bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Connecting flow-topography interactions, vorticity balance, baroclinic instability and transport in the Southern Ocean: the case of an idealized storm track
Authors: Jouanno Julien , Capet Xavier
Published: February 2020

Abstract. The dynamical balance of the Antarctic circumpolar current and their implications on the functioning of the world ocean are not fully understood and poorly represented in global circulation models. In this study, the sensitivities of an idealized Southern Ocean (SO) storm track are explored with a set of eddy-rich numerical simulations. The classical partition between barotropic and baroclinic modes is sensitive to current-topography interactions in the mesoscale range 10–100 km, as comparisons between simulations with rough or smooth bathymetry reveal. Configurations with a rough bottom have weak barotropic motions, no wind-driven gyre in the lee of topographic ridges, less efficient baroclinic turbulence, and thus larger circumpolar transport rates. The difference in circumpolar transport depends on the strength with which (external) thermohaline forcings by the rest of the world ocean constrain the stratification at the northern edge of the SO. The study highlights the need for a comprehensive treatment of the Antartic Circumpolar Current (ACC) interactions with the ocean floor. It also sheds some light on the behavior of idealized storm tracks recently modelled: i) the saturation mechanism, whereby the circumpolar transport does not depend on wind intensity, is a robust and generic attribute of ACC-like circumpolar flows ii) the adjustment toward saturation can take place over widely different time scales (from months to years) depending on the possibility (or not) for barotropic Rossby waves to propagate signals of wind change and accelerate/decelerate SO wind-driven gyres. The real SO with a typical ACC saturation time scale of 2–3 years seems to lie in the “rough bottom/no wind-driven gyre” regime.
Impact of sea ice floe size distribution on seasonal fragmentation and melt of Arctic sea ice
Authors: Bateson Adam W. , Feltham Daniel L. , Schröder David , Hosekova Lucia , Ridley Jeff K. , Aksenov Yevgeny
Published: February 2020

Abstract. Recent years have seen a rapid reduction in the summer
Arctic sea ice extent. To both understand this trend and project the future
evolution of the summer Arctic sea ice, a better understanding of the
physical processes that drive the seasonal loss of sea ice is required. The
marginal ice zone, here defined as regions with between 15 % and 80 % sea
ice cover, is the region separating pack ice from the open ocean. Accurate
modelling of this region is important to understand the dominant mechanisms
involved in seasonal sea ice loss. Evolution of the marginal ice zone is
determined by complex interactions between the atmosphere, sea ice, ocean,
and ocean surface waves. Therefore, this region presents a significant
modelling challenge. Sea ice floes span a range of sizes but sea ice models
within climate models assume they adopt a constant size. Floe size
influences the lateral melt rate of sea ice and momentum transfer between
atmosphere, sea ice, and ocean, all important processes within the marginal
ice zone. In this study, the floe size distribution is represented as a
power law defined by an upper floe size cut-off, lower floe size cut-off,
and power-law exponent. This distribution is also defined by a new tracer
that varies in response to lateral melting, wave-induced break-up, freezing
conditions, and advection. This distribution is implemented within a sea ice
model coupled to a prognostic ocean mixed-layer model. We present results to
show that the use of a power-law floe size distribution has a spatially and
temporally dependent impact on the sea ice, in particular increasing the
role of the marginal ice zone in seasonal sea ice loss. This feature is
important in correcting existing biases within sea ice models. In addition,
we show a much stronger model sensitivity to floe size distribution
parameters than other parameters used to calculate lateral melt, justifying
the focus on floe size distribution in model development. We also find that
the attenuation rate of waves propagating under the sea ice cover modulates
the impact of wave break-up on the floe size distribution. It is finally
concluded that the model approach presented here is a flexible tool for
assessing the importance of a floe size distribution in the evolution of sea
ice and is a useful stepping stone for future development of floe size
modelling.
Lean Six Sigma Methodology: The Nub to Boost the Public Healthcare System in Egypt
Authors: Aly Wael Omran
Published: February 2020

For many decades, the Egyptian people have suffered from deplorable public healthcare service featured by indolence, malfunction and traditionalism. Although, healthcare is a distinctive service industry concerning various complicated responsibilities; but the consecutive government of Egypt had badly handled such issue. Then, the apathetic performance of the public healthcare service becomes a dilemma for the people of Egypt; especially the poor among them. Therefore, the foundation of an adequate public healthcare service system, that respect the dignity of the people and respond to their arising health care needs; was frequently on the agenda priorities of the Egyptian governments after the 2011 and 2013 uprisings. Hence recently, the government -after reaching political and economic stability- seeks to build an ambitious newly public health care system to meet the expectation of the people to acquire high standard inexpensive and hasty public healthcare services. Consequently, in order to realize such aim; the Egyptian government had established the public agency for accreditation and quality control according to law no.2 of comprehensive healthcare insurance system issued at 2018. Then, it urges a national campaign to reform the public healthcare sector and to develop the efficacy and quality of its services. Hence, this paper aims to propose how the public healthcare organizations in Egypt can tackle various challenges and enhance adequately its capabilities; in order to be able to adopt the proposed Lean Six Sigma (LSS) methodology effectively; which can then provide an adequate framework for creating organized improvement exertions in healthcare; necessary to bestow guidelines on how to manage a quality service system to patient satisfaction by decreasing waste, variation and work disparity in the service processes.
The Trinity – God, Federation, and Community: A Mixed-Methodological Analysis of Religion and Ethnicity among the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia
Authors: Cowser Angela , Barnes Sandra L.
Published: February 2020

