University of Novi Sad

This study examines conference design preferences among Generation Z participants, with a particular focus on technology-related and sustainability-oriented attributes. As this generational cohort becomes increasingly influential within the business events sector, understanding their expectations is essential for the future development of conferences. Survey data were collected from 257 Generation Z respondents in Serbia, all of whom had prior conference attendance experience. Exploratory factor analysis was applied to identify the underlying dimensions of conference design preferences. The results reveal a four-factor structure comprising experiential and personalized learning, sustainability and social responsibility orientation, technology-enhanced conference interaction, and virtual participation and networking. The findings indicate that Generation Z strongly values interactive digital technologies that enable real-time engagement with speakers and flexible participation formats. In addition, sustainability-related practices, including environmentally responsible and socially conscious initiatives, emerge as a distinct and influential dimension shaping conference attractiveness. The study concludes that technology integration and sustainability are central determinants of conference appeal for Generation Z rather than peripheral features. These findings offer practical recommendations for conference organizers and destination stakeholders seeking to design future-oriented conferences that align with the expectations of this emerging and increasingly important market segment. Article history: Received (February 5, 2026); Revised (February 15, 2026); Accepted (February 22, 2026); Published online (February 27, 2026)

The study investigates the factors influencing pedestrian decisions to commit temporal violations at signalized intersections, with the aim of enhancing urban road safety. To achieve this, an integrated model combining subjective components from the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and the Prototype Willingness Model (PWM) with relevant external factors was developed and validated. The findings underscore the significance of external factors – such as pedestrian red signal duration, vehicle flow, roadway length, and the presence of a median refuge island – alongside willingness and perceived behavioural control as key predictors of pedestrian behaviour. Intentions, in contrast, showed limited influence, highlighting the dominance of social-reactive pathways over reasoned decision-making in pedestrian violations. The study contributes a novel, comprehensive framework for understanding pedestrian behaviour by integrating psychological and situational predictors, thereby providing valuable insights for the design of safer urban intersections.

Ensuring the safety and effectiveness of first responder teams during critical missions requires real-time health monitoring and responsive intervention systems. This study presents a novel system comprising a multimodal wearable device integrated with a remote command centre, designed to support the physiological monitoring and guidance of first responders in the field. The wearable device includes three main components: a physiological and biochemical signal acquisition unit, an electrotactile stimulation unit and a powerful communication interface. The acquisition unit continuously samples heart rate, body temperature, and biochemical markers from sweat, transmitting this data wirelessly to the remote command centre. The transmitted physiological data could be analyzed at the command centre and, based on the inferred first responder condition, appropriate feedback commands could be issued back to the corresponding wearer. The commands are then executed by the electrotactile stimulation unit on the wearable device. Initial testing in laboratory settings confirmed the system's ability to generate accurate electrochemical readings and dehydration assessment through changes in bulk ionic conductivity. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy showed good agreement with a commercial potentiostat. Heart rate and temperature readings demonstrated satisfying accuracy with minor removable artifacts. Field trials with first responders validated continuous signal transmission and electrotactile feedback with over 80% success. These results confirm the system's robustness and modularity, supporting its application in operational environments.

This paper examines the role of institutional quality in shaping income convergence across European economies over the period 2004–2023. While previous studies frequently assume either linear institutional effects or strong regime-dependent threshold dynamics, this study evaluates whether institutional conditions fundamentally alter the speed of convergence. Using a fixed-effects panel framework with a spline-based specification and an endogenously determined institutional breakpoint, this analysis allows the convergence coefficient to vary across institutional regimes. The results confirm the presence of conditional convergence in the full sample and across regional subgroups. Although an estimated institutional breakpoint marginally improves model fit, formal Wald and bootstrap-based threshold tests do not provide strong evidence of a structural break in the convergence parameter. The speed of convergence remains broadly stable across institutional regimes, suggesting that institutional quality does not function as a binary activation threshold. Instead, institutions appear to operate as conditioning factors influencing the stability and robustness of convergence dynamics rather than triggering discrete regime shifts. Regional estimations reveal heterogeneity in institutional dispersion and growth volatility, particularly in the Western Balkans, yet without fundamental alterations in convergence mechanisms. The findings contribute to the literature by reframing the institutional–convergence nexus toward a moderated nonlinear interpretation, emphasizing structural conditioning rather than regime-dependent convergence.

Disaster resilience has become a key focus of risk reduction efforts, but measuring it remains complex due to differences in hazards, development paths, and data systems. This study modifies the Baseline Resilience Indicators for Communities (BRIC) approach, based on the Disaster Resilience of Place (DROP) framework, to evaluate community resilience in Serbia and highlight regional differences. An initial list of 186 indicators was created from international BRIC studies and resilience research, then tailored to Serbian conditions through contextual review and data checks. Indicators were normalized using min–max scaling (0–1), and indicators with negative orientation were inverted to ensure that higher values indicate greater resilience. Scores for each dimension were calculated as equally weighted averages across six areas: social, economic, social capital, institutional, infrastructural, and environmental. The overall BRIC index was derived as the average of these dimension scores. Z-scores facilitated the classification of resilience levels and the comparison between regions. The results show clear regional disparities: in the complete model, Belgrade has the highest resilience (BRIC = 0.557), while Southern and Eastern Serbia have the lowest (BRIC = 0.414). Patterns across dimensions show that Belgrade excels in social and economic capacity but lags in environmental indicators; Vojvodina has the strongest institutional and infrastructural capacity; and Šumadija and Western Serbia perform best in environmental indicators. Correlation analysis revealed multicollinearity, leading to the removal of 14 redundant indicators and the refinement to a set of 57. After this reduction, regional rankings change, with Vojvodina (BRIC = 0.530) and Šumadija and Western Serbia (BRIC = 0.522) emerging as higher-resilience regions, while Southern and Eastern Serbia remain the least resilient (BRIC = 0.456). The adapted BRIC-DROP model offers a clear, locally relevant tool for mapping resilience and guiding targeted policies in Serbia, enabling region-specific efforts to address structural resilience gaps.

Abstract Everyday experiences help individuals build intuitive understandings of physical phenomena. However, incomplete or incorrect reasoning can lead to persistent alternative conceptions rather than scientifically accurate conclusions. Such misconceptions are particularly common among younger learners and can remain uncorrected unless explicitly addressed in instruction. This study investigates the persistence of misconceptions related to friction among three groups: school students, undergraduate physics students, and physics teachers. An online test consisting of seven yes/no questions was used to identify common alternative conceptions. Three prevalent misconceptions were analyzed in detail, with a focus on their origins and how they might be addressed through targeted instruction. The findings highlight the need for greater emphasis on conceptual understanding in physics education, particularly in teacher preparation programs. This study is intended for undergraduate students, especially those training to become teachers, offering practical insights into how persistent misconceptions about friction can be effectively identified and overcome in the classroom.