Working Definition Research Articles

Німецький магічний реалізм як вияв „внутрішньої еміграції”: до проблеми когерентності понять

The article examines the problem of “internal emigration” in German literature and its connection with “German magical realism”, highlights the history of the origin and study of the term and trends in its interpretation in different historical periods from the mid-forties to modern times. The paper notes that most works of “magical realism” were unfairly on the periphery of the literary process because they were written during Hitler’s dictatorship. The author of the article states a certain categorical disparity in the definition and classification of works of “magical realism”, when not formal and aesthetic features are considered, but political and historical criteria. The rhetoric of the “Great Discussion” not only actualized, but also strengthened the pejorative nature of the phrase “internal emigration”. The controversy over the definition of the concept and its conceptual content has led to the fact that “internal emigration” was perceived as a manifestation of adaptation, self-justification and unwillingness to admit guilt. The semantics of the term, however, is changing along with scholars’ efforts to shed light on this controversial discourse. The writers’s being in “internal emigration” not only removes the question of the legitimacy of their work, but also opens a new layer for scientific research, in particular, study of the use of techniques of covert writing and means of expression of alienation. The works of German magical realism with the characteristic expansion of reality in their genre through the creation of unreal dimensions can be considered as a certain expression of internal exile. The metaphorical nature of the texts can be seen as a manifestation of introspective self-immersion of the authors, an expression of their separation from the political system and solitude in the inner world. The author of the article suggests that there is a certain coherence between German magical realism and the phenomenon of “internal emigration”. Hermeneutic analysis of the works of the authors of “internal emigration”, representatives of German “magical realism” must include a study of the historical context and autobiography of the writer.

Safety Workplace: The Prevention of Industrial Security Risk Factors

“To earn a living”. The definition of work and our understanding of the workplace have changed in recent years due to the emergence of occupational health and is now a field of study under continuous improvement. Despite the fact that there is a huge amount of information, studies, and guidance about how to improve occupational security, the factors that must be considered in a workplace as real hazards to avoid in order to achieve a truly healthy workplace are always subject to debate. This research contributes to efforts in two important ways. The first goal assesses the information about security risk factors established and mentioned by official international institutions aimed at safety and security science by using the relationship and categorization between the identified risks during work activities performance. The second goal is to establish the necessary requirements to be fulfilled to ensure that a workplace will be considered “healthy and safe”. As a result, it is defined that the lack of ergonomics represents the most critical risk factor in order to reduce the incidence of work-related illness during the design and continuous improvement of a tailored workplace.

Jewels of Africa: Citizen Science on the African Continent

In their recent publication entitled Diamonds on the Soles of their Feet, Goldin, et al.,[1] present a project on groundwater monitoring in the Hout Catchment, Limpopo. The title of the article captures the idea of wealth (democratisation of knowledge, water literacy, social justice) attributed to citizen scientists with their feet on the ground, gathering valuable information-in the case of their study-on groundwater levels and rainfall. Jewels of Africa takes up the idea of democratisation of knowledge and what we see as ‘science of the people’ within the context of the African Continent. We first present some background ideas on CS before defining CS and then, whilst acknowledging the vagaries of coming up with a CS definition, and the huge efforts made by the CS community to define CS, we offer a new and more simple working definition for CS. We then consider CS applications in general before giving nine examples within the African context. We look briefly at the potential of CS in East Africa before we make our contribution to debates around CS and propose ten guidelines which, we believe, complement the ten principles for CS proposed in 2015 by the European Citizen Science Association (ECSA) but which are pertinent when considering CS projects in a developing country context.

