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The paper analyses the impact of regulatory policy on the development of sustainable flexible packaging in the food manufacturing industry. Although sustainable packaging is not new on the market, its development still poses various challenges for raw material producers, flexible packaging printers, food manufacturers, and other stakeholders. The study highlights the issues related to the development of sustainable flexible food packaging, the concept of sustainable packaging, and the regulatory policies of the European Union and Lithuania on sustainable flexible packaging. An empirical study was carried out to determine the impact of regulatory policy on the intention of food producers to develop and invest in sustainable flexible packaging. A qualitative research method - semi-structured interviews - was used. The results of the empirical study show that regulatory policy has an impact on the food industry's ambition to develop sustainable flexible packaging, although the effect can be twofold – it can either encourage compliance with the regulatory framework defined by the legislation or burden companies with excessive requirements. In this research, respondents also identified other components that affect the development of sustainable flexible packaging in the food manufacturing industry: consumers and other stakeholders, marketing. The level of environmental awareness was also highlighted as an important factor in the analysis of the empirical data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The massive digitisation of written historical sources, optical character recognition (OCR) of texts, and their online availability in recent decades have created new opportunities and challenges for historical research. The digital humanities research model presented in this paper is based on the information organisation paradigm and the application of digital technology- based methods in studying ancient travels. The model has been developed and tested using the materials of the project "Homo Viator: Travel Space and Travellers' Experiences in Early Modern Lithuania". The main problem of the research is related to the fact that one of the essential sources of information about ancient travel are egodocuments (letters, diaries, memoirs, etc.) that contain journeys described alongside other important life events of a particular person. However, travel descriptions form only a small part of a text of a given egodocument and are unevenly distributed among different egodocuments. Therefore, given the size of the text of the egodocuments and their collections and the number of egodocuments published in different languages, researching them as sources in only one aspect (travel) requires a significant amount of human and time resources. A similar problematic situation exists with other sources of knowledge on ancient travel: a massive number of documents published in digital form (including OCR), their texts are voluminous, and the text fragments related to travel, country descriptions, ancient travel routes, travel and mobility infrastructure, and travellers' experiences are relatively small and scattered throughout the source text. The research model described in the paper is divided into two steps: (i) collection of the corpus of OCR source texts; (ii) collection of empirical data using a dictionary-based computer-aided [or assisted] qualitative text analysis method implemented with the MaxQDA software. The collection of the source text corpus is carried out by applying the general principles and methods of online search of scientific publications. The corpus comprises authentic, published sources relevant to the study (letters, diaries, memoirs, etc.) and scholarly publications about them, thus forming two blocks of text - sources and literature. The literature block is used as additional material for a more precise selection and interpretation of the source texts. A key element for applying a dictionary-based computer-aided [or assisted] qualitative text analysis method is a high-quality dictionary that accurately describes the concepts (categories) relevant to the research. Considering the specificity of the sources (the languages used in the sources and their translations), a multilingual dictionary (Lithuanian-Polish-English-Russian-German) was compiled. The structure of the dictionary consists of six concepts (categories) related to ancient travel: (i) journey (general description), (ii) road and its infrastructure (bridges, fords, etc.), (iii) means of transportation, (iv) resting and accommodation places (towns, villages, taverns, post of- fices, etc.), (v) people encountered on the way (inn-keepers, highwaymen, guides, etc.), and (vi) food of the journey. A set of keywords and phrases describes each concept. In the last stage of the study, the research model was tested. The testing showed that the model could solve the above problems that arose during the project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper discusses the role of gender equality policy in the military. The aim is to find out, paying due attention to unconscious bias, whether or not soldiers enrolled in mandatory initial military service in Lithuania support any stereotypes regarding women, and if so, then what are the stereotypes they adhere to, and what are the stereotypes that women in mandatory initial military service are confronted with. The paper analyses gender equality issues in the following two important contexts: the democratic value of gender equality in military service, and the need and readiness of the military to accommodate different genders. The latter context forms a stark contrast with the former two, especially given the traditional point of view that military service is meant to ensure effective security and defence, rather than the effective implementation of gender equality. The paper analyses how stereotypical attitudes towards women as a gender support the above-mentioned tradition. Based on the results of empirical research, stereotypes have proven to be still maintained by soldiers in the target group. The dominant stereotypical attitude is that active military service may be putting women at greater risk of harassment and sexual abuse. Female soldiers in the target group are confronted with stereotypical attitudes. They link the reasons underlying the overall support of stereotypical thinking to the age of the individuals concerned, their inherited stereotypical