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Dogs are able to flexibly adjust their social behaviour to situation-specific characteristics of their human partner's behaviour in problem situations. However, dogs do not necessarily detect the specific role played by the human in a particular situation: they may form expectations about their partners' behaviour based on previous experiences with them. Utilising inanimate objects (UMO-unidentified moving object) as interacting agents offers new possibilities for investigating social behaviour, because in this way we can remove or control the influence of previous experience with the partner. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether dogs are able to recognise the different roles of two UMOs and are able to adjust their communicative behaviour towards them. In the learning phase of the experiment, dogs were presented with a two-way food-retrieval problem in which two UMOs, which differed in their physical appearance and abilities, helped the dog obtain a piece of food in their own particular manner. After a short experience with both UMOs, dogs in the test phase faced one of the problems in the presence of both inanimate agents. Overall, dogs displayed similar levels of gazing behaviour towards the UMOs, but in the first test they looked, approached and touched the relevant partner first. This rapid adjustment of social behaviour towards UMOs suggests that dogs may generalise their experiences with humans to unfamiliar agents and are able to select the appropriate partner when facing a problem situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zusammenfassung: Anhand der beiden Fassungen des Kyros-Edikts in Esr 1,1-4 und 6,1-5 sowie des Artaxerxes-Firmans in Esr 7,12-26 werden die Wandlungen des Perserbildes in Esr-Neh dargestellt: Am Anfang erscheinen die Perser als Unterstützer und Protektoren der jüdischen Gemeinschaft (Esr 6), werden dann als von Jhwh selbst gesandte Retter dargestellt (Esr 1), bevor in Esr 7 die theologische Idee vertreten wird, die Perser selbst hätten mit der Entsendung Esras für die Einführung und Geltung des jüdischen Gesetzes gesorgt. Es handelt sich bei diesen Stufen indes nicht um historische Vorgänge, sondern um Selbstdefinitionen des Judentums, das sich politisch wie religiös von den Persern her versteht. Abstract: On the basis of both versions of the decree of Cyrus in Esr 1:1-4 and 6:1-5 and the decree of Artaxerxes in Esr 7:12-26 the article demonstrates the changes in the image of the Persians in Ezra-Nehemiah. At the beginning the Persians appear simply as supporters of the Jewish community (Esr 6), then the Persian king is presented as a saviour sent by Jhwh himself, and finally in Esr 7 we come upon the theological concept that it was the Persians who introduced the Jewish law by sending Ezra to Jerusalem. All these stages do not reflect historical processes, but different concepts of Jewish identity and self-understanding: The Jewish community defines itself politically and religiously by the Persians Résumé: l'aide des deux versions de l'édit de Cyrus en Esd 1,1-4 et 6,1-5, ainsi que de l'acte officiel d'Artaxerxès en Esd 7,12-26, l'article présente les changements de l'image des Perses en Esd-Ne: au début, les Perses apparaissent comme les partisans et les protecteurs de la communauté juive (Esd 6), pour devenir ensuite les sauveurs envoyés par Yhwh lui-même (Esd 1), avant que ne soit défendue en Esd 7 l'idée théologique, selon laquelle les Perses eux-mêmes se seraient occupés, avec l'envoi d'Esdras, de l'introduction et de la validation de la loi juive. Il en va, dans ces étapes, non d'un pro cessus historique, mais de la définition même du judaïsme, qui se comprend politiquement et religieusement comme venant des Perses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zusammenfassung: Die lange mündliche Überlieferung des Avesta als nicht fest umrissenes Corpus zeigt, dass der Gott (Ahura) Mazdā kein monotheistisches System repräsentiert, sondern er neben anderen Göttern verehrt wurde. Die Hervorhebung Ahuramazdās in den achämenidischen Königsinschriften seit Dareios ist politisch motiviert, weil dadurch eine programmatische Distanzierung zu Elam ausgedrückt wurde, wohingegen im Alltag ein religiöser Pluralismus herrschte. Abstract: The oral transmission of the Avesta tells us that the god (Ahura) Mazdā is not part of a monotheistic belief system. His prominent position expressed by the royal inscriptions of the Achaemenids has been motivated by political reason to separate the Achaemenid dynasty in the line of Dareios from traditions stemming from Elam, while in everyday life we encounter various forms of religious traditions. Résumé: La longue transmission orale de l'Avesta comme corpus non clairement défini, montre que le dieu (Ahura) Mazdā ne se concevait pas dans un système monothéiste, mais qu'il fut adoré parmi d'autres dieux. La mise en