How to Improve Patient Safety Culture in Croatian Hospitals?

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Šklebar, Ivan; Mustajbegović, Jadranka; Šklebar, Duška; Cesarik, Marijan; Milošević, Milan; Brborović, Hana; Šporčić, Krunoslav; Petrić, Petar; Husedžinović, Ino

2016-09-01

Patient safety culture (PCS) has a crucial impact on the safety practices of healthcare delivery systems. The purpose of this study was to assess the state of PSC in Croatian hospitals and compare it with hospitals in the United States. The study was conducted in three public general hospitals in Croatia using the Croatian translation of the Hospital Survey of Patient Safety Culture (HSOPSC). A comparison of the results from Croatian and American hospitals was performed using a T-square test. We found statistically significant differences in all 12 PSC dimensions. Croatian responses were more positive in the two dimensions of Handoff s and Transitions and Overall Perceptions of Patient Safety. In the remaining ten dimensions, Croatian responses were less positive than in US hospitals, with the most prominent areas being Nonpunitive Response to Error, Frequency of Events Reported, Communication Openness, Teamwork within Units, Feedback & Communication about Error, Management Support for Patient Safety, and Staffing. Our findings show that PSC is significantly lower in Croatian than in American hospitals, particularly in the areas of Nonpunitive Response to Error, Leadership, Teamwork, Communication Openness and Staffing. This suggests that a more comprehensive system for the improvement of patient safety within the framework of the Croatian healthcare system needs to be developed. Our findings also help confirm that HSOPSC is a useful and appropriate tool for the assessment of PSC. HSOPSC highlights the PSC components in need of improvement and should be considered for use in national and international benchmarking.

Scientific Output of Croatian Universities: Comparison with Neighbouring Countries

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Boris Podobnik

2008-06-01

Full Text Available We compared the Croatian research output with the neighboring countries and the Croatian universities with the largest Slovenian, Hungarian, and Serbian universities. As far as papers listed by Social Science Citation Index are concerned, since 2000 the University of Zagreb exhibits best results in social sciences compared to the competing universities, that is not the case in “hard” sciences. For the last 12 years, only the University of Ljubljana has shown better results in total research output than the University of Zagreb. The difference in research output between the University of Zagreb and the rest of the Croatian universities has been constantly decreasing. As a case study we compare research output at Faculty of Civil Engeenering on different Croatian universities. By analyzing European countries, we show a functional dependence between the gross domestic product (GDP and the research output. From this fit we conclude that the Croatian science exhibits research output as expected for the given level of GDP.

Croatian library leaders’ views on (their library quality

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Kornelija Petr Balog

2014-04-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to determine and describe the library culture in Croatian public libraries. Semi-structured interviews with 14 library directors (ten public and four academic were conducted. The tentative discussion topics were: definition of quality, responsibility for quality, satisfaction with library services, familiarization with user perspective of library and librarians, monitoring of user expectations and opinions. These interviews incorporate some of the findings of the project Evaluation of library and information services: public and academic libraries. The project investigates library culture in Croatian public and academic libraries and their preparedness for activities of performance measurement. The interviews reveal that library culture has changed positively in the past few years and that library leaders have positive attitude towards quality and evaluation activities. Library culture in Croatian libraries is a relatively new concept and as such was not actively developed and/or created. This article looks into the library culture of Croatian libraries, but at the same time investigates whether there is any trace of culture of assessment in them. Also, this article brings the latest update on views, opinions and atmosphere in Croatian public and academic libraries.

Croatian Hotel Industry Financial Features Within the Period of Privatization

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Jasmina Lončar

2004-11-01

Full Text Available The Croatian tourist sector has been stagnating during the period of transition. By analyzing the balance of Croatian hotels, the influence on the changes and courses of balance, the author points out the increasing seriousness of the situation in Croatian hotel industry measured in the relation of property, debts and owners’ capital. The connection between the financial structure, balance liabilities and the diversification of the instruments of property structure, defines the optimal financial adjustment of firms in tourism. In present-day Croatian hotel companies, uncertain profits make the company risky, not only in the aspect of debts but also considering the equity capital, which is then reflected in unsatisfactory business results. Similar researches are crucial ways towards a global knowledge about privatization in Croatian tourism today.

Restorative treatment decisions of Croatian university teachers.

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Baraba, Anja; Doméjean, Sophie; Jurić, Hrvoje; Espelid, Ivar; Tveit, Anne B; Anić, Ivica

2012-12-01

This study aimed to identify differences in diagnostic criteria and restorative treatment among Croatian university teachers. The questionnaire was distributed to 120 Croatian university teachers in Zagreb and Rijeka. Responses were collected from 59 (49.2%) university teachers. Treatment thresholds for hypothetical approximal and occlusal caries, as well as most favored types of restorative techniques and materials were assessed. The majority (34%) of the respondents would intervene for an approximal caries lesion at the enamel-dentin junction. The leading strategy for occlusal caries was postponing operative treatment until the caries lesion was in the outer third of dentin and removing caries tissue only. Composite resin was the predominant material of choice for restoration of approximal and occlusal caries (70% and 81% respectively). More than half (54%) of Croatian university teachers believed the radiographs underestimated the depth of the caries lesion compared with clinical finding. Findings of this study should be a guideline for Croatian university teachers for a more consistent and modern teaching on the subject of caries management.

PHRASEOLOGY IN PARČIĆ'S CROATIAN – ITALIAN DICTIONARY

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Helena Pavletić

2005-01-01

Full Text Available The paper analyzes and classifies the types of phraseological groups in Parčić's Croatian – Italian Dictionary comparing them with Italian equivalents and the contemporary Croatian phraseology.

Analysis of Cruise Tourism on Croatian Rivers

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Astrid Zekić

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Cruise trips have been rising in popularity since the 1970sand are currently a trend in the tourism market. This is particularly true of river cruises, which record a constant growth in the number of ship calls. The general upward trend in the number of river cruise passengers and dockings is also present in Croatia. Prerequisites for the development of cruising on Croatian rivers include, in addition to other geographical features, also the length of navigable water ways, but a systematic approach to this issue is needed for further development. The authors investigate the level of development of infrastructure on Croatian rivers and analyse the passenger and ship traffic on them. Special attention is given to the importance of cruises for tourism on European rivers and worldwide. In accordance with the Croatian Tourism Development Strategy until 2020, the authors explore geographical and other conditions necessary for the development of river cruise tourism. The aim of the paper is to point to the importance of building infrastructure for accommodation of vessels sailing on Croatian rivers, and in particular to the need to improve tourism offer in river destinations.

Mortality and causes of death among Croatian male Olympic medalists.

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Radonić, Vedran; Kozmar, Damir; Počanić, Darko; Jerkić, Helena; Bohaček, Ivan; Letilović, Tomislav

2017-08-31

To compare the overall and disease-specific mortality of Croatian male athletes who won one or more Olympic medals representing Yugoslavia from 1948 to 1988 or Croatia from 1992 to 2016, and the general Croatian male population standardized by age and time period. All 233 Croatian male Olympic medalists were included in the study. Information on life duration and cause of death for the Olympic medalists who died before January 1, 2017, was acquired from their families and acquaintances. We asked the families and acquaintances to present medical documentation for the deceased. Data about the overall and disease-specific mortality of the Croatian male population standardized by age and time period were obtained from the Croatian Bureau of Statistics (CBS). Overall and disease-specific standard mortality ratios (SMR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated to compare the mortality rates of athletes and general population. Among 233 Olympic medalists, 57 died before the study endpoint. The main causes of death were cardiovascular diseases (33.3%), neoplasms (26.3%), and external causes (17.6%). The overall mortality of the Olympic medalists was significantly lower than that of general population (SMR 0.73, 95% CI 0.56-0.94, P=0.013). Regarding specific causes of death, athletes' mortality from cardiovascular diseases was significantly reduced (SMR 0.61, 95% CI 0.38-0.93, P=0.021). Croatian male Olympic medalists benefit from lower overall and cardiovascular mortality rates in comparison to the general Croatian male population.

Centuries-Long Trends in the Linguistic Integration of Croatian Society

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Amir Kapetanović

2012-08-01

Full Text Available The article discusses the history of the Croatian language, particularly the paths of the gradual linguistic integration of all Croats and the development of the standard language (based upon the Štokavian dialect within Croatian society, whose members have spoken three dialects (Čakavian, Štokavian, Kajkavian since the Middle Ages. Because of the multidialectal situation (all three dialects played an important role in the history of the Croatian language, linguistic integration was a complex process. The use of the Croatian language before national integrality in the 19th century may look complicated and disunified, but this article attempts to show the old connections between different dialectal areas and the realization of two the main conceptions of the construction of Croatian superdialectal (literary expression in linguistic history: a literary language with a single-dialect basis (but with multi-dialectal infiltration within the superstructure and a literary (hybrid type of language based upon at least two dialects.

Management support to e-business initiatives: The Croatian experience

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Mario Spremić

2003-01-01

Full Text Available After defining e-business and explaining why an evolutionary aspect of moving to e-business is required, the dimensions of e-business is defined with respect to differences between traditional business, partial, or pure e-business. Also, a model for moving to e-business is illustrated. The e-business evolving model is divided into six stages and represents an evolutionary aspect of migrating to e-business. Finally, the results of the research study on current practices in evolving e-business in the most successful Croatian companies are given. In this research, some aspects of business process innovation and e-business usage have been investigated (general e-business issues with levels of e-business usage, key objectives of participating in e-business, alignment of business strategy with e-business initiatives, initiation of e-business projects and e-business planning issues, especially e-business funding. The questionnaire was sent to 400 CEOs or CIOs in Croatian companies selected from the Register of the ‘400 Biggest’ Croatian companies which were ranked according to their 2001 annual revenue and which were most likely to represent the structure of the Croatian economy. Although they represent less than 1% of the total number of registered companies in Croatia, the sampled companies hold 73% of the equity capital of the whole Croatian economy, they contribute with 65% in the total Croatian economy’s export balance and they employ 37% of the total number of people employed in Croatia.

A large cross-sectional study of health attitudes, knowledge, behaviour and risks in the post-war Croatian population (the First Croatian Health Project).

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Turek, S; Rudan, I; Smolej-Narancić, N; Szirovicza, L; Cubrilo-Turek, M; Zerjavić-Hrabak, V; Rak-Kaić, A; Vrhovski-Hebrang, D; Prebeg, Z; Ljubicić, M; Janićijević, B; Rudan, P

2001-06-01

As the liberation of occupied Croatian territories ended the war in the country in 1995, the Ministry of Health and Croatian Health Insurance Institute have agreed to create the new framework for developing a long-term strategy of public health planning, prevention and intervention. They provided financial resources to develop the First Croatian Health Project, the rest of the support coming from the World Bank loan and the National Institute of Public Health. A large cross-sectional study was designed aiming to assess health attitudes, knowledge, behaviour and risks in the post-war Croatian population. The large field study was carried out by the Institute for Anthropological Research with technical support from the National Institute of Public Health. The field study was completed between 1995-1997. It included about 10,000 adult volunteers from all 21 Croatian counties. The geographic distribution of the sample covered both coastal and continental areas of Croatia and included rural and urban environments. The specific measurements included antropometry (body mass index and blood pressure). From each examinee a blood sample was collected from which the levels of total plasma cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), HDL-cholesterol (High Density Lipoprotein), LDL-cholesterol (Low Density Lipoprotein), lipoprotein Lp(a), and haemostatic risk factor fibrinogen (F) were determined. The detailed data were collected on the general knowledge and attitudes on health issues, followed by specific investigation of smoking history, alcohol consumption, nutrition habits, physical activity, family history of chronic non-communicable diseases and occupational exposures. From the initial database a targeted sample of 5,840 persons of both sexes, aged 18-65, was created corresponding by age, sex and geographic distribution to the general Croatian population. This paper summarises and discusses the main findings of the project within this representative sample of Croatian population.

Disambiguation of neutralized forms in two Croatian varieties

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Višnja Josipović

1994-12-01

Full Text Available A type of northwestern Croatian pronunciation, also known as the Kajkavian accent, was compared with the standard Croatian pronunciation with respect to the strategies used to disambiguate neutralized final obstruents. The two varieties differ in that the former is characterized by the phonological rule of Final Devoicing, where word-final obstruents are realized as voiceles.

Genetic heritage of Croatians in the Southeastern European gene pool-Y chromosome analysis of the Croatian continental and Island population.

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Šarac, Jelena; Šarić, Tena; Havaš Auguštin, Dubravka; Novokmet, Natalija; Vekarić, Nenad; Mustać, Mate; Grahovac, Blaženka; Kapović, Miljenko; Nevajda, Branimir; Glasnović, Anton; Missoni, Saša; Rootsi, Siiri; Rudan, Pavao

2016-11-01

The research objective of this study is to enlarge and deepen the Y chromosome research on the Croatian population and enable additional insights into the population diversity and historic events that shaped the current genetic landscape of Croatia and Southeastern Europe (SEE). A high-resolution phylogenetic and phylogeographic analysis of 66 biallelic (SNPs) and 17 microsatellite (STRs) markers of the Y chromosome was performed using 720 Croatian samples. The obtained results were placed in a wider European context by comparison with ∼4450 samples from a number of other European populations. A high diversity of haplogroups was observed in the overall Croatian sample, and all typical European Y chromosome haplogroups with corresponding clinal patterns were observed. Three distinct genetic signals were identifiable in the Croatian paternal gene pool - I2a1b-M423, R1a1a1b1a*-M558, and E1b1b1a1b1a-V13 haplogroups. The analyses of the dominant and autochthonous I2a1b-M423 lineage (>30%) suggest that SEE had a significant role in the Upper Paleolithic, the R1a1a1b1a*-M558 lineage (19%) represents a signal from present day Slavic populations of Central Europe in the Croatian population, and the phylogeography of the E1b1b1a1b1a-V13 clade (around 9%) implies cultural diffusion of agriculture into Europe via the Balkan Peninsula. Am. J. Hum. Biol., 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 28:837-845, 2016. © 2016Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS OF CROATIAN COUNTIES ENTREPRENEURSHIP

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Elza Jurun

2012-12-01

Full Text Available In the focus of this paper is a multivariate analysis of Croatian Counties entrepreneurship. Complete data base available by official statistic institutions at national and regional level is used. Modern econometric methodology starting from a comparative analysis via multiple regression to multivariate cluster analysis is carried out as well as the analysis of successful or inefficacious entrepreneurship measured by indicators of efficiency, profitability and productivity. Time horizons of the comparative analysis are in 2004 and 2010. Accelerators of socio-economic development - number of entrepreneur investors, investment in fixed assets and current assets ratio in multiple regression model are analytically filtered between twenty-six independent variables as variables of the dominant influence on GDP per capita in 2010 as dependent variable. Results of multivariate cluster analysis of twentyone Croatian Counties are interpreted also in the sense of three Croatian NUTS 2 regions according to European nomenclature of regional territorial division of Croatia.

International Trade of Croatian Chemical Industry Summary

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Goran Buturac

2009-07-01

Full Text Available In this paper Croatian chemical industry in international trade is analyzed by applying k-means cluster method. The work is oriented toward the role and contribution of individual product groups in total trade patterns of chemical industry. The RCA indicator, GL index, RUV indicator and the share of individual chemical products in the total export of chemical industry are used as variables. The products at the fourdigit level of the SITC are used as objects. The cluster of chemical products in which Croatia has comparative advantages contributes significantly in export structure. At the same time this cluster consists of a few product types thus indicating strong export concentration of Croatian chemical industry. Regarding of the value of RUV indicator, Croatian chemical industry benefits most in the international trade with antibiotics and medicines that contain antibiotics. Beside fertilizers, these two products have the greatest share in the export structure. The great majority of the chemical products have the low level of intra-industry trade specialization.

New Croatian Act on Ionizing Radiation Protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grgic, S.

1998-01-01

According to the new Croatian Act on ionizing radiation protection which is in a final stage of genesis, Ministry of Health of the Republic of Croatia is the governmental body responsible for all aspects relating sources of ionizing radiation in Croatia: practices, licenses, users, transport, in medicine and industry as well, workers with sources of ionizing radiation, emergency preparedness in radiological accidents, storage of radioactive wastes, x-ray machines and other machines producing ionizing radiation and radioactive materials in the environment. Ministry of Health is responsible to the Government of the Republic of Croatia, closely collaborating with the Croatian Radiation Protection Institute, health institution for the performance of scientific and investigation activities in the field of radiation protection. Ministry of Health is also working together with the Croatian Institute for the Occupational Health. More emphasis has been laid on recent discussion among the world leading radiation protection experts on justification of the last recommendations of the ICRP 60 publication. (author)

Stock Market Liquidity: Comparative Analysis of Croatian and Regional Markets

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Vladimir Benić

2008-12-01

Full Text Available On the Croatian stock market liquidity has never been in the focus of academic research thus we find it necessary to observe liquidity at the aggregate level. This paper observes multi-dimensional liquidity through the impact of turnover on price change together with several one-dimensional measures. In our empirical research we applythe illiquidity measureto seven different stock markets. We focus on the Croatian stock market as compared to other markets in the Central and Eastern Europe and German market. The results of the research indicate a substantial level of illiquidity in the Croatian and other developing markets.

Esperanto (sen perspektivo? Croatian Esperantists on the International Language Esperanto

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Krunoslav Puškar

2015-04-01

Full Text Available To our knowledge, there is to date no significant number of sociological studies dealing with the Esperanto movement, and there are even fewer sociolinguistic explorations of the whole Esperanto phenomenon. Concentrating on the Croatian Esperanto movement, we conducted an extensive study of Croatian Esperantists? attitudes towards the structure of Esperanto, and their perception of the Esperanto movement and the overall Esperanto phenomenon - aspects still conspicuously missing in recent Esperantological research. This study offers invaluable insight into these under-researched interlinguistic areas, and also into the specific outlook of the traditional Croatian Esperanto movement.

The Attitudes of Croatian Citizens toward Cultural Diversities

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Milan Mesić; Dragan Bagić

2011-01-01

The paper is based on part of results of a representative national examination of Croatian citizens’ attitudes about cultural diversities in Croatian society. A field survey was conducted by using the personal interview method in the respondent’s household, within the framework of an omnibus research. By cultural diversities, the authors mean national and religious communities. In this respect, Croatia is culturally a heterogeneous political community like most countries of the contemporary w...

APPROACHES TO ICT TERMINOLOGY IN THE SCIENTIFIC AND PEDAGOGICAL REGISTER OF CROATIAN UNIVERSITY EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS

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Daniela Matić

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This paper analyzes examples of ICT terminology sampled from Croatian university textbooks and educational materials published from the year 2001 to 2015 and recommended for undergraduate and graduate students at Croatian universities. The collection includes: Croatian calques; standalone neologisms and those followed by an English equivalent; translated English metaphorical expressions; hybrids without translations; orthographically, phonologically/phonetically and morphologically adapted Anglicisms and those which can be integrated into the Croatian standard without any adaptation; and multi-word Croatian equivalents with single-word English and with multi-word English equivalents. Some of the English expressions were italicized or bolded and some not. The aim of our analysis was to describe current practices in writing educational materials, to establish the nature of the university materials authors’ relation towards English and Croatian expressions, and to find out if there was some pattern in the use of Croatian and English ICT terms which the authors had followed. During the analysis, we observed a lack of consistent and systematic approach to the creation of materials, a shift from the norms of the standard Croatian language and resorting to non-adapted or slightly adapted English terms which seem to be often favored over the Croatian ones. We are of the opinion that corpus planning and better management of terminology, adaptation and integration processes within a more modern language policy framework could bring much needed stability to the Croatian scientific and pedagogical register.

BUSINESS CLIMATE INDICATOR AS A PREDICTOR OF CROATIAN INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION

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Mirjana Čižmešija

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Business and Consumer Surveys (BCS are one of the most frequently used tools to assess economy’s cyclical behavior. Croatia has been conducting the surveys continually since 1995. Nevertheless, there is still a research niche in the Croatian BCS framework that has not been adequately represented. The Joint Harmonised EU Programme of Business and Consumer Surveys suggests Business Climate Indicator (BCI as a composite leading indicator of the economy as a whole. In accordance to the EU methodology, this paper examines managers’ qualitative assessments on five important variables related to their economic environment. Using factor analysis one factor was extracted from those five variables, representing the BCI. It’s predictive properties were analyzed with regards to Croatian industrial production using Granger causality test, impulse response and variance decomposition analysis. Results strongly confirm the precedence of BCI to the changes of Croatian industrial production, validating the importance of its introduction and utilization in Croatian economic cycles analysis.

Influence of Port Policy on the Development of Croatian Container Ports

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Čedomir Dundović

2002-03-01

Full Text Available It is important to consider the port development throughoutthe world from the aspect of economical, transport and portpolicy and their mutual impact on commerce and efficiency ofports. By examining such relations in the context of developmentof the Croatian container ports, it is possible to define reasonsfor lagging behind of Croatian ports compared to theworld movements.The main reason for the negative trend of development ofCroatian container ports lies in the non-existence of adequatemeasures of transport, maritime and port policy. Analysis ofstatistics over the past decade and comparison of structure andvolume of the general cargo traffic in the Rijeka port and theneighbouring ports in the area of North Adriatic are both showingsignificant size discrepancy and uncompetitiveness of theCroatian port. Disturbances that have brought to such a situationresult from inadequate port policy and non-harmonisedactivities between various modes of transport.In order to overcome such situation, the authors suggest determiningof clear tasks, goals and measures of the port policythat have to be undertaken so that the Croatian policy could becompatible with the main aspects, development tendencies andmeasures of theE U port policy.

Proceedings of the Fourth Symposium of the Croatian Radiation Protection Association

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-01-01

New Croatian Act on ionizing radiation protection is in a final stage of genesis. Ministry of Health is responsible to the Government of the Republic of Croatia, closely collaborating with the Croatian Radiation Protection Institute and the Croatian Institute for the Occupational Health. Responsibilities include all aspects relating sources of ionizing radiation in Croatia: practices, licenses, users, transport, in medicine and industry as well, workers with sources of ionizing radiation, emergency preparedness in radiological accidents, storage of radioactive wastes, x-ray machines and other machines producing ionizing radiation and radioactive materials in the environment. Papers from the Fourth Symposium of the Croatian Radiation Protection Association are presented in seven sessions: 1. General Topics of Interest for Radiation Protection 2. Biological Effects of Radiation 3. Radioactive Waste Management 4. Radioecology 5. Dosimetry and Instrumentation 6. Radiation Protection in Medicine 7. Radon

Competition Efficiency Analysis of Croatian Junior Wrestlers in European Championship

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Kristijan Slacanac

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Croatian junior wrestler won a bronze medal at the European Championship 2016 year. Considering the potential of our wrestlers there is an obvious need of technical and tactical analysis so our juniors and seniors U23 wrestlers would be able to achieve even better results. Match analysis were conducted by LongoMatch 0.20.1. Seven matches of Croatian wrestlers were analysed. Time parameters, score efficiency, technical efficiency and tactical structure were observed and analysed from the aspect of attack and defence phase and successful/unsuccessful techniques. This paper shows descriptive parameters and competitor efficiency were calculated. The results show a great number of positive score in a standing position in relation to parterre position. The parameters of competitive efficiency (0.49 points per minute show better attacking efficiency (1.32 points per minute in relation to defence efficiency (0.83 points per minute. Croatian wrestlers achieve less score per minute in relation with elite wrestlers, but it is visible a significant progress in technical and tactical efficiency in relation in the past three year. According to place realization of technique, Croatian wrestlers realized more technique in the center, while opponents realized technique in the zone and moving to the zone. Further analysis of efficiency and individualisation training will improve efficiency of Croatian national wrestlers.

The First Year of Croatian Meteor Network

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Andreic, Zeljko; Segon, Damir

2010-08-01

The idea and a short history of Croatian Meteor Network (CMN) is described. Based on use of cheap surveillance cameras, standard PC-TV cards and old PCs, the Network allows schools, amateur societies and individuals to participate in photographic meteor patrol program. The network has a strong educational component and many cameras are located at or around teaching facilities. Data obtained by these cameras are collected and processed by the scientific team of the network. Currently 14 cameras are operable, covering a large part of the croatian sky, data gathering is fully functional, and data reduction software is in testing phase.

Nuclear energy - an option for Croatian sustainable development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mikulicic, V.; Skanata, D.; Simic, Z.

1996-01-01

The uncertainties of growth in Croatian future energy, particularly electricity demand, together with growing environmental considerations and protection constraints, are such that Croatia needs to have flexibility to respond by having the option of expanding the nuclear sector. The paper deals with nuclear energy as an option for croatian sustainable economic development. The conclusion is that there is a necessity for extended use of nuclear energy in Croatia because most certainly nuclear energy can provide energy necessary to sustain progress. (author)

Vocabulary of Emotions Test (VET: A Cross-cultural Validation in Portuguese and Croatian Contexts

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Ana Costa

2011-12-01

Full Text Available This article discusses the adaptation and cross-cultural validation of the Vocabulary of Emotions Test (VET in the Portuguese and Croatian contexts, an Emotional Intelligence ability measure with 35 items, which assesses individual's ability to understand emotion. Based on Mayer and Salovey's (1997 theoretical framework of emotional intelligence, VET was originally developed in Croatian academic settings by Takšić, Harambašić and Velemir (2003. This study involved 1119 secondary school students, 682 Portuguese and 437 Croatian, attending different grades and courses. Overall, in both Croatian (original version and Portuguese (adapted version contexts, VET evidenced good psychometric properties particularly concerning sensibility, difficulty item analysis and reliability, although slightly better indicators were found in the Croatian original version. Moreover, cultural and gender differences were found, benefiting Portuguese students and girls.

Natural characteristics of Croatian littoral area as a comparative advantage for nautical tourism development

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Srećko Favro

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Having in mind Croatian littoral area with its unique attractive coast and islands, it can be said that nautical tourism is absolutely authentic and distinctly recognizable Croatian "tourist product". In spite of numerous comparative advantages, Croatian nautical tourism still has not taken the right place on the market of Mediterranean nautical tourism. Future development of nautical tourism with its complementary activities – nautical economy, should be considered as the driving force for social and economic development of Croatian coastal area and islands, and it should be correctly dimensioned in accordance with carrying capacity of the geographical basis and sustainable development principles. Adequate valorization of Croatia’s most important resources, coast and islands, based on sustainable development principles and long-term systematic actions would improve social and economic position of Croatian Adriatic area.

Managing the Cash and Liquidity of the Croatian Budget

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Anto Bajo

2005-06-01

Full Text Available The principal proposition this paper will endeavour to maintain is that the liquidity of the budget is not fully managed by the Ministry of Finance, which is why it is unable, in collaboration with the Croatian National Bank, to rein in and slow down the growth in short-term public debt. Only since 2001, thanks to institutional improvements, have the conditions been created in the Ministry of Finance for cash and liquidity management. Thus payments operations, previously in the hands of a government institution, were taken over by the banks; the financial operations of budgetary spending agencies were channelled via the Single Account of the Treasury; and government deposits were gradually transferred from numerous commercial banks to the Single Account of the Treasury in the Croatian National Bank and the state-owned Croatian Postal Bank. Unfortunately, however, the Ministry of Finance, in collaboration with the Croatian National Bank, still carries out no operation of cash and liquidity management within the government Treasury system, nor does it operate on the money market with its surplus budgetary resources. Because of this state of affairs, management of the cash and liquidity of the central government budget is within the purview of the commercial banks.

[Publications in the Croatian medical journals by doctoral candidates at University of Zagreb School of Medicine].

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Sember, Marijan; Petrak, Jelka

2014-01-01

By searching Medline/PubMed bibliographic database we collected data on publications of two groups of PhD candidates who earned their PhD degrees at University of Zagreb Medical School in 2000 and 2010. We identifed their publications in the Croatian medical journals and separately in the Croatian language. First group of PhD candidates (y 2000) published in the Croatian journals 34% of all published papers, with a share of 29% in the Croatian language. Another group (y 2010) published in the Croatian journals 44% of all published papers in which the number of papers published in the Croatian journals in English language grow significantly (5% vs. 31%). The number of papers published in the Croatian language decreased to 13%. Our results agreed with the global decreasing trend of the number of medical papers in non-English languages. The importance of mother-tongue in the medical education and health care may have influence on preserving scientific communication in non-English medical journals.

Comparative analysis of entrepreneurial orientation of Croatian and Sweden students

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Najla Podrug

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the comparison of entrepreneurial orientation of Croatian and Swedish students. Croatian students show significantly lower entrepreneurial intention than Swedish students, and positive attitudes are more frequent with Swedish students. Design/methodology/approach – The cross-cultural research strategy used in this study was a narrowsample strategy which is based on a survey questionnaire comparison of the similar subcultures in different countries. Findings – Croatian students show significantly lower entrepreneurial intention, while positive entrepreneurial attitudes are more frequent with Swedish students. Interestingly, Swedish students consider the entrepreneurial climate to be more evident in their schools. This finding is especially significant if one considers the significantly lower entrepreneurial education of Swedish than Croatian students. Research limitations/implications – Conclusions based on this research are tentative and require further comparison including representatives of other cultures and faculties. Another limitation is identified through additional option of changing intentions and other factors of entrepreneurial orientation, and therefore would longitudinal research of tracking changes of entrepreneurial orientation over the years of study, as well as after studies, along with exploring the reasons of changing them, be desirable. The size of the sample of respondents appears as another potential limitation. Originality/value – Confidence in their own entrepreneurial skills for Croatian students is dependent on the support of the environment, which is not the case with Swedish students whose confidence depends solely on how individually entrepreneurial they are.

COLLOCATION PHRASES IN RELATION TO OTHER LEXICAL PHRASES IN CROATIAN

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Goranka Blagus Bartolec

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The paper analyzes the semantic and lexicological aspects of collocation phrases in Croatian with tendency to separate them from other lexical phrases in Croatian (terms, idioms, names. The collocation phrase is defined as a special lexical phrase on a syntagmatic level, based on the semantic correlation of the two individual lexical components in which their meanings are specified.

Physical Activity of Croatian Population: Cross-sectional Study Using International Physical Activity Questionnaire

OpenAIRE

Jurakić, Danijel; Pedišić, Željko; Andrijašević, Mirna

2009-01-01

Aim To determine the physical activity level of the Croatian population in different domains of everyday life. Methods A random stratified sample of 1032 Croatians aged 15 years and older was interviewed using the official Croatian long version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Total physical activity and physical activity in each of the 4 life domains – work, transport, domestic and garden, and leisure-time – were estimated. Physical activit...

Croatian visit

CERN Multimedia

2004-01-01

On 11 December, President Stjepan Mesic of the Republic of Croatia visited CERN. He was welcomed by Director General, Robert Aymar, and the President of CERN Council, Maurice Bourquin. Afterwards he met, among others, the Directors of CERN and Croatian scientists working here. He finished his tour by visiting the underground cavern for the ATLAS experiment. The arrival at CERN of the President of the Republic of Croatia, Stjepan Mesic. In the first row, from left to right: Maurice Bourquin, President of CERN Council, Stjepan Mesic, President of the Republic of Croatia and Robert Aymar, Director General of CERN.

Implications of the Croatian Spent Fuel and Radioactive Waste Strategy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lokner, V.; Levanat, I.

2012-01-01

Croatian Government approved its national Radioactive waste and Spent Fuel Strategy as a part of the accession process to EU in July 2009 enabling acquisition of adequate administrative capacity by the time of accession to properly implement and enforce the relevant legislation in all areas related to nuclear safety. Strategy was formulated in line with the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management. In particular, the strategy was approved to ensure that sufficient qualified staff and adequate financial services are available to support the safety of facilities for spent fuel and radioactive waste management generated by Krsko NPP during their operating lifetime and from decommissioning. Following are statements from the Croatian strategy that are relevant for Croatian position regarding capacity building for storage and disposal of LILW and SF. To be able to fulfill the obligations assumed, Croatia needs to do the following (Strategy Section 3.3): reach an agreement with Slovenia by 2013 at the latest regarding the location of objects for storing LILW; should no such agreement be reached, Croatia is to initiate preparations for assuming its half of operational LILW and for third-country export thereof, or for storing the LILW on Croatian territory, whilst also gradually assuming the part of LILW created from decommissioning; reach an agreement with Slovenia by 2018 at the latest regarding the location of a common SF storage; should no such agreement be reached, initiate preparations for assuming a third-country export of SF, or for storing half of SF on Croatian territory. This paper discusses the Strategy aims in the light of noticeable delay of 2nd revision of the Program of NPP Krsko Decommissioning and SF andLILW Disposal, the status of the planned Slovenian national repository on Vrbina site and the prospects of its use for joint Croatian/Slovenian LILW disposal - all in the context of as yet

Engineering Job Skills in Croatian Economy: Employers’ Perspective

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Nikša Dubreta

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Different actors, or stakeholders, are interested and want to participate in discussions and interventions related to the topic of skills as an important outcome of engineering education. In the Croatian context, the entire process is still predominantly internally driven and determined by academic evaluations while the involvement of the alumni and employers as external stakeholders is sporadic and under researched. Since Croatian employers are not sufficiently familiar with the levels and structures of reformed study programs, the main objective of this research was to assess to what extent the current and largely accepted set of engineering skills fit their expectations. By reviewing available literature, 36 key skills were identified and used in a questionnaire administrated to Croatian employers, resulting in 418 completed and usable responses. Results show that employers find every assessed skill as somewhat/extremely valuable. However, it is found that employers most valued skills related to the wider set of transferable skills with somewhat greater emphases on skills that reflect professionalism and work ethic. In general, it turned out that employers approach transferable skills in terms of their functionality. Mean comparison within subgroups has shown statistically significant differences with regard to respondent’s gender. In general, women fit the theorized dimensions more than their male counterparts, perhaps indicating that they understand all skills, and transferable skills in particular, more holistically than men. Finally, in order to understand the underlying structure of the explored items, exploratory factor analysis was employed, resulting in 8 clear dimensions suggesting engineering “employability skills” in the Croatian context.

[Croatian Medical Association--Branch Zagreb].

Science.gov (United States)

Kaić, Zvonimir; Sain, Snjezana; Gulić, Mirjana; Mahovlić, Vjekoslav; Krznarić, Zeljko

2014-01-01

The available literature shows us that "Druztvo ljeciteljah u Zagrebus (the Society of Healers in Zagreb) was founded as far back as the year 1845 by a total of thirteen members. This data allows us to follow the role of doctors and health workers in Zagreb through their everyday profession, research, organizational and social work as well as management through a period of over one hundred to seventy years. The Branch Zagreb was active before the official establishment of subsidiaries of CMA which is evident from the minutes of the regular annual assembly of the Croatian Medical Association on 21 March 1948. Until the end of 1956, there was no clear division of labor, functions and competencies between the Branch and the Main Board. Their actions were instead consolidated and the Branch operated within and under the name of Croatian Medical Association. In that year the Branch became independent. The Branch Zagreb is the largest and one of the most active branches of the Croatian Medical Association. At the moment, the Branch brings together 3621 members, regular members--doctors of medicine (2497), doctors of dental medicine (384), retired physicians (710), and associate members (30 specialists with higher education who are not doctors). The Branch is especially accomplished in its activities in the area of professional development of its members and therefore organizes a series of scientific conferences in the framework of continuous education of physicians, allowing its members to acquire necessary points for the extension of their operating license. The choir "Zagrebacki lijecnici pjevaci" (Zagreb Physicians' Choir) of the Croatian Medical Music Society of the CMA and its activities are inseparable from the Branch Zagreb. The Branch is firmly linked to the parent body, the CMA, and thus has a visible impact on the strategy and the activities of the Association as a whole. Most professional societies of the CMA have their headquarters in Zagreb and this is

Croatian Ethnogenesis: A Review of Component Stages and Interpretations (with Emphasis on Eurasian/Nomadic Elements

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Emil Heršak

2007-09-01

Full Text Available In the paper, the authors present certain parameters dealing with the nomadic element, or possible indications of it, in Croatian ethnogenesis. First, a comment is given on the ethnogenetic concept itself, and a working definition of ethnogenesis is suggested. Second, the major components that are considered to have had a role in Croatian ethnogenesis are listed. This discussion is followed by an identification of those elements that could somehow be considered nomadic, or else representative of influences from the Eurasian steppe region. Mention is made of historical sources that confirm or imply the presence of Eurasian nomad groups in the Croatian area, and the relative frequency of archaeological material is noted. The authors analise views of previous and present Croatian and foreign authors on Croatian ethnogenesis, especially in regard to the “Eurasian connection”. In this part of the discussion, the Iranian theory of Croat origins is presented in more detail. Finally, the authors briefly address recent genetic (DNA analyses of the contemporary Croatian population.

Transformation of Croatian Disabled Policy: Analysis of Policy Goals

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Ana Petek

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The article is based on the idea of transformation of the policy-making mode of Croatian disabled policy, from the medical model, through the social model to the human rights model. The paper highlights 7 elements according to which these models differ, and which are structured into categories of problem-definition, goal-determination and then implementation of disabled policy. The analysis is focused on the goals of Croatian disabled policy, and is based on an interdisciplinary research project of political science, special education and social work. Empirical data were collected by document analysis, by interviewing relevant policy actors and by a survey with the members of representative bodies on all government levels. With the discourse analysis of documents, open coding of interviews and statistical analysis of data collected in the survey, the paper attempts, through the indicator of activity of persons with disability, to answer to what extent Croatian disabled policy is transformed into human rights policy.

First Glossary of Modern Physics and Ionising Radiation Protection in Croatian

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nodilo, M.; Petkovic, T.

2011-01-01

Motivation and encouragement for the Glossary were given as the research theme for the joint seminar between the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing and Rudjer Boskovic Institute, within a postgraduate course subject ''Detectors and electronic instrumentation for particle physics''. A basic motivation is due to a lack of specialized literature in Croatian language in the field of protection of ionising radiation as well as the incompleteness of Croatian terminology in the same field. That is a general problem all over the World because the most glossaries are usually connected either with nuclear power plants or with an application of ionising radiation in medicine. On the other hand, a necessity for the specialized literature for radiation protection which follows a development of modern particle physics and its detection technique is rapidly growing up. A work and development on the Glossary were faced with serious difficulties, since various translations of foreign words and acronyms have already been used by various authors in Croatian literature. Different interpretations of the same term or concept, from diverse sources, had to be very often reconciled. However, the biggest challenge was finding proper Croatian words for the foreign terms, concepts, properties, and quantities which have not yet been commonly used so far in Croatian papers or/and Croatian legislative acts. According to our knowledge this seems to be the first comprehensive Glossary, describing the field of ionising radiation protection and bringing of 300 related entries (terms and guidelines). That is, certainly, the first characteristic Thesaurus in Croatian which includes background of modern physics and chemistry, particle phenomenology and its measurement, all dedicated to the radiological protection of workers, environment and people of the World. A Glossary brings a wide spectrum of terms of broad area of chemistry, radiation protection, nuclear and particle physics. A

Market Orientation in Managing Relationships with Multiple Constituencies of Croatian Higher Education

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Pavicic, Jurica; Alfirevic, Niksa; Mihanovic, Zoran

2009-01-01

In this paper, market orientation in Croatian higher education (HE) is discussed within the context of stakeholder-oriented management. Drawing on existing studies, the "classical" empirical model, describing the market orientation of generic nonprofit organisations, has been adapted to the contingencies of the Croatian HE sector.…

Exchange Market Pressure on the Croatian Kuna

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Srđan Tatomir

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Currency crises exert strong pressure on currencies often causing costly economic adjustment. A measure of exchange market pressure (EMP gauges the severity of such tensions. Measuring EMP is important for monetary authorities that manage exchange rates. It is also relevant in academic research that studies currency crises. A precise EMP measure is therefore important and this paper reexamines the measurement of EMP on the Croatian kuna. It improves it by considering intervention data and thresholds that account for the EMP distribution. It also tests the robustness of weights. A discussion of the results demonstrates a modest improvement over the previous measure and concludes that the new EMP on the Croatian kuna should be used in future research.

Air transportation and tourism in the Croatian littoral

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Slaven Gašparović

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to analyse and explain the impact of air transportation on the development of tourism in the Croatian littoral. The analysis was made by using the data collected from flight schedules and airport authorities. The data on frequency of lines and number of passengers were analysed in order to correlate the distribution of the number of passengers with the number of tourists during the year. In this case, the correlation between the number of passengers and the number of arrivals/number of overnight stays is observed. Data for the time period from 2008 till 2010 were analysed in more detail by dividing the passengers into four categories: full-service passengers, low-cost passengers, charter passengers and general aviation passengers. Major touristic markets are identified on the basis of the number of connections between European and Croatian littoral airports. The last part of the paper deals with the increasing impact of low-cost services on the development of tourism in the Croatian littoral region. This is due to the fact that low-cost carriers have accounted for a considerable part of air transport in the last few years.

Application of hydrogen energy in the tourism development strategy of the croatian islands

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vujcic, R. [Brodosplit-Institute, Split (Croatia); Josopovic, Z. [Chroatian Chamber of Economy, County Chamber Split, Split (Croatia); Matejcic, F. [The County of Split and Dalmatia, Split (Croatia)

1998-07-01

Croatian islands represent the most valuable resources of Croatian tourism. The recently adopted Development Strategy of the Croatian Tourism Sector contains the basic terms of reference for the formulation of a quality island tourism development concept. For such a development program it is imperative to establish new, environmentally compatible power system suitable to ensure sufficient quantities of high quality power. One of the viable possibilities to ensure sufficient quantity of quality power is a hydrogen power system based on renewable energy sources (solar and/or wind energy). 9 refs.

Croatian small islands – residential and/or leisure area

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Josip Faričić

2010-06-01

Full Text Available The paper discusses modern geographic processes on Croatian small inhabited islands. For centuries, Croatian small islands have been continuously inhabited area characterized by different social and economic activities. However, in the last several decades, the islands have experienced a severe depopulation, and on the other hand, the interest for occasional use of that attractive insular space for recreational purposes increased. Consequently, the basic insular functions have changed, which, among other things, contributes to changes of insular landscape and to the changed role of small islands in regional socio-economic systems.

Genetic structure of three Croatian horse breeds: implications for their conservation strategy

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Miljenko Konjačić

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The genetic variability for a sample of 107 animals from three autochthonous Croatian horse breeds was estimated using 20 microsatellites. The average number of alleles per locus (6.3 and proportion of heterozygosity (0.732 indicated a moderate variability. The expected heterozygosity was similar among all breeds and ranged between 0.724 in the Posavina horse, and 0.737 in the Croatian Coldblood and Murinsulaner horse. The inbreeding coefficient FIS was low and non-significant over the three populations. The genetic differentiation among the three populations was low (FST=0.026, suggesting that only 2.6% of the total genetic variability was due to differences between the breeds, and 97% to individual differences. The results of pairwise genetic differentiation suggest that the Posavina horse and the Croatian Coldblood were the most closely related populations (FST=0.016. These results are confirmed by Nei’s genetic distances with the highest value observed between the Posavina horse and the Murinsulaner (0.082 and the lowest between the Posavina horse and the Croatian Coldblood (0.044. An assignment test correctly assigned 82% of individuals to the correct breed. Strategies for preserving the original native genes in the Croatian native horse breeds should be considered in order to prevent these breeds from becoming extinct and include them in the future breeding programmes.

Croatian Capacity for Management of the NPP Krsko Radioactive Waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levanat, Ivica; Lokner, Vladimir

2014-01-01

Together with Slovenia, Croatia is responsible for management of the NPP Krsko radioactive waste and spent fuel. So far, no firm agreement on specific solutions has been reached between the two countries. On the contrary, all activities related to revision and development of the joint Program of the NPP decommissioning and spent fuel and radioactive waste management were discontinued several years ago. Unless Slovenia and Croatia definitely agree on joint solutions in the meantime, Croatia will have to begin transfer of one half of the NPP Krsko spent fuel and radioactive waste into its territory in about nine years. Presently, however, Croatian capacities for such an undertaking are seriously inadequate in several respects, and they are not developing in any promising way. For no rational reason, this state of the Croatian capacities has been maintained (recently even deteriorating in some respects) for at least a decade, disregarding also for at least two years the explicit requirements of the EU Directive 2011/70/EURATOM aimed at establishing a Community framework for the responsible and safe management of spent fuel and radioactive waste. In fall of 2012, Fund for financing the NPP Krsko decommissioning and spent fuel and radioactive waste disposal was appointed as the Croatian expert organization for revision and development of the program of these same activities it had originally been supposed only to finance. In 2013 the Fund expanded its activities to a low-profile attempt at revitalization of the Croatian radioactive waste repository project, although the Fund is not yet properly capacitated for either of these tasks. The above is hardly in compliance with the Directive requirements, such as to establish 'a national legislative, regulatory and organisational framework' 'that allocates responsibility... between relevant competent bodies'. The lack of competent experts in the field appears to affect the quality of Croatian legislative

Nomenclature and Terminology of Organic Chemistry. I. Sixty Years of Croatian Nomenclature of Organic Chemistry

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Rapić, V.

2013-07-01

Full Text Available This article describes the history and development of the Croatian nomenclature of organic chemistry from the publication of the first translation of international nomenclature recommendations to the present age. In the Introduction, trivial, common, systematic (rational, and semisystematic names are defined, and the etymology and meaning of terms nomenclature and terminology are clarified.At the beginning of the central part of this article, attention is focused on the need to create our national nomenclature. The very first such project, initiated by the Croatian Chemical Society (CCS, was the translation of the Geneva (1892 and Lie`ge rules (1930 published in 1954. In 1979 comprehensive general IUPAC rules appeared, and the Croatian Society of Chemical Engineers (CSCE in two volumes printed the Croatian edition of this important document, known as the Blue Book, in 1985 and 1988. A Guide to IUPAC Nomenclature of Organic Compounds (1993 expanded the main principles and rules from the Blue Book, and introduced a higher degree of organic nomenclature systematization. The Croatian translation of the Guide was published in 2002. In the last six decades, almost fifty translations of international rules have been issued, and almost all of them represented the official recommendations of the CCS/CSCE. Finally, the nomenclature in the translations of five comprehensive textbooks fororganic chemistry is analysed.In conclusion, readers are informed that the Croatian version of IUPAC rules is applied in our secondary school and university education, in Croatian encyclopaedism and mass media, as well.

In search of a Croatian model of nursing education.

Science.gov (United States)

Simunovic, Vladimir J; Zupanovic, Marija; Mihanovic, Frane; Zemunik, Tatijana; Bradaric, Nikola; Jankovic, Stipan

2010-10-01

To analyze the present status and ongoing reforms of nursing education in Europe, to compare it with the situation in Croatia, and to propose a new educational model that corresponds to the needs of the Croatian health care system. The literature on contemporary nursing education in Europe and North America was reviewed, together with European Commission directives and regulations, as well as pertinent World Health Organization documents. In addition, 20 recent annual reports from 2003-2009, submitted by national nursing associations to the Workgroup of European Nurse Researchers (WERN), were studied. After appraisal of current trends, the Working Group on Reform of Nursing Education drafted The Croatian Model for Education in Nursing and developed a three-cycle curriculum with syllabus. The proposed curriculum is radically different from traditional ones. Responding to modern demands, it focuses on outcomes (developing competencies) and is evidence-based. A new, Croatian concept of nursing education is presented that is concordant with reforms in nursing education in other European countries. It holds promise for making nursing education an integral part of a unified European system of higher education.

Long memory in the Croatian and Hungarian stock market returns

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Silvo Dajčman

2012-06-01

Full Text Available The objective of this paper is to analyze and compare the fractal structure of the Croatian and Hungarian stock market returns. The presence of long memory components in asset returns provides evidence against the weak-form of stock market efficiency. The starting working hypothesis that there is no long memory in the Croatian and Hungarian stock market returns is tested by applying the Kwiatkowski-Phillips-Schmidt-Shin (KPSS (1992 test, Lo’s (1991 modified rescaled range (R/S test, and the wavelet ordinary least squares (WOLS estimator of Jensen (1999. The research showed that the WOLS estimator may lead to different conclusions regarding long memory presence in the stock returns from the KPSS and unit root tests or Lo’s R/S test. Furthermore, it proved that the fractal structure of individual stock returns may be masked in aggregated stock market returns (i.e. in returns of stock index. The main finding of the paper is that both the Croatian stock index Crobex and individual stocks in this index exhibit long memory. Long memory is identified for some stocks in the Hungarian stock market as well, but not for the stock market index BUX. Based on the results of the long memory tests, it can be concluded that while the Hungarian stock market is weakform efficient, the Croatian stock market is not.

ANGLICISMS IN THE ECONOMIC TERMINOLOGY OF THE CROATIAN LANGUAGE AND THE STANDARD LANGUAGE NORM

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Branka Drljača

2006-01-01

Full Text Available The standard language norm fulfils two basic requirements: stability of language and its development. The former covers replacing of foreign terms with Croatian equivalents or at least their adaptation according to the rules of the Croatian language. The latter implies fulfilling new lexical needs. The economic power of the United States of America is reflected in the influence of the English language on term-formation in Croatian. Acceptance of lexical innovations is primarily gained due to the language of the media.

Esperanto (s)en perspektivo? Croatian Esperantists on the International Language Esperanto

OpenAIRE

Puškar, Krunoslav

2015-01-01

To our knowledge, there is to date no significant number of sociological studies dealing with the Esperanto movement, and there are even fewer sociolinguistic explorations of the whole Esperanto phenomenon. Concentrating on the Croatian Esperanto movement, we conducted an extensive study of Croatian Esperantists? attitudes towards the structure of Esperanto, and their perception of the Esperanto movement and the overall Esperanto phenomenon - aspects still conspicuously missing in recent Espe...

DO WE NEED A NEW HISTORY OF CROATIAN CHILDREN’S LITERATURE?

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Berislav Majhut

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This study shows that the essence of contemporary accounts of the history of Croatian children’s literature lies in its picture created by the theoretician of children’s literature Milan Crnković (1925 – 1988 in the 1970s. Crnković’s history of Croatian children’s literature has served as the basis of almost all most important historical and theoretical works in this field. The paper will analyze the content of his historical paradigm: its beginning, specific characteristics, the development of literary genres, the creation of the canon and historical and social circumstances. The paper aims to find out which historical and literary- historical developments had a decisive impact at the time when Crnković wrote the main works for his history. In addition, the reasons why this paradigm may no longer be able to satisfy the need for a solid theoretical basis of contemporary research of children’s literature are considered. The paper points out that Crnković was not able to produce a satisfactory picture of Croatian children’s literature because his research data were mostly based on children’s magazines of that time. In his research Crnković establishes that Croatian children’s literature begins with the literature written by teachers. Also, it is important to mention that due to circumstantial restrictions Crnković did not thoroughly explore the period from 1941 to 1955. Our reexamination of the basic elements of Crnković’s paradigm points out that it is necessary to reevaluate some of the main authors and works in order to shed new light on Croatian children’s literature.

E-Learning in Croatian Higher Education: An Analysis of Students' Perceptions

Science.gov (United States)

Dukić, Darko; Andrijanić, Goran

2010-06-01

Over the last years, e-learning has taken an important role in Croatian higher education as a result of strategies defined and measures undertaken. Nonetheless, in comparison to the developed countries, the achievements in e-learning implementation are still unsatisfactory. Therefore, the efforts to advance e-learning within Croatian higher education need to be intensified. It is further necessary to undertake ongoing activities in order to solve possible problems in e-learning system functioning, which requires the development of adequate evaluation instruments and methods. One of the key steps in this process would be examining and analyzing users' attitudes. This paper presents a study of Croatian students' perceptions with regard to certain aspects of e-learning usage. Given the character of this research, adequate statistical methods were required for the data processing. The results of the analysis indicate that, for the most part, Croatian students have positive perceptions of e-learning, particularly as support to time-honored forms of teaching. However, they are not prepared to completely give up the traditional classroom. Using factor analysis, we identified four underlying factors of a collection of variables related to students' perceptions of e-learning. Furthermore, a certain number of statistically significant differences in student attitudes have been confirmed, in terms of gender and year of study. In our study we used discriminant analysis to determine discriminant functions that distinguished defined groups of students. With this research we managed to a certain degree to alleviate the current data insufficiency in the area of e-learning evaluation among Croatian students. Since this type of learning is gaining in importance within higher education, such analyses have to be conducted continuously.

Dietary intake of Croatian lactating women

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Greta Krešić

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Nutritional inadequacies during lactation may affect the well-being of both the mother and the infant. For this reason, breast-feeding women usually pay attention to their dietary practice during the breast-feeding period. The aim of this study was to examine changes in dietary intake of Croatian lactating women during six months postpartum. The study sample consisted of 83 lactating women whose diet records were collected at three measurements rounds: at 1 ± 0.25, 3 ± 0.25 and 6 ± 0.25 months postpartum. The mothers´ diets were investigated using two consecutive 24-hour dietary recalls. Energy and nutrient intakes were estimated using a nutritional database. The obtained results have shown that the diet of Croatian lactating women is hypocaloric (65.73 – 79.52 % DRI, p < 0.001 and deficient in magnesium, zinc, vitamins A, B1, B6, D and folate. Also evident was a moderate imbalance in the distribution of energy percentages from macronutrients. During six months postpartum, lactating women continuously decreased food intake resulting in a gradual decrease in energy intake (p < 0.001 and in the intake of all micronutrients. However, during six months postpartum, lactating women increased the share of total fat in energy intake (p = 0.006 and the share of saturated fatty acids (p = 0.048, while the share of monounsaturated fatty acids in total energy intake decreased (p = 0.004. It could be concluded that it is worthwhile to further study the nutritional status of Croatian lactating women during this vulnerable period especially regarding their micronutrients intake in order to achieve the recommended dietary requirements.

Planning the rad waste repository - Croatian case

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kucar Dragicevic, S.; Subasic, D.; Lokner, V.

1996-01-01

Radioactive waste is generated in Croatia from various nuclear applications as well as from the Krsko NPP (Slovenian and Croatian joint venture facility). The national programme on radioactive waste management is aimed at straightening existing infrastructure, establishing new (more transparent) system of responsibilities and development of new legislation. The siting of LL/ILW repository is important segments of the whole radioactive waste management cycle. The status and efficiency of the rad waste management infrastructure in the country have the significant influence on all the activities related to the project of repository construction - from the very first phases of preliminary planning and background preparations to advanced phases of the project development. The present status of the Croatian national radioactive waste infrastructure and its influence on the repository project are presented. The role of national legislation and institutional framework are specially discussed. (author)

Liquidity indicator for the Croatian economy – Factor analysis approach

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Mirjana Čižmešija

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Croatian business surveys (BS are conducted in the manufacturing industry, retail trade and construction sector. In all of these sectors, manager´s assessments of liquidity are measured. The aim of the paper was to form a new composite liquidity indicator by including business survey liquidity measures from all three covered economic sectors in the Croatian economy mentioned above. In calculating the leading indicator, a factor analysis approach was used. However, this kind of indicator does not exist in a Croatia or in any other European economy. Furthermore, the issue of Croatian companies´ illiquidity is highly neglected in the literature. The empirical analysis consists of two parts. In the first part the new liquidity indicator was formed using factor analysis. One factor (representing the new liquidity indicator; LI was extracted out of the three liquidity variables in three economic sectors. This factor represents the new liquidity indicator. In the second part, econometric models were applied in order to investigate the forecasting properties of the new business survey liquidity indicator, when predicting the direction of changes in Croatian industrial production. The quarterly data used in the research covered the period from January 2000 to April 2013. Based on econometric analysis, it can be concluded that the LI is a leading indicator of Croatia’s industrial production with better forecasting properties then the standard liquidity indicators (formed in a manufacturing industry.

Perspectives of Corporate Governance in Croatian Banking Sector

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Tea Golja

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Financial market of any country firstly has to be “secure”, but although financial market is regulated and monitored, we were witnesses of bad examples (Island. So, globally all aspects of corporate governance became interesting: ownership; nature of activities; liquidity ratios, etc. The goal of this paper is to give perspectives of corporate governance in Croatian banking sector. The results of the research conducted in October 2010 are presented. The situation regarding corporate governance issues in banks is highlighted. According to the research in Croatian banks in the future corporate governance should give more attention to responsiveness; equity; efficiency and effectiveness; and on accountability. Mentioned principles are not clearly defined and recognizable. These will assure differentiation on market and trust of all stakeholders.

The trend of dystopia in contemporary Croatian prose

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Igor Gajin

2015-09-01

Full Text Available In contemporary Croatian prose from 2010 to the present day, there has been an abundant series of novels with dystopian content that has introduced, so to speak, a new genre in the Croatian literary tradition, since in the diachrony of this national literature the dystopian themes have barely been represented. The paper intends to construe the cultural context of the cause of this phenomenon and point to the link in the structure of feelings formed by the processes of transition, globalization and neoliberal capitalism with the manifestation of the intensification of the dystopian genre as a motivated discursive manoeuvre by which social criticism is moved from the present “realistic prose” to “fantasy” imaginings of the future.

Serbo-Croatian. SC-15A. Part 3. Advanced Grammar and Syntax,

Science.gov (United States)

1983-09-01

Skolska, Knjiga Zagreb, 1979, helped me write this textbook on advanced Serbo-Croatian grammar and syntax. I am indebted to the above colleagues for...student to read, write , and speak Serbo-Croatian in a grammatically and stylistically correct manner. Perfective verbs, as we already know, may indicate...umakli (sigurno biste zelefi umaci). Pucao bi nam u lecra (mogao/ ielt -c bi nam pucati u leda). The C I. examples clearly connote desire, while the C II

The influence of outsourcing on achieving business goals in large Croatian companies

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Ivica Parlov

2004-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents results of a research conducted in large Croatian companies that intended to connect and establish eventual influences between the usage of outsourcing and achieving business goals in those companies. It was also meant to establish if (and in which segments outsourcing was being used in large Croatian companies, what were the main reasons for its use, if it was conducted according to specific plans and with tracking of achieved results, if expectations that surveyed companies had about outsourcing were met, and what are the future possibilities and perspectives of those companies regarding outsourcing. Many other useful data regarding outsourcing and goal achievement were also collected and linked together in order to establish eventual influences of outsourcing on the effectiveness of making business in large Croatian companies.

A Croatian delegation visits CERN

CERN Multimedia

2001-01-01

Professor Hrvoje Kraljeviç signing the Golden book with Professor Roger Cashmore. A Croatian delegation composed of the Minister of Science and Technology, Professor Hrvoje Kraljeviç, his deputy for international collaboration Prof. Davor Butkovic have visited CERN on the 12 and 13th of February and held talks with the CERN authorities, ALICE and CMS spokespersons on the possibilities to increase the participation of Croatia to the LHC related activities.

Umbilical Cord Management and Stump Care in Normal Childbirth in Slovenian and Croatian Maternity Hospitals.

Science.gov (United States)

Mivšek, Ana Polona; Petročnik, Petra; Skubic, Metka; Škodič Zakšek, Teja; Jug Došler, Anita

2017-12-01

The aim was to investigate first-care procedures for the newborn's umbilical cord at maternity hospitals in Slovenia and Croatia. The study was based on an empirical survey research approach and quantitative research paradigms and included all Slovenian (n=14) and all Croatian (n=35) maternity hospitals. Leaders of midwifery team of 14 Slovenian and 35 Croatian labor wards were invited to participate. The study was conducted in 2013, with 67% of Slovenian and 66% of Croatian maternity hospitals having responded. A causal and non-experimental method of empirical research was used. The research instrument was a questionnaire. Descriptive statistics was used on data analysis. The independence hypothesis was tested with the χ2-test or Kullback 2Î-test. A vast ma-jority of study wards employed delayed umbilical cord clamping, i.e. clamping the cord after pulsa-tion had ceased. Only 10% of Slovenian in comparison with 36.4% of Croatian maternity hospitals practiced dry cord care. Others applied disinfectant on the cord, in Slovenia most frequently 6% po-tassium permanganate, and in Croatia a combination of octenidine and phenoxyethanol. Most Croa-tian -maternity wards (95.7%) still covered the stump, while it was not regular practice in Slovenia. The authors estimate that the prevailing Slovenian and Croatian practices in regard to cord clamping are in accordance with the evidence, while improvements could be made regarding stump care, since dry cord care is the recommended method.

