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Our aim was construction and development of a new questionnaire for assessing the quality and diversity of nutrition of pregnant women.This was a cross-sectional study. The novel questionnaire was developed through eight steps according with internationally accepted guidelines for questionnaire development. The questionnaire with 18 questions and answers according to the Likert's scale was created and called Balkan Food Quality and Diversity in Pregnancy Questionnaire-18 (BFQDPQ-18). Reliability testing and factor analysis of BFQDPQ-18 were carried out on a sample of 382 women in the third trimester of pregnancy whose pregnancy control and monitoring were performed at the Clinic for Gynecology and Obstetrics of the Clinical Center in Kragujevac, Serbia.The first test of reliability indicated high levels of internal consistency, with the Cronbach's alpha of 0.85 of the BFQDPQ-18. After dividing the BFQDPQ-18 into two parts of nine questions each by split-half method, the Cronbach's alphas were 0.799 and 0.716. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy (KMO) was 0.878, and the Bartlett's test of sphericity: 1,892.206, p0.000. Factor analysis revealed four factors explained in total 51.99% of the variance: mean meal and snack, foods with a low degree of industrial processing, subjective assessment of dietary quality and starchy foods.The final version of the BFQDPQ-18 showed high reliability and good psychometric properties, so we believe it could be useful instrument for assessing the quality of nutrition of pregnant women.

The crossings of railway and road can represent a great danger, especially in the case of poor design of these crossings, lack of management measures and inadequate provision of road crossing. Such situations are common on the road network of the Republic of Serbia. Namely, more than 50% of all road crossings on state roads in the Republic of Serbia are not adequately equipped and provided with traffic signalization and road equipment. It is evident that this problem requires timely measures and finding an adequate solution in order to efficiently implement road and rail traffic and reduce the risk of negative effects. This situation also results in the occurrence of traffic accidents at road-level crossings, the number of which has not decreased over the years. In this paper, the traffic-spatial analysis of road-rail crossings on state roads in the Republic of Serbia is performed, which includes a total of 245 road-rail crossings. The analysis was conducted in order to determine the existing situation and identify deficiencies in the network, on the basis of which adequate design and management measures will be proposed to improve the existing condition.

Participatory budgeting has been advocated as a democratic innovation that could bring governance closer to citizens. A myriad of European countries have embraced this idea and piloted participatory budgeting projects at the local level. In Serbia, however, democratic innovations are at the infantile stage. Only a handful of participatory budgeting projects have been initiated so far. The aim of this paper is to present the main lessons learnt from these projects and to present participatory budgeting as a citizen-centric and fiscally decentralized approach to public financial planning and execution. Using the mix-method, participatory budgeting projects and programs in three local government units in Serbia were analyzed. The results indicate political will of only a handful of Serbian local self-governments to implement participatory budgeting and limited sustainability of the concept of democratic innovation.

Banknotes and coins are some of the most frequently traded items in the world. Their current use, however, is unsustainable, and many countries are trying to digitalize their payment systems. The recent pandemic has accelerated this transition. Building on the Theory of Unintended Consequences, the aim of this article is to examine the influence of some pandemic-specific factors (in specific, hand sanitization, conspiracy theory mentality, and financial acumen) on the current and prospective use of e-payment. A particular aim of the study is to analyze these relationships in Serbia (as an example of a cash-centric society). The study is based on primary data gathered via a questionnaire. The questionnaire was designed for the purpose of this study. In total, the study examined N = 474 examinees. The results of this study confirm that the pandemic-induced variables are statistically significant predictors of e-payment use. In particular, hand sanitization, conspiracy mentality (reversely), and financial acumen positively affect current and prospective e-payment use.

