Search

Whistleblowing is an important activity not only for combating corruption, but also other irregularities and illegal actions. Protection of the environment is certainly a matter of public interest, and the prevention of crimes that violate its integrity is useful above all from the aspect of protecting peoples' lives and health. In a large number of cases, environmental crime is very difficult to detect and prove. The role of the whistle-blower is of particular importance for the timely detection of environmental offenses and the reduction of occurrence or mitigation of harmful consequences. In this paper, we start from the assumption that whistle-blowers in the field of environmental protection are faced with a large number of challenges and are not adequately protected. They are mostly either fired by their employer or forced due to various pressures to quit without the possibility of new employment. Considering the importance of their role in the field of environmental protection, the possibility of improving their position should be reconsidered. In order to make recommendations for the improvement of both national regulations and practices related to the protection of whistle-blowers, in this work we primarily use the method of content analysis, as well as the dogmatic-legal method.

There is no generally accepted definition of economic criminality. The reason for this may be the frequent change of its content, i.e., of the criminal acts it includes. Together with the development of socioeconomic relations, new forms of the mentioned type of criminality also develop, so perhaps the definition neither should nor could be universal. Transitional societies have faced significant changes both in the field of political organization and in the field of economy. The most noticeable consequences of transition and switching to market economy were high unemployment and social stratification of the population. This had a negative impact on social values and morality, and therefore led to an increase in criminality. The aim of this research is to indicate the causes and forms of economic criminality in transitional societies. We start from the assumption that timely preparation for significant social changes, in terms of establishing adequate legal regulations and the existence of independent control mechanisms of certain economic processes, is of great importance for the prevention of economic crimes. By applying the content analysis, we try to show that even the countries in which the process of political and economic transition has long since ended can also face problems that potentially contribute to a large number of perpetrators of crimes that fall within the domain of economic criminality remaining unpunished, which directly threatens the principle of the rule of law.

Background/Aim. Quality of life (QoL) is one of the out-come measures for patients with chronic diseases. Mental health issues often impact the QoL of cancer patients. Cancer patients with a good QoL have a longer life expectancy and are able to lead a more productive and social life. The aim of the study was to determine the association of mental health with the QoL, as well as to determine significant predictors of QoL in patients with breast cancer (BC). Methods. The study included 118 patients treated at the Specialized Breast Cancer Department of the Oncology Clinic of the University Clinical Center Niš, Serbia. The study’s inclusion criteria were the presence of early-stage nonmetastatic BC and completed surgical treatment. The following questionnaires were used: the general sociodemographic questionnaire, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire, Early Maladaptive Schema questionnaire - short form (SQ-SF), Flanagan’s Quality of Life Scale (QoLS), Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale, Berlin Social Support Scales (BSSS), Health Locus of Control. Results. A statistically significant negative correlation was found with emotional state, i.e., anxiety score, depressiveness score, total stress score, and physical aggression score, while QoL correlated positively with all subscales of the perceived social support (PSS) questionnaire. QoL was significantly different for patients with the following early maladaptive schemas: emotional deprivation, emotional inhibition, and a sense of entitlement/narcissism. Moreover, QoL differed significantly depending on partnership status, the presence of clinically significant anxiety, the presence of hormone-sensitive cancer, the presence of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive cancer, and time since diagnosis. Multiple linear regression was per-formed, and depression and PSS had the highest share. Conclusion. In our study, the presence of depressiveness and PSS were the best predictors of QoL of BC survivors.

In the value-added tax system of the European Union, the open market value provision is considered as a special anti-abuse measure. Serbian Law on Value-Added Tax allows the taxpayers to make supplies for the consideration lower than the open market value. In addition, the Law does not stipulate any anti-abuse measure similar to the open market value provision in EU VAT legislation. Between the connected parties, this could become an incentive to taypayers to abuse VAT in certain situations. Within the current domestic legislation, the principle of facticity is the only alternative measure to combat VAT abuse, but it should not be used for the correction of the taxable amount following the open market value. The stipulation of the open market value provision in domestic VAT legislation would be highly beneficial from the point of harmonizing the Serbian regulations with those of the European Union, as well as from the point of the protection of national fiscal system. Following the hypothesis that national legislation needs to be further harmonised with the EU VAT legislation, the authors in this paper used the normative dogmatic and content analysis methods with particular reference to the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union.

