Books on the topic 'Profit intensity'

The system of intensive introduction of junior students in the direction of "Management"is presented. The theoretical foundations of management and requirements for the main educational program for an enlarged group of training areas 38.00.00 "Economics and Management"are given. The technologies of life activity that allow students to actively engage in the educational process and practical activities, get a job on the profile of training even during their studies at the university are considered. Special attention is paid to the formation of personal competitiveness and entrepreneurship of the student. Meets the requirements of the federal state educational standards of higher education of the latest generation. For junior students of higher educational institutions.

Dyspnoea may be defined as a subjective experience of discomfort associated with breathing. Breathing discomfort arises as a result of complex interactions between signals relayed from the upper airways, the chest wall, the lungs, and the central nervous system. Integration of this information with higher brain centres provides further processing. The final aspects of the sensation of dyspnoea are influenced by contextual, environmental, behavioural, and cognitive factors. At least three qualitatively distinct sensations have been employed to describe discomfort in breathing—air hunger, increased effort of breathing, and chest tightness. Air hunger has been shown to be associated with stimulation of chemoreceptors. Increased effort of breathing may arise in clinical conditions that impair respiratory muscle performance through abnormal mechanical loads or when respiratory muscles are weakened (neuromuscular diseases). Chest tightness is often experienced by asthmatic patients during episodes of acute bronchoconstriction. Measurement of dyspnoea is essential in order to assess it adequately and monitor response to treatment. Dyspnoea assessment may be carried out thorough a number of different scales, questionnaires, or exercise tests. Strategies in controlling dyspnoea should not focus uniquely on decreasing dyspnoea intensity. Patients may profit from interventions that decrease the unpleasantness associated with breathlessness without necessarily affecting the intensity component of the symptom.

This book reviews the rapid rise of crime and violence in Latin America over the last few decades and offers an explanation to a striking paradox: In the midst of decreasing poverty, economic growth, and democratization crime has risen throughout the region. Drawing from large data sets, I argue that this is because crime has become a profitable industry in weak states with outdated criminal justice systems unable to withstand the challenge posed by new criminal enterprises. Prosperity has enhanced consumer demand for illicit goods, fueling the growth of secondary and illegal markets, including markets for stolen goods and narcotics that can provide an income for millions of youngsters willing to take the risk of arrest and loss of life. While some countries have experienced moderate increases in criminality others have experienced catastrophic rates of violence, resulting in two types of stable equilibria: Low- and high-crime countries. I explain why different equilibria, between the profit opportunities provided by criminality and a weak criminal justice system, have triggered a rapid upward spiral of crime and a sharp increase in the intensity of violence in some states but a moderate upward trend in others, and why certain countries have transitioned from low- to high-crime environments with vicious cycles of high criminality that are very difficult to reverse. The resulting severe, undesired outcomes are studied in this book: serious predatory crime diversification, consolidation of organized crime, ineffective justice reforms, weak policing, and overcrowded prisons.

The post-operative management of neurosurgical patients is directed towards the prevention, prompt detection, and management of surgical complications, and other factors that put the brain or spinal cord at risk. Close monitoring is required in the first 6–12 post-operative hours as deterioration in clinical status is usually the first sign of a potentially fatal complication. The majority of patients do not require complex monitoring or management beyond the first 12 hours after elective surgery, although prolonged intensive care unit management may be required for those who develop complications, or after acute brain injury. Cardiovascular and respiratory disturbances adversely affect the injured or ‘at risk’ brain, and meticulous blood pressure control and prevention of hypoxia are key aspects of management. Hypertension is particularly common after intracranial neurosurgery and may cause complications, such as intracranial bleeding and cerebral oedema, or be a consequence of them. A moderate target for glycaemic control (7.0–10 mmol/L) is recommended, avoiding hypoglycaemia and large swings in blood glucose concentration. Pain, nausea, and vomiting occur frequently after neurosurgery, and a multimodal approach to pain management and anti-emesis is recommended. Adequate analgesia not only ensures patient comfort, but also avoids pain-related hypertension. Disturbances of sodium and water homeostasis can lead to serious complications, and a structured approach to diagnosis and management minimizes adverse outcomes. Post-operative seizures must be brought rapidly under control because of the risks of secondary cerebral damage and/or progression to status epilepticus.

La práctica médica presenta en la actualidad diferentes acciones para lograr atención eficiente en los pacientes, ejemplo de ello lo constituye la medicina crítica, mediante la cual, los diferentes profesionales logran ofrecer a los individuos un diagnóstico, evaluación y tratamiento individualizado de manera acorde a su propia sintomatología. Es allí, donde el intensivista se convierte en el profesional capacitado cuyas competencias permiten atender al enferme en estado crítico. En consecuencia, su ubicación en la medicina permite fijar como objetivos la prevención, diagnóstico y tratamiento de los estados fisiopatológicos que pueden colocar en peligro a la vida. Como tal, esta actividad implica una especialización que requiere un perfil de conocimientos, habilidades y destrezas que le son propias para el proceso de adquisición y prácticas de esta especialidad. Es allí, donde las Unidades de Cuidados Intensivos generan, en el marco institucional hospitalario, una estructura capaz de cuidar y sostener las funciones vitales de los pacientes con riesgo actual o potencial de vida y establece pautas de acción, coordinar, evaluar y efectuar el ordenamiento de los pacientes críticos derivados de los distintos servicios.

For the emergency management of cardiovascular disorders, echocardiography and thoracic ultrasound are indispensable imaging techniques at the bedside. In the intensive care environment, crucial questions, such as left and right ventricular function, valvular heart disease, volume status, aortic disease, cardiac infection, pleural effusion, pulmonary oedema, pneumothorax, and many others, can be sufficiently and reliably answered by using these techniques; in fact, it is almost impossible to manage patients with acute severe haemodynamic impairment reasonably well without a prompt and repeated access to echocardiography. This is confirmed by the prominent place that echocardiography has in the guideline-based diagnosis and treatment of all major cardiovascular emergencies, from acute heart failure to the acute coronary syndrome to pulmonary embolism, etc. Moreover, it is the ideal tool to follow the patient, since repeat examinations pose no risk to the patient and demand relatively little logistics and resources. To benefit from the wealth of information that echocardiography and thoracic ultrasound can provide, modern equipment (including a transoesophageal probe) and systematic training of echocardiographers must be ensured. The availability of prompt and experienced echocardiography and thoracic ultrasound services at all times is fundamental for sound contemporary cardiovascular intensive care.

For the emergency management of cardiovascular disorders, echocardiography and thoracic ultrasound are indispensable imaging techniques at the bedside. In the intensive care environment, crucial questions, such as left and right ventricular function, valvular heart disease, volume status, aortic disease, cardiac infection, pleural effusion, pulmonary oedema, pneumothorax, and many others, can be sufficiently and reliably answered by using these techniques; in fact, it is almost impossible to manage patients with acute severe haemodynamic impairment reasonably well without a prompt and repeated access to echocardiography. This is confirmed by the prominent place that echocardiography has in the guideline-based diagnosis and treatment of all major cardiovascular emergencies, from acute heart failure to the acute coronary syndrome to pulmonary embolism, etc. Moreover, it is the ideal tool to follow the patient, since repeat examinations pose no risk to the patient and demand relatively little logistics and resources. To benefit from the wealth of information that echocardiography and thoracic ultrasound can provide, modern equipment (including a transoesophageal probe) and systematic training of echocardiographers must be ensured. The availability of prompt and experienced echocardiography and thoracic ultrasound services at all times is fundamental for sound contemporary cardiovascular intensive care.

