Effects of clomazone active substance and its formulated products on aquatic organisms

Herbicidi su najčešće korišćena grupa pesticida, a nakon dospevanja u vodenu sredinu mogu ispoljiti štetno delovanje na neciljne organizme. Na tržištu se nalaze različite formulacije pesticida koje sadrže iste aktivne supstance, pri čemu se postavlja pitanje uticaja oblika formulacije na toksičnost herbicida za neciljne organizme. U okviru ove doktorske disertacije ispitivan je i upoređivan uticaj tehničke supstance i formulisanih preparata klomazona – Rampa® EC i GAT Cenit 36 CS na različite organizme vodene sredine, nakon čega je urađena procena rizika. Delovanje klomazona na primarne producente urađeno je ispitivanjima na dve vrste akvatičnih makrofita – Lemna minor i Myriophyllum aquaticum. Preparat Rampa® EC ispoljio je veću toksičnost za vrstu L. minor, dok je GAT Cenit 36 CS bio toksičniji za M. aquaticum. Ipak, za oba preparata veća inhibicija rasta registrovana je kod ukorenjene vrste M. aquaticum, što potvrđuje uvođenje ove makrofite u procenu rizika od herbicida. Ispitivanja na beskičmenjacima (Daphnia magna), embrionima riba (Danio rerio) i žaba (Xenopus laevis) ukazala su na veću toksičnost preparata Rampa® EC u odnosu na tehničku supstancu i drugi preparat. U studijama sa vrstama D. rerio i X. laevis pored toksičnosti utvrđivan je i teratogeni potencijal tehničke supstance klomazon i oba ispitivana preparata. Ujedno, ovo je prvi rezultat o embriotoksičnosti, kako aktivne supstance, tako i preparata klomazona. Kod izlaganih jedinki registrovani su teratogeni efekti, kao što su: kraniofacijalne i deformacije kičme, pojava edema, smanjen porast (dužina). Kod embriona D. rerio izlagnih tehničkoj supstanci i preparatima registrovan je uticaj na motorne neurone, a kašnjenje u razvoju utvrđeno je kod izlaganja tehničkoj supstanci i preparatu Rampa® EC. Iz odnosa teratogenosti i toksičnosti kod embriona dve vrste utvrđen je indeks teratogenosti (TI) koji je ukazao da tehnička supstanca ima veći teratogeni, a preparat Rampa® EC toksični potencijal...Herbicides are the most widely used group of pesticides, but they are able to cause adverse effects on non-target organisms after reaching water bodies. Different formulations using the same active ingredient are often available, which raises an issue of potential influence of different types of formulations on herbicide toxicity to nontarget organisms. Experiments were conducted as part of this doctoral dissertation to evaluate the toxicity of technical clomazone and its two formulated products: Rampa® EC and GAT Cenit 36 CS, to several aquatic organisms, and to assess the risks involved in their use. Clomazone effects on primary producers were assessed by examining two species of aquatic macrophytes – Lemna minor and Myriophyllum aquaticum. The Rampa® EC product demonstrated a higher toxicity to L. minor, while GAT Cenit 36 SC was more toxic to M. aquaticum. However, the rooted species M. aquaticum showed a greater inhibition of growth, considering both products, which supports introduction of this macrophyte in risk assessment protocols for herbicides. Experiments with aquatic invertebrate (Daphnia magna), fish (Danio rerio) and frog (Xenopus laevis) embryos revealed a higher toxicity of Rampa® EC than the technical ingredient and the other product. In experiments with D. rerio and X. laevis, teratogenic potential of the clomazone technical substance and both investigated products was determined in addition to toxicity assessment. The present investigation was also the first report on embryotoxicity caused by both clomazone active substance and its different products. Diverse teratogenic effects, such as craniofacial and spine deformities, edema and growth reduction (length), were found in exposed individuals. A significant effect on motoneurons was noted in D. rerio embryos exposed to the technical substance and both products, while underdevelopment was observed only in embryos exposed to the technical substance and Rampa® EC..

