Ekonomski odnosi Kraljevine Jugoslavije i Nemačke od 1929. do 1941. godine

The aim of this paper is to use a critical analysis of the data available from unpublished archival material and published sources of domestic and foreign origin, as well as relevant historiographic literature, in order to contribute to a better understanding of economic relations between the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and Germany between 1929 and 1941, with a necessary overview of all political and economic factors influencing them, both in these two countries, and on the international scene in the mentioned period. The results obtained are based on a chronological and thematic principle. Observed from the point of view of economic history, the mentioned period was marked by the Great Depression (1929-1933) and its devastating consequences, while in the domain of political history and international relations, such a role was played by one of the most important and most defining events in the entire interwar period – the coming to power of the Nazis in Germany in 1933, which at the same time marked the beginning of their intense efforts to revitalize plans to create the so-called Grosswirtschaftsraum as one of the main backbones of German foreign policy since the time of national unification, and in which Yugoslavia, severely affected by the consequences of the crisis, was to play an important role. When the Nazi regime came into power, securing political and economic influence in the countries of Southeast Europe became one of the imperatives of German foreign policy, and the entire economic policy of the National Socialist regime was subordinated to the same foreign policy goal – the economic onslaught into the Balkans and the Danube region in order to suppress the French, Italian and British influences from this part of Europe and work on the formation of the Grosswirtschaftsraum, which Germany should use to supplement the lack of agricultural products and strategic raw materials necessary for the decisive victory in the future war conflict. In the case of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, German efforts came to fruition thanks to a trade agreement of 1934, which opened the period of the most intensive trade exchange between the two countries, leading gradually to the growing dependence of the Yugoslav economy on the Third Reich on the eve of World War II, contributed by the increasing participation of German capital in some of its most important branches

Effects of interleukin-17 on mesenchymal and endothelial cell functions and mechanisms involved

