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This article suggests a new model for artist engagement by analysing challenges independent visual artists face in Serbia due to the shift to neoliberal capitalism. The aim is to address the alienation of independent visual artists from broader socio-political issues and to improve their social status through a socio-emancipatory mission of artistic practice. The methodology involves analysing international working conditions for artists, different cultural policy models, and alternative modes of artistic engagement, as well as case study of a community art project in Stara Pazova (Serbia). The significance of studying Serbia rests in its historical experience of self-management when culture was considered an integral part of the socialist society, fostering emancipation and creative freedom. The proposed model emphasizes the horizontality of decision-making and the need for progressive cultural policies that foster experimentation, autonomy, and freedom from bureaucratic requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This study thoroughly investigated viral pathogens associated with bovine respiratory disease complex (BRDC) in Serbian cattle using serum and nasal swab samples. Conducted in 2024 across 65 randomly selected dairy farms in Serbia, excluding ones with vaccinated cattle, this study categorized the farms by their size: small, medium, and large. Serum samples from adult cattle were tested for antibodies against BVDV, BHV-1, BRSV, and BPIV3, while nasal swabs from respiratory-symptomatic animals were PCR-tested for viral genome detection. The results showed seropositivity for all four viruses on all of the farms, with BPIV3 being universally positive. Medium-sized and large farms exhibited higher levels of seropositivity for BRSV and BHV-1 compared to small farms (p < 0.05). Our true seroprevalence estimates were 84.29% for BRSV, 54.08% for BVDV, 90.61% for BHV-1, and 84.59% for BPIV3 at the animal level. A PCR analysis of the nasal swabs detected BRSV (20%), BHV-1 (1.7%), BVDV (8%), and BPIV3 (10.9%), with no Influenza D virus found. This study provides crucial insights into viral pathogen prevalence and circulation in Serbian cattle with BRDC, emphasizing the importance of surveillance and control measures to manage respiratory diseases in cattle populations. Bovine respiratory disease complex, a complex respiratory ailment in cattle, results from a combination of viral and bacterial factors, compounded by environmental stressors such as overcrowding, transportation, and adverse weather conditions. Its impact extends beyond mere health concerns, posing significant economic threats to the cattle industry. This study presents an extensive investigation into viral pathogens associated with BRDC in Serbian cattle, utilizing serum samples and nasal swabs. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2024 across 65 randomly selected dairy farms in Serbia, excluding farms with vaccinated cattle. The farms were categorized by their livestock count: small (≤50 animals), medium (51–200 animals), and large (>200 animals). Serum samples from adult cattle older than 24 months were tested for antibodies against BVDV, BHV-1, BRSV, and BPIV3. Nasal swab samples from the animals with respiratory signs were tested using PCR for viral genome detection. The results showed seropositivity for all four viruses across all of the farms, with BPIV3 exhibiting universal seropositivity. Medium-sized and large farms demonstrated higher levels of seropositivity for BRSV and BHV-1 compared to small farms (p < 0.05). Our true seroprevalence estimates at the animal level were 84.29% for BRSV, 54.08% for BVDV, 90.61% for BHV-1, and 84.59% for BPIV3. A PCR analysis of the nasal swabs revealed positive detections for BRSV (20%), BHV-1 (1.7%), BVDV (8%), and BPIV3 (10.9%). Influenza D virus was not found in any of the samples. This study provides critical insights into the prevalence and circulation of viral pathogens associated with BRDC in Serbian cattle, emphasizing the importance of surveillance and control measures to mitigate the impact of respiratory diseases in cattle populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Structural Integrity & Life / Integritet i vek Konstrukcija is the property of University of Belgrade, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Knowing and understanding the parameters influencing the concentration of particles created by brake wear, as one of the main contributors to non-exhaust emissions from vehicles, is important for the further development of systems on vehicles to reduce the concentration of particles, and also for further research in the field of developing new friction pairs. In this research, a brake inertial dynamometer was used to measure brake particles, and four different brake pads were examined. Based on a previous review of the applied tests and driving cycles, the braking parameters were determined, i.e., the initial simulated speed of the vehicle, the load of one-quarter of the vehicle, and the brake pressure. The ambient temperature, air humidity, coefficient of friction between friction pairs, deceleration, and braking time can have an influence depending on the brake pad. Further, during the measurement, the temperatures of the brake pads were also measured, where the initial temperature of the brake pads was always the same. In order to process the data, several methods were used, including the presentation of the obtained results in a time domain, the application of the Taguchi design of the experiment with the analysis of the parameters, and a correlation