xiao Shuiming not provided , Liao Baosheng not provided , Gao Yuan not provided , Zhai Chaochao not provided , Qiu Xiaohui not provided , Xu Wen not provided , Chen Shilin not provided
Published: November 2017

This protocol provides an efficient and reliable technique for obtaining HMW DNA(>1Mb) from animal blood. It accompanies: Huang Zhihai, Xu Jiang, Xiao Shuiming, Liao Baosheng, Gao Yuan, Zhai Chaochao, Qiu Xiaohui, Xu Wen, Chen Shilin (2016): Supporting data for 'Comparative optical genome analysis of two Pangolin species Manis pentadactyla and Manis javanica'. GigaScience Database.
Irys NLRS DNA labeling and Data collection v1
Authors: Zhihai Huang , Xu Jiang not provided , Xiao Shuiming not provided , Liao Baosheng not provided , Gao Yuan not provided , Zhai Chaochao not provided , Qiu Xiaohui not provided , Xu Wen not provided , Chen Shilin not provided
Published: November 2017

This protocol is provided by BioNano Genomics and was used in: Huang Zhihai, Xu Jiang, Xiao Shuiming, Liao Baosheng, Gao Yuan, Zhai Chaochao, Qiu Xiaohui, Xu Wen, Chen Shilin (2016): Supporting data for 'Comparative optical genome analysis of two Pangolin species Manis pentadactyla and Manis javanica'. GigaScience Database.
Genomic DNA extraction from sea cucumber body-wall tissue v1
Authors: Jo Jihoon , Jooseong Oh not provided , Hyun Gwan Lee not provided , Hyun Hee Hong not provided , Sung Gwon Lee not provided , Seongmin Cheon not provided , Elizabeth MA Kern not provided , Soyeong Jin not provided , Sung Jin Cho not provided , Joong Ki Park not provided , Chungoo Park not provided
Published: November 2017

This is a DNA extraction protocol from sea cucumber (Apostichopus japonicus) body-wall tissue. It accompanies the following GigaScience publication: Jihoon Jo, et al. (2016): Draft genome of the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus and genetic polymorphism among color variants. GigaScience...
Повышение финансового потенциала компании на основе реализации инвестиционной стратегии
Authors: Павлов Александр Юрьевич , Бондин Игорь Александрович , Павлова Дарья Юрьевна
Published: November 2017

В статье приведены дефиниции «финансового потенциала» с точки зрения обеспеченности организации ресурсами и управления ими для достижения максимальной эффективности. Предлагается рассматривать финансовый потенциал компании как результат оценки будущих доходов от реализации инвестиционных проектов, возможных к получению организацией при сложившихся рыночных параметрах.
В рамках исследования разработаны критерии оценки финансового потенциала в зависимости от характера используемых источников средств (собственный капитал, заемные средства) и стратегии инвестирования, включающей четыре стадии внедрения: анализ, оценка, контроль, корректировка.
На примере телекоммуникационной компании ПАО «Ростелеком» проведен анализ финансовых показателей подразделений МРФ «Волга» и оценка управления финансовым потенциалом Пензенского филиала. Предложены направления инвестиционной стратегии, позволяющие повысить долгосрочные финансовые возможности Пензенского филиала ПАО «Ростелеком».
Auge minero y desindustrialización en América Latina
Authors: Torres Gómez Edwin , López González Mauricio
Published: November 2017

La producción minera creció notablemente en américa latina en las Dos últimas décadas y el auge de sus exportaciones redujo la producción Y la exportación de bienes industriales, provocando la enfermedad Holandesa. Este estudio explora sus efectos empleando un modelo de Regresión con datos de panel y un análisis gráfico de regresiones locales Polinómicas. Los resultados indican que la minería desplaza a la Industria en aquellos países donde las exportaciones mineras superan Cierto umbral, el cual debe servir de alarma para que las autoridades Económicas intervengan en forma activa.
Redes criminales y corrupción en la era del microtráfico y el narcomenudeo
Authors: Raffo López Leonardo , Gómez Calderón Diego
Published: November 2017

