bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of 12 weeks combined weight and chain versus combined weight and elastic band variable resistance training on upper and lower body muscular strength and endurance among untrained males in Iran
Authors: Kashiani Amir Bahram , Kim Geok Soh
Published: January 2020

Several studies have shown a positive association between variable resistance training and improvement of muscular performance. However, the most effective type of variable resistance training to improve muscular performance (such as; strength and endurance) in untrained individuals remains unclear. The objective of this research was to examine the effects of 12 weeks combined weight and chain versus combined weight and elastic band variable resistance training on muscular strength and endurance among untrained male adults. Fifty healthy untrained males (age: 21.5 ± 1.95 years) were randomly selected and assigned into three groups: combined weight and chain (WC), combined weight and elastic band (WE), and free-weight (CG). From week 1 until week 12 all groups trained with 3 to 4 sets of 8 - 12 repetitions with 70% to 80% of 1RM for 2 days per week. Approximately 65% of the resistance was provided by free-weights and 35% of the resistance was provided by chains and elastic bands for the WC and WE groups. Upper and lower body muscular strength and endurance using one-repetition maximum, and maximum repetitions were measured before, in the middle and after the intervention. Results reported there were significant increases in upper and lower body muscular strength and endurance in all groups in the middle and after the intervention (p < 0.05), and these variables increased more and faster significantly in WC and WE groups compared with CG group. Finally, although in the middle and after the intervention there were not significant differences in upper and lower body muscular strength and endurance between WE and WC groups (p > 0.05), the results showed WE variable resistance training had a better effect insignificantly to improve upper and lower body muscular strength and endurance in the middle and after 12 weeks of variable resistance training among untrained males.
Multicolor Flag Game (MFG) as an alternative learning for adaptive students
Authors: Sutaryono Sutaryono , Awang Irawan Fajar , Widya Permana Dhias Fajar
Published: January 2020

Physical education is the component can unify the cultures, languages, and nations. One of the current issues in the physical activity can be shown in the adaptive student. The purpose of this study was to facilitate the deaf student to get correct information and motivation to attending and joining physical activity in their class. Multicolor Flag Game (MFG) was a Research and Development model. The physical fitness elements are running back and forth, zig zag running, and running past the obstacles. Total participants in the trial and test I was 8 students, 10 students in trial and test phase II, and total 15 students used in the final test.  The results of trial and test in phase I showed two of three aspects were Very Good, but one aspect needs attention for the perfection of the results. Cognitive aspect showed 93%, affective aspect 94%, and psychomotor 83%. The result of trial and test phase II significantly different, cognitive aspect in the trial and test phase II was 96%, affective 94%, and psychomotor 87%. The percentage of final test in cognitive was 98%, affective 96%, and psychomotor 90%, and all aspects were in Very Good category. These Multicolor Flag Game makes the atmosphere being excited and help the deaf student attending and participating in physical education class without any reason. MFG can improve student learning outcomes in cognitive, affective, and psychomotor aspects. MFG also can be one of the solutions for the teacher to select the alternative game and may be used as a reference in teaching physical education.
Relative age effect in U-16 Asian Championship Soccer Tournament
Authors: K. Suppiah Pathmanathan , Fook Lee Jeffrey Low , Nor Azmi Abdul Muiz , Noordin Hasnol , Musa Rabiu Muazu
Published: January 2020

Athletes born at the beginning of the year may present the advantage of physical characteristics, motor ability or cognitive knowledge that could increase their chances for selection against their peers. This circumstance could lead to the over-representation of older athletes in an age-defined competition which is commonly referred to as relative age effect (RAE). Although, a number of studies have demonstrated that RAE is apparent in youth soccer, such studies barely investigates the performance advantage that may likely exists across the birth month of the athletes. The current study aims to determine the presence of RAE in the under 16 Asian Football Confederation Championship (AFC), investigate the effect of RAE on the team qualification success as well as ascertain the existence of RAE in the playing position amongst the soccer players. Data of the 2018 AFC under 16 qualifications matches were obtained from the AFC. A total of 719 players from 32 countries participated in the qualification competitions. Chi-square for goodness fit is used to determine the existence of the RAE across the players’ month of birth while logistic regression is applied to analyze the differences of the quartiles’ distribution with respect to the quartile, qualification status (qualifier or non-qualifier) as well as the playing position of the players. The results demonstrate the presence of RAE in the AFC under 16 soccer tournaments [χ2(4) = 21.53; p < 0.001] with the largest number of older players dominating the qualified team. Likewise, a substantial difference is observed with regards to the quartile and various playing position of the players p < 0.05.
Keberkesanan latihan fungsional jeda intensiti tinggi terhadap kecergasan aerobik pemain badminton remaja
Authors: Joummy Angelica Joanne , K. Suppiah Pathmanathan , Samsir Md. Safwan
Published: January 2020

