The evaluation of ecological status of Kaštela bay, Dubrovnik, Podstrana and Pelješac sea according to the trophical TRIX index : bachelor thesis

Utjecaj eutrofikacije i procjena stanja u prijelaznim i priobalnim vodama je danas jedan od najvaţnijih koraka u upravljanju okolišem. Eutrofikacija je promjena u ekosustavu uzrokovana prekomjernom brzinom stvaranja organske tvari, odnosno njenim vanjskim donosom. Posljedice eutrofikacije su nepoţeljne ako se značajno naruši stanje ekosustava i/ili njegovo odrţivo iskorištavanje. Navedene promjene mogu biti uvjetovane prirodnim procesima, ali i ljudskim djelovanjem. U ovom se radu analizira kvaliteta priobalnog mora u Dubrovniku, Kaštelanskom zaljevu, Podstrani i Pelješcu prema trofičkom indexu TRIX. Trofički indeks TRIX definiran je kao linearna matematička kombinacija logaritma četiri varijable: klorofil a, stupanj zasićenosti kisika, anorganskog dušika te ukupno otopljenog fosfora.The impact of eutrophication and assessment of conditions in transitional and coast waters is today one of the most important steps in environmental management. Eutrophication is a change in the ecosystem caused by excessive speed creation of organic substances and its external return. The impacts of eutrophication are undesirable beacause they can distrub the state in the ecosystem and/or his sustainable use. Listed changes can be caused by natural processes and also by human impact. This paper analyzes the quality of the coastal sea in Dubrovnik, Kaštela Bay, Podstrana and Pelješac according to the TRIX trophy index. Trophic index TRIX is defined as a linear mathematical combination of four logarithmical variables: chlorophyl a, the degree of oxygen saturation, anorganic nitrogen and the total dissolved phosphorus

Sequence Analysis of Membrane Proteins with the Web Server SPLIT

In this work, recently solved crystal structures of membrane proteins are examined with respect to the performance of the Web server SPLIT in predicting sequence location, conformation and orientation of membrane associated polypeptide segments. The SPLIT predictor is based on the preference functions method. Preference functions serve to transform the input choice of amino acid attributes into sequence dependent conformational preferences. Transmembrane helical segments are accurately predicted with a good selection of preference functions extracted from the compiled database of non-homologous integral membrane proteins. Unlike other algorithms with similar high accuracy, the SPLIT predictor requires no homology information. With preference functions extracted from soluble proteins, the sequence location of shorter non-transmembrane helices can be also found in membrane proteins. In particular, Richardson\u27s preference functions are even better than hydrophobic moments in finding interface helices at the water/lipid phase boundary. The Internet access for the SPLIT system is at the address: http://pref.etfos.hr/split

Archaeological Rescue Excavations of the Roman Farming and Leisure Complex in Dujmovača

Iznose se rezultati zaštitnih arheoloških istraživanja tijekom kojih su pronađeni dijelovi građevinskoga sklopa rustične vile s pratećim pojedinačnim grobovima te su sagledani u kontekstu širega prostora Dujmovače. Pokretni arheološki nalazi govore o razvoju gospodarskoga objekta od 1. do 6. stoljeća, a sačuvani ostaci arhitekture idu u prilog pretpostavci o primarno termalnoj namjeni prostorija.During the archaeological excavations at the Dujmovača – Zagorski put site, of around 400 m2 in area, established are remains of Roman architecture and multilayer stratigraphic relations. Most part of the artefacts belong to the Roman stages of development of this part of the ager of Salona. Some immobile artefacts indicate medieval origin, however there are no significant and chronologically more precise mobile artefacts originating from that period of time. The excavated Roman architecture remains are preserved at the level of their walls and wall foundations, canal systems, floors and floorings, belonging to buildings consisting of larger numbers of rooms. Since the found walls spread out of the excavated areas, some of the rooms, especially those in the western part, have not been fully defined. The excavated rooms most probably belong to the south-easternmost part of a much larger family-economy complex. The assumed purpose of the rooms indicates their thermal character. From the construction methods and techniques, the relations between the excavated walls and floorings of particular rooms, and first of all the datable mobile artefacts, it may be concluded that the excavated complex was developed in the mid 1st century, and was functional till the early 5th century. Some dry stone separation interventions in the third room, as well as the found 5th century coins indicate an even longer period of utilisation of this part of the complex. To this Classical architectural complex also belong excavated single graves of an assumed nearby necropolis. The graves indicate proximity of an important communication, as one of numerous natural conditions suitable for occurrence of a Roman complex

Archaeological Rescue Excavations of the Roman Farming and Leisure Complex in Dujmovača