attitudes, and their education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper focuses on soldiers enrolled in permanent compulsory initial military service in Lithuania and analyses their service motivation and attitudes to threats to national security. The article identifies the motives for joining permanent compulsory initial military service and highlights the fact that young people’s choice of permanent compulsory initial military service is most often driven by individual motives. In order to compare the results, representative surveys were conducted in 2018 and 2023. The empirical data suggest that the perception of the main threat to national security identified by troops as an economic threat remained unchanged between 2018 and 2023. However, in 2023, soldiers grew somewhat more aware of the threat of military aggression. In 2018, volunteers differed significantly from conscript forces in their determination to engage in national defense. The expected determination to engage in national defense at a time of an increased military threat did not significantly increase in 2023 compared to 2018; moreover, the attitudes of volunteers and conscripts failed to converge. However, 2023 saw a significant increase in conscripts’ service motivation and an improvement in their assessment of the National Defence Volunteer Forces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While there is a considerable body of literature on various psychotherapeutic paradigms and their respective models of supervision, there are not many articles reviewing and comparing different supervisory traditions and supervisor–supervisee relationships. However, this comparison is important on both theoretical and practical levels: it is essential to identify features of supervision that are unique to each paradigm and to determine whether there are any universal or common supervision processes prevalent across a variety of paradigms. This literature review aims to provide a clearer understanding of both commonalities and distinctions among various theoretical paradigms (such as psychoanalytic/psychodynamic, cognitive, and existential/humanistic therapies) and their corresponding models of supervision. To accomplish this goal, the paper examines essential aspects of supervisory relationships within each paradigm, focusing on: a) the key features of the supervision process, b) the supervisor’s role and engagement in the supervision, and c) the primary interventions and factors contributing to the effectiveness of supervision. We identify features that are unique and specific to supervisory relationships in each of the paradigms, as well as features that are common to all three traditions. Considering the theoretical underpinnings of each tradition, the paper discusses epistemological assumptions that could determine the effectiveness of supervision in the context of each therapeutic paradigm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to find out the rhetoric of Lithuanian presidential candidates during the 2009, 2014 and 2019 election campaigns with respect to Russia and its threat to Lithuania’s national security, as well as how candidates’ rhetoric changed when comparing these three election campaigns. The 2009, 2014 and 2019 elections as the research object were chosen because the 2009 and 2014 elections were held just a few months after the beginning of the Russo-Georgian War in 2008 and the annexation of Crimea and the beginning of the war in Donbas in 2014, while the 2019 Lithuanian presidential election took place amidst the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. In order to answer the research question, an analysis of candidates’ election programs and speeches during televised debates broadcasted by the Lithuanian National Broadcaster before all three elections, was performed. Comparative analysis of the election campaigns has shown that there was a significant shift in candidates’ rhetoric regarding Russia, Lithuania’s bilateral relations with Russia, and the assessment of the threat posed by Russia to Lithuania’s national security when comparing the 2009, 2014 and 2019 presidential elections. In 2014 and 2019, unlike in 2009, the majority of candidates began to refer to Russia as an aggressor country that posed a security threat to Lithuania. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the impact of business cycles on unemployment rates in EU countries. The relationship between changes in gross domestic product and changes in the unemployment rate is referred to in the academic literature as Okun’s law. This law is of particular importance and the relationship has been extensively investigated in the scientific literature, but there are not many studies that analyse the European Union countries. This paper examines the relationship between the unemployment rate and real GDP in the EU-27. The data used for the study cover the period 2007–2019. The results of a correlation regression analysis provide evidence of the inverse relationship between the unemployment rate and real GDP as established by theory. The results also show that the relationship between business cycles and unemployment varies from country to country: in Lithuania and the UK, there is a very strong inverse relationship between the unemployment rate and real GDP. In Lithuania, the coefficient was –0.9377, and a similar coefficient was found in the United Kingdom (-0.9337). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper focuses on the book of poetry immersion (2017) by Lithuanian poet Gytis Norvilas, maps the strategies of its reading within the framework of the semiotic-pragmatic approach, and considers the theoretical issues of the mapping. Despite the book cannot be unambiguously defined as an example of patterned poetry, it is configured in a specific way which exposes the functionality of the structural visual layer in written / printed poetry. This feature of the text in question inspires to revise the interpretation of the issue of iconicity and the configuration of the model of reading literature, proposed by the semiotic-pragmatic approach. The semiotic-pragmatic modelling combines Peircean and Jakobsonian ideas with minor insertions of Lotmanian thought (i.e. Johansen 2002), thus it links the ideas from the conceptual systems, based on different epistemological grounds (Peircean vs Saussurean notion of sign). It creates theoretical tensions that force to raise the question of how the transference of notions from one system to another