avant d'Ahuramazdā dans les inscriptions royales achéménides depuis Darius est motivée politiquement. Par là on exprime une distanciation programmatique par rapport à Elam, alors que dans le quotidien un pluralisme religieux domine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper I argue that Kant's claim regarding the asymmetry between the need for happiness and the fulfilment of happiness means that no rational human being could hypothetically wish to repeat its own existence. I show that from this claim it follows that it could be rationally desirable for human beings not to be brought into existence. Thus I show that a Kantian response is available for the contemporary applied ethics question whether human beings are harmed by coming into existence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Johann Heinrich Tieftrunk belongs to the group of true Kant-followers of the 'closed Kantian' ('geschlossen kantische') period [Gerhard Stammler] of earlier Kantianism in Halle (approx. 1770-1817). Except for his philosophy of religion, his philosophical work has thus far been ignored. Significant in this regard is our lack of biographical data on Tieftrunk. Some puzzles, however, such as his date of birth, have now been solved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Writing idiomatic academic texts in English is a challenge faced by an increasing number of international students and scholars. In this article, we present a web-based dictionary-cum-writing aid tool, the Louvain English for Academic Purposes Dictionary, which aims to address the attested needs of non-native writers of English, with a particular focus on the phraseological patterning of academic words. First, we present the general design of the dictionary, highlighting four of its main features, i.e. the fact that it is corpus-based, production-oriented, hybrid and customizable. We then describe key aspects of the macro- and microstructure and highlight innovative features of the access structure, such as direct access to discipline-specific corpora. The conclusion outlines some important priorities for the future, in particular the need for validation and the desirability of integrating the dictionary into a wider learning environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this contribution, we present a novel approach for the analysis of cross-reference structures in digital dictionaries on the basis of the complete dictionary database. Using paradigmatic items in the German Wiktionary as an example, we show how analyses based on graph theory can be fruitfully applied in this context, e. g. to gain an overview of paradigmatic references as a whole or to detect closely connected groups of headwords. Furthermore, we connect information about cross-reference structures with corpus frequencies and log file statistics. In this way, we can answer questions such as the following ones: Are frequent words paradigmatically linked more closely than others? Are closely linked headwords or headwords that stand more solitary in the dictionary visited significantly more often? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on previous research results, the following paper gives an overview of the possibilities of transferring the valence theory to verbal phraseologisms. Verbal phraseologisms display internal and external 'blank positions' which can't be differentiated strictly dichotomically. Moreover, there are certain interferences or transitions between both valence levels. To fulfill a wide phraseology concept, the analysis focuses not only on the verbal idioms, but, furthermore, on the valence of light-verb constructions. Relating to the theoretical status of the valence of these constructions, there exist partially controversial discussions in the latest research which will be illustrated below. Problems of describing these phenomena from a lexicographical perspective will be elaborated in the following. As a last point, a specific phenomenon will be approached that can be classified into the 'phraseological irregularities'; the so-called 'valence irregularities'. Furthermore, the article demonstrates that a satisfying description of the valence of phraseologisms can only be accomplished with the help of a corpus-based approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural languages have three major families of phrasemes: - Lexical phrasemes (phraseologized phrases): kick the bucket, black box, pay a visit, if you know what I mean. - Morphological phrasemes (phraseologized wordforms, see [Beck & Mel'čuk 2011]): for+get, light+house, in+dispens+able. - Constructional, or syntactic, phrasemes (phraseologized constructions, or phrase schemata): 'X(N) VINF?!?', as in John be afraid?!? For more details on phrasemes within the Meaning-Text framework, see (Mel'čuk 2015: 336-340). This paper proposes an overview of an important subclass of lexical phrasemes that has not been as yet paid sufficient attention: cliches. First, a typology of lexical phrasemes is presented, with the definitions that underlie the subsequent discussion; this provides a formal framework for the description of cliches (Section 1). Second, the class of cliches is examined and a typology of cliches is proposed, based on the type of the cliche's referent (Section 2). Third, a dimension for restrictions on the use of lexemic expressions in particular situations of linguistic communication is introduced-namely, a pragmatic constraint. Applied to cliches, it defines a subclass of a subclass of cliches- pragmatemes (Section 3). