Commensal bacteria from crayfish cuticle and their potential significance in biocontrol of causative agent of crayfish plague

Patogeni iz razreda Oomycetes sve su veća prijetnja za biljne i životinjske vrste. Među njima je patogen Aphanomyces astaci (Schikora, 1906), uzročnik bolesti račje kuge, koji je uvršten na popis 100 najopasnijih invazivnih vrsta svijeta. Upravo zbog te bolesti, kao i samim unosom invazivnih vrsta rakova, došlo je do pada u brojnosti populacija autohtonih vrsta rakova u Europi. Jedina poznata efikasna rješenja za tu bolest su toksični kemijski spojevi, koji su zabranjeni za korištenje. Upravo zbog toga se javlja potreba za prirodnim sredstvima kontrole tog patogena. Već je ranije poznato da mikrobni simbionti mogu zaštiti svoje domaćine od raznih patogena te su provedena istraživanja za oomicete iz roda Saprolgnia. Za taj rod se već zna da postoje bakterije na površinama domaćina koje mogu zaštiti domaćina od zaraze. Međutim, za rod Aphanomyces takva istraživanja nisu ranije provedena. Cilj ovoga rada bio je sistematski prikazati rezultate istraživanja na području interakcije domaćina-simbionta za deseteronožne rakove i ukazati na potrebu za detaljnijim istraživanja interakcije A. astaci i bakterija s površine rakova radi boljeg razumijevanja odnosa između patogena, domaćina i simbionata te pronalaska načina kako tu interakciju iskoristiti u korist zaštite samog domaćina – autohtonih europskih vrsta slatkovodnih deseteronožnih rakova.Pathogens belonging to class Oomycetes are increasingly recognized as a threat for animal and plant species. One of such pathogens is Aphanomyces astaci (Schikora, 1906), a causative agent of crayfish plague disease. A. astaci is listed among 100 worst invasive species in the world. Due to crayfish plague disease and spread of non-indigenous crayfish species, declines in populations of indigenous European crayfish species have occurred throughout Europe. The only known effective methods for control of this pathogen are toxic chemical substances that are banned for use due to detrimental effects of freshwater ecosystems. Thus, there is a need for identification of natural resources for control of this pathogen. Microbial symbionts have a demonstrated ability to protect their host from a variety of pathogens, however most of research has been conducted for Oomycetes from genus Saprolegnia. For that genus it is known that there are bacteria on surface of the host that can protect the host from infection. However, for genus Aphanomyces, such research is lacking. The aim of this paper is to systematically analyze results of research in the field of host- symbionts interaction for decapod crayfish species. Furthermore, the paper indicates the need for further research of interaction between A. astaci and bacteria present on the crayfish cuticle for better understanding the host-pathogen-symbionts interaction which can bring novel pathogen control methods and enhance conservation of native European crayfish

Multiple Identification Processes on the Island of Korčula (Nested Identities)

The aim of this paper is to investigate the ways contemporary identification processes on the island of Kor~ula take place. The changes in the political situation during 1990s, as well as contemporary context of the accession of the Republic of Croatia into European integration, provided the new »arena« for the expression of different identifications. The positioning of identities into the wider context, either on vertical or horizontal level, is also important in these processes. The research was carried out at all the major settlements on the island of Kor~ula by qualitative methodological tools and ethnographic approach. The results indicate the existence of nested identities on the island of Kor~ula (ranging from supranational (European) to national and regional and finally to diverse local identifications and their situational and dynamic character. The nested identities on the island of Kor~ula demonstrate their mutual compatibility and the fact that not only identities of the higher order (regional, for example) comprise the identities of the lower order (local, for example); the reverse process also takes place. The members of seemingly close and similar island communities in fact have very differentiated local identifications that are very often equally important or even more important than identities of the higher order, such as national

Prvi pokušaj katalogiziranja valova sličnih tsunamijima, koje u hrvatskim obalnim vodama uzrokuju atmosferski procesi

A catalogue of waves, which belong to the same frequency band as tsunamis but are of meteorological origin, is compiled for the Croatian part of the Adriatic Sea. The catalogue presently includes 21 flooding events observed between the years 1931 and 2010. The areas most often affected were Vela Luka on the island of Korčula and Stari Grad on the island of Hvar. A majority of the events occurred in the warm part of the year. The events tended to start either early in the morning or late in the afternoon, to last between 1 and 6 hours, and to be dominated by sea-level oscillations of 10-40 min periods. The largest trough-to-crest height of 6 m was observed in Vela Luka on 21 June 1978.Za hrvatski dio Jadranskog mora sastavljen je katalog valova, koji pripadaju istom frekvencijskom području kao tsunamiji, ali su meteorološkog porijekla. Katalog trenutačno uključuje 21 slučaj poplava, koje su opažene između 1931. i 2010. godine. Najčešće je poplavljivana Vela Luka na otoku Korčuli, te Stari Grad na otoku Hvaru. Većina se slučajeva dogodila u toplom dijelu godine. Epizode su pretežno počinjale rano u jutro ili kasno poslije podne, trajale su između 1 i 6 sati, a obilježilo ih je osciliranje morske razine s periodima od 10-40 minuta. Najveća valna visina u iznosu od 6 m opažena je u Veloj luci dana 21. lipnja 1978. godine