changes their meaning, and where one could find the basis for overcoming or bypassing the controversies. The first part of the paper explores the theoretical tensions between Peircean, Jakobsonian and Lotmanian approaches to the issues of iconicity and attempts at revealing the fields of theoretical reasoning that help to define the ground of contradictions and see the way of their bypassing. Besides, it relates the discussion of iconicity with a discussion of the semiotic-pragmatic model of reading as iconization, based on the Jakobsonian idea of intersemiotic translation, and revises the model concerning the printed poetic text. The second part of the paper exemplifies the theoretical issues in the analysis of the book of poetry immersion. It examines the process of diagrammatization - the reading strategy, which makes the syntax of the text and that of the book the meaning-making devices, shows how diagrammatization semantizes the structure of the book, transforms the process of imaginization, and helps to identify the role of the book's dialogue with hypotext to which both intertextual references and the structure of the text refer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The release of dyes used in the textile industry into the natural environment causes unwanted negative effects due to the carcinogenic, mutagenic or even teratogenic properties of the dyes. Based on their chemical composition, dyes are divided into anionic, cationic and non-ionic dyes. In this work, the physical method of wastewater treatment - adsorption - was studied. This is a method in which various natural substances called sorbents are used. Materials used in the adsorption process should be nontoxic, environmentally friendly, cheap, and their use should not cause secondary pollution. The idea of using sorbents made from waste in experimental studies, which can even be used several times in the adsorption process, promotes the sustainable use of resources. The study compared different sorbents: aerogel, devulcanized rubber granules and sewage sludge. It was found that the highest values of adsorption efficiency were characterized by sewage sludge granules that were pyrolyzed at 500 °C. Using 500 °C pyrolysis sewage sludge, the adsorption efficiency reached 28.14-53.73%. Granules made from devulcanized car tire rubber had the lowest adsorption efficiency values: the adsorption efficiency value reached 12.92%. The adsorption efficiency values of the aerogel synthesized from paper waste ranged from 28.21 to 38.07%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Network intrusion detection is a relevant cybersecurity research field. The growing number of intrusions requires more sophisticated methods to protect computer networks. Various machine learning algorithms are used to detect network intrusions and anomalies, but their accuracy is limited. In this research, we address the problem of improving network-level intrusion detection by applying hybrid machine-learning algorithms. The paper proposes three new hybrid machine learning methods and investigates their accuracy using two publicly available datasets CSE-CIC-IDS2018 and NSW-NB-15. In order to increase the accuracy of the classification models, hyperparameter optimization was performed. The iteration method and the Chi-square χ² test were used to identify significant features of the data set. Analyzing the research results, it was found that the highest network anomaly recognition accuracy of 99.34% was achieved by applying a hybrid algorithm consisting of a decision tree, naive Bayesian, and multilayer perceptron algorithms. Achieved result is 3.13% higher than the best accuracy achieved by individual machine learning algorithms. In order to comprehensively evaluate the studied machine learning algorithms and their suitability for detecting intrusions in a computer network, the algorithms were ranked using the SCR, DR, FR ranking methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a method for automated Lithuanian hands gestures data collection and for Lithuanian hands gestures classification. The dataset of 1100 samples was collected for 10 different classes of Lithuanian hands gesture. The features of hands gestures were extracted with CNN network. The classification was made with LSTM network. The trained LSTM network classified the Lithuanian hands gestures with 85% accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A number of studies confirm that working in care for the elderly is seen as very unattractive, physically and psychologically demanding, badly paid, and lacking in career opportunities. As a result, few people choose to work in this field, and there is a growing shortage of labour in the provision of services for older people. Attracting young individuals to the field is an even greater challenge. The paper analyses the results of interviews with young people who provide care services directly for the elderly. The authors seek answers to the questions, what are the personal characteristics of young people who work with the elderly, what are they looking for, and what do they find in this work? The aim of the article is to highlight positive aspects of caring for the elderly. The results show that young people (the interviewees) construct a discourse of meaningful, inspiring and motivating activities when talking about their work. This image of care presented by young workers is different to the notion of ‘dirty’ work that is often reflected in the public discourse when describing work in care institutions for the elderly. The results of the study confirm that the research participants emphasise the congruence between their care work and their personal values and experiences, and strive for a positive career identity. The use of positive experience can serve to create a more positive image of care work for the elderly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The significance and novelty of the paper is the fact that the study unveils the expression of positive emotionality in the work environment of health-care professionals, with a view to linking the phenomenon to other relevant social phenomena, such as job satisfaction and self-esteem. The article analyses the concept of positive emotionality, its significance, factors leading to the expression of positive emotionality, its relationship with activities performed with satisfaction, self-awareness and self-esteem, motivation, etc. The research shows that the expression of positive emotionality