analysis using the Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients. In this research, the authors concluded that the influences of the parameters primarily depend on the applied brake pads. The vehicle speed turned out to have a large influence in all cases, as did the load, i.e., the influence of the vehicle weight (indirectly through the kinetic energy of the vehicle). In this case, the pressure showed less influence on the particle concentration. An important braking parameter that has a significant impact on the concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 particles is the final temperature of the brake pads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the common industry and especially in military industry there is a growing need for production of highly effective protective structures. For that purposes the most used materials are armor steels. They belong into a group of the fine-grained, increased strength steels, which are manufactured by intensive thermo-mechanical treatment at high temperatures and later quenching and low-tempering. Combination of the heat and mechanical treatments provides for the fine grains and exceptionally good properties of these steels, while the low-tempering enables relatively high hardness and good ballistic properties. However, sometimes there is a need to weld these steels in order to manufacture some specific assemblies. Since the way these steels are produced this is why the welding can negatively affect the material properties in specific zones of the welded joint, what could lead to worsening of the material's ballistic properties, as well. The aim of this paper was to determine influence of the welding procedure on that mechanical and ballistic properties. In that order the model plates were welded with the specially prescribed technology in three types of the joints: the butjoint, corner joint and the corner joint with the shielding plate. After the welding the test plates were subjected to the ballistic tests which consisted of shooting with three types of live ammunition at different types of the welded joints. At the end the comparative analysis of the results is given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the common industry and especially in military industry there is a growing need for production of highly effective protective structures. For that purposes the most used materials are armor steels. They belong into a group of the fine-grained, increased strength steels, which are manufactured by intensive thermo-mechanical treatment at high temperatures and later quenching and low-tempering. Combination of the heat and mechanical treatments provides for the fine grains and exceptionally good properties of these steels, while the low-tempering enables relatively high hardness and good ballistic properties. However, sometimes there is a need to weld these steels in order to manufacture some specific assemblies. Since the way these steels are produced this is why the welding can negatively affect the material properties in specific zones of the welded joint, what could lead to worsening of the material's ballistic properties, as well. The aim of this paper was to determine influence of the welding procedure on that mechanical and ballistic properties. In that order the model plates were welded with the specially prescribed technology in three types of the joints: the butjoint, corner joint and the corner joint with the shielding plate. After the welding the test plates were subjected to the ballistic tests which consisted of shooting with three types of live ammunition at different types of the welded joints. At the end the comparative analysis of the results is given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an inert radioactive gas, 222Rn could be easily transported to the atmosphere via emanation, migration, or exhalation. Research measurements pointed out that 222Rn activity concentration changes during the winter and summer months, as well as during wet and dry season periods. Changes in radon concentration can affect the atmospheric electric field. At the boundary layer near the ground, short-lived daughters of 222Rn can be used as natural tracers in the atmosphere. In this work, factors controlling 222Rn pathways in the environment and its levels in soil gas and outdoor air are summarized. 222Rn has a short half-life of 3.82 days, but the dose rate due to radon and its radioactive progeny could be significant to the living beings. Epidemiological studies on humans pointed out that up to 14% of lung cancers are induced by exposure to low and moderate concentrations of radon. Animals that breed in ground holes have been exposed to the higher doses due to radiation present in soil air. During the years, different dose-effect models are developed for risk assessment on human and non-human biota. In this work are reviewed research results of 222Rn exposure of human and non-human biota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We reviewed several important parameters in pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) and showed how not only absolute values but also relative are relevant in clinical practice. The vast majority of parameters depend both on previous values and co-morbidities; failure to realize this can result in misclassification of a patient and inappropriate treatment. For example, the absolute value of systolic blood pressure (BP) less than 90 mmHg is crucial for urgent treatment (e.g. thrombolysis); obviously, the same admission systolic BP (sBP) of 87 mmHg may not have the same significance if previous usual sBP was also 87 mmHg or it was 220 