Monothiocyanatoiron(III) Complex in Dichloromethane–Methanol Solvent Mixture

Complexation of FeIII ion with thiocyanate in dichloromethane–methanol solvent mixture was studied because of our interest in the analytical uses of FeII-to-FeIII transformations in non-aqueous media. Molar absorptivity and composition of the complex, as well as the solvolysis constant and the stability constant of the complex as a function of the solution composition were determined by spectrophotometry. The composition of the complex throughout the solubility range of the components was that of a monocomplex, [FeNCS]2+. In highly acidic solutions, molar absorptivity of the complex was not influenced by acid concentration and was (13 700 ± 700) dm3 mol-1 cm-1. The solvolysis constant was similar to the value in water, Ks = 7.0 × 10-3 mol dm-3. The stability constant of the complex, on the other hand, was strongly influenced by acid concentration. Extrapolation to the infinite acid concentration yielded the stability constant 40 500 dm3 mol-1, which is adequate for analytical uses of the complex in non-aqueous media

Alanine Conjugate of Indole-3-butyric Acid Improves Rooting of Highbush Blueberries

Auxins and their synthetic analogues are commonly used for rooting of cuttings, but their efficiency depends on experimental set-up and, even more importantly, on species or cultivar, and type of explants investigated. In attempt to improve rooting procedure for highbush blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum L.), we investigated alanine conjugate of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA-Ala) as potential root-promoting compounds and compared with commonly used auxins indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). The effect of different concentrations of auxins on the rooting of highbush blueberry stem cuttings (var. Bluecrop, Bluetta, Burlington and Jersey) and in-vitro-derived microcuttings (var. Jersey) was investigated. Auxin treatments significantly promoted rooting of all four varieties in comparison to control. The most efficient rooting promoter in all varieties appeared IBA-Ala (provided up to 83%, and 93% of the rooted cuttings and microcuttings, respectively). Furthermore, IBA-Ala caused a vigorous, well-branched root system that resulted in better acclimatization and survival of plants. Results suggest the application of IBA-Ala may be beneficial for rooting of difficult-to-root varieties of blueberry and related species and their practical application in the nursery industry

Dušan Ražem (1944 – 2018)

With deep sadness we announce the sudden death of our colleague Dr. Dušan Ražem. Dr. Ražem spent his whole career at the Radiation Chemistry and Dosimetry Laboratory (RCDL) at the Department of Materials Chemistry at the Ruđer Bošković Institute in Zagreb. Dr. Ražem was an excellent scientist. His research has been associated with all aspects of the effects of ionizing radiation on matter: radiation chemistry, dosimetry and technology. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

New wines and vineyards in the Republic of Croatia

Tradicija vinarstva u RH, od najistočnijeg vinogorja Iloka, preko istarskih vinogorja, pa do krajnjeg južnog vinogorja Konavle, podrazumijeva proizvodnju sortnih vina. Podizanje novih nasada i uvođenje novih sorata rezultira i brojnim novim vinima, u skladu sa zakonodavnim okvirom. Ekološki uvjeti klime, prvenstveno temperatura i količina padalina, značajni za uzgoj i osiguranje tehnološke kakvoće grožđa kao baze za proizvodnju kvalitetnog vina, mijenjaju se. Sukladno tome, nakadašnje granice uzgoja pojedinih sorata vinove loze (Vitis vinifera) definitivno se brišu, sortiment se pomiče od juga prema sjeveru, a u konačnoj kakvoći vina presudnu ulogu igra znanje i prilagodba novim uvjetima. Sortna su vina i dalje vodeći „brendovi“ u hrvatskoj proizvodnji, a uz vrhunska vina s ograničenih područja, koja baštinimo kao neupitna za proizvodnju vina ponajbolje kakvoće, sve je veći broj novih vina, novih sorata na novim područjima, koja se također odlikuju izvrsnom kakvoćom.The wine tradition in the Republic of Croatia from its easternmost vine- growing hills of Ilok to the southern vine-growing hills of Konavle comprises the production of varietal wines. Planting new vineyards and introducing new grape varieties results in numerous new wines in accordance with legal framework. Ecological climatic conditions, primarily temperature and the amount of precipitations, important for cultivation and assurance of the technological quality of grapes as the basis for the production of quality wines, are constantly changing. Likewise, the former boundaries of planting certain vine varieties (Vitis vinifera) are definitely moved, the sortiment is moved from south to north, and the crucial role for the final quality of wine belongs to knowledge and adjustment to new conditions. Varietal wines are still leading brands in Croatian production, and along with the quality wines originating from the limited areas, which are a part of our heritage and unquestionable for the production of the best quality wines, the number of new wines and new grape varieties has been in constant growth even in the new areas which are also characterized by excellent quality