How are religious involvement and community-mobilizing related for poor Namibian women? This mixed - methodological study examines the influence of ethnicity, attitudinal, and behavioral traits on religious affiliation and related experiences for 258 female members of the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia, a network of neighborhood-based savings groups that attempts to provide affordable housing and related infrastructure services to poor women. In addition to its practical benefits, we consider whether the Federation represents a proxy-church for members. We assess the following research questions: With which churches are Federation women affiliated? Do their ethnicities or views and decisions about the Federation affect their religious ties? Do results suggest that the Federation provides outcomes commonly associated with churches? Results based on statistical and content analyses illustrate differences in religious affiliation and experiential variations based on ethnicity as well as church-like benefits of Federation involvement.
PRODUÇÃO E CARACTERIZAÇÃO DE BIODIESEL PRODUZIDO COM ÓLEOS UNITÁRIOS E MISTURAS BINÁRIAS
Authors: Gonçalves Mariana Delgado , Silva Flávio Castro da , Lopes Maria Ana Caroline , Souza Luan Alves de , Oliveira Pamella Christina Ortega de
Published: February 2020

Neste trabalho, realizaram-se a produção e a caracterização do biodiesel comóleos unitários e misturas binárias. As amostras foram caracterizadas segundoas resoluções da Agência Nacional do Petróleo, Gás Natural e Biocombustíveis(ANP) e com base nas técnicas de ressonância magnética nuclear (RMN ¹H)e por cromatografia gasosa (CG). Todos os biodieseis produzidos possuemmassa específica e viscosidade cinemática em conformidade com as normasda ANP. Por meio da RMN, foi possível obter o rendimento da reação de cadaóleo. O biodiesel produzido com óleo unitário de algodão apresentou o menorrendimento (79,50%), porém a mistura binária de óleo de coco e algodãoteve o maior rendimento (93,16%). Verificou-se que a adição de óleo de cocoa qualquer mistura binária ocasiona aumento no rendimento da produção debiodiesel. Por intermédio da CG, foi possível observar quais ácidos predominamnos biodieseis produzidos e como essa predominância está relacionada aosóleos utilizados. No biodiesel de palma, constatou-se o predomínio dos ácidospalmítico e oleico. No biodiesel de óleo de coco os ácidos predominantes foramo láurico e o mirístico, e no biodiesel do óleo de coco e algodão os ácidos emmaior quantidade foram o láurico e o oleico. No biodiesel de algodão os ácidosprincipais foram o oleico e o linoleico. Para a mistura soja e algodão foramencontrados os ácidos mirístico, palmítico, esteárico, oleico e linoleico, e para amistura soja e coco, em sua maioria, os ácidos láurico, palmítico, oleico e linoleico.
ESTOQUE DE CARBONO E AGREGAÇÃO DO SOLO SOB FRAGMENTOS FLORESTAIS NOS BIOMAS MATA ATLÂNTICA E CERRADO
Authors: Barros Ozório Jefferson Matheus , Rosset Jean Sérgio , Schiavo Jolimar Antonio , Panachuki Elói , Souza Camila Beatriz da Silva , Menezes Roniedison da Silva , Ximenes Thiago Sandin , Castilho Selene Cristina de Pierri , Marra Leandro Marciano
Published: February 2020

Estudaram-se o estoque de carbono (EstC) e a agregação do solo no interior eno entorno de fragmentos florestais dos biomas Mata Atlântica (MA) e Cerrado(CE). Foram coletadas amostras de solo em quatro fragmentos florestais, doisna MA e dois no CE, nos quais foram amostrados três pontos internos: borda(BO), metade do raio (MR) e centro (CF), além de um ponto no entorno;sistema plantio direto (SPD) e pastagem permanente (PP) na MA e no CE,respectivamente. Determinaram-se o carbono orgânico total (COT), a densidadedo solo (Ds), com cálculos de EstC, e a estabilidade de agregados. Na MA, a Dschegou a 1,19 Mg m-3. Maiores teores de COT e EstC foram verificados no CF,havendo redução do EstC no CF em pontos mais periféricos. Verificou-se menorestabilidade estrutural do solo nas áreas de SPD do entorno. As áreas de PP noentorno dos fragmentos do CE apresentaram maior Ds. Os teores de COT evalores de EstC foram heterogêneos entre os pontos internos dos fragmentosde CE. Nos fragmentos de CE, as variáveis estruturais não diferiram das áreasde PP do entorno. O COT e o EstC indicam o ponto CF com maior estado deconservação nos fragmentos de MA. No CE, as áreas de PP apresentaram omesmo potencial de acúmulo de carbono em camadas subsuperficiais emrelação aos fragmentos. A fragmentação florestal, nos dois biomas estudados,modificou os atributos físicos do solo, além de ter influenciado nos padrões deestocagem de carbono no interior dos fragmentos.
De WHOA als instrument voor (grensoverschrijdende) groepsherstructureringen
Authors: Pepels S.C.
Published: February 2020