Este artículo identifica y analiza los agentes, relaciones y procesos que caracterizan el desenvolvimiento del microtráfico de drogas y el narcomenudeo como fase actual del narcotráfico en Colombia. Se construye un modelo analítico con una estructura de juegos secuenciales y redes sociales que incorpora las estrategias de corrupción de los traficantes. El principal resultado es que una mayor represión puede ser contraproducente debido a reacciones estratégicas de los agentes que los inducen a invertir más recursos en corrupción.
Aplicación de opciones reales en la valoración financiera de un campo petrolero
Authors: García E. Paola A.
Published: November 2017

Se identifican las condiciones de riesgo y flexibilidad para implementar la valoración de opciones reales en un proyecto de explotación petrolera de un hipotético campo maduro onshore (exploración terrestre).
Valoración de opciones climáticas: una aplicación para el sector arrocero de Yopal
Authors: Vargas Arayón Juan Camilo , Ríos Castro Nathalia Alejandra
Published: November 2017

En este trabajo se presenta el modelo de valoración de opciones climáticas desarrollado por Alaton et al. (2002) y se propone una aplicación de este al emplear la técnica de simulación de Montecarlo (MC), con el objetivo de valorar una opción barrera (como opción climática) para el sector arrocero de Yopal (Colombia), al involucrar umbrales críticos de temperatura para el cultivo. De esta forma, el comportamiento de la temperatura (subyacente) se modela mediante la técnica de mc asumiendo un proceso estocástico con reversión a la media del tipo Ornstein- Uhlenbeck. Los resultados encontrados muestran que este tipo de mecanismos de cobertura de riesgo se convierten en una alternativa factible y con gran potencial para su implementación.
The effect of administrators’ servant leadership on the excellence of Catholic school
Authors: Sirisookslip Saowanee , Ariratana Wallapha , Ngang Tang keow
Published: November 2017

The research was aimed to study the effect of school administrators’ servant leadership on the excellence of CatholicSchools under Nakhon Rarchasima Diocese. A total of 326 respondents consisting 61 school administrators and 265teachers were involved in this study. A quantitative survey design using questionnaire as an instrument was utilized in thisstudy. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. Descriptive statistic used in this study werefrequency, percentage, mean score and standard deviation whereas inferential statistic used were Pearson correlationcoefficient and Stepwise multiple regression analysis. The findings of the study revealed that both the independent anddependent variables were at high level. In short, school administrators were not only highly implemented servantleadership and its components but also the level of excellence was at high level. The excellence level of Catholic schools wassignificantly affected by three components of school administrators’ servant leadership at significant level of 0.05. Thesignificant predictors of the school excellence level were community establishment, trust, love, and having visioncomponents of servant leadership. The coefficient relative rate of multiple regression analysis was 0.651 and coefficientprediction was 41.60 percent. Finally, this paper also provided recommendation and suggestions for future research.
Keywords: Servant leadership; school administrators; school excellence; Catholic schools
National values of students in Lithuania
Authors: Abramauskienė Jolanta , Kirliauskienė Rasa
Published: November 2017

Abstract

The national values from studentsâ€™ point of view are analysed in the article, aiming to answer the questions: which national values are the priority, what does it mean today to be a true representative of the nation, what factors influence studentsâ€™ expression of national values. Todayâ€™s young people are characterized by high flexibility, mobility, adaptability to changing living conditions, constantly changing rules and norms. Every day new technologies are invented, a variety of new information flows promoting more different ideas. Therefore, youthâ€™s understanding of things and their use, attitude toward traditional relationships in society, family change, national values are viewed differently. In the article it is discussed whether globalized trends influenced the value position of respondents, and based on authors of pedagogy the attempt is made to uncover why in such society it is important to preserve the fundamental national values. The answers to these questions are based on the studentsâ€™ of Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences survey carried out in 2016 and theoretical insights, which justify the importance of national values in modern society and their expression.

Keywords: Values, nationality, national education, Lithuanian folk music.
The Comparison of Elementary Teacher Training Policies in the United Kingdom and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
Authors: Taspinar Fatma , Atanur Baskan Gulsun
Published: November 2017

