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KEY QUESTIONS REGARDING THE UNINSURED PERSONS IN BULGARIA
Full text linkThe paper is devoted to the analysis of some of the key issues concerning the persons without health insurance in Bulgaria. These questions always generate a strong response in society. Many publications and discussions are dedicated to the current solidarity model of health insurance in Bulgaria. Specifically, this paper analyzes the profile, causes and problems related to the uninsured persons in the country. These are important issues for debate that need to be addressed
SELF-COMPASSION IN A PEDAGOGICAL PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM
Full text linkThis case study is based on the phenomenological-qualitative paradigm. The study aims to examine how self-compassion may be reflected in lecturers\u27 experiences in a pedagogical partnership program (PPP) at an academic college of education. A pedagogical partnership program focuses on learning-teaching processes between faculty and students at academies. The participants in this research were three lecturers at Kaye Academic College of Education. Our research tools included documenting dialogues held between students and lecturers at the end of each lesson, and reflective diaries written by each lecturer. The data were analyzed using a qualitative content analysis method based on open content analysis. The analysis connected to the self-compassion for its various components. Institutions of higher education that operate pedagogical partnership programs may consider incorporating compassion practices into their programs. They may greatly benefit all partners in both personal and professional respects
COMPARABILITY OF SLOVENIAN GENERAL MATURA MATHEMATICS EXAMS AT BASIC AND HIGHER LEVEL
Full text linkAt the General Matura exam in Slovenia, mathematics is obligatory subject, the candidates can only choose among two levels. Until 2020, the exams at two levels were treated as two practically independent exams. The recent reform brought a solution that allows well-grounded comparability between the achievements. We outline some details of the approach and discuss preliminary results after first three years
THE SILENT RED CLOAK: WORDLESS INTERPRETATIONS OF A TIMELESS FAIRY TALE
Full text linkThis study focuses on wordless book adaptations of the classic fairy tale “Little Red Riding Hood”. For generations, the story has so far been a major component of Children’s Literature, known for its rich symbolism narrative and moral themes. However, in the distinctive format of wordless books, the story transforms, providing young readers with a new perspective and style of reading participation. The absence of text in these types of books necessitates deeper viewer engagement. This article investigates how various artists and authors have reinterpreted the well-known narrative through this silent medium, focusing on narrative reinterpretation and visual storytelling techniques. We explore how the lack of words may heighten the emotional tone of the story and how images can be utilized to portray complicated concepts like innocence or danger. Significantly, the article delves into the visual approaches used in these adaptations, examining how variations in color, line, and composition influence the storytelling. The use of space, perspective, and sequencing in the images is also explored, focusing on how these determine the reader’s view of the story and its characters. Furthermore, the article discusses how the lack of text encourages readers to actively connect with the narrative in a non- traditional way. From our results, it is evident that wordless book adaptations of “Little Red Riding Hood” provide an innovative approach to retelling the classic tale, demonstrating its remarkable adaptability. These adaptations invite a deeper exploration of how the fairy tale functions and why it endures, highlighting the participatory nature of wordless storytelling. They suggest that stories are living entities, constantly evolving through the interpretations of their audiences
TWO ANTITHETICAL IMAGES OF DEATH IN THE 20TH CENTURY: ABSURDITY AND PARADISE
Full text linkThe aim of this article is to show two instances of the way the theme of death appeared in modernist and anti-modernist texts, with the help of two different authors: Ernest Hemingway and C.S. Lewis. The former developed the image of death as an absurdity in his short story “The Snows of Kilimanjaro”, while the latter chose to represent death in more optimistic tones, as a gateway to paradise, in the last book of his The Chronicles of Narnia, The Last Battle. The study of these antithetical images of the theme of death will hopefully contribute to a thorough perspective on the literature of the last century
METACULTURE MATTERS
Full text linkOne essential component for training students in international communication includes the attention to culture and intercultural interaction. However, since the process of globalization has spread many common practices across the surface level of society, it is critical to consider its effects on our current representation of culture and cultural practices. This includes a reexamination of the cultural models which have traditionally been taught. Specifically, I propose that certain global behaviors are apparent and frequent enough to constitute a collective of shared norms and practices, and I call this level of shared behaviors the metaculture. The metaculture provides us with a convenient way to look at how people act within a globalized context and helps us define certain traits or values that take on a more universal acceptance. I argue that by its very nature, the metaculture is constantly being redefined, and offers us a unique paradigm through which to approach our experiences in the context in which they take place. I also propose a sliding scale model of cultural interaction which offers a more dynamic and context-based approach to describing interactional behavior