De WHOA als instrument voor (grensoverschrijdende) groepsherstructureringen

Met de Wet homologatie onderhands akkoord (WHOA) introduceert de wetgever een nieuw instrument in de Faillissementswet: het dwangakkoord buiten surseance en faillissement. De auteur verkent in dit artikel de toepassingsmogelijkheden van de WHOA bij groepsherstructureringen, zowel in nationale als in internationale context.
Herstelbeslissingen in het nieuwe Wetboek van Strafvordering nader beschouwd
Authors: Haentjens R.C.P.
Published: February 2020

Herstelbeslissingen in het nieuwe Wetboek van Strafvordering nader beschouwd

De voorstellen tot modernisering van het nieuwe Wetboek van Strafvordering betreffen onder meer nieuwe bepalingen aangaande herstelbeslissingen door de strafrechter na sluiting van het onderzoek ter terechtzitting. De voorstellen codificeren voor een groot gedeelte de reeds tot ontwikkeling gekomen jurisprudentie. Nieuw is het gemarkeerde onderscheid tussen het aanbrengen van verbeteringen en het aanvullen van de rechterlijke beslissing. Dit onderscheid werkt door in de uitwerking wat betreft de procedurele bevoegdheden van de bij het strafproces betrokken partijen: de strafrechter, de Officier van Justitie, de verdachte, de benadeelde partij en in het voorkomende geval de (voogd van de) minderjarige. De voorgestelde nieuwe regeling roept vragen op met betrekking tot de beginselen van concentratie en geslotenheid van rechtsmiddelen. Tevens vraagt de regeling voor de aanvulling nadere bezinning: tot welk moment is aanvulling toegelaten met het oog op het aanweneden van rechtsmiddelen? De vraag is gerechtvaardigd of de regeling zoals voorgesteld niet nog eens kritisch moet worden bezien. In het hierna volgende artikel wordt die vraag bevestigend beantwoord.
Comparative study of education for students with special needs in Japan and Poland
Authors: Kuroda Manabu , Kulesza Ewa
Published: February 2020

The purpose of this article is to present trends in educational policy and the problems of education for students with special needs through a comparative study of Japan and Poland. It presents a brief history of special education, regulations on the school system, groups of students with special needs and the features of the current system of education for students with special needs in both countries under comparison. The conclusion points to positive changes and those aspects of Polish and Japanese education and public policy toward people with special needs that should be altered.
Modern state and prospects for the education of children with mental development delay: View from the perspective of Vygotsky's cultural-historical theory
Authors: Babkina Nataliya
Published: February 2020

The tendencies in development of a special education system in Russia are being analyzed. Contemporary approaches to education of children with mental development delay are being discussed together with questions connected with their realization under the conditions of inclusive and special education. An approach to the choice of an educational strategy is being analyzed together with components of an educational process (according to the position of Vygotsky's school). The necessity of preparation of new generation's teachers, capable to solve the problems of educational practices' development providing solutions based on the ideas and terms of cultural-historical theory, is being proved.
Contemporary trends in designing and using computer technologies in special education
Authors: Kenesbaev Serik M. , Makhmetova Aigerim A.
Published: February 2020

This article examines the current trends in the development and use of computer technology in special education, as well as provides the basic characteristics of the classification of TME. Technical meansoccupy a special positionin the system of education, as their use increases the effectiveness of education. The article states that teaching geography is impossible without the use of visual aids, as most of the objects and natural phenomena presented in the school course can not be observed in nature, and, in this sense, the study of geography requires students to have an advanced imagination and distraction techniques . The use of computer technologies in teaching geography to children with hearing impairment is difficult due to the lack of specially designed electronic aids, particularly taking into account the age and mental development of children in this category and guidelines for working with modern technical means of education. Using TME in a special (remedial) school is of great importance for the overall development of students with reduced motivation to learn. It should be noted that, over time, a number of technical means of educationin special remedial schools is becoming less relevantand is being replaced by modern technical devices, computer technology, for which the methods of operation are not well developedat the moment.
The use of technical means opens up new opportunities for extra-curricular and leisure activities of environmental study nature with hearing-impaired students.
The intensive nature of introducing computer technology in the educational process of remedial schools and the lack of special modern technical means of teaching geography to children with hearing impairmentare indicative of the need to establish the scientific concept of developing methodological support of technical means of education. The authors highlight the significant role of TME in the formation of knowledge on geographic objects and phenomena in students with hearing impairment.
Tabletowe dzieci. Ile zła wyrządza małym dzieciom tablet reklamowany jako najlepsza zabawka dla twojego dziecka. Ku rozwadze dorosłym, którzy temu ulegają
Authors: Gruszczyk-Kolczyńska Edyta
Published: February 2020

