The Application of International Standards in Kosovo: Challenges and Opportunities for Export Promotion

The core aim of this study is to identify and analyze the extent to which international standards are applied in Kosovo, the challenges firms in Kosovo face with regards to the application of international standards, and the opportunities and benefits that the application of international standards brings to firms and the economy of Kosovo, with a special consideration to exports. The analysis uses primary and secondary data. Secondary data were attained through the literature review and the Kosovo Exporters Directory available in KIESA’s website, whereas primary data were attained through semi-structured interviews with representatives of exporting firms operating in Kosovo. The results of the study show that international standards are being applied to some extent by firms with export potential. Based on the results, the main challenges firms face with regards to the application of international standards include: the lack of national conformity assessment and certification bodies, the high costs related to implementation and conformity assessment processes, the lack of qualified staff, and the lack of appropriate support from the government and public institutions responsible for the promotion of exports and the support of exporting firms in Kosovo. The benefits included: greater access to international markets, increased productivity and efficiency of the capital and labor employed in a company, increased trust from international clients, increased competitiveness in international markets, and an overall increase in the number of products exported. Based on the results and evidence found from the secondary and primary data recommendations are provided directed to firms, the government of Kosovo, public institutions, and other stakeholders who are responsible for and work toward the promotion of exports in Kosovo

Implementation of the Kosovo government capital investment projects : an analysis of the project budgeting and the project implementation performance / [presentation given in May 2011]

The aim of this project is to identify the shortfalls of the budgeting process, with a particular focus on allocation procedures and execution of the funds allocated for public capital projects. Based on the findings of the project, a set of recommendations has been produced. These recommendations have the potential to assist policymakers in optimizing allocation procedures for capital projects, and to support them in designing a more efficient fiscal framework

Energy policies and diplomatic relations with the United States : [presentation given on September 6, 2011]

Energy policy is a hot topic around the world and it is a great concern, affecting our economic interests and presenting global challenges. Immense technological developments resulting from global warring are now emerging. Huge potential markets are anticipated for carbon trading. In order to shape the future of Energy Policy we must review the current energy situation, which has remained pretty much the same since the Arab Oil Embargo, shifts have taken place with renewables and energy efficiency. Since the Arab Oil Embargo, oil imports to the United States have doubled, reflecting demand growth as well as decline in domestic production. Therefore, it is more than due time to take serious and effective initiatives to improve future of energy policy

The protection of Cultural Heritage Properties in the Republic of Kosovo

Kosovo is a country with an ancient history and a wealthy cultural, tangible and spiritual heritage, created over eight thousand years ago. These heritage assets are important from a historical, aesthetic, architectural and social perspective. They play an important and irreplaceable part of Kosovo's memory. Until the second half of the last century, cultural heritage properties of Kosovo were maintained and protected intuitively from locals. In the recent past, these properties were not valued properly. They have been treated with denigrated and degraded methods; as such the lost is enormous. Especially during the '98/'99 War in Kosovo thousands of traditional buildings were burnt and destroyed from the Serbian forces. Thousands of archaeological and ethnological collections, as well as the cultural heritage documentation of Kosovo are being held unfairly in Serbia. In the post-war period, the protection of destroyed cultural heritage was not considered according to the real requirements. The heritage was left in a degraded state to be further threatened by uncontrolled developments. However, the destroyed monasteries and orthodox churches in 2004 were totally repaired. Since 2006, there has been a development in the system of legislation and administration of cultural heritage protection in Kosovo. With the definition of Kosovo's Status as an independent democratic state, the protection of cultural heritage is demanded as one of the main preconditions. In the cultural heritage field, systematic activities are being developed thus progress is visible. However this does not cover the actual requirements. Regarding the implementation of legal protection, there are halts for different reasons. In this way the protection of cultural heritage properties is being faced with big challenges. Intangible heritage is not being supported and is endangered from being vanished. The paper will explore the treatment and conservation of Kosovo's built heritage within the context of current situation. Furthermore it will describe the legal definition and management mechanisms, underline the demands for development and modernization of administrative mechanisms responsible for managing the protection and enhancement of build heritage, as well as Professional Standards and training programs for conservation, according to international principles

Disciplinary Action Against UK Health Professionals for Sexual Misconduct: A Matter of Reputational Damage or Public Safety?

