bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Juveniles with Sexual Behavior Problems: A Treatment Program Evaluation
Authors: Calvert James D. , Bauer Terri
Published: June 2018

Juveniles commit a significant portion of the sexual abuse perpetrated on other children. Treatment for juveniles with sexual behavior problems has moved from modified adult treatments to more developmentally appropriate approaches. Although cognitive-behavioral therapy is the most commonly used approach, research indicates that inclusion of significant others in the juvenile’s life is important when working with these youth. The inclusion of the juvenile’s family is seen as especially vital in treatment success. The current article reviews treatment outcomes, as measured by recidivism (re-offense) rates, for juvenile males completing a county juvenile sex offender treatment program. The program emphasizes family involvement and collaboration with juvenile probation officers, correctional officer, attorneys, and judges in the ongoing treatment as well as support of the juvenile and his/her family. Results indicate a sexual recidivism rate of 7.2% which is consistent with meta-analyses of research on sexual recidivism in treatment programs. The recidivism rate for non-sexual crimes was 33.7%, which is lower than typically reported in meta-analyses of treatment outcomes. The treatment program was equally effective for all juveniles, regardless of race.
The destructive effect of strong concentrations of orthophosphate acid in an acid detergent disinfectant on elements of milking equipment made of stainless steel and aluminum
Authors: Verkholiuk M.M. , Pelenio R.A.
Published: June 2018

A huge part of the milking equipment and milk dishes are made of stainless steel and aluminum. Under certain conditions, the influence of such factors as the atmosphere, water, milk, and chemical agents leads to the destruction of metal working surfaces of the milking equipment, resulting in a shorter period of their exploitation. On damaged sites the milk remains are left, that is actually a good nutrient medium, resulting in the creation of conditions for the active development of the microflora. As a result, the following process leads to a marked reduction in disinfectant effect when sanitized. The object of this work was to investigate the influence of various concentrations of orthophosphate acid in an acid detergent disinfectant on the elements of the milking equipment made of stainless steel and aluminum. Accordingly, the result of the conducted research showed that the orthophosphate acid of all four experimental concentrations (20, 25, 30, 35%) in the acid detergent showed a slight destructive effect on stainless steel and was within the standard of corrosion value up to 2 g/m2/year. The increase in the concentration of orthophosphate acid caused a growth in the amount of destruction of stainless steel, which was the highest in the concentration of 35% and amounted to 0.326 g/m2/year. The rate of destruction of stainless steel was in the range from 0.895 ± 0.0036 to 1.712 ± 0.0031 mg/m2/hour and was significantly lower than the norm, which is up to 6.0 mg/m2-year. The magnitude of the destructive action of 20, 25, 30, 35% of the concentration of orthophosphoric acid in an acid mist and disinfectant on the plates of aluminum was higher than the norm, respectively, at 2.42, 2.88, 3.09 and 3.60 times, and the rate of destruction – respectively, at 2.17, 2.63, 2.82 and 3.28 times. Therefore, the addition of a nitric acid ammonium inhibitor in the experimental variants of acidic detergent disinfectant resulted in a decrease in the magnitude of the destruction of aluminum. The results were higher than the norm but were significantly lower (P ≤ 0.05) compared to control, which used «Ecocid», an acid concentration of 30%.
Appraisal of clinical practice guidelines for the management of attention deficithyperactivity disorder (ADHD) using the AGREE II Instrument: a systematic review v1
Authors: Amer Yasser , Albatti Turki , Bashiri Fahad , Hamad Muddathir , Al-Joudi Haya , Al Salehi Saleh , Daghash Hadeel , Varnham Jeremy
Published: June 2018

PROSPERO protocol Link:http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?ID=CRD42017078712
Outcomes of limb and life in patients with acute lower limb ischema presenting before and after the “golden six hours”
Authors: Nekkanti Murali Krishna , . Vivekanand , Suresh Kalkunte R. , Motukuru Vishnu , Kolalu Sumanthraj , Kabra Aadarsh
Published: June 2018

Background: Acute limb ischemia (ALI) is any sudden decrease in limb perfusion causing a potential threat to limb viability. It is generally accepted that in a patient without underlying arterial disease who develops an acute arterial blockage has approximately six hours for revascularisation before irreversible damage occurs. This study endeavoured to analyse and evaluate the causes and clinical outcome of acute lower limb ischemia.Methods: 80 successive patients visiting Jain Institute of Vascular Sciences, Bangalore who were diagnosed to have ALI were included in this prospective study. Thromboembolectomy was performed in 48% of patients, 9% of patients were managed with anticoagulation alone, 8% of patients were treated by catheter directed thrombolysis and primary amputation was inevitable in 16 patients of class III ischemia.Results: All the five patients who presented within the golden six hours survived and their limbs could be salvaged without any morbidity. Even in patients with delayed presentation but viable limb (47 patients) functional limb salvage was possible in 39 patients (82.9%). Overall there was 72.73% limb salvage and 27.27% patients underwent amputation. There was a mortality rate of 13.16% in the study.Conclusions: Overall there was 72.73% limb salvage and 27.27% patients underwent amputation. Revascularization within six hours is ideal (only 6.25% of patients in our study); however, in delayed presentation (93.75%), physiological state of the limb, rather than elapsed time from onset of occlusion will determine the operability. Late revascularization may thus be indicated and is often successful if limb still exhibits signs of viability.
Endoscopic management of a foreign body inserted through the urethra into the bladder in a male patient: a case report
Authors: ÖZTEKİN Ünal , SARI Sercan , SELMİ Volkan , GÜREL Abdullah
Published: June 2018