Segment representations with small resolution

A segment representation of a graph is an assignment of line segments in 2D to the vertices in such a way that two segments intersect if and only if the corresponding vertices are adjacent. Not all graphs have such segment representations, but they exist, for example, for all planar graphs. In this note, we study the resolution that can be achieved for segment representations, presuming the ends of segments must be on integer grid points. We show that any planar graph (and more generally, any graph that has a so-called $L$-representation) has a segment representation in a grid of width and height $4^n$

Ocene stanja i tendencije u razvoju konkurentnosti privrede Srbije

Intenziviranje međunarodne razmene, razvoj tehnologije i pojava na globalnom tržištu agresivne konkurencije menjaju pravila igre i pozicije koje pojedini izvori imaju u kreiranju konkurentske prednosti na svetskom tržištu. Tehnološki razvoj, inovacije, znanje i veštine postaju faktori od krucijalnog značaja za razvoj jedne ekonomije i njenih preduzeća. Pod uticajem velikog broja faktora ekonomske i neekonomske prirode, oporavak i razvoj naše privrede ne odvija se očekivanom brzinom i lakoćom. Srbija se i nakon sprovedenih reformskih promena i dalje ne može pohvaliti dostignutim nivoom razvoja, kao ni konkurentskom pozicijom na svetskom tržištu. Imajući u vidu da je uključivanje u globalne svetske tokove i dalje prioritetni cilj ekonomske politike i da će se u tom pravcu preduzimati konkretnije mere, realno je očekivati intenzivniji razvoj privrede Srbije u narednom periodu. Stvaranjem konkurentnog ambijenta i definisanjem jasnih pravila igre za sve učesnike na tržištu, kreira se stimulativno poslovno okruženje u kome glavnu ulogu i odgovornost za uspehe i neuspehe na svetskom tržištu preuzimaju privredni subjekti, odnosno menadžment preduzeća. Konkurentnost naše privrede u velikoj meri biće determinisana znanjem i veštinama menadžera, odnosno mogućnostima da se proaktivno reaguje na dešavanja u okruženju, strategijski razmišlja i deluje

Creative Cash Flow Reporting – the Motivation and Opportunities

Company's stakeholders make business decisions based on information presented by management. The quality of decisions, among other things, depends on the quality and reliability of information in the financial reports. Business practice demonstrates that managers tend to present a false picture of the financial position and profitability of the company, often in cooperation with the owners of the capital. Procedures that management and investors take, in order to create a false impression about the performances of the enterprise, the contemporary literature defines as creative financial reporting. Presentation of better financial performance than realistic one provides misleading signals about the company, while the users of information are misinformed. The goal of this paper is the analysis of opportunities to implement creative cash flow reporting and the factors that encourage the company’s management and the owners of the capital to wrong and misleading interpretation of performance items. After the presentation of the main motive of creative financial reporting, we shall focus on examples of erroneous classification of cash flows. Earnings management and the shaping of cash flows may be realised within and beyond the boundaries of accounting regulations on several ways, but a special review in the paper is dedicate to creative reporting procedures of cash inflow and outflow related to receivables, investments, liabilities, and expenses. Consequences of creative reporting on cash flow and other performances could be serious both for stakeholders and for survival of the company, which is discussed in the last part of the paper

Specifics of Management in Small and Medium-Size Enterprises in Serbia

Under modern conditions for performing business, an enterprise regardless of its size or business activity must be systematically directed and run. Small and medium-size enterprises have certain characteristics that make them considerably different compared to large systems, therefore it is not realistic to expect that the management process in such organizations would develop in the same way as in the large systems. The fact is that the small business often does not involve a small investment, and the management of small enterprises is constantly faced with the problem of "poverty of resources" that leads to the conclusion that the success of SMEs is predominantly determined by the managerial skills of managers/owners. Assuming that the owners/managers of SMEs adequately perceive the capabilities of their enterprise, make the right decisions, finding effective solutions in terms of organization and apply modern approaches to control and the success of the company definitely will follow. In this paper theoretical and empirical research has been carried out with the aim to identify the basic characteristics of successful management of SMEs in Serbia. The research results indicate that the managerial capacity of managers/owners of SMEs is the main strength of the company, and one of the key sources of growth and development. When the influence of external factors is very unfavorable for business development, the management as an internal resource of organization is increasingly gaining importance in creating business success and competitive advantage

