Role of executive agencies for energy efficiency with a view on activities of Serbian Energy Efficiency Agency

Many countries, particularly in Europe, have executive energy efficiency agencies at national, regional and local levels that are organized in different ways. For all of them, it is common that there are existing strategic needs in their countries for enhancement of conditions and measures for rational use of energy and fuels. Serbian Energy Efficiency Agency was established in 2002 within the reform of the energy sector in Serbia and its current status was defined in 2004 by the Energy Law. It contributes to the improvement of social responsibility towards energy in all structures of the state and society, by proposing energy efficiency incentives, promoting importance of energy efficiency, as well as by managing energy efficiency and renewable energy programs and projects

Orientation of the fifteenth and sixteenth century mosques in the former Yugoslavia

The paper presents the analysis of the orientation of 60 mosques built in the XV and XVI centuries in the Balkans' region of former Yugoslavia. The mosques have been selected according to their architectural value - mostly the dome mosques that were built by the most renowned builders. Based on the geographic coordinates, the qiblas of all mosques were calculated and the azimuths of their axes measured on orthophotographs. Statistical analysis has shown that the axes of these mosques vary in the horizon sector that is five times wider than the calculated sector of the correct qibla, with a systematic deviation of -10 degrees 15' in relation to the correct qibla. Connections between deviations of the architectural design (dome mosques and other mosques), location and elevation have not been identified. However, a connection between deviations and the time of construction has been identified: deviations from the qibla are smaller in mosques built at a later date. The paper has laid the groundwork for future analysis of the causes of the aforementioned deviations: in the XV and XVI centuries there were no accurate geographic coordinates of locations and the builders were not able to calculate (take over, measure) the exact qibla direction, regardless of the method they applied

Smrtna otrovanja u gradu Zagrebu

The paper deals with the results of analysis of fatal poisonings in the city of Zagreb from 1981 to 1990. The work is an extension of earlier analyses for the same area that were carried out from the foundation of the Department for Forensic Medicine and Criminology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb in 1934 to 1967, and from 1968 to 1980. Comparative analysis of all data shows that despite the increasing rate of poisoning the number of cases of fatal poisoning has been steadily diminishing - from 11 cases per 100.000 population in the 1934-1967 period and eight cases between 1968 and 1980 to five cases in the latest period 1981-1990.Analizirani su smrtni slučajevi otrovanja na području grada Zagreba za razdoblje od 1981, do 1990. godine. Analiza je nastavak ranijih proučavanja smrtnih otrovanja na području grada, od osnutka Zavoda za sudsku medicinu i kriminalistiku Medicinskog fakulteta Sveučilišta u Zagrebu 1934. godine do 1967. godine, te od 1968. do 1980. godine. Unatoč sve većem broju otrovanja analiza između ostaloga pokazuje stalni pad broja smrtno otrovanih, od 11 osoba na 100,000 stanovnika grada između 1934. i 1967. godine, na osam smrtno otrovanih u vremenu između 1968. i 1980. godine, na pet stanovnika na 100.000 stanovnika grada Zagreba u vremenu od 1981, do 1990, godine

CONSUMER BEHAVIOR AND ATTITUDES TOWARDS SLAVONIAN KULEN ON THE ZAGREB MARKET

Veća proizvodnja i ponuda Slavonskog kulena povećava konkurenciju među proizvođačima ovog proizvoda. Proizvođači Slavonskog kulena moraju sve više uvažavati zahtjeve svojih potrošača. Zahtjeve potrošača moguće je pravovremeno spoznati istraživanjem tržišta. Predmet ovog istraživanja bili su potrošački zahtjevi na zagrebačkom tržištu Slavonskog kulena. Za potrebe istraživanja, u lipnju 2006. godine, provedeno je anketno ispitivanje na uzorku od 100 potrošača Slavonskog kulena u Gradu Zagrebu. Dobiveni rezultati uspoređeni su s rezultatima sličnog istraživanja provedenog 2002. godine. Rezultati istraživanja vrednovani su pomoću jednovarijantne statističke analize. Rezultati ovog istraživanja mogu poslužiti proizvođačima kulena za izradu marketinškog programa a istraživačima za koncipiranje daljnjih istraživanja ponašanja potrošača ovog proizvoda.Larger production and offer of Slavonian kulen increases the competition between the producers of this product. The producers must consider the demands of their customers which can only be determined by means of market research. The object of this research was to determine consumer demands related to Slavonian kulen in the Zagreb market. In June 2006, a research was conducted on a sample of 100 Slavonian kulen consumers in the city of Zagreb. These results were compared to a similar study conducted in 2002. The results were analyzed using univariant statistical analysis. The results of this research can be used by producers to make marketing plans and by researchers to plan for future research on this product and its consumers

