Relations beetween results of laboratory and field tests of physical abilities with the competitive success of young female basketball players

Osnovni cilj ove disertacije bio je da se istraži kvantitativna povezanost prediktorskih varijabli - rezultata laboratorijskih i terenskih testova, kojima se procenjuju funkcionalne, metaboličke i motoričke sposobnosti sa kriterijskom varijablom - takmičarskom uspešnošću mladih košarkašica, kao i da se istraži uticaj prediktorskih varijabli na kriterijsku varijablu. Dok su sekundarni ciljevi bili sledeći: da se utvrdi da li su rezultati terenskih testova prediktori takmičarske uspešnosti; da se utvrdi da li su rezultati laboratorijskih testova prediktori takmičarske uspešnosti; da se sa aspekta međusobnog uticaja utvrdi prediktivna dominantnost rezultata terenskih testova u odnosu na rezultate laboratorijskih testova u opisu takmičarske uspešnosti; da se definiše hijerarhijski uticaj ispitivanih fizičkih sposobnosti u odnosu na takmičarsku uspešnost; kao i da se definiše model predikcije nivoa takmičarske uspešnosti aplikovanog u košarkaškoj praksi. U istraživanju su učestvovale košarkašice kadetske (U16) selekcije tri najbolja košarkaška kluba iz Prve kadetske lige Srbije (N=30), prosečne starosti 14.98 ± 0.68 godina. U odnosu na primenjene metode, u istraživanju je korišćeno laboratorijsko i terensko testiranje, kao prostor prediktivnih (nezavisnih) varijabli, i analiza takmičarske aktivnosti gde kriterijsku (zavisnu) varijablu predstavlja nivo postignute takmičarske uspešnosti. Korišćena je baterija laboratorijskih i terenskih testova kojima su merene i procenjivane: kontraktilne sposobnosti osnovnih mišićnih grupa (Fmax i RFDmax), karakteristike snage donjih ekstremiteta (Vingejt test i različiti skokovi), brzina lokomocije i agilnost (S5, S10, S20 i TT), aerobna i anaerobna izdržljivosti (JoJo i PS20), gipkost (DP), kao i funkcionalni i metabolički parametari karakteristika brzine oporavka (HR i La). Testirani prostor fizičkih sposobnosti je definisan pomoću 26 različitih prediktorskih varijabli...The main objective of this dissertation was to explore the quantitative coherence of predictive variables – results of laboratory and field tests, that evaluate functional, metabolic and motor abilities with criterion variable – competitive success of young female basketball players, and also to explore influence of predictive variables on the criterion variable. Secondary goals were following: to determine whether the results of the laboratory tests are predictors of competitive success; to determine, from the aspect of conference, the predictive dominance of the results of the field tests in relation to the results of the laboratory tests in the description of the competitive success; to define hierarchical influence of the examined physical abilities in relation to the competitive success; and also to define the prediction model of level of competitive success that is applied in basketball practice. In the research were participate female basketball of cadet (U16) selection of three best basketball clubs from the first cadet league of Serbia (N=30), average age 14.98 ± 0.68. In relation to the applied methods, the research was used the laboratory and field testing, as the scope of predictive (independent) variables, and the analysis of competitive activity where the criterion (dependent) variable is presented by the level of achieved competitive success. It was used the battery of laboratory and field tests that were measured and evaluated: contractile abilities of basic muscle groups (Fmax and RFDmax), strength characteristics of the lower extremities (Wingate test and different kinds of jumps), speed of locomotion and agility (S5, S10, S20 and TT), aerobic and anaerobic endurance (JoJo and PS20), flexibility (DP), also as functional and metabolic parameters of characteristic of the speed of recovery (HR and La). Tested scope of physical abilities is defined by 26 different predictive variables..

