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An outbreak of mushroom poisonings occurred in Croatia in the autumn of 2022. Published data on human mushroom poisonings in Croatia and surrounding countries are scarce. A retrospective review of sus pected mushroom poisonings during autumn of 2022 reported by telephone consultations with the Croatian Poison Control Centre (CPCC) was performed with the aim of identifying the most common poisonous mushrooms and gaining a better understand of the characteristics of mushroom ingestion cases. We received a total of 54 calls: 3.7% children (median age 11.5 years), 55.7% female. In autumn of 2021, there were only 5 cases of mushroom ingestions reported to the CPCC. The majority of exposures (81.4%) occurred in October 2022.

In order to assess the dietary exposure to pesticides in Croatian adolescents in Zagreb region within the frame of the PyrOPECh study (“Exposure to pyrethroid and organophosphate insecticides in children – risk assessment for adverse effects on neuropsychological development and hormonal status”, http://pyropech.imi.hr/), a Total Diet Study for the city of Zagreb and Zagreb County are being conducted. The sampling plan, based on national food consumption data (https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/m icrostrategy/foode x2-level-7), was designed to cover at least 95% of the target population’s diet. The purchased products were prepared "as consumed" at the dedicated kitchen facility in Zagreb, in order to reflect practices in Croatian homes. The samples were homogenised, stored frozen at -20 C, and shipped on dry ice to Backweston Laboratory Complex, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Celbridge, Ireland, where the samples were analysed. The samples were extracted using the standard miniLuke method: after extraction with acetone/dichloromethane/petroleu m ether 40-60 C a solvent exchange into ethyl acetate was carried out. The ethyl acetate fraction was analysed without further treatment by GC-High Resolution Accurate Mass Spectrometry and then a portion of this fraction is diluted 1/20 with methanol and analysed by LC-QQQ. The method scope covers a range of 288 pesticides and metabolites. Quality Control on the analyses was carried out according to SANTE/11312/2021. Since the project is in its initial stages, here we present the preliminary data for pesticide residues, obtained for 310 composite samples of fruits and vegetables (and their products), corresponding to 1173 sub- samples. Pesticides residues were found in 39% of fruits and vegetable samples at levels above the limit of quantification. A higher percentage of positive results was found in unprocessed compared to processed (peeling, thermal processing) vegetables (47% vs. 18%) and fruits (68% vs. 52%). Values above MRL were found in 9% of fruit samples (6% in unprocessed and 13% in processed samples) and in 14% of vegetable samples (22% in unprocessed and 12% in processed samples). The highest number of residues was found in berries, processed sour cherries, apricots, nectarines, pears, table grapes, oranges, tomatoes, lamb's lettuce, rocket salad, and spring onions. These findings are compared with the data obtained by the EU and national monitoring programme. The effects of peeling and thermal processing on pesticide residues for selected vegetables and fruits will be also presented. This research is funded by the Croatian Scientific Foundation (HrZZ-IP- 2019-04- 7193) and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Ireland.

The main objective of the project “Exposure to pyrethroid and organophosphate insecticides in children – risk assessment for adverse effects on neuropsychological development and hormonal status - PyrOPECh” (http://pyropech.imi.hr) is to assess the inadequately explored risk of adverse effects of exposure to pyrethroid (PYR) and organophosphate (OP) insecticides on neurobehavioral and sexual development in (pre)pubertal boys. The first phase of the study, of which preliminary results are presented here, is to assess the potential exposure to PYR and OP insecticides in the Croatian population. In order to estimate the dietary exposure to pesticides in Croatian adolescents, a Total Diet Study for the City of Zagreb and Zagreb County is presently being conducted. Food samples, covering at least 95% of the diet of Croatian adolescents (based on the national consumption data ; https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/microstrategy/foodex 2-level-7), were collected from shops and markets in Zagreb and prepared as normally consumed in a dedicated kitchen facility. Homogenised composite food samples were analysed at the Backweston Laboratory Complex of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Celbridge, Ireland. The samples were extracted by the standard miniLuke method and analysed using GC- High Resolution Accurate Mass Spectrometry and LC- QQQ (Quality Control: SANTE/11312/2021). Dietary exposures to PYRs and OPs were assessed by the EFSA DietEX Tool v. 1.0. Out of 509 analysed composite samples (corresponding to 1800 subsamples), pesticide residues were quantified in 147 samples (29%). Values above a maximum residue level (MRL) were found in 21 out of 509 samples (4%) ; i.e. in 8 out of 316 analysed fruit and vegetable samples (2.5%), and in 13 out of 148 analysed food samples of animal origin (9%). The most frequently quantified insecticides were neonicotinoids and PYRs (33% and 22% out of quantified insecticides, respectively), followed by carbamates and OPs (12% and 9%, respectively). Out of 8 PYR and 4 OP insecticides, 4 PYRs and 3 OPs are not currently approved in the EU. PYRs were found in various fruits, pickled vegetables, chicken meat and 60 processed pork and beef meat. OPs were found in spring onions, lettuce and honey. Amongst Croatian adults, the mean dietary exposure to PYR insecticide residues ranged from 6.6E-04 to 0.03 ng/kg body weight/day for fruits and vegetables and from 0.027 to 41 ng/kg bw/d for food of animal origin. For OP insecticides, values ranged from 8.6E-05 to 0.45 ng/kg bw/d for fruits and vegetables, and honey. These values were within the range of estimates obtained when our TDS results were applied to food consumption data for both the EU adult and adolescent populations. These pesticide residue estimates of exposure will be updated with new data from the TDS study and food consumption data for adolescents arising from the ongoing PyrOPECh study. This research is funded by the Croatian Science Foundation (HrZZ- IP-2019-04-7193) and collaborative efforts with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Ireland.