Gender Budgeting and its Outcome on Women Labour Force Participation in Unorganized sector

Unorganized sector always plays a vital role in terms of providing employment opportunities to a large segment of the workforce in India. Near about 92% of the total employment in the Indian economy during the period 1999-2000 was accounted for by the unorganized/informal sector (NSSO 55th Round 1999-2000). In most states the share of informal workers is approximately the same as the national average. Female work participation has always been low at 26.97% compared to 52% of men (World Bank Report, March 2018). The problem is that women have always been at work; only the definitions of work and work plan have never been defined or realistic to include their contribution to the economy and the society. In order to deal with gender disparity and bring efficacy in women labour force participation, Gender Budgeting was started in India in 2004. However, the outcomes show that their condition has improved in formal sector but in informal sector the working conditions has not much improved. The aim of this paper is to evaluate some of the new initiatives taken by Government of India in Public Economics in reference to Gender budgeting. It relates to government expenditure in welfare measures for the upliftment of women labour force participation in organized sector. The researchers tried to find out the outcomes of gender budgeting by critically evaluating the changing pattern of Indian working women in the unorganized sector and find out the condition of health, safety and well- being of working women in unorganized sector of India.

Miles to Go Before We Sleep: A Two-Part Content Analysis of Representations of Equity in the Dev Ed’r Discourse Community

ABSTRACT This article continues the conversation begun in Armstrong’s (2020) call to Dev Ed’rs kept awake by uncertainty about their professional identity and the future of “The Field” of developmental education and college literacy. Through the lenses of critical discourse analysis and discourse communities, the author examined how Dev Ed’rs define equity and whom they cite. The two-pronged content analysis uncovered a lack of definitional work or citations to ground Dev Ed’r discussions of equity. The article advances four steps for (re)claiming the language of equity and, with it, The Field’s professional identity: (1) establishing a definition of equity for The Field, (2) grounding the definition in the literature, (3) incorporating the definition into professional conversations, and (4) amplifying Dev Ed’r scholarship engaging with equity.

Joseph Fielding Smith's Evolving Views on Race: The Odyssey of a Mormon Apostle-President

Joseph Fielding Smith's Evolving Views on Race: The Odyssey of a Mormon Apostle-President

“The Invisible Community” of Vladimir Bibikhin

This article discusses several difficulties that the researcher of Vladimir Bibikhin's work inevitably faces. A number of these complications are related to the “external” definition of the direction of Vladimir Bibikhin's thought. In this regard, two sets of questions arise: 1) the attitude of Vladimir Bibikhin to the official late Soviet line of philosophy; 2) the problem of describing that “invisible community” of contemporaries who, even if they cannot be called like-minded people in the strict sense, nevertheless formed that single context that allowed not to feel creative isolation. At the same time, it is not so much about the “influence” understood in the strict sense (which undoubtedly took place) but about creating a kind of “atmosphere”, i.e. background that allows each of the participants in this community to develop their ideas. The disclosure of the last set of questions moves towards the consideration of the topic of attitude to modernity and its approval through their creative searches. Another series of difficulties relates to the “internal” demarcation and definition of Bibikhin's work. On the one hand, purely chronologically, we can talk about his work's pre-lecture and lecture periods. The article proposes considering the first period as a statement of accomplices, interlocutors of that horizon of thought, which will receive thematic disclosure in the second period. On the other hand, the very thematic diversity of the author's courses, if considered in chronological order, points us to the author's own unified way of thought as a philosopher.

Dissent against ‘Definition debates’ about Social Work

This commentary dissents against definition debates. I argue that ongoing discussion about what social work is needs to find a common ground of recognition. Arguments about the bifurcation, demise or “end of social work” are challenged. Starting with the position that social work operates on a necessarily contested and contradictory space, the case is made for a shared definition of social work as a “mediator in the social”. To stand up as a foundational definition for the diversity of social work worldwide, “mediation in the social” as described by Philp (1979) requires important updates to fit the complex “socials” of the 21st century. This necessitates a shift from the inclusion of Indigenous knowledge as an add-on to expansively identifying indigenous knowledge as a constant that underpins social work internationally. This definition needs to be founded on shared values and assumptions that capture the essence of social work such as citizenship, relational practices, human rights and social justice as expressed in diverse cultural contexts worldwide.

