COMPARISON OF TWO DIFFERENT METHODS (PATIENT QUESTIONNAIRE AND MEDICATION POSSESSION RATIO - MPR) FOR MEASURING THE CHRONIC PATIENT’S BEHAVIOR

Background: Medication adherence is the extent to which patients take medications as prescribed by their health care providers. There are a number of approaches to study medication-taking behavior. The aim was to compare two most common methods for measuring adherence: Patient Adherence Questionnaire and Medication Possession Ratio (MPR). They belong to the indirect methods. Methods: In this article four adherence studies were analysed and the results were compared, two wherein the patient questionnaire was applied and other two with medication possession ratio applied. Results: The obtained results reveal that more than half of respondents (58.9%) experienced constant nonadherence behavior according to the prescribed therapy. The main reason of nonadherence is oblivion, suggesting that it is necessary to pay more attention to this problem. Conclusions: Nonadherence with therapy has negative consequences on the health of the individual, and an adverse impact on the community health and wealth. Patients should be informed of the importance of regularly taking prescribed therapy. The main problem of long-term therapy is significantly decreased of adherence to medication in a very short time. It is important to stress that almost all the interventions effective for improving patient adherence in long-term care are complex and should be repeated after a while

Are Pitch Contour and Quantity Independent Distinctive Features in Bosnian Serbian?

Wagner P, Mandic J. Are Pitch Contour and Quantity Independent Distinctive Features in Bosnian Serbian? Presented at the Between Stress and Tone , Leiden, The Netherlands.Abstract accepted for oral presentation at "Between Stress and Tone

Koncentracije i porijeklo policiklièkih aromatskih ugljikovodika u sedimentima srednjeg Jadrana

A total of 208 polycyclic aromatic compounds and their substituted homologues were investigated on eight stations along Croatia-Italy transect in the Middle Adriatic. PAC concentrations were higher in the coastal area than in the open sea area. The highest PAC concentrations were measured in the vicinity of the industrial harbor of Split while the lowest concentrations were observed on stations located in the open sea area. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were dominant group of compounds on each investigated station with contributions in total PAC concentration of more than 85%. S-PAH concentrations were higher than O-PAH concentration in each sample and tend to decrease as the distance from the coast increased. Contributions of O-PAH in total PAC concentrations were higher in the open sea sediments while S-PAH contributions were higher in the coastal sediment, indicating a different origin of O-PAH. Grain size analysis of the investigated sediments shows the dominance of fine fraction in sediments in the coastal area whereas sandy particles were a dominant fraction in the open sea sediments. TOC concentrations were higher in the open sea area where lower PAH concentrations were observed, indicating a different origin of PAC and TOC. PAH origin was evaluated by application of diagnostic ratios. Pyrogenic origin was determined only on one station whereas dominance of petrogenic PAHs was observed on the most of the stations in the open sea area. Marine traffic was suspected to be the main source of pollution in the open sea area

