Integrated Sensor Systems for Smart Cities

Smart cities are ubiquitous topic today, and emerge as preferred concept for future development of human lifestyle. In the international literature, there are only a few articles dealing critically with the topic of the smart cities, and even fewer of them are interdisciplinary. Integrated sensor systems are a prerequisite for developing the concept of smart cities in practice because individual sensors can hardly meet the demands of the smart cities for complex information. This paper provides an overview of the theoretical concept of smart cities and the integrated sensor systems. The article promotes an interdisciplinary approach to the study of the smart cities, where geomatics should also contribute due to the fact that most of the information has a spatial component

Connected to the spirit of the frog: An Internet-based survey on Kambô, the secretion of the Amazonian Giant Maki Frog (Phyllomedusa bicolor): Motivations for use, settings and subjective experiences

Background/aim: Kambô is a name for the secretion of the Giant Maki Frog (Phyllomedusa bicolor), which has been used by indigenous cultures from the Amazonas basin and has recently become popular in alternative healing circles in Western countries, with a certain overlap with psychedelic self-exploration. Methods: We carried out an online-based survey in English (54.92%) and German investigating motivations for using Kambô, settings in which rituals take place, and subjective experiences during and after the application. Results: Participants (n = 386, mean age: 38.08 years, (standard deviation = 9.95)) were well-educated individuals with an increased lifetime prevalence of the use of ayahuasca (67.88%). A plethora of motivations for using Kambô was reported, including general healing, detoxification and spiritual growth. Acute effects included severe physical reactions and mild psychoactive effects, most surprisingly, the feeling of being connected to the frog’s spirit (41.97%), whereas predominantly positive persisting psychological effects were reported. Few participants reported long-lasting physical (2.85%) or mental (1.81%) health problems which they attributed to Kambô. Of the participants, 87.31% reported an increase in personal well-being or life satisfaction, and 64.26% considered Kambô to have been at least of ‘very much’ spiritual significance for their lives. Conclusions: The majority of users claimed beneficial effects including more health-orientated behaviors, whereas only very few participants complained about new health problems which they ascribed to Kambô. In retrospect, Kambô was given a high personal and spiritual significance by many participants. Additional research is needed to determine in how far reported effects are modulated by setting and subjective expectations

Dose-response relationships of LSD-induced subjective experiences in humans

Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is a potent classic serotonergic psychedelic, which facilitates a variety of altered states of consciousness. Here we present the first meta-analysis establishing dose-response relationship estimates of the altered states of consciousness induced by LSD. Data extracted from articles identified by a systematic literature review following PRISMA guidelines were obtained from the Altered States Database. The psychometric data comprised ratings of subjective effects from standardized and validated questionnaires: the Altered States of Consciousness Rating Scale (5D-ASC, 11-ASC) and the Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ30). We performed meta-regression analyses using restricted cubic splines for data from studies with LSD doses of up to 200 μg base. Most scales revealed a sigmoid-like increase of effects, with a plateauing at around 100 μg. The most strongly modulated factors referred to changes in perception and illusory imagination, followed by positively experienced ego-dissolution, while only small effects were found for Anxiety and Dread of Ego Dissolution. The considerable variability observed in most factors and scales points to the role of non-pharmacological factors in shaping subjective experiences. The established dose-response relationships may be used as general references for future experimental and clinical research on LSD to compare observed with expected subjective effects and to elucidate phenomenological differences between psychedelics

The psychedelic afterglow phenomenon: a systematic review of subacute effects of classic serotonergic psychedelics

Background: Classic serotonergic psychedelics have anecdotally been reported to show a characteristic pattern of subacute effects that persist after the acute effects of the substance have subsided. These transient effects, sometimes labeled as the ‘psychedelic afterglow’, have been suggested to be associated with enhanced effectiveness of psychotherapeutic interventions in the subacute period. Objectives: This systematic review provides an overview of subacute effects of psychedelics. Methods: Electronic databases (MEDLINE, Web of Science Core Collection) were searched for studies that assessed the effects of psychedelics (LSD, psilocybin, DMT, 5-MeO-DMT, mescaline, or ayahuasca) on psychological outcome measures and subacute adverse effects in human adults between 1950 and August 2021, occurring between 1 day and 1 month after drug use. Results: Forty-eight studies including a total number of 1,774 participants were eligible for review. Taken together, the following subacute effects were observed: reductions in different psychopathological symptoms; increases in wellbeing, mood, mindfulness, social measures, spirituality, and positive behavioral changes; mixed changes in personality/values/attitudes, and creativity/flexibility. Subacute adverse effects comprised a wide range of complaints, including headaches, sleep disturbances, and individual cases of increased psychological distress. Discussion: Results support narrative reports of a subacute psychedelic ‘afterglow’ phenomenon comprising potentially beneficial changes in the perception of self, others, and the environment. Subacute adverse events were mild to severe, and no serious adverse events were reported. Many studies, however, lacked a standardized assessment of adverse effects. Future studies are needed to investigate the role of possible moderator variables and to reveal if and how positive effects from the subacute window may consolidate into long-term mental health benefits

