PERMANENT AND SOWN GRASSLANDS IN SERBIA: CURRENT STATE AND TRENDS

Number of cattle in Serbia during two decades of the 21st century shows the tendency of decreasing. The main source for sustainable livestock production in Serbia are grasslands. Permanent grasslands occupy approximately 30% of agricultural land in Serbia, thereby playing an important role in forage production and ecosystem services. The majority of natural meadows and pastures are located in hilly-mountainous regions. The general characteristics of grasslands in the central Balkans are low production and insufficient quality. The yield of permanent grasslands in Serbia is influenced very strongly by climatic conditions, type of grassland and level of organic and mineral fertilization. On areas that are not managed by mowing and fertilizing, forbs make up over half of the plant production.This paper presents some recent experiences and results in livestock feed production obtained from permanent and sown meadows and pastures in Serbia. There is survey of permanent grassland botanical composition and productivity with special emphasis on importance of preserving legume species. Also, recent trials assessed the benefits of mineral and organic fertilizers application in terms of forage production, testing whether the mineral or organic sources improves the stability of the grassland and evaluated response patterns over a large environmental gradient. Nutrient availability in permanent grasslands has a strong influence on plant species biodiversity, plant cover, and species’ dominance in the vegetation canopy. Dry matter yield is very low with high variation in crude protein content, which confirms that grasslands need to be maintained through fertilizer application, with special emphasis being given to the new role of manure enriched by zeolite. The above-stated lead to poor production potential of these grasslands for livestock production, nonetheless offering sustainable means of soil and biodiversity protection in the area

Physical Parameters Of The Relativistic Shock Waves In GRBs: The Case Of 30 GRBs

Using the modified internal shock wave model we fit the gamma ray burst (GRB) light and spectral curves of 30 GRBs observed with BATSE. From the best fitting we obtain basic parameters of the relativistic shells which are in good agreement with predictions given earlier. We compare measured GRB parameters with those obtained from the model and discuss connections between them in the frame of the physical processes laying behind GRB events.Comment: 18 pages, 30 figures, 2 tables, Accepted for publication in IJMP

Efikasnost i bezbednost primene visokih doza alfakalcidola u lečenju aktivnog reumatoidnog artitisa

In a prospective, interventional study on efficacy and safety of alfacalcidol (1αD3) treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 67 patients with active RA were included,treated for at least three months before inclusion with the highest tolerated dose of methotrexate (MTX), with no associated disease or therapy of influence to inflammation or calcium metabolism. After signing the written consent, samples were taken for biochemical and immunoserological testing, also urine for daily calciuria, activity of RA, functional status, life quality, fatigue, muscle strength and function were assessed, bone mass and quality were examined. Patients were randomly assigned to treatment with 1 μg, 2μg, 3μg 1αD3 daily or 20mg of prednisone daily for the first month, and 10 mg during the next two months. They were monitored at 2-4 week for insight into the efficacy and safety of treatment used. After the completion of this research period, clinical and laboratory data obtained were compared with initial ones in each group, as well as to each other. All patients continued investigation taking 1μ 1αD3 daily, for 9 months. Three month treatment either 1 μg, 2μg, 3μg 1αD3 or prednisone significantly decreased RA activity and in 1αD3 2μg subgroup to improved functional ability, physical and mental quality of life, muscle power and coordination, reduction of biochemical parameters of inflammation, interleukin 6, increase of HDL cholesterol, with moderate increase of daily calciuria. At the end of follow up, the loss of bone mass was found in patients treated with prednisone, yet improvementof the quality of the bone in alfacalcidol treated ones

Response of Italian ryegrass seed crop to spring nitrogen application in the first harvest year

Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) cv. Tetraflorum was sown with different nitrogen application rates and it was tested under the agroecological conditions of Western Serbia. Four-year field experiments were carried out from 2002 to 2006 and the biometric characteristics of generative tillers, seed yield and shoot dry matter (herbage yield) were measured during the first production year. Italian ryegrass crop was established with four spring nitrogen application rates: 0, 50, 100 and 150 kg ha-1. Tiller length was not affected by nitrogen application, while two other tiller parameters were much more affected by the treatments. The maximum seed yield in the first production year varied among treatments depending on season conditions. Harvest characteristics were impacted by nitrogen application; however, there was an opposite impact in arid and humid weather conditions. The N application of 50 kg ha-1 was found to be the optimal for seed production in those conditions. Higher rates of N application (100 to 150 kg ha-1) had either no impact on seed yield, or decreased the yield of seed as a result of ryegrass lodging following seed shedding. Abundant shoot dry matter was obtained in some treatment variants, but there was no linear correlation between seed yield and yield components.Key words: Harvest characteristics, Italian ryegrass, nitrogen application, seed yield

