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This working paper traces the trajectory of Syrian official documents across Syria and Germany in times of political upheaval, flight and integration. Documents issued by the Syrian state continue to be a fundamental element in the life of Syrians in Germany as they are still needed for certain mundane, yet crucial, purposes. Syrians are therefore forced to engage with Syrian state bureaucratic apparatuses at a distance. The journey of the papers across time and geographical borders unveils the highly political ambivalences and tensions embodied in Syrian paperwork in the context of German policies of asylum and integration. In Syria, the documents and their retrieval are embedded in the politics of security governing the Syrian citizenship regime. On arrival in Germany, the papers gain new meanings in their encounter with the German integration process and legal system rooted in the Rule of Law. At the same time, the papers' enmeshment with German bureaucracy reproduces (from a distance) the political dynamics between Syrians and the Syrian state in the past. Situated at a crossroads of the web of state(-s) power in and between Syrian and German bureaucracies, the papers re-integrate Syrians’ past into their present in Germany. By revealing this complex web of relationships, this working paper offers a reflection on the limits of studying the European context of integration and asylum 'fromwithin'.

Interdisciplinary inquiry hinges upon abductive arguments that integrate various kinds of information to identify explanations worthy of future study or use. Integrative abduction poses unique challenges, including different kinds of data, too many patterns, too many explanations, mistaken meanings across disciplinary lines, and cognitive, pragmatic, and social biases. Argumentation tools can help explicate and negotiate bias as interdisciplinary investigators sift and winnow candidate patterns and processes in search of the best explanation.

Practice has developed into a key concept in management research, including B2B marketing and purchasing studies. However, the adoption of the term in B2B marketing and purchasing is characterized by some difficulties. Research on B2B practices is growing, but seems marked by fragmentation, inconsistency, and lack of precision among others. Without conceptual consistency and integrity, B2B practice studies are at risk of becoming derailed, compromising the developments of future theory and practice within B2B. In this critical review paper, we therefore seek to create an overview of B2B practice research as perceived through a practice lens. Based on a review of 116 identified practice papers from key B2B journals, we map the topic areas where the practice concept has been applied for investigations, and we also investigate how well the applied practice conceptualization in these papers align with a recognized practice theory conceptualization. We find that the majority of B2B studies align poorly with the three elements of practice: managerial action, habitual behavior, and action-structure duality. Since many of the alignment issues in the review are caused by methodological problems, we propose a series of methodological tools that can provide a more accurate understanding of B2B practices in future research.

Paraguay's power system is based entirely on hydropower. It serves as the largest net electricity exporter in Latin America. Nonetheless, the country´s electricity consumption per capita is one of the lowest in the world and the transmission and distribution network has one of the highest losses in Latin America. This paper presents an electricity expansion investment outlook (2018–2040) for Paraguay using OSeMOSYS, analyzing three electricity demand scenarios under different electricity export prices to Brazil. The study identifies the least-cost power generation mix, future investments and the financial requirements to meet the needs of different demand scenarios. We find that Paraguay will need to invest in hydropower plants, by mainly expanding the capacity of Yacyreta to cover its electricity needs and sustain national electricity exports levels. In the High demand scenario, where the electricity demand could approximately double by 2040, the country's overall electricity exports decrease by 50% compared to the Reference scenario. Based on the different scenarios examined, the government spends approximately 18.3–31.2 billion USD on power plant investments for the period 2018–2040 to cover future electricity demand. The findings could be useful in supporting decision-making concerning socio-economic development pathways in the country. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12667-020-00420-w.

Fragmentation of processes and interventions plague the psychotherapies (Gilbert & Kirby, 2019). Part of the problem is that we have not agreed on a framework that could be the basis for integrating knowledge and the scientific enquiry of processes and interventions. This paper outlines an approach that brings together a variety of different disciplines in the service of consilience (Wilson, 1998, Consilience: The unity of knowledge, Vintage, New York, NY; Siegel, 2019). It presents the importance of an evolutionary framework for understanding the proclivities and dispositions for mental suffering and antisocial behaviour, and how they are choreographed in different sociodevelopmental contexts. Building on earlier models (Gilbert, 1989, Human nature and suffering, Routledge, London, UK; Gilbert, 1995, Clin. Psychol. Psychother., 2, 135; Gilbert, 1998, Br. J. Med. Psychol., 71, 353; Gilbert, 2016, Case formulation in cognitive behaviour therapy: The treatment of challenging cases, Wiley, Chichester, UK, pp. 50–89) the call is for an integrative, evolutionary, contextual, biopsychosocial approach to psychology and psychotherapy. Practitioner points Evolutionary functional analysis is part of an evolutionary, contextual, biopsychosocial approach to mental health that can serve as a scientific platform for the future developments of psychotherapy.Therapist skills and training will increasing need to focus on the multidimensional textures of mental states especially the context‐social‐body linkages.Therapies of the future will also focus more on the moral aspects of therapy and address the need to promote prosocial and ethical behaviour to self and others.

Objective To enhance the in vitro integration of self-assembled articular cartilage to native articular cartilage using chondroitinase ABC. Design To examine the hypothesis that chondroitinase ABC (C-ABC) integration treatment (C-ABCint) would enhance integration of neocartilage of different maturity levels, this study was conducted in 2 phases. In phase I, the impact on integration of 2 treatments, TCL (TGF-β1, C-ABC, and lysyl oxidase like 2) and C-ABCint, was examined via a 2-factor, full factorial design. In phase II, construct maturity (2 levels) and C-ABCint concentration (3 levels) were the factors in a full factorial design to determine whether the effective C-ABCint dose was dependent on neocartilage maturity level. Neocartilages formed or treated per the factors above were placed into native cartilage rings, cultured for 2 weeks, and, then, integration was studied histologically and mechanically. Prior to integration, in phase II, a set of treated constructs were also assayed to provide a baseline of properties. Results In phase I, C-ABCint and TCL treatments synergistically enhanced interface Young’s modulus by 6.2-fold ( P = 0.004) and increased interface tensile strength by 3.8-fold ( P = 0.02) compared with control. In phase II, the interaction of the factors C-ABCint and construct maturity was significant ( P = 0.0004), indicating that the effective C-ABCint dose to improve interface Young’s modulus is dependent on construct maturity. Construct mechanical properties were preserved regardless of C-ABCint dose. Conclusions Applying C-ABCint to neocartilage is an effective integration strategy with translational potential, provided its dose is calibrated appropriately based on implant maturity, that also preserves implant biomechanical properties.

Increasingly, complexity science concepts are informing health care design and practice. The present paper describes the implementation of early complexity science principles in a Complex Care Program with the aim of strengthening the provision of integrated care. Grounded in cybernetic network theory, Stafford Beer’s Viable Systems Model [1] provided the guiding principles for the program’s redesign. The Viable Systems Model with its broadly applicable principles [1], is now the conceptual model of information management in the program. Beer’s framework has enabled a relatively small number of clinicians to coordinate care for a large cohort of patients with significant clinical complexity, and a multitude of providers, in the community setting.

This study contributes to our understanding of how the emergence of the COVID‐19 pandemic changes the global Banking Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI) landscape. Before the COVID‐19 pandemic, BFSIs corporate strategy was solely aligned to the quest for operational efficiency. However, during the ongoing COVID‐19 pandemic, global BFSIs are forced to adopt digital transformation in their operations due to a rise in transaction volumes. The ongoing COVID‐19 pandemic already triggers holistic innovations concerning the global BFSI's product, process, concept, trend, or idea. Thus, the BFSI cannot survive without efficient and innovative system software for global operations. The study plots the hype cycle to identify relevant technologies to deal with real‐world business problems. The hype cycle indicates that the need for advanced data integration is growing and COVID‐19 pandemic has already triggered it. The study argues that the incorporation of data integration might be challenging initially for BFSIs but eventually it may result in an efficient model to handle these types of pandemic or unexpected circumstances.