The influence of antioxidants in the thiyl radical induced lipid peroxidation and geometrical isomerization in micelles of linoleic acid

The biomimetic model of micelles of linoleic acid containing 2-mercaptoethanol and the antioxidant was examined under gamma irradiation up to 400 Gy in aerobic or deoxygenated conditions where thiyl radicals are the main reactive species. Lipid peroxidation was retarded by ascorbic acid and α-tocopherol, whereas this process was strongly inhibited by resveratrol as effectively as the ascorbic acid/α-tocopherol mixture. Furthermore, antioxidants have a much stronger inhibitory effect on the peroxidation in the presence of 2-mercaptoethanol, and at the same time show protective properties of the double bond, decreasing the cis–trans isomerization. Under anaerobic conditions cis–trans isomerization occurred and antioxidants efficiency increased along the series: resveratrol α-tocopherol ascorbic acid. This result is explained taking into account the double bond localization in the hydrophobic core of the micelle and the need of co- localization of the antioxidant in order to get an anti-isomerizing activity and protection of the natural lipid geometry

Viticulture and enology in the Republic of Croatia within the framework of the world

Unatoč globalnoj gospodarskoj krizi kojoj svjedočimo, smanjenju svjetskih vinogradarskih površina, opstojnost vinogradarstva i vinarstva u Republici Hrvatskoj neupitna je, prvenstveno zahvaljujući bogatstvu prirodnih, ekoloških čimbenika u kojima je naš čovjek već ispisao snažnu povijesnu baštinu, prožetu demografskim i kulturnim utjecajima. Danas je i vinograd u mnogim djelovima države dio turističkog pejzažnog sadržaja, a dobro vino, bez ikakve sumnje, visoko pozicionirani razlog dolaska novih i vraćanja starih gostiju. Brojnost starih sorata kojih je nazivlje izvan naših granica nepoznato danas predstavlja pravo nacionalno bogatstvo, a specifi čnosti u proizvodnji i sve češći povratak na povijesnu izvornost, govori u prilog činjenici da je tržište zasićeno vrhunski proizvedenim i dorađenim, ali vinima jednakog lica, te da je naša budućnost u spoju drugačijeg i kvalitetnog. U prilog tome govori i činjenica da unatoč krizi, potrošnja vina u svijetu raste, a posebnosti su uvijek s „korakom ispred“. U tom smislu općepoznati i prihvaćeni pojam „terroir“ dobiva novu dimenziju, u koju se uključuje i potrošač i njegov doživljaj kvalitete vina u defi niranom okruženju prirode i čovjeka.Despite the current global economic crisis and the decrease in the number of the world’s wine-growing areas, viability of viticulture and enology in Croatia is unquestionable, mostly owing to the opulence of natural and ecological factors in which our men have already written a strong historical heritage permeated with demographic and cultural influences. Even vineyards are nowadays in many parts of the country a part of the touristic landscape offer and a good wine, undoubtedly, is a highly-positioned reason of the arrival of new guests and the return of the regular ones. The abundance of old varieties which are unknown outside our country represents a true national treasure and specificity in the production and the more frequent return to historical authenticity speaks for the fact that the market is saturated with perfected wines produced in high-quality, but they are all similar so our future lies in the compound of the difference and the quality. This claim is supported by the fact that, despite the crisis, the consumption of wine in the world grows and specific qualities are always one step ahead. In this sense, a generally-known and accepted term “terroir” gets a new dimension which includes both the consumer and his experience of wine quality in a defined environment of nature and man

Validation of the Croatian Version of the Duke Religion Index (DUREL-hr) among Medical School Students

The purpose of this study was to develop and examine the psychometric properties of the Croatian version of the Duke Religion Index (DUREL-hr) and to examine religiousness trends among different years medical students. Our results demonstrated high internal consistency (coefficient alpha ranging from 0.883 for the total scale to 0.9398 for the intrinsic subscale) of DUREL-hr as well as students’ religiousness results comparable to other studies on the religiousness of the youth in Croatia. DUREL-hr is a reliable and valid instrument suitable to use in Croatian language. Authors encourage studies on the relationship of religiousness and health in Croatia