The Multi-Functionality of Professional and Business Associations in a Transitional Context: Empirical Evidence from Russia

In the literature it is generally assumed that activities of voluntary membership based associations operating in stable institutional environments are multi-faceted, contributing simultaneously to societal, economic and political spheres. This article, drawing on the concept of functions of non-profit organizations investigates, whether the multi-functional character of associations holds true in the context of transitional Russia. The paper examines the relative importance of the advocacy, community building and service delivery functions, fulfilled by different types of associations. The original empirical data from exploratory interviews with 15 leading experts on associational activities was triangulated by a confirmatory survey of 215 associations across Russia. The results confirm that the absolute majority of the examined associations are multifunctional. Advocacy is considered to be the most important function for all types of associations. The findings suggest that business associations and intermediary unions are more active in policy advocacy directed toward the government, while liberal professional societies are more engaged in public advocacy addressing society at large. This study highlights importance of domestic associations for countries in transition as an institutional infrastructure of organized civil society, democratic development and market economy

Peculiarities of the Epidemiological Process in Some Airborne Infections in the Conditions of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Introduction: Airborne infections are one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Newly emerging at the end of 2019, in the city of Wuhan, China, a respiratory infection caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, has led to a serious spread among the population covering almost all countries around the world. High mortality and severe economic and social consequences caused the imposition of restrictive measures, which have led to a decline in the spread of infections with mass immunoprophylaxis: rubella, mumps, whooping cough, and measles.Objective: To perform an epidemiological analysis of the peculiarities of the epidemiological process in airborne infections in the Varna region and the Republic of Bulgaria after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.Materials and methods: Official data from the Regional Health Inspectorate (RHI) in Varna and data from the National Center for Infectious and Parasitic Diseases (NCIPD) on acute infectious diseases in the Republic of Bulgaria were used. Epidemiological, mathematical, and statistical methods, as well as others, were used during the processing of the information.Results: In the pre-pandemic period from 2017 to 2019, the prevalence of respiratory infections treated with mass immunoprophylaxis in the Varna region was relatively limited. In the Varna region, there are three registered cases of pertussis (morbidity = 0.21%ооо). The number of people infected with measles in the Varna region is 5 (morbidity = 1.06%ооо). Separate sporadic cases of mumps have been registered: 2 cases in 2017 and 2 in 2019 (morbidity = 0.63%ооо).In the post-pandemic period from March until the end of 2021, no vaccine-preventable respiratory infections have been registered in the Varna region. In both periods, infected people were either not immunized or had an incomplete immunization status.Conclusion: The restrictive measures implemented to control COVID-19 have resulted in a decrease in the incidence of respiratory infections with mass immunoprophylaxis

