Community Representatives Research Articles

What is meant by the term tertiary education? Past developments and recent activity

ABSTRACT The term tertiary education has gained prominence in recent policy debates in the UK [Morgan (2023). “Labour ‘would review whole landscape’ of tertiary education.” Times Higher Education, 28 November. https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/labour-would-review-whole-landscape-tertiary-education]. This paper presents findings from a review of the use of the term in academic and policy papers in the UK over the last 80 years. The analysis reveals the role of international organisations in defining this term initially as a synonym for post-compulsory education before using it as a statistical measure which became a normative guide for many member states. More recently, the term tertiary education has been used as a descriptor of systems of educational governance and by the World Bank for specific systems of organisation. Using these definitions as a guide, the review demonstrates differences in government policy in the four nations of the United Kingdom: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Here there is evidence of periodic and partial policy change, but little sustained full engagement with this agenda. The review suggests that if future tertiary education policy initiatives are introduced they should cover all potential learners once they have left the compulsory phase of education and should be advanced by regional bodies with involvement from learners, employers and community representatives allocating funds from a single tertiary education budget.

Что удалось сделать в сельском Татарстане за десять лет реализации системы самообложения населения

The budget deficit in municipalities of the Republic of Tatarstan forces local authorities to search for additional sources of funding to solve the problems of rural settlements. One of the ways was the participation of rural municipalities in the development of a system of self-taxation for citizens. It has been implemented in Tatarstan since 2013. The article sets the task of assessing the effects of the self-taxation system in rural settlements of the republic, accumulated over 10 years of its operation. By analyzing the legislative framework of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Tatarstan, the author reveals the basic concepts and provisions used in the system of self-taxation of citizens. Using interviews he conducted in municipalities of the Republic of Tatarstan with heads, deputies, and activists of rural settlements, the experience of using and features of public participation in the self-taxation system over the past ten years was examined. It was revealed that the results of the implementation of the self-taxation system are expressed in an increased level of trust in it on the part of villagers, in almost one hundred percent collection of contributions, in the involvement of village residents in the formation of municipal budget plans, in increasing the civic responsibility of representatives of rural communities of Tatarstan. The “external” effect of the self-taxation system is expressed in the number of solved problems of local importance: repair and construction of rural roads, water supply, street lighting, improvement of cemeteries, monuments and obelisks, sites for garbage containers, sidewalks, embankments, springs, parks and public gardens. This list of work of conducted works, which is far from complete, using the villagers’ self-taxation system and through co-financing from the government bodies of Tatarstan, has significantly increased the level and quality of rural life in the republic.

Strengthening accountability for tuberculosis policy implementation in South Africa: perspectives from policymakers, civil society, and communities

BackgroundTranslating health policy into effective implementation is a core priority for responding effectively to the tuberculosis (TB) crisis. The national TB Recovery Plan was developed in response to the negative impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on TB care in South Africa. We aimed to explore the implementation of the TB Recovery Plan and develop recommendations for strengthening accountability for policy implementation for this and future TB policies.MethodsWe interviewed 24 participants working on or impacted by TB policy implementation in South Africa. This included perspectives from national, provincial, and local health department representatives, civil society, and community representatives. In-depth interviews were conducted in English and isiXhosa and we drew on reflexive thematic methods for analysis.ResultsParticipants felt that there was potential for COVID-19 innovations and urgency to influence TB policy development and implementation, including the use of data dashboards. Implementation of the TB Recovery Plan predominantly used a top-down approach to implementation (cascading from national policy to local implementers) but experienced bottlenecks at provincial level. Recommendations for closing the TB policy-implementation gap included using phased implementation and enhancing provincial-level accountability. Civil society organisations were concerned about the lack of provincial implementation data which impeded advocacy for improved accountability and inadequate resourcing for implementation. Community health workers were viewed as key to implementation but were not engaged in the policy development process and were often not aware of new TB policies. At local level, there were also opportunities to strengthen community engagement in policy implementation including through community-led monitoring. Participants recommended broader multi-stakeholder engagement that includes community and community health worker representatives in the development and implementation phases of new TB policies.ConclusionsCommunities affected by TB, with the support of civil society organisations, could play a bigger role in monitoring policy implementation at local level and need to be capacitated to do this. This bottom-up approach could complement existing top-down strategies and contribute to greater accountability for TB policy implementation.

