This volume encompasses the proceedings of the First International Conference of the East and West in Korean Studies project Cultural Exchanges Between Korea and the West: Artifacts and Intangible ...Heritage, organized by Jong-Chol An and Ariane Perrin in the Department of Asian and North African Studies at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice in May 2021 with the support of the Academy of Korean Studies. Following an interdisciplinary approach from such fields as history, heritage studies, history of art and religious studies, nine essays were selected that best illustrate the main themes of the conference. This richly-illustrated publication presents little-known historical documents and various artifacts that had been lost to time within various institutions, private collections or museum collections, tracing back their history and significance.
This paper uses a rich data set of Slovenian manufacturing firms active in the period 1994–2002 that contains information on outward FDI and exports to different markets in order to test three ...empirical hypotheses that relate the decision for outward FDI to total factor productivity. First, the evidence supports the hypothesis proposed by Helpman, Melitz and Yeaple (2004) that more productive firms are more likely to invest in a foreign affiliate. Second, the hypothesis proposed by Head and Ries (2003) that less productive firms may be encouraged to invest in low‐income countries is rejected by the data. However, the main contribution of the paper is to confirm the third hypothesis that required firm's productivity increases with the number of markets that the firm serves, i.e. there is a positive relationship between the number of a firm's foreign affiliates and its total factor productivity.
Delayed sleep phase disorder and advanced sleep phase disorder cause disruption of the circadian clock and present with extreme morning/evening chronotype with unclear role of the genetic etiology, ...especially for delayed sleep phase disorder. To assess if genotyping can aid in clinical diagnosis, we examined the presence of genetic variants in circadian clock genes previously linked to both sleep disorders in Slovenian patient cohort. Based on Morning-evening questionnaire, we found 15 patients with extreme chronotypes, 13 evening and 2 morning, and 28 controls. Sanger sequencing was used to determine the presence of carefully selected candidate SNPs in regions of the
,
and
genes. In a patient with an extreme morning chronotype and a family history of circadian sleep disorder we identified two heterozygous missense variants in
gene, c.1243C>G (NM_001377275.1 (p.Pro415Ala)) and c.1250A>G (NM_001377275.1 (p.His417Arg)). The variants were significantly linked to Advanced sleep phase disorder and were also found in proband's father with extreme morningness. Additionally, a rare SNP was found in
gene in a patient with
Delayed sleep phase disorder. The novel variant in
(NM_022817.3):c.1901-218 G>T
. We identified a family with autosomal dominant inheritance of two
heterozygous variants that can be linked to Advanced sleep phase disorder. We revealed also a rare hereditary form of Delayed sleep phase disorder with a new
variant with autosomal dominant inheritance, shedding the light into the genetic causality.
In addition to COVID‐19 being a health threat, its longevity and restrictions act as significant stressors and risk for mental health. In the current study, we take a look at how psychological ...response, both its positive aspects, for example, mental well‐being and life satisfaction, and its negative aspects, for example, anxiety and COVID‐19 anxiety, have changed as the pandemic has continued (first three waves in Slovenia). Additionally, we are interested in whether the psychological response is associated with the perception of stress level in waves 2 and 3 as less, equally or more stressful when compared to the stress level in wave 1 and what shapes these perceptions. An online questionnaire battery (COVID‐19 stress level comparison, Warwick‐Edinburgh Mental Well‐being Scale; LAOM Anxiety Scale; Global Life Satisfaction scale; COVID‐19 anxiety), with ANOVA and qualitative analysis of the open‐ended question on reasons for perceiving wave 2 and wave 3 as more stressful when compared to wave 1, was used on a Slovene convenience adult sample (wave 1: N = 364, 83.5% female; wave 2: N = 987, 85.5% female; wave 3: N = 467, 78.5% female). The findings show (a) a significant increase in COVID‐19 anxiety from wave 1 to wave 3, with a peak in wave 2, and a significant decrease in mental well‐being from wave 1 to wave 3; (b) the level of anxiety, mental well‐being, and life satisfaction differs significantly between individuals who perceive wave 2 and 3 as more stressful compared to individuals who perceive wave 2 and wave 3 as equally or less stressful when compared to wave 1; (c) reasons for perceiving the succeeding waves of the pandemic as more stressful compared to wave 1 are diverse, with some being reported in both succeeding waves (e.g., negative emotional response to the pandemic, negative perceptions of measures). The findings highlight the important role of stress analysis in identifying the support mechanisms for dealing with the challenges of the COVID‐19 pandemic.
