Foreign direct investments in Serbia and future role of human capital

International capital flows, transfer of real and financial funds between different countries’ legal entities became very intensive after WWII. Importance of foreign investments in the world market is continuously growing since. The level of foreign investments has significantly fluctuated during last few decades worldwide, which is directly correlated to business activities life cycle. Today with the world economic crisis influencing world economy, the level of foreign investments has dramatically diminished. This trend is also present in Serbian economy. This paper will show an alternative source of increasing country’s attractiveness for foreign investments through increase of the value of human capital. Many authors note that multinational companies in their investments decision process start with the analysis of the availability of high level of human capital. What is the exact level of human capital (education and skills) required is the questions which have to be discussed in order to facilitate inflow of foreign capital, especially in transition countries. On of the key motivators for transition countries’ wish for attracting foreign capital is the transfer of technology. Transferability of technology is directly related to host country approach to defining national development strategies and policies. We use econometric analysis of data from countries which have already gone through transition process, follow the trends of foreign investments, and divide them into mergers and acquisitions on the one side and Greenfield investments on the other side. Finally we present findings of the other authors’ research on this topic, as well as the level of human capital required to boost FDI

ODREĐIVANJE ČIMBENIKA I MODELIRANJE LOGISTIKE POVRATA: TEORIJA VS. PRAKSA

Reverse logistics management has been the subject of scientific and practical attention for a few decades now. An additional interest for this topic has arisen during the last decade, due to a growing number of business entities it affects and the insight into the strategic potential of adequately managing the reverse logistics flows. Up to now, practical research and empirical confirmation regarding reverse logistics management has been scarce, and the question of defining elements, i.e. factors which determine the reverse logistics flows has remained without a complete answer. In time, various authors have tried to solve this question by setting certain guidelines and models which comprehensively show factors considered to be of key importance for the realization of the reverse logistics flows. The subject of this paper is to analyze in depth such existing models. After defining the very term of reverse logistics, the carried out model analysis respects the dynamic time component, first focusing on the theoretical model in this area- the Carter-Ellram model, and later on to the one empirically confirmed- the contemporary reverse logistics model. The aim of this paper is threefold. First, to explain the evolution of the meaning of reverse logistics. Second, to revise the two approaches which most comprehensively define the set of factors considered to be of most importance for the reverse logistics management. Thirdly, it is necessary to compare the factors identified within the theoretical model, with the ones generated empirically, in order to see the similarities and certain differences among them.Upravljanje logistikom povrata predmet je pozornosti znanstvenika i praktičara već nekoliko desetljeća unatrag. Povećani interes za ovu temu javio se posljednjeg desetljeća uslijed sve većeg broja poslovnih subjekata na koje ona utječe, kao i uvida u strateški potencijal adekvatnog upravljanja tijekovima logistike povrata. Do sada, praktična istraživanja i empirijska potvrda u pogledu upravljanja logistikom povrata bili su rijetki, a pitanje definiranja elemenata tj. čimbenika tijekova logistike povrata ostalo je bez potpunog odgovora. Protekom vremena različiti autori pokušali su riješiti ovo pitanje postavljajući određene smjernice i modele koji sveobuhvatno ukazuju na čimbenike za koje se vjeruje da su od ključne važnosti za realizaciju tijekova logistike povrata. Predmet ovog rada jest dubinska analiza takvih postojećih modela. Nakon definiranja samog pojma logistike povrata, provedena analiza modela uvažava dinamičku vremensku komponentu, prvo se usredotočujući na teorijski model u području - Carter-Ellram model, a zatim na onaj empirijski potvrđen - suvremeni model logistike povrata. Cilj ovog rada je trostruk. Prvo, objasniti evoluciju u značenju logistike povrata. Drugo, revidirati dva pristupa koja na najcjelovitiji način identificiraju čimbenike koji se smatraju od najveće važnosti za upravljanje logistikom povrata. Treće, usporediti čimbenike prvog, teorijskog modela, s onima koji su dobiveni empirijski, kako bi se vidjele sličnosti i razlike između njih