In the article, I present the findings of scientific insight into issues that I call tablet children. I provide alarming data on the number of children aged 6 months and a little bit older who are given access to tablets and smartphones by adults. I quote the most important findings included in the theory of representation by Jerome S. Bruner to explain the following:
– What makes babies and toddlers use tablets and smartphones in a remarkably efficient way;
– Adverse differences in representations created by children based on experiences gathered in the world of real objects and in the virtual world;
– Distortions in the outlines of mental representations formed by young children when they watch images on tablet and smartphone screens too frequently.
Being given access to these devices is particularly dangerous for young children, who have not yet created the outlines of the representations of three-dimensional objects and three-dimensional qualities of space in their minds. Distortions in the outlines of representations are difficult to fix as subsequent experiences only complement and expand the existing representations. Since the existing representations take part in creating new representations, the new ones are not fully correct either.
I also argue the need for serious research that should aim to determine the far-reaching results of tablets and smartphones being available to babies and young children. This will help to come to terms with these devices educationally and also to determine when and for how long they can be made available to children so that they are safe for children's mental development.
Categories of severe illness and disability in the New Testament – Perception of the essence and dimensions of interpretation
Authors: Zaorska Marzenna
Published: February 2020

The issues of disability and illness affecting people in their worldly life since the dawn of time awake a varied interest – from negation to acceptance – among societies in various historical periods. The question of disability and illness is present in primitive peoples’ beliefs and mythologies, and in various religious trends – both those that disappeared and those that still exist. This article analyzes disability and severe illness in the message permeating the thoughts, teachings, and divinity of the New Testament books.
Zmienianie nastawienia studentów wierzących i niewierzących wobec homoseksualności: wykład środkiem oddziaływania
Authors: Pearlman-Avnion Shiri , Eshed-Lavi Nofar
Published: February 2020

W prezentowanym badaniu porównano dwie metody oddziaływania zastosowane na uczelni w północnym Izraelu, mające na celu zaszczepienie studentom pozytywnego stosunku do osób LGBT: (1) wykład, na którym homoseksualna kobieta opisuje swoją własną historię oraz (2) wykład akademicki o charakterze neutralnym dotyczący homoseksualności, prowadzony przez wykładowcę uczelni. Różnica między postawami przed interwencją i po interwencji była istotnie większa w grupie eksperymentalnej, która wysłuchała osobistej historii, niż w grupie kontrolnej, która wysłuchała wykładu. Stosunek do osób LGBT był istotnie bardziej negatywny przed i po interwencji u studentów wierzących. Sprzecznie z postawioną hipotezą interwencja eksperymentalna nie miała większego wpływu na postawę studentów wierzących niż studentów niewierzących.
Psychosocial aspects of sexuality in adolescents with visual impairments
Authors: Czerwińska Kornelia
Published: February 2020

According to the ecological model, all sexual activity results from experiences gathered during the biologically based process of socialization. Therefore, analysis of the impact that visual impairment has on the psychosexual functioning of adolescents should consider not only the functional aspect but mainly the sociocultural aspect. Specific upbringing and education conditions in childhood and adolescence (e.g.: compulsory schooling in a special center - often in a live-in environment, parental overprotectiveness, lack of or unadapted sexual education curricula, etc.) may hinder learning of typical interpersonal interaction patterns and delay one’s sexual identification process. The limited range of social experiences may result in a low mentalization of the need, and, in consequence, a lack of its stimulation, which manifests itself, for instance, in a lower frequency of autoerotic behaviors among blind adolescent boys as compared to their nondisabled peers. Moreover, a lowered self-esteem and sense of interpersonal attractiveness relating to the lack of acceptance of one’s disability, awareness of being dependent on others, and negative reactions of people around which are based on false beliefs about blind people’s sexuality can also make it difficult to build close relationships and form emotional and sexual bonds. A review of studies on the sexuality of blind and visually impaired adolescents does not allow unambiguous conclusions to be drawn about the course of this group’s development. The data collected are generally descriptive in nature and do not fully reflect the specificity of sexual functioning in the whole population of adolescents with visual impairments as, frequently, the studies were conducted with small samples and did not take into account different types and severity of visual impairment. Also, discrepancies in the findings relating to individual aspects of psychosexual development may be due to differences in instruments used by researchers as well as to the sociocultural nature of the approach to sexuality that is specific to the country where the study was carried out.
How fast children with intelectual disabilities speak
Authors: Michalik Mirosław , Milewski Stanisław , Kaczorowska-Bray Katarzyna , Solak Anna
Published: February 2020

