Coast Of Croatia Research Articles

Дрок испанский (Spartium junceum L.) в традиционной культуре контактных зон Адриатического и Ионического побережья Балкан

The paper deals with the special status of broom in the Balkans and its practice in different contact areas of the peninsula. It is a symbolic plant on the Adriatic coast of Croatia (Zadar), with a sacred status for the local Albanians (Arbënesh). It plays an extremely great role as a ritual plant during the celebration of Holy Virgin from Loreto. That’s what separates Arbnesh from their neighbor Croatians, who take it only for pragmatic use — weaving and manufacturing rough textile. On the Ionic coast (in Labёria, Albania) broom is used for weaving and spinning of coarse fabric. But ideal local conditions helped the Albanians to produce specific thin broom fabric. And finally, in the Albanian-Greek contact zone of Himara which is situated in the best enabling climate environment, there is lack of serious attention to broom — its role is quite insignificant. The authors analyze the mechanisms of the introduction of the plant, which is important for the traditions, into the cultural codes of the Balkan peoples, consider all local Balkan phytonyms, which makes it possible to interpret anthropological facts through linguistic material. The research is based on long-term field observations conducted in 2008—2019, as well as on the analysis of ethnological, folklore and historical materials. The historical approach makes it possible to reveal the fundamental laws of the genesis of cultural memory and the evolution of ethnic identity.

FOCUSED-Short-Term Wind Speed Forecast Correction Algorithm Based on Successive NWP Forecasts for Use in Traffic Control Decision Support Systems.

In this paper, we propose a new algorithm, called FOCUSED (FOrecast Correction Using Successive prEDictions), for forecast correction of short-term wind speed predictions. We developed FOCUSED with the aim of improving the forecast of bora gusts, which frequently result in high-speed wind situations dangerous for traffic. The motivation arises from occasionally ambiguous results of the currently deployed decision support system, which aids traffic management in strong and gusty wind conditions at the coast of Croatia. The proposed correction algorithm uses characteristics of numerical weather prediction models to iteratively forecast the wind speed multiple times for the same future window. We use these iterative predictions as input features of the FOCUSED algorithm and get the corrected predictions as the output. We compared the proposed algorithm with artificial neural networks, random forests, support vector machines, and linear regression to demonstrate the superiority of the algorithm’s performance on a data set comprising five years of real data measurements at the Croatian bridge “Krk” and complementary historical forecasts by ALADIN (Aire Limitée Adaptation dynamique Développement InterNational) numerical weather prediction model.

Ion-exchange chromatography as a tool for investigating vanadium speciation in sediments: preliminary studies

We conducted this investigation in order to develop a simple method for the determination of bioavailable vanadium and its speciation within sediments. The developed method is based on the determination of acid-extractable vanadium, as this fraction is presumably bioavailable, and its subsequent speciation using IC–UV/Vis (ionic chromatography with an ultraviolet-visible detector). A published procedure for vanadium speciation in pore water was further optimized in order to separate V(IV) and V(V) species using column EDTA derivatization on sediment samples. The analytical approach was applied in order to assess acid-extractable vanadium and its speciation within estuary sediments of the Krka River at the Dalmatian coast of Croatia. The results imply that the majority of vanadium within estuary sediments is in the form of less soluble fraction while the acid-extractable fraction comprises approximately 40% of the total vanadium present. In contrast, open sea sediment (station K4) was completely dominated by the acid-extractable vanadium. The extracted vanadium is in the form of V (IV). Ion-exchange chromatography with an UV/Vis detector is a promising analytical method for vanadium speciation, however, further optimization of the conditions (improvement of the sequential extraction procedure) is needed in order to assess speciation also within other vanadium sedimentary fractions.

