Why are the institutional injustice and the lack of fairness omnipresent in serbia? A pragmatic assessment of plural orders of worth

Recent results from Round 9 of the European Social Survey (ESS) indicate that Serbia differs from other European countries in terms of justice and fairness. Whereas the Serbian people’s dissatisfaction relating to unjust income distribution, unfair employment chances and political institutions may not be surprising, these findings still raise a dozen questions. Situated within contemporary discussions on normativity in sociology and survey methodology, this paper aims to reassess the moral grammar of these judgments. By endorsing tenets of pragmatic sociology and its principal aim to recognize the plural modes of valuation and criticism and reflective capacities of social actors to judge and evaluate, this paper develops around few major points. First, we underline how most major approaches to axiology remain stuck in a co-determinist framework, thereby renewing a number of dualisms. Instead, we opt for a relational approach and further present how the theoretical model of Boltanski and Thevénot enables the locating of different assessments of worth. After setting our methodological framework against the “externalist” epistemology, we explore our key assumption that the above-mentioned high rates come as a problem of a feasible “truce” between the domestic regime and the civic polity, ruled by proclaimed legality, representativeness and impersonal character. We trace the problem of incorporating multiple arrangements as a problem of generality, by relating these to two layers of information acquired through the ESS. One involves the analysis of the domestic polity covering the household situation in terms of organization and unveiling the specific worth given to care and protection. Another layer is derived from regression analysis which affirms that the absence of fairness in civic polity correlates with a higher degree of worth given to the domestic one, but also that the latter situation depicts a deeper ontological puzzle about making a mild transition to the assumed “horizontality” of civic matters

Effects of temperature and dietary nitrogen on genetic variation and covariation in gypsy moth larval performance traits

To assess the plastic and genetic components of variation in responses of gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) 4th instar larvae to temperature and food quality, we applied a split-family four-environment experimental design where full-sibs were reared on two constant temperatures (23°C and 28°C) and two concentrations of dietary nitrogen (1.5 and 3.7% dry weight). A temperature of 28°C and low dietary nitrogen decreased larval weight and prolonged larval developmental time, while viability was not affected. Only a marginally significant interaction between the two environmental factors was found for larval weight. The broad-sense heritability for larval developmental time did not change across environments, and across-environment genetic correlations were close to one. Heritability for larval weight depended on environmental and across-environmental genetic correlations that were not significant. There was no evidence of a trade-off between developmental time and larval weight. The implications of the obtained results for the evolution of phenotypic plasticity in complex environments are discussed.Projekat ministarstva br. 17302

OKVIR MJERENJA UČINKOVITOSTI U HOTELIJERSTVU – SLUČAJ SLOVENIJE

Hotel organizations in transition economies must create effective competitive methods for survival, since they exist in an environment where both customer and investor are demanding more from every organization. In search of solutions they should use performance measurement system that meets the requirements of a changed environment. The aim of this paper is to present how developed is performance measurement in hotel organizations in Slovenia. The article is based on the research carried out in Slovenia in hotels with over 100 rooms. First the necessary information for various decision-making levels will be introduced together with the criteria for efficiency measurement and then the basic hypothesis will be tested by relevant statistical methods.Hotelske organizacije u tranzicijskim gospodarstvima moraju stvarati efikasne konkurentne metode preživljavanja jer se nalaze u okruženju u kojem i klijenti i investitori traže sve više od svake organizacije. U potrazi za rješenjima trebali bi koristiti sustav mjerenja učinkovitosti koji je u skladu s izazovima izmijenjenog okruženja. Cilj ovog rada je prezentirati koliko je razvijeno mjerenje učinkovitosti u hotelskim organizacijama u Sloveniji. Rad se zasniva na istraživanju provedenom u Sloveniji u hotelima s više od 100 soba. Prvo uvodimo potrebne informacije za različite razine odlučivanja zajedno s kriterijima za mjerenje efikasnosti a potom se relevantnim statističkim metodama testira osnovna hipotez