of health-care professionals increases their job satisfaction, as there is a direct correlation between the two. The expression of positive emotionality also has a beneficial impact on health-care professionals’ self-esteem. The research has verified that maturity, career success and self-esteem increase positive emotionality. Although job satisfaction among health-care professionals is moderate, the direct link between their job satisfaction and motivation shows that the more motivated the employees are, the more satisfied they are with their job, with the opportunity to work in their chosen profession, and with the performance of activities that reflect their abilities, skills and competences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the need for codification of the legal acts of the Republic of Lithuania regulating construction. It is noted that the current legislation does not ensure stability and efficiency of the construction process. The construction process is subject to excessive procedural and bureaucratic requirements, and contradictions between the norms of legal acts of different levels can be found. Therefore, the issue of legislative reform is increasingly being raised in the market. Construction law has not been extensively studied in the Lithuanian legal literature so far. Therefore, we consider it necessary to analyze the legal regulation of construction and to review the need for reform on the basis of the good practice of foreign countries. This article discusses the fundamental principles and values that the regulation of construction legal relations must ensure. It assesses how the current legislation ensures the implementation of these principles. The article sets out the challenges for codification, the implementation of which would help to make the legal framework more coherent and clearer, more responsive to developments and reduce financial, human and time costs. It also identifies and analyses the most common challenges to construction regulation in different regions of the European Union. After summarizing the main objectives of the legal framework, three codification alternatives are presented, with different scope and structure of the Code. The analysis presented in the paper is based on an assessment of the functioning of the current legal system and an analysis of best practices in foreign countries. The article is based on the positions of legal scholars and practitioners expressed during scientific and practical conferences (international and national). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this research paper is to examine the career prospects of female soldiers in the Lithuanian Armed Forces. The article tackles the concept of career and legal regulation of careers in the military. The empirical part of the paper is based on an original survey of female noncommissioned officers’ opinion, which was conducted at the end of 2019 at the command of the Mechanized Infantry Brigade "Iron Wolf". The opinion of female non-commissioned officers showed that the legal basis of career making for all soldiers in the Lithuanian Armed Forces is the same for both women and men, but some of the participants in the study pointed out that this is not sufficiently relevant to pregnant women and women on maternity leave, as, for example, women on maternity leave are often transferred to the personnel reserve, and their positions are filled by other soldiers, etc. The respondents’ opinion on women’s opportunities to pursue a career in the Lithuanian Armed Forces compared to men was divided, as some of the respondents believed that women and men have equal opportunities in all areas of their professional activities, while others stated that opportunities are equal only in administration, service and similar areas. It was found that some female NCOs find it difficult to pursue a vertical military career on equal terms with men, that few female soldiers are in senior positions in the army, in other words, women often face the phenomenon of the ‘glass ceiling’ when pursuing vertical careers. In contrast, there are better opportunities for women soldiers to pursue horizontal careers in the army. Factors that encourage women’s careers in the military include their personal motivation and financial, material and non-material incentives, while those that hinder them include the stereotypes that still exist in the military, the personalities of commanders, the exclusion of women from decision-making processes, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on terminological data identification, management, standardization and linguistic modeling techniques used in preparing a new model of the Lithuanian-English Dictionary of Librarianship, Information and Book Science at the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania. This model is analysed from the point of view of current trends in terminology and standardization, and can expand knowledge exchange and help in its exchange accross these areas as well as improve the quality of professional content management in the future. Another aim of this paper was to update the importance of glossaries of technical terms for linguistic representation and global digital dissemination of scientific data in Lithuanian. This can help improve the quality of librarianship, information and communication knowledge, publicity, and wider use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many of the printing houses in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania that operated during the 17th-18th centuries belonged to institutions the biggest part of which consisted of Catholic monk monasteries. Despite belonging to one group, the development path of each printing house and its contribution to book culture has unique features. Of the four institutional printing houses operating in the 18th century in Vilnius, the printing house of the Franciscan Conventuals Monastery was the first to be closed and its operations terminated. The purpose of the article is to identify the following causes behind the issues and eventual closure of this printing house. Based on the expenses and income book of this printing house for the period 1752-1769 (it is preserved at the Department of Manuscripts of Vilnius University Library,) this paper examines various aspects of the Vilnius Franciscan Conventuals monastery printing house: funds, sources of equipment and paper, building location, relations with employees and hired craftsmen, orders, sources of