Brand Valuation

Tangible assets (manufacturing assets, land, buildings and financial assets) have always been regarded as the main source of business value. However, market conditions in the last quarter of the twentieth century showed that a company’s value is not made up of its tangibles alone. The importance of intangibles, primarily the brand, but also patents, technology and employees has been recognized in the market, which lead to a dramatic shift in the market value of some companies relative to their book value. In spite of the fact that a company’s market value (shareholder value) has increased, brand contribution and its specific value remained unclear and were not specifically quantifi ed. Current accounting standards continue to deal mainly with tangibles to determine a company’s value. Brand is rarely explicitly and adequately valued and it appears very rarely on fi nancial statements. Even when it does appear, the numbers do not have a universally recognized economic and market foundation. In recent years, an increasing number of companies, agencies, and institutions have been trying to find an adequate brand valuation model. Currently, various models that provide more or less reliable data on brand value are in use. Standardized and dependable brand valuation system is necessary to establish reliably the real value of a company that owns it.brand, brand valuation, brand value.

Моделирование кинетики прямого амидирования жирных кислот диэтаноламином

BACKGROUND: , Aims and Scope. In oil spill investigations, one of the most important steps is a proper choice of approaches that imply an investigation of samples taken from different sedimentary environments, samples of oil contaminants taken in different periods of time and samples taken at different distances from the oil spill. In all these cases, conclusion on the influence of the environment, microorganisms or migration on the oil contaminants' composition can be drawn from the comparison of chemical compositions of the investigated contaminants. However, in case of water contaminants, it is very important to define which part of organic matter has been analyzed. Namely, previous investigations showed that there were some differences in chemical composition of the same oil contaminant depending on the intensity of its contact with ground water. The aim of this work is to define more precisely the interactions between oil contaminant and water, i.e. the influence of the intensity of interaction between the oil contaminant and water on its chemical composition. The study was based on a comparison of four fractionated extracts of an oil pollutant, after they had been analyzed in details. Methods. Oil polluted surface water (wastewater canal, Pancevo, Serbia) was investigated. The study was based on a comparison of four extracts of an oil contaminant: extract I (decanted part), and extracts 2, 3 and 4 (extracted by shaking for 1 minute, 5 minutes and 24 hours, respectively). The fractionated extracts were saponified with a solution of KOH in methanol, and neutralized with 10% hydrochloric acid. The products were dissolved in a mixture of dichloromethane and hexane, and individually fractionated by column chromatography on alumina and silica gel (saturated hydrocarbon, aromatic, alcohol and fatty acid fractions). n-Alkanes and isoprenoid aliphatic alkanes, polycyclic alkanes of sterane and triterpane types, alcohols and fatty acids were analyzed using gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). delta C-13(PDB) values of individual n-alkanes in the aliphatic fractions were determined using gas chromatography-isotope ratio monitoring-mass spectrometry (GC-irmMS). Results and discussion. Extracts 1 and 2 are characterized by uniform distribution of n-alkanes, whereas extract 3 is characterized by an even-numbered members dominating the odd-ones, and extract 4 showed a bimodal distribution. Extract I is characterized by the least negative delta C-13(PDB) values of C-19-C-26 n-alkanes. Sterane and triterpane analysis confirmed that all extracts originated from the same oil contaminant. n-Fatty acids, C-19-C-24, in all extracts are very low, being somewhat higher in extract 4. Even-numbered n-alcohols, C-12-C-16, were identified in the highest concentration in extract 3. It was assumed that algae were responsible for the composition of extract 3. Furthermore, a possible reason for higher concentrations of C-19-C-26 n-alkanes and C-19-C-24 fatty acids in extract 4 is the formation of inclusion compounds with colloidal micelles formed between the oil contaminant's NSO-compounds and water. Conclusion. It was undoubtedly confirmed that there were specific differences in the compositions of the different extracts depending on the intensity of the interaction between the oil contaminant and the surface water. Recommendation and Outlook. When comparing the composition of oil contaminants from different water samples (regardless of the ultimate investigation goal) it is necessary to compare the extracts isolated under the same conditions, in other words, extracts that were in the same or very similar interaction with water. Recommendation and Outlook. When comparing the composition of oil contaminants from different water samples (regardless of the ultimate investigation goal) it is necessary to compare the extracts isolated under the same conditions, in other words, extracts that were in the same or very similar interaction with water

Chemical Composition of the Essential Oils of Three Ocimum basilicum L. Cultivars from Serbia

