Populist communication in the parliament: the case of the Croatian Sabor

Porast broja populističkih stranaka bilježi se osamdesetih godina 20. stoljeća i u teoriji se pojavljuje nekoliko vrsta populizama. S jedne strane neki populizam promatraju kao ideologiju utemeljenu na pozitivnoj ocjeni ljudi i negativnoj ocjeni političkih elita dok s druge strane neki prepoznaju populizam kao stil političke komunikacije odnosno učestalo pozitivno pozivanje na ljude ili korištenje određenih jezičnih figura usmjerenih na upoznavanje birača. Potonje tumačenje populizma bilo je teorijska podloga za ovo istraživanje u kojem autorice, analizirajući stupanj populizma u Hrvatskom saboru, odgovaraju na pitanje ima li populističke komunikacije u Hrvatskom saboru metodom kvalitativne analize fonograma zastupničkih pitanja i replika na odgovore vlade na aktualnim prijepodnevima zastupnika 10. saziva Hrvatskog sabora od 16. rujna 2020. do 20. travnja 2022. Cilj je rada temeljem teorijske podloge Jagersa i Walgravea sveobuhvatno istražiti elemente populističkog diskursa kod zastupnika svih političkih parlamentarnih stranaka, od lijevog do krajnje desnog političkog spektra.An increase in the number of populist parties was recorded in the eighties of the 20th century, and several types of populism appeared in theory. On the one hand, some view populism as an ideology based on a positive assessment of people and a negative assessment of political elites, while on the other hand, some recognize populism as a style of political communication, that is, frequent positive references to people or the use of certain linguistic figures aimed at getting to know voters. The latter interpretation of populism was the theoretical basis for this research, in which the authors, analyzing the degree of populism in the Croatian Parliament, answer the question of whether there is populist communication in the Croatian Parliament using the method of qualitative analysis of the phonograms of parliamentary questions and replies to the government’s answers at the current morning meetings of the representatives of the 10th convocation of the Croatian Parliament. from September 16, 2020 to April 20, 2022. The aim of this paper, based on the theoretical background of Jagers and Walgrave, is to comprehensively investigate the elements of populist discourse among representatives of all political parliamentary parties, from the left to the extreme right of the political spectrum

Предиктори за појава на атријална фибрилација по аорто-коронарна бајпас операција

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common type of arrhythmia following open heart surgery and it contributes to prolonged hospital stay, increased prevalence of thromboembolic complications and overall increased postoperative morbidity and mortality. The aim of this prospective observational follow-up study was to determine the incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery, to identify predisposing  risk factors for its occurrence in the immediate preoperative period and to assess its effect on the postoperative outcome in patients at the University Clinic for Cardiac Surgery in Skopje, North Macedonia. Material and methods: The study included patients at the University Clinic for Cardiac Surgery in Skopje, North Macedonia undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery. The experimental group included patients developing POAF, whereas the control group those who did not develop the primary outcome. All patients were followed up for a period of 30 days postoperatively. Results: POAF was registered in 38% of the patient population and more frequently in the elderly. Patients developing POAF had significantly higher left atrial volume index, as well as higher CHADS2-VASC2, HATCH and Euroscore I values. Average time to POAF occurrence was 48-72 hours postoperatively. There were death outcomes, thromboembolic events, longer hospital stay, need for antiarrhythmic and oral anticoagulant therapy in the POAF group. Conclusion: POAF significantly increases postoperative morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery. Age, higher CHADS2-VASC2, HATCH and Euroscore I values and left atrial volume were found to be significant predictors of POAF after coronary artery bypass surgery.Атријалната фибрилација (АФ) претставува најчестиот тип на аритмија по хирургија на отворено срце и истата придонесува за пролонгиран болнички престој, зголемена инциденција на тромбемболиски компликации и општо зголемен постоперативен морбидитет и морталитет. Целта на оваа проспективна, опсервациска студија на следење беше да се утврди инциденцијата на постоперативната атријална фибрилација (ПОАФ) кај пациентите кои подлегнуваат на аорто-коронарна бајпас операција, да се откријат предиспонирачките ризик-фактори за појава на атријална фибрилација во непосредниот предоперативен период, како и да се евалуира нејзиниот ефект врз постоперативниот исход на кардиохируршките пациенти на ЈЗУ Универзитетска клиника за кардиохирургијавоРепублика Северна Македонија. Материјал и методи: Во оваа проспективна отворена студија на следење беа вклучени пациенти хоспитализирани на ЈЗУ Универзитетска клиника за кардиохирургија- Скопје за изведување на аорто-коронарна бајпас операција. Во испитуваната група беа вклучени оние пациенти,  кои во постоперативниот период развија ПОАФ, додека во контролната група беа вклучени пациентите кои не развија ПОАФ. Постоперативно пациентите беа следени во период од 30 дена од кардиохируршката интервенција. Резултати: ПОАФ беше регистрирана кај 38% од испитаниците и тоа почесто кај повозрасната група испитаници. Пациентите со ПОАФ имаа значително повисока вредност на индексираниот волумен на левата преткомора, како и значително повисока вредност на CHADS2-VASC2, HATCH и Euroscore скоровите,во однос на групата без ПОАФ. Просечното време на појава на ПОАФ беше 48-72 часа од хируршката интервенција. Во групата пациенти со ПОАФ без забележани смртни случаи, како и тромбоемболиски компликации, од типот на исхемичен мозочен удар и овие пациенти имаа подолг болнички престој и потреба од антиаритмична терапија и орална антикоагулантна терапија (ОАК). Заклучок: ПОАФ значително го влошува морбидитетот и морталитетот кај кардиохируршките пациенти. Возраста, високата вредност на CHADS2-VASC2, HATCH и Euroscore, како и волуменот на левата преткомора претставуваат предиктивни фактори за атријална фибрилација во постоперативниот период по аорто-коронарна бајпас операција

