bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Surgical Strategy and Clinical Efficacy Analysis of Adjacent Segment Disease After Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion
Authors: Chen Yangyang , Pi Guofu , Han Yu , Sun Jianguang , Huang Shilei , Li Feng , Li Chengxiang , Sun Xing
Published: October 2020

Background: There are relatively few studies on the treatment of symptomatic adjacent segment disease(ASD) after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion(ACDF). The purpose of this study to compare the clinical efficacy of zero-profile(zero-p) intervertebral fusion and titanium plate combined with cage fusion for treating ASD after ACDF. Methods: Retrospective analysis was performed on patients who underwent ACDF and readmission due to concurrent symptomatic ASD from October 2014 to June 2019. Among them, 12 cases underwent anterior cervical decompression with zero-p intervertebral fusion (zero-p group), and 14 cases underwent anterior cervical decompression with titanium plate combined with cage fusion (titanium plate group). Operative time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative Japanese 0rthopaedic Association (JOA) score, visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, neck disability index (NDI), dysphagia Bazaz grade, bone graft fusion Eck grade, C2-C7 Cobb Angle, and related complications were compared between the two groups. Results: The intraoperative blood loss difference between the two groups was not statistically significant (P>0.05). The operation time of the zero-p group was shorter than that of the titanium plate group, with significant differences(P<0.05). The Bazaz classification of dysphagia in the zero-p group was superior to the titanium plate group 1 month after the operation, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05); However, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in the Bazaz classification of dysphagia and the bone graft fusion Eck grade at the last follow-up (P>0.05). At the last follow-up, the JOA score, VAS score, NDI index, C2-C7 Cobb Angle were significantly different between the zero-P group and the titanium plate group (P<0.05). However, no significant difference was found between the two groups (P>0.05). During the follow-up period, all the patients did not have a rupture of the settler screw and esophageal injury and other related diseases.Conclusions: Both methods can achieve good clinical efficacy in the treatment of symptomatic ASD, and can restore and maintain the physiological curvature of the cervical spine to a certain extent. However, the advantages of zero-p intervertebral fusion including shorter operation time, reducing soft tissue injury, and less postoperative dysphagia.
Treatment of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tibial Avulsion Fracture in Children with Suture Anchor Fixation Outside The Tunnel: A Retrospective study
Authors: Chen Sunyu , Xiao Zhanhao , Wang Jiankun
Published: October 2020

Background: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tibial avulsion fractures are a special ACL injury type, classified as intra-articular fractures. Presently, the main treatment method is arthroscopic surgery, and various fixation methods are available, including use of steel wires, high-strength sutures, cannulated screws, anchors, Kirschner wires, etc. Joint fixation using wire binding could cut through the bone tunnel. We aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of a novel method involving suture anchor fixation outside the tunnel to treat anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tibial avulsion fractures in children.Methods: This retrospective study analyzed the data of 42 pediatric patients (26 boys and 16 girls; age: 7–13 years) with ACL tibial avulsion fractures. Based on the Meyers–McKeever–Zaricznyj classification of fractures, 22, 14, and 6 patients had types II, III, and IV fractures, respectively. All patients underwent arthroscopic surgery for ACL tibial avulsion fracture; during surgery, double tibial tunnels were established, and high-strength sutures were passed through the tunnels and fixed externally with an anchor. The clinical outcome was evaluated by assessing the pre- and post-operative knee joint range of motion (ROM) and by using the Lysholm knee function score and International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score. Post-operative computed tomography and magnetic resonance images were reviewed to determine the status of fracture displacement, healing, and epiphyseal damage.Results: All 42 patients were followed up for 20–36 months (average of 27.8 months). Knee ROM increased from 48.2°±21.7° pre-operatively to 131.6°±8.7° at the final follow-up (t=23.119, P=0.000). The Lysholm knee function score increased from 37.6±5.2 points pre-operatively to 90.1±6.3 points post-operatively, representing a significant improvement (t=41.651, P=0.000). The IKDC score improved from 43.3±7.5 points pre-operatively to 91.3±5.7 points post-operatively (t=45.521, P=0.000). The imaging findings indicated that the fractures healed with displacement and there was no significant epiphyseal damage.Conclusions: Suture anchor fixation outside the tunnel to treat ACL tibial avulsion fracture in children reduces the cutting action of the sutures on the tunnel, minimizes epiphyseal damage, involves a simple procedure, offers firm fixation, and effectively improves knee function. This approach can enable early functional rehabilitation and achieve satisfactory clinical efficacy.
A Non-invasive Model for Detection of Undiagnosed Metabolic Syndrome in School Children and Adolescents
Authors: Lin Hu , Yuan Jinna , Hong Ye , Liang Li , Gong ChunXiu , Luo FeiHong , Liu GeLi , Xiong Feng , Chen ShaoKe , Dong Guanping , Huang Ke , Wang Chunlin , Chen Xuefeng , Derraik José G B , Fu JunFen
Published: October 2020

