Air quality assessment during COVID-19: A case study of Serbia

The discovery of a new virus has forced many countries to introduce drastic measures at the beginning of the pandemic to protect human health. These measures include the reduced mobility of people and the reduction of certain economic activities. As a consequence, studies conducted in different countries have reported significant improvement in air quality. This paper aims to assess the impact of quarantine and lockdown measures on air quality in the city of Bor. Data regarding concentrations of PM10 and SO2 were collected using three monitoring stations located in the urban part of the city and compared with corresponding periods in 2019 and 2021. The results have shown that concentrations of these pollutants were even higher during the lockdown period. Concentrations of SO2 were 58 % higher compared to those in the corresponding period in 2019 and 56 % higher compared to those in 2021. The mean daily values of PM10 were 47 % higher compared to those in 2019 and 29 % higher compared to those in 2021

Landscape Planning and Green Infrastructure in Serbia: From National to Belgrade City Planning

The development of landscape planning in Serbia began in the middle of the last century. The principles and objectives of landscape planning were modeled on European trends and developed within the academic framework of the School of landscape architecture at the Faculty of Forestry of the University of Belgrade. The General Plan of Landscapes (1995) was a failed attempt to introduce landscape planning from the framework of academic and scientific debate to institutional spatial planning in Serbia (Vasiljević, 2008). After the ratification of the European Landscape Convention in 2011, a more favorable climate for landscape planning was created in Serbia. As a result of defining a landscape policy, which harmonized the contemporary conceptualization of landscape planning with planning trends in Serbia, ensued the chapter Protection and Arrangement of Landscapes, as part of the Spatial Plan of the Republic of Serbia 2020. For the first time, the spatial concept included all landscapes – urban and rural/ natural, whereas planning principles integrated the principles of landscape ecology (e.g. landscape connectivity) with the principles of aesthetics of landscapes as systems. Landscape character was defined as the target quality and spatial development was supposed to be aligned with it (Vasiljević, 2013). The landscape-ecological approach in the planning of cityscapes, advocated by many authors had little influence on the planning of Belgrade in the past. As the final stage of the project „Green regulations of Belgrade“, the Program for elaboration of the urban plan of the green spaces system of Belgrade is the first bigger shift towards landscape-ecological planning of the City (Cvejić and Teofilović, 2010). The Plan of General Regulation of Green Spaces of the City of Belgrade (2014) was developed as a result of the project in which green infrastructure and its elements were observed through the core, inner and outer ring of the green spaces system. However, this plan has not been adopted yet, and the reason is the insufficiently grounded form of this planning document for which there are no known and well-established planning mechanisms of implementation. In contemporary academic research in Serbia, the concept of green infrastructure is observed through Turner\u27s interpretation of the urban route that is useful from the aspect of environmental quality in a city (Turner, 1995), Ahern’s strategy of landscape planning in which landscapes are designed as green infrastructure (Ahern, 1995), and the spatial planning strategy, which is considered the only way to a certain future of urban landscapes in the light of climate change (Fabos, 2001). The contemporary theoretical approach to planning at the landscape scale was created in such an atmosphere, based on the concept of landscapes as wholes, transdisciplinary approach to research and landscape character as a new value in spatial development planning (Vasiljević, 2012). This theoretical concept is based on unifying the principles of the multifunctionality of landscapes, redundancy and modularity of landscape functions, diversity of landscape structures and connectedness of landscapes at different levels and adaptability of landscapes (Ahern, 2011). Given that the theoretical framework of landscape planning in Serbia is new, as well as its application within the framework of the 2020 SPRS, and that in terms of planning practice in Serbia the understanding of this theoretical concept is in the domain of socialization and cultural reproduction (Vasiljević, 2012 according to Faludi, 2004), it was necessary to find a principle – the idea that local interpretation of theories and their application can be assumed to be consistent with ideas operating at a higher (often national) scale (Allmendinger, 2002). The principle of connectivity, which is materialized through green infrastructure, was considered as a way to implement this theoretical concept at the local level. In order to achieve landscape stability, the principle of connectivity is applied to establish short-term goals, which are seen as long-term adaptation measures to climate change. However, the experience in the implementation of this principle through legal framework points to numerous problems. Although the criteria for establishing green infrastructure are defined through theoretical and strategic research, the existing landscape policies are limited (European Communities, 2008)

