Compulsory vaccination is one of the fundamental pillars of public health protection that has helped eradicate many previously lethal and widespread diseases from our geographical area. Although the vaccination rates remain high in the Czech Republic, the number of parents who refuse to vaccinate their children is growing. Reasons for this restraint are various. This thesis looks at the issue from the perspective of social constructivism. By implementing in-depth interviews, it tries to contribute to understanding how parents perceive the influence of the media on their decisions on the issue of compulsory vaccination. Other theoretical starting points are the media construction of reality, the theory of representation or biopower, and biopolitics in Michel Foucault's conception. A significant part of the theory also describes the current period, which is characterized by terms such as post-truth or post-factual era, and addresses which role plays new media such as social networks and the internet in the growing mistrust in expert knowledge and institutions. The analytical part is devoted to the analysis of collected data in the grounded theory approach. The identified categories then describe how parents evaluate the role of the media in the debate on compulsory vaccination, how they evaluate...

Sammanfattning Denna uppsats syftade till att utforska varför skolfrånvaron och därmed hemmasittandet har ökat. Genom att analysera elevhälsoplaner och jämföra dem med tidigare forskning, identifierades en möjlig koppling mellan ändringar i skollagen och ökningen av hemmasittande. Bronfenbrenners systemteori och Beckers avvikarkarriär-teori användes som huvudsakliga teoretiska ramar för analysen. Resultaten pekade på att förändringar i skollagen har manifesterat sig som strikta riktlinjer i elevhälsoplanerna. Dessa riktlinjer, tillsammans med skolornas stödinsatser, kan ha en oavsiktlig stämplande effekt på elever som inte uppfyller förväntningarna. Studien visade att medan dessa stödinsatser syftar till att hjälpa elever, kan de i vissa fall förstärka elevernas avvikelse från den etablerade normen. Tidigare forskning har belyst vissa riskgrupper, såsom de med ADHD eller ASD, och deras potential att undvika skolan på grund av utmaningar relaterade till sociala faktorer och inlärningssvårigheter. Även om dessa specifika diagnoser inte alltid nämndes explicit i elevhälsoplanerna, antyder planernas fokus på sociala faktorer och inlärningssvårigheter att dessa riskgrupper kan vara i åtanke. Metodologiskt använde studien dokumentanalys av elevhälsoplaner, vilket gav en inblick i skolornas officiella ställningstaganden men kunde sakna insikt i verklig implementering. Studiens implikationer pekar på att skolan kan behöva omvärdera sina stödinsatser för att undvika oavsiktlig stigmatisering. Dessutom kan involvering av fler samhällsinstanser, som socialtjänsten, vara en väg framåt för att bättre stödja elever i riskzonen för hemmasittande. / Abstract This study aimed to investigate the reasons behind the rise in school absenteeism and, consequently, the increase in students staying at home. By analyzing student health plans and comparing them with prior research, a potential link between amendments in the Education Act and the surge in students staying at home was identified. Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory and Becker's theory of deviant behavior served as the primary theoretical frameworks for the analysis. The findings indicated that changes in the Education Act have manifested as stringent guidelines in student health plans. These guidelines, combined with schools' supportive interventions, may inadvertently label students who do not meet the expectations. While these interventions aim to assist students, they might, in certain instances, amplify students' deviation from established norms. Previous research highlighted specific risk groups, such as those with ADHD or ASD, and their likelihood to avoid school due to challenges related to social factors and learning difficulties. Even if these specific diagnoses were not always explicitly mentioned in the student health plans, the plans' emphasis on social factors and learning difficulties suggests these risk groups might be considered. Methodologically, the study employed document analysis of student health plans, offering insight into schools' official stances but possibly lacking a comprehensive view of their actual implementation. The study's implications suggest that schools might need to re-evaluate their supportive measures to avoid unintentional stigmatization. Moreover, involving more societal entities, such as social services, might present a proactive approach to better support students at risk of staying home.

