Female entrepreneurship in Serbia

Gender equality is a fundamental right, a common value of the EU, and a necessary condition for Serbia in achieving the EU’s objectives of growth, employment and social cohesion. Equal participation of women and men in decision-making symbolises the level of political maturity of societies. The work analysis of the situation and trends contributes to the implementation of the Commission’s Roadmap for Gender Equality (2006-2010), which has amongst its priorities promoting equal participation of women in decision-making, aiming to raise awareness of the situation. The majority of the data used in the work comes from the database on women which is managed by Serbian national statistics and UNDP s research data. The work shows that even if the Serbia’s efforts to increase women’s participation in decisionmaking have been consistent and certain progress has been achieved, women are still underrepresented in all spheres of power in Serbian Institutions, and in entrepreneurial activity. This remains a major challenge for democracy. If we believe in the values of democracy based on the representation and participation of citizens, then we cannot leave half of the population outside the structures of power. Gender equality is also an asset for business. Serbian economy must reap the potential of all human talent at our disposal if we are to be competitive in the face of globalization. Alongside active policy measures, one of the actions could be identified as to support activities to raise awareness of equality issues in the decision-making process in Serbia and promote research based on comparable European data, and data on countries in transition process. There is a particular focus on indicators introduced by the Council of the European Union in 1999 and 2003 as a follow-up to the Beijing Platform for Action in 1995, which was adopted by 189 states and is considered as a milestone for the enforcement of women’s rights across the world. The work presents facts and figures covering education level of women /background characteristics/, decision-making in politics, economy and public service in Serbia

Valorization of non-balanced coal reserves in Serbia for underground coal gasification

In the name of a better and safer energy future, it is our responsibility to focus our knowledge and activities to save on imported liquid and gas fossil fuels, as well as coal on which energy security of Serbia is based. The rationalization in the use of available energy resources certainly positively affects economy and the environment of a country. This paper indicates motivations for the application of the underground coal gasification process, as well as surface gasification for Serbia. The goal is to burn less coal, while simultaneously utilizing more gas from the onsite underground coal gasification, or by gasification in various types of gas generators mounted on the surface. In both cases, from the obtained gas, CO2, NOx, and other harmful gases are extracted in scrubbers. This means that further gas combustion byproducts do not pollute the atmosphere in comparison with traditional coal combustion. In addition, complete underground coal gasification power requirements could be offset by the onsite solar photovoltaic power plant, which furthermore enhances environmental concerns of the overall coal utilization

Measuring the efficiency of Serbian insurance companies

The transition period, and the still ongoing economic crisis, amplify the volatility in the domestic insurance market and forces the management of insurance companies to continuously monitor changes in the market, i.e. to identify risks and opportunities, and therefore to undertake certain activities. The focus of the business of insurance companies is based on satisfying the needs of existing and potential clients. Respecting the current situation in the insurance market in anticipation of future events, the management of insurance companies must create and implement the optimal strategy in line with the company’s capabilities. For this purpose it is necessary to measure the efficiency of the business, which is the subject of this paper where the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method is applied to the case of insurance companies operating in Serbia

Synthesis, structural characterization, biological activity and molecular docking study of 4,7-dihydroxycoumarin modified by aminophenol derivatives

In the present manuscript, three different 4,7-dihydroxycoumarin derivatives were prepared and structurally characterized by crystallographic and spectroscopic techniques in combination with the B3LYP-D3BJ theoretical method. Cytotoxic and antimicrobial activities of investigated compounds were screened against different cell lines and microorganisms. HCT-116 cells were most sensitive to the 3-(1-(2-hydroxyphenyl)amino) ethylidene)-2,4-dioxochroman-7-yl acetate derivative, while the best antimicrobial activity against Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633 was shown by 3-(1-(2- hydroxyphenyl)amino)ethylidene)-2,4-dioxochroman-7-yl acetate. The molecular docking study for all compounds with important epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR) was performed. The results indicate that the largest contribution to the binding energy is through conventional hydrogen bonds

