Responding to the Conflict of Interest Risks in Central and Eastern Europe: Case of Slovenia

Prohibition of conflict of interest prevents abuses of the rule of law in modern constitutional democracies. As a result, is ensures that persons working in state institutions do not use their posts and functions for private gain. The experience from Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) illustrates that state authorities have in the past faced challenges in how to internalise the prohibition of conflict of interest. Literature from CEE on the prohibition of conflict of interest has been scarse. Consequently, this paper aims to address this gap by examining the experience of the Slovenian state in coping with the risks arising from conflict of interest. It discusses and analyses on one hand theoretical and normative underpinnings of the prohibition of conflict of interest in the Slovenian, European and international frameworks. On the other hand, it examines the recent practice of administrative and judicial bodies concerning the prohibition of conflict of interest. It finds that normative frameworks in the Slovenian constitutional framework have been reformed in recent years. Nonetheless, there is still a risk of potential and actual conflict of interest for the implementation of the rule of law in state institutions. The normative prohibition appears not to have been fully internalised in the practice of state institutions. As a result, the authors submit that state institutions should not turn a blind eye to the risk of conflict of interest in order to show willingness to strengthen the rule of law in the Slovenian constitutional democracy. The Slovenian normative and empirical experience shows lessons that can be taken up in the constitutional democracies of Central and Eastern Europe experiencing similar challenges

Mnenja o izobraževanju starejših oseb na kulturno-umetniškem področju

The article studies opinions on culture and arts education for elderly people in retirement homes. First, we wanted to discover the importance culture and arts education has for elderly people. Next, we focused on identifying differences in opinions on the importance of education in the cultural and artistic field based on gender, level of education, living environment, and age. Our research sample comprised of 77 people residing in retirement homes in Maribor, Slovenia, who filled in our questionnaire. The research shows that culture and arts education is of high importance to elderly people; it holds greater value to men and to those with a higher level of education. However, there are no significant differences based on age and living environment. The findings can serve as guidelines for planning and further research on education in the field of culture and arts for elderly people in retirement homes.Predstavljamo raziskavo o mnenju stanovalcev domov za starejše o izobraževanju na kulturno-umetniškem področju. V raziskavi nas je uvodoma zanimalo, kakšno je mnenje o pomenu izobraževanja na kulturno-umetniškem področju, v nadaljevanju pa smo posebno pozornost namenili ugotavljanju obstoja razlik v mnenju o pomembnosti izobraževanja na kulturno-umetniškem področju glede na spol, najvišjo stopnjo pridobljene izobrazbe, izvorno okolje in starost. Raziskovalni vzorec je vključeval 77 udeležencev, ki bivajo v domovih za starejše v Mariboru. Izsledki raziskave kažejo, da se velika večina starejših oseb zaveda pomena izobraževanja na kulturno-umetniškem področju. Ob tem se je izkazalo, da moški in osebe z višjo stopnjo izobrazbe izobraževanju na kulturno-umetniškem področju pripisujejo večji pomen kot ženske in tisti z nižjo stopnjo izobrazbe, medtem ko pri kategorijah izvorno okolje in starost ni bilo zaznati večjih razlik. Pridobljene ugotovitve lahko služijo kot smernice za nadaljnje načrtovanje in raziskovanje izobraževanja na kulturno-umetniškem področju pri starejših osebah, ki bivajo v domovih

Public Policy Design and Implementation in Slovenia

Public policy design and implementation is a complex process, and so decision makers try to monitor all of the policy lifecycle stages in a particular policy domain. However, the question of coherent integration of various policy activities arises, including agenda-setting, ex-ante evaluation, formulation, decision-making, implementation, ex-post evaluation of individual policies, sector-specific ones, and even horizontal ones. Therefore, it is important to investigate and understand the reasons why an individual country, such as Slovenia, does not exploit all potential aspects of carrying out policy activities in a systematic and coherent manner. This article explores and analyzes Slovenian practice in policy design based on an in-depth empirical study among key public policyholders and decision makers. Furthermore, the authors identify the key success factors that facilitate or inhibit the development and progress of public policies, programs, and projects (PPPP) in Slovenia. The key findings indicate a particular lack of a professional policy unit to monitor the process holistically and the absence of ex-post evaluation. A need for a systemic solution in public policy design is established, which would merge different authorities’ efforts, epistemic communities, and the public in developing a structural multilevel model for good public governance

Discovering the Unexpected with the Utilization of NGS in Diagnostics of Non-syndromic Hearing Loss Disorders: The Family Case of ILDR1-Dependent Hearing Loss Disorder

Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is a heterogeneous family of hearing disabilities with congenital (including genetic) as well as acquired etiology. Congenital SNHL of genetic etiology is further sub-divided into autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive and X-linked SNHL. More than 60 genes are involved in the etiology of autosomal recessive non-syndromic hearing loss (ARNSHL) commonly manifesting as heterogeneous pre-lingual profound to severe non-progressive clinical phenotype. ILDR1-dependent ARNSHL (DFNB42, OMIM: # 609646) is a very rare sub-type of hearing disability, with unknown prevalence, caused by function-damaging genetic variants in ILDR1 gene reported in families of Middle-Eastern origin. ILDR1 (Immunoglobulin-Like Domain-containing Receptor 1) is involved in the development of semicircular canal, tricellular tight junction and auditory hair cells. An apparently non-consanguineous family of European ancestry with two affected siblings with profound progressive hearing loss characterized in their infancy and successfully treated with cochlear implants (CI) is presented. Genetic analysis of common ARNSHL genetic causes in the population of origin was negative, thus the next-generation sequencing (NGS) and family segregation analysis to identify underlying causative genetic variant was performed. Unexpectedly and atypical for the population of origin a homozygous non-sense variant ILDR1 c.942C > A (p.Cys314Ter) inherited from both heterozygous parents was identified in both patients. Contrary to the commonly reported phenotype, indices of a progressive hearing loss and potential compensatory mechanism of vestibular function were revealed with the analysis of clinical data. The utilization of NGS was demonstrated as an invaluable tool for the detection of atypical rare variants in diagnostics of unidentified hearing loss disorders

Plasma-Induced Interfacial Processes in Metal Halides FTIR Gas Cell Windows

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) is one of the most widely used vibrational diagnostic techniques to investigate gas-phase reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS). However, the technique carries intrinsic challenges, particularly in relation to interfering peaks in the spectral data. This study explores the interfacial processes that occur when reactive oxygen and nitrogen species generated by a non-equilibrium air plasma interact with the metal halide windows of an FTIR gas cell, leading to the appearance and evolution of spurious absorption peaks which complicate spectral interpretation. Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry and attenuated total reflectance-FTIR spectroscopy were used to elucidate the origin of spurious absorption peaks spanning the 1400–1300 cm−1 spectral range as a result of KBr exposure to plasma generated species. It was found that plasma exposed KBr contained a lower atomic fraction of Br which was replaced by the NO3 nitrate group, the main absorbance peak of which progressively evolved with plasma exposure and affected the window transparency over the corresponding FTIR region. A correlation was revealed between KNO3 formation, plasma power and exposure time to a growth and change in molecular vibrational energies corresponding to asymmetric NO3 stretching vibrations in the KNO3 structure

Depth profiling of Cr-ITO dual-layer sample with secondary ion mass spectrometry using MeV ions in the low energy region

This work explores the possibility of depth profiling of inorganic materials with Megaelectron Volt Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry using low energy primary ions (LE MeV SIMS), specifically 555 keV Cu ²⁺ , while etching the surface with 1 keV Ar ⁺ ions. This is demonstrated on a dual-layer sample consisting of 50 nm Cr layer deposited on 150 nm In2O5Sn (ITO) glass. These materials proved to have sufficient secondary ion yield in previous studies using copper ions with energies of several hundred keV. LE MeV SIMS and keV SIMS depth profiles of Cr-ITO dual-layer are compared and corroborated by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and time-of-flight elastic recoil detection analysis (TOF-ERDA). The results show the potential of LE MeV SIMS depth profiling of inorganic multilayer systems in accelerator facilities equipped with MeV SIMS setup and a fairly simple sputtering source

AFM study of roughness development during ToF-SIMS depth profiling of multilayers with a ▫Cs+Cs^+▫ ion beam in a ▫H2H_2▫ atmosphere

[Image: see text] The influence of H(2) flooding on the development of surface roughness during time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) depth profiling was studied to evaluate the different aspects of a H(2) atmosphere in comparison to an ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) environment. Multilayer samples, consisting of different combinations of metal, metal oxide, and alloy layers of different elements, were bombarded with 1 and 2 keV Cs(+) ion beams in UHV and a H(2) atmosphere of 7 × 10(–7) mbar. The surface roughness S(a) was measured with atomic force microscopy (AFM) on the initial surface and in the craters formed while sputtering, either in the middle of the layers or at the interfaces. We found that the roughness after Cs(+) sputtering depends on the chemical composition/structure of the individual layers, and it increases with the sputtering depth. However, the increase in the roughness was, in specific cases, approximately a few tens of percent lower when sputtering in the H(2) atmosphere compared to the UHV. In the other cases, the average surface roughness was generally still lower when H(2) flooding was applied, but the differences were statistically insignificant. Additionally, we observed that for the initially rough surfaces with an S(a) of about 5 nm, sputtering with the 1 keV Cs(+) beam might have a smoothing effect, thereby reducing the initial roughness. Our observations also indicate that Cs(+) sputtering with ion energies of 1 and 2 keV has a similar effect on roughness development, except for the cases with initially very smooth samples. The results show the beneficial effect of H(2) flooding on surface roughness development during the ToF-SIMS depth profiling in addition to a reduction of the matrix effect and an improved identification of thin layers