In recent decades, the spread of incriminations in the economic field has been very present. One of the reasons for this is the harmonization of national legislation with acquis communautaire. Bearing in mind the views of other authors, in this paper we started from the assumptions that a large number of economic crimes are unnecessary, because their legal description could be subsumed under the already existing crimes, that excessive criminalization can contribute to problems in practice and that procedural legislation often does not follow the changes in substantive criminal legislation when they are carried out by non-criminal laws, as well as when changing and reforming criminal legislation, crimes prescribed by secondary criminal legislation are generally ignored. Starting from the mentioned assumptions, we try to make recommendations for the further direction of the development of substantive criminal legislation, which, in our opinion, should follow the narrowing of criminal law interventionism in the economic area. In this paper we have analyzed the provisions of secondary criminal legislation, which precisely contain the shortcomings pointed out by the authors when analyzing the need to reform substantive criminal legislation. Therefore, in this paper the dogmatic-legal method is dominant, and special attention is paid to the analysis of the provisions of the Law on Tax Procedure and Tax Administration and the Law on the Capital Market.

The right to a healthy environment is not explicitly mentioned in the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms from 1950. The mentioned right is more recent and belongs to human rights of the third generation In the final Declaration of the United Nations conference on the human environment held in Stockholm in 1972, the basic human right to freedom, equality and adequate living conditions in an environment that allows an individual to live in dignity and wellbeing is mentioned for the first time. Although the right to a healthy environment is not mentioned in the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, it is still given importance through the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, which is responsible for considering violations of the said Convention. The protection of that right is linked to other rights guaranteed by the Convention, such as, for example, the right to life, right to private and family life, etc. The aim of the research in this paper is to indicate the importance of establishing a guarantee of the right to a healthy environment, as well as the increasing importance of its protection as a prerequisite for the enjoyment of some other basic human rights. The paper uses the method of content analysis. In addition to the analysis of the Draft Protocol to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, we also analyze the content of the verdicts of the European Court of Human Rights.

Individuals with serious mental illness are more affected by emotional reactions, including suicidal behavior due to COVID‐19 and psychosocial consequences of pandemic. The current cross-sectional study aimed to explore the possible association of COVID-19 and suicidal behavior (suicide ideation and attempt) before and during pandemic-associated lockdown in Serbia. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of 104 adult psychiatric inpatients admitted at Psychiatric Clinic, University Clinic Center Niš, Serbia, after ending lockdown and compared the obtained results with 181 adult psychiatric inpatients admitted during the same period in 2019 and 2018. Suicide ideation were more frequent in 2020 comparing with 2019 and 2018 (25 vs 12.5%, vs 9.41%; p < 0.05). Around 28% of patients with suicide attempts were exposed daily to the information related to COVID-19 coming from social media, while this frequency was significantly lower, only 7.55% (p < 0.1), among patients with no suicide ideation or attempts. Adjustment disorder was more frequent among patients with suicide attempts in comparison to the patients with suicide ideation (32 vs 11%), especially in patients without suicide ideation and attempts (32 vs 0%, p < 0.001). Of all studied patients with suicide attempts during 2020, 60% were not in the previous psychiatric treatment before admission.

Background and Objectives : One of the most significant psychiatric problems in women is depression related to the perinatal period. Our study aims to determine the frequency and course of depressive symptomatology in the perinatal period with particular reference to objective rate and outcome of postpartum depression. Materials and Methods : One hundred and eighty-eight pregnant/postnatal women were included in a prospective, longitudinal, observational study during which the depressive symptomatology was estimated at the third trimester of pregnancy, and the first, sixth, and twelfth month' postpartum. All participants completed a semi-structured sociodemographic questionnaire constructed for research purposes, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, Toronto Alexithymia Scale, Beck Anxiety Inventory, and The Mood Disorder Questionnaire at each time point. Postpartum depression diagnosis was confirmed by a trained and certified psychiatrist with long-standing experience. For a better understanding of the trajectory of depressive symptomatology and genuine postpartum depression, we classified depression into those with new-onset and those left over from the previous observation period. Results: In general, 48.9% of participants in the study were depressed at some point during the investigation. A total of 10.6% of women were depressed in the third trimester. The highest percentage of new-onset depression (25%) was in the first month after giving birth and was maintained for up to six months, after which the appearance was sporadic. Most of the postpartum depression resolved in the period from the first month to the sixth month after childbirth (20.7%). The episodes mainly had characteristics of unipolar depression. Conclusions: Our results imply that a new onset of depression is most intensive during the first six months, and after that, it is sporadic. Further studies are needed to explore whether all depressive symptomatology in the postnatal period is the same, or perhaps postpartum depression, classified in this way, has specific characteristics, etiology, and consequently different treatment and preventive options.

