Crown structure of Picea omorika trees in the plantation

The study was carried out in Serbian spruce (Picea omorika Panč/Purkynĕ) plantations in the western Serbia. The paper presents results of the analysis of crown development. The following elements were analyzed: total tree height, height of the crown base, absolute and relative crown length, maximal crown diameter, coefficient of crown spreading and degree of crown girth. We discuss approaches to the modeling of tree crown growth and development, growing under favorable environmental and stand conditions, without anomalies in development. In order to establish the relationship between analyzed factors, regression analyses were applied. Data fitting was by the analytic method, by the implementation of Prodan’s functions of growth, linear and parabolic function. Received models can be used for the simulation of various growth and developing processes in forest

Toxicological analysis of the risk of lead exposure in metal processing

Purpose: To evaluate toxicological risks for workers who are exposed to lead in their work environment. Methods: Since it is an important indicator of toxicological risk, a statistical analysis of lead concentration and biological lead toxicity markers in blood and urine were performed for both exposed and control groups. Both experimental groups consisted of employees from "NISSAL" JSC factory. Analytical epidemiological method in the form of a retrospective cohort study was applied, and covered the period from 2001 to 2010. The concentration of lead, δ-aminolevulinic acid, and coproporphyrin in biological samples were determined by spectrophotometric methods. Results: The results showed a high positive correlation between lead concentrations in blood and urine and the length of exposure of the participants (p < 0.01). Also, increase of lead concentration in the biological material significantly increased δ-aminolevulinic acid (p < 0.01) and slightly increased the concentration of coproporphyrin, both of which are important indicators of toxicological risk. Conclusion: The control group of employees belonged to the normal risk category, while the exposed group belonged to a moderate risk category. Correlation between the monitored parameters is statistically significant at p < 0.01 and p < 0.05. Keywords: Lead, δ-Aminolevulinic acid, Coproporphyrin, Chronic exposure, Toxicity, Correlatio

GALS for Bursty Data Transfer based on Clock Coupling

In this paper we introduce a novel burst-mode GALS technique. The goal of this technique is improving the performance of the GALS approach for systems with predominantly bursty data transfer. This new technique has been used to implement a GALS-based version of a hardware accelerator of a 60 GHz OFDM baseband processor. The simulation results show a significant performance improvement in comparison with a classical implementation of GALS using pausible clocking. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

GALS for Bursty Data Transfer based on Clock Coupling

In this paper we introduce a novel burst-mode GALS technique. The goal of this technique is improving the performance of the GALS approach for systems with predominantly bursty data transfer. This new technique has been used to implement a GALS-based version of a hardware accelerator of a 60 GHz OFDM baseband processor. The simulation results show a significant performance improvement in comparison with a classical implementation of GALS using pausible clocking. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Vibrational level population of H2_2 and H2+_2^+ in the early Universe

We formulate a vibrationally resolved kinetics for molecular hydrogen and its cation in the primordial Universe chemistry. Formation, destruction and relaxation processes for each vibrational level are studied and included as chemical pathways of the present model. The fractional abundance of each vibrational level as a function of the redshift is given: a strong deviation from the Boltzmann distribution is found at low $z$. A discussion of the results is provided, also evaluating the effects of relaxation processes on the level populations. Analytical fits for some LTE rate coefficients are given in the Appendix.Comment: 12 pages, 14 figures, 3 tables; published on ApJS 2011, 193,

A stochastic model of Min oscillations in Escherichia coli and Min protein segregation during cell division

The Min system in Escherichia coli directs division to the centre of the cell through pole-to-pole oscillations of the MinCDE proteins. We present a one dimensional stochastic model of these oscillations which incorporates membrane polymerisation of MinD into linear chains. This model reproduces much of the observed phenomenology of the Min system, including pole-to-pole oscillations of the Min proteins. We then apply this model to investigate the Min system during cell division. Oscillations continue initially unaffected by the closing septum, before cutting off rapidly. The fractions of Min proteins in the daughter cells vary widely, from 50%-50% up to 85%-15% of the total from the parent cell, suggesting that there may be another mechanism for regulating these levels in vivo.Comment: 19 pages, 12 figures (25 figure files); published at http://www.iop.org/EJ/journal/physbi

Compulsory health insurance and instruments of its financing in Republic of Serbia

