THE IMPACT OF EMOTIONAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE CHRONICITY OF POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

Background: The research objective was to identify overstated emotional characteristics in armed conflict veterans as well as both the similarities and differences in personality profiles between patients suffering from acute and chronic forms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Subjects and methods: Our study’s sample consisted of 60 participants in the armed conflict in Kosovo that lasted from 28 February, 1998 until 11 June, 1999. All of them were diagnosed with PTSD, during the six months period after their return from active duty. In 2014 we retested the same subjects to see their current psychological state. Diagnoses of PTSD were made using Structure Clinical Interview for DSM–IV (SCID-I), while the assessment of emotional characteristics was made using Plutchik\u27s emotion profile index (PIE). Results: We established no statistically significant difference in PIE profiles between both groups in recent re-testing. The only significant difference as per PIE classification was found earlier when the subjects were initially diagnosed. The amplified emotional dimension was exploration, and only the group of chronic PTSD patients displayed significantly higher values (p<0.05). Conclusion: Emotional profiles, as a whole, proved to be very similar amongst subjects with both acute and chronic form of the PTSD. The only noted difference is in the significantly higher values of exploration emotional dimension, but only at the time when they were first given initial diagnosis, and only in the group of subjects who later developed the chronic form of PTSD which can indicate that exploration is a factor of vulnerability which is important in chronicity

REALIZATION OF DISTRIBUTED MEDICAL DATA REPOSITORY IN AN ENVIRONMENT WITH HETEROGENOUS MIS

The introduction of centralized registers of medical data after a long time from the implementation of medical information systems and their long-term daily operation is a very challenging and demanding process. In this paper, three ways for the realization of centralized repositories of medical data are considered, and on that occasion, the advantages and limitations of these solutions are emphasized. Due to the heterogeneity of medical information systems in terms of technologies used and implementation, the construction of a distributed centralized national register of medical data emerges as a good solution. A proposal of architecture for the realization of the distributed central republic register of medical data is given. As an example of the proposed solution, the realized collaboration of the central republic radiological information system and its implementation with the medical information system MEDIS.NET is presented

Unapređenje koncepta medicinskih informacionih sistema u cilju smanjenja efekata i posledica epidemija i pandemija

The emergence and fast expansion of huge epidemics and pandemics besides the effect on everyday life of people through the change of health, economic, social and political routine, greatly influence the existing IT products, with a significant emphasis on large information systems which are exploited daily. The main issue which naturally arises is the effective decrease of the rapid spread of epidemics. The reduction of disease transmission is most effectively achieved by socially distancing people and reducing their contacts. In addition to engaging health resources in combating the epidemic, there is also a need for the intensive use of IT solutions that can help slowdown the spread of epidemics, enable continuous monitoring of the affected area, enable rapid and early diagnosis of diseases, reduce contacts between infected and uninfected people, predict trends of the spread of epidemics in order to act in a targeted and proactive manner, etc. This doctoral dissertation presents an improved concept of medical information systems which is aimed at the reduction of effects and consequences of epidemics and pandemics. It enables a better response of the medical information system to the challenges which will be posed by future epidemics and pandemics, not just the COVID- 19 pandemic, which was taken as a case study. The concepts proposed in this doctoral dissertation are applicable to all existing medical information systems both in the Republic of Serbia and in the region. The main objective of the scientific research is to improve the concept of medical information systems in order to reduce the effects and consequences of epidemics and pandemics. The most important objectives of this doctoral dissertation are: the improved concept of medical information system, improved level of collaboration of medical information systems with other information systems outside of the primary health care level, increased level of social distance by implementing new medical information system services, proposed machine learning model for the fast and early diagnosis of COVID -19 disease based on radiological images of lungs, timely and accurate reporting in order to provide conditions for the rapid and adequate response and planning of human and material resources allocation, confirmation of proposed concepts by the practical implementation of certain proposed services and functionalities built into the real medical information system MEDIS.NET which is used daily

