The global economic crisis has taken a number of consequences. In order to overcome them, many of various measures on macroeconomic and microeconomic level should be implemented in the post-crisis ...period. A large number of developed and developing countries as a key lever in the post-crisis period would recognize the SME sector, so that the greatest number of macroeconomic policies aims at fostering its competitiveness. Previously, a competitive advantage of SMEs was generally founded on focusing on specific markets, competing in fragmented industry or on cost leadership. Nowdays, the ability to innovate is the most important source of their competitiveness. However, since the capacities of SMEs to introduce technological innovations are generally limited, strong macroeconomic support for increasing innovativeness of SMEs is necessary. This paper will explain measures which may increase innovativeness of SMEs and the impact of SMEs innovations on their competitiveness and the competitiveness of the economy in which they operate. A special emphasis will be on the analysis of innovativeness of the SMEs in Serbia.
Globalna ekonomska kriza je ostavila veliki broj posledica. Da bi se one prevazišle, potrebno je u postkriznom periodu sprovesti različite mere na makroekonomskom i mikroekonomskom nivou. Veliki broj razvijenih zemalja i zemalja u razvoju je kao ključne poluge u postkriznom periodu prepoznao sektor malih i srednjih preduzeća (MSP), tako da je najveći broj mera makroekonomske politike usmeren na podsticanje njegove konkurentnosti. U prošlosti mala i srednja preduzeća su konkurentsku prednost uglavnom gradila fokusiranjem na specifične tržištne niše, fragmentirane grane ili vođstvom u troškovima, dok u savremenim uslovima poslovanja sve značajniji izvor njihove konkurentnosti postaje sposobnost inoviranja. Međutim, pošto su kapaciteti malih i srednjih preduzeća za uvođenje tehnoloških inovacija uglavnom ograničeni, potrebna je jaka makroekonomska podrška za povećanje inovativnosti MSP. U ovom radu će upravo biti objašnjene mere kojima se može uticati na povećanje inovativnosti MSP. Takođe će biti analiziran uticaj inovativnosti MSP na njihovu konkurentnost i konkurentnost privrede u kojoj posluju. Poseban osvrt biće na analizi inovativnosti MSP u Srbiji.
Since 1981, when Peters and Waterman introduced term organizational culture in organizational science, organizational culture has become a very important field of investigation. The reason why ...organizationalculture became so popular is connection between appropriate cultures and efficiency and productivity of organizations. However, there is no universal organizational culture applicable to all types of organizations. Hence, this paper analyzes organizational culture of the Faculty of Civil Engineering (FoCE), University of Zagreb, focusing on the Department of construction management and economics (DoCME) and it tries to investigate whether this culture enables optimal fulfillment of FoCE' goals. According to survey of members of the FoCE, presented in this paper, lecturers are moderately satisfied with interpersonal relationship, with selection of new employees, with the opportunity for professional promotion and with the ceremonies at the FoCE. Nevertheless, lecturers are not satisfied with the value system. In addition, a high percentage of members of FoCE think that clear rules of behaviorfor students should be established. Members of the DoCME (lecturers, assistants and students) are relatively satisfied with the organizational culture in general, but they are not satisfied with the hierarchy of values at the faculty level.
Since 1981, when Peters and Waterman introduced term organizational culture in organizational science, organizational culture has become a very important field of investigation. The reason why ...organizational culture became so popular is connection between appropriate cultures and efficiency and productivity of organizations. However, there is no universal organizational culture applicable to all types of organizations. Hence, this paper analyzes organizational culture of the Faculty of Civil Engineering (FoCE), University of Zagreb, focusing on the Department of construction management and economics (DoCME) and it tries to investigate whether this culture enables optimal fulfillment of FoCE’ goals. According to survey of members of the FoCE, presented
in this paper, lecturers are moderately satisfied with interpersonal relationship, with selection of new employees, with the opportunity for
professional promotion and with the ceremonies at the FoCE. Nevertheless, lecturers are not satisfied with the value system. In addition, a high percentage of members of FoCE think that clear rules of behavior for students should be established. Members of the DoCME (lecturers, assistants and students) are relatively satisfied with the organizational culture in general, but they are not satisfied with the hierarchy of values at the faculty level.
