bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effect of industry level characteristics and cross-country differences on earnings management: A European comparative perspective
Authors: Balios Dimitris , Katsikis Vasilios Nikolaos , Naoum Vasilios Christos , Zaroulea Theodora
Published: June 2024

The current study examines the direction and intensity of the earnings management phenomenon in the firms of four European countries. More specifically, a multiple regression analysis (panel data) is used to investigate firm-level, industry level, and cross-country differences due to different institutional and legal frameworks with respect to corporate governance. Employing a sample of United Kingdom (UK), German, French, and Italian firms for the period 2010–2019 we estimate the intensity of the earnings management phenomenon using, as a proxy, the magnitude of discretionary accruals. Two models were adopted to analyze the data, namely the modified Jones model (Dechow et al., 1995) and the model of Dechow and Dichev (2002) (DD), as modified by McNichols (2002). Our results indicate that Italian firms exhibit a greater degree of earnings management, followed by German, French, and UK firms. In particular, code law countries manipulate their earnings to a greater extent compared to common law countries (Jiang et al., 2018; Balios et al., 2020). Additionally, our empirical findings suggest that the phenomenon is more intense in competitive industry environments (Datta et al., 2013; Markarian & Santalo, 2014). Sensitivity tests indicate that both firm-specific characteristics and the regulatory framework of each country should be taken into account when assessing the earnings management phenomenon.
Educación que transforma la sociedad. Desafíos para el siglo XXI
Authors: Cordero Durango Leila Luz , Joven Cadena Luis Eduardo , Ríos Mejía Juan Felipe , Pájaro Castillo Pedro Pablo , Herrera Herrera Leonardo Fabio , Vergara Franco Fernando de Jesús , López Gallego David Antonio
Published: June 2024

El presente libro es un esbozo de los estudiantes del programa de Doctorado en Ciencias de la Educación de la Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira, cohorte XI, que cuestiona el proceso de construcción del conocimiento en el contexto colombiano. Consta de siete capítulos, siendo el primero una provocación para reflexionar sobre el impacto de la formación docente en el anhelo de alcanzar una educación de calidad, que forme individuos que aporten a la solución de la problemática social a partir de la educación emocional. El segundo, fija la mirada en la enseñanza situada como la posibilidad de estructurar un plan de formación permanente de docentes que se retroalimente a partir de la cosmovisión del estudiante. El tercero, propone bocetar, la interacción entre la educación, entes educativos focalizados, el engranaje gubernamental educativo, el ser humano aculturado y su consecuencia en la formación integral. En el cuarto se aprecia la relevancia de los procesos argumentativos y de la enseñanza de la argumentación orientados hacia el fortalecimiento de la formación ciudadana. El quinto cuestiona postulados racionalistas de la educación, analizando propuestas centradas en la emoción como principal insumo para apasionar el estudiante por el aprendizaje. En el sexto se propicia una discusión sobre nuestra responsabilidad en la formación de humanos por mecanos en el auge de la inteligencia artificial, elevando a gritos la necesidad de repensar los fines de la educación resaltando la ética, la emocionalidad, el pensamiento crítico, la creatividad y sensibilidad social. Cerrando con broche de oro el séptimo capítulo presenta diálogo que articula iniciativas metodológicas desde la concepción de cultura, interculturalidad y método, propiciando un desarrollo local del pensamiento y visiones globales integradoras a partir de lo que es relacionable en la diversidad.
An experimental investigation on the mechanical and wear responses of lightweight AlSi10Mg components produced by selective laser melting: Effects of building direction and test force
Authors: Han Mustafa , Kaşıkcıoğlu Savaş , Ergene Berkay , Atlıhan Gökmen , Bolat Çağın
Published: June 2024

Additive manufacturing (AM) technology is a game-changer that allows one to
produce parts with intricate geometry that have high specific strength
despite having low weight. In this study, the wear behavior of parts
produced with powder bed fusion at different building directions
(horizontal, inclined, and vertical) was examined under different test
forces (1, 5, and 10 N). Additionally, the mechanical properties of these
parts were determined using tensile tests and hardness evaluations. To
explore the deformation mechanism, macroscopic and microscopic observations
were carried out. The results showed that the horizontal samples exhibited
the highest tensile strength, elongation at break, and toughness values.
However, these samples also reflected the highest wear when subjected to a
10 N force. The friction coefficient values dropped depending on the rising
test forces for all printing angles. Groove-like damage marks stemming from
the ploughing style deformation were more remarkable on the sample surfaces
as the test force levels went up. Regional severe wear tracks, debris
fragments having an abrasive role, and discrete delamination states were
ascertained as probable reasons for the lowest wear endurance of the
horizontally built samples under the highest test load.
«Det handler om relasjonen til barna»:Relasjonsbygging som sentral målsetting og undervurdert aktivitet
Authors: Page Alexander Gamst
Published: June 2024

