Prehrana dojenčadi i male djece na hrvatskim studijima sestrinstva: presječna studija

Introduction. Breastfeeding rates in Croatia are far from WHO recommendations, with only 8% of women exclusively breastfeeding at 6 months. Nurses play a key role in supporting optimal infant feeding; therefore, their undergraduate training should cover this topic. Aim. The aim of this study was to determine if infant feeding is part of undergraduate nursing programs in Croatia, and to analyse relevant textbooks. Methods. Between January and March 2019, all pulicly available nursing undergraduate curricula (N=9) for the 2018/2019 academic year were assessed. Required textbooks were analysed by two independent assessors using the WHO Infant and Young Child Feeding: Model Chapter for textbooks for medical students and allied health professionals. Results. Infant feeding was included in all the curricula. The mean number of topics from the Model Chapter covered in the four evaluated textbooks was 30.4%, of which 2.7% were classified as correct and thorough, 21% as correct and brief, and 6.7% as incorrect. Fields most poorly covered were: ‘Policy, health system and community actions’ and ‘Appropriate feeding in exceptionally difficult circumstances’. Discussion. This is one of only a few published studies looking at nursing textbook content related to infant feeding. Less than a third of topics, considered mandatory for health professional education, were covered in the required textbooks. Conclusion. Even though infant feeding was part of all assessed nursing curricula in Croatia, the required textbooks were largely outdated, incomplete and at times incorrect.Uvod. Stope dojenja u Hrvatskoj daleko su od preporuka SZO-a, pri čemu samo 8% žena isključivo doji djecu u dobi od šest mjeseci. Medicinske sestre igraju ključnu ulogu u pružanju potpore optimalnoj prehrani dojenčadi, stoga bi njihovo preddiplomsko obrazovanje trebalo obuhvaćati navedenu temu. Cilj. Ciljevi ove studije bili su utvrditi je li prehrana dojenčadi dio preddiplomskog kurikuluma sestrinstva u Hrvatskoj te analizirati relevantne udžbenike. Metode. Između siječnja i ožujka 2019. ocjenjivani su javno dostupni preddiplomski kurikulumi studija sestrinstva (N=9) za akademsku godinu 2018./2019. Relevantne udžbenike analizirala su dva neovisna ocjenjivača koji su se koristili Priručnikom SZO-a o prehrani dojenčadi i male djece za zdravstvene djelatnike. Rezultati. Prehrana dojenčadi bila je zastupljena u svim nastavnim kurikulumima. Prosječan broj tema iz Priručnika SZO-a obuhvaćenih u četiri evaluirana udžbenika iznosio je 30,4%, od čega je 2,7% ocijenjeno kao prisutno i potpuno navedeno, 21% prisutno i djelomično navedeno, a 6,7% kao netočno. Slabo zastupljene teme bile su: „Politika, zdravstveni sustav i akcije u zajednici” i „Odgovarajuća prehrana u iznimno teškim okolnostima”. Rasprava. Ovo je jedna od rijetkih studija i prva u Hrvatskoj koja se bavi temom prehrane dojenčadi na preddiplomskim studijima sestrinstva kroz procjenu kurikuluma i sadržaja u relevantnim udžbenicima. Analizom udžbenika ustanovljeno je manje od trećine preporučenog sadržaja na temu prehrane dojenčadi. Zaključak. Iako su svi javno dostupni kurikulumi u Hrvatskoj imali zastupljenu temu o prehrani dojenčadi, ocjenjivani udžbenici uglavnom su zastarjeli, a navedeni sadržaj nepotpun i ponekad pogrešan

Revision of the genus Eumerus Meigen, 1822 (Diptera: Syrphidae) on Balkan peninsula