Comparison of neural network, Gaussian regression, support vector machine, long short-term memory, multi-gene genetic programming, and M5 Trees methods for solving civil engineering problems

In this study, it was investigated that how machine learning (ML) methods show performance in different problems having different characteristics. Six ML approaches including Artificial neural networks (ANN), gaussian process regression (GPR), support vector machine regression (SVMR), long short-term memory (LSTM), multi-gene genetic programming (MGGP) and M5 model tree (M5Tree) were utilized to analyze three independent civil engineering problems belonging to construction management, geotechnical engineering, and hydrological engineering sub-disciplines. Mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), root mean square error (RMSE), coefficient of determination (R2), relative root means square error (RRMSE), Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE), Kling–Gupta efficiency (KGE), and overall index of model performance (OI) criteria were used to evaluate the performances of the models. Besides performance criteria, the relative performances of the six ML models were assessed using Taylor diagram, Violin diagram and One-Tailed Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test. For each of the problem considered in this study, the effectiveness of the input parameters on the output parameter has been defined using the Relief Method and Correlation Coefficient. The results show that ANN and MGGP models yielded the most successful estimations for three different problems considered. The best prediction was achieved by MGGP model for hydrological engineering problem. For the construction management, geotechnical engineering problems, the best results were obtained using the ANN model. All models were reliable to solve the geotechnical engineering and hydrological engineering problems while LSTM and SVMR models are not reliable to solve the construction management problem. The most and least effective input parameters on output parameter were contract cost (CC) and work definition number (WDN) for the managerial data set. On the other hand, the most and least effective input parameters on the output parameters for the experimental and natural data sets have been obtained as width of the pile (B), rotation degree (R) and minimum temperature (Tmin), streamflow (Q) data, respectively. The number of data and data selection have a significant effect on the homogeneity of the data set and its representativeness of the problem. The error values obtained in test stage are affected from this condition. The equations to calculate the outputs of each of the problem considered were obtained using MGGP and M5Tree models.

An integer programming mathematical model with line balancing and scheduling for standard work optimization: A realistic application to aircraft engines assembly lines

Aircraft Engine Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) companies face intense global competition that requires effective management of maintenance costs, TAT (turnaround time), and accurate job standards. These indicators can be improved through methodologies such as line balancing and scheduling of assembly tasks. The main objective of this article is to propose models for standard work definition that can optimize companies’ indicators – TAT, the number of operators, training costs, and load balancing – considering the specificities of the aircraft engine assembly lines. First, a literature review identified features of line balancing and scheduling integrated problems relevant to aircraft engine assembly and highlighted the integer programming mathematical models already proposed. Second, four new MILP models were developed in order to combine some of the features identified during the literature review and include new relevant ones: the multi-skilled operators can work in more than one engine per takt time, and each task may start in one takt time, and finish in the next. Lastly, the models were implemented in the AIMMS system and hierarchically solved by the CPLEX on data of two different assembly lines from a Brazilian MRO company. The results were considerably better than those obtained empirically by the firm. They include a 14.3% reduction in TAT for one assembly line and a 15.4% reduction in the number of operators for another, confirming a suitable decision support tool for the company, which can also help other firms.

Enhanced drying of the Tengger desert, northwest margin of East Asian summer monsoon during warming interglacials after 500 ka

The arid-semiarid regions face drying threats under global warming, but their future changes in terms of drying or not are controversial. High orbital-scale resolution records spanning across the Mid-Brunhes event in the arid deserts provide a climate analogue since the formation of deserts. However, there was no definite work in the deserts so far. Here, we present the results of a chronological and paleoenvironmental study of a 122.63 m-long core drilled in the largest lake basin in the central Tengger Desert (northern China), located in the northwestern margin of East Asian Summer Monsoon regions. Following comprehensive paleomagnetism analysis, the Matuyama/Brunhes boundary was detected at a core depth of 87.5 m, and the basal age of the core is estimated at ∼940 ka based on orbital tuning. The lithology, grain size, carbonate and total organic carbon content were analyzed to examine the sedimentary facies and reconstruct the paleoenvironmental evolution. Ten relatively humid layers were identified by sedimentary facies, further results confirmed by fine grain size, high carbonate, and total organic carbon content, which generally developed during interglacial and were controlled by the East Asian summer monsoon precipitation during the past 940 ka. Since ∼500 ka, the interglacial climate regime displayed an intensified aridification manifested as shrinking lakes and persistent mobile dunes in the Tengger Desert. We argue that this aridification was caused by the combination of a massive supply of clastic material for the desert and the occurrence of higher potential evapotranspiration during warmer interglacials after the Mid-Brunhes Event. This research finding provides geological evidence for the aridification of the deserts in the East Asian Summer Monsoon margin under global warming.

