Croatia: Bio-diesel Production Starts

15:19 - 15 May 2006 - Countries of the European Union must replace by the year 2020 a total of 20 percent of traditional fuels with bio-fuels (bio-diesel, bio-ethanol, bio-gas, bio-hydrogen, etc.). This also represents an obligation for all EU candidates, including Croatia, 'CT' reports.

By the year 2005, bio-fuels should have participated in EU with at least two percent in overall fuel sales, reaching in each member-state by the year 2010 as much as 5,75 percent.
Croatian Government's Decree on quality of bio-fuels introduces liability for Croatia to introduce 5,75% of bio-fuel in overall consumption of fuel in Croatia by the end of 2010.  At this time, there is only one facility for production of bio-diesel in Croatia, located in Ozalj, with a capacity of 30.000 tonnes. The owner of this facility Vlado Rozic stated that production would be initiated on Monday, while manufactured bio-diesel would be exported to Austria and Italy.
Zagreb-based company Ekonerg – Institute for Energy and Environment Protection is currently conducting a project dubbed "Introduction of bio-diesel in Zagreb public transportation", said head of this project Snjezana Fijan-Parlov.
Feasibility study will be completed at the end of this month, when it would be revised by experts from Austria.
Researches have shown that the city of Zagreb annually "produces" more than 1,400.000 litres of scrap edible oil in the city's hotels, restaurants and other facilities, along with 1,600.000 litres from households.
The quantity of bio-diesel manufactured from such scrap edible oil is sufficient for 80 city buses per year.
Remaining necessary quantity of scrap edible oil for production of bio-diesel would be extracted from oil seed rape.
At this time, edible oil producer IPK Cepin and INA expressed interest in production of bio-diesel.

Source: Croatia Today.

http://www.reporter.gr/fulltext_eng.cfm?id=60515151926
 

'Ruke koje vide' nude ljepotu
Udruga slijepih i moda - rukom pod ruku
 

Rijeka (ots) - Mlada rijecka modna kreatorica Maja Vizjak ovihce dana u sklopu projekta 'Ruke koje vide' Hrvatske udruge prijatelja bijelog stapa HOMER iz Rijeke, poceti s odrzavanjem radionica modnog redizajna ukljucivanjem slijepih i slabovidnih u sve one radnje koji oni mogu obaviti i tako od neceg starog, nemodernog napraviti neki novi model ili neki novi proizvod kojice rado ponijeti svatko tko ih prepozna kao novostvorenu ljepotu.
 Inace, Maja Vizjak se svojim dvjema kolekcijama predstavila prosloga tjedna posjetiteljima Opium Buddha bara u Rijeci. Njezini povijesni kostimi te spavaĂŚice i donje rublje predstavljeni su uz unikatni nakit izraĂ°en u radionici 'Ruke koje vide' cime se zeli potaknuti mlade ljude osteĂŚena vida na rad rukama u funkciji mnogih vjestina svakodnevnog zivljenja.
 Maja Vizjak pozeljela je bas nakit iz radionice 'Ruke koje vide' i tako dokazala kako samo zajednistvo onih koji vide i onih koji ne vide ili vide slabo mogu dati vrlo vrijedne rezultate u socijalnoj integraciji i stvaranju jednakih sansi svakom pojedincu u nasem drustvu.
 
 NAPOMENA O IZVORU:
 HOMER - Hrvatska udruga prijatelja bijelog stapa
 Jelacicev trg 1
51000 Rijeka
tel/fax: 051 / 211-607
tel: 051 / 211-633
mobi: 091 / 211 60 77 ili 098 / 929 22 28
web: www.homer.hr
e-mail: homer@homer.hr
 

Dutch-grown tulips named after Janica Kostelic

Croatia's alpine skiing champion Janica Kostelic smells a brand new variety of Dutch-grown tulips named after her at a ceremony in Zagreb April 27,2006. A Dutch tulip grower named the red tulips Janica Kostelic in honour of the World Cup winner and Olympic champion. REUTERS/Nikola Solic