Objective. To determine reasons and their actual role in occurrence of complications in users of soft contact lenses. Methods. This was a qualitative study in which a constructivist grounded theory approach was used to analyze obtained data. The study population consisted of two groups of subjects: 10 students who were identified as users of soft contact lenses and 4 ophthalmologists. Each of the respondents participated ina single interview. Based on audio recordings of these interviews appropriate transcripts of conversations were made and analyzed. After elimination of waste words 11 key categories were crystallized. Results. Recommendations of the ophthalmologists perhaps have the decisive role in the formation of attitude that users will have regarding the adequate hygiene of soft contact lenses: hand hygiene, proper cleanliness of storage for soft contact lenses and using the solution in the allotted time are imperative for users of soft contact lenses. Sleeping with soft contact lenses for a long period and more frequently than it was specified in the recommendation of an ophthalmologist is one of the greatest reasons for development of dry eye symptoms, while swimming with soft contact lenses increases the risk for occurrence of eye infections. Conclusion. The main reasons for the occurrence of complications in soft contact lenses users are inadequate hygiene and weakening of compliance of soft contact lenses users over time.

This paper responds to a recent call for re­search on public administration innovations as a necessity for the development of modern gov­ernance. In particular, this paper aims to exam­ine the role of high-performing human resource practices in fostering the innovation of public administration. In addition, the study explores the mediating effect of failure management practices on innovativeness. A sample of 618 political appointees and civil servants from Ser­bian central administration was used to test the aforementioned hypotheses. The results indicate that high performing human resource practices have a positive effect on innovativeness. How­ever, the magnitude of specific practices varies significantly.

Failure of public services has been a vividly debated topic in both theory and practice of public administration. Surprisingly, only a handful of scholarly papers have empirically examined the failure management practices and provided any useful tools and techniques for managing the failure. The aim of this paper is to explore the ways in which central government administration manages the failure and how it affects the quality of their services. The study collected 568 responses from the political appointees and career civil servants across a wide range of ministries and central government agencies in the Republic of Serbia. The results indicate that the analysis of failure plays a pivotal role in the learning process and ultimately leads to the improvement of public service quality.

Introduction: Patients with Parkinson's disease are exposed to higher number of drugs on average than other elderly persons. Levodopa, of the mainstay of Parkinson's disease therapy, is frequently interacting with numerous drugs. Aim: The aim of this study was to identify predictors of potential drug-drug interactions (pDDIs) in hospitalized patients suffering from Parkinson's disease (PD). Material and Methods: This was a academic retrospective cross-sectional study in PD patients hospitalized at the Clinic of Neurology, Clinical Center Kragujevac. Medical records of hospitalized patients during the period 1.1.2017 - 31.12.2019 were analysed. The pDDIs were identified by means of Micromedex andLexi-Interact online softwares, and multivariate regression methods were used to reveal potential predictors of number of pDDIs per patient. Results: Micromedex detected 160 different pDDIs in 77.8% of 72 patients with PD. The most frequent pDDIs were those that involved aspirin (with bisoprolol, sertraline and perindopril). Predictors of pDDIs in general was total number of drugs, while use of antidepressants presented a significant risk factor for major pDDIs. Lexi-Interact revealed 310 pDDIs in 98.6% of patients. The three most common pDDIs were with levodopa (bisoprolol, clonazepam, perindopril). Total number of drugs, number of co-morbidities, hospitalization at the neurodegenerative ward, and use of antipsychotics were identified as the relevant predictors of pDDIs. Lexi-interact software detected significantly more pDDIs than Micromedex (p

In the past few decades, IC has been viewed as a crucial factor for improved financial performance of IT companies. Globally, the IT industry has shown positive trendlines and the tremendous importance of intangible resources as part of intellectual capital. Intellectual capital per se may not be a novel topic in the IT industry. Nonetheless, this paper focuses on determining which type of intellectual capital is paramount for financial success, which has remained an open puzzle. The aim of this paper is to analyse the human, relational, structural and innovation capital of IT companies and to measure their impact on financial performance. Moreover, the authors have analysed the impact of the intellectual capital elements on several key performance indicators as the most frequently used in these kinds of studies. In order to address this aim, the study collected primary data from 101 respondents – business owners, managers and experts from a rapidly growing IT ecosystem in South-East Europe. Most research has focused on developed countries for addressing similar topics. Therefore, the authors call out for additional research of this topic in other emerging and developing environments. The findings of this study indicate a positive effect of intellectual capital on business performance. This study raises awareness among business experts in the field of intellectual capital, and supports decision-making through the concept of identifying, managing and analysing intellectual capital and its effect on overall business results. Even though the IT industry has become global, this study draws exceptional attention to the interplay between IC and financial performance in a developing IT ecosystem setting.

