bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Automated model optimisation using the Cylc workflow engine (Cyclops v1.0)
Authors: Gorman Richard M. , Oliver Hilary J.
Published: June 2018

Abstract. Most geophysical models include many parameters that are not fully determined
by theory, and can be “tuned” to improve the model's agreement with
available data. We might attempt to automate this tuning process in an
objective way by employing an optimisation algorithm to find the set of
parameters that minimises a cost function derived from comparing model
outputs with measurements. A number of algorithms are available for solving
optimisation problems, in various programming languages, but interfacing such
software to a complex geophysical model simulation presents certain
challenges. To tackle this problem, we have developed an optimisation suite (“Cyclops”)
based on the Cylc workflow engine that implements a wide selection of
optimisation algorithms from the NLopt Python toolbox (Johnson, 2014). The
Cyclops optimisation suite can be used to calibrate any modelling system that
has itself been implemented as a (separate) Cylc model suite, provided it
includes computation and output of the desired scalar cost function. A
growing number of institutions are using Cylc to orchestrate complex
distributed suites of interdependent cycling tasks within their operational
forecast systems, and in such cases application of the optimisation suite is
particularly straightforward. As a test case, we applied the Cyclops to calibrate a global implementation
of the WAVEWATCH III (v4.18) third-generation spectral wave model, forced by
ERA-Interim input fields. This was calibrated over a 1-year period (1997),
before applying the calibrated model to a full (1979–2016) wave hindcast.
The chosen error metric was the spatial average of the root mean square error
of hindcast significant wave height compared with collocated altimeter
records. We describe the results of a calibration in which up to
19 parameters were optimised.
Multiscale Roughness Influence on Conservative Solute Transport in Self-affine Fractures
Authors: Dou Zhi , Sleep Brent , Zhan Hongbin , Zhou Zhifang , Wang Jinguo
Published: June 2018

Abstract. In this article, the influence of multiscale roughness on transport of a conservative solute through a self-affine fracture was investigated. The fracture roughness was decomposed into two different scales (i.e., a small-scale stationary secondary roughness superimposed on a large-scale non-stationary primary roughness) by a wavelet analysis technique. The fluid flow in the single fracture was characterized by Forchheimer's law and exhibited nonlinear flow features such as eddies and tortuous streamlines. The results indicated that the small-scale secondary roughness was primarily responsible for the nonlinear flow features. Numerical simulations of asymptotic conservative solute transport showed non-Fickian transport characteristics (i.e., early arrivals and long tails) in breakthrough curves (BTCs) and in residence time distributions (RTDs) with and without consideration of the secondary roughness. Analysis of multiscale BTCs and RTDs showed that the small-scale secondary roughness played a significant role in enhancing the non-Fickian transport characteristics. Removing small-scale secondary roughness delayed the arrival time and shortened the tail. The peak concentrations in BTCs decreased as the secondary roughness was removed, implying that the secondary roughness could also enhance the solute dilution. Fitting the one-dimensional (1D) Fickian advection-dispersion equation (ADE) to the numerical BTCs resulted in considerable errors that decreased with the small-scale secondary roughness being removed. The 1D mobile-immobile model (MIM) provided a better fit to the numerical BTCs and inclusion of the small-scale secondary roughness in numerical simulations resulted in a decreasing MIM mobile domain fraction and an increasing mass exchange rate between immobile and mobile domains.
Impacts of changing hydrology on permanent gully growth: experimental results
Authors: Day Stephanie S. , Gran Karen B. , Paola Chris
Published: June 2018

Abstract. Permanent gullies grow through head cut propagation in response to overland
flow coupled with incision and widening in the channel bottom leading to
hillslope failures. Altered hydrology can impact the rate at which permanent
gullies grow by changing head cut propagation, channel incision, and channel
widening rates. Using a set of small physical experiments, we tested how
changing overland flow rates and flow volumes alter the total volume of
erosion and resulting gully morphology. Permanent gullies were modeled as
both detachment-limited and transport-limited systems, using two different
substrates with varying cohesion. In both cases, the erosion rate varied
linearly with water discharge, such that the volume of sediment eroded was a
function not of flow rate, but of total water volume. This implies that
efforts to reduce peak flow rates alone without addressing flow volumes
entering gully systems may not reduce erosion. The documented response in
these experiments is not typical when compared to larger preexisting
channels where higher flow rates result in greater erosion through nonlinear
relationships between water discharge and sediment discharge. Permanent
gullies do not respond like preexisting channels because channel slope
remains a free parameter and can adjust relatively quickly in response to changing flows.
Learning in an interactive simulation tool against landslide risks: the role of strength and availability of experiential feedback
Authors: Chaturvedi Pratik , Arora Akshit , Dutt Varun
Published: June 2018

