MICROPLASTICS ASSESSMENT IN THE KRKA RIVER ESTUARY SURFACE WATER

Microplastics (MPs), commonly defined as particles less than 5 mm, are a persistent ubiquitous anthropogenic contaminant that can be found in every environment, making it a global environmental, health, and socioeconomic problem. Due to their high surface area, MPs adsorb toxic pollutants that become bioavailable to organisms upon ingestion as they are often mistaken for food leading to biomagnification (Bule et al., 2020). The sampling area represents the lower part of the Krka River Estuary and is under direct anthropogenic influence from the city of Šibenik runoff waters, nautical and communal ports, city harbor, tourism, mariculture, and fishing. Estuaries and harbors have been recognized as hotspots and transfer pathways for MPs primarily because of the vicinity of the urban environment that emits contaminants from various sources (Miller et al., 2021). The main focus of this research was to determine MPs size, shape, color, surface area, and abundance in surface water using volume-reduced samples collected by a net. Laboratory protocol included sieving, wet peroxidation (H2O2), density separation (saturated NaCl solution), sonication, and filtration. Filter papers were then visually inspected for MPs. Image processing and measurements were carried out with ImageJ/Fiji open-source software

CIGARETTE SMOKING AMONG NON-PSYCHOTIC PSYCHIATRIC PATIENTS

Uvod: Pušači koriste cigarete kako bi ublažili emocionalne probleme, suzbijanje depresivnog i anksioznog osjećaja, postigli stabilizaciju raspoloženja, služi im za opuštanje, te oslobađanje od stresa, upravo simptomi koji se javljaju kod psihijatrijskih poremećaja. Korelacija pušenja i psihičkih poremećaja odavno je utvrđena, takvi bolesnici teže se odlučuju na prestanak pušenja ili uopće o tome ne razmišljaju, dijelom i zbog same činjenice što apstinencijski simptomi pojačavaju anksiozne i depresivne tegobe. Cilj: U ovome se radu pokušalo provjeriti da li postoji razlika u intenzitetu depresivnih i anksioznih simptoma kod pušača i nepušača s nepsihotičnim psihijatrijskim poremećajima, utvrditi postoji li razlika u pojedinim dijagnostičkim skupinama u razini ovisnosti o nikotinu, utvrditi da li postoji povezanost intenziteta anksioznih ili depresivnih simptoma sa stupnjem ovisnosti o pušenjem. Također se pokušalo utvrditi postoji li povezanosti između intenziteta anksioznih i depresivnih simptoma i želje za odvikavanjem od pušenja i postoji li povezanost između intenziteta anksioznih i depresivnih simptoma i količine konzumiranih cigareta. Metode: U istraživanju je sudjelovalo 183 psihijatrijska bolesnika, od toga 95 pušača i 88 nepušača, podijeljenih u tri skupine prema dijagnozama. Korišteni su sljedeći upitnici: upitnik demografskih podataka, upitnik o pušačkim navikama, HAD ljestvica, FTND upitnik. Korištene su prikladne statističke metode: jednosmjerna analiza varijance, Hi-kvadrat test i Fisherov egzaktni test. Razina značajnosti je postavljena na Alpha = 0,05. Rezultati: Rezultati su pokazali kako postoji razlika u intenzitetu simptoma između ispitivanih dijagnostičkih skupina u skupini ispitanika s poremećajem ličnosti, gdje su pušači anksiozniji od nepušača (p=0.006). Također istraživanje je potvrdilo kako ispitanici s poremećajem ličnosti imaju najteže izraženu ovisnost o nikotinu u usporedbi s drugim dijagnostičkim skupinama (p=0,026). No ostale tri hipoteze su odbačene kako nije bilo statistički značajnih povezanosti kod ispitivanih dijagnostičkih skupina između stupnja anksioznosti i depresivnosti i težine ovisnosti o pušenju. Također nije pronađena povezanost između težine ovisnosti i količine konzumiranih cigareta niti u jednoj ispitivanoj skupini. Zaključak: Pokazalo se kako su pušenje ima najveći utjecaj u skupini ispitanika s poremećajem ličnosti, oni su anksiozniji od nepušača, ali oni također i pokazuju najtežu ovisnost o pušenju. No sve skupine ispitanika pušača svjesne su štetnosti pušenja, te kod svih postoji želja za odvikavanjem od pušenja.Introduction: Smokers use cigarettes to mitigate emotional problems, to suppress depression and anxiety, to stabilize the mood. They also use them for relaxation and as a stress relief. All these symptoms are common in patients with psychiatric disorders. Correlation between smoking and psychiatric disorders was established long time ago and these patients are more unlikely to quit smoking because of the abstinence symptoms which increase anxiety and depression. Aim: This study examined the difference in intensity of depressive and anxiety symptoms among smokers and non-smokers with non-psychotic psychiatric disorders, the difference between diagnostic groups in nicotine addiction level, the connection between the intensity of anxiety or depressive symptoms with a level of cigarette addiction. It examines the connection between the intensity of anxiety and depressive symptoms and the desire to quit smoking and the connection between the intensity of anxiety and depressive symptoms and the number of cigarettes smoked. Methods: The study tested 183 psychiatric patients, 95 smokers and 88 non-smokers, divided into three groups based on diagnosis. Following questionnaires were used: demographic survey questions, smoking habits questionnaire, Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) scale, Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) questionnaire. Following statistical methods were used: analysis of variance, Chi-squared test and Fisher\u27s exact test. Significance levels were set to Alpha = 0,05. Results: Results showed the difference in intensity of symptoms between examined diagnostic groups in personality disorder group where smokers were more anxious than non-smokers (p=0,006). Respondents with personality disorder are most addicted to nicotine in comparison with other diagnostic groups (p=0,026). Remaining hypotheses are rejected due to lack of statistical connection in examined diagnostic groups between the level of anxiety, depression and smoking addiction level. No connection was found between the level of addiction and amount of consumed cigarettes in any of the examined groups. Conclusion: This study shows that smoking has the biggest impact on the personality disorder patients group. They are more anxious than non-smokers and they also show the highest smoking addiction level. All examined groups are aware of the smoking consequences and they have will to quit smoking

