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The skill of writing with the left or right hand is often taken as a hand lateralization predictor. Taking into consideration that such a manifestation is usually practiced, left-handedness often becomes 'concealed', making it harder to be phenotypically measured. The aim of this study is to determine the predictability of multiple manual skills in relation to the type of handedness. The sample of 756 primary-school students with the aid of Edinburgh Handedness Inventory showed that writing and drawing skills using a particular hand have a very clear mutual correlation (0.86 with the left-handed, and 0.50 with the right-handed). However, the correlation was not determined with other observed unimanual skills, such as throwing, using scissors, using a tooth brush, using a key and holding a glass. In addition to that, writing as such is not a reliable hand lateralization predictor. In relation to hand lateralization, writing shows a low determination coefficient with the left-handed, whereas for other skills R2 varies within the range 0.43-0.66. The numbers are similar to the right-handed, where R2 varies within the range 0.28-0.53, for all skills, except writing and drawing. A conclusion can be drawn that writing is not a reliable predictor of lateralization to left or right, but that those are skills in relation to which there is no cultural pressure.

This research deals with the evaluation of tourist attractions in selected protected areas (PAs) in Serbia for the purpose of developing ecotourism. Using the integral AHP-SWOT method, two authentic mountain areas were analyzed—Stara Planina Nature Park and Suva Planina Special Nature Reserve. The results confirmed the presence of numerous natural and, to a lesser extent, anthropogenic resources that represent the basis for the future ecotourism activities. However, significant weaknesses were also registered, which are reflected in overall poverty, underdeveloped infrastructure and depopulation. The analysis also showed that the highest rated factors for the development of ecotourism are local products that should be offered on the regional market, as well as the use of the geographical position of both areas (near the state border) through the use of donor funds (IPA funds). The application of the AHP-SWOT method enabled the definition and prioritization of several development strategies, of which the ones with the greatest weight are based on the use of the variegated biodiversity of both PAs. This research advances knowledge about strategic decision-making in PAs and could be beneficial to destination managers for the creation of successful strategic plans. Results suggest that future actions should be aimed at maximizing the detected advantages, which means creating an appropriate development policy, drafting legislation, encouraging social mobilization activities and determining the institutional elements for the development and management of ecotourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excursions represent specific aspects of tourist movement that are related to the traveling of a group of people, usually for fun but also for educational purposes, when it comes to pupils and students who are traveling. Creating thematic excursions in the territory of the national park Đerdap with special emphasis on the attractive parts of protected area of the national park, among which there are natural and anthropogenic tourist potentials, contributes to raising the level of awareness and knowledge of possibilities of sustainable development of tourism. The Đerdap Gorge, the Danube River, Lepenski vir, Golubac, the remains of Trajan's bridge, Trajan's board (tabula Traiana), the Roman limes, the preserved richness and diversity of flora and fauna, are just a part of the tourist attractive motives that fit excursion tourist product of the Đerdap National Park and thus attract visitors. Apart from developing interest in the protection of the environment and acquiring traveling habits, as well as introducing adequate ways of staying and behaving in the national park Đerdap, the participants in excursions educate themselves indirectly, through this type of traveling, about the values of the national park, as well as the importance of specific forms for the sustainable development of tourism in the territory of Đerdap.

Handedness (dominant arm) is a term used to describe the ability of using right or left arm not only for writing but also for performing delicate and precise tasks. In fact, dominant arm appears even in prehistoric time. From the aspect of evolution, dominant arm is seen as an ability which correlates with speech development, and as such is related to cerebral lateralization. However, various cognitive disorders are connected to the dominant arm. The influence of inheritance and environment are equally important for the dominant arm, however their influence prevents us to determine how a certain arm becomes dominant.

Menarche is the certain signal of girls puberty and is usually preceeded by a period of intensive growth. Anthropological investigation of height, weight and breadth of pelvic, and the age of menarche, was conducted on girls aged 8-15 years. The purpose of research was to establish presence of differences in some anthropometric measures between samples of girls measured 1983-84. (subject were 464 girls) and girls measured 2010. (subjects were 449 girls). The aim of investigation was to determine age of menarche, body status in premenarcheal and postmenarcheal girls, and differences in anthropometrical characteristics trough time. In this way, could be brought conclusion about the presence of acceleration or deceleration. In the both samples girls had menarche earliest on 11 years. Body indicators were higher in postmenarcheal girls. Numerically bigger values and BMI are marked at girls measured 2010.