ACCOUNTING STANDARDS AS A SUPPORT FOR QUALITY DECISION MAKING

Decision making should be based on high quality information relevant for guiding companies towards achieving sustainable goals and objectives. Accounting and sustainability standards as well as chosen accounting instruments have significant impact on quality of information and possibilities of their comparison (benchmarking). This paper will present the research results of achieved level of sustainability accounting reporting system in Croatian hotel industry, especially in the field in which internal results can be used for external purposes. Outcomes of this research have great implications on the improvement of sustainability reporting system in Croatian hotel industry that is based on successful implementation of USALI and IFRS 8 standards and best EU practice. The research results indicate that Croatia has tradition of more than 20 years of segment reporting implementation, according to USALI standards, compatible with IFRS 8 (adopted from 1st January, 2009). Highest number of Croatian hotel companies report information only on two segments (room, food & beverage)significantly lower than 10th edition framework of USALI standards offer. Sustainable development information is presented only in few companies in Croatia, in order to satisfy formality, other than present useful information, made in accordance with Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). The improvement in sustainability reporting system will enhance information transparency between companies and external users, and contribute to raising awareness of sustainability issues crucial for the development of the hotel itself and entire destination. For the purpose of enhancing quality sustainable reporting system for managers and external users (especially for nonfinancial information of sustainability), criteria of financial information presented according to standards USALI & IFRS 8 were applied. Contribution of this paper is in assessing the model of internal sustainability reporting, based on the hotel management information requirements and at the same time harmonized with the legal requirements and internationally accepted standards, with the possibility of international comparison

ACCOUNTING STANDARDS AS A SUPPORT FOR QUALITY DECISION MAKING

Decision making should be based on high quality information relevant for guiding companies towards achieving sustainable goals and objectives. Accounting and sustainability standards as well as chosen accounting instruments have significant impact on quality of information and possibilities of their comparison (benchmarking). This paper will present the research results of achieved level of sustainability accounting reporting system in Croatian hotel industry, especially in the field in which internal results can be used for external purposes. Outcomes of this research have great implications on the improvement of sustainability reporting system in Croatian hotel industry that is based on successful implementation of USALI and IFRS 8 standards and best EU practice. The research results indicate that Croatia has tradition of more than 20 years of segment reporting implementation, according to USALI standards, compatible with IFRS 8 (adopted from 1st January, 2009). Highest number of Croatian hotel companies report information only on two segments (room, food & beverage)significantly lower than 10th edition framework of USALI standards offer. Sustainable development information is presented only in few companies in Croatia, in order to satisfy formality, other than present useful information, made in accordance with Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). The improvement in sustainability reporting system will enhance information transparency between companies and external users, and contribute to raising awareness of sustainability issues crucial for the development of the hotel itself and entire destination. For the purpose of enhancing quality sustainable reporting system for managers and external users (especially for nonfinancial information of sustainability), criteria of financial information presented according to standards USALI & IFRS 8 were applied. Contribution of this paper is in assessing the model of internal sustainability reporting, based on the hotel management information requirements and at the same time harmonized with the legal requirements and internationally accepted standards, with the possibility of international comparison