HEALTH LITERACY OF CHILDREN IN EMERGENCY PEDIATRIC AMBULANCE

Uvod: Zdravstvena pismenost se definira kao stupanj u kojem pojedinac ima sposobnost doći do informacije, razumjeti i koristiti osnovne zdravstvene informacije potrebne za donošenje odgovarajućih zdravstvenih odluka. Neodgovarajuća zdravstvena pismenost roditelja može rezultirati nepravilnom primjenom lijekova, propuštanjem uputa, netočnim obavljanjem zdravstvene skrbi kod kuće, čime se negativno utječe na zdravlje djeteta i ishode liječenja. Cilj: Cilj rada je bio utvrditi razinu zdravstvene pismenosti roditelja koji dolaze u hitnu pedijatrijsku ambulantu, te koji su čimbenici povezani sa zdravstvenom pismenosti i koji su čimbenici najznačajniji prediktori zdravstvene pismenosti. Metode: Provedena je presječna studija koja je obuhvatila 142 ispitanika. U istraživanju su korišteni sljedeći instrumenti: Upitnik demografskih podataka i Upitnik SAHLSA-50. Korištene su prikladne statističke metode: jednosmjerna analiza varijance (ANOVA), Spearmanova korelacija, hijerarhijska regresijska analiza. Rezultati: Dobiveni su rezultati kako je čak 83,1% ispitanika zdravstveno pismeno. Također je utvrđeno kako nema statistički značajne razlike između ispitanika podijeljenih po spolu i po razlogu dolaska u ambulantu. Nema značajne statističke povezanosti između demografskih varijabli i zdravstvene pismenosti osim varijable stupnja obrazovanja (p=000). Rezultati upućuju na činjenicu kako s porastom edukacije ispitanika dolazi i do porasta zdravstvene pismenosti, odnosno kako su educiraniji ispitanici i zdravstveno pismeniji. Regresijska analiza je podijeljena u dva koraka međusobno smislenih varijabli te je utvrđeno kako je stupanj obrazovanja značajan prediktor zdravstvene pismenosti (p=000). Varijable drugog koraka objašnjavaju 27,4% dok ukupno objašnjavaju 31,8% varijance zdravstvene pismenosti. Zaključak: Iz dobivenih rezultata možemo zaključiti da su roditelji u pedijatrijskoj hitnoj ambulanti zdravstveno pismeni u vrlo velikom postotku (83,1%) te kako je za zdravstvenu pismenost najvažniji čimbenik stupanj obrazovanja.Introduction: Health literacy is defined as a level in which each individual has the capability to acquire information, understand and use basic health information required for the adaption of appropriate health decisions. Inadequate parent’s health literacy can result in incorrect medicine usage, missing instructions, incorrect house health care which can affect children\u27s health and results of medical treatment. Aim: Goal of this dissertation was to determine the health literacy level of parents visiting children’s outpatient clinic and give the most significant factors in health literacy prediction. Methods: Cross-sectional study included 142 respondents. The research was done using a demographic survey and SHALSA-50 questionnaire. Statistical techniques used are the analysis of variance (ANOVA), Spearman’s correlation and hierarchical regression analysis. Results: Outcome of this research shows that 83,1% of respondents are health literate. It also shows that there is no statistical difference between male and female respondents or between reasons for visiting the clinic. There is no major statistical connection between demographic variables and health literacy except the level of education (p=000). Results suggest a correlation between the increase in the level of education and increase of health literacy, higher educated respondents are more health literal. Regression analysis is separated into two steps of mutually meaningful variables and it was concluded that the level of education is a significant factor in health literacy prediction (p=000). Variables in the second step explain 27,4% and in total, they explain 31,8% health literacy variance. Conclusion: Parents visiting children’s outpatient clinic are health literate with a high percentage (83,1%). Most significant factor for health literacy is level of education