Background: We aimed to develop a non-invasive model to detect the metabolic syndrome (MetS) in school children and adolescents. Methods: Participants were 7,330 children and adolescents aged 10–18 years, attending schools in eight Chinese localities. Participants had anthropometry measured and underwent fasting blood tests. MetS was defined as central obesity and a combination of abnormal glycaemia, hypertension, and/or dyslipidaemia. A prediction model for MetS was developed using non-invasive anthropometric and clinical parameters. Results: The prediction model had acceptable discrimination accuracy (AUROC 0.75) and 65.7% sensitivity. While its PPV was 36.5%, 72.2% of false-positives had one other metabolic abnormality beyond central adiposity. An alternative mixed process was developed: first, all children with central adiposity and hypertension were considered as cases; secondly, a prediction model was developed on remaining normotensive children with central adiposity, yielding possibly-helpful discrimination (AUROC 0.67). This combined approach yielded higher sensitivity (75.4%) but lower PPV (30.7%) with more false-positives, of whom 57.0% had one other metabolic abnormality beyond central adiposity. Conclusions: Most undiagnosed MetS cases could be detected in school children and adolescents with non-invasive methods. Importantly, most false-positive cases had metabolic abnormalities, so that the vast majority of cases identified by the models warranted medical follow-up.
A Feature Extraction Method for Person Re-identification Based on a Two-branch CNN
Authors: Li Linlin , Yang Bo , Chen Shaohui
Published: October 2020

A two-branch convolutional neural network (CNN) architecture for feature extraction in person re-identification (re-ID) based on video surveillance is proposed. Highly discriminative person features are obtained by extracting both global and local features. Moreover, an adaptive triplet loss function based on the original triplet loss function is proposed and is used in the network training process, resulting in a significantly improved learning efficiency. The experimental results on open datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
The Correlation Between Maternal Age and Fetal Sex Chromosome Aneuploidies: A 8-Year Single Institution Experience in China
Authors: Li Hong-Ge
Published: October 2020

Background: To date, it has been widely accepted that the risk of autosomal aneuploidies (including T21, T18 and T13) is directly related to the increase in maternal age. However, up to now, the relationship between maternal age and fetal sex chromosome aneuploidies (SCAs) was still unclear. This study aimed to investigate maternal age-specific rates for common SCAs (including 45,X, 47,XXY, 47,XXX and 47,XYY) in fetuses. Methods: We retrospectively investigated a 8-year experience of prenatal diagnosis for fetal chromosome aberrations by second-trimester amniocentesis at a university teaching hospital in China. 20,409 amniotic fluid specimens collected at 19–22+6 gestational weeks were included in this study. Conventional cytogenetic analysis was performed on all samples. Maternal age was as the only indication for the statistical analysis. The women were categorized into five age groups (≤23, 24-28, 29-33, 34-38, ≥39 years) based on maternal age at the time of amniocentesis and entered as a categorical variable in all samples. The correlation between fetal SCAs and maternal age was determined using the logistic regression analysis. A chi-square test was performed to compare the incidence of fetal SCAs among age groups. Results: A total of 179 cases of fetal SCAs were detected, and the incidence was 8.77‰ (about 1/114), far higher than the earlier publication of 1/500. The incidence of all SCAs increased significantly with advancing maternal age (SE, 0.014; odds ratio, 1.044; P=0.002), from 5.81 per 1,000 fetuses at the 24-28 years to 10.92 per 1,000 at the ≥39 years. The incidence of all SCAs was also significantly different among age groups (χ2=10.197, P=0.037<0.05). Specifically, the incidence of 45,X (SE, 0.037; odds ratio, 0.916; P=0.017) and 47,XXY (SE, 0.024; odds ratio, 1.127; P=0.000) had significant correlation with maternal age, while the incidence of 47,XXX and 47,XYY had no correlation with maternal age (P=0.473; P=0.272, respectively). Conclusions: Maternal age was ascertained to be a strong risk factor for fetal SCAs. The incidence of 45,X and 47,XXY was significantly correlated with maternal age, while the incidence of 47,XXX and 47,XYY was not.
USP14 haploinsufficiency ameliorates Alzheimer’s disease-like pathology in APP/PS1 mice
Authors: Xu Hua , Wu Xueheng , Liang Lu , Chen Haoyu , Xu Jia , Hu Wanyan , Li Xinci , Liu Qin , Wang Xuejun , Zhang Chang-E , Liu Jinbao
Published: October 2020