A mercury-resistant bacterial strain has been isolated from a rock of the Idrija mercury mine in Slovenia. The rock had 19 g carbon and 2952 mg mercury (Hg) per kg. Mass spectrometry and DNA ...sequencing showed that the bacterium belongs to the Pseudomonas genus. It is called Pseudomonas idrijaensis. This bacterial strain is sensitive to methylmercury (MeHg) like the reference P. aeruginosa strain PAO1, and is resistant to divalent mercury (Hg(II)) in contrast to PAO1. This difference could be attributed to the presence of the mer operon yet deprived of the merB gene encoding the organomercurial lyase, on the basis of whole genome sequencing. The P. idrijaensis mer operon displays the RTPCADE organization and is contained in the Tn5041 transposon. This transposon identified here occurs in other Gram-negative Hg-resistant strains isolated from mercury ores, aquatic systems and soils, including Pseudomonas strains from 15,000 to 40,000 years old Siberian permafrost. When P. idrijaensis was exposed to mercury chloride, two intracellular Hg species were identified by high energy-resolution XANES spectroscopy, a dithiolate Hg(SR)2 and a tetrathiolate Hg(SR)4 complex. P. idrijaensis had a much higher Hg(SR)2/Hg(SR)4 molar ratio than bacteria lacking the mer operon when exposed to 4 μg Hg2+/L - resulting in an intracellular accumulation of 4.3 μg Hg/g dw. A higher amount of the Hg(SR)2 complex provides a chemical signature for the expression of the dicysteinate Mer proteins in response to mercury toxicity.
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•Newly discovered bacterium Pseudomonas idrijaensis from a rock of the Idrija mine.•The rock sample was rich in quartz and mica and contained 2952 mg of mercury per kg.•Pseudomonas idrijaensis is resistant to 80 μM of mercury chloride (16 mg Hg/L).•P. idrijaensis is endowed with the mer operon, contained in the transposon Tn5041.•P. idrijaensis accumulates bis and tetrathiolate species: Hg(SR)2 and Hg(SR)4.
The international classification criteria for definite antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) include three laboratory measurements: lupus anticoagulant (LA), IgG and IgM isotypes of anti-cardiolipin (aCL) ...and anti-β2glycoprotein I antibodies (anti-β2GPI). When persistently elevated, they are specific for APS; however, many patients that fulfil clinical criteria may exhibit negative serological results. These “seronegative” APS (SN-APS) are exposed to an increased thrombotic risk. The aims of our cross-sectional, retrospective study of consecutive autoimmune patients’ samples were to evaluate the association of non-criteria antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) with thrombosis and obstetric events, to calculate the risk score for adverse events and to assess the specific contribution of single aPL positivity in SN-APS. LA, aCL, anti-β2GPI and anti-phosphatidylserine/prothrombin antibodies (aPS/PT) of IgG, IgM, and IgA isotypes were determined in sera of 323 patients with autoimmune disorders. Medical records of all patients were carefully analyzed. aCL, anti-β2GPI and aPS/PT of IgG and IgA isotypes were significantly associated with thrombosis while none of the IgM aPL showed such association. aPS/PT of all isotypes, aCL and anti-β2GPI of IgG and IgA isotype showed significant correlation to obstetric events. When considering results of aPS/PT ELISA, we could additionally identify 3% of thrombotic patients and 2% of obstetric patients. Thrombotic and obstetric risk scores were calculated showing significantly higher association to clinical events, as compared to evaluating individual risk factors. aPS/PT could represent an additional biomarker in SN-APS patients. IgA aPL are associated with thrombosis and obstetric complications. Risk scores accounting different aPL and conventional risk factors, better assesses risk for adverse event, as compared to evaluating individual factors alone.