mmHg. Moreover, cardiac troponin is also very important for the risk stratification; the same troponin concentration ought not to be interpreted equally if it is due to acute pulmonary thromboembolism or if it is chronic and due to e.g. renal failure. The interpretation of important dichotomous parameters (normal or pathologic values) in PTE does depend on previous values (if available) and comorbidities. This principle should be recognized and used in clinical practice, while risk-stratifying patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Military Technical Courier / Vojnotehnicki Glasnik is the property of Military Technical Courier / Vojnotehnicki Glasnik and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Part of the experimental results of influence on friction in the stripe ironing process with double thinning are presented in this paper. Applied was Schlosser model for evaluating influence of lateral force, contact pressure, average absolute roughness height and thinning strain on friction coefficient. Applied was classical model because of sufficient intensity of drawing and lateral force. If a lateral and drawing forces are small, classical model is not suitable and give unreal negative friction coefficient values. 20 mm wide and 2.5 mm thick strips of mild steel DC04 sheets were used in the single, three and four-phase process with a maximum thinning deformation of about 29%. Appropriate lubricant, mineral oil, was used in conditions of lower speed of 20 mm/min. Three and four phase process was realized with variable lateral force of 5, 10, 15 and 20 kN. The applied experimental test procedure enables the precise quantification of lateral force, contact pressure, thinning strain and roughness influence on friction to be established. Test also enables evaluation of lubricants quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a virtual workshop 'Representations of science and religion in the public square of predominantly orthodox countries during COVID-19' that was held on April 9, 2022. Topics include the attitudes of the orthodox church towards public health measures during the pandemic, and the impact of the pandemic on academic and religious life in Bulgaria. The conference featured Professors Sotiris Mitralexis from Greece, Vladimir Cvetković from Serbia, and Alexandru Racu from Romania.

The Archimedean spiral coil made of a transversely corrugated tube was exposed to radiant heating in order to represent a heat absorber of the parabolic dish solar concentrator. The main advantage of the considered innovative design solution is a coupling effect of the two passive methods for heat transfer enhancement - coiling of the flow channel and changes in surface roughness. The curvature ratio of the spiral coil varies from 0.029 to 0.234, while water and a mixture of propylene glycol and water are used as heat transfer fluids. The unique focus of this study is on specific boundary conditions since the heat flux upon the tube external surfaces varies not only in the circumferential direction, but in the axial direction as well. Instrumentation of the laboratory model of the heat absorber mounted in the radiation field includes measurement of inlet fluid flow rate, pressure drop, inlet and outlet fluid temperature and 35 type K thermocouples welded to the coil surface. A thermal analysis of the experimentally obtained data implies taking into consideration the externally applied radiation field, convective and radiative heat losses, conduction through the tube wall and convection to the internal fluid. The experimental results have shown significant enhancement of the heat transfer rate compared to spirally coiled smooth tubes, up to 240% in the turbulent flow regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The area of southeastern Serbia, the Pčinja and South Morava River Basins, is under the influence of very strong erosion, and the aim of this study was to investigate the vertical and spatial distribution of the Cs in the eroded soils of this area. Materials and methods: Vertical soil profiles were collected with 5-cm increments from the uppermost layer down to 20, 25, 30, 40, and 50 cm of depth, depending on the thickness of the soil layers, i.e., down to the underlying parent rocks. Measurements of Cs activity concentration were performed by using the HPGe gamma-ray spectrometer ORTEC-AMETEK (34 % relative efficiency and high resolution 1.65 keV at 1.33 MeV for Co), from its gamma-ray line at 661.2 keV. Results and discussion: The mean Cs activity concentration across all 18 soil profiles (for all soil layers) was found to be 20 Bq kg. In the greatest number of soil profiles, the Cs activity concentration was generally highest in the first soil layer (0-5 cm) and decreased with soil depth, while in a few soil profiles, the peak of either the Cs activity concentration occurred in the second soil layer (5-10 cm) or the Cs activity concentration was almost equal throughout the entire soil profile. The mean Cs activity concentration in the first soil layer (0-5 cm) was found to be 61 Bq kg, and the high coefficient of variation of 92 % pointed out high spatial variability and large range of the Cs activity concentrations in the study area. Conclusions: The obtained results indicate that in the greatest number of soil profiles, Cs is present in the upper layers, with concentration decreasing with depth, as is typical in uncultivated soil. Its spatial distribution was very uneven among the surface soil layers of the investigated sites. One of the main reasons for such pattern of Cs in the study area may be soil erosion. Additional investigations which