The topic of this dissertation focuses on the arrangement of the court system in the Czech Republic. The aim of the thesis is to present a basic, comprehensive view of the organisation of the system of courts, elaborated with a closer analysis relating to the personnel composition and overall functioning of the individual courts. The introductory section of the thesis deals with the historical development of the judicial system within the territory of today's Czech Republic, in particular the organisation of the court system during the period of the First Czechoslovak Republic (1918-1938). The court system of the First Republic followed on to a large extent from the legal arrangement of the Austro-Hungarian judicial system, on the basis of the adoption of the Reception Act no. 11/1918 Coll. A gradual unification took place regarding the different arrangement of the court organisations in the Czech lands and in Slovakia. The court system of the First Republic was distinguished by a high degree of specialisation, the courts were divided into regular, specialised and arbitration courts. The system of general courts is formed by district, regional and high courts, the Supreme Court and the Supreme Administrative Court. The thesis also includes a description of the functioning of judicial councils, the...

The purpose of this quantitative research study was to analyze the roles of assistant and associate deans in the colleges or schools related to the disciplines of business, education, and arts and sciences within four different classifications of institutions [Research Universities I and II and Doctoral Universities I and II], as described by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Respondents in the study came from institutions accredited by the Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Respondents included 191 associate deans and 60 assistant deans, of whom 154 were men and 97 were women. Chi-square statistics were used to analyze assistant and associate deans' perceptions of (1) whether their positions are line or staff; (2) whether they would recommend changes in their positions; (3) whether each was interested in becoming deans at their present institution or another institution. Three composite scores from factor analysis were analyzed by three-way ANOVA: (1) Curriculum, (2) Administrative Leadership and Relationships, and (3) Budget. A second statistical analysis included t-tests and a one-way ANOVA for Composite #2, Administrative Leadership and Relationships. Results showed no significant differences in (1) whether assistant and associate deans perceive that deans differentiate their positions as line or staff, and (2) between associate deans and assistant deans in regard to their interest in becoming deans at their institutions. From the factor analysis, results showed no significant differences in Composite #1, Curriculum, for the independent variables: gender, college, gender by college, dean by college, and gender by dean by college. For Composite #2, results showed no significant differences for the independent variables: gender, college, gender by dean, gender by college, dean by college, and gender by dean by college. For Composite #3, Budget, results showed no significant differences for the independent variables: gender, college, gender by college, dean by college, and gender by dean by college. For the second statistical analysis for Composite #2, Administrative Leadership and Relationships, results showed no significant differences between colleges/schools and leadership, and the level of dean and leadership. The results of this study showed that (1) associate deans perceived their positions as line versus staff; (2) associate and assistant deans did not perceive their positions as stepping stones to deanships at their present institutions; (3) associate deans believed their positions were stepping stones to deanships at other institutions; and (4) assistant deans did not perceive their experience at their present institution as a stepping stone to deanships at their present or other institutions. Female associate deans had the most responsibility for Composite #1. Male associate and male assistant deans had approximately the same responsibilities for Composite #1, Curriculum. More associate deans than assistant deans had responsibilities for Composite #2, Administrative Leadership and Relationships and Composite #3, Budget.

High nursing student attrition has been a pervasive problem in the nursing program at the research site of this study. The purpose of this project study was to investigate the relationship between attrition and nursing student characteristics, including age, gender, ethnicity, English as Second Language (ESL) background, licensed practical nurse (LPN) licensure, grade point average (GPA), the number of preadmission college credits, and the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) scores. This correlational study of archival data was guided by Jeffreys's nursing undergraduate retention and success model and included a convenience sample of 240 students admitted to the program between the Spring 2011 and Fall 2013 semesters. Point biserial and phi coefficient statistical analyses indicated that significant relationships existed between attrition and ethnicity, GPA, TEAS scores, college credits, and LPN status. There were no significant relationships between attrition and age, gender, and ESL background. Student characteristics correlated with higher attrition included ethnic minority background, more college credits, lower TEAS composite and math scores, lower GPA scores, and not having LPN licensure. These research results were the basis for policy recommendations for changes to the admission process within the nursing program and for early identification of students at risk for attrition, with the goal of providing early supportive measures. The overall goal of the policy recommendations was to decrease attrition at the local research site, which may help foster positive social change by promoting the educational and professional progress of nursing students. Nursing student attrition can negatively affect a nursing program's finances and reputation. For students, attrition represents lost time, lost finances, and a limited possibility for achieving socioeconomic progress.

