Pavao Rudan

The application of holistic analytic approach in the study of population structure can be very helpful in providing some important information about the continuity of interaction between intrinsic population characteristics (its gene pool) and a wide spectrurn of extrinsic selective impacts. Major advantages of such approach are the possibility to assess the main detenminants of interpopulation similarity or variabil-ity, and to estimate the dependence of the rate of (micro) evolutionary processes upon the historical events that favoured or restricted gene flow. Some of the extri.nsic influences that have the greatest im-portamce in such interaction are cultural, economical, medical, political, religious, social, and many oth-ers. In this study, various measures of genetic distances (estimated from D3S 1358, wWA, FG.A, THO l, TPĐX, CSF1PO, DSS818, D13S317 and D7S820 STR loci ; DRBl, DRB3, DRBS, DQA1 and DQB1 HLA class II polymorphisms ; 10 crythracyte antigens and isonymy), biological distances (anthropomctri-cal body and head distanccs, physiological, dermatoglyphic and radiogrammetric bone distances), bio-cultural (migrational time depth kinship analyses and kinship estimated from isonymy) and sociocultiual distances (linguistic - basic and cultural vocabulary) were calculated between inhabitants - subpopulations of six villagcs of the island of Hvar, Croatia. Correlations between : a total of 22 distancc m, atrices were analyzed using Mantel's test of matrix corre-spondence. The model-bound (Malecot's isolation by distance) and the model-free approach (factor analysis of the structurc of correlation matrices among different distance measures) were applied. Since there was a significant discrepancy between the obtained results after using different variables and analytic methods, they are in terms of identified major sourccs of population variability, which seemed to be partly variable-specific, but with significant contribution of non-random sociocultural and ethnohistorical effects and its interaction with population intrinsic homogenizational and variational peculiarities.

Matrices of pair-wise estimates of 21 distances measures based on 36 pairs of village populations of the island of Hvar, Croatia were correlated with geographical distance matrix (using the Mantel"s test of matrix correspondence, as well as the Malecot"s isolation by distance model). Within the eastern and western part of the island (distances ranged from 3.2 to 17.0 km), geographic distances were in expected positive correlation with biological (BodyM, BodyF, HeadM, HeadF, PhysM, PhysF, DermM, DermF, BoneM, BoneF), with genetic (GnIso, GnEryth, GnHLADNA) and socio-cultural (LingBas, LingCult) distances, and in expected negative correlation with the distances estimated from bio-cultural traits (KinpIso, Kinpl, Kinp2, Kinp3, Kinp4, KemoD). The analysis of the pairs of villages from different island"s areas (west vs, east location, with distances ranging from 23.0 to 40.0 km) present the positive correlation for two socio-cultural (range .82 to .89), one of three genetic (.57), and two of ten biological distances (.24 and .42). As it could be well-expected, negative correlations were obtained for bio-cultural distances (range -.12 and -.84) but - contrary to our expectations - also for eight of ten biological distances (range -.33 to -.76) and one of three genetic distances (-.57). Those negative correlations could indicate peculiarities of immigration patterns through history but also, by the "shift" of the regression lines to their "mirror positions", geographical areas on mainland from where the migrants immigrate onto the island of Hvar, i.e. potential geographic localizations of the "historical nests" for the long range population migrations onto the Adriatic islands. Matrices of pair-wise estimates of 21 distances measures based on 36 pairs of village populations of the island of Hvar, Croatia were correlated with geographical distance matrix (using the Mantel"s test of matrix correspondence, as well as the Malecot"s isolation by distance model). Within the eastern and western part of the island (distances ranged from 3.2 to 17.0 km), geographic distances were in expected positive correlation with biological (BodyM, BodyF, HeadM, HeadF, PhysM, PhysF, DermM, DermF, BoneM, BoneF), with genetic (GnIso, GnEryth, GnHLADNA) and socio-cultural (LingBas, LingCult) distances, and in expected negative correlation with the distances estimated from bio-cultural traits (KinpIso, Kinpl, Kinp2, Kinp3, Kinp4, KemoD). The analysis of the pairs of villages from different island"s areas (west vs, east location, with distances ranging from 23.0 to 40.0 km) present the positive correlation for two socio-cultural (range .82 to .89), one of three genetic (.57), and two of ten biological distances (.24 and .42). As it could be well-expected, negative correlations were obtained for bio-cultural distances (range -.12 and -.84) but - contrary to our expectations - also for eight of ten biological distances (range -.33 to -.76) and one of three genetic distances (-.57). Those negative correlations could indicate peculiarities of immigration patterns through history but also, by the "shift" of the regression lines to their "mirror positions", geographical areas on mainland from where the migrants immigrate onto the island of Hvar, i.e. potential geographic localizations of the "historical nests" for the long range population migrations onto the Adriatic islands. Matrices of pair-wise estimates of 21 distances measures based on 36 pairs of village populations of the island of Hvar, Croatia were correlated with geographical distance matrix (using the Mantel"s test of matrix correspondence, as well as the Malecot"s isolation by distance model). Within the eastern and western part of the island (distances ranged from 3.2 to 17.0 km), geographic distances were in expected positive correlation with biological (BodyM, BodyF, HeadM, HeadF, PhysM, PhysF, DermM, DermF, BoneM, BoneF), with genetic (GnIso, GnEryth, GnHLADNA) and socio-cultural (LingBas, LingCult) distances, and in expected negative correlation with the distances estimated from bio-cultural traits (KinpIso, Kinpl, Kinp2, Kinp3, Kinp4, KemoD). The analysis of the pairs of villages from different island"s areas (west vs, east location, with distances ranging from 23.0 to 40.0 km) present the positive correlation for two socio-cultural (range .82 to .89), one of three genetic (.57), and two of ten biological distances (.24 and .42). As it could be well-expected, negative correlations were obtained for bio-cultural distances (range -.12 and -.84) but - contrary to our expectations - also for eight of ten biological distances (range -.33 to -.76) and one of three genetic distances (-.57). Those negative correlations could indicate peculiarities of immigration patterns through history but also, by the "shift" of the regression lines to their "mirror positions", geographical areas on mainland from where the migrants immigrate onto the island of Hvar, i.e. potential geographic…

