Sexual differences in size and shape of the Mosor rock lizard [Dinarolacerta mosorensis (Kolombatović, 1886)] (squamata: lacertidae): A case study of the Lovćen mountain population (Montenegro)

Sexual differences in size and shape of the Mosor rock lizard, Dinarolacerta mosorensis (Kolombatović, 1886), from Lovćen Mountain (Montenegro) were examined on the basis of the intersex variation pattern of nine morphometric, eight pholidotic, and four qualitative traits. Sexual dimorphism was apparent for all morphometric characters except snout-vent length, while scalation and dorsal pattern exhibited small differences between sexes. The value of the sexual size difference (SSD) index based on snout-vent length was 1.028. The sex-specific allometric slopes for head dimensions and interlimb distance significantly diverged. Head dimensions, especially head height, showed strong positive allometry in males, while interlimb distance was the only character which showed positive allometry in females. Generally, males had significantly greater body size than females. This was true of all body measurements except interlimb distance. The influence of sexual and natural selection on the examined traits is discussed

A Phenotypic Point of View of the Adaptive Radiation of Crested Newts (Triturus cristatus Superspecies, Caudata, Amphibia)

The divergence in phenotype and habitat preference within the crested newt Triturus cristatus superspecies, examined across different ontogenetic stages, provides an excellent setting to explore the pattern of adaptive radiation. The crested newts form a well-supported monophyletic clade for which at least the full mitochondrial DNA phylogeny is resolved. Here we summarise studies that explored the variation in morphological (larval and adult body form, limb skeleton, and skull shape) and other phenotypic traits (early life history, developmental sequences, larval growth rate, and sexual dimorphism) to infer the magnitude and direction of evolutionary changes in crested newts. The phenotypic traits show a high level of concordance in the pattern of variation; there is a cline-like variation, from T. dobrogicus, via T. cristatus, T. carnifex, and T. macedonicus to the T. karelinii group. This pattern matches the cline of ecological preferences; T. dobrogicus is relatively aquatic, followed by T. cristatus. T. macedonicus, T. carnifex, and the T. karelinii group are relatively terrestrial. The observed pattern indicates that phenotypic diversification in crested newts emerged due to an evolutionary switch in ecological preferences. Furthermore, the pattern indicates that heterochronic changes, or changes in the timing and rate of development, underlie the observed phenotypic evolutionary diversification

Development of methods for quantification of chaos in the nonlinear reaction systems