Basil essential oil (BEO) contains a wide range of chemical compounds whose content may vary depending on chemotypes, environmental conditions, agronomic techniques and particularly the origin of the plant. In our present study, essential oils (EOs) were isolated by hydrodistillation method from dry herbs of three basil cultivars and analyzed by GC-FID and GC-MS. Two of the tested cultivars belong to sweet basil group (B-1 and B-2) while the third one was large leafed 'Genovese' basil (B-3). EO content in the dry herb was 0.65%, 0.41% and 0.62% respectively. The main classes of compounds of B1EO and B3EO were sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (38.39% and 37.95%), oxygenated monoterpenes (25.44% and 28.04%) and phenylpropanoids (17.43% and 15.71%). The main constituents of both EOs were monoterpene alcohol linalool (13.68% and 15.38%), phenoyl derivate eugenol (10.83% and 8.97%) and sesquiterpene hydrocarbon alpha-bergamotene (8.12% and 9.25%). In both EOs, epi-bicyclosesquiphellandrene was detected in considerable amount (7.03% and 8.07%). The most abundant compound classes in B2EO were oxygenated monoterpenes (52.07%), sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (24.27%) and phenylpropanoids (10.95%). Linalool was the dominant compound (40.97%), followed by epi-bicyclosesquiphellandrene (8.70%) and methyl chavicol (7.92%). The results showed complex chemical composition of BEOs and pointed out the presence of biologically active compounds of importance for different branches of the pharmaceutical, chemical and food industry. Although there are differences in the chemical composition of the BEOs, the obtained results show that all of the tested cultivars are rich in compounds which are responsible for biological activities

Trends in thyroid cancer incidence and mortality in Central Serbia, 1999-2014

Introduction. Thyroid cancer (TC) is the the most common malignant disease of the endocrine system. The incidence of the TC has been increasing worldwide, especially in female population. However, mortality from TC is low in both males and females. The objective of the paper was to determine and analyze incidence and mortality trends of TC in males and females in the central Serbia in the period 1999-2014. Method. Descriptive study was used. Data were obtained from the Serbian Cancer Registry. Crude and age-adjusted rates (ASR) of incidence and mortality were calculated. Trend and annual percentage change (APC) of the incidence and mortality rate with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated by performing Jointpoint regression analyses. Results. A total number of new cases of TC was 3113. TC was diagnosed in 2343 females and 770 males (female-to-male ratio, 3 to 1). A total number of fatal cases was 770 (while 504 female and 266 male died from TC, female-to-male ratio, 2 to 1). TC was not common before 30 years of age. The highest incidence was recorded both in males and females aged 50-59. Joinpoint regression analysis showed the statistically significant increase of ASR of TC incidence in males in 1999-2014 period with APC of 6.2% (95%CI:4.2-8.3, p<0.001) and there was also significant increase of ASR of TC incidence in females in the same study period with APC of 6.1% (95%CI: 4.2-8.0, p<0.001). Joinpoint regression analysis showed an insignificant increase of ASR of TC mortality in males with APC of 2.4% (95%CI:-0.5-5.5, p=0.1). There was an insignificant decrease of ASR of TC mortality in females with APC of -1.3% (95%CI: -4.4-1.9, p=0.4). Conclusion. The increasing trend of age-adjusted incidence rate of TC both in males and females and decreasing trend of age-adjusted mortality rates of TC in during the period were registered. Females had higher age-adjusted incidence and mortality rates than males. Female to male ratio of incidence was 3:1 and for mortality 2:1. Measures of primary and secondary prevention are needed.

Low T-cell Receptor Diversity, High Somatic Mutation Burden, and High Neoantigen Load as Predictors of Clinical Outcome in Muscle-invasive Bladder Cancer

AbstractBackgroundThe success of cancer immunotherapies has highlighted the potent ability of local adaptive immune responses to eradicate cancer cells by targeting neoantigens generated by somatic alterations. However, how these factors interact to drive the natural history of muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) is not well understood.ObjectiveTo investigate the role of immune regulation in MIBC disease progression, we performed massively parallel T-cell receptor (TCR) sequencing of tumor-infiltrating T cells (TILs), in silico neoantigen prediction from exome sequences, and expression analysis of immune-related genes.Design, setting, and participantsWe analyzed 38 MIBC tissues from patients who underwent definitive surgery with a minimum clinical follow-up of 2 yr.Outcome measurements and statistical analysisRecurrence-free survival (RFS) was determined. TCR diversity was quantified using Simpson's diversity index. The main analyses involved the Mann-Whitney U test, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, and Cox proportional hazards models.Results and limitationsLow TCRβ chain diversity, correlating with oligoclonal TIL expansion, was significantly correlated with longer RFS, even after adjustment for pathologic tumor stage, node status, and receipt of adjuvant chemotherapy (hazard ratio 2.67, 95% confidence interval 1.08–6.60; p=0.03). Patients with both a high number of neoantigens and low TCRβ diversity had longer RFS compared to those with fewer neoantigens and high TCR diversity (median RFS 275 vs 30 wk; p=0.03). Higher expression of immune cytolytic genes was associated with nonrecurrence among patients with low TCR diversity or fewer neoantigens. Limitations include the sample size and the inability to distinguish CD8+ and CD4+ T cells using TCR sequencing.ConclusionsThese findings are the first to show that detailed tumor immune-genome analysis at definitive surgery can identify molecular patterns of antitumor immune response contributing to better clinical outcomes in MIBC.Patient summaryWe discovered that clonal expansion of certain T cells in tumor tissue, possibly targeting cancer-specific antigens, contributes to prevention of bladder cancer recurrence