Introduction: The clinical significance of potential drug-drug interactions (pDDIs), especially in the intensive care unit (ICU) manifested mostly as adverse drug reactions. Aim: The goal of this research was to conduct a focus group, in which the participants were decisionmakers in acute ischemic stroke patient treatment. Also, the aim was to reach a consensus, due to the Delphi process, between neurologists and clinical pharmacologists regarding this highly vulnerable group of patients. Material and Methods: In this academic research, so-called applied focus group (the goal was to reach practical decisions) and clinical focus group (determining motives, predeterminations, bias, prejudice and analyzing the behavior leading to a certain outcome) was done. Results: Continuing medical education of neurologists is needed regarding pDDIs and the use of an online pDDIs checker. Certain groups of patients with AIS are at particular risk of exposure to pDDIs. Certain drug groups are more likely to interact with other drugs. Conclusions: Defining medical recommendations/guidelines on evidence base medicine about pDDIs in patients with AIS would significantly contribute to reducing their frequency in this vulnerable patient population.

Background/Aim. The two-part questionnaire called Injection Phobia Scale (IPS)-Anxiety and IPS-Avoidance represents one of the most commonly used questionnaires for assessing the fear of injections. The aim of the present study was to translate and culturally adapt this questionnaire from English into Serbian as well as to assess reliability and validity of the translation. Methods. The translation and cultural adaptation of the IPS–Anxiety and IPS–Avoidance was performed in accordance with the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) guidelines. Reliability testing, factor analysis and validation of Serbian translation of IPS-Anxiety and IPS-Avoidance were carried out on a sample of 485 students of pharmacy, or medicine at the University of Kragujevac, Serbia. Results. Serbian translation of IPS-Anxiety and IPSAvoidance demonstrated high internal consistency with Cronbach’s alpha of 0.934 for IPS-Anxiety and 0.911 for IPS-Avoidance. Factor analysis of IPS-Anxiety showed that there are two domains, which we have called as Direct Experience (9 items) and Indirect Experience (9 items); factor analysis of IPS-Avoidance also pointed out on two domains referring to direct and indirect fear of injections. Female students scored higher on the scale showing more extensive injection phobia than male students. It is also interesting that students of pharmacy have higher level of injection phobia than students of medicine, and those students of the fifth year of study feel more fear of injections than students from the first four years. Conclusion. Serbian translation of IPS-Anxiety and IPS-Avoidance showed good psychometric properties on population consisted of students medicine and pharmacy. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. 175007]

Public procurements have been high on the agenda of policy makers, decision makers, scholars, and other interested parties in Europe in the last few decades, as such procurements make up nearly one-fifth of Europe’s total gross domestic product. Nevertheless, not many attempts have been made to measure the efficiency of public procurement systems and accordingly rank European countries. The most important measurement that highlights this issue is the Single Market Scoreboard for Public Procurements. However, this scoreboard is subject to bias and numerous omissions, which significantly decreases its operational usage and deteriorates the real efficiency of public procurements. This article aims to rank European countries in an unambiguous, objective, and impartial manner by using the Composite I-distance Indicator (CIDI) methodology. Instead of using biased weights for individual indicators, assigned by experts, the CIDI method creates new weights in an objective manner. The study analysed 30 European countries. The results of the study are, to some extent, different from current practice for public procurement efficiency measurement. The novel approach to ranking provides an opportunity to interested parties to improve the performance of their public procurements by reviewing them on a multidimensional basis.

Recipients of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) are exposed to numerous drugs in both pre- and post-transplantation period, which creates an opportunity for drug-drug interactions (DDIs); if clinically relevant DDIs happen, the risk of adverse treatment outcomes is increased. Areas covered: This review is focused on DDIs in recipients of HSCT that were observed and published as clinical trials, case series or case reports. Relevant publications were found by the systematic search of the following online databases: MEDLINE, SCOPUS, EBSCO, and SCINDEX. Expert opinion: The most important DDIs involve cytostatic or immunosuppressant drug on one side, and antimicrobial drugs on the other. The majority of clinically relevant interactions have pharmacokinetic character, involving drug metabolizing enzymes in the liver. Antifungal azoles inhibit metabolism of many cytostatic and immunosuppressant drugs at cytochromes and increase their plasma concentrations. Macrolide antibiotics and fluoroqunolones should be avoided in HSCT recipients, as they have much larger potential for DDIs than other antibiotic groups. HSCT recipients increasingly receive new immunomodulating drugs, and further observational studies are needed to reveal unsuspected DDIs with clinical relevance.