Land use change for flood protection: A prospective study for the restoration of the river Jelašnica watershed

Serbia’s hilly-mountainous regions are extremely vulnerable to flooding as a consequence of their natural characteristics and human impacts. Land mismanagement influences the development of erosion processes, and causes soil degradation that significantly reduces the land’s capacity to infiltrate and retain rainwater. Inappropriate land use as well as development activities replace permeable with impervious surfaces in the watershed. This leads to more rapid runoff generation and the more frequent appearance of torrential floods and bed-load deposits on downstream sections. Environmental degradation creates economicsocial problems within local societies which is often followed by depopulation. Restoring watersheds to their optimal hydrologic state would reduce flood discharge and by increasing groundwater recharge would increase both low-flow and average discharges in springs and streams. Best management practices could be developed through the application of specific combinations of biotechnical, technical and administrative measures, and by using the concept of ″natural reservoirs″. The design of such practices is explored through a case study of the watershed of the river Jelašnica, southeastern Serbia. Realization of these planned restoration works should help decrease the annual yields of erosive material by 44.1% and the specific annual transport of sediment through hydrographic network by 43.6%. Representative value of the coefficient of erosion will be reduced from Z=0.555 to Z=0.379. The value of maximal discharge Qmax-AMCIII (1%)=54.17 m3•s-1, before restoration, is decreased to Qmax-AMCIII (1%)=41.22 m3•s-1 after restoration, indicating the improvement of hydrological conditions, as a direct consequence of land use changes. Administrative measures are applied through ″Plans for announcement of erosive regions and protection from torrential floods in the territory of Leskovac municipality″

The principle of triadology in architecture of the Serbian mediaveal rulers' endowments