Combined effects of heat waves and pesticide pollution on zooplankton communities: Does the timing of stressor matter?

Most studies assessing the combined effects of chemical and non-chemical stressors on aquatic ecosystems have been based on synchronous stressor applications. However, asynchronous exposure scenarios may be more common in nature, particularly for pulsed stressors such as heatwaves and pesticide concentration peaks. In this study, we investigated the single and combined effects of the insecticide chlorpyrifos (CPF) and a heatwave (HW) on a zooplankton community representative of a Mediterranean coastal wetland using synchronous (CPF+HW) and asynchronous (HW→CPF and CPF→HW) exposure scenarios. CPF was applied at a concentration of 0.8 µg/L (single pulse), and the HW was simulated by a temperature increase of 8°C above the control temperature (20°C) for 7 days in freshwater microcosms. The interaction between stressors in synchrony resulted in synergistic effects at the population level (Daphnia magna) and additive at the community level. The partial reduction of sensitive species resulted in an abundance increase of competing species that were more tolerant to the evaluated stressors (e.g. Moina sp.). The asynchronous exposure scenarios resulted in a similar abundance decline of sensitive populations as compared to the synchronous one; however, the timing of stressor resulted in different responses in the long term. In the HW→CPF treatment, the D. magna population recovered at least one month faster than in the CPF+HW treatment, probably due to survival selection and cross-tolerance mechanisms. In the CPF→HW treatment, the effects lasted longer than in the CPF+HW, and the population did not recover within the experimental period, most likely due to the energetic costs of detoxification and effects on internal damage recovery. The different timing and magnitude of indirect effects among the tested asynchronous scenarios resulted in more severe effects on the structure of the zooplankton community in the CPF→HW treatment. Our study highlights the relevance of considering the order of stressors to predict the long-term effects of chemicals and heatwaves both at the population and community levels.

Representatives of the Chemical Community in Bohemia, Czechoslovakia and Slovakia

The article provides a summary of a series of publications mapping representatives of chemical companies, editors-in-chief of chemical journals and officials of Czech Chemical Society (ČSCH) and Slovak Chemical Society (SCHS).

Exploring Indonesian Cuisine Ethnographically: A Fusion of Heritage and Innovation Through the Lens of Local Wisdom

Background: Traditional cuisine as an ancestral cultural heritage is a marker and an inherent identity characteristic of the presence of an ethnic group in a city. The preservation and development of Indonesian culinary become the important choices to preserve the cultural heritage of foods. This research aims to find the types of preservation and development of Indonesian culinary as the cultural heritage in East Java. Methods: This research employed the ethnography approach, which was carried out in East Java, Indonesia, specifically in the cities of Surabaya, Gresik and Sidoarjo as the representation of community with the industrialist culture and coastal community using marine products as the distinctive food ingredients for the community. Result: The dynamics of culinary food stalls, such as rawon, soto, rujak cingur, penyetan and kupang lontong which produce traditional cuisine has become the attributed icons in East Java. Indonesian culinary preservation that is established in the traditional cuisine-based industry has given new hope to consolidate the populist economic sector or the small and medium enterprises, as well as providing job opportunities for the urban community. Through this preservation, Indonesian culinary can be the important part of cultural heritage as well as the distinctive identity of a city.

Legal concept of “intellectual property”: Theoretical issues

Based on the provisions of international legal acts and norms of national legislation, the authors analyze the definition of the concept of “intellectual property”. The conceptual approaches of some Russian researchers to the understanding of this definition are considered. It is revealed that the modern content of the term “intellectual property” raises questions, and the attitude to it on the part of representatives of the scientific community is seen ambiguous. The institute of intellectual property has overcome a huge historical path. In turn, today its structure is generally logical and open to the changes occurring in society, unified in accordance with the main provisions of existing international treaties. At the same time, the institute of intellectual property develops with the growth of scientific and technological progress of this or that society, as well as the system of integrative ties between interested countries, which means that research in this area should and will continue.

