The conceptual model of the credit information exchange system in global terms

In current conditions, there are few rare initiatives regarding credit information exchange outside national borders. All of them have significant disadvantages and can only be applied on a limited number of countries. This paper proposes conceptual model of a credit bureau in global terms which succesfully solves the aforementioned problems and enables efficient credit information exchange in global terms. Our results point to the fact that efficient credit information exchange in global terms is preconditioned by an adequate model of national credit bureau, international standards of credit reporting and unique identification of natural persons and legal entities. The basis of the conceptual model of a system for credit information exchange in global terms is a national credit bureau model which is organized in a manner which enables simple information exchange and distribution of accurate and reliable data to its users. A variation of such model is commercially used by the banking sector in Serbia

The impact of functional characteristics of a credit bureau on per capita level of indebtedness : evidence from East European countries

The institution of the credit bureau is one of the most important elements in controlling the indebtedness levels of a population. All credit bureaus have specific functional characteristics which are able to influence the development of indebtedness. This research aims to identify the most important characteristics of a credit bureau, to quantify those characteristics and to identify causal relationships between the characteristics of the credit bureau and trends in indebtedness per capita levels. The paper introduces the Credit Bureau Functional Index which presents a quantified value of the functional characteristics of the Credit Bureau. The paper establishes a correlation between this index and indebtedness per capita and finds the formula governing this relationship to be linear. The paper concludes that indebtedness levels can be targeted through a mix of characteristics of a credit bureau. Research on this theme is absent in academic literature to date

Antioxidant, Antimicrobial and Antiproliferative Activities of Five Lichen Species

The antioxidative, antimicrobial and antiproliferative potentials of the methanol extracts of the lichen species Parmelia sulcata, Flavoparmelia caperata, Evernia prunastri, Hypogymnia physodes and Cladonia foliacea were evaluated. The total phenolic content of the tested extracts varied from 78.12 to 141.59 mg of gallic acid equivalent (GA)/g of extract and the total flavonoid content from 20.14 to 44.43 mg of rutin equivalent (Ru)/g of extract. The antioxidant capacities of the lichen extracts were determined by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals scavenging. Hypogymnia physodes with the highest phenolic content showed the strongest DPPH radical scavenging effect. Further, the antimicrobial potential of the lichen extracts was determined by a microdilution method on 29 microorganisms, including 15 strains of bacteria, 10 species of filamentous fungi and 4 yeast species. A high antimicrobial activity of all the tested extracts was observed with more potent inhibitory effects on the growth of Gram (+) bacteria. The highest antimicrobial activity among lichens was demonstrated by Hypogymnia physodes and Cladonia foliacea. Finally, the antiproliferative activity of the lichen extracts was explored on the colon cancer adenocarcinoma cell line HCT-116 by MTT (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) viability assay and acridine orange/ethidium bromide staining. The methanol extracts of Hypogymnia physodes and Cladonia foliacea showed a better cytotoxic activity than the other extracts. All lichen species showed the ability to induce apoptosis of HCT-116 cells

Environmental and Pharmacokinetic Aspects of Zeolite/Pharmaceuticals Systems—Two Facets of Adsorption Ability

Zeolites belong to aluminosilicate microporous solids, with strong and diverse catalytic activity, which makes them applicable in almost every kind of industrial process, particularly thanks to their eco-friendly profile. Another crucial characteristic of zeolites is their tremendous adsorption capability. Therefore, it is self-evident that the widespread use of zeolites is in environmental protection, based primarily on the adsorption capacity of substances potentially harmful to the environment, such as pharmaceuticals, pesticides, or other industry pollutants. On the other hand, zeolites are also recognized as drug delivery systems (DDS) carriers for numerous pharmacologically active agents. The enhanced bioactive ability of DDS zeolite as a drug carrying nanoplatform is confirmed, making this system more specific and efficient, compared to the drug itself. These two applications of zeolite, in fact, illustrate the importance of (ir)reversibility of the adsorption process. This review gives deep insight into the balance and dynamics that are established during that process, i.e., the interaction between zeolites and pharmaceuticals, helping scientists to expand their knowledge necessarily for a more effective application of the adsorption phenomenon of zeolites

Can Zeolite-Supporting Acridines Boost Their Anticancer Performance?