income, profitability. In order to better understand the specificity of the institutional press, an effort was made to establish a link between the research outcome and the wider context by addressing the question of the impact of both the society of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Franciscan Order itself on the destiny of the printing house. In addition, the book of expenses and income reveals new biographical data about Vilnius engraver Franciszek Balcewicz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twenty-two EU member states, including Denmark, Sweden, and Finland, oblige some lay participation (lay judges/jury) in the administration of justice. However, the models of this institute differ among countries. Based on the analysis of lay participation models in Denmark, Sweden, and Finland, this article aims to point out and describe their advantages and disadvantages. To achieve this aim, qualitative research was carried out. The methods employed for data collection included thematic analysis and document selection. Document content analysis (i.e., the analysis of research papers, scientific literature on the topic, the Constitutions of Denmark, Sweden, and Finland, and other international and national legislation) was applied for data processing, and the methods of a dogmatic and comparative analysis were employed for data analysis. The findings of the research disclose that lay judges and jurors are ordinary citizens who work together with legal judges to decide several different types of criminal cases in the Danish and Swedish district and regional courts. Meanwhile, Sweden also has this institute in civil and administrative cases. Finland has only lay judges in criminal cases. This article is divided into four sections: the first section discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the Danish model; the second outlines the Swedish model; and the third describes the Finnish model. The last section compares these models and provides a discussion on the issue. Finally, the article provides conclusions based on the analysis of scientific sources and documents, and the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the first decades of the 21st century, the topic of the 'playing' person has become the core of interdisciplinary research on human activity. As museums have been adopting a new approach towards cultural dissemination and educational goals, the discourse of play is also becoming one of the current fields of research in museology. Although the cultural aspects of play and game have been discussed for a long time, the interpretation of the concept of play from the museological point of view is a relatively new field which requires the definition of the synonymously used terms and the respective concepts. The aim of this article is to highlight the concept and function of play in museology based on the analysis of museology theories, to identify the preconditions for the formation of play communication, and to identify the directions of the development of the concept of play in the contemporary museological research. The article is based on an integrated literature review of the analysis of the concept of play while focusing on theoretical texts and monographs of scholars studying the phenomenon of play, as well as on theoretical and empirical research articles analysing the expression of play in all types of museums. This paper also discusses the linguistic use of the terms play and game. In the Lithuanian language, we not only have to deal with the synonymous use of play (žaismas)/game (žaidimas) in the translation of spel, play, spielen, but also with the use of play in the translation of both play and game used in different contexts in the English-language literature. Since game is a structured form of play, and, in the museological research and practice, game is more commonly defined as the digital expression and referred to as gamification, it is suggested that play (as an action and a state of being) should be distinguished from game (as a structured form of action) by using two different terms in the Lithuanian language. The literature reviewed in this article has highlighted that the concept of play in the museum is linked to the development of new theories of museology, and it reveals itself as a creative construct that is shaped and sustained by the institution. Play is defined as the concept for communicating the theme of the museum, manifested through the act of play and the elements of game. This approach to the dissemination of content and the organisation of activities is expressed through the application of play and game methods which allow the audience to engage in a more intensive relationship with the museum's theme and exhibits. Play becomes a necessary medium for the museum's metagame which includes and expresses playfulness, play action, playful elements, real and digital games, whereas the audience is engaged by play to satisfy its educational and entertainment needs. To summarise on the interdisciplinary context of the phenomenon of play, in museology, it is most appropriate to associate play with an intellectual or conceptual state that involves exchange, change and playful action. The term game in the museological context is more commonly used to refer to a specific spatial, temporal or rule-based action which, in the museum practice, is more frequently associated with gamification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Circumplex perspective on (de)motivating teaching styles based on Self-determination theory is presented in this paper. Based on the findings of the research project “Towards the effective teaching: the evaluation of (de) motivating teaching strategies and their effects on students’ using Circumplex model” (funded by the Research Council of Lithuania under the National Research Programme Welfare Society, Grant No. S-GEV-21-2) recommendations on how to nourish students’ motivational resources and well-being are provided for professionals working in education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural drainage and associated water management systems are designed to eliminate to an acceptable level the factors associated with excess water that limit crop growth. In order to eliminate excess water in cultivated areas, it is important to reduce the leaching of nitrogen compounds flowing together with drainage water, as well as to ensure the safe and sustainable use of plant protection products and fertilizers. One possible