“Lituanistika”, International Research Database
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Associations between changes in body weight status and high blood pressure among Lithuanian children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic: a retrospective cohort study
No full text(1) Background: High blood pressure (HBP), overweight, and obesity are common, growing public health problems worldwide. The aim of this study was to evaluate associations between changes in body weight status and HBP among Lithuanian children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. (2) Methods: In this study, we analysed data on blood pressure and anthropometric measurements of 2430 children and adolescents aged 8–18 years, who participated in both the baseline study conducted before the COVID-19 pandemic (from November 2019 to March 2020) and the follow-up study during the COVID-19 pandemic (from November 2021 to April 2022). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the associations between changes in weight status categories and HBP. (3) Results: At baseline, 17.1% of the subjects had overweight, 5.9% had obesity, 5.6% had abdominal obesity, and 23.7% had HBP, whereas at the follow-up, these percentages increased to 20.1%, 8.2%, 6.8%, and 27.4%, respectively. Compared to schoolchildren who maintained normal weight from baseline to the follow-up period, subjects who newly developed overweight/obesity and those who remained with persistent overweight/obesity had increased odds of HBP, with adjusted odds ratios (aORs) of 1.95 (p 0.05). (4) Conclusions: This study observed an increase in the prevalence of overweight, obesity, and HBP among schoolchildren during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study also suggested that changes from normal body weight status at baseline to overweight/obesity during follow-up, especially persistent overweight/obesity, were associated with higher odds of HBP in Lithuanian children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Keywords: body mass index; waist circumference; overweight; obesity; abdominal obesity; high blood pressure; children; adolescents
Energy intensity forecasting models for manufacturing industries of "catching up" economies: Lithuanian case
No full textThe objective of this research was to construct energy intensity forecasting models for key manufacturing industries, with a particular focus on “catching up” European economies. Future energy intensity values serve as the foundation for energy demand forecasts, which are essential inputs for the analysis of countries’ decarbonisation scenarios. The Lithuanian case is analysed in the context of its efforts to reach the economic development level of the most advanced European Union (EU) countries. The scientific literature and energy policy analysis, interdependence (correlation and regression), tendency and case analysis, logical economic reasoning, and graphical representation methods have been applied. The energy intensity forecasts until 2050 were based on historical statistical data of value added and final energy consumption of EU countries from 2000 to 2021. The analysis of historical trends revealed a remarkable decrease in industrial energy intensity in most EU countries, including Lithuania. Given the rapid pace of decline in historical energy intensity, the values observed in individual Lithuanian industries have already reached levels comparable to the most economically advanced EU countries. Four econometric trendlines were employed to construct forecasting models for energy intensity. The results for Lithuania demonstrated that the selected trendlines exhibited a high degree of fit with historical energy intensity data from the EU, as evidenced by their R2 values. Furthermore, the forecasts were shown to be highly accurate, with their MAPEs remaining below 10% in most cases. Nevertheless, the logarithmic trendline was found to be the most accurate for forecasting energy intensity in total manufacturing (MAPE = 4.0%), non-metallic minerals (MAPE = 3.5%), and food, beverages, and tobacco (MAPE = 4.1%) industries, with the exponential trendline in the chemical industry (MAPE = 8.7%) and the moving average in the total manufacturing industry (MAPE = 4.0%), food industries (MAPE = 4.0%), and remaining aggregate industries (MAPE = 14.5%). It is forecasted that energy intensity could decline by 8 to 16% to 1.10–1.20 kWh/EUR in Lithuania’s manufacturing industries by 2050. Keywords: energy intensity; time series techniques; manufacturing industries; case study
Energy security innovation in the Baltic Sea region: competing visions of technopolitical orders
No full textEnergy security is among the top security concerns of the 21st century requiring technological answers. However, the technological innovations adopted often not only serve to ensure adequate energy access and stable flow of energy, but also foster specific visions of socio-economic and techno-political orders and security. This paper tweaks the analytical lens of sociotechnical imaginaries, in which desired futures are connected to social and technical elements in concrete cases by adding a focus on identity formation and ontological security to the analytical model. Zooming in on the Baltic Sea Region, the paper traces sociotechnical imaginaries tied to the desired future of energy sovereignty through coal and nuclear energy in Poland and the bright future of energy independence through a liquified natural gas terminal in Lithuania. Nationally embedded understandings of how (in)security can be managed through technological innovation and how the desired national energy visions can be attained in the process highlight the importance of ontological security concerns. In tracing those themes, the paper combines a historical view with developments since the mid-2010s in Polish and Lithuanian energy discourse and analyzes the mainstream energy security imaginaries as envisioned by political elites. The study draws on speeches of key political figures, official documents concerning energy planning as well as semi-structured interviews. The analysis highlights how the study of energy innovation in the Baltic Sea Region can contribute to the conversation between critical security studies and science and technology studies
Status and prospects for research on policial-administrative activities of Lithuanian authorities with regard to Poland and Polish population since mid-October 1938 till December 1939.
