Years of life lost estimates cannot always be taken at face value: Response to “COVID-19 – exploring the implications of long-term condition type and extent of multimorbidity on years of life lost: a modelling study”

In their recent analysis, Hanlon et al. estimated the years of life lost (YLL) in people who have died with COVID-19 by following and expanding on the WHO standard approach. We welcome this research as an attempt to draw a more accurate picture of the mortality burden of this disease which has been involved in the deaths of more than 300,000 people worldwide as of May 2020. However, we argue that obtained YLL estimates (13 years for men and 11 years for women) are interpreted in a misleading way. Even with the presented efforts to control for the role of multimorbidity in COVID-19 deaths, these estimates cannot be interpreted to imply “how long someone who died from COVID-19 might otherwise have been expected to live”. By example we analyze the underlying problem which renders such an interpretation of YLL estimates impossible, and outline potential approaches to control for the problem.

Maternal mortality in the city of Berlin: consequences for perinatal healthcare

Objectives The fifth of the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals proposed for 2000–2015 was to improve maternal health, which has only partially been achieved. Worldwide, the maternal mortality ratio is currently estimated at 216/100.000 livebirths, compared to 380/100,000 in 1990. As yet, there has been no published comprehensive analysis of maternal mortality data as it pertains to Berlin and by extension Germany. Aim of the study was to evaluate and analyze the maternal mortality rate of Berlin as a result of shortcomings in healthcare provision and identify possible solutions. Methods The Institute for Quality and Transparency in the Healthcare Sector sourced external quality control from the Qualitätsbüro Berlin to provide maternal mortality data from Berlin hospitals from 2007 to 2020. Results Nineteen maternal deaths were registered between 2007 and 2020 in total. Case analysis shows that two main events occur: thrombosis and hemorrhage at 31.6%, respectively, followed by hypertensive disorder (15.8%), and sepsis (15.8%). After detailed analysis of each case report, we determined 8/19 (42.1%) maternal deaths as being potentially preventable given slightly altered circumstances. Consequences The system of registration of perinatal data in Germany does not allow for a comprehensive recording of maternal death and requires alteration to provide a more accurate picture of the phenomenon of maternal mortality; presumably, there exist twice as many unreported cases. Conclusions Symptoms, risks, and primary prevention tactics of thromboembolism during pregnancy and birth should be imparted to every licensed professional in individual hospital settings, along with evidence-based simulation training for the event of obstetric or prepartum hemorrhage.

Positive Transformation of Islamic Law in Local Wisdom in the Sultan of Tidore

Tidore is one of the Islamic Sultanates in the archipelago which applies Islamic Law positively from 1495 until the joining of Tidore into the lap of the Republic of Indonesia. Islamic law in the Tidore Sultanate is no longer applied as positive law but has become a value that lives with the customs of the people of the Tidore Sultanate. This research focuses on examining the transformation of the Islamic law that once prevailed in the Tidore sultanate into values, principles, and philosophies that live in the Tidore community. This research was built with a qualitative research type with a socio-historical approach involving traditional and religious leaders as resource persons and a study of the existing "Kie Se Kolano" regulatory text so that it is expected to produce an accurate picture of the object under study. This research is expected to provide conceptual ideas in building awareness that Islamic law has actually become the volkgeist (soul of the Nation) for the Indonesian people, especially for the Tidore community, especially the younger generation who are currently being bombarded with various information that may be able to keep the younger generation away from the soul. His Nation.

Evidence on Online Higher Education: The Promise of COVID-19 Pandemic Data

Among the many disruptions caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic was the sudden move to online teaching in colleges and universities across the globe. In this paper, we provide a brief overview of existing literature on the effectiveness of online college programs relative to traditional in-person programs. We argue that pre-pandemic studies may have drawn overly pessimistic conclusions about online teaching in higher education. We highlight two important limitations of pre-pandemic studies, namely endogeneity bias and the use of older instructional technology. The data that will emerge from the forced shift to online instruction during the pandemic will help correct several of these biases and provide a more accurate picture of the hopes and challenges of online higher education. Finally, we also provide some preliminary evidence on virtual instruction and evaluation methods using a survey of online undergraduate and graduate classes. We find that large undergraduate classes benefitted greatly from the online format, while smaller graduate classes faced significant challenges. Empirical studies of post-pandemic data will help in identifying when and how online instruction can provide the effective instruction to students to address both the short-term goals of course and degree completion and long-term outcomes in the labor market.

Rorty and Peirce

This chapter presents a fuller, more accurate picture of Rorty’s early appreciation for and indebtedness to Peirce by establishing that Rorty was, by his own lights, at least for a time, a Peircean realist. This distinctive “Peircean” version of realism illuminates Rorty’s mature positions later expressed via a Davidsonian vocabulary. It also recounts how Rorty’s reading of Peirce’s end of inquiry and normative theory of self-controlled conduct enables him to grasp the dependence of epistemology on ethics and to see philosophical discourse as a rule-governed realm that necessitates choice of vocabulary and hence responsibility. Rorty turns out to be more of a realist, as traditionally understood, and Peirce less of one than we might expect. The “ethically-centered epistemology” aimed at the growth of knowledge Rorty sees in Peirce contrasts sharply with the view dominant among contemporary Peirceans, like Misak and Talisse, preoccupied above all with justification.

