ABSTRACT
Dental tourism is based on providing dental services outside the home country at more favourable prices but with added value in tourist offers and arrangements. Croatia has become a destination for affordable and at the same time quality dental tourism due to low prices, high quality, and natural beauties. In addition to dental services, most clinics offer transportation and accommodation. Dental tourists want to combine dental services with vacation, which makes Croatia a desirable destination precisely because of the natural beauty and abundance of rich content. For this reason, many Croatian dentists have recognized dental tourism as an additional source of income or as their primary business orientation. Although clinics operating within dental tourism are located throughout Croatia, the most significant number is in Zagreb, Rijeka, and Split. Patients mostly come from developed countries such as Italy, Austria, Germany, UK, Ireland, Japan, Canada, and the USA, where dental procedures are not as affordable. Dental tourism in Croatia had exponential growth until March 2020, when, for the first time, it faced a global problem and was challenged in the form of the COVID-19 pandemic.
ABSTRACT
This is the first study to examine the differential impact of Croatian and European economic policy uncertainty indices while controlling for the real effective exchange rate and industrial production on international tourist arrivals for the seven coastal counties of Croatia and the country as a whole. The Toda-Yamamoto long-run causality modeling approach with a Fourier approximation is employed to capture structural shifts. This approach is particularly useful in light of the disruption from the COVID-19 pandemic on the tourism sector. The results show unidirectional causality from both Croatian and European economic policy uncertainty indices to international tourist arrivals with the impact of the economic policy uncertainty indices negative and statistically significant across the respective coastal counties. Moreover, the findings show that European economic policy uncertainty exhibits a greater adverse impact on international tourist arrivals relative to Croatian economic policy uncertainty.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Colorectal cancer is the third most common cause of cancer in the world, after lung and breast cancer, while in Croatia is the most common malignant disease. Among the EU members, Croatia ranks ninth in terms of the incidence of colon cancer and a high second place by mortality. Since 2007, Croatia has had a National Colon Cancer Early Detection Program, but the response rate is still very low - 36% (25-52% depending on county and year).2 Despite the prevention program, approximately 13% of patients in Croatia is initially diagnosed with metastatic disease.1 According to the results of the CONCORD 3 study3, Croatia is at the bottom of the five-year survival (48%) compared to some other western countries (up to 71%) in the world. Method(s): A retrospective analysis was conducted at the Clinic of Oncology and Radiotherapy, CHC Split. Patients with newly diagnosed colorectal adenocarcinoma enrolled in the clinic from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020 were processed. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics methods, with the use of Microsoft Excel tools. Result(s): A retrospective analysis of the medical history identified 269 patients (compared to 387 in 2017) presented at the multidisciplinary team (MDT) of CHC Split who were diagnosed with colorectal adenocarcinoma in 2020. All patients were presented to the MDT before starting the treatment. The median age of patients was 66 years, and the youngest patient was 22 years old. Patients from other counties who did not undergo the entire treatment/monitoring in our institution were excluded from the analysis. 52 patients (19.3%) were diagnosed in the metastatic stage of the disease, in stage 0 4 patients (1.5%), in stage I 32 (12%), in stage II 91 (34%), and in stage III 88 (33%). In 2 patients, the stage couldn't be precisely determined. There is a significant decrease in the number (81 in 2017 and 52 in 2020) but no percentage wise (20.9% in 2017 and 19.3% in 2020) of patients diagnosed with de novo metastatic colorectal cancer compared to the previous analysis from 2017, when 81 of them were detected. Patients diagnosed with metastatic disease were mostly in good general condition: ECOG 0 status 21 patients (40.3%), ECOG 1 24 patients (46.2%), ECOG 2 7 patients (13.5%), while no patient was ECOG status 3 or 4. 32 (57.7%) patients had a left-sided tumor, while 20 (42.3%) patients had a right-sided tumor. Conclusion(s): The results of our retrospective analysis showed a significant decrease in the number of patients compared to previous years. The effect of the smaller number of newly diagnosed patients will be analyzed and the real consequences will be seen, however, the appearance of patients in the later stages of the disease is to be expected.
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the forest-products industry locally and globally, including the availability of raw materials, supply chain, production, and product sales. Therefore, it was essential to study the effect of COVID-19 in Central and Southeast European countries, including Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, where the forest-products industry plays a vital global role. An international group of wood scientists developed and implemented the web-based questionnaire that consisted of four parts: demographic questions, production changes, COVID data gathering, governmental response to COVID-19, and lessons learned. Participants were mainly from furniture production, joinery, and wood processing. Results indicate that more than 80% of respondents reported negative changes. The COVID-19 pandemic has seriously affected the supply chain, and the most significant changes were in the availability of solid wood (23%) and engineered wood products (21%). Among the most critical issues were increased prices of all materials, increased transportation costs, extended delivery times, limited quantities for all materials, and total disruption of supply chains.
