Strategy for the Maximal Use of Native Arteriovenous Fistulae for Hemodialysis

The long-term survival and quality of life of patients on hemodialysis is dependant on the adequacy of dialysis via an appropriately placed vascular access. The native arteriovenous fistula (AV fistula) at the wrist is generally accepted as the vascular access of choice in hemodialysis patients due to its low complication and high patency rates. It has been shown beyond doubt that an optimally functioning AV fistula is a good prognostic factor of patient morbidity and mortality in the dialysis phase. Recent clinical practice guidelines recommend the creation of a vascular access (native fistula or synthetic graft) before the start of chronic hemodialysis therapy to prevent the need for complication-prone dialysis catheters. A multidisciplinary approach, including nephrologists, surgeons, interventional radiologists, and nurses should improve the hemodialysis outcome by promoting the use of native AV fistulae. An important additional component of this program is the Doppler ultrasound for preoperative vascular mapping. This approach may be realized without unsuccessful surgical explorations, with a minimal early failure rate, and a high maturation, even in risk groups such as elderly and diabetic patients. Vascular access care is responsible for a significant proportion of health care costs in the first year of hemodialysis. These results also support clinical practice guidelines that recommend the preferential placement of a native fistula

MULTIPLE TRAIT ANALYSIS OF GENOTYPE BY ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION FOR MILK YIELD TRAITS IN SLOVENIAN CATTLE

The objective of the study was to evaluate genotype by environment interaction (GxEI) for yield traits in Holstein, Simmental and Brown breed cattle in Slovenia using multiple trait analysis. Data from Slovenian milk-recording scheme was used. The lactation records on cows having first to third calving in the period 1990-2004 and milk, protein and fat yield in 305 days were studied. The variables used to characterize the environment were herd-year averages of each trait. The multiple trait analysis was done using the highest and lowest quartiles of the environments. To study the GxEI, animal model methodology and the genetic correlation between the traits were used. GxEI was generally smaller for fat and milk yield than for protein yield. The lowest genetic correlations between high and low environments were estimated for protein yield, especially in Simmental (0.81) and in Brown (0.86) breed. In Holstein the correlation was higher, 0.94. The genetic correlations for fat yield were 0.95 for Brown and Simmental breed and 0.96 for Holstein. For milk yield the estimated genetic correlations were 0.88, 0.92 and 0.96 in Brown, Simmental and Holstein breed, respectively. Differences between variance components obtained in low and high quartile result in the rank of heritabilities from 0.04 to 0.12 in low and from 0.12 to 0.22 in high quartile

Logistics determinants of the port of Gaženica in the context of tourism development

The Zadar County has an important role in traffic, connecting the north and south of the Republic of Croatia. Zadar is the centre of the region, easily reached by the state roads and the modern highway A1 Zagreb-Split, air connections, ferry, shipping lines and railway. Based on the above mentioned, the city of Zadar should be seen as an important traffic centre of Croatia focused on the Gaženica port and its importance for the development of tourism as a crucial sector of the Croatian economy. The subject of this research is to identify and analyse all characteristics of the tourist destinations supply and demand, their traffic connections as well as the development of ports and port system of Croatia and their effect on the development of the new passenger port Gaženica in order to become one of the leading Mediterranean ports. The correlation between the issues of traffic connection in the Zadar County (road, sea, air and railway traffic) and the main characteristics of tourist supply and demand in the city of Zadar, as well as the impact of development of the port Gaženica on the tourist offer of the city, are interrelated objects of this research. Therefore, external transport accessibility plays an important role in it, which means if the accessibility is bad, it is an obstacle to the desired tourism development. The influence of a bad transport accessibility on the development of the destination is usually solved by investing into new transport solutions such as the construction of a new traffic infrastructure, introduction of new lines of all types of traffic, construction of larger parking lots in tourist destinations and the improvement of traffic and tourist signalling as well as the connection to the main traffic corridors. In order to increase the number of tourists in the above mentioned region, it is necessary to recognize current problems, as well as predict the future ones that may appear as a consequences of inadequate external transport accessibility on tourist development and to encourage their optimal solving

SLOVENIAN EXPERIENCE IN PIG CARCASS CLASSIFICATION ACCORDING TO SEUROP DURING THE YEARS 1996 TO 2004

Slovenian results on pig carcass classifi cation according to SEUROP (average lean meat percentage, carcass weight, measurements of fat and muscle and their variability) are presented for years from 1996 to 2004. In these years, an important increase of average lean meat percentage was noted (51.9 % in year 1996 vs. 55.9 % in year 2004). As a consequence the percentage of pig carcasses being graded into S and E classes was almost tripled from 1996 to 2004 (21.3 to 58.2%, respectively). This improvement was initiated by the payment according to the lean meat percentage, to which pig breeders responded by better management of herds and partly by increased use of pietrain breed. Potential for further improvement remains in attaining genetically more uniform herds and reduction of carcass weight variability. A new method, introducing an optic probe Hennessy, adapted to changes of the EU legislation, is expected to shift up the average meat percentage close to 57%, which places Slovenian pigs into the EU average

Harvester operator learnig efficiency analysis

Članek obravnava načine učenja bodočih strojnikov za delo s strojem za sečnjo.Na prvem takšnem primeru v Sloveniji je opisan in analiziran potek učenja s simulatorjem in merjeni so časi posameznih postopkov pri dveh kandidatih. Opisano je delovanje simulatorja za učenje na stroju Timberjack 1270 D in potek enotedenskega tečaja. Narejena je primerjava med kandidatoma glede porabe časa in števila poškodb na virtualnem stroju in sestoju, ki jih je beležil program simulatorja. Podane so usmeritve za prihodnje študije in spremljanje učinkov strojnikov pri delu.The article considers the possibilities of training future harvester operators. The course of learning with a simulator is described and analysed on the first such example in Slovenia. The times of individual processes are measured in two candidates. The paper describes the operation of a learning simulator for work on the harvester Timberjack 1270 D and the proceedings of aone-week course. A comparison between candidates regarding the consumption oftime and number of damages to the virtual machine and the stand is derived from the data recorded by the programme of the simulator. Directions for future studies and monitoring of operatorsć efficiency at work are also given

