Efficiency dynamics of the Croatian banking industry: DEA investigation

The paper deals with the efficiency dynamics of the Croatian banking industry, covering the period from 2006 to 2015. We have implemented the intermediation approach, using interest and non-interest expenses and revenues as the input and output variables, respectively. The variable return to scale (BCC) Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) output-oriented model has been implemented, and we have estimated the crisis-driven efficiency trends, as well as the impact of the EU membership. We further estimated the efficiency effects of the relative market power/size, ownership structure, and origin of capital. The global crisis had detrimental effects since the overall efficiency score dropped by about 3%. On the contrary, Croatian banks have largely benefited from the EU membership, and the efficiency score after the EU association increased by about 45%. The market leaders are more efficient than the competitive fringe, which is in line with the efficiency structure hypothesis. In addition, the biggest banks are the most efficient ones, meaning that the scale efficiency hypothesis has also been upheld. Contrary to the agency theory hypothesis, state-owned banks are permanently more efficient than private banks. Finally, the results support the home-field advantage hypothesis exclusively for the pre-crisis period (2006–2009)

Current efficiency in the chlorate cell process

A mathematical model has been set up for current efficiency in a chlorate cell acting as an ideal electrochemical tubular reactor with a linear increase in hypochlorite concentration from the entrance to the exit. Good agreement was found between the results on current efficiency experimentally obtained under simulated industrial chlorate production conditions and the theoretical values provided by the mathematical model. © 2014 SCS. All rights reserved

Effect of milling and annealing on microstructural, electrical and magnetic properties of electrodeposited Ni-11.3fe-1.4W alloy

A nanostructured Ni-11.3Fe-1.4W alloy deposit was obtained from an ammonium citrate bath at a current density of 600 mAcm -2. XRD analysis shows that the deposit contains an amorphous matrix having embedded nanocrystals of the FCC phase of the solid solution of Fe and W in Ni with the average crystal grain size of 8.8 nm. The deposit has a high internal microstrain value and a high minimum density of chaotically distributed dislocations. The effect of milling and annealing of the Ni-11.3Fe-1.4W alloy on electrical and magnetic properties was studied. Structural changes in the alloy take place during both annealing and milling. Upon deposition, the alloy was heated to 420 °C. Heating resulted in structural relaxation which induced a decrease in electrical resistivity and an increase in magnetic permeability of the alloy. Further heating of the alloy at temperatures higher than 420 °C led to crystallization which caused a reduction in both electrical resistivity and magnetic permeability. The milling of the alloy for up to 12 hours caused a certain degree of structural relaxation and crystallization of the alloy. The increase in crystal grain size up to 11 nm and the partial structural relaxation induced a decrease in electrical resistivity and an increase in magnetic permeability of the alloy. Heating the powders obtained by milling at 420 °C led to complete structural relaxation, reduced electrical resistivity, and increased magnetic permeability. During heating of the powders obtained by milling at temperatures above 420 °C, crystallization and a significant increase in crystal grain size occurred, leading to a reduction in both electrical resistivity and magnetic permeability. The best magnetic properties were exhibited by the alloys milled for 12 hours and annealed thereafter at 420 °C. In these alloys, crystal grains were found to have an optimum size, and complete relaxation took place, resulting in a maximum increase in magnetic permeability