The Attitudes of Croatian Citizens toward Cultural Diversities

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Milan Mesić

2011-04-01

Full Text Available The paper is based on part of results of a representative national examination of Croatian citizens’ attitudes about cultural diversities in Croatian society. A field survey was conducted by using the personal interview method in the respondent’s household, within the framework of an omnibus research. By cultural diversities, the authors mean national and religious communities. In this respect, Croatia is culturally a heterogeneous political community like most countries of the contemporary world. Therefore, the relationship of its citizens to cultural and other diversities will become an increasingly important socio-political and scientific topic, and the authors hope that their research will help to sensitize the public in this regard. It was found, unexpectedly, that Croatian citizens in fact offer somewhat weaker “resistance to multicultural society” (as measured by Eurobarometer, since only 8 per cent in total said it was bad or very bad for the country. Namely, almost one in four (23 per cent Europeans did not agree with the statement that people of different ethnic or cultural backgrounds enrich their countries. Even in relation to the European Union, Croatian respondents expressed moderate optimism, because a fairly smaller number of them (42% from a comparative European average (48% believed that joining the European Union threatens national cultural identity. The impact or the lack of impact of socio-demographic characteristics of respondents coincides in part with similar trends in research, for example in the Netherlands. In this research, only three predictors of results on the scale of cultural exclusion turned out to be statistically significant: sex, degree of religiosity and national affiliation. In a great world comparative research project it was established that young people generally showed greater acceptance of cultural (and other diversities in their societies, and it should be pointed out that age did not act in

The Derivatives as Financial Risk Management Instruments: The Case of Croatian and Slovenian Non-financial Companies

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Danijela Miloš Sprčić

2007-12-01

Full Text Available The paper analyses financial risk management practices and derivative usage in large Croatian and Slovenian non-financial companies and explores if the decision to use derivatives as risk management instruments in the analysed companies is a function of several firm’s characteristics that have been proven as relevant in making financial risk management decisions. On the basis of the research results it can be concluded that forwards and swaps are by far the most important derivative instruments in both countries. Futures as representatives of standardised derivatives together with structured derivatives are more important in the Slovenian than in the Croatian companies, while exchange-traded and OTC options are unimportant means of financial risk management in both countries. A comparative analysis conducted to explore differences between risk management practices in Slovenian and Croatian companies has shown evidence that Slovenian companies use all types of derivatives, especially structured derivatives, more intensively than Croatian companies. The survey has revealed that the explored hedging rationales have little predictive power in explaining financial risk management decisions both in Croatian and Slovenian companies. The decision to use derivatives in Croatian non-financial companies is related only to the investment expenditures-to-assets ratio which controls for costly external financing hypothesis, while the decision to use derivatives in Slovenian companies is dependent only on the size of the company. It can be argued that the characteristics of the Croatian and Slovenian firms could be found in other South-eastern European countries and that findings of this research may act as a baseline from which to generalise. Therefore, the survey results analysed in this paper also suggest a broader comparison across countries in the region. The advantage of this work is that it provides an impetus for further research to move beyond the

An Evolutionary Framework for Understanding Sex Differences in Croatian Mortality Rates

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Daniel J. Kruger

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Being male is the strongest demographic predictor of early mortality in Croatia. For every woman who dies between the ages of 15 and 34, three men die. Between the ages of 15 and 54, men are four times as likely as women to die from behavioral causes of death, such as accidents, homicides, and suicides. A causal explanation for sex differences in mortality must be based on an understanding of how sex differences were shaped by natural selection, and how those differences interact with environmental factors to create observed patterns and variations. In brief, males have been selected for riskier behavioral and physiological strategies than women, because of the greater variance and skew in male reproductive success. This paper examines the sex difference in Croatian mortality in three parts. First, we quantify the Croatian Male to Female Mortality Ratio (M:F MR for 9 major causes of death across age group to provide a richer understanding of the sex difference in mortality from a life history framework. Second, we compare the Croatian M:F MR from behavioral, internal, and all causes with that of the available world population to demonstrate how Croatian mortality can be understood as part of a universal pattern that is influenced by unique environmental context. Third, we investigate how the War of Independence in 1991-1995 affected mortality patterns though its impact on behavioral strategies and the physical embodiment of distress.

Potential of waste heat in Croatian industrial sector

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Bišćan Davor

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Waste heat recovery in Croatian industry is of the highest significance regarding the national efforts towards energy efficiency improvements and climate protection. By recuperation of heat which would otherwise be wasted, the quantity of fossil fuels used for production of useful energy could be lowered thereby reducing the fuel costs and increasing the competitiveness of examined Croatian industries. Another effect of increased energy efficiency of industrial processes and plants is reduction of greenhouse gases i.e. the second important national goal required by the European Union (EU and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC. Paper investigates and analyses the waste heat potential in Croatian industrial sector. Firstly, relevant industrial sectors with significant amount of waste heat are determined. Furthermore, significant companies in these sectors are selected with respect to main process characteristics, operation mode and estimated waste heat potential. Data collection of waste heat parameters (temperature, mass flow and composition is conducted. Current technologies used for waste heat utilization from different waste heat sources are pointed out. Considered facilities are compared with regard to amount of flue gas heat. Mechanisms for more efficient and more economic utilization of waste heat are proposed. [Acknoledgment. The authors would like to acknowledge the financial support provided by the UNITY THROUGH KNOWLEDGE FUND (UKF of the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports of the Republic of Croatia and the World Bank, under the Grant Agreement No. 89/11.

Gender differences in Croatian consumer decision-making styles

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Ivan-Damir Anić

2010-06-01

Full Text Available This paper tests the applicability of the CSI instrument to measuring consumer decision-making styles in the Croatian environment. The analysis assesses the validity and the reliability of CSI scales and examines gender differences in consumer-decision making styles. Research results point to the existence of eight consumer characteristics and thus validate the applicability of CSI instrument in the Croatian environment. Our findings further indicate that there were gender differences on five factors of consumer-decision making styles (perfectionist, novelty-fashion consciousness, recreational-hedonistic consumer, impulsiveness, habitual shopping behavioral. No significant differences in consumer decision styles between men and women were found with regard to three factors (brand consciousness, price consciousness and confused by overabundant choice. The CSI measurement system may help practitioners to gain a better understanding of how to position their products and services more effectively.

Football and Memories of Croatian Fascism on Facebook

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Tea Sindbæk

2016-01-01

On 19 November 2013, as Croatia’s national football team defeated Iceland and thus secured its participation in the World Championship, Croatian defender Josip Šimunić celebrated by leading a chant associated with the fascist Ustasha regime, known for its genocidal campaigns against Serbs, Jews...... and Roma in Croatia and Bosnia during the Second World War. As a result of his celebration, Šimunić was fined by Zagreb’s county court for inciting racist hatred and the International Football Association, FIFA, banned Šimunić from participating in 10 international matches including the World Championship...... of memory negotiation that took place on the Facebook page supporting Šimunić and on the petition webpage. Indeed, the Facebook page and its users vehemently contested both the official Croatian interpretation and that of the international football organization, trying instead to construct from below...

Interrelation of Lean and Green Management in Croatian Manufacturing Companies

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Miro Hegedić

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The goal of this article is to explore the link between lean and green management, reasons for their implementation, their effect throughout the whole life cycle, as well as the current state of use of lean tools, economic and environmental indicators in the context of Croatian manufacturing companies. A semi-structured interview was used in this research. As a result, the frequency of economic and environmental performance indicators and lean tools in Croatian companies has been defined, as well as the reasons for the implementation of lean management. Additionally, the understanding of the use of Life Cycle Assessment methods, environmental standards has been obtained and the integration of lean and green management in Croatian companies has been explored. Further on, results were compared to the similar study done in the UK. Finally, it can be concluded that the integration of lean and green management is not yet sufficiently present in manufacturing companies, although there are cases in which these two approaches are integrated, primarily in the process and food industry. It is for these reasons that in the integration of these two approaches lies great potential.

Accounting System in Croatian Public Healthcare Organizations: an Empirical Analysis

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Davor VAŠIČEK

2010-06-01

Full Text Available In considering the adequacy of adopting accruals and IPSASs, this paper tests the appropriateness of existing modified accrual accounting and financial reporting system in Croatian public healthcare sector. The paper indicates that accounting information system contains discrepancies and constraints in assuring true and fair view of organization’s financial position and performance. Our statistics confirms low level of cost and managerial accounting methods development, and external and internal financial reporting convergence.Having in mind its specificities, we argue that Croatian public healthcare sector represents a segmental accounting subsystem within the integral public sector accounting framework, where accruals implementation might prove justifiable.

BAŠĆANSKA PLOČA IN THE LITERARY AND THE VISUAL-ART OF INTERTEXTUALITY OF THE CROATIAN POSTMODERN PERIOD

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Dina Marković

2006-01-01

Full Text Available In the article the author is comparatively considering, proving and pointing out factors of intertextuality in intermediality of the Croatian postmodern period, that is, the intertextual transfer of ‘Bašćanska ploča’ in the postmodern literary text Earth & I by J.Pupačić and also in the visual-art text – monotype Hommage a Bašćanska ploča, by Lj.Njerš. The author reveals that both authors have, at the symbolic times, Pupačić in 1967, and Lj.Njerš in 1991, purposefully crossed 900 year old leap between borders of worlds, so that they could intertextually return to tradition of old Croatian historical reality – against the ahistorical tradition of postmodern. The breakthrough source of Croatian heritage, the old Croatian language on the royal Zvonimir’s Bašćanska ploča, is a precious part of the universal European and world civilization, priceless political, linguistic and cultural transfer and connection of intertextuality for therapy of Croatian reality: 1. which reveals itself in Pupačić’s text connected to Declaration of name and status of Croatian language and 2. with Njerš’s monotype as an appeal for saving threatened Croatian cultural heritage in the first postmodern war in Croatia.

Psychometric analysis of export market orientation measurement scale in Croatian SME exporters’ context

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Dario Miočević

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Market orientation is a vital construct of the marketing concept. Although different conceptualization approaches to market orientation have been discussed by literature so far, a common denominator is its interdependence with business performance. Increasing globalization trends affect both the markets’ convergence and competition. Consequently, focusing on market orientation within an international context is of utmost importance. Export market orientation (EMO is relatively new concept, which puts market orientation into the international context. Since export is a dominant international entry strategy in the Croatian economy which comprises mostly SMEs, it is crucial to investigate the importance of the EMO in the Croatian SME context. Determining an appropriate measurement scale of the EMO to be applied in various national research contexts leading to generalization represents a challenge for marketing academicians. The paper aims to find out whether the EMO construct and measurement scale can be applied within the Croatian SME context. The authors have used the exploratory and the confirmatory factor analysis to determine the psychometric properties of the EMO scale. The results of psychometric assessment of the EMO scale confirm its dimensionability, reliability, validity and applicability in the Croatian SME context. Results clearly indicate the necessity of pursuing EMO activities in order to achieve a high level of export performance.

Forecasting Croatian inbound tourism demand

OpenAIRE

Tica, Josip; Kožić, Ivan

2015-01-01

The aim of this paper is to present a forecasting model for the overnight stays of foreign tourists in Croatia. Tourism is one of the most important parts of the Croatian economy. It is particularly important in the context of the services sector. Regular and significant surpluses and the consumption of foreign guests are an important element of budget revenues, especially VAT. The ability to forecast the development of inbound tourism demand in a timely manner is crucial for both business...

ON THE LANGUAGE OF THE OLDEST CROATIAN ETIQUETTE BOOK

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Boris Kuzmić

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The author analyzes the language of the oldest Croatian etiquette text called Regule roditelov i drugeh starešeh and Regule dvorjanstva, a text translated and adapted from, probably, several templates of the contemporary European etiquette books, which was part of the book Duhovno zercalo published in 1742, and an integral part of the catechetical manual Škola Kristuševa, published in 1744. The oldest Croatian etiquette book was written by the most prolific Kajkavian writer of the 18th century, a Jesuit Juraj Mulih (1694–1754. Mulih studied in Trnava; from 1727 until his death he worked as a popular missionary in northern and central Croatia and among Croats in Hungary (usually based in Zagreb, then in Požega, Varaždin, Soprony, Pecs and Petrovaradin. He visited several towns and parishes on the so-called penitential mission. He wrote more than thirty works of spiritual content (catechisms, prayer books, hymn books and manuals for various confraternities in three dialects – Kajkavian, Štokavian Ikavian and Čakavian (the Burgenland Croats. He was the author of the first Croatian etiquette book (Regule dvorjanstva and the first Kajkavian primer (Abecevica, 1746. His major works include: Business Apostolic (1742, School of Christ (1744, Heavenly Food (1748, Spiritual Easter Egg (1754. The analyzed text shows faithfulness to the Kajkavian Croatian language on all linguistic levels. In comparison to the earlier Kajkavian writers, such as Vramec, Pergošić or Habdelić, the author rarely reaches for phonological and morphological instruments more typical of Štokavian-Čakavian texts. The results of the literary linguistic analysis presented here will help those researchers who question the authorship of some of Mulih’s works. To remove any doubt, it is necessary to first examine the language, or at least the phonological and morphological characteristics, of the works signed by Mulih, for which it has been confirmed that they were

CROATIAN ADULT SPOKEN LANGUAGE CORPUS (HrAL

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Jelena Kuvač Kraljević

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Interest in spoken-language corpora has increased over the past two decades leading to the development of new corpora and the discovery of new facets of spoken language. These types of corpora represent the most comprehensive data source about the language of ordinary speakers. Such corpora are based on spontaneous, unscripted speech defined by a variety of styles, registers and dialects. The aim of this paper is to present the Croatian Adult Spoken Language Corpus (HrAL, its structure and its possible applications in different linguistic subfields. HrAL was built by sampling spontaneous conversations among 617 speakers from all Croatian counties, and it comprises more than 250,000 tokens and more than 100,000 types. Data were collected during three time slots: from 2010 to 2012, from 2014 to 2015 and during 2016. HrAL is today available within TalkBank, a large database of spoken-language corpora covering different languages (https://talkbank.org, in the Conversational Analyses corpora within the subsection titled Conversational Banks. Data were transcribed, coded and segmented using the transcription format Codes for Human Analysis of Transcripts (CHAT and the Computerised Language Analysis (CLAN suite of programmes within the TalkBank toolkit. Speech streams were segmented into communication units (C-units based on syntactic criteria. Most transcripts were linked to their source audios. The TalkBank is public free, i.e. all data stored in it can be shared by the wider community in accordance with the basic rules of the TalkBank. HrAL provides information about spoken grammar and lexicon, discourse skills, error production and productivity in general. It may be useful for sociolinguistic research and studies of synchronic language changes in Croatian.

Critical analysis of marketing in Croatian publishing

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Silvija Gašparić

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Marketing is an inevitable part of today's modern lifestyle. The role that marketing plays is so big that it has become the most important part of business. Due to crisis that is still affecting publishers in Croatia, this paper emphasizes the power of advertising as a key ingredient in how to overcome this situation and upgrade the system of publishing in Croatia. The framework of the paper is based on marketing as a tool that leads to popularization of books and sales increase. Beside the experimental part which gives an insight into public's opinion about books, publishing and marketing, the first chapter gives the literature review and analysis conducted on the whole process of book publishing in Croatia with pointing out mistakes that Croatian publishers make. Also, benefits of foreign publishing will be mentioned and used for comparison and projection on to the problems of the native market. The aim of this analysis and this viewpoint paper is to contribute the comprehension of marketing strategies and activities and its use and gains in Croatian publishing.

Implementation of the Third Energy Package and Renewable Energy Sources on Croatian Liberalised Market

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toljan, I.

2016-01-01

The Croatian Third Energy Package was adopted in 2012 and its implementation in the previous period until today has accelerated changes in all areas of Croatian energy sector. The content of The EU's Third Energy Package was made in two directives and three regulations. Directives are implemented into national legislation of EU Member States (they choose the methods). Regulations are implemented directly in the entire EU. The main goal is to establish a unique electricity and gas market with market prices (or lower) and high safety and public service standards. Croatia began with incentives for generation from renewable energy sources in 2004 and by the end of this year, the first contract in that system (wind power plant Ravne on Pag island) will end. The question that presents itself is where and how will the owner sell electricity from now on. Current market suppliers as well as the new organisation in Croatian energy sector, Croatian Power Exchange, are both realistic options. Balancing market led by Croatian TSO is becoming bigger and participates in the business because of the higher amount of installed power connected to the power grid (mostly wind power plants). Can Croatian Transmission Operator still guarantee safe operational planning as before (the last blackout happened 10 years ago)? The existing electricity and gas market design doesn't satisfy its participants any more so an adjustment to new facts of a free market is necessary (power exchange, no more stimulations for renewable sources). What changes should be made in legislation so that the free market can develop and be harmonised with the European market? Decarbonization and digitalisation are a base of European energy policy but they are still waiting for a wider and stronger application in Croatia, is the current legislation enough? With these analysis the paper contributes to the learnings about the implementation of The Third Energy Package in Croatia and a unique energy policy in the EU.(author).

Why is the NORM Waste Included in to the Croatian RadWaste Strategy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prlic, I.; Suric Mihic, M.; Hajdinjak, M.

2016-01-01

Croatian RADWASTE Strategy uses modern approach according to EC Directive 2013/59/EURATOM and Croatian Act on Radiological and Nuclear Safety (Official Gazette 141/13, 39/15) linking the entire field of, till modern times non regulated industrial NORM wastes to properly regulated RADWastes. This approach has brought some obscurities to a professional radiation protection community because the fact that NORM will be treated together with the 'heavy' concept of nuclear and radioactive waste was not acceptable due to a historical division of those two fields of radioactivity. As NORM is still regarded as a slightly technologically blended radioactivity which is of no concern to be a risk for the population and RADWASTE is a 'murder' of any population in its vicinity, the need for terminology harmonization and scientifically correct public education was recognized. It is barely known that during the recent past some Croatian professionals did included the NORM sites into the state documents and reports to international regulatory bodies as pure RADWASTE sites. This fact produces immense regulatory difficulties even today. The one and only legal way to solve both, regulatory issues providing real radiation protection procedures during existing NORM waste site sanation and exempting sites to be reused for a legal public purpose (industrial or any other) was to incorporate the existing Croatian NORM sites into the RADWASTE Strategy and to solve all legal radioactivity burden issues during the governmental acceptance process. This approach is a new one in Croatian regulatory acquits and first responses from the stake holders and public involved are promising. The experience from the field and first responses to a concept of harmonizing the reuse approach of existing NORM waste sites from stake holders and partly from general public will be discussed.(author).

Dark Triad of Croatian Management Students

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Mario Bogdanovic

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This paper researches the so-called “dark triad” personality traits of management student populations, because of their potential to generate dysfunctional organizational behavior and processes. Namely, the dark triad with characteristics such as lack of empathy, willingness to manipulate others (for self-betterment, antagonism, and belief in one’s own superiority can represent a real organizational threat. The goal of this paper is to stimulate thinking and discussion around this issue. The paper is based on questionnaire measurement that adopts the standardized short dark triad measurement instrument of Jones and Paulhus (2012 who measure the scales of Machiavellianism (9 items, narcissism (9 items and psychopathy (9 items. The sample included 150 students of professional management studies at the Faculty of Economics, University of Split in Croatia. Results of the Croatian students are compared with the results of 387 students in Canada. The results suggest significant statistical differences in the “dark triad” variables between the Canadian and Croatian samples. The practical implications of this paper are in raising awareness and stimulating the thinking of managers around the potential of the “dark triad” traits of engaged human resources to create organizational crisis, and to make preventive and responsive actions to manage the “toxic triad” threat.

INTERPRETATION OF THE STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF CROATIAN FRESH–WATER FISHERIES

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Roman Safner

2002-06-01

Full Text Available The shock of the transition to the market economy in Croatian agriculture (including aquaculture influenced the fall of the production and employment, debt, slow technologic development, worse economic parameters. High inputs, rigid tax system, lack of investments, non–rational trade and distribution system, as well as insufficient budget support also influenced this. The international competition additionally raised by Croatian entering into WTO. So, it was important to redefine strategic priorities in order to preserve and develop sustainable Croatian freshwater fisheries, whose production could satisfy domestic needs and actual export demand, respecting the law of the market and ecology at the same time. The aquaculture should be completely adjusted to the market demands and areas with satisfactory production characteristics, stimulated. Open waters management should be based on scientific research and permanent monitoring. Fishery management of bordering rivers should be coordinated according to international contracts. The development of family farms, alternative aquaculture and fish processing should be systematically stimulated. In order to be carried out, it is prerogative that this strategy be accompanied by employment of highly skilled freshwater experts.

Analysis of Croatian archives' web page from the perspective of public programmes

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Goran Pavelin

2015-04-01

Full Text Available In order to remain relevant in society, archivists should promote collections and records that are kept in the archives. Through public programmes, archives interact with customers and various public actors and create the institutional image. This paper is concerned with the role of public programmes in the process of modernization of the archival practice, with the emphasis on the Croatian state archives. The aim of the paper is to identify what kind of information is offered to users and public in general on the web sites of the Croatian state archives. Public programmes involve two important components of archival practice: archives and users. Therefore, public programmes ensure good relations with the public. Croatian archivists still question the need for public relations in archives, while American and European archives have already integrated public relations into the basic archival functions. The key components needed for successful planning and implementation of public programs are the source of financing, compliance with the annual work plan, clear goals, defined target audience, cooperation and support from the local community, and the evaluation of results.

Distribution control centers in the Croatian power system with particular consideration on ZAgreb distribution control center

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cupin, N.

2000-01-01

Discussion about control of Croatian Power system in the view of forthcoming free electricity market did not included do far distribution level. With this article we would like to clarify the role of distribution control centers pointing out importance of Zagreb Distribution control center, with controls one third of Croatian (HEP) consumption. (author)

From local to global--an overview of the Croatian National Theatre in the era of globalization.

Science.gov (United States)

Penjak, Ana

2012-09-01

The article offers an overview of the Croatian National Theatre research. It comes in two parts. The first examines the position theatre in the era of globalization, while the second focuses on the Croatian National Theatre, in the era of globalization, in the context of specific social and national interests, as well as within the limits of the national possibilities. What emerges in this overview is a feel for how complex the field of theatre research is in Croatia, given its specific position since there are four National Theatres in a country of approximately 4 million people. Also, local budgets and the lack of strategical plan and programme for culture in general represent a sort of limitation. The article ends with two conclusions: a) the Croatian National Theatres in the effort to go global experience primarily different economic status; b) the article draws attention to the present and future challenges that the Croatian National Theatres are faced with, posed by issues such as correlation between globalization and theatre.

Intergenerational transmission of historical memories and social-distance attitudes in post-war second-generation Croatians.

Science.gov (United States)

Svob, Connie; Brown, Norman R; Takšić, Vladimir; Katulić, Katarina; Žauhar, Valnea

2016-08-01

Intergenerational transmission of memory is a process by which biographical knowledge contributes to the construction of collective memory (representation of a shared past). We investigated the intergenerational transmission of war-related memories and social-distance attitudes in second-generation post-war Croatians. We compared 2 groups of young adults from (1) Eastern Croatia (extensively affected by the war) and (2) Western Croatia (affected relatively less by the war). Participants were asked to (a) recall the 10 most important events that occurred in one of their parents' lives, (b) estimate the calendar years of each, and (c) provide scale ratings on them. Additionally, (d) all participants completed a modified Bogardus Social Distance scale, as well as an (e) War Events Checklist for their parents' lives. There were several findings. First, approximately two-thirds of Eastern Croatians and one-half of Western Croatians reported war-related events from their parents' lives. Second, war-related memories impacted the second-generation's identity to a greater extent than did non-war-related memories; this effect was significantly greater in Eastern Croatians than in Western Croatians. Third, war-related events displayed markedly different mnemonic characteristics than non-war-related events. Fourth, the temporal distribution of events surrounding the war produced an upheaval bump, suggesting major transitions (e.g., war) contribute to the way collective memory is formed. And, finally, outright social ostracism and aggression toward out-groups were rarely expressed, independent of region. Nonetheless, social-distance scores were notably higher in Eastern Croatia than in Western Croatia.

The Great Bravery of Croatian Soldier by Giuseppe Maria Mitelli

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Daniel Premerl

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The article approaches the iconography of two etchings with Croatian subject matter made by the Bolognese etcher Giuseppe Maria Mitelli in 1684. In the focus is the etching Great Bravery of Croatian soldier (Gran prodezza di soldato croatto. The author concludes, interpreting the explanatory text below the etching, that it depicts an event of the so-called Great Turkish War (1683-1699. The depicted hero belonged to the Croatian Regiment commanded by general James Leslie, and the depicted heroic act occurred, in all probability, during the battle of Virovitica in 1684. Also, the author points out to a model for Mitelli's etching as well as to the literary image of the simultaneous decapitation of both a horseman and a horse in the Croatian literature. In the same year, Mitelli also made the portrait of the Zagreb bishop and the politician Martin Borković. The existence of both etchings is associated with the Illyrian-Hungarian College in Bologna, governed by the Zagreb cathedral Chapter. L'articolo indaga l'iconografia di due incisioni con soggetto croato realizzate dall'incisore bolognese Giuseppe Maria Mitelli nel 1684. Il focus del saggio è l'incisione Gran prodezza di soldato croatto. Interpretando il testo esplicativo sotto l'acquaforte, l'autore ritiene che essa raffiguri un evento della cosiddetta Grande Guerra Turca (1683-1699. L'eroe raffigurato apparteneva al reggimento croato comandato dal generale James Leslie e l'atto eroico raffigurato avvenne, con ogni probabilità, durante la battaglia di Virovitica nel 1684. L'autore individua inoltre un modello per l'incisione di Mitelli e un riferimento a una fonte nella letteratura croata ove compare la decapitazione simultanea di un cavaliere e di un cavallo. Nello stesso anno Mitelli fece anche il ritratto del vescovo di Zagabria e del politico Martin Borković. L'esistenza di entrambe le acqueforti è associata al Collegio illirico-ungarico di Bologna, governato dal Capitolo della

Aspects of Integration and Adaptation of Croatian Immigrants in Chile

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Marina Perić

2004-09-01

Full Text Available The emigration of Croats to Chile was a part of transoceanic migration that occurred at the end of the 19th and at the beginning of the 20th century. Croatia at the time was within the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. The most important area of emigration was Dalmatia, especially the island of Brač. Emigration went on without organisation, with no emigration policy or legislative framework. The main routes of emigration to Chile were to its northern parts (Antofagasta and Tarapaca and southern parts (the province Magallanes. In the new social milieu, in the immigration country – i.e. Chile, Croatian immigrants passed through various processes of integration and adaptation. The openness of Chilean society and politics to cultural pluralism gave them the opportunity to freely express themselves and their ethnicity. On the other hand, Chilean laws did not permit dual citizenship, and thus the children of the immigrants automatically became Chileans. Croatian immigrants at first nurtured a mechanical type of solidarity, since their migration was a chain development and they lived in groups of relatives and friends. After they assured for themselves the material necessities of life, they began to establish societies and were recognized from the outside as an immigrant group, distinct from other such groups. With time social stratification developed among them. They lived in communion with many other immigrant groups. They were attracted to all Slavic immigrant groups and they also have good relations with Chileans. Mixed marriages, mostly with Chileans, quickened the process of assimilation and brought about the almost total disappearance of the Croatian language. This paper is based on research, until the present, made by Croatian and Chilean authors into the historical sources and newspaper articles analysing the process of integration of immigrants on three social levels: within Chilean society, within their own immigrant groups and in regard to

Problems in the strategy implementation process in croatian companies

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Tomislav Radoš

2011-07-01

Full Text Available This paper provides an analysis of the problems in the strategy implementation process in Croatian companies based on the research conducted in Croatian companies in the years 2004, 2005 and 2006. Research results show that problems in the strategy implementation process occur with equal intensity, regardless of the company’s characteristics (size, age and life cycle of the industry. The key problems in the implementation process are: poor communication (information exchange between employees and organizational units responsible for the strategy implementation process, non-adjustment of organizational structure to suit the defined strategy, lack of clear definition of key tasks and activities of all participants in the implementation process, inadequate information system of control over the process of strategy implementation, lack of clearly defined operational plans and directions for strategy implementation, and lack of clearly defined responsibilities and authorities of key employees.

LITERARY LANGUAGE AS A SIGN. SEMIOTIC CONSIDERATIONS ON THE CROATIAN LANGUAGE IN THE CULTURAL SYSTEM

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Maciej Czerwiński

2011-01-01

Full Text Available In the article the question of the existence of the Croatian literary language in the semiotic space, i.e. the system of culture, is taken into consideration. In order to affirm the idea of the justification of the very term Croatian language, and thus acceptance of the thesis of the existence of such a language, this argumentation is directed towards theoretical investigation in the semiotic field. There is an attempt to envisage that discussions in the post-Yugoslav linguistics are not the problem, conventionally speaking, ‘ontological’ but ‘epistemological’. Thus, it is not important the question whether the Croatian language or any other language, e.g. Montenegrin, exists but rather the following question: what does it mean that literary language exists or does not exist?

Asset allocation and regime switching on Croatian financial market

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Tihana Škrinjarić

2016-12-01

Full Text Available It has been known for quite some time now that financial markets exhibit changes in regimes over time. A majority of the literature tends to support that financial markets undergo regimes of bull and bear markets. This characteristic should be modeled in a proper way as investors are always interested in beating the market: either by achieving better returns than others, or by minimizing their portfolio risks. There exist many mathematical and statistical models that are used as tools to achieve the mentioned goals. Introducing the regime switching methodology in existing models has proven to be facilitate achieving such goals. Therefore, the objective of this study is to utilize the regime switching methodology on the Croatian financial market to ascertain its usefulness for Croatian investors. Multivariate regime switching and non-switching models were estimated using daily data from the period 2 January 2007 to 31 December 2015. The assumption is that the investor is interested in stock and bond markets. The results from the MGARCH and regime switching MGARCH models are then compared in order to give answers as to whether the respective methodology applied to the Croatian market is useful and how it may benefit investors. Most of the results support the presumption of incorporating this particular methodology in financial modeling for the Croatia markets. This is the first research that applies the regime switching MGARCH methodology in Croatia (including the Balkan region, hence we expect that this will be a significant contribution to existing methodologies in literature.

Marketing Concept in the Function of Croatian Seaport Business Operation Improvement

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Marinko Jurčević

2006-05-01

Full Text Available The application of the scope of marketing concept in modemmarket conditions of business operation is obligatory. Therole of marketing, as a business philosophy, is in the end unavoidablefor the improvement of business operation. It is impossibleto do business in market conditions and not to applybasic marketing rules. Therefore, the solution for the improvementof operation of Croatian seaports should be soughtthrough the systematic application of the scopes of marketingconcept. Marketing mix should be applied to the system of businessoperation of Croatian seaports, with a breakdown of allunderlying marketing functions based on the results of a systematicmarket research, and through monitoring not only ofthe current status but also of market trends and forecasts, listeningto customer demands and trends in this particularbranch of industry. In addition to the improvement of the qualityof transport services, through the analysis of the price policyand by strengthening the logistics of port operation, particularattention should be focused towards the systematic applicationof all promotion mix elements aiming at strengthening the identityand the image of Croatian ports. In the end, such businessand marketing-like thinking should result in economic developmentand business prosperity not only of ports but of maritimetransport as well; in other words, by the prosperity of theentire transport activity, as a prerequisite for the economic developmentof the Republic of Croatia.

Visual Presentation and Communication of Croatian Academic Websites

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Selthofer, Josipa

2018-01-01

Introduction: The aim of the research is to analyse and compare visual identity elements of Croatian academic Websites with ones of European countries using Hofstede's model of cultural dimensions. The purpose of the research is to point to the influence a culture has on the design of Websites. Method: Graphical elements of university home pages…

Alcohol-Related Injuries among Eastern Croatian University Students

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Miskulin, Ivan; Peek-Asa, Corinne; Miskulin, Maja

2018-01-01

The aim of this study was to describe the alcohol consumption patterns and to identify the association of injury with excess drinking among Croatian students. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 845 university students by the use of the WHO AUDIT questionnaire. A total of 39.9% of the university students reported some level of excess…

Forecasting long-term energy demand of Croatian transport sector

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Pukšec, Tomislav; Krajačić, Goran; Lulić, Zoran

2013-01-01

predictions for the Croatian transport sector are presented. Special emphasis is given to different influencing mechanisms, both legal and financial. The energy demand predictions presented in this paper are based on an end-use simulation model developed and tested with Croatia as a case study. The model...

Economic uncertainty and its impact on the Croatian economy

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Petar Soric

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to quantify institutional (political and fiscal and non-institutional uncertainty (economic policy uncertainty, Economists’ recession index, natural disasters-related uncertainty, and several disagreement measures. The stated indicators are based on articles from highly popular Croatian news portals, the repository of law amendments (Narodne novine, and Business and Consumer Surveys. We also introduce a composite uncertainty indicator, obtained by the principal components method. The analysis of a structural VAR model of the Croatian economy (both with fixed and time-varying parameters has showed that a vast part of the analysed indicators are significant predictors of economic activity. It is demonstrated that their impact on industrial production is the strongest in the onset of a crisis. On the other hand, the influence of fiscal uncertainty exhibits just the opposite tendencies. It strengthens with the intensification of economic activity, which partially exculpates the possible utilization of fiscal expansion as a counter-crisis tool.

Aspects of the structure of film expression and anthropological paradigm of films reception in Croatian cinema and TV distribution.

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Svilicić, Niksa

2012-09-01

This research paper deals with one part of a comprehensive study called "Causality of narratological-semiotic aspects of the structure of film expression and paradigms of reception of Croatian feature film". It is conceived as a response to the hypothesis that the expression of narrative-semiotic terms correlate with the reception of the Croatian feature film audience and all them leads into a broader holistic i.e. anthropological context.The basic idea of scientific research is to analyze the complete feature productions since Croatian independence 1991 to date, presented at the National Film Festival (film festival in Pula), identify, define and isolate positive social narrative-semiotic stereotypes, which can then serve as a paradigm of better ratings and increase of the currently very low rating of domestic films in Croatian cinemas, as well as TV distribution. In other words, the paper will be analyzed and processed by a range of different effects based on narrative-semiotic, set design and mise-en-scène motives, used in the Croatian feature films since independence to date, that we assume to positively influence the mood of the viewer, and thus increase the rating of the film.

Croatian Energy Policy as Function of Regional Development and Employment

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Potocnik, V.

2006-01-01

The Republic of Croatia has modest proven fossil fuels (oil and gas) reserves and relatively abundant renewable energy potential (wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, hydro), distributed mainly in less developed regions of Croatia. The Croatian energy system is excessively dependent on expensive oil and natural gas (80% of primary energy), compared to the European Union (61%), and the world average (58%). Approximately 60% of total energy is imported, which considerably contributes to the country's very high foreign trade deficit and foreign debt. Putting into focus of the Croatian energy policy the improvement of energy efficiency and implementation of renewable energies would significantly increase opportunities for mitigating rather wide regional development disparities and high unemployment rates, at the same time reducing energy import, foreign trade deficit and foreign debt, and contributing to energy security as a part of the national security.(author)

Dynamics of market orientation in Croatian economy

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Ivana First

2011-12-01

Full Text Available It was the goal of this research to examine the dynamics of Croatian transformation to market orientation and test whether the market orientation model changes with time as the business environment changes. Based on the literature analysis, we proposed a hypothetical model which relies on behavioural approach in understanding market orientation. To empirically test the hypothetical model, we used data previously collected for 2001, and by replicating the same questionnaire now collected data for 2011. Data was analyzed by hierarchical regression analysis on the two sets of data. Our findings reveal that Croatian organizations reached the level of moderate market orientation leaving space for improvement. Findings also reveal that higher level of market orientation correlates with higher business performance. Furthermore, with development of ICT, the model of market orientation modified in time in a way that in predicting successful market oriented reaction, specific information on consumer satisfaction gains importance, while general information from competitor and consumer databases lose importance. Despite the changes in the relationships among the elements of market orientation, the model itself similarly predicts performance today as it did ten years ago. Managers are advised to increase implementation of market orientation especially focusing on market responsiveness as such behaviour will lead to better performance.

Energy Policy and Long Term Energy Demand in Croatian Households Sector

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Puksec, T.; Duic, N.

2011-01-01

Households sector in Croatia represents one of the largest consumers of energy today with around 75,75PJ, which is almost 29% of Croatia's final energy demand. Considering this consumption, implementing different mechanisms that would lead to improvements in energy efficiency in this sector seems relevant. In order to plan future energy systems it is important to know future possibilities and needs regarding energy demand for different sectors. Through this paper long term energy demand projections for Croatian households sector will be shown with a special emphasis on different mechanisms, both financial, legal but also technological that will influence future energy demand scenarios. It is important to see how these mechanisms influence, positive or negative, on future energy demand and which mechanism would be most influential. Energy demand predictions in this paper are based upon bottom-up approach model which combines and process large number of input data. The Model will be compared to Croatian national Energy Strategy and certain difference will be presented. One of the major conclusions shown in this paper is significant possibilities for energy efficiency improvements and lower energy demand in the future, based on careful and rational energy planning. Different financial, legal and technological mechanisms can lead to significant savings in the households sector which also leads to lesser greenhouse gas emissions and lower Croatian dependence on foreign fossil fuels. (author)

The reliability and validity of the mini-mental state examination in the elderly Croatian population.

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Boban, Marina; Malojčić, Branko; Mimica, Ninoslav; Vuković, Sunčica; Zrilić, Ivan; Hof, Patrick R; Simić, Goran

2012-01-01

The aim of this study was standardization and validation of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) in the general Croatian aging population. Three-hundred and forty-four participants underwent the MMSE test, 217 cognitively healthy subjects without neurological and psychiatric disorders and 127 patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia. The optimal cutoff point for screening of the general Croatian population (cognitively healthy vs. MCI and dementia) is 26/27; in the Croatian population aged ≥65 years, the cutoff point is 24/25, whereas for screening of highly educated persons (≥14 years of education) aged ≥65 years a higher cutoff point should be used (26/27). MMSE results when standardized and validated in a certain population might better contribute to recognition of the individuals at risk that should be directed to dementia outpatient clinics. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Business Intelligence technology: The Croatian case

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Katarina Ćurko

2002-01-01

Full Text Available Each company aims to improve its business performance. Business Intelligence (BI helps enterprises to optimize their decision-making capabilities and to attain unprecedented levels of competitive advantage. Its usage leads to conditions, procedures and mechanisms for creating quality information and business knowledge. By these the organization can successfully respond to numerous pressures in dynamical and complex environment. The main objective of the paper is to present what the business intelligence is, and show the results of the research about the level and use of business intelligence in Croatian large organizations.

SLAVIC LITERATURES IN DALMATIAN PERIODICALS IN THE PERIOD OF CROATIAN MODERNISM

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Robert Bacalja

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The paper analyzes translations and mediatorial articles from the Slavic literature published in Dalmatian newspapers and periodicals which contribute most to mediation during the period of Croatian Modernism. While periodicals in Dalmatia traditionally mediates from the Roman literature, especially from the Italian, in the examined corpus can be seen the remarkable reception of Slavic literature, particularly Russian.. The paradigm of the most recognized culture and literature in non Slavic world is desirable identity basis of the Croatian literature as a part of a large Slavic stem from romanticism to modernism. Mediation of Slavic literatures is examined on the corpus of newspapers and periodicals published in Dubrovnik, Split and Zadar (Crvena Hrvatska, Srđ, Sloboda, Jedinstvo/Novo jedinstvo, Novi vijek, Narodni list, Smotra dalmatinska, Iskra, Glasnik Matice dalmatinske, Lovor, etc..

Marine conservation and accession: the future for the Croatian Adriatic.

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Mackelworth, Peter; Holcer, Draško; Jovanović, Jelena; Fortuna, Caterina

2011-04-01

The European Union (EU) is the world's largest trading bloc and the most influential supra-national organisation in the region. The EU has been the goal for many eastern European States, for Croatia accession remains a priority and underpins many of its national policies. However, entry into the EU requires certain commitments and concessions. In October 2003 the Croatian parliament declared an ecological and fisheries protection zone in the Adriatic. Under pressure the zone was suspended, finally entering into force in March 2008 exempting EU States. There are other marine conflicts between Croatia and the EU, particularly the contested maritime border with Slovenia, and the development of the Croatian fishing fleet in opposition to the Common Fisheries Policy. Conversely, attempts to harmonise Croatian Nature Protection with the EU Habitats Directive, facilitated by pre-accession funding, has galvanised conservation policy. Since 2005 two marine protected areas have been declared, significantly increasing the marine ecosystem under protection. Finally, the development of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive is the latest EU attempt to integrate environmental policy in the maritime realm. This will have an effect not only on member States but neighbouring countries. For marine nature protection to be effective in the region the Adriatic Sea needs to be viewed as a mutually important shared and limited resource not a bargaining chip. Negotiations of the EU and Croatia have been watched closely by the other Balkan States and precedents set in this case have the potential to affect EU expansion to the East.

JOSIP KOZARAC IN CROATIAN CHILDREN’S LITERATURE

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Berislav Majhut

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Josip Kozarac (1858–1906 is considered to be one of the most important Slavonian and Croatian writers of Realism. However, the beginnings of his literary work written for children are seldom mentioned and even less frequently studied. Indeed, a few remarks about that part of Kozarac’s literary work disagree on which stories belong to The Tales of Grandfather Niko (Priče djeda Nike. Such an attitude towards what constitutes the corpus of Kozarac’s work under this title is closely linked to the issue of the affiliation of these stories to children’s literature. This study attempts to provide answers to two intertwined questions: first, do Priče djeda Nike (The Tales of Grandfather Niko belong to children’s literature and second, what is the exact scope of the work known as Priče djeda Nike? Having established that Priče djeda Nike undoubtedly belong to children’s literature, we will try to find their place in the history of Croatian children’s literature. We will argue that this work represents a transitory form of narration between, on the one hand, moralistic stories (which we find in the very popular translations of the stories by German authors Christoph Schmid and Franz Hoffmann and their Croatian epigones and, on the other, entrepreneurship narratives by Davorin Trstenjak, U radu je spas (Labor Will Save Us from 1885 and Dragoslav Heiligstein, Zlatne ruke (Golden Hands from 1930, which paved the way for socially engaged realistic novels, such as Mato Lovrak’s Vlak u snijegu (A Train in the Snow published in 1933 and Družba Pere Kvržice (Pero Kvržica’s Gang published in 1933, and Josip Pavičić’s Poletarci, published in 1937. The study will show that the number of stories published in the first monographic edition of Priče djeda Nike is different from the number of stories published in Pučke novine. The study also analyzes which stories Kozarac himself considered as those belonging to Priče djeda Nike.

Potentials for energy savings and long term energy demand of Croatian households sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pukšec, Tomislav; Vad Mathiesen, Brian; Duić, Neven

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Long term energy demand of Croatian households sector has been modelled. ► Developed model can describe the whole households sector. ► Main modes include heating, cooling, electrical appliances, cooking and hot water. ► Different scenarios regarding future energy demand are presented and discussed. -- Abstract: Households represent one of the most interesting sectors, when analyzing Croatia’s energy balance. It makes up one of the largest energy consumers with around 75 PJ per year, which is almost 29% of Croatia’s final energy demand. Considering this consumption, implementing various mechanisms, which would lead to improvements in energy efficiency of this sector, seems relevant. In order to plan future energy systems, important would be to know future possibilities and needs regarding energy demand of different sectors. Through this paper, long term energy demand projections of Croatian households sector will be shown. Focus of the paper will be on various mechanisms influencing future energy demand scenarios. Important would be to quantify this influence, whether positive or negative, and see which mechanisms would be the most significant. Energy demand projections in this paper are based upon bottom-up approach model which combines and processes a large number of input data. The model will be compared to Croatian National Energy Strategy and certain differences and conclusions will be presented. One of the major conclusions shown in this paper is significant possibilities for energy efficiency improvements and lower energy demand in the future, based on careful and rational energy planning. Different financial, legal and technological mechanisms can lead to significant savings in the households sector which leads to lower GHG emissions and lower Croatian dependence on foreign fossil fuels.

Cost Accounting as a Possible Solution for Financial Sustainability of Croatian Public Hospitals

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Ivana Dražić Lutilsky

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to present the current usage of cost accounting methodology in Croatian public hospitals through conducted empirical research and to provide opinions of accountants and financial officers regarding possible implementation of cost accounting methodology in public hospitals. In the paper, the authors analyze the accounting system in Croatian public hospitals, identifying the flaws of the current accounting system with regard to the recording and allocation of costs. National healthcare systems of different European countries provide a theoretical background for the usage of accrual accounting basis and cost accounting methodologies, showing better governance and financial sustainability of public hospitals which have introduced cost accounting methodology. The conducted empirical research shows that accountants and financial officers believe that the healthcare system in Croatia is ready for a change in the current accounting system based on the modified accrual basis through the implementation of accrual accounting basis and full costing approach to cost allocation. Full costing approach is also known as activity-based accounting method for cost allocation. The authors also recommend some initial steps for implementation of the new cost accounting system in Croatian public hospitals.

Business excellence as a success factor for the performance of large Croatian enterprises

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Ivica Zdrilić

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Croatian companies need a new approach that will provide them with sufficient competitive strength, based on business excellence. Focusing only on financial indicators and measures is insufficient. Therefore new concepts should be introduced, especially by large companies that are traditionally inert and exposed to global competition, and situated in the countries with ongoing transition, such as Croatia. Today 75% of the source of value within a company cannot be measured by means of the standard accounting techniques anymore, and in the 21st century it is impossible to rely exclusively on measuring financial parameters. According to the authors, in addition to financial measuring, a way should be found to measure non-financial parameters within a company. The paper is therefore aimed at exploring the influence of business excellence and its values on business in the Croatian business practice. The authors carried out a research on 106 large Croatian enterprises with more than 250 employees, exploring the connection between the values of business excellence and company performance, Results show a positive correlation between applying the principles of business excellence and successful company performance in practice.

Testing for convergence in electricity consumption across Croatian regions at the consumer's sectoral level

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Borozan, Djula

2017-01-01

Using the panel unit tests with and without structural break(s), the convergence hypothesis in relative per capita electricity consumption series is tested across Croatian regions during the period 2001–2013. The results are mixed, depending primarily on the consumption sector considered and the test applied. They indicate the necessity to conduct analysis and formulate energy policy measures on the sector-disaggregated and regional-specific electricity consumption time series. The Croatian electricity markets are not fully integrated, and some regions are faced with statistically significant structural break(s), demonstrating thereby the Croatian gradual energy reform process with several sudden innovations, significant regional differences, and the market dependence on expectations, domestic and international economic and non-economic innovations. The impacts of innovations are likely to be permanent for most of the regions, and their electricity consumption behaviours are likely to be path dependent. Consequently, innovations into the energy markets, including government interventions, may have long-run effects, indicating that space and time for experimenting with alternative mechanisms are quite limited.

Psychometric Properties of the Croatian Language Version of the Dental Environment Stress Questionnaire on Dental Medicine Students.

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Laktić, Martina; Kuftinec, Krešimir; Čelebić, Asja; Kovačić, Ines; Alhajj, Mohamed Nasser; Kiršić, Sanja Peršić

2017-09-01

To develop the Croatian version of the 41-item Dental Environment Stress questionnaire (DES) for stress assessment of dental students in both, preclinical and clinical years of study and to test its psychometric properties in Croatian dental student population. The English version of the 41-Item DES questionnaire was first translated into the Croatian language. Subsequently, it was set on the google drive and filled out by a total of 202 students from the School of Dental Medicine, University of Zagreb and 30 additional students from other Faculties. Students also assessed their overall level of stress on the Likert scale (1=no stress, 5=highest level of stress). Internal consistency was tested on 202 dental students; test-retest reliability on 30 dental students who filled out the same questionnaire twice; convergent validity on 202 dental students; and divergent validity on 202 dental students and 30 students from faculties not belonging to the biomedicine group. Internal consistency showed high Cronbach alpha coefficient (0.9) and test-retest reliability showed no significant difference (P>0.05) within the period of 14 days when stress level had not changed (vacation). Convergent validity was confirmed by the significant association between the DES summary scores and the self- perceived level of stress (Spearman's rho=0.881; P <0.001). Divergent validity was confirmed by significantly lower DES summary scores in students not belonging to the Biomedicine group (t=7.5, P<0.001). Excellent psychometric properties of the Croatian version of the DES questionnaire enable its utilization for assessment of stress level in Croatian dental students.

In Search of Work – the Life of Croatian Immigrant Men in Canada between the Two World Wars

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Snježana Ružić

2002-12-01

Full Text Available In this article the author attempts to describe the life of Croatian immigrants in Canada duringthe interwar period. She looks at how emigration to Canada effected family life, especially for men who went abroad in search of work and higher earnings. To begin the article, the author surveys the existing historiography, in particular the new trends in social history that examine the everyday life of “average” men and women which have opened new approaches in immigration history, paying less attention to the political and diplomatic events surrounding migration studies. Her methodological approach follows concepts developed by the “new” social history and is based on a theoretical concept of masculinity. The major primary source for her research is Canadian/Croatian Voice which was printed in Canada in Croatian, but she also leans heavily on important historiographical literature concerning Croatian immigrants in Canada. In her article the author provides a short survey of the emigration of Croatians to Canada which grows after an agreement was signed in 1925 between the Canadian government and the two large railway companies, Canadian Pacific Railway and Canadian National Railway. The major portion of the work examines the life of Croatian men in isolated labour camps, the hard working conditions, the constant search for work, and the psychological effects of long years of separation from family. Men leave for Canada with the intent of staying for only a certain period of time in order to bring money back home. But in the event of the economic crisis created by the Great Depression, low wages, and periods of unemployment, the length of the stay in Canada grows, creating frustration among the immigrant men as well as their families back home. In conclusion, the author shows how improving economic conditions in Canada in the mid 1930s coupled with worsening conditions in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia led most men to find steady employment in

INDICATORS OF FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT OF THE CROATIAN HEALTH INSURANCE FUND FROM 2000 TO 2014

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Danijela Nujić

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The goal of this research is to establish a connection and a mutual influence between the expenditure of funds of the Croatian Health Insurance Fund in Croatia from 2000 to 2014, expenditure per levels of healthcare, and the trend of services provided. This method uses the determination coefficient. Despite the increased spending of the CHIF in Croatia by as much as 80.6% (from 13.4 billion in 2001 to 24.2 billion in 2014, the primary healthcare shares, as well as hospital and polyclinic healthcare shares, have been reduced in the same time period. Contrary to that, expenses for medicaments are rising, as well as the expenses for the ‘other expenses’ group. Primary healthcare (PH, Croatian: Primarna zdravstvena zaštita has significantly reduced price per service. Hospital healthcare (HH, Croatian: Bolnička zdravstvena zaštita has the same number of hospitalizations, but their length has been significantly reduced. In processing the public publication data of the CHIF, the structure of data portrayed has been changing every few years so some data is impossible to track continuously. It is also impossible to understand the reason for such an attitude. PH, HH, and polyclinic advisory healthcare (PAH, Croatian: Poliklinička konzilijarna zdravstvena zaštita are levels with the strongest and most decisive influence on the quality of the healthcare system on the one hand, and they are showing a strong negative trend in expenses with regard to medicaments and other expenses on the other hand.

ANALYSIS OF TIME SERIES FOR THE CURRENCY PAIR CROATIAN KUNA / EURO

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Marko Martinović

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The domestic currency Croatian kuna (HRK was introduced in May 1995. To date, the Croatian National Bank (HNB, as a regulator and formulator of monetary policy in Croatia has operated a policy of stable exchange rate, typically referenced to the formal currency of the European Union euro (EUR. From the date of introduction of the euro 01/01/1999 until 01/01/2016 the value of the currency pair HRK / EUR changed in value by only 4.25% (HNB. Although the value of the Croatian kuna is relatively stable, there are some fluctuations on an annual level (e.g. in ­­­the last few years because of the global crisis as well as  on periodic levels within a year. The aim of this paper is to show the movement of the value of the currency pair since the beginning of 2002 to the present day (the time curve, analyze the correctness, trends and periodicity (seasonal behavior, if any exist.The research will be done using the method of Time Series Analysis, assuming that the external (global economy and internal factors (economic policy remain similar or the same. According to the results, further assessment of price developments in the period followed will be made by using the obtained predicative models. In the event that the curve contains the component of periodicity, the observed patterns will be studied further.

Internal market – situation and forecasting for Croatian groups of companies

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Zoran Krupka

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to analyze and compare the attitude of managers to the market position of independent companies in comparison to the companies that are members of groups of companies in Croatia. In addition, research included an analysis of their attitudes toward current and future internal market trends with respect to the number and the value of transactions conducted within Croatian groups of companies. Methodology: Relevant secondary and primary dana was used in the research. In secondary research, relevant scientific and professional literature was analyzed. Primary research was done by using a questionnaire on an intentional sample of experts, including 127 managers working for groups of companies in Croatia. Findings: Two main hypotheses were tested: H1 – The internal market of Croatian groups of companies, measured by the number of transactions, will grow in the future; H2 – The internal market of Croatian groups of companies, measured by transaction value, will grow in the future. Both hypotheses were accepted. Implications: Research results imply a further strengthening of the financial and economic importance of groups of companies in Croatia, and a weakening of the companies that are not members of such groups. This implies a tendency toward certain monopoly development in some economic sectors. The development and continuous growth of the internal market compels countries to implement control and regulatory practices with regard to the use of transfer pricing, a path Croatia will have to follow.

Mitochondrial DNA heritage of Cres Islanders--example of Croatian genetic outliers.

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Jeran, Nina; Havas Augustin, Dubravka; Grahovac, Blaienka; Kapović, Miljenko; Metspalu, Ene; Villems, Richard; Rudan, Pavao

2009-12-01

Diversity of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) lineages of the Island of Cres was determined by high-resolution phylogenetic analysis on a sample of 119 adult unrelated individuals from eight settlements. The composition of mtDNA pool of this Island population is in contrast with other Croatian and European populations. The analysis revealed the highest frequency of haplogroup U (29.4%) with the predominance of one single lineage of subhaplogroup U2e (20.2%). Haplogroup H is the second most prevalent one with only 27.7%. Other very interesting features of contemporary Island population are extremely low frequency of haplogroup J (only 0.84%), and much higher frequency of haplogroup W (12.6%) comparing to other Croatian and European populations. Especially interesting finding is a strikingly higher frequency of haplogroup N1a (9.24%) presented with African/south Asian branch almost absent in Europeans, while its European sister-branch, proved to be highly prevalent among Neolithic farmers, is present in contemporary Europeans with only 0.2%. Haplotype analysis revealed that only five mtDNA lineages account for almost 50% of maternal genetic heritage of this island and they present supposed founder lineages. All presented findings confirm that genetic drift, especially founder effect, has played significant role in shaping genetic composition of the isolated population of the Island of Cres. Due to presented data contemporary population of Cres Island can be considered as genetic "outlier" among Croatian populations.

A Common Opinion on Croatian Journalists Tested by PR Profesionals

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Ana Sušić

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Journalists in Croatia do not enjoy formidable reputation among the public due to the beliefs that their writing is, inter alia, biased, inclined to sensationalism and manipulation, and that they lack analytical skills (see also Kanižaj and Skoko, 2010; Jokoš and Kanižaj, 2012. The aim of this research is to verify how journalistic work and journalistic profession in Croatia is perceived by corporate sector PR professionals who cooperate with them on a daily basis. Using the method of in-depth interviews conducted with eight PR professionals, the reputation of Croatian journalists has been put to the test. The research revealed that the interviewed PR professionals perceive Croatian journalists mostly as superficial and biased reporters who search for sensation rather than the truth. However, it turned out that the interviewees do not percieve journalists as being envious, irresponsible or corruptible. They even demonstrated true understanding of the difficulties that journalists encounter, especially in the context of the economic crisis.

Identity, football and Croatian national team members from the diaspora

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Komar Tibor

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper the author briefly presents his fieldwork results, with an emphasis on studying the relationship between football and the construction of children’s, grandson’s and great-grandson’s national identities in first-generation Croatian migrants. Specifically, the research focuses on Croatian national football team members from the diaspora who rather choose to play for their “imagined homeland” than the national team of their country of birth. If we agree that one of sport’s functions is, among other things, to act as a mechanism of national solidarity - promoting the sense of identity and unity - football proves to be an ideal field for studying the symbolic dimensions of ethnicity, discursive shaping of identity and practices trough which athletic (and national loyalty is manifested. Through the coding of interview transcripts, organizing data into categories and analyzing conducted interviews, the author examines the dynamic relationship between expressing national identity and personal choices of the individual as to which national team he should join.

Croatian energy regulatory council - independent Croatian regulatory body

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klepo, M.

2002-01-01

By means of approving five energy laws, the Republic of Croatia established an appropriate legislative framework for energy sector regulation. A series of sub-law acts is presently being elaborated as well as some additional documents in order to bring about transparent and non-discriminatory provisions for the establishment of electric energy, gas, oil/oil derivatives and thermal energy markets, i.e. for the introduction and management of market activities and public services. A considerable share of these activities relates to the definition of transparent regulatory mechanisms that would guarantee the implementation of regulation rules based on the law, and be carried out by the independent regulatory body - Croatian Energy Regulatory Council. The Council's rights and obligations include firm executive functions, which present obligations to every energy entity. A dissatisfied party may set in motion a settlement of dispute, if it maintains that the decisions are not based on the law or reveal a flaw in the procedure. Therefore, it is the Council's priority to always make careful and law-abiding decisions. This paper gives insight into the regulatory framework elements based on the laws including the Council's organisational structure and non-profit entities that will prepare act proposals for the Council and perform other professional activities. (author)

Psychometric Properties of the Croatian Language Version of the Dental Environment Stress Questionnaire on Dental Medicine Students

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Martina Laktić

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: To develop the Croatian version of the 41-item Dental Environment Stress questionnaire (DES for stress assessment of dental students in both, preclinical and clinical years of study and to test its psychometric properties in Croatian dental student population. Materials and Methods: The English version of the 41-Item DES questionnaire was first translated into the Croatian language. Subsequently, it was set on the google drive and filled out by a total of 202 students from the School of Dental Medicine, University of Zagreb and 30 additional students from other Faculties. Students also assessed their overall level of stress on the Likert scale (1=no stress, 5=highest level of stress. Internal consistency was tested on 202 dental students; test-retest reliability on 30 dental students who filled out the same questionnaire twice; convergent validity on 202 dental students; and divergent validity on 202 dental students and 30 students from faculties not belonging to the biomedicine group. Results: Internal consistency showed high Cronbach alpha coefficient (0.9 and test-retest reliability showed no significant difference (P>0.05 within the period of 14 days when stress level had not changed (vacation. Convergent validity was confirmed by the significant association between the DES summary scores and the self- perceived level of stress (Spearman’s rho=0.881; P<0.001. Divergent validity was confirmed by significantly lower DES summary scores in students not belonging to the Biomedicine group (t=7.5, P<0.001. Conclusion: Excellent psychometric properties of the Croatian version of the DES questionnaire enable its utilization for assessment of stress level in Croatian dental students.

An empirical inquiry into the objective assessment and the top management perception of the need for organisational restructuring in large Croatian enterprises

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Nikša Alfirević

2000-01-01

Full Text Available On the basis of the extensive empirical research, this paper examines the objective need for organisational restructuring in large Croatian enterprises versus the managerial perceptions of the same issue. Building upon the analysis of the economic performance of the Croatian large enterprise sector and the assessment of the organisational design quality in large Croatian enterprises, the urgency for further organisational restructuring is established. On the other hand, the major restructuring motives at the top management level are also examined, leading to the conclusion that both the perceived quality of the organisational design, as well as the perceived gap between the enterprise competitive ability and the threats from the business environment at the top management level do not support the further restructuring of the Croatian large enterprise sector.

The Croatian Strategy of European Integration 2000-2005

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Mario Sošić

2005-01-01

Full Text Available In June 2000, the European Council established that Croatia fulfi lled the conditions for acquiring the status of potential candidate for membership in the European Union.Thereafter, the integration process aimed at the candidature for, and subsequent full membership in the EU has been the fundamental Croatian “governmental strategy” and foreign policy goal, developing with “diff erent speeds” and diff erent levels of success towards the fi nal expected goal. Research is focused on the identifi cation and description of actions of the major foreign and internal actors in the process (Croatian governments and the European Union, as well as on the assessment of the achieved results of their interaction in the sixyear period under observation. The empirically studied phenomenon is analysed through the theoretical approach of actor-based institutionalism and the game theory model. The result of analysis shows a comparative advantage of the management of Ivo Sanader’s single-party government (2003-2005 in contrast to the coalition government of Ivica Račan (2000-2003 with respect to their achievement and level of success in managing the process of European integration.The European Union’s contribution and quality of support to that process are ambiguous and complex, in keeping with its structure and politics.