Editors' Note: Lack of Association of Group A Streptococcal Infections and Onset of Tics: European Multicenter Tics in Children Study

Reporting on behalf of the European Multicenter Tics (EMTICS) in Children Study, Dr. Schrag et al. prospectively followed up asymptomatic children 3–10 years of age with a first-degree relative diagnosed with a chronic tic disorder. One quarter (23.6%) of the 259-patient cohort ultimately developed tics; however, there was no relationship between group A streptococcus (GAS) exposure and tic onset. One particular strength of this study is the inclusion of 4 working definitions of GAS exposure based on oropharyngeal or serologic findings; yet no association was found between GAS and tics. Dr. Gupta et al. appropriately recognize the selection bias in this study, which restricted inclusion to participants with a genetic predisposition to a tic disorder. Furthermore, Gupta et al. emphasize the failure to consider a relationship between GAS and a new-onset tic or other movement disorder may result in the withholding of appropriate antibiotics, which may improve such symptoms. The EMTICS investigators confirm that while their negative results (and others) may be generalizable to many patients with a tic disorder, they are unable to comment on the relationship between GAS and a sporadic tic condition. Reporting on behalf of the European Multicenter Tics (EMTICS) in Children Study, Dr. Schrag et al. prospectively followed up asymptomatic children 3–10 years of age with a first-degree relative diagnosed with a chronic tic disorder. One quarter (23.6%) of the 259-patient cohort ultimately developed tics; however, there was no relationship between group A streptococcus (GAS) exposure and tic onset. One particular strength of this study is the inclusion of 4 working definitions of GAS exposure based on oropharyngeal or serologic findings; yet no association was found between GAS and tics. Dr. Gupta et al. appropriately recognize the selection bias in this study, which restricted inclusion to participants with a genetic predisposition to a tic disorder. Furthermore, Gupta et al. emphasize the failure to consider a relationship between GAS and a new-onset tic or other movement disorder may result in the withholding of appropriate antibiotics, which may improve such symptoms. The EMTICS investigators confirm that while their negative results (and others) may be generalizable to many patients with a tic disorder, they are unable to comment on the relationship between GAS and a sporadic tic condition.

Workplace spirituality: The fifth gospel for the modern workplace?

In this article, the argument is developed that workplace spirituality can be used within practical theology to understand developments within the workplace. This can enable the church to give effective guidance to the congregation on finding meaning and purpose within the workplace. The value of workplace spirituality for both practical theology (as science) and the church (as organisation) will be debated in this article. In this study, it is accepted that workplace spirituality is not the same as religion even though the two concepts are not disjoint. This study first attends to workplace spirituality and then to the role of practical theology in workplace spirituality. Based on the discussion of the difference between religion and spirituality, and what spirituality is, including the dimensions of spirituality, the working definition used in this study is that workplace spirituality engenders spiritual growth and development of employees which creates purpose, meaning, and community within the organisational context. In the part on practical theology, it is argued that practical theology has three domains, namely the church, society, and academia (or science). The study presents the perspective that the workplace is a study focus for practical theology. The practice of workplace spirituality should be studied in practical theology thereafter practical theology can develop a faith-based approach to spirituality. This can be useful to understand the construct and practice of faith-based workplace spirituality without the one faith tradition dominating over the other.

