Stephy Publishers

 Basic Education of Nurses in the Republic of Croatia The aim of this paper is to analyse the existing secondary education programme for nurses in the Republic of Croatia. The analysis included a review of the Curriculum for the profession of General Care Nurse/General Care Medical Technician, available on the websites of the Ministries of Science, Education and Sports, and a review of scientific and professional publications in the field. The analysis extracted data on the objectives of education, duration of education, structure of the curriculum of the general education and vocational part, and staffing conditions for teachers. This paper contributes to the understanding of nursing education in the Republic of Croatia through an analysis of the current curriculum. The analysis identifies the advantages and disadvantages of the five-year educational model, which allows for a critical insight into its compliance with the professional requirements of healthcare and modern education...

  Defibrillation Vector Change in CPR A Systematic Review Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and early defibrillation are essential for managing cardiac arrest. Defibrillation, which interrupts chaotic myocardial electrical activity, has traditionally been performed using an automated external defibrillator (AED) with pads in the anterolateral position. However, in cases of refractory ventricular fibrillation (VF), the effectiveness of this technique may decrease, leading to the exploration of alternatives such as defibrillation vector change. This strategy aims to improve shock efficacy by redistributing the electric field and promoting synchronized myocardial depolarization. This study aims to analyze the scientific evidence on the impact of defibrillation vector change on rhythm conversion, return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), and survival in patients with cardiac arrest. A systematic review with a meta-analysis of studies published between 2020 and 2025 was conducted, inc...

 Petrophysics and Well Log Correlation of “FTP” Field Offshore Niger Delta One challenging thing about doing formation evaluation studies in clastic formation like the Niger Delta is accurately identifying and mapping the reservoir sands and their edges. This is also true when studying the offshore Niger Delta. The database comprised borehole logs from four wells. Gamma ray logs were used to map the lithology while thye hydrocarbon bearing reservoirs were identified with a mix of gamma ray and resistivity logs. Well-logged correlation was carried out using similarity in log signatures. Schlumberger software (PETRELTTM) was used for interpretation. The computation of petrophysical parameters such as net-to-gross volume, volume of shale, porosity, permeability, and hydrocarbon saturation was done using standard equations. The general lithology in the area is an alternation of sands and shales. Three reservoirs designated as R1, R2, and R3 extend across all the wells. Reservoir R1 is ...

 Perforation of Casing Strings in Oil and Gas Wells with a Polymer Solution Jet: Scientific and Practical Aspects The hydrodynamic behavior of water–polyethylene oxide (PEO) solutions under model flow conditions in hydroperforator jet-forming nozzles was investigated. Experimental results confirmed that, in the nozzle inlet region, PEO macromolecular coils can transition into a highly extended conformation. The ratio of the measured birefringence to its theoretical maximum reached 0.33, corresponding to approximately 60% uncoiling of macromolecular chains. The energy potential of high-velocity jets formed from water–PEO solutions was studied at various polymer concentrations and nozzle discssharge pressures. Evaluation was conducted based on the penetration depth of the jet into a model casing string of an oil and gas well, the cement sheath, and the surrounding rock formation. Additional assessment was performed by measuring the impact force of the jet on a metal target mounted on...

 Agroindustrial Waste: Importance and Applications in the Production of Microbial Enzymes The growing environmental concerns have intensified interest in renewable sources, promoting the use of agro-industrial residues as alternative substrates for the production of materials, chemicals, and bioenergy. Among these residues, cheese whey stands out due to its high content of lactose, proteins, and minerals, and is widely used in microbial fermentations to produce industrially relevant compounds such as enzymes. Likewise, lignocellulosic wastes like sugarcane bagasse have proven effective as carbon sources for cellulase production, while corn steep liquor has been employed as an inexpensive nitrogen source. Studies involving Bacillus licheniformis SMIA-2 have demonstrated its potential to produce enzymes such as proteases, avicelase, and carboxymethyl cellulase (CMCase) using agro-industrial residues, including passion fruit peel flour, cheese whey, and sugarcane bagasse supplemented ...

 The Role of Breeding in Increasing the Adaptation of Crops to Climate Change in Conditions of Tajikistan The article presents scientific results on the creation of new promising varieties of a number of agricultural crops, which are currently widely cultivated in the lands of farms in Tajikistan. Based on the analysis of the work of local and foreign breeders, it was found that in the future, such breeding methods as remote interspecific hybridization, mutagenesis and introduction will play an important role in the adaptation of agricultural crops to climate change. Due to the fact that global climate change causes an increase in air temperature, an increase in the level of soil salinity, a lack of moisture in the soil, an increase in the number of pests and plant diseases, etc., it is necessary to strengthen breeding and genetic research in the future. In this regard, the goal of our long-term breeding work was to obtain new intensive varieties of such important agricultural crop...

 Denied by Design: Navigating the Access to Workers’ Compensation Care in Chicago Workers’ compensation (WC) was introduced as a no-fault system to provide injured workers with timely access to medical treatment and compensation for lost wages. When the treating physicians submit a care request to the third party insurer, these requests are often subjected to a utilization review process. Utilization Review (UR) is the process of comparing an injured worker’s case to evidence-based clinical guidelines that outline national standards for a patient with similar symptoms as the one being reviewed. UR often results in a delay or denial of treatment and access to care. Analyzing these disparities can help improve patients' access to appropriate and necessary medical care. A retrospective case series was utilized to analyze existing treatment plans of multiple patients subjected to the UR process. Consent was obtained from an orthopedic private practice located in the Greater Chicago Are...