Study presents preliminary results on insufficiently explored dietary exposure to organophosphate insecticides (OP) in Croatian adolescents. Results were obtained in the Total Diet Study (TDS) in the region of Zagreb, under the framework of the PyrOPECh study (http://pyropech.imi.hr). Food samples, covering >=95% of the Croatian adolescents' diet, were prepared "as consumed", pooled and homogenised in a dedicated kitchen facility. Multiresidue analysis was performed at the Backweston Laboratory Complex of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Celbridge, Ireland, using standard miniLuke extraction method and quantification by GC-High Resolution Accurate Mass Spectrometry and LC- triple quadrupole (Quality Control: SANTE/11312/2021). OP intake in Croatian population was estimated by Monte Carlo simulations using a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) administered in 2008/2009 on 403 first-year college students (mean age: 18.8 years) who answered the questions regarding their diet during the pre-college year, and consumption data for the Croatian population from 2011. Additional assessment was performed by the EFSA DietEX v.1.0 and PRIMo v.3.1 tools, using our TDS measurements and consumption data for European adolescents. Out of 509 analysed composite samples (corresponding to 1800 sub-samples), residues of OP at levels above the limit of quantification, but below the maximum residue levels, were found in 5/195 vegetable samples (isocarbophos in four lettuce samples ; dimethoate and omethoate in one sample of spring onions), and in 1/145 samples of animal origin (coumaphos in honey). Monte Carlo simulations resulted in mean dietary exposure estimate for isocarbophos in Croatian subjects of 0.44 ng/kg bw/day, which agreed well with the estimates for the EU adolescent population (0.08 to 1.74 ng/kg bw/day). Exposure to coumaphos was higher in Croatia (0.26 ng/kg bw/day) compared to other EU adolescents (0.01 to 0.18 ng/kg bw/day). Due to the lack of suitable FFQ data, exposure to dimethoate and omethoate was estimated only for EU adolescents excluding Croatia (0.00007-0.006 and 0.0003-0.02 ng/kg bw/day for dimethoate and omethoate, respectively). Risk assessment (RA) for dimethoate and omethoate showed values well below the health reference values, whereas RA for other OPs was not performed due to the lack of health reference values. This research is funded by the Croatian Science Foundation (HrZZ IP-2019-04-7193) and collaborative efforts with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Ireland.