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper shows that Pawley's conjecture that the frequency of lexical items in text corpora is positively correlated with the number of phrasal lexical items which have those lexical items as heads of phrase is confirmed. Data for testing Pawley's conjecture are taken from two sources: Kilgarriff's lemmatized frequency lists from the BNC of the 6,318 words which appear more than 800 times (http://www.kilgarriff.co.uk) and the around 14,000 PLIs in the Syntactically Annotated Idiom Dictionary (Kuiper et al., 2003). Why this statistical fact should be the case is a matter for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Die Verwendung von Betonstählen mit großen Durchmessern > ∅︁32 mm kann bei Druckgliedern zu einer Vereinfachung in der Bewehrungsführung führen, weil sich die Anzahl der Bewehrungsstäbe deutlich verringert. Dadurch ergeben sich auch Vorteile beim Verlegeaufwand, beim Betonieren und Verdichten. Die in DIN EN 1992‐1‐1 in Verbindung mit DIN EN 1992‐1‐1/NA enthaltenen Zusatzregelungen für ∅︁40 mm schränken die baupraktische Anwendung stark ein, da sie auf einer Übertragung der normativen Konstruktionsregeln für Stabbündel sowie auf der Übernahme der besonderen Konstruktionsregeln aus allgemeinen bauaufsichtlichen Zulassungen beruhen und experimentell nicht vollständig abgesichert sind. Am iBMB, Fachgebiet Massivbau der TU Braunschweig, wurden experimentelle und theoretische Untersuchungen an normal‐ und hochfesten Betondruckgliedern mit Rechteckquerschnitt und Längsbewehrungsstäben ∅︁40 mm durchgeführt. Auf Basis der Untersuchungen konnten die Zusatzregeln reduziert und ein Beitrag für eine stärkere baupraktische Anwendung von großen Stabdurchmessern in Druckgliedern geliefert werden. Checking of additional rules for ∅︁40 mm according to EC2 – Part 3: Columns The use of reinforcing bars with large diameters > ∅︁32 mm can lead to a simplification in the configuration of the reinforcement due to a significant reduction of the number of reinforcement bars. That leads also to advantages in reinforcing works, concreting and compaction. DIN EN 1992‐1‐1 in conjunction with DIN EN 1992‐1‐1/NA contains additional requirements for large diameter bars, which limit the use of these bars and are based on the transfer of design rules of bundled bars as well as on the adoption of specific design rules from “allgemeinen bauaufsichtlichen Zulassungen” and are not completely assured by experiments. Therefore, experimental and theoretical studies on normal and high strength concrete compression members with rectangular cross‐section and longitudinal rebars ∅︁40 mm were conducted at the iBMB, Division of Concrete Construction of the TU Braunschweig. Based on the studies, the additional requirements could be reduced and a contribution for a stronger practical construction application of large diameters in compression members could be provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Der Bemessungsansatz gegen Durchstanzen nach DIN EN 1992‐1‐1+NA(D) wurde anhand der Ergebnisse von Durchstanzversuchen an zentrisch belasteten Einzelfundamenten hergeleitet. Während für die Ermittlung des Durchstanzwiderstands eine gleichmäßige Verteilung der Schubspannungen entlang des kritischen Rundschnitts unterstellt wird, werden Lastexzentrizitäten auf der Einwirkungsseite über den Lasterhöhungsbeiwert β berücksichtigt. Theoretische und experimentelle Untersuchungen zum Durchstanztragverhalten exzentrisch belasteter Einzelfundamente deuten auf eine Reduktion des mehraxialen Spannungszustands entlang des Stützenanschnitts mit steigender Lastausmitte hin. Ausgehend von in der Literatur beschriebenen Durchstanzversuchen an exzentrisch belasteten Einzelfundamenten wurden nichtlineare Finite‐Elemente‐Simulationen durchgeführt, um in Parameterstudien den Einfluss der Lastausmitte auf die Durchstanztragfähigkeit zu untersuchen. Anhand der Ergebnisse der numerischen Simulationen wurde ein Vorschlag zur Berücksichtigung von Lastexzentrizitäten bei der Durchstanzbemessung von Einzelfundamenten nach DIN EN 1992‐1‐1+NA(D) erarbeitet. In diesem Beitrag werden die Ergebnisse der experimentellen und numerischen Untersuchungen an exzentrisch belasteten Einzelfundamenten vorgestellt und ein Vergleich des neuen Vorschlags mit den