Since the declaration of the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak as pandemic, health workers have shown an incredible commitment to their patients, sometimes in apocalyptic conditions. We explored ...ways to deal with the coronavirus stressor and psychological outcomes among physicians and nurses.
124 healthcare workers in General Hospital Nasice (Croatia) were invited to participate in a study by performing within the period of March 26 to April 6 2020 questionnaire collected information on socio-demographic characteristics and living conditions that may be risk factors for covid-19 concern, Short form health survey-36, Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21) and Ways of Coping Questionnaire (WOC; consisting of 8 subscales: Confrontive Coping, Distancing, Self-Controlling, Seeking Social Support, Accepting Responsibility, Escape-Avoidance, Planful Problem Solving, Positive Reappraisal).
11% healthworkers reports moderate to very-severe depression, 17% moderate to extremely-severe anxiety and 10% for moderate to extremely-severe stress. 67% of medical staff are worried. No statistically significant differences in the scales of depression, anxiety, and stress were found between nurses and physicians, but differences were found on Escape-Avoidance and Positive Reappraisal subscales. Nurses use significantly more avoiding coping style and positive reappraisal than doctors. Seeking social support is more pronounced in those over 40 years old, while those under 40 use more avoidable stress management techniques.
Monitoring and ensuring the mental health of coronavirus care staff is crucial for global health. The education of medical staff in the field of stress management is a conditio sine qua non of the issue of an adequate relationship with the COVID-19 pandemic.
The research aims to determine the motives, finality of return, and the importance of geographical proximity of the country of origin and destination for return migration of Croatian citizens who ...immigrated to Germany after Croatia's accession to the EU. The main motives for the return of the respondents are the fulfilment of a goal abroad, connection to Croatia, and dissatisfaction with German society. The respondents are connected to Croatia by family, friends, and love for their homeland, but not by economic conditions, which were pointed out as a possible push factor for reemigration from Croatia in the future. In the case of going abroad again, some respondents might consider Austria, in addition to Germany, due to its geographical proximity to Croatia. The experiences of the respondents showed that more effective population policies are needed, especially related to housing and labour policies, and a better standard of living, which were mentioned as strong push factors for emigration from Croatia.
Increasing use of rare earth elements (REE) in many new technologies results in their increasing presence in the environment and consequently in natural water systems. The Zrmanja River estuary ...represents a small, semi-closed system located in a karstic landscape of the eastern Adriatic coast characterised by the prevailing red soil (terra rossa) cover, numerous bauxite pits and the proximity of a decommissioned alumina plant, i.e. sources of geomaterials enriched in rare earth elements. To study the influence of such a substrate on estuarine sediment geochemistry, distribution of REEs in the surface sediments of the Zrmanja River estuary and surrounding soils were investigated. Both sediment and soil samples displayed significant variation in terms of REE concentrations as well as their normalised patterns, with overall highest REE levels measured in bauxitic soils (ΣREE 333–596mgkg−1); up to an order of magnitude higher than in other samples. In estuarine sediments, ΣREE ranged from 29.7mgkg−1 to 180mgkg−1, and displayed an increase along the estuary transect. Highest levels of rare earths in sediments of the Zrmanja River were observed in locations closest to the former alumina plant, indicating a transfer of particles rich in REE from the anthropogenically degraded environment in the vicinity of the factory and its influence on the geochemistry of the estuarine sediments. Sediment REE normalised patterns and associated fractionation parameters (ΣLREE/ΣHREE, (La/Nd)NASC, (La/Yb)NASC) showed similarity to those observed for soil samples, confirming a significant influence of local lithological and pedological setting on the sediment REE composition. Moreover, spatial changes in these parameters in sediments clearly followed the changes in nearby soils and can be differentiated on a relatively small scale.
•Geological setting enriched in REEs influences estuarine sediment geochemistry.•Influence of lithology on REE sediment composition differentiated on a small scale.•Origin of various geological materials in aquatic systems can be traced by REEs.•REEs levels and fractionation patterns can be used for pollution assessment.
Although, 30-years ago, there was a limited number of computer networks and computers in the former Yugoslavia, as well as worldwide, they were used by academia and the elites, who had enough ...knowledge and access to computers and to modems. Their views on the political situation, which have been preserved in the digital world, may give valuable insight into events, and, notably, about how these elites perceived/participated in the collapse of the State, and how the public in different Yugoslavian republics articulated their views. The main problem relating to this kind of approach was the limited resources that were available, as the majority of the digital documents have been lost forever, so studying this topic through the use of pre-web digital documents looked more like digital archeology, and less like historical/textual analysis. This paper was written based on two case studies: the bulletin board systems (BBS) Sezam BBS, and the e-mail distribution list Pisma Bralcev, and how they were used to report on the Yugoslav People's Army’s attacks on Dubrovnik and Vukovar in Fall, 1991. In the first case, the study examines ‘Sezam BBS’, which was based in Belgrade and was used by Serbian, Croatian and Slovenian academics, politicians and journalists, and was, at the time, the most popular forum open to the public, and was under no government control. The second case was the email distribution list, Pisma Bralcev, which was run by Slovenian academics and was used for the distribution of news abroad. The data for analysis was collected through archival research on original discussions, e-mails, reports, etc. The main findings show that the bulletin board systems, discussion groups and e-mail enabled the first forums for the exchange of opposing ideas, and they became places in which the Yugoslavian elite could be informed beyond the information that was given by the mass media and politically controlled sources.