Право на здравствено осигурање представља једно од основних људских права. Систем здравствене заштите ни у ком случају не може изаћи у сусрет свим жељама и потребама пацијената, зато што жеље и потребе пацијената имају стални раст, здравствене услуге постају све скупље, а средстава за финансирање истих је све мање. Пацијенти захтевају и заштиту финансијског ризика од скупих здравствених услуга, односно желе да буду сигурни да ће фондови здравственог осигурања, на основу прикупљених средстава, покрити високе трошкове лечења, уколико се за тим јави потреба услед неке теже болести. Буџетско финансирање не пружа стимулацију у раду лекара и даје лошији квалитет здравствених услуга. Принцип солидарности у систему здравствене заштите, пре свега, зависи од расположивих средстава и одлуке владе везано за расподелу средстава према здравственим установама. С једне стране, овакав систем у данашњим условима отежано функционише, док, с друге стране, систем здравствене заштите одређене земље прати њен развој, те отуда мора одговорити на нове изазове. Циљ докторске дисертације јесте идентификовање и анализа битних елемената система здравствене заштите, његово финансирање, остваривања права из обавезног здравственог осигурања, приказ упоредних решења из искустава других земаља и указивање на недостатке сваког од модела здравствене заштите. Циљ је и да се прикаже да комбиновани систем финансирања (капитација комбинована са плаћањем по услузи и дијагностички сродне групе) обезбеђује повећање физичке и ефективне доступности здравствене заштите за све грађане Србије, доводи до унапређења квалитета здравствене заштите, као и до повећања ефективности и ефикасности у пружању здравствених услуга. Један од циљева рада јесте да покаже да је комбиновани систем финансијски одржив, из разлога што не зависи само од буџетских средстава и да су у таквом систему грађани заштићени од финансијског ризика везаног за здравље, тј. пацијенти не морају да буду у страху да ли ће, услед тешких болести и скупих медицинских процедура, систем покрити високе трошкове њиховог лечења. У комбинованом систему сами даваоци здравствених услуга добрим делом утичу на расподелу прихода, чиме се обезбеђује и стабилност у пружању здравствене заштите.The right to health insurance represents one of basic human rights. The system of health care in any case can`t meet all the wants and needs of the patients because the needs and wants of the patients have a continuous growth, the health institutions become more expensive and the means of financing are becoming smaller. Patients also demand protection from financial risk from expensive health services, with respect to being sure that the health insurance funds, based on the gathered means, cover high costs of treatment, in case a need for it arises due to a serious illness. Budget financing doesn’t provide a stimulus in the doctors’ work and provides a lower quality of heath services. The principle of solidarity in the system of health services, primarily depends on the available means and the governmental decision with regards to the division of means towards the health institutions. On one hand, the system in today’s conditions functions with difficulty while on the other hand, the system of health care of a specific country follows the development, hence needs to respond to new challenges. The purpose of the doctorate dissertation is identification and analysis of important elements of the health insurance system, its financing, relization of mandatory health insurance, showcase of alternate solutions from experience of other countries and exposing the shortcomings of each model of health care. The aim is to show a combined system of financing (capitation combined with paying per service and diagnostic groups) ensures an increase of physical and effective availability of health care for all citizens of Serbia, leading to an advance of quality of health care as an increase of effectiveness and efficiency in providing health services. One of the objectives of the piece is to show that the combined system is financially sustainable, due to it not being dependent on budget allocation and that in such a system the citizens are protected from financial risk related to health i.e. pateient do not have to fear if, in case of serious illness and expensive medical procedures, the system can cover the high expenses of their treatment. In a combined system the providers of heath services significantly effect the division of revenue, which ensures stability in providing health care. During the making of the dissertation, methods were used which are adapted to the problems of the research including: comparative law method, deductive method based on the method of abstraction, which is already developed in the analysis of parallel systems of health insurance in the world and the statistical method. Comparative law analysis is carried out, beginning with the health care system and health insurance of countries whose solutions are characteristic and, as such, functional (Germany, United Kingdom and United States of America), concluded with health systems of countries with which Serbia shares cultural, economic, political and social heritage (Croatia and Slovenia). Besides analysis of the mentioned countries, analysis of the system of Czechoslovakia, because in an earlier period this country had a socially-political arrangement similar to Serbia after World War II. Also, an inductive method was used, which assumes an immediate insight into appropriate data and statistical analysis of documentation. Among used methods, special attention was given was to exemplary analysis of problems of public financing and methods of normative analysis during researching legal solutions in the area. For the analysis of financial indicators of health institutions tertiary health care used the method of deduction, induction methods, methods of analysis and comparison method, to perform the appropriate conclusions

Svako zlo za neko dobro: kriza i obrazovanje

Rad nastoji da pronađe razloge na osnovu kojih bi se pandemijska kriza mogla videti kao šansa za unapređenje obrazovanja. Pritom se oslonac pronalazi u kritičkim zapažanjima i vizijama obrazovanja Karla Popera. S jedne strane se uočava da izmena školske rutine i decentriranje nastave može da razotkrije slabosti postojećeg obrazovnog protokola. S druge strane, centriranost na učenika kao pojedinca, njegova autonomizacija i (auto)refleksija, izdvajaju se kao prinudni ali potencijalno korisni korektivi tekućih obrazovnih praksi. Ne postoji jednoznačan zaključak u pogledu mogućnosti ostvarenja poželjnih uticaja krize na obrazovanje, ali se iskušava i potkrepljuje otvorena sugestija da ne moraju postojati samo oni, nesumnjivo prisutni i dobro znani, nepoželjni uticaji