Interleukin (IL) 17 familija citokina se smatra najmanje istraženom citokinskom familijom sa značajnom ulogom u procesu inflamacije. Ubikvitarna rasprostranjenost receptora za IL-17 omogućava ovom citokinu mnogobrojne biološke efekte u organizmu, poput važne uloge u imunskom odgovoru i regulaciji procesa hematopoeze, ali i u progresiji različitih bolesti, uključujući inflamatorna, autoimunska i maligna oboljenja. IL-17 ima ulogu u ćelijskim procesima poput proliferacije i diferencijacije, i to prvenstveno na hematopoetskim matičnim i progenitor ćelijama, pri čemu IL-17 ispoljava različite efekte na proliferaciju i diferencijaciju zavisno od tipa ćelijske loze i stepena diferencijacije ćelija. Takoñe, zbog ubikvitarne rasprostranjenosti svog receptora, IL-17 je uključen u interakcije izmeñu imunskog sistema i somatskih tkiva. Novija istraživanja su pokazala da IL-17 ima i ulogu finog regulatora diferencijacije mezenhimskih matičnih ćelija (MSC, Mesenchymal stem cells), s obzirom na to da stimuliše osteogenu diferencijaciju dok, s druge strane, inhibira adipogenu diferencijciju humanih MSC. Savremena istraživanja biologije MSC ukazala su na širok opseg njihove potencijalne terapijske primene, prvenstveno u regenerativnoj medicini, jer ove multipotentne adultne matične ćelije koje predstavljaju nediferencirane ćelije sa sposobnošću samoobnove, imaju sposobnost diferenciranja u ćelije tkiva mezenhimskog porekla, poput osteoblasta, hondroblasta i adipocita, a prema saznanjima koja imamo danas, i u ćelije tkiva ektodermalnog i endodermalnog porekla. Matične ćelije različitog stepena multipotentnosti izolovane su iz raznih adultnih tkiva, kao i perinatalnih tkiva koja se poslednjih godina sve češće pominju kao povoljan izvor MSC. Meñutim, i pored velikog napretka u ovoj oblasti, nema konačnih saznanja kako o mehanizmima odgovornim za regulaciju višestrukih funkcija MSC, tako i o njihovom ukupnom terapijskom potencijalu. Kako biološke funkcije MSC umnogome zavise od konteksta mikrosredine, ispitivanje interakcija MSC i IL-17 u održavanju multipotentnosti, mobilizaciji i usmerenoj diferencijaciji MSC je od posebnog značaja. Pored mezenhimskih ćelija, IL-17 ostvaruje svoje efekte delovanjem na endotelske ćelije. Jedan od terapijskih ciljeva u regenerativnoj medicini, koji je još uvek nedovoljno objašnjen, je i podsticanje revaskularizacije oštećenog tkiva. Stimulacija postojećih, in situ prisutnih endotelskih ćelija na angiogenezu je jedan od mogućih mehanizama. Efekti IL-17 na endotelske ćelije nisu do sada u potpunosti opisani, i poznato je samo da IL-17 u prisustvu drugih poznatih angiogenih faktora stimuliše sposobnost endotelskih ćelija za angiogenezu. Pored toga, poznato je da se funkcije ćelija kao i delovanje citokina značajano razlikuju u zavisnosti od procenta kiseonika prisutnog u mikrosredini ćelija. Efekat delovanja IL-17 na endotelske ćelije u prisustvu različitih koncentracija kiseonika do sada nije istraživan. Takoñe je još uvek nepoznato da li IL-17 može uticati na diferencijaciju MSC u endotelske ćelije. Da bi se sprovela istraživanja u ovom pravcu, neophodno je uspostaviti pogodan model za diferencijaciju MSC u endotelske ćelije Cilj istraživanja ove disertacije bilo je ispitivanje efekata IL-17 na različite ćelijske funkcije mezenhimskih i endotelskih ćelija u specifičnim uslovima mikrosredine. Analizirano je dejstvo IL-17 na proliferaciju, migraciju, angiogenezu i diferencijaciju ćelija. Istraživani su i molekularni mehanizmi koji omogućavaju finu regulaciju ćelijskih funkcija od strane IL-17, analizom aktivacije signalnih molekula, kao i ekspresije gena i proteina neophodnih za specifične funkcije. Posebna pažnja u istraživanjima bila je posvećena izolaciji, karakterizaciji i endotelskoj diferencijaciji primarnih MSC iz tkiva pupčanika (UC-MSC, Umbilical cord-mesenchymal stem cells). U okviru razjašnjavanja efekata i mehanizama delovanja IL-17 na diferencijaciju mezenhimskih ćelija, primenjena je multipotentna mišja C2C12 ćelijska linija. Uticaj IL-17 na diferencijaciju analiziran je na osnovu ekspresije gena i proteina specifičnih za odreñeni tip diferencijacije: teškog lanca miozina (MyHC, Myosin heavy chain) i miogenina za miogenu, a alkalne fosfataze (ALP, Alkaline phosphatase), Runx2/Cbfa1 (Runt-related transcription factor 2/Core-binding factor subunit alpha-1) transkripcionog faktora i ciklooksigenaze 2 (Cox-2, Cyclooxygenase 2) za osteogenu diferencijaciju. Pored toga, utvrñivano je učešće mitogenom aktiviranih protein kinaza (MAPK) i morfogenetskih proteina kosti (BMP, Bone morphogenic proteins) u IL-17-usmerenoj diferencijaciji C2C12 ćelija. Rezultati su pokazali da IL-17 inhibira miogenu i stimuliše osteogenu diferencijaciju C2C12 ćelija, s obzirom na to da je IL-17-zavisna inhibicija miogeneze povezana sa redukcijom ekspresije iRNK za miogenin, redukcijom ekspresije MyHC i izostankom formiranja miotuba, dok je IL-17-zavisna indukcija osteogeneze povezana sa indukcijom ekspresije iRNK za Runx2/Cbfa1, indukcijom ekspresije Cox-2 i povišenom aktivnošću ALP. Rezultati su takoñe pokazali da IL-17 ostvaruje ove efekte putem aktivacije ERK1,2 MAPK signalnog puta, nezavisno od BMP-Smad signalnog puta. U drugom delu ove studije ispitivan je efekat IL-17 na funkcije endotelskih ćelija na modelu humane endotelske ćelijske linije, EA.hy 926, praćenjem njihove proliferacije, migracije i tubulogeneze u uslovima normoksije i hipoksije. Analizirana je i ekspresija gena za endotelsku azot monoksid sintazu (eNOS, Endothelial nitric oxide synthase) i Cox-2, kao i njihovih proteinskih produkata, budući da ovi molekuli imaju važnu ulogu u procesu angiogeneze. Dobijeni rezultati su potvrdili da IL-17 stimuliše ključne funkcije uključene u proces angiogeneze EA.hy 926 ćelija, poput ćelijske migracije i tubulogneze, kao i ekspresiju eNOS i Cox-2 u ovim ćelijama. Pro-angiogeni efekti IL-17 su pokazani u uslovima normoksije (20% O2). Uslovi hipoksije (3% O2) pokazali su toksično dejstvo na ovu ćelijsku liniju, dok je IL-17 u ovakvim uslovima umanjio broj apoptotičnih ćelija. U okviru trećeg dela ove disertacije MSC su izolovane iz vezivnog