Magnetic resonance imaging of benign prostatic hyperplasia

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common condition in middle-aged and older men and negatively affects the quality of life. An ultrasound classification for BPH based on a previous pathologic classification was reported, and the types of BPH were classified according to different enlargement locations in the prostate. Afterwards, this classification was demonstrated using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The classification of BPH is important, as patients with different types of BPH can have different symptoms and treatment options. BPH types on MRI are as follows: type 0, an equal to or less than 25 cm3 prostate showing little or no zonal enlargements; type 1, bilateral transition zone (TZ) enlargement; type 2, retrourethral enlargement; type 3, bilateral TZ and retrourethral enlargement; type 4, pedunculated enlargement; type 5, pedunculated with bilateral TZ and/or retrourethral enlargement; type 6, subtrigonal or ectopic enlargement; type 7, other combinations of enlargements. We retrospectively evaluated MRI images of BPH patients who were histologically diagnosed and presented the different types of BPH on MRI. MRI, with its advantage of multiplanar imaging and superior soft tissue contrast resolution, can be used in BPH patients for differentiation of BPH from prostate cancer, estimation of zonal and entire prostatic volumes, determination of the stromal/glandular ratio, detection of the enlargement locations, and classification of BPH types which may be potentially helpful in choosing the optimal treatment

Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma With a Poorly-Differentiated Component: A Novel Variant Causing Potential Diagnostic Difficulty

Background: Several variant histologic patterns of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC) are well known, especially those with sarcomatoid and rhabdoid features. However, we have encountered rare cases in which a high-grade adenocarcinoma or urothelial carcinoma-like component would be difficult to appreciate as clear cell RCC. DesignWe retrieved 26 tumors with histologically typical clear cell RCC juxtaposed to a high-grade non-clear cell component.High grade non-clear cell component was defined as non-sarcomatoid, non-rhabdoid areas that would be difficult to assign as renal cell in origin if viewed in isolation. Tumors were studied with immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) or sequencing.ResultsMedian percentage of poorly differentiated component: 50%(IQR20-70). All tumors showed abrupt transition from clear cell carcinoma to poorly-differentiated (non-sarcomatoid/non-rhabdoid) areas, which showed micropapillary (7/26; 27%), urothelial-like (10/26; 39%), and adenocarcinoma NOS features (9/26; 35%). 19 tumors had necrosis. Carbonic anhydrase IX (CA-IX) was uniformly positive in well-differentiated component (20/20); poorly differentiated component showed a median positivity of 82.5% (IQR 65-100). Poorly differentiated component was positive for CK7 (5/19; 26%), CK20 (3/12; 25%), AMACR (7/12; 58%), PAX8 (12/15; 80%), and showed intact FH (6/6; 100%). CDX2 was uniformly negative. Chromosome 3p loss or VHL mutation was present in 8/13 (62%), tested with either FISH (n = 9) or sequencing (n = 4). All tested cases were negative for TFE3 (0/11) and TFEB (0/9) rearrangements on FISH. 5/21 (24%) patients were alive with metastatic disease and 5/21 (24%) had died of disease on follow up. One metastasis was composed only of the poorly-differentiated component and was near-negative for CA-IX. Conclusion: Clear cell RCC with a poorly differentiated component resembling adenocarcinoma or urothelial carcinoma is a novel source of morphologic heterogeneity that has not been previously well characterized. Potential pitfalls include decreased or absent CA-IX staining the high-grade component and aberrant positivity for cytokeratin 7 or 20. With the increasing use of renal mass biopsy and biopsies of metastatic sites for targeted therapy, pathologists should be aware of this entity and consider the possibility of clear cell RCC even for morphologically unusual tumors.https://scholarlycommons.henryford.com/merf2019caserpt/1069/thumbnail.jp

Prostate Volumes Derived From MRI and Volume-Adjusted Serum Prostate-Specific Antigen: Correlation With Gleason Score of Prostate Cancer

The purpose of this article is to study relationships between MRI-based prostate volume and volume-adjusted serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) concentration estimates and prostate cancer Gleason score

Quinones and non-quinones from the defensive secretion of unciger transsilvanicus (Verhoeff, 1899) (diplopoda, julida, julidae), from Serbia

A complex mixture of compounds was identified from the secretion of specimens of Unciger transsilvanicus. Phenol and p-cresol were detected for the first time in the family Julidae, and for the second time in the order Julida. Thirteen quinones were identified, with a great relative abundance of toloquinone and 2-methoxy-3-methyl- 1,4-benzoquinone. Hydroquinone was detected for the first time in the order Julida. Besides these compounds, isopentyl hexacosatetraenoate and isopentyl esters of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids with chain lengths from C-14 to C(20)were identified. The most abundant non-quinone compound was isopentyl eicosenoate. The relative abundance of quinone and non-quinone in the defensive fluid of U transsilvanicus was 77% and 23%, respectively. The phylogenetic importance of the registered compounds is briefly discussed