Electrochemical Removal of Microorganisms in Drinking Water

It is known that silver, even in small concentrations (hundred parts of milligrams per liter), has the ability to destroy microorganisms, i.e. it has strong bactericidal abilities. Cleansing vast amount of water using bactericidal ability of silver is usually performed in electrochemical way. The advantages of electrochemical disinfection process like: (a) environmental compatibility, (b) versatility to kill a wide variety of microorganisms under mild conditions, (c) no need for adding chemical medicines and (d) the benefits of in-situ generation greatly lower problems and dangers of usage gas chlorine in water disinfection, which is greatest during transport and storing of this disinfectant. Appliances for electrochemical disinfection of drinking water eliminate these faults of conventional disinfection methods. Medical researches show that excess of chlorine in water reacts with organic matter, leading to mutations and cancer formation in digestion organs and bladder. This paper represents research of succesful microbiological disinfection of natural water that contains Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas aeruginisa, Sulfate-reducing clostridium, Streptococcus (F), Aeromonas, Citrobacter (F), Esherichia coli, Enterobacter (F) and Bacillus by water-disinfection appliance. This appliance can be used in water systems like water sorces, traps, reservoires, pools etc. (certificate of Clinical Center of Serbia)

The role of a fine art work in the education of preschool and school children.

бразовању са идејом да учење у, и о уметности, доприноси постизању општих циљева. Уметност има историјску улогу у афирмацији баштине и историје, трагању за социјалном правдом, демократским вредностима и људским правима. У данашње време глобализације, уметност омогућава препознавање вредности других култура и њихове различитости, а разумевање различитих култура је, уједно, од виталног значаја за промоцију сопственог и националних идентитета. Уметност у образовању ојачава развој перцепције и експресије, доприноси самоспознаји и општем сазнању – развоју језика, критичког мишљења, вештинама решавања проблема итд. Помаже нам да упознамо себе и свет око себе, да поново откријемо културну баштину која је понекад заборављена, доприносећи развоју опште културе. У том смислу, уметничко наслеђе, дела ликовних, примењених уметности, уметничких заната, савремених медија, архитектуре, индустријског дизајна итд., могу бити значајан извор проучавања и сазнања како у предшколском, тако и у основношколском узрасту. Да би се на најбољи начин искористио потенцијал који поседују, важно је обезбедити подстицајну средину за учење унутар вртића и школа, где би се на узрасно одговарајући начин омогућила интеракција између уметничког дела, детета, наставника и окружења. У овом раду бавимо се успостављањем адекватних приступа и стратегија рада са ликовним делом у оквиру вртића и основних школа на основу теоријски заснованих схватања о могућностима и интересовањима деце датог узраста, као и представљањем едукативних програма за децу и наставнике у уметничким музејима и галеријама, који такође значајно могу допринети предшколској и школској пракси. Тако да циљ овог рада јесте да се покаже колики образовни потенцијал поседује подучавање помоћу ликовног дела у општем образовању и васпитању, уколико се примењују адекватни приступи и стратегије у раду са децом, а школе и вртићи повежу са институцијама културе. Постављен је још један циљ рада, а то је да се испитају ставови васпитача, учитеља и наставника ликовне културе о сопственој методичкој пракси у којој се користе ликовна дела, како би се утврдило да ли се и у којој мери користе ликовна дела у раду са децом у нашој средини, који едукативни приступи и стратегије се том приликом примењују, и да ли постоји сарадња између вртића/основних школа