I denna studie undersöks yrkesverksamma inom skola och socialtjänst perspektiv på problematisk skolfrånvaro ifrån yrkesverksamma inom skola och socialtjänst. Studien är en kvalitativ semistrukturerad intervjustudie där nio intervjuer genomförts och inkluderade tio deltagare. Intervjumaterialet har analyserats utifrån ekologisk systemteori och symbolisk interaktionism. Resultatet från studien visade på att problematisk skolfrånvaro ansågs uppstå av flera olika anledningar och att det inte är eleven som enbart är problemet utan att det är också samhället som brister när problematisk skolfrånvaro uppstår. Problematisk skolfrånvaro beskrivs som ett samlingsbegrepp för att elever inte är i skolan av olika anledningar eller inte hänger med i studierna. De insatser som studiens deltagare uppfattade vara mest effektiva mot problematisk skolfrånvaro var att kartlägga barnets situation, skapa en relation till barnet vårdnadshavare för att kunna ge rätt stöd och att personal gör sällskap med barnet till skolan. / This study explores problematic school absence through the perspectives of professionals from schools and social services. It is a qualitative semi-structured interview study involving nine interviews with ten participants. The interview material was analyzed through ecological systems theory and symbolic interactionism. The study indicates that problematic school absence is attributed to a variety of reasons and that the problem lies not solely with the pupils but also with society when problematic school absence occurs. Problematic school absence is described as an umbrella term for pupils not being in school for various reasons or not keeping up with their studies. The interventions perceived as most effective by the professionals interviewed were to map the child's situation, build a relationship with the child to provide the right support, and for staff to accompany the child to school.

No / OBJECTIVES: To model the frequency of 'last minute' cancellations of planned elective procedures in the English NHS with respect to the patient and provider factors that led to these cancellations. METHODS: A dataset of 5,288,604 elective patients spell in the English NHS from January 1st, 2007 to December 31st, 2007 was extracted from the Hospital Episode Statistics. A binary dependent variable indicating whether or not a patient had a Health Resource Group coded as S22--'Planned elective procedure not carried out'--was modeled using a probit regression estimated via maximum likelihood including patient, case and hospital level covariates. RESULTS: Longer waiting times and being admitted on a Monday were associated with a greater rate of cancelled procedures. Male patients, patients from lower socio-economic groups and older patients had higher rates of cancelled procedures. There was significant variation in cancellation rates between hospitals; Foundation Trusts and private facilities had the lowest cancellation rates. CONCLUSIONS: Further research is needed on why Foundation Trusts exhibit lower cancellation rates. Hospitals with relatively high cancellation rates should be encouraged to tackle this problem. Further evidence is needed on whether hospitals are more likely to cancel operations where the procedure tariff is lower than the S22 tariff as this creates a perverse incentive to cancel. Understanding the underlying causes of why male, older and patients from lower socio-economic groups are more likely to have their operations cancelled is important to inform the appropriate policy response. This research suggests that interventions designed to reduce cancellation rates should be targeted to high-cancellation groups.

The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 (Act 108 of 1996) stipulates that every person has the right of access to information held by government. To give effect to this right, legislation in the form of the Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2000 (Act 2 of 2000) was promulgated. This study explores the access to information regime that was established by die aforementioned legislation with specific reference to similar regimes in the United States of America, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Attention is also devoted to the prerequisites and potential obstacles associated with the implementation of the Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2000. Based on the practices in other states, the conclusion was reached that the nature of information that may be requested in the South African context should be expanded, that cabinet records should only be excluded to the extent that disclosure thereof would be harmful, that frequently requested records should be made automatically available and that decision-making guidelines of government institutions should be published. As far as procedural requirements are concerned, it is proposed that information officers should acknowledge receipt of requests and that, where necessary, records should be translated to ensure that they are useful to a requester. It is further proposed that the wording of the ground of refusal regarding policy formulation and decision-making in government institutions be amended to take account of the consequences of disclosure. It is imperative that appeal and review mechanisms be accessible to members of the public and it is therefore proposed that an information commissioner be instituted to settle disputes in information related matters. Lastly it is proposed that sanctions be imposed against officials who deliberately undermine the public's right of access to information and that separate units be established in government institutions to deal exclusively with requests for access to information. / Public Administration / D. Litt. et Phil. (Public Administration)

The specific aim of this research study was to identify, explore, describe and interpret the factors related to school refusal of black adolescents. An overview of literature was used to arrive at a broader appreciation of issues pertaining to school refusal phenomenon and also to black adolescents. Ten subjects participated in this study. Data were gathered qualitatively using ethnographic interviews. The following factors were found to be contributory to the problem of school refusal: School refusers who stay with grandparents instead of staying with biological parents; fear of something specific at school; lack of insight into the refusal problem; lover plays a role in refusal behaviour; protective parents; poor social relationships; fathers that play a marginal role in the family; parents' worldview; emotional problems and weak or no attempts to stop behaviour. The emphasis was on the understanding of the refusal phenomenon rather than on cause and effect. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (with specialisation in Guidance and Counselling)