Anthropological research of modern European populations indicates pronounced diversity between and among various groups, confirming the complexity of interactions of the components of the “eternal triangle” (heredity, environment and culture). Such studies require an interdisciplinary approach and a large scale of diverse data: sociocultural, linguistic, archeological, anthropo-genetic, biological, and biomedical. For several decades, holistic anthropological research, based on the belief that human evolution and variability can be understood only by the simultaneous study of biological and socio-cultural phenomena, has been conducted in the Eastern Adriatic and in the Balkan region as well. Detailed characterization of historical events, population movements and migrations, demographic peculiarities, family structure, linguistic peculiarities, and various biological and genetic traits were investigated, revealing possible routes of peopling of this geographic area. Within the context of this research, this paper will address various scenarios of microevolution, including factors such as population exchange, demic diffusion, short-term and long-term migration movements and population mobility, possible founder effects, the form of selection of reproductive partners, the effect of possible settling and population reflux and the dependence of demographic characteristics of various historical groups. Current findings concerning mitochondrial DNA and Y-chromosome lineages of the population of Eastern Adriatic will be analyzed and interpreted with an emphasis on the fact that historical processes are the laboratory in which modern human populations were created.

We pointed out some doubts and dilemmas concerning population structure studies through (micro) evolution analyses of biomedical data. Intention of this paper is to stress the fact that we should be extremely couscous to generalize, and to apply the information’ s about human genetic other population (biological, bio-cultural and socio-cultural) peculiarities. Some problems are connected with insufficient information’ s about some population of interest and the data about them applied through holistic analytic approach. Thus, without the intention to be trapped in the absolute relativization, especially concerning on one side “ quality” and “ quantity” of data on the other, our intention was to demonstrate some possibilities of population structure studies applied in the interpretation of some results achieved by epidemiological investigations. The data could provoke discussion about the (1) values of the results obtained in genetic epidemiological analyses of isolated populations and (2) possibilities to utilize population structure studies in common medico-anthropological and epidemiological actions.