Purpose Within public services there is a widely recognised role for workers who operate across organisational and professional boundaries. Much of this literature focusses on the organisational implications rather than on how boundary spanners engage with citizens. An increased number of public service roles require boundary spanning to support citizens with cross-cutting issues. The purpose of this paper is to explicate the emotional labour within the interactions that boundary spanners have with citizens, requiring adherence to display rules and building trust. Design/methodology/approach This is a conceptual paper which draws on illustrative examples to draw out the emotional labour within two types of boundary spanning: explicit and emergent. Findings Emotional labour theory offers a way to classify these interactions as requiring high, medium or low degrees of emotional labour. Boundary spanning theory contributes an understanding of how emotional labour is likely to be differently experienced depending on whether the boundary spanning is an explicit part of the job, or an emergent property. Originality/value Drawing on examples from public service work in a range of advanced democracies, the authors make a theoretical argument, suggesting that a more complete view of boundary spanning must account for individual-level affect and demands upon workers. Such a focus captures the “how” of the boundary spanning public encounter, and not just the institutional, political and organisational dimensions examined in most boundary spanning literatures.

Dyslexia has been associated with a problem in visual–audio integration mechanisms. Here, we investigate for the first time the contribution of unisensory cues on multisensory audio and visual integration in 32 dyslexic children by modelling results using the Bayesian approach. Non‐linguistic stimuli were used. Children performed a temporal task: they had to report whether the middle of three stimuli was closer in time to the first one or to the last one presented. Children with dyslexia, compared with typical children, exhibited poorer unimodal thresholds, requiring greater temporal distance between items for correct judgements, while multisensory thresholds were well predicted by the Bayesian model. This result suggests that the multisensory deficit in dyslexia is due to impaired audio and visual inputs rather than impaired multisensory processing per se. We also observed that poorer temporal skills correlated with lower reading skills in dyslexic children, suggesting that this temporal capability can be linked to reading abilities., Multisensory audio visual processing in dyslexia is due to impaired audio and visual inputs rather than impaired multisensory processing per se.

Background Although the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly boosted the implementation of digital services worldwide, it has become increasingly important to understand how these solutions are integrated into professionals’ routine work. Professionals who are using the services are key influencers in the success of implementations. To ensure successful implementations, it is important to understand the multiprofessional perspective, especially because implementations are likely to increase even more. Objective The aim of this study is to examine health and social care professionals’ experiences of digital service implementations and to identify factors that support successful implementations and should be considered in the future to ensure that the services are integrated into professionals’ routine work. Methods A qualitative approach was used, in which 8 focus group interviews were conducted with 30 health and social care professionals from 4 different health centers in Finland. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The resulting categories were organized under the components of normalization process theory. Results Our results suggested 14 practices that should be considered when implementing new digital services into routine work. To get professionals to understand and make sense of the new service, (1) the communication related to the implementation should be comprehensive and continuous and (2) the implementation process should be consistent. (3) A justification for the service being implemented should also be given. The best way to engage the professionals with the service is (4) to give them opportunities to influence and (5) to make sure that they have a positive attitude toward the service. To enact the new service into professionals’ routine work, it is important that (6) the organization take a supportive approach by providing support from several easy and efficient sources. The professionals should also have (7) enough time to become familiar with the service, and they should have (8) enough know-how about the service. The training should be (9) targeted individually according to skills and work tasks, and (10) it should be diverse. The impact of the implementation on the professionals’ work should be evaluated. The service (11) should be easy to use, and (12) usage monitoring should happen. An opportunity (13) to give feedback on the service should also be offered. Moreover, (14) the service should support professionals’ work tasks. Conclusions We introduce 14 practices for organizations and service providers on how to ensure sustainable implementation of new digital services and the smooth integration into routine work. It is important to pay more attention to comprehensive and continuing communication. Organizations should conduct a competence assessment before training in order to ensure proper alignment. Follow-ups to the implementation process should be performed to guarantee sustainability of the service. Our findings from a forerunner country of digitalization can be useful for countries that are beginning their service digitalization or further developing their digital services.

Background: A pilot study to identify if the delivery of teaching session to medical students would have the potential to enhance communication and a culture of integration between primary and social care, ultimately improving interprofessional relationships between primary and social care. Health and social care integration is a topic of great debate in the developed world and the focus of the upcoming Green Paper by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care in the NHS. There is much uncertainty to how this should be done and is hindered by the various current barriers. The literature identifies that collaborative cultures encourage effective interprofessional relationships and that communication is vital to integration of primary and social care and should be established early in medical training. Materials and Method: The General Medical Council’s Outcomes for Graduates and Imperial College School of Medicine curriculum were reviewed out to identify outcomes relating to inter-professional relationships between primary and social care. The relevant year group was surveyed to identify if the learning objective was delivered. In order to determine if delivery of a teaching session on nurturing interprofessional relationships between primary and social care would be effective, it was delivered to early clinical years to measure benefits as a pilot study. This was devised of case-based scenarios derived from learning objectives developed with experienced health care professionals. A survey was administered before and after the teaching session to determine if the students felt they had improved with respect to the learning objectives. Results: The initial survey identified the majority of students found the learning objectives were not delivered. The teaching session found a statistically significant improvement in confidence to nurture interprofessional relationships between primary and social care. Conclusion: Effective interprofessional relationships between primary and social care, improving communication and collaborative cultures, can be effectively taught in medical school, to improve integration of primary and social care.

Background The PRogramme for Improving Mental Health carE (PRIME) evaluated the process and outcomes of the implementation of a mental healthcare plan (MHCP) in Chitwan, Nepal. Aims To describe the process of implementation, the barriers and facilitating factors, and to evaluate the process indicators of the MHCP. Method A case study design that combined qualitative and quantitative methods based on a programme theory of change (ToC) was used and included: (a) district-, community- and health-facility profiles; (b) monthly implementation logs; (c) pre- and post-training evaluation; (d) out-patient clinical data and (e) qualitative interviews with patients and caregivers. Results The MHCP was able to achieve most of the indicators outlined by the ToC. Of the total 32 indicators, 21 (66%) were fully achieved, 10 (31%) partially achieved and 1 (3%) were not achieved at all. The proportion of primary care patients that received mental health services increased by 1200% over the 3-year implementation period. Major barriers included frequent transfer of trained health workers, lack of confidential space for consultation, no mental health supervision in the existing system, and stigma. Involvement of Ministry of Health, procurement of new psychotropic medicines through PRIME, motivation of health workers and the development of a new supervision system were key facilitating factors. Conclusions Effective implementation of mental health services in primary care settings require interventions to increase demand for services and to ensure there is clinical supervision for health workers, private rooms for consultations, a separate cadre of psychosocial workers and a regular supply of psychotropic medicines.

It is demonstrated that using three-dimensional profile fitting of Bragg peaks increases the accuracy and resolution of neutron crystallographic data collected from proteins and reveals new features in nuclear density maps calculated from these data., Neutron crystallography is a powerful technique for directly visualizing the locations of H atoms in biological macromolecules. This information has provided key new insights into enzyme mechanisms, ligand binding and hydration. However, despite the importance of this information, the application of neutron crystallography in biology has been limited by the relatively low flux of available neutron beams and the large incoherent neutron scattering from hydrogen, both of which contribute to weak diffraction data with relatively low signal-to-background ratios. A method has been developed to fit weak data based on three-dimensional profile fitting of Bragg peaks in reciprocal space by an Ikeda–Carpenter function with a bivariate Gaussian. When applied to data collected from three different proteins, three-dimensional profile fitting yields intensities with higher correlation coefficients (CC1/2) at high resolutions, decreased R free factors, extended resolutions and improved nuclear density maps. Importantly, additional features are revealed in nuclear density maps that may provide additional scientific information. These results suggest that three-dimensional profile fitting will help to extend the capabilities of neutron macromolecular crystallography.

We propose a complete-search algorithm for solving a class of non-convex, possibly infinite-dimensional, optimization problems to global optimality. We assume that the optimization variables are in a bounded subset of a Hilbert space, and we determine worst-case run-time bounds for the algorithm under certain regularity conditions of the cost functional and the constraint set. Because these run-time bounds are independent of the number of optimization variables and, in particular, are valid for optimization problems with infinitely many optimization variables, we prove that the algorithm converges to an \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\varepsilon $$\end{document}ε-suboptimal global solution within finite run-time for any given termination tolerance \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\varepsilon > 0$$\end{document}ε>0. Finally, we illustrate these results for a problem of calculus of variations.

