Explore the vast range of titles available.

The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons is the first universal international treaty that stipulates the prohibition of nuclear weapons and as such represents a major contribution to international law in the field of nuclear disarmament. The main purpose and goal of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons is the complete elimination of nuclear weapons. States that are parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons belong to the group that does not possess nuclear weapons, and in relation to them, compliance with the rules and fulfilment of the obligations prescribed by the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons should not pose any problem. However, the practical effect of the nuclear arms control treaty is seen by the major nuclear powers as an unrealistic and progressive approach to disarmament. Therefore, it is very difficult to predict that the nuclear states and their allies will decide to ratify the treaty in the near future. Therefore, in the context of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, an attempt will be made to offer an answer to the following questions. First, can the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons per se constitute a fundamental legal framework to which all states must adhere? And secondly, can nuclear states, according to the persistent objector rule, prevent the possible establishment of customary international law? It is to be assumed that the pressure of the non-nuclear states may in some way influence the nuclear states so that they feel the obligation to comply with the provisions of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons to a certain extent. Due to the establishment of a norm that prohibits nuclear weapons, it is necessary to ultimately explain the relationship of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons with already existing legal instruments, especially with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

The paper observes the Russian aggression against Ukraine in the context of the United Nations system of maintenance of international peace and security, analyzing both the functionality of the UN bodies in performing their functions under the UN Charter, as well as observing the conflict in light of the UN Charter provisions on the use of force and self-defense, and in light of some other possible grounds for the use of force, not provided by the UN Charter. The paper demonstrates how the persistent problem of the Security Council deadlock, which manifested itself also in the case of the Russian aggression on Ukraine, has led to the General Assembly assuming the primary role in maintenance of international peace and security. The Ukrainian crisis has thus revived the debate on the long-awaited structural reform of the United Nations, but also on the revisiting the existing rules on the use of force, primarily the right to self-defense, which is too easily being used by states as a pretext for their unlawful actions.

•First study about vaccine-related attitudes and beliefs among parents in Croatia.•Parents mostly (62%) reported positive attitudes towards vaccination.•Majority of parents feel that vaccination should remain mandatory.•A high proportion of parents agree with misconceptions about vaccination. The Croatian Immunization Programme is a mandatory prevention programme in which vaccines are offered free of charge and little is known about parental vaccine-related beliefs and attitudes. We aimed to describe beliefs and attitudes towards childhood vaccination of parents in Zagreb, estimate the proportion of parents with positive attitudes towards vaccination, and to identify the possible predictors of positive attitudes. Using a self-administered questionnaire, we performed a cluster sampling survey among parents of 6-years-old children in Zagreb. In total 542 questionnaires were collected, 80% (n = 430/542) of respondents were mothers. Even though 72.6% (n = 385/531; 95%CI: 69–76) respondents feel that childhood vaccination should remain mandatory, 36.3% (n = 192/528; 95%CI: 58.3–65.3) considered that simultaneous administration of vaccines can have negative effect to their child’s health. In addition, 38% (n = 202/532; 95%CI: 33.2–43.1%) feared that vaccines may harm their child. Of total, parents mostly reported positive attitude towards vaccination (61.8%; 95% CI: 34.7–42). Parents with positive attitudes were more likely to state their child experienced mild or no adverse reaction after vaccination, report not delaying vaccination and provide additional non-mandatory vaccines to their child (p < 0.05). Gender, age, education and marital status of parent were not significantly associated with the positive attitude towards vaccination. Our results suggest the need for educational interventions and communication strategies that could foster better knowledge on immunization with a focus on parental misconceptions, perceived constraints and safety issues about vaccine.

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) represents an important public health problem in Europe. We analyzed the epidemiology of TBE based on data from humans, animals, and Ixodes ricinus ticks in endemic regions of continental Croatia. In the period from 2017 to 2023, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum samples of 684 patients with neuroinvasive diseases, 2240 horse serum samples, and 300 sheep serum samples were tested for TBEV. In addition, 8751 I. ricinus ticks were collected. CSF samples were tested using RT-PCR. Serological tests (serum, CSF) were performed using commercial ELISA, with confirmation of cross-reactive samples by a virus neutralization test. Eighty-four autochthonous human TBEV cases were confirmed. The majority of patients were in the age group of 40–69 years (58.3%) with a male predominance (70.2%). TBE showed a bimodal seasonality with a large peak in April–August and a small one in October–November. In addition to humans, TBEV IgG antibodies were found in 12.2% of horses and 9.7% of sheep. Seasonal tick abundance corresponds to the reported number of human infections. Continental Croatia is still an active natural focus of TBE. Continuous monitoring of infections in humans, sentinel animals, and ticks is needed for the implementation of preventive measures.

(Re-)emerging arboviruses, such as tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), West Nile virus (WNV), and Usutu virus (USUV), are continuously increasing in incidence. We analyzed the epidemiological characteristics of flavivirus infections in humans, sentinel animals, and mosquitoes detected in the 2022 transmission season in Croatia. From April to November 2022, 110 hospitalized patients with neuroinvasive diseases (NID) were tested for the presence of arboviruses. RT-qPCR was used to detect TBEV, WNV, and USUV RNA. An ELISA and virus neutralization tests were used for the detection of flavivirus antibodies. TBEV infection was confirmed in 22 patients with NID. WNV NID was detected in six patients. TBE showed male predominance (81.8%; male-to-female ratio of 4.5:1). All but one WNV patients were males. TBE occurred from April to August, with the majority of patients (83.3%) being detected during the May–June–July period. WNV infections were recorded in August and September. In addition to human cases, asymptomatic WNV infections (IgM positive) were reported in 10 horses. For the first time in Croatia, WNV NID was observed in one horse that presented with neurological symptoms. Furthermore, USUV was confirmed in one dead blackbird that presented with neurological symptoms. A total of 1984 mosquitoes were collected in the City of Zagreb. Two Ae. albopictus pools tested positive for flavivirus RNA: one collected in July (USUV) and the other collected in August (WNV). A phylogenetic analysis of detected human and avian strains confirmed WNV lineage 2 and the USUV Europe 2 lineage. The presented results confirm the endemic presence of neuroinvasive flaviviruses in continental Croatia. The continuous monitoring of virus circulation in humans, sentinel animals, and mosquitoes is needed to reduce the disease burden.