Modern Technologies and Transformation of Social Work Profession and Education: Insights of Teachers of the Lithuanian and Japanese Higher Education Institutions

This article explores the attitudes of Japanese and Lithuanian social work program teachers towards the challenges posed by modern technologies that may transform social work profession and studies. Study data revealed that scientists from both countries admit that “taming” technologies and optimally “cooperating” with them is the main challenge of social work practice and studies. On the one hand, belief that technological development will provide more opportunities to fulfil the mission of social work was prevalent among the study participants, on the other hand, they had expressed concern that eventually the use of technology will change the essence of social work as a profession of human relations or will create modified forms of social exclusion. Additionally, a niche for the new role of the social worker was identified: to help the world “occupied” by technology remain “social”. Attitudes of research participants from both Lithuania and Japan can be linked to traditional concept of sociality and vision of social work as profession that belongs exclusively to area of human relations. B. Latour’s asocial sociality concept can be applied for broader look into this situation. This concept states that efforts to trace the contribution of actors of an inhuman nature to what belongs in the human world may be more successful when one ceases to view the world exclusively through human eyes and tries to reveal the inner perspectives of phenomena of a mixed nature.

An Analytical Elastic Solution for Right-Angle Trapezoidal Opening in Steeply Inclined Coal Seam

In the process of underground mining, steeply inclined rocks or coal seams are often encountered, forming the openings of right-angle trapezoid. According to the geological conditions of a mining project in China, an analytical elastic solution of stress and displacement around right-angle trapezoidal opening in a homogeneous, isotropic, and linear elastic geomaterial is presented, which is based on the evaluation of the conformal mapping representation by an appropriate numerical calculation and the complex potential functions. The different results from other shaped openings are shown as follows. In a right-angle trapezoidal opening, the maximum displacements of roof falling occur on the low side, while the most horizontal displacements on the low side are around the roof and the most horizontal displacements on the high side are around the middle of the high side in this opening. These results are also compared with the numerical calculations in FLAC software, illustrating that the solution may be easily applied to rock mechanics or rock engineering for understanding the deformation of floor heave and roof falling down. The solution is also suitable for optimum design of bolt supporting in a right-angle trapezoidal opening, which is different from the traditional concept of symmetrical bolt supporting. Finally, a methodology is proposed for the estimation of conformal mapping coefficients for a given cross-sectional shape of an opening without symmetrical axis.

Effective Agile IT Governance Mechanisms in Higher Education Institutions

Higher education institutions (HEIs) rely heavily on information technology (IT) to create innovations. Therefore, IT governance (ITG) is essential for education activities, particularly during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. However, the traditional concept of ITG is not fully equipped to deal with the current changes occurring in the digital age. Today's ITG requires an agile approach that can respond to disruptions in the HEI environment. Consequently, universities increasingly need to adopt agile strategies to ensure superior performance. This research proposes a conceptualization comprising three agile dimensions within the ITG construct: structures, processes, and relational mechanisms. An extensive qualitative evaluation of industry uncovered 46 agile governance mechanisms. Moreover, 16 professors rated these elements to assess agile ITG in their HEIs to determine those most effective for HEIs. This led to the identification of four structure elements, seven processes, and seven relational mechanisms.

Research on Eco-Efficiency of 11 Cities in Zhejiang Province: Based on the Perspective of High Quality Development

Ecological efficiency (Eco-efficiency) index well represents the quality of regional development and measures the extensive or intensive development mode of a region. The traditional concept of Eco-efficiency refers to the maximum economic benefits through the minimum resource cost and environmental load. This paper argues that the goal of Eco-efficiency evaluation is not only to maximize economic benefits, but also to achieve high-quality development in many aspects such as society, science & technology and economy, so that people can enjoy the results of development.In this paper, the Eco-efficiency input indicators comprehensively considers the consumption of manpower, resources, energy and capital, and negative environmental benefits including waste gas, waste water and waste residue. Output indicators comprehensively consider the five high-quality development dimensions----innovation, coordination, green, openness and sharing, which are represented by indicators such as patents, total import and export, the number of patent, regional Theil index, disposable income, three waste emissions et al. .In terms of empirical research, the SBM model of undesirable output super-efficiency under the assumption of variable returns to scale is established to measure the Eco-efficiencies of 11 cities in Zhejiang Province. Secondly, Malmquist index model is estalished to study the temporal and spatial changes of Eco-efficiencies. Finally, the panel Tobit method is used for regression analysis to study the key factors affecting the Eco-efficiency of Zhejiang Province. The results show that the industrialization structure, economic level and export trade significantly positively correlated with Eco-efficiency. Urbanization level is significantly negatively correlated with Eco-efficiency.

