The growing population and increasing demand for surface transportation have highlighted the importance of maintaining safe and reliable civil infrastructures for daily use. Among all civil infrastructures, bridges are one of the most important elements in the transportation system. As such, to prevent any failures caused by aging and environmental impacts, bridges require periodic inspections. This becomes even more critical due to climate change and its effect on bridges, especially in the coastal regions. Most of the inspections conducted incorporate the visual type of evaluation due to its simplicity. However, with the current developments in new technologies, there is a need for more advanced techniques of structural health monitoring (SHM) methods to be incorporated in the maintenance programs for more accurate and efficient surveys. In this paper, non-destructive testing (NDT) methods applicable to steel bridges are reviewed, with a focus on methods applicable to local damage detection. Moreover, the methodology, advantages and disadvantages, and up-to-date research on NDT methods are presented. Furthermore, the application of novel NDT techniques using innovative sensors, drones, and robots for the rapid and efficient assessment of damages on small and large scales is emphasized. This study is deemed necessary as it compiles in one place the available information regarding NDT methods for in-service steel bridges. Access to such information is critical for researchers who intend to work on new or improved NDT techniques.

Directed acyclic graphs are often used to model situations and problems in real life. If we consider the topological ordering of a graph as a process of arranging the vertices in the best possible way considering the constraints caused by the direction of edges, then it makes sense to try to optimize this process by minimizing the distances between vertices in the ordering. For this purpose, we define measures based on distances between vertices in the topological ordering that allow us to construct a graph with optimal topological ordering regarding a specific measure thus minimizing the complexity of the system represented by the graph. We explore minimal and maximal values of the defined measures and comment on the topology of graphs for which maximal and minimal values are obtained. Potentially, the proved bounds could be used to benchmark existing algorithms, devise new approximation algorithms or branch–and–bound schemas for some scheduling problems that are usually of hard computational complexity.

Generation of an elliptically polarized attosecond pulse train by an orthogonally polarized two-color (OTC) laser field is investigated theoretically and simulated numerically. The OTC field consists of two linearly polarized fields with orthogonal polarizations and frequencies that are integer multiples of the fundamental frequency ω. For the ω−3ω OTC field, the emitted harmonics are elliptically polarized so that they may form an elliptically polarized attosecond pulse train provided that a group of harmonics is phase-locked. This is the case if only one quantum orbit generates the corresponding part of the harmonic spectrum. If so, then two attosecond pulses are emitted per optical cycle due to the dynamical symmetry of the ω−3ω OTC field. Atomic targets with an s ground state only generate attosecond pulses with almost linear polarization. Using, however, targets with a p ground state, attosecond pulses with substantial ellipticity can be produced because ground states with opposite magnetic quantum numbers m=+1 and m=−1 produce harmonics with opposite helicities at different rates. In this case, the harmonic intensity and harmonic ellipticity are different for the ground states with the magnetic quantum number m=±1. These differences are the source of the attosecond pulse ellipticity and can be controlled using the relative phase as a control parameter. In addition, by choosing a particular group of harmonics, one can select the desired ellipticity of the attosecond pulse train.

The energy efficiency exemplifies a worldwide and complex phenomenon. It is paramount for Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), the former socialist and semi-developed country being situated in the Balkan region of the Southeastern Europe (SE). Buildings in the Balkan, including BiH, represent about 50 percent of the aggregate energy consumption. Estimated energy savings are projected to be between 20 and 40 percent. The research problem discussed in this work aims at the introduction of the existing or the improvement of the present strategies dealing with the energy efficiency. Thorough evaluation – literature review, of versatile resources, academic journal papers, government and private works, etc., was conducted. The inclusion and operation of funds addressing energy efficiency is of paramount importance. In that context the creation of statewide agency is deemed to be crucial to be responsible for the administration of the assistance of the European Union (EU) and the management of national energy efficiency action plan (NEEAP). Unfortunately, it cannot identify the totality of all-important external factors relating to the status of energy efficiency. Introduction of the energy management system (EMS) is another avenue worth exploring. 

