National Objectives Research Articles

Outcomes of Childbirth Education in PRAMS, Phase 8.

To determine if childbirth education is associated with improved outcomes for national maternal child health goals in the United States. This was a secondary analysis of PRAMS data. The sample was limited to survey respondents who answered a question "During your most recent pregnancy, did you take a class or classes to prepare for childbirth and learn what to expect during labor and delivery?" The outcomes included nine national objectives from Title V and Healthy People. Logistic regression models were built with control for characteristics associated with attending childbirth education. Odds ratios were converted to adjusted risk ratios for interpretation. Stratification by maternal race/ethnicity and use of Medicaid identified opportunities for improvement in childbirth education. Of the 2,256 eligible respondents, 936 (41.5%) attended childbirth education. Attending childbirth education was associated with reduced likelihood of primary cesarean (ARR 0.79), increased attendance at postpartum visit (ARR 1.06), use of birth control (ARR 1.07), safe infant sleep (Back to Sleep ARR 1.04; Sleep on Own 1.12), and breastfeeding (Ever breastfeed ARR 1.08; still breastfeeding ARR 1.15). No association was found for LARC use or postpartum depression. Not all benefits of childbirth education were apparent for all racial/ethnic groups, nor for those with Medicaid insurance. Childbirth education is a community intervention that may help achieve population maternal and child health goals.

The KomMent study: apilot project on structured interprofessional communication in uro-oncology

Communication and interprofessional collaboration with patients diagnosed with cancer is challenging. Structured communication training has not yet been integrated into postgraduate medical education. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of an 80-teaching unit interprofessional communication training (ICT), as recommended in the National Cancer Plan, at aclinic with auro-oncological focus. Aneeds assessment was conducted using focus groups and individual interviews. Learning objectives were aligned with (inter)national learning objective catalogs. The ICT was developed using the six-step approach according to Kern and design-based research. Utilization and acceptance were evaluated. The ICT comprised six face-to-face workshops (50teaching units) and team supervision sessions (10teaching units). Six defined settings were identified for the individual workplace-based training (20teaching units): Ward rounds, handover, reporting of medical findings, admission and discharge interviews, and afreely choosable setting. Physician participation rates in the workshops were 83.0% and nursing participation rates were 58.3%. Utilization of the workplace-based training was 97%. The physicians evaluated the ICT very positively. All participants felt better prepared for discussions with patients and relatives. For continuity, physicians were trained as mentors. The implementation of an ICT with 80teaching units is successfully feasible in aurological clinic and leads to asustainable improvement of the communication culture, among other things through mentor training.

Pelatihan Pelajar Hebat Untuk Menurunkan Perilaku Tidak Disiplin Siswa SMP Negeri 1 Yogyakarta

Some students often display unruly behaviors during in classroom environment. This situation may hinder the class from achieving national education objectives. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of Excellent Student Training in lowering the prevalence of undisciplined behaviors among students. This study was conducted at SMP Negeri 1 Yogyakarta. It used an experimental approach with the single case A-B-A withdrawal design. Researchers implemented the visual conservative dual-criterion (CDC) method for the data analysis. Based on the unruly behavior graph, it was found that the Excellent Student Training is effective for reducing unruly behavior incidence.

The creation, content and use of urban tree strategies by English local governments

ABSTRACT Urban tree management in England is led by local governments who may describe their policies and practices in a publicly accessible document, termed an urban tree strategy. To understand the role of such documents in urban tree management, this research investigated their prevalence, production, content and use in England. Concurrently, to understand the “life-cycle” of a tree strategy - the processes underlying the production and use of strategies - we conducted semi-structured interviews with 26 local governments. We found 143 of 353 (41%) English local governments had a publicly accessible urban tree strategy. We conducted a review of the content of half (72) of these strategies. We found tree strategies to be highly variable but diverged into two main forms, the ‘strategy’ form and the ‘policy’ form. The former is a holistic and forward-looking document, the latter a focused document centred on essential management and legislated duties. The interviews highlighted lack of time, knowledge, money, and/or political buy-in as barriers to strategy production. The variability in the existence and content of strategies could lead to differing urban forest management practices across England, which are not in line with recent national environmental objectives and recommended guidance.

