Confucius principles as an essential element of Chinese management culture

China is known for its diverse philosophical heritage. 2500 years ago in China at the end of the period of "one hundred schools" morethan 10 philosophical doctrines were formed and Confucianism became the most prominent and widespread philosophical teaching. Inthis article core Confucius principles and their importance in modern Chinese management culture are discussed. Confucius philosophyis distinguished by its vitality – it survived throughout the 2500 years of history and was given a status of national ideology in variousAsian societies. Moreover, the Confucian system of values is recognized as the main cultural component of the rapid economic progressof China and other Asian countries. Confucianism is a system of ethical and social behavioral norms and advocates the principles ofharmony, benevolence, and hierarchy. In modern China, Western management principles are gradually being introduced, newideological attitudes are emerging, and a new Chinese-Western management style is being formed. However, many elements of theConfucian value system will be popular regardless of anything: Confucian principles serve as ethical guidance for Chinese businesssociety and are key in building successful cooperation with members of Chinese culture

Umbrella Blow to the Head instead of a Kiss: Transformation of Sleeping Beauty Image in B. Shaw’s Plays

The article considers the question of the relevance of fairy-tale poetics in the works of the Irish playwright Bernard Shaw. The subject of the analysis is the transformation of the image of Sleeping beauty in the dramas “Heartbreak House”, 1913-1917 and “Too True to Be Good”, 1931. Attention is drawn to a wide historical and literary context, which determined the relevance of folklore and fairy tales for the era of the turn of the XIXth-XXth centuries. The author provides a brief history of the dramatic transformation of the plot in musical theatre. The question is raised about other sources of influence on the interpretation of the motif of the dream and the image of the sleeping princess by Shaw; the article considers the Scandinavian mythological tradition represented in R. Wagner’s operas and the material of Russian epic stories. Particular attention is paid to the comparison of the drama “Too True to Be Good” with the early fairy-tale play by M. Maeterlinck “Seven Princesses” (Les sept princesses, 1891). The novelty of the study is seen in the fact that the question of the presence of fairy-tale poetics in the work of the playwright has so far been little studied by Western researchers and is not at all covered in Russian literary studies. The article establishes previously undetected links between the works of Shaw and Maeterlinck. It proves the possibility of the existence of continuity between Shaw’s characters and the heroes of the Russian epics. The relevance of the study is determined by the fact that the problem of the presence and modification of folklore and mythological imagery is important for literature not only at the turn of the XIXth-XXth centuries, but also in the XXIst century

Career construction: inclusive education from school to college and university

This article presents the obstacles that Russian schoolchildren with special needs face when considering vocational and professional education. Using the analysis of official reports, applied research methods and sociological methods, the researchers identified the following obstacles: lack of specific career guidance at school; disabled students’ fear that they lack physical strength to study and the negative attitude of others

The Impact of Maternal Overweight on Hair Essential Trace Element and Mineral Content in Pregnant Women and Their Children

The aim of the present study was to investigate hair essential trace elements and mineral levels in 105 pregnant normal-weight (control) and 55 overweight and obese women in the third trimester of pregnancy, as well as in their children at the age of 9 months. The hair essential trace elements and mineral levels were assessed using inductively coupled plasma mass-spectrometry. Overweight pregnant women had significantly reduced Cr (- 24%; p = 0.047) and Zn (- 13%; p = 0.008) content, as well as elevated hair Na and K levels as compared to the controls. Children from overweight and obese mothers had lower hair Mo (- 18%; p = 0.017), Se (- 8%; p = 0.043), and V (- 24%; p = 0.028) levels, as well as elevated Sr content (19%; p = 0.025). Correlation analysis revealed a significant relationship between maternal and child hair levels of Co (r = 0.170; p = 0.038), Cu (r = 0.513; p < 0.001), Mn (r = 0.240; p = 0.003), and Na (r = 0.181; p = 0.027) in the whole sample. Pre-pregnancy maternal body mass index (BMI) positively correlated with maternal hair K (r = 0.336; p < 0.001) and Na (r = 0.212; p = 0.008) and negatively correlated with V (r = - 0.204; p = 0.011) and Zn (r = - 0.162; p = 0.045) levels. The results indicate that impaired trace element and mineral metabolism may play a role in the link between maternal obesity, complications of pregnancy and child's postnatal development. Hypothetically, dietary improvement may be used as a tool to reduce these risks. However, further experimental and clinical studies are required to investigate the relationship between obesity and trace element metabolism in pregnancy