Care for the critically ill cardiovascular patients and their families requires a unique environment that is structurally different from other clinical units. Coronary care units were introduced in the 1960s for the main purpose of prevention and prompt treatment of life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias related to acute myocardial infarction. Since then, major progress in cardiology in general and acute cardiac care, in particular, dictated a major change in the structure and organization of these units, symbolically expressed in the new title of ‘intensive cardiac care unit’. Contemporary intensive cardiac care units receive older and more complex patients, often with multiple comorbidities and diverse diagnoses. The modern intensive cardiac care unit incorporates sophisticated monitoring and up-to-date equipment to meet the changing needs of the patient with cardiovascular disease requiring critical care. The intensive cardiac care unit operates in the centre of the hospital’s cardiology service, receiving patients from the mobile care unit (directly or via an ST elevation myocardial infarction network), the emergency department, and other wards, including coronary, structural, and electrophysiology intervention laboratories and operating rooms. Patients are usually unstable and require immediate full attention by highly trained medical and nursing staff. The 2005 recommendations for the structure, organization, and operations of the intensive cardiac care unit were issued by Hasin et al. for the Working Group of Acute Cardiac Care of the European Society of Cardiology, which serves as basis for this chapter. The chapter will focus on the requirements for staffing, training, and accreditation, as well as the structure organization and equipment of the intensive and intermediate cardiac care units.

This chapter provides a framework for the learning and teaching of both technical and non-technical skills. There is a deliberate weighting towards decision-making and behavioural skills because of their prevalence in practice, the importance of delivering them reliably, and the need to increase their profile in our wards, classrooms, skills centres, and curricula. The practice of clinical intensive care requires the application of a huge range of clinical skills each of which has its own knowledge base and where each necessitates the acquisition of a technique. It is necessary to consider the application of these skills in the ‘messy’, sometimes chaotic environment of the intensive care unit where multiple critically-ill patients are simultaneously requiring individual input and at the same time relatives require support, learners need teaching, and time and attention are invested in the crucial processes of audit, quality improvement and research.

Criminal law is characterized by different schools, which have influenced the development of law to a great extent. Criminal law institutes that we encounter today are usually at the (preliminary) end of a broad discussion and often have quite different views on the criminal law system itself. For the observer, the classification of these backgrounds is usually difficult due to a lack of disclosure. The conference on "Fundamentals and Concepts of Criminal Law" aimed to facilitate access to criminal law scholarship in this respect. In addition to the papers presented by the speakers on those texts to which a formative role is ascribed, the volume also contains the intensive discussions that followed. With contributions by Prof. Dr. Rainer Zaczyk, Prof. Dr. Jochen Bung, Prof. Dr. Thomas Weigend, Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Urs Kind-häuser, Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Wolfgang Frisch, Prof. Dr. Armin Engländer, Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. dupl. Georg Freund und Prof. Dr. Carsten Momsen

Acid-base homeostasis is vital for the maintenance of normal tissue and organ function, as both acidosis and alkalosis can have harmful and potentially life-threatening effects. Arterial blood gas analysis, combined with routine clinical history and examination, can provide useful information for the management of the critically ill cardiac patient. Most acid-base derangements are reversed by treatment of the underlying disease process, rather than simple correction of the abnormal pH, and prognosis is determined by the nature of the underlying disease, rather than the extent of pH value deviation. Within this chapter, a six-step approach is presented for prompt and accurate acid-base interpretation. Water and electrolyte disorders are common in the intensive cardiac care unit, particularly in patients with cardiac failure. Prompt recognition and treatment is required to prevent cardiovascular and neurological compromise. Therapeutic strategies range from simple electrolyte substitution and fluid management to extracorporeal filtration of excess fluid and electrolytes. These are discussed within this chapter.

Acid-base homeostasis is vital for the maintenance of normal tissue and organ function, as both acidosis and alkalosis can have harmful and potentially life-threatening effects. Arterial blood gas analysis, combined with routine clinical history and examination, can provide useful information for the management of the critically ill cardiac patient. Most acid-base derangements are reversed by treatment of the underlying disease process, rather than simple correction of the abnormal pH, and prognosis is determined by the nature of the underlying disease, rather than the extent of pH value deviation. Within this chapter, a six-step approach is presented for prompt and accurate acid-base interpretation. Water and electrolyte disorders are common in the intensive cardiac care unit, particularly in patients with cardiac failure. Prompt recognition and treatment is required to prevent cardiovascular and neurological compromise. Therapeutic strategies range from simple electrolyte substitution and fluid management to extracorporeal filtration of excess fluid and electrolytes. These are discussed within this chapter.

The aim of the study was to assess the impact of method management of mountain soil on the quantity and quality of waste water, and the amount of mineral nutrients it contains. I have analyzed the water, that was moved through the soil profiles of 0-20 cm and 0-40 cm depth. I have also evaluated the floristic composition, the productivity of grassland and arable land, and the use of fertilizers by vegetation and soil chemical properties. I have found that the type of plant cover of the soil had a significant effect on the amount and chemical composition of water moving through the soil profile. Arable land was characterized by an average of 5 percentage point higher drainage rates compared to meadows. The smallest outflow of water from the soil was found in the first research period (intensive vegetation), and the largest in the third period (non-vegetation). The largest amount of the mineral content carried out annually with a soaking water, was observed on the arable land and was on average more than 2 times larger than on other fertilizers. This evidenced by the greater variation in the composition of floristic vegetation and its productivity. Between 0-20 cm and 0-40 cm of soil profiles, significant differences in the amount of waste water and mineral components were observed. The water drainage coefficient from the shallow profile was on average 9 percentage points higher than from the deeper profile. The amount of the sum of mineral loads, excluding calcium from the shallow soil profile was 94,5% higher than the sum of loads taken from the deeper soil profile. In the unused meadow the improvement of soil chemical properties was observed. There was an increase in pH, and the accumulation of minerals resulted from the positive balance of most of the ingredients.

This chapter discusses recovering shape or structural information from SAXS data. Key to any such process is the ability to generate a calculated intensity from a model, and to compare this curve with the experimental one. Models for the particle scattering density can be approximated as pure homogenenous geometric shapes. More complex particle surfaces can be represented by spherical harmonics or by a set of close-packed beads. Sometimes structural information is known for components of a particle. Rigid body modeling attempts to rotate and translate structures relative to one another, such that the resulting scattering profile calculated from the model agrees with the experimental SAXS data. More advanced hybrid modelling procedures aim to incorporate as much structural information as is available, including modelling protein dynamics. Solutions may not always contain a homogeneous set of particles. A common case is the presence of two or more conformations of a single particle or a mixture of oligomeric species. The method of singular value decomposition can extract scattering for conformationally distinct species.

