The Cetina River Basin (CRB) belongs to a Dinaric karst area (Croatia). According to the obtained results on water and sediment quality, the Cetina River reaches the sixth goal of Sustainable Development (source of drinking water). Together with the CRB water quality assessment, it was confirmed that sediments undoubtedly contribute to the purification of watercourses from trace metals as well as organic matter. In 5 years, water samples were collected at 20 sampling sites and sediment samples were collected at 18 sampling sites. The fresh water of the Cetina River belongs to the hydrocarbonate type due to its lithology. The concentrations of the measured elements in the sediments, normalized to Al, are an indicator of possible pressures affecting the ecosystem of the river. According to the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) for elements in sediments, Principal Component 1 (PC1) describes the geogenic origin of the elements, while Principal Component 2 (PC2) describes positive values reflecting anthropogenic pressures (Total Nitrogen, TN; and Total Phosphorus, TP). Depending on element composition, the factor scores related to PC1 and PC2 resulted in four different groups of sites. The first three groups of sediments showed geological impact, while the fourth group was partially anthropogenic in origin. The hierarchical cluster analysis showed four clusters in relation to the content of the elements. Cluster analysis of all elements and the Total Organic Carbon (TOC) in the sediments showed grouping in only two clusters, the first cluster consisting of Ca, and the second of TOC with other elements.

This study was designed to examine the association between myocardial concentrations of the trace elements Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, and Zn and the expression of mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRmt) elements and the age of patients who received heart transplantation or a left-ventricular assist device (ageHTx/LVAD). Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was used to determine the concentration of Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, and Zn in the myocardium of control subjects and patients undergoing heart transplantation or left-ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation. We used ELISA to quantify the expression of UPRmt proteins and 4-Hydroxynonenal (4-HNE), which served as a marker of oxidative-stress-induced lipid peroxidation. Concentrations of Cu, Mn, Mo, and Zn were similar in the control and heart failure (HF) myocardium, while Fe showed a significant decrease in the HF group compared to the control. A higher cumulative concentration of Fe and Zn in the myocardium was associated with reduced age_HTx/LVAD, which was not observed for other combinations of trace elements or their individual effects. The trace elements Cu, Mn, and Zn showed positive correlations with several UPRmt proteins, while Fe had a negative correlation with UPRmt effector protease YME1L. None of the trace elements correlated with 4-HNE in the myocardium. The concentrations of the trace elements Mn and Zn were significantly higher in the myocardium of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy than in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy. A higher cumulative concentration of Fe and Zn in the myocardium was associated with a younger age at which patients received heart transplantation or LVAD, potentially suggesting an acceleration of HF. A positive correlation between myocardial Cu, Mn, and Zn and the expression of UPRmt proteins and a negative correlation between myocardial Fe and YME1L expression suggest that these trace elements exerted their actions on the human heart by interacting with the UPRmt. An altered generation of oxidative stress was not an underlying mechanism of the observed changes.

This study highlights the geochemistry of water and sediments of the karstic springs of the transboundary aquifer (TBA) Žumberak–Samoborsko Gorje Mt. (NW Croatia). After calculating pollution indices, the analysis showed that the sediments are unpolluted. The geo-accumulation index (Igeo) showed only the elements Ba and Rb, indicating moderate levels of pollution, with the highest values in springs Vapnik and Bistrac. Statistical analysis confirmed their natural origin. The water of these springs is under possible anthropogenic influence as indicated by elevated concentrations of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP). According to a principal component analysis (PCA) for elements in sediments, PC1 described a combined lithogenic and oxidative–reductive influence, PC2 described a combined geological background including total organic carbon (TOC) content and oxidative–reductive influence, while TOC had the greatest influence on PC3. Depending on element composition, the factor scores related to PC1 and PC2 resulted in two different groups of sites, while the factor scores concerning PC1 and PC3 did not show separation in two groups. The hierarchical cluster analysis showed three clusters in relation to the content of the elements. The correlation coefficient between the sediment and related water samples showed that the springs placed in a low-permeability formation (dolomite) had a strong positive coefficient of correlation.

This paper presents an experimental methodology used for the determination of liquid-liquid equilibrium (LLE) data of the ternary system (phosphoric acid, ester and water). This experimental methodology represents the determination of...

Permanent Mediterranean rivers are typical for the Dinaric karst region. In general, faunistic and ecology of aquatic insects of these rivers have so far been insufficiently investigated. Therefore, we present the caddisfly community structure in a highly regulated Mediterranean karst river in Croatia, having four hydroelectric power plants and three reservoirs. Caddisflies were sampled and physico-chemical water parameters were measured at nine sites along the Cetina River and at two sites on its tributary, the Ruda River. Samples were collected monthly from August 2004 to August 2005. A total of 60 069 individuals representing 49 taxa with 29 genera and 17 families were collected. According to the Redundancy Analysis (RDA), five of the ten environmental variables can significantly explain the species composition: water temperature, COD, pH, conductivity and water velocity. Of the abiotic ecological factors recorded, the combination of depth, temperature, pH, COD and dissolved oxygen showed the highest correlation with community composition patterns. At sites with the greatest anthropogenic influence the lowest diversity of caddisflies was recorded. In this research we concluded that caddisfly larvae are good indicators in assessing organic pressure and hydromorphological modifications. Knowledge of the caddisfly’s fauna and their distribution in the area of the Cetina River is important for effective and functional protection not only for the species, but also the karst habitat where caddisfly larvae live.