bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Medical Device Apps: An Introduction to Regulatory Affairs for Developers (Preprint)
Authors: Keutzer Lina , Simonsson Ulrika SH
Published: June 2020

UNSTRUCTURED

The Poly Implant Prothèse (PIP) scandal in France prompted a revision of the regulations regarding the marketing of medical devices. The new Medical Device Regulation (MDR [EU]) 2017/745 was developed and entered into force on May 25, 2017. After a transition period of 3 years, the regulations must be implemented in all EU and European Economic Area member states. The implementation of this regulation bears many changes for medical device development and marketing, including medical device software and mobile apps. Medical device development and marketing is a complex process by which manufacturers must keep many regulatory requirements and obligations in mind. The objective of this paper is to provide an introduction and overview of regulatory affairs for manufacturers that are new to the field of medical device software and apps with a specific focus on the new MDR, accompanying harmonized standards, and guidance documents from the European Commission. This work provides a concise overview of the qualification and classification of medical device software and apps, conformity assessment routes, technical documentation, clinical evaluation, the involvement of notified bodies, and the unique device identifier. Compared to the previous Medical Device Directive (MDD) 93/42/EEC, the MDR provides greater detail about the requirements for software qualification and classification. In particular, rule 11 sets specific rules for the classification of medical device software and will be described in this paper. In comparison to the previous MDD, the MDR is more stringent, especially regarding the classification of health apps and software. The implementation of the MDR in May 2020 and its interpretation by the authorities will demonstrate how app and software manufacturers as well as patients will be affected by the regulation.
Using Virtual Reality to Improve Apathy in Residential Aged Care: Mixed Methods Study (Preprint)
Authors: Saredakis Dimitrios , Keage Hannah AD , Corlis Megan , Loetscher Tobias
Published: June 2020

BACKGROUND

Apathy is a common symptom in neurological disorders, including dementia, and is associated with a faster rate of cognitive decline, reduced quality of life, and high caregiver burden. There is a lack of effective pharmacological treatments for apathy, and nonpharmacological interventions are a preferred first-line approach to treatment. Virtual reality (VR) using head-mounted displays (HMDs) is being successfully used in exposure- and distraction-based therapies; however, there is limited research on using HMDs for symptoms of neurological disorders.

OBJECTIVE

This feasibility study aimed to assess whether VR using HMDs could be used to deliver tailored reminiscence therapy and examine the willingness to participate, response rates to measures, time taken to create tailored content, and technical problems. In addition, this study aimed to explore the immediate effects between verbal fluency and apathy after exposure to VR.

METHODS

A mixed methods study was conducted in a sample of older adults residing in aged care, and 17 participants were recruited. Apathy was measured using the Apathy Evaluation Scale (AES), and verbal fluency was used as a proxy measure of improvements in apathy and debriefing interviews to assess feedback from participants. Side effects that can occur from using HMDs were also measured.

RESULTS

We recruited participants from a high socioeconomic status setting with a high education level, and the participation rate was 85% (17/20); most responses to measures were positive. Access to a wide range of freely available content and the absence of technical difficulties made the delivery of a VR reminiscence intervention highly feasible. Participants had improved semantic scores (t14=−3.27; P=.006) but not phonemic fluency scores (t14=0.55; P=.59) immediately after the intervention. Those with higher levels of apathy demonstrated the greatest cognitive improvements after a VR reminiscence experience, which was indicated by a strong positive relationship between the AES and semantic verbal fluency change scores postminus pre-VR (r=0.719; 95% CI 0.327 to 0.900; P=.003). All participants enjoyed the experience despite 35% (6/17) of participants experiencing temporary side effects.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides initial evidence that it is feasible to use VR with HMDs for therapy to treat symptoms of apathy in older adults in residential aged care. However, there is a need to closely monitor the side effects of HMD use in older adults. Further research is needed using an active control group to compare the use of VR with traditional forms of reminiscence therapy.
Stratification of Individual Symptoms of Contact Lens–Associated Dry Eye Using the iPhone App DryEyeRhythm: Crowdsourced Cross-Sectional Study (Preprint)
Authors: Inomata Takenori , Nakamura Masahiro , Iwagami Masao , Midorikawa-Inomata Akie , Sung Jaemyoung , Fujimoto Keiichi , Okumura Yuichi , Eguchi Atsuko , Iwata Nanami , Miura Maria , Fujio Kenta , Nagino Ken , Hori Satoshi , Tsubota Kazuo , Dana Reza , Murakami Akira
Published: June 2020

BACKGROUND

Discontinuation of contact lens use is mainly caused by contact lens–associated dry eye. It is crucial to delineate contact lens–associated dry eye's multifaceted nature to tailor treatment to each patient’s individual needs for future personalized medicine.

OBJECTIVE

This paper aims to quantify and stratify individual subjective symptoms of contact lens–associated dry eye and clarify its risk factors for future personalized medicine using the smartphone app DryEyeRhythm (Juntendo University).