Acridine and its derivatives (9-chloroacridine and 9-aminoacridine) are investigated here, supported on FAU type zeolite Y, as a delivery system of anticancer agents. FTIR/Raman spectroscopy and electron microscopy revealed successful drug loading on the zeolite surface, while spectrofluorimetry was employed for drug quantification. The effects of the tested compounds on cell viability were evaluated using in vitro methylthiazol-tetrazolium (MTT) colorimetric technique against human colorectal carcinoma (cell line HCT-116) and MRC-5 fibroblasts. Zeolite structure remained unchanged during homogeneous drug impregnation with achieved drug loadings in the 18–21 mg/g range. The highest drug release, in the µM concentration range, with favourable kinetics was established for zeolite-supported 9-aminoacridine. The acridine delivery via zeolite carrier is viewed in terms of solvation energy and zeolite adsorption sites. The cytotoxic effect of supported acridines on HCT-116 cells reveals that the zeolite carrier improves toxicity, while the highest efficiency is displayed by zeolite-impregnated 9-aminoacridine. The 9-aminoacridine delivery via zeolite carrier favours healthy tissue preservation while accompanying increased toxicity toward cancer cells. Cytotoxicity results are well correlated with theoretical modelling and release study, providing promising results for applicative purposes

Market risk management in a post-Basel II regulatory environment

We propose a novel method of Mean-Capital Requirement portfolio optimization. The optimization is performed using a parallel framework for optimization based on the Nondominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II. Capital requirements for market risk include an additional stress component introduced by the recent Basel 2.5 regulation. Our optimization with the Basel 2.5 formula in the objective function produces superior results to those of the old (Basel II) formula in stress scenarios in which the correlations of asset returns change considerably. These improvements are achieved at the expense of reduced cardinality of Pareto-optimal portfolios. This reduced cardinality (and thus portfolio diversification) in periods of relatively low market volatility may have unintended consequences for banks’ risk exposure

Kanali distribucije u savremenom bankarstvu

U savremenim uslovima neizvesnog i izuzetno konkurentnog okruženja banke su izložene velikom pritisku unapređenja kvaliteta usluga, uz istovremeno smanjenje troškova poslovanja. U uslovima u kojima cenovna konkurentnosti ne obezbeđuje dovoljan prostor za tržišno pozicioniranje, banke su suočene sa imperativnom poboljšanja korisničkog servisa. Navedena tendencija je posebno izraženo za retail bankarski segment, pri čemu kanali distribucije igraju ključnu ulogu u pružanju kvalitetnijeg korisničkog iskustva, jer interakcije sa klijentima počinju i završavaju u okviru kanala distribucije. Korisnici bankarskih usluga očekuju sve veću udobnost, dostupnost, personalizaciju i pouzdanost kanala bankarskih distributivnih mreža. Da bi ostvarile postavljene zahteve korisnika banke se u velikoj meri oslanjaju na mogućnosti i novitete informaciono-komunikacione tehnologije. Aktuelnost predložene teme predstavljala osnovnu motivaciju autorima ove monografije posvećene analizi razvoja i trendova u oblasti elektronskog bankarstva, kanala distribucije i elektronskih transakcija. Autori priloga predstavili su rezultate analize pojedinih tema koji dominantno targetiraju segment kanala u savremenom bankarstvu. Osvrt na istorijski razvoj elektronskog bankarstva, sa akcentom na uticaj i prilagođavanje bankarskog poslovanja inovacijama koje je donosio revolucionarni razvoj informaciono-komunikacione tehnologije. Posebna dimenzija prvog poglavlja predstavlja i analizu najnovijih trendova u Srbiji. U okviru drugog poglavlja detaljno su opisani rizici sa kojima se banke suočavaju u domenu elektronskog bankarstva, a pored pregleda situacije u Srbiji, dat je pregled i za Bosnu i Hercegovinu, Crnu Goru i Hrvatsku. Treće poglavlje je posvećeno izazovima kojima se banke suočavaju u retail sektoru kada su u pitanju elektronski kanali distribucije. Predstavljeni su rezultati analize trendova koji utiču na promene u bankarskim kanalima distribucije. Poglavlje obuhvata i kriterijume za izbor optimalne strategije kanala distribucije. Veoma važna tema, razvoj i trendovi u oblasti platnih kartica vrlo detaljno je predstavljena u četvrtom poglavlju. Centralni deo monografije, peto poglavlje, posvećeno je vrlo aktuelnoj temi – mogućnostima primene društvenih mreža u bankarstvu. Poglavlje obrađuje fenomen Interneta i Web 2.0 tehnologije i servisa bazirane na njoj. Tema je obrađena kroz dve perspektive: korisnika bankarskih usluga i banaka. Logičan nastavak ove teme su inovacije u mobilnom bankarstvu, obrađenu u šestom poglavlju. Rast potreba korisnika za lagodnijim i lakšim upravljanjem bankovnim računima i drugim bankarskim uslugama morali su zadovoljiti i proizvođači mobilnih telefona, a to se pre svega odnosi na razvoj aplikacija kao što su Google Walet i Apple Pay. Poslednja, treća glava monografije obuhvata temu elektronskih transakcija. Sedmo poglavlje obrađuje vrlo važnu i kompleksnu oblast – razmenu poslovnih transakcija. Obuhvaćena je analiza rada klirinških kuća, kao i rešenja za elektronska plaćanja poput MultiChain, Blue Mix i Bitcoin. Osmo poglavlje doprinosi kvalitetu monografije prikazom rezultata analize navika koje građani Srbije imaju u onlajn transakcijama u poređenju sa građanima razvijenih zemalja Evropske unije