Prevention of infections by vaccines and immune modulators

Откриването и внедряването на ваксините и имуномодулаторите в медицинската практика е огромна крачка напред в предотвратяване на инфекциозните заболявания, някои от които са завършвали фатално при миналите векове. С прогреса в медицинската наука непрекъснато се усъвършенства имунопрофилактиката, като се разработват по-модерни технологии за по-безопасни и ефективни ваксини, което повишава здравния статус на обществото, изчезват смъртните и инвалидизиращи тежко протичащи случаи, намаляват разходите за лечение. Цел на тази разработка е да представи класификацията на видовете ваксини и имуномодулатори, както и съвременното състояние на ефекта от приложението им за превенция на инфекциозни заболявания. Материал и методи: Събрана е актуална информация от научни източници на информация по темата ваксинопрофилактика и имуномодулатори. Тя е анализирана, систематично представена и илюстрирана с подходящи графики. Резултати и обсъждане: Показано е значението на ваксините и имуномодулаторите за ограничаване на редица опасни вирусни и бактериални инфекции, напр. успешната ерадикация на вариола. Представена е съвременна класификация на тези средства за имунопрофилактика. Изброени са използваните понастоящем в България ваксини и имуномодулатори, разгледан е актуалният към момента на проучването имунизационен календар. Обективно са разгледани както полезните ефекти от приложението им, така и някои нежелани, странични ефекти. Проследени са тенденции за бъдещото развитие на имунопрофилактиката в България и в света. Изводи: Ефектът от прилагането на ваксини и имуномодулиращи средства не само за профилактика, но и при терапия на някои инфекциозни заболявания през последните две столетия е доказан в медицинската наука и в практиката. Силно ограничени и облекчени по протичане са инфекции, причинени от силно патогенни вируси и бактерии. Наблюдава се ефект и срещу някои туморни образувания. За повишаване на ефективността от прилагането им, в световен мащаб, се изискват планирани и координирани усилия на здравните институции в отделните страни, a това се постига благодарение на обединяващата дейност на СЗО.Introduction: The discovery and implementation of vaccines and immune modulators in medical practice is a huge step forward towards the prevention of infectious diseases, some of which have lead to a fatal outcome during the past centuries. Immune prophylaxis has been continuously improving along with the progress in medical sciences by developing more advanced technologies for safer and more effective vaccines, which increases the health status of the population of our society. The deaths and severely debilitating cases have disappeared and the cost of treatment has been reduced. Aim: The aim of this work is to present the classification of vaccines and immune modulators, as well as the current state of the effect of their application on the prevention of infectious diseases. Materials and Methods: Current information from scientific sources on the prevention by vaccines and immune modulators has been accumulated. It has been analyzed, systematically presented and illustrated by appropriate graphics. Results and Discussion: The importance of vaccines and immune modulators for limiting a number of dangerous viral and bacterial infections, such as successful eradication of smallpox, is shown. Contemporary classification of these agents for immune prophylaxis is presented. The vaccines and immune modulators used nowadays in Bulgaria are listed, the up-to-date immunization calendar is considered. Both the beneficial effects of their application and some undesirable side effects are objectively presented. Trends for the future development of immune prevention in Bulgaria and in the world are traced.Conclusions: The effect of application of vaccines and immune modulating agents in medical science and practice has been proved to be useful not only for prophylaxis but also for therapy of some infectious diseases during the last two centuries. Very limited and relieved are infections caused by strong pathogenic viruses and bacteria. Also, an effect against some tumor formations has been established. To increase the effectiveness of their implementation worldwide, planned and coordinated efforts of healthcare institutions in all the countries are required, and this is achieved thanks to the unifying activity of WHO

Response: Rights as Trumps of What?

Background: Smartphone technology presents a novel and promising opportunity to extend the reach of psychotherapeutic interventions by moving selected parts of the therapy into the real-life situations causing distress. This randomised controlled trial will investigate the effects of a transdiagnostic, Internet-administered cognitive behavioural (iCBT) self-help program for anxiety, supplemented with a smartphone application. The effect of added therapist support will also be studied. Methods/Design: One hundred and fifty participants meeting diagnostic criteria for social anxiety disorder and/or panic disorder will be evenly randomised to either one of three study groups: 1, smartphone-supplemented iCBT with therapist support; 2, smartphone-supplemented iCBT without therapist support; or 3, an active waiting list control group with delayed treatment. Primary outcome measure will be the Generalised Anxiety Disorder 7-item self-rating scale. Secondary measures include other anxiety, depression and quality of life measures. In addition to pre- and post-treatment measurements, the study includes two mid-treatment (days 24 and 48) and two follow-up assessments (12 and 36 months) to assess rapid and long-term effects. Discussion: To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the effectiveness of smartphone-supplemented iCBT for anxiety disorders. Hence, the findings from this trial will constitute great advancements in the burgeoning and promising field of smartphone-administered psychological interventions. Limitations are discussed

Intracellular Cholesterol Lowering as Novel Target for Anti‐Atherosclerotic Therapy

