Main Courses Of Action Research Articles

Advocating access to justice: Facilitating or gatekeeping?

Advocacy is one of the central means for supporting access to justice. The social work profession has advocacy as one of its main courses of action. This discusses the components in actions that are considered as good practice for facilitating access to justice in its democratic aspects. More explicitly social workers advocacy for promoting the worth and dignity of human beings in society. Four different ideals in social work are presented, self-help, treatment, philanthropy and bureaucracy. Thereafter, cases presented as best practice from European social workers are used for pointing out the central components described for good advocacy work. These are communication, inclusion and flexibility. Taken together, the aspects all go back to having respect for those in need of advocacy. In advocating for access to justice, it is important that the advocates are actively aware of their own role in a way that their efforts facilitate access to justice.

Numerical Compliance with EU Fiscal Rules: Facts and Figures from a New Database

Abstract EU fiscal rules are meant to keep public finances on a sustainable path. This paper presents a new database that tracks numerical compliance with the four main rules of the Stability and Growth Pact starting in 1998. Our assessment of numerical compliance abstracts from the many exceptions and elements of discretion allowed by the letter and the spirit of EU law. It focuses on the main course of action implied by the rules. Overall, our database points to a very mixed compliance record. On average – across countries, years and rules – budgetary policies of the EU member states are compliant in just over half of the cases with stark and persistent differences across countries. We also detect a distinct cyclical pattern of compliance, which sends false signals of safety in good times.

The role of the archives in digital transformation of the state and society. Tasks, activities, expected results

The recently prepared Strategy for the development of national archives for the years 2021-2030, describes the methods and activities by which Polish national archives will try to influence the digital transformation of the state and the society. Two main courses of action were set up: the progress of computerization of processes of documenting public administration’s activities and the increase of digital competences of the society. The constant development of the Archive of Electronic Documents (ADE) system is to ensure - in addition to securing electronic documents - the preservation of the context of creating given documentation, its availability, information, logical integrity and the possibility of making it available to the public in the long term.

L’avancée en âge des personnes atteintes de troubles du spectre de l’autisme. Éléments cliniques et psychopathologiques

ObjectivesThis article attempts, from a psychopathological perspective, to clarify the clinical evolution of patients with ASD during adulthood and into old age, and to assess the risks and the chances. In addition, the article also attempts to address the experiences of these people confronted with their own aging, the death of loved ones, and their own mortality. This study of a cohort of 314 elderly patients can provide some data concerning these changes. MethodThe study of the cohort of 314 adult and aging patients makes it possible to specify several aspects of ASD in adulthood: level of severity, associated disorders and co-morbidities (psychiatric disorders, intellectual deficit, epilepsy, neurosensory disorders, genetics). At the clinical and psychopathological level, the behavioral disorders are described therein with reference to the dominant psychopathological modes of functioning: typical autistic modalities (notion of post-autistic recourse), symbiotic modalities, acute anxious exacerbations, depressive and manic functionings. ResultsPropose an elucidation of challenging behaviors (or problem behaviors) and make it possible to address them; demonstrate that their evolution during advancing age is rather favorable while insisting on the permanent vulnerability of certain subjects. Specify the main courses of action, insisting on spatial, temporal, and relational security; on the central place of care procedures (fundamental physiological needs, consideration of somatic pathologies, specific care with psychotropic drugs, psycho-corporal approaches); and on the attention paid to everyday life, a major therapeutic mediator, through maintaining a reasonable amount of activity. DiscussionThe approach proposed here confirms that the main problem facing adults diagnosed with ASD is that of associated disorders and psychiatric co-morbidities, more than that of the fundamental symptomatic particularities necessary for the diagnosis of ASD (the autistic tripod). This requires going beyond the notion of challenge behavior and adopting a functional perspective that ultimately reveals sometimes major psychic suffering and the adaptive attempts that these patients make to cope with it. ConclusionThe clinical work with this particular population confirms the need for structured institutional work, the only thing that can ensure the coherence of the approaches to working with this diverse patient population, one that is diverse, with generally favorable developments, but which still remains very vulnerable.