would support this hypothesis are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primordial radionuclides, U, Th and K were determined in soil samples collected at two depths (0-10 and 10-20 cm) in the vicinity of the largest coal-fired power plant in Serbia, and their spatial distribution was analysed using ordinary kriging. Mean values of activity concentrations for these depths were 50.7 Bq kg for U, 48.7 Bq kg for Th and 560 Bq kg for K. Based on the measured activity concentrations, the radiological hazard due to naturally occurring radionuclides in soil was assessed. The value of the mean total absorbed dose rate was 76.3 nGy h, which is higher than the world average. The annual effective dose due to these radionuclides ranged from 51.4 to 114.2 μSv. Applying cluster analysis, correlations between radionuclides and soil properties were determined. The distribution pattern of natural radionuclides in the environment surrounding the coal-fired power plant and their enrichment in soil at some sampling sites were in accordance with dispersion models of fly ash emissions. From the results obtained, it can be concluded that operation of the coal-fired power plant has no significant negative impact on the surrounding environment with regard to the content of natural radionuclides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main subject of this paper is the representation of the probabilistic technique for thermal power system reliability assessment. Exploitation research of the reliability of the fossil fuel power plant system has defined the function, or the probabilistic law, according to which the random variable behaves (occurrence of complete unplanned standstill).Based on these data, and by applying the reliability theory to this particular system, using simple and complex Weibull distribution, a hypothesis has been confirmed that the distribution of the observed random variable fully describes the behaviour of such a system in terms of reliability. Establishing a comprehensive insight in the field of probabilistic power system reliability assessment technique could serve as an input for further research and development in the area of power system planning and operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The activity concentrations of natural radionuclides in soils from the area affected by uranium mining at Stara Planina Mountain in Serbia were studied and compared with the results obtained from an area with no mining activities (background area). In the affected area, the activity concentrations ranged from 1.75 to 19.2 mg kg for uranium and from 1.57 to 26.9 mg kg for thorium which is several-fold higher than those in the background area. The Th/U, K/U, and K/Th activity ratios were also determined and compared with data from similar studies worldwide. External gamma dose rate in the air due to uranium, thorium, and potassium at 1 m above ground level in the area affected by uranium mining was found to be 91.3 nGy h, i.e., about two-fold higher than that in background area. The results of this preliminary study indicate the importance of radiological evaluation of the area and implementation of remedial measures in order to prevent further dispersion of radionuclides in the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this research is to determine the change in the spatial distribution of erosion intensity in the territory of the Jablanica River Basin in the period 1971–2016 caused by land use and demographic changes. The Erosion Potential Method (EPM) was used to quantify changes in erosion intensity and to estimate the total annual sediment yield. The research results show that the value of the erosion coefficient decreased from 0.432 in 1971 to 0.360 in 2016. Specific annual gross erosion in the Jablanica River Basin was 654.41 m3/km2/year in 1971, while in 2016 it was 472.03 m3/km2/year. The analysis of proportional changes was used to determine demographic changes and land use patterns in the basin area. In terms of the scale and intensity of the erosion process, three types and one sub-type of population dynamics of settlements and land use changes were distinguished, respectively: progressive, stagnant, regressive and dominant regressive. It was concluded that the results show the significance of demographic and land use changes in the control of the intensity of erosion. The Soil Erosion Map may be useful to planners and land use managers to take appropriate decisions for soil conservation in the basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main focus of this study was to assess radiation exposure to human and non-human biota due to natural radionuclides in soil of the Serbian capital. For the first time, ERICA tool was employed for calculation of gamma dose rates to non-human biota in this area. In analyzed soils, the mean values of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K specific activities were found to be 35, 43 and 490 Bq kg−1, respectively. The distribution of analyzed natural radionuclides in soils was discussed in respect to its statistically significant correlations with sand, silt, clay, carbonates, cation exchange capacity and pH value. The annual outdoor effective dose rates to the population varied from 48 to 98 μSv, and the total dose rates to terrestrial biota, calculated by ERICA tool, varied from 9.84 × 10−2 μGy h−1 (for tree) to 5.54 × 10+0 μGy h−1 (for lichen and bryophytes). The results obtained could serve as a baseline data for the assessment of possible anthropogenic enhancement of the total dose rate to human and non-human biota of the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]