EXPERIENCE IN THE PACKAGING OF FRESH POULTRY MEAT IN CONTROLLED ATMOSPHERE

Cilj rada je utvrditi odstupanja koncentracije omjera plinova na linijama pakiranja pilećeg mesa u odnosu na zadane kritične limite prema HACCP check listama. Iz rezultata mjerenja treba donijeti zaključke o važnosti permanentnog mjerenja omjera zadanih koncentracija plinova jer malene oscilacije mogu bitno utjecati na smanjenje roka održivosti proizvoda.The object of this research is to determine the deviation oft the concentration ratio oft he gas lines packagingc of poultry meat in relation to the set critical limits HACCP check lists. The measurement results should draw conclusions about the importance of ongoing measurement of the ratio of the given gas concentration as small fluctutations can have a significant impact on reducing the sustainability of the product

Upravno obrazovanje u dvanaest postsocijalističkih zemalja i Hrvatskoj: Postoji li konvergencija?

The authors describe the situation regarding public administration (PA) education in twelve post-socialist European countries divided into two circles: Central European post-socialist countries and former Yugoslav countries. The analysis is focused on the main orientations of the PA curricula, levels of education, and character of the institutions offering education in the field. A special attention is puton PA education in Croatia. The article is based on sociological neo-institutional theoretical approaches that often indicate exogenous factors as causes of institutional changes. The comparative research has confirmed the hypothesis of the paper that there is interconnection between the process of transition and increased development of the PA education systems in central and south-eastern European post-socialist countries. It shows a great similarity at the levels of education, a sufficiently high level of convergence toward multidisciplinary approach to PA education and diversity in colour at the institutional-organizational level.Transformacija tradicionalnih vrijednosti i ciljeva javne uprave (JU) koja se događa tijekom zadnjih desetljeća rezultirala je i značajnim promjenama u području upravnog obrazovanja. Iako suvremeni društveni procesi globalizacije, europeizacije i vodeće upravne doktrine upućuju na zajednička stajališta i konvergenciju, primjećuju se i mnoga razilaženja u javnim upravama različitih zemalja koja proizlaze iz stupnja njihove razvijenosti te specifičnih povijesnih, nacionalnih, regionalnih, kulturoloških i drugih okolnosti. Autorice opisuju situaciju u upravnom obrazovanju 12 postsocijalističkih europskih zemalja podijeljenih u dva kruga – srednjoeuropske postsocijalističke zemlje i zemlje bivše Jugoslavije. Analiza je provedena u odnosu na glavne orijentacije nastavnih programa, razine obrazovanja i tipove institucija koje provode obrazovanje u predmetnom području. U pogledu upravnog obrazovanja u Hrvatskoj izvršena je detaljna analiza obrazovnih institucija i postojećih programa upravnog obrazovanja u javnim institucijama. Rad se temelji na teorijskim pristupima sociološkog neoinstitucionalizma koji uobičajeno upućuju na egzogene faktore kao uzroke institucionalnih promjena. Komparativno istraživanje potvrđuje početnu hipotezu rada o postojanju međupovezanosti između tranzicijskog procesa i ubrzanog razvoja sustava upravnog obrazovanja u postsocijalističkim zemljama središnje i jugoistočne Europe. Analiza pokazuje da među odabranim zemljama postoji velika sličnost u pogledu stupnjeva upravnog obrazovanja, značajan stupanj konvergencije s obzirom na multidisciplinarni pristup proučavanju javne uprave, dok se najveća raznolikost primjećuje u odnosu na tipove institucija koje izvode programe upravnog obrazovanja

The Effect of Dietary Intake of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Cardiovascular Health: Revealing Potentials of Functional Food

Functional food is a food containing components that show beneficial effects on one or more body functions and improve general condition and health or significantly affect lowering of disease risks. This chapter is aimed to examine the effect of dietary intake of omega‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n3‐PUFA) on cardiovascular health. This chapter presents current knowledge on functional poultry products and the reasons to consume them, omega‐3 enrichment of eggs and poultry meat, and the differences in profile of fatty acids in conventional and omega‐3–enriched eggs. The second part of the chapter focuses on the metabolism of fatty acids and effectiveness of n‐3 PUFA in the improvement of endothelial function, improvement of elasticity of the vascular wall and the anti‐inflammatory effects in patients with chronic diseases, such as metabolic syndrome, diabetes mellitus and hypercholesterolemia, and overall effect on cardiovascular health and protection. To achieve long‐term protective effects, the functional food should be consumed on daily basis. There are no specific constrains in taking functional food; even more, it can be recommended to athletes and cardiovascular patients. General population can also benefit from eating functional food enriched with n‐3 PUFA due to their anti‐inflammatory and vascular‐protective effects

