bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Análisis del gasto de los hogares en salud en Argentina, como componente de la cobertura universal de salud
Authors: Abeldaño Roberto Ariel
Published: May 2017

Resumen El Informe Mundial de Salud 2010 de la OMS delineó un marco conceptual para analizar los componentes de la Cobertura Universal de Salud, sugiriendo tres dimensiones: cobertura del servicio, cobertura financiera y cobertura de la población. A partir de ese marco, se analizan los gastos relacionados a la salud en los hogares argentinos en el año 2012/13. Para el análisis se utilizó como fuente de datos la Encuesta Nacional de Gastos de Hogares 2012/13. Se construyeron indicadores de gasto en salud de los hogares siguiendo la propuesta de Sherri (2012) y se definieron modelos multivariados para identificar determinantes del gasto de los hogares. Los resultados evidencian que la situación de gasto catastrófico en compromete al 2,3% de los hogares del país, mientras que el empobrecimiento debido al gasto en salud se encontró en el 1,7% de los hogares.
Política de Gestão do Trabalho e Educação em Saúde: a experiência do ProgeSUS
Authors: Magnago Carinne , Pierantoni Celia Regina , França Tania , Vieira Swheelen de Paula , Miranda Rômulo Gonçalves de , Nascimento Dayane Nunes
Published: May 2017

Resumo O objetivo deste artigo é avaliar o estágio das políticas de gestão do trabalho e educação em secretarias municipais e estaduais de saúde (SMS e SES, respectivamente), tendo como referencial a adesão a um programa de qualificação e estruturação da gestão do trabalho e da educação no Sistema Único de Saúde. Estudo descritivo, qualiquantitativo, desenvolvido com 519 representantes da área de recursos humanos (RH) de SMS e SES, por meio de um survey composto por 56 questões, via entrevista telefônica assistida por computador no ano 2012. As respostas foram processadas em banco informatizado e os dados tratados por estatística descritiva. Identificaram-se mudanças na qualificação profissional, na implantação de planos de cargos e salário e processos de negociação; por outro lado, não se constatou avanço relacionado à autonomia financeira e orçamentária da área de gestão do trabalho e educação na saúde. Observa-se avanço na incorporação de inovações na gestão em SES e SMS a partir do processo de capacitação de gestores e de indução financeira. Constata-se a necessidade de monitoramento e avaliação periódica da operacionalização das políticas do trabalho e da educação visando o fortalecimento delas, correção de rumos e implementação de ações inovadoras.
Os desafios para a formulação, implantação e implementação da Política Nacional de Vigilância em Saúde
Authors: Guimarães Raphael Mendonça , Meira Karina Cardoso , Paz Elisabete Pimenta Araújo , Dutra Viviane Gomes Parreira , Campos Carlos Eduardo Aguilera
Published: May 2017

Resumo O artigo é um ensaio com o objetivo de resgatar a evolução da vigilância em saúde como ação, modelo e sistema na história e trazer subsídios para o debate acerca da constituição da Política Nacional de Vigilância em Saúde (PNVS). São resgatados elementos conceituais sobre o conceito de vigilância em saúde e sua evolução no Brasil ao longo dos anos, e é definida uma trajetória da construção do modelo de atenção, principalmente após a criação do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS). Pontua-se a possibilidade de utilização, como eixo norteador, do referencial das políticas públicas baseadas em evidência, e do uso de métodos conhecidos pela análise de situação de saúde, como as análises espaciais e de séries temporais. Ao final, são elencados as questões para a efetiva criação da PNVS e os desafios colocados, principalmente, para o executivo federal na condução deste processo.
Políticas públicas de proteção à mulher: avaliação do atendimento em saúde de vítimas de violência sexual
Authors: Pinto Lucielma Salmito Soares , Oliveira Ingrid Mayra Pereira de , Pinto Eduardo Salmito Soares , Leite Camila Botelho Campelo , Melo Auricélia do Nascimento , Deus Maria Castelo Branco Rocha de
Published: May 2017

Resumo A violência contra mulheres tem crescido, constituindo-se grave violação dos direitos humanos. Objetivou-se avaliar as políticas públicas, a legislação de proteção à mulher e os atendimentos de saúde às vítimas de violência sexual. Realizou-se estudo exploratório e descritivo, com entrevistas a profissionais do Serviço de Atendimento à Mulher Vítima de Violência de Teresina-PI, além de coleta de dados de prontuários das vítimas. Os dados foram analisados à luz da legislação e das diretrizes preconizadas pelo Ministério da Saúde, consoante com as políticas públicas instituídas. Observou-se evolução da legislação brasileira e crescente intervenção do poder público no intuito de controlar a violência. O serviço avaliado preconiza a humanização do atendimento, os princípios da dignidade, não discriminação, do sigilo e da privacidade, evitando a exposição e o desgaste das vítimas. São realizados exames físico e ginecológico, outros complementares como testes sorológicos e coleta de vestígios em busca da identificação do agressor, além de assistência farmacêutica e acompanhamento multiprofissional. Pode-se concluir que a legislação vigente, bem como as diretrizes e os procedimentos preconizados pelas políticas públicas de proteção à mulher são eficazes no serviço de referência estudado.
A new contribution to the classification of stressors affecting nursing professionals
Authors: Puerto Jesús Cremades , Soler Loreto Maciá , Montesinos Maria José López , Marcos Azucena Pedraz , Chorda Víctor Manuel González
Published: May 2017