Abstract. Feedback via simulation tools is likely to help people improve
their decision-making against natural disasters. However, little is known on
how differing strengths of experiential feedback and feedback's availability
in simulation tools influence people's decisions against landslides. We
tested the influence of differing strengths of experiential feedback and
feedback's availability on people's decisions against landslides in Mandi,
Himachal Pradesh, India. Experiential feedback (high or low) and feedback's
availability (present or absent) were varied across four between-subject
conditions in a tool called the Interactive Landslide Simulation (ILS): high damage
with feedback present, high damage with feedback absent, low damage with feedback present,
and low damage with feedback absent. In high-damage conditions, the probabilities
of damages to life and property due to landslides were 10 times higher than
those in the low-damage conditions. In feedback-present conditions,
experiential feedback was provided in numeric, text, and graphical formats in
ILS. In feedback-absent conditions, the probabilities of damages were
described; however, there was no experiential feedback present. Investments
were greater in conditions where experiential feedback was present and
damages were high compared to conditions where experiential feedback was
absent and damages were low. Furthermore, only high-damage feedback produced
learning in ILS. Simulation tools like ILS seem appropriate for landslide
risk communication and for performing what-if analyses.
How size and trigger matter: analyzing rainfall- and earthquake-triggered landslide inventories and their causal relation in the Koshi River basin, Central Himalaya
Authors: Zhang Jianqiang , van Westen Cees J. , Tanyas Hakan , Mavrouli Olga , Ge Yonggang , Bajrachary Samjwal , Gurung Deo Raj , Dhital Megh Raj , Khanal Narendral Raj
Published: June 2018

Abstract. Inventories of landslides caused by different triggering mechanisms, such as earthquakes, extreme rainfall events or anthropogenic activities, may show different characteristics in terms of distribution, causal factors and frequency-area relationships. This research aims to study such differences in landslide inventories, and the effect they have on landslide susceptibility assessment. Koshi River basin in central Himalaya was taken as study area. Detailed landslide inventories were generated based on visual interpretation of remote sensing images and field investigation for different time periods and triggering mechanisms. Maps and images from the period 1992 to 2015 were used to map 5,858 rainfall-triggered landslides and after the 2015 April 25 Gorkha earthquake, an additional 1138 co-seismic landslides were mapped. A set of topographic, geological and land cover factors were employed to analyze their correlation with different types and sizes of landslides. The results show that the frequency – area distributions of rainfall and earthquake–triggered landslides varied considerably, with the former one having a larger frequency of small landslides. Also topographic factors varied considerably for the two triggering events, with both elevation and slope angle showing significantly different patterns for earthquake-triggered and rainfall-triggered landslides. Landslides were classified into two size groups, in combination with the main triggering mechanism (rainfall- or earthquake-triggered). Susceptibility maps for different combinations of landslide size and triggering mechanism were generated using logistic regression analysis. The different triggers and sizes of landslide data were used to validate the models. The results showed that susceptible areas for small and large size rainfall- and earthquake-triggered landslides differed substantially, while susceptibility maps for different size of earthquake-triggered landslides were similar.
Antarctic sub-shelf melt rates via PICO
Authors: Reese Ronja , Albrecht Torsten , Mengel Matthias , Asay-Davis Xylar , Winkelmann Ricarda
Published: June 2018

Abstract. Ocean-induced melting below ice shelves is one of the dominant drivers for
mass loss from the Antarctic Ice Sheet at present. An appropriate
representation of sub-shelf melt rates is therefore essential for model
simulations of marine-based ice sheet evolution. Continental-scale ice sheet
models often rely on simple melt-parameterizations, in particular for
long-term simulations, when fully coupled ice–ocean interaction becomes
computationally too expensive. Such parameterizations can account for the
influence of the local depth of the ice-shelf draft or its slope on melting.
However, they do not capture the effect of ocean circulation underneath the
ice shelf. Here we present the Potsdam Ice-shelf Cavity mOdel (PICO), which
simulates the vertical overturning circulation in ice-shelf cavities and thus
enables the computation of sub-shelf melt rates consistent with this
circulation. PICO is based on an ocean box model that coarsely resolves ice
shelf cavities and uses a boundary layer melt formulation. We implement it as
a module of the Parallel Ice Sheet Model (PISM) and evaluate its performance
under present-day conditions of the Southern Ocean. We identify a set of
parameters that yield two-dimensional melt rate fields that qualitatively
reproduce the typical pattern of comparably high melting near the grounding
line and lower melting or refreezing towards the calving front. PICO captures
the wide range of melt rates observed for Antarctic ice shelves, with an
average of about 0.1 m a−1 for cold sub-shelf cavities, for
example, underneath Ross or Ronne ice shelves, to 16 m a−1 for
warm cavities such as in the Amundsen Sea region. This makes PICO a
computationally feasible and more physical alternative to melt
parameterizations purely based on ice draft geometry.
Viewpoint: Integrated urban modeling: Past, present, and future
Authors: Miller Eric J.
Published: June 2018

Integrated urban models (IUMs) (aka, integrated transport/land-use models) have been developed and (sometimes) applied for more than 50 years, dating back to the early 1960s. IUMs have been criticized over this same period on both practical and theoretical grounds. At the same time, continuing and very significant technological developments have made possible the development, implementation and use of such models in operational planning settings in various countries worldwide. A major review of the IUM state of the art and recommendations for evolution of this state were prepared by the author and colleagues 20 years ago. This paper presents an update of the 1998 report in terms of a summary of progress over the past 20 years, a critical assessment of the current IUM state of the art and practice, and needs and prospects for future development. This paper argues that the current modeling state is in “the doldrums,” similar to concerns raised by Pas in the seminal 1990 critique of activity-based travel models. It then outlines research and development needs to exploit current and emerging data, computing, and methodological developments that hold promise for the development of a much more powerful and useful “next generation” of IUMs.
MYCOPLASMA PULMONIS, AGENTE DA MICOPLASMOSE RESPIRATÓRIA MURINA: REVISÃO
Authors: Souza Jenif Braga de , Oliveira Mariana Thomaz de , Nascimento Elmiro Rosendo do , Verícimo Maurício Afonso , Barreto Maria Lúcia
Published: June 2018