Single Fuel Concept for Croatian Army Ground Vehicles

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Robert Spudić

2008-05-01

Full Text Available During the process of approaching the European associationsand NATO the Republic of Croatia has accepted the singlefuel concept for all ground vehicles of the Croatian Army.Croatia has also undertaken to insure that all aircraft, motorvehicles and equipment with turbo-engines or with pressurizedfuel injection, for participation in NATO and PfP led operationscan • operate using the kerosene-based aviation fuel(NATO F-34. The paper gives a brief overview and the resultsof the earned out activities in the Armed Forces of the Republicof Croatia, the expected behaviour of the motor vehicle andpossible delays caused by the use of kerosene fuel (NATOF-34 as fuel for motor vehicles. The paper also gives the advantagesand the drawbacks of the single fuel concept. By acquiringnew data in the Croatian Armed Forces and experienceexchange with other nations about the method of using fuelF-34, the development of the technologies of engine manufacturingand its vital parts or by introducing new standards in theproductjon of fuels and additives new knowledge will certainlybe acquired for providing logistics support in the area of operations,and its final implementation will be a big step forward forthe Republic of Croatia towards Europe and NATO.

Croatian Radiation Protection Association: From Yugoslavia to Europe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krajcar Bronic, I.; Miljanic, S.; Ranogajec-Komor, M.

2013-01-01

On the occasion of the fifty years of organised radiation protection activities at the area known as f ormer Yugoslavia , the professional activities and achievements in this field are presented in this paper. Croatian Radiation Protection Association (CRPA, www.hdzz.hr) was founded in 1979. In 1992 it became a regular member of the International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA). The main activities of CRPA members are: scientific research, participation in professional committees, intense cooperation in professional and scientific matters with the IRPA, other international bodies and Croatian scientific and professional societies, and related administrative work. CRPA members continue to provide advice and assistance to authorities, professional societies and individuals within their fields of expertise. Nine national symposia of CRPA with international participation were organized since 1991. All presentations were published as full papers in the Proceedings. CRPA participated in the organization of all IRPA Regional Congresses in Central Europe from 1993 (Obergurgl, Austria) till 2007 (Brasov, Romania). In 2001 CRPA hosted IRPA Regional Congress in Dubrovnik, Croatia. Members of CRPA are taking part in the organization of IRPA international congresses and in the work of IRPA General Assembly. CRPA has been actively involved in the informal meetings of European radiation protection societies since 2004 and organized their 6th meeting in Zagreb in 2009.(author)

The Embodiment of Class in the Croatian VET School System

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Doolan, Karin; Lukic, Natalija; Bukovic, Nikola

2016-01-01

This article engages with the notion that schools embody social class in their structures and practices. We draw on Bourdieu's critical concept of "field" to describe the larger landscape of Croatian secondary schooling: a stratified system whose routes serve, and have served, to reinforce the maintenance of class (under)privilege. We…

Models for predicting the inflectional paradigm of Croatian words

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Jan Šnajder

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Morphological analysis is a prerequisite for many natural language processing tasks. For inflectionally rich languages such as Croatian, morphological analysis typically relies on a morphological lexicon, which lists the lemmas and their paradigms. However, a real-life morphological analyzer must also be able to handle properly the out-of-vocabulary words. We address the task of predicting the correct inflectional paradigm of unknown Croatian words. We frame this as a supervised machine learning problem: we train a classifier to predict whether a candidate lemma-paradigm pair is correct based on a number of string- and corpus-based features. The candidate lemma-paradigm pairs are generated using a handcrafted morphology grammar. Our aim is to examine the machine learning aspect of the problem: we test a comprehensive set of features and evaluate the classification accuracy using different feature subsets. We show that satisfactory classification accuracy (92% can be achieved with SVM using a combination of string- and corpus-based features. On a per word basis, the F1-score is 53% and accuracy is 70%, which outperforms a frequency-based baseline by a wide margin. We discuss a number of possible directions for future research.

The importance of the Danube strategy for tourism and culture development of the Croatian Danube region

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Demonja Damir

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The Danube Region consists of various countries that are determined by geographic, economic, cultural and socio-demographic characteristics. Certain regions show different trends of development with increasing regional differences. Regarding that the importance gets newly formed EU Strategy for the Danube Region, the Danube Strategy, which represents a new approach to the European Union's macro-regions, and is focused on four main directions of cooperation in the Danube Region: linking macro-regions, environmental protection, building prosperity and strengthening macro-region. Croatia, as a Danube country, accepted the idea of creating a unified European international space, as suggested in the Danube Strategy, and it is actively engaged in the process. The Croatian Danube Region includes two easternmost counties, Osijek-Baranja and Vukovar-Srijem. The rich cultural and natu­ral heritage of the two counties can be further exploited in the improved tourist offer, advocated by the Strategy. Croatian Danube Region has tourism potentials and with the appropriate measures and incentives this region could become one of the leading regions in continental tourism in Croatia. This article presents and analyzes the Danube Strategy and its importance for Croatia, the tourist and cultural potentials of the Croatian Danube Region with regard to their greater recognition and utilization as crucial for sustainable development of this, in terms of tourism, still insufficiently developed parts of Croatia, and the possibilities of tourism and culture in the Croatian Danube Region within the framework of the Danube Strategy.

Exposure of croatian population to radiopharmaceuticals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prlic, I.; Suric Mihic, M.; Marovic, G.; Mestrovic, T.; Mrcela, I.; Cerovac, Z.; Golubovic, D.; Hajdinjak, M.

2010-01-01

The aim of this paper is to call attention to the exposure of Croatian population to open sources of ionising radiation used in medical diagnostics, radiopharmaceuticals in particular, whose initial activity is very high. Without proper exposure monitoring, it is not possible to establish the effective dose per capita, but we have estimated it to be between 6.8 μSv and 7.0 μSv for this type of internal exposure, based on a very loose assumption that about 35,000 diagnostic procedures with radiopharmaceuticals are performed in Croatia every year. This calls for further research that would eventually lead to limiting the doses received through exposure to radiopharmaceuticals. (authors)

Regulation and Flexibility of the Croatian Labour Market

OpenAIRE

Vedran Sosic

2004-01-01

The Croatian Labor Code was significantly reformed in 2003 as a result of extensive negotiations lasting about two years. Proponents of the reform emphasized the supposed rigidity of the labor market, resulting from restrictive employment protection legislation, as a main rationale for the reform. Critics believed that the labor market is much more flexible than often thought due to inadequate enforcement of legislation. This study aims to assess the level of labor market dynamics by construc...

Critical Mass in the Boardroom of Croatian Banks

OpenAIRE

Kramaric Tomislava Pavic; Miletic Marko

2017-01-01

This paper investigates the influence of gender diversity in the boardroom of Croatian banks on their performance. Specifically, we deal with both management and supervisory boards. Moreover, based on critical mass theory, the authors try to find out what constitutes critical mass. Using a static panel analysis on a sample of all commercial banks that operated in the period 2002-2014, three models were estimated with return on assets (ROA), return on equity (ROE) and net interest margin (NIM)...

Sign restriction approach to macro stress-testing of the Croatian banking system

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Nataša Erjavec

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The paper employs Uhlig’s sign restriction approach to stress-testing of the Croatian banking system. The analysis is based on a standard monetary VAR comprising real economic activity, inflation and short-term interest rates augmented by the ratio of non-performing loans or return on average equity, both measures representing the aggregate banking sector. In spite of the selected indicator, the results suggest a strong sensitivity of the Croatian banking sector to macroeconomic shocks. The effects are the strongest for contractionary monetary policy shocks, followed by negative demand shocks while the effects of supply shocks turned out to be statistically insignificant. Since Croatia is a small open economy with banking the dominant financial sector, the results obtained could be interesting for policy makers in Croatia and other transition economies with similar characteristics.

The profile of selected samples of Croatian athletes based on the items of sport jealousy scale (SJS

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Sindik Joško

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The role of jealousy in sport, as a negative emotional reaction, accompanied by thoughts of inadequacy when compared to others, is the issue of this article. This study had a purpose to define the characteristic profiles of the Croatian athletes, based on single items of Sport Jealousy Scale (SJS II, labeled by several variables: gender, type of sport, age group. Purposive sample of 73 athletes competing at Croatian championships in different sports (football, bowling, volleyball and handball were examined with Croatian version of SJS-II. Three clusters obtained are similarly balanced, according to the number of cases in each cluster. The most simply explained, clusters clearly differentiate the most jealous, moderately jealous and slightly/low jealous athletes. Among the features of the athletes in each cluster, in the most jealous (first cluster are the athletes from team sports, women and older athletes. Females, bowling athletes, athletes from individual (coactive sports and the youngest athletes are the least jealous (grouped in third cluster.

Descriptive study of job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction in a sample of Croatian seafarers.

Science.gov (United States)

Slišković, Ana; Penezić, Zvjezdan

2015-01-01

Given the general lack of studies on well-being in Croatian seafarers, the aim of this study was to determine the level and sources of their job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction. This descriptive study was conducted on a sample of Croatian seafarers (n = 530), employed in various functions on cargo ships. Using an online survey, we examined overall job satisfaction, and satisfaction with some specific aspects of work. Participants additionally responded to two open questions relating to the sources of their job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction, and these data were analysed using a qualitative approach. The results showed a moderate level of overall job satisfaction, while analysis of the 10 specific facets indicated that the participants are, on average, most satisfied with payment, and least satisfied with the achieved benefits and work organisation on board. The results of the qualitative analysis showed that among the main sources of job satisfaction are: financial stability and security, the ratio of work days to days off, and the quality of days off, and the nature and dynamics of the work. On the other hand, sources of dissatisfaction relate primarily to: separation from home and family, the status of Croatian seafarers in the Republic of Croatia, and working and living conditions on board.

TEST OF THE CHEN-ROLL-ROSS MACROECONOMIC FACTOR MODEL: EVIDENCE FROM CROATIAN STOCK MARKET

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Denis Dolinar

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This paper empirically examines the well-known Chen-Roll-Ross model on the Croatian stock market. Modifications of definitions of the Chen-Roll-Ross model variables showed as necessary because of doubtful availability and quality of input data needed. Namely, some macroeconomic and market variables are not available in the originally defined form or do not exist. In that sense this paper gives some alternative definitions for some model variables. Also, in order to improve statistical analysis, in this paper we have modified Fama-MacBeth technique in the way that second-pass regression was substituted with panel regression analysis. Based on the two-pass regression analysis of returns of 34 Croatian stocks on 4 macroeconomic variables during the seven-and-half-year observation period the following conclusion is made. In contrast to the results of Chen, Roll and Ross (1986 for the U.S. stock market, their model is not successful when describing a risk-return relation of Croatian stocks. Nevertheless, one observed version of the Chen-RollRoss model showed certain statistical significance. Namely, two risk factors in that version of the model were statistically significant: default premium, measured as risk premium for the corporate short-term bank loan financing, and term structure premium, measured on short-run basis.

Solidary Dimension of Bio-Ethical Challenges in Croatian Society

OpenAIRE

MATULIĆ, Tonči

2006-01-01

This contribution investigates the solidary dimensions of bio-ethical challenges with special reflection on their situation and demands in Croatian society. The research unfolds in several stages. The introduction questions the state of today's cultural situation within which bio-ethical challenges emerge. In continuation, the paper investigates relations between social issues as a world notion and bio-ethical challenges that undoubtedly constitute a vital component of that issue. This is par...

English Words and Phrases in Croatian: A Small-Scale Study of Language Awareness and Attitudes

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Marija Perić

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The focus of this paper is on language attitudes towards English words and phrases in the Croatian language. In order to prevent loanwords, linguistic purism has arisen as a theory about what languages should be like. The tradition of linguistic purism in Croatia has been shaped by various socio-historical factors. English may be viewed as a language of opportunity, or as a threat to the survival of other, usually minority and endangered, languages. In order to provide an insight into the use of English words and phrases in the Croatian context, a questionnaire about language attitudes and awareness was conducted on 534 participants. The aim of the questionnaire was to determine participants’ language attitudes and familiarity with English words and phrases. The results show that although people in Croatia generally like English, many of them are not familiar with English words, especially older participants and those with little or no knowledge of the English language. Moreover, the results indicate that the younger generation is more inclined towards English than the older generation; however, they are not as familiar with Croatian equivalents as they claim.

Potentials for energy savings and long term energy demands for Croatian households sector

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pukšec, Tomislav; Mathiesen, Brian Vad; Duic, Neven

2011-01-01

demand in the future, based on careful and rational energy planning. Different financial, legal and technological mechanisms can lead to significant savings in the households sector which also leads to lesser greenhouse gas emissions and lower Croatian dependence on foreign fossil fuels....... relevant. In order to plan future energy systems it is important to know future possibilities and needs regarding energy demand for different sectors. Through this paper long term energy demand projections for Croatian households sector will be shown with a special emphasis on different mechanisms, both...... financial, legal but also technological that will influence future energy demand scenarios. It is important to see how these mechanisms influence, positive or negative, on future energy demand and which mechanism would be most influential. Energy demand predictions in this paper are based upon bottom...

Potentials for energy savings and long term energy demands for Croatian households sector

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pukšec, Tomislav; Mathiesen, Brian Vad; Duic, Neven

2013-01-01

demand in the future, based on careful and rational energy planning. Different financial, legal and technological mechanisms can lead to significant savings in the households sector which also leads to lesser greenhouse gas emissions and lower Croatian dependence on foreign fossil fuels....... relevant. In order to plan future energy systems it is important to know future possibilities and needs regarding energy demand for different sectors. Through this paper long term energy demand projections for Croatian households sector will be shown with a special emphasis on different mechanisms, both...... financial, legal but also technological that will influence future energy demand scenarios. It is important to see how these mechanisms influence, positive or negative, on future energy demand and which mechanism would be most influential. Energy demand predictions in this paper are based upon bottom...

Proposal for a new detection method of substance abuse risk in Croatian adolescents

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Sanja Tatalovic Vorkapic

2011-01-01

Full Text Available One of the most important factors of successful substance abuse treatment is the early start of the same treatment. Recent selection method for identification of Croatian adolescents in the substance abuse risk that has been using drug tests from urine samples, has been simple and exact on the one hand, but on the other, has been very rare and usually guided by the pressure of parents or the court. Besides, such method presented the source of legal and ethical questions. So, the proposal of application of standardized psychological tests during systematic medical exams of Croatian adolescents at the age range of 15-22 years could help with the early detection of those adolescents who were in the substance abuse risk or already had the developed addiction problem.

Transparency report delay and disclosure by Croatian audit firms

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Marko Čular

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to investigate transparency report (TR disclosure and determinants of TR delay, using Croatian listed companies and audit firms who audited Croatian listed companies in 2015. TR disclosure is measured using the TR index whereas the TR delay is measured as the number of days between the financial year-end and the publication date of the TR by an audit firms. We first analyzed the position and difference between audit firm indicators and types of audit firm using the following: number of certified auditors, number of employees, average net salary, total revenue, net profit, net working capital, total assets, total capital and financial ratio. Second, we used the TR index to determine the existence of TR elements and whether the audit firm made a disclosure. Finally, we used multiple regressions for modelling the TR delay as a function of the following variables: number of certified auditors, number of audits per year, return on assets and the TR index. Our results indicate that based on the TR index only 32% audit firms are transparent. Furthermore, the TR delay is shorter when audit firms have a greater number of certified auditors and a higher TR index, i.e. when audit firms incorporate more elements into the TR.

Dividends Provisions in Croatian Double Taxation Agreements

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Marjeta Tomulić Vehovec

2007-03-01

Full Text Available This paper analyzes the provisions concerning dividends in the double taxation avoidance agreements concluded by the Republic of Croatia. Since the base for taxation is necessarily laid down in domestic law, Croatian legislation is examined as well. The author primarily discusses dividends provisions in four agreements signed with Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Slovenia, in addition to analyzing the differences from and similarities with the OECD Model Convention. Second, the paper briefly explains the methods for eliminating double taxation on income from dividends. Finally, it addresses the changes necessary for accession to the European Union.

Measurement of Radioactivity in Some Croatian Regions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Orehovec, Z.; Ilijas, B.; Bokan, S.

2001-01-01

Full text: After Government of Canada expressed its suspicion that Canadian soldiers who were included in UNPROFOR mission in Croatia were exposed to increased radioactivity and possible some chemical influences, a large action of measuring and sampling was undertaken. Canadian and Croatian experts were working together and a very large number of samples was collected. Measurements of alpha, beta and gamma radioactivity on terrain, as well as later analysis of samples showed no increased radioactivity or any other signs of radioactive contamination. The conclusion is that any possible diseases of Canadian soldiers can not originate from radiation or radioactive contamination in Croatia. (author)

Venous thromboembolism in Croatia - Croatian Cooperative Group for Hematologic Diseases (CROHEM) study.

Science.gov (United States)

Pulanić, Dražen; Gverić-Krečak, Velka; Nemet-Lojan, Zlatka; Holik, Hrvoje; Coha, Božena; Babok-Flegarić, Renata; Komljenović, Mili; Knežević, Dijana; Petrovečki, Mladen; Zupančić Šalek, Silva; Labar, Boris; Nemet, Damir

2015-12-01

To analyze the incidence and characteristics of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in Croatia. The Croatian Cooperative Group for Hematologic Diseases conducted an observational non-interventional study in 2011. Medical records of patients with newly diagnosed VTE hospitalized in general hospitals in 4 Croatian counties (Šibenik-Knin, Koprivnica-Križevci, Brod-Posavina, and Varaždin County) were reviewed. According to 2011 Census, the population of these counties comprises 13.1% of the Croatian population. There were 663 patients with VTE; 408 (61.54%) had deep vein thrombosis, 219 (33.03%) had pulmonary embolism, and 36 (5.43%) had both conditions. Median age was 71 years, 290 (43.7%) were men and 373 (56.3%) women. Secondary VTE was found in 57.3% of participants, idiopathic VTE in 42.7%, and recurrent VTE in 11.9%. There were no differences between patients with secondary VTE and patients with idiopathic VTE in disease recurrence and sex. The most frequent causes of secondary VTE were cancer (40.8%), and trauma, surgery, and immobilization (38.2%), while 42.9% patients with secondary VTE had ≥2 causes. There were 8.9% patients ≤45 years; 3.3% with idiopathic or recurrent VTE. Seventy patients (10.6%) died, more of whom had secondary (81.4%) than idiopathic (18.6%) VTE (PCroatia was 1.185 per 1000 people. Characteristics of VTE in Croatia are similar to those reported in large international studies. Improved thromboprophylaxis during the presence of risk factors for secondary VTE might substantially lower the VTE burden.

COMPETITIVENESS OF CROATIAN PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING OF WHEAT ON THE EU MARKET

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Davor Balaž

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Analysis of competitiveness is a demanding process that includes data collection and comparison on the macro and micro economic basis. For the purposes of this study, an analysis the available data on the production and processing of wheat in the Republic of Croatia and the European Union (desk research, 5 Region of eastern Croatian (130 samples of producers, and processors of wheat 18 samples was conducted. Based on the collected data, an analysis of the samples structure was conducted according to different variables in accordance with the performed descriptive statistical analysis for ordinal variables and quantitative (the metering and interval. The data analysis resulted in calculations using the cost competitiveness of domestic resources (DRC, and making analytical matrix (PAM. The calculation of separated coefficient (DRC has not confirmed the competitiveness of Croatian wheat production for the reference year. Possible necessary adjustments to business standards, foreign trade, foreign trade protection and domestic support under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP have been identified. The study was conducted to evaluate the economic performance of Croatian production and processing of wheat in simulated conditions, using the method calculating the coefficient of DRC. The performed calculations showed mutual diseconomic interdependence of production and processing of wheat in the Republic of Croatia, with a positive impact on the stability and sustainability of the business in rural areas. Based on the research it was found out that there are conditions for the quantitative and qualitative increase in the production and processing of wheat in the Republic of Croatia.

Universal Dependencies for Serbian in Comparison with Croatian and Other Slavic Languages

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Starovic, Mirjana; Samardzic, Tanja; Agic, Zeljko

2017-01-01

The paper documents the procedure of building a new Universal Dependencies (UDv2) treebank for Serbian starting from an existing Croatian UDv1 treebank and taking into account the other Slavic UD annotation guidelines. We describe the automatic and manual annotation procedures, discuss the annota...

Upward Mobility Criteria from Croatian Women's Point of View

OpenAIRE

Djula Borozan

2006-01-01

Little is generally known about the factors affecting the career advancement of women in the world of work. This is especially true for Croatia. Formally and legally, women should have equal opportunities for employment and advancement as their male counterparts have. However, in practice, situations are often different due to socio-cultural, support systems, self imposed barriers and the like. This paper examines factors facilitating and hindering career advancement from the Croatian women’s...

Analysis of the Financial Support by the Croatian Ministry of Science, Education and Sports to Croatian Scientific Journals

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Macan, B.

2008-03-01

Full Text Available The Ministry of Science, Education and Sports (MSES provides financial support for publishing scientific and scientific/professional journals . The journals should satisfy the following conditions: regular publishing, coherence with the “Notes for editing primary scientific publications”, inclusion in at least one international bibliographic database relevant for the specific scientific field, review procedure, existence of a web page with at least basic information about the journal and a table of contents of the latest issue. The MSES also provides financial help for publishing journals dedicated to promoting science, which is awarded by special decision of the Commission for publishing.2In the year 2007, the MSES financially supported 220 Croatian scientific, scientific/professional journals, and journals for the promotion of science from the fields of humanities, natural, technical, biotechnical, social, biomedical and health care sciences with 15 million Croatian kunas in total.5 More than 50 % of the supported journals are from humanities and social sciences, while only 20 of the titles (9 % belong to biotechnical journals (Fig. 1. Distribution of financial support by scientific fields is similar (Fig. 2. The average financial support is HRK 68,181.82 per journal.The highest average amount per journal is given to journals from biomedical and health care sciences (HRK 83,758.42, while the lowest support is given to humanities journals (HRK54,138.20 (Fig. 3.If we divide the amount of MSES financial support in 2007 into 5 classes, each class being HRK 50,000 , it is obvious that the majority of journals (122 titles or 55.45 % was supported with less than HRK 50,000; about a quarter of the journals with an amount between HRK 50,000 and HRK 100,000; and 11 journals with more than HRK 200,000 (Fig. 4.In order to compare the criteria for scientific advancement (papers published in journals covered by Thomson Scientific databases is given

Radioactivity And Nuclear Themes In Croatian Popular Culture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Franic, Z.; Franic, S.

2015-01-01

Popular culture refers to the entirety of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, behaviours, ways of communication, cultural and artistic products, (visual, auditory, written, etc.) as well as other phenomena in the real or virtual world within mainstream culture. Heavily influenced by mass media, this collection of ideas permeates the everyday lives of society. In the so-called atomic age, which corresponds to the cold war period, stylistic coloration and application of the concepts of radiation that have persisted in everyday life to this day can be classified into four main groups of radiological-nuclear themes: monsters and mutants associated with radiation, nuclear accidents, nuclear terrorism and nuclear optimism. This paper discusses some examples relating to radioactivity, radiation and nuclear topics in Croatian popular culture, with special reference to the mass media, including some Internet portals. In Croatian mass media, like in other cultures, radiation and nuclear metaphors symbolize something scary and completely incomprehensible. However, further systematic research would be needed to analyse and explain all of the stereotypes in more detail. Results would be useful in creating a more effective way for informing the general public about the effects and use of radiation and nuclear technology, which is expected to play a far greater role in solving numerous problems dealing with energy supply, medicine, etc. in the near future. It should be noted that nowadays the collective public fears shift from radiation to other global threats such as climate change, genetically modified organisms, global terrorism and others. (author).

BUSINESS SURVEY LIQUIDITY MEASURE AS A LEADING INDICATOR OF CROATIAN INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION

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Mirjana Čižmešija

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Business survey liquidity measure is one of the modifications of the uniform EU business survey methodology applied in Croatia. Consequent liquidity problem have been, since socialist times, one of the major problem for Croatia's business. The problem rapidly increased between 1995 and 2000 and now it again represents the main difficulty for the Croatian economy. In order to improve the forecasting properties of business survey liquidity measure, some econometric models ware applied. Based on the regression analysis we concluded that the changes in the liquidity variable can predict the direction of changes in industrial production with one quarter lead. The results also show that liquidity can be a proxy of the Industrial Confidence Indicator in the observed period. The empirical analysis was performed using quarterly data covering the period from the first quarter 2005 to the fourth quarter 2011. The data sources were Privredni vjesnik (a business magazine in Croatia and the Croatian Bureau of Statistics.

VOLUNTARY DISCLOSURE OF CASH FLOWS INFORMATION AND COMPANY'S CHARACTERISTICS: EVIDENCE FROM THE CROATIAN CAPITAL MARKET

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Željana Aljinović Barać

2012-12-01

Full Text Available This paper focuses on the voluntary disclosure of cash flows information of Croatian large companies whose shares are listed on the Zagreb Stock Exchange, with the aim to identify characteristics of companies that provide extensive disclosures. In order to conduct the research and test the likelihood that company publicly announces wealth of information about cash flows, three groups of company’s features are defined as variables: accounting data, capital market information and company’s qualitative characteristics. Verification of empirical evidence was provided through the sample of Croatian listed companies using logistic regression analysis. Obtained results indicate that despite the desire of the regulatory authorities that capital market investors receive all relevant information, companies voluntarily disclose information about cash flows very rarely. Those companies are young (i.e. their shares are listed on an organized securities market for a short time and profitable, with growing net income and growing cash flow from operating activities and usually use indirect method for operating cash flow report. The provision of features of Croatian companies that voluntary disclose cash flow information can be found as contribution of our research, because this topic in a cases of macro-oriented accounting system economies, i.e. bank oriented economies with emerging capital market is still unexplored.

Proceedings of 7th Symposium of the Croatian Radiation Protection Association

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barisic, D; Grahek, Z; Krajcar Bronic, I; Miljanic, S

2008-07-01

The 7th symposium of the Croatian Radiation Protection Association discussed the following topics: general topics; radiation dosimetry and instrumentation; biological effects of radiation; radiation protection in medicine; radioecology and radon. For each subject many investigations, experiments, examples and results are presented. International character of this symposium shows importance of these topics not only in region but world wide.

Proceedings of 7th Symposium of the Croatian Radiation Protection Association

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barisic, D.; Grahek, Z.; Krajcar Bronic, I.; Miljanic, S.

2008-01-01

The 7th symposium of the Croatian Radiation Protection Association discussed the following topics: general topics; radiation dosimetry and instrumentation; biological effects of radiation; radiation protection in medicine; radioecology and radon. For each subject many investigations, experiments, examples and results are presented. International character of this symposium shows importance of these topics not only in region but world wide

Tagging Named Entities in Croatian Tweets

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Krešimir Baksa

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Named entity extraction tools designed for recognizing named entities in texts written in standard language (e.g., news stories or legal texts have been shown to be inadequate for user-generated textual content (e.g., tweets, forum posts. In this work, we propose a supervised approach to named entity recognition and classification for Croatian tweets. We compare two sequence labelling models: a hidden Markov model (HMM and conditional random fields (CRF. Our experiments reveal that CRF is the best model for the task, achieving a very good performance of over 87% micro-averaged F1 score. We analyse the contributions of different feature groups and influence of the training set size on the performance of the CRF model.

Testing The ‘Black Swan Effect’ on Croatian Stock Market Between 2000 and 2013

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Anita Radman Peša

2016-02-01

Full Text Available We tested the economic activity and stock exchange of Croatia as a new country of EU in order to investigate the ‘Black Swan effect’ from 2000 to 2013. The empirical findings obtained in application of OLS methodology and Chow breaking point test provide evidence and show that resignation of the Croatian ex Prime Minister lead country successfully to EU, but were also ‘The Black Swan’ event, being unpredictable and having huge impact on political and economic environment in Croatia obtained through CROBEX, Croatian stock exchange indices. Authors conclude that the resignation was connected to one of the first significant cases of corruption in Croatia which has got the negative impact on the economic development of the country in general, dealing at the same time with global recession.

Levels of major and trace elements, including rare earth elements, and ²³⁸U in Croatian tap waters.

Science.gov (United States)

Fiket, Željka; Rožmarić, Martina; Krmpotić, Matea; Benedik, Ljudmila

2015-05-01

Concentrations of 46 elements, including major, trace, and rare earth elements, and (238)U in Croatian tap waters were investigated. Selected sampling locations include tap waters from various hydrogeological regions, i.e., different types of aquifers, providing insight into the range of concentrations of studied elements and (238)U activity concentrations in Croatian tap waters. Obtained concentrations were compared with the Croatian maximum contaminant levels for trace elements in water intended for human consumption, as well as WHO and EPA drinking water standards. Concentrations in all analyzed tap waters were found in accordance with Croatian regulations, except tap water from Šibenik in which manganese in concentration above maximum permissible concentration (MPC) was measured. Furthermore, in tap water from Osijek, levels of arsenic exceeded the WHO guidelines and EPA regulations. In general, investigated tap waters were found to vary considerably in concentrations of studied elements, including (238)U activity concentrations. Causes of variability were further explored using statistical methods. Composition of studied tap waters was found to be predominately influenced by hydrogeological characteristics of the aquifer, at regional and local level, the existing redox conditions, and the household plumbing system. Rare earth element data, including abundances and fractionation patterns, complemented the characterization and facilitated the interpretation of factors affecting the composition of the analyzed tap waters.

Croatian Participation at National Symposia and International Congresses on Radiation Protection 1992-2002

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krajcar Bronic, I.; Ranogajec-Komor, M

2003-01-01

Croatian Radiation Protection Association (CRPA) was formed as an independent association in 1991, and since 1992 it is a member of the International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA). CRPA organises regular national symposia with international participation, and takes part in organisation of regional IRPA congresses. The members of CRPA take part also in international and European congresses. In this paper we analyse the participation of Croatian authors in national symposia and international congresses in the period from 1992 to 2002. The number of papers in proceedings of the national symposia is rather constant (about 60), while at the First symposium in 1992 it was slightly higher (68). The fraction of papers by Croatian authors was also the highest at the First Symposium (∼ 90%), while at the following symposia it varied between 70% and 80%. Although the analysed period is rather short, one can see slight changes in the research topics. Radioecology, including radon and related topics, was the most frequent research area (36% of all papers) at the national CRPA symposia 1992-1998, followed by the biological effects of radiation and radiation protection in medicine (24%), dosimetry, methods and instrumentation (21%), general topics (11%) and radioactive waste (7%). The distribution of topics at the Fifth symposium is: 27% radioecology and radon, 30% biological and medical topics, as well as professional and public exposure, 24% dosimetry, 14% general topics and 5% non-ionising radiations. In this Symposium we have separate sections for non-ionising radiations and public exposure, although several papers on these subjects were presented already at the previous symposia. (author)

From Conciliation to Mediation in Family Disputes-Harmonization of Croatian Family Legislation on Peaceful Resolution of Family Disputes with EU law

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Paula Poretti

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The reform process of family law was initiated with one aim to promote protection of family and children and harmonize Croatian law with European and international standards in this field. In this respect, the intervention institute governed by Croatian family law with the purpose to facilitate reconciliation or in cases where reconciliation between spouses is not achieved, to provide information regarding legal consequences of divorce and possibly to achieve agreement between spouses as for their relationship in future was deemed inadequate in regards to the approach provided by European documents on regulation of peaceful resolution of family disputes. Under the influence thereof, new family legislation redefines intervention and introduces mandatory counselling and family mediation as foundations of the system of alternative dispute resolution of all family disputes in Croatian law.

Managing the Cash and Liquidity of the Croatian Budget

OpenAIRE

Anto Bajo

2005-01-01

The principal proposition this paper will endeavour to maintain is that the liquidity of the budget is not fully managed by the Ministry of Finance, which is why it is unable, in collaboration with the Croatian National Bank, to rein in and slow down the growth in short-term public debt. Only since 2001, thanks to institutional improvements, have the conditions been created in the Ministry of Finance for cash and liquidity management. Thus payments operations, previously in the hands of a gov...

Implementation and management of e-marketing in the Croatian publishing industry

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Gordana Dukić

2010-07-01

Full Text Available E-marketing started to develop as a result of an extensive advancement of information and communication technology, i.e., changes prompted by that process in the field of electronic media in particular over the last decade. As a contemporary concept, e-marketing offered answers to questions organisations were dealing with in seeking to bring their products and services closer to as many customers as possible in the new circumstances. Taking the importance that e-marketing already has as a starting point, the authors conducted an investigation with an aim to establish to what extent Croatian publishers use e-marketing in their operations and how they manage its implementation. As part of the research, the perception that marketing staff employed by Croatian publishing companies have of e-marketing was also investigated. In spite of its importance, this issue has not been adequately studied until now, which was an additional motive to carry out the research.The research was conducted among a sample of 61 publishing companies in the Republic of Croatia. It was precisely the unwillingness of some publishers to cooperate combined with insufficient number of scientific papers in the field of use of e-marketing in the publishing trade that can be underlined as the most significant problem in this research. In addition to descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to analyse the data.The results have shown that last year almost one third of interviewed companies did not earmark funds for e-marketing. On the other hand, there were few publishers who spent more than half of the total funds, allocated for marketing activities, for that purpose. Along those lines is also the fact that respondents are not particularly satisfied with effects of e-marketing. Significantly more favourable results were obtained when it comes to publishing company web sites, i.e., the use of such a form of promotion. Namely, a large proportion of

Proceedings of 8th Symposium of the Croatian Radiation Protection Association

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Krajcar Bronic, I; Kopjar, N; Milic, M; Branica, G

2011-07-01

The 8th symposium of the Croatian Radiation Protection Association discussed the following topics: general topics; radiation dosimetry and instrumentation; public exposure; biological effects of radiation; radiation protection in medicine; radioecology and non-ionizing radiation. For each subject many investigations, experiments, examples and results are presented. International character of this symposium shows importance of these topics not only in region but world wide.

Proceedings of 8th Symposium of the Croatian Radiation Protection Association

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krajcar Bronic, I.; Kopjar, N.; Milic, M.; Branica, G.

2011-01-01

The 8th symposium of the Croatian Radiation Protection Association discussed the following topics: general topics; radiation dosimetry and instrumentation; public exposure; biological effects of radiation; radiation protection in medicine; radioecology and non-ionizing radiation. For each subject many investigations, experiments, examples and results are presented. International character of this symposium shows importance of these topics not only in region but world wide.

Proceedings of 9th Symposium of the Croatian Radiation Protection Association

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knezevic, Z.; Krajcar Bronic, I.; Majer, M.

2013-01-01

The 9th symposium of the Croatian Radiation Protection Association discussed the following topics: general topics; radiation dosimetry; public exposure; biological effects of radiation; radiation protection in medicine; radioecology and instrumentation and measuring techniques. For each subject many investigations, experiments, examples and results are presented. International character of this symposium shows importance of these topics not only in region but world wide.

The Benefits of the ABC Method Application in Croatian Companies

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Dubravka Pekanov-Starčević

2013-07-01

Full Text Available New business environment has changed the structure and behaviour of company costs. The changes are primarily reflected in the increasing share of overhead costs in the total costs. Given that competitiveness is reflected in the unit product cost, the exact determination of unit costs by cost drivers, primarily the precise allocation of overhead costs to cost drivers, have become crucial to the survival of companies in a turbulent market environment. The biggest problem in determining the exact product costs is incorrect allocation of overhead costs to cost drivers. In the 1980s, a new method of allocating overhead costs was developed – activity-based costing (ABC method. Advocates of this method claim that it allows a more accurate determination of product costs and identification and elimination of activities that do not add value to the company, thereby reducing costs and increasing profits, and ultimately creating and sustaining a competitive advantage. Using a sample of Croatian companies listed on the Zagreb Stock Exchange, we investigated to which extent they applied activity-based costing; its benefits to the cost management system, and which factors influenced the application of this methodology. This study provides a new insight into the development of cost management systems in Croatian companies.

Croatian Energy Sector Reform - Results Achieved

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nota, R.

2001-01-01

During the past ten years, the energy sector has passed through significant changes including fundamental market, economic, legislative and institutional aspects of sector operation. As the main goal of the Republic of Croatia is the integration into the European Union, the energy sector reform ought to be conducted in keeping with the present market development processes of the EU in such a way as to fulfil all safety criteria. In view of the above mentioned, the Croatian Parliament brought a number of laws during its session in July 2001 (''Official Gazette'' 68/01): 1. Energy Law 2. Energy Activities Regulation Law 3. Electricity Market Law 4. Gas Market Law 5. Oil and Oil Derivatives Market Law, which present the commencement of the energy sector reform (www.mingo.hr).(author)

MARICULTURE ON CROATIAN ISLANDS

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Gordana Šarušić

2000-09-01

Full Text Available The first attempts of intensive mariculture in Croatia commenced at the very beginning of 1980’s. The mid-eighties brought an expansion of mariculture production, which has been continuously increasing. A few different marine organisms are intensively cultured - both fish and shellfish. Among them commercially most important and highly valued species are sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax and sea bream Sparus aurata. Mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis and oyster Ostrea edulis are the most important shellfish. Fish species such as dentex Dentex dentex, red sea bream Pagrus major and sheepshead bream Puntazzo puntazzo are reared too, but in a rather small quantities. Only recently the rearing, on-growing- of bluefin tuna Thunnus thynnus started in Croatia. The juveniles (70% are reared in a Croatian hatcheries, and 30% has to be imported mainly from Italy and France, due to a higher demand for this kind of culture among the small growers. Croatian part of Adriatic sea possesses a number of geomorfologicaly suitable sites and meteorological conditions which determined the choice - type - of intensive culture. All fish species are reared in a floating cages. The choice of cages i. e. semi off-shore or floating frames, size, rearing volume and design depend on the investors personal preference. The annual turnouf of a market size bass was about 600t and 300t bream in 1996., by 10 island farms which is 70% of total production in Croatia. Including other cultured fish species last year production was up to 1000t, and it™s being estimated to be about 1300t in the following year. The shellfish production on the islands is usually individual attempt of farmers, producing minor quantities mostly in polyculture. This production has bigger potential but it’s limited owing to the EU quality control regulations which do not allow the export, and by domestic market which has drastically decreased due to the collapse of tourism during the recent war. Almost 80

Implications of the accession of the Republic of Croatia to the European Union for Croatian health care system.

Science.gov (United States)

Ostojić, Rajko; Bilas, Vlatka; Franc, Sanja

2012-09-01

The Republic of Croatia's accession to the European Union (EU) will affect all segments of economy and society, including the health care system. The aim of this paper is to establish the potential effects of joining the EU on Croatian health care, as well as to assess its readiness to enter this regional economic integration. The paper identifies potential areas of impact of EU accession on Croatian health care and analyzes the results of the conducted empirical research. In this research, a method of in-depth interviews was applied on a sample of 49 subjects; health professionals from public and private sectors, health insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, drug wholesalers, and non-governmental organisations (patient associations). Once Croatia joins the EU, it will face: new rules and priorities in line with the current European health strategy; the possibilities of drawing funds from European cohesion funds; labour migrations; new guidelines on patient safety and mobility. From the aspect of harmonising national regulations with EU regulations in the area of health care, Croatian system can be assessed as ready to enter the EU. Croatia's accession to the EU can result in a better information flow, growth of competitiveness of Croatian health care system, enhanced quality, inflow of EU funds, development of health tourism, but also in increased migration of health care professionals, and potential increase in the cost of health care services. Functioning within the EU framework might result in adaptation to the EU standards, but it could also result in the concentration of staff and institutions in larger cities.

A CONTRIBUTION TO THE CONTRASTIVE ANALYSIS OF PHRASEMES WITH COLOR ELEMENTS IN CROATIAN, ITALIAN AND GERMAN PHRASEOLOGY

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Maja Opašić

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The paper deals with the selected examples of phrasemes with color elements in the Croatian, Italian and German language. Colors have a role in everyday life and, in that respect - language, where their visual and symbolic role is evident. Therefore, the paper first explains the origins and symbolism of red, blue, green, yellow and pink, and then contrastive analysis is conducted. While doing so, correspondences and differences in the phrases of Croatian, Italian and German language are analyzed. It also explains the amount of symbolism in a particular color presented in the phraseme background, i.e. how it motivated its meaning.

Croatian Telecommunication Market: Concentration Trends in the Period from 2003 to 2008

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Mirjana Pejić Bach

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Telecommunication markets are a valuable factor that contributes to the economic growth and development. The development of the telecommunication markets and services was slower in the countries in transition than in developed European countries, altough after the fall of communism countries in transition implemented a big progress in spreading and modernizing of their telecommunication network.The paper analysis the level of concentration of telecommunication industry in Croatia from 2003 to 2008. The data used in the analysis consider 50 Croatian largest IT firms that are operating on telecommunication market and specific telecommunication sectors: producers of telecommunication equipment, distributers of telecommunication services and implementers of telecommunication solutions. The main two conclusions of this article are: (1 degree of concentration on the telecommunication market in Croatia changed differently in different market shares, (2 degree of concentration on the telecommunication market in Croatia is influenced by different barriers to enter the market.The analysis finds that Croatian telecommunication industry is in a good position even a few steps ahead of some other transition countries.

Safety Assessment Context for Croatian Low and Intermediate Level Radioactive Waste Repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levanat, I.; Lokner, V.

1998-01-01

Safety assessments in a small country are usually performed to support the national waste management strategy, demonstrating compliance with national regulation for a particular facility. However, this assessment should - quite generally - provide reasonable assurance both to the public and to decision makers than the Croatian share of LILW from NPP Krsko can be safely disposed in Croatia. More specifically, assessment should clearly present all realistic options and compare the associated long term repository performances, demonstrating that desirable safety goals can be archived by an appropriate choice of (a) location, (b) facility design, (c) institutional control period and (d) waste acceptance criteria. As relevant national legislation is presently under review, generally recognized international safety standards, criteria and recommendations (e.g. as presented in the recent IAEA publications) should provide guidance for the assessment evaluation, since it is expected that they will be incorporated in the new national regulations. Finally, since Croatian radioactive waste management strategy is yet to be developed, such an assessment may contribute to its formulation and facilitate some specific decisions. (author)

[Croatian and international regulations on the protection and rights of workers exposed to asbestos at work].

Science.gov (United States)

Zavalić, Marija; Macan, Jelena

2009-11-01

New regulations on the protection and rights of workers occupationally exposed to asbestos were introduced in Croatia in 2007 and 2008. They have been harmonised with the European Union (EU) and International Labour Organization (ILO) regulations, and make a step forward in safety at work, health protection, social rights, and pension schemes for Croatian workers occupationally exposed to asbestos. The 2007 Croatian regulation on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to asbestos at work defines and describes activities in which workers can be occupationally exposed to asbestos, defines the threshold value of asbestos in the air at work, defines valid methods for measurement of asbestos concentrations in the air, and establishes measures to reduce asbestos exposure at work or protect the exposed workers. Croatian law regulating obligatory health surveillance of workers occupationally exposed to asbestos from year 2007 defines activities and competent authorities to implement health surveillance of workers occupationally exposed to asbestos and to diagnose occupational diseases related to asbestos. This law also defines "occupational exposure to asbestos", and "occupational asbestos-related diseases", including asbestosis (pulmonary asbestos-related fibrosis), pleural asbestos-related disorders (plaques, pleural thickening, and benign effusion), lung and bronchial cancer, and malignant mesothelioma of serous membranes. These regulations have been harmonised with ILO, Directive 2003/18/EC amending Council Directive 83/477/EEC on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to asbestos at work, and with the Commission Recommendation 2003/670/EC concerning the European schedule of occupational diseases. The 2008 Croatian regulation on conditions of health surveillance, diagnostic procedures and criteria for confirmation of occupational asbestos-related diseases "defines the terms and the content of medical examination of workers

Genetic structure and admixture between Bayash Roma from northwestern Croatia and general Croatian population: evidence from Bayesian clustering analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Novokmet, Natalija; Galov, Ana; Marjanović, Damir; Škaro, Vedrana; Projić, Petar; Lauc, Gordan; Primorac, Dragan; Rudan, Pavao

2015-01-01

The European Roma represent a transnational mosaic of minority population groups with different migration histories and contrasting experiences in their interactions with majority populations across the European continent. Although historical genetic contributions of European lineages to the Roma pool were investigated before, the extent of contemporary genetic admixture between Bayash Roma and non-Romani majority population remains elusive. The aim of this study was to assess the genetic structure of the Bayash Roma population from northwestern Croatia and the general Croatian population and to investigate the extent of admixture between them. A set of genetic data from two original studies (100 Bayash Roma from northwestern Croatia and 195 individuals from the general Croatian population) was analyzed by Bayesian clustering implemented in STRUCTURE software. By re-analyzing published data we intended to focus for the first time on genetic differentiation and structure and in doing so we clearly pointed to the importance of considering social phenomena in understanding genetic structuring. Our results demonstrated that two population clusters best explain the genetic structure, which is consistent with social exclusion of Roma and the demographic history of Bayash Roma who have settled in NW Croatia only about 150 years ago and mostly applied rules of endogamy. The presence of admixture was revealed, while the percentage of non-Croatian individuals in general Croatian population was approximately twofold higher than the percentage of non-Romani individuals in Roma population corroborating the presence of ethnomimicry in Roma.

Croatian Pilgrimages to Loreto from the 5000 Documents of the "Croatian Maritime Regesta" in the 18th Century - vol. I

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Zrinka Podhraški Čizmek

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a small part of the pilgrimages undertaken by Croats during the 18th century across the Adriatic Sea to Loreto. The pilgrimages are described as a sui generis phenomenon of all human and religious societies. The history of the Catholic pilgrimage is analyzed through the perspective of common roots with Judaism and Islam, and the subsequent differentiation from other Christian confessions. Relations of the Croats with overseas territories since the 14th century are described, as well as their settlement in the hinterland of Ancona: Recanati and Loreto. The story of the Shrine of the Our Lady of Loreto is presented, the ties with the Croats settled there, and the foundation of a special seminary for Croats in 1580: the Illyrian College. During the review of the 4,890 documentary sources of volume I of the Croatian Maritime Regesta, a smaller segment of sources was found from the State Archive of Venice on the subject of pilgrimages. These sources list 44 pilgrimages from various locations on the Croatian coast. The types of ships they traveled on, the origin of the passengers, their number, organization in groups, the time of pilgrimage and the time of the year in which they occurred are analyzed. The most numerous pilgrims are from Lošinj (Lussino, followed by Cres (Cherso, Dugi Otok (Isola Lunga, Rovinj (Rovigno, Labin (Albona, Korčula (Curzola, Zadar (Zara and Vis (Lissa.This work is a contribution to the study of the links between the two sides of the Adriatic in the 18th century, which requires further publication and analysis of documentary sources.

Movements of Croatian Labour Supply and Their Implications on Migration Flows

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Alka Obadić

2008-06-01

Full Text Available The Croatian labour market is characterised by a low degree of activity on the part of the population, a high unemployment rate, a pronounced problem with long-term unemployment and a high structural disproportion between supply and demand. Because of the relatively high share of the unofficial economy, there is a large difference between the administrative unemployment rate and that shown by surveys. Analysis of the situation on the Croatian labour market shows that significant structural issues still remained unsolved (such as inflexibility, mismatch between supply and demand with respect to profession and education, and similar. There is still very limited creation of new jobs. The employment rates of men and women and the employment of young people are among the lowest in comparison with the EU-27 and are far from attainment of the Lisbon objectives. The high rate of economic inactivity indicates the lack of utilisation of the existing work force potential. The conducted research shows that the continued advised needs for workers is 25 time higher than the annual number of approved work permits to foreigners from 1992 to 2006, while that number was negligible in 1991. Due to this situation, Croatia still has a very strict protectionist orientation towards employing foreigners, although the fact is that this situation will have to change very quickly with accession to the EU. It can be concluded that no major changes in migration flows or any significant shifts in em¬ployment and unemployment rates can be expected until the year 2010. Although opening the borders could mean, on the one hand, the possibility of increased emigration of the Croatian work force, the expectations are that such movements, nonetheless, will not occur. It is more likely that opening borders would be connected with greater mobility of workers, both from Croatia into other countries and from other countries towards Croatia.

Differentiation of car rental services in the Croatian market

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Karolina Karlo Marijanović

2010-06-01

Full Text Available A number of service companies focus on service differentiation nowadays. The companies that manage to deliver superior service are winners and may serve as an example of how the growth of services has changed business. The first part of the paper presents an analysis of the Croatian car rental services market. The theoretical part of the paper provides an insight into the characteristics of services in general, followed by an overview of the characteristics and features of the companies operating in the local market. The second part of the paper deals with the work of Porter and his three generic strategies, and with his differentiation strategy in particular. Subsequently, all possibilities of differentiation strategies that are appropriate to the car rental services are analyzed. Beside global recession, the Croatian market is currently also struggling with huge competition and companies cannot generate profit without continuous differentiation of all elements of service. In the third chapter the following hypothesis is set: By a continuous differentiation of all elements of the services marketing mix small businesses can compete with large international companies. Acceptance or rejection of the hypothesis is shown by the research conducted among users of the specific service. Its results fully confirm the set hypothesis. The fact that, despite global recession, the majority of respondents believes the survival of small- and medium-sized companies which continuously differentiate their business activities to be unquestionable is indeed encouraging.

[Socioeconomic status and risky health behaviors in Croatian adult population].

Science.gov (United States)

Pilić, Leta; Dzakula, Aleksandar

2013-03-01

Based on the previous research, there is strong association between low socioeconomic status (SES) and high morbidity and mortality rates. Even though association between SES and risky health behaviors as the main factors influencing health has been investigated in Croatian population, some questions are yet to be answered. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, smoking and excessive drinking in low, middle, and high socioeconomic group of adult Croatian population included in the cohort study on regionalism of cardiovascular health risk behaviors. We also investigated the association between SES measured by income, education and occupation, as well as single SES indicators, and risky health behaviors. We analyzed data on 1227 adult men and women (aged 19 and older at baseline) with complete data on health behaviors, SES and chronic diseases at baseline (2003) and 5-year follow up. Respondents were classified as being healthy or chronically ill. SES categories were derived from answers to questions on monthly household income, occupation and education by using two-step cluster analysis algorithm. At baseline, for the whole sample as well as for healthy respondents, SES was statistically significantly associated with unhealthy diet (whole sample/healthy respondents: p = 0.001), physical inactivity (whole sample/healthy respondents p = 0.44/ p = 0.007), and smoking (whole sample/healthy respondents p < 0.001/p = 0.002). The proportion of respondents with unhealthy diet was greatest in the lowest social class, smokers in the middle and physically inactive in the high social class. During the follow up, smoking and physical inactivity remained statistically significantly associated with SES. In chronically ill respondents, only smoking was statistically significantly associated with SES, at baseline and follow up (p = 0.001/p = 0.002). The highest share of smokers was in the middle social class. Results of our

The Croatian Sense of Identity among the Immigrants of Magallanes (Chile and Their Descendants during the Final Period of the Yugoslav Monarchy (1939–1945

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Mateo Martinić

2002-09-01

Full Text Available The article reviews political events which occurred in former Yugoslavia during the final period of the monarchy (1939–1945, from the perspective of Croatian emigrants in Magallanes (Chile and their descendants. In that period there were two lines of thought. One, apparently more widely held, was decidedly pro-Yugoslav and, as such, accepted the hegemony of Greater Serbia. The other, conspicuously in the minority, emphasized its Croatian identity and identified with those who, in the distant homeland, were struggling for a statute of autonomy, and for full recognition of their historical and cultural individuality. From their respective points of view, each group analyzed the news which arrived from Europe, especially those following the defeat and occupation of Yugoslavia by the German forces (1941 and the subsequent creation of the Independent Croatian State. From then onward, the article presents and assesses the corresponding demonstrations of opinion which, following the evolution of events showed the predominance of the pro-Yugoslavs and, within that tendency, the supporters of the partisan leader Tito. Explicitly or tacitly, the Chilean-Croatian community of Magallanes was notably pro-Yugoslav for the next half-century. Nonetheless, the determined spirit of Croatian patriotism was kept alive by a few, bursting forth with renewed vigour when Croatia obtained its independence in 1991.

Tapering Practices of Croatian Open-Class Powerlifting Champions.

Science.gov (United States)

Grgic, Jozo; Mikulic, Pavle

2017-09-01

Grgic, J and Mikulic, P. Tapering practices of Croatian open-class powerlifting champions. J Strength Cond Res 31(9): 2371-2378, 2017-The aim of this study was to explore tapering practices among 10 Croatian open-class powerlifting champions (mean ± SD: age 29.2 ± 3.2 years; Wilks coefficient 355.1 ± 54.8). The athletes were interviewed about their tapering practices using a semi-structured interview after which the audio content was transcribed. The athletes reported decreasing training volume during the taper by 50.5 ± 11.7% using a step type or an exponential type of taper with a fast decay. Training intensity was maintained or increased during the taper, and it reached its highest values 8 ± 3 days before the competition. Training frequency was reduced or maintained during the taper. The final week included a reduction in training frequency by 47.9 ± 17.5% with the last training session performed 3 ± 1 days before the competition. The participants typically stated that the main reasons for conducting the taper were maintaining strength and reducing the amount of fatigue. They also stated that (a) the taper was structured identically for the squat, bench press, and the deadlift; (b) the training during the taper was highly specific, the assistance exercises were removed, and the same equipment was used as during competition; (c) the source of information for tapering was their coach, and training fluctuated based on the coach's feedback; and (d) nutrition, foam rolling, static stretching, and massage were all given extra attention during the taper. These results may aid athletes and coaches in strength sports in terms of the optimization of tapering variables.

Proceedings of 11th Symposium of the Croatian Radiation Protection Association

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Radolic, V.; Poje Sovilj, M.; Krajcar Bronic, I.

2017-01-01

The 11th symposium of the Croatian Radiation Protection Association discussed the following topics: ethics and culture in radiation protection; general topics; radiation protection and dosimetry in medicine; biological effects of radiation; instrumentation and measuring techniques; radioecology; public exposure; radon; non-ionising radiation. For each subject many investigations, experiments, examples and results are presented. International character of this symposium shows importance of these topics not only in region but world wide.

Tax expenditures and the efficiency of Croatian value added tax

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Petar Sopek

2012-09-01

Full Text Available The main aim of this paper is to provide a systematic overview of value added taxation in Croatia along with main changes in relevant legislation and to estimate total amount of tax expenditures. Results show that the proportion of tax expenditures in GDP in Croatia in 2010 amounted to less than 4%, a proportion lower than in any of the EU new member states, as well as almost twice as low as the EU-27 average. It can be concluded that the Croatian value added taxation system is efficient in this way, as was additionally shown by an analysis according to which Croatia in 2010 had better efficiency indicators than all the observed EU member states. The Croatian VAT system is mainly harmonized with EU directives, but abolition of the zero rate is still expected; this will increase government revenue by approximately 0.4-0.8% of GDP, depending on a chosen scenario. It has been suggested that a detailed analysis of the overall value added taxation system should be initiated, with the aim of optimizing cost-benefits. The main focus should be placed on the determination of the optimal VAT registration threshold, the costs and benefits of the introduced reliefs and exemptions in the tax system and the potential effects of the repeal of the zero rate.

Serious diabetes-specific emotional problems and depression in a Croatian-Dutch-English Survey from the European Depression in Diabetes [EDID] Research Consortium

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pouwer, Francois; Skinner, Timothy Chas; Pibernik-Okanovic, Mirjana

2005-01-01

for Epidemiological Studies Depression and the Problem Areas in Diabetes scales. Percentages of patients with high depression scores were: 39 and 34% (Croatian men and women), 19 and 21% (Dutch men and women), 19 and 39% (English men and women). Moreover, 79% (Croatian), 47% (Dutch) and 41% (English) of the patients......It has been hypothesized that coverage of diabetes-specific issues (e.g. coping with complications, incapacity, pain) during psychotherapy may optimize the likelihood of treatment success for depression in patients with diabetes. However, it is still unclear how often depression is confounded...... by diabetes-specific emotional problems. We aim to determine the levels of diabetes-specific emotional problems in diabetic individuals with high versus low levels of depression in a sample of 539 outpatients with diabetes (202 Dutch, 185 Croatian and 152 English). Subjects completed the Center...

Slovene tourists in the Croatian littoral – characteristics and spatial pattern of tourist traffic and internet tourism offer

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Simon Kerma

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The Croatian Littoral has been the most important tourist destination for tourists from Slovenia for decades. The coastal areas of Istria, Kvarner, and Dalmatia, including the Adriatic islands, became widely popular among Slovenes in the period of intense tourism development in the once common state of Yugoslavia. Today Croatia is the destination of as many as 60% of all private trips from Slovenia. In the introduction the affinity of Slovene tourists for travel abroad is supplemented with statistical data on their visits to the Republic of Croatia. In the next sections special emphasis is placed on the number of Slovene tourists and overnight stays, their average length of stay and spatial distribution in the Croatian Littoral in 2007. These data are then compared to those from 1999. The central section of the article consists of a detailed analysis of the content of the internet tourism offer of Slovene travel agencies as presented on their websites. The objects of the analysis were the structure of advertised destinations in the Croatian Littoral across counties and the structure of offer by type of tourist services (summer vacation, travelling/trip, cruising.

Slovene tourists in the Croatian littoral – characteristics and spatial pattern of tourist traffic and internet tourism offer

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Staša Salmič

2009-12-01

Full Text Available The Croatian Littoral has been the most important tourist destination for tourists from Slovenia for decades. The coastal areas of Istria, Kvarner, and Dalmatia, including the Adriatic islands, became widely popular among Slovenes in the period of intense tourism development in the once common state of Yugoslavia. Today Croatia is the destination of as many as 60% of all private trips from Slovenia. In the introduction the affinity of Slovene tourists for travel abroad is supplemented with statistical data on their visits to the Republic of Croatia. In the next sections special emphasis is placed on the number of Slovene tourists and overnight stays, their average length of stay and spatial distribution in the Croatian Littoral in 2007. These data are then compared to those from 1999. The central section of the article consists of a detailed analysis of the content of the internet tourism offer of Slovene travel agencies as presented on their websites. The objects of the analysis were the structure of advertised destinations in the Croatian Littoral across counties and the structure of offer by type of tourist services (summer vacation, travelling/trip, cruising.

Political Education in Croatian Secondary Schools: An Emergency Reaction to a Chaotic Context

Science.gov (United States)

Doolan, Karin; Domazet, Mladen

2007-01-01

The article draws on an analysis exploring how the content and aims of secondary school political education have been framed in official Croatian policy documents following the country's war for independence, with particular focus on the underlying conception of citizenship promoted in such a post-conflict setting. The article also addresses how…

The role of JANAF oil pipeline in the efficiency increase and Croatian Energy system's globalisation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sekulic, G.; Diminic, V.; Baranovic, K.; Rukavina, K.

1999-01-01

In the past 20 years of its operation, JANAF has contributed not only to the domestic refineries' costs decrease and the improvement of their efficiency but also to the internationalisation of the Croatian energy system and its globalisation. The implementation of new JANAF development projects in co-operation with international companies would intensity the JANAF connection to the European oil pipeline network and improve the oil supply safety of domestic refineries. New projects would at the same time enable oil export from Russia and other FSU states to the international oil market, such as oil transport from the INA oil fields in Russia. The JANAF development projects would help evaluate the existing capacities and infrastructure in terms of quality. They would be realised according to the principles of Energy Charter Treaty, the new Croatian energy system legislation and Energy Strategy. (author)

Impacts of biodiesel production on Croatian economy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kulisic, Biljana; Loizou, Efstratios; Rozakis, Stelios; Segon, Velimir

2007-01-01

The aim of this paper is to assess the direct and indirect impacts on a national economy from biodiesel (rapeseed methyl ester (RME)) production using input-output (I-O) analysis. Biodiesel development in Croatia is used as a case study. For Croatia, as for many other countries in Europe, biodiesel is a new activity not included in the existing I-O sectoral accounts. For this reason the I-O table has to be modified accordingly before being able to quantify the effect of an exogenous demand for biodiesel. Impacts in terms of output, income and employment lead to the conclusion that biodiesel production could have significant positive net impact on the Croatian economy despite the high level of subsidies for rapeseed growing

Psychometric Characteristics of Croatian Version of the Daily Spiritual Experience Scale

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Željko Rakošec

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Background: The Daily Spiritual Experience Scale (DSES has been developed through extensive and qualitative research. Numerous studies have confirmed the reliability and validity of the DSES among different populations. Most of the studies have shown association of the DSES with physical and psychological well-being. Purpose: The current study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the DSES in the Croatian population. Method: The 16-item scale was translated through standard translation/back-translation procedures. The scale was afterwards applied to a sample of 535 test subjects (49% men and 51% women, mean age 42.6 years. Results: The coefficient of reliability (Cronbach alpha = 0.945 is very high. The coefficients of discriminant validity were satisfactory for 15 items, whereas only one item (14 has a coefficient of less than 0.30. The factor analysis after oblique rotation resulted in two related factors: the relationship with God and relationship with others. Using these two factors explained the 66.1% of the variance. Conclusion: Based on the data, it can be concluded that DSES has satisfactory psychometric characteristics and can be applied to the Croatian population, but its correlation with other religious and non-religious constructs should be verified in further research.