Objective: to identify and classify the most important occupational stressors affecting nursing professionals in the medical units within a hospital. Method: quantitative-qualitative, descriptive and prospective study performed with Delphi technique in the medical units of a general university hospital, with a sample of 30 nursing professionals. Results: the stressors were work overload, frequent interruptions in the accomplishment of their tasks, night working, simultaneity of performing different tasks, not having enough time to give emotional support to the patient or lack of time for some patients who need it, among others. Conclusion: the most consensual stressors were ranked as work overload, frequent interruptions in the accomplishment of their tasks, night working and, finally, simultaneity of performing different tasks. These results can be used as a tool in the clinical management of hospital units, aiming to improve the quality of life of nursing professionals, organizational models and, in addition, continuous improvement in clinical treatment.
Adaptation and validation of the Diabetes Management Self-Efficacy Scale to Brazilian Portuguese
Authors: Pace Ana Emilia , Gomes Lilian Cristiane , Bertolin Daniela Comelis , Loureiro Helena Maria Almeira Macedo , Bijl Jaap Van Der , Shortridge-Baggett Lillie M.
Published: May 2017

Objective: to perform the cultural adaptation and validation of the Diabetes Management Self-efficacy Scale for Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus with a Brazilian population sample. Method: cross-sectional methodological study in which the adaptation and validation process included the stages recommended in the literature. Construct validity and reliability were assessed with 200 adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Results: the items indicated by the panel of judges and by the target population were adjusted in the cultural adaptation to improve clarity and understanding. The instrument's four factors remained in the confirmatory factor analysis with factor loadings of items greater than 0.30, except for factor 4; convergent validity, verified by the multitrait-multimethod analysis, presented inter-item correlations from 0.37 to 0.92, while for discriminant validity, 100% of the items presented greater correlation in their own factors. Cronbach's coefficient alpha for the total scale was 0.78, ranging from 0.57 to 0.86 among factors. Conclusion: semantic, cultural, conceptual and idiomatic equivalences were achieved and the instrument's Brazilian version also presented psychometric properties that showed evidence of reliability and validity. Thus, it can be applied both in clinical practice and research. Self-efficacy is useful for planning and assessing educational interventions, as well as predicting behavior modification in self-care.
Role of Primary Health Care in child hospitalization due to pneumonia: a case-control study
Authors: Pina Juliana Coelho , Moraes Suzana Alves de , Freitas Isabel Cristina Martins de , Mello Débora Falleiros de
Published: May 2017

Objective: to evaluate the association of primary health care and other potential factors in relation to hospitalization due to pneumonia, among children aged under five years. Method: epidemiological study with a case-control, hospital-based design, which included 345 cases and 345 controls, matched according to gender, age and hospital. Data were collected using a pre-coded questionnaire and the Primary Care Assessment Tool, analyzed by means of multivariate logistic regression, following the assumptions of a hierarchical approach. Results: the protective factors were: family income >US$216.12 (OR=0.68), weight gain during pregnancy ≥10 kg (OR=0.68), quality of Primary Health Care (OR for scores >3.41=0.57; OR for scores >3.17 and ≤3.41=0.50), gastro-esophageal reflux (OR=0.55), overweight (OR=0.37) and birth interval ≥48 months (OR=0.28). The risk factors included: parity (2 childbirths: OR=4.60; ≥3 childbirths: OR=3.25), out-of-date vaccination (OR=2.81), undernutrition (OR=2.53), history of wheezing (≥3 episodes OR=2.37; 1 episode: OR=2.13), attendance at daycare center (OR=1.67), and use of medicines over the past month (OR=1.67). Conclusion: primary health care and its child health care practices, such as nutritional monitoring, immunization, care to prevalent illnesses, prenatal care and family planning need to be prioritized to avoid child hospitalization due to pneumonia.
Resfriamento de um cilindro de aço: estudo experimental da convecção e radiação do calor
Authors: Garcia R. L. , Amaral R. A. , Zabadal J. , Pibernat C. C. , Juchem F. , Schmitz A.
Published: May 2017

Nesse trabalho é descrito um experimento quantitativo destinado a avaliar a transferência de calor durante o resfriamento de um cilindro de aço e comparar os resultados experimentais com valores previstos em modelos de convecção e radiação do calor. Além de executar os ensaios, o aluno é requisitado a confeccionar uma planilha eletrônica que detalha os cálculos realizados e avalia a consistência dos resultados. O experimento foi concebido para ser facilmente implementado em aulas práticas de cursos de graduação; e, nesse intuito, buscou-se utilizar materiais e equipamentos que viabilizem a realização de ensaios simples e de fácil execução. Os resultados obtidos são satisfatórios e propiciam uma análise quantitativa sobre os mecanismos envolvidos na transferência de calor num sistema físico real.
A matéria escura no universo - uma sequência didática para o ensino médio
Authors: Gusmão Thiago de C. , Valente Julia de A. , Duarte S. B.
Published: May 2017