The retention of nursing students remains a challenge in higher education, and the need for nurses in the United States is projected to increase. The purpose of this study was to investigate nursing student persistence in an associate degree program by examining differences in the presence of key social, environmental, and academic factors across 2 types of students: completers and non-completers of the 1st course in a registered nursing program. The study framework was based on Tinto's Student Integration Model and the Nursing Undergraduate Retention and Success Model, which identify key social, environmental, and academic factors as critical to student success. The Student Perception Appraisal survey, which consists of 27 items arranged into 5 subscales 'personal academic, environmental, institutional interaction, college facilities, and friend support' was administered to students enrolled in the 1st semester of a registered nursing program who were later assigned to a group based on course completion (n = 90 completers; n = 22 non-completers). An independent-samples t test revealed no statistically significant differences between the groups on the instrument subscale scores. Recommendations include further study with larger and more equivalent group sizes. Implications for social change include providing initial research findings and recommendations to the study site that may ultimately increase the number of nursing graduates to meet the ever-increasing demand for healthcare professionals.

The Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007 required teacher assistants (TAs) to obtain their child development associate (CDA) credential by September of 2015. TAs who had not obtained their CDA within the required timeframe were either demoted or terminated from their positions. However, with the increase of working parents, the need for quality early childhood education has risen. In this project study, the barriers TAs confront in regards to their decision to continue their schooling to obtain a CDA credential were examined, as were the factors that deterred or prevented them from enrolling in or completing a higher education program. The purpose of the study was to inform the development of a plan outlining how childcare administration can mentor and encourage TAs in the completion of their CDA program. Knowles's theory of adult learning and Kolb's experiential learning theory provided the theoretical basis and framework for this qualitative case study. Cluster random selection was used to identify 9 participants who were interviewed using a semistructured process. Interview responses were recorded, transcribed, and broken down into 6 themes. Findings showed that 7 out of 9 participants experienced barriers to continuing their education, and 8 of the 9 partipants expressed a desire to participate in a mentoring program. Raising the educational requirements and completion rate of TAs positively affects social change through increased quality of instruction, improved teaching strategies, and enhanced and developmentally appropriate support provided to young children.