Background Electronic medical records (EMRs) are integrated information sources generated by health care professionals (HCPs) from various health care information systems. EMRs play crucial roles in improving the quality of care and medical decision-making and in facilitating cross-hospital health information exchange. Although many hospitals have invested considerable resources and efforts to develop EMRs for several years, the factors affecting the long-term success of EMRs, particularly in the EMR infusion stage, remain unclear. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of technology, user, and task characteristics on EMR infusion to determine the factors that largely affect EMR infusion. In addition, we examined the effect of EMR infusion on individual HCP performance. Methods A questionnaire survey was used to collect data from HCPs with >6 months experience in using EMRs in a Taiwanese teaching hospital. A total of 316 questionnaires were distributed and 211 complete copies were returned, yielding a valid response rate of 66.8%. The collected data were further analyzed using WarpPLS 5.0. Results EMR infusion (R2=0.771) was mainly affected by user habits (β=.411), portability (β=.217), personal innovativeness (β=.198), technostress (β=.169), and time criticality (β=.168), and individual performance (R2=0.541) was affected by EMR infusion (β=.735). This finding indicated that user (habit, personal innovativeness, and technostress), technology (portability), and task (mobility and time criticality) characteristics have major effects on EMR infusion. Furthermore, the results indicated that EMR infusion positively affects individual performance. Conclusions The factors identified in this study can extend information systems infusion theory and provide useful insights for the further improvement of EMR development in hospitals and by the government, specifically in its infusion stage. In addition, the developed instrument can be used as an assessment tool to identify the key factors for EMR infusion, and to evaluate the extent of EMR infusion and the individual performance of hospitals that have implemented EMR systems. Moreover, the results can help governments to understand the urgent needs of hospitals in implementing EMR systems, provide sufficient resources and support to improve the incentives of EMR development, and develop adequate EMR policies for the meaningful use of electronic health records among hospitals and clinics.

BackgroundWe describe the introduction, use, and evaluation of an automation and integration pharmacy development program in a private facility in Saudi Arabia. The project was specifically undertaken to increase throughput, reduce medication dispensing error rates, improve patient satisfaction, and free up pharmacists’ time to allow for increased face-to-face consultations with patients.ObjectiveWe forecasted growth of our outpatient service at 25% per annum over 5- and 10-year horizons and set out to prepare our outpatient pharmacy service to meet this demand. Initial project goals were set as a 50% reduction in the average patient wait time, a 15% increase in patient satisfaction regarding pharmacy wait time and pharmacy services, a 25% increase in pharmacist productivity, and zero dispensing errors. This was expected to be achieved within 10 months of go-live. Realignment of pharmacist activity toward counseling and medication review with patients was a secondary goal, along with the rapid development of a reputation in the served community for patient-centered care.MethodsPreimplementation data for patient wait time for dispensing of prescribed medications as a specific measure of patient satisfaction was gathered as part of wider ongoing data collection in this field. Pharmacist activity and productivity in terms of patient interaction time were gathered. Reported and discovered dispensing errors per 1000 prescriptions were also aggregated. All preimplementation data was gathered over an 11-month period.ResultsFrom go-live, data were gathered on the above metrics in 1-month increments. At the 10-month point, there had been a 53% reduction in the average wait time, a 20% increase in patient satisfaction regarding pharmacy wait time, with a 22% increase in overall patient satisfaction regarding pharmacy services, and a 33% increase in pharmacist productivity. A zero dispensing error rate was reported.ConclusionsThe robotic pharmacy solution studied was highly effective, but a robust upstream supply chain is vital to ensure stock levels, particularly when automated filling is planned. The automation solution must also be seamlessly and completely integrated into the facility’s software systems for appointments, medication records, and prescription generation in order to garner its full benefits. Overall patient satisfaction with pharmacy services is strongly influenced by wait time and follow-up studies are required to identify how to use this positive effect and make optimal use of freed-up pharmacist time. The extra time spent by pharmacists with patients and the opportunity for complete overview of the patient’s medication history, which full integration provides, may allow us to address challenging issues such as medication nonadherence. Reduced wait times may also allow for smaller prescription fill volumes, and more frequent outpatient department visits, allowing patients to have increased contact time with pharmacists.

This is one of the few studies that explores preferences of and experiences with integrated sexual and reproductive health (SRH)-HIV care among users of mainstream family planning and postnatal care services who are women living with HIV (WLWH). This paper reports on the quantitative data from 179 clients attending public sector clinics and from 30 qualitative in-depth interviews with WLHIV in Kenya. Quantitative data show that integration is happening for the vast majority of these clients at their last HIV visit. However, qualitative data show that very often the care received by WLWH is fragmented as providers do not offer multiple same-day appointments for FP and ARV refills. Our study has shown factors that could either prevent or enable receipt of integrated SRH and HIV care for WLWH. To address these factors, management systems need to be able to support providers to make flexible decisions and facilitate better coordination and communication across clinics within facilities.

First class transport is fundamental for a healthy society and a thriving economy. By providing a high degree of mobility for ideas, people and goods, it enables innovation to flourish, businesses to serve wide markets and citizens to travel easily for work and for pleasure. This leads to job creation; regional, national and European Union (EU) economic development; better social cohesion and a better quality of life. This is why transport is one of the seven ‘Societal Challenges’ on which Europe's Horizon 2020 research programme is focusing in 2014–2020. Much is being done to improve transport in Europe in specific topics, including in technology, in networks and in financing. Yet Europe is failing to capture the full benefits of these investments. As the European Commission's 2011 Transport White Paper recognises, today's European transport system remains fragmented, inefficient and inadequate. Analysis of the root causes of this poor performance shows that, while technology barriers are significant, policy issues dominate. The authors examine the arguments for a more connected approach and report on progress towards achieving such an approach. This sees European transport as one system and optimises it as such. This contrasts with the present situation of many fragments, individually good but poorly related. This connected approach will lead to better overall transport provision and better results for the resources invested. However, transport involves many stakeholders, who tend to focus on their own specific modes and issues. Truly effective transport will only develop if all stakeholders work together. We consider new initiatives to bring together all relevant actors at EU, national and regional levels to tackle the problems described above. These would, for example: (i) bring a stronger systems-level perspective to research and development efforts; (ii) coordinate investments in demonstrators and pilots; (iii) identify and fast-track changes necessary in regulations and standards; and (iv) mobilise demand, in particular through better coordinated public procurement. Such an approach will build on existing initiatives, at modal, sectoral and administrative levels, and unlock the full value creation potential of existing investment programmes.

Objectives In children, there is often lack of sufficient information concerning the pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of a study drug to support dose selection and effective evaluation of efficacy in a randomised clinical trial (RCT). Therefore, one should consider the relevance of relatively small PKPD studies, which can provide the appropriate data to optimise the design of an RCT. Methods Based on the experience of experts collaborating in the EU-funded Global Research in Paediatrics consortium, we aimed to inform clinician-scientists working with children on the design of investigator-initiated PKPD studies. Key findings The importance of the identification of an optimal dose for the paediatric population is explained, followed by the differences and similarities of dose-ranging and efficacy studies. The input of clinical pharmacologists with modelling expertise is essential for an efficient dose-finding study. Conclusions The emergence of new laboratory techniques and statistical tools allows for the collection and analysis of sparse and unbalanced data, enabling the implementation of (observational) PKPD studies in the paediatric clinic. Understanding of the principles and methods discussed in this study is essential to improve the quality of paediatric PKPD investigations, and to prevent the conduct of paediatric RCTs that fail because of inadequate dosing.

Purpose: This joint position statement, by the Indian Association of Palliative Care (IAPC) and Academy of Family Physicians of India (AFPI), proposes to address gaps in palliative care provision in the country by developing a community-based palliative care model that will empower primary care physicians to provide basic palliative care.Evidence: India ranks very poorly, 67th of 80 countries in the quality of death index. Two-thirds of patients who die need palliative care and many such patients spend the last hours of life in the Intensive care unit. The Indian National Health Policy (NHP) 2017 and other international bodies endorse palliative care as an essential health-care service component. NHP 2017 also recommends development of distance and continuing education options for general practitioners to upgrade their skills to provide timely interventions and avoid unnecessary referrals.Methods: A taskforce was formed with Indian and International expertise in palliative care and family medicine to develop this paper including an open conference at the IAPC conference 2017, agreement of a formal liaison between IAPC and AFPI and wide consultation leading to the development of this position paper aimed at supporting integration, networking, and joint working between palliative care specialists and generalists. The WHO model of taking a public health approach to palliative care was used as a framework for potential developments; policy support, education and training, service development, and availability of appropriate medicines.Recommendations: This taskforce recommends the following (1) Palliative care should be integrated into all levels of care including primary care with clear referral pathways, networking between palliative care specialist centers and family medicine physicians and generalists in community settings, to support education and clinical services. (2) Implement the recommendations of NHP 2017 to develop services and training programs for upskilling of primary care doctors in public and private sector. (3) Include palliative care as a mandatory component in the undergraduate (MBBS) and postgraduate curriculum of family physicians. (4) Improve access to necessary medications in urban and rural areas. (5) Provide relevant in-service training and support for palliative care to all levels of service providers including primary care and community staff. (6) Generate public awareness about palliative care and empower the community to identify those with chronic disease and provide support for those choosing to die at home.

