FROM MOTIVATION TO WELL-BEING

The concept about motivation is related to human behavior, or in details – to processes that direct human behavior toward attending a certain goal. People are complex creatures. There are a lot of theories explaining human-beings, but we cannot say which of them the right one is. We don’t live in “social vacuum”. Everything that is happening around us put a mark on our being. A need is a pushing force that directs our behavior. According to Maslow there are five needs which he organized in a pyramid starting with the physiological ones – this is well known as Maslow’s need hierarchy. People are established to satisfy first the basic needs and then move to the next step. We have these needs and they are our goals … but we have to do something to achieve them. This that “switches on” our body into action is motivation. It can be a state of mind; influence of other people or of some material benefits… It’s individually for each human-being and that’s way it’s different to classify it. But one is for sure – rising on a higher levels of motivation leads to higher levels of well – being. That includes healthy body and mind, social outlook that enable a person to function effectively and hold a positive world view.motivation, human-beings, Maslow, goal, organizations

Characterisation of Al corrosion and its impact on the mechanical performance of composite cement wasteforms by the acoustic emission technique

In this study acoustic emission (AE) non-destructive method was used to evaluate the mechanical performance of cementitious wasteforms with encapsulated Al waste. AE waves generated as a result of Al corrosion in small-size blast furnace slag/ordinary Portland cement wasteforms were recorded and analysed. The basic principles of the conventional parameter-based AE approach and signal-based analysis were combined to establish a relationship between recorded AE signals and different interactions between the Al and the encapsulating cement matrix. The AE technique was shown as a potential and valuable tool for a new area of application related to monitoring and inspection of the mechanical stability of cementitious wasteforms with encapsulated metallic wastes such as Al

A community-scale hybrid energy system integrating biomass for localised solid waste and renewable energy solution: Evaluations in UK and Bulgaria

The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link.Growing pace of urban living is expected to simultaneously aggravate both the waste and the energy crises. This study presents feasibility assessment of a community scale hybrid renewable energy system (HRES) utilising biomass to serve the local energy needs while reducing the household solid waste volume. A modelling framework is presented and evaluated for a biomass HRES, comprising of a Wind turbine-PV Array-Biogas generator-Battery system, applied to two European cities - Gateshead (UK) and Sofia (Bulgaria) - accounting for their distinct domestic biowaste profiles, renewable resources and energy practices. Biogas generator is found to make the most substantial share of electricity generation (up to 60–65% of total), hence offering a stable community-scale basal electricity generation potential, alongside reduction in disposal costs of local solid waste. Net present cost for the biomass-integrated HRESs is found within 5% of each other, despite significant differences in the availability of solar and wind resources at the two sites. Based on a survey questionnaire targeting construction companies and energy solution developers, project costs and planning regulatory red tapes were identified as the two common implementation challenges in both the countries, with lack of awareness of HRES as a further limitation in Bulgaria, impeding wider uptake of this initiative

Index of weather variability and cerebrovascular disease mortality in Sofia

The present article presents the results of a fi ve-year research (2001-2005) on the infl uence of the abrupt weather changes calculated by the Index of weather variability provided by V. I. Rusanov on the cerebrovascular disease mortality in the city of Sofi a. Our fi ndings didn’t point towards a signifi cant infl uence of the abrupt weather changes on the mortality related to cerebrovascular diseases. Possible reasons for that had been discussed. The slight discrepancy between these results and the data obtained from the literature makes necessary the further precision of our research on the infl uence of the abrupt weather changes on cerebrovascular disease mortality, as these are expected to become more frequent, given the currently observed climate changes on a global scale

The third-person effects and susceptibility to persuasion principles in advertisement

This investigation has several main objectives: 1) to determine whether the third-person effect (TRE) (Gunther & Thorson 1992;Youn, Faber, & Shah, 2000) can be achieved through advertising messages; 2) to identify which strategies for persuasive social influence from P. Cialdini (Cialdini, 2001-2021) help to enhance the third-person effect (TRE) among advertising consumers; 3) to find some causal relationships between susceptibility to persuasion on Kaptein’s scale (Kaptein et al., 2012) or STPS and TRE among consumers of advertising. The results of the analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that consumers aged 46 to 65 believed that positive the third-person effect (TRE) statements exert their influence on other age groups. When measuring the negative influence of the third-person effect (TRE), it was found that young adults aged 18 to 25 were most likely to assume that this influence was successful among other consumers, i.e. they overestimated the effects on others but not on themselves. Through regression analyses, it is found that persuasive strategies such as scarcity and social proof achieve their influence among youths, and scarcity and authority principles - among females and among other consumers (but not on themselves) when several negative strategies are combined. The research findings can serve social psychologists, behavioural psychologists, and those who protect the interests of business organizations

Effects of gender reactions to stereotype advertisements – Case study in Bulgaria

This investigation has two aims: to establish the presence of stereotypes in advertisements offered in Bulgaria and to identify which stereotypes achieve positive and negative effects on consumers of both genders. Taking into account Eisend's theoretical formulation of gender roles in advertising (2019), as well as research on the cross-gender effects of stereotypes in advertising according to the most recent studies of Akestam et al. (2021), the author examines the influence achieved through three of the components – trait descriptors, physical characteristics and role behaviors. The results of the analysis of variance (ANOVA) show that according to trait descriptors for women, as well as role behavior for men, the highest influence was achieved in the investigated advertisements. When measuring cross-gender influences, no statistically significant differences were found between men and women in the influence of advertising containing images of the same gender. Conducted Student-Fischer’s T-tests evidenced influence achieved for advertisements with male and female images, as well as with female product images. This study can serve organizations offering products and services in Bulgaria, and its originality is expressed in the mixed consumer reactions found