Osolike muve predstavljaju veliku familiju dvokrilaca koja u ekosistemu ima važnu ulogu oprašivača biljaka i razlaganja organske materije. One su takođe dobar indikator narušenosti ekosistema.  Stoga je poznavanje njihove taksonomije i ekologije od izuzetnog značaja. Jedan od tri najbrojnija roda osolikih muva  predstavlja rod Eumerus, čija revizija na Balkanskom poluostrvu je predmet ove disertacije. Balkansko poluostrvo predstavlja izuzetan centar raznovrsnosti živog sveta, između ostalih familija i za osolike muve. Za rod Eumerus, ono je pored Srednje Azije i Južne Afrike, jedan od centara specijacije.Predstavnici roda Eumerus su uglavnom sitnije crne muve, ponekad sa crvenim trbuhom. Karakterišu ih bele poprašene  trake na tergitima, dva reda trnova na metafemuru  apikoventralno i uvučena gornja spoljašnja poprečna vena na  krilu, često sa dva kratka ispusta na ispupčenoj strani, okrenuta ka spolja. Cilj ove disertacije bio je utvrđivanje tačnog broja  vrsta na Balkanskom poluostrvu i razrešavanje njihove  taksonomije. Kao rezultat, utvrđeno je 44 prisutne vrste na  istraživanom području koje su na osnovu morfološke sličnosti  podeljene u deset grupa. Tri utvrđene vrste ne pripadaju  nijednoj grupi. U toku ovog istraživanja otkriveno je 12 vrsta novih za nauku: E. aurofinis, E. banaticus, in litt., E.   bicornis  , in  litt.,  E. crassus ,  E. kar yates , in li tt., E. montanum, E.   montenegr inus, E.  nigrorufus, in litt., E. phaeacus, in litt.,  E. rubrum, E. tenuitarsis , in litt. i E. torsicus. Geometrijska morfometrija krila je d ala odlične rezultate za razdvajanje  kriptičnih taksona u okviru roda Eumerus, primenjena na  vrstama grupe minotaurus. Utvrđeni su najznačajniji morfološki karakteri za razlikovanje vrsta. Jedan od veoma  značajnih rezultata ove disertacije je ključ za identifikaciju  vrsta roda Eumerus na Balkanskom poluostrvu. Na osnovu morfološke analize donet je zaključak da tricolor grupa  predstavlja morfološki zasebnu taksonomsku celinu sa jasnim  indicijama da je njen rang iznad grupe vrsta. Centre diverziteta  vrsta roda Eumerus na istraživanom području predstavljaju, prema bogastvu vrsta grčka ostrva Lezbos i Krf i jugoistočni  deo Crne Gore uključujući Skadarsko jezero. Na osnovu Šenonovog indeksa diverziteta, područja sa najvećim indeksom su sledeća: ostrva Hios, Lezbos i Krf, zatim Peloponez i veći  deo Crne Gore.Hoverflies represents a large family of Diptera that have in the ecosystem an important role of pollinators and decomposer of organic matter. They are also a good indicator of ecosystem disruption. Therefore, knowledge of their taxonomy and ecology is of great importance. One of the three most numerous genus of hoverflies is the genus Eumerus, whose revision in the Balkan Peninsula is the subject of this dissertation. The Balkan Peninsula is an exceptional center of biodiversity, for  hoverflies among other families. For the genus  Eumerus, Balkan Peninsula is next to  Central Asia and South Africa, one of the centers of speciation. Representatives of the genus  Eumerus  are mostly small black flies, sometimes with red abdomen. They are characterized by white stripes on the tergites, two rows of spines on the metafemur apico-ventrally and recessed upper outer transverse wing vein. The aim of  this dissertation was to determine the number of species on the Balkan  Peninsula and to resolve their taxonomy. As a result, 44 species were identified in the investigated area, which are divided into ten groups based on the  morphological similarity. The three species identified do not belong to any group. In the course of this study, 12 new species were discovered for the science:  E. aurofinis, E. banaticus, in litt.,  E. bicornis, in litt.,  E. crassus,  E. karyates, in litt.,  E. montanum,  E. montenegrinus,  E. nigrorufus, in litt.,  E. phaeacus, in litt.,  E. rubrum, E. tenuitarsis, in litt. and  E. torsicus. The geometric  morphometry of the wings gave excellent results for the separation of cryptic taxons within the genus  Eumerus, applied to the species of the  minotaurus  group. The most important morphological characters for differentiating species were determined. One of the very important results of this dissertation is the identification key for species of the genus  Eumerus  on the Balkan Peninsula. Based on morphological analysis, conclusion is that the tricolor  group represents a morphologically separate taxonomic entity with clear indications that its rank is above a group of species. The centers of diversity of the genus  Eumerus  in the research area represent, according to the species richness of the Greek island of Lesbos and Corfu and the southeastern  part of Montenegro including the Skadar Lake. Based on the Shannon’s Diversity Index, the areas with the highest index are as follows: the islands of Hios, Lesbos and Corfu, then Peloponnese and most of Montenegro

