Prevalence and risk factors of alcohol abuse among university students from eastern Croatia: questionnaire study

The aim of the study was to examine the prevalence of alcohol abuse among university students in Osijek, Croatia and its possible interconnections with gender, year of study, repetition of year of study, faculty subject area, sources of financing and type of residence during study. A validated questionnaire was self-administered to cross-faculty representative student sample of "J. J. Strossmayer" University of Osiek in June 2006. General demographic data, as well as data on academic features and student socio-economical status were obtained. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) was used for assessing the extent of alcohol consumption, with cut off value of 8 indicating possible alcohol problems. The majority of study participants 90.9% (755/831) had tried alcohol at least once in their life. Among this group, 43.8% (331/755) had an AUDIT total score of 8 or more: 69.2% (229/331) were males and 30.8% (102/331) were females. Among the study participants who screened positive, 70.4% (233/331) responded positively to simple advice focused on the reduction of hazardous drinking (AUDIT 8-15), 14.5% (48/331) needed brief counseling and continued monitoring (AUDIT 16-19), and 15.1% (50/331) clearly warranted further diagnostic evaluation for alcohol dependence (AUDIT 20 and above). Significantly different statistical data was found within the following factors: gender, repetition of year of study, faculty subject area and type of residence (chi2 = 76.232, p = 0.0000; Fisher exact test = 31.828, p = 0.0000; chi2 = 11.667, p = 0.0086 and chi2 = 6.639, p = 0.0362 respectively). Alcohol consumption resulting in risk behaviors is common among university students from eastern Croatia. These findings emphasize the need for comprehensive and effective preventative strategies directed towards student population.     

Occurrence of Phomopsis longicolla β Conidia in Naturally Infected Soybean

Although Phomopsis longicolla is primarily known as a seedborne pathogen, it can be isolated from all parts of the plant. The disease lesions observed on the basal parts of soybean stems were slightly sunken with irregular shapes and sizes, bordered by a thin black margin. Within the lesions themselves, large and diffusely distributed pycnidia with α and β conidia, typical of the genus Phomopsis, were observed. The percentages of the two types of conidia varied considerably, but β conidia were predominant in most of the pycnidia. The presence of these reproductive organs indicated that the symptoms could have been caused by Phomopsis sojae. However, after isolation on a nutritive medium, all cultural and morphological characteristics clearly indicated that the isolated fungus was P. longicolla, whose identification was subsequently confirmed by sequencing three genomic regions. Monosporic isolates, with different ratios of α and β conidia, exhibited a high level of pathogenicity on soybean, after artificial inoculation. Both types of conidia were observed on the stems of the inoculated soybean plants. Beta conidia also formed quickly on medium made of soybean seeds and mature stems after exposure to low temperatures (?10°C). This study suggests that P. longicolla is capable of a massive production of β conidia, not only in old fungal cultures as it had until now been believed, but also in infected soybean plants in the field.     

Response of human HTB140 melanoma cells to conventional radiation and hadrons

Conventional radiotherapy with X- and gamma-rays is one of the common and effective treatments of cancer. High energy hadrons, i.e., charged particles like protons and (12)C ions, due to their specific physics and radiobiological advantages are increasingly used. In this study, effectiveness of different radiation types is evaluated on the radio-resistant human HTB140 melanoma cells. The cells were irradiated with gamma-rays, the 62 MeV protons at the Bragg peak and in the middle of the spread-out Bragg peak (SOBP), as well as with the 62 MeV/u (12)C ions. The doses ranged from 2 to 24 Gy. Cell survival and proliferation were assessed 7 days after irradiation, whereas apoptosis was evaluated after 48 h. The acquired results confirmed the high radio-resistance of cells, showing better effectiveness of protons than gamma-rays. The best efficiency was obtained with (12)C ions due to higher linear energy transfer. All analyzed radiation qualities reduced cell proliferation. The highest proliferation was detected for (12)C ions because of their large killing capacity followed by small induction of reparable lesions. This enabled unharmed cells to preserve proliferative activity. Irradiations with protons and (12)C ions revealed similar moderate pro-apoptotic ability that is in agreement with the level of cellular radio-resistance.     

Behavioral pattern of overweight and obese school children

The aim of this study was to determine socio economic, health status, nutritional and behavioral differences in obese, overweight and normal weight children attending first grade elementary school. In overweight group there is 13.8% of boys and 12.6% of girls, in obese group 8.3% of boys and 6.9% of girls. In factor analysis 12 factors was excluded with cumulative loading of 60% variability. Discriminant analysis was performed with 12 factors as predictive variables and discriminant variables were three BMI groups: normal weight, overweight and obese. Function 1 discriminate well normal weight group from overweight and obese group. Overweight and obese groups is described with lower number of children in the family and lower order of birth, higher education of parents, they eat less vegetables and fruits, spend more time playing computer games, have less physical activity, drink more alcohol with their meals, exactly opposite to normal weight group.     