Aim: Efficient isolation of DNA from various biological samples is the basis for successful forensic DNA profiling. Chelating resins and silica-based methods are commonly employed affinity and non-affinity methods for DNA extraction using limited amounts of biologic material. We aimed to evaluate DNA isolation efficiency of the commercially available non-affinity (Chelex® InstaGene™ Matrix) and affinity (Qiagen® QIAamp Mini) isolation procedures by comparing DNA yield and quality metrics of STR profiling data obtained from blood and buccal samples. Materials and methods: Ten buccal swabs and 10 blood stains collected on FTA cards were used as a starting material. Both buccal and blood DNA samples were isolated with the use of InstaGene Matrix and QIAamp Mini kit. Qubit fluorometer was used for DNA quantification and 16 STR loci were amplified with the AmpFlSTR® Identifiler PlusTM kit and the ProFlex 3x32 well PCR system. Following capillary electrophoresis on an ABI310, STR profiles and relative fluorescence units (RFU) were collected and analyzed in relation to buccal (B) or blood (P) sample DNA yield obtained with either InstaGene (IB or IP) or QIAamp Mini (QB or QP) isolation method. Kruskal Wallis and Dunn's post hoc test, adjusted by the Benjamini-Hochberg FDR were used for statistical data analysis. Results: The highest RFU (mean±SD, 3800±1315) and DNA concentration values (1.22±1.45 ng/ul) were seen in buccal samples isolated with InstaGene Matrix, when compared to IP RFU (1153±489, P=1.6x10-3) or DNA (0.06±0.012, P=4.8x10-3), and QP RFU (910±614, P=2.2x10-3) or DNA (0.02±0.035, P=9x10-5) levels. Moreover, QB RFU (3592±831) and DNA values (0.83±0.4) were significantly higher than QP RFU (910±614, P=6.9x10-4) and DNA (0.02±0.035, P=8.8x10-5) measures, which contained the highest number of DNA measurements below the lower Qubit sensitivity limit. Conversely, no difference in RFU and DNA values were observed between IP and QP, or IB and QB sample groups. Conclusion: Compared to blood stains, buccal samples provide greater DNA yield and higher STR peak values, regardless of DNA isolation method used. Conversely, InstaGene Matrix might be more reliable for blood stain DNA extraction and subsequent STR processing.

Zaslužne osobe

The transient fetal zones of the presumptive cingulate gyrus in humans differ from the rest of the medial telencephalic wall, suggesting some specificity in timing of the morphogenetic processes such as neuronal and glial migration, differentiation, afferent axon ingrowth and reorganization in this region. The aim of this study was to elucidate these regional specificity correlating spatial- temporal expression pattern of neuronal, glial and extracellular immunohistochemical markers among transient zones of particularly the future anterior and midcingulate region in comparison with other limbic areas and other regions of the telencephalic wall. Analysis included 27 post mortem fetal human brains, aged from 17 post conception weeks (PCW) to 40 PCW, stained by Nissl method, neuronal (MAP2), glial (GFAP) and extracellular neurocan (NCAN) and tenascin- C (TNC) immunohistochemichal markers. The MAP2 immunoreactivity in the cortical plate of the cingulate gyrus is visible before 20 PCW, but pyramidal-like cellular staining appears clearly just at 20 PCW. The early signs of lamination of the cortical plate of cingulate gyrus are seen at 33 PCW, coincidentally with the appearance of mature astrocytes morphology in the cortical plate shown by GFAP. The NCAN, a proteoglycan proven to play a number of roles in the brain development, is expressed in the cortical plate of the future cingulate region stronger than in the rest of the medial telencephalic wall before 22-23 PCW and at the beginning of late fetal period (33 PCW). By the end of gestation, distribution of the NCAN is the same in cingulate gyrus as it is in the rest of the medial telencephalic wall. Significant differences in TNC immunoreactivity between the presumptive cingulate region and other telencephalic areas were found. In the marginal zone expression of TNC was up- regulated during the mid-gestation in comparison to the other brain regions, while in the same period TNC expression in the subplate zone (SP) was down-regulated. The TNC immunoreactivity in the subplate zone (SP) shows decreasing gradient from deep to superficial, and differences in the timing and level of expression from anterior to posterior cingulate areas, appearing later in mid and posterior areas. Expressions of TNC and NCAN coincide in the intermediate zone from 17 PCW until 28 PCW and in the cortical plate from 20 PCW until 33 PCW. Altogether, these findings imply on one side involvement of these extracellular molecules in autocrine stimulation of astrocyte/oligodendrocyte differentiation and possible axon guidance for projecting subplate neurons, and on other side possible role in the ingrowth of afferents, that will be focus for further research of the insights from fetal human cingulate gyrus.

Opisan je Hanamanov život, njegov rad na izumu volframske žarulje, izradba disertacije. Bio je jedan od utemeljitelja kemičko-inženjerskog odjela TVŠ-a u Zagrebu (1919.) i utemeljitelj Zavoda za anorgansku kemijsku tehnologiju i metalurgiju.