Sulfhydryl groups as targets of mercury toxicity

The present study addresses existing data on the affinity and conjugation of sulfhydryl (thiol; -SH) groups of low- and high-molecular-weight biological ligands with mercury (Hg). The consequences of these interactions with special emphasis on pathways of Hg toxicity are highlighted. Cysteine (Cys) is considered the primary target of Hg, and link its sensitivity with thiol groups and cellular damage. In vivo, Hg complexes play a key role in Hg metabolism. Due to the increased affinity of Hg to SH groups in Cys residues, glutathione (GSH) is reactive. The geometry of Hg(II) glutathionates is less understood than that with Cys. Both Cys and GSH Hg-conjugates are important in Hg transport. The binding of Hg to Cys mediates multiple toxic effects of Hg, especially inhibitory effects on enzymes and other proteins that contain free Cys residues. In blood plasma, albumin is the main Hg-binding (Hg2+, CH3Hg+, C2H5Hg+, C6H5Hg+) protein. At the Cys34 residue, Hg2+ binds to albumin, whereas other metals likely are bound at the N-terminal site and multi-metal binding sites. In addition to albumin, Hg binds to multiple Cys-containing enzymes (including manganese-superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD), arginase I, sorbitol dehydrogenase, and δ-aminolevulinate dehydratase, etc.) involved in multiple processes. The affinity of Hg for thiol groups may also underlie the pathways of Hg toxicity. In particular, Hg-SH may contribute to apoptosis modulation by interfering with Akt/CREB, Keap1/Nrf2, NF-κB, and mitochondrial pathways. Mercury-induced oxidative stress may ensue from Cys-Hg binding and inhibition of Mn-SOD (Cys196), thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) (Cys497) activity, as well as limiting GSH (GS-HgCH3) and Trx (Cys32, 35, 62, 65, 73) availability. Moreover, Hg-thiol interaction also is crucial in the neurotoxicity of Hg by modulating the cytoskeleton and neuronal receptors, to name a few. However, existing data on the role of Hg-SH binding in the Hg toxicity remains poorly defined. Therefore, more research is needed to understand better the role of Hg-thiol binding in the molecular pathways of Hg toxicology and the critical role of thiols to counteract negative effects of Hg overload. Keywords: Apoptosis; Conjugates; Cysteine; Mercury; S-mercuration.R01 ES007331/ES/NIEHS NIH HHS/United States R01 ES010563/ES/NIEHS NIH HHS/United States R01 ES020852/ES/NIEHS NIH HHS/United StatesacceptedVersio

The impact of lifestyle factors on age-related differences in hair trace element content in pregnant women in the third trimester

BACKGROUND: Trace elements play a significant role in the regulation of human reproduction, while advanced age may have a significant impact on trace element metabolism. The objective of the present study was to assess the impact of lifestyle factors on age-related differences in hair trace element content in pregnant women in the third trimester. METHODS: A total of 124 pregnant women aged 20&ndash;29 (n = 72) and 30&ndash;39 (n = 52) were ex- amined. Scalp hair trace element content was assessed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry at NexION 300D (Perkin Elmer, USA) after microwave digestion. RESULTS: The results showed that the elder pregnant women had 36% (p = 0.009), 14% (p = 0.045), and 45% (p = 0.044) lower hair Zn, V, and Cd content, and 16% (p = 0.044) higher hair B levels &ndash; in comparison to the respective younger group values. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that the age of the women had a significant influence on hair V and Zn levels. B content was also significantly influenced by age at first intercourse, smoking status, and specific dietary habits. None of the lifestyle factors were associated with hair Cd content in pregnant women. Hair V levels were also affected by following a special diet. Interestingly, alcohol intake did not have a significant impact on hair trace element content. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that lifestyle factors have a significant influence on age-related changes in hair trace elements during pregnancy that may impact the outcome of pregnancy