Српска средњовековна архитектура — архитектура владарских задужбина, била је и остала материјализовано сведочанство рецепције византијске, а тиме и источнохришћанске културне традиције, са којом су наслеђена прожимања, у бити антиномичних, традиција античке и јудаистичке мисли — што је исказано кроз догму о Светој тројици. Одгонетање начела тројичности чини полазну поставку за препознавање теоријског модела којим је могуће тумачити сакралну архитектуру средњовековног периода. Развој хришћанског догмата и решавање питања о Богу као Тројици било је обележено зависношћу хришћанске мисли од најзначајнијих јудаистичких и позноантичких идеја, као и филозофских појмовних конструкција. Анализирањем и праћењем њиховог усвајања уочава се напредовање у решавању питања поимања Једног и мноштва, односно једног Бога као Тројице, које се већ у IV веку исказује у учењу кападокијских отаца. У изузетно значајном филозофско-теолошком спису из VI века Corpus Areopagiticum, откривена је и реконструисана тријадолошка слика универзума. Ту је, пре свега, наслеђена подела теологије на катафатичну, симболичну и апофатичну. Ареопагитов систем саткан је и од релацијских вредности које владају између чинова небеске, црквене и земаљске хијерархије. Овако замишљена структура препозната је и претпостављена као теоријски модел који омогућава разумевање сложених симболичких слика хришћанског света. Ради јаснијег схватања, идеја о тројичности упоређује се са појмом боромејског чвора, кога чине три међусобно испреплетана прстена или петље. Логика структуре је таква да се читава конструкција распада издвајањем или пресецањем само једног од прстенова. У Ареопагитовој структури три прстена биле би три личности: Отац, Син, Свети дух/апофатична, симболична и катафатична теологија/небеска, црквена и земаљска хијерархија итд. На месту њиховог пресецања је унија, јединственост у мноштвености. Рефлектовано на поље архитектуре, тројични принцип, као однос „три ипостаси једносуштног Бога“, у потпуности одговара органском склопу сакралне архитектуре византијског храма и ширег сакрализованог простора. Као предмет оваквог истраживања намећу се основни аспекти ахитектуре — форма, функција и конструкција. Сваки од аспеката се може посматрати одвојено са својим квалитативним разликама, али истовремено их је немогуће раздвојити јер чине архитектуру целовитом. Према томе, посматрајући ипостаси Тројице, Бог отац, као праузрок свих ствари, као несазнајан, неописив, несамерив, одговара функцији у архитектури. Она има II трансцедентални карактер: она је као идеја савршена, али се једино може испољити у конкретној форми, што у потпуности одговара откривању Бога оца кроз Бога сина — Богочовека. Дакле, Отац се испољава у Сину, као што се функција испољава кроз форму. Ипостас Христа одговара форми у архитектури...Serbian mediaeval architecture, the architecture of the rulers’ endowments, was and still is a materialised testimony to how the Byzantine and consequently the Eastern Christian cultural tradition was being adopted, which brought an opposing blend of the classical and Hebrew thought, expressed in the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. Deciphering the trinity principle constitutes a premise to recognising a theoretical model for interpreting the mediaeval church architecture. Development of the doctrine and solving the questions about God as a Trinity featured the Christian thought dependant on the most significant Judaistic ideas and on those of Late Antiquity, as well as the philosophical conceptual constructions. In analysing and following their adoption, we notice some advancement in solving the questions of understanding the One and the many, i.e. one God as the Trinity, which was made manifest already in the teachings of the Cappadocian Fathers in the 4th century. In a quite significant theological and philosophical text, Corpus Areopagiticum, dating from the 6th century, a triadological image of the universe was discovered and reconstructed. It showed an inherited division of theology into kataphatic, symbolic and apophatic. The Areopagite’s system was constructed of relationships governing among the celestial, ecclesiastical and earthly hierarchies. Thus devised structure was recognised and assumed as a theoretical model which enables understanding of complex symbolic images of the Christian world. For purposes of better understanding, the concept of Trinity is compared with the concept of the Borromean Rings or Knot made of three interlocking circles or loops. The logic of the structure is that cutting any loop or ring frees all the other loops so that no two loops can be directly linked. In the Areopagite’s structure the three rings would be the three Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the apophatic, symbolic and kataphatic theology, the celestial, the ecclesiastical and the earthly hierarchy, etc. In its centre, inside all the circles, is the Unity, the unity in multiplicity. Mirrored in the field of architecture, the Trinity principle, as a relationship of “Three Hypostases in one Ousia”, completely corresponds to an organic structure of the Byzantine church architecture and a wider ecclesiastic world. As a subject of such research, the basic aspects of architecture come first – the form, the function and the structure. Each of them could be viewed separately, with its qualitative differences, but at the same time, they could not be separated, as they make architecture complete. VI Therefore, considering the hypostases of the Trinity, God the Father, as the First Cause, as unfathomable, indescribable, immeasurable, corresponds to the function in architecture. It is of a transcendental character, perfect as a concept, but can only be manifested in a concrete form, which corresponds completely to revealing God the Father, through God the Son – God-Man. So, God is manifested in the Son, like function is manifested through form. The hypostasis of Christ corresponds to form in architecture..

Medieval templon with inseparable objects of prostration. A case of Saints Joachim and Anna church in the Studenica Monastery

The architecture of templon (stone sanctuary barrier), did not change significantly during the Middle Ages. Certain changes can be traced in relation to the position of the representations of Christ and the Holy Virgin, which are important for understanding the function of the templon. At the beginning of the fourteenth century, a rather small church, dedicated to Sai0nts Joachim and Anna, was built in the Studenica Monastery. The remains of the marble closure slabs testify to the existence of a stone templon. A reassessment of the available data has led us to propose analysis of the original form of the templon, with the frescoes of Christ and the Holy Virgin being its constituent parts, painted directly to the north and south of the barrier.The paper is based on a presentation delivered at the Seventh National Conference of Byzantine Studies held on 22–25 June 2021 in Belgrade