Death poisoning with Reopin of a two-year old girl

Dvogodišnja djevojčica je prema izjavi bake progutala dvije Reopin-G dražeje. Nakon 7 sati hospitalizirana je, ali unatoč poduzetoj intenzivnoj terapiji dijete je umrlo 30-ak sati nakon trovanja, uslijed zatajivanja vitalnih centara. Izvršena obdukcija i histološke pretrage pokazale su nespecifične promjene na organima. Kemijsko-toksikološkom analizom u tkivu jetre i tkivu bubrega, krvi i urina nađen je aminofenazon, dok je fenilbutazon nađen samo u tkivu jetre i bubrega.A two-year-old girl according to her grandmother, swallowed two Reopin-G tablets. After seven hours she was hospitalized, but although an intensive therapy was applied, the child died 30 hours after poisoning, because of failure of vital centres. At autopsy, histological examination showed non-specific changes of parenchymal organs. Chemical-toxicological analysis demonstrated the presence of aminophenazone in the liver and renal tissue, and in blood and urine. Phenylbutazone was found only in the liver and renal tissue

Resolving the effects of environmental micro- and nanoplastics exposure in biota: A knowledge gap analysis

The pervasive spread of microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) has raised significant concerns on their toxicity in both aquatic and terrestrial environments. These polymer-based materials have implications for plants, wildlife and human health, threatening food chain integrity and ultimate ecosystem resilience. An extensive – and growing – body of literature is available on MP- and NP-associated effects, including in a number of aquatic biota, with as yet limited reports in terrestrial environments. Effects range from no detectable, or very low level, biological effects to more severe outcomes such as (but not limited to) increased mortality rates, altered immune and inflammatory responses, oxidative stress, genetic damage and dysmetabolic changes. A well-established exposure route to MPs and NPs involves ingestion with subsequent incorporation into tissues. MP and NP exposures have also been found to lead to genetic damage, including effects related to mitotic anomalies, or to transmissible damage from sperm cells to their offspring, especially in echinoderms. Effects on the proteome, transcriptome and metabolome warrant ad hoc investigations as these integrated “omics” workflows could provide greater insight into molecular pathways of effect. Given their different physical structures, chemical identity and presumably different modes of action, exposure to different types of MPs and NPs may result in different biological effects in biota, thus comparative investigations of different MPs and NPs are required to ascertain the respective effects. Furthermore, research on MP and NP should also consider their ability to act as vectors for other toxicants, and possible outcomes of exposure may even include effects at the community level, thus requiring investigations in mesocosm models

Personal solar ultraviolet radiation dosimetry in an\ua0occupational setting across Europe

Background: Work-related solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is an important factor in the pathogenesis of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC). The World Health Organization, through the International Agency for Research on Cancer, has classified solar UVR as a group 1 carcinogen since 2012. The main problems encountered so far in the study of occupationally induced skin cancer include the lack of accurate occupational UVR dosimetry as well as insufficient distinction between occupational and leisure UVR exposure and underreporting of NMSC. Objectives: The aim of this study was to collect long-term individual UVR measurements in outdoor workers across European countries. Methods: A prospective study was initiated through the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, Healthy Skin@Work Campaign, measuring UVR exposure doses at occupational settings of masons from five European countries. Measurements were performed for several consecutive months using the GENESIS-UV measurement system. Results: The results identified alarming UVR exposure data. Average daily UVR doses ranged 148.40–680.48 J/m2 in Romania, 342.4–640.8 J/m2 in Italy, 165.5–466.2 J/m2 in Croatia, 41.8–473.8 J/m2 in Denmark and 88.15–400.22 J/m2 in Germany. Results showed an expected latitude dependence with increasing UVR yearly dosage from the north to the south of Europe. Conclusions: This study shows that outdoor workers from EU countries included in this study are exposed to high levels of occupational solar UVR, vastly exceeding the occupational exposure limits for solar UVR exposure, considered to be 1–1.33 SED/day in the period from May to September. This finding may serve as an evidence-based recommendation to authorities on implementing occupational skin cancer prevention strategies

Talking in Time: the development of a self-administered Conversation Analysis based training programme for cochlear implant users

Objectives: Training software to facilitate participation in conversations where overlapping talk is common was to be developed with the involvement of Cochlear implant (CI) users. Methods: Examples of common types of overlap were extracted from a recorded corpus of 3.5 hours of British English conversation. In eight meetings, an expert panel of five CI users tried out ideas for a computer-based training programme addressing difficulties in turn-taking. Results: Based on feedback from the panel, a training programme was devised. The first module consists of introductory videos. The three remaining modules, implemented in interactive software, focus on non-overlapped turn-taking, competitive overlaps and accidental overlaps. Discussion: The development process is considered in light of feedback from panel members and from an end of project dissemination event. Benefits, limitations and challenges of the present approach to user involvement and to the design of self-administered communication training programmes are discussed. Conclusion: The project was characterized by two innovative features: the involvement of service users not only at its outset and conclusion but throughout its course; and the exclusive use of naturally occurring conversational speech in the training programme. While both present practical challenges, the project has demonstrated the potential for ecologically valid speech rehabilitation training