A longitudinal analysis of MPOWER implementation, 2008-2018

Background In 2008, the World Health Organization (WHO) introduced MPOWER-a package of evidence-based, high-impact policy measures to help countries reduce tobacco use. These measures align with selected articles within the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), a global public health treaty to prevent and reduce tobacco use. Methods Observational longitudinal study involving 195 countries that submitted biannual national reports between 2008 and 2018. To report changes in MPOWER scores, countries were assessed using a validated checklist of the seven MPOWER indicators and a maximum possible unweighted composite score of 34 points. Covariate analysis was conducted among selected health, sociopolitical, and economic indicators. Results 176 out of 195 countries improved their MPOWER scores between 2008 and 2018, with two achieving full implementation (Brazil and Turkey). Twenty-three (23) countries representing 11.2% of the global population recorded an MPOWER scoring increase of at least 10 points between 2008 and 2018. The overall mean 10-year scoring increase was 5.1 points or a relative improvement of 27.1%. In 2018, 20 countries representing 10.4% of the global population excelled in MPOWER implementation by receiving a total composite score of at least 30 of 34 possible points. The MPOWER elements with the highest degree of implementation in 2018 include Warn (package), Protect (smoking ban) and Enforce (ad ban). Several covariates were positively associated with higher levels of MPOWER implementation, including cigarette affordability, the existence of national tobacco control objectives, the human development index score, the national corruption index score, national literacy rates and the political regime index score. Conclusions MPOWER implementation increased markedly between 2008 and 2018 in all seven WHO regions and countries representing all four World Bank income classifications. However, only two countries achieved full implementation by 2018. More work is needed to improve MPOWER implementation. Countries with low-income levels, compromised human development, reduced literacy rates, higher rates of corruption, and autocratic political regimes appear to struggle more with MPOWER implementation.

A national fish passage barrier inventory to support fish passage policy implementation and estimate river connectivity in New Zealand

Fragmentation of river systems is a key driver of freshwater biodiversity loss. Instream structure inventories are an essential component of delivering a strategic approach to restoring river connectivity. We used a range of data sources to collate the best available information on fish passage barriers and instream structures across the whole of New Zealand. To support implementation of new national policy objectives to maintain and improve river connectivity, the structure inventory has been integrated with a new fish passage assessment mobile application that allows river managers and asset owners to ground-truth, update and add records to the database. The data are provided open access and are being used for environmental reporting and to support strategic prioritisation of barrier mitigation actions. We used these data to quantify river connectivity at regional and national scales and demonstrated that at least half of New Zealand's river network is upstream of fish migration barriers. Limitations to our calculation of upstream river connectivity included the unknown influence of unrecorded structures, particularly on private land, missing information within recorded data, the large number of instream structures that have been identified but not yet assessed for their risk to fish passage, and spatial errors in the automated pairing of structures to a digital river network. A critical challenge for river managers is understanding the consequences of these uncertainties in the data for prioritisation and decision-making regarding barrier removal or mitigation.

Analysis of NATO and EU Approaches to Capability Planning and Potential Alignment of National Planning Processes

The article presents a summary of analytical outcomes aimed at mapping current NATO and EU approaches to capability planning and their impact on national planning processes, which were carried out by security and defence institutions. The outcomes point out the fact that significant number of NATO nations and EU member states are using approaches to capability planning which reflect specifically national strategic objectives. It is of note that no country has implemented procedures that could be considered as standardised in terms of a single planning process within NATO or the EU. On the other side, analyses point out the fact that NATO and EU planning processes can be hardly expected to be unified in the short term. Nevertheless, NATO and EU member countries should pay close attention to the outputs of their national planning processes in order to comply with the single set of capability requirements as implemented in the relevant NATO and EU planning processes.