Nós apresentamos uma proposta pedagógica para introduzir o tema da matéria escura no universo para alunos do ensino médio. O apelo intrínseco deste tema é usado para discutir aplicações de movimento de sistemas planetários e estrelas em galáxias e as relações entre as diferentes formas de energia no movimento desses e outros objetos astronômicos. O principal objetivo é motivar os alunos com ações interativas, incluindo atividades dentro e fora da sala de aula, para aprofundamento do tema. Finalmente, a sequência didática é fechada com uma demonstração numérica do teorema virial gravitacional, levando os alunos a discussões sobre a existência de matéria escura em torno das galáxias, com base no resultado obtido através da verificação do teorema virial gravitacional.
Residual effect of mixture of glyphosate and 2,4-D in winter maize in different soil textures
Authors: Gomes Schaianne A. , Arantes Sayonara A. do C. M. , Andrade Ednaldo A. de , Arantes Kelte R. , Viana Daniela N. , Pereira Junior Cezar da C.
Published: May 2017

ABSTRACT To increase the efficiency in the control of weeds, it is common the use of a mixture of the herbicides glyphosate and 2,4-D in the desiccation. This paper aimed to evaluate the residual effect of these two herbicides on the development of maize plants, in soils of different textures. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse, in 2015, in a completely randomized design in a 2 x 2 x 7 factorial scheme, corresponding to two soils (Red Yellow Latosol and Quartzarenic Neosol), two herbicide application times (5 and 10 days before maize sowing) and seven doses of herbicides (recommended dose of glyphosate, recommended dose of 2,4-D; mixing the recommended doses of glyphosate and 2,4-D; two, ten and fifty times the recommended doses in admixture; and one control), with 4 replicates. After emergence of maize plants, the following variables were evaluated: phytotoxicity, plant height, chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b, shoot fresh and dry matter and root dry matter. In general, there was lower residual effect on the Red Yellow Latosol at all the doses of the herbicides and in the interval of 10 days between the desiccation and sowing.
Air quality in swine growing and finishing facilities with different building typologies
Authors: Cecchin Daiane , Campos Alessandro T. , Cruz Vasco F. da , Sousa Francine A. , Amaral Pedro I. S. , Yanagi Junior Tadayuki
Published: May 2017

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the concentration of gases in three swine growing and finishing facilities with different building typologies, regarding floor and dividers. The experiment compared three treatments: pen with water depth, pen with partially slotted floor on the sides, and pen with partially slotted floor on sides and in the center. Measurements of instantaneous concentrations of ammonia (NH3 ppm) and carbon dioxide (CO2 ppm) were taken at animal level. The levels of sound pressure (dB) at animal level and at 1.50 m from the floor were also recorded. It was observed that the pen with water depth was the one with the highest average concentration of NH3. Although there was a significant difference in CO2 concentrations, the observed values are within the limits allowed by the Brazilian standards; thus, it is assumed that the facilities do not cause discomfort in relation to CO2 levels. The pen with water depth possibly caused discomfort to the animals, since the NH3 concentration was above the values that can cause problems to the animals, according to the recommendation of the literature. There was no influence of the type of pen on the sound pressure at any time.
Elaboração e caracterização de cookies sem glúten enriquecidos com farinha de coco: uma alternativa para celíacos
Authors: Queiroz Ana Maria , Rocha Renier Felinto Julião da , Garruti Deborah dos Santos , Valença da Silva Antônio de Pádua , Araújo Ídila Maria da Silva
Published: May 2017

Resumo Os celíacos encontram dificuldades na adoção de uma dieta totalmente isenta de glúten e com qualidade nutricional. Para tanto, objetivou-se desenvolver e avaliar cookies sem glúten enriquecidos com farinha de coco. A farinha de coco com elevado teor de cinzas, proteínas e lipídios pode ser utilizada para enriquecer produtos alimentícios. Foram elaborados cookies com base na composição de uma mistura da Federação Nacional das Associações de Celíacos do Brasil - Fenacelbra (“mix de farinha preparada II”) para cookies sem glúten: Padrão FP (formulação semelhante à composição do “mix de farinha preparada II” da Fenacelbra), F1 (modificação de FP com substituição da fécula de batata por 10% de farinha de coco), F2 (modificação de FP com adição de 5% de farinha de coco), F3 (modificação de FP com substituição do polvilho doce por 5% de farinha de coco). Os cookies foram avaliados quanto às características físicas (peso pós-cocção, diâmetro e espessura pós-cocção, fator de expansão, rendimento, Aw, dureza e cor – L*a*b*), físico-químicas (umidade, cinzas, proteínas, lipídios, carboidratos e valor calórico), aceitabilidade quanto aos atributos sensoriais (aceitação global, aparência, cor, aroma, sabor e textura) e atitude de compra. A adição de farinha de coco às formulações melhorou as propriedades nutricionais dos cookies sem glúten, aumentando o teor de lipídios e proteínas, e reduzindo o teor de carboidratos. Os cookies desenvolvidos apresentaram boa aceitação sensorial e intenção de compra satisfatória., A adição de 10% de farinha de coco em substituição da fécula de batata na formulação F1 não alterou as características sensoriais do produto, porém proporcionou propriedades físicas e físico-químicas superiores. Dessa forma, cookies sem glúten enriquecidos com farinha de coco constituem uma alternativa viável de alimentos destinados para pessoas portadoras de doença celíaca, mas também para quem busca produtos diferenciados e saudáveis no mercado.
Investigating bilinguals’ sensitivity to English regular past morphology: A self-paced reading experiment with Brazilian learners
Authors: Carneiro Marisa Mendonça
Published: May 2017