Myopia is the most common refractive eye anomaly with a prevalence that is constantly increasing. High myopia is associated with numerous complications that can lead to permanent vision loss. It is ...believed that the basis of these complications lies in changes in the microvasculature of the retina caused by an increase in the longitudinal axis of the eye.
Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) was used to analyze differences in macular zone vascular and perfusion density and foveal avascular zone (FAZ) parameters in myopic subjects. The following OCTA parameters were analyzed: the vessel and perfusion density of retinal blood vessels in the superficial plexus; the area, perimeter, and index of circularity of the foveal avascular zone (FAZ); and foveal and ganglion cell complex (GCC) thickness.
Subjects with low myopia did not show statistically significant differences compared to the control for any of the analyzed parameters. Groups with moderate and high myopia showed a significant decrease in vessel and perfusion density in the parafoveal and the entire 3 × 3 mm analyzed field. Foveal vessel and perfusion densities in the myopic groups were similar to those of the control regardless of the degree of myopia. The area and perimeter of the FAZ, as well as foveal and mean GCC thickness, did not differ significantly no matter the degree of myopia, while the index of circularity was lower in highly myopic subjects. The minimal thickness of the GCC was also lower in the high myopia group.
High and moderate myopia led to a loss of blood vessels in the macular region. Perfusion and vascular densities were preserved in the foveal region and were not affected by different degrees of myopia. The FAZ was not significantly larger in myopic subjects, but its circularity was lower in subjects with high myopia.
Growing mushrooms means meeting challenges while aiming for sustainability and circularity. Wherever the producer is located, commercial strains are the same originating from several producers. ...Customized strains adapted to local conditions are urgently needed. Before introducing new species to the strain development pipeline, the chemical characterization and biological activity of wild ones need to be assessed. Accordingly, the mycoceutical potential of five polypore mushroom species from Serbia was evaluated including: secondary metabolite composition, oxidative damage prevention, anti-tyrosinase, and anti-angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE). The phenolic pattern was comparable in all samples, but the amounts of specific chemicals varied. Hydroxybenzoic acids were the primary components. All samples had varying quantities of ascorbic acid, carotene, and lycopene, and showed a pronounced inhibition of lipid peroxidation (LPx) and ability to scavenge HO
. Extracts were more potent tyrosinase inhibitors but unsuccessful when faced with ACE.
had the strongest anti-tumor efficacy while
demonstrated strong selectivity in anti-tumor effect in comparison to normal cells. The evaluated species provided a solid foundation for commercial development while keeping local ecology in mind.
Introduction/Objective. Somatosensory evoked potentials are a neurophysiological tool for testing the effects of drugs in humans and animals. The aim of this study was to estimate the way that ...bromazepam and ibuprofen had on tooth pulp-evoked potentials (TPEPs) after non-painful stimuli, as well as to detect possible differences in this activity. Methods. Sixty young healthy subjects were included in the study. They were arranged into three groups: ibuprofen, bromazepam, and placebo. To record TPEPs response, dental pulp were electrically stimulated through intact enamel with non-painful stimuli. For stimulation and registration we used Xltek Protektor 32 system, software EPWorks, version 5.0 (Natus Medical Incorporated, Oakville, ON, Canada). The experiment consisted of two testing sessions. Five recordings were performed in each session. The first test session was before, and the second was 45 minutes after administration of a single dose of the ibuprofen (400 mg), bromazepam (1.5 mg) or placebo. Results. The results of the present study exhibit that both ibuprofen and bromazepam significantly increased all the latencies; ibuprofen decreased amplitudes of all the waves except the first one (p < 0.05), and bromazepam decreased amplitudes of all the waves except the first one (p < 0.05); placebo did not modified TPEPs waves (p > 0.05). Additionally, there were no significant differences in influence on TPEPs between bromazepam and ibuprofen (p > 0.05). Conclusion. Our study showed that both bromazepam and ibuprofen had the same influence on TPEPs after non-painful stimuli. That indicates that anxiolytic dose of bromazepam affects neurotransmission in the same manner as non-opioid analgesics ibuprofen.
Introduction:
Inter-individual differences in gut microflora composition may affect drug metabolism and overall therapeutic response. Gliclazide is a drug characterized by large inter-individual ...differences in therapeutic response; however, the causes of these differences are not fully explained and may be the outcome of microbial biotransformation. Recently, great attention has been paid to studies on bile acid (BA) interactions with gut microflora and the role of BAs in the modification of drug transport through biological membranes.