METHODS

This cross-sectional study included iPhone (Apple Inc) users in Japan who downloaded DryEyeRhythm. DryEyeRhythm was used to collect medical big data related to contact lens–associated dry eye between November 2016 and January 2018. The main outcome measure was the incidence of contact lens–associated dry eye. Univariate and multivariate adjusted odds ratios of risk factors for contact lens–associated dry eye were determined by logistic regression analyses. The t-distributed Stochastic Neighbor Embedding algorithm was used to depict the stratification of subjective symptoms of contact lens–associated dry eye.

RESULTS

The records of 4454 individuals (median age 27.9 years, SD 12.6), including 2972 female participants (66.73%), who completed all surveys were included in this study. Among the included participants, 1844 (41.40%) were using contact lenses, and among those who used contact lenses, 1447 (78.47%) had contact lens–associated dry eye. Multivariate adjusted odds ratios of risk factors for contact lens–associated dry eye were as follows: younger age, 0.98 (95% CI 0.96-0.99); female sex, 1.53 (95% CI 1.05-2.24); hay fever, 1.38 (95% CI 1.10-1.74); mental illness other than depression or schizophrenia, 2.51 (95% CI 1.13-5.57); past diagnosis of dry eye, 2.21 (95% CI 1.63-2.99); extended screen exposure time >8 hours, 1.61 (95% CI 1.13-2.28); and smoking, 2.07 (95% CI 1.49-2.88). The t-distributed Stochastic Neighbor Embedding analysis visualized and stratified 14 groups based on the subjective symptoms of contact lens–associated dry eye.

CONCLUSIONS

This study identified and stratified individuals with contact lens–associated dry eye and its risk factors. Data on subjective symptoms of contact lens–associated dry eye could be used for prospective prevention of contact lens–associated dry eye progression.
Evaluating Course Completion, Appropriateness, and Burden in the Understanding Multiple Sclerosis Massive Open Online Course: Cohort Study (Preprint)
Authors: Claflin Suzi B , Campbell Julie A , Doherty Kathleen , Farrow Maree , Bessing Barnabas , Taylor Bruce V
Published: June 2020

BACKGROUND

Massive open online course (MOOC) research is an emerging field; to date, most research in this area has focused on participant engagement.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to evaluate both participant engagement and measures of satisfaction, appropriateness, and burden for a MOOC entitled Understanding Multiple Sclerosis (MS) among a cohort of 3518 international course participants.

METHODS

We assessed the association of key outcomes with participant education level, MS status, caregiver status, sex, and age using summary statistics, and 2-tailed t tests, and chi-square tests.

RESULTS

Of the 3518 study participants, 928 (26.37%) were people living with MS. Among the 2590 participants not living with MS, 862 (33.28%) identified as formal or informal caregivers. Our key findings were as follows: the course completion rate among study participants was 67.17% (2363/3518); the course was well received, with 96.97% (1502/1549) of participants satisfied, with an appropriate pitch and low burden (a mean of 2.2 hours engagement per week); people living with MS were less likely than those not living with MS to complete the course; and people with a recent diagnosis of MS, caregivers, and participants without a university education were more likely to apply the material by course completion.

CONCLUSIONS

The Understanding MS MOOC is fit for purpose; it presents information in a way that is readily understood by course participants and is applicable in their lives.
Development of A Pharmaceutical Early Warning Scoring Model for Cardiac Arrest Using Deep Learning: Retrospective Cohort Study (Preprint)
Authors: Chang Hsiao-Ko , Wang Hui-Chih , Huang Chih-Fen , Lai Feipei
Published: June 2020

BACKGROUND

In most of Taiwan’s medical institutions, congestion is a serious problem for emergency departments. Due to a lack of beds, patients spend more time in emergency retention zones, which make it difficult to detect cardiac arrest (CA).

OBJECTIVE

We seek to develop a pharmaceutical early warning model to predict cardiac arrest in emergency departments via drug classification and medical expert suggestion.

METHODS

We propose a new early warning score model for detecting cardiac arrest via pharmaceutical classification and by using a sliding window; we apply learning-based algorithms to time-series data for a Pharmaceutical Early Warning Scoring Model (PEWSM). By treating pharmaceutical features as a dynamic time-series factor for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) patients, we increase sensitivity, reduce false alarm rates and mortality, and increase the model’s accuracy. To evaluate the proposed model we use the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC).

RESULTS

Four important findings are as follows: (1) We identify the most important drug predictors: bits, and replenishers and regulators of water and electrolytes. The best AUROC of bits is 85%; that of replenishers and regulators of water and electrolytes is 86%. These two features are the most influential of the drug features in the task. (2) We verify feature selection, in which accounting for drugs improve the accuracy: In Task 1, the best AUROC of vital signs is 77%, and that of all features is 86%. In Task 2, the best AUROC of all features is 85%, which demonstrates that thus accounting for the drugs significantly affects prediction. (3) We use a better model: For traditional machine learning, this study adds a new AI technology: the long short-term memory (LSTM) model with the best time-series accuracy, comparable to the traditional random forest (RF) model; the two AUROC measures are 85%. (4) We determine whether the event can be predicted beforehand: The best classifier is still an RF model, in which the observational starting time is 4 hours before the CPR event. Although the accuracy is impaired, the predictive accuracy still reaches 70%. Therefore, we believe that CPR events can be predicted four hours before the event.