и уметничких музеја/галерија. Резултати истраживања упућују на закључак да се дела визуелних уметности код нас недовољно користе у раду са децом предшколског и основношколског узраста, као и да постоји веома слаба сарадња између васпитно- образовних установа и уметничких музеја/галерија. Ипак, охрабрује податак да васпитачи, учитељи и наставници ликовне културе имају потребу и жељу да се додатно едукују у овој области и да постоји мотивација да се дела визуелних уметности учесталије користе у раду са децом. Ови закључци истраживања пружају основе за осмишљавање едукативних програма за наставнике у нашој средини који би се бавили описаним садржајима.Modern approaches to education progressively point to the importance of art in education with the idea that learning within and about art contribute to the achievement of common goals. Art has a historic role in the promotion of heritage and history, the quest for social justice, democratic values and human rights. Nowadays, in the age of globalization, art enables recognition of values of other cultures, as well as their differences, whereas understanding of different cultures is of vital importance for the promotion of their own and national identities. Arts in education enhances development of perception and expression, contribute to self-knowledge and general knowledge - development of language, critical thinking, problem solving skills, etc. It helps us to know ourselves and the world around us, to rediscover cultural heritage that is sometimes forgotten, thus contributing to the development of general culture. In this sense, the artistic heritage, works of fine and applied arts, art crafts, modern media, architecture, industrial design, etc, could serve as important sources of research and knowledge - both in pre-school and primary school age. In order to make best use of the potential they possess, it is important to provide stimulating learning environments in nursery and primary schools, where the interaction between a work of art, child, teacher and environment could be produced in an age-appropriate manner. This paper deals with the establishment of appropriate approaches and strategies in working with a piece of fine art on the grounds of the theory-based understanding of possibilities and interest of children of the given age. In this regard, the papar presents educational programs for children and teachers in art museums and galleries, since they can also significantly contribute to preschool and school practices. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to show the scope of educational potential of teaching using works of fine art in general education, provided that adequate approaches and strategies in working with children are applied and schools and kindergartens linked to cultural institutions. Another goal that has been set is to examine the attitudes of educators, teachers and art teachers about their own methodical practices in which the works of fine art are used, in order to determine whether and to what extent the pieces of fine art are used in work with children in our surroundings, what educational approaches and strategies are applied, and whether there exists cooperation between nursery/primary schools and art museums/galleries. The research results indicate that the works of visual art with us are underused in working with preschool and school age children and that there is very little cooperation between educational institutions and art museums/galleries. However, it is encouraging that educators, teachers and art teachers do have need and desire to further educate themselves in this area and that the motivation to use works of visual arts more frequently in work with children is present. These research findings provide basis for designing teacher training programs for teachers in our community that would deal with the described contents