The article takes a position on speaking rates in people with intellectual disabilities, where speech tempo is a research category. It presents the findings of research on speech tempo in special school students with moderate and mild intellectual disabilities, which are compared to the results of a control group – nondisabled peers.
Students’ utterances were analyzed in terms of selected quantitative and qualitative aspects of speech. They included: the number of sounds used in a 30-second-long speech segment, the number of pauses, and also the percentage share of pauses in an utterance. To test research hypotheses, statistical analyses of the linguistic material collected were made with the use of the Student’s t-test, the non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test, and the Shapiro-Wilk test.
Inclusive education policy and assurance of the quality of learning for children with disabilities
Authors: Hang Le Thi Thuy
Published: February 2020

The article analyzes the educational situation of students with disabilities in Vietnam. The author reviews legal acts regarding inclusive education. He also presents research aiming to determine the preparation level of preschool and school teachers in four Vietnamese regions to work in inclusive education. The results of the survey were compared with data obtained through direct observation of teachers' work in inclusive settings. It turned out that the declared level of teachers' preparation for inclusive education did not coincide with their real competences. Teachers overstated their degree of preparation to work in inclusion with students with disabilities. The author formulates a number of recommendations that are intended to improve the quality of education for students with special educational needs in Vietnam.
Students with disabilities trapped in boredom
Authors: Ploch Leszek
Published: February 2020

The main aim of the article is to place the issue of boredom and idleness among students with disabilities during school education in a wide-ranging discussion. The author intends to point out the responsibility to identify boredom among students with disabilities and, in consequence, the need to adopt a strategy preventing this phenomenon. A thorough, systematic analysis of educational activities allows evaluation of their effectiveness and forms the basis for formulating principles to prevent all forms of boredom that condemns students to idleness, exclusion, marginalization, and loneliness. The article describes characteristics typical of boredom from the perspective of negative consequences students suffer as a result of neglect, tardiness, and disrespect from teachers. The author attempts to find optimal educational and therapeutic opportunities and, recognizing various limitations that lie inside and outside of the student, suggests a set of educational principles to prevent boredom among students as well as practical recommendations in this area for educators.
The environment of a prison school as described by imprisoned students
Authors: Jarzębińska Aneta
Published: February 2020

The article presents the findings of a survey that covered 52 male convicts - students of the Center for Continuing Education at the Correctional Facility in Stargard, a city in northwest Poland. It examined their perception of selected elements of the prison school’s environment. It determined how they described themselves as students and what characteristics and behaviors they ascribed to their teachers. They were also asked to estimate the resocialization value of instruction and suggest possible changes to be made to the school environment.
The survey showed that the respondents’ education followed a dubious course. Their main motivating factor for entering education at the prison school was their desire to gain new or additional qualifications as well as to leave the cell. The survey also showed that, first of all, it was a broad knowledge of the subject taught that the students attributed to their teachers. At the same time, they thought their teaching staff lacked the ability to stimulate motivation for change in students. In the respondents’ opinion, instruction turned out to be of moderate significance as compared to other means resocialization value is ascribed to. The students pointed to some deficiencies of the prison school environment. Their correction could translate into increased value of instruction in the prison. The too narrow and obsolete educational offer received the most negative feedback from the students. They had a lot of critical comments about the school’s infrastructure. They were particularly unhappy about school supplies, which they thought were too modest, and the lack of appropriate conditions for intellectual work in the cells.
Social and daily living orientation of students with a slight degree of intellectual disability - content and methodological aspect
Authors: Gladkaja Valentina
Published: February 2020

"Social and Daily Living Orientation" is the most important academic subject in the teaching of students with mild intellectual disabilities from the 1st to the 10th grade, directly aimed at preparing them for independent living. The quality of training in this subject largely depends on the teacher's awareness of the goal of the training and on the choice of correct methodology for conducting training sessions. The aim, objectives, and content of training in the field of social and daily living orientation are substantiated in the article. The author's approach to the selection of types of training sessions, the structure and methodology of lessons are presented. Special conditions for conducting lessons are described.
Teaching styles used by teachers in special and integrated schools
Authors: Rola Beata
Published: February 2020