Health related absenteeism was identified as a problem in the schools in the Molopo region, needing a multi-disciplinary approach which included the parents. A conceptual framework on absenteeism was used as a guideline for the descriptive research design. Using a convenience sampling technique 426 absentees, 22 teachers and 2 school nurses filled in three separate questionnaires in ten schools selected to determine the extent of absenteeism due to health related and other problems, the control measures taken and the awareness of school personnel. Health problems were identified as the main reasons for absenteeism. Inadequate communication between the schools and parents as well as lack of guidelines on the control of absenteeism, were other problems identified. Recommendations made related to the provision of school health services that promote the health status of the pupils based on Primary Health Care principles, parental involvement in school health matters and the formulation of policies aimed at controlling absenteeism in schools. / Health Sciences / M.A. (Nursing Science)

1 Abstract Trademarks and their territorial limits The purpose of my thesis is to analyze the ways that are used for overcoming territorial limits of trademarks, to point out the pros and cons of these methods. Likewise, I'd like to point out the fact that the various systems of trademarks - national and international systems and system of Community trade mark are interconnected and they complete each other. Therefore, it is necessary to focus on the quality of national legislation, to match the European Union standards and international standards, as well. I chose this topic, because the issue of trademarks is in my opinion very interesting, I like the fact that they can connect designers and businessmen, I am fascinated by their overlap into the art sphere, too. The topic of marks is very broad and quite specific, for understandable reasons it cannot be given so much time within the subjects taught at the Faculty. Also this was one of the reasons I chose this topic. My work is divided into six major thematic units, together there are 25 chapters, some of them are further divided into subchapters and sections. In the first part, which corresponds to the first and the second chapter, I try to out the trademarks as an institution in a wider context of intellectual property rights and industrial property...