CONCLUSIONS

This paper uses a sliding window to account for dynamic time-series data consisting of the patient’s vital signs and drug injections. In a comparison with NEWS, we improve predictive accuracy via feature selection, which includes drugs as features. In addition, LSTM yields better performance with time-series data. The proposed PEWSM, which offers 4-hour predictions, is better than the National Early Warning Score (NEWS) in the literature. This also confirms that the doctor’s heuristic rules are consistent with the results found by machine learning algorithms.
Mathematical Modeling and Simulation of SIR Model for COVID2019 Epidemic Outbreak: A Case Study of India (Preprint)
Authors: Yadav Dr. Ramjeet Singh
Published: June 2020

UNSTRUCTURED

The present study discusses the spread of COVID2019 epidemic of India and its end by using SIR model. Here we have discussed about the spread of COVID2019 epidemic in great detail using Euler method. The Euler method is a method for solving the ordinary differential equations. The SIR model has the combination of three ordinary differential equations. In this study, we have used the data of COVID2019 Outbreak of India on 8 May, 2020. In this data, we have used 135710 susceptible cases, 54340 infectious cases and 1830 reward/removed cases for the initial level of experimental purpose. Data about a wide variety of infectious diseases has been analyzed with the help of SIR model. Therefore, this model has been already well tested for infectious diseases by various scientists and researchers. Using the data to the number of COVID2019 outbreak cases in India the results obtained from the analysis and simulation of this proposed SIR model showing that the COVID2019 epidemic cases increase for some time and there after this outbreak decrease. The results obtained from the SIR model also suggest that the Euler method can be used to predict transmission and prevent the COVID2019 epidemic in India. Finally, from this study, we have found that the outbreak of COVID2019 epidemic in India will be at its peak on 25 May 2020 and after that it will work slowly and on the verge of ending in the first or second week of August 2020.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT

RR2-10.1101/2020.05.15.20103077
Исследование влияния плотности упаковки аксонов на диффузию
Authors: Познанский О.П.
Published: June 2020

Диффузионно-взвешенная МРТ чувствительна к архитектуре биологической ткани на микрометровом масштабе. Исследование конкретных механизмов, лежащих в основе изменений в DW-MRI, может привести к введению новых диффузных контрастов, специфичных для конкретных процессов дегенерации белого вещества мозга. Мы разработали метод ренормализационной группы для изучения влияния большого диапазона микропараметров на коэффициент диффузии и применили его к различным видам тесселяций биологической ткани. Наш подход учитывает влияние беспорядка и позволяет количественно исследовать чувствительность коэффициента диффузии к изменениям доминирующего набора микропараметров.
Diffusion-weighted MRI (DW-MRI) is sensitive to biological tissue architecture on a micrometer scale. Determining whether it is possible to infer the specific mechanisms that underlie changes in DW-MRI could lead to new diffusion contrasts specific to particular brain white-matter degeneration processes. We have developed a renormalization group method in order to explore the effects of a large range of microparameters on apparent diffusion and have applied it to different kinds of biological tissue tessellations. Our approach takes the influence of disorder into the consideration and it allows quantitative investigation of the sensitivity of apparent diffusion to the variations of the dominant set of microparameters.
Раннее обнаружение вирусных инфекций с использованием твердотельных пьезокерамических биосенсоров
Authors: Яминский И.В. , Ахметова А.И. , Павлова М.А.
Published: June 2020

Раннее обнаружение возбудителей вирусных заболеваний является фундаментальной задачей современной биомедицины. Эффективное решение этой задачи особенно востребовано в условиях возникшей в настоящее время мировой коронавирусной пандемии. Вместе с тем и по ее окончании разработка новых и каждый раз более эффективных биосенсоров на вирусные инфекции будет продолжаться интенсивным образом. Вирусы – это попутчики человека в прошлом, настоящем и будущем.

The early detection of viral pathogens is a fundamental goal of modern biomedicine. An effective solution of this problem is especially in demand in the context of the current global coronavirus pandemic. At the same time, and upon its completion, the development of new and each time more effective biosensors for viral infections will continue in an intensive
manner. Viruses are human companions in the past, present and future.
¿Quién es esa científica? Una iniciativa didáctica para visibilizar la presencia de las mujeres en la ciencia
Authors: Edelsztein Valeria , Guastavino Florencia , Mileo Agostina
Published: June 2020

En este artículo se presenta el desarrollo y la implementación de una propuesta didáctica basada en un juego orientado a visibilizar la vida y obra de científicas argentinas. Enmarcado dentro la Ley de Educación Sexual Integral, surgió como una manera lúdica de suplir la ausencia de referentes en el currículo. La iniciativa, única en Argentina, involucró a 26 docentes y 802 estudiantes de entre 10 y 15 años de edad que lograron apropiarse de las representaciones de las científicas y reconocer investigadoras en su entorno cercano a partir del desarrollo áulico de la actividad.
Santos Dumont (2019)
Authors: Oliveira Bernardo
Published: June 2020

