Genetics of eye colour

Očima primamo 90% svih informacija iz okoline. Omogućavaju svjesnu percepciju svjetla, razlikovanje boja i percepciju dubine. Svaka osoba ima specifičnu boju i šare irisa. Postoje šest glavnih varijacija boja, a dijele se na: jantarnu, boju lješnjaka, plavu, sivu, smeđu i zelenu. Sama struktura oka je kompleksna, a jedna od najsloženijih struktura koju možemo vidjeti izvana je šarenica. Nakupljanje pigmenta melanina u šarenici rezultira percepcijom određene boje oka. Melanogeneza, ili proces stvaranja melanina, je najvećim dijelom pod utjecajem dva gena: OCA2 i HERC2 koji se oba nalaze na kromosomu 15. Dugo vremena se smatralo da je nasljeđivanje boje očiju monogenetsko svojstvo, ali danas se zna da je poligenetsko. Ta fenotipska osobina kontrolirana je sa 16 različitih gena, iako je utjecaj gena OCA2 i HERC2 najizraženiji. Bilo kakva promjena u njima može rezultirati promjenama koje mogu sudjelovati i u razvoju bolesti. Unatoč jednakoj rasprostranjenosti broja melanocita među različitim bojama očiju, zanimljiva je rasprostranjenost melanocita među populacijama. Veća je rasprostranjenost svjetlijih boja očiju među Europljanima i ljudima koji imaju europske pretke što je moguće povezati i s pojavom plavih očiju. Naime, pokazano je da azijatske šarenice imaju manje melanocita od afričkih i europskih zbog manjeg područja šarenice ili smanjene gustoće melanocita.Humans receive 90% information about the world through eyes. They are responsible for vision that enables humans to receive and process visual information, distinguish colours and perceive depth. There are six types of eye colours: amber, hazel, blue, grey, brown and green. The structure of the eye is complex, and the most complex part of the eye is the iris. The accumulation of the pigment melanin in the iris results in a perception of the specific colour of the eye. Melanogenesis, the process of producing melanin, is mostly under the influence of two genes: OCA2 and HERC2, which are both located on chromosome 15. For a long time, it was thought that the colour of the eye is inherited as a monogenetic trait, but nowadays it's known that is a polygenetic trait. This phenotypic trait is controlled with 16 different genes, although the effect of OCA2 and HERC2 is the most pronounced. Any change in those genes may result in a change of the colour or can be associated with development of a disease. Despite the equal distribution of the number of melanocytes between different eye colourations, the distribution of melanocytes numbers between populations is more different. Lighter eye colours are more frequent in Europeans and their descendants which can be correlated with the appearance of blue eyes. Also, it seems that Asian irises have fewer melanocytes than Africans and Europeans because of the smaller surface of the iris or lower density of the melanocytes

Some observations on cultural opposites in contemporary China: Kunming and Beijing twenty Years later