The purpose of this study is to compare the training policies of elementary teachers applied in the Turkish Republic Of Northern Cyprus today and the training polices applied in the United Kingdom who was the colonial of Northern Cyprus for many years. For this reason, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprusâ€™s elementary teacher training institutions, programs, teacher candidate selection and training period were examined. In addition, in the study from the colonial years (1878-1960) to the present day, leaving the legacy of policies applied in many areas of elementary teacher training in the United Kingdom were investigated. Elementary teacher training practices in the United Kingdom and North Cyprus were compared and evaluated. Research was carried out with the document scanning method. As a result of the research, similarities and differences between the two countries have been identified, in the light of this information it has demonstrated to the extent that the teacher education policy in Northern Cyprus remains under the influence of United Kingdom teaching policies.Â Keywords: Elementary Teacher Education Training; Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus; United Kingdom.
Impact of acid precipitation on historical monuments and statues
Authors: Gurgen Gurcan
Published: November 2017

Abstract A host of deleterious factors can impact the aging and integrity of historical monuments and statues. These may include natural causes such as water, wind, and temperature variation as well as the even more detrimental human causes of industrial pollution, urban warming, and fossil fuel emissions from vehicles all of which contribute to the development of acid precipitation. In addition, where the use of fossil fuels is wide-spread the occurrence of acid precipitation tends to be more prevalent and as a result serious damage can occur to the natural environment. Acid precipitation causes irreparable damage to vegetation, wildlife, and fish populations in lakes, streams, and rivers. Also, damage caused by acid precipitation can be quite recognizable on historical monuments and statues constructed from carbonate-based stone. The stone derived from carbonate sources such as limestone, dolomite, and marble have been widely used for thousands of years in the construction of monuments and statues. Carbonate-based stone was often chosen because of its abundance, suitability for shaping, and robust quality. Many historic works of art which not only characterize a period of art but also create powerful images of the artist and artwork have survived for thousands of years. The emergence of acid precipitation though has caused irreparable damage and destruction to many of these irreplaceable works of art, monuments, and statues. In this study, the research focuses on better understanding of acid precipitation and its impact on items of cultural heritage such as historical monuments and statues. Sample cases were chosen to emphasize and evaluate deleterious impact which may have occurred to these items of cultural heritage. According to research evaluation results from this study the researcher has provided recommendations for resolving the impacts of acid precipitation on these historical monuments and statues. Keywords: fossil fuels, acid precipitation, historical artefacts, marble statues.

Keywords: fossil fuels, acid precipitation, historical artefacts, marble statues.
The pre-professional development of teenagers' graphical skills within integration approach
Authors: Yavgildina Zilia Muchtarovna , Mishina Nadegda Valentinovna , Mishina Anastasia Valentinovna
Published: November 2017

Abstract

 

The pre-professional training of students in children’s art schoolsrequires the development of a new methodology and content basis. This article examines the notion of the pre-professional development of graphical skills  as a fundamental element of artistic training that includes Four components (cognition, knowledge, practice and motivation) and it is performed step-by-step. The application of an integrative approach is viewed as an effective means of the pre-professional development of teenagers’ graphical skills. The study describes the principle of integration applied for the artistic acquisition of the world. This integration approach has formed the base for the author’s original course, “Computer and Graphical Art” which was implemented at the experimental stage of this study. The diagnostics of the pre-professional development of graphical skills among teenagers in the experimental group demonstrated the effectiveness of the integrative approach. The research methods included observations, a survey, test, and expert evaluation. The article discusses details of teenagers’ graphical skills development within the integrative approach and experimentally proves the effectiveness of author’s original academic program.

Keywords: pre-professional training, graphical skills, integration principle, integrative approach.
Producers of contemporary art: X, Y, Z generations
Authors: İsitman Odul
Published: November 2017

AbstractAccording to generational theory, individuals who share an era’s conditions, social events, distresses, and similar faith and who have similar responsibilities tend to show similar behavioral patterns. The question that the present study initially addressed was "What is the correspondence of this theory’s premises in the field of art with particular focus on contemporary art?’’ As the literature search proceeded, questions such as the following increased: Can this theory’s premises be the source of criticisms made in today’s art?, Could it be that art, like society, is also planned (or manipulated)?. Thus, the scopes that remain unanswered widened and the literature search was futile. It was deemed necessary to first outline an introductory general framework of the topic addressed. Accordingly, based on today’s discourse, an attempt was made to understand the correspondence between generations and contemporary art. This research will serve as a base for future studies on this topic.