Between 1995-1997 the First Croatian healthProject conducted survays on health attitudes, knowledge, behaviour and risks in the post-war Croatian population. The project included issues related to cardiovarcular risk factors. Study pupulation comprised 5, 840 adults from all 21 Croatian countries. The sample corresponds by age, sex and geographical distribution to thee general Croatian population. In addition to body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure (BP), data on general knowledge and attitudes on health issues, smoking history, alcohol consumption, nutrition habits, and physical activity were collected. About 48% of men and 35% of women are overweight (BMI=25-29.99 kg/m2) and as many as 31% of men and 15% of women are severely ovaweight (BMI > or = 30 kg/m2).The overall prevalence of hypertension (systolic BP >or = 140 mmHg and diastolic BP > or = 90 mmHg) is about 32% in man and 24% in women. Prevalence of regular smokers is very high: 34% in men and 27% in women. The important regional differences have been observed in alcohol consumption, nutrition andl physical activity patterns. Most of the population is aware about the basic risk factors for cardiovascular diseases but there is a marked discrepancy between knowledge on health-related and health behaviour.

The application of holistic analytic approach in the study of population structure can provide information about the continuity of interaction between intrinsic population characteristics (its gene pool) and a wide spectrum of extrinsic selective impacts through time. In this paper, various measures of interpopulation distances obtained over a continuous 30-year anthropological research in Hvar Island isolate, Croatia, were used to further elaborate this problem. Those included genetic distances (estimated separately from DNA SIR loci and DNA HLA class II polymorphysms, 10 erythrocyte antigens, serum proteins and isoensymes), biological distances (anthropometrical body and head distances, physiological, dermatoglyphic and radiograrumetric bone distances), bio-cultural (migrational kinship estimated for four periods in history and kinship estimated from isonymy) and socio-cultural distances (linguistic -basic and cultural vocabulary) calculated between inhabitants of the isolate settlements of Hvar Island. The results showed that the examined traits do not react to the (micro)evolutionary impacts in the same manner. Some of them are more likely to be associated to specific and different selective pressures (e.g. through natural selection), others are more likely to reveal selective inertia, while for the third group of traits a reasonable interpretation cannot aiways be provided because of the extreme complexity of its determinants.

Variability in patterns of population structuring arise from a complex and continuos interplay of various intrinsic population (gene pool) and extrinsic (cultural, demographic, economic, ecological, epidemiological etc.) factors responsible for shaping dynamic processes of gene flow and genetic drift. The study of human variability therefore relies on holistic analytic approach to the analysis of population structuring. in this study various measures of biological (phenotypic) (demographic and radiogrammetric, genetic (red blood enzymes, serum proteins, HLA and STR), bio-cultural (migration and isonymy) and cultural (linguistic) distances were estimated for the rural inhabitants of two Adriatic islands � the island of Hvar (an example for linear model) and the island Krk (an example of non-linear model). Correlations among different matrices were analysed using Mantel's test of matrix correspondence. The relationship between biological (phenotypic genetic, bio-cultural, cultural measures of distance and/or similarity and geographic distances was assessed by applying the regression analysis of Malecot� s � isolation by distance� model. this investigation of population structure of the rural communities for two Adriatic islands indicates the importance of different (micro)evolutionary forces which act with different intensity upon different genetic and biological characteristics as well as the irregularity of correlations between biological (phenotypic, genetic, bio-cultural, cultural and geographic distances.

The purpose of this research is to examine the signatures of isolation in the Adriatic Island populations of Croatia from genetic data at 9 short tandem repeat loci. Allele and genotype frequencies at these loci (D13S1358, vWA, FGA, TH01, TPOX, CSF1PO, D5S818, D13S317, D7S820) in 440 individuals distributed in 25 villages/regions located in the islands of Brac, Hvar, Korcula and Krk have been analyzed. In spite of relatively high levels of inbreeding, genotype frequencies in each village or region, by and large, hold the assumptions of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. However, with respect to the levels of genetic variation measured by the number of segregating alleles, allele size variance and heterozygosity, the Adriatic Islands populations exhibit reduced variability compared to other outbred populations of African, European and Asian descent. This is also reflected in a somewhat lower power of discrimination in human identity testing and lower average probability of parentage testing using these loci. In fact, with respect to these attributes, the levels of diversity in the Adriatic island populations are comparable to those observed among the isolated populations from Oceania and the Americas. This reduced variability, however, does not appear to compromise the utility of these loci in forensic and paternity testing. Independently segregating loci do not exhibit non-random association of alleles, nor unrelated individuals sharing genotypes at large number of loci appear than dictated by chance alone.