No full textThe article presents the status of research on the activities of Lithuanian civilian authorities and the Lithuanian police with regard to Polish-Lithuanian relations, in the period of diplomatic contacts stabilisation since 1938 till the end of 1939. Analysis of available Polish and Lithuanian historiography shows that this specifi c area was only superfi cially treated by researchers, unlike diplomatic and military issues. As for times on the eve of WWII, civilian authorities and national policing issues had been explored only if related with the fact of establishment of diplomatic relations between Poland and Lithuania. As for the period after September 1939, the article focuses on elements related with extending the Lithuanian administration onto the Vilnius Region. Key words: Lithuania, Poland, administration, Polish Military September Campaign 1939
Thunder-god strikes out a stream from (under) the rock
No full text2022-2023 m. „Būde“ jau skelbtuose autoriaus straipsniuose („Stabo akmuo ir akmuo stabas“, „Užtvenkta tėkmė“, „Pavirsti akmeniu“, „Akmeninė širdis“) nagrinėta mitinė priešprieša tarp (gyvybinės) tėkmės ir (mirtino) sąstingio, kurį įkūnija, perteikia ir simbolizuoja akmuo (uola), juose įvairiais atžvilgiais teiktųsi daugiau į velnio sustabdytos, akmeniu (uola) užverstos, užtvenktos tėkmės ir į gyvos būtybės suakmenėjimo, pavirtimo akmeniu įvaizdžius. O paskutiniame 2023-ųjų BŪDE skelbtame straipsnyje „Iš (po) uolos pasilieja versmė“1 jau pereinama prie įveikto sąstingio ir pasiliejusios tėkmės mitinių įvaizdžių, o tai visų pirma - nuversta uola ir iš (po) jos ištryškusi, pasiliejusi versmė. Dabartinis straipsnis tiesiogiai tęsia pastarąjį - čia pateikiami būdingi mitiniai siužetai ir vaizdiniai, kuriuose tėkmė, srovė (ir ne tik vandens) iš (po) uolos pasilieja trenkus Perkūnui (ir nutrenkus velnią). Reikšminiai žodžiai: įveiktas sąstingis, paleista lietis tėkmė; uola (akmuo), velnias, Perkūnas; baltų mitologija.In a number of previous articles by the author the mythical images of stagnation, of stopping, darning up of a flow, particularly by a hudge stone (rock) or a pile of stones, also of turning up into stone and petrification, were examined. The latter article, conversely, dealt with the mythical images of the tumbled or smashed down rock and the free flow released. As the dammed up flow symbolized obstruction, so the released flow, or stream, has a very strong and widely known semantics of liberation and freedom, strictly opposite to petrification as an image of constraint. This time, directly continuing the latter article, the Baltic and, partly, Eastern Slavic data are adduced which present the Thunder-god (Lith. Perkūnas) as the agent of the released flow. And, as in previous cases, so in this one too, corresponding mythical images preserved in folklore imply a psychological sense of release and liberation. Keywords: the stagnation overcome, the rock smashed down, the flow struck out by the Thunder-god; Lith. Perkūnas, velnias; Baltic mythology
History of the Ąžuolynas unveiled
No full textKai 2022 m. pabaigoje Kauno Žaliakalnio bendruomenės „Žaliasis Ąžuolynas“ vadovė Laura Ramanauskaitė vieną iš šio straipsnio autorių pakvietė parengti paskaitą apie Ąžuolyną, niekas negalėjo numanyti, jog taip prasidės naujas ne tik šios nuostabios vietovės, bet ir šimtametės Kauno miesto istorijos tyrimas. Tuo pačiu metu tai kelionė į mūsų - Ąžuolyno vaikų - vaikystės pasaulį, kas šiems tyrinėjimams teikia džiaugsmo, dar daugiau prasmės. Pirmą kartą keliame klausimą, kaip išliko Kauno Ąžuolynas - unikali miško sala mieste. Istorinis tyrimas ir kartografinių šaltinių analizė parodė, kad šiandien Žaliakalnyje išlikusi pagrindinė Ąžuolyno dalis ankstyvaisiais istoriniais laikais buvo Lietuvos didžiojo kunigaikščio, iš dalies bajorų nuosavybė. XVI a. antroje pusėje ši valda teko Sv. Kryžiaus bažnyčiai, nuo 1771 iki 1845 m. priklausė vienuoliams karmelitams. Tuo metu, kai Kauno miesto ir privačių savininkų valdomi miškai buvo masiškai kertami, vienuolių nuomininkai Ąžuolyno retmiškyįeganė ir šienavo. Nuo XIX a. antros pusės Ąžuolyną jau valdė Kauno miestas, jis palaipsniui tapo laisvalaikio ir pramogų vieta. Antroji straipsnio dalis skirta istoriniame Ąžuolyno branduolyje esančiam Girstupio slėniui, kurį 1819-1823 m. pamėgo poetas Adomas Mickevičius. Surinkti duomenys rodo, jog šio slėnio dalis nuo Girstupio ir Gričiupio santakos iki vingio ties dabartine Tunelio gatve dar priešistoriniais laikais buvo laikoma šventviete, ką taip pat juto arba žinojo ir vėlesnės kartos. Reikšminiai žodžiai: žemėvalda, Kaunas, Sv. Kryžiaus bažnyčia, Ąžuolynas, senosios šventvietės, Girstupis, Adomas Mickevičius.So far, the Kaunas Ąžuolynas (oak forest) - a 60.83-hectare area, a forest island ranging from 70 to 320 years in age but located within a modern city - has been considered an exceptional natural value, an