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

Effects of addition of quaternary ammonium antimicrobial compounds into root canal sealers

Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the effect of the addition of benzalkonium chloride and cetylpyridinium chloride in three commercial root canal sealers. Materials and Methods: Three different root canal sealers were used: EndoRez, N2, and Apexit Plus. The samples were prepared by mixing the components according to the manufacturers’ guidelines and adding 2% in weight of the antimicrobials to the newly mixed cement. The paste was placed in molds and stored in an incubator (37°C, 24 h). The samples were then stored in 5-mL distilled water. Samples without antimicrobials served as a control. All samples were tested at 3 time intervals: 1 day, 1 week, and 1 month following their storage in distilled water. The impact of the antimicrobials on the solubility of the sealers, the release of chloride ions (Cl—), and the pH value were examined. Statistical Analysis Used: Analysis was done using one-way analysis of variance and the post hoc Tukey's honestly significant difference test. Results: Chloride ions are present in storage media with EndoRez, N2, and Apexit Plus samples (without antimicrobials) following all tested storage intervals. The addition of the antimicrobials increased the release of chloride ions. Endodontic cements without addition of antimicrobials show an increase in weight after 1 month. The highest pH value is measured in Apexit Plus samples. The solutions in which N2 samples (with and without addition of antimicrobials) were stored did not have a significant change in their pH, while in the EndoRez solutions, a significant decrease in the pH value after the first week was measured. Conclusions: The addition of antimicrobials might lead to improved characteristics of the root canal sealers

Disulfiram moderately restores impaired hepatic redox status of rats subchronically exposed to cadmium

Examination of cadmium (Cd) toxicity and disulfiram (DSF) effect on liver was focused on oxidative stress (OS), bioelements status, morphological and functional changes. Male Wistar rats were intraperitoneally treated with 1mg CdCl2/kg BW/day; orally with 178.5 mg DSF/kg BW/day for 1, 3, 10 and 21 days; and co-exposed from 22nd to 42nd day. The co-exposure nearly restored previously suppressed total superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and increased glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities; increased previously reduced glutathione reductase (GR) and total glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activities; reduced previously increased superoxide anion radical (O-2(center dot-)) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels; increased zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe), and decreased copper (Cu) (yet above control value), while magnesium (Mg) was not affected; and decreased serum alanine aminotransferases (ALT) levels. Histopathological examination showed signs of inflammation process as previously demonstrated by exposure to Cd. Overall, we ascertained partial liver redox status improvement, compared with the formerly Cd-induced impact

Protective intraoperative ventilation with higher versus lower levels of positive end-expiratory pressure in obese patients (PROBESE): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background: Postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) increase the morbidity and mortality of surgery in obese patients. High levels of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) with lung recruitment maneuvers may improve intraoperative respiratory function, but they can also compromise hemodynamics, and the effects on PPCs are uncertain. We hypothesized that intraoperative mechanical ventilation using high PEEP with periodic recruitment maneuvers, as compared with low PEEP without recruitment maneuvers, prevents PPCs in obese patients. Methods/design The PRotective Ventilation with Higher versus Lower PEEP during General Anesthesia for Surgery in OBESE Patients (PROBESE) study is a multicenter, two-arm, international randomized controlled trial. In total, 2013 obese patients with body mass index ≥35 kg/m2 scheduled for at least 2 h of surgery under general anesthesia and at intermediate to high risk for PPCs will be included. Patients are ventilated intraoperatively with a low tidal volume of 7 ml/kg (predicted body weight) and randomly assigned to PEEP of 12 cmH2O with lung recruitment maneuvers (high PEEP) or PEEP of 4 cmH2O without recruitment maneuvers (low PEEP). The occurrence of PPCs will be recorded as collapsed composite of single adverse pulmonary events and represents the primary endpoint. Discussion To our knowledge, the PROBESE trial is the first multicenter, international randomized controlled trial to compare the effects of two different levels of intraoperative PEEP during protective low tidal volume ventilation on PPCs in obese patients. The results of the PROBESE trial will support anesthesiologists in their decision to choose a certain PEEP level during general anesthesia for surgery in obese patients in an attempt to prevent PPCs. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02148692. Registered on 23 May 2014; last updated 7 June 2016. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13063-017-1929-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

THE IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY BUSINESS IN THE FUNCTION OF ECONOMIC PROSPERITY OF SERBIAN FAMILY AND SERBIA

The fact that Serbia is poor and that its citizens are poor, should not be disputed. Serbia's economy has never been in a more difficult situation. The focus of this paper is to try to contribute and some guidelines so that Serbian family would be initiated and give contribution first to itself and then to the local community, i.e. the state, contribution to the development, financial stability and prosperity. The aim of this paper is to indicate that we have to forget (at least at this stage) the large enterprises, holdings, corporations, but direct all the resources (financial, natural, human ...) towards small family businesses, so that in the first phase, as much as possible, the emphasis is transferred to the private sector in order to favor the same by the state (through a variety of benefits, whether they are legislative, fiscal or of any other nature)

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

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

Questionnaire For Evaluating Information, Knowledge, And Attitudes On Donation, Storage, And Application Of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Raščanin S., M.Jovanović, D. Stevanović, N. Rančić (2021). Questionnaire for evaluating information, knowledge, and attitudes on donation, storage, and application of induced pluripotent stem cells.- Genetika, Vol 53, No.2, 813-823. The discovery of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs) opened the possibilities for reprogramming adult somatic cells back to a pluripotent state in vitro by inducing a forced expression of specific transcription factors. Thus, iPSCs might have potential application in regenerative medicine, transplantation, avoidance of tissue rejection, disease modeling, and drug testing. Because of apparent ethical issues connected with donation and derivation of biomaterials, iPSCs are considered as a research alternative to ethically highly disputed Embryonic Stem Cells (ESCs). Objective: The aim of this paper was to describe the development of a questionnaire for evaluating information, knowledge, and attitudes on donation, storage, and application of iPSCs (i.e., the QIPSC). We performed a prospective qualitative study based on the development, validation and reliability testing of the QIPSC. The study included 122 respondents and the final version of the QIPSC with 34 items. The reliability analysis for part of information and knowledge of respondents according to iPSCs was then performed with the questions included in this two-component model and obtained a Cronbach's alpha value of 0.783 and 0.870, respectively. It has been shown that the range of correct answers to questions in part of knowledge of respondents according to iPSCs was from 17.2-63.1%. The results of our study show that the QIPSC was a unique, reliable, and valid questionnaire for assessing the level of information, knowledge, and attitudes on donation, storage, and application of iPSCs