The Aim:
Considering the assumption of gliclazide–probiotic–BAs interactions, the aim of the study was to investigate the transport and biotransformation of gliclazide in probiotic bacteria, as well as the effects of deoxycholic acid (DCA) on gliclazide transport into bacterial cells.
Materials and Methods:
Probiotics were incubated with gliclazide with or without DCA for 24 h at 37°C. The intracellular and extracellular concentrations of gliclazide were determined at seven time points by high-performance liquid chromatography. Gliclazide biotransformation by the enzymatic activity of probiotic bacteria was examined using appropriate software packages.
Results:
During the 24 h incubation with probiotic bacteria, significantly lower extracellular concentrations of gliclazide were observed at all time points compared to controls, while in the group with DCA, the decrease in concentration was noticed only at 24 h. The total concentration of gliclazide throughout the whole period was significantly lower compared to control. Proposed pathways of gliclazide biotransformation by probiotic bacteria involve reactions of hydrolysis and hydroxylation.
Conclusion:
Based on the results obtained, it can be concluded that there are interactions of gliclazide–probiotics–DCA, at both the level of active and passive transport into the cells, and at the level of drug biotransformation by enzymatic activity of probiotic bacteria. The effect of these interactions on the final therapeutic response of gliclazide should be further studied and confirmed in
in vivo
conditions.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Interna tional Society for Hypertension, elevated blood pressure is defined as the blood pressure the readings of which consistently range ...≥ 140 mmHg systolic and/or 90 mmHg diastolic. Having in mind the fact that hypertension is one of the leading risk factors for cardiovasluar disease, kidney failure and premature mortality, it is clear that preventive mea sures should be imposed before the diagnosis is established. The main nutritional measures used in preventing hypertension are: weight loss, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH diet), reducing salt and alcohol intake and increasing potassium intake. The aim of this paper was to show the preventive effect of the DASH diet on hypertension onset in normotensive patients as well as to highlight that the diet is an integral part of hypertension treatment, in addition to the use of drug therapy for hypertensive patients .
Background/Aim. A period of adolescence is characterized by turbulent emotional, physical and physiological changes. There are numerous risk factors that may endanger the oral health of adolescents ...as the influence of parents reduces, while the influence of the environment and peers increases. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to determine the behavior of adolescents concerning oral health, using a new statistical method ? artificial intelligence algorithms. Methods. In the first part of the survey, data on the behavior of adolescents related to oral health were collected. Hiroshima University Dental Behavioral Inventory (HU DBI) questionnaire was used, and additionally expanded with three questions. The second part of the study included clinical examination. The research was conducted at the Faculty of Dentistry in Pancevo, Serbia. The first and second grade high school students were selected for the observation unit. The total sample consisted of 374 students (128 males and 246 females). We applied a special programming language called Python for parsing data, creating a database in digital form, processing data by standard statistical methods and through the Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) method. Results. The artificial intelligence algorithms clustered the respondents into two groups, based on their responses from the HU DBI questionnaire. Thus, the quality of the method and the need for analysis of this type in dental studies are demonstrated and proven. Conclusion. Based on the results obtained through artificial intelligence algorithms, we could conclude that respondents should rather be clustered into characteristic groups and analyzed than divided and observed according to sex, as it is the intuitive division.
The main aim of this study was to research the way in which the local community members' socio-demographic characteristics, on the one hand, and presentation of the industrial heritage, on the other, ...shape their perception of sustainable tourism development, based on German industrial heritage. More precisely, the focus was on industrial heritage of a minority population in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, Serbia, formerly part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The study assessed knowledge of the industrial heritage of the region, the German contributions, and whether these former sites of production should be developed as tourism offerings. The survey research was conducted in the period between October 2021 and March 2022 using the 44-items Sustainable Tourism Attitude Scale (SUS-TAS) scale, on a sample of 300 members of the local community. Several SUS-TAS factors were identified, and the results may help different stakeholders in tourism and culture. The research results might help to various stakeholders, from local residents to DMOs or institutes for cultural protection, to find the way how to deal with the hidden gems. Also, this paper fills the literature gap, due to the fact that the research was based on SUS-TAS scale, mostly used in nature-based tourism issues.
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