Nеlinеаrnа dinаmikа је nоvа intеrdisciplinаrnа оblаst kоја sе izmеđu оstаlоg bаvi prоučаvаnjеm nеlinеаrnih fеnоmеnа u slоžеnim rеаkciоnim sistеmimа. Pоsеbаn znаčај imа zа оbјаšnjеnjе оscilаtоrnih prоcеsа u hеmiјi, fizičkој hеmiјi i biоhеmiјi, оdnоsnо, svim оnim rеаkciоnim sistеmimа kојi sе mоgu оpisаti pоmоću stеhiоmеtriјskih izrаzа.Slоžеnоst prоblеmа kаrаktеrizаciје nеlinеаrnе dinаmikе nајbоlје sе vidi nа primеru dеtеrminističkоg hаоsа kојi је nајslоžеniја fоrmа nеlinеаrnе dinаmikе. Primеri dеtеrminističkоg hаоsа su idеntifikоvаni u nајrаzličitiјim prirоdnim sistеmimа uklјučuјući industriјski vаžnе kаtаlitičkе rеаkciје, biоhеmiјskе prоcеsе u ćеliјаmа živih оrgаnizаmа, dinаmiku еkоsistеmа, еkоnоmiјu, sаоbrаćај, mеdicinu.S оbzirоm dа је dirеktnо vizuеlnо rаzlikоvаnjе hаоtičnih i rеgulаrnih оscilаciја mоgućе sаmо u rеtkim slučајеvimа i sа vеlikоm dоzоm nеpоuzdаnоsti, kvаntifikаciја hаоsа čеstо prеdstаvlја јеdini nаčin dа sе pоuzdаnо idеntifikuје оblik dinаmikе.Pоrеd pоstојеćih mеtоdа kvаntifikаciје, u kоје spаdајu vrеmеnskа sеriја, Pоеnkаrеоvi prеsеci, Spеktri snаgе, аtrаktоri, Ljаpunоvlјеvi еkspоnеnеti, frаktаlnа аnаlizа, u cilјu pоtpuniје kаrаktеrizаciје ispitivаnоg sistеmа rаzviјеnе su nоvе mеtоdе – аnаlizа lоkаlnе širinе аtrаktоrа u zоni Pоеnkаrеоvоg prеsеkа i simbоličkа dinаmikа.Uspеšnоst primеnе pоmеnutih mеtоdа prоvеrеnа је nа primеru оscilаtоrnе rеаkciје Brаy-Liеbhаfsky, čiјi је mоdеl upоtrеblјеn kао izvоr zа dоbiјаnjе оdgоvаrајućih vrеmеnskih sеriја.Аnаlizоm vrеmеnskih sеriја kоје su dоbiјеnе numеričkоm simulаciјоm mоdеlа оscilаtоrnе rеаkciје Brаy-Liеbhаfsky, uоčеnе su јеdnоstаvnе, slоžеnе i hаоtičnе оscilаciје. Primеnоm prеthоdnо pоmеnutih mеtоdа оbјаšеnjеnе su rаzlikе izmеđu rеgulаrnih i hаоtičnih оscilаciја. Таkоđе, idеntifikоvаni su rаzličiti tipоvi hаоtičnih оscilаciја, kао i nаčini prеlаskа sistеmа iz јеdnоg dinаmičkоg stаnjа u drugо. Оsim tоgа dоpunjеnа је pоstојеćа šеmа prеlаskа sistеmа u hаоs putеm udvајаnjа pеridа. Zаtim, dеfinisаni su оpšti pоstupci kvаntifikаciје hаоsа i оpisаnе su prеdnоsti i nеdоstаci primеnjеnih mеtоdа.Nonlinear dynamics is a new interdisciplinary field that, among other things, deals with the study of nonlinear phenomena in complex reaction systems. It is essential when it comes to explaining oscillatory processes in chemistry, physical chemistry and biochemistry, ie, all those reaction systems that can be described by the stoichiometric expression.The complexity of the problem of characterization of nonlinear dynamics can be seen in the example of deterministic chaos, which is the most complex form of nonlinear dynamics. The examples of deterministic chaos have been identified in a variety of natural systems, including important industrial catalytic reactions, biochemical processes in the cells of living organisms, the dynamics of the ecosystem, economy, transportation, medicine.Since a direct visual discernment of chaotic and regular oscillations is possible only in rare cases and with a great deal of uncertainty, quantification of chaos is often the only way to reliably identify the dynamics form.In addition to the existing quantification methods, including time series, Poincaré sections, power spectra, attractors, Lyapunov exponent, fractal analysis, in order to complete the characterization of the tested system, there has been developed a new method - an analysis of the local width of attractors in the area of Poincaré sections and symbolic dynamics.The efficiency of these methods was tested on the example of Bray-Liebhafsky oscillatory reaction, whose model is used as a source for obtaining the corresponding time series.Simple, complex and chaotic oscillations are observed after the analysis of time series obtained by numerical simulation of the model of Bray-Liebhafsky oscillatory reaction. The differences between regular and chaotic oscillations have been explained by applying the above-mentioned methods. Different types of chaotic oscillations have also been identified, as well as the methods of switching the system from one dynamic state to another. Moreover, the existing scheme of transition system into chaos through period doubling has been amended. Then, general methods of quantifying chaos have been defined and the advantages and disadvantages of the applied methods described

