FER - Naslovnica

Eating out: Habits, Determinants and Recommendations for Consumers and European Catering Sector

Pucarin-Cvetković, Jasna — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 10:51:26 GMT

Faculty: MF - Medicinski fakultet
Cro partner: Pucarin-Cvetković, Jasna

Description:

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Electrical Neuronal Oscillations and Cognition

Neven HENIGSBERG — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 10:57:47 GMT

Faculty: MF - Medicinski fakultet
Cro partner: Neven HENIGSBERG

Description:

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Crime as a Cultural Problem. The Relevance of Perceptions of Corruption to Crime Prevention. A Comparative Cultural Study in the EU-Accession States, the EU-Candidate States and in the EU-States D, GR and UK

Štulhofer, Aleksandar — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 11:01:24 GMT

Faculty: FF - Filozofski fakultet
Cro partner: Štulhofer, Aleksandar

Description:
Međunarodni konzorcij znanstvenika koji koordinira Sveučilište Konstanz, Njemačka (voditelj i odgovorni istraživač je profesor Hans-Georg Soeffner) provodi istraživanje koje se realizira u okviru šestog Programa Europskog Vijeća a na temu "Kriminal kao kulturni problem-značaj percepcije korupcije za sprečavanje kriminala: komparativna analiza zemalja Europske zajednice» (Bugarska, Rumunjska, Hrvatska, Turska, Njemačka, Grčka i Velika Britanija). Istraživanje realizira grupa znanstvenika iz nekoliko sveučilišnih centara iz navedenih zemalja (Sveučilište u Tübingenu, Njemačka, Centar za liberalne studije iz Sofije, Institut za proučavanje kvalitete življenja iz Bukurešta, Sveučilište Galatasaray u Istanbulu, Sveučilište u Zagrebu, Sveučilište za javnu upravu i Sveučilište Panteion iz Atene te Sveučilište u Oxfordu, Centar za jugoistočne europske studije /SEESOX/). Projekt je usmjeren poboljšanju borbe protiv korupcije i sprečavanju kriminala u Europskoj uniji i zemljama pristupnicama. Projekt se temelji na ideji da postoji povezanost između postojećih kulturnih obrazaca percepcije kriminaliteta te utjecaja na ponašanje i prosudbu građana o tome kako je prevencija kriminaliteta organizirana u svakoj od zemalja u kojoj se istraživanje provodi. Pretpostavlja se da navedeni kulturni obrasci imaju značajnu ulogu u određivanju primjene različitih mjera i njihove uspješnosti u sprečavanju korupcije. Na žalost, «kulturni značaj» korupcije još uvijek nije dovoljno integriran u postojeće programe i mjere prevencije korupcije. Upravo se na taj nedostatak ovo istraživanje namjerava usmjeriti. Uz to, projekt će doprinijeti i unaprijediti znanstvenu raspravu o navedenom fenomenu te će na taj način ostvariti i značajne praktične ciljeve. Inicirat će se, primjerice, dijalog između znanstvenika i eksperata u želji da se razvije i unaprijedi pristup borbi protiv korupcije. U prvoj fazi realizacije projekta analizirat će se različiti dokumenti vezani uz aspekte korupcije (dokumenti o prevenciji kriminaliteta u EU kao i nacionalni programi borbe protiv korupcije, sudske presude, transkripti ispitivanja, novinsko izvještavanje o slučajevima, izvještavanje i stavovi nevladinih udruga i udruženja gospodarstvenika). U drugoj fazi provest će se intervjui s ekspertima koji se bave prevencijom korupcije (policija, javni tužitelji, suci, predstavnici nevladinih udruga, predstavnici Europske zajednice i hrvatski stručnjaci, predstavnici medija i trgovačkih udruženja) o njihovim iskustvima u vezi s prevencijom i borbom protiv korupcije. U trećoj fazi realizacije projekta provest će se kritička analiza slabosti i snage postojećih nacionalnih antikorupcijskih programa što će poslužiti za međusobnu usporedbu stanja među zemljama uključenima u projekt. Odsjek za sociologiju Filozofskog fakulteta Sveučilišta u Zagrebu hrvatski je partner u istraživačkom konzorciju. Hrvatsku dionicu projekta vode prof. dr. sc. Aleksandar Štulhofer, prof. dr. sc. Ognjen Čaldarović i doc. dr. sc. Krešimir Kufrin.

