Autoimmune thyroiditis: organizational and medical measures for early detection in the Republic of Belarus

Objective. To evaluate the effectiveness of conducted organizational and medical measures for early detection and medical examination of patients with autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT) in the regions of the Republic of Belarus and to develop measures to enhance them.Materials and methods. Data on the incidence rates of AIT and primary hypothyroidism (PGT) in the Republic of Belarus from 1997 to 2017 were analyzed, data of a sociological study were presented and patients` records were analyzed. Epidemiological and sociological methods were used.Results. In the Republic of Belarus, two organizational and medical approaches to early diagnosis of AIT have been developed. The study has found a low competence level among therapists (general practitioners) of the Brest and Gomel regions and showed the absence of patients with AIT at Gomel Regional Endocrinological Dispensary even if there is a pathognomonic ultrasound picture and a high level of AT-TPO titer, which indicates that the incidence is undercounted.Conclusion. As a result of the performed study, the algorithm for organizational and medical measures has been developed and implemented for early detection and clinical examination of AIT patients aimed at PGT prevention.

Specificity of the work of physicians in inpatient healthcare facilities of the Gomel region in the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic

Objective. To study the specificity of the functioning of inpatient healthcare facilities in the Gomel region in the spread of the coronavirus disease COVID-19.Materials and methods. A survey among 78 physicians of the inpatient healthcare facilities was conducted, which provided an opportunity to analyze the specificity of the work in the spread of the coronavirus disease COVID-19 and related difficulties.Results. According to the respondents, in the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a considerable growth in working hours and intensity of the work of the physicians in the inpatient healthcare facilities. In the vast majority of the cases (74.7 %), the physicians in the inpatient healthcare facilities underwent training on prevention, diagnostics, adoption of anti-epidemic measures in the detection and treatment of COVID-19 patients. Nevertheless, only 25.6 % of the respondents considered their professional competence level with regard to their work with COVID-19 patients to be high. Moreover, the physicians` satisfaction rate for the existing strategies for rendering medical care to COVID-19 patientswas 6.87 ± 2.06 outof 10.Conclusion. To a large extent, the physicians of inpatient healthcare facilities of the Gomel region during their work with patients are concerned about such circumstances as longer working hours and increased working intensity, complexity of making balanced and optimal decisions regarding the organization of the work of inpatient healthcare facilities during the pandemic, as well as issues related to contact with patients (worrying about getting infected and infecting family, organization of childcare due to the closure of schools and preschool institutions during quarantine and others).

Digital competence of Russian university teachers

This research paper presents the results of the author’s survey aimed at assessing the digital competence of modern university teachers. The relevance of digital competencies is becoming more and more obvious due to the transformations in the activities of educational organizations. These changes concern the use of digital technologies not only in university management, but also directly in the educational process. The development of distance learning and remote interaction formats is an objective reality in the modern world. The purpose of this article is to make an attempt of assessing a university teacher’s digital competence level based on the general perception of his/her abilities and the digital technologies used in his/her professional activities. The author analyses the teachers’ readiness to use digital technologies and their attitude to distance learning. The study showed that the majority of the interviewed teachers have a high level of basic and universal digital competencies. It was found that most of the respondents already have experience of taking online courses to improve their professional skills. The analysis makes it possible to conclude that the teachers who participated in the survey demonstrate a high readiness to use digital technologies in their professional activities. The author’s study is not supposed to give a complete picture of all Russian university teachers’ digital competence level, since this requires both greater coverage of respondents and the use of other channels (beyond digital) to collect data within the survey. At the same time, this research allows to formulate possible ideas for improving Russian university teachers’ digital competence level, which nowadays becomes the key to improving their effectiveness. The results of the study can be used when working out universities’ personnel development programs in order to ensure a higher level of the teachers’ digital competence.

Competence-based fuzzy skill functions

Fuzzy skill functions connect knowledge states at the performance level with latent cognitive abilities at the competence level. Given that there may exist precedence relations among skills, the main idea of this study is trying to develop fuzzy competence structures restricted on the possible fuzzy sets of skills that can occur. The knowledge structures delineated by fuzzy skill functions are related to the fuzzy competence structures. Knowledge spaces can be delineated by disjunctive fuzzy skill functions when the fuzzy competence structures are $\sqcup$-closed. Simple closure spaces can be delineated by conjunctive fuzzy skill functions when the fuzzy competence structures are $\sqcap$-closed. Delineating knowledge structures via competence-based fuzzy skill functions just depends on the effective competence states. We design algorithms for delineating knowledge structures via competence-based fuzzy skill functions without listing all fuzzy competence states of fuzzy competence structures.

COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF COMPETENCE LEVEL OF TRANSPORT SYSTEM EXPERTS

The paper deals with the comparative assessment of competence level of transport system experts. The high level of competence of the experts is the premise to ensure the quality of the expertise of the systems insufficiently formalized from a mathematical point of view and characterized with a high degree of uncertainty. Six factors for assessing the competence of transport system experts were summarized. The values of the priority vector of the competence factors were established with the application of the Saaty algorithm and scale in nine points by the method of comparisons in pairs. The value of the concordance ratio of the experts' opinion for the prioritization matrix was calculated. The comparative competence coefficient of the experts in transport systems was calculated and the hierarchy of experts was established according to the value of the nominal coefficient.

Understanding Teacher Digital Competence in the Framework of Social Sustainability: A Systematic Review

Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, ICT has been urgently introduced in education systems in a generalised manner. In this context, it is essential for teachers to master a spectrum of basic digital competencies and manifest digital leadership in the classroom. In addition, it is necessary to consider the relationship between digital competence development and social sustainability, that is, social and cultural heritage, and to what extent they contribute to improving social cohesion and living conditions in a community. This study presents a systematic review of research on teacher digital competence and social sustainability based on the PRISMA model and a review of 22 studies indexed in SCOPUS. The review reveals that most are intended to measure the digital competence level of teachers, usually in compulsory stages of the educational system and through quantitative studies based on virtual questionnaires comprised of closed-ended questions. However, the studies tend to ignore questions related to social sustainability (access to resources, heritage culture, intergenerational transmission, employability, or gender equality). It is therefore urgent to develop research committed to a sustainable society that is oriented towards social justice.

Here’s the TRIQ: The Tromsø Interest Development Questionnaire Based on the Four-Phase Model of Interest Development

The Tromsø Interest Questionnaire (TRIQ) is the first suite of self-report subscales designed for focused investigations on how interest is experienced in relation to Hidi and Renninger’s four-phase model of interest development. In response to the plethora of varied interest measures that already exist in terms of theoretical grounding, form, and tested quality, the TRIQ subscales were designed with a consistent form to measure general interest, situation dependence, positive affect, competence level, competence aspirations, meaningfulness, and self-regulation answered in relation to some object of interest. Two studies testing the subscales’ performance using different objects of interest (self-chosen “object-general,” and prespecified “object-specific”) provide evidence of the subscales’ internal consistency, temporal reliability, and phase-distinguishing validity. Patterns across the two studies demonstrate that the TRIQ is a sufficiently reliable and valid domain-tailorable tool that is particularly effective at distinguishing phase 1 (triggered situational) from phase 4 (well-developed individual) interest. The findings raise interesting questions for further investigation about the distinction and distance between all interest phases, the push-pull factors that influence how interests evolve and additional subscales to add to the suite.

Farming competence of farmer in peatland management: Case in Rasau Jaya Dua Village, West Kalimantan Province

The local community has managed peatlands for a long time with various commodities and levels of management. The success of farming in peatland requires the seriousness of farmers and proper land management to produce peatland’s high productivity and sustainability, including farmer’s competence. The research aims to analyze farmers’ competence in peatland farming and identify factors that influence farmers’ competence in peatland management. The research was conducted from August to October 2017 in Rasau Jaya Dua Village, Kubu Raya District, West Kalimantan. The selection of 48 respondents was made by a simple random sampling method. Primary data, including characteristics of respondents and farmer’s competence in peatland management, were collected through interviews using questionnaires and field observations. Data were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively using the correlation test of Rank Spearman. The results showed that the farmers’ competence level in peatland farming in Rasau Jaya Dua Village was moderate. Factors that must be considered to develop the farming competence in peatland are age, motivation, and interaction with extension workers. Increasing the farming competence of farmers in peatland management can be achieved through improving the interaction between farmers and extension workers.

ASSESSMENT OF THE LEVEL OF MANAGERIAL COMPETENCE

The article refers to the assessment of managerial competence level. The aim of the article is to show that assessment of managerial competence is conditioned by many factors, it proceeds in different ways and brings, depending on the implementation, different results. The article uses selected fragments of research carried out by the author in Slovakia in the period from 1999, updated until today. The article points out the relevance of evaluated and evaluated competences referring to holistic aspects of this evaluation.

Male and Female Students’ Discourse Competence at Kalamansig National High School

The study aimed to determine the relationship between the oral and written discourse competence of the male and female students of Kalamansig National High School. Specifically, it sought to determine the level of oral and written discourse competence of male and female students in terms of informative, persuasive, and argumentative speeches; to find out if there is significant difference between male and female students’ written and oral discourse competence level in the three parameters; and to find out if there is a significant difference between the oral and written discourse competence in general when classified according to gender. This study used the descriptive-correlation method. The researcher utilized the purposive sampling in determining the seventy (70) Grade 10 performing students of Kalamansig National High School as respondents of the study. The teacher-made communicative written and speaking tests were used as instruments to gauge the male and female student’s written and oral discourse competence. Based on the findings, it was concluded that both male and female students oral and written discourse competence are good. Both group of students need equal attention from the teachers to enhance their speaking and writing skills.