In this article we examine the real and financial effects of public credit guarantees issued to SMEs in different regions in Croatia. Credit guarantee schemes are aimed at increasing lending to SMEs and are widely spread around the world. However, the evaluation of their efficiency is lagging behind and existing empirical evidence on the impact of state guarantees and other forms of government interventions in the credit market is mixed. Hence in this article we are investigating the impact of public credit guarantees on company development. Analysis is conducted using data on credit guarantees that the Croatian Agency for SMEs, Innovations and Investments (HAMAG-BICRO) gives to the SME sector, as well as data on company financials and demographics. Results show that companies that received public credit guarantees indeed have better performance than similar companies that did not get guarantees. Still, the difference in performance is not visible immediately, but only after several years (depending on the indicator used).
Following independence, several southern African states established modern institutions in communal areas to manage human-wildlife relations and land tenure. These reforms were layered over existing customary governance systems, creating overlapping jurisdiction and contested authority. This study analyzes how such institutional arrangements produce governance conflicts within Namibia’s communal conservancies, where management committees and communal land boards have been introduced to manage wildlife and land in territories still under traditional authorities. The study presents evidence of institutional interactions, land use patterns, and the distribution of conservancy benefits which were obtained during field work in 2023 and 2024. We (1) collected qualitative data through interviews with conservancies stakeholders, management committees, and members of supporting institutions; (2) facilitated participatory mapping at both conservancy and village levels; and (3) reviewed regional databases of customary land rights and conservancy records. Findings reveal a form of institutional bricolage characterized by discordant institutional multiplicity shaped by competing values and logics. This produces conflicts in three domains: (1) land use and zoning, (2) management and distribution of conservancy revenues, and (3) shifting values and principles of communal land rights allocation. Conflicts emerge when governance decisions only follow the norms and values of modern systems while marginalizing customary values. Excluding traditional authorities from governance processes such as corridor planning, community conceptualization, and land allocation provokes resistance in defense of their values and legitimacy. We conclude that effective land-use governance in communal settings requires policy frameworks that recognize and integrate the values of both governance systems alike, rather than promoting the dominance of one over the other.
Introduction: Hyperphosphatemia, vitamin D deficiency, and chronic inflammation contribute to cardiovascular risk in hemodialysis patients. Sucroferric oxyhydroxide (SFO) effectively lowers serum phosphate, but its effects on inflammation, vitamin D status, and Klotho (KL) expression remain unclear.Methods: This prospective observational study included 42 hemodialysis patients switched to SFO after a two-week washout from previous phosphate binders and followed for six months. An exploratory subgroup (n = 18) underwent extended assessment of cytokines and leukocyte KL gene expression. Biochemical markers, inflammatory indices, cytokines, and gene expression were measured at baseline and six months.Results: SFO significantly reduced serum phosphate (−27.5%) and intact parathyroid hormone (−38.3%), while increasing 25(OH)D₃ concentrations by 42.7%. Hematologic inflammatory indices improved (neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio −44.5%; platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio −18.9%), whereas C-reactive protein and cytokine levels remained unchanged. Leukocyte KL expression declined despite biochemical improvement. Higher 25(OH)D₃ concentrations were independently associated with lower inflammatory indices.Conclusions: SFO improves phosphate control, vitamin D status, and hematologic inflammatory indices in hemodialysis patients, although persistent KL suppression indicates ongoing molecular dysregulation. Integrative strategies addressing phosphate, vitamin D, and Klotho pathways warrant further investigation.
Ocean Reanalyses Workshop of the European Copernicus Marine Service What: Gather together ocean reanalyses users and producers to identify users' needs of ocean reanalyses and design the strategy to improve ocean reanalyses to fulfill users' needs When: 10-12 October 2023 Where: Toulouse, France, and online
Cervical cancer remains a major global health concern, with a specially alarming incidence in younger women. Traditional detection techniques such as the Pap smear and colposcopy often lack sensitivity and specificity and are highly dependent on the experience of the gynaecologist. In response, this study proposes the use of Hyperspectral Imaging, a pioneering technology that combines traditional imaging with spectroscopy to provide detailed spatial and spectral information. Over a period of six-months, our custom-designed hyperspectral colposcope was used on 62 patients. The gathered data underwent a specialized preprocessing workflow using a PCA-based strategy for unsupervised segmentation of the cervical region. This process extracted spectral signatures from various tissue types, and our subsequent statistical analysis highlighted its ability to detect differences and alterations in the cervical tissue. This offers a promising avenue for improving the precision of cervical lesion diagnosis.