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Welfare and Values in Europe: transitions related to religion, minorities and gender

Siniša Zrinščak — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 11:05:55 GMT

Faculty: PF - Pravni fakultet
Cro partner: Siniša Zrinščak

Description:
This project aims to generate new insight into the religious, minority and gendered values, which influence social cohesion and social change in European society. Innovative in scope and methodology, this study captures a set of complex relations between religion, minorities and gender, because it is at the juncture of these three domains that some of the sharpest transitions in value systems are taking place in Europe. WAVE is predicated on the assumption that intangible concepts such as 'cultural identities' and 'values' are understood best through the ways in which they are expressed and developed in practice. It thus examines the interaction of diverse value systems through the prism of welfare. Who provides what to whom, and for what reasons, are critical markers of the values of a given community as are who demands what and for what reasons. WAVE will entail in-depth qualitative research in medium-sized towns in twelve European countries. By examining social interaction in the domain of provision of basic needs, WAVE aims to: a. assess the impact of religion in societies across Europe as a bearer of values of solidarity and social cohesion, or as a source of tension and exclusion; b. to study the values expressed by minority groups and the extent to which minorities are perceived to challenge the values and cultural identities of the local majorities (and vice versa); and c. to examine whether there are particular elements of tension or cohesion embedded in values relating to gender and to the rights and needs associated with women and with men. WAVE will suggest best practices of tolerance and social cohesion through the systematic comparison of case studies covering a broad range of majority religions, minority situations, and gender regimes. The project will incorporate close interaction with stakeholders in a process of informing citizens about EU objectives related to the research as well as transmitting their views on local policies to the EU.

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Developing the EU Biodiversity Research Strategy

Nikolić, Toni — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 11:09:12 GMT

Faculty: PMF - Prirodoslovno-matematički fakultet
Cro partner: Nikolić, Toni

Description:
The main objective of BIOSTRAT is to support the further development of a European Biodiversity Research Strategy. Such Research Strategy brings together ideas on research priorities in fundamental and applied sciences to address critical gaps in knowledge on the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. This Strategy is intended to support the decision-making process regarding biodiversity-related research at both the European scale and in individual EU Member States by linking existing structures. Rather than developing new structures BIOSTRAT will provide specific support to EPBRS (European Platform for Biodiversity Research Strategy), which provides a representative forum for researchers, science and environmental policy makers, and National Biodiversity Platforms. At the same time BIOSTRAT will ensure that other European and international efforts to develop research strategies in different fields of biodiversity research are linked to the development of a European Research Strategy through the EPBRS forum. BIOSTRAT will, therefore, support other international initiatives to link their efforts to the European Biodiversity Research Strategy. The overall objective will be achieved by: • Supporting the European Platform for Biodiversity Research Strategy (EPBRS) to develop and continually revise the EU Biodiversity Research Strategy • Including the results of existing and ongoing biodiversity research projects in the development of the EU Biodiversity Research Strategy. • Linking the EU Biodiversity Research Strategy to the national, European and international funding programmes, especially the ERA-Nets related to biodiversity issues • Incorporating GEOSS objectives in the EU Biodiversity Research Strategy • Linking EU Biodiversity Research Strategy with international initiatives including the multi-stakeholder consultative process of the Paris Conference, the Millennium Ecosystem assessment, the 2010 target, ESRI, GTI, GBIF, CBD, and DIVERSITAS.

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CO2, from Capture to Storage

Saftić, Bruno — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 11:12:22 GMT

Faculty: RGN - Rudarsko-geološko-naftni fakultet
Cro partner: Saftić, Bruno

Description:
Nastavak europskog projekta GESTCO (FP5) dio je projekta CASTOR (CASTOR WP1.2 "Geological storage options for CO_2 reduction) i ima za cilj istražiti mogućnosti za podzemno odlaganje CO_2 u osam srednjoeuropskih zemalja i te podatke integrirati u zajednički europski GIS sustav te tako stvoriti podlogu za odlučivanje - usmjeravanje daljnjih istraživanja, optimiranje i na kraju prilagođavanje europske proizvodnje energije na "čisto" iskorištavanje fosilnih goriva.

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NUCLEOFUGIE-SKALEN

Kronja, Olga — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 11:27:32 GMT

Faculty: FBF - Farmaceutsko-biokemijski fakultet
Cro partner: Kronja, Olga

Description:
We suggest Equation log k = s(f)[N(f)+E(f)] in which the nucleofuge-specific parameters N(f) and s(f) refer to combinations of leaving groups and solvents, the same way that the nucleophile-specific parameters N and s are defined for anions and amines with respect to a certain solvent. Electrofugality E(f), like electrophilicity E, is characterized by a single parameter. Furthermore,the same benzhydrylium ions that were previously employed as reference electro- philes are now employed as reference electrofuges,which allows us to relate electrophilicity and electrofugality scales with each other in a simple way.