tkiva pupčanika, tzv. Vartonove sluzi, umnožene i okarakterisane prema važećim preporukama i kriterijumima Meñunarodnog društva za ćelijsku terapiju. Zatim je ispitan i odreñen optimalni protokol za njihovu efikasnu diferencijaciju u endotelske ćelije, u cilju uspostavljanja novog ćelijskog modela za buduća istraživanja. Princip diferenciranja UC-MSC u endotelske ćelije zasnivao se na inhibiciji signalizacije faktora transformacije rasta (TGF-β, Transforming growth factor beta), i to njegovog receptora, aktivinu-nalik kinaze 5 (ALK5, Activin-like kinase). Na osnovu dobijenih rezultata, zaključeno je da se UC-MSC odlikuju visokom sposobnošću samoobnove i visokim kapacitetom za diferencijaciju kao i da se mogu diferencirati u endotelske ćelije putem inhibicije ALK5 receptoraInterleukin (IL) 17 cytokine family is considered the least explored cytokine family with an important role in inflammation. Due to the ubiquitous expression of its receptor, IL-17 has been implicated in interactions between the immune system and somatic tissues. In this context, recent findings have shown that IL-17 acts as a fine regulator of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) differentiation. Having in mind that behaviour of MSC depends on the surrounding microenvironment, it is important to analyze the interactions between MSC and IL-17 involved in the maintenance of their multipotency, mobilization and directed differentiation. In addition to mesenchymal cells, IL-17 exerts its roles by acting on endothelial cells as well. Even though IL-17’s effects on endothelial cells have not been fully discovered yet, it is well known that IL- 17, in the presence of other angiogenic factors, has the ability to stimulate endothelial cells to undergo angiogenesis. Furthermore, it is well known that cellular functions, as well as cytokine effects can be significantly modulated by the percentage of oxygen present in their microenvironment. However, effects of IL-17 on endothelial cells in the context of different O2 concentrations have not been explored yet. Also, it is still unknown whether IL-17 can affect endothelial differentiation of MSC, but to address this issue, it is necessary to create a valid model of endothelial differentiation of MSC. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of IL-17 on different functions of mesenchymal and endothelial cells in specific microenvironmental conditions. The influence of IL-17 on proliferation, migration, angiogenesis and differentiation was analyzed, as well as the molecular mechanisms involved. The activation of various signaling molecules and the expression of genes and proteins involved in specific functions were examined. Yet another objective was to establish an appropriate model for the mesenchymal-endothelial transdifferentiation. For this task primary MSC from umbilical cord tissue (UC-MSC) were isolated and characterized with emphases on their endothelial differentiation. In order to elucidate the effects and mechanisms involved in IL-17 acting on mesenchymal cell differentiation, a multipotent mouse C2C12 cell line was used. The influence of IL-17 on cell differentiation was analyzed based on the expression of genes and proteins specific for the certain type of differentiation: Myosin heavy chain (MyHC) and Myogenin for myogenic, and Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), Runt-related transcription factor 2/Core-binding factor subunit alpha-1 (Runx2/Cbfa1) and Cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2) for osteogenic differentiation. Additionaly, the involvement of Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) and Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP) in IL-17-directed differentiation of C2C12 cells was investigated. Results obtained demonstrated that IL-17 inhibits myogenic and stimulates osteogenic differentiation of C2C12 cells, by down-regulating the Myogenin mRNA expression, MyHC expression and myotube formation, while up-regulating the Runx2/Cbfa1 mRNK expression, Cox- 2 expression and ALP activity. IL-17 exerted these effects by activating ERK1,2 MAPK signaling pathway, which in turn regulated the expression of relevant genes and proteins to inhibit myogenic differentiation and induce osteogenic differentiation. It was also shown that the induction of osteogenic differentiation by IL-17 is independent of the BMP-Smad signaling pathway. In the second part of this study the effect of IL-17 on endothelial cell functions was investigated using human endothelial cell line EA.hy 926 as a model. The changes in cells’ proliferation, migration and tubulogenesis were analyzed, along with the expression of genes for endothelial Nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and Cox-2, and their corresponding protein products, since these molecules have important roles in angiogenesis. The influence of the environmental stimuli (normoxia vs. hypoxia) was also investigated. Results obtained demonstrated that IL-17 stimulates crutial events involved in angiogenesis of EA.hy 926 cells, such as cell migration and tubulogenesis, along with the expression of eNOS and Cox-2. However, the effects of IL-17 were dependent on the O2 concentration, since pro-angiogenic effects of IL-17 were noticed in the presence of 20% O2, while 3% O2 exerted toxic effect on this cell line, and IL-17 in these conditions decreased the number of apoptotic cells. In the final task, MSC were isolated from the umbilical cord Wharton’s jelly, expanded in culture and characterized according to the recomendations from the International Society for Cell Therapy. Following this, an optimal protocol for the endothelial diffrentiation of UC-MSC was established. The endothelial-directed differentiation was based on the inhibition of the Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) signaling, specifficaly its receptor activin-like kinase 5 (ALK5). Based on the results gained, it was concluded that UC-MSC have a high ability to selfrenew and high diferentiation capacity, as well as that these cells can be differentiated into endothelial cells by inhibiting ALK5 recepto

