The COVID-19 pandemic has led to radical and unexpected changes in everyday life, and it is plausible that people's psychophysical health has been affected. This study examined the relationship ...between COVID-19 related knowledge and mental health in a Croatian sample of participants.
An online survey was conducted from March 18 until March 23, 2020, and a total of 1244 participant responses were collected (85.5% were women and 58.4% completed secondary education). Measures included eight questions regarding biological features of the virus, symptoms, and prevention, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and Optimism-Pessimism Scale. According to the answers given on the questions on COVID-19 related knowledge, participants were divided in two groups: (1) informed and (2) uninformed on each question. They were then compared in the expressed levels of anxiety, depression, pessimism, and optimism. Full vs. partial mediation models with optimism/pessimism as a mediator in the relationship between anxiety/depression and the accuracy of responses for questions about handwashing and ways of transmission were estimated.
Participants who responded correctly on the question about handwashing had higher levels of anxiety, depression, and pessimism than those participants whose answer was incorrect, while participants who answered correctly on the question about the percentage of patients who develop serious breathing problems had higher levels of depression than those who answered incorrectly. Lower levels of anxiety and pessimism were observed in the participants who answered correctly about ways of transmission. Higher levels of pessimism were found in participants who scored incorrectly on questions about the efficiency of antibiotics, most common symptoms, and the possibility of being infected by asymptomatic carriers. Higher levels of knowledge about handwashing were predicted by higher levels of anxiety and pessimism. Higher levels of knowledge about ways of transmission were predicted by lower levels of anxiety and lower levels of pessimism. The examined relationships between anxiety/depression and knowledge were mediated by pessimism.
The findings of this study suggest that knowledge about COVID-19 may be useful to reduce anxiety and depression, but it must be directed to the promotion of health behaviors and to the recognition of fake news.
U gospodarski najvažnije viruse na tikvenjačama, prisutne u Hrvatskoj, ubrajaju se virus mozaika krastavca (cucumber mosaic virus, CMV), virus žutog mozaika tikvice (zucchini yellow mosaic virus, ...ZYMV) i virus mozaika lubenice (watermelon mosaic virus, WMV). U dolini Neretve sve se češće bilježe visoke, katkad i totalne, štete na tikvici na otvorenom uzrokovane virozama. U članku je opisano zdravstveno stanje tikvica u dolini Neretve u 2020. glede virusnih bolesti, razlozi sve jačih pojava viroza na toj kulturi te mjere zaštite od virusnih bolesti na tikvicama.
Iako je pojava biljnih bolesti različita u svakoj sezoni, tijekom 2019. godine zabilježeno je nekoliko pojava koje se mogu smatrati novima ili manje uobičajenima u Hrvatskoj. Sezonu 2019. obilježila ...je jaka pojava bolesti uzrokovane gljivom Rhizoctonia solani na većem broju kultura, među kojima se ističe prvi nalaz na smilju. U svibnju i lipnju u jakom su se intenzitetu javljale meke truleži uzrokovane bakterijama iz roda Erwinia (Pectobacterium), koje su zabilježene na luku, krumpiru i kukuruzu. Na šećernoj repi javljala se trulež korijena (Aphanomyces cochlioides) u jakom intenzitetu. Gljiva Macrophomina phaseolina prvi je put u Hrvatskoj zabilježena na jagodi kao uzročnik truleži korijena, a termofilni patogen Sclerotium rolfsii nađen je na rajčici, paprici i tikvicama. Bilježi se sve veći broj slučajeva nematoda korijenovih kvržica (Meloidogyne spp.) na mrkvi, peršinu i celeru. Na salati u okolici Zagreba javila se bakterijska pjegavost (Xanthomonas campestris pv. vitians), a u nekim vinogradima sjeverozapadne Hrvatske tijekom srpnja iznenađujuće se javila crna trulež (Phyllosticta ampelicida = Guignardia bidwellii).
This technical report was prepared in the context of EFSA's mandate on plant pest surveillance (M‐2020‐0114), at the request of the European Commission. Its purpose is to support the Member States in ...the planning and preparation of crop‐based surveys of regulated pests in line with Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072. In particular, the report includes the list of palms and ornamental species reported as hosts of regulated pests within the scope of grant GP/EFSA/PLANTS/2022/10 ‘Development of crop‐based survey tools for plant pests of fruit trees, conifers, and palms and ornamentals in the EU’. A list of pests associated with palms and ornamentals is provided. In addition, the occurrence, phenology, main uses, management, distribution and climate suitability of palms and ornamentals in the EU is elaborated. Finally, the regulatory requirements and data on trade and import for palms and ornamentals are reported. In total, 111 palm tree species are reported as hosts of at least one of the regulated pests. Among them, only three are native to the EU, four are non‐native but locally abundant in the EU, while 104 palm species are considered to be very rare or absent in the EU. With the exception of the date palm, all palm species present in the EU are used for ornamental purposes. The ornamental crop group comprises 36 plant species, of which three are native to the EU, 14 are non‐native but locally abundant in the EU, and 19 are considered to be absent or very rare in the EU. Ornamentals are often cultivated in production systems ranging from low shelters or tunnels to high‐technology greenhouses or glasshouses. The most common ornamental plants in the EU that are grown as potted plants, seedlings, bulbs, corms or cut flowers include chrysanthemums, carnations, dahlias, pelargonium, gerbera and violas. Ornamentals are cultivated in all Member States; the Netherlands being by far the biggest producer.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Žuti lozin pauk (Eotetranychus carpini f. vitis (Oudemans)) gospodarski je važan štetnik vinove loze jugoistočne Europe. U vinogradima Istre, u 2018. i 2019. godini, uzrokovao je značajne štete. ...Štetnost žutoga lozinog pauka bila je izražena na crvenim sortama teran i refošk s crvenom peteljkom („Refosco dal peduncolo rosso“). Ovaj članak daje opis vrste E. carpini f. vitis, njezine biologije, štetnosti i mogućnosti suzbijanja na vinovoj lozi u Hrvatskoj.
