The Croatian Health Survey – Patient\u27s Satisfaction with Medical Service in Primary Health Care in Croatia

The aim of the study was to investigate patient satisfaction with nurses and general practice organization in Croatia. A total of 2,252 patients 18 years of age and over from 47 randomly selected general practices were included in the study. 72.1% of patients were satisfied with nurses and general practice organization. Older and less educated patients were generally more satisfied. Patients were more pleased with nurses’ behavior (81.9%) than with practice organization (62.3%). Factor analysis revealed two underlying discriminates of patient satisfaction – »positive attitude towards the nurse« and »inaccessibility of practice«. The former discriminate emphasized a great potential of nursing, which should be taken into consideration in the transformation of health care system in Croatia

The Croatian Health Survey – SF-36: I. General Quality of Life Assessment

The objective of the Croatian Health Survey was the assessment of population health related quality of life in the transitional enviroment of Croatia. Health status measures incorporate dimensions such as physical, psychological, and social functioning, role performance and perception of wellbeing. In order to assess health status, »The medical outcome study 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36) model« was used. A total sample of 5048 inhabitants (1983 males and 3065 females), 18 years and over, represents approximately 1‰ of the general population of Croatia. Mean scores were as follows: physical functioning (PF) 69.94, role-physical (RP)63.01, bodily pain (BP) 64.51, general health (GH) 53.40, vitality (VT) 51.85, social functioning (SF) 72.96, role-emotional (RE) 72.42, mental health (MH) 61.71 and health transition (HT) 44.79. Results of the SF-36 health survey in Croatia are very much like the results in other European countries with indication that general quality of life is lower in Croatia

Analiza ekspozicije, respiratorna funkcija i kožna preosjetljivost u radnika izloženih prašini mekog i tvrdog drva

Ventilatory lung capacity (FVC, FEV1, MEF50 and MEF75) was measured before and after work shift in three groups of workers (356 in total) exposed to softwood (poplar, pine, mixed softwood, resp.) and in three groups (42 in total) exposed to hardwood dust (iroko, mahogany, okoume, resp.). The difference in levels of exposure to different types of wood dust was considerable; it was more expressed for total than for respirable particles. Significant falls over work shift of all the ventilatory capacity measures except FVC were found in exposure to all softwoods. In hardwood dust exposure no acute effect was found on FEV1 or FVC; significant decrease over shift was observed of MEF50 and MEF75 in mahogany exposure and of MEF75 in iroko exposure. The magnitude of acute falls was not wood type specific, but depended on exposure level irrespective of the type of wood. No convincing evidence was found of chronic effects of the exposure to either soft or hardwood dust on ventilatory lung capacity. Low frequencies of skin reaction to allergens prepared from the extracts of the dusts studied were observed.Izmjereni su testovi ventilacijske funkcije pluća (FVK, FEV1, MEP50 i MEP75) prije i nakon radne smjene u tri skupine radnika (ukupno 365) izloženih prašini mekog drva (topola, crnogorica i miješano meko drvo) i u tri skupine radnika (ukupno 42) izloženih prašini tvrdog drva (iroko, ma-hagonij i okume). Razine izloženosti prašinama različitih tipova drva znatno su se razlikovale, više za ukupne nego za respirabilne aerogene čestice. Utvrđeni su značajni akutni padovi svih testova ventilacijske funkcije pluća tijekom radne smjene osim FVK uz ekspoziciju prašini svih mekih drva. Pri ekspoziciji prašini tvrdog drva nisu nađene akutne promjene niti FEV1 niti FVK; utvrđeni su samo značajni akutni padovi vrijednosti MEP50 i MEP75 uz ekspoziciju prašini mahagonija i MEP75 u radnika izloženih prašini iroka. Akutne promjene ventilacijske funkcije nisu bile specifične za pojedinu vrstu drva, nego su ovisile o razini ekspozicije bez obzira na vrstu drva. Nisu utvrđeni uvjerljivi pokazatelji kroničnih učinaka izloženosti prašini bilo mekog bilo tvrdog drva na ventilacijsku funkciju pluća. Testiranje kožne preosjetljivosti alergenima pripravljenim iz prašine drva dalo je nisku prevalenciju pozitivnih kožnih reakcija

