Efekat dejstva elektromagnetnog zračenja bežičnih mreža i mobilnih telefona na zdravlje ljudi

U radu su predstavljena najnovija istraživanja uticaja elektromagnetnih zra- čenja, prouzrokovanih masovnom primenom bežičnih digitalnih elektronskih uređaja, na zdravlje ljudi i životnu sredinu. Ukazano je na potencijalan uticaj 5G mreža, mobilnih telefona, baznih stanica i poboljšanih bežičnih telefona na učestalost pojave malignih i nemalignih tumora na mozgu, kognitivnih i drugih poremećaja kod ljudi. Ukazano je i na aktivnosti raznih međunarod- nih tela koja pokušavaju da uspostave zakonsku regulativu u ovoj oblasti. S obzirom da se na osnovu do sada dobijenih rezultata ne može sa pouzdanošću dokazati da li nove tehnologije donose više koristi ili štete ljudima i životnoj sredini, došlo je do polarizacije stručne javnosti u svetu po ovim pitanjima. Danas su sa jedne strane industrijski konzorcijumi koji ulažu velika sredstva u razvoj novih tehnologija, a sa druge strane oni koji osporavaju opravdanost ulaganja koja potencijalno ugrožavaju zdravlje ljudi

Novi institucionalni mehanizam Ujedinjenih nacija za rodnu ravnopravnost i osnaživanje žena - osnivanje, značaj i istorijska misija

The paper analyzes the United Nations' system of entities founded with a purpose of protecting and improving the rights and position of women and of promoting the gender equality, putting special emphasis on their activities promoting the role and position of women in the security sector. It discusses models, principles, and standards of their functioning; points to practical problems, deficiencies and weaknesses over their several-decade existence; and interprets objective circumstances which led to the establishment of a new entity - UN Women, on 2 July 2010, as an institutional mechanism of the United Nations dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. This entity will connect four UN systems which have formerly addressed gender issues and position of women in different ways - DAW (Division for the Advancement of Women), INSTRAW (Institutional Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women), OSAGI (Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues), and UNIFEM (United Nations Development Fund for Women) - and will focus its work exclusively towards achieving the goals of gender equality and the empowerment of women in all aspects of their life and work. Functionally, this UN entity becomes operational on 1 January 2011. The paper analyzes legal documents regulating the establishment and functioning of this organization, in particular the provisions of the Resolution A/64/L.56 related to the establishment of this entity.U radu se analizira sistem agencija Ujedinjenih nacija koje su formirane sa ciljem zaštite i unapređenja prava i položaja žena i promocije rodne ravnopravnosti, sa posebnim akcentom na njihove aktivnosti koje promovišu položaj i ulogu žena u sektoru bezbednosti. Razmatraju se modeli, načela i standardi njihovog funkcionisanja, ukazuje na praktične probleme, nedostatke i slabosti u njihovom višedecenijskom postojanju i interpretiraju objektivne okolnosti koje su dovele do formiranja nove agencije - UN Women, 2. jula 2010. godine, kao institucionalnog mehanizma Ujedinjenih nacija za rodnu ravnopravnost i osnaživanje žena. Ova agencija će povezati četiri sistema UN koji su se u prošlosti na različite načine bavili pitanjima roda i položaja žena - DAW (Odeljenje za unapređenje položaja žena), INSTRAW (Međunarodni istraživački institut za obuku i unapređenje položaja žena), OSAGI (Kancelarija specijalnog savetnika za pitanja polova i unapređenje položaja žena) i UNIFEM (Razvojni fond Ujedinjenih nacija za žene) - i fokusiraće svoj rad isključivo na probleme postizanja rodne ravnopravnosti i osnaživanje žena u svim aspektima njihovog života i rada. Funkcionalno, ovaj UN entitet postaje operativan od 1. januara 2011. godine. U radu se analiziraju pravni dokumenti koji regulišu osnivanje i funkcionisanje ove institucije, a posebno odredbe Rezolucije A/64/L.56 o formiranju agencije

Tracking and forecasting of students progress using Multiple-Criteria Decision Making and kNN methods

