Insufficient social support for fathers of children with developmental disorders

Many parents carry exceptional burdens in childcare, especially while raising children with developmental disabilities (DD). Japanese local governments provide considerable support to mothers and their families, which indicates that such services are in high demand. However, similar assistance for fathers in the context of children with DD may be lacking. This study evaluated the social support status of fathers raising children with DD towards considering increased paternal support. Multiple-choice questionnaires on support for information (6 items), emotion (7 items), evaluation (3 items), and daily living (3 items) were completed by Japanese fathers (n = 85) and mothers (n = 101) of children with DD attending rehabilitation facilities. Regarding information support, fathers answered “spouse” as the main provider for all items, which differed significantly from mothers. For emotional support, fathers significantly more frequently received assistance from their workplace and spouse. Daily living support was also significantly more predominant for fathers in the workplace. Evaluation support sources were comparable between the respondent groups, with “spouse” being most frequently answered by fathers. These findings indicate a deficiency in external resources for fathers and support a need to consider increasing non-spouse resources and social support for fathers in raising children with DD.

Digital Contact Tracing and COVID-19: Design, Deployment, and Current Use in Italy

The technological innovation of digital contact tracing (DCT) has certainly characterized the COVID-19 pandemic, as compared to the previous ones. Based on the first studies, considerable support was expected from smartphone applications (“apps”) for DCT. This commentary focuses on digital contact tracing. Its contributions are threefold: (a) Recall the initial expectations of these technologies and the state of diffusion. (b) Deal with the introduction of the app “Immuni” in Italy, while also highlighting the initiatives undertaken at the government level. (c) Report the state of diffusion and use of this App. The commentary ends by proposing some reflections on the continuation of this investigation in Italy.

Regional security cooperation against hegemonic threats: Theory and evidence from France and West Germany (1945–65)

Why do some regional powers collectively threatened by a potential hegemon eagerly cooperate to ensure their security, while others appear reluctant to do so? I argue that robust security cooperation at the regional level is less likely when an unbalanced distribution of power exists between the prospective security partners. In such situations, regional security cooperation tends to be stunted by foot-dragging and obstructionism on the part of materially inferior states wary of facilitating the strategic expansion of neighbours with larger endowments of power resources, anticipating that much of the coalition's gains in military capabilities are likely to be achieved through an expansion of the materially superior neighbour's force levels and strategic flexibility. Evidence drawn from primary material and the latest historiography of France's postwar foreign policy towards West Germany provides considerable support for this argument. My findings offer important correctives to standard accounts of the origins of Western European security cooperation and suggest the need to rethink the difficulties the United States has encountered in promoting cooperation among local allies in key global regions.

Reimagining Viet Nam’s Microfinance Sector: Recommendations for Institutional and Legal Reforms

Viet Nam’s new National Financial Inclusion Strategy issued on 22 January 2020, sets out targets for promoting financial inclusion by 2025. Achieving these targets requires considerable support from the microfinance sector as well as other stakeholders in the finance sector. This paper emphasizes the need to prioritize regulatory reform for microfinance development. Otherwise, the microfinance sector in Viet Nam could remain nonprofit rather commercial—making it difficult for the sector to attract wholesale funding. Aside from helping achieve the National Financial Inclusion Strategy, regulatory reform in the microfinance sector can also enable Viet Nam to become more active, prominent, and competitive on a regional level along with its neighbors in Asia.

We're No' Awa' Tae Bide Awa': Scotland's Returning Diaspora

At a time when the world is becoming more mobile, and migration levels are high, relatively limited attention has been paid to return migrants. Yet returners can play an important role in their homeland. In Scotland, with a sluggish population growth fuelled entirely by immigration, return movement is an important way of growing the population and the economy. This paper reports on a study of return migrants to Scotland in 2019/20 and discusses their reasons for return, their experiences and their long-term commitment to the country. Respondents generally felt positively about their return and there was considerable support for Scottish independence, particularly if that led to rejoining the European Union. Brexit was an important factor in making Scots feel unwelcome in England and helping to encourage return to Scotland.

