Official Support Research Articles

THE RATIONALE FOR ADOPTION OF THE CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE SYSTEM TO COMBAT DESERTIFICATION IN ANBAR GOVERNORATE IN IRAQ

Iraq faces major environmental challenges because of its geographical location in the arid and semi aired areas that of desertification sensitivity and the global climate changes, especially in its central and southern parts as in the Al Anbar governorate. According to the UN reports, %92 of Iraq's area is in one way or another exposed to desertification as represented by dust storms, dune movement, deterioration of natural vegetationو droughts, and waterlogging and salinization of the soil. The desertification areas in Al Anbar estimates by %77 of the total area of 137,808 km2 of the governorate. Global attention in combating desertification has involved the implementation of preventive measures to halt and reduce desertification. The most effective way to combat desertification has been found through the introduction of agricultural systems that ensure the conservation of agricultural, natural resources (soil and water) and goes in line with the emerging environmental changes. This article presents the justifications for proposing a conservative agriculture system as an ideal solution to combat desertification in the Al Anbar governorate. The results of the research on the applications of conservation agriculture indicate that the conservation agriculture application leads to reduce soil erosion, mitigate droughts and scarcity of water resources, increase water usage efficiency, and increase productivity and economic return. These findings urge investing in the advantages of the conservation agriculture system to combat the desertification phenomena in the Al Anbar governorate. What should be emphasized in this context, however, is the need to double efforts and provide official support from the relevant authorities.

Material Support for Civilian Officials in Eastern Siberia during the First World War

Material Support for Civilian Officials in Eastern Siberia during the First World War

Living Goddess: Kumari Culture in Nepal

The article entitled “Living Goddess: Kumari Culture in Nepal” depicted the cultural heritage of Nepal particularly observed over the Kathmandu valley. It is a very important inherent culture in Newari Traditions. Though, there exist both support and refutations regarding as Kumari culture. In socio-cultural perspectives it is attached with people’s sentiments but all the human rights aspect accepted by the world community should be ensured to those Kumari girls during the process of transformation from girl to Goddess and Goddess to normal human being. Basic human rights associated with those should be guaranteed to protect the age old practice of Kumari culture as the cultural rights to make them fit in society after their transformation from Goddess to girl as well. The government and related community can adopt meaningful measures to modify the ambiguities of practice that await reforms with official support to protect the cultural rights and individual rights maintaining dignity and respect of living goddess and making their living comfortable in their remaining life.

Pandemic in paradise: Tourism pauses in Bali

This research note provides an account of the trajectory of Balinese tourism through 2020, focusing on government actions in the face of the coronavirus pandemic and the responses of local people. Interviews were conducted with informants in the tourism sector to assess the impact of the pandemic. The findings suggest that before April 2020, people were calm and thought that Balinese tourism may survive, albeit on much-reduced arrivals. After April, when tourism shut down completely, a new sense of pessimism became evident. Although domestic tourism began again in August, the sector was still in deep crisis at the end of the year. Although Balinese people expressed hope that the future may offer a more sustainable kind of tourism, all indications pointed to official support for a return to mass tourism.

Religija u susretu s modernom psihologijom / Religion encounters modern psychology

Possibility and limits of dialogue between religion and psychology is an interesting topic attracting significant attention of theologians and psychologists today. A century long experience of Catholic Church being in dialogue with modern psychological theory and practice is a proof of complexity and multifacetedness of this endeavor as well as an authentic illustration of its challenges, possibilities and potential solutions for all religious traditions faced with similar dilemmas. The aim of the study is threefold: 1) to offer a short historical overview of attitude of the Catholic Church towards achievements of modern psychological science, 2) to present the main areas and challenges faced by the Church in dialogue with and exploitation of contemporary psychology today and 3) to identify agents and mechanisms of this process. This attitude evolved from the initial suspicion and antagonism to respect towards achievements of healthy psychology and systematic attempt of their integration in Catholic teaching and pastoral work. Seemingly two factors are especially important for the achieved success, namely individual enthusiasm and systematic approach of Catholic theologian-psychologists to the issue at stake and the existence of minimum of official support in the Church for these endeavors, even at the time of the hey-days of anti-modernism in the Catholic circles. These are eventually the useful hints for all religious traditions perplexed with similar dilemmas.

