Geospatial and Temporal Patterns of Natural and Man-Made (Technological) Disasters (1900–2024): Insights from Different Socio-Economic and Demographic Perspectives

This pioneering study explores the geospatial and temporal patterns of natural and human-induced disasters from 1900 to 2024, providing essential insights into their global distribution and impacts. Significant trends and disparities in disaster occurrences and their widespread consequences are revealed through the utilization of the comprehensive international EM-DAT database. The results showed a dramatic escalation in both natural and man-made (technological) disasters over the decades, with notable surges in the 1991–2000 and 2001–2010 periods. A total of 25,836 disasters were recorded worldwide, of which 69.41% were natural disasters (16,567) and 30.59% were man-made (technological) disasters (9269). The most significant increase in natural disasters occurred from 1961–1970, while man-made (technological) disasters surged substantially from 1981–1990. Seasonal trends reveal that floods peak in January and July, while storms are most frequent in June and October. Droughts and floods are the most devastating in terms of human lives, while storms and earthquakes cause the highest economic losses. The most substantial economic losses were reported during the 2001–2010 period, driven by catastrophic natural disasters in Asia and North America. Also, Asia was highlighted by our research as the most disaster-prone continent, accounting for 41.75% of global events, with 61.89% of these events being natural disasters. Oceania, despite experiencing fewer total disasters, shows a remarkable 91.51% of these as natural disasters. Africa is notable for its high incidence of man-made (technological) disasters, which constitute 43.79% of the continent’s disaster events. Europe, representing 11.96% of total disasters, exhibits a balanced distribution but tends towards natural disasters at 64.54%. Examining specific countries, China, India, and the United States emerged as the countries most frequently affected by both types of disasters. The impact of these disasters has been immense, with economic losses reaching their highest during the decade of 2010–2020, largely due to natural disasters. The human toll has been equally significant, with Asia recording the most fatalities and Africa the most injuries. Pearson’s correlation analysis identified statistically significant links between socioeconomic factors and the effects of disasters. It shows that nations with higher GDP per capita and better governance quality tend to experience fewer disasters and less severe negative consequences. These insights highlight the urgent need for tailored disaster risk management strategies that address the distinct challenges and impacts in various regions. By understanding historical disaster patterns, policymakers and stakeholders can better anticipate and manage future risks, ultimately safeguarding lives and economies

Two sides of the same coin: maternal imprisonment, trauma and attachment in a prison child

The aim of this paper is to show how early traumatic experiences and problems in the life of mothers can change the quality of mother-child attachment and affect later growth and development. Maternal imprisonment represents a significant problem that affects not only women who are in prison, but also, above all, their children. Traumatic experiences that precede the deprivation of freedom are passed down from generation to generation, so problems in the mother's life can disrupt the early mother-child relationship and negatively affect the quality of attachment. This can represent a significant source of trauma for children and has a negative impact on their upbringing and future socio-emotional and psychological development. Certainly, we must not ignore the fact that mothers also suffer if they are separated from their children, because motherhood is an essential element of a mother's emotional life and well-being, both in prison and in freedom. Therefore, these mothers need support, both in prison and after release, so that they can be good enough mothers and provide the child with conditions for optimal growth and developmen

The Dark Side of Generative Artificial Intelligence: Abuse and Vulnerabilities

Abstract. Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is a field of study that encompasses the development of large-scale models trained on billions of parameters. These models are utilized to generate content across various media, primarily relying on publicly available data as input. Such models have already been deployed in several industries, including banking, healthcare, education, and insurance. Gartner (2024) posits that by 2027, over 50% of enterprises will employ industry-specific GenAI models, a significant increase from the 1% that utilized such models in 2023. Additionally, Gartner (2024) projects that investments in GenAI and cybersecurity will grow by over 80% in 2025 compared to 2024. Guaranteeing security and robustness of GenAI systems is essential to utilize it effectively, particularly in the areas of significant societal importance, such as critical infrastructure. The potential risks associated with the deployment of GenAI systems have been identified since the initial stages of their development. Since these systems evolve, the need for a more profound comprehension of their functionality in real-world contexts and identification of potential misuse increases. Most of the research in this field focuses on hypothetical scenarios and mapping potential risks. This provides the foundation for analyzing threats and vulnerabilities in the AI domain. Nevertheless, one of the few studies examining actual attacks demonstrates that many cases of GenAI system misuse do not occur due to sophisticated technical attacks but rather through the exploitation of readily available functionalities that require minimal technical expertise (Marchal et al., 2024).https://www.mi.sanu.ac.rs/~ai_conf/previous_editions/2024/AI_Conference_Program.pd

