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Introduction: Stress represents a set of reactions in the organism activated by external factors. In order to maintain homeostasis and protect the organism, numerous mechanisms for adaptation to stress evolved. Stressors that act in short-term period cause acute stress reaction with generally positive effect on organism. When the stressor persists, and the organism fails to respond to the challenge, chronic stress develops, leading to pathological conditions, such as women's menstrual cycle disorders. Aim: To examine the impact of chronic restraint stress on the estrous cycle in NMRI female mice. Material and methods: A number of 12 mature female NMRI mice were randomly divided into control (n = 6) and experimental (n = 6) group. The induction of stress was performed for the experimental group by using restrain chambers 2 hours daily in 14 days. From the beginning of the experiment, vaginal lavages were taken from all mice for making smears that were analyzed to determine estrous cycle stages. For analysis of chronic stress effect, the frequency of estrus stages alternation observed in experimental group compared to control was examined. Results: The estrous cycle was observed and divided into proestrus, estrus, metestrus and diestrus. During the adaptation period, prolonged diestrus was dominantly present in both groups. When stress was induced, in the experimental group animals the absence of diestrus stage and oscillation to other stages was obseved, in contrast to the control group, where the diestus stage was frequently observed. Frequency of diestrus stage deviation in stressed animals was shown to be statistically significant (p < 0.01) when compared to control. Conclusion: The induction of chronic restraint stress in female NMRI mice leads to the alternation of the estrous cycle. Considering the fact that NMRI female mice share the similar hormonal regulation of the estrous cycle with women's menstrual cycle, they could present a solid model for studying women's reproductive disorders.

Extensive analytical and experimental research has been done by the authors directed to mitigation of the effects of earthquakes on structures. The research results mainly represent parts of the realized several related international projects. A selected part of the analytical studies directed to comparison between conventional and seismically isolated frame structures is presented in this paper. The responses of the applied newely developed advanced seismic isolation system HC-RMS-GOSEB to the simulated input excitation of three representative earthquakes of intensity 0.50g, have shown that it is very effective for construction of vibro-isolated and seismically resistant buildings, providing activated multistage seismic response and globally optimized seismic energy balance. Its application achieves an increase in the vibration period of the structure, far enough from the dominant period of seismic excitation. The results of the research confirm that this system is a potential solution for achieving low-cost and highly efficient protection of buildings.

Insufficient export activity and low level of investment in the formation of gross domestic product are a negative feature of the Serbian economy over a longer period of time. The global financial and economic crisis has shown that a sustainable model of economic growth, which was basically based on the growth of domestic consumption and imports and a low share of investments in the structure of the use of GDP, is an unsustainable until then. It has become clear that such a model must be replaced by a pro-investment and export-oriented model of economic growth. Bearing in mind the trends in macroeconomic flows in the Serbian economy, it is clear that the increase in investment and the competitiveness of domestic production imposes itself as one of the most important tasks of economic policy in the future. In this sense, the main goal of this.

Copyright of Acta Chirurgica Iugoslavica is the property of Association of Yugoslav Surgeons 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.)

A low export activity and a high level of trade deficit are negative features of the Serbian trade with foreign countries in the long run. Considering the state of foreign trade flows of our country, it is clear that the increase in exports of goods and services is emerging as one of the most important tasks of economic policy in the years to come. In this sense, the main goal of this work is the understanding of the importance of the agricultural and food products sector in foreign trade of Republic of Serbia, as well as proposing of measures to be taken towards encouraging export and raising competitiveness of the sector in the international market. Agricultural and food sector can significantly contribute to reduction of the trade deficit and boost the export activities of the national economy. However, the potentials of this sector have not yet been fully utilized. Although exports of agricultural and food sector have a dominant position in the structure of domestic exports, its competitiveness is still at a low level, and the increase of competitiveness and the degree of processing of these products stand out as the key challenges in the future.

