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The stand canopy density data were collected from the Forest Management Plan and validated in the field, while the NDVI data were obtained using the Google Earth Engine platform based on Sentinel-2 Level 2A imagery. The data on stand canopy density were obtained from the Forest Management Plan (FMP) for the respective FMU, whereby the data collected was subsequently verified on site. Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), a commonly used indicator in satellite-based vegetation remote sensing, was calculated using the following equation (Rouse et al., 1973): (ProQuest: ... denotes formula omitted.) where, NIR represent the light reflectance in the near-infrared wavelength from 720 to 1300nm, while Red is the light reflectance in red wavelength from 600 to 720 nm reflectance (Naser et al., 2020). Since the data collection was conducted during 2023, the NDVI values were also acquired for the same year. Since no such interventions occurred within the FMU in 2023, the year represented a neutral baseline, allowing the NDVI values to reflect undisturbed canopy conditions.

The aim of the study was to assess forensic pertinence of 12 short tandem repeats (STRs) on X-chromosome in south Croatia population. Investigator ® Argus X-12 kit was used to co-amplify 12 STR loci belonging to four linkage groups (LGs) on X-chromosome in 99 male and 98 female DNA samples of unrelated donors. PCR products were analyzed by capillary electrophoresis. Population genetic and forensic parameters were calculated by the Arlequin and POPTREE2 software, and an on-line tool available at ChrX-STR.org. Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium was confirmed for all X-STR markers in female samples. Biallelic patterns at DXS10079 locus were detected in four male samples. Polymorphism information content for the most (DXS10135) and the least (DXS8378) informative markers was 0.9212 and 0.6347, respectively. In both male and female samples, combined power of discrimination exceeded 0.999999999. As confirmed by linkage disequilibrium test, significant association of marker pair DXS10074-DXS10079 (P = 0.0004) within LG2 and marker pair DXS10101-DXS10103 (P = 0.0003) within LG3 was found only in male samples. Number of observed haplotypes in our sample pool amounted 3.01, 7.53, 5 and 3.25% of the number of possible haplotypes for LG1, LG2, LG3 and LG4, respectively. According to haplotype diversity value of 0.9981, LG1 was the most informative. In comparison of south Croatia with 26 world populations, pair-wise F ST * values increase in parallel with geographical distance. Overall statistical assessment confirmed suitability of Investigator ® Argus X-12 kit for forensic casework in both identification and familial testing in the population of south Croatia.

The antimicrobial susceptibility of coagulase-negative staphylococci isolated from spontaneously fermented sausages was assessed using both traditional and molecular methods. Isolates were tested for sensitivity to vancomycin, ampicillin, erythromycin, tetracycline, gentamycin and oxacillin by the disk diffusion method and quantitative-qualitative epsilometer test. PCR was used for the detection of resistance genes mecA, ermB, tetK and tetM. The identified coagulase-negative staphylococci were Staphylococcus epidermidis (69 %), S. capitis (5 %) and S. warneri (2.5 %). S. epidermidis showed a high rate of phenotypical resistance to tetracycline and erythromycin (44.4 % of strains). Molecular evaluation of resistance determinants revealed tetK or tetM genes in eight S. epidermidis strains. Although S. epidermidis is not classical food poisoning bacteria, its presence in food could be of public health significance due to the possible spread of antimicrobial resistance determinants. Our findings implicate that spontaneous meat fermentation could result in products with a potential hazard to consumers.

U radu je primjenom klasičnih i molekularnih metoda istražena osjetljivost koagulaza-negativnih stafilokoka iz tradicionalnih fermentiranih kobasica na antimikrobne spojeve. Pomoću disk-difuzijskog i epsilometar testa ispitana je osjetljivost izolata na vankomicin, ampicilin, eritromicin, tetraciklin, gentamicin i oksacilin. Metodom je PCR u izolatima određena prisutnost gena za rezistenciju, i to mecA, ermB, tetK i tetM. Utvrđene su sljedeće vrste koagulaza-negativnih stafilokoka: Staphylococcus epidermidis (69 %), S. capitis (5 %) i S. warneri (2.5 %). Ukupno je 44,4 % izolata S. epidermidis pokazalo fenotipsku rezistenciju na tetraciklin i eritromicin. Prisutnost gena tetK ili tetM potvrđena je u 8 izolata S. epidermidis. Iako S. epidermidis nije uobičajeni uzročnik trovanja hranom, njegova je prisutnost u hrani važna za javno zdravstvo zbog mogućeg širenja antimikrobne rezistencije. Dobiveni rezultati pokazuju da spontanom fermentacijom mesa mogu nastati proizvodi opasni za zdravlje potrošača.