THE NORTH ATLANTIC OSCILLATION (NAO) AND THE WATER TEMPERATURE OF THE SAVA RIVER IN SERBIA

The data on the water temperature of the Sava in Serbia (hydrological stations Šabac and Belgrade, period 1961–2015) were used for the research, as well as the data on the surface air temperature. The temperature trends were determined and the significance (at p≤0.05 and p≤0.01) was established on the basis of the t-test. The Pearson correlation coefficient (R) was used for the calculation of the correlation. Increasing trends of the water temperature of the Sava were recorded in all cases at both stations. However, in the case of the HS Šabac, the trends for 6 months (February–April and September–November) were not statistically significant. In the case of the HS Belgrade, all the calculations (except for April) showed statistically significant increasing trends, which can be explained by anthropogenic influence. High level of correlation between the surface air temperature and the water temperature was also determined. In this research, the lowest values of R were recorded for October (0.561 for Belgrade), and on the seasonal level, for autumn (0.625 for Šabac). The research on the correlation between the water temperature of the Sava River and the NAO index showed the highest values of R for January (0.512 for HS Šabac and 0.528 for HS Belgrade). On the seasonal level, the highest values were recorded for winter (0.422 for HS Šabac and 0.432 for HS Belgrade)

ON THE CHARACTERIZATION OF TASKS MODELED BY INTERVAL DESIGN STRUCTURE MATRIX ON DOMAIN-DRIVEN DESIGN SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT

Development and design of new products of various kinds often contain a very complex set of relationships among many coupled tasks. Ranking, controlling and redesigning the features of these tasks can be usefully performed by a suitable model based on the design structure matrix in an iteration procedure. The proposed interval approach of design iteration controls and predicts the convergence speed of iteration work on tasks within a project. Interval method is based on Perron-Frobenius theorem and interval linear algebra where intervals and interval matrices are employed instead of real numbers and real matrices. In this way, a more relaxed quantitative estimation of tasks is achieved and the presence of undetermined quantities is allowed to a certain extent. The presented model is demonstrated in the example of simplified domain-driven design process, an approach to software development

Forest fires threaten biomass production in the EU: experiences from Portugal, Spain and France impose Preventive measures for Serbia

Države Evropske unije u poslednje vreme ulažu sredstva u obnovljive izvore energije, što se posebno odnosi na šumsku biomasu. U Portugaliji, Španiji i Francuskoj se povećava broj termoelektrana i kogenerativnih CHP postrojenja za sagorevanje i gasifikaciju šumske biomase. Sagorevanjem tradicionalne biomase oslobađa se količina CO2 koja je prethodno uzeta iz atmosfere, tako da je nivo emisije gasova sa efektom staklene bašte niži u poređenju sa tradicionalnim elektranama na ugalj. U Portugaliji najveći deo šumske biomase dobija se iz borova i eukaliptusa. Pri tome, više od 50% šumske biomase je iz proreda i čišćenja kultura borova i eukaliptusa. Potrugalija, Španija i Francuska su države Evropske unije koje su posebno pogođene šumskim požarima. U periodu 1980-2014. godine zabeležen je trend porasta ukupne godišnje opožarene površine u Portugaliji, dok je u Španiji i Francuskoj konstatovan trend smanjenja. Naročito velike štete zabeležene su u Portugaliji 2003. godine, kada su požari zahvatili oko 5% teritorije ove države i kada je opožareno 280.000 hektara šuma. U ovom slučaju, problem takođe predstavlja i prisustvo lako zapaljivih vrsta drveća.The EU states have been recently investing in the funds for renewable energy sources, especially for forest biomass. In Portugal, Spain and France, the number of thermal power plants and cogenerative CHP plants for combustion and gasification of forest biomass is increasing. By combustion of traditional biomass, the amount of CO2 that has been previously taken from the atmosphere is released, so the level of greenhouse gases emission is lower in comparison with conventional coal power plants. In Portugal, the biggest part of forest biomass is obtained from the pines and eucalyptus. In addition, more than 50% of forest biomass originates from thinning and cleaning of pine and eucalyptus plantations. The EU countries especially affected by forest fires are Portugal, Spain and France. In the period 1980-2014 increasing trend of the total annual burned area was recorded in Portugal, while decreasing trend was registered in Spain and France. Particularly great damage was recorded in Portugal in 2003, when fires covered about 5% of state territory and 280,000 ha of forest were burnt. In this case, the problem is also the presence of flammable tree species