Domoic Acid - A New Toxin in the Croatian Adriatic Shellfish Toxin Profile

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Ivona Marasović

2010-10-01

Full Text Available This is the first study that presents concentrations of domoic acid detected in the whole shellfish tissue from breeding and harvesting areas along the Croatian coast of the Adriatic Sea during the period 2006 to 2008. Shellfish sample analyses after SAX cleaning procedures, using a UV-DAD-HPLC system, showed the presence of domoic acid in four species. The most prevalent of those species were the blue mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis, followed by European flat oyster (Ostrea edulis, Mediterranean scallop (Pecten jacobaeus and proteus scallop (Flexopecten proteus. Domoic acid, a potentially lethal phycotoxin that causes amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP, was detected for the first time in January 2006 with the highest value of 6.5486 μg g-1 in whole shellfish tissue. Pseudo-nitzschia spp. bloom events preceded these high domoic acid concentrations. According to this study, retention of domoic acid in the blue mussel M. galloprovincialis is more than 42 days. This investigation indicates the first presence of domoic acid in Croatian shellfish, but in concentrations under the regulatory limit (20 μg g-1, therefore shellfish consumption was not found to endanger human health.

The Importance of Acquiring Pedagogical and Didactic Competencies of Future Teachers--The Croatian Context

Science.gov (United States)

Dubovicki, Snježana; Jukic, Renata

2017-01-01

This paper emphasizes the importance of developing pedagogical and didactic competencies of graduate students of teachers' education, and certain problems they encountered in acquiring those competencies in the Croatian environment. The goal of the research was to examine the students' (future teachers') assessments of the capability to work with…

Employees older than 50 on Croatian labour market – need for a new approach

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Srecko Goic

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Croatia has reached demographic maturity, with ever lower cohorts of youngers (and younger labour force numbers, longer life expectations, and rapidly growing share of older population. In such situation, working population older than 50 becomes more and more significant, not only by number, but also as an important pool of knowledge and experiences. 28,36% of total employed in Croatia in 2014 were 50+ years old. That same year (2014 27,7% of total unemployed in Croatia were 50+ years old. The share of persons 50+ in total number of unemployed grew to 29,6% in 2015, and 31,7% in 2016. Long duration of unemployment is especially accentuated among persons older than 50: in 2016 older persons made 41,91% among those with unemployment duration between 2 and 3 years, 44,00% among those with unemployment duration between 4 and 5 years, 53,23% among those with unemployment duration between 6 and 8 years, and even 70,04% among those with unemployment duration over 8 years. Although Croatian governments for almost quarter of century were devising different “active labour market policies” directed to older persons, their results are questionable. With growing problems to acquire and retain necessary workforce in Croatian enterprises, there is obviously strong need to develop new approach (es towards people older than 50. This paper is trying to shed new light on this problem and offer new ideas in the field of labour market policies, and human resources management oriented towards older employees in Croatia. The Croatian example (changes, problems, and experiences may be of interest to other, particularly European, countries in a similar situation.

The history of Croatian Trauma Society - a brief overview.

Science.gov (United States)

Bakota, B; Vlahovic, T; Staresinic, M; Dobric, I; Civaric, T

2013-09-01

Croatian Trauma Society (CTS) has a 51 year of history and tradition. This article represents a brief overview from the times when it was founded, June 30, 1961, until the present time. It tells us about the idea how, where and when the "Section for Traumatology" was founded, its activities and influence not only to promote patient trauma care but initiation of other societies dealing with traumatized patients as well, including the evolution of the CTS itself. The authors thank to all the contributors that made this article possible. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Successful competitive strategies of large Croatian and Slovenian enterprises

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Marin Buble

2003-01-01

Full Text Available In this research report, the authors identify and analyze the successful samples of strategic behaviour of large Croatian and Slovenian enterprises, as well as their similarities and dissimilarities. The research has encompassed the levels of corporate and business strategy (i.e. the strategy of a diversified firm and its strategic business units/areas, as well as the analysis of strategic performance and sources of competitive advantage. The research consists of two parts: the theoretical foundation for the analysis of the successful patterns of strategic behaviour and the empirical analysis, based on the primary data collected during the research project.

Individual-based assessment of population structure and admixture in Austrian, Croatian and German draught horses.

Science.gov (United States)

Druml, T; Curik, I; Baumung, R; Aberle, K; Distl, O; Sölkner, J

2007-02-01

All over Europe, the number of draught horses has decreased drastically during the last 50 years. As a prerequisite for efficient management decisions, we analysed the conservation status in Austrian (Noriker Carinthia - NC, Noriker Salzburg - NS), Croatian (Croatian Coldblood - C, Posavina horse - P) and German (Altmaerkisch Coldblood - A, Black Forest horse - BF, Mecklenburg Coldblood - M, Rhenish German Draught horse - R, Saxon Thuringa Coldblood - ST, Schleswig Draught horse - Sch, South German Coldblood - SG) draught horses (434) using multilocus genotypic information from 30 (effectively 27) microsatellite loci. Populations located in areas with less intensive agricultural production (C, NC, NS, P and SG) had greater diversity within the population and estimated effective population size than A, BF, Sch, M, R and ST populations. The PCA plots revealed that populations form five separate groups. The 'Noriker' group (NC, NS and SG) and the 'Rhenish' group (A, M, R and ST) were the most distinctive (pairwise F(ST) values ranged from 0.078 to 0.094). The 'Croatian' group (C and P) was in the centre, while the BF and Sch populations formed two out-groups. A posterior Bayesian analysis detected further differentiation, mainly caused by political and geographical factors. Thus, it was possible to separate the South German Coldblood from the Austrian Noriker population where no subpopulation structure was detected. The admixture analysis revealed imprecise classification between C and P populations. A small but notable separation of R from A, M and ST populations was detected, while Sch and BF populations remained as out-groups. The information obtained should aid in making efficient conservation decisions.

Reliability of CKD-EPI predictive equation in estimating chronic kidney disease prevalence in the Croatian endemic nephropathy area.

Science.gov (United States)

Fuček, Mirjana; Dika, Živka; Karanović, Sandra; Vuković Brinar, Ivana; Premužić, Vedran; Kos, Jelena; Cvitković, Ante; Mišić, Maja; Samardžić, Josip; Rogić, Dunja; Jelaković, Bojan

2018-02-15

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a significant public health problem and it is not possible to precisely predict its progression to terminal renal failure. According to current guidelines, CKD stages are classified based on the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and albuminuria. Aims of this study were to determine the reliability of predictive equation in estimation of CKD prevalence in Croatian areas with endemic nephropathy (EN), compare the results with non-endemic areas, and to determine if the prevalence of CKD stages 3-5 was increased in subjects with EN. A total of 1573 inhabitants of the Croatian Posavina rural area from 6 endemic and 3 non-endemic villages were enrolled. Participants were classified according to the modified criteria of the World Health Organization for EN. Estimated GFR was calculated using Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration equation (CKD-EPI). The results showed a very high CKD prevalence in the Croatian rural area (19%). CKD prevalence was significantly higher in EN then in non EN villages with the lowest eGFR value in diseased subgroup. eGFR correlated significantly with the diagnosis of EN. Kidney function assessment using CKD-EPI predictive equation proved to be a good marker in differentiating the study subgroups, remained as one of the diagnostic criteria for EN.

Role of sport and recreation in the development of Croatian tourism

OpenAIRE

Bartoluci, Mato

1995-01-01

Tourism in Croatia is on the turning point of its development. War devastation in Croatia negatively affected tourism. The process of restoration of Croatian tourism should not only renovate the ruined tourist facilities, but it should also overcome the disadvantages of the past development of tourism. One of the important factors of the variety and quality of tourist offer are sports-recreational activities and programmes which provide the possibility of active rest and recreation. In Cro...

Croatian Cadastre Database Modelling

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Zvonko Biljecki

2013-04-01

Full Text Available The Cadastral Data Model has been developed as a part of a larger programme to improve products and production environment of the Croatian Cadastral Service of the State Geodetic Administration (SGA. The goal of the project was to create a cadastral data model conforming to relevant standards and specifications in the field of geoinformation (GI adapted by international organisations for standardisation under the competence of GI (ISO TC211 and OpenGIS and it implementations.The main guidelines during the project have been object-oriented conceptual modelling of the updated users' requests and a "new" cadastral data model designed by SGA - Faculty of Geodesy - Geofoto LLC project team. The UML of the conceptual model is given per all feature categories and is described only at class level. The next step was the UML technical model, which was developed from the UML conceptual model. The technical model integrates different UML schemas in one united schema.XML (eXtensible Markup Language was applied for XML description of UML models, and then the XML schema was transferred into GML (Geography Markup Language application schema. With this procedure we have completely described the behaviour of each cadastral feature and rules for the transfer and storage of cadastral features into the database.

The transformation of the countryside at the Slovene-Croatian border

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Marko Koščak

2002-12-01

Full Text Available The transformation of the rural areas along the Slovene - Croatian border was influenced by many reasons, among which the most important was polycentric concept of social demogarphy as well as physical development. After introduction of a border line between Slovenia and Croatia the process of transformation of rural areas have taken on additional issues connected to the problems of border areas and marginal regions and thus are both specific and new for this region. Transformation of rural areas is a permanent process,that affects both the landscape, as well as its functions.

Distance Factors and Croatian Export Obstacles in the EU15: CAGE Approach

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Helena Miloloža

2015-07-01

Full Text Available For long-term sustainability of any enterprise, it is required to observe each market separately and systematically modify business approach to prevailing conditions in each. However, adaptation to each market can be a complex affair that requires certain financial costs but ignoring distinguishing criteria leads to reduction in revenues and undermines long-term profitability. Time saving and cost-effectiveness can be achieved by application of The CAGE Distance Framework – a model that analysis all diversities between two or more countries. Croatia did not yet utilize the benefits that European Union membership provides nor did significantly improved its international business. It is obvious that Croatia faces difficulties in the strategic approach to prospective foreign markets. Therefore, emphasis of this article is on analysis and identification of the distinguishing factors between Croatia and the EU15 in order to facilitate and enhance cooperation among them in the future. Throughout the analysis of Croatian export from the beginning of the economic crisis, this article gives an overview of international collaboration among Croatia and the EU15 and comparative analysis by using The CAGE Distance Framework. This analysis has confirmed significant fluctuations, unexploited potential and problems of the Croatian economy in all dimensions of The CAGE model.

An Investigation of Marketing via Mobile Devices - Attitudes of Croatian Marketing Experts

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Damir Dobrinić

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Marketing activities supported by mobile devices offer great opportunities for direct communication with consumers without the barriers of time, place, location and other. This article explores opinions and expectations Croatian marketing experts have towards use of m-advertising and other available advertising media, where we take the perspective of marketing experts to predict the future of m-marketing and m-advertising in Croatia. The paper also discusses the relevance of m-advertising and investigates the future of m-marketing and m-advertising in Croatia. This research focuses mainly on understanding the potential and effectiveness of the use of mobile phones as a promotional medium, but we also try to recognize the level of concern of marketing experts associated with spam, relating to privacy intrusion and ethics components in m-advertising. Privacy and ethics concerns could create resistance to the adoption of m-advertising. Media selection becomes the most critical factor for the success of a promotional and advertising marketing campaign. Croatian experts still consider TV or newspapers the best way to reach a large number of potential consumers, but what are their expectations towards mobile advertising? To answer this question, we built a model that links attitudes towards advertising via classical media to the intention to use m-advertising.

POSSIBILITY OF BENEFICIATION OF SILICA SAND FROM THE CROATIAN DEPOSITS USING ATTRITION SCRUBBING

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Ivan Sobota

2011-12-01

Full Text Available To meet high quality requirements defined for specific industrial applications, the raw sand often has to be subjected to extensive physical and chemical processing. The possibility of achieving silica sand concentrate of required quality depends mostly on raw sand properties, primarily mineral impurity types and contents, and features of applied beneficiation methods. When the impurities occur in the form of oxide coatings on the surfaces of the single sand grains, attriton scrubbing is applied. By reducing the proportion of oxide coatings on the grains, the quality of sand can be improved. With the aim to determine the possibilities of the beneficiation of silica sand from significant Croatian deposits (“Vrtlinska”, “Štefanac” and “Španovica” and achieve concentrate grade complying with the requirements of domestic industry, laboratory tests were conducted on three raw sand samples with different SiO2 and impurity contents. Grain size distribution, chemical and mineral composition of raw sand samples, and the possibility of their quality improvement by applying the washing, classification and attrition scrubbing were defined by analysis of test results (the paper is published in Croatian.

Legal Status of the Catholic Church as an Economic Entity in EU and Croatian Law

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Tomislav Sokol

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Regulation of the Catholic Church’s legal status in the European Union primarily falls within the competences of the Member States. The Croatian legal framework in this respect consists of various types of legal rules, most important of which is the set of international agreements entered into between the Republic of Croatia and the Holy See. Still, EU competition, state aid and free movement rules affect this legal framework to a significant degree. The aim of this paper is to analyse the applicability of the said EU rules to the activities of the Catholic Church in Croatia, that is to determine whether the Catholic Church can be considered an undertaking conducting an economic activity (and to what degree according to the said legal framework, whether the Croatian national legal framework is aligned with the EU rules, and whether there are points of contention in this area which need to be legally rectified. The second part of this paper analyses the European Union state aid and free movement legal framework, primarily trying to determine whether the Catholic Church is an undertaking carrying out an economic activity as prescribed by EU law. In this analysis, several issues emerge which have not been clearly resolved by the Court of Justice. The following part features an outline of the Croatian national legal framework on the legal status of the Catholic Church, focusing on potential points of contention between the national and the EU law. Finally, certain solutions to the mentioned issues are proposed, on the European and the national level, in accordance with legal certainty as the general principle of (EU law.

An Investigation of Marketing via Mobile Devices - Attitudes of Croatian Marketing Experts

OpenAIRE

Dobrinić, Damir; Dvorski, Stjepan; Bosilj, Neven

2008-01-01

Marketing activities supported by mobile devices offer great opportunities for direct communication with consumers without the barriers of time, place, location and other. This article explores opinions and expectations Croatian marketing experts have towards use of m-advertising and other available advertising media, where we take the perspective of marketing experts to predict the future of m-marketing and m-advertising in Croatia. The paper also discusses the relevance of m-advertising and...

Tourist Assessment of Croatian Roads

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Joso Vurdelja

2012-10-01

Full Text Available As environmentally clean industry and as the most significantworld industry regarding the number of employees and theimpact on the social and economic development of a countTy,tourism represents an extremely important social and economicbranch for Croatia.As a functional unit of the mutually interweaving socialand economic relations, tourism is a complex phenomenonwhose development depends on a number of compatible factorsout of which the transport infrastructure is considered to bethe most obvious and almost the most significant one, i.e. thefirst among the equal. This is primarily true for road traffic infrastructure,since road trai!Sportation of tourists by passengercars, buses and motorcycles accounts for more than 90 percentof the overall tourist journeys in Croatia.The topic of this paper is precisely, among other things, thetourist assessment of the Croatian road network by means ofthe so-called econometric model regarding the contribution ofa certain road route to the overall tourist traffic.Practical implementation of the elaborated problematicshould result in the improvement of road infrastructure eitherby constructing new motonvays and/or roads, or by reconstructionand/or modernisation of the existing traffic routes.

Proceedings of the Third symposium of the Croatian Radiation Protection Association

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-01-01

The Third Symposium of the Croatian Radiation Protection Association (20-22 Nov 1996) coorganized by Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health and 'Rudjer Boskovic' Institute, with the support of Ministry of Science and Technology of the Republic of Croatia, Hazardous Waste Management Agency Ltd., Ecotec Ltd. and Tourist Association of the City of Zagreb, covered a vast range of subjects concerning radiation protection, management of industrial and medical radioactive wastes, environmental transport of radionuclides, dosimetric methods and equipment, contamination and decontamination etc. 57 contributions were delivered

The Impact of Coercive Migrations on the Changes of Total Population Flux in the War-Engulfed Croatian Counties

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Ana Pažanin

2006-01-01

Full Text Available The author deals with the war impact and the impact of coercive migrations on the changes of total population fl ux between two censuses. On the eve of and during the Croatian War of Independence, the migration of population of the Republic of Croatia from the war-engulfed areas to the free areas of the country or to the foreign countries increased. The war in Bosnia and Herzegovina has caused a new wave of refugees from that country and a further migrational fl ux in our country. In the article, the author has established, on the case of the war-engulfed areas of eleven Croatian counties, that the war and coercive migrations have caused a decline of population, the growth of aged population, as well as changes in national and confessional structure.

Advantages of the Use of English in Advertising: Attitudes of Croatian Speakers

OpenAIRE

Modrić, Marko

2016-01-01

English is most widely used language in modern advertising. Due to importance on a global scale, both political and economic, and association with modernity, urbanisation and quality, its status of the main language of advertising is not surprising. The purpose of this study is to enquire into consumers attitudes towards the use of English in advertisements (and compare them with those towards the use of Croatian). The data were collected by means of an online questionnaire administered to 77...

Perceptions towards IT Security in Online Banking: Croatian Clients vs. Clients of Bosnia and Herzegovina

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Nedim Makarevic

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This study has been completed with a purpose to analyze and compare perceptions of clients of Bosnia and Herzegovina and those of Croatian clients about IT security in online banking, to provide insight into similarities and differences of their view points and to create important set of information for all subjects active in banking industry. Once the survey based on six variables and specific questions assigned to each one of those variables was prepared, results regarding both countries were collected and concluded. Survey was completed in both Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia at high response rates. Even 207 respondents replied from Bosnia and Herzegovina, while 203 respondents completed survey from Croatia. Results were analyzed and presented using descriptive statistics. Results indicated that Croatian e-banking users trust to banks when it comes to IT security of online banking much more compared to clients of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is important to mention that clients of Croatia perceive tangible features as highly significant while Bosnian clients do not perceive tangible features that much important. This proved that Croatian clients are aware of potential security threats and they know their part of responsibility when it comes to handling money online. On the other hand, results from Bosnia and Herzegovina indicated that Bosnian clients have lack of trust in online banking, and lack of awareness about personal tangible aspects that can improve security of personal online banking experience. The main limitation of this study is relatively small sample and too generic approach. Therefore, this study may be perceived as a pilot study for future researchers. The study’s results may be of interest to marketers and managers of banks operating in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia to learn more about their clients’ perceptions towards their e-banking services.

THE MORPHOSYNTAX AND PRAGMATICS OF CROATIAN FEMALE NAMES

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Branko Kuna

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The paper focuses on the morphosyntactic properties of female names and the ways in which female first names and surnames are used, as well as on adjectives derived from them in the Croatian language. The collected examples indicate that independent use of female surnames, compared to the independent use of male surnames, demonstrates a great degree of variability because their use has still not been standardized. Due to the fact that female surnames are highly marked when compared to the majority of nouns that can undergo declension, female surnames are frequently modified by word formation procedures, even though this is in stark contrast with the norm. Female surnames that can undergo declension are also used in highly formal contexts due to pragmatic and morphosyntactic reasons.

CLOTHING BUYING MOTIVES AND STORE SELECTION CRITERIA – THE CASE OF CROATIAN ADOLESCENTS

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Blaženka Knežević

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to analyse Croatian adolescents’ clothing buying motives and their retail store selection criteria. The paper examined their preferences, attitudes and behaviours when buying clothes - whether adolescents with different primary clothing motives would have similar or different store selection criteria. Also, the paper determined how today’s adolescents spend money on clothes and whether they are more inclined to purchase branded clothes or not. Finally, the paper explained whether Croatian adolescents prefer purchasing in small or large specialized apparel stores, or whether they are more prone to online purchasing or even buying clothes in second-hand shops. Also, the society influences in forming adolescents’ attitudes and decisions towards store selection and purchasing preferences of clothes were examined. The research findings showed that shopping centres are the preferred retail format. In addition, adolescents do not have a fully developed attitude on fashion and clothing. Therefore, they strongly refer to opinions of family and friends when choosing clothes. Moreover, the Internet and TV are evaluated as influential channels of consumer communication within this particular group of consumers. Based on the findings, suggestions for service management and marketing strategies are provided for apparel retail companies that target adolescents.

The application of the CAPM model on selected shares on the Croatian capital market

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Zrinka Tolušić

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The Capital Asset Pricing Model is a model that describes the relationship between risk, expected return and valuation of securities. The theoretical and practical value of this model has proved unquestionable, but under ideal circumstances. The theory has been utilized by numerous researchers and it confirms the linear relationship between risk and return under the CAPM (Capital Asset Pricing Model model showing that greater exposure to risk provides higher returns. However, empirical research showed there were numerous factors that CAPM model did not take into account since it is based on assumptions which exist in reality, but are invisible. Therefore, it is very interesting to study the application of the CAPM model on selected shares on the Croatian capital market and analyze the possibilities of its application in discovering the misvalued shares. Share price changes on the Croatian capital market suggest there are some unknown factors that also influence share valuation. There is no doubt that the fundamental analysis of shares is not sufficient for evaluating the real share value in light of various invisible elements and all available information available which affect their value as well.

DEA-BASED INVESTMENT STRATEGY AND ITS APPLICATION IN THE CROATIAN STOCK MARKET

OpenAIRE

Margareta Gardijan; Vedran Kojić

2012-01-01

This paper describes the DEA-based investment strategy for constructing of a stock portfolio in the Croatian stock market. The relative efficiency of the DMUs, which are in this case the selected stocks from Zagreb Stock Exchange, is obtained from the output oriented CCR and BCC models. The set of inputs consists of risk measures, namely return variance, Value at Risk (VaR) and beta coefficient $(\\beta)$, while monthly return represents an output. Following the „efficiency scores“, obtained f...

2nd Anglo-Croatian Medicinal Symposium on Macrocycles Medicinal Chemistry and Beyond-the-Rule-of-Five

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Vitomir Šunjić

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Second international symposium was jointly organized by the Biological and Medicinal Sector of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC and by the Croatian Chemical Society (CCS on October 17–18, 2016, in Zagreb, Croatia. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Croatian Memories : speech, meaning and emotions in a collection of interviews on experiences of war and trauma.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

F.M.G. de Jong (Franciska); A.J. van Hessen (Arjan); T. Petrovic (Tanja); S. Scagliola (Stef)

2014-01-01

textabstractIn this contribution we describe a collection of approximately 400 video interviews recorded in the context of the project Croatian Memories (CroMe) with the objective of documenting personal war-related experiences. The value of this type of sources is threefold: they contain

Awareness of Cloud Computing in Slovenian and Croatian Micro-Enterprises

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Borut Werber

2015-07-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a comparison of the two studies conducted in Slovenian and Croatian micro-enterprises (µE about the awareness of the cloud computing (CC. We were interested in the issues relating to the characteristics of µE and the latter's use of information and communication technology (ICT in business processes. Also, the characteristics of owners and µE were investigated. We found that the results obtained in the two countries were similar. In both cases, the most important CC characteristics were reliability, security and performance. Given that CC could represent a good business opportunity for µE, some managerial implications are proposed.

Croatian children's experience of war is not reflected in the size and placement of emotive topics in their drawings.

Science.gov (United States)

Jolley, R P; Vulic-Prtoric, A

2001-03-01

The claim that topics in children's drawings convey the children's emotional attitude towards those topics was investigated. The influence of an emotional topic (neutral man, friendly and enemy soldier) and trauma group (child with father or father killed in war) was examined on the size of the topics and their placement relative to a self-portrait drawing. Sixty Croatian children drew a man, followed on a separate page by either (a) a Croatian soldier, (b) an enemy soldier or (c) a second drawing of a man. The child's self-portrait drawing was placed on each page. There were no significant main or interaction effects on size or placement of topic. There are unlikely to be reliable features of drawings that portray the child's emotional attitude towards the topic drawn.

FINANCING POLICIES OF CROATIAN PUBLICLY LISTED FIRMS

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Mihaela Grubisic Seba

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Croatia is a typical bank-based transition economy whose capital market has been primarily used for secondary trading purposes since its re-establishment in 1990s. Except for a couple of exceptions, public offers of shares and corporate bonds have been rather rate. Private offerings of shares and short-term debt have been more frequent. However, due to secondary debt market illiquidity, the debt issues are signed up and either held until maturity or renewal, or they are traded exclusively between the institutional investors.This paper provides evidence from the field on financing preferences of Croatian public companies regarding seasoned equity and corporate debt issuance. It questiones why public offerings of corporate securities in non-financial sector after initial, mostly mandatory shares’ listing have been rare and whether making decisions on securities’ offers depend on other financial instruments’ sufficiency, costs of issunace or previous experience of companies in collecting funds in the capital market.

Organisation development possibilities of Croatian electricity markets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toljan, I.

1999-01-01

Organisational development of the European Union members' power sector is defined by the obligatory legislative document D irectives 92/96 EC, 19.12.1996 . The development goal is a natural monopoly decrease and introduction of competition, having in mind environmental protection which will enable sustainable development of each member. This would provide the European economy to become globally more competitive and to protect macro economic stability more efficiently. The EU members are allowed to make their own decisions regarding the mode of implementation they will use to establish the organisation of electricity market. Non-members of EU are also involved in defining future changes. Developed non-members are more efficient in that process and promptly follow all changes. Transition countries, among them also Croatia, are trying to adjust to such demands, with different success. The aim of this paper is analyse the current Croatian power system and the possibilities if its modernisation. (author)

Croatian Memories : speech, meaning and emotions in a collection of interviews on experiences of war and trauma

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Jong, Franciska M.G.; van Hessen, Adrianus J.; Petrovic, Tanja; Scagliola, Stef

In this contribution we describe a collection of approximately 400 video interviews recorded in the context of the project Croatian Memories (CroMe) with the objective of documenting personal war-related experiences. The value of this type of sources is threefold: they contain information that is

CROATIAN AND INTERNATIONAL COPPER AND SALT ROUTES IN THE PART OF EUROPE

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Berislav Šebečić

2001-12-01

Full Text Available Middle Ages as well as in modern times. Those were caravan and cart routes and navigable river routes adapted to the possibilities of the then traffic. The iinportance of the copper and salt trade has been fin pointed out. From ancient times up until the mid-nineteenth century copper was pro-duced from copper ores in Rude near Samobor and from the mid-nine-teenth century until the beginning of the World War I mostly in Trgovi and Bešinac in Trgovska gora. The main copper trade was carried out from Rude over Dubovac (Karlovac, later on and Vrbovsko to Bakar and later on to Rijeka. I have named that the most important Croatian copper route. Intense intenational trade through Croatia that took place at the late fifteenth and in the course of the sixteenth centuries was a combination of river and cart traffic from the former foundries iu Bans-ka Bistrica (in Slovakia todayover Budim, Zagreb, Dubovac and Mod-ruš to Senj from where cargo was loaded on the ships sailing to Venice and all over the world. That route I have named the intenational copper route. Sea-salt was transported from the Adriatic saltvorks towards inland areas (Croatia salts routes; rock-salt was imported from Hungarian salt-works (todaj in ihe western Roumania and from the Tuzla salts works to the northern part of Croatia (International salt routes (the paper is published in Croatian.

The level of the usage of the human resource information system and electronic recruitment in Croatian companies

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Snježana Pivac

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Performing business according to contemporary requirements influences companies for continuous usage of modern managerial tools, such as a human resource information system (HRIS and electronic recruitment (ER. Human resources have been recognised as curtail resources and the main source of a competitive advantage in creation of successful business performance. In order to attract and select the top employees, companies use quality information software for attracting internal ones, and electronic recruitment for attracting the best possible external candidates. The main aim of this paper is to research the level of the usage of HRIS and ER within medium-size and large Croatian companies. Moreover, the additional aim of this paper is to evaluate the relationship among the usage of these modern managerial tools and the overall success of human resource management within these companies. For the purpose of this paper, primary and secondary research has been conducted in order to reveal the level of the usage of HRIS and ER as well as the overall success of human resource management in Croatian companies. The companies’ classification (HRIS and ER is done by using the non-hierarchical k-means cluster method as well as the nonparametric Kruskal Wallis test. Further, the companies are ranked by the multicriteria PROMETHEE method. Relevant nonparametric tests are used for testing the overall companies’ HRM. Finally, binary logistic regression is estimated, relating binary variable HRM and HRIS development. After detailed research, it can be concluded that large Croatian companies apply HRIS in majority (with a positive relation to HRM performance, but still require certain degrees of its development.

Correlation between social responsibility and efficient performance in Croatian enterprises

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Neda Vitezić

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The objective of the research is to establish if there is a correlation between efficiency and socially responsible business performance in Croatian enterprises. The research is based on the hypothesis that higher corporate efficiency affects social responsibility development in enterprises and vice versa, that socially more responsible corporate performance have a positive effect on efficiency. In their research, many authors have proved the correlation between social responsibility and financial performance, reputation of the enterprise and added value. Cases from transition countries, which transferred to market economy and focused on socially responsible management and sustainability, have not been the subject of research. The social responsibility concept implies balance between economic, ecological and social goals, which means distribution of assets on several actors, so it may be predicted that more efficient enterprises will sooner accept the sustainability concept and act more responsibly. Except for theoretical social responsibility hypothesis, the initial point in the empirical section is dynamic analysis of business activities of Croatian entrepreneurs in the period between 1993 and 2010, on the basis of which a sample of enterprises was chosen, which submit transparent reports on social responsibility. The main result obtained by univariate analysis confirms that socially more responsible enterprises have better financial results, i.e. they are more efficient, and also have better reputation. The research also had limitations in relation to qualitative determination of the social responsibility impact on efficiency. The conclusion is derived that there is a causal relationship between efficiency and social responsibility, i.e. higher efficiency level enables higher allocation of resources with the purpose of socially more responsible corporate performance and vice versa; socially responsible corporate performance have an impact on

Environmental challenges for sustainable development in the Croatian North Adriatic littoral region

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Jelena Lončar

2009-12-01

Full Text Available The paper presents some geographical aspects of sustainable development in a part of the North Adriatic region in the Republic of Croatia. This sensitive region is confronted with problems of space management, water supply, waste management, transportation and energy, especially during the tourist season because of the pressure on infrastructure in the coastal region where there is a great concentration of population and tourist capacities. Another environmental problem is the oil transportation by a pipeline which is planned to be built in the frames of Russian-Croatian project Družba-Adria.

The impact of liquidity on the capital structure: a case study of Croatian firms

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Nataša Šarlija

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Previous studies have shown that in some countries, liquid assets increased leverage while in other countries liquid firms were more frequently financed by their own capital and therefore were less leveraged. Objectives: The aim of this paper is to investigate the impact of liquidity on the capital structure of Croatian firms. Methods/Approach: Pearson correlation coefficient is applied to the test on the relationship between liquidity ratios and debt ratios, the share of retained earnings to capital and liquidity ratios and the relationship between the structure of current assets and leverage. Results: A survey has been conducted on a sample of 1058 Croatian firms. There are statistically significant correlations between liquidity ratios and leverage ratios. Also, there are statistically significant correlations between leverage ratios and the structure of current assets. The relationship between liquidity ratios and the short-term leverage is stronger than between liquidity ratios and the long-term leverage. Conclusions: The more liquid assets firms have, the less they are leveraged. Long- term leveraged firms are more liquid. Increasing inventory levels leads to an increase in leverage. Furthermore, increasing the cash in current assets leads to a reduction in the short-term and the long- term leverage.

PORTFOLIO OPTIMIZATION ON CROATIAN CAPITAL MARKET

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Sinisa Bogdan

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Purpose of this paper was to research portfolio optimization problem on Croatian capital market using Markowitz theory. Research systematically investigated the selection of securities, and defined the importance of using fundamental analysis when selecting the best combination of securities. Since fundamental analysis involves a large number of indicators, this paper selected key indicators that enable a complete and quick securities review on the market. This paper clarifies diversification effect and influence of the correlation coefficient on diversification. Two basic types of assets (stocks and cash funds have been chosen to build the optimal portfolio. Cash funds were selected because they represent a form of risk-free investment, while stocks were chosen because of the high level of return which they achieve. At the end of paper, optimal portfolio was calculated with an excellent yield of 1.82% and deviation of 5.77% on a monthly basis which corresponds to the minimum deviation of the selected stocks. Calculated optimal portfolio achieves better expected value than investing in stock index CROBEX, which for the same period achieves the expected result of -0.02%.

CROATIAN HONEY MARKET IN EUROPEAN ENVIRONMENT

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Dragana Dukić

2004-06-01

Full Text Available This examination is based on comparison of honey production, in countries of European Union, transition countries and The Republic of Croatia. The situation in Croatia is shown with all information about honey production. All data are compared with already managed European countries. In comparison with registrated number of beekeepers and hives, Croatia belongs to transition countries with the smallest number of beekepers and hives. On the other hand, values, such as, number of hives per beekeper and average honey production by hive, classify Croatia ahead of transition countries. There are very few professional beekepers in Croatia, as well as in other transition countries, but not countries of The European Union. Honey production in Croatia has been increasing last seven years and in the last few it increased more than 50%. Export of honey in the last 2 years is half of the complete honey production, which accomplish conditions for export enlargement. At the same time, import of honey is considerable reduced. Conditions for export can be better with production of biological clean honey (eco-honey, since Croatia has great resources for it. Also, cost of Croatian honey on the foreign market, will be considerable higher.

Croatian Support for Strengthening International Safeguards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cizmek, Ankica; Novosel, Nevenka

2010-01-01

Nuclear science and technology has the potential to contribute to health and prosperity. However, it is also the basis for the development of nuclear weapons. The acceptance and implementation of IAEA safeguards therefore serve as important confidence building measures, through which a State can demonstrate, and other States can be assured, that nuclear energy is being used only for peaceful purpose. Practically, all countries around the world use nuclear techniques for a variety of peaceful purposes, including food and water security, energy, industrial application and human health. Only a few of these activities involve the type of nuclear material that could potentially be diverted to make nuclear weapons or other explosive devices. And here the safeguards are on duty. The safeguards system aims at detecting the diversion of nuclear material. In this paper will be presented international conventions and bilateral agreements in the field of nuclear safety as well as the Croatian cooperation with international organizations and associations in the nuclear area, such as Nuclear Supplier Group, Zangger Committee, Wassenaar Arrangement, Comprehensive Nuclear-Test- Ban treaty Organization, Euratom and civil expert groups of NATO. (author)

Clinical, hormonal and metabolic characteristics of polycystic ovary syndrome among obese and nonobese women in the Croatian population.

Science.gov (United States)

Baldani, Dinka Pavicić; Skrgatić, Lana; Goldstajn, Marina Sprem; Vrcić, Hrvoje; Canić, Tomislav; Strelec, Mihajlo

2013-06-01

Obesity has a deteriorating impact on women with PCOS, although prevalence and the impact of specific traits of PCOS remain inconstant in different populations. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the differences in clinical, hormonal and metabolic features between obese and nonobese Croatian women diagnosed as having PCOS according to Rotterdam consensus criteria. The study included 74 obese and 208 nonobese women with PCOS. Clinical, biochemical and metabolic variables were compared among those PCOS subgroups. Obese subjects with PCOS had a higher risk of developing oligo-amenorrhea (OR 3.7; 95% CI, 1.1-12.5) and lower risk for developing hirsutism and acne (OR 0.2; 95% CI, 0.1-0.3 and OR 0.8; 95% CI 0.5-1.4, respectively). Obese PCOS subjects also had a higher risk of developing hyperandrogenemia (OR 2.5; CI 95% 0.9-6.7), insulin resistance (OR 4.5; CI 95%, 2.6-7.9), hypercholesterolemia (OR 5.0, CI 95% 2.5-10.2), hypertriglyceridemia (OR 5.2; 95% CI, 2.9-9.2) as well as elevated serum CRP levels (OR 4.1; 95% CI 1.4-12.2) compared to nonobese PCOS women. In conclusion, nonobese Croatian women with PCOS are more inclined to cosmetic problems associated with PCOS then metabolic ones. This is the first study to report the impact of obesity on acne and irregular menses as a study outcome. Obesity deteriorates menstrual regularity, insulin sensitivity and lipid profile in Croatian women with PCOS; therefore one of the fundamental treatment strategies of PCOS should be obesity prevention.

Moving to e-Business: Exploratory Study on e-Business Readiness in Croatian Large Companies

OpenAIRE

Spremić, Mario

2003-01-01

This paper defines e-business, its dimensions with respect to differences between traditional business, partial, or pure e-business. Also, a model for moving to e-business is illustrated. The results of the study on current practices in evolving the e-business in top Croatian companies are presented. In this paper some aspects of business process innovation and e-business usage have been investigated (general e-business issues with levels of e-business usage, key objectives of participating i...

Regulatory Framework on Exploration and Exploitation of Croatian Part of Adriatic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mudric, M.

2015-01-01

As the prelude to the regulation of marine exploration and exploitation activities in the Croatian Adriatic waters, the new Mining Act and Act on exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons have provided a general legal framework for the natural resources exploration and exploitation. The latter Act also appropriated the establishment of the independent regulatory body, the Hydrocarbon Agency. It is important to mention the Decree on Fees for exploration and production of hydrocarbons, and the Decree on main technical requirements on safety and security of offshore exploration and production of hydrocarbons in the Republic of Croatia, that are of special relevance for the current activities with regard the proposed project of exploration and exploitation of the Croatian waters in search for gas and oil sea-bed deposits. The Hydrocarbon Agency has published the Strategic Study of the Likely Significant Environmental Impact of the Framework Plan and Program of Exploration and Production of Hydrocarbons in the Adriatic, a document receiving a lot of criticism from the legal experts and general public. At the same time, the experts tend to support the general idea of sea-bed exploration and exploitation, with the major antagonism still being present in the general public, with several initiatives introducing the possibility of a public referenda to oppose the sea-bed exploration and exploitation. The Government is currently preparing the Act on the Safety of Offshore Hydrocarbon Exploration and Production Operations, based on the Directive 94/22/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 1994 on the conditions for granting and using authorizations for the prospection, exploration and production of hydrocarbons, the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1112/2014 of 13 October 2014 determining a common format for sharing of information on major hazard indicators by the operators and owners of offshore oil and gas installations and a common format

Morphological and motor characteristics of Croatian first league female football players.

Science.gov (United States)

Jelaska, Petra Mandić; Katić, Ratko; Jelaska, Igor

2013-05-01

The aim of this study was to determine the structure of morphological and motor characteristics of Croatian first league female football players and their impact on the estimated quality of the players. According to the goal of the research, a sample consisted of 70 Croatian first league female football players. Participants were measured in 18 tests for assessing morphological characteristics, a set of 12 basic motor abilities tests and a set of 7 tests for assessing football-specific motor abilities. Exploratory factor analysis strategy was applied separately to all measured tests: morphological, basic motor abilities and football specific motor abilities. Factor analysis of morphological tests has shown existence of 3 significant latent dimensions that explain 64% of the total variability. Factors are defined as transverse dimensionality of the skeleton and voluminosity (35%), subcutaneous fat tissue (16%) and longitudinal dimensionality of the skeleton (13%). In the area of basic motor abilities, four factors were extracted. The first factor is responsible for the integration of agility and explosive power of legs, i.e. a factor of movement regulation (agility/lower body explosiveness) (23%), the second one defines muscle tone regulation (15%), the third one defines the frequency of leg movements (12%), while the fourth one is recognized as responsible for the manifestation of basic strength, particularly of basic core strength (19%). Two factors were isolated in the space of football-specific motor abilities: football-specific efficiency (53%) and situational football coordination (27%). Furthermore, by use of factor analysis on extracted latent dimensions (morphological, basic and football specific motor abilities) two higher order factors (explaining 87% of common variability) were extracted. They were named morphological-motor factor (54%) and football-specific motor abilities factor (33%). It is assumed that two extracted higher-order factors fully

Croatian Experience in Road Traffic Noise Management - Concrete Noise Barriers

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Ahac Saša

2014-07-01

Full Text Available The paper gives an overview of concrete noise barrier application in several EU countries and in Croatia. It describes a process of introducing different noise protection solutions on Croatian market in the phase of intensive motorway construction in recent years. Namely, an extensive motorway network has been constructed in Croatia in the last 10 years. Following the process of motorway construction, noise protection walls have also been erected. Usage of different building materials and installation processes as well as variations in building expenditures has led to a comparative analysis of several types of noise protection solutions (expanded clay, wood fibre including a new eco-innovative product RUCONBAR, which incorporates rubber granules from recycled waste tyres to form a porous noise absorptive layer.

Energy Prices and Internal Costs in Croatian Energy System Restructuring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Potocnik, V. , Magdic, M.

1995-01-01

After social and political changes in 1990, energy prices in Croatia have been getting closer to the West European averages, faster than in the most European countries in transition. The energy prices for industry are almost at the West European level, while the energy prices of electricity and natural gas for households and those of the gasoline are well behind. If the population purchasing power parity (PPP) is taken into account, these relations change. While the internalization of external energy costs is under way in the developed world, it has not practically started yet in Croatia. The Croatian energy system restructuring shall require gradual adjustment of energy prices, together with multistage internalization of external energy costs. (author). 6 refs., 3 tabs., 2 figs

Integral Indicator of Ecological Footprint for Croatian Power Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strijov, V.; Granic, G.; Juric, Z.; Jelavic, B.; Antesevic Maricic, S.

2009-01-01

The main goal of this paper is to present the methodology of construction of the Integral Indicator for Croatian Thermal Power Plants and Combined Heat and Power Plants. The Integral Indicator is necessary to compare Power Plants selected according to a certain criterion. The criterion of the Ecological Footprint is chosen. The following features of the Power Plants are used: generated electricity and heat; consumed coal and liquid fuel; sulphur content in fuel; emitted CO 2 , SO 2 , NO x and particles. To construct the Integral Indicator the linear model is used. The model parameters are tuned by the Principal Component Analysis algorithm. The constructed Integral Indicator is compared with several others, such as Pareto-Optimal Slicing Indicator and Metric Indicator. The Integral Indicator keeps as much information about features of the Power Plants as possible; it is simple and robust.(author).

Evaluation of risk management status for Croatian logistic operators

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Diana BOŽIĆ

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Understanding organisational risks makes possible to control them and to change them into organisational strengths. Being known as “measure of uncertainty” in the business process, the risk is the uncertainty of achieving the organizational objectives. It may involve positive or negative consequences. There is a level of uncertainty in every supply chain while operating transportation and warehousing, positioning on the market, developing customer support, reducing cycle times or cutting costs. Therefore, the risk assessment should be one of the main tasks for any supply chain management team. It is required to develop formal risk assessment procedures, to identify the potential impacts to the supply chain operations and to develop a set of contingency plans to mitigate risks. This paper deals with supply chain risk assessment methodology, outlining the present risk management status of Croatian logistic operators.

Validation of the Croatian Version of the Social Self-Esteem Scale

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Margareta Jelić

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Within the frame of Social Identity Theory (SIT self-esteem was given a central role in explaining intergroup discrimination. Furthermore, SIT emphasized the difference between personal and social identity and thus tried to avoid explaining group process and intergroup relations in terms of personal characteristics. However, social identity theory hypotheses are largely tested using measures of personal self-esteem due to the lack of social self-esteem measures. The Collective Self-Esteem Scale (CSES (Luhtanen i Crocker, 1992, has thus been adapted for use in Croatia. The scale measures social identity level based on belonging to the group in focus and has proved to be a useful tool in many studies. The aim of this research was the validation of the Collective Self-esteem Scale. The research was conducted on 1014 citizens of Vukovar and 273 pupils and students from Zagreb and Velika Gorica. Firstly, metric characteristics of the Croatian version of the scale were checked. Secondly, its validity and connections to related constructs were determined. Although the obtained 4-factor solution does not fully meet the structure proposed by the authors of the scale, it has had a stable factor structure on the Croatian sample, confirmed on two different samples. It gives information on the positive and negative social self-esteem level; on how one thinks other perceive his/her group; and how important that group is for one’s self-concept. All four types of information proved useful in explanation of the ethnic identity level, ingroup bias and intergroup attitudes in general. Reliability and validity values obtained in two research projects have shown the Collective Self-Esteem Scale’s potential as a useful tool when investigating group processes and intergroup relations in Croatia.

Testing The ‘Black Swan Effect’ on Croatian Stock Market Between 2000 and 2013

OpenAIRE

Radman Peša, Anita; Brajković, Ana

2015-01-01

We tested the economic activity and stock exchange of Croatia as a new country of European Union (EU) in order to investigate the ‘Black Swan effect’ from 2000 to 2013. The empirical findings obtained in application of OLS methodology and Chow breaking point test provide evidence and show that resignation of the Croatian ex-Prime Minister did lead country successfully to EU. Also, ‘The Black Swan’ event, being unpredictable and having huge impact on political and economic environm...

Nomenclature and Terminology of Organic Chemistry. I. Sixty Years of Croatian Nomenclature of Organic Chemistry

OpenAIRE

Rapić, V.; Varga-Defterdarović, L.

2013-01-01

This article describes the history and development of the Croatian nomenclature of organic chemistry from the publication of the first translation of international nomenclature recommendations to the present age. In the Introduction, trivial, common, systematic (rational), and semisystematic names are defined, and the etymology and meaning of terms nomenclature and terminology are clarified.At the beginning of the central part of this article, attention is focused on the need to create our na...

Liberalization of power generation sector in the Croatian electricity market

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Viskovic, Alfredo

2005-01-01

The electricity market liberalization and the restructuring of power utilities eventually leads to the establishment of a single electricity market in Europe, which is especially important for efficiency gains in electricity generation coupled with increased security of supply, economic competitiveness and fulfillment of environmental requirements. The European electricity market Directives as well as the Energy Community Treaty for South East Europe (legislative Menu) have remarkable impact on the restructuring of the Croatian power sector and the development of electricity generation. The Croatian model of restructuring includes legal un bundling (in the ownership of one holding company - Hrvatska Elektroprivreda (HEP)). The operation of HEP Group and its subsidiaries in the conditions of partially opened electricity market in an important element that shapes the interactions of competitive activities and regulated activities in the environment influenced by exogenous factors a thirteen percent electricity are controlled by the Energy Market Operator (MO), the Transmission System Operator (TSO) and the Energy Regulatory Agency (CERA). The introduction of eligible procedures and newly created operative procedures for power system operation, are creating completely new conditions for competition in the power generation sector, where almost all power plants are owned by HEP. New generating capacities in Croatia can be built through tendering and licensing procedures carried out by the Regulator. Electricity prices are still regulated by the Government (below the cost reflective level), there is a small share of industrial consumers and the annual electricity production is 12 TWh, with relatively large share of hydro plants. All these have implications on the development of the power generation sector in Croatia as well as on electricity market operation. The subject matter of this paper is an impact of power system restructuring and electricity market opening on the

National healthcare information system in Croatian primary care: the foundation for improvement of quality and efficiency in patient care

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Darko Gvozdanovi_

2007-09-01

Full Text Available In order to improve the quality of patient care, while at the same time keeping up with the pace of increased needs of the population for healthcare services that directly impacts on the cost of care delivery processes, the Republic of Croatia, under the leadership of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, has formed a strategy and campaign for national public healthcare system reform. The strategy is very comprehensive and addresses all niches of care delivery processes; it is founded on the enterprise information systems that will aim to support end-to-end business processes in the healthcare domain. Two major requirements are in focus: (1 to provide efficient healthcare-related data management in support of decision-making processes; (2 to support a continuous process of healthcare resource spending optimisation. The first project is the Integrated Healthcare Information System (IHCIS on the primary care level; this encompasses the integration of all primary point-of-care facilities and subjects with the Croatian Institute for Health Insurance and Croatian National Institute of Public Health. In years to come, IHCIS will serve as the main integration platform for connecting all other stakeholders and levels of health care (that is, hospitals, pharmacies, laboratories into a single enterprise healthcare network. This article gives an overview of Croatian public healthcare system strategy aims and goals, and focuses on properties and characteristics of the primary care project implementation that started in 2003; it achieved a major milestone in early 2007 - the official grand opening of the project with 350 GPs already fully connected to the integrated healthcare information infrastructure based on the IHCIS solution.

The fiftieth anniversary of the Croatian scientific society for the history of health culture.

Science.gov (United States)

Eterović, Igor

2017-12-01

This paper presents the impressive activity of the Croatian Society for the History of Health Culture on the occasion of the half-century anniversary. The short overall historical review of the Society's history is given, and three particularly important projects are highlighted: the science conventions "Rijeka and its Citizens in Medical History" ("Rijeka i Riječani u medicinskoj povjesnici"), the scientific journal AMHA - Acta medico-historica Adriatica, and the special section called "In honour of Asclepius and Orpheus" ("Asklepiju i Orfeju u čast").

Croatian-Hungarian cooperation on the Danube river radioactivity measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lulic, S.; Vancsura, P.

2003-01-01

Danube river radioactivity measurements on the border profile Mohac-Batina have been performed since the beginning of 1978 with varying frequency of sampling. Thus, in the period before nuclear power plant Paks started to work joint croatian-hungarian sampling at the border profile was taking place four times a year; the obtained results of measured radioactivity levels were used to assess radioactivity background data. From the start of nuclear power plant Paks running until Chernobyl reactor accident (April 1986) sampling was performed six times a year. After the Chernobyl accident, samples have been taken every month. Since decreased Chernobyl reactor accident influence was estimated until present samples have been taken six times a year. On the Danube river border profile the concentration activity of gamma radionuclides has been determined in water samples (filtered water and suspended matter), and in fish, sediment and Danube river algae samples. (authors)

Upwards Intensifiers in the English, German and Croatian Language

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Anita Pavić Pintarić

2014-12-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates the upwards intensifiers (adverbs of intensifying in the English, German and Croatian language. Intensity as an important human cognitive category, and language expressivity is differently treated in grammars and dictionaries of all three languages, especially with respect to different degrees of intensity. In this paper we argue that it is possible to model a typology of upwards adverb intensifiers in the three languages, according to their morphosyntactic and semantic aspects. When it comes to intensifiers, it is necessary to describe which collocates are modified by intensifiers and which semantic fields the collocates belong to. The results of the corpus analysis based on Harry Potter novels show that all the three languages express the category of the upwards intensity in the same way: the number of intensifiers is similar, the collocates mostly belong to the same semantic fields and word classes, they have similar syntactic functions.

Political Cynicism and Kynicism of Croatian Citizens. Profiles of Political Thinking and Behavior

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Nebojša Blanuša

2015-10-01

Full Text Available In the last thirty years uneasiness among scholars and political actors has been growing larger as more citizens demonstrate cynical attitudes. These citizens feel that politicians are immoral and incompetent, have less faith in democracy, and show lower levels of political participation. However, Peter Sloterdijk points out that the dominant view of cynicism is simplified. He divides cynical reason into two separate ways of thinking: cynicism and kynicism. The main difference between them is in individual’s reaction to the cleavage between public ideological mask and individual’s idea of social reality. Cynics persist in keeping the ideological mask on and have an “enlightened false consciousness”, while kynics highlight this cleavage, oppose the dominant ideology and point out misuses of political power. This research was conducted with the goal of creating cynicism and kynicism scales. Their validity was tested for two samples – a smaller sample of students and later on the representative sample of Croatian citizens (N=1002. Also, connection of cynical and kynical thought with an array of relevant political attitudes and political behavior was tested. Results indicate that cynicism and kynicism are relatively separated and coherent types of political thought. Kynicism is primarily related to low trust in political institutions, but also to lower support of democracy. Specific combinations of these two types of thought have a highly negative potential for abandoning the democratic way of thinking. This work offers an empirical confirmation for Sloterdijk’s model, and confirms usefulness of it in understanding political thought and behavior of Croatian citizens.

Political Cynicism and Kynicism of Croatian Citizens. Profiles of Political Thinking and Behavior

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Blanuša, Nebojša

2015-07-01

Full Text Available In the last thirty years uneasiness among scholars and political actors has been growing larger as more citizens demonstrate cynical attitudes. These citizens feel that politicians are immoral and incompetent, have less faith in democracy, and show lower levels of political participation. However, Peter Sloterdijk points out that the dominant view of cynicism is simplified. He divides cynical reason into two separate ways of thinking: cynicism and kynicism. The main difference between them is in individual’s reaction to the cleavage between public ideological mask and individual’s idea of social reality. Cynics persist in keeping the ideological mask on and have an “enlightened false consciousness”, while kynics highlight this cleavage, oppose the dominant ideology and point out misuses of political power. This research was conducted with the goal of creating cynicism and kynicism scales. Their validity was tested for two samples – a smaller sample of students and later on the representative sample of Croatian citizens (N=1002. Also, connection of cynical and kynical thought with an array of relevant political attitudes and political behavior was tested. Results indicate that cynicism and kynicism are relatively separated and coherent types of political thought. Kynicism is primarily related to low trust in political institutions, but also to lower support of democracy. Specific combinations of these two types of thought have a highly negative potential for abandoning the democratic way of thinking. This work offers an empirical confirmation for Sloterdijk’s model, and confirms usefulness of it in understanding political thought and behavior of Croatian citizens.

Jasenovac – A Past that Does Not Pass : The Presence of Jasenovac in Croatian and Serbian Collective Memory of Conflict

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Odak, S.; Benčić, A.

2016-01-01

In this article the authors discuss the role of Jasenovac Concentration Camp in Croatian and Serbian political and social spheres. Connecting the historical data with the analysis of the recent mutual accusations of genocide between the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Serbia before the

Occurrences in Capital Structure Flow of Croatian Companies in the Pre-Recession Period (2002 – 2007

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Stipan Penavin

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The objectives of the paper were to analyse the ways of changing the capital structure in Croatian companies in the period 2002-2007 and to examine whether there is a difference in the capital structure with regard to the activity and the regions in Croatia. The capital structure was examined by analysing three financial coefficients: debt ratio, liabilities/capital ratio and indebtedness factor. The research encompassed a representative sample of 1,500 Croatian companies whose structure was observed in the mentioned period. The companies had three activities: manufacturing, services and commerce and were located in three regions: eastern, north-western and the Adriatic region. Variance analysis (ANOVA for repeated measurements was used to analyse longitudinal data. The results show that the most frequent way of capital structure change is the one where the equity remains the same and own capital grows through retained earnings while the capital from outside sources increases as well. Furthermore, there is a difference in capital structure regarding the activity and the regions in Croatia at a certain time. The highest indebtedness was recorded in the commercial business while the lowest was in the service industry. Moreover, the highest indebtedness level is in the eastern region and the lowest in the north-western region.

Critical Mass in the Boardroom of Croatian Banks

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Kramaric Tomislava Pavic

2017-04-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates the influence of gender diversity in the boardroom of Croatian banks on their performance. Specifically, we deal with both management and supervisory boards. Moreover, based on critical mass theory, the authors try to find out what constitutes critical mass. Using a static panel analysis on a sample of all commercial banks that operated in the period 2002-2014, three models were estimated with return on assets (ROA, return on equity (ROE and net interest margin (NIM as dependent variables. Board structure variables include gender of the chairperson, size of the board, share of women on the board and four dummy variables constructed on critical mass theory, specifically uniform group, skewed group, tilted group and balanced group. Other controls employed in the model include capital adequacy, the growth rate of assets at the bank level, ownership, age and a crisis dummy. The main finding is that when a critical mass of 20%-40% of women on the management board has been reached, bank performance improves.

DIFFERENCES AMONG TENNIS PLAYERS AGED 12, 14 AND 16 YEARS IN CERTAIN MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS: A CROATIAN PROSPECTIVE

OpenAIRE

Novak, Dario; Milanović, Dragan; Barbaros-Tudor, Petar

2015-01-01

Primary objective of this research was to identify quantitative differences among tennis players aged 12, 14 and 16 with regards to the indicators of morphological characteristics. Sixty (60) tennis players ranked on the scale of the Croatian Tennis Association were analysed through differences in morphological characteristics which were identified by a standard laboratory diagnostic procedure in Sports-diagnostic Centre of the Faculty of Kinesiology at the University of Zagreb. Significant d...

A Special Issue: Geomathematics in practice: Case studies from earth- and environmental sciences – Proceedings of the Croatian-Hungarian Geomathematical Congress, Hungary 2015

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Hatvani István Gábor

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The present paper aims to introduce the current problems of geomathematics along with giving on overview on the papers published in the special issue covering the Croatian-Hungarian Geomathematical Congress of 2015 in Hungary.

“Ethnic” and “Cosmopolitan” Transnationalism: Two Cohorts of Croatian Immigrants in Australia

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Val Colic-Peisker

2006-09-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a case study of migrant transnationalism on the basis of ethnographic data collected among Croatians migrants in Western Australia. So far transnationalism has been theorized as the sustained connection of migrants to their homelands, while this paper introduces a distinction between “ethnic” and “cosmopolitan” transnationalism. The sample of respondents comes from two distinct immigrant cohorts, one consisting of earlier arrivals (1950s–1970s and the other comprising more recent arrivals (1980s–1990s. Due to social changes in the sending country as well as immigration policy changes in the receiving country, these two cohorts are significantly different in terms of their socio-economic background. This determines their identity, belonging and type of incorporation in the Australian society, and also brings about different types of transnationalism that these two groups practise. While respondents from the working-class cohort tend to see their ethnic identity as central and describe themselves as part of the Croatian diaspora, those from the more recent middle-class cohort see their profession as the central axis of their identity. The transnationalism of the older cohort is conceptualized as “ethnic transnationalism” which bridges the distance between Australia and the “lost” but nonetheless real homeland, Croatia. The transnationalism of the professional cohort is theorized as “cosmopolitan transnationalism” which is lived and felt beyond the homeland-hostland connection, in the space of cultural hybridity and global mobility. The introduction to this paper gives a brief overview of the concept of transnationalism and the way it has been theorized in migration studies in the past twenty years.

Electrical Resistance Alloys and Low-Expansion Alloys

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kjer, Torben

1996-01-01

The article gives an overview of electrical resistance alloys and alloys with low thermal expansion. The electrical resistance alloys comprise resistance alloys, heating alloys and thermostat alloys. The low expansion alloys comprise alloys with very low expansion coefficients, alloys with very low...... thermoelastic coefficients and age hardenable low expansion alloys....

Comparative analysis of the spatial organisation of the Catholic Church on the Croatian Adriatic coast. Changes after World War II and perspectives for its future reorganisation

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Josip Kajinić

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This paper outlines the changes in the organisation of the Catholic Church in Istria, Kvarner and Dalmatia after World War II. A detailed analysis of the circumstances that lead to the establishment of the Rijeka Diocese, Archdiocese and Metropolitan Archdiocese, ecclesiastical union of the Istrian region in Croatia, the abolition of the Zadar Metropolitan Archdiocese, the raising of the Split-Makarska Diocese to an Archdiocese, and the establishment of the Split Metropolitan Archdiocese. The principles upon which the Church reorganisation in the spatial sense are considered, and presents new insights, particularly for the Croatian dimension. The second part of the paper gives a comparative analysis of the spatial organisation of the Catholic Church on the Croatian coast of the Adriatic Sea, with other countries. Examples were selected based on compatibility of different factors, with consideration to the historical context of events and their causes. To that aim, specific examples of the church administration in France and Italy are given. Using these examples and documents of church archives and official records and documents of the Catholic Church, this paper gives a final overview of the possibilities for the reorganisation of the church administration on the Croatian Adriatic coast.

Comparative analysis of the spatial organisation of the Catholic Church on the Croatian Adriatic coast. Changes after World War II and perspectives for its future reorganisation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Josip Kajinić

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This paper outlines the changes in the organisation of the Catholic Church in Istria, Kvarner and Dalmatia after World War II. A detailed analysis of the circumstances that lead to the establishment of the Rijeka Diocese, Archdiocese and Metropolitan Archdiocese, ecclesiastical union of the Istrian region in Croatia, the abolition of the Zadar Metropolitan Archdiocese, the raising of the Split-Makarska Diocese to an Archdiocese, and the establishment of the Split Metropolitan Archdiocese. The principles upon which the Church reorganisation in the spatial sense are considered, and presents new insights, particularly for the Croatian dimension. The second part of the paper gives a comparative analysis of the spatial organisation of the Catholic Church on the Croatian coast of the Adriatic Sea, with other countries. Examples were selected based on compatibility of different factors, with consideration to the historical context of events and their causes. To that aim, specific examples of the church administration in France and Italy are given. Using these examples and documents of church archives and official records and documents of the Catholic Church, this paper gives a final overview of the possibilities for the reorganisation of the church administration on the Croatian Adriatic coast.