The globalization of economic activity imposes the need for all countries to participate intensely in the current international economic cooperation and exchange processes of goods, services, labor and capital. Greater integration into international economic and trade flows is particularly important for small countries, given that the limitation of resources and insufficient domestic production impose the need for greater imports. On the other hand, import imposes a greater need for more exports so that the growing imports could be financed. Adjusting the challenges of globalization is an important task for all countries in order to accomplish basic economic goal, and that is the growth of living standards of all citizens. In this sense, in this paper, special attention is paid to the state of foreign trade and the analysis of the effects of FDI on export competitiveness and increase exports of the national economy, as one of the most important conditions of economic progress in the future. The main objective of this paper is to highlight the importance of the impact of foreign direct investments to strengthen the export activities of the Serbian economy, and the importance of intensification of export activity and qualitative changes in the structure of domestic exports.

Background/Aim. Multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) characterized by speed and precision is increasingly accessible in emergency wards. The aim of our study was to determine the most common injuries to the chest region, as well as type associated extrathoracic injuries, and the treatment outcome. Methods. This prospective study included 61 patients with blunt trauma who were submitted to computed tomography (CT) of the thorax. The number of injuries was evaluated by organs and organ systems of the chest. The cause of the injury, the length and the outcome of the treatment, and the presence of injuries in other regions were assessed. Results. Chest injuries were associated with injuries to other regions in 80.3% cases, predominantly injuries to extremities or pelvic bones in 54.1% cases, followed by head injuries in 39.3% patients. Associated thoracic injuries were present in 90.9% of patients with lethal outcome. Lung parenchymal lesions, pleural effusions and rib fractures were the most common injuries affecting 77.1%, 65.6% and 63.9% of the cases, respectively. Conclusion. Blunt chest trauma is a significant problem affecting predominantly males in their forties and it is usually caused by a motor vehicle accident. In case of pneumomediastinum or mediastinal haematoma, the use of 3D reconstructions is advised for diagnosing possible tracheobronchial ruptures and thoracic aorta injuries. Increased resolution of CT scanners yielded a large number of findings that are occult on radiography, especially in the event of lung parenchymal and pleural injuries. However, none imaging modality can replace surgical judgement.

Analogue (and addressable) fire detection systems enables a new quality in improving sensitivity to real fires and reducing susceptibility to nuisance alarm sources. Different decision algorithms types were developed with intention to improve sensitivity and reduce false alarm occurrence. At the beginning, it was free alarm level adjustment based on preset level. Majority of multi-criteria decision work was based on multi-sensor (multi-signature) decision algorithms - using different type of sensors on the same location or, rather, using different aspects (level and rise) of one sensor measured value. Our idea is to improve sensitivity and reduce false alarm occurrence by forming groups of sensors that work in similar conditions (same world side in the building, same or similar technology or working time). Original multi-criteria decision algorithms based on level, rise and difference of level and rise from group average are discussed in this paper.

In this paper, the composite Rayleigh-Gamma and Nakagami-Gamma distributions are considered. Multipath short-term fading and long-term fading (shadowing) affect wireless channels. A composite fading model was proposed for the modeling of shadowed channels, which resulted in a closed form solution for the probability density function (pdf). These composite Rayleigh-Gamma and Nakagami-Gamma are well-known as the K-distribution and KG-distribution, and are applied to cases where both micro- and macro-diversity schemes are implemented to mitigate short-term fading and shadowing, respectively. Thus, the composite pdf model offers significant improvement over approaches, which use lognormal pdf for shadowing. The results demonstrate the simplicity and usefulness of the composite pdf in the performance analyses of shadowed fading channels.

The specific requirements that appear in addressable fire detection and alarm systems and the shortcomings of the existing addressing methods were discussed. A new method of addressing of detectors was proposed. The basic principles of addressing and responding of a called element are stated. Extinguishing module is specific subsystem in classic fire detection and alarm systems. Appearing of addressable fire detection and alarm systems didn't caused essential change in the concept of extinguishing module because of long calling period of such systems. Addressable fire security system based on counting addressing method reaches high calling rates and enables integrating of the extinguishing module in addressable system. Solutions for command addressable element and integrated extinguishing module are given in this paper. The counting addressing method was developed for specific requirements in fire detection and alarm systems, yet its speed and reliability justifies its use in the acquisition of data on slowly variable parameters under industrial conditions. .

