Active Protein Aggregates Produced in Escherichia coli

Since recombinant proteins are widely used in industry and in research, the need for their low-cost production is increasing. Escherichia coli is one of the best known and most often used host organisms for economical protein production. However, upon over-expression, protein aggregates called inclusion bodies (IBs) are often formed. Until recently IBs formation represented a bottleneck in protein production as they were considered as deposits of inactive proteins. However, recent studies show that by choosing the appropriate host strain and designing an optimal production process, IBs composed from properly folded and biologically active recombinant proteins can be prepared. Such active protein particles can be further used for the isolation of pure proteins or as whole active protein particles in various biomedical and other applications. Therefore interest in understanding the mechanisms of their formation as well as their properties is increasing

Methods of Intervention in the Control of Ragweed Spread (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.) in the Area of Zagreb County and the City of Zagreb

The increase in ragweed mediated health problems has led to the development of defense strategies in the countries with the most serious ragweed pollution, namely Hungary, Italy and France. The aim of this paper is to define the frequency of allergic disturbances brought by ragweed pollen in the period between 2002 and 2004, and to devise an action plan for its eradication in the area of Zagreb, as well as in Zagreb County. Thanks to the analysis of common methods of ragweed eradication, even by stating biological ragweed eradication, the best efficiency in ragweed eradication would be achieved through a method that combines several common methods, i.e. a mixed method. In its order on taking measures for obligatory eradication of ragweed, it has stated that the Ministry will ensure funds so that Plant Protection Department in Agriculture and Forestry of the Republic of Croatia, and Department of Herbology of the Faculty of Agriculture of Zagreb could observe the beginning and continuity of ragweed blossom, make an evaluation on the degree of weed overgrowth, establish how widespread it is in the Republic of Croatia, inform the public via the media on control measures and some other duties, but there is no financial help to those who are selected to eradicate ragweed

Economic diplomacy: concept for economic prosperity in Croatia

The aim of this article is to analyse the Croatian economic diplomacy model to identify the model, revealing its effectiveness and providing possible recommendations for the future research in the area of economic diplomacy. Literature review for Croatia indicates an overall lack of national research on the subject matter from the empirical point of view. Such situation is partially a result of economic diplomacy being a new phenomenon in Croatia and with Croatian political structure struggling many years with internal public administration reorganisation, privatisation process and joining the European Union. Occasional theoretical approaches are presented with analysis coming from the questionnaire surveys. The empirical research contribution of the article highlights the Croatian volume of export of goods and its connection with diplomatic actors. The research is based on the gravity model of international trade and presents empirical findings in the analysis of Croatian economic diplomacy and its effectiveness regarding the Croatian export of goods. The research model confirms positive relationship between Croatian total exports and three independent variables: GDP, distance and staff employed in diplomatic mission

Risk Management in Air Protection in the Republic of Croatia

In the Republic of Croatia, according to the Air Protection Act, air pollution assessment is obligatory on the whole State territory. For individual regions and populated areas in the State a network has been established for permanent air quality monitoring. The State network consists of stations for measuring background pollution, regional and cross-border remote transfer and measurements as part of international government liabilities, then stations for measuring air quality in areas of cultural and natural heritage, and stations for measuring air pollution in towns and industrial zones. The exceeding of alert and information threshold levels of air pollutants are related to emissions from industrial plants, and accidents. Each excess represents a threat to human health in case of short-time exposure. Monitoring of alert and information threshold levels is carried out at stations from the state and local networks for permanent air quality monitoring according to the Air Quality Measurement Program in the State network for permanent monitoring of air quality and air quality measurement programs in local networks for permanent air quality monitoring. The State network for permanent air quality monitoring has a developed automatic system for reporting on alert and information threshold levels, whereas many local networks under the competence of regional and local self-governments still lack any fully installed systems of this type. In case of accidents, prompt action at all responsibility levels is necessary in order to prevent crisis and this requires developed and coordinated competent units of State Administration as well as self-government units. It is also necessary to be continuously active in improving the implementation of legislative regulations in the field of crises related to critical and alert levels of air pollutants, especially at local levels

GENERIC RESILIENCE INDICATORS OF CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURES

Abstract The capacity of critical infrastructure is one of the main components for infrastructure resilience. By improving the capacity increased resilience, and reduce the risks and impacts. There are several dimensions of resilience that need to be taken into consideration when trying to achieve a holistic approach for infrastructure resilience. One of this components anyway are the resilience parameters: anticipation, absorption, coping, restoration and adaptation. These parameters correspond to the critical infrastructure capacities and are a possible way to quantifying these capacities, with appropriate measurable resilience indicators. This paper presenting a list and description of possible generic resilience indicators, that are the same for all type of hazard and all type of critical infrastructure. This work is the result of scientific research in the EU-CIRCLE project, that is financed through the Horizon 2020 program of the European Union

Analysis of cultural consensus model of two good life sub-domains - health & well-being and migration & socio-economic milieu - in three population groups from Croatia

In this study the construct of good life is explored among upper secondary school seniors, their parents and professors by applying the analysis of cultural consensus model. A total of 469 students, 474 parents and 158 professors from four Croatian cities participated in the study. The information collected through interviewing and freelisting during the first phase of the filed work was used for creating a set of structured questions contained in the questionnaire, as a part of the survey in the second phase of data collection. In this study the results are reported on two good life sub-domains: health & well-being and migration & socio-economic milieu. The obtained results indicate heterogeneity of studied sample groups, incomplete inter-generational transmission of cultural values and examples of two subgroups that resist cultural norms and do not comply to the dominant “competence-as-sharing” paradigm. The value of testing cultural consensus model based on the emic approach and locally significant phenomena is demonstrated for planning and conducting holistic anthropological research

Raspberry Pi as an environment for learning to program

The thesis discusses the projects which might encourage primary school children in the third triad to programme when the programming language Scratch becomes too restrictive. Lately, the answer has been to use proper programming languages and microcontrollers, which can be connected to camera, sensors and other devices. With this, children learn the basics of electrical engineering, and are only one step away from creating their own game or a small project. The thesis consists of assignments, which with the microcontroller Raspberry Pi and the game Minecraft in a fun way lead children and other beginners to programme with Python. The language is suitable for learning programming as it offers the right amount of challenge, and has a simple structure and a clear defined syntax