Ovaj rad se bavi kulturnim oprečnostima opaženim u različitim segmentima kineske kulture koji su autoru bili dostupni tokom tri boravka u Kini u razmaku od dve decenije. Prvi i drugi boravak, 1986. i 1989. godine odvijali su se u početnom periodu sprovođenja modernizacijskih reformi u Kini, kada su njihovi rezultati tek počeli da se naziru. Treći boravak, 2009. godine, odigrao se krajem treće decenije njihovog sprovođenja, u vreme već razvijenog tržišnog komunizma. Osnovna teza koja se provlači kroz rad jeste da se većina opaženih fenomena u savremenoj urbanoj Kini može svrstati u oprečne kategorije, i to kinesko-zapadno i tradicionalno-savremeno. Kulturne oprečnosti opažene su u turističkoj ponudi i ponašanju domaćih i stranih posetilaca, upotrebi kineskog i engleskog jezika u obeležavanju javnih prostora, promovisanju tradicionalne i savremene arhitekture. Takođe, one su uočene u predstavljanju zanatskih i industrijskih proizvoda, načinu konzumiranja toplih napitaka, kombinovanju do-Mähe i strane hrane. Vidljive su i prilikom izvođenja Pekinške opere prilagođene kako savremenom Kinezu tako i strancu, i u praktikovanju tradicionalnih kineskih vežbi i zapadnih plesova u javnim parkovima. Glavni zaključak rada je da se proces povezivanja Kine sa zapadnim zemljama odvija na umeren i kontrolisan način. U tom procesu globalizacije kulturne oprečnosti koegzistiraju i sjedinjuju se, dajući kineskoj kulturi nove karakteristike.This paper considers the cultural opposites observed in various segments of Chinese culture during the author's three stays in China over a period of twenty years. The first and second stay, in 1986 and 1989 respectively coincided with the initial period of the implementation of modernization reforms in China, when their results were just beginning to be feit. The third stay was in 2009, towards the end of the third decade of reform implementation, at the time of an already developed market-oriented communism. The paper's main thesis is that most of the phenomena observed in present-day urban China can be assigned to opposite categories, namely Chinese-Western and traditional- contemporary. Cultural opposites have been observed in the sphere of tourism and the behavior of both Chinese and foreign visitors, in the use of Chinese and English in notices and signs in public places, and in the promotion of traditional and modern architecture. In addition, they have been noted in the presentation of arts and crafts and industrial products, in the manner of consumption of hot drinks, and in the combining of Chinese and foreign cuisine. They are also evident in a Beijing Opera Performance adapted both to the modern Chinese and to foreigners, and in the traditional Chinese exercises and western dances performed in public parks. In conclusion, the paper suggests that the process of establishing connections between China and the West is being carried on in a moderate and controlled way. In the globalization process cultural opposites coexist and merge, imparting new features to Chinese culture

The stuff of Christmas homemaking: Transforming the house and church on Christmas eve in the Bay of Kotor, Montenegro

Ritualno nalaganje Badnjaka na Badnje veče predstavlja arhaičnu kućnu tradiciju, karakterističnu za hrišćansko stanovništvo centralnog Balkana. Tokom pedesetogodišnjeg perioda nakon Drugog svetskog rata, ateistička država potiskivala je narodne religijske prakse. Međutim, etnografska istraživanja u Srbiji i Crnoj Gori tokom kasnih 80-ih pokazuje da su mnoga seoska domaćinstava ipak očuvala svoje tradicionalne božićne obrede, što predstavlja kontrast većim gradovima u kojima su oni bili skoro iskorenjeni. Čak i u mikro-oblastima, poput Boke Kotorske, postoje uočljive razlike između izolovanih seoskih zajednica u kojima je otvoreno ognjište ostalo obredni centar kuće (na kome se badnjaci nalažu i do sedam puta u toku božićne sezone) i gradova u kojima je samo mali broj domaćinstava nastavio sa obredom (nalaganja malih badnjaka u šporetu na drva). Međutim, početkom 90-ih došlo je do obnavljanja kućnih verskih proslava, kao i do njihovog širenja u domen javnog. Ova studija pokazuje kako se na Badnje veče kuće i crkvene porte (kao i gradski trgovi) transformišu u sveta mesta. Analiza vremenskih i prostornih aspekata ovog obrednog događaja, uloga koje glavni akteri igraju, radnji koje preduzimaju i predmeti koje koriste, pokazuje kako se prostor svakodnevnog života transformiše u sveti dom. Najzad, o značenju i funkciji kreiranja doma raspravlja se na način koji se suprotstavlja klasičnoj disktinkciji između privatnog i javnog obrednog okruženja.The domestic burning of Yule logs on Christmas Eve is an archaic tradition characteristic of the Christian population in the central Balkans. In the fifty years following World War Two, the socialist state suppressed these and other popular religious practices. However, ethnographic research in Serbia and Montenegro in the late 1980s showed that many village households, nevertheless, preserved their traditional Christmas rituals at home, in contrast to the larger towns, in which they were practically eradicated. Even in the micro-regions, such as the Bay of Kotor, there were observable differences between more secluded rural communities, in which the open hearth is still the ritual center of the house (on which the Yule logs are burned as many as seven times during the Christmas season), and the towns in which only a few households continued with the rite (burning small logs in the wood-stove). In the early 1990s, however, a revival of domestic religious celebrations as well as their extension into the public realm has occurred. This study shows how on Christmas Eve, houses and churchyards (as well as town squares) are being transformed into sacred places. By analyzing the temporal and spatial aspects of this ritual event, the roles that the key actors play, the actions they undertake and artifacts they use, I attempt to demonstrate how the space of everyday life is transformed into a sacred home. In the end, the meanings and functions of homemaking are discussed in a way that confronts the classic distinction between private and public ritual environs

