Obligatory Participation Research Articles

MORAL EDUCATION IN THE CONTEXT OF STUDENTS’ OLYMPIAD MOVEMENT

The paper is devoted to the issue of moral education of the technical higher school students, as well as the new pedagogical instruments and technologies of fostering the new technical elite. The author considers a widespread development of students’ Olympiad movement as an effective way of their involvement in creative community service. Unlike the secondary and high school Olympiad movement, its development at the higher school level is far from perfect. The author emphasizes the difference between the regular Olympiad cycles, aimed at developing students’ creative competences, and sporadic contests, devoid of cognitive motivation; hence he advocates the firm regulations on the Olympiad procedures and obligatory participation of higher schools in the above movement. The paper considers the Olympiad process and components as a new form of the higher school training, and briefly describes a specific organizational technique based on the competence and activity approaches. Additionally, the author points out a need for balancing the collective cognitive activity and competitiveness in educational process. The research findings can be used for educational process elaboration and students’ creativity training in the technical higher school.

Rationale and dissemination of "GP centered health care" ("HzV") in Germany

In the face of demographic changes, the aging of the population, and the increase in chronic morbidity and complexity, efficient primary care is needed to ensure comprehensive and high-quality health care. The general practitioner (GP) can only cope with this task, if certain preconditions are met. To strengthen primary health care, the German legislator added § 73b, "GP-centered health care" ("Hausarztzentrierte Versorgung", HzV) to the Social Code Book V. This article seeks to illustrate the rationale and general set-up of the HzV and to report on its dissemination. We discuss whether or not the HzV can promote the preconditions required. Literature search, querying participants. Several elements of the HzV, such as lump-sum reimbursement, obligatory participation in structured quality circles, continuing education, and the qualification of non-medical health care assistants help to promote an environment that enables GPs to fulfill their new role. Considering all assured people and the Federal Republic as a whole, the distribution of the HzV is poor. However, a growing number of contracts (currently: 79) and participants (currently > 3.6 million) is expected. The establishment of efficient primary care is heavily promoted by the HzV. In future, ways must be found to overcome the inflexible borders between sectors and to integrate community-based health care, which truly focuses on the patients needs. The HzV can be seen as a starting point.

20 years TraumaRegister DGU®: Development, aims and structure

The TraumaRegister DGU® organisational and technical development has undergone an evolution process, which started 20 years ago. Currently, the management of the registry is under the management of the “AUC – Academy for Trauma Surgery” (infrastructure) and the “Sektion NIS” (scientific responsibility). The aim of the registry was to establish an inter-hospital quality assessment tool with the option to use the increasing database for scientific evaluations of acute care. Year after year and most recently with the obligatory participation of certified hospitals the number of participating hospitals has grown as well as the registered cases per annum. Recently, even hospitals from other countries joined the registry too. Starting with six German hospitals and 260 cases in 1993, 20 years later more than 600 hospitals from eleven countries deliver over 30,000 trauma cases per year resulting in over 150,000 reported cases until 2013. In this article a historical perspective is presented of the evolution and current status of the TraumaRegister DGU®.

The effect of medical students' gender, ethnicity and attitude towards poetry-reading on the evaluation of a required, clinically-integrated poetry-based educational intervention.