CIGARETTE SMOKING AMONG NON-PSYCHOTIC PSYCHIATRIC PATIENTS

Uvod: Pušači koriste cigarete kako bi ublažili emocionalne probleme, suzbijanje depresivnog i anksioznog osjećaja, postigli stabilizaciju raspoloženja, služi im za opuštanje, te oslobađanje od stresa, upravo simptomi koji se javljaju kod psihijatrijskih poremećaja. Korelacija pušenja i psihičkih poremećaja odavno je utvrđena, takvi bolesnici teže se odlučuju na prestanak pušenja ili uopće o tome ne razmišljaju, dijelom i zbog same činjenice što apstinencijski simptomi pojačavaju anksiozne i depresivne tegobe. Cilj: U ovome se radu pokušalo provjeriti da li postoji razlika u intenzitetu depresivnih i anksioznih simptoma kod pušača i nepušača s nepsihotičnim psihijatrijskim poremećajima, utvrditi postoji li razlika u pojedinim dijagnostičkim skupinama u razini ovisnosti o nikotinu, utvrditi da li postoji povezanost intenziteta anksioznih ili depresivnih simptoma sa stupnjem ovisnosti o pušenjem. Također se pokušalo utvrditi postoji li povezanosti između intenziteta anksioznih i depresivnih simptoma i želje za odvikavanjem od pušenja i postoji li povezanost između intenziteta anksioznih i depresivnih simptoma i količine konzumiranih cigareta. Metode: U istraživanju je sudjelovalo 183 psihijatrijska bolesnika, od toga 95 pušača i 88 nepušača, podijeljenih u tri skupine prema dijagnozama. Korišteni su sljedeći upitnici: upitnik demografskih podataka, upitnik o pušačkim navikama, HAD ljestvica, FTND upitnik. Korištene su prikladne statističke metode: jednosmjerna analiza varijance, Hi-kvadrat test i Fisherov egzaktni test. Razina značajnosti je postavljena na Alpha = 0,05. Rezultati: Rezultati su pokazali kako postoji razlika u intenzitetu simptoma između ispitivanih dijagnostičkih skupina u skupini ispitanika s poremećajem ličnosti, gdje su pušači anksiozniji od nepušača (p=0.006). Također istraživanje je potvrdilo kako ispitanici s poremećajem ličnosti imaju najteže izraženu ovisnost o nikotinu u usporedbi s drugim dijagnostičkim skupinama (p=0,026). No ostale tri hipoteze su odbačene kako nije bilo statistički značajnih povezanosti kod ispitivanih dijagnostičkih skupina između stupnja anksioznosti i depresivnosti i težine ovisnosti o pušenju. Također nije pronađena povezanost između težine ovisnosti i količine konzumiranih cigareta niti u jednoj ispitivanoj skupini. Zaključak: Pokazalo se kako su pušenje ima najveći utjecaj u skupini ispitanika s poremećajem ličnosti, oni su anksiozniji od nepušača, ali oni također i pokazuju najtežu ovisnost o pušenju. No sve skupine ispitanika pušača svjesne su štetnosti pušenja, te kod svih postoji želja za odvikavanjem od pušenja.Introduction: Smokers use cigarettes to mitigate emotional problems, to suppress depression and anxiety, to stabilize the mood. They also use them for relaxation and as a stress relief. All these symptoms are common in patients with psychiatric disorders. Correlation between smoking and psychiatric disorders was established long time ago and these patients are more unlikely to quit smoking because of the abstinence symptoms which increase anxiety and depression. Aim: This study examined the difference in intensity of depressive and anxiety symptoms among smokers and non-smokers with non-psychotic psychiatric disorders, the difference between diagnostic groups in nicotine addiction level, the connection between the intensity of anxiety or depressive symptoms with a level of cigarette addiction. It examines the connection between the intensity of anxiety and depressive symptoms and the desire to quit smoking and the connection between the intensity of anxiety and depressive symptoms and the number of cigarettes smoked. Methods: The study tested 183 psychiatric patients, 95 smokers and 88 non-smokers, divided into three groups based on diagnosis. Following questionnaires were used: demographic survey questions, smoking habits questionnaire, Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) scale, Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) questionnaire. Following statistical methods were used: analysis of variance, Chi-squared test and Fisher\u27s exact test. Significance levels were set to Alpha = 0,05. Results: Results showed the difference in intensity of symptoms between examined diagnostic groups in personality disorder group where smokers were more anxious than non-smokers (p=0,006). Respondents with personality disorder are most addicted to nicotine in comparison with other diagnostic groups (p=0,026). Remaining hypotheses are rejected due to lack of statistical connection in examined diagnostic groups between the level of anxiety, depression and smoking addiction level. No connection was found between the level of addiction and amount of consumed cigarettes in any of the examined groups. Conclusion: This study shows that smoking has the biggest impact on the personality disorder patients group. They are more anxious than non-smokers and they also show the highest smoking addiction level. All examined groups are aware of the smoking consequences and they have will to quit smoking