U cilju razvoja dugorocne strategije skrbi za osobe starije dobi u RH te planiranja najadekvatnijih mjera prevencija i intervencije u podrucju zastite stanovnistva starije dobi u ovom radu je prikazana distribucija najvažnijih cimbenika rizika za razvoj kronicnih bolesti kardiovaskularnog sustava u osoba starijih od 65 godina života. U studiji su koristeni podaci Prvog hrvatskog projekta zdravstva kojeg su od 1995. do 1997. godine proveli Ministarstvo zdravstva RH i Hrvatski zavod za zdravstveno osiguranje, a rad na terenu su obavili djelatnici Instituta za antropologiju uz tehnicku podrsku HZZJZ. Rijec je o epidemioloskoj studiji velikih razmjera koja je obuhvatila 10.000 ispitanika iz svih županija. Do sada su rezultati vec bili obrađeni za pod-uzorak od 5.840 osoba, dobnog raspona 18 do 65 godina starosti, koji po dobi, spolu i zemljopisnoj raspodjeli odgovara opcoj populaciji Republike Hrvatske. Međutim, u ovom je radu prikazana prisutnost najvažnijih cimbenika rizika za razvoj bolesti kardiovaskularnog sustava u osoba starijih od 65 godina. Rezultati su prikazani na razini ukupnog uzorka kao i u odnosu na regionalnu distribuciju zdravstvenih rizika te uspoređeni s vrijednostima istih cimbenika zdravstvenog rizika u stanovnistvu RH dobnog raspona 18 do 65 godina starosti. S obzirom na zdravstvene rizike obolijevanja od bolesti kardiovaskularnog sustava analizirani su sljedeci parametri: BMI, sistolicki i dijastolicki krvni tlak, vrijednosti fibrinogena i lipida u krvi (ukupni te HDL i LDL- kolesterol, trigliceridi, lipoprotein A), te konzumiranje duhana, alkohola i pojedinih prehrambenih namirnica. Rezultati ukazuju na prisutnost selektivnog mortaliteta s obzirom da je prisutnost najznacajnijih cimbenika rizika u osoba starijih od 65 godina manja od one koju nalazimo u opcoj populaciji Republike Hrvatske.

Within the framework of holistic anthropological analysis of population stucture, various measures of biological distances (anthropometrical, physiological, odonthometric and dermatoglyphic), socio-cultural (linguistic) and bio-cultural distances (kinship coefficient estimated from migrational data) between the nine rural populations of Selska Valley, Slovenia were calculated. The model-bound (Malecot"s isolation by distance) and model-free approach (analysis of the structure of rank-correlation matrices among different distance measures) were applied. The results revealed a very poor "fit" of the analyzed traits to the isolation by distance model, with the exception of migrational kinship in females. However, factor analysis over distance matrices outlined three important distinctions: (a) that of geographic distance and of migrational kinship in females, as the only variable that behaves as expected to isolation by distance model, from all the other analyzed traits ; (b) a clear distinction of female anthropometric, dermatoglyphic and physiological traits, along with linguistic distances, from the corresponding traits in males ; (c) a separation inside male polygenic system traits on dermatoglyphic, physiological and anthropometric traits, a finding that was not present in females. The authors discuss and compare the application of model-bound and model-free approaches in the study of population structure, stressing the dependence of the rate of (micro)evolutionary processes upon the historical processes that favored or restricted the gene flow.