BackgroundArt -based interventions are widely used in medical education. However, data on the potential effects of art-based interventions on medical students have been limited to small qualitative studies on students’ evaluation of elective programs, and thus their findings may be difficult to generalize. The goal of this study is to examine, in an unselected students’ population, the effect of students’ gender, ethnicity and attitude towards poetry on their evaluation of a clinically-integrated poetry-based educational intervention.MethodsA required Clinically- Oriented Poetry-reading Experience (COPE) is integrated into the 4th year internal medicine clerkship. We constructed a questionnaire regarding the program’s effects on students. Students completed the questionnaire at the end of the clerkship. We performed a Confirmatory Factor Analysis, and examined the relationship between students’ evaluation of the program and students’ ethnicity, gender, attitude towards poetry-reading, and the timing of the program (early/late) during the fourth year.Results144 students participated in the program, of which 112 completed the questionnaires. We identified two effect factors: “student-patient” and “self and colleagues”. The average score for “student-patient” factor was significantly higher as compared to the “self and colleagues” factor.Evaluation the “student- patient” effect factor was higher among Arab and Druze as compared to Jewish students. Students’ attitude towards poetry-reading did not correlate with the “student-patient” effect, but correlated with the “self and colleagues” effect. The evaluation of the “self and colleagues” effect was higher among students who participated in the program during their second as compared with the first clerkship. Students’ gender was not associated with any of the effects identified. Students favored obligatory participation in COPE as compared with elective course format.ConclusionsAccording to students’ evaluation, a format of integrated, obligatory poetry-based intervention may be suitable for enhancing “student-patient” aims in heterogeneous student populations. The higher evaluation of the “patient-student” effect among Arab and Druze as compared to Jewish students may be related to cultural differences in the perception of this component of medical professionalism. Further research can provide insight into the effect of cultural and ethnic differences on actual empathy of medical students in patient encounters.

Iranian Nurses’ Experience With Applying Information From Continuing Education Programs in Clinical Practice

One goal of continuing education is to improve nurses' performance and the quality of patient care. However, in most cases, nurses do not use the information gained through continuing education in the clinical environment. This study was conducted to explore nurses' experiences with applying new knowledge obtained from these programs in clinical settings. This study used qualitative content analysis. Data were gathered through interviews with participants. After the interviews were transcribed, a coding process was used and continued until categories and subcategories were developed. Five main categories emerged: (1) personal interest and self-confidence; (2) organizational structure and atmosphere; (3) professional nature; (4) opportunity to put education into practice; and (5) design of educational programs. Most of the nurses considered obligatory participation in these classes a way to gain annual educational upgrades. A considerable amount of the annual budget is allocated to continuing education. Therefore, the findings of this study, which described nurses' experience with applying what they learned through continuing education in clinical practice, can offer valuable information to help managers improve continuing education programs and the application of new knowledge in the clinical environment.

Evidence for Only Oxygenative Cleavage of Aldehydes to Alk(a/e)nes and Formate by Cyanobacterial Aldehyde Decarbonylases

Cyanobacterial aldehyde decarbonylases (ADs) catalyze the conversion of C(n) fatty aldehydes to formate (HCO(2)(-)) and the corresponding C(n-1) alk(a/e)nes. Previous studies of the Nostoc punctiforme (Np) AD produced in Escherichia coli (Ec) showed that this apparently hydrolytic reaction is actually a cryptically redox oxygenation process, in which one O-atom is incorporated from O(2) into formate and a protein-based reducing system (NADPH, ferredoxin, and ferredoxin reductase; N/F/FR) provides all four electrons needed for the complete reduction of O(2). Two subsequent publications by Marsh and co-workers [ Das, et al. ( 2011 ) Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 50 , 7148 - 7152 ; Eser, et al. ( 2011 ) Biochemistry 50 , 10743 - 10750 ] reported that their Ec-expressed Np and Prochlorococcus marinus (Pm) AD preparations transform aldehydes to the same products more rapidly by an O(2)-independent, truly hydrolytic process, which they suggested proceeded by transient substrate reduction with obligatory participation by the reducing system (they used a chemical system, NADH and phenazine methosulfate; N/PMS). To resolve this discrepancy, we re-examined our preparations of both AD orthologues by a combination of (i) activity assays in the presence and absence of O(2) and (ii) (18)O(2) and H(2)(18)O isotope-tracer experiments with direct mass-spectrometric detection of the HCO(2)(-) product. For multiple combinations of the AD orthologue (Np and Pm), reducing system (protein-based and chemical), and substrate (n-heptanal and n-octadecanal), our preparations strictly require O(2) for activity and do not support detectable hydrolytic formate production, despite having catalytic activities similar to or greater than those reported by Marsh and co-workers. Our results, especially of the (18)O-tracer experiments, suggest that the activity observed by Marsh and co-workers could have arisen from contaminating O(2) in their assays. The definitive reaffirmation of the oxygenative nature of the reaction implies that the enzyme, initially designated as aldehyde decarbonylase when the C1-derived coproduct was thought to be carbon monoxide rather than formate, should be redesignated as aldehyde-deformylating oxygenase (ADO).