PAIN MANAGEMENT IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC WOUNDS

Uvod: Bol je čest simptom kod bolesnika s kroničnim ranama, te značajno utječe na kvalitetu života. Kontinuiranom procjenom boli, medicinska sestra će omogućiti pravovremeno terapijsko djelovanje. Metode: Provedeno je presječno istraživanje u OŽB Požega. Sudjelovali su punoljetni bolesnici s ranama koje nisu zacijelile duže od 8 tjedana. Obuhvaćeno je 60 bolesnika. Za procjenu boli je korištena Vizualno analogna skala u tri vremenske točke (kod prijema, pri previjanju rane i u mirovanju). Od statističkih testova korišten je Hi kvadrat test, MANOVA, te Bonferroni post hoc test. Rezultati: Utvrđeno kako postoji značajna statistička razlika u tri vremenska perioda mjerenja boli prema spolu ispitanika na način da su ispitanice značajno više procjenjivale razinu boli od ispitanika (p=0,008). Statistička značajna razlika je uočena u tri vremenska perioda mjerenja boli prema vrsti rane (p<0,001). Značajna razliku između razine boli kod prijema bolesnika i s ulkusom gdje procjenjuju bol značajno više od ispitanika s dekubitusom (p=0,031) i površinskim ranama/kontuzijama (p=0,006). Također ispitanici s gangrenom u istom vremenu mjerenja značajno višom procjenjuju bol od ispitanika s dekubitusom (p=0,002) i ispitanika s površinskim ranama/kontuzijama (p=0,006). Kod razine boli u mirovanju ispitanici s ulkusom značajno višom procjenjuju bol od ispitanika s površinskim ranama/kontuzijama (p=0,003). Postoji značajna statistička razlika u tri vremenska perioda mjerenja boli prema veličini rane, (p=0,025). Ispitanici s ranom manjom od 5x5 cm značajno manjom procjenjuju razinu boli od ispitanika s operativnim rezom (p=0,031), ranom veličine 10 x 10, (p=0,029) i ranama velikih površina (p=0,002). Zaključak: Doživljaj boli ovisi o doživljaju pojedinca i nije objektivno mjerljiv. Postoje velike osobne, kulturne i spolno uvjetovane razlike u izrazu boli. U rješavanju složenog zadatka upravljanja boli potrebno je izabrati model koji je kulturološki prihvatljiv i osjetljiv, kako bi se optimiziralo zadovoljstvo i ishod liječenja bolesnika.Introduction: Chronic wounds are considered a major public health problem and increases the suffering of the patient and significantly affects the quality of life. By continuous assessment of pain, the nurse will allow timely therapeutic action either by pharmacological or non-pharmacological methods. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from April to August 2019 at the General County Hospital Pozega. The study involved adult patients with wounds that did not heal for more than 8 weeks. 60 patients were enrolled. A visually analogous three-point time scale (at admission, wound dressing, and at rest) was used for pain assessment.From the statistical tests, the Hi square test MANOVA (Multivariate analysis of variance), and the Bonferroni post hoc test. Results: It was found that there was a significant statistical difference in the three time periods of pain measurement according to the gender of the subjects in such a way that the respondents significantly evaluated the pain level more than the respondents (p = 0.008). A statistically significant difference was observed in the three time periods of pain measurement according to the type of wound (p <0.001). a significant difference between pain levels at admission and ulcer where they rate pain significantly higher than subjects with decubitus (p = 0.031) and superficial wounds / contusions (p = 0.006). Also, subjects with gangrene at the same time of measurement had significantly higher pain scores than subjects with decubitus (p = 0.002) and subjects with superficial wounds / contusions (p = 0.006). At the level of pain during the dressing, subjects with superficial wounds / contusions had significantly lower pain scores than all other groups of subjects, subjects with ulcer (p = 0.009), subjects with decubitus (p = 0.022), and subjects with gangrene (p = 0.001). At resting pain level, subjects with ulcer had significantly higher pain scores than subjects with superficial wounds / contusions (p = 0.003). There was a significant statistical difference in the three time periods of pain measurement according to wound size, (p = 0.025). Subjects with a wound less than 5x5 cm significantly less rated pain level than subjects with an operative incision (p = 0.031), a size 10 x 10 wound (p = 0.029), and large area wounds (p = 0.002) Conclusion: The experience of pain depends on the experience of the individual and is not objectively measurable. There are major personal, cultural and gender-related differences in the expression of pain. In dealing with the complex task of pain management, it is necessary to choose a model that is culturally acceptable and sensitive, in order to optimize patient satisfaction and outcome