The present work investigates the conjugation of flotation and photo-Fenton techniques on oil removal performance from oilfield produced water. The experiments were conducted in a column flotation and annular lamp reactor for induced air flotation and photodegradation steps, respectively. A nonionic surfactant was used as a flotation agent. The flotation experimental data were analyzed in terms of a first-order kinetic rate model. Two experimental designs were employed to evaluate the oil removal efficiency: fractional experimental design and central composite rotational design (CCRD). Overall oil removal of 99% was reached in the optimum experimental condition after 10 min of flotation followed by 45 min of photo-Fenton. The results of the conjugation of induced air flotation and photo-Fenton processes allowed meeting the wastewater limits established by the legislations for disposal.

peer-reviewed In multiphase fermentations where the product forms a second liquid phase or where solvents are added for product extraction, turbulent conditions disperse the oil phase as droplets. Surface-active components (SACs) present in the fermentation broth can stabilize the product droplets thus forming an emulsion. Breaking this emulsion increases process complexity and consequently the production cost. In previous works, it has been proposed to promote demulsification of oil/supernatant emulsions in an off-line batch bubble column operating at low gas flow rate. The aim of this study is to test the performance of this recovery method integrated to a fermentation, allowing for continuous removal of the oil phase. A 500mL bubble column is successfully integrated with a 2 L reactor during 24 h without affecting cell growth or cell viability. However, higher levels of surfactants and emulsion stability are measured in the integrated system compared to a base case, reducing its capacity for oil recovery. This is related to release of SACs due to cellular stress when circulating through the recovery column. Therefore, it is concluded that the gas bubble-induced oil recovery method allows for oil separation and cell recycling without compromising fermentation performance; however, tuning of the column parameters considering increased levels of SACs due to cellular stress is required for improving oil recovery.

Integration of wheat straw for a biorefinery-based energy generation process by producing ethanol and biogas together with the production of high-protein fungal biomass (suitable for feed application) was the main focus of the present study. An edible ascomycete fungal strain Neurospora intermedia was used for the ethanol fermentation and subsequent biomass production from dilute phosphoric acid (0.7 to 1.2% w/v) pretreated wheat straw. At optimum pretreatment conditions, an ethanol yield of 84 to 90% of the theoretical maximum, based on glucan content of substrate straw, was observed from fungal fermentation post the enzymatic hydrolysis process. The biogas production from the pretreated straw slurry showed an improved methane yield potential up to 162% increase, as compared to that of the untreated straw. Additional biogas production, using the syrup, a waste stream obtained post the ethanol fermentation, resulted in a combined total energy output of 15.8 MJ/kg wheat straw. Moreover, using thin stillage (a waste stream from the first-generation wheat-based ethanol process) as a co-substrate to the biogas process resulted in an additional increase by about 14 to 27% in the total energy output as compared to using only wheat straw-based substrates.

Microfluidic biosensing systems with enzyme-based detection have been extensively studied in the last years owing to features such as high specificity, a broad range of analytes and a high degree of automation. This review gives an overview of the most important factors associated with these systems. In the first part, frequently used immobilization protocols such as physisorption and covalent bonding and detection techniques such as amperometry and fluorescence measurements are discussed with respect to effort, lifetime and measurement range. The Michaelis–Menten model describing the kinetics of enzymatic reactions, the role of redox mediators and the limitations of the linear measurement range of enzymatic sensors are introduced. Several possibilities of extending the linear measurement range in microfluidic systems such as diffusion-limiting membranes and the flow injection setup are presented. Regarding the integration of enzymes into microfluidic systems during the fabrication process, the constraints imposed by the biomolecules due to the limited usage of high temperatures and solvents are addressed. In the second part, the most common forms of enzyme integration into microfluidic systems, i.e. in channels and on electrodes, on microparticles, on paper and thread and as injected enzyme solutions, are reviewed, focusing on fabrication, applications and performance.

// Daria A. Gaykalova 1 , Veronika Zizkova 1, 2 , Theresa Guo 1 , Ilse Tiscareno 1 , Yingying Wei 3, 10 , Rajita Vatapalli 1, 4 , Patrick T. Hennessey 1, 5 , Julie Ahn 1 , Ludmila Danilova 3, 11 , Zubair Khan 1 , Justin A. Bishop 1, 6 , J. Silvio Gutkind 7 , Wayne M. Koch 1 , William H. Westra 1, 6 , Elana J. Fertig 3 , Michael F. Ochs 3, 8 , Joseph A. Califano 1, 9 1 Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland, USA 2 Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University, Olomouc, Czech Republic 3 Division of Oncology Biostatistics, Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland, USA 4 Department of Urology, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA 5 Department of Otolaryngology, Mid-Michigan Ear Nose and Throat, East Lansing, Michigan, USA 6 Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland, USA 7 Department of Pharmacology, UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, California, USA 8 Department of Mathematics and Statistics, The College of New Jersey, Ewing, New Jersey, USA 9 Department of Surgery, UC San Diego, Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, California, USA 10 Department of Statistics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, NT, Shatin, Hong Kong 11 Laboratory of Systems Biology and Computational Genetics, Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia Correspondence to: Joseph A. Califano, email: jcalifano@ucsd.edu Daria A. Gaykalova, email: dgaykal1@jhmi.edu Keywords: HNSCC, DTX1, expression, methylation, integration Received: September 07, 2016 Accepted: January 16, 2017 Published: January 27, 2017 ABSTRACT Over a half million new cases of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) are diagnosed annually worldwide, however, 5 year overall survival is only 50% for HNSCC patients. Recently, high throughput technologies have accelerated the genome-wide characterization of HNSCC. However, comprehensive pipelines with statistical algorithms that account for HNSCC biology and perform independent confirmatory and functional validation of candidates are needed to identify the most biologically relevant genes. We applied outlier statistics to high throughput gene expression data, and identified 76 top-scoring candidates with significant differential expression in tumors compared to normal tissues. We identified 15 epigenetically regulated candidates by focusing on a subset of the genes with a negative correlation between gene expression and promoter methylation. Differential expression and methylation of 3 selected candidates ( BANK1 , BIN2 , and DTX1 ) were confirmed in an independent HNSCC cohorts from Johns Hopkins and TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas). We further performed functional evaluation of NOTCH regulator, DTX1 , which was downregulated by promoter hypermethylation in tumors, and demonstrated that decreased expression of DTX1 in HNSCC tumors maybe associated with NOTCH pathway activation and increased migration potential.

The application of a robust generalized linear model framework for the modelling of reflection backgrounds in X-ray diffraction images is described., A method for estimating the background under each reflection during integration that is robust in the presence of pixel outliers is presented. The method uses a generalized linear model approach that is more appropriate for use with Poisson distributed data than traditional approaches to pixel outlier handling in integration programs. The algorithm is most applicable to data with a very low background level where assumptions of a normal distribution are no longer valid as an approximation to the Poisson distribution. It is shown that traditional methods can result in the systematic underestimation of background values. This then results in the reflection intensities being overestimated and gives rise to a change in the overall distribution of reflection intensities in a dataset such that too few weak reflections appear to be recorded. Statistical tests performed during data reduction may mistakenly attribute this to merohedral twinning in the crystal. Application of the robust generalized linear model algorithm is shown to correct for this bias.

