Business Intelligence and Business Continuity: Empirical Analysis of Croatian Companies

Business Intelligence (BI) is an important strategic resource for business decision making. It is a cyclical system comprised of several seperate phases; planning and direction, data collection, processing and data analysis, and dissemination or distribution of information to the business decision makers. The passing and maturation of the third and fourth scientific revolutions, in which the rate of data flow has surpassed that of goods and services, has made timely, accurate and relevant information the key resource for business continuity. In Croatia, two comprehensive surveys on the BI application within the largest companies have been conducted. The first survey, from October 2010 to April 2011, indicated a low level of application and understanding of the BI system and its benefits. The cross-sectional follow-up survey from March to July 2017 showed that although significant changes did not occur, there are indicators of potentially adverse effects on the health and security of Croatian business entities and overall Croatian economic security. The paper presents the conclusions of the 2017 survey which comprised a sample size of the 1000 highest grossing companies operating in Croatia, along with a short comparison to the initial survey from 2010/2011. Considering that the BI system encompasses the internal, but primarily external environment of a business entity with respect to four key intelligence topics (decisions, key players, early warnings associated with possible threats or opportunities and business counterintelligence), the paper argues that a lack of knowledge on BI and low level of application of BI activities can significantly affect business continuity. In other words, non-application of business intelligence activities can lead to income loss, loss of competitive advantage, loss of data and productivity, cost increase, violation of law and regulations and even to the temporary or complete business downfall.</p

Interview with Arthur and Margaret Palmer

We are glad to publish another Interview conducted by Ivo Lucić. It was made in 2010, then sent to the editorial office in 2012, but lost in the hyperspace and found again. Luckily, the interview is just as interesting to read as at the time, it was made. We apologize to the interviewees and interviewer for the delay. The work of Art and Peggy Palmer has been an inspiration to many of us. What follows is just another confirmation of their devotion to karst &amp; caves end each other and their sincere modesty

Promoting education for sustainable development through research activities in the forest

Tema ovog diplomskog rada je Promicanje odgoja i obrazovanja za održivi razvoj istraživačkim aktivnostima u šumi. Aktivnost usmjerena na poticanje održivog razvoja i ekološke svijesti je važna sastavnica kako naučiti dijete da brine za okoliš i prirodu. Malo dijete već u prvim godinama pokazuje interes za istraživanje svijeta i za očuvanje okoliša. U prvom dijelu rada govori se o održivom razvoju i značajkama ekologije, ekologiji kao znanosti u užem i širem smislu. U radu se navodi kako da veliki problem predstavlja i nedostatak ekološke svijesti, te kao najvećeg uzročnika ugrožavanja šume i prirode navodim globalne klimatske promjene, onečišćenje zraka, ali i čovjeka. Poticanje razvojne svijesti može se provoditi na razne načine. Bitno je omogućiti djeci da izađu van i istražuju prirodu sami. Kroz praktično radne aktivnosti provedene u dječjem vrtiću „Tratinčica“ pokazalo se kako djeca uče od najranije dobi o važnosti i očuvanju šume. Kroz aktivnosti djeca su pokazala kreativnost, emocionalni rad i interakciju s ostalom djecom iz skupine.The subject of this graduate thesis is promotion of upbringing and education for sustainable development with research activities in the forest. Graduate thesis was created from the college Ecology of sustainable development in mentorship doc.dr.sc. Alme Škugor. Activity focused at encouraging sustainable development and ecological consciousness is an important component of how to teach a child to care for the environment and nature. Little child already in the first years is showing interest for researching the world and caring ofr the environment. At the beginning of thesis I wrote about sustainable development and ecology features, ecology as science in the narrower and wider sense. In thesis I am suggesting that a major problem also is the lack of ecological awareness, and as the biggest cause of forest and nature endangerment I induce global c limate changes, air pollution, but also a man. Stimulate developmental awareness can be implemented in a variety of ways. It is essential to enable children to get out and explor nature alone. Through practical work in the kindergarten "Tratinčica" it turned out that children are able to learn from the earliest age of importance and forest conservation. Through the activities, children showed creativity, emotional work and interaction with other children from the group

