Community Opinion Research Articles

Opinions of Psychologists in Poland Regarding the Possibility of Prescribing Psychotropic Drugs—A Cross-Sectional Study

Background/Objectives: Discussions about the possibility of psychologists prescribing medications have been ongoing for several years. The study aims to ascertain the opinion of the Polish professional community of psychologists on the right of psychologists to prescribe psychotropic drugs. Methods: The study was conducted on online forums (Porozumienie Psychologów) associated with psychologists from all over the world from 15 April 2023 to 30 September 2023. The participants were asked to fill out a Google survey consisting of 26 questions. Results: A total of 677 psychologists participated in the study, including 580 (85.7%) women and 97 (14.3%) men. The majority of the respondents were at the peak of their life activity, between 30 and 50 years of age. A large group of respondents believed that a psychologist should have the right to prescribe psychotropic drugs (46.5%) and declared their participation in activities to promote these rights (52.9%). The vast majority of respondents reported that psychologists authorized to prescribe drugs should complete additional courses as part of the pharmacology specialization (74.8%) and should pass an exam in this field (73.4%) or should complete additional courses in the field of pharmacology (74.8%). Such opinions were much more common in the group with psychological specializations. In this group, more people allowed for such a privilege for those who have completed studies, have documented five years of experience, or have a psychotherapist certificate (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: There may be many societal needs that could be successfully met by psychologists obtaining prescriptive privileges. However, psychologists ought to understand that our obligations need to transcend guild concerns and appropriate qualifications.

Exploring the link between foresight and artificial intelligence methods to strengthen collective future-building in contexts of social instability

Purpose The study explores the connection between foresight and Artificial Intelligence (AI) methods in a community within an environment of social instability in Colombia. It aims to contribute to research on aligning these methods for future-shaping, with the goal of enhancing shared governance, peer learning and collective learning among traditional decision-makers and local communities in emerging countries. The study seeks to foster a community of social actors who are likely to engage constructively in strategic dialogues. To enhancing shared governance and learning a hybrid model is synthesized, combining foresight and computational intelligence. Design/methodology/approach The case study explores the integration of computational intelligence and foresight through Gaston Bachelard's (Bachelard, 1936) phenomenology concept of ante-perception. The mathematical representation of the cone of scenarios provides a structured way to explore multiple future pathways, allowing communities to visualize and compare different trajectories and make informed decisions amid uncertainty. The model facilitates critical reflections on present assumptions, deepening insights into future scenarios. Ante-perception challenges traditional approaches to foresight by encouraging a break from established experiences, allowing for novel insights into possible futures. When enriched by computational intelligence, this reflective process is further strengthened by quantitative approach scenario modeling. Findings This research develops and tests a proposal that includes the logic and methods for constructing a mathematical representation of the cone of scenarios. This process, which is interactive and deliberative, is driven by anticipation and combines qualitative and quantitative approaches within a context of high uncertainty. By combining the critical reflection facilitated by ante-perception with the predictive power of computational intelligence, the model allows communities to transcend established thought patterns and explore innovative future possibilities. This integrative approach helps them envision and work toward social self-transformation. Research limitations/implications The article aims to identify the creation of scenarios in contexts of high uncertainty, to respond to the needs of communities in emerging countries to manage change. Practical implications This article explores a novel approach to using foresight for address collective intelligence by developing a shared future vision in high-uncertainty contexts within local communities in emerging countries. The application of the hybrid model demonstrates that foresight is a key innovative social tool for developing long-term strategic reflection and planning for territories. Social implications In developing long-term reflective processes, explaining phenomena, mechanisms and correlations requires the use of value judgments. This set of value judgments requires a representation that facilitates their treatment, helps to account for their behavior during the inference process to form a shared future vision. Consequently, ensuring the recognition of the opinions of local communities through participatory discussion spaces and their subsequent refinement, from a technical perspective, aims to illustrate the development of this social construction process. While similarities exist, differences add value through a transfer process, often subconscious. This process stimulates collective learning and builds capacities as knowledge is developed through inquiry, evaluation, interpretation and generalization. Originality/value This research provides a unique hybrid model that fosters collective learning and engagement by integrating local community perspectives with advanced computational intelligence methods. By facilitating both reflective and quantitative approach future-shaping, it offers a practical framework for addressing uncertainty while empowering communities to shape their own futures. It underscores the importance of recognizing local community views through bottom-up participatory discussions, thereby widening the stakeholder community to active engagement in addressing broader societal issues. The case study focuses on community collaboration in Puerto Gaitán, a Colombian municipality.