Spinal lamina I is the first site in the central nervous system where somatic and visceral pathways monosynaptically converge onto projection and local circuit neurons., Referred pain is a phenomenon of feeling pain at a site other than the site of the painful stimulus origin. It arises from a pathological mixing of nociceptive processing pathways for visceral and somatic inputs. Despite numerous studies based on unit recordings from spinal and supraspinal neurons, the exact mechanism and site of this mixing within the central nervous system are not known. Here, we selectively recorded from lamina I neurons, using a visually guided patch-clamp technique, in thoracic spinal cord preparation with preserved intercostal (somatic) and splanchnic (visceral) nerves. We show that somatic and visceral C fibers converge monosynaptically onto a group of lamina I neurons, which includes both projection and local circuit neurons. Other groups of lamina I neurons received inputs from either somatic or visceral afferents. We have also identified a population of lamina I local circuit neurons showing overall inhibitory responses upon stimulation of both nerves. Thus, the present data allow us to draw two major conclusions. First, lamina I of the spinal cord is the first site in the central nervous system where somatic and visceral pathways directly converge onto individual projection and local circuit neurons. Second, the mechanism of somatovisceral convergence is complex and based on functional integration of monosynaptic and polysynaptic excitatory as well as inhibitory inputs in specific groups of neurons. This complex pattern of convergence provides a substrate for alterations in the balance between visceral and somatic inputs causing referred pain.

Background Characterising the correlates of HIV persistence improves understanding of disease pathogenesis and guides the design of curative strategies. This study investigated factors associated with integrated HIV-1 DNA load during consistently suppressive first-line antiretroviral therapy (ART). Method Total, integrated, and 2-long terminal repeats (LTR) circular HIV-1 DNA, residual plasma HIV-1 RNA, T-cell activation markers, and soluble CD14 (sCD14) were measured in peripheral blood of 50 patients that had received 1–14 years of efavirenz-based or nevirapine-based therapy. Results Integrated HIV-1 DNA load (per 106 peripheral blood mononuclear cells) was median 1.9 log10 copies (interquartile range 1.7–2.2) and showed a mean difference of 0.2 log10 copies per 10 years of suppressive ART (95% confidence interval − 0.2, 0.6; p = 0.28). It was positively correlated with total HIV-1 DNA load and frequency of CD8+HLA-DR/DP/DQ+ cells, and was also higher in subjects with higher sCD14 levels, but showed no correlation with levels of 2-LTR circular HIV-1 DNA and residual plasma HIV-1 RNA, or the frequency of CD4+CD38+ and CD8+CD38+ cells. Adjusting for pre-ART viral load, duration of suppressive ART, CD4 cell counts, residual plasma HIV-1 RNA levels, and sCD14 levels, integrated HIV-1 DNA load was mean 0.5 log10 copies higher for each 50% higher frequency of CD8+HLA-DR/DP/DQ+ cells (95% confidence interval 0.2, 0.9; p = 0.01). Conclusions The observed positive association between integrated HIV-1 DNA load and frequency of CD8+DR/DP/DQ+ cells indicates that a close correlation between HIV persistence and immune activation continues during consistently suppressive therapy. The inducers of the distinct activation profile warrant further investigation., Highlights • Data from a homogenously treated population with consistent virological suppression • Integrated HIV-1 DNA load did not vary significantly by duration of therapy • Integrated HIV-1 DNA load was not associated with markers of recent virus replication • Integrated HIV-1 DNA load and CD8+HLA-DR/DP/DQ+ frequency were positively associated • Subjects with top quartile integrated HIV-1 DNA load showed high sCD14 levels Integrated HIV-1 DNA load remains constant in the peripheral blood of individuals receiving long-term suppressive antiretroviral therapy (ART). However, the mechanisms preventing decay of the reservoir remain unclear. We studied a cross-sectional population, defined by the duration of suppressive ART. Integrated HIV-1 DNA load did not differ significantly according to the duration of suppressive ART, and showed no association with direct or indirect markers of ongoing virus replication. Rather, there was an independent, positive association between integrated HIV-1 DNA load and the frequency of CD8 cells expressing the activation marker HLA-DR/DP/DQ. These cells appear to have important regulatory and effector function. Our findings add to growing evidence that immune activation sustains the HIV-1 reservoir during long-term suppressive ART.

This paper presents the main outcomes of a joint research project conducted at ZMO Berlin between March 2018 and July 2021 with funding from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The project analyzed how Syrians remembered their "normal lives" through daily interactions with each other, in neighbourhoods, institutions, or families, as well as routine encounters with the state through the interface of infrastructural provision and bureaucratic practices. Describing three distinct modalities of connection through which incomers of Syrian origin continue to engage with their distant homeland, the paper demonstrates that 'crisis' and 'normality' are not mutually exclusive states of reality, but can be experienced as overlapping states of being that may shape a given life alternately or simultaneously. Secondly, engaging with efforts to communicate the research findings to a wider public, this paper discusses the communicative "balancing acts" that arise when presenting and discussing the project findings with members of the public in Germany. It is suggested that social and political hierarchies inherent to "integration" contexts may complicate or hinder communication. Thus, opportunities to learn about life in Syria, but also Germany, from the perspective of new citizens, may be obscured and even lost. In conclusion, this paper argues for a perspective that does not essentialize (and generically flatten) people as "refugees" despite the distinct and specific legal and political regimes that shape their condition and set them apart from other categories of migrants. Rather, their experiences must be seen in the context of longer-term trajectories that encompass Syrian and German realities as intertwined and linked in many, often unexpected, ways.

The integration of environmental education is embedded with challenges such as inadequate knowledge of what environmental education entails. This situation was not different to what was encountered during the researchers’ training to be a teacher from the schools where they acquired their teaching practice. It was observed that there was minimal or no integration of environmental education in the teaching and learning process. Therefore, this paper reflected on how a primary school teacher integrated environmental education in teaching and learning. The findings from this paper may assist teachers in developing a positive approach to the process of ongoing attempts and the will to integrate environmental education. It may expose the kinds of knowledge other teachers have of what environmental education entails and its integration in school subjects as well as the instructional strategies that they use. The focus on the challenges and the opportunities may excite teachers in that those who have similar circumstances would use the findings from this paper as a launch pad to work on their strengths or weakness in the endeavor to integrate environmental education.

Purpose: The topic chosen for the study centers on the themes of Cultural Integration and Hybridization as illustrated in Amitav Ghosh's post-modern novels. The term ‘postmodernism’ refers to a broad movement that came into being during the latter part of the twentieth century. This movement came after modernity and after modernism faced its decline, when it comes to postmodernism, there is a rise and a fall in every aspect of knowledge and existence. It was an era of an uprising, whether it is literary work, philosophy, or science. Postcolonial literature, particularly novels, explore fundamental difficulties that people face, such as the blending of many cultures, hybridity, and the search for one's own identity. The purpose of this study is to investigate how these topics are handled in the works of fiction by the authors selected for this study. A detailed reading of a few of Amitav Ghosh’s works reveals theimpactofracialdiscrimination, aswellasthetyrannyofcolonialrule. His writings have achieved appreciation on a global level, which means that they are not limited by political, geographical, or social borders. Design: A review of Literature is done by collecting information from secondary sources such as peer-reviewed journals, National and International Publications, internet sources, and research sources like Google Scholar, Research Gate, SSRN, Elsevier, Academia, and Shodhganga are used for identifying the research gap. To highlight the key aspects of the research ABCD analysis is used. Data is acquired from research journals, doctoral theses, scholarly articles, and websites to carry out the research that has been proposed. Concentrating on the keywords History, Transcending Borders, culture, Integration, and Hybridity of the chosen topic, the methodology used depends mostly on collecting, analyzing, and interpreting previous knowledge. The textual analysis and comparative method will be used in the methodology. There will be a close reading of the select works of Ghosh followed by discussions on related issues. Writing research papers and participating in conferences on the subject are also aimed at. While conducting the analyses of the study, APA Manual has been followed to adhere to its requirements. Findings: It has been decided, after looking through a large number of publications, including articles, books, and theses, that the aim of the study could be centered on Cultural Integration and Hybridization in the select works of Amitav Ghosh. It’s proved that Cultural Integration and Hybridity are not a static existence; they differ from one person to the next, one area to the next, one culture to the next, and one nation to the next in any situation. A genuine social and human relationship developed and sustained with the real dignity of humanity is the means to prevent the problems and difficulties of social conflicts. The primary emphasis of the research will be placed on cultural integration and hybridity as it relates to chosen works by Ghosh. The study intends to take review the literature on the subject and will probe in detail the issue under consideration. Originality: The proposed study focuses primarily on the role that cultural integration and hybridity crucial role in the development of identity, the study that is planned to be carried out will be an original one. Nations exclude and include individuals and societies. The study of Amitav Ghosh's writings regarding migration, culture, and hybridity concerning a person's sense of his/her own identity focuses on the stages that are involved in the construction of identities within a postcolonial context. Paper Type: Review Paper

This paper is the first to use empirical evidence to directly examine the relationship between sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and multi-dimensional processes of integration of forced migrant SGBV survivors. While it is acknowledged that forced migrants are subjected to a continuum of violence, including SGBV, during the refugee journey, little is known about the long-term impact of SGBV and how it might be mitigated. Our paper, drawing on empirical evidence from 255 interviews with migrants and stakeholders in Australia, the UK, Sweden and Turkey, documented in detail the complex interactions between SGBV and integration using the Indicators of Integration framework. By bringing together the literature on the continuum of violence, SGBV and the Indicators of Integration framework, we identify, on the one hand, the impact of SGBV on integration, and, on the other, how the indicators framework can be used to identify protective and risk factors for forced migrant survivors.

