15,813 research outputs found
The Media and Transition in Macedonia
Summaries In Macedonia, the media scene today, compared with five or six years ago, has a completely new structure. On the part of the print media private capital dominates, and on the part of broadcasting there are private radio and television stations which can reach more than 70 per cent of the population. But although the pluralisation is unquestionable, the democratic capacity of the media system remains undeveloped, which necessarily limits the possibilities for establishing civil society. The whole process could be named political commercialisation: the establishment of commercial broadcasters is under the patronage of the political elite. It is clear that even after the adoption of new legislation, both private and public broadcasting in Macedonia have stayed in the shadow of the government
Dijalogom prema oÄuvanju klime
This theological reflexion explores climate as a common good and looks at how dialogue can contribute to climate preservation. The paper is structured around three main points. The first point ā Raising awareness of the meaning of the common good ā starts with a question ā how much awareness of the common good is present at this time of particularism and fragmentation of life. The central purpose is the actualization of the common good, Ā»a central and unifying principle of social ethicsĀ« (Laudato siā, no. 156). Its fundamental role stems from its direct connection with global society, and, thus, the common good connects us all at a very fundamental level. The second point ā Climate protection as a common good ā centres around the farreaching consequences of climate change that create new forms of injustice and impoverishment of human beings on the planetary level. It is possible to encourage new forms of mutual collaboration and organization only through solidarity and shared preferential option for the poor. This ought to develop in the direction of thorough and crossālinked interdisciplinary discussions about the common good that will contribute to activities which preserve life on the planet and enable new generations to have a future. The third point ā Dialogue as the way forward ā highlights the key significance of dialogue when considering the issue of championing the common good. The path that leads to the common good ought to reach the whole through the realisation of the integral development of all societal stakeholders, which at the same time, includes a step towards gathering around climate protection as a common good. In this context, social teaching of the Catholic Church, with an interdisciplinary dimension (cf. Centesimus annus, no. 59), enables collaboration in the service of the common good.TeoloÅ”ka refleksija se bavi pitanjem klime kao opÄega dobra i razmatra kako dijalog može doprinijeti oÄuvanju klime. Rad je strukturiran oko tri glavne toÄke. U prvoj toÄki rada ā Posvijestiti znaÄenje opÄega dobra ā polazi se od pitanja koliko je u vremenu partikularizama i fragmentizacije života prisutna svijest o opÄemu dobru. SrediÅ”nja je nakana aktualizacija opÄega dobra, naÄela Ā»koje ima srediÅ”nju i ujedinjujuÄu ulogu u socijalnoj eticiĀ« (Laudato siā, br. 156). Temeljno mjesto koje mu se pridaje proizlazi iz njegove direktne povezanosti s globalnim druÅ”tvom, a samim time predstavlja i ono temeljno Å”to nas povezuje. U srediÅ”tu druge toÄke rada ā ZaÅ”tita klime kao opÄe dobro ā nalazi se dalekosežnost posljedica klimatskih promjena koje stvaraju nove oblike nepravdi i osiromaÅ”enja ljudi na planetarnoj razini. Tek u solidarnom i zajedniÄkom opredjeljenju za siromaÅ”ne moguÄe je poticati nove oblike zajedniÄke suradnje i organizacije. One Äe iÄi u smjeru temeljitih i umreženih interdisciplinarnih rasprava o opÄem dobru kako bi se pridonijelo djelovanjima koja Äe saÄuvati život planete i omoguÄiti buduÄnost novim generacijama. TreÄa toÄka rada ā Dijalog kao put ā pokazuje da je znaÄenje dijaloga danas od kljuÄne važnosti i kada se promiÅ”lja pitanje puta do ostvarenja opÄega dobra. To je put koji cjelinu dohvaÄa ostvarenjem cjelovitoga razvoja svih dijelova druÅ”tva, te koji istovremeno obuhvaÄa iskorak prema okupljanju oko zaÅ”tite klime kao opÄeg dobra. U tom kontekstu socijalni nauk KatoliÄke crkve, koji posjeduje interdisciplinarnu dimenziju (usp. Centesimus annus, br. 59), omoguÄuje suradnju u službi opÄega dobr
