Income Inequality and Social Policy in Serbia

Using 2006-2009 HBS data, we study poverty and inequality in Serbia and compare income-group impacts of different social policy programmes. Methodological innovations of the paper are: testing validity of OECD equivalence scale by HAC procedure and replacing it with per capita measurements, use of quantile regression and recursive estimation in defining income groups with specific responses, and testing group effects (partitioned coefficients) of policy programmes in the frame of panel methodology. The confirmed hypotheses are: income inequality is decreasing as a consequence of social policy measures, except for in the last observed year, but these effects vary in different income-groups.inequality, transition, social policy, Serbia, quantile regression, panel model

Ekonometrijsko ocenjivanje produktivnosti živog rada i CES proizvodna funkcija

Analitički problemi praćenja uticaja živog rada kao proizvodnog faktora zahtevaju zamenu pokazatelja koji ima karakter stoka s pokazateljem toka, ali i rešenje nehomogenosti vrsta rada

Ekonometrijsko ocenjivanje produktivnosti ljudskog i tehničkog faktora

Merenje produktivnosti faktora proizvodnje omogućava određivanje njihovog vrednosnog doprinosa ukupnoj proizvodnji, što ima izuzetan ekonomski značaj. Tradicionalna ekonomska teorija predstavlja proizvodnu funkciju uz pretpostavku da postoje dva utroška (rad i kapital), koji su kontinuelno varijabilni i supstitabilni u svakoj vrednosti funkcije. Zbog toga se proizvodna funkcija koristi za izražavanje efikasnosti proizvodnih mogućnosti na bazi tokova uloženog rada i usluga postojećeg kapitalnog stoka, pri čemu se pretpostavlja da su problemi tehnološke maksimizacije već rešeni

Mirasol PRT system inactivation efficacy evaluated in platelet concentrates by bacteria-contamination model

Background/Aim. Bacterial contamination of blood components, primarily platelet concentrates (PCs), has been identified as one of the most frequent infectious complications in transfusion practice. PC units have a high risk for bacterial growth/multiplication due to their storage at ambient temperature (20 ± 2°C). Consequences of blood contamination could be effectively prevented or reduced by pathogen inactivation systems. The aim of this study was to determine the Mirasol pathogen reduction technology (PRT) system efficacy in PCs using an artificial bacteria-contamination model. Methods. According to the ABO blood groups, PC units (n = 216) were pooled into 54 pools (PC-Ps). PC-Ps were divided into three equal groups, with 18 units in each, designed for an artificial bacteria-contamination. Briefly, PC-Ps were contaminated by Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus or Escherichia coli in concentrations 102 to 107 colony forming units (CFU) per unit. Afterward, PC-Ps were underwent to inactivation by Mirasol PRT system, using UV (l = 265-370 nm) activated riboflavin (RB). All PC-Ps were assayed by BacT/Alert Microbial Detection System for CFU quantification before and after the Mirasol treatment. Samples from non-inactivated PC-P units were tested after preparation and immediately following bacterial contamination. Samples from Mirasol treated units were quantified for CFUs one hour, 3 days and 5 days after inactivation. Results. A complete inactivation of all bacteria species was obtained at CFU concentrations of 102 and 103 per PC-P unit through storage/ investigation period. The most effective inactivation (105 CFU per PC-P unit) was obtained in Escherichia coli setting. Contrary, inactivation of all the three tested bacteria species was unworkable in concentrations of ≥ 106 CFU per PC-P unit. Conclusion. Efficient inactivation of investigated bacteria types with a significant CFU depletion in PC-P units was obtained - 3 Log for all three tested species, and 5 Log for Escherichia coli. The safety of blood component therapy, primarily the clinical use of PCs can be improved using the Mirasol PRT system

Effects of Trace Elements on the Fatty Acid Composition in Danubian Fish Species

Anthropogenic pollution poses a major threat to aquatic ecosystems, which can lead to their degradation. The accumulation and toxicity of metals and trace elements in fish leads to physiological and chemical changes in the fish body. In this study, we investigated the effects of bioaccumulation of metals and trace elements on freshwater fish fatty acid profiles at two different sites before and after the discharge of untreated municipal wastewater in two fish species with different diet habits. Although the concentrations of toxic elements were below the maximum levels proposed by the EU and the Republic of Serbia, this study showed statistically significant correlations between the presence of certain elements and the fatty acid (FA) profile in fish muscle. Lower concentrations of polyunsaturated FA in fish sampled after the discharge of untreated municipal wastewater were detected.In this study, the concentrations of metals and trace elements (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn) were determined in the muscle tissue of adult roach and white bream at two different sites in the Belgrade section of the Danube. Twenty-six fatty acids, consisting of nine saturated FA (SFAs), seven monosaturated FA (MUFAs) and ten polysaturated FA (PUFAs), were identified. The analysis of the concentration of metals and trace elements of the roach and white bream showed species-specific differences in their bioaccumulation. Four of all elements analyzed (As, Hg, Ni and Pb) correlated significantly with the changes in FA profiles in fish from both sampling sites, with the exception of Cu, which correlated with the FA profile at the site before, and Zn, whose concentration influenced the FA profile at the site after wastewater discharges. The lower PUFA content in the fish from a site under higher environment pressure could indicate that the fish are stressed. The results suggest that changes in lipid composition may be one of the protective mechanisms of cells to cope with anthropogenic stressors

