Dimensioning of Telecommunication Network Based on Quality of Services Demand and Detailed Behaviour of Users

The aim of this paper is to be determined the network capacity (number of necessary internal switching lines) based on detailed users’ behaviour and demanded quality of service parameters in an overall telecommunication system. We consider detailed conceptual and its corresponded analytical traffic model of telecommunication system with (virtual) circuit switching, in stationary state with generalized input flow, repeated calls, limited number of homogeneous terminals and losses due to abandoned and interrupted dialing, blocked and interrupted switching, not available intent terminal, blocked and abandoned ringing (absent called user) and abandoned conversation. We propose an analytical - numerical solution for finding the number of internal switching lines and values of the some basic traffic parameters as a function of telecommunication system state. These parameters are requisite for maintenance demand level of network quality of service (QoS). Dependencies, based on the numericalanalytical results are shown graphically. For proposed conceptual and its corresponding analytical model a network dimensioning task (NDT) is formulated, solvability of the NDT and the necessary conditions for analytical solution are researched as well. It is proposed a rule (algorithm) and computer program for calculation of the corresponded number of the internal switching lines, as well as corresponded values of traffic parameters, making the management of QoS easily.

An Overview of Modelling Bulgarian Wildland Fire Behaviour by Application of a Mathematical Game Method and WRF-Fire Models

This paper presents the main achievements of the author’s PhD dissertation. The work is dedicated to mathematical and semi-empirical approaches applied to the case of Bulgarian wildland fires. After the introductory explanations, short information from every chapter is extracted to cover the main parts of the obtained results. The methods used are described in brief and main outcomes are listed. ACM Computing Classification System (1998): D.1.3, D.2.0, K.5.1.

Mathematical Modeling, Music Literacy and Their Transmission in Fine Arts Education

Report published in the Proceedings of the National Conference on "Education and Research in the Information Society", Plovdiv, May, 2014

Exploring the effect of buffer behaviour on perceived video quality

In this work we deal with video streams over TCP networks and propose an alternative measurement to the widely used and accepted peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR) due to the limitations of this metric in the presence of temporal errors. A test-bed was created to simulate buffer under-run in scalable video streams and the pauses produced as a result of the buffer under-run were inserted into the video before being employed as the subject of subjective testing. The pause intensity metric proposed in [1] was compared with the subjective results and it was shown that in spite of reductions in frame rate and resolution, a correlation with pause intensity still exists. Due to these conclusions, the metric may be employed in layer selection in scalable video streams. © 2011 IEEE.

Is pregnancy a teachable moment for diet and physical activity behaviour change? An interpretative phenomenological analysis of the experiences of women during their first pregnancy

