: The demographic structure of the countryside shows that the number of people aged 65 or more is increasing; however, they are still active and motivated for work and help the younger generation. ...The research aims at studying the influence of the elderly on the organisation of tourist farms; particularly the factors which affect the organisation of operation and modernisation thereof, such as the factors of inheritance, intergenerational organisational relationships and cooperation, the frequency of further training, inclusion of the elderly in tourist farms and the effect of the perceived changes in the organisation of subsidiary tourist activities on farms on the perception of modernisation.
A critical review of secondary literature sources has been made and the findings were summarised by applying the synthesis method. Further on, a survey was conducted on tourist farms in all Slovenian cohesion regions in order to collect the data which was then analysed by multiple regression method, applying IBM SPSS software.
Inheritance factors do not affect the perception of the modernisation of tourist farms in a statistically significant way; the same applies for intergenerational relationships for people, aged 51 or more while the influence was established for people under 51. Furthermore, the inclusion of the elderly does not have any influence neither does the frequency of further training while education and trainings themselves are important. It has been found out that the expansion of the offer, followed by the division of work, is the most significant for the perception of modernisation.
Survey results show good relationships among the social actors and possible solutions which can be implemented in order to help the population of the Slovenian countryside concerned.
Since there is no study on burnout and job satisfaction in Slovenian nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, this study aims to analyse job satisfaction and burnout levels of healthcare ...professionals working in Slovenian nursing homes in rural areas during the COVID-19 pandemic, and make a comparison with the results of the same services in 2013.
The study is based on a cross-organisational and descriptive quantitative study conducted in spring 2013 (n = 556) and spring 2020 at the peak of the pandemic in Eastern Europe (n = 781) to identify the relationships and the changes in the satisfaction and burnout levels of healthcare professionals working in Slovenian nursing homes in rural areas, and on a qualitative study conducted in 2020, to identify in-depth relationships and changes in both studies during the COVID-19 pandemic.
An increase in burnout syndromes between 2013 - 2020 was observed. The respondents experienced intensified emotional exhaustion and lack of personal accomplishment during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, depersonalisation did not differ statistically over the years. During the pandemic crisis, healthcare workers were less satisfied with their job than in spring 2013. Their job satisfaction was related to satisfaction with the work of nursing homes and with the work of state institutions and politicians who directly affected their working conditions and recognition in society.
The COVID-19 pandemic significantly exacerbated already existing burnout syndromes of nursing homes healthcare workers in Slovenian rural areas. Job satisfaction proved to be a relevant predictor of burnout syndrome. A negative correlation was observed between job satisfaction in 2020 and emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment in 2013 and 2020.
► The sorption of Pb
2+ on oxidized and amino-functionalized MWCNTs follow the Langmuir sorption isotherm. ► Pb
2+ adsorption by MWCNTs is dependent on the number of amino groups in alkyl chains, pH ...and temperature. ► The sorption of Pb
2+ on MWCNTs is a rather complex and spontaneous process. ► Mechanism of sorption includes both physisorption and chemisorption mechanisms. ► MWCNTs can be reused over five times with minimal loss of adsorption capacity.
Pristine, oxidized, ethylenediamine, diethylenetriamine and triethylenetetramine modified multi-walled carbon nanotubes (raw-MWCNT, o-MWCNT, e-MWCNT, d-MWCNT and t-MWCNT, respectively) were employed as adsorbents in order to study individual and competitive adsorption characteristics of Pb
2+ and Cd
2+ ions. In batch tests, the influence of functionalization, pH, contact time, initial metal ion concentration and temperature, on the ion adsorption on MWCNTs was studied. Adsorption of Pb
2+ and Cd
2+ on MWCNTs strongly depends on pH. Time dependent Pb
2+ adsorption and adsorption data can be described by pseudo-second-order kinetic model and by Langmuir isotherm, respectively. The maximum adsorption capacities of Pb
2+ and Cd
2+ on d-MWCNT were 58.26 and 31.45
mg
g
−1 at 45
°C, respectively. The competitive adsorption studies showed that the metal order affinity with respect to d-MWCNT and e-MWCNT is Pb
2+
>
Cd
2+. Thermodynamic parameters showed that the adsorption of Pb
2+ on appropriate nanotubes was spontaneous and endothermic. According to desorption studies, regenerated MWCNT can be reused over five times with minimal loss of adsorption capacity. Comparison of obtained results with capacities and affinities of other adsorbents indicates suitability of amino-functionalized MWCNT application for removal of Pb
2+ and Cd
2+ from aqueous solution.