An energy-efficient path planning algorithm for unmanned surface vehicles

The sea current state affects the energy consumption of Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs) significantly and the path planning approach plays an important role in determining how long the USV can travel. To improve the endurance of the USV, an energy efficient path planning approach for computing feasible paths for USVs that takes the energy consumption into account based on sea current data is proposed. The approach also ensures that the USV remains at a user-configurable safety distance away from all islands and coastlines. In the proposed approach, Voronoi diagram, Visibility graph, Dijkstra's search and energy consumption function are combined, which allows USVs to avoid obstacles while at the same time using minimum amount of energy. The Voronoi-Visibility (VV) energy-efficient path and the corresponding shortest path were simulated and compared for ten missions in Singapore Strait and five missions for islands off the coast of Croatia. Impact of parameters such as mission time, the USV speed and sea current state on the results were analysed. It is shown that the proposed VV algorithm improves the quality of the Voronoi energy efficient path while keeping the same level of computational efficiency as that of the Voronoi energy efficient path planning algorithm.

The resort areas of the Adriatic Coast of Croatia: the peculiarities of the development of tourism in the region

The article is devoted to the investigation of the resort potential of the Adriatic coast of Croatia. Tourism is one of the main branches of Croatia’s economy which contributes the most part of the profits to this country’s budget. Among the most popular types of tourism is tourism in order to relax and get new impressions. And the government of Croatia, and business-structures as well, demonstrated the ability of using the tourist potential of the country very effectively. This experience can become very useful for many states of the world. The subject of the investigation is the resort areas of the Adriatic coast of Croatia. The goal of the article is to analyze the peculiarities of the development of tourism of the Adriatic coast. To achieve this goal the author raises the following tasks: to reveal the reasons of the transformation of the Adriatic coast into the main resort region of Croatia; to determine the specificity of the tourism development in this region; to point out the role and place of tourism branch in the country’s economy. In this investigation the following scientific methods are used: the analysis, the synthesis, the induction, the deduction. The results of the investigation enable the author to arrive at the following conclusions. The key role in the transformation of the Adriatic coast into the main resort area of Croatia was played by its high tourism and recreational potential. In the course of tourism development the rich historical and cultural heritage is effectively used, as well as natural virgin land fund of this region. The features of the development of tourism in the region are revealed. Identified trends in the development of tourist business in Croatia. The peculiarity of the tourism development of the Adriatic coast is the opportunity of uniting several kinds of tourism. The main stream of tourists to Croatia consist, first of all, of tourists from the EU countries and from the North America states. The profits from tourism amount about 25 per cent of the GDP of the country.

First occurrence of Caprella scaura Templeton, 1836 (Crustacea: Amphipoda) on off-coast fish farm cages in the Mediterranean Sea

The non-indigenous caprellid Caprella scaura Templeton, 1836, native to the western Indian Ocean, was firstly recorded in the Mediterranean Sea in 1994, and all Mediterranean populations discovered to date are related to shoreline areas. A total of ten fish farms were sampled off the coasts of Spain (4), Italy (1), Croatia (2), Greece (1) and Malta (2). This is the first time that C. scaura has been reported from off-coast areas. Reproducing populations have been detected in fouling communities of three tuna farms off the coast of Croatia and Malta, which also signifies the first confirmed record of this species in both countries. The occurrence of successfully established and thriving populations of C. scaura Templeton, 1836 at floating off-coast fish farms underlines the importance of these structures as stepping stones in the species.

ICT, IMC, and Brand Equity in High-Quality Hotels of Dalmatia: An Analysis From Guest Perceptions

The concept of integrated marketing communications (IMC) has received considerable attention in the marketing literature over the past decade. Boosted by advancements in information and communication technology (ICT), IMC is starting to be considered as an element that contributes to creation of brand equity. This research studies, in greater detail, the IMC, ICT, and brand-equity concepts in the hotel sector, while adopting a consumer-centric approach. In particular, it intends to describe the relationships that exist between these variables through the causal model of investigation. A total of 101 guests were interviewed in 13 hotels in Dalmatia, the largest region on the coast of Croatia. The analysis of guest perceptions, using the partial least square technique, confirms a positive influence of ICT on IMC implementation as well as a positive impact of IMC on dimensions of hotel brand equity: (a) brand image, (b) perceived quality, and (c) brand loyalty.

