Publication Management System
Not a member yet
3916 research outputs found
Sort by
Peculiarities of the Legal Status of the Mayors of Lithuanian Municipalities and the Competencies (Abilities) Necessary for them in the Context of the Change of the Municipal Governance Model in 2023
Get PDFThe purpose of the article is to present some of the results of a research using a questionnaire survey method conducted in February 2023, which aimed to reveal the peculiarities of the legal status and roles (dominant and others) of mayors of Lithuanian municipalities and find out what necessary competences (abilities) municipal mayors must have and in what forms they must be developed, in the presence of two different municipal governance models (the model that was applied until April 2023 and the model that is applied from April 2023). The idea to conduct such research arose just a few months before the new Local Government Law (in its revised version) entered into force in June 2022, which introduced a new municipal governance model and changed the dominant role of the mayor in the municipality. This research also took place a few weeks before the regular municipal council and mayor elections (which took place on March 5, 2023). The particular target group was chosen for this research - the mayors of Lithuanian municipalities who had served in these positions for four or more terms (referred to as "experienced" mayors during the research). No similar research (in terms of purpose and respondents) has been conducted in Lithuania. The results of the research showed that "experienced" mayors have a good understanding of the specifics of the new municipal governance model to be applied from April 2023. They are essentially prepared to take on a new dominant role (the role of municipal executive institution), replacing the previous dominant role (the role of chairman of the municipal council). The results of the research also showed that "experienced" mayors understand well what necessary competencies (abilities) municipal mayors must have, as municipal governance model and the dominant role of the municipal mayor change in it. The results of the research can be useful for improving the legal regulation of the powers of municipal institutions (municipal council and municipal mayor) and the legal framework for their relationships as well as for organizing the the improvement of the competencies of municipal mayors
Joint Frailty Mixing Model for Recurrent Event Data with an Associated Terminal Event: Application to Hospital Readmission Data
Get PDFRecurrent events like repeated hospitalization, cancer tumour recurrences, and many others occur frequently. The follow-up on recurrent events may be stopped by a terminal event like death. It is obvious that if the frequencies of recurrent events are more, then it may lead to a terminal event and in this case terminal event becomes ‘dependent’. In this article, we study a joint modelling and analysis of recurrent events with a dependent terminal event. Here, the proportional intensity model for the recurrent events process and the proportional hazard model for the terminal event time are taken. To account for the association between recurrent events and terminal events, mixing frailty or random effect is studied rather than available pure frailty. In our case, the distribution of frailty is introduced as a mixture of folded normal distribution and gamma distribution rather than using pure gamma distribution. An estimation procedure in the joint frailty model is applied to estimate the parameters of the model. This method is close to the method of minimum chi-square rather than a complicated one. An extensive simulation study has been performed to estimate the model parameters and the performances are evaluated based on bias and MSE criteria. Further from an application point of view, the method is illustrated to a hospital readmission data for colorectal cancer patients
The Effectiveness of a Training Program Based on Self-Management Skills in Developing Independent Behavior and Safety and Security Skills of Children with Intellectual Disability
No full textBackground: Children with intellectual disabilities suffer from many deficiencies that negatively affect their adaptation and transition from one stage to another.
Objective: The current study aimed at developing independent behavior, safety, and security skills of children with an intellectual disability through a program based on self-management skills.
Methods: The study sample consisted of (20) children with mild intellectual disabilities enrolled in classes from the fourth to the sixth primary. The sample was divided into two groups; the experimental group to which the training program has been applied, consisting of (10) children, and the control group (10) children. The study relied on the quasi-experimental method. As such, the training program is perceived to be the independent variable, while the independent behavior, safety, and security skills are considered the dependent ones. The study is based on a number of tools that are prepared by the researcher, the scale of independent behavior of children with intellectual disabilities, the scale of safety and security skills of children with intellectual disabilities, and the training program based on self-management skills.
Results: The study's results disclosed the effectiveness of the training program used in developing independent behavior and safety and security skills of children with intellectual disabilities.