Taxonomic revision of the highly threatened Eumerus tricolor species group (Diptera : Syrphidae) in Southeast Europe, with insights into the conservation of the genus Eumerus

The diversity in the Eumerus tricolor group, the largest group within the genus in Southeast Europe, is investigated. Two new, locally distributed species are described, E. crispus Vujiv & Grkoviv, sp. n. from Serbia and E. nigrorufus Grkoviv & Vujiv, sp. n. from Montenegro. In addition to Southeast European members, one related species E. arctus van Steenis, sp. n. is described from Switzerland. We designate lectotypes for E. ovatus Loew, 1848, E. tarsalis Loew, 1848, E. tricolor (Fabricius, 1798) and E. varius Meigen, 1822. A map of the distribution of members of the E. tricolor group in Southeast Europe is provided. In addition, records from other parts of Europe are listed and an illustrated identification key to the SE European species of the E. tricolor group provided. We also study and discuss the signifi cance of small habitat patches for the preservation of species of Eumerus, because the three species described in this paper are currently known from such patches.Peer reviewe

Radiation-mediated induction of apoptotic cell death in rat hippocampus

Ionizing radiation is commonly used in the treatment of brain tumors but it can impair cognitive functions, such as learning and memory. Since cognitive dysfunctions are predominantly result of cell death by apoptosis in hippocampal cells, in this study we analyzed acute effects of cranial gamma-irradiation (10 Gy) on expression of proapoptotic molecules (p53, Bax) and antiapoptotic molecule Bcl-2, as well as caspase-3 activation and cytochrome c redistribution in the hippocampus of young rats. The selected regimen of irradiation resembles the established animal model for childhood prophylactic cranial radiotherapy. Our results demonstrated that p53 mRNA expression was unchanged after irradiation, while induction of p53 protein was rapid. In parallel, Bax mRNA and protein levels were also increased following irradiation, whereas Bcl-2 expression was not changed during the examined post-irradiation period. These changes were accompanied with early hallmarks of apoptosis, such as increased cytochrome c release and stimulated activation of caspase-3. Overall, this study demonstrates that cranial irradiation is associated with the augmented apoptotic pathway in the rat hippocampus, which could be related to the cognitive decline observed in patients after prophylactic cranial radiotherapy, but also opens perspective in finding radioprotectors that can mitigate radiation injury of normal brain tissue.Jonizujuće zračenje se često koristi u tretmanu tumora mozga ali ono može da ošteti kognitivne funkcije, kao što su učenje i pamćenje. Pošto je smanjenje kognitivnih funkcija većinom rezultat ćelijske smrti putem apoptoze u hipokampalnim ćelijama u ovoj studiji su analizirani efekti kranijalnog gama-zračenja (10 Gy) na ekspresiju proapoptotskih (p53, Bax) i antiapoptotskih molekula (Bcl-2), kao i na aktivaciju kaspaze-3 i redistribuciju citohroma c u hipokampusu mladih pacova. Odabrani režim zračenja odgovara uspostavljenom životinjskom modelu za dečiju profilaktičku kranijalnu radioterapiju. Naši rezultati pokazuju da je ekspresija p53 i RNK nepromenjena nakon zračenja, dok je indukcija p53 proteina veoma brza. Istovremeno Bax iRNK i protein su povećani nakon zračenja, dok je ekspresija Bcl-2 nepromenjena tokom ispitivanog perioda. Ove promene su praćene ranim znacima apoptoze, kao što su povećano oslobađanje citohroma c i aktivacija kaspaze-3. Generalno, ova studija pokazuje da je kranijalno zračenje povezano sa stimulisanim apoptotskim putem u hipokampusu pacova, što se može povezati sa kognitivnim oštećenjima uočenih kod pacijenata nakon profilaktičke kranijalne radioterapije, ali takođe otvara perspektive u pronalaženju radioprotektora koji smanjuju oštećenje normalnog nervnog tkiva nakon zračenja.nul

