Advantages of CO2 laser use in surgical management of otosclerosis

Background. Otosclerosis is a progressive osteo-destructive disorder of the bony labyrinth in which the fixation of the stapes causes the hearing loss. The aim of this study was the postoperative determination of parameters of the effect of surgical intervention on hearing and the incidence of complications and, on the basis of the differences in the examined parameters of the study, the estimation of the eficacy of the two mentioned surgical thechniques in the treatment of otosclerosis. Methods. In our research 40 patients with conductive hearing loss caused by otosclerosis underwent surgery with CO2 laser. Functional results were compared postoperatively with the results of 40 patients operated by the classical technique without the use of CO2 laser. The research was accomplished as a prospective comparative study. Results. The air-bone interval (gap) as the difference between the rim of air and bone conductivity for separate frequencies did not significantly differ between the control and the experimental group. Both methods were effective in closing the air-bone gap with the rates of closure to within 10 dB in 82.6% and 75.3% for the laser and drill, respectively. The incidence of tinnitus was significantly lower in patients who underwent surgery with CO2 laser. The frequency of intraoperative and postoperative complications was significantly lower in the laser group. Differences were statistically significant for all parameters (p<0.05). Conclusion. On the basis of the degree of postoperative hearing improvement, tinnitus and the incidence of complications it can be concluded that the use of CO2 laser during inverse stapedoplasty represents an effective and safe method, justifying the promotion of its use in the surgical management of otosclerosis

A Folded Conformation of 1,4,8,11-Tetrathiacyclotetradecane in its Mercury Compound: l,4,8,11-Tetrathiacyclotetradecanedipicratomercury( II) Heminitromethane, [Hg(C10H20S4)· (C6H2N307)2] · 1/2CH3N02

The crystals of 1,4,8,11-tetrathiacyclotetradecanedipicratomercury( II) heminitromethane, [Hg(C10H20S4) · (CsH2Ns01h] · 1/2CHsN02, are triclinic, spcrce group Pl with a = 1.2794(6), b = 1.3108(5), c = = 1.0090(3) nm, a= 92.85(3) 0 , fJ = 107.67(3)0 , y = 94.54(4) 0 , V = 1.60236 nm3, and Z = 2. The structure was solved by the heavy atom method and refined by the least-squares method to R = 0.030 for the 7321 unique reflections. It consists of discrete, well separated molecules. Coordination of the mercury atom is a distorted octahedron with four sulfur atoms (Hg-S distances are 245.8(1), 251.9(1), 262 .. 9(2), and 305.0(2) pm) from the macrocycle and two oxygen moms (Hg-0 distances are 253.1(3) and 255.8(3) pm) from the two picrates. The macrocycle is folded so that three sulfur atoms with short Hg-S bonds are in an equatorial and the fourth in an apical position. The conformation of the coordinated macrocycle is compared to the conformation of cyclotetradecane at 116 K and to the conformation of the free crysta-lline macrocycle