ABSTRACT It is known that adult learners of English as an additional language (EAL) have difficulty in producing inflectional morphemes such as the third person present singular -s and regular past -ed. One possible explanation is that bilinguals are not sensitive to inflectional morphemes, in comprehension tasks as evidenced by longer latencies at critical positions in reaction time experiments, when compared to native controls. Having the above in mind, the objective of this paper is to investigate if in fact Brazilian EAL bilinguals are sensitive to regular past morphology in a self-paced reading task. Sentences varied on the use or absence of inflectional morphemes. The statistical analysis showed that EAL speakers are not sensitive to past morphology. The results are discussed in light of Distributed Morphology and of previous studies on production and processing of inflectional morphemes in EAL.
Implementing a Fee-for-Service Cervical Cancer Screening and Treatment Program in Cameroon: Challenges and Opportunities
Authors: DeGregorio Geneva , Manga Simon , Kiyang Edith , Manjuh Florence , Bradford Leslie , Cholli Preetam , Wamai Richard , Ogembo Rebecca , Sando Zacharie , Liu Yuxin , Sheldon Lisa Kennedy , Nulah Kathleen , Welty Thomas , Welty Edith , Ogembo Javier Gordon
Published: May 2017

Background

Cervical cancer screening is one of the most effective cancer prevention strategies, but most women in Africa have never been screened. In 2007, the Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services, a large faith-based health care system in Cameroon, initiated the Women's Health Program (WHP) to address this disparity. The WHP provides fee-for-service cervical cancer screening using visual inspection with acetic acid enhanced by digital cervicography (VIA-DC), prioritizing care for women living with HIV/AIDS. They also provide clinical breast examination, family planning (FP) services, and treatment for reproductive tract infection (RTI). Here, we document the strengths and challenges of the WHP screening program and the unique aspects of the WHP model, including a fee-for-service payment system and the provision of other women's health services.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed WHP medical records from women who presented for cervical cancer screening from 2007–2014.

Results

In 8 years, WHP nurses screened 44,979 women for cervical cancer. The number of women screened increased nearly every year. The WHP is sustained primarily on fees-for-service, with external funding totaling about $20,000 annually. In 2014, of 12,191 women screened for cervical cancer, 99% received clinical breast exams, 19% received FP services, and 4.7% received treatment for RTIs. We document successes, challenges, solutions implemented, and recommendations for optimizing this screening model.

Conclusion

The WHP's experience using a fee-for-service model for cervical cancer screening demonstrates that in Cameroon VIA-DC is acceptable, feasible, and scalable and can be nearly self-sustaining. Integrating other women's health services enabled women to address additional health care needs.
The Right of Child Victims of Armed Conflict to Reintegration and Recovery
Authors: Robinson Robbie JA
Published: May 2017

Article 39 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child provides for the right to recovery and reintegration of child victims of armed conflict. In this publication an explanation is tendered of when children are considered to be victims of armed conflict. Specific reference is made to the question of whether or not a former child soldier may be viewed as such a child victim. In addition the question is addressed of how a monist or dualist approach in terms of which treaty law is incorporated into municipal law influences the rights of child victims in terms of article 39 of the Convention of the Rights of the Child. Thirdly, article 39 is discussed against the background of the international human rights instrument, the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
A Critical Appraisal of the Juvenile Justice System under Cameroon's 2005 Criminal Procedure Code: Emerging Challenges
Authors: Tabe Simon
Published: May 2017

The objective of this article is to examine the changes introduced by the 2005 Cameroonian Criminal Procedure Code on matters of juvenile justice, considering that before this Code, juvenile justice in Cameroon was governed by extra-national laws. In undertaking this analysis, the article highlights the evolution of the administration of juvenile justice 50 years after independence of Cameroon. It also points out the various difficulties and shortcomings in the treatment of juvenile offenders in Cameroon since the enactment of the new Criminal Procedure Code. The article reveals that the 2005 Code is an amalgamation of all hitherto existing laws in the country that pertained to juvenile justice, and that despite the considerable amount of criticism it has received, the Code is clearly an improvement of the system of juvenile justice in Cameroon, since it represents a balance of the due process rights of young people, the protection of society and the special needs of young offenders. This is so because the drafters of the Code took a broad view of the old laws on juvenile justice. Also a wide range of groups were consulted, including criminal justice professionals, children’s service organisations, victims, parents, young offenders, educators, advocacy groups and social-policy analysts. However, to address the challenges that beset the juvenile justice system of Cameroon, the strategy of the government should be focussed on three areas: the prevention of youth crime, the provision of meaningful consequences for the actions of young people, and the rehabilitation and reintegration of young offenders. Cameroonian law should seek educative solutions rather than to impose prison sentences or other repressive measures on young offenders. Special courts to deal with young offenders should be established outside the regular penal system and should be provided with resources that are adequate for and appropriate to fostering their understanding of juvenile crime.
Realising Equality in Access to HIV Treatment for Vulnerable and Marginalised Groups in Africa
Authors: Durojaye Ebenezer
Published: May 2017