Since the transient zones of future cingulate gyrus (enlarged marginal and somewhat modest subplate zone) differ in comparison to future neocortical regions, we suppose some differences in timing of histogenetic processes (neuronal and glial migration, cells and procesusses differentiation) and reorganization. As a result, we expect spatial- temporal expression patterns of neuronal, glial and extracellular immunohistochemical markers among transient zones in the future anterior and midcingulate region to differ from other limbic as well as neocortical regions of the telencephalic wall. We used 27 post mortem fetal human brains, aged from 17 post conception weeks (PCW) to 40 PCW, stained by Nissl method, neuronal (microtubule associate protein, MAP2), glial (glial fibrillary acidic protein, GFAP), and extracellular (neuroan, NCAN and tenascin, TNC) immunohistochemical markers. A fine, discreet MAP2 immunoreactive neurons are visible in the cortical plate of the future cingulate gyrus well before 20 PCW, but pyramidal- like cellular staining appears clearly at 20 PCW. The early signs of lamination of the cortical plate (CP) of cingulate gyrus are visible at 33 PCW, accompanied by the appearance of mature astrocytes, shown by GFAP. Significant differences between the cingulate gyrus and other telencephalic regions were found in TNC immunoreactivity during mid-gestation. Compared to other regions of the telecephalon, expression of TNC was upregulated in the marginal zone (MZ) and downregulated in the subplate zone (SP) of the presumptive cingulate gyrus. Also, TNC immunoreactivity in the SP showed decreasing gradient from deep to superficial and also differences in the timing and level of expression from anterior to posterior cingulate areas, appearing later in mid and posterior areas. The NCAN, a proteoglycan proven to play a number of roles in the brain development, is expressed in the CP of the future cingulate region stronger than in the rest of the medial telencephalic throughout the second half of gestation. Expressions of TNC and NCAN coincide in the intermediate zone from 17 PCW until 28 PCW and in the CP from 20 PCW until 33 PCW. These findings suggest that studied extracellular molecules might play a role in autocrine astrocyte/oligodendrocyte differentiation and possible axon guidance for projecting subplate neurons on one side and ingrowth of afferents on the other side

Vjera Marjanović, prva je žena koja je 1928. obranila disertaciju u području tehničkih znanosti i stekla titulu doktorice znanosti. Njezino ime nosi Nagrada za najboljega studenta današnjeg Fakulteta kemijskog inženjerstva i tehnologije Sveučilišta u Zagrebu. Uvrštena je u on-line verziju Hrvatskog biografskog leksikona LZ Miroslav Krleža.

Sjećanja na obljetnice rođenja i smrti profesora današnjega Fakulteta kemijskog inženjerstva i tehnologije

Prikaz koncerta zagrebačkih klapa u Bazilici Srca Isusova u sklopu Pasionske baštine

There are diverse experimental data about the influence of gemfibrozil (GEM) on the production of hydrogen per- oxide (H2O2) and antioxidant enzymes. We investigated the influence of GEM treatment on the production of malondialde- hyde (MDA) level in tissues of normolipidaemic Wistar and Fisher rats which is an index of lipid peroxidation. Because serum paraoxonase 1 (PON1) is an important enzyme with specific protective function on metabolism of lipid peroxides, we examined the influence of GEM on PON1 activity in liver and serum. MDA level and enzyme activities were also determined 10 days after withdrawal of GEM treatment. The significantly increased levels of MDA in liver, kidney and heart of both rat strains were obtained after 3 weeks of GEM treatment. We propose two possibilities for the increase of MDA levels caused by GEM, induction of peroxisome proliferation and activities of enzymes that participated in occurrence of H2O2 and possible reduction of enzyme activities including in H2O2 metabolism. Ten days after withdrawal of GEM treatment, MDA levels in all tissue levels of both rat strains were less in comparison with GEM treatment. GEM caused a significant drop of PON1 activity in serum and liver of Fisher rats, and in liver of Wistar rats. We suggest that GEM, through induction of lipid peroxi- dation, caused the damage of hepatocytes with consequent reduction of PON1 synthesis. The increase in PON1 activity in serum and tissues of both rat strains 10 days after withdrawal of GEM treatment shows the fast recovery of enzyme synthesis.

Raspravljeno je sklanjajne pomoćnih glagoja biti i htjeti.

U povodu 60. obljetnice smrti Ivana Plotnikova, jednoga od utemeljitelja kemijsko-tehnološkoga studija, opisan je njegov život i rad.