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BIOMIMETIC REARRANGEMENTS IN CARBOCATIONS

Olga Kronja — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 11:36:27 GMT

Faculty: FBF - Farmaceutsko-biokemijski fakultet
Cro partner: Olga Kronja

Description:
We propose to observe the rearrangement processes important in biosynthesis of steroids and triterpenoids directly by means of NMR, by monitoring the stable superacid solutions of model carbocations which structures are related to the carbocations having steroid structure. We also plan to carry out quantum chemical calculations on the model cation and natural cations themselves, in order to obtain details about the energy minimum structures, and also to simulate the rearrangement processes by locating the transition structures. Analysis of the rearrangement processes of the parent alcohols or chlorides in aqueous or nonpolar solvents will also be carried out, in order to determine the influence of the nucleophilicity of the solvent on the rearrangement pathway.

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Glycosylation and Human Lectins in Rheumatoid Disease

Lauc, Gordan — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 12:00:09 GMT

Faculty: FBF - Farmaceutsko-biokemijski fakultet
Cro partner: Lauc, Gordan

Description:
Long term objective of this project is to understand changes in glycoconjugates and their interactions with lectin receptors in rheumatoid, and other diseases. Rheumatoid diseases are known to be associated with changes in oligosaccharide structures, but very little is know about effects of these changes on the interaction between glycoconjugates and their lectin receptors. One of the main problems is the lack of adequate methods for the analysis of lectin activity in complex biological samples, and we shall focus significant efforts to development and improvement of these methods. A novel set of compounds, named glycoprobes, will be used to identify and purify lectins that bind to specific carbohydrate structures. Individual lectins will be characterized by MALDI-MS, and their identity determined by peptide mapping. We hope that the information about changes in the activity of lectins in rheumatoid diseases will, in the long run, help identify future targets for more specific therapy of rheumatoid diseases. This research will be done primarily in Croatia as an extension of NIH grant # R01 DK09970

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Protein-carbohydrate interactions in cell communication

Lauc, Gordan — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 12:03:18 GMT

Faculty: FBF - Farmaceutsko-biokemijski fakultet
Cro partner: Lauc, Gordan

Description:
Protein-carbohydrate interactions, now recognized to be important mediators of cell communication, are the focus of the Consortium for Functional Glycomics (CFG), which has brought together seven Core facilities and a large international and multi-disciplinary group of Participating Investigators (PIs) with the common goal of elucidating paradigms by which glycan-binding proteins (GBPs) and their cognate carbohydrate ligands mediate cell communication. To accomplish its goals, the CFG has created unique tools needed to develop a global understanding of how identifiable patterns of glycan structures are created, how these patterns confer upon individual cells and glycoproteins signatures that are recognized by GBPs, and how these processes lead to responses impacting diverse biological systems from development to immunity. Unique tools created by the CFG include a glycan microarray for screening GBP specificity, a glyco-gene microarray for surveying expression of GBP and glycosyltransferase (GT) genes, a library of carbohydrate compounds for probing GBP function, and transgenic mouse strains with ablated GT or GBP genes. In addition, the CFG's Analytical Glycotechnology Core (C) is preparing glycan profiles from selected human and murine tissues and purified cell populations as part of a focused glycomics effort to establish the natural glycan structures recognized by GBPs, and the Mouse Phenotype Core (G) performs comprehensive phenotypic analyses of transgenic mouse strains of interest to the program. All resources are made available free of charge to the PIs and other investigators in the scientific community upon request. The roles of protein-carbohydrate interactions in aspects of innate and acquired immunity, including C-type lectins, siglecs and the CD1 T-cell receptor in dendritic cells, macrophages, natural killer cells and other leukocytes, are being explored, as are aspects of cell signaling mediated by galectins, siglecs and C-type lectins in various cell types. The scope of the program also includes microbial GBPs that mediate attachment to mammalian host cells. Construction of a specialized pathogen array will allow the identification of GBPs that bind to pathogen carbohydrate structures. Diverse data sets generated by the program are deposited into a relational database. Three specialty databases have also been created which provide an independent way of accessing CFG data, as well as seamlessly integrating a large amount of publicly-available information. Program data are highly integrated and readily accessed through user-friendly interfaces, presenting the field of glycobiology with a new way of looking at the overall complexity of glycans in the context of the functions mediated by GBPs.

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