FEATURES OF STATE ADMINISTRATION IN THE CONDITIONS OF GLOBALIZATION

The article reveals the concept and content of globalization. It is emphasized that in modern conditions, the concept of «globalization» has entered scientific circulation along with the key categories of modern science and has become the subject of wide discussions. The article is devoted to the peculiarities of state administration under the conditions of globalization. It is indicated that the sphere of public administration is affected by several processes at once – adaptation, transformation and modernization. Adaptation is a forced process of adjustment, adaptation and arrangement of the state administration system of the national state to the qualitatively new processes of globalization. Transformation is a mechanism for reflecting the radical changes that the world and each national system of public administration are undergoing in the context of globalization. Modernization is one of the options for social development, which simultaneously improves and accumulates quantitative and qualitative changes in the state administration system in the context of globalization. These processes are the main basic factors of the transformation of the modern world, according to them the national state and its system of public administration are changing. It is emphasized that the factor of public administration is an indicator of the extent to which the modern national state is able to resist or adapt to the processes of globalization. The main problems of globalization in modern conditions and their impact on the sphere of public administration are revealed. It is emphasized that globalization puts forward new requirements, which should become effective and efficient means of solving complex contradictions that arise in the course of the joint functioning of national states in the world space. The influence of governmental and non-governmental organizations on management processes is shown. It is indicated that the main mechanism of activity of international non-governmental organizations in the period of globalization is the mobilization of the opinion of the world community. It has been proven that at the current stage, globalization leads to a kind of «updating» of the structure of the world, and as a result – corrects national systems of state administration. In addition, it changes the strategies of economic, political and cultural development, creating a complete interdependence of the world, which is the basis of its functioning. The growing rates of interdependence unify and standardize the conditions and factors of the development of individual states, acting as peculiar indicators of determining the level of sustainability of the development of national states.

Authorship Improprieties: Analyzing the Practice of Including Advisers as Co-Authors in Students’ Research

Purpose. This research aims to investigate the prevalent practice of including advisers as co-authors in students' research works, with a specific focus on understanding the attitudes of the academic community, particularly students and educators. The study seeks to explore. Students' and educators' perceptions, beliefs, and/or opinions regarding the practice raise concerns in higher education institutions worldwide. Methodology. Through a descriptive-correlational research design following a quantitative research approach, the researcher gathered data on the attitudes of 200 students and 200 educators of 4 Higher Education Institutions in Region IV-A, Philippines, towards the inclusion of advisers as co-authors in students' theses, particularly when presented in conferences and published in journals. The collected data is analyzed to identify prevailing opinions and perspectives within the academic community. This analysis takes into account factors such as mentorship, intellectual contribution, and ethical considerations related to authorship attribution. By weighing these factors, the researcher forms a stance on the practice and offers recommendations for its ethical implementation. Results revealed differing opinions between students and educators. Moreover, significant differences in the attitudes of faculty members towards the practice when grouped based on their highest educational attainment, academic rank, and tenure were established, as well as the significant relationship between the research engagement and productivity of faculty members, and their attitude towards the matter. Although the inclusion of advisers in students’ theses was found acceptable within the academic community, the authorship guidelines set by the Committee on Publication Ethics, also known as COPE, suggest otherwise. Conclusion. These findings contribute to the existing literature on academic authorship improprieties and provide insights into the attitudes and opinions of the academic community. They are expected to stimulate discussions, fostering a better understanding of the implications of including advisers as co-authors in students' research works. The paper also offers practical recommendations to promote transparency, fairness, and integrity in authorship practices, ensuring that credit is appropriately attributed to all contributors in academic publications.

Factors influencing vaccination up-take among nomadic population in four regions of Ghana: a qualitative study