Iznose se rezultati zaštitnih arheoloških istraživanja tijekom kojih su pronađeni dijelovi građevinskoga sklopa rustične vile s pratećim pojedinačnim grobovima te su sagledani u kontekstu širega prostora Dujmovače. Pokretni arheološki nalazi govore o razvoju gospodarskoga objekta od 1. do 6. stoljeća, a sačuvani ostaci arhitekture idu u prilog pretpostavci o primarno termalnoj namjeni prostorija.During the archaeological excavations at the Dujmovača – Zagorski put site, of around 400 m2 in area, established are remains of Roman architecture and multilayer stratigraphic relations. Most part of the artefacts belong to the Roman stages of development of this part of the ager of Salona. Some immobile artefacts indicate medieval origin, however there are no significant and chronologically more precise mobile artefacts originating from that period of time. The excavated Roman architecture remains are preserved at the level of their walls and wall foundations, canal systems, floors and floorings, belonging to buildings consisting of larger numbers of rooms. Since the found walls spread out of the excavated areas, some of the rooms, especially those in the western part, have not been fully defined. The excavated rooms most probably belong to the south-easternmost part of a much larger family-economy complex. The assumed purpose of the rooms indicates their thermal character. From the construction methods and techniques, the relations between the excavated walls and floorings of particular rooms, and first of all the datable mobile artefacts, it may be concluded that the excavated complex was developed in the mid 1st century, and was functional till the early 5th century. Some dry stone separation interventions in the third room, as well as the found 5th century coins indicate an even longer period of utilisation of this part of the complex. To this Classical architectural complex also belong excavated single graves of an assumed nearby necropolis. The graves indicate proximity of an important communication, as one of numerous natural conditions suitable for occurrence of a Roman complex

Eicosapentaenoic acid in serum lipids could be inversely correlated with severity of clinical symptomatology in Croatian war veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder

Aim To explore the association between plasma fatty acids composition and the severity of clinical symptoms in Croatian war veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Methods This cross-sectional study included 62 men diagnosed with PTSD caused by combat activities during the War in Croatia 1991-1995. Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D-17) were used. Plasma fatty acids composition was determined by gas chromatography. Data about life-style habits were collected by a structured interview. To evaluate the association between plasma fatty acid levels and PTSD severity scales, multivariate general linear models (GLM) were applied while controlling for different confounders. Results Significant negative correlations were found between plasma eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n-3) level and the scores on psychological scales (τ = -0.326, P < 0.001 for CAPS; τ-0.304, P = 0.001 for HAM-A; and τ = -0.345, P < 0.001 for HAM-D-17). GLM confirmed that PTSD severity was affected by EPA (Wilks’Λ = 0.763-0.805, P = 0.006-0.018, ηp 0.195-0.237), arachidonic acid (AA)/EPA (Wilks’Λ = 0.699- 0.757, P = 0.004, ηp 0.243-0.301), and dairy products consumption (Wilks’Λ = 0.760-0.791, P = 0.045-0.088, ηp 0.128- 0.111). No other fatty acid or dietary/lifestyle variable was significant ( P = 0.362-0.633). Conclusion The study suggests that lower EPA levels are associated with the severity of clinical symptoms in PTSD

Ethical aspects of human biobanks: a systematic review

Aim To systematically assess the existing literature on ethical aspects of human biobanks. Method We searched the Web of Science and PubMed databases to find studies addressing ethical problems in biobanks with no limits set (study design, study population, time period, or language of publication). All identified articles published until November 2010 were included. We analyzed the type of published articles, journals publishing them, involvement of countries/institutions, year of publication, and citations received, and qualitatively assessed every article in order to identify ethical issues addressed by the majority of published research on human biobanking. Results Hundred and fifty four studies satisfied our review criteria. The studies mainly came from highly developed countries and were all published in the last two decades, with over half of them published in 2009 or 2010. They most commonly discussed the informed consent, privacy and identifiability, return of results to participants, importance of public trust, involvement of children, commercialization, the role of ethics boards, international data exchange, ownership of samples, and benefit sharing. Conclusions The focus on ethical aspects is strongly present through the whole biobanking research field. Although there is a consensus on the old and most typical ethical issues, with further development of the field and increasingly complex structure of human biobanks, these issues will likely continue to arise and accumulate, hence requiring constant re-appraisal and continuing discussion

No difference in the intention to engage others in academic transgression among medical students from neighboring countries: a cross-national study on medical students from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Macedonia