Conclusions: The effectiveness of self-management strategies such as self-monitoring, self-reinforcement, self-instruction, and problem-solving in developing the independent behavior and security and safety skills of children with intellectual disabilities has been proven
Are all Sex Criminals the Same? Consumers of Child Pornography Reconsidered
Get PDFA theoretical and practical distinction is drawn between sex offenders and consumers of child pornography on the bases of their unique and different psychological makeups and motives to offend. Distinct psychological profiles have been revealed in clinical practice and in research between “active” sex offenders (e.g., sexual assault, sexual abuse, molestation, active pedophiles, etc.) and “passive” sex offenders (i.e., those prosecuted for consumption of child pornography). Recommendations are made for legislation changes and development of treatment approaches, based on these differences
Obesity in Mexican Children and Adolescents: Association to Pubertal Alterations and Muscular Strength
No full textObjectives: Interventional strategies aiming to prevent obesity in children do not always consider how obesity influences the process of pubertal maturation and its implications. Additionally, maturation status could play a vital role in performing specific physical capabilities. This study aims to analyze the association of obesity, pubertal timing and tempo, and muscular strength in children and adolescents from a developing country.
Methods: We measured height, weight, sitting height, estimated leg length, and waist circumference (WC) and estimated the age at peak height velocity (APHV) of 125 children (58% girls, 8.9 ± 0.4 years) and 82 adolescents (45% girls, 12.8 ± 0.3 years) from public schools in Northwest Mexico. We also collected data on physical activity, handgrip strength, and socioeconomic and demographic information.
Results: Waist circumference (WC) was associated with early APHV (β = 0.006, p = 0.010) but not with a faster height gain (β = -0.012, p = 0.146). Earlier APHV and higher WC were both associated with higher handgrip strength (β = 3.86, p < 0.001; β = 0.098, p = 0.005, respectively).
Conclusions: Results suggest that higher WC was related to pubertal maturation patterns and results in better muscular strength performance. This data could improve the design and implementation of interventional strategies and public policies to decrease childhood obesity
Unveiling the Dynamics of the Omicron Variant: Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Vaccination Efficacy during the Third Wave of Covid-19 in Indonesia's Gowa Regency
Get PDFIntroduction: In February-March 2022, the B.1.1.529 (Omicron) variant of SARS-CoV-2 became the cause of the third wave of COVID-19 in Indonesia. However, data on the prevalence of the effects of the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic are still limited, especially in regencies/cities in Indonesia. Gowa Regency is one of the most affected areas by COVID-19 in South Sulawesi.
Objective: Ascertaining risk factors associated with infection and evaluating the effectiveness of vaccination programs in Gowa Regency.
Methods: In March 2022, venous blood specimens were taken from 859 randomly selected samples in Gowa Regency to determine the presence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 by examining chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay (CMIA) specimens. Information on demographics, previous infection history, symptoms, comorbid diseases, and vacancy status was collected through interviews. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive, bivariate tests with chi-square and One-way ANOVA, and multivariate tests using logistic regression.
Results: The overall prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2-IgG was 98.7%. The results showed that the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was not significantly different in terms of sex (P=0.306), age group (P=0.190), education (P=0.749), and occupation (P=0.685), history of COVID-19 symptoms (P=0.108), history of confirmation of COVID-19 (P=0.352), and history of comorbid diseases (P=0.477). However, this study showed that the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies differed significantly among the fully vaccinated and incomplete groups (P <0.001).
Conclusion: There was a significant difference between the antibody status of respondents who had been fully vaccinated (at least two doses) and respondents who had not completed the vaccination
Selected Aspects of Internationalization in the Liberec Region and the Free State of Saxony
Get PDFInternationalization is a widely discussed topic analysed from various points of view. In our paper, we have decided to measure this trend in two border regions in former Eastern Germany and in Czechia, namely in Saxony and the Liberec region in the time period 2013-2020. Both areas belonged to the Eastern bloc before 1990. Saxony experienced a rapid reunification process within the early 1990s and Czechia a transformation process competed in 2004 by the EU accession.
