Razina industrijskog održivog razvoja u Kini i faktori utjecaja

This research aims to set up a comprehensive index system to evaluate the sustainable development level of the industrial sector in China and to determine the key influencing factors that hinder the sector’s sustainable development. To achieve these research goals, we build a theoretical model with 26 indexes selected from resource, environment, economy, and society subsystems. An empirical analysis is conducted through Principal Component Analysis and Structural Equation Modeling. Results indicate that the sustainable development level of China’s industrial sector became positive in 2007 and peaked in 2012. The environment subsystem has the largest effect on the sustainable development level. The sustainable development level is also greatly influenced by solid wastes, production of non-renewable resources, energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product (GDP), and industrial research and development (R&D) expenditure. The basic conclusion is that the sustainable development level of the industrial sector in China can be enhanced through improving the utilization efficiency of resources, increasing the contribution of technology progress to GDP, and developing renewable resources.Cilj ovog istraživanja je uspostaviti sveobuhvatan indeks sustava za procjenu razine održivog razvoja industrijskog sektora u Kini i odrediti ključne čimbenike koji sprječavaju održivi razvoj tog sektora. Za postizanje ovih znanstvenoistraživačkih ciljeva, izgradili smo model od 26 indeksa odabranih iz resursa, okoliša, gospodarstva i društvenih podsustava. Empirijska analiza provodi se pomoću analize glavnih komponenti i modeliranja strukturnih jednadžbi. Rezultati pokazuju da je razina održivog razvoja kineskog industrijskog sektora postao pozitivan 2007.godine, a vrhunac dosegnuo 2012. godine. Podsustav okoliša ima najveći utjecaj na razinu održivog razvoja. Razina održivog razvoja također je pod velikim utjecajem krutog otpada, proizvodnje neobnovljivih resursa, potrošnje energije po jedinici bruto domaćeg proizvoda (BDP-a) i troškova za industrijsko istraživanje i razvoj. Osnovni zaključak je da se razina održivog razvoja industrijskog sektora u Kini može poboljšati povećanjem učinkovitosti korištenja resursa, većim doprinosom tehnologijskog napretka u BDP-u i razvijanjem obnovljivih resursa

Factors Leading to Students’ Satisfaction in the Higher Learning Institutions

There is an increasing need to understand factors that affect satisfaction of students with learning. This study will explore the relationship between student satisfaction and teacher-student relationship, teacher preparedness, campus support facilities and experiences provided by the institute to the students. Study is a necessary activity that most people must engage in for much of their lives to support themselves and their families; however, motivation and student satisfaction vary for students. Some students are motivated by a sense of accomplishment, some by helping others, and others by personal fulfillment. Some students get satisfied by personality grooming, personal values, and psychological needs fulfillment. The data was collected through questionnaire from the students of selected universities. This study focuses on factors that influence student satisfaction for the purpose of improving quality and thereby better performance. Keywords: Student satisfaction, Student-teacher relationship, Faculty preparedness, Campus facilities, Higher educatio

The effects of cognitive behavioural therapy on depression and quality of life in patients with maintenance haemodialysis: a systematic review

Depression is highly prevalent among Haemodialysis (HD) patients and is known to results in a series of adverse outcomes and poor quality of life (QoL). Although cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) has been shown to improve depressive symptoms and QoL in other chronic illness, there is uncertainty in terms of the effectiveness of CBT in HD patients with depression or depressive symptoms. All randomised controlled trials relevant to the topic were retrieved from the following databases: CINHAL, MEDLINE, PubMed, PsycINFO and CENTRAL. The grey literature, specific journals, reference lists of included studies and trials registers website were also searched. Data was extracted or calculated from included studies that had measured depression and quality of life using valid and reliable tools -this included mean differences or standardised mean differences and 95% confidence intervals. The Cochrane risk of bias tool was used to identify the methodological quality of the included studies. Six RCTs were included with varying methodological quality. Meta-analysis was undertaken for 3 studies that employed the CBT versus usual care. All studies showed that the depressive symptoms significantly improved after the CBT. Furthermore, CBT was more effective than usual care (MD = - 5.28, 95%CI - 7.9 to - 2.65, P = 0.37) and counselling (MD = - 2.39, 95%CI - 3.49 to - 1.29), while less effective than sertraline (MD = 2.2, 95%CI 0.43 to 3.97) in alleviating depressive symptoms. Additionally, the CBT seems to have a beneficial effect in improving QoL when compared with usual care, while no significant difference was found in QoL score when compared CBT with sertraline. CBT may improve depressive symptoms and QoL in HD patients with comorbid depressive symptoms. However, more rigorous studies are needed in this field due to the small quantity and varied methodological quality in the identified studies

Culture-Related Health Disparities in Quality of Life: Assessment of Instrument Dimensions Among Chinese