Medical Faculty Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Frankfurt

Press release from the Institute of Biochemistry II

April 5th, 2006

Professor Ivan Dikic receives the Scientific Award

from GlaxoSmithKline Foundation



 

Professor Ivan Dikic receives the Scientific Award from GlaxoSmithKline Foundation and the Binder Innovation Prize from German Society for Cell Biology.  The jury of the GlaxoSmithKline Foundation awarded Professor Ivan Dikic with the scientific award in medical basic research 2006. The prize will be awarded on July 11th at the ceremony in Munich. In addition, the German Society for Cell Biology
awarded the annual Binder Innovation prize 2006 to Dr. Ivan DIkic on it annual meeting held on March 31, 2006 in Braunschweig, Germany.

Professor Dikic (39) is heading the molecular signaling research group of the Institute of Biochemistry II at Frankfurt University Hospital. His team studies signaling pathways that control cell growth and differentiation and the reasons why they are deregulated in diseases such as cancer. Crucial for the GlaxoSmithKline Foundation jury´s decision were Professor Dikics scientific contributions concerning the role of the ubiquitin system in biological cells: ubiquitin is a small protein that works as a
molecular switch in cells. Tagged to other proteins it regulates various cellular processes such as gene activation, protein degradation or signal transduction. The research results of the Dikic-group concerning the ubiquitin system, including the discovery of novel binding domaines for ubiquitin, have been described in recent publications in the scientific journals SCIENCE (Dez 16th, 2005/ 310:1821-1824) and NATURE CELL BIOLOGY (February 2006/ 8:163-169).
 

From the filmmakers behind the Academy Award Nominated and Sundance Audience Award Winning documentary GENGHIS BLUES ( www.genghisblues.com ) comes the next great adventure….

WADI RUM AND ITVS PRESENT BEYOND THE CALL Documentary Feature

WORLD PREMIERE TRIBECA AND SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVALS and The Doc Shop film market at Hot Docs film festival. Toronto, Canada.

CONTACT: ADRIAN BELIC (filmmaker)
Phone (415)716-0660
Email wadirum1@aol.com

In a Mother Teresa meets Indiana Jones adventure, three middle-aged men, former soldiers and modern-day knights, travel the world delivering life saving humanitarian aid directly into the hands of civilians and doctors in some of the most dangerous yet beautiful places on Earth, the front lines of war.

Ed Artis, Jim Laws and Walt Ratterman are self-styled Knights of Malta, and in 1995, they formed Knightsbridge International, a unique humanitarian aid organization, whose motto is "High Adventure and Service to Humanity." Artis explains: "We're not there to change anybody's politics, we're not in the God business, and we pay our own way." Their specialty is going where death from landmines, bullets, or bombs is as frequent as death from hunger, disease, or the elements. As Laws tells it simply, “We do what we can, when we can, because we can.”

Their personal convictions and courage drive them to places such as Afghanistan, Albania, Chechnya, Cambodia, Rwanda and the southern Philippines, often when few if any other humanitarian aid organizations are around. The camera follows Artis, Laws and Ratterman as they take us on a journey into the heart of humanity and the soul of courage.

Director, Producer, Writer and Cinematographer Adrian Belic. Editor Jennifer Chinlund. Music by Marcello De Francisci. Sound Edit and Mix by Lora Hirschberg.

TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL
http://www.tribecafilmfestival.org/

Press Screenings: Tribeca Cinemas at 54 Varick St (below Canal St at Laight St.) NY, NY 10013
Thursday, April 20. 2:00pm Theater 2. 130 seats.
Tuesday, April 25. 10:00am. Theater 1. 100 seats.

Public Screenings:
Friday, April 28. 5:00pm. AMC 34th St. Theater 14. 176 seats. {World Premier}
Saturday, April 29th. 10:00am. AMC Village 7 (66 Third Av. at 11th St.). Theater 1. 293 seats.
Friday, May 5. 1:30pm. AMC 68th St. (1918 Broadway at 68th St.). Theater 6. 176 seats.
Saturday, May 6th. 4:45pm. AMC 68th St. (1918 Broadway at 68th St.). Theater 6. 176 seats.


SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
http://www.sffs.org/festival/index.html

Press Screening: Kabuki Theater. Screen 3

Wednesday, April 26th. 11:00am
Please contact Richard Parkin at rparkin@sfiff.org or (415) 627-7859 to get on list.

Public Screenings:
Sunday, April 30. 6:00pm. Kabuki Theater 1. 700 seats.
Thursday, May 4. 3:00pm Kabuki Theater 3. 253 seats.

Dr. Jim Laws D.O. and his wife Pat Laws will be in New York City Thursday night, April 27th - Saturday night, April 29th. They will be in San Francisco, Sunday, April 30th – Tuesday, May 2nd.

We are making arrangements for phone interviews with Ed Artis from the southern Philippines and Walt Ratterman by satellite phone from northern Pakistan where they are currently delivering humanitarian aid. They will also be available for email interviews.

The filmmaker Adrian Belic will be attending all of the screenings.
His travel schedule is as follows…
San Francisco: Monday, April 17th – Sunday, April 23rd
New York: Monday, April 24th – Saturday, April 29th
San Francisco: Sunday, April 30th – Wednesday, May 3rd
New York: Thursday, May 4th – Wednesday, May 10th

For Press Requests please contact Adrian Belic (415) 716-0660 orwadirum1@aol.com

Please send this on to family, friends and press…

Thank you.
 

Croatia: Djuro Djakovic Interested in Power Plants Acquisition

15:59 - 08 May 2006 - The company invested a total of EUR 850.000 in business premises spanning over 1.100 square metres, while the official opening of new business premises was scheduled for the fall 2006, 'CT' reports.

With the completion of the construction of the business centre in Oberhausen, Djuro Djakovic Montaza celebrated its 80th anniversary and 50 years of business operations in Germany.
The opening of this facility, after the company established its first affiliate in Oberhausen in 1961, also means that Montaza would for the first time have its own premises in this city.

"This would significantly improve our operations in Germany, while our assembly technicians would no longer have to travel back to Croatia for necessary training," said Montaza Director Darko Katic.

For the past 50 years, during which the company is present in Germany, Montaza has taken part in construction of 80 power production facilities in this country.

At the moment, the company employs 325 workers in Germany throughout 15 construction sites, some of them including the largest waste burning facility in Germany located in Stuttgart and two energy production facilities in Hamm - Uentrop.

As Germany would be initiating in 2007 a new investment cycle for construction of large power plants, Djuro Djakovic hopes to take part in these projects, as the company hires skilled workers, offering at the same time good quality, price and respecting of necessary deadlines, said Montaza Germany Director Jozo Nikolic.

Montaza is currently engaged in projects throughout Germany earning the company a total of EUR 20 million per year, which is almost half of all earnings generated by the company.

http://www.reporter.gr/fulltext_eng.cfm?id=60508155900#Scene_1

Medical Faculty Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Frankfurt

Press release from the Institute of Biochemistry II

April 5th, 2006

Ivan Dikic receives 26th AACR Award

for Outstanding Achievement in Cancer Research

Dr. Ivan Dikic (39), professor at Goethe University Medical School received the 26th American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) award for Outstanding Achievement in Cancer Research. Dr. Dikic is the first scientist from Europe who was honored by this prestigious recognition. This Award is given to a young investigator (under 40 years of age) on the basis of meritorious achievement in cancer research. The prize was awarded on April 4th, 2006 at the annual meeting of AACR in Washington DC where 17 000 scientists from around the world gathered.

Dr. Dikic is honored for his groundbreaking contribution to the field of growth factor receptor signaling. Through this work, Dr. Dikic has propelled a major advancement of our current understanding of the molecular machinery, which along with the ubiquitylation, controls the intracellular trafficking of ligand-engaged and –activated growth factor receptors. The AACR also credited Dr. Dikic’s dedication to the education of young scientists, through active participation in teaching programs and as a founder of the Dubrovnik signaling conferences.

