Migration has become a significant issue in many countries and it has been highly debated topic in economic and social policy areas.
Only recently, the impact of migration on the culture, norms, ...values and development of creative society had begun to catch the attention of policymakers and
researchers. Migrant contributions to the society are seen not only as significant component to economies and their labour markets, but also as an important
factor in stimulating creativity and innovation. This paper analyses this inter-relatedness and presents empirically-based arguments in support of the position
that a migration can be regarded as the main prerequisite for the creation of a knowledge economy and as providing the potential for development of creative
and inclusive society.
Central and Eastern European countries have been undergoing political, social, and economic changes since 1990. The process of international migration has been a cause for concern in many other new ...European Union member states (Poland, Bulgaria, and Romania in particular). Drawing from a diversity of theoretical works, this paper will attempt to analyze highly skilled migration from Lithuania, an Eastern European country with one of the highest emigration rates in Europe. It will analyze the trends in highly-skilled migration from/to Lithuania over the period of 1990-2018. The Lithuanian phenomenon of highly skilled migration has been argued to signify a qualitative shift in migration policy, from migration seen as a threat to migration/mobility as the main prerequisite of the knowledge economy and development potential. Insights from this analysis may later be used to contribute to analyzing the migration phenomenon in a more comparative regional perspective, as similar structural changes have taken place among the populations and within the labor force of all Central and Eastern European countries. Declining population size, worsening demographic indicators, aging, and labor-force shortages (especially among professionals) have become more and more pronounced.
Cell-based therapy is being explored as an alternative treatment option for critical limb ischemia (CLI), a disease associated with high amputation and mortality rates and poor quality of life. ...However, therapeutic potential of uncultured adipose-derived stromal vascular fraction (SVF) cells has not been evaluated as a possible treatment. In this pilot study, we investigated the efficacy of multiple injections of autologous uncultured adipose-derived SVF cells to treat patients with CLI.
This study included 15 patients, from 35 to 77 years old, with rest pain and ulceration. SVF cells were injected once or twice in the ischemic limb along the arteries. Digital subtraction angiography was performed before and after cell therapy. The clinical follow up was carried out for the subsequent 12 months after the beginning of the treatment.
Multiple intramuscular SVF cell injections caused no complications during the follow-up period. Clinical improvement occurred in 86.7% of patients. Two patients required major amputation, and the amputation sites healed completely. The rest of patients achieved a complete ulcer healing, pain relief, improved ankle-brachial pressure index and claudication walking distance, and had ameliorated their quality of life. Digital subtraction angiography performed before and after SVF cell therapy showed formation of numerous vascular collateral networks across affected arteries.
Results of this pilot study demonstrate that the multiple intramuscular SVF cell injections stimulate regeneration of injured tissue and are effective alternative to achieve therapeutic angiogenesis in CLI patients who are not eligible for conventional treatment. Trial registration number at ISRCTN registry, ISRCTN13001382. Retrospectively registered at 26/04/2017.
International and transnational student mobility is becoming a global strategy of young persons’ career, and in this regard Lithuania is not an exception. Nevertheless, we lack studies in the ...analysis of the mechanisms and processes of the integration of mobile culturally privileged persons in the labour market of their country of origin, as it is these mechanisms and processes that allow mobile persons to increase their value in the labour market of their country of origin and to be in the forefront of the creation and transfer of innovations. In order to bridge this academic gap of studies on mobility/migration, this article deals with the “returning to Lithuania” experiences of the citizens of Lithuania who completed Bachelor’s or Master’s studies abroad. The main question of this study is how the mobility/migration experience helps in developing human, social and cultural capital and how the returnees act as the agents of innovation in their country
Acute lateral patellar dislocation (LPD) is the most common acute knee disorder in children and adolescents, and may lead to functional disability. The purpose of this study was to identify key ...differences and correlations of the patellofemoral joint (PFJ) morphology between intact and contralateral injured knees in a first-time traumatic LPD population aged under 18 years.
The data were gathered prospectively from a cohort of 58 patients (35 girls and 23 boys). The prevalence and combined prevalence of patella alta (PA) and trochlear dysplasia (TD) in both knees of patients were evaluated using X-ray by two radiologists.
The PFJ of patients' intact knees had a lower rate of TD (1.72% vs. 5.2%) and a less common combination of PA with shallow femoral sulcus (SFS) (22.4% vs. 44.8%) but more frequent PA (62.1% vs. 41.4%) compared with their injured knees. We noted statistically significant positive correlations (SSPCs) between the femoral sulcus angle (FSA) and PA in patients with intact (
= 0.37;
< 0.005) and contralateral injured knees (
= 0.33;
< 0.05).