Foreign body in the urethra is a rare condition, which
is caused by the placement of a foreign object in the person's own urethra,
with different causes, and requires immediate intervention. We present a
16-year-old male case of self-insertion of a pencil into the urethra migrating
into the bladder. The pencil was in prostatic urethra and pulled by holding it
with forceps endoscopically. Open surgery is usually required for the foreign
body in the urethra and bladder. In the appropriate patients, the foreign body
can be removed with endoscopic management.
KERAGAMAN GENETIK VARIETAS PADI japonica DAN indica BERDASARKAN MARKA DNA TERKAIT MUTU RASA
Authors: Lestari Puji , Reflinur Reflinur , Handoko Dody Dwi , Mastur Mastur
Published: June 2018

PCR-based markers and evaluation of physicochemical properties should be addressed for the improvement of rice varieties with good eating dan eating quality (EQ). This study aimed to examine the genetic diversity of rice varieties based on DNA markers related to physicochemical properties determining EQ. A total of 46 rice varieties consisting of 22 japonica varieties and 24 indica varieties were examined using 43 PCR-based markers. The results showed that polymorphic information content (PIC) ranged from 0.04 to 0.38, in support of genetic diversity indices which ranged from 0.04 to 0.50 across total markers. Pairwise genetic similarity matrix ranged from 0.40 to 0.98 with the closest genetic distance was observed between two japonica varieties (Dongjin and Hwaseong) and the most distant one was between japonica and indica (Onnuri/Manmi with Cigeulis/Fatmawati). The unweighted neighbor-joining tree clustered the rice varieties into two major clades, indica and japonica, and subsequent subclades were differentiating according to the individual genetic background. The genetic diversity of rice from different subspecies and DNA markers for EQ can effectively be utilized for basic information and marker-assisted selection (MAS) for the development of improved varieties with good EQ in rice breeding program.
Historicity and Storytelling in East Timorese Fiction in Portuguese
Authors: Moutinho Isabel
Published: June 2018

This article analyses the interplay between historicity and a uniquely Timorese style of storytelling in the work of three diasporic writers from Timor-Leste: Luís Cardoso, Ponte Pedrinha and Domingos de Sousa. It provides a brief overview of the contemporary Timorese literary landscape and speaks to the coexistence of and links between tradition, fiction and history. It highlights the historical dimensions of storytelling in works that dialogue dynamically with the traditional narrative forms and the Timorese imaginaire, as their authors write Timor-Leste into history.
Da resistência política à libertação amorosa: eixos temáticos da poesia de Fernando Sylvan
Authors: Ramos Ana Margarida
Published: June 2018

É nosso objetivo proceder a uma leitura da obra poética de Fernando Sylvan à luz de dois eixos ideotemáticos centrais, por um lado a ligação à resistência e à intervenção social e política mais ou menos explícita, e, por outro, a lírica de cariz amoroso, marcada pela centralidade da gura feminina. Situando-se no contexto de uma produção literária emergente, como é a timorense, Fernando Sylvan ocupa um lugar de destaque naquele universo poético, distinguindo-se como um dos escritores mais originais e mais sólidos das últimas décadas. Autor de uma vasta obra, constitui uma referência obrigatória para as novas gerações de poetas pela forma como consegue revisitar um contexto particularmente significativo, também do ponto de vista histórico, e ultrapassar os constrangimentos de uma literatura próxima da referencialidade social e política, possibilitando diferentes leituras.
Corruptions of the Narcissism of History in Os cus de Judas, by António Lobo Antunes
Authors: Patrón Saade Sebastián
Published: June 2018

This article explores the connections between history and love in António Lobo Antunes’ Os cus de Judas. It analyzes how the the effects of the war endured by the narrator go beyond post-traumatic stress disorder, the trauma wreaking unexpected consequences on the narrator’s desire and ego. The narrator cannot begin a meaningful relationship with any woman, nor can he identify himself with the Portuguese historical narrative. At the heart of this impossibility lies the narrator’s shredded self-image. Without an ego, the narrator loses his ability to insert himself in any sort of national narrative or identify with the set of images that compose it. Likewise, without a clear and defined image of himself, the narrator cannot narcissistically identify with any particular woman or fall in love.
Postcolonial Subjects in the Goan Short Stories “A Portuguese Soldier’s Story” by Lambert Mascarenhas and “Um Português em Baga” by Epitácio Pais
Authors: Melo e Castro Paulo
Published: June 2018

