A fish stinks from the head: Ethnic diversity, segregation, and the collapse of Yugoslavia

Demographic analysis clarifies political issues in the collapse of Yugoslavia. In most regions, 1961-1991, ethnic diversity (estimated by informational entropy) increased and segregation (estimated by Theil’s H) decreased. In a few regions there was a reversal in 1991 as migration flows or presentations of self perhaps changed in anticipation of war. The analysis strengthens refutations of the view that long standing ethnic hatreds were the root cause of the Yugoslav collapse and supports analyses that attribute collapse to general economic crisis, economic competition between regions, and failures at the peak of government.collapse of Yugoslavia, diversity, ethnic politics, ethnicity, segregation, Yugoslavia

Sustainable food systems for healthy diets in Europe and Central Asia: Introduction to the special issue

This Special Issue highlights various good practices and food policy discussion in relation to the transformation of current food systems toward their social, environmental and economical sustainability. The papers describe policies, programmes and initiatives in developing and advanced economies of Europe and Central Asia that refer to the core elements of food systems, such as food supply, food environments, and consumers. The shared opinions, analyses, studies and approaches, experiences and insights contribute to a better understanding of regional specificities and support the efforts to guide the complex food systems' transformation for their improved capacity to deliver healthy diets

Quality of clothing fabrics in terms of their comfort properties

Quality of various clothing woven fabrics with respect to their comfort properties, such as electro-physical properties, air permeability, and compression properties has been studied. Fabrics are produced from cotton and cotton/polyester fibre blends in plain, twill, satin and basket weave. Results show that cotton fabrics have lower values of the volume resistivity, air permeability and compressive resilience but higher values of effective relative dielectric permeability and compressibility as compared to fabrics that have been produced from cotton/PES fibre blends. Regression analysis shows a strong linear correlative relationship between the air permeability and the porosity of the woven fabrics with very high coefficient of linear correlation (0.9807). It is also observed that comfort properties are determined by the structure of woven fabrics (raw material composition, type of weave) as well as by the fabrics surface condition. Findings of the studies have been used for estimating the quality of woven fabrics in terms of their comfort properties by the application of ranking method. It is concluded that the group of cotton fabrics exhibits better quality of comfort as compared to the group of cotton/PES blend fabrics.

The radiological risk assesment methodology applied on sands from public beaches

The radiological risk of public exposure to terrestrial radiation in the sand beaches is assessed through the total absorbed gamma dose rate in air and annual effective dose outdoors determination according to international recommendations. Corresponding hazards due to sand use as a building material has been estimated by gamma irradiation hazard indices, based on the data of natural radionuclides contents in sands from public seaside and riverbank beaches (Ulcinj, Belgrade- Danube) obtained in this study, using spectrometry of gamma radiation.Physical chemistry 2008 : 9th international conference on fundamental and applied aspects of physical chemistry; Belgrade (Serbia); 24-28 September 200

Partitioning of quinapril anion between cetyltrimethylammonium bromide micelles and water

The interaction of the anion of quinapril (QUIN), angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, with cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) was studied as a model system for drug/membrane interactions. From the dependence of differential absorbance at λ=272 nm on CTAB concentration, by using mathematical model that treats the solubilization of QUIN anion as its binding to specific sites in the micelles (Langmuir adsorption isotherm), the binding constant Kb was obtained.Physical chemistry 2006 : 8th international conference on fundamental and applied aspects of physical chemistry; Belgrade (Serbia); 26-29 September 200

The significance of determination of plasma osteopontin level as an indicator of the malignant ovarian tumors