This article focuses on preservice teachers’ identity construction and how such identity construction is predicated on relation-building. The literature on the construction of professional teacher identity suggests that it occurs gradually over the course of their studies. In this study, we can see a general division between the job description of the teacher and the individual teacher’s ability to form relationships with their pupils. With this in mind, the question becomes: How is the construction of professional identity affected when relationships are central to a teacher’s formal duties? Thirty Norwegian preservice teachers participated in interviews for this study, wherein it became clear that their professional identities were so tied to pupil–teacher relationships that many were unable to reach a point where they could identify as teachers without having been assigned a class. Being able to form and maintain such relationships, and the underlying care for the pupils that they entail, ceases to be a desirable quality that a teacher should have, and becomes a necessary criterion that a teacher must have. In this way, building relationships becomes a central and defining goal for preservice teachers’ establishment of professional identity. It is surprising, therefore, that the competence required to establish relationships is not taken more seriously. Instead, the participants gave the impression that they expect relationships to come by themselves when they are given their own class.
«Fuggelmyra skole» – en fiktiv boltreplass for lærerstudentenes refleksjoner over teori og praksis
Authors: Kirkvold Lillian , Berge Åsa Dahl
Published: June 2024

“Fuggelmyra School” is a fictitious first class used in the coursework for the subject “Pedagogy and Student Knowledge” in primary and lower secondary teacher education. The fictitious class became a starting point for practical cases to help the teaching students reflect on theory and practice. Students assumed the role of “contact teacher” and followed the fictitious class throughout the school year. The cases were supplemented with theory, and reflections took place both individually and collectively. The research question is as follows: How did teaching students experience the use of the case-based teaching model “Fuggelmyra School” to link theory and practice? The results are based on an analysis of student evaluations after one semester. The students found the teaching model to be relevant to their future profession, where theory provides them with an extended framework for understanding. The practice-related cases gave them different theoretical perspectives and a greater understanding of the complexity of the field of practice, where concrete answers are rarely elicited.
Å skape teater digitalt «sammen alene» i global pandemi: en studie av lærerstudenters digitale estetiske læreprosess under covid-19-pandemien
Authors: Heide Anne-Lise , Pande-Rolfsen Marthe Sofie
Published: June 2024

With the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020, we had to make immediate changes when our teaching suddenly became fully digital. In a drama course in a Norwegian teacher education program, the students had to create a theater production digitally while isolated in different parts of the country. The circumstances inspired this study, in which we investigated the students’ experiences of the process of creating theatre digitally, particularly focusing on the aesthetic learning process. The study was designed as a qualitative case study with the following research question: What is the impact on the aesthetic learning process when students are compelled to create theatre digitally? Through analysis of the students’ reflection logs we found that there were three learning spaces that influenced their work: the co-creative space, the digital space, and the students’ personal (affective) space. Findings show that during the process, students experienced new possibilities and challenges within these three learning spaces. They gained new digital competence and created new ways of working in order to co-create and strengthen their sense of togetherness. Moreover, the students showed great empathy towards each other and the challenges they faced due to isolation. Nevertheless, they seemed to find it hard to provide constructive and critical responses to each other and to the theatre production they co-created digitally.
Documentation of Middle Miocene continental vertebrate fauna from Northern Hungary and the Visegrád Mountains
Authors: Hír János , Bíró Tamás , Karátson Dávid
Published: June 2024

Nineteen Middle Miocene (Badenian and Sarmatian) microvertebrate faunas were collected by the first author in quantities of several tons of samples in the Northern Hungary region and from the Visegrád Mountains in Transdanubia over the last two decades. Sample materials were washed and sieved using the sieve system of Daams & Freudenthal (1988). The study of these new faunas resulted in numerous taxonomic, paleobiogeographic and biochronologic conclusions (Hír 2020, Hír et al. 2016, 2017 and references therein), as well as lithostratigraphic and geochronologic results. The main purpose of this paper is to present and discuss the latter relationships.
Heteromorph ammonite Parapatoceras from the Lower Callovian of Villány, South Hungary
Authors: Galácz András
Published: June 2024

In the rich Middle Jurassic ammonite fauna of the famous ammonitic bank of Villány, South Hungary, recently a Parapatoceras specimen was found. This ammonite, a Callovian heteromorph, usually occurs in Callovian assemblages in Europe and elsewhere, however, the appearance in the Villány fauna, known on the basis of thousands of specimens and worked out in two classic monographs, seems to be a true rarity. The specimen is formally described, and previous records of Middle Jurassic heteromorph ammonites from Hungary are briefly summarized.
Egy elfelejtett nemzetközi folyóirat a Trianon utáni Magyarországon – a Palaeontologia Hungarica
Authors: Kázmér Miklós
Published: June 2024