BackgroundVaccination has contributed to the reduction in vaccine preventable diseases. Despite, improved global coverage, vaccination among nomadic populations is still low especially in Africa. This study explored factors influencing vaccination uptake among pastoralist nomads in Ghana.MethodsWe conducted key informant interviews (KII) in 11 districts across four regions of Ghana, using grounded theory qualitative research approach. One hundred and eighty-two KII were conducted among pastoralist nomads, community opinion leaders, community health volunteers, security services personnel, local government personnel and health workers. Guided by the WHO health systems building blocks, data was coded using Nvivo 12 and analysed thematically. Results were presented as narratives with excerpts to support the findings.ResultsCommunity leaders support vaccination among pastoralist nomads as part of their leadership and governance responsibilities. Language barrier between health workers and pastoralist nomads affects service delivery. Also, healthcare providers fear being attacked by pastoralist nomads hence are hesitant to visit their settlements for vaccination. With regards to health workforce, healthcare providers’ perceived use of derogatory words and discrimination against pastoralist nomads influence their vaccination uptake. On medical product, the lack of knowledge about diseases, severity and perceived negative effects about vaccines influence vaccination uptake. Inadequate funds and logistics at the district health directorates affects outreach to nomads during vaccinations. Leveraging existing partnership between the health services and community leaders, information centers, volunteers and butchers to send health information to pastoralist nomads influence vaccination uptake.ConclusionCommunity leaders support vaccination among pastoralist nomads. Nomadic pastoralist miss vaccination dues to language barrier, feel discriminated against, and lack information about diseases and vaccinations. Strengthening Ghana Health Service collaboration with leaders of pastoralist nomads could build trust, create awareness and overcome language barrier between healthcare providers and pastoralist nomads.

Tobacco consumption behavior change during the COVID-19 pandemic is associated with perceived COVID threat

RationaleTobacco use is a risk factor for COVID-19 adverse outcomes. Despite health implications, data conflict regarding COVID-19 and tobacco consumption. We present results from a survey of health behaviors during the pandemic to identify how COVID-19 influenced tobacco behaviors.MethodsA nationally administered, internet-based survey was deployed between May–September 2020. Of respondents, we analyzed participants who reported current smoking and/or vaping. Our primary outcome of interest was change in tobacco or vape use using measures from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, as well as whether participants reported that these changes were related to COVID-19. Our principal exposures were previously psychometrically evaluated measures of anxiety, depression, and novel perceived COVID-19 threat scale with additional adjustment for age. We employed multinomial logistic regression to determine associations between these factors and tobacco consumption.ResultsWe identified 500 respondents who reported ever smoking in their lifetime, 150 of which reported currently smoking at the time of the survey. Of 220 participants who reported any use of vapes, 110 reported currently vaping. Increased perceived threat of COVID-19 was associated with both increased (aRRincrease 1.75, 95% CI [1.07–2.86], P = 0.03) and decreased (aRRdecrease 1.72 [1.04–2.85], P = 0.03) tobacco consumption relative to no change. There were no significant relationships found between perceived threat of COVID-19 and vaping behavior.ConclusionsAs perceived COVID-19 threat increased, people were more likely to increase or decrease their smoking as opposed to continue at the same amount of use, even after controlling for anxiety and depression, both of which are known to affect smoking in either direction. Further study into motivators of changing tobacco consumption behaviors, and how barriers to care from safer-at-home policies and changes in care delivery moderate change in tobacco use will aid planning tobacco reduction interventions during the ongoing and future respiratory viral pandemics.Trial registrationThis manuscript is derived from baseline survey data obtained in the “Understanding Community Considerations, Opinions, Values, Impacts, and Decisions in COVID-19” study. ClinicalTrials.gov registration NCT04373135, registered 04/30/2020.

Understanding Pediatric Experiences With Symptomatic Varicoceles: Mixed Methods Study of an Online Varicocele Community.