FROM RELIGIOUS DIVISION TO SOCIAL DIVISION: TO THE QUESTION OF THE EVOLUTION OF THE VIEWS OF A.P. SHCHAPOV

В статье рассматривается эволюция взглядов А.П. Щапова на раскол. Первоначально он придерживался традиционной концепции, считавшей раскол порождением невежества народа и его приверженности старине. Через несколько лет Щапов уже утверждал, что раскол - это выражение недовольства народа усилением феодальной зависимости, проявившееся в религиозной форме. Причем среди направлений раскола он уделяет внимание тому, которое предполагало общий труд. Таким образом, его позиция совпала с позицией революционных демократов и некоторых русских историков, рассматривавших религиозные движения (преимущественно европейские) как форму выражения интересов определенных социальных групп. The article considers the evolution of A. P. Shchapov's views on the religious split. Initially, he adhered to the traditional concept, which considered the split to be a product of the ignorance of the people and their adherence to the past. A few years later, Shchapov already argued that the split was an expression of the people's discontent with the strengthening of feudal dependence, manifested in a religious form. Moreover, among the directions of the split, he pays attention to the one that suggested common labor. Thus, his position coincided with the position of the revolutionary democrats and some Russian historians who considered religious movements (mainly European) as a form of expressing the interests of certain social groups.

Remote Internet Coverage through Satellite Broadband

Present day industries worldwide, including oil and gas sector, are going through a transition from the traditional concept of isolated operation to a more cohesive and interconnected digital transformation. The driving forces behind the transformation can be summarized as follows: -A collaborative workplace spanning multiple locations, where the processes can be synchronized through an integrated work management system-Reduced deployment of manpower to remote and hazardous locations through implementation of remote monitoring and control from a central location-Providing intelligent guidance to operation and maintenance through implementation of training, real-time troubleshooting etc.-Informed decision making through historical data, real-time video, lessons learnt etc.-Storage and mobility of data, efficient computing and distributed workload-Machine substitution of human performance (artificial intelligence, drones, robots etc.) From all these drivers, evolves the concept of Internet of Things (IoT). On the field side, the idea of IoT means to deploy web-enabled devices having unique addressable identity. A plethora of such field instruments, devices, machines, processes and people then need to be interconnected over internet through a robust and reliable telecom infrastructure to make such integrated platform happen. Therefore, on the backbone side, this complex mesh of interconnectivity largely depends on the availability of a feasible and practical communication media. Providing a viable communication media becomes more challenging with the constraints of locations involved – their remoteness, difficult terrains, prevalent hazardous atmosphere, to name a few. The objective of this paper is to present one such communication scheme through VSAT, which is easy to deploy, economically viable, scalable with growing demand and based on emerging technology of private satellite communication. For the sake of objectivity, this paper discusses most of the scenarios with an offshore oil and gas field, although the idea can be generalized to apply on other sectors and industries.

The Early Childhood Curriculum (2009) In Vietnam: Tensions In The First Three Years Of Implementation

<p>In 2009 the Vietnamese Government introduced the new Early Childhood Curriculum (ECC) to replace the Reformed Early Childhood Curriculum (RECC) that was in place between 1994 and 2009. The ECC presents a new image of the child as an agentic, competent, and self-directed learner for a globalised society. Recent research on the implementation of the ECC has focused on the teachers‘ reconceptualising of traditional ways of teaching to meet new official aspirations without acknowledging teachers‘ perceptions of intrinsic valued concepts within both the RECC and the ECC. In addition, there has been limited investigation of how this implementation has been carried out in practice. This study fills these gaps by investigating how teachers are experiencing the transition from the RECC to the ECC. A mixed-method approach was used, which involved a questionnaire sent to 472 respondent teachers followed by an in-depth exploration of six case-study teachers‘ experiences in three early childhood education centres. Data was interpreted using a socio-cultural approach and informed by the principles from Social Reconstruction ideology, which views education as a cultural, political and social tool to foster changes in society (Schiro, 2008). The study revealed that the teachers held dichotomous beliefs about the valued concepts in the ECC and used conflicting approaches within their theories of practice as they implemented the new curriculum. Teachers‘ age, qualification, and working position appeared to be significantly related to their implementation of the ECC in their early childhood centre. In addition, the study found the partnership between teachers and parents was not a strong one in jointly realising the Government‘s aspirations of preparing young children for life-long learning and holistic development. Hybrid forms of teaching practice emerged, illustrating the tensions for teachers created by the incompatibilities between the ideal and the reality as the implementation of the Western educational ideology in the ECC encountered deeply embedded Vietnamese cultural concepts. This study argues that despite teachers‘ acceptance of the aspirations of the ECC, traditional cultural concepts — including an emphasis on academic education, a traditional concept of collectivism and an ingrained social hierarchy — acted to create tensions, as well as challenges, for teachers who found themselves caught between the ideals of the new curriculum and the constraints placed upon them by their traditional working culture. Additionally, professional development for teachers and administrators were found to be a significant factor that either facilitated or reduced the tensions. Implications of how to improve the implementation of the ECC are presented.</p>