Refugee integration is one of the main global challenges of the present, at a time when the corporate sector is regarded as a key actor in multi-stakeholder partnerships through the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This paper examines its role as a partner of the state in addressing the movement of refugees into Germany from 2015 onwards. Based on interview data and informal conversations with members of Wir Zusammen, an integration initiative, and supplemented by a review of business reports and media documentation, it discusses the multifaceted engagements by parts of the corporate sector in Germany with refugee integration. These are analysed as ‘thin’ and ‘thick’, and as following different institutional logics. The paper adds to understanding of the political dimensions of corporate responses, their potential to challenge the status quo, and their pitfalls. Ultimately, it argues that corporate involvement with humanitarian and development challenges works best whenembedded locally and is context specific.

This paper analyses the interaction between national policies on the admission of highly-skilled migrants and on the integration of migrants. There is a long-standing debate in the literature as to whether or not migration and integration policies are effective; however there is little consideration of the unintended consequences that these policies may have. We argue that, through their interaction, migration and integration policies have unintended consequences, which create or contribute to social inequalities among migrants. We illustrate our argument through case studies of Germany and the Netherlands, based on expert interviews and interviews with highly-skilled migrants from Asia. Migrants reported facing linguistic, bureaucratic and social challenges, and difficulties in finding employment. These disadvantages accumulate and interact with, for example, gender inequalities, adding up to a high price for migration. The evidence presented in this paper demonstrates the importance for policy-makers to consider how policies interact with each other and what effects this can have.

Jordan, with a population of about ten million, hosts 1.3 million Syrians of whom 670,000 are UNHCR-registered refugees, as well as nearly 85,000 registered refugees from other countries and is thus one of the countries with the highest proportion of refugees in the world. Most of them (83 per cent) are staying outside camps and many have rented flats mainly in the Jordanian capital Amman and its surroundings. The particular conditions for refugees from Syria staying in a receiving area among people with a history of protracted displacement are in the focus of this Working Paper. How do refugees from Syria secure their livelihood in the neighbourhoods of Palestinians who share the experience of a volatile legal status and limited economic rights? Does the EU-Jordan Compact improve Syrians' livelihoods? These questions are addressed by an analytical livelihood approach that includes social relationships as a significant conducive or constraining factor for refugees' agency (ability to act) in making use of local livelihood options. The findings generated in field research between November 2016 and July 2017 reveal dynamics within the Palestinian receiving community that have shifted from empathy and solidarity to more ambiguous interaction up to the exploitation and seclusion of refugees. The Paper shows how self-organised assistance groups of Jordanians with Palestinian origin take care of refugees from Syria in dire need for help, no matter what legal status they have. They support some refugees in regaining their agency and thus contribute to securing their livelihood. The central argument of this Paper is that the agenda of international aid and development agencies of enhancing resilience and promoting self-reliance of refugees does not strengthen refugees’ agency. Instead of considering the refugees' own priorities and intentions about their livelihood, it pre-designs basic needs to different refugee groups and attempts to integrate them into a presumed market economy that in fact is distorted for political purposes (mainly shielding Jordanians from foreign competitors). This is most pronounced in the EU-Jordan Compact, established to provide Syrians with preferential access to (low-skilled) employment in return for alleviated access of Jordanian companies to the European market. The study discloses how the Compact contradicts the idea of resilience of the refugees. In the conclusion, the Paper questions the collusion of the international community with the Jordanian government in using the presence of the refugees for external interests - promoting liberal market expansion through the EU - Jordan Compact in return for continuous aid.

The place and role of scientific activity as a fundamental part of establishing the image of an educational institution is considered in the paper. The influence of image-making components of scientific activity and research on the outcome indicators of a university activity is forecasted. The necessity to consider a scientific and research component as a fundamental constituent of a university image is proved and substantiated. The study into scientific and research activity in the “school-university” system and the analysis of its characteristics is carried out on the example of the research and educational complex People’s Ukrainian Academy. The structural elements comprising the system of scientific and research activity of all participants of research and education in People’s Ukrainian Academy and ensuring its functioning are identified. Characteristics, key achievements of research in PUA as a continuing education complex are presented in the paper, as well as special features of scientific activity in an experimental educational institution currently conducting a social experiment concerning actual problems of modernity. The influence of the scientific activity system in continuing education on its efficiency and the level of engagement of all parties involved is characterized, correspondence between a university scientific activity and the image of the educational institution, including its graduates’ competitiveness, is establishe

The place and role of scientific activity as a fundamental part of establishing the image of an educational institution is considered in the paper. The influence of image-making components of scientific activity and research on the outcome indicators of a university activity is forecasted. The necessity to consider a scientific and research component as a fundamental constituent of a university image is proved and substantiated. The study into scientific and research activity in the “school-university” system and the analysis of its characteristics is carried out on the example of the research and educational complex People’s Ukrainian Academy. The structural elements comprising the system of scientific and research activity of all participants of research and education in People’s Ukrainian Academy and ensuring its functioning are identified. Characteristics, key achievements of research in PUA as a continuing education complex are presented in the paper, as well as special features of scientific activity in an experimental educational institution currently conducting a social experiment concerning actual problems of modernity. The influence of the scientific activity system in continuing education on its efficiency and the level of engagement of all parties involved is characterized, correspondence between a university scientific activity and the image of the educational institution, including its graduates’ competitiveness, is establishe

