Pilgrimage: an anthropology research of pilgrims perception of Serbian Orthodox Church monasteries at the beginning of the 21st century

U ovoj doktorskoj disertaciji bavim se problematizacijom predstava o manastirima kod poklonika Srpske pravoslavne crkve. Polazeći od činjenice da je naše razumevanje stvarnosti posredovano kulturom uslovljenim predstavama, želela sam da ispitam proces konstrukcije predstava o manastirima SPC. Za okvir ovog proučavanja uzeta su organizovana poklonička putovanja, budući da je tu reč o složenoj interakciji različitih aktera (organizatori putovanja/vodiči, monaštvo i poklonici) koji, svako na svoj način, pokazuju interes za instituciju manastira. Tokom poslednjih nekoliko decenija u Srbiji ovaj vid pokloništva postao je veoma popularan i masovan. Organizovanim pokloničkim putovanjima, s jedne strane, pristupam kao načinu putovanja, a sa druge, kao načinu prenosa i širenja informacija o manastirima Srpske pravoslavne crkve, gde se uočava izvesna mogućnost kontrolisanja diskursa o manastirima, ali i o pravoslavlju uopšte. Takođe, ona mogu biti posmatrana kao okvir unutar koga dolazi do konstruisanja i razmatranja osnovnih paradigmi srpskog pravoslavlja: različiti akteri razmenjuju sopstveno iskustvo i znanje o manastirima učvršćujući ili preispitujući postojeće modele verovanja i praksi. Putovanje u grupi do pokloničkog odredišta ispunjeno je određenim, ne nužno religijskim sadržajem – istorijskim podacima i pričama, promovisanjem određenog sistema vrednosti i mišljenja, zatim definisanjem prakse vezane za odevanje i ponašanje, političkim stavovima, ali i tumačenjem onoga što su poklonici čuli, videli i doživeli. Fokusirajući se na organizovana poklonička putovanja želela sam da utvrdim na koji način su manastiri, kao najčešća hodočasnička odredišta Srpske pravoslavne crkve, predstavljeni na ovim putovanjima od organizatora putovanja i predstavnika Srpske pravoslavne crkve, da otkrijem da li postoji usaglašenost diskursa u načinu na koji se o njima govori, kao i kakav je individualni odgovor na ponuđene ili nametnute predstave koje dolaze sa institucionalnog nivoa. Glavni zadaci istraživanja bili su, najpre, da se uradi formalna analiza pokloničkih putovanja u savremenom periodu. To je podrazumevalo da se takva putovanja detaljno opišu, uz stvaranje idealnog modela takvih putovanja, da se prepoznaju njihovi glavni elementi i faze, kao i da se prepoznaju i opišu funkcije i međuodnos svih elemenata. U tom smislu, kao najznačajniji, ali i najmanje poznati faktori, izdvajaju se organizatori putovanja, koji se javljaju i kao medijatori, ali i kao autoriteti i pokretači procesa, koji imaju sposobnost i moć da kontrolišu ceo proces, a samim tim i način i intenzitet doživljavanja i predstavljanja manastira. Istraživanja su vršena sa ciljem da se sagledaju značaj i uloga koje ova putovanja imaju u proizvodnji i distribuciji narativa o različitim manastirima Srpske pravoslavne crkve, tj. da se proveri kakva je uloga pokloničkih putovanja u konstruisanju predstava o manastirima Srpske pravoslavne crkve kod poklonika. Doktorska disertacija se zasniva na etnografskim istraživanjima vršenim u periodu između 2013. i 2019. godine.In this doctoral dissertation, I deal with the problematization of perceptions of monasteries among the pilgrims of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Starting from the fact that our understanding of reality is mediated by culture-conditioned ideas, I wanted to examine the process of constructing perceptions of the monasteries of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Organized pilgrimages were taken as the framework of this study, since it is a complex interaction of different actors (tour operators and guides, monks and pilgrims) who, each in their own way, show interest in the monastic institution. This type of pilgrimage has become very popular and widespread during the last few decades in Serbia. On the one hand, I approach organized pilgrimages as a way of traveling and on the other hand, as a way of transmitting and disseminating information about the monasteries of the Serbian Orthodox Church. In other words, there is a certain possibility of controlling the discourse about monasteries, but also about Orthodoxy in general. Likewise, pilgrimages can be seen as a framework within which the basic paradigms of Serbian Orthodoxy are constructed and considered: different actors exchange their own experience and knowledge of monasteries, consolidating or reexamining the existing models of beliefs and practices. The group trip to the pilgrimage site is filled with certain, not necessarily, religious content - historical data and stories, promoting a certain system of values and opinions, defining practices related to the dressing and behavior, political attitudes, and also with interpreting what pilgrims heard, saw and experienced. By focusing on organized pilgrimages, I wanted to determine how monasteries, as the most common pilgrimage destinations of the Serbian Orthodox Church, are represented in these trips by tour operators and representatives of the Serbian Orthodox Church, to reveal if the discourses of pilgrimages are harmonized, as well as what is the individual response to the offered or imposed ideas that come from the institutional level. One of the main tasks of the research was to make a formal analysis of pilgrimages in the modern period. This meant describing such trips in detail, creating an ideal model thereof, identifying their main elements and phases, and identifying and describing functions and interrelations of all the elements. In this respect, travel operators stand out as the most important, but also the least known factors. They also appear as mediators, as well as authorities and initiators of the process, with the ability and power to control the whole process, and thus the intensity and the way in which others experience and represent the monasteries. The purpose of research was to understand the significance and role that these trips have in the making and distribution of narratives about different monasteries of the Serbian Orthodox Church, i.e. to verify the role of pilgrimages in constructing notions about the monasteries of the Serbian Orthodox Church among pilgrims. The doctoral dissertation is based on ethnographic research conducted in the period 2013–2019