Keywords: contemporary art, generations X, Y, Z, multiculturalism, globalization.
Producers of contemporary art: X, Y, Z generations
Authors: Işıtman Ödül
Published: November 2017

AbstractAccording to generational theory, individuals who share an era’s conditions, social events, distresses, and similar faith and who have similar responsibilities tend to show similar behavioral patterns. The question that the present study initially addressed was "What is the correspondence of this theory’s premises in the field of art with particular focus on contemporary art?’’ As the literature search proceeded, questions such as the following increased: Can this theory’s premises be the source of criticisms made in today’s art?, Could it be that art, like society, is also planned (or manipulated)?. Thus, the scopes that remain unanswered widened and the literature search was futile. It was deemed necessary to first outline an introductory general framework of the topic addressed. Accordingly, based on today’s discourse, an attempt was made to understand the correspondence between generations and contemporary art. This research will serve as a base for future studies on this topic.

Keywords: contemporary art, generations X, Y, Z, multiculturalism, globalization.
Bio-Cognitive aspects of simple and progressive verb forms usage
Authors: Druzhinin Andrey , Pesina Svetlana , Rahimi Ali
Published: November 2017

The article offers a cognitive subject-oriented perspective on language and its acquisition with a focus on grammar. Bysketching out the cognitive mechanisms of languaging ‘conceptual complexes’ or mental categories through grammar means,the authors endeavour to define and formulate their semantic representations which are supposed to meet three primeobjectives, namely to 1) reflect the orientation effect of grammar forms and constructions used in the process of speechproduction as coordination of his/her own interactions; 2) interpret the meaningful content and mental imaging associated inthe subject's mind with this or that grammar form; 3) serve as an auxiliary technique in understanding and explaining Englishgrammar for various teaching and learning purposes. The proposed approach and delineated technique are showcased by theverbs forms of present simple and present progressive whose cognitive essence and interpretative models are described andanalysed in minute detail.Keywords: Cognitive grammar; cognition, English tense forms, simple and progressive tenses.
Relationship between cultural awareness and Iranian EFL Learners' motivation
Authors: Mowlaie Bahram , Arasteh Yeganeh
Published: November 2017

The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between Cultural Awareness and Female Iranian EFL learners' Motivation. To this end, 140 EFL learners studying in a well-known language institute located in Tehran, Iran were selected randomly and were given two questionnaires: Cultural Awareness questionnaire and Motivation questionnaire with 11 subscales. The result indicated a significant and positive relationship between the two variables. Regression analysis showed that for a unit change in motivation, % 41 changes occur in cultural awareness. It also indicated that for each unit change in Travel Orientation, % 32 changes occur in cultural awareness. To achieve a deep understanding of the variables of interest, 10 participants were also randomly selected from among 140 and were interviewed. The result showed that they were more integratively motivated than instrumentally.

Keywords: Motivation, culture, cultural awareness, EFL, travel orientation.
Learning style preferences of Persian learners: Case Study of Arabic speakers
Authors: Tabatabei Ezzat , Joolaee Mina Ghazi
Published: November 2017

Learning styles refer to the strategies and processes that facilitate learning and understanding the concepts. So, teacherscan incorporate their learning styles in their curriculum activities. It also, will help students to be more attracted to learningsession and instantly give attention to the session undertaken by the teachers. The purpose of the experiment is to ascertain the learning styles of learners using the VARK questionnaire. This study is an analysis of learning style for 100 Iraqi and Syrian Persian learners completed a VARK questionnaire to determine if their learning styles are auditory, reading/writing, visual or kinesthetic. Out of 100 participants who responded the questionnaire, their preferred learning style was visual by 12 percentages, 16 auditory, 13 Reading/writing and 20 kinesthetic. According to data analyze, we provide implications for improving learning process.
Keywords: Learning styles VARK; visual, aural, reading/writing, kinesthetic, Arabic Persian learners.
Challenges of Facebook integration in high education classrooms, case study Republic of Macedonia
Authors: Hamiti Mentor , Shefketi Batije
Published: November 2017

AbstractCurrently, the Internet has become a part of the everyday life of human beings. The way of communication between people has changed and social networks are dominating in the lives of everyone. One of the most used social networks is Facebook, but besides that it is used for communication and entertainment, Facebook can also be used for learning. Therefore, the main issue of this paper is the use of Facebook for educational approaches by students and teachers. Case studies are the challenges of integration of Facebook in High Education in the municipality of Kumanovo in the Republic of Macedonia in 2016. Special emphasis is devoted in usage of Facebook in schools as the main questions were whether students use Facebook to ask for help for assignments or any material, and do teachers use Facebook to post assignments and to communicate with students. To understand this, there are conducted two questionnaires, one to students and one to teachers and interviews with school principals, and finally responses of people who participated have been analysed. The result is that by joining Facebook in education, students are more motivated to learn, Facebook helps students to learn by sharing knowledge with each other and by using Facebook at school, teachers will find it easier to inform students.