Identifying careless responses in survey data.

When data are collected via anonymous Internet surveys, particularly under conditions of obligatory participation (such as with student samples), data quality can be a concern. However, little guidance exists in the published literature regarding techniques for detecting careless responses. Previously several potential approaches have been suggested for identifying careless respondents via indices computed from the data, yet almost no prior work has examined the relationships among these indicators or the types of data patterns identified by each. In 2 studies, we examined several methods for identifying careless responses, including (a) special items designed to detect careless response, (b) response consistency indices formed from responses to typical survey items, (c) multivariate outlier analysis, (d) response time, and (e) self-reported diligence. Results indicated that there are two distinct patterns of careless response (random and nonrandom) and that different indices are needed to identify these different response patterns. We also found that approximately 10%-12% of undergraduates completing a lengthy survey for course credit were identified as careless responders. In Study 2, we simulated data with known random response patterns to determine the efficacy of several indicators of careless response. We found that the nature of the data strongly influenced the efficacy of the indices to identify careless responses. Recommendations include using identified rather than anonymous responses, incorporating instructed response items before data collection, as well as computing consistency indices and multivariate outlier analysis to ensure high-quality data.

A Mixture Modeling Approach to Evaluating Indices of Careless Responses in Survey Data

When data are collected via anonymous Internet surveys, particularly under conditions of obligatory participation (such as with student samples), data quality can be a concern. However, little guid...

Challenging Solidarity? An Analysis of Exit Options in Social Policies

AbstractProcesses of adverse selection are generally considered as challenges to the viability of the solidarity that has been institutionalized in insurance schemes in the social domain. This article analyses to what extent the introduction of free choice in social policies might trigger processes of adverse selection in modern welfare states. Free choice not only concerns the choice between different providers or different types of services, but also creates possibilities to exit or partially exit social policies that previously were mandatory. Free choice in social policies might contribute to increasing responsiveness in service delivery. However, when the decisions to exit social policies are not distributed equally among the participants in social policy schemes but are related to participants' risk profiles, adverse selection might occur. The common response to the challenge of adverse selection is obligatory and universal participation in health insurance schemes, pension schemes and other social policies. The introduction of exit options as part of free choice strategies thus might threaten solidarity. Although the issue of free choice in social policies has received considerable scholarly attention, the introduction of exit options and its consequences have been analysed less extensively. This article sets out to fill this gap by exploring to what extent the introduction of free choice in modern welfare states has created exit options, and to what extent this triggers processes of adverse selection in health policies, unemployment policies and pension schemes in four European countries: the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the UK.

DUI Offenders Who Delay Relicensing: A Quantitative and Qualitative Investigation