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia; its main pathological features are neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) consisting of hyperphosphorylated microtubule-associated protein (Tau) in the cell and extracellular beta-amyloid protein (Aβ)-based senile plaques (SP). The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is the main pathway for protein degradation in cells. Proteasome malfunction exists in AD patients and may promote the progression of the disease. USP14 is a deubiquitinating enzyme associated with the 19S proteasome. Functional inhibition of USP14 was shown to enhance proteasome proteolytic function, but no reported study has investigated the impact of genetic inhibition of USP14 on AD.Methods: Mice with heterozygous knockout of the Usp14 gene (USP14+/-) were generated and cross-bred with the APP/PS1 transgenic mice, the resultant offspring littermates were subjected to basal survival and growth analyses, and comparison of AD-like pathologies as detected with biochemical and histopathological methods and of cognitive function as assessed with the Morris water maze tests. Results:USP14 mRNA and protein levels in USP14+/- mice were decreased by ~50% compared with USP14+/+mice. The increases of total, K48 or K63 linked ubiquitinated proteins in APP/PS1 mouse brains were abolished in APP/PS1::USP14+/- mice. The increases in Aβ deposition and AD-associated phosphorylated Tau, senile plagues and neurofibrillary tangles, as well as spatial learning and memory decline induced by APP/PS1 were significantly attenuated in APP/PS1 mice. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that global knocking down USP14 protein expression by 50% is tolerable by mice and exhibits marked protection against AD-like pathologies in a widely used AD mouse model, favoring the exploration of moderate inhibition ofUSP14 as a potentially novel and viable therapy against AD.
Help-Seeking Behavior of Individuals With Schizophrenia in the General Population of Hunan, China
Authors: Ma Jing , Zheng Qiongjuan , Zhang Yun , Liu Chunyu , Tian Xuefei , Liu Xuejun , Hu Jiawen , Wang Dongxin
Published: October 2020

Background This study aims to know the seeking help behavior (including seeking help or not, first choice, influential factors and barriers in seeking help) of individuals with SZ (Schizophrenia) in Hunan province of China. Methods The participants are from a larger epidemiological study of severe mental disorders in Hunan province of China. Self-made questionnaires were used to collect relative information. Results (1) Of the 367 participants, 68.9% (253/367) sought help; of those, 64.6% (n=163) pursued professional psychiatric services and 30.8% (n=78) pursued non-medical options (i.e., relatives, praying to Buddha) as the most common first choices. (2) The help-seeking behavior ratio (seeking help individuals/total sample size) is significantly lower in the illiterate group than in other education levels. Those with a family history of mental disorders tend to have a higher help-seeking behavior ratio. And the first choice of help is largely related to education level. (3) Frequent reasons behind not seeking help include fear of stigmatization (72.9%), poor mental health literacy (64.5%), concerns over cost (50.6%), and limited access to medical services (47.0%). Conclusions About one third of the individuals do not seek help. Individuals with SZ tend to choose psychiatric hospital and relatives as their first choice. A family history of mental disorders and higher education levels are meaningfully associated with help-seeking behavior, and individuals with more education tend to seek for professional help first. The primary reasons for not seeking help include fear of stigmatization, lack of awareness about mental illness, concerns over cost, etcTrial registration This study is approved by ‘the ethics committee of the Brain Hospital of Hunan Province’,the committee’s reference numberis ‘Z2019045’.
Functional shifts in natural forests under environmental change over the last 65 years are faster in colder regions
Authors: Hisano Masumi , Chen Han , Chen Xinli , Ryo Masahiro
Published: October 2020

Global environmental changes have significantly impacted plant diversity and composition over many decades. Maintaining biodiversity and composition is critical for sustainability of ecosystem functioning and related services. While global environmental changes have modified plant species and functional compositions in forest ecosystems, it remains unclear how temporal shifts in functional composition differ across regions and biomes. Utilizing extensive spatial and long-term forest inventory data (17,107 plots monitored 1951–2016) across Canada, we found that functional composition shifted toward fast-growing deciduous broadleaved trees and higher drought tolerance over time; notably, this functional shift was more rapid in colder regions. Further analysis revealed that the functional composition of colder plots shifted toward drought tolerance more rapidly with rising CO2 than warmer plots, which suggests the vulnerability of the functional composition of colder plots against global environmental changes. Future ecosystem management practices should consider spatial differences in functional responses to global environmental change, with particular attention to colder plots that experience higher rates of warming and compositional changes.
Differential expression of Toll-like receptors 1 and 3 in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and systemic sclerosis
Authors: Liu Ang-Jun , Wu Po-Chang , Ciou Jian-Ruei , Hou Pu-Wei , Huang Chung-Ming , Huang Po-Hao , Chen Yu-Pei , Chu Hsueh-Ting , Chang Hen-Hong
Published: October 2020

Background: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and systemic sclerosis (SSc) are autoimmune diseases with some overlapping clinical manifestations. SLE is characterized by systemic inflammation with vasculitis and multiple organ damage, whereas SSc manifests as low-grade inflammation with vasculopathy and tissue fibrosis. Recent studies have revealed that Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play essential roles in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. This study investigated the expression of TLR genes in SLE and SSc to determine their roles in the pathogenesis of these diseases.Methods: Patients with SLE (n = 15) and SSc (n = 9) were recruited from a hospital in Taiwan from 2016 to 2017. RNA was extracted from peripheral blood cells of the patients for next-generation sequencing (NGS). Then, We identified differentially expressed genes and associated pathways to explore the association of TLRs with SLE and SSc pathogenesis. Several housekeeping genes, including ACTB, GAPDH, PGK1, PPIB, SDHA, and TBP, were used to normalize the expression levels of the TLR genes.Results: GAPDH, PGK1, PPIB and SDHA are significantly different (p < 0.05) in patients of SLE and SSc. The expression levels of TLR1 (p = 0.018) and TLR3 (p = 0.031) were significantly upregulated in the patients with SSc compared with those with SLE, normalized by GAPDH.Conclusions: TLR1 and TLR3 can serve as biomarkers to distinguish the gene expression between SLE and SSc, normalized with housekeeping genes such as ACTB, GADPH and TBP.
A Network Pharmacology Analysis to Reveal the Molecular Mechanism of Zhizi-Danshen on Coronary Heart Disease
Authors: Shen Yue-hong , Wang Shu-lin , Wu Na , Dai Yu-chen , Zhou Qian , Shen Jian-ping
Published: October 2020