Danas ne postoji pouzdan dijagnostički test ili imaging tehnika koja sa sigurnošću može da diferencira maligne od benignih cisti jajnika. Ovarijalni tumori rastu kao kombinacija cističnih i solidnih formacija, što znatno otežava dijagnostiku. Donošenje odluka se bazira na kliničkim pregledima, transvaginalnom ultrazvuku, kompjuterizovanoj tomografiji ili magnetnoj rezonanciji, kao i na određivanju tumorskih markera u krvi. Pored činjenice da su u zadnje dve decenije ove tehnike značajno usavršene, i danas se operiše 7 od 10 benignih formacija da bi se otkrio jedan kancer ovarijuma. Pacijentkinje se izlažu invazivnim hirurškim intervencijama, bez sigurnog dokaza o postojanju maligniteta, a povećava se i morbiditet od ove bolesti. Zato bi postavljanje sigurne i tačne preoperativne dijagnoze donelo i medicinski i socio-ekonomski benefit. Od laboratorijskih markera u predikciji prisustva maligniteta jajnika najčešće se koristi i najbolje je proučen kancerski antigen CA125. Ovaj marker je povišen u 80% slučajeva karcinoma jajnika koji su u odmaklom stadijumu, a samo kod 50% pacijentkinja koje su u ranoj fazi bolesti. Danas se često u kliničkoj praksi koristi još jedan marker human epididymis protein HE4, koji je 2008. god. prihvatila FDA i odobrila njegovo korišćenje. Ipak, zbog brojnih kontraverzi koje su o njemu objavljene još uvek je u fazi evaluacije. Smrtnost od ove bolesti ostala je nepromenjena u zadnje tri decenije i danas je ovarijalni kancer najsmrtonosniji ginekološki malignitet i peti uzrok smrti žena bolesnih od malignih bolesti. Rana dijagnostika bolesti ima veliki značaj na konačan ishod bolesti. Zna se da petogodišnje preživljavanje ima 85-90% bolesnica koje su u početnim stadijumima bolesti, a samo 25-30% bolesnica u kasnim fazama bolesti. Zato postoji urgentna potreba da se potencijalni biomarkeri, ustanovljeni savremenim molekularnim tehnikama, koji bi mogli da unaprede ranu dijagnostiku potvrde u praksi i da se evaluira njihov klinički značaj. Cilj rada bio je da se ispita dijagnostička i prognostička uloga osteopontina (OPN), u dijagnostici tumora jajnika, kao i njegov prediktorski uticaj na ishod bolesti. Ispitan je dijagnostički potencijal (senzitivnost, specifičnost, pozitivna i negativna prediktivna vrednost) OPN-a u predikciji karcinoma jajnika, kao i značaj određivanja OPN kod različitih histopatoloških tipova tumora jajnika i FIGO stadijuma tumorske bolesti...Presently, there is no reliable diagnostic test or imaging technique which may definitely differentiate the malignant from the benign ovarian cysts. Ovarian tumors grow as a combination of cystic and solid formations, what makes diagnostics more difficult. Decision-making is based on the clinical examinations, transvaginal ultrasonography, computerized tomography or magnetic resonance, as well as on determination of blood tumor markers. In spite of the fact that these techniques have been significantly improved and refined in the last two decades, still 7 to 10 benign formations are operated to detect one cancer of the ovarium. Besides that the patients undergo extensive surgical interventions, without any evidence-based malignancy, the morbidity of this disease has been increasing. Therefore, safe and accurate preoperative diagnosis will produce both medical and socioeconomic benefit. Out of laboratory markers for prediction of ovarian malignancy, the most frequently used and best studied is a cancer gene (CA-125). This marker is increased in 80% of cases with the advanced stage ovarian cancer, and only 50% of patients with the disease in early stage. Today, one additional marker is used in the clinical practice known as human epididymis protein 4 (HE4), approved and authorized by FDA in 2008, but the mortality remained unchanged in the last 3 decades. Early diagnostics of this condition has a huge impact on the final outcome of disease. It is known that as much as 85-90% of patients with the initial stage of disease have five-year survival, while this proportion is only 25-30% in the late phases of disease. Therefore, there is an urgent need for potential biomarkers established by molecular techniques to be confirmed in practice and evaluated for their clinical significance. The objective of the study was to examine the diagnostic and prognostic role of osteopontin (OPN) in diagnostics of ovarian tumors. The diagnostic potential (sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value) of OPN was examined in prediction of the ovarian cancers as well as the significance of OPN determination in various histological types of ovarian tumors and FIGO stages of tumor disease..

