Design of fancy yarns for the collection of evening dresses

Different samples of fancy yarns are designed and produced using the twisting machine with hollow spindle. The designed yarns are used to create a collection of evening dresses and the main inspiration for the collection was the use of metalic yarn. In order to get the feedback from potential buyers of designed yarns, subjective assessment of yarns is carried out. At the core of methodological approach is the use of paired comparison test

Morphological characteristics of invasive signal crayfish Pacifastacus leniusculus (Dana, 1852) in the Mura and Korana rivers

Signalni rak, Pacifastacus leniusculus, je invazivna vrsta slatkovodnih deseteronožnih rakova koja je u Hrvatskoj prvi puta zabilježena 2008. godine u rijeci Muri. Godine 2011. ova je vrsta zabilježena i u rijeci Dravi, u koju se proširila iz Mure, te u Korani, u koju je unesena antropogenim putem. Dosadašnja su istraživanja pokazala da je signalni rak rasprostranjen u donjem toku rijeka Mure i Korane. Cilj ovog istraživanja je bio po prvi puta usporediti morfološke značajke geografski odvojenih populacija invazivne vrste signalnog raka iz rijeka Mure i Korane te dobiti detaljan uvid u populacijsku strukturu, kao i utvrditi moguće razlike između njih. Analizirana je 21 morfometrijska značajka na 110 jedinki vrste signalnog raka, ulovljenih na dvije lokacije na svakoj rijeci. Dobiveni rezultati su pokazali da postoje značajne razlike u morfometrijskim značajkama između spolova na svim istraženim postajama, kao i značajne razlike između lokaliteta, odnosno rijeka, i kod mužjaka i kod ženki. Multivarijantnom diskriminantnom analizom prikupljenih podataka utvrđene su značajke koje najbolje odvajaju populacije signalnih rakova. Razlike u mjerenim značajkama između rijeka možemo pripisati razlikama u staništu, dok razlike između populacija s iste rijeke možemo pripisati utjecaju gustoće populacija i intraspecijske kompeticije na rast jedinki.Signal crayfish, Pacifastacus leniusculus, is an invasive species of freshwater decapod crustaceans, which was first recorded in Croatia in 2008 in the Mura River. In 2011 this species was recorded in the Drava River, where it spread from the Mura River, and also in the Korana River, where it was introduced by human activities. Previous research has shown that the signal crayfish is dispersed in the lower course of the Mura and Korana rivers. The aim of this study was to compare the morphological features of geographically separate populations of this invasive signal crayfish species from Mura and Korana rivers, and to get a detailed insight into the population structure, as well as to determine possible differences between them. We analyzed 21 morphometric characteristics on 110 individuals of the signal crayfish, caught in two locations on each river. The results showed significant differences in morphological characteristics between the sexes at all investigated sites, and significant differences between localities and rivers, both in males and females. With multivariate discriminant analysis we determined the principal morphometric characteristics which separate the populations of signal crayfish. These differences in measured morphometric characteristics between the rivers can be attributed to differences in habitat, while differences between populations of the same river are probably driven by density-dependence processes and intraspecific competition on the growth of individuals

Death, Funerals and Mourning on the Croatian Islands During the COVID-19 Pandemic

On islands and in island communities, especially smaller and more isolated ones, epidemics were often of greater intensity and left more significant consequences than on the mainland. The unique characteristics of an island (size, remoteness, isolation, small population size, and several manageable access points) affect the transmission of mainland epidemics and their frequency. The current global COVID-19 pandemic is an opportunity to investigate how the infection and epidemiological measures affected the life and death of island communities. The pandemic has brought mass death into our daily lives and altered the way people grieve, commemorate and remember their deceased. This paper presents the experiences and feelings of people during the COVID-19 pandemic on Croatian islands, with a focus on death, funerals, mourning, and the loss of family members. Due to the impossibility of carrying out the usual practices related to the funeral because of COVID-19 restrictions, the process of mourning and dealing with the loss of loved ones was difficult. Island communities accepted the new rules and adapted to the new circumstances but indicated that island-specific and more flexible crisis management should be applied during this health crisis. Some epidemiological measures, such as social distancing, internal island travel restrictions, and reduced gatherings, were highlighted by islanders as challenging and sometimes unnecessarily strict for some islands and their specific situations. For family members of those who died from COVID-19, additional factors and challenges have complicated their loss. Digital and social media were used to connect people and helped in coping with mourning in solitude and isolation. In this global pandemic, island communities responded to the impact of pandemic crises and adapted to new circumstances of the “new normal”

Metabolic and Molecular Response to High-Fat Diet Differs between Rats with Constitutionally High and Low Serotonin Tone