Ecophysiological adaptations of Pinus nigra Arn., Aesculus hippocastanum L. and Platanus acerifolia (Ait.) Willd. species in urban environments with different sources of pollution

Urbana staništa su pod snažnim antropogenim uticajem i karakteriše ih intenzivno zagađenje vazduha, vode i zemljišta materijama poreklom iz različitih stacionarnih i mobilnih izvora. Specifična vrsta polutanata u ovim sredinama su metali koji se zbog svoje toksičnosti i biološke nerazgradivosti akumuliraju u zemljištu. Istraživanja u okviru ove disertacije su obavljena u urbanim parkovima u Pančevu, Smederevu, Obrenovcu i Beogradu koji su izloženi zagađivanju hemijskim elementima uključujući toksične metale poreklom iz različitih izvora. Obuhvatala su analize biljaka, kao i zemljišta na kojima rastu. Za ekofiziološka istraživanja odabrane su tri drvenaste vrste biljaka koje se dugi niz godina uspešno gaje na urbanim staništima: Pinus nigra Arn., Aesculus hippocastanum L. i Platanus acerifolia (Ait.) Willd. Osnovni cilj doktorske disertacije je bio definisanje faktora limitirajućih za razvoj biljaka, kao i ispitivanje njihovih ekofizioloških karakteristika i adaptivnog odgovora. Posebna pažnja je posvećena problemu zagađivanja metalima i metaloidima, njihovoj mobilnosti i dostupnosti biljkama, kao i njihovom uticaju na fiziološke procese u bilјkama (efikasnost fotosinteze i sadržaj fotosintetičkih pigmenata). Ispitivanja fizičko-hemijskih karakteristika zemljišta su pokazala da urbana zemljišta karakteriše visok udeo frakcije peska, nizak sadržaj higroskopne vlage, organskog ugljenika i azota, alkalna reakcija, ali i povoljan odnos C/N za mineralizaciju organske materije i oslobađanje minerala esencijalnih za biljke. Navedeni limitirajući faktori (toksičan sadržaj B, Cr, Ni i Pb izmerenih u zemljištu urbanih parkova) u sinergističkom delovanju sa visokim temperaturama i malom količinom padavina u značajnom delu ispitivane vegetacijske sezone su uticali na funkcionisanje ispitivanih vrsta biljaka na urbanim staništima. Analiza sadržaja hemijskih elemenata u četinama i listovima je pokazala da postoje razlike u sadržaju elemenata između vrsta, ali i da su ispitivane vrste izložene toksičnim koncentracijama B i Sr i istovremenom deficitu esencijalnih elemenata Cu, Mn i Zn. Generalno, kod P. nigra, A. hippocastanum i P. acerifolia postoje razlike u fotosintetičkoj efikasnosti, sadržaju pigmenata i u morfološkim oštećenjima listova. Uprkos navedenom, sve ispitivane vrste, pre svega listopadne A. hippocastanum i P. acerifolia su pokazale visok potencijal za toleranciju stresa zagađivanja toksičnim metalima i metaloidima, što ih čini pogodnim za sadnju u urbanim parkovima i industrijskim zonama, pa kao takve predstavlјaju značajan resurs za dalјa istraživanja.Urban habitats are under strong anthropogenic influence and are often characterized by intense air, water and soil pollution originating from various stationary and mobile sources. The specific type of pollutants in these habitats are metals that due to their toxic, persistent and nonbiodegradable properties accumulate in the soil. Research was conducted in urban parks in Pančevo, Smederevo, Obrenovac and Belgrade that are exposed to pollution by chemical elements, including toxic metals originating from various sources. Research included plant and soil analyses. For ecophysiological research, three woody plant species that have been successfully grown in urban areas were selected: Pinus nigra Arn., Aesculus hippocastanum L. i Platanus acerifolia (Ait.) Willd. The central aim and subject of this doctoral dissertation was to define the factors that limit the functioning of plants, and to determine their ecophysiological characteristics and adaptive responses. Special attention was paid to the problem of pollution by toxic metals and metalloids, their mobility and availability to plants, as well as their impact on physiological processes in plants (photosynthesis efficiency and photosynthetic pigment content). Analyses of the physical and chemical properties of the soils showed that urban soils are characterized by high proportion of a sand fraction, a low content of hygroscopic moisture, organic carbon and nitrogen and an alkaline reaction, but also a favorable C/N ratio for mineralization of organic matter and release of essential minerals for plants. The limiting factors (toxic levels of B, Cr, Ni and Pb measured in soils from urban parks) in synergy with high temperatures and low precipitation during a significant part of the vegetation season, influenced the functioning of the examined plant species in urban habitats. Analysis of the chemical element contents in pine needles and leaves revealed species differences, and also that the examined species were exposed to toxic concentrations of B and Sr and, at the same time, deficits of the essential elements, Cu, Mn and Zn. Generally, in P. nigra, A. hippocastanum and P. acerifolia, differences in photosynthetic efficiency, pigment contents and in morphological symptoms of injury were observed. In spite of the above, all the investigated species, first of all A. hippocastanum and P. acerifolia, exhibited a high potential for tolerance to stress pollution by toxic metals and metalloids, which makes them suitable for planting in urban parks and industrial zones. These species represent a significant resource for further research