This article analyses two postcolonial short stories from Goa: the Anglophone “A Portuguese Soldier’s Story” by Lambert Mascarenhas and the Lusophone “Um Português em Baga” by Epitácio Pais. Both narratives feature a Portuguese subject who returns to the territory after the demise of colonial rule to resolve unfinished business dating from colonial times. Adapting the ideas of Homi Bhabha and Boaventura de Sousa Santos, I look at how each story challenges essentialist ideas about the ex-coloniser in order to move past dichotomising anti-colonial discourses and, in so doing, allow the reader to question common presuppositions about the orientation and operations of postcolonial literature. Written in different languages and at different times, the two prose tales also differ in their conclusions and so reveal the complexity of identity games in postcolonial situations, an intricacy underplayed by a narrowly anti-colonial conception of postcoloniality.
Autoria, obra e público na poesia colonial luso-brasileira atribuída a Gregório de Matos e Guerra
Authors: Hansen João Adolfo
Published: June 2018

O artigo trata do corpus poético colonial atribuído a Gregório de Matos e Guerra (1633-1696), especi cando seus códigos linguísticos, retórico-poéticos e teológico-políticos, e códigos bibliográ cos, como a manuscritura. Descreve apropriações nacionalistas do corpus feitas por críticos brasileiros românticos, deterministas e modernistas dos séculos XIX e XX, propondo a historicidade seiscentista das categorias autor, obra, público como critério crítico do anacronismo nacionalista.
Portugal as Nostos Interrupted
Authors: Kark Christopher
Published: June 2018

In the present article, I examine the role of prophecy in Gabriel Pereira de Castro’s Ulisseia (1636) and António de Sousa de Macedo’s Ulissipo (1640), two pre-Restoration epics that center on Odysseus as the mythological founder of Lisbon. In both epics, a prophecy drives the hero to found Lisbon as a precondition for making his nostos to Ithaka while also speaking of a fabled warrior landing at the future site of Lisbon in order to found a great empire. is prophecy echoes others that predict the return of the Encoberto, yet they also tempt Odysseus into forgetting his nostos for the sake of Lisbon’s foundation. Insofar as forgetting one’s nostos is associated with a deathlike state (lêthê) in epic poetry, the parallel between Odysseus and the Encoberto strongly suggests that the imperial enterprise itself is a hazard that leads the hero towards oblivion and death.
Mito e transfiguração em Órfãos do Eldorado, de Milton Hatoum
Authors: Rodrigues Cecília
Published: June 2018

Drawing on João Loureiro’s characterization of the sfumato nature of Amazonian people, in which real and imaginary elements form a single experience, this paper analyzes the interconnection between myth and reality in Órfãos do Eldorado (2008), Milton Hatoum’s fourth novel. Understanding Amazonian culture to be imbued with impulses leading to both reason and enchantment, I argue that a transfiguration of the Eldorado myth occurs via its literary redefinition. This phenomenon emerges through dialogue with Constantine P. Cavafy’s poem, "Η Πόλις" 'The City.' Departing from the common portrayal of the Eldorado myth as a search for riches, Hatoum refashions it to represent a search for love.
Beal, Sophia. Brazil under Construction: Fiction and Public Works
Authors: Foster David William
Published: June 2018

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Infante, Ignacio. After Translation: The Transfer and Circulation of Modern Poetics across the Atlantic
Authors: Almeida Pedro Lopes de
Published: June 2018

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Um “local da mulher” fora do tempo: Metamorfoses do feminino na poesia de Jorge Barbosa
Authors: Mata Inocência
Published: June 2018

At a time (i.e., the years of colonial fascism) when, conditioned by ideological and cultural urgency, literature served “strategic” functions that reached beyond purely textual considerations, the poetry of Jorge Barbosa, much of which came to be known only with the publication of his Obra Poética (2002), persistently conjures up feminine presences to articulate concerns produced by the poet’s “soundings” of the Cape Verdean landscape. Within this signifier, woman, which emerges through various forms of unfolding, are concentrated many of Barbosa’s loci of reflexive interrogation.
Óscar Ribas: Escrita e Mediação
Authors: Chaves Rita
Published: June 2018

Within the universe of contradictions that defined colonial society, Óscar Ribas’s work dynamically articulates the complex relation between intellectual activity and historical process. His career underscores the many impasses faced by authors committed to developing discourse rooted in an understanding of Angola and the formation of a productive imaginary capable of resisting the occlusions and/or the stereotypical vision that characterized colonial literature.
Discipline, Disease, Dissent: The Pathologized Body in Mozambican Post-Independence Discourse
Authors: Jones Eleanor K.
Published: June 2018