Is It in the Cards?! A Definite Work in Progress

Is It in the Cards?! A Definite Work in Progress

Defining Clinical Social Work and its Implications for Practice

Purpose: There is limited research on social work licensing especially the profession's attempts to define clinical social work practice. This article seeks to investigate definitions of clinical social work for clinical licensure in the United States. Methods: Statutes were searched and cross-referenced with data from the Association of Social Work Boards to determine (1) categories of licensure per state, (2) supervised practice hour requirements for clinical licensure, and (3) definitions of supervised practice to obtain clinical licensure. Results: To date, 15 licensing boards limit or require supervised clinical social work practice hours towards licensure to include psychotherapy. In most of these jurisdictions, the definition of clinical social work excludes other forms of direct practice, like case management or medical social work, as not meeting criteria for clinical licensure. Conclusions: These definitions have implications for practitioners and social work's role in addressing social determinants of health and trauma-informed care.

Improving Access to Eye Care: A Systematic Review of the Literature

The goals were to develop a working and inclusive definition of access to eye care, identify gaps in the current system that preclude access, and highlight recommendations that have been identified in prior studies. This manuscript serves as a narrative summary of the literature. Health care disparities continue to plague the nation's well-being, and eye care is no exception. Inequities in eye care negatively affect disease processes (i.e., glaucoma, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy), interventions (surgical treatment, prescription of glasses, referrals), and populations (gender, race and ethnicity, geography, age). A systematic review of the existing literature included all study designs, editorials, and opinion pieces and initially yielded nearly 2500 reports. To be included in full-text review, an article had to be US-based, be written in English, and address 1 or more of the key terms "barriers and facilitators to health care," "access," and "disparities in general and sub-specialty eye care." Both patient and health care professional perspectives were included. One hundred ninety-six reports met the inclusion criteria. Four key themes regarding access to eye care from both patient and eye care professional perspectives emerged in the literature: (1) barriers and facilitators to access, (2) utilization, (3) compliance and adherence, and (4) recommendations to improve access. Common barriers and facilitators included many factors identified as social determinants of health (i.e., transportation, insurance, language, education). Utilization of eye care was largely attributable to having coverage for eye care, recommendations from primary care professionals, and improved health status. Geographic proximity, age, and lack of transportation surfaced as factors for compliance and adherence. There were a variety of recommendations to improve access to eye care, including improving presence in community health clinics, reimbursement for physicians, and funding of community-based programs such as DRIVE and REACH. The eye care profession has abundant evidence of the disparities that continue to affect marginalized communities. Improving community-based programs and clinics, addressing social determinants of health, and acknowledging the effects of discrimination and bias on eye care serve as ways to improve equity in this field.

A Consensual Qualitative Study on the Decent Work of Women Counselors

본 연구는 PWT이론을 적용하여 괜찮은 상담 일자리 정의를 개념화하고, 이를 획득하기까지 도움 및 어려움 요인, 괜찮은 일자리 양산을 위한 미래과제를 확인하고자 하였다. 1급 상담 전문가(한국상담심리학회, 한국상담학회) 9명을 면담하고, 합의적 질적 연구 방법(CQR)으로 자료를 분석한 결과, 총 17개 영역, 37개 범주가 도출되었다. 주요 결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 괜찮은 상담 일자리 주요 요소로는 합리적·안정적인 임금과 고용조건, 안전하고 편안한 근무환경, 상담의 특수성을 인정하는 조직문화, 위기사례 관련 상담사 보호 시스템 가동, 그리고 성장과 워라밸을 지원하는 복지가 도출되었다. 둘째, 괜찮은 일 획득 도움 요인으로는 지속적 수련, 이전 직무경력, 상위학위 및 자격증 취득, 동료 네트워크이며, 어려움 요인으로는 안정적 생계유지 어려움, 사적인 삶과의 균형 유지 어려움이 있었다. 셋째, 괜찮은 일자리 양산을 위한 미래과제에 대해 상담자 개인 차원으로는 지속적인 전문성 함양과 부당한 처우 개선을 위한 목소리 내기가 제안되었다. 개인 외적 차원으로는 무급수련제도 개선, 상담 전문가에 대한 대중 홍보, 심리상담 자격증 법제화를 위한 노력 등이 보고되었다. 추후 남성 상담사들의 괜찮은 일 경험을 조망하거나, 괜찮은 상담 일자리 척도 개발을 후속해 볼 수 있겠다.This study explores the definition of decent work as counselors by applying the PWT and examining resources and barriers to securing decent work and future tasks for more decent work. Using CQR, we interviewed nine counselors(Level 1 of the KCPA, KCA). As a result, 17 domains and 37 categories were identified. The main results are as follows. First, decent work components were reasonable income stable employment, and safe and comfortable working conditions. These organizational cultures acknowledge the specialty of counseling, welfare for counselors' growth, and setting up a crisis intervention system. Second, resources included continuous training, previous job experience, earning degrees and licenses, and peer network. Barriers were found challenging to maintain a stable livelihood and balance with private life. Third, as tasks for more decent work, developing qualifications and speaking out against unfair treatment were suggested. Besides, improvement of unpaid training, informing about counseling, and governmental licensure system were discussed. In the future, we can look at the concept of decent work for male counselors or follow up on the development of a decent counseling job measurement scale.