A micoplasmose murina é uma infecção que ainda hoje representa um grande desafio para a experimentação animal em todo o mundo. O Mycoplasma pulmonis é o agente da micoplasmose respiratória murina, uma doença de curso crônico, lento e persistente por toda a vida do animal. O objetivo deste trabalho foi traçar um panorama sobre aspectos biológicos, a enfermidade, métodos de diagnóstico e as dificuldades de prevenção e controle deste microrganismo. Ratos e camundongos são usados em todo o mundo na pesquisa biológica, e quando possuem padronização sanitária aliada à padronização genética fornecem ao pesquisador modelos importantes para a compreensão de diversos mecanismos biológicos. Entretanto, essas espécies podem infectar-se por agentes patogênicos que, introduzidos na criação, afetam a produção e os resultados experimentais. Entre as principais infecções que acometem os roedores, a micoplasmose é uma das mais importantes porque produz problemas respiratórios e reprodutivos graves, comprometendo a criação e impedindo a obtenção de animais livres de patógenos. Mesmo com o advento de equipamentos como as estantes ventiladas e os microisoladores, a ocorrência da infecção ainda é 100% nas colônias convencionais e 3,2% a 20% em colônias mantidas sob barreiras.
COMPARAÇÃO DE TRÊS MÉTODOS DE REFRIGERAÇÃO DO SÊMEN OVINO PELO PERÍODO DE 24 E 48 HORAS.
Authors: Bergstein-Galan Tacia Gomes , Weiss Romildo Romualdo , Bertol Melina A. F. , Abreu Ana Claudia M R , Wesolovsky Amanda
Published: June 2018

A manutenção do sêmen ovino refrigerado apresenta vantagens quando comparado ao sêmen fresco e congelado. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar três equipamentos de refrigeração, à 5°C, do sêmen ovino com base nas análises in vitro da motilidade total, vigor, morfologia espermática e teste hiposmótico (HOST). As amostras seminais foram refrigeradas em geladeira (G1), equipamento automatizado (G2) e dispositivo móvel (G3) durante 24 horas (MI) e 48 horas (MIII). Foi realizado teste de exaustão pela incubação por quatro horas à 37°C das amostras mantidas refrigeradas por 24 horas (MII) e 48 horas (MIV). Não houve diferença (P>0,05) entre os equipamentos de refrigeração em todos os parâmetros analisados. Conclui-se que os três métodos de refrigeração foram eficientes em manter os parâmetros in vitro de qualidade espermática similares ao sêmen fresco até 24 horas. Após 48 horas de refrigeração, em todos os métodos, houve decréscimo (P<0,05) da motilidade total, porém sem alteração (P>0,05) do vigor, morfologia espermática ou HOST.
CAMPANHA DE ORIENTAÇÃO, PREVENÇÃO E DIAGNÓSTICO PRECOCE DE TUMORES MAMÁRIOS EM CADELAS E PREVALÊNCIA DESSES TUMORES DIAGNOSTICADOS DURANTE A CAMPANHA REALIZADA NO MUNICÍPIO DE BLUMENAU-SC.
Authors: Pascoli Ana Lucia , Negrão Silvio Luiz , Oliveira Luciano Egílio , Ferreira Marília Gabriele Prado Albuquerque , Reis Filho Nazilton De Paula , De Nardi Andrigo Barboza
Published: June 2018

Foi realizada uma campanha de prevenção contra o câncer de mama em Blumenau/SC, onde foram examinadas 111 cadelas para palpação digital das mamas. Foi entregue aos proprietários um folheto informativo sobre neoplasias mamárias, fatores de risco e proteção, formas de diagnóstico e tratamento e demonstrado como fazer palpação digital das mamas em seus animais a fim de detectar a presença de nódulos e conscientizá-los sobre o diagnóstico precoce. Em relação aos resultados obtidos, cães sem raça definida foram os mais acometidos 3 (5/29,41%), sendo o Poodle o segundo (3/17,64%). Em relação a faixa etária, 35,29% (6) dos animais tinham até 5 anos, 41,18% (7) tinham de 6-10, e 23,53% (4), de 11-16 anos. Em relação a incidência de mamas acometidas, 3 animais (17,64%) apresentaram tumores em M1, 1 (5,88%) em M2, 5 (29,41%) em M3, 5 (29,41%) em M4 e 3 (17,64%) em M5. Foi observado maior incidência em animais não castrados (58,82%/n=10) e em 41,18% dos castrados (7), 3 deles (17,65%) recebiam anticoncepcional e 14 (82,53%) não recebiam, 6 deles apresentaram pseudociese e 11 (64,71%) nunca apresentaram. Em relação ao escore corporal, 5 animais (29,41%) foram considerados normais de acordo com a validação de Laflamme (1997), 7 (41,18%) apresentavam excesso de peso e 5 (29,41%) eram obesos. A detecção precoce das neoplasias mamárias em cadelas é um fator positivo em relação ao prognóstico. Sabe-se que alguns fatores influenciam a incidência de neoplasias mamárias, sendo assim, podemos prevenir esses fatores e consequentemente diminuir a incidência da neoplasia. Para isso, campanhas contra o câncer de mama devem ser realizadas para que proprietários conheçam as formas de prevenção e examinem periodicamente seus animais.
Implementação de Estratégias para a Redução da Mortalidade Materna no Vale do Jequitinhonha
Authors: Guedes Helisamara Mota , Cunha Naila Dos Santos , Dias Juliana Augusta Augusta , Silva George Sobrinho Sobrinho
Published: June 2018