Electrical characteristics of female and male human skin

Bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) is a popular method for characterizing the electrical properties of biological tissues. In this study, BIS measurement data of female and male human skin were analyzed and compared. The electrical characteristics of tissue were followed according to four-parameters of the Cole-Cole model: low frequency resistance R0; high frequency resistance R∞; relaxation time t and parameter a. Individual electrical characteristics of human skin were determined for 30 women and 30 men. The distribution and one-way analysis of variance (one-way ANOVA) of the Cole-Cole parameters R0, R∞, t, a within the human population indicated their different dependence on gender. Parameter a, which is higher in the female subjects (a =0.83±0.03) than in the male subjects (a=0.7±0.05), is strongly dependent on gender (p=0). Parameter R∞ also significantly depends on gender (p=0.002), while t and R0 seem to be slightly related to gender (p>0.05). [Acknowledgments - This work was supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Serbia (41006).

Anisotropic flow in 4.2A GeV/c C+Ta collisions

Anisotropic flow of protons and negative pions in 4.2A GeV/c C+Ta collisions is studied using the Fourier analysis of azimuthal distributions. The protons exhibit pronounced directed flow. Directed flow of pions is positive in the entire rapidity interval and indicates that the pions are preferentially emitted in the reaction plane from the target to the projectile. The elliptic flow of protons and negative pions is close to zero. Comparison with the quark-gluon-string model (QGSM) and relativistic transport model (ART 1.0) show that they both yield a flow signature similar to the experimental data.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Genetička varijabilnost klijanaca crvene deteline u odnosu na soni stres

Red clover is highly salt-sensitive plant, especially during germination and early seedling growth stages. The aim of this investigation was to estimate the effects of different saline conditions (0, 50, 100, 150, and 200mM NaCl) on germination and early seedling growth in four red clover varieties (Kolubara, K-32, K-17 and K-39). Germination test was conducted in the laboratory conditions using sterile plastic vessels on filter paper moistened with 10ml of the appropriate salt test solutions. It was observed that the germination energy (GE), germination (G), percentage of dead or infected seeds (DIS), normal seedlings (NS), root length (RL), shoot length (ShL), fresh weight (FW) and dry weight of seedling (DW) and seedling vigor index (SVI) were significantly decreased with increasing concentrations of NaCl in the growing medium. The tested varieties of red clover showed different NaCl tolerance at the seedling stage. Generally, studied red clover varieties are very sensitive to salt, especially K-32 which has the lowest values for GE, G, NS and SVI and highest for DIS. Variety K-17 proved to be a variety that the best tolerates conditions of salt stress because the values for GE, G, NS, RL and SVI were highest. Testing of varieties of red clover in the early seedling growth at different concentrations of NaCl in the growing medium could be helpful in the identification and selection of varieties for cultivation on saline soils.Crvena detelina je vrlo osetljiva biljka na veću koncentarciju soli, posebno tokom klijanja i rane faze porasta klijanaca. Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je da se proceni uticaj različite zaslanjenosti (0, 50, 100, 150 i 200mM NaCl) na klijanje i rani porast klijanaca četiri sorte crvene deteline (Kolubara, K-32, K-17 i K-39). Test klijavosti sproveden je u laboratorijskim uslovima u sterilnim plastičnim posudama na filter papiru natopljenom sa 10 ml odgovarajuće koncentracije soli. Uočeno je da energija klijanja (EK), klijavost (K), neklijala i bolesna semena (NB), normalni klijanci (NK), dužina korena (DK), dužina hipokotila (DH), sveža (SvMK) i suva masa klijanaca (SuMK) i vigor indeks klijanaca (VIK) se značajno smanjuju sa povećanjem koncentracije NaCl u podlogama za naklijavanje. Ispitivane sorte imale su različitu toleranciju na soni stres u fazi klijanaca. Generalno, proučavane sorte su veoma osetljive na veću koncentraciju soli, posebno K-32 koja je imala najniže vrednosti za EK, K, NK i VIK, kao i najveći broj NB. Sorta K-17 se pokazala kao sorta koja najbolje toleriše soni stres jer su vrednosti za EK, K, NK, DK i VIK bile najviše. Testiranje sorti crvene deteline u ranom porastu klijanaca na podlogama za naklijavanje sa različitom koncentracijom NaCl može pomoći u indentifikaciji i izboru sorti za gajenje na zaslanjenim zemljištima