SLOVENSKE IZKUŠNJE PRI OCENJEVANJU MESNATOSTI PRAŠIČEV PO SEUROP V LETIH 1996 DO 2004

Slovenian results on pig carcass classifi cation according to SEUROP (average lean meat percentage, carcass weight, measurements of fat and muscle and their variability) are presented for years from 1996 to 2004. In these years, an important increase of average lean meat percentage was noted (51.9 % in year 1996 vs. 55.9 % in year 2004). As a consequence the percentage of pig carcasses being graded into S and E classes was almost tripled from 1996 to 2004 (21.3 to 58.2%, respectively). This improvement was initiated by the payment according to the lean meat percentage, to which pig breeders responded by better management of herds and partly by increased use of pietrain breed. Potential for further improvement remains in attaining genetically more uniform herds and reduction of carcass weight variability. A new method, introducing an optic probe Hennessy, adapted to changes of the EU legislation, is expected to shift up the average meat percentage close to 57%, which places Slovenian pigs into the EU average.S prispevkom želimo predstaviti slovenske izkušnje pri ocenjevanju mesnatosti prašičjih klavnih trupov po SEUROP sistemu v letih 1996 do 2004. Metoda, ki je bila vpeljana leta 1996 upoštevajoč EU zakonodajo in imenovana DM5, temelji na izračunu odstotka mesa v prašičjem klavnem trupu na podlagi enačbe, ki vključuje dve meritvi na liniji razseka trupa; meritev F, ki je debelina slanine na mestu, kjer je ta najtanjša oziroma kjer se m. gluteus medius najbolj vrašča v slanino ter meritev M, ki je razdalja med kranialnim robom m. gluteus medius in dorzalnim robom hrbteničnega kanala, kot kazalcem debeline hrbtne mišice (slika 1). Zbrali smo mesečne statistične podatke (poprečja in standardne odklone) za obdobje od julija 1996 do decembra 2004 za lastnosti, ki se merijo ali izračunajo; za meritvi M in F, za odstotek mesa v trupih in klavno težo trupov. Zbrane podatke smo prikazali na letni osnovi (preglednica 1). Z regresijsko analizo, oziroma uporabo procedure REG statističnega paketa SAS, smo ocenili mesečne trende ter jih grafi čno prikazali. Rezultati ocenjevanja mesnatosti prašičev na klavni liniji kažejo na velik napredek v mesnatosti prašičev. Poprečni odstotek mesa v trupih se je dvignil iz 51,9 % v letu 1996 na 55,9 % v letu 2004 (preglednica 1), kar v obliki trendov predstavlja statistično značilen (p<0,001) pozitiven trend na ravni 0,045 % mesečno oziroma 0,54 % letno (slika 7). Ta napredek v mesnatosti pripisujemo predvsem uvedbi plačevanja na osnovi odstotka mesa v trupih ter posledično izboljšanju rejskega dela ter deloma tudi večji uporabi pasme pietrain pri križanju; ne moremo pa jih pripisati spremembam v teži klavnih trupov, saj se ta ni bistveno spremenila (preglednica 1). Rezerve za izboljšanje klavne kakovosti prašičev ostajajo v zagotavljanju večje izenačenosti populacije glede na klavno težo in mesnatost. Ugotavljamo namreč veliko variabilnost v klavni teži (preglednica 1), ki bi jo bilo mogoče izboljšati z ustrezno plačilno shemo (pribitki oziroma odbitki glede na klavno težo) ter veliko variabilnost v mesnatosti, ki je delno posledica variabilnosti v teži, delno pa velikega števila različnih genotipov v relativno majhni populaciji prašičev. V letu 2004 naj bi se uveljavila nova metoda, ki temelji na uporabi optične sonde Hennessy Grading Probe in je prilagojena spremembam EU zakonodaje. Pričakujemo, da bo nova metoda dvignila poprečno mesnatost blizu 57 %, ta rezultat pa uvršča mesnatost slovenskih prašičev v EU poprečje

Comparison of agar gel immunodiffusion test, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and PCR in diagnostics of enzootic bovine leukosis

Bovine leukaemia virus (BLV) is a retrovirus that induces a chronic infection in cattle. Once infected, cattle remain virus carriers for life and start to show an antibody response within a few weeks after infection. Eradication and control of the disease are based on early diagnostics and segregation of the carriers. The choice of a diagnostic method depends on the eradication programme, money resources and characteristics of the herd to be analysed. The agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) test has been the serological test of choice for routine diagnosis of serum samples. Nevertheless, in more recent years, the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) has replaced the AGID for large scale testing. For this purpose, commercially available BLV-ELISA kits were compared to the AGID and to the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method performed with two sets of primers, amplifying env region. The ELISA kit based on the p24 core protein was found to be less specific and served as a screening test. The ELISA kit based on the envelope glycoprotein (gpSI) served as a verification test and gave a good correlation with the AGID test and PCR method. However, ELISA showed a higher sensitivity than AGID. The p24 based ELiSA was useful for screening a large number of samples, whereas gp51 based ELISA, AGID and PCR were more important for detecting the antibody response against the individual BLV-proteins and therefore for verification of the infection with BLV