Nacrt nove Uredbe Europskog parlamenta i Vijeća o održivoj upotrebi sredstava za zaštitu bilja i izmjenama Uredbe (EU) 2021/2115, o uspostavi okvira za djelovanje Zajednice u postizanju održive ...upotrebe pesticida donosi nekoliko velikih promjena u upotrebi pesticida na razini EU-a, od kojih se ističe cilj smanjenja upotrebe kemijskih pesticida za 50 % u EU-u do 2030. Među ostalim, intencija je i poticati korištenje pesticida nižeg rizika, uključujući biopesticide. No, unatoč pokazateljima da su biopesticidi u načelu manje toksični od kemijskih pesticida, još uvijek nisu u širokoj uporabi, čemu dijelom pridonosi i postupak procjene rizika unutar EU-a za stavljanje sredstava za zaštitu bilja na tržište. Također, odobrenje nove aktivne tvari za korištenje u zaštiti bilja u EU-u dugotrajan je proces i uvjetuje velike financijske troškove vlasnicima odobrenja. Novim strategijama EU-a, od polja do stola, zelenom tranzicijom i promjenama EU zakonodavstva, dolazi do sve značajnih promjena u procesu procjene rizika, registracije i stavljanja na tržište biopesticida.
Europska komisija i Europski parlament usvojili su u 2022. prijedlog Uredbe (EU) 2021/2115, a jedan je od njezinih ciljeva smanjenje uporabe kemijskih pesticida u Europskoj uniji za 50 % na do 2030. ...godine. Zbog sve učestalije pojave rezistentnosti gospodarskih štetnika, povlačenja insekticidnih tvari s tržišta EU-a, kao i zbog nacrtne politike EU-a glede smanjenja pesticida, ističe se potreba za pronalaskom alternativnih metoda suzbijanja štetnika u poljoprivredi. Stoga su u ovom radu prikazana trenutačno dostupna sredstva za zaštitu bilja na bazi entomopatogenih nematoda u Hrvatskoj, postupak aplikacije, prednosti i nedostatci te njihov potencijal u suzbijanju prioritetnih karantenskih i gospodarski važnih štetnika na području Hrvatske.
Europska komisija i Europski parlament ocijenili su kako ciljevi Unije u području održive uporabe pesticida u državama članicama nisu postignuti te kako bi trebali biti ambiciozniji, dugoročno ...održivi i bolje nadzirani. Europska komisija objavila je 22. lipnja 2022. prijedlog Uredbe Europskog parlamenta i Vijeća o održivoj upotrebi sredstava za zaštitu bilja i izmjenama Uredbe (EU) 2021/2115, koji bi trebao zamijeniti trenutačno važeću Direktivu 2009/128/EZ Eur¬opskog parlamenta i Vijeća od 21. listopada 2009. o uspostavi okvira za djelovanje Zajednice u postizanju održive upotrebe pesticida. Prijedlog Uredbe, u ovom obliku, imao bi značajne gospodarske i socijalne učinke te učinke na zaštitu okoliša u Republici Hrvatskoj. Gospodarski učinci, socijalni učinci i učinci na zaštitu okoliša bili bi rezultat odredbi Prijedloga Uredbe u Poglavlju II. (Ciljevi smanjenja kemijskih sredstava za zaštitu bilja), Poglavlju IV. (Integrirana zaštita bilja) i Poglavlju V. (Upotreba, skladištenje i odlaganje sredstava za zaštitu bilja). U radu su detaljnije opisana navedena poglavlja iz prijedloga Uredbe te je prezentiran sažeti prikaz učinaka Uredbe na poljoprivredu Republike Hrvatske.