Māszinības Veselības aprūpe Nursing Studies Health Care Bakalaura darba tēma ir “Jauno māsu pieredze integrācijas procesā sadarbībā ar mentoru uzsākot darba gaitas”, kas tika veikts ar mērķi noskaidrot jauno māsu pieredzi integrācijas procesā uzsākot darba gaitas. Darbā tika analizēti dažādi ārvalstu pētījumi par mentoru programmām un māsu pieredzi integrācijas procesā sadarbībā ar mentoru citu valstu slimnīcās. Pētījuma hipotēze - slimnīcā, kurā tiek realizēta mentoru programma, integrācijas process ir veiksmīgāks, nekā slimnīcā, kurā netiek realizēta mentoru programma. Pētījuma veids - kvantitatīvs pētījuma dizains un pētījuma instruments ir autores izveidota aptaujas anketa, kura sastāvēja no 3 daļām. Aptauja tika veikta no 2023. gada 20. februāra līdz 2023. gada 15.maijam. Pētījumā piedalījās 64 respondenti, kuru vecums bija no 22 līdz 50 gadi ar vidējo darba stāžu 5 - 8 mēneši. Izvirzīto mērķu sasniegšanai, tika aptaujātas divas grupas – X slimnīca, kurā tiek realizēta mentora programma un Y slimnīca, kurā netiek realizēta mentora programma. Pētījuma rezultāti – pētījuma hipotēze tika apstiprināta. Starp abām slimnīcām pastāvēja statistiskas atšķirības jauno māsu integrācijas pieredzē uzsākot darba gaitas. Pētījumā secināts, ka pozitīvi integrācijas pieredzes rādītāji bija augstāki X slimnīcā, kurā tiek realizēta mentora programma, nekā Y slimnīcā, kurā netiek realizēta mentora programma. Jauniem darbiniekiem mentors palīdz adaptēties jaunajā darba vidē, mazina stresa līmeni un uzlabo problēmu risināšanas spējas. Kā būtiskākās problēmas jauno māsu veiksmīgai integrācijai tiek minētas bailes pieļaut kļūdas veicot darba pienākumus, praktisko iemaņu trūkums, liels darba apjoms, augsta atbildības sajūta un slodze pirmajās darba dienās. Atslēgas vārdi: mentorings, mentorings māsām, jaunās māsas, integrācija, integrācijas process jaunām māsām. Darbs sastāv no anotācijas, satura, ievada, literatūras apskata, pētījuma metodoloģijas, pētījuma rezultātiem, analīzes, secinājumiem, izmantoto literatūras avotu saraksta un pielikumiem. Kopā darbā ir 12 tabulas, 3 attēli, 39 literatūras avoti. Kopējais lappušu skaits bez pielikumiem 44 lapaspuses. In Bachelor′s paper “Experience of new nurses in cooperation with a mentor in the process of integration starting new work”, the aim is to find out new nurse’s experiences of the integration process at the start of their working career. In this paper was analyzed different country research studies about mentor programs and experiences of nurses in cooperation with mentor in the process of integration in other country hospitals and health institutions. The hypothesis of the study is that the integration process is more successful in a hospital with a mentoring programme than in a hospital without a mentoring programme. The research design is quantitative, and the research instrument is a questionnaire designed by the author, which consisted of 3 parts. The survey was carried out from 20 February 2023 to 15 May 2023. Respondents aged between 22 and 55 with an average length of service 5-8 months. 64 respondents participated in the survey. To achieve the set goal, two groups were surveyed: a hospital with a mentoring program and a hospital without mentoring program. Results - The research hypothesis was confirmed. There were statistical differences between the two hospitals in the integration experiences of new nurses at the start of their careers. The study concluded that positive integration experience scores were higher in Hospital X, which has a mentoring programme, than in Hospital Y, which does not have a mentoring programme. For new employees, mentoring helps them to adapt to the new working environment, reduces stress levels and improves problem-solving skills. The most important challenges for the successful integration of new nurses are the fear of making mistakes in their work, lack of practical skills, high workload, high sense of responsibility and workload in the first days of work. Key words: mentoring, mentoring for nurses, new nurses, integration, integration process for new nurses. The thesis consists of an annotation, a table of contents, an introduction, a literature review, the research methodology, the results of the study, the analysis, the conclusions, a list of references used and appendices. In total, the thesis contains 12 tables, 3 figures and 39 references. The total number of pages, excluding appendices, is 44 pages.

What is the right location for a university campus? Universities have a preponderant role in today’s societal models. They have been in the core of development — economic, social, sustainable, inter alia — and their role within urban context has changed in order to respond to the university mission — that nowadays includes of civic engagement as well as a stronger participation in economies, through the development of startups and innovation ecosystems. This paper relies on the premise that, even in a post-pandemic world, the Campus is still a window to the world, it can shape the perception people have of the University, can be used as a branding asset and, most of all, impacts the lives of everyone living, learning, and working there. The Campus is a very powerful tool, one that universities worldwide have been using as a way of positioning themselves, of attracting students and faculty, and also creating synergies and relationships with companies. It shapes the relationships created inside and outside of it. As such, this research argues that universities can be key elements in generating and enabling dynamic synergies, promoting the presence of students, academics, and learning spaces in urban contexts. To accomplish this, universities should preserve their spatial identity and uniqueness, while guaranteeing the existence of adequate places for all learning related activities and embodying inclusion and sustainable development, promoting encounters and interaction. These two needs, for inclusion and livelihood while safeguarding some privacy coexist creating some tension for all campus users. With this issue in mind, this paper explores an analytical framework for university campuses within urban fabrics, understanding the different types of urban insertion and connections established with local and regional players, and exploring the dichotomy between closeness centrality and betweenness centrality, as variables than can be used to balance the tension between integration and privacy that affects university campuses and academic communities worldwide. Four compact university campuses that host similar functions are used to test the methodology: Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, Canada; Aalto University in Espoo, Finland; MIT in Cambridge, MA, USA; and Yale University, in New Haven, USA. This paper relies on syntactic analysis to provide deeper information and some clarification on the university location and accessibility within the urban fabrics.

This paper provides evidence of the role that financial market development and institutional quality play in the integration of European Union (EU) life insurance markets. It analyzes ten EU life insurance markets over a seventeen-year sample period. The meta-technology cost/revenue efficiency ratios, estimated under the meta-frontier DEA framework, are used as a measure of integration and the analysis is conducted by applying Tobit panel regression models. We find that national stock market development and institutional quality enhance cost performance and integration of EU life insurance markets. Results also show that in countries where bancassurance is the main life insurance distribution channel, banking sector development contributes to integration in terms of revenue efficiency. However, we find that better outcomes in national institutional quality decrease the meta-technology revenue efficiency ratio, suggesting that life insurance prices are lower in countries with better institutions. Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málaga / CBUA. The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (Project RTI2018-097620-B-100) and Universidad de Málaga Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech. This paper was awarded the 2020 ‘‘Antonio Dionis Soler’’ Research Prize (accésit) by Fundación de Estudios Financieros

Purpose: This paper aims to present and discuss an innovative maturity model (MM) to assess supply chain quality management (SCQM). The SCQM MM can be used to guide organizations in the development and improvement of quality in their supply chains (SCs). Additionally, this paper intends to better understand that integration and its impacts on organizational performance. Design/methodology/approach: The proposed MM was developed based on an exhaustive literature review of the most relevant MMs developed in the areas of quality management, supply chain management and other relevant domains. Findings: The proposed MM consists of a matrix with 100 criteria organized in five organizational dimensions and five maturity levels, embracing the most relevant SC issues and describing a progressive path towards a state of full maturity. Originality/value: It is an innovative tool useful for both academic experts and practitioners to integrate quality management across the SC, thus promoting and improving organizational performance from an integrated and sustainable perspective., This work has been supported by FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia within the R&D Units Project Scope: UIDB/00319/2020.

This paper deals with the simplified economic evaluation of the peak shaving by a battery-based energy storage system in plants with cyclic load profile (typically steel plants) and its own electrical energy source – typically the steam turbine. There are several possible motivations and/or benefits to be explored. The paper focuses on the optimal sizing of the turbine and BESS in relation to the total costs of investment and operation. There is proposed a methodology of integration into these plants. A control strategy of Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) operation is proposed. The impact is put on the inclusion of all economically important factors. Finally, the case study is defined and evaluated, based on the steel plant load diagram and other key factors. The technical-economic potential of this application is discussed in the conclusion.

The article сarries out an analysis of the practices of using electronic social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Vkontakte, etc.) in the study of migration processes. The paper shows how alternative to traditional sources (administrative, surveys) data allow us to form an up-to-date idea of the spatial-temporal and socio-demographic characteristics of migration. The authors study the integration of migrants in destination countries, including difficulties of assimilation and identity preservation, geography of migration flows, migration due to natural disasters and political reasons, intellectual and labour migration. The specificity of the data generated by social networks is that they cover the entire population and are produced in real time.The paper highlights the search for the necessary information using the means of platforms – advertising plugins, geolocation in posts and information directly collected from users, the functioning of certain communities, published comments. The study also gives important methodological features, the success of the results of any research conducted through the analysis of electronic social networks depends on the consideration of which. The problem of the information obtained with their help lies in such limitations as accessibility (technical features of specific platforms), representativeness (insufficient development of statistical techniques for evaluation) and variability of user preferences. In conclusion, the authors conclude about the prospects of using digital mass communication media in the study of migration processes.The scientific and practical significance of the research paper lies in the fact that it complements the literature on the topic under consideration, being the first systematic review of it in the Russian language, and also provides recommendations on the use of the information obtained.

This paper presents a study on inhabited silence among unaccompanied female minors in Sweden. Silence among unaccompanied minors has often been explained by experienced trauma. Conversely, research also explains silence as a natural way of establishing autonomy during adolescence. By analyzing the narratives of 11 unaccompanied female minors, we aim to problematize and broaden the understanding of silence as a lack of communication. By using Bourdieu’s concept of linguistic capital, we analyze how hegemonic narratives on migration and integration influence how the girls in this study use silence in their everyday interactions. Our findings suggest that silence can be understood as both a rejection of these narratives and a strategy to preserve the girls’ integrity. We also demonstrate how these girls negotiate their linguistic capital in relation to embodiment and othering, thereby pushing boundaries of identity and what it means to be seen as Swedish. The paper concludes that silence itself speaks and shows that what is often perceived as a lack of communication can also be understood as a failure to listen.