ObjectiveOur study aimed to investigate the potential mechanisms of the herb pair Zhizi-Danshen (ZD) for coronary heart disease (CHD) using network pharmacological data mining technology.MethodsThe Traditional Chinese Medicine System Pharmacology (TCMSP) database was used to collect the active ingredients of ZD and predict ZD-related target proteins. Afterwards, we identified CHD-related targets from DisGeNET database, NCBI gene database, and TTD database. The common targets both from ZD and CHD were screened by Venny2.1, which were then imported into the String database for protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis. Finally, the GO and KEGG enrichment analysis were performed by R software, and the network construction was established using Cytoscape3.7.2.ResultsWe obtained 199 possible targets from 62 candidate ingredients of ZD and 1033 CHD-ralated targets, with 83 overlapping common target genes. Then, 11 core targets were acquired from PPI network analysis. Further, GO analysis showed that these common targets mainly influenced receptor ligand activity，cytokine activity，cytokine receptor binding，steroid hormone receptor activity, and peptide binding. KEGG pathway analysis indicated that ZD affected CHD through seven important pathways linked to vascular endothelial function regulation (fluid shear stress and atherosclerosis，AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications, HIF-1 signaling pathway), imflammatory effects (IL-17 signaling pathway, TNF signaling pathway，Toll-like receptor signaling pathway)，and hormone regulation (relaxin signaling pathway). ConclusionsThis study revealed the potential pharmacological mechanisms of ZD against CHD, which were mainly associated with regulation of vascular endothelial function and inflammatory effects, promotion of vasodilatation, and prevention of cardiac fibrosis. Moreover, it provided a novel conception for the development of alternative therapies on CHD.
Controlling methanol feeding for recombinant protein production by Pichia pastoris under oxidation stress in fed-batch fermentation
Authors: Hu Rongkang , Lan Dongming , Cui Ruiguo , Hong Haomin , Niu Yachun , Wang Yonghua
Published: October 2020

Background: Methanol can be used by Pichia pastoris as the sole carbon source and inducer to produce recombinant proteins in high-cell-density fermentations, but also damages cells due to reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation from methanol oxidation. Here, we study the relationship between methanol feeding and ROS accumulation by controlling constant methanol feeding rate during the induction phase.Results: Higher methanol feeding rate increased the level of ROS accumulation caused by methanol oxidation. While the cell growth rate was proportional to the rate of methanol feeding rate, but maximum total protein production and highest enzyme activity were achieved at methanol feeding rate 4 mL/(L·h) as compared to that with 5 mL/(L·h). Moreover, oxidative demage induced by over accumulation of ROS in P. pastoris during the methanol induction phase caused cell death and reduced protein expression ability. ROS scavenging system analysis reveals that the higher methanol feeding rate, especially 5 mL/(L·h), resulted in increased intracellular catalase activity and decreased glutathione content significantly. Finally, Spearman's correlation analysis further reveals that the reduced glutathione might be beneficial for maintaining cell viability and increasing protein production under oxidative stress caused by toxic accumulation of ROS accumulation.Conclusion: Our findings suggest an integrated strategy to control the feeding of the essential substrate based on analyzing its response to oxidative stress caused by toxic accumulation of ROS accumulation, as well as develop strategy to optimize fed-batch fermentation.
Cost-effective Telemedicine System to combat COVID-19 in India: A proposed Model
Authors: Ghosh Debanjana , Mukherjee Piyali
Published: October 2020

The telemedicine system has documented its concept quite a long time ago. Even though, it only got materialized a decade ago mainly owing to lack of channelization of knowledge and its usefulness. The proper and systematic use of this, can be a boon for a lot of countries’ healthcare system in the present era. The recent fear, the COVID-19 which has been declared a pandemic by WHO, has massively broken the structure of the prevailing healthcare system and the only possible and even better alternative that has been realized by many countries is the Telemedicine. A country like India with extremely high population and with a low per-capita income, is still fighting such an infectious disease without proper approach. Telemedicine can thus be a new light for India but no implementation models have been reported so far. This paper proposes a model and the means to incorporate telemedicine in the existing healthcare system to combat COVID-19. The model aims at creating both cost-effective and time-efficient solution to treat patients while maintaining proper distribution of resources.
Burnout among Portuguese healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Duarte Ivone , Teixeira Andreia , Castro Luísa , Marina Silvia , Ribeiro Carla , Jácome Cristina , Martins Vera , Ribeiro-Vaz Inês , Pinheiro Hugo Celso , Silva Andreia Rodrigues , Ricou Miguel , Sousa Bruno , Alves Cristiana , Oliveira Andreia , Silva Paula , Nunes Rui , Serrão Carla
Published: October 2020