The Importance of Urgent Cytological Examination of Synovial Fluids in Differentiation Inflammatory and Non-inflammatory Joint Diseases

The aim of this study was to imply the possibilities of the urgent cytological examination of synovial fluids in differential diagnosis of arthropathies and to motivate the clinicians to use this method. It gave valuable information particularly with respect to differentiate the inflammatory and non-inflammatory joint diseases. This study included 115 synovial fluids obtained by fine needle aspiration (FNA) of the swollen knee from the patients in the period between 2003 and 2008. At our department the urgent cytological examination of the synovial fluids consisted of macroscopic analysis that includes volume, colour, clarity, viscosity and mucin clot test, native microscopic analysis for crystals and tissue fragments, counting the total nucleated cell count and semiquantitative microscopic analysis for neutrophil granulocyte percentage on the slides stained with Hemacolor rapid staining. All cytological analyses were done within one hour since FNA. According to our results the clarity, viscosity, mucin clot test, the total nucleated cell count and the neutrophil granulocyte percentage enabled distinction between inflammatory and non-inflammatory diseases with statistically significant difference at the 0.01 level but we could not differentiate these two groups of illnesses according to volume and colour. In inflammation the total nucleated cell count and the neutrophil granulocyte percentage was greater than in non-inflammation, the clarity was only translucent and opaque, the viscosity was low and the mucin clot test was negative. In non-inflammatory diseases the clarity varied from transparent to opaque, the total nucleated cell count and the neutrophil granulocyte percentage was smaller than in inflammatory diseases, the viscosity was high and consequently the mucin test was highly positive in all samples. Crystals were detected in only 12 samples of synovial fluids, mostly in inflammation and they were all monosodium urate (MUS) so we could diagnose gout. We could conclude that the urgent cytological analysis of the synovial fluid is a very useful, simple and reliable basic diagnostic screening test in differentiation inflammatory and non-inflammatory joint diseases and we recommended using it as the initial test in the diagnostic procedure of these illnesses using our protocol

The Role of Omega6 to Omega3 Ratio in Development and Progression of Age-Related Macular Degeneration

The aim of this study is to investigate possible connection between omega-6/omega-3 fatty acid ratio and development and progression of Age-Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD). We examined 125 patients diagnosed with ARMD and divided into 5 groups of 25 patients according to CARMS (Clinical Age-Related Maculopathy Staging System). Control group consists of 51 patients with similar ages, without ARMD. All of them underwent stereobiomicroscopy, fundus photography and fluorescein angiography. Dietary fatty acids intake was measured using food frequency questionairre (FFQ). The FFQ was based on previously validated questionairre (DIETQ, Tinuviel Software, Warington, Ches, UK) and FFQ2 from Blue MountainEye Study. The data were analysed using food nutritient dana from McCance and Widdowson´s Food Composition Tables, supplemented with a food fatty acid content database (Foodbase, London, UK).We noticed statistically significant difference between omega-6/omega-3 ratio in neovascular ARMD (stage 5) and all other groups including control group (p=0.000020).The ratio in Stage 5 was about 11:1 like inWestern diet. Stage 4-geographic atrophy (GA) has statistically significant difference in o-mega-6/omega-3 ratio compared with stage 1 (p=0.000571), stage 2 (p=0.000112) and stage 3 (p=0.000430). The ratio in first three groups is about 7–7.5:1 (greater then Mediteran-4–5:1, but lower thenWestern Diet-10–20:1). There is no statistically significant difference between first three stages (p>0.05) and stage 4 and control group (p=0.172388). Omega-6/omega-3 ratio is connected with development of neovascular ARMD. Decreased ratio protects against neovascular ARMD. On the contrary, GA seems to be connected with prolonged sunlight exposure (the ratio is about 6:1). It is good to know that changing nutrition habits someone can prevent development of severe neovascular form of ARMD because intravitreal anti-VEGF therapy limitations

Fine-Needle Aspiration Cytology of Apocrine Hidradenoma

An apocrine hidradenoma is a benign adnexal neoplasm, usually covered by intact skin, but may show superficial ulceration and serous discharge. This feature is raising the possibility of malignancy as it was in our case of macroscopically suspicious tumour. We described cytomorphologic features of cutaneous nodule that might be a lead to the cytologic diagnosis of hidradenoma, but primary or secondary malignant tumour has been ruled out first

Consumer Connectivity in a Complex, Technology-Enabled, and Mobile-Oriented World with Smart Products

