WORKPLACE STRESS IN THE UNIVERSITY CLINICAL SETTINGS: COMPARISON BETWEEN THE CARDIAC UNIT AND EMERGENCY CENTER MEDICAL STAFF

Background: Stress at work is a specific type of stress arising from the wor k environment. Stress of the medical staff has been investigated in recent years by the medical institutions of different countries. The aim of this study was to examine the stres s levels in medical staff of Department of Cardiac Surgery and Center of emergency medicine (CEM) in the Clinical settings, and to compare them. Subjects and methods : We conducted a cross-sectional study which included 55 patients between 21 and 50 years of age. The study group consisted of 30 employees from the Department of Cardiac Surgery of Mostar University Clinical Hospital, while the control group comprised 25 employees from the CEM. Research instruments were the Occupational Stress Questionnaire for Hospital Health Care Workers (OSQ-HHCW), General Health Questionnaire (GHQ 28) and a Stress MGMT-TEST A. Results: The subjects from the control group had significantly higher stress experience in “bombing” with new information (p=0.028), unavailability of literature (p=0.039), poor communication with superiors (p<0.001), conflicts with patients (p=0.04 2) and inappropriate public criticism (p=0.007). The highest stress level showed F1 group of stressors, concerning the organizatio n of work and funding. CEM employees had statistically significantly higher level of stress on public criticism and lawsuits compare d to the study group (p=0.013), as well as higher score on the anxiety/insomnia subscale (p<0.001), social dysfunction scale (p=0.00 2) and on the depression subscale (p<0.001). Conclusions: Stressors from the group of organizational factors have proven to be the most common stressors in both groups. However, in some areas within the impact of workplace stress, CEM employees had significantly greater vulnerability compared to employees of the Department of cardiac surgery. Further studies are needed to establish the frequency and intensity of stress a mong health professionals, and to clearly determine the risk factors for its development

WORKPLACE STRESS IN THE UNIVERSITY CLINICAL SETTINGS: COMPARISON BETWEEN THE CARDIAC UNIT AND EMERGENCY CENTER MEDICAL STAFF

Background: Stress at work is a specific type of stress arising from the wor k environment. Stress of the medical staff has been investigated in recent years by the medical institutions of different countries. The aim of this study was to examine the stres s levels in medical staff of Department of Cardiac Surgery and Center of emergency medicine (CEM) in the Clinical settings, and to compare them. Subjects and methods : We conducted a cross-sectional study which included 55 patients between 21 and 50 years of age. The study group consisted of 30 employees from the Department of Cardiac Surgery of Mostar University Clinical Hospital, while the control group comprised 25 employees from the CEM. Research instruments were the Occupational Stress Questionnaire for Hospital Health Care Workers (OSQ-HHCW), General Health Questionnaire (GHQ 28) and a Stress MGMT-TEST A. Results: The subjects from the control group had significantly higher stress experience in “bombing” with new information (p=0.028), unavailability of literature (p=0.039), poor communication with superiors (p<0.001), conflicts with patients (p=0.04 2) and inappropriate public criticism (p=0.007). The highest stress level showed F1 group of stressors, concerning the organizatio n of work and funding. CEM employees had statistically significantly higher level of stress on public criticism and lawsuits compare d to the study group (p=0.013), as well as higher score on the anxiety/insomnia subscale (p<0.001), social dysfunction scale (p=0.00 2) and on the depression subscale (p<0.001). Conclusions: Stressors from the group of organizational factors have proven to be the most common stressors in both groups. However, in some areas within the impact of workplace stress, CEM employees had significantly greater vulnerability compared to employees of the Department of cardiac surgery. Further studies are needed to establish the frequency and intensity of stress a mong health professionals, and to clearly determine the risk factors for its development

Is the prevalence of arterial hypertension in rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis associated with disease?