OBJECTIVES: Pregnancy may provide a 'teachable moment' for positive health behaviour change, as a time when women are both motivated towards health and in regular contact with health care professionals. This study aimed to investigate whether women's experiences of pregnancy indicate that they would be receptive to behaviour change during this period. DESIGN: Qualitative interview study. METHODS: Using interpretative phenomenological analysis, this study details how seven women made decisions about their physical activity and dietary behaviour during their first pregnancy. RESULTS: Two women had required fertility treatment to conceive. Their behaviour was driven by anxiety and a drive to minimize potential risks to the pregnancy. This included detailed information seeking and strict adherence to diet and physical activity recommendations. However, the majority of women described behaviour change as 'automatic', adopting a new lifestyle immediately upon discovering their pregnancy. Diet and physical activity were influenced by what these women perceived to be normal or acceptable during pregnancy (largely based on observations of others) and internal drivers, including bodily signals and a desire to retain some of their pre-pregnancy self-identity. More reasoned assessments regarding benefits for them and their baby were less prevalent and influential. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that for women who conceived relatively easily, diet and physical activity behaviour during pregnancy is primarily based upon a combination of automatic judgements, physical sensations, and perceptions of what pregnant women are supposed to do. Health professionals and other credible sources appear to exert less influence. As such, pregnancy alone may not create a 'teachable moment'. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Significant life events can be cues to action with relation to health behaviour change. However, much of the empirical research in this area has focused on negative health experiences such as receiving a false-positive screening result and hospitalization, and in relation to unequivocally negative behaviours such as smoking. It is often suggested that pregnancy, as a major life event, is a 'teachable moment' (TM) for lifestyle behaviour change due to an increase in motivation towards health and regular contact with health professionals. However, there is limited evidence for the utility of the TM model in predicting or promoting behaviour change. What does this study add? Two groups of women emerged from our study: the women who had experienced difficulties in conceiving and had received fertility treatment, and those who had conceived without intervention. The former group's experience of pregnancy was characterized by a sense of vulnerability and anxiety over sustaining the pregnancy which influenced every choice they made about their diet and physical activity. For the latter group, decisions about diet and physical activity were made immediately upon discovering their pregnancy, based upon a combination of automatic judgements, physical sensations, and perceptions of what is normal or 'good' for pregnancy. Among women with relatively trouble-free conception and pregnancy experiences, the necessary conditions may not be present to create a 'teachable moment'. This is due to a combination of a reliance on non-reflective decision-making, perception of low risk, and little change in affective response or self-concept.

Quality of the written information about suicide attempters

INTRODUCTION: The aim of the study was to assess the quality of the clinical records of the patients who are seen in public hospitals in Madrid after a suicide attempt in a blind observation. METHODS: Observational, descriptive cross-sectional study conducted at four general public hospitals in Madrid (Spain). Analyses of the presence of seven indicators of information quality (previous psychiatric treatment, recent suicidal ideation, recent suicide planning behaviour, medical lethality of suicide attempt, previous suicide attempts, attitude towards the attempt, and social or family support) in 993 clinical records of 907 patients (64.5% women), ages ranging from 6 to 92 years (mean 37.1±15), admitted to hospital after a suicide attempt or who committed an attempt whilst in hospital. RESULTS: Of patients who attempted suicide, 94.9% received a psychosocial assessment. All seven indicators were documented in 22.5% of the records, whilst 23.6% recorded four or less than four indicators. Previous suicide attempts and medical lethality of current attempt were the indicators most often missed in the records. The study found no difference between the records of men and women (z=0.296; p=0.767, two tailed Mann-Whitney U test), although clinical records of patients discharged after an emergency unit intervention were more incomplete than the ones from hospitalised patients (z=2.731; p=0.006), and clinical records of repeaters were also more incomplete than the ones from non-repeaters (z=3.511; p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Clinical records of patients who have attempted suicide are not complete. The use of semi-structured screening instruments may improve the evaluation of patients who have self- harmed.

The effects of store atmosphere on shopping behaviour - A literature review.

This paper provides an insight into how the atmospherics of a retail environment influence shopping behaviour. Its objective is to support researchers and practitioners by summarizing the current state of knowledge and identifying gaps and avenues for future research. The scope covers studies in retail marketing and environmental psychology published during the last 35 years. It has been shown that environmental cues (music, scent etc.) have an effect on the emotional state of the consumer, which in turn causes behavioural changes, both positive (approach, buy more, stay longer etc.) and negative (not approach, buy less, leave earlier etc.). Most studies make reference to the PAD model, which proposes that the relevant emotions in this process can be measured along three dimensions Pleasure, Arousal and Dominance (Mehrabian, A. & Russell, J.A.,1974, An approach to environmental psychology, Cambridge, MA.: MIT Press). Since then, significant advances have been made to understand the effect of individual cues, their interaction, as well as the role of moderators, such as gender, age, or shopping motivation. However, there are a number of opportunities for further research. Too little is known about the moderating effects of Arousal and Dominance and how they interact with each other and with Pleasure dimension. Also a number of other moderators, such as gender and culture, should be integrated into the model.