Maintaining energy balance is a complex physiological function whose dysregulation can lead to obesity and associated metabolic disorders. The bioamine serotonin (5HT) is an important regulator of energy homeostasis, with its central and peripheral pools influencing energy status in opposing ways. Using sublines of rats with constitutionally increased (high-5HT) or decreased (low5HT) whole-body 5HT tone, we have previously shown that under standard diet constitutionally higher 5HT activity is associated with increased body weight, adiposity, and impaired glucose homeostasis. Here, we investigated the response of 5HT sublines to an obesogenic diet. Consistent with previous findings, high-5HT animals fed a standard diet had poorer metabolic health. However, in response to a high-fat diet, only low-5HT animals increased body weight and insulin resistance. They also showed more pronounced changes in blood metabolic parameters and the expression of various metabolic genes in hypothalamus and adipose tissue. On the other hand, high-5HT animals appeared to be protected from major metabolic disturbances of the obesogenic diet. The results suggest that constitutionally low 5HT activity is associated with higher susceptibility to harmful effects of a high-energy diet. High-5HT subline, which developed less adverse metabolic outcomes on hypercaloric diets, may prove useful in understanding metabolically healthy obesity in humans

Water for all : Proceedings of the 7th international scientific and professional conference Water for all

The 7th International Scientific and Professional Conference Water for all is organized to honour the World Water Day by the Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, European Hygienic Engineering & Design Group (EHEDG), Danube Parks, Croatian Food Agency, Croatian Water, Faculty of Food Technology Osijek, Faculty of Agriculture in Osijek, Faculty of Civil Engineering Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek Department of Biology, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek Department of Chemistry, Nature Park “Kopački rit”, Osijek- Baranja County, Public Health Institute of the Osijek- Baranja County and „Vodovod-Osijek“ -water supply company in Osijek. The topic of World Water Day 2017 was "Wastewater" emphasizing the importance and influence of wastewater treatments on global environment. The international scientific and professional conference Water for all is a gathering of scientists and experts in the field of water management, including chemists, biologists, civil and agriculture engineers, with a goal to remind people about the significance of fresh water and to promote an interdisciplinary approach and sustainability for fresh water resource management. The Conference has been held since 2011. About 300 scientists and engineers submitted 95 abstracts to the 7th International Scientific and Professional Conference Water for all, out of which 33 was presented orally and 62 as posters. 47 full papers were accepted by the Scientific Committee. 38 full papers became the part of the this Proceedings while 9 papers were accepted for publication in Croatian Journal of Food Science and Technology and Electronic Journal of the Faculty of Civil Engineering Osijek - e-GFOS

Metabolic and Molecular Response to High-Fat Diet Differs between Rats with Constitutionally High and Low Serotonin Tone

Maintaining energy balance is a complex physiological function whose dysregulation can lead to obesity and associated metabolic disorders. The bioamine serotonin (5HT) is an important regulator of energy homeostasis, with its central and peripheral pools influencing energy status in opposing ways. Using sublines of rats with constitutionally increased (high-5HT) or decreased (low-5HT) whole-body 5HT tone, we have previously shown that under standard diet constitutionally higher 5HT activity is associated with increased body weight, adiposity, and impaired glucose homeostasis. Here, we investigated the response of 5HT sublines to an obesogenic diet. Consistent with previous findings, high-5HT animals fed a standard diet had poorer metabolic health. However, in response to a high-fat diet, only low-5HT animals increased body weight and insulin resistance. They also showed more pronounced changes in blood metabolic parameters and the expression of various metabolic genes in hypothalamus and adipose tissue. On the other hand, high-5HT animals appeared to be protected from major metabolic disturbances of the obesogenic diet. The results suggest that constitutionally low 5HT activity is associated with higher susceptibility to harmful effects of a high-energy diet. High-5HT subline, which developed less adverse metabolic outcomes on hypercaloric diets, may prove useful in understanding metabolically healthy obesity in humans

Hepatitis E seroprevalence and associated risk factors in Croatian liver transplant recipients

Introduction: Solid-organ transplant recipients are at risk of hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection. We analyzed the seroprevalence/ risk factors of HEV in Croatian liver transplant recipients. ----- Methods: Two hundred forty-two serum samples were tested for HEV immunoglobuline IgG/IgM and HEV RNA. Sociodemographic data and risk factors were collected using a questionnaire. ----- Results: HEV IgG seroprevalence rate was 24.4%. Positive/equivocal HEV IgM were found in two patients. HEV RNA was not detected. Logistic regression showed that older age, female gender, rural area/farm, water well, and septic tank were associated with HEV seropositivity. ----- Conclusions: This study revealed a high exposure rate to HEV in Croatian liver recipients

Optimisation of External Factors for the Growth of Francisella novicida within Dictyostelium discoideum