Objektif utama kajian ini untuk mengukur keberkesanan latihan fungsional jeda intensiti tinggi terhadap kecergasan aerobik pemain badminton remaja. Seramai 16 orang peserta lelaki pemain badminton yang berumur 13-15 tahun telah menjalankan latihan intervensi selama 10 minggu. Semua peserta perlu menjalani ujian 20m Multistage Fitness untuk mengukur kadar pengambilan oksigen maksimum (VO2max). Peserta dibahagikan secara rawak kepada dua kumpulan, Eksperimen (n=8) dan Kawalan (n=8) berdasarkan keputusan penilaian kecergasan aerobik. Kumpulan Eksperimen akan melakukan latihan fungsional jeda intensiti tinggi manakala Kumpulan Kawalan akan melakukan latihan tradisional iaitu latihan rutin yang biasa dilaksanakan dalam program latihan mereka. Selepas latihan interval selama 10 minggu menunjukkan terdapat perbezaan yang signifikan kadar pengambilan oksigen maksimum (VO2max) antara kumpulan Eksperimen dan kumpulan Kawalan, F(1,14)=4.663, p= .049. Kesimpulannya, latihan fungsional jeda intensiti tinggi dapat meningkatkan kecergasan aerobik dalam kalangan pemain remaja badminton.
Development of wearable IoT-based front kicking's angle monitoring device
Authors: Jumadi Nur Anida , Chun Keat Ng , Anak Awos Cyprian
Published: January 2020

Kicking prowess is subjected to flexibility of leg. The coach is able to improve the athlete’s kicking competency if the leg flexibility is known. In this paper, a wearable leg flexibility-monitoring device using flex sensor and Internet of Things (IoT) platform has been successfully developed and tested. The Arduino NodeMCU microcontroller will process and convert the input received from the flex sensor and transmit the real time kicking angle and corresponding resistance data to the two main outputs; the ThingSpeak IoT platform and the LCD display for real monitoring. Thirty participants were recruited from two different backgrounds; silat athletes (n=20) and normal participants (n=10). The participants were distributed into six weight categories; (50-55 kg), (55-60 kg), (60-65 kg), (65-70 kg), (70-75 kg) and (75-80 kg). Based on the average angle measured from three trials, it can be observed that different participant presents different average and standard deviation of leg flexibility independently of weight category. Moreover, the background factor of the subjects involved did not greatly contribute in this research as the participant from normal background has the highest mean leg flexibility (73.89 ± 17.41°). This situation is probably due to no standard of kicking styles that had been set for all participants at the beginning of the experiment. Nonetheless, one conclusive remark that can be deduced from the findings is the flexibility of an individual is greatly influenced by body weight since (75-80 kg) weight category has achieved the lowest mean angle of kicking for both backgrounds; normal (14.00± 1.33°) and silat athlete (23.89± 6.44°) subjects. In the future, additional sensors such as accelerometer can be used to predict the stability of the body for better evaluation of leg flexibility.
Body image appearances in adolescents’ school going children
Authors: Khalili Marandi Pari , Salamudin Norlena
Published: January 2020

Abstract The key objective of this research was to analyse and understand the different effect of gender and age on body image appearance at age 12 and 15 years in both gender groups. In other word age and gender how influence on adolescents body image appearance. The sample chosen for this study was 1429 (710 boys and 719 girls) from primary and secondary schools in Tehran. To verify the body image used of questionnaire Body Image Concern Inventory (BICI) (Littleton 2005). The difference between body image appearance of boy and girl, between at age of 12 and 15 years, was analysed and compared using the SPSS version20 ANOVA test. The ranking of the four group samples was achieved by using mean of body image appearance. On analysing the data, it was indicated that there was a significant effect of age, gender and interaction of the variables on body image on boys and girls at the age of 12 and 15 years. The result reveals that in the same age category, boys were at a better level of body image appearance than girls. Also, the result revealed that the body image appearance level was better in the younger age category.
Prediksi Waktu Berakhirnya Gempabumi Susulan dengan Metode Omori, Mogi I, Mogi Ii, dan Utsu untuk Kejadian Gempabumi di Lebak, Banten: Tanggal 07 Juli 2018 – 17 Juli 2018
Authors: Permana Nanda Ridki
Published: January 2020

