Reform Program Research Articles

Organisational and policy barriers to transitioning from supported into open employment for people with an intellectual disability

ABSTRACT Background People with an intellectual disability prefer more choice with employment options and more community facing roles rather than just traditional supported employment roles. However, data reveal that transition rates from supported to open employment in Australia remain very low and these findings are also found internationally. Method To examine current organisational and policy barriers preventing transition from supported to open employment, a series of 27 in-depth interviews were conducted with people with an intellectual disability, staff from supported employers, and staff from open employers. Results There were several key policy and organisational barriers identified. These included inflexible funding models and packages, lack of knowledge and experience of open employers, and insufficient training, pathways, and supports for people with an intellectual to make that transition. Conclusion The findings highlight some of the broader policy and program reforms that are required, commencing in school and inclusive of all employer groups.

Navigating the contradictory dynamics of production and social reproduction in collectively owned agricultural enterprises in South Africa's land reform

AbstractThe paper explores how beneficiaries of South Africa's land reform programme attempt to navigate the contradictory dynamics of production and social reproduction in collectively owned agricultural enterprises. The Mphuzanyoni Communal Property Association in KwaZulu‐Natal province farms with commercial beef herds and the Mayime Cooperative in the Eastern Cape province is engaged in a joint venture dairy farming scheme in partnership with an agribusiness firm. Severe tensions are evident between the social reproduction of households and the requirements of simple or expanded reproduction of agricultural enterprises. Bernstein's concept of competing ‘funds’ is used to examine struggles over production and reproduction on the farms, in which members of socially differentiated households contest divergent visions for the collective enterprises. Conflicts centre on how labour and capital should be mobilised, how income and other benefits in kind should be distributed to households and whether or not income should be invested for purposes of simple or expanded reproduction of the enterprise. Challenges of governance are rooted in these conflicts rather than in group ownership as a form of property right.

Prevalence of Noncommunicable Disease (NCDs) risk factors in Tamil Nadu: Tamil Nadu STEPS Survey (TN STEPS), 2020.

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) account for nearly 75% of all deaths in Tamil Nadu. The government of Tamil Nadu has initiated several strategies to control NCDs under the Tamil Nadu Health Systems Reform Program (TNHSRP). We aimed to estimate the prevalence of NCD risk factors and determine the predictors of diabetes and hypertension, which will be helpful for planning and serve as a baseline for evaluating the impact of interventions. A state-wide representative cross-sectional study was conducted among 18-69-year-old adults in Tamil Nadu in 2020. The study used a multi-stage sampling method to select the calculated sample size of 5780. We adapted the study tools based on WHO's STEPS surveillance methodology. We collected information about sociodemographic factors, NCD risk factors and measured blood pressure and fasting capillary blood glucose. The predictors of diabetes and hypertension were calculated using generalised linear models with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, we could cover 68% (n = 3800) of the intended sample size. Among the eligible individuals surveyed (n = 4128), we had a response rate of 92%. The mean age of the study participants was 42.8 years, and 51% were women. Current tobacco use was prevalent in 40% (95% CI: 33.7-40.0) of men and 7.9% (95% CI: 6.4-9.8) of women. Current consumption of alcohol was prevalent among 39.1% (95% CI: 36.4-42.0) of men. Nearly 28.5% (95% CI: 26.7-30.4) of the study participants were overweight, and 11.4% (95% CI: 10.1-12.7) were obese. The prevalence of hypertension was 33.9% (95% CI: 32.0-35.8), and that of diabetes was 17.6% (95% CI: 16.1-19.2). Older age, men, and obesity were independently associated with diabetes and hypertension. The burden of NCD risk factors like tobacco use, and alcohol use were high among men in the state of Tamil Nadu. The prevalence of other risk factors like physical inactivity, raised blood pressure and raised blood glucose were also high in the state. The state should further emphasise measures that reduce the burden of NCD risk factors. Policy-based and health system-based interventions to control NCDs must be a high priority for the state.