Ivan Dikic graduated at the Medical School University of Zagreb, Croatia in 1991. He next joined the laboratory of Dr. Joseph Schlessinger in New York, where he completed his Ph.D. and postdoctoral training (1992-1997). From 1997-2003 Dr. Dikic led a research group at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Uppsala, Sweden. In 2003, Dr. Dikic was appointed a professor at the Goethe University Medical School in Frankfurt, Germany.

Prof. Dikic has published more than 70 scientific manuscripts in prestigious journals and has received a number of international distinctions for his research including the Binder Innovation prize (Braunschweig, 2006), elected a member of EMBO (2004), the Fernstrom Price (Lund, 2002), the Swedish Strategic Fund award (Stockholm, 2000), the Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds award (Stuttgart, 1997). His current research interests are focused on the emerging role of ubiquitin and Ub-like modifiers as signalling devices controlling intracellular trafficking, gene transcription and DNA repair.
 

35^th Anniversary of Croatian language ministry

in the Diocese of Brooklyn

2006 marks the 35^th Anniversary of Croatian language ministry in the Diocese of Brooklyn.  It is an event worthy of recognition because it set the foundation for the development of today’s Croatian Apostolate, a vibrant and active community of faith in the diocese.    This anniversary is a celebration of all Croats who are drawn to the apostolate by virtue of their faith and cultural heritage, as well as to the Diocese of Brooklyn itself, which truly is the diocese of immigrants.  

The pastoral care of immigrants has always been well demonstrated in the Diocese of Brooklyn by bishops of the past, as well as our current bishop, Nicholas Di Marzio.  From its inception, the Diocese of Brooklyn reflected the great diversity of the Catholic Church, thus making the church in Brooklyn and Queens truly universal.  Today in the diocese, Mass is said every Sunday in twenty-six different languages.  The Catholic Migration Office, headed by Msgr. Ronald Marino, has been responsive to the spiritual needs of immigrants in the diocese for over thirty-five years.  Many ethnic groups, like the Croats, are organized into apostolates which are ministered by priests of the same native group, enabling immigrants to worship in their native languages.  As we commemorate this anniversary, our hearts fill with gratitude for the motherly concern and solicitude expressed by the Diocese of Brooklyn in welcoming the newcomers in her midst, in the past, as well as today.

Croats started arriving in large numbers in the area of Brooklyn and Queens in the 1960’s. The Croatian cultural heritage, deeply rooted in the Catholic faith, is a valuable treasure they brought with them to their new homeland.   At Most Precious Blood Church, in the Diocese of Brooklyn, Croats found a spiritual home where they could share this faith and culture.  Over the years, many Croats have found solace within this community; they found a part of their homeland, a place where they can continue to nurture and strengthen their faith. Many would witness that this community of faith is the backbone of their spiritual existence.   This legacy of a deep faith, steeped in Croatian culture, is their contribution to the larger multi-cultural society in which they live. Today, it is lovingly being passed on to the next generation of Croatian-Americans. 

As we commemorate this 35^th anniversary, our hearts fill with pride and gratitude for the wisdom and vision of the Catholic Church in Croatia for sending pastoral leaders to minister to Croatian immigrants living in New York City.  With the presence of a Croatian priest, Croatian immigrants were able to fully participate in the sacramental life of the church; it strengthened their faith and established a living community of believers.  The Croatian Apostate today is indebted to all the priests who have ministered to this community over the last thirty-five years, in particular to Father Andrea Niccoli whose ministry to the Croats of Most Precious Blood Church spanned forty years.  Many celebrating this anniversary personally remember the countless baptisms and marriages Father Niccoli celebrated in this parish. His dedication to his people has left an indelible impression upon the hearts of all those who knew him. 

Father Runje, OFM, who arrived in Most Precious Blood in 1971, was the first priest to be officially appointed by the Diocese of Brooklyn to minister to the Croatian people.  His pastoral work with Croats, who were arriving in large numbers at that time, set up a solid foundation for today’s Croatian Apostolate.  The priests that ministered to the community after him, Father Anton Zec, Father Anton Bozanic and Father Robert Zubovic, have all been from the Diocese of Krk in Croatia.  The Diocese of Krk, together with Bishop Zupan, and the bishops of the past, has been at the forefront in fostering the spiritual growth of the community by continuing to send priests to serve the Croatian Apostolate. Each of these priests has made a unique contribution to the spiritual well being of the community.