This article examines the relevance of the concept of equality in improving access to HIV treatment for vulnerable and marginalised groups in Africa. The article argues that though modest achievements have been made in expanding access to HIV treatment for those in need in Africa, this expansion has concentrated on the general population with little focus on the needs of vulnerable and marginalised groups in society, especially children and sex workers. It further argues that applying the notion of equality to HIV treatment is crucial to alleviating the impact of the epidemic on vulnerable and disadvantaged groups. In conclusion, it is argued that if the aim of realising universal access to treatment for all by 2015 is to be achieved, it is imperative to ensure equal access to HIV treatment for disadvantaged groups such as children and sex workers.
Unisa v Reynhardt [2010] 12 BLLR 1272 (LAC): Does Affirmative Action have a Lifecycle?
Authors: Mushariwa Muriel
Published: May 2017

The Employment Equity Act (EEA) was enacted to achieve equity in the workplace by prohibiting unfair discrimination and by requiring the implementation of affirmative action measures to ensure the adequate representation of designated groups. To ensure compliance with the EEA a designated employer must ensure that it formulates an affirmative action policy within which employment equity targets are stipulated and met. One of the on-going debates around affirmative action is whether it has a life-span. One school of thought argues that affirmative action requires a legislated sunset clause, in which considerations of race, gender and disability will no longer be implemented by employers, instead of which each employer will look to employ a candidate who is suitably qualified for the vacant post. The other school of thought argues that the need for affirmative action is two-fold: to redress past inequalities, but also to deal with existing inequalities within society. Having a sunset clause this would negate the aim of affirmative action to deal effectively with both kinds of inequalities and also the creation of a representative workforce. In the case of UNISA v Reynhardt it was held that once an employer has reached his employment equity targets it is no longer justifiable for it to apply affirmative action, but that the principle to be applied is that the most suitably qualified candidate is to be appointed. The non-application of affirmative action is subject to an employer’s commitment to meeting employment equity targets and a recognition by the employer that once these targets are reached they must be maintained within the organisation. Consequently, once a disparity exists, affirmative action must again be applied, resulting in the imputation of a distinct lifecycle to affirmative action. Failure on the part of the employer to do this would have the potential of creating reverse discrimination against employees who are not the beneficiaries of affirmative action.
Proximate and fatty acid composition of cooked South African Cape snoek (Thyrsites atun)
Authors: Henning Suné S. , Hoffman Louwrens C.
Published: May 2017

Cape snoek (Thyrsites atun) is an important source of protein for people in South Africa; however, nutritional information thereof is limited. The proximate and fatty acid compositions of raw and cooked (80 °C) snoek muscles were determined according to official AOAC methods. The mean moisture, ash, total lipids and protein for raw snoek were 72.8±1.86%, 1.3±0.09%, 4.0±1.16 and 21.5±1.35%, respectively. Cape snoek is very high in palmitic acid (24.65±1.43%), oleic acid (18.21±2.64%), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 9.11±2.06%) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 19.70±3.25%). With the exception of total lipids, cooking significantly reduced moisture (69.40±2.03%) and ash (1.12±0.12%), and increased protein (24.47±1.39%) content. It is concluded that Cape snoek is very high in protein and can be classified as a low-fat fish which is rich in EPA and DHA.

Significance: 

Cape snoek is a low-fat fish, containing less than 4% fat, and is high in EPA (9.11±2.06%) and DHA (19.70±3.25%).
Cape snoek is thus a healthy, cheap and high-protein food source, with a high content of omega-3 fatty acids.
medical device development landscape in South Africa: Institutions, sectors and collaboration
Authors: De Jager Kylie , Chimhundu Chipo , Saidi Trust , Douglas Tania S.
Published: May 2017

A characterisation of the medical device development landscape in South Africa would be beneficial for future policy developments that encourage locally developed devices to address local healthcare needs. The landscape was explored through a bibliometric analysis (2000–2013) of relevant scientific papers using co-authorship as an indicator of collaboration. Collaborating institutions thus found were divided into four sectors: academia (A); healthcare (H); industry (I); and science and support (S). A collaboration network was drawn to show the links between the institutions and analysed using network analysis metrics. Centrality measures identified seven dominant local institutions from three sectors. Group densities were used to quantify the extent of collaboration: the A sector collaborated the most extensively both within and between sectors; local collaborations were more prevalent than international collaborations. Translational collaborations (AHI, HIS or AHIS) are considered to be pivotal in fostering medical device innovation that is both relevant and likely to be commercialised. Few such collaborations were found, suggesting room for increased collaboration of these types in South Africa.
NeuN Immunohistochemistry Protocol v2
Authors: Gyzely de Morais Magalhães Nara
Published: May 2017

