Combined Chemical and Thermal Sintering for High Conductivity Inkjet-printed Silver Nanoink on Flexible Substrates

Electrical conductivity is a key factor in measuring performance of printed electronics, but the conductivity of inkjet-printed silver nanoinks greatly depends on post-fabrication sintering. In this work, two different conductive silver nanoinks, in which the silver nanoparticles were stabilized by two different capping agents – Poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and Poly(methacrylic acid) (PMA) – were synthesized. The inks were inkjet-printed on flexible PET substrates, coated with an additional polycation layer, which facilitated chemical sintering. The printed features were then exposed to moderately elevated temperatures to evaluate the effect of combined chemical and thermal sintering. Both inks produced conductive features at room temperature, and the conductivity increased with both temperature and duration of sintering. At temperatures above 100 °C, the choice of capping agent had no pronounced effect on conductivity, which approached very high values of 50 % of bulk silver in all cases. The lowest resistivity (2.24 μΩ cm) was obtained after sintering at 120 °C for 180 min. By combining chemical and conventional thermal sintering, we have produced remarkably conductive silver electrodes on flexible substrates, while using low-cost and simple processes

The Incidence and Seasonal Variations of Acute Primary Angle-Closure Glaucoma

The incidence and seasonal variations of acute primary angle-closure glaucoma (APACG) was studied. It was based on a retrospective chart review of 121 hospital patients in Split, Croatia for the fifteen-year period from 1985 through 1999. The average incidence was 4.1 cases per 100,000 per year in the total population and 7.1 per 100,000 in those aged 30 years and older. APACG affects women almost twice more often than men. The incidence rate increased with age. No seasonal variations in the occurrence of APACG and no correlation with the mean duration of light exposure per season were found

Histoenzymatic and Immunocytochemical Characteristics of Extravillous Trophoblast Cells of Placental Basal Plate as Parameter of Their Function in Hypertensive Pregnancy

An intense activity of enzymes which actively participate in the renin-angiotensinaldosterone system was shown in extravillous trophoblast cells which are involved in the performing of spiral arteries into uteroplacental vessels. The hydrolase activity in villous trophoblast underwent important variations, but it was constant in cells of the extravillous trophoblast. Activity of lysosomal hydrolases, of leucine aminopeptidase and N-acetyl glucosaminidase type, was markedly positive in X-cells, while negative in the villous trophoblast. Beta glucuronidase activity has shown moderate activity in cells of extravillous trophoblast, while in villous trophoblast it was weakly emphasized or negative. Intense activity of prostaglandin E2 dehydrogenase in the way of strongly emphasized microsomal reaction was noted exclusively in extravillous cells of basal plate, especially in perivascular cell groupings. Within all examined enzymes activities, only the membranous activity of alkaline phosphatase was of the same intensity in cells of extravillous trophoblast. Lacking of penetration of these cells into the spiral arteries wall in EPH-gestosis, which also means loss of their close contact with the blood of a pregnant, implicates the practical meaning of these observations

Guiding principles for identification, evaluation and conservation of Vitis vinifera L. subsp. sylvestris

Conservation of grapevine genetic resources is an important and long lasting task. Here, partners of the InWiGrape Activity of the European Cooperative Programme for Plant Genetic Resources have proposed a set of descriptors that will assist in identification, conservation and study of genetic resources of Vitis vinifera L. subsp. sylvestris. A distribution map of Vitis vinifera L. subsp. sylvestris populations in Europe was produced, with on-line access through the European Vitis Database. The several different aspects of conservation of Vitis vinifera L. subsp. sylvestris including bibliographical references, identification in the wild, in situ and ex situ conservation have been discussed. The descriptors and the map will assist different stakeholders, working on biodiversity and ecosystems in more effective conservation of wild grapevine genetic resources

NEW CONCEPT OF IN/OUT AIR QUALITY CONTROL IN LIVESTOCK BUILDINGS

The object of this research is the new concept of the original universal system for air quality and energy control in laboratory conditions (wet scrubbing system) based on the „clean air in/out“ principle. Namely, the process involves a partial or complete exchange of recirculated treated air. From the aspect of water, as a pure medium, the system is characterized by broad application in the open, semiopen, and closed air treatment systems: primarily in the breeding and accompanying agricultural facilities, industrial, cultural, sports, tourist, medical and other controlled spaces. The analysis showed that the system at its inlet unit and with the block structure and logical phase development, proved energy, environmental and qualitative efficiency in the removal of PM10 and PM2.5 particles from the controlled dust doses in laboratory air. The measurements of PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations were performed with two Alphasense OPC-N3 optical counters at the inlet and outlet of the system. Five operating regimes with frequency regulated number of revolutions of the turbo elements that was taken as an independent variable, achieved different degrees of removal of PM10 and PM2.5 from the treated laboratory air: 97.70-98.53% and 62.19-75.75%, respectively. The assessment of system energy use was done by parallel measuring of electric power and comparative deviations of its absolute values in the first decimal. Energy consumption for the treatment of 1m3 of air ranged from 0.00011-0.00016 kWm–3. Statistical analysis of qualitative indicators revealed significant differences between the operating regimes and the obtained values. © 2022,Thermal Science. All Rights Reserved