Varicoceles affect up to 30% of postpubertal adolescent males. Studying this population remains difficult due to this topic's sensitive nature. Using the popularity of social media in this cohort and natural language processing (NLP) techniques, our aim was to identify perceptions of adolescent males on an internet varicocele forum to inform how physicians may better evaluate and counsel this pediatric population. We aimed to characterize themes of discussion and specific concerns expressed by adolescents using a mixed methods approach involving quantitative NLP and qualitative annotation of an online varicocele community. We extracted posts from the Reddit community "r/varicocele" (5100 members) with criteria of discussant age ≤21 years and word count >20. We used qualitative thematic analysis and the validated constant comparative method, as well as an NLP technique called the meaning extraction method with principal component analysis (MEM/PCA), to identify discussion themes. Two investigators independently interrogated 150 randomly selected posts to further characterize content based on NLP-identified themes and calculated the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) statistic and the Bartlett test. Both quantitative and qualitative approaches were then compared to identify key themes of discussion. A total of 1103 posts met eligibility criteria from July 2015 to June 2022. Among the 150 randomly selected posts, MEM/PCA and qualitative thematic analysis separately revealed key themes: an overview of varicocele (40/150, 27%), management (29/150, 19%), postprocedural experience (28/150, 19%), seeking community (26/150, 17%) and second opinions after visiting a physician (27/150, 18%). Quantitative analysis also identified "hypogonadism" and "semen analysis" as concerns when discussing their condition. The KMO statistic was >0.60 and the Bartlett test was <0.01, indicating the appropriateness of MEM/PCA. The mean age was 17.5 (SD 2.2; range 14-21) years, and there were trends toward higher-grade (40/45, 89% had a grade of ≥2) and left-sided varicoceles. Urologists were the topic of over 50% (53/82) of discussions among discussants, and varicocelectomy remained the intervention receiving the most interest. A total of 60% (90/150) of discussants described symptomatic varicoceles, with 62 of 90 reporting pain, 24 of 90 reporting hypogonadism symptoms, and 45 of 90 reporting aesthetics as the primary concern. We applied a mixed methods approach to identify uncensored concerns of adolescents with varicoceles. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches identified that adolescents often turned to social media as an adjunct to doctors' visits and to seek peer support. This population prioritized symptom control, with an emphasis on pain, aesthetics, sexual function, and hypogonadism. These data highlight how each adolescent may approach varicoceles uniquely, informing urologists how to better interface with this pediatric population. Additionally, these data may highlight the key drivers of decision-making when electing for procedural management of varicoceles.

Законодательная регламентация вопросов противодействия новым формам девиантного поведения в сети «Интернет»

Introduction. The article deals with the problem of legislative counteraction to new forms of deviant behavior that have recently appeared in the information space of the Internet. Trash streams represent the greatest public danger among its currently existing varieties. With the application of general scientific and private scientific methods, as well as the method of systemic formal- legal analysis, an attempt was made to determine some general provisions concerning the possibility of bringing the organizers and participants of trash streams to criminal, as well as in some cases to administrative responsibility. From the position of the theory of criminal legal science, as well as the currently available law enforcement practice, a number of draft laws prepared by the public and legislators, which are currently being considered as legislative initiatives, have been analyzed. In particular, the draft law on introducing alterations and additions to criminal legislation, proposing to establish criminal liability for committing such acts on the Internet. The subject of the study is federal laws, regulations and documents governing social relations in the field of combating criminal manifestations of deviant behavior on the Internet. The material base of the study was formed by the works of domestic forensic scientists devoted to the problem under study, as well as periodical press materials, judicial and investigative practice. Methods. The methodological basis of the study was formed by the basic provisions of the dialectical method of cognition, general scientific and private scientific methods, such as comparative-legal, concrete-sociological, formal-logical, systemic and historical, which made it possible to state some general conclusions. Results. As a result of the research the relevance of the systemic formal-legal approach has been established, starting from the legislative fixation of the concepts related to the signs of trash streaming, an attempt has been made to formulate the general conditions of criminalization of this kind of phenomena, legislative initiatives and proposals aimed at combating trash streaming have been named and analyzed. In addition, the conclusion is drawn of the complexity of criminal legal qualification of trash streaming as an act enshrined in the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation in the form of a specific criminal law norm due to the formal absence of indicia of public danger and illegality, as well as the need for further work on draft laws, taking into account, among other things, the opinion of the scientific community.

The Judicial System of the Russian Federation the Context of Modern Challenges

Introduction. The trends that are decisive for the current stage of development of the legal system of the Russian Federation (virtualization of legal interactions, blurring of signs of forms of law, the growth of the normative array, the increasing regulatory role of legal values and principles, dependence on active digitalization of both public administration and forms of interaction between the state and man) exacerbate its various problems, which affects the effectiveness, efficiency, accessibility of justice, openness of the judiciary. Theoretical Basis. Methods. The authors have considered the approaches to the identified problem that have been established and are developing in modern theoretical legal and public legal sciences, as well as the positions and opinions of the judicial community. To obtain a scientific result, dialectical method, general logical techniques, structural-functional research method were used. Results. The article critically analyzes the most striking challenges facing the judicial power of the Russian Federation – the correspondence of the structural elements of the status of judges to the nature of the digital society, the problems of judicial immunity, increasing the role of disciplinary responsibility, the rationale for expanding the institution of professional representation, problems of judicial practice. Discussion and Conclusion. Approaches to solving the problems of improving the legal status of judges (such as the immunity of magistrates, the specifics of using information and communication technologies and observing the boundaries of what is permissible in social networks) are proposed. The conclusion is reasoned that it is inappropriate to consolidate judicial practice at the legislative level as a form of law, since the current legal regulation allows the highest judicial authorities to interpret on a wide range of issues related to the application of substantive and procedural law, and, if necessary, use the right of legislative initiative to amend the current legislation.