In recent years, the prevalence of hookah smoking has increased worldwide, particularly in young people, which may have potentially serious consequences for their health. The aim of this study was to examine the factors associated with the consumption of hookah by high school students. The present study was conducted in the city of Novi Pazar, and students aged 17-19 years attending the following high schools were included: Medical School, Grammar School, Economic-Commerce School and Catering School. The study was designed as a case-control study. The cases were students who consumed nargile, while the control group consisted of students who had never smoked nargile. A special questionnaire was constructed for the purpose of this research, which was used to evaluate the opinions of adolescents on the consumption of nargile. Our research included a total of 270 seniors in high schools in Novi Pazar. The average age of the students was 18 years. The most important factors that may contribute to start using nargile were: previous consumption of nargile by older family members, divorced parents, and active smoking of cigarettes by other family members. Most students emphasized that hookah smoking is socially unacceptable form of behavior. Also, hookah smoker were neither more attractive nor popular. Nargile consumption is more common by adolescents whose parents are divorced, as well as by adolescents whose family members are smoking nargile or tobacco. The most common reason for nargile consumption among adolescents is a desire for relaxation.

In addition to generating economic growth and competitiveness, companies are expected to integrate concerns about society and the environment into ongoing operations. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives are advocated in order to affect stakeholders’ perception of corporate reputation. This study aims to identify specific CSR items that drive reputation and to measure their individual impact. The results indicate that CSR items affect corporate reputation. Moreover, the intensity of this relationship varies for all items. Significant differences were found between citizens and specific stakeholders, as well as among different groups of stakeholders. Furthermore, the study identified the moderate effect of age and gender on the relationship between CSR and corporate reputation. The results contribute to an extant body of evidence on the impact of CSR on corporate reputation, by providing perspectives of both citizens and stakeholders.

Background/Aim. Reslizumab is humanized monoclonal antibody produced by recombinant DNA technology which binds to circulating interleukin-5 (IL-5) and down-regulates the IL-5 signaling pathway. Reslizumab is indicated for the add-on maintenance treatment of patients 18 years and older with severe eosinophilic asthma phenotype whose symptoms were inadequately controlled with inhaled corticosteroids. The aim of this meta-analysis was to assess the efficacy and safety of reslizumab compared to placebo in patients suffering from inadequately controlled, moderateto- severe asthma with elevated blood eosinophil counts. Methods. Our meta-analysis was based on systematic search of literature and selection of high-quality evidence according to pre-set inclusion and exclusion criteria. The effects of reslizumab and placebo were summarized using Review Manager (RevMan) 5.3.5 and heterogeneity was assessed by the Cochrane Q test and I² values. Several types of bias were assessed and publication bias shown by Funnel plot and Egger’s regression. Results. The meta-analysis included 5 randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials. Reslizumab 3.0 mg/kg produced substantial improvements in forced expiratory volume in 1. second (FEV 1) (mean difference 0.15 [0.10, 0.21]) and in forced vital capacity (FVC) (mean difference 0.21 [0.09, 0.32]) over the 15 or 16-week treatment period, substantial decrease versus placebo in Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ) score (mean difference -0.28 [-0.41, -0.16]), and substantial increase vs. placebo from baseline in Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ) total score (mean difference 0.24 [0.06, 0.43]). Also, reslizumab 3.0 mg/kg caused less adverse events versus placebo (OR 0.67 [0.51, 0.88]), especially asthma worsening (OR 0.53 [0.36, 0.77]) or bronchitis (OR 0.42 [0.24, 0.74]). Conclusion. On the basis of published clinical trials reslizumab could be considered as an effective and safe therapeutic option for severe, poorly controlled eosinophilic asthma for the time being. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. 175007]

