THE CHARACTERISTICS OF FRUITFULNESS OF SOME INTERSPECIES GRAPEVINE CULTIVARS

The results of important agro-biological and technological characteristics of three grapevine interspecies cultivars (Medina, Gecej Zamatos, and Kristala) are presented in this study. The following parameters were monitored: the total number of developed shoots, the number of fertile shoots, the number of bunch per vine, grape yield, fertility coefficient, the average bunch weight, yield per hectare, bunch and berry structural indicators and grape quality expressed through the content of sugar in must. Statistically significant differences were determined between the examined varieties regarding following characteristics: the number and yield of bunches per vine, structural indicators of berries and sugar content in must. The analysis of the obtained results related with the analyzed grape varieties in the agro-ecological conditions of Northern Bosnia showed that those varieties can successfully be cultivated in similar or identical agro-ecological conditions

The Need for Standardization in SMEs Networks

Many SMEs networking initiatives failed because of the absence of trust among companies and between companies and government, leadership and management approaches as well as absence of entrepreneurial skills in managing business networks. Even though local governments or regional agencies have a capacity to mobilize actors from the public and private sectors, generic public initiatives are proved not to be enough. The private sector should also be supported in gathering around joint interests and solving their mutual problems, thus improving business and competitiveness. Research, management and policy instruments to support SMEs will need to have some other directions. Can standardization be one of the directions? The main objective of this paper is to present some aspects of need for standardization in SMEs networking initiatives. The solution to actual or potential matching problems (intended and expected to be used repeatedly or continuously, during a certain period, by a substantial number of parties for whom they are meant) can be formalized as standard. The standard development process can serve as basis for building connections and trust among cluster members. Even though some researche emphasizes the role of ad hoc de facto standards as well as standardization in the contexts of achievement of the optimum degree of order in SMEs networks, specific experience is evident in all cases, but experience in design of ad hoc de facto standards and standardization management are still missing

Student Perception of Benefits from Being Engaged in International Case Study Competitions

The main aim of this research paper is to present experience of the students who participated in international business case competitions from Serbia. The findings indicate the six main benefits for students at case competitions are: skills improvement, knowledge, contacts, self-realization, employment opportunity and the role of mentor. Additionally, we identified some perceived advantages of domestic students compared to colleagues/students from developed countries: presentation, preparation for competition, creativity, multidisciplinary approach to problems and teamwork, while the perceived advantages of colleagues/students from developed countries are: more advanced business environment, the availability of multiple sources for learning, more practical experience, student exchange programs, larger budgets and university reputation. This paper shows the innovative way of active learning for business schools through business case competitions valuably contributes to gaining skills and knowledge, personal improvement for students and better preparing them for their future caree

The Factors Affecting the Environmental Practices of Companies: The Case of Serbia

Environmental practices are often considered external to the business, and the impacts of self-regulation and other CSR company practices on environmental practices are important but not fully understood—especially in transitional and developing countries. The aim of this paper is to explore factors that influence the environmental practices of companies operating in Serbia. We observed four types of self-regulations (core values, codes of conduct, ISO 9001, and ISO 14001); the level of CSR practices in relationships with employees, customers, the local community, and society, and related to business transparency; as well as company features related to types of operations (manufacturing vs. service), size, and internationalization (multinational ownership and export activities). Based on the SEM analysis of data collected from 178 companies operating in Serbia, the findings showed that smaller, manufacturing companies that applied the observed types of self-regulations, which have a higher level of employee relations and are more social and community involved, are more likely to have higher levels of environmental practice. Among the observed self-regulation types, only ISO 14001 certification proved to have an individual effect on company environmental practices. However, our results also showed that the influence of core values, applied codes of conduct, and ISO 9001 certification cannot be neglected

Certification to compensate gender prejudice–Analysis on impact of management system certification on export

Management system certification signals that the organization meets international standards, which provides a certain confidence in the company. This confidence is in particular needed for exporting companies in developing countries. Because the business world is dominated by men, female leadership might be another reason to have less confidence in a company. Women-led companies may therefore benefit more from certification. Therefore, this study empirically tests the impact of certification on export, and the moderating effect of female leadership. We use data from enterprise surveys conducted by the World Bank in 2013 that include 4111 firms from 25 Central and Eastern European countries in transition. We implement a recursive bivariate probit model and an extensive sensitivity analysis to account for endogeneity issues. Results confirm that certification and export are positively correlated. Firms managed by females benefit more from certification based on international standards than firms managed by men, especially in the service sector. This suggests that certification compensates for the possibly negative connotations of female leadership. Female managers may consider implementing a management system and get it certified, resulting in a competitive advantage in export markets. Our findings provide food for thought for purchase managers–are they free from prejudice?

Prevalence, Intensity and Risks Involved in Helminth Infections in Domestic Mountain Pony and Balkan Donkey in Na-ture Park Stara Planina, Serbia

Background: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, intensity and risk factors (age and gender) promoting the intestinal helminthic infections of the Domestic mountain ponies and Balkan donkeys in Serbia. Methods: Prevalence, intensity and risk factors influencing helminth infection in horses (n=39) and donkeys (n=18) at the site of Nature Park Stara Planina, were studied from May to Sep 2015. The presence of one or several gastrointestinal helminth species was confirmed by faecal flotation in 97.43% of horses and 88.88% of donkeys included in the monitoring. The identified helminth species were Trichostrongylus axei, Strongylus edentatus, S. vulgaris, Parascaris equorum, Dictyocaulus arnfieldi and Anoplocephala magna in 84.61%, 46.15%, 5.13%, 58.97%, 94.87% and 38.46% of horses, respectively. The significant association of infection with P. equorum and sex of horses was established. (χ2=13.33, P<0.01). Results: The prevalence of parasitic helminths identified in donkeys was the following: D. arnfieldi, T. axei, Pa. equorum, S. vulgaris, A. margna and Strongyloides westeri in 55.55%, 38.89%, 27.78%, 22.22% and 22.22% of donkeys, respectively. Moreover, the mean faecal egg count was higher in donkeys (369.9 EPG - egg per gram) than in horses (250.2 EPG). The association between the age and the mean EPG was significant (P<0.05) in both equine species. Conclusion: The results of the investigation provided basic information that can be helpful for planning strategic control of nematode infection in equine population in Nature Reserves in Serbia

Modulation of Cancer Cell Autophagic Responses by Graphene-Based Nanomaterials: Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Implications

Graphene-based nanomaterials (GNM) are plausible candidates for cancer therapeutics and drug delivery systems. Pure graphene and graphene oxide nanoparticles, as well as graphene quantum dots and graphene nanofibers, were all able to trigger autophagy in cancer cells through both transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms involving oxidative/endoplasmic reticulum stress, AMP-activated protein kinase, mechanistic target of rapamycin, mitogen-activated protein kinase, and Toll-like receptor signaling. This was often coupled with lysosomal dysfunction and subsequent blockade of autophagic flux, which additionally increased the accumulation of autophagy mediators that participated in apoptotic, necrotic, or necroptotic death of cancer cells and influenced the immune response against the tumor. In this review, we analyze molecular mechanisms and structure–activity relationships of GNM-mediated autophagy modulation, its consequences for cancer cell survival/death and anti-tumor immune response, and the possible implications for the use of GNM in cancer therapy