Alcoholic Drinkers and Road Safety in the Republic of Slovenia

In this study we were therefore interested in the percentage of road traffic offences (RTO) and road traffic accidents (RTA) involving inebriated drivers one year before and one year after the passing of the new Law on Road Traffic Safety (LRTS) as well as measures (referrals, punishments and final decisions on the revoking of driver’s licences due to drunk driving). One year before the passing of the new LRTS, there were 40,702 RTA-s in the Republic of Slovenia (12.2% caused by drunk drivers). The average alcohol concentration in exhaled air for those analysed was 1.19 g/kg. One year after the passing of this law there were 36,479 RTA-s (8.6% caused by drunk drivers). The average alcohol concentration in exhaled air for those analysed was 1,32 g/kg (the differences were statistically significant). In 13.8% cases the reason for permorming a measurement of the alcohol concentration in exhaled aier was an RTA with an average alcohol concentration in exhaled air of 1.22 g/kg and in 86.2% of cases an RTO with an average alcohol concentration in exhaled air of 1.25 g/kg (the differences were statistically significant). We found it interesting that the number of events minvolving lower concentrations decreased, but the percentage involving higher alcohol concentrations even increased. The results of this study indicate without a doubt that the law was not successful enough with its repressive and preventative measures in the field of drunk drivers. Experts on alcohol believe that punishment cannot make alcoholics and other drivers abandon their behavioural patterns and stop driving under the influence of alcohol. This can be achived only by treatment, and the present practice (police – misdenveanour counts – repeat general medical check-up) has been ineffective as prevention among alcoholic drivers. We therefore believe that supplemants to the LRTS should be adopted urgently, that would contribute, through better medical selection, to a reduction in the number of drunk drivers behind the eheel, both those who are alcohol dependet (and should be referred to treatment)

Alcoholic Drinkers and Road Safety in the Republic of Slovenia

In this study we were therefore interested in the percentage of road traffic offences (RTO) and road traffic accidents (RTA) involving inebriated drivers one year before and one year after the passing of the new Law on Road Traffic Safety (LRTS) as well as measures (referrals, punishments and final decisions on the revoking of driver’s licences due to drunk driving). One year before the passing of the new LRTS, there were 40,702 RTA-s in the Republic of Slovenia (12.2% caused by drunk drivers). The average alcohol concentration in exhaled air for those analysed was 1.19 g/kg. One year after the passing of this law there were 36,479 RTA-s (8.6% caused by drunk drivers). The average alcohol concentration in exhaled air for those analysed was 1,32 g/kg (the differences were statistically significant). In 13.8% cases the reason for permorming a measurement of the alcohol concentration in exhaled aier was an RTA with an average alcohol concentration in exhaled air of 1.22 g/kg and in 86.2% of cases an RTO with an average alcohol concentration in exhaled air of 1.25 g/kg (the differences were statistically significant). We found it interesting that the number of events minvolving lower concentrations decreased, but the percentage involving higher alcohol concentrations even increased. The results of this study indicate without a doubt that the law was not successful enough with its repressive and preventative measures in the field of drunk drivers. Experts on alcohol believe that punishment cannot make alcoholics and other drivers abandon their behavioural patterns and stop driving under the influence of alcohol. This can be achived only by treatment, and the present practice (police – misdenveanour counts – repeat general medical check-up) has been ineffective as prevention among alcoholic drivers. We therefore believe that supplemants to the LRTS should be adopted urgently, that would contribute, through better medical selection, to a reduction in the number of drunk drivers behind the eheel, both those who are alcohol dependet (and should be referred to treatment)