PH Grand Rounds: COVID-19 Infection Causing Delayed Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

PH Grand Rounds: COVID-19 Infection Causing Delayed Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

The Role of Local Leaders in the Implementation of Adult-Initiated Motor Skill Development and Physical Activity in Preschool-A Case Study.

Good motor skills (MS) and physical activity (PA) are considered important for children’s physical, social, and psychological development. The Motor skills in PreSchool (MiPS) study-Denmark aimed to optimize children’s MS through weekly PA sessions. The aim of this paper is to explore the role of local preschool leaders and their strategies in influencing the implementation of MiPS into daily practice. Leaders from all seven preschools in the project were interviewed. The results show that preschool leaders used communication (setting an agenda and dedicating speaking time to address the program at staff meetings) and reflective questioning about the pedagogic staff’s current practice in relation to the program (adding focus on MS and PA) as their main course of action. Through this form of communication and reflective questioning, the preschool leaders aimed to involve the staff and heighten their sensemaking in the existing practice while also ensuring that the implementation of the program was kept in progress. In sum, future implementation of an MS and PA initiative in preschools should put emphasis on a shared responsibility between leaders and staff combined with an adaptive approach in which the existing practice is reshaped rather than just increasing the workload of the pedagogic staff.

Healthy Cities – Resilient Cities. Urban development in the context of climate change

The impact of climate change is more and more often taken into account in urban development strategies and concerns mainly reducing threats and protection against the effects of extreme phenomena. Stress factors that are mainly related to civilization changes (economic and technological progress) and environmental changes (nature, resources, and climate) test a city's ability to remain functional in spite of crises. With this in mind, it is necessary to review the development strategies of contemporary cities identify the main course of action aimed at increasing the resistance to threats at the global, regional and local level, identify instruments that help in the planning of adaptations, and assess the scope of such plans. In Poland, the idea of developing healthy and resilient cities is not as popular as in other countries. The first adaptation strategies generally focus on the risks related to extreme weather events. It is expected that subsequent plans will gradually extend the scope of adaptation, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic made us realize that crisis management is insufficient and that the city's resilience should be developed. This paper explores the idea of Healthy Cities and other contemporary concepts of urban spatial development in the context of climate change. The author puts forward a thesis about the influence of the climate agenda on the transformation of the idea of Healthy Cities into the concept of Resilient Cities. The work includes an analysis of the development strategies of European cities, with particular emphasis on the largest cities in Poland, regarding the adaptation of the urban environment to the existing and projected climate hazards. The research goal is to evaluate the strategies for city development adopted by cities in their strategic documents as well as to assess the scale of climate change and its impact on the spatial development policy.

Managing a suspended course of action

Abstract This study explores interactional functions of the connective suoyi ‘so’ and its particular role in organizing talk and activity in Mandarin conversation. Adopting the methodologies of conversation analysis, multimodal analysis, and interactional linguistics, this study examines 14 hours of naturalistic face-to-face Mandarin conversation. An examination of the data shows that in addition to marking results and conclusions, suoyi is also used to preface an utterance as a tying device to manage suspensions, where progressivity of a course of action is halted. Specifically, suoyi-prefaced utterances can be used to return to a pre-prior course of action at the possible completion of a side sequence or frame. When performing the function of return, suoyi-prefaced utterances facilitate the development of the main course of action. This study contributes to our understanding of the interactional uses of linking adverbials from a cross-linguistic perspective.