Visando contribuir com a redução da mortalidade materna no Vale do Jequitinhonha foi desenvolvido ações com o objetivo de atualizar e uniformizar as condutas clínicas dos profissionais de saúde para a assistência às emergências obstétricas. A ação contemplou os municípios da Microrregião de Saúde de Diamantina em quatro etapas: I – atualização do protocolo; II – apresentação dos resultados para a equipe e ajuste; III – criação de parcerias com a Comissão Intergestora Regional, e apresentação da proposta de um curso de atualização e divulgação do protocolo; IV – realização do Curso de Emergências Obstétricas. Foram coletados dados sobre as características do atendimento a parturiente antes e após a realização do curso. Análise descritiva foi procedida. Compareceram ao evento 108 profissionais de saúde. Foram distribuídos 16 cartazes coloridos de seis diferentes fluxogramas de atendimento aos hospitais de cada município. Dos questionários entregues no início e final do curso obteve-se os seguintes resultados: na maioria dos municípios é garantido às parturientes o direito à presença de acompanhante; houve diferença em pacientes atendidos pelo convênio e SUS; o partograma não é utilizado em sete cidades; os métodos não farmacológicos de alívio da dor mais descritos foram a bola, deambulação e massagem. Observou-se falta de algumas medicações necessárias para intercorrências. A proposta apresentou repercussão positiva, houve uma boa adesão e participação dos profissionais. Espera-se que grandes atores estratégicos tenham sido sensibilizados e que mudança da pratica obstétrica aconteça. Torna-se necessário incentivar outros eventos desta natureza para que a mortalidade materna na região diminua cada vez mais.
ESTUDO E REQUALIFICAÇÃO DO ALVORADA CLUBE EM CRICIÚMA (SC), UMA PRÁTICA COLABORATIVA ENTRE UNIVERSIDADE E COMUNIDADE
Authors: Mafioletti Dyene , LUIZ VIEIRA JORGE , RAFAEL DA ROSA GEFERSON , VALIM BAUER JÚLIA , CECHINEL DE SOUZA FRANCINY
Published: June 2018

Este artigo apresenta de forma conceitual e prática a experiência acadêmica no estudo de caso e no processo de requalificação do Clube Alvorada em Criciúma, SC. O projeto atua por meio de uma prática colaborativa entre o Escritório Modelo Interdisciplinar - EMI da Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense – UNESC, a Associação de Professores e Funcionários da UNESC – APROFUCRI e a comunidade dos bairros Pinheirinho e Milanese, em Criciúma/SC. O EMI se desenvolve na perspectiva da interdisciplinaridade e das relações interinstitucionais, proporcionando aos alunos a incorporação dos conhecimentos teóricos e práticos, por meio da participação ativa nos projetos com orientação docente. Essa prática, além de possibilitar trocas de saberes entre a universidade e a comunidade, oferece aos discentes oportunidades de testarem habilidades e competências adquiridas, pela participação na solução de problemas reais inerentes ao seu campo de atuação. Sob esta perspectiva é que se desenvolve o projeto de requalificação do Alvorada Clube, que se localiza entre os bairros Pinheirinho e Milanese, atendendo cerca de 7.621 habitantes em suas imediações. O clube sediou os mais importantes eventos da comunidade local. O edifício, além do seu valor histórico, expressa uma linguagem tardia do modernismo, constituindo-se em importante acervo local a ser preservado e que atualmente encontra-se em mau estado de conservação. Desta forma, o Escritório Modelo teve como objetivo realizar o levantamento patrimonial do edifício a fim de produzir um estudo preliminar para a recuperação de suas instalações por meio da interação universidade-sociedade.
Coping e racionalização: Atuação de advogados nos casos de disputa de guarda
Authors: Mendes Josimar Antônio de Alcântara Mendes , Bucher-Malusche Julia Sursis Nobre Ferro
Published: June 2018