Observed Changes in Climate Conditions and Weather-Related Risks in Fruit and Grape Production in Serbia

Climate change, through changes in temperature, precipitation, and frequency of extreme events, has influenced agricultural production and food security over the past several decades. In order to assess climate and weather-related risks to fruit and grape production in Serbia, changes in bioclimatic indices and frequency of the occurrence of unfavourable weather events are spatially analysed for the past two decades (1998–2017) and the standard climatological period 1961–1990. Between the two periods, the Winkler and Huglin indices changed into a warmer category in most of the viticultural regions of Serbia. The average change shift was about 200 m towards higher elevations. Regarding the frequency of spring frost, high summer temperatures and water deficit, the most vulnerable regions in terms of fruit and grape production are found alongside large rivers (Danube, Sava, Great and South Morava), as well as in the northern part of the country. Regions below 300 m are under increased risk of high summer temperatures, as the number and duration of occurrences increased significantly over the studied periods. The high-resolution spatial analysis presented here gives an assessment of the climate change influence on the fruit and grapes production. The presented approach may be used in regional impact assessments and national planning of adaptation measures, and it may help increase resilience of agricultural production to climate change

Enhancing Capacity for Short-Term Climate Change Adaptations in Agriculture in Serbia: Development of Integrated Agrometeorological Prediction System

The Integrated Agrometeorological Prediction System (IAPS) was a two-year project for the development of the long term forecast (LRF) for agricultural producers. Using LRF in decision-making, to reduce the risks and seize the opportunities, represents short-term adaptation to climate change. High-resolution ensemble forecasts (51 forecasts) were made for a period of 7 months and were initiated on the first day of each month. For the initial testing of the capacity of LRF to provide useful information for producers, 2017 was chosen as the test year as it had a very hot summer and severe drought, which caused significant impacts on agricultural production. LRF was very useful in predicting the variables which bear the memory of the longer period, such are growing degree days for the prediction of dates of the phenophases’ occurrences and the soil moisture of deeper soil layers as an indicator for the drought. Other project activities included field observations, communication with producers, web portal development, etc. Our results showed that the selected priority forecasting products were also identified by the producers as being the highest weather-related risks, the operational forecast implementation with the products designed for the use in agricultural production is proven to be urgent and necessary for decision-making, and required investments are affordable. The total cost of the full upgrade of agrometeorological climate services to meet current needs (including monitoring, seamless forecasting system development and the development of tools for information dissemination) was found to be about three orders of magnitude lower than the assessed losses in agricultural production in the two extreme years over the past decade