Gempa bumi susulan (aftershocks) merupakan  gempa yang terjadi setelah gempa bumi utama (mainshock) dengan magnitudo yang lebih kecil yang terjadi pada wilayah yang sama. Telah dilakukan penelitian tentang analisis prakiraan waktu berakhirnya gempa bumi susulan di Lebak, Banten pada tanggal 07 Juli 2018 – 17 Juli 2018 . Metode yang digunakan adalah metode Omori, Mogi I, Mogi II dan Utsu, dimana nilai-nilai konstanta dari persamaan tersebut ditentukan dengan metode Least Square. Data yang diolah merupakan data gempa bumi susulan yang tercatat dari BBMKG Wilayah II Ciputat,Tangerang Selatan. Pada penelitian ini digunakan kasus gempa yaitu gempa Lebak pada tanggal 07 Juli 2018 – 17 Juli 2018. Waktu berakhirnya gempa bumi susulan untuk gempa bumi Lebak yaitu pada hari ke-11. Hasil analisis menunjukkan bahwa gempa bumi di Lebak mempunyai tipe gempa yaitu adanya gempa bumi pendahuluan. Hasil perhitungan menunjukkan bahwa metode yang sesuai untuk memperkirakan waktu berakhirnya gempa bumi susulan di Lebak adalah metode Utsu. Hasil prakiraan untuk Metode Utsu lebih mendekati data aktual daripada metode lainnya. Semakin mendekati waktu (t) berakhirnya gempa bumi susulan maka akan semakin menurun frekuensi gempa n(t) susulan nya.
Pembuatan dan Karakterisasi Plastik Biodegradable Berbahan Dasar Ampas Ubi Kayu dan Kulit Udang
Authors: Astuti Adina Widi , Kusuma Hamdan Hadi , Kumila Biaunik Niski
Published: January 2020

Penelitian pemanfaatan fabrikasi plastik biodegradable telah dikembangkan karena bersifat ramah lingkungan dan terbarukan. Tujuan penelitian ini untuk membuat plastik biodegradable dengan filler berupa (kitosan dari limbah kulit udang dan tepung ampas ubi kayu dari limbah ampas ubi kayu) dengan penambahan sorbitol sebagai matrix, serta menganalisa menggunakan uji kuat tarik dengan standar ASTM D-638M, FTIR dan biodegradasi. Hasil penelitian ini didapatkan 4 sampel plastik biodegradable dengan variasi perbandingan komposisi massa filler (kitosan:tepung ampas ubi kayu) masing-masing sampel yaitu A (1,30: 0,70) gr, B (1,35: 0,65) gr, C (1,40: 0,60) gr dan D (1,45: 0,55) gr. Dari hasil uji sifat mekanik didapatkan nilai kuat tarik masing-masing sampel yaitu A (1,01±0,11) MPa, B (1,32±0,08) MPa, C (1,66±0,03) MPa dan D (1,97±0,06) MPa. Sedangkan nilai persen elongasi dari masing-masing sampel yaitu A (23,58 ± 1,39) %, B (16,67 ± 0,20) %, C (11,01 ± 1,32) % dan D (8,11 ± 0,72) %.  Sedangkan nilai persen elongasi dari masing-masing sampel yaitu A (22.89%), B (15.90%), C (10.56%) dan D (7.85%). Penambahan komposisi massa kitosan terbukti mampu meningkatkan nilai kuat tarik dan modulus young plastik biodegradable, namun untuk nilai persen elongasinya menurun. Uji FTIR menunjukkan bahwa di dalam plastik biodegradable terdapat gugus fungsi C-H, O-H, C≡C, C=N, C=C dan C-O yang merupakan gugus organik. Tingginya intensitas ikatan C≡C pada sampel dengan komposisi massa kitosan paling banyak menyebabkan ikatan lebih sukar merenggang/diputus, karena memiliki energi ikatan rata-rata yang tinggi, sehingga menambah nilai kuat tarik dan memperlambat proses biodegradasi.
Firearms Screening in the Pediatric Inpatient Setting
Authors: Monroe Kimberly K. , Fried Sarah Q. , Rubin Alexandra , Markman Lisa R. , Shefler Alanna , McCaffery Harlan , Arora Nonie S. , Osborn Rachel R. , Freundlich Katherine L. , Mychaliska Kerry P.
Published: January 2020

OBJECTIVES:

Firearm-related deaths remain a top cause of mortality in American children and adolescents. In a 2012 policy statement, the American Academy of Pediatrics urged pediatricians to incorporate questions about the availability of firearms into their patient history taking. We aim to evaluate the frequency of screening for home firearms in an academic tertiary-care hospital inpatient setting.

METHODS:

This retrospective chart review examined patients with the following pediatric diagnoses admitted to a tertiary-care pediatric hospital from 2006 to 2015: asthma, bronchiolitis, cellulitis, jaundice, single liveborn infant, bacterial and viral pneumonia, and all mood disorders. Data analysts then searched the patient charts that met these inclusion criteria for documentation of firearm screening as indicated by use of the terms “firearm,” “pistol,” “gun,” “handgun,” “bullet,” “ammunition,” or “rifle” in the admissions history and physical.

RESULTS:

Evidence of screening for firearms in the home was found in 1196 of the 40 658 charts included in the study (2.94%). The most frequently screened diagnosis and admitting service were mood disorders and child psychiatry, respectively (1159 of 3107; 37.3%). Only 19.8% of identified gun-owning families received specific anticipatory guidance.