Divórcio e sua judicialização expõem os advogados a vários fatores estressores inerentes ao contexto de crise, separação e disputa de guarda dos filhos. Este estudo discutiu a racionalização como coping de advogados para fatores estressores associados à atuação deles junto ao divórcio e à disputa de guarda na Justiça. O delineamento do estudo foi qualitativo, exploratório e descritivo. Foram realizadas entrevistas qualitativas semiestruturadas individuais com dois advogados particulares e um público, todos com mais de oito anos de atuação em Varas de Família do Distrito Federal e Territórios. Os resultados indicam que, em função do contexto estressor em que atuam, os advogados tendem a racionalizar o litígio familiar, compreendendo-o como expressão de amor e afeto dos pais para com os filhos, caracterizandose, assim, como estratégia de coping por parte destes atores. Contudo, também apresentavam sinais de Burnout. Constatou-se que isso ocorre em função do processo de formação político-epistemológica do Direito, o qual não dá lugar e nem legitima as emoções e sentimentos dos advogados em sua prática profissional.
Prepositional Phrase Attachment Global Ambiguity Resolution in Semantically Biased and Neutral Conditions by L2 Learners
Authors: Maghsoud Hadi
Published: June 2018

This study investigated the prepositional phrase attachment preferences of Persian speaking second language learnersof English in dealing with globally ambiguous sentences. Results are reported from 34 participants across twoproficiency levels who took part in an online reading task and an offline reading task. In both tasks, the preferenceswere examined in biased and neutral conditions; in the former the verb was semantically biased towards the DPinside the PP (e.g. Peter killed the man with a gun) and in the latter condition there was no bias (e.g. Peter met theman with a gun). The findings showed that in both online and offline reading tasks participants resolved theambiguity by attaching the ambiguous DP to the verb, being influenced by the semantic relationship between the two,but in the neutral condition, the preferences were almost equal for both interpretations. The proficiency level did notinfluence preferences except for a slight interaction effect in the offline reading task. The findings indicate that L2learners of different proficiency levels rely on semantics rather than syntax in processing globally ambiguoussentences. The findings of this study in the neutral condition, are in line with the unrestricted race model. However,this model and the constraint-based theories fail to provide a proper explanation for the biased and neutral conditionsrespectively. It is suggested that discrepancy between the assumptions of the constraint-based theories and theunrestricted race model seems to be due to ignoring the role of semantic relationship between phrases in sentencesused for elicitation of parsing preferences; a factor that needs to be taken into account in future studies.
The market for audit services provided to public companies listed on the Polish capital market
Authors: Gad Jacek
Published: June 2018

The aim of the article is to identify changes in the concentration on the market for audit services provided to public companies listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. The additional aim is to identify changes in the level of rotation among firms providing audit services to public companies listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. The research conclusions were based on the analysis of 2 652 annual reports prepared in the years 2011-2016 by companies listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. Reports came from the websites of the surveyed companies. The data was collected manually. It was found that in the years 2011–2016 the concentration in the market for audit services provided to public companies increased. Six audit firms, referred to in the article as “leading” firms, provided their services to over half of public companies. Their share in the audit services market varied across sectors. The level of rotation of audit firms providing their
services to public companies in particular sectors was also different. It should be pointed out that the level of concentration in the market for audit services provided to public companies in Poland is lower than the average level of concentration for all EU countries. In Poland, in 2015, the CR4 indicator was around 41%, while the average value of this indicator for the EU countries was around 70%. So far, there has been no comprehensive analysis of the Polish audit services market in the relevant literature. This article seeks to fill a research gap in this respect.
Labour cost budgeting as a tool of personal controlling
Authors: Grzesiak Lena
Published: June 2018

Contemporary human resource management specialists have the status of business partners. This role requires sufficient knowledge of the organisation, necessary for the specialists to contribute to the devel-
opment of strategic solutions and cost optimization through, for instance, personal controlling, i.e. con-
trolling adapted to handle the HRM function. The personnel controlling concept comes with a variety of tools, one of which is the labour cost budgeting. This interdisciplinary article presents the complex matter
of human resource management in the context of personnel controlling. In particular, it provides an in-
sight into the nature of personnel controlling and labour costs, and describes how personnel controlling units and HRM units are related to each other. Based on a critical review of the literature (mainly interna-
tional), the article integrates the knowledge of personnel cost budgeting and attempts to evaluate its use-
fulness for management purposes. Its conclusions can be used as reference by researchers and practition-
ers (mainly heads of the personnel function and personnel controlling), as well as by economics students. In the author’s opinion, personnel cost budgeting can be a key tool allowing an organisation to control these costs and consequently improving the effectiveness of organisational management.
Study of the logistics factors that influence the development of e-commerce services in the customer’s opinion
Authors: Gajewska Teresa , Zimon Dominik
Published: June 2018

Recent years have seen a dynamic growth of ecommerce. This links to technological developments, an increase in the number of people who have access to and actively use the Internet, and the use of mobile devices.
The aim of the paper is to present the results of a questionnaire survey of the factors behind the development of e-commerce services. Besides, the paper defines the interdependence between the frequency of internet shopping and the logistic aspects of e-commerce. A hierarchy is also established of the degree of satisfaction as regards the quality criteria of e-commerce services.
The analysis covers data from a questionnaire survey of 100 customers using ecommerce in Poland. The respondents were customers using e-commerce services aged between 20 and 24. The questionnaire was based on a five-point Likert-type scale of between 1 and 5. The survey was qualitative and nationwide. The analysis was done using the Statistica 10 software. The Pearson correlation was chosen from amongst the methods available to determine the impact between the surveyed variables.
Firms that provide e-commerce services aim to fulfil the ever increasing needs and expectations of their customers. They attach a lot of importance to the quality of customer service which is demonstrated by the high scores awarded by the respondents.
Principles of the toll roads pricing
Authors: Jaworski Piotr , Liberadzki Kamil , Liberadzki Marcin
Published: June 2018

