Ugotavljanje povezav med cilji dosezkov, motivacijo in pricakovanji starsev studentov na Kosovu

This paper sheds light on the link between achievement goals, motivation, and parental expectations in a sample of 600 students attending higher education institutions in Kosovo. Aside from exploring the stipulated link between the constructs, the research aims to discover whether cultural differences mediate expected results. The results proved that the mastery of goals positively correlates to intrinsic motivation in addition to which curiosity as a subscale of intrinsic motivation positively predicted preferences for the mastery of goals. As expected, performance-approach and performance-avoidance goals, correlated to extrinsic motivation with extrinsic motivation, successfully predict preferences for both types of performance goals. The data proved that among students in Kosovo, all types of goals correlated to intrinsic motivation. Achievement goals were differentiated in extrinsic motivation with mastery goals correlating rather weakly to only one subscale of extrinsic motivation. (DIPF/Orig.

Life Contribution of Academic Prof. Dr. Gjovalin Shkurtaj to the Albanian Language University Texts

This paper includes the contribution of prof. Gjovalin Shkurtaj to the Albanian language university textbooks, who is known as a dialectologist and a researcher of language culture issues, sociolinguistics and Albanian onomastics. This paper also covers his contribution to the collection of the dialectal Albanian language to better understand the spoken Albanian language system: in phonetics, morphology, syntax and in its lexicon. Gjovalin Shkurtaj is well-known for writing university textbooks such as "Sociolinguistics", "Dialectology", "Language Culture", "How to write Albanian", which are related to: Dialectological studies, one of the basic requirements to achieve standardization and enrichment of the Albanian literary language; Sociolinguistic studies, based on the study of language in relation to society; Language culture, based on the standardized language norm as an issue of today's sociolinguistics; Academic writing, based on language culture and using literary norms accurately Key words: Contribution, Texts, University, Sociolinguistics, Language Culture, Academic Writing

Electoral justice in Kosovo (Implementation of the electoral law)

This paper will deal with electoral justice in Kosovo with special focus on Kosovo in a special focus will be realization of the right to vote in the appeals process; sanctions and penalties of electoral fraud during the electoral process in local and national elections. The goal of this research is finding answers in questions like: What is the election justice? What legal sanctions are foreseen for every electoral crime? What are the actions that natural or legal person can undertake when claiming that their electoral rights have been violated? Which institution is competent to provide electoral justice? What are the ways to restore electoral justice? This research will deal with: analysis of the legal framework that guarantees a fair election process, relation of the competent institutions in order to establish fair election process, dealing with cases of fraud in the election and complaint process with the Election Complaints and Appeals Panel and penalties from prosecution and courts for electoral crimes during the election process in local and national elections. Achieving a political consensus for a legal and institutional reform in Kosovo would reduce (prevent) the possibilities for abuse during the electoral process. Increased confidence and building institutional capacities to ensure justice every time when allegedly the right for vote has been violated represents security for citizens and guarantee for institutional stability. Security in the implementation of the right to vote and the correct reading of the will of the people will have impact on their participation in elections and fulfilment of internationally accepted standards for democratic elections and electoral processes in Kosovo

Criminological Overview of Criminal Acts Against the Economy in Kosovo During the Time Period 2001-2010

The paper is a comparative criminal-justice overview and history of criminal acts against the economy in Kosovo during the time period 2001-2010. It considers the meaning of criminal acts against the economy and their characteristics. The paper examines the reporting of criminal acts against the economy. The paper offers a comparative overview of criminal acts against the economy in Kosovo with criminal acts against the economies of Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. In examining some characteristics of these criminal acts against the economy in Kosovo, it considers also the perpetrators’ age, gender, marital status, and ethnicity of perpetrators. The paper offers recommendations and concluding suggestions regarding criminal acts against the economy in Kosovo during the period 2001 to 2010

AN ORGANIZATONAL APPROACH TO MEAURSING THE IMPACT OF MENTORING ON MENTORS: A RESEARCH STUDY WITH BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS/METROWEST

This Master’s paper is an approach to assessing the impact of mentoring on volunteers at the mentoring agency Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Massachusetts/Metrowest (BBBS). The mentoring research field is one in which the focus has solely been on the mentee and their developmental changes. Entities have not taken into consideration the developmental changes of the mentor; however, Bronfenbrenner’s theory on reciprocal dyads serves as the overarching rationale for why this is critical. A literature review was conducted to provide a framework in understanding why an organization would take on mentoring, exploring specifically the ways in which mentoring transforms the mentor. A mentor outcomes survey was designed based on relevant literature and best practices and implemented in a pilot program with BBBS