With the end of the Cold War, Western Balkans countries have embraced the perspective of integration into the Euro-Atlantic structures, with the exception of Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina regarding accession in NATO. The return of international system from hegemonic to competitive followed by the ambiguities that accompany the integration into the Euro-Atlantic structures marked the return of competitors like China, Russia and Turkey in the regional affairs. To map out sources of influence and the context in which foreign interferences affect decision-making and interests, transfer ideas and norms in the region, the paper uses the concept of linkages that facilitate the understanding of opportunities and constrains, benefits and costs resulting from established relationship between Western Balkan countries and different international and regional powers. The paper makes a multi-level investigation of linkages developed between Western Balkans and the leverage of the most influential actors during the last decade, without undermining historical and societal context that favor of disfavor them.

RESUMEN En el presente trabajo se expondrán los impactos que significaría para el MERCOSUR la entrada en vigor del Acuerdo de Asociación realizado con la Unión Europea. Para ello, primero hay que considerar ciertas características de ambas estructuras de integración regional. El MERCOSUR, al ser un organismo intergubernamental, actualmente presenta algunas limitaciones estructurales en comparativa con la Unión Europea, como ser las asimetrías jerárquicas en la normativa del organismo en los distintos estados miembros, ausencia de plazo para la integración de estas, la dependencia a los intereses de los gobiernos de turno, entre otras. Debido a ello, se logrará apreciar que el acuerdo de Asociación Unión Europea-MERCOSUR implicaría un significativo avance en mejorar la calidad institucional del MERCOSUR. Sin embargo, en el presente análisis se argumentará la existencia una alternativa que lograría una mayor captación de las distintas ganancias que este acuerdo implica, la cual es la de transformar al MERCOSUR en un organismo supranacional. En virtud de ello, se realizará un análisis comparativo a la estructura de la Unión Europea, ya que posee características como la aplicabilidad inmediata de sus normas, teniendo un efecto directo y superior a los derechos nacionales de los estados miembros. Al final del trabajo, se podrá inferir que, si bien el mencionado Acuerdo es un gran paso para una integración regional más eficiente, transformar al MERCOSUR en un organismo supranacional lograría una mejor aplicabilidad del mismo, como así también suplir gran parte de las ineficiencias jurídicas que actualmente posee y brindándole a sus estados miembros una mayor estabilidad jurídica, lo cual derivaría en mayores beneficios sociales y económicos. RESUMO Neste trabalho, expor -se os impactos que a entrada em vigor do Acordo de Associação celebrado com a União Européia significará para o MERCOSUL. Para isso, é necessário primeiro considerar algumas características de ambas as estruturas de integração regional. O MERCOSUL, por ser um órgão intergovernamental, apresenta atualmente algumas limitações estruturais em relação à União Européia, tais como assimetrias hierárquicas na regulamentação do órgão nos diferentes estados membros, ausência de prazo para sua integração, dependência de interesses dos governos atuais, entre outros. Por isso, será possível perceber que o acordo de Associação União Européia-MERCOSUL implicaria em um avanço significativo na melhoria da qualidade institucional do MERCOSUL. Porém, nesta análise será discutida a existência de uma alternativa que permitiria uma maior captura dos diversos ganhos que este acordo implica, que é transformar o MERCOSUL em um órgão supranacional. Em virtude disso, será realizada uma análise comparativa da estrutura da União Européia, uma vez que esta possui características como a aplicabilidade imediata de sua regulamentação, tendo efeito direto e superior aos direitos nacionais dos Estados membros. Ao final do trabalho, pode-se inferir que, embora o referido Acordo seja um grande passo para uma integração regional mais eficiente, a transformação do MERCOSUL em um órgão supranacional permitiria uma melhor aplicabilidade do mesmo, além de abastecer grande parte do as ineficiências jurídicas que atualmente possui e proporcionando aos seus Estados membros maior estabilidade jurídica, o que levaria a maiores benefícios sociais e econômicos. ABSTRACT This paper exposes the most likely impacts that the entry into force of the Association Agreement made with the EU would mean for MERCOSUR. For that purpose, it is first necessary to consider certain characteristics of both regional integration structures. MERCOSUR, as an intergovernmental organization, currently has some structural limitations compared to the European Union, such as hierarchical asymmetries in its regulations between its different member states, an absence of a deadline for its norms integration, and a dependency on the current government members interests, among others. In Light of the MERCOSUR flaws described above, it can be seen possible that the EU-MERCOSUR Association agreement would imply a significant advance in improving the institutional quality of MERCOSUR. However, in this analysis a new alternative will be introduced, one that could capture higher gains on different aspects of this treaty, which consists on the transformation of MERCOSUR into a supernational organization. Accordingly, a comparative analysis will be carried out of the EU structure, with its immediate applicability of its regulations, which has a direct and stronger effect on the national rights of the member states. At the end of this paper, one will able to conclude that although the aforementioned Agreement is a great step towards a more efficient regional integration, transforming MERCOSUR into a supranational organization would achieve a better applicability of it, as well as supplying a large part of the legal inefficiencies which currently has and providing its member states with greater legal stability, which would lead to greater social and economic benefits.

In this paper the authors draw on a qualitative study of low-work-intensity households in a disadvantaged suburb of Dublin in 2016–17 to identify some of the gaps in Ireland’s reformed ‘one-stop shop’ Public Employment Service. Drawing on the issues recognised as being required in an integrated Public Employment Service, the paper draws attention to gaps in information; training; services that support employment, such as childcare and housing; and links to employers. The authors conclude by drawing lessons on the issues which need to be addressed for a more tailored Public Employment Service.

Este artículo está centrado en la aplicación de la traducción literaria en contextos formativos en los que los discentes proceden de contextos minoritarios o de zonas de conflicto y se encuentren en una situación de integración. Este trabajo presenta, en primer lugar, las necesidades especiales que pueden mostrar los discentes de lenguas extranjeras (especialmente la española) en tales entornos. En segundo lugar, se analiza la utilidad de la traducción para el apoyo de la asimilación de lenguas extranjeras y se analiza el potencial de la traducción literaria para conseguir el empleo eficiente de una nueva lengua. En último lugar, se presenta una propuesta de textos que pueden ser utilizados para el fortalecimiento del aprendizaje del español como lengua extranjera en tales casos, usando el inglés como lengua vehicular para realizar las actividades de traducción. Dichos textos serán observados para mostrar sus posibles beneficios de cara a su uso en la enseñanza de lenguas extranjeras a través de la traducción literaria a la población en una situación de integración., This paper is centred on the implementation of literary translation in learning contexts in which the students pertain to minority contexts or areas of conflict and that are immersed in integration situations. This paper presents, first of all, the special needs that these foreign language students can possess (especially when learning Spanish) in such environments. Secondly, the usefulness of translation to support the assimilation of foreign languages and the potential of literary translation to achieve an efficient usage of a new language will be assessed. Last but not least, a proposal of texts that can be used to strengthen the learning of the Spanish language in these contexts (using English as a lingua franca to carry out the rendering activities) will be presented. These texts will be observed to show their possible benefits regarding the teaching of a foreign language through literary translation in integration contexts.

The article considers such forms of integration between enterprises as subcontracting and cooperation, designed to increase the industrial potential, activate the processes of restructuring industries and move them to a qualitatively new level. The purpose of the study is to identify the features and trends of the process of integration of enterprises through the mechanism of subcontracting and cooperation within the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and to substantiate the prospects for its further development.The paper describes the degree of development of national subcontracting markets in the countries that are part of the Eurasian Economic Union, and identifies the features of national systems for supporting cooperation and subcontracting processes. The authors carry out the analysis of the dynamics of cooperative supplies between the EAEU member states in the sectoral context, as well as the analysis of structural shifts in trade in intermediate goods in the context of the participating countries. The latter found a shift in the final links of the cooperative chains of product value formation in the EAEU space, which indicates the deepening of integration processes. The article considers the problems of information, financial and regulatory support for the development of subcontracting and cooperation. The paper determines the reasons that hinder the integration processes in the EAEU. The results of the study can be used in the development of an industrial strategy and integration policy in the Eurasian space.