There were SSPCs between the FSA and PA in both gender and age groups of patients with intact and contralateral injured knees. The SSPCs between the FSA and PA of intact knees were higher in the patients with a more dysplastic PFJ anatomy (PA and TD) of the injured knees as compared to patients with only PA of the injured knees.
The Editor-in-Chief and the publisher have retracted this article 1. An investigation by the Lithuanian Bioethics Committee concluded that, contrary to the statements in the article, the study ...described was not conducted in the Vilnius City Clinical Hospital and the Commission of Medical Ethics did not issue any approval for such a study.
The article analyses the experiences of racially motivated hate incidents against immigrants in Lithuania, based on the data of a qualitative study. Interviews with informants in the study show that ...prejudice, verbal and physical violence incidents are an integral part of the daily lives of immigrants with visible ethnic and racial identities. Racist hate incidents make it possible to identify latent interactions between immigrants and local residents. Based on examples of hate incidents, the article critically analyses the typology of hate crimes by Levin and McDevitt (1993) and the limitations of its application in hate incident analysis.
The article analyses the experiences of racially motivated hate incidents against immigrants in Lithuania, based on the data of a qualitative study. Interviews with informants in the study show that ...prejudice, verbal and physical violence incidents are an integral part of the daily lives of immigrants with visible ethnic and racial identities. Racist hate incidents make it possible to identify latent interactions between immigrants and local residents. Based on examples of hate incidents, the article critically analyses the typology of hate crimes by Levin and McDevitt (1993) and the limitations of its application in hate incident analysis.
Return visits (RVs) to a pediatric emergency department (ED) within a short period after discharge have an influence on overcrowding of the ED and reveal some weaknesses of the health care system. ...The aim of this study was to determine the rate of RVs and factors related to RVs to the pediatric ED in Lithuania.
A retrospective study in an urban, tertiary-level teaching hospital was carried out. Electronic medical records of all patients (n=44097) visiting the ED of this hospital between 1 January and 31 December 2013 were analyzed. Demographic and clinical characteristics of patients who return to the ED within 72h and those who had not visited the ED were compared. Factors associated with RVs were determined by multivariable logistic regression.
Of the overall ED population, 33889 patients were discharged home after the initial assessment. A total of 1015 patients returned to the ED within 72h, giving a RV rate of 3.0%. Being a 0–7-year old, visiting the ED during weekdays, having a GP referral, receiving of laboratory tests and ultrasound on the initial visit were associated with greater likelihoods of returning to the ED. Patients who arrived to the ED from 8:01a.m. to 4:00p.m. and underwent radiological test were less likely to return to the ED within 72h. Diseases such as gastrointestinal disorders or respiratory tract/earth–nose–throat (ENT) diseases and symptoms such as fever or pain were significantly associated with returning to the ED. The initial diagnosis corresponded to the diagnosis made on the second visit for only 44.1% of the patients, and the highest rate of the congruity in diagnosis was for injuries/poisoning, surgical pathologies (77.2%) and respiratory tract diseases (76.9%).
RVs accounted for only a small proportion of visits to the ED. RVs were more prevalent among younger patients and patients with a GP referral as well as performed more often after discharging from the ED in the evening and at night.
Survival after childhood cancer has dramatically improved during last few decades, implying the need for evaluation and correction of late consequences of the disease and its treatment. The aim of ...this study was to characterize endocrine and metabolic late effects after treatment of brain tumors in children.
Late complications were analyzed in 51 children treated for brain tumors at the Hospital of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences during 2000–2011. Data on late endocrine and metabolic effects were collected from medical records. Most frequently patients suffered from low-grade glioma (n=17, 33.3%) and medulloblastoma (n=13, 25.5%). The majority (n=42, 82.4%) of the patients underwent surgery; 29 (56.9%) received radiotherapy (RT); 26 (51.0%), chemotherapy; and 17 (33.4%), combined treatment.
The median follow-up was 21 months (range 0.25–10.6 years). Most common endocrine consequence was low serum insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) levels (58.3%), found on average in 30.7 months after cancer treatment. Short stature was observed in 34.6% (mean time to development, 47.7 months), and hypothyroidism in 40.7% of patients (mean time to development, 63.6 months). Low bone mineral density was found in 50.0% of the cases after 44.5 months and overweight in 30.0% after 49.9 months of follow-up.
Survivors of brain tumors suffer from numerous endocrine and metabolic consequences, majority of them developing within the first 5 years after brain tumor therapy. An active follow-up aiming for early diagnosis and therapy is essential for improvement of quality of life in these patients.
PDF