Planning aspects of solar parks – experience of Germany and Serbia

Solarna energija predstavlja čist, besplatan i praktično neograničen izvor energije. Tehnička i tehnološka rešenja kojima trenutno raspolažemo dovoljna su da se prikupi mnogo više elektične energije, od one koju trošimo. Solarni parkovi, odnosno fotonaponske elektrane su postrojenja namenjena za proizvodnju velike količine električne energije koja se, uglavnom, isporučuje u elektro mrežu. Za razliku od solarnih sistema koji koncentrišu sunčeve zrake, fotonaponske elektrane, pored direktnog koriste i difuzno zračenje, kao važan izvor energije za oblasti na većim geografskim širinama. Stoga, ne začuđuje činjenica da je Nemačka među prvim zemljama u svetu po proizvodnji električne energije dobijene od Sunca sa instalisanim fotonaponskim kapacitetom od 39,7 GW. Iako je potencijal globalnog zračenja u Srbiji oko 30% veći od Nemačke, ukupan fotonaponski kapacitet, od svega 10 MW, je neuporedivo manji. Troškove koje iziskuje eksploatacija solarne energije, mogu se lakše prevazići uz dobro osmišljene mere i instrumente. U ovom radu je prikazano nekoliko uspešnih projekata u Nemačkoj, poput solarnog parka Finstervalsde, koji mogu obezbediti bolju osnovu za planiranje sličnih projekata u Srbiji. Suština ovog rada je da pruži uvid u dosadašnje rezultate Srbije na polju solarne energije, kao i da odgovore na pitanja koja se tiču održivog planiranja solarnih parkova.Solar energy is a clean, free and virtually unlimited source of energy. Technical and technological solutions that are available right now are sufficient to collect much more electrical energy than we consume. Solar parks or photovoltaic power plants are facilities that produced large amounts of electricity which is mainly supplied to the electrical network. Unlike concentrated solar power systems, photovoltaic power station apart from direct radiation is using diffuse radiation, as an important source of energy for areas at higher latitudes. Therefore, it is not surprising that Germany is top-rated country in the world by production of electricity from the sun, with an installed PV capacity of 39.7 GW. Although the potential of global solar radiation in Serbia is about 30% greater than Germany, the total PV capacity of only 10 MW, is much smaller. Expenses for exploitation solar energy, can be overcome much more easier with well designed incentive measures and instruments. This paper describes some successful projects in Germany, such as a solar park Finstervalsde, which can provide a planning solution for similar projects in Serbia. The essence of this paper is to provide overview of current results of solar energy sector in Serbia, as well as to answer the questions that are related to sustainable planning solar parks

INCREASED ACCURACY OF THE NAKAGAMI M PARAMETER MEASUREMENT METHOD BASED ON SPACE DIVERSITY RECEPTION

In this paper we will present increased accuracy measurement method for the Nakagami-m m parameter estimation, based on implementation of space diversity reception. Parameter m will be estimated in real time, based on the obtained values of first, second and third order moments of signal, measured by a proposed system. The obtained results will show an increase of accuracy obtained by using this method over the results obtained by using a standard measurement procedure, so it creates a potential to apply this measurement method for estimation of fading parameters in various propagation environments

Mechanochemically synthesized cobalt-ferrite and starch-coated cobalt-ferrite nanoparticles as efficient adsorbents for hexavalent chromium removal

Cobalt-ferrite (CoFe2O4) and starch-coated CoFe2O4 nanoparticles were prepared by the mechanochemical method and carefully chosen as adsorbents for Cr(VI) removal from wastewater. The kinetic study, adsorption isotherms and influence of pH, contact time and interfering ions were investigated to have deeper insight into adsorbent quality. UV/Vis spectroscopy confirmed that the dominant adsorption mechanism is the electrostatic attraction at lower pH values. The study showed there was no significant change in adsorption efficiency for starch-coated nanoparticles. However, starch as a natural and biocompatible compound can enhance nanoparticles water dispersibility. The advantage of such materials is that saturation time does not exceed 20 minutes. Therefore, the as-prepared and starch-coated CoFe2O4 presents very efficient material for application in the field of water remediation

Mechanochemically synthesized cobalt-ferrite and starch-coated cobalt-ferrite nanoparticles as efficient adsorbents for hexavalent chromium removal

Cobalt-ferrite (CoFe2O4) and starch-coated CoFe2O4 nanoparticles were prepared by the mechanochemical method and carefully chosen as adsorbents for Cr(VI) removal from wastewater. The kinetic study, adsorption isotherms and influence of pH, contact time and interfering ions were investigated to have deeper insight into adsorbent quality. UV/Vis spectroscopy confirmed that the dominant adsorption mechanism is the electrostatic attraction at lower pH values. The study showed there was no significant change in adsorption efficiency for starch-coated nanoparticles. However, starch as a natural and biocompatible compound can enhance nanoparticles water dispersibility. The advantage of such materials is that saturation time does not exceed 20 minutes. Therefore, the as-prepared and starch-coated CoFe2O4 presents very efficient material for application in the field of water remediation