CONCLUSIONS:

Firearm screening and gun safety education occurred infrequently in the inpatient setting. Inpatient encounters may provide an opportunity for increased screening and education because the hospital environment also includes additional resources, exposure to a greater number of providers, and the presence of more family members or caregivers. Further studies are warranted to explore barriers to inpatient screening and possible mechanisms for improvement.
Screening for Social Determinants of Health in Hospitalized Children
Authors: Schwartz Bryanna , Herrmann Lisa E. , Librizzi Jamie , Gayle Tamara , Waloff Kevin , Walsh Heather , Rucker Alexandra , Herrera Nicole , Bhansali Priti
Published: January 2020

OBJECTIVES:

Outpatient screening for social determinants of health (SDH) improves patient access to resources. However, no studies have examined if and how inpatient pediatric providers perform SDH screening. We aimed to identify inpatient pediatric provider screening practices for SDH, barriers to screening, and the acceptability of screening for hospitalized patients.

METHODS:

We conducted a multicenter descriptive study at 4 children’s hospitals surveying inpatient hospitalists and nurses on the general wards about their SDH screening practices. A survey instrument was developed on the basis of literature pertaining to SDH, content expert review, cognitive interviews, and survey piloting. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses are reported.

RESULTS:

Results from 146 hospitalists and 227 nurses were analyzed (58% and 26% response rate, respectively). Twenty-nine percent of hospitalists and 41% of nurses reported screening for ≥1 SDH frequently or with every hospitalized patient. Only 26% of hospitalists reported consistently communicating SDH needs with primary care providers. Most respondents (97% of hospitalists and 65% of nurses) reported they do not use a specific screening tool, and only 34% of hospitalists and 32% of nurses reported feeling competent screening for SDH. Lack of time, resources, and a standardized inpatient screening tool were reported as barriers to screening.

CONCLUSIONS:

Hospitalization provides an opportunity for SDH screening and connecting patients to resources; however, a minority of pediatric providers currently report screening. Professional development activities training inpatient providers in SDH screening, using a screening instrument, and communicating identified needs to primary care providers may improve the effectiveness of SDH screening in the hospital.
Identifying Modifiable Health Care Barriers to Improve Health Equity for Hospitalized Children
Authors: Lion K. Casey , Zhou Chuan , Ebel Beth E. , Penfold Robert B. , Mangione-Smith Rita
Published: January 2020

BACKGROUND:

Children from socially disadvantaged families experience worse hospital outcomes compared with other children. We sought to identify modifiable barriers to care to target for intervention.

METHODS:

We conducted a prospective cohort study of hospitalized children over 15 months. Caregivers completed a survey within 3 days of admission and 2 to 8 weeks after discharge to assess 10 reported barriers to care related to their interactions within the health care system (eg, not feeling like they have sufficient skills to navigate the system and experiencing marginalization). Associations between barriers and outcomes (30-day readmissions and length of stay) were assessed by using multivariable regression. Barriers associated with worse outcomes were then tested for associations with a cumulative social disadvantage score based on 5 family sociodemographic characteristics (eg, low income).

RESULTS:

Of eligible families, 61% (n = 3651) completed the admission survey; of those, 48% (n = 1734) completed follow-up. Nine of 10 barriers were associated with at least 1 worse hospital outcome. Of those, 4 were also positively associated with cumulative social disadvantage: perceiving the system as a barrier (adjusted β = 1.66; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02 to 2.30), skill barriers (β = 3.82; 95% CI 3.22 to 4.43), cultural distance (β = 1.75; 95% CI 1.36 to 2.15), and marginalization (β = .71; 95% CI 0.30 to 1.11). Low income had the most consistently strong association with reported barriers.

CONCLUSIONS:

System barriers, skill barriers, cultural distance, and marginalization were significantly associated with both worse hospital outcomes and social disadvantage, suggesting these are promising targets for intervention to decrease disparities for hospitalized children.
Preventability of 7-Day Versus 30-Day Readmissions at an Academic Children’s Hospital
Authors: Gardner Tiffany A. , Vaz Louise E. , Foster Byron A. , Wagner Tamara , Austin Jared P.
Published: January 2020

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:

The 30-day readmission rate is a common quality metric used by Medicare for adult patients. However, studies in pediatrics have shown lower readmission rates and potentially less preventability. Therefore, some question the utility of the 30-day readmission time frame in pediatrics. Our objective was to describe the characteristics of patients readmitted within 30 days of discharge over a 1-year period and determine the preventability of readmissions occurring 0 to 7 vs 8 to 30 days after discharge from a pediatric hospitalist service at an academic children’s hospital.

METHODS:

Retrospective chart review and hospital administrative data were used to gather medical characteristics, demographics, and process-level metrics for readmitted patients between July 1, 2015, and June 30, 2016. All readmissions were reviewed by 2 senior authors and assigned a preventability category. Subgroup analysis comparing preventability in 0-to-7– and 8-to-30–day readmissions groups was performed. Qualitative thematic analysis was performed on readmissions deemed preventable.

RESULTS:

Of 1523 discharges that occurred during the study period, 49 patients, with 65 distinct readmission encounters, were readmitted for an overall 30-day readmission rate of 4.3% (65 of 1523). Twenty-eight percent (9 of 32) of readmissions within 7 days of discharge and 12.1% (4 of 33) occurring 8 to 30 days after discharge were deemed potentially preventable (P = .13). Combined, the 30-day preventable readmission rate was 20% (13 of 65).