Madrasah management strategies through Madrasah Reform program: an evidence from Indonesia

PurposeImproving the quality of madrasah in the digital era is a must. This can be committed by strengthening aspects of madrasah governance through implementing management strategies that refer more to the integration of technology and Islamic education. This research focuses on madrasah management strategies through the Madrasah Reform program.Design/methodology/approachThis research uses a case study research design that focuses attention on strategic aspects of developing madrasah through the Madrasah Reform program. The informants in this study were 18 people consisting of three madrasah heads from Madrasah Ibtidaiyah (MI), Madrasah Tsanawiyah (MTs) and Madrasah Aliyah (MA), five teachers and 10 students. Data collection in this study used in-depth and semi-structured interviews with madrasah heads and teachers regarding the implementation of the Madrasah Reform program and also regarding madrasah management strategies at three levels of education.FindingsThis study shows that the strategy of managing madrasahs through the Madrasah Reform program in three madrasahs in Indonesia has had a positive impact on improving the quality of madrasahs, although there are still aspects that require development.Research limitations/implicationsThis research implies that the quality of madrasah in the digital era is determined by management strategies based on the use of educational technology.Practical implicationsThis program has implications for the development of the quality of human resources in educational institutions, especially in relation to digital literacy among students and teaching staff. The use of digital technology, which is one of the main projections of the Madrasah Reform program, is continuously able to change the face of education in a more modern direction, both in terms of governance and the learning process, so that the output of this program, especially what occurs at Madrasah Madani, is significant development in the aspects of digital literacy and technology. Which is the main criterion in facing a digital-based educational context.Social implicationsFor a policy aspect, the success of the Madrasah Reform program at Madrasah Madani can be used as a blueprint or model for implementing this program in Islamic educational institutions, specifically Madrasas in South Sulawesi and in general at Madrasas throughout Indonesia.Originality/valueThis proves that Madrasah Reform program is a program that can be implemented in madrasahs to improve the quality of madrasah management in the digital era while continuing to carry out simultaneous improvements and evaluations of the program.

Alterations in the gut mycobiome with coronary artery disease severity

BackgroundCoronary artery disease (CAD) is a prevalent cardiovascular condition, and numerous studies have linked gut bacterial imbalance to CAD. However, the relationship of gut fungi, another essential component of the intestinal microbiota, with CAD remains poorly understood. MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, we analyzed fecal samples from 132 participants, split into 31 healthy controls and 101 CAD patients, further categorized into stable CAD (38), unstable angina (41), and acute myocardial infarction (22) groups. We conducted internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) and 16S sequencing to examine gut fungal and bacterial communities. FindingsBased on ITS1 analyses, Ascomycota and Basidiomycota were the dominant fungal phyla in all the groups. The α diversity of gut mycobiome remained unaltered among the control group and CAD subgroups; however, the structure and composition of the mycobiota differed significantly with the progression of CAD. The abundances of 15 taxa gradually changed with the occurrence and progression of the disease and were significantly correlated with major CAD risk factor indicators. The mycobiome changes were closely linked to gut microbiome dysbiosis in patients with CAD. Furthermore, disease classifiers based on gut fungi effectively identified subgroups with different degrees of CAD. Finally, the FUNGuild analysis further categorized these fungi into distinct ecological guilds. InterpretationIn conclusion, the structure and composition of the gut fungal community differed from healthy controls to various subtypes of CAD, revealing key fungi taxa alterations linked to the onset and progression of CAD. Our study highlights the potential role of gut fungi in CAD and may facilitate the development of novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets for CAD. FundingThis work was supported by the grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 82170302, 92168117, 82370432), National clinical key specialty construction project- Cardiovascular Surgery, 2024 Reform and Development Program of Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine, the Beijing Natural Science Foundation (No. 7222068); the Reform and Development Program of Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine (No. Ggyfz202308); and the Clinical Research Incubation Program of Beijing Chaoyang Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University (No. CYFH202209).