DER LISABON-VERTRAG: DIE STRUKTUR UND DIE ASPEKTE SEINES EINFLUSSES AUF DAS VERWALTUNGSRECHT UND ÖFFENTLICHE VERWALTUNG

Nakon izlaganja o Lisabonskom ugovoru i promjenama koje je on donio, autori se bave razgraničenjem ovlasti između Europske unije i država članica, odnosno područja u kojima Europska unija ima isključivu nadležnost, podijeljenu nadležnost s državama članicama te područja u kojima ima ovlast podupiranja, koordiniranja ili dopunjavanja djelovanja država članica. Razmatra se o načelima koja se odnose na podjelu nadležnosti između Europske unije i država članica. Raspravlja se o nedostatku ovlasti Europske unije da organizira javnu upravu država članica, iako te javne uprave provode njezine obvezujuće pravne akte, uz zahtjev da ta provedba bude usklađena i učinkovita. Izlaže se o načelima europske javne uprave.The paper focuses on the Treaty of Lisbon and the changes it has effected. It deals with defining boundaries of the division of competences between the European Union and Member States, i.e. areas of exclusive competences of the European Union, shared competences and the area in which it has the power to support, coordinate or complement the action of the Member States. The authors consider principles related to the division of competences between the European Union and the Member States as well as the absence of competences of the European Union to facilitate public administration of the Member States in spite of the fact that public administration of the Member States implements the EU binding legislation in accordance with the efficiency and harmonisation requirements. The paper also deals with the principles of the European public administration.Nach einer Einführung über den Lisabon-Vertrag und die durch diesen Vertrag eingetragenen Änderungen, befassen sich die Autoren mit der Abgrenzung der Befugnisse zwischen der Europäischen Union und den Mitgliedstaaten, bzw. mit den Bereichen, für welche die Europäische Union ausschließlich zuständig ist, mit denen, für welche die Zuständigkeit zwischen der EU und den Mitgliedstaaten verteilt ist, und denen, in welchen die EU dafür zuständig ist, die Tätigkeiten der Mitgliedstaaten zu unterstützen, zu koordinieren oder zu ergänzen. Insbesondere werden die Grundsätze der Zuständigkeitenteilung zwischen der Europäischen Union und den Mitgliedstaaten beobachtet. Es wird auch auf das mangelnde Befugnis der Europäischen Union hingewiesen, die öffentliche Verwaltung der Mitgliedstaaten zu organisieren, trotz der Tatsache, dass die öffentlichen Verwaltungen der Mitgliedstaaten verpflichtet sind, ihre verbindlichen Rechtsakte durchzuführen, mit der Fordernung, dass diese Durchführung einheitlich und wirkungsvoll ist. Darüber hinaus wird über die Grundsätze der europäischen öffentlichen Verwaltung vorgetragen

The Crystal Structure of Disodium Thorium Bisphosphate, Na2Th(PQ4)2

Crystals of the title compound, yielded from two preparations performed in the same way, crystallize in two different space groups, C2/c and P21/c, retaining the same unit cell. Their structure has been determined by the heavy-atom method, using three sets of X-ray intensity datao, the film data in C2/c and the film and diffractometer data in P2i/c space groups; corresponding R values were 0.107, 0.092, and 0.044, respectively. Results obtained from these three independent determinations have shown for the most part, insignificant differences. The structure is discussed on the basis of more accuraote diffractometer data. There aore eight formula units in the unit cell with dimensions (diffractometer data): a= 0.7055(4), b = 2.166(1), c = 0.9095(5) nm, p = 111.56(2)0 , V = 1.293(1) nm3• Of two crystallographically different Th atoms, one is surrounded by 10 and the other by 8 neighbouring 0 atoms. Their polyhedra form a weakly connected dimer sharing a common edge, defined by the two O atoms having the longest Th-0 distances in the both Th polyhedra, but being nearer to one of the Th atoms. Crystallographically different Na atoms (four in P21/c and two in C2/c space groups) are surrounded by 8 to 10 0 atoms. Metal polyhedrao are mutually connected by common corners, edges, and planes. Eaoch O atom is common at least to two and at most to four metal polyhedra

Crystal and Molecular Structure of Two (Phenylsulfonyl)-3- -(hexahydroazepin-1-yl)-ureas: (A) 1-( 4-Chlorophenylsulfonyl)- -3-(hexahydro-lH-azepin-1-yl)-urea and (B) 1-(4-1\u27lethylphenylsulfonyl)- 3-(hexahydro-1H-azepin-1-yl)-urea

The crystal structure of the title compounds has been determined from diffractometer X-ray intensity data using direct methods and refined by the least-squares procedure to a conventional R index of 0.044 and 0.065 for (A) and (B), respe£_tively. Crystals of both compounds are triclinic, space group Pl, with two molecules in the unit cells. Molecules (A) and (B) have a similar but not identical shape, the difference most probably being due to different hydrogen bonding between neighbouring molecules. The shape of individual molecules may be described in terms of three planes: hexahydroazepine rings, benzene rings and urea residues with the S atoms of the S02 groups. The seven- membered hexahydroazepine ring of (B) has a boat conformation while that of (A) is disordered with approximately half of the molecules in boat and half iri chair form