Biological activity of Aronia melanocarpa antioxidants pre-screening in an intervention study design

The beneficial effects of black chokeberry fruits and juices in health promotion and prevention of chronic diseases shown in both epidemiological and dietary intervention studies are often connected with their antioxidant activity. The aim of this study was to investigate the total phenolics and anthocyanins content, chemical antioxidant activity (DPPH-assay), antioxidant protection in erythrocytes and anti-platelet activity in vitro of three different chokeberry products: commercial and fresh pure chokeberry juice and a crude lyophilized water-ethanol extract of chokeberry fruits, as part of their pre-clinical evaluation. The obtained results indicated differences in chemical composition and antioxidant activity of the investigated products. Cellular effects, including both in vitro anti-platelet and antioxidant effects, were not directly correlated with the chemical antioxidant activity and the results obtained in vitro for antiplatelet effects were only partially consistent with the results obtained in vivo, in a pilot intervention trial. In conclusion, chemical analyses and in vitro experiments on foods and their bioactive substances are a valuable pre-screening tool for the evaluation of their biological activity. However, extrapolation of the obtained results to the in vivo settings is often limited and influenced by the bioavailability and metabolism of native dietary compounds or interactions with differrent molecules within the human body

Characterization of electrospun poly(lactide) composites containing multiwalled carbon nanotubes

The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: The authors would like to thank the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Republic of Serbia, for funding projects III45022 and 172056 and European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) action CA15107.The main aim of this work was to obtain conductive polymer-based materials by incorporation of different amounts of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) into poly(lactide)(PLA) using the electrospinning technique. Fiber-based nonwovens with 0.2, 0.5, 1, and 3 wt% of MWCNTs were characterized regarding conductivity, morphology, thermal, and mechanical properties. It was confirmed that an increase of the MWCNTs content does not influence the increase of the material conductivity, since the conductivity was 170 ohm sq−1 for all composites. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy analyses revealed that smooth and beadless fibers were obtained, but also average diameters of composite nanofibers decreased with the increase of the MWCNTs content. Differential scanning calorimetry analysis showed that the presence of MWCNTs in the PLA matrix had a significant influence on the crystallization behavior of PLA nanofibers, because the decrease in crystallization temperature (Tc) was detected. Also, the incorporation of MWCNTs into PLA fibers affected the melting process, enabling the generation of α′ form, while had no influence on ordered α crystal. The enthalpy of composite degradation decreased, because MWCNTs are well-known for good heat conductivity, and with that the second step of degradation slowed down, as it was confirmed by thermogravimetric analysis. The addition of MWCNTs improved mechanical properties of composite fibers and caused the increase of both elasticity and tensile strengths of nanofibers.Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Republic of Serbia III45022 and 172056; COST CA15107; Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia as the Center of Excellence has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Framework Programme H2020-WIDESPREAD-01-2016-2017-TeamingPhase2 under grant agreement No. 739508, project CAMART