Benchmarking for healthy food stores: protocol for a randomised controlled trial with remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Australia to enhance adoption of health-enabling store policy and practice

BackgroundAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in remote Australia have initiated bold policies for health-enabling stores. Benchmarking, a data-driven and facilitated ‘audit and feedback’ with action planning process, provides a potential strategy to strengthen and scale health-enabling best-practice adoption by remote community store directors/owners. We aim to co-design a benchmarking model with five partner organisations and test its effectiveness with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community stores in remote Australia.MethodsStudy design is a pragmatic randomised controlled trial with consenting eligible stores (located in very remote Northern Territory (NT) of Australia, primary grocery store for an Aboriginal community, and serviced by a Nutrition Practitioner with a study partner organisation). The Benchmarking model is informed by research evidence, purpose-built best-practice audit and feedback tools, and co-designed with partner organisation and community representatives. The intervention comprises two full benchmarking cycles (one per year, 2022/23 and 2023/24) of assessment, feedback, action planning and action implementation. Assessment of stores includes i adoption status of 21 evidence-and industry-informed health-enabling policies for remote stores, ii implementation of health-enabling best-practice using a purpose-built Store Scout App, iii price of a standardised healthy diet using the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Healthy Diets ASAP protocol; and, iv healthiness of food purchasing using sales data indicators. Partner organisations feedback reports and co-design action plans with stores. Control stores receive assessments and continue with usual retail practice. All stores provide weekly electronic sales data to assess the primary outcome, change in free sugars (g) to energy (MJ) from all food and drinks purchased, baseline (July-December 2021) vs July-December 2023.DiscussionWe hypothesise that the benchmarking intervention can improve the adoption of health-enabling store policy and practice and reduce sales of unhealthy foods and drinks in remote community stores of Australia. This innovative research with remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities can inform effective implementation strategies for healthy food retail more broadly.Trial registrationACTRN12622000596707, Protocol version 1.

Optimal selection and design of grid-connected hybrid renewable energy system in three selected communities of Rivers State

The pursuit of electrifying rural areas has been a multi-decade quest, emblematic of Nigeria's longstanding efforts to diversify its energy sources and reduce dependence on traditional fossil fuels. Accordingly, this study aims to evaluate the electrification status and perform a techno-economic analysis of a hybrid system to ensure electricity reliability, bill reduction and reduced grid demand for three representative rural communities in Rivers State using HOMER Pro Software. Subsequently, five hybrid system scenarios that encompassed different combinations of the grid, PV modules, wind and battery, were examined using the CRITIC-PROMETHEE II methodologies. Each community was assessed based on its own hourly electricity demand, using data obtained from the injection substation. The Aluu, Choba and Rumuekini communities experienced an average daily electricity supply of 4.6, 5.4 and 6.2 h respectively from the national grid with energy usage of 5436.4 MW for Aluu, 3375.4 MW for Choba and 1626.1 MW for Rumuekini, in 2022. The findings indicate that the grid/PV module was the optimal choice for the three communities. Moreover, the cost of energy (COE) for the proposed systems ranged from 0.0181 $/kWh to 0.0185 $/kWh, significantly lower than the grid's COE of 0.08625 $/kWh in the respective communities. This research further includes a sensitivity analysis of the optimal system, examining variations in PV cost, discount rate, inflation rate, annual scaled solar irradiance and electrical demand. The results provide a comprehensive framework to support decision-making, optimize system design and align renewable energy solutions with project goals and stakeholder priorities.

Regeneration of ecotourism in Cameroon: geopolitical conflict, crisis, and conservation

ABSTRACT This paper examines the effects of crises of climate change and geopolitical civil conflict in Cameroon, on the development of the ecotourism sector. Additionally, the hurdles to the regeneration of the sector post- the COVID-19 pandemic are considered. A qualitative research design was used. In-depth interviews were conducted with key informants involved in the ecotourism sector, including government officials, local community representatives, conservationists, non-governmental organizations and management of national parks. The data collected were thematically analysed, with key themes pointing towards the dire impacts of COVID-19, geopolitical and climate crises on the sector, with one of the primary consequences being inhibited movement of people, extreme weather events and changes to flora and fauna, ultimately leading to shrinkage of the sector. The central nature of conservation, linked to ecotourism, was also highlighted. The importance of collaborative management, development of dedicated policy and strategic plans for the successful regeneration of ecotourism also emerged. The paper provides contemporary insights and recommendations into the sustainable regeneration of ecotourism in the face of extreme geopolitical and socio-economic crises.