The paper discusses a problem in higher education related to students' progress and performance in exams. During the semester, every student would benefit from information about whether their work on the course is sufficient to achieve the desired result on the final exam. If it was pointed out to them at the right moment that success in the subject is likely to be absent, it could encourage them to increase efforts for the rest of the semester and thus in the end achieve their goal. However, if a bad result is expected for most participants, a change in the teaching method should be considered. Therefore, in this research, two aims have been set: to determine the moment during the semester when it can be said that a certain student will not successfully complete the course and to check that the teaching methods are appropriate. In order to give advice to the student in a timely manner, at certain moments during the semester, it is necessary first to diagnose the level of their knowledge, and then make a prediction of the expected result on the exam. In the solution proposed in this paper, in five time moments (t2,...,t6) the student's knowledge is assessed using the Multiple-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) method - PROMETHEE II, which considers four criteria (attendance, activity, homework, and test), and the teacher's preferences. Thus, a progress function for a given student is obtained, which shows how they are progressing toward the set goal. Based on the values of the progress function in milestones t2-t6, student achievement is categorized through grades. In this investigation, we have used the k-Nearest Neighbors (kNN) Algorithm for grade classification. Our findings clearly justify that MCDM and kNN models are appropriate for tracking, classifying, and forecasting student grades

Novi institucionalni mehanizam Ujedinjenih nacija za rodnu ravnopravnost i osnaživanje žena - osnivanje, značaj i istorijska misija

The paper analyzes the United Nations' system of entities founded with a purpose of protecting and improving the rights and position of women and of promoting the gender equality, putting special emphasis on their activities promoting the role and position of women in the security sector. It discusses models, principles, and standards of their functioning; points to practical problems, deficiencies and weaknesses over their several-decade existence; and interprets objective circumstances which led to the establishment of a new entity - UN Women, on 2 July 2010, as an institutional mechanism of the United Nations dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. This entity will connect four UN systems which have formerly addressed gender issues and position of women in different ways - DAW (Division for the Advancement of Women), INSTRAW (Institutional Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women), OSAGI (Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues), and UNIFEM (United Nations Development Fund for Women) - and will focus its work exclusively towards achieving the goals of gender equality and the empowerment of women in all aspects of their life and work. Functionally, this UN entity becomes operational on 1 January 2011. The paper analyzes legal documents regulating the establishment and functioning of this organization, in particular the provisions of the Resolution A/64/L.56 related to the establishment of this entity.U radu se analizira sistem agencija Ujedinjenih nacija koje su formirane sa ciljem zaštite i unapređenja prava i položaja žena i promocije rodne ravnopravnosti, sa posebnim akcentom na njihove aktivnosti koje promovišu položaj i ulogu žena u sektoru bezbednosti. Razmatraju se modeli, načela i standardi njihovog funkcionisanja, ukazuje na praktične probleme, nedostatke i slabosti u njihovom višedecenijskom postojanju i interpretiraju objektivne okolnosti koje su dovele do formiranja nove agencije - UN Women, 2. jula 2010. godine, kao institucionalnog mehanizma Ujedinjenih nacija za rodnu ravnopravnost i osnaživanje žena. Ova agencija će povezati četiri sistema UN koji su se u prošlosti na različite načine bavili pitanjima roda i položaja žena - DAW (Odeljenje za unapređenje položaja žena), INSTRAW (Međunarodni istraživački institut za obuku i unapređenje položaja žena), OSAGI (Kancelarija specijalnog savetnika za pitanja polova i unapređenje položaja žena) i UNIFEM (Razvojni fond Ujedinjenih nacija za žene) - i fokusiraće svoj rad isključivo na probleme postizanja rodne ravnopravnosti i osnaživanje žena u svim aspektima njihovog života i rada. Funkcionalno, ovaj UN entitet postaje operativan od 1. januara 2011. godine. U radu se analiziraju pravni dokumenti koji regulišu osnivanje i funkcionisanje ove institucije, a posebno odredbe Rezolucije A/64/L.56 o formiranju agencije

Carbohydrate-coated cerium oxide nanoparticles affect the germination of Sinapis alba and Chenopodium rubrum seeds through the generations

The various applications of cerium oxide nanoparticles (nCeO2), one of the most produced metal oxide nanoparticles, could affect environmental health due to accumulation of uncoated and coated nCeO2 with increased suspension stability. The trans-generational effects on seed characteristics are important components of the life histories of plants representing the pathway from adult to offspring that completes the life cycle. The effects of carbohydrate-coated nCeO2 on the plant seeds through the generations are still unknown. The main aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the treatment of maternal Sinapis alba and Chenopodium rubrum plants with 200 mg/L of uncoated (CeO2) and glucose-, levan-, or pullulan coated nCeO2 (G-, L-, оr P-CeO2) on germination of three generations of seeds. Sinapis alba was selected as a hyperaccumulator of heavy metals, while Chenopodium rubrum was selected as a short-day plant and weed. In Sinapis alba, the results of germination on the 4th day revealed increased germination after the treatment with CeO2 and L-CeO2 nanoparticles in zero generation and after all nCeO2 treatments in the 1st and 2nd generation of seeds. In Chenopodium rubrum, there were no changes after the treatments. It can be concluded that trans-generational effects of the different nCeO2 treatments persist to at least the second generation in seeds. Compared to the same generation control, the 2nd generation of seeds showed the highest sensitivity. The coated nCeO2 were more effective than the uncoated ones. Enhanced germination in three generations of S. alba seeds recommends nCeO2 for application in seed-priming