Arabic Sign Language Recognition and Generating Arabic Speech Using Convolutional Neural Network

Sign language encompasses the movement of the arms and hands as a means of communication for people with hearing disabilities. An automated sign recognition system requires two main courses of action: the detection of particular features and the categorization of particular input data. In the past, many approaches for classifying and detecting sign languages have been put forward for improving system performance. However, the recent progress in the computer vision field has geared us towards the further exploration of hand signs/gestures’ recognition with the aid of deep neural networks. The Arabic sign language has witnessed unprecedented research activities to recognize hand signs and gestures using the deep learning model. A vision-based system by applying CNN for the recognition of Arabic hand sign-based letters and translating them into Arabic speech is proposed in this paper. The proposed system will automatically detect hand sign letters and speaks out the result with the Arabic language with a deep learning model. This system gives 90% accuracy to recognize the Arabic hand sign-based letters which assures it as a highly dependable system. The accuracy can be further improved by using more advanced hand gestures recognizing devices such as Leap Motion or Xbox Kinect. After recognizing the Arabic hand sign-based letters, the outcome will be fed to the text into the speech engine which produces the audio of the Arabic language as an output.

ПЕРСПЕКТИВЫ РАЗВИТИЯ МАЛОГО И СРЕДНЕГО БИЗНЕСА В АФГАНИСТАНЕ

Small and medium enterprises in Afghanistan may become the main source of the country’s economic development. Afghanistan’s current political and economic background is what contributes a lot to such a change: with international aid at a sharp decline and security problem being likely to worsen due to the anticipated withdrawal of the major part of international forces from Afghanistan, the government faces a problem of finding alternative sources of economic development within the country with the aim of achieving further self-sufficiency. Besides, support for SMEs is by far the most practically achievable and promising goal on the government’s economic agenda: those enterprises are capable of surviving within the ongoing military conflict; SMEs contribute to the conduct of most Afghan trade. Further advance of the above mentioned is directly and particularly dependent on the Afghan government’s political and economic action, as well as the undertaking of security measures. Afghanistan’s international trade is another critical aspect, which suggests that the country is yet to establish closer economic ties with other regional states. The article analyses the country’s private sector, suggests an explanation of why the SMEs’ advance should have primacy over other enterprises, and discusses the challenges faced by SMEs in Afghanistan. Besides, the author is determined to identify the main courses of action the Afghan government should stick to so as to achieve the realization of the SMEs’ perspectives. In the context the author dwells on the government’s further steps in various spheres, namely, improving ease of doing business, dealing with the problem of political uncertainty, enhancing the system of customs control, revising of Afghanistan’s role within regional trade.

Investigating the efficiency of greenhouse production in Oman: A two-stage approach based on Data Envelopment Analysis and double bootstrapping

This paper investigates the performance of greenhouse production in the Sultanate of Oman in two-stages. In the first stage, Data Envelopment Analysis is used to estimate the efficiency of greenhouse farmers and pinpoint the wasted resources. The efficiency results show that 79% of greenhouse farmers are technically inefficient, with an average efficiency score of 73%. Moreover, slack analysis indicates that water and electricity consumption both exceed the efficiency norm by up to 54% and 46%, respectively. The second stage aims to identify the contextual (socioeconomic and environmental) factors that influence the efficiency of greenhouse farms. This is accomplished using a truncated regression model along with a double bootstrapping mechanism found in the greenhouse production literature. Results reveal that ground water salinity is the environmental factor that has the most negative impact on greenhouse efficiency. The socioeconomic factor that has the most positive effect on greenhouse efficiency is the secondary occupation of the farmer; especially when that occupation pertains to the government agricultural sector. To enhance efficiency of greenhouse farms two main courses of action are recommended. On the greenhouse farmer’s side, training programs are needed to educate the farmers on methods that promote more rational resource consumption. For policies and regulations, a regulated water framework is essential, as well as an appropriate revision of the government’s subsidy policies.

