Is Social Assistance Contributing to Higher Informality in Turkey?

Although still low for European standards, investments in Social Assistance (SA) transfers in Turkey have been increasing in recent years. The government is expanding access to subsidized health for individuals in the informal sector through a rapid expansion of the Green Card program. Generous non-contributory programs, such as the Green Card, may create perverse incentives for individuals to join or remain in the informal sector as they can access free services without paying taxes and/or contributions, thus potentially being able to get higher “net” labor earnings than in the formal sector. Despite the fact that the Green Card is a large and generous program offered to individuals in the informal sector, empirical analysis in this report does not find an actual impact of the program (or of its rapid expansion) on informality. The reason behind this finding is the existence of a very large differential in wages between formal and informal workers explained by differences worker’s productivity. Low-wage workers facing the possibility to move from the informal sector to the formal sector would have strong incentives to do so even if this would imply losing all SA benefits. As such, the expected monetary and job security gains of having a formal job dominate those of having an informal job even after accounting for SA transfers.Informality, Social Assistance, Green Card, Turkey

Experiencias subjetivas de aprendizaje en la construcción de la Identidad de Aprendiz

El aprendizaje se construye como resultado de la participación en distintas experiencias y contextos sociales. Dicho aprendizaje puede utilizarse en un contexto distinto al que tuvo lugar inicialmente. Investigaciones recientes se han centrado en este tema con el propósito por una parte de comprender el aprendizaje a lo largo y ancho de la vida, y por otra, para estudiar las relaciones entre este aprendizaje y el proceso de construcción identitaria. Este estudio se sitúa en este segundo tópico con el objetivo de analizar como algunas experiencias significativas de aprendizaje que han tenido un grupo de jóvenes de último año de bachillerato les han influido en la construcción de su identidad de aprendiz. El estudio exploró algunas experiencias que tuvieron lugar en distintos contextos para analizar como los participantes transferían sus aprendizajes entre experiencias y contextos. Los resultados muestran que los participantes identificaron experiencias que influenciaron la construcción de sus identidades funcionales, relacionadas con la actividad principal en la que participan Por lo tanto, se identifican experiencias relacionadas con la identidad, la identidad de aprendiz y otras identidades

Reconociéndose como aprendiz: los profesores como Otros Significativos

Identificamos la escuela y sus actores como co-constructores fundamentales en los procesos de reconocimiento de las personas como aprendices. En este proceso, el docente puede jugar un papel como otro significativo (OS). Desde una perspectiva constructivista, definimos el OS como quién, a través de sus actos de reconocimiento, se convierte en prominente en la ruta de aprendizaje de la materia y ayuda al aprendiz a reconocerse a sí mismo como alguien más o menos capaz de aprender. Con el objetivo de identificar bajo qué circunstancias el docente puede ser percibido como OS en el proceso de reconocimiento de uno mismo como aprendiz, se utiliza el modelo de Identidad de Aprendiz (IdA) de Coll y Falsafi (2010). Un grupo de 22 jóvenes brasileños respondieron un cuestionario sobre experiencias significativas de aprendizaje (ESA). Los resultados sugieren que el profesor juega un rol de OS en la reconstrucción de la ESA. Esto ocurre cuando los sujetos le atribuyen acciones dirigidas a ayudarles a dar sentido a las actividades y/o a reconocer sus características como aprendices, entre otros. Se detecta una interesante relación entre el OS y los contextos significativos para el aprendizaje identificados por los participantes

Consumo de sustancias psicoactivas legales e ilegales, factores de protección y de riesgo: estado actual

Introducción. La Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) define ‘droga’ como cualquier sustancia natural o sintética que, al ser introducida en el organismo, es capaz de producir efectos en el sistema nervioso central, relacionados con la modificación del funcionamiento, así como con cambios en la actividad psíquica y emocional del ser vivo. Las drogas lícitas o legales son aquellas legalmente disponibles mediante prescripción médica o cuya comercialización es permitida; y las drogas ilícitas o ilegales son aquellas cuya producción, porte, transporte y comercialización están legalmente prohibidos o que son usadas sin la prescripción exigida. Objetivo. Identificar las tendencias en los resultados de investigaciones publicadas, relacionadas con el consumo de sustancias psicoactivas legales e ilegales, sus factores de protección y los de riesgo. Método. El artículo se origina de una revisión documental con búsqueda, análisis y síntesis de fuentes secundarias, de los datos de 51 artículos producto de investigaciones que dieran respuesta a las siguientes preguntas: ¿qué se sabe sobre las sustancias psicoactivas legales e ilegales? y ¿cuáles son los factores de protección y de riesgo, asociados al consumo de sustancias psicoactivas? Las bases consultadas fueron: Lilacs, IBECS, Medline, Biblioteca Cochrane PAHO, WHOLIS y SciELO. Conclusiones. El uso de sustancias psicoactivas es un fenómeno que cambia constantemente debido a la aparición de nuevas sustancias de consumo y, según el contexto, cada individuo se expone a riesgos prevenibles que pueden ser controlados. Palabras clave: consumo, sustancias psicoactivas, drogas legales e ilegales, factores de protección y de riesgo.

