Creating a Scientific Solution: Local Problem Solving in the Portuguese Health Examination Survey: A Mixed Method Study

BackgroundParticipation rates in health surveys, recognized as an important quality dimension, have been declining over the years, which may affect representativeness and confidence in results. The Portuguese national health examination survey INSEF (2015) achieved a participation rate of 43.9%, which is in line with participation rates from other similar health examination surveys. The objective of this article is to describe strategies used by the local teams to increase participation rates and to solve practical survey problems.MethodsAfter a literature search, informal interviews were conducted with 14 public health officials from local health examination teams, regional and central authorities. 41 of the local staff members also filled in a short questionnaire anonymously. The interviews and self-administered questionnaires were analysed using mixed methods, informed by thematic analysis.ResultsThe local teams believed that the detailed manual, described as a "cookbook for making a health examination survey", made it possible to maintain high scientific standards while allowing for improvising solutions to problems in the local context. The quality of the manual, supported by a series of training workshops with the central research and support team, gave the teams the confidence and knowledge to implement local solutions. Motivation and cohesion within the local teams were among the goals of the training process. Local teams felt empowered by being given large responsibilities and worked hard to incite people to attend the examination through a close and persuasive approach.Local teams praised their INSA contacts for being available for assistance throughout the survey, and said they were inspired to try harder to reach participants to please their contacts for interpersonal reasons.ConclusionsThe theory of organizational improvisation or bricolage, which means using limited resources to solve problems, was useful to discuss and understand what took place during INSEF.A detailed manual covering standard procedures, continuous monitoring of the data collection and face-to-face workshops, including role-play, were vital to assure high scientific standards and high participation rates in this health examination survey. Close contacts between the central team and local focal points in all regions and all survey sites were key to accommodating unexpected challenges and innovative solutions.

Perceptions of Juche ideology by expats in North Korea: A qualitative study

The central research question of this qualitative study was: What are expatriate perceptions of North Korean (Juche) ideology? Other studies on Juche have examined Juche from religious, political, or missiological lenses. However, few qualitative studies have been done on this subject. While it is nearly impossible to conduct research with North Koreans living in North Korea, this study collected data from nine expatriates who had lived in North Korea around the time of the interviews. From the data, two major categories emerged: the foundational influences and function of Juche. The results indicate that the participants perceive Juche to be influenced by Korean culture, nationalism, and humanism, while the participants understand the function of Juche as a system of control, a religion, and an ideology.

Antibacterial Activity of Padikara Parpam against ESBL Producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae

Aims: To evaluate the antibacterial activity of Padikara Parpam against Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase (ESBL) producing Escherichia Coli and Klebsiella Pneumoniae using agar well diffusion method. To identify ESBL producing bacteria by phenotypic confirmatory test using disk diffusion method. Study Design: Analysis of Antibacterial activity of Padikara Parpam using agar well diffusion method. Place and Duration of Study: Central Research Laboratory, Meenakshi Academy of higher Education and Research, Chennai, between June 2021 and November 2021. Methodology: Clinical isolates of ESBL were isolated by subculture into MacConkey agar and was identified by phenotypic confirmatory test. Padikara parpam's antibacterial activity was evaluated using the Agar well diffusion method at different concentrations of 0.5 %, 1 %, 1.5 %, and 2 % drugs. 30 µg Cefotaxime and 30 µg amoxicillin-clavulanic acid disk were used as controls to standardize the antibacterial activity test and to identify the ESBL by phenotypic confirmatory test. Results: In this study, Padikara parpam at various doses of 0.5 %, 1 %, 1.5 %, and 2 %, revealed significant antibacterial efficacy against ESBL producing bacteria. Padikara parpam was more active against ESBL Escherichia coli than ESBL Klebsiella pneumoniae. As a result, it may be recommended as an antibacterial agent against ESBL. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that Siddha Herbo mineral formulations of padikara parpam hold phenomenal antimicrobial activity against ESBL producing bacteria. Based on our findings, the drug may be prescribed successfully for urinary tract infections, which is caused by ESBL producing bacteria.

Actual issues of staffing of primary health care by district paediatrician on the example of the region of the Russian Federation