Oral lesions in patients with psychiatric disorders

Introduction. Oral diseases in psychiatric patients are usually a result of bad oral hygiene and psychopharmaceutical side-effects. Objective. The aim of this study was to detect oral lesions in patients hospitalized in psychiatric institutions with the confirmed diagnosis of psychiatric illness and mood disorder with psychotic characteristics, as well as to discover the factors that can influence these oral lesions. Methods. Cross-section study consisted of 186 hospitalized patients with psychiatric disorders in the experimental group, out of whom 87 were males and 99 females. Patients were aged from 18 to 59 years, mean age 46.0±8.0 years. The control group consisted of 186 healthy persons matched for age and gender. Data on oral lesions were obtained within history and clinical examination of the oral cavity. Other medical data were collected from medical documentation. Statistical analysis was performed by Student's t-test, chi-square test and logistic regression. Results. Dry mouth was registered in 78.5% of patients. The difference in tongue and lip lesions, burning and stinging symptoms, bruxism, facial pain, low saliva rates, halitosis, taste changes and swallowing difficulties between the patients and healthy persons was highly statistically significant (p lt 0.001). Age and gender, as well as the factors of main disease, influence burning and stinging, bruxism, low saliva rates, swallowing difficulties, taste changes and facial pain of the psychiatric patients. Conclusion. Results imply that psychiatric patients are more frequently involved with oral lesions than healthy persons. It is necessary to organize specific preventive and educational oral health programmes with these patients, as well as with doctors who treat the basic illness.Uvod. Promene u usnoj duplji osoba s psihijatrijskim oboljenjima najčešće su posledica loše oralne higijene i neželjenog dejstva psihofarmaka. Cilj rada. Cilj rada je bio da se utvrde oralne promene kod osoba bolnički lečenih u psihijatrijskim ustanovama od psihotičnih i poremećaja raspoloženja sa psihotičnim karakteristikama, kao i činioci koji na njih mogu da utiču. Metode rada. Studijom preseka obuhvaćeno je 186 bolesnika s psihijatrijskim oboljenjima (87 muškaraca i 99 žena), starih od 18 do 59 godina (prosečno 46,0±8,0 godina), koji su činili eksperimentalnu grupu. Kontrolnu grupu činilo je 186 zdravih ispitanika iste starosti i pola. Podaci o oralnim promenama ispitanika dobijeni su anamnezom i kliničkim pregledom usne duplje. Ostali podaci prikupljeni su iz medicinske dokumentacije. Za statističku analizu podataka korišćeni su Studentov t-test, χ2-test i logistička regresija. Rezultati. Suvoća usta je zabeležena kod 78,5% bolesnika. Razlika u promenama na jeziku i usnama, žarenju i peckanju u usnoj duplji, škrgutanju zubima, facijalnom bolu, smanjenom lučenju pljuvačke, neprijatnom zadahu iz usta, poremećaju čula ukusa i smetnji pri gutanju između bolesnika i zdravih osoba bila je visoko statistički značajna (p lt 0,001). Pol i starost ispitanika i činioci osnovne bolesti utiču na žarenje i peckanje u usnoj duplji, škrgutanje zubima, smanjeno lučenje pljuvačke, smetnje pri gutanju, poremećaj čula ukusa i facijalni bol psihijatrijskih bolesnika. Zaključak. Rezultati istraživanja pokazuju da osobe s psihijatrijskim oboljenjima imaju češće oralne promene od zdravih osoba. Neophodno je organizovati specifične preventivne zdravstveno-vaspitne stomatološke programe s ovim osobama, kao i sa lekarima koji leče osnovno oboljenje

Assessment of environmental risk related to the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in the sediments along the eastern Adriatic coast

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) were investigated in the sediments at 24 locations in the coastal area of Adriatic Sea. Total PAH concentrations ranged from 14,98 to 26145,62 µg kg-1, with the highest levels determined in the sediments of Šibenik Bay and the lowest in the sediment near Island of Pag. Unsubstituted PAH were prevailing PAH group in the sediments from the Šibenik Bay and in the Coastal area, while methyl-substituted PAH were dominant group in the sediments of the Kaštela Bay. In order to estimate the possible toxicological significance of PAH concentrations, Sediment Quality Assessment was done according to three different sets of sediment quality guidelines. A high environmental risk was calculated for each station in Šibenik Bay; for the station in vicinity of the Industrial port of Split and for the two stations in Coastal zone. Low environmental risk was determined in less urbanised areas such as Island of Pag. Sediment extracts were further analysed for acute toxicity by measurements of decrease in bioluminescence upon exposure to sediment extracts. Obtained results show disagreement between sediment toxicity predicted upon PAH levels in sediment and experimentally obtained sediment toxicity. Sediment extracts in which low PAH levels were measured showed high acute toxicity indicating that concentrations of PAH alone are a poor indicator of sediment toxicity. Correlation analysis between concentrations of specific PAH compounds and toxicity revealed the strongest association between acute sediment toxicity and sulphur-containing PAH suggesting the S-PAH should be considered in sediment toxicity assessment

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface sediments of the mid-Adriatic and along the Croatian coast: Levels, distributions and sources