Environmental and Health Influences of Crude Oil Spills in Niger Delta, Nigeria: Case Study Oporoma Community

Oil spills have been reported over several decades in many parts of the world including Nigeria. The region of Niger Delta is greatly affected by oil spills in recent years, Oporoma inclusive. About 635 persons (both females and males) from different groups e.g farmers, fisher men and women, community representatives, and youth leaders, were interviewed between the age of 18 and 90 years old. About 25 persons representing farmers and 25 persons representing fisher men and women from each of the twelve compounds that made up Oporoma community, 25 persons were randomly selected for community representatives, and 10 youth leaders were interviewed. The interview focused mainly on health and environmental impacts of crude oil spills in the community. The data and responses gotten from the interview shows negative health and environmental impact on crude oil spill in the community. The presence of crude oil and their constituents in the environment are capable of causing some acute and long-term adverse health effects. Some carcinogens like pyrene, benzene, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are always found in crude oil, which contaminates the surface water and soil. Therefore, affecting the environment through soil, water, and air, which directly or indirectly harms humans, plants and marine ecosystem. The influence of crude oil spills not only restricted to environment and human health, it has also had impacts on the nations and the local economy, which are includes; livelihoods, farmland, fishing, wild life, and the nations revenue.

Agape and the Antichrist: Soteriological and Eschatological Masculinities in the Homilies of Wulfstan

ABSTRACT This article offers a focused analysis of the construction of masculinity as a byproduct of Wulfstan’s rhetoric in his Old English homilies. Wulfstan presents Christ and the Antichrist as the singular and physically embodied poles in a system of moral masculinity that is instrumental in shaping his representation of the wider Christian community. Wulfstan depicts the Antichrist as performing a seemingly attractive and powerful but ultimately hollow and fraudulent form of masculinity. This, in turn, means that the hegemonic form of masculinity practised by saints, disciples, and priests is atypically strongly characterised by watchfulness and vigilance as means of safeguarding against both deception and corruption.

Relationship Between Serum Thyrotropin Levels and Metabolic Diseases in Older Adults.

Subclinical hypothyroidism is associated with metabolic diseases; however, it remains controversial in older individuals. This work aimed to investigate the relationship between thyrotropin (TSH) levels and metabolic diseases. In this cross-sectional study, sampling was conducted from nationally representative general communities from 31 provinces in mainland China. A total of6791 older (aged ≥65 years) and 55 303 young participants (aged 18-64 years) were selected after excluding individuals with overt hyperthyroidism or overt hypothyroidism. According to the kit, TSH reference range (0.27-4.2 mU/L) and the age-specific TSH range previously formulated (an upper limit of 8.86 mU/L for older adults and 6.57 mU/L for young adults), the older adults and young adults were separately divided into 4 groups based on their TSH levels. Main outcome measures included anthropometric assessments, serum concentrations of thyroid functions, and various metabolic parameters. In contrast to young adults, there was no significant increase in the prevalence of any metabolic disorders assessed in the slightly elevated TSH group (TSH 4.21-8.86 mU/L) compared to the euthyroid group (TSH 0.27-4.2 mU/L) among older adults. After adjusting for interference factors, a TSH level higher than 8.86 mU/L was found to be an independent risk factor for low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (OR, 1.84; 95% CI, 1.14-2.98) and dyslipidemia (OR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.09-2.04) when compared to the euthyroid group in older adults. Slightly elevated TSH levels are not associated with an increased risk of metabolic diseases in older adults. Therefore, we recommend raising the upper limit of the TSH range for individuals aged 65 years and older.