The relationship of trait emotional intelligence with the Big Five in Croatian and Slovene university student samples

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Andreja Avsec

2009-11-01

Full Text Available The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between trait emotional intelligence (EI and the Big Five factors of personality in two samples of Croatian and Slovenian university students. If EI is to be of significant value, it must measure something unique and distinct from standard personality traits. The Croatian sample consisted of 257 undergraduate students from University of Rijeka and Osijek and in Slovene sample there were 171 undergraduate students from University of Ljubljana. Participants filled out the Emotional Skills and Competences Questionnaire (ESCQ, Takšić, 1998 and the Big Five Inventory (BFI; John, Donahue, & Kentle, 1991. After controlling for nationality and gender, the Big Five explained up to 33% of the variance of EI. For the Perceive and Understand Emotions Scale only openness and extraversion explain important part of the variance; for the Express and Label Emotions Scale extraversion and conscientiousness are important predictors. The Big Five traits are able to explain the highest proportion of the variance in the Manage and Regulate Emotion Scale; neuroticism is the strongest predictor, but extraversion and conscientiousness also predict important part of the variance. Although high, this percentage of explained variance does not put in question the discriminant validity of EI questionnaire.

DETERMINANTS OF CAPITAL STRUCTURE OF CROATIAN ENTERPRISES BEFORE AND DURING THE FINANCIAL CRISIS

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Ena Mostarac

2013-06-01

Full Text Available This paper analysis capital structure determinants of Croatian enterprises based on a cross-sectional data for pre-recession 2007 and recession 2010 comprising about 10,000 firms. Determinants are selected with reference to the relevant capital structure theories and include asset tangibility, profitability, firm size and business risk. The results indicate highly positive significant impact of tangibility and negative significant impact of profitability on financial leverage in both observed years. Firm size seems to be statistically significant at higher level in crisis period, but at the same time no relationship can be found between business risk and financial leverage that is of economic significance.

Proces organizacijskega učenja v slovenskih, hrvaških in malezijskih podjetjih = Organizational Learning Process in Slovenian, Croatian, and Malaysian Companies

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Vlado Dimovski

2006-12-01

Full Text Available n our contribution we aim to test differences in the way companies learn in Slovenia, Croatia, and Malaysia. We used the Organizational learning measurement instrument developed and tested by Dimovski (1994, Škerlavaj (2003, Dimovski and Škerlavaj (2005. It employs three measurement variables (Information acquisition, Information interpretation, and Behavioural and cognitive changes as well as 38 items (presented in the paper to measure the Organizational learning construct. In autumn 2005, data from 203 Slovenian, 202 Croatian, and 300 Malaysian companies were gathered. Results indicate that companies in all three countries under scrutiny are closest in terms of behavioural and cognitive changes, meaning that globalization and other challenges of the modern business environment demand all of them to change and adapt quickly. However, the ways they are coping with those challenges are different. Generally speaking, there are more similarities than dissimilarities between Slovenia and Croatia, while this is not the case when comparing both countries to Malaysia. When acquiring information, Slovenian and Croatian companies rely more on internal sources (own employees, past decisions, etc., while Malaysian companies tend to rely more on external sources and more often have employees dedicated to searching for external information. When trying to interpret the information acquired, Slovenian and Croatian companies rely more on personal contacts, informal team meetings, and believe that information given to subordinates must be simple and concise, while Malaysian companies tend to use more formal collective decision-making and written communication to understand the meaning of information.

Crowdfunding - Croatian legal perspective and comparison to other sources of financing

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Katarina Durdenic

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Crowdfunding is a new way of financing ideas by raising small amounts of money from a large number of people, typically via the internet. Most countries do not have special legislation governing crowdfunding but some countries like the United States, Italy, France, the United Kingdom and Germany have amended their legislation with provisions specifically designed for crowdfunding. The first aim of this research was to examine which existing legislation could be applied to crowdfunding as well as to review whether there is a need in the Croatian system to introduce new legislation designed specifically for crowdfunding issues. The second research aim was to compare crowdfunding with other sources of financing in order to decide whether it can represent a substitute for them or only a possible complementary instrument.

Croatian Air Traffic in the Integration Process of the Countries of 21st Century Europe

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Sanja Steiner

2012-10-01

Full Text Available The paper analyses the guidelines regarding air traffic developmentin Croatia within the context of integration processesof the European countries, which has been articulated bythe EATCHIP and EATMS project as a unique European airtraffic management. The positive projection of the developmentis based on the re-integration of the intemational airroutes (overflights with the Croatian interests from thegeotraffic aspect mostly overlapping with the interests ofSlovenia and Bosnia and He1zegovina. As conclusion, a conceptof common strategies of these countries is suggested, in requilingthe operationalisation of air conidors in this part of Europe.

Silicon Alloying On Aluminium Based Alloy Surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suryanto

2002-01-01

Silicon alloying on surface of aluminium based alloy was carried out using electron beam. This is performed in order to enhance tribological properties of the alloy. Silicon is considered most important alloying element in aluminium alloy, particularly for tribological components. Prior to silicon alloying. aluminium substrate were painted with binder and silicon powder and dried in a furnace. Silicon alloying were carried out in a vacuum chamber. The Silicon alloyed materials were assessed using some techniques. The results show that silicon alloying formed a composite metal-non metal system in which silicon particles are dispersed in the alloyed layer. Silicon content in the alloyed layer is about 40% while in other place is only 10.5 %. The hardness of layer changes significantly. The wear properties of the alloying alloys increase. Silicon surface alloying also reduced the coefficient of friction for sliding against a hardened steel counter face, which could otherwise be higher because of the strong adhesion of aluminium to steel. The hardness of the silicon surface alloyed material dropped when it underwent a heating cycle similar to the ion coating process. Hence, silicon alloying is not a suitable choice for use as an intermediate layer for duplex treatment

Zagreb Conference on English Contrastive Projects, 7-9 December 1970. Papers and Discussion. Studies 4. The Yugoslav Serbo-Croatian-English Contrastive Project.

Science.gov (United States)

Filipovic, Rudolf, Ed.

The fourth volume in this series contains the papers presented at the Zagreb Conference on English Contrastive Projects. They are: "Recent Center Activities in Contrastive Linguistics," by William Nemser; "The Yugoslav Serbo-Croatian-English Contrastive Project So Far," by Rudolf Filipovic; "The Poznan Polish-English Contrastive Project," by Jacek…

Subsidies in Croatian agriculture and adjustment to the EU

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Ramona Franić

2005-08-01

Full Text Available After the Croatian independence and re-adoption of the free trade principles, in political debates agriculture got the role of one of the basic pillar in economic development. There is intention to protect domestic agriculture against much more developed western European agriculture and to support its competitiveness, respecting at the same time the requirements of the international trade agreements asking for decreasing domestic protection. The reform of agricultural price policy started in 1988, due to the trade policy reform within the requirements imposed by the membership in the World Trade Organization. Recent changes from 2003 tend to simplify the system of agricultural support and to equalize the level of incentives. Together with existing production subsidies, new models of income support, capital investments and rural development are introduced. The reform predicts harmonization of domestic agricultural policy measures with those conducted or should be conducted in the EU. It means the shift from the old way of supporting European agricultural markets, toward incentives for European farmer, in the way that in total support prevails income, and not production support.

Proceedings of the Fifth Symposium of the Croatian Radiation Protection Association

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krajcar Bronic, I.; Miljanic, S.; Obelic, B.

2003-01-01

Croatian Radiation Protection Association (CRPA) organised symposium with international participation. Co-organisers (Rudjer Boskovic Institute, Zagreb, Croatia and Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Zagreb, Croatia) show importance of this symposium, which was under the auspices of several ministries (Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Physical Planning, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Science and Technology of the Republic of Croatia) and State Office for Standardization and Metrology. All topics are of great interest for Croatia. They present recent researches in Croatia and in other almost same oriented countries in Europe.The distribution of topics at the Fifth symposium shows same parts with articles from radioecology and radon, biological and medical topics, as well as professional and public exposure and dosimetry. Also, non-ionising radiations take its share as very interesting topics at present. (S.P.)

Chemometric Analysis of High Molecular Mass Glutenin Subunits and Image Data of Bread Crumb Structure from Croatian Wheat Cultivars

OpenAIRE

Zorica Jurković; Rezica Sudar; Damir Magdić; Daniela Horvat; Želimir Kurtanjek

2002-01-01

The aim of this work is to investigate functional relationships among wheat properties, high molecular mass (weight) (HMW) glutenin subunits and bread quality produced from eleven Croatian wheat cultivars by chemometric analysis. HMW glutenin subunits were fractionated by sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamid gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and subsequently analysed by scanning densitometry in order to quantify HMW glutenin fractions. Wheat properties are characterised by four variables: protein...

Does small equal predatory? Analysis of publication charges and transparency of editorial policies in Croatian open access journals.

Science.gov (United States)

Stojanovski, Jadranka; Marušić, Ana

2017-06-15

We approach the problem of "predatory" journals and publishers from the perspective of small scientific communities and small journals that may sometimes be perceived as "predatory". Among other characteristics of "predatory" journals two most relevant are their business model and the quality of the editorial work. We analysed 444 Croatian open access (OA) journals in the Hrčak (portal of Croatian scientific journals) digital journal repository for the presence of article processing charges as a business model and the transparency of editorial policies. The majority of journals do not charge authors or require submission or article processing charges, which clearly distinguishes them from "predatory" journals. Almost all Hrčak OA journals have publicly available information on editorial boards, including full names and affiliations, and detailed contact information for the editorial office at the Hrčak website. The journal names are unique and cannot be easily confused with another journal or intend to mislead about the journal's origin. While most journals provide information on peer review process, many do not provide guidelines for reviewers or other editorial and publication ethics standards. In order to clearly differentiate themselves from predatory journals, it is not enough for journals from small research communities to operate on non-commercial bases, but also to have transparent editorial policies.

Capillary blood sampling: national recommendations on behalf of the Croatian Society of Medical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Krleza, Jasna Lenicek; Dorotic, Adrijana; Grzunov, Ana; Maradin, Miljenka

2015-01-01

Capillary blood sampling is a medical procedure aimed at assisting in patient diagnosis, management and treatment, and is increasingly used worldwide, in part because of the increasing availability of point-of-care testing. It is also frequently used to obtain small blood volumes for laboratory testing because it minimizes pain. The capillary blood sampling procedure can influence the quality of the sample as well as the accuracy of test results, highlighting the need for immediate, widespread standardization. A recent nationwide survey of policies and practices related to capillary blood sampling in medical laboratories in Croatia has shown that capillary sampling procedures are not standardized and that only a small proportion of Croatian laboratories comply with guidelines from the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) or the World Health Organization (WHO). The aim of this document is to provide recommendations for capillary blood sampling. This document has been produced by the Working Group for Capillary Blood Sampling within the Croatian Society of Medical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine. Our recommendations are based on existing available standards and recommendations (WHO Best Practices in Phlebotomy, CLSI GP42-A6 and CLSI C46-A2), which have been modified based on local logistical, cultural, legal and regulatory requirements. We hope that these recommendations will be a useful contribution to the standardization of capillary blood sampling in Croatia.

A COMPARISON OF BASIC AND EXTENDED MARKOWITZ MODEL ON CROATIAN CAPITAL MARKET

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Bruna Škarica

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Markowitz' mean - variance model for portfolio selection, first introduced in H.M. Markowitz' 1952 article, is one of the best known models in finance. However, the Markowitz model is based on many assumptions about financial markets and investors, which do not coincide with the real world. One of these assumptions is that there are no taxes or transaction costs, when in reality all financial products are subject to both taxes and transaction costs – such as brokerage fees. In this paper, we consider an extension of the standard portfolio problem which includes transaction costs that arise when constructing an investment portfolio. Finally, we compare both the extension of the Markowitz' model, including transaction costs, and the basic model on the example of the Croatian capital market.

Antiphytoviral Activity of Sesquiterpene-Rich Essential Oils from Four Croatian Teucrium Species

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Franko Burčul

2011-09-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to compare the essential oil profiles of four Croatian Teucrium species (Lamiaceae, as determined by GC and GC/MS, with their antiphytoviral efficiency. A phytochemical analysis showed that T. polium, T. flavum, T. montanum and T. chamaedrys are characterized by similar essential oil compositions. The investigated oils are characterized by a high proportion of the sesquiterpene hydrocarbons β-caryophyllene (7.1–52.0% and germacrene D (8.7–17.0%. Other important components were β-pinene from T. montanum and α-pinene from T. flavum. The investigated essential oils were proved to reduce lesion number in the local host Chenopodium quinoa Willd. infected with Cucumber Mosaic Virus (CMV, with reductions of 41.4%, 22.9%, 44.3% and 25.7%, respectively.

Work-related stress and work ability among Croatian university hospital midwives.

Science.gov (United States)

Knezevic, Bojana; Milosevic, Milan; Golubic, Rajna; Belosevic, Ljiljana; Russo, Andrea; Mustajbegovic, Jadranka

2011-04-01

to explore the sources and levels of stress at work and work ability among Croatian midwives. midwives are subjected to multiple stressors. Among health-care professionals, psychological distress for a prolonged period of time has negative effects on the worker's health, work ability and quality of patient care. 'Work ability' is a term describing a worker's resources related to physical, mental and social demands at work. As a measure of work ability in midwifery, the Work Ability Index (WAI) is considered to be a very predictive instrument; midwives with a poor WAI score usually leave their current job within five years. university hospitals in Zagreb, Croatia. cross-sectional design survey. 300 health-care workers (105 qualified midwives and 195 paediatric nurses) were invited to complete the questionnaire. The total response rate was 53% (158/300). The sample included 14.7% of all hospital-based midwives in Zagreb hospitals. the Occupational Stress Assessment Questionnaire (OSAQ) for health-care workers and the WAI questionnaire. over three-quarters of the midwives (46/60, 76.7%) believed that their job was stressful, and considered that insufficient work resources caused the most stress. More than half of the midwives associated an insufficient number of coworkers, unexpected situations, inadequate income, night work, incurable patients and poor organisation at work with a high level of stress. The perceived specific stressors differed between midwives and paediatric nurses in the same hospital. Insufficient work resources and poor organisation at work were more common stressors among midwives than paediatric nurses (pworkplace compared with paediatric nurses (pability. After adjusting for age, the difference in WAI score between the groups of workers was not significant. Croatian midwives experienced work-related stress due to: insufficient work resources, insufficient number of coworkers, poor organisation at work, communication with superiors and emotional

Estimating temporary and permanent stock price innovations on Croatian capital market

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Tihana Škrinjarić

2014-03-01

Full Text Available This paper evaluates the size and duration of temporary and permanent stock price innovations on Croatian capital market in the structural VAR (vector autoregression framework with Blanchard and Quah (1989 decomposition. The purpose is to identify the effects of temporary price innovations in order to determine to which extent future stock prices can be predicted. Temporary components present in stock prices are explained throughout the mean-reversion hypothesis. This means that stock prices deviate from the fundamental values, but they will revert to their mean. In that way, to some extent, it is possible to predict future price movements. The results show that for the observed period from January 2000 to September 2013, temporary innovations account for only 2.62% of price variability over a two-year horizon. This means that forecasting the future movements of stock prices on Zagreb Stock Exchange is a difficult task.

Utility of the Croatian translation of the community integration questionnaire-revised in a sample of adults with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury.

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Tršinski, Dubravko; Tadinac, Meri; Bakran, Žarko; Klepo, Ivana

2018-02-23

To examine the utility of the Community Integration Questionnaire-Revised, translated into Croatian, in a sample of adults with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury. The Community Integration Questionnaire-Revised was administered to a sample of 88 adults with traumatic brain injury and to a control sample matched by gender, age and education. Participants with traumatic brain injury were divided into four subgroups according to injury severity. The internal consistency of the Community Integration Questionnaire-Revised was satisfactory. The differences between the group with traumatic brain injury and the control group were statistically significant for the overall Community Integration Questionnaire-Revised score, as well as for all the subscales apart from the Home Integration subscale. The community Integration Questionnaire-Revised score varied significantly for subgroups with different severity of traumatic brain injury. The results show that the Croatian translation of the Community Integration Questionnaire-Revised is useful in assessing participation in adults with traumatic brain injury and confirm previous findings that severity of injury predicts community integration. Results of the new Electronic Social Networking scale indicate that persons who are more active on electronic social networks report better results for other domains of community integration, especially social activities. Implications for rehabilitation The Croatian translation of the Community Integration Questionnaire-Revised is a valid tool for long-term assessment of participation in various domains in persons with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury Persons with traumatic brain injury who are more active in the use of electronic social networking are also more integrated into social and productivity domains. Targeted training in the use of new technologies could enhance participation after traumatic brain injury.

Is Yessotoxin the Main Phycotoxin in Croatian Waters?

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Živana Ninčević Gladan

2010-03-01

Full Text Available With the aim of investigating whether yessotoxin (YTX is responsible for diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP events in Croatian waters, three different methods were combined: a modified mouse bioassay (MBA that discriminates YTX from other DSP toxins, the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method (ELISA and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS. Among 453 samples of mussels and seawater analyzed in 2007, 10 samples were DSP positive. Results obtained by the modified MBA method revealed that most of the samples were positive for YTX, with the exception of samples from Lim Bay (LB 1 The ELISA method also identified the presence of YTX in these samples. DSP toxin profiles showed the presence of okadaic acid (OA in three, and YTX in four out of nine samples that were analyzed by LC-MS/MS. The phytoplankton community structure pattern revealed Lingulodinium polyedrum (Stein Dodge, which was present in the water prior to and/or during toxicity events at low concentrations (80 to 1440 cells L-1, as a potential YTX producing species. It is proposed that L. polyedrum cells accumulated in mussels and the subsequently observed toxicity may be related to metabolism after ingestion, resulting in carboxy YTX as the major analog in the mussel.

Masticatory muscle and temporomandibular joint pain in Croatian war veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder.

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Uhac, Ivone; Tariba, Petra; Kovac, Zoran; Simonić-Kocijan, Suncana; Lajnert, Vlatka; Mesić, Vesna Fugosić; Kuis, Davor; Braut, Vedrana

2011-12-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and intensity of masticatory muscle and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain in Croatian war veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The examined group consisted of 100 Croatian war veterans, in whom PTSD had previously been diagnosed. Patients were compared with 92 subjects who had not taken part in the war and in whom PTSD was excluded by psychiatric examination. The clinical examination consisted of palpation of the masticatory muscles, the prominent neck musculature, and TMJ. The examination technique used and the definition of items were previously tested for reliability and validity. 93% of the subjects with PTSD had masticatory muscle tenderness compared to 45.65% of the subjects in the control group (chi2 = 51.46, p < 0.0001). The most frequent painful location in the subjects with PTSD was the left lateral pterygoid site in 88%, and in subjects of the control group the right lateral pterygoid site in 28.26% of cases. The most painful location in the PTSD group was the left lateral pterygoid site in 72%, and in the control group the left posterior digastric in 4.35% of cases. 58% of the subjects with PTSD had TMJ tenderness compared to 3.26% of subjects in the control group (chi2 = 66.23, p < 0.0001). The most frequent painful location of TMJ in both groups was the left posterior capsule; in the PTSD group 38% and in subjects in the control group 2.17% of cases. The most painful location was the left posterior capsule in 28% of subjects with PTSD, while not one subject in the control group reported severe painful sensitivity. The very high frequency and intensity of pain in subjects with PTSD confirms the effect of stress on muscle and joint sensitivity, i.e. perception of pain.

Determination of (2E-10-hydroxydec-2-enoic acid in Croatian royal jelly by high-performance liquid chromatography

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Ivana Flanjak

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Although health-promoting properties of royal jelly are known for many years, the absence of quality standards and methods prescribed for their determination leads to royal jelly adulteration. Royal jelly is a source of unique unsaturated fatty acid, (2E-10-hydroxydec-2-enoic acid (10-HDA, and its content is considered as one of the freshness and authenticity parameter. In this study, high performance liquid chromatographic method (HPLC with UV detection was validated and 10-HDA content in fresh royal jelly samples produced in Eastern Croatia was determined. The data about Croatian royal jelly are not available, therefore the results presented in this study could be considered as pioneer results for Croatian royal jelly characterization in respect of the 10-HDA. Method performance characteristics showed that the used method is fit for purpose. The content of 10-HDA in analysed samples varied from 1.56% up to 3.78%. According to the international recommendations for royal jelly quality, samples were fresh and authentic regarding 10-HDA content. Furthermore, the effect of packaging material on 10-HDA content was observed. Based on the obtained results, the conclusion was reached that if the samples were collected at the same time and frozen after collection, collection and storage of fresh royal jelly in glass and plastic containers had no effect on 10-HDA content.

Long term energy demand projection and potential for energy savings of Croatian tourism–catering trade sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Irsag, Bojan; Pukšec, Tomislav; Duić, Neven

2012-01-01

Today, tourism represents one of the backbones of Croatian economy and one of the main factors of its growth. Combined with catering trade sector, tourism represents a significant energy consumer that has the tendencies of future growth. Since services sector, which tourism–catering trade sector is a part of, is not yet well described regarding future energy balances it would be very interesting to see how could possible future growth in tourism influence energy consumption of the services sector in Croatia. Through this paper long term energy demand projections of tourism–catering trade sector were studied with special emphasis on future growth of tourism in Croatia as well as different mechanisms that might lead to certain energy savings. Bottom-up approach was chosen as the most suitable one since it allows better quantification of different measures, technological or legal, that would influence future energy demand. Downside of this approach is extensive input data that is required to analyse and model future energy demand which is roughly divided into heating/cooling section and all other consumption. Results show that additional energy savings in the tourism–catering trade sector are possible if careful and rational demand side planning is in place. -- Highlights: ► Future energy demand of Croatian touristm–catering trade sector has been modelled. ► Model is roughly divided into two basic modes (heating/cooling and all other consumption). ► Different factors influencing future energy demand were implemented into the model. ► Possibilities for energy efficiency improvements have been presented.

The Ir(rational in the Locomotion of Filmography, Theatre, Music Scene and Pop Culture as the Creation of the “New Croatian Cultural Memory”

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Igor Gajin

2015-09-01

Full Text Available By dealing with the examples of Croatian (pop culture production, the paper analyzes different strategies of cultural production in relation to the previously existing cultural memory matrix (anti- fascist, fascist, Yugoslavian, nationalist.... Do such practices indeed result in the moral of the film Total Recall?

Laser surface alloying of aluminium-transition metal alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Almeida, A.; Vilar, R.

1998-01-01

Laser surface alloying has been used as a tool to produce hard and corrosion resistant Al-transition metal (TM) alloys. Cr and Mo are particularly interesting alloying elements to produce stable high-strength alloys because they present low diffusion coefficients and solid solubility in Al. To produce Al-TM surface alloys a two-step laser process was developed: firstly, the material is alloyed using low scanning speed and secondly, the microstructure is modified by a refinement step. This process was used in the production of Al-Cr, Al-Mo and Al-Mo and Al-Nb surface alloys by alloying Cr, Mo or Nb powder into an Al and 7175 Al alloy substrate using a CO 2 laser . This paper presents a review of the work that has been developed at Instituto Superior Tecnico on laser alloying of Al-TM alloy, over the last years. (Author) 16 refs

CROATIAN WINE SECTOR IN THE LIGHT OF THE EU ACCESSION

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Jasna Čačić

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The accession process of The Republic of Croatia towards the membership in the European Union demands preparation and adjustment of the whole economy including agriculture. Wine sector, as one of the most complex agriculture sectors regarding European legislation framework, is finding itself on the point of rapid changes. The wine producers as well as the state have to adjust themselves to the new rules and to the new legal framework. The paper has analysed the current situation in the Croatian wine sector, explored the need for establishment of an institution that could help producers in wine marketing as well as the role of the government. According to the survey 73.6% wine producers sell their wine exclusively on the domestic market and 26.4% producers sell it on both domestic and international market. The results have indicated that 53.6% of the producers expect wine sale difficulties after Croatia enters the EU. According to the producers’ opinion the government should establish the institution that could help producers in marketing and consulting activities.

Multivariate Analysis of Profitability Indicators for Selected Companies of Croatian Market

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Ana Perisa

2017-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper, the profitability indicators are analysed for the first hundred companies of the Croatian market, which are classified according to the net profit. The profitability indicators included in the analysis are the following: EBIT margin, EBITDA margin, net profit margin, return on assets (ROA, return on invested capital (ROI and return on capital employed (ROCE. By implementing the factor analysis, six chosen profitability indicators have been reduced to two factors, thus solving the multicollinearity problem, which is one of the prerequisites for the cluster analysis. For two extracted factors, the factor scores are calculated and used in the following cluster analysis. By implementing the cluster analysis, selected companies are grouped into clusters according to their similarity in accomplished results that are measured by profitability indicators. The hierarchical and non-hierarchical cluster analyses are conducted and resulted into two clusters where ten companies were in the first cluster, while the other ninety were in the second cluster

Proceedings of the Sixth Symposium of the Croatian Radiation Protection Association

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garaj-Vrhovac, V.; Kopjar, N.; Miljanic, S.

2005-01-01

Croatian Radiation Protection Association (CRPA) organised symposium with international participation. Co-organisers (Rudjer Boskovic Institute, Zagreb, Croatia and Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Zagreb, Croatia) show importance of this symposium, which was under the auspices of several ministries (Ministry of Economy, Labour and Entrepreneurship, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Physical Planning and Construction, Ministry of Science, Education and Sports of the Republic of Croatia) and State Institute of Radiation Protection, State Office for Standardization and Metrology and APO Ltd. - Hazardous Waste Management Agency. All topics are of great interest for Croatia. They present recent researches in Croatia and in other almost same oriented countries in Europe.The distribution of topics at the Sixth symposium shows same parts with articles from radiation dosimetry and instrumentation, biological effects of radiation, public exposure, radiation protection in medicine, as well as radioecology. Also, non-ionising radiations take their share as very interesting topics at present. (S.P.)

Croatian Oil and Gas Market - an Area of Contact Between Europe and Asia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dragicevic, T.

2007-01-01

Croatia - a regional energy hub, a catchword that has been adopted even by politicians, denotes a combination of favourable geographical position and use of this advantage as a mediator in providing transmission services for natural gas, oil and electricity between Europe and Asia, as well as between the north and the south of the European continent. However, although the idea of regional energy hub has gained support, it is still at a turning point and may take three different directions: 1. If timely activities are undertaken for the implementation of the LNG terminal project and connecting of the JANAF oil pipeline with PEOP and/or Druzba Adria, the realisation of energy hub is possible; 2. In case of further delays in implementing the LNG terminal project and Druzba Adria oil pipeline, we will lose the opportunity for participation in major European projects for twenty years at least; 3. A possible solution may be sought in takeover of individual energy activities by large foreign energy companies that show interest for the Croatian energy market. This last option is very likely due to considerable interest by Central and East European energy companies. In the eve of the expected EU accession, any resistance to takeover may be qualified as economic nationalism. Only large, powerful nations enjoy the privilege that their resistance to foreign domination is qualified as economic patriotism. Since the year 2000 when preparations for INA's privatization began, there were indications of interest and aspiration of the Russian oil companies to ensure presence in the Croatian market. In the meantime the Russian companies evolved their strategies of penetration on the flanks of the European market in the form of North Stream pipeline over the Baltic Sea and South Stream through the Black Sea and Turkey. So, the Republic of Croatia is on the crossroad: it can take a secondary role in other players' strategy, or it can pursue its own strategy based on growth and security

THE ACCEPTANCE OF HEALTH RELATED INNOVATIONS IN TRADITIONAL MEAT PRODUCTS BY CROATIAN CONSUMERS

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Danijel Karolyi

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to examine Croatian consumers’ acceptance of health related innovations in traditional meat products. A face-to-face survey was conducted with a sample of 151 visitors of a specialized fair of traditional food products in Zagreb in 2013. The respondents were asked to indicate their attitudes on a fivepoint scale, where 1 meant rejection or no impact and 5 meant full acceptance or high impact. Results (mean±SD showed the highest level of acceptance for innovations related to better control of smoking conditions (3.3± 1.14 and reduction of salt content (3.1±1.15, followed by reduced fat content (3.0±1.14 and controlled fermentation (2.9±1.12. The perceived negative impact of innovations on traditional character of meat products was highest for fat (3.4±0.99 and salt (3.4±1.03 reduction and lowest for controlled fermentation (3.2±1.04 and smoking conditions (3.2±1.05. With regards to respondents’ socio-demographic features a nonparametric test statistic (Mann-Whitney U revealed a higher acceptance of fat reduction and higher willingness to increase a consumption of healthier traditional meat products among females, while age, education level and income had no influence on the investigated parameters. In addition, some health related innovations; e.g. fat reduction and controlled fermentation were generally less acceptable among respondents with a high consumption frequency of traditional meat products. The results of this preliminary study indicated controlled smoking conditions as the best accepted health related innovation by Croatian consumers with the least negative impact on perceived traditional character of product. In general terms, women were more likely to accept some of the investigated innovations and consequently to increase their consumption of innovate products. However, the most regular consumers of traditional meat products were less open towards innovations which may pose a challenge to

Demographic Ageing on Croatian Islands

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Ivo Nejašmić

2013-08-01

Full Text Available This paper analyses the changes in the population structure of the Croatian islands by age, warns of the degree of ageing, provides spatial differentiation of this process and presents perspective of ageing at the level of settlement. Typing of population ageing is based on scores and has seven types. The total island population in 2011 belongs to the type 5 – very old population. Almost a half of the settlements (out of 303 have been affected by the highest levels of ageing (types 6 and 7. It was found that a quarter of island settlements will become “dead villages” in a foreseeable future; most of them are on small islands but also in the interior of larger islands. These are villages decaying in every respect, in which the way of life, as we know it, veins and goes out. The present ageing villagers are their last residents in most cases. Eve¬rything suggests that demographic recovery of the islands is not possible with the forces in situ. It is important to strike a balance between the needs and opportunities in order to successfully organize life on the islands, both small and large ones, and the fact is that there is a continuing disparity, which is especially profound in small islands. A sensitive and selective approach is needed to overcome the unfavourable demographic trends. Therefore it is necessary to respect the particularities of indi¬vidual islands and island groups in devising development strategy. Solutions to the problems must come of the local and wider community in synergy with relevant professional and scientific institutions. However, if the solutions are not found or measures do not give results, if the islands are left to desorganisation and senilisation, a part of the islands will become a wasteland. With regard to the value of this area whose wealth are people in the first place, this would be an intolerable civilization decline.

DEA-BASED INVESTMENT STRATEGY AND ITS APPLICATION IN THE CROATIAN STOCK MARKET

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Margareta Gardijan

2012-12-01

Full Text Available This paper describes the DEA-based investment strategy for constructing of a stock portfolio in the Croatian stock market. The relative efficiency of the DMUs, which are in this case the selected stocks from Zagreb Stock Exchange, is obtained from the output oriented CCR and BCC models. The set of inputs consists of risk measures, namely return variance, Value at Risk (VaR and beta coefficient $(\\beta$, while monthly return represents an output. Following the „efficiency scores“, obtained from the models, we construct a portfolio of DEA-efficient stocks (DEA-portfolio. This portfolio can be modified over time according to changes of the DMU's efficiency scores. By comparing the returns of the EA-portfolio and the market return during the given time period, the applicability of the investment strategy based on a DEA methodology, as a strategy for achieving superior returns, is estimated.

Influence of new customs procedures and logistic security standards on companies competiveness – a Croatian company case study

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Aleksandar Erceg

2014-12-01

Full Text Available In today’s global market, companies are constantly confronted with the competition on the local, national and international level. Companies therefore use a variety of strategies and tools to become and/or remain competitive. Potential areas for cost reduction in companies are supply chain management and logistic and customs procedures. Implementation of various logistic standards in supply chain management can provide significant cost savings for the company’s daily operations and thus reduce overall costs and improve the competitiveness. Using different customs procedures and logistic standards to reduce their costs and become more competitive in the market is necessary for Croatian companies. The method of using these tools is not a one-time process and requires constant efforts. Companies therefore have to be ready to improve daily to be and remain competitive. Using a variety of modern customs procedures can save their money and time, not only through these procedures, but also through better use of their employee’s time, their own vehicles and other equipment. The paper analyzes various customs procedures and logistic standards that can help companies save time and money and improve their competitiveness. In the example of Croatian company, which uses various available procedures and standards the benefits of their use are shown. Apart from bringing savings in operations, all these procedures and standards allow the company to be better, cheaper and more attractive to buyers.

Quantitative Content Analysis of Communication Patterns on Facebook: A Case Study of the Croatian Government

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Mato Brautović

2013-12-01

Full Text Available In the process of involving citizens more deeply in the democratic process, Facebook is becoming an increasingly important tool for governments in policy making. Facebook has the potential to increase political participation, but many governments fail to use it in the right way, because they just share information online and do not engage with their followers/citizens. This paper shows how the Croatian government is using Facebook and the communication patterns resulting from their work. The quantitative analysis of 20,546 posts and 52,311 comments show that communication is one way, rather than interactive. Government users do not follow the 90-9-1- rule of thumb for social networks.

Opinion of Croatian Teacher Education Students Regarding the Quality of the Visual Arts Teaching Didactics Course

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Marijana Županić Benić

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to assess student satisfaction with the Visual Arts Teaching Methodology course taught at the Croatian faculties of teacher education and identify important areas for improvement. The students’ open-ended, qualitative responses were reviewed and each response was assigned to one or more of the following categories: teacher performance, student teaching practice, assessment and grading, course organization, availability of learning materials and resources, and student teaching competences. The results indicate that the students are most satisfied with teacher performance, but they are also the least satisfied with course organization and recommend the most improvements in this area.

On the fecundity of the Black Sea bream, Spondyliosoma cantharus (L. , from the Adriatic Sea (Croatian coast

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Jakov Dulcic

1998-09-01

Full Text Available The fecundity of the Black Sea bream from the eastern middle Adriatic (Croatian coast was assessed by the volumetric method using 59 ovaries in pre-spawning stage from fish between 18.5 and 33.5 cm total length. Estimates of total potential annual fecundity varied between 31,670 and 554,070 eggs per female. Relationships between total potential fecundity and total length (TL, total weight (TW and age (A were established using the multiplicative regression model. Relative fecundity is constant, reaching a maximum of 850 eggs per g in the 30.5 cm to 31.0 cm length class.

Magnesium secondary alloys: Alloy design for magnesium alloys with improved tolerance limits against impurities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blawert, C., E-mail: carsten.blawert@gkss.d [GKSS Forschungszentrum Geesthacht GmbH, Max-Planck-Str. 1, 21502 Geesthacht (Germany); Fechner, D.; Hoeche, D.; Heitmann, V.; Dietzel, W.; Kainer, K.U. [GKSS Forschungszentrum Geesthacht GmbH, Max-Planck-Str. 1, 21502 Geesthacht (Germany); Zivanovic, P.; Scharf, C.; Ditze, A.; Groebner, J.; Schmid-Fetzer, R. [TU Clausthal, Institut fuer Metallurgie, Robert-Koch-Str. 42, 38678 Clausthal-Zellerfeld (Germany)

2010-07-15

The development of secondary magnesium alloys requires a completely different concept compared with standard alloys which obtain their corrosion resistance by reducing the levels of impurities below certain alloy and process depending limits. The present approach suitable for Mg-Al based cast and wrought alloys uses a new concept replacing the {beta}-phase by {tau}-phase, which is able to incorporate more impurities while being electro-chemically less detrimental to the matrix. The overall experimental effort correlating composition, microstructure and corrosion resistance was reduced by using thermodynamic calculations to optimise the alloy composition. The outcome is a new, more impurity tolerant alloy class with a composition between the standard AZ and ZC systems having sufficient ductility and corrosion properties comparable to the high purity standard alloys.

Alloying principles for magnesium base heat resisting alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Drits, M.E.; Rokhlin, L.L.; Oreshkina, A.A.; Nikitina, N.I.

1982-01-01

Some binary systems of magnesium-base alloys in which solid solutions are formed, are considered for prospecting heat resistant alloys. It is shown that elements having essential solubility in solid magnesium strongly decreasing with temperature should be used for alloying maqnesium base alloys with high strength properties at increased temperatures. The strengthening phases in these alloys should comprise essential quantity of magnesium and be rather refractory

Athletic Engagement and Athletic Identity in Top Croatian Sprint Runners.

Science.gov (United States)

Babić, Vesna; Sarac, Jelena; Missoni, Sasa; Sindik, Josko

2015-09-01

The aim of the research was to determine construct validity and reliability for two questionnaires (Athlete Engagement Questionnaire-AEQ and Athletic Identity Measurement Scale-AIMS), applied on elite Croatian athletes-sprinters, as well as the correlations among the dimensions in these measuring instruments. Then, we have determined the differences in the dimensions of sport engagement and sport identity, according to gender, education level and winning medals on international competitions. A total of 71 elite athletes-sprinters (former and still active) are examined, from which 27 (38%) females and 44 (62%) males. The results of factor analyses revealed the existence of dimensions very similar as in the original instruments, which showed moderate to-high reliabilities. A small number of statistically significant correlations have been found between the dimensions of sport engagement and sport identity, mainly in male sprinter runners. Small number of statistically significant differences in the dimensions of sport engagement and sport identity have been found according to the gender, education level and winning medals on the international competitions. The most reasonable explanation of these differences could be given in terms of very similar characteristics of elite athletes on the same level of sport excellence.

Alloy materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hans Thieme, Cornelis Leo (Westborough, MA); Thompson, Elliott D. (Coventry, RI); Fritzemeier, Leslie G. (Acton, MA); Cameron, Robert D. (Franklin, MA); Siegal, Edward J. (Malden, MA)

2002-01-01

An alloy that contains at least two metals and can be used as a substrate for a superconductor is disclosed. The alloy can contain an oxide former. The alloy can have a biaxial or cube texture. The substrate can be used in a multilayer superconductor, which can further include one or more buffer layers disposed between the substrate and the superconductor material. The alloys can be made a by process that involves first rolling the alloy then annealing the alloy. A relatively large volume percentage of the alloy can be formed of grains having a biaxial or cube texture.

Direct pollution cost assessment of cruising tourism in the Croatian Adriatic

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Hrvoje Carić

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Cruise tourism is one of the fastest growing sectors of the tourism industry and one that has significant environmental, economic and social impacts on target destinations. Yet, tourism decision makers, developers and managers rarely incorporate or estimate environmental impacts in their tourism development planning. Indeed, the analysis of the resulting resource exploitation is rarely undertaken until carrying capacity is breached and attractiveness diminished. In this article an assessment is offered that determines, quantifies and financially estimates emissions and waste streams so they can be compared with the direct income generated to the local economy by cruising tourism. It is applied to the Croatian part of the Adriatic and financially evaluates environmental impacts, arguing that they are negative externalities due to inappropriate internalization and management.The purpose of the assessment is to give a “snapshot” of the situation, and also to create the groundwork for a model that will assist decision makers and stakeholders, at different levels and of different interests, to prevent and reduce the ecological, health and economic risks associated with dead-end tourism development.

Sociodemographic and medical characteristics of involuntary psychiatric inpatients--retrospective study of five-year experience with Croatian Act on Mental Health.

Science.gov (United States)

Potkonjak, Jelena; Karlović, Dalibor

2008-09-01

The aim of this study was to analyze sociodemographic and medical characteristics of involuntary psychiatric inpatients treated during the five-year period of implementation of the Croatian Act on Mental Health. Data on involuntarily hospitalized patients according to the Croatian Act on Mental Health were singled out from the pool of inpatients treated at University Department of Psychiatry, Sestre milosrdnice University Hospital from January 1, 1998 till December 31, 2002. Data were collected from medical records. Patients were diagnosed according to the International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision criteria. The prevalence of involuntary hospitalization was 2%, including a comparative number of male and female patients. Most patients had secondary school, were living alone, were unmarried, widowed or divorced, and did not work at the time of hospitalization; however, most patients had some kind of health insurance. Schizophrenia was the most common diagnosis in involuntary psychiatric inpatients. In conclusion, scientific evaluation of involuntary hospitalization poses a major problem because of the many different factors that can influence the prevalence of involuntary hospitalization. Some of this factors are type of institution (psychiatric hospital or psychiatry department at a general hospital), organization of psychiatric care in the region, psychiatric morbidity and dynamics of changes in psychiatric morbidity in a specific region, public opinion about people with mental disorders, legal provisions on this very sensitive topic, etc.

Which Processes Can We Expect to See in the Croatian Energy Sector Until 2050

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Granic, G.

2010-01-01

The paper analyzes the processes that can be expected to take place in the Croatian energy sector until 2050 in the conditions of significant reductions of CO 2 and other greenhouses gases emissions. It also shows the main factors influencing energy consumption; limitations in energy sector development deriving from climate changes and environment preservation; technological development and its impact on the energy sector development; potentials of available resources and energy infrastructure for energy transport/transmission and energy import, as well as the security and quality of supply. The paper highlights significant changes in the energy sector, necessity of developing new economic policies which would be based on enhancing energy efficiency and use of low CO 2 and GHG technologies or use of those technologies which contribute to substantial reduction of the emissions.(author).

Risk factors for bruxism among Croatian navy employees.

Science.gov (United States)

Alajbeg, I Z; Zuvela, A; Tarle, Z

2012-09-01

The aim of the study was to evaluate the relationship between bruxism, and sociodemographic parameters, symptoms of temporomandibular disorders (TMD), personality and war experience among Croatian navy employees. The sample included 1092 subjects, aged 20-60 years (mean age 37·06 ± 7·85). An individual's bruxism status was based on clinical oral examination and participants' report of bruxism. Subjects with bruxism index values ≥ 90th percentile were included in severe bruxism group (n = 111), and those with scores below 90th percentile were labelled as negligible bruxism group (n = 981). No differences were found in gender distribution between the two groups. The proportion of military personnel presenting with bruxism is double the proportion of administrative employees with bruxism. A total of 23·34% subjects in negligible bruxism group and 48·65% in severe bruxism group participated in the war. Subjects in severe bruxism group presented more TMD-related signs and symptoms than those in negligible bruxism group. Higher prevalence of neuroticism and psychoticism was found in severe bruxism group. According to logistic regression, the probability of severe bruxism was significantly associated with marital status [Odds ratio (OR) 6·859, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3·869-12·158 P bruxism than non-smokers. Subjects who participated in war were more represented in severe bruxism group. Further studies, including other potential risk factors, are required to clarify these relationships. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Croatian National System of Nuclear Materials Control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Biscan, R.

1998-01-01

In the process of economic and technological development of Croatia by using or introducing nuclear power or in the case of international co-operation in the field of peaceful nuclear activities, including international exchange of nuclear material, Croatia should establish and implement National System of Nuclear Materials Control. Croatian National System of accounting for and control of all nuclear material will be subjected to safeguards under requirements of Agreement and Additional Protocol between the Republic of Croatia and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for the Application of Safeguards in Connection with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). The decision by NPT parties at the 1995 NPT Review and Extension Conference to endorse the Fullscope IAEA Safeguards Standard (FSS) as a necessary precondition of nuclear supply means that states are obliged to ensure that the recipient country has a FSS agreement in place before any nuclear transfer can take place (Ref. 1). The FSS standard of nuclear supply is a central element of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) Guidelines which the NSG adopted in 1992 and should be applied to members and non-members of the NSG. The FSS standard of nuclear supply in general allows for NPT parties or countries which have undertaken the same obligations through other treaty arrangements, to receive favourable treatment in nuclear supply arrangements. However, the Iraqi experience demonstrate that trade in nuclear and dual-use items, if not properly monitored, can contribute to a nuclear weapons program in countries acting contrary to their non-proliferation obligation. Multilateral nuclear export control mechanisms, including the FSS supply standard, provide the basis for co-ordination and standardisation of export control measures. (author)

The phenotype of polycythemia due to Croatian homozygous VHL (571C>G:H191D) mutation is different from that of Chuvash polycythemia (VHL 598C>T:R200W).

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Tomasic, Nikica Ljubas; Piterkova, Lucie; Huff, Chad; Bilic, Ernest; Yoon, Donghoon; Miasnikova, Galina Y; Sergueeva, Adelina I; Niu, Xiaomei; Nekhai, Sergei; Gordeuk, Victor; Prchal, Josef T

2013-04-01

Mutations of VHL (a negative regulator of hypoxia-inducible factors) have position-dependent distinct cancer phenotypes. Only two known inherited homozygous VHL mutations exist and they cause polycythemia: Chuvash R200W and Croatian H191D. We report a second polycythemic Croatian H191D homozygote distantly related to the first propositus. Three generations of both families were genotyped for analysis of shared ancestry. Biochemical and molecular tests were performed to better define their phenotypes, with an emphasis on a comparison with Chuvash polycythemia. The VHL H191D mutation did not segregate in the family defined by the known common ancestors of the two subjects, suggesting a high prevalence in Croatians, but haplotype analysis indicated an undocumented common ancestor ∼six generations ago as the founder of this mutation. We show that erythropoietin levels in homozygous VHL H191D individuals are higher than in VHL R200W patients of similar ages, and their native erythroid progenitors, unlike Chuvash R200W, are not hypersensitive to erythropoietin. This observation contrasts with a report suggesting that polycythemia in VHL R200W and H191D homozygotes is due to the loss of JAK2 regulation from VHL R200W and H191D binding to SOCS1. In conclusion, our studies further define the hematologic phenotype of VHL H191D and provide additional evidence for phenotypic heterogeneity associated with the positional effects of VHL mutations.

A Slovenian version of the "clinical learning environment, supervision and nurse teacher scale (Cles+T)" and its comparison with the Croatian version.

Science.gov (United States)

Žvanut, Boštjan; Lovrić, Robert; Kolnik, Tamara Štemberger; Šavle, Majda; Pucer, Patrik

2018-02-26

Nursing clinical learning environments are particularly important for the achievement of good practice in clinical training of student nurses, and thus, for the nursing competence development. Hence, it is important to have an instrument consisting of reliable and valid criteria for assessing the clinical learning environment, applicable in different contexts, and translated in the respondents mother tongue. The goal of the present research was to test the reliability and validity of the Slovenian version of the "Clinical Learning Environment, Supervision and Nurse Teacher evaluation scale", and to compare it with the Croatian version. The data was collected between 10 March and 10 June 2015 at four Slovenian institutions, where nursing BSc study programmes are performed. The final sample consisted of 232 students (response rate 68.8%): 81.9% were females and 18.1% males, average age was 23. The translated instrument in Slovenian language resulted as reliable and valid, it reflects the expected five factors of the original version despite some minor problems in the factor structure and in test-retest. The most important difference between the Slovenian and Croatian version is in the factor structure regarding the implementation of roles in clinical learning environment. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reaching, Engaging and Bonding with Voters on Social Media: The Case of 2014/2015 Croatian Presidential Elections

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Dubravka Sinčić Ćorić

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This paper examines the ways in which presidential candidates utilise social media as a tool in their election campaigns in order to democratise politics and political representation. The study is based on a content analysis of statements published on the official Facebook and Twitter pages of candidates in the 2014/2015 Croatian presidential elections. The results show that candidates did not use social media to reach, engage and form stronger bonds with potential voters. By failing to do so, they have missed an opportunity to bring disenchanted voters back into the political arena and potentially increase the legitimacy of the democratic processes.

Investigation on mechanical alloying process for v-cr-ti alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stanciulescu, M.; Carlan, P.; Mihalache, M.; Bucsa, G.; Abrudeanu, M.; Galateanu, A.

2015-01-01

Mechanical alloying (MA) is an efficient approach for fabricating oxide-dispersion alloys and structural materials including vanadium alloys for fusion and fission application. Dissolution behaviour of the alloying elements is a key issue for optimizing the mechanical alloying process in fabricating vanadium alloys. This paper studies the MA process of V-4wt.%Cr-4wt.%Ti alloy. The outcomes of the MA powders in a planetary ball mill are reported in terms of powder particle size and morphology evolution and elemental composition. The impact of spark-plasma sintering process on the mechanically alloyed powder is analysed. An optimal set of sintering parameters, including the maximum temperature, the dwell time and the heating rate are determined. (authors)

Laser surface alloying of aluminium-transition metal alloys

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Almeida, A.

1998-04-01

Full Text Available Laser surface alloying has been used as a tool to produce hard and corrosion resistant Al-transition metal (TM alloys. Cr and Mo are particularly interesting alloying elements to produce stable highstrength alloys because they present low diffusion coefficients and solid solubility in Al. To produce Al-TM surface alloys a two-step laser process was developed: firstly, the material is alloyed using low scanning speed and secondly, the microstructure is modified by a refinement step. This process was used in the production of Al-Cr, Al-Mo and Al-Nb surface alloys by alloying Cr, Mo or Nb powder into an Al and 7175 Al alloy substrate using a CO₂ laser. This paper presents a review of the work that has been developed at Instituto Superior Tecnico on laser alloying of Al-TM alloys, over the last years.

En el presente trabajo se estudia la aleación superficial mediante láser de aluminio con metales de transición. El cromo y el molibdeno son particularmente interesantes porque producen aleaciones de alta resistencia y por el bajo coeficiente de difusión y solución sólida en aluminio. Para producir estas aleaciones se ha seguido un procedimiento desarrollado en dos partes. En primer lugar, el material se alea usando una baja velocidad de procesado y en segundo lugar la estructura se modifica mediante un refinamiento posterior. Este procedimiento se ha empleado en la producción de aleaciones Al-Cr, Al-Mo y Al-Nb mediante aleación con láser de CO₂ de polvos de Cr, Mo o Nb en aluminio y la aleación 7175. Este trabajo es una revisión del desarrollado en el Instituto Superior Técnico de Lisboa en los últimos años.

Characteristics of mechanical alloying of Zn-Al-based alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu, Y.H.; Hong Kong Polytechnic; Perez Hernandez, A.; Lee, W.B.

2001-01-01

Three pure elemental powder mixtures of Zn-22%Al-18%Cu, Zn-5%Al-11%Cu, and Zn-27%Al-3%Cu (in wt.%) were mechanically alloyed by steel-ball milling processing. The mechanical alloying characteristics were investigated using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy techniques. It was explored that mechanical alloying started with the formation of phases from pure elemental powders, and this was followed by mechanical milling-induced phase transformation. During mechanical alloying, phases stable at the higher temperatures formed at the near room temperature of milling. Nano-structure Zn-Al-based alloys were produced by mechanical alloying. (orig.)

Blood gas testing and related measurements: National recommendations on behalf of the Croatian Society of Medical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Dukić, Lora; Kopčinović, Lara Milevoj; Dorotić, Adrijana; Baršić, Ivana

2016-10-15

Blood gas analysis (BGA) is exposed to risks of errors caused by improper sampling, transport and storage conditions. The Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) generated documents with recommendations for avoidance of potential errors caused by sample mishandling. Two main documents related to BGA issued by the CLSI are GP43-A4 (former H11-A4) Procedures for the collection of arterial blood specimens; approved standard - fourth edition, and C46-A2 Blood gas and pH analysis and related measurements; approved guideline - second edition. Practices related to processing of blood gas samples are not standardized in the Republic of Croatia. Each institution has its own protocol for ordering, collection and analysis of blood gases. Although many laboratories use state of the art analyzers, still many preanalytical procedures remain unchanged. The objective of the Croatian Society of Medical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine (CSMBLM) is to standardize the procedures for BGA based on CLSI recommendations. The Working Group for Blood Gas Testing as part of the Committee for the Scientific Professional Development of the CSMBLM prepared a set of recommended protocols for sampling, transport, storage and processing of blood gas samples based on relevant CLSI documents, relevant literature search and on the results of Croatian survey study on practices and policies in acid-base testing. Recommendations are intended for laboratory professionals and all healthcare workers involved in blood gas processing.

Voluntary Financial Reporting on the Internet: Analysis of the Practice of Stock-Market Listed Croatian and Slovene Joint Stock Companies

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Ivica Pervan

2006-03-01

Full Text Available An investigation into Internet financial reporting carried out in June 2005 that focused on stock-market listed Croatian and Slovene joint-stock companies has two basic aspects, comparative and explanatory. The comparative aspect of the research showed that Slovene corporations have a statistically significant higher level of financial reporting (as measured with IFR score. The average IFR score for 55 corporate entities from Croatia came to just 6.85, while the average IFR score for 30 Slovene firms was 17.63. The second aspect of the investigation was explanatory, and at the level of each state and sample the intention was to find the variables that affect IFR scores significantly. With respect to the Croatian sample it was shown that the IFR score was statistically significantly and positively correlated with size, profitability, number of shareholders, and amount of traffic on the stock markets. Then regression analysis showed that majority foreign ownership had a positive effect on the IFR score. A statistically significant but negative correlation was established for two sectors, tourism and marine transport. For the Slovene sample, comprising 30 firms, the size, profitability and number of stockholders were not significant variables. However, official listing, proportion of market capitalisation and ratio of market to book values of shares were statistically significantly and positively correlated with the IFR score. Only one sector, transport, was significantly and negatively correlated with the IFR score.

The association of ABO blood groups with extent of coronary atherosclerosis in Croatian patients suffering from chronic coronary artery disease.

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Karabuva, Svjetlana; Carević, Vedran; Radić, Mislav; Fabijanić, Damir

2013-01-01

The aim of study was to: 1) examine the relationship between ABO blood groups and extent of coronary atherosclerosis in patients with chronic coronary artery disease (CAD), 2) compare ABO blood groups distribution in CAD patients and general population, 3) examine possible differences in traditional risk factors frequency in CAD patients with different ABO blood groups. In the 646 chronic CAD patients (72.4% males) coronary angiograms were scored by quantitative assessment using multiple angiographic scoring system, Traditional risk factors were self reported or measured by standard methods. ABO blood distribution of patients was compared with group of 651 healthy blood donors (74.6% males). Among all ABO blood group patients there was no significant difference between the extent of coronary atherosclerosis with regard to all the three scoring systems: number of affected coronary arteries (P = 0.857), Gensini score (P = 0.818), and number of segments narrowed > 50% (P = 0.781). There was no significant difference in ABO blood group distribution between CAD patients and healthy blood donors. Among CAD patients, men with blood group AB were significantly younger than their pairs with non-AB blood groups (P = 0.008). Among CAD patients with AB blood group, males groups (P = 0.003). No association between ABO blood groups and the extent of coronary atherosclerosis in Croatian CAD patients is observed. Observation that AB blood group might possibly identify Croatian males at risk to develop the premature CAD has to be tested in larger cohort of patients.

THE CATEGORY OF COUNTABILITY IN THE CROATIAN LANGUAGE

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Marija Znika

2005-01-01

Full Text Available This paper considers the category of countability as a category established on the lexical meaning of nouns. The lexical meaning of nouns can be dually structured, in a unit and mass forms, relative to the opposition one ≠ many. The category of countability has its content and expression. The content of the category of countability consists of the feature [± countable], and its marker [+ countable] and [- countable]. A noun is countable if its content can be conceived as a unit opposed to mass (table, apple. A noun is uncoutable if its content cannot be perceived as a unit that could be opposed to mass (water, sugar. The expression of the category of countability depends on its content. In the Croatian language the category of countability has its expression in the grammatical category of number and its grammems: singular and plural. These two grammems are formally, and frequently accentually, distinctive from the majority of nouns. The analysis focuses on the meaning of nouns, while their expression is considered as a possible indicator of semantic relationships the category of countability is based on. The paper analyses pluralia tantum and singularia tantum, and their different status countability-wise. It points out the possibility of semantic recategorization of nouns and thus demonstrates a dynamic quality of the category of countability. It also analyses the process of appelativisation (eponomisation of personal names, and the process of appelative deappelativisation. It shows the relationship between the category of countability and the category of definiteness, when definiteness is expressed by an adjectival aspect.

COMMUNICATION AND GRAMMATICALIZATION. THE CASE OF (CROATIAN DEMONSTRATIVES

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Maja Brala-Vukanović

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The focus of this paper is on the role that shared reference plays in communication and, relatedly, on the way in which communicative needs drive the formation and development of grammatical categories. The system used to illustrate and analyse the theoretical positions addressed in the paper is that of Croatian demonstratives, a three-way paradigm which – it is claimed – helps us identify the cognitive elements underlying the anchoring of shared reference. In the first part of the paper we explore the pointing gesture from the perspectives of developmental psychology, language acquisition and that of cognitive and linguistic universals. We observe that communicative pointing is a universal communicative device found in all cultures which serves to refer, locate in space or indicate direction of motion. In fact, pointing has been recognized as one of the earliest and most common mechanisms for establishing joint reference. Next, we explore the possible ways in which communicative pointing might have influenced the formation of ‘pointing words’ i.e. demonstratives. A continuum of referential devices is identified: from direct pointing with gesture, direct (pronominal pointing, via referentiality through (adjectival and adverbial modification, all the way to discoursal pointing. We investigate the communicative sequence that takes us from the pointing gesture to various types of ‘pointing words’ (see Diessel, 2006, by exploring the underlying linguistic and, possibly, cognitive universal elements and domains. In final analysis the identified sequence is put into relation with the referential (identificational, via the modificational (qualificational, to the predicative (informative segments of language.

Radiation Protection of Patients in Croatian Legislative

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Novakovic, M.; Molnar, M.; Kozuh, D.

2001-01-01

Full text: The value of radiological examinations has been established over the last 100 years by custom and practice. Problem often occurs when scientific initiatives affect usual philosophy and tradition. At present, to many X-ray examinations are performed which are not clinically justified. In some counties in Croatia there are about 1000 examinations per 1000 inhabitants. Whereas in others, as well as in developed countries, it is at the 500 - 600 level. There is still a need to know what is the desirable level of radiological practice. Subsidiary is often used as an excuse not to take any action at all. Criteria are needed for deciding on the optimum number for particular procedures like CT or the length of time for fluoroscopy. Europe has repeatedly been the scene for harmonised improvements in medical exposure through introduction of its Medical Exposure Directive (1997). To be in a line Croatian authorities issued Regulation on Patient Protection (1999) based on this Directive and ICRP Publication 73. This Regulation includes a number of issues which have potential to improve the safety and quality of medical use of ionising radiation. Introduced diagnostic dose reference values are related to clinical questions and radiographic techniques as recommended in European or similar guidelines. These are supplementary to clinical judgement on image quality. Quality assurance programmes should be in place and these should be audited. There should be inspections of X-ray departments by the competent authorities and there should be clinical evaluation of the outcomes of various radiological examinations. Equipment must be quality assured on a regular basis. It must be capable of producing satisfactory images within reference levels set down at national level. Every effort should be made to avoid high and unnecessary exposures.(author)

Analysis of genetic and cultural conservation value of three indigenous Croatian cattle breeds in a local and global context.

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Ramljak, J; Ivanković, A; Veit-Kensch, C E; Förster, M; Medugorac, I

2011-02-01

It is widely accepted that autochthonous cattle breeds can be important genetic resources for unforeseeable environmental conditions in the future. Apart from that, they often represent local culture and tradition and thus assist in the awareness of ethnic identity of a country. In Croatia, there are only three indigenous cattle breeds, Croatian Buša, Slavonian Syrmian Podolian and Istrian Cattle. All of them are threatened but specialized in a particular habitat and production system. We analysed 93 microsatellites in 51 animals of each breed to get thorough information about genetic diversity and population structure. We further set them within an existing frame of additional 16 breeds that have been genotyped for the same marker set and cover a geographical area from the domestication centre near Anatolia, through the Balkan and alpine regions, to the north-west of Europe. The cultural value was evaluated regarding the role in landscape, gastronomy, folklore and handicraft. The overall results recognize Croatian Buša being partly admixed but harbouring an enormous genetic diversity comparable with other traditional unselected Buša breeds in the Anatolian and Balkan areas. The Podolian cattle showed the lowest genetic diversity at the highest genetic distance to all remaining breeds but are playing an important role as part of the cultural landscape and thus contribute to the tourist industry. The genetic diversity of the Istrian cattle was found in the middle range of this study. It is already included in the tourist industry as a local food speciality. Current and future conservation strategies are discussed. © 2010 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Labeled extra virgin olive oil as food supplement; phenolic compounds in oils from some autochthonous Croatian olives

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Jakobušić Brala, C.

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Within the framework of an incentive to provide labeled extra virgin olive oils as a food supplement in pharmacies, the phenolic profile analysis of extra virgin olive oils obtained from Croatian olive cultivars has been reported. With the aim of increasing the consumption of EVOO-s in northern Croatia, the varieties Bjelica, Buža and Italian Leccino have been studied involving two different agroclimatic locations, over two harvest years differing significantly in the amount of rainfall. The Croatian cultivars Plominka, Žižolera, Oblica and Lastovka, were also examined. Correlation tests and the insight from PCA reveal that the cultivars are highly individualized in character with regard to relationships among phenolic compounds. Some elements of an innovative labeling aimed to better present the authenticity, quality, excellence and uniqueness of the EVOO-s were suggested.En el marco de los incentivos que se han considerado para proporcionar el etiquetado de aceites de oliva virgen extra como suplemento alimenticio en farmacias, se reporta el análisis del perfil fenólico de aceites de oliva vírgenes extra obtenidos a partir de variedades croatas. Para ampliar el consumo de AOVE-s en el norte de Croacia, se han estudiado las variedades Bjelica, Buža y Leccino italiana procedentes de dos lugares agroclimáticos diferentes que difieren significativamente en la cantidad de lluvia y obtenidos en dos cosechas. Tambien fueron examinados los cultivares croatas Plominka, Žižolera, Oblica y Lastovka. Los test de correlación y los resultados de PCA revelan que las variedades están altamente individualizados en su carácter en lo que respecta a las relaciones entre los compuestos fenólicos. Se sugirieron algunos elementos innovadores para un etiquetado dirigido a presentar mejor la autenticidad, la calidad, la excelencia y la singularidad de los AOVE-s.

