bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stress-host-parasite interactions: a vicious triangle?
Authors: BELDOMENICO Pablo M. , BEGON Mike
Published: February 2016

The potential for synergy between host physiological condition and infection has recently been recognised. Here we review the evidence to support the idea that stress may play a key role in the interplay between host and parasite, integrating a three-way circular synergistic interaction between stressors, infections and host response: chronic stress can elicit responses that impoverish the host’s physiological condition (including its immune function), which predisposes to infection, which results in more stress, and so on. We argue that this introduces additional explanatory power to previous ideas posited by the authors, by including stress as a third interacting factor that intervenes in the synergy between condition and infection.  This in turn, may have important implications. In nature, evolutionary forces appear to select against stress-related disease or exacerbated parasite virulence. Nonetheless, under certain circumstances, parasites and (other) stressors interact generating a vicious spiral that may affect host fitness and survival. At high host densities, this becomes a mechanism of population regulation. Also, anthropogenic stressors may cause this mechanism to misfire, with significant implications for biological conservation and public health.
Choice of address terms in conversational setting
Authors: Özcan Fatma Hülya
Published: February 2016

A choice of an address term signals the relationship between language and society and how a person imagines his/her relationship with the addressee within this society. Address terms, therefore, provides sociolinguistic information about the interlocutors as well as pragmatic aspect of the situation. Previous research have focused on the effect of power and solidarity in the choice of address terms. This study, on the other hand, focuses on the address terms used during spontaneous conversation taking place in a no-power situation. The primary concern of the study is to identify the potential effects of a bilingual situation and a different culture. This study investigated the address terms school children use in a reciprocal situation, which are further analyzed regarding the potential effect of age, gender and being monolingual or bilingual in this issue. For this purpose, the group conversations of 56 monolingual Turkish speaking and 48 monolingual Turkish-Danish speaking children were analyzed. The address terms are coded and classified as emerged from the data. The results have shown that monolingual children use a great variety of address terms while bilingual children dwell on first names more frequently. Choice of address forms are governed by politeness, and positive and negative face. The results will lead to awareness-raising on pragmatic aspects of conversations and social relationship and will have implications on educational context especially in bilingual settings.
The role of modern academic libraries
Authors: Gašo Gordana , Faletar Talaković Sanjica , Mičunović Miljana
Published: February 2016

Contemporary academic libraries have experienced profound changes lately under the influence of information and communication technology and changed approaches to teaching and learning. If academic libraries are to remain integral parts of educational experience of students, librarians and managers of academic institutions need to think anew their physical and virtual spaces and servicesThe paper presents results of a survey which aimed to investigate the perceptions and experiences of graduate students in humanities and social sciences regarding physical and virtual library spaces and services, and to assess their satisfaction with them.Results of the study show that the largest number of respondents ue their academic library regularly (several time a month or week) and that more than half consider physical library spaces and services important for their successful learning. Interestingly, students reported that electronic library sources are more important to them than physical library spaces and services, although they prefer print material over electronic sources of information. Respondents had split opinions regarding their favourite learning place in the library: slightly more respondents preferred silent reading room over the group study room. The study has shown that perception adn use of academic library is influenced by gender, academic success and personal approach to the studying.
E-book perception of Croatian students
Authors: Badurina Boris , Serdarušić Hrvojka
Published: February 2016

The aim of this paper is to try to answer the question of students’ perception of e-book considering different forms of e-books students might have experience with. Questions of defining the e-book and attitudes toward e-book are considered separately. Research conducted by online questionnaire on student population show that the experience that students have with e-books mainly consists of pdf versions of printed books. Devices used for reading e-books are mainly desktop computers or laptops or in smaller degree tablets. E-readers are almost not used at all since the ownership of the e-readers among students is almost non-existent. That level of e-book experience influences students’ definition of e-book. Students mainly consider an e-book to be electronic version of printed book that is read on a computer. Considering the content that student mostly read on e-books it’s mainly scientific literature or exam materials. Fiction is almost exclusively read on paper. Given the choice of type of book students would in both cases rather chose paper, although in case of scientific literature and exam materials they are more open to e-books. Factor analysis was used to analyse characteristic that students recognize in e-books and result show three independent factors: Usefulness and practicality, Reading experience and Accessibility. Usefulness and practicality and accessibility was rated positively and reading experience negatively. These results are expected considering that students mostly read e-books on computers and not on dedicated reading devices.
RURAL ECONOMY: A GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOURSE
Authors: RIVERA Maria , SEEBACHER Alina , DIAZ PUENTE José Maria
Published: February 2016