Andrija Mohorovičić kao meteorolog

Andrija Mohorovičić’s meteorology-related activities are reviewed. It is shown that he was involved in teaching and professional work in meteorology throughout his professional career, and in meteorological research until his early forties – i.e. before switching to seismological research and arriving at the famous discovery of discontinuity between the Earth’s crust and its mantle. Mohorovičić taught meteorology at the Nautical School in Bakar (1882–1891) and later at the University of Zagreb (since 1894). As for the professional engagement in meteorology, his major achievements were foundation of meteorological station in Bakar (1887), start of meteorological forecasting in Croatia (1893), and establishment of the network of Croatian meteorological stations (1901). Mohorovičić’s meteorological research included, but was not limited to, the climatological investigation of clouds and their movements in the Bakar area, the study of tornado that struck Novska, and an early study of the Zagreb climate conditions. As demonstrated in a recent publication, Mohorovičić also made pioneering contribution to the investigation of atmospheric rotors, by describing in some detail a vortex with horizontal axis he had observed from Bakar (1889); this discovery influenced later research of similar phenomena in England and Germany, but was forgotten by the international scientific community some fifty years later.U članku se iznosi pregled aktivnosti Andrije Mohorovičića u području meteorologije. Pokazuje se da je kao meteorolog bio uključen u nastavni i stručni rad tijekom cijelog svojeg profesionalnog djelovanja, te da se znanstveno bavio meteorologijom do svojih ranih četrdesetih godina – dakle, prije nego se posvetio znanstvenom seizmološkom istraživanju i tako došao do čuvenog otkrića plohe doskontinuiteta između Zemljine kore i plašta. Mohorovičić je predavao meteorologiju na Nautičkoj školi u Bakru (1882–1891) te kasnije na Sveučilištu u Zagrebu (od 1894. godine). Što se tiče stručnog rada u području meteorologije, najznačajnija su mu postignuća utemeljenje meteorološke postaje u Bakru (1887), početak meteorološkog prognoziranja u Hrvatskoj (1893) i uspostavljanje mreže hrvatskih meteoroloških postaja (1901). Mohorovičićeva meteorološka istraživanja uključivala su, između ostalog, klimatološku studiju oblaka i njihovog gibanja u području Bakra, izučavanje tornada koji je pogodio Novsku te rano istraživanje zagrebačkih klimatskih prilika. Kako je pokazano u jednom nedavno objavljenom članku, Mohorovičić je također dao pionirski doprinos istraživanju atmosferskih rotora, detaljno opisujući vrtlog s horizontalnom osi što ga je opažao iz Bakra (1889); to je otkriće utjecalo na kasnije istraživanje sličnih pojava u Engleskoj i Njemačkoj, ali ga je nakon pedesetak godina međunarodna znanstvena zajednica zaboravila

From Agram to Zagreb: The Austro-Hungarian Legacy in Tourism Discourses of Croatian Capital

Tourist promotion is not only about creating an attractive image of a destination, but is also highly informative of social values and the dominant ideology within a particular society. During the past decades, along with the process of joining the European Union, a lot has been done to promote Zagreb as a typical Central European city, implying the natural belonging of Zagreb (and Croatia) to the „real“ or Western Europe. This paper analyses visual and textual representations of Zagreb in tourist promotional materials focusing on the multicultural Austro-Hungarian heritage and its role as a symbolic resource used in the process of urban identity building. It provides an insight into the discursive practices of heritage selection and cultural representation, through which local identification with this heritage ranges from (implicitly) neutral to overtly positive. Any dissonant heritage with negative connotations is absent, thus providing an idyllic, harmonious Austro-Hungarian past as part of urban identity

From Agram to Zagreb: The Austro-Hungarian Legacy in Tourism Discourses of Croatian Capital

Tourist promotion is not only about creating an attractive image of a destination, but is also highly informative of social values and the dominant ideology within a particular society. During the past decades, along with the process of joining the European Union, a lot has been done to promote Zagreb as a typical Central European city, implying the natural belonging of Zagreb (and Croatia) to the „real“ or Western Europe. This paper analyses visual and textual representations of Zagreb in tourist promotional materials focusing on the multicultural Austro-Hungarian heritage and its role as a symbolic resource used in the process of urban identity building. It provides an insight into the discursive practices of heritage selection and cultural representation, through which local identification with this heritage ranges from (implicitly) neutral to overtly positive. Any dissonant heritage with negative connotations is absent, thus providing an idyllic, harmonious Austro-Hungarian past as part of urban identity