Jugoslavija i ambivalentnost ekonomske saradnje Jug-Jug u sedamdesetim i osamdesetim godinama

During the epoch characterized by the vigorous pursuit of the New International Economic Order by developing nations, Yugoslavia emerged as a prominent member of both the Non-Aligned Movement and the Group of 77 developing countries (G-77). It sought to exemplify the feasibility of establishing a novel framework for relations between industrially more developed nations, including itself, and its allies within this coalition, characterized by economies in various stages of development. Within influential circles at the United Nations, Yugoslav development theory garnered attention for its perceived integration of Marxist and neoclassical economic concepts, representing an ambitious global reform program that diverged from the perspectives of the capitalist and socialist superpowers. This conceptualization of globalization concurrently grappled with the ideological, geopolitical, and economic ramifications of the emerging neoliberal revolution, which markedly constrained available manoeuvering space starting in the early 1980s. The article critically examines specific instances of Yugoslav bilateral economic collaboration with distinct African nations, offering insights into the practical implications of the envisioned economic order and its practice on the ground.

Similarity index for estimating tax reform program and its impact on tax revenue

Tax reform in Indonesia begins with implementing self-assessment approach for elevating voluntary tax compliance. We use 16 developed countries' tax structures as a benchmark for measuring Indonesia's tax reform with the Similarity Index. The result of the Similarity Index shows Indonesia Tax Reform fluctuating trend in 40 years, which started at 72,56% in 1980 and ended at 55,84% in 2019. Furthermore, with the VAR model and international trade openness as variable outside the model in our study, we found that GDP per capita, and inflation, altogether with tax reform had created a 20% positive causality impact on tax revenue in the first three years and 5% in the year tenth. Negative causalities impact which shown in the fourth to ninth year is relevant to the declining trend of Indonesian tax reform that we previously measured. Therefore, it is important for the government to critically focus on developing the structure of the direct tax, indirect tax, and international tax after the first three years of period to maintain the positive impact of tax reform for growing tax revenue in the long term.

Exploration of Music Teaching Reform Program in Colleges and Universities Oriented on the Development of Corporate Culture Industry

Exploration of Music Teaching Reform Program in Colleges and Universities Oriented on the Development of Corporate Culture Industry

Mechanisms of the social control of children and young people: From ‘stop and search’ to ‘stop and engage’ in Police Scotland

Since the implementation of stop and search reform in Scotland, the volume of this tactic has decreased and proportionality has increased. However, little has been published that has detailed the design, communication and implementation of stop and search reform in Scotland. This article traces the policy intentions of this reform programme and demonstrates that these aligned with central tenets of procedural justice theory. This article then examines ethnographic data regarding the dissemination and implementation of reform into police practice between 2016 and 2018, which demonstrates that the procedural justice intentions of reform to improve the policing of Scotland’s children and young people were not reproduced in practice. Instead, reform paved the way for the emergence of a new and unscrutinised practice that came to be known as ‘stop and engage’ that has enabled the continued antagonistic and over-policing of young people in the post-reform environment.

Implikasi Agreement on Agriculture (Aoa/Wto) Terhadap Pengaturan Perdagangan Produk Pertanian Indonesia

The aim of this scientific writing is to find out the legal implications of the AoA/WTO for trade in the Indonesian agricultural sector, as well as to find out how Indonesia provides legal protection for trade in agricultural products due to the liberalization of world trade. This scientific research uses normative juridical research methods, and the data collected will be analyzed juridically qualitatively, then the results of this research will be described descriptively analytically. From the research results, the author obtained data that to implement the AoA/WTO provisions, Indonesia updated its legal provisions in the agricultural sector through several national provisions. However, this implementation has implications that have a negative impact on farmers, as a result trade in the Indonesian agricultural sector decreases, such as imports of food products increasing, farmers' income decreasing, there are no subsidies for farmers, food insecurity and hunger, Bulog becomes a company, and etc. To anticipate the negative impact of trade liberalization on the agricultural sector, the Indonesian government has made such efforts, such as enacting Law No. 29 of 2000, concerning the protection of plant varieties, Presidential Decree No. 77 of 2005, concerning the procurement and distribution of subsidized fertilizers, at the beginning of September 2007, The Decree of the Coordinating Minister for the Economy gave full authority to Bulog, in May 2007, the government issued a Draft Government Regulation (RPP) concerning the National Agrarian Reform Program (PPAN) / Landreform, and at the international level, Indonesia created the SP (Special Product) and SSM (Special Product) programs. Safeguard Mechanism) which is still being fought for in the WTO forum to get its ratification.