Protocol for Immunohistochemistry free-floating sections with anti-NeuN antibody for avian tissue.
Extracting Time-frequency Feature of Single-channel Vastus Medialis EMG Signals for Knee Exercise Pattern Recognition v1
Authors: Zhang Yi , Peiyang Li not provided , Xuyang Zhu not provided , Steven Su not provided , Guo Qing not provided , Peng Xu not provided , Dezhong Yao not provided
Published: May 2017

The EMG signal indicates the electrophysiological response to daily living of activities,particularly to lower-limb knee exercises. Literature reports have shown numerousbenefits of the Wavelet analysis in EMG feature extraction for pattern recognition.However, its application to typical knee exercises when using only a single EMG channelis limited. In this study, three types of knee exercises, i.e., flexion of the leg up(standing), hip extension from a sitting position (sitting) and gait (walking) areinvestigated from 14 healthy untrained subjects, while EMG signals from the musclegroup of vastus medialis and the goniometer on the knee joint of the detected leg aresynchronously monitored and recorded. Four types of lower-limb motions includingstanding, sitting, stance phase of walking, and swing phase of walking, are segmented.The Wavelet Transform (WT) based Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) approach isproposed for the classification of four lower-limb motions using a single-channel EMGsignal from the muscle group of vastus medialis. Based on lower-limb motions from allsubjects, the combination of five-level wavelet decomposition and SVD is used tocomprise the feature vector. The Support Vector Machine (SVM) is then configured tobuild a multiple-subject classifier for which the subject independent accuracy will begiven across all subjects for the classification of four types of lower-limb motions. Inorder to effectively indicate the classification performance, EMG features fromtime-domain (e.g., Mean Absolute Value (MAV), Root-Mean-Square (RMS), integratedEMG (iEMG), Zero Crossing (ZC)) and frequency-domain (e.g., Mean Frequency(MNF) and Median Frequency (MDF)) are also used to classify lower-limb motions.The five-fold cross validation is performed and it repeats fifty times in order to acquirethe robust subject independent accuracy. Results show that the proposed WT-basedSVD approach has the classification accuracy of 91.85%0.88% which outperformsother feature models.
INVESTING IN PRESCHOOL AGE CHILDREN – A CASE STUDY OF VIDZEME REGION (LATVIA)
Authors: Rajevska Feliciana , Reima Katrine
Published: May 2017

Social investments are important for a child’s development and future success. Parental leaves and Early Childhood Education and Care services (ECEC) are among main forms of social investment, contributing to child poverty reduction and increasing equality, as well as underpinning the potential for skilled workers in the future. The aim of the paper is to analyse availability of the main forms of social investment in preschool age children - early childhood education services and parental leaves, in Vidzeme region (Latvia) for a case study. An analysis of policy documents, parents’ surveys at pre-school institutions, interviews with education institution representatives and local authorities regarding education and social matters were conducted in the research. The support system for parents is still dominated by the “passive” form of support system. However, social investment policies are becoming increasingly more important. This is achieved by supporting parents' access to social investment services and by increasing the amount of parental leave benefits. In 2013-2015 funding for child-care and family policy has increased. Expenditure growth was mostly affected by an increase in the allowance for childcare and the minimum parental allowance. The availability of ECEC is moderate, but since 2009 private institutions and since 2013 babysitting services have been co-funded at the national level till May 31, 2016 to improve it. Since September 2015 a 3-year innovative project “Vouchers for the provision of child minder services to workers with nonstandard work schedules” has been introduced too, to promote parental employment and work and family balance. In Vidzeme region, for example, service availability is additionally stimulated by free transport services, ECEC fee discounts for poor, low-income and large families, etc. Results show that the availability of ECEC has been improved and there has been signs of positive changes in children’s development. Nevertheless, the availability of ECEC is moderate, and in some poorer municipalities in Latvia Matthew effects can be spotted – the middle and highest strata of society use services to a higher extend then the low-income society.
CONDITIONS OF TECHNICAL CREATIVITY AT VARIOUS STAGES OF EDUCATION
Authors: Noga Henryk , Garbarz-Glos Barbara , Pytel Krzysztof , Migo Piotr
Published: May 2017

Creativity develops, regardless of the age we are, it is never too late to find owns passion for creativity , which in my opinion is hidden somewhere in the depths of ourselves. Creativity involves the area of passion, with interesting way of spending time with the creating of unique objects, proper motivation and the desire to obtain gratifications and possibility to show created works. The study shows selected conditions of students technical creativity at different stages of education. The aim of the study was It was to analyse the determinants of creativity in the various stages of education in Poland. Research took place in junior high school. On the basis of research factors that create creativity are: knowledge, abilities and skills, the ability to develop their own individual interests, level of motivation.
PROBLEMS OF INSTABILITY OF THE WORLD ECONOMY UNDER GLOBALIZATION
Authors: Dołęgowski Tomasz , Hushko Serhii , Kulishov Volodymyr
Published: May 2017