Efekat folijarne ishrane na prinos zrna soje

The aim of this investigation was to estimate the effects of foliar fertilization on quantitative traits (plant height, first pod height, number of nodes per plant, number of pods per plant, number of grain per plant, grain yield per plant, 1000-grain weight and grain yield) in two soybean cultivars (Balkan and Bečejka). Studied cultivars belong to different maturity groups (Balkan - I and Bečejka - 0). Four treatments of fertilization were tested: control (no fertilization), Urea (46 kg N ha-1), Urea (46 kg N ha-1) + Wuxal super (5 l ha-1) and Urea (46 kg N ha-1) + Ferticare I (5 kg ha-1). Wuxal super and Ferticare I were foliar applied two times at the R2-R3 growth stage. The field experiments were carried out in dry land farming in the region of Vojvodina province at location Putinci (45° 00' N Lat., 19° 58' E Long.), during the years 2007 and 2008. In both research years, Balkan had higher values for all investigated traits than Bečejka. Results showed that foliar fertilizers significantly increased the values for all quantitative traits. Ferticare I is more effective than Wuxal super in soybean because this fertilizer has higher concentration of macronutrients. Foliar fertilization of soybean reduced the negative impact of small amounts of rainfall during the summer months on grain yield.Cilj istraživanja je bio da se oceni efekat folijarne ishrane na kvantitativne osobine (visina biljke, visine prve mahune, broj nodusa po biljci, broj mahuna po biljci, broj zrna po biljci, prinos zrna po biljci, masa 1000 zrna i prinos zrna) dve sorte soje (Balkan i Bečejka). Ispitivane sorte pripadaju različitim grupama zrenja (Balkan - I, Bečejka - 0). Upoređivane su četiri tretmana ishrane biljaka: kontrola, Urea (46 kg N ha-1), Urea (46 kg N ha-1) + Wuxal super (5 l ha-1) i Urea (100 kg ha- 1) + Ferticare I (5 kg ha-1). Wuxal super i Ferticare I primenjeni su folijarno u R2- R3 fazi rastenja i razvića soje. Ogledi su izvedeni u suvom ratarenju u Vojvodini na lokaciji Putinci (45° 00' SGŠ, 19° 58' IGD) tokom 2007. i 2008. godine. U obe godine istraživanja sorta Balkan je imala veće vrednosti za sve ispitivane osobine nego Bečejka. Rezultati su pokazali da je folijarna ishrana značajno povećala vrednosti svih ispitivanih kvantitativnih osobina. Viši prinosi postignuti su primenom Ferticare I nego primenom Wuxal super jer sadrži veću koncentraciju makroelemenata. Folijarno prihranjivanje soje umanjilo je negativan uticaj malih količina padavina tokom letnjih meseci na prinos zrna

Biomonitoring for wide area surveying in landmine detection using honeybees and optical sensing

This project has received funding from NATO Science for Peace & Security under grant agreement MYP G5355, and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council under EP/K503940/1.Humanitarian demining is a worldwide effort and the range of climates and environments prevent any one detection method being suitable for all sites, so more tools are required for safe and efficient explosives sensing. Landmines emit a chemical flux over time, and honeybees can collect the trace residues of explosives (as particles or as vapour) on their body hairs. This capability was exploited using a passive method allowing the honeybees to freely forage in a mined area, where trace explosives present in the environment stuck to the honeybee body, which were subsequently transferred onto an adsorbent material for analysis by a fluorescent polymer sensor. Potential false positive sources were investigated, namely common bee pheromones, the anti-varroa pesticide Amitraz, and the environment around a clean apiary, and no significant response was found to any from the sensor. The mined site gave a substantial response in the optical sensor films, with quenching efficiencies of up to 38%. A model was adapted to estimate the mass of explosives returned to the colony, which may be useful for estimating the number of mines in a given area.PostprintPeer reviewe