The e-government has been profoundly changing the expectations of citizens towards local governments worldwide. Policyholders in Serbia have been very active proponents of the implementation of novel e-services in local governments. However, the capacities for full implementation of e-governments are still humble. This paper reports on findings from the study on transparency and online visibility, responsiveness to e-mails, and interactivity of local governments, especially with regard to financial inquires. The study used a multi-step methodology to examine the proactive, reactive and interactive transparency of 169 local governments in Serbia. The results indicate that local governments are relatively transparent, but responsiveness and interactivity are far below expectations.

As part of a safety-first principle during the COVID-19 pandemics, the vast majority of companies have enabled flexible working environments, reducing the number of employees in the premises. The global best practices have firstly been recorded among the ICT companies which offered teleworking to their employees, empowering safety and flexibility through remote work policies and flexible working hours. Although hybrid working models might become a standard in many industries, only a paucity of papers has examined the relationship between novel working environments and various classes of intangible assets. The aim of this paper is to present the effects of hybrid working models (telework and flexible working hours) on intangible assets (human, relational, structural and intellectual capital). While the existing hybrid work principles have already shown mixed effects on corporate outcomes, its impact on intangible assets remains unrevealed. To address this research gap, we conducted an empirical study. Primary data were collected in the Serbian ICT sector (N=122) using a structured questionnaire developed for this purpose. Data was analyzed with the OLS regression. The results confirm the positive effects of the hybrid working model on intangible assets of ICT companies, which could further propel the financial success of these companies. In general, these results imply that hybrid working models, which are becoming a standard for many industries, would not jeopardize the creation of intangible assets – the ultimate resource of modern companies © 2021, Amfiteatru Economic. All Rights Reserved.

The adoption of the New Law for Local Government Financing is currently underway in a Serbian Parliament procedure. The goal of the new law is the creation of clear government regulations which will define the system of financing for local government entities. This will furthermore create an environment of stability and predictability with regard to revenue planning when preparing local government entities’ budgets, as well as achieving a vertical balance when distributing revenues amongst various state levels. Additionally, these goals are reflected in the establishment of a system to increase the share of public investment in the total expenses of counties and cities, as well as in the vertical balance with regard to the distribution of revenue and jurisdiction at various state levels. In that sense, it is preferable to understand financial models such as public-private partnerships, which have still not, to an adequate degree, been adopted in Serbia, but one which could potentially contribute to the introduction of additional sources of local government financing. In order to better perceive the current capacities of this model of financing local government in Serbia, a study was conducted during the spring and summer of 2016, taking into account a sample of 150 examinees. The results of the study indicate very low human resource and technical capacities in local government with regard to realizing and comprehending the concept of public-private partnership.