AIM: To asses if the level of intention to engage others in academic transgressions was comparable among medical students from five schools from neighboring Southern-European countries: Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Macedonia; and medical students from western EU studying at Split, Croatia. ----- METHODS: Five medical schools were surveyed in 2011, with ≥87% of the targeted population sampled and a response rate of ≥76%. Students' intention to engage a family member, friend, colleague, or a stranger in academic transgression was measured using a previously validated the Intention to Engage Others in Academic Transgression (IEOAT) questionnaire and compared with their intention to ask others for a non-academic, material favor. Data on students' motivation measured by Work Preference Inventory scale, and general data were also collected. Multiple linear regression models of the intention to engage others in a particular behavior were developed. ----- RESULTS: The most important determinants of the intention to engage others in academic transgression were psychological factors, such as intention to ask others for a material favor, or students' motivation (median determinant's β of 0.18, P≤0.045 for all), whereas social and cultural factors associated with the country of origin were either weak (median β of 0.07, P≤0.031) or not relevant. A significant proportion of students were aware of the ethical violations in academic transgressions (P≤0.004 for all transgressions), but a large proportion of students also perceived academic cheating as a collective effort and were likely to engage people randomly (P≤0.001 for all, but the most severe transgression). This collective effort was more pronounced for academic than non-academic behavior. ----- CONCLUSION: Culture differences among neighboring Southern-European countries were not an important determinant of the intention to engage others in academic cheating

2024 Recommendations for Validation of Noninvasive Arterial Pulse Wave Velocity Measurement Devices

BACKGROUND: Arterial stiffness, as measured by arterial pulse wave velocity (PWV), is an established biomarker for cardiovascular risk and target-organ damage in individuals with hypertension. With the emergence of new devices for assessing PWV, it has become evident that some of these devices yield results that display significant discrepancies compared with previous devices. This discrepancy underscores the importance of comprehensive validation procedures and the need for international recommendations. METHODS: A stepwise approach utilizing the modified Delphi technique, with the involvement of key scientific societies dedicated to arterial stiffness research worldwide, was adopted to formulate, through a multidisciplinary vision, a shared approach to the validation of noninvasive arterial PWV measurement devices. RESULTS: A set of recommendations has been developed, which aim to provide guidance to clinicians, researchers, and device manufacturers regarding the validation of new PWV measurement devices. The intention behind these recommendations is to ensure that the validation process can be conducted in a rigorous and consistent manner and to promote standardization and harmonization among PWV devices, thereby facilitating their widespread adoption in clinical practice. CONCLUSIONS: It is hoped that these recommendations will encourage both users and developers of PWV measurement devices to critically evaluate and validate their technologies, ultimately leading to improved consistency and comparability of results. This, in turn, will enhance the clinical utility of PWV as a valuable tool for assessing arterial stiffness and informing cardiovascular risk stratification and management in individuals with hypertension

Genome-wide meta-analysis of common variant differences between men and women

The male-to-female sex ratio at birth is constant across world populations with an average of 1.06 (106 male to 100 female live births) for populations of European descent. The sex ratio is considered to be affected by numerous biological and environmental factors and to have a heritable component. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of common allele modest effects at autosomal and chromosome X variants that could explain the observed sex ratio at birth. We conducted a large-scale genome-wide association scan (GWAS) meta-analysis across 51 studies, comprising overall 114 863 individuals (61 094 women and 53 769 men) of European ancestry and 2 623 828 common (minor allele frequency >0.05) single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Allele frequencies were compared between men and women for directly-typed and imputed variants within each study. Forward-time simulations for unlinked, neutral, autosomal, common loci were performed under the demographic model for European populations with a fixed sex ratio and a random mating scheme to assess the probability of detecting significant allele frequency differences. We do not detect any genome-wide significant (P < 5 × 10−8) common SNP differences between men and women in this well-powered meta-analysis. The simulated data provided results entirely consistent with these findings. This large-scale investigation across ∼115 000 individuals shows no detectable contribution from common genetic variants to the observed skew in the sex ratio. The absence of sex-specific differences is useful in guiding genetic association study design, for example when using mixed controls for sex-biased traits

Genome-wide meta-analysis of common variant differences between men and women

The male-to-female sex ratio at birth is constant across world populations with an average of 1.06 (106 male to 100 female live births) for populations of European descent. The sex ratio is considered to be affected by numerous biological and environmental factors and to have a heritable component. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of common allele modest effects at autosomal and chromosome X variants that could explain the observed sex ratio at birth. We conducted a large-scale genome-wide association scan (GWAS) meta-analysis across 51 studies, comprising overall 114 863 individuals (61 094 women and 53 769 men) of European ancestry and 2 623 828 common (minor allele frequency >0.05) single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Allele frequencies were compared between men and women for directly-typed and imputed variants within each study. Forward-time simulations for unlinked, neutral, autosomal, common loci were performed under the demographic model for European populations with a fixed sex ratio and a random mating scheme to assess the probability of detecting significant allele frequency differences. We do not detect any genome-wide significant (P < 5 × 10−8) common SNP differences between men and women in this well-powered meta-analysis. The simulated data provided results entirely consistent with these findings. This large-scale investigation across ∼115 000 individuals shows no detectable contribution from common genetic variants to the observed skew in the sex ratio. The absence of sex-specific differences is useful in guiding genetic association study design, for example when using mixed controls for sex-biased trait