Major obstetric haemorrhage affects around 0.4% of pregnant women, accounts for around 50% of intensive care unit admissions amongst pregnant women, and is a significant cause of maternal death. Optimal obstetric and anaesthetic management plays an important role in reducing mortality. Such management includes antenatal optimization (ensuring that pre-delivery haemoglobin is normal, and identifying risk factors such as placenta praevia), prompt recognition of bleeding and senior involvement, and debriefing for staff and patients after the event. This chapter focuses on the causes of, and treatments for, antenatal, intrapartum, and postpartum haemorrhage. Resuscitation and therapeutic (pharmacological and surgical) strategies are described and the use of blood products and cell salvage discussed from the point of view of both the anaesthetist and the obstetrician. Lastly, current controversies, including the use of recombinant factor VII and tranexamic acid are mentioned.

Mechanical ventilation is an efficacious therapy to respiratory failure because it improves gas exchange and rests respiratory muscles. During controlled mechanical ventilation, a patient’s inspiratory muscles are resting and the ventilator delivers a preset tidal volume through the generation of inspiratory flow, overcoming resistive and elastic thresholds of the respiratory system. During assisted ventilation, the same goal is reached through an interplay between the patient’s inspiratory muscles and ventilator. Every perturbation of this interaction causes patient ventilator asynchrony and exposes to the risk of failure to ventilate. Patient–ventilator asynchrony may occur at each stage of assisted breath Signs of patient’s discomfort, the use of accessory muscles, tachycardia, hypertension, and assessment of flow and airway pressure traces displayed on modern ventilators, helps to detect asynchronies. Prompt recognition and intervention to improve patient–ventilator interaction may expedite liberation from mechanical ventilation, and reduce intensive care unit and length of hospital stay.

This chapter examines how the dissonant treatment of Korematsu plays out in still intensely competing jurisprudential views of the court’s role in high profile security and liberty disputes. It describes and critiques the underpinnings for the exceedingly deferential all the laws but one approach rooted in the government’s broad national security and war powers. And it develops the contrasting call to vigilance with roots in the Supreme Court’s seminal embrace of watchful care over fundamental liberties in its Civil War case Ex Parte Milligan. The chapter then offers a jurisprudentially nuanced conception of judicial independence, discussing works by prominent American, British, and Israeli jurists and scholars. The chapter closes by highlighting Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s observation that in recent years courts have made a “modicum of progress” in generating a better balance of security and liberty, while acknowledging Professor Own Fiss’s spotlight on the judicial penchant for backsliding.

Malignant hyperthermia, the neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS), and the serotonin syndrome are the principal disorders associated with life-threatening hyperthermia in the intensive care unit. While each is a clinically unique entity, all can progress to multisystem organ dysfunction with acidosis, shock, and death. MH usually results from exposure to halogenated volatile anaesthetics and/or succinylcholine and symptoms of increased CO2 production and respiratory acidosis progress rapidly without prompt intervention, including the administration of dantrolene. NMS is a syndrome of rigidity and altered mental status seen most commonly in patients being treated with antipsychotic medications. The serotonin syndrome is seen in patients treated with serotonergic agents including selective serotonin reuptake or monoamine oxidase inhibitors and tricyclic antidepressants. The salient clinical finding is clonus, but agitation, altered mental status and autonomic dysfunction are common. Recognizing the non-specific features of these syndromes presents a challenge as they are life-threatening if not treated promptly and correctly with specific therapies.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), and atypical antidepressants are considered first-line agents for depression in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting, and are preferred over older antidepressants due to their more benign side effect profile and tolerability. This chapter reviews the literature on the use of antidepressants in the ICU. Common side effects of SSRIs include insomnia and gastrointestinal discomfort, while citalopram may uniquely cause prolongation of the QTc interval. All SSRIs carry a risk for the development of serotonin syndrome following overdose. SNRIs are similar to SSRIs in their side effect profile, although they are more likely to cause hypertension. Mirtazapine is strongly associated with sedation and weight gain. Stimulants may also be used to treat depression in the medically ill, and can be particularly effective in treating apathy, low energy, and loss of appetite. Monotherapy is typically the initial treatment strategy and low doses are generally recommended in the ICU setting. Efficacy may not be apparent for up to 8 weeks. Patients who have been taking an antidepressant prior to their arrival in the ICU should continue on the medication so as to prevent discontinuation syndrome. Delirium may warrant cessation of the antidepressant and potentially dangerous medication interactions also need to be evaluated. At present, there is no evidence to suggest that an antidepressant should be initiated after a significant physical or emotional trauma.

Acute kidney injury is a serious condition, occurring in up to two-thirds of intensive care unit patients, and 8.8-55% of patients with acute cardiac conditions. Renal replacement therapy is used in about 5-10% of intensive care unit patients. The term cardiorenal syndrome refers to combined heart and kidney failure; three types of acute cardiorenal syndrome have been described: acute cardiorenal syndrome or cardiorenal syndrome type 1, acute renocardiac syndrome or cardiorenal syndrome type 3, and acute cardiorenal syndrome type 5 (cardiac and renal injury secondary to a third entity such as sepsis). Acute kidney injury replaced the previously used term ‘acute renal failure’ and comprises the entire spectrum of the disease, from small changes in function to the requirement of renal replacement therapy. Not only failure, but also minor and less severe decreases, in kidney function are of clinical significance both in the short and long-term. The most recent definition for acute kidney injury is proposed by the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes clinical practice guidelines workgroup. This definition is a modification of the RIFLE and AKIN definitions and staging criteria, and it stages patients according to changes in the urine output and serum creatinine (see Tables 68.1 and 68.2). Acute kidney injury is a heterogeneous syndrome with different and multiple aetiologies, often with several insults occurring in the same individual. The underlying processes include nephrotoxicity, and neurohormonal, haemodynamic, autoimmune, and inflammatory abnormalities. The most frequent cause for acute kidney injury in intensive cardiac care patients are low cardiac output with an impaired kidney perfusion (cardiogenic shock) and/or a marked increase in venous pressure (acute decompensated heart failure). Predictors for acute kidney injury in these patients include: baseline renal dysfunction, diabetes, anaemia, and hypertension, as well as the administration of high doses of diuretics. In the intensive cardiac care unit, attention must be paid to the prevention of acute kidney injury: monitoring of high-risk patients, prompt resuscitation, maintenance of an adequate mean arterial pressure, cardiac output, and intravascular volume (avoidance of both fluid overload and hypovolaemia), as well as the avoidance or protection against nephrotoxic agents. The treatment of acute kidney injury focuses on the treatment of the underlying aetiology, supportive care, and avoiding further injury from nephrotoxic agents. More specific therapies have not yet demonstrated efficacy. Renal replacement therapy is indicated in life-threatening changes in fluid, electrolyte, and acid-base balance, but there are also arguments for more early initiation.