ABSTRACT
Energy poverty is a multifaceted phenomenon that affects many Europeans. Alleviating energy poverty is high in the EU, national, and local policy agendas. Despite the attention the phenomenon has been gaining from a policy perspective, especially after the current energy crisis, there are still some gaps due to the complexity of the issue and its vastly different manifestations across Europe. This manuscript presents the policy implications stemming from the implementation of the POWEPROOR approach in alleviating energy poverty in eight European countries, as co-created with relevant stakeholders in each country. The knowledge gained from empowering energy-poor citizens by promoting behavioural changes and small-scale energy efficiency interventions, as well as by encouraging the uptake of renewable energy sources in the form of collective energy initiatives while leveraging innovative financing schemes, resulted in policy recommendations for national and sub-national governments and lessons for civil society and the private sector.
ABSTRACT
Donated human milk is the best substitute for breast milk in the case when the mother cannot feed her baby. Human milk banks provide safe and high quality donated human milk. That was the reason why the Human Milk Bank was established in the Croatian Tissue and Cell Bank at the Zagreb University Hospital Centre in January 2020. The Bank works in accordance with the Law on the Application of Human Tissues and Cells. In this paper, we present the results of the Bank work since from its opening until June 2020. Due to logistic reasons caused by the COVID-19 epidemic and the earthquake in Zagreb, the Human Milk Bank did not collect milk for 43 days. Milk was donated by 31 mothers. Their median age was 31 years and 81% of them had high education level. In 52% of cases, mothers started donating milk three months after giving birth. Most donors donated milk only once (45%). The median period of donation was 46 days. The majority (52%) of donors gave birth for the first time, in the expected term of childbirth (94%), birth weight was >2500 g. Only three of donors' children (9%) were in intensive care. A total of 175.5 L of milk were collected (mean 5.7 L per donor), of which 151.5 L met the requirements of input quality control, and 141 L were pasteurized. A critical number of viable aerobic and facultative bacteria were identified in 32.6% of milk pools prepared for pasteurization, and 8.9% after pasteurization. For clinical use, 78.7 L were dispensed in three neonatal intensive care units. The Human Milk Bank has already shown the importance of its activities during the first months of operation. In order to be able to meet the needs for donated human milk at the national level, it is necessary to constantly inform mothers about the importance of human milk and to promote its donation.Copyright © 2020 Croatian Paediatric Society. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Attitudes toward COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) prevention and control may have influenced general practitioners' (GPs') work during the COVID-19 pandemic. The present study aimed to investigate the attitudes and practices of GPs from Croatia and Bosna and Herzegovina regarding COVID-19 prevention and control as well as the factors which may have influenced them. A cross-sectional study using a self-administered, anonymous questionnaire was conducted between February and May of 2022 on 200 Croatian and Bosnian GPs. The study revealed that the attitudes and practices of the surveyed GPs regarding COVID-19 prevention and control were satisfactory. The Croatian GPs reported a larger number of positive attitudes toward COVID-19 prevention and control (p = 0.014), while no significant differences in practices were established. Among the Croatian GPs, more positive attitudes toward COVID-19 prevention and control were reported by participants who had finished a formal education on the prevention of infectious diseases and occupational safety (p = 0.018), while among the Bosnian GPs, more positive attitudes were reported by older GPs (p = 0.007), males (p = 0.026), GPs with a longer length of service (p = 0.005), GPs who had finished a formal education on the prevention of infectious diseases and occupational safety (p < 0.001), GPs who had finished a formal education on adequate hand hygiene (p < 0.001), and GPs who had finished a formal education on COVID-19 prevention for GPs (p = 0.001). Considering GPs' practices regarding COVID-19 prevention and control, among the Croatian GPs, more positive practices were reported by older GPs (p = 0.008), females (p = 0.002), GPs who had a partner (p = 0.021), GPs who were specialists in family medicine (p = 0.014), GPs with a longer length of service (p = 0.007), and GPs who had finished a formal education on the prevention of infectious diseases and occupational safety (p = 0.046), while among the Bosnian GPs, no significant correlations were determined. The general practitioners' sociodemographic and employment characteristics strongly influenced their attitudes and practices regarding the prevention and control of COVID-19. The cultural differences between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the organizational specificities of their healthcare systems, probably modified the observed differences in the individual patterns of associations between the outcome and explanatory variables in the surveyed neighboring countries.