Today’s consumers are immersed in a vast and complex array of networks. Each network features an interconnected mesh of people and firms, and now, with the rise of the Internet of Things (IoT), also objects. Technology (particularly mobile devices) enables such connections, and facilitates many kinds of interactions in these networks - from transactions, to social information sharing, to people interfacing with connected devices (e.g., wearable technology). We introduce the POP-framework, discuss how People, Objects and the Physical world interconnect with each other and how it results in an increasing amount of connected data, and briefly summarize existing knowledge on these inter-connections. We also provide an agenda for future research focused on examining potential impact of IoT and smart products on consumer behavior and firm strategies

Flow Cytometric Analysis of Deep-Seated Lymph Nodes

Flow cytometry (FC) immunophenotyping is an important tool in the evaluation of lymphadenopathy and is widely used in the diagnosis of non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas (NHLs) on fine-needle aspirates of lymph nodes and extranodal sites. Because at least 80% of NHLs are of B-cell type, detection of immunoglobulin (Ig) light-chain-restriction is the most commonly used method for confirmation of monoclonality. The aim of our study was to evaluate usefulness of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) for FC analysis from deep-seated lymph nodes and to compare results of FC clonality analysis to cytomorphologic diagnosis of sampled lymph nodes. For cytological diagnosis direct smears were made, selected slide was stained for rapid-on site evaluation procedure. Sixteen patients with suspected NHL of deep-seated lymph nodes obtained by EUS-FNA were submitted for FC clonality analysis using four-color multiparameter flow cytometry stained with kappa /lambda/CD19/CD45. Clonality analysis was performed on 11 samples. Monoclonality was demonstrated in seven of 11 cases cytologically diagnosed as NHL and four of 11 cases cytologically diagnosed as benign were polyclonal. Our results show that EUS-FNAC with FC is a sensitive and specific tool in the diagnosis of deep-seated B-NHL. Cytologic diagnosis combined with FC clonality analysis can be performed in majority of cases and may eliminate need for open biopsy in some cases

Smjernice za farmakološko liječenje epilepsije

SAŽETAK Međunarodne smjernice za farmakološko liječenje epilepsija općenite su, sveobuhvatne i ne prepoznaju lokalne specifičnosti poput ekonomskih i tehničkih mogućnosti u pojedinim državama, dostupnosti pojedinih antiepileptika ili drugih metoda liječenja i slično. Stoga se nameće potreba izrade nacionalnih smjernica, čiji su zapravo temelj međunarodne smjernice Internacionalne lige protiv epilepsije. Hrvatske smjernice za farmakološko liječenje epilepsija plod su suradnje svih relevantnih stručnih društava i referentnih centara u RH, na čelu s Hrvatskom ligom protiv epilepsije te Hrvatskim neurološkim društvom i Hrvatskim društvom za dječju neurologiju Hrvatskoga liječničkog zbora, a odražavaju aktualne socioekonomske i regulatorne specifičnosti u našoj zemlji, najnovije spoznaje farmakoloških profila i učinkovitosti pojedinih antiepileptika kao i ekspertna mišljenja. Antiepileptička terapija se uvodi nakon postavljanja dijagnoze epilepsije, stoga profilaktička primjena nije opravdana. Nakon postavljanja dijagnoze potrebno je bolesnika informirati o prognozi bolesti, mogućnostima liječenja i samopomoći, životnim ograničenjima te mogućim neželjenim događajima. Ciljevi farmakoterapije epilepsija su potpuna kontrola napada uz izbjegavanje nuspojava te održavanje ili poboljšanje kvalitete života. Zlatni standard liječenja je monoterapija odnosno primjena adekvatnog antiepileptika u adekvatnoj dozi. Izbor i titracija lijeka su individualni, a temelje se na smjernicama za liječenje pojedinih vrsta napada, karakteristikama bolesnika i regulatorno specifičnim čimbenicima. Nakon neuspjeha inicijalne monoterapije, potrebna je reevalucija anamnestičkih i dijagnostičkih podataka te potom postupna i spora zamjena antiepileptika. Racionalna politerapija podrazumijeva kombinaciju dvaju antiepileptika različitih mehanizama djelovanja, prvog ili eventualno drugog izbora za postavljenju dijagnozu, niskoga interakcijskog potencijala, različitog profila nuspojava i sinergističkog ili aditivnog djelovanja. Zamjena generičkih ili originalnog i generičkog oblika lijeka nije preporučljiva, a poglavito nakon postizanja remisije ili prilikom uzimanja visokih doza lijeka. Ukidanje antiepileptičke terapije treba biti postupno i sporo, u slučaju politerapije jedan po jedan lijek, a u donošenju odluke o ukidanju, kao i o uvođenju antiepileptika, mora biti uključen bolesnik i njegova obitelj