[On the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the Croatian scientific society for the history of health culture].

Science.gov (United States)

Škrobonja, Ante; Salopek, Igor

2017-12-01

A group of intellectuals, predominantly lecturers from the Faculty of Medicine, founded in Rijeka on May 29, 1966 the branch of the Yugoslav Scientific Society for the History of Health Culture, which after the independence of Croatia in 1991 continues its work under the name Croatian Scientific Society for the History of Health Culture. Over the past 50 years, within activities of the Society more than 250 professional and scientific conferences have been held in Rijeka and other Croatian cities. In addition, a dozen of professional-scientific trips to neighbouring countries were organized. From the original activities are highlighted the science conventions with international participation "Rijeka and Its Citizens in Medical History", where, since 2001, have been regularly presented free topics from other regions. Another important activity is the international journal "AMHA - Acta medico-historica Adriatica", which has been published since 2003 with two issues per year. Today, this is an established journal present on Medline - PubMed Service, andindexed in several respectable international databases, which guarantees quality and enables access to the world's research community. In 2005, the accompanying "AMHA Library" was launched - a series of monographs devoted to the most important medical historians, scientific conferences dedicated to individual medical laureates, and similar subjects. Ten years ago, the Society's work has been refined by the activities of a group of medical students who, under the motto "In honour of Asclepius and Orpheus", strive to affirm the links between medicine and art. Of the many performances the most significant is the traditional humanitarian concert, attended by students from all faculties of medicine from Croatia and Ljubljana.

Proceedings of the Third symposium of the Croatian Radiation Protection Association; Zbornik radova treceg simpozija Hrvatskog drustva za zastitu od zracenja

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1997-12-31

The Third Symposium of the Croatian Radiation Protection Association (20-22 Nov 1996) coorganized by Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health and `Rudjer Boskovic` Institute, with the support of Ministry of Science and Technology of the Republic of Croatia, Hazardous Waste Management Agency Ltd., Ecotec Ltd. and Tourist Association of the City of Zagreb, covered a vast range of subjects concerning radiation protection, management of industrial and medical radioactive wastes, environmental transport of radionuclides, dosimetric methods and equipment, contamination and decontamination etc. 57 contributions were delivered.

Application of mechanical alloying to synthesis of intermetallic phases based alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dymek, S.

2001-01-01

Mechanical alloying is the process of synthesis of powder materials during milling in high energetic mills, usually ball mills. The central event in mechanical alloying is the ball-powder-ball collision. Powder particles are trapped between the colliding balls during milling and undergo deformation and/or fracture. Fractured parts are cold welded. The continued fracture and cold welding results in a uniform size and chemical composition of powder particles. The main applications of mechanical alloying are: processing of ODS alloys, syntheses of intermetallic phases, synthesis of nonequilibrium structures (amorphous alloys, extended solid solutions, nanocrystalline, quasi crystals) and magnetic materials. The present paper deals with application of mechanical alloying to synthesis Ni A l base intermetallic phases as well as phases from the Nb-Al binary system. The alloy were processed from elemental powders. The course of milling was monitored by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. After milling, the collected powders were sieved by 45 μm grid and hot pressed (Nb alloys and NiAl) or hot extruded (NiAl). The resulting material was fully dense and exhibited fine grain (< 1 μm) and uniform distribution of oxide dispersoid. The consolidated material was compression and creep tested. The mechanical properties of mechanically alloys were superior to properties of their cast counterparts both in the room and elevated temperatures. Higher strength of mechanically alloyed materials results from their fine grains and from the presence of dispersoid. At elevated temperatures, the Nb-Al alloys have higher compression strength than NiAl-based alloys processed at the same conditions. The minimum creep rates of mechanically alloyed Nb alloys are an order of magnitude lower than analogously processed NiAl-base alloys. (author)

The Meaning and Significance of Contemporary Media in Collecting and Studying Croatian Oral Literary Heritage

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Vanda Babić

2013-05-01

Full Text Available In the study of Croatian oral literary heritage, great importance present the records that have remained preserved as notes on documents, books, songs and poems as part of literary works. Records shows that oral literary text is the subject of research and study of oral heritage. However, the records themselves are not sufficient for studying oral literary text and its context. The text is accompanied by a recorded voice that faithfully represents the diction, rhythm, tone and color of the narrator voice. Videos shows the gestures, context and emotion of the narrator. Without the role of the modern media, oral literary records would be insufficient for studying fundamental aspects of communicativeness that can be interpreted as a context. The media of public communication greatly affects the expansion of the basic ideas of the oral transmission of text which is - storytelling.

Croatian Recommendations for Dialysis of HIV-Positive Patients

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Gulin Marijana

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV infection may be associated with renal impairment since about 0.4% of all HIV-positive patients develop end-stage renal disease. The share of patients with HIV infection in hemodialysis centers throughout the world ranges from 0.3% to as high as 38%. In Croatia, renal replacement therapy was needed by 1% of all the HIV-positive patients from 1985 until the end of 2014. Healthcare professionals (HP should be aware of the risks of occupational exposure to blood-borne infections in their daily work. Performing dialysis in HIV-positive patients increases the risk of exposure to HIV during the extracorporeal circulation of the infected blood. However, post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP with effective antiretroviral drugs significantly reduces the risk of infection after occupational exposure. On behalf of the Croatian Society of Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation, the authors of this paper have proposed recommendations for the management of HIVpositive patients on dialysis, which aim to prevent the transmission of HIV among patients and HPs. The important recommendations include the following: 1. when the need arises, it is necessary to provide HIV-positive patients with dialysis in the vicinity of their place of residence. 2. HIV-positive patients should be dialyzed with a separate hemodialysis machine in an isolated area. Alternatively, they can be dialyzed in an area for the hemodialysis of HCV-positive and/or HBVpositive patients. 3. Specialized and trained personnel should be provided during the hemodialysis procedure, together with strict compliance with the standard precautions for the prevention of blood-borne infections. 4. There should be a good and prompt cooperation with the National Referral Center for HIV infection.

The Ethnopsychological Framework of the Croatian and Serbian Nations

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Ivo Rendić-Miočević

2000-06-01

Full Text Available The author proceeds from the opinion of E. Gellner that nationalism creates nations, and not vice versa. In South-East Europe homogeneity has been brought about through a traditional model, wherein archetypes and psychological matrices, especially those based on hajduk (bandit myths, proved to be persistent during the 20th century, even in its closing decades. As the historical framework in his analysis, the author uses the concept of Illyricum, and not of the Balkans. The later term was invented only at the beginning of the 20th century and it does not have any historical, cultural or geographic validity. In research on the problem of nationalism and nations in South-East Europe it is possible to apply an ethnopsychological approach, in which Freudian theories can be of great help. In order to understand archetypes that still survive in the area of ancient Illyricum, one must analyse three historical models that were formed during the long centuries in this region: 1 the Croatian-Pannonian feudal model as well as the Mediterranean one in the West, 2 the patriarchal model in the mid-areas, 3 the Serbian “despotic” model in the East. In regard to patriarchal society, the author recognises in its ideology (national songs, myths etc. the Kraljević Marko syndrome (with projections, paranoia and narcism as its symptoms. The author emphasises that the parental super-ego is transferred to children, and so becomes the upholding factor of tradition and values. Mediaeval Serbia, in which Church and State were linked, had a different social development from European society. “Oriental despotism” as a dominant type can be seen in Serbian history from the Nemanjić period, through the Ottoman epoch to the modern Serbian state. During the Ottoman period, a homogeneous national culture prevailed, which was deeply marked by the Dinaric heritage. Stimulating paranoia and projects in the population, the modern state, assisted by the Church, threatened

Surface modification of 5083 Al alloy by electrical discharge alloying processing with a 75 mass% Si-Fe alloy electrode

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stambekova, Kuralay [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Chung Hsing University, 250 Kuo-Kuang Rd., Taichung 40227, Taiwan (China); Lin, Hung-Mao [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Far East University, No. 49, Zhonghua Rd., Xinshi Dist., Tainan City 74448, Taiwan (China); Uan, Jun-Yen, E-mail: jyuan@dragon.nchu.edu.tw [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Chung Hsing University, 250 Kuo-Kuang Rd., Taichung 40227, Taiwan (China)

2012-03-01

This study experimentally investigates the surface modification of 5083 Al alloy by the electrical discharge alloying (EDA) process with a Si-Fe alloy as an electrode. Samples were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), micro-hardness and corrosion resistance tests. The micro-hardness of EDA alloyed layer was evidently higher than that of the base metal (5083 Al alloy). The TEM results show that the matrix of the alloyed layer has an amorphous-like structure; the matrix contains fine needle-like Si particles, block-like Si particles and nano-size Al{sub 4.5}FeSi and Al{sub 13}Fe{sub 4} particles. The TEM results support experimental results for the high hardness of the alloyed layer. Moreover, the EDA alloyed layer with composite microstructures has good corrosion resistance in NaCl aqueous solution.

Synthesis Of NiCrAlC alloys by mechanical alloying

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silva, A.K.; Pereira, J.I.; Vurobi Junior, S.; Cintho, O.M.

2010-01-01

The purpose of the present paper is the synthesis of nickel alloys (NiCrAlC), which has been proposed like a economic alternative to the Stellite family Co alloys using mechanical alloying, followed by sintering heat treatment of milled material. The NiCrAlC alloys consist of a chromium carbides dispersion in a Ni 3 Al intermetallic matrix, that is easily synthesized by mechanical alloying. The use of mechanical alloying enables higher carbides sizes and distribution control in the matrix during sintering. We are also investigated the compaction of the processed materials by compressibility curves. The milling products were characterized by X-ray diffraction, and the end product was featured by conventional metallography and scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), that enabled the identification of desired phases, beyond microhardness test, which has been shown comparable to alloys manufactured by fusion after heat treating. (author)

Skin health and safety at work in Croatian hairdressing apprentices.

Science.gov (United States)

Samardžić, Tea; Varnai, Veda Marija; Bakotić, Marija; Babić, Željka; Brans, Richard; Cvijetić Avdagić, Selma; Štampar Šmaguc, Darinka; Kovačević, Iva; Macan, Jelena

2016-07-01

The risk of developing occupational skin disease (OSD) is high in hairdressers, but may differ between countries. To evaluate safety at work measures, and the prevalence and severity of skin symptoms and their impact on quality of life (QoL), among Croatian hairdressing apprentices. Data on self-reported skin symptoms, safety measures and QoL were collected for 101 final-year apprentices. The presence and severity of skin lesions were assessed with the Osnabrueck Hand Eczema Severity Index (OHSI). Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) was measured on the forearm and hand. Ninety-one percent of apprentices reported wearing gloves while dyeing hair, 45% while rinsing hair dyes, and 4% while washing hair. A history of skin symptoms was found in 35% of apprentices, and a history of dry hands in 37%. Skin changes were clinically observed in 40% of apprentices, most frequently erythema, infiltration, and desquamation. The OHSI score ranged from 0 to 6. Only washing hands >20 times per day was positively associated with TEWL. A history of skin symptoms negatively correlated with self-esteem, and social and mental functioning, and positively with anxiety and depression. The results indicate the need for the continuation of efforts to establish effective primary preventive programmes for OSDs at national and EU levels. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Plastic litter in sediments from the Croatian marine protected area of the natural park of Telaščica bay (Adriatic Sea).

Science.gov (United States)

Blašković, Andrea; Fastelli, Paolo; Čižmek, Hrvoje; Guerranti, Cristiana; Renzi, Monia

2017-01-15

This paper reports baseline levels of litter (macro, meso and microplastics) in sediments collected from different areas of the Croatian MPA of the Natural Park of Telaščica bay (Adriatic Sea, GSA n. 17). The distribution of total abundance according to size, for all analysed locations evidences that microplastics are the dominant fraction concerning item's numbers. In all analysed samples no macroplastics were found, while microplastics are 88.71% and mesoplastics are 11.29% of the total. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

HIV/AIDS and Croatian migrant workers.

Science.gov (United States)

Stulhofer, Aleksandar; Brouillard, Pamela; Nikolić, Nebojga; Greiner, Nina

2006-12-01

avert the potential for an increase in new HIV/AIDS cases. A coordinated, systematic campaign for HIV/AIDS prevention among Croatian migrant workers should focus on increasing peer communication about HIV/AIDS, especially among younger migrant workers, and on reducing the frequency of sexual risk taking.

Towards the Estimation of an Efficient Benchmark Portfolio: The Case of Croatian Emerging Market

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Dolinar Denis

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The fact that cap-weighted indices provide an inefficient risk-return trade-off is well known today. Various research approaches evolved suggesting alternative to cap-weighting in an effort to come up with a more efficient market index benchmark. In this paper we aim to use such an approach and focus on the Croatian capital market. We apply statistical shrinkage method suggested by Ledoit and Wolf (2004 to estimate the covariance matrix and follow the work of Amenc et al. (2011 to obtain estimates of expected returns that rely on risk-return trade-off. Empirical findings for the proposed portfolio optimization include out-of-sample and robustness testing. This way we compare the performance of the capital-weighted benchmark to the alternative and ensure that consistency is achieved in different volatility environments. Research findings do not seem to support relevant research results for the developed markets but rather complement earlier research (Zoričić et al., 2014.

Correlation between diffusion barriers and alloying energy in binary alloys

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vej-Hansen, Ulrik Grønbjerg; Rossmeisl, Jan; Stephens, Ifan

2016-01-01

In this paper, we explore the notion that a negative alloying energy may act as a descriptor for long term stability of Pt-alloys as cathode catalysts in low temperature fuel cells.......In this paper, we explore the notion that a negative alloying energy may act as a descriptor for long term stability of Pt-alloys as cathode catalysts in low temperature fuel cells....

Role of destination management in strengthening the competitiveness of Croatian tourism

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Irena Bosnić

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Tourism today is marked by various social-economic trends. Croatia as a tourist destination is present on the networked international tourism market, which imposes daily adjustments to varying conditions on the market, primarily through improvement of the competitiveness of its own tourism offer. An important precondition for forming such an offer is an effective system for managing a tourist destination or destination management. With its accession to the European Union, Croatia has become a part of the European tourist market, which is a boost for tourism but also challenging, as it needs to stay true to its identity and maintain its uniqueness. Due to Croatia’s new macroenvironment, conditions and rapidly changing consumer requirements on the global tourism market, as well as global economic and political instability, which has not left the European Union unscathed, strategic operational planning and clear guidance for the future development of tourism in Croatia are essential. Thus, the goal of this paper is to emphasize the importance and functionality of destination management for the development of competitiveness of Croatian tourism, with emphasis on strategic managing of its development and review the challenges and adaptations to the conditions on the European tourism market.

Titanium alloys. Advances in alloys, processes, products and applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blenkinsop, P.A.

1993-01-01

The last few years have been a period of consolidation of existing alloys and processes. While the aerospace industry remains the principal driving force for alloy development, the paper illustrates examples of new markets being established in 'older' alloys, by a combination of product/process development and a re-examination of engineering design parameters. Considerable attention is still being directed towards the titanium aluminide systems, but other more conventional alloy developments are underway aimed at specific engineering and process requirements, both in the aerospace and non-aerospace sectors. Both the advanced high temperature and conventional alloy developments are considered, before the paper goes on to assess the potential of new processes and products, like spray-forming, metal matrix composites and shaped-plate rolling. (orig.)

Violence in social memory intimate beliefs regarding operation storm in the Croatian and Serbian publics

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Đerić Gordana

2008-01-01

Full Text Available This text is part of a research conducted under the working title "What do we talk about when we are silent and what are we silent about when we are talking? - premises for the anthropology of silence about the nearest past." In the first part the author investigates the meaning of silence in the Croatian and Serbian press right before and during Croatia's Operation Storm. The ratio between silence, suppression of information and forgetting, on the one hand, and social memory, on the other, has been elaborated in the final part of the text by following reports about the anniversaries of Operation Storm in both Croatian and Serbian publics. The starting point lies in the belief that the phenomenon of silence (and suppression of information, being an immanent part of each discourse, represents an important factor in the creation of social relationships and system of value models, that it has important communication and cognitive functions and that the performance character lies in its essence. In short, silence makes it possible to form the prevailing image about this event, even if it does not construct it indirectly - through speech. The author has elaborated on the meaning of silence in the context of Operation Storm partly because studies about the breakup of Yugoslavia frequently mention silence as a manipulation strategy employed by some of the sides in the conflict (or analysts dealing with Yugoslav topics, while not a single study systematically investigates the semantic of silence and suppression of information in these conflicts. Most importantly, taking into account the frequency of direct silence in the newspaper discourse and rhetoric strategies that point at silence indirectly from the context and discourse, the author focuses on the relationship between the event (situation and silence. In order to shed light on the way in which Operation Storm is remembered, i.e. forgotten, in the stakeholders' publics and political imageries, she

High-temperature deformation of a mechanically alloyed niobium-yttria alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chou, I.; Koss, D.A.; Howell, P.R.; Ramani, A.S.

1997-01-01

Mechanical alloying (MA) and hot isostatic pressing have been used to process two Nb alloys containing yttria particles, Nb-2 vol.%Y 2 O 3 and Nb-10 vol.%Y 2 O 3 . Similar to some thermomechanically processed nickel-based alloys, both alloys exhibit partially recrystallized microstructures, consisting of a 'necklace' of small recrystallized grains surrounding much larger but isolated, unrecrystallized, cold-worked grains. Hot compression tests from 1049 to 1347 C (0.5-0.6T MP ) of the 10% Y 2 O 3 alloy show that MA material possesses a much higher yield and creep strength than its powder-blended, fully recrystallized counterpart. In fact, the density-compensated specific yield strength of the MA Nb-10Y 2 O 3 exceeds that of currently available commercial Nb alloys. (orig.)

Iron-based amorphous alloys and methods of synthesizing iron-based amorphous alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Saw, Cheng Kiong; Bauer, William A.; Choi, Jor-Shan; Day, Dan; Farmer, Joseph C.

2016-05-03

A method according to one embodiment includes combining an amorphous iron-based alloy and at least one metal selected from a group consisting of molybdenum, chromium, tungsten, boron, gadolinium, nickel phosphorous, yttrium, and alloys thereof to form a mixture, wherein the at least one metal is present in the mixture from about 5 atomic percent (at %) to about 55 at %; and ball milling the mixture at least until an amorphous alloy of the iron-based alloy and the at least one metal is formed. Several amorphous iron-based metal alloys are also presented, including corrosion-resistant amorphous iron-based metal alloys and radiation-shielding amorphous iron-based metal alloys.

The establishment of the Croatian Dental Crops: the front-line experience of a dentist volunteer.

Science.gov (United States)

Jelaca-Bagić, S; Sipina, J; Visković, R; Cakarun, Z; Vlatković, I; Biloglav, D

1997-01-01

The establishment of the first dental office of the Croatian Dental Corps (CDC) in the city of Zadar represented at the same time the beginning of the CDC. This article describes the front-line experience of a dentist who volunteered to provide basic medical help, which eventually laid the groundwork for providing general dental care and establishing the first CDC dental office. The office was opened on December 16, 1991, and provided general dental care except prosthetics. Although faced with numerous problems and extremely difficult conditions, the office staff completed 1,913 initial and 1,157 control checkups and performed 4,002 services by treating 12 to 16 patients per day. The main causes for emergencies were caries (59%) and endodontic complications (28%). This variety of services in the proximity of the front line is considered extensive even for advanced medical corps of modern armies.

Personal Efficacy and Factors of Effective Learning Environment in Higher Education: Croatian and American Students

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Violeta Vidaček - Hainš

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Successful learning in higher education incorporates various factors related to knowledge, skills, habits, and motivation. Additionally, students’ personalities and self-efficacy may contribute to their adjustment, planning of activities, and achieving success. The objective of this paper is to analyze students’ needs for support services, which enhance the effectiveness of their learning environment at higher education institutions. Answers received from a sample of undergraduate freshmen at one American University and one Croatian University were analyzed and compared. The students from both countries agree that there is a need for developing self-reliance and personal responsibility in using support services, as well as for the timely and accurate information on availability of these services. Students’ suggestions and their desire to enhance effectiveness of their learning environment may be used in creating and improving support services in higher education institutions as well as training their staff.

Spanning National Borders: Split Lives of Croatian Migrant Families

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Jasna Čapo Žmegač

2007-06-01

Full Text Available Using the ethnographic approach, the article describes three modalities of family arrangements practiced by Croatian migrants in Germany over the past thirty years. In all three, family members were divided between two localities in physical space, which were situated in different states – Croatia or Bosnia-Herzegovina and Germany: in one case only the father was a migrant while his wife and children stayed in the native country; in another the couple left for Germany leaving the child in Croatia; in the third the couple lived with some of their children in Germany while other children were living in Croatia. Some of these families were dispersed across international borders during the entire life and migration course (thirty years or more, while some experienced shorter or longer periods of separation followed by reunion of all or some family members, who crossed borders in one or another direction. It follows from this presentation that, rather than being a temporary phase aimed at reintegration of the family at a higher economic level, bilocality, viewed from a diachronic perspective, is a more or less continuous family arrangement and a way of life of migrant families. The question remains open as to whether transnational families are units in which emotional ties and closeness between its members are maintained. The data might point in this direction but might also lead to a hypothesis that, precisely because it is dispersed across long distances, the family needs to construct its unity (emotional if not physical and therefore narratively presents itself as integrated and reconfigured.

ABO blood groups and psychiatric disorders: a Croatian study.

Science.gov (United States)

Pisk, Sandra Vuk; Vuk, Tomislav; Ivezić, Ena; Jukić, Irena; Bingulac-Popović, Jasna; Filipčić, Igor

2018-02-15

The prevalence of ABO alleles is different in different populations, and many studies have shown a correlation between the occurrences of some diseases and different genotypes of ABO blood groups. The aim of this study was to determine whether there is a significant association between psychiatric syndromes and ABO blood groups. This case-control study involved 156 psychiatric patients and 303 healthy, unrelated, voluntary blood donors. Genomic DNA was isolated from blood on a QIAcube device using a QIAamp DNA Blood mini QIAcube kit. ABO genotyping on five basic ABO alleles was performed using allele-specific polymerase chain reaction analysis. Compared with healthy subjects, a significantly higher proportion of psychiatric patients had AB blood group (χ 2 =9.359, df=3, p=0.025) and, accordingly, a significantly higher incidence of A1B genotype (χ 2 =8.226, df=3, p=0.042). The odds ratio showed that psychiatric disorders occur almost three times more frequently in carriers of AB group compared to other blood groups. However, no statistically significant difference was found in the distribution of ABO blood groups among patients with different psychiatric diagnoses. Likewise, no correlations were found between ABO blood groups and other characteristics of the psychiatric patients (sex, psychiatric heredity, somatic comorbidity, suicidality). The results of this study support the hypothesis of an association between psychiatric disorders and ABO blood groups. The probability is that psychiatric disorders will occur almost three times more frequently in carriers of AB group compared to other ABO blood groups in the Croatian population.

CAN FOOD BE A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE OF CROATIAN TOURISM?

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Mirna Leko Šimić

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Tourism in is one of the most efficient and competitive industries in Croatia. According to the Croatian National Bank (2015, with an income of 7.4 billion Euros in 2014, it contributes 17.2% to the national GDP. From the marketing point of view, it is one of the most crucial images of Croatia internationally. However, for decades tourism in Croatia was marked as “3S” (sun, sand and sea. This means that its competitiveness was based primarily on natural resources. Apart from price differentiation, such positioning has removed the characteristics that differentiate it from other Mediterranean destinations and has resulted in the existing problems of high seasonality, low ROI, low value added, etc. The major goal of this paper is to analyse the opportunity of increasing the tourism value added by developing food tourism as a special tourist product of Croatia. The research is in line with the goals of the national tourism development strategy which emphasizes the need to create value added to the national economy by valorisation and protection of available resources, market repositioning and new identity creation as well as enabling additional market opportunities for local products. Food tourism perfectly matches these goals. A pilot research of supply (hotels and restaurants, local tourist associations, souvenir shops and demand (foreign tourists was conducted and potential for such development was identified. The gaps in attitudes and opinions between supply and demand of food tourism is analysed and discussed and appropriate marketing activities are suggested.

Comparison of Fitness Levels between Croatian and Lithuanian Students

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Dario Novak

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to determine and compare the level of individual anthropological characteristics of children in Croatia and Lithuania. The study examined height, weight, BMI and flexibility, explosive power and muscle endurance. The study included a total of 11,258 participants from two different countries. Of the total sample, 8,289 participants were from Croatia between ages 11 and 14 (mean age 12,5±1.5, of which 4,032 were male and 4,157 were female students. The other 2,969 participants were from Lithuania, also in the age range of 11-14 years (mean age 12,4±1.6, of which 1,504 participants were male and 1,456 females. During the 2009-10 school year, reserachers conducted measurements on students at different schools across Croatia. The same battery of tests was conducted in Lithuania during the same year. The results showed that the Croatian students have a higher body-mass, have higher BMI values and score better on tests of flexibility. Lithuanian students achieved better results in the repetitive strength test. Boys are taller, heavier and had higher BMI values as well as achieved better results in tests of explosive power and muscle endurance, while girls were more flexibile. Boys from Lithuania scored highest in all tests except in flexibility compared to boys in Croatia. Girls from Lithuania are thinner, have lower BMI and achieve better results in repetitive test of strength than girls in Croatia. Age was shown as a significant factor in the increase in all tested variables.

Making of Croatian Low-Emission Development Strategy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bartle, B.; Herencic, L.; Kordic, Z.; Pasicko, R.; Vlasic, S.

2012-01-01

A Low-Emission Development Strategy (LEDS) is a national, high-level, comprehensive, long-term strategy, developed by domestic stakeholders, which aims at decoupling economic growth and social development from greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions growth. Croatia has begun to join the growing list of countries in the world that have already developed a long-term strategy for low-emissions development and thereby take the road of sustainable development. The 16th Conference of the Parties'' (COP), held in Cancun in December 2010, adopted the Cancun Agreements - a historic set of decisions laying the foundation to tackle climate change through a new post-2012 regime. The Cancun Agreements ''encourages governments to prepare low-carbon development strategies in the context of sustainable development.'' and ''realizes that addressing climate change requires a paradigm shift towards building a low-carbon society that offers substantial opportunities and ensures continued high growth and sustainable development''. Recently the European Commission adopted a Roadmap for transforming the European Union into a competitive low carbon economy by 2050. The Roadmap describes the cost-effective pathway to reach the EU's objective of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 80-95% of 1990 levels by 2050. On the domestic level, the LEDS is a country-driven policy instrument for national decision making. The LEDS supports sector transformation through a national, economy-wide approach. On the international level, LEDS support the global goal of GHG emission reduction. The Croatian Ministry of Environmental and Nature Protection in cooperation with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Croatia will design and implement the Low-Emissions Development Strategy (LEDS) under project titled ''Supporting RBEC countries transition to low-emission development''. The LEDS merges climate change action with national sustainable development and helps to identify and prioritize nationally appropriate

High strength alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Maziasz, Phillip James [Oak Ridge, TN; Shingledecker, John Paul [Knoxville, TN; Santella, Michael Leonard [Knoxville, TN; Schneibel, Joachim Hugo [Knoxville, TN; Sikka, Vinod Kumar [Oak Ridge, TN; Vinegar, Harold J [Bellaire, TX; John, Randy Carl [Houston, TX; Kim, Dong Sub [Sugar Land, TX

2010-08-31

High strength metal alloys are described herein. At least one composition of a metal alloy includes chromium, nickel, copper, manganese, silicon, niobium, tungsten and iron. System, methods, and heaters that include the high strength metal alloys are described herein. At least one heater system may include a canister at least partially made from material containing at least one of the metal alloys. At least one system for heating a subterranean formation may include a tubular that is at least partially made from a material containing at least one of the metal alloys.

Aluminum fin-stock alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gul, R.M.; Mutasher, F.

2007-01-01

Aluminum alloys have long been used in the production of heat exchanger fins. The comparative properties of the different alloys used for this purpose has not been an issue in the past, because of the significant thickness of the finstock material. However, in order to make fins lighter in weight, there is a growing demand for thinner finstock materials, which has emphasized the need for improved mechanical properties, thermal conductivity and corrosion resistance. The objective of this project is to determine the effect of iron, silicon and manganese percentage increment on the required mechanical properties for this application by analyzing four different aluminum alloys. The four selected aluminum alloys are 1100, 8011, 8079 and 8150, which are wrought non-heat treatable alloys with different amount of the above elements. Aluminum alloy 1100 serve as a control specimen, as it is commercially pure aluminum. The study also reports the effect of different annealing cycles on the mechanical properties of the selected alloys. Metallographic examination was also preformed to study the effect of annealing on the precipitate phases and the distribution of these phases for each alloy. The microstructure analysis of the aluminum alloys studied indicates that the precipitated phase in the case of aluminum alloys 1100 and 8079 is beta-FeAI3, while in 8011 it is a-alfa AIFeSi, and the aluminum alloy 8150 contains AI6(Mn,Fe) phase. The comparison of aluminum alloys 8011 and 8079 with aluminum alloy 1100 show that the addition of iron and silicon improves the percent elongation and reduces strength. The manganese addition increases the stability of mechanical properties along the annealing range as shown by the comparison of aluminum alloy 8150 with aluminum alloy 1100. Alloy 8150 show superior properties over the other alloys due to the reaction of iron and manganese, resulting in a preferable response to thermal treatment and improved mechanical properties. (author)

ACTIVE BRIBERY IN CROATIAN MEDIEVAL AND MODERN LAW

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Mijo Galiot

2016-01-01

Full Text Available When it comes to writing about the history of punishment, it is always linked with critically re-thinking and better understanding of the contemporary system of punishment, as a result of its long historical development. In such a way, „contemporary criminal law cannot be seen as a result of an effort made by a certain nation or in a certain epoch“. „Permanently faced with social changes, in its long historical development, criminal law has been modifying its fundamental principles and categories, by building new institutes and instruments, in order to become less cruel and more human, but not less efficient than in earlier stages of its development, characterized by rudeness, cruelty and exemplarity of its sanctions. Although it is not easy to answer the question, if there is the measure, in which social understanding of punishment and its purpose, determines the civilizational level in the society, there is no doubt about the fact that civilizational and legal point of view towards punishment derives from a waste range of factors: general, cultural, sociological, psychological, religious, political and other factors that should be taken altogether in their historical dimension. The genesis of criminal law is linked with the moment of establishing the public authorities and the state. According to different criteria, it is possible to introduce different periodization of criminal law. When it comes to the historical criterion, there can be made a historical division into periods of ancient, medieval, modern and contemporary criminal law (punishment, which periods should not be taken as absolutely inseparable. The point of this paper is to present a review and development of punishing active bribery in the Croatian medieval and modern law.

Nickel alloys and high-alloyed special stainless steels. Properties, manufacturing, applications. 4. compl. rev. ed.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heubner, Ulrich; Kloewer, Jutta; Alves, Helena; Behrens, Rainer; Schindler, Claudius; Wahl, Volker; Wolf, Martin

2012-01-01

This book contains the following eight topics: 1. Nickel alloys and high-alloy special stainless steels - Material overview and metallurgical principles (U. Heubner); 2. Corrosion resistance of nickel alloys and high-alloy special stainless steels (U. Heubner); 3. Welding of nickel alloys and high-alloy special stainless steels (T. Hoffmann, M. Wolf); 4. High-temperature materials for industrial plant construction (J. Kloewer); 5. Nickel alloys and high-alloy special stainless steels as hot roll clad composites-a cost-effective alternative (C. Schindler); 6. Selected examples of the use of nickel alloys and high-alloy special stainless steels in chemical plants (H. Alves); 7. The use of nickel alloys and stainless steels in environmental engineering (V. Wahl); 8: Nickel alloys and high-alloy special stainless steels for the oil and gas industry (R. Behrens).

Biocompatibility of dental alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Braemer, W. [Heraeus Kulzer GmbH and Co. KG, Hanau (Germany)

2001-10-01

Modern dental alloys have been used for 50 years to produce prosthetic dental restorations. Generally, the crowns and frames of a prosthesis are prepared in dental alloys, and then veneered by feldspar ceramics or composites. In use, the alloys are exposed to the corrosive influence of saliva and bacteria. Metallic dental materials can be classified as precious and non-precious alloys. Precious alloys consist of gold, platinum, and small amounts of non-precious components such as copper, tin, or zinc. The non-precious alloys are based on either nickel or cobalt, alloyed with chrome, molybdenum, manganese, etc. Titanium is used as Grade 2 quality for dental purposes. As well as the dental casting alloys, high purity electroplated gold (99.8 wt.-%) is used in dental technology. This review discusses the corrosion behavior of metallic dental materials with saliva in ''in vitro'' tests and the influence of alloy components on bacteria (Lactobacillus casei and Streptococcus mutans). The test results show that alloys with high gold content, cobalt-based alloys, titanium, and electroplated gold are suitable for use as dental materials. (orig.)

Interphase thermodynamic bond in heterogeneous alloys: effects on alloy properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Savchenko, A.M.; Konovalov, Yu.V.; Yuferov, O.I.

2005-01-01

Inconsistency between a conventional thermodynamic description of alloys as a mechanical mixture of phases and a real alloys state as a common thermodynamic system in which there is a complicated physical-chemical phases interaction has been considered. It is supposed that in heterogeneous alloys (eutectic ones, for instance), so called interphase thermodynamic bond can become apparent due to a partial electron levels splitting under phase interaction. Thermodynamic description of phase equilibrium in alloys is proposed taking into account a thermodynamic bond for the system with phase diagram of eutectic type, and methods of the value of this bond estimation are presented. Experimental evidence (Al-Cu-Si, Al-Si-Mg-Cu, U-Mo + Al) of the effect of interphase thermodynamic bond on temperature and enthalpy of melting of alloys are produced as well as possibility of its effects on alloys electrical conduction, strength, heat and corrosion resistance is substantiated theoretically [ru

Croatian Chemistry in the 20th Century. II. From the Collapse of Independent State of Croatia on May 8th, 1945 to the Establishment of the Republic of Croatia on June 25th, 1991

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Vancik, H.

2009-07-01

Full Text Available The development of Croatian chemistry from the end of the Second World War to the establishment of the Republic of Croatia is outlined. Briefly discussed is the founding and development of the Chemistry Department of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and the Rugjer Bošković Institute. Also presented is the postwar structure and organization of the chemical-technological study at the Technical Faculty and later at the Faculty of Technology. The chemical lectures and research in chemistry at the Faculty of Nutrition and Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Facultyof Agronomy and Faculty of Forestry are reviewed. This article follows logically our first article in this series entitled Croatian Chemistry in the 20th Century. I. From the Turn of the Century to May 8,th 1945 (Kem. Ind. 56 (2007 403–416.

Irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking in HTH Alloy X-750 and Alloy 625

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bajaj, R.; Mills, W.J.; Lebo, M.R.; Hyatt, B.Z.; Burke, M.G.

1995-01-01

In-reactor testing of bolt-loaded compact tension specimens was performed in 360 C water to determine the irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking (IASCC) behavior of HTH Alloy X-750 and direct-aged Alloy 625. New data confirm previous results showing that high irradiation levels reduce SCC resistance in Alloy X-750. Heat-to-heat variability correlates with boron content, with low boron heats showing improved IASCC properties. Alloy 625 is resistant to IASCC, as no cracking was observed in any Alloy 625 specimens. Microstructural, microchemical and deformation studies were performed to characterize the mechanisms responsible for IASCC in Alloy X-750 and the lack of an effect in Alloy 625. The mechanisms under investigation are: boron transmutation effects, radiation-induced changes in microstructure and deformation characteristics, and radiation-induced segregation. Irradiation of Alloy X-750 caused significant strengthening and ductility loss that was associated with the formation of cavities and dislocation loops. High irradiation levels did not cause significant segregation of alloying or trace elements in Alloy X-750. Irradiation of Alloy 625 resulted in the formation of small dislocation loops and a fine body-centered-orthorhombic phase. The strengthening due to the loops and precipitates was apparently offset by a partial dissolution of γ double-prime precipitates, as Alloy 625 showed no irradiation-induced strengthening or ductility loss. In the nonirradiated condition, an IASCC susceptible HTH heat containing 28 ppm B showed grain boundary segregation of boron, whereas a nonsusceptible HTH heat containing 2 ppm B and Alloy 625 with 20 ppm B did not show significant boron segregation. Transmutation of boron to helium at grain boundaries, coupled with matrix strengthening, is believed to be responsible for IASCC in Alloy X-750, and the absence of these two effects results in the superior IASCC resistance displayed by Alloy 625

Diversity of equine major histocompatiblity complex class II DRA locus in Posavina and Croatian Coldblood horse: a new polymorphism detected

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Ino Curik

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Domestic equidae display polymorphism within ELA-DRA locus which is not characteristic for other species. We characterised sequence polymorphism present at ELADRA locus exon 2 and estimated allele frequencies in two autochthonous breeds, Posavina and Croatian Coldblood. In 88 horses, four different alleles were found, one of them not reported before in horses. The new allele shows non-synonymous mutation at position 65 (T→A causing amino acid change (Phe→Tyr in antigen binding site and synonymous mutation at position 105 (C→T. Our findings emphasize the importance of DRA polymorphism among equids and some specific DRA frequency pattern potentially specific in draught horses.

Filler metal alloy for welding cast nickel aluminide alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Santella, M.L.; Sikka, V.K.

1998-03-10

A filler metal alloy used as a filler for welding cast nickel aluminide alloys contains from about 15 to about 17 wt. % chromium, from about 4 to about 5 wt. % aluminum, equal to or less than about 1.5 wt. % molybdenum, from about 1 to about 4.5 wt. % zirconium, equal to or less than about 0.01 wt. % yttrium, equal to or less than about 0.01 wt. % boron and the balance nickel. The filler metal alloy is made by melting and casting techniques such as are melting the components of the filler metal alloy and cast in copper chill molds. 3 figs.

The Evaluation of the Corrosion Resistance of the Al-Si Alloys Antimony Alloyed

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Svobodova J.

2014-06-01

Full Text Available This paper deals with the evaluation of the corrosion resistance of the Al-Si alloys alloyed with the different amount of antimony. Specifically it goes about the alloy AlSi7Mg0,3 which is antimony alloyed in the concentrations 0; 0,001; 0,005; 0,01 a 0,05 wt. % of antimony. The introduction of the paper is dedicated to the theory of the aluminium alloys corrosion resistance, testing and evaluation of the corrosion resistance. The influence of the antimony to the Al-Si alloys properties is described further in the introduction. The experimental part describes the experimental samples which were prepared for the experiment and further they were exposed to the loading in the atmospheric conditions for a period of the 3 months. The experimental samples were evaluated macroscopically and microscopically. The results of the experiment were documented and the conclusions in terms of the antimony impact to the corrosion resistance of the Al-Si alloy were concluded. There was compared the corrosion resistance of the Al-Si alloy antimony alloyed (with the different antimony content with the results of the Al-Si alloy without the alloying after the corrosion load in the atmospheric conditions in the experiment.

VANADIUM ALLOYS

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, K.F.; Van Thyne, R.J.

1959-05-12

This patent deals with vanadium based ternary alloys useful as fuel element jackets. According to the invention the ternary vanadium alloys, prepared in an arc furnace, contain from 2.5 to 15% by weight titanium and from 0.5 to 10% by weight niobium. Characteristics of these alloys are good thermal conductivity, low neutron capture cross section, good corrosion resistance, good welding and fabricating properties, low expansion coefficient, and high strength.

Crevice corrosion propagation on alloy 625 and alloy C276 in natural seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCafferty, E.; Bogar, F.D.; Thomas, E.D. II; Creegan, C.A.; Lucas, K.E.; Kaznoff, A.I.

1997-01-01

Chemical composition of the aqueous solution within crevices on two different Ni-Cr-Mo-Fe alloys immersed in natural seawater was determined using a semiquantitative thin-layer chromatographic method. Active crevices were found to contain concentrated amounts of dissolved Ni 2+ , Cr 3+ , Mo 3+ , and Fe 2+ ions. Propagation of crevice corrosion for the two alloys was determined from anodic polarization curves in model crevice solutions based upon stoichiometric dissolution or selective dissolution of alloy components. Both alloys 625 (UNS N06625) and C276 (UNS N10276) underwent crevice corrosion in the model crevice electrolytes. For the model crevice solution based upon selective dissolution of alloy constituents, the anodic dissolution rate for alloy 625 was higher than that for alloy C276. This trend was reversed for the model crevice solution based upon uniform dissolution of alloy constituents

Corrosion of aluminum alloys as a function of alloy composition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, A.B. Jr.

1969-10-01

A study was initiated which included nineteen aluminum alloys. Tests were conducted in high purity water at 360 0 C and flow tests (approx. 20 ft/sec) in reactor process water at 130 0 C (TF-18 loop tests). High-silicon alloys and AlSi failed completely in the 360 0 C tests. However, coupling of AlSi to 8001 aluminum suppressed the failure. The alloy compositions containing iron and nickel survived tht 360 0 C autoclave exposures. Corrosion rates varied widely as a function of alloy composition, but in directions which were predictable from previous high-temperature autoclave experience. In the TF-18 loop flow tests, corrosion penetrations were similar on all of the alloys and on high-purity aluminum after 105 days. However, certain alloys established relatively low linear corrosion rates: Al-0.9 Ni-0.5 Fe-0.1 Zr, Al-1.0 Ni-0.15 Fe-11.5 Si-0.8 Mg, Al-1.2 Ni-1.8 Fe, and Al-7.0 Ni-4.8 Fe. Electrical polarity measurements between AlSi and 8001 alloys in reactor process water at temperatures up to 150 0 C indicated that AlSi was anodic to 8001 in the static autoclave system above approx. 50 0 C

Surface treatment of new type aluminum lithium alloy and fatigue crack behaviors of this alloy plate bonded with Ti–6Al–4V alloy strap

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Zhen-Qi; Huang, Ming-Hui; Hu, Guo-Huai

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► A new generation aluminum lithium alloy which special made for Chinese commercial plane was investigated. ► Pattern of aluminum lithium alloy and Ti alloy were shown after anodization. ► Crack propagation of samples bonded with different wide Ti straps were studied in this paper. -- Abstract: Samples consisting of new aluminum lithium alloy (Al–Li alloy) plate developed by the Aluminum Company of America and Ti–6Al–4V alloy (Ti alloy) plate were investigated. Plate of 400 mm × 140 mm × 2 mm with single edge notch was anodized in phosphoric solution and Ti alloy plate of 200 mm × 20 (40) mm × 2 mm was anodized in alkali solution. Patterns of two alloys were studied at original/anodized condition. And then, aluminum alloy and Ti alloy plates were assembled into a sample with FM 94 film adhesive. Fatigue crack behaviors of the sample were investigated under condition of nominal stress σ = 36 MPa and 54 MPa, stress ratio of 0.1. Testing results show that anodization treatment modifies alloys surface topography. Ti alloy bonding to Al–Li alloy plate effectively retards crack growth than that of Al–Li alloy plate. Fatigue life of sample bonded with Ti alloy strap improves about 62.5% than that of non-strap plate.

The Properties of 7xxx Series Alloys Formed by Alloying Additions

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Kwak Z.

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Currently there is a constant development in the field of aluminium alloys engineering. This results from, i.a., better understanding of the mechanisms that direct strengthening of these alloys and the role of microalloying. Now it is microalloying in aluminum alloys that is receiving a lot of attention. It affects substantially the macro- and microstructure and kinetics of phase transformation influencing the properties during production and its exploitation. 7xxx series aluminum alloys, based on the Al-Zn-Mg-Cu system, are high-strength alloys, moreover, the presence of Zr and Sr further increases their strength and improves resistance to cracking.

The association of lifestyle and stress with poor glycemic control in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2: a Croatian nationwide primary care cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Bralić Lang, Valerija; Bergman Marković, Biserka; Vrdoljak, Davorka

2015-08-01

To assess lifestyle habits and self-reported stress levels among type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients and their association with hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) in general practitioners' (GP) offices in Croatia. 449 GPs from all Croatian regions from 2008 to 2010 consecutively recruited up to 20-25 participants diagnosed with T2DM at least 3 years prior to the study, aged ≥40 years, and scheduled for diabetes control check-ups. The recruitment period lasted six months. Lifestyle habits and self-reported stress were assessed using the questionnaire from the Croatian Adult Health Survey. The study included 10285 patients with T2DM with mean (±standard deviation) age of 65.7±10.05 years (48.1% men). Mean HbA1c level was 7.57±1.58%. 79% of participants reported insufficient physical activity, 24% reported inappropriate dietary patterns, 56% reported current alcohol consumption, 19% were current smokers, and 85% reported at least medium level of stress. Multivariate analysis showed that having received advice to stop drinking alcohol, inadequate physical activity, consumption of milk and dairy products, adding extra salt, and high level of stress were significantly associated with increased HbA1c (P lifestyle habits. These results suggest that diabetes patients in Croatia require more specific recommendations on diet, smoking cessation, exercise, and stress control.

Reducing thermal conductivity of binary alloys below the alloy limit via chemical ordering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duda, John C; English, Timothy S; Jordan, Donald A; Norris, Pamela M; Soffa, William A

2011-01-01

Substitutional solid solutions that exist in both ordered and disordered states will exhibit markedly different physical properties depending on their exact crystallographic configuration. Many random substitutional solid solutions (alloys) will display a tendency to order given the appropriate kinetic and thermodynamic conditions. Such order-disorder transitions will result in major crystallographic reconfigurations, where the atomic basis, symmetry, and periodicity of the alloy change dramatically. Consequently, the dominant scattering mechanism in ordered alloys will be different than that in disordered alloys. In this study, we present a hypothesis that ordered alloys can exhibit lower thermal conductivities than their disordered counterparts at elevated temperatures. To validate this hypothesis, we investigate the phononic transport properties of disordered and ordered AB Lennard-Jones alloys via non-equilibrium molecular dynamics and harmonic lattice dynamics calculations. It is shown that the thermal conductivity of an ordered alloy is the same as the thermal conductivity of the disordered alloy at ∼0.6T melt and lower than that of the disordered alloy above 0.8T melt .

The verb Hteti and the structure of auxiliary and modal verbs in Serbo-Croatian

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Stanimir Rakić

1984-12-01

Full Text Available The analysis of the distribution of enclitic forms ću, ćeš, će ... and   heverb hteti shows that they cannot be naturally reduced to each other. Thi.s mean. s that the., verb hteti is not.. an auxiliary verb at all, i. e. it does not take part in compound tenses in S.erbo-Croatian. Accord,ing to their complement.& we ha­ve distinguished two verbs hteti - hteti1 and hteti. Hteti is a modal verb, hteti a main verb. Furthermore, we have shown that there is a parallelism between 'complements "da + prezent" and "sentence" which can be best accounted for by a transforma­ tion (18, which may be called in English Subjugation of Infi­ nitive. This analysis has enabled us to present the structure of auxiliary and modal verbs by rewrite rules (34. Finally, we have shown that an alternative analysis in which all verbs are conceived as main verbs is quite feasible. In this new analysis our results are preserved in the form of an obligatory filter.

Analysis of the Leadership Style in Relation to the Characteristics of Croatian Enterprises

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Ivan Miloloža

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Given the specificity of leadership, as well as the characteristics of the leader and their associates, but also the current business situation, it is necessary to adapt at all times in order to achieve maximum results together with employee satisfaction. The goal of the article is to explore the presence of different leadership styles (authoritarian, democratic, and laissez-faire in Croatian enterprises. Survey research was conducted on a sample of enterprises, and level of usage of different leadership styles was measured using Leadership Styles Questionnaire. Six groups of enterprises were compared using Mann-Whitney test according to the level of usage of different leadership styles: (i small and medium enterprises ( ≤ 250 employees; (ii large enterprises ( > 250 employees; (iii enterprises in the growth and maturity phase (leaders; (iv enterprises in the stagnation phase (followers; (v enterprises with the main orientation towards international market, and (vi enterprises with the main orientation towards domicile market. Results indicated that democratic style is the most present in all groups of enterprises, but in some groups of enterprises autocratic and laissez-faire are also often present.

Measuring the impact of total quality management on financial performance of croatian companies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dubravka Pekanov Starčević

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Changes in the business environment have resulted in increasing the importance of the quality of products and services of a company. Insisting on quality has become a strategic goal of a company and a determiner of competitiveness both in the home and international market. The traditional approach to quality included determination of product quality after production was completed. High costs of testing to determine the quality of products and services concludes that quality assurance must be approached differently. Product controls and tests used until that moment had to be replaced with a more modern, more efficient and more effective approach known as total quality management (TQM. TQM supporters suggest that TQM implementation results in improved product quality, reduced product return, reduced costs of serving unsatisfied customers and other benefits that ultimately lead to improved financial performance of the company. This paper examines the impact of TQM imple- mentation on the financial performance of Croatian companies whose securities are traded within the regulated market. General characteristics of companies were compared in terms of (nonsystematic application of total quality management. Furthermore, the financial performance of the companies that have successfully implemented the method was measured.

Translating VDM to Alloy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lausdahl, Kenneth

2013-01-01

specifications. However, to take advantage of the automated analysis of Alloy, the model-oriented VDM specifications must be translated into a constraint-based Alloy specifications. We describe how a sub- set of VDM can be translated into Alloy and how assertions can be expressed in VDM and checked by the Alloy...

Electron beam and laser surface alloying of Al-Si base alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vanhille, P.; Tosto, S.; Pelletier, J.M.; Issa, A.; Vannes, A.B.; Criqui, B.

1992-01-01

Surface alloying on aluminium-base alloys is achieved either by using an electron beam or a laser beam, in order to improve the mechanical properties of the near-surface region. A predeposit of nickel is first realized by plasma spraying. Melting of both the coating and part of the substrate produces a surface alloy with a fine, dendritic microstructure with a high hardness. Enhancement of this property requires an increase in the nickel content. Various problems occur during the formation of nickel-rich surface layers: incomplete homogenization owing to a progressive increase of the liquidus temperature, cracks owing to the brittleness of this hard suface alloy, formation of a plasma when experiments are carried out in a gaseous environment (laser surface alloying). Nevertheless, various kinds of surface layers may be achieved; for example very hard surface alloys (HV 0.2 =900), with a thickness of about 500-600 μm, or very thick surface alloys (e>2 mm), with a fairly good hardness (greater than 350 HV 0.2 ). Thus, it is possible to obtain a large variety of new materials by using high energy beams on aluminium substrates. (orig.)

Combinatorial thin film materials science: From alloy discovery and optimization to alloy design

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gebhardt, Thomas, E-mail: gebhardt@mch.rwth-aachen.de; Music, Denis; Takahashi, Tetsuya; Schneider, Jochen M.

2012-06-30

This paper provides an overview of modern alloy development, from discovery and optimization towards alloy design, based on combinatorial thin film materials science. The combinatorial approach, combining combinatorial materials synthesis of thin film composition-spreads with high-throughput property characterization has proven to be a powerful tool to delineate composition-structure-property relationships, and hence to efficiently identify composition windows with enhanced properties. Furthermore, and most importantly for alloy design, theoretical models and hypotheses can be critically appraised. Examples for alloy discovery, optimization, and alloy design of functional as well as structural materials are presented. Using Fe-Mn based alloys as an example, we show that the combination of modern electronic-structure calculations with the highly efficient combinatorial thin film composition-spread method constitutes an effective tool for knowledge-based alloy design.

Combinatorial thin film materials science: From alloy discovery and optimization to alloy design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gebhardt, Thomas; Music, Denis; Takahashi, Tetsuya; Schneider, Jochen M.

2012-01-01

This paper provides an overview of modern alloy development, from discovery and optimization towards alloy design, based on combinatorial thin film materials science. The combinatorial approach, combining combinatorial materials synthesis of thin film composition-spreads with high-throughput property characterization has proven to be a powerful tool to delineate composition–structure–property relationships, and hence to efficiently identify composition windows with enhanced properties. Furthermore, and most importantly for alloy design, theoretical models and hypotheses can be critically appraised. Examples for alloy discovery, optimization, and alloy design of functional as well as structural materials are presented. Using Fe-Mn based alloys as an example, we show that the combination of modern electronic-structure calculations with the highly efficient combinatorial thin film composition-spread method constitutes an effective tool for knowledge-based alloy design.

Business owner and manager’s attitudes towards financial decision-making and strategic planning: Evidence from Croatian SMEs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marina Klačmer Čalopa

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The main goal of the paper was to explore the attitude of business owners and managers in the small and medium sized companies (SMEs in Croatia toward financial decision-making and strategic planning. In addition, it is attempted to identify managers’ styles and entrepreneurial skills, as well as the level of their financial knowledge. Data was gathered using online questionnaire method and analyzed with standard tools of descriptive statistics. The research sample consisted of 106 respondents from SMEs in Croatia (14% response rate. Research results reveal that business owners and managers are concerned about financial results but, unfortunately, do not influence the financial decision-making in all of its stages. The study could contribute to a better understanding of attitudes of Croatian SMEs business owners and managers toward financial decision-making and strategic planning.

Shape memory alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaszuwara, W.

2004-01-01

Shape memory alloys (SMA), when deformed, have the ability of returning, in certain circumstances, to their initial shape. Deformations related to this phenomenon are for polycrystals 1-8% and up to 15% for monocrystals. The deformation energy is in the range of 10 6 - 10 7 J/m 3 . The deformation is caused by martensitic transformation in the material. Shape memory alloys exhibit one directional or two directional shape memory effect as well as pseudoelastic effect. Shape change is activated by temperature change, which limits working frequency of SMA to 10 2 Hz. Other group of alloys exhibit magnetic shape memory effect. In these alloys martensitic transformation is triggered by magnetic field, thus their working frequency can be higher. Composites containing shape memory alloys can also be used as shape memory materials (applied in vibration damping devices). Another group of composite materials is called heterostructures, in which SMA alloys are incorporated in a form of thin layers The heterostructures can be used as microactuators in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). Basic SMA comprise: Ni-Ti, Cu (Cu-Zn,Cu-Al, Cu-Sn) and Fe (Fe-Mn, Fe-Cr-Ni) alloys. Shape memory alloys find applications in such areas: automatics, safety and medical devices and many domestic appliances. Currently the most important appears to be research on magnetic shape memory materials and high temperature SMA. Vital from application point of view are composite materials especially those containing several intelligent materials. (author)

Grindability of dental magnetic alloys.

Science.gov (United States)

Hayashi, Eisei; Kikuchi, Masafumi; Okuno, Osamu; Kimura, Kohei

2005-06-01

In this study, the grindability of cast magnetic alloys (Fe-Pt-Nb magnetic alloy and magnetic stainless steel) was evaluated and compared with that of conventional dental casting alloys (Ag-Pd-Au alloy, Type 4 gold alloy, and cobalt-chromium alloy). Grindability was evaluated in terms of grinding rate (i.e., volume of metal removed per minute) and grinding ratio (i.e., volume ratio of metal removed compared to wheel material lost). Solution treated Fe-Pt-Nb magnetic alloy had a significantly higher grinding rate than the aged one at a grinding speed of 750-1500 m x min(-1). At 500 m x min(-1), there were no significant differences in grinding rate between solution treated and aged Fe-Pt-Nb magnetic alloys. At a lower speed of 500 m x min(-1) or 750 m x min(-1), it was found that the grinding rates of aged Fe-Pt-Nb magnetic alloy and stainless steel were higher than those of conventional casting alloys.

Alloying Solid Solution Strengthening of Fe-Ga Alloys: A First-Principle Study

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Chen, Kuiying; Cheng, Leon M

2006-01-01

... and Co in cubic solid solution of Fe-Ga alloys. Mayer bond order "BO" values were used to evaluate the atomic bond strengths in the alloys, and were then used to assess the alloying strengthening characteristics...

Influence of UV and blue-light sun radiation to developing of age-related macular degeneration on Croatian Island Rab

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vojnikovic, Bozo; Coklo, Miran; Ranogajec-Komor, Maria

2008-01-01

Full text: Croatian island Rab has one of the highest solar radiation in geographical area of Europe. The aim of this clinical trial was to estimate correlation between incidence of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and the exposure to sunlight in different population on island Rab. In the first group agriculturists and fishermen were collected, in the second group members of the urban population were involved. 1753 individuals were investigated. The age in this population was between 40 and 73 years. The incidence of AMD in the first group was 19% while in the urban population only 2% showed AMD. It can be concluded that a very significant incidence exists between chronic exposure to sunlight and appearance of age-related macular degeneration. (author)

Two Dogs Fight and a Third Grabs the Bone. Reasons for the Electoral Success of Unexpected Candidates – the Croatian Political Scene after the Last Two Parliamentary Election Cycles (2015–2016

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mikucka-Wójtowicz Dominika

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The last two years in Croatian politics can be seen as an important turning point. The most recent two parliamentary election cycles (2015-2016, as well as the presidential race held a year earlier, were both more interesting and more unpredictable than the previous elections. The objective of this article is to analyse and identify their distinguishing features as well as their significance and implications for the further functioning of the Croatian political scene. Owing to the fact that in both electoral cycles an important voice in the shape of the ruling coalition went to the party that came third in the election and, also surprisingly, this was both a newly established formation and to a great extent with an anti-establishment appeal, particular attention is focused on the appearance on the party scene of new political groupings. The article attempts to place them within the framework of the existing new party typologies and point to the main reasons for their electoral success, as well as evaluating their chances for survival on the party scene.

Studies on neutron irradiation effects of iron alloys and nickel-base heat resistant alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watanabe, Katsutoshi

1987-09-01

The present paper describes the results of neutron irradiation effects on iron alloys and nickel-base heat resistant alloys. As for the iron alloys, irradiation hardening and embrittlement were investigated using internal friction measurement, electron microscopy and tensile testings. The role of alloying elements was also investigated to understand the irradiation behavior of iron alloys. The essential factors affecting irradiation hardening and embrittlement were thus clarified. On the other hand, postirradiation tensile and creep properties were measured of Hastelloy X alloy. Irradiation behavior at elevated temperatures is discussed. (author)

Environmental challenges for the sustainable development in the Croatian North Adriatic littoral region = Okoljski izzivi trajnostnega razvoja v hrvaškem delu Severnega Jadrana

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mladen Maradin

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents some geographical aspects of sustainable development in a part of theNorth Adriatic region in the Republic of Croatia. This sensitive region is confronted withproblems of space management, water supply, waste management, transportation and energy,especially during the tourist season because of the pressure on infrastructure in the coastalregion where there is a great concentration of population and tourist capacities. Anotherenvironmental problem is the oil transportation by a pipeline which is planned to be built inthe frames of Russian-Croatian project Družba-Adria.

Neutron-absorbing alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Portnoi, K.I.; Arabei, L.B.; Gryaznov, G.M.; Levi, L.I.; Lunin, G.L.; Kozhukhov, V.M.; Markov, J.M.; Fedotov, M.E.

1975-01-01

A process is described for the production of an alloy consiting of 1 to 20% In, 0.5 to 15% Sm, and from 3 to 18% Hf, the balance being Ni. Such alloys show a good absorption capacity for thermal and intermediate neutrons, good neutron capture efficiency, and good corrosion resistance, and find application in nuclear reactor automatic control and safety systems. The Hf provides for the maintenance of a reasonably high order of neutron capture efficiency throughout the lifetime of a reactor. The alloys are formed in a vacuum furnace operating with an inert gas atmosphere at 280 to 300 mm.Hg. They have a corrosion resistance from 3 to 3.5 times that of the Ag-based alloys commonly employed, and a neutron capture efficiency about twice that of the Ag alloys. Castability and structural strength are good. (U.K.)

Effect of mechanical alloying on FeCrC reinforced Ni alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yilmaz, S. Osman [Univ. of Namik Kemal, Tekirdag (Turkey); Teker, Tanju [Adiyaman Univ. (Turkey). Dept. of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering; Demir, Fatih [Batman Univ. (Turkey)

2016-05-01

Mechanical alloying (MA) is a powder metallurgy processing technique involving cold welding, fracturing and rewelding of powder particles in a high-energy ball mill. In the present study, the intermetallic matrix composites (IMCs) of Ni-Al reinforced by M{sub 7}C{sub 3} were produced by powder metallurgical routes via solid state reaction of Ni, Al and M{sub 7}C{sub 3} particulates by mechanical alloying processes. Ni, Al and M{sub 7}C{sub 3} powders having 100 μm were mixed, mechanical alloyed and the compacts were combusted in a furnace. The mechanically alloyed (MAed) powders were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), microhardness measurement, optic microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS). The presence of the carbides depressed the formation of unwanted NiAl intermetallic phases. The mechanical alloyed M{sub 7}C{sub 3} particles were unstable and decomposed partially within the matrix during alloying and sintering, and the morphology of the composites changed with the dissolution ratio of M{sub 7}C{sub 3} and sintering temperature.