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► Iron(III)-oxide loaded e-MWCNT shows good sorption affinity for arsenic(V). ► The sorption pattern of As(V) fits well to the Freundlich model. ► As(V) adsorption is dependent to ...iron(III)-oxide content, pH and temperature. ► The sorption of As(V) and As(III) is a rather complex and spontaneous process. ► Creation of inner-sphere surface complexes are main sorption mechanisms.
New criteria in assessing the quality of drinking water reduced the maximum permissible concentration of arsenic from 50μgL−1 to 10μgL−1, and set a requirement for the development of new technologies for arsenic removal. In this paper, ethylenediamine functionalized multiwall carbon nanotubes (e-MWCNT) were loaded with iron(III) oxide in the goethite form, by precipitation of adsorbed Fe3+ and oxidized Fe2+ using base, in that way e-MWCNT/Fe3+ and e-MWCNT/Fe2+ adsorbents, respectively, were obtained. The influence of pH on the As(V) and As(III) removal from drinking water was studied in a batch system, of pH range 3–10 and initial arsenic concentration 0.05–4mgL−1. Time dependent As(V) adsorption and adsorption data can be described by pseudo-second-order kinetic model and by Freundlich isotherm, applying linear and non-linear fitting methods. The maximum adsorption capacities obtained from Langmuir model for As(V) on e-MWCNT/Fe2+ and e-MWCNT/Fe3+ were 23.47 and 13.74mgg−1 at 25°C, respectively. Thermodynamic parameters showed that the adsorption of As(V) was spontaneous and endothermic for both e-MWCNT/Fe2+ and e-MWCNT/Fe3+. Influences of the pH, iron(III) oxide loading and interfering ions were modeled by MINTEQ program, and good agreement between experimental and modeling data was obtained.
Surface functionalization of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) by ethylenediamine,
via chemical modification of carboxyl groups, using O-(7-azabenzotriazol-1-yl)-N,N,N′,N′-tetramethyluronium ...hexafluorophosphate, was performed. The resulting materials were characterized by different techniques, such as FTIR, TGA and elemental analysis. Biocompatibility studies showed that the functionalized MWCNTs, at concentrations between 1 and 50
μg
mL
−1, were not cytotoxic for the fibroblast L929 cell line. In batch tests, the influences of solution pH, contact time, initial metal ion concentration and temperature on the sorption of Cd
2+ ions onto raw-MWCNTs (raw-MWCNT), oxidized MWCNTs (o-MWCNT) and ethylenediamine-functionalized MWCNTs (e-MWCNT) were studied. The adsorption of Cd
2+ ions by o-MWCNT and e-MWCNT was strongly pH dependent. The time dependent Cd
2+ sorption onto raw-MWCNT, o-MWCNT and e-MWCNT can be described by a pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The Langmuir isotherm model agrees well with the equilibrium experimental data. The maximum capacity was obtained for e-MWCNT, 25.7
mg
g
−1, at 45
°C. The thermodynamic parameters were also deduced for the adsorption of Cd
2+ ions on raw-MWCNT, o-MWCNT and e-MWCNT and the results showed that the adsorption was spontaneous and endothermic.
The purpose of this paper was to determine whether tipping could reduce labour costs in the petroleum products retail sector. The research we present was designed on the basis of survey results ...gathered from Slovenian petrol stations in 2009 and 2010. We have identified the following factors in the tipping process: job satisfaction, flexibility, service quality, satisfaction, motivation and the factor of receiving tips. The analysis showed correlation between methods used to increase the value of tips and better service quality, increased financial and numerical flexibility, motivation, satisfaction upon receipt of tips and the method used to increase the value of tips. In order to decrease labour costs we propose that the management take control of tipping and integrates tips into the reward system. Also, the employees should be made aware about how tipping improves service and increases their income.