In a series of speeches given across the northern reaches of newly independent Mozambique in 1983, president Samora Machel sought to encourage unity among his increasingly disenchanted populace by constructing a common enemy: a figure he often specifically frames as a threat to public health, whether parasite, infection or deformity. This article explores these uses of pathologization and public health by the state and pro-state media during the Mozambican nation-building period, and shows how Ungulani Ba Ka Khosa’s 2013 novel, Entre as Memórias Silenciadas, exposes and subverts these associations using the motif of the dissident dying or dead body.
Baleia, de Graciliano Ramos: uma meditação sobre a vida sensível do animal
Authors: Coutinho Fernanda
Published: June 2018

In this essay, I examine the status of Baleia, the family dog in Graciliano Ramos’s Vidas secas (1938). My principal interest is to analyse the attenuation of distances and the differentiation of sensibility between humans and animals in the novel. I argue that Baleia allows Ramos to leave aside an absolute belief in human reasoning and think of the nonhuman animal as a being endowed with complexity. In this, Ramos deviates from a speciesist appreciation of history and sharpens the gaze of his readers with respect to the limitations of our understanding of the world and its beings.
Challenges in the Development of e-Quit worRx: An iPad App for Smoking Cessation Counseling and Shared Decision Making in Primary Care (Preprint)
Authors: Doarn Charles R , Vonder Meulen Mary Beth , Pallerla Harini , Acquavita Shauna P , Regan Saundra , Elder Nancy , Tubb Matthew R
Published: June 2018

BACKGROUND

Smoking is the leading preventable cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States, killing more than 450,000 Americans. Primary care physicians (PCPs) have a unique opportunity to discuss smoking cessation evidence in a way that enhances patient-initiated change and quit attempts. Patients today are better equipped with technology such as mobile devices than ever before.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the challenges in developing a tablet-based, evidence-based smoking cessation app to optimize interaction for shared decision making between PCPs and their patients who smoke.

METHODS

A group of interprofessional experts developed content and a graphical user interface for the decision aid and reviewed these with several focus groups to determine acceptability and usability in a small population.

RESULTS

Using a storyboard methodology and subject matter experts, a mobile app, e-Quit worRx, was developed through an iterative process. This iterative process helped finalize the content and ergonomics of the app and provided valuable feedback from both patients and provider teams. Once the app was made available, other technical and programmatic challenges arose.

CONCLUSIONS

Subject matter experts, although generally amenable to one another’s disciplines, are often challenged with effective interactions, including language, scope, clinical understanding, technology awareness, and expectations. The successful development of this app and its evaluation in a clinical setting highlighted those challenges and reinforced the need for effective communications and team building.
Robotic Automation Process – The operating system for the digital enterprise
Authors: Anagnoste Sorin
Published: June 2018

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is going into a “maturity market”. The main vendor providers surpassed USD 1 billion in evaluation and the research they are launching these days on the market will change again radically the business landscape. It can be seen already what is coming next to RPA: intelligent optical character recognition (IOCR), chat-bots, machine learning, big data analytics, cognitive platforms, anomaly detection, pattern analysis, voice recognition, data classification and many more. As a result the top vendors developed partnerships with the main leading artificial intelligence providers, such as: IBM Watson, Microsoft Artificial Intelligence, Microsoft Cognitive services, blockchain, Google etc. On the business part, the consulting companies who are implementing the RPA solution are moving from developing Proof-of-Concepts (POCs) and Pilots to helping clients with RAP global roll-outs and developing Centre of Excellences (CoE). As a result, the experiences gathered so far by the author on this kind of projects will be tackled also in this paper. In this article will we will present also some data related to automation for different business areas (eg. Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable etc) and how an assessment can be done correctly in order to decide if a process can be automatized and, if yes, up to which extent (ie. percent). Moreover, through the case studies we will provide (1) how now the RPA is integrated with Artificial Intelligence and Cloud, (2) how can be scaled in order to face hypes, (3) how can interpret data and (4) what savings these technologies can bring to the organizations. All the aforementioned services made Robotics Process Automation a very powerful tool since a year ago when the author did the last research. A process that was mainly not recommended for automation or was partially automated can be now fully automated with more advantages, such as: money, non-FTE savings and fulfillment time.
Statistical and econometric analysis of the correlation between financial transactions and real economy
Authors: Apostu Simona-Andreea
Published: June 2018

The economic activity generates two types of flows: flows of goods and services and cash flows. These two types of flows generate two types of circuits in the economy, flows of goods and services generate the circuit corresponding to real economy and monetary flows (incomes and expenditures) generate the monetary - financial circuit. The monetary circuit is fundamentally determined by the level and structure of real economy. Comparing production revenue used for consumption with the amount of products and services produced and purchased, an average pricing is obtained. Unless the condition that the revenues generated in the economy are equal to production, it will lead to rising prices, i.e., inflation. Therefore, an adequate correlation between financial flows and real economy must be ensured. From this perspective, were analysed countries from European Union over time, using panel analysis.
The influence of the strategic financial policies on share valuation in an unstable economic environment
Authors: Curmei Cătălin-Valeriu , Dincă Lavinia Elena , Curmei-Semenescu Ileana Andreea
Published: June 2018