The Chronology of Third Molar Eruption in the Croatian Population

Dental age estimation is common in orthodontics, paedodontics, paleodontology and forensic dentistry. The aim of this study was to assess chronological course of eruptive developmental phases of third molar and to establish parameters for the Croatian population. Sample of this study consisted of 1249 orthopantomograms of 530 (42.4%) male and 719 (57.6%) female subjects, aged 10 to 25 years. Eruptive phases were classified in 4 stages. No significant sex difference was found. Established chronology of the third molar eruption can be used as a standard for the assessment of dental age in clinical and forensic research on samples of Croatian population

Occupational Injuries among Dentists in Croatia

Za stomatološku profesiju karakterističan je, nažalost, veliki rizik od ozljeda na radu. Uzrok su specifični radni uvjeti – radno polje je malo i nalazi se u ustima pacijenta, rukuje se mnogobrojnim oštrim instrumentima i svrdlima koja se okreću velikom brzinom, što uz vodeno hlađenje stvara aerosol kontaminiranu mnoštvom čestica sline i krvi. Na taj se način na stomatologa mogu prenijeti infekcije s pacijenta zaraženog, na primjer, hepatitisom B i/ili C, ili HIV-om ako se slučajno ubode iglom ili poreže, što su najčešće ozljede stomatologa na radu, a slijede ih prema učestalosti ozljede oka. Svrha rada: Svrha ovog rada bila je istražiti učestalost ozljeda stomatologa na radu u Hrvatskoj, koje su ozljede najčešće te ustanoviti rizične čimbenike za njihov nastanak (spol, dob, specijalizacija, godine staža). Jedan od ciljeva istraživanja bio je i doznati mišljenje stomatologa o uzročnicima odgovornima za nastanak profesionalnih bolesti i ozljede na radu. Materijal i metode: Istraživanje je provedeno na uzorku od 406 stomatologa u Hrvatskoj koji su odgovorili na pitanja postavljena u elektroničkoj anketi. Rezultati: Ozljedu koja je nastala tijekom obavljanja stomatološke djelatnosti imalo je 63,05 % ispitanika, a 16,5 % zbog je toga potražilo pomoć liječnika. Među ozljedama su najzastupljeniji bili ubodni incidenti iglom (57,75 %) te porezotine (20,86 %), slijede ozljede oka (13,37 %), ugriz pacijenta (4,81 %) pa udarac (1,60 %). Kao najvažniji uzročnik profesionalnih bolesti i ozljeda najviše ispitanika navelo je nepravilan položaj tijela pri radu, a slijede stres, infekcija i buka. Zaključak: Poznavanje rizičnih čimbenika najvažnije je u prevenciji ozljeda, stoga možemo zaključiti da su naši ispitanici velikim dijelom bili svjesni opasnosti koje ih okružuju. Unatoč tomu učestalost ozljeda bila je velika pa su i dalje potrebne preventivne mjere kao bi se ozljede svele na najmanju moguću razinu.Objectives: Dental profession is characterized by a high risk of injuries at work due to exposure to specific working conditions. The operating area in a patient’s mouth is small, and it is handled by a large number of sharp instruments and drills that rotate at high speed, which creates an aerosol contaminated with particles of saliva and blood. This poses a risk of transmitting infections from patients to the dentist through stabbing incidents and cuts, which are some of the most common occupational injuries that are reported in the scientific literature. Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the frequency of occupational injuries among dentists in Croatia, to establish most common injuries, and to determine the main risk factors. The aim of this research was also to determine the dentists’ opinion on causes that are responsible for the occupational diseases and injuries. Material and methods: The survey was conducted based on a sample of 406 dentists from Croatia as respondents to an electronic survey. Results: 63.05% of the respondents suffered injuries caused by dental practitioners. The most common injuries were needle puncture incidents (57.75%) and cuts (20.86%), followed by eye injuries (13.37%), patient bite (4.81%) and punches (1.60%). The largest number of respondents stated the improper posture as the most important cause of occupational diseases and injuries, followed by stress, infection and noise. Conclusion: knowledge of risk factors is the first step of injury prevention. Our respondents were largely aware of the dangers surrounding them. Nevertheless, the frequency of injuries was high and there is still a need for preventive measures to minimize the frequency of injuries in dentistry