Upper gastrointestinal training in the UK and Ireland: a Roux Group Study.

Surgical training programmes in the United Kingdom and Ireland (UK&I) are in a state of flux. This study aims to report the contemporary opinions of trainee and consultant surgeons on the current upper gastrointestinal (UGI) training model in the UK&I. A questionnaire was developed and distributed via national UGI societies. Questions pertained to demographics, current training evaluation, perceived requirements and availability. A total of 241 responses were received with representation from all UK&I postgraduate training regions. The biggest discrepancies between rotation demand and national availability related to advanced/therapeutic endoscopy and robotic surgery, with 91.7% of respondents stating they would welcome greater geographical flexibility in training. The median suggested academic targets were 3-5 publications (trainee vs consultant <3 vs 3-5, p<0.001); <3 presentations (<3 vs 3-5, p=0.002); and 3-5 audits/quality improvement projects (<3 vs 3-5, p<0.001). Current operative requirements were considered achievable (87.6%) but inadequate for day one consultant practice (74.7%). Reassuringly, 76.3% deemed there was role for on-the-job operative training following consultant appointment. Proficiency in diagnostic endoscopy was considered a minimum requirement for Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) yet the majority regarded therapeutic endoscopy competency as non-essential. The median numbers of index UGI operations suggested were comparable with the current curriculum requirements. Post-CCT fellowships were not considered necessary; however, the majority (73.6%) recognised their advantage. Current CCT requirements are largely consistent with the opinions of the UGI community. Areas for improvement include flexibility in geographical working and increasing national provisions for high-quality endoscopy training.

Resilient planning pathways to community resilience to tsunami in Chile

There is growing urgency to develop resilient coastal communities worldwide due to an increase in destructive events. Many resilience assessment models, tools, and frameworks are being developed to guide planners and policy makers for planning resilient communities. However, many lack a multidimensional approach, while others disregard regional variations in indicators' importance, and neglect an adequate community involvement level. In turn, these factors hinder the development of a ‘Resilient Planning Pathway’ (RPP), or a set of planning strategies that consider key local environmental attributes and socio-cultural capacities. The RPP approach has been used in the context of vulnerable groups and urban and landscape planning worldwide. The objective of this study is to identify key resilience aspects to develop RPPs in Chilean coastal communities exposed to tsunami hazards. We used a cross-sectional participatory method with public servants and coastal communities which identifies regional variations in resilience dimensions, in order to define challenges for planners and policy makers. A systematic international literature review in Atlas.Ti revealed 78 resilience composite indicators and six resilience dimensions for tsunami hazards in Chile. Composite indicators were evaluated according to their importance and experience by 134 public servants within 42 coastal communities, revealing the aspects that guide the current development of RPPs. Public servants' responses are similar among macrozones and suggest that RPP development has focused on the physical, socio-cultural, and institutional dimensions, neglecting the ecological and economic dimensions. In contrast, the community opinions from 10 representative coastal settlements collected in 29 focus groups indicated that the importance of composite indicators varies among macrozones and with regards to the public servants' responses. This finding suggests commonalities and differences among macrozones regarding the challenges in developing Chilean coastal communities' RPPs. We believe that our methodological approach could help generate similar assessments in other world zones.

Сomparative legal study of artificial intelligence positioning in judicial proceedings.

The author studies the experience of using artificial intelligence in the framework of legal proceedings in the USA, China and Russia. This analysis includes not only an analysis of judicial practice, but also a study of strategic documents assigned at the government level of these countries. Goal of the research is to identify effective starting points for the implementation of AI in the judiciary, to determine the features of regulation of AI in the judicial process and specify prospects for determining the full autonomy of AI for judicial proceedings. The objectives of the study are to determine the main trends in the implementation of AI in the field of judicial process, highlight areas that can currently be algorithmically processed by AI, as well as determine future designs of the legal personality of AI, taking into account the opinion of the professional judicial community of Russia. The research methodology includes systemic, structural-functional, hermeneutic and comparative legal methods. The authors makes general conclusions about the prospects of AI for the judicial process and formulates optimal tracks for the use of AI in judicial cases, taking into account the comparative legal research conducted. Based on the comparative legal research carried out, the author formulated the increasing role of artificial intelligence technology used in the judicial process. The need to improve the legislative framework taking into account the technological specifics of AI and ensure an adequate level of information security when using this technology is noted. In addition, a starting point has been identified for the effective and safe implementation of AI as an autonomous participant in the process in relation to disputes that are considered in a simplified manner or contain a high proportion of data that is reliably verified and stored electronically.