Dynamic adsorption characteristics of thin layered activated charcoal materials used in chemical protective overgarments

The efficiency of a thin layered activated charcoal material used in chemical protective overgarments has been evaluated. The study has been conducted with the aim to obtain protective materials with best characteristics considering resistance to benzene effect under dynamic conditions and to create a new filtration protection device. In order to evaluate dynamic adsorption characteristics of thin layered sorption materials, sophisticated dynamic gas chromatography method is used. The curves of benzene penetration are determined for sandwich materials, and sorption layers used in filtrating protective clothing shows that thin layered carbon sorption materials (type MOO) have good protective properties as compared to other similar materials. The findings will help to create conditions for developing a functional model for producing a new protective overgarment in the near future

GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT DYNAMICS OF TERMINAL SPROUT IN PROVENANCE TRIALS OF SILVER FIR (ABIES ALBA MILL.) OF PLANTS IN CROATIA

Jedna od najvrijednijih vrsta četinjača u Hrvatskoj je obična jela (Abies alba Mill.) koja zajedno s bukvom i smrekom raste na približno 150 000 ha šuma Like i Gorskoga Kotara na kojima se preborno gospodari. Prva istraživanja uspijevanja različitih provenijencija obične jele u Hrvatskoj započela su sakupljanjem sjemena u jesen 1994. godine. Sakupljeni su uzorci sjemena iz 18 priznatih i izabranih sjemenskih sastojina u Hrvatskoj i u dvije slovenske sjemenske sastojine, te je osnovan rani test provenijencija u rasadniku šumarskog instituta, Jastrebarsko. U svrhu daljnjih istraživanja na području Uprave šuma Podružnica Delnice, Šumarija Fužine, lokalitet Brloško, tijekom 2000. godine i u rasadniku Instituta 2001. godine osnovani su poljski pokusi. U radu su prikazani rezultati istraživanja rasta terminalnog izbojka biljaka starosti osam godina. Prosječni prirast biljaka u pokusu "A-polje" u 2002. iznosio je 45,1 mm, a na pokusu provenijencija "Brloško" 156,8 mm. Analizom varijance utvrđeno je postojanje statistički značajnih razlika između provenijencija u dinamici njihova rasta.One of the most valuable conifer tree species in Croatia is Silver fir (Abies alba Mill.). Growing mostly in Lika and Gorski kotar region in pure or mixed with beech and spruce stands it covers area of approximately 150 000 ha, managed using tree selection system. First research on growth of different provenances of silver fir in Croatia begun with seed collection in the autumn of 1994. Collected were seeds from 18 Recognized Seed Stands in Croatia and two from Slovenia and an early provenance test was established in the nursery of Forest Research Institute. Further research involved establishment of field trial in the year 2000 at the locality Brloško on the territory of Forest Management Unit Delnice, Forestry Office Fužine, and in the year 2001 on the Forest Research Institute in Jastrebarsko. In this paper we present results of the research of growth of terminal sprout on fir seedlings aged eight years. Average height increment in the year 2002 for the plants in "A-Field" provenance trial was 45.1 mm, while for the provenance trial "Brloško" average height increment amounted to 156.8 mm. Analysis of variance showed that statistically significant difference exists in growth dynamics of different provenances

