Chemical reaction and diffusion dynamics

In this paper diffusion with chemical reaction was investigated. The concomitant advances in theory, measuring systems and computer simulation bring the new perspectives to the chemical reaction with diffusion studying. The chemical rate and diffusion rate parameters were considered. The obtained results shows effects the chemical reaction rate and diffusion rate. The obtained results demonstrate characterization of the dynamic and steady state conditions, transition between them and how it can be used to predict the stability of the system

Host-associated divergence in the activity of digestive enzymes in two populations of the gypsy moth Lymantria dispar (Lepidoptera: Erebidae)

The gypsy moth is a generalist insect pest with an extremely wide host range. Adaptive responses of digestive enzymes are important for the successful utilization of plant hosts that differ in the contents and ratios of constituent nutrients and allelochemicals. In the present study, we examined the responses of α-amylase, trypsin, and leucine aminopeptidase to two tree hosts (suitable oak, Quercus cerris, and unsuitable locust tree, Robinia pseudoacacia) in the fourth, fifth, and sixth instars of gypsy moth larvae originating from oak and locust tree forest populations (hereafter assigned as Quercus and Robinia populations, respectively). Gypsy moths from the Robinia forest had been adapting to this unsuitable host for more than 40 generations. To test for population-level host plant specialization, we applied a two-population × two-host experimental design. We compared the levels, developmental patterns, and plasticities of the activities of enzymes. The locust tree diet increased enzyme activity in the fourth instar and reduced activity in advanced instars of the Quercus larvae in comparison to the oak diet. These larvae also exhibited opposite developmental trajectories on the two hosts, i.e. activity increased on the oak diet and decreased on the locust tree diet with the progress of instar. Larvae of the Robinia population were characterized by reduced plasticity of enzyme activity and its developmental trajectories. In addition, elevated trypsin activity in response to an unsuitable host was observed in all instar larvae of the Robinia population, which demonstrated that Robinia larvae had an improved digestive performance than did Quercus larvae

Beyond punitiveness? Governance of crime and authoritarian heritage in Serbia

This article sets out to examine the degree to which democratic transition in Serbia after 2000 has brought about a democratic mode of crime governance in the country. It is shown that while penal norms and policies have undergone a significant degree of democratization in that their outlook has tended not to be punitive, the judiciary (and, to some degree, other actors in the penal field) has been increasingly inclined towards punitive practices. Taking an institutional approach to explain this discrepancy, the article argues that pockets of authoritarianism in the executive have survived the transition to democracy and have continued to exert pressure on the judiciary in ways that have influenced judicial decision-making towards greater punitiveness

A Glance into Holistic Project Success with Organisational Agility and Project Resilience

This article delves into the intricate dynamics between organisational agility, project resilience, and project success, casting a new light on the evaluation of project success beyond traditional constraint-based assessments. Through a systematic narrative review, it addresses the critical literature gap by proposing an integrated theoretical framework that encompasses these key constructs. By transcending conventional metrics, the study emphasises a holistic approach to understanding project success, grounded in both classical organisational and complexity theory. This comprehensive framework elucidates the mechanisms through which organisational agility and project resilience directly contribute to project success, advocating for a strategic reorientation towards value creation and adaptability in project management. This exploration seeks to enrich the theoretical foundations of project management and stimulate further empirical research, thereby offering novel insights and practical guidelines for managing projects in the volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) environments of today

Host expansion modifies activity of phosphatases in a legume store pest Acanthoscelides obtectus (Say)

Bean weevil, Acanthoscelides obtectus (Say) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae, Bruchinae) is a cosmopolitan pest of legume stored products. Storages with various legume seeds can facilitate shifts of the weevil from its primary host, common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), to other legume species and enable host expansion, i.e. broadening of the range of acceptable plant-hosts. In the first generation of host shift, survival of an insect depends on ability to adjust its physiology to altered content of nutrients and secondary metabolites in novel host. On a long-term scale, physiological adaptations to a new host can comprise modifications both in level and plasticity of physiological traits. Changes in activity of phosphatases play an essential role in this process due to their involvement in diverse functions. This study investigated alterations in activity of total acid, lysosomal acid and alkaline phosphatases using laboratory populations of A.obtectus which were maintained either on the optimal host (common bean) or on the suboptimal host (chickpea, Cicer arietinum L.) for 28 years. To determine short-term (plastic) effects, subsets of individuals from each population were exposed to the alternative host for one generation. Our results revealed that one-generation shift to chickpea significantly increased phosphatases' activity reflecting immediate plastic response to nutritional/allelochemical stress where these enzymes might be involved in defense mechanisms. On the other hand, both level and plasticity of phosphatases' activities significantly declined as a long-term response to Cicer-based diet suggesting that selection on chickpea favored resistance mechanisms that were less costly than phosphatases. Considering diverse roles of phosphatases we suggest that such modifications could be crucial for expanding host range and might have implications on efficiency of chemical and botanical insecticides

Cost Analysis of Health Examination Screening Program for Ischemic Heart Disease in Active-Duty Military Personnel in the Middle-Income Country

Cardiovascular diseases, including ischemic heart disease, are the most common causes of morbidity and death in the world, including Serbia, as a middle-income European country. The aim of the study was to determine the costs of preventive examinations for ischemic heart disease in active-duty military personnel, as well as to assess whether this was justified from the point of view of the limited health resources allocated for the treatment of the Republic of Serbia population. This is a retrospective cost-preventive study which included 738 male active-duty military personnel, aged from 23 to 58. The costs of primary prevention of ischemic heart disease in this population were investigated. Out of 738 subjects examined, arterial hypertension was detected in 101 subjects (in 74 of them, arterial hypertension was registered for the first time, while 27 subjects were already subjected to pharmacotherapy for arterial hypertension). Average costs of all services during the periodic-health-examination screening program were euro76.96 per subject. However, average costs of all services during the periodic-health-examination screening program for patients with newfound arterial hypertension and poorly regulated arterial hypertension were euro767.54 per patient and euro2,103.63 per patient, respectively. Since periodic-health-examination screening program in military personnel enabled not only discovery of patient with newfound arterial hypertension but also regular monitoring of those who are already on antihypertensive therapy, significant savings of euro690.58 per patient and euro2,026.67 per patient can be achieved, respectively. As financial resources for providing health care in Serbia, as a middle-income country, are limited, further efforts should be put on screening programs for ischemic heart disease due to possible significant savings