Vitamin a and the nervous system

Vitamin A is essential for the early development and normal functioning of the brain throughout life. A deficiency of vitamin A is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in developing countries, and subclinical deficiency is probably present worldwide. The main active molecule in vitamin A is retinoic acid, which is involved in vision, the immune system, skin health, olfaction and cognition (learning, memory, spatial functions, olfaction, etc.) through processes of neuroplasticity and neurogenesis. Vitamin A is involved in the regulation of about one-sixth of the human genome. It has non-genomic actions in protein translation and paracrine actions. Retinal vitamin A aldehyde is crucial for day and night vision. The best-known manifestation of hypovitaminosis A is night blindness but in more severe cases, it causes blindness. In the hypothalamus, vitamin A, with information from the retina, acts in circadian and seasonal regulation. Increased retinoic acid levels in the blood are associated with increased risk of depression, and lower levels have been connected with Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, cerebral ischemia, autistic spectrum disorders and schizophrenia. Higher doses and longer periods of treatment pose the threat of hypervitaminosis A. Vitamin A and its analogs are a promising new class of therapeutic agents in a wide spectrum of disorders, albeit with a narrow therapeutic window

Electrochemical Removal of Microorganisms in Drinking Water

It is known that silver, even in small concentrations (hundred parts of milligrams per liter), has the ability to destroy microorganisms, i.e. it has strong bactericidal abilities. Cleansing vast amount of water using bactericidal ability of silver is usually performed in electrochemical way. The advantages of electrochemical disinfection process like: (a) environmental compatibility, (b) versatility to kill a wide variety of microorganisms under mild conditions, (c) no need for adding chemical medicines and (d) the benefits of in-situ generation greatly lower problems and dangers of usage gas chlorine in water disinfection, which is greatest during transport and storing of this disinfectant. Appliances for electrochemical disinfection of drinking water eliminate these faults of conventional disinfection methods. Medical researches show that excess of chlorine in water reacts with organic matter, leading to mutations and cancer formation in digestion organs and bladder. This paper represents research of succesful microbiological disinfection of natural water that contains Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas aeruginisa, Sulfate-reducing clostridium, Streptococcus (F), Aeromonas, Citrobacter (F), Esherichia coli, Enterobacter (F) and Bacillus by water-disinfection appliance. This appliance can be used in water systems like water sorces, traps, reservoires, pools etc. (certificate of Clinical Center of Serbia)

Impact of current density on the surface roughness of electrodeposited zinc coatings from sulphate baths

Aim of this work was to determine influence of current density on the roughness of the electrodeposited zinc coatings. Electrodeposition carried out from two same solutions containing different brightening additives. Furfural (in solution I) and dextrin (in solution II) were used as additives. Influences of the thickness of the coatings on the surface roughness depending of the current density and time of deposition and effect of the added additives on the structure of the coatings were also studied. Electrodeposition of the zinc coatings was done galvanostatically at current densities of 1, 2 and 4 A dm-2. Times of electrodeposition were 10, 20 and 30 minutes. Pure zinc was used as anode, and steel with unknown composition was used as cathode. All experiments were done at room temperature, baths volume were 500 cm3. Obtained results show that zinc coatings obtained from solution II have lower roughness than those deposited from solution I. Current density and thickness of the coatings does not have large influence on the roughness. The roughness values are from 0.41 μm to 1.219 μm (solution I) and from 0.316 μm to 0.812 μm (solution II). Current efficiency in solution I is 92.98-94.55% and in solution II 91.5- 96.91%. Coatings from solution II have better structure compared to coatings obtained from solution I, so it can be concluded that dextrin is better brightening additive than furfural in used sulphate baths

M-GAM method in function of tourism potential assessment: Case study of the Sokobanja basin in eastern Serbia

The Sokobanja basin is an area in Eastern Serbia with diverse geological and geomorphological features. Also, it is an area with developed spa tourism. The Sokobanja basin has numerous geoheritage features, which tourist potential has not been discovered yet. In this article, several geosites were analyzed, which present significant geoheritage formations. Geosites were selected by authors of this article based on the degree of their attractiveness for the geotourism development. The main goal of this article is to emphasize the geotourism potential of the Sokobanja basin and to determine the current state and geotourism potential of evaluated geosites by applying the modified geosite assessment model (M-GAM). A total of seven geosites were evaluated throughout the basin. The values of the investigated parameters were entered into the matrix of the M-GAM based on the number of points. Based on the research and the results obtained, it can be concluded that the Sokobanja basin has the potential for the development of geotourism, but it is necessary to improve additional values to become a true geotourism destination

Is There a Link between Zinc Intake and Status with Plasma Fatty Acid Profile and Desaturase Activities in Dyslipidemic Subjects?