Toxic-Metal-Induced Alteration in miRNA Expression Profile as a Proposed Mechanism for Disease Development

Toxic metals are extensively found in the environment, households, and workplaces and contaminate food and drinking water. The crosstalk between environmental exposure to toxic metals and human diseases has been frequently described. The toxic mechanism of action was classically viewed as the ability to dysregulate the redox status, production of inflammatory mediators and alteration of mitochondrial function. Recently, growing evidence showed that heavy metals might exert their toxicity through microRNAs (miRNA)-short, single-stranded, noncoding molecules that function as positive/negative regulators of gene expression. Aberrant alteration of the endogenous miRNA has been directly implicated in various pathophysiological conditions and signaling pathways, consequently leading to different types of cancer and human diseases. Additionally, the gene-regulatory capacity of miRNAs is particularly valuable in the brain-a complex organ with neurons demonstrating a significant ability to adapt following environmental stimuli. Accordingly, dysregulated miRNAs identified in patients suffering from neurological diseases might serve as biomarkers for the earlier diagnosis and monitoring of disease progression. This review will greatly emphasize the effect of the toxic metals on human miRNA activities and how this contributes to progression of diseases such as cancer and neurodegenerative disorders (NDDs)

Pilgrimage: an anthropology research of pilgrims perception of Serbian Orthodox Church monasteries at the beginning of the 21st century