Varumärkesrätten innefattar en bred definition av vilka kännetecken som kan konstituera ett varumärke, vilken inkluderar formen på en vara. När kännetecknet består av en varuform utgör således varan i sig kännetecknet och därmed varumärket. Vid en varumärkesregistrering ska bedömningen av olika kategorier av kännetecken inte skilja sig åt, men för varuformer finns ytterligare hinder vid registrering jämfört med andra typer av kännetecken. Ett sådant registreringshinder avser specifikt funktionella former. Många former tenderar att vara funktionella till viss grad, vilket aktualiserar art. 7.1 e) ii) VmF. Artikeln föreskriver ett absolut registreringshinder mot att registerna former som endast består av ”en varas form eller annan egenskap hos varan som krävs för att uppnå ett tekniskt resultat”. Om en varuform hindras registrering enligt artikeln, är uteslutningen från registrering permanent. Det innebär att registreringshindret inte kan övervinnas även om formen förvärvar särskiljningsförmåga på marknaden. EUD har uttalat att det inte vore skäligt att neka registrering av varuformer endast på grund av att de innehar några funktionella element. För att ett kännetecken ska falla inom ramen för artikeln behöver således en forms alla väsentliga särdrag falla inom ramen för bestämmelsen. Detta medför viss problematik när det kommer till hybridkännetecken vilka innehar vissa element som är funktionella, men även andra element som är icke-funktionella. Enligt gällande rätt kan hybridkännetecken registreras som varumärken om de innehar icke-funktionella särdrag som anses vara väsentliga. Hela formen av ett hybridkännetecken kan således registreras som ett varumärke under förutsättning att endast några av de väsentliga särdragen krävs för att uppnå den tekniska funktionen. Genom en undersökning av rättspraxis konstateras att EUD utför en fri och långtgående undersökning vid bedömning av vad som utgör en forms väsentliga särdrag och dessa särdrags eventuella funktion. EUD är inte bunden till vad som anges i varumärkesansökan, utan undersöker även den faktiska varan på marknaden för vilket kännetecknet är ämnat att användas. EUD verkar generellt vara restriktiv med att låta tredimensionella former registreras, inte minst när de innehåller funktionella element. Möjligen beror den negativa inställningen till att registrera hybridkännetecken på bristen av effektiva lösningar att tydligt undanta de funktionella elementen från registrering. Vid en registrering av hybridkännetecken uppstår även intressanta aspekter ur intrångssynpunkt eftersom formen är registrerad som en helhet, även om vissa väsentliga särdrag inte är ämnade att omfattas av ensamrätten. Vid analoga tillämpningar av rättspraxis framstår det som att dessa element, utan att det explicit framgår av exempelvis en disclaimer, ska vara undantagna från den ensamrätt som erhålls varumärkesinnehavaren. / The trade mark law includes a very broad definition of signs that can constitute a trade mark, which includes the shape of a product. When a sign consists of the shape of a product, the product itself becomes the sign and thus the trade mark. In the case of a trade mark registration, the assessment should not differ between different categories of signs. However, when it comes to registration for signs consisting of the shape of a product, there are further obstacles to overcome before protection can be granted compared to other types of signs. Many shapes tend to be functional to some extent, which brings relevance to the absolute ground for refusal found in art. 7.1 e) ii) EUTMR. The article prohibits registration of signs which consist exclusively of “the shape, or another characteristic, of goods which is necessary to obtain a technical result”. If the registration of a sign is prohibited by the article, the exclusion from registration is permanent. This means that the ground for refusal cannot be overcome even if the sign acquires distinctiveness on the market. The CJEU has stated that it would not be reasonable to deny a shape registration only on the sole ground that it has some functional elements. Therefore, in order for a sign to fall within the scope of the article, all the essential characteristics of a shape must fall within the scope of the provision. This causes certain difficulties when it comes to hybrid signs, which possess some elements that are functional, but also other elements that are non-functional. Under current law, hybrid signs can be registered as trade marks if the non-functional elements are considered as essential. The entire form of a hybrid sign can thus be registered as a trade mark only if some, but not all, essential characteristics are required to achieve the technical function. By examining case law, it can be stated that the CJEU carry out a free and extensive examination when assessing what constitutes the essential characteristics of a shape and the possible function of these elements. The CJEU is not bound to the trade mark application but also examines the actual goods for which the sign is intended to be used. The CJEU generally seems to be restrictive in allowing registration for three-dimensional shapes, especially in regard to those incorporating functional elements. This might be the case since there is no good way to clearly exclude the functional elements from the registration. However, when registering a hybrid sign, interesting aspects also arise from the infringement point of view since the shape is registered as a whole but contains certain essential features, which are not intended to be covered by the exclusive right granted. In analogous applications of case law, it appears that these elements, without being explicitly stated in e.g. a disclaimer, must be excluded from the exclusive right granted to the proprietor.

Embora os direitos de Propriedade Intelectual (PI) sejam supostamente instituídos de forma a fomentar a inovação e o bem-estar em longo prazo, seu uso pode ensejar comportamentos oportunistas e abusivos como os Artigos 8.2 e 40 do TRIPS expressamente admitem. Sempre que tal tipo de comportamento afetar a concorrência em determinado mercado excluindo concorrentes, impondo barreiras à entrada, prejudicando consumidores por meio de aumento de preços ou redução da oferta o Direito de Concorrência será chamado a intervir. Considerando tais questões, o objetivo desse trabalho é identificar um quadro de trabalho brasileiro para tratar de questões envolvendo questões de Direito de Concorrência relacionadas à Propriedade Intelectual. O autor buscou delinear os conceitos de uso abusivo de direitos de Propriedade Intelectual, Dominação de Mercado por meio de uso da Propriedade Intelectual e de abuso de posição dominante, considerando o novo quadro regulatório introduzido pela Lei 12.259/2001. / While intellectual property (IP) rights are usually claimed to be designed to foster innovation and welfare in the long run, their use may give rise to opportunistic, abusive behavior - as Articles 8.2 and 40 of TRIPS openly admit. Whenever such sort of behavior affects competition in a given market - whether by dislodging competitors, imposing barriers to entry, harming costumers, raising prices or reducing output - competition law is called to intervene. Considering these issues, the purpose of this paper is to identify a Brazilian legal framework for dealing with IP related competition issues. The author sought to draw the legal concepts of abusive of IP rights, market domination and abuse of dominant position considering the new regulatory framework introduced by Law 12.259/2011.