We examine the main trends of world economic development. The characteristic feature of the modern world is the acceleration of globalization development, caused by the achievements of scientific and technological progress. The increase in possibilities of global problem solving is accompanied by their exacerbation and degree of openness of public systems in conditions of modern globalization. We consider the interaction of international economic agents, the formation of interconnections, the inevitability of transition to a new and more progressive model of economic development – metaeconomy and the problems which are potentially able to cause negative consequences of the financial sector redistribution. There is a growth of social inequality in the world, resulting in increasing income disparities, which intensifies the migration process and thereby creates new problems as a result of the coexistence of people belonging to different civilizations, cultures and value systems.
DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC COMPETENCE IN FUTURE SPECIALISTS OF EDUCATION BY MEANS OF DESIGNING PEDAGOGICAL BUSINESS PROJECTS
Authors: Chekina Alena
Published: May 2017

The paper reveals the role of designing pedagogical business projects for the development of socio-economic competence in future specialists of education. The methodological basis of the research is constituted by competence-based and project approaches in higher education.

The paper contains the author's determination of the concept "socio-economic competence of future specialists of education", the description of specifics of creation by students of business projects in the sphere of educational services. The problem of the research is formulated by means of a question: by what method the socio-economic competence of future specialists of education to be increased.

The extent of development of socio-economic competence was measured by means of a system of commonly accepted techniques for the high-quality analysis of oral and written answers, conversations, observations, an expert evaluation, testing, a case measuring instruments, statistical methods analysis, in particular, calculation of percentage ratios and arithmetic averages of numbers. These tools allow us to reveal levels of readiness of all substantial components of this competence: motivational, cognitive, activity, reflexive, axiological.
POPULATION AWARENESS OF THE HARMFULNESS OF SOSNOWSKY'S HOGWEED IN REZEKNE MUNICIPALITY
Authors: Kotane Inta , Zvaigzne Anda
Published: May 2017

Invasive alien species are one of the most urgent problems to be addressed to maintain biodiversity in the world. Sosnowsky's hogweed (Heracleum sosnowskyi) has been included in Latvia’s list of invasive alien species. The population’s awareness of the problem of Sosnowsky's hogweed may be viewed as one of the preventive measures to avoid the spread of the weed, which also allows optimally using financial resources. Research studies show that the levels of public awareness of Sosnowsky's hogweed and its harmfulness are different. The paper is based on the implementation results for the research grant "Investigation into the Information Society regarding the Control and Hazards of Sosnowsky's Hogweed in Rezekne Municipality”. The research aim of the paper is to examine the Rezekne municipality population’s awareness of the harmfulness of Sosnowsky's hogweed and their wish to acquire or build up their knowledge about the harmfulness of Sosnowsky's hogweed based on the results of a survey/interview of experts and a survey of the population. The research results – the results of the survey and the interview – revealed that the population could identify Sosnowsky's hogweed in nature, and the population, including agricultural land owners/managers were sufficiently informed about the harmfulness of Sosnowsky's hogweed. For the population, the most appropriate way of acquiring information about Sosnowsky's hogweed would be Internet websites, even though the experts considered the websites to be a partly effective way of informing the public. Research methods used: monographic, descriptive, analysis, synthesis, data grouping and sociological methods – a survey/interview of industry experts and a survey of the population.
PROVISION OF INFORMATION IN PUBLIC PROCUREMENT
Authors: Skrastiņa Una , Radzevičs Juris
Published: May 2017

The provision of information in public procurement is the only way for both society and tenderers to obtain information about the legitimate process of public procurement. Since the exchange of information is regulated by the Public Procurement Law and other laws and regulations, it is not always clear for the involved parties how to apply this regulation in practice. As a result, information that could be accessed and received in a timely manner and could be used to defend tenderers’ interests is not asked for, and the tenderers frequently request information that is of restricted accessibility or is not unclassified. The aim of this research is to analyse the legal regulation of information provision in the public procurement field in Latvia, to detect the most common problems in practice and to give possible solutions to them. Tasks - to study the legal regulation, legal scientists’ views, problems in practice and, gathering the information, to give possible solutions to them. The descriptive, dogmatic, historical, comparative and analytical research methods were used in this research. Results - two important principles can conflict when providing information – the principle of transparency and competition. So the contracting authority should evaluate in each situation, which of them should be more important.
LEGAL ASPECTS OF OPEN GOVERNMENT AT THE LOCAL LEVEL IN LATVIA
Authors: Skrastiņa Una , Radzevičs Juris
Published: May 2017

A municipality should provide its citizens' participation in self-government; in order to increase the public’s awareness of the activities of municipalities and their ability to participate in the discussions, measures must be taken. According to section 101 of the Constitution, every Latvian citizen has the right to participate in the national and local government’s activities. The forms of participation cannot be formal. Separate legal acts in various fields are adopted by the local authorities, and their institutions initiate public discussions. A too extensive and detailed list of participants increases bureaucratic barriers that restrict their participation. The aim of the research study is to analyse the legal aspects of open governance in a municipality in Latvia; through characterizing the problems, which most frequently have been stated in practice, to offer a deeper understanding of the matters addressed by the research study by searching for the best possible legislative regulation. The descriptive, dogmatic, historical, comparative and analytical research methods were used in this research. In order to achieve the aim, the following tasks were defined when analysing policy documents, legislation, conclusions of law scholars - to evaluate the concept of open governance partnership in the context of municipalities and legal aspects of information publicity and access as well as partnership implementation in a municipality.
ASSESSMENT OF TAXATION AS A FISCAL POLICY INSTRUMENT
Authors: Puzule Anita , Žubule Ērika
Published: May 2017

Taxation is one of the instruments the government can actively use to have an effect on the ongoing economic processes, directing their development into the preferred route. Economic development in the world and Europe, as well as domestic issues and the accession to the community of OECD member states have created new challenges for Latvia’s development and for improvement of the national tax policy and the tax system. Latvia’s fiscal policy is not sustainable, because every year is being adjusted, thus causing dissatisfaction of society and slowing down the country's economic development in general.