Advances in titanium alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seagle, S.R.; Wood, J.R.

1993-01-01

As described above, new developments in the aerospace market are focusing on higher temperature alloys for jet engine components and higher strength/toughness alloys for airframe applications. Conventional alloys for engines have reached their maximum useful temperature of about 1000 F (540 C) because of oxidation resistance requirements. IMI 834 and Ti-1100 advanced alloys show some improvement, however, the major improvement appears to be in gamma titanium aluminides which could extend the maximum usage temperature to about 1500 F (815 C). This puts titanium alloys in a competitive position to replace nickel-base superalloys. Advanced airframe alloys such as Ti-6-22-22S, Beta C TM , Ti-15-333 and Ti-10-2-3 with higher strength than conventional Ti-6-4 are being utilized in significantly greater quantities, both in military and commercial applications. These alloys offer improved strength with little or no sacrifice in toughness and improved formability, in some cases. Advanced industrial alloys are being developed for improved corrosion resistance in more reducing and higher temperature environments such as those encountered in sour gas wells. Efforts are focused on small precious metal additions to optimize corrosion performance for specific applications at a modest increase in cost. As these applications develop, the usage of titanium alloys for industrial markets should steadily increase to approach that for aerospace applications. (orig.)

Progressive degradation of alloy 690 and the development of a significant improvement in alloy 800CR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Staehle, Roger W.; Arioka, Koji; Tapping, Robert

2015-01-01

The present most widely used alloys for tubing in steam generators and structural materials in water cooled reactors are Alloy 690 and Alloy 800. However, both alloys, while improved over Alloy 600 may not meet the needs of longer range applications in the range of 80-100 years. Alloy 690 sustains damage resulting from the formation of cavities at grain boundaries which eventually cover about 50% of the area of the grain boundaries with the remainder covering being covered with carbides. The cavities seem to nucleate on the carbides leaving the grain boundaries a structure of cavities and carbides. Such a structure will lead the Alloy 690 to fail completely. Normal Alloy 800 does not produce such cavities and probably retains a large amount of its corrosion resistance but does sustain progressive SCC at low rate. A new alloy, 800CR, has been developed in a collaboration among Arioka, Tapping, and Staehle. This alloy is based on a Cr composition of 23.5-27% with the remainder retaining the previous Alloy 800 composition. 800CR sustains a crack velocity about 100 times less than Alloy 690 and a negligible rate of initiation. The 800CR, alloy is now seeking a patent. (authors)

Nonswelling alloy

Science.gov (United States)

Harkness, S.D.

1975-12-23

An aluminum alloy containing one weight percent copper has been found to be resistant to void formation and thus is useful in all nuclear applications which currently use aluminum or other aluminum alloys in reactor positions which are subjected to high neutron doses.

Nonswelling alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harkness, S.D.

1975-01-01

An aluminum alloy containing one weight percent copper has been found to be resistant to void formation and thus is useful in all nuclear applications which currently use aluminum or other aluminum alloys in reactor positions which are subjected to high neutron doses

Political Changes in Croatia and the Croatian Emigrant Press in Chile

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marina Perić

2005-06-01

Full Text Available The paper gives an overview of the Croatian emigrant press in Chile through five historical periods (before World War I, during World War I, between the two world wars, during World War II, after World War II. Parallels are drawn between political changes in Croatia and changes in the contents and themes of the emigrant press. One emigrant newspaper is analysed for each historical period, via the content analysis method, and front-page articles are taken as the units of analysis. Apart from the messages’ contents, their form is analysed, so as to assess opinions that the messages’ senders transmit to their receivers. Based on the analysis of the newspapers, the author concludes that changes in Croatia had an important influence on the emigrant press, which was especially visible in the period during World War I and World War II. In the period from World War I onwards, headings and themes in the emigrant press were used to propagate Yugoslavism and a sense of belonging to the Yugoslav nation and state. The identity of the emigrants changed under the influence of political changes in Croatia. Up to World War I they were mainly anti-Austrian oriented, and in the next four periods they accepted the state and the government of both the first and the second Yugoslavia, identifying themselves with Yugoslavia, and raising their descendents in a Yugoslav spirit.

Publishing scientific papers based on Master's and Ph.D. theses from a small scientific community: case study of Croatian medical schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Frković, Vedran; Skender, Tomislav; Dojćinović, Bojan; Bilić-Zulle, Lidija

2003-02-01

To evaluate publishing activity of medical doctors after they have obtained Master's or Ph.D. degree at the Rijeka and Zagreb University Schools of Medicine in Croatia, and establish the number of journal articles based on these theses. Data on Master's and Ph.D. theses defended at the Rijeka and Zagreb University Schools of Medicine in the 1990-1999 period were collected by hand-search of the archive. MEDLINE and Current Contents databases were searched for journal articles resulting from the theses. During the 10-year period, 1,535 Master's and 634 Ph.D. theses were defended at the Rijeka and Zagreb University Schools of Medicine (253 Master's and 138 Ph.D. theses from Rijeka and 1,282 Master's and 496 Ph.D. theses from Zagreb). There were 201 (14%) Master's and 218 (34%) Ph.D. theses that resulted in articles published in journals indexed in MEDLINE (13% of Master's and 11% of Ph.D. theses from Rijeka, and 14% of Master's and 41% of Ph.D. theses from Zagreb). Also, 97 (6%) Master's and 129 (20%) Ph.D. theses that resulted in articles published in Current Contents journals (8% of Master's and 6% of Ph.D. theses from Rijeka, and 6% of Master's and 24% of Ph.D. theses from Zagreb). There was no significant difference between the two Universities with respect to published articles based on Master's theses, but there were significantly more articles from Ph.D. theses in Zagreb (ptheses resulted in a single publication (95%), 19 (5%) in 2, and 2 in 3 publications. Out of all 453 journal articles, 31% were published in Croatian and 69% in international journals. Most Croatian Master's and Ph.D. theses are not made available to the scientific community. There should be more institutional effort directed at the stimulation of postgraduate students to publish their scientific work.

PLUTONIUM-ZIRCONIUM ALLOYS

Science.gov (United States)

Schonfeld, F.W.; Waber, J.T.

1960-08-30

A series of nuclear reactor fuel alloys consisting of from about 5 to about 50 at.% zirconium (or higher zirconium alloys such as Zircaloy), balance plutonium, and having the structural composition of a plutonium are described. Zirconium is a satisfactory diluent because it alloys readily with plutonium and has desirable nuclear properties. Additional advantages are corrosion resistance, excellent fabrication propenties, an isotropie structure, and initial softness.

Ultrahigh temperature intermetallic alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brady, M.P.; Zhu, J.H.; Liu, C.T.; Tortorelli, P.F.; Wright, J.L.; Carmichael, C.A.; Walker, L.R. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States). Metals and Ceramics Div.

1997-12-01

A new family of Cr-Cr{sub 2}X based alloys with fabricability, mechanical properties, and oxidation resistance superior to previously developed Cr-Cr{sub 2}Nb and Cr-Cr{sub 2}Zr based alloys has been identified. The new alloys can be arc-melted/cast without cracking, and exhibit excellent room temperature and high-temperature tensile strengths. Preliminary evaluation of oxidation behavior at 1100 C in air indicates that the new Cr-Cr{sub 2}X based alloys form an adherent chromia-based scale. Under similar conditions, Cr-Cr{sub 2}Nb and Cr-Cr{sub 2}Zr based alloys suffer from extensive scale spallation.

Concentration of mercury and selenium in tissues of five cetacean species from Croatian coastal waters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bilandžić Nina

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Mercury (Hg and selenium (Se concentrations were measured in muscle, liver, kidney, spleen and lung tissues of five cetacean species, three dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba, Tursiops truncatus and Grampus griseus and two whale species (Balaenoptera physalus and Ziphius cavirostris, stranded along the Croatian coast during the period 1999-2002. Statistically significant differences in Hg concentrations in muscle, spleen and lung, and Se in liver and lung of the different dolphin species were observed. Mercury levels in liver and spleen and Se levels in liver differed between young and adult T. truncatus species. A significant positive correlation between different tissue types for Hg and Se concentrations was observed. In all tissues tested, the lowest Hg and Se concentrations were found in B. physalus. Mercury concentrations were positively correlated with Se in all tissues. The results present one of few studies related to lung and spleen tissues in these mammals, particularly in the Adriatic Sea. Since very little data are available, this research provides new data on concentrations of Hg and Se in five cetacean species from the Adriatic Sea basin.

Electronic structure of alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ehrenreich, H.; Schwartz, L.M.

1976-01-01

The description of electronic properties of binary substitutional alloys within the single particle approximation is reviewed. Emphasis is placed on a didactic exposition of the equilibrium properties of the transport and magnetic properties of such alloys. Topics covered include: multiple scattering theory; the single band alloy; formal extensions of the theory; the alloy potential; realistic model state densities; the s-d model; and the muffin tin model. 43 figures, 3 tables, 151 references

Monitoring alloy formation during mechanical alloying process by x-ray diffraction techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdul Kadir Masrom; Noraizam Md Diah; Mazli Mustapha

2002-01-01

Monitoring alloying (MA) is a novel processing technique that use high energy impact ball mill to produce alloys with enhanced properties and microscopically homogeneous materials starting from various powder mixtures. Mechanical alloying process was originally developed to produce oxide dispersion strengthened nickel superalloys. In principal, in high-energy ball milling process, alloy is formed by the result of repeated welding, fracturing and rewelding of powder particles in a high energy ball mill. In this process a powder mixture in a ball mill is subjected to high-energy collisions among balls. MA has been shown to be capable of synthesizing a variety of materials. It is known to be capable to prepare equilibrium and non-equilibrium phases starting from blended elemental or prealloyed powders. The process ability to produce highly metastable materials such as amorphous alloys and nanostructured materials has made this process attractive and it has been considered as a promising material processing technique that could be used to produce many advanced materials at low cost. The present study explores the conditions under which aluminum alloys formation occurs by ball milling of blended aluminum and its alloying elements powders. In this work, attempt was made in producing aluminum 2024 alloys by milling of blended elemental aluminum powder of 2024 composition in a stainless steel container under argon atmosphere for up to 210 minutes. X-ray diffraction together with thermal analysis techniques has been used to monitor phase changes in the milled powder. Results indicate that, using our predetermined milling parameters, alloys were formed after 120 minutes milling. The thermal analysis data was also presented in this report. (Author)

Effect of ternary alloying elements on the shape memory behavior of Ti-Ta alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buenconsejo, Pio John S.; Kim, Hee Young; Miyazaki, Shuichi

2009-01-01

The effect of ternary alloying elements (X = V, Cr, Fe, Zr, Hf, Mo, Sn, Al) on the shape memory behavior of Ti-30Ta-X alloys was investigated. All the alloying elements decreased the martensitic transformation temperatures. The decrease in the martensitic transformation start (M s ) temperature due to alloying was affected by the atomic size and number of valence electrons of the alloying element. A larger number of valence electrons and a smaller atomic radius of an alloying element decreased the M s more strongly. The effect of the alloying elements on suppressing the aging effect on the shape memory behavior was also investigated. It was found that the additions of Sn and Al to Ti-Ta were effective in suppressing the effect of aging on the shape memory behavior, since they strongly suppress the formation of ω phase during aging treatment. For this reason the Ti-30Ta-1Al and Ti-30Ta-1Sn alloys exhibited a stable high-temperature shape memory effect during thermal cycling.

Anodic behavior of alloy 22 in bicarbonate containing media: Effect of alloying

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zadorozne, N S; Giordano, C M; Rebak, R B; Ares, A E; Carranza, R M

2012-01-01

Alloy 22 is one of the candidates for the manufacture of high level nuclear waste containers. These containers provide services in natural environments characterized by multi-ionic solutions.It is estimated they could suffer three types of deterioration: general corrosion, localized corrosion (specifically crevice corrosion) and stress corrosion cracking (SCC). It has been confirmed that the presence of bicarbonate and chloride ions is necessary to produce cracking, . It has also been determined that the susceptibility to SCC could be related to the occurrence of an anodic peak in the polarization curves in these media at potentials below transpassivity. The aim of this work is to study the effect of alloying elements on the anodic behavior of Alloy 22 in media containing bicarbonate and chloride ions at different concentrations and temperatures. Polarization curves were made on alloy 22 (Ni-22% Cr-13% Mo), Ni-Mo (Ni-28, 5% Mo) and Ni-Cr (Ni-20% Cr) in the following solutions: 1 mol/L NaCl at 90 o C, and 1.148 mol/L NaHCO 3 ; 1.148 mol/L NaHCO 3 + 1 mol/L NaCl; 1.148 mol/L NaHCO 3 + 0.1 mol/L NaCl, at 90 o C, 75 o C, 60 o C and 25 o C. It was found that alloy 22 has a anodic current density peak at potentials below transpassivity, only in the presence of bicarbonate ions. Curves performed in 1 mol/L NaCl did not show any anodic peak, in any of the tested alloys. The curves made on alloys Ni-Mo and Ni-Cr in the presence of bicarbonate ions, allowed to determine that Cr, is responsible for the appearance of the anodic peak in alloy 22. The curves of alloy Ni-Mo showed no anodic peak in the studied conditions. The potential at which the anodic peak appears in alloy 22 and Ni-Cr alloy, increases with decreasing temperature. The anodic peak was also affected by solution composition. When chloride ion is added to bicarbonate solutions, the anodic peak is shifted to higher potential and current densities, depending on the concentration of added chloride ions (author)

Croatian Society of Medical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine: national recommendations for venous blood sampling.

Science.gov (United States)

Nikolac, Nora; Supak-Smolcić, Vesna; Simundić, Ana-Maria; Celap, Ivana

2013-01-01

Phlebotomy is one of the most complex medical procedures in the diagnosis, management and treatment of patients in healthcare. Since laboratory test results are the basis for a large proportion (60-80%) of medical decisions, any error in the phlebotomy process could have serious consequences. In order to minimize the possibility of errors, phlebotomy procedures should be standardised, well-documented and written instructions should be available at every workstation. Croatia is one of the few European countries that have national guidelines for phlebotomy, besides the universally used CLSI (Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute) H3-A6 Procedures for the Collection of Diagnostic Blood Specimens by Venipuncture; approved Standard-Sixth Edition (CLSI, 2007) and WHO (World Health Organization) guidelines on drawing blood: best practices in phlebotomy (WHO, 2010). However, the growing body of evidence in importance of preanalytical phase management resulted in a need for evidence based revision and expansion of existing recommendations. The Croatian Society for Medical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Working Group for the Preanalytical Phase issued this recommendation. This document is based on the CLSI guideline H3-A6, with significant differences and additional information.

Lifestyle factors in Croatian seafarers as relating to health and stress on board.

Science.gov (United States)

Slišković, Ana; Penezić, Zvjezdan

2017-01-01

Seafaring is characterized by specific stressors and health risks. The purpose of this article was to compare the prevalence of various lifestyle factors between the shipping and home environments, and in addition to test the relations between lifestyle factors, perceived stress on board, and health in seafarers. A total of 530 Croatian seafarers participated in an on-line survey. The questionnaire contained requests for demographic data and a set of questions relating to lifestyle, stress on board, physical health symptoms, and mental health. The data showed higher sleep deprivation, higher levels of smoking and unhealthier diet at sea than at home, with prevalence of alcohol consumption and physical exercise being more favourable for the shipping environment. Sleep deprivation, unhealthy diet, lack of physical exercise, and smoking are shown as negative correlates of various measures of health. Stress on board was associated with sleep deprivation and unhealthy diet, and with more unfavourable physical and mental health. The results give practical implications for promoting health in seafarers. Some of the lifestyle factors tested, such as alcohol use, smoking and physical exercise, fall rather under individual control, but others, such as a healthy, balanced diet on board and sleeping hygiene at sea, should be improved by shipping management.

Are Patients Ready for Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Family Physicians - A Croatian Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Grabovac, Igor; Mustajbegović, Jadranka; Milošević, Milan

2016-06-01

Discrimination and harassment of lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) physicians from their colleagues and superiors are known. However there is little knowledge about the patients’ attitudes and discrimination toward physicians. A cross sectional Internet survey was conducted in urban Croatian regions. The participants were asked to answer questions regarding their socio-demographic status, the Attitudes Towards Lesbians and Gay Men Scale (ATLG), and whether they would refuse to see a LGB physician and, if so, why. Of the 1004 participants, 8.8% said they would refuse a male GB physician while 7.9% would refuse a female LB physician, and 7.3% would refuse both. The two most common reasons for discriminating were: “disaccord with political or religious beliefs” and “fear of being sexually harassed”. A logistical regression model showed that male sex, higher ATLG score and higher age were associated with more refusals of male GB physicians. Also higher age, higher ATLG score were associated with more refusals of female LB physicians, while personal contact with LGB people was associated with less refusals of both groups. The observed prevalence of discrimination is significant. The results suggest that discrimination is based on emotional reasons and stereotypical beliefs. Educational efforts should be directed towards changing misconceptions about LGB people.

INVESTIGATION OF MAGNESIUM ALLOYS MACHINABILITY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Berat Barıs BULDUM

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Magnesium is the lightest structural metal. Magnesium alloys have a hexagonal lattice structure, which affects the fundamental properties of these alloys. Plastic deformation of the hexagonal lattice is more complicated than in cubic latticed metals like aluminum, copper and steel. Magnesium alloy developments have traditionally been driven by industry requirements for lightweight materials to operate under increasingly demanding conditions. Magnesium alloys have always been attractive to designers due to their low density, only two thirds that of aluminium and its alloys [1]. The element and its alloys take a big part of modern industry needs. Especially nowadays magnesium alloys are used in automotive and mechanical (trains and wagons manufacture, because of its lightness and other features. Magnesium and magnesium alloys are the easiest of all metals to machine, allowing machining operations at extremely high speed. All standard machining operations such as turning, drilling, milling, are commonly performed on magnesium parts.

Characteristics of Film Formed on Alloy 600 and Alloy 690 in Water Containing lead

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hwang Seong Sik; Lee, Deok Hyun; Kim, Hong Pyo; Kim, Joung Soo; Kim, Ju Yup

1999-01-01

Anodic polarization behaviors of Alloy 600 and Alloy 690 have been studied as a function of lead content in the solution of pH 4 and 10 at 90 .deg. C. As the amount of lead in the solution increased, critical current densities and passive current densities of Alloy 600 and Alloy 690 increased, while the breakdown potential of the alloys decreased. The high critical current density in the high lead solution was thought to come from the combination of an enhanced dissolution of constituents on the surface of the alloys by the lead and an anodic dissolution of metallic lead deposited on the surface of the specimens. The morphology of lead precipitated on the specimen after the anodic scan changed with the pH of solution: small irregular particles were precipitated on the surface of the specimen in the solution of pH 4, while the high density of regular sized particles was formed on it in the solution of pH 10.Pb was observed to enhance Cr depletion from the outer surface of Alloy 600 and Alloy 690 and also to increase the ratio of O 2- /OH - in the surface film formed in the high lead solution. The SCC resistance of Alloy 600 and Alloy 690 may have decreased due to the poor quality of the passive film formed and the enhanced oxygen evolution in the solution containing lead

Grain refining mechanism of Al-containing Mg alloys with the addition of Mn-Al alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qin, Gaowu W.; Ren Yuping; Huang Wei; Li Song; Pei Wenli

2010-01-01

Graphical abstract: Display Omitted Research highlights: The ε-AlMn phase acts as the heterogeneous nucleus of α-Mg phase during the solidification of the AZ31 Mg alloy, not the γ-Al 8 Mn 5 phase. The grain refinement effect is very clear with the addition of only 0.5 wt% Mn-28Al alloy (pure ε-AlMn). The grain refinement does not deteriorate up to the holding time of 60 min at 740 o C. - Abstract: The effect of manganese on grain refinement of Al-containing AZ31 Mg alloy has been investigated by designing a series of Mn-Al alloys composed of either pure ε-AlMn, γ 2 -Al 8 Mn 5 or both of them using optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction. It is experimentally clarified that the grain refinement of the AZ31 Mg alloy is due to the existence of the ε-AlMn phase in the Mn-Al alloys, not the γ 2 -Al 8 Mn 5 phase. The grain size of AZ31 Mg alloy is about 91 μm without any addition of Mn-Al alloys, but remarkably decreases to ∼55 μm with the addition of either Mn-34 wt% Al or Mn-28 wt% Al. With a minor addition of 0.5 wt% Mn-28Al alloy, the grain size of AZ31 alloy decreases to ∼53 μm, and the Mn-28Al alloy can be active as grain refiner for holding time up to 60 min for the melt AZ31 alloy at 750 o C.

Synthesis of Amorphous Powders of Ni-Si and Co-Si Alloys by Mechanical Alloying

Science.gov (United States)

Omuro, Keisuke; Miura, Harumatsu

1991-05-01

Amorphous powders of the Ni-Si and Co-Si alloys are synthesized by mechanical alloying (MA) from crystalline elemental powders using a high energy ball mill. The alloying and amorphization process is examined by X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and scanning electron microscopy. For the Ni-Si alloy, it is confirmed that the crystallization temperature of the MA powder, measured by DSC, is in good agreement with that of the powder sample prepared by mechanical grinding from the cast alloy ingot products of the same composition.

Formation and characterization of Al–Ti–Nb alloys by electron-beam surface alloying

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Valkov, S., E-mail: stsvalkov@gmail.com [Institute of Electronics, Bulgarian Academy of Science, 72 Tzarigradsko Chaussee blvd., 1784 Sofia (Bulgaria); Petrov, P. [Institute of Electronics, Bulgarian Academy of Science, 72 Tzarigradsko Chaussee blvd., 1784 Sofia (Bulgaria); Lazarova, R. [Institute of Metal Science, Equipment and Technologies with Hydro and Aerodynamics Center, Bulgarian Academy of Science, 67 Shipchenski Prohod blvd., 1574 Sofia (Bulgaria); Bezdushnyi, R. [Department of Solid State Physics and Microelectronics, Faculty of Physics, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridsky”, 1164 Sofia (Bulgaria); Dechev, D. [Institute of Electronics, Bulgarian Academy of Science, 72 Tzarigradsko Chaussee blvd., 1784 Sofia (Bulgaria)

2016-12-15

Highlights: • Al–Ti–Nb surface alloys have been successfully obtained by electron-beam surface alloying technology. • The alloys consist of (Ti,Nb)Al{sub 3} fractions, distributed in the biphasic structure of (Ti,Nb)Al{sub 3} particles dispersed in α-Al. • The alloying speed does not affect the lattice parameters of (Ti,Nb)Al{sub 3} and, does not form additional stresses, strains etc. • It was found that lower velocity of the specimen motion during the alloying process develops more homogeneous structures. • The measured hardness of (Ti,Nb)Al{sub 3} compound reaches 775 HV[kg/cm{sup 2}] which is much greater than the values of NbAl{sub 3}. - Abstract: The combination of attractive mechanical properties, light weight and resistance to corrosion makes Ti-Al based alloys applicable in many industrial branches, like aircraft and automotive industries etc. It is known that the incorporation of Nb improves the high temperature performance and mechanical properties. In the present study on Al substrate Ti and Nb layers were deposited by DC (Direct Current) magnetron sputtering, followed by electron-beam alloying with scanning electron beam. It was chosen two speeds of the specimen motion during the alloying process: V{sub 1} = 0.5 cm/s and V{sub 2} = 1 cm/s. The alloying process was realized in circular sweep mode in order to maintain the melt pool further. The obtained results demonstrate a formation of (Ti,Nb)Al{sub 3} fractions randomly distributed in biphasic structure of intermetallic (Ti,Nb)Al{sub 3} particles, dispersed in α-Al solid solution. The evaluated (Ti,Nb)Al{sub 3} lattice parameters are independent of the speed of the specimen motion and therefore the alloying speed does not affect the lattice parameters and thus, does not form additional residual stresses, strains etc. It was found that lower velocity of the specimen motion during the alloying process develops more homogeneous structures. The metallographic analyses demonstrate a

Effects of alloying elements on thermal desorption of helium in Ni alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Q.; Cao, X.Z.; Sato, K.; Yoshiie, T.

2012-01-01

It is well known that the minor elements Si and Sn can suppress the formation of voids in Ni alloys. In the present study, to investigate the effects of Si and Sn on the retention of helium in Ni alloys, Ni, Ni–Si, and Ni–Sn alloys were irradiated by 5 keV He ions at 723 K. Thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS) was performed at up to 1520 K, and microstructural observations were carried out to identify the helium trapping sites during the TDS analysis. Two peaks, at 1350 and 1457 K, appeared in the TDS spectrum of Ni. On the basis of the microstructural observations, the former peak was attributed to the release of trapped helium from small cavities and the latter to its release from large cavities. Small-cavity helium trapping sites were also found in the Ni–Si and Ni–Sn alloys, but no large cavities were observed in these alloys. In addition, it was found that the oversized element Sn could trap He atoms in the Ni–Sn alloy.

Effects of alloying elements on thermal desorption of helium in Ni alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, Q., E-mail: xu@rri.kyoto-u.ac.jp [Research Reactor Institute, Kyoto University, Osaka 590-0494 (Japan); Cao, X.Z.; Sato, K.; Yoshiie, T. [Research Reactor Institute, Kyoto University, Osaka 590-0494 (Japan)

2012-12-15

It is well known that the minor elements Si and Sn can suppress the formation of voids in Ni alloys. In the present study, to investigate the effects of Si and Sn on the retention of helium in Ni alloys, Ni, Ni-Si, and Ni-Sn alloys were irradiated by 5 keV He ions at 723 K. Thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS) was performed at up to 1520 K, and microstructural observations were carried out to identify the helium trapping sites during the TDS analysis. Two peaks, at 1350 and 1457 K, appeared in the TDS spectrum of Ni. On the basis of the microstructural observations, the former peak was attributed to the release of trapped helium from small cavities and the latter to its release from large cavities. Small-cavity helium trapping sites were also found in the Ni-Si and Ni-Sn alloys, but no large cavities were observed in these alloys. In addition, it was found that the oversized element Sn could trap He atoms in the Ni-Sn alloy.

Effects of alloying elements on thermal desorption of helium in Ni alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Q.; Cao, X. Z.; Sato, K.; Yoshiie, T.

2012-12-01

It is well known that the minor elements Si and Sn can suppress the formation of voids in Ni alloys. In the present study, to investigate the effects of Si and Sn on the retention of helium in Ni alloys, Ni, Ni-Si, and Ni-Sn alloys were irradiated by 5 keV He ions at 723 K. Thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS) was performed at up to 1520 K, and microstructural observations were carried out to identify the helium trapping sites during the TDS analysis. Two peaks, at 1350 and 1457 K, appeared in the TDS spectrum of Ni. On the basis of the microstructural observations, the former peak was attributed to the release of trapped helium from small cavities and the latter to its release from large cavities. Small-cavity helium trapping sites were also found in the Ni-Si and Ni-Sn alloys, but no large cavities were observed in these alloys. In addition, it was found that the oversized element Sn could trap He atoms in the Ni-Sn alloy.

Measuring Perceived Service Quality Using servqual: A Case Study of the Croatian Hotel Industry = Merjenje zaznane kakovosti storitev s pomočjo modela servqual: primer hrvaške hotelske dejavnosti

OpenAIRE

Suzana Marković; Sanja Raspor

2010-01-01

The purpose of the study is to examine customers’ perceptionsof service quality in the Croatian hotel industry. The aim is to assessthe perceived service quality of hotel attributes and to determinethe factor structure of service quality perception. A modifiedSERVQUAL scale was used to assess service quality perceptionsfrom the perspective of domestic and international tourists. Datawere collected in 15 hotels in the Opatija Riviera (Croatia), usinga self-administered questionnaire. Descripti...

High-Strength Low-Alloy (HSLA) Mg-Zn-Ca Alloys with Excellent Biodegradation Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Hofstetter, J.; Becker, M.; Martinelli, E.; Weinberg, A. M.; Mingler, B.; Kilian, H.; Pogatscher, S.; Uggowitzer, P. J.; Löffler, J. F.

2014-04-01

This article deals with the development of fine-grained high-strength low-alloy (HSLA) magnesium alloys intended for use as biodegradable implant material. The alloys contain solely low amounts of Zn and Ca as alloying elements. We illustrate the development path starting from the high-Zn-containing ZX50 (MgZn5Ca0.25) alloy with conventional purity, to an ultrahigh-purity ZX50 modification, and further to the ultrahigh-purity Zn-lean alloy ZX10 (MgZn1Ca0.3). It is shown that alloys with high Zn-content are prone to biocorrosion in various environments, most probably because of the presence of the intermetallic phase Mg6Zn3Ca2. A reduction of the Zn content results in (Mg,Zn)2Ca phase formation. This phase is less noble than the Mg-matrix and therefore, in contrast to Mg6Zn3Ca2, does not act as cathodic site. A fine-grained microstructure is achieved by the controlled formation of fine and homogeneously distributed (Mg,Zn)2Ca precipitates, which influence dynamic recrystallization and grain growth during hot forming. Such design scheme is comparable to that of HSLA steels, where low amounts of alloying elements are intended to produce a very fine dispersion of particles to increase the material's strength by refining the grain size. Consequently our new, ultrapure ZX10 alloy exhibits high strength (yield strength R p = 240 MPa, ultimate tensile strength R m = 255 MPa) and simultaneously high ductility (elongation to fracture A = 27%), as well as low mechanical anisotropy. Because of the anodic nature of the (Mg,Zn)2Ca particles used in the HSLA concept, the in vivo degradation in a rat femur implantation study is very slow and homogeneous without clinically observable hydrogen evolution, making the ZX10 alloy a promising material for biodegradable implants.

The influence of alloy composition on residual stresses in heat treated aluminium alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Robinson, J.S., E-mail: jeremy.robinson@ul.ie [Department of Mechanical, Aeronautical and Biomedical Engineering, University of Limerick (Ireland); Redington, W. [Materials and Surface Science Institute, University of Limerick (Ireland)

2015-07-15

The as quenched properties of eight different heat treatable aluminium alloys are related to residual stress magnitudes with the objective being to establish if there is a relationship between the residual stress and the as quenched alloy hardness and strength. Near surface residual stresses were assessed with X-ray diffraction using both the established sin{sup 2}ψ method and the more recent cos α technique. Through thickness residual stresses were also characterised using neutron diffraction. The alloys were chosen to encompass a wide range of strengths. The low to medium strength alloys were 6060 and 6082, medium to high strength 2618A, 2014A, 7075, 7010 and two variants of 7449, while the very high strength alloy was the powder metallurgy alloy N707. To assess the as quenched strength, dynamic hardness and tensile properties were determined from samples tested immediately after quenching to minimise the influence of precipitation hardening by natural aging. In addition, hot hardness measurements were made in situ on samples cooled to simulate quench paths. Within the experimental constraints of the investigation, the distribution of residual stress through the thickness was found to follow the same pattern for all the alloys investigated, varying from tensile in the interior to surface compression. The influence of alloy strength was manifested as a change in the observed residual stress magnitudes, and surface residual stresses were found to vary linearly with as quenched hardness and strength. - Highlights: • As quenched aluminium alloys contain high magnitude residual stresses. • Surface is compressive balance by a tensile core. • As quenched surface residual stress is linear function of alloy strength. • In situ hot hardness demonstrates rapid change in intrinsic hardness during rapid cooling.

WC-3015 alloy (high-temperature alloy)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1974-01-01

WC-3015 Nb alloy containing 28 to 30 Hf, 1 to 2 Zr, 13 to 16 W, 0 to 4 Ta, 0 to 5 Ti, 0.07 to 0.33 C, less than or equal to 0.02 N, less than or equal to 0.03 O, less than or equal to 0.001 H was developed for use at high temperature in oxidizing environments. Its composition can be tailored to meet specific requirements. When WC-3015 is exposed to O at elevated temperature, Hf and Nb oxidized preferentially and HfO 2 dissolves in Nb 2 O 5 to form 6HfO-Nb 2 O 5 . This complex oxide has a tight cubic lattice which resists the diffusion of O into the substrate. During 24-h exposure to air at 2400 0 F, the alloy oxidizes to a depth of approximately 0.035 in. with a surface recession of 0 to 0.004 in. Oxidation resistance of WC-3015 welds and base material can be further enhanced greatly by applying silicide coatings. WC-3015 alloy can be machined by conventional and electrical-discharge methods. It can be hot worked readily by extrusion, forging or rolling. Cold working can be used at room or elevated temperature. It can be welded by the electron-beam or Tig processes. Physical constants, typical mechanical properties at 75 to 2400 0 F, and effects of composition and heat treatment on tensile and stress-rupture properties of the alloy are tabulated

Advanced ordered intermetallic alloy deployment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, C.T.; Maziasz, P.J.; Easton, D.S. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)

1997-04-01

The need for high-strength, high-temperature, and light-weight materials for structural applications has generated a great deal of interest in ordered intermetallic alloys, particularly in {gamma}-based titanium aluminides {gamma}-based TiAl alloys offer an attractive mix of low density ({approximately}4g/cm{sup 3}), good creep resistance, and high-temperature strength and oxidation resistance. For rotating or high-speed components. TiAl also has a high damping coefficient which minimizes vibrations and noise. These alloys generally contain two phases. {alpha}{sub 2} (DO{sub 19} structure) and {gamma} (L 1{sub 0}), at temperatures below 1120{degrees}C, the euticoid temperature. The mechanical properties of TiAl-based alloys are sensitive to both alloy compositions and microstructure. Depending on heat-treatment and thermomechanical processing, microstructures with near equiaxed {gamma}, a duplex structure (a mix of the {gamma} and {alpha}{sub 2} phases) can be developed in TiAl alloys containing 45 to 50 at. % Al. The major concern for structural use of TiAl alloys is their low ductility and poor fracture resistance at ambient temperatures. The purpose of this project is to improve the fracture toughness of TiAl-based alloys by controlling alloy composition, microstructure and thermomechanical treatment. This work is expected to lead to the development of TiAl alloys with significantly improved fracture toughness and tensile ductility for structural use.

Impact toughness of laser alloyed aluminium AA1200 alloys

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Mabhali, Luyolo AB

2013-08-01

Full Text Available ),. 559-563. [2] T. Tomida, K. Nakata, S. Saji, T. Kubo, T, Formation of metal matrix composite layer on aluminium alloy with TiC-Cu powder by laser surface alloying process; Surface and Coatings Technology; vol. 142-144, 2001, 585-589. [3] L. A. B...

A sulfidation-resistant nickel-base alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lai, G.Y.

1989-01-01

For applications in mildly to moderately sulfidizing environments, stainless steels, Fe-Ni-Cr alloys (e.g., alloys 800 and 330), and more recently Fe-Ni-Cr-Co alloys (e.g., alloy 556) are frequently used for construction of process equipment. However, for many highly sulfidizing environments, few existing commercial alloys have adequate performance. Thus, a new nickel-based alloy containing 27 wt.% Co, 28 wt.% Cr, 4 wt.% Fe, 2.75 wt.% Si, 0.5 wt.% Mn and 0.05 wt.% C (Haynes alloy HR-160) was developed

Irradiation assisted stress corrosion cracking of HTH Alloy X-750 and Alloy 625

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mills, W.J.; Lebo, M.R.; Bajaj, R.; Kearns, J.J.; Hoffman, R.C.; Korinko, J.J.

1994-01-01

In-reactor testing of bolt-loaded precracked compact tension specimens was performed in 360 degree C water to determine effect of irradiation on the SCC behavior of HTH Alloy X-750 and direct aged Alloy 625. Out-of-flux and autoclave control specimens provided baseline data. Primary test variables were stress intensity factor, fluence, chemistry, processing history, prestrain. Results for the first series of experiments were presented at a previous conference. Data from two more recent experiments are compared with previous results; they confirm that high irradiation levels significantly reduce SCC resistance in HTH Alloy X-750. Heat-to-heat differences in IASCC were related to differences in boron content, with low boron heats showing improved SCC resistance. The in-reactor SCC performance of Alloy 625 was superior to that for Alloy X-750, as no cracking was observed in any Alloy 625 specimens even though they were tested at very high K 1 and fluence levels. A preliminary SCC usage model developed for Alloy X-750 indicates that in-reactor creep processes, which relax stresses but also increase crack tip strain rates, and radiolysis effects accelerate SCC. Hence, in-reactor SCC damage under high flux conditions may be more severe than that associated with postirradiation tests. In addition, preliminary mechanism studies were performed to determine the cause of IASCC In Alloy X-750

Improvement of magnetocaloric properties of Gd-Ge-Si alloys by alloying with iron

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erenc-Sędziak T.

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The influence of annealing of Gd5Ge2Si2Fex alloys at 1200°C and of alloying with various amount of iron on structure as well as thermal and magnetocaloric properties is investigated. It was found that annealing for 1 to 10 hours improves the entropy change, but reduces the temperature of maximum magnetocaloric effect by up to 50 K. Prolonged annealing of the Gd5Ge2Si2 alloy results in the decrease of entropy change due to the reduction of Gd5Ge2Si2 phase content. Addition of iron to the ternary alloy enhances the magnetocaloric effect, if x = 0.4 – 0.6, especially if alloying is combined with annealing at 1200°C: the peak value of the isothermal entropy change from 0 to 2 T increases from 3.5 to 11 J/kgK. Simultaneously, the temperature of maximum magnetocaloric effect drops to 250 K. The changes in magnetocaloric properties are related to the change in phase transformation from the second order for arc molten ternary alloy to first order in the case of annealed and/or alloyed with iron. The results of this study indicate that the minor addition of iron and heat treatment to Gd-Ge-Si alloys may be useful in improving the materials’ magnetocaloric properties..

Non-equiatomic high entropy alloys: Approach towards rapid alloy screening and property-oriented design

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pradeep, K.G. [Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, Max-Planck-str.1, 40237 Düsseldorf (Germany); Materials Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, Kopernikusstr.10, 52074 Aachen (Germany); Tasan, C.C., E-mail: c.tasan@mpie.de [Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, Max-Planck-str.1, 40237 Düsseldorf (Germany); Yao, M.J. [Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, Max-Planck-str.1, 40237 Düsseldorf (Germany); Deng, Y. [Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, Max-Planck-str.1, 40237 Düsseldorf (Germany); Department of Engineering Design and Materials, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, No-7491 Trondheim (Norway); Springer, H. [Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, Max-Planck-str.1, 40237 Düsseldorf (Germany); Raabe, D., E-mail: d.raabe@mpie.de [Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, Max-Planck-str.1, 40237 Düsseldorf (Germany)

2015-11-11

The high entropy alloy (HEA) concept has triggered a renewed interest in alloy design, even though some aspects of the underlying thermodynamic concepts are still under debate. This study addresses the short-comings of this alloy design strategy with the aim to open up new directions of HEA research targeting specifically non-equiatomic yet massively alloyed compositions. We propose that a wide range of massive single phase solid solutions could be designed by including non-equiatomic variants. It is demonstrated by introducing a set of novel non-equiatomic multi-component CoCrFeMnNi alloys produced by metallurgical rapid alloy prototyping. Despite the reduced configurational entropy, detailed characterization of these materials reveals a strong resemblance to the well-studied equiatomic single phase HEA: The microstructure of these novel alloys exhibits a random distribution of alloying elements (confirmed by Energy-Dispersive Spectroscopy and Atom Probe Tomography) in a single face-centered-cubic phase (confirmed by X-ray Diffraction and Electron Backscatter Diffraction), which deforms through planar slip (confirmed by Electron-Channeling Contrast Imaging) and leads to excellent ductility (confirmed by uniaxial tensile tests). This approach widens the field of HEAs to non-equiatomic multi-component alloys since the concept enables to tailor the stacking fault energy and associated transformation phenomena which act as main mechanisms to design useful strain hardening behavior.

Non-equiatomic high entropy alloys: Approach towards rapid alloy screening and property-oriented design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pradeep, K.G.; Tasan, C.C.; Yao, M.J.; Deng, Y.; Springer, H.; Raabe, D.

2015-01-01

The high entropy alloy (HEA) concept has triggered a renewed interest in alloy design, even though some aspects of the underlying thermodynamic concepts are still under debate. This study addresses the short-comings of this alloy design strategy with the aim to open up new directions of HEA research targeting specifically non-equiatomic yet massively alloyed compositions. We propose that a wide range of massive single phase solid solutions could be designed by including non-equiatomic variants. It is demonstrated by introducing a set of novel non-equiatomic multi-component CoCrFeMnNi alloys produced by metallurgical rapid alloy prototyping. Despite the reduced configurational entropy, detailed characterization of these materials reveals a strong resemblance to the well-studied equiatomic single phase HEA: The microstructure of these novel alloys exhibits a random distribution of alloying elements (confirmed by Energy-Dispersive Spectroscopy and Atom Probe Tomography) in a single face-centered-cubic phase (confirmed by X-ray Diffraction and Electron Backscatter Diffraction), which deforms through planar slip (confirmed by Electron-Channeling Contrast Imaging) and leads to excellent ductility (confirmed by uniaxial tensile tests). This approach widens the field of HEAs to non-equiatomic multi-component alloys since the concept enables to tailor the stacking fault energy and associated transformation phenomena which act as main mechanisms to design useful strain hardening behavior.

Alloy Fabrication Laboratory

Data.gov (United States)

Federal Laboratory Consortium — At NETL’s Alloy Fabrication Facility in Albany, OR, researchers conduct DOE research projects to produce new alloys suited to a variety of applications, from gas...

Grain refining mechanism of Al-containing Mg alloys with the addition of Mn-Al alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Qin, Gaowu W., E-mail: qingw@smm.neu.edu.c [Key Laboratory for Anisotropy and Texture of Materials (Ministry of Education), Northeastern University, Wenhu Road 3-11, Heping District, Shenyang 110004, Liaoning Province (China); Ren Yuping; Huang Wei; Li Song; Pei Wenli [Key Laboratory for Anisotropy and Texture of Materials (Ministry of Education), Northeastern University, Wenhu Road 3-11, Heping District, Shenyang 110004, Liaoning Province (China)

2010-10-08

Graphical abstract: Display Omitted Research highlights: The {epsilon}-AlMn phase acts as the heterogeneous nucleus of {alpha}-Mg phase during the solidification of the AZ31 Mg alloy, not the {gamma}-Al{sub 8}Mn{sub 5} phase. The grain refinement effect is very clear with the addition of only 0.5 wt% Mn-28Al alloy (pure {epsilon}-AlMn). The grain refinement does not deteriorate up to the holding time of 60 min at 740 {sup o}C. - Abstract: The effect of manganese on grain refinement of Al-containing AZ31 Mg alloy has been investigated by designing a series of Mn-Al alloys composed of either pure {epsilon}-AlMn, {gamma}{sub 2}-Al{sub 8}Mn{sub 5} or both of them using optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction. It is experimentally clarified that the grain refinement of the AZ31 Mg alloy is due to the existence of the {epsilon}-AlMn phase in the Mn-Al alloys, not the {gamma}{sub 2}-Al{sub 8}Mn{sub 5} phase. The grain size of AZ31 Mg alloy is about 91 {mu}m without any addition of Mn-Al alloys, but remarkably decreases to {approx}55 {mu}m with the addition of either Mn-34 wt% Al or Mn-28 wt% Al. With a minor addition of 0.5 wt% Mn-28Al alloy, the grain size of AZ31 alloy decreases to {approx}53 {mu}m, and the Mn-28Al alloy can be active as grain refiner for holding time up to 60 min for the melt AZ31 alloy at 750 {sup o}C.

ŠIMUN KOŽIČIĆ: AN IMPORTANT FACTOR OF THE CROATIAN (RIJEKA’S IDENTITIY AND THE CULTURAL AND TOURIST BRAND OF THE TOWN RIJEKA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juraj Lokmer

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Šimun Kožičić, Simeone Begna (Zadar, around 1460 – 1536, a noblemen from Zadar, the Bishop of Modruš, a distinguished royal diplomat, a Latinist author, a distinguished speaker and a distinguished member of the Lateran Council, a refugee and the first known Rijeka’s printer, publisher, translator and editor of Glagolitic editions, printed with the help of master printers from Brescia (Italy six books in the Old Church Slavonic and the Croatian (Čakavian language, in Glagolitic script, in Rijeka in the period between 1530 and 1531. With this Kožičić made Rijeka the cultural and spiritual seat of the Croatian Glagolitic movement and early European printing. This fact calls for a more detailed evaluation of Kožičić’s work in the present time and indicates a realistic possibility for the use of his work, an important part of Rijeka’s cultural heritage, with the aim of making the present and future of Rijeka and Croatia brighter. In the paper we start from the concepts of identity, brand, application of the process of branding, but also maintenance, that is, creation of identity and brand of town. Also some strategies that, with a good knowledge of Kožičić’s persona, work and time, and specific qualities of Rijeka, could be used and applied to the domains of science, culture and tourism foremostly in the town of Rijeka, are presented. Thus we speak about and propose a realisation of a project that is primarily cultural and scientific in its nature (Kozičić’s museum – a museum of Rijeka printing house; an Institute of Early Croatian Printing, etc., but also of economic and tourist projects (Kozičić’s printing house; “vetea et nova”, crafting of special kinds of paper, crafting of Renaissance and Baroque pottery with the symbols of Rijeka, Glagolitic script, etc., that is, crafting of appropriate souvenirs, organising a Renaissance bodega: shops and catering facilities. All this should lead to an increased use of

Corrosion-electrochemical and mechanical properties of aluminium-berylium alloys alloyed by rare-earth metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Safarov, A.M.; Odinaev, Kh.E.; Shukroev, M.Sh.; Saidov, R.Kh.

1997-01-01

In order to study influence of rare earth metals on corrosion-electrochemical and mechanical properties of aluminium-berylium alloys the alloys contain 1 mass % beryllium and different amount of rare earth metals were obtained.-electrochemical and mechanical properties of aluminium-berylium alloys. The electrochemical characteristics of obtained alloys, including stationary potential, potentials of passivation beginning and full passivation, potentials of pitting formation and re passivation were defined.

Role of alloying additions on the properties of Cu–Al–Mn shape memory alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dasgupta, Rupa, E-mail: rupadasgupta@ampri.res.in; Jain, Ashish Kumar; Kumar, Pravir; Hussain, Shahadat; Pandey, Abhishek

2015-01-25

Highlights: • Cu based SMAs with high transition temperature could be made using LM route. • The properties depend on alloying composition. • Property characterisation establishes feasibility of making SMAs. - Abstract: The effect of alloying seven different elements [Zn, Si, Fe, Ni, Mg, Cr and Ti] on the microstructure, hardness, phase precipitation and transformation temperature in a Cu–12.5Al–5Mn alloy with a view to possible improvements as a result of these additions is the focus of the reported study. The base alloy has been chosen keeping in mind its ability to exhibit shape memory properties and improved ductility over other Cu-based SMAs. The objective was to ascertain changes or improvements attained due to the individual tertiary additions. The samples were prepared through liquid metallurgy route using pure copper, aluminum, manganese and the respective quaternary alloying elements in right quantities to weigh 1000 g of the alloy in total and were melted together. Samples from the cast alloys were subject to homogenisation treatment at 200 °C for 2 h in a muffle furnace and furnace cooled. Samples from the homogenised alloys were heated and held for 2 h at 920 °C followed by ice quenching to obtain the desired martensitic structure for shape memory behaviour. The alloys in the cast, homogenised and quenched conditions were metallographically polished to observe the martensitic phase formation mainly in quenched samples which is a pre requisite for exhibiting shape memory properties in these alloys. X-ray Diffraction studies were carried out on the cast and quenched samples using Cu Kα target; and the phases identified indicate martensitic phase precipitation; however in some cases the precipitation is incomplete. Differential Scanning Calorimetric [DSC] studies were carried out on quenched samples from room temperature to 600 °C maintaining a constant rate of 10 °C/min. Results indicate clear transformation peaks in all the samples which

Role of alloying additions on the properties of Cu–Al–Mn shape memory alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dasgupta, Rupa; Jain, Ashish Kumar; Kumar, Pravir; Hussain, Shahadat; Pandey, Abhishek

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Cu based SMAs with high transition temperature could be made using LM route. • The properties depend on alloying composition. • Property characterisation establishes feasibility of making SMAs. - Abstract: The effect of alloying seven different elements [Zn, Si, Fe, Ni, Mg, Cr and Ti] on the microstructure, hardness, phase precipitation and transformation temperature in a Cu–12.5Al–5Mn alloy with a view to possible improvements as a result of these additions is the focus of the reported study. The base alloy has been chosen keeping in mind its ability to exhibit shape memory properties and improved ductility over other Cu-based SMAs. The objective was to ascertain changes or improvements attained due to the individual tertiary additions. The samples were prepared through liquid metallurgy route using pure copper, aluminum, manganese and the respective quaternary alloying elements in right quantities to weigh 1000 g of the alloy in total and were melted together. Samples from the cast alloys were subject to homogenisation treatment at 200 °C for 2 h in a muffle furnace and furnace cooled. Samples from the homogenised alloys were heated and held for 2 h at 920 °C followed by ice quenching to obtain the desired martensitic structure for shape memory behaviour. The alloys in the cast, homogenised and quenched conditions were metallographically polished to observe the martensitic phase formation mainly in quenched samples which is a pre requisite for exhibiting shape memory properties in these alloys. X-ray Diffraction studies were carried out on the cast and quenched samples using Cu Kα target; and the phases identified indicate martensitic phase precipitation; however in some cases the precipitation is incomplete. Differential Scanning Calorimetric [DSC] studies were carried out on quenched samples from room temperature to 600 °C maintaining a constant rate of 10 °C/min. Results indicate clear transformation peaks in all the samples which

Fracture of Shape Memory Alloys

OpenAIRE

Miyazaki, Shuichi; Otsuka, Kazuhiro

1981-01-01

The initiation and the propagation of cracks during both quenching and deformation in polycrystalline Cu-Al-Ni alloys have been investigated under various conditions. The fracture surfaces of Ti-Ni and Cu-Al-Ni alloys were also observed by a scanning electron microscope. From these results, it was concluded that the brittleness of Cu-Al-Ni alloy and other β phase alloys are due to large elastic anisotropy and large grain sizes, while that the large ductility in Ti-Ni alloy being due to the sm...

Alloy development for cladding and duct applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Straalsund, J.L.; Johnson, G.D.

1981-01-01

Three general classes of materials under development for cladding and ducts are listed. Solid solution strengthened, or austenitic, alloys are Type 316 stainless steel and D9. Precipitation hardened (also austenitic) alloys consist of D21, D66 and D68. These alloys are similar to such commercial alloys as M-813, Inconel 706, Inconel 718 and Nimonic PE-16. The third general class of alloys is composed of ferritic alloys, with current emphasis being placed on HT-9, a tempered martensitic alloy, and D67, a delta-ferritic steel. The program is comprised of three parallel paths. The current reference, or first generation alloy, is 20% cold worked Type 316 stainless steel. Second generation alloys for near-term applications include D9 and HT-9. Third generation materials consist of the precipitation strengthened steels and ferritic alloys, and are being considered for implementation at a later time than the first and second generation alloys. The development of second and third generation materials was initiated in 1974 with the selection of 35 alloys. This program has proceeded to today where there are six advanced alloys being evaluated. These alloys are the developmental alloys D9, D21, D57, D66 and D68, together with the commerical alloy, HT-9. The status of development of these alloys is summarized

ZIRCONIUM-TITANIUM-BERYLLIUM BRAZING ALLOY

Science.gov (United States)

Gilliland, R.G.; Patriarca, P.; Slaughter, G.M.; Williams, L.C.

1962-06-12

A new and improved ternary alloy is described which is of particular utility in braze-bonding parts made of a refractory metal selected from Group IV, V, and VI of the periodic table and alloys containing said metal as a predominating alloying ingredient. The brazing alloy contains, by weight, 40 to 50 per cent zirconium, 40 to 50 per cent titanium, and the balance beryllium in amounts ranging from 1 to 20 per cent, said alloy having a melting point in the range 950 to 1400 deg C. (AEC)

Borated aluminum alloy manufacturing technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimojo, Jun; Taniuchi, Hiroaki; Kajihara, Katsura; Aruga, Yasuhiro

2003-01-01

Borated aluminum alloy is used as the basket material of cask because of its light weight, thermal conductivity and superior neutron absorbing abilities. Kobe Steel has developed a unique manufacturing process for borated aluminum alloy using a vacuum induction melting method. In this process, aluminum alloy is melted and agitated at higher temperatures than common aluminum alloy fabrication methods. It is then cast into a mold in a vacuum atmosphere. The result is a high quality aluminum alloy which has a uniform boron distribution and no impurities. (author)

Grain refinement of an AZ63B magnesium alloy by an Al-1C master alloy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yichuan Pan; Xiangfa Liu; Hua Yang [The Key Lab. of Liquid Structure and Heredity of Materials, Shandong Univ., Jinan (China)

2005-12-01

In order to develop a refiner of Mg-Al alloys, an Al-1C (in wt.%) master alloy was synthesized using a casting method. The microstructure and grain-refining performance of the Al-1C master alloy were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) and a grain-refining test. The microstructure of the Al-1C master alloy is composed of {alpha}-Al solid solution, Al{sub 4}C{sub 3} particles, and graphite phases. After grain refinement of AZ63B alloy by the Al-1C master alloy, the mean grain size reached a limit when 2 wt.% Al-C master alloy was added at 800 C and held for 20 min in the melt before casting. The minimum mean grain size is approximately 48 {mu}m at the one-half radius of the ingot and is about 17% of that of the unrefined alloy. The Al-1C master alloy results in better grain refinement than C{sub 2}Cl{sub 6} and MgCO{sub 3} carbon-containing refiners. (orig.)

Uniform Title in Theory and in Slovenian and Croatian Cataloguing Practice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marija Petek

2013-09-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACTPurpose:  The paper investigates the importance and development of uniform title that enables collocation in the library catalogue. Research results on use of uniform titles in two union catalogues, the Slovenian COBISS and the Croatian CROLIST are also presented.Methodology/approach:  Theoretical apects of the uniform title are treated: for the first time by Panizzi, then in the Paris Principles being the basis for the Verona's cataloguing code; in the latest International Cataloguing Principles including conceptual models Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR and Functional Requirements for Authority Data (FRAD; and last but not least in the international cataloguing code Resource Description and Access (RDA. To find out whether the uniform titles are used consistently according to the Verona's cataloguing code and to the requirements of the bibliographic formats COMARC and UNIMARC, the frequency of tags 300 and 500 in bibliographic records is explored.Results:  The research results indicate that the use of uniform titles in COBISS and CROLIST is not satisfactory and that the tags 300 and 500 are often missing in bibliographic recods. In online catalogues a special attention should be given to the uniform title as it is considered an efficient linking device in the catalogue and as it enables collocation.Research limitations:  The research is limited to bibliographic records for translations of works of personal authors and of anonymous works; corporate authors are not included.Originality/practical implications:  Presenting development of the uniform title from the very beginning up to now and the first research on the uniform title in COBISS.

Prevalence of plagiarism in recent submissions to the Croatian Medical Journal.

Science.gov (United States)

Baždarić, Ksenija; Bilić-Zulle, Lidija; Brumini, Gordana; Petrovečki, Mladen

2012-06-01

To assess the prevalence of plagiarism in manuscripts submitted for publication in the Croatian Medical Journal (CMJ). All manuscripts submitted in 2009-2010 were analyzed using plagiarism detection software: eTBLAST, CrossCheck, and WCopyfind. Plagiarism was suspected in manuscripts with more than 10% of the text derived from other sources. These manuscripts were checked against the Déjà vu database and manually verified by investigators. Of 754 submitted manuscripts, 105 (14%) were identified by the software as suspicious of plagiarism. Manual verification confirmed that 85 (11%) manuscripts were plagiarized: 63 (8%) were true plagiarism and 22 (3%) were self-plagiarism. Plagiarized manuscripts were mostly submitted from China (21%), Croatia (14%), and Turkey (19%). There was no significant difference in the text similarity rate between plagiarized and self-plagiarized manuscripts (25% [95% CI 22-27%] vs. 28% [95% CI 20-33%]; U = 645.50; P = 0.634). Differences in text similarity rate were found between various sections of self-plagiarized manuscripts (H = 12.65, P = 0.013). The plagiarism rate in the Materials and Methods (61% (95% CI 41-68%) was higher than in the Results (23% [95% CI 17-36%], U = 33.50; P = 0.009) or Discussion (25.5 [95% CI 15-35%]; U = 57.50; P Plagiarism detection software combined with manual verification may be used to detect plagiarized manuscripts and prevent their publication. The prevalence of plagiarized manuscripts submitted to the CMJ, a journal dedicated to promoting research integrity, was 11% in the 2-year period 2009-2010.

The prevalence and psychosocial correlates of suicide attempts among inpatient adolescent offspring of Croatian PTSD male war veterans.

Science.gov (United States)

Boričević Maršanić, Vlatka; Margetić, Branka Aukst; Zečević, Iva; Herceg, Miroslav

2014-10-01

Despite evidence that children of male war veterans with combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are at particularly high risk for behavior problems, very little is currently known about suicidal behaviors in this population of youth. This study aimed to examine the prevalence and psychosocial correlates of suicide attempts among psychiatrically hospitalized adolescent offspring of Croatian male PTSD veterans. Participants were psychiatric inpatients, ages 12-18 years. Self-report questionnaires assessed demographics, suicide attempts, psychopathology, parenting style, and family functioning. The prevalence of suicide attempts was 61.5% (65.2% for girls and 58.0% for boys). Internalizing symptoms, family dysfunction, lower levels of maternal and paternal care, and paternal overcontrol were significantly associated with suicide attempts. Our findings suggest that suicide attempts are common among inpatient adolescent offspring of male PTSD veterans and that interventions targeting both adolescent psychopathology and family relationships are needed for adolescents who have attempted suicide.

The physical metallurgy of mechanically-alloyed, dispersion-strengthened Al-Li-Mg and Al-Li-Cu alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Gilman, P. S.

1984-01-01

Powder processing of Al-Li-Mg and Al-Li-Cu alloys by mechanical alloying (MA) is described, with a discussion of physical and mechanical properties of early experimental alloys of these compositions. The experimental samples were mechanically alloyed in a Szegvari attritor, extruded at 343 and 427 C, and some were solution-treated at 520 and 566 C and naturally, as well as artificially, aged at 170, 190, and 210 C for times of up to 1000 hours. All alloys exhibited maximum hardness after being aged at 170 C; lower hardness corresponds to the solution treatment at 566 C than to that at 520 C. A comparison with ingot metallurgy alloys of the same composition shows the MA material to be stronger and more ductile. It is also noted that properly aged MA alloys can develop a better combination of yield strength and notched toughness at lower alloying levels.

De-alloyed platinum nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Strasser, Peter [Houston, TX; Koh, Shirlaine [Houston, TX; Mani, Prasanna [Houston, TX; Ratndeep, Srivastava [Houston, TX

2011-08-09

A method of producing de-alloyed nanoparticles. In an embodiment, the method comprises admixing metal precursors, freeze-drying, annealing, and de-alloying the nanoparticles in situ. Further, in an embodiment de-alloyed nanoparticle formed by the method, wherein the nanoparticle further comprises a core-shell arrangement. The nanoparticle is suitable for electrocatalytic processes and devices.