The event "Days of Plum - My Plum" at Blace has been one of 42 events dedicated to fruits and vegetables and one of three events dedicated to plum in Serbia. It has been held for nine consecutive years in the town situated in the wide Toplica valley at the foot of Jastrebac, where in a relatively favourable climate conditions there are good conditions for development of plum, so it has become a traditional event. This paper analyzes the results of a survey conducted during the last event, August 2011. The survey is used as methodical procedure because in relatively short time period a relatively large amount of information and data has been obtained. The survey includes 304 randomly selected respondents of different gender, age and educational structures. It was performed to examine the tourism market, attitudes and behaviour of visitors, as well as tourism promotion. In addition to the survey, the tourist valorisation of events is done in which the elements of geographic and economic groups of criteria are analyzed in order to investigate the tourism potential in terms of development of tourism as an economic sector that can contribute to the development of Blace as an underdeveloped area. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 47007]

A new trend has appeared in the last year in the sector of tourism-ecotourism as a response to the excessive use and exploitation of unrenewable natural resources. Simultaneously with this process, it is necessary to make strategies that would contribute to development in the best possible way. A combination of methods of multicriteria analysis (analytical hierarchical process (AHP) and SWOT analysis) has been used in this study in order to set prioritization of strategies. The main criteria on the basis of which valorisation has been done are: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Elements of SWOT have been ranked into, by means of using the AHP method, and their relative weight has been determined. For check-up of weight coefficients by AHP method, degree of consistency of matrix has been used (CR). The procedure is previously described in detail, and later an example has been given for Kopaonik, the national park in Serbia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Craniofacial characteristics are used to identify similarities and differences between human populations or within a single population. The aim of this study is to provide data on the differences/similarities between two groups of subjects, left-handed and right-handed children, based on the parameters that determine the phenotypic characteristics of the head and face: head dimensions, face dimensions, hair color, eye color and earlobe shape. The study participants included 1354 students aged 7 to 15 years from regular schools of southeastern Serbia. The instruments used include: the Edinburgh Handedness Questionnaire for handedness determination, the cephalometer, and the questionnaire. 135 students (9.97%) were identified as left-handed, and the differences in the observed parameters were recorded between left-handed and right-handed girls in relation to the cephalic index, nasal index, head breadth, face breadth, and eye color. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Craniofacial anthropometry is used to determine similarities and differences within a single population or between populations, as well as to determine the secular trends. The aim of the study is to determine differences in the cephalic index of school children from the city of Niš (southeastern Serbia) in two periods-in 1983 and 2010. Subjects were aged 7-15. The first group of subjects (from 1983) included 968 children of both genders, while the second group of subjects (from 2010) included 1037 children, also of both genders. The test was performed according to the instructions of the International Biology Program (IBP). The head length and head breadth were measured, and based on these parameters the cephalic index was determined. The results show that during the time debrachycephalization appeared, because brachycephalic was dominant with the children from 1983, while mesocephalic was dominant with the second group (2010). Genderual dimorphism exists in both groups of subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecotourism is considered a sustainable form of travel that is more environmentally beneficial than the concept of mass tourism. In this context, protected natural areas are considered an essential potential for ecotourism development, which is underpinned and driven by the preparation of strategies. This paper prioritizes ecotourism development strategies on the example of the Uvac Special Nature Reserve in the Republic of Serbia. The SWOT analysis is strengthened by the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), a particularly suitable method for strategic planning of an area. The first step of the combined SWOT-AHP method implied a SWOT analysis. Afterward, in the second and third steps, the weighting coefficients of individual elements within the SWOT group and then the weights of the groups were determined. In the final step, the ecotourism development strategies for this area were formulated, weighted by their efficiency coefficients, and ranked. This paper aims to contribute to a better understanding and promotion of applying multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM), i.e., the combined SWOT-AHP method, in prioritizing strategies for developing protected natural areas and their ecotourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]