In an unstable environment, the investors become more aware of the importance of a good assessment of the risk implied by their investment. Therefore, much attention is given to the amount of information provided by the issuer, as well as to the signals it offers to investors. The financial literature emphasizes the role of the dividend policy in signaling the financial soundness of the companies. Our paper aims to verify if the dividend and financing policies of the companies have a role to play in the share valuation in an unstable economic environment and if their explanatory power differs with the phases of the economic cycle. The period 2006-2010 was chosen in order to test our model, as it corresponds to a period of the economic cycle similar to the present one, which may lead to similar behavior of the market participants. Moreover, the behavioral economics sustains the importance of the recent experiences in shaping actors’ responses in conditions perceived as similar. Our analysis is made on a worldwide database including 5391 companies listed in the most important market indices on 82 national capital markets. We chose to multiple linear regressions for successive yearly periods in order to put in evidence in a straight and unambiguous manner the influence of the dividend and financing policies on the share valuation. It puts in evidence that the dividend policy remains an important signal for the investors and it is taken into consideration even more seriously in unstable economic environment. Moreover, the financing policy is emphasized as important signal in investors’ eyes.
What are the objectives of corporate reporting? Sustainable value for who?
Authors: Hoinaru Razvan
Published: June 2018

Corporate reporting is generally perceived as a type of accounting fit for purpose for the 21 century, taking into consideration not only the traditional shareholders’ needs and views but also stakeholders’. Academic literature tends to over-appreciate the non-financial nature of corporate reporting, forgetting that numbers can have their own narratives, which can be read in between the lines. It is true that numbers present certain uncertainties and an extra level of reporting can provide a better interpretation, in a complementary or continuous manner. The present research looks at the current European Union binding legislation and academic and professional judgements towards it. The ultimate questions to be answered is if corporate reporting is improved information? and whose needs are really served: shareholders, the traditional users of accounts, or stakeholders, always hidden, but intuitively taken into account. Findings of the research show that public good is largely perceived as the duty of private interest, as regulated by the public authorities. This mainly happens as shareholders and whoever puts money at risk still are the primarily user group, but the context and consequences of reporting are wider than before. The approach taken by this paper was first of all to discover inside outs of corporate reporting and secondly to look how industry self-regulators interact with public authorities, for the common good. The added value of the present papers is represented by its policy recommendations presented as conclusions.
Building a higher education learning experience strategy; theoretical and practical approaches
Authors: Iordache-Platis Magdalena
Published: June 2018

Higher education institutions face many challenges in order to increase their visibility, recognition and position in the field based or general higher education market. National or international rankings put a lot of pressure on academic leadership to fulfill the criteria of their methodologies. Learning experience is becoming a more and more important dimension of the motivation to study. In the contemporary context of networking diversity, the process of generating learning experience is becoming part of the institutional efforts related to which creating an internal environment is connected to the learning experience generating. The literature review proves a higher interest on student engagement, on students’ and graduates’ involvement in the institutional life, on development a long-term relationship between university and graduates on one hand and between university and industry on the other hand etc. The common issue among all these subjects is the learning experience that is provided to students through all the activities in higher education institutions. What can be done or develop in order to generate a great learning experience starts from a correct, but flexible understanding of the concept. What can be institutionally changed for the benefit of a higher learning experience need a clear recognition of what more experienced institutions have already achieved. The objectives of the paper include: a) a clear understanding of the learning experience concept; b) an overview of the current characteristics of the learning experience providers; c) a start-up strategy for generating learning experience. All these objectives are integrated in a literature review approach as well as in a qualitative study dedicated to the perceptions of students and academics on what learning experience means and what institutionally can be improved. The findings reveal a possible model for building up a learning experience strategy for Romanian higher education institutions.
Measures of volatility for the Romanian Stock Exchange: a regime switching approach
Authors: Lolea Iulian-Cornel , Vilcu Lucian Constantin
Published: June 2018

This paper aims to identify if regime-switching GARCH models perform better than singlestate GARCH models for the Romanian stock market. There will be used two approaches: in-sample and out-of-sample. All estimations are going to be made for the BET Index, which is the most relevant index from the selected market. The results will be ranked based on statistical loss functions for each of the two considered approaches. These rankings should ensure an accurate comparison for models’ performance and they succeeded to return about the same results as in the relevant literature. Hence, for the in-sample evaluation there was no model which performs best for all loss-functions, but one can notice that for the out-of-sample evaluation the regime-switching models performed better especially on short-term (1-day observation period). All of these results were used further to improve some risk management strategies based on VaR, for which the volatility could be estimated through regimeswitching GARCH models, than considering historical volatility.
The influence of geopolitical events on tourism in Egypt
Authors: Neagu Florentina-Stefania
Published: June 2018