A multinomial logit model analysis of determinants of community forest management approaches: evidence from northern Ethiopia.

Abstract For efficient and sustainable forest management, community engagement and participation are crucial. Sustainable forest management requires decision-making, plantation, and management approaches, in addition to the importance of indigenous knowledge and community opinions. The study examined the determinants of community-based forest management practices in Ethiopian Raya-Alamata Woreda. A semi-structured questionnaire was given to 195 randomly chosen sample respondents as part of the survey in order to gather primary data. Additionally, key informants, development agents, woreda forest supervisors, and local administrators were interviewed. Secondary data were gathered from books, woreda agriculture office, and scientific publications. The data was analyzed using a multinomial logit model and descriptive statistics. The results showed that distance to the forest negatively influenced participation in decision-making, while sex, education, and TLU positively influenced it. Age, home proximity to the forest, market distance, and tropical livestock unit negatively influenced participation in plantation. Age, family size, forest location, and association membership positively influenced decision-making and management approaches. To promote all-inclusive forest management, the study recommends the distribution of forestry-related educational materials, legal action against illegal users, switching to alternative energy sources, and encouraging female-headed households.

Relevansi Nilai-nilai Islam dalam Tradisi Maddoja Bine terhadap Pendidikan Abad 21

The public's belief in a tradition is of course inseparable from the many opinions of the outside community who are of the opinion that the traditions that are still preserved to this day deviate from the teachings of Islam and still contain animism, without clearly knowing what the meaning is and how to implement these traditions as stated in implementation of the Maddoja bine tradition which is the topic of research, the relevance of Islamic values in the Maddoja bine tradition to 21st century education is indeed very important to be studied further and primarily to maintain the existence of the Maddoja bine culture which contains important meanings for the Bugis people in order to ensure sustainability. , as information obtained through interviews using descriptive qualitative research methods, namely 1) the implementation of the Maddoja bine tradition is carried out for two to three days carried out in mutual cooperation, 2) Islamic values in the Maddoja bine tradition consist of aqidah values, sharia values and moral values 3) the relevance of Islamic values in the Maddoja bine tradition to education in the 21st century.

A qualitative assessment of community perceptions and practices towards schistosomiasis prior to introduction of a potential novel treatment option for preschool-age children in Kenya

BackgroundOver 50 million preschool-age children (PSAC) in Africa need treatment for schistosomiasis but are excluded due to lack of a suitable child-friendly medication. The Paediatric Praziquantel Consortium has developed a novel paediatric formulation for PSAC. In advance of its roll-out, we conducted a social science study to draw lessons to inform implementation.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study in eight villages in two purposively selected highly endemic Kenyan counties (Homa Bay and Kwale). We conducted 17 in-depth interviews with community opinion leaders and 21 with parents/guardians of PSAC. Twelve focus group discussions with parents/guardians of PSAC were also held. The aim was to assess their knowledge, perceptions, practices and willingness to participate in the medication’s roll-out for schistosomiasis. Thematic data analysis was performed.ResultsMost participants had heard of schistosomiasis and perceived it to be a serious disease whose treatment should be prioritised. Others felt it was a common disease that should not cause concern. Some people believed schistosomiasis was caused by witchcraft while others regarded it as a sexually transmitted infection. In addition, some practices like poor human waste disposal and water contact were thought to contribute to continued transmission of the disease.ConclusionCommunity members know and perceive schistosomiasis to be serious, but misinformation about its cause is prevalent. The study suggests the need for increased awareness creation to change the perceptions of communities in relation to schistosomiasis prevention and control. Community sensitisation should be prioritised in advance of medication roll-out.