The Labor of Curating: Fandom, Museums, and the Value of Fan Heritage

The Labor of Curating: Fandom, Museums, and the Value of Fan Heritage

Quality of life in patients with mild acute brain injury and their carers’ needs in Greece

Background: Investigating quality of life (QoL) is of crucial importance for the scientific community as it could function not only as an indicator of prognosis and post-traumatic clinical and psychological changes in patients who have suffered from acute brain injury (ABI), but also as an indicator of the effectiveness of their treatment and social rehabilitation. In addition, it can highlight changes in the carer’s health, social life and well-being. This study examined the QoL of patients following ABI and the needs of their carers.Material and methodology: This study was conducted in patients suffering from ABI, who were admitted to the General Hospital of Attica “KAT” and to the National Rehabilitation Center and on their carers. Data collection including demographics and Quality of Life After Brain Injury Questionnaire (QOLIBRI) and the Family Needs Questionnaire (FNQ) was performed during patients’ rehabilitation, while six months after release, a follow-up survey was conducted using the same questionnaires. Statistical analysis of data was performed using SPSS.Results: We analysed 50 patients with mild ABI (GCS ≥ of 13/15) during rehabilitation and six months after release and found that their QoL improves and is positively related to improvement of health status (i.e. in terms of thinking ability, QoL improves from r = 2.33, p < .01 to r = 3.37, p < .001). We also found that “Age” has the greatest impact on the patient’s progress for recovery and the general QoL after ABI (r = -0.423, p < .01). In addition, it was found that carers of patients with ABI are confronted with the burden of care, while they record both fulfilled and unmet needs regarding their individual needs (i.e. only for 30% of the sample the need for help in preparing them for the worst is met).Conclusions: Our study confirms previous findings that underline that ABI has a major impact on QoL of both patients and their carers providing them with long-term daily care. Although it has been found that over time there is an improvement in the QoL of patients with ABI, the absence of an official support network for carers from public health system, hospitals and rehabilitation centers may adversely affect the QoL of patients and their carers. Therefore, more structured, long-term family-wide monitoring and support is needed, focusing on identifying those at risk of social isolation and incomplete social networking.

Superior Women: Medieval Female Authority in Poitiers' Abbey of Sainte-Croix by Jennifer Edwards

Reviewed by: Superior Women: Medieval Female Authority in Poitiers' Abbey of Sainte-Croix by Jennifer Edwards Anna Katharina Rudolph Jennifer Edwards, Superior Women: Medieval Female Authority in Poitiers' Abbey of Sainte-Croix (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2019), xv + 309 pp., 32 ills. Jennifer Edwards's Superior Women: Medieval Female Authority in Poitiers' Abbey of Sainte-Croix is an outstanding and comprehensive case study that explores the various strategies the abbesses of Sainte-Croix relied on to maintain authority and wield power over a span of nearly one thousand years. Edwards has explored this topic for many years, and this book is the culmination of her 2008 dissertation and several subsequent articles. The Abbey of Sainte-Croix was established around the year 550 in the old Roman town of Poitiers (Pictavium) by the sainted Merovingian queen Radegund. Beginning shortly after Radegund's death in 587, the abbesses of Sainte-Croix faced threats to their authority from all sides. While some of these threats came from local nobles, bishops, kings, and occasionally the nuns themselves, they also came from the canons attached to the church of Sainte-Radegonde. Originally founded by Radegund as a funerary church dedicated to Notre-Dame-hors-les-Murs, the male community frequently contested their dependent position to the abbesses of Sainte-Croix. Edwards masterfully illuminates the centuries of associations between Sainte-Croix and their vast and shifting network of friends and foes as the abbesses navigated complex power relations. Her central argument is that the abbesses consistently turned to two strategies that were initially established by Radegund: "First, she relied on networks of allies, primarily bishops and kings, to support her; and she created a set of cultural ideas, symbols, and materials that later nuns might use to invoke her memory or attach new allies to the Abbey of Sainte-Croix" (21); and second, "Radegund shaped the tools the nuns used to defend their abbey, privileges, and [End Page 251] powers" (25). While Radegund herself declined the position of abbess out of humility, she nonetheless served as a spiritual mother, teacher, and protector. In this capacity, Radegund provided her community with important cultural artifacts (such as two vitae with extensive miracle accounts, poems, letters, and relics) that attracted patrons and became the foundation for how Sainte-Croix shaped its identity. Edwards demonstrates the value of these artifacts, arguing that "the abbesses looked to ancient texts describing Radegund's life for justifications for their authority, precedents for their legal claims, and for allies who might support them" (20). The abbesses also cultivated a rich archive of documents detailing the support of their network of allies, which ranged from the Frankish kings (until the eleventh century), to the papacy (until the thirteenth), and finally to the king of France, who became personally involved in directing reforms at Sainte-Croix in the early sixteenth century. This served to establish the abbesses' authority and official support as traditional and legitimate. However, the abbesses always "walked a narrow line between receiving royal or papal support and welcoming external interference in abbey affaires" (2). The book is divided into seven mostly chronologically ordered chapters that trace Sainte-Croix's history from its origins, including a full account of Radegund's pre-Sainte-Croix life. The study concludes in the year 1520, which, Edwards argues, is an appropriate stopping place (because we are entering the early modern period) and because the story enters a "different chapter" that was also "still consistent with the larger pattern at Sainte-Croix" (16). Edwards's command of her sources surpasses that of all earlier studies of these two institutions. This is the only work to date that has drawn together such a breadth of Radegund sources, placing vitae in conversation with letters, charters, liturgical materials, and art. Edwards has done for Sainte-Radegonde and Sainte-Croix what Sharon Farmer did in 1991 for Saint-Martin and Marmoutier in her seminal Communities of Saint Martin. In this innovative and influential study, Farmer examined the specific ways in which the canons of Saint-Martin and the monks of Marmoutier used their founder's cult to promote their interests in different ways from the eleventh through the early thirteenth century by...