bestehenden Ansätzen sowie einer systematischen Versuchsserie präsentiert. Investigations on the punching behaviour of eccentrically loaded footings The design concept for punching shear according to DIN EN 1992‐1‐1+NA(D) has been derived from the results of tests conducted on centrically loaded footings. While a uniform distribution of shear stress along the critical perimeter is assumed for determining the punching shear resistance, load eccentricities are taken into account by the load‐increasing factor β. Theoretical and experimental investigations on the punching shear behaviour of eccentrically loaded footings indicate a reduction of the multi‐axial stress state along the column face with increasing load eccentricity. Based on punching tests on eccentrically loaded footings described in literature, non‐linear finite‐element simulations have been performed and subsequently the influence of load eccentricity on the punching shear behaviour has been examined in parameter studies. Based on the results of the numerical simulations, an approach for the consideration of load eccentricities in the punching shear design of footings according to DIN EN 1992‐1‐1+NA(D) has been developed. This article presents and describes the results of experimental and theoretical investigations on eccentrically loaded footings and compares the new proposal with existing approaches by means of a systematic test series. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Der Baugrund stellt die Bauschaffenden immer wieder vor große Probleme. Seine Beschaffenheit lässt sich – wenn überhaupt – nur mit relativ großem Aufwand einigermaßen verlässlich klären; ein Restrisiko bleibt immer. Dementsprechend häufig erleben die Baubeteiligten unliebsame Überraschungen mit dem Baugrund, so etwa, wenn sich beim Aushub der Baugrube herausstellt, dass unerwartet auftretendes Grundwasser bewältigt werden muss oder wenn die Bodenbeschaffenheit eine viel aufwändigere Gründung des herzustellenden Bauwerks erzwingt, als sie geplant und vertraglich vorgesehen war. Diese mit den Bodenverhältnissen einhergehenden bautechnischen Unwägbarkeiten betreffen unweigerlich auch die rechtliche Abwicklung von Bauverträgen. Dort lauten die zentralen, immer wiederkehrenden Fragen: Wer haftet für Baumängel, die darauf zurückzuführen sind, dass die Bauausführung nicht zu der Beschaffenheit des Baugrundes passt? Und: Wer trägt die Mehrkosten, die durch eine gegenüber dem Ausgangsvertrag geänderte, an die tatsächlichen Bodenverhältnisse angepasste Bauausführung anfallen? Solche Fragen werden in Rechtsprechung und Literatur gerne durch Zuweisung des “Baugrundrisikos” beantwortet. Dieser Ansatz ist bedenklich; er führt nicht selten auf Abwege. Die folgenden Ausführungen werden zeigen, dass es eine eigenständige rechtliche Kategorie “Baugrundrisiko” nicht gibt und dass die “Zuweisung” des tatsächlichen Risikos “Baugrund” allein den rechtsgeschäftlichen Entscheidungen der Parteien vorbehalten ist. Wer das Baugrundrisiko zu tragen hat, ist im Einzelfall nach allgemeinen Grundsätzen der Rechtsgeschäftslehre zu beurteilen und in der Regel durch Auslegung des Vertrages zu ermitteln. Dementsprechend beschäftigt sich Abschn. 1 des Beitrages zunächst ausführlich mit diesen Grundsätzen und der Struktur des Bauvertrages. Unter Abschn. 2 geht es dann um deren Anwendung auf die Fälle, in denen der Baugrund nicht die Beschaffenheiten besitzt, die vorzufinden die Beteiligten erwartet haben. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zu den Anforderungen an Baugrundgutachten und die geotechnische Begleitung von Bauvorhaben besteht eine umfassende und bewährte Regelungslage, flankiert durch eine langjährige Rechtsprechung zum Thema Baugrundrisiko. Allerdings wird auch bei anspruchsvollen Tiefbauaufgaben häufig der Versuch unternommen, den Aufwand für Baugrunduntersuchungen unterhalb dieser Standards zu halten, verbunden mit einer angepassten neuen Risikoverteilung mit erheblichem Konfliktpotenzial. Für übliche Vertragsgestaltungen werden die dabei für die Beteiligten entstehenden Risiken aufgezeigt und Hinweise zu einer nutzbringenden vertraglichen Behandlung geotechnischer Leistungen gegeben. Opportunities and risks in contracts for geotechnical services There are comprehensive and proven regulations regarding the standards of foundation reports and geotechnical monitoring of large construction projects supported by longtime jurisdiction on foundation risk. Nevertheless, even for demanding heavy construction projects the parties involved try to keep the effort for foundation investigation very often below those standards leading to an adapted risk sharing involving considerable potential for conflicts. For the setting‐up of standard contracts the arising risks will be presented and recommendations for a useful consideration of geotechnical services in those contracts will be provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Erfahrungen