Three Different Legal Attitudes Towards Non-Marital Cohabitation in Europe

The rising number of people “just living together”, people who are neither married nor in registered partnerships, clearly demonstrates that non-marital unions can no longer be ignored. To obtain an accurate picture of the situation of non-marital partners it was essential to conduct comparative research of multiple legal orders. This analysis threw a new light (at least from the Polish standpoint) on possible solutions to the problem of the regulation of legal aspects of “living together”. It appears that three different legal attitudes towards non-marital cohabitation may be distinguished in Europe. Firstly, there are legal orders in which by virtue of an explicit reference by the legislator – the regulations on marriage are applied to cohabitation (quasi-marriage cohabitation). Secondly, there also exist countries in which a law was adopted regulating selected aspects of actual cohabitation (implied model of cohabitation). And thirdly, there are legal orders in which any cohabitant-oriented legal regime exists.

MEANS, STANDS AND MACHINES FOR TESTING GEAR WHEELS AND GEAR TRAINS OF HELICOPTER REDUCTION TRAINS

The production and repair of such high-tech and important products as helicopters‟ reduction trains is impossible without comprehensive testing of these products, starting with the manufacture of their individual parts and assemblies and ending with the delivery of reduction trains to the customer. Various means for testing of gear wheels‟ rims and gear trains of helicopter‟s reduction trains, which have found application in testing equipment, are presented. Devices, testers, stands and machines for various tests are considered in order to control the characteristics of gear trains of aviation reduction trains after certain periods of their operation and repair, aimed at achieving better performance during further operation. The considered traditional metrological means of control of gear rims, gear measuring machines and complexes, some stands and machines for testing of reduction trains, pulse controllers and roll machines give an idea of various methods and means of control of gear wheels and gear trains of helicopters‟ reduction trains. The main method of experimental research of gear trains of reducers is stand tests both on movable gear wheels and on roll machines. Until recently, the most common method for monitoring and diagnosing gear trains has been vibrography, however, existing techniques do not give an accurate picture of the train condition, especially the contact surface of the teeth. During the operation of the gear train as a part of the helicopter‟s reduction train, signals from other sources (rotors, blades, shafts, bearings) are superimposed on the vibration signal generated by the gear train which significantly complicates the extraction and processing of the desired vibration signal. One of the most effective methods for monitoring and diagnosing the technical condition of kinematic chains of different complexity, which includes gear trains of helicopters„ reducers is kinematometry. The disadvantage of traditional kinematometry is the need to use high-precision sensors for the frequency and phase of the rotor rotation. Control of vibration from the early 1990s to the present time is the most advanced control, the means and methods of which are well developed in the aviation industry.

Role of Organizational Diagnosis in Improving Employee-Centred Strategies in the IT&C Sector

The paper pleads for the importance of organizational diagnosis in order to develop new employee-centred strategies. In order to remain competitive, especially in the COVID-19 context, organizations from the IT&C industry needs to improve employee-centred strategies and to align the business processes with these strategies. The empirical research aims to provide through quantitative and qualitative sources an accurate picture of the organizational diagnosis in order to adapt suitable HR processes. The study uses 300 employee responses from the IT&C industry in order to draw the positive elements (eg. good perception of organizational leadership, excellent communication in teams and satisfaction towards adaption to COVID-19 pandemic) and areas to improve (such as for example: workload, internal bureaucracy and integration as well as adaptability and organizational change) resulted from the organizational diagnosis.

Localization index of farms in the period 2008-2016 in the rural areas of the South Central Region

The rural development policy in Bulgaria is dictated by the accompanying facts, with approximately 45% of the population living in them, covering 85% of the territory. The study and analysis of the socio-economic processes in agriculture of smaller administrative units of the NUTS classification gives an accurate picture of the real situation. The operation of farms ensures the production of different types of agricultural production. Contributing to the formation of Gross Domestic Product and the fulfillment of commitments in relation to the EU Common Agricultural Policy. The application of the localization index for agricultural holdings in the rural areas of the South-Central Region in Bulgaria reveals their real economic status. The study of the specialization factor for agricultural holdings covers an eight-year period 2008-2016. The localization index is the basis for an analysis of the different types of economic processes and phenomena. It is also applicable in smaller administrative areas, namely in the rural municipalities of the South-Central Region.

Activating the person in the changing situation

For several decades, the turn towards labour activation has dominated European social work and social work institutions. While social work research and practice focused on labour activation have long considered “the person in the situation”, exploring the service users’ experiences at specific moments and contexts in time, we argue that labour activation is an ongoing process involving a complex interplay of factors (structural, social, personal), and that these are shaped by changes and ruptures throughout a person’s life course. Furthermore, the changing situation is not an objective fact, though its meaning is actively constructed by the service user. Asking how participants in a labour activation programme subjectively make meaning of their activation experiences, with reference to changing personal histories and institutional encounters over time, we shift the focus from social work’s emphasis on “the person in the situation”, and we open the concept to include “the person in the changing situation” to help enable a more dynamic analysis of the activation process. The concept accounts for the interaction between subjective meaning making and institutional structures and offers, as these change over time. The study is based on fieldwork in the Norwegian labour and welfare services (NAV). We present three participants in the Norwegian Qualification Programme as illustrative cases, each with distinct profiles, to illustrate how service users actively refer to changing situations – as these are shaped by time, biography and institutional movement – when making meaning of their labour activation experiences. The findings have implications for social work research and practice, as matters of biography, timing and life course trajectories must be accounted for to gain a more accurate picture of the labour activation experience. A consideration of institutional and life course change also offers a better professional understanding of the complexity of lived experiences when working with service users, potentially enabling a more effective practice.