Myocardial Function after Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting in Patients with Preoperative Preserved Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction—The Role of the Left Ventricular Longitudinal Strain

Background and Objectives: The role of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) on postoperative left ventricular (LV) function in patients with preoperatively preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) is still being discussed and only a few studies address this question. This study aimed to assess LV function after CABG in patients with preoperatively preserved LVEF using left ventricular longitudinal strain assessed by 2D speckle tracking imaging (STI). Materials and Methods: Fifty-nine consecutive adult patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) referred for a first-time elective CABG surgery were enrolled in the final analysis of this prospective single-center clinical study. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), with conventional measures and STI measures, was performed within 1 week before CABG as well as 4 months after surgery. Patients were divided into groups based on their preoperative global longitudinal strain (GLS) value. Differences in systolic and diastolic parameters between groups were analyzed. Results: Preoperative GLS was reduced (GLS < −17%) in 39% of the patients. Parameters of systolic LV function were significantly reduced in this group of patients compared to the patient group with GLS% ≥ −17%. In both groups, 4 months after CABG there was a decline in LVEF but statistically significant only in the group with GLS% ≥ −17% (p = 0.035). In patients with reduced GLS, there was a statistically significant postoperative improvement (p = 0.004). In patients with preoperative normal GLS, there was not a significant change in any strain parameters after CABG. There was an improvement in diastolic function parameters measured by Tissue Doppler Imaging (TDI) in both groups. Conclusions: There is improvement in LV systolic and diastolic function after CABG in patients with preserved preoperative LVEF measured by STI and TDI. GLS might be more sensitive and effective than LVEF for monitoring improvements in myocardial function after CABG surgery in patients with preserved LVEF

Associations of state or trait dissociation with severity of psychopathology in young people with borderline personality disorder.

BACKGROUND State and trait dissociation are associated with borderline personality disorder (BPD) severity and severity of commonly co-occurring mental health symptoms. Although these distinct constructs do not consistently co-occur in experimental settings, they are frequently reported as the same construct, namely dissociation. This study aimed to investigate the co-occurrence of state and trait dissociation among young people with BPD and to examine whether state or trait dissociation were associated with symptom severity in this population. METHODS State dissociation was induced using a stressful behavioural task in a clinical sample of 51 young people (aged 15-25 years) with three or more BPD features. Diagnoses, state and trait dissociation, BPD severity and severity of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depressive, and stress symptoms were assessed by self-report or research interview. RESULTS A chi-square test of independence showed a strong association between state and trait dissociation. Bonferroni corrected t-tests showed that state dissociation was significantly associated with PTSD symptom severity and likely associated with BPD severity and severity of depressive and stress symptoms. Trait dissociation was not associated with symptom severity or severity of BPD features. CONCLUSIONS These findings highlight the need to distinguish between state and trait dissociation in personality disorder research. They suggest that state dissociation might be an indicator of higher severity of psychopathology in young people with BPD

Changes of Left Ventricular Systolic Function in Patients Undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