Association between hair mineral and age, BMI and nutrient intakes among Korean female adults

This study was performed to investigate the association between hair mineral levels and nutrient intakes, age, and BMI in female adults who visited a woman's clinic located in Seoul. Dietary intakes were assessed by food frequency questionnaire and mineral levels were measured in collected hairs, and the relationship between these was examined. The average daily nutrient intakes of subjects were compared to those of the KDRIs, and the energy intake status was fair. The average intake of calcium in women of 50 years and over was 91.35% of KDRIs and the potassium intake was greatly below the recommended levels in all age groups. In the average hair mineral contents in subjects, calcium and copper exceeded far more than the reference range while selenium was very low with 85.19% of subjects being lower than the reference value. In addition, the concentrations of sodium, potassium, iron, and manganese in the hair were below the reference ranges in over 15% of subjects. The concentrations of sodium, chromium, sulfur, and cadmium in the hair showed positive correlations (P < 0.05) with age, but the hair zinc level showed a negative correlation (P < 0.05) with age. The concentrations of sodium, potassium, chromium, and cadmium in the hair showed positive correlations (P < 0.05) with BMI. Some mineral levels in subjects of this study showed significant correlations with nutrient intakes, but it seems that the hair mineral content is not directly influenced by each mineral intake. As described above, some hair mineral levels in female adults deviated from the normal range, and it is considered that nutritional intervention to control the imbalance of mineral nutrition is required. Also, as some correlations were shown between hair mineral levels and age, BMI, and nutrient intakes, the possibility of utilizing hair mineral analysis for specific purposes in the future is suggested

Toxicological and nutritional status of trace elements in hair of women with in vitro fertilization (IVF) pregnancy and their 9-month-old children

The objective of the present study was to assess toxic and nutritional trace element and mineral status in hair of women with IVF pregnancy and their children. Inductively-coupled plasma mass-spectrometry was used to as-sess hair trace element levels of 50 women with IVF pregnancy and 158 controls with spontaneous pregnancy and their children. Women with IVF pregnancy were characterized by significantly elevated hair As, Hg, Li, K, Na, and reduced Fe, Si, and Zn contents. Children from IVF pregnancy had significantly lower values of hair Cr, Fe, Mg, Sr, and Al content when compared to the control values, whereas hair Hg and Mo levels were higher. Hair trace element levels were associated with pregnancy complications and infertility, but not newborn characteristics. The results suggest the need for preconceptional monitoring and correction of the levels of toxic and essential elements in women in order to improve the course pregnancy and child development

A Comparison of Levels of Select Minerals in Scalp Hair Samples with Estimated Dietary Intakes of These Minerals in Women of Reproductive Age

The objective of this study was to evaluate daily intake of minerals and concentrations of minerals in hair in women of reproductive age. The study included 77 menstruating women, aged 35.9 ± 9.7 years. Subjects were divided into three groups according to age. All women were healthy. Hair samples were taken from several points of the occipital scalp. The content of minerals in hair samples was determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Dietary intake of the analysed minerals was assayed on the basis of dietary intake interviews from three preceding days and evaluated using the dietetic computer programme. It was shown that calcium and iron daily intake by the women was below the recommended value. Only few women had low concentrations (below reference values) of magnesium, copper and zinc in hair. Statistically significant differences were shown between age groups. Generally, the concentrations of minerals in hair in the younger (19–30 years) and the older women (41–50 years) were higher than in hair of middle-aged women (31–40 years). The content of calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc in daily diets of women correlated inversely with copper level in their hair. Food products with good bioavailability of iron and calcium should be recommended for women of childbearing age in all age groups