ABSTRACT
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.
ABSTRACT
Negative demographic trends in Croatia (natural decrease, negative net migration and population aging) are increasingly influencing socio-economic development of the country. Already in early 21st century, the long term decrease of live births and the increase of deaths were recognized as destabilizing factors of population development in Croatia. After the Croatian accession to the EU, the concerns regarding future demographic development of the country raised even more due to intensive emigration to other EU countries, which coincided with the historically low birth rates and high death rates. The focus of this paper is on mortality trends in Croatia in the first two decades of the 21st century. In this period, mortality in Croatia was influenced by different socio-economic, demographic, and epidemiological factors. Given the lack of recent papers dealing with mortality in Croatia, the main aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the changes in selected mortality indicators and contribute to the discussion on recent mortality trends in Croatia. The results of this research indicate that Croatia experienced some positive changes regarding mortality (increase of life expectancy at birth and decrease of infant mortality rates in the first period, in particular), but, some of the trends are not favourable, particularly the changes in the causes of death. Although improvements were observed regarding the share of deaths caused by the diseases of the circulatory system, there was a notable increase in deaths caused by the endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases which can be attributed to the unhealthy lifestyle and various behavioural factors.
ABSTRACT
This research has two objectives: 1) examine the average daily time of screen-based activities (SBAs), the most used devices, types of SBAs, and reasons for SBAs use in children;and 2) examine differences in these aspects of SBAs regarding the age of children in Croatia during the COVID-19 pandemic. The data came from 60 children's paper-and-pencil media diaries. Children on average spend more time during the day in SBAs than recommended by the literature (up to 1.5 or 2 hours). Older children spend more time in SBAs compared to younger children during the workweek. The most popular devices among children were TVs and smartphones, regardless of age. The most frequent types of children's SBAs were watching content and playing, but watching was more prevalent among younger children and playing among older children during the workweek. The most common reason for SBAs was to have fun, regardless of the children's age. All conclusions mainly apply to children from middle- to upper-socioeconomic- class families and the specific period of the COVID-19 pandemic. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Psychological & Educational Research is the property of University of Oradea Publishing House and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)
ABSTRACT
Seven human coronaviruses have been identified so far: four seasonal coronaviruses (HCoV-229E, HCoV-OC43, HCoV-NL63, HCoV-HKU1) and three novel coronaviruses (SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2). While seasonal coronaviruses cause only mild symptoms, novel coronaviruses cause severe and potentially fatal infections. All known coronaviruses originated in animals. Bats are considered as an origin for the majority of coronaviruses capable of infecting humans;however, rodents are proposed as natural hosts for HCoV-OC43 and HCoV-HKU1. Different animal species could serve as intermediate hosts including alpacas (HCoV-229E), livestock (HCoV-OC43), civet cats (SARS-CoV), camels (MERS-CoV), and pangolins (SARS-CoV-2). In Croatia, SARS-CoV-2 was detected in humans, pet animals, wildlife, and the environment. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the role of the 'One Health' approach in the surveillance of zoonotic diseases.Copyright © 2022, University Hospital of Infectious Diseases. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
PurposeThis paper aims to examine how message consistency pursued through integrated marketing communications (IMC) can build a strong destination brand equity in a very dynamic environment and whether this process is affected by the perceived risk of COVID-19.Design/methodology/approachData collection was conducted among 333 international tourists visiting Croatia, a destination that has experienced a remarkable boom in the summer/autumn season of 2021, regardless of the pandemic. Partial least squares–structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was used for data analysis.FindingsResults show that IMC consistency has a significant impact on the four destination brand equity dimensions, i.e. awareness, image, perceived quality and loyalty. This influence is found to be the highest on destination brand awareness and the lowest on destination brand loyalty. Perceived risk of COVID-19 moderates the impact of message consistency on brand image and perceived quality.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study that examines the role of IMC consistency in a tourism context during turbulent times. The impact of IMC consistency is analyzed on different components of destination brand equity, which addresses the most recent research call from tourism literature. The moderating effects of perceived risk are considered, thus providing additional implications in a context of high uncertainty. Finally, IMC consistency is assessed from the consumer rather than managerial viewpoints, thus adopting the necessary outside-in approach embedded in the IMC idea.