The teachers awareness of speech fluency disorders

Poremećaji tečnosti govora vrlo su složeni poremećaji koji utječu na gotovo sve dimenzije života. Znanja, stavovi i uvjerenja nastavnika značajno utječu na znanja, stavove i uvjerenja učenika kojima predaju te time i na okruženje u kojem se nalazi učenik koji ima poremećaj tečnosti govora, na njegovu sliku o sebi i poremećaju te posredno i na njegove stavove prema komunikaciji, njegov socijalni život i akademski uspjeh. Cilj ovog istraživanja je istražiti osviještenost nastavnika osnovnih škola u Republici Hrvatskoj o poremećajima tečnosti govora te utjecaja regije Republike Hrvatske u kojoj nastavnici rade, rada u razrednoj ili predmetnoj nastavi te prisutnosti stručnog suradnika – logopeda u školi u kojoj nastavnici rade na svjesnost nastavnika o poremećajima tečnosti govora. Za potrebe istraživanja kreirana je on-line anketa koja je provedena putem Google platforme, a kojom se ispitivala svjesnost nastavnika o poremećajima tečnosti govora, te njihovo znanje, stavovi i uvjerenja o poremećajima tečnosti govora. U istraživanju je sudjelovalo 262 nastavnika koji su podijeljeni u po 2 grupe s obzirom na regiju Republike Hrvatske u kojoj rade, na to rade li u razrednoj ili predmetnoj nastavi, te s obzirom na to ima li škola u kojoj rade zaposlenog stručnog suradnika – logopeda. Uzorak su činili nastavnici iz cijele Republike Hrvatske. Podaci dobiveni ovim istraživanjem obrađeni su neparametrijskim testiranjem i deskriptivnom analizom. Rezultati pokazuju da postoji statistički značajna povezanost između svjesnosti nastavnika o poremećajima tečnosti govora i rada u razrednoj ili predmetnoj nastavi. Nastavnici koji rade u razrednoj nastavi imaju više znanja i pozitivnije stavove i uvjerenja o poremećajima tečnosti govora. Regija Republike Hrvatske u kojoj nastavnici rade kao i ima li škola u kojoj rade zaposlenog stručnog suradnika – logopeda ne utječu značajno na svjesnost, znanja, uvjerenja i stavove nastavnika o poremećajima tečnosti govora.Speech fluency disorders are very complex disorders that affect almost every dimension of life. Teachers' knowledge, attitudes and beliefs significantly influence the knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of the students they teach, and thus the environment in which the student who has speech fluency spends lots of his time, his self-image and, indirectly, his attitudes towards communication, his social life and academic success. The aim of this research is to investigate the awareness of elementary school teachers in the Republic of Croatia about speech fluency disorders and the impact of the region of the Republic of Croatia in which teachers work, work in classroom or subject teaching, and the presence of a professional SLP at a school where teachers work on teachers' awareness of speech fluency disorders. For the purposes of the research, an online survey was created, conducted through the Google Platform, which examined teachers' awareness of speech fluency disorders, as well as their knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about speech fluency disorders. The study involved 262 teachers, which are divided into 2 groups, depending on the region of the Republic of Croatia in which they work, whether they work in class or subject teaching, and whether there is a professional associate - SLP in their school. The sample consisted of teachers from all over the Republic of Croatia. The data obtained from this study were processed by non-parametric testing and descriptive analysis. The results show that there is a statistically significant correlation between teachers' awareness of speech fluctuations and work in classroom or subject teaching. Classroom teachers have more knowledge and more positive attitudes and beliefs about speech fluency disorders. The region of the Republic of Croatia in which teachers work, as well as whether there is a SLP in school in which they work, does not significantly affect teachers' awareness, knowledge, beliefs and attitudes about speech fluency disorders

Ishodi glasovne terapije nakon lobektomije i totalne tireoidektomije

Voice disorders are among the most common complications of thyroid surgery. It is therefore advisable to continuously monitor and report the outcomes of voice rehabilitation among people who underwent thyroid surgery in order to recognize which specific clinical actions are necessary to give those patients the maximum chance to restore quality of life. The aim of this study was to examine the outcomes of voice therapy in 35 persons (26 women and 9 men) aged between 20 and 75 years after total thyroidectomy or lobectomy. Multidimensional voice assessment using the GRBAS scale, Voice Handicap Index questionnaire, and acoustic analysis was carried out before and after voice therapy, which included relaxation and breathing exercises, laryngeal massage, resonance therapy, and the employment of the digital compression method. Since the Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test showed significant improvements in all voice parameters after voice therapy, voice rehabilitation seems to be the essential clinical activity for thyroid surgery patients who suffer from voice disorders postoperatively.Poremećaji glasa su među najčešćim posljedicama operacije štitne žlijezde. Stoga je preporučljivo kontinuirano izvještavati o rezultatima rehabilitacije glasa kod ljudi koji su prošli operaciju štitnjače, kako bi se prepoznalo koje su specifične kliničke radnje potrebne da bi se tim pacijentima pružila maksimalna šansa za vraćanje prijašnje kvalitete života. Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je ispitati rezultate glasovne terapije 35 osoba (26 žena i 9 muškaraca) u dobi između 20 i 75 godina, nakon lobektomije ili totalne tireoidektomije štitne žlijezde. Multidimenzionalna procjena glasa putem GRBAS ljestvice, upitnika Indeks vokalnih teškoća i akustičke analize provedena je prije i nakon terapije glasa, koja je uključivala vježbe opuštanja i disanja, masažu larinksa, rezonantnu terapiju i primjenu metode digitalne kompresije. Budući da je primjena Wilcoxonovog testa pokazala značajna poboljšanja u mjerenim parametrima nakon terapije glasa, čini se da je rehabilitacija glasa ključna klinička aktivnost za pacijente s operacijom štitne žlijezde kod kojih je postoperativno dijagnosticiran poremećaj glasa