Background and Objectives: Although nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), by definition, excludes suicidal intent, numerous studies show associations between NSSI and suicidal phenomena in clinical and outpatient adolescent samples. Given the growing interest in the relationship between NSSI and suicidal phenomena, the present study aimed to investigate the relationship between NSSI and suicidal beliefs in adolescent psychiatric inpatients. Materials and Methods: The study sample included 50 adolescent inpatients at a specialized facility, with a mean age of 15.44 ± 1.39, who fulfilled DSM-5 criteria for NSSI. For study purposes, we use the Ottawa Self-Injury Inventory (OSI) and Brief Suicide Cognitions Scale (B-SCS). Statistical data processing was performed in the R software 4.3.0 (R Core Team, Vienna, Austria). Results : Of all NSSI functions, the Internal ER function score was the highest (18.72 ± 7.08), followed by External ER (8.10 ± 3.11), Social Influence (5.88 ± 5.37), and Sensation Seeking (3.44 ± 2.98). The mean Craving (C) score was 14.06 ± 7.51. The mean value of the B-SCS score was 19.54 ± 5.24. It was found that the B-SCS score is significantly related to Internal ER (r = 0.441, p < 0.001) and Craving (r = 0.297, p = 0.036). The multivariable model shows that internal ER function and participants' age are significantly related to the B-SCS score. Conclusion : Despite the limitations of the study, it is emphasized that cognitions occurring across the fluid suicidal belief system alone do not fully capture the complexity of suicide, but assessing the suicidal belief system in NSSI inpatient adolescents could nevertheless provide helpful information for identifying individuals who may have an elevated vulnerability to experiencing suicidal ideas and behaviors over time.

22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS), the most frequent microdeletion syndrome in humans, is related to a high risk of developing neurodevelopmental disorders. About 95% of patients with 22q11.2DS have speech and language impairments. Global articulation, story generation, and verbal memory tests were applied to compare articulatory characteristics of speech sounds, spontaneous language abilities, and immediate verbal memory between four groups of Serbian-speaking children: patients with 22q11.2DS, children with clinical presentation of 22q11.2DS that do not have the microdeletion, children with non-syndromic congenital heart defects, and their peers with typical speech-sound development. The obtained results showed that children with this microdeletion have impaired articulation skills and expressive language abilities. However, we did not observe weaker receptive language skills and immediate verbal memory compared to healthy controls. Children with 22q11.2DS should be considered a risk category for the development of speech-sound pathology and expressive language abilities. Since speech intelligibility is an instrument of cognition and adequate peer socialization, and language impairment in school-aged children with 22q11DS might be an indicator of increased risk for later psychotic symptoms, patients with 22q11.2 microdeletion should be included in a program of early stimulation of speech-language development immediately after diagnosis is established.

Strokes are one of the global leading causes of physical or mental impairment and fatality, classified into hemorrhagic and ischemic strokes. Ischemic strokes happen when a thrombus blocks or plugs an artery and interrupts or reduces blood supply to the brain tissue. Deciding on the imaging modality which will be used for stroke detection depends on the expertise and availability of staff and the infrastructure of hospitals. Magnetic resonance imaging provides valuable information, and its sensitivity for smaller infarcts is greater, while computed tomography is more extensively used, since it can promptly exclude acute cerebral hemorrhages and is more favorable speed-wise. The aim of this article was to give information about the neuroimaging modalities used for the diagnosis and monitoring of ischemic strokes. We reviewed the available literature and presented the use of computed tomography, CT angiography, CT perfusion, magnetic resonance imaging, MR angiography and MR perfusion for the detection of ischemic strokes and their monitoring in different phases of stroke development.

Background and Objectives : Women with cervical cancer may experience depression or anxiety, influencing their quality of life and even their adherence to cancer treatments. This study aimed to explore and measure the levels of anxiety and depression in patients suffering from cervical cancer and to identify the possible predictors among known risk factors such as age, cancer stage, smoking status, number of partners, use of contraceptives, and annual gynecological visits. Materials and Methods : In total, 59 patients with cervical cancer were included. A consecutive sampling method was used to select participants in this research. Depression and anxiety were assessed using the Zung Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Zung Depression Scale (SDS). The subjects were divided into three groups, according to the stage of cancer. Results : Scores of depression and anxiety were increased in all recruited cervical cancer patients. A significant correlation was found between disease stage and the scores of depression ( p = 0.002) and anxiety ( p = 0.016). More severe depressive symptoms correlated to a more advanced stage of the disease. A multiple linear regression showed that disease stage and annual visits to the gynecologist are the risk factors associated with higher depression scores. Conclusions : Patients diagnosed with cervical cancer are a vulnerable group for the development of the psychiatric disorders and they require screening programs, which could potentially detect candidates for co-psychiatric and/or psychotherapeutic treatment. They demand particular attention because anxiety and depression are associated with the significant burden of the underlying disease and unfavorable survival rates.