Problems of canistherapy as the new method in practical social work

The history of coexistence and mutual assistance between man and dog is almost 40 thousand years old, but as a direction of therapy, "canistherapy" began to develop only in the midtwentieth century. This has been due to the large body of scientific research that has shown the therapeutic effect of animals, including dogs, on the human condition. The aim of the article is to try to conceptualize this new social phenomenon not only as a socially significant way of human-animal interaction, but also as the latest method of practical social work. According to the author, canistherapy is one of the effective technologies of social rehabilitation, as it helps to restore broken or lost social ties and social functions. Examples of the use of this method in geriatric institutions, clinics, hospitals, rehabilitation centers are given. Considering the research of the method of canistherapy for various diseases and disorders, the author concludes on the possibilities of using canine therapy in practical social work with such groups of clients as the elderly, people with disabilities, "difficult teenagers", people with various forms of addiction, children with disability and cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, autism. The possibilities of the method in working with people who have vision problems deserve a separate analysis. The main components of canistherapy and its forms such as meeting-communication with a dog are considered in the article; training with a dog; systemic therapy. The main components of canistherapy and its form are considered in the article. According to the author, this area is promising and is developing quite actively in Ukraine, but still has no official recognition and support from the state. Based on the opinion of experts, the article identifies the main problems that hinder the development of this method. It is emphasized that in Ukraine there is no system of training of specialist canine therapists, in order to obtain a diploma or certificate, both specialists and dogs must go abroad. Among the problems of method development, the author emphasizes the lack of organizational mechanisms that would combine the efforts of psychologists, cynologists, social workers with the needs of clients. Without the support of the state, the author is sure, the method will be developed only through volunteers and on a commercial basis, which significantly limits its use in the field of social rehabilitation and makes it impossible to ensure the quality of such services.