A Palaeontologia Hungarica nevű nemzetközi őslénytani folyóirat 1921–1927 között jelent meg Magyaroszágon, neves nemzetközi szerzőgárdát felsorakoztatva. A szerkesztő, Majer István, a budapesti Pázmány Péter Tudományegyetem adjunktusa, társszerkesztői Nopcsa Ferenc paleontológus és Fejérváry Géza Gyula zoológus, mindkettő világhírű a maga szakterületén. Arra keressük a választ, hogy milyen igények hozták létre a folyóiratot, és milyen okok vezettek megszűnésére; hogyan jelenhetett meg a koldusszegény Magyarországon egy világszínvonalú tudományos folyóirat, ha csak rövid időre is.
Administrative legal entity of recipients of volunteer assistance
Authors: Gapon V. O.
Published: June 2024

The article analyzes the administrative legal personality of recipients of volunteer assistance in Ukraine. The concept of “administrative legal personality” was studied, which means the possibility of acquiring rights and obligations, as well as the ability to fully implement them. Attention is drawn to the fact that the elements of the administrative legal personality of recipients of volunteer activity are legal capacity (the right to receive volunteer assistance) and legal capacity (the possibility of actually receiving volunteer assistance). It was determined that administrative legal personality can be general or special, which depends on the specifics of the legal status and field of activity of recipients of volunteer aid.
It was determined that the main aspects of volunteering in Ukraine are regulated by the provisions of the Law “On Volunteering”. Separate norms of the specified legislative act were analyzed, as a result of which it was determined that the subjects of receiving volunteer aid in Ukraine are the following categories: physical and legal entities, territorial communities, bodies of state executive power and local self-government, specially authorized state institutions, the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other military formations.
The main attention is focused on the issues of administrative legal personality of individuals and legal entities as recipients of volunteer aid. It was concluded that foreigners and stateless persons have the same obligations as citizens of Ukraine, with the exception of cases specified by the Constitution of Ukraine. At the same time, such restrictions do not in any way extend to the possibility of receiving voluntary assistance by foreigners and stateless persons, since we are talking about ensuring natural human rights.
Summarizing the rights and obligations of recipients of volunteer assistance as a component of the administrative legal personality of individuals and legal entities, it was established that the following are the basic rights of recipients of volunteer assistance by the legislator: the right to receive volunteer assistance, respectful and humane treatment, information about rights, obligations and possible liability, as well as protection of one’s own interests. At the same time, the responsibilities of the recipients of volunteer assistance are to provide reliable information necessary for receiving such assistance, as well as the prohibition of creating risks for the health and life of volunteers.
Tactics of inspection of objects in criminal proceedings
Authors: Kovalenko A. V.
Published: June 2024

The article is dedicated to formulating tactical and organizational forensic recommendations for conducting inspection of objects in criminal proceedings. The author examines the essence of inspection as a procedural action and suggests defining the inspection of objects as an overt investigative (search) action, which involves the direct purposeful perception by an authorized person of the characteristics of a specific material object with the aim of obtaining or verifying information relevant to criminal proceedings.
The structure of object inspection comprises traditional preparatory, working, and final stages. Among the preparatory actions, the author lists familiarization with other materials of the criminal proceedings, defining the scope of the inspection, selecting the time and place for its conduct, determining the participants involved, and preparing necessary scientific and technical tools. At the general stage of the working phase of such an inspection, it is proposed to establish, describe, and document the general characteristics of the examined objects: their appearance, material, overall dimensional characteristics, weight, type, and designation, etc. At the detailed stage of the working phase, it is recommended to establish, describe, and document specific, individualizing characteristics of the inspected objects: dimensional characteristics, shape, material, color of each separate element; markings, inscriptions, and labeling; defects, damages, and overlay traces, etc. It is specified that at the final stage of the inspection of objects, the process and results are recorded, and the inspected items are packaged.
It is emphasized that the main form of documenting such procedural action is protocol drafting. Information to be included in the introductory, descriptive, and final parts of the protocol is provided. Standard annexes to the protocol include a printed photo table, computer data carriers with digital photographs and video recordings taken during the inspection.
Responsibility of a ship’s sailor for harm, life and health of a sailor
Authors: Danilova I. , Kuznichenko O. , Ribalchenko V.
Published: June 2024