In the political system and in public perception, the well-functioning of economy is frequently equalled to the output of the national economy–that is, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). However, during the last decades, this narrow conception of economic prosperity started to erode. This paper describes the scientific discussion surrounding the topic of “economy” in rural places, with the objective of exploring who is setting the agenda and which themes are prevalent. We examine 102 journal papers published during the last decade and design a methodological frame based on Nvivo10 software which combines quantitative analysis of geographical attributes (geographical location; journal’s precedence; author’s institution) and qualitative content analysis of the selected articles. Our results put forward that “rural economy” is conceptually linked to different societal spheres in areas such as development and progress, society and community, resources and sustainability. However, it is authors coming from developed countries the ones that mainly treat this issue and base their studies mainly on developing countries. Therefore it can be concluded that scientific discourse around rural economy deals with issues of interest to developed countries, but that it has, however, started to get linked to social and environmental aspects, and it is through achieving a balance between them that rural prosperity will be achieved.
RURAL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING IN COLOMBIA’S CONFLICT ZONES: A PROPOSAL FROM THE WWP MODEL
Authors: ÁVILA CERÓN Carlos Alberto , DE LOS RÍOS-CARMENADO Ignacio , RIVERA Maria , MARTÍN Susana
Published: February 2016

During the past fifty years, Colombia has endured an internal armed conflict. It has left as a result massive forced displacements, destruction of the social capital and indiscriminate logging of forests in regions affected by illicit crops and a strong presence of illegal armed groups supported by drug trafficking. In spite of a number of national policies and programs against illicit crops, the issue still persists, along with all the social implications it carries with. This paper presents a model for planning rural development projects in regions with illicit crops. The methodology applied is based on the model "Working With People (WWP)" and integrates the knowledge and experience gathered throughout the implementation of various projects in the region of La Macarena, Colombia. It takes into account eight years of continuous work with the communities, in one of the areas of greatest social unrest in Colombia, due to illicit crops, on-going criminal activity and violence by illegal armed groups and a weak presence of State institutions. Some of the factors hindering successful advancement of rural development policies include the breakdown of the social fabric, deterioration of moral values, family disintegration and lack of confidence. The conceptual framework applied integrates elements from policy analysis and social learning (Friedmann, 1991; Cazorla et al., 2015), proposed as a reaction from traditional and ineffective social reform models (Friedmann, 1991) developed in this type of scenarios. Following a thorough review of rural development planning theories regarding illicit crops areas, we carried out an analysis of the experience in the Macarena region under the WWP model. The results show the effects of the WWP model and the necessity to develop a strategy for the eradication of illicit crops in a post-conflict scenario, taking into account various social variables. Findings denote a greater relevance of the ethical-social and political-contextual dimensions in terms of sustainable rural development. Trust building, the enhancement of social relationships and direct interaction with target communities are the basic factors to the reconstruction of the social fabric and value systems, fostering sustainable rural development and stabilization.
SOURCES OF RESILIENCE IN AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVES: LESSONS LEARNT FROM 25 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN MURCIA (SPAIN)
Authors: DE LOS RÍOS CARMENADO Ignacio , RIVERA Maria , FERRER Carmen García , VILLAVICENCIO Freddy Bolivar Lopez
Published: February 2016

Resilience is understood as the capacity of rural systems to transform and adapt, and this is key to achieving sustainable rural development. The aim of the research is to study resilience from a cooperative framework based on four concepts: persistence, adaptability, transformation capacity, and learning, and to collect successful strategies that encourage resilience. The research is part of a project called Rethink funded by the European Commission and state agencies of 14 European countries, included in the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) and the ERA-NET RURAGRI. The methodology is structured based on a common analytical framework that holds the four concepts of resilience applied to each of the key stakeholders (cooperative, public sector, private sector and civil society). The case study analyzed is a cooperative that has more than 25 years’ experience in agriculture during which it has demonstrated its capacity for renewal and recovery through its working model. The analysis covers the entire process of the cooperative, from previous experience of farmers, the creation of the company in 2007 to its current projects, focusing not only on market strategies, but also on its strategic vision and research investment, and on values such as trust and respect, on which the cooperative is based.
EVALUATION OF INVESTMENT PROJECT FOR BIOMASS USAGE WITH RISK CONSIDERATION
Authors: REPISKÝ Jozef , GRÁCOVÁ Mária
Published: February 2016

The paper is focused on a creation and evaluation of the investment project of pelletisation line purchase with a risk taken into consideration via a simulation model. The decision making subject was offered a choice of two pelletisation lines differentiating in technical parameters and purchase costs. The fundament of this work was a creation of a multi period balance model and formation of ten variants of the individual projects which differ in production volume and mean of financing. The main evaluation criterion of the deterministic calculations was a net present value which takes into consideration the time factor and belongs among the dynamic methods. By means of sensitivity and simulation analysis is possible to identify an appropriate investment strategy under the risk conditions. The risk factors, which were identified by sensitivity analysis, are defined as random variables with certain probability distribution. Critical values of target criterion give information value which we can expect with willingness to tolerate given risk quantification. The comparison of distribution functions of investment alternatives allows the identification of the optimal strategy. On the basis of the gained results we came to the conclusion that the purchase of the pelletisation line is a profitable investment which can increase the value of the company itself.
WORKING WITH PEOPLE MODEL AS A METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH TO ENHANCE SOCIAL CAPITAL IN SPANISH RURAL AREAS
Authors: LÓPEZ GONZÁLEZ Miriam , PASTOR CARRETERO Raquel , BRITO ASTUDILLO Gilberto Segundo
Published: February 2016