Pedagogical technologies as a consistent planned educational process system

The article describes pedagogical technologies as a consistently planned system of the educational process. It is noted that these technologies are aimed at eliminating the passivity of children, develop thinking skills, creativity and serve to improve the quality of education, as well as contribute to the implementation of the principles of individualization, differentiation, integration provided for by the Education Reform Program of the Azerbaijan Republic. However, when applying pedagogical technologies, one should take into account the particularities of the lesson and their correspondence to the theme and objectives of the lesson.

Impacts of Working Hours, Wages, and Regular Employment Opportunity on Suicide Mortalities of Employed and Unemployed Individuals before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Japan.

Standardized suicide mortality rates per 100,000 population (SMRs) in Japan consistently decreased from 2009-2019, but these decreasing trends were reversed to increase in 2020. To clarify the mechanisms of recent increasing suicide in Japan, temporal fluctuations of SMRs disaggregated by sex and employment status (employed and unemployed individuals) and labor indices such as working hours, wages, and regular employment opportunity index (REO) from January 2012 to June 2023 were analyzed using interrupted time-series analysis. Additionally, temporal causalities from labor indices to SMRs were analyzed using vector autoregressive and non-linear auto-regressive distributed lag analyses. Decreasing trends among employed SMRs of both sexes were attenuated after the enactment of the "Work Style Reform Program" in 2018, but male SMRs were unaffected by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, female employed SMRs sharply increased, synchronized with the "Work Style Reform Act" and the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak (the COVID-19 impact was greater than the "Work Style Reform Act"). Additionally, unemployed SMRs of both sexes sharply increased with the revision and scale-down of countermeasures against economic deterioration caused by COVID-19 ("revision of economic supportive countermeasures against economic deterioration caused by COVID-19"). Unexpectedly, after enacting the "Work Style Reform Act", wages decreased due to possibly decreasing working hours. Increasing REO, which consistently increased, was a protective factor for male suicides, but unemployed SMRs were not affected by any labor indices. It has been established that controlling a heavy workload plays an important role in suppressing the deterioration of physical and mental conditions, including suicide; however, this study suggested that, at least within appropriate ranges of working hours, decreasing working hours due to excessive management probably contributes to increasing suicides of some vulnerable individuals via de-creasing their wages. Although governmental welfare and economic support measures had to be revised according to rapidly changing situations during the COVID-19 pandemic, this study also suggested that temporal gaps among a part of revisions of several welfare and economic support measures were unexpectedly involved in drastically/sharply increasing suicides of unemployed individuals in 2022.

Insights from Developing and Implementing a Novel School Community Collaborative Model to Promote School Safety.

School Resource Officer (SRO) programs do not reduce school violence and increase school discipline. We describe the use of a culturally responsive framework to form a school community collaborative among students, parents, staff, administrators, and law enforcement to reform an SRO program, promote school safety, and reduce punitive measures. Members of a participating school district, a local county, and a university collaborated. Adapting an identified culturally responsive model, a racially/ethnically diverse school community co-developed and implemented a School Community Collaborative (SCC) to address a school safety priority (SRO program reform). The main outcomes were SCC model development and implementation, policy change, and school community feedback. Sixteen community members participated in the 5-week SCC with students, staff, law enforcement, and parents. The SCC revised the district's SRO memorandum of understanding (MOU) with law enforcement. Participants reported favorable feedback, and 89% reported the inclusion of diverse voices. Co-development and implementation of an SCC process with schools were feasible. School SCC participated in a community-engaged evaluation and revision of an MOU.