Determining a future policy focus to support antimicrobial stewardship in community pharmacy: A modified Delphi study

BackgroundOver the past decade, the pharmacy sector's policy, academic and professional spheres have increasingly drawn attention to the opportunities to better leverage the untapped potential of the community pharmacy sector in contributing to global efforts to reduce antimicrobial resistance (AMR). While efforts are in train, progress is slow. ObjectiveTo draw insights from global experts in the field to identify a broad range of potential future policy directions to support community pharmacists' involvement in antimicrobial stewardship (AMS). MethodsA modified Delphi technique, comprising two survey rounds to build consensus amongst global community pharmacy sector stakeholders and opinion leaders. In Round 1, participants rated their level of agreement with 28 statements across the three domains of policy design, implementation design, and monitoring and evaluation. Participants were also invited to contribute feedback in Round 1, which was reflected as new statements (n = 10) in Round 2. In Round 2, participants were asked to re-assess Round 1 statements in view of the group consensus and to rate the new statements. Results289 participants were invited to participate. 48/289 (17% response rate) completed Round 1, and 25/42 (60% response rate) completed Round 2. Consensus (defined as >70% agreement) was achieved for 79% (n = 30) of the statements across the three domains. ConclusionPharmacy sector experts agreed that acknowledging community pharmacists in AMS national action plans is an important component, signalling a recognition of the sector's contribution to whole-of-nation AMS efforts. Implementation components that achieved consensus reflect the profession's evolution to a professional service driven model, particularly in complementary AMS initiatives including infection prevention and control measures. Context-specific adjustments to support implementing these AMS measures will be required, in addition to striking the appropriate balance to support the pace of increased community pharmacists'involvement in AMS with building whole-of-profession buy-in.

Community Perceptions on Environmental Impact Assessments in the Construction of the Toll Road between Solo and New Yogyakarta International Airport, in Indonesia

Background and Objective: The development of toll roads between Solo and New Yogyakarta International Airport of Indonesia is part of the government's endeavor to improve the accessibility, connectivity, and capacity of inter-regional transportation networks in order to considerably boost economic growth through increased regional links. The research will analyze at the socio-cultural circumstances, social conflict, public health, and community views and attitudes about toll road building. Research Methods: This study employs a qualitative and quantitative technique, which involves in-depth interview observation processes. The data analysis comprises the identification, categorization, and interpretation of community opinions as perceived by 200 respondents from impacted communities. Results: The majority of respondents were male, 106 (53%), with the highest degree of education being senior high school a total of 118 respondents (59.50%). The majority of their jobs were as private employees number 84 respondents (42%), with an average salary of Rp. 3,195,000. The surrounding community is religious, with 106 respondents (84%) actively engaged in Islamic studies in a mutually beneficial atmosphere, and 171 respondents (88.5%). Conflicts in society are always addressed pleasantly, according to 198 respondents (99%). Theoretical and Practical Implications: The community does not oppose toll road building, according to 188 respondents (94%) since they feel it would serve regional interests. Environmental impact analysis is carried out in a proportionate manner by incorporating the community through public engagement. Implementation of public consultation throughout ten time periods. The outcomes of public consultations are utilized to provide supporting and critical comments. 42 community figures were chosen as members of the Environmental effect Assessment technical team, which was in charge of overseeing the execution of environmental effect management and monitoring. Changes in public views and attitudes about toll road development must be regulated and monitored to ensure that the public impression of toll roads remains favorable throughout construction. Recommendations: Project implementers are responsible for the impacts caused and comply with all detailed provisions in accordance with management and monitoring plan documents that have been approved by the Ministry of Environment.

Navigating Land Conservation, Utilization, and Market Solutions: Insights from the Lanyang River Watershed, Taiwan

In the current fraught relationship between nature and human society, land conservation and utilization have spawned intensive conflicts that require mediation. The present study explores this issue of coordination between nature and society in a fragile watershed located in northeastern Taiwan: the Lanyang River Watershed. Land zoning in this area has been historically classified and legally implemented, and additional development is constrained by an application review process. Currently, additional land utilization is still in demand in sensitive areas of this watershed, such as for mining and tilling. Due to the geographically, geologically, and climatically fragile characteristics of the watershed, the hillside residents have benefited from the conservation of nature with comprehensive ecosystem services but are at the forefront of the loss of life and property caused by forest ecosystem degradation. They are one of the key local resource users and main stakeholders. Applying the contingent valuation method to survey the hillside residents, the present study assessed the economic value they receive from the comprehensive ecosystem services offered by the natural forest ecosystems. Their opinions are explored using a survey on their awareness of ecosystem damage, their opinions on damage compensation, and on the feasible compensation channels for damage. As the study results ascertained the high value of the comprehensive ecosystem services continuously delivered by the conserved forest ecosystem, the study affirmed that conservation in the area classified and zoned as sensitive is an economic beneficial policy. With a high regard for ecosystem services and awareness of the impact of degradation and of the general agreement for the feasibility of channels of damage compensation, the continuity of conservation for these comprehensive ecosystem services is the preferred strategy for the local hillside residents. To emphasize this further, the opinions of the local community at the intersection of nature and society, where there is a delineated land zoning framework, strongly favor conservation over intensive resource exploitation and agricultural expansion, making further development an unfavorable strategy.