Social capital (SC) has been understood as a set of relationships among structures inherent in the society. These social structures seek a common goal for the greatest number of people. The main purpose of this research is to study how social capital can be generated through the three components of the Working With People model: technical-entrepreneurial; ethical-social and political-contextual. This research is based on a Program developed in seventeen municipalities of Avila, a Spanish province in the northern Spanish plateau. The Program is called "Young Entrepreneurs for Sustainability in Rural Areas", promoted by Tatiana Perez de Guzman el Bueno Foundation and carried out by Gesplan Group from the Technical University of Madrid. This Program consists on launching innovative projects in the territory focused on promoting partnerships among the population and to develop the territory through economic initiatives. The aim of these actions is to strengthen relationships between institutions and the population. This is possible by the creation of synergies among the entrepreneurial projects in order to get endogenous development.
SUBSIDIES AND THEIR IMPACT ON THE COMPETITIVENESS OF THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR IN MOLDOVA
Authors: CIMPOIES Liliana
Published: February 2016

State support is a major determinant for efficient farm activity that contributes to an increase in the efficiency and quality of production, and contributes to the increase of competitiveness and modernization of agricultural sector. In this paper, the distribution of agricultural subsidies by directions and regions is analyzed. In order to reach the goal and conclude the research tasks the analysis and synthesis of scientific literature, systematization of information, comparative analysis and summarizing methods were used and farm technical efficiency (TE) was calculated. The analyzed period in the given research were 2010–2014, based on primary data collected from corporate farms and secondary data provided by the National Bureau of Statistics, and Agency for Interventions and Payments in Agriculture. During the analyzed period, the amount of allocated subsidies to farmers increased, but still are present inequalities in the distributed funds, difficulties in obtaining the payments and lack of transparency. As well, a clear and consistent policy that could be implemented through the allocation of subsides aimed at developing the agricultural sector is missing.
CHANGES IN THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY OF CROP PRODUCTION IN EU COUNTRIES
Authors: ŠPIČKA Jindřich
Published: February 2016

The aim of the paper is to evaluate the change in the energy efficiency of crop production in the EU during the period 2002–2012. The energy efficiency is an important indicator of sustainability of agricultural processes. The energy-saving agriculture is a priority of the new Rural Development Programme in 2014–2020. Even though the analysis counts with main direct energy inputs into the crop production (fertilizers, fuels and pesticides), the methodology of the energy efficiency for commodities and farms uses all indirect non-renewable energy inputs spent on production of buildings and machinery. The analysis covered 24 EU countries. The change in the energy efficiency in time was calculated through the Malmquist index. Clustering using medoids revealed groups of countries with similar energy efficiency. The Malmquist index identified the United Kingdom, Portugal and Sweden as countries with the most dynamic positive change in energy efficiency of the crop production in time. On the contrary, Baltic States and Poland experienced the most dynamic decline of energy efficiency. However, Lithuania, Latvia and Poland significantly increased the Malmquist index in recent years, partly as a consequence of effective investments from the Rural Development Programme (RDP). The energy efficiency indicator that includes direct and indirect energy inputs is supposed as suitable indicator for RDP’s ex-post evaluation.
DOMESTIC TOURISM TENDENCIES IN LITHUANIA
Authors: RIMKUVIENĖ Daiva , LAURINAVIČIUS Eligijus
Published: February 2016

By using a comparison approach, this article examines the current features of domestic tourism in Lithuania. Various aspects of domestic tourism are analysed and discussed. The aim of this study is to identify current trends specific to the Lithuanian domestic tourism sector and propose potential means of development. The methods of statistical analysis, graphic representation and Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) were used in the research. The analysed period was 2004 through 2014. The comparison between outbound tourism and domestic tourism consumption shows, that outbound tourists’ consumption is considerably high compared to domestic tourists’ consumption. However domestic tourism is much less sensitive to crises; it is quite stable and important segment in Lithuanian tourism industry. If to compare tourism consumption, two products show significant upward trend: Sport and other entertainment services since 2010 and Cultural services since 2011. After 2008 year recession domestic tourism sector revives, tourists expenditure reached pre-crisis level, although the increase of same-day visitors’ expenditure is slightly. In the regions of Lithuania same-day tourism opportunities are well-exploited; however, overnight tourism possibilities are not well developed. On the basis of the DEA method it can be concluded that in Telsiai county it is purposeful to improve the activity of museums and travel agents’ work, and in Alytus, Panevezys, Siauliai, Taurage, Telsiai counties it is best to improve the attractiveness/appeal of regional parks.
THE APPLICATION OF WELLBEING RESEARCH TO REGIONAL LEVEL IN LITHUANIA
Authors: VAZNONIENĖ Gintarė , VAZNONIS Bernardas
Published: February 2016