Russia’s Relations with the Countries of Latin America at the Beginning of the 21st Century: Four Levels of Interstate Interaction

Abstract This article examines the main stages in the development of relations between Russia and Latin America from 2000 to 2022. The research covers the entire set of bilateral cooperation between Russia and Latin American countries, and the internal and external factors influencing their evolution. The article presents the author’s view of interstate interactions from two perspectives – the foreign policy of Russia, and the national and international objectives of leading Latin American countries. The author concludes that for Russian foreign policy in the 21st century, all the countries of this region can be divided into four conditional groups: traditional partners, ideological allies, trade partners, and low priority states. This mapping of the region can explain the peculiarities of the formation of dialogue between Moscow and Latin American countries, and the possibilities and limits of interstate and interregional cooperation.

Agriculture's globalization: Endowments, technologies, tastes and policies

AbstractThe history of agricultural trade stretches back more than ten millennia, but it became more inter‐continental from the 17th century and much denser in the 19th century following the repeal of Britain's protective Corn Laws in 1846 and major declines in international trade costs. Trade was chaotic in the period bookended by the two world wars, but trade policy anarchy gave way to greater certainty after the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) was signed in 1947. This paper seeks to identify the forces that shaped that history, and to re‐examine the case for continued openness to trade in farm and processed food products. It does so in the wake of uneven economic growth and structural transformation and as agri‐food systems respond to increased market and policy uncertainties this century—and to growing pressures for agricultural production to become more sustainable and for its food outputs to be safer and more nutritious. The paper points to better policy options than trade measures for achieving most national objectives—options that can simultaneously benefit the rest of the world. Areas for further economic research are noted before the paper concludes.

Finnish comprehensive school principals’ descriptions of diversity in their school communities

ABSTRACT Changes in Finnish society have been rapid – from national homogeneity and unity to greater diversity. Traditionally, schools have represented an institution that has had an important role in maintaining national objectives. In this article, we examine how Finnish comprehensive school principals describe their understanding of diversity in their school communities. Supporting diversity in schools is part of the pursuit of equality, equity, and justice in school and society. Principals’ ways of conceptualizing diversity are crucial as they have a significant impact on school improvement, and school organization has a positive effect on teaching and learning. In qualitative analysis, the principals’ descriptions and reflections on diversity in their school communities formed a total of four thematic categories: Categorizations of diversity, Principal’s work, Visibility of diversity, and Attitudes and concerns. Finnish principals most often related diversity to visible and practical features. Their attitudes were mainly positive but reflected a somewhat shallow understanding of the concept.

Medical school grades may predict future clinical competence.

In real-world medical education, there is a lack of reliable predictors of future clinical competencies. Hence, we aim to identify the factors associated with clinical competencies and construct a prediction model to identify "improvement required" trainees. We analyzed data from medical students who graduated from National Yang-Ming University with clerkship training and participated in the postgraduate year (PGY) interview at Taipei Veterans General Hospital. Clinical competencies were evaluated using grades of national objective structured clinical examination (OSCEs). This study used data from medical students who graduated in July 2018 as the derivation cohort (N = 50) and those who graduated in July 2020 (n = 56) for validation. Medical school grades were associated with the performance of national OSCEs (Pearson r = 0.34, p = 0.017), but the grades of the structured PGY interviews were marginally associated with the national OSCE (Pearson r = 0.268, p = 0.06). A prediction model was constructed to identify "improvement required" trainees, defined: trainees with the lowest 25% of scores in the national OSCEs. According to this model, trainees with the lowest 25% medical school grades predicted a higher risk of the "improvement required" clinical performance (Q1-Q3 vs Q4 = 15% vs 60%, odds ratio = 8.5 [95% confidence interval = 1.8-39.4], p = 0.029). In the validation cohort, our prediction model could accurately classify 76.7% "improvement required" and "nonimprovement required" students. Our study suggests that interventions for students with unsatisfactory medical school grades are warranted to improve their clinical competencies.