Summary
In 1996, Slovenia witnessed a profound transformation in its cardiac care landscape with the establishment of the Department of Cardiac Surgery at the University Medical Centre Maribor. This ...momentous milestone heralded the birth of the nation’s second heart surgery center revolutionizing cardiovascular care accessibility. Today, the Department of Cardiac Surgery stands as a regional hub, delivering specialized cardiac surgical services to Slovenia’s northeastern region and beyond. Its unwavering commitment to excellence, patient-centered care, and adherence to international guidelines reflects its dedication to providing top-tier cardiac care. As the department commemorates its 25th anniversary, this article offers a reflective overview of its establishment, development, growth and future trajectory for further development in an ever-changing era of cardiovascular medicine. The article also highlights the department’s active involvement in international collaborations, scientific research, medical education, and innovations in minimally invasive cardiac surgery.
•Stable isotope and elemental parameters differentiate between five geographical regions in Slovenia.•The prediction ability is 83.9%.•LDA was found to be the most appropriate method for geographical ...origin discrimination.•Good separation was also obtained between cultivars.
This study examined the applicability of stable isotope and multi-element data for determining the geographical origin of fresh apple juices. Samples included three apple cultivars (Idared, Golden Delicious and Topaz) harvested in 2011 and 2012 from five different geographical regions of Slovenia. Regional discrimination of the juice samples was most successful when using linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and taking into account the following parameters: δ2H and δ18O content of juice water; δ15N and δ13C content of the pulp, (D/H)I and (D/H)II in ethanol and the concentration of S, Cl, Fe, Cu, Zn and Sr. Overall prediction ability was 83.9%. The factors that best distinguished the different types of cultivar were the δ2H and δ18O content of fruit juice water; the δ13C and (D/H)I content of ethanol; and the concentration of S, Mg, K, Cu, and Ti. Prediction ability, taking into account all ten parameters, was 75.8%.
Background
Increasing evidence suggests that not only genetics, but also environmental factors like gut microbiota dysbiosis play an important role in the pathogenesis of celiac disease (CD).
Aim
The ...aim of our study was to investigate the effect of two probiotic strains
Bifidobacterium breve
BR03 and
B. breve
B632 on serum production of anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin 10 (IL-10) and pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) in children with CD.
Methods
The study was a double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial that included 49 children with CD on gluten-free diet (GFD) randomized into two groups and 18 healthy children in the control group. The first group (24 children with CD) daily received
B. breve
BR03 and B632 (2 × 10
9
colony-forming units) and the second group (25 children with CD) received placebo for 3 months.
Results
TNF-α levels were significantly decreased in the first group after receiving
B. breve
for 3 months. On follow-up, 3 months after receiving probiotics, TNF-α levels increased again. Children with CD who were on GFD for less than 1 year showed similar baseline TNF-α levels as children who were on GFD for more than 1 year. IL-10 levels were in all groups of patients below detection level.
Conclusions
Probiotic intervention with
B. breve
strains has shown a positive effect on decreasing the production of pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α in children with CD on GFD.
•Determination of peat stratigraphy, peat thickness and basin morphology.•Comparison of geophysical and conventional approaches in peatland environment.•3D model was created from GPR data to ...visualize the morphology.•Peatland formed from four smaller lakes which were later joined in one lake.
Owing to their anoxic environment, peatlands play an important role in the preservation of records documenting past atmospheric depositions. To determine past records, data on peat stratigraphy and bog development are needed. Ground penetrating radar (GPR) was used to determine the peat thickness and morphology of the Šijec bog on the Pokljuka plateau in Slovenia, which will serve as a basis for further geochemical studies. Information on the stratigraphy below the peat/clay boundary was acquired by applying electrical resistivity tomography (ERT). The GPR results reveal four depressions within the peat bog, which are separated by elevated ridges. Within the depressions the peat reaches a depth of 6–9 m. The edges of the bog are flat, with peat thickness ranging from 2 to 4 m. The reach of the GPR was complemented with manual peat probing. A comparison of the depths obtained using GPR and the peat probe reveals that the results of both methods correspond well in most locations. The ERT indicated similar peat depths; peat responds with high electrical resistivity. In contrast, clayey sediments with low resistivity are found below the peat. The peat depressions are underlain with larger clayey depressions reaching more than 20 m in thickness and represent lake sediments. The complementary geophysical methods proved to be an efficient approach with which we can delineate the peat morphology and the underlying stratigraphy. Both indicate bog formation from a lake with four deeper depressions, that are separated by glacial deposits. The results presented here show the potential for geophysical methods to infer formational processes in peatlands, showing the presence of a series of isolated basins that later coalesced into a single peat landform. This interpretation is consistent with previous conceptual models from studies in boreal regions.
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