Study of the genetic basis of Parkinson's disease in Serbian population

Parkinsonova bolest je drugo najčešće neurodegenerativno oboljenje koje pogaĎa od 1% do 2% stanovništva starijeg od 65 godina i više od 4% stanovništva starijeg od 85 godina. Klinička prezentacija obuhvata četiri kardinalna znaka bolesti: bradikineziju, tremor u miru, rigor i posturalnu nestabilnost, kao i druge motorne i nemotorne simptome. Parkinsonova bolest se karakteriše kao multifaktorijalno oboljenje u čijem nastanku najverovatniju ulogu ima interakcija genetičkih i sredinskih faktora. Genetička osnova je veoma kompleksna i do danas je otkriveno preko 28 hromozomskih regiona koji su sa većom ili manjom sigurnošću povezani sa nastankom bolesti. Uzrok autozomno-dominantne forme bolesti najčešće su mutacije u LRRK2 genu, dok je VPS35 najskorije potvrĎen gen, asociran sa ovakvim načinom nasleĎivanja. Kod autozomno-recesivne forme su najčešće mutacije u Parkin genu, a najznačajniji faktor rizika za razvoj Parkinsonove bolesti su mutacije u GBA genu koje dovode do autozomno-recesivnog oboljenja, Gošeove bolesti. Cilj: Cilj ovog istraživanja je karakterizacija genetičke osnove Parkinsonove bolesti kod stanovništva Srbije i formiranje preporuka za genetičko testiranje bolesnika. U tom cilju je vršeno odreĎivanja učestalosti i spektra mutacija kod obolelih od Parkinsonove bolesti u genima LRRK2, Parkin, VPS35 i GBA, kao i utvrĎivanje potencijalnih korelacija genotipa sa fenotipom. Materijal i metode: U ovo istraživanje je uključeno ukupno 496 bolesnika (305 muškog i 191 ženskog pola) kojima je klinička dijagnoza Parkinsonove bolesti postavljena na Klinici za neurologiju, Kliničkog centra Srbije. Svi bolesnici su testirani na prisustvo mutacija u odabranim regionima LRRK2 i VPS35 gena metodom direktnog sekvenciranja. Detektovane promene koje do sada nisu opisane u literaturi su analizirane i kod 143 kontrolnih, neurološki zdravih subjekata, straijih od 50 godina...Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder that affects 1% to 2% of the population older than 65 years and over 4% of the population older than 85 years. Clinical presentation includes four cardinal signs of disease: bradykinesia, resting tremor, rigidity an postural instability, as well as other motor and non-motor symptoms. Parkinson’s disease is characterized as a multifactorial disorder with probable interaction of genetic and environmental factors. The genetic basis is very complex and more than 28 chromosomal regions, associated with the disease, are discovered so far. Mutations in the LRRK2 gene are the most common cause of autosomal dominant Parkinson’s disease, while the mutations in VPS35 gene are recently discovered as a new cause of dominantly inherited form of the disease. Autosomal recessive Parkinson’s disease is the most frequently linked to mutations in the Parkin gene. The strong risk factor for the development of Parkinson's disease are heterozygous mutations in the GBA gene. Homozygous and compound heterozygous mutations in GBA gene are cause of autosomal recessive Gaucher’s disease. Aim: The aim of this study was to determine genetic basis of Parkinson’s disease in Serbian population and to establish recommandations for genetic testing of patients with this disorder. It was planed to determine the frequency of mutations and the mutation spectrum in LRRK2, Parkin, VPS35 i GBA genes in Serbian patients with Parkinson’s disease and to examine correlations of genotype and phenotype. Material and methods: In this study were included 496 patients with Parkinson’s disease (305 male and 196 female) diagnosed in Neurology Clinic, Clinical Center of Serbia. The presence of mutations in selected exons of LRRK2 and VPS35 genes was analyzed by direct sequencing..

Genetic variation and correlations of life-history traits in gypsy moths (Lymantria dispar L.) from two populations in Serbia

Periodic fluctuations in density impose different selection pressures on populations of outbreaking Lepidoptera due to changes in their nutritional environment. The maternal effects hypothesis of insect outbreak predicts the transmission of this nutritional "information" to subsequent generations and alterations in offspring life-history traits. To test for these time-delayed effects of the parental generation, we compared life-history traits and their variation and covariation among laboratory-reared gypsy moths hatched from egg masses collected from low- and medium-density populations. Decreased individual performance was recorded in offspring from the medium-density population, indicating reduced egg provisioning under crowding conditions. Genetic variance and covariance were also shown to be sensitive to density of the parental generation. In gypsy moths from the medium-density population, quantitative genetic analysis revealed significantly higher broad-sense heritabilities for development duration traits and demonstrated a trade-off between development duration and body size

Effect of temperature and food quality on variability of fitness components and physiology of digestion in the gypsy moth larvae Lymantria dispar L.