Land cover changes in rural communities of Zimbabwe pre and post land reform era; a case of Shurugwi South constituency

ABSTRACT The study assessed land cover changes in rural communities of Zimbabwe pre and post land reform era (1980 - 2020). A mixed methods research design was adopted with the use of both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Remote sensing, questionnaires, interviews and observations were used for data collection. Microsoft Excel and ArcMap 10.5 software were adopted for data analysis. Results indicated that clearance of land for agriculture especially crop production, wood abstraction for domestic use and selling, establishment of settlements were the major drivers of change in Shurugwi South. Between 2000 and 2020, results showed that water bodies, shrub land and dense woodlands declined whilst grassland and cultivated/bare land increased. Findings indicated that the rates of increase in cultivated/bare lands and grassland were faster between 2000 and 2020. More so, generally water bodies and shrub land decreased during the 2000–2020 period. These changes indicated that land reform program and associated land reallocation in 2000 influenced the rates and pattern of land cover changes. The changes in land ownership and use rights following the land reforms affected land use patterns between 2000 and 2020. Naturally vegetated land is depleting hence the need for land resource conservation.

Apprenticeship Reforms in West Africa: An Outcome-Process Evaluation of a Pilot Dual Training Model-Based Apprenticeship Reform Scheme in Ghana

Context: Faced with deep challenges with access to formal education, many West African countries are increasingly taking steps to reform their informal apprenticeship systems to make them a quality skills development alternative for their teeming youth. A review of the literature shows that although different countries in the region are deploying different reform strategies, what is emerging as a dominant reform model is the "dual training model" (DTM), a collaborative arrangement in which the task of training apprentices is shared between informal trainers (master craftspersons, under their respective trade associations) and formal vocational training institutions (FVTIs). This paper presents an outcome-process evaluation of a DTM-based apprenticeship reform programme piloted in Ghana. Methods: Designed as a case study, the paper adopts an interpretivist approach, relying on diverse sources of data, both secondary and primary. Secondary data includes journal articles, attendance registers of participants, memorandums of understanding, relevant media reports, websites, and official reports by all relevant actors. The primary data originated from in-depth interviews with fourteen (14) key informants, as well as from overt and covert observations of respondents. Results: At the outcome level, the paper shows that the programme has largely failed in transferring new skills or in changing dominant poor practices among trainees, foundational objectives of the programme. At the process level, the paper revealed deep flaws in implementation; these are discussed in detail in an attempt to clarify the programme outcomes. Conclusion: The paper concludes that although the dual training model remains a potentially viable reform model in informal apprenticeships, its success ultimately depends on the quality of implementation, which in turn depends on the strength and quality of inter-stakeholder collaboration in programme design and implementation.

An Evaluation of Command Agriculture and Food Security Among Communal Farmers in Rural Zimbabwe

The Zimbabwean government commissioned the Command Agriculture Programme as one of the follow-up programmes to the land reform programme in 2016–2017 seasons. The programme sought to increase food and nutrition security and reduce import bill by increasing sustainable agricultural production. Mixed sentiments and debates have emerged on whether the programme has been effective enough to fulfil its objective. In light of this background, this research sought to assess the effectiveness of Command Agriculture among communal farmers in Murehwa district who have been part of the beneficiaries of the scheme. The research is evaluative in nature as it adopted one of the OECD evaluation criteria of establishing the effectiveness of a programme. The evaluation placed much emphasis on the outcome level results as well as on implementation processes. Key informant interviews, focus group discussions and questionnaires were used in this study. The major finding was that there has only been a marginal improvement in food security and productivity in the beneficiary households. This means that sustainable food access, availability, utilisation and stability, which entails food security, has been low in the district in terms of feeding to the overall objective of the programme. Strict monitoring and evaluation is recommended for programme efficiency and effectiveness.

Examining the impact of human capital and innovation on farm productivity in the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast, South Africa

ABSTRACT Human capital development is considered the primary source of knowledge and skills in the innovation process. Despite this, there is evidence of a lack of technical and managerial knowledge among emerging sugarcane farmers who are beneficiaries of South Africa’s land reform programme, thus, limiting their full potential in terms of innovation and productivity which is detrimental to their competitiveness. This paper employs the Crépon, Duguet, and Mairesse (CDM) approach, correcting for endogeneity problems, to estimate the causal impact of on-the-job training expenditure, used as a proxy for human capital development, on innovation, and innovation on farm productivity. It is based on a case study of 35 emerging sugarcane farmers in the KwaZulu-Natal north coast, South Africa. The results from the CDM model confirm the causal relationships between human capital (on-the-job training) and the innovation behaviour of the farmers, which positively impact the farm’s productivity. This result underscores the relevance of human capital development in boosting innovation and productivity in the agricultural sector.