Kvalitet vode za piće grada Užica

In 2014, the Serbian public was informed on several occasions about water supply problems in the City of Užice. The reason behind the problem was the presence of potentially toxic species Planktothrix rubescens (Cyanobacteria) in the waters of the Vrutci Reservoir (the water supply intake for the City of Užice), the alternative water supply intake Sušičko Vrelo and in the city distribution network. Although the measured concentration of hepatotoxic microcystin-LR (< 0.01 μg/L) was considerably below World Health Organisation guidelines for drinking water (1 μg/ L), the water was declared unsafe. The study presents and comments on the results of physicochemical, microbiological and biological analyses of both raw water samples collected from the water supply intakes and treated chlorinated drinking water samples from the distribution network of the City of Užice water supply system.Tokom 2014. godine javnost Srbije je nekoliko puta obaveštavana o problemima vodosnabdevanja grada Užica. Razlog je bilo prisustvo potencijalno toksične vrste Planktothrix rubescens (Cyanobacteria) u vodi akumulacije Vrutci (vodozahvata grada Užica), alternativnog vodozahvata Sušičkog vrela i u gradskoj distributivnoj mreži. Iako je izmerena koncentracija hepatotokisčnog mikrocistina-LR (< 0,01 μg/L) bila znatno niža од dozvoljene vrednosti propisane od strane Svetska zdravstveno organizacije (1 μg/L), voda je proglašavana zdravstveno neispravnom. U radu su prikazani i komentarisani rezultati fizičko-hemijskih, mikrobioloških i bioloških analiza sirove vode vodozahvata kao i prečišćene i hlorisane vode za piće iz distributivne mreže gradskog vodovoda Užice

Evaluation and assessment of demand response potential applied to the meat industry

Demand response has proven to be a useful mechanism that produces important benefits for both the customer and the power system. In the context of an increasingly competitive electricity market, where prices are constantly rising and the presence of renewable energy resources is gaining prominence, this paper analyzes the flexibility potential of customers in the meat industry, based on the management of the most energy consuming process in this type of segment: cooling production and distribution. The effectiveness of the proposed actions has been successfully tested and validated in an active factory that produces cured ham in Spain, where savings of about 5% in the total annual cost of electricity have been assessed, together with power reductions in the range of 50% of the total peak demand of the studied facilities. Such results demonstrate the efficacy of these techniques, and they open the door to an innovative perspective on the evaluation of flexibility among customers which are traditionally considered rigid, providing a novel approach to the management of customer infrastructures in order to exploit their flexibility in electricity markets.This work was supported by the Spanish Government (Ministerio Ciencia e Innovacion, MICINN) under Research Project ENE2007-67771-C02-01&02/CON.Alcázar Ortega, M.; Álvarez Bel, CM.; Escrivá Escrivá, G.; Domijan, A. (2012). Evaluation and assessment of demand response potential applied to the meat industry. Applied Energy. 92:84-91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2011.10.040S84919