Vietnamese Migrant Women Working Abroad: Risks and Challenges for Accessing Support Services

Today Vietnam is a country with second largest number of migrant workers in Southeast Asia. Every year a great number of Vietnamese women migrate abroad by various ways for earning a living. They might experience many risks such as labor exploitation, violence and human trafficking. Basing on qualitative data collected from in-depth interviews and focus-group discussions with return women migrant workers and with provincial authority agencies in 5 provinces in Vietnam, the article reflects the risks faced by women migrant workers and their limitation of accessing help services during the time working overseas. The study also examines the ways that Vietnamese women migrate abroad. The survey proved that Vietnamese female migrant workers generally find illegal migration riskier, but easier and cheaper because it does not require a command of foreign languages, vocational skills or costly fees. Illegal migrants do not have to sign any contracts, so they can return home whenever they want. However, illegal women migrant workers experience various risks including being captured by the police, being unable to work freely and inability to access official migrant support services. The author argues that in order to increase the ability of women migrant workers to avoid risks and access support services when working abroad, it is necessary to strengthen communication channels, which would help people to know more about reliable services to send migrants to work overseas. Trainings and professional orientation workshops before departure should include more information about possible risks and the ways to find accessible support in Vietnam as well as in the destination countries. KEYWORDS:

Money Market Mutual Funds: Runs, Emergency Liquidity Facilities, and Potential Reforms

This note describes past runs on non-government money market mutual funds and official sector actions that were taken to stem the runs. In addition, it highlights other cash management vehicles that may have vulnerabilities similar to those of non-government MMMFs. Finally, it proposes that converting all non-government MMMFs into government MMMFs could substantially reduce the likelihood of future official sector support for MMMFs.

Obilježja multikulturalizma i sekularizma u indijskom društvu

Obilježja multikulturalizma i sekularizma u indijskom društvu

Scientific and technological cooperation between Russia and China in Chinese mass media

Nowadays, Russia and China are the most important partners for each other. Cooperation is developing in all areas of bilateral cooperation: from politics and economics to culture and security. Today, a large number of articles are also devoted to Russian-Chinese scientific and technological cooperation, which plays an increasing role in bilateral relations. Meanwhile, there is a shortage of studies that would aim to analyze publications in the Chinese media. This kind of analysis is necessary to better understand the perception of the image of Russian achievements in science and technology in the People’s Republic of China. At the same time, it will prevent potential disputes in sensitive areas. In addition, given the analysis in the Chinese media, it is possible to identify the concrete areas of interest for both sides. Successful cooperation between Russia and China in science and technology is based, on the one hand, on stable interstate relations which have the character of a strategic partnership, and, on the other hand, on mutually beneficial and long-term projects in business, joint scientific research and educational exchanges. At the same time, there are certain disproportions in Russian-Chinese scientific and technological cooperation. Russia is an important source of technical talents and know-how for Chinese partners, but the protection of intellectual property rights, which, unfortunately, is not always respected in China, is hardly discussed at the state level. In addition, there is not enough official support for cooperation in the field of information technology. Even if there are no problems that need to be solved at the highest level in this industry, it seems important to include it among the priority areas for cooperation for further development.

Why strong employment support for persons with disabilities has not brought about positive outcomes? A qualitative study in mainland China

Employment is an important way for persons with disabilities (PwDs) to participate in society and fulfil their potential. However, despite the impression that employment support for PwDs is improving, why is the actual employment situation in China stagnant or even worsening? In order to answer this question, this paper uses a qualitative study in BTQ City, QL Province, China to analyze the causes of the general problems in employment support for PwDs by breaking them down into official government, quasi-government, and primary support groups. This study finds that the prioritization of 'economic development' dominates people's thinking and actions, to the detriment of social and economic goals. Consequently, the responses of the three employment support systems are: (a) an official government focus on “productivism” means PwDs employment is not a priority, and official support is usually “all talk, no action”; (b) bureaucratic quasi-government organizations are reluctant to assist beyond mere formalities to boost PwDs employment as this does not form part of their performance assessment; and (c) individualism resulting from societal breakdown makes the primary support group perceive a lack of benefit in assisting PwDs, and any assistance they render is done purely out of self-interest and are therefore unsustainable. We hope that the findings of this study will provide some inspiration and reference for improving the employment policy of PwDs in China.