Background: During COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers (HCWs) have had high workload and have been exposed to multiple psychosocial stressors. The aim of this study was to evaluate HCWs in terms of the relative contributions of socio-demographic and mental health variables on three burnout dimensions: personal, work-related, and client-related burnout.Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed using an online questionnaire spread via social networks. A snowball technique supported by health care institutions and professional organizations was applied. Results: A total of 2008 subjects completed the survey. Gender, parental status, marriage status, and salary reduction were found to be significant factors for personal burnout. Health problems and direct contact with infected people were significantly associated with more susceptibility to high personal and work-related burnout. Frontline working positions were associated with all three dimensions. Higher levels of stress and depression in HCWs were significantly associated with increased levels of all burnout dimensions. Higher levels of satisfaction with life and resilience were significantly associated with lower levels of all burnout dimensions. Conclusions: All three burnout dimensions were associated with a specific set of covariates. Consideration of these three dimensions is important when designing future burnout prevention programs for HCWs.
Prediction and assessment of change in PM2.5 during COVID-19 lockdown using remote sensing and deep learning approach: A case study of Kanpur city
Authors: Mallik Santanu , Soni Shivam , Podder Krishanu , Mishra Umesh , Ahamed Maqusood
Published: October 2020

In the last few months, the corona virus crises have changed the world completely. In India, looking at the horrific condition and rate of increase of COVID-19 positive cases, the central government has imposed strict lockdown from dated March 24 throughout the country. At the same time, with citizens quarantined and grinding halt in industrial activities has led to some inadvertent benefits and change in air pollution level is one of them. The present study is undertaken with an aim to predict and assess the change in PM2.5 level of the Kanpur city using MODIS Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) data and meteorological parameters during various stages of COVID-19 lockdown. Subsequently, four different methods such as linear regression (LR), multilinear regression (MLR), artificial neural network (ANN), and a hybrid method were used and compared for the prediction of PM2.5. The best prediction method was further used for the spatial mapping of PM2.5 at different stages of lockdown (pre-lockdown, during lockdown and post lockdown). The result of cross-validation shows that the hybrid method i.e. (MLR+ANN) outperforms all other methods and gives the highest coefficient of determination R2 value of 0.961 followed by ANN, MLR, and LR with 0.895, 0.246, 0.016. The spatial mapping of PM2.5 during the lockdown shows a significant reduction of 26% in PM2.5 concentration in comparison to pre lockdown. The methodology developed from the current study can also be used in other regions for predicting and analyzing the spatio-temporal variation of PM2.5.
Innovations in Education Management: Impact of Emotional Intelligence and Demographic Variables on Occupational Stress among University Teachers
Authors: Rehman Anis
Published: October 2020

Today emotional intelligence is increasingly relevant to the success of management as well as employees in every respect, be it internal issues like conflict resolution, group dynamics, leadership and motivation or the external issues like customer relationship management, brand loyalty and corporate social responsibility (CSR). There is limited research on the impact of emotional intelligence on job stress and workplace conduct. The objective of the article is to understand the relationship between occupational stress and emotional intelligence. It also attempts to study the impact of some demographic variables (gender, age, work experience) on occupational stress. Simple random sampling was used to collect data from teaching and non-teaching staff working in universities and educational institutions in Uttar Pradesh, India. SPSS 21 was used for data analysis using statistical tools like correlation, Mann-Whitney and Kruskal Wallis tests. Results show a significant relationship between emotional intelligence and occupational stress. The female employees were found to have greater stress levels as compared to their male counterparts. Age is found to have an impact on occupational stress of university teachers. The employees in their forties were found to have higher stress levels than younger employees. Work experience is also found to have an impact on occupational stress of university teachers. It was observed that employees with a work experience of more than 30 years have maximum levels of occupational stress. Based on the findings of this study, the managers should take special measures to take care of female employees and minimize factors which lead to their stress. The policies and work culture of the organization should create a conducive ambience for female employees. The organization should provide support and counselling to employees in their forties to sort out their stress-related issues which would eventually enhance their productivity. The employees with a work experience of more than 30 years (usually older ones) should get support and any stress-causing issues such as post-retirement benefits should be explained and clarified. This study adds to the current body of knowledge from a theoretical perspective. It enriches the understanding of the relationship between emotional intelligence, demographic variables and occupational stress. The top management of the organization can enhance their organization’s effectiveness by learning from the findings of this study.

