Profitability as a business goal: the multicriteria approach to the ranking of the five largest Croatian banks

Background: The ranking of commercial banks is usually based on using a single criterion, the size of assets or income. A multicriteria approach allows a more complex analysis of their business efficiency. Objectives: This paper proposes the ranking of banks based on six financial criteria using a multicriteria approach implementing a goal programming model. The criteria are classified into three basic groups: profitability, credit risk and solvency. Methods/Approach: Business performance is evaluated using a score for each bank, calculated as the weighted sum of relative values of individual indicators. Results: In the process of solving the corresponding goal programming problem, the weights are calculated. It is assumed that the goal of each bank is the highest profitability. Because of the market competition among banks, the weights of indicators depend on the performance of each bank. This method is applied to the five biggest Croatian banks (ZABA, PBZ, ERSTE, RBA and HYPO). Conclusion: For the observed period (2010), the highest priority is given to profitability and then to credit risk. The ranking is achieved by using a multicriteria model

Eozinofilna upala u alergijskom rinitisu i nosnoj polipozi

On histopathological examination, nasal polyps and nasal mucosa in allergic rhinitis show different forms of pseudostratified respiratory epithelium, whereas the dominant characteristic of lamina propria is an eosinophilic infiltration. The aim of this study was to compare interleukin (IL)-5 and eosinophilic cationic protein (ECP) levels in the nasal fluid of 42 patients: 12 with allergic rhinitis and nasal septal deviation, 17 non-atopic patients with nasal polyposis, and 13 atopic nasal polyp patients were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Nasal secretion samples were collected a few days before surgery. The levels of IL-5 were measured using fl ow cytometry and the ECP using a commercial ELISA kit. In addition, we counted eosinophils in hematoxylin-and-eosin-stained sections of all nasal polyp and all nasal mucosa samples taken from the inferior nasal turbinates during septoplasty. A significantly higher concentration of IL-5 was found in the nasal fluid of atopic patients with nasal polyposis than in non-atopic nasal polyp patients (p=0.025) and patients with allergic rhinitis (p=0.05). ECP was higher in atopic nasal polyp patients than in patients with allergic rhinitis (p<0.0001) and than in non-atopic nasal polyp patients (p<0.0001). Polyp eosinophils were higher in atopic’ than in non-atopic patients (p<0.0001) and higher than in the mucosa of patients with allergic rhinitis (p<0.0001). These however had signifi cantly more mucosal eosinophils than was found in the polyps of non-atopic patients’ (p=0.025). ECP levels in nasal fl uid and eosinophil counts in tissue specimens correlated well in all three groups of patients. Our study has shown that atopic nasal polyp patients have a higher level of eosinophilic inflammation than non-atopic patients with nasal polyps and patients with allergic rhinitis.Na histopatološkim pregledima nosni polipi, kao i nosna sluznica u alergijskom rinitisu pokazuju različite oblike pseudoslojevitog respiracijskog epitela, dok je osnovna karakteristika lamine proprije infiltracija eozinofilima. Cilj ove studije bio je usporediti koncentracije interleukina 5 (IL-5) i eozinofilnoga kationskog proteina (ECP) u nosnome sekretu pacijenata s alergijskim rinitisom, neatopičnih i atopičnih pacijenata s nosnom polipozom, kao i usporediti broj eozinofi la u tkivu nosnih polipa/nosne sluznice ovih pacijenata. Četrdeset dvoje (n=42) pacijenata, 12-ero s alergijskim rinitisom i devijacijom nosnog septuma, 17-ero neatopičnih pacijenata s nosnom polipozom i 13-ero atopičnih pacijenata s nosnom polipozom bilo je uključeno u ovu presječnu studiju. Uzorci nosnog sekreta bili su skupljeni iz nosnih šupljina svih ispitanika nekoliko dana prije kirurškog liječenja. Koncentracije IL-5 mjerene su metodom protočne citometrije, dok su koncentracije ECP mjerene komercijalnim ELISA-kitom. Eozinofi li su brojeni u svim uzorcima tkiva nosnih polipa, kao i u svim uzorcima tkiva sluznice uzetih s donje nosne školjke tijekom septoplastike. Značajno više koncentracije IL-5 izmjerene su u nosnom sekretu atopičnih pacijenata s nosnom polipozom u usporedbi s neatopičnim pacijentima s nosnom polipozom (p=0,025) i pacijentima s alergijskim rinitisom (p=0,05). Naši su rezultati pokazali više koncentracije ECP u atopičnih pacijenata s nosnom polipozom nego u pacijenata s alergijskim rinitisom (p<0,0001) i u usporedbi s nealergičnim pacijentima s nosnom polipozom (p<0,0001). Veći broj eozinofi la izbrojen je u tkivu polipa atopičnih pacijenata nego u tkivu polipa neatopičnih pacijenata (p<0,0001), kao i u sluznici pacijenata s alergijskim rinitisom (p<0,0001). U nosnoj sluznici pacijenata s alergijskim rinitisom našli smo značajno veći broj eozinofila nego u polipima neatopičnih pacijenata s nosnim polipima (p=0,025). Konačno, našli smo pozitivnu korelaciju između nivoa ECP u nosnom sekretu i broja eozinofila u uzorcima tkiva u sve tri skupine ispitanika. Zaključili smo da atopični pacijenti s nosnom polipozom imaju viši stupanj eozinofilne upale u usporedbi s neatopičnim pacijentima s nosnim polipima i s pacijentima s alergijskim rinitisom