More and more often, food issues arise due to concerns about the reduction of compensation for the time spent by the seafarer during the voyage on the ship. An important aspect of the possibility of obtaining compensation for damages to a healthy seafarer is the presence of obligatory contortions – the contingency may arise in connection with the compulsory medical conditions on the ship, and one of the compulsory documents for compulsory medical clearance. codes as a result of the time-consuming or repeated inconvenience Apparently, the Medical-Social Expert Commission, in which it was determined that Skoda was healthy on the ship at the hour when the sailor finished his obligations. In such a situation, the ship’s owner carried a financial burden of expenses, which resulted from a connection with painful celebrations, trival or complete unavailability.
One of the important factors is the reduction of compensation in the event of the death of a seafarer or the situation if the seafarer became unavailable during the voyage. In a situation where, as a result of the loss of labor obligations on a ship, a sailor dies on a ship due to a damaged health condition, his closest relatives are entitled to financial compensation. The donation is intended to support the level of life of the members of the sailor’s family, which they had before their death.
Regardless of the fact that such payments are usually transferred to seafarers’ employment contracts and collective agreements, the shipowner never pays them voluntarily. In such a situation, the sailor’s relatives are trying to claim the right to animal husbandry until the trial. In addition, if the shipmaster was found to be guilty of an accident that caused the death of a seaman, then the seaman’s relatives have the right to a reduction in compensation under the contract and under the contract in view of the seaman’s earnings, which he would have had to take away, and bring moral harm.
Regarding the problem of insurance of seafarers, the basic practice of insurance is that of a shipowner, but seafarers who are on a ship at the end of their work obligations are not covered by this insurance. Most often, the shipowner insures not the seaman himself, but his responsibility to the crew (P&I insurance). This means that if an injury occurs on a ship, a seafarer may seek compensation from the ship’s owner, rather than from the insurance company. If the shipowner pays the same compensation to the seaman, then the insurance company will pay the shipowner the same costs.
In connection with the provision of assistance to sailors who suffered harm during the voyage, and their families are often faced with this type of security such as the arrest of a ship. The arrest of a ship often leads to the beginning of the judicial process on the right, and in some cases it can lead to the arrest of the ship’s master by the sailors of their families and by reaching consensus on the basis of an effective mediation tool.
Open and distance learning: exploring stress among undergraduate students
Authors: Ustadi Yus Aznita , Mohd Zain Zarina , Yahya Nurul Nadia , Mohd Arifin Siti ‘Aliyah Najihah
Published: June 2024

The landscape of teaching and learning for higher education has long changed since the outbreak of pandemic COVID-19 in 2020. Open distance learning has gained significance prominence in the realm of education, offering flexible opportunities for learners to access educational content remotely. This study explores the factors contributing to stress in the context of open and distance learning. It delves into the multifaceted nature of stressors such as internet connection, learning process and environment of the study. The study adopts quantitative descriptive approach that aims to provide a detailed account of a particular phenomenon. Thus, in this study, questionnaires were disseminated online to students around the Klang Valley area. The analysis done onto 382 respondents revealed that three of the independent variables have a significant relationship with the dependent variable. In addition, it was also found that the highest impact of the factor contributing to stress among students during open and distance learning is environment of study. Students are found to be daunted by their study environment during ODL because they are distracted by being in a noisy environment. A harmonious environment is important in reducing the stress among students especially during open and distance learning.
Framing a personalized online tutorial instruction: cognition and metacognition considerations
Authors: Leow Min Hui
Published: June 2024

Current research interest in technology-driven learning instructions is acknowledged to have a specific emphasis on personalized learning. Since the twenty-first century teaching and learning strategies have shifted from student-centered learning to student-directed learning in a culture where technology is widely used. The development of online tutorials is one of the initiatives that addresses pandemic crisis. This study focuses on the investigation of online tutorials in a post-pandemic context which contributes to online learning modulation concerning personalized instructional design in Malaysian elementary schools. This study investigates the instructional personalization through learners’ cognition and metacognition practices when experiencing online tutorials, in order to discover learners’ learning needs and preferences. 14 learners (aged 9) from a Malaysian elementary school were included in this study. An observational and interview-based qualitative case study was adopted. Thematic analysis was employed to generate codes, categories, and themes. As a result, a personalized online tutorial instruction was framed by including the features such as freedom in task and activity selection and planning on the basis of explicit instructional goals, complexity of information input and capacity of resources or materials for different learners’ needs, suitability of task difficulty level for various learners, multiple intelligence consideration, and differentiated peer scaffolding and teacher feedback. This study draws attention to the significance of cognition and metacognition considerations to suggest online tutorial instruction that underpins personalization.
Mini review on the ethical use of AI bots in academic writing
Authors: John Kwong Siew Shia , Hussin Siti Nooraishah , Mohd Yusoff Rosmadi , Mohd Rocky Nik Ateerah Rasheeda , Mohd Nawi Mohd Nasrom , Syed Hussain Sharifah Salmah , Mohd Mutalip Siti Syairah
Published: June 2024

Academic writing is a specialised form of written communication that prioritizes accuracy and innovation to effectively convey knowledge. Internet bots, such as Grammarly, Quillbot, TextCortex, and ChatGPT, are commonly used to improve academic writing, particularly essays. However, AI bot-generated text has become a concern to educational institutions with academic integrity, as fabricated abstracts have been accepted through peer review processes. AI bots can generate texts, based on a given topic or keyword, leading to plagiarism accusations and misrepresentations of research findings. Researchers should always verify the accuracy and use of correct technical terms for their research write-up. Additionally, relying too heavily on AI-generated texts may result in a lack of creativity and originality, which is important in scientific writing and young scientist grooming. To address these ethical issues, OpenAI has developed a free tool called AI text Classifier13 to distinguish between AI-written and human-written texts. However, this tool has been described as an ‘imperfect tool’ by OpenAI, warning that it should not be used as a primary decision-making tool. Academic and research institutions must accept the revolution of generative AI tools in academic writing, as it is not sustainable to ban or deny it. AI tools can be efficient and time-saving for both lecturers and students, but acknowledging AI tools should be included in academic integrity policies. Additionally, institutions with current assessment methods based on written essays may need to change from accessing finished essays to assessing critical thinking through additional oral examinations.
DEVELOPMENT OF STRUCTURED STUDENT WORKSHEETS ON PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING MATERIAL LINEAR EQUATIONS WITH ONE VARIABLE
Authors: Rismarini Rani Yunita , Hariyani Sri , Pranyata Yuniar Ika Putri
Published: June 2024

