Relative-coordinate determination for visual double stars by applying Fourier transforms

We discuss the software developed for the purpose of determining the relative coordinates (position angle θ and separation ρ) for visual double or multiple stars. It is based on application of Fourier transforms in treating CCD frames of these systems. The objective was to determine the relative coordinates automatically to an extent as large as possible. In this way the time needed for the reduction of many CCD frames becomes shorter. The capabilities and limitations of the software are examined. Besides, the possibility of improving is also considered. The software has been tested and checked on a sample consisting of CCD frames of 165 double or multiple stars obtained with the 2m telescope at NAO Rozhen in Bulgaria in October 2011. The results have been compared with the corresponding results obtained by applying different software and the agreement is found to be very good

Ultraviolet radiation and melanogenesis

Light radiation is a part of the electromagnetic radiation, and it consists of the ultraviolet (UV) radiation, visible light, and infrared radiation. UV radiation energy is absorbed in the form of photons in biomolecules (chromophores) and induces various cellular reactions, out of which photochemical and photosensitizing are the most significant. In contact with the skin UV radiation incites protection mechanisms: the most important are stratum corneum thickening and melanin synthesis (melanogenesis). Basic role of melanin is absorption and scattering of UV rays and neutralization of free radicals. In this review physical characteristics of UV radiation, its biological effects, and relation to melanogenesis and carcinogenesis are discussed

Sorption properties and thermal behaviour of Prunus persica L. waste biomass.

Rastuća industrijalizacija i smanjivanje energetskih rezervi uslovilo je istraživanja u pravcu razvoja novih tehnologija koje bi primenile obnovljive, lako dostupne i ekonomski isplative otpadne materijale.Poslednjih nekoliko decenija otpadna agroindustrijska lignocelulozna (LC) biomasa predstavlja predmet brojnih istraživanja širom sveta usled velike rasprostranjenosti, niske cene, obnovljivosti i strukturnih karakteristika...Growing industrialization and resource depletion induced the research of new clean up technologies that provide implementation of renewable, low cost waste materials. In the last few decades, agro industrial lignocellulosic waste biomass (LCW) appeared as an attractive feedstock worldwide. LCW’s abundance, multi functionality and low cost have influenced many investigationsin the field of its renewable potential..

Strategic planning of human resources education in agricultural sector.

Предмет дисертације је стратешко управљање људским ресурсима у агросектору Републике Србије (РС). Циљ дисертације био је развој одрживих села. Анализирано је управљања људским ресурсима руралних подручја помоћу образовања. Дисертација је фокусирана на модерно образовање и знање које представљау круцијални део конкурентне пољопривреде. Анкетном методом прикупљени су подаци за преко 400 пољопривредних газдинстава Златиборског округа...The subject of this PhD thesis is strategic human resource management in the agricultural sector of the Republic of Serbia (RS). The thesis is aimed at the sustainable rural development. It analyses human resource management in rural areas by means of education. The thesis focuses on the contemporary education and knowledge, which represent the crucial part of competitive agriculture. Data about more than 400 agricultural households in Zlatibor District have been collected using questionnaires..

Las actitudes de los padres sobre la adaptación de los niños a la institución preescolar

The aim of this research study is to examine parents´ attitudes towards the process of children´s adjustment to a pre-school institution, as well as towards separation difficulties which are encountered when a child starts attending kindergarten. Research results provide answers to whether parents are familiar with the problems manifested in the children´s adjustment process, as well as with the possibilities of successfully overcoming such issues. The research included 763 parents of pre-school children in the territory of Serbia. The differences in parents´ attitudes have been analysed relative to their sex, education and age. In the course of research the authors resorted to a five-point Likert scale composed of 16 items grouped into the following categories: factors which influence the process of adjustment, indicators of a successfully completed adjustment process and methods for overcoming the issues raised in the process of children´s adjustment to a pre-school institution. Parents believe that children´s satisfaction when they attend kindergarten is a more significant indicator of a successfully completed adjustment process relative to the absence of crying and deprecation, as well as that for the purposes of overcoming the difficulties which occur when children start attending a pre-school institution parents most frequently introduce preschool teachers to their child´s habits and traits, and later talk with the child about events in the kindergarten. Research results indicate the presence of statistically significant differences in parents´ attitudes relative to their sex, i.e. they indicate that the adjustment period is more stressful for mothers than for fathers.El objetivo de la investigación es examinar las actitudes de los padres sobre el proceso de adaptación de los niños a la institución preescolar, y también las dificultades de separación que ocurren con el ingreso del niño en jardín de infantes. Los resultados del estudio proponen respuestas a las preguntas si los padres están familiarizados con los problemas que se manifiestan en el proceso de adaptación de los niños a la institución preescolar, y también preguntas sobre las posibilidades de su superación exitosa. El estudio involucró a 763 padres de niños en edad preescolar de Serbia. Se analizan las diferencias en las actitudes de los padres en relación con el género, el nivel de educación y la edad. En la investigación fue utilizada una escala de evaluación de Likert de cinco pasos, compuesta por 16 ítems agrupados en las siguientes categorías: factores que intervienen en el proceso de adaptación, indicadores de una adaptación exitosa y métodos para superar los problemas que surgen en el proceso de adaptación de los niños a la institución preescolar. Los padres lo consideran que la satisfacción de los niños cuando van al jardín de infantes representa un indicador muy importante de la finalización exitosa del proceso de adaptación en relación a la ausencia de llanto y resentimiento, y de que los padres, para superar las dificultades que ocurren cuando niños empiezan a ir en el jardín de infantes, a menudo se reúnen con maestros para familiarizarlos con los costumbres y las características de sus hijos, y luego hablan con sus hijos sobre los acontecimientos en el jardín de infancia. Los resultados del estudio indican que existen unas diferencias estadísticamente significativas en las actitudes de los padres con respecto al género, es decir, el período de adaptación es más estresante para las madres que para los padres

