THE USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA AS AN EFFECTIVE TOOL FOR OBTAINING SUSTAINABLE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

Achieving a sustainable competitive advantage depends on the innovations which are largely dependent on the online marketing that initiates the use of social networks which enable the improvement of long-term relationships of the company and the focus on the particular target group. Their best results are achieved as a result of the creativity and they are ideal medium which does not require huge money investment, but energy, thinking, time and knowledge. The investment in marketing activities in the social network cannot be considered as a simple venture but as a management of several goals: the user should get to know the brand, interaction of the user with the brand and oral transmitting of the message. The paper focuses on the analysis of social networks and their influence in the direction of promoting two-way, i.e. interactive communication with consumers. On the other side, in the paper answers will be given to the question: “Which of the social networks are the most effective tools for promotion?” The results show that the applications of modern and innovative methods in the field of internet marketing are crucial for distinguishing and creating a competitive advantage

DETERMINATION OF SELENIUM IN SELECTED FOODS FROM NORTH MACEDONIA BY ETAAS FOLLOWED BY MICROWAVE-ASSISTED DIGESTION

For the determination of selenium in selected food products produced or purchased in North Macedonia, a suitable electrothermal atomic absorption method (ETAAS) was optimized and validated due to its biological activity and importance in human and animal nutrition. In this study, a sample preparation method with microwave digestion was used to digest various food samples for Se determination. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were 0.99 µg/L and 3.30 µg/L, respectively. The validation results showed a recovery of 96.13-99.60%, and the relative standard deviation (RSD) was less than 5.3%. It was found that the determined selenium content was lower compared to the values reported from other Balkan countries. The highest Se content was found in protein-rich foods such as fish muscle of an endemic species of Lake Ohrid trout, then in pork, chicken breast and offal; the content in nuts, beans, milk and dairy products was average, while grain-based samples, fruits and vegetables had the lowest Se concentration

International Standards for Financial Reporting: Harmonization in Macedonia

Abstract A continuous flow of reliable, relevant and financially important information is necessary for making economically justified and strategic investment decisions. Economic globalization has contributed to the need of creating a unified language for communication, a single set of international financial reporting standards with the sole purpose of enhancing transparency for investors and reducing the cost of capital. Harmonization of financial reporting provides more efficient use of global resources, easier consolidation of multinational companies foreign subsidiaries, alleviation of accounting staff mobility and reducing of audit costs. The research is based on the benefits that the national economy can gain if the international financial reporting standards are successfully implemented. Special attention in the paper is devoted to the factors that determine the harmonization of financial reporting. The analysis of the results show the managers' perception of financial reporting, and emphasize the effects of the implementation of IFRS in Republic of Macedonia

Educational policies and practical implications for children with intellectual disability in republic of macedonia

Educational policy for children with intellectual disability in Republic of Macedonia is not always consistent with the practical implications. The subject of this research was to gain an insight into the current condition of the persons with intellectual disabilities in Macedonia, before all an insight into the barriers that they are facing in their attempts to access educational information and services. This was done through conducting a qualitative (desk-top analyses of the national legislations; semi-structured interviews with parents of persons with intellectual disabilities and focus groups with relevant stakeholders) and a quantitative research (quality of life research for the disabled persons). In the research a total number of 213 examinees were included. As in many other cases, and in many other countries, policy and practice are not always coherent. Legislation in the area of education in our country has to be modified and accommodated to the needs of the persons with disabilities and their parents or care-givers. The final conclusion from our research is that the persons with ID are still on the margins of society, and they lead everyday battles to prove that their needs must be taken into consideration in context of their human rights. Although awareness for the importance of the rightful treatment of this problem is not on a satisfactory level, still we can notice a shift in perception and liberation of prejudice

Analysis of the situation of people with intellectual disability and combined disabilities in the Republic of Macedonia

The subject of this research is, through a desk-top analysis of the national legislation and by conducting field research on the quality of life of the people with intellectual disability and combined disabilities, conducting semi-structured interviews and focus groups and drafting case studies, to define the present situation, with emphasis on the barriers that these people face when accessing information and services for people with intellectual disability and combined disabilities in the three relevant sectors: education, social protection and healthcare. The goal of the research and analysis in general is to improve the quality of life of people with intellectual disability and combined disabilities by providing specific recommendations to improve the access to information and services in the three sectors: education, social protection and healthcare. These recommendations would contribute towards the development of positive policies and practices for people with disabilities. The target group that would directly gain benefit from the recommendations provided are the people with intellectual disability and combined disabilities, but indirect beneficiaries would also be their parents, as well as the professionals involved in the process of education and social inclusion of these people. Over the course of the research, the target group that the data was obtained from consisted of parents of children with ID and combined disabilities; experts who are directly involved in the work with people with disability; members of the non-governmental sector; professionals who tailor the policies for people with disability, and certainly the people with ID and combined disabilities that we obtained relevant data from on the quality of their life

Square-wave voltammetry of human blood serum

Abstract A study on voltammetric analysis of blood serum diluted in a phosphate buffer is presented using advanced square-wave voltammetry at an edge plane pyrolytic graphite electrode. The results demonstrate that even in a complex medium like human blood serum, electrochemical characterization can be achieved through the use of advanced voltammetric techniques in conjunction with an appropriate commercially available electrode, such as the edge plane pyrolytic graphite electrode, which boosts superior electrocatalytic properties. Without undergoing any chemical treatment of the serum sample, the square-wave voltammetry technique reveals, for the first time, the electrode reactions of uric acid, bilirubin, and albumin in a single experiment, as represented by well-defined, separated, and intense voltammetric signals. All electrode processes are surface-confined, indicating that the edge plane sites of the electrode serve as an ideal platform for the competitive adsorption of electroactive species, despite the extensive chemical complexity of the serum samples. The speed and differential nature of square-wave voltammetry are crucial for obtaining an outstanding resolution of the voltammetric peaks, maintaining the quasi-reversible nature of the underlying electrode processes, while reducing the impact of follow-up chemical reactions that are coupled to the initial electron transfer for all three detected species, and minimizing fouling of the electrode surface