A série Santos Dumont aborda a história de um dos principais nomes e etapas da história da aviação. Em seis episódios de 60 minutos vemos a biografia do jovem milionário brasileiro que se consagrou na França com suas inovações e proezas, que lhe valeram vários prêmios e reconhecimento internacional. Se os balões sempre encantaram a população, o desenvolvimento de dirigíveis (infláveis equipados com motor e leme) e, logo em seguida, os desafios públicos para criação e apresentação de veículos voadores mais pesados que o ar, eram espetáculos que atraiam multidões e ganhavam as primeiras páginas dos jornais. Acompanhar essas cenas nos faz compreender como uma personalidade (sua motivações, receios, posturas) e suas relações sociais (familiares, amizades, trabalho e política) se entremeiam na história da tecnologia (desafios materiais, buscas de soluções, habilidades e dificuldades) e de suas representações públicas (significados, impactos, expectativas).
Analysis of Comparison of Islamic Banks with Online Micro In Disbursements of Micro-Financing Based on Requirements, Services Speed and Margin (Case Study of Micro-finance at Bank Mandiri Syariah and Micro Credit Uangteman.com)
Authors: Nugroho Lucky , Harnovinsah Harnovinsah , Putra Yananto Mihadi , Prinoti Prinoti
Published: June 2020

The dynamics of the use of digital technology in the industrial revolution era 4.0 has had an impact on the financial sector. One of them is the development of financial technology (fintech) in the form of online loan services. Furthermore, the flagship product from fintech is lending to micro and small entrepreneurs. Likewise, Islamic banks that have a focus on financing to micro and small entrepreneurs must be able to compete with fintech services in the era of the industrial revolution 4.0 that is happening at this time. The purpose of this study is to analyze the different mechanisms of micro-financing distribution between Bank Mandiri Syariah and microcredit UangTeman.com. The method used is qualitative, which is to compare the requirements, mechanisms, and margins imposed on the customers and the information obtained through secondary data, namely standard and operational procedures. Based on the results of the study, the requirements and procedures for granting loans to micro and small entrepreneurs at Bank Mandiri Syariah are longer compared to UangTeman.com. While the fines for late payment in installments and interest rates on UangTeman.com are higher than the fines and margins of Bank Mandiri Syariah micro-financing. Therefore to be able to improve products and services for micro and small entrepreneurs, Bank Mandiri Syariah conducts a review of business models and business
Editorial: Sustainable corporate governance
Authors: Ramiah Vikash
Published: June 2020

The publication of this issue during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has serious implications for businesses who are now struggling with their business continuation plans. The role of regulators, corporate governance, ethics, equity and equality, home entertainment, cost of debt and the banking industry plays an important role in costs optimization, competitiveness, profitability, corporate social responsibility, social welfare, employment, managing direct and indirect income losses, protecting physical assets and distribution facilities and maintaining price stability. In other words, businesses have to operate in a sustainable way to achieve the United Nations SDGs (good health, zero hunger, no poverty, decent work, industry innovation, clean sanitation, and responsible consumption and production). Although the published papers do not specifically address the pandemic, they touch on the key aspects that the business community is currently trying to solve provide a sufficient scholarly contribution to the previous fundamental papers by Megginson, de Andres, Brogi, and Govorun (2019), Kostyuk and Barros (2018), Guerra, Fischmann, and Machado Filho (2008), Del Brio, Maia-Ramires, and Perote (2006).
SUGAR MARKET IN POLAND IN THE CONTEXT OF THE SUPPORT OF AGRICULTURAL POLICY. CURRENT SITUATION, TRENDS AND PROJECTIONS
Authors: Borychowski Michał , Matuszczak Anna , Stępień Sebastian
Published: June 2020

The aim of the article is to present the situation of the sugar beet and sugar market in Poland in the context of changes to the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union, and to present prospects for the development of these markets until 2030. The authors prove that, due to the significance of these markets for the whole agricultural sector, an intervention policy regarding the sugar beet and sugar markets is crucial, which is indicated by various positive economic and environmental effects connected with the functioning of this sector. The necessity for intervention stems also from the observed volatility of production, prices and incomes. The spatial scope of the research encompasses the whole area of Poland by applying a regional approach in some analyses (voivodeships) and a comparison with the Member States of the EU. The analyses cover a period of over 20 years – from 1997/1998 to 2018/2019 – as well as a projection for 2030.
PROPERTY TAX POLICY OF RURAL AND URBAN-RURAL MUNICIPALITIES IN POLAND
Authors: Felis Paweł , Rosłaniec Henryk , Szlęzak-Matusewicz Joanna
Published: June 2020