haben gezeigt, dass das Aufbringen eines Verpressdrucks bei der Herstellung von Verpressankern in nichtbindigen Böden die Ankertragfähigkeit maßgeblich steigert, über die genauen Vorgänge während des Verpressvorgangs ist allerdings wenig bekannt. Zwar wird die Erhöhung der Tragfähigkeit hauptsächlich auf einen Anstieg der Radialspannungen auf dem Verpresskörper und im umgebenden Boden zurückgeführt, jedoch sind die genauen Zusammenhänge zwischen Höhe des Verpressdrucks, der Verpressdauer und dem Spannungszustand unklar. Auf Grundlage von Labor‐ und Feldversuchen sowie numerischen Simulationen wurden die Vorgänge während der Ankerherstellung in nichtbindigen Böden untersucht. Zielsetzung hierbei war es, den Einfluss des Verpressvorgangs auf die auf den Anker wirkenden Radialspannungen zu ermitteln. In einer Serie von Laborversuchen wurden das Filtrationsverhalten von Zementsuspensionen sowie die Stoffeigenschaften des entstehenden Filterkuchens in Abhängigkeit des Verpressdrucks und des Wassergehalts der Suspension ermittelt. Messungen der Suspensionsdrücke im Bohrloch während und nach der Ankerherstellung gaben Aufschluss über das Filtrationsverhalten in situ und Hinweise darauf, wie sich die Radialspannungen auf den Ankerkörper erhöhen. Basierend auf den Versuchsergebnissen wurde ein numerisches Modell entwickelt, mit dem der Filtrationsvorgang von Zementsuspension in einer FEM‐Analyse simuliert werden kann. Cement grout filtration during installation of grouted ground anchors in non‐cohesive soils Pressure grouting during installation of grouted ground anchors is known to increase anchor capacity in non‐cohesive soils, but little information is available on correlations between applied grouting pressures, duration of grouting, ground conditions and increase of anchor pull‐out capacity. Based on laboratory and in situ tests as well as numerical simulations the processes taking place during installation of grouted ground anchors are investigated for non‐cohesive soils. It was aimed to determine the influence of pressure grouting on the stresses on the anchor body and the properties of the adjacent soil. The knowledge of those is considered prerequisite in order to determine the anchors pull‐out capacity. Laboratory experiments are presented, which investigated the filtration process of cement grouts and the properties of the filter cake material, taking into account the influence of grouting pressure and initial water/cement ratio of the grout. In in situ tests during anchor installation the grout pressure was measured inside the borehole during and after anchor installation. Measurements confirmed a grout filtration inside the grouting length and indicated the increase of radial stresses on the anchor body. Finally a numerical model is proposed to simulate the filtration process of cement grout in a fully coupled flow‐displacement finite element analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay focuses on the role played by a series of events and how they were interpreted to have a foundational meaning for the creation of Mexican identity, nationhood and statehood. It compares the creation of Mexican statehood with the portrayal of Cuban nationhood, via the use of the supernatural signification and resonance associated with saints and/or apparitions of the divine. The three test cases used in this study are, for Mexico, the Virgin of Guadalupe, and for Cuba, the Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre and the Virgen de Regla. In each case the events on which a sense of nationhood were pinned operate in a dual sense in that their meaning was constructed retroactively. The work of the French philosopher, Alain Badiou, particularly his study,L’Être et l‘événement(1988), is brought to bear in an attempt to argue through how the originary events achieved political meaning over time and did so via a process of nomination. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Beim Navigieren in sozialen Gefügen ist Unsicherheit keine Ausnahme, sondern im Gegenteil der Normalfall, so die These des Beitrags. Anhand der modernen Netzwerktheorie von Harrison C. White, einem ihrer derzeit prominentesten Vertreter, wird dies mit Hilfe der netzwerktheoretischen Theoriemodule der Einbettung, des Wechselns und der Netzwerk- Domänen skizziert. Die Netzwerktheorie als die Theorie des Dazwischen zeigt auf, wie Menschen unentrinnbar in kontinuierlichen, hoch störanfälligen und diffizilen 'dances in identity and control' verstrickt sind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Den Ausgangspunkt dieses Beitrags bilden die psychotherapeutischen Erfahrungen mit zwei gleichaltrigen Studenten, die zu Anfang der Therapie eine ähnlich wirkende 'Unsicherheit' zeigten. Im fortlaufenden therapeutischen Prozess kristallisierten sich aber immer stärkere Unterschiede zwischen ihnen heraus. Der eine Patient, der als 'selbstunsicher' eingeschätzt werden kann, war