Significance of color doppler ultrasonography in the assessment of pancreatic carcinoma vascular invasion

Background/Aim. It is highly appreciated to provide exact data on vascular invasion of pancreatic carcinoma relying as much as possible on non-invasive diagnostic procedures. Color Doppler ultrasonography has been proven as an efficient method for clinical staging of pancreatic carcinoma essential for therapeutic decisions. The aim of this study was to provide an analysis of the sensitivity and specificity for color Doppler ultrasonography in patients suffering from pancreatic carcinoma. Methods. We performed color Doppler ultrasonography examination in 43 patients with pancreatic carcinoma prior to the surgery. The findings of ultrasonography on neoplasm vascular invasion were correlated to the findings obtained during the subsequent surgical procedures. An estimation of neoplastic invasion of certain blood vessels including portal vein, celiac trunk, and superior mesenteric artery and vein is critical for decision making regarding surgical treatment. The patients with metastases of pancreatic carcinoma were excluded from the study. Results. Comparing color Doppler and the surgical findings we estimated the sensitivity for detection of neoplastic vascular invasion ranging from 79−93%, whereas the specificity range was from 83−93%. Conclusion. Color Doppler ultrasonography is a sufficiently sensitive and specific method for evaluation of vascular invasion in pancreatic carcinoma patients. Since color Doppler ultrasonography is a non-invasive, radiation free, and inexpensive diagnostic tool, considering also the results of this and similar studies we could strongly recommend its use for an initial presurgical evaluation of vascular invasion in pancreatic carcinoma patients

Analysis of Indicators of Corporate Responsibility in Road Freight Transport: Results of Transport Companies and FMCG Retailers in Serbia

The aim of this paper is the analysis of indicators of corporate responsibility in road freight transport, with special emphasis on freight transport and delivery to Fast Moving Consumers Goods (FMCG) retailers and final consumer. The main task is to rank the importance of corporate responsibility indicators in freight transport from the perspective of the management of transport companies, as well as management of retail stores. In this context, empirical research was conducted on a sample of 124 managers of transport enterprises and 181 managers of FMCG retailers in Serbia. The results showed that the impact of indicators does not depend on the region, transport company and retail store. The indicators show a statistically significant dependence on FMCG type that is being transported. The conducted analysis and achieved results are important in practice as they show to the management of transport companies which indicators should be developed, so that customers (retailers), and thus the users of final products are satisfied. Disadvantages of the existing research and suggestions for future studies are provided in the paper

CO NSUMERS’ AGE AND WORD OF MOUTH

Turbulent marketing environment, where the consumers’ economic and social roles in general are transforming, has caused businesses to accept the fact that consumer choice and decision making comprise a single social process, which does not depend only on the impact of companies’ marketing mix elements on the consumers, but that this complex process is most determined by individual or group-based interactions and relationships between the consumers themselves through word-of-mouth communication. Consumer behaviour at the market is determined by many factors, and is therefore characterized as very complex and difficult to predict. Consumers’ age is one amongst many important factors that marketing theory and practice research on a daily basis. This paper attempts to address the impact of consumers’ age on creation and diffusion of word of mouth resulting in purchase decision, and tries to point out some directions of thinking and future research, based on the experience from the Republic of Serbia

Key Indicators of Physical Distribution of Goods: A Case Study of the Western Balkans

The aim of this paper is to improve the process of physical distribution of consumer goods in the Western Balkans region through defining and analyzing key indicators of physical distribution. Theoretical research identified the most important indicators that affect physical distribution, such as: transport costs, quality of delivery, condition of vehicles, customer relations, and institutional/regulatory factors. The empirical study was conducted on a sample of 166 respondents in the distribution centers and transport companies and 146 end customers. Multiple regression analysis defined the individual contribution of each of these indicators to the process of physical distribution of goods. A comparison of results between the Western Balkan countries that are EU member states and those that are non-EU countries showed statistically significant differences in the impact of these indicators. Based on the obtained results, a model of physical distribution of consumer goods was presented. The results show to managements of distribution centers and transport companies which indicators should be developed to ensure timely and complete delivery of goods according to the 7P concept and thereby create a base of satisfied and loyal end users of transport services. Recommendations for future research are provided in the paper

The importance of applying the comparative method in evaluation of agricultural equipment