Acute kidney injury is a serious condition, occurring in up to two-thirds of intensive care unit patients, and 8.8-55% of patients with acute cardiac conditions. Renal replacement therapy is used in about 5-10% of intensive care unit patients. The term cardiorenal syndrome refers to combined heart and kidney failure; three types of acute cardiorenal syndrome have been described: acute cardiorenal syndrome or cardiorenal syndrome type 1, acute renocardiac syndrome or cardiorenal syndrome type 3, and acute cardiorenal syndrome type 5 (cardiac and renal injury secondary to a third entity such as sepsis). Acute kidney injury replaced the previously used term ‘acute renal failure’ and comprises the entire spectrum of the disease, from small changes in function to the requirement of renal replacement therapy. Not only failure, but also minor and less severe decreases, in kidney function are of clinical significance both in the short and long-term. The most recent definition for acute kidney injury is proposed by the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes clinical practice guidelines workgroup. This definition is a modification of the RIFLE and AKIN definitions and staging criteria, and it stages patients according to changes in the urine output and serum creatinine (see Tables 68.1 and 68.2). Acute kidney injury is a heterogeneous syndrome with different and multiple aetiologies, often with several insults occurring in the same individual. The underlying processes include nephrotoxicity, and neurohormonal, haemodynamic, autoimmune, and inflammatory abnormalities. The most frequent cause for acute kidney injury in intensive cardiac care patients are low cardiac output with an impaired kidney perfusion (cardiogenic shock) and/or a marked increase in venous pressure (acute decompensated heart failure). Predictors for acute kidney injury in these patients include: baseline renal dysfunction, diabetes, anaemia, and hypertension, as well as the administration of high doses of diuretics. In the intensive cardiac care unit, attention must be paid to the prevention of acute kidney injury: monitoring of high-risk patients, prompt resuscitation, maintenance of an adequate mean arterial pressure, cardiac output, and intravascular volume (avoidance of both fluid overload and hypovolaemia), as well as the avoidance or protection against nephrotoxic agents. The treatment of acute kidney injury focuses on the treatment of the underlying aetiology, supportive care, and avoiding further injury from nephrotoxic agents. More specific therapies have not yet demonstrated efficacy. Renal replacement therapy is indicated in life-threatening changes in fluid, electrolyte, and acid-base balance, but there are also arguments for more early initiation.

Under normal conditions, the right ventricle (RV) virtually acts as a passive conduit. In critically-ill patients many situations induce uncoupling between the right ventricle and pulmonary circulation, leading to RV systolic dysfunction, then failure. Mechanical ventilation has a major impact by decreasing RV preload, but also significantly increasing RV afterload. RV function should thus always be interpreted and re-evaluated in the light of respiratory mechanics and ventilator settings. RV systolic function is key to the patient’s haemodynamic profile and must be monitored to achieve optimal haemodynamic management. Echocardiography is the best compromise between clinical effectiveness and invasiveness to monitor RV function. A limitation is its inability to monitor haemodynamics continuously. Acute cor pulmonale is defined by the combination of RV dilatation with paradoxical septal motion during systole. In conclusion, RV function monitoring is strongly recommended in many situations encountered in the intensive care unit, such as ARDS, septic shock, and pulmonary embolism. Many devices are available, but echocardiography constitutes the best compromise between accuracy and invasiveness.

Forest Pattern and Ecological Process is a major synthesis of 25 years of intensive research about the montane ash forests of Victoria, which support the world's tallest flowering plants and several of Australia's most high profile threatened and/or endangered species. It draws together major insights based on over 170 published scientific papers and books, offering a previously unrecognised set of perspectives of how forests function. The book combines key strands of research on wildfires, biodiversity conservation, logging, conservation management, climate change and basic forest ecology and management. It is divided into seven sections: introduction and background; forest cover and the composition of the forest; the structure of the forest; animal occurrence; disturbance regimes; forest management; and overview and future directions. Illustrated with more than 200 photographs and line drawings, Forest Pattern and Ecological Process is an essential reference for forest researchers, resource managers, conservation and wildlife biologists, ornithologists and mammalogists, policy makers, as well as general readers with interests in wildlife and forests. 2010 Whitley Certificate of Commendation for Zoological Text.

AUTHORUbfal, Diego; Arráiz, Irani; Beuermann, Diether; Frese, Michael; Maffioli, Alessandro; Verch, DanielDATEMar 2021DOWNLOAD:English (0 downloads)DOIhttp://dx.doi.org/10.18235/0003182There has been growing interest in approaches to business training that incorporate insights from psychology to develop soft skills associated with successful entrepreneurship. The empirical evidence on their success, however, is still inconclusive. This study designs and evaluates two training programs focusing on soft skills, which are adapted to the Jamaican context. The first program provides soft-skills training on personal initiative, including the development of a proactive mindset and perseverance after setbacks. The second program combines soft-skills training on personal initiative with traditional training on hard skills aimed at changing business practices. Both programs are evaluated using a randomized controlled trial design involving 945 entrepreneurs in Jamaica. Findings indicate positive effects of the intensive soft-skills training, but not of the training combining soft and hard skills, on business outcomes (i.e., sales and profits) in the short-term (i.e., three months after the implementation of the trainings). The positive short-term effects of the soft-skills training are concentrated among men and are not significant for women. These effects, however, vanish when measured 12 months after the trainings. Nonetheless, the soft-skills training show persistent positive effects on some targeted soft skills, which are measured with both self-reported and incentivized measures.

Mechanical circulatory support can be used to resuscitate patients, as a stabilizing measure for angiography and prompt revascularization, or to buy time until more definite measures can be taken. In addition, there is experimental evidence that ventricular unloading of the left ventricle can significantly reduce the infarct size. Different systems for mechanical circulatory support are available to the medical community. Treatment options for mechanical circulatory support must be tailored to each patient in order to maximize the potential benefits and minimize the risk of detrimental effects. Intra-aortic balloon pumping is still the most widely used mechanical circulatory support therapy. The relative ease and speed with which this device can be applied to patients with a rapidly deteriorating haemodynamic picture have led to its widespread use as a first-line intervention among critically unstable patients. Where intra-aortic balloon pumping is inadequate, an immediate triage to a more advanced percutaneous (short-term) mechanical circulatory support may be warranted. Despite their extensive use, the utility of mechanical circulatory support devices in acute heart failure syndromes and cardiogenic shock remains uncertain. This chapter concentrates on the application of mechanical circulatory support relevant to the interventional cardiologist and cardiac intensive care physician.

Mechanical circulatory support can be used to resuscitate patients, as a stabilizing measure for angiography and prompt revascularization, or to buy time until more definite measures can be taken. In addition, there is experimental evidence that ventricular unloading of the left ventricle can significantly reduce the infarct size. Different systems for mechanical circulatory support are available to the medical community. Treatment options for mechanical circulatory support must be tailored to each patient in order to maximize the potential benefits and minimize the risk of detrimental effects. Intra-aortic balloon pumping is still the most widely used mechanical circulatory support therapy. The relative ease and speed with which this device can be applied to patients with a rapidly deteriorating haemodynamic picture have led to its widespread use as a first-line intervention among critically unstable patients. Where intra-aortic balloon pumping is inadequate, an immediate triage to a more advanced percutaneous (short-term) mechanical circulatory support may be warranted. Despite their extensive use, the utility of mechanical circulatory support devices in acute heart failure syndromes and cardiogenic shock remains uncertain. This chapter concentrates on the application of mechanical circulatory support relevant to the interventional cardiologist and cardiac intensive care physician.