AIM: This prospective study was designed to evaluate the changes in left ventricular (LV) systolic function after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in patients with both normal and abnormal pre-operative systolic function. METHODS: During the period from October 2017 to October 2018, forty-seven consecutive patients undergoing CABG were enrolled in this prospective study. Transthoracic echocardiography was performed within 1 week before CABG as well as 4 to 6 months after surgery. All measurements were made by a single experienced investigator. RESULTS: While the mean LV ejection fraction (LVEF) showed neither improvement nor significant reduction in the whole group of patients following CABG (from 54.21 ± 15.36 to 53.66 ± 11.56%, p = 0.677), significant improvement in LVEF was detected in the subgroup of patients with pre-operative LV dysfunction (from 40.05 ± 8.65 to 45.85 ± 9.04%, p = 0.008). On the other hand, there was a significant decline in LEFT in the subgroup of patients with normal pre-operative LEFT (from 64.70 ± 9.72 to 59.44 ± 9.75%, p = 0.008). As for the other parameters of systolic function, significant decrease in LV end-diastolic volume index (LVEDVI) (p = 0.001), LV end-systolic volume index (LVESVI) (p = 0.0001), wall motion score index (WMSI) (p = 0.013) and LVmass index in male patients (p = 0.011) was shown only in patients with decreased LVEF after CABG. Patients with improved postoperative LVEF (53.2% of all patients) had significantly lower baseline LVEF (p = 0.0001), higher LVESVI (0.009) and higher WMSI (p = 0.006) vs patients with worsened postoperative LVEF (38.3% of all patients). Postoperative improvement of LVEF was correlated with stabile angina, lack of preoperative myocardial infarction and smoking, higher baseline WMSI, higher LV internal diameters and indexed volumes in diastole and systole and lower baseline LVEF. In stepwise linear regression analysis the value of baseline LVEF appeared as independent predictor of improved LVEF after CABG (B = 0,836%; 95% CI 0.655-1.017; p = 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Our study showed that LVEF, internal baseline diameters and indexed volumes of LV in diastole and systole are important determinants of postoperative change in LVEF. In patients with preoperative depressed myocardial function, there is an improvement in systolic function, whereas in patients with preserved preoperative myocardial function, the decline in postoperative LVEF was detected

Psychopathology and psychosocial functioning among young people with first-episode psychosis and/or first-presentation borderline personality disorder.

BACKGROUND One in five young people with first-episode psychosis (FEP) also presents with borderline personality disorder (BPD) features. Among people diagnosed with BPD, auditory verbal hallucinations occur in 29-50 % and delusions in 10-100 %. Co-occurrence of psychotic symptoms and BPD is associated with greater clinical severity and greater difficulty accessing evidence based FEP care. This study aimed to investigate psychotic symptoms and psychosocial functioning among young people presenting to an early intervention mental health service. METHOD According to the presence or absence of either FEP or BPD, 141 participants, aged 15-25 years, were assigned to one of four groups: FEP, BPD, combined FEP + BPD, or clinical comparison (CC) participants with neither FEP nor BPD. Participants completed semi-structured diagnostic interviews and interviewer and self-report measures of psychopathology and psychosocial functioning. RESULTS The FEP + BPD group had significantly more severe psychopathology and poorer psychosocial functioning than the FEP group on every measure, apart from intensity of hallucinations. Comparing the FEP or BPD groups, the BPD group had greater psychopathology, apart from intensity of psychotic symptoms, which was significantly greater in the FEP group. These two groups did not significantly differ in their overall psychosocial functioning. Compared with CC young people, both the FEP + BPD and BPD groups differed significantly on every measure, with medium to large effect sizes. CONCLUSIONS Young people with co-occurring FEP and BPD experience more severe difficulties than young people with either diagnosis alone. This combination of psychosis and severe personality pathology has been longitudinally associated with poorer outcomes among adults and requires specific clinical attention

Investigating sorptive aspects of CoMoO4 nanopowders synthesized by sprt method

Nanosized CoMoO4 solid solution was successfully synthesized at room temperature using simple and fast Self Propagating Room Temperature procedure (SPRT). The structural, textural, morphological and surface characteristics of the nanosized CoMoO4 were examined in detail by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra, Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and nitrogen sorption method. X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) reflected the presence of two different phases that are in the same space group. The α-CoMoO4 and the β-CoMoO4 modification crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2/m, No.12, but the β-phase clearly distinct from the α-phase due to the tetrahedral coordination of the Mo6+ ions. Adsorption tests were studied over CoMoO4 nanopowders under different experimental conditions (material dosage, initial concentration of pollutant textile dye, etc). The obtained results showed acceptable sorption characteristics of the material