Long way to the 2014 Istanbul Convention

This article investigates the historical aspects of physical violence in intimate relation-ships. The primary purpose is to illustrate the legal aspects and emotional dynamics of physical violence in intimate relationships, focusing on differences in perspective of various historical eras. We analyzed the Istanbul Convention, which represents a base document for preventing physical violence in domestic environments. In addition, we have analysed curriculum in kindergarten. We have discovered that the topics from the Istanbul Convention are incorporated in the kindergarten

Elementary school counsellor stress

Članek obravnava pojav stresa in poklicne izgorelosti pri šolskih svetovalnih delavcihto doslej pri nas še ni bilo sistematično znanstveno raziskano. Osnovni cilj raziskave, ki je potekala v letu 2011, je bil ugotoviti, kako šolski svetovalni delavci zaznavajo stres v odnosu z učenci, starši, učitelji, ravnatelji in drugimi delovnimi obveznostmi. Raziskavo smo opravili na populaciji svetovalnih delavcev v osnovnih šolah na področju severovzhodne Slovenije. Na podlagi rezultatov študije smo ugotovili, da je delo svetovalnega delavca v osnovni šoli v celoti (splošno) gledano dokaj stresno. Podrobnejša analiza rezultatov pa je pokazala razlike pri zaznavanju stresa glede na starost: mlajši svetovalni delavci zaznavajo stres bolj intenzivno kot starejši.This article deals with the occurrence of stress and occupational burnout in school counsellors, a topic for which no systematic scientific studies have been carried out so far. The main goal of the study carried out in 2011 was to determine how counsellors perceived stress in their relationship with students, parents, teachers, principals, or with regard to other work commitments. The study was conducted on a population of school counsellors in elementary schools in north-eastern Slovenia. The results of the study showed that the work of counsellors in elementary schools as a whole (in general) was quite stressful. A more detailed analysis of the results showed differences in the perception of stress with regard to age, as younger school counsellors perceived stress more intensely than older counsellors

A model of individual supervision of school counsellors in primary schools

Doktorska disertacija obravnava stres, poklicno izgorelost in supervizijo pri šolskih svetovalnih delavcih in ima dvodelno strukturo. V prvem delu avtor predstavi splošna izhodišča svetovalne službe v osnovni šoli in dosedanja znanstvena spoznanja o stresu, poklicni izgorelosti in superviziji. Pričujoča spoznanja predstavljajo temeljno podstat empirične raziskave, predstavljene v drugem delu doktorske disertacije, katere temeljni namen je bil proučiti učinkovitost supervizije po relacijsko družinskem modelu z vidika zaznave stresa in poklicne izgorelosti šolskih svetovalnih delavcev. Temeljne ugotovitve empirične raziskave, izvedene v obdobju od januarja 2011 do decembra 2011, v kateri je sodelovalo 88 svetovalnih delavcev v osnovnih šolah, so, da večina šolskih svetovalnih delavcev ocenjuje svoje delo kot zmerno in močno stresno. Za najbolj stresne so se izkazale delovne naloge, ki se navezujejo na delo s starši in učenci, ki imajo vedenjske težave, zunanji nadzor (inšpekcija) in delo z dokumentacijo. Rezultati so tudi pokazali, da šolski svetovalni delavci, ki so v svoji delovni praksi že bili deležni supervizije, zaznavajo manj stresa kot tisti, ki supervizije še niso bili deležni. Tako je bila v empirični raziskavi potrjena avtorjeva predpostavka o pozitivnem vplivu supervizije na zaznavo stresa, saj se je ta po supervizijskih srečanjih zmanjšala, medtem ko se zaznava poklicne izgorelosti po supervizijskih srečanjih ni pomembno spremenila.The doctoral dissertation deals with stress, occupational burnout and supervision of school counselors and consists of two parts. In the first part the author presents the basic premises of counseling in primary schools and scientific findings on stress, occupational burnout and supervision. These findings represent the basic foundation of empirical research presented in the second part of the doctoral dissertation with the fundamental purpose to examine the effectiveness of supervision in accordance with the relational family model and in terms of perceived stress and occupational burnout of school counselors. The main findings of the empirical research conducted in the period between January 2011 and December 2011, which included 88 counselors in primary schools, is that most school counselors rate their work as moderately and highly stressful. According to the findings the most stressful tasks are the ones that relate to work with parents and students with behavioural problems, external control (inspection) and work with documentation. The results also revealed that school counselors who have already been supervised in their working practices perceived less stress than those who have not. Thus, the empirical research confirmed the author\u27s assumption about the positive impact of supervision on the perception of stress, as the stress decreased after supervision, whereas the perception of occupational burnout was not significantly altered