CONCLUSIONS:

We identified a possible association between preventability and time to readmission. If confirmed by larger studies, the 7-day, rather than 30-day, time frame may represent a better quality metric for readmitted pediatric patients.
Identification of Caregiver-Reported Social Risk Factors in Hospitalized Children
Authors: Vaz Louise E. , Wagner David V. , Ramsey Katrina L. , Jenisch Celeste , Austin Jared P. , Jungbauer Rebecca M. , Felder Kimberly , Vega-Juarez Raul , Gomez Mauricio , Koskela-Staples Natalie , Harris Michael A. , Zuckerman Katharine E.
Published: January 2020

OBJECTIVES:

Although health systems are increasingly moving toward addressing social determinants of health, social risk screening for hospitalized children is largely unexplored. We sought to determine if inpatient screening was feasible and describe the prevalence of social risk among children and caregivers, with special attention given to children with chronic conditions.

METHODS:

Caregivers of pediatric patients on the hospitalist service at a children’s hospital in the Pacific Northwest completed a social risk survey in 2017. This survey was used to capture items related to caregiver demographics; socioeconomic, psychosocial, and household risks; and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Charts were reviewed for child demographics and medical complexity. Results were tabulated as frequency distributions, and analyses compared the association of risk factors with a child’s medical complexity by using χ2 tests.

RESULTS:

A total of 265 out of 304 (87%) caregivers consented to participate. One in 3 families endorsed markers of financial stress (eg, difficulty paying for food, rent, or utilities). Forty percent experienced medical bill or insurance troubles. Caregiver mental health concerns were prevalent, affecting over one-third of all respondents. ACEs were also common, with 38% of children having at least 1 ACE. The presence of any ACE was more likely for children with chronic conditions than those without.

CONCLUSIONS:

We found that social risk screening in the inpatient setting was feasible; social risk was uniformly common and did not disproportionately affect those with chronic diseases. Knowing the prevalence of social risk may assist in appropriate alignment of interventions tiered by social complexity.
Nutritional Advancement in the Hospitalized Child After NPO: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Burek Alina G. , Liljestrom Tracey , Porada Kelsey , Matschull Lauren , Pan Amy , Havens Peter L. , Goday Praveen S.
Published: January 2020

OBJECTIVES:

A clear-liquid diet is commonly used after a nil per os (NPO) order in children recovering from acute gastrointestinal (GI) illnesses. Our purpose for this study was to compare outcomes in patients receiving a clear-liquid diet after an NPO order with outcomes in those receiving a regular diet.

METHODS:

In this retrospective cohort study, patients aged 1 to 18 years admitted to a tertiary care children’s hospital between 2016 and 2017 were screened to identify those who had an NPO order placed for acute GI illnesses. Patients with complex medical needs, a feeding disorder, or chronic GI disorders were excluded.

RESULTS:

Of 39 total patients, 17 (44%) received a clear-liquid diet after an NPO order. There was no difference in diet tolerance between patients receiving a clear-liquid diet and those receiving a regular diet on the basis of emesis in the first 12 hours (P = .40), pain scores after the first oral intake (P = .86), return to clear-liquid diet (P = .57), or return to NPO status (P > .99). Patients started on a clear-liquid diet had a longer length of stay (LOS) after diet initiation compared with those receiving a regular diet (median: 43.7 hours [interquartile range: 29.8–53.4] vs median: 20.8 hours [interquartile range 6.7–47.3]), both in the univariate analysis (P = .01) and after controlling for age, diagnosis category, and pain score before and after the first oral intake (P = .03).

CONCLUSIONS:

Patients transitioned to a clear-liquid diet after NPO status have a longer LOS after the first oral intake independent of patient age, diagnosis, and pretransition abdominal pain. Both groups had similar diet tolerance, suggesting that transition to a regular diet after NPO status may decrease LOS without significant adverse effects.
Educational Perspectives: Anesthesia 101: What the Neonatologist Needs to Know About Anesthesiology
Authors: Vinson Amy E. , Alrayashi Walid , Houck Constance S.
Published: January 2020

As the complexity of medicine increases, so too do the challenges with multidisciplinary communication and coordinated patient care. Anesthesiology represents a field for which there is no required study for medical students, pediatric residents, or neonatal-perinatal medicine fellows in the United States, so a neonatologist may have never received any formal training in anesthesiology (and vice versa for pediatric anesthesiologists in neonatology). In this review, we address frequently asked questions of neonatologists to anesthesiologists to better frame common issues. These topics include thermal regulation, fluid management, airway management, and the field of regional anesthesiology. Finally, collaborative efforts between the surgical and medical fields, such as the American College of Surgeons Children’s Surgery Verification Quality Improvement Program, and the American Academy of Pediatrics NICU Verification Program, are ongoing and robust; these programs represent important opportunities to significantly improve the perioperative care of infants. Our hope is that this summary can serve as a primer and reference for those caring for neonatal patients during any perioperative period, including seasoned neonatologists and those early in their training. It is our further desire that this review will lead to improved communication and collegiality between the specialties.
Thyroid Function During the Fetal and Neonatal Periods
Authors: Eng Liane , Lam Leslie
Published: January 2020