Primena tetrazolijum testa kod ispitivanja kvaliteta semena

U eri modernih i preciznih poljoprivrednih tehnologija zahteva se da svako seme bude zdravo i da lako i brzo klija i formira jak, vigorozan ponik koji je neophodan za optimalan rast i maksimalan prinos poljoprivrednih kultura. Proizvodnja i upotreba visokokvalitetnog semena su osnovni i najvažniji preduslovi uspešne poljoprivredne proizvodnje. Kako bi se postigli ovi uslovi i obezbedili pravovremene i pouzdane rezultate, programi kontrole kvaliteta semena u procesu proizvodnje moraju biti raznovrsni i dinamični Test klijavosti je najbolji pokazatelj potencijala klijanja partije semena u poljskim uslovima. Međutim, vreme potrebno da se dobiju rezultati se kreće od nekoliko dana do nekoliko nedelja, a u nekim slučajevima su potrebni čak i meseci. U tom smislu, tetrazolijum test (TZ test) je zauzeo istaknuto mesto jer u kratkom vremenskom roku pruža pouzdane informacije o vitalnosti semena, neophodne za donošenje brzih odluka tokom proizvodnje i prometa semena

Connection of dimensions of personality, temperament and suicidality in patients with diagnosis of bipolar affective disorder, depression and schizophrenia

Izvod - Suicid je značajan zdravstveni internacionalni problem, a prevencija suicida predstavlja prioritet Svetske zdravstvene organizacije. U kliničkoj praksi predstavlja najnepoželjniji ishod lečenja pacijenata bez obzira o kojem mentalnom poremećaju je reč. Nemoć prevencije i nepredvidiva priroda ovog fenomena, značajni su razlozi zbog kojih je sve veća zainteresovanost svetske istraživačke javnosti za ovu temu. Dosadašnja istraživanja su uglavnom bila posvećena registrovanju uzroka i faktora rizika suicidalnog ponašanja pa su prethodni pokušaji samoubistva kao i mentalni poremećaji identifikovani kao vodeći faktor rizika. Poslednjih godina, sve je veća zainteresovanost istraživača za registrovanjem personalnih karakteristika suicidalnih osoba. U ovoj studiji smo predstavili dimenzije ličnosti i tipove afektivnih temperamenata koji su se pokazali prediktivnim za suicidalne oblike ponašanja. Studija se bavi predikcijom suicidalnog rizika i suicidalnih pokušaja pomoću dimenzija ličnosti i tipova afektivnih temperamenata kod pacijenata koji se leče od bipolarnog afektivnog poremećaja, depresije i shizofrenije. Cilj studije je171 registrovanje personalnih karakteristika koje imaju prediktivni značaj za suicidalnost. Ova studija je opservaciona studija preseka. Sprovedena je u okviru tri Klinike za psihijatriju u Srbiji. U istraživanju je učestvovalo ukupno 440 ispitanika, sa dijagonozom depresije 251, sa bipolarnim afektivnim poremećajem 81, a sa shizofrenijom 108 ispitanika. Podaci su prikupljeni pomoću upitnika o sociodemografskim karakteristikama, RASS skale za procenu suicidalnosti, skale temperamenta TEMPS-A i upitnika ličnosti VP+2. Depresivni temperament i neuroticizam su konstrukti koji su se pokazali prediktivnim za suicidalni rizik procenjen skalom za procenu suicidalnosti. U predikciji suicidalnih pokušaja pored depresivnog temperamenta još i iritabilni se pokazao prediktivnim faktorom, a kada su u pitanju dimenzije ličnosti pored neuroticizma i negativna valenca. Dimenzije ličnosti i temperament imaju prediktivni značaj za suicidalne oblike ponašanja osoba koje se leče od mentalnih bolesti. Procena da osobe koje se leče od depresije, bipolarnog afektivnog poremećaja i shizofrenije imaju izražen depresivni i iritabilni temperament, kao i neuroticizam i negativnu valencu u svojoj strukturi, treba da predstalja oprez za potencijalni pokušaj suicida, odnosno suicid.Abstract: Suicide represents a considerable international health problem, and suicide prevention is a priority of the World Health Organisation. In clinical practice, it is one of the most undesirable results of a patient treatment regardless of mental disorder in question. Powerlessness of prevention and unpredictable nature of this phenomenon are significant reasons for a growing interest within the research community in the subject. Research so far was mainly focused on recording the causes and risk factors for suicidal behaviour and previous suicide attempts and mental disorders were identified as the leading risk factors. Lately, researchers are more interested in recording personal characteristic in suicidal persons. This study presents personality traits and temperaments shown as predictive for suicidal behaviour. The study deals with predicting suicidal risk and suicidal attempts through personality traits and affective temperaments in patients treated for bipolar affective disorder, depression and schizophrenia. The study objective is to record personal characteristics having predictive significance for suicide. The study is cross-sectional observational study. It was carried out in 3 psychiatric clinics in Serbia. The trial included a total of 440 subjects where 251 subjects were diagnosed with depression, 81 with bipolar disorder and 108 with schizophrenia. Data was obtained through questionnaires on sociodemographic characteristics, RASS scale for suicidality assessment, TEMPS-А for temperament evaluation and VP+2 Personality Disorders Questionnaire.174 Depressive temperament and neuroticism were constructs demonstrated as predictive for suicidal risk assessed through the scale for suicidality assessment. In addition to depressive temperament, in predicting suicidal attempts, the irritable temperament was also a predictive factor, and with personality traits predictive factors were neuroticism and negative valence. Personality traits and temperament have predictive significance for suicidal behaviour in persons treated for mental disorders. The assessment that patients treated for depression, bipolar affective disorder and schizophrenia have expressed depressive and irritable temperament, and neuroticism and negative valence in their structure, should be seen as caution for potential suicide attempt