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / O baixo peso ao nascer (BPN) é um importante problema de saúde pública em todo o mundo, embora mais acentuado nas áreas menos desenvolvidas. Crianças com BPN apresentam um maior risco de morbidade e mortalidade durante o primeiro ano de vida e, aquelas que sobrevivem ficam mais expostas ao risco de desenvolver sequelas. No presente estudo, fatores individuais e contextuais, associados com o baixo peso, foram identificados com base em informações sobre nascido-vivos do estado do Rio de Janeiro, no período 2000-2005. Um modelo logístico multinível com dois níveis, municípios e mães, foi utilizado. Os resultados mostraram uma tendência de queda da proporção de baixo peso no Estado. Em média, a cada ano, a chance de uma criança nascer com baixo peso declinou aproximadamente 2%. O PIB per capita também se mostrou associado com o baixo peso ao nascer. Aumentos de R$ 5000,00 no PIB anual reduziu a chance de uma criança nascer com baixo peso em 2%. Mulheres adolescentes ou com 40 anos ou mais, assim como as solteiras e viúvas foram mais propensas a ter um filho com baixo peso. A chance de ter um filho com baixo peso diminuiu com o aumento da escolaridade da mãe, mas com pequena variação nas categorias acima de três anos de estudo. O tipo de hospital apareceu como forte preditor do BPN, com chance mais elevada de ter um filho com BPN entre mulheres cujo parto foi realizado em hospital público. Destaque deve ser dado para o efeito que o número de consultas pré-natal exerceu sobre o BPN. A chance de uma criança, cuja mãe realizou pelo menos sete consultas durante o pré-natal, nascer com baixo peso foi 44% menor do que a observada entre mães que realizaram até três consultas. A variância do componente aleatório estimada pelo modelo multinível indica que há uma variação significativa do baixo peso no nível municipal não-explicada pelas variáveis incluídas na análise. Estudos futuros devem procurar identificar esses fatores. Políticas públicas devem ser implementadas, focando não apenas na redução da prevalência do baixo peso, mas também no monitoramento dessas crianças, de modo a reduzir a chance de uma criança apresentar sequelas ou diminuir os danos por elas causados / Low birth weight (LBW) is a major public health problem worldwide, although more pronounced in less developed areas. LBW children are at greater risk of morbidity and mortality during the first year of life, and those who survive are most at risk of developing sequela. In this study, individual and contextual factors associated with low birth weight were identified based on information on births in the state of Rio de Janeiro from 2000 to 2005. A multilevel logistic model with two levels, municipalities and mothers, was used. The results showed a downward trend in the proportion of low birth weight in the state. On average, each year, the chance of a low birth weight declined approximately 2%. GNP per capita was also associated with low birth weight. Increases of R$ 5,000.00 in annual GNP reduced the chance of a low birth weight by 2%. Adolescents or women aged 40 years or more, as well as single women and widows, were more likely to have a child with low birth weight. The chance of having a child with low birth weight decreased as mother's education increased, but with little variation in the categories above three years of study. The type of hospital emerged as a strong predictor of low birth weight, with increased probability of having a child with LBW among women whose deliveries were performed in public hospitals. Emphasis must be given to the effect that the number of pre-natal consultations exerted on LBW. The chance of a child whose mother had at least seven visits during prenatal care, low birth weight was 44% lower than that observed among mothers who had up to three visits. The variance of the random component estimated by the multilevel model indicates that there is significant variation in the low-weight at the municipal level, not explained by variables included in the analysis. Future studies should seek to identify these factors. Public policies should be implemented, focusing not only on reducing the prevalence of low birth weight, but also on monitoring these children, in order to reduce the chance that a child has sequelae or decrease the damage they caused

La notion d'expérience est une notion polysémique. Plusieurs significations lui sont attribuées. L'expérience est à la fois processus, produit, capital, connaissance pratique, trajectoire, réalité, potentialité, mode de formation, modalité d'apprentissage, vécu, élan vital, énergie, événement.Le chercheur qui s'intéresse à la question de l'expérience, de son expression et de sa transmission, se trouve ainsi confronte à cette pluralité sémantique et au défi de la définir.Ce travail de recherche vise à comprendre ce qui est convoqué quand un formateur fait référence à ce qu'il reconnait et désigne comme son expérience professionnelle ou comme savoir issu de celle-ci. Cette thèse porte sur l'étude de la communication de l'expérience professionnelle des professeurs associés temporaires en situation de formation et se propose d'appréhender les liens établis par ces formateurs entre l'espace du travail et l'espace de formation, en analysant plus particulièrement le contenu des références que ces enseignants font des situations vécues et issues de leur pratique professionnelle, pendant la conduite de leur activité de formation.Pour cela, une démarche méthodologique multiforme est mise en œuvre : tout d'abord, la rencontre avec les acteurs, l'exploration de parcours et de significations, puis, l'observation des situations de formation, de manière à se confronter à leur complexité et, enfin, l'élaboration d'un matériau discursif, issu de la confrontation des acteurs aux traces (enregistrements audio et vidéo) de l'activité déployée dans les situations observées, en présence du chercheur.Les résultats de la recherche permettent d'identifier sur le plan de la communication, des configurations des processus de référenciation à l'expérience professionnelle vécue dans une situation de formation, déclinées en trois composantes : significations, formes énonciatives et fonctions.Ces configurations mises à jour contribuent d'une part à mieux comprendre ce qui est désigné comme expérience professionnelle par ces acteurs dans les situations observées et, d'autre part, l'usage qu'ils en font dans leurs pratiques de formation, des pratiques sociales qui semblent être au cœur des stratégies des universités dans le glissement progressif vers une approche plus professionnalisante de l'enseignement supérieur. / The notion of experience is a polysemous one. Several significations are ascribed to it. Experience means process, product, resources, practical knowledge, career-path, reality, possibility, training style, learning mechanisms, background, vital spark, energy, and occasion all at once. Researchers who are interested in the matter of experience, its expression and its transmission, will find themselves confronted with this semantic plurality and the challenge of defining it.This research work aims at understanding what is convoked when associate professors refer to what they admit and design as their professional experience or as the knowledge derived from it. The present thesis focuses on the study of the communication of the professional experience of temporary associate professors during training courses. It also intends to comprehend the connection entrenched by these associate professors between the working and the training space by analyzing more specifically the content of the references they make based on situations they have experienced which also emerge form their professional activity during their training practice.For this purpose, a multidimensional methodological approach has been implemented. First of all, the researcher met with the professionals in order to explore their background and significations of experiences. Then, the researcher observed the training situation in such a way as to confront their complexity. And finally the researcher, through the confrontation between the participants and their traces (audio and video recording) of the activity carried out during the observed situations, produced a discursive data in his/her presence.The outcomes of this research enable us to identify, on a communication plan, the configurations of referencing processes of professional practice experienced in a training situation. These outcomes are divided into three parts: significations, enunciative forms and functions. These updated configurations contribute on the one hand to better understand which those participants designated as professional experience during the observed situations. On the other hand, to better understand the use they make of their professional experience within their training practices. These social practices seem to be at the heart of the universities' strategies within the progressive slide towards a more professionalizing approach in higher education.