Trans-generational effect of carbohydrate-coated cerium oxide nanoparticles in two herbaceous weedy annuals

Cerium oxide nanoparticles (nCeO2) are nanomaterial widely used in electronics, cosmetics, catalysis, and fuel additives production due to their transition between Ce3+ and Ce4+ oxidation states. Their increasing production (around 10,000 metric tons per year) makes them one of the most produced metal oxide nanoparticles which can lead to unexpected consequences to environmental health and safety. Coating nCeO2 with different polymers is a very popular way to increase their suspension stability, but the data on their effect on cultivated plants are scarce. Environmental effects on morphological and physiological properties of offspring which occur during the development of the mother plant are called maternal environmental effects. Their expression depends on the offspring’s environment, they are expressed throughout the life cycle of the offspring and may persist for several generations. It was suggested that components of the nonenzymatic antioxidant system might participate in the mechanism governing the maternal environmental effects. Total antioxidant activity (TAA) comprises the contribution of different non-enzymatic components with antioxidant capacity. Herbaceous weedy annuals Sinapis alba and Chenopodium rubrum were selected, as a heavy metal hyperaccumulator plant i.e. a species with strong maternal effects, respectively. The effect of uncoated (CeO2) and glucose-, levan-, and pullulan- coated nanoparticles (G-CeO2, L-CeO2, P-CeO2) treatment of Chenopodium rubrum and Sinapis alba seeds during germination, on TAA of seeds produced in two subsequent generations of plants grown in a greenhouse, were investigated. TAA was measured using the ABTS/HRP end point method. Results showed that the effect of nCeO2 treatments was more expressed in Sinapis alba seeds; mainly all nanoparticles treatments during germination of mother plants resulted in the increase in TAA of produced seeds in both monitored generations. In contrast, in Chenopodium rubrum CeO2 treatment resulted mainly in the decrease in TAA of produced seeds in both monitored generations. The presented effect was equally expressed in both generations. Among nanoparticles, L-CeO2 showed the most pronounced effect in both generations of the plants. We showed that the effect of nCeO2, applied during the early development of mother plants (germination), is visible in changes in the components of the nonenzymatic antioxidant system of produced seeds and that it persists for (at least) two generations. In other words, seed priming with nCeO2 might affect changes in yield antioxidant capacity through several generations

Some details on the method for measuring activity changes of neuronal populations

Simple, complex action potentials (AP) and interspike recorded background activity (RBA) were detected and extracted from 12 rat cerebellar cortical recordings. For each recording, an averaged simple action potential (SAP) was formed. Fourier amplitude spectra of SAP and RBA were similar in all recordings. For one of the recordings, a series of RBA simulations (SBA) was generated, superimposing random SAPs, varying the superposition frequency (fsup). Average Fourier amplitude, Amp(SBA), was calculated, in order to use Amp(SBA)=f(fsup) as a calibration line for reading fsup of RBA, which is a measure of the population activity. A probability distribution for SAP intensities was derived and a family of calibration lines constructed. As all lines were linear and parallel (slope S) in log-log plots, a population activity change could be calculated as fsup2/fsup1=[Amp2(RBA)/Amp(RBA)]1/S.Jednostavni, složeni akcioni potencijali (AR) i međuspajkovna osnovna aktivnost (MOA) detektovani su i izdvojeni iz 12 registrovanih signala kore malog mozga pacova. Za svaku registraciju, formiran je usrednjeni jednostavni AR (JAR). Spektri Furijeovih amplituda JAR i MOA signala bili su slični kod svih registracija. Za jednu od registracija, superponiranjem slučajnih usrednjenih jednostavnih akcionih potencijala formiran je niz simulacija međuspajkovne osnovne aktivnosti (SOA), pri čemu je varirana frekvencija superpozicije (fsup). Izračunavana je srednja Furijeova amplituda, Amp(SBA), u cilju korišćenja Amp(SBA)=f(fsup) kao kalibracione linije za očitavanje fsup od MOA, što je mera za aktivnost populacije. Izvedena je raspodela verovatnoća za intenzitete JAR, pomoću koje je konstruisana familija kalibracionih linija. Kako su sve linije linearne i paralelne u log-log dijagramu, sa nagibom S, promena aktivnosti populacije može se izračunati kao fsup2/fsup1 =[Amp2(RBA)/Amp(RBA)]1/S.nul

Determination of the development stage of erythrocytes in the common nase (Chondrostoma nasus) using different classification methods.