Introduction In a chain of cardiovascular episodes, risk factors (RF) and bad habits represent the first link. Objective The purpose of the study was to determine, during six months, on four examinations (the first, and three follow-ups after the second, fourth and sixth month), the following: physical activity (PA) alteration and the number of cigarettes smoked; the effect of antihypertensive betablockers and ACE inhibitors on systolic and diastolic arterial tension; the effect of metmorfin therapy on BMI, glycaemia, total cholesterol level (TCL) and triglycerides in diabetics compared to healthy individuals; the effect of hypolipidaemics on blood TCL and triglycerides in patients with angina pectoris (AP); the effect of betablocker therapy on TCL. Method This was a multicentric interventional study. Secondary prevention of coronary disease and cerebrovascular conditions was applied in the first half of 2005. There were 185 general practitioners from 38 health centers in Serbia, and patients of both sexes were included with the verified diagnosis of coronary disease and/or cerebrovascular condition. They had demographic data verified as well as data of being genetically (non)predisposed for AP, hypertension, myocardial infarction, stroke and diabetes mellitus. Descriptive and differential statistical methods were used for study result analysis. Results Out of 1,189 patients, there were 51.4% of women and 48.6% of men. The average age was 59.45±9.77 years. The population was homogeneous by sex and the factor of being genetically (non)predisposed for AP. There was a significant difference in examinations in four contacts in PA and cigarette smoking (p

Introduction: World Health Organization (WHO) Articles of Association defines health as the state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease. According to this definition, the concept of health is enlarged and consists of public and personal needs, motives and psychological nature of a person, education, culture, tradition, religion, etc. All these needs do not have the same rank on life valuation scale. Objective: The objective of our study was ranking 6 most important values of life out of 12 suggested. Method: Questionnaire about Life Valuation Scale was used as method in our study. This questionnaire was created by the Serbian Medical Association and Department of General Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Belgrade. It analyzed 10% of all citizens in 18 places in Serbia, aged from 25 to 64 years, including Belgrade commune Vozdovac. Survey was performed in health institutions and in citizens’ residencies in 1995/96 by doctors, nurses and field nurses. Results: A total of 14,801 citizens was questioned in Serbia (42.57% of men, 57.25% of women), and 852 citizens in Vozdovac commune (34.62% of men, 65.38% of women). People differently value things in their lives. On the basis of life values scoring, the most important thing in people’s life was health. In Serbia, public rank of health was 4.79%, and 4.4% in Vozdovac commune. Relations in family were on the second place, and engagement in politics was on the last place. Conclusion: The results of our study in the whole Serbia and in Vozdovac commune do not differ significantly from each other, and all of them demonstrated that people attached the greatest importance to health on the scale of proposed values. Relationships in family were on the second place, and political activity was on the last place. High ranking of health and relationships in family generally shows that general practitioners in Serbia take important part in primary health care and promotion of health care management. They have responsibility to preserve and enhance health of a person, family and society as a whole.

Copyright of Timocki Medicinski Glasnik is the property of Timocki Medicinski 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.)

Background: organisational culture is the character of the environment of individual bodies. It consists of a set of values, norms and customs that govern the relations between people within it. Its elements are a mission or goals, organisational climate and a working atmosphere, which affect motivation, effectiveness and, ultimately, management style., Aim: this research aimed to determine which organisational culture is prevalent in hospitals, and which staff consider is the most desirable., Methods: the research was conducted in two hospitals in Zagreb-University Hospital Sveti Duh and University Hospital Dubrava. The Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument was administered to 87 nurses., Results: in both hospitals, a clan culture was prevalent, followed by a hierarchical culture, then a competitive culture. The adhocracy culture was the least common. Participants said a clan culture was the most desirable, then a hierarchical culture, followed by the adhocracy culture; the least desirable was a competitive culture. In Sveti Duh, a clan culture was predominant, while in Dubrava it was a hierarchical culture. The most desirable culture for staff of both hospitals is the clan culture, but it was more prevalent in Sveti Duh., Conclusion: in two Croatian university hospitals, according to staff, a clan organisational culture is the most common type and is also the most desirable.