Keywords
емоційний інтелект (EI), професійний стрес, робоче перевантаження, управління стресом, організація.
Product Sampling Effect on Purchase Decision Also by Social Aspects
Authors: Sedliacikova Mariana , Kocianova Anna , Dzian Michal , Moresova Maria , Drabek Josef
Published: October 2020

Sampling is an important part of marketing for non-durable goods meaning food products. It provides space not only to introduce news on the market but also remind traditional types of products with innovative ingredients, new flavours and other variations. Moreover, the significant role of sampling is to support the sale of promoted products. The participation of promoter sustains this main role of sampling (support the sale). Following this reason, it is necessary to perceive the social aspects of sampling concerning customers and their purchasing decisions. The main purpose of the research is to verify the sampling efficiency concerning the customer purchase decisions in the conditions of the Slovak Republic considering the influence of the promoters, their behaviour and appearance. In addition to price factor impact on customer purchase decisions, the paper solved the social aspects of the interaction with the promoter and the taste of the product. For obtaining relevant results, 484 customers of retail stores and at the same time participants of sampling have been included in the survey. For meeting the stated goal, the methodological tool of the research method was a questionnaire survey which addressed the sampling participants. The paper presents the results that in most cases, Slovak customers don't purchase the product immediately after the sampling. When they decide to buy, the central aspect is the taste of the product and not the price. Thus, in a taste-price ratio, the taste is considered more convincing and more effective. This finding is in contrasts with previous ones about consumer's price sensitivity. Since sampling is a humanized sales promotion, it is also necessary to perceive the social factors of interaction with the promoter on the purchase decision. Sampling participants consider the behaviour of the promoter and communication skills to be significantly more important than the appearance. The results of the research could be useful to reveal a considerable room for improvement concerning purchase decisions after sampling. It can be influenced by increasing attractiveness of sampling by interesting innovations, either in the products themselves or in the forms of sampling provisions.

Keywords
customers, preferences, product sampling, promoters, purchase decision, social aspects
Analysis of Factors Determining the Implementation of Talent Management
Authors: Coculova Jana , Svetozarovova Nella , Bertova Daniela
Published: October 2020

The paper deals with the issue of talent management, which is currently an integral part of effective human resource management. Talent management is now at the forefront because human resources, as bearers of knowledge and innovation, represent an irreplaceable business factor and a significant competitive advantage. The paper focuses on the implementation of talent management in terms of selected factors, which are assumed to be a key to the success of implementing talent management practices. Successful implementation of talent management is a prerequisite for achieving the set goals such as the acquisition, effective use and especially the retention of talented employees. The paper also presents the research results. The research aimed to determine whether there are statistically significant relationships between the selected factors and the successful implementation of talent management. The study was carried out on a sample of Slovak business entities, while the initial selection based on the question of whether the business entity has implemented talent management. Initially, out of 345 contacted Slovak business entities, only 58 of them commented positively on the implementation of talent management. The research sample consisted of talented employees of business entities that operate in the Slovak Republic and that have implemented talent management. Subsequently, the managers of these 58 organizations were approached to distribute the questionnaires to the «talented» employees. We received 83 questionnaires. The research subject is selected factors as possible determinants of talent management implementation: the existence of a talent pool; the existence of succession and career development plans; the degree to which the remuneration system is related to the performance of talented employees; support of education and development; support of innovation and creativity in talented employees. The success of the implementation of talent management as a dependent variable was assessed through 5 items using a 1 – 5 scale where a value of 1 represents strong disagreement and a value of 5 strong agreement. The consistency of these items was determined using Cronbach’s alpha. For meeting the aim of the research, 5 statistical hypotheses were tested using the Mann Whitney U test and the Kendall correlation coefficient. It was confirmed that succession planning, the flexibility of the remuneration system concerning the performance of talented employees, training and development support and creativity and innovation support in talented employees could be considered as determinants of successful implementation of talent management.

Keywords
human resource management, talent management, talent management implementation, talent pool, talented employee.
Assessing the stability of the banking system based on fuzzy logic methods
Authors: S. Blahun Ivan , I. Blahun Ivan , I. Blahun Semen
Published: October 2020

The functioning of the country’s banking system is the basis for ensuring its economic development and stability. The state of the banking system often causes financial crises; therefore, ensuring its stable work is one of the main tasks of monetary policy. Meanwhile, it is important to find approaches to a comprehensive assessment and forecasting of the stability of the banking system that would allow obtaining adequate results.Based on a sample of data generated for the period from 2008 to the 1st quarter of 2020 with a quarterly breakdown, an integrated stability index of Ukraine’s banking system was estimated. The analysis was based on 23 variables that characterize certain aspects of the functioning of the Ukrainian banking system.Using the principal component analysis, five factors have been identified that have the greatest impact on ensuring the stability of the banking system. They were used to form an integrated index based on the application of the Mamdani fuzzy logic method. The results obtained adequately reflected the state of stability of the banking system for the analyzed period, which coincided in time with the crisis phenomena occurring in the Ukrainian banking system. The obtained value of the integrated index characterizes the stability of Ukraine’s banking system at the average level, since it depends not only on the internal state of the system, but also on the influence of external factors, both national and international.
The effect of the government bond value on the intermediary function of banks in the capital market of Indonesia
Authors: Sutjiati Njotoprajitno Rosemarie , Hadianto Bram , Melvin
Published: October 2020