Composition, Technology of Manufacture, and Circulation of Hellenistic Pottery from the Eastern Adriatic: A Case Study of Three Archaeological Sites along the Dalmatian Coast, Croatia

Archaeological excavations in Dalmatia have yielded a large amount of Hellenistic pottery that has yet to be archaeometrically analyzed. Stylistic analyses suggest that some vessels were imported, but the bulk of the material must have been produced locally. Our objectives are to demonstrate local ceramic production in both Greek colonies and native settlements in Dalmatia, and also to report on the composition and manufacture technology associated with this pottery. We examine 36 Hellenistic potsherds recovered from the coast of Croatia: a sanctuary on Cape Ploča, the native settlement of Resnik, and the Greek colony Issa. For the first time, archaeometric evidence supporting local production in Resnik is presented, while two local manufacturing centers are proposed for the bulk of the Cape Ploča pottery. The term Dalmatian production is suggested here to describe these indigenous ceramics. Material characteristics of the Issa samples suggest local colonial production and sophisticated ceramic technology.

Integrated marketing communications and information and communication technology in the hotel sector: An analysis of their use and development in Dalmatian first-class and luxury hotels

The concept of integrated marketing communications (IMC) has been recognized as a key factor in the marketing literature. Boosted by advancements in information and communication technology (ICT), IMC has received considerable attention during the past decade. The purpose of this research is to study in greater detail the IMC and ICT concepts in the tourism sector, specifically in hotels. The empirical study was conducted in 17 high-class hotels in Dalmatia, the largest region on the coast of Croatia. Descriptive statistics analysis showed a high degree of IMC and ICT implementation in Dalmatian first-class and luxury hotels. Moreover, the ICT application increased with the hotel category, whereas the IMC implementation decreased. The findings are expected to provide useful information to hotel managers regarding the degree of IMC and ICT adoption, in order to provide new management possibilities and gain competitive advantages.

Autonomy will not be given, it must be created!

This text, by the Pulska Grupa group of activists, describes the socio-political and community conditions in Pola on the Adriactic coast of Croatia. Its objective is to grasp specific local transformations in a very broad geo-political context. The temporary reuse methods and projects initiated by associations, artists, architects and activists in some of the abandoned spaces in the huge military naval arsenal, such as the Casoni Vecchi fort, the Karlo Rojc barracks, the former sheds, the military warehouses and the buildings on the Katarina-Monumenti Island area are exemplary of a new model for the self-management of space, the ‘komunal'. Those of the Pulska Grupa use this term from Istrian dialect to mean ‘common land', belonging to the commons, not governed by the state and given to the community as land for experimenting with local activities, dreams and desires.

La Biblioteca Ambrosiana tra Roma, Milano e l'Europa: Federico Borromeo Fondatore della Biblioteca Ambrosiana. Atti delle giornate di studio 25-27 novembre 2004 (review)