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / O baixo peso ao nascer (BPN) é um importante problema de saúde pública em todo o mundo, embora mais acentuado nas áreas menos desenvolvidas. Crianças com BPN apresentam um maior risco de morbidade e mortalidade durante o primeiro ano de vida e, aquelas que sobrevivem ficam mais expostas ao risco de desenvolver sequelas. No presente estudo, fatores individuais e contextuais, associados com o baixo peso, foram identificados com base em informações sobre nascido-vivos do estado do Rio de Janeiro, no período 2000-2005. Um modelo logístico multinível com dois níveis, municípios e mães, foi utilizado. Os resultados mostraram uma tendência de queda da proporção de baixo peso no Estado. Em média, a cada ano, a chance de uma criança nascer com baixo peso declinou aproximadamente 2%. O PIB per capita também se mostrou associado com o baixo peso ao nascer. Aumentos de R$ 5000,00 no PIB anual reduziu a chance de uma criança nascer com baixo peso em 2%. Mulheres adolescentes ou com 40 anos ou mais, assim como as solteiras e viúvas foram mais propensas a ter um filho com baixo peso. A chance de ter um filho com baixo peso diminuiu com o aumento da escolaridade da mãe, mas com pequena variação nas categorias acima de três anos de estudo. O tipo de hospital apareceu como forte preditor do BPN, com chance mais elevada de ter um filho com BPN entre mulheres cujo parto foi realizado em hospital público. Destaque deve ser dado para o efeito que o número de consultas pré-natal exerceu sobre o BPN. A chance de uma criança, cuja mãe realizou pelo menos sete consultas durante o pré-natal, nascer com baixo peso foi 44% menor do que a observada entre mães que realizaram até três consultas. A variância do componente aleatório estimada pelo modelo multinível indica que há uma variação significativa do baixo peso no nível municipal não-explicada pelas variáveis incluídas na análise. Estudos futuros devem procurar identificar esses fatores. Políticas públicas devem ser implementadas, focando não apenas na redução da prevalência do baixo peso, mas também no monitoramento dessas crianças, de modo a reduzir a chance de uma criança apresentar sequelas ou diminuir os danos por elas causados / Low birth weight (LBW) is a major public health problem worldwide, although more pronounced in less developed areas. LBW children are at greater risk of morbidity and mortality during the first year of life, and those who survive are most at risk of developing sequela. In this study, individual and contextual factors associated with low birth weight were identified based on information on births in the state of Rio de Janeiro from 2000 to 2005. A multilevel logistic model with two levels, municipalities and mothers, was used. The results showed a downward trend in the proportion of low birth weight in the state. On average, each year, the chance of a low birth weight declined approximately 2%. GNP per capita was also associated with low birth weight. Increases of R$ 5,000.00 in annual GNP reduced the chance of a low birth weight by 2%. Adolescents or women aged 40 years or more, as well as single women and widows, were more likely to have a child with low birth weight. The chance of having a child with low birth weight decreased as mother's education increased, but with little variation in the categories above three years of study. The type of hospital emerged as a strong predictor of low birth weight, with increased probability of having a child with LBW among women whose deliveries were performed in public hospitals. Emphasis must be given to the effect that the number of pre-natal consultations exerted on LBW. The chance of a child whose mother had at least seven visits during prenatal care, low birth weight was 44% lower than that observed among mothers who had up to three visits. The variance of the random component estimated by the multilevel model indicates that there is significant variation in the low-weight at the municipal level, not explained by variables included in the analysis. Future studies should seek to identify these factors. Public policies should be implemented, focusing not only on reducing the prevalence of low birth weight, but also on monitoring these children, in order to reduce the chance that a child has sequelae or decrease the damage they caused