Istinito vrednovanje poljoprivredne opreme kojom upravlja menadžment poduzeća opći je standard realnog izvještavanja: vlasnika, osnivača poduzeća, lokalne samouprave (ukoliko je riječ o javnom poduzeću), kao i u drugim okolnostima (primjerice prilikom fuzioniranja ili spajanja poduzeća). Cilj rada je na temelju provednog istraživanja u poduzeću srednje veličine, koje se bavi poljoprivrednom djelatnošću u Republici Srbiji, doći do relevantnih zaključaka. Istraživanje je, po mišljenju autora, moguće primijeniti u većem broju, prije svega srednje velikih poljoprivrednih poduzeća na prostoru Srbije, ali i šire, na prostorima bivše Jugoslavije. Bitno olakšanje u primjeni pravilnog vrednovanja opreme poduzeća je kontinuirana harmonizacija i primjena Međunarodnih računovodstvenih standarda i Međunarodnih standarda financijskog izvještavanja u zemljama EU, ali i u zemljama koje žele ući u tu zajednicu.True evaluation of agricultural equipment which manages the company’s management is a common standard of real reporting: owner, founder of the company, the local government (in case of a state owned company), as well as other circumstances (such as merger or sale of the company). The aim of this paper is to reach relevant conclusions about midsize businesses that exist in the agricultural industry in the Republic of Serbia. The research done shows that same principles can be applied in a number of primarily medium-sized agricultural enterprises on the territory of Serbia, as well as beyond, in the area of the former Yugoslavia. It is essential to facilitate the implementation of proper evaluation of equipment for the companies which continue to harmonize and implement their businesses according to the International Accounting Standards and International Financial Reporting Standards in the EU, and in the countries aspiring to enter the community

Application of international accounting standard-16 in a public company with predominantly agricultural activities

This work suggests the existence of a number of advantages for companies that have opted for the application of International Accounting Standards. Their application allows fair reporting, which is extremely important for countries in transition, as well as for those countries that have not applied IAS. The authors carried a study related to full application of IAS 16 to 114 companies, of which 10 are public and 104 other companies are from the wider area of Novi Sad, in the period 2010–2015. In addition, the study of the case of public companies is done in order to demonstrate the situation before and after the valuation of assets and equipment as at 30 June 2012. The state after 3 years is fairly shown on 30 June 2015, all in order to make valid conclusions regarding fair reporting of the public enterprises. It can be concluded that the application of IAS 16 has multiple benefits by companies that fully apply fair reporting in its operations

Impact of different light intensity on the production of the plant Narcissus L. and its financial effects

Plant production monitoring should be conducted taking into consideration agrarian, economic and other factors. The authors of the paper point out the importance of the intensity of light on plant growing in predominantly urban growing conditions. The authors conducted an experimental research on Narcissus L. The focus was on 8 physical parameters of cultivated plants that are compared to average actual prices on the market of the Republic of Serbia. The contribution of authors is in pointing out an individual physical plant parameter with a decisive impact on its price. Narcissus L. growing under lower natural light intensity indicates that the biggest impact on plant price is that of the flower diameter (β = .555, п≤.001). Plant growing under higher light intensity has an impact on its price predominantly on the basis of the flower diameter (β=2.947, p≤.001) and stalk diameter (β = 2.947, п≤.001)

Options and prospects on processing less hazardous organic waste into a profitable product: case of compost production in the Republic of Serbia

Korištenje prirodnih resursa na pametan i održiv razvoj predstavlja dugotrajan proces, gdje se putem osmišljenog agrobiznisa može putem finalizacije naizgled bespredmetnih proizvoda stvoriti ekonomski, ekološki i funkcionalno koristan proizvod. Cilj rada je na temelju provednog istraživanja u Republici Srbiji doći do relevantnih zaključaka vezanih za stvaranje opće slike o perspektivama prerade otpada u ekonomski isplative proizvode. Istraživanje daje opću sliku značaja prerade manje opasnog proizvoda u kompost. Po mišljenju autora, moguća je primjena prerade otpada u korisne proizvode i na širem području od prostora Republike Srbije, odnosno poželjna je i moguća je, na prostorima, prije svega bivše Jugoslavije, uz uvažavanje ekonomsko-ekološki prihvatljivih principa zemljama Europske Unije (EU).Use of natural resources in a wise and sustainable development is a long process in which a reasonable agribusiness can take part by using the seemingly superfluous products to create economic, environmental, functional and useful products. This paper is based on a research done in the Republic of Serbia with the aim to reach relevant conclusions on the prospects of processing waste into economically viable products. The survey gives an overall picture of the options and prospects of processing less hazardous products into compost. According to the author it is possible to apply the processing of waste into useful products in the wider area of the Republic of Serbia, and moreover it is a desirable and possible course of action for all of former Yugoslavia, taking into account economic and environmentally friendly principles applicable in the EU countries

Značaj sadnje biljka na degradiranim javnim površinama sa agro-ekološkog i ekonomskog aspekta na primeru biljke neven (Calendula officinalis L.)