The distribution of funds becomes the identity and function of banks. By performing this function well, the banks can get profit to survive. One of the considered factors affecting this channeling function is the issuance of government bonds to finance the state budget, which may be harmful to this bank channeling function. Therefore, to prove this situation, it is necessary to check a causal relationship between the government bond value and the bank intermediary function through this study, adding bank size and loans as a control variable. This study utilizes the banks listed on the capital market of Indonesia as the population. Furthermore, the Slovin formula and a simple random sampling method are employed to determine the number of banks to be the samples and take them. Also, the regression model with pooled data and the t-statistic test are used to estimate its coefficients and examine the proposed hypotheses, respectively. Overall, this study demonstrates that the government bond value positively affects the bank intermediary function. This indicates that the crowding-out does not exist. By this evidence, the government does not need to worry because this debt does not disturb the bank function to deliver the credit to society. Likewise, bank size and bad loans have a positive impact on this function. Thus, banks must be able to diversify risks among their assets and restructure bad loans when performing this function.
Desarrollo de competencias investigativas en estudiantes de las Ciencias de la Salud. Sistematización de experiencias
Authors: Castro-Rodríguez Yuri
Published: October 2020

Desarrollar competencias investigativas en un estudiante implica conocer el uso del conocimiento de forma adecuada; esto permite que se fortalezcan las habilidades para la observación, argumentación, sistematización y cuestionamiento a fin de que se pueda crear y/o gestionar un conocimiento. Para el desarrollo de las competencias en investigación se han planteado distintas estrategias didácticas: semilleros de investigación, aprendizaje cooperativo, métodos por proyectos, aprendizaje basado en problemas, uso de mapas conceptuales, estudios de casos, seminarios, redacción de ensayos y elaboración de talleres. En la presente revisión sistemática se analizó los principales programas que se han implementado en las universidades para mejorar las competencias investigativas de estudiantes de las Ciencias de la Salud. Se destaca a los programas de verano y el trabajo colaborativo con mentores como las intervenciones más comunes y eficaces para el desarrollo de tales competencias.
Problem działalności budowlanej Salomona w świetle najnowszych odkryć archeologicznych w Megiddo
Authors: Ronowska Ewa
Published: October 2020

Artykuł przedstawia najnowsze ustalenia w kwestii identyfikacji monumentalnych struktur filarowych i bramy 2156 w Megiddo, oparte przede wszystkim na analizie danych archeologicznych zebranych w trakcie  prac wykopaliskowych w sezonie 2018 (brama 2156) oraz podczas badań wznowionych w roku 1998 i kontynuowanych w kolejnych sezonach (miasto warstwy IV). Wyniki badań wskazują, że odkryte w Megiddo jeszcze w latach dwudziestych XX wieku monumentalne budowle, początkowo łączone z panowaniem Salomona – stajnie i sześciokomorowa brama – w rzeczywistości najprawdopodobniej powstały w czasach rozkwitu Północnego Królestwa i związane są z działalnością budowlaną jego władców (królów z dynastii Omrydów i Jeroboama II).
Overactive Bladder Symptoms in Patients with Fibromyalgia: A Systematic Case-Controlled Study
Authors: Puri Basant K. , Lee Gary S.
Published: October 2020

Background::

A recent survey reported an association between fibromyalgia and overactive bladder.

Objective::

To carry out the first systematic case-controlled study to compare the level of overactive bladder symptoms in a group of fibromyalgia patients and a group of matched controls.

Methods::

The symptom-bother OAB-q8 questionnaire and Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQR) were administered to 27 patients who fulfilled the revised diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia of the American College of Rheumatology and to 26 healthy controls who had no history of suffering from fibromyalgia or any other rheumatological or neurological illness.

Results::

The groups were matched in respect of age, sex and ethnicity. None of the 53 subjects was taking medication which might cause urinary urgency, none was suffering from, or had recently suffered from, a urinary tract infection and none had undergone a previous operative procedure on the lower urinary tract. Twenty-five (93%) patients had evidence of an overactive bladder during the previous four weeks, compared with five (19%) of the control group (p < 0.001). In terms of symptom severity, the mean (standard error) OAB-q8 score was 24.4 (1.5) in the fibromyalgia patients and 10.8 (4.5) in the controls (p < 0.001). Furthermore, the total OAB-q8 and FIQR scores were positively correlated (rs = 0.727, p < 0.001).

Conclusion::

This systematic controlled study confirms that fibromyalgia is associated with overactive bladder symptoms. The relatively high prevalence of 93% indicates that overactive bladder is an important urological association of fibromyalgia and should be routinely assessed in these patients.
COVID-19, SARS -CoV-2, Origin, Transmission and Treatment Aspects, A Brief Review
Authors: Nawaz Shahid
Published: October 2020

The emergence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in named as corona
virus disease 19(covid-19) caused by the novel corona virus SARS-CoV-2 has caused hundreds of
thousands of mortalities across the world, while the mortality rate is in millions, leading it to be declared
as a global pandemic. Numerous research activities are undergoing to reveal the disease and
etiological features of covid-19. In this review, some of the interesting aspects of covid-19 are discussed,
that include, the origin of the SARS-CoV-2, clinical manifestation, treatment and future aspects
of the disease.
Transition-Metal-Free Synthetic Strategies for the Cross-Coupling Reactions in Water: A Green Approach
Authors: Chatterjee Tanmay , Mukherjee Nilanjana
Published: October 2020

