Diversity within Corporate Education at the Slovak Labour and Welfare Administration: A Cross-Sectional Questionnaire Survey

Diversity of the workforce encourages innovation. In order to maintain the workforce, it is necessary to adapt the company's training with regard to the needs of individual employees. Organisations that understand the relationships between diversity, inclusion and education have the potential to set up a culture of lifelong learning and thus improve quality of life for their employees. Diversity can strengthen work involvement, improve the organisational climate, promote inclusion, and contribute to increased productivity and the quality of life of employees. We researched the question of diversity by questionnaire; an online survey was conducted at the Slovak Labour and Welfare Administration, investigating the dimensions of diversity, inclusion, quality of life, and education. We identified the subjective perception of the dimensions of education, diversity and inclusion by employees in relation to the criteria of quality of life, job positions or time spent working in the institution. Our results showed that education has an impact on the self-esteem of the respondent's personal and professional life, and that the quality of personal and professional life is influenced by the position and length of time spent in the organisation.publishedVersio

Preference for laboratory test results notification among different healthcare players in Northeastern Bulgaria

IntroductionAs continuously growing number of people is using online sources for health information and services, the concept of eHealth is progressively developing and is a high-priority topic for the European Union. The absence of centralized internet-based eHealth platform in Bulgaria results in deficiency in the information exchange among physicians and other healthcare providers. The question about the readiness and the attitude towards eHealth concept among all participants in the health care system in Bulgaria still remains to be clarified and the purpose of the current study is to assess the opinion of health care providers and consumers about the electronic way of receiving laboratory test results. We also try to explore the existing preference trend in relation to the socio-demographic characteristics of the studied population.Material and methodsIn the current work, we investigated the needs and recommendations of 1039 patients, laboratory stuff and out-of-hospital general practitioners in the Northeastern Bulgaria (regions Varna, Dobrich and Shumen).ResultsThe results show that laboratory results are preferred in electronic form and there is a significant need for better online communication between different participants in the healthcare system. In this context, we also summarize a model for improvement in the interaction among healthcare providers.ConclusionThe actual opportunities for online communication provoke active participation of all players in the health service market and require a novel model of communication among healthcare providers

Epstein-Barr virus - molecular basis for malignant transformation

Epstein-Barr (EBV) is a widespread virus which can be detected in more than 90% of world population. Primary EBV infection during adolescence and adultness results in infectious mononucleosis, while in children it is usually asymptomatic. EBV is responsible for different malignant forms of B-cell or epithelial cancers, such as Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin`s lymphoma, Burkitt's lymphoma, post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, hairy leukoplakia and HIV-associated lymphomas. Evidence exists that infection with EBV is also linked with a higher risk of hepatocellular and gastric cancers, as well as autoimmune diseases.EВV shows two alternative life cycles - latent and lytic. After the primary infection, the virus remains in B lymphocytes in latency, while the lytic infection takes place predominantly in the epithelial cells and can last for months with constant virus release in saliva and nasopharyngeal secretion. Unlike other herpes viruses, development of oncological diseases is linked with the latent cycle, as a result of immune response‘s failure to control latently infected cells.With the present work we try to concisely review the current knowledge about mechanisms of EBV pathogenesis in humans and to summarize recent findings in the field

Using stable isotopes to inform water resource management in forested and agricultural ecosystems

Present and future climatic trends are expected to markedly alter water fluxes and stores in the hydrologic cycle. In addition, water demand continues to grow due to increased human use and a growing population. Sustainably managing water resources requires a thorough understanding of water storage and flow in natural, agricultural, and urban ecosystems. Measurements of stable isotopes of water (hydrogen and oxygen) in the water cycle (atmosphere, soils, plants, surface water, and groundwater) can provide information on the transport pathways, sourcing, dynamics, ages, and storage pools of water that is difficult to obtain with other techniques. However, the potential of these techniques for practical questions has not been fully exploited yet. Here, we outline the benefits and limitations of potential applications of stable isotope methods useful to water managers, farmers, and other stakeholders. We also describe several case studies demonstrating how stable isotopes of water can support water management decision-making. Finally, we propose a workflow that guides users through a sequence of decisions required to apply stable isotope methods to examples of water management issues. We call for ongoing dialogue and a stronger connection between water management stakeholders and water stable isotope practitioners to identify the most pressing issues and develop best-practice guidelines to apply these techniques

Children’s and adolescents’ rising animal-source food intakes in 1990–2018 were impacted by age, region, parental education and urbanicity

Animal-source foods (ASF) provide nutrition for children and adolescents’ physical and cognitive development. Here, we use data from the Global Dietary Database and Bayesian hierarchical models to quantify global, regional and national ASF intakes between 1990 and 2018 by age group across 185 countries, representing 93% of the world’s child population. Mean ASF intake was 1.9 servings per day, representing 16% of children consuming at least three daily servings. Intake was similar between boys and girls, but higher among urban children with educated parents. Consumption varied by age from 0.6 at <1 year to 2.5 servings per day at 15–19 years. Between 1990 and 2018, mean ASF intake increased by 0.5 servings per week, with increases in all regions except sub-Saharan Africa. In 2018, total ASF consumption was highest in Russia, Brazil, Mexico and Turkey, and lowest in Uganda, India, Kenya and Bangladesh. These findings can inform policy to address malnutrition through targeted ASF consumption programmes.publishedVersio