The psychedelic afterglow phenomenon: a systematic review of subacute effects of classic serotonergic psychedelics

Background: Classic serotonergic psychedelics have anecdotally been reported to show a characteristic pattern of subacute effects that persist after the acute effects of the substance have subsided. These transient effects, sometimes labeled as the ‘psychedelic afterglow’, have been suggested to be associated with enhanced effectiveness of psychotherapeutic interventions in the subacute period. Objectives: This systematic review provides an overview of subacute effects of psychedelics. Methods: Electronic databases (MEDLINE, Web of Science Core Collection) were searched for studies that assessed the effects of psychedelics (LSD, psilocybin, DMT, 5-MeO-DMT, mescaline, or ayahuasca) on psychological outcome measures and subacute adverse effects in human adults between 1950 and August 2021, occurring between 1 day and 1 month after drug use. Results: Forty-eight studies including a total number of 1,774 participants were eligible for review. Taken together, the following subacute effects were observed: reductions in different psychopathological symptoms; increases in wellbeing, mood, mindfulness, social measures, spirituality, and positive behavioral changes; mixed changes in personality/values/attitudes, and creativity/flexibility. Subacute adverse effects comprised a wide range of complaints, including headaches, sleep disturbances, and individual cases of increased psychological distress. Discussion: Results support narrative reports of a subacute psychedelic ‘afterglow’ phenomenon comprising potentially beneficial changes in the perception of self, others, and the environment. Subacute adverse events were mild to severe, and no serious adverse events were reported. Many studies, however, lacked a standardized assessment of adverse effects. Future studies are needed to investigate the role of possible moderator variables and to reveal if and how positive effects from the subacute window may consolidate into long-term mental health benefits.Peer Reviewe

Blood sausages

U radu je prikazana proizvodnja krvavica, tradicionalnih kobasičarskih proizvoda u Hrvatskoj te uspoređena s industrijskom proizvodnjom. Recepture za proizvodnju krvavica u domaćinstvu se razlikuju, ovisno o kraju u kojem se proizvode. Krvavice proizvedene u domaćinstvima veoma često se kao višak proizvoda stavljaju na tržište. Kako su to proizvodi najčešće proizvedeni bez nadzora postavlja se pitanje njihove sigurnosti i rizika za zdravlje potrošača.The paper presents the production of blood sausages, a traditional sausage product in Croatia, and compares it with the industrial production. Recipes for the blood sausage production in households differ, depending on the region of production. Household produced blood sausages are often put on the market as the product surplus. Since blood sausages are usually produced without any supervision, the question of their safety and risk to consumer’s health often arises

Blood sausages

U radu je prikazana proizvodnja krvavica, tradicionalnih kobasičarskih proizvoda u Hrvatskoj te uspoređena s industrijskom proizvodnjom. Recepture za proizvodnju krvavica u domaćinstvu se razlikuju, ovisno o kraju u kojem se proizvode. Krvavice proizvedene u domaćinstvima veoma često se kao višak proizvoda stavljaju na tržište. Kako su to proizvodi najčešće proizvedeni bez nadzora postavlja se pitanje njihove sigurnosti i rizika za zdravlje potrošača.The paper presents the production of blood sausages, a traditional sausage product in Croatia, and compares it with the industrial production. Recipes for the blood sausage production in households differ, depending on the region of production. Household produced blood sausages are often put on the market as the product surplus. Since blood sausages are usually produced without any supervision, the question of their safety and risk to consumer’s health often arises

Research of the Influence of Air Transportation on Blood Sample Quality

In air freight industry, blood samples are classified as time and temperature sensitive biologically produced pharmaceuticals. To determine the level of influence that the handling processes and air transportation have on blood sample quality, a research has been conducted through transportation of whole blood samples on two European scheduled routes. Two shipping models were defined: the standard one without defined transportation temperature regime and the controlled one, where transportation is conducted under appropriate temperature regime. The blood samples were packed and transported respecting all relevant national and international regulations. The analysis was conducted and the results compared to control sample kept in the laboratory. Significant changes were identified on all components analyzed after crosschecking with the control sample. KEY WORDS: regulatory issues, blood sample quality, shipping model, packaging instruction, temperature profile