The article presents research on the local property tax policy of rural and urban-rural municipalities in Poland. Various methods were used to investigate the data interdependencies of mathematical statistics (Pearson’s correlation test, Spearman’s correlation test and Pearson’s independence test). For direct data and coefficients, Pearson’s classic correlation was used. With regard to the processed, dichotomic and enumerated data (including the contingency tables), Spearman’s rank correlation was used. The study showed that the tax policy of the analysed municipalities was differentiated and could, under certain conditions, give rise to a positive upward tendency of incomes generated in property tax – which should be seen as an original contribution of work from the authors of this article.
FOOD SAFETY IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN USING BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY
Authors: Jarka Sławomir
Published: June 2020

The purpose of the article is to determine the importance of blockchain technology in food supply chain management. A practical reference to the adopted research aim was to indicate the usefulness of blockchain technology to build trust between food chain stakeholders. Research shows that the properties of blockchain technology can enable it to solve many problems and shortcomings of the current food production system. Its added value is primarily a significant increase in transparency of operations among all stakeholders using big data in all parts of the food chain.
RELATIONSHIP MARKETING AND ITS ROLE IN THE EXPERIENCE OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS
Authors: Omoruyi Trevor , Rembielak Grażyna
Published: June 2020

The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of the RM approach in the experience of international students in business schools within the UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The Relationship Marketing (RM) strategy has gained recognition over the years, especially within the last decade, which can be seen in the Higher Education (HE) sector. The HE sector has in recent times been highly competitive, especially in the global market. Despite this growth in competition, there has been little or no effort in the application of RM strategy by HE Institutions competing in the global marketplace for international students. The growing competition has been driven by the goal HEI’s have to internationalise and attract, recruit and retain the best international students. Higher Education Institutions have become aware of the contributions that international students bring to these institutions. Hence, efforts are geared towards retaining international students. This study considers the role of using RM with international students. The relevant data was collected from face-to-face semi-structured interviews and focus groups, which were conducted with university managers and international students across four universities in the UK. The study identifies several impacts of using RM on international students’ overall experience. It further highlights aspects of the RM approach that are more significant to international students’ experience. The study concluded that the RM approach positively affects international student experience if effectively developed and implemented.
THE ROLE OF MANAGERS IN IMPLEMENTING ETHICAL PRINCIPLES IN SELECTED ENTERPRISES OF THE WIELKOPOLSKIE VOIVODESHIP
Authors: Szymankowska Agnieszka
Published: June 2020

In companies, it is necessary to set boundaries and norms of conduct, to supervise their implementation, and to implement them consistently through the efforts of a manager who has an impact on the activities of his employees. The research goal is to identify employee views on the implementation of ethical principles in the company, as well as to define the role of a manager in this process. A hypothesis has been formulated: in the surveyed enterprises, managers apply ethical principles resulting from ethical codes binding in the company, known to everyone. The conclusions of the primary study on a group of employees forced the hypothesis to be rejected. They also showed that ethical principles are created based on a manager’s instructions or based on management/owner guidelines, and the ethical aspect is an important element of a good manager’s work. The application of appropriate rules may affect the functioning of the enterprise.
THE IMPORTANCE OF CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN THE ERA OF INTERNATIONALISATION OF SERVICE ENTERPRISES
Authors: Dąbrowska Anna , Fandrejewska Alicja
Published: June 2020

Moving an enterprise’s activity beyond the borders of its home country, under the conditions of expanding globalisation and European integration, creates a need to analyse the specific cultural conditionings of business activity as well as a need to deal with cultural diversity, because cultural differences affect business operations, including those activities consisting in providing services. The aim of the article is to draw attention to the importance of cultural differences in the era of internationalisation of service enterprises. The presented research findings point mainly to the difficulty arising from the broadly perceived language gap and the barriers resulting from misinterpretation of gestures and body language, and different behaviours, norms and standards in the working environment as well as stereotypes and prejudice. All the above factors influence business activity, building interpersonal business relations at various levels, and marketing activities such as product promotion.
BRANDING MISHAVINË CHEESE: A CONTRIBUTION OF THE RURAL ALBANIAN ECONOMY
Authors: Muca (Dashi) Etleva , Zene Katia
Published: June 2020

In Albania, the region of Kelmend is best known and valued for the Mishavinë cheese which is produced there. In this paper we analyse the farmers’ experience of origin-based cheese and being part of the Slow Food Presidium of products in Albania. The role of local producers is fundamental not only in continuing tradition but also for the social and economic impact it has on farmers in the area. The survey in this study was conducted with face-to-face interviews with producers of Mishavinë cheese. The type of survey used was a semi-closed questionnaire. A descriptive analysis was conducted to evaluate the main problems facing the local producers and their collaboration among the relevant stakeholders. As Mishavinë is part of Slow Food the Ark of Taste project, it has a great opportunity to bring producers and consumers together with the aim of regenerating this lost tradition.
DIFFERENTIATION OF HUMAN POTENTIAL QUALITY IN REGIONS OF UKRAINE: DEMOGRAPHIC AND HEALTH ASPECTS
Authors: Stepura Tetiana
Published: June 2020