Istraživanje obrađuje dva problema vezana uz referentne vrijednosti parametara plucne funkcije u starijoj životnoj dobi: pitanje primjenjivosti jednadžbi koje su izvedene za mlađu odraslu dob i pitanjem prikladnosti jednadžbi koje su izvedene u drugim populacijama i nisu specificne za ispitivanu populaciju. Stoga je ispitana ventilacijska funkcija starijih osoba iz populacije Hrvatske i uspoređena s referentnim vrijednostima izvedenim ranije u istoj populaciji mlađe dobi te s onima iz literature koje se odnose na druge populacije Europe i Amerike. Forsirani vitalni kapacitet (FVC), forsirani ekspiracijski volumen u prvoj sekundi (FEV1) i vrsni ekspiracijski protok (PEF) mjereni su prema kriterijima ATS iz krivulje maksimalnog ekspiracijskog protoka i volumena (MEFV) u uzorku od 651 osobe u dobi od 65-86 godina iz populacije jadranskih otoka i priobalja. Pusaci i osobe s respiratornim simptomima i bolestima iskljuceni su iz uzorka tako da su jednadžbe parametara plucne funkcije izvedene za 261 zdravog nepusaca. Upotrebljen je model linearne regresije s dobi i visinom kao prediktorima. Jednadžbe za plucne volumene pokazale su vecu pouzdanost od onih za PEF i mogu se koristiti kao orijentacija u medicinskoj praksi. Izvedene regresijske jednadžbe uspoređene su s onima iz literature kros-validacijskom analizom. Dobiveni rezultati pokazali su linearno opadanje funkcije pluca sa starenjem koje je intenzivnije kod muskaraca. FVC se smanjuje 50 mL/god kod muskaraca i 40 mL/god kod žena. Nije zabilježeno ubrzano opadanje plucne funkcije u starijoj dobi koje je uoceno u nekim longitudinalnim studijama sto može biti i posljedica selekcije u toj životnoj dobi. Izvedene jednadžbe za FVC i FEV1 pokazale su u predikciji visoku podudarnost s postojecim jednadžbama za istu populaciju mlađe odrasle dobi. Jednadžbe ECSC za sirok raspon odrasle dobi, kao i jednadžbe iz sjevernoeuropskih, mediteranskih i americkih populacija za stariju životnu dob sistematski prebacuju u predikciji. Greske u predikciji srednjih vrijednosti FVC i FEV1 iznose 10-34% i povecavaju se prema krajnjim vrijednostima. Analizirane jednadžbe svrstavaju FVC 11-66% osoba iz uzorka ispod donje granice normale sto ih cini neprikladnim za nasu populaciju. Rezultati pokazuju da je pri procjeni plucne funkcije u starijoj dobi važno raspolagati referentnim vrijednostima koje su i dobno i populacijski specificne, sto je u skladu sa spoznajama drugih autora.

The purpose of this study is to examine population structure based on the polymorphisms of biallelic (M9, YAP, SRY-1532, 92R7, SYR-8299/4064, 12f2, M20, M52, M70, M89, M124, M170, M201, M173, M175) and eight microsatellite markers (DYS19, DYS388, DYS389I, DYS389II, DYS390, DYS391, DYS392 and DYS393) in 91 randomly selected autochthonous males from rural communities of the island of Hvar. Genetic composition was assessed based on the allelic frequencies, whereas genetic variability based on haplotype and locus diversity. Phylogenetic relationships among microsatelite haplotypes within haplogroups were determined by using the reduced median network and median joining network, as suggested by Bandelt et al. (2000). Combination of biallelic markers yielded eight haplogroups (I-M170, G-M201, R-M173(xSRY10831b, P-92R7, F-M89, R-SRY10831, J-12f2, E-SRY4064). European specific haplogroup I-M170 was found at the highest frequency, followed by haplogroups P-92R7 and R-SRY10831b (14% and 8.7%, respectively). The remaining haplogroups were not very frequent in the investigated Hvar population. Despite reproductive isolation and high endogamy of the rural communities of the island of Hvar the analysis of Y chromosome biallelic and microsatellite markers did not reveal reduced genetic variability (reduced haplotype diversity). Moreover, the results showed high vales of assessed haplotype diversity (0.9839 +/- 0.0049) indicated great heterogeneity of gene pool. The high values of haplotype diversity assessed by analysis of Y chromosome polymorphisms are in concordance with the results of previously conducted mtDNA analysis when island of Hvar showed greatest diversity index when compared with islands Brac, Korcula and Krk.

Sixteen biallelic and eight microsatellite markers were typed in the sample of 457 Croatian men from the mainland and four Eastern Adriatic islands (Krk, Brac, Hvar, Korcula). Based on the analysis of biallelic markers nine different haplogroups were characterized. The most frequent was haplogroup I followed by R1a and R1b haplogroups. High frequency of haplogroup I in Croatian populations and the pattern of its microsatellite diversity make Adriatic coast a likely source of the recolonization of Europe following the Last Glacial Maximum. A higher frequency of haplogroup I in the southern island populations is contrasted with higher frequency of haplogroup R1a chromosomes in the northern island of Krk and in the mainland confirming different routes of settlement. R1a frequency could be a sign of the Slavic impact in the Balkan region. Haplogroups J, G, and E that are related to the spread of farming characterize the minor part (12.5%) of the Croatian Y chromosomal lineages. A relatively high frequency (14%) of lineages belonging to P*(xM173) cluster, unusual for European populations, was found in the southern island of Hvar indicating a connection with Central Asian populations, possibly the Avars. In sum, clear and meaningful in terms of ethnogenesis, gradients and diversity of Croatian paternal lineages testify to their largely Paleolithic European ancestry, a minor Neolithic influx from the Near East, as well as Slavic and Avar expansions.