A magyar fiatalok jellemzése pénzügyi attitűdjeik és magatartásuk mentén – Vizsgálat a felsőoktatásban tanulók pénzügyi attitűdjeiről és magatartásáról = Characterization of the Hungarian youth with their financial attitudes and behaviours – A survey about the financial behaviour and attitudes of students

A pénzügyi piacok és termékek egyre komplexebbé válnak, ami együtt jár a pénzügyeket illető információs szakadék mélyülésével is – a lakosság egyre kevésbé képes pénzügyeiről körültekintő döntéseket hozni. Jelen tanulmány a magyar felsőoktatásban tanuló fiatalokat pénzügyi attitűdjeik mentén szegmentálja és jellemzi, annak érdekében, hogy hozzájáruljon a pénzügyi kultúra szintjét növelő programok sikerességéhez, legyen az állami indíttatású (pénzügyi edukáció) vagy a versenyszféra által vezérelt. A vizsgált fiatalok alapvetően három csoportba sorolhatók: (1) Konzervatívak, (2) Lázadók és (3) Tapasztaltak. A Konzervatívakra a stabil morális értékrend, alacsony kockázatvállalási hajlandóság jellemző, céljaik között egyaránt találunk rövid és hosszú távúakat is – informáltságuk, és ebből eredően pénzügyi ismeretszintjük alacsony, a hitelekkel szembeni attitűdjük negatív. A Lázadók csoportjára az „Élj a mának!” magatartás a jellemző, vagyis rövid távú céljaik vannak, kevésbé tudatosak, pénzügyi ismeretszintjük alacsony, ugyanakkor nyitottak az újdonságokra és a kockázatvállalási szintjük magasabb a másik két csoporténál. A Tapasztaltak csoportjára a tudatosság és a pénzügyi megfontoltság a jellemző – pénzügyi ismeretszintjük magasabb a másik két csoporténál. Náluk a hosszú távú célok dominálnak, de alacsony kockázatvállalási hajlandóság mellett. _____ Financial markets and financial instruments have become more and more complex in the last decades. Unfortunately, financial literacy of population cannot keep up with the innovation activity of financial sector. By segmenting and describing Hungarian young adults along their financial attitudes, the aim of this study is to provide recommendations to the programs aiming to enhance the development of financial literacy. According to the authors’ results, 18-25 year-old young adults can be categorized as (1) conservatives, (2) rebels and (3) experienced. Conservatives can be characterized by stable moral and values, low risktaking willingness and inappropriate financial knowledge. Both short and long term goals can be explored among their preferences. Conservatives have negative attitude to bank loans. The rebels can be described by the ancient Latin saying: “Carpe Diem”. They have short-term goals and the future financial stability is not an issue for them – their financial literacy is low. However, rebels are open-minded and their risk-taking willingness is greater than the other two group members. Despite of the low level of risk-taking willingness, the highest level of financial literacy is showed by the experienced group. They have long-term goals and are able to receive information about complex financial instruments.

The cultural politics of Jamaican dancehall music in South Florida

For Jamaicans throughout the Diaspora, dancehall music has emerged as their most potent cultural symbol demarcating their place of origin and continued sense of national belonging. Due to its unapologetic nature and tendency to tackle divisive issues such as those involving race, class, and sex, dancehall has been unfairly branded as wholly misogynistic and violent. This dissertation attempts to counter some of these assertions by exploring the cultural politics of dancehall music in South Florida's Jamaican community. Information for this study was obtained using participant observation, formal, and informal interviews. Participant observation was conducted over a 2 year period at several dancehall clubs and events throughout South Florida. A total of 24 formal and 30 informal interviews were conducted with listeners of the music and business owners who are directly and indirectly involved with the promotion, production, and distribution of dancehall in South Florida. ^ Results show that dancehall enacts cultural politics in three primary ways in South Florida. First, the music serves as one of several types of materials used in the construction of a "Jamaican identity." This is achieved through the lyrical content of the music where social, economic and political issues affecting the island are often discussed and debated. Second, dancehall operates as a form of cultural politics through its nurturing of nationalistic sensibilities. Evidence of this is apparent in the controversy involving dancehall's homophobic stance. Third, dancehall affords Jamaicans in South Florida the ability to transplant and perpetuate the uptown versus downtown divide. ^ Far from being wholly misogynistic and violent, therefore, dancehall is an important tool that can be used to address a wide variety of issues within the local Jamaican context and throughout the Jamaican diaspora. ^