This study describes a method for evaluating the quality of human potential within Ukraine’s current conditions, by looking at the demographic and valeologic (healthy living) component. This research was conducted on the basis of Ukraine’s regional data. In addition to measuring the level of quality development according to this component, the method aims to classify regions on its basis. Such classification is a justification for regional policies geared at human development and for distribution of resources by region. The study uses a discriminant analysis as well as some methods of taxonomic analysis. As a result of the analysis, Ukrainian regions were divided into four groups. The method applied in this research is universal and can be used to assess and classify regions according to other components of human potential quality, provided that relevant indicators are applied. It can also be approved and implemented in other countries because the statistical database is quite unified in terms of indicators that are included in the analysis.
HEALTH CARE FINANCING IN THE EUROPEAN UNION COUNTRIES – STRUCTURE AND CHANGES
Authors: Wielechowski Michał , Grzęda Łukasz
Published: June 2020

The aim of the paper was to present health care systems and assess the recent trend in health care expenditure in the European Union countries. The data source was the World Bank and European Statistical Office (Eurostat). The adopted research period covered the years 2000–2016, due to data availability. The methodology of the study was based on an analysis of data indicator series related to health care expenditure, which evaluate the national health care system performance. The research results were presented using primarily Japanese candlestick charting. The study showed that health care expenditure represented an ever-increasing burden for all the EU economies, both in absolute values and in relation to GDP. However, substantial differentiations in the amount and structure of health care expenditure were observed at the country level, having roots in the level of a country’s economic development and diverse post-war economic and political evolution. The analysis of health care expenditure structure confirmed that all three types of health care systems (Beveridge, Bismarck and mixed one) were observed in the EU, but the last one had a marginal importance. The form of system did not determine its effectiveness. On average, more than three-fourths of health care expenses were financed by general government expenditure. Out-of-pocket spending varied widely among the analysed EU member states.
Sustainable development and cross-disciplinary research education: Challenges and opportunities for learning
Authors: Mobjörk Malin , Berglund Camilla , Granberg Mikael , Johansson Magnus
Published: June 2020

It is widely accepted that cross-disciplinarity influences education in issues of sustainability and sustainable development. However, despite a large body of research on cross-disciplinarity, less attention has been given to how it shapes research education. Research education is a formative phase in a researcher’s intellectual development and this article considers the whole research education process, including both its formal and informal aspects. It explores this arena and builds on the experiences of PhD candidates engaged in research education characterised by cross-disciplinarity in the realm of sustainable development. Drawing on pedagogical research on socialisation, this article examines how research education is organised in four research milieus and the experiences of PhD candidates pursuing their education in these learning contexts. The aim is to provide insights into how these research milieus can facilitate future cross-disciplinary research education on sustainable development. The analysis finds that in research milieus that provide courses and seminars about cross-disciplinarity, PhD candidates are more confident in situating their own research. The engagement of senior staff and supervisors in these activities is also key to develop a conceptual apparatus and building the capacity to interact with different disciplines and practitioners. Furthermore, the findings show the importance of communicating about cross-disciplinarity throughout the research education process, starting when PhD candidates are recruited and supervisors are appointed.
UJI DAYA HAMBAT BERBAGAI KONSENTRASI PERASAN JERUK LEMON TERHADAP BAKTERI Propionibacterium acnes
Authors: Dewi Kadek Eliana Kesuma , Habibah Nur , Mastra Nyoman
Published: June 2020

Propionibacterium acnes merupakan salah satu bakteri yang menyebabkan terjadinya jerawat. Salah satu cara untuk mengatasi jerawat yaitu dengan memanfaatkan buah jeruk lemon. Beberapa penelitian terdahulu melaporkan bahwa jeruk lemon memiliki kandungan bahan aktif, antara lain karotenoid dan flavonoid Â yang memiliki aktivitas antibakteri. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui kemampuan daya hambat berbagai konsentrasi perasan jeruk lemon terhadap pertumbuhan bakteri Propionibacterium acnes. Penelitian ini merupakan eksperimen murni dengan rancangan penelitian Posttest Only Control Design menggunakan metode difusi cakram Kirby Bauer dengan enam konsentrasi perasan buah jeruk lemon Â yaitu 5, 12,5, 25, 50, 75, dan 100%. Kontrol kerja yang digunakan adalah kloramfenikol 30Âµg dan kontrol negatifnya adalah akuades steril. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa perasan buah jeruk lemon mampu menghambat pertumbuhan bakteri Propionibacterium acnes dengan rerata zona hambat berturut-turut yaitu sebesar 7,15; 9,20; 11,25; 12,50; 14,10 dan 16,90 mm dan termasuk ke dalam kategori zona hambat sedang dan kuat. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian yang diperoleh, dapat disimpulkan bahwa masing-masing konsentrasi perasan jeruk lemon memiliki kemampuan yang berbeda-beda terhadap pertumbuhan Propionibacterium acnes.
Considerações teológico-políticas sobre nudez, desnudamento e vida nua em Giorgio Agamben
Authors: Mori Geraldo Luiz De , Caixeta Davi Mendes
Published: June 2020