Erosion control and protection from torrential floods in Serbia-spatial aspects

Torrential floods represent the most frequent phenomenon within the category of “natural risks” in Serbia. The representative examples are the torrential floods on the experimental watersheds of the rivers Manastirica (June 1996) and Kamišna (May 2007). Hystorical maximal discharges (Qmaxh) were reconstructed by use of ″hydraulics flood traces″ method. Computations of maximal discharges (Qmaxc), under hydrological conditions after the restoration of the watersheds, were performed by use of a synthetic unit hydrograph theory and Soil Conservation Service methodology. Area sediment yields and intensity of erosion processes were estimated on the basis of the “Erosion Potential Method”. The actual state of erosion processes is represented by the coefficients of erosion Z=0.475 (Manastirica) and Z=0.470 (Kamišna). Restoration works have been planned with a view to decreasing yields of erosive material, increasing water infiltration capacity and reducing flood runoff. The planned state of erosion processes is represented by the coefficients of erosion Z=0.343 (Manastirica) and Z=0.385 (Kamišna). The effects of hydrological changes were estimated by the comparison of historical maximal discharges and computed maximal discharges (under the conditions after the planned restoration). The realisation of restoration works will help decrease annual yields of erosive material from Wа=24357 m3 to Wа=16198.0 m3 (Manastirica) and from Wа=19974 m3 to Wа=14434 m3 (Kamišna). The values of historical maximal discharges (QmaxhMan=154.9 m3•s-1; QmaxhKam=76.3 m3•s-1) were significantly decreased after the restoration (QmaxcMan=84.5 m3 •s-1; QmaxcKam=43.7 m3•s-1), indicating the improvement of hydrological conditions, as a direct consequence of erosion and torrent control works. Integrated management involves biotechnical works on the watershed, technical works on the hydrographic network within a precisely defined administrative and spatial framework in order to achieve maximum security for people and their property and to meet other requirements such as: environmental protection, sustainable soil usage, drinking water supply, rural development, biodiversity sustaining, etc. The lowest and the most effective level is attained through PAERs (Plans for announcement of erosive regions) and PPTFs (Plans for protection from torrential floods), with HZs (Hazard zones) and TAs (Threatened areas) mapping on the basis of spatial analysis of important factors in torrential floods formation. Solutions defined through PAERs and PPTFs must be integrated into Spatial Plans at local and regional levels

Iscador Qu inhibits doxorubicin-induced senescence of MCF7 cells (vol 7, 3763, 2017)

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has been fixed in the paper

Erosion control and protection from torrential floods in Serbia-spatial aspects

Torrential floods represent the most frequent phenomenon within the category of 'natural risks' in Serbia. The representative examples are the torrential floods on the experimental watersheds of the rivers Manastirica (June 1996) and Kamišna (May 2007). Hystorical maximal discharges (Qmaxh) were reconstructed by use of 'hydraulics flood traces' method. Computations of maximal discharges (Qmaxc), under hydrological conditions after the restoration of the watersheds, were performed by use of a synthetic unit hydrograph theory and Soil Conservation Service methodology. Area sediment yields and intensity of erosion processes were estimated on the basis of the 'Erosion Potential Method'. The actual state of erosion processes is represented by the coefficients of erosion Z=0.475 (Manastirica) and Z=0.470 (Kamišna). Restoration works have been planned with a view to decreasing yields of erosive material, increasing water infiltration capacity and reducing flood runoff. The planned state of erosion processes is represented by the coefficients of erosion Z=0.343 (Manastirica) and Z=0.385 (Kamišna). The effects of hydrological changes were estimated by the comparison of historical maximal discharges and computed maximal discharges (under the conditions after the planned restoration). The realisation of restoration works will help decrease annual yields of erosive material from Wa=24357 m3 to Wa=16198.0 m3 (Manastirica) and from Wa=19974 m3 to Wa=14434 m3 (Kamišna). The values of historical maximal discharges (QmaxhMan=154.9 m3·s-1; QmaxhKam=76.3 m3·s-1) were significantly decreased after the restoration (QmaxcMan=84.5 m3 ·s-1; QmaxcKam=43.7 m3·s-1), indicating the improvement of hydrological conditions, as a direct consequence of erosion and torrent control works. Integrated management involves biotechnical works on the watershed, technical works on the hydrographic network within a precisely defined administrative and spatial framework in order to achieve maximum security for people and their property and to meet other requirements such as: environmental protection, sustainable soil usage, drinking water supply, rural development, biodiversity sustaining, etc. The lowest and the most effective level is attained through PAERs (Plans for announcement of erosive regions) and PPTFs (Plans for protection from torrential floods), with HZs (Hazard zones) and TAs (Threatened areas) mapping on the basis of spatial analysis of important factors in torrential floods formation. Solutions defined through PAERs and PPTFs must be integrated into Spatial Plans at local and regional levels