SOME ASPECTS OF USING MATHEMATICS IN MEDICAL SCIENCES

The aim of the paper was to present some new possibilities of using mathematicsin medical sciences and medical practice. The so-called mathematical way of thinkingis presented, which is, basically, the starting point of usual way of thinking, and alsothe essence of scientific and technological literacy, necessary for the development oftheoretical and practical modern medicine. The aim of the paper was to show that it isreasonable to choose certain mathematical points of view, present them to thestudents of medicine, and thus, help them to use that knowledge in their futurestudies in order to be more successful in their professions. Modern mathematical andstatistical methods are important in professional and scientific work in clinical andlaboratory environment

Contrast Adaptation and Wide-Gamut Light Sources

Illuminants vary not only in their mean chromaticity, but also in the range of colors they produce. For example, new high-gamut LED illuminants can expand the saturation of reds and greens by ~30% compared to natural illuminants. We examined how the visual system might adapt to the greater color gamut produced by these illuminants. Stimuli were colors shown on a monitor that simulated surfaces (Munsell spectra) illuminated by a broad (Planckian) or narrow (3-primary LED) illuminant with the same color temperature (2724 or 4000 K). Observers adapted to the simulated surfaces under each illuminant, shown either as a random temporal sequence in uniform fields or in random spatial arrangements in Mondrians. Both illuminants induced strong contrast adaptation. However, simultaneous matches between the two illuminants required significantly higher contrast along the reddish-greenish axis for the LED adaptation, consistent with a sensitivity loss induced by adaptation to the higher red-green contrast created by the LED illuminant. These results suggest that commonly available light sources may significantly alter the states of contrast adaptation in the visual system, and this contrast adaptation is important for understanding the perceptual consequences of both short and long-term exposure to wide-gamut illuminants

Academics perception of public areas video surveillance in smart cities

The growing trend of the urban population looks for the formation of the concept of Smart Cities, based on the principles of sustainable development, which will meet the needs of people who live in them. The city must develop its public service infrastructure to provide all the requirements for the population. One of the requirements, people living in cities is the security of public areas managed by the city. The system of video surveillance, public areas should contribute to the personal safety of citizens, children and traffic, reducing the rate of crime and more efficient operation of public services. This research aims to examine academics' opinions (perceptions) about the impact of security cameras on increasing security within the concept of Smart Cities. The research had conducted on the territory of Serbia through an online survey. The obtained data were processed statistically by Chi-square and T-test, ANOVA method, multiple regression and correlation using SPSS application. The research indicates that academics much more believe in the contribution of video surveillance, reducing the crime rate, than studies of the effectiveness of the use of video surveillance shows. Video camera monitoring accelerates the reactions of competent services, but video camera recordings have not always been accepted as evidence in court

Modeling The Unemployment Rate At The Eu Level By Using Box-Jenkins Methodology

Unemployment, as a measure of market conditions, appears as a crucial economic problem and a phenomenon with considerable negative social consequences, and, as such, requires attention and adequate approach to finding solutions. Enormous unemployment rates are a reality not only in developing and transition countries, but also in some developed countries. Inadequately conducted privatization, unsuccessful transfer of workers from the public to the private sector, inefficiency in attracting foreign direct investment, and the world economic crisis of 2008 have made unemployment a universal disease of modern society. The paper presents economic models in which the unemployment rate is the central analyzed phenomenon. In this context, an important task of European economic policy-makers is to project future unemployment rates. Box-Jenkins methodology, i.e. the seasonal ARIMA model, is one approach to the modeling of time series, or, more specifically, for forecasting future values. The subject of this paper is the analysis of the evolution of the unemployment problem on the basis of the values in the period from 2000 to 2015, based on the case of 28 countries of the European Union. Building on the research subject, the purpose of the paper is to create the statistical model for forecasting the values of the monthly unemployment rates in the European Union for the future and establishing its trend. Keywords: Unemployment, labor market, Box-Jenkins methodology, the European Unio

ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS OF THE PROCESS OF GLOBALIZATION – NEGATIVE IMPLICATIONS AND CRISIS

Growing environmental problems of modern age capture attention of the global society. Man, as a major factor in the process of disturbing the optimal environmental balance, is considered to be the most responsible for the emergence of the environmental crisis that manifests itself in all spheres of life. Due to a growing number of environmental problems that require urgent attention, it is necessary to increase awareness of the problems that surround us. In the future, it is necessary to develop environmental (“green”) economy, rationalize consumption, and instill a higher level of environmental awareness into future generations, in order to reduce environmental problems to a minimum level. It should be borne in mind that the environmental dimension is the underlying component of sustainable development of modern mankind. In line with this, the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) methodology has been developed. On the basis of this methodology and the presentation of ranking of countries according to the environmental performance, the work analyzes the state of environmental development in Serbia and neighboring countries.Key words: globalization, environmental problems, environmental crisis, Environmental Performance Index (EPI).