In this article the significance of wellbeing research in the regional level in Lithuania has been analyzed, the advantages and disadvantages of the objective and subjective wellbeing research have been evaluated. The results of the analysis of wellbeing research reveal that the wellbeing research in the regional level is poorly amplified, the wellbeing research in the social sciences is not marked, the wellbeing is investigated in other fields not in social sciences or according to the aims of the researher and more often causes and outcomes of social economical inequality for regional development are emphasized. Scientific studies show that wellbeing research can have big influence for shaping the future of regions because it concerns local people, their choices and overall wellbeing of a particular region. Findings from foreign countries good practice disclose that wellbeing is currently widely used as a key factor and trend for the development policy evaluation. Accordingly in this article big attention is drawn to wellbeing research possible effect for policymakers. It can be concluded that wellbeing research should become an important discussion object in the regional development context because it reveals the situation about people overall wellbeing and particular life domains. The main aim of this article is to analyse the importance of wellbeing research to regional level in Lithuania. The research problem of this article is the fact that the poor experience of wellbeing research in Lithuania insufficiently reveals the wellbeing expression and use in the regional level. In the research common research methods like analysis and synthesis of the scientific literature, analysis of documents and comparative analysis have been employed.
USE OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FUNDS IN SELECTED CENTRAL EUROPEAN COUNTRIES
Authors: STAWICKI Maciej
Published: February 2016

The goal of the article was to present the differences in the use of rural development plans implemented in Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia in the period 2007-2013. The research was conducted using mainly descriptive and comparative methods on the basis of statistical data published in local databank by Polish Central Statistical Office and data gathered by Agricultural Paying Agencies and Ministries of Agriculture. In the first part the main indicators comparing agriculture and rural development plans in analyzed countries and the main strategic objectives within 4 priority axes of implemented rural development plans were presented. Than the varied structure of use of RDPs in analyzed countries was presented with detailed spending characteristics under all measures. In general the structure of RDPs use was similar to the average in all EU-27 countries with a higher share of axis 1 in Poland than in other countries. In two countries (Czech Rep. and Slovakia) the highest amount of funds was spent on modernisation of agricultural holdings, while in Poland the highest amount was spent on structural pensions supporting early retirement of farmers. Three measures of high share in all three countries were: agri-environment payments (in Czechia 1/3 of all funds), natural handicap payments (31 % of all expenditures in Slovakia) and modernisation of agricultural holdings.
EVALUATION OF EXPORT DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES FROM TURKEY TO LITHUANIA
Authors: JOTAUTAITĖ Agnė , JOTAUTIENĖ Eglė
Published: February 2016

In this paper, export opportunities of textile products from Turkey to Lithuania are analyzed. The main goal of this article is to present an analysis of the opportunities to import textile products from Turkey to Lithuania. The empirical research basing on the statistical database analysis was used. The analysis of Turkey’s markets was showed that the economy is strongly dependent on exports of various products from Turkey and it is about one forth of Turkey’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product). The bulk of exports from Turkey is t o countries in the European Union. Turkey is one of the world’s largest manufacturers and exporters of textiles. The analysis of Lithuanian markets was indicated that Lithuania has a feasible market for imports due to its fast growing GDP, increasing labor wages and modernization of agriculture industry. Furthermore, advantageous and adequate policies of Lithuania’s foreign trade should encourage the development of imports to this country. The demand for textile products in Lithuania is growing rapidly and it is one of the most important sectors in fostering its economy
THE EU SUGAR MARKET PROFILE AND ITS MAIN DRIVERS
Authors: SMUTKA Lubos , BENEŠOVÁ Irena , ROVNÝ Patrik , MATYSIK-PEJAS Renata
Published: February 2016

Sugar is one of the most important elements in human nutrition. The Common Market Organisation for sugar has been a subject of considerable debate since its establishment in 1968. The European agricultural market has been criticized for its heavy regulations and subsidization. The sugar market is one of the most regulated ones; however, this will change radically in 2017 when the current system of production quotas will end. The current EU sugar market changed is structure during the last several decades. The significant number of companies left the market and EU internal sugar market became more concentrated. The aim of this paper is presentation characteristics of sugar market with respect to the supposed market failure – reduction in competition. The analysis also identifies the main drivers and determinants of the EU especially quota sugar market. In relation to paper’s aim the following results are important. The present conditions of the European sugar market have led to market failure when nearly 75 % (10 million tonnes) of the quota is controlled by five multinational companies only. These multinational alliances (especially German and French one) are also taking control over the production capacities of their subsidiaries. In most countries, this causes serious problems as the given quota is controlled by one or two producers only. This is a significant indicator of market imperfection. The quota system cannot overcome the problem of production quotas on the one hand and the demand on the other; furthermore, it also leads to economic inefficiency. The current EU sugar market is under the control of only Sudzucker, Nordzucker, Pfeifer and Langen, Tereos and ABF.
CHANGES IN LAND USE IN POLAND – COMPARATIVE STUDY OF PERIOD 2002–2010
Authors: KUROWSKA Krystyna , RUDNICKI Roman
Published: February 2016