In this paper the authors refer to the method of commercial provision of road infrastructure called BOT (build-operate-transfer) under Public-private partnerships (PPPs) scheme. First we present the investment criteria for transportation PPP projects as well as application of price theory. Then we recognize that the different participants in PPP projects have distinct goals and requirements that must be met in order for them to be able to participate in an effective partnership. The main challenge for the toll road pricing is to determine the economically viable toll rate that takes into consideration the diverse and sometimes conflicting interests of different stakeholders involved in the project. The main objective is to review the theory of economic principles for optimal toll roads pricing and to review the existing approaches to transportation projects appraisal. Then the authors show how to formally derive the condition for toll rate that meets 2 criteria: 1) is socially optimal and 2) covers operator’s costs. For this purpose we use II type Tőrnquist function, a member of an Engel family of functions. This function models the relationship between income and consumption of inferior and normal goods. Tőrnquist function is a mathematical representation of the well-known Engel curves. We deem the highway trip to be a “second necessity good”.
Evidence and projections on the progressivity of health care financing in Finland
Authors: Klavus Jan , Rissanen Pekka
Published: June 2018

This paper examined the distribution of health care financing in Finland in 1990-2012. In addition, the study provided insight to recent developments in the financing system, and analyzed various scenarios associated with the planned financing reform of 2020. The results indicated, that over the two decade study period overall progressivity first steadily decreased, and after turning regressive by 2006, returned to a progressive track leading to the highest level of measured progressivity by 2012. The distributional implications of the financing reform in the “stationary” scenario were shown to be significant; substituting revenue collected previously by local income taxes by an equiproportinate increase in state income tax revenue would increase the progressivity of overall financing to an unprecedentedly high level. In the “counterbalanced” scenario, where the state income tax scales were adjusted to correspond to the average income tax rate, the progressivity of overall financing increased more moderately. Finally, the “system-level” scenario indicated that taking into account recent changes in other financing sources outweighed the progressivity effect, and a slightly less progressive overall financing distribution would emerge in 2020 in comparison to 2012. The monetary effects of abolishing the public reimbursement scheme of private health services fees were shown to be rather small in magnitude, but the economic burden fell more heavily on low-income households. Published: Online May 2018.
Notions of Young Women without Children about Childbirth
Authors: Kisdi Barbara
Published: June 2018

Aim: The aim of the study was to find out what kind of imaginations and expectations of Hungarian young, childless women have about childbirth. In addition to mapping intentions and expectations, our questions focused on how they think about the circumstances, ways and types of childbirth and we asked them what they know about opportunities and procedures based on their previous experiences. Methods: In our university research we conducted a qualitative examination using the method of depth interviewing young women about their birth plans (n. 154, 18-35 years old). The selection of interviewees was randomly recruited from the circle of acquaintances of university students. The data collection took place during 2016. The study used content analysis. Results: In the case of randomly questioned women, the issue of the quality of birth is usually not part of either their primary or secondary socialisation. The source of imagination on childbirth is usually the media and negative family stories which describe birth as a dangerous and painful event and which mainly transform young women-s attitudes to pregnancy and childbirth. Accordingly, the majority of interviewees do not consider themselves competent in their own childbirths, and intend to rely essentially on external authority. Conclusions: On the basis of the examination it appears that the information obtained through formal and informal channels provide a rather distorted and unilateral image of the nature of childbirth, opportunities, and issues of competence, which do not facilitate real physical and psychological preparation for giving birth. This can influence the way and quality of birth-giving, the childbirth experience and, in the long run, the willingness to continue to have children.
The Long-Term Effects of Foetal Life and Birth : A Theoretical Approach
Authors: Orosz Katalin , S. Nagy Zita
Published: June 2018

A Theoretical Approach: As the first normative crisis, birth might be the primal experience of change for every person. Current research shows that the foetus not only perceives what is happening to him/her in the perinatal period, but he/she even responds to it. Birth experiences and the subsequent reactions create patterns, which may activate again in later life situations. These patterns include physiological, behavioural, cognitive and emotional components, and they influence the personal development as well as the adult functioning and well-being. In this paper, we introduce our theory of the probable long-term effects of perinatal experiences. Our hypotheses are based on medical and epigenetics research findings, on current theories about the significance of the perinatal period and on our 22 years of psychotherapeutic experience. We discuss the effects of the perinatal experiences along the following four topics. According to our assumption, the perinatal experiences become the basic pattern (1) of how we cope with change, (2) of how we manage stress and losses, (3) of how we can bond with others, and (4) of what our attitude is towards touch and towards intimacy. However, the emergence and the functioning of these basic patterns are not rigid and schematic. They are also formed by the subsequent experiences during the entire life, and they can be corrected in any period of life. At the end of the paper we summarise the symptoms in adulthood, when psychotherapy might be recommended to process the traumatic perinatal experiences.
Ethical Implications of Obstetric Care in Hungary : Results from the Mother-Centred Pregnancy Care Survey
Authors: Szebik Imre , Susánszky Éva , Szántó Zsuzsa , Susánszky Anna , Rubashkin Nicholas
Published: June 2018