Representações e emoções de coveiros portugueses face à morte

Dissertação apresentada à Universidade Fernando Pessoa como parte dos requisitos para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Psicologia.Nos tempos que correm, ainda é difícil aceitar a morte e o processo de morrer, mesmo nos grupos em que a morte faz parte do seu quotidiano, como é caso dos coveiros. Este estudo exploratório de índole psico-cultural, procura compreender que representações têm os coveiros da morte, mais concretamente, durante o processo do enterro da pessoa falecida, perante os familiares e amigos do defunto, assim como discernir que tipo de emoções são despoletadas, factos que serão analisados numa perspectiva eclética a partir das percepções, das imagens, das contribuições simbólicas, dos sentimentos, e das manifestações afectivas de cada um. Os coveiros são o cerne deste estudo devido à sua conotação ancestral, por vezes até mística, sendo muitas vezes representados pelo senso comum como pessoas frias. Estes profissionais detêm uma ligação sui generis com a terra e o morto e presenciam no próprio local de trabalho, o cemitério o último “adeus” entre o morto, família e amigos, consumando o processo ao cobrir a urna com terra, como se fechassem o ciclo do mundo dos vivos e constituíssem a nova morada dos mortos. Tentou compreender-se de que forma os coveiros sentem e representam a morte, através da utilização da abordagem qualitativa na colheita e na compreensão dos dados, em que foi empregue o método de análise fenomenológica interpretativa, o modelo hermenêutico, como também o modelo psicodinâmico. A observação não - participante, o diário de campo e a aplicação de entrevistas semi - estruturadas aos coveiros no seu local de trabalho, o cemitério, foram técnicas utilizadas durante o trabalho de campo. In the present days, is still hard accepting death and the process of dying, even at groups where it is a part of its daily routine, such as in the case of gravediggers. The purpose of this psycho-cultural case-study is to understand the representations gravediggers have of death, specifically, during the process of burying the person that passed, before its relatives and friends; as well as, to discern what kind of emotions are triggered, facts that will be analyzed in an eclectic perspective, based on perceptions, images, symbolic contributions and feelings, and one's affective demonstrations. Gravediggers are at the center of this study due to their ancestral and even mystical connotation, being often represented by common sense as cold hearted people. These kind of professionals detain a sui generis connection to the earth and the dead person and testify in their own work location, the cemetery, the last "goodbye" between the dead, its family and friends, consuming the process by covering the grave with sand, as if they closed the world's circle of the living and, therefore, constituting the new address of the dead. This study has tried to understand how gravediggers feel and represent death, through the use of a qualitative approach in the collecting and understanding of data by using the method of phenomenological interpretative analysis, the hermeneutic model, as well as, the psychodynamic model. The non-participant observation, the journal field and the application of the semi-structured interviews to gravediggers in their workplace- the cemetery- were techniques that were used during the work field. Depuis toujours, la mort et le fait de mourir ont été difficiles d'accepter, même pour les personnes a qui cela fait parti de leurs quotidien comme c'est le cas des fossoyeurs. Cette étude à caractère psychoculturel à comme objectif explorer et comprendre comment ce présente les fossoyeurs lors d'un enterrement d'une personne décéder, notamment en présence de la famille du défunt, ainsi que discerner le type d'émotions ressenties. Ces faits seront analysés dans une perspective éclectique à partir des perceptions, des images, des contributions symboliques, des sentiments et des manifestations affectives de chacun. Les fossoyeurs sont l'élément principal de cet étude dû à leurs connotations ancestral, parfois même mystique, étant la plupart des fois représentés comme des personnes froides. Ces professionnels ont une liaison sui generis avec la terre et le mort, et témoignent, dans leur propre lieu de travail (le cimetière), le dernier adieu entre la personne décédée, la famille et les amis, concluant le procès en couvrant le cercueil avec de la terre, comme s'il fermait le cycle des vivant, donnant une nouvelles adresse aux morts. Par cette étude, on essaye de comprendre la façon dont les fossoyeurs sentent et représentent la mort, grâce à un abordage qualitatif concernant la récolte et la compréhension des données, utilisant la méthode d'analyse phénoménologique interprétative, le modèle herméneutique, ainsi que le modèle psychodynamique. L'observation non participant, le journal de terrain et l'application d'entretiens avec les fossoyeurs dans leur lieu de travail, le cimetière, sont quelques techniques utilisées durant le travail effectué sur le champ

Korelacija med telesno zgradbo in hitrostjo oziroma gibčnostjo pri otrocih, starih od 9 do 10 let

Purpose: Physical growth of children is measured by changes in body size and/or body composition, as well as by changes in motor skills. Motor skills can be affected by many factors, such as genetic predisposition, body composition, socio-economic conditions, and the like. Accordingly, the aim of the research is to determine the correlation between body composition with speed and agility of children aged 9 to 10 years. Methods: The sample included 40 participants (29 boys and 11 girls, 9.47 ± 0.5 years). Body height (BH), body weight (BW), body mass index (BMI) and body fat (BF), and basal metabolism (BMR) were determined to assess body composition. The BOT-2 subtest was used to assess speed and agility, which includes: Shuttle Run (1SAA), Stepping Sideways over a Balance Beam (2SAA), One-Legged Stationary Hop (3SAA), One-Legged Side Hop (4SAA), Two-Legged Side Hop (5SAA), and Total Speed and Agility (TSAA). Results: The results of correlation statistics indicated the existence of negative correlations between: height and 3SAA (r=-.353, p=.026)weight and 3SAA (r=-.422, p=. 007)weight and TSAA (r=-.359, p=.023)BMI and 3SAA (r=-.342, p=. 031)BMI and TSAA (r=-.333, p=.036)BMR and 3SAA (r=-.369, p=. 019)BMR and TSAA (r=-.363, p=.021). Conclusion: Based on the results obtained in this study, it can be concluded that there is a correlation between body composition and speed and agility. In addition to body composition, a correlation was found between body height and performance of one-legged stationary hop, as well as between basal metabolism, the one-legged stationary hop test and the overall results achieved in motor skill tests