In this study, we compare the prevalence of arterial hypertension (HT) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) patients, exposed to high- and low-grade chronic inflammation, respectively, to assess the possible association between chronic inflammation and HT. A total of consecutive 627 RA and 352 OA patients were enrolled in this multicentric study. HT was defined as a systolic blood pressure (BP) ≥ 140 and/or diastolic BP ≥ 90 mmHg or current use of any antihypertensive drug. Overweight/obesity was defined as body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25, and patients ≥65 years were considered elderly. The prevalence of HT was higher in the OA group than in the RA group [73.3 % (95 % CI, 68.4, 77.7) and 59.5 % (95 % CI, 55.6, 68.4) P < 0.001, respectively]. When the results were adjusted for age and BMI, the HT prevalence was similar in both groups [RA 59 % (95 % CI, 55.1, 63.8) OA 60 % (95 % CI, 58.4, 65.0)]. In both groups, the prevalence of HT was higher in the elderly and those who were overweight than in the younger patients and those with a BMI < 25. Overweight (BMI ≥ 25) and age ≥65 were independent predictors of HT in multivariate logistic regression model, which showed no association between HT and the disease (RA or OA). The results indicate a robust association of age and BMI with HT prevalence in both RA and OA. The difference in HT prevalence between RA and OA is due rather to age and BMI than to the features of the disease, putting into question specific association of HT with RA

Differences in the Prevalence and Characteristics of Metabolic Syndrome in Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis: a Multicentric Study

The purpose of the study was to examine whether rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients have higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) than osteoarthritis (OA) patients in association with a higher level of chronic systemic inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis. A total of 583 RA and 344 OA outpatients were analyzed in this multicentric study. Metabolic syndrome was defined using the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. A 1.6-fold higher prevalence of MetS was found in patients with OA compared with the RA patients. Among the parameters of MetS, patients with OA had significantly higher levels of waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose and triglycerides, whereas HDL cholesterol and diastolic blood pressure values were similar in both groups of patients. Higher values of inflammatory markers [C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)] in MetS than in non-MetS patients and higher prevalence of MetS in patients with CRP level ≥5 mg/L in both RA and OA patients were found. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, significant predictors of MetS were type of arthritis (OA vs. RA; OR 2.5 [95 % CI 1.82-3.43]), age (OR 1.04 [95 % CI 1.03-1.06]) and ESR (OR 1.01; [95 % CI 1.00-1.01]). The significant association between OA and MetS was maintained in the regression model that controlled for body mass index (OR 1.87 [95 % CI 1.34-2.61]). The present analysis suggests that OA is associated with an increased risk of MetS, which may be due to a common underlying pathogenic mechanism

4th International Scientific Conference on Kinesiology: Science and profession - challenge for the future : proceedings book