Obesity and overweight represent complex conditions affecting all ages, both sexes and various socioeconomic groups. Overweighed adults are at an increased risk of developing a variety of chronic diseases including diabetes, hypertension, osteoarthritis, coronary heart disease, sleep apnea, hyperlipidaemia, stroke, certain forms of cancer and overall mortality. Overweight and obesity have reached epidemic proportions worldwide and become the main public health problem. The aim of the investigation was to determine the prevalence of the overweight and obesity in sample of 12 Croatian localities included both coastal and continental counties. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated according to the classification of World Health Organization (the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters). A BMI of 25 or above is generally considered overweight (grade I) while a BMI of 30 or greater (grade II, III) is generally considered obese. 5.769 adults, both sexes, aged between 18-65 years, formed the sample. The prevalence of obesity and overweight rises with age, higher in males than in females sample. As much as 18.13% of population is obese (grade II, III), 21% males and 15% female, total (N= 1046). Almost half of the males are overweight (grade I) 48% (N=1.375), and 34.9% (N=1.018) of females. Obesity grades I+II+III have 69% males and 49.9% females. The highest prevalence of obesity was observed in Zagreb county (males 26% and females 18.6%), while the lowest prevalence recorded in males (15.5%) of Rijeka county, and females (10.6%) Split county. On the basis of high prevalence of overweight and obesity in Croatia, there is urgent necessity to improve levels of knowledge and skills in understanding obesity by increasing public awareness of diet and physical activity. The health care services and government facilities need to implement comprehensive national strategy for action on obesity to improve prevention and management.

The study aims at assessing whether occupational exposure to Brac limestone, which contains a minute amount of silica, induces disorders of ventilatory capacity. It included 71 male workers employed in a stone saw-mill and 134 controls. The ventilatory functions VC, FEV1, FEV 1% VC, MEF25, MEF50 i MEF75 were examined, and the values analysed in respect to smoking habit. Variance analysis established a homogenous distribution of VC parameters, while others were heterogeneously distributed. This can be explained by smoking habit as assessable factor, and not by exposure to limestone dust. It is assumed that the production of Brac limestone in the stone saw-mill does not cause disorders in ventilatory function.

The DRB1, DRB3, DRB5, DQA1 and DQB1 allele polymorphisms were analysed in 3 western and 3 eastern villages of the island of Hvar using PCR-SSOP method and 12th International Workshop primers and probes. Three DQB1 alleles (*0304, *0305, *0607) detected in the population of the island of Hvar (HP) have not yet been observed in general Croatian population (GCP). Significant differences were observed between two regions of Hvar for: a) DRB1*0701 allele (p < 0.001), b) DQA1*0201 allele (p < 0.01), and c) DRB1*0101-DQA1*0101-DQB1*0501 haplotypic association (p < 0.05). Two unusual haplotypic associations, which have not yet been described in general Croatian population (GCP), DRB1*0101-DQA1*0102-DQB1*0501 and DRB1*1501-DQA1 *0102-DQB1*0604 were observed in the population from the island of Hvar (HP). Measures of genetic kinship and genetic distances revealed isolation and clusterization which coincides with the known ethnohistorical, as well as biological and biocultural data obtained from a series of previous investigations. The five studied village subpopulations formed two clusters (East-West) to which the far eastern village (with the highest rii of 0.0407) joined later, thus indicating possible impact of historical immigrations from the mainland.

The population structure of the northern Adriatic island of Krk, Croatia, was studied using PCR methodology and nonradioactive oligonucleotide hybridization for the analysis of HLA-DRB1, DRB3, DRB4, DRB5, DQA1, and DQB1 polymorphisms. Allele frequencies, genetic kinship (R), and genetic distances (E2) were computed, and correlations between distance (genetic, linguistic, geographic) and kinship (migration) matrices were examined. The results, reflecting past (micro-) evolutionary processes, indicate that ethnohistorical and sociocultural events rather than geographic distances are the primary determinants of today's population structure of the island.