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Catestatin (CST) is a peptid with imunomodulatory, antiinflammatory, and antimicrobial activities. Acute coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus can cause a systemic disease range unpredictably from mild flu-like disease to multiple organ failure. Despite many studies and scientific interest for COVID 19, there is lack of information regarding correlation between serum CST levels and clinical course od COVID 19. There are only few studies investigated CST plasma levels at COVID 19 patients, but mostly at ICU-patients, and those studies revealed that COVID 19 patients release significant amounts of CST in the plasma and CST predicts a poor COVID-19 outcome. In our work the aim was to demonstrate plasma CST levels and correlation with clinical outcome in a group of severe COVID 19 patients admitted in non-ICU department. Method(s): The subjects were patients admitted during second surge of COVID 19 in April and May 2020 in non-ICU unit for COVID 19 patients (high dependency unit) in Infectology department of University Hospital Split, Croatia. The reason of admission was pulmonary infiltrates and COVID 19 positivity confirmed with nucleic acid test. In study were included 32 subjects (25 females, 7 males) (Table 1). An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used for serum CST levels assessment. Result(s): We found significant positive correlation between serum CST levels and: C-reactive protein (r = 0.423, p = 0.008), D-dimers (r = 0.395, p = 0.013), hsTNT (high sensitivity troponin T) (r = 0.603, p < 0.001), proBNP (N-terminal-pro brain natriuretic peptide) (r = 0.569, p < 0.001), and hospitalisation days (r = 0.388, p = 0.014). There was significant difference between groups of participants with SOFA < 3 (n = 18) and SOFA > 3 (n = 14) in catestatin serum levels (7.25 +/- 3.66 vs. 11.05 +/- 9.52 ng/ml;p = 0.065). Conclusion(s): This study confirmed that serum CST levels could have important role as clinical prognostic parameter among non-ICU COVID 19 patients.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Anxiety is one of the most common psychological problems in children, with an increasing trend during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examines the mediating role of intolerance of uncertainty and cognitive emotion-regulation strategies in the relationship between stress and anxiety symptoms of children and early adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: We conducted the study with 234 elementary school students (128 females) aged 11 to 15 years. The students completed the COVID-19 Stress Scale, Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale, Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale for Children, and the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire. To determine whether stress affects anxiety symptoms both directly and indirectly through intolerance of uncertainty and cognitive emotion-regulation strategies, we performed a mediation analysis with gender as a covariate. Results: Our results confirmed cognitive emotion regulation and intolerance of uncertainty as important cognitive vulnerability factors for anxiety in children and adolescents. A stressful experience contributes directly to anxiety and indirectly through higher intolerance of uncertainty and less adaptive strategies. The results serve to further improve prevention and intervention programs for children and adolescents which focus on correcting maladaptive cognitive emotion-regulation strategies and increasing tolerance of uncertainty. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
Spatial planning is an interdisciplinary process dealing with practices of regulating and transforming the space, including experts from various fields such as lawyers, spatial and urban planners, geographers, civil engineers, economists, sociologists, etc. Spatial plans are general acts that arise due to the complex spatial planning process in which public participation is a necessary tool for transparent and legal procedure. They impact human rights due to their influence on a healthy environment, organization of life, quality of public services, green areas in the cities, etc. Spatial plans also deal with the economic aspect of investments, urban planning, and development of a particular territory. Cities are rapidly evolving and are characterized by density and overcrowded population, so the EU has a special interest in the adequate organization of the space. Consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic have produced a need for a different land use regulation from the established one. New challenges for the Member State's governments include regulation for the organization of life and everyday needs in 15 minutes' walk areas (work, market, health care, school, kindergartens, public services, parks, etc.). Although the European Union does not have direct competence in spatial planning of each Member State, it has a strong influence on the Member States through regulations (for example, European Spatial Development Perspective, The New Leipzig Charter, etc. which provide a strong framework for good and sustainable urban governance) and practice, as well as through the financial support to the Member States. This paper has two main goals. The first aim of this paper is to analyse how the EU tries to overcome the consequences of the pandemic in the physical planning system (recommendations, guidelines, financial support, consulting, or others). We also aim to discover how the pandemic affected the process of adopting the spatial plans in the Member States on the example of Croatia in one case study. The paper is divided into several parts. After the introduction, the first part of the paper brings an overview of the spatial planning process in the EU and Croatia based on the analyses of the relevant EU and domestic regulations. Next part of the paper deals with the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the spatial planning at the EU level, and on the development and adoption of spatial plans in Croatia. This includes the duration of the process, restrictions, and new ways of public participation in the process of the development and adoption of spatial plans (for example online public presentations), the influence on economic development (investments in a building), social distancing, etc. Last part of the paper will contain a research of development and adoption of spatial plans under the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic. The paper concludes with particular suggestions for improving the Croatian situation based on the good practices of the EU.