The political, military, terrorist acts that took place during 2011-2017 have affected the tourism industry to a large extent, their effects being seen in the gradual decrease of the number of tourists generating income not only for tourism agencies, but also for tourism objectives for small merchants selling their products near tourist attractions. This has led to the closure of several souvenir shops, but also to the reduction of revenue generated by the flow of tourists to hotels, guides, restaurants. The Egyptian government has attempted to relaunch tourism by contracting a loan from the International Monetary Fund, reopening tourist attractions such as King Seti and Queen Nefertari, the Antiquities Ministry is continuing to finance the acquisition of metal detectors and scanners that are located in the tourist attractions included in the patrimony national. On the other hand, the fiscal measures adopted by the government, which impose VAT on local goods and services, have led to a price increase for all products and ultimately affecting not only citizens but also tourists who find that prices for tourist packages have increased within a few months. To highlight how great the influence that geopolitical events have on Egyptian tourism, data were analyzed for the period 2011-2017 of the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics of Egypt, World Tourism Organization and the World Factbook..
The propensity for entrepreneurship among rural populations. A Central and Eastern European country perspective
Authors: Păunescu Carmen , Staicu Daniela , Pop Oana
Published: June 2018

The paper aims to assess the propensity for entrepreneurship among rural populations in ten Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries. The entrepreneurship propensity is measured against four dimensions: entrepreneurial potential, desirability of self-employment, feasibility of selfemployment and the comfort with acquiring customers. In addition, we analysed key motivations for self-employment among rural populations in the sample countries, namely: the prospects of second income; self-fulfilment and possibility to realize own dreams and ideals; and return to job market as alternative to unemployment. The objectives of the paper are three-folded: (1) To determine how likely are the rural populations in the CEE countries studied to take on a self-employment activity; (2) To understand the perception of rural populations in the CEE countries about entrepreneurship and selfemployment; and (3) To identify the apparent similarities and differences in the countries studied among the rural populations in terms of their perception about entrepreneurship and motivations for self-employment. The study interprets the data collected in 2016 through the Amway Global Entrepreneurship Report. The research is meant to foster and popularize the rural entrepreneurship career model among rural communities in the sample CEE countries. This is important in order to know what can be done to encourage the business continuation and growth of rural entrepreneurs.
Improvements in business operations and customer experience through data science and Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Popescu Cristian-Constantin
Published: June 2018

Faced with increased competitive pressures from online businesses and rapidly changing consumer behaviors, traditional businesses with an online channel as well as a brick and mortar presence increasingly turn to data science and artificial intelligence to make better decisions and enhance their operations. The changing market dynamics are heavily influenced by the overwhelming adoption of mobile phones and data connections. As a result, consumers are better informed, make more real time purchase decisions, and share their experience through review sites and social media. Businesses leverage this large amount of user generated content by extracting the most useful pieces of information from it with text analytics and machine learning algorithms that identify patterns and consumer sentiment at scale. They use the critical pieces of customer feedback to market their products and services better, attract more customers, and offer them a better experience. Four uncertainties and challenges that these business encounter are the following: (1) how to improve online reputation; (2) discoverability and engagement levels of online traffic; (3) how to measure and improve the customer experience; (4) monitoring and benchmarking against competitors. The direct benefits of using Data Science and Artificial Intelligence to address those challenges are: use of standard metrics to measure strengths and weaknesses in online reputation; understanding patterns of customer behavior; listening to customer feedback at scale and extracting actionable insights directly applicable in improving operations; taking corrective actions to avoid losing customers to competitors. This paper will also analyze the competitive landscape in the field of Data Analytics and Insights solutions based on consumer generated feedback. Additionally, it will illustrate a series of case studies across multiple industries, with the purpose of exposing best practices that can be leveraged by businesses in their decision-making process.
Performance management in the data-driven oragnisation
Authors: Pugna Irina Bogdana , Dutescu Adriana , Stanila Georgiana Oana
Published: June 2018

This paper investigates the challenges raised by the “datafication” of the business environment and its role in reshaping future managerial behavior. These challenges arise specifically from new drivers of performance improvement and strategic development, such as cloud computing, big data, and data analytics. We analyze the factors that significantly change the potential influence that information and information asymmetries (“insight”) - resulting from analyzing huge volumes of data - have on organizational competitive advantage. This paper develops a framework to strengthen the value of this insight in an organizational context, and identifies potential areas of future research. The study highlights the conceptual need for, and the role of, analytics as an essential component for deriving the enterprise’s value and performance - from both structured and unstructured data. It also advocates for repositioning knowledge and human expertise in the new data-driven organizational model. It highlights the need for an increasing role for human skills and judgments (“Big Knowledge”) as opposed to a “dictatorship” of data in the new quantified world.
A feedback culture for a performance culture
Authors: Radulescu Madalina Mirela
Published: June 2018