Characterization of electronic device use among children and adolescents aged 6 to 14

Uvod: Djeca i adolescenti svakodnevno koriste računala, mobitele i tablete, uz ostale elektroničke uređaje, u neakademskim aktivnostima. Bitno je karakterizirati utjecaj ovih uređaja na procese socijalizacije, interakcije i učenja u ovom segmentu populacije, a također je potrebno istražiti moguće štetne učinke povezane s njihovom uporabom. Cilj je bio opisati kako se ti uređaji koriste i njihov utjecaj na školski uspjeh, ponašanje i tjelesnu aktivnost djece i adolescenata od 6 do 14 godina. Materijali i metode: Ovo je presječna analitička studija 510 školske djece u dobi od 6 do 9 i od 10 do 14 godina iz Bogote i Cundinamarce, Kolumbija. Ispitani su pomoću ankete od 38 pitanja koja su karakterizirala korištenje uređaja i simptome anksioznosti i depresije, rješavanje sukoba, spavanje i školski uspjeh. Rezultati: Prosječna dob za početak korištenja uređaja bila je četiri godine. U obje skupine najviše su korišteni mobiteli (56,3% i 78,04%). Roditelji prate korištenje uređaja u 80% slučajeva. U 40% slučajeva upotreba uređaja bila je duža od 90 minuta dnevno. Oko 16% je također prijavilo poremećaje spavanja, frustraciju (48%), emocionalnu labilnost (20%) i suicidalne ideje (11%). 19% se nije igralo sa svojim vršnjacima, a 7% je izjavilo da nema bliske prijatelje. Zaključci: Ova studija pokazuje visoku izloženost elektroničkim uređajima od rane dobi i njihovu povezanost s čimbenicima ponašanja. Buduće studije trebale bi dublje istražiti odnos između ovih čimbenika i elektroničkih uređaja.Introduction: Children and adolescents use computers, cell phones, and tablets, among other electronic devices, daily in non-academic activities. It is essential to characterize the impact these devices have on the socialization, interaction, and learning processes in this population segment. We should also investigate possible harmful effects that may be related to their use. The objective was to characterize how these devices are used and their impact on school performance, behavior, and physical activity in children and adolescents from 6 to 14 years of age. Materials and methods: This is a cross-sectional analytic study of 510 schoolchildren ages 6 to 9 and 10 to 14 from Bogotá and Cundinamarca, Colombia. They were surveyed with a 38-question survey characterizing the use of the devices and the symptoms of anxiety and depression, conflict resolution, sleep, and school performance. Results: The average age for initiation on the use of devices was four years. Cell phones were the most used in both groups (56.3% and 78.04%). Parents monitor the use of the device in 80% of cases. 40% of the time, device usage was greater than 90 minutes per day. About 16% reported sleep disturbance, frustration (48%), emotional lability (20%), and suicidal ideations (11%) also were reported. 19% did not play with their peers, and 7% did not report having close friends. Conclusions: This study shows the high exposure to electronic devices from an early age and their relation to behavioral factors. Future studies should explore the relationship between these factors and electronic devices in depth

Colombia's cyberinfrastructure for biodiversity: Building data infrastructure in emerging countries to foster socioeconomic growth

Science and innovation are not a luxury but a prerequisite for social and economic development (Annan, 2003)

Is Social Assistance Contributing to Higher Informality in Turkey?