Dielectric relaxation of DNA aqueous solutions

We report on a detailed characterization of complex dielectric response of Na-DNA aqueous solutions by means of low-frequency dielectric spectroscopy (40 Hz - 110 MHz). Results reveal two broad relaxation modes of strength 20<\Delta\epsilon_LF<100 and 5<\Delta\epsilon_HF<20, centered at 0.5 kHz<\nu_LF<70 kHz and 0.1 MHz<\nu_HF<15 MHz. The characteristic length scale of the LF process, 50<L_LF<750nm, scales with DNA concentration as c_DNA^{-0.29\pm0.04} and is independent of the ionic strength in the low added salt regime. Conversely, the measured length scale of the LF process does not vary with DNA concentration but depends on the ionic strength of the added salt as I_s^{-1} in the high added salt regime. On the other hand, the characteristic length scale of the HF process, 3<L_HF<50 nm, varyes with DNA concentration as c_DNA^{-0.5} for intermediate and large DNA concentrations. At low DNA concentrations and in the low added salt limit the characteristic length scale of the HF process scales as c_DNA^{-0.33}. We put these results in perspective regarding the integrity of the double stranded form of DNA at low salt conditions as well as regarding the role of different types of counterions in different regimes of dielectric dispersion. We argue that the free DNA counterions are primarily active in the HF relaxation, while the condensed counterions play a role only in the LF relaxation. We also suggest theoretical interpretations for all these length scales in the whole regime of DNA and salt concentrations and discuss their ramifications and limitations.Comment: 15 pages, 9 figure

Genealogical Structuring of a Population

The study observed population of 484 generation restrictive genealogies collected in four Croatian regions during 1970/71 within »The study of fat and carbohydrate metabolism indicators correlated with the occurrence of diabetes in animal fat and oil consuming population groups«. The genealogies were collected on two islands (Bra~ and Hvar) and in two continental regions (Sinjska Krajina and Srijem). Genealogy Structure Index (GSI) was defined as quantitative indicator of genealogy structure. GSI was continuos variable which, by its extreme, describes vertical and horizontal type of genealogy structure, independently of the way genealogies were collected. Genealogy structure of surveyed population was described on the basis of participation of different genealogy types. Populations of the island Hvar and Bra~ showed to have horizontal genealogy type, continental population of Sinjska Krajina showed to have mixed type and continental population of Srijem showed to have vertical type of genealogy structure

Ventilatory capacity and intradermal skin tests in cotton workers

Kronični respiratorni simptomi, respiratorne bolesti, ventilacijske funkcije i alergijski kožni testovi promatrani su u skupini od 112 radnika zaposlenih u preradi pamuka. Učestalost pojave kroničnih respiratornih simptoma i bolesti bila je veća u eksponiranih nego u radnika kontrolne skupine premda su razlike bile statistički značajne samo za kronični kašalj, katar nosa i bisinozu u žena te za kronični kašalj, kronični iskašljaj i bisinozu u muškaraca. Bisinoza je registrirana u sličnoj prevalenciji u žena (29,4%) i u muškaraca (29,5%). U ispitivanih tekstilnih radnika pretežno se radilo o bisinozi stupnja 1/2 (žene 22,1 %, muškarci 20,5%). Rezultati ventilacijskih testova pokazuju tijekom radne smjene statistički značajne akutne redukcije forsiranog vitalnog kapaciteta (FVK) i forsiranog ekspiratornog volumena u prvoj sekundi (FEV1). U muškaraca su utvrđene nešto niže izmjerene vrijednosti testova u odnosu na normalne očekivane vrijednosti. Mali broj radnika reagirao je na alergen pamuka (eksponirani 8,2%, kontrola 1,8%). Naši rezultati pokazuju da ekspozicija prašini pamuka može dovesti do pojave respiratornih simptoma i bolesti te do akutnih promjena funkcionalnih testova ventilacije, ali bez alergijske reakcije.Ventilatory capacity, chronic respiratory symptoms and respiratory diseases as well as intradermal skin tests were registered in a group of 112 cotton workers. The prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms and respiratory diseases was higher among the exposed than among control workers although the differences were statistically significant only for chronic cough, nasal catarrh and byssinosis in women and for chronic cough, chronic phlegm and byssinosis in men. A similar prevalence of byssinosis was noted in women (29.4%) and in men (29.5%). Among textile workers mostly byssinosis grade 1/2 was found (women 22.l %, men 20.5%). There were statistically significant acute reductions over work shift for forced vital capacity (FVC) and one-second forced expiratory volume (FEV1). In men the values were somewhat lower than the expected normal values. A very small number of workers demonstrated positive intradermal skin tests to cotton allergen (exposed 8.2%, control 1.8%). Our data indicate that exposure to cotton dust may lead to the development of respiratory symptoms and diseases as well as to acute changes in ventilatory capacity but without an allergic reaction