AI RECOGNITION OF JAPANESE SIGN LANGUAGE AND ITS APPLICATION
Full text linkWe are researching Machine Recognition of Japanese Sign Language using deep learning technology. JSL consists of the main parameters i.e., handshape, location, and movement of hands, otherwise non- manual markers such as facial expressions, posture, and others. JSL has unique morphemes called CL=classifiers, and some signs using fingerspelling. Understanding JSL needs recognizing all these elements, which makes the research entangled. We limit the first target as a simple sign and a simple sentence. In our research, we use Conformer (a combination of CNN and Transformer) and CTC, which are used generally in speech recognition. The system learned 170 types of signs with each 100 tokens. The correct answer rate (Accuracy) was about 95%. For sign language sentences, unlike a sign word recognition, the problem is the transition between words which make the sign recognition harder. Our system recognized over 58% for the sign sentences with 96 types of signs
RISK ASSESSMENT OF ESSENTIAL AND TOXIC ELEMENTS IN SOME FISH SPECIES FROM THE BLACK SEA, BULGARIA
Full text linkThis study aimed to determine the concentrations of toxic and essential elements in the muscle tissue of 11 common fish species (Black Sea Goby, Sprat, Whiting, M. horse mackerel, Shad, Grey mullet, Bluefish, Turbot, Red mullet, Garlfish, Atlantic Bonito) from the southern Black Sea coast of Bulgaria were determined by Inductively-coupled plasma optic emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The concentration ranges of toxic metals and essential elements in all samples, based on the overall average, were as follows (mg/kg wet weight): Pb: 0.001- 0.045 mg/kg, Cd: 0.008 – 0.07 mg/kg, Zn: 2.58-10.67 mg/kg, Cu: 0.17-0.58 mg/kg, Fe: 2.5-12.8 mg/kg, Mn: 0.088- 1.52 mg/kg, Cr: 0.006-0.15 mg/kg, Ni: 0.001-0.195 mg/kg, As:0.09-0.84 mg/kg, Hg:0.006-0.14 mg/kg. The metal concentrations in the muscle were below the maximum permissible levels set by international organizations for seafood, except Cd for Sprat and M. horse mackerel. The human risk was assessed by calculating the target hazard quotients (THQ) and hazard index (HI). The target hazard quotient for individual elements and hazard index was lower than 1, indicating no potential risk to humans from fish consumption
RECYCLING OF TEXTILES FROM AUTOMOTIVE AND THEIR POSSIBILITIES OF REUSE IN PRACTICE
Full text linkThe development of the automotive industry in the world as well as in the Slovak Republic is key to the overall development and prosperity of the company. In Slovakia, thanks to four (in the future up to five) final manufacturers, the automotive industry has worked its way up to the first rank within the individual branches of the industry. In the contribution, the authors focused on the classification of problematic waste from the point of view of their further recovery from cars after their useful life, namely on the recycling of textile materials. The experimental part is focused on the applications and prediction of the use of selected problematic wastes from the point of view of their recovery (in compact and bulk form), on the evaluation of the performed experiments with the use of regression and correlation analysis in sound insulation products and heat insulation products. In their work, the authors of the contribution focused on researching the possibility of using different textiles applied in the car in order to use recycled materials of these textiles for the development of sound and thermally insulating materials with a wide range of applications
ASSESSING THE DEXTERITY OF HUMAN HAND IN SOME DAILY MOVEMENTS THROUGH AN ACUPRESSURE AND CURVATURE DATA GLOVE
Full text linkThe human hand is a highly-precisely designed organ that helps us complete the most complex and delicate movements in our daily life. However, in the real world, people may lose part of their hand function. The rehabilitation of the patient’s hand becomes extremely important. In this study we developed a wearable hand motion sensing system that combines curvature sensors and pressure sensors to assess the degrees of bending of fingers when people perform different hand motions and finger pressure. In this study, we first collected the data of curvature and pressure of people\u27s fingers in various daily actions through the glove. We then investigated differences between finger curvature and pressure when people performed the same movements. Finally, we analyzed the similarities or differences in how people perform different activities of daily living. Experimental results show that people adjust how they use their fingers (curvature) and how they apply force (acupressure) depending on the size, material, and weight of the item. When people perform fine actions, certain fingers play an important role in both actuating force and auxiliary support. On the contrary, when the action requires relatively more force, some fingers play the role of action output and the others play the role of auxiliary support