Community perceptions of the existence of mangrove ecosystems in Peunaga Cut Ujong Village, Meureubo District

Local communities played an important part of thepi existence of the mangrove ecosystem in Peunaga Cut ujong Village. Community perspectives on the existence of mangrove ecosystems have an impact on mangrove management steps in the local area. The purpose of this study was to identify community perceptions of the existence of mangrove ecosystems around the Peunaga Cut Ujong Village community. This research uses survey methods and in-depth interviews using a questionnaire sheet as a guide. The technique of determining respondents through snowball sampling. Respondents totaled 35 people who were selected based on the area of residence of the youth hamlet of Peunaga Cut Ujong Village. Data analysis of this research used Likert scale. The results showed that community perceptions of the functions and benefits of mangrove ecosystems had the lowest score of 858, the form of management score 916, and the level of participation with a score of 1246. Overall, the perceptions and opinions of local communities about the existence of mangrove ecosystems are in the very good category, with a score of 127. This value shows that the existence of mangroves is very good in the view of the Peunaga Cut Ujong community. Community involvement in mangrove conservation efforts will actually have an impact on the success of sustainable management.

V. A. Sukhomlinsky’s pedagogical heritage: innovation and foresight

Introduction. Modern education does not always meet the challenges associated with the rapid changes brought by the new millennium. The spiritual and moral crisis is becoming more and more pronounced. Relying only on “rationality” and practical expediency leads to human degradation and civilizational crisis. This underlies the unprecedented value of pedagogical systems containing certain constructive solutions to the identified problem put forward by practice. According to the general opinion of the world pedagogical community, among such systems is one created by the outstanding humanist V.A. Sukhomlinsky (1918 – 1970). Purpose: To identify and reveal the essence of the ideas and provisions of the Pavlysh innovator that have already played an invaluable role in the enrichment of the national education and will be the driving force of its development in the third millennium. Materials and Methods. The basis of the study is V.A. Sukhomlinsky’s works and the products of his rich educational practice, as well as materials from those who studied the innovator’s creative heritage. The research methodology was based on the conceptual provisions of humanistic pedagogy. The specific methodological tools included the principles of integrity and consistency, objectivity, universal connection of phenomena, combination of retrospective and prospective development, along with sociocultural and system-functional principles. In addition to general scientific methods, such as system-structural analysis and synthesis, the research process also involved formal logical research methods. Results. The study expands and concretizes the existing knowledge about the development of pedagogical theory and school practice in the second half of the 20th century. Identified and characterized are the key ideas and scientific positions of V.A. Sukhomlinsky, the prominent representative of the studied period. They were the foundation of his pedagogical system and played an important role in enriching the theoretical and methodological foundations of pedagogy, the content and support (methodological and technological) of modern educational practice and will certainly become the driving force of its development in the medium and long term. Even though V.A. Sukhomlinsky lived and worked in an ideologized epoch, difficult for creative work, he managed to develop his own pedagogical system, in which the poetic and popular idea merged with its scientific foundations. V.A. Sukhomlinsky’s pedagogy is in many respects the pedagogy of the present and the future. It is entirely aimed at the realization of the humanistic ideal. The concepts of goodness and humanity, preached by the educator, nowadays win more and more supporters. As many other provisions of the innovator concerning the construction of the educational process, they can undoubtedly become one of the cornerstones of developing the educational practice in the third millennium. Conclusion. V.A. Sukhomlinsky’s multifaceted activity not only enriched pedagogical science with new ideas and provisions, but also can rightfully be regarded as an important stage in its development. Nowadays, when the world has entered the third millennium and the pedagogical community solves the problems associated with the renewal of the content essence of all parts of education, we believe that the ideas and practical experience of the outstanding teacher will play a productive role in this process. Keywords: upbringing of a comprehensively developed personality, humanization of the pedagogical process, regental function of upbringing, system-forming factor of upbringing, unity of teaching and upbringing