solution is to transform free drainage structures into controlled drainage systems. In such systems, it is possible to regulate the groundwater level according to the needs of the plants and reduce the leaching of nutrients with drainage water. This paper presents a comparative analysis of controlled and free drainage water pollution by nitrogen compounds. The research was carried out in Pasvalys district, where both types of drainage systems operate next to each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The printing industry today faces major challenges posed by increased competition, rapid technological development, shortage of specialists, declining product circulation, and more. An appropriate and effective business management system helps to reduce the risk of all these factors. This article presents a study aimed at investigating enterprise resource planning systems for printing industry and making suggestion for development opportunities. The object of research is the ERP system in printing industry. This paper presents an empirical study conducted using the survey method and uses two types of this method: a questionnaire survey and an interview. The research is summarized by qualitative and quantitative methods, based on the results of the research the ways of solving the problem are presented and the ERP improvement scheme is formed, the proposed knowledge management module is presented. These suggestions can help processes in companies and be more competitive in the market. This article highlights the importance of continuous improvement of business management systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines the possibilities of speculating in exchangetraded funds by using artificial intelligence. The main goal of the research is to create a support system for speculative decisionmaking for investors operating in exchange-traded funds market. The research will be based on the theoretical aspects of artificial intelligence and speculation of exchange-traded funds. The support system is developed on the basis of reinforcement learning, the methods of synthesis, concretization and generalization were used to create and detail the system, as well as the methods of mathematical-statistical analysis were used to process them. Successful application of the chosen methodology in the design of the support system has resulted in positive trade results. Successful research broadens the boundaries for usage of deep reinforcement learning, and provides a basis for further development of the support system for exchange-traded funds. The support system put in place will shorten the time between the occurrence of a trading signal and the decision of the investor, which will help to reduce the loss of potential profits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2021, aviation industry companies are facing one of the biggest crisis during the last two decades. Due to that, affected aviation companies must adapt their business models and rearrange their business interactions. The article describes the impact of the crises on aviation companies and crises management to decrease damage to the business. The concept of the crises is discussed as well as its nature, typology, unique factors, and classification based on scientific literature. The article briefly covers the biggest crises the aviation industry suffered in the last decades. Business partnership management is discussed as one of the instruments to decrease the effect of the crisis, to manage and neutralize them. The paper provides insights into criteria for partner selection in the aviation industry and based on expert evaluationseeks to provide insights how aviation companies can choose and evaluate their business partners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Even today, industrial companies are struggling on new product development and market launch. This article reviews the theoretical aspects of new product development and commercialization processes and the factors determining their success. Overviewed Baltic States cosmetics industry market and trends. The study focused on the success factors of new product development and market launch processes in the cosmetics industry. The aim was to identify and analyze the success factors of cosmetic product development and market launch processes and to provide a solution model. Identified factors prevailing in the development and launch of new products in the cosmetics industry sector and the connections between them. Investigated the influence of these factors on the success of new products in the market. The paper presents the results of a survey of companies in the Baltic cosmetics industry. Based on the results of the research, a model for the development and launch of new products for the cosmetics industry is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-tech industry stands out as progressive, inovative field of industry which continuously makes investments towards R&D development. High-tech industry also has distinguishing features such as rapid use of new science findings and constant investments to new equipment, which tends to quickly depreciate and is replaced. Also, high-tech industry companies typicaly cooperate with international organisations, research centers and universities. It is not unusual for high-tech industry companies to have a lot of patents and licences. It is difficult to implement business improvement models, which tend to increase competitive advantage by reducing production cost, increasing production speed and reducing delivery time in continiously evolving high-tech industry companies. In this paper the posibility to implement business improvement models in high-tech industry is analyzed. Additionaly, employee motivation and initiative, as factors of business model implementation success is analyzed. Finally, based on the research of scientific literature and empirical data of two high-tech industry companies a model for high-tech industry performance improvement is proposed, which also introduces tools to improve employee motivation and initiative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the issue of establishing and developing start-up business. Possibilities of establishing a business in Lithuania, tendencies of promoting young and innovative companies and problems of long-term establishment in the market are reviewed. According to the tendencies and methods described in the scientific literature, a survey of Lithuanian small and medium