Die Abenteuer von Alice im Wissenschaftsland

Lewis Carroll based much of his nonsense humour and curious themes in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass on his expertise in logic and mathematics. Years after the books were written, Alice, under the guidance of new authors, is experiencing new adventures in different regions of Scienceland, from Quantumland to Computerland. Situations, characters and concepts from Carroll’s books on Alice are often reused in different scientific fields to illustrate scientific phenomena. Alice has become an archetype placeholder name for experimentalists in physics and cryptology. Carroll’s books on Alice have been adopted by the scientific community and it seems that, although it is characteristic for science to keep changing, Alice’s adventures in Scienceland are here to stay.Velik dio nonsensnoga humora i začudnih tema u djelima Aličine pustolovine u Zemlji Čudesa i S onu stranu zrcala nadahnut je Carrollovim vrsnim poznavanjem logike i matematike. Godinama nakon nastanka spomenutih romana, u rukama novih autora, Alica doživljava nove pustolovine u raznim dijelovima Znanstvozemske: od Kvantozemske do Računalozemske. Situacije, likovi i pojmovi iz Carrollovih knjiga o Alici često se iznova rabe u raznim znanstvenim područjima u svrhu ilustriranja znanstvenih pojava. Sama Alica postala je arhetipskim imenom za ispitanike u fizici i kriptologiji. Iako su neprestane mijene jedna od odlika znanosti, jedna se stvar zacijelo neće promijeniti: junakinja Carrollovih romana, koje je znanstvena zajednica dobro prihvatila, i dalje će doživljavati pustolovine u Znanstvozemskoj.Zahlreiche Bespiele des Nonsens-Humors sowie eine Unmenge an sonderbaren Ereignissen aus den Werken Alice in Wunderland und Alice hinter den Spiegeln scheinen auf Carrolls ausgezeichneten Kenntnissen aus dem Bereich der Logik und der Mathematik zu beruhen. Noch jahrelang nach der Romanentstehung erlebt Alice unter den Händen anderer Autoren in unterschiedlichen Teilen des Wissenschaftslandes − von dem Quantenland bis hin zum Computerland − neuartige Abenteuer. Situationen, Gestalten und Begriffe aus Carrolls AliceBüchern werden in zahlreichen wissenschaftlichen Bereichen immer wieder verwendet, um dadurch wissenschaftliche Begriffe zu illustrieren. Alice wurde sogar zum archetypischen Namen für Experimentatoren im Bereich der Physik und Kryptologie. Ist auch der stete Wandel eines der Merkmale der Wissenschaft, eines wird sich gewiss nie ändern: Einmal in der wissenschaftlichen Gemeinschaft gut aufgenommen, wird Carrolls Romanheldin in Wissenschaftsland auch weiterhin zahlreiche Abenteuer erleben