This research was conducted because the effectiveness of using Student Worksheets (LKS) at the junior high school level is still inadequate. This research aims to develop structured worksheets for problem-based mathematics learning with material on linear equations in one variable that is valid, practical, and effective. This research refers to the ADDIE development model, which includes analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation. This worksheet is designed to guide seventh-grade junior high school students in understanding the basic concepts of linear equations in one variable, identifying the elements in the equation, mastering techniques for solving linear equations, and applying these concepts in real-world situations. The structured worksheets developed were tested according to the level of validity, practicality, and effectiveness. LKS validation is carried out by material substance experts and teaching material design experts. The practicality assessment was obtained from the results of the student response questionnaire. Assessment of the effectiveness of structured worksheets is obtained from the results of problem-based test questions. Structured worksheets contain student orientation to problems, organized learning activities, individual and group investigations, presentation of work results, as well as analysis and evaluation of the problem-solving process. Material substance validation showed a score of 3.819, which is very valid, while design validation showed a score of 3.70, which is very valid. The practicality test shows a score of 3.53, which is very practical, while the effectiveness test shows an average score of 77, which is very effective. Thus, structured worksheets used as tools in problem-based learning methods help students maximize their abilities in problem-solving. This research is important to carry out to facilitate teachers in providing worksheets that suit students' needs. By integrating these worksheets into classroom learning activities, it is hoped that they can help students solve mathematical problems, improve thinking patterns, and support more effective mathematics learning.
PENGEMBANGAN GAME EDUKASI “LINGED MATH” PADA MATERI LINGKARAN SMP
Authors: Nurbuono Mousthapaa , Kristiana Arika Indah , Hussen Saddam , Wihardjo Edy , Murtikusuma Randi Pratama
Published: June 2024

Educational games are games specifically designed with educational themes to get learning outcomes. This research develops an educational game "Linged Math" which is designed to make it easier for students to understand circle material, cirle material is one of the materials at the junior high school level which is difficult for students to understand. The purpose of this research is to develop educational game products based on pcgames use Construct 3 software to increase students' understanding of valid, practical, and effective circle material. This research model uses a 4-D development model, namely define, design, develop, and disseminate. This educational game was tested on class VIII students of SMPN 7 Jember. Data collection methods in this study used observation, tests, and user response questionnaires. The results of this study indicate that the level of validation of the educational game "Linged Math" from the validator is 3.84 so that it is categorized valid. The percentage of the practicality level of the educational game "Linged Math" from the results of the user response questionnaire was 86.25% which was categorized as very good. The level of effectiveness is obtained from the average N-Gain of the overall results of the student's pre-test and post-test of 0.77 so that it is categorized as high or effective. Based on the results of these data, the educational game "Linged Math" is said to be valid, practical, and effective.
PENGEMBANGAN GAME MULTIMEDIA INTERAKTIF UNTUK MENSTIMULASI KEMAMPUAN BERPIKIR SIMBOLIK TEMA BINATANG PADA ANAK USIA 5-6 TAHUN DI TK PERTIWI SIULAK MUKAI
Authors: Saputri Ofrima Eka , Sofyan Hendra , Muazzomi Nyimas
Published: June 2024

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengembangkan sebuah  media pembelajaran berupa game multimedia interaktif untuk menstimulasi kemampuan berpikir simbolik tema binatang pada anak usia 5-6 tahun di TK Pertiwi Siulak Mukai. Jenis penelitian ini adalah penelitian pengembangan (Research and Development). Model pengembangan yang digunakan adalah ADDIE. Metode pengumpulan data adalah kuesioner. Data diolah menggunakan analisis data kuantitatif dan data kualitatif. Subjek uji coba dari penelitian dilakukan pada para ahli dan validator. Penelitian diperlukan validasi dari tim ahli, yaitu 1 orang dosen ahli media dan 1 orang dosen ahli materi yang berasal dari dosen program studi PGPAUD FKIP Universitas Jambi dan 6 orang guru yang ada di TK Pertiwi Siulak Mukai. Berdasarkan hasil uji game multimedia interaktif dapat dilakukan melalui uji validitas. Hasil penelitian validasi materi mendapat persentase 87,5% (sangat baik) dan validasi media pada persentase 95,83% (sangat baik). Hasil uji terhadap respon guru diperoleh persentase 93,23% (sangat baik dan layak digunakan).
Cigarette smoking in young-adult workers: a cross-sectional analysis from Abruzzo, Italy
Authors: Chiatti Carlos , Chiadò Piat Simone , Federico Bruno , Capelli Giovanni , Di Stanislao Francesco , Di Giovanni Pamela , Schioppa Francesco , Manzoli Lamberto
Published: June 2024