Causal-implicative relationships in the Serbian hypotaxis (Complex of generative complex sentences)

The paper analyzes the causal-implicative relationships in the segmented complex sentences with a “closed” (asymmetric, mandatory bi-situational) generative (conditional) semantic structure on the corpus of the Serbian language. The generative (conditional) semantic structure consists of meaningfully interconnected antecedents and consequents that are based on the principle of subordination. These sentences are characterized with a general causal link due to the specific implicative relationship between the segments that can be realized within dependent clauses with diverse categorically-differential semantics (i.e. causal, consecutive, final, conditional and concessive). The author reaches a conclusion that the given implicative relationships (P ⇒ Q, P ⇐ Q/Q ⇒ P, P ⇔Q, P ⇒ Q´ Δ P´ ⇒ Q) represent, in fact, semantic invariants of generative complex sentences. It is pointed out that the structure, formation and functioning of these relationships (sentences) are always determined by the interconnectedness of syntax and lexicon. They are based on a general causal adverbial meaning of the conjunctions in a subordinate clause, which are also used to determine the adverbial semantics of a sentence as a whole. The article discusses in particular the aspectual-temporal correlations that are realized in complex sentences with a generative structure. It has been noted very often in the literature that there is no differentiation made among all of the types of the hypothetical conditionality - real, eventual, potential and unreal. The paper analyzes taxis of simultaneity and succession (anteriority/posteriority) of the main and subordinate clause predicates in conditional sentences as a special type of the relative-temporal relationships within the same temporal plan. In order to interpret these correlations, the Serbian data was compared to the data in Russian and Polish. It is noted that the Northern Slavic languages (in this case Russian and Polish) are unable to distinguish real from eventual conditionality because they, unlike the Serbian language, do not have formal (grammatical) means for delimitation between different types of hypothetical modality. In other words, the perfective present in the Serbian language, which in conditional sentences formally coincides with the Northern Slavic perfective future (which is the same as analytical, imperfective, future, used in those languages in both the main and the subordinate clauses of the conditional sentences), can never signify real conditionality, but only an eventual one. In addition to this, the Serbian language in order to express eventual conditionality in subordinate clauses uses future II (exact) as well. Therefore, based on a short contrastive analysis of the material, it can be concluded that the inventory of resources used to express these types of modal hypothetical relationships is much richer in the Serbian language than it is in Russian or Polish. In relation to this, it is pointed out that the abovementioned specific features of the compared languages represent a typological boundary between the Southern Slavic and Northern Slavic languages. Likewise, the paper analyzes in a detailed manner complex concessive sentences with an emphasis on their semantic interpretation. This interpretation implies primarily ascertaining the basic components of the semantic invariant of the concession category, as well as an explanation of the principle of “unfulfilled expectations”, i.e. an implicit cause which enables the subject to unexpectedly overcome or fail to overcome an obstacle, which is precisely what concessive relationships are built on. In this regard, it can be noted that concessive relationships are closely associated with categories of evidentiality and epistemic modality, which is, in principle, the result of a mandatory, although, as a rule, formally inexplicit presence (participation) of the addresser (speaker) in the organization of given relations. In this way, “modus-dictum” relationships are realized in concessive sentences, because in a certain sense a subordinate clause (with a propositional frame - modus) interprets the contents of a main clause (proposition - dictum). The author emphasizes a special role of a referral (either explicit or implicit) to the source and credibility of the information communicated by the addresser, whereby the source can be presented by both observations and gained experience of the addresser (direct evidentiality) as well as other people, or logical reasoning which is based on his/her own beliefs and assumptions (indirect evidentiality). Statistical analysis of a frequency of conjunctions (and thus the sentences as well) with generative semantics in the concluding section of the article allows the author to conclude that certain types of texts - in this particular case the texts are represented by the New Testament discourse - are characterized precisely by the causal-implicative orientation of the hypotaxis, because more than 1/3 of a total text of the four gospels uses precisely sentences with a causal meaning. The author concludes that this result confirms further that the causal- implicative syntactic structures considered in this article demand further, even deeper, research. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 178021: Opis i standardizacija savremenog srpskog jezika