Carvacrol is a monoterpenic phenol and an active ingredient of the plant essential oils of the family Lamiaceae. We have investigated the analgesic effect of carvacrol, the possible dependence of the effect in relation to animal sex, and the impact of carvacrol on motor coordination in rats. Hyperalgesia was induced by formalin (1.5%), which was administered SC in the upper lip of rat. Hyperalgesia and effects of carvacrol and indomethacin were measured by using the orofacial formalin test. The influence on motor coordination in animals treated with carvacrol was investigated by using the rota-rod test. Carvacrol administered PO in pre-treatment (45 min. prior to formalin) at a single dose of 50, 75 and 100 mg /kg BW, in the male, 50 and 100 mg /kg BW, in female rats caused a dose-dependent antinociceptive effect. This effect of carvacrol was significantly higher (P lt 0.01, P lt 0.001) in male rats. Compared with indomethacin administered during pre-treatment (2 mg/kg, PO), carvacrol (100 mg/kg) exhibits significantly higher (P lt 0.05 and P lt 0.001) antinociceptive effect on formalininduced hyperalgesia in male rats. In the rota-rod test carvacrol did not disturb the motor coordination in male rats, nor the dose of carvacrol with clear antinociceptive properties exhibited depressive effect on the CNS of treated rats. Keeping in mind that the monoterpene carvacrol is of plant origin, with potentially less side effects and without residues, it is realistic to expect the possibility of its therapeutic use in the treatment of inflammatory pain in animals. Karvakrol je monoterpenski fenol i sastavni je deo esencijalnih ulja biljaka iz familije Lamiaceae. Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je da se ispita analgetičko dejstvo karvakrola, moguće razlike u farmakološkom odgovoru između polova, i uticaj karvakrola na koordinaciju kretanja kod pacova. Hiperalgezija je izazvana formalinom (1,5%) koji je aplikovan s.c. u gornju usnu pacova. Hiperalgezija i efekti karvakrola i indometacina mereni su orofacijalnim formalinskim testom. Uticaj na motornu koordinaciju kod životinja tretiranih karvakrolom ispitali smo rota-rod testom. Karvakrol primenjen p.o. u pretretmanu (45 min. pre aplikacije formalina) u dozi od 50, 75 i 100 mg/kg t.m. kod mužjaka i dozi od 50 i 100 mg/kg t.m. kod ženki pacova, prouzrokuje dozno zavisan antinociceptivni efekat. Ovaj efekat karvakrola je značajno veći (P lt 0,01, P lt 0,001) kod pacova muškog pola. U poređenju sa indometacinom aplikovanim u pretretmanu (2 mg/kg, p.o.), karvakrol (100 mg/kg) ispoljava značajno veći (P lt 0,05 i P lt 0,001) antinociceptivni efekat na formalinom izazvanu hiperalgeziju kod mužjaka pacova. U rota-rod testu karvakrol nije narušio motornu koordinaciju kod mužjka pacova, niti doza karvakrol sa jasnim antinociceptivnim svojstvima deluje depresivno na CNS tretiranih pacova. Imajući u vidu da je karvakrol monoterpen biljnog porekla sa malo potencijalnih neželjenih dejstava i bez rezidua, realno je očekivati mogućnost njegove primenu u terapiji inflamatornog bola kod životinja.

Public procurements are accounted for nearly one fifth of Gross Domestic Product in the European Union. Accordingly, the efficiency of public procurements has received immense attention of scholars and practitioners in the last few decades, particularly in the field of measuring a cross-country efficiency among the EU Member States. Nevertheless, the extant matrix is based solely on the outputs, thus capturing only a portion of determinants affecting the efficiency. Up to date, very little has been done in comparing the input-output efficiency. This paper aims to develop a set of input and output determinants of public procurement efficiency and compare the efficiency of public procurements of EU Member States. The results indicate that the efficiency based on input-output analysis significantly differs from any current analysis of procurement efficiency.

In the last decades, the interest of academics and practitioners for the efficiency of performance measurement system use has grown rapidly. The aim of this paper is to examine, articulate and test the relationship between maturity of performance measurement systems, strategic compliance of performance measurement and managerial orientation, on one side, and the portfolio of performance measurement uses, on the other. Data were collected from 86 Serbian companies. The results indicate that the most influential factor for diversified use of performance measurement is the maturity of the system. The paper also discusses theoretical contributions, implications for managers and scholars, and recommendations for decision-makers.

Tourism and hospitality have received an immense attention from scholars, policy holders, decision makers and other important stakeholders in Belgrade, a main tourist destination of Serbia. The aim of this paper is to determine the main drivers of profit margins in the hotel sector in Belgrade. A particular aim is to explore the effects of variables – size, market concentration, and market share and customer satisfaction – on hotel profit margins. The study analyzed the secondary reliable sources. The data were analyzed with correlations and regressions. The results indicate that customer perception is a paramount factor driving the financial performance of hotels. These findings could be useful to scholars and practitioners interested in business performances of Belgrade hotels.

Background: Unlike other financial services, technology-driven changes in the insurance industry have not been a vastly explored topic in scholarly literature. Incumbent insurance companies have hitherto been holding their positions using the complexity of the product, heavy regulation, and gigantic balance sheets as paramount factors for a relatively slow digitalization and technological transformation. However, new technologies such as car telematic devices have been creating a new insurance ecosystem. The aim of this study is to assess the telematics technology acceptance for insurance purposes. Methods: The study is based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). By interviewing 502 new car buyers, we tested the factors that affect the potential usage of telematic devices for insurance purposes. Results: The results indicate that facilitating conditions are the main predictor of telematics use. Moreover, privacy concerns related to the potential abuse of driving behavior data play an important role in technology acceptance. Conclusions: Although novel insurance technologies are mainly presented as user-driven, users (drivers and insurance buyers) are often neglected as an active party in the development of such technologies.