Osiguranje od rizika potresa ā najnovija kretanja i buduÄi izazovi
Potresi su jedna od najdestruktivnijih prirodnih opasnosti i mogu imati teÅ”ke ekonomske i druÅ”tvene posljedice, te posljedice vezane za zaÅ”titu okoliÅ”a. Osiguranje može pružiti važan doprinos noÅ”enju s financijskim posljedicama rizika potresa, iako se moguÄnost osiguravanja gubitaka od potresa suoÄava s brojnim izazovima. Ovaj rad obraÄuje nedostatnu osigurateljnu zaÅ”titu za ekstremne dogaÄaje usredotoÄujuÄi se na opasnosti od prirodnih katastrofa (ānat catā, engl. natural catastrophe), posebice analizirajuÄi tržiÅ”te osiguranja imovine. Nedostatna oosigurateljna zaÅ”tita (engl. protection gap) definira se kao neosigurani dio gubitaka koje je je prouzroÄio dogaÄaj, tj. razlika izmeÄu ukupnih ekonomskihi osiguranih gubitaka. Pojam āpodosiguranjeā, s druge strane, bi se mogao definirati kao razlika izmeÄu iznosa osiguranja koji je ekonomski koristan ā Å”to može ukljuÄivati neko racionalno odabrano samoosiguranje ā i iznosa koji je kupljen. KljuÄni doprinos ovog rada je identificiranje specifiÄnih izazova u vezi poveÄanja dostupnosti i koriÅ”tenja osiguranja od potresa, ukljuÄujuÄi znaÄajan potencijal za teÅ”ke, povezane gubitke od potresa, izazove u kvantificiranju izloženosti potresima i ograniÄenu spremnost na plaÄanje osigurateljnog pokriÄa meÄu domaÄinstvima i poduzeÄima. Rad pruža pregled mjera koje se mogu implementirati kako bi se smanjila veliÄina oÄekivanih gubitaka i potaknula kupnja osigurateljnog pokriÄa. Osigurateljna pokriÄa mogu biti ponuÄena od strane privatnih osiguravajuÄih druÅ”tava, putem javnih osigurateljnih shema ili neke kombinacije oba. U nizu država razvijeni su posebni programi osiguranja ili reosiguranja koje podržavaju Vlade ili kao inicijativa osigurateljnog sektora kako bi se osigurala osnovna ili sveobuhvatnija pokriÄa od rizika potresa, ponekad zajedno s pokriÄem za druge prirodne katastrofe i obiÄno ograniÄena na osiguranje stambenih prostora
SpecifiÄnosti klime Danilovgrada (Crna Gora)
Danilovgrad and the BjelopavliÄa Plain belong to the submediterranean zone of the Mediterranean climate region. The aim of this paper was to determine some specific characteristics of the Danilovgrad climate, such as the degree of continentality, aridity and bioclimatic characteristics. Data used in the research cover the period 1955-2011. The results of the study showed the dominance of the continental effect on temperature, while oceanicity was less pronounced. In hygric terms, during most of the year the climate of Danilovgrad is characterized as low humid to perhumid. Moreover, in the period October-March it is very humid, which points to the domination of oceanic influences. During the three summer months, it is dry to very dry. Based on the average monthly values of the equivalent temperature - an indicator of physiological (subjective) feeling of heat, the winter months in Danilovgrad are not assessed as very cold. It is cold in January, and in February and December it is cool. It is fresh in March and November, comfortable in April and October, and warm in May and September. In Danilovgrad, in summer it is overheated and a little muggy. All considered indicators point to quite pronounced oscillations during the year, especially in terms of humidity. Comparing the obtained results with Podgorica, it can be concluded that the climate of Danilovgrad is more continental, a bit colder and wetter.Danilovgrad je centralno i najveÄe naselje na podruÄju BjelopavliÄke ravnice u Crnoj Gori. Sa klimatskog aspekta, podruÄje BjelopavliÄke ravnice je pogodno za život i razvoj poljoprivrede. MeÄutim, u do sada poznatim klasifikacijama klime za Crnu Goru, dat je uopÅ”teni opis pojedinih regija i mesta, uglavnom na osnovu analize srednjih meseÄnih temperatura vazduha i koliÄine padavina. Za Danilovgrad se može reÄi