Relation to the past and the history of the Holocaust - Staro sajmiste

U ovom radu bavićemo se mestom Staro sajmište, koje tokom Drugog svetskog rata dobija novu svrhu i postaje jevrejski logor, kao i time kakav je odnos društva i vlasti prema ovom mestu, koje je tokom svoje istorije postalo instrument selektivnog sećanja, a najmanje sećanja na žrtve holokausta. Rad pruža detalјan pregled knjige Jovana Bajforda "Staro sajmište, mesto sećanja, zaborava i sporenja", koja se bavi istorijom Starog sajmišta od njegovog početka pa do danas. Analizom filma Kad svane dan osvrnućemo se na priču pojedinca, čiji su roditelјi bili žrtve holokausta, i uvideti da mesto stradanja do dana današnjeg nije adekvatno obeleženo, kao i da je zainteresovanost za žrtve mala.In this paper, we will deal with the place Staro sajmište, which during the Second World War got a new purpose and became a Jewish camp. Аs well as with the relationship of society and the government towards this place, which during its history became an instrument of selective memory, and least of all the memory of the victims of the Holocaust. The paper provides a detailed review of Jovan Byford's book "Staro Sajmiste: A site remembered, forgotten, contested", which deals with the history of the Staro sajmiste from its beginning to the present day. By analyzing the film "Kad svane dan", we will look back at the story of an individual whose parents were victims of the Holocaust and see that the place of suffering has not been adequately marked to this day, as well as that there is little interest in the victims.Zbornik je rezultat istraživanja u okviru Studija Holokausta koje se pod pokrovitelјstvom Claims Conference (Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany) izvode na Univerzitetu u Kragujevcu.The collection of papers is the result of research within Holocaust Studies, which are conducted at the University of Kragujevac under the support of the Claims Conference (Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany)

Facultative paedomorphosis and the pattern of intra- and interspecific variation in cranial skeleton: lessons from European newts (Ichthyosaura alpestris and Lissotriton vulgaris)

peer reviewedPaedomorphosis, the presence of ancestral larval and juvenile traits that occur at the descendent adult stage, is an evolutionary phenomenon that shaped morphological evolution in many vertebrate lineages, including tailed amphibians. Among salamandrid species, paedomorphic and metamorphic phenotypes can be observed within single populations (facultative paedomorphosis). Despite wide interest in facultative paedomorphosis and polymorphism produced by heterochronic changes (heterochronic polymorphism), the studies that investigate intraspecific morphological variation in facultative paedomorphic species are largely missing. By quantifying the cranium size and development (bone development and remodeling), we investigated the variation at multiple levels (i.e., between sexes, populations and species) of two facultatively paedomorphic European newt species: the alpine and the smooth newt. The pattern of variation between paedomorphs (individuals keeping larval traits at the adult stage) and metamorphs (metamorphosed adult individuals) varied between species and among populations within a single species. The patterns of variation in size and skull formation appear to be more uniform in the alpine than in the smooth newt, indicating that developmental constraints differed between species (more pronounced in alpine than in smooth newt). Our study shows that the cranial skeleton provides detailed insight in the pattern of variation and divergence in heterochronic polymorphism within and between species and open new questions related to heterochronic polymorphism and evolution of cranial skeleton