Elderly Drivers in Road Accidents

Brojni su čimbenici pridonijeli porastu broja starijih ljudi u razvijenim društvima. Pri tome se susrećemo i s rastućim udjelom starijih vozača – vozača sa svim bolestima i teškoćama što ih donosi starost. Strukturalne i funkcionalne promjene u vrijeme starenja već fiziološki dovode do slabljenja percepcije. Kod starijih osoba važni su također mišićno–koštani problemi, pad intelektualnih funkcija, a isto tako i usporavanje psihomotoričkih funkcija – produžava se npr. reakcijska brzina. U istraživanjima koja su obuhvatila sve prouzročitelje i sudionike cestovnih prometnih nesreća u Sloveniji u razdoblju od 1998. do 2000. godine željeli smo prikazati razlike u pojavnosti i posljedicama cestovnih prometnih nesreća osoba starijih od 55 godina, koje zapravo uzrokuju bitno manje nesreća nego prometno najbrojnija dobna skupina od 18 do 54 godine, ali su posljedice nesreća starijih ljudi, ako ih prouzroče ili u njima sudjeluju, bitno tragičnije – prije svega u smislu najteže ozlijeđenih i mrtvih. Postavljamo pitanje ispravnosti zdravstvene selekcije starijih osoba te odluke zakonodavca da je prvi kontrolni zdravstveni pregled starije osobe tek pri navršenoj 80. godini života. Sposobnost upravljanja motornim vozilom kao sredstvom zadovoljavanja osobnih potreba i uključivanja u društvo zauzima središnje mjesto u samostalnosti mnogih starijih osoba. Zato se zauzimamo za zaštitu prava pojedinca da upravlja motornim vozilom samo onda kada ima za to potrebne psihofizičke sposobnosti.The elderly are vulnerable and potentially unpredictable active participants in traffic who deserve special attention. Longer life expectancy entails a greater number of senior drivers, that is, persons with various health problems and difficulties accompanying old age. At the turn of the millennium, the share of population aged 65 or more in Slovenia was around 13%, and in 25 years it will be near as much as 19%. The share of drivers from this age group was 28% a year ago, and it is expected to reach about 54%. Numerous studies have shown that there are many differences in driving attitude between the young and the elderly. The young are by large active victims, and their main offence and cause of accident is speeding, while the elderly are more passive and their main offence is ignoring and enforcing the right of way. This paper focuses on the differences in the occurrence and type of injuries between the young and the elderly drivers, based on an analysis of all road accidents in Slovenia in the period between 1998–2000. Older people (over 65) caused only 4.7% of all road accidents (16.7% of all accidents involving pedestrians, 11.5% of all involving cyclists, 2.7% involving motorcyclists and 5% of all accidents involving car drivers). Of all accidents, 89.3% were without injuries, and the fatal outcome was registered in 0.4% accidents. Among the elderly (65–74 years of age), however, this share was 1%, and rising to 2.7% with the age 75 and above. By calculating the weight index, which discriminates between minor and severe injuries, and the fatal outcome, it was established that age groups 65–74 and ≥75 cause three and five times greater damage, respectively than age groups from 18 to 54 years. With years, psychophysical changes lead to a drop in driving ability, which in turn increases the risk of road accidents. It is true that elderly people cause less traffic accidents (and also drive less) than the young, but when they are involved in an accident, as a rule the consequences are more tragical. A research of this increasing group traffic participants (in the role of drivers as well) could provide an important contribution to their safety and to the safety of all people involved in road traffic

Health Impact of Elevated Levels of Lead Encountered in the Manufacture of Crystal Glass

Lead is known to cause harmful effects in the haematopoietic, nervous, digestive, renal, and other organ systems, inhibiting a number of enzymes in the biosynthesis of haem, as well as other enzymes with haematological significance. Our study involved 151 employees involved with the cutting of crystal, i.e. leaded glass, who had been found using eco-monitoring to have been exposed to above normal levels of lead. Our bio-monitoring process followed the values of lead, delta-ALAD and EPP.The highest level of lead detected was 276 μg/L, the lowest level of delta-ALAD was 99 nkat/L), and the highest level of EPP was 14.2 nmol/gHb). We had found that contrary to expectations, lead levels were not correlated to haemoglobin levels, or to gender or age, but were instead based only on the post of the employee and their time spent working at the glassworks. The levels of haematopoiesis were directly proportional to the levels of lead, however, the correlation was not statistically significant or had perhaps been masked by the exposure due to the employee’s post and gender. We had also found a significant correlation of lead levels to the levels of renal function. The study had indicated some health impacts of lead on the exposed glass workers, but also at least partly diverged from the results of previous studies, prompting us to continue our research