Physiological (cardiorespiratory) variation is examined among eight village populations on the island of Korcula, which is small and can be regarded as ecologically quite homogeneous. Lung function measurements (FVC, FEV1, PEF, MEF 25%, MEF 50%, MEF 75%) and arterial blood pressure (systolic and diastolic) were analysed from 418 male and 509 female adult subjects. The primary determinant of physiological variation of the current island population is its west-east division, for the extent of physio­logical variation within the two regions is small in comparison with west- east regional differences. This division corresponds with recorded history of the settlement and movement of the population onto and across the island.While the villages in the east are inhabited mainly by descendants from the first Slavic migration movements onto the island during the sixth to eighth centuries, the people living in the eastern part stem primarily from later migration waves (sixteenth to eighteenth centuries) who gradually mixed with the prior settlers. Reflecting this migration history, linguistic dif­ferences are still found today at the regional level. In view of the congruence between physiological variation and migration history and current linguistic features a reasonable hypothesis for the physiological variation is that it reflects the genetic differences that persist today among populations living in the same basic environment

Isolate rural communities provide unique opportunities to explore genetic variation effects on population structure, but they also represent suitable settings for genetic studies of complex diseases. In such communities, at least two factors have major importance in determining the incidence and prevalence of polygenetically determined diseases – one is known as “the founder effect”, and another as “inbreeding”. Also, it is of great importance to analyze the influence of sociocultural, economical, demographic and ethnohistorical data on the patterns of longevity demonstrated by some specific isolate subpopulations as well as their cohorts. Such studies provide insight into some basic models and patterns of population structure, which is later reflected in its epidemiological, genetic and basic medical characteristics. This study was concerned with nine rural populations of the Island of Hvar, Croatia, that are typical Mediteranean communities. An attempt was made to correlate the populations genetic peculiarities reflected in traits such as erythrocyte polymorphysms, studied more than 20 years earlier, with current medical status of the studied populations. The aim was to investigate if the persons from the sample who died of some complex disease were more inbred than is the rest of the sample. This was determined by calculating inbreeding coefficients in the populations for the deficite of heterozygotes with respect to Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium expectations.

As long as anthropology is distinguished from other sciences only by its analytic methods remaining within a narrow local framework and dealing with small social groups and their limited and specific problems an intense co-operation of anthropologists with professionals in other scientific disciplines, particularly genetics, demography, epidemiology and linguistics remains to be imperative. The anthropological idea of a holistic approach through which each scientist should understand all the dimensions of social phenomena and perform research and interpret the results using different methodological techniques is hard to achieve in practice. Since within the continuum from highly abstract to clearly defined study of a particular probiem, particularly within the domain of population structure, historical characteristics cannot be avoided. as a part of biosocial reality (as historical processes represent the laboratory in which human populations are formed), the present paper focuses on the results of holistic analytic research of population structure based on biological, bio-cultural and cultural traits of the reproductively closed rural populations of the Eastern Adriatic.

The aim of this international study was to investigate the attitudes of 17-year-old high school students regarding the hazards of AIDS as well as other related topics. The study was conducted in May and June, 1997, among 850 high school students from Zagreb, Croatia. The sample was chosen according to speciai key, in order to represent the population of high school students in the best way possible. The study showed that the investigated students possessed a broad knowledge on the topics related to AIDS. Most of them take this problem very seriously while they are having a relationship with their colleagues of opposite sex. The majority of the students are well-aware of the risky behavior that might lead to infection as wel! as the major hazards. Most of the students share very liberal attitudes regarding dating, having sex, going out, tolerance and cooperation with their colleagues in general, but there is a notable discrepancy in comparison to their parents, especially their mothers. The majority of the students would be willing to help and stand for an infected colleague, but their parents are far more conservative regarding that topic. It is possible to conclude that 17-year-old high school students in Zagreb, Croatia, represent a very well-informed and quite liberal population subgroup, that is willing to face problems and take responsibilities instead of denying and ignoring it.

