This study investigates and forecasts multidimensional security perceptions among Serbian university students, who are a particularly engaged and vulnerable demographic in transitional societies. It examines how demographic traits, socio-economic status, and levels of institutional trust and engagement shape students’ evaluations of security in everyday life. The study examines six primary dimensions of security perception: personal safety, safety at public events and demonstrations, perceived national threats, digital security and privacy, perception of emergencies and crises, and trust in institutions and security policies. A structured online survey was administered to a sample of 406 university students selected through non-probability purposive sampling from major academic centres in Serbia, including Belgrade, Niš, Novi Sad, and Kragujevac. The questionnaire, based on a five-point Likert scale, was designed to measure levels of agreement across the six dimensions. Data were analysed using multiple regression, one-way ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation, and independent samples t-tests. All necessary statistical assumptions were met, ensuring the reliability and validity of the results. Descriptive statistics indicated moderate to moderately high overall perceived safety, with personal safety scoring the highest, followed by digital security and disaster preparedness. Lower scores were recorded for public event safety, perceived national threats, and, in particular, trust in institutional security policies. Regression analysis revealed that key predictors of perceived safety varied across dimensions: gender was a significant predictor of personal safety. At the same time, family financial status had a strong influence on perceptions of safety at public events. These findings offer valuable insights for designing targeted risk communication, inclusive policy initiatives, and institutional reforms that aim to enhance youth resilience, civic trust, and participatory security governance, ultimately contributing to long-term social sustainability.

Advancing material efficiency in the steel and cement industry is essential for achieving climate goals. One approach to addressing this is to increase the provisioning of alternative reactive binder materials from residues, in this case, from the steel industry. Different mixtures of identified residues are evaluated for metal recovery and suitability as supplementary cementitious material. For this purpose, suitable combinations are modeled according to specified quality requirements from the cement industry. These mixtures are heated up to 1600 °C for a targeted reduction of predominantly transition metal oxides and a separation into a mineral fraction. Subsequently, controlled cooling of the molten material is implemented through water granulation. The produced granulate is crushed and sieved, and finally, the metallic and mineral fractions are magnetically separated. The chemical modification, reduction, and phase modification are tested to prevent landfilling and provide alternative secondary resources for the steel and cement industry. According to the results, it is possible to recover metals from metallurgical residues and simultaneously separate the modified mineral fraction as an alternative cement constituent. These findings will be further investigated through additional research to identify the variables that influence and impact/affect the reduction efficiency.

Persons with disabilities (PWDs) are among the most at-risk groups during disaster situations due to various physical, sensory, cognitive, and systemic challenges that hinder their ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from crises. Although international legal frameworks stress their inclusion, PWDs often struggle to access essential resources, emergency assistance, and social protections during such events. This study examines both the vulnerabilities and strengths of PWDs in disaster risk management, highlighting the critical need for inclusive policies, enhanced accessibility measures, and stronger community-based support systems. It reviews key international, European, and national legal instruments designed to protect the rights of PWDs in disaster contexts while identifying gaps in their implementation. Furthermore, the research explores the active role PWDs can assume in disaster prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery, advocating for their meaningful participation in decision-making processes. By embedding inclusive disaster risk reduction strategies, societies can bolster resilience, ensure equitable access to emergency services, and promote long-term social inclusion for PWDs. The findings emphasise the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration, adaptive infrastructure, and targeted policy initiatives to bridge the gap between legal mandates and practical realities in disaster management.

This research investigates and forecasts multidimensional security perceptions among Serbian youth, explicitly focusing on the student population. It examines how demographic traits, socioeconomic status, and institutional trust and engagement levels affect how young people evaluate different aspects of security in their everyday lives. The study covers six primary dimensions of security perception: a) personal safety; b) safety at public events and demonstrations; c) perceived national threats; d) digital security and privacy; e) perception of emergencies and crises; and f) trust in institutions and security policies. A structured survey, involving 406 participants, titled “Multidimensional Security Perceptions Among Youth in Serbia”, was created to collect insights into modern security issues. The questionnaire employed a five-point Likert scale, where 1 represented “strongly disagree” and 5 signified “strongly agree." Analyses included multiple regression analysis, one-way ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation, and independent samples t-tests. All necessary statistical assumptions were validated to ensure the reliability and validity of the results. Descriptive statistics indicated that participants experienced moderate to moderately high perceived safety (overall M = 3.42). The personal safety domain scored the highest (M = 3.89), followed by digital security and privacy (M = 3.55) and disaster preparedness (M = 3.47). In contrast, lower perceived safety levels were noted for public events and demonstrations (M = 3.22), the perception of national threats (M = 3.07), and trust in institutional security policies, which had the lowest mean score (M = 2.93). The results showed strong links between perceived safety and factors like trust in institutions, how often individuals follow security news, and previous experiences with emergencies. Regression analysis showed that factors influencing perceived safety differed across various dimensions. Gender played a significant role in shaping personal safety perceptions, while family financial status emerged as a crucial predictor for feelings of safety at public events. Engaging in safety-related activities was linked to lower perceptions of digital security, and regularly consulting safety information sources strongly predicted both preparedness and trust in institutions. This study offers fresh perspectives on how personal traits and systemic structures influence youth security experiences. The results can guide upcoming policy initiatives, risk communication methods, and institutional changes designed to bolster youth resilience and involvement in the security sector.

Air cycle systems, once largely replaced by vapour-compression technologies due to efficiency concerns, are now re-emerging as a viable and sustainable alternative for highly dynamic thermal applications and excel in ultra-low temperature. By using air as the working fluid, these systems eliminate the need for synthetic refrigerants and comply naturally with evolving environmental regulations. This study presents the conceptual design and simulation-based analysis of a novel air cycle machine developed for advanced automotive testing environments. The system is intended to replicate a wide range of climatic conditions—from deep winter to peak summer—through the use of fast-responding turbomachinery and a flexible control strategy. A central focus is placed on the radial turbine, which is designed and evaluated using a modular, open source framework that integrates geometry generation, off-design CFD simulation, and performance mapping. The study outlines a potential operating strategy based on these simulations and discusses a control architecture combining lookup tables with zone-specific PID tuning. While the results are theoretical, they demonstrate the feasibility and flexibility of the proposed approach, particularly the turbine’s role within the system.