University of Zagreb

About: University of Zagreb is a education organization based out in Zagreb, Grad Zagreb, Croatia. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & European union. The organization has 21769 authors who have published 50267 publications receiving 783239 citations. The organization is also known as: Zagreb University & Sveučilište u Zagrebu.

ClustScan: an integrated program package for the semi-automatic annotation of modular biosynthetic gene clusters and in silico prediction of novel chemical structures

Abstract: The program package ‘ClustScan’ (Cluster Scanner) is designed for rapid, semi-automatic, annotation of DNA sequences encoding modular biosynthetic enzymes including polyketide synthases (PKS), non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPS) and hybrid (PKS/NRPS) enzymes. The program displays the predicted chemical structures of products as well as allowing export of the structures in a standard format for analyses with other programs. Recent advances in understanding of enzyme function are incorporated to make knowledge-based predictions about the stereochemistry of products. The program structure allows easy incorporation of additional knowledge about domain specificities and function. The results of analyses are presented to the user in a graphical interface, which also allows easy editing of the predictions to incorporate user experience. The versatility of this program package has been demonstrated by annotating biochemical pathways in microbial, invertebrate animal and metagenomic datasets. The speed and convenience of the package allows the annotation of all PKS and NRPS clusters in a complete Actinobacteria genome in 2–3 man hours. The open architecture of ClustScan allows easy integration with other programs, facilitating further analyses of results, which is useful for a broad range of researchers in the chemical and biological sciences.

Lipid lowering nutraceuticals in clinical practice: position paper from an International Lipid Expert Panel.

Abstract: 1.1. Cardiovascular disease and dyslipidemia: prevalence and global economic impact Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of mortality worldwide, reaching 31% of deaths in 2012 [1]. In particular, atherosclerosis and ischemic heart disease (IHD) are the main causes of premature death in Europe and are responsible for 42% of deaths in women and 38% in men under 75 years old [2]. The global economic impact of CVD is estimated to have been US $906 billion in 2015 and is expected to rise by 22% by 2030 [3]. Cardiovascular diseases also represent the major cause of disability in developed countries. It has been estimated that their growing burden could lead to a global increase in loss of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), from a loss of 85 million DALYs in 1990 to a loss of ~150 million DALYs in 2020, becoming a major non-psychological cause of lost productivity [4]. Several risk factors contribute to the etiology and development of CVD; they are divided into those modifiable through lifestyle changes or by taking a pharmacologic treatment (e.g. for hypertension, smoking, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia) and those that are not modifiable (age, male gender, and family history) [5]. Elevated total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) blood concentrations are the major modifiable risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD), whereas high concentrations of plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in certain conditions are considered protective [6]. Moreover, LDL-C remains a fundamental CV risk factor (and a main target of therapy) even when statins are largely used in the general population [7]. An examination of the data of 18 053 participants aged ≥ 20 years who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) from 1999 to 2006 showed that the unadjusted prevalence of hypercholesterolemia ranged from 53.2% to 56.1% in United States adults [8]. Differences related to gender and race or ethnicity were observed; in particular, a lower rate of control was found among women than men and lower rates of having a cholesterol check and being told about hypercholesterolemia were reported by African Americans and Mexican Americans than whites [8]. A recent report from the American Heart Association confirmed that in the US only 75.7% of children and 46.6% of adults present targeted TC levels (TC < 170 mg/dl for children and < 200 mg/dl for adults, in untreated individuals) [9]. The pattern is similar in other Western countries [10, 11].

The Impact of Climate Change on Agricultural Insect Pests.

Abstract: Climate change and global warming are of great concern to agriculture worldwide and are among the most discussed issues in today’s society. Climate parameters such as increased temperatures, rising atmospheric CO2 levels, and changing precipitation patterns have significant impacts on agricultural production and on agricultural insect pests. Changes in climate can affect insect pests in several ways. They can result in an expansion of their geographic distribution, increased survival during overwintering, increased number of generations, altered synchrony between plants and pests, altered interspecific interaction, increased risk of invasion by migratory pests, increased incidence of insect-transmitted plant diseases, and reduced effectiveness of biological control, especially natural enemies. As a result, there is a serious risk of crop economic losses, as well as a challenge to human food security. As a major driver of pest population dynamics, climate change will require adaptive management strategies to deal with the changing status of pests. Several priorities can be identified for future research on the effects of climatic changes on agricultural insect pests. These include modified integrated pest management tactics, monitoring climate and pest populations, and the use of modelling prediction tools.