Guidelines for antimicrobial treatment and prophylaxis of urinary tract infections – year 2006

Preporuke za antimikrobno liječenje i profilaksu infekcija mokraćnog sustava (IMS) donešene su prema rezultatima ispitivanja rezistencije najčešćih uzročnika IMS na antimikrobike što ga od 1997. godine provodi Odbor za praćenje rezistencije bakterija na antibiotike u Republici Hrvatskoj. Nekomplicirani cistitis liječi se 1, 3 ili 7 dana, komplicirani cistitis 7 dana, pijelonefritis 10–14 dana, a komplicirane IMS 7 do 14 dana, rijetko duže. U liječenju cistitisa rabe se fluorokinoloni, nitrofurantoin, betalaktamski antibiotici te u područjima niže rezistencije trimetoprim/sulfametoksazol. Jednokratna terapija fluorokinolonima primjenjuje se u inače zdravih mladih žena s normalnim urotraktom u kojih su simptomi cistitisa prisutni kraće od 7 dana. Empirijska antimikrobna terapija pijelonefritisa, rekurentnih i svih kompliciranih IMS treba se revidirati nakon nalaza urinokulture. U liječenju bakterijskog prostatitisa i febrilnih IMS muškaraca lijek prvog izbora je ciprofloksacin. Asimptomatska bakteriurija (AB) liječi se u trudnica, novorođenčadi, predškolske djece s abnormalnim urotraktom, prije invazivnih uroloških i ginekoloških zahvata, u primaoca transplantiranog bubrega, u prvim danima kratkotrajne kateterizacije mokraćnog mjehura. Antimikrobna profilaksa primjenjuje se prvenstveno jedan sat prije dijagnostičkog ili terapijskog invazivnog urološkog postupka odabranim antimikrobnim sredstvima.Recommendations for antimicrobial treatment and prophylaxis of urinary tract infections (UTI) have been made according to study results on the resistance of the most frequent causative agents of UTI to antimicrobial drugs. The Committee for monitoring bacterial resistance to antibiotics in the Republic of Croatia has been conducting this study since 1997. Uncomplicated cystitis is treated for 1, 3 or 7 days, complicated cystitis for 7 days, pyelonephritis 10–14 days, and complicated UTI 7 to 14 days, rarely longer. For the treatment of cystitis the following drugs are used: fluoroquinolones, nitrofurantoin, betalactam antibiotics, and in cases of lower resistance trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. A single therapy with fluoroquinolones is administered to otherwise healthy young women with normal urinary tract in whom cystitis symptoms have been present for less than 7 days. Empirical antimicrobial therapy of pyelonephritis, recurrent and all complicated UTIs must be reviewed after urine culture finding is obtained. In the treatment of bacterial prostatitis and febrile UTIs in males, the drug of first choice is ciprofloxacin. Asymptomatic bacteriuria is treated in pregnant women, newborns, preschool children with urinary tract abnormalities, before invasive urological and gynecological procedures, in kidney transplant recipients, and in the first days of short-term urinary bladder catheterization. Antimicrobial prophylaxis is administered primarily one hour prior to diagnostic or therapeutic invasive urological procedures, using selected antimicrobial agents

Global Diversity of Sponges (Porifera)

With the completion of a single unified classification, the Systema Porifera (SP) and subsequent development of an online species database, the World Porifera Database (WPD), we are now equipped to provide a first comprehensive picture of the global biodiversity of the Porifera. An introductory overview of the four classes of the Porifera is followed by a description of the structure of our main source of data for this paper, the WPD. From this we extracted numbers of all ‘known’ sponges to date: the number of valid Recent sponges is established at 8,553, with the vast majority, 83%, belonging to the class Demospongiae. We also mapped for the first time the species richness of a comprehensive set of marine ecoregions of the world, data also extracted from the WPD. Perhaps not surprisingly, these distributions appear to show a strong bias towards collection and taxonomy efforts. Only when species richness is accumulated into large marine realms does a pattern emerge that is also recognized in many other marine animal groups: high numbers in tropical regions, lesser numbers in the colder parts of the world oceans. Preliminary similarity analysis of a matrix of species and marine ecoregions extracted from the WPD failed to yield a consistent hierarchical pattern of ecoregions into marine provinces. Global sponge diversity information is mostly generated in regional projects and resources: results obtained demonstrate that regional approaches to analytical biogeography are at present more likely to achieve insights into the biogeographic history of sponges than a global perspective, which appears currently too ambitious. We also review information on invasive sponges that might well have some influence on distribution patterns of the future

Difficulties in understanding the COLREGs among the students from different systems of education for seafarers

The paper shows the results of the research conducted in order to analyse the differences in understanding the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea among the students in countries practising two different systems of education for seafarers: the so-called “sandwich system” and the continuing system. Methods of learning as well as their effect on understanding the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea and students’ opinions on efficient methods of learning have also been analysed. Furthermore, the problems the teachers are facing have been identified. Measures for the improvement of the system have been proposed as well