PAIN MANAGEMENT IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC WOUNDS

Uvod: Bol je čest simptom kod bolesnika s kroničnim ranama, te značajno utječe na kvalitetu života. Kontinuiranom procjenom boli, medicinska sestra će omogućiti pravovremeno terapijsko djelovanje. Metode: Provedeno je presječno istraživanje u OŽB Požega. Sudjelovali su punoljetni bolesnici s ranama koje nisu zacijelile duže od 8 tjedana. Obuhvaćeno je 60 bolesnika. Za procjenu boli je korištena Vizualno analogna skala u tri vremenske točke (kod prijema, pri previjanju rane i u mirovanju). Od statističkih testova korišten je Hi kvadrat test, MANOVA, te Bonferroni post hoc test. Rezultati: Utvrđeno kako postoji značajna statistička razlika u tri vremenska perioda mjerenja boli prema spolu ispitanika na način da su ispitanice značajno više procjenjivale razinu boli od ispitanika (p=0,008). Statistička značajna razlika je uočena u tri vremenska perioda mjerenja boli prema vrsti rane (p<0,001). Značajna razliku između razine boli kod prijema bolesnika i s ulkusom gdje procjenjuju bol značajno više od ispitanika s dekubitusom (p=0,031) i površinskim ranama/kontuzijama (p=0,006). Također ispitanici s gangrenom u istom vremenu mjerenja značajno višom procjenjuju bol od ispitanika s dekubitusom (p=0,002) i ispitanika s površinskim ranama/kontuzijama (p=0,006). Kod razine boli u mirovanju ispitanici s ulkusom značajno višom procjenjuju bol od ispitanika s površinskim ranama/kontuzijama (p=0,003). Postoji značajna statistička razlika u tri vremenska perioda mjerenja boli prema veličini rane, (p=0,025). Ispitanici s ranom manjom od 5x5 cm značajno manjom procjenjuju razinu boli od ispitanika s operativnim rezom (p=0,031), ranom veličine 10 x 10, (p=0,029) i ranama velikih površina (p=0,002). Zaključak: Doživljaj boli ovisi o doživljaju pojedinca i nije objektivno mjerljiv. Postoje velike osobne, kulturne i spolno uvjetovane razlike u izrazu boli. U rješavanju složenog zadatka upravljanja boli potrebno je izabrati model koji je kulturološki prihvatljiv i osjetljiv, kako bi se optimiziralo zadovoljstvo i ishod liječenja bolesnika.Introduction: Chronic wounds are considered a major public health problem and increases the suffering of the patient and significantly affects the quality of life. By continuous assessment of pain, the nurse will allow timely therapeutic action either by pharmacological or non-pharmacological methods. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from April to August 2019 at the General County Hospital Pozega. The study involved adult patients with wounds that did not heal for more than 8 weeks. 60 patients were enrolled. A visually analogous three-point time scale (at admission, wound dressing, and at rest) was used for pain assessment.From the statistical tests, the Hi square test MANOVA (Multivariate analysis of variance), and the Bonferroni post hoc test. Results: It was found that there was a significant statistical difference in the three time periods of pain measurement according to the gender of the subjects in such a way that the respondents significantly evaluated the pain level more than the respondents (p = 0.008). A statistically significant difference was observed in the three time periods of pain measurement according to the type of wound (p <0.001). a significant difference between pain levels at admission and ulcer where they rate pain significantly higher than subjects with decubitus (p = 0.031) and superficial wounds / contusions (p = 0.006). Also, subjects with gangrene at the same time of measurement had significantly higher pain scores than subjects with decubitus (p = 0.002) and subjects with superficial wounds / contusions (p = 0.006). At the level of pain during the dressing, subjects with superficial wounds / contusions had significantly lower pain scores than all other groups of subjects, subjects with ulcer (p = 0.009), subjects with decubitus (p = 0.022), and subjects with gangrene (p = 0.001). At resting pain level, subjects with ulcer had significantly higher pain scores than subjects with superficial wounds / contusions (p = 0.003). There was a significant statistical difference in the three time periods of pain measurement according to wound size, (p = 0.025). Subjects with a wound less than 5x5 cm significantly less rated pain level than subjects with an operative incision (p = 0.031), a size 10 x 10 wound (p = 0.029), and large area wounds (p = 0.002) Conclusion: The experience of pain depends on the experience of the individual and is not objectively measurable. There are major personal, cultural and gender-related differences in the expression of pain. In dealing with the complex task of pain management, it is necessary to choose a model that is culturally acceptable and sensitive, in order to optimize patient satisfaction and outcome