The Phase Diagram of Compact QED Coupled to a Four-Fermi Interaction

Compact lattice Quantum Electrodynamics (QED) with four species of fermions is simulated with massless quarks by using the $\chi$QED scheme of adding a four-fermi interaction to the action. Simulations directly in the chiral limit of massless quarks are done with high statistics on $8^4$, and $16^4$ lattices, and the phase diagram, parameterized by the gauge and the four-fermi couplings, is mapped out. The line of monopole condensation transitions is separate from the line of chiral symmetry restoration. The simulation results indicate that the monopole condensation transition is first order while the chiral transition is second order. The challenges in determining the Universality class of the chiral transition are discussed. If the scaling region for the chiral transition is sufficiently wide, the $16^4$ simulations predict critical indices far from mean field values. We discuss a speculative scenario in which anti-screening provided by double-helix strands of monopole and anti-monopole loops are the agent that balances the screening of fermion anti-fermion pairs to produce an ultra-violet fixed point in the electric coupling.Comment: 29 pages, 8 figures and 2 table

Scaling Analysis of Chiral Phase Transition for Two Flavors of Kogut-Susskind Quarks

Report is made of a systematic scaling study of the finite-temperature chiral phase transition of two-flavor QCD with the Kogut-Susskind quark action based on simulations on $L^3\times4$ ($L$=8, 12 and 16) lattices at the quark mass of $m_q=0.075, 0.0375, 0.02$ and 0.01. Our finite-size data show that a phase transition is absent for $m_q\geq 0.02$, and quite likely also at $m_q=0.01$. The scaling behavior of susceptibilities as a function of $m_q$ is consistent with a second-order transition at $m_q=0$. However, the exponents deviate from the O(2) or O(4) values theoretically expected.Comment: Talk presented by M. Okawa at the International Workshop on `` LATTICE QCD ON PARALLEL COMPUTERS", 10-15 March 1997, Center for Computational Physics, University of Tsukuba. 7 LaTeX pages plus 5 postscript figures, uses espcrc2.st

Finite-temperature chiral transitions in QCD with the Wilson quark action

We investigate the finite-temperature phase structure and the scaling of the chiral condensate in lattice QCD with two degenerate light quarks, using a renormalization group improved gauge action and the Wilson quark action. We obtain a phase diagram which is consistent with that from the parity-flavor breaking scenario. The scaling relation for the chiral condensate assuming the critical exponents and the scaling function of the three dimensional O(4) model is remarkably satisfied for a wide range of parameters. This indicates that the chiral transition in two flavor QCD is of second order in the continuum limit.Comment: LaTeX, 3 pages, 4 EPS figures, Talk presented at LATTICE97 (finite temperature

Antifungal activities of basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) extract on Fusarium species