da ima blago modifikovnu mediteransku klimu, a to znaÄi da su leta topla i priliÄno suÅ”na, a zime blage i kiÅ”ovite. Prema Kepenovoj klasifikaciji, klimatska formula Danilovgrada je Csa, proseÄna godiÅ”nja temperatura je 14,60C, a godiÅ”nja suma padavina 2.216 mm. Cilj nam je bio da klimu ovog mesta Å”to bolje i podrobnije opiÅ”emo, kroz analizu termiÄke kontinentalnosti, aridnosti i bioklimatske karakteristike. Analizom kombinovanih klimatskih elemenata, dat je kompleksniji prikaz i kvalitetnija karakterizacija klime Danilovgrada. Smatramo da Äe istraživanje imati znaÄaja za lokalnu zajednicu u smislu boljeg razumevanja prirodnog okruženja i da se dobijeni rezultati mogu primeniti u poljoprivredi, vodoprivredi i energetici, turizmu i drugim delatnostima od važnosti za buduÄi razvoj Danilovgrada i Crne Gore. TakoÄe, rezultati dobijeni u ovom radu biÄe korisni nauci, struci i opÅ”tem obrazovanju stanovniÅ”tva, jer se radi o tematici koja sve viÅ”e participira kod danaÅ”njeg Äoveka. Za razmatranje specifiÄnosti klime Danilovgrada, koriÅ”Äeni su podaci za instrumentalni period 1955-2011. Rezultati istraživanja su pokazali dominaciju kontinentalnog uticaja na temperaturu, dok je maritimnost slabije izražena. U higriÄkom smislu, tokom veÄeg dela godine klima Danilovgrada se karakteriÅ”e kao slabo humidna do perhumidna. Å taviÅ”e, u periodu oktobar - mart je veoma vlažno, Å”to govori o dominaciji maritimnih upliva. SuÅ”no do veoma suÅ”no je tokom tri letnja meseca. Prema bioklimatskim pokazateljima, ni jedan mesec se ne karakteriÅ”e kao veoma hladan. Na osnovu srednjih meseÄnih vrednosti ekvivalentne temperature, koja je koriÅ”Äena kao pokazatelj fizioloÅ”kog (subjektivnog) oseÄaja toplote, tokom januara je hladno, a u februaru i decembru veoma prohladno. Sveže je u martu i novembru, ugodno u aprilu i oktobru, a toplo u maju i septembru. U Danilovgradu je leti pregrejano i malo zaparno. Svi razmatrani pokazatelji ukazuju na priliÄno izražene oscilacije tokom godine, naroÄito u pogledu vlažnosti. Dobijeni rezultati ukazuju da Danilovgrad ima sliÄne termiÄke, higriÄke i bioklimatske karakteristike kao Podgorica (BuriÄ et al., 2007), jer je rastojanje izmeÄu ova dva grada oko 20 km. Ipak, Danilovgrad je viÅ”e kontinentalniji, malo hladniji i vlažniji od Podgorice
Profitability Determinants of the Macedonian Banking Sector in Changing Environment
AbstractThis paper analyzes bank-specific, industry-specific and macroeconomic determinants of bank profitability. Dynamic panel analysis is applied on the sample of 16 banks in the Macedonian banking system in the period between 2005 and 2010. According to the obtained results, among internal factors of bank profitability, the most important one is operating expense management. Further, the profitability is influenced by solvency risk and liquidity risk. Regarding the external variables, economic growth, banking system reform and concentration show significant effect on bank profitability in the Republic of Macedonia
Opazovanje in simulacija nestabilnih pogojev med kontinuirnim litjem
Continuous casting comprises thermal, mechanical and chemical processes running in a complex system that contains a number of elements, such as a solidifying steel strand, a mould with an oscillation mechanism, a withdrawal mechanism, a water cooling sub-system with nozzles, several control sub-systems, etc. An external observer might see the process as robust and stable, but in reality there are fluctuations in the internal thermal and mechanical quantities, reflected in the structure and quality of the product. The research on unsteady behaviour of the quantities such as a solidifying strand temperature field, solid shell thickness and metallurgical length was conducted using an industrial diagnostic system DGS complemented with special measurement equipment and a thermal numerical model. Selected results of the monitoring and simulation of the non-standard process states are shown and analysed in the paper. Methods for determining the boundary conditions for the numerical model are also presented. The effect of the Leidenfrost phenomenon