Seasonal variations of schizophrenic patients in emergency departments in Sofia, Bulgaria

Aim: The purpose of this study was to reveal the seasonal distribution of emergency department visits of schizophrenic patients in Sofia, Bulgaria. Methods: We collected daily data for visits of patients with schizophrenia, schizotypal and delusional disorders in the emergency center of the regional dispenser for mental disorders in the city of Sofia for the period 1998-2003. The total number of emergency visits was 5723 (mean daily visits: 5.04±2.4). T-test was used to compare the monthly and seasonal distribution of visits. Results: The season with the highest levels of emergency visits was summer, and the lowest levels were observed in winter (P<0.0001). Spring and autumn had intermediate values close to the mean value, and significantly differentiated from winter values. The month with the highest admission rates was September, followed by May and the three summer’s months. The lowest levels were observed in December, October and January, with statistically significant differences observed between the values of all the three months. Differences between July values compared with December and October values were significant, but not with January values. Conclusion: The study showed significant seasonal and monthly differences in emergency schizophrenics’ visits. The data confirm the outcome of similar studies conducted in countries with temperate climate in the Northern Hemisphere. These results could prove useful for psychiatrists, public health specialists, and governmental authorities dealing with team planning and prevention programs in the field of psychiatry

Influence of gender and marital status on susceptibility of persuasion strategies in advertisement

The study has two main objectives: to find out what is the susceptibility of individuals to the persuasion strategies of Cialdini 's persuasive power according to gender and to determine some characteristics of users with different marital status in social influence. Cialdini's (2001-2021) persuasion strategies (principles), as well as Keptein's STPS (2009), were applied to measure the susceptibility to persuasion of individuals of both genders with different marital status. The results of an analysis of variance (ANOVA), measuring the influence of gender, showed that on the criterion of susceptibility to persuasion, males were more influenced by the following strategies: liking, reciprocity, authority, and social proof relative to females with the exception of the principle of commitment and consistency, and individuals who are divorced, separated and widowed responded positively to strategies such as social proof, scarcity and authority. Through regression analysis, social influence was found for unmarried users with respect to the reciprocity principle, as well as authority and scarcity when combining the latter strategies. Individuals who are cohabiting or married, as well as divorced, separated, and widowed, gave positive advertising responses to the scarcity principle, but cohabiting and married consumers exhibiting commitment and consistency under the influence of advertising. Hence, this study can serve organizations offering products and services through advertising, and its originality lies in the findings of mixed consumer responses regarding gender and marital status

"Los que apagan velas y beben vino" : los kăzălbashíes de Bulgaria en la mirada del otro, según los textos (XV-XIX)

Los kăzălbashíes, "estas extrañas gentes de la verdad" que concebían a Alí como Dios y fueron conocidos como la secta de los Ali illahi, cuya mayor parte habita en la región del noreste de Bulgaria, son los seguidores de la doctrina islámica en su interpretación chií, peculiar y popular, pero aun más, ellos mismos se consideran los musulmanes "más verdaderos". Sin embargo, debido a la diversidad que a los ojos de los otros representaban, por su emblemática tolerancia hacia otros cultos, por sus ideas, y por la presencia de elementos cristianos en sus rituales, los kăzălbashíes fueron juzgados como desviación del dogma, sus líderes han sido percibidos como heréticos y sufrieron persecuciones feroces por parte del poder otomano, que aquí se estudian a través de informes de viajeros y de fetuas, dirigidas contra este grupo de musulmanes heterodoxas. Arrojaremos luz sobre el significado simbólico aleví, de la práctica religiosa de tomar alcohol durante la ceremonia ayn-i cem, desvelando también lo que se esconde detrás de todo el discurso público respecto al ritual de la noche en la que "se apagaban las velas". Se hace también referencia a los conceptos que divulgaba uno de sus líderes, el famoso jeque Bedreddin de Simavna, altamente humanas, superiores a su tiempo, con indicaciones de una detallada bibliografía al respecto.The Kizilbash, these strange people of the truth who conceive Ali as God and are known as the Ali Ilahi sect, most of whom live in the region of northeastern Bulgaria, are the followers of the Islamic doctrine in its peculiar and popular Shia interpretation, but even more, they consider themselves "more real" Muslims. However, due to the differences they represented, their emblematic tolerance towards other religions, their ideas, as well as the presence of Christian elements in their rituals, the Kizilbash were judged as a deviation from the dogma, their leaders were perceived as heretics and suffered ferocious persecution by the Ottoman power, studied here through reports of travelers and fatwas directed against this group of heterodox Muslims.We will shed light on the symbolic meaning of the Alevi's religious practice of drinking alcohol during the ceremony ayn-i cem, and reveal what is hidden behind the public discourse regarding the evening ritual in which they "extinguish candles". It also refers to the principles proclaimed by one of their leaders, the famous Sheikh Bedreddin of Simavna, highly humane, ahead of their time, with numerous bibliographic records about them