How dietary intake methodology is adapted for use in European immigrant population groups - a review

Immigrants comprise a noteworthy segment of the European Population whose numbers are increasing. Research on the dietary habits of immigrants is critical for correctly providing diet counselling and implementing effective interventions. The aim of the present study was to identify the presently used methods and adaptations required for measuring dietary intake in European immigrant groups. A comprehensive review strategy included a structured MEDLINE search, related references and key expert Consultations. The review targeted adults from non-European union (European union-15 countries) ethnic groups having the largest populations in Europe. As Studies evaluating nutrient intake were scarce, papers evaluating intake at the level of foods were included. Forty-six papers were selected. Although Eastern Europe, Turkey, Africa (North, Sub-Saharan and Afro-Caribbean), Asia and Latin America represented the most numerous immigrant groups, papers on dietary intake were not available for all populations. Interview-administered FFQ and repeated 24 hour recalls were the most frequently applied instruments. Inclusion of ethnic foods and quantification of specific portion sizes of traditional foods and dishes in assessment tools as well as food composition databases were commonly identified problems. For FFQ, food list elaboration required particular consideration to reflect key ethnic foods and relative contribution to nutrient intake. Extra efforts were observed to overcome Cultural barriers to Study participation. Evaluation-dietary intake of immigrant populations requires special attention to various methodological aspects (sampling, recruiting, instruments used, method of administration, food composition database, acculturation, etc.) so as to adequately address the range of socio-cultural factors inherent in these nutritionally at risk target groups

Desorption of metals from Cetraria islandica (L.) Ach. Lichen using solutions simulating acid rain

Desorption of metals K, Al, Ca, Mg, Fe, Ba, Zn, Mn, Cu and Sr from Cetraria islandica (L.) with solutions whose composition was similar to that of acid rain, was investigated. Desorption of metals from the lichen was performed by five successive desorption processes. Solution mixtures containing H2SO4, HNO3 and H2SO4-HNO3 were used for desorption. Each solution had three different pH values: 4.61, 5.15 and 5.75, so that the desorptions were performed with nine different solutions successively five times, always using the same solution volume. The investigated metals can be divided into two groups. One group was comprised of K, Ca and Mg, which were desorbed in each of the five desorption processes at all pH values used. The second group included Al, Fe, Zn, Ba, Mn and Sr; these were not desorbed in each individual desorption and not at all pH values, whereas Cu was not desorbed at all under any circumstances. Using the logarithmic dependence of the metal content as a function of the desorption number, it was found that potassium builds two types of links and is connected with weaker links in lichen. Potassium is completely desorbed, 80% in the first desorption, and then gradually in the following desorptions. Other metals are linked with one weaker link (desorption 1-38%) and with one very strong link (desorption below the metal detection limit). [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. III43009 i br. ON 172019

Interfacial Polarization and Dielectric Properties of Epoxy/Graphite Flakes Composites

Dielectric properties of composites based on bisphenol-A-epoxy resin loaded with various content of graphite flakes (GF) have been studied. The dielectric permeability, tangent loss and ac conductivity have been examined in wide temperature (170 – 370 K) and frequency (20 Hz – 200 kHz) range. In composites loaded with GF flakes up to 10 wt.%, the dominant conduction mechanism is tunneling of electrons, while loading of 15 wt.% gives rise to electron conduction through direct contacts between fillers. Dielectric properties of composites are largely determined by the nature of the filler/matrix interface, the filler surface area and the inherent conductivity of the fillers. At low electric field frequencies, dominates socalled interfacial (or space charge) polarization due to accumulation of free charges at the interfaces between two phases (filler and matrix), which differ in electrical conductivity.Influence of the filler surface chemistry have been studied for composites loaded with 5 wt.% graphite flakes obtained: (i) under wet milling, without (GF) or with (GF-Tr100x) adding Triton-100x as a surfactant, or (ii) under dry milling in the presence of KOH (GF-KOH). The surface treatment with KOH notable increased dielectric constant of the epoxy/GF-KOH5 composite, keeping low tangent loss, comparable to the counterpart, the epoxy/GF5 composite