Exploring long-term cancer survivors’ care experiences and unmet needs: protocol for a qualitative study

BackgroundThe number of cancer survivors has increased in recent decades, and the majority of them suffer from sequelae of their disease and treatment. This study, which is part of the larger research project OPTILATER, aims to explore different aspects of care services for long-term survivors (≥ 5 years after initial cancer diagnosis) in Germany. The study places an emphasis on the situation of people from different age groups, with different socio-demographic and cultural backgrounds, and sexually and gender diverse individuals.MethodsTo investigate experiences related to follow-up care, focus groups (n = 2) will be conducted with members of patient advisory councils and advocacy groups, representatives of communities, healthcare workers and networks, as well as members of Associations of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians. Guided interviews will be carried out with patients and relatives (n = 40) to investigate needs, barriers and obstacles in terms of follow-up care. On this basis, additional focus groups (n = 2) will be carried out to derive possible scenarios for improving the consideration of needs. Focus groups and interviews will follow a semi-structured format and will be analysed content-analytically. Focus groups and interviews will be conducted online, recorded, transcribed, and analysed independently by two persons.DiscussionThe qualitative approach is considered suitable because of the exploratory research aims. The identification of experiences and barriers can reveal disparities and optimization potential in the care of long-term cancer survivors.

ASSESSMENT OF PHYSICAL FITNESS OF MATURE WOMEN WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF POSTURE

Relevance of the research topic. The systematization and generalization of a wide layer of both theoretical developments and practical achievements in the field of physical culture and sports serve as a basis for stating that maturity is the longest period of ontogenesis, characterized by the tendency for a person to achieve the optimal level of development of his spiritual, intellectual and physical potential. Against this background, the age of maturity in women, according to numerous data from representatives of the scientific community, is a period of motor deficit. The consequences of the latter include, first of all, the gradual unfolding of involutional processes, negative changes in the hormonal background, the appearance of excess weight, a decrease in the elasticity of connective tissue, the appearance of the first signs of structural and functional disorders of the spine and joints. The purpose of the article is to determine the level of physical fitness of women aged 36-40 with different types of posture. Methods. Theoretical analysis of special scientific and methodical literature, pedagogical testing, methods of mathematical statistics. The results of the work. The assessment of physical fitness of women in the second half of mature age showed the following. Firstly, it was found that according to tests of strength, endurance and flexibility, women aged 36-38 were more physically fit, performing pull-ups in a lying position mainly at an average level, tilting the torso forward from a sitting position and lifting the torso in a sitting position at a sufficient level. In contrast, the physical fitness of women aged 39-40 years was much worse, in particular, most of them performed lying pull-ups at a low level, torso bending forward from a sitting position and lifting the torso in a sitting position at an average level. Secondly, the comparison of groups of women aged 36-38 and 39-40 years, taking into account the type of their posture, did not reveal any differences in pairs of different ages of each type. At the same time, it was found that women with normal posture performed much better than the other groups in exercises such as flexion and extension of the arms in a lying position, pull-ups in a lying position, and women aged 36-38 years were superior in the test of lifting the torso into a seated position. Accordingly, women with a round, flat back and scoliotic posture were less physically prepared to perform these exercises.

High non-use of contraception among tribal and non-tribal women in North-Eastern India: alarming but neglected.

Limited evidence exists about the contraception uptake in indigenous tribal groups of the north-eastern region of India. This study based on the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) IV (2015-2016) reports aimed to describe the pattern and factors associated with contraceptive non-use in the tribal women of the north-eastern part of India. The study was a cross-sectional analytical study based on secondary analysis of NFHS-IV data. All women in the age group of 15-49 years from the north-eastern part of India were included. Data were extracted and analysed using modified STATA-14 software. The association of socio-demographic and economic characteristics with contraceptive non-use was assessed using logistic regression. The inter-group differences of population characteristics for non-use contraceptives were assessed by modified Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition technique using 'Fairlie decomposition'. A total of 65,941 women were included, of whom 34,936 (52.9%) were tribal women. The proportion of contraceptive non-use was higher in tribal women. Tribal women with age at marriage above 30 years, Christian community, and women from Assam and Manipur state had higher odds of contraceptive non-use. The decomposition analysis showed that geographical variations, parity, and Christian religion contributed the most to contraceptive use disparity in the population. A huge gap was observed in contraceptive non-use among tribal and non-tribal women in the north-eastern part of India. The healthcare system must involve community representatives in designing context-specific community-based initiatives to increase the uptake of contraceptive use in these remote vulnerable communities.