Background: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is one of the major focuses of primary care. However, HRQoL instruments used in China are mainly developed from Western countries. Such instruments may not cover all important health concepts valued by the Chinese as health is a culture-specific concept.Objectives: The objectives of this study are to identify culture-specific health dimensions and culture-related health disparities in primary care that are considered important by Chinese living in China.Methods: A purposive sample of 164 adult Chinese (67 healthy persons and 97 patients) were interviewed face to face. In-depth open-ended questions were asked to elicit culture-specific dimensions of quality of life in primary care settings in China.Results: Twelve health dimensions were identified. Five most frequently mentioned dimensions were: mood (N = 52, 31.71%), physical activities (N = 48, 29.27%), work (N = 40, 24.39%), diet (N = 32, 19.51%), and vitality (N = 28, 17.07%). Significantly more healthy persons reported mood (49.25 vs. 19.59%, P < 0.001), mindset (16.42 vs. 0.00%, P < 0.001), and self-care (11.94 vs. 2.06%, P = 0.016) characterizing good HRQoL, while more patients emphasized on work (4.48 vs. 38.14%, P < 0.001). Diet and vitality appeared to be culture-specific dimensions related to health among Chinese.Conclusions: To better adapt or develop HRQoL instruments for Chinese, dimensions or items regarding diet might be included and disparities in the meaning of vitality between Chinese and Western cultures should be considered

Clinical spectrum and gene mutations in a Chinese cohort with anoctaminopathy

Recessive mutations in anoctamin-5 (ANO5) are causative for limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD) 2L and non-dysferlin Miyoshi-like distal myopathy (MMD3). ANDS mutations are highly prevalent in European countries; however it is not common in patients of Asian origin, and there is no data regarding the Chinese population. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical manifestations and gene mutations of Chinese patients with anoctaminopathy. A total of five ANDS mutations including four novel mutations and one reported mutation were found in four patients from three families. No hotspot mutation was found. Three patients presented with presymptomatic hyperCKemia and one patient had limb muscle weakness. Muscle imaging of lower limbs showed preferential adductor magnus and medial gastrocnemius involvement. No hotspot mutation has been identified in Chinese patients to date. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe

Chemokines and lymphocyte homing in Sjögren’s syndrome

Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease that typically presents with lymphocyte, dendritic cell, and macrophage infiltration of exocrine gland ducts and the formation of ectopic germinal centers. The interactions of lymphocyte homing receptors and addressins and chemokines and their receptors, such as α4β7/MAdCAM-1, LFA-1/ICAM-1, CXCL13/CXCR5, CCL25/CCR9, CX3CL1/CX3CR1, play important roles in the migration of inflammatory cells to the focal glands and the promotion of ectopic germinal center formation in SS. A variety of molecules have been shown to be involved in lymphocyte homing, including tumor necrosis factor-α, interferon (IFN)-α, IFN-β, and B cell activating factor. This process mainly involves the Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription signaling pathway, lymphotoxin-β receptor pathway, and nuclear factor-κB signaling pathway. These findings have led to the development of antibodies to cell adhesion molecules, antagonists of chemokines and their receptors, compounds interfering with chemokine receptor signaling, and gene therapies targeting chemokines and their receptors, providing new targets for the treatment of SS in humans. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between lymphocyte homing and the pathogenesis of SS, and to provide a review of recent studies addressing lymphocyte homing in targeted therapy for SS

Loss-of-function mutations in Lysyl-tRNA synthetase cause various leukoencephalopathy phenotypes

Objective: To expand the clinical spectrum of lysyl-tRNA synthetase (KARS) gene–related diseases, which so far includes Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, congenital visual impairment and microcephaly, and nonsyndromic hearing impairment. Methods: Whole-exome sequencing was performed on index patients from 4 unrelated families with leukoencephalopathy. Candidate pathogenic variants and their cosegregation were confirmed by Sanger sequencing. Effects of mutations on KARS protein function were examined by aminoacylation assays and yeast complementation assays. Results: Common clinical features of the patients in this study included impaired cognitive ability, seizure, hypotonia, ataxia, and abnormal brain imaging, suggesting that the CNS involvement is the main clinical presentation. Six previously unreported and 1 known KARS mutations were identified and cosegregated in these families. Two patients are compound heterozygous for missense mutations, 1 patient is homozygous for a missense mutation, and 1 patient harbored an insertion mutation and a missense mutation. Functional and structural analyses revealed that these mutations impair aminoacylation activity of lysyl-tRNA synthetase, indicating that de- fective KARS function is responsible for the phenotypes in these individuals. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that patients with loss-of-function KARS mutations can manifest CNS disorders, thus broadening the phenotypic spectrum associated with KARS-related disease