Morphological integration of the cranium and axial skeleton In European newts

Using micro-CT scanning and 3D geometric morphometrics of newt craniums and axial skeletons (first three vertebrae) we explored the pattern of morphological integration. We tested if i) directly connected serially homologous structures are more integrated than separated ones and ii) morphological integration coincides with regional differentiation. We applied a multilevel approach by analyzing patterns of integration at static and evolutionary levels, i.e., within and between species respectively. At the static level we choose the genus Triturus as a representative monophyletic group. We analysed between-individual variation in shape to detect functional modules and within-individuals the asymmetric component of variation in shape to detect developmental modules. At the evolutionary level, 17 species from five genera were analysed in phylogenetic context and taking effects of allometry on modularity and integration into account. We found that allometry is an important integrating factor in serially homologous structures. At the static level and after the correction for allometry, functional integration between the cranium and first vertebrae was weak but statistically significant between all elements, and developmental integration was significant between the cranium and the atlas and first and second trunk vertebrae. At the evolutionary level, the cranium, atlas and trunk vertebrae separate as three different modules. Our results suggest that, at the evolutionary level, morphological integration coincide with regional and functional differentiation of the axial skeleton. This allows the relatively independent evolution of the cranial skeleton and the vertebral column, separate of the significant functional and developmental integration at the static level

Bray-Liebhafsky reaction: From monotonous to chaotic evolution

Many physicochemical processes can exhibit various forms of non-linear dynamics, which have been widely investigated in the oscillatory reaction Bray-Liebhafsky, too. The stoichiometry of this reaction corresponds to the hydrogen peroxide decomposition to water and oxygen in an acidic environment, in the presence of iodate ions as a catalyst. During this reaction an oscillatory change of the intermediate species concentration, along with a cascade change in the hydrogen peroxide concentration and oxygen removal can be obtained. By selecting the experimental conditions, the simple periodic or complex chaotic concentration changes can be generated. Concentration oscillations are a consequence of alternating dominance of different reaction pathways present in the reaction mechanism. Large extent of the phenomena experimentally observed in the oscillatory reaction Bray- Liebhafsky is well explained by the mechanistic model, investigated by the Belgrade group over a many years

Modeling the Non-Linear Dynamics of Information Flows in Neuro-Endocrine Systems

Nonlinear feedback loops inherent to neuroendocrine systems are among the most important information flows at the organism level. They support high sensitivity and responsiveness of the living beings to external perturbations. Moreover, nonlinear feedback loops enable efficient control over dynamic physiological states. Often, they can be recognized through emergence of various dynamic phenomena, such as biological rhythmicity. Typical examples of such neuroendocrine systems are the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the hypothalamic–pituitary–thyroid (HPT) axis. They are characterized by rhythmic dynamics with two characteristic periods, circadian (~ 24 h) and ultradian (20 min – 120 min), which allows living organisms to quickly adjust their neuroendocrine activity to fluctuations in their surroundings and/or their internal physiology. We focus our research on mechanistic modelling of biochemical transformations that underlay complex neuroendocrine networks. Thus far, we have developed several variants of low-dimensional and extended models for the HPA axis, as well as, one medium scale model of the HPT axis. Both of them are assembled by combinations of the pseudo-reaction steps, describing in essence the information flow through the network of chemical transformations. Their role in physiological system is to maintain basal levels of hormone concentrations, and enable their functionally reasonable change when some need emerges. Our models enable one to emulate in numerical simulations changes in blood level of relevant hormones that constitute the HPA or HPT axis (Jelić et al. 2005, Marković et al. 2011, Čupić et al. 2017, Kolar-Anić et al. 2023). The high predictive value of our models paves the way for their use in medical diagnostics of neuroendocrine diseases and for more efficient corticosteroid treatment that is applied in various illnesses, by harnessing the power of the underlying nonlinear feedback loops to the dosage of corticosteroid drugs could be significantly decreased, while preserving their efficacy. We pay special attention to the Stoichiometric Network Analysis of reaction network models to identify conditions ensuring the existence of unstable steady states, and in particular, Hopf bifurcation as a most plausible path leading to the oscillatory dynamics. The simplest way to use this template is to replace the text in this file with your own words using the styles provided as far as possible