Lithuanian pension system’s reforms transformations and forecasts

The aim of this article is to describe the Lithuanian pension system, its reform process and its long-term financial sustainability. We define therefore the current reforms in the public pension system, influenced by the last economic crisis and social challenges. Also, we forecast the financial dynamics of the public pension system, in the light of raising social expenses (due to second pillar pension reforms) and of demographic trends (like ageing society and low fertility). Results reveal the long-term sustainability of the system, albeit at a cost of initial negative balances to be covered with public budget. Policy solutions could improve sustainability by encouraging and extending employment (especially for the disadvantaged) and by building trust in both public and private pension systems

Repetitive Late Pleistocene soft‐sediment deformation by seismicity‐induced liquefaction in north‐western Lithuania

Liquefaction can cause deformation of unconsolidated sediment, but specific processes involved and the trigger mechanisms often remain obscured. This study describes multiple deformed sediment layers in a succession of lacustrine sand, silt and clay deposited during the Marine Isotope Stage 5d in north-western Lithuania. The deformation structures (load casts, pseudonodules, ball-and-pillow structures, broken-up laminae and injections) are embedded in ten separate layers of fine-grained, laterally continuous sediments. Detailed mesoscale sedimentological analyses suggest that each deformation event consisted of numerous successive stages of sediment advection facilitated by liquefaction. Low-permeability fine-grained laminae contributed to localized pore-water pressure build-up and lowering of sediment strength. Erosional top surfaces that truncate layers with soft-sediment deformation structures suggest that at least seven deformation events were separated by successive periods of initial erosion and then uninterrupted deposition in the lake. The most likely trigger of the deformation was recurrent palaeoseismic activity possibly linked to a late glacial isostatic adjustment following the Scandinavian Ice Sheet melting after the Saalian glaciation. This study emphasizes the potential role of seismic processes in shaping the sedimentary record of the intraplate region of north-eastern Europe and contributes to constraining the depth of liquefaction, regardless of the actual trigger mechanism

Arts Education of Pupils with Special Educational Needs: Objectives and Principles

Nepriklausomybės laikotarpiu prasidėjusią neįgaliųjų integraciją Lietuvoje keičia įtraukiojo (inkliuzinio) ugdymo poreikis. Atliekami moksliniai tyrimai, analizuojantys, kaip keičiasi visuomenės požiūris į negalią turinčius žmones, tiriama meno įtaka neįgaliųjų socializacijai, stiprinama juridinė šių asmenų ugdymo bazė. Meninio ugdymo dalykai (muzika, dailė, šokis, teatras) taip pat padeda ugdyti mokinių kompetencijas, reikalingas mokymuisi ir bendravimui, kūrybingai saviraiškai, komunikacijai ir individo vidinei darnai. Straipsnio tikslas – pasitelkiant mokslinės literatūros analizės metodą išryškinti specialiųjų ugdymosi poreikių turinčių mokinių meninio ugdymo tikslus ir principus.Changes in society, democratisation of education enable to shift towards persons with disabilities, in order to integrate them into society without causing discomfort neither the person, nor those around him. Categorization of disabilities and disorders according to medical criteria does not meet the educational objectives of pupils with special educational needs, as both developmental disorders and learning difficulties create the variety of abilities, needs and interests of pupils in the class. Such variety refers to school for all pupils, to involving (inclusive) education. According to the results of surveys, although the pupils with special educational needs are involved in general education, the teacher still remains alone with his philosophy and methods, without being offered an opportunity for cooperation, consultancy support, which is one of conditions for success in the involving (inclusive) education. Lack of systematic research is still observed, which brings out the didactics issues of art education of pupils with special educational needs, therefore, the analysed scientific problem is relevant. The objectives of special art education are focused not only on the pupils having special educational needs, but also to the surrounding people – teachers, classmates, family, society, and even more, to their mutual interactions. Such change of didactic goals reveals the new art education principles. The subjects of the article are the didactic goals and principles, educating the pupils with special needs by art. Applying the method of analysis of the scientific literature, the article reveals the research of the world and Lithuanian scientists in the field of special art pedagogy and theoretically justifies six principles of art education: art education focused on the emotionally positive interaction between the learner and teacher, directed to the learner’s family and society; art education is of moral aspect; content of art education is integral and perceived; educational methods are applied in complex; in the process of art education the verbal and nonverbal reflections predominate; art education is personally and socially meaningful for the pupils with special educational needs

Simulating the integration of photovoltaic technology on the modern infantry soldier using modelling andsimulation:scenarios and guidelines

The operational range and manoeuvrability of the modern infantry soldier is restricted by the overall load and bulk of equipment ranging from 50 to 75 kg. Today’s soldiers rely heavily on batteries to meet their power requirements, which make up 25% of the overall load. This results in a significant increase on soldier’s physical stress and cognitive burden. Recent developments in renewable energy, and more particularly the evolution of very thin and flexible wearable photovoltaic devices, provide promising solutions for the application of such technologies on the infantry soldier. However, since these flexible substrate devices are still under development or produced at a very small scale, their application and use has to be simulated prior to integrating to the infantry soldier. Such simulations need to take into account the specific requirements and different fields of operation of the infantry soldier, in the context of weather, date and time, global location and for different military mission environments. This paper presents a number of simulations performed for a wide range of scenarios in the context of the Solar Soldier project. It discusses the key results, offering a set of guidelines for the positioning and integration of such renewable energy technology on the modern infantry soldier. Moreover, this paper suggests future improvements on the methodology and optimisation of the procedures

The Littorina Sea at the Lithuanian Maritime Region

In the recent decade a number of data of different investigations (pollen, diatom, molluscs analysis, lithological investigations, dating by methods of absolute geochronology, etc.) have been collected during the large-scale geological mapping of Lithuanian Maritime region (Lithuanian Coast). The results of investigations confirmed that there were three Littorina Sea transgressions at the Lithuanian Coast: the first manifested approximately in 8500-7800 conventional 14C years BP, the second (maximal) - in 6200-5900 and the third - in 5300-4000 conv. 14C years BP. The Post-Littorina Sea maximum was in about 3600-3400 conv. 14C years BP. The Littorina Sea shoreline displacement curves were carried out. The present-day positions of shorelines of the Littorina Sea as well as other Baltic basins are displaced in different altitudes in separate parts of the Lithuanian Coast due to oscillatory neotectonic movements of Earth crust blocks during Late Glacial and Holocene