The influence of organizational culture on supply chain integration

A team of employees that strives for the realization of a common goal is what every company needs, and the success of business depends on the way of functioning and thinking of that team. The organizational culture shapes the way employees think, react and behave. The business practice of companies in the Republic of Serbia has shown that the organizational culture oriented to employees, action and challenges is an important determinant of improving all business performance indicators, including the supply chain integration, which is the main topic of analysis within this paper. The dimensions of organizational culture affect internal integration, integration with customers and integration with suppliers, determining the generation of the key goal of supply chain management which refers to the delivery of the right product, at the right place, at the right time and at reasonable costs

Značaj patohistološkog nalaza i ekspresije Bcl-2 za prognozu i lečenje oralnog planocelularnog karcinoma

Background/Aim. Numerous studies were aimed to detect and characterize various tumor markers in patients with oral planocellular carcinoma in order to reduce moratlity and mobidity rates of these patients, as well as to establish the correlation between the expression of specific tumor marker and prognostic outcome. The aim of this study was to determine patohistological characteristics of tumor and peritumor tissue in patients with oral planocellular carcinoma, with special regard to the expression of Bcl-2, as well as to point out the significance of clinicomorphological correlations for clinical use. Methods. Sixty-two patients with oral planocellular carcinoma, stage II and III, were examined. The patients were surgically treated for this condition at the Clinic for Maxillofacial Surgery, Military Medical Academy, Belgrade. Surgical specimens were obtained from both tumor and peritumoral tissues. Patohistologic degree of tumor differentiation and the immunohistochemical expression of Bcl-2 were determinated for each specimens. Results. Twenty-four (39%) patients had tumor dimension T1, while six (9%) and thirty-two (52%) patients had tumor dimension T2 and T3, respectively. Patohistologic analysis of peritumor connective, fat, muscle and bone tissue samples confirmed the presence of tumor infiltration. The expression of Bcl-2 in peritumor tissue samples correlated significantly with tumor's histologic grade (ς = 0.468; p lt 0.001), nuclear grade (ς = 0.430; p lt 0.001) and nucleocytoplasmic ratio (ς = 0.410; p = 0.001). Conclusion. This results suggest that the expression of Bcl-2 in combination with patohistologic findings could have a prognostic value in patients with oral planocellular carcinoma.Uvod/Cilj. Mnogobrojna istraživanja usmerena su na detekciju i karakterizaciju različitih tumorskih markera kod oralnog planocelularnog karcinoma sa ciljem da se smanji morbiditet i mortalitet, kao i uspostavi korelacija između stepena ekspresije određenog markera i prognoze bolesti. Cilj ovog rada bio je da se utvrde patohistološke karakteristike tumorskog i peritumorskog tkiva bolesnika sa oralnim planocelularnik karcinomom, posebno stepen ekspresije markera Bcl-2, da se ukaže na značaj korelacije kliničkomorfoloških parametara, kao i na mogućnost primene ovih rezultata u kliničkoj praksi. Metode. Studija je obuhvatila 62 bolesnika u II i III stadijumu oralnog planocelularnog karcinoma, operisana u Klinici za maksiofacijalnu hirurgiju Vojnomedicinske akademije u Beogradu. Kod svih bolesnika određivani su stadijum bolesti, patohistološki stepen diferentovanosti tumora, a imunohistohemijskom metodom praćena je ekspresija markera Bcl-2 u peritumorskom tkivu. Rezultati. U analiziranoj grupi bila su 24 (39%) bolesnika sa tumorom veličine T1, 6 (9%) bolesnika sa tumorom veličine T2, a 32 (52%) bolesnika sa primarnim tumorom veličine T3. Infiltracija tumora u peritumorskom tkivu verifikovana je patohistološkom analizom okolnog vezivnog, masnog, mišićnog tkiva i kosti, koji su bili zahvaćeni resekcijom. Utvrđena je statistički visokoznačajna pozitivna korelacija između stepena ekspresije proteina Bcl-2 u peritumorskom tkivu, sa jedne strane, i histološkog gradusa tumora (ς=0,468; p lt 0,001), nukleusnog gradusa tumora (ς=0,430; p lt 0,001) i nukleocitoplazmatskog odnosa u tumorskim ćelijama (ς=0,410; p = 0,001). Zaključak. Ekspresija Bcl-2 u kombinaciji sa patohistološkim parametrima može biti značajan prognostički faktor, pa mu treba posvetiti više pažnje u okviru multidisciplinarnog istraživanja prognoze oralnog planocelularnog karcinoma