Mechanical circulatory support can be used to resuscitate patients, as a stabilizing measure for angiography and prompt revascularization, or to buy time until more definite measures can be taken. In addition, there is experimental evidence that ventricular unloading of the left ventricle can significantly reduce the infarct size. Different systems for mechanical circulatory support are available to the medical community. Treatment options for mechanical circulatory support must be tailored to each patient in order to maximize the potential benefits and minimize the risk of detrimental effects. Intra-aortic balloon pumping is still the most widely used mechanical circulatory support therapy. The relative ease and speed with which this device can be applied to patients with a rapidly deteriorating haemodynamic picture have led to its widespread use as a first-line intervention among critically unstable patients. Where intra-aortic balloon pumping is inadequate, an immediate triage to a more advanced percutaneous (short-term) mechanical circulatory support may be warranted. Despite their extensive use, the utility of mechanical circulatory support devices in acute heart failure syndromes and cardiogenic shock remains uncertain. This chapter concentrates on the application of mechanical circulatory support relevant to the interventional cardiologist and cardiac intensive care physician.

Preoperative risk assessment is one of the most important steps in perioperative management. In the last decades, considerable progress has been achieved. However, as more high-risk procedures are performed in more aged patients, suffering more morbidity, this may lead to an increased risk of adverse outcomes. The goal of preoperative assessment is to identify patients at extreme risk and discuss whether they should be operated on, or undergo an alternative procedure with a lower risk profile, or if conservative treatment should be continued. Furthermore, it gives the opportunity to optimize patients prior to surgery, adapt intraoperative anaesthetic management and monitoring, and select patients for postoperative treatment at an intensive care unit or post-anaesthesia care unit. The cornerstone of preoperative assessment is the estimation of functional capacity. Accurate anamnesis and physical examination are crucial. Several procedures have been used to optimize the preoperative risk stratification. In this chapter, the value of these additional preoperative investigations is reviewed. These investigations are to be performed only in patients with considerable co-morbidity undergoing high-risk surgery. As cardiovascular adverse events are a major determinant of postoperative outcome, the chapter focuses on the management of the two most important cardiac risk factors, that is, myocardial ischaemia and impaired left ventricular function.

College students today display disturbing levels of stress, depression, and other psychological conditions. The reasons for this rise in mental health problems are many, from increased reliance on electronic technology, the related prevalence of social isolation, and anxiety regarding societal ills. College and university counselling centers are challenged to address student demand for psychological services, with many counseling directors having to reduce the number of visits for non-crisis patients to cope with the increasing number of clients. While more serious mental health problems will continue to be addressed through intensive counseling, medications and, in extreme cases, hospitalization, the majority of young people can positively impact their mental well-being by simply spending time outside in nature. A large body of scientific evidence verifies that time spent in natural settings can lower young people's stress levels, anxiety, blood pressure and heart rate, and improve memory and cognitive functions. College Nature Rx programs encourage students to spend time in nature and to develop greater appreciation for the natural world. We present a step-by-step formula for how such programs can be constructed, sustained, and evaluated, and profile four progressive Nature Rx programs at American colleges. In a final chapter, we argue for the need for such programs to the future health and strength of such institutions.

Nach den Olympischen Winterspielen 2014 wurde auf Initiative des Fachbereichs Ausdauer am Institut für Angewandte Trainingswissenschaft (IAT) eine intensive Diskussion mit Trainern und Leistungssportverantwortlichen der Ausdauersportarten zu nationalen und internationalen Entwicklungstendenzen sowie möglichen Ursachen für Leistungseinbußen deutscher Athletinnen und Athleten in Gang gesetzt. Untermauert durch die Weltstandsanalysen des IAT in Auswertung von Rio 2016, konnten inhaltliche Schwerpunkte in den Bereichen Trainings- und Wettkampfsysteme, Leistungsdiagnostik und optimale Gestaltung der Umfeldbedingungen gesetzt werden. Im einleitenden, übergreifenden Artikel werden theoretische Standpunkte, die Positionen des IAT und aktuelle sportpraktische Lösungen zu ausgewählten Problemen vorgestellt. Zudem wurde die Anregung des ehemaligen Direktors des IAT, Prof. Arndt Pfützner, anlässlich des 2015 veranstalteten Symposiums "Angewandte Trainingswissenschaft im Forschungs- und Serviceverbund Leistungssport" zur tiefgründigen Analyse einer Vielzahl von trainings-, wettkampf- und leistungsdiagnostischen Daten aufgegriffen. Die daraus gewonnenen neuen Erkenntnisse finden sich in sportartspezifischen Beiträgen in diesem Heft. Sowohl die inhaltliche Diskussion als auch die praktische Umsetzung sind ein laufender Prozess, der u. a. durch die Bereitstellung vorhandenen Wissens zu den aufgeworfenen Fragen in einer vom IAT eingerichteten und ständig aktualisierten Literaturdatenbank unterstützt wird.

The pituitary gland plays a predominant role in the endocrine system. Consequently, patients with pituitary diseases or after pituitary surgery present unique challenges to the intensivist. Failure of the anterior pituitary gland to secrete one or more pituitary hormones results in a clinical syndrome known as hypopituitarism. While hypopituitarism is mostly encountered in patients in whom the diagnosis has already been made, acute exacerbation of an undiagnosed insufficiency may occasionally occur. Acute decompensated patients with suspected hypopituitarism should be admitted to an intensive care unit for haemodynamic stabilization, replacement of missing hormones, and identification and treatment of the causative stressor. Prompt administration of hydrocortisone is the single most important acute medical intervention in hypopituitaric patients. Failure of the posterior pituitary to secrete antidiuretic hormone results in diabetes insipidus (DI). DI is characterized by excess volumes of severely diluted urine, which can lead to hyperosmolality and hypernatraemia as many critically-ill patients do not have free access to oral fluids due to obtundation or sedation. Management of DI includes the correction of free water deficit and the reduction of polyuria with desmopressin. The post-operative care following pituitary surgery focuses on vigilant observation for neurosurgical complications (visual loss, meningitis, and cerebrospinal fluid leakage) and monitoring of neuroendocrinological perturbations (hypopituitarism and disorders of water balance, such as DI and SIADH). SIADH presents with hyponatremia, hypo-osmolality, and inappropriately concentrated urine in a setting of euvolaemia and can be managed in most cases by fluid restriction. Potential disruption of the pituitary-adrenal function is covered with peri-operative glucocorticoids.