In today’s business world people have to face complexity, unpredictability and continuous change. In a worldlike this, time is the most requested resource and, apparently, everybody blames time for non-accomplishing business objective and good relationships between colleagues. Thus, feedback becomes a requested instrument that might help people within organizations to achieve the desired performance. When speaking of feedback, we will refer to its definition and perception about it within organization, but also outside organization between, different actors on the commercial processes, therefore several levels will be approached. On vertical, the transfer top-bottom and bottom-top (different hierarchical levels) and on horizontal, the transfer between peers but also between clients and providers and vice versa.More and more companies are looking for development programs that develop team cohesion. In order to createa performance culture and feedback to be practice as a development tool, we will identify a series of competencies to be developed, so that in the end to have an answer to the question: Can a feedback culture build a performance culture? The proposed article’sobjective is to bring your attention to what leaders and members of an organization can do in order to ensure a proper culture of performance based on feedback. The article is based on a critical analysis of literature and a qualitative analysis of the opinions investigated by the author into practice.
Public's perception regarding the major impacts of radioactive nuclear waste. A research study in Romania
Authors: Vitioanu Greta-Marilena
Published: June 2018

Like all other human activities, nuclear activities inherently produce waste. Even if the amount of radioactive nuclear waste is small compared with every other waste generated by human, this is a real danger and may produce devastating effects. Radioactive nuclear waste requires a safe management, a very good classification and limitation of releasing of radioactive effluents into the environment. The anticipated big impacts that any nuclear activity releases involve the environmental impacts, human health and safety. Public's perception represents a big challenge mainly when people are asked about harmful activities or technologies, such as radioactive nuclear waste. The aim of this study is to find out the public's perception of the impacts of radioactive nuclear waste. The main research instrument for this analysis is based on questionnaire. This research represents a new approach for the study of people's perception of radioactive nuclear waste in Romania. Public's perception is one of the key factors with influence on the development of nuclear waste technologies. The perception is crucial and may mean more than reality. The impact of radioactive nuclear waste seen through public perception shows the degree of development of storage conditions, both in the short and long term. The study revealed that the public perception regarding radioactive nuclear waste is divided in two major concerns: the potential impacts on the environment and people's health.
University-industry cooperation for encouragement of graduating employability – methodology for evaluation
Authors: Yordanova Daniela
Published: June 2018

Employability of graduating students is a main precondition for successful university to work transition. Discrepancies on the labour market in terms of demand and supply of highly qualified specialists, increasing requirements and expectations of recently university graduates towards their future jobs, high speed of technological changes resulting in new jobs for which educations is lagging behind and increasing demand for well-developed transferable skills are some of the main challenges which universities are facing nowadays. Thus, their main priorities shall stress on collaboration that is more effective with industrial companies, resulting in contemporary curricula and development and implementation of new forms of cooperation for encouragement of graduating students’ employability. There are some good practices in Bulgaria for common initiatives leading to better professional orientation and further job placing but there is a lack of overall strategic approach in this field. Therefore, there is a necessity of identification and introduction of new forms of cooperation, which will boost partnership and could provide the labour market with more adequate specialists, matching employers’ recent requirements. The purpose of the paper is to provide a methodology of evaluation of problems in university-industry cooperation for encouragement of graduating students’ employability.The main elements of research of cooperation between universities and industry in Bulgaria include (1) description of possible forms of cooperation, (2) evaluation of industry attitudes for cooperation based on 4 criteria - importance, application, interest for participation and awareness of the forms, (3) comparison of opinions of industry and universities in Bulgaria.
Оптимізація функціонування еколого-економічних систем підприємства на засадах антисипативного управління
Authors: Lipych Lyubov , Glubitska Tatiana
Published: June 2018

У статті виокремлено етапи здійснення антисипативного управління еколого-економічної системи підприємств. Проаналізовано головні переваги та недоліки використання методу «дерева рішень» в антисипативному управлінні. Сформовано модель антисипативного управління еколого-економічної системи та апробовано її на досліджуваному підприємстві.
Звітність зі сталого розвитку: перспектива для прийняття рішень стейкхолдерами, проблематичність для подання в інтегрованому форматі
Authors: Makarenko Inna
Published: June 2018

У статті розглянуто ключові перспективи й проблеми в складанні та поданні звітності зі сталого розвитку; охарактеризовано тенденції в її поширенні. Узагальнено ключові переваги звітності зі сталого розвитку за рівнями стейкхолдерів (корпоративний, регіональний, макрорівень). Указано на проблеми в складанні звітності зі сталого розвитку в розрізі загальних труднощів її подання, забезпечення якості та верифікації.
The Effect of Self-Management Educational Program on Pain Intensity in Elderly Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Ganji Reza , Pakniat Azadeh , Armat Mohammad Reza , Tabatabaeichehr Mahbubeh , Mortazavi Hamed
Published: June 2018