The discovery of the appearance of a serious disease, and the necessity for diagnostics, treatment and rehabilitation, particularly when malignity is involved, represents exceptionally stressful news for the patient and his family. Most often this is a task for the physician. In this paper the authors consider the meaning of bad news in unexpected life events which significantly disturb the individual psycho-social ballance of the patient, as well as the familly dynamics and structure. It presents a review of available literature on the subject of the definition of so-called "bad news", the development of approaches in announcement, and current practical approaches and models which assist physicians in helping suffering patients in professional and humane ways. It points out inadequacies in the education of phisicians for this kind of task, and the variety of approaches. With the aim of improving the education of phisicians, and especially clinicians in surgical fields, the authors recommend a number of educational programs: education in the area od psychological and psychiatric aspects of learning of a serious disease, including acute reactions such as depressive states, reactive psychotic states, consumption of alcohol, etc.; education in the area of the family life cycle, and the effect of the disease as an unexpected life crisis on the family dinamic; education in the area of fundamental principles of psycho-and pharmaco-therapy, as well as the provision of support to the patient and his familly; training in the skills of announcing bad news to the patient and his familly through the explanatory presentation of the case and supervised simulation of sessions.

Introduction: Protection and promotion of health of an individual, family and society as the whole depends on the organization and efficiency of the public health service. Modern health service is focused on the health prevention and improvement of the family which is the basic unit of society. The life cycle of the family indicates crisis related to development and underdevelopment as well as some expected and unexpected life situations and this is very important when discussing about many somatic and mental diseases., Objective: The objective of our project which included 473 specialists of general practice and 355 general practitioners was to determine the factors which influence the positive attitude of the general practitioners about becoming a family doctor., Method: A total of 828 doctors in Serbia were required to answer the set of eight questions. Statistical analysis included Pearson chi square test with contingency tables and logistic regression, while dependent variable was doctor's attitude about becoming a family doctor in a certain situation. The answer 'no' or 'I don't know' was scored 1 point and the 'yes' answer was graded 2 points. Eight questions mentioned above were independent variables., Results: Logistic model accounting for 79.3% of dependent variable was obtained. Positive attitude of doctors was very much affected by family problems and great majority of these doctors were specialists of general practice. Other questions were not so important for our results., Conclusion: Specialists of general practice, regardless of their working experience and years of practice, gave significantly more positive answers, and the situation was quite opposite with general practitioners. Family medicine supported by modern information systems provides ideal model of comprehensive and complete health prevention with high level of rationalism, quality, efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

Self-assembled columnar AlGaN/GaN nanocavities, with an active region of GaN quantum disks embedded in an AlGaN nanocolumn and cladded by top and bottom AlN/GaN Bragg mirrors, were grown. The nanocavity has no cracks or extended defects, due to the relaxation at the Si interface and to the nanocolumn free-surface to volume ratio. The emission from the active region matched the peak reflectivity by tuning the Al content and the GaN disks thickness. Quantum confinement effects that depend on both the disk thickness and the inhomogeneous strain distribution within the disks are clearly observed.

Maxillofacial Surgery is an independent surgical specialty dealing with diagnostics and therapy of malignant and benign tumors, injuries, deformities and congenital anomalies of head and neck, as well as infections in the same region. It originates in central European states. Origin and development of Maxillofacial surgery in Serbia is connected to the name of dr Atanbas Pulja, in 1912 y. during the First Balkans War. Maxillofacial surgery in Novi Sad represents a scientific, educational and research base and center. The members of the staff include 7 specialists, out of which 2 are professors and 2 assistant professors. Maxillofacial Clinic is a part of the Institute of Surgery, which is a part of the Clinical Centre of Novi Sad. Head of the Clinic is Full Professor dr Jovan Ristić.

Authors have given a short historical review of the development of stomatology in our country. The authors present contemporary comprehension of preventive and curative activities in certain stomoatological disciplines (children's stomatology, orthopedics of jaws, paradontology, prosthodontics, maxillofacial surgery) in the light of scientific achievements and their application in our conditions. The future of stomatology is in the development of new scientific subdisciplines and permanent searching in the sphere of the biocompatibility of the matter, for the rehabilitation of ruined health condition of oral cavity combined with a wide application of preventive measures and health care education of each individual.

The reconstructive technique of using subaponeurotic connective tissue as a pedicle or free flap for large facial and oropharyngeal defects has been developed on the basis of cadaver research and clinical practice. The technique was applied in 33 cases. Anatomico-histological properties of the flap tissue, postoperative results, basic indications for use and comparative advantages of the flap are surveyed in the article. The safety and simple design of the flap is emphasized.