The Hoverflies of an Oak Dehesa from Spain, with a New Species and Other Insights into the Taxonomy of the Eumerus tricolor Group (Diptera: Syrphidae)

Dehesas are typical Mediterranean habitats for extensive livestock raising. Hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) may act as bioindicators in dehesas, but they are still poorly known in this habitat type. With the purpose of the present study, hoverfly diversity was surveyed in Campanarios de Azaba, a typical oak dehesa in Salamanca province, Spain. A total of 41 species were recorded, including Eumerus azabense sp. nov. This new species was found to belong to the Eumerus tricolor group, both in morphological and genetic terms, and clearly separated (DNA characters) from the similar Eumerus niveitibia, which is redescribed here. Genetic monophyly of the E. tricolor group is confirmed in the present paper. An updated hoverfly checklist of Salamanca province is provided (152 sp.) with indication of the 56 species recorded in Campanarios de Azaba. Obtained results address the importance of dehesa biodiversity, which includes species new to science.Financial support was provided by the project LIFE-NATURE ‘Conservación de la Biodiversidad en el Oeste Iberico’ (LIFE/E/NAT/000762). The current fellowship of Antonio Ricarte at the University of Alicante is supported by the ‘Vicerrectorado de Investigación y Transferencia de Conocimiento’

Radiation-mediated induction of apoptotic cell death in rat hippocampus

Ionizing radiation is commonly used in the treatment of brain tumors but it can impair cognitive functions, such as learning and memory. Since cognitive dysfunctions are predominantly result of cell death by apoptosis in hippocampal cells, in this study we analyzed acute effects of cranial gamma-irradiation (10 Gy) on expression of proapoptotic molecules (p53, Bax) and antiapoptotic molecule Bcl-2, as well as caspase-3 activation and cytochrome c redistribution in the hippocampus of young rats. The selected regimen of irradiation resembles the established animal model for childhood prophylactic cranial radiotherapy. Our results demonstrated that p53 mRNA expression was unchanged after irradiation, while induction of p53 protein was rapid. In parallel, Bax mRNA and protein levels were also increased following irradiation, whereas Bcl-2 expression was not changed during the examined post-irradiation period. These changes were accompanied with early hallmarks of apoptosis, such as increased cytochrome c release and stimulated activation of caspase-3. Overall, this study demonstrates that cranial irradiation is associated with the augmented apoptotic pathway in the rat hippocampus, which could be related to the cognitive decline observed in patients after prophylactic cranial radiotherapy, but also opens perspective in finding radioprotectors that can mitigate radiation injury of normal brain tissue.Jonizujuće zračenje se često koristi u tretmanu tumora mozga ali ono može da ošteti kognitivne funkcije, kao što su učenje i pamćenje. Pošto je smanjenje kognitivnih funkcija većinom rezultat ćelijske smrti putem apoptoze u hipokampalnim ćelijama u ovoj studiji su analizirani efekti kranijalnog gama-zračenja (10 Gy) na ekspresiju proapoptotskih (p53, Bax) i antiapoptotskih molekula (Bcl-2), kao i na aktivaciju kaspaze-3 i redistribuciju citohroma c u hipokampusu mladih pacova. Odabrani režim zračenja odgovara uspostavljenom životinjskom modelu za dečiju profilaktičku kranijalnu radioterapiju. Naši rezultati pokazuju da je ekspresija p53 i RNK nepromenjena nakon zračenja, dok je indukcija p53 proteina veoma brza. Istovremeno Bax iRNK i protein su povećani nakon zračenja, dok je ekspresija Bcl-2 nepromenjena tokom ispitivanog perioda. Ove promene su praćene ranim znacima apoptoze, kao što su povećano oslobađanje citohroma c i aktivacija kaspaze-3. Generalno, ova studija pokazuje da je kranijalno zračenje povezano sa stimulisanim apoptotskim putem u hipokampusu pacova, što se može povezati sa kognitivnim oštećenjima uočenih kod pacijenata nakon profilaktičke kranijalne radioterapije, ali takođe otvara perspektive u pronalaženju radioprotektora koji smanjuju oštećenje normalnog nervnog tkiva nakon zračenja.nul