In the year 2005, when the University of Zagreb is celebrating the 336th anniversary of its establishment and the Faculty of Kinesiology University of Zagreb its 46th anniversary, the International Scientifi c Conference on Kinesiology is being organized for the fourth time. Thus, the proclaimed intention of the organizer, the Faculty of Kinesiology, to make the Conference a traditional forum for kinesiologists to exchange fi ndings, ideas, experiences and theories has become a reality. You will probably agree with us that, despite all the conveniences the modern communication technology has provided, a vivid dialogue, established in personal contacts of people who share similar vocational interests, is always a unique event and experience. We hope that the debates on how to foster excellence and joy in sport and exercise and on how to promote PE as an underpinning activity for sport, competitive and recreational alike, and life-long active life-styles, as well as discussions on numerous issues regarding human movement, health, exercise and business will bring fruitful results in form of new ideas and research projects. The ever-growing body of kinesiology or sport science knowledge is continuously transformed into higher education curricula which allow graduates and masters of science to become well-educated professionals who have insights into the recent advances in kinesiology. In Croatia a highly specialized education and training of sport and PE professionals has a hundred-and-ten-year-old tradition. Based on that long tradition, the Faculty of Kinesiology has prepared two new university study curricula, adjusted to the Bologna Declaration and the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) and has obtained the accreditation to organize them commencing in academic year 2005/06. The new university graduate and postgraduate doctoral study programmes will enable a higher level of knowledge of students and will promote a higher two-way mobility of both students and scholars. The curricula have assimilated the orientation of the members of the Faculty of Kinesiology that the mission of higher education institutions is viable only in the symbiosis of educational (professional training) and elite fundamental, developmental and applied research work in the fi elds of general and applied kinesiology and in the cognate and adjacent, mainly anthropological, scientifi c branches. The motto of this year’s Conference is “Science and Profession – Challenge for the Future”. It suggests that the focus of attention is directed towards the inevitable connectedness between everyday practical issues and professions related to physical exercise and sport, on the one hand, and kinesiological research activities, theories, insights, fi ndings and inferences on the other. The assembly of kinesiologists from 25 countries has gathered to discuss diverse biological, medical, biomechanical, psychological, sociological, cultural and economic aspects of a variety of kinesiological issues presented in 226 papers written by 300 authors. Besides the contributing authors, much credit for the Conference scientifi c programme goes to the esteemed invited lecturers, both the plenary and the session introductory speakers, and chairpersons of particular thematic sessions, and the members of the Scientifi c Programme Committee. Thematically and methodologically related contributions have been divided into eleven thematic sections (APA and Sport for the Disabled; Biology and Medicine of Sport and Exercise; Biomechanics; Management of Sport; Physical Conditioning; Physical Education; Research Methodology; Sociology, History and Philosophy of Sport; Sport for All, Fitness and Health-related Activities; Sport Psychology; and Top-level Sport), which, in turn, represent recognizable groups of issues currently prevailing in the scientifi c research dealing with human movement, sport and exercise activities. Our special thanks go to the reviewers (62) who altruistically engaged their knowledge, effort, experience and time in making the conference papers consistent and good enough to enable creative clarifi cation and communication of ideas. Although time restrictions made it impossible to afford indepth reviews, the authors were requested to undertake revisions whenever it was possible in order to minimize the rejections. The selection and classifi cation process was performed according to the quality criteria that primarily regarded novelty and the amount of information, and quality of structure and presentation. Due to the formal quality and lack of consistency of quite a number of papers, the original idea of reproducing them Science and Profession - Challenge for the Future VII as submitted proved hardly tenable. Therefore, a certain amount of copy-editing has been performed, though restricted to a minimum and simply in order to achieve a reasonable degree of formal consistency. This has been a demanding and complex process, performed under serious time pressure. We do apologise for any mistakes or inconveniences this might have caused. The Proceedings Book is a reminder of the research fi ndings accomplished in the fi eld of kinesiology, or sport sciences, or kinetics, or kinanthropology throughout the past three years. The presented papers are a basis and a probable starting point for new ones since they cover a wide range of anthropological (understood in the widest sense), methodological and didactic investigations in the areas of physical education, competitive sport, physical recreation, and physical rehabilitation. The organizer, the Faculty of Kinesiology tried to make the 4th Conference on Kinesiology comparable to the quality level of many conferences worldwide. The Dean of the Faculty and the presidents of the Organizing and Scientifi c Committee wish to express their deep gratitude to all the invited speakers, contributors (authors), members of the Scientifi c Committee, reviewers, members of the Organizing Committee, members of the Proceedings Book Editorial Board, and, particularly, to all the Conference Offi ce executives who made the 4th Conference and the Proceedings Book possible. Our acknowledgments go to the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts and to its president a Fellow of the Croatian Academy Milan Moguš, PhD, for their traditional patronage of the Conference. Their support is of great value to the Faculty because it is a signifi cant recognition of the work done in the domain of kinesiology. Recognition of the Conference has been also granted by the co-organizer, the Ministry of Science, Education and Sport of the Republic of Croatia. We are convinced that the 4th Conference on Kinesiology will affi rm all the effort exerted so far in the kinesiology and will open new challenges for the future and better cooperation between scientists and the professionals. To all the Conference participants we wish a productive and benefi cial time and contacts. It is our hope that new research ideas and projects will emerge from it. We will welcome the forthcoming results at our next conferences. To those who were not able to actively participate in the Conference work this year, we offer these Proceedings as an invitation for cooperation of competent partners and for joining us at the 5th Conference on Kinesiology in three years time

Economics of Digital Transformation

The papers published in this monograph present best papers presented at the first conference of the Faculty of Economics and Bussiness of University of Rijeka organized on the topic of “Economics of digital transformation” from 2nd to 4th of May, 2018 in Opatija, Croatia (www.edt- conference.com). During the three days of the conference more than 50 researchers from European region contributed with their presentations. We are particularly proud on the results of our doctoral workshop where nine young researchers presented their research while five papers were published in the monograph. In this way we are building our future research capacities and expose young researchers to rigorous scientific challenge

Economics of Digital Transformation

The papers published in this monograph present best papers presented at the first conference of the Faculty of Economics and Bussiness of University of Rijeka organized on the topic of “Economics of digital transformation” from 2nd to 4th of May, 2018 in Opatija, Croatia (www.edt- conference.com). During the three days of the conference more than 50 researchers from European region contributed with their presentations. We are particularly proud on the results of our doctoral workshop where nine young researchers presented their research while five papers were published in the monograph. In this way we are building our future research capacities and expose young researchers to rigorous scientific challenge