Innovation Management and Barriers – Creating Space for Innovation and Organizational Change

The major purpose of this paper is to determine the opportunities and challenges relating to successful innovation management in SMEs in German and Slovakia. The objective and the subjective stances to research comprise three interlinking philosophies: epistemology, ontology and axiology. For this study the major design elements are the explanatory and the exploratory approaches and a case study is the selected research strategy. In order to answer the research problem, numerical and textual data is gathered. The empirical research studies revealed significant cultural influence on innovation management and related organisational change associated with it. It also highlighted substantial differences between success and failure factors in SMEs and large companies and there were implications that formal innovation management was less important from SMEs than for large companies. This research identified key innovation management success factors for SMEs and made three new findings, which add to the current knowledge: innovation circles were an effective innovation management approach to generating and developing ideas and getting innovation to market quickly; government agencies that encourage firms to collaborate effectively enhance the level and success of innovation; SMEs and large companies have distinctly different rankings of barriers to innovation and small and micro firms are more effective in original product innovation and speed to market than medium sized companies

Determination of Pb and Cd in Macedonian Wines by Electrothermal Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (ETAAS)

In this study, electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS) was used for determination of lead and cadmium in Macedonian white wines. Wine samples, without prior purification, were directly injected into the ETAAS system, using matrix modifiers for Pb and Cd. The standard addition method was used for quantitative analysis of Pb and Cd content. Reliability of the method was verified by determination of selected validation characteristics. The results of the measurements indicated satisfactory precision and accuracy, confirming that the method is accurate and convenient for quantitative analysis. The lead and cadmium concentrations were ranged between 2–28.5 and 0.4–5.69 μg/L, respectively. The levels were below the maximal allowed concentration in wine and compare well with those reported for similar wines from other parts of the world

Wine Faults: State of Knowledge in Reductive Aromas, Oxidation and Atypical Aging, Prevention, and Correction Methods

The review summarizes the latest scientific findings and recommendations for the prevention of three very common wine faults of non-microbial origin. The first group, presented by the reductive aromas, is caused mainly by excessive H2S and other volatile sulfur compounds with a negative impact on wine quality. The most efficient prevention of undesirable reductive aromas in wine lies in creating optimal conditions for yeast and controlling the chemistry of sulfur compounds, and the pros and cons of correction methods are discussed. The second is browning which is associated especially with the enzymatic and non-enzymatic reaction of polyphenols and the prevention of this fault is connected with decreasing the polyphenol content in must, lowering oxygen access during handling, the use of antioxidants, and correction stands for the use of fining agents. The third fault, atypical aging, mostly occurs in the agrotechnics of the entire green land cover in the vineyard and the associated stress from lack of nutrients and moisture. Typical fox tones, naphthalene, or wet towel off-odors, especially in white wines are possible to prevent by proper moisture and grassland cover and alternating greenery combined with harmonious nutrition, while the correction is possible only partially with an application of fresh yeast. With the current knowledge, the mistakes in wines of non-microbial origin can be reliably prevented. Prevention is essential because corrective solutions for the faults are difficult and never perfect

Нови стилови на вина од сортите Темјаника, Станушина и Смедеревка

На просторите на денешна Македонија има многу вековна традиција за производство на вино. Меденото вино претставува придизвик за нови модерни вински правци. Овa истражување се фокусира на примена на модерното производство на вино и развој на традиционални и нови стилови на вино, со користење на локални сорти грозје (Темјаника и Смедеревка) и автохтона сорта (Станушина) од Тиквешкото виногорје Македонија. За прв пат се произведува и проучува нов стил на вино, добиено со додавање на мед пред ферментација, со цел да се произведат нови карактеристични медени вина со поинтензивна арома, вкус и тело. Примарната проценка на хемискиот состав на произведените вина вклучува определување на општи параметри за квалитет на виното, анализа на полифеноли и антиоксиданти. Овој сеопфатен пристап овозможува да се проучи влијанието на новите процеси на производство на вино во споредба со традиционалните. Развојот на современата винификација со примена на нов стил на локаните сорти ќе придонесе за развој на винската економија и туризмот во земјата, а со тоа ќе се зголеми значењето и препознавањето на локалните македонски сорти

Honey wine, new wine style from Temjanika, Smederevka аnd Stanušina varieties

The aim of this study was to apply a modern vinification technique and develop a new wine style of local grape varieties, Temjanika and Smederevka, as well as autochthonous Stanušina variety, all grown in the Tikveš wine region. Wines were produced with addition of two doses (20 and 40 g/L) of honey before fermentation in order to study its influence on the overall quality. The following chemical parameters were determined: alcohol, density, pH, total acidity, total sugars, glycerol, glucose, fructose, sucrose, acetic acid, tartaric acid, lactic acid and malic acid, applying FTIR analyses. Spectrophotometric determination included analysis of polyphenols and antioxidant activity. It was noticed that addition of honey influenced the content of alcohol, total sugars, as well as individual glucose and fructose, observing increasing of their content. Moreover, slightly increased total phenolics content was noticed in wines fermented with honey and almost no influence of honey was observed on the antioxidant activity, glycerol, organic acids and acetic acid content. In general, addition of honey in grape mash before fermentation could be considered as a possible technique for increasing the wine quality and stability, especially of varieties with lower quality potential. Keywords: honey wine, Temjanika, Smederevska, Stanušina, FTIR, spectrophotometry

Electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS) determination of Pb and Cd in Macedonian white wines