Este estudo busca compreender o sentido da nudez na perspectiva teológica e em seus desdobramentos na política, como desnudamento do ser humano, a nua corporeidade da vida. Recorre-se à interpretação de Giorgio Agamben sobre a teologia da veste de Erik Peterson, para o qual, com o pecado, o ser humano é despojado da veste de glória, apontando para seu desnudamento. Em seguida, aborda-se a questão da nudez no sentido biopolítico, ou seja, como vida nua, pondo em destaque a radicalidade da nua corporeidade do homo sacer, que se evidencia pela “matabilidade” e pela “insacrificabiliade” no espaço de exceção. À luz dessas considerações teológico-políticas sobre a nudez do ser humano, o texto busca tecer uma aproximação entre o desnudamento e a vida nua.
Differentiation of rural areas in Kainuu, Finland
Authors: Karjalainen Elli
Published: June 2020

The aim is to examine areal differences in development at the regional and local levels employing migration as the chief indicator. In order to obtain a classification of the municipalities and their internal structure a model for migration within a municipality is constructed, based on the notion that the relations between migration flows alter with time as the municipality or area concerned undergoes the processes of agglomeration of population and modernization. The material on which the survey is based consists of change of address registration data for those moving permanently, a total of 54,606 events applying to the rural municipalities of Kainuu in 1980—85. Areal units at a lower level are obtained by considering the land register villages and the built-up area — rural area dimension. Grouping analysis is used as the multivariate method for processing the data.
Educational expenditures in Finland up to the year 2030
Authors: Parkkinen Pekka
Published: June 2020

In this paper expenditures on education and their share to the gross domestic product (GDP) in Finland are estimated until 2030. The estimate of the number of pupils is based on the 1991 population prognosis made by the Central Statistical Office of Finland. The actual education expenditures per pupil has been calculated for different levels of education in 1980-1990. In the future only real labor costs per pupil are assumed to increase. They will increase at the average rate of the labor productivity growth in the economy. Other real costs (teaching materials, welfare services, administrative costs, etc.) per pupil are assumed to be constant during the prognosis period. Although the school age population will clearly diminish, the real education expenditures will increase by one thirds up to 2030 in Finland. However, at the same time the share of these expenditures to the GDP will decrease by two percentage points. On the other hand social expenditures in proportion to the GDP will increase very rapidly due to the aging population. Yet the growth rate of the public expenditures is expected to be only sligthly higher than the growth rate of the GDP.
Disability by occupation in Finland 1986-90
Authors: Pajunen Airi , Notkola Veijo , Leino-Arjas Päivi
Published: June 2020

The present paper describes differences in the standardized disability ratio between occupations in Finland in 1986-1990. Furthermore, it gives an overview of the relationship between occupational disability and mortality. The data are based on the 1985 census records in Finland linked with all disability pensions during the period 1986-1990. The study includes the entire male and female labor force aged 25-54 years in 1985. An indirect standardization method was used to calculate the standardized disability ratio for each occupation. Results indicated clear differences in disability by occupations for both men and women. Among both sexes, the manual workers occupations had higher standardized disability ratios and white-collar occupations had lower ratios than the entire labor force. The disability of male occupations correlated strongly with occupational mortality, whereas among women the correlation between mortality and disability was weaker.
Fertility in the northwest region of Namibia
Authors: Raitis Riikka
Published: June 2020

The aim of this paper is to examine fertility in the Northwest Region of Namibia and the effects the principal proximate determinants have on fertility. The main data sources are the 1991 Population and Housing Census and the Namibia Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) 1992. Indirect methods are used to estimate fertility, the Crude Birth Rate (CBR) and mortality on the basis of the census data and direct methods to calculate fertility from retrospective birth histories of NDHS data. The level of fertility is higher in the Northwest Region than in other regions of the country. The first principal proximate determinant, the marriage pattem, seems to sustain high fertility in the Northwest Region compared to the South and Central Regions, but not in respect to the Northeast Region. Postpartum insusceptibility is longer in the Northwest Region than in Namibia on average, but shorter than in the Northeast Region. The use of contraceptives is exceptionally low in the Northwest Region compared to the other regions. The ideal number of children is highest in the Northwest Region. The levels of infant and child mortality are relatively low in the Northwest Region and in Namibia on average.
Separations among Finnish women born between 1938-1967
Authors: Finnäs Fjalar
Published: June 2020

The study of dissolutions in Finland until 1989 confirms corresponding findings from other countries. Consensual unions and marriages preceded by consensual unions were less stable than direct marriages. We do not interpret this as a causal relation, but rather as an outcome of a selection process. The choice of type of union is an indicator of the general attitudes and norms with respect to family formation and divorces. Furthermore, it is no longer meaningful to classify the unions according to formal marital status at the entry into the union. At present less than one union out of ten is a direct marriage, and we should instead focus on the marital status at entry into parenthood.
Patterns of divorce risk in the 1970s and 1980s for Swedish women with gymnasium education
Authors: Ying Hong
Published: June 2020