Hrvatski inženjerski savez (HIS) organizirao je obilježavanje Prvoga dana inženjera RH obilježavajući 137. obljetnicu utemeljenja Kluba inžinirah i arhitektah u Zagrebu (1878.)

Prikazan je život i djelo hrvatskoga nobelovca Vladimira Preloga koji je na svoj put prema Nobelovoj nagradi(1975.) krenuo iz Zavoda za organsku kemiju današnjega Fakulteta kemijskog inženjerstva i tehnologije. Njegov je životopis uvršten u on-line izdanje Hrvatakog biografkog leksikona

Opisani je život i djelo Štefice Cerjan-Stefanović, redovite profesorice u trajnome zvanju. Dodana je njezina bibliografija.

Nowadays there is a growing concern about the effects of pharmaceuticals in the environment and many reports have been published on the occurrence, fate and risk assessment of veterinary drugs and other pharmaceuticals. Since most pharmaceuticals exhibit great chemical stability and high sorption coefficients in sediments and soils, they can accumulate in these solid environmental compartments and maintain detectable and biologically active concentrations for several months. Compared to water media soils and sediments have been scarcely investigated. Only few reports has been published on the potential contamination caused by these pharmaceuticals residues in sediments samples. To determine the levels at which pharmaceuticals accumulate in different environmental media and to study the cycle of veterinary drugs released in the environment, appropriate analytical methods are necessary. However, residue analysis in these complex samples requires, in addition to a sensitive chromatographic method, an extraction procedure that provides suitable recoveries for the analytes and a clean-up step to remove some of the co-extracted compounds. The objective of this research was to develope and optimizes a simple and effective sample preparation method for determination of selected pharmaceuticals in sediment samples. Pharmaceuticals investigated were: fluoroquinolone antibiotic ciprofloxacin, glucocorticosteroid dexamethasone, anthelmintic febantel, sulfonamide antibiotic sulfamethoxazole and their synergist trimethoprim. Sediments used for experimental work were from Birovača and Kupirovo in Lika, Croatia and had never been treated with any pharmaceuticals. Ultrasonic assisted extraction (UAE) and microwave accelerated extraction (MAE) were optimized to improve efficiency of the extraction process. Extraction procedures were optimized regarding time and temperature of extraction and solvent volume. Extraction efficiency for both extraction procedures, UAE and MAE, was determined by recovery experiments. The extracts were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detector at 254 nm equipped with a C-18 column (Synergy Fusion 4µ ; m, 150 mm x 2 mm, Phenomenex). The mobile phase used was a mixture of 0.01 % formic acid in water and 0.01 % formic acid in acetonitrile at flow rate 1 mL/min with gradient elution. The injection volume was 30 µ ; L. The optimal conditions determined for UAE were 35 oC, solvent volume 20 mL of citric acid (pH=3.5) : acetonitrile = 20 : 80, (v/v) and extraction time 15 min at 600 W. The optimal conditions determined for MAE were 65 oC, solvent volume 15 mL of citric acid (pH=3.5) : acetonitrile = 20 : 80, (v/v) and extraction time 10 min at 600 W.

After certain pathways and reactions in human or animal body, various metabolites and sometimes unchanged parent compound are excreted through urine or feces. Entering the environment, pharmaceuticals and their metabolites are exposed to sunlight and other conditions which can cause their degradation. The identification of degradation products represents a major challenge to improve understanding of the environmental fate of pharmaceuticals. Analyses were performed on anthelmintics, veterinary drugs that are used to treat parasitic worm infections. Due to their use in great quantities in veterinary practice and agriculture anthelmintics have the potential to appear in surface waters. The main goal in this study was to determine the parent compound and to find out whether it photodegrades and if so, to determine and identify the photodegradation products. Albendazole (ABZ), febantel (FEB) and levamisole hydrochloride (LEV HCl) were analyzed. Samples were exposed to UV light of 254 nm. Even though the UV light of 254 nm could not pervade to the Earth surface, irradiations were carried out at the given wavelength to determine as much photodegradation products as possible. The LC analyses of irradiated water samples were performed by Varian ProStar 500 HPLC system using ProStar 330 diode array detector (Walnut Creek, California, USA) on C18 modified column Synergi Fusion-RP (Phenomenex, USA), 150×2.0 mm, particle size 4 µ m and gradient elution by binary mixture of solvents A (water with 0, 01% formic acid) and B (acetonitrile with 0, 01% formic acid) as mobile phase. The results show that all three analyzed pharmaceuticals photodegrade to one or more products.