The book is the result of a recent but intensive cooperation between the faculties of law of the universities of Ljubljana and Johannesburg. As is often the case in life, the starting point of this project was a friendship. A friendship between two law professors who, at the same point in time, became deans of their respective law schools – Prof Letlhokwa Mpedi (now Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Academic (UJ)) in Johannesburg and Prof Grega Strban in Ljubljana. They decided to connect their institutions in a formal way by establishing a cooperation that would outlive their mandates as deans and provide a professional platform for legal scholars of both universities to get first-hand insight into a very different legal system, thus widening their legal horizons and inspiring a different view and new solutions for their own national law. This noble endeavour has so far been a great success. What might have seemed an unlikely alliance proved to be an extremely valuable and inspiring experience both on a professional and personal level. The idea of this book was born after a joint conference held in Johannesburg in 2019. Here, experts from both institutions presented current relevant issues in different legal areas and discussed how both countries dealt with them. After insightful debates, it was decided that they should, on the one hand, be written down, and, on the other hand, that the written texts should not only reflect those debates but should broaden and deepen the research. It should not merely be a collection of conference papers, but a true scientific monograph, destined to legal scholars and practitioners, researching, teaching and practicing in national and international environments. Jerca Kramberger Škerl, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Ljubljana Elmarie Susan Fourie, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Johannesburg

Antenatal and intrapartum fetal monitoring aim to identify the beginning of the process of fetal hypoxia before irreversible fetal damage has taken place. Fetal movement counting by the mother has not been reported to be of any benefit. The biophysical profile score, incorporating ultrasound and fetal heart rate monitoring, has not been proven to reduce perinatal mortality in randomized trials. Doppler ultrasound allows the exploration of the perfusion of different fetal organ systems and provides data on possible hypoxia and fetal anaemia. Maternal uterine artery Doppler can be used to select women with a high risk for intrauterine growth restriction and pre-eclampsia but does not directly provide information on fetal status. Umbilical artery Doppler has been shown to reduce perinatal mortality significantly in high-risk pregnancies (but not in low-risk women). Adding middle cerebral artery Doppler to umbilical artery Doppler does not increase accuracy for detecting adverse perinatal outcome. Ductus venosus Doppler demonstrates moderate value in diagnosing fetal compromise; it is not known whether its use adds any value to umbilical artery Doppler alone. Cardiotocography (CTG) reflects the interaction between the fetal brain and peripheral cardiovascular system. Prelabour routine use of CTG in low-risk pregnancies has not been proven to improve outcome; computerized CTG significantly reduces perinatal mortality in high-risk pregnancies. Monitoring the fetus during labour with intermittent auscultation has not been compared to no monitoring at all; when compared with CTG no difference in perinatal mortality or cerebral palsy has been noted. CTG does lower neonatal seizures and is accompanied by a statistically non-significant rise in caesarean delivery. Fetal blood sampling to detect fetal pH and base deficit lowers caesarean delivery rate and neonatal convulsions when used in adjunct to CTG. Determination of fetal scalp lactate has not been shown to have an effect on neonatal outcome or on the rate of instrumental deliveries but is less often hampered by technical failure than fetal scalp pH. Analysis of the ST segment of the fetal ECG (STAN®) in combination with CTG during labour results in fewer vaginal operative deliveries, less need for neonatal intensive care, and less use of fetal blood sampling during labour, without a change in fetal metabolic acidosis when compared to CTG alone.

Economy and mankind are inextricably interlinked. Just as the economy or the production of material wealth is unimaginable without a man, so human existence and development are impossible without the wealth created in the economy. Shortly, both the goal and the means of achieving and realization of the economy are still the human resources. People have long ago noticed that it was the economy that created livelihoods, and the delays in their production led to the catastrophic events such as hunger, poverty, civil wars, social upheavals, revolutions, moral degeneration, and more. Therefore, the special interest of people in understanding the regulatory framework of the functioning of the economy has existed and exists in all historical epochs [A. Sisvadze. Economic theory. Part One. 2006y. p. 22]. The system of economic disciplines studies economy or economic activities of a society. All of them are based on science, which is currently called economic theory in the post-socialist space (the science of economics, the principles of economics or modern economics), and in most countries of the world - predominantly in the Greek-Latin manner - economics. The title of the present book is also Modern Economics. Economics (economic theory) is the science that studies the efficient use of limited resources to produce and distribute goods and services in order to satisfy as much as possible the unlimited needs and demands of the society. More simply, economics is the science of choice and how society manages its limited resources. Moreover, it should be emphasized that economics (economic theory) studies only the distribution, exchange and consumption of the economic wealth (food, beverages, clothing, housing, machine tools, computers, services, etc.), the production of which is possible and limited. And the wealth that exists indefinitely: no economic relations are formed in the production and distribution of solar energy, air, and the like. This current book is the second complete updated edition of the challenges of the modern global economy in the context of the coronary crisis, taking into account some of the priority directions of the country's development. Its purpose is to help students and interested readers gain a thorough knowledge of economics and show them how this knowledge can be applied pragmatically (professionally) in professional activities or in everyday life. To achieve this goal, this textbook, which consists of two parts and tests, discusses in simple and clear language issues such as: the essence of economics as a science, reasons for origin, purpose, tasks, usefulness and functions; Basic principles, problems and peculiarities of economics in different economic systems; Needs and demand, the essence of economic resources, types and limitations; Interaction, mobility, interchangeability and efficient use of economic resources. The essence and types of wealth; The essence, types and models of the economic system; The interaction of households and firms in the market of resources and products; Market mechanism and its elements - demand, supply and price; Demand and supply elasticity; Production costs and the ways to reduce them; Forms of the market - perfect and incomplete competition markets and their peculiarities; Markets for Production Factors and factor incomes; The essence of macroeconomics, causes and importance of origin; The essence and calculation of key macroeconomic indicators (gross national product, gross domestic product, net national product, national income, etc.); Macroeconomic stability and instability, unemployment, inflation and anti-inflationary policies; State regulation of the economy and economic policy; Monetary and fiscal policy; Income and standard of living; Economic Growth; The Corona Pandemic as a Defect and Effect of Globalization; National Economic Problems and New Opportunities for Development in the conditions of the Coronary Crisis; The Socio-economic problems of moral obsolescence in digital technologies; Education and creativity are the main solution way to overcome the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus; Positive and negative effects of tourism in Georgia; Formation of the middle class as a contributing factor to the development of tourism in Georgia; Corporate culture in Georgian travel companies, etc. The axiomatic truth is that economics is the union of people in constant interaction. Given that the behavior of the economy reflects the behavior of the people who make up the economy, after clarifying the essence of the economy, we move on to the analysis of the four principles of individual decision-making. Furtermore, the book describes how people make independent decisions. The key to making an individual decision is that people have to choose from alternative options, that the value of any action is measured by the value of what must be given or what must be given up to get something, that the rational, smart people make decisions based on the comparison of the marginal costs and marginal returns (benefits), and that people behave accordingly to stimuli. Afterwards, the need for human interaction is then analyzed and substantiated. If a person is isolated, he will have to take care of his own food, clothes, shoes, his own house and so on. In the case of such a closed economy and universalization of labor, firstly, its productivity will be low and, secondly, it will be able to consume only what it produces. It is clear that human productivity will be higher and more profitable as a result of labor specialization and the opportunity to trade with others. Indeed, trade allows each person to specialize, to engage in the activities that are most successful, be it agriculture, sewing or construction, and to buy more diverse goods and services from others at a relatively lower price. The key to such human interactions is that trade is mutually beneficial; That markets are usually the good means of coordination between people and that the government can improve the results of market functioning if the market reveals weakness or the results of market functioning are not fair. Moroever, it also shows how the economy works as a whole. In particular, it is argued that productivity is a key determinant of living standards, that an increase in the money supply is a major source of inflation, and that one of the main impediments to avoiding inflation is the existence of an alternative between inflation and unemployment in the short term, that the inflation decrease causes the temporary decline in unemployement and vice versa. The Understanding creatively of all above mentioned issues, we think, will help the reader to develop market economy-appropriate thinking and rational economic-commercial-financial behaviors, to be more competitive in the domestic and international labor markets, and thus to ensure both their own prosperity and the functioning of the country's economy. How he/she copes with the tasks, it is up to the individual reader to decide. At the same time, we will receive all the smart useful advices with a sense of gratitude and will take it into account in the further work. We also would like to thank the editor and reviewers of the books. Finally, there are many things changing, so it is very important to realize that the XXI century has come: 1. The century of the new economy; 2. Age of Knowledge; 3. Age of Information and economic activities are changing in term of innovations. 1. Why is the 21st century the century of the new economy? Because for this period the economic resources, especially non-productive, non-recoverable ones (oil, natural gas, coal, etc.) are becoming increasingly limited. According to the World Energy Council, there are currently 43 years of gas and oil reserves left in the world (see “New Commersant 2007 # 2, p. 16). Under such conditions, sustainable growth of real gross domestic product (GDP) and maximum satisfaction of uncertain needs should be achieved not through the use of more land, labor and capital (extensification), but through more efficient use of available resources (intensification) or innovative economy. And economics, as it was said, is the science of finding the ways about the more effective usage of the limited resources. At the same time, with the sustainable growth and development of the economy, the present needs must be met in a way that does not deprive future generations of the opportunity to meet their needs; 2. Why is the 21st century the age of knowledge? Because in a modern economy, it is not land (natural resources), labor and capital that is crucial, but knowledge. Modern production, its factors and products are not time-consuming and capital-intensive, but science-intensive, knowledge-intensive. The good example of this is a Japanese enterprise (firm) where the production process is going on but people are almost invisible, also, the result of such production (Japanese product) is a miniature or a sample of how to get the maximum result at the lowest cost; 3. Why is the 21st century the age of information? Because the efficient functioning of the modern economy, the effective organization of the material and personal factors of production largely depend on the right governance decision. The right governance decision requires prompt and accurate information. Gone are the days when the main means of transport was a sailing ship, the main form of data processing was pencil and paper, and the main means of transmitting information was sending letters through a postman on horseback. By the modern transport infrastructure (highways, railways, ships, regular domestic and international flights, oil and gas pipelines, etc.), the movement of goods, services and labor resoucres has been significantly accelerated, while through the modern means of communication (mobile phone, internet, other) the information is spreading rapidly globally, which seems to have "shrunk" the world and made it a single large country. The Authors of the book: Ushangi Samadashvili, Doctor of Economic Sciences, Associate Professor of Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University - Introduction, Chapters - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11,12, 15,16, 17.1,18 , Tests, Revaz Shengelia, Doctor of Economics, Professor of Georgian Technical University, Chapters_7, 8, 13. 14, 17.2, 17.4; Zhuzhuna Tsiklauri - Doctor of Economics, Professor of Georgian Technical University - Chapters 13.6, 13.7,17.2, 17.3, 18. We also thank the editor and reviewers of the book.