Thyroid hormones are essential during infancy and childhood for growth and brain development. The formation and maturation of the newborn’s hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis begin in utero with fetal dependence on maternal thyroid hormones early in the pregnancy. As the fetal thyroid gland begins to produce thyroid hormones in the second trimester, the reliance decreases and remains at lower levels until birth. After birth, the detachment from the placenta and the change in thermal environment lead to a rapid increase in circulating thyroid-stimulating hormone in the neonate within hours, resulting in subsequent increases in thyroxine and triiodothyronine concentrations. Preterm infants may have lower thyroxine concentrations because of an immature hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis at the time of birth and premature discontinuation of transference of maternal thyroid hormones. Similarly, infants with critical illness unrelated to the thyroid gland may have lower thyroxine levels. Infants born to mothers with Graves’ disease are at risk for hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, which is related to the placental transfer of maternal autoantibodies, as well as antithyroid medications. An understanding of the normal embryology and physiology of the fetal and neonatal thyroid will help in evaluating a newborn for thyroid disorders.
Virtual initiation of persons in late adulthood - from classroom/lesson education to gamification
Authors: Jurczyk-Romanowska Ewa
Published: January 2020

With the development of Information and Communication Technologies one can observe the phenomenon of e-exclusion of certain social groups. Among them there are the persons in late adulthood who for various reasons do not use computers or the internet. The causes of this can be located in the low financial status of this social group. At the same time, the argument is raised that the more important problem is the lack of motivation and the number of obstacles that seniors face in their access to ICT. The paper presents the conclusions from the research conducted with the Avec Association and the Games and Innovation in Education Research Team - Edutainment (Zespół Badawczy Gier i Innowacji w Edukacji - Edutainment). This encompasses, on the one hand, problems pertaining to seniors’ motivation, the obstacles that they face, their perception of the virtual world, and on the other, the description of the search for new educational methods that may make it possible to increase the effectiveness of computer skills training courses.
EMIGRATION SENTIMENT AMONG STUDENTS IN THE CONTEXT OF THEIR CIVIC IDENTITY
Authors: Petrovska Inga
Published: January 2020

This article presents the results of the study of students’ emigration sentiment peculiarities in the context of their civic identity. Various types of the students’ civic identity have been discovered, namely "protest", "uncertain", "patriotic". Protest and uncertain attitude to citizenship (potential emigrants) is associated with the level of psychological well-being of students, dissatisfaction with certain aspects of their life, especially professional and life prospects. Civil identification of students will acquire emotional and patriotic significance only if the state promotes socio-professional and personal fulfillment for the future experts.
Significant artifacts in schools: teacher and pupil perspectives
Authors: Kaire Sandra
Published: January 2020

Drawing on the recent research ‘Dominant and demotic school culture: analysis of tensions fields’ this paper analyses found artifacts in 6 different Lithuanian secondary schools. The visual data was collected by making images of places and artifacts which were mentioned during the walks in the school territory with one teacher and one pupil afterwards. The analysis of images focuses particularly on two aspects: a) which artifacts are significant for teachers and pupils in the schools? b)  What do these artifacts mean for teachers and pupils? Therefore, the analysis is based on comparing walks among teachers and pupils in all schools. The analysis shows obvious differences on re/presented artifacts among teachers and pupils. The teachers emphasized and showed those artifacts which on one way or another represent their schools’ achievements, like pupils’ sport achievements, pupils’ artworks, and honored pupils’ displays, and were related with aspects of pride. The paper argues the possible reasons for the importance of pride in schools. Meanwhile, pupils were highlighting spaces they like to gather around during non-learning time. Pupils appreciate less visible places because it is possible to have some privacy there. As analysis shows, different sitting artifacts (chairs, sofas, beanbags) play an important role for creating such private pupils’ ‘oases’. On the other hand, such artifacts, as pupils’ artworks, information displays, and sport achievements, seem to be meaningful for pupils if they were contributing in the creation process or were mentioned in these artifacts.
THROUGH THE (NOT SO) PINK GLASSES: GENDER BIAS IN INTIMATE RELATIONSHIPS
Authors: GROCHALSKA MONIKA
Published: January 2020

This article was written as part of the project funded by the National Science Centre allocated on the basis of the decision no DEC-2011/01/D/HS6/02470. It shows how social representations of intimate relationships are shared among women and where  they are  rooted. According to Serge Moscovici, social representations are systems of values, ideas and practices, which allow people in groups to understand each other. Thus women have such a  system, which is created through their entire life within the process of informal learning. During this processes some gender bias is imposed. This bias becomes a part of social representations of intimate relationships and influences practices of „being-in-relationship”. Those practices often do not fit  life situations, contributing to the deterioration of  women’s quality of life . All these processes are analysed on the basis of data taken from focus group interviews (FGI) with women. During interviews women often referred to some shared meanings, which constitute their social representations. Finally, these interviews show, that close relationships are highly affected by gender bias, thus they are full of misunderstandings and internal conflicts. The findings highlight the role played by the social representations in women’s subjective experience of their intimate relationships.
Different Perspectives on the Use of L1 inTeaching English to the Elderly
Authors: Słowik Agata
Published: January 2020