Over the years, the support of the pastors of Most Precious Blood Parish has been invaluable for the spiritual development of the Croatian Apostolate.  Last year, the community was deeply saddened by the death of Msgr. Stafford who, as the shepherd of this great church, was compassionate and understanding towards the needs of the Croatian community.  We are thankful for his life of service and for God’s divine providence in sending Father Marcelo Latona to lead the faithful of Most Precious Blood.   He has shown kindness, strength, and courage and, like his predecessors, is committed to the community’s spiritual growth. For this, we are very grateful.  

Today we commemorate an ongoing journey of a community that has found strength in its beliefs as it continues to seek God.  It is a celebration of the faith and dedication   to God and Church that has been manifested over the last thirty-five years by countless individuals; may their example serve as an inspiration for all of us to continue our own personal walk with the Lord.  In this way, the spirit of tonight’s celebration will persevere long after the event is over.

35. obljetnica Hrvatske Katolicke Misije u New Yorku
 

KONCERT: Povodom proslave 35. obljetnice Hrvatske Katolicke Misije u New Yorku na prigodan nacin bit ce obiljezena i 100-ta obljetnica rodjenja velikog hrvatskog skladatelja Borisa Papondopula. Na koncertu prije svecane mise njujorski ansambl "St. Raphael Cappella" izvest ce Papandopulovu skladbu Impresije za puhace. Bit ce izvedena i cuvena Sinfonietta op. 10 Lisztova ucenika i romanticnog skladatelja Joachima Raffa, jedno od monumentalnih djela za puhace. St. Raphael
Cappella sastoji se od vrhunskih profesionalnih glazbenika Vojne Akademije SAD-a West Point kao i od povremenih clanova iz Julliard School of Music u New Yorku. Glazbeni ravnatelj i dirigent sastava je prof. Drago Bubalo, koji je od 1999. - 2003. djelovao u RH kao dirigent Orkestra Hrvatske vojske.

MISA. Tijekom Svecane Sv. Mise pjevat ce se poznata Hrvatska Misa don Sime Marovica, kapelnika Splitske Katedrale. Misa je skladana za soliste, muski ansambl, mjesoviti zbor, orgulje i orkestar, te je praizvedena tijekom posjete Sv. Oca Ivana Pavla II Splitu 1998. godine. Nastupa Hrvatski Zbor u New Yorku (novi pjevacki sastav od 50-tak clanova kojeg je okupio zupnik don Robert Zubovic), Klapa Astoria, Rade .... i don Robert Zubovic kao solisti, a uz pratnju puhackog orkestra "St. Raphael Cappella" pod ravnanjem Drage Bubala.

Sylvan Wind Quintet on prestigious WQXR Radio

Sylvan Wind Quintet's last Sunday concert at the Kosciuszko Foundation will be REbroadcast on WQXR 96.3FM Sunday, April 30 at 6PM Eastern Daylight Time (=GMT-05:00) & for those outside the New York metropolitan area & world-wide, WQXR.com is streaming LIVE on the web on AOL Radio. Tune in & enjoy the program featuring Polish chamber works for winds, including the elegant Poldowski Suite, the wickedly humorous Kilar, the beautifully sonorous Reicha Adagio, a spiky early work of Lutoslawski's and the wonderfully heraldic Muczynski.

Sylvan Wind Quintet
Svjetlana Kabalin, flute; Kathy Halvorson, oboe/English horn;
Amy Zoloto, clarinet; Erik Holtje, bassoon; Zohar Schondorf, horn

Program:

Poldowski (1880-1932) Suite Miniature
Kilar (b.1932) Quintet (1952)
Reicha (1770-1836) Adagio in D Minor for wind quintet with English horn
Lutoslawski (1913-1994) Trio for oboe, clarinet & bassoon (1945)
Muczynski (b. 1929) Quintet for winds, Op. 45 (1985)