Thalassocratic dimension of contemporary Chinese geopolitics

Поморска моћ је у дугој кинеској историји већим делом била секундарна у односу на телурократску. Оваква ситуација настала је као последица чињенице да су највећи стратегијски изазови по Кину били управо са копненог правца, док је кинеска затвореност према свету представљала додатни елемент који је кроз историју негативно утицао на развој кинеске поморске моћи. Као збирни резултат ових утицаја, Кина је себе превасходно видела као континенталну силу. Крупне промене у кинеском друштву, настале као резултат спровођења економске реформе и „политике отворених врата“, битно су промениле приступ таласократској димензији геополитике у НР Кини. У том смислу, дисертација настоји да размотри неколико чинилаца који кључно утичу на то да она промени гледање на властиту поморску моћ на почетку 21. века. Међу њих спадају територијални кинески интереси у морима која је окружују, геоекономски елементи, са посебним значајем за део привреде усмерен ка мору као ресурсу, енергетска безбедност, геостратегијски и геополитички чиниоци оличени у изузетном развоју Народноослободилачке армије и пројектовању новостечене укупне моћи Кине. У раду се указује на директне везе које ови процеси и раст кинеске војне моћи имају са све интензивнијим војним ангажовањем Кине у подршци реализације националних интереса, почев од економских. Питање територијалног интегритета и успостављања контроле над острвима у Источном и Јужном кинеском мору, као и питање Тајвана, се у дисертацији доводе у директну везу са кинеском поморском моћи и указују на кинески приступ овом питању из геополитичке перспективе. Америчко обуздавање Кине у азијско-пацифичком региону и укупни процеси на глобалном геополитичком плану, такође су утицали да се тежиште кинеских геополитичких интереса са историјски доминантне копнене преусмери ка поморској стратешкој опцији, доводећи Кину у позицију силе која може да оствари интегрисану копнено-поморску оријентацију. У таквом оквиру таласократски правац приступа геополитици на пацифичком правцу и у Индијском океану представља примарну кинеску перспективу како би се створили повољни геостратегијски услови за задовољење националних интереса у непосредном окружењу и на оба океанаIn the long history of China, the sea power was in a large part secondary to telurocracy. Such situation emerged as a consequence of the fact that the greatest strategic challenges to China were precisely the ones coming from the land, while the Chinese restrictedness towards the world represented an additional element which, throughout the history, adversely affected the development of Chinese sea power. As a collective result of all these influences, China chiefly perceived itself as continental power. The major changes in Chinese society, which came about as a result of implementation of economic reform and “the open door policy”, significantly changed the approach towards thalassocratic dimension of the geopolitics in the PR China. In this respect, the dissertation endeavours to consider several facts that vitally influence China’s view of its own sea power in the beginning of the 21st century. They include territorial Chinese interests in surrounding seas, geoeconomic elements, with particular relevance to the part of economy oriented towards the sea as a resource, energy security, geostrategic and geopolitical factors embodied in the extraordinary development of the People’s Liberation Army and projecting of the newly accrued overall power of China. This paper points out to direct links between these processes and the growth of Chinese military power, and ever intensive military engagement of China in support of the realisation of national interests, starting from the economic ones. The issue of territorial integrity and establishment of control over the islands in East and South Chinese Sea, and the issue of Taiwan, are in this dissertation brought into a direct link with the Chinese sea power and they point to the Chinese approach to this issue from a geopolitical perspective. American containment of China in Asian-Pacific region and the overall processes in the global geopolitical arena, have also influenced shifting the focus of Chinese geopolitical interests from historically dominant land to maritime strategic option, bringing China in a position of power that can achieve an integrated land-maritime orientation. In such a framework, thalassocratic approach to geopolitics in the Pacific route and Indian Ocean, represents a primary Chinese perspective in order to create favourable geostrategic conditions to satisfy national interests in immediate surroundings and in both the ocean

Supplementary data for the article: Zarić, N. M.; Ilijević, K.; Stanisavljević, L.; Gržetić, I. Use of Honeybees (Apis Mellifera L.) as Bioindicators of Spatial Variations and Origin Determination of Metal Pollution in Serbia. Journal of the Serbian Chemical Society 2018, 83 (6), 773–784. https://doi.org/10.2298/JSC171110018Z

Supplementary material for: [https://doi.org/10.2298/JSC171110018Z]Related to published version: [http://cherry.chem.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/2179

Use of honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) as bioindicators of spatial variations and origin determination of metal pollution in Serbia

Honeybees have been proposed and used as bioindicators for the last few decades, because of their nature. Until now they have mostly been used to determine the present pollution and to distinguish the differences between the sampling locations and the sampling periods. With the use of multivariate statistical methods honeybees can also be used to distinguish the origin of this pollution. In this study the concentrations of Al, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Sr and Zn were measured in the bodies of adult honeybees collected from nine different apiaries in Serbia. With the help of the statistical methods it was established that the least polluted area was the one that has no industrial activities or the intense traffic nearby. The most polluted was the urban region, followed by a region close to thermal power plants and ash disposal site. Using PCA and CA the origin of the analyzed metals were proposed. It was suggested that Al, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn and Ni have anthropogenic origin mainly from the intensive agriculture, traffic and coal combustion.Supplementary material: [http://cherry.chem.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/3312

Supplementary material for the article: Zaric, N. M.; Deljanin, I.; Ilijević, K.; Stanisavljević, L.; Ristić, M.; Gržetić, I. Assessment of Spatial and Temporal Variations in Trace Element Concentrations Using Honeybees (Apis Mellifera) as Bioindicators. PeerJ 2018, 2018 (7). https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.5197

Supplementary material for: [https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.5197]Related to published version: [http://cherry.chem.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/2183

Supplementary material for the article: Zaric, N. M.; Deljanin, I.; Ilijević, K.; Stanisavljević, L.; Ristić, M.; Gržetić, I. Assessment of Spatial and Temporal Variations in Trace Element Concentrations Using Honeybees (Apis Mellifera) as Bioindicators. PeerJ 2018, 2018 (7). https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.5197

Supplementary material for: [https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.5197]Related to published version: [http://cherry.chem.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/2183

Gaining Trust in the Digital Age: The Potential of Social Media for Increasing the Competitiveness of Small and Medium Enterprises