Own-language use has commonly been discouraged by language teachers worldwide ever since the Grammar Translation method gave place to other methods. In the last decade, however, there has been a visible shift in the use of mother tongue and, what is notable, an increasing number of methodologists have begun to point that the use of students’ mother tongue may in fact facilitate the process of learning. Despite the long awaited return of own-language use students’ learning preferences regarding the use of L1 are still often dismissed by teachers either due to lack of experience or to some reservations. Such attitudes may be especially harmful to a group which often demands own-language use in the classroom environment and which remains understudied – the elderly.            Therefore, the primary objective of the proposed paper is to highlight the differences between various teacher perceptions of whether or not own-language use does facilitate the process of older adult students’ learning and to collate them with older adult students’ own answers. The secondary objective is to present a possibly wide spectrum of various views reflecting the issues connected with the use of students’ own language and the related influence of teachers’ experiences and perceptions. The disparity between the answers provided by inexperienced teachers, experienced teachers and the elderly learners, especially while taking into account the use of students’ L1, is aimed at drawing some conclusions that may point to alternative directions in the future studies of own-language use in the classroom environment
Deafness in family relationships: a study on the interactions between mother, child and maternal grandmother
Authors: Barbosa Susana , Coelho Sónia , Branco Susana
Published: January 2020

This paper aims to identify the role of the maternal grandmother in the education of grandchildren, in a deafness context. We intend also to understand if the role of the deaf mother as the main educator element, is well defined in this family trio - deaf mother, child and maternal grandmother. So, our main goal was to comprehend the relationship between deaf mother and grandmother and if this relation respects the principles of mutual aid and cooperation. However, we also want to comprehend if this interaction, perhaps, jeopardizes the autonomy of the deaf mother who could be threatened because of the maternal grandmother’s behaviour.

               The qualitative study had the participation of six deaf mothers and we collected data through interviews in Portuguese sign language.

            Taking the parameters described, the results reveal that maternal grandmothers actually act like ´educator assistants` in the education of grandchildren. The role of main figure is ensured by deaf mother. It is still evident a change of attitude about the communication in Portuguese sign language by grandmothers, now they are more open-minded in using this language with their grandchildren but this situation did not occur with their daughters.
Universities with multicultural disrupted past: what meanings current students attribute to them?
Authors: Dobosh Olena
Published: January 2020

The changing of pre-war borders of Central and Eastern Europe after WW II caused not only belonging of certain territories to definite countries but also the massive forced relocation of population from those territories. The total change of the population in the multicultural cities affected also institutions, such as universities by changing their staff, language, and national profile.

Nowadays, when modern universities are facing post-modernity challenges it is extremely difficult to talk about role, mission, and meaning of this  institution, especially in the context of disrupted historical tradition. Look at the problem from the different perspective, from inside will show the tendencies of meanings  current students of the universities with long but disrupted historical past attribute to their Alma maters. Are they aware of the presence of representatives of different national groups that created university community before WW II?

This article will present results of three studies conducted at three universities that changed their national profile after WWII: Vilnius University in Lithuania (formerly a  Polish university), Lviv University in Ukraine (formerly  a Polish university) and Wrocław University in Poland (formerly a  German university). Both at Vilnius University and Lviv Universiy 150 university students participated in the study. At Wrocław University 152 university students participated in the study.  

The present analysis will try to explore the variety of meanings current students of those three universities attribute to their place of study. It will try to show if current students are aware of the university’s complex history and, if they include/exclude historical meanings connected with representatives of the different national group? Also, it will look at the possible differences between meaning attribution and perception of the university past among representatives of these three universities. Lviv, Wrocław, and Vilnius Universities had similar historical traces, but currently, they are developed in three different independent countries with different cultural and historical politics which might have an influence on the perception of the place’s past (Lewicka, 2011)
Teaching language and speech to students of stage acting (ADU in Zagreb and AGRFT in Ljubljana)
Authors: Zrinski Karolina Vrban , Milojević Nina Žavbi
Published: January 2020

In the article we describe the methods of teaching language and speech at the Academy of Dramatic Art in Zagreb (Croatia) and at the Academy of Theatre, Radio, Film and Television in Ljubljana (Slovenia). We start by describing how language and speech are taught as individual subjects, we present the trends in teaching language and speech and compare the teaching practices at both academies. The main part of the article intends to show the connection between theory and practice in teaching, which should result in a stronger connection between the scientific and artistic approach in teaching. The goal of comparing the teaching practices at both academies is to show the similarities and differences in teaching and to explicitly present models of teaching and models of assessing the speech of actors, which have proved to be indisputable according to the comparison.
Attracting Pupils and Students to Natural Sciences: Challenges in Higher Education on the Example of Science Learning Centre Bioskop Masaryk University (Brno, the Czech Republic)
Authors: Konečný Ondřej , Podhorná Alena , Hlaváčková Tereza , Novák Petr
Published: January 2020