Objectives. As in many jurisdictions, individuals convicted of driving under the influence (DUI) in the province of Quebec are mandated to relicensing programs, which include obligatory participation in intervention programs. However, prolonged delay in relicensing is widespread, potentially contributing to unlicensed driving, untreated substance misuse problems, and drink-driving risk. Information about the characteristics of DUI offenders who delay relicensing (DR) is sparse. This investigation compares the characteristics of DR offenders with those offenders who do not delay (NoDR). In addition, the rationales of DR offenders for delaying relicensing are explored qualitatively. Methods. Two studies were conducted to explore the characteristics of DR offenders. In Study 1, DR offenders (n = 46) were compared to NoDR offenders (n = 74) on multidimensional measures of psychosocial functioning, driving behavior, substance use, and psychological and neurocognitive characteristics. In Study 2, a qualitative examination of 20 DR offenders' reasons underlying delayed relicensing was undertaken, with verbatims content analyzed to identify major themes. A questionnaire, based upon this preliminary analysis, was then administered to another sample of DR participants (N = 37) to appraise and confirm thematic comprehensiveness. Results. The main findings of Study 1 were that, compared to NoDR offenders, DR offenders had more past DUI convictions, were at greater risk for drink driving per kilometer (km) driven, were more likely to have received substance abuse treatment, and exhibited indices of poorer neurocognitive performance in visual memory and behavioral inhibition domains. No group differences were uncovered on substance use measures. The findings of Study 2 revealed that the expense of participation, availability of alternate transportation, lack of interest, and no access to a vehicle were the most frequent explanations for delayed relicensing. Conclusions. Overall, these findings suggest that both individual and contextual factors influence timely fulfillment of relicensing requirements. While the cost of relicensing may succeed in removing some offenders from the road, it may also be a barrier for others at risk for drink driving, preventing exposure to needed intervention programs. Reducing this barrier may need to be weighted against the risks of relicensing more DUI offenders. Neurocognitive factors may need to be taken into account to not only decrease delay in relicensing but also increase the benefits from participation in interventions that are part of current relicensing programs.

Obligatory participation of macrophages in an angiopoietin 2-mediated cell death switch

Macrophages have a critical function in the recognition and engulfment of dead cells. In some settings, macrophages also actively signal programmed cell death. Here we show that during developmentally scheduled vascular regression, resident macrophages are an obligatory participant in a signaling switch that favors death over survival. This switch occurs when the signaling ligand angiopoietin 2 has the dual effect of suppressing survival signaling in vascular endothelial cells (VECs) and stimulating Wnt ligand production by macrophages. In response to the Wnt ligand, VECs enter the cell cycle and in the absence of survival signals, die from G1 phase of the cell cycle. We propose that this mechanism represents an adaptation to ensure that the macrophage and its disposal capability are on hand when cell death occurs.

Factors Determining Social Participation in the First Year After Kidney Transplantation: A Prospective Study

This study describes changes in social participation in the first year after kidney transplantation and examines the influence of clinical factors, health status, transplantation-related symptoms, and psychological characteristics on change in social participation. A prospective study was performed on a cohort of primary kidney transplant recipients, transplanted between March 2002 and March 2003. Data on participation in obligatory activities (i.e., employment, education, household tasks) and leisure activities (i.e., volunteer work, assisting others, sports, clubs/associations, recreation, socializing, going out) were collected by in-home interviews (n=61) at 3 months (T1) and 1 year posttransplantation (T2). Analysis of covariance was performed. Data showed an increase in participation in obligatory activities and diversity of leisure participation between T1 and T2, although pre-end-stage renal disease level was not regained and differed from the general population. On T1, the majority of employed recipients were on sick leave, but returned to work on T2. Employment rate remained stable. An increase in obligatory participation was predicted by clinical factors (i.e., peritoneal dialysis, initial hospitalization), whereas change in leisure participation was related to serum albumin and cognitive capacity. No effects were found for type of donation, comorbidity, and renal function. We found that mainly clinical factors were associated with an increase in participation in society. Although health-status related factors and the psychological attribute self-efficacy may be related to recovery of social participation, their effect was outweighed by the strength of clinical predictors in multivariate analysis.