Background: Informed consent plays an important role in clinical decision making. It is a basis of self determination in health care. In ideal situations health care professionals inform their patients about all relevant aspects of care and alternative care options, map the value system of the patients, and adjust the information process accordingly. Objectives: Our objective was to see the frequency of selected interventions (birth induction, caesarean section, episiotomy, forced supinal position during birth, and the consent process associated to these interventions. Methods: 1,257 women (with childbearing capacity) between the age of 18 and 45 with children under the age of 5 were surveyed online. Results: Caesarian section was done without permission in 10.2% of women. Labour was inducted in 22.2% of all deliveries and it was done without permission in 25.4% . Episiotomy was done in 39.9% of women having vaginal delivery in the Sample 2 group and in 72.2% of women having vaginal delivery in the Sample 1 (representative) group. Women undergoing episiotomy were not asked for consent in 62.0% in the Sample 1 group and in 57.1% in the Sample 2 group. Freedom to choose labour position for women having vaginal birth was restricted in 65.7% in the Sample 1 group and in 46% in the Sample 2 group. Discussion and Conclusions: We have found that the right of women to informed consent and best available treatment is frequently and seriously violated in obstetric practice in Hungary in the given period. These findings should serve as an important basis for improving the quality of maternity care.
The Metaphor of Hunting and the Method of Division in the Sophist
Authors: Bruseker George
Published: June 2018

This paper examines the metaphor of hunting as used in Plato’s dialogue, the Sophist. In it, we explore the idea that the example of the ‘angler’ given at the start of the dialogue is no throw-away example, but opens up the metaphor of hunting as an important element of understanding how to use the method of division introduced for coming to definitional knowledge. I argue that the use of the metaphor of hunting is a pedagogical tool that transforms the attentive student’s understanding of the method of division from a dry science of definition, to a manner of approaching the search for truth. Applied reflexively to the search for the definition of the sophist, it helps reveal that the search for knowledge is a non-linear, iterative process which requires passing-through, and abides no shortcuts. It leaves open the suggestion that the true image of knowledge and the philosopher may finally be found in a version of acquisitive rather than productive or seperative arts (as they are classified within the dialogue).
Vegetarian Republic: Pythagorean Themes in Plato’s Republic
Authors: Dolgert Stefan
Published: June 2018

Plato is often considered a founder of the humanist tradition, but I question this interpretation of Plato’s humanism via a return to the Neo-Platonic/Neo-Pythagorean interpretation of the “healthy city” (372e) of the Republic, which is more frequently (though infelicitously) referred to as the “city of pigs” (372d). Here, in the first city Socrates describes in Book II, we see a “vegetarian republic” in which humans and nonhumans live in mutual con-cord rather than as predator and prey. Neither hunting nor animal husbandry is practiced in this first regime, and while animals are used for labor-power, Socrates’ detailed description of the diet of the citizens of the huopolis makes it clear that animals are not consumed as food. Plato’s Socrates never retracts his praise of this first regime throughout the remainder of the Republic, which implies that this city and its human/animal comity retain their exemplary status in Plato’s political theory.
Well-being, Education and Unity of the Soul in Plato
Authors: Giourgas Thomas
Published: June 2018

Is Socrates in the Protagoras a sincere hedonist? The decipherment of the latter question is fundamental to the unraveling of key aspects of Plato’s ethical thought. It has been suggested that Socrates in the Protagoras finds hedonism philosophically attractive for it functions as a necessary anti-akrasia premise and, therefore, it fits his moral psychology. At the same time quantitative hedonism provides for commensurability of moral value and, in turn, for a more straightforward, quantifiable, and action-guiding Platonic ethical theory. Although initially appealing, the latter hypothesis is deeply problematic. On the one hand, hedonism is not a necessary theoretical tool either for commensurability of value or for a quantifiable eudemonistic ethical theory. On the other hand a hedonistic interpretation of the Protagoras would result in a plethora of blatant anomalies for Platonic ethical theory as it is exhibited in the early and middle period dialogues. In particular, the endorsement of quantitative hedonism comes tied with an apotheosis of sophistic education and also with a purely instrumental conception of virtue which contradicts cardinal components of Socrates’ and Plato’s virtue theory. Therefore, a prohedonistic approach of the Protagoras is untenable and has to be rejected. As a result, a sufficiently plausible defense of the Socratic doctrine “no one does wrong willingly” needs to be constructed on non-hedonistic grounds. My suggestion is that we should recast Plato’s treatment of akrasia in terms of two –commonly defended by early Plato- descriptive theses of human psychology; that is, psychological eudemonism and motivational intellectualism. This move will lead us to the conclusion that the traditional conceptualization of akrasia as a single and unified phenomenon is incomplete as it does not pay justice to the richness of Plato’s moral psychology. Rather, as I will maintain, there are two types of akrasia implicit in Plato’s treatment of the phenomenon: synchronic akrasia and diachronic akrasia. On this revisionary theoretical basis, the differences between early Plato and later Plato on akrasia can be understood as variations in the adherence or not to psychological eudemonism and motivational intellectualism.
The Theology of Plato in Book X of the Laws: an Evolving Perspective
Authors: Ladikos Anastasios
Published: June 2018