Temperatura i kvalitet hrane utiču na performansu larvi gubara, Lymantria dispar L. nezavisno ili u međusobnoj interakciji. Strategije preživljavanja larvi gubara u temperaturno kao i nutritivno heterogenoj sredini obuhvataju različite tipove reverzibilne i ireverzibilne fenotipske plastičnosti, koje preko uticaja na usvajanje i raspodelu resursa utiču na osobine životne istorije i rezistentnost prema ekstremnim uslovima životne sredine. U cilju ispitivanja efekata temperature i kvaliteta hrane, tj. sadržaja proteina i ugljenih hidrata u hrani na komponente adaptivne vrednosti, kao i ekspresiju genetičke varijabilnosti, larve gubara su izložene delovanju tri različite temperature (suboptimalna, optimalna i supraoptimalna) i 4 kombinacije hranljivog sastava dijete, koje su se međusobno razlikovale kako u ukupnom sadržaju proteina i ugljenih hidrata, tako i u njihovom međusobnom odnosu. U istim eksperimentalnim uslovima ispitivana je uloga procesa varenja, odnosno aktivnosti digestivnih enzima u usklađivanju odnosa i količine unetih nutienata sa potrebama organizma na različitim temperaturama. Takođe, ispitan je uticaj nutritivne vrednosti i balansiranosti hrane na senzitivnost gubara prema stresnim temperaturama. Nepovoljne temperature i nizak sadržaj proteina u hrani, kao i disbalans proteina u odnosu na ugljene hidrate, smanjuju performansu larvi gubara. Uticaji temperature i kvaliteta hrane na komponente adaptivne vrednosti: preživljavanje, trajanje razvića, masu i relativnu brzinu rasta, uglavnom su međusobno nezavisni. Pokazano je da povišena temperatura smanjuje preživljavanje i trajanje razvića larvi ali dovodi do povećanja relativne brzine rasta. Nutritivni sastav hrane nije uticao na preživljavanje, ali je nizak sadržaj proteina u hrani dovodio do produžavanja razvića, smanjenja mase i relativne brzine rasta larvi. Relativna brzina rasta larvi je bila manja i pri visokom sadržaju ugljenih hidrata u hrani, dok je smanjenje mase larvi na hrani sa niskim sadržajem proteina bilo veće ako je i sadržaj ugljenih hidrata bio nizak...Temperature and food quality affect the performance of gypsy moth larvae Lymantria dispar L. independently or in an interaction with each other. Survival strategies of gypsy moth larvae in temperature and nutritionally heterogeneous environments include various types of reversible and irreversible phenotypic plasticity, which due to the effect of uptake and distribution of resources affect the life-history traits and resistance to extreme environmental conditions. In order to investigate the direct and interactive effects of temperature and food quality on fitness components, as well as the expression of genetic variation, gypsy moth larvae were exposed to three different temperatures (suboptimal, optimal and supraoptimal) and 4 sets of nutrient composition of the diet, which differed in protein and carbohydrate content. Under the same experimental conditions, the role of digestion and digestive enzyme activity in adjusting nutrient quantity and ratio with organism needs at different temperatures was investigated. Also, it was investigated the effect of nutritional value of the food on sensitivity of gypsy moth larvae to stressful temperatures. An adverse temperature and low protein content in food, as well as an imbalance of protein compared to carbohydrates, reduced performance of gypsy moth larvae. Effects of temperature and food quality on fitness components - survival, developmental time, larval weight and relative growth rate were mainly independent. It has been shown that elevated temperature reduces survival and duration of development, but leads to an increase of the relative growth rate. Nutritional composition of food had no effect on survival, but the low protein content led to prolonged developmental time, reduced larval weight and relative growth rate of gypsy moth larvae. The relative growth rate of larvae was lower if carbohydrate content in food was high, while larval weight reduction was greater if protein content was low and the carbohydrate content was high..

Biogenic amines in protocerebral A2 neurosecretory neurons of Lymantria dispar L. (Lepidoptera:Lymantriidae): Response to trophic stress

The number, morphometric parameters and amount of aminergic neurosecretory product of protocerebral A2 neurosecretory neurons were investigated in the fifth instar of Lymantria dispar caterpillars, following a suitable or unsuitable trophic regime. Caterpillars originated from two populations (Quercus rubra or Robinia pseudoacacia forest) and were differently adapted to trophic stress, i.e. feeding on locust tree leaves - unsuitable host plant. The number of neurosecretory neurons was higher in the caterpillars originated from Robinia population than in Quercus population, regardless of feeding. A2 neurosecretory neurons, nuclei and their nucleoli were larger in caterpillars fed with unsuitable leaves in both populations. There was more aminergic product in the A2 neurosecretory neurons of the caterpillars fed with unsuitable leaves independently of population origin