Flexible removable partial denture prosthesis: A survey of dentists&apos; attitudes and knowledge in Greece and Croatia [Savitljiva mobilna djelomična zubna proteza: istraživanje o stajalištima i znanju doktora dentalne medicine u Grckoj i Hrvatskoj]

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate through a questionnaire the knowledge, attitudes and possible differences in the use of flexible RPDPs among dentists in Greece and Croatia. Material and Methods: A questionnaire of 16 questions was originally created in English, translated into Greek and Croatian language following a two way translation and tested for apprehension, precision, clarity and homogeneity by a number of native English speaking Greek and Croatian dentists. Following the necessary corrections, the questionnaires replicated in two online surveys and their addresses with an informed consent were sent by emails to nearly 4000 dentists in each country to participate. Collected data were analyzed by chi-square tests at a= .05 level of significance. Results: 378 dentists from Greece and 304 from Croatia participated in the study. 137(36.2%) dentists from Greece and 56(18.4%) from Croatia provided flexible RPDPs to their patients. Statistical analysis for all providers indicated no significant difference between genders (P&gt;.05), significant differences between age groups (P&lt;.01), years of practice (P&lt;.05), specialization (P &lt;.001), and instruction on flexible prostheses (P &lt;.001). The analysis between the two countries showed differences for gender and age groups (P&lt;.01) but no differences between experienced, specialized or instructed groups (P &gt;.05). Conclusion: The survey indicated differences between the two countries in the percentages of dentists using, selecting and providing RPDPs for their patients. Practitioners&apos; age, years in practice and instruction were associated with the provision of the prostheses, while comfort, esthetics and cost were the reasons for deciding to use the flexible RPDPs. Conclusion: Although dentists are not educated in their schools about flexible RPDPs, almost a third of them offer this treatment to their patients. Long term success of these devices depends on clinical education, more experience and definitely more research

Human cartilage glycoprotein 39—biomarker of joint damage in knee osteoarthritis

Human glycoprotein of cartilage (YKL-40) synthesises chondrocytes and synovial cells in inflammatory conditions or remodels the outer cell matrix in osteoarthritis. The aim of this study was to conduct a parallel analysis between thickness of cartilage and length of osteophytes, ultrasound indicators of joint destruction, with levels of YKL-40 in serum in patients with primary osteoarthritis. Ultrasound findings and concentration of YKL-40(ng/ml) were examined in 88 patients. The average value cartilage thickness measured on medial condyles of the femur was 1.30 ± 0.23 mm and on lateral was 1.39 ± 0.27 mm. Median YKL-40 in patients with shorter osteophytes was 62.0 (44.5–90) ng/ml, and with longer osteophytes was 119 (range 80–171) ng/ml (p = 0.000). YKL-40 can be a marker for the appearance of longer osteophytes (sensitivity = 79.1%; specificity = 61.9%;cut off = 75.0 ng/ml). The duration of illness is very much connected to values of YKL-40 (r = 0.651, p = 0.000). After an illness duration of five years, the concentration of YKL-40 was 83.68 ± 33.65 ng/ml, after ten years it was 138.22 ± 48.88 ng/ml, and after 15 and 20 years it was 209.30 ± 79.36 ng/ml and 218.50 ± 106.51 ng/ml, respectively. Higher concentrations of YKL-40 indicate the level of cartilage destruction and can be used for assessment of destruction

Se non potere \ue8 non volere. L\u2019evoluzione diacronica del prezens naprasnogo o\u17eidanija

In russo antico i significati non attuali del non-passato proto-perfettivo (NPPF), tra cui anche il cosiddetto prezens naprasnogo o\u17eidanija (PNO), avevano una maggiore distribuzione. In determinati contesti, il PNO esprimeva, oltre all\u2019\u201cimpossibilit\ue0\u201d, la \u201cnon volont\ue0\u201d di portare a termine una data azione (oggi codificata nelle costruzioni polisemantiche interrogativo-negative del tipo di Po\u10demu ty ko mne ne zajde\u161\u2019?). A partire da testi databili tra il XI e il XV secolo \u2013 la redazione Lavrent\u2019evskaja della Povest\u2019 vremennych let, le gramoty e lo \u17ditie i cho\u17edenie dell\u2019igumeno Daniil \u2013 il presente contributo intende indagare le ragioni formali di questo cambiamento intrasistema