business was conducted. The business environment and opportunities in the eyes of developers, the steps of business development and the obstacles encountered were examined. The paper presents the generalized results of the surveyed companies. Based on the problems identified during the study, the model is presented, as well as conclusions and suggestions on what essential mistakes should be avoided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Port of Šventoji is a maritime facility in the settlement of Šventoji, located within the country Lithuania, near the seaside resort town of Palanga. In this paper five Port of Šventoji development alternatives are overviewed using a multi-criteria decisionmaking (MCDM) method. The results will be compared with the ones found in “Port of Šventoji reconstruction feasibility study” (liet. Šventosios jūrų uosto atstatymo galimybių studija). Criteria weights of the analysed alternatives are determined using the entropy method. Alternative analysis is carried out using the TOPSIS multicriteria method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the stability calculations of the most common road embankments slopes and their results using the modified Bishop method. By searching for the smallest possible effective angle of internal friction of the different slope steepness embankments, the possible different bases of the embankment, the weight of the embankment soil, the load caused by transport and the location of load application (shoulder) were evaluated. Analyzing the obtained calculation results, it was determined that at a slope of 1:2 (26.57°) steepness, to ensure slope stability, the calculated effective internal friction angle of the embankment soil should be φʹd ≥ 28.5°, and at a slope of 1:1.75 (29.74°) steepness – φʹd ≥ 29.8°. When the slope is 2:3 (33.69°) steepness, the stability of the slope cannot be guaranteed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the existing supply chain management methods and systems are being transferred to construction sphere regardless of the specifics of companies in the construction sector. Numerous complex factors such as ecological, social and economic are required for the continuous evaluation in the modern management of construction sector. The provided studies and the research to examine sustainable supply chain management in construction sector from a holistic perspective, concentrating on mostly longterm sustainable decision-making by the construction company rather than being centered only on the supply chain management for construction projects. This paper identifies a list of sustainability indicators for examining the supply chains of construction companies. Those indicators were categorized and assigned to one or a couple groups by reviewing their use in the previous literature agreeing to the reasoning to way better reflect the SSCM principle of their use in construction companies. The use of indicators can help develop strategies for the construction sector for sustainable policy makers and construction company managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reflexivity is a concept that is increasingly gaining prevalence in the literature of professional practice and it has been defined in a variety of ways; however, the differences in definition largerly depend on the context. Therefore, reflexivity development is the main goal of supervision; it is a powerful instrument that can impede the psychotherapist’s connection with his client, but there is no answer on what specifically enhances or decreases reflexivity during the supervision process. In the scientific articles analyzing supervision, there is no clear definition of the phenomenon of reflexivity and there is also a lack of empirical studies of reflexivity in supervision. The aim of this paper is to present our own definition and theoretical model of reflexivity in the psychotherapy supervision process as well as distinguish reflexivity between adjacent concepts like “reflection,” “self-reflection,” and “self-reflexivity.” We carried out a systematic review of literature within three databases and created a theoretical model of reflexivity in psychotherapy supervision. We also discuss the guidelines and methods for further empirical investigations of this phenomenon in psychotherapy supervision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the introduction of the institute of individual constitutional complaint in the Lithuanian legal system, an additional opportunity arose for individuals to defend violated constitutional rights or freedoms, disputing the constitutionality of the legal regulation of criminal proceedings. Analyzing the practice of individual constitutional complaints regarding the constitutionality of the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure (hereinafter – CCP) formed by the Constitutional Court, various reasons for their non-acceptance become apparent. Complaints are usually rejected on the grounds that the petitioners misinterpret the disputed legal regulation, raise the issue of its application rather than constitutionality, or associate the violation of their constitutional rights or freedoms with decisions that are not adopted on the basis of the disputed legal regulation or are not final. This article focuses on the requirement to use all the means of protection of one’s constitutional rights or freedoms established by law before applying to the Constitutional Court. Taking into account that, according to the CCP, certain decisions of a court or pre-trial investigation judge are final and not subject to appeal, this paper seeks to establish whether they are considered as such in the context of constitutional disputes. Although a person is not required to exercise the possibility of reopening a criminal case before filing an individual constitutional complaint, in certain cases decisions adopted in accordance with the legal regulation regulating it must be considered final within the meaning of Law on the Constitutional Court. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is devoted to the history of cultural relations between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Moscovian Rus' as well as the artifacts that testify to it. The object of the research is a Vilnius transcript of the Health Garden (a translation of Gart der Gesundheit (1492) into Russian) kept in the Wróblewski Library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences (LMAVB RS F22-25). The aim of the article is to present a revised codicological description of the object, identifying the features of the Vilnius transcript and its links with the culture of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. This aim is achieved by using codicological, comparative and textual methods, compiling a detailed codicological description of the copy, analyzing the architecture and internal structures of the code, and identifying differences or similarities between the Vilnius, Flor, Uvarov, and Shelonin copies of the Health Garden. Based on the gathered data, the circumstances of compiling the code are clarified. The study identified the following features of the Code. The large-scale codex, created in Moscow between the 17th and 18th centuries, is not a homogeneous object. It consists of two different editions: the index is closer to the Uvarov transcript and the main text to the Kharkov / Flor transcript. The second feature is careful preparation of the transcript. The codex was drafted as an exemplary edition of an old manuscript and is richly illustrated. Colored pigments were used for decoration, leaving traces of gilding. The edges of the Codex block were painted and decorated in ornamental prints. This allows us to consider the high social status of the client of the code. The third feature is the completeness of the text of the Vilnius copy. It consists of the most comprehensive block of indexes; the main text has been supplemented with new objects, enriched with new images; the text contains as many as 237 names of medicinal substances and 38 minerals in Russian. The remarks and additions contained in the previous transcripts became an integral part of the texts of the Vilnius transcript. The identified features, overlapping formal features, and organization scheme of the text, as well as the same manner of illustration, gave reason to search for a place where all the mentioned copies - Flor, Uvarov, Shelonin - as well as other old prints or their translations could have been seen by the creators of the Vilnius transcript. It is believed that such a place could have been the The Apothecary Chancery. Some Polonisms are found in the text; the works of authors from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth were used in the Rus' at that time and thus encourage a closer look at the translations and the search for citizens from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth who could have participated in the works. The research clarifies the available knowledge about the transcript kept in Vilnius. The information gathered is expected to help book historians clarify the origin of the codex, its production environment, and its place in the Gart der Gesundheit's line of translations and transcripts; this paper will make it possible to identify other stored fragments. The article is supplemented with a comparative table of the structure and content of the Vilnius transcript of the Health Garden and a decor picture of the code block. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The book cover of Biblia Germanicolatina (1565), which is held at the Rare Books and Manuscrips Unit of the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania, is analysed in this paper. This Bible was printed in a 20-volume collection in Wittenberg on request of August the Elect of Saxony (1526-1586). It was printed in the Latin and German languages. This Bible later became a part of various European libraries. Biblia Germanicolatina is analysed in the light of the paratext theory, which as a book history term is first used by French literary theorist Gerard Genette (1987). Genette used this term to describe objects and subjects surrounding the text: text spacing, lettering, book covers and even book advertisements. The analysis is performed using the provenance method, which leads to discovering the origins of the book's binding and its primary sources. As of right now, five out of the 20 volumes from the collection are known to be held in Lithuanian memory institutions. As a result of this research, we were able to identify the bookbinder from Wittenberg who ordered the plate for tooling in 1564. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the early modern period, the relentless growth in the copies of printed books and the increasing competition between craftsmen meant that, since the invention of Gutenberg until the 19th century, European bookbinders were forced to look for cheaper and quicker binding techniques. Based on this assumption, the article focuses on some of the bindings of books printed from the middle of the 16th until the middle of the 17th century which belonged to the library of Vilnius Jesuit Academy. This study is part of a broader research on the bindings of the Vilnius Jesuit Academy Library, and the article is limited to two groups of sources: books printed in Italy and books printed in the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth). The historical bindings are discussed by following the approach targeting the field of decorative arts and material culture studies, which is also well known as the 'archaeology' of the book or the bookbinding. It focuses not only on the decorative features of the cover of the book, but also on the structural features of the bindings which reveal comprehensively the work of the craftsmen of the past. This method of analysis is particularly useful for discussing not only decorated but also undecorated bindings which have so far received very limited attention in the research of the old Lithuanian book. As a result, the research revealed that the modest parchment bindings form nearly a half of all the examined bindings of the collection, and confirm the practical rather than the representational aspect of the Jesuit Library. According to the complexity of the technical execution and the number of operations involved in the process of binding, five binding techniques have been distinguished, ranging from the most complex to the simplest bindings, closely related with a retail bindings. What is more, a consistent number of parchment bindings are denoted by structural features, which is close to the Italian bookbinding tradition. The predominance of the latter in the group of Italian prints makes it possible to consider the possibility of already bound books entering the library of Vilnius Jesuit Academy. Moreover, the research has revealed certain binding features linked to the bookbinding traditions in Italy and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]