important area for habitat protection. This article examines it for the first time from a historical perspective, revealing little-known contexts of the development of Kaunas, which had municipal rights since the beginning of the 15th century. During the early period of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Ąžuolynas belonged to the country’s ruler and, apparently, partially to the nobility. In the second half of the 16th century, this domain was transferred to the Church of the Holy Cross. A significant moment in Ąžuolynas history was when in 1771, the Church of the Holy Cross, along with the forest, clearings, and cultivated land, was acquired by the Carmelite monks and they managed it until 1845. Thus, only in 1867 did the Ąžuolynas come under the administration of the city of Kaunas and gradually became a place for leisure and entertainment. In the second half of the 18th century to the beginning of the 19th century, despite interruptions, the forests in the eastern outskirts of Kaunas still formed a single massif, stretching from Kle- boniškis and Eiguliai in the north to Aukštieji Šančiai in the south and roughly from Petrašiūnai, Davalgoniai in the east, to the slopes of Žaliakalnis in the west. During this period of logging, the forest loggers belonging to Kaunas formed the northern-western border of the Ąžuolynas, which belonged to the Carmelites, a border that is still visible today along Vydūnas Alley. The second part of the article is dedicated to the valley of the Girstupis stream, located in the historical core of Ąžuolynas, which was beloved and praised by Adomas Mickevičius, a teacher at the Kaunas County School and a poet, in 1819-1823. Memories of contemporaries have survived about the 1823 spring festivities held in the Girstupis valley in his honour - a description of the farewell when he left for Vilnius and a legend-like narrative recalling how Karolina Kovalskienė, with whom the poet had a close relationship, raised a toast to the poet’s health and success, asking that the valley, which Mickevičius loved so much, be named after him. There is no information about who and when immortalised the poet’s memory with a stone monument with the initials A.M. and the date 1823 in this place. A significant fact is that in the first half of the 20th century, next to Mickevičius’ stone, on the slope of the Girstupis Valley and in the fields near the former village of Gričiupis, three axes of the same type with quadrangular pits and holes for handles were found. They are dated from the late 3rd millennium BCE to the beginning of the 2nd millennium BCE, continuing the late Neolithic tradition but also being used in the Bronze Age. Such axes are very characteristic of Central and Eastern Lithuania, often found near rivers and even in water. It is reasonably assumed that axes found in good condition, such as those found in the Girstupis-Gričiupis area, were once offered following the well-known myth about Griausmavaldys (Perkūnas), who unlocked and fertilised the earth in the spring. In this context, the section of the Girstupis Valley from its confluence with Gričiupis to the bend near present-day Tunelio Street becomes similar to a prehistoric sanctuary. The sense of admiration and awe felt by visitors to the Girstupis Valley in the 19th and 20th centuries can justifiably be associated with the sanctity experienced in open-air sanctuaries of Baltic religion
Conformity of public policy and citizens' attitudes towards the public service media
No full textThe article examines how the structural conditions (ownership, management, financing, and accountability) of public service media (PSM) functioning established by public policy decisions align with citizens’ attitudes. The empirical research employs the case of Lithuanian PSM because of relatively favorable conditions created for developing the PSM as a project of democracy and civil society. A document analysis was performed, and a representative survey of the Lithuanian population was conducted in response to the research questions. The analysis concludes that the intentions of public policy and civil society are quite different concerning the operating conditions of PSM. The citizens would like to have more say in the management of the PSM and to see the PSM much more accountable to society. Keywords: public service media, public policy, society, democracy, Lithuania
Emotional and behavioural problems of left behind children in Lithuania: a comparative analysis of youth self-reports and parent/caregiver reports using ASEBA
