Carbon isotope fractionation in karst aquatic mosses.

Radiocarbon activity (aC) and C composition (C) were measured in hygrophyte and mesophyte (land) mosses collected in the natural habitat of the Plitvice Lakes and along the Zrmanja and Krupa Rivers (typical continental and Mediterranean climates, respectively), Croatia. aC and C values of mosses, of atmospheric CO and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) were compared with contemporary data and with data from 30 years ago at the Plitvice Lakes when C activity of atmospheric CO was ∼30% higher. A positive correlation between aC and C was observed for all data reflecting the change of carbon isotopic composition in DIC along the water flows and in atmospheric CO regardless of the climatic regions and historic period.

Stress-related changes to immune cells in the skin prior to wounding may impair subsequent healing.

Higher psychological stress is associated with slower dermal wound healing, but the immunological mechanisms behind this effect are only partially understood. This paper aims to investigate whether immune cells present in the skin prior to wounding can affect subsequent healing in high-stress and low-stress participants. Two studies are presented in which skin biopsies were analysed using immunohistochemistry for numbers of macrophages and Langerhans cells, and immune cell activation (Study 2 only).

Heavy metal contents in water, sediment and fish in a karst aquatic ecosystem of the Plitvice Lakes National Park (Croatia).

An evaluation of the quality status of the pristine karst, tufa depositing aquatic environment of the Plitvice Lakes National Park based on the analysis of heavy (ecotoxic) metals was examined for the first time. Analyses of trace metals in water, sediment and fish (Salmo trutta, Oncorhynchus mykiss, Squalius cephalus) samples were conducted either by stripping voltammetry (Zn, Cd, Pb and Cu) or cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry (Hg). The concentration of dissolved trace metals in water was very low revealing a pristine aquatic environment (averages were, in ng/L: 258 (Zn), 10.

[Influence of psychoneuroimmunologic factors on patients with malignant skin diseases].

It has been confirmed in research that immune system plays an important role in the development of some tumors, for example skin tumors. Different immune factors, such as NK cells, T cells, various interleukins and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), have a significant influence on the process of tumor development and appearance of metastasis. On the other hand, many studies have confirmed the influence of psychological factors on different aspects of the immune system, including the immune cells important in the process of tumor development, and it is supposed that psychological factors in this way subsequently influence tumour development.

Psychological status and coping with illness in patients with malignant melanoma.

Melanoma patients are subject to different degrees of psychosocial distress. The emotional impact of malignant melanoma can be long lasting and profound, with the most common reactions to melanoma being depression, anxiety and deterioration in quality of life. Coping styles have been shown to have a significant influence on patients' quality of life and their emotional reaction to the illness.