on the heat-transfer coefficient during water cooling by nozzles is also discussed. Since the determination of precise and immediate boundary conditions has technical limits, the model provides only smoothed values in time and space. As knowledge of the instantaneous state of the fluctuating process is a prerequisite for achieving quality and defect-free production, it is appropriate to complement the thermal numerical model by on-line monitoring of the machine's internal state. The results of the simulations are closely linked to the real process data.Kontinuirno litje obsega termiÄne, mehanske in kemiÄne procese, ki teÄejo v kompleksnem sistemu, ki vsebuje vrsto elementov,
kot so: strjujoÄa se jeklena žila (gredica), kokila z oscilacijskim mehanizmom, izvleÄni mehanizem, vodno hlajenje s podsistemom
hladilnih Å”ob, veÄ kontrolnih podsistemov itd. Zunanji opazovalec lahko vidi proces kot robusten in stabilen, toda v
resnici imamo vrsto fluktuacij (nihanj) internih termiÄnih in mehanskih veliÄin in kakovosti produkta (nastajajoÄe konti lite
gredice). Raziskave (Äasovno) nestabilnega obnaÅ”anja veliÄin, kot so: temperaturno polje strjujoÄe se konti gredice, debelina
trdne skorje in metalurÅ”ka dolžina, so avtorji prispevka izvajali z industrijskim diagnostiÄnim sistemom (DGS), dopolnjenim s
specialno merilno opremo in termiÄnim numeriÄnim modelom. V Älanku avtorji predstavljajo izbrane rezultate analiz,
opazovanja in simulacije nestandardni procesnih stanj. Prav tako predstavljajo metode doloÄevanja robnih pogojev za numeriÄni
model. Diskusija obsega tudi t.i. Leidenfrostov fenomen in njegov vpliv na koeficient prenosa toplote med vodnim hlajenjem s
Å”obami. Za natanÄno doloÄitev vsakokratnih robnih pogojev obstajajo tehniÄne omejitve. Zato so v postavljenem modelu
uporabljene le zglajene vrednosti v realnem Äasu in prostoru. Poznavanje trenutnega stanja ves Äas spreminjajoÄega stanja, je
predpogoj za doseganje kvalitetne proizvodnje brez napak. Zato je primerno uporabljati termiÄni numeriÄni model s tekoÄim
(on-line) oz. neposrednim spremljanjem internega stanja na konti livni napravi. Predstavljeni rezultati so tesno povezani z
realnimi procesnimi podatki.Web of Science52211711
IDENTIFICATION OF SOME AUTOCHTHONOUS AND REGIONAL GRAPEVINE VARIETIES ACCORDING TO O.I.V. DESCRIPTORS FOR CERTAIN CHARACTERISTICS
Our studies included some autochthonous and regional grape varieties grown in the Republic of North Macedonia. The autochthonous varieties were examined - White winter, Konchanka, Stanushina, Ohrid black and Ohrid white, and the regional varieties - Vranec, Prokupec, Smederevka, Zilavka and Zupljanka were examined. The tests were divided into three methodological units. The first method was applied to all varieties - data collection, history and comparison with other tests. The second method was performed on all varieties - ampelographic identification because we had samples from all varieties. In some of the varieties, the third method was performed, that is, genetic (DNA) identification was made in the period from 2010 to 2020 in different examination centers and at different times. The results are compared with the results of a study by Professor M. Aradhya of the USDA Research Center, Davis CA, USA. He has performed a wide range of genetic identification on a number of autochthonous varieties in Europe and Asia, including varieties in the Balkans. With the second method of examination - ampelographic identification according to O.I.V. descriptors we got the most realistic results. An ampelographic description of certain characteristics of the individual organs of the vine was performed and it was concluded that the varieties according to their anatomical and physiological characteristics belong to 2 groups: ecological-geographical group Black Sea varieties, subgroup Balcanica and ecological-geographical group Eastern varieties, subgroup Antasiatica
Effects of abandonment on plant diversity in seminatural grasslands along soil and climate gradients