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Intricacies and Dynamics of Development Administration

Development administration is primarily concerned with the various strategies to achieve accelerated national development, especially in developing countries. One major instrument for achieving national development objectives is the development plan. The development plan stipulates development goals and targets, various policies, programs and projects, and finances to achieve the objectives of national development. However, despite all these efforts in Nigeria, it seems the level of underdevelopment is still high considering the various obvious statistics and realities on the ground. The paper examines the efforts of the government at national planning over the years and the achievement made so far on SDGs. It identified the intricacies and dynamism involved over time in the achievement of SDGs and as well proffers solutions for better management. Secondary data was derived from books, journals, online publications, and government official reports in gathering information for the paper. Content ana lysis was adopted in analyzing the data collected. The study concludes that attempts at achieving the various targets of the SDGs were not successful due to certain inherent peculiarities in Nigeria. The high level of poverty, unemployment, inequality and insecurity, low infrastructural development, and poor social services like education, health services, housing, electricity, etc. are peculiar indicators of these failures. The paper suggests among others: the building of institutional capacity and fit for governance, the need to confront the structural impediments confronting attempts at achieving public policy through a constitutional review, emphasis on infrastructural development adequate for achieving national development and enhancing technological development, and capacity building through a viable and efficient educational sector.
 Keywords: Development, Development Administration, Sustainable Development, National Development

Russia-Ukraine Crisis And Economic Sanction: Power Politics Through Geoeconomic Means

The nature of international politics has always been volatile, chaotic and anarchic. The state’s national interest remains permanent when dealing with others. Although the current Russian invasion of Ukraine has been driven by the national interests objective and forthcoming security threat from North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). Ukraine’s wish to join NATO is the ultimate cause of War. Now, military escalation has taken place and this war has created the largest humanitarian crisis Europe has seen in decades. The war also leads to the global crisis in rising oil and gas prices, and food stuff shortages. Now, the Eurasian region has become a hotbed of power struggles between the Western bloc and Russia. However, Western countries placed a series of sanctions on Russia in response to the invasion, aimed at weakening its economy. Despite this, most European countries still purchase Russian oil and gas. As a result, it has become ambiguous due to geopolitical and geoeconomic interplay in the ongoing war. On the other hand, Ukraine is also receiving military aid from western countries to fight Russia. So, this paper will discuss the current crisis via a geoeconomic lens, as well as how power politics is played through geoeconomic methods.

Village Projects Observed in Eritrea: Post-Conflict Pathways towards Democratic Rural Development

Eritrea’s rural development trajectory has fallen short of fully meeting the basic needs of its peasants and pastoralists, let alone national food security objectives. This article builds on earlier research on rural development projects in a select number of villages. These projects were primarily characterised by a state-centric technocratic logic that did, to some degree, embed “hard” infrastructure in the villages, but which paid less attention to building village-level capacity or organisational autonomy. Looking beyond these impasses, the present article suggests an inward-oriented national development model centred on the home market, rural co-operatives, and food sovereignty. As yet ‒ at the time of writing ‒ another major war afflicts Eritrea and Ethiopia, the presence of the political will for such a transition is by no means guaranteed.

Infrastructure diplomacy and strategic signalling within the Three Seas Initiative

ABSTRACT Different manifestations of infrastructure diplomacy have been used as a prime example of how major powers dissatisfied with their position in the international system have been using economic tools to pursue their national objectives. On the other hand, the status quo powers have attempted to counter these moves by implementing their own versions of infrastructure diplomacy. This article explores the said dynamics within the context of the Three Seas Initiative (TSI). Merging insights from international relations, international economics and strategic project management, this article interrogates how the heightened geopolitical competition spills over to regional economies through infrastructure diplomacy and major infrastructure projects and whether and how policymakers deploy economic tools in major infrastructure projects to promote geopolitical interests within the TSI. Our findings imply that while informal state-to-state signalling is a predecessor to corporate-to-corporate signalling, formal state-to-state signals also support corporate-to-corporate actions.