Role of etology in detecting environmental pollutants that affect changes in animal behaviour

A large number of chemical pollutants originating from industrial agricultural and urban through the direct or indirect disruption of endocrine gland and hormone function. That is why these pollutants are known as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDC). By disrupting endocrine function, the EDC change certain forms of animal behaviour. This is why a direct link can be established between etology, as a scientific discipline that studied the role, function, ontogenetic and evolutionary development of behaviour from the aspect of the animal's adaption to living conditions, and ecotoxicology. In this mutual connection, the role of etology is to identify changes in animal behaviour which will serve as the first bioindicator of the presence of EDC in a certain environment, and before the occurrence of organic changes that could have lethal consequences

Organization of time in the Chinese countryside: Labor, rhythms and gender in the later Maoist period (1958-1978)

Ova studija bavi se pitanjem na koji način je državna politika za vreme Maoističkog perioda, od početka Velikog skoka napred (1958) do uvođenja Modernizacijskih reformi (1978), uticala na organizaciju vremena na kineskom selu. Nakon napuštanja prvobitnog sovjetskog modela modernizacije, baziranog na ekskluzivnom jačanju teške industrije, kinesko političko rukovodstvo razvilo je strategiju paralelnog razvoja poljoprivrede i industrije, pri čemu je čak prvo trebalo dodatno da podržava modernizaciju drugog. Studija je usredsređena na načine na koje su dugoročni državni planovi i kratkoročnije ekonomske, društvene i ideološke odredbe i kampanje zajedno uticale na životne ritmove kineskih seljaka. Domeni u kojima su ovi uticaji postali vidljivi su: (1) intenziviranje poljoprivrednih praksi, (2) uvođenje sitne industrije, i (3) politizacija slobodnog vremena. U analizi se detaljno slede karakteristični ritmovi rada i odmora u okviru dnevnih sedmičnih, sezonskih i godišnjih vremenskih intervala.This paper deals with the question of how the state policies during the later Maoist period, from the beginning of the Great Leap Forward (1958) to the introduction of the Modernization Reforms (1978), affected the organization of time in the Chinese countryside. After abandoning the initial Soviet model of modernization, based on the exclusive strengthening of heavy industry, the China's leadership developed a strategy of parallel development of agriculture and industry, wherein the former would additionally support the modernization of the latter. The study is focused on the ways the longer term state plans and shorter term economic, social and ideological policies and campaigns jointly influenced the rhythms of life of Chinese peasants. The domains in which these influences became visible were: (1) the intensification of agricultural practices, (2) the introducing of the small-scale industry, and (3) the politicizing of the spare time. In the analysis the characteristic rhythms of work and rest within the daily, weekly, seasonal, and annual time spans are followed in detail

East-West business encounters in Serbia and Montenegro: How Serbian repatriates from the west experience their present business environment: A case study

