Product design as a subject-stimulus for preschool children art activities in preschool age

Dizajn je u današnjem svijetu prisutan kroz mnoge aspekte naših života. No, u području likovnih aktivnosti djece predškolske dobi gotovo da se niti ne spominje. Analizom dječjih radova istražen je potencijal produkt dizajna kao teme ili poticaja za likovne aktivnosti djece predškolske dobi. Ciljevi istraživanja su ispitati postoji li veza između skice i modela stolice te u kojoj su mjeri djeca predškolske dobi sposobna izraziti načela produkt dizajna kroz skicu i model stolice. Istraživanje je provedeno na uzorku od 44 djece Dječjih vrtića „Sunčica“ i „Bubamara“ u Osijeku, koji obuhvaća djecu iz starije odgojne skupine.Design is present in today's world through many aspects of our lives. However, in the field of art activities for preschool children design barely exist. With analysis of children's art there was examined possibility of product design as a subject or stimulus for preschool art activities. Aims of research are to determine connection between sketch and model of a chair and to determine the extend to which preschool children can express the main principles of design. Research was conducted on sample of 44 children aged 5-6 attending child care „Sunčica“ and „Bubamara“ in Osijek

Breast, colon, and prostate screening in the adult population of Croatia: does rural origin matter?

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to investigate the utilization of breast, colon and prostate cancer screening in the adult Croatian population in a period without national cancer screening programs, with a special interest in respondents' rural versus urban origin. ----- METHODS: Self-reported screening utilization was investigated in the Croatian Adult Health Survey, which collected health-related information from a representative sample of the adult Croatian population. Breast cancer screening was investigated in women aged over 40 years, while colon and prostate screening was investigated in respondents aged over 50 years. The data were analysed using binary logistic regression. ----- RESULTS: One in five women reported breast cancer screening uptake in the year preceding the survey (22.5%), while only 4.5% reported a colon screening. A total of 6.1% men reported colon screening, while 13.7% of men reported having a prostate cancer screening. Respondents with rural origin reported all sites screening utilization less frequently than those of urban origin (breast: 14.5% vs 27.4%; prostate: 9.6% vs 16.3%; colon-men: 5.7% vs 6.3%; colon-women: 3.6% vs 5.1%; respectively). Multivariable models indicated that people with higher socio-economic status more commonly reported breast and prostate cancer screening uptake. Access to health care was the only independent variable associated with colon cancer screening in men, and the strongest variable associated with colon cancer screening in women. Rural origin was associated only with lower odds of breast screening (adjusted odds ratio 0.60 [95% confidence interval 0.48-0.74]), while in the remaining models, rural origin was not a significant predictor for cancer screening uptake. ----- CONCLUSIONS: Opportunistic cancer screening uptake is low in the Croatian adult population, with existing socio-economic differences in breast and prostate screening, and their absence in colon cancer screening. Rural origin was significantly associated with breast screening, even after adjustment to socioeconomic status and problems in access to health care. Lack of rural origin significance in the other screening sites could be related to small sample sizes of people who reported opportunistic utilization. Overall, access to health care is the strongest cancer screening predictor, and this should have a prominent role in the development of a systematic cancer screening program on a national level

Importance of health care issues in 2005 presidential elections in Croatia

Health and health care provision are among the most important and politically sensitive public service areas. Politicians carefully incorporate health care program changes in their political agendas to gain votes. However, knowing health care priorities of the electoral body is not useful only to politicians, but also to health policy makers, as it enables them to target the most problematic areas in health care. We conducted a telephone survey of representative sample of voters (n=643) immediately before the presidential elections in Croatia in 2005, to determine the possible differences in health care priorities between left-wing and right-wing voters, and found a high level of homogeneity in their opinions. Health care organization, corruption, and financing issues were identified as the top priorities by both left- and right-wing voters. This agreement in voters' expectations, probably caused by a similar frame of mind of Croatian citizens inherited from pre-democratic times of self-government, could be used by health policy makers to rationally invest the means and efforts in dealing with the most problematic health care issues

Health and Development

Better health leads to faster economic growth which in turn, leads to healthier populations. Historical studies have shown that a substantial proportion of today's economic wealth can be attributed directly to past achievements in the health sphere. Health contributes to human capital through higher productivity, securing labour supply, through skills and the savings that become available for investment in physical and intellectual capital. Poor health negatively influences labour market productivity as measured by earnings and wages. At the same time, life expectancy increases with income across countries, but at a rate that becomes progressively lower as income increases due to diminishing health returns to income. However, the relationship between wealth and health is not as straightforward as was previously thought. Rather, it seems to be a more complex and multidimensional one and factors other than wealth exist that also influence the health of populations

New Echiniscidae (Heterotardigrada) from Amber Mountain (Northern Madagascar)

A moss sample from the local biodiversity hotspot in lowland rainforest in the vicinity of Amber Mountain, Madagascar, yielded the discovery of two Echiniscus C.A.S. Schultze, 1840 species, of which one is new to science. Echiniscus succineus sp. nov. is related to other members of the spinulosus group, but differs from them by the highly complicated structure of the dorsal plates, with intricately thickened parts of the armour forming ornamented pattern. The validity of the intraporal dark rings as a taxonomic trait is discussed in the context of the recovered intraspecific variability for the new taxon. Besides, rare Echiniscus africanus Murray, 1907 is reported for the first time from the island

Energija precipitacije Al2Cu i α -AlFeSi faze u AlCu3 leguri i oblici precipitata

AlCu3 alloy was examined with the triple simple thermal analysis (TETA), the simultaneous thermal analysis (STA), the computer simulation using Thermo-Calc program and with the metallographic analyses. The energy of solidification and melting of the primary and the eutectic phase, and the energy of the Al2Cu precipitation were determined, and these can be evidently seen from the curves of simultaneous thermal analysis.Legura AlCu3 je istražena sa trojnom jednostavnom toplinskom analizom (TETA), simultanom toplinskom analizom (STA), kompjuterskom simulacijom Thermo-Calc i metalografskom analizom. Izmjerena je energija skrućivanja i taljenja primarne i eutektičke faze i energija precipitacije Al2Cu faze što je vidljivo iz krivulja simultane toplinske analize

Sound Properties of Planinsko polje (Slovenia)

Geographically, the Planinsko Polje field is one of the most preserved cultural regions of the Karstic landscape of inner Slovenia and as such a protected area of national importance. It can be recognized by its exceptional features and landmarks of material and non-material heritage and by its high-quality symbiosis of all ingredients in its space. The research of sound in the area of Planinsko Polje shows that it is an important, preserved constituent of natural and cultural heritage. Its manifestations are also interesting as indicators of its actual endangerment

New Echiniscidae (Heterotardigrada) from Amber Mountain (Northern Madagascar)

A moss sample from the local biodiversity hotspot in lowland rainforest in the vicinity of Amber Mountain, Madagascar, yielded the discovery of two Echiniscus C.A.S. Schultze, 1840 species, of which one is new to science. Echiniscus succineus sp. nov. is related to other members of the spinulosus group, but differs from them by the highly complicated structure of the dorsal plates, with intricately thickened parts of the armour forming ornamented pattern. The validity of the intraporal dark rings as a taxonomic trait is discussed in the context of the recovered intraspecific variability for the new taxon. Besides, rare Echiniscus africanus Murray, 1907 is reported for the first time from the island