Festas católicas brasileiras e os milagres do povo

The Brazilian catholics feasts plays important role in the national society since the colonial period, when it was one of the main improver of the construction of sociability for the different groups that coexisted in the country. The ancient obligatory participation in that feast's realization has developed the preference for it as way of social action. Being thus, the saint's feasts continue to have important social functions beyond the religious ones, as the organization of action's groups, tourism development, and a large market for advertising. Keywords: Popular feasts; Catholicism; Social organization; Sociability; Cultural identity

Social participation after successful kidney transplantation

Purpose. To explore and describe the degree of social participation after kidney transplantation and to examine associated factors.Method. A cross-sectional study on 239 adult patients 1 – 7.3 years after kidney transplantation was performed via in-home interviews on participation in obligatory activities (i.e., employment, education, household tasks) and leisure activities (volunteer work, assisting others, recreation, sports, clubs/associations, socializing, going out).Results. Kidney transplantation patients had a lower educational level, spent less time on obligatory activities, had part-time jobs more often, and participated less in sports compared to a control group from the general population. No difference was found in socializing, church attendance, volunteer work and going out. Multivariate regression analysis showed a negative association of age and a positive association of educational status and time since transplantation with obligatory participation. Multivariate logistic regression showed positive associations of education and time since transplantation with volunteer work; age was negatively and education positively associated with sports and going out, whereas living arrangement was also associated with going out.Conclusions. Although kidney transplantation patients participate less in employment and sports, they do participate in household tasks, volunteer work, going out, socializing and other leisure activities. Participation is associated with factors as age, educational status and time since transplantation.

Implications of ERM2 for Poland's monetary policy

We propose an extension to the inflation targeting regime currently pursued by Poland. It incorporates the exchange rate stability constraints as imposed by the obligatory participation in the ERM2 that Poland needs to satisfy prior to adopting the euro. The modified policy is based on the forward-looking inflation targeting supplemented with the exchange rate stability objective. Its effective implementation depends on the determined long-term equilibrium exchange rate and the observed degree of exchange rate volatility. Both are empirically estimated by employing the Johansen cointegration tests and the threshold generalized autoregressive heteroscedasticity model with the in-mean extension and generalized error distribution (TGARCH-M-GED).

Clinical Factors Influencing Participation in Society after Successful Kidney Transplantation

Little information is available on the degree of actual social functioning after successful kidney transplantation. Moreover, information on factors that influence participation in social activities is scarce. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of clinical factors on social outcome. A retrospective study was performed on a cohort of primary kidney transplantation patients, transplanted between 1996 and 2001. Cross-sectional data on participation in obligatory activities (i.e. employment, education, household tasks), leisure activities (i.e. volunteer work, assisting others, sports, clubs/associations, recreation, socializing, going out) and change in participation were collected by in-home interviews (n=239). Multivariate regression analysis was performed. Thirty-six percent of the patients scored low on obligatory participation and only 52.4% was employed. Patients were actively involved in a wide range of leisure activities. Twenty-six percent participated in sports. Multivariate analysis (age-, sex-, and education-adjusted) of participation in obligatory activities showed negative associations with advanced age (P<0.01), comorbidity (previous cardiovascular events; P<0.01) and cadaveric transplantation (P<0.01). There was a positive association with time since transplantation (P<0.01). Multivariate analysis of diversity of participation in leisure activities and perceived change in participation after transplantation showed no statistically significant associations with clinical factors. Besides age, clinical factors such as type of donation (cadaveric versus living), comorbidity (previous cardiovascular events), and time since transplantation were associated with participation in obligatory activities such as employment, education and household tasks. Diversity of leisure activities and change in participation was not affected by clinical factors.

Developing Countries and the Interface between International Trade and Competition Policy

The present paper examines the pre-conditions needed from developing countries in order to be able to reap the benefits from a multilateral competition system. Furthermore, this work addresses the issue of the nature of the process of multilateralization of competition policy and its extent: whether it should simply limit to acknowledge universally accepted competition principles, whether there should be a requirement for countries to enact competition policies, or should there be an exhaustive approach to the matter leading to the international regulation of the specific conducts that competition law is typically thought of regulating. Also, there is the issue of determining whether the process of multilateralization of competition policy should entail a voluntary or obligatory participation, and its relationship to current principles such as non-discrimination; along with the institutional considerations that are involved in regards to enforcement and implementation of competition policy.