Supporting companies to reform nutrition policies and practices (REFORM): a multi-centre cluster randomised controlled trial

Unhealthy food environments are major drivers of obesity and diet-related diseases(1). Improving the healthiness of food environments requires a widespread organised response from governments, civil society, and industry(2). However, current actions often rely on voluntary participation by industry, such as opt-in nutrition labelling schemes, school/workplace food guidelines, and food reformulation programmes. The aim of the REFORM study is to determine the effects of the provision of tailored support to companies on their nutrition-related policies and practices, compared to food companies that are not offered the programme (the control). REFORM is a two-country, parallel cluster randomised controlled trial. 150 food companies were randomly assigned (2:1 ratio) to receive either a tailored support intervention programme or no intervention. Randomisation was stratified by country (Australia, New Zealand), industry sector (fast food, other packaged food/beverage companies), and company size. The primary outcome is the nutrient profile (measured using Health Star Rating [HSR]) of foods and drinks produced by participating companies at 24 months post-baseline. Secondary outcomes include company nutrition policies and commitments, the nutrient content (sodium, sugar, saturated fat) of products produced by participating companies, display of HSR labels, and engagement with the intervention. Eighty-three eligible intervention companies were invited to take part in the REFORM programme and 21 (25%) accepted and were enrolled. Over 100 meetings were held with company representatives between September 2021 and December 2022. Resources and tailored reports were developed for 6 touchpoints covering product composition and benchmarking, nutrition labelling, consumer insights, nutrition policies, and incentives for companies to act on nutrition. Detailed information on programme resources and preliminary 12-month findings will be presented at the conference. The REFORM programme will assess if provision of tailored support to companies on their nutrition-related policies and practices incentivises the food industry to improve their nutrition policies and actions.

“An Army of Little Mothers”: Progressive Era Eugenic Maternalism and the Medicalization of Motherhood

AbstractThis article explores the role of the Little Mothers’ Leagues in New York City, clubs created by public health authorities to educate working-class girls as young as eight years old who took care of their younger siblings while their parents worked. The Little Mothers’ Leagues served as an essential link between social reform and eugenic public health programming during the first two decades of the twentieth century. Eugenic maternalism, as articulated by the Little Mothers’ Leagues, distilled a sense of Americanness into a set of hygienic practices and rituals that could be easily understood and imitated. Through the Little Mothers’ Leagues, eugenic maternalist reformers addressed essential questions regarding the role of social reform in the “Americanization” process, the role of young girls as citizens and as entry points to the immigrant home, and the extent to which environmental reform could regulate the immigrant family. Examining the Little Mothers’ Leagues as a project that was both eugenic and maternalist allows us to better understand the ways that eugenic thinking permeated popular discourse through child welfare reform and domestic science.

미국 내전기간 제38차 정기의회의 전시 재건논의와 갈등

This critical essay aims at the understanding the Civil War and Reconstruction and finally President Lincoln’s thinking about the Thirteenth Amendment. President Issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. and so all Confederate slaves but a few certain areas and borderlines states were freed. Therefore, so many black soldiers had taken part in battles such as Port Hudson and MilliKen’s Bend, Louisiana, and Fort Wagner, South Carolina. On December 8, Lincoln introduced so-called “Ten-Percent Plan of Reconstruction” and the Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction. All these great reform movements and the military reconstruction had great affected into black people in the Confederate areas. And the reform-mind Congress had visioned a ultimate settlement, the Thirteenth Amendment, which had been approved and ratified and in the finally added into the U. S. Constitution. In the course of these increasingly added reform movements, I try to understand why President never accepted all the reform programs acquiescently and firstly in the very historic movement. why he taken more careful and extended observation about States Right, contrary to the past statements as the Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address.