Realism and Antirealism in Informational Foundations of Quantum Theory

Zeilinger-Brukner's informational foundations of quantum theory, a theory based on Zeilinger's foundational principle for quantum mechanics that an elementary system carried one bit of information, explains seemingly unintuitive quantum behavior with simple theoretical framework. It is based on the notion that distinction between reality and information cannot be made, therefore they are the same. As the critics of informational foundations of quantum theory show, this antirealistic move captures the theory in tautology, where information only refers to itself, while the relationships outside the information with the help of which the nature of information would be defined are lost and the questions "Whose information? Information about what?" cannot be answered. The critic's solution is a return to realism, where the observer's effects on the information are neglected. We show that radical antirealism of informational foundations of quantum theory is not necessary and that the return to realism is not the only way forward. A comprehensive approach that exceeds mere realism and antirealism is also possible: we can consider both sources of the constraints on the information, those coming from the observer and those coming from the observed system/nature/reality. The information is always the observer's information about the observed. Such a comprehensive philosophical approach can still support the theoretical framework of informational foundations of quantum theory: If we take that one bit is the smallest amount of information in the form of which the observed reality can be grasped by the observer, we can say that an elementary system (grasped and defined as such by the observer) correlates to one bit of information. Our approach thus explains all the features of the quantum behavior explained by informational foundations of quantum theory: the wave function and its collapse, entanglement, complementarity and quantum randomness. However, it does so in a more comprehensive and intuitive way. The presented approach is close to Husserl's explanation of the relationship between reality and the knowledge we have about it, and to Bohr's personal explanation of quantum mechanics, the complexity of which has often been missed and simplified to mere antirealism. Our approach thus reconnects phenomenology with contemporary philosophy of science and introduces the comprehensive approach that exceeds mere realism and antirealism to the field of quantum theories with informational foundations, where such an approach has not been taken before.Quanta 2014; 3: 32–42

Human Being as Defined by its Temporality: The Problem of Time in Salman Rushdie’s Grimus and Umberto Eco’s Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana

Salman Rushdie and Umberto Eco, two of the most established authors of the contemporary novel, both design their novels as complex reflections of the contemporary environment, usually by combining elements from other fields of human cognition (e.g. science and philosophy) and from the social and political reality. In Rushdie’s first novel – Grimus – and in Eco’s latest novel – The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana – the main theme that connects these elements is the problem of time. Through the literary plot, both authors develop detailed and unique concepts of time by utilizing elements from contemporary philosophy and science (especially physics and cognitive science). In both novels, time, although in quite different contexts, is essentially connected with the human defined by his being-in-time. Only as a finite being can a human being design himself as a complete and authentic Da-sein, if we use a phrase from Heidegger’s philosophy

Some Recent Early Byzantine Sculptural Finds from Tarsus

Οι πρόσφατες ανασκαφικές εργασίες στην κεντρική πλατεία Cumhuriyet της Ταρσού έφεραν σε φως διάφορα γλυπτά αρχιτεκτονικά μέλη, από πόλη στην οποία δεν σώζονται πλέον μνημεία εκείνης της περιόδου. Τα γλυπτά αυτά, από Προκοννήσιο μάρμαρο, βάσει τεχνοτροπικών παρατηρήσεων, τοποθετούνται στον πρώιμο 6ο αιώνα. Οι ομοιότητές τους με ανάλογα αρχιτεκτονικά γλυπτά από την Κωνσταντινούπολη οδηγούν στην απόδοσή τους σε εργαστήριο της Πρωτεύουσας, απ΄όπου φαίνεται πως διοχετεύτηκαν στην αγορά. The recent archaeological works carried out at the central square Cumhuriyet of Tarsus brought to light several sculpted architectural members, although nothing survives from its medieval past. The sculpted members, all of Proconnesian marble, can be dated in the early 6th century according to the stylistic observations made. The affinities that these pieces showcase with similar pieces from Constantinople allow their attribution to a workshop of the Capital from where they must have been exported to Tarsus.

Autonomous Vehicle and Augmented Reality Usage

With the development of autonomous development technology, the need for additional applications to be used inside and outside the vehicle is increasing. As a result of the literature review, many applications have been developed to display vehicle data directly on the monitor, with reflections on glass, and on hardware devices. These applications have been developed only for a defined problem and for a particular autonomous system. In this study, a basic autonomous vehicle software infrastructure and mobile Augmented Reality application that can work on Android devices have been developed. The Mobile Augmented Reality app serves inside and outside the vehicle. In addition, this application has been shown to support multiple autonomous system infrastructures