Nature Park Papuk

Park prirode je znanstvena i kulturno-odgojna institucija, osnovana radi održavanja prirodnog stanja, očuvanja prirodnih karakteristika i upoznavanja širokih slojeva pučanstva sa zakonitostima prirode. Zbog različitosti i raznovrsnosti flore i faune Parka, potrebna je odgovarajuća zaštita, čija osnova treba biti u prvom redu na znanstvenim spoznajama. Osobitosti Papuka predstavljaju važan segment biološke i krajobrazne vrijednosti područja Slavonije. Izuzetne reljefne karakteristike odaju burnu geološku prošlost nastanka ovog područja. Raznolikost geoloških pojava, očuvana flora i vegetacija te staništa većeg broja životinjskih vrsta, predstavljaju bogatstvo koje treba znanstveno istražiti, unaprijediti i sačuvati od štetnog utjecaja ljudi za one koji tek trebaju ovdje živjeti. U rujnu 2007. godine na sedmoj sjednici Europske Mreže Geoparkova, Papuk je postao prvi hrvatski geopark i 30. član europske mreže te član UNESCO-ve svjetske mreže geoparkova. Geopark je područje s izraženom geološkom baštinom te strategijom za održivi gospodarski razvoj i promociju te baštine na dobrobit lokalne zajednice. Geopark Papuk je dio europske i svjetske UNESCO-ve mreže geoparkova čiji su glavni ciljevi zaštita, edukacija i održivi razvoj. Novi status geoparka trebao bi podići svijest o važnosti geološke zaštite i pridonijeti promociji lokalnih i regionalnih proizvoda, obrta, događaja, festivala, lokalne tradicije te ugostiteljstva.The Nature Park is first of all a scientific, cultural and educational institution; set up to preserve natural conditions and characteristics, and to introduce wide population with the laws of nature. Because of diversity and heterogeneousness of flora and fauna of this area, the adequate protection is required, whose basis must be first of all based on scientific cognitions. The peculiarities of Papuk represent the important part of biological and landscape values in the area of Slavonia. Outstanding relief characteristics spoke of stormy geological history of origination of this area. Variety of geological phenomenon, preserved flora and vegetation, and habitats of the larger number of animal species, represents the treasure that needs to be explored, improved and preserved from the harmful influence of people for new generations of people who will live here. At the seventh European Geopark Network Open Conference, hosted by North West Highlands Geopark in September 2007, the Papuk Geopark became the first Croatian Geopark and 30th member of the European and UNESCO Global Geopark Network. A Geopark is an area with an expressed geological heritage and a strategy for a sustainable economical development, and the promotion of that very development to the benefit of the local community. The Papuk Geopark is a part of the European and Global UNESCO Geoparks Network, whose main goals are protection, education and a sustainable development. Geopark designation will raise awareness of importance of geological conservation and will contribute to promotion of local and regional products along with local crafts, events, festivals, local traditions and accommodation

CHILD’S SPECIAL GUARDIAN – INTERNATIONAL AND EUROPEAN EXPECTATIONS AND CROATIAN REALITY

The aim of this paper is to analyze the institute of the child’s special guardian in Croatian law and to assess its compliance with relevant international and European standards in this legal area. The paper discusses the right of the child to be heard “through a representative” under Article 12 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, European “child-friendly” legal representation standards and relevant cases in the latest case law of the European Court of Human Rights. The institute of special guardian in Croatian legislation and legal practice is analyzed in detail. Based on the analysis of data collected from the Special Guardianship Center and on the insight into relevant case law, the paper singles out the main problems that currently exist regarding child representation by special guardians in practice and identifies their causes, but also suggests what needs to be done to improve the application of relevant regulations in legal practice