Indoor air quality is a significant aspect of public health, yet it remains less studied than outdoor air pollution. Understudied indoor pollutants include volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). This review focuses on these two groups of compounds known for their health effects, including respiratory issues, neurological disorders, and carcinogenicity. We systematically compiled and analyzed data from studies reporting measured concentrations of VOCs and PAHs in European indoor environments—homes, schools, and offices—published in the past two decades. Concentration levels vary substantially across studies, influenced by regional differences, climate, building type, ventilation systems, and indoor activities. Identified sources include tobacco smoke, cooking, heating (e.g., biomass burning), and off‐gassing from construction and furnishing materials. Our analysis reveals clear geographic patterns: lower concentrations of VOCs and PAHs are consistently reported in Northern and Western European countries, likely due to stricter air quality regulations, cleaner outdoor air, greater use of electric heating, and more advanced ventilation systems. Conversely, higher concentrations are more commonly observed in Southern and Eastern Europe, where biomass heating and poorer ventilation remain more prevalent. Seasonal variation also has a significant role, with higher indoor levels typically measured during colder months due to increased heating and reduced air exchange. This highlights the need for improved indoor air quality management practices and regulatory standards to minimize the health risks associated with VOCs and PAHs. This review of 46 scientific publications is aimed at informing future studies and guiding future field measurements and risk assessments in epidemiological studies.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are key components of particulate matter (PM) in terms of the toxicological risk of polluted air. Although commonly monitored in ambient air, PAHs are also present in indoor air, making the measurement of indoor PAH content essential for understanding the health risks associated with indoor environments. This study presents findings from measurements conducted across 37 households where children resided, using 7-day sampling campaigns to collect PM1. The health risk assessment methods are detailed herein, along with a source apportionment analysis to explore the associations with potential sources and differences from ambient air concentrations. Additionally, the incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) was calculated to assess long-term health risks associated with exposure to indoor PAHs. The results showed consistently higher PAH concentrations in outdoor environments (from 0.079 ng m−3 for dibenzo(a,h)anthracene to 1.638 ng m−3 for benzo(b)fluoranthene) compared to indoor environments (from 0.029 ng m−3 for dibenzo(a,h)anthracene to 0.772 ng m−3 for indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene), suggesting significant transfer of PAHs from outdoor to indoor air. The source apportionment analysis indicated that traffic emissions, fossil fuel combustion, and residential heating were the predominant sources of PAHs in both environments, with the concentration of indoor PAHs largely influenced by gasoline and liquid fossil fuel combustion. The diagnostic ratios supported these findings, with coal and biomass as additional sources impacting outdoor PAH levels. The ILCR analysis revealed that the exposure levels for both children (indoors at 1.78 × 10−5, outdoors at 1.92 × 10−6) and adults (indoors at 1.15 × 10−5, outdoors at 1.24 × 10−6) remained below the U.S. EPA’s risk threshold, suggesting limited carcinogenic risk under typical household conditions in this study. These findings emphasize the complexity of PAH distribution between indoor and outdoor environments, illustrating how urban outdoor pollution sources contribute to indoor air quality and highlighting the relevance of effective air quality management strategies.

Known for its natural bio-compounds and therapeutic properties, hemp is being utilized in the development of skin products. These products offer a wide range of applications and benefits in the fields of natural bio-compounds, pharmaceutical technology, topical delivery systems, and cosmeceuticals. This manuscript deals with hemp actives, such as cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids, and their diverse biological properties relative to topical application, including anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant effects. Also, the paper reviews strategies to overcome poor penetration of hemp actives, as well as the integration of hemp actives in cosmeceuticals that provide natural and sustainable alternatives to traditional skincare products offering a range of benefits, including anti-aging, moisturizing, and soothing properties. The review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the development and manufacturing processes of skin products containing hemp actives. By delving into the science behind hemp-based products, the paper provides valuable insights into the potential of hemp as a versatile ingredient in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. The utilization of hemp in these innovative products not only offers therapeutic benefits but also promotes natural and sustainable approaches to skincare.

Optimized glycemic management is crucial for controlling atherosclerosis and consequent cardiovascular morbidity in patients with diabetes. Due to the continuous glucose burden from glucose-containing peritoneal dialysis (PD) solutions, PD patients with diabetes experience difficulties in glucose level regulation with glucose hypervariability and worsening dyslipidemia. Even in non-diabetic PD patients, glucose-containing PD solutions aggravate insulin resistance and cause overweight. Additionally, glucose degradation products (GDP) from glucose-based PD solutions provoke oxidative stress and complex inflammatory processes, leading to chronic deleterious and fibrotic peritoneal membrane changes. In this narrative review, we searched the literature using PubMed, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar over the last three decades to summarize the most important facts relevant to the presented issues, aiming to inform both endocrinologists and nephrologists in providing the best currently available care for people with diabetes on PD. We not only focus on adequate tailoring of insulin therapy adapted at the time of PD exchange with hypertonic glucose solution., but also emphasize the use of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) that allows assessment of mean glucose values and time spent in normal, hypo, and hyperglycemia. However, the routine use of CGM in PD patients is limited due to high cost, and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) analysis is still recommended as a basic clinical tool for the assessment of glycemic control. Possible choices of antidiabetic drugs were considered given the narrowed choice due to contraindications for metformin and sulfonylurea. The other important therapeutic approach in PD patients with diabetes is using glucose-sparing PD regimens based on icodextrin and amino acid PD solutions with the addition of just one or two bags of low glucose concentration PD solution daily. This glucose-sparing approach not only reduces the glucose load and improves glycoregulation with correction of the lipid profile but also maintains the viability of the peritoneal membrane by reducing the harmful effects of GDPs.

Accurate, high-resolution air quality data are crucial for understanding environmental health risks; however, the cost and complexity of maintaining dense, reference-grade monitoring networks remain a significant barrier. This study presents the first city-wide evaluation of next-generation air quality sensors in Zagreb, Croatia, involving 35 sensor locations, one local reference-grade station, and three national reference stations that measure PM[sub.10] and NO[sub.2]. Sensor performance was evaluated against reference data under various meteorological and temporal conditions. To better understand sensor drift and measurement bias, we developed machine learning (ML) calibration models (XGBoost) using spatiotemporal features, ERA5 meteorological variables, and traffic proxy indicators. The models significantly improved accuracy, reducing the root mean squared error (RMSE) by up to 82%, with the greatest improvements observed during pollution peaks. A rolling Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) approach was introduced to track model degradation over time, revealing that recalibration was typically needed within 1–6 months. Our findings demonstrate that, with proper calibration and maintenance, sensor networks can serve as reliable and scalable tools for urban air quality monitoring, capable of supporting both public health assessments and informed decision-making.