Introduction. Eliminating the personnel shortage in medical institutions that provide primary health care (PHC) to children is one of the priority tasks of the state policy in healthcare. The purpose of the work was to assess the impact of changes in the system of training medical personnel and measures to provide primary care medical personnel, implemented in the Volgograd region, on the availability of PHC for children in 2016-2018. Material and methods. According to the data of Central Research Institute of Healthcare Organization and Informatization and Volgograd Regional Medical Information and Analytical Centre analyzed the indices of provision, staffing of district paediatricians, coefficients of concurrency and the level of availability of PHC to the children’s population. Results and discussion. The number of district paediatricians in medical institutions of the Volgograd region from the period 2016-2018 increased by only 46 people with the graduation of 356 specialists from Volgograd State Medical University, which led to a slight increase in the provision of district paediatricians. At the same time, the staffing rate for pediatric sites and the average number of visits per child decreased from 7.9 to 7.6 cases. The studied indices vary significantly in urban and rural medical institutions. There is a high proportion of pre-retirement and retirement age specialists in the village. Twenty-eight district paediatricians participated in training under the “Zemsky Doctor” program, but some left for various reasons. Conclusion. The presence of pronounced differences in the indicators of provision of paediatricians by district doctors in the number of visits per 1 child between cities and municipal districts indicates significant differences in the availability of medical care. It requires organizational measures to overcome this kind of inequality. Admission to work through the primary accreditation procedure in the speciality “Pediatrics” and the implementation of the program “Zemsky Doctor” have not significantly eliminated the personnel deficit at the primary level.

Ecofeminist Theology of Interdependence. A Constructive Theological Approach to Contemporary Environmental (in)Justice and Vulnerability

This article addresses the issue of social and environmental (in)justice through the lens of Christian ecofeminism and its ethic of interconnectedness and ecological responsibility for all of creation. Because ecofeminism connects the exploitation of women with the exploitation of creation (nature), I use the central research methodology of Christian ecofeminist hermeneutics to formulate a central research question: first, an analysis of Christian ecofeminism’s position on social and ecological (in)justice, then an analysis of the positive implications for Christian theology and for the pursuit of social and ecological justice. Although climate change disproportionately impacts female populations, in particular the reproductive health of poorer women, women are often excluded from environmental decision-making processes. Women around the world are already more affected by polluted air, limited access to clean water, and increased exposure to toxic chemicals, and climate change exacerbates these threats. Sensitivity to the impacts of climate change also provides women with a unique experiential knowledge that they can use to make an important contribution to efforts to increase climate resilience and sustainability, as well as to improve awareness and attitudes toward environmental issues and nature in the world’s religions. For ecofeminists, the environmental crisis is a reality, a threat, and a warning to modern humanity. Climate change, global warming, loss of biodiversity and other processes that are supposedly the result of pollution and long-term overuse and exploitation of natural resources are certainly a reflection and consequence of man’s global consumer-imperialist attitude towards nature.

The main stages of pharmaceutical development of emulgel “Probioskin”

The aim. To conduct research on the pharmaceutical development of a complex preparation with probiotic “Probioskin” in the form of an emulgel for the treatment of infectious and inflammatory dermatological diseases. Methods. Uniformity was determined by visual inspection of the test samples using an XSP-128 ULAB biological microscope. The study of the rheological properties of the samples was carried out using a Rheolab QC rheovisosimeter (Anton Paar, Austria) using a system of coaxial cylinders C-CC27 / SS. Microbiological studies and biotesting on a biological model of ciliates were carried out in aseptic conditions of a laminar box (biological safety cabinet AC2-4E1 “Esco”, Indonesia) of the Department of Biotechnology of the National University of Pharmacy (completely). Pharmacological studies (determination of the parameters of acute toxicity and anti-inflammatory properties on the model of acute exudative inflammation of the foot in rats caused by zymosan and carrageenan) were carried out on the basis of the Central Research Laboratory of the NUPh. Results. On the basis of the complex of the carried out studies, the composition of the complex preparation for skin use “Probioskin” was substantiated. The analysis of the microbiological purity of the developed agent during the proposed shelf life of 12 months showed that the drug meets the requirements of the State Pharmacopoeia Monograph for cutaneous application in terms of the level of microbial contamination by foreign microflora. The complex of pharmacological studies carried out indicates that the drug “Probioskin” can be attributed to group 6 of class and classified as a “relatively harmless” agent. The study of the anti-inflammatory effect of the drug indicates that the drug exhibits moderate anti-inflammatory properties. Under the condition of zymosan inflammation, which is associated with the activation of leukotrienes as inflammatory mediators, the average antiexudative activity of the drug is 33 %. The drug has a moderate antiexudative effect under the condition of carrageenan edema, which is evidence of its effect on exudation processes mediated by prostaglandins. The mean AEA of the study drug was 24 %. Conclusions. For the development of a soft preparation for skin use for the treatment of infectious and inflammatory dermatological diseases, the following components have been selected: active – lactobacilli, dexpanthenol, lactic acid; auxiliary - propylene glycol, peach oil, polysorbate-80, aristophlex, tocopherol, the concentration of which was substantiated on the basis of a complex of organoleptic, physicochemical, pharmacological, microbiological and biological studies. It has been experimentally established that the “Probioskin” emulgel meets the requirements of the SPhU in terms of the level of microbial contamination by extraneous microflora. Pharmacological studies allow the drug to be classified as “relatively harmless” with anti-inflammatory properties at a level not lower than the reference drug