School has a special role in developing social skills in students with mild intellectual disabilities. It is often the only place where important behaviors and competencies are shaped, and the teacher plays a key part in this process. In this paper, I analyzed teachers’ assessments of their teaching styles by comparing opinions of teachers in special middle schools and in integrated middle schools. These settings follow different educational paths and, consequently, different teaching styles might be used. In the study, I also took into consideration the location of settings (Warsaw and near Warsaw). I used the Teacher Behavior Questionnaire by Grzegorz Sędek (1995). It includes the following dimensions of teachers’ activities in class: encouraging curiosity and creativity, lack of control over the class, criticizing, pushing, demanding faithful reproduction, clarity of expression and movement, stimulating students’ initiative in class, visualization and concretization of the material, and reminding students of the need to learn.
The study covered 121 middle school teachers, including 56 teachers in special schools and 65 teachers in integrated schools. The majority of respondents were women (81%). Most of the teachers had 10 to 20 years of service (30%) and were appointed teachers (47%) or chartered teachers (47%). The frequency of behaviors was presented as a percentage analysis. I assumed that the 0–20% range means that the teachers declare that they never show a given behavior, the 21–40% range – that a given behavior is rarely displayed, the 41–60% range – that the teachers sometimes behave in a given way, and the 61–80% range reveals frequent behaviors. The results above 80% indicate a very high frequency of a given behavior.
Economic education – Children with slight intellectual disabilities on the road to adulthood
Authors: Kupisiewicz Małgorzata
Published: February 2020

The article presents the issue of children and adolescents with slight intellectual disabilities acquiring basic economic skills. Their taking on the roles of the participants of socioeconomic reality in adulthood requires training in an area that is neglected in school and home education. In the contemporary world, preparing a conscious consumer and participant of the economy, starting from the earliest age, becomes one of the most important tasks of education. That is why the economic education/socialization of children with slight intellectual disabilities should start early – from gradually introducing them into the world of a small household economy in the family and educational interventions at school. The article provides both a definition and a short description of the economic socialization of children; it also presents study findings regarding the understanding of the monetary system by children with intellectual disabilities and their ability to count money in buy/sell situations as well as findings and educational guidelines on the economic education of children with intellectual disabilities, including parents’ role in teaching children to manage their pocket money in a rational way.
Factors that hamper the sexual life of women with motor disabilities
Authors: Gabryś Agnieszka
Published: February 2020

The sexuality of women with disabilities is an issue that still requires exploration despite the growing interest of researchers and clinicians in the topic. The focus of the deliberations is on analysis of factors that hamper the sexual life of women with motor disabilities. This phenomenon is presented based on the findings of available studies and analyses. The following issues are described: stereotypes, myths, and prejudice concerning sexuality, sexual knowledge, sexual violence, body image, and sexual identity. Also, sexual health and medical counseling are analyzed.
A blind student with dyslexia - An overview of the problem
Authors: Gindrich Piotr Alfred
Published: February 2020

The basic purpose of this paper is to present selected theoretical and empirical facts concerning dyslexia, taking into account specific reading and spelling disorders experienced by the sighted and the blind who normally use a tactile writing system (braille) to read and write. The article’s content is focused on such key issues as: the terminology (a review of definitions), the symptomatology and etiology of dyslexia. In the light of the collected qualitative data and empirical research findings, dyslexia is likely to occur in blind braille-reading and braille-writing students. The symptoms of dyslexia may be observable in both contracted and uncontracted braille. They may be linked to the phonological processing deficits. The causes of dyslexia in the blind population can be explained in line with the genetic conception and the magnocellular theory by Stein and colleagues. However, it is necessary to design more complex studies on braille dyslexia in the future.
Research on developing and utilizing a set of standards on the assurance of inclusive education quality for students with disabilities in general schools in Vietnam
Authors: Hai Xuan Nguyen
Published: February 2020

Although inclusive education has been implemented for over 20 years in Vietnam, the assurance of inclusive education quality for students with disabilities in general schools has not recognized either theoretical or practical perspectives. Little research has been done, focusing on just one or a few sides of this issue. Therefore, it is high time to do research on developing and utilizing a set of standards on the assurance of inclusive education quality for students with disabilities in general schools in Vietnam. The paper’s contents show some research results of a bilateral international cooperation project between Hanoi National University of Education, San Marcos University, and Missouri University (USA) from 2012 to 2016, in which the author of this paper was the project manager, and also refer to a number of related studies of other authors in the field. Based on the theoretical and practical results of the research, we have developed and suggested a set which includes eight criteria with 45 items to be used in general schools in Vietnam.
BIOLOGICAL RHYTHMS IN VEDANTIC MYSTICISM: THE EXAMPLE OF RAMAKRISHNA
Authors: Bradford David T.
Published: February 2020