Evolution of the Digitally Mediated Public Sphere in Russia, 2012-2018

This paper uses a social media perspective to describe the evolution of the Russian social and political landscape in cyberspace over a period of seven years, which no other paper to date has mapped and explored. We use network analysis and language models to compare Russian users of Twitter and Facebook from 2012 to 2018. Over this period, politically active communities grew ten-fold in prevalence and presently dominate discussion in Russian cyberspace. Russian state-sponsored media and disinformation outlets monopolize the Russian landscapes of both Twitter and Facebook platforms. For example, content pushed by pro-Putin communities is highly focused on the Ukraine conflict and supported by official government accounts, whereas content from anti-Putin communities is on a wide range of topics and lacks official government support. These advantages enable pro-Putin communities to reach a bigger audience and influence the Russian population more effectively relative to anti-Putin communities. Language models corroborate these findings and show an increasing prevalence of political topics in communication among both groups over time. Together, these results expand our understanding of political communication in cyberspace via network and language dynamics and provide a richer context for understanding and explaining the results of recent work on the social effects of online disinformation campaigns and government efforts to shape social media and discourse.

Chinese Engagement Abroad in the Scrap Business

This paper explores the changing nature of Chinese engagement abroad in the scrap business. Based on primary sources and interviews conducted by the author, it identifies the factors that, at different times, led Chinese scrap dealers and recyclers to extend the scope of their professional activity beyond the borders of their home country. Drawing on recent scholarship in discard studies, the author argues that it is necessary to move beyond the environmental dumping narrative in order to better understand Chinese national policy and its implications. This narrative serves as the main official justification for the bans on imports of recyclable waste that the central government adopted in recent years. However, there is good reason to believe that, by adopting a highly restrictive stance on the international waste trade, the central government sought first and foremost to bolster the municipal solid waste management sector within China. In turn, official support for domestic industrial players makes it possible for some Chinese corporations to emerge as providers of waste collection and recycling services at the international level. The trend, described in the paper, has already begun. It marks a shift from globalisation from below to globalisation from above.

Uses of Telehealth to Support Identification and Treatment of Health Disorders in the Criminal Justice System

Telehealth, the interactive, electronic exchange of information for diagnosis, treatment, support, or care management, is a critical component of many systems of care.1 The variety of telehealth uses, technologies, and approaches, when implemented successfully, can improve access to care and overcome typical geographic and workforce barriers.1 The opioid epidemic and recent social distancing requirements due to coronavirus disease (COVID-19) have prompted public safety, behavioral health, and other community partners to explore how telehealth can be used for identification and treatment of disorders in the criminal justice system. Telehealth offers an innovative strategy for intervention and treatment within the criminal justice system, which is greatly needed given the prevalence of justice-involved populations affected by opioid-use disorder. For one, it is costly to provide treatment and care to people who are incarcerated, and telehealth can help reduce that cost.2 Using telehealth to connect these people to providers can also help avoid resource-heavy and potentially dangerous transfers to care settings. In addition, a telehealth strategy can minimize the burden associated with recruiting and retaining healthcare providers on site, particularly behavioral health providers, who are often in short supply. Offering options virtually is one way to ameliorate organizational challenges. Services that can be provided via telehealth include inpatient and outpatient medical services, behavioral health, physical and occupational therapy, disaster management, health education,1 and coordination of care support for inmates, providers, and officials. Telehealth can also be used to facilitate release of inmates by connecting people who are in prison or jail with community-based services before release.

Adolescents' experiences with patient engagement in respiratory medicine.

ObjectiveAdolescent engagement in decision‐making processes in health care and research in the field of chronic respiratory diseases is rare but increasingly recognized as important. The aim of this study was to reflect on adolescents' motives and experiences in the process of establishing an advisory council for adolescents with a chronic respiratory disease.MethodsA qualitative evaluation study was undertaken to assess the process of starting an advisory youth council in a tertiary hospital in the Netherlands. Data collection consisted of observations of council meetings, in‐depth interviews with youth council members, and moderated group discussions. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis to explore the experiences of the council members (n = 9, aged 12–18 years, all with a chronic respiratory disease). Two‐hour council meetings took place in the hospital to provide solicited and unsolicited advice to improve research and care.ResultsThree themes were identified as motives for adolescents to engage in an advisory council: (1) experience of fun and becoming empowered by their illness; (2) the value of peer support and contact; and (3) being able to contribute to care and research. The council's output consisted of solicited advice on information leaflets for patients, study procedures, and dietary menu options for hospitalized children. The council struggled to have their unsolicited advice heard within the hospital.ConclusionsCouncil members experienced engagement as beneficial at the individual, group, and organizational levels. However, meaningful youth engagement requires connectedness with, and official support from, officials at all levels within an organization.