Unazad nekoliko godina primijećeno je pogoršanje zdravstvenog statusa mandarina, osnovne vrste agruma u Hrvatskoj. Uzrok tomu kombinacija je mnogobrojnih čimbenika, od kojih se ističu pojava i ...širenje narančinog trnovitog štitastog moljca (Aleurocanthus spiniferus Quaintance, 1903), smanjenje i nedostatak dostupnih aktivnih tvari za zaštitu bilja, povećan pritisak ekonomski važnih štetnih organizama te njihova rezistentnost na dopuštene pesticide. Unatoč rekordnu urodu, koji se procjenjuje na više od 60 000 t, proizvodnja mandarina u 2023. godini bila je zbog spomenutih čimbenika nepovoljna i otežavajuća, pa se postavlja pitanje održivosti proizvodnje u budućnosti. U radu su iznesena opažanja monitoringa mandarina u 2023. koji je proveo Centar za zaštitu bilja (HAPIH). U pogledu zaštite bilja ističe se zabilježena pojačana pojava gljivičnih bolesti u fazama razvoja ploda, ponajviše antraknoze plodova (Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Penz.) Penz. & Sacc.) u voćnjacima te plave truleži (Penicillium italicum (Pers.) Sacc.) u skladištima, zbog čega su gubitci prilikom kalibracije i skladištenja bili značajni. Prema opažanjima stručnjaka i proizvođača oko 6000 t plodova mandarina zbrinuto je kao industrijski otpad, a oko 2000 t plodova zaostalo je na stablu i tlu. Fungicidni tretmani u kasnijoj fazi vegetacije mandarine nisu uobičajena praksa, a za zaštitu plodova pri skladištenju koristi se djelatna tvar imazalil u „drencher” sustavu. Tijekom 2023. stručnjaci Centra za zaštitu bilja (HAPIH) pratili su na mandarinama i osjetljivost skladišnih populacija Penicillium spp. na djelatnu tvar imazalil, uključujući laboratorijsko in vitro istraživanje. Utvrđeno stanje upućuje na potrebu izrade novih strategija i pristupa zaštiti i proizvodnji mandarine u dolini Neretve, što podrazumijeva registraciju i korištenje novih aktivnih tvari drugačijeg mehanizma djelovanja u „drencher” sustavu, kao i uvođenje fungicidnog tretmana u kasnijem ljetnom i/ili jesenskom terminu po potrebi. U radu su istaknuti najvažniji problemi s kojima se susreću proizvođači mandarina u posljednjih nekoliko godina, s posebnim osvrtom na sezonu 2023., te su dana potencijalna rješenja i preporuke.
The tauopathy of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is first observed in the brainstem and entorhinal cortex, spreading trans-synaptically along specific pathways to other brain regions with recognizable ...patterns. Tau propagation occurs retrogradely and anterogradely (trans-synaptically) along a given pathway and through exosomes and microglial cells. Some aspects of in vivo tau spreading have been replicated in transgenic mice models expressing a mutated human
(tau) gene and in wild-type mice. In this study, we aimed to characterize the propagation of different forms of tau species in non-transgenic 3-4 months old wild-type rats after a single unilateral injection of human tau oligomers and tau fibrils into the medial entorhinal cortex (mEC). We determined whether different variants of the inoculated human tau protein, tau fibrils, and tau oligomers, would induce similar neurofibrillary changes and propagate in an AD-related pattern, and how tau-related pathological changes would correlate with presumed cognitive impairment. We injected human tau fibrils and tau oligomers stereotaxically into the mEC and examined the distribution of tau-related changes at 3 days and 4, 8, and 11 months post-injection using antibodies AT8 and MC1, which reveal early phosphorylation and aberrant conformation of tau, respectively, HT7, anti-synaptophysin, and the Gallyas silver staining method. Human tau oligomers and tau fibrils exhibited some similarities and some differences in their ability to seed and propagate tau-related changes. Both human tau fibrils and tau oligomers rapidly propagated from the mEC anterogradely into the hippocampus and various parts of the neocortex. However, using a human tau-specific HT7 antibody, 3 days post-injection we found inoculated human tau oligomers in the red nucleus, primary motor, and primary somatosensory cortex, a finding not seen in animals inoculated with human tau fibrils. In animals inoculated with human tau fibrils, 3 days post-injection the HT7 antibody showed fibrils in the pontine reticular nucleus, a finding explained only by uptake of human tau fibrils by incoming presynaptic fibers to the mEC and retrograde transport of inoculated human tau fibrils to the brainstem. Rats inoculated with human tau fibrils showed as early as 4 months after inoculation a spread of phosphorylated tau protein at the AT8 epitopes throughout the brain, dramatically faster propagation of neurofibrillary changes than with human tau oligomers. The overall severity of tau protein changes 4, 8, and 11 months after inoculation of human tau oligomers and tau fibrils correlated well with spatial working memory and cognition impairments, as measured by the T-maze spontaneous alternation, novel object recognition, and object location tests. We concluded that this non-trangenic rat model of tauopathy, especially when using human tau fibrils, demonstrates rapidly developing pathologic alterations in neurons, synapses, and identifiable pathways together with cognitive and behavioral changes, through the anterograde and retrograde spreading of neurofibrillary degeneration. Therefore, it represents a promising model for future experimental studies of primary and secondary tauopathies, especially AD.
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