INFORMACIJE IZ OTVORENIH IZVORA – OSNOVA ZA POSLOVNO-OBAVJEŠTAJNU DJELATNOST

The paper discusses the relationship between business intelligence (BI) and intelligence discipline based on information from open sources, better known as OSINT (open-source intelligence). The importance of the intelligence methodology – the intelligence cycle – is emphasized, which presupposes planning, systematic collection of information, its processing and analysis, and dissemination to end users. The goal is, ultimately, to make a business decision based on the knowledge. The development of BI and OSINT is discussed as well as the ideas that emerged in the 1970s when the importance of intelligence logic in the sphere of economy, and in society in general, was pointed out. Given the lack of empirical examples, the paper points out at the normative level that successful business is possible by relying on business intelligence (BI) and open-source information (OSINT), assuming the possession of analytical capacities, above all human and technological, which are capable to extrapolate the information necessary for a quality business decision from the immeasurable amount of data.Rad tematizira odnos poslovno-obavještajnog djelovanja, poznatijeg pod terminom business intelligence (BI) i prikupljačke obavještajne discipline koja počiva na informacijama iz otvorenih izvora, poznatije pod kraticom O-SINT (open source intelligence). Ističe se važnost obavještajne metodologije – obavještajnog ciklusa – koja pretpostavlja planiranje, sustavno prikupljanje informacija, njihovu obradu i analizu te diseminaciju prema krajnjim korisnicima. Cilj je, u konačnici, donošenje poslovne odluke na temelju prikupljenog znanja. U radu se govori o razvoju BI-a i OSINT-a i idejama koje su se javile sedamdesetih godina 20. stoljeća kada se ukazivalo na važnost obavještajne logike u sferi gospodarstva, ali u društvu općenito. S obzirom na nedostatne empirijske primjere, u radu se na normativnoj razini ukazuje kako je uspješno poslovanje moguće oslanjanjem na poslovno-obavještajno djelovanje (BI), odnosno informacije iz otvorenih izvora (OSINT), uz pretpostavku posjedovanja analitičkih kapaciteta, ljudskih i tehnoloških, koji su u stanju iz nemjerljive količine podataka ekstrapolirati informacije neophodne za kvalitetnu poslovnu odluku

Effects of high sucrose diet, gemfibrozil, and their combination on plasma paraoxonase 1 activity and lipid levels in rats

We investigated the influence of high sucrose diet (HSD) after 3 or 5 weeks of administration on paraoxonase 1 (PON1) activity in plasma of normolipidemic rats and the relationship between serum PON1 activity, triacylglycerides (TGs), HDL and total cholesterol vs. the control group of rats fed normal, control diet (CD). Because the data about the influence of gemfibrozil (GEM) on PON1 activity are controversial, we also investigated its effects (administration in the 4th and 5th week in rats on HSD and CD) on plasma PON1 activity and lipid levels in normolipidemic rats, and in rats with hypertriglyceridemia caused by HSD. Our results obtained in rats on HSD show a significant increase of plasma TGs levels by 47% (P<0.05) after 5 weeks of treatment, and PON1 activity by 32% and 23% (P<0.05) after 3 and 5 weeks, but without change in lipid levels vs. rats on CD. In the rats on CD and HSD, GEM caused a significant decrease of PON1 activity by 44% and 33%, while a significant decrease of TGs level by 38% (P<0.05) was measured only in rats on CD. The effects of GEM on total cholesterol, HDL and LDL in both groups of rats were typical for its action on lipoprotein metabolism. Because GEM in the rat liver stimulates proliferation of peroxisomes, β oxidation, and production of H2O2, it is possible that the oxidative stress induced by GEM damages hepatocytes and lowers the synthesis of PON1

Razvoj glikogenskog tijela u zametka purana (Meleagris gallopavo).

Development of the glycogen body was investigated in turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) embryo. The glycogen body is formed by cells rich in glycogen. To date, neither the origin of these cells nor the function of the glycogen body have been entirely clarified. The glycogen body in turkey embryo develops from the paired primordia which appear in the dorsal part of the spinal cord on both sides of the ependymal septum on the 11th day of embryonic development. On the 12th day of development the number of cells increases and fusion of the paired primordia begin dorsally and is completed on the 14th day. On the 13th day of development the paired primordia of the ventral part of the glycogen body appear ventrolaterally from the central canal. In the further course of development they gradually enclose the central canal. The total development of the glycogen body in turkey is completed on the 25th day of development. The dorsal and ventral parts are joined and the central canal of the spinal cord lies within the glycogen body.Istražen je razvoj glikogenskog tijela u zametcima purana (Meleagris gallopavo). Glikogensko tijelo građeno je od stanica ispunjenih glikogenom, a podrijetlo stanica i njegova uloga nije do danas potpuno jasna. U purana se glikogensko tijelo razvija iz parnih primordija koji se pojavljuju na dorzalnom dijelu kralježnične moždine sa svake strane ependimalnog septuma jedanaestog dana razvoja. Dvanaestog dana razvoja broj stanica raste i dorzalno započinje spajanje parnih primordija koje završava četrnaestog dana. U trinaestom danu razvoja ventrolateralno od centralnog kanala javljaju se parni primordiji ventralnog dijela glikogenskog tijela koje, postupno, u daljnjem tijeku razvoja, okružuje centralni kanal. Cjelokupni razvoj glikogenskog tijela u zametku purana završava dvadeset i petog dana razvoja kada su dorzalni i ventralni dio spojeni, a centralni kanal kralježnične moždine leži unutar glikogenskog tijela