Fish erythrocytes released from erythropoietic sites are immature. During circulation they increase their own surface while the cell body and nuclei begin to become more elliptical and less spherical during maturaration. The relative abundance of different developmental stages represents an erythron profile which could be a more sensitive indicator of contamination than classic hematological indices. In this study, we analyzed blood smears of the Common Nase (Chodrostoma nasus) with the main goal to identify the determinants of the developmental stage of erythrocytes. Based on parameters developmental stages, erythrocytes are categorized into immature, intermediate or mature. In this investigation we have used four classification methods: the Two Step Cluster analysis, the K-Means Cluster analysis and Neural Neworks - Multilayer Perceptron and an Ordinal Regression Model. Our findings clearly justify that Multilayers Perceptron and ORL models are appropriate to classify the developmental stage of fish erythrocytes

Trans-generational effect of cerium oxide-nanoparticles (nCeO2) on Chenopodium rubrum L. and Sinapis alba L. seeds

Cerium oxide nanoparticles (nCeO2) are interesting nanomaterials due to their redox properties. Their wide application could result in unexpected consequences to environmental safety. Unlike acute toxicity, the trans-generational effects of carbohydrate-coated nCeO2 in the environment are still unknown. The main aim of this study was to investigate the effect of treating maternal plants of Chenopodium rubrum L. (red goosefoot) and Sinapis alba L. (white mustard) with uncoated (CeO2) and glucose-, levan-, or pullulan-coated nCeO2 (G-, L-, or P-CeO2) during seed germination on morphological and physiological characteristics of produced seeds in two subsequent generations. The plant response was studied by measuring germination percentage (Ger), total protein content (TPC), total phenolic content (TPhC), total antioxidative activity (TAA), and catalase (CAT) activity. Results showed that maternal effects of the different nCeO2 treatments persist to at least the second generation in seeds. Generally, C. rubrum was more sensitive to nCeO2 treatments than S. alba. The coated nCeO2 were more effective than uncoated ones in both plant species; L- and P-CeO2 were the most effective in S. alba, while CeO2 and G-CeO2 had a dominant impact in C. rubrum. Enhanced germination in all tested generations of S. alba seeds recommends nCeO2 for seed priming

The long-term effect of carbohydrate-coated nCeO2 treatment on seed protein profile in two herbaceous weedy annuals

Cerium oxide nanoparticles (nCeO2) are attracting continuously growing attention due to their unique properties - their facile transition between Ce3+ and Ce4+ oxidation states. nCeO2 found application in the industry, cosmetics, agriculture, electronics, etc. Their final accumulation in the environment creates new environmental stress factors for living organisms. To improve their solubility, nCeO2 were coated with monosaccharide - glucose and microbial exopolysaccharides - levan and pullulan to obtain glucose-, levan-, and pullulan-coated nCeO2 (G-CeO2, L-CeO2, and P-CeO2). The potential long-term effect of nCeO2 on vegetation was studied in two herbaceous weedy annuals - Sinapis alba and Chenopodium rubrum. It was suggested earlier that the mechanism of maternal environmental effects, that persists for several generations, can act through relative seed protein composition representing an “archive“ of environmental changes experienced by mother plants during their lives. Treatment with nCeO2 of Sinapis alba and Chenopodium rubrum seeds during germination, on total protein content (TPC) and protein profile of seeds produced in two subsequent offspring generations grown in the greenhouse, were investigated. The TPC mainly showed no significant differences, both between treatments and between subsequent generations, in both species. SDS-PAGE electrophoresis showed the presence of 15 protein bands, molecular weight 10 - 140 kDa, in all seed samples of Sinapis alba or Chenopodium rubrum, respectively. We showed that nCeO2 treatment during the very early development of mother plants (germination) has a long-term effect, visible in the difference in width and intensity of seed protein bands of seeds sampled in two subsequent offspring generations