Iodine Status and Thyroid Functions of Turkish and Syrian Mother-Newborn Dyads in a County of Istanbul

Background: Inappropriate iodine intake can result in thyroid disorders in mothers and newborns in addition to their adverse effects on prenatal and postnatal developmental processes. Determination of median urinary iodine concentration (MUIC) is an established tool for monitoring of iodine nutrition. Aim: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate iodine status by measuring the MUIC and serum TSH and free T4 levels of Turkish and Syrian mother-newborn dyads in a county of Istanbul. Methods: In a tertiary care center, in the Turkish and Syrian, low-risk, term-pregnant mothers and their newborns, urine samples were collected from mothers and newborns within first 24 hours after birth. For the measurements of TSH and free T4, blood samples were obtained from mothers at admission to labor and delivery unit and from newborns on day 5 of neonatal life. Results: In the study population of mothers, mild iodine deficiency was more prominent with an incidence of about 18%, followed by moderate and severe forms with an incidence of about 5% and 0.5%, respectively. Turkish and Syrian mothers had similar incidence of mild, moderate, and severe iodine deficiencies. The incidence of iodine deficiency of newborns were 41%. Overall, in the Turkish and Syrian participants, there were no prominent correlations between the MUICs of mothers and newborns. Regarding serum TSH and free T4 levels, the median TSH concentration of Turkish mothers was significantly lower (p 0.05). Considering TSH values of newborns, in 40 of them, there was higher TSH values requiring attention during neonatal follow-up. They had mild and moderate but not severe form of TSH elevation. Conclusion: Despite the mandatory salt iodization and official health care support for all mothers and newborns, daily iodine supplementation during pregnancy and breastfeeding seems to be a helpful measure to prevent the adverse effects of iodine deficiency to newborns and children. Funding Statement: This study was supported by a grant of Turk Pediatri Kurumu Dernegi (the Association of Turkish Pediatrics Institution). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the Association of Turkish Pediatrics Institution. Declaration of Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. Ethics Approval Statement: The study was approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee (Registry No. 464). All participants provided written informed consent.

Animal Research beyond the Laboratory: Report from a Workshop on Places Other than Licensed Establishments (POLEs) in the UK.

Simple SummaryAnimal research conducted outside of the laboratory faces various unique challenges, but has received only limited attention in terms of official guidelines, support, and statistics. To improve understanding, we held a workshop bringing together experts familiar with a variety of nonlaboratory animal research contexts (e.g., wildlife field sites, farms, fisheries, veterinary clinics, zoos). We collectively identified five key areas that we propose require further discussion and attention, which we present in this paper. While the workshop focused on research in the UK, our conclusions may have implications for similar work overseas.Research involving animals that occurs outside the laboratory raises an array of unique challenges. With regard to UK legislation, however, it receives only limited attention in terms of official guidelines, support, and statistics, which are unsurprisingly orientated towards the laboratory environment in which the majority of animal research takes place. In September 2019, four social scientists from the Animal Research Nexus program gathered together a group of 13 experts to discuss nonlaboratory research under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act (A(SP)A) of 1986 (mirroring European Union (EU) Directive 2010/63/EU), which is the primary mechanism for regulating animal research in the UK. Such nonlaboratory research under the A(SP)A often occurs at Places Other than Licensed Establishments (POLEs). The primary objective of the workshop was to assemble a diverse group with experience across a variety of POLEs (e.g., wildlife field sites, farms, fisheries, veterinary clinics, zoos) to explore the practical, ethical, and regulatory challenges of conducting research at POLEs. While consensus was not sought, nor reached on every point of discussion, we collectively identified five key areas that we propose require further discussion and attention. These relate to: (1) support and training; (2) ethical review; (3) cultures of care, particularly in nonregulated research outside of the laboratory; (4) the setting of boundaries; and (5) statistics and transparency. The workshop generated robust discussion and thereby highlighted the value of focusing on the unique challenges posed by POLEs, and the need for further opportunities for exchanging experiences and sharing best practice relating to research projects outside of the laboratory in the UK and elsewhere.