The prevalence of obesity and dyslipidemia has increased worldwide. The role of trace elements in the pathogenesis of these conditions is not well understood. This study examines the relationship between dietary zinc (Zn) intake and plasma concentrations of Zn, copper (Cu) and iron (Fe) with lipid profile indicators, fatty acid composition in plasma phospholipids and desaturase enzyme activities in a dyslipidemic population. The role of the newly proposed biomarker of Zn status, the linoleic:dihomo-gama-linolenic acid (LA:DGLA) ratio, in predicting Zn status of dyslipidemic subjects has been explored. The study included 27 dyslipidemic adults, 39-72 years old. Trace elements were determined using atomic absorption spectrometry and fatty acid composition by a liquid gas chromatography. Desaturase activities were calculated from product-precursor fatty acid ratios. Dietary data were obtained using 24 h recall questionnaires. Insufficient dietary intake of Zn, low plasma Zn concentrations and an altered Cu:Zn ratio is related to modified fatty acid profile in subjects with dyslipidemia. Plasma Zn status was associated with obesity. There was no correlation between dietary Zn intake and plasma Zn status. The LA:DGLA ratio was inversely linked to dietary Zn intake. Cu, in addition to Zn, may directly or indirectly, affect the activity of desaturase enzymes

Effect of Alkaline Activator Properties on Structure of Metakaolin-Based Geopolymer Samples

Considering geopolymers as inorganic polymers, they are actually amorphous network of interlinked silicate and aluminate groups, so they could be prospective ceramic precursors for materials with defined dimensions obtained by casting and firing, but not from powder processing. In this research, the starting material is metakaolin, which was obtained by calcining domes tic kaolinite clay. Initially, four series of alkaline activators of NaOH and sodium silicate have been used. Activators present the mixtures of Na2SiO3 and solutions of NaOH, of different molarities 2M, 4M, 6M and 8M. The prepared geopolymer slurries were cast into the designated near shape at room temperature and after that at 60oC. In fact, the post-synthesis curing process (28 days) has an important role in the obtaining good characteristics of geopolymers. Densities, viscosities and refractive index of alkaline activators were determined over the temperature range 15-60oC of process of geopolymerizations. Based on the obtained results of investigated parameters have been selected to predict the properties of materials. All geopolymer samples were characterized by XRD, FTIR, SEM/EDS analysis and Raman spectroscopy providing complementary and valuable information of the investigated materials. This route of ceramics production has advantages associated with producing an environmental friendly, energy saving, clean new technology of geopolymer materials

Supplementary information for the article: Pantović Pavlović, Marijana R., Boris P. Stanojević, Miroslav M. Pavlović, Marija D. Mihailović, Jasmina S. Stevanović, Vladimir V. Panić, and Nenad L. Ignjatović. 2021. “Anodizing/Anaphoretic Electrodeposition of Nano-Calcium Phosphate/Chitosan Lactate Multifunctional Coatings on Titanium with Advanced Corrosion Resistance, Bioactivity, and Antibacterial Properties.” ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering 7 (7): 3088–3102. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsbiomaterials.1c00035

The aim of this work was to investigate corrosion resistivity, bioactivity, and antibacterial activity of novel nano-amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) potentially multifunctional composite coatings with and without chitosan oligosaccharide lactate (ChOL), ACP + ChOL/TiO2 and ACP/TiO2 ACP + ChOL/TiO2, respectively, on the titanium substrate. Supplementary information: The ANOVA results of antimicrobial activity on S. aureus are shown in Table S1 and the ANOVA results of antimicrobial activity on P. aeruginosa are shown in Table S2. The analysis showed significant difference at the 5% level of confidence.Supplementary information for the article: [https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_dais_11739]Supplementary information for the article: [https://doi.org/10.1021/acsbiomaterials.1c00035]Related to the accepted manuscript: [https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_dais_11784