The hands are anatomically specialized for manipulative tasks with different physical objects, where they can cope with certain loads with different forces and intensity. During various physical and sports activities, the hands produce the appropriate muscular force for gripping, which manifests as the hand grip's force. For this reason, hand grip strength (HGS) is recognized as a limiting factor in all manipulative activities performed by the cranial part of the body. The current research included a sample of 22 subjects, 16 male Body Height (BH=180.28±4.65cm); Body Weight (BW=80.05±9.96kg), Body Mass Index (BMI=24.61±2.74kg/m²) and 6 female subjects Body Height (BH=167.42±11.11cm); Body Weight (BW=64.80±10.09kg); Body Mass Index (BMI=23.02±1.57kg/m²) on the third year of study at the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports. This study aimed to determine the maximum isometric muscle force of the handgrip and differences between the same gender of students. A t-test for small samples was applied for data processing, and the relevant statistical parameters were calculated. The obtained t-test results confirmed statistically significant differences between the so-called dominant and non-dominant hands in male subjects (t=4.158; p<0.05) and female subjects (t=3.176; p<0.05). The obtained results of this research will be used for analytical and diagnostic purposes with a wide range of activities in the population of physical education and sports students (assessment of physical ability, trends, and tendencies to monitor and change abilities, influence on the implementation of certain curricula of some subjects studied at the faculty, etc.).

According to demographic data, the percentage of elderly people within the population is growing, representing a vulnerable group to the effects of increasing heat, but little attention has been paid to developed adaptation measures. In addition, many older people leave their familiar homes and live in nursing homes. The person-centred care pursues creating spaces of high living quality for these people in nursing homes, to which plants and greenery can contribute. Greening is also considered an effective climate change adaptation measure. To create healthy conditions for this vulnerable group of elderly, both technical and social factors must be considered, and accordingly, a successful solution can only be achieved in an interdisciplinary way. The research and development of the project “Green: Cool & Care” dealt with this outset from a building physics, social, and nursing science perspective, and concepts to integrate greening measures in nursing homes were developed jointly by researchers, planners, staff, volunteers, and residents. For this purpose, measurement campaigns of air quality parameters, individual interviews and focus groups, as well as co-creative workshops were conducted aiming to include the objective building conditions as well as the subjective needs in developing and, in a further step, implementing greening measures.

We study the problem of learning robust acoustic models in adverse environments, characterized by a significant mismatch between training and test conditions. This problem is of paramount importance for the deployment of speech recognition systems that need to perform well in unseen environments. First, we characterize data augmentation theoretically as an instance of vicinal risk minimization, which aims at improving risk estimates during training by replacing the delta functions that define the empirical density over the input space with an approximation of the marginal population density in the vicinity of the training samples. More specifically, we assume that local neighborhoods centered at training samples can be approximated using a mixture of Gaussians, and demonstrate theoretically that this can incorporate robust inductive bias into the learning process. We then specify the individual mixture components implicitly via data augmentation schemes, designed to address common sources of spurious correlations in acoustic models. To avoid potential confounding effects on robustness due to information loss, which has been associated with standard feature extraction techniques (e.g., fbank and mfcc features), we focus on the waveform-based setting. Our empirical results show that the approach can generalize to unseen noise conditions, with 150% relative improvement in out-of-distribution generalization compared to training using the standard risk minimization principle. Moreover, the results demonstrate competitive performance relative to models learned using a training sample designed to match the acoustic conditions characteristic of test utterances.