Atherosclerosis and disorders associated with cardiovascular system remain the major problem of modern medicine and the leading cause of mortality in developed countries. According to the current knowledge, atherosclerosis development can begin early in life. Clinically silent early‐stage lesions can be detected in a large population of young adults. Despite substantial progress in the recent years, therapy of atherosclerosis mostly remains limited to plasma lipid profile correction. Moreover, no therapy is currently available for the treatment of asymptomatic early stages of the disease. The existing synthetic drugs could not be used for this purpose, because of the unfavourable risk/benefit ratio and high cost of treatment, which has to be long‐lasting. In this regard, medications based on natural agents with anti‐atherosclerotic activity may offer interesting possibilities. Current research should focus on detection and evaluation of such agents. One of the important tools for anti‐atherosclerotic drug evaluation is a cell‐based model, which allows measurement of intracellular lipid accumulation. Anti‐atherosclerotic activity of various substances can therefore be evaluated by the decrease of intracellular lipid storage. In this chapter, we will discuss the development and application of cellular models based on primary culture of human arterial wall cells that are suitable for detection and measurement of anti‐atherosclerotic activity of various substances. Using these models, several natural agents have been successfully evaluated, which led to the development of pharmaceutical products with anti‐atherosclerotic activity based on botanicals

Specifics of teaching Russian language phraseology to foreign students (based on the phraseological units with verbs of motion)

This article is dedicated to the consideration of relevant methodological techniques of offline and online teaching of phraseological units with verbs of motion to foreign students taking into account the peculiarities of various teaching stages. The research novelty consists in the presentation of the polyvector module for working with phraseological units with verbs of motion to form language, sociocultural, sociolinguistic and cross-cultural competencies of a foreign speaker. When writing the article, the authors used the following methods: analytical method, component analysis, methods of interpretation and modeling. The analysis of the polyvector teaching module demonstrated that the acquiring process of Russian phraseological units by foreign speakers will be integral and effective, if lexical and grammatical material is selected in accordance with the criteria and objectives of each teaching level. The methodological techniques of the polyvector module take into account the features and objectives of teaching at each level; the system of the module tasks, implemented in the online format (mass open online course – MOOC) and offline, is aimed at developing foreign speakers’ skills and abilities to understand and use phraseological units with verbs of motion in speech in different communicative situations

Ethical Aspects of Vulnerable Group of Patients in Clinical Trials

The current publication aims to review and analyse the ethical aspects and regulations to protect the category of vulnerable patients, as defined in the European legislation. These patients need special protection and require more detailed approach throughout the clinical trials’ life cycle

Intervention policière en milieu scolaire : expérience et point de vue des acteurs