Wine is a very complex natural product consisting of organic and inorganic compounds that have a great influence on wine quality. Mineral composition of wines is an important factor that influences its quality as well as nutritional value. Determination of the elemental composition of wines is very important from toxicological point of view, not only since it could contain harmful elements, such as Pb, As and Cd, but also, from nutritional point of view, since wine contains essential elements for the human organism, such as Ca, Cr, Co, K, Se and Zn. In this study, lead and cadmium were determined in white wines from Smederevka, Chardonnay and Riesling varieties from Tikveš and Skopje regions, applying electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS) [1]. Wine samples were directly injected into the ETAAS system, using matrix modifiers for Pb and Cd, and obtaining peaks with good shapes, without any interference. The accuracy and precision of the method were checked, obtaining satisfactory results and confirming that the method is accurate and convenient for quantitative analysis of the harmful elements Pb and Cd in wines. The lead and cadmium concentrations ranged between 2–28.5 and 0.4–5.69 μg/L, respectively, confirming that wines did not contain these harmful elements in concentrations above the maximal allowed and wines are safety for consumption

Chemical Composition of White Wines Produced from Different Grape Varieties and Wine Regions in Slovakia

In this work, chemical parameters such as sugar (glucose and fructose) content, organic acid (total acids, malic and tartaric acids), total phenolic content and the antioxidant activity of 12 white wines (chardonnay, pinot blanc and pinot gris) from various wine regions in Slovakia were studied in order to identify differences among the varieties and wine-growing regions. The wine samples were examined by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and UV-VIS spectrophotometry (for determination of total polyphenolic content (TPC) and total antioxidant activity (TAA)) methods. Content of alcohol ranged between 11.50% and 13.80% with the mean value 12.52%. Mean content of total acids varied between 4.63 ± 0.09 and 6.63 ± 0.05 g.L−1, tartaric acid varied between 1.62 ± 0.09 and 2.93 ± 0.03 g L−1, malic acid was found in the concentrations ranged from 0.07 ± 0.05 and 2.50 ± 0.08 g L−1 and lactic acid was present between 1.53 and 0.01 g L−1. The content of fructose was, in general, higher in the samples from the Južnoslovenská and Nitrianska wine regions and glucose was higher in the Malokarpatská wine region. Chardonnay wines showed the highest content of total polyphenols and the antioxidant activity in the samples ranged from 51.06 ± 027 to 72.53 ± 0.35% inhibition of DPPH. The PCA analysis based on chemical descriptors distinguished the Nitrianska and Stredoslovenská wine regions. According to similarities among the wine samples, four main classes were formed by cluster analysis

Genetic Structure and Variability of H-FABP (HaeIII) Gene in Commercial Pig Breeds and Wild Boar in Slovakia

The heart fatty acid binding protein (H-FABP) has been decribed in several studies as a candidate gene for fat deposition (especially for IMF) in pigs. The genetic structure base on H-FABP (HaeIII) polymorphism was analysed in a population of 51 animals (Mangalica, Large White, Landrace and Wild Boar). Genetic polymorphism of gene was detected by PCR-RFLP (HaeIII). In the whole examined animal group the heterozygote genotype Dd was the most frequence (0.494

Effect of COVID-19 Locked Down on Gender Pay Gap in Slovakia in the Education Sector

Presented paper deals with the gender pay gap in the public and private education sector as an indicator of gender inequality in the labor market and seeks its determinants in close connection with the declaration of a state locked down during the COVID 19 pandemic in Slovakia. In Slovakia, this pay gap has been, in the long term, one of the highest in the European union. Slovak women earn about 22 % less than men in average, which results in them being more threatened by poverty as well as achieving lower pensions. Sectors of labor market, where women predominate, are considered to be less prestigious and are associated with lower wages, the education sector is undoubtedly one of them. Career progress of women is made even more difficult by gender stereotypes and career breaks due to maternity and they are also more burdened with household care and childcare.  Using the secondary analysis of data from the sample survey this paper analyzes the position of women in the labor market and the factors influencing the gender pay gap are examined by regression analysis. The decisive period of the analysis is considered to be the period March - May 2020, when a state locked down was declared in Slovakia in connection with the COVID 19 pandemic, which undoubtedly manifested itself in all sectors of the Slovak economy. The results show, that the gender pay gap is affected by the number of hours worked and education. However, it has also been shown, that the difference in education does not explain the gender pay gap since the gap is bigger between men and women with higher education than it is between men and women with secondary education.&nbsp

Composition of Ewe’s Lump cheese during the production season

AbstractNative sheep breeds provide milk, the raw material rich in nutrients for traditional cheese products, in selected cases labelled with the logo of the Traditional Specialty of the European Union. The study aimed to find out whether seasonal or other factors may significantly affect the composition of traditional Ewe’s lump cheese (“Ovčí hrudkový syr”) manufactured on a farm in the western region of Slovakia. For this purpose, 46 samples of fresh Ewe’s lump cheeses across the season of production undergo analysis following ISO standards focused on determining total fat, dry matter, protein, total casein, and ash. The mean values of the content of individual analytes were as follows: fat 28.60 g 100 g−1, dry matter 51.10%, protein 18.33 g 100 g−1, lactose 2.00 g 100 g−1, ash 2.16 g 100 g−1, casein 17.88 g 100 g−1. Based on statistical evaluation of the results, six significant differences have been found, namely: fat (.01), protein (.005), lactose (.005), dry matter (.05), ash (.001) and casein (.001). Considering all the evaluated aspects of such a product, the Traditional Ewe’s lump cheese presents relatively stable products in the content matter over the season