SUMMARY

Summary

Matica Srpska
Matica Srpska - Institution of Culture and Science
The key topic of the present issue is the history and significance of Matica Srpska, and institution that has been active for 186 years as the oldest institution of culture, arts and science in Serbia . I was founded by Serbs who at that time lived in Pest, in Hungary . Around the mid of the 19 th century the seat of Matica srpska was moved to Novi Sad , where it continued to operate until the present times. Since World War Two, this institution started to gather also those dealing with natural sciences and technical achievements. This thematic article speaks about its publishing activity, the rich library, the publishing centre, the work on encyclopaedic issues, the valuable collection of manuscripts, etc.

A Century of Aviation in Serbia
The book "Short History of Aviation in Serbia" (Kratka istorija vazduhoplovstva u Srbiji) by Cedomir Janjic and Ognjen Petrović was published at the end of last year. The book, consisting of ten chapters, provides a brief record of one century of aviation in Serbia , from the first attempts to fly, at the beginning of the preceding century, until the year 2010. During this period, as many as 240 different aircrafts of national production have been developed in Serbia . Until World War Two, there were 6 aircraft factories in Serbia , 2 factories of aircraft engines and a number of factories producing instruments and aircraft equipment.

The Museum of Natural History Belgrade
The Museum of Natural History in Belgrade , founded in 1895, currently operates through exhibitions and research of the distant past of living species in the territory of Serbia . The museum has 116 collections of exhibits, some of which date back 540 million years! An integral part of the Museum is its technical library which started to operate in 1903. The permanent and special exhibitions are visited annually by about 50,000 visitors. The article speaks of the intentions of the management to broaden the activity of the museum and increase public interest in the exhibits.

The Annual Award of the National Bank of Serbia
On 25 January, the National Bank of Serbia organized a prize award ceremony aimed at promoting and encouraging scientific-research work in the area of economics, aimed at raising public awareness regarding the significance of progress in this area in order to strengthen the professional capacities in Serbia in this domain. The prizes were awarded to Mirjana Marić, for the best doctoral thesis, and Aljoša Babić, for the best master's degree thesis. Prizes were also awarded for the most outstanding scientific-research papers published in distinguished international magazines.

Hand Surgery
The section on the most recent medical achievements begins with a text on hand surgery, removal of congenital and acquired anomalies, diagnostics and use of new treatment methods. These topics are presented by Dr. Violeta Baščarević, of the Bel Modic general hospital in Belgrade .

Heart Failure
In his article on heart failure, Dr. Predrag Radojković, a specialist of internal medicine and cardiology at the Bel Medic hospital, presents the most recent insights regarding the causes of heart failure: coronary disease, hypertension, heart disorders, myocarditis, coxsachies myocarditis, artherial-sclerosis. Additionally, Dr Radojković explains the advanced diagnostic methods and the effects in treatment of this frequent health disorder.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
The text on unmanned aerial vehicles presents the US , Israeli and Serbian vehicles of this kind. In Serbia , the factory '"Utva", near Pancevo, has so far produced two such vehicles. The reconnaissance vehicle "Sparrow", weighing 5.5 kg, can fly for up to one hour. Its reach is up to 12 km. the other type is "Pegasus", a tactical vehicle which enables terrain reconnaissance. It can fly for uninterrupted 12 hours, in a radius of 100 km, at the height of up to 3000 m.

3D Television
"The Third Dimension of TV Sets" is an article on development and current application of 3D TV. The text explains the application of anaglyphs technology, active and passive presentation, how 3D spectacles function, monographic LCD screens and advanced presentation of content not requiring 3D spectacles.

Thermo-Nuclear Fusion
"Energy of the Future" is the sub-title of an article on thermonuclear fusion. This process, which has been studied for decades, is perceived as the basis for future use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, and the article is written by Dr. Nina Drndarski, an expert in nuclear research.

Dryococelus australis
The section "Short News" includes a text on the biggest insect in the world, the Dryococelus australis , which lives in the islands of the Lord How archipelago, in the Tasmanian Sea . The insect can grow as big as 15 cm. The species is close to extinction.

Extraterrestrials
The famous British scientist, Stephen Hawking, who turned 70 at the beginning of this year, spoke publicly on possible extraterrestrial creatures and what can be expected in contact with them. The text inspired by this speaks of potential for life in certain remote parts of the cosmos, mentioning that so far about 450 plants have been identified, supposing that some of them should have conditions permitting out of which some should be such as to permit the creation and development of life.