Land is the most important means of production in agriculture. Valuation of agricultural land resources takes into account the acreage and land quality. Changes in the land use structure are stimulated by many factors. It ought to be remembered that the farmland also provide space for purposes other than agriculture or forestry. The paper presents those changes in the land use structure in Poland which took place in the period of 2002–2010. On the basis of the data by the Central Statistical Office [GUS] and its Agricultural Censuses of 2002 and 2010 the authors propose an agricultural holding territorial importance indicator, land location indicator, change indicator for agricultural land turned into non-agricultural land and analyse the total area of agricultural holdings. The major determinants (internal and external factors) of those changes are also described. The aim of the study is to analyse the changes taking place in the Polish agriculture. They were taken into account natural, ecological and urban determinants as well as to the Common Agricultural Policy. The analyses were conducted at the level of voivodships and poviats and were contained agriculture land and non-agriculture land. The area of agricultural land is decreasing as it is being dedicated for other – non-agricultural – purposes, especially for housing purposes.
10.1016/j.landusepol.2012.06.003
Authors: POWĘSKA Halina
Published: February 2016

The aim of the paper is to identify the share of rural areas in the absorption of EU funding available for the purposes that are thematically related to natural assets in Poland in 2007–2013. Rural communes and small towns situated beyond the sphere of influence of the agglomeration were classified as rural areas. The paper is based on the data disseminated by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Development of the Republic of Poland. Findings presented in this paper show that rural areas were the most significant beneficiaries of the EU funds allocated for utilization of natural assets on a national scale, although some regi onal differences were also noted. Rural beneficiaries prevailed in the Kujawsko-Pomorskie and Pomorskie Voivodships, like in the whole of Poland, while in the Dolnośląskie Voivodship their share in utilization of the EU funding allocated for natural asse ts was the lowest. Financial resources available from the EU funds provided support for rural areas in the field of promotion of the regions, creation of new tourism products and reconstruction of neglected natural and cultural objects. The projects implemented in these regions combined natural, cultural, tourism and educational contents
ADMINISTRATION OF AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN LITHUANIA: SYSTEM ELEMENTS AND OBJECTIVES
Authors: PRAKAPIENĖ Agnė , ŽUKOVSKIS Jan
Published: February 2016

Changes in agriculture and rural development, along with the vast majority of observed changes within the management processes, depend on the aims and objectives of these processes. Lithuanian and EU strategic documents and related to them agricultural and rural development legislation as well as documentation describe agriculture as one of the priority sectors and highlights its impor tance in economic, social, environmental, ethnic and cultural points of view. This is reflected in the European Commission – Europe 2020 Strategy where agriculture plays an important role. Administrative institutions are obliged to adapt to the changes that have been taking place. This article considers the elements and objectives of the Lithuanian agricultural and rural development administration system
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/archive/conferences/urban_rural/doc/caseconclusions.pdf
Authors: DREJERSKA Nina
Published: February 2016

Labour market in rural areas is diversified across Poland. Different processes have been influenced it during the last years. The study deals with spatial approach to sectoral structure of employment, including also characteristics for males and females. It was based on the data of the Central Statistical Office of Poland refereeing to the numbers of employees in three sectors: (a) agriculture, forestry and fishing like services; (b) industry and construction; (c) services. A new European Union typology of: predominantly rural, intermediate, and predominantly urban regions, based on a variation of the OECD methodology, was applied. Graphical presentation of the sectoral employment structures across NUTS 3 regions was used. Generally in Poland, very similar proportions of rural inhabitants work in agriculture, forestry and fishing like in the sector of services (third sector). In 2013, in predominantly rural regions, 37 % of inhabitants worked in agriculture, forestry and fishing (respectively 38 % of males, 37 % of females), 25 % of inhabitants worked in industry and construction (respectively 36 % of males, 15 % of females), and 37 % of inhabitants worked in services. Industry and construction is a sector important for employment of male rural inhabitants whereas services were typical for female employment. Agriculture, forestry and fishing is a very important sector of employment in the south-eastern part of Poland whereas the second and third sectors are more popular in the north-western part of Poland. Identification of these spatial patterns contributes to spatial characteristics of rural economies across Poland as well as it proves existence of a functional region, exceeding regional administrative boundaries, of high important of agriculture in the economy.
Public Policy Impact on Prosperity and Resilience of Farms and Agricultural Companies: Lithuanian Case Study
Authors: ATKOCIUNIENĖ Vilma , ALEKSANDRAVIČIUS Alvydas , ZEMECKIS Romualdas
Published: February 2016