U ovoj doktorskoj disertaciji bavim se problematizacijom predstava o manastirima kod poklonika Srpske pravoslavne crkve. Polazeći od činjenice da je naše razumevanje stvarnosti posredovano kulturom uslovljenim predstavama, želela sam da ispitam proces konstrukcije predstava o manastirima SPC. Za okvir ovog proučavanja uzeta su organizovana poklonička putovanja, budući da je tu reč o složenoj interakciji različitih aktera (organizatori putovanja/vodiči, monaštvo i poklonici) koji, svako na svoj način, pokazuju interes za instituciju manastira. Tokom poslednjih nekoliko decenija u Srbiji ovaj vid pokloništva postao je veoma popularan i masovan. Organizovanim pokloničkim putovanjima, s jedne strane, pristupam kao načinu putovanja, a sa druge, kao načinu prenosa i širenja informacija o manastirima Srpske pravoslavne crkve, gde se uočava izvesna mogućnost kontrolisanja diskursa o manastirima, ali i o pravoslavlju uopšte. Takođe, ona mogu biti posmatrana kao okvir unutar koga dolazi do konstruisanja i razmatranja osnovnih paradigmi srpskog pravoslavlja: različiti akteri razmenjuju sopstveno iskustvo i znanje o manastirima učvršćujući ili preispitujući postojeće modele verovanja i praksi. Putovanje u grupi do pokloničkog odredišta ispunjeno je određenim, ne nužno religijskim sadržajem – istorijskim podacima i pričama, promovisanjem određenog sistema vrednosti i mišljenja, zatim definisanjem prakse vezane za odevanje i ponašanje, političkim stavovima, ali i tumačenjem onoga što su poklonici čuli, videli i doživeli. Fokusirajući se na organizovana poklonička putovanja želela sam da utvrdim na koji način su manastiri, kao najčešća hodočasnička odredišta Srpske pravoslavne crkve, predstavljeni na ovim putovanjima od organizatora putovanja i predstavnika Srpske pravoslavne crkve, da otkrijem da li postoji usaglašenost diskursa u načinu na koji se o njima govori, kao i kakav je individualni odgovor na ponuđene ili nametnute predstave koje dolaze sa institucionalnog nivoa. Glavni zadaci istraživanja bili su, najpre, da se uradi formalna analiza pokloničkih putovanja u savremenom periodu. To je podrazumevalo da se takva putovanja detaljno opišu, uz stvaranje idealnog modela takvih putovanja, da se prepoznaju njihovi glavni elementi i faze, kao i da se prepoznaju i opišu funkcije i međuodnos svih elemenata. U tom smislu, kao najznačajniji, ali i najmanje poznati faktori, izdvajaju se organizatori putovanja, koji se javljaju i kao medijatori, ali i kao autoriteti i pokretači procesa, koji imaju sposobnost i moć da kontrolišu ceo proces, a samim tim i način i intenzitet doživljavanja i predstavljanja manastira. Istraživanja su vršena sa ciljem da se sagledaju značaj i uloga koje ova putovanja imaju u proizvodnji i distribuciji narativa o različitim manastirima Srpske pravoslavne crkve, tj. da se proveri kakva je uloga pokloničkih putovanja u konstruisanju predstava o manastirima Srpske pravoslavne crkve kod poklonika. Doktorska disertacija se zasniva na etnografskim istraživanjima vršenim u periodu između 2013. i 2019. godine.In this doctoral dissertation, I deal with the problematization of perceptions of monasteries among the pilgrims of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Starting from the fact that our understanding of reality is mediated by culture-conditioned ideas, I wanted to examine the process of constructing perceptions of the monasteries of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Organized pilgrimages were taken as the framework of this study, since it is a complex interaction of different actors (tour operators and guides, monks and pilgrims) who, each in their own way, show interest in the monastic institution. This type of pilgrimage has become very popular and widespread during the last few decades in Serbia. On the one hand, I approach organized pilgrimages as a way of traveling and on the other hand, as a way of transmitting and disseminating information about the monasteries of the Serbian Orthodox Church. In other words, there is a certain possibility of controlling the discourse about monasteries, but also about Orthodoxy in general. Likewise, pilgrimages can be seen as a framework within which the basic paradigms of Serbian Orthodoxy are constructed and considered: different actors exchange their own experience and knowledge of monasteries, consolidating or reexamining the existing models of beliefs and practices. The group trip to the pilgrimage site is filled with certain, not necessarily, religious content - historical data and stories, promoting a certain system of values and opinions, defining practices related to the dressing and behavior, political attitudes, and also with interpreting what pilgrims heard, saw and experienced. By focusing on organized pilgrimages, I wanted to determine how monasteries, as the most common pilgrimage destinations of the Serbian Orthodox Church, are represented in these trips by tour operators and representatives of the Serbian Orthodox Church, to reveal if the discourses of pilgrimages are harmonized, as well as what is the individual response to the offered or imposed ideas that come from the institutional level. One of the main tasks of the research was to make a formal analysis of pilgrimages in the modern period. This meant describing such trips in detail, creating an ideal model thereof, identifying their main elements and phases, and identifying and describing functions and interrelations of all the elements. In this respect, travel operators stand out as the most important, but also the least known factors. They also appear as mediators, as well as authorities and initiators of the process, with the ability and power to control the whole process, and thus the intensity and the way in which others experience and represent the monasteries. The purpose of research was to understand the significance and role that these trips have in the making and distribution of narratives about different monasteries of the Serbian Orthodox Church, i.e. to verify the role of pilgrimages in constructing notions about the monasteries of the Serbian Orthodox Church among pilgrims. The doctoral dissertation is based on ethnographic research conducted in the period 2013–2019