Iako je prije 30 godina u bivšoj Jugoslaviji, kao i u svijetu, postojao ograničen broj računalnih mreža i računala, njima su se koristile akademske zajednice i elite, koje su imale dovoljno znanja i pristupa računalima i modemima. Njihovi pogledi na političku situaciju, koji su sačuvani u digitalnom svijetu, mogu dati vrijedan uvid u tadašnje događaje, posebno u vezi različitih gledišta artikuliranih u pojedinim jugoslavenskim republikama vezanih za raspad države. Glavni problem u vezi s istraživanjem bili su ograničeni dostupni resursi, budući da je većina digitalnih dokumenata zauvijek izgubljena, pa je proučavanje ove teme korištenjem digitalnih dokumenata prije weba više izgledalo kao digitalna arheologija, a manje poput povijesne/tekstualne analize. Ovaj rad je pisan na temelju dvije studije slučaja: sustava oglasnih ploča (BBS) Sezam BBS i e-mail distribucijske liste 'Pisma Bralcev', koji su korišteni za izvještavanje o napadima Jugoslavenske narodne armije na Dubrovnik i Vukovar u jesen 1991. godine. 'Sezam BBS', sa sjedištem u Beogradu, koristili su srpski, hrvatski i slovenski akademici, političari i novinari, a bio je u to vrijeme najpopularniji forum otvoren za javnost i nije bila pod kontrolom vlade. Lista elektroničke pošte, Pisma Bralcev, koju su vodili slovenski akademici, služila je za distribuciju vijesti u inozemstvo. Podaci za analizu prikupljeni su arhivskim istraživanjem izvornih rasprava, e-mailova, izvješća, a glavni nalazi pokazuju da su ovi sustavi komunikacije omogućili prve forume za razmjenu suprotstavljenih ideja te postali mjesta na kojima se jugoslavenska elita mogla informirati mimo informacija koje su davali masovni mediji i politički kontrolirani izvori.
This paper is an analysis of complex crisis management and the importance of resilience on the example of co-occurring disasters. A resilience framework model was analyzed based on epidemiologic data ...and the interplay of several disasters; the COVID-19 pandemic and two 2020 Zagreb, Croatia earthquakes. A dose-response principle may be applied to a complex crisis scenario, within a resilience-vulnerability framework. The available data present the concept of balance between vulnerability and resilience of the population affected by complex crises as well as possible adaptation mechanisms. Multiple disasters that last for a prolonged period reduce the populations’ resilience and increase the risk of the next crisis becoming a disaster as well. Such complex disasters should not be approached by multiple risk management protocols, but rather by a single, multilayered protocol. Health policies that predict the possible effects of complex disasters on health risk management need to provide measures to maintain and promote resilience instead of collapse. These is a clear need to adopt green environmental policies, reduce socioeconomic inequality, train volunteer managers during crises, introduce timely evidence-informed policies and transfer new research and innovations in society rapidly.
•Analysis of crisis management on the example of the COVID-19 pandemic co-occurring with two earthquakes in Zagreb, Croatia.•Vulnerability and resilience offer explanations for the stimulating effects of optimal stress during crisis events.•Arndt-Schulz Law and Hans Selye’s general adaptation syndrome may explain complex disasters dynamics.•Balance between vulnerability and resilience affected by complex crises may be influenced with comprehensive health policy.
The use of metaphors often characterizes contemporary public discourses on various issues. By the same token, metaphors have been used extensively in the discourse on the COVID-19 pandemic. This ...paper examines the WAR metaphor as a framing and rhetorical device with distinct persuasive potency within the Croatian sociocultural context. The analysis shows that militaristic metaphors were omnipresent in the Croatian public discourse at the beginning of the pandemic. Their dual role, explanatory and persuasive, was instrumental in convincing the public to understand the pandemic and accept the restrictive mandates put in place.