A natural driving force is always working behind the synthetic organic chemists towards
developing ‘green’ synthetic methodologies for the synthesis of useful classes of organic molecules
having potential applications. The majority of the essential classes of organic transformations, including
C-C and C-X (X = heteroatom) bond-forming cross-coupling reactions, and cross dehydrogenative-
coupling (CDC) mostly rely on the requirement of transition-metal catalysts and hazardous
organic solvents. Hence, the scope of developing green synthetic strategies by avoiding the use of
transition-metal catalysts and hazardous organic solvents for these important and useful classes of
organic transformations is very high. Consequently, several attempts have been made so far. Water
is the most abundant, cheap, and green solvent globally. Therefore, numerous synthetic methods
have been developed in an aqueous medium. In this review, the development of transition-metalfree
green synthetic strategies for various important classes of organic transformations such as C-C
and C-X bond-forming cross-coupling, cross dehydrogenative-coupling, and oxidative-coupling in
an aqueous media is discussed.
COVID-19: Structure, Replication and its Global Scenario
Authors: Chauhan Swati
Published: October 2020

Background::

The disease leading the whole world in a lockdown state, Coronavirus, is
a highly transmitted virus that has spread to the whole world with an intensive speed.

Introduction::

Novel coronavirus, termed as COVID-19, is an RNA genome comprising spherical
spiked structure, which can infect humans by majorly attacking the respiratory system. The infection
is characterized by high fever, dry cough and fatigue. The purpose of this review is to highlight
the main characteristic features of COVID-19, the symptoms, and the genetic material present
in the virus. The review also focuses on the uniqueness of this virus from other viruses, which has
made it difficult to develop a vaccine for its cure.

Discussion and Conclusion::

The review has illustrated the number of people who have been affected
by COVID 19 in the world with a special emphasis on India. Analysis has shown that how vastly
COVID- 19 has affected human beings.
Impact of BCG Vaccine Against the Pandemic of Corona (COVID-19): A Review
Authors: Mazumder Rana , Majumdar Subhabrota
Published: October 2020

The explanations behind the wide spreadability of coronavirus sickness (COVID-19) are not
known properly in this world. Several clinical investigations have indicated that the BCG antibody impacts
on the immune system and human sicknesses which take part in the host system to such an extent
that numerous types of viral diseases are extensively diminished or reduced. Subsequently, it was also
observed in different studies that the recurrence and seriousness of numerous microbial or viral diseases,
including COVID-19, will be lower in few countries where BCG Immunization programs are carried
out. Few clinical investigations proposed by the epidemiological data have shown that the BCG antibody
has a valuable impact in the treatment of COVID-19. So the BCG immunization may be found
valuable in the coming months, particularly in the countries, where mass BCG immunization is done.
Further thorough BCG immunization clinical trial is required to establish the above findings and its
clinical significance. In future, this investigation will concentrate on the BCG vaccine and it may forestall
the event of SARS-CoV-2 contamination and its succession in the large population.
ВИЗНАЧЕННЯ РІВНЯ ЛАКТОФЕРИНУ ЯК МАРКЕРА РЕАЛІЗАЦІЇ ВНУТРІШНЬОУТРОБНОГО ІНФІКУВАННЯ
Authors: Куса О. М.
Published: October 2020

Резюме. Розвиток вроджених інфекцій пов'язаний із наявністю внутрішньоутробного інфікування плода (анте- або і інтранатального). При цьому, в переважній більшості випадків джерелом інфекції для плода є мати.

Діапазон клінічних проявів ВУІ достатньо широкий. Тератогенна дія на плід чи ембріон – різноманітні вади розвитку, стійкі вроджені структурні дефекти, залишкові явища або тривалий патологічний процес – це деякі з основних проблем, які зумовлені інфікуванням плода внутрішньоутробно. Досліджено, що TORCH-інфекції в залежності від періоду внутрішньоутробної агресії можуть уражати різні органи і системи, але найчастіше – нервову систему.

У ході проведеного дослідження на основі комплексного підходу проведено оцінку впливу мікст-форм вірусно-бактеріального інфікування на перебіг вагітності та перинатальні наслідки,тобто визначено основні фактори ризику внутрішньоутробного інфікування. Із 130 пацієнток із ризиком внутрішньоутробного інфікування у 35 вагітних було діагностовано мікст-форми вірусних інфекцій, у 35 вагітних – мікст-форми бактеріальної інфекції, у 35 жінок – змішану вірусно-бактеріальну інфекцію. Крім того, до програми дослідження були включені 25 жінок із вірусно-бактеріальним інфікуванням, у яких в динаміці вагітності за даними клінічних та ехографічних ознак було встановлено маніфестацію внутрішньоутробної інфекції.

Проводилось вивчення змін в імунному статусі у вагітних групи ризику щодо внутрішньоутробного інфікування –отримано переконливі докази того,що у розвитку висхідного шляху інфікування провідну роль відіграє депресія місцевих імунологічних механізмів захисту у слизовій цервікального каналу, запропоновано визнати гострофазовий білок сироватки крові лактоферин маркером активності імунопатологічного процесу із запальною реалізацією.