Subprime Crisis and Instability of Global Financial Markets

In order to prescribe adequate remedies to treat the current financial crisis one has to understand what in the first place went wrong. An age ago, older generations wrote that disease could not be cured without an accurate diagnosis. In contrast to mainstream “efficient markets hypothesis” we argue that Minsky’s financial instability hypothesis gives numerous valuable insights into sources and possible consequences of current global financial crisis. Furthermore, two decades ago Hyman P. Minsky predicted possible developments and perils of ever growing process of securitization of illiquid assets.Speculation, Debt, Financial instability hypothesis, Ponzi unit, Securitization.

Impact of complacency on the effectiveness of port commercial operations

This paper deals with the phenomenon of Complacency which is one of the causes of human error detected in the domain of ship accidents. The term Complacency is present as an influential social and psychological factor which has similar cause in shipping and port commercial operations. The causes of ship accidents from the aspect of Complacency are defined as Management Complacency, Leadership Complacency and Self-Induced Complacency. All of these causes are reflected as causes of accidents in ports at the management and operational level. The main domain in which Complacency is present as influential element is decision-making process as well as in ship and port commercial operations

Toxicity of gold and silver nanoparticles

Nanotehnologija se bavi česticama veličine do 100 nm zbog njihovih novih zanimljivih svojstava u odnosu na materijale makro dimenzija. Predmetom su proučavanja zbog potencijalne primjene u medicinske i druge najrazličitije svrhe. Nanočestice srebra se već koriste u komercijalne svrhe u raznim antibakterijskim sredstvima, a nanočestice zlata pokazuju potencijal za korištenje u dijagnozi i liječenju raka pa je bitno utvrditi njihove potencijalno toksične učinke na živi svijet. S tim ciljem rađena su istraživanja in vitro i in vivo na različitim modelima kojima je pokazano da se nanočestice srebra i zlata akumuliraju u jetri i slezeni, da mogu izazvati imunološki odgovor te djelovati toksično ovisno o veličini, konjugatima, koncentraciji i vremenu izloženosti tkiva i organa. Toksični učinci nanočestica srebra i zlata su indukcija proizvodnje ROS i RNS, narušavanje integriteta membrane i oštećenje DNA iako postoje i drugi specifični učinci koje još valja istražiti. Nanočestice srebra označene su toksičnijim od onih zlata jer lakše oksidiraju.Nanotechnology manipulates material at nanoscale (1-100 nm) for its interesting novel properties comparing to those of the materials in macro dimensions. Nanoparticles recieve much interest due to their potential applications in medicine and many other fileds. Silver nanoparticles are commercially available in various antibacterial products while gold nanoparticles show great potential in cancer treatment and diagnositcs. Thus, it is essential to determine possible toxic effects that silver and gold nanoparticles can have on both humans and wildlife. Following that purpose, experiments that have been taken on various different in vitro and in vivo models have shown that silver and gold nanoparticles tend to accumalate in spleen and liver, that they can stimulate immune response and can exert toxic effects depending on the size and capping agents of the particle, as well as on the dose and time of exposure. ROS and RNS production, membrane and DNA damage are some general effects silver and gold nanoparticles can have on cells, although there are many other specific effects that need further investigation. It is believed that silver nanoparticles are more toxic than the gold ones because they oxidize more readily

PSYCHIATRISTS BETWEEN PERSONAL FREEDOM TO PREFER ANTIPSYCHOTIC IN TREATMENT OF SCHIZOPHRENIC PATIENTS AND ALGORITHMS AND GUIDELINES

Algorithms and guidelines in treatment of schizophrenia behind which is the consensus of experts, institutions and associations are more and more in use among psychiatrists. However, the final conclusion about them will be possible only after their use in everyday practice with full freedom of psychiatrists to make changes according their personal judgment about risk and benefit of treatment

COMORBIDITY IN PSYCHIATRY: ITS IMPACT ON PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGICAL TREATMENT

The existence of two or more diagnoses (psychiatric, or a combination with somatic) in one person leads to a dilemma when choosing psychopharmacs for the treatment of the patient. There are no acceptable and comprehensive guidelines or algorithms for the treatment of innumerable possible combinations of psychiatric and somatic disorders. A strategy for treatment of such conditions is needed

Production of the relief map of a part of Pomurje

Relief maps are three-dimensional representations of\ud the Earth’s surface. In contrast to traditional 2D maps,\ud where the relief is represented indirectly, the relief maps\ud are intended for direct representation of the relief. Such\ud way of relief presentation is simpler and easier to\ud understand for ordinary users. In the article, the\ud preparation of the editorial plan is described and the\ud possible methods of elaboration of relief maps are\ud presented. The method described has been used for\ud elaboration of an insert of a relief map of the Pomurje\ud region at horizontal scale 1 : 30,000 and at vertical\ud scale 1 : 15,000. The work process is divided into four\ud phases, following in time and building one upon\ud another: elaboration of a convex aluminium mould,\ud thermo-vacuum process of reproduction, printing, and\ud composition of basic elements