Variations of color with alloying elements in Pd-free Au-Pt-based high noble dental alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shiraishi, Takanobu; Takuma, Yasuko; Miura, Eri; Fujita, Takeshi; Hisatsune, Kunihiro

2007-01-01

The effects of alloying addition of a small amount of base metals (In, Sn, Fe, Zn) on color variations in Pd-free Au-Pt-based high noble dental alloys were investigated in terms of rectilinear and polar color coordinates. The ternary Au-Pt-X (X = In, Sn, Fe, Zn) and quaternary Au-Pt-In-Y (Y = Sn, Fe, Zn) alloys were prepared from high purity component metals. The amount of alloying base metals, X and Y, were restricted up to 2 at.%. The alloying addition of a small amount of Fe, In, Sn, to a binary Au-10 at.% Pt alloy (referred to as AP10) effectively increased chroma, C *. On the other hand, the addition of Zn to the parent alloy AP10 did not change color coordinates greatly. The increase in chroma in the present Au-Pt-based high noble alloys was attributed to the increase in the slope of spectral reflectance curve at its absorption edge near 515 nm. It was found that the addition of a small amount of Fe to the parent alloy AP10 markedly increased lightness, L *, and the addition of Sn gave a very light tint of red to the parent alloy. Although red-green chromaticity index a * contributed to chroma to some extent, contribution of yellow-blue chromaticity index b * was much greater in determining chroma in this Pd-free Au-Pt-based multi-component alloys. The present results are expected to be valuable in case color is to be taken into account in designing Pd-free Au-Pt-based high noble dental alloys

Variations of color with alloying elements in Pd-free Au-Pt-based high noble dental alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shiraishi, Takanobu [Department of Dental and Biomedical Materials Science, Unit of Basic Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8588 (Japan)]. E-mail: siraisi@nagasaki-u.ac.jp; Takuma, Yasuko [Department of Dental and Biomedical Materials Science, Unit of Basic Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8588 (Japan); Miura, Eri [Department of Dental and Biomedical Materials Science, Unit of Basic Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8588 (Japan); Fujita, Takeshi [Department of Dental and Biomedical Materials Science, Unit of Basic Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8588 (Japan); Hisatsune, Kunihiro [Department of Dental and Biomedical Materials Science, Unit of Basic Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8588 (Japan)

2007-06-15

The effects of alloying addition of a small amount of base metals (In, Sn, Fe, Zn) on color variations in Pd-free Au-Pt-based high noble dental alloys were investigated in terms of rectilinear and polar color coordinates. The ternary Au-Pt-X (X = In, Sn, Fe, Zn) and quaternary Au-Pt-In-Y (Y = Sn, Fe, Zn) alloys were prepared from high purity component metals. The amount of alloying base metals, X and Y, were restricted up to 2 at.%. The alloying addition of a small amount of Fe, In, Sn, to a binary Au-10 at.% Pt alloy (referred to as AP10) effectively increased chroma, C *. On the other hand, the addition of Zn to the parent alloy AP10 did not change color coordinates greatly. The increase in chroma in the present Au-Pt-based high noble alloys was attributed to the increase in the slope of spectral reflectance curve at its absorption edge near 515 nm. It was found that the addition of a small amount of Fe to the parent alloy AP10 markedly increased lightness, L *, and the addition of Sn gave a very light tint of red to the parent alloy. Although red-green chromaticity index a * contributed to chroma to some extent, contribution of yellow-blue chromaticity index b * was much greater in determining chroma in this Pd-free Au-Pt-based multi-component alloys. The present results are expected to be valuable in case color is to be taken into account in designing Pd-free Au-Pt-based high noble dental alloys.

Effects of segregation of primary alloying elements on the creep response in magnesium alloys

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Huang, Y.D.; Dieringa, H.; Hort, N.

2008-01-01

The segregation of primary alloying elements deteriorates the high temperature creep resistance of magnesium alloys. Annealing at high temperatures alleviating their segregations can improve the creep resistance. Present investigation on the effect of segregation of primary alloying elements...... on the creep response may provide some useful information about how to improve the creep resistance of magnesium alloys in the future. (c) 2008 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved....

Effectiveness of Ti-micro alloying in relation to cooling rate on corrosion of AZ91 Mg alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Candan, S.; Celik, M.; Candan, E.

2016-01-01

In this study, micro Ti-alloyed AZ91 Mg alloys (AZ91 + 0.5wt.%Ti) have been investigated in order to clarify effectiveness of micro alloying and/or cooling rate on their corrosion properties. Molten alloys were solidified under various cooling rates by using four stage step mold. The microstructural investigations were carried out by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Corrosion behaviors of the alloys were evaluated by means of immersion and electrochemical polarization tests in 3.5% NaCl solution. Results showed that the Mg 17 Al 12 (β) intermetallic phase in the microstructure of AZ91 Mg alloy formed as a net-like structure. The Ti addition has reduced the distribution and continuity of β intermetallic phase and its morphology has emerged as fully divorced eutectic. Compared to AZ91 alloy, the effect of the cooling rate in Ti-added alloy on the grain size was less pronounced. When AZ91 and its Ti-added alloys were compared under the same cooling conditions, the Ti addition showed notably high corrosion resistance. Electrochemical test results showed that while I corr values of AZ91 decrease with the increase in the cooling rate, the effect of the cooling rate on I corr values was much lower in the Ti-added alloy. The corrosion resistance of AZ91 Mg alloy was sensitive towards the cooling rates while Ti-added alloy was not affected much from the cooling conditions. - Highlights: • Effect the cooling rate on grain size was less pronounced in the Ti-added alloy. • The morphology of the β phase transformed into fully divorced eutectics. • Ti addition exhibited significantly higher corrosion resistance. • Ti micro alloying is more effective than faster cooling of the alloy on corrosion.

Nursing as a career choice: perceptions of school students speaking Arabic, Serbo-Croatian, Spanish, Turkish or Vietnamese at home.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, K C; Duffield, C; Chen, X C; Choucair, S; Creegan, R; Mak, C; Lesley, G

1999-01-01

Australia is a multicultural society and nowhere is this more evident than in Sydney where 25% of the population speaks a language other than English. In one of the largest area health services in New South Wales, the five most frequently spoken languages at home are Arabic, Serbo-Croatian, Spanish, Turkish or Vietnamese, with these language groups comprising 12% of Sydney's population. Yet nurses speaking one of these five languages comprise less than 1% of the nursing workforce. A cost-effective method of addressing the shortage of nurses speaking languages other than English is to recruit students who already speak another language into the profession. This study examined high school students' perceptions of nursing in order to determine appropriate methods of recruiting students speaking one of these languages. Implications for the design of recruitment campaigns are also discussed.

Mechanical and bio-corrosion properties of quaternary Mg–Ca–Mn–Zn alloys compared with binary Mg–Ca alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bakhsheshi-Rad, H.R.; Idris, M.H.; Abdul-Kadir, M.R.; Ourdjini, A.; Medraj, M.; Daroonparvar, M.; Hamzah, E.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Quaternary alloy show better mechanical and corrosion properties than binary alloy. • Mg–2Ca–0.5Mn–2Zn alloy showed suitable mechanical properties for bone application. • The improved corrosion resistance with addition of Mn and Zn into the Mg–Ca alloy. • Formation of protective surface film Mn-containing magnesium on quaternary alloy. • Secondary phases have strong effect on micro-galvanic corrosion of Mg alloys. - Abstract: Binary Mg–xCa alloys and the quaternary Mg–Ca–Mn–xZn were studied to investigate their bio-corrosion and mechanical properties. The surface morphology of specimens was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The results of mechanical properties show that the yield strength (YS), ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and elongation of quaternary alloy increased significantly with the addition of zinc (Zn) up to 4 wt.%. However, further addition of Zn content beyond 4 wt.% did not improve yield strength and ultimate tensile strength. In contrast, increasing calcium (Ca) content has a deleterious effect on binary Mg–Ca alloys. Compression tests of the magnesium (Mg) alloys revealed that the compression strength of quaternary alloy was higher than that of binary alloy. However, binary Mg–Ca alloy showed higher reduction in compression strength after immersion in simulated body fluid. The bio-corrosion behaviour of the binary and quaternary Mg alloys were investigated using immersion tests and electrochemical tests. Electrochemical tests shows that the corrosion potential (E corr ) of binary Mg–2Ca significantly shifted toward nobeler direction from −1996.8 to −1616.6 mV SCE with the addition of 0.5 wt.% manganese (Mn) and 2 wt.% Zn content. However, further addition of Zn to 7 wt.% into quaternary alloy has the reverse effect. Immersion tests show that the quaternary

Effect of reversible hydrogen alloying and plastic deformation on microstructure development in titanium alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murzinova, M.A.

2011-01-01

Hydrogen leads to degradation in fracture-related mechanical properties of titanium alloys and is usually considered as a very dangerous element. Numerous studies of hydrogen interaction with titanium alloys showed that hydrogen may be considered not only as an impurity but also as temporary alloying element. This statement is based on the following. Hydrogen stabilizes high-temperature β-phase, leads to decrease in temperature of β→α transformation and extends (α + β )-phase field. The BCC β-phase exhibits lower strength and higher ductility in comparison with HCP α -phase. As a result, hydrogen improves hot workability of hard-to-deform titanium alloys. Hydrogen changes chemical composition of the phases, kinetics of phase transformations, and at low temperatures additional phase transformation (β→α + TiH 2 ) takes place, which is accompanied with noticeable change in volumes of phases. As a result, fine lamellar microstructure may be formed in hydrogenated titanium alloys after heat treatment. It was shown that controlled hydrogen alloying improves weldability and machinability of titanium alloys. After processing hydrogenated titanium preforms are subjected to vacuum annealing, and the hydrogen content decreases up to safe level. Hydrogen removal is accompanied with hydrides dissolution and β→α transformation that makes possible to control structure formation at this final step of treatment. Thus, reversible hydrogen alloying of titanium alloys allows to obtain novel microstructure with enhanced properties. The aim of the work was to study the effect of hydrogen on structure formation, namely: i) influence of hydrogen content on transformation of lamellar microstructure to globular one during deformation in (α+β)-phase field; ii) effect of dissolved hydrogen on dynamic recrystallization in single α- and β- phase regions; iii) influence of vacuum annealing temperature on microstructure development. The work was focused on the optimization of

Physical metallurgy of titanium alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Collings, E.W.

1988-01-01

Researches in electric, magnetic, thermophysical properties of titanium alloys in the wide range of temperatures (from helium upto elevated one), as well as stability of phases in alloys of different types are generalized. Fundamental description of physical properties of binary model alloys is given. Acoustic emission, shape memory and Bauschinger effects, pseudoelasticity, aging and other aspects of physical metallurgy of titanium alloys are considered

Fe-Cr-Ni system alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levin, F.L.

1986-01-01

Phase diagram of Fe-Cr-Ni system, which is the basic one for production of corrosion resistant alloys, is considered. Data on corrosion resistance of such alloys are correlated depending on a number of factors: quality and composition of modifying elements, corrosion medium, temperature, alloy structure, mechanical and thermal treatment. Grades of Fe-Ni-Cr alloys are presented, and fields of their application are pointed out

Galvanic corrosion in odontological alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riesgo, O.; Bianchi, G.L.; Duffo, G.S.

1993-01-01

Galvanic corrosion can occur when different alloys are placed in direct contact within the oral cavity or within tissues. Concern has been expressed associated with the coupling of selected restorative materials as well as implant material with various alloys used for restorative procedures. This could be critical if the crown or bridge had subgingival finish line with a metallic zone in contact with the tissue, and the implant was made in titanium alloy. The present work shows the results of galvanic coupling studies done on implants of titanium alloy connected to nickel-chromium and cobalt-chromium alloys. (Author)

Grain refinement of 7075Al alloy microstructures by inoculation with Al-Ti-B master alloy

Science.gov (United States)

Hotea, V.; Juhasz, J.; Cadar, F.

2017-05-01

This paper aims to bring some clarification on grain refinement and modification of high strength alloys used in aerospace technique. In this work it was taken into account 7075 Al alloy, and the melt treatment was carried out by placing in the form of master alloy wire ternary AlTiB the casting trough at 730°C. The morphology of the resulting microstructures was characterized by optical microscopy. Micrographs unfinished and finished with pre-alloy containing ternary Al5Ti1B evidence fine crystals, crystal containing no columnar structure and highlights the size of the dendrites, and intermetallic phases occurring at grain boundaries in Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy. It has been found that these intermetallic compounds are MgZn2 type. AlTiB master alloys finishing ensures a fine eutectic structure, which determines the properties of hardware and improving the mechanical properties of aluminum alloys used in aeronautical engineering.

Two phase titanium aluminide alloy

Science.gov (United States)

Deevi, Seetharama C.; Liu, C. T.

2001-01-01

A two-phase titanic aluminide alloy having a lamellar microstructure with little intercolony structures. The alloy can include fine particles such as boride particles at colony boundaries and/or grain boundary equiaxed structures. The alloy can include alloying additions such as .ltoreq.10 at % W, Nb and/or Mo. The alloy can be free of Cr, V, Mn, Cu and/or Ni and can include, in atomic %, 45 to 55% Ti, 40 to 50% Al, 1 to 5% Nb, 0.3 to 2% W, up to 1% Mo and 0.1 to 0.3% B. In weight %, the alloy can include 57 to 60% Ti, 30 to 32% Al, 4 to 9% Nb, up to 2% Mo, 2 to 8% W and 0.02 to 0.08% B.

Studies of the AA2519 Alloy Hot Rolling Process and Cladding with EN AW-1050A Alloy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Płonka B.

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The objective of the study was to determine the feasibility of plastic forming by hot rolling of the AA2519 aluminium alloy sheets and cladding these sheets with a layer of the EN AW-1050A alloy. Numerous hot-rolling tests were carried out on the slab ingots to define the parameters of the AA2519 alloy rolling process. It has been established that rolling of the AA2519 alloy should be carried out in the temperature range of 400-440°C. Depending on the required final thickness of the sheet metal, appropriate thickness of the EN AW-1050A alloy sheet, used as a cladding layer, was selected. As a next step, structure and mechanical properties of the resulting AA2519 alloy sheets clad with EN AW-1050A alloy was examined. The thickness of the coating layer was established at 0,3÷0,5mm. Studies covered alloy grain size and the core alloy-cladding material bond strength.

Investigation of a hot-pressed Nb–Ti–Al alloy: Mechanical alloying, microstructure and mechanical property

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shi, Zhiwu; Wei, Hua; Zhang, Hongyu; Jin, Tao; Sun, Xiaofeng; Zheng, Qi, E-mail: qzheng@imr.ac.cn

2016-01-10

The Nb–23Ti–15Al (at%) alloy was prepared by mechanical alloying (MA) and hot-pressing (HPing). The microstructure evolution of powder particles during MA and its influence on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the hot-pressed (HPed) alloy have been investigated. The powder and HPed alloy were characterized via X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results indicate that particle size increases in the first stage and then decreases in the second stage during MA; as milling speed increases, mechanically alloyed (MAed) powder with convoluted elemental lamellae, homogeneous Nb solid-solution and an amorphous phase could be obtained respectively in 24 h. Higher homogeneity in microstructure and composition of the MAed powder particles promotes the precipitation of the δ phase and refines the β and Ti(O,C) phases in the HPed alloy. Moreover, due to the phase equilibrium changes caused by Fe and Cr in the amorphous powder, σ phase appears in the alloy as a stable phase instead of the δ phase. Properly MAed powder contributes to higher hardness of the HPed alloy, for reasons of microstructure refinement and sufficient precipitating of strengthening phases.

Investigation of a hot-pressed Nb–Ti–Al alloy: Mechanical alloying, microstructure and mechanical property

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shi, Zhiwu; Wei, Hua; Zhang, Hongyu; Jin, Tao; Sun, Xiaofeng; Zheng, Qi

2016-01-01

The Nb–23Ti–15Al (at%) alloy was prepared by mechanical alloying (MA) and hot-pressing (HPing). The microstructure evolution of powder particles during MA and its influence on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the hot-pressed (HPed) alloy have been investigated. The powder and HPed alloy were characterized via X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results indicate that particle size increases in the first stage and then decreases in the second stage during MA; as milling speed increases, mechanically alloyed (MAed) powder with convoluted elemental lamellae, homogeneous Nb solid-solution and an amorphous phase could be obtained respectively in 24 h. Higher homogeneity in microstructure and composition of the MAed powder particles promotes the precipitation of the δ phase and refines the β and Ti(O,C) phases in the HPed alloy. Moreover, due to the phase equilibrium changes caused by Fe and Cr in the amorphous powder, σ phase appears in the alloy as a stable phase instead of the δ phase. Properly MAed powder contributes to higher hardness of the HPed alloy, for reasons of microstructure refinement and sufficient precipitating of strengthening phases.

A new technique to modify hypereutectic Al-24%Si alloys by a Si-P master alloy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu Yaping; Wang Shujun; Li Hui [Key Laboratory of Liquid Structure and Heredity of Materials, Ministry of Education, Shandong University, 73 Jingshi Road, Jinan 250061 (China); Liu Xiangfa [Key Laboratory of Liquid Structure and Heredity of Materials, Ministry of Education, Shandong University, 73 Jingshi Road, Jinan 250061 (China)], E-mail: xfliu@sdu.edu.cn

2009-05-27

The modification effect of a Si-P master alloy on Al-24%Si alloy was investigated by using electron probe micro-analyzer (EPMA) and optical microscopy (OM). The dissolution problem of the Si-P master alloys was solved by changing the sequence of addition. When the Si-P master alloy was added into Al melt before the addition of silicon, the best modification effect could be achieved. The modification parameters of the master alloy on Al-24%Si alloy were optimized through designing and analyzing the orthogonal experiment, and their influences on the modification effect were discussed. The results show that the influence of temperature on the modification effect is the greatest, followed by the addition level, and the holding time is the least. The optimized modification parameters are the modification temperature of 810 deg. C, the addition level of 0.35 wt.%, the holding time of 30 min + 50 min whose meaning is that the Si-P master alloy is added firstly to the molten Al, and silicon is added 30 min later, then holding another 50 min. In addition, the modification mechanism of the Si-P master alloy on Al-24%Si alloy was also discussed.

Study on microstructure and properties of Mg-alloy surface alloying layer fabricated by EPC

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Chen Dongfeng

2010-02-01

Full Text Available AZ91D surface alloying was investigated through evaporative pattern casting (EPC technology. Aluminum powder (0.074 to 0.104 mm was used as the alloying element in the experiment. An alloying coating with excellent properties was fabricated, which mainly consisted of adhesive, co-solvent, suspending agent and other ingredients according to desired proportion. Mg-alloy melt was poured under certain temperature and the degree of negative pressure. The microstructure of the surface layer was examined by means of scanning electron microscopy. It has been found that a large volume fraction of network new phases were formed on the Mg-alloy surface, the thickness of the alloying surface layer increased with the alloying coating increasing from 0.3 mm to 0.5 mm, and the microstructure became compact. Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX analysis was used to determine the chemical composition of the new phases. It showed that the new phases mainly consist of β-Mg17Al12, in addition to a small quantity of inter-metallic compounds and oxides. A micro-hardness test and a corrosion experiment to simulate the effect of sea water were performed. The result indicated that the highest micro-hardness of the surface reaches three times that of the matrix. The corrosion rate of alloying samples declines to about a fifth of that of the as-cast AZ91D specimen.

Dispersion strengthening of precipitation hardened Al-Cu-Mg alloys prepared by rapid solidification and mechanical alloying

Science.gov (United States)

Gilman, P. S.; Sankaran, K. K.

1988-01-01

Several Al-4Cu-1Mg-1.5Fe-0.75Ce alloys have been processed from either rapidly solidified or mechanically alloyed powder using various vacuum degassing parameters and consolidation techniques. Strengthening by the fine subgrains, grains, and the dispersoids individually or in combination is more effective when the alloys contain shearable precipitates; consequently, the strength of the alloys is higher in the naturally aged rather than the artificially aged condition. The strengths of the mechanically alloyed variants are greater than those produced from prealloyed powder. Properties and microstructural features of these dispersion strengthened alloys are discussed in regards to their processing histories.

Social capital and physical activity among Croatian high school students.

Science.gov (United States)

Novak, D; Doubova, S V; Kawachi, I

2016-06-01

To examine factors associated with regular physical activity in Croatian adolescents. A cross-sectional survey among high school students was carried out in the 2013/14 school year. A survey was conducted among 33 high schools in Zagreb City, Croatia. Participants were students aged 17-18 years. The dependent variables were regular moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and overall physical activity measured by the short version of International Physical Activity Questionnaire and defined as 60 min or more of daily physical activity. The independent variables included family, neighborhood, and high school social capital. Other study covariates included: socio-economic status, self-rated health, psychological distress and nutritional status. The associations between physical activity and social capital variables were assessed separately for boys and girls through multiple logistic regression and inverse probability weighting in order to correct for missing data bias. A total of 1689 boys and 1739 girls responded to the survey. A higher percentage of boys reported performing regular vigorous and moderate physical activity (59.4%) and overall physical activity (83.4%), comparing with the girls (35.4% and 70%, respectively). For boys, high family social capital and high informal social control were associated with increased odds of regular MVPA (1.49, 95%CI: 1.18 - 1.90 and 1.26, 95%CI: 1.02 - 1.56, respectively), compared to those with low social capital. For girls, high informal social control was associated with regular overall physical activity (OR 1.38, 95% CI: 1.09 - 1.76). High social capital is associated with regular MVPA in boys and regular overall activity in girls. Intervention and policies that leverage community social capital might serve as an avenue for promotion of physical activity in youth. Copyright © 2016 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Development of the Low-Cost Titanium Alloy Containing Cr and Mn Alloying Elements

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Kailiang; Gui, Na; Jiang, Tao; Zhu, Ming; Lu, Xionggang; Zhang, Jieyu; Li, Chonghe

2014-04-01

The α + β-type Ti-4.5Al-6.9Cr-2.3Mn alloy has been theoretically designed on the basis of assessment of the Ti-Al-Cr-Mn thermodynamic system and the relationship between the molybdenum equivalent and mechanical properties of titanium alloys. The alloy is successfully prepared by the split water-cooled copper crucible, and its microstructures and mechanical properties at room temperature are investigated using the OM, SEM, and the universal testing machine. The results show that the Ti-4.5Al-6.9Cr-2.3Mn alloy is an α + β-type alloy which is consistent with the expectation, and its fracture strength, yield strength, and elongation reach 1191.3, 928.4 MPa, and 10.7 pct, respectively. Although there is no strong segregation of alloying elements under the condition of as-cast, the segregation of Cr and Mn is obvious at the grain boundary after thermomechanical treatment.

Effect of Al alloying on the martensitic temperature in Ti-Ta shape memory alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ferrari, Alberto; Rogal, Jutta; Drautz, Ralf [Interdisciplinary Centre for Advanced Materials Simulation, Ruhr-Universitaet Bochum (Germany)

2017-07-01

Ti-Ta-based alloys are promising candidates as high temperature shape memory alloys (HTSMAs) for actuators and superelastic applications. The shape memory mechanism involves a martensitic transformation between the low-temperature α'' phase (orthorhombic) and the high-temperature β phase (body-centered cubic). In order to prevent the degradation of the shape memory effect, Ti-Ta needs to be alloyed with further elements. However, this often reduces the martensitic temperature M{sub s}, which is usually strongly composition dependent. The aim of this work is to analyze how the addition of a third element to Ti-Ta alloys affects M{sub s} by means of electronic structure calculations. In particular, it will be investigated how alloying Al to Ti-Ta alters the relative stability of the α'' and β phases. This understanding will help to identify new alloy compositions featuring both a stable shape memory effect and elevated transformation temperatures.

Density of Liquid Ni-Cr Alloy

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2003-01-01

The density of liquid Ni-Cr alloy was measured by a modified sessile drop method. The density of liquid Ni-Cr alloywas found to decrease with increasing temperature and Cr concentration in the alloy. The molar volume of liquidNi-Cr alloy increases with increasing the Cr concentration in the alloy. The molar volume of Ni-Cr alloy determinedin the present work shows a positive deviation from the linear molar volume.

Radioactivity of fission products in cistern waters along the Croatian coast of the Adriatic Sea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Franic, Z.; Marovic, G.

1997-01-01

Measurements of radioactive contamination of water samples from cisterns collecting rainwater from roofs etc. with fission products have been carried out along the Croatian coast of the Adriatic Sea since 1968. An exponential decline of radioactivity followed the nuclear moratorium.After the nuclear accident at Chernobyl, higher levels of 137 Cs and 90 Sr were detected again, cistern waters being the only environmental samples in Croatia in which elevated 90 Sr activities persisted for several years. For the pre-Chernobyl period, the mean residence time of 90 Sr in cistern waters being order of magnitude several years was similar to that calculated for fallout.Contrary, for the post-Chernobyl time, S r mean residence time was calculated to be considerably shorter, reflecting the tropospheric mean residence time.Therefore, the pre-Chernobyl) and the post-Chernobyl mean residence times of 90 Sr in cistern waters reflect the mechanism by which strontium was released to the atmosphere. The annual dose for the critical adult population received from 90 Sr, 137 Cs and 90 Cs by drinking cistern water was estimated to be a few per cent of the dose from natural background radiation. (authors)

INDEBTEDNESS AS DISCRIMINATORY ELEMENT FOR PERFORMING NOTARIAL SERVICES:CROATIAN SOLUTION AND EUROPEAN EXPERIENCE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dejan Bodul

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Analysis of the historical development of institute of notaries and comparative analysis of legal systems show that the institute of notaries is regulated differently, but what is common to all systems and refers to the legal nature of this institute is the fact that the notaries are persons worthy of public trust. This statement is the backbone of all the considerations relating to the institution of the notaries and theirs activities in the field of European legislation. The aim of this paper is to analyze the anachronism of indebtedness criteria as one of the positive legal obstacles in performing notarial services adequately. The complexity of the research topic and tasks of this paper have determined the choice of methods that are used here. During the research it was used methodological approach that includes the study of domestic and foreign literature, the study of relevant legislation, as well as an analysis of domestic and international jurisprudence. In this paper, authors shall analyze the case law of the European Court of Human Rights according to Article 14 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (Prohibition of discrimination. ** This work has been supported by the Croatian science foundation under the project number 6558 "Business and Personal Insolvency - the Ways to Overcome Excessive Indebtedness"

Low activation ferritic alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Gelles, David S.; Ghoniem, Nasr M.; Powell, Roger W.

1986-01-01

Low activation ferritic alloys, specifically bainitic and martensitic stainless steels, are described for use in the production of structural components for nuclear fusion reactors. They are designed specifically to achieve low activation characteristics suitable for efficient waste disposal. The alloys essentially exclude molybdenum, nickel, nitrogen and niobium. Strength is achieved by substituting vanadium, tungsten, and/or tantalum in place of the usual molybdenum content in such alloys.

Inter and Intra Positional Differences in Ball Kicking Between U-16 Croatian Soccer Players

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ante Rađa

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The main goal of this research was to determine inter and intra positional differences in ball kicking speed between U-16 Croatian soccer players. 44 young soccer players (15.7 ± 1.5 years were tested with 8 specific soccer field tests that evaluate kicking velocity by using Pocket radar that was reading the ball velocity in km/h. The tests took place two days in a row; beginning at 8 A.M. Prior to the tests, players warmed up and stretched for 20 minutes (13 minutes of running with and without the ball, 7 minutes of dynamic stretching. Inter positional differences were significant (p ≤ 0.05 between midfielders and defenders in all tests and in one test midfielders scored better than strikers. The fastest kicks were instep kicks when stationary and non-stationary ball was kicked. Shots were taken by midfielders with 106.94±7.07 and 101.61±7.88 km/h respectively. Similar to dominant leg, midfielders also achieved the fastest instep kicks with non-dominant leg (91.44±9.56 km/h. Intra positional differences revealed that soccer kick velocity is one of possible selection tools, because more efficient players in all playing lines shoot faster kicks than less efficient players.

Key Supplier Relationship Management: The Case of Croatian Medium-Sized and Large Manufacturing Companies

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Dario Miočević

2011-06-01

Full Text Available The key supplier relationship management represents a vital organizational process. Companies should pay attention not only to managing customer relationships but also to managing relationships with suppliers in order to perform well. They should identify the extent to which a certain supplier adds value through the procurement process. In this line of reasoning, both theory and practice make a distinction between strategic (key and non-strategic (transactional suppliers. By employing the segmentation of the supply market, companies balance their supplier portfolio and are capable of identifying the key suppliers. They can also develop specific programs and initiatives that are aimed at preserving these relationships. In the empirical part of the paper, a survey was conducted on a sample of 123 medium-sized and large Croatian manufacturing companies. The structural model involving the relationship between the key supplier relationship management and value-oriented purchasing was tested. The results indicate that there is a statistically direct, positive and significant relationship between these two constructs. Likewise, the results stress that a theoretical conceptualization and operationalization of the key supplier relationship management construct is both valid and justified. Finally, the theoretical and practical implications and limitations of this study are offered.

Impact of the De-Alloying Kinetics and Alloy Microstructure on the Final Morphology of De-Alloyed Meso-Porous Metal Films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bao Lin

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Nano-textured porous metal materials present unique surface properties due to their enhanced surface energy with potential applications in sensing, molecular separation and catalysis. In this paper, commercial alloy foils, including brass (Cu85Zn15 and Cu70Zn30 and white gold (Au50Ag50 foils have been chemically de-alloyed to form nano-porous thin films. The impact of the initial alloy micro-structure and number of phases, as well as chemical de-alloying (DA parameters, including etchant concentration, time and solution temperature on the final nano-porous thin film morphology and properties were investigated by electron microscopy (EM. Furthermore, the penetration depth of the pores across the alloys were evaluated through the preparation of cross sections by focus ion beam (FIB milling. It is demonstrated that ordered pores ranging between 100 nm and 600 nm in diameter and 2–5 μm in depth can be successfully formed for the range of materials tested. The microstructure of the foils were obtained by electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD and linked to development of pits across the material thickness and surface during DA. The role of selective etching of both noble and sacrificial metal phases of the alloy were discussed in light of the competitive surface etching across the range of microstructures and materials tested.

Preparation of Copper and Chromium Alloyed Layers on Pure Titanium by Plasma Surface Alloying Technology

Science.gov (United States)

He, Xiaojing; Li, Meng; Wang, Huizhen; Zhang, Xiangyu; Tang, Bin

2015-05-01

Cu-Cr alloyed layers with different Cu and Cr contents on pure titanium were obtained by means of plasma surface alloying technology. The microstructure, chemical composition and phase composition of Cu-Cr alloyed layers were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. The experimental results demonstrate that the alloyed layers are bonded strongly to pure titanium substrate and consist of unbound Ti, CuTi, Cu3Ti, CuTi3 and Cr2Ti. The thickness of Cu5Cr5 and Cu7Cr3 alloyed layer are about 18 μm and 28 μm, respectively. The antibacterial properties against gram-negative Escherichia coli (E.coli, ATCC10536) and gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus, ATCC6538) of untreated pure titanium and Cu-Cr alloyed specimen were investigated by live/dead fluorescence staining method. The study shows that Cu-Cr alloyed layers exhibit excellent antibacterial activities against both E.coli and S.aureus within 24 h, which may be attributed to the formation of Cu-containing phases.

Preparation of a high strength Al–Cu–Mg alloy by mechanical alloying and press-forming

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tang Huaguo; Cheng Zhiqiang; Liu Jianwei; Ma Xianfeng

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► A high strength aluminum alloy of Al–2 wt.%Mg–2 wt.%Cu has been prepared by mechanical alloying and press-forming. ► The alloy only consists of solid solution α-Al. ► The grains size of α-Al was about 300 nm–5 μm. ► The solid solution strengthening and the grain refinement strengthening are the main reasons for such a high strength. - Abstract: A high strength aluminum alloy, with the ratio of 96 wt.%Al–2 wt.%Mg–2 wt.%Cu, has been prepared by mechanical alloying and press-forming. The alloy exhibited a high tensile strength of 780 MPa and a high microhardness of 180 HV. X-ray diffraction characterizations confirmed that the alloy only consists of a solid solution α-Al. Microstructure characterizations revealed that the grain size of α-Al was about 300 nm–5 μm. The solid solution strengthening and the grain refinement strengthening were considered to be the reason for such a high strength.

Preparation of a high strength Al-Cu-Mg alloy by mechanical alloying and press-forming

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tang Huaguo [State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022 (China); Cheng Zhiqiang [College of Resources and Environment, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118 (China); Liu Jianwei [State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022 (China); Ma Xianfeng, E-mail: xfma@ciac.jl.cn [State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022 (China)

2012-07-30

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A high strength aluminum alloy of Al-2 wt.%Mg-2 wt.%Cu has been prepared by mechanical alloying and press-forming. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The alloy only consists of solid solution {alpha}-Al. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The grains size of {alpha}-Al was about 300 nm-5 {mu}m. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The solid solution strengthening and the grain refinement strengthening are the main reasons for such a high strength. - Abstract: A high strength aluminum alloy, with the ratio of 96 wt.%Al-2 wt.%Mg-2 wt.%Cu, has been prepared by mechanical alloying and press-forming. The alloy exhibited a high tensile strength of 780 MPa and a high microhardness of 180 HV. X-ray diffraction characterizations confirmed that the alloy only consists of a solid solution {alpha}-Al. Microstructure characterizations revealed that the grain size of {alpha}-Al was about 300 nm-5 {mu}m. The solid solution strengthening and the grain refinement strengthening were considered to be the reason for such a high strength.

Nano-structureal and nano-chemical analysis of Ni-based alloy/low alloy steel dissimilar metal weld interfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Kyoung Joon; Shin, Sang Hun; Kim, Jong Jin; Jung, Ju Ang; Kim, Ji Hyun

2012-01-01

The dissimilar metal joints welded between Ni-based alloy, Alloy 690 and low alloy steel, A533 Gr. B with Alloy 152 filler metal were characterized by using optical microscope, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, secondary ion mass spectrometry and 3-dimensional atom probe tomography. It was found that in the weld root region, the weld was divided into several regions including unmixed zone in Ni-base alloy, fusion boundary, and heat-affected zone in the low alloy steel. The result of nanostructural and nanochemical analyses in this study showed the non-homogeneous distribution of elements with higher Fe but lower Mn, Ni and Cr in A533 Gr. B compared with Alloy 152, and the precipitation of carbides near the fusion boundary.

Nano-structureal and nano-chemical analysis of Ni-based alloy/low alloy steel dissimilar metal weld interfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choi, Kyoung Joon; Shin, Sang Hun; Kim, Jong Jin; Jung, Ju Ang; Kim, Ji Hyun [Interdisciplinary School of Green Energy, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan (Korea, Republic of)

2012-06-15

The dissimilar metal joints welded between Ni-based alloy, Alloy 690 and low alloy steel, A533 Gr. B with Alloy 152 filler metal were characterized by using optical microscope, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, secondary ion mass spectrometry and 3-dimensional atom probe tomography. It was found that in the weld root region, the weld was divided into several regions including unmixed zone in Ni-base alloy, fusion boundary, and heat-affected zone in the low alloy steel. The result of nanostructural and nanochemical analyses in this study showed the non-homogeneous distribution of elements with higher Fe but lower Mn, Ni and Cr in A533 Gr. B compared with Alloy 152, and the precipitation of carbides near the fusion boundary.

Superconducting alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bowers, J.E.

1976-01-01

Reference is made to superconductors having high critical currents. The superconductor described comprises an alloy consisting of a matrix of a Type II superconductor which is a homogeneous mixture of 50 to 95 at.% Pb and 5 to 40 at.%Bi and/or 10 to 50 at.%In. Dispersed in the matrix is a material to provide pinning centres comprising from 0.01% to 20% by volume of the alloy; this material is a stable discontinuous phase of discrete crystalline particles of Cu, Mn, Te, Se, Ni, Ca, Cr, Ce, Ge or La, either in the form of the element or a compound with a component of the matrix. These particles should have an average diameter of not more than 2μ. A method for making this alloy is described. (U.K.)

Imparting passivity to vapor deposited magnesium alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Wolfe, Ryan C.

Magnesium has the lowest density of all structural metals. Utilization of low density materials is advantageous from a design standpoint, because lower weight translates into improved performance of engineered products (i.e., notebook computers are more portable, vehicles achieve better gas mileage, and aircraft can carry more payload). Despite their low density and high strength to weight ratio, however, the widespread implementation of magnesium alloys is currently hindered by their relatively poor corrosion resistance. The objective of this research dissertation is to develop a scientific basis for the creation of a corrosion resistant magnesium alloy. The corrosion resistance of magnesium alloys is affected by several interrelated factors. Among these are alloying, microstructure, impurities, galvanic corrosion effects, and service conditions, among others. Alloying and modification of the microstructure are primary approaches to controlling corrosion. Furthermore, nonequilibrium alloying of magnesium via physical vapor deposition allows for the formation of single-phase magnesium alloys with supersaturated concentrations of passivity-enhancing elements. The microstructure and surface morphology is also modifiable during physical vapor deposition through the variation of evaporation power, pressure, temperature, ion bombardment, and the source-to-substrate distance. Aluminum, titanium, yttrium, and zirconium were initially chosen as candidates likely to impart passivity on vapor deposited magnesium alloys. Prior to this research, alloys of this type have never before been produced, much less studied. All of these metals were observed to afford some degree of corrosion resistance to magnesium. Due to the especially promising results from nonequilibrium alloying of magnesium with yttrium and titanium, the ternary magnesium-yttrium-titanium system was investigated in depth. While all of the alloys are lustrous, surface morphology is observed under the scanning

Strength and fracture of two-phase alloys: a comparison of two alloy systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gurland, J.

1978-01-01

The functional roles of the hard and soft constituents in the deformation and fracture of two-phase alloys are discussed on the basis of two commercially important alloy systems, namely spheroidized carbon steels and cemented carbides, WC-Co. A modified rule of mixtures provides a structural approach to the yield and flow strength. Consideration of the fracture toughness is attempted by means of a phenomenological modelling of the fracture process on the microscale. While there are large differences in properties between the two alloys, the deformation and fracture processes show broad smilarities which are associated with the features of the interaction between constituents common to both alloys

Passive Corrosion Behavior of Alloy 22

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

R.B. Rebak; J.H. Payer

2006-01-01

Alloy 22 (NO6022) was designed to stand the most aggressive industrial applications, including both reducing and oxidizing acids. Even in the most aggressive environments, if the temperature is lower than 150 F (66 C) Alloy 22 would remain in the passive state having particularly low corrosion rates. In multi-ionic solutions that may simulate the behavior of concentrated ground water, even at near boiling temperatures, the corrosion rate of Alloy 22 is only a few nano-meters per year because the alloy is in the complete passive state. The corrosion rate of passive Alloy 22 decreases as the time increases. Immersion corrosion testing also show that the newer generation of Ni-Cr-Mo alloys may offer a better corrosion resistance than Alloy 22 only in some highly aggressive conditions such as in hot acids

Corrosion-electrochemical behaviour and mechanical properties ofaluminium alloy-321, alloyed by barium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ganiev, I.; Mukhiddinov, G.N.; Kargapolova, T.V.; Mirsaidov, U.

1995-01-01

The purpose of present work is studying of influence of barium additionson electrochemical corrosion of casting aluminium-copper alloy Al-321,containing as base alloying components copper, chromium, manganese, titanium,zirconium, cadmium

Planning Energy Sector Development in Croatian Agricultural Sector Following Guidelines of the European Energy Policy 20-20-20

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kirac, M.; Krajacic, G.; Duic, N.

2009-01-01

Energy system planning is among the most important tasks of any society. A stable energy system is a foundation for economic growth, growing living standard and general prosperity of the society. Agriculture represents an important factor in overall Croatian economy; therefore, planning of the agriculture's energy system is a major task. To foresee the trend of consumption and to ensure reasonable economic energy supply in accordance with this trend is a process which should be continuously optimised so that the planned scenario could reflect actual situation. The agriculture, thanks to natural resources, land features and climate advantages represents a major economic sector. This activity has significant impact on food industry, trade, tourism, transport, chemical industry, etc. The relevance of agriculture is also visible in the present number of employees, future potential for employment and foreign trade balance. According to numerous parameters, agricultural activities in Croatia lag behind the EU countries. Great potential can be achieved by implementation of measures for energy intensity reduction and productivity increase.(author).

Differences of the essential mineral element levels in the milk of Croatian Coldblood horse and Littoral-Dinaric donkey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nina Bilandžić

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The concentrations of essential elements in the milk of Croatian Coldblood mares and Littoral- Dinaric donkey were measured. The mean element contents in horse milk were (mg/kg: Ca 687.1, Mg 72.1, K 637.7, Na 143.5, Cu 0.126, Fe 0.235, Se 0.01, Zn 2.06, Mn<0.01. In donkey milk, the mean element contents were (mg/kg: Ca 815.4, Mg 80.8, K 887.7, Na 217.6, Cu 0.027, Fe 0.196, Zn 2.36, Mn 0.016. In horse milk, moderate correlations were found between the elements: Ca-K, Mg-Se, Mg-K, Mg-Cu, Se-Cu, Se-Fe, Mn-K. Strong correlations were found among elements in donkey milk: Ca-Na, Ca-K, Ca-Cu, K-Na, K-Cu, Cu-Mn. Significant differences between Na, K and Cu concentrations were obtained between the two species. Other elements concentrations were similar in both species.

Coupling between bulk ordering and surface segregation: from alloy surfaces to surface alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gallis, Coralie

1997-01-01

-The knowledge of the alloy surfaces is of prime interest to understand their catalytic properties. On the one hand, the determination of the stability of the surface alloys depends very strongly on the behaviours of the A c B 1-c alloy surfaces. On the other hand, the knowledge of the kinetics of the formation-dissolution of surface alloys can allow to understand the equilibrium segregation isotherm. We have then studied the relation between the equilibrium surface segregation in an alloy A c B 1-c and the kinetics of dissolution of a few metallic layers of A/B and the inverse deposit. We have used an energetic model derived from the electronic structure (T.I.B.M.) allowing us to study the surface segregation both in the disordered state and in the ordered one. The kinetics of dissolution were studied using the kinetic version of this model (K.T.I.B.M.) consistent with the equilibrium model. To illustrate our study, we have chosen the Cu-Pd system, a model for the formation of surface alloys and for which a great number of studies, both experimental and theoretical, are in progress. We then have shown for the (111) surface of this system that the surface alloys obtained during the dissolution are related to the alloy surfaces observed for the equilibrium segregation. The Cu-Pd system is characteristic of systems which have a weak segregation energy. Then, we have performed an equivalent study for a system with a strong segregation energy. Our choice was directly put on the Pt-Sn system. The surface behaviour, both in equilibrium and during the kinetics of dissolution, is very different from the Cu-Pd case. In particular, we have found pure 2-D surface alloys. Finally, a quenched molecular dynamics study has allowed us to determine the relative stability of various possible surface superstructures. (author) [fr

ODS Alloys for Nuclear Applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jang, Jin Sung

2006-01-01

ODS (oxide dispersion strengthening) alloy is one of the potential candidate alloys for the cladding or in reactor components of Generation IV reactors and for the structural material even for fusion reactors. It is widely accepted as very resistant material to neutron irradiation as well as strong material at high temperature due to its finely distributed and stable oxide particles. Among Generation IV reactors SFR and SCWR are anticipated in general to run in the temperature range between 300 and 550 .deg. C, and the peak cladding temperature is supposed to reach at about 620 .deg. C during the normal operation. Therefore Zr.base alloys, which have been widely known and adopted for the cladding material due to their excellent neutron economics, are no more adequate at these operating conditions. Fe-base ODS alloys in general has a good high temperature strength at the above high temperature as well as the neutron resistance. In this study a range of commercial grade ODS alloys and their applications are reviewed, including an investigation of the stability of a commercial grade 20% Cr Fe-base ODS alloy(MA956). The alloy was evaluated in terms of the fracture toughness change along with the aging treatment. Also an attempt of the development of 9% Cr Fe-base ODS alloys is introduced

Positrons in amorphous alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moser, Pierre.

1981-07-01

Positron annihilation techniques give interesting informations about ''empty spaces'' in amorphous alloys. The results of an extensive research work on the properties of either pre-existing or irradiation induced ''empty spaces'' in four amorphous alloys are presented. The pre-existing empty spaces appear to be small vacancy-like defects. The irradiation induced defects are ''close pairs'' with widely distributed configurations. There is a strong interaction between vacancy like and interstitial like components. A model is proposed, which explains the radiation resistance mechanism of the amorphous alloys. An extensive joint research work to study four amorphous alloys, Fe 80 B 20 ,Fe 40 Ni 40 P 14 B 6 , Cu 50 Ti 50 , Pd 80 Si 20 , is summarized

Local atomic order in nanocrystalline Fe-based alloys obtained by mechanical alloying

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jartych, E.

2003-01-01

Using the 57 Fe Moessbauer spectroscopy, a local atomic order in nanocrystalline alloys of iron with Al, Ni, W and Mo has been determined. Alloys were prepared by mechanical alloying method. Analysis of Moessbauer spectra was performed on the basis of the local environment model in terms of Warren-Cowley parameters. It was shown that impurity atoms are not randomly distributed in the volume of the first and the second co-ordination spheres of 57 Fe nuclei and they form clusters

Environmental fatigue in aluminum-lithium alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Piascik, Robert S.

1992-01-01

Aluminum-lithium alloys exhibit similar environmental fatigue crack growth characteristics compared to conventional 2000 series alloys and are more resistant to environmental fatigue compared to 7000 series alloys. The superior fatigue crack growth behavior of Al-Li alloys 2090, 2091, 8090, and 8091 is due to crack closure caused by tortuous crack path morphology and crack surface corrosion products. At high R and reduced closure, chemical environment effects are pronounced resulting in accelerated near threshold da/dN. The beneficial effects of crack closure are minimized for small cracks resulting in rapid growth rates. Limited data suggest that the 'chemically small crack' effect, observed in other alloy system, is not pronounced in Al-Li alloys. Modeling of environmental fatigue in Al-Li-Cu alloys related accelerated fatigue crack growth in moist air and salt water to hydrogen embrittlement.

Determination of local constitutive properties of titanium alloy matrix in boron-modified titanium alloys using spherical indentation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sreeranganathan, A.; Gokhale, A.; Tamirisakandala, S.

2008-01-01

The constitutive properties of the titanium alloy matrix in boron-modified titanium alloys are different from those of the corresponding unreinforced alloy due to the microstructural changes resulting from the addition of boron. Experimental and finite-element analyses of spherical indentation with a large penetration depth to indenter radius ratio are used to compute the local constitutive properties of the matrix alloy. The results are compared with that of the corresponding alloy without boron, processed in the same manner

The quasicrystalline phase formation in Al-Cu-Cr alloys produced by mechanical alloying

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sviridova, T.A.; Shevchukov, A.P.; Shelekhov, E.V. [National University of Science and Technology ' MISIS' , Moscow 119049 (Russian Federation); Diakonov, D.L. [Bardin Central Research Institute for the Iron and Steel Industry, Moscow 105005 (Russian Federation); Tcherdyntsev, V.V.; Kaloshkin, S.D. [National University of Science and Technology ' MISIS' , Moscow 119049 (Russian Federation)

2011-06-15

Research highlights: > Formation of decagonal quasicrystalline phase in Al-Cu-Cr alloys. > Obtained decagonal phase belongs to D{sub 3} family of decagonal quasicrystals. > Decagonal phase has 1.26 nm periodicity along 10-fold axis. > Alloys were produced by combination of mechanical alloying and subsequent annealing. > Phase composition of as-milled powders depending on annealing temperature. - Abstract: Almost single-phase decagonal quasicrystal with periodicity of 1.26 nm along 10-fold axis was produced in Al{sub 69}Cu{sub 21}Cr{sub 10} and Al{sub 72.5}Cu{sub 16.5}Cr{sub 11} alloys using combination of mechanical alloying (MA) and subsequent annealing. Phase transformations of as-milled powders depending on annealing temperature in the range of 200-800 deg. C are examined. Since the transformations can be explained based on kinetic and thermodynamic reasons it seems that applied technique (short preliminary MA followed by the annealing) permits to produce the equilibrium phases rather than metastable ones.

Grain refinement of zinc-aluminium alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zaid, A.I.O.

2006-01-01

It is now well-established that the structure of the zinc-aluminum die casting alloys can be modified by the binary Al-Ti or the ternary Al-Ti-B master alloys. in this paper, grain refinement of zinc-aluminum alloys by rare earth materials is reviewed and discussed. The importance of grain refining of these alloys and parameters affecting it are presented and discussed. These include parameters related to the Zn-Al alloys cast, parameters related to the grain refining elements or alloys and parameters related to the process. The effect of addition of other alloying elements e.g. Zr either alone or in the presence of the main grain refiners Ti or Ti + B on the grain refining efficiency is also reviewed and discussed. Furthermore, based on the grain refinement and the parameters affecting it, a criterion for selection of the optimum grain refiner is suggested. Finally, the recent research work on the effect of grain refiners on the mechanical behaviour, impact strength, wear resistance, and fatigue life of these alloys are presented and discussed. (author)

Applications of thermodynamic calculations to Mg alloy design: Mg-Sn based alloy development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, In-Ho; Park, Woo-Jin; Ahn, Sang Ho; Kang, Dae Hoon; Kim, Nack J.

2007-01-01

Recently an Mg-Sn based alloy system has been investigated actively in order to develop new magnesium alloys which have a stable structure and good mechanical properties at high temperatures. Thermodynamic modeling of the Mg-Al-Mn-Sb-Si-Sn-Zn system was performed based on available thermodynamic, phase equilibria and phase diagram data. Using the optimized database, the phase relationships of the Mg-Sn-Al-Zn alloys with additions of Si and Sb were calculated and compared with their experimental microstructures. It is shown that the calculated results are in good agreement with experimental microstructures, which proves the applicability of thermodynamic calculations for new Mg alloy design. All calculations were performed using FactSage thermochemical software. (orig.)

A highly ductile magnesium alloy system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao, W; Liu, H

2009-01-01

Magnesium (Mg) alloys are finding increasing applications in industry mainly due to their high strength-to-weight ratio. However, they have intrinsically poor plastic deformation ability at room temperature. Therefore, the vast majority of Mg alloys are used only in cast state, severely limiting the development of their applications. We have recently discovered a new Mg alloy system that possesses exceptionally high ductility as well as good mechanical strength. The superior plasticity allows this alloy system to be mechanically deformed at room temperature, directly from an as-cast alloy plate, sheet or ingot into working parts. This type of cold mechanical forming properties has never been reported with any other Mg alloy systems.

HAYNES 244 alloy – a new 760 ∘C capable low thermal expansion alloy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fahrmann Michael G.

2014-01-01

Full Text Available HAYNES® 244TM alloy is a new 760∘C capable, high strength low thermal expansion (CTE alloy. Its nominal chemical composition in weight percent is Ni – 8 Cr – 22.5 Mo – 6 W. Recently, a first mill-scale heat of 244 alloy was melted by Haynes International, and processed to various product forms such as re-forge billet, plate, and sheet. This paper presents key attributes of this new alloy (CTE, strength, low-cycle fatigue performance, oxidation resistance, thermal stability as they pertain to the intended use in rings and seals of advanced gas turbines.

Aeronautical Industry Requirements for Titanium Alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Bran, D. T.; Elefterie, C. F.; Ghiban, B.

2017-06-01

The project presents the requirements imposed for aviation components made from Titanium based alloys. A significant portion of the aircraft pylons are manufactured from Titanium alloys. Strength, weight, and reliability are the primary factors to consider in aircraft structures. These factors determine the requirements to be met by any material used to construct or repair the aircraft. Many forces and structural stresses act on an aircraft when it is flying and when it is static and this thesis describes environmental factors, conditions of external aggression, mechanical characteristics and loadings that must be satisfied simultaneously by a Ti-based alloy, compared to other classes of aviation alloys (as egg. Inconel super alloys, Aluminum alloys).For this alloy class, the requirements are regarding strength to weight ratio, reliability, corrosion resistance, thermal expansion and so on. These characteristics additionally continue to provide new opportunities for advanced manufacturing methods.

Controlled Thermal Expansion Alloys

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — There has always been a need for controlled thermal expansion alloys suitable for mounting optics and detectors in spacecraft applications.  These alloys help...

Electrodeposition of Al-Mn alloy on AZ31B magnesium alloy in molten salts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Jifu; Yan Chuanwei; Wang Fuhui

2009-01-01

The Al-Mn alloy coatings were electrodeposited on AZ31B Mg alloy in AlCl 3 -NaCl-KCl-MnCl 2 molten salts at 170 deg. C aiming to improve the corrosion resistance. However, in order to prevent AZ31B Mg alloy from corrosion during electrodeposition in molten salts and to ensure excellent adhesion of coatings to the substrate, AZ31B Mg alloy should be pre-plated with a thin zinc layer as intermediate layer. Then the microstructure, composition and phase constituents of the coatings were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). It was indicated that, by adjusting the MnCl 2 content in the molten salts from 0.5 wt% to 2 wt%, the Mn content in the alloy coating was increased and the phase constituents were changed from f.c.c Al-Mn solid solution to amorphous phase. The corrosion resistance of the coatings was evaluated by potentiodynamic polarization measurements in 3.5% NaCl solution. It was confirmed that the Al-Mn alloy coatings exhibited good corrosion resistance with a chear passive region and significantly reduced corrosion current density at anodic potentiodynamic polarization. The corrosion resistance of the alloy coatings was also related with the microstructure and Mn content of the coatings.

Hardening of niobium alloys at precrystallization annealing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vasil'eva, E.V.; Pustovalov, V.A.

1989-01-01

Niobium base alloys were investigated. It is shown that precrystallization annealing of niobium-molybdenum, niobium-vanadium and niobium-zirconium alloys elevates much more sufficiently their resistance to microplastic strains, than to macroplastic strains. Hardening effect differs sufficiently for different alloys. The maximal hardening is observed for niobium-vanadium alloys, the minimal one - for niobium-zirconium alloys

Profitability as a business goal: the multicriteria approach to the ranking of the five largest Croatian banks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Višnja Vojvodić Rosenzweig

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Background: The ranking of commercial banks is usually based on using a single criterion, the size of assets or income. A multicriteria approach allows a more complex analysis of their business efficiency. Objectives: This paper proposes the ranking of banks based on six financial criteria using a multicriteria approach implementing a goal programming model. The criteria are classified into three basic groups: profitability, credit risk and solvency. Methods/Approach: Business performance is evaluated using a score for each bank, calculated as the weighted sum of relative values of individual indicators. Results: In the process of solving the corresponding goal programming problem, the weights are calculated. It is assumed that the goal of each bank is the highest profitability. Because of the market competition among banks, the weights of indicators depend on the performance of each bank. This method is applied to the five biggest Croatian banks (ZABA, PBZ, ERSTE, RBA and HYPO. Conclusion: For the observed period (2010, the highest priority is given to profitability and then to credit risk. The ranking is achieved by using a multicriteria model.

Structural thermodynamics of alloys

CERN Document Server

Manenc, Jack

1973-01-01

Technical progress has for a very long time been directly dependent on progress in metallurgy, which is itself connected with improvements in the technology of alloys. Metals are most frequently used in the form of alloys for several reasons: the quantity of pure metal in its native state in the earth's crust is very limited; pure metals must be extracted from ores which are themselves impure. Finally, the methods of treatment used lead more easily to alloys than to pure metals. The most typical case is that of iron, where a pure ore may be found, but which is the starting point for cast iron or steel, alloys of iron and carbon. In addition, the properties of alloys are in general superior to those of pure metals and modem metallurgy consists of controlling these properties so as to make them conform to the requirements of the design office. Whilst the engineer was formerly compelled to adapt his designs and constructions to the materials available, such as wood, stone, bronze, iron, cast iron and ordinary st...

Alloying element's substitution in titanium alloy with improved oxidation resistance and enhanced magnetic properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yu, Ang-Yang, E-mail: ayyu@imr.ac.cn; Wei, Hua; Hu, Qing-Miao; Yang, Rui

2017-01-15

First-principles method is used to characterize segregation and magnetic properties of alloyed Ti/TiO{sub 2}interface. We calculate the segregation energy of the doped Ti/TiO{sub 2} interface to investigate alloying atom's distribution. The oxidation resistance of Ti/TiO{sub 2} interface is enhanced by elements Fe and Ni but reduced by element Co. Magnetism could be produced by alloying elements such as Co, Fe and Ni in the bulk of titanium and the surface of Ti at Ti/TiO{sub 2} interface. The presence of these alloying elements could transform the non-magnetic titanium alloys into magnetic systems. We have also calculated the temperature dependence of magnetic permeability for the doped and pure Ti/TiO{sub 2} interfaces. Alloying effects on the Curie temperature of the Ti/TiO{sub 2} interface have been elaborated. - Highlights: • We consider the segregation of alloying atoms on the Ti(101¯0)/TiO{sub 2}(100) interface. • Alloying the Ti//TiO{sub 2} interface with Fe and Ni has a great advantage of improving the oxidation resistance. • Fe, Co and Nican enhance the magnetic properties of the investigated system. • The variation of permeability with temperature has been presented.

Swelling in neutron-irradiated titanium alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peterson, D.T.

1982-04-01

Immersion density measurements have been performed on a series of titanium alloys irradiated in EBR-II to a fluence of 5 x 10 22 n/cm 2 (E > 0.1 MeV) at 450 and 550 0 C. The materials irradiated were the near-alpha alloys Ti-6242S and Ti-5621S, the alpha-beta alloy Ti-64, and the beta alloy Ti-38644. Swelling was observed in all alloys with the greater swelling being observed at 550 0 C. Microstructural examination revealed the presence of voids in all alloys. Ti-38644 was found to be the most radiation resistant. Ti-6242S and Ti-5621S also displayed good radiation resistance, whereas considerable swelling and precipitation were observed in Ti-64 at 550 0 C

Oxidation Behavior of TiAl-Based Alloy Modified by Double-Glow Plasma Surface Alloying with Cr-Mo

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Xiangfei; Zhang, Pingze; Wang, Qiong; Wei, Dongbo; Chen, Xiaohu

2017-07-01

A Cr-Mo alloyed layer was prepared on a TiAl-based alloy using plasma surface alloying technique. The isothermal oxidation kinetics of the untreated and treated samples was examined at 850 °C. The microstructure and phase composition of the alloyed layer were analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). The morphology and constituent of the oxide scales were also analyzed. The results indicated that the oxidation resistance of TiAl was improved significantly after the alloying treatment. The oxide scale eventually became a mixture of Al2O3, Cr2O3 and TiO2. The oxide scale was dense and integrated throughout the oxidation process. The improvement was mainly owing to the enhancing of scale adhesion and the preferential oxidation of aluminum brought by the alloying effect for TiAl-based alloy.

Noble metal alloys for metal-ceramic restorations.

Science.gov (United States)

Anusavice, K J

1985-10-01

A review of the comparative characteristics and properties of noble metal alloys used for metal-ceramic restorations has been presented. Selection of an alloy for one's practice should be based on long-term clinical data, physical properties, esthetic potential, and laboratory data on metal-ceramic bond strength and thermal compatibility with commercial dental porcelains. Although gold-based alloys, such as the Au-Pt-Pd, Au-Pd-Ag, and Au-Pd classes, may appear to be costly compared with the palladium-based alloys, they have clearly established their clinical integrity and acceptability over an extended period of time. Other than the relatively low sag resistance of the high gold-low silver content alloys and the potential thermal incompatibility with some commercial porcelain products, few clinical failures have been observed. The palladium-based alloys are less costly than the gold-based alloys. Palladium-silver alloys require extra precautions to minimize porcelain discoloration. Palladium-copper and palladium-cobalt alloys may also cause porcelain discoloration, as copper and cobalt are used as colorants in glasses. The palladium-cobalt alloys are least susceptible to high-temperature creep compared with all classes of noble metals. Nevertheless, insufficient clinical data exist to advocate the general use of the palladium-copper and palladium-cobalt alloys at the present time. One should base the selection and use of these alloys in part on their ability to meet the requirements of the ADA Acceptance Program. A list of acceptable or provisionally acceptable alloys is available from the American Dental Association and is published annually in the Journal of the American Dental Association. Dentists have the legal and ethical responsibility for selection of alloys used for cast restorations. This responsibility should not be delegated to the dental laboratory technician. It is advisable to discuss the criteria for selection of an alloy with the technician and the

The Agreement between Conjoined Subjects and Predicate: Croatian Church Slavonic Corpus Analysis

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Ana Kovačević

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The abundance of grammatical categories in Slavonic and their overlap are particularly evident in the agreement between conjoined subjects and predicate. When they are accompanied by agreement conditions, such as word order and animacy in Slavic languages, different agreement patterns, dependent also on concrete context and speaker, are to be expected. In this paper the study of the agreement between conjoined subjects and predicate is based on an analysis of the medieval Glagolitic Croatian Church Slavonic corpus. Number, gender, and person are grammatical categories, i. e., features of conjoined noun phrases and predicate agreement. The analysis includes noun phrases conjoined by coordinating and some non-coordinating conjunctions as well as noun phrases conjoined by a gradational ‛not only [. . .] but also’ structure. Comitative and reciprocal noun phrases are included as well. The research in the given corpus shows that the conjoined noun phrases with predicate agreement can be syntactic (predicate showing agreement with one conjunct or semantic (predicate showing agreement with all conjuncts. Syntactic agreement appears as the so-called contact agreement (predicate showing agreement with the closest conjunct and as distant agreement (predicate showing agreement with the most distant conjunct. Semantic agreement is applied mostly in accordance with G. G. Corbett’s resolution rules for Slavic languages. However, the analysis shows that some resolution rules for number should be revised due to dual number. Although absent from the majority of contemporary Slavic languages, it is precisely in historical Slavic idioms that dual number reveals its identity, highlighted in agreement study as well.