In Search of Ivanovka

Panel: Sense of Plac

Primjene konceptualne integracije: Naslovi i njihove implikature

One of the claims of cognitive linguistics is that it is able to remove the semantic-pragmatic divide (cf. Evans & Green 2006), and yet the research conducted by in this field is at times criticized for focusing on word/phrase meaning (semantics) rather than their intended illocutionary force (pragmatics) (cf. Glebkin 2013; Pérez Hernández 2002; Ritchie 2004). A case in point is the criticism of conceptual blending for its apparent failure to acknowledge that the multiplicity of implied meanings emerging from the blend differ depending on variables such as discourse context, speaker/hearer culture, frames, intonation, and gesture. As a result, a growing collection of research has included additions to and modifications of the original Fauconnier and Turner diagram (cf. Coulson 2001; Ruiz de Mendoza & Peña Cervel 2002; Omazić 2005; Stadlemann 2012). This study analyses several of the proposed modifications of the conceptual blending model and applies them to the interpretation of headlines. Headlines provide an ideal source for analysis of implicature as the article itself provides context and commentary. This paper will discuss the effectiveness of allowing for frames, grounding, or additional input spaces in explaining the headline’s pragmatic effect. It is hoped that this paper will contribute to the development of cognitive pragmatics as a field of study in its own right.Jedna od tvrdnji kognitivne lingvistike je da je moguće ukloniti granicu između semantike i pragmatike (usp. Evans & Green 2006). Usprkos tomu, istraživanja u tome polju na udaru su kritike zbog fokusa na značenje riječi/ fraze (semantika), a ne njihovu ilokucijsku snagu (pragmatika) (usp. Glebkin 2013; Pérez Hernández 2002; Ritchie 2004). Prikladan primjer su kritike konceptualne integracije koja navodno propušta uzeti u obzir da mnogobrojna značenja koja proizlaze iz integracijskoga prostora ovise o varijablama kao što su kontekst u kojem se diskurs odvija, kultura govornika/ slušatelja, okviri, intonacija i geste. što je porastom broja radova u tome polju rezultiralo dodatcima i prilagodbama Fauconnierova i Turnerova izvornoga dijagrama (usp. Coulson 2001; Ruiz de Mendoza & Peña Cervel 2002; Omazić 2005; Stadlemann 2012). U ovome se radu analizira nekoliko predloženih modifikacija modela konceptualne integracije i primjenjuje ih se na tumačenje novinskih naslova. Naslovi se nameću kao idealan izvor za analizu implikatura budući da sami članak pruža kontekst i komentar. U radu se raspravlja o učinkovitosti uzimanja u obzir okvira, usidrenja ili dodatnih ulaznih prostora pri objašnjavanju pragmatičkoga učinka naslova. Nadamo se da će se ovim radom pridonijeti razvoju kognitivne pragmatike kao zasebnog polja istraživanja

Evaluating Self-Efficacy of Health Behaviors in Bariatric Surgery Patients Through Online Support

Obesity has become an epidemic in the United States leading to numerous health related conditions. Bariatric surgeries are recognized as reasonable treatment options for obesity. However, long term success can be limited without adequate support. Rural areas can be especially difficult to find adequate support, often related to access and distance to care. The main purpose of this project was to analyze changes in perceptions of participants’ ability to engage in health promoting behaviors pre-intervention and post intervention. The intervention was a virtual behavioral support program for post bariatric surgery patients. The main objective was to determine if following participation in an eight week virtual support program, participants would have improved scores of perceptions of ability to participate in and maintain health promotion behaviors. The changes in perceptions were evaluated via scores, measured pre and post intervention, using the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II tool. Overall results showed an increase in the mean scores of perceptions from pre-intervention to post intervention of 0.09 (2.54 to 2.63). Although this did not reach power or show statistical significance, the overall perceptions surrounding heathy lifestyles did increase a small amount overall and in noticeable amounts in certain categories

The Role of Natural and Sexual Selection in the Origin and Maintenance of Divergence Within and Between the Mexican Sailfin Mollies, \u3cem\u3ePoecilia velifera\u3c/em\u3e and \u3cem\u3eP. petenensis\u3c/em\u3e

Understanding speciation remains a holy grail of evolutionary biology. One useful approach is studying the evolutionary mechanisms important in population divergence to infer the mechanisms important in speciation. This method is especially useful when closely related species can be compared to determine whether intraspecific differences parallel interspecific differences. I studied population divergence in two species of Mexican sailfin mollies, Poecilia velifera and P. petenensis. These closely related species are particularly useful for this type of study, as they live in habitats that may differ in the importance of natural selection. In addition, these species may differ in the importance and strength of sexual selection, as males exhibit secondary sexual morphological and behavioral traits. To understand population divergence, I compared morphology among populations in both species. In addition, I observed male mating behaviors to understand the pattern of behavioral differences among populations. Finally, I used microsatellite loci to determine neutral genetic differentiation both within and between the two species. Morphologically, I found that populations in both species were differentiated, and while some morphological trait differences were shared among populations in both species, important differences were also present. For example, caudal peduncle differences among populations in P. petenensis, but not P. velifera, suggest that habitat differences may shape some morphological differences. Males of P. velifera showed evidence of an alternative male mating strategy, with small males performing only gonopodial thrusts, while large males performed both courtship displays and gonopodial thrusts. Males of all sizes of P. petenensis performed both mating behaviors, regardless of body length. In addition, little variation existed between populations of P. velifera, however, males of P. petenensis showed more population specific rates of mating behaviors. Finally, microsatellite analysis revealed that while most populations were genetically distinct, patterns of genetic variation were not concordant with patterns of phenotypic variation, suggesting that selection, and not genetic drift, is likely promoting population divergence in P. velifera and P. petenensis. These results, taken together, suggest that differences in population divergence between these species are the results of both natural and sexual selection, which have been important evolutionary mechanisms in sailfin molly speciation