Incident type 2 diabetes attributable to suboptimal diet in 184 countries

The global burden of diet-attributable type 2 diabetes (T2D) is not well established. This risk assessment model estimated T2D incidence among adults attributable to direct and body weight-mediated effects of 11 dietary factors in 184 countries in 1990 and 2018. In 2018, suboptimal intake of these dietary factors was estimated to be attributable to 14.1 million (95% uncertainty interval (UI), 13.8–14.4 million) incident T2D cases, representing 70.3% (68.8–71.8%) of new cases globally. Largest T2D burdens were attributable to insufficient whole-grain intake (26.1% (25.0–27.1%)), excess refined rice and wheat intake (24.6% (22.3–27.2%)) and excess processed meat intake (20.3% (18.3–23.5%)). Across regions, highest proportional burdens were in central and eastern Europe and central Asia (85.6% (83.4–87.7%)) and Latin America and the Caribbean (81.8% (80.1–83.4%)); and lowest proportional burdens were in South Asia (55.4% (52.1–60.7%)). Proportions of diet-attributable T2D were generally larger in men than in women and were inversely correlated with age. Diet-attributable T2D was generally larger among urban versus rural residents and higher versus lower educated individuals, except in high-income countries, central and eastern Europe and central Asia, where burdens were larger in rural residents and in lower educated individuals. Compared with 1990, global diet-attributable T2D increased by 2.6 absolute percentage points (8.6 million more cases) in 2018, with variation in these trends by world region and dietary factor. These findings inform nutritional priorities and clinical and public health planning to improve dietary quality and reduce T2D globally.publishedVersio

Assessing Fiscal Stress

This paper develops a new index which provides early warning signals of fiscal sustainability problems for advanced and emerging economies. Unlike previous studies, the index assesses the determinants of fiscal stress periods, covering public debt default as well as near-default events. The fiscal stress index depends on a parsimonious set of fiscal indicators, aggregated using the approach proposed by Kaminsky, Lizondo and Reinhart (1998). The index is used to assess the build up of fiscal stress over time since the mid-1990s in advanced and emering economies. Fiscal stress has increased recently to record-high levels in advanced countries, reflecting raising solvency risks and financing needs. In emerging economies, risks are lower than in mature economies owing to sounder fiscal fundamentals, but fiscal stress remains higher than before the crisis.Developed countries;Developing countries;Economic models;Fiscal sustainability;Sovereign debt;fiscal stress, public debt, fiscal indicators, fiscal crisis, fiscal variables, debt default, government debt, fiscal distress, fiscal crises, debt crises, short-term debt, fiscal vulnerability, external debt, sovereign bond, sovereign default, public debt crises, currency crises, debt defaults, fiscal solvency, fiscal adjustment, current account, fiscal policy, currency debt, sovereign debt crises, fiscal affairs, debt obligations, external borrowing, debt restructuring, fiscal affairs department, fiscal risks, short term debt, foreign currency debt, repayment capacity, fiscal outlook, official creditors, domestic currency, fiscal policies, reserve bank, debt exchanges, debt maturity, fiscal difficulties, fiscal data, debt management, domestic public debt, national debt, domestic investor, net debt, currency crisis, debt structure, currency risk, fiscal pressure, deficit financing, fiscal component, fiscal factors, fiscal risk, debt default episodes, currency composition

The use of boreal relict shrub habitats of willow-leaf meadow sweet (Spiraea salicifolia) and shrubby cinquefoil (Potentilla fruticosa) in Western Rhodope Mts. by mammal species

Plant communities of two peat-shrub species – Spiraea salicifolia and Potentilla fruticosa were studied in the Rhodope Mts., with emphasis on their use as a resource for the mammals associated with them. These shrubs are boreal relicts among the dominant coniferous forests. The field surveys were conducted in the spring-autumn period of 2021–2022. In both study areas, the species composition of the mammals was studied by camera traps for medium and large mammals, and by Sherman live traps for small mammals. The species registered were roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), red fox (Vulpes vulpes), wild boar (Sus scrofa), pine marten (Martes martes), European hare (Lepus europaeus), red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris), bank vole (Myodes glareolus) and yellow-necked mouse (Apodemus flavicollis). Having in mind that small mammals are vital prey base for avian and mammalian predators, it is not surprising that M. glareolus and A. flavicollis individuals were captured in the habitats that they probably use as shelters. The pine marten inhabits the forests by which the community of P. fruticosa is surrounded, but probably feeds on the rodents in the shrub. In this way, it probably provides it with an alternative to the forest food base and hunting ground. From the presented results, it seems that the L. europaeus uses P. fruticosa shrubs as food. Therefore, the plant communities of the two relict peat-shrub species studied probably provide shelter and food for the mammals. Their importance is established for at least one species of mammal with conservation significance at national and European level – M. martes. Therefore, it is necessary to continue and expand the future monitoring on mammal diversity of these relict communities

Molekulárně-specifická radiouhlíková analýza

Compound-specific radiocarbon analysis has played important role in the methodology applied in radiocarbon dating since the development of modern analytical instru-mentation. Thank to this evolution it is nowadays possible to radiocarbon date samples which would be normally considered as undatable due to their heterogenous nature or secondary contamination. The aim of this review is to introduce molecular-specific radiocarbon dating approach and show some particular applications already successful-ly tested and used in radiocarbon dating.Molekulárně-specifická radiouhlíková analýza hraje důležitou roli v nových metodických postupech radiouhlíkového datování. Díky moderním analytickým možnostem lze molekulárně-specifickým přístupem určit stáří u vzorků, které by jinak byly, ať už kvůli své heterogenní povaze či vlivu sekundární kontaminace, nedatovatelné. Cílem tohoto příspěvku je přiblížit problematiku molekulárně-specifického přístupu v radiouhlíkovém datování a ukázat některé konkrétní aplikace, které již byly v rámci této metodiky vyzkoušeny a zavedeny.Engelsk titel i WoS: Compound-Specific Radiocarbon Analysis</p