Contexte et objectif. Afin de résorber le problème de la violence en milieu scolaire, de nombreux programmes et partenariats « police-école » ont vu le jour. Malgré la popularité de ces initiatives, les évaluations établissent toutefois que leurs effets sur la violence et la délinquance sont plutôt triviaux. Récemment, le programme de prévention « Unité sans violence » a été implanté dans plusieurs écoles de la région métropolitaine de Montréal et une évaluation préliminaire rapporte que son introduction fut suivie d’une baisse significative de la victimisation. À l’aide d’une approche mixte, l’objectif de ce mémoire est d’explorer la pertinence des concepts du rôle paradoxale et de l’intervention en contexte d’autorité afin de mieux comprendre les interactions entre les partenaires du programme et d’identifier de nouvelles pistes permettant de mieux comprendre les effets des programmes policiers en milieu scolaire. Méthodologie. La recherche repose sur des données qualitatives et quantitatives. D’une part, des entretiens semi-directifs ont été réalisés auprès des intervenants (policiers, enseignants et éducateurs spécialisés) afin de recueillir leur point de vue et expérience par rapport au programme. D’autre part, des questionnaires ont été administrés aux élèves de cinquième et sixième année de 20 écoles, ce qui a permis de documenter leur perception des policiers. Résultats. Les résultats aux entrevues suggèrent que les rôles d’aidant du policier et celui plus répressif s’inscrivent en continuité plutôt qu’en contradiction. Les rôles d’éducateur et de « grand frère » du policier seraient très bien reçus par les élèves. L’expérience des policiers, leur approche empathique et personnalisée ainsi que leur intérêt pour le travail communautaire apparaissent comme des éléments clés du bon déroulement du programme. Les résultats aux questionnaires montrent d’ailleurs que les élèves ont une perception très favorable des policiers. Conclusion. Les concepts de rôle et d’intervention en contexte d’autorité apparaissent comme des éléments clés qui devraient être intégrés à toute recherche évaluative visant à mieux comprendre l’effet des programmes policiers sur la délinquance. De plus, d’autres évaluations quantitatives du programme « Unité sans violence » sont nécessaires pour mieux comprendre l’influence de certaines de ses composantes, soit le renforcement positif, l’étalement du programme tout au long de l’année scolaire, le rôle des enseignants dans la transmission du message et l’exposition continue au programme entre la cinquième et sixième année.Context and objectives. Several « police-school » partnerships and programs have been developed in order to combat school violence. Despite the popularity of these incentives,evidence from several studies show that their effects on violence are rather trivial.Recently, a prevention program, “Unit Without Violence”, was implemented in several schools of the greater Montreal region. Preliminary assessments suggest that its introduction led to a significant reduction in violent victimizations. Using a mixed approach, the objective of this dissertation is to explore the relevance of the concepts of the dual role of police officers and that of intervention in a context of authority to further our understanding about interactions between partners and identify new concepts for investigating the effects of police programs on school delinquency. Method. A mixed research design was developed to gather qualitative and quantitative data. On one hand, semi-structured interviews were conducted with stakeholders (police officers, teachers and other specialists) to gather data on their views and experiences with the program. On the other hand, a paper-pencil survey was administered to fifth and sixth grade pupils of 20 schools to measure their perceptions about the police. Results. The present results suggest that the repressive and the resource-person roles are rather in continuity than in conflict. The educative and big-brother roles of police officers appear to be well received by pupils. The experience of police officers, their empathetic and custom approach as well as their interest for community work are seen as key elements of the success of the program. Survey results also show that pupils have a very positive perception of the police. Conclusion. Concepts related to the role of police officers and interventions in a context of authority are seen as key elements that should be included in any evaluation seeking to investigate the effect of police programs on school delinquency. Furthermore, additional quantitative assessments of the “Unit Without Violence” program are needed to further our understanding of the mediating effects, on school violence, of certain of its features such as the length of the program (the program is given through the whole school year),the positive reinforcement aspect, the teacher’s role in transmitting the message of the program and the continued exposure to the program between fifth and sixth grades

The Outlook of Active Facebook Users on The "Filter Bubble" Phenomenon

Department of Electronic Culture and SemioticsKatedra elektronické kultury a sémiotikyFaculty of HumanitiesFakulta humanitních studi

The Role of Professional and Business Associations in Development of Civil Society in Russia

It is generally assumed that the activities of associations based on voluntary membership not only are multi-faceted, but simultaneously contribute to societal, economic, and political spheres. This dissertation draws on an integrated theoretical framework of functions of nonprofit organizations, and then studies the composition of roles that professional and business associations (PBAs) play in Russia's transition to market economy. Moreover, a theoretical framework of environmental embeddedness of nonprofit organizations is applied to examine the forces that drive, as well as hinder, fulfillment of their missions. This study focuses on examination of the relative importance of the advocacy, community building, and service delivery functions fulfilled by business associations, intermediary unions, and liberal professional societies. Moreover, governance, public and political, and socio-economic factors are investigated to determine whether they drive or hinder successful achievement of PBAs' missions. The original empirical data, collected qualitatively from fifteen leading experts on associational activities, is triangulated with quantitative evaluations from 215 associations across Russia. Such an approach allows better interpretation both of the multiplicity of roles played by different types of associations, and of the forces driving and hindering their activities in a country in transition. The results show that the prevailing majority of the examined professional and business associations are multi-functional, simultaneously performing all three major functions. Advocacy is considered the most important function for all types of associations. The governance factors are deemed major drivers of accomplishment of associational missions, while public and political factors are regarded as an obstacle, undermining the potential of PBAs. The findings suggest that even though professional and business associations are not yet granted the status of an equal partner of the state, they manage to build constructive relations with the government by combining policy and public advocacy and relying on bonding community building activities. This study highlights the expressive, rather than service-oriented, character of organized civil society in Russia. (author's abstract