The basil extract composition was determined by the GC-MS method and 38 different components were identified. The major components of the basil extract were estragol (86.72%), trans-α-bergamotene (2.91%), eucalyptol (2.67%), trans-ocimene (1.04%), linalool (0.72%), methyl-eugenol (0.71%), etc. The antifungal potential of the basil extract was tested against Fusarium oxysporum, F. proliferatum, F. subglutinans, and F. verticillioides isolated from cakes, using the agar plate method. Extract concentrations of 0.35 and 0.70% (v/v) significantly inhibited the growth of F. proliferatum (33.37 and 44.30%, respectively) and F. subglutinans (24.74 and 29.27%, respectively) whereas other investigated Fusarium species exhibited much lower sensitivity. The basil extract completely inhibited the growth of investigated Fusarium spp. at the concentration of 1.50% (v/v). Higher concentrations (0.35 and 0.70% (v/v)) reduced growth of aerial mycelium in all tested species. Strong medium pigmentation in the case of F. proliferatum and F. verticillioides was observed. The microscopic examination of the samples confirmed the presence of hyphae deformations with a frequent occurrence of fragmentations, thickenings and diminished sporulation. In addition to the basic, sensory, role the extract of basil has in the food product, it exerted significant antifungal properties, depending on its concentration.Key words: Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) extract, components, antifungal activity, Fusarium spp

Microelectronics miniaturization and fractal electronic frontiers

The intergrain ceramic structures are very complex and difficult to describe by using traditional analytical methods. In this study, in order to establish grain shapes of sintered ceramics, new approach on correlation between microstructure and properties of doped BaTiO3 -ceramics based on fractal geometry has been developed. BaTiO3 ceramics doped with CeO2, Bi2O3, Fe2O3, CaZrO3 Nb2O5, MnCO3 , La2O3, Er2O3, Yb2O3 and Ho2O3, were prepared using conventional solid state procedure and sintered at 1350°C. The sintered specimens microstructure was investigated by SEM-5300 and capacitance has been done using LCR-metra Agilent 4284A. The fractal modeling method using a reconstruction of microstructure configurations, like grains or intergranular contacts shapes has been successfully done. Furthermore, the area of grains surface was calculated by using fractal correction which expresses the grains surface irregularity through fractal dimension. For better and deeper the ceramics material microstructure characterization the Voronoi model and mathematical statistics calculations, are applied, also. The fractal nature for ceramics structure analysis providing a new ideas for modeling the grain shape and relations between the BaTiO3 ceramic structure and dielectrical properties and new frontier for higher integration on electronic circuits. The presented results indicate that fractal method for structure ceramics analysis creates a new approach for describing, predicting and modeling the grain shape and relations between the BaTiO3 -ceramic structure and dielectric and generally electric and microelectronics properties

On the Triviality of Textbook Quantum Electrodynamics

By adding a small, irrelevant four fermi interaction to the action of lattice Quantum Electrodynamics (QED), the theory can be simulated with massless quarks in a vacuum free of lattice monopoles. This allows an ab initio high precision, controlled study of the existence of "textbook" Quantum Electrodynamics with several species of fermions. The lattice theory possesses a second order chiral phase transition which we show is logarithmically trivial. The logarithms of triviality, which modify mean field scaling laws, are pinpointed in several observables. The result supports Landau's contention that perturbative QED suffers from complete screening and would have a vanishing fine structure constant in the absence of a cutoff.Comment: reference to Phys. Rev. Lett.80, 4119(1998) adde

DATA COLLECTION TOOL FOR PROCESS IDENTIFICATION USING PLC AND KEPWARE TOOLS

In this paper, we are using the Kepware tools as a data collection tool to collecting data for identifying the process and making the mathematical models is described in this paper. The connection to the process was made using a programmable logic controller like a real time DAQ (Data Acquisition Board and System) device, database and a client application developed for these purposes. Special attention is paid to the possibility of collecting a large amount of process data as the same moment time of data sampling

Chiral transition and monopole percolation in lattice scalar QED with quenched fermions

We study the interplay between topological observables and chiral and Higgs transitions in lattice scalar QED with quenched fermions. Emphasis is put on the chiral transition line and magnetic monopole percolation at strong gauge coupling. We confirm that at infinite gauge coupling the chiral transition is described by mean field exponents. We find a rich and complicated behaviour at the endpoint of the Higgs transition line which hampers a satisfactory analysis of the chiral transition. We study in detail an intermediate coupling, where the data are consistent both with a trivial chiral transition clearly separated from monopole percolation and with a chiral transition coincident with monopole percolation, and characterized by the same critical exponent $\nu \simeq 0.65$. We discuss the relevance (or lack thereof) of these quenched results to our understanding of the \chupiv\ model. We comment on the interplay of magnetic monopoles and fermion dynamics in more general contexts.Comment: 29 pages, 13 figures included, LaTeX2e (elsart