In our paper, we have decided to test three hypotheses. First, we tested if Saxony is more internationalized in terms of human resources (1) and secondly with regard to export output (2). Then, we conducted the same tests on the Liberec region. Our assumption was that, due to the rapid reunification and favourable geographic proximity of lucrative Western markets, the position of Saxony would be more advanced.
Finally, we tested the hypothesis (3) that the rising number of foreign workers contribute to the rising export volumes. We correlated the indicators of employed foreigners and exports per head in both regions from 2013 to 2020
Revenge Fantasies Against Neftegna as a Challenge of Protecting Cultural Heritage: Case Study of Wolayta Sodo Museum, Ethiopia
Get PDFProtection of cultural heritage in Ethiopia has been tough for several reasons. Previous assessments identified salient challenges such as scarcity of resources, shortage of facilities, lack of expertise, deficient budget for the sector, legal holes regarding regulatory role, illicit trafficking & the existence of multiple ports, inadequate awareness about heritages at local communities, poverty, and weather variabilities. This case study had been conducted to examine the impact of social movements on cultural heritages. It emphasizes the demolition of a former satellite palace of H.I.M. Hailesilassie I by local communities with the intention to revenge their grievances of alleged identity suppression. The demolished palace used to serve as a cultural heritage store of Wolayta Zone Museum. Demolition of the palace, besides being historically a valuable house which according to UNESCO was a heritage itself, made heritages that were contained inside, vulnerable to assorted damages. Peoples’ perception of historical facts and themselves has briskly endangered heritages. The study uncovers narratives of emergent identities have catastrophic impact on cultural heritages
The Portuguese law on Surrogacy – Promises and Perils
Get PDFAfter years of intense debate, on August 22, 2016 the Portuguese Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) Law was altered, and altruistic gestational surrogacy was made legal in Portugal. Although the journey has not been easy since then. The Portuguese Constitutional Court was called twice (in 2018 and 2019) to analyse the legal provisions of the surrogacy legal regime. The judges concluded that altruistic surrogacy was not in violation of the Portuguese Constitution, although the legal solution, and later amendment, was, in some of its provisions, unconstitutional. The judges found that the law needed to guarantee the right of the surrogate to regret the arrangement after the child was born. Considering the rulings of the Constitutional Court, surrogacy contracts in Portugal are not enforceable and the surrogate can, after the child is born, revoke her consent and become the legal mother of the child. The Parliament altered the Law accordingly in 2021, although, for the time being, it is still to be regulated.
Using qualitative methods, including legal, and bioethical analyses and a review of literature, this paper introduces an overview of the Portuguese legal solution on surrogacy and discusses, in particular, the right to regret of the surrogate after the child is born. The conclusion is that the Portuguese law on surrogacy does not yet have a clear and needed position about who are, in fact, the parents or mother(s) of the child in contested surrogacy contracts if the surrogate regrets the arrangement and revokes her consent after the child is born
Assessment of Abuses of Children with Disabilities in Japanese Nursery Schools by Municipality
No full textIntroduction: Many children with disabilities and latent characteristics are cared for in nursery schools (daycare centres). Paediatricians commissioned by nursery schools in our previous survey proved the occurrence of disabled children abused in schools. As the parents of the alleged victims were likely to contact the municipality, a survey of the municipalities managing childcare was requested.
Methods: The target group was local authorities' childcare service management departments (public authorities). Questionnaires were sent twice to 1,742 municipalities from late 2012 to the fiscal year (FY) 2014. Incidents were collected by inquiring about implementing preventive measures and reasonable accommodations.
Results: The number of municipalities that responded was 490 and 595, respectively, and 38 and 7 municipalities received complaints from parents that instructors had abused their children with disabilities. Based on the number of reports, the incidence of abuse in nursery schools in 2014 was estimated to be 0.0077% (95% CI: 0.0059–0.0094) and 0.0208% (0.0073–0.0344) for children with disabilities. In the 2014-2015 research periods, more teachers and staff were made aware of the consultation service as a preventive measure, and more emphasis was placed on the informed consent of parents as a reasonable accommodation. Regional characteristics, classified by the percentage of children, influenced the implementation of some measures.
Conclusion: The incidence in Japan was estimated to be lower than in other countries