УДОСКОНАЛЕННЯ СИСТЕМИ ІНФОРМАЦІЙНО-АНАЛІТИЧНОГО ЗАБЕЗПЕЧЕННЯ ПІДГОТОВКИ НАСЕЛЕННЯ ДО ДІЙ У НАДЗВИЧАЙНИХ СИТУАЦІЯХ

The purpose of the article is to determine the ways of improving the system of information and analysis support for the population to conduct themselves properly under conditions of emergency. The main course of action to improve the information and analysis support on preparing the population to act in emergency is proposed. It is proved that the increase in the number of victims in emergencies in Ukraine is the low level of population awareness of their behavior during disasters, and the system of information and analysis support which helps to train the population how to act at the time of crises and emergency needs to be improved. The rationality of methodical assistance during on-site training on the issues of civil protection at the local level is reasoned. The main course of action to improve the information and analysis support on preparing the population to act in emergency is proposed.

But-prefacing for Refocusing in Public Questioning and Answering

In this paper, we focus on a special use of but in interactions in which those doing the questioning and answering are accountable for producing talk that is relevant to a third party—an overhearing audience. Specifically, we aim to show how participants leverage the contrastive power of but in turn-initial position to refocus following a deviation from the main course of action.

Point/Counterpoint: Opioid Abuse in the United States

Point/Counterpoint: Opioid Abuse in the United States

Maltrato infantil: conocimientos y conductas de los cirujanos dentistas de la Estrategia Salud de la Familia de Guarabira-PB

O objetivo deste estudo foi identificar o conhecimento e a conduta dos cirurgiões-dentistas de Guarabira-PB frente a situações de maus-tratos infantis. Realizou-se um estudo transversal, no qual foram entrevistados 18 profissionais e os resultados foram apresentados por meio da estatística descritiva. Ao longo da atividade laboral, doze cirurgiões-dentistas relataram ter atendido pacientes vítimas de violência, com 91,7% dos casos originados no próprio núcleo familiar. O sexo feminino (50,0%) foi o mais acometido e a cabeça (27,3%) a região mais envolvida. Diante dos casos de maus-tratos, a principal conduta adotada foi a conversa com os pais/responsáveis (83,3%). Apesar de reconhecer a obrigatoriedade da denúncia dos casos, a principal conduta adotada foi apenas o diálogo com os pais ou responsáveis.

A família no contexto da Reforma Psiquiátrica

This work discusses the experience of caring for a family member with a mental illness, including the concepts surrounding the subject and its handling in Brazil’s recent psychiatric reform. As a strategy for analyzing data, and based on the theory of object relations developed by Winnicott (1975), the work is structured by means of two categories: the carer’s concepts and experiences of mental illness and the burden experienced. The results of the research pointed to ambiguous feelings in the relationship with the family member suffering from the mental illness; a reverting to internment as the main course of action in times of crisis; neglect or ineffective support for families from public services; and a sense of burden marked by concerns, fear and demands for care that exceed the families’ capabilities. The article concludes by reinforcing the need to support the families of patients with mental illnesses in the public network of primary healthcare and mental health. Based on the premise that the roots of mental health lie in relations of trust and the adaptation of the environment to the subject with immature emotional development (Winnicott, 1979), it may be understood that not just users, but also their family members, ought to be welcomed and “managed” by multi-professional teams committed to the main principles and policies set out in the Psychiatric Reform.

Reformismo, difusión y legado musical de Francisco Giner de los Ríos

Francisco Giner de los Ríos creció y se formó en una España en que la música culta, ya perdida la ilusión de consolidar una ópera nacional propia, braceaba desordenadamente para no hundirse del todo, y la enseñanza musical reglada daba sus primeros y torpes pasos. En esta coyuntura, entre finales del siglo XIX y principios del XX, Giner comenzó a trabajar en varios frentes para cambiar las formas de enseñar música, siempre apoyándose en el ideario krausista. Este artículo propone un panorama de la tarea gineriana e institucionista en este campo, dividida en tres grandes cursos de acción: el impulso reformista en las enseñanzas profesionales de música, la importancia concedida a lo musical en la ILE, y la labor que la Residencia de Estudiantes o las Misiones Pedagógicas continuaron desempeñando tras la muerte del maestro.

Non-functioning pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor accompanied with multiple liver metastases: remorseful case and literature review.