This paper deals with Plato’s theology based mainly on Book X of the Laws. According to Plato, there are three false beliefs which are fatal to moral character, namely atheism, denial of the moral government of the world, and the belief that divine judgment can be bought off by prayers and offerings. Furthermore, legislation is an embodiment of the divine laws that govern the universe, and therefore it is the task of the legislator to see that every aspect of the state is directed to the inculcation of virtue. Human beings are seen as small parts of the universe and that the gods’ care for human affairs is seen as part of their care for the whole. Plato reinforces the argument that since the universe is under rational direction, one can be certain that what happens to humans after death will be appropriate to the character they have acquired in this life. The message is thus conveyed that people will in some way be rewarded or punished after death, without relying on the kind of mythical detail which the young atheist would obviously reject.
Motion and the Pair of Potentiality and Actualityas Key Notions for the Comprehension of Aristotle’s Theory of Sense
Authors: Lappa Elena
Published: June 2018

The concepts of sense, movement and potentiality are closely interwoven and the effort to approach the Aristotelian theory of sense leads to the notions of motion and dynamei (δύναμις). We will attempt to show that physical and mental processes of change have many things in common. Our point will be that the important pair of potentiality and actuality, which is a significant contrariety for Aristotle, is a key notion in both of these changes. The role of contrariety and, more specifically, the transition from potentiality to actuality plays the same role both in physical changes (movements for example), and - in the case of sense - since processes of change that take place in the soul does not differ from those found in physics, despite the fact that are being more subtle and complex. We will try to illustrate that the soul is (ἀρχὴ) the principal (the beginning) of a unique kind of movement, but it is not itself a movement, because it is not a separated substance completely independent and self-existent. Sense is a movement, a process that requires a transition from potentiality to actuality and potentiality can be the key notion for the understanding of the Aristotelian theory of perception.
Plato’s Good in the Phaedo: a New Reading
Authors: Osorio José Manuel
Published: June 2018

In the Phaedo Socrates tells his intellectual biography. He states that in the beginning of his intellectual career he occupied himself with the same causes that the ones of the Pre-Socratics. But this explanation was the root of all sort of philosophical problems so he abandoned it. After this disappointment, Socrates discovered the book of Anaxagoras and he expected there to find that the nous is causa finalis of everything because it is the good. But Anaxagoras never really developed this thought so Socrates pursued a different path: the method of hypothesis and the theory of ideas (the deuteros plous). Is there any trace of the good in the Phaedo? The standard interpretation of the intellectual biography and the deuteros plous passage, where Socrates says he was deprived of it, maintains that there isn’t. Contrary to the standard reading of the text we affirm that the critique that the old Socrates makes against the Pre-Socratics for not taking into consideration the teleological aspect of causality could also be read as an outline of the causal role of the good. This reading allows us to think of a Socrates who is still searching for the good in the deuteros plous account.
The Problem of Conflict Between Filial Piety and Justice
Authors: Son Byung Seok
Published: June 2018

In Analects 13:18 Confucius said that it is not upright for a son to give evidence against his father who stole a sheep. According to Confucius’ view, it is upright for a father and son to conceal each other’s misconduct. Similarly, in Plato’s dialogue Euthyphro Socrates seems to stress the son’s pious obligation to his father, when he regarded Euthyphro’s action of prosecuting his own father for homicide (‘dikē phonou’) on behalf of a laborer as crazy or strange. It seemed to Socrates that Euthyphro’s action violated the norms of filial piety, and he considered it inappropriate to prosecute a relative on behalf of an outsider. Like Confucius, Socrates seems to want the son, Euthyphro, to conceal the misconduct of his father’s committing murder. In this paper, however, despite the appearance of similarity in views, I want to focus on their differences. I assert that unlike Confucius, Socrates did not deny that justice (dikaiosynē) has an important meaning ahead of filial piety, if such a circumstance arises.
Pleasure and Friendship in Aristotle’s Ethics
Authors: Vakirtzis Andreas
Published: June 2018

Why do we choose agent X and not Y to be our friend? I examine aspects of Aristotle’s theories of virtuous friendship and pleasure to answer this question. Specifically, I argue that pleasure is connected to the good, and has two fundamental functions for Aristotle: 1) it is a judgment of value, and 2) it accompanies good activity. Furthermore, I show that the pleasure from the good plays an instrumental role in the friendship among virtuous agents. In particular, it is a motivating coefficient in the choice of friends, among virtu-ous agents. Against a more traditional reading of Aristotle on friendship such as Nehamas (2010), I argue that although virtue is sufficient for friendship, it is not, for Aristotle, determinant of the choice of friends. The variety of virtue which agents display gives rise to different experiences of pleasure in other agents who are themselves varyingly good between them, and acts differentially on them as an attraction. This reveals a richness of both choice and variety in the Aristotelian theory of virtuous friendship, as opposed to the monotone account of friendship that has been attributed to his ethical theory.