Mетаболомикa базиранa на HPTLC за испитивање метаболичких промена током развоја биљке: Artemisia annua студија случаја

The application of High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC)-based non-targeted metabolomics as a holistic approach to compare fingerprints of metabolite changes during Artemisia annua development is described. Images of HPTLC chromatograms obtained after derivatization with anisaldehyde-sulphuric acid reagent were used as a dataset for multivariate analysis. Principal component analysis and Orthogonal Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis confirmed the discrimination of samples belonging to vegetative phase, flowering stage, and seed formation stage of the plant development. The obtained results showed that the HPTLC-based metabolomics approach can be a very reliable technique for the investigation of metabolic changes during plant development, complementary to GC-MS and NMR-based metabolomics.Описана је холистичка примена нетаргетне метаболомике базиране на високоефикасној танкослојној хроматографији (HPTLC) која омогућава поређење метаболичких профила Artemisia annua и праћење њихових промена током развоја биљке. HPTLC хроматограми након развијања анизалдехидом и сумпорном киселином су коришћени за генерисање података за мултиваријантну анализу. Анализа главних компоненти (PCA) и ортогонална дискриминанта анализа најмањих квадрата (OPLS-DA) су потврдиле разлике између узорака који припадају различитим фенофазама - вегетативној фази, фази цветања и фази формирања семена. Добијени резултати указују да метаболомички приступ заснован на HPTLC методи која је комплементарна са GC-MS и NMR анализом, може бити веома поуздана техника за анализу промене током развоја биљке.This is the peer-reviewed version of the article: J. Stanković Jeremić, D. Gođevac, S. Ivanović, K. Simić, A. Trendafilova, M. Aćimović, S. Milosavljević, J. Serb. Chem. Soc. (2022) [https://doi.org/10.2298/JSC210507007S

Productivity and flower quality of different pot marigold (Calendula officinalis L.) varieties on the compost produced from medicinal plant waste

This article describes still insufficiently known technology of pot marigold cultivation with the compost produced from the organic waste of the processing of medicinal plants. For the first time the application was analyzed of different amounts of compost (control – without compost, 2, 10 and 30 kg/m2 ) on the morphological, productive and qualitative parameters of two pot marigold varieties (Domaći oranž and Plamen Plus). During the five-year period, the best results in both tested pot marigold varieties were achieved with the 30 kg/m2 compost application. The yield of dry flower was higher for the Domaći oranž pot marigold variety fertilized with 30 kg/m2 compost (1957.4 kg/ha) compared with the Plamen Plus variety (451.1 kg/ha). A significantly higher fresh flower yield of the Domaći oranž variety greatly influenced the increase in the quantities of examined quality parameters (total carotenoids, total phenolic, total flavonoids, and DPPH reduction), whose content was higher in the Plamen Plus variety. The artificial neural network model, was built applying the Broyden-FletcherGoldfarb-Shanno algorithm, exerted the adequate forecasting abilities for the productivity and quality of pot marigold flowers and the influence of compost material, produced from medicinal plants waste (R2 was 0.837 for the training period). This research demonstrates that it is possible to use organic waste obtained in the processing of medicinal plants, supporting the effectiveness of a circular economy model in the cultivation of pot marigold

From national air carriers to low-cost companies: Effects of successful marketing strategy implementation