No full textBackground. Children being left behind (LBC) in their home countries due to parental emigration is a global issue. Research shows that parents’ emigration negatively affects children’s mental health and well-being. Despite a high number of LBC, there is a dearth of data from Eastern European countries. The present study aims to collect and analyse self-reported data on LBC emotional and behavioural problems and compare children’s reports with those of parents/caregivers. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 24 Lithuanian schools, involving parents/caregivers and their children aged 12 to 17. We employed self-reported measures, including the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment (ASEBA) tools – Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL 6/18) and Youth Self Report (YSR 11/18), to evaluate the emotional and behavioural problems of the children. These instruments had been translated, standardised, and validated for the Lithuanian population. Data collection took place between January 2022 and April 2023. In addition to descriptive analysis, multivariate regression was used to adjust for various sociodemographic factors. Results. A total of 760 parents/caregivers and 728 of their children participated in the study. LBC exhibited higher total problem scores (57.7; 95% CI 52.0-63.4) compared to non-LBC (47.1; 95% CI 44.7-49.4). These differences were consistent across all YSR 11/18 problem scales. However, no significant differences were observed in CBCL 6/18 scores. Furthermore, LBC self-reported a higher total problem score (57.7; 95% CI 52.0-63.4) compared to their parents/ caregivers (24.9; 95% CI 18.9-30.9), and this pattern persisted across all scales. Being female, having school-related problems and having LBC status were associated with higher YSR 11/18 scores in the multivariable regression, while female gender, living in rural areas, school-related problems, and having hobbies were associated with higher CBCL 6/18 scores. Conclusion. This study highlights that LBC report more emotional and behavioural challenges than their non LBC peers, while parent/caregiver assessments show lower problem scores for LBC. Gender, living environment school-related issues, and engagement in hobbies have influenced these outcomes. These findings underscore the multifaceted nature of the experiences of LBC and the importance of considering various contextual factors in understanding and addressing their emotional and behavioural well-being. Keywords: left behind, children, parents, Emigration, ASEBA, mental health
Translation and validation of the city birth trauma scale with Lithuanian postpartum women: findings and initial results
No full textThe childbirth experience and birth-related trauma are influenced by various factors, including country, healthcare system, a woman’s history of traumatic experiences, and the study’s design and instruments. This study aimed to validate the City Birth Trauma scale for Lithuanian women post-childbirth. Using a descriptive, cross-sectional survey with a nonprobability sample of 794 women who gave birth from 2020–2021, the study found good validity, reliability, and presented the prevalence of birth-related stress symptoms. A bifactor model, consisting of a general birth trauma factor and two specific factors for birth-related symptoms and general symptoms of PTSD, showed the best model fit. The Lithuanian version of the City Birth Trauma scale can be effectively used in research and clinical practice to identify birth-related trauma symptoms in women after giving birth. Keywords: perinatal mental health, trauma, City BiTS, validation, Lithuania
Impact of macroeconomic variables and mortality rates under 5 on CO2 emissions: a case study of Lithuania
No full textThis study examined how Lithuania’s CO2 emissions were affected by macroeconomic variables and mortality rates between 1995 and 2020. ARDL analysis, cointegration regression, diagnostics test, and robustness test were used to quantify the impact of mortality rates, macroeconomic variables, and CO2 emissions. The findings of the unit root test confirmed that all variables are stationary. Similarly, the ARDL bound test values show that the variables are cointegrated and that a long-run relationship exists between them. However, the ARDL methods both showed that mortality rates, trade openness, and economic growth have a significant positive impact on CO2 emissions. Hence, renewable energy consumption helps reduce CO2 emissions. Furthermore, diagnostic tests confirmed no serial correlation, no heteroscedasticity exists, and robust tests also show that the model is stable. While cointegration regression results are similar to the ARDL model test. The study analysis suggests the essential policy recommendations aimed at reducing CO2 emissions and the need to improve health sectors (specifically, mortality rates under 5). This study expands the existing literature on environmental economics, and its findings will help improve policy and frameworks in Lithuania to reduce carbon emissions. Keywords: mortality rates, renewable energy consumptions, trade openness, economic growth, CO2 emissions