En los últimos años, la comunidad docente está inmersa en un proceso de transformación propiciado por la irrupción masiva de las Tecnologías de la Información y de la Comunicación (TIC) en todos los ámbitos sociales. La población en general ya hace un uso masivo de los medios de comunicación, informáticos, internet y las redes sociales. El ámbito educativo no queda al margen de estos procesos de digitalización y, además de los profesionales más disruptivos e innovadores que ya venían utilizando las TIC como apoyo en los procesos de enseñanza-aprendizaje con una amplia trayectoria, la mayor parte del profesorado ha precisado fundamentar su actividad académica en la docencia virtual a causa de la reciente pandemia de la COVID-19. La pandemia obligó en el curso 2019-2020 a que toda la actividad docente se desarrollara en la modalidad no presencial. Pasada la fase de emergencia, durante el curso 2020-2021, en la mayoría de los centros universitarios se han mantenido las restricciones impuestas por la situación sanitaria, impulsando así la docencia en una modalidad híbrida, combinando la modalidad presencial y la virtual basada en el uso intensivo de las TIC. En cualquier caso, algunos expertos aseguran que el confinamiento aceleró seis años la digitalización en el mundo y, por supuesto, también en el entorno académico la pandemia también ha contribuido a acelerar la puesta en práctica de nuevas metodologías que precisan de la adopción de tecnologías digitales tanto en el aula como fuera de ella. Por otra parte, la mayoría de las universidades ya estaba desarrollando estrategias de digitalización en todos los niveles, con aplicación tanto en la gestión yadministración como en la investigación y la docencia; pero, sin duda, la actividad académica docente ha sido la última en desplegarse digitalmente con apoyo de las TIC y quizá la más beneficiada por los grandes cambios a los que la pandemia ha obligado. Las universidades ya habían implementado campus virtuales docentes que en muchos casos se utilizaban de forma complementaria como apoyo a la docencia presencial. En este momento, la mayor parte de estos campus se ha consolidado y su uso se ha extendido implicando a la práctica totalidad del profesorado. Por ello, se hace imprescindible mostrar buenas prácticas de uso y poner en marcha iniciativas de formación en competencias digitales para el profesorado y el estudiantado que garanticen la calidad académica y el aprovechamiento de las posibilidades que ofrece la tecnología educativa. Además, esta situación ha puesto de manifiesto tanto los beneficios de las TIC en el apoyo a la docencia presencial, y ahora también la híbrida, como las posibilidades de la docencia totalmente virtual cuya oferta ha sufrido un significativo aumento tras la pandemia, tanto por las estrategias de expansión de nuevas titulaciones oficiales en esta modalidad como por la transformación de titulaciones, tradicionalmente presenciales, que evolucionan condicionadas en muchas ocasiones por la propia demanda social. Así mismo, las universidades están reconsiderando su oferta de títulos propios y formación permanente como formación virtual facilitando así el acceso a una formación universitaria de personas en situaciones muy diversas. El objetivo fundamental del Congreso Internacional Virtual USATIC, Ubicuo y Social: Aprendizaje con TIC, que se ha realizado en formato online entre los días 28 y 30 de junio de 2021 por noveno año consecutivo, ha sido proporcionar, a toda la comunidad internacional implicada e interesada en los procesos de aprendizaje apoyados en tecnologías, un foro de colaboración y formación permitiendo compartir información, ideas, conocimiento, resultados de investigación y experiencias docentes. Desde nuestro punto de vista y como se ha demostrado en los años anteriores, actuaciones como esta han sido siempre importantes y muy provechosas, pero en este momento se tornan imprescindibles. Además, el mejor marco para el intercambio de experiencias docentes mediadas por las TIC no es otro que un entorno virtual, modelo que llevamos utilizando en las nueve ediciones ya celebradas de este congreso internacional organizado por miembros de la Red EuLES de la Universidad de Zaragoza (España), Red interdisciplinar de investigación e innovación educativa en Entornos uLearning en Educación Superior. Un congreso cuya temática gira en torno a la innovación docente apoyada en tecnologías y que está dirigido a docentes y profesionales de habla hispana del ámbito de la educación con el objetivo de fomentar y reforzar vínculos para la mejora de la calidad docente. Este formato que en sus primeras ediciones podía resultar novedoso, ha dejado de serlo para convertirse en algo habitual y no solo utilizado para salvar la situación actual donde el contacto social de manera presencial, a causa de las necesarias medidas sanitarias por la COVID-19, se ha convertido en casi imposible o muy evitable. La participación en esta edición ha sido nuevamente todo un éxito, consolidando los índices de participación de las ediciones anteriores. El congreso ha reunido a más de quinientos autores de comunicaciones de catorce países, representantes de la comunidad docente de España, Portugal, Reino Unido así como de numerosos países del otro lado del Atlántico como Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, México Panamá, Perú, Uruguay y Venezuela. Una comunidad de profesionales que ha asistido diariamente a las webconferencias plenarias y ha presentado 130 trabajos en torno a tres áreas temáticas: Plataformas y Entornos de Aprendizaje; Materiales y Recursos; y Herramientas 2.0, Redes Sociales y uLearning. Con la publicación de este libro de Actas del Congreso Internacional Virtual USATIC 2021, desde la Red EuLES de la Universidad de Zaragoza, queremos difundir el trabajo intenso que se viene llevando a cabo por muchos docentes implicados en la mejora de la calidad los procesos de aprendizaje, poniendo además en valor, en el marco de la investigación educativa, la innovación docente apoyada especialmente en las tecnologías.