Pušenje duhana u hotelskih radnika i nužnost promicanja nepušenja na radnome mjestu

This investigation aimed at evaluating the prevalence of active smokers in hotel workers to underline the need for a non-smoking campaign at the workplace. Data on smoking habit were collected in a questionnaire which included 398 subjects of whom 170 were men and 228 women aged in average 29 and 35 years, respectively. Seventy-six men and 134 women declared themselves regular tobacco smokers. In average, they started to smoke at the age of 17 and 18, respectively and had been smoking for 21 and 16 years, respectively. Although the number of smokers was high, it is encouraging that 29 % of men and of 51 % women tried and did not succeed in quitting smoking, whereas 30 % of men and 12 % of women did quit smoking. The authors advocate reducing tobacco use and controlling environmental tobacco smoke exposure at the workplace, which should include a non-smoking company policy, implementation of smoking cessation programmes, social support programmes, trade union support, as well as the assistance of health professionals during regular check-ups.Cilj istraživanja bio je procijeniti zastupljenost aktivnih pušača duhana i potvrditi nužnost promicanja nepušenja u radnika zaposlenih u hotelskim turističko-ugostiteljskim djelatnostima. Analizirani su podaci o pušačkim navikama skupljeni anketnim upitnikom osmišljenim u Zavodu za javno zdravstvo Istarske županije u Puli tijekom godišnjeg pregleda u ožujku 2002. godine. Ukupno je bilo 398 ispitanika među kojima 170 muškaraca i 228 žena. Utvrđeno je da su aktivni pušači 76 (45 %) muškaraca prosječne dobi 29 godina i 134 (59 %) žena prosječne dobi 35 godina. Postoci pušača bili su viši od utvrđenih za stanovništvo Hrvatske u poslijeratnom razdoblju 1995. godine (34 % pušača i 27 % pušačica u dobi od 18 do 65 godina). Prije dvadesete godine života počelo je pušiti 56 (74 %) muškaraca i 93 (69 %) žena. Prosječna dob na početku pušenja bila je 17 godina u muškaraca i 18 godina u žena. Prosječan broj popušenih cigareta tijekom 24 h u svih ispitanika bio je oko 20 cigareta. Više žena pušilo je prosječno do 20 cigareta (u žena je 38 % pušilo do 10 cigareta i 58 % od 11 do 20 cigareta na dan, a u muškaraca 24 % je pušilo do 10 cigareta i 53 % od 11 do 20 cigareta na dan). Više muškaraca pušilo je više od 20 cigareta na dan (24 % muškaraca i 4 % žena). Oko petine muškaraca pušilo je 30 do 60 cigareta na dan. Pokušalo je prestati pušiti, a nije uspjelo 29 % muškaraca i 51 % žena. Prestalo je pušiti 33 od 109 (30 %) muškaraca i 18 od 152 (12 %) žena nakon prosječno 21 godine (muškarci) odnosno 16 godina (žene). Rezultati istraživanja pokazali su zabrinjavajuće visoki udjel pušača i pušačica među ispitanicima. Velik broj pokušaja da se prestane pušiti upućuje na potrebu organiziranog promicanja nepušenja na radnome mjestu provođenjem zakonski utemeljenih mjera ograničavanja pušenja duhana na radnome mjestu, programa odvikavanja od pušenja, socijalnih potpora nepušačima te pomoć i potporu strukovnih sindikata. Redoviti godišnji zdravstveni pregledi za obnavljanje dozvole za rad (sanitarne iskaznice) dodatna su prilika za stručno medicinsko savjetovanje o prednostima nepušenja u očuvanju zdravlja

The effects of the parents’ genotype on susceptibility to leaf curl (Taphrina deformans (Berk.) Tul) of vineyard peach hybrid seedlings

Leaf curl is one of the peach diseases with the most economically important impact, because very strong infection can cause total defoliation. Susceptibility to a leaf curl was examined from the period 1994-1998 in a collection of selected vineyard peach genotypes and newly peach and nectarine cultivars. Selected low susceptible genotypes (vineyard peach GR/65/87 and processing peach Villa Ada) were used in cross-pollination with differently susceptible genotypes. The process produced more than 250 seedlings of F1 progeny from few combinations of the parents. Susceptibility of hybrid seedlings to the leaf curl pathogen was investigated several years in the open field, without application of pesticide. More types of inheritance of examined characteristic were determinate in the progenies from different combinations of the parents. The results agree with polygenic inheritance.