BACKGROUND: Osteoarthritis is one of the chronic diseases that greatly affect the health and life quality of individuals.AIM: This study aimed to determine the effect of self-management educational program on the pain intensity of the elderly patients with knee osteoarthritis.METHODS: In a randomised clinical trial, a total of 82 elderly patients with knee osteoarthritis were randomly divided into intervention and control groups. The intervention group received six sessions of self-management group education, while the control group received only the routine care during this period. In both groups, patients’ pain intensity, with a visual analogue scale (VAS), were assessed before, immediately after and eight weeks after the start of the study.RESULTS: The mean pain intensity scores of the intervention and control groups were not significantly different before the intervention (P = 0.9), but after the intervention, the mean pain intensity score in the intervention group (3.61 ± 2.36) was significantly lower than that of the control group (4.93 ± 2.00), (P < 0.0001).CONCLUSION: Implementation of a self-management program for the patients with knee osteoarthritis is useful in reducing their pain intensity and can be used as one of the effective methods for their empowerment.
Serum Markers of Iron Metabolism in Chronic Liver Diseases
Authors: Radicheva Mariana Penkova , Andonova Albena Nikolaeva , Milcheva Hristina Tancheva , Ivanova Nadejda Gospodinova , Kyuchukova Silviya Georgieva , Nikolova Mima Stefanova , Platikanova Мagdalena Stefanova
Published: June 2018

BACKGROUND: Disorders in the metabolism of iron in the direction of iron overload are observed not only in primary hemochromatosis but also in some chronic liver diseases other aetiology. Elevation of serum iron, ferritin and transferrin saturation is reported in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and alcohol, chronic hepatitis C and liver cirrhosis.AIM: Aim of the study was to evaluate and compare the frequency of the iron serum markers in patients with various chronic liver diseases.MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included a total of 246 persons -186 patients with chronic liver disease without cirrhosis (-115 men, women -71; average age of 50.41 ± 12.85, from 23 to 77 years) and 60 healthy controls (-30 men, women -30, middle-aged 50.50 ± 11.31, from 29 to 83 years). Medical history, physical examination and demographic data including height, weight, laboratory and instrumental studies were performed.RESULTS: The highest incidence of elevated serum iron, transferrin saturation and ferritin and decreased serum hepcidin found in cases of alcoholic liver disease (ALD), nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and chronic hepatitis C (CHC).CONCLUSION: Finally, analysis of the changes in serum markers of iron metabolism shows that the difference between healthy and sick with liver disease is primarily due to changes in alcoholic and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, particularly steatohepatitis, and chronic hepatitis C.
Nitric Oxide and Pre-Eclampsia: A Comparative Study in Ghana
Authors: Darkwa Ebenezer Owusu , Djagbletey Robert , Essuman Raymond , Sottie Daniel , Dankwah Gifty Boatemaa , Aryee George
Published: June 2018

BACKGROUND: Preeclampsia is one of the commonest aetiologies of foetal and maternal mortality and morbidity. Though common, the aetiology of preeclampsia has remained unknown with several inconclusive theories surrounding the disease. Recent studies have implicated vascular endothelial dysfunction and possibly nitric oxide in preeclampsia.AIM: To compare plasma nitric oxide levels in pre-eclampsia and healthy pregnant women in a large tertiary hospital in Ghana.METHODS: This was a case-control study conducted among pre-eclampsia and healthy pregnant women in Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital over a four-month period. Thirty (30) pre-eclamptic and 30 healthy pregnant women aged 18-35 years with over 30 weeks’ gestation were consecutively recruited into the study after obtaining informed consent. Plasma nitric oxide levels were determined using the Griess Reagent system.  Data were analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 20.0 and results were compared using the independent t-test. A P-value of ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant.RESULTS: The parity and body mass index (BMI) of the participants were similar. There was a significant difference in the blood pressure of the pre-eclamptic compared to healthy pregnant women. There was no statistically significant difference (P-value = 0.160) in the plasma levels of nitric oxide in pre-eclamptic (Mean = 1178.78; SD = 89.70 nM) compared to healthy pregnant women (Mean = 1365.43; SD = 95.46 nM).CONCLUSION: Plasma nitric oxide levels may not play a significant role in the aetiology of pre-eclampsia.
De l’individuel au groupe : place et fonction du rythme dans les réaménagements identitaires à l’adolescence
Authors: Brault Anthony , Moro Marie Rose
Published: June 2018

Dans cet article, nous étudierons la place et la fonction du rythme dans les réaménagements identitaires à l’adolescence. En premier lieu, nous proposons un parcours de littérature concernant les rythmes (pulsionnels, corporels, musicaux) dans la construction identitaire sous le prisme de la dynamique bébés/ados ainsi que sur la place de la musique dans l’espace psychique des adolescents. Nous illustrerons nos propos à travers une étude de cas (individuelle et groupale), construite à partir d’une recherche que nous avons réalisée au sein d’un groupe « d’improvisation sonore » dans un hôpital de jour pour adolescents. Par l’intermédiaire d’une réflexion axée spécifiquement sur le rythme, nous essaierons de montrer la pertinence « évaluative » et « thérapeutique » d’une telle médiation avec des adolescents.