TOWARDS THE NEW LIFE Theology and Importance of Christian Initiation for the Life of Faith The book is in equal parts a presentation and an invitation. The subject matter of both is the mystagogical initiation leading to the personal encounter with God and eventually to the union within the Church in Christ, which happens initially and particualry in the sacramental liturgy. Mystagogy was the essential experience of life in the early Church and now is being so intensely discussed and postulated by the ecclesial Magisterium and through the teaching of the recent popes and synods. Within the ten chapters of this book the reader proceeds through the aspects strictly associated with Christian initiation, noticeable in catechumenate and suggestive for further Christian life. It is not surprising then, that the study begins with answering the question about the sense of dealing with catechumenate at all. The response developed in the first chapter covers four key points: the contemporary state of our faith, the need for dialogue in evangelization, the importance of liturgy in the renewal of faith and the obvious requirement of follo- wing the Church’s Magisterium, quite explicit in the subject undertaken within this book. The introductory chapter is meant to evoke interest in catechumenate as such and encourage comprehension of its essence, in order to keep it in mind while planning contemporary evangelization. For doing this with success and avoiding pastoral archeology, we need a competent insight into the main message and goal of Christian initiation. Catechumenate is the first and most venerable model of formation and growth in faith and therefore worth knowing. The second chapter tries to cope with the reasons and ways of the present return to the sources of catechumenate with respect to Christian initiation understood to be the building of the relationship with God. The example of catechumenate helps us to discover, how to learn wisely from the history. This would definitely mean to keep the structure and liturgy of catechumenate as a vehicle of God’s message, which must be interpreted and adapted always anew and with careful and intelligent consideration of the historical flavour on particular stages within the history of salvation and cultural conditions of the recipients. For that reason we refer to the Biblical resources and to the historical examples of catechumenate including its flourishing and declining periods, after which we are slowly approaching the present reinterpretation of the catechumenal process enhanced by the official teaching of the Church. As the result of the latter, particularly owing to the Vatican Council II, we are now dealing with the renewed liturgy of baptism displayed in two liturgical books: The Rite of Baptism for Children and the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). This version for adults is the subjectmatter of the whole chapter, in which a reader can find theological analyses of the particular rites as well as numerous indications for improving one’s life with Christ in the Church. You can find interesting associations among the rites of initiation themselves and astounding coherence between those rites and the sacraments of the Eucharist, penance and other sacraments, which simply means the ordinary life of faith. Deep and convincing theology of the process of initiation proves the inspiring spiritual power of the initial and constitutive sacraments of baptism and confirmation, which may seem attractive not only for catechumens but also for the faithful baptized in their infancy, and even more, since they might have not yet had a chance to see what a plausible treasure they have been conveying in their baptismal personality. How much challenge for further and constant realization in life may offer these introductory events of Christian initiation, yet not sufficiently appreciated by those who have already been baptized and confirmed! We all should submit to permanent re-evangelization according to this primary pattern, which always remains essential and fundamental. Very typical and very post-conciliar approach to Christian formation appears in the communal dimension, which guards and guarantees the ecclesial profile of initiation and prepares a person to be a living member of the Church. The sixth chapter of the book is dealing with ecclesial issues in liturgy. They refer to comprehending the word of God, especially in the context of liturgy, which brings about a peculiar theological sense to it and giving a special character to proclaiming the Gospel, which the Pope Francis calls “liturgical proclamation”. The ecclesial premises influence the responsibility for the fact of accompanying the candidates, who aim at becoming Christ’s disciples. As the Church is teaching also in the theological and pastoral introduction to the RCIA, this is the duty of all Christians, which means: priests, religious and the lay, because the Church is one organism in whose womb the new members are conceived and raised. As this fact is strongly claimed by the Church the method of initiation arises to great importance. The seventh chapter is dedicated to the analysis of the catechumenal method stemming from Christ’s pedagogy and His mystery of Incarnation introducing a very important issue of implementing the Divine into the human. The chapter concerning this method opens a more practical part of the book. The crucial message of it is to make mystagogy a natural and obvious method which is the way of building bonds with Christ in the community of the people who already have these bonds and who are eager to tighten them and are aware of the beauty and necessity of closeness with Christ. Christian initiation is the process of entering the Kingdom of God and meeting Christ up to the union with Him – not so much learning dogmas and moral requirements. This is a special time when candidates-catechumens-elected mature in love and in their attitude to Christ and people, which results in prayer and new way of life. As in the past catechumenate nowadays inspires the faithful in their imagination of love and mercy as well as reminds us about various important details of the paschal way of life, which constitute our baptismal vocation, but may be forgotten and now with the help of catechumenate can be recognized anew, while accompanying adults on their catechumenal way. The book is meant for those who are already involved in catechumenal process and are responsible for the rites and formation as well as for those who are interested in what the Church is offering to all who consciously decide to know and follow Christ. You can learn from this book, what is the nature and specificity of the method suggested by the Rite itself for guiding people to God the Saviour and to the community of His people. The aim of the study is to present the universal way of evangelization, which was suggested and revealed by God in His pedagogy, particularly through Jesus Christ and smoothly adopted by the early Church. This way, which can be called a method, is so complete, substantial and clear that it deserves rediscovery, description and promotion, which has already started in the Church’s teaching by making direct references to such categories as: initiation, catechumenate, liturgical formation, the rereading the Mystery of Christ, the living participation in the Mystery and faith nourished by the Mystery. The most engaging point with Christian initiation is the fact, that this seems to be the most effective way of reviving the parish, taking place on the solid and safe ground of liturgy with the most convincing and objective fact that is our baptism and our new identity born in baptismal regenerating bath. On the grounds of our personal relationship with God and our Christian vocation we can become active apostles of Christ. Evangelization begins with ourselves and in our hearts. Thinking about the Church’s mission, we should have in mind our personal mission within the Church and we should refer to it’s roots – first to our immersion into Christ’s death and resurrection and to the anointment with the Holy Spirit. In this Spirit we have all been sent to follow Christ wherever He goes, not necessarily where we would like to direct our steps, but He would. Let us cling to Him and follow Him! Together with the constantly transforming and growing Church! Towards the new life!