Metafore se često upotrebljavaju u suvremenim javnim diskursima o različitim temama, pa tako i u diskursu o pandemiji virusa COVID-19. Prema rezultatima dosadašnjih istraživanja (Bates 2020, Semino 2021, Wicke and Bolognesi 2020), u javnom diskursuo pandemiji koronavirusa najbrojnije su ratne metafore, koje su tema ovog rada. U radu su prikupljeni metaforički jezični izrazi iz izvorišne domene rata korišteni u dnevnim novinama za vrijeme prvog vala pandemije te je analiziran njihov retorički persuazivni potencijal u hrvatskom sociokulturnom kontekstu. Kvalitativna analiza korpusa temelji se na Charteris-Blackovom (2011) trodijelnom pristupu koji obuhvaća identifikaciju, interpretaciju i objašnjenje metafora. Cilj je utvrditi koji su se metaforički jezični izričaji iz domene rata koristili u hrvatskom javnom diskursu o pandemiji te objasniti zašto su se koristili i na koji način su oblikovali percepciju javnosti. Rezultati analize potvrdili su sveprisutnost ratnih metafora u hrvatskom javnom diskursu na početku pandemije koronavirusa. Njihova dvostruka uloga, kao sredstva za tumačenje i uvjeravanje, bila je ključna u oblikovanju mišljenja javnosti o pandemiji i prihvaćanju nametnutih restriktivnih mjera.
The purpose of this study was to explore the receptiveness of Croatian local governmental officials in adopting a council-manager reform model of governance, given the low administrative and fiscal ...capacities of many Croatian cities. We surveyed all 128 cities in Croatia with a response rate of 48% (n = 61). Sixty-two percent of top administrators were skeptical that this reform model was feasible. Our data suggest a desire of city administrators for shielding administrative functions from political ones as half of all respondents felt political pressure in budgeting and personnel issues. This was amplified through the qualitative data where respondents cited political parties’ control in city administration and interference in administrative functions. Chief obstacles to implementing reform components focused on concerns about the political influence of politicians.
As one of the most interactive economic activities, tourism has improved significantly since the Internet allowed customers (travelers) to look for and create their trips without the need to go to a ...travel agency. Through the development of Internet marketing, tourists are able to receive information in real-time and view them on the screens of their devices (computers, laptops, mobile phones or tablets), and consequently they can create their own content and share it with others. Due to this development, we are witnessing a new phenomenon, so-called app capitalism, in which companies like Uber and Airbnb make money on services and goods they do not own and finding new business models in the tourism sector which enable customer-to-customer models. To be able to respond to these changes, the tourism industry needs to bring together knowledge, money, and technology for the purpose of creating new business models. The development of technology in all social spheres, including tourism, has provided a strong tool for consumers in terms of both acquiring and disclosing information to others. One of the rapidly growing technologies which is also one of the cutting-edge technologies entering tourism is blockchain. Blockchain technology captured worldwide attention in 2017 and its implementation has been revolutionizing various industries (e.g., retail, healthcare, tourism). The aim of this paper is to analyze the potential of the tourism industry in terms of blockchain implementation. Blockchain technology provides significant benefits to the tourism industry since its implementation can help increase competitive advantage, improve customer satisfaction and enhance performance. In this paper, the authors present the current situation in the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Macedonia regarding the use of blockchain technology in the tourism industry. The main findings of this paper comprise the detection of key areas regarding why blockchain technology is not implemented in the tourist industry, and what processes should be handled. By presenting a case study of the implementation of blockchain technology in tourism, the authors analyze the potential of using blockchain technology in the tourism industry and discuss topics for further research.
We analyze atmospheric conditions conducive for a meteotsunami event that occurred in the Adriatic on 25 June 2014. This was the most intensive of a series of meteotsunami events which occurred in ...the Mediterranean and Black Seas during 23–27 June 2014 period. Considerable sea-level oscillations were observed in several eastern Adriatic harbors with a maximum wave height of around 3 m and period of approximately 20 min observed in Vela Luka harbor, Korčula Island, Croatia. Observational analysis of the event utilizes available in situ and remote sensing measurements. For a more detailed insight into the structure of the atmosphere we reproduced the event with the WRF model configured at a sub-kilometer grid spacing. Observational and simulated data both demonstrate that sea-level oscillations in Vela Luka harbor were caused by rapid air–pressure perturbations with amplitudes of up to 4 hPa and a maximal rate of air pressure change above 2 hPa/5 min. Around the time pressure perturbations affected the area, pressure distribution was affected by both convection and internal gravity waves, with both wave-CISK and wave duct promoting maintenance of pressure perturbations. This makes the 2014 Adriatic event the first known meteotsunami event in the Mediterranean and Black Seas during which both of these maintenance mechanisms acted jointly. Finally, simulations performed in this event represented meteotsunami-related pressure perturbations at the adequate time and location, which is a step forward in the ability of atmospheric models to assist early warning meteotsunami systems for the Mediterranean and the Black Seas.
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