Algorithms of Fault Search for Hydropower Units

Most hydropower plants in Russia have served for a long term (25 years and more), and the probability of the appearance of faults in them has increased. This makes it necessary to introduce facilities for efficient control and diagnostics of the equipment. Modern measuring and computing means make it possible to create effective systems for automatic control of the condition of equipment. The possibilities of advanced computers in combination with the experience of experts allow us to develop automatic systems for technical diagnostics in order to determine the condition of equipment without participation of man, find the fault, its location, and causes, and make recommendations on its removal. Faults are detected in the early stages of their appearance. Such systems give an objective estimate of the state of the equipment, ensure timely detection of the appearing faults, and make it possible to plan the term and volume of repair. Some data are available on the installation of systems for diagnostics of equipment of hydropower plants in foreign countries [1] and in Russia [2, 3]. Automatic systems for technical diagnostics should be distinguished from control systems (even those employing advanced measuring equipment) mounted at some hydropower plants (HPP) during their reconstruction and sometimes also referred to as diagnostic systems. The latter make it possible to observe the parameters characterizing the state of the unit with obligatory participation of man, who has to determine the fault and its causes and make an appropriate decision. In order to create automatic systems for diagnostics of the condition of generating units we should start with developing algorithms for searching faults. This is a problem for experienced technologists specializing in hydropower equipment and knowing the special features of its operation. Specialists of the ORGRES Company have developed a number of type algorithms that make it possible to determine main kinds of fault in generating units (of mechanical, hydraulic, and electrical origin). The algorithms have been developed after inspecting several hydropower plants. The inspections included examination and measurement of modules and parts of hydropower units during overhauls and special tests before and after repairs. The results of these studies allowed us to make a list of encountered and possible faults and to determine the main criteria of worsened condition of hydropower equipment (diagnostic parameters) and the necessary minimum of quantities to be controlled. Some of the diagnostic parameters are measured directly and others are computed from the measured values. The algorithm works by comparing the running values of diagnostic parameters with the limiting values (settings) upon the attainment of which the diagnostics begins. The limiting values of the parameters are determined for every individual hydropower plant and sometimes even for every individual generating unit of the plant. Below we present as an example two specific algorithms for determining faults of a water-lubricated turbine guide bearing and of a regulating system of a hydraulic turbine. Algorithm of search for faults of the guide bearing of

Implications of Erm2 for Poland's Monetary Policy

This study proposes an extension to the inflation targeting framework for Poland that takes into consideration the exchange rate stability constraints imposed by the obligatory participation in the ERM2 on the path to the euro. The modified policy framework is based on targeting the differential between the domestic and the implicit euro area inflation forecasts. The exchange rate stability objective enters the central bank reaction function and is treated as an indicator variable. Adjustments of interest rates respond to changes in the relative inflation forecast, while foreign exchange market intervention is applied for the purpose of stabilizing the exchange rate. The dynamic market equilibrium exchange rate is ascertained by employing the Johanssen cointegration tests and the threshold generalized autoregressive heteroscedasticity model with the in-mean extension and generalized error distribution (TGARCH-M-GED).

Implications of ERM2 for Poland's Monetary Policy

This study proposes an extension to the inflation targeting framework for Poland that takes into consideration the exchange rate stability constraints imposed by the obligatory participation in the ERM2 on the path to the euro. The modified policy framework is based on targeting the differential between the domestic and the implicit euro area inflation forecasts. The exchange rate stability objective enters the central bank reaction function and is treated as an indicator variable. Adjustments of interest rates respond to changes in the relative inflation forecast, while foreign exchange market intervention is applied for the purpose of stabilizing the exchange rate. The dynamic market equilibrium exchange rate is ascertained by employing the Johanssen cointegration tests and the threshold generalized autoregressive heteroscedasticity model with the in-mean extension and generalized error distribution (TGARCH-M-GED).