A Research Protocol to Evaluate the Efficacy of Powerball versus Mulligan Mobilization with Movement on Pain and Function in Patients with Lateral Epicondylitis

Background: Amongst the most frequently repeated stress conditions within the elbow joint includes lateral epicondylitis (LE). The extensor carpi radialis brevis muscle attachment is affected mostly. The management of an individual with LE that manifests itself in repetitive upper extremity motions is the purpose of this research. There seems to be no study on the effects of PowerBall device training on the pain and function in individuals with Lateral Epicondylitis. “PowerBall device” practice is a type of strength training. Methods / Design: After conducting initial evaluations and allocation, the subjects (n=50) with LE will be involved in a randomized controlled study and classified either in an intervention group or a conventional group. The interventional group will do “PowerBall device” exercises, while others in the control group, doing MMWM. These groups will receive basic movements and ultrasound in accordance with the procedures. Discussion: The PRTEE scale measured the intervention's impact on pain and function in patients with LE, and a Hand-held Dynamometer was utilized to quantify grip strength. The findings will give considerable support for the use of the "PowerBall device" exercise and MMWM on LE patients. Conclusion: Conclusion will be drawn post study so as to see whether PowerBall device is more helpful or Mulligan Mobilization with Movement on pain and function in patients with LE. This study will give better approach to the therapist in managing the condition.

DEVELOPMENT OF LACE MAKING IN TAMBOV PROVINCE IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE XIX - FIRST THIRD OF THE XX CENTURY

Evolution of the lace craft in Tambov Province in post-reform time and the period of the New Economic Policy is considered in the article. The centres of lacemaking in Tambov Province, both during the Tsarist Russia and the New Economic Policy period, were Ishchenskaya, Krasninskaya, Troekurovskaya and Cherepanskaya volosts of Lebedyansky (and after administrative reorganization of the province - Lipetsky) district. The main problem faced by lacemakers was the destructive activity of buyers. During monopolising the market, they were forcing needlewomen to operate at a loss. In pre-revolutionary Russia artisans were supported at different levels. Two allRussian homemade exhibitions were organised at the state level. Tambov zemstvo held a number of exhibitions, established lace schools and opened a craft store. A great contribution to the development of the craft was made by local patrons of the arts. However, despite considerable support, problems of local lacemakers could not be solved.When the Bolsheviks came to power it was observed that the artisanal lace production completely disappeared during the period of war communism, and only revived during the New Economic Policy period. The activities of buyers still had a negative impact on the development of lacemaking. The course taken to cooperate with artisans, which was supposed to solve this problem, ultimately failed, without achieving the desired result. The All-Russia agricultural and trade show, organized in 1923, was not a success either, since the handicrafts industry had not yet been able to recover and there was almost nothing to show. The revival of the craft was adversely affected by the persecution of the Tambov landowners who were engaged in patronage of the arts. In the end, the Bolshevik leadership also failed to solve the problems that were hindering the handicraft industry.

Names of Large Exotic Animals and the Urheimat of Japonic

This article argues that three words designating large tropical animals not endemic for Japan: kisa ‘elephant’, tora ‘tiger’, and wani ‘saltwater crocodile’ were borrowed into Japonic from Austroasiatic or Kradai languages. If so, this becomes another important piece of evidence for locating the Urheimat of the Japonic Language family in Southern China and/or Northern South-East Asia driving yet another nail into the coffin of the ‘Altaic’ theory. Since all these words are disyllabic, they also contribute to the reconstruction of the disyllabic words in Austroasiatic and Kradai. This is especially important in the case of Kradai, where in spite of the rather recent fall of the monosyllabic curtain, the idea about the ‘primordial’ nature of the monosyllabic structure is still enjoying considerable support.

EXPRESS: The Governance of Learning: Carrots, Sticks, and Stones in Acquisition Capability Development

A growing literature shows that deliberate, cognitive effort is necessary for learning to occur in the context of complex strategic activities. However, given increasing pressure for short-term results, it remains unclear what motivates management to actually invest such effort in learning, which benefits performance primarily in the longer term. To help fill this gap in our understanding of the motivational mechanisms behind organizational learning, we theorize whether and how corporate governance mechanisms push management toward more effective learning from its firm’s acquisition experience. Using data on U.S. firms’ acquisitions from 1996 through 2012, we find considerable support for our arguments.

Investigating Ideological Factors in Family Language Policy

A family has a role in supporting bilingual or multilingual children. In acquiring English for instance, family language policy is likely to shape the development of children bilingualism or multilingualism. Through a qualitative study in a case study design, the language ideologies of two bi-/multilingual families in Palembang were investigated and explored. The participants of this study were the Zahra and the Najwa families who brought up their children in more than one language including English. The data were collected through ethnographic interviews with the parents, grandmother, and children. Thematic analysis was used in analyzing the data of this study. The raw data were coded and classified into categories to derive big major themes regarding ideological factors that shaped language policy. The derived themes were then interpreted descriptively. The results indicated that there were some ideological factors found that contributed to the shaping of the language policy of those two families, such as social values, economical values, political values, cultural values, parents' knowledge toward language acquisition, and bi-/multilingualism. The findings of this study suggest that families need to provide support for their children in their bilingual or multilingual journey. Furthermore, stakeholders and professionals should play a role in the choice of language used in education as well as provide considerable support and assistance for language policy in family domain