Školska klima kao faktor bezbednosti u srednjim školama

U radu se ispituje povezanost između školske klime i bezbednosti u srednjoj školi. Pozitivna školska klima i bezbedna školska sredina predstavljaju značajne faktore akademskog uspeha i pravilnog psihosocijalnog razvoja učenika. Stoga je važno ispitati strukturu i međusobnu povezanost indikatora školske klime i bezbednosti u školi kako bi se doprinelo jasnijem i utemeljenom kreiranju školskih politika. Istraživanje je sprovedeno putem upitnika. Upitnik školske klime meri tri faktora: podršku nastavnika i škole, učeničko zalaganje i interakcije, i strogost discipline. Upitnik bezbednosti u školi meri četiri faktora: nasilno ponašanje, (ne)bezbednost školske sredine, viktimizaciju i kršenje normi. U istraživanju je učestvovalo 719 učenika iz devet srednjih škola na teritoriji Republike Srbije. Istraživanjem je potvrđena povezanost između školske klime i bezbednosti u školi. Konkretno, podrška nastavnika i škole gradi značajne niske negativne povezanosti sa svim dimenzijama bezbednosti u školi. Učeničko zalaganje i interakcije grade srednju negativnu povezanost sa kršenjem normi, dok sa druge tri dimenzije bezbednosti u školi gradi niske negativne povezanosti. Strogost discipline treba posmatrati kao zasebnu pojavu u odnosu na koncept školske klime, a ona gradi niske pozitivne povezanosti sa kršenjem normi i nebezbednom školskom sredinom. Promovisanje pozitivnih interakcija među svim učesnicima obrazovno-vaspitnog procesa putem različitih aktivnosti podsticanja i razvoja poželjnih oblika ponašanja (poučavanje o ispravnim načinima rešavanja konflikata, podrška u obrazovnom procesu itd.) od strane škole i nastavnika znatno bi doprinelo izgradnji bezbedne školske sredine

The Impact of Gender, Seniority, Knowledge and Interest on Attitudes to Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become deeply rooted in our lives, yet uncertainties persist regarding public attitudes to it, particularly among young individuals poised to engage with AI in their future careers. Understanding their perspectives is crucial not only for shaping educational frameworks, but also for assessing students’ readiness to navigate the rapidly evolving technological landscape in the modern workspace. This paper examines students’ attitudes to AI, as well as their interest in and knowledge about it. An adapted version of the Pew Research Center survey was used in our study to explore how gender and student seniority influence attitudes to AI generally and in specific applications such as facial recognition and self-driving cars. Our aim was to test the effects of these factors on AI attitudes, and to discover how various factors such as socio-demographics, knowledge, and interest may individually or collectively impact on AI attitudes in general, as well as in specific areas such as self-driving cars, facial recognition, or social media algorithms for fake news. We also investigated whether knowledge of AI and interest in it may serve to predict attitudes beyond the impacts of student seniority and gender. Our findings indicate that males self-report greater interest than females, but similar knowledge and general attitudes as female participants. Senior students possessed more AI knowledge compared to freshmen, but similar attitudes towards AI in general and self-driving cars. Interest in AI emerged as a significant predictor of general attitudes to AI and to self-driving cars, suggesting that increased interest correlates with more positive attitudes

Qualitative insights into cultural heritage protection in Serbia: Addressing legal and institutional gaps for disaster risk resilience

This research is dedicated to a comprehensive exploration of the strengths and weaknesses inherent in the legal and institutional measures established to safeguard cultural heritage in the Republic of Serbia against the adverse effects of disasters, including earthquakes, landslides, rockfalls, floods, torrents, storms, hail, and forest fires. The study seeks to identify key challenges and shortcomings within the existing legal and institutional framework while also highlighting and analyzing best practices and potential avenues for improvement in the protection system. The research posits a preliminary hypothesis suggesting that significant challenges exist within the current framework, potentially hindering effective response and recovery efforts following natural hazards. Data collection involved semi-structured interviews with field experts and an in-depth analysis of existing documentation. These methods were aimed at gathering critical data and insights to enhance the understanding of systemic issues and contribute to developing practical, viable solutions. The analysis and processing of the collected data were conducted using ATLAS. ti software, enabling a detailed and systematic examination of qualitative information. Moreover, assessing the current capacity of institutions to respond swiftly and effectively to natural hazards that threaten cultural heritage formed a central aspect of this study. The findings reveal notable deficiencies in the legal framework, inadequate institutional capacities, limited resources, and insufficient training for disaster response. The results underscore the pressing need for improved inter-institutional cooperation and the development of technical and logistical capabilities. To address these issues, the study recommends aligning legal frameworks with international standards, securing increased funding for technical resources, and implementing specialized training programs for institutional staff. This article makes a significant contribution to advancing the understanding and enhancement of the cultural heritage protection system in Serbia, offering actionable insights and a robust foundation for further research and strategic development in this critical area