Many countries have made an approach to harmonization and design of the organizational and legal framework that encourages private sector participation in the co-ownership of public sector enterprises. This is why the aim of the paper was to draw attention to the potentials that are available to the public sector in Serbia in the improvement of business operations, taking into account the current Law on public-private partnerships and concessions which has been present in practice for less than two years. The paper’s contribution is reflected in the presented model of the organizational, financial and developmental benefits of a public enterprise, through the application of the public-private partnership concept while bearing in mind the circumstances that are specific to the Serbian market.

High prevalence of therapy-resistant epilepsy demands development of anticonvulsants with new mechanisms of action. Brivaracetam is an analogue of levetiracetam which binds to the synaptic vesicle protein 2A (SV2A) and decreases release of excitatory neurotransmitters. Areas covered: Relevant published studies were searched for by predefined strategy in MEDLINE, EBSCO and SCINDEKS electronic databases. Brivaracetam is effective as adjunctive therapy for uncontrolled partial-onset seizures with or without secondary generalization in patients 16 years and older with epilepsy. It reduces baseline-adjusted focal seizure frequency per week from 7.3 to 12.8% over placebo. Adverse events rate in patients with brivaracetam is not higher than in patients with placebo. Expert opinion: Brivaracetam is an important step forward in the treatment of therapy-resistant partial-onset seizures with or without secondary generalization. Its development was systematic and targeted. Due to its efficacy and excellent safety profile, it is likely that brivaracetam will be often prescribed. In future, efficacy and safety of brivaracetam should be tested in monotherapy settings and also in the first-line therapy of partial-onset seizures.

Different approaches in creating mechanisms for efficient public procurements have been applied worldwide over the last decade. Among these, bundling of public procurement is seen as a potential efficiency boost in the practice in highly decentralized procurement environments. Nevertheless, the domain of public procurement efficiency is still at its infancy in academic terms. This study examines the effects of centralization of public procurement at the local self-government level in Serbia. In particular, the study explores various upsides and downsides of centralization. Reflective recommendations provide a sound base for public procurement policy holders at the level of local self-governments.

The application of intelligent transport systems (hereinafter ITSs) on roads enables continuous monitoring of road users during a whole year with the aim to collect good-quality data based on which the more complex analyses could be done, such as monitoring of certain traffic safety indicators. Automatic traffic counters are one of the most commonly implemented ITSs for collecting traffic flow parameters that are relevant for traffic management on state roads in Republic of Serbia. This paper presents one of the possible ways to collect, analyze and present data on road users’ speeds using automatic traffic counters, where certain traffic safety indicators are analyzed in terms of road users’ compliance with the speed limit on the road section from Mali Pozarevac to Kragujevac. Based on the analyses of data downloaded from automatic traffic counters, it is observed that an extremely high percentage of vehicles drive at speed higher than the speed limit, indicating clearly to higher traffic accident risk, as well as to the need for a tendency to implement speed management on roads using ITS in the forthcoming period.

In the last decade, special attention has been paid to the issue of working capital management. Evidently, many authors suggest that the optimum level of working capital depends on the industry and the nature of its transactions (Walker, 1964; Outram, 1997, Ozbayrak and Akgun, 2006). According to Johnson and Soenen (2003), in order for a company to be able to achieve its aim of shareholder value creation, effective working capital management should be an integral part of its corporate strategy. Net working capital is defined as the difference between firms’ current assets (including accounts receivable, inventories, and cash) and current liabilities (including accounts payable and short term debt). These elements significantly influence company’s liquidity and that is the reason why working capital is often used to evaluate the liquidity of a company. The relevance of this performance measure arises from the fact that the insufficient liquidity of the company can lead to its bankruptcy (Dunn and Cheatham, 1993).