This study is a process analysis of probably the longest reported mystical experience: the six-month nirvikalpa samadhi of the Indian saint Ramakrishna Paramahamsa (1836-1886). Throughout this period he participated in Brahman, which is understood in the Vedantic tradition of India as the blissful, intrinsically conscious substance of being. Ramakrishna cycled between the states aligned with Brahman’s saguna (manifest) and nirguna (unmanifest) aspects. He was insensate and cataleptic during the nirguna phase of mystical cycles. Liminal consciousness, ecstatic emotion, and visions of God characterized the saguna phase. The respective states are likened to the onset and the resolution of the Minimally Conscious State, the least severe form of coma. The temporal pattern of individual cycles is attributed to the Basic RestActivity Cycle, a fundamental biological rhythm. Yoga practices that may have contributed to the onset and continuation of samadhi are reviewed. Ramakrishna’s nirvikalpa samadhi incorporated two basic forms of mystical experience: union with the personal God, and transient probing of the undifferentiated ground of being. Other mystical experiences may have a cyclical structure and conform with a biological rhythm.
MENTAL IMAGERY PRACTICE AS A THERAPY FOR NAMING IMPAIRMENTS: A PRELIMINARY STUDY
Authors: Bhatnagar Subhash , Patek Bridget , Khan-Ansari Yasmeen , Bansal Naveen , Buckingham Hugh , Hacein-Bey Lotfi
Published: February 2020

Anomia remains one of the most recalcitrant linguistic disruptions in aphasia to treat. Developing successful interventions to address the word-finding deficits are complicated by the post-stroke symptom variability and inconsistent recovery patterns associated with anomia. Most of the current treatment methods, with a focus on specific compensating techniques and the repetitive practice of a limited set of items, have had variable success in naming treatment. However, it has not been possible to predict the gains in generalizing the learning beyond the stimuli used in practice or the controlled clinical setting. In this preliminary case study, we explore the value of a novel treatment concept, grounded in centuries of cognitive-perceptual exercises in mindfulness training. It incorporates the practice of mental imagery and focused attention to remedy the broken phonological assembly patterns found in word finding deficits. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential effectiveness of practicing the repeated activation of mental imagery of concrete objects as a therapeutic tool for repairing disorders of lexical retrieval in a subject with chronic moderate to severe word-finding deficits.

This trial treatment was used to assist a right-handed, 68-year old educated male with a two-and-a-half years post-onset chronic severe aphasia (anomic type) secondary to a left hemispheric infarct. Two five-week long training protocols involving common (typical) and uncommon (less typical) categories of pictured objects were used for treating anomia. The first trial involved the blocked presentation of stimuli; the second trial, undertaken a year after, included a random presentation of stimuli.

It was found that the impact was manifested in three ways: (1) an improved verbal naming of the treated objects; (2) retention of therapeutic gains by a successful generalization to untreated similar lexical items; and (3) importantly, serendipitous gains in the ability to concurrently write the names of the pictured objects. The post-treatment data on all blocked lexical trials, and some random lexical trials, were found to be significant on the Fisher’s exact test.

The use of the visual mental imagery-based therapy had a positive impact on the partial restoration of the subject’s naming.
NEUROLINGUISTIC AND ACOUSTIC STUDY OF LOGOPENIC PRIMARY PROGRESSIVE APHASIA IN ARABIC
Authors: Taiebine Mohamed , El Alaoui Faris Mustapha
Published: February 2020

The primary progressive aphasia (PPA) or Mesulam syndrome is an isolated and progressive deterioration of language, usually due to progressive focal atrophy of the left peri sylvian regions. Given that very little data on PPA is available in non-Western languages in the literature, we describe the first case of logopenic PPA in Arabic.

Neuropsychological, neuroimaging and linguistic protocol have been administered to the patient. The Neurolinguistic assessment was carried out with the Moroccan version of the Montreal-Toulouse linguistic exploration protocol, the apraxia of speech protocol, the Moroccan version of MLSE (Mini-Linguistic Status Examination); some subtests of the BDAE (Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination) while the computerized acoustic analysis was performed with Vocalab4 ™.

The acoustic analysis showed mainly instability in pitch and amplitude. However articulatory disruptions are very mild in our case. There is a parallelism between spoken language which is marked by phonological paraphasias with a „pseudostuttering „and written language disorder which displays a phonological alexia, a severe acalculia and an agraphia. Our pa tient presents L-PPA subtype 1 on the logopenic spectrum.

These results are consistent with the neuropsychological hypothesis of a dysfunction in phonological buffer reflecting the features of logopenic PPA. Furthermore, our case displayed atypical neurolinguistic patterns in comparison with other cases described in the European languages due to the Arabic specific linguistic structure.
Prevalence of Lower Limb Defects in Children in Chosen Kindergartens of the Łódź Agglomeration
Authors: Gołębiowska-Sosnowska Justyna , Synder Marek , Gołębiowski Piotr , Wojciechowska Klaudia , Niedzielski Jerzy
Published: February 2020