Background: The “Valentino” cross-sectional study is aimed at evaluating the prevalence and pattern ofcigarette smoking according to occupational group in a representative sample of workers aged 18-35 yearsfrom Abruzzo, Italy.Methods: Randomly selected workers anonymously self-compiled a structured questionnaire containingvalidated items. Job type was coded according to the International Standard Classification of Occupations.Results: The sample consisted of 3989 workers. Current smoking prevalence was 45.9%, varying acrossoccupational groups and ranged from 37.2% among clerical support workers, up to 57.1% among craft,agricultural and fishery sector workers. After controlling for several potential confounders using logisticregression, craft, agricultural, forestry and fishery workers (adjusted odds ratio 1.65; 95% confidence intervals1.21-2.27), and call-center operators (1.91; 1.44-2.53) were significantly more likely to be current smokers thanprofessionals and clerical or support workers. Interestingly, when alcohol and cannabis use were included inmultivariate analysis, the association between smoking and gender was no longer significant.Conclusions: An independent association was found between specific occupational classes and tobaccosmoking, suggesting occupation type should be considered in prioritizing subsets of populations towardswhich smoking cessation campaigns should be targeted first.
Tobacco influence on the neonatal outcome
Authors: Zisovska Elizabeta , Lazarevska Liljana , Pehcevska Nevena , Tavcioska Gabriela
Published: June 2024

Background: Cigarette smoking, active or passive, is related to adverse perinatal outcomes, increased risk ofspontaneous abortions, preterm delivery, low birth weight, malformations, placenta previa, and abruption.It is also known to have adverse effects on the fetus and newborn, as well as affecting breastfeeding. Theliterature data gave the initial idea to identify some possibly smoking-influenced conditions on perinatal/neonatal outcome indicators.Patients and Methods: Newborns and their mothers admitted to Gynecology& Obstetric Clinic, Skopje,Macedonia were selected to participate in the study. The patients were divided into 3 groups: the first groupconsisted of newborns unexposed to tobacco smoke, the second group were newborns born to motherswho smoked more than 20 cigarettes per day, who did not try to quit smoking during the pregnancy, andthe third group were newborns born to the mothers who don’t smoke, but were in close contact with othersmokers (intensively exposed to the tobacco smoke).Methods used: epidemiological, clinical examinations,biochemical analysis and statistical analysis of the results.Our results clearly demonstrated that maternal smoking had a significant effect (p<0.01) on indictors forperinatal/neonatal outcomes such as: prematurity combined with low birth weight (3,3% vs 12% for the firstand second group respectively, and 3,3% vs 9,7% for the first and third group respectively), Apgar scores <6in the 5-th minute (5,3% vs 13,7% for the first and second group respectively, and 5,3% vs 12,7% for the firstand third group respectively), elevated NRBC (2,3% vs 14,7% for the first and second group respectively, and2,3% vs 12,7% for the first and third group respectively), and for pregnancy outcomes, anemia and prematurerupture of the amniotic sac membranes. The following indicators were also significantly affected (p<0.05) bymaternal smoking: respiratory distress, cord blood gases, prematurity rate, and for the pregnancy outcomeplacental abruption and anemia of pregnancy. There was also a statistically significant difference between theresults in the unexposed group and both exposed groups.Although smoking and tobacco cannot be considered unique factors influencing the worse perinatal/neonataloutcomes, our study suggests that cigarette smoking is the most frequent, and completely preventable riskfactor for adverse neonatal outcomes.
Prevalence of chlamydia and mycoplasm genital infections in women aged ≥ 20 years and < 20 years: a comparison between 2008 and 2010
Authors: Giovannini Massimo , Marino Katia , Tedeschi Diana , Canino Tommaso , Cappiello Giuseppina , Cava Maria Carmela , Spina Vincenzo
Published: June 2024