Questions: What are the effects of abandonment on plant diversity in semi-natural grasslands? Do the effects of abandonment on taxonomic and functional diversity vary along environmental gradients of climate and soil? Location: West and mid-Norway. Methods: Plant composition was surveyed in 110 subplots of 4 m2 in 14 sites across grazed and abandoned semi-natural grasslands. Climate data were extracted and soil composition analysed. To reduce the number of explanatory variables and deal with collinearity, we performed PCA. Data on the plant species vegetative height (H), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), specific leaf area (SLA), seed mass (SM) and number of seeds per plant (SNP) for 175 species were extracted from the LEDA database. Measures of plant diversity (species richness, CWM of functional traits and functional diversity (evenness and range)) were calculated for each subplot. To estimate the effects of abandonment on plant diversity and examine how these effects are moderated by gradients in soil and climate, we fitted mixed models to the data including site as a random effect. Results: Species richness in the subplots was lower in abandoned semi-natural grasslands, especially on more calcareous soils. CWM H, LDMC and SM were higher in abandoned semi-natural grasslands. CWM LDMC was only higher in the driest subplots. The ranges in H, SLA and SM, as well as evenness in LDMC were also higher in abandoned semi-natural grasslands, but the range in LDMC was lower. Conclusions: It is important to assess both taxonomic and functional diversity to understand ecosystem processes. The species pool in ecosystems influenced by a long history of intermediate grazing includes a high proportion of low stature, grazing-tolerant plant species. Abandonment of extensive land-use practices will cause a decline in taxonomic diversity (plant species richness) in such systems due to increased abundance of plants with high stature that outcompete the lower, grazing-tolerant plants. This process is predominant especially if moisture, soil fertility and pH are at intermediate levels. Changes in species communities due to abandonment will also influence ecosystem functioning, such as nutrient turnover and fodder production resilience. (RƩsumƩ d'auteur
Individualistic responses of forest herb traits to environmental change
Intraspecific trait variation (ITV; i.e. variability in mean and/or distribution of plant attribute values within species) can occur in response to multiple drivers. Environmental change and land-use legacies could directly alter trait values within species but could also affect them indirectly through changes in vegetation cover. Increasing variability in environmental conditions could lead to more ITV, but responses might differ among species. Disentangling these drivers on ITV is necessary to accurately predict plant community responses to global change.
We planted herb communities into forest soils with and without a recent history of agriculture. Soils were collected across temperate European regions, while the 15 selected herb species had different colonizing abilities and affinities to forest habitat. These mesocosms (384) were exposed to two-level full-factorial treatments of warming, nitrogen addition and illumination. We measured plant height and specific leaf area (SLA).
For the majority of species, mean plant height increased as vegetation cover increased in response to light addition, warming and agricultural legacy. The coefficient of variation (CV) for height was larger in fast-colonizing species. Mean SLA for vernal species increased with warming, while light addition generally decreased mean SLA for shade-tolerant species. Interactions between treatments were not important predictors.
Environmental change treatments influenced ITV, either via increasing vegetation cover or by affecting trait values directly. Species' ITV was individualistic, i.e. species responded to different single resource and condition manipulations that benefited their growth in the short term. These individual responses could be important for altered community organization after a prolonged period
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