La Biblioteca Ambrosiana tra Roma, Milano e l'Europa: Federico Borromeo Fondatore della Biblioteca Ambrosiana. Atti delle giornate di studio 25-27 novembre 2004. Edited by Franco Buzzi and Roberta Ferro [Studia Borromaica. Saggi e documenti di storia religiosa e civile della prima eta moderna, 19] (Milan: Biblioteca Ambrosiana. 2005. Pp. 590. euro30.00 paperback.) This volume with different contributions not only on the Biblioteca Ambriosana and its foundation and development, but also on some of the most important European libraries, shows more than their history and their transformation up to the present time, it also depicts their cultural responsibility as protectors of humanity, art, and science and also of the exchange of ideas. Modern technology offers a new way into the future by the application of new technology and electronic information resources, such as CD-ROM editions or the internet. Three groups of themes have been discussed at this conference: the concept of the humanistic libraries in Europe and their organization, the foundation of the Ambrosiana, and the presentation of some libraries and their function in the papers of their directors. The praise of books of the English bishop Richard of Aungervly (Philobiblon sive de amore librorum) points the way forward for the humanists with their collections and shows at the same time the value and the beauty of books. This beauty was lost during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, when the book became a part of the architecture of the reading-room with its desks. The ideal of the classical library as a representative not only of the service of the knowledge but also of beauty and as an expression of the cultural sensibility too had been renewed in the rococo period in the Catholic areas, specially in Rome and that of the Empire. Humanists like Petrarca condemned the pure collectionism of some nobles. As bibliophiles their own collections were open to their friends and all scholars, a practice that preceded that of the public libraries, the first of which was opened in Rome in 1595 by Angelo Rocco who wanted the Angelica open to all interested people. Printing offered a greater opportunity for acquiring books to learned laymen such as Pico della Mirandola and Gian Vincenzo Pinelli, whose collection later on was purchased by Cardinal Federico Borromeo. A network of intellectuals all over Europe was created through this collecting of books by changing information about books and catalogues of different collections. The French king Francis I intended to establish a library for scholars. On the one hand he bought or ordered copies of manuscripts and on the other hand the printer Robert Estienne prepared an edition of classical texts using the royal manuscripts.The Jesuits adapted for their library concept the program of Roman humanism, but they placed emphasis on the theories of the Counter-Reformation and on the anti-Gallicanism of Antonio Possevino (Bibliotheca selecta).The political situation in Germany caused the emergence of small collections by princes, sometimes also influenced by scholars of the university founded by them, such as the Bibliotheca Palatina of Heidelberg. The library situation in the Balkans is characterized by the Turkish war and occupation, except for some towns on the Adriatic coast of Croatia. During this period most monasteries had been destroyed, including their books. The whole coast was a part of the dominion of Venice and stood under its cultural influence. Scholars and bibliophiles acquired their books mainly in Venice. There were ecclesiastical collectors, as the bishop Juraj Kruzic, who had about 2,000 volumes accessible to everybody, which was to be given after his death half to the Franciscans and half to the Dominicans. There were also lay patrons, such as the orientalist Ivan Pastric, who stayed for many years in Rome, and whose books ended up in the archiepiscopal seminary of Spalato. The first library of modern times was the Escorial, founded by Philip II, with all books accessible to everybody and with its alphabetic catalogues and some subject catalogues too at its entrance. …

Pula, Croatia: Balkans' Summer Music Camp

The Balkans' Summer Music Camp was first established in 1995. Nigel Osborne's initiative was to address the needs of children who had been victims of trauma caught in conflict and warlocked zones in the former Yugoslavia. Through a professional exchange with Nigel Osborne last year at the Cambridge Music Conference, my sister Catherine Carmack (12.10.57–12.12.03) decided to work as a volunteer at the camp this summer. Owing to her untimely death I went in her place, to observe the creative and curative process of the children's development. About 35 children from the Special School of Mostar, Bosnia Herzegovina came to the Adriatic for a week's vacation on the coast of Croatia. Most of these children live in an orphanage in Mostar, but are receiving music therapy through the Pavarotti Music Centre. Although most of the children were attended by carers, a few of the children were accompanied by their mothers. Many of the children are primarily suffering from exposure to violence and remain traumatized. Some of them have special needs including Down's Syndrome; two were marginally disabled with cerebral palsy.

Solitary waves in the gulf of quarnaro revealed by LANDSAT thematic mapper

The propagation of solitary wave trains in the Adriatic Sea is studied by means of LANDSAT Thematic-Mapper images. The baroclinic Rossby radius of deformation has been estimated from the width of a baroclinic current observed along the coast of Croatia using AVHRR data. The phase speed of the linear internal waves has been consequently estimated and the compatibility of the Kortweg-de Vries equations with experimental data has been tested. Satellite-derived wave parameters are in good agreement with a plane-bottom, shallow-water solitary-wave model.