Ova studija bavi se iskustvima srpskih stručnjaka sa obrazovanjem i/ili radnim iskustvom stečenim na Zapadu koji su se vratili u domovinu u periodu nakon političkih promena u oktobru 2000. godine, i zaposlili u međunarodnim ili domaćim poslovnim organizacijama u Beogradu. Cilj istraživanja je analiza stepena i sadržaja "kulturnog šoka " koji je ova grupa doživela, njihovog mišljenja o tome šta lokalni i strani poslovni akteri mogu da nauče jedni od drugih u cilju poboljšanja poslovnih aktivnosti, kao i njihove procene prednosti i nedostataka sopstvene bikulturalne pozicije.This study deals with the experiences of Serbian professionals with education and/or working experience acquired in the West who returned since the political changes in October 2000 to work in foreign or domestic business organizations in Belgrade. The aim is to analyze the degree and contents of "culture shock" this group has experienced, their opinions as to what the local and Western business actors should learn from each other in order to facilitate business operations in the future, and their assessment of the advantages and disadvantages of their own bicultural background

Negotiating partnership: How Serbian Hauzmajstor established a business relationship with Austrian Rustler

Ova studija govori o tome kako je srpski Hauzmajstor pregovarao i stupio u partnerstvo sa austrijskom firmom Rustler. Uvodni deo posvećen je uspostavljanju i razvijanju Hauzmajstora, firme za male kućne popravke, koju je osnovao srpski povratnik iz inostranstva 2004. godine. Polazeći od osnivanja Hauzmajstora, kao ćerke firme Komon sensa (orijentisane na konsalting i razvoj projekata), studija prati njeno prilagođavanje poslovnom ambijentu Srbije u pogledu organizacione i poslovne kulture. Studija je usredsređena na detaljno predstavljanje i analizu iskustava zaposlenih u Hauzmajstoru sa austrijskim Rustlerom, najpre kao potencijalnim, a zatim i kao većinskim partnerom. Pored toga, prikazan je način na koji je Hauzmajstor doživeo regionalni menadžer Rustler grupe, koji je bio glavni posrednik u pregovorima i konkretizovanju ovog partnerskog odnosa. U zaključnom delu raspravlja se o različitim konceptima 'kulture', 'stranca', i 'kulturnih posrednika' u dve različite faze uzajamnih odnosa, i to najpre prilikom pregovaranja, a zatim odmah nakon uspostavljanja poslovnog partnerstva.This study is an account of how Serbian Hauzmajstor negotiated and entered into partnership with the Austrian Rustler. The introduction is devoted to the development of Hauzmajstor, a small real estate maintenance firm, founded by a Serbian repatriate in 2004. Beginning with its start up as the first daughter firm of Komon sens, a consulting and project development firm, the study follows its adaptation to the local business environment, concentrating on its organizational and business culture. The focus of the study is on the detailed description and analysis of experiences of the Hauzmajstor insiders with the Austrian Rustler, first as a potential, and later as an actual partner. In the end, a view from the other side, i.e. perceptions of Hauzmajstor by the Rustler Group area manager are given

Introducing anthropology at schools: Global challenges and local strategies

Contribution to the Forum Teaching Anthropology in the Secondary School, Anuac, vol. 5, n° 2.Contributo al Forum Teaching Anthropology in the Secondary School, Anuac, vol. 5, n° 2

Evaluation of cephalometric parameters in determining the position of anterior teeth

In the study the cephalometric method was used to determine the position of the artificial central upper and lower incisors of edentulous patients class I, and natural central upper and lower incisors of dentulous individuals class I. Cephalometric radiographs of edentulous patients were made with a precisely set position of frontal teeth and marked central incisors. The control group consisted of 30 lateral cephalometric radiographs of dentulous persons class I. Certain of Schwartz and Steiner cephalometric radiograph analysis were used for precise sagittal positioning of upper and lower central incisors. To set precisely the position of these teeth in a sagittal position, the inclination of their axle was analyzed on each cephalometric radiograph, as well as the position of their vestibular surfaces related to the specific craniofacial elements. Statistically significant differences of the value of the angle of inclination of artificial upper and lower incisors of edentulous patients class I, and the angle of inclination of natural upper and lower incisors of dentulous persons, class I, were determined