Revision of the genus Eumerus Meigen, 1822 (Diptera: Syrphidae) on Balkan peninsula

Osolike muve predstavljaju veliku familiju dvokrilaca koja u ekosistemu ima važnu ulogu oprašivača biljaka i razlaganja organske materije. One su takođe dobar indikator narušenosti ekosistema.  Stoga je poznavanje njihove taksonomije i ekologije od izuzetnog značaja. Jedan od tri najbrojnija roda osolikih muva  predstavlja rod Eumerus, čija revizija na Balkanskom poluostrvu je predmet ove disertacije. Balkansko poluostrvo predstavlja izuzetan centar raznovrsnosti živog sveta, između ostalih familija i za osolike muve. Za rod Eumerus, ono je pored Srednje Azije i Južne Afrike, jedan od centara specijacije.Predstavnici roda Eumerus su uglavnom sitnije crne muve, ponekad sa crvenim trbuhom. Karakterišu ih bele poprašene  trake na tergitima, dva reda trnova na metafemuru  apikoventralno i uvučena gornja spoljašnja poprečna vena na  krilu, često sa dva kratka ispusta na ispupčenoj strani, okrenuta ka spolja. Cilj ove disertacije bio je utvrđivanje tačnog broja  vrsta na Balkanskom poluostrvu i razrešavanje njihove  taksonomije. Kao rezultat, utvrđeno je 44 prisutne vrste na  istraživanom području koje su na osnovu morfološke sličnosti  podeljene u deset grupa. Tri utvrđene vrste ne pripadaju  nijednoj grupi. U toku ovog istraživanja otkriveno je 12 vrsta novih za nauku: E. aurofinis, E. banaticus, in litt., E.   bicornis  , in  litt.,  E. crassus ,  E. kar yates , in li tt., E. montanum, E.   montenegr inus, E.  nigrorufus, in litt., E. phaeacus, in litt.,  E. rubrum, E. tenuitarsis , in litt. i E. torsicus. Geometrijska morfometrija krila je d ala odlične rezultate za razdvajanje  kriptičnih taksona u okviru roda Eumerus, primenjena na  vrstama grupe minotaurus. Utvrđeni su najznačajniji morfološki karakteri za razlikovanje vrsta. Jedan od veoma  značajnih rezultata ove disertacije je ključ za identifikaciju  vrsta roda Eumerus na Balkanskom poluostrvu. Na osnovu morfološke analize donet je zaključak da tricolor grupa  predstavlja morfološki zasebnu taksonomsku celinu sa jasnim  indicijama da je njen rang iznad grupe vrsta. Centre diverziteta  vrsta roda Eumerus na istraživanom području predstavljaju, prema bogastvu vrsta grčka ostrva Lezbos i Krf i jugoistočni  deo Crne Gore uključujući Skadarsko jezero. Na osnovu Šenonovog indeksa diverziteta, područja sa najvećim indeksom su sledeća: ostrva Hios, Lezbos i Krf, zatim Peloponez i veći  deo Crne Gore.Hoverflies represents a large family of Diptera that have in the ecosystem an important role of pollinators and decomposer of organic matter. They are also a good indicator of ecosystem disruption. Therefore, knowledge of their taxonomy and ecology is of great importance. One of the three most numerous genus of hoverflies is the genus Eumerus, whose revision in the Balkan Peninsula is the subject of this dissertation. The Balkan Peninsula is an exceptional center of biodiversity, for  hoverflies among other families. For the genus  Eumerus, Balkan Peninsula is next to  Central Asia and South Africa, one of the centers of speciation. Representatives of the genus  Eumerus  are mostly small black flies, sometimes with red abdomen. They are characterized by white stripes on the tergites, two rows of spines on the metafemur apico-ventrally and recessed upper outer transverse wing vein. The aim of  this dissertation was to determine the number of species on the Balkan  Peninsula and to resolve their taxonomy. As a result, 44 species were identified in the investigated area, which are divided into ten groups based on the  morphological similarity. The three species identified do not belong to any group. In the course of this study, 12 new species were discovered for the science:  E. aurofinis, E. banaticus, in litt.,  E. bicornis, in litt.,  E. crassus,  E. karyates, in litt.,  E. montanum,  E. montenegrinus,  E. nigrorufus, in litt.,  E. phaeacus, in litt.,  E. rubrum, E. tenuitarsis, in litt. and  E. torsicus. The geometric  morphometry of the wings gave excellent results for the separation of cryptic taxons within the genus  Eumerus, applied to the species of the  minotaurus  group. The most important morphological characters for differentiating species were determined. One of the very important results of this dissertation is the identification key for species of the genus  Eumerus  on the Balkan Peninsula. Based on morphological analysis, conclusion is that the tricolor  group represents a morphologically separate taxonomic entity with clear indications that its rank is above a group of species. The centers of diversity of the genus  Eumerus  in the research area represent, according to the species richness of the Greek island of Lesbos and Corfu and the southeastern  part of Montenegro including the Skadar Lake. Based on the Shannon’s Diversity Index, the areas with the highest index are as follows: the islands of Hios, Lesbos and Corfu, then Peloponnese and most of Montenegro