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN NUCLEAR INDUSTRY: POSSIBILITIES, CONSTRAINTS AND PATH FORWARD

The rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology in recent decade has presented new opportunities and challenges for improving the safety, reliability & economic competitiveness of nuclear industry, primarily of Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs). NPP is inherently complex critical infrastructure, a dynamic system-ofsystems with highly nonlinear performance, which encompasses both physical and cyber domains. It is technically challenging, multidisciplinary task to maintain capability, reliability and robustness of numerous Structures, Systems & Components (SSCs), especially of those operating in harsh environmental conditions with hazardous materials, present in the primary reactor circuit. Requirements for the nuclear safety and the nuclear security of NPP are extensive, pending very strict regulations and licence condition. Accordingly, continuous monitoring of the various systems/parameters is performed to ensure NPP is operated within the operational limits and conditions defined to prevent situations that could lead to anticipated operational occurrences or accident conditions, and to mitigate eventual consequences of such events. As a result, very large amounts of data are generated, which could be processed by AI techniques to rapidly and more accurately extract vital information about actual plant state, or to predict its behaviour.Conference Book of Abstract

Resursi privatne bezbednosti za zaštitu kritične infrastrukture u urbanim uslovima

Kritična infrasruktura obuhvata mreže, sisteme, objekte i sredstva koji obezbeđuju funkcionisanje države i osiguravanje osnovnih potreba stanovništu. Ona predstavlja okosnicu svakog društva i kao takva obezbeđuje blagostanje, prosperitet i bezbednost. Zbog uloge koju ima u održavanju funkcionisanja, integriteta i bezbednosti u urbanim sredinama ona se može smatrati značajnom karikom urbane bezbednosti. Različiti društveni procesi savremenog doba doveli su do promena u organizacionim, tehničkim i operativnim aspektima kritične infrastrukture, a međusobna povezanost, složenost i zavisnost ovih infrastruktura dovela je do multiplikacije rizika. Kritična infrasruktura danas je ranjiva na različite pretnje, tradicionalne ili savremene, uključujući prirodne katastrofe, sajber napade i terorističke akte. Njena ranjivost preslikava se na ranjivost društva, te predstavlja visok nivo rizika po sveukupnu bezbednost uključujući i bezbednost urbanih sredina. Ključnim segmentom zaštite kritične infrastrukture smatra se njena otpornost. U osnovi, otpornost jeste sposobnost sistema, mreže, objekta ili nekog drugog elementa kritične infrastrukture da apsorbuje negativne uticaje, da im se prilagodi i u što optimalnijem vremenskom periodu vrati u stanje normalnog ili čak poboljšanog funkcionisanja. Samim tim, jačanjem otpornosti kritične infrastrukture pored vršenja zaštite kritične infrastrukture, jača se i otpornost sredine u kojoj se ona nalazi, što dalje doprinosi otpornosti društva u celini. Jedan od provajdera zaštite kritične infrastrukture, kao i provajdera urbane bezbednosti jeste sektor privatne bezbednosti. Ovaj sektor ili industrija privatne bezbednosti, kako se često naziva, poslednjih decenija je značajan subjekat u areni pružanja usluga bezbednosti, dok je kritična infrastruktura čest referentni objekat kojem pružaju zaštitu. Autorka je u radu ukazala na ulogu koju sektor privatne bezbednosti ima u urbanim sredinama, uzimajući zaštitu kritične infrastrukture kao varijablu preko koje će tu ulogu predstaviti. Cilj rada jeste da prikaže teorijske uvide u različite resurse koje sektor privatne bezbednosti koristi za zaštitu kritične infrastrukture čime posredno doprinosi i bezbednosti u urbanim uslovima

Organizational school climate in city high schools from the perspective of teachers

A positive organizational school climate is recognized as a significant factor in teacher well-being and student learning outcomes. This research examined the quality of the organizational school climate in high schools in the Republic of Serbia. A sample of 149 teachers from nine high schools completed a self-report questionnaire (77.9% male, and 22.1% female). Measures included the Organizational School Climate Scale - factors: School management and interactions (a = .96), and School commitment (a = .90). The results showed that the quality of the organizational school climate was high: School management and interactions (M = 4.30); School commitment (M = 4.44). Also, differences in the evaluation of the organizational school climate concerning the schools' locations were confirmed. Regarding the subscale School management and interactions, the results favored schools outside Belgrade t(147) = -3.64, p < .01, as well as regarding the subscale School commitment, where the commitment of teachers was more pronounced in schools outside Belgrade t(147) = -4.75, p < .01. The findings of this research have the potential to encourage reflection on the importance of promoting positive interactions among school members so that the school can achieve its mission and vision of positive education and upbringing of children