Keywords: social network, facebook, communication, high education, classroom.
Cultural Model of Information Technology Usage (CMITU)
Authors: Pinpathomrat Nakarin
Published: November 2017

Abstract

 

Since usage is a necessary condition for deriving benefit from information technology and the use by the end users is not guaranteed, one of the main streams of research in the field is the explanation of acceptance and use. Increasingly, it appears that researchers are shifting focus from Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). The main contribution of the UTAUT to the TAM was the addition of demographic variables (such as age, gender, and experience with IT) and situational variable (voluntariness) as the main moderators of beliefs on technology usage. This paper extends this line of research beyond these moderator variables. Given recent trends in the globalization of business and the prominence of multinational team members, managers in multinational companies are now confronted with the need for increasing usage of information technology from a workforce comprised of different cultures.  Furthermore, without understanding the role of cultural values in IT usage, it could be hard for developers to design and guide systems development in ways that are appropriate in different cultures. Since individuals are conditioned by their culture and the suggestion form prior research that UTAUT model do not universally hold across cultures, this paper extends the UTAUT model by espousing national cultural values as an important set of individual difference moderators. These espoused national cultural values of masculinity/femininity, individualism/collectivism, power distance and uncertainty avoidance are incorporated into an extended model of UTAUT as moderators. At this stage, the model was constructed and will be explained in this paper. The future work is the validation of the model in which a cross-sectional survey will be conducted in two countries varying in term of culture according to Hofstedeâ€™s cultural dimensionsâ€™ indexes. The findings may provide a useful lens for the successful implement of information technology in multinational and transnational organizations.

Keywords: Information Technology, userâ€™s acceptance, use of information technology, national culture, cultural change.
Peculiarities of motivational structure of professional activity
Authors: Karibayeva Gulnaz , Мandykaeva Аlmagul , Yermentayeva Ardakh , Abdykhalykova Zhazira
Published: November 2017

Motivation as a stimulating and regulating force of personâ€™s character influences the result of all kinds of activities. There are many research works devoted to the connections of motivation and activities in psychological literature. Research works about motivation are characterised by counter theoretical concepts, various methodical directions and multi meaning of research objects.Â  Thus, absence of the definite system in the reseach works makes motivational reseach one of the current problems. The peculiarity of professional activity is related to emergence of motives, their structural level and interaction (Sorochan, 2005; Grigorieva, 2006; Sobchik, 2002; Hekhauzen, 2010). Therefore, the novelty of research of the motivational structure peculiarities of professional activity greatly influences increase of effects of professional activity, improvement of employees skills, activeness and interests.
Stress factors and quality of life in adult hemodialysis patients
Authors: Soponaru Camelia , Bojian Ancuta , Iorga Magdalena
Published: November 2017

Abstract

 

The aim of the study is to investigate the influence of physiological and psychosocial stress on the quality of life (QoL) in a group of hemodialysis (HD) patients from our center. Materials and methods: A number of 70 patients were included in the study. We used the Hemodialysis Stressors Scale, in order to estimate the stress level, and the Short Form-36 (SF-36) Health Survey Questionnaire, to evaluate the QoL. Results: The M for age = 54.5 Â± 11.7 years and 38.6% were men. Patients with a low level of stress had significantly higher physical health (M = 53,52; p = 0.04) and mental health (M = 51,61; p <0.01) scores. The disease-related factors that induced the highest level of stress were the physical symptoms (1.67 Â± 0.68), the food and water intake restrictions (1.64 Â± 0.76), the vascular access problems (1.44 Â± 0.83), the daily activity limitations (1.22 Â± 0.72), the dependence on the medical staff (1.14 Â± 0.74). Socio-economical and demographical factors had no effect on stress and QoL. Conclusions:  The study prove the importance of stress for the QoL in HD patients. Efforts should be undertaken to minimize stress factors.

Keywords: dialysis, stress, physical well-being, psychological well-being, quality of life