An advanced teaching method for the analysis of balanced operations of overhead transmission lines has been described in this paper. The proposed educational method combines theoretical, simulation ...and experimental approaches with the purpose of a higher-level knowledge achievement. Several exercises have been defined and implemented in the teaching process. Some characteristic overhead transmission line steady state regimes, such as Ferranti effect, natural load flow and capacitive overhead transmission line behaviour, have been analysed. The special analysis has been carried out in order to determine the basic characteristics of the switching transients. Software package MATLAB/Simulink has been used for the estimation of system parameters and for the simulation analysis. Different overhead transmission line models have been compared and useful modelling guidelines have been recommended. Experimental calculations have been performed by using a physically scaled system consisting of multiple Pi sections representing 100 km length 400 kV overhead transmission line. The proposed method has been tested within High Voltage Engineering undergraduate course and useful application feedback from students has been obtained.
Surface functionalization of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), with amino groups via chemical modification of carboxyl groups introduced on the nanotube surface, using
...O-(7-azabenzotriazol-1-yl)-
N,
N,
N′,
N′-tetramethyluronium hexafluorophosphate (N-HATU) and
N,
N-diisopropylethylamine (DIEA) is reported. The N-HATU coupling agent provides faster reaction rate and the reaction occurs at lower temperature compared to amidation and acylation–amidation chemistry. The amines, 1,6-hexanediamine (HDA), diethylenetriamine (DETA), triethylenetetramine (TETA) and 1,4-phenylenediamine (PDA) were used. The resulting materials were characterized with different techniques such as FTIR, XRD, elemental analysis, TGA, TEM, UV–vis spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. MWCNTs functionalized with PDA posses the best dispersibility and electron transfer properties in comparison to the others amines. Functionalized MWCNTs, at the concentrations between 1 and 50
μg
ml
−1, were not cytotoxic for the fibroblast L929 cell line. However, the concentrations of MWCNTs higher of 10
μg
ml
−1 reduced cell growth and this effect correlated positively with the degree of their uptake by L929 cells.
The study aim was to compare lifestyle behaviors, body mass index (BMI) and perceived health in subjects with and without chronic bronchitis or emphysema, and to explore if these comparisons differed ...between demographic subgroups.
A stratified two-stage sample of the population of Serbia was used; 14.522 adults aged ≥ 20 years were interviewed.
Compared with controls, respondents with chronic bronchitis or emphysema reported a 23% increased likelihood of eating fresh vegetables every day (CI 1.02-1.48), 58% increased likelihood of currently smoking (CI 1.32-1.88) and more likely to perceive their health as very bad or bad (OR 4.67, CI 3.64-5.98). After stratification for sex, education, and type of settlement, smoking was significantly associated with chronic bronchitis or emphysema in all subgroups except males. The increased likelihood of very bad or bad perceived health in respondents with chronic bronchitis or emphysema was significant in all subgroups, and was highest for respondents ≤ 65 years of age (adjusted OR 6.51; CI 4.87-8.72) and lowest for respondents > 65 years of age (adjusted OR 3.25; CI 2.12-4.97).
Efforts to enhance perceived health and healthy lifestyle behaviors in subjects with chronic bronchitis or emphysema are necessary. Special attention should be paid to smoking cessation in almost all demographic subgroups.
Dapsone is an anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory drug. Water-dispersible dapsone-modified multi-wall carbon nanotubes (dap-MWCNTs) were prepared by chemical modification of the carboxyl groups ...introduced on the surface of the nanotubes using
O-(7-azabenzotriazol-1-yl)-
N,
N,
N′,
N′-tetramethyluronium hexafluorophosphate (N-HATU) and
N,
N-diisopropylethylamine (DIEA). The modification was confirmed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission election microscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. The biological effect of dap-MWCNTs was tested using rat peritoneal macrophages (PMØ). By confocal laser microscopy and flow cytometry, it was shown that the dap-MWCNTs were rapidly ingested by PMØ as were the control, oxidized o-MWCNTs. Neither dap-MWCNTs at lower concentrations (up to 50
μg/ml), nor o-MWCNTs, at equivalent concentrations, respectively affected the viability of PMØ, while higher concentrations triggered apoptosis. Apoptosis of PMØ induced by the control, o-MWCNTs, was higher than that induced by dap-MWCNTs and it correlated with the induction of oxidative stress. In contrast, dap-MWCNTs did not trigger oxidative stress but caused apoptosis of PMØ predominantly after prolonged cultivation (3
days). Although equivalent concentrations of soluble dapsone induced oxidative stress, they were anti-apoptotic. Cumulatively, the obtained results show the complexity of dap-MWCNT/PMØ interactions and suggest that this complex could be investigated for the treatment of dapsone-sensitive intracellular microorganisms or inflammatory diseases responding to dapsone therapy.
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