The CAP support is mostly focused on the technological modernization of farms, linked with production intensification, and weakly focused on the farms prosperity and resilience. As a result farmers and managers of agricultural companies are only a slightly motivated to produce added value and high quality food products, to use short food supply chains addressing constantly changing consumer needs, or to pay much attention on issues related to climate change. The paper findings are based on the Lithuanian case study carried out as a part of the international research project “Rethinking the links between farm modernization, rural development and resilience in a world of increasing demands and finite resources” (RETHINK). The Lithuanian case study was determining farmers’ behaviour and causal factors in decision-making. The research based on the positive research paradigm, case study, content and descriptive analysis, empirical study methods (answers of two groups of experts experts-professionals and experts-farmers), logical and systematical reasoning, graphic presentation, abstracts and other methods. The present paper is examining the impact of political factors on prosperity and resilience on farms and agricultural companies. The political factors have the highest impact for prosperity of the farms and agricultural companies in Lithuania (as compared to the technical – entrepreneurial, ethical - social factors, and intangible values). The support from the EU and the national funds is not fully in line with the current concept of farms’ modernization and agricultural innovation. The public policy influence on the competitiveness of the agricultural sector is more strengthening than weakening. The results show the main elements that farmers believe should be included in the new concept of rural prosperity, as well as the main strategies adopted to reach prosperity divided into the five sub dimensions: development of the rural social infrastructure and implementation of information technologies; strong self-governance, social awareness and partnership; high culture of life and communication; rural employment and job creation in rural areas, population welfare; economic and social viability, ecology and environmental security of the countryside.
LONG-TERM DRIVERS OF WHEAT AND MAIZE COMMODITIES PRICES
Authors: ALEKNEVIČIENĖ Vilija , BENDORAITYTĖ Asta
Published: February 2016

In the last decades prices of agro-food commodities have a tendency of explosive growth. This increase quite usually is related with biofuels development. However, the prices of commodities are influenced by the set of different variables, i.e. supply and demand factors. In order to provide appropriate policy recommendations for agro-culture there is a need to evaluate the factors and their impact on agro-food commodities. This paper uses the multi regression model in order to analyze long-term drivers of annual world wheat and maize commodities prices. Analysis involves both demand (direct: biofuels production, commodities stock in the end of the period; indirect: the exchange rate, the interest rate, gross domestic product) and supply (price of crude oil) factors. The empirical results indicate that the main price drivers of wheat are crude oil prices, exchange rate and stock of wheat lagged one period. While the main maize price drivers are crude oil price and stock of maize lagged one period.
Laparoscopos technika alkalmazása nagyméretű lépek eltávolítására: Pfannenstiel-metszés mint alternatív specimeneltávolítási mód
Authors: Nyilas Áron , Paszt Attila , Simonka Zsolt , Ábrahám Szabolcs , Borda Bernadett , Mán Eszter , Lázár György
Published: February 2016

Absztrakt

Háttér: A laparoscopos splenectomia (LS) során extrém lépméret
esetén gyakori technikai probléma a specimen hasüregből való eltávolítása.
Általában a specimen EndoBagbe helyezése és morcellatiót követő eltávolítása
terjedt el. Masszív splenomegalia, 1000–2000 grammos lépek esetén ez a módszer
olykor nem kivitelezhető, mivel a lép mérete meghaladja a legnagyobb EndoBag
űrtartalmát. Ebben az esetben, irodalmi adatok szerint, vagy a hasüregen belüli
morcellatiót végezhetünk (splenosis veszélye), vagy laparotomiából távolíthatjuk
el a speciment. Munkacsoportunk a problémára megoldásként 2009 óta
Pfannenstiel-metszést alkalmaz a specimen eltávolítására.
Módszer: A 2002. január 1. és 2014. szeptember 30. között
klinikánkon végzett 74 LS eredményeit elemeztük. A speciment 56 esetben a
szokásos módon a lateralis port helyén morcellatióval, míg nagyméretű lépek
esetén 12 esetben 10–12 cm-es Pfannenstiel-metszésből távolítottuk el.
Eredmények: A műtétek átlagos hossza 121 (50–220) perc
volt. Pfannenstiel-metszésből történő specimeneltávolítás esetén szignifikánsan
rövidebb műtéti időt tapasztaltunk (108 vs. 125 perc; p = 0,05)
és nagyobb méretű lépeket tudtunk eltávolítani (1032 vs. 338 gramm;
p = 0,0001), mint a hagyományos morcellatiós technikával. A
módszer a kórházi benntartózkodás hosszát nem nyújtotta meg (4,7 vs. 5,2 nap;
p = 0,178). Következtetések: Vizsgálatunk
alátámasztja, hogy a laparoscopos lépeltávolítás biztonságos és számos előnnyel
jár masszív splenomegalia esetében is. A specimen Pfannenstiel-metszésből
történő eltávolítását biztonságos és kozmetikailag is elfogadható alternatívának
tartjuk.
A transrectalis specimeneltávolítás sebésztechnikai kérdései
Authors: Lukovich Péter , Csibi Noémi , Bokor Attila
Published: February 2016