Application of Statistical Indicators for Digital Image Analysis and Segmentation in Sorting of Agriculture Products

Food processing industry is moving forward to a full automation of all processes, especially in technological line segments which represent critical control points of food safety. One of these points is color sorting by using machine vision, where inappropriate products are removed. Most important product appearance attributes are color and texture. During food processing, the product is captured by optical devices, mostly color cameras and lasers. The aim of this paper is to investigate new eligibility criteria for digital image segmentation by using only image from the camera. The goal is to describe the texture of the product, based on chosen mathematical measures, and to allow for recognition and then classification according to the predefined range of values in an appropriate class. Images of frozen raspberry were used. Image analysis of color parameters in RGB color space and statistical tests to examine normality of data were carried out. Thereafter, one-way Anova and correlation analysis was performed. Statistically significant difference was found for the values of two indicators: entropy and new criteria were derived from standard deviation, as well as mean values of pixels for every channel, and marked as L. After determining the range of these criteria, a new algorithm was developed for image segmentation written in Matlab. One of the results of applying this algorithm is that more than 80% of good products were recognized

Assessment of risk factors and preventive measures and their relations to work-related musculoskeletal pain among dentists

BACKGROUND: Dentists have a high prevalence of musculoskeletal (MS) pain, which is the most common symptom associated with work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). To overcome this problem, identification of the risk factors and preventive measures for MS pain are of paramount importance to dentists in order to improve their quality of life and work. OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to recognize the risk factors for MS pain and their impact on dental work, as well as to identify preventive measures of MS pain among dentists. METHODS: Self-reporting questionnaire consisting of 78 questions was exclusively developed for the study and sent to 500 working active dentists in Serbia. RESULTS: Response rate was 71.2% (356 dentists). The prevalence of MS pain was 82.6% among dentists. The main risk factors for MS pain were advanced age, female dentists, presence of chronic diseases, long working hours, and high frequency of treated patients. The most effective preventive measures in preventing MS pain were massage treatments and physical activities. Followed by use of ergonomically designed equipment, correct and dynamic working positions, and an adequate workflow organization. CONCLUSION: The risk factors for MS pain and their impact on dental work should widely be disseminated among dentists. Importantly, proper implementation in everyday life of adequate preventive measures is essential for preventing MS pain and development of WMSDs

Immunomodulatory components of Trichinella spiralis excretory-secretory products with lactose-binding specificity.

The immunomodulatory potential of Trichinella spiralis muscle larvae excretory-secretory products (ES L1) has been well documented in vitro on dendritic cells (DCs) and in animal models of autoimmune diseases. ES L1 products possess the potential to induce tolerogenic DCs and consequently trigger regulatory mechanisms that maintain immune homeostasis. The use of ES L1 as a potential treatment for various inflammatory disorders proved to be beneficial in animal models, although the precise immunomodulatory factors have not yet been identified. This study aimed at the isolation and characterization of ES L1 components that possess galectin family member properties. Galectin-1-like proteins (TsGal-1-like) were isolated from ES L1 based on the assumption of the existence of a lactose-specific carbohydrate-recognition domain and were recognized by anti-galectin-1 antibodies in Western blot. This TsGal-1-like isolate, similar to galectin-1, induced DCs with tolerogenic properties and hence, the capacity to polarize T cell response towards a regulatory type. This was reflected by a significantly increased percentage of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells and significantly increased expression of IL-10 and TGF-β within this cell population. Proteomic analysis of TsGal-1-like isolate by mass spectrometry identified nineteen proteins, seven with annotated function after blast analysis against a database for T. spiralis and the UniProt database. To our surprise, none of the identified proteins possesses homology with known galectin family members. Nevertheless, the isolated components of ES L1 possess certain galectin-1 properties, such as specific lactose binding and the potential to elicit a regulatory immune response, so it would be worth further investigating the structure of sugar binding within isolated proteins and its biological significance

UTICAJ HRANIVA I TERMINA SADNJE NA PROIZVODNE OSOBINE JAGODE (Fragaria ananassa Duch.)

The paper presents the results of the influence of terms of planting and fertilizers on the production characteristics of strawberries. Planting dates are the beginning of July and the beginning of October. The feeding programs included the use of Rosasol fertilizers (Orange Rosasol formulation 15-30-20, Blue Rosasol formulation 20-20-20 and Yellow Rosasol formulation 17-09-29) and the use of Soluveg fertilizers (Green 10-40-10 + 4MgO and Parma 16-6-27 + 3MgO + ME). The results showed that the earlier planting date influenced earlier fruiting, but also better production results (higher yield, larger fruits). In terms of fertilizers, better results have been achieved with Rosasol.Publishe