Aim of the research is to evalute theoretical aspects and practical application of possibilities to use the taxation as a fiscal policy instrument in order to stabilise Latvia’s national economy.

Based on the experience of different countries and scientific research, the theoretical findings on the application of taxes as a fiscal policy instrument were explored, and the essential measures to be implemented in order to make Latvia’s tax system more sustainable and to reduce social inequalities, as well as to advance the economic growth were identified.

The monographic method, logical constructive method, method of analysis, opinion and concept comparison method, as well as statistical data comparison were used in the research.
ASSESSMENT OF ECOSYSTEMS SERVICES FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND LAND USE MANAGEMENT
Authors: Konstantinova Elīna , Brūniņa Līga , Peršēvica Aija , Živitere Marga
Published: May 2017

A very important factor for sustainable development is a balance between the exploitation of natural resources for socio-economic development, and conserving ecosystem services that are critical to everyone’s wellbeing and livelihoods. The strategical importance of ecosystem services is set by the UN Millennium Ecosystem Assessment in 2005, which put ecosystem services firmly on the policy agenda and the EU Biodiversity Strategy, which states that “Member States must map and assess the state of ecosystems and their services in their national territory by 2014, assess the economic value of such services, and promote the integration of these values into accounting and reporting systems at EU and national level by 2020”. The aim of the paper is to present and discuss the approach of ecosystem services assessment for sustainable land use and strategical development scenarios. The paper will focus on the role of ecosystem services in development and spatial planning, and this approach can be integrated in planning processes and decision making. There will be presented a case study for two coastal territories in Latvia, where an ecosystem services assessment was implemented and sequentially different development scenarios considered and analysed.
THE PHONOMENON OF A MIRACLE CURE IN RELIGION AND THE FINE ARTS
Authors: Gudonis Vytautas
Published: May 2017

The paper deals with the evolution of votive offering as the expression of praying for health and the gratitude for a miracle cure from ancient times to the present day. The tradition of votive offerings, as the means of asking for health and receiving a miracle cure, goes for thousands of years.The article analyses the question if the votive offering tradition has been continued in Lithuanian churches and if any known facts about a miracle cure have been found in the 21st century. The aim of this research is to detect the continuation of the votive offerings in Lithuanian churches. Interviews and content analysis have been used as research methods. Information collected from interviewing 5 worshipers and 19 priests in Lithuania. Unique examples of a miracle cure have been depicted. Votive offerings have been analysed as a part of rich cultural heritage. The diversity of votive offerings has been detected and depicted in the fine arts. The tradition of votive offering is viewed as the expression of the belief in a miracle cure. The assumption has been made that the placebo effect is present in a miracle cure. The findings suggest that the tradition of votive offerings still exist and being practiced in Lithuanian churches nowadays.
TRADITIONAL CRAFTS OF UZBEKISTAN IN MODERN INTERIOR DESIGN
Authors: Makhmudova Malika , Makhmudova Muhayyo
Published: May 2017

The article describes the historical development of the decoration of architectural monuments of Uzbekistan, characteristics of ethno-style, the use of traditional crafts and motifs in interior design, regularity of use of ethno-style in a modern architectural environment.

Analytical approaches and methods of comparison were used in the article as well as materials of the authors’ researches. In addition, the literature on the Central Asian decor, applied art and crafts of Uzbekistan, interior design in ethno-style and others was studied.
CRITIQUE OF FUNCTIONALISM IN THE WORKS OF ANTHONY GIDDENS AND NORBERT ELIAS: A COMPARISON
Authors: Šņitņikovs Aleksejs
Published: May 2017

The purpose of the paper is to assess the arguments of the critique of functionalism by Anthony Giddens and Norbert Elias. After being subject to severe criticism, terminology of functionalism is still a part of the lexicon of social scientists nowadays. Functionalist reasoning and concepts of functionalism are used in sociology, political science and economics, even though often without full awareness of its theoretical implications. Recent revival of interest in the works by Elias is connected with the search for a new theoretical and methodological foundation of sociology but his views on functionalism have remained largely unexplored. For the analysis presented in this paper, main theoretical works by Giddens and major works by Elias have been used. Positions of the authors have been analysed with respect to main concepts and principles of functionalism, such as function, needs, internalization of values, consensus, equilibrium, and the notions of power and individual. The study shows that while Giddens strived to reject functionalism and the concept of social function altogether, in the figurational approach developed by Elias it is possible to use some of the concepts of functionalism without necessarily accepting its controversial tenets.