Absztrakt

Bevezetés: Laparoscopos vastagbél-resectiónál a specimen
transrectalis eltávolításával a hasfali metszés elkerülhető, így az invazivitás
tovább csökkenthető. A módszer elfogadottságához előnyeinek és hátrányainak
értékelése mellett a technika pontos kidolgozása szükséges. Cikkünk célja az
általunk kidolgozott technika és első eredményeink ismertetése. Betegek
és módszer: Multidiszciplináris együttműködés keretében 2014.
április 16. és 2015. november 1. között 45 laparoscopos bélresectio történt
belet infiltráló endometriosis miatt, amelynek során az operált betegek közül
11-nél a speciment transrectalisan távolítottuk el. Az eltávolítandó bélszakasz
két végének lekötése és a resectiótól proximalis bélszakasz laparoscopos
bulldoggal történő lezárása után átvágtuk a belet, majd a speciment a
transrectalisan bevezetett kamerazsákon keresztül távolítottuk el. A proximalis
bélvégbe laparoscoposan dohányzacskóöltést helyeztünk be, amelybe a
transrectalisan bejuttatott körvarrógép fejét helyeztük. A rectumcsonk
varrógéppel történő lezárása után körvarró géppel készítettük el az
anastomosist. A módszert a rectum felső harmadát, illetve a szigmabelet érintő
endometriosis esetén alkalmaztuk. Eredmények: A műtéti idő a
transabdominalis és transrectalis specimeneltávolítás során nem különbözött
szignifikánsan (108 perc vs. 118 perc). Az operált betegeknél nem volt
szignifikáns különbség a postoperativ első és második napon a
fehérvérsejtszámban, illetve nem észleltünk varratelégtelenséget.
Következtetés: A munkacsoport által kidolgozott technikával
az infekció minimálisra csökkenthető. A transrectalis specimeneltávolítás nem
növeli a szövődmények esélyét, és biztonsággal alkalmazható a specimen
eltávolításához bélresectio esetén.
Beidseitiger Einsatz eines subkutanen Ureter-Bypass bei einer Katze mit bilateraler Harnleiterobstruktion
Authors: Pashmakova Medora , Lamb Jodie H. , Spaulding Kathy A. , Cook Audrey K. , Heilmann Romy M.
Published: February 2016

Eine 6 Jahre alte, weiblich-kastrierte Kurzhaarkatze wurde mit akuter Lethargie, Dehydratation, hochgradiger Azotämie, metabolischer Azidose, linksseitiger Renomegalie und beidseitiger Hydronephrose vorgestellt. Die Diagnostik einschließlich Sonographie führte zur Verdachtsdiagnose einer bilateralen Harnleiterobstruktion durch Ureterolithiasis. Die medikamentöse Therapie blieb erfolglos. Nach Bestätigung der Verdachtsdiagnose mithilfe eines antegraden Pyelogramms unter fluoroskopischer Kontrolle wurde beidseits ein subkutanes Ureter- Bypass(SUB)-System eingesetzt. Durch intensive postoperative Überwachung und engmaschige Labordiagnostik wurde die Flüssigkeitstherapie optimiert und die kardiovaskuläre Stabilität des Patienten gewährleistet. Innerhalb von 5 Tagen verbesserten sich klinische Symptome sowie Blutwerte deutlich und die Katze konnte entlassen werden. Verordnet wurden ein Futter zur Harnsteinprophylaxe sowie ein Phosphatbinder. Die Kontrolluntersuchungen 1 bzw. 4 und 7 Monate postoperativ (Blut- und Harnanalyse, Prüfung von Position und Durchgängigkeit der implantierten SUB-Systeme) ergaben Befunde vereinbar mit IRIS CNI-Stadium II (NP-AP0). Beide SUB-Systeme sorgten für einen unbeeinträchtigten Harnabfluss. Der bilaterale Einsatz eines subkutanen Bypass zwischen Niere und Blase eignet sich somit als Therapie für die bilaterale Harnleiterobstruktion der Katze infolge Ureterolithiasis. Nach Einsatz eines SUB-Systems bedarf es einer intensiven Überwachung des Patienten und einer Anpassung des Behandlungsplans nach seinen Erfordernissen.
Borduas -- Then and Now
Authors: Abramovitch Sam
Published: February 2016

In 1948, Paul-Emile Borduas, then a little-known painter on the international scene, living in the Province of Quebec, Canada, together with sixteen friends and students, proclaimed publicly a new era in terms of art and social attitudes by publishing a manifesto that they called Refus global. Unknown to them, similar groups had arisen in other parts of the world, as examples the Abstract Expressionists in the United States and the Cobra Group in Europe. This article explores the "Refus" and its relation to the context from which it emerged, and to which it ultimately contributed.
Introduction: Intellectuals Who Quest Beyond the Ivory Tower
Authors: Barsky Robert F , Ali Saleem
Published: February 2016

These papers were first presented to the MIT Communications Forum

entitled “Public Intellectuals and the Academy.” The authors have aggrandized and edited their respective contributions with an eye to creating a collection of works and commentaries that approach this complex subject from a range of perspectives, East and West.
The Travelers’ World: Europe to the Pacific
Authors: Grenvicz L. Olivia
Published: February 2016

This is a review of Harry Liebersohn's 2006 book, The Travelers’ World: Europe to the Pacific.
Fanon’s Black Skin, White Masks on Race Consciousness
Authors: Cusick Carolyn Marie
Published: February 2016