Evaluacija genotoksičnog efekta ipronidazola, Gastrogala 10®, u kulturi humanih limfocita periferne krvi

In this work, we examined the genotoxic effect of the antibiotic preparation ipronidazol (Gastrogal 10). An experiment was performed in vitro on human peripheral blood lymphocytes using the chromosome aberration and sister chromatid exchange tests. Clastogenic effects of ipronidazol were examined at three experimental concentrations (25 (g/ml, 50 (g/ml i 100 (g/ml) in eight experimental cycles. The results demonstrate that Gastrogal 10 has the ability to change the human lymphocyte kariotype, i.e. it induces numerical aberrations (aneuploidies and polyploidies), as well as chromosome gaps and breaks. Moreover, Gastrogal 10 induces a significant increase of sister chromatid exchange in human lymphocytes. The obtained results demonstrate that the examined preparation exhibits a certain genotoxic potential.U ovom radu su izneti rezultati ispitivanja genotoksičnih efekata antibiotskog preparata Gastrogala 10 čija je aktivna supstanca ipronidazol. Eksperiment in vitro je obavljen na humanim limfocitima periferne krvi primenom testa indukcije hromozomskih aberacija u kulturi ćelija, kao i testa ispitivanja oštećenja na nivou molekula DNK, praćenjem razmene sestrinskih hromatida (SCE). Ispitivanje klastogenog efekta odgovarajućih doza Gastrogala 10 (25ng/ml, 50|ug/ml i 100|ag/m!) obavljeno je kroz 8 eksperimentalnih ciklusa. Rezultati istraživanja in vitro pokazuju da ispitivani antibiotiski preparat ima sposobnost promene kariotipa limfocita čoveka i indukcije numeričkih hromozomskih aberacija tipa aneuploidija i poliploidija i strukturnih hrompzomskih promena tipa lezija i prekida. Gastrogal 10 indukuje značajno povećanje razmene sestrinskih hromatida u humanim limfocitima. Dobijeni eksperimentalni rezultati, ukazuju da ispitivani antibiotski preparat Gastrogal 10 ima određeni genotoksični potencijal

Experimental and numerical investigation of thermal and fluid-flow processes in a matrix heat exchanger

The need for compact heat exchangers has led to the development of many types of surfaces that enhance the rate of heat transfer, among them the matrix heat exchangers. These heat exchangers consist of a series of perforated plates mutually separated and sealed by spacers. The goal of this research was to investigate the heat transfer process of matrix heat exchangers on the air side, at the close to ambient conditions. The research was conducted in two directions – experimental research and CFD research. The experimental investigation was carried out over a perforated plate package with the porosity of 25.6%. The air/water matrix heat exchanger was heated by hot water and was installed in an experimental chamber at which entrance was a fan with the variable flow rate and heated by hot water. The thermocouples were attached to the surface of the perforated plate at the upwind and downwind sides, as well as at the inlet and the outlet of the chamber. During each experiment, the thermocouple readings and the air and water-flow and temperatures were recorded. In the numerical part of the research, the matrix heat exchangers with different plate porosity from 10 to 50% were investigated. The results of the numerical simulations were validated against the experimental results. On the basis of the experimental and numerical results, equations for heat transfer as the function of Reynolds number and geometrical parameters was established. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. III 42008