A caution is needed when generalizing and applying the information about human genetic and other population (biological, bio-cultural and sociocultural) traits throughout the globe. Recently, we are faced with an abundance of elaborated data concerning different (macro)evolutionary problems, presented hypotheses and theories about the sources of current human diversity. I intend to demonstrate, through elaborating some of the data collected during the decades of field research, some possibilities of their interpretation in a holistic manner and to provoke discussion about the implications of the emerging conclusions. I will present how anthropologists and human population genetists have become confronted with immense new possibilities and methods of research applied. The movement from the analyses of metric quantitative traits to physiological, biochemical and molecular genetic research, has been very rapid. The study on the formation of the population structure of a particular population requires the analyses of multiple sets of biological phenotypes, as well as of a number of sociocultural features. To determine mechanisms by which (micro)evolutionary forces act in each particular population, anthropologists adopt the holistic analytic approach. It is, in fact, a starting point in the understanding and possible interpretation of interrelations and interactions between biological, cultural and social factors under selective pressures forming every human group, trough the analyses such a &quot;natural experiment&quot;. The results of decades of our analyses in Croatian island isolates showed that, although the wide spectrum of traits was examined, not all traits react to the (micro)evolutionary changes including their different intensity, providing an opportunity to analyse the problems through an approach not always applied in human genetic analyses - a holistic analytic approach. It indicates that even today many problems in population structure investigations will remain unanswered.

Oko 10 posto populacije ima vrijednosti triglicerida iznad 6, 01 mmol/l, dok isti udio žena ima vrijednosti iznad 3, 13 mmol/l. Slicne se tendencije zamjecuju i kod koncentracija kolesterola, samo su razlike po spolu bile ne{;to mnanje izražene. Ukupno 10 posto muskaraca ima prosjecnu koncentraciju kolesterola 7, 60 mmol/l a 10 posto žena 7, 19 mmol/l. Rezultati ispitivanja rizicnih cimbenika u opcoj populaciji Hrvatske upucuju na potrebu primjene preventivnih mjera. Vec na osnovi preliminarnih rezultata rizicnih cimbenika u opcoj populaciji Hrvatske namece se osnovni imperativ koji se sastoji u trajnoj i sveobuhvatnoj edukaciji cjelokupnog pucanstva.

The aim of this study is to analyze variation of nine autosomal STRs (D3S1358, vWA, FGA, THO1, TPOX, CSF1PO, D5S818, D13S317, D7S820) in Croatian mainland population and 5 Adriatic islands in order to investigate Croatian genetic structure and evaluate the usefulness of the studied loci in regional level genetic differentiation. This investigation demonstrates a substantial genetic homogeneity of the Croatian gene pool as revealed by distribution of allelic frequencies, heterozygosity values, number of alleles and allele size variance, allele and genotype sharing data. Considerable heterogeneity in the degree of differentiation is noted at different loci. Locus TPOX shows the lowest level of heterozygosity (59.75%) and FGA the highest (86.42%). GST based on gene diversity and allele size variance is lowest at VWA locus (0.16% and – 0.33%, respectively) and highest at TPOX locus (0.96% and 2.51%). The average coefficients of gene differentiation based on gene diversity (0.53%) and allele size variance (0.49%) point to low levels of population substructuring. Even though a larger sample sizes for villages within islands could have provided a greater power of autosomal STRs in resolving patterns of microevolutionary structuring at regional level, the greatest discriminating power will certainly result when all classes of genetic markers, paternal, maternal and autosomal, will be jointly considered.

The purpose of this study was to examine population structure based on the polymorphisms of biallelic (M8, YAP, SRY-1532, 92R7, SRY-8299/4064, 12f2, M20, M52, M70, M89, M124, M170, M201, M173, M175) and eight microsatelitte markers (DYS19, DYS388, DYS389I, DYS389II, DYS390, DYS391, DYS392 and DYS393) in 457 Croatian Y chromosomes. Genetic composition was assessed based on the allelic frequencies, whereas genetic variability was based on haplotype and locus diversity. Phylogenetic relationships among microsatellite haplotypes within haplogroups were determined by using the reduced median network and median joining network, as suggested by Bandelt et al. (1999). Analysis of the biallelic markers allowed characterization of nine different haplogroups. Haplogroup I was found at the highest frequency (48.4%) followed by haplogroup R1a (24.7%). Its higher frequency in the southern island population is contrasted with higher frequency of group R1a chromosomes in the northern island of Krk and in the mainland population. Since Croats belong to a Slavic linguistic family, R1a speaks in favor of possible Slavic genetic impact into their Y-chromosomal pool. Haplogroups J, G and E that can be related to the spread of farming characterize the minor part (12.5%) of the Croatian paternal lineages, which corresponds to that observed among the western European populations. In one of the southern island (Hvar) populations, we found relatively high frequency (14%) of lineages belonging to P* (xM173) cluster which is unusual for European populations. Interestingly, the same population also harbored mitochondrial haplogroup F that is virtually absent in European populations.