Background: Sexually transmitted infections represent a serious problem of public health. Chlamydia andMycoplasms infections are involved in the pathogenesis of female infertility and in other serious gynaecologicand obstetric or neonatal complications. This study aims to analyze the prevalence of these infections in adultwomen and teenagers and to evaluate variations between 2010 and 2008.Methods: Women of reproductive age, sexually active, regardless of symptoms, examined only once forChlamydia or, alternatively, for Mycoplasms vaginal/cervical infections, in 2008 (January-May) and in 2010(January-May), at the Sandro Pertini Hospital were considered. Chlamydia was detected using Polimerasechain reaction; Mycoplasms were detected through culture. Patients were divided into women aged <20years and ≥20 years. The Prevalence of Chlamydia and Mycoplasms infections was analyzed in both groupsand compared (X2 test).Results: In 2008, 20 (1.46%) out of 1369 of this hospital’s patients aged ≥20 years versus 0 (0%) of 33 aged<20 years had Chlamydia infection. In 2010, the prevalence of Chlamydia infection was significantly higherin women <20 years old than in adult patients (10.3% versus 1.50%) (P = 0.0002). In 2008, 497 (36.9%)of the 1346 adult women and 7 (28%) of 25 patients <20 years old had Mycoplasms infection. In 2010, theprevalence of Mycoplasms infection was significantly higher in women under 20 years (56%) than in adultpatients (34.8%) (P = 0.027). The prevalence of Mycoplasms infection amongst women aged <20 years wassignificantly higher in 2010 than in 2008 (P = 0.045).Conclusions: We observed an increased prevalence of Chlamydia and Mycoplasms infections in womenaged <20 years in 2010 as compared with 2008, but only few of young women were undergoing clinicalexaminations. Sexual education and access to clinical services should be promoted in order to achieve controlof sexually transmitted infections.
The Istanbul declaration for global health
Authors: Buss Paulo M.
Published: June 2024

More than 2,300 public health professionals from around the world attended the 12th World Public Health Congress, in Istanbul, between April 27th and May 1st, 2009. Participants from 120 countries from all corners of the globe advocated for different disciplines and composed an eclectic and propitious audience for a profound discussion on the part each individual – as well as national associations, at the country level, and the Federation, at the global level – plays in facing the challenges currently posed to the field of Public Health.
A historical laboratory in Rome
Authors: Bucci Roberto
Published: June 2024

Visitors who climb the austere stairs of the Giuseppe Sanarelli Institute, headquarters of the Public Health Sciences Department, in the University La Sapienza of Rome, may experience a strange feeling: the steps follow one another identically, yet each seems taller and more difficult than the last. It is as if, with every step, time reveals its stories, experiences; ever larger and harder to sustain. Following the corridor it is impossible not to pause and reflect upon the displays of memories and details belonging to the past. There is a constant sensation, almost tangible: it is as if each of the objects, so dense with memories, want to take you on a fantastic voyage to another time and place. Objects made of wood, copper and other materials that come from the past, filled with the scent of a world that no longer exists.
Appropriateness of admission and stay in obstetrics wards: a new tool assessing unnecessary days of hospital care
Authors: Poppa Giuseppina , La Torre Giuseppe , Mannocci Alice , Specchia Maria Lucia , Rabacchi Grace , Vaschetto Claudia , Bontempi Claudio , Ricciardi Walter , Boccia Antonio
Published: June 2024

Introduction: The Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol (AEP) is a widely used assessment tool that identifies and measures the inappropriateness variables of hospital healthcare related to unjustified admission and/or length of stay, however it does not apply specifically to gynaecology or obstetrics wards. Objectives of the study: The main objectives of the present study were to develop a new tool for the evaluation of the appropriateness of admission and hospital stay in obstetric settings; as well as to analyze the main determinants of inappropriate admission and days of hospital stay within all the units of the Pediatric Hospital “Regina Margherita” and the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Teaching Hospital “S.Anna” in Turin.
Methods: A multidisciplinary team of reviewers, composed of gynaecologists, paediatricians and obstetricians, was established and the appropriateness evaluation criteria, the operational handbook and the plan were all defined. Data were collected during the period between September and December 2005 and then put in an ad hoc database. Data analysis and evaluation were performed by univariate analysis (chisquare test) and multivariate analysis using a multiple logistic regression model. The level of significance was set at p<0.05.
Results: Out of 734 clinical records, 598 were considered for the study. The prevalence of inappropriateness of admission was 3.34%. The total number of examined days was 2888, 801 of which (27.74%) were considered to be inappropriate. The variables “place of residence” (÷²=6.272; p=0.0435) and “type of admission” (÷²=14.223; p<0.001) were significantly associated with the inappropriateness of the admission. Between the 2nd and the 8th day of hospital stay the percentage of inappropriate days exponentially increased (up to 56%). With regards to the quality of the clinical records almost all of them were characterized by the presence of anamnesis, objective exams, discharge letters, clinical diary entries and the signature of the responsible healthcare professional. Objective examination was often incomplete or partially complete or absent.
Conclusions: The proposed Obstetric AEP was demonstrated to be useful for the evaluation of the appropriateness of obstetric admissions and hospital stays, as well as the determinants for when these were inappropriate. This specific tool, in the future, could be used to monitor hospital usage and the allocation of resources related to this health care area
The Agro Pontino, climate change and malaria
Authors: Solimini Angelo Giuseppe , Bucci Roberto , Boccia Antonio
Published: June 2024