Public librarians' perception of their professional role and the library's role in supporting the public sphere: a multi-country comparison

PurposeThe overarching aim of this article is to consider to what extent the perceptions of librarians in Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Norway, Poland and Sweden reflect a unified view of their professional role and the role of their institutions in supporting the formation of the public sphere and to what extent the variations reflect national contexts.Design/methodology/approachThe multi-country comparison is based on online questionnaires. The central research questions are how do librarians legitimize the use of public resources to uphold a public library service? How do librarians perceive the role of public libraries as public spaces? How do librarians perceive their professional role and the competencies needed for it? Consideration is given to how the digital and social turns are reflected in the responses.FindingsThe results show evidence of a unified professional culture with clear influences from national contexts. A key finding is that librarians see giving access as central for both legitimizing library services and for the library's role as a public sphere institution. Strong support is shown for the social turn in supporting the formation of the public sphere while the digital turn appears to be a future challenge; one of seemingly increased importance due to the pandemic.Research limitations/implicationsThis study shows that libraries across the seven countries have expanded beyond simply providing public access to their book-based collections and now serve as social, learning and creative spaces: both in the physical library and digitally. Qualitative research is needed concerning librarians' notions of public libraries and librarianship, which will provide a more in-depth understanding of the changing professional responsibilities and how public libraries recruit the associated competencies.Originality/valueThe article provides a much needed insight into how librarians perceive the role of public libraries in supporting the formation of the public sphere and democratic processes, as well as their own role.

Advisors’ Perceptions of the Value of Advising Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study at a South African University

Traditional advising responsibilities are shifting to include a holistic, learning-based and developmental approach that favours advising of the entire university experience. A dearth of systematic empirical evidence exists on advisors’ perceptions of the value of advising students during the COVID-19 pandemic in the South African context. The purpose of this study is to elucidate advisors’ perceptions of the complexity and challenges inherent in their responsibilities during the pandemic. This case study draws on a qualitative research design; it is based on semi-structured in-depth interviews undertaken with nine advisors in 2020. The central research questions posed in this study are: how do advisors describe their perceptions of their responsibilities within the COVID-19 pandemic, and how might these contribute to future practices? The findings indicate that advising during the pandemic has transcended the typical transactional dissemination of information to include addressing contextual environmental and resource challenges, social justice imperatives, emergency remote learning, asynchronous advising challenges and data-informed advising. These responsibilities have encompassed a holistic approach to advising and to getting to know students as ‘whole people’. Adjustments and transitions to emergency remote learning have highlighted social inequalities in access to data, to internet and electricity connectivity, which have served as impediments to students’ learning, and to educational experiences. Some home environments were not conducive to studying but necessitated doing household chores and herding cattle. The findings also indicate that an institution’s advising delivery model should enhance advisors’ abilities to perform their responsibilities. A network of cascaded responsibilities that incorporates greater involvement of lecturers in advising could contribute to a shared responsibility between lecturers and central, faculty and peer advisors. Insights gained may lead to a more nuanced understanding of advisors’ responsibilities as they relate to student learning and to the overall educational experience to promote retention and student success in a post-pandemic era.

Government and Household Expenditure on Education: The Role of Credit Constraint

Human capital accumulation is one of the most important factors of economic growth for both developed and developing nations. The central research question of this paper is to evaluate the tendency of household educational spending vis-à-vis government spending on education, given the household’s credit constraints. For this purpose, use annual data of 40 countries from 2004 to 2018 in this paper. The intensity of government and household expenditures on education is a more appropriate indicator to analyze the impact of human capital on economic development. This paper has applied the Fixed effect and the random effect model. The Panel Corrected Standard error (PCSEs) model to tackle the problem of heteroscedasticity, Serial Correlation of AR (1), and Cross-sectional dependence. For testing stationarity of the variables, the second generation panel unit root test is Im-Pesaran and Shin (IPS) Test at level and difference. As a robustness test, I estimated a VAR (3) and computed the Impulse response function using Cholesky decomposition along with a 95% confidence interval. The current study concludes that the causality runs from household expenditures (HEX) to government expenditure (GEX) on education directly and not the other way round. This paper also finds a negative contemporaneous relationship between GEX and NPL at the 5% significance level. This means that as households become more credit-constrained, the government tends to spend less on education.

Pandemic challenges and models of democracy

This article examines the impact of a pandemic on democratic societies. The central research question is the extent to which a pandemic can alter the trajectory of social and ethical democratic development nationally and internationally. Therefore, the article examines contemporary controversies in democratic society in the aftermath of a pandemic. The leading hypothesis is that the pandemic should reinforce the need for social solidarity, but it is unclear what political form this need will take: populism or deliberative/nonconsensual democracy.