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic that started at the beginning of 2020 has put great constraints and significant challenges in organization of social and economic life. This paper analyses the civil society response to the COVID-19 pandemic and presents specific adaptations and opportuni-ties to contribute to the society in the circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic.The stories that civil society organizations published on the webpage ZADobroBIT.hr have been analysed by the means of a qualitative research. Thematic analysis in different scopes of activities shows that civil society organizations were more focused on the general population and various vulnerable groups. Vulnerable groups were recognized as those needing particular additional support in the course of this period. The activities aiming at general population fo-cused on newly emerged needs related to civil protection. Civil society also worked on keeping the everyday routines in communities by conducting various types of activities. Informing and educating aimed at creating new and maintaining existing information and education-al practices that adapted to pandemic circumstances. The results of the research show also that organizations have significantly changed, and quickly adapted their work with the help of technology and by using volunteer work.The results of the analysis suggest that civil society has proved flexible and able to respond quickly to emerging social needs, but also emphasized the contextual limitations of the ac-tions. Thus, the paper discusses the position and role of civil society in the "new normal ", and the impact it has on its further development in the Croatian social and political environment.
ABSTRACT
Spas were attracting visitors since ancient times. Study aims to monitor the changes in spa tourism statistics in the period of 2010-2020 for the selected countries of Central and Eastern Europe (Croatia, Hungary, Serbia and Slovenia), with particular attention given to the average development rate (ADR) and average growth rate (AGR), and overnight stays and an average length of stay. The reference to the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic on overnight stays and an average length of stay was discussed as well. Moreover, upon analysis of the existing tourism data for the period of 2010-2020, prediction of the post-pandemic period (until 2023-2025) was also implemented with the use of a linear model. In addition, using the broad criteria of a four-night stay as a minimum stay for medical treatments, Serbia has shown the characteristics of a medical spa, while Slovenia and Croatia could be characterized as "wellness medical", and finally Hungary was considered as a wellness spa destination.
ABSTRACT
In this paper, we have examined the impact of COVID-19 on labour force and recovery peculiarities in selected countries of Europe. Our goal has been to reach patients with post-COVID-19 or long-COVID-19 symptoms who were treated since 2020 and latest 2021 in different medical spas around Europe. Our research focused on whether work affects any aspect of life during illness and whether complaints experienced during post-COVID-19 treatments affect any aspect of life during illness. To achieve our results, we used quantitative research and tested two hypotheses. Our primary survey was conducted in May-June 2022. A total of 110 valid responses were received. The data collected through the questionnaire was examined using statistical analysis and calculations – descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA, linear regression analysis. All the respondents had COVID-19 positive test results in their life and attended post-COVID treatments in different medical spas in Europe. The results showed that coronavirus symptoms (post- or long-COVID-19 syndrome) were most likely to interfere with social and leisure activities and work. Well-being and pain need improvement. Improvement is possible with spa rehabilitation packages offering complex interventions such as balneotherapy (which uses local natural resources such as natural healing water, peloids, mofette), climatotherapy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and physiotherapy. Working during illness has a significant impact on quality of life. It also has an impact on daily activities, mobility, and pain. Working during illness (COVID-19 infection) affected all aspects of life, and patients perceived that illness-related disturbances mainly affected work performance.
ABSTRACT
The time of the Covid-19 pandemic was particularly hard for the communities living in border areas, who are used to cross the border on a daily basis, sometimes several times a day. When borders were closed due to the pandemic, their lives changed dramatically. One of the communities particularly affected by the pandemic was the Slovene community in Croatia, namely its members living along the Slovene-Croatian border. The article aims to present the situation of this community during the pandemic, with a particular emphasis on the measures related to border crossing and the feeling of (dis)connectedness with the kin state. The data is drawn from a survey conducted in 2021 through 15 semi-structured interviews with active female members of the Slovene community in Croatia. The responses show that, instead of receiving assistance from the Republic of Slovenia, in a time of uncertainty and fear members of the Slovene minority experienced a closed border and numerous challenges. Due to the rapidly changing border crossing measures, they were unable to organise their lives properly and faced frustration and fear. The inability to cross the border, be it for medical and professional reasons (visiting doctors, regular employment) or private reasons (which are less relevant for survival, but still extremely important for private life: e.g. visiting parents and grandparents), made them feel insecure, frustrated and in doubt about their relationship with the Republic of Slovenia. All that brought them further away from their kin state, making them feel as second-class citizens in either one or the other country. © 2022 Historical Society of Southern Primorska of Koper. All rights reserved.