When Do Agreements Restrict Competition in EU Competition Law?

Under EU competition law, it is prohibited to conclude agreements distorting competition, but little guidance is available on what to consider anti-competitive. However, case law has given rise to patterns holding some practices anti-competitive by object while others must be assessed in detail and against their effect without providing a workable definition on the lines between these two approaches. Other issues remain equally open-ended, e.g., when the anti-competitive effect is appreciable. In this paper, a possible roadmap for the appraising of restrictive agreements in EU competition law will be provided.

Mobile phone sleep self-management applications for early start shift workers: A scoping review of the literature.

Poor sleep has significant impacts on both mental and physical well-being. This is especially the case for shift workers who rely on good sleep practices to manage the disruption caused by their working conditions. In recent years there has been a proliferation of sleep-focused mobile phone applications, some of which may be suitable for use by shift workers. There is limited evidence however, on whether these applications are sufficient in managing the sleep needs of the early start shift working population (i.e., those whose work schedules begin pre-dawn). This scoping review aims to identify and discuss peer-reviewed literature on mobile sleep applications used by early start shift workers for sleep-self management. Four databases (Scopus, EBSCOhost, CINAHL and PsycInfo) were searched for relevant literature using a pre-determined search string. The initial search using the term early start shift work returned no papers, however a broadened search on shift work in general found 945 papers for title and abstract screening, of which 21 were deemed eligible for full text screening. Two of these papers met the inclusion criteria for this review. The results highlight, firstly, the paucity of research on the use of mobile phone applications for sleep self-management amongst early start shift workers, and secondly, the need for further research on the effectiveness of mobile applications for sleep self-management amongst shift workers in general. A working definition of early start shift work that can be used to stimulate research in this understudied population of shift workers is also proposed.

Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated With Group A Streptococci: Etiopathology and Diagnostic Challenges.

Pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections (PANDAS) have attracted a lot of interest and discussion since it was originally characterized in 1998. The role of streptococcal infection in children with abrupt-onset obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and new-onset tics, the natural history of this entity, and the role of symptomatic and disease-modifying therapies, such as antibiotics, immunotherapy, and psychoactive drugs, are still unresolved issues. Alternative therapies for acute-onset OCD have been developed based on this postulated pathophysiology, including antibiotics and immunomodulatory therapy. The literature on PANDAS therapy is varied but there is no clinical consensus on the treatment of choice.While there is no convincing evidence for the autoimmune rationale for PANDAS, given the increased attention to this entity and the apparent growth in usage of this diagnostic category, it is critical to address concerns about the condition's diagnosis, treatment, and pathogenesis.We conducted a multi-language literature search on Medline, Cochrane, Embase, and Google Scholar for a period spanning until October 2021. The following search strings and Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) terms were used: “PANDAS,” “Group A Streptococcus,” “OCD,” and “tics.” We explored the literature on PANDAS in terms of its epidemiology, pathophysiology, the role of group A streptococcal infection, associated complications, and prophylactic and treatment modalities.We examined current working definitions of PANDAS, analyzed differential diagnoses, and published pieces of evidence for therapies associated with this entity, with a view to proposing a therapeutic strategy for children with acute symptoms that meet PANDAS criteria, in this review article.