stark auf sich selbst bezogen und suchte seine soziale Ängstlichkeit mit einer Einzelgänger-Strategie und entsprechender Vermeidung von näheren sozialen Kontakten zu bewältigen, wobei er mit Situationen des Alleinseins und den Anforderungen selbstbestimmten Arbeitens gut zurecht kam. Der andere war beim Arbeiten und Alleinsein von der emotionalen Präsenz anderer und deren Strukturierungshilfen 'abhängig'; von seinem Auftreten, seiner gefühlsmäßigen Zugewandtheit und sozialen Bezogenheit her gesehen ließ er aber hohe soziale Kompetenzen erkennen, so dass man bei ihm von einem 'aktiv-dependenten' Beziehungsmuster sprechen kann. Der Vergleich zwischen beiden Formen sozialer Unsicherheit lässt sich mit dem anthropologischen Konzept der 'Bipolarität zwischen selbst- und objektbezogenen Tendenzen' (Mentzos) in Verbindung bringen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Security and insecurity are described as results of experiences which are made in the early psychic development. The importance of interpersonal aspects during this process is underlined. The concept of the contact-barrier, used by Freud and Bion, is introduced and modified to explain the formation of a more or less secure psychic border between inside and outside. The permeability of a secure border can be regulated. The psychodynamic of paranoia is explained and will be understood as an example of psychopathological insecurity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Arab Journal for the Humanities is the property of Kuwait University, Academic Publication Council and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Administrative Sciences / Yonetim Bilimleri Dergisi is the property of Canakkale Onsekiz Mart Universitesi, Terzioglu Kampusu and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Arab Journal for the Humanities is the property of Kuwait University, Academic Publication Council and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The present study is an overview of the causes of patient complaints against physicians and the medical staff in Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex, and strategies to reduce the complaints. For this purpose, complaints that had been filed with the clinical governance office of Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex in 2012 and 2013 were investigated. The information in the forms included age and sex of the plaintiffs, their level of education, type of complaint and similar details. Of the 309 complaints, 174 had been recorded in 2012 and 135 in 2013. The plaintiffs were males with a mean age of 50.5, and 69.6% of them had high school diplomas or lower. Most (16.2%) of the complaints pertained to the emergency department, while 48.5% and 22.7% of the complaints were related to doctors and nurses respectively. In 62.5% of the cases, the accused had been acquitted and 34% had been convicted. The main cause of complaint involved treatment and care at 40.1% and 36.6% respectively. In general, the most common causes of complaints were treatment and care for doctors, and lack of respect for nurses and others. Thus, more attention should be paid to the continuous education of medical students and residents during training years in order to increase the knowledge and skills of physicians. Other measures that can reduce complaints are: providing sufficient information to patients before diagnostic or therapeutic procedures; improving the equipment in health centers; educating the society and raising public awareness of the treatment process; offering the necessary information during medical procedures; obtaining informed consent; careful choice of the medical team and assigning them to the right position; and holding communication skills workshops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past decades, the need for organ donation has increased while consent rate continues to remain inadequate. One of the most important limiting factors in organ donation is families' refusal to grant consent, and therefore it is important to determine the circumstances influencing the phenomenon. The aim of this study was to investigate the factors affecting consent to organ donation in families of brain death patients in hospitals affiliated with Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences. For this purpose, a self-made questionnaire was distributed among 54 family members of brain death patients admitted in hospitals affiliated with Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences between 2003 and 2013. The data were reported as mean, frequency and percentage using the SPSS16 software. The average age of the deceased was 31.38 ± 13.72 years, and car accidents were the most frequent cause of brain death (59.3%) in this study. In addition, 72.2% of the deceased were male and 90.7% of them lived in or around the city of Shahrekord. About 37% of the families consented to organ donation. The average