Interplay of SOX transcription factors and microRNAs in the brain under physiological and pathological conditions

Precise tuning of gene expression, accomplished by regulatory networks of transcription factors, epigenetic modifiers, and microRNAs, is crucial for the proper neural development and function of the brain cells. The SOX transcription factors are involved in regulating diverse cellular processes during embryonic and adult neurogenesis, such as maintaining the cell stemness, cell proliferation, cell fate decisions, and terminal differentiation into neurons and glial cells. MicroRNAs represent a class of small non-coding RNAs that play important roles in the regulation of gene expression. Together with other gene regulatory factors, microRNAs regulate different processes during neurogenesis and orchestrate the spatial and temporal expression important for neurodevelopment. The emerging data point to a complex regulatory network between SOX transcription factors and microRNAs that govern distinct cellular activities in the developing and adult brain. Deregulated SOX/microRNA interplay in signaling pathways that influence the homeostasis and plasticity in the brain has been revealed in various brain pathologies, including neurodegenerative disorders, traumatic brain injury, and cancer. Therapeutic strategies that target SOX/microRNA interplay have emerged in recent years as a promising tool to target neural tissue regeneration and enhance neurorestoration. Numerous studies have confirmed complex interactions between microRNAs and SOX-specific mRNAs regulating key features of glioblastoma. Keeping in mind the crucial roles of SOX genes and microRNAs in neural development, we focus this review on SOX/microRNAs interplay in the brain during development and adulthood in physiological and pathological conditions. Special focus was made on their interplay in brain pathologies to summarize current knowledge and highlight potential future development of molecular therapies

Quercetin and lithium chloride modulate Wnt signaling in pluripotent embryonal carcinoma NT2/D1 cells

Wnt signaling functions in numerous cellular activities such as cell fate determination, patterning, and migration in embryogenesis, apoptosis, etc. In this study, we used quercetin and lithium chloride to investigate modulations of the Wnt signaling pathway in human pluripotent embryonal carcinoma NT2/D1 cell line. First, we optimized conditions for NT2/D1 cell treatments with quercetin and lithium chloride and assessed their cytotoxic effects on the cells, cell viability and proliferation rate. Our results showed that induction of cell death by quercetin and LiCl is p53-dependent in NT2/D cells. We also examined the degree of Wnt signaling modulations by analyzing the expression of c-myc, a wellknown Wnt signaling target gene. Since the retinoic acid induction of NT2/D1 cells is good in an in vitro model system for human neural differentiation, studying Wnt signaling modulation in NT2/D1 would contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in neural stem cell maintenance and human neural development

Tailored preparation of nano and micro composites as new controlled bone drug delivery systems

Method of homogenous sonochemical principle for obtaining controlled forms of micro/nano particles of desired shapes, size and distribution, and solvent/nonsolvent method for obtaining spherical particles of polymer or polymer/ceramics composites with the encapsulated pharmacologically active agent for the treatment of bone tissue pathology, are methods developed in our laboratory for the production of nano and micro ceramic/polymer or polymer composite systems which can be potentially used as controlled bone drug delivery system. Method of homogenous sonochemical precipitation, by designing synthesis parameters like temperature, frequency, energy and ultrasonic field regime, and by applying appropriate solvents, enables producing desired forms and particle structures. Through this method calcium phosphate systems can be obtained, but also systems where calcium phosphate particles are coated with bioresorbable polymer with immobilized antibiotic. Physicochemical synthesis procedure in solvent/non-solvent method consists of initial dissolve of desired bioresorbable polymers and its homogenization, followed by encapsulation of the desired agents. Already produced pharmaceutically active compounds (ascorbic, folic acid, peroxidase, antibiotics, autologous plasma, etc.) can be encapsulated or different calcium phosphates used as fillers for the defected bone tissue. Micro, submicro and nano sized particles in deagglomeration form, optimal for the advanced application in bone engineering, are obtained through these preparation methods

Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility on the Competitiveness of Multinational Corporations

AbstractCurrent development trends, at the global level, caused fundamental transformation in doing business in modern economy, and at the same time, set a request to change the dominant business strategies and policies by which companies achieve their goals. The liberalization of international trade and investment flows has contributed to the spread of the effects of technological progress and influenced development in many countries, but also raised a number of limitations in opportunities for achieving sustainable development. Decade of the nineties of the twentieth century can be characterized as a period of increasing pressure on the environment, the direct recipient of pollutants, resulting from the use of dirty manufacturing processes and production techniques, as well as the space through which manufactured products are distributed, used and postponed. The uncontrolled use of natural resources, especially non-renewable, has led to the endangerment of existential prerequisite for the maintenance of a healthy environment, as well as deterioration of environmental quality and escalating environmental problems on a global level.Under pressure from institutional factors, multinational corporations (MNCs), as motor of developments in the world economy, today pay more attention to the integration of the dimensions of sustainability in its own operations. Involving aspects of managing the impacts of corporate activities on social development and the environment is in the function of sustainable business. Development of key competences in the area of addressing social and environmental issues is a prerequisite of achieving and sustaining competitive advantage of MNCs in the modern market. In addition, long-term negligence of the non-financial aspects of the business can make multiple negative effects on the financial performance and the reduction of corporate reputation among key stakeholders, thereby reducing its competitive advantage.Great impact on the rise of social-economic consciousness of MNCs was made by a bulk of problems caused by negative consequences of their activities, which gave rise to boycott of consumers and other stakeholders. This resulted in the decrease of enterprise credibility, ruin of their reputation, built in years, and failure in competitiveness. An MNC management team has realized that un-responsible behavior towards environment could have a “boomerang effect” to it. On the other hand, responsible behavior of enterprises towards stakeholders, society, and environment could contribute to achievement of competitive advantage. For example, by ensuring good working conditions to employees, by instigation of non-discrimination, by respecting of human rights, and by offering a possibility of advancement, MNC become attractive for new employees, especially most talented people. By insuring transparency towards shareholders, and respect of their rights, by continuous reporting, and risk management, MNC become attractive for new investments. By offering quality, healthy, and safe products, and by performing promises about after-sale services, enterprises become attractive for consumers. Talented employees, substantial capital, and safe market are the key conditions for achieving MNC competitive advantage. Hence, it is obvious that social responsible behavior of MNC becomes important factor of their survival and success. By explaining the impact of corporate social responsibility on the competitiveness of MNCs, the aim of this paper is to highlight the importance of such practice for the competitiveness of MNCs

Quercetin and lithium chloride modulate Wnt signaling in pluripotent embryonal carcinoma NT2/D1 cells

Wnt signaling functions in numerous cellular activities such as cell fate determination, patterning, and migration in embryogenesis, apoptosis, etc. In this study, we used quercetin and lithium chloride to investigate modulations of the Wnt signaling pathway in human pluripotent embryonal carcinoma NT2/D1 cell line. First, we optimized conditions for NT2/D1 cell treatments with quercetin and lithium chloride and assessed their cytotoxic effects on the cells, cell viability and proliferation rate. Our results showed that induction of cell death by quercetin and LiCl is p53-dependent in NT2/D cells. We also examined the degree of Wnt signaling modulations by analyzing the expression of c-myc, a wellknown Wnt signaling target gene. Since the retinoic acid induction of NT2/D1 cells is good in an in vitro model system for human neural differentiation, studying Wnt signaling modulation in NT2/D1 would contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in neural stem cell maintenance and human neural development. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 173051