Gender Typicality of Higher Education Aspirations in Upper-Secondary Education: Intensification, Convergence or Stability

Cilj je rada bio ispitati dolazi li do intenzifikacije, konvergencije ili stabilnosti u rodnoj tipičnosti visokoškolskih obrazovnih aspiracija djevojaka i mladića tijekom vremena provedenoga u srednjoškolskom obrazovanju. U istraživanju na uzorku od 13 301 učenika/ca četverogodišnjih i petogodišnjih srednjoškolskih programa ispitana je i uloga srednjoškolskog programa te učeničkih interesa i školskog uspjeha u objašnjenju rodne tipičnosti njihovih visokoškolskih aspiracija. Rezultati upućuju na to da, iako postoje razlike između djevojaka i mladića u rodnoj tipičnosti obrazovnih aspiracija, te su razlike stabilne kroz vrijeme, čime nije potvrđena ni hipoteza rodne intenzifikacije, niti rodne konvergencije. Odabiri djevojaka i mladića kroz godine školovanja ne postaju ni više niti manje rodno stereotipni u odnosu na početak srednjoškolskog obrazovanja. Rezultati regresijskih modela pokazuju da se rodna tipičnost visokoškolskih aspiracija razlikuje s obzirom na strukovno područje/gimnazijski program, i to u očekivanom smjeru: učenici i učenice tipično muških programa aspiriraju tipično muškim studijima i obratno. Školski uspjeh i interesi također su pridonijeli objašnjenju rodne tipičnosti visokoškolskih aspiracija. Uspjeh iz hrvatskog jezika kao i interesi za jezično i biomedicinsko područje predviđaju snažniju aspiraciju tipično ženskim studijima, dok uspjeh iz matematike i engleskog jezika te interesi za tehničko i informatičko područje pridonose aspiraciji tipično muškom studiju. Nalazi ovog istraživanja ukazuju na to da, uz utjecaj rodno obilježenih obrazovnih interesa i postignuća, diferenciranost srednjoškolskog obrazovanja može utjecati na rodno stereotipne obrazovne aspiracije.The aim of the paper was to examine intensification, convergence, or stability in the gender typicality of girls\u27 and boys\u27 higher education aspirations during the time spent in upper-secondary education. The study, conducted on a sample of 13,301 pupils of four- and five-year secondary education programmes, examined the roles of the upper-secondary education programme, pupils\u27 interests, and school success in explaining the gender typicality of their higher education aspirations. The results suggest that, although there are differences between girls and boys in the gender typicality of their educational aspirations, these differences are stable over time, whereby neither the gender intensification nor the gender convergence hypotheses were confirmed. The girls\u27 and boys\u27 choices become neither more, nor less gender-stereotypical, compared to the start of secondary education. The results of regression models show that the gender typicality of higher education aspirations differs with regard to vocational domain/grammar school programme: pupils in typically male programmes aspire towards typically male higher education programmes and vice versa. School success and interests have also contributed to the explanation of the gender typicality of higher education aspirations. Success in the Croatian Language and interest in linguistic and biomedical domains predict a stronger aspiration towards typically female higher education programmes, while success in Mathematics and the English Language, and interest in technical and ICT domains contribute to the aspiration towards typically male higher education programmes. The findings of this study suggest that, along with the influence of gendered educational interests and achievements, the differentiation of secondary education can influence gender-stereotypical educational aspirations