Effect of acute adrenalectomy on rat liver glucocorticoid receptor

In order to improve current clinical treatment of human hypocortisolism, it is necessary to understand molecular aspects of this pathophysiology. In this study liver tissues from male Wistar rats were used as an experimental model to study structural and functional properties of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) in the absence of glucocorticoid hormones (GC). Results show that acute adrenalectomy (ADX) significantly increases the number of GR binding sites and GR protein content. In addition, acute ADX stimulates increase in stability of the GR, decrease in stability of the glucocorticoid- receptor complex (G-R), and changes in accumulation of the G-R complex in nuclei and its cellular distribution.

Biomarkers of aging associated with past treatments in breast cancer survivors.

Radiation and chemotherapy are effective treatments for cancer, but are also toxic to healthy cells. Little is known about whether prior exposure to these treatments is related to markers of cellular aging years later in breast cancer survivors. We examined whether past exposure to chemotherapy and/or radiation treatment was associated with DNA damage, telomerase activity, and telomere length 3-6 years after completion of primary treatments in breast cancer survivors (stage 0-IIIA breast cancer at diagnosis). We also examined the relationship of these cellular aging markers with plasma levels of Interleukin (IL)-6, soluble TNF-receptor-II (sTNF-RII), and C-reactive protein (CRP). Ninety-four women (36.4-69.5 years; 80% white) were evaluated. Analyses adjusting for age, race, BMI, and years from last treatment found that women who had prior exposure to chemotherapy and/or radiation compared to women who had previously received surgery alone were more likely to have higher levels of DNA damage (P = .02) and lower telomerase activity (P = .02), but did not have differences in telomere length. More DNA damage and lower telomerase were each associated with higher levels of sTNF-RII (P's < .05). We found that exposure to chemotherapy and/or radiation 3-6 years prior was associated with markers of cellular aging, including higher DNA damage and lower telomerase activity, in post-treatment breast cancer survivors. Furthermore, these measures were associated with elevated inflammatory activation, as indexed by sTNF-RII. Given that these differences were observed many years after the treatment, the findings suggest a long lasting effect of chemotherapy and/or radiation exposure

Uticaj agrotehnike na osobine semena italijanskog ljulja pri različitim dužinama skladištenja

Italian ryegrass seed crop was established in 2007 with two sowing densities (D1 = 60 cm row spacing and 5 kg ha-1 seeding rate; D2 = 20 cm row spacing and 20 kg ha-1 seeding rate) and using two spring nitrogen rates (0 and 150 kg N ha-1). Seed germination and thousand seed weight (TSW) of Italian ryegrass was observed in first production year. After harvest in June, seeds were stored under standard storage conditions and sampled 90 days after harvest (DAH), and then 2000 DAH. At 90 DAH, seeds were tested for TSW, as well as germination energy and total germination percentage at incubation temperatures of 10, 15, 20 and 25°C. Ryegrass seeds had the best germination energy 90 DAH at 20°C and maximum total germination at 15°C, which implies that early autumn (September-October) is proper sowing period for freshly harvested seeds of Italian ryegrass. Italian ryegrass seeds could maintain satisfactory germination energy (59.3%) and total germination (77.3%) up to 2000 DAH. High seed quality was obtained and applied treatments did not change seed quality significantly unlike storage period which had considerable influence on seed quality. The data can serve for the determination of a proper storage duration management between harvest and sowing of the tested species under ambient conditions of Serbia.Setva semenskog useva italijanskog ljulja obavljena je u 2007 godini u dve gustine setve (D1=60 cm međuredno i 5 kg ha-1 setvena norma; D2=20 cm međuredno i 20 kg ha-1 setvena norma) i primenom dve količine azota u prihrani (0 and 150 kg ha-1). Posmatran je klijavost i masa 1000 semena italijanskog ljulja u prvoj proizvodnoj godini. Posle junske žetve, seme je skladišteno u standardnim skladišnim uslovima i uzorkovano 90 dana posle žetve (DPŽ), a potom 2000 DPŽ. Posle 90 DPŽ seme je ispitivano na masu 1000 semena, energiju klijanja i ukupnu klijavost na temperaturama klijanja od 10, 15, 20 i 25°C. Seme ljulja je imalo najbolju životnu sposobnost 90 DPŽ na 20°C i maksimalnu ukupnu klijavost na 15°C, što sugeriše da je rana jesen (septembar-oktobar) odgovarajući period za setvu sveže požnjevenog semena italijanskog ljulja. Seme italijanskog ljulja može zadržati zadovoljavajuću energiju klijanja (59,3%) i klijavost (77,3%) i 2000 DPŽ. Dobijeno je kvalitetno seme i primenjeni tretmani pri gajenju semenskog useva nisu menjali značajno kvalitet semena, za razliku od dužine perioda skladištenja, koje je imalo značajan uticaj na kvalitet semena. Podaci mogu poslužiti za određivanje dužine perioda skladištenja semena između žetve i setve italijanskog ljulja u uslovima Srbije