A novel method for calculating power output from wind turbines using Newtonian mechanics is proposed. This contrasts with current methods based on interception rates by aerofoils of kinetic energy to estimate power output, governed by the Betz limit of propeller theory. Radial action [mrωrδφ =@, J.sec] generates torques from impulses from air molecules at differing radii on rotor surfaces, both windward and leeward. Dimensionally, torque is a rate of action [(mrωδφ)/δt, MLT, Nm]. Integration of the windward torque [Tw, Nm] is achieved numerically using inputs of rotor dimensions, the angle of incidence (θ) of elastic wind impulse [δMv] on the blade surface, chord and blade lengths and the tip-speed ratio with wind speed. The rate of leeward or back torque [Tb , Nm] in the plane of rotation is estimated from radial impulses from the blade’s rotation on material particles, with magnitude varying with the square of the blade radius and its angular velocity. The net torque (Tw Tb) from these rates of action and reaction is converted to power by its product with the angular velocity of the turbine rotors [P = (Tw Tb)Ω, Watts or J sec], considered as an ideal Carnot cycle for wind turbines; its design should assist optimisation of the aerodynamic elements of turbine operation. A matter of concern must be predictions for a significant rate of heat production by wind turbines, represented partly by the magnitude of the leeward reaction torque but also by a greater release of heat downwind caused by a turbulent cascade in the wake of air flow following its impacts with the blades. Given the widespread occurrence of wind farms as sources of renewable energy and a need to minimise environmental impacts this new method should promote improved theory and practice regarding wind energy.

Although the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina ended a quarter of a century ago, a large number of war crimes suspects are still being prosecuted. One of the visible issues arising in domestic courts are aged defendants, whose trials are delayed due to old age and illness. The aim of this article is to give an overview of case law and analyze the process of prosecuting aged defendants at the War Crimes Chamber within the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which carries the largest workload of war crimes cases in the region. This article focuses on two main aspects: portrayal of these cases in the media and the legal reasoning of the court.

Early-stage entrepreneurs struggle to find financial access to different types of services that help develop their businesses. In recent research, complementary currency systems have been identified as promising alternatives to the deficit of money for accessing goods and services. The purpose of this study is to explore the potential of service design as a tool to create more resilient currency services that enable the exchange of digital credits between entrepreneurs. The theoretical investigation focused on relationships between complementary currency systems as resilient strategies and sociological interpretations of value exchange. Furthermore, service design tools, methods, and approaches are applied to the thinking towards social currency innovation. The resulting Conceptual Framework for Social Currency Innovation (CFSCI) highlights the potential of service design in making services more accessible, transparent, and affordable. Service design is relevant in understanding financial transactions, as it helps to perceive exchanges between entrepreneurs as services. Service design research can contribute to a reframing of issues of unaffordable services by conceptualizing service systems that enable skilled individuals to exchange their knowledge through social currencies. These new currencies make transactions between entrepreneurs possible and the service design perspective makes them more meaningful for the users.

The goal of this study is to analyse the scientific productivity of Montenegrin researchers in the field of sports sciences, as well as the trend of publishing in Montenegrin sports sciences journals. The research covers studies with a focus on the sports sciences issues published in the period from 2002 to 2019. Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science (the electronic databases) were searched for articles available until September 22, 2021. Results were summarized according to the instructions of PRISMA guidelines and present the number of citations, h-index, i10-index and the number of articles by the authors. The study results shows that researchers from the field of sports sciences publish multiple publications in 2021 compared to 2002. In Google scholar database citation rate is highest, and span from 596 and 14959. On the other side, the same researchers were cited quite less in Scopus and Web of Science databases. When we talk about Montenegrin journals, three are registered in the Google Scholar Database. The Sport Mont journal is the most cited one with the highest h-index (44); the Montenegrin Journal of Sports Science and Medicine is the best ranked Montenegrin journal according to the bibliometric data from the Scopus and Web of Science databases; the Journal of Anthropology of Sport and Physical Education have constant progress in the last years. It was indicated the highest impact was recognized in the last four years, according to citations of available articles published by Montenegrin authors. Also, the number of published articles in the last four year is significant, and progress can be expected in the future.