This study provides contamination levels, distributions and source apportionment of PAHs in surface sediments in the mid-Adriatic and along the Croatian coast. Median summed concentrations of parent and alkyl-PAHs are circa 10 times lower in the off-shore transect stations of the mid-Adriatic (22.3 and 18.2 μg.kg−1 d.w.) than the ranges determined at the coastal stations, including those of Kaštela bay (227–331 and 11.7–197 μg.kg−1 d.w., respectively). The highest levels, circa 20 times higher, were found in Šibenik bay (median 6603 and 3051 μg.kg−1). The overall range of PAH concentrations spans more than 2000 times between the lowest and the highest contamination level. The geographical distributions reflect the presence of strong gradients at local and regional scales. A major factor influencing sedimentary PAH distributions at local scale appears to be the distance from their known continental and coastal upstream emission sites (urban, industrial, harbour …), whereas at regional scale, this distribution depends more on the routes of entry of PAHs into the study area. Two combustion and one petroleum model source profiles of PAHs were determined by alternative least square analysis. Benzo[b+j]fluoranthenes and fluoranthene/pyrene are compounds characterizing two pyrogenic sources respectively, while signatures of alkyl-substituted homologues (phenanthrenes/anthracenes, fluranthenes/pyrenes, chrysenes and dibenzothiophenes) delineate a petrogenic source profile. The quantitative apportionment of source contributions shows significant geographical differences, with a dominant petrogenic source found along the mid-Adriatic transect (approximately 74%) and in Kaštela bay (61%). In the coastal sediments about a fifty-fifty contamination mix is assigned to a petrogenic/pyrogenic source of PAHs (47% and 53% respectively), whereas in Šibenik bay a strong predominance is apportioned to the combustion compounds (81%)

Spouses in the Household and the Family Business – Who (does) the Care and Who (does) the Work

In this pilot study we explore the mutual conditionality of bargaining power between spouses in the processes of intra-household allocation of resources (care work) and the assignment of their roles in family businesses (paid work) in Vojvodina, Serbia. Our intention is to explain the changes in gender relations in family businesses run by spouses under different socio-economic and institutional conditions, and especially in the context of enforced postsocialist neoliberal transformation after 2009. We formulate a theoretical and methodological framework based on the case of ten firms and check its validity for deeper and wider research into the key causes, forms and characteristics of gender bias in this area

Koncentracije teških metala u uvoznim NPK đubrivima u Srbiji

Concentrations of Pb, Cd, Cu and Mn in sixteen NPK fertilizers imported and widely used in Serbia were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The results show that contents of heavy metals varied significantly in different fertilizers depending on N:P:K ratio and fertilizer origin. Pb and Cd contents in water solution of fertilizers occurred at low ranges: 2.0-3.1 and 0.03-1.56 mg/kg, respectively. An NPK (15:15:15) fertilizer from Romania was found to contain the highest concentration of Pb and Cd as impurities. Cu content, ranging from 7.1 to 974.7 mg/kg, was the highest in coloured fertilizers from Hungary, the Netherlands and Greece. Mn value in a Hungarian NPK product (10:10:20) exceeds the average Mn value in soil. The data indicate variable contents of heavy metals in fertilizers, some of which are significantly higher than natural concentrations in soil, which suggests that they need to be continuously monitored.Koncentracije Pb, Cd, Cu i Mn u šesnaest uvoznih NPK đubriva, koja se najčešće koriste u Srbiji, su određene metodom plamene atomske apsorpcione spektrometrije. Dobijeni rezultati pokazuju da sadržaj teških metala u uzorcima različitih đubriva značajno varira, što zavisi od odnosa N:P:K u ispitivanim uzorcima đubriva, kao i od samog porekla đubriva. Koncentracije Pb i Cd su u uskom intervalu: 2,0-3,1, odnosno 0,03-1,56 mg/kg, respektivno. NPK đubrivo (15:15:15) uveženo iz Rumunije sadrži veoma visoke koncentracije Pb i Cd, koji se nalaze kao nečistoće u sirovinama za dobijanje ovog đubriva. Sadržaj Cu varira u znatno većem opsegu: od 7,1 do 974,7 mg/kg, jer je nekim mešanim đubrivima dodat bakar-sulfat kao sredstvo za bojenje. Najveći sadržaj Cu je nađen u obojenim, mešanim NPK đubrivima poreklom iz Mađarske, Grčke i Holandije, i prevazilazi vrednost maksimalno dozvoljene koncentracije Cu koja se može naći u zemljištu. Sadržaj Mn u mađarskom NPK đubrivu (10:10:20) je veći od prosečnog sadržaja Mn u zemljištu čak deset puta. Ovi podaci ukazuju da je neophodno permanentno kontrolisati sadržaj teških metala u uvoznim đubrivima, u cilju smanjenja zagađenosti zemljišta, podzemnih i površinskih voda