The effects of using rap music on the fluency skills of 2nd grade African American students

A concern for both educators and policy makers is how to increase the reading achievement of African American students. Studies have shown that rap music, which has its roots in the African American community, can be used as a tool to facilitate this increase, specifically how using rap songs in reading lessons can improve a child's reading motivation, information recall, and vocabulary development. There are also studies on how repeated reading of a text can help improve a child's reading fluency. Yet, there are no studies that combine rap music and repeated reading of a text. This study describes the effects of using a culturally responsive reading strategy on the fluency, decoding, and comprehension skills of African American students. ^ The sample consisted of 105 African American students within eight, second grade classrooms at two different elementary schools. The classes were randomly selected and assigned to the rap group or the control group. Students received eight half-hour sessions using either a rap text or a traditional text in a repeated reading lesson. All of the students were pre-tested and post-tested on the Oral Reading Fluency and the Nonsense Word Fluency portions of the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Literacy Skills Test. Additionally, a researcher constructed comprehension quiz was given to the students at the beginning, middle, and end of the study. Research questions were analyzed using ANOVAs and t tests. ^ The hypotheses were not supported but there was some evidence that rap music in a reading lesson helped improve the fluency skills of African American students at one of the schools. The results also revealed that rap music used in a reading lesson initially improved the comprehension skills of African American students. The rap treatment may not have worked best overall because of the lack of intensity of the treatment. ^ The study has shown some evidence to support using culturally appropriate materials such as rap with students. There needs to be more research on the interaction between teaching methods, materials, and students. ^

Dive depth profile and at surface behaviour data of emperor penguins from Pointe Géologie, Adélie Land, Antarctica, from expedition DDU 2005

Adult male and female emperor penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri) were fitted with satellite transmitters at Pointe-Géologie (Adélie Land), Dumont d'Urville Sea coast, in November 2005. Nine of 30 data sets were selected for analyses to investigate the penguins' diving behaviour at high resolution (doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.633708, doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.633709, doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.633710, doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.633711). The profiles are in synchrony with foraging trips of the birds during austral spring (doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.472171, doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.472173, doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.472164, doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.472160, doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.472161). Corresponding high resolution winter data (n = 5; archived elsewhere) were provided by A. Ancel, Centre d'Ecologie et Physiologie Energétiques, CNRS, Strasbourg, France. Air-breathing divers tend to increase their overall dive duration with increasing dive depth. In most penguin species, this occurs due to increasing transit (descent and ascent) durations but also because the duration of the bottom phase of the dive increases with increasing depth. We interpreted the efficiency with which emperor penguins can exploit different diving depths by analysing dive depth profile data of nine birds studied during the early and late chick-rearing period in Adélie Land, Antarctica. Another eight datasets of dive depth and duration frequency recordings (doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.472150, doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.472152, doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.472154, doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.472155, doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.472142, doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.472144, doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.472146, doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.472147), which backup the analysed high resolution depth profile data, and dive depth and duration frequency recordings of another bird (doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.472156, doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.472148) did not match the requirement of high resolution for analyses. Eleven additional data sets provide information on the overall foraging distribution of emperor penguins during the period analysed (doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.472157, doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.472158, doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.472162, doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.472163, doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.472166, doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.472167, doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.472168, doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.472170, doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.472172, doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.472174, doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.472175).