Assessing efficiency in banking

The paper is an attempt to assess the productivity and efficiency on the basis of the information found in financial statements and operating evidence, as well as implementation of the DEA method. The definition of both input and output in banking is absolutely clear, however, an adequate analysis of efficiency in banking requires that the right combinations of input and output be selected Every company has its own principles to implement in its operations. One of the most important is surely the efficiency principle. Relevant academic literature offers various combinations of input and output in testing bank efficiency. The developing countries will find it highly important to monitor bank efficiency and compare it to the countries in the region

Measuring the Productivity of Serbian Banks Using Malmquist Index

This paper evaluates the scale of productivity change of the Bank of Serbia over the period 2007- 2010. In this research the emphasis is put on measuring the productivity based on information from the financial statements using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method and Malmquist index to estimate the individual bank efficiency and productivity changes within this period. The Malmquist productivity indices have been decomposed into technical changes of efficiency index and index of technology changes. DEA is an increasingly popular management tool. It is widely known what represents an input and what is output in banking operations, but for an adequate analysis of the efficiency or the productivity of banks it is essential to choose the right combination of inputs and outputs of the bank. In relevant academic literature various combinations of inputsand outputs could be seen for measuring the efficiency and productivity of banks. This paper shows the productivity decrease of the banking sector

Analysis of the Influence of Burden Deviation from the Designed One on the Intensity of the Blast Vibration

This paper presents an analysis of the influence of burden deviation from the designed one on the intensity of blasting vibrations through the use of laboratory and field examinations. By definition, the burden represents the shortest distance from the axis of an explosive column charge to the free surface. It should be measured along the entire hole length, although, in practice, it is often measured only on the bench surface as the shortest distance from the axis of the explosive column charge to the crest. The real surface of the bench slope (free face) can be very irregular and should be considered during every blast. The deviation of burden in the blast pattern represents a serious problem in the field during blasting operation. Burden deviation from the designed one can be greater or lesser, affecting the results of blasting through poor fragmentation and sometimes causes unwanted effects like increased blasting vibrations or fly rock. The influence of burden deviation on the intensity of blasting vibrations was tested on a laboratory model, where 8 mm diameter holes were drilled into blocks with certain dimensions. The small explosive charges placed in blastholes were initiated. The design burden was set at 30 mm, as the distance from blastholes to the free face of the blocks. Any deviation in distance greater than the designed burden was taken as a parameter for comparison. During each initiation, vibrations were measured using a seismic instrument at a distance of 150 mm from the borehole. At the same time, the free face in the front of the blastholes was photographed to create a detailed 3D model of the blasted surface of the blocks for each blasting. Each measurement is presented on a diagram and classified depending on the values of the burden in the cases where the value of the burden is equal to the designed one, as well as any deviation that is smaller or larger than 30 mm. A total of 55 tests were carried out. The results were analyzed, and the model of dependence of each burden deviation from the designed one on the intensity of blasting vibrations was established under laboratory conditions. To verify the model, the same experiments were also applied in the field. The basic parameter of the model, the coefficient K, which represents the ratio of peak particle velocity and the surfaces of the blasted material from laboratory and field testing, indicates that there is a connection between these values. The deviation of the coefficient K, obtained from laboratory and field measurements, was 5.5%

Synthesis, structural characterization, biological activity and molecular docking study of 4,7-dihydroxycoumarinmodified by aminophenol derivatives

In the present manuscript, three different 4,7-dihydroxycoumarin derivatives were prepared and structurally characterized by crystallographic and spectroscopic techniques in combination with the B3LYP-D3BJ theoretical method. Cytotoxic and antimicrobial activities of investigated compounds were screened against different cell lines and microorganisms. HCT-116 cells were most sensitive to the 3-(1-(2-hydroxyphenyl)amino) ethylidene)-2,4-dioxochroman-7-yl acetate derivative, while the best antimicrobial activity against Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633 was shown by 3-(1-(2- hydroxyphenyl)amino)ethylidene)-2,4-dioxochroman-7-yl acetate. The molecular docking study for all compounds with important epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR) was performed. The results indicate that the largest contribution to the binding energy is through conventional hydrogen bonds