Resilience of Natural Disaster Victims Based on Social Capital Community Recovery Strategy for Flash Floods in Ladang Rimba

Flooding is a natural phenomenon caused in areas where many rivers flow. This research intends to describe, analyze and reveal the flash flood disaster in Ladang Rimba in 2023. In its development, this method uses environmental history by utilizing sources obtained, both written and oral, which are related to the topic of discussion. The results of this research show that after the 2023 Ladang Rimba flash flood disaster, it was a sad story for all the people living in the flood area. Severe damage due to flash floods in Gampong Ladang Rimba in Central Trumon District still leaves mud sediment with a thickness of up to 120 cm. still covering residential areas, residents' houses and various infrastructure. The impacts of flash floods in Ladang Rimba include: experiencing levels of damage to infrastructure, including housing, roads, bridges and utilities, loss of livelihoods, business closures, and impacts on local industry, social and psychological impacts on individuals and communities, including trauma, problems mental health, and community cohesion, the level of community involvement in the recovery process and empowerment of local residents. For this reason, a comprehensive review is needed that involves collaboration between various stakeholders, including government agencies, non-government organizations, community representatives and academic researchers.

The world of Polish Army officers’ values

Values are a very complex subject of research not only from an individual but also from a collective perspective. The first approach places them in the culture of the individual and refers to primary and secondary socialisation and cultural participation. The second approach deals with the culture of the organisation and its axiological specificity. The article attempts to identify value systems in a specific organisation such as the army. On the basis of qualitative research (triangulation, source analysis and interviews with former officers), fixed and variable elements of the organisational culture canon and values recognised by representatives of the officer community were exemplified. The analysis of the content of the literature on the subject and the results of author’s own research indicate that the systems of individual values among officers, although differing significantly, have sets of constant universal values that are acquired under the influence of time in service and experience and the culture of the organisation. The variable differentiating values among officers are individual aspirations and environmental factors shaping the worldview and attitude towards the reality around them. The article attempts to identify the factors shaping the axionormative order of Polish Army officers and to define the values shaping their social pattern.

Odnos madžarsko-ameriške diaspore do angleščine kot uradnega jezika v Združenih državah Amerike

The paper examines the attitudes and opinions of the representatives of Hungarian-American communities in the United States regarding the officialization of English at the federal level. The corpora of the analysis have been built with the help of a) the websites of Hungarian-American organizations in the United States; b) the legislative database of the US Federal Congress; and the digitized versions of the printed newspapers and magazines published in Hungarian in the United States. The method of classifying the attitude patterns relies on Terrence G. Wiley’s language policy classification spectrum (1999) and on Richard Ruíz’s classic “orientations in language planning” framework (1984), expanded by Hult and Hornberger (2016). The results indicate that while Hungarian-Americans have mostly been trying to maintain their first language (in the private domain), they have also embraced English and willingly assimilated into American society, resenting the alleged ethnolinguistic separatism of Hispanic Americans and their demands for special minority-language accommodations.

Interethnic relations: a methodology for studying interethnic interactio

The movement of Kazakhstani society towards a new quality of life along the path of development of world civilization is impossible without internal stability and consolidation, preservation and strengthening of inter-ethnic harmony at all levels of relations. The scientific research is focused on the study of interethnic interac-tion, prevention of interethnic conflicts in Kazakhstan and their prevention through institutional regulation mechanisms, which in our opinion is one of the most effective ways to form tolerant attitudes, values of soli-darity and mutual respect. In conditions of continuing social and cultural distance, uneven and unstable eco-nomic development, disproportionate composition of ethnic groups, increasing marginalization of society, it becomes an important task to maintain and strengthen peaceful integration processes, create and preserve harmonious relations between representatives of various ethnic groups and ethnic communities. The problem of interethnic relations is the sphere of scientific interests of various sciences, schools and directions. Inter-ethnic relations are considered as a system in which a set of elements with different shares can be, on the one hand, united, but at the same time opposed to each other. This is a complex social process, including intercul-tural and interethnic communications, cooperation in the field of interethnic relations. When analyzing the sphere of interethnic relations, the focus is on the actions, courses of action, and behavior of people of differ-ent nationalities, with special importance given to attitudes and values that reflect the facts of consciousness of interethnic interaction and communication.