‘Never Let Me Down Again’1: Loyal customer attitudes towards ticket distribution channels for live music events: a netnographic exploration of the US leg of the Depeche Mode 2005–2006 World Tour

Ticket distribution channels for live music events have been revolutionised through the increased take-up of internet technologies, and the music supply-chain has evolved into a multi-channel value network. The assumption that this creates increased consumer autonomy and improved service quality is explored here through a case-study of the ticket pre-sale for the US leg of the Depeche Mode 2005–06 World Tour, which utilises an innovative virtual channel strategy, promoted as a service to loyal fans. A multi-method analysis, adopting Kozinets' (2002) Kozinets, R. V. 2002. The field behind the screen: using netnography for marketing research in online communities. Journal of Marketing Research, 39: 61–72. [CrossRef], [Web of Science ®] netnography methodology, is employed to map responses of the band's serious fan base on an internet message board (IMB) throughout the tour pre-sale. The analysis focuses on concerns of pricing, ethics, scope of the offer, use of technology, service quality and perceived brand performance fit of channel partners. Findings indicate that fans behaviour is unpredictable in response to channel partners' performance, and that such offers need careful management to avoid alienation of loyal consumers.

Net-surplus as a useful tool to analyse financial information in co-op societies

This paper aims to analyse a sample of Galician co-ops to verify whether or not it is possible to deduce different financial behaviours among co-op partners from the amount of net-surplus. To this end, our study adds net-surplus to the variation registered in some account entries so that other residual incomes yielded by the co-op may be considered. The distribution of these revenues shows that partners do not usually choose to fully anticipate residual incomes. This reveals that some firms follow a positive net-surplus strategy, which is actually different from the null net-surplus strategy asserted by the classical financial theory. Furthermore, results show that differences between both strategies are statistically significant. This opens a path to future research on determinants explaining why co-op partners voluntarily renounce to anticipating these residual incomes. Such behaviour only arises when yearly accounts render a positive result, thereby making the accounting net-surplus a useful tool to analyse financial information in co-op societies.

Combining histology, stable isotope analysis and ZooMS collagen fingerprinting to investigate the taphonomic history and dietary behaviour of extinct giant tortoises from the Mare aux Songes deposit on Mauritius

Taphonomic research of bones can provide additional insight into a site's formation and development, the burial environment and ongoing post-mortem processes. A total of 30 tortoise (Cylindraspis) femur bone samples from the Mare aux Songes site (Mauritius)were studied histologically, assessing parameters such as presence and type of microbial alteration, inclusions, staining/infiltrations, the degree of microcracking and birefringence. The absence of microbial attack in the 4200 year old Mare aux Songes bones suggests the animals rapidly entered the soil whole-bodied and were sealed anoxically, although they suffered frombiological and chemical degradation (i.e. pyrite formation/oxidation, mineral dissolution and staining) related to changes in the site's hydrology. Additionally, carbon and nitrogen stable isotopeswere analysed to obtain information on the animals' feeding behaviour. The results show narrowly distributed δ13C ratios, indicating a terrestrial C3 plant-based diet, combined with a wide range in δ15N ratios. This is most likely related to the tortoises' drought-adaptive ability to change their metabolic processes, which can affect the δ15N ratios. Furthermore, ZooMS collagen fingerprinting analysis successfully identified two tortoise species (C. triserrata and C. inepta) in the bone assemblage,which,when combined with stable isotope data, revealed significantly different δ15N ratios between the two tortoise species. As climatic changes around this period resulted in increased aridity in the Mascarene Islands, this could explain the extremely elevated δ15N ratio in our dataset. The endemic fauna was able to endure the climatic changes 4200 years ago, although human arrival in the 17th century changed the original habitat to such an extent that it resulted in the extinction of several species. Fortunately we are still able to study these extinct tortoises due to the beneficial conditions of their burial environment, resulting in excellent bone preservation.