The Early Childhood Curriculum (2009) In Vietnam: Tensions In The First Three Years Of Implementation

<p>In 2009 the Vietnamese Government introduced the new Early Childhood Curriculum (ECC) to replace the Reformed Early Childhood Curriculum (RECC) that was in place between 1994 and 2009. The ECC presents a new image of the child as an agentic, competent, and self-directed learner for a globalised society. Recent research on the implementation of the ECC has focused on the teachers‘ reconceptualising of traditional ways of teaching to meet new official aspirations without acknowledging teachers‘ perceptions of intrinsic valued concepts within both the RECC and the ECC. In addition, there has been limited investigation of how this implementation has been carried out in practice. This study fills these gaps by investigating how teachers are experiencing the transition from the RECC to the ECC. A mixed-method approach was used, which involved a questionnaire sent to 472 respondent teachers followed by an in-depth exploration of six case-study teachers‘ experiences in three early childhood education centres. Data was interpreted using a socio-cultural approach and informed by the principles from Social Reconstruction ideology, which views education as a cultural, political and social tool to foster changes in society (Schiro, 2008). The study revealed that the teachers held dichotomous beliefs about the valued concepts in the ECC and used conflicting approaches within their theories of practice as they implemented the new curriculum. Teachers‘ age, qualification, and working position appeared to be significantly related to their implementation of the ECC in their early childhood centre. In addition, the study found the partnership between teachers and parents was not a strong one in jointly realising the Government‘s aspirations of preparing young children for life-long learning and holistic development. Hybrid forms of teaching practice emerged, illustrating the tensions for teachers created by the incompatibilities between the ideal and the reality as the implementation of the Western educational ideology in the ECC encountered deeply embedded Vietnamese cultural concepts. This study argues that despite teachers‘ acceptance of the aspirations of the ECC, traditional cultural concepts — including an emphasis on academic education, a traditional concept of collectivism and an ingrained social hierarchy — acted to create tensions, as well as challenges, for teachers who found themselves caught between the ideals of the new curriculum and the constraints placed upon them by their traditional working culture. Additionally, professional development for teachers and administrators were found to be a significant factor that either facilitated or reduced the tensions. Implications of how to improve the implementation of the ECC are presented.</p>

Chinese literature and “New Methods of Midwifery” during the 1950s

The literary description of the movement, “New Methods of Midwifery,” during the 1950s is not only a historical record of the innovation of delivery techniques, but also a demonstration of the realization of bio-governance at the grassroots level, and of the reformation of traditional gender concepts. These works directly criticized outdated delivery methods and the traditional concept of life that traditional midwives observed and also documented the development of bio-politics in New China. The writers portrayed a series of images of traditional midwives and socialist midwives which left a traceable legacy of visions of Chinese professional women. This article aims to investigate the images of this special professional group and their cultural significance to the reformation of Chinese fertility culture, daily life and the development of bio-politics during the 1950s.

The concept of things in the virtual world from the theory of human rights for property

The subject of the study is an attempt to define the concept of “virtual object” in the context of the human right to property. The human right to property, formed in the 20th century, undergoes far-reaching transformations as a result of the creation of virtual reality, and with it the virtual objects. The aim of the study is to find an answer to the question of how useful the traditional concept of human right to property is in relation to the human right to virtual objects. As a research hypothesis, the author adopted the statement that the category of things defined as res incorporales is useful for examining the ownership of virtual objects. The studies use the legal-dogmatic and legal-historical methods. As a result of the research, the author concluded that the usefulness of the traditional concept of human right to property is relatively of little use in the case of human right to a virtual object.