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the introduction of certain plant species such as pot marigolds (Calendula officinalis L.) into neglected and predominantly urban spaces in the Republic of Serbia. The research was based on the results obtained in a two-year experiment conducted in the vicinity of the Novi Sad-Backa Palanka road. The primary objective of the experiment was to examine the behaviour of pot marigolds in poor-quality and neglected soils, with minimum cultural practices, in order to obtain novel plants in such adverse environments, which could be subsequently marketed in Serbia. The experiment commenced in 2014 by planting pot marigolds in plots previously cleared of weeds by mechanical tilling. In the spring of 2015, pot marigold seedlings, i.e. the first generation of plants obtained from the plots created in 2014, were planted in weed-free plots. The measurements were performed in three replicates from 10 October to 10 December 2015 in order to determine the number of volunteer plants, which could be further improved in nursery production and subsequently marketed in Serbia. The results obtained indubitably indicate that this and prospective studies exert positive ecological, agricultural and economic effects on a vast range of potential users.U ovom radu autori analiziraju uvođenje sadnje pojedinih biljnih vrsta, na primeru biljke nevena (Calendula officinalis L.) i to na zapuštenim površinama, pretežno gradskim parcelama u Republici Srbiji. Za izradu ovog rada korišteni su dvogodišnji eksperimentalni rezultati koji su dobijeni na prostoru oboda Grada Novog Sada, u neposrednoj blizini saobraćajnice na putu Novi Sad-Bačka Palanka. Prvenstveni interes autora je bio da se eksperimentalno ispita ponašanje pomenute biljne vrste, koja je sađena u lošim i zapuštenim zemljištima, uz minimalnu mehaničku pripremu zemljišta, sa ciljem dobijanja novih biljaka koje nastaju na takvom prostoru, a koje se mogu dalje prodati na tržištu, pre svega Republike Srbije. Eksperiment je počeo tokom 2014., nabavkom biljaka koje su posađene na zemljištu koje je prethodno mehanički očišćeno od korovskih biljaka, da bi bio nastavljen tokom 2015. Početkom proleća naprethodno očišćenom zemljištu od korova posađene su mlade biljke nevena (Calendula officinalis L.), koje su u suštini prva generacija prethodno sađenih biljaka. Rezultati merenja su vršeni u tri navrata i to u intervalu od 10.10. do 10.12.2015., sa ciljem utvrđivanja broja samoniklih biljaka koje se mogu dalje doraditi u rasadničkoj proizvodnji. Cilj ovakve dorade bi bio prodaja, pre svega na tržištu Republike Srbije. Dobijeni rezultati jasno ukazuju, da ova i slična ispitivanja imaju ekološko-agrarni i ekonomski značaj. Krajnji efekti su pozitivni i ispoljavaju svoje delovanje na širi krug mogućih korisnika

Correlation of Patient-Reported Outcome (PRO-2) with Endoscopic and Histological Features in Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Disease Patients

Background and Objectives. Determination of inflammatory bowel disease activity determines further therapeutic approach and follow-up. The aim of our study was to investigate correlation between patients' reported symptoms and endoscopic and histological disease activity. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted in consecutive newly diagnosed patients with inflammatory bowel disease in a tertiary care referral center. The initial evaluation included patient-reported outcome for stool frequency subscore and rectal bleeding. Endoscopic activity was determined using the Mayo scoring system for ulcerative colitis and the Simple Endoscopic Score for Crohn's disease. Histopathological activity was assessed using a validated numeric scoring system. Results. We included 159 patients (63 Crohn's disease with colonic involvement and 96 with ulcerative colitis). We found significant correlation between the Mayo endoscopic subscoring system and histology activity in ulcerative colitis, while no correlation was found in patients with Crohn's disease. Patient-reported outcome showed inverse correlation with endoscopic and histological activity in Crohn's disease (rs=-0.67; rs=-0.72), while positive correlation was found in ulcerative colitis (rs=0.84; rs=0.75). Interpretation and Conclusions. Patient-reported outcome is a practical and noninvasive tool for assessment of disease activity in ulcerative colitis patients but not in Crohn's disease