Microplastic Distribution through the Salinity Gradient in a Stratified Estuary

Despite the extensive and rapidly growing literature on microplastics in oceans and coastal seas, little information exists on microplastic distribution through the salinity gradient. This study is the first one to evaluate microplastic distribution through the salinity gradient of a highly stratified estuary. A total of 910 microplastic particles were collected from 12 different sampling events in the Krka River estuary, Croatia. The number of detected particles ranged from 389 in the surface layer to 63 in the deepest marine layer. The highest plastic abundance was found in the surface layer (3.68 particles/m3) and the lowest in the marine layer (0.13 particles/m3). The measured values of the cross-sectional area indicated an ellipsoidal cross-sectional shape of the particles. It was also found that the majority of microplastic particles belonged to the small microplastic class (<1 mm). The Nile Red (NR) staining method was used to visualize fluorescent microplastic particles, while quantification was performed using ImageJ/Fiji software. The strong salinity stratification in the studied estuary did not alter the usual distribution of microplastic particles in the water column, and there was no significant accumulation on the halocline

Assessing literature of Vitamin D and diabetic retinopathy

Background: Vitamin D plays an important role in a variety of biological functions.1 Numerous studies demonstrating that adequate vitamin D levels are important in eye homeostasis.2 There is increasing evidence of the association between eye diseases and vitamin D in literature. Aim: To evaluate scientometric data of Vitamin D and diabetic retinopathy. Methods: We analyzed the number of publications of Vitamin D and diabetic retinopathy as key words at Web of Sciences with advanced search using TS=(Vitamin D and diabetic retinopathy) from 1955 to 2019. Hypotheses: There is still a lack of important clinical studies on the role of vitamin D in diabetic retinopathy. Results: We retrieved a total of 114 articles published in the Clinical Medicine and Life Sciences section. The h-index of these publications was 25, an average citation per item was 20.46, the sum of times cited was 2.332. There were 1.864 citing articles. The number of citations significantly increased from 2002 to 2018, with the highest rate in 2017 (308 articles). The article with the highest number of citations had a total of 296 citations. The highest number of articles 48 (42.105%) was published in the field of endocrinology metabolism. Out of 114 articles, 91 were original scientific articles (79.825%), there were 13 reviews (11.404%), 10 meeting abstract (8.772%) and one book chapter (0.877%). Conclusions: Although the number of articles on Vitamin D and diabetic retinopathy is increasing every year, it is still insufficient to establish the role of vitamin D in diabetic retinopathy