age of the family members who participated in the study was 42.15 ± 8.9 years. The most frequent reasons affecting families' consent to organ donation were religious rewards (100%), confidence in the medical team and staff (100%), and confidence in physician diagnosis (100%). The findings of the study show that religion, faith and family ties affect the willingness for organ donation, and therefore specific attention should be given to these factors in educational programs. In the present study, religious beliefs and confidence in the performance of health care workers were highlighted as the most effective factors in consent to organ donation in brain dead patients' families. Consequently, in order to increase organ donation rate, special attention to these factors and proper planning is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the modern world, reproductive right is considered among the basic human rights in countries such as America and Britain. There has been growing interest in the subject and its various aspects including contraception and assisted reproductive technologies, which are giving rise to the ongoing debates. National and international legislators, governments and religions are striving to resolve the controversy among individuals and between individuals and governments and devise the perfect legislation that will cover all aspects of the subject and control all activities in this area. In the realm of bioethics and law, the issue is introduced as a right not duty, while in Christianity and Judaism it falls under the category of duty. In Islam, on the other hand, childbearing decision-making is left to the couple, which highlights the teachings of Islam regarding reproduction. In this paper, we attempted to offer a comparative study of four different points of view regarding the issue of reproductive rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, electronic communications technology propounds new forms of the patient-physician relationship in the field of medicine. Effective communication between the patient and the physician can play a crucial role in the process of treatment. This new form of communication greatly influences promotion of the health system by improving access to inexpensive and fast services regardless of geographic boundaries. In times of crisis, telemedicine plays an important role in delivering health services to deprived areas in a just manner. Usage of communications technology is inevitable, and due to the virtual nature of this kind of medical communication, recognition of certain ethical considerations seems essential. Successful examples of telemedicine are abundant throughout the world and usage of this technology is a helping solution for inadequacies in the healthcare system. In Iran, because of the geographical extent of the country, this technology can provide access to medical services in some cases. In order to achieve the best outcome in telemedicine, it is essential to respect confidentiality, privacy, informed consent and commitment to professionalism in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The precepts of Islamic education are founded on a practical and all-inclusive system that is aimed to develop man in all aspects of his life based on Quranic guidance (Quran and Ravayat). The individual is at the heart of Islamic education, and therefore has a specific place in Islam and is considered sacred and blessed. As a rule, medicine is targeted at the physical wellbeing of man. Consequently, Islamic education can play can play an important role in medical training and may be traced in the Quran and Revayat. Instructors and students are at the core of education and learning, and their development will result in the moral, spiritual and technical advancement of the society. Medical schools aim to cultivate young talents and educate experts in the health industry, and are naturally essential for the development of a nation. This can be achieved through the attempts of capable and motivated instructors within the educational system. The present study is a review of the Islamic approach to medical training and the techniques of developing motivated and capable scholars and students in order to achieve Islamic educational goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

År 2012 var det för ett hundra år sedan att Strindberg dog, men han lever i fortfarende kvar i Sverige. Hur står det till med Strindbergs kvarlevande utanför Sveriges landsgränser? Som nederländare - och engagerad student i svensk litteratur - tycker jag att det är intressant att undersöka Strindbergs reception i landet där jag är uppfostrad och bor i. Frågan är om Strindberg lever kvar i Nederländerna år 2012, och om han gör det så undrade jag hur han gör det. Detta har fått mig att formulera följande fråga: Vad är synen på Strindberg i Nederländerna år 2012?. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]