Designing Anatomy Program in Modern Medical Curriculum: Matter of Balance

Aim To evaluate the structure of the anatomy program in the first year medical curriculum of University of Split School of Medicine by comparing it with the recommendations by the Educational Affairs Committee of the American Association of Clinical Anatomists (AACA) and the Terminologia Anatomica (TA); we also quantitatively evaluated the organization of teaching material in contemporary topographical anatomy textbooks and matched them with the AACA recommendations, TA, and the curriculum of the anatomy course taught at Medical School in Split, Croatia. Methods TA, official recommendations of the AACA, 6 contemporary anatomy textbooks, and the structure of the anatomy course were analyzed for the proportion of the terms or text devoted to standard topographical regions of the body. The findings were correlated using Spearman ρ test. Results The curriculum outline correlated both with the AACA recommendations (Spearman ρ = 0.83, P = 0.015) and TA (Spearman ρ = 0.73, P = 0.046). Textbooks contained 8 distinct sections, 7 allocated to topographic anatomy regions and 1 to general anatomy concepts and principles. The structure of all textbooks correlated significantly with the course curriculum. However, 4 out of 6 textbooks did not correlate with TA and only a single textbook showed significant correlation with the AACA recommendations. Conclusion Anatomy textbooks vary in the amount of text dedicated to different parts of topographical anatomy and are not quite concordant with curriculum recommendations and standard anatomical terminology. Planning the structure of an anatomy course should not be based on a single book or recommendation but on evidence

Daily Mini Quizzes as Means for Improving Student Performance in Anatomy Course

Aim To evaluate daily-written 10-question quizzes in a medical anatomy course as a way to integrate assessment into the course and to evaluate their effect on the course success. Methods Students answering correctly 8/10 or more questions were awarded 0.5 points per quiz. There were 34 quizzes with a maximum point score 17. Measurable outcomes of academic progress in anatomy course (pass rates on 4 examination terms, total pass rate, and average marks) were calculated, and 2007/08 academic year was compared with the previous academic year in which daily written quizzes were not a part of the course. The relationship between cumulative points on daily quizzes and 3 components of the final examination (written, practical, and oral) for 2007/08 academic year was assessed by nonparametric correlation testing. Results Individual scores on quizzes ranged from 1.5 to 13.5 points. There was a positive correlation between scores on quizzes and grades on 3 components of the final examination: written (Spearman ρ = 0.784, P < 0.001, n = 79), practical (Spearman ρ = 0.342, P < 0.002, n = 79), and oral (Spearman ρ = 0.683, P < 0.001, n = 79) part. Compared with students in the previous academic year, students attending the course with daily quizzes significantly improved their academic achievement, expressed as the pass rate at the first examination term (39% vs 62%, respectively, χ2 test, P = 0.006, ) and the average course grade (2.71 ± 1.08 vs 3.38 ± 1.26, respectively; t test, P < 0.001). Conclusion Despite their frequency and possible associated stress, daily quizzes were associated with better academic success in the anatomy course