Translation and validation of the Hungarian version of the Birth Satisfaction Scale-Revised (BSS-R)

BackgroundEvidence relating maternal birth experience to a range of maternal and neonatal outcomes is increasingly compelling. Consequently valid and reliable self-report of birth experience from the mothers perspective is critical.AimThe current study sought to translate and validate a Hungarian-language version of the Birth Satisfaction Scale-Revised (BSS-R).MethodFollowing forward and backwards translation into Hungarian, the Hungarian BSS-R (HU-BSS-R) was administered to women in a major Transylvanian hospital maternity unit within 72 hours postpartum. Key psychometric characteristics were then examined in relation to factor structure, divergent and convergent validity, internal consistency, and known-groups discriminant validity.ResultsTwo-hundred and thirty-two women completed the HU-BSS-R. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed the HU-BSS-R to offer an excellent fit to data for the established tri-dimensional measurement model. The HU-BSS-R was also found to offer excellent convergent and divergent validity and known-groups discriminant validity. No significant differences were observed between internal consistency observations between the current study and the original UK validation study.ConclusionsThe HU-BSS-R is a valid and reliable translation of the original BSS-R, it has proved itself to have excellent psychometric properties and is suitable for use in the Hungarian maternity context

Classification of mesic grasslands and their transitions of South Transdanubia (Hungary)

Relevés from meadows and pastures of South Transdanubia (Hungary) are evaluated by clustering and ordination methods. The relevé selection focused on the Arrhenatheretalia order but its transitions towards other types were also included. The groups of relevés are delimited and described according to differential, dominant and constant species. Ecological conditions of the groups were compared using indicator values. Nine groups were distinguished, four of them belonging strictly to the order Arrhenatheretalia. Each alliance of Arrhenatheretalia presented in the study area (Cynosurion, Arrhenatherion) was represented by two groups. Groups from these two alliances are separated along a light gradient, while groups of the same alliance differ in nutrient values. Within Cynosurion, the nutrient-poor group cannot be identified unambiguously as any syntaxa previously known from Hungary. The nutrient-rich Cynosurion meadows are similar to Lolio–Cynosuretum, however, they show a stronger relationship with wet meadows. Within Arrhenatherion, Pastinaco–Arrhenatheretum is recognised as a hay meadow of nutrient-rich soils. The other meadow type is similar to Filipendulo–Arrhenatheretum, thus raising syntaxonomical problems. There are transitional groups towards semi-dry and wet meadows, one dynamic phase and one outlier group among the other five clusters

Link-Prediction to Tackle the Boundary Specification Problem in Social Network Surveys

Diffusion processes in social networks often cause the emergence of global phenomena from individual behavior within a society. The study of those global phenomena and the simulation of those diffusion processes frequently require a good model of the global network. However, survey data and data from online sources are often restricted to single social groups or features, such as age groups, single schools, companies, or interest groups. Hence, a modeling approach is required that extrapolates the locally restricted data to a global network model. We tackle this Missing Data Problem using Link-Prediction techniques from social network research, network generation techniques from the area of Social Simulation, as well as a combination of both. We found that techniques employing less information may be more adequate to solve this problem, especially when data granularity is an issue. We validated the network models created with our techniques on a number of real-world networks, investigating degree distributions as well as the likelihood of links given the geographical distance between two nodes

Book review

E. Vives: Coleoptera-Cerambycidae, Fauna Ibérica, Vol. 12., Museo National de Ciencias Naturales, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones, Madrid 2000, p. 715 L. Bos: Plant Viruses, Unique and Intriguing Pathogens- A Textbook of Plant Virolgy, Bachuys Publishers, Leiden 1999, p. 358 István Láng (ed.): Encyclopaedia on Environmental Protection and Nature Conservation, Vols I–II (Környezet- és természetvédelmi lexikon I–II). Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest 2002, p. 125

Influence of model structure on base flow estimation using BILAN FRIER and HBV-light models

Hydrological models are widely used tools to solve a broad range of hydrological issues. Each model has its own structure defining inter-relationships of hydrological balance components, and comparative differences in the models’ inner structure must be taken into account when discrepancies result from the same data. Results of base flow simulation by three different models BILAN, FRIER and HBV-light were compared based on knowledge of the models’ internal structure. It was proven that the courses of modelled parameters are quite similar, but that the respective values differ. The highest base flow values were simulated by the BILAN model, due to the threshold value of the soil moisture storage incorporated within this model’s structure. The lowest values were obtained by HBV-light model. Simulated base flow values were compared with groundwater heads and minimum monthly discharges. This comparison showed that the base flow values in the Nitra catchment at Nedožery profile simulated by BILAN and FRIER models are closer to the reality than those, simulated by HBV-light model