When the issue of race is approached one is either for retaining race consciousness or for working toward its abolition. There are various ways people choose to retain racial categories and various definitions and meanings of race. As well, abolitionists take on a range of stances on when and how to eliminate racial categories. Nonetheless, that one must take a stance and advocate either retention or abolition seems to be required when studying race theory or discussing racial identities in terms of questions of justice. These two positions are understood as contradictory as well as the only two options available. Using Fanon, and debates surrounding White Skin, Black Masks on this very question of race consciousness, this paper argues against expecting or requiring a clear stance on the issue or even posing it as a dilemma. Reading Fanon as employing an existential phenomenological methodology allows us to see how he exposes injustice by writing about experience and projecting a future shared community of hope and freedom without clear indication of the role our group identities might play. The paper will then show the importance of rethinking the question of perpetuating racial categories, particularly through Fanon, by analyzing three potentially liberatory projects, Critical Whiteness Studies, Indigenous Studies, and Development Studies , demonstrating how the endeavors of many practitioners who claim to already know what various identities will (should) or will not (should not) mean for us truncates these projects.
The Mechanization of Motherhood: Images of Maternity in Quebec Women Writers of the Quiet Revolution
Authors: Kevra Susan K
Published: February 2016

In her short story “Le Peuplement de la Terre” (“Be Fruitful and Multiply”) Madeleine Ferron reveals the reality of married life for generations of women in Quebec whose lives were a constant cycle of pregnancy, childbirth and mothering. Like other Quebec women writers, such as Marie Claire Blais and Gabrielle Roy, Ferron turns on its head the myth of the tireless, dutiful and fulfilled mother, happy to serve God and country by producing offspring. All three of these writers depict motherhood in the period prior to the Quiet Revolution with disturbing images of childbearing automats, leaving us not with a glorified and tender view of motherhood, but rather a mechanization of mothering. Could the preponderance of such imagery in the works of women writers of this period point to attitudes in the medical establishment and in the social agenda of the first half of the 20th century? Using Ferron’s short story as the primary literary example – with parenthetical references to both Une Saison and Bonheur d’Occasion – I provide historical evidence for the increasingly mechanized nature of mothering in Quebec brought on by the ramping up of social, political, religious and economic pressures placed on women in the first part of the 20th century. The historical evidence will take the form of popular literature of health care professionals in Canada and Quebec during this period, as well as the role of the Cercle de Fermières, a kind of civic group for rural women of Quebec whose ideology of super-productive women is summed up in their motto, “Travaillons sans cesse!”
Book Review: Brazil through the Eyes of William James: Letters, Diaries, and Drawings, 1865-1866. Ed. Maria Helena P.T. Machado. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2006.
Authors: Borge Jason R
Published: February 2016

Book Review
American Incunabula: 'Grotesque Genesis' and the Genealogical Genre
Authors: MacRae Ian J.
Published: February 2016

Analysis of Os Sertões (Euclides da Cunha, Brazil, 1902), Absalom, Absalom! (William Faulkner, USA, 1936), Cien años de soledad (Gabriel García Márquez, Colombia, 1967), The Invention of the World (Jack Hodgins, Canada, 1977), and Texaco (Patrick Chamoiseau, Martinique, 1992) as a generic ensemble enables diverse treatments of race, class, gender and sexuality to resolve over time and across cultures into the meaningful patterns of American literary history. Each text incorporates the origin in writing and exposes it to difference—plurality, ambiguity, discontinuity. With this, the perpetual rewriting of the strong poem (the Book of Genesis) at the symbolic founding, the originary tradition transforms itself through incorporation of non-canonical elements, as the ‘same’ turns endlessly different: hybrid, ex-centric, grotesque, increasingly Creolized.
Soybean peroxidase-catalysed removal of benzidines from water
Authors: Altahir Bahaa Malik , Feng Wei , Jasim Hadi Hassan , Taylor Keith E. , Biswas Niharendu , Bewtra Jatinder K. , Jassim Sabah A. A.
Published: February 2016

Crude soybean peroxidase (SBP), isolated from soybean seed coats (hulls) at unusually low concentrations, catalyses the oxidative polymerisation of hazardous aqueous benzidine and its 3,3′-dichloro, 3,3′-dimethyl and 3,3′-dimethoxy derivatives in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. The optimum operating conditions for oxidation of 0·10 mM benzidine were investigated. At pH 5, the hydrogen peroxide-to-substrate concentration ratio was 1·5 and the minimum SBP concentration required to achieve at least 95% conversion of the benzidine in synthetic wastewater was 0·43 mU/ml. Progress curves were established for the conversion of the four substrates, and apparent first-order rate constants were derived. Enzyme-catalysed polymerisation with SBP and subsequent removal of the polymeric products generated can provide an alternative means to conventional methods for treating many aromatic wastewater pollutants, including the benzidines studied here.
Hegemony within Higher Education: The Creation of an "Ideal" Student
Authors: Guziec Amy
Published: February 2016

This paper is an examination of how higher administration at Jesuit schools use hegemony to create an ideological definition of the ‘ideal’ student. I use rhetorical criticism as a means of explaining how students are characterized and defined based on Creighton University sanctioned webpages. The results provided two major ideological principles that influence Creighton’s discussion of the overall student population, the privileging of numbers and the construction of a preferred student model. These ideological themes in combination with hegemonic principles promote the creation of an ‘ideal’ student that no individual is fully capable of attaining.  