Interactive Visual Analysis of Structure-borne Noise Data

Numerical simulation has become omnipresent in the automotive domain, posing new challenges such as high-dimensional parameter spaces and large as well as incomplete and multi-faceted data. In this design study, we show how interactive visual exploration and analysis of high-dimensional, spectral data from noise simulation can facilitate design improvements in the context of conflicting criteria. Here, we focus on structure-borne noise, i.e., noise from vibrating mechanical parts. Detecting problematic noise sources early in the design and production process is essential for reducing a product's development costs and its time to market. In a close collaboration of visualization and automotive engineering, we designed a new, interactive approach to quickly identify and analyze critical noise sources, also contributing to an improved understanding of the analyzed system. Several carefully designed, interactive linked views enable the exploration of noises, vibrations, and harshness at multiple levels of detail, both in the frequency and spatial domain. This enables swift and smooth changes of perspective; selections in the frequency domain are immediately reflected in the spatial domain, and vice versa. Noise sources are quickly identified and shown in the context of their neighborhood, both in the frequency and spatial domain. We propose a novel drill-down view, especially tailored to noise data analysis. Split boxplots and synchronized 3D geometry views support comparison tasks. With this solution, engineers iterate over design optimizations much faster, while maintaining a good overview at each iteration. We evaluated the new approach in the automotive industry, studying noise simulation data for an internal combustion engine.acceptedVersio

Regionalne razlike u stavovima studenata veterinarske medicine u Hrvatskoj o dobrobiti farmskih životinja i kućnih ljubimaca

The aim of this study was to examine the attitudes of veterinary students in Croatia based on their home region towards the level of cognitive abilities and welfare in farm and companion animals. The survey encompassed 505 (91%) students of all six years of the integrated undergraduate and graduate study programme at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia. Student attitudes were examined through 17 statements using fivepoint Likert scale. The survey was focused on cattle, pigs, poultry, dogs and cats. The results obtained revealed that students from Zagreb and central Croatia expressed significantly higher attitudes (P<0.05) towards the level of thought process in cattle, pigs, dogs and cats, and the level of welfare in pigs than students from eastern Croatia and Dalmatia. Foreign students expressed the highest level of concern about the welfare of laying hens, and the lowest about the welfare of dogs and cats. Students from Lika and Gorski Kotar expressed the highest level of concern about the welfare of dogs and cats. No regional differences were determined in student attitudes towards the level of emotions in the observed species. The study results confirmed the existence of regional differences in the attitudes of Croatian veterinary students towards the welfare of farm and companion animals. The findings suggest that these differences may not only be the result of cultural differences among Croatian regions, but veterinary students may also increasingly encounter welfare issues in certain regions, especially in the case of companion animals.Cilj je ovoga rada bio ustvrditi razlike u stavovima studenata veterinarske medicine u Hrvatskoj s obzirom na regiju iz koje dolaze o razini kognitivnih sposobnosti i narušenosti dobrobiti farmskih životinja i kućnih ljubimaca. U istraživanju je sudjelovalo 505 (91 %) studenata svih šest godina integriranog preddiplomskog i diplomskog studija Veterinarskog fakulteta Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Hrvatska. Stavovi studenata ustvrđeni su na temelju 17 izjava prema Likertovoj mjernoj ljestvici od pet stupnjeva. Izjave su se odnosile na goveda, svinje, perad, pse i mačke. Prema dobivenim rezultatima studenti iz Zagreba i središnje Hrvatske značajno više smatraju (P<0,05) da goveda, svinje, psi i mačke mogu misliti te da svinje imaju narušenu dobrobit, u odnosu na studente iz istočne Hrvatske i Dalmacije. Studenti koji su većinu života proveli u drugim državama iskazali su najveću zabrinutost za dobrobit kokoši nesilica, a najmanju za dobrobit pasa i mačaka. Studenti iz Like i Gorskog Kotara najviše su zabrinuti za dobrobit pasa i mačaka. Nisu ustvrđene regionalne razlike u stavovima studenata o osjećajima niti u jedne istraživane vrste životinja. Rezultati istraživanja pokazali su da o dobrobiti farmskih životinja i kućnih ljubimaca postoje regionalne razlike u stavovima studenata veterinarske medicine u Hrvatskoj. Dobiveni rezultati upućuju na to da ustvrđene razlike nisu rezultat samo kulturoloških razlika između regija Hrvatske, nego i da se studenti u pojedinim regijama sve više susreću s problemima dobrobiti životinja, osobito kućnih ljubimaca