Politics With Other Means: Aligning U.S. Military and Diplomatic Efforts in the Indo-Pacific Command Region

This paper offers potential answers to the question, “How does the United States effectively align military and diplomatic efforts to deter the People’s Republic of China expansionism in the Indo-Pacific Command region?” A problem/solution method is used to address the question. The need for alignment is demonstrated by a thorough review of national-level policy documents, and the current gap in the alignment of military and diplomatic efforts is demonstrated through review and analysis of primary and secondary sources. An historical approach is taken throughout the work to provide background and context from Chinese and United States (U.S.) perspectives. An analysis is conducted to juxtapose eastern and western approaches to geopolitical competition and war. Historic examples of U.S. successes due to strategically aligned application of its Diplomatic, Informational, Military, and Economic (DIME) Instruments of National Power (IOP) are analyzed, as well as historic failures due to dis-alignment. Structural options which facilitate the alignment of military and diplomatic efforts within Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) are outlined and compared, resulting in the author’s recommendation for implementation. Contrasting views are then addressed. Next, tailorable opportunities for global implementation of the recommended structural option are discussed. Lastly, an integrated Whole-of-Government (WOG) structural method is offered to support the oversight and achievement of national strategic objectives and provide the United States of America lasting and adaptable advantage across Great Power Competition (GPC) and beyond.

Support for Innovative Activities in the Russian Agricultural Sector

The government has designated national goals and strategic objectives for the development of the country’s economy. The agricultural sector must develop in accordance with the strategic guidelines and tasks facing the national economy, in addition, the industry faces global challenges, to overcome which a qualitative transformation of the industry based on innovation is required. It is possible to develop in accordance with national goals and strategic objectives only through performing an accelerated modernization of production facilities and significantly increasing the pace and scale of the development and implementation of innovative technologies. The government implements national projects and state programs that stimulate innovation and provides financial support. The paper analyzes the legal regulation, measures and instruments of government stimulation of innovation, systematizes state measures to be taken for these purposes and the resulting effects. Proposals for regional stimulation of innovative activity are formulated.

An Overview of Structural Design, Analysis and Common Monitoring Technologies for Floating Platform and Flexible Cable and Riser

Offshore oil and gas development plays an important part in the global energy sector. Offshore platforms and flexible pipes are the key equipments in the whole offshore oil and gas development system. Because of the randomness and uncertainty of wave and current loads in the ocean environment, the structural design and mechanical analysis of the marine equipment can be highly complicated. Therefore, this paper reviews the recent works of the theoretical model, numerical simulation, and experimental test in three research areas: hydrodynamic analysis of offshore platforms, structural mechanics analysis of flexible pipe and cable, and monitoring technology of offshore floating structures under marine loads. By analyzing their main research methods and key technical difficulties, this paper provides theoretical basis and technical support for the reliability engineering application of offshore platforms and flexible pipelines. Also, China is relatively backward in the design of marine floating platform, the design, analysis and testing of flexible pipeline and cable, as well as the marine equipment prototype monitoring technology research. Calling for breakthroughs at the earliest possible stage in the above fields, prime research should be focused on and strategic planning should be made to deal with “key areas and stranglehold problems”. It is of great significance for the development of China’s deep-sea energy and resource development of independent technology and on time to achieve the “carbon peak” national strategic objectives.

Trump, the Administrative Presidency, and Federalism

Trump, the Administrative Presidency, and Federalism

Supreme Supervisors? Building the People’s Procuracy, 1949–1961

Abstract This article interrogates the main events in procuratorial development from 1949 to 1961. Its aim is to better understand the procuracy during the Maoist era by reframing debates about its development along a spectrum: from primarily internal debates that challenged the development of the institution to external debates that challenged the role of the institution. These two dimensions also clarify how the procuracy reflected the politics of the time, especially issues of state construction and building legal knowledge, both within the state and among the “people.” The article shows that “internal” debates stemmed from the largely elite-centered and technocratic concerns of internal organization; “external” debates connected, instead, to broader concerns about the socialist legal project and the procuracy’s place in it. Reframing the institution’s history in this way enables us to understand the concepts and issues shaping the procuracy that crossed “period” boundaries and how responses to those challenges changed over time. Internal limitations (due to lack of resources) and external challenges (to develop flexible methods for accomplishing institutional goals while appearing to serve national objectives) are entwined, making the procuracy from 1949 to 1961 a site of tension between law and policy as well as a locus of contestation about the role of law in Maoist China.