University of Rijeka

About: University of Rijeka is a education organization based out in Rijeka, Croatia. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Tourism. The organization has 3471 authors who have published 7993 publications receiving 110386 citations. The organization is also known as: Rijeka University & Sveučilište u Rijeci.

Non-homogeneous boundary value problem for one-dimensional compressible viscous micropolar fluid model: a local existence theorem

Abstract: An initial-boundary value problem for 1-D flow of a compressible viscous heat-conducting micropolar fluid is considered; the fluid is assumed thermodynamically perfect and polytropic. The original problem is transformed into homogeneous one and studied the Faedo-Galerkin method. A local-in-time existence of generalized solution is proved.

Seizure susceptibility and the brain regional sensitivity to oxidative stress in male and female rats in the lithium-pilocarpine model of temporal lobe epilepsy.

Abstract: Several studies have shown the existence of sex differences in the sensitivity to various convulsants in animals and to the development of some epilepsy types in humans. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether there are sex differences in seizure susceptibility and sensitivity of different brain regions to oxidative stress in rats with status epilepticus (SE) induced by lithium-pilocarpine administration, that provides a common experimental model of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) in humans. Latencies to isolated full limbic seizures or SE onset as well as the number of the animals presenting full limbic seizures, SE or full limbic seizures that progressed to SE were recorded for 2 h after pilocarpine administration. Number of animals which survived 24 h after SE onset was also monitored. Levels of lipid peroxidation as well as the superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities in the piriform and entorhinal cortices, temporal neocortex, thalamus, and hippocampus in rats of both sexes, at 24 h after SE onset were determined. Results of our study showed that males developed full limbic seizures and SE more rapidly and in greater number than females. Levels of lipid peroxidation in all brain regions examined, the SOD activities in the piriform and entorhinal cortices, and temporal neocortex as well as the GSH-Px activities in the piriform and entorhinal cortices, and thalamus were significantly higher in rats with SE in comparison to the values of mentioned biochemical parameters in rats of the control groups. Lipid peroxidation level in the temporal neocortex as well as the GSH-Px activity in the hippocampus in male rats were significantly higher in comparison to the values registered in females. With the exception of the thalamus, where SOD activity in male rats with SE was significantly higher in relation to the respective control group and also to females with SE, sex differences in the response of other brain regions investigated to oxidative stress were not obtained, at 24 h after SE.

Ice cloud formation potential by free tropospheric particles from long-range transport over the Northern Atlantic Ocean

Abstract: Long-range transported free tropospheric particles can play a significant role on heterogeneous ice nucleation. Using optical and electron microscopy we examine the physicochemical characteristics of ice nucleating particles (INPs). Particles were collected on substrates from the free troposphere at the remote Pico Mountain Observatory in the Azores Islands, after long-range transport and aging over the Atlantic Ocean. We investigate four specific events to study the ice formation potential by the collected particles with different ages and transport patterns. We use single-particle analysis, as well as bulk analysis to characterize particle populations. Both analyses show substantial differences in particle composition between samples from the four events; in addition, single-particle microscopy analysis indicates that most particles are coated by organic material. The identified INPs contained mixtures of dust, aged sea salt and soot, and organic material acquired either at the source or during transport. The temperature and relative humidity (RH) at which ice formed, varied only by 5% between samples, despite differences in particle composition, sources, and transport patterns. We hypothesize that this small variation in the onset RH may be due to the coating material on the particles. This study underscores and motivates the need to further investigate how long-range transported and atmospherically aged free tropospheric particles impact ice cloud formation.

Determination of standard zinc values in the intact tissues of mice by ICP spectrometry.

Abstract: The most commonly encountered difficulties for the quantitative measurement of zinc in biological samples are the limited sample amount, total and effective digestion of connective and fatty residues, and low zinc concentrations. These problems often lead to the determination of lower zinc values than actually present, so that the sample preparation, digestion, and analytical procedure deserve careful attention. In this short communication, a new method for microwave tissue disintegration is described. The authors have obtained consistent and reproducible results with tissue samples of 0.5 g or less.