Trust in information originating from a company is becoming essential, as consumer preferences are increasingly versatile and oriented towards credence attributes. Social media, which emerged as a dominant means of online communication, might help increase consumers’ trust in companies. The paper empirically investigates a conceptual trust-building mechanism that could occur on companies’ social media pages. A survey was conducted among social media users in Belgrade (Serbia). The collected data were analyzed using covariance-based structural equation modeling. It confirmed that in an interactive environment of companies’ social media pages, trust can be built towards two objects. The first one is trust among consumers, and the second one is trust towards a company. The results also confirm a connection between trust and an intention to purchase, both being also related to a consumer’s willingness to obtain information. Therefore, the result can serve as a basis for creating more effective marketing campaigns where a company is the source of information regarding credence (added-value) attributes of its products

Analysis of Cedrus Atlantica (Atlas cedar) Needles as Potential Passive Samplers of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Air

Poster presented at: 17th European Meeting on Environmental Chemistry – EMEC 17; Nov 30 – Dec 2, 2016; Inverness, ScotlandAbstract: [https://cer.ihtm.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/5160

Potential and limitations of plum drying and sales: case of Osečina municipality

The sale of processed products to suppliers brings higher value than the sale of fresh products, which is the main motive for investing in plums drying. The Municipality of Osečina is perhaps the best example. It has plum orchards, the tradition of plum drying, and and in the last few years a great number of new plum drying facilities were built. The reason of such development in the municipality of Osečina is primarily prunes demand in international markets. The subject of this paper is to examine the potential and limitations for drying and selling dried plums. The data for this research were collected from personal interviews with key stakeholders in Osečina engaged in the plum production or drying. A person employed in the advisory department and the person in charge of the organization of the Plum Fair that is held each year in Osečina in August have also been interviewed. Finally, the National Statistical Office data were also used. This paper shows, in particular, that 94% of plum drying facilities in Osečina have the daily capacity for drying of up to 1000 kg of plums. The production of fresh plums in the municipality ensures the operation of a drying facility for half a month during the year

Optimization of the plant sample preparation procedure for metal analysis using Wavelength Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (WDXRF)

Plants are known as good biomonitors in contaminated areas due to their tendency to accumulate toxic metals. Methods based on direct solid sample analysis are more favourable because they avoid utilization of aggressive and toxic agents, which is in line with green chemistry principles [1]. Besides nondestructiveness, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) is suitable for plant analysis because it offers wide linearity range (from ppm level to 100 %) and possibility of analysis of almost whole PSE (from Be to Am) [2]. Plant sample preparation procedure for WDXRF analysis includes grinding and drying at 60 C. After obtaining a homogeneous mixture, the plant sample is mixed with a certain amount of binder (Hoechst wax C micropowder) and pressed in a hydraulic press (Retsch PP 25) in order to obtain stable pellet (32 mm diameter). The plants are mostly made of light elements (O, N and C) which are transparent for X-rays. During analysis of elements with a higher atomic number, Xrays penetrate quite deep into the sample. It is important to establish the minimum thickness of the pellet that will provide reliable results during determination of the heavier elements in the plant matrix. Samples are measured under conditions of high vacuum and slightly elevated temperature, and for that reason herbal matrix is prone to physical changes after analysis. It is important to determine ideal ratio between mass of the sample and the binder that will provide a stable pellet without affecting determination of elements which are present in low concentrations. During this study, two types of plant samples were analysed: fir and pine needles. Samples were collected in 2017 during autumn. The influence of pellet mass (thickness) on elements concentration was examined by measuring pellets prepared from 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 g of plans material. By preparing pellets with: 0, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 % of wax, the influence of binder ratio was examined. Analysis was performed on ARL™ PERFORM’X Sequential Wavelength Dispersive XRay Fluorescence Spectrometer (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Switzerland) combined with ARL software program UniQuant [3]. In both types of plant samples the following elements were determined: Na, Mg, Al, Si, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe, Ni, Zn, Sr and Zr. Both fir and pine needles show similar trends. As quantity of binder increases, the concentration of Ca and K increases, because wax as binder can contain small quantities of those elements. Repeatability of elements that were found in higher concentrations (Mg, Al, Si, P, S, Cl, K and Ca) is high, while repeatability for low concentration elements (Ti, Fe, Ni, Zn, Sr) decreases as percent of binder increases. Reason for that phenomenon is that dilution with wax is affecting elements in low concentration more than high concentration elements. For light elements results show small impact of pellet mass on the measurements because observed X-rays have low penetration depth. Elements with higher Z number are usually present in smaller concentrations in plants and such measurements are less precise, especially when the smaller pellet mass is analyzed. We can say that UniQuant, as standardless method of analysis, which uses the advanced Fundamental parameters Algorithms for data processing, is well adjusted and able to deal with analysis of different sample masses. When physical properties of pellets are investigated, addition of 20% of wax provides the most stabile pellets with flattest surface. For adequate pellet stability, recommend mass of pellets should be 4 g, but it has been shown that 3 g is acceptable in the case of a small sample quantity. In case when we have less than 3 g, it is recommended to carefully place sample as thin layer on the top of 3 g of boric acid inert carrier.The conference was organized by the Institute of Chemistry of Clermont-Ferrand (ICCF) from the Clermont Auvergne University / CNRS / Sigma-Clermont, on behalf of the Association of Chemistry and the Environment (ACE)