Sinteza i karakterizacija nikal(II) i bakar(II) kompleksa sa polidentatnim dialkil ditiokarbaminskim ligandom 3-ditiokarboksi-3-aza-5-aminopentanoatom

Square planar complexes of Ni(II) and Cu(II) with potassium 3-dithiocarboxy-3-aza-5-aminopentanoate have been prepared by direct synthesis. The obtained neutral complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, magnetic susceptibility measurements, infrared and electronic spectra. The thermal behaviour of both the Ni(II) and Cu(II) complexes, and the ligand itself was investigated by DSC and TG.Direktnom sintezom između nikal(II)- i bakar(II)- soli i kalijum 3-ditiokarboksi-3-aza-5-aminopentanoata nagrađeni su odgovarajući kompleksi kvadratno-planarne strukture. Izolovani neutralni kompleksi karakterisani su elementalnom analizom, infracrvenom i elektronskom apsorpcionom spektroskopijom, kao i merenjem magnetnih susceptibiliteta. Termičko ponašanje kompleksa i liganda ispitivano je primenom DSC i TG metoda

Antifungalna aktivnost prirodnih Bacillus spp. izolata iz zemljišta

Biocontrol using plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) represents an alternative approach to disease management, since PGPR are known to promote growth and reduce diseases in various crops. Among the different PGPR, members of the genus Bacillus are prefered for most biotechnological uses due to their capability to form extremely resistant spores and produce a wide variety of metabolites with antimicrobial activity. The objective of this research was to identify antagonistic bacteria for management of the plant diseases. Eleven isolates of Bacillus spp. were obtained from the soil samples collected from different localities in the Province of Vojvodina. The antifungal activity of bacterial isolates against five fungal species was examined using a dual plate assay. Bacillus isolates exhibited the highest antifungal activity against Fusarium proliferatum, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cepae and Alternaria padwickii, while they had the least antagonistic effect on Fusarium verticillioides and Fusarium graminearum. Molecular identification showed that effective bacterial isolates were identified as Bacillus safensis (B2), Bacillus pumilus (B3, B11), Bacillus subtilis (B5, B7) and Bacillus megaterium (B8, B9). The highest antagonistic activity was exhibited by isolates B5 (from 39% to 62% reduction in fungal growth) and B7 (from 40% to 71% reduction in fungal growth). These isolates of B. subtilis could be used as potential biocontrol agents of plant diseases.Biokontrola fitopatogena predstavlja alternativu primeni pesticida, s obzirom da bakterije označene terminom PGPR (Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria) stimulišu biljni rast i štite biljke od bolesti. Zahvaljujući sposobnosti da formiraju veoma rezistentne endospore i produkuju širok spektar antimikrobnih supstanci, vrste roda Bacillus su veoma zastupljene u zemljištu i pogodne za primenu u biotehnologiji. Cilj istraživanja bio je da se utvrdi antifungalna aktivnost jedanaest Bacillus spp. izolata iz zemljišta s različitih lokaliteta u Vojvodini. Sposobnost bakterijskih izolata da inhibiraju rast pet izolata gljiva ispitana je metodom dvojne kultivacije. Izolati Bacillus spp. ispoljili su najveću antifungalnu aktivnost prema Fusarium proliferatum, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cepae, i Alternaria padwickii, dok je najmanji antagonistički efekat utvrđen prema Fusarium verticillioides i Fusarium graminearum. Efektivni izolati identifikovani su kao Bacillus safensis (B2), Bacillus pumilus (B3, B11), Bacillus subtilis (B5, B7) i Bacillus megaterium (B8, B9). Najveću antifungalnu aktivnost ispoljili su izolati B. subtilis B5 (39-62%) i B7 (40-71%). Ovi izolati mogu se koristiti kao potencijalni agensi za biološku kontrolu biljnih bolesti