This paper investigates the first-marriage divorce patterns of Swedish women with a gymnasium education. We have used a hazard regression model to investigate the impact of a number of variables on divorce risks. Our general findings are consistent with previous studies: divorce risks have a strong negative relationship with age at marriage and with parity, and those who have premarital children or are pregnant at marriage have higher divorce risks than those who do not. The divorce risk increased over the cohorts bom between 1948 and 1963. Important new findings are (i) that the risk of divorce varies with educational orientation, (ii) that within educational groups, women from an academic gymnasium have a lower divorce risk than those from a vocational gymnasium, (iii) that in each educational group, the risk varies inversely with the proportion of women employed.
Socioeconomic trends in differential mortality among middle-aged males in Norway 1960-1990
Authors: Borgan Jens-Kristian
Published: June 2020

This study is based on data from three censuses (1960, 1979, and 1980) linked to the cause of death statistics kept during a 10-year follow-up period subsequent to each census. Linkages have been made for each individual male aged 30-64 years at the time of the census, based on their Norwegian national personal identification numbers. Socioeconomic status categories are specified according to the Norwegian classification of socioeconomic status. The 10-year post-census follow-up periods have each been divided into two five-year periods, and mortality has been calculated for both, based on the subjects’ socioeconomic status at the outset of the 10-year period. The study showed a decrease in mortality for all socioeconomic status categories. However, the decrease was far more pronounced among mean-level and higher-level salaried employees than among unskilled workers, farmers and fishermen. An even larger socioeconomic gap appeared between the fates of mortality due to cardiovascular disease. There are indications that the gaps may be health- related, since workers’ mortality rate increased from the first to the second five-year period following a census, while the same pattern was not found for salaried employees.
Measuring acceptance? - Intermarriage levels as an indicator of tolerance in the Finnish context of integration
Authors: Ylänkö Maaria
Published: June 2020

Beyond surveys on racist prejudices there are always underlying assumptions about what are the worsening factors of rejection. The influence of these presuppositions on interpreting the results only comes up when an alternative approach is introduced. lt would seem that national traditions do have a role to play in this: the Anglo-Saxon approach of the Chicago School is marked by pragmatic interests on the mechanisms of rejection by racist motives. Especially the negative image of a Black person occupies a central methodological role. Elsewhere, within the Durkheimian tradition of French sociology; neither "race '' nor "ethnicity" has been accepted as the basic constructive unit of society. In other words, the ultimate source of social cohesion - and exciusion - cannot be reduced to an issue of "ethnic relations ". Therefore it is not enough to fix ones interest on measuring negative ''ethnic attitudes" and rejection without paying attention to the coexisting mechanisms of inclusion. The approach briefly introduced in this article stems from the Durkheimian tradition of sociology and anthropology of viewing the integration of immigrants as a gradual process towards assimilation or isolation, eventually segregation. The Durkheimian preference on assimilation is not understood within the Anglo-Saxon tradition of research which gives priority to respecting ethnic differences. As a new recipient country of immigrants from the Third World, Finland pro vides an example where the prospects of integration of immigrants at times show contradictory tendencies depending on what is examined: integration to the labour market may be difficult but there seems to exist no equivalent obstacle in Finnish attitudes towards intermarriage. The prospects of integration of stigmatised minorities is therefore also a matter of an ideological perspective.
The development of children and family policy in Estonia from 1945 to 2000
Authors: Mare Ainsaar
Published: June 2020

The paper gives an overview ofthe formation ofEstonian family policy in the periodfrom 1945 to 2000. Deeper analyses are dedicated to the most recent decade and to thefactors which have influenced family policy and the main objects of discussion. Forthat purpose statistics and interviews with policy makers are analysed. The paper comesto the conclusion that child and family policy carries traces ofhistory, different institutionsand traditions. Family policy has been classsified according to time period: 1945-1970, 1970-1990, and 1990 to present. The main characteristics of the most recentdecade's family policy include comparatively generous child benefits, a great dependencyof policy on political decisions, and the development of an initially plain andsimple children's and family policy towards a more complicated one.
Education and the division of household labor in dual-earner families
Authors: Anneli Miettinen
Published: June 2020

This article is the first report of a study on policies and the division of paid and unpaidwork in families in Finland. The article examines the division ofhousehold labor and itsdeterminants in Finnish dual-eamer families. The main objective is to examine whethereducation has any impact on the division ofunpaid work and men's participation in itcontrolling fr other variables. It was found, that among women, rising educationallevels, non-traditional attitudes and younger age cohort had a negative impact on timespent on housework, while among men only reduced time in employment and nontraditionalattitudes increased the contribution at home. While both men and womenwith higher education and non-traditional attitudes were more likely to perceive theirrelative division as more equal, an analysis of the absolute number of hours spent onhousework seems to support the notion that more equal distribution of tasks at home ismore or less a result of younger and educated women doing less housework. The datacomes from a survey conducted in 1998, in which 2,500 Finnish men and women werequestioned about time use, employment, attitudes about gender roles, work and family,andreconciliation ofwork and family. The Finnish study is part ofa Europeanresearchproject which studies the division oflabor in families in different cultural, political andsocietal settings.