Background. Posture disorders not treated in early childhood may lead to serious diseases and dysfunctions later. The aim of the study was to assess the incidence of lower limb defects in pre-school children.
Material and methods. The study covered 513 children (252 girls and 261 boys) aged 4-6, in chosen kinder­gartens of the Łódź agglomeration . The child’s body posture was assessed using a visual method based on the Kasperczyk scoring scale in own modification.
Results. Foot defects occurred in the examined group with a frequency of 85.58% (439/513): in 4-year-olds: 82.59%, in 5- and 6-year-olds: 87.5%. Foot defects were more common in girls in the entire study group (86.9 vs. 84.29%), in 4-year-olds (87.88 vs. 77.45%) and 6-year-olds (88.89 vs. 86.25%), and in boys in the 5-year-olds group (91.14 vs. 83.95%). Defects of the knee joints, including varus and valgus knee, occurred in the study group with a frequency of 52.83% (271/513): in 4-year-olds: 56.72%, in 5-year-olds: 45.63% and in 6-year-olds: 55.26%. Defects were more frequent in girls in the entire study group (54.37 vs. 51.34) and in 4-year-olds (58.59 vs. 54.90%), and in boys in the 5-year-old group (50.63 vs. 40.74%). In the 6-year-olds group, the defects were statistically significantly more common in girls than boys (63.89 vs. 47.5%, p = 0.0442).
Conclusion. A high percentage of lower limb defects rate at more than half of the examined pre-school children population is disturbing and requires effective systemic action.
Evolution of the German concepts of military cooperation in Europe
Authors: Żurek Marek
Published: February 2020

Germany’s military cooperation with European partners is undertaken either within the European Union or outside its structures. The cooperation within the European Union takes place mainly on two levels: inter-governmental and supranational. The cooperation outside the EU is also focused on two levels: bilateral and multilateral. The author’s intention is to identify the direction of the evolution of the German concepts of military cooperation in Europe during the reign of Angela Merkel using a multi-level approach. Concepts co-created or co-implemented by Germany assume that strong and united Europe can counteract external threats by development of its own military component. It is clear, that there is conceptual asymmetry, that is why there are more intergovernmental concepts (military missions, PESCO, strengthened CSDP, EI2) than transnational concepts, from which we distinguish the only one, e.g. the concept of the European army. The influence on the evolution of the German concepts can have an integral federalism, which this country adheres to, and which was implemented after the Second World War into the political and administrative system, i.e. system based on multilevelness and cooperation of authorities, that has proved effective, so it can also be effective in multi-level military cooperation in the EU.
Legislative changes regarding unmanned flights as an opportunity for professional empowerment of persons with disabilities
Authors: Gregorski Mateusz
Published: February 2020

The turn of the 20th and 21st century was the time of flourishing of many modern technologies, among which was the popularisation of unmanned aviation in civil applications. This article aims to presentation of the genesis of this technology and the opportunities, which it offers in the context of people with disabilities. This paper is a synthesis of scholar literature of the research subject, legal regulations on international and national levels, as well as the author’s own reflections on the ways, in which drones can be used for the needs of people with disabilities in the context of contemporary law and its possible changes.
Energy security of the European Union – opportunities and challenges
Authors: Czapla Dominika
Published: February 2020

For many years, the future of energy has been one of the most important problems and challenges for both national and global policy making. It is related to the high responsibility of the energy sector for climate change on Earth, but also for caring about ensuring sufficient energy for the future generations. Thus, energy policy is an important pillar of maintaining, broadly understood as internal security of the country. The biggest challenge related to ensuring energy security of the European Union is the diversification of energy sources. Member States are trying to tackle this challenge in two ways. Firstly, through the development of renewable energy, and secondly, looking for new channels for the supply of non-renewable energy. The restructuring of the energy sector, which has taken place in recent years, in accordance with the guidelines of the European Union, aims to intensify the use of environmentally friendly renewable energy sources. Equally important is the construction of the Nord Stream 2 and Turk Steam gas pipelines, which has been ongoing for several years, which raises much controversy in the Member States. The article is an analysis of the opportunities and challenges facing the European Union related to ensuring stable energy supplies to European citizens.
Podemos and the conquest of the skies
Authors: Orella Martínez José Luis
Published: February 2020

The article deals with the establishment by several professors of the Complutense University of a leftist political movement. Its name is Podemos, and it is a political movement that emerged from 15-M movement, based on different groups of left-wing and claim struggle, and it inaugurated a platform, that had a strong role in shaping the Spanish left, assuming a plurinational, feminist, antimilitarist and favorable speech to the new Bolivarian left.
Contemporary migration and population situation in Poland on the background of the European Union
Authors: Hut Paweł , Szymeczek Józef
Published: February 2020

We are currently observing significant changes in the world’s population. Until World War II, we could see a constant increase in population in various parts of the world. Currently, in the selected countries of the eastern part of the EU, the population is decreasing, e.g. in Poland or Romania. Demographic indicators (fertility rate, mortality rate, migration rate) are affected by economic and social conditions. Various en masse pro-natalist policies are ineffective. EU societies are focused on expectations other than parenthood. These changes will require new actions by state authorities in the area of demography.