Although still low for European standards, investments in Social Assistance (SA) transfers in Turkey have been increasing in recent years. The government is expanding access to subsidized health for individuals in the informal sector through a rapid expansion of the Green Card program. Generous non-contributory programs, such as the Green Card, may create perverse incentives for individuals to join or remain in the informal sector as they can access free services without paying taxes and/or contributions, thus potentially being able to get higher “net” labor earnings than in the formal sector. Despite the fact that the Green Card is a large and generous program offered to individuals in the informal sector, empirical analysis in this report does not find an actual impact of the program (or of its rapid expansion) on informality. The reason behind this finding is the existence of a very large differential in wages between formal and informal workers explained by differences worker’s productivity. Low-wage workers facing the possibility to move from the informal sector to the formal sector would have strong incentives to do so even if this would imply losing all SA benefits. As such, the expected monetary and job security gains of having a formal job dominate those of having an informal job even after accounting for SA transfers

Infected pancreatic necrosis: outcomes and clinical predictors of mortality. A post hoc analysis of the MANCTRA-1 international study

: The identification of high-risk patients in the early stages of infected pancreatic necrosis (IPN) is critical, because it could help the clinicians to adopt more effective management strategies. We conducted a post hoc analysis of the MANCTRA-1 international study to assess the association between clinical risk factors and mortality among adult patients with IPN. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify prognostic factors of mortality. We identified 247 consecutive patients with IPN hospitalised between January 2019 and December 2020. History of uncontrolled arterial hypertension (p = 0.032; 95% CI 1.135-15.882; aOR 4.245), qSOFA (p = 0.005; 95% CI 1.359-5.879; aOR 2.828), renal failure (p = 0.022; 95% CI 1.138-5.442; aOR 2.489), and haemodynamic failure (p = 0.018; 95% CI 1.184-5.978; aOR 2.661), were identified as independent predictors of mortality in IPN patients. Cholangitis (p = 0.003; 95% CI 1.598-9.930; aOR 3.983), abdominal compartment syndrome (p = 0.032; 95% CI 1.090-6.967; aOR 2.735), and gastrointestinal/intra-abdominal bleeding (p = 0.009; 95% CI 1.286-5.712; aOR 2.710) were independently associated with the risk of mortality. Upfront open surgical necrosectomy was strongly associated with the risk of mortality (p < 0.001; 95% CI 1.912-7.442; aOR 3.772), whereas endoscopic drainage of pancreatic necrosis (p = 0.018; 95% CI 0.138-0.834; aOR 0.339) and enteral nutrition (p = 0.003; 95% CI 0.143-0.716; aOR 0.320) were found as protective factors. Organ failure, acute cholangitis, and upfront open surgical necrosectomy were the most significant predictors of mortality. Our study confirmed that, even in a subgroup of particularly ill patients such as those with IPN, upfront open surgery should be avoided as much as possible. Study protocol registered in ClinicalTrials.Gov (I.D. Number NCT04747990)

Environmental Awareness through Socially Situated Writing

El objetivo de este trabajo de investigación fue dar lugar a una discusión relevante sobre la escritura como una práctica socialmente situada en estudiantes de lengua extranjera, en nuestra materia específica Inglés. Esta monografía también describe la inclusión de la educación ambiental en la visión de la enseñanza de idiomas y cómo este lenguaje ha sido aprendido. El documento abarcó nuestra investigación como profesores de la comunidad de TEFL para reforzar la educación de idiomas con una respuesta exitosa de los estudiantes de idiomas extranjeros descritos a lo largo del progreso de este trabajo. Este proyecto comenzó con el reconocimiento de un problema que fue nuestro incentivo para partir: los estudiantes escribieron reflexiones sobre su entorno. En segundo lugar, proporcionó una descripción de los constructos que configuraron nuestro trabajo de investigación como el Aprendizaje Socialmente Situado, luego cómo a través de una amplia organización educacional, los participantes se mostraron como agentes activos de su propio aprendizaje de idiomas. Por último, el estudio informó de que a través de las reflexiones escritas de los participantes sobre su contexto se evidenció una mejora en su proceso de aprendizaje fomentando el uso de la Escritura Socialmente Situada como un enfoque relevante que sirvió de potenciador o puente para que los estudiantes reconozcan su realidad y escriban sobre de ello.The aim of this dissertation work was to entice a relevant discussion about writing as a socially situated practice in foreign language learners, in our own specific matter English. It also describes the inclusion of environmental education in the vision of language teaching and how language has been learned. The paper embraced our inquiry as teachers part of TEFL community to reinforce language education with a successful response by foreign language learners described throughout the progress of this groundwork. It began with the recognition of a problem that was our incentive to break off: students written reflections about their environment. Secondly, it provided a description of the constructs that set up our research paper such as Socially Situated Learning and then how through a wide instructional organization, participants demonstrated themselves as active agents of their own foreign language learning. Finally, the study reported how through students’ written reflections upon their context showed off an improvement in their learning process fostering the use of Socially Situated Writing as a relevant approach, which performed as the booster or the bridge for students to recognize their reality and write about it