Triethanolammonium acetate as a multifunctional ionic liquid in the palladium-catalyzed green Heck reaction

An efficient green Heck reaction protocol was performed using a triethanolammonium acetate ionic liquid–palladium(II) catalytic system. The ionic liquid used acts as a reaction medium, base, precatalyst-precursor, and mobile support for the active Pd species. Our experimental investigation indicates that performing the Heck reaction in ionic liquid is superior to the same procedure carried out in triethanolamine. The mechanism of the reaction of triethanolammonium acetate with PdCl₂ was examined using density functional theory (M06 method). It was found that two Pd(II) complexes are formed, one of which acts further as a precatalyst yielding catalytically active Pd(0) complex. The calculated activation energies are in agreement with our experimental findings.     

Chemical Composition of Volatiles; Antimicrobial,Antioxidant and Cholinesterase Inhibitory Activity of Chaerophyllum aromaticum L. (Apiaceae) Essential Oils and Extracts

The present study reports the chemical composition of the headspace volatiles (HS) and essential oils obtained from fresh Chaerophyllum aromaticum root and aerial parts in full vegetative phase, as well as biological activities of their essential oils and MeOH extracts. In HS samples, the most dominant components were monoterpene hydrocarbons. On the other hand, the essential oils consisted mainly of sesquiterpenoids, representing 73.4% of the root and 63.4% of the aerial parts essential oil. The results of antibacterial assay showed that the aerial parts essential oil and MeOH extract have no antibacterial activity, while the root essential oil and extract showed some activity. Both of the tested essential oils exhibited anticholinesterase activity (47.65% and 50.88%, respectively); MeOH extract of the root showed only 8.40% inhibition, while aerial part extract acted as an activator of cholinesterase. Regarding the antioxidant activity, extracts were found to be more effective than the essential oils.     

Influence of Charge Transport and Defects on the Performance of Planar and Mesostructured Perovskite Solar Cells

Photoinduced charge selective carrier extraction by linearly increasing voltage technique allows straightforward assessment of charge transport properties within planar and mesostructured perovskite solar cells with respect to light intensity and signal delay time. Charge sensitive device architecture is realized through implementation of insulating layer between the anode or cathode to prevent extraction of unwanted type of carriers. Resulting behavior of comparatively efficient mesoporous and planar solar cells exhibits well balanced charge transport with slight dependence of charge mobility on applied laser pulse fluence, for given pulse delay times. Very similar charge carrier mobilities are present within mesoporous devices, whereas holes trail approximately half an order of magnitude behind electrons in planar structured specimens. Moreover, dispersive transport is identified in the electron selective devices with titanium oxide electron transporter, suggesting considerable presence of trapping states at the perovskite interface, whereas no such behavior characterizes planar samples. Variation in delay time between laser pulse and extraction ramp only affects initial charge concentration present within the device, while transient outlay remains unchanged, indicating absence of film charging effect.     

Molecular substitution rate increases with latitude in butterflies: evidence for a trans‐glacial latitudinal layering of populations?

A well‐documented consequence of repeated global ice ages is the negative relationship between latitude and intraspecific genetic diversity. However, little is known about additional effects of such major climatic events on population genetic structure. Here we studied the phylogeographic structure of five lycaenid butterfly species with varied ecological adaptations, sampled across a latitudinal gradient in the Holarctic region. We found a positive correlation between latitude and substitution rate of mitochondrial DNA sequences in all species investigated. We propose that this result is the signal of increased genetic drift and founder effects during post‐glacial recolonization of northern populations. Given that phylogenetic branch length is the result of a cumulative process over evolutionary time, we hypothesize that a latitudinal layering of populations has generally been maintained during repeated cycles of glaciation, possibly due to a neutral spatial effect and/or local adaptive advantage. This trans‐glacial latitudinal layering could be viewed as a particular case of the more general phenomenon of intraspecific structuring that is created and maintained in a fluctuating environmental gradient.     

Synthesis,intramolecular migrations and enzymic hydrolysis of partially pivaloylated methyl alpha-D-mannopyranosides

A series of methyl O-pivaloyl-alpha-D-mannopyranosides was synthesized using pivaloyl chloride in pyridine. The 3,6-di-O-pivaloyl derivative 6 undergoes intramolecular transesterification in neutral conditions (buffer, pH 7.2) to give its 2,6-di-O-pivaloyl analogue 5. The course of this migration was followed using 14C-labelled 6. As opposed to 6 compound 5 was shown to be a good substrate for esterases present in rabbit serum. Thus, regioselective enzymic hydrolysis led to the preferential cleavage of the 2-OPiv group to yield a mixture of 2- and 6-O-monopivalates in a ratio of 1:2.6.