Digitization has an impact on the change that the accounting industry is undergoing. The vision of development is to automate and systematize society, which means that the technology mainly implements tasks of society. The study aims to dig deeper which effects the digitization has on the accounting firm. These effects are derived from an analysis model in which the role of the accounting assistants is questioned. Employees with different occupational positions at the accounting firm have been interviewed for empirical data collection. The interviews were conducted in a purposeful manner, since the selection is aimed at employees who are helpful in answering the study's question and purpose. The interviews were used to find links with the theoretical reference frames. With the help of the theoretical frame of reference and the collected empirical data, conclusions have been drawn that digitization causes different effects. The work approach is streamlined by automating the basic tasks of the accounting firm. The streamlining will lead to the accounting firm being able to deliver a broader service during the same time frame, which leads to increased client satisfaction. Quality achieves higher levels by increasing customer satisfaction. When the accounting firm delivers services with higher time gains, profitability will be higher. Profitability is something accounting firms and other businesses strive for, therefore it is likely that digitization will be implemented even more. Finally, the different effects of digitization show that the need for accounting assistants is diminishing, which is why digitization is partly perceived as a threat.

This ex post facto study sought to examine: the efficacy of Mosby's Assess Test as a valid predictor of NCLEX (National Council of State Boards of Nursing Licensure Examination) scores; significant correlations among semester averages, semester tests failed, Nelson Denny Reading Test scores, and NCLEX scores; and differences in NCLEX outcomes in relation to ethnicity, age, and prior practical nursing licensure for 558 associate degree nursing graduates who wrote the NCLEX in 1983 and 1984. Significant positive relationships were found among Mosby scores, Nelson Denny scores, semester averages, and NCLEX scores. A significant negative relationship was found between number of semester tests failed and NCLEX scores. The mean NCLEX score of older graduates was higher than the mean NCLEX score of younger graduates. LPN graduates had a higher mean NCLEX score than non-LPN graduates. White graduates' mean NCLEX score was greater than the average score for black graduates. Combined predictor variables which yielded the best estimate of the criterion variable (NCLEX scores) for all graduates included mean semester average, Mosby scores, age above thirty-three, and Nelson Denny scores, respectively. The most important predictor of black graduates' NCLEX success was prior practical nursing licensure. Other significant predictors for black graduates' NCLEX success were mean semester average, Mosby scores, mean number of semester tests failed, age above thirty-three, and Nelson Denny scores, respectively. Mean semester average, mean score of the Mosby test, mean number of semester tests failed, and age above thirty-three were the most significant predictors of white graduates' NCLEX success. Older graduates had a higher mean Mosby score, a higher mean semester average, and failed fewer semester tests than younger graduates. The study results will be of interest to nurse educators and counselors who are concerned with curricular revision, student counseling, and remediation procedures as these relate to enhancement of graduates' potential for success on the NCLEX.