© 2021 Federation of State Medical Boards. All Rights Reserved.The regulation of health care professionals in the United Kingdom (UK) falls under the authority of one of nine General Councils, each of which has a statutory duty to ensure the fitness to practice of a subdivision of these professionals. Among the matters that may call fitness to practice into question are deviations from published standards of behavior, which include the maintenance of appropriate sexual boundaries by practitioners. The aim of this article is to examine how the common fitness-to-practice process utilized by General Councils deals with registered health care professionals who have exceeded these boundaries.Deductive thematic analysis was carried out on cases involving academic misconduct among registrants of the General Medical Council, General Dental Council, General Pharmaceutical Council, and Nursing and Midwifery Council, using themes derived from each council’s standards for registrants and guidance for disciplinary panel members.While each of these four cases involved some form of sexually motivated misconduct, the facts in each case were significantly different; however, not only was the outcome the same, but the rationale was similar in each instance. While the protection of the health, safety and well-being of the public may be considered in cases involving sexual misconduct, the need to maintain public and professional confidence in their respective professions is sufficient grounds alone to end the careers of health professionals who engage in sexual misconduct.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Synthesis of Some New Heteroarylamino-3-Nitro-2H-[1]-Benzopyran-2-ones and their Antibacterial Activity

Novel derivatives of benzopyran-2-ones are synthesized by catalytic condensation reaction. 4-(3-Hydroxy-2-pyridinylamino)- 3-nitro-2H-[1]-benzopyran-2-one  4a,  4-(4-methyl-3-nitro-2-pyridinylamino)-3-nitro-2H-[1]-benzopyran-2-one,  4b  and 4-(pyrimidinylamono)-3-nitro-2H-[1]-benzopyran-2-ones  4(c, d) are synthesized by condensation of 4-Chlor-3-nitro-2H-[1]-benzopyran-2-one  2   and corresponding heteroarylamines  3(a-d ) under reflux reaction conditions. Alkali hydrolysis of  4(a-d ) afforded the 2-hydroxy-ω -nitroacetophenone  5. Structural characterization of the synthesized products is done on the basis of spectrometric data. Antibacterial activity of the compounds 4(a-d) against S. aureus, E. coli and Klebsiella was examined by measuring the inhibition zones around the disks marked with the corresponding product solutions in N,N-DMF concentration 2 mg/mL , 4 mg/mL and 6 mg/mL. Compounds 4a and 4c  have shown significant antibacterial activity against S. aureus, compounds 4b and 4d exhibited significant activity  against E. coli whereas compound 4d was more active against Klebsiella

International observational atopic dermatitis cohort to follow natural history and treatment course: TARGET-DERM AD study design and rationale

INTRODUCTION: As new topical and systemic treatments become available for atopic dermatitis (AD), there is a need to understand how treatments are being used in routine clinical practice, their comparative effectiveness and their long-term safety in diverse clinical settings. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The TARGET-DERM AD cohort is a longitudinal, observational study of patients with AD of all ages, designed to provide practical information on long-term effectiveness and safety unobtainable in traditional registration trials. Patients with physician-diagnosed AD receiving prescription treatment (topical or systemic) will be enrolled at academic and community clinical centres. Up to 3 years of retrospective medical records, 5 years of prospective medical records, and optional biological samples and patient-reported outcomes will be collected. The primary aims include characterisation of AD treatment regimens, evaluation of response to therapy, and description of adverse events. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: TARGET-DERM has been approved by a central IRB (Copernicus Group IRB, 5000 Centregreen Way Suite 200, Cary, North Carolina 27513) as well as local and institutional IRBs. No additional Ethics Committee reviews. Results will be reviewed by a publications committee and submitted to peer-reviewed journals. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03661866, pre-results