Huge changes in marketing strategies and, more generally - in business philosophies are not so often. During the last 20 years global and/or national companies have already defined their general approaches of marketing instruments implementation. Therefore, when a contemporary company changes something in its marketing approach, it usually only refers to 'subtle adjustment' of the already determined strategy. Another reason for changes in a particular segment of marketing is a crisis of some kind that forces firms to implement innovations, especially regarding the elements such as costs - price - or service quality. A global enterprise segment consisting of low tariff airline companies is here identified as the one that has dramatically changed its marketing approach within the last 20 years, which continually resulted in its improved market position and business results. Changes in marketing strategies of low-cost companies have truly been revolutionary and are completely the consequence of recognizing the real needs of clients who use services of air transport. The success of low-cost airline companies is forcing the traditional, classic, air carriers to adapt their marketing instruments to this new model of business management. This paper also identifies one very significant assumption of the low-cost carriers phenomenon and their marketing approach - the liberalization of the global air transport market

Bronchial asthma - from psychosomatic illness to proinflammatory cytokines and asthma phenotypes

nem

Upotreba korijandra (Coriandrum sativum L.)

All parts of the plant are edible, but the dried seeds (Coriandri fructus), fresh leaves (Coriandri folium) and aerial parts of plant (Coriandri herba) are the most common used. A seeds is used like powdered, dry extract, tea, tincture, decoction or infusion, leaf as vegetable or spice, and aerial parts for distilation of essential oil.Medicinal benefits: In folk medicine, the seeds of coriander are used as an aromatic, carminative, stomachic, antispasmodic and against gastrointestinal complains such as dyspepsia, flatulance and gastralgia. It is often recomanded for insomnia and anxiety. Seed is also used as an analgetic and antirheumatic agent. This plant is also used like anthelmintic for Ascaris lumbricoides and Pheretima posthuma. Its use is recommended for healing urinary system, ie uretritis, cistitis and urinary tract infection. It has also been used in heavy metal detoxification. Pharmacological studies have demonstrated antibacerial and antifungal properties. This studies indicated that coriander revealed a significant scope to develop a novel broad spectrum of antibacterial herbal formulation, and have potential for new natural antifungal formulation. Essential oil and seed extracts from coriander have been shown to possess antioxidant, antidiabetic, anticancerous and antimutagenic properties, and plays a protective role against the deleterious effects on lipid metabolism.Nutritional uses: The dried fruits or seed are used as a condiment in pickle spices, seasonings, curry powders, sausages, cakes, pastries, biscuits, buns. It was suggested that addition of coriander to food would increase the antioxidant content and may have potential as a natural antioxidant and thus inhibit unwanted oxidation processes. Healing animals: In fish fed mixture is used because of detoxification effect and immunestimulant activity. Treatment with coriander extract helps sheep and goat to reduce worms (Haemonochus contortus), and dietary supplementation in broiler and Japanese quail is good growth and health promoter. on food industry: Coriander essential oil is used in perfumery and in tobacco industry, but it also showed activity against stored-product beetle pests. Fatty oil from coriander seed is new source for biodiesel fuel.U mnogim zemljama i kulturama, korijander ima dugu istoriju upotrebe kao začin, ali i za lečenje organa za varenje, bolesti urinarnog sistema, insomnije, kao afrodizijak i anthelmintik. Takođe se koristi i za izlučivanje teških metala iz organizma. Naročito velika pažnja se pridaje njegovim antibakterijskim i antioksidativnim osobinama. Utvrđeno je da korijander deluje antimikrobno na veliki broj gram pozitivnih i negativnih bakterija i gljivica, te bi zbog toga mogao da se koristi za razvoj novog spektra antibaktiotika biljnih formulacija. Usled oksidativnog stresa dolazi do pojave nekih bolesti kao što su: reumatoidni artritis, arteroskleroza i neurodegenerativne bolesti, kancer, dijabetes, a brojnim studijama je potvrđena njegova antioksidativna aktivnost. Smatra se da je korijander vrlo perspektivna biljka antioksidans, sa obzirom na to da se zbog svojih aromatičnih svojstava, rado koristi kao suplement u ishrani, ali i kao začin. Često se dodaje i kao konzervans u mesnoj industriji, ali se uvodi i u ishranu životinja