Many universities in the Czech Republic lack students´ interest in the studies of natural science.  That is why all the universities have to come up with an idea how to popularize these scientific fields to attract potential university applicants.  One of the ways of achieving that is to create educational centres, which are able, thanks to these programmes, to approach students of primary and secondary schools and show them the natural sciences. The presented example of one particular educational centre (Bioskop Masaryk University, Brno, the Czech Republic) evaluates the success rate of their activities while using written questionnaire survey among the visitors of the programmes (students of primary and secondary schools as well as their pedagogues).  The results have shown that thanks to these activities the centre created quality conditions for popularization of natural sciences. The results have also proven the  centre´s ability to present natural sciences in an attractive and entertaining way to students of elementary and secondary schools. These students expressed their interest in the study of natural sciences and they would like to visit the centre again.
Analysis of fiscal competitiveness in Lithuania’s municipalities
Authors: Bajorūnienė Roberta , Rudytė Dalia , Skunčikienė Solveiga
Published: January 2020

Nowadays municipal revenue management and administrative issues are more important and problematic. It is noted that in Lithuania’s separate municipalities collected budget revenues, formed budget expenditure, set borrowing limits, allocated from the state budget financial resources (grants) are significantly different. In order to determine reasons for these differences, it is appropriate to analyze the municipal fiscal competitiveness and identify fiscal competitiveness factors of individual Lithuanian municipalities. Understanding municipal fiscal competitiveness factors helps to explain why some municipalities more successfully than others increase tax revenue level and financial - social opportunities of their populations.

This scientific article is funded by the Research Council of Lithuania according to the project „The evaluation of municipalities’ fiscal competitiveness in the context of economic growth” (2015-2018), registration No. MIP-013/2015.
Measures of science
Authors: Kobylarek Aleksander
Published: January 2020

The article presents two scientific cultures, which have different indicators and measures of scientific achievements. Community orientated culture is interested in building of the common area of ideas and it tries to unify glossary, methodology, rules and promotion of good practices. Scope directed cultures are inclusive and open for cooperation. Measures of science are totally different in both cultures- more unpredictable in the first case and very clear in the scope orientated scientific culture. For young scientists the closer community should be only a first stage in the long way to the scientific success. The article indicates virtual communities as a way for finding new possibilities of making science at the satisfactory level.
In search of transformative moments: Blending community building pursuits into lifelong learning experiences
Authors: Pstross Mikulas , Talmage Craig A. , Peterson C. Bjørn , Knopf Richard C.
Published: January 2020

This article presents an exploration of the relationship between community building and lifelong learning. Using a reflective style, the authors propose that the fusion of community building principles with lifelong learning practice can positively transform educational practice. Seven positive pursuits are highlighted regarding their potential to assist the implementation of community building into lifelong learning programs: (1) asset-based thinking; (2) critical reflection; (3) systems thinking; (4) cognitive vibrancy, (5) inclusiveness; (6) creative expression; and, (7) purpose in life. These pursuits draw upon the power of the community development field to bring about more positive transformative moments for individuals and communities participating in lifelong learning programs. The metaphor of bread making is used to illustrate how such transformative moments occur and why they are meaningful to individuals pursuing lifelong learning.
Challenges to prophylaxis in modern school
Authors: Śliwa Sławomir
Published: January 2020

The article concerns the challenges for the teachers who are engaged in preventative actions in the contemporary school. The author takes the issues relating to the problems faced by teachers implementing school prophylaxis programs.This problem was taken up in the study because during interviews and work with teachers the author noted that they are struggling with problems in constructing and implementing school prevention programs. Not every teacher knows what the standards for prophylaxis interventions are and how they are designed to build programs.The research was conducted using the diagnostic survey method, survey technique, questionnaire survey tool. The research group counted a total of 111 subjects.The goal of theoretical and cognitive research was to diagnose the problems teachers face when designing and implementing a school prophylaxis program. The practical and implementation objective was to develop recommendations for schools and municipalities in support of teachers who implement the school prophylaxis program.Research shows that respondents have the support to implement prophylaxis impacts at school, these activities are rather monitored and evaluated, the climate is conducive to school prophylaxis, and the programs are based on scientific basis. However, according to the educators, there are insufficient funds for prophylaxis, and they are rather low in their competence. In addition, teachers with work experience up to 5 years worse than others evaluate some areas related to prophylaxis.In the end there are shown also areas in which teachers feel the need to improve their competence in the field of prophylaxis.At the end are presented conclusions and practical recommendations for use in educational institutions, which implement programs in the field of universal prophylaxis.Keywords: prophylaxis, school prophylaxis program, competence of prophylaxis.