The amoeba has been used as a model organism to study host-pathogen interaction in many intracellular bacteria. is a Gram-negative, highly infectious bacterium that causes the zoonotic disease tularemia. The bacterium is able to replicate in different phagocytic and nonphagocytic cells including mammalian, amoebae, and arthropod cells. The aim of this study was to determine the optimal temperature and infection dose in the interaction of with in order to establish a model of infection in the social amoeba. The amoeba cells were infected with a different multiplicity of infection (5, 10, and 100) and incubated at different temperatures (22, 25, 27, 30, and 37°C). The number of intracellular bacteria within , as well as cytotoxicity, was determined at 2, 4, 24, 48, and 72 hours after infection. Our results showed that the optimal temperature for intracellular replication within amoeba is 30°C with the MOI of 10. We can conclude that this MOI and temperature induced the optimal growth of bacteria in with low cytotoxicity

Seroepidemiology of hepatitis E in patients on haemodialysis in Croatia

Purpose Data on the seroprevalence of hepatitis E virus (HEV) in heamodialysis (HD) patients are conflicting, ranging from 0 to 44%. The aim of this study was to determine the HEV seroprevalence and risk factors among HD patients in Croatia. Methods A total of 394 HD patients from six medical facilities in five Croatian cities (three sites in the continental and three sites in the coastal region) were tested for HEV IgM/IgG antibodies using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Additionally, all samples were tested for HEV RNA by RT-PCR. Sociodemographic data and risk factors were collected using a questionnaire. Results HEV IgG antibodies were detected in 110 (27.9%) patients. The seroprevalence varied significantly between dialysis centres, ranging from 5.2 to 43.4% (p = 0.001). HEV IgM antibodies were found in 0.04% of IgG positive patients. All patients tested negative for HEV RNA. Factors associated with HEV IgG seropositivity were age > 60 years (OR 8.17 ; 95% CI 1.08–62.14), living in the continental parts of the country (OR 2.58 ; 95% CI 1.55– 4.30), and transfusion of blood products (OR 1.66 ; 95% CI 1.01–2.73). After adjusting for age and gender, patients from continental regions had higher odds of HEV seropositivity compared to patients from coastal regions (OR 2.88 ; 95% CI 1.71–4.85) and those who had RBC transfusions (OR 1.70, 95% CI 1.02–2.69) compared to those who did not. Conclusion The study showed a high HEV seropositivity among HD patients in Croatia, with significant variations between geographical regions. Continental area of residence and RBC transfusion were the most significant risk factors for HEV seropositivity. Due to the high seroprevalence, routine HEV screening among HD patients, especially in transplant candidates should be considered

Ružička days : International conference 19th Ružička Days “Today Science – Tomorrow Industry” : Proceedings

Dear colleagues, we are extremely honoured to present to you the Proceedings of the international conference 19th Ružička Days, which was successfully held on September 21–23, 2022, in Vukovar, Croatia, in the hometown town of our famous Croatian scientist and first Nobel laureate, professor Leopold (Lavoslav) Ružička. The main goals of the Conference were to promote excellence, originality and innovation of interdisciplinary scientific research as well as the practical application of the obtained results through collaboration with industry, emphasizing thus the recognizable slogan of the Ružička Days conference: "Today Science – Tomorrow Industry". In addition, the Conference gave the opportunity for meetings, exchanging the ideas, opinions, experiences and cooperation among participants from different working surroundings. It is also important to point out that since 2008, within the international conference Ružička Days, Meeting of Young Chemists has also been held, where high school students, with the help of their mentors, present papers in the field of chemistry, with the aim to direct students and young people to the technical and natural sciences, especially chemistry. In its seventh issue (2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021) the Proceedings publishes scientific and professional full papers of high quality in the following sections: Chemical analysis and synthesis (10), Chemical and biochemical engineering (3), Food technology and biotechnology (4), Chemistry in agriculture and forestry (1), Environmental protection (9) and 8th Meeting of Young Chemists (3). Full-length papers were subjected to an international review procedure done by eminent experts from the corresponding fields, to whom we express our gratitude, but they were not subjected to linguistic proofreading. On behalf of the Scientific and Organizing Committee of the 19th Ružička Days we cordially thank all the authors, reviewers, participants, lecturers, organizers, especially the international organizers EuCheMS and EHEDG, auspices and sponsors, and all the others who, in any way, supported the Conference and contributed to the preparation of the Proceedings, especially to our highly skilled and committed associates, who have put a lot of effort in the preparation of these Proceedings. At the very end, special thanks to our young, future scientists and their mentors who are faithful participants of the Meeting of Young Chemists of the Ružička Days conference. Enjoy the extremely interesting scientific and professional papers contained in these Proceedings, until the next 20th jubilee of Ružička Days in 2024! We are looking forward to meeting you again in Vukovar! Yours sincerely, Chief Editors Jurislav Babić Vesna Ocelić Bulatović Dajana Kučić Grgi