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (P-NET) is a rare and slow-growing tumor. Unfortunately, there is no clear consensus on the role and timing of surgery for primary tumor and liver metastases, although current reports refer to liver surgery including LT for unresectable liver metastases. A thirty-nine-year-old man was diagnosed with nonfunctioning pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (P-NET) in the pancreatic head, with multiple liver metastases. The tumor was 2.5 cm in diameter and he was asymptomatic. Small but multiple metastases were detected in the liver, and no extrahepatic metastases were observed. We initially intended to control the liver metastases before resection of the primary tumor. To begin with, transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and transcatheter arterial infusion (TAI) were repeated. Thereafter, systemic chemotherapy and biotherapy were introduced according to follow-up assessments. Unfortunately, imaging assessment at about 10 months later revealed that liver metastases were partially enlarged, although some were successfully treated. Therefore, these therapies were switched to other regimens, and TACE/TAI, systemic chemotherapies and biotherapies were repeated. Although liver metastases seemed to be stable for a while, the primary tumor was enlarged even after therapy. At 3.5 years after initial diagnosis, the primary tumor became symptomatic (pain and jaundice). Liver metastases enlarged and massive swelling of the para-aortic lymph nodes was observed. Thereafter, palliative therapy was the main course of action. He died at 4.3 years after initial diagnosis. Our young patient could have been a candidate for initial surgery for primary tumor and might have had a chance of subsequent liver transplantation for unresectable metastases. Surgeons still face questions in deciding the best surgical scenario in patients with P-NET with liver metastases.

Online Social Network Bullying Detection Using Intelligence Techniques

Social networking sites (SNS) is being rapidly increased in recent years, which provides platform to connect people all over the world and share their interests. However, Social Networking Sites is providing opportunities for cyberbullying activities. Cyberbullying is harassing or insulting a person by sending messages of hurting or threatening nature using electronic communication. Cyberbullying poses significant threat to physical and mental health of the victims.Detection of cyberbullying and the provision of subsequent preventive measures are the main courses of action to combat cyberbullying. The proposed method is an effective method to detect cyberbullying activities on social media. The detection method can identify the presence of cyberbullying terms and classify cyberbullying activities in social network such as Flaming, Harassment, Racism and Terrorism, using Fuzzy logic and Genetic algorithm. The effectiveness of the system is increased using Fuzzy rule set to retrieve relevant data for classification from the input. In the proposed method Genetic algorithm is also used, for optimizing the parameters and to obtain precise output.

Effect of Cytostatic Drugs on the mRNA Expression Levels of Ribonuclease κ in Breast and Ovarian Cancer Cells

Breast and ovarian cancers remain a major public health issue, constituting a major cause of female morbidity and mortality worldwide. Even though systemic chemotherapy remains the main course of action for both types of cancer, current research studies aim at the discovery of novel therapeutic targets. Ribonucleases, due to their apparent implication in gene expression regulation, may serve as potential anticancer drugs. Human RNase κ is an endoribonuclease belonging in a recently identified family of proteins. Recent data from expression microarray studies reveal that the RNase κ gene is found either up- or downregulated in a number of human cancers, indicating a possible diagnostic and/or prognostic utility.The aim of this study was to investigate modulations in the expression levels of RNase κ gene, in breast and ovarian cancer cells, as a response to treatment with different chemotherapeutic agents. BT-20 breast cancer cells and SKOV-3 ovarian cancer cells were treated with the cytotoxic drugs paclitaxel, docetaxel, cisplatin, carboplatin, epirubicin and vinorelbine. Gene expression analysis was performed by the comparative CT method also known as 2(-ΔΔCT) method. The results revealed a distinct increase in the expression levels of RNase κ mRNA (up to 9-fold) after treatment with the antineoplastic agent paclitaxel in both cell lines, while treatment with the remaining anticancer drugs did not alter drastically the mRNA levels of RNase κ. Based on the fact that paclitaxel exerts its cytotoxic action by inducing apoptosis, the results could be indicative of a potential implication of RNase κ in apoptosis-related pathways.