Recently in Italy a case of malaria was reported (November 2009). The patient was an Italian man of 44 years of age who had not travelled out of the country. The man apparently contracted malaria during a 2 weeks stay in August 2009 in a former malaria endemic area, the “Agro Pontino” (60-100 km South of Rome). Although confirmation of the Plasmodium species and the results of the epidemiological investigation undertaken by the Ministry of Health are still not available, the case seems unlikely to be linked with accidental contact of the patient with imported vectors or contaminated blood. This case raised concern over the possible recrudescence of malaria in Italy, especially in light of current and future climate change. Given the importance of the topic, this article will provide a brief review of the history of malaria in the Agro Pontino and the recent discussions that have appeared in scientific journals concerning the link between malaria and climate change.
The influenza pandemic and Europe: the social impact and public health response
Authors: Paget John
Published: June 2024

Influenza is unpredictable. It is a virus thatspreads globally and each season viruses emergewith different virological, clinical and epidemiological characteristics. Usually influenza affects 5-20% [1] of the population but sometimes a pandemic virus emerges which spreads on a worldwide scale and infects a larger proportion of the human population.On 11 June 2009 WHO announced that the world was confronted with a pandemic virus – pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus. This virus was first detected in two children in the United States in March 2009 but had its epidemiological origins in Mexico City in January-March 2009 [2]. The virusquickly spread to the US and Canada, and then further afield. In the European Union and EEA countries, there are currently 9453 cases and four deaths and globally there are now over 79,000 cases and 332 deaths (3 July 2009) [3].
Strategic orientation of public health in transition: challenges in Serbia
Authors: Bjegovic-Mikanovic Vesna , Vukovic Dejana , Santric-Milicevic Milena , Terzic Zorica , Sipetic-Grujicic Sandra
Published: June 2024

Strategic Management, Public Health Information, Public Health Legislation, as well as Public Health Trainingand Research are considered essential elements of a coherent public health strategy for Serbia, a republic ofthe former Yugoslavia.Whereas the strategic framework in Serbia is outlined in detail, which includes an action plan that is linkedwith local pilot initiatives, the information base is well developed but not yet sufficiently related to thestrategic objectives. The transformation of strategic considerations and information into meaningfullegislative acts stands at halfway and has to cope with a heritage of unrelated and dysfunctional laws. A bigstep forward was made with the establishment of a modern School of Public Health in Belgrade in 2004, whichacts as a brain-trust for the New Public Health in Serbia.The multi-professionalism at the Institutes of Public Health and the corresponding inter-disciplinarity at theacademic Schools of Public Health provide an adequate institutional environment if the resources of skills,knowledge and experience are adequately managed – in a participatory and supportive system representinga flat hierarchy.
Health policies in central and South Eastern Europe: challenges and chances
Authors: Hofmann Thomas D.
Published: June 2024

Background: Fundamental political changes in Central and South Eastern Europe in the aftermath of the fallof the iron curtain enter a new phase after accession of some countries to the EU.Methods: The article reviews and analyses current regional and international developments and factors,which are influential for health policies in the region. Special attention is given to collaboration – both oftechnical and of political nature – within the region and with international organizations and donors. Theresponse to international health policy frameworks and the impact of international health strategies is beinganalysed.Results: The results point towards common political and structural features in the countries of the region.Regional networks seem to be a very promising structure for health policy development. Despite the politicalwill, health care reforms still don’t show the expected results. The partnership with the EU is the mostinfluential one.Conclusions: Regional networks need to be transformed into regionally owned structures. It seems to becrucial to tackle informal parallel systems and to increase responsibility for health professionals. The need forreforms and the prospect of neighbouring and joining the EU create a unique momentum to develop ownhealth policies without international interference.
Public-health research: are there differences between northern, southern and eastern european countries? A perspective from national public health associations
Authors: Mannocci Alice , Ricciardi Walter , La Torre Giuseppe
Published: June 2024

Background: Research provides the important evidence base for public health practice. We sought to comparethe current support for public health research within European countries.Methods: Within a collaborative study SPHERE (Strengthening Public Health Research in Europe), wedeveloped an e-mail questionnaire and sent it to 93 representatives of national member associations of theEuropean Public Health Association. We compared the answers with reference to tree macro-areas: Northern,Southern and Eastern Europe.Results: We gained responses for 22 of the 39 European countries (56% country response rate). Currentpriorities at national level were: health service and patient safety for Northern Europe; infectious disease,health service and cardiovascular disease for Southern Europe; and food safety and nutrition, environmentaland occupational health for Eastern Europe. Respondents gave fewer priorities for international research. InNorthern Europe the priorities empathized were health promotion, prevention and education (26.3%)together the injuries and alcohol habits (26.3%); health economics, health impact assessment, evaluations ofservices and programmes in Southern and Eastern Europe respectively 30% and 41.7%.Conclusions: Support for public-health research differs across Europe, and barriers to undertaking betterresearch included structures and sufficient personnel. National public health associations and publicauthorities should cooperate in order to find effective answers to common problems