bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Conservation of spatial volume and the emergence of gravity and electromagnetism
Authors: Moored Keith W.
Published: June 2022

The universe is a structured, logical system obeying many natural laws. This essay proposes an additional law termed the conservation of spatial volume. This refers to spacetime’s ability to be displaced, compressed, expanded, and stretched to conserve geometric volume. In addition,
space appears to possess Cauchy-like elasticity characteristics measured by the gravitational constant G. It is postulated that space has qualities of an energy density field, which is termed the “spatial energy field” or SEF in this essay. The SEF in all of its parts is
a metric of energy field curvature tensors assigned to every coordinate in spacetime. It is proposed that space resists volume displacement by mass and reacts with a counter-force equal to the object’s inertia mass. This is because the compression of space from the displacement of mass
creates a gravitational field. The gravitational field represents an increase in spatial density surrounding the object. An increase in spatial density is measured by the change in permittivity ε, permeability μ, and refractive index n, physical parameters of the vacuum. Thus,
gravity would be considered an emergent response of spacetime attempting to conserve its volume by the reciprocal curvature force of space. In regard to electromagnetism, electric and magnetic fields are geometric in origin and, therefore, part of spacetime. It is proposed that spacetime has
specific properties related to the emergence of electrical fields via the Poynting vector. This is influenced by electric permittivity εo. Magnetic fields appear to emanate from space based on the Lorentz force. This is influenced by magnetic permeability μo. Both
the Poynting vector energy flow and the corresponding Lorentz force are the reaction of space counteracting forces of electricity and magnetism while conserving spatial volume. It appears that electromagnetism could be considered a twisting torsion of spacetime. Space appears to mediate electrical
and magnetic fields; it provides a framework for transmitting electromagnetic waves as well as momentum-gravitational waves. Gravity and electromagnetism are related, emerging from a common origin, which appears to be the energy of spacetime itself.
Observation of a star’s orbit based on the emission and propagation of light as mechanical phenomena
Authors: Filipescu Filip Dambi
Published: June 2022

The hypothesis that the velocity of light depends on the motion of the light source was rejected by astronomers’ observations of binary stars and by the result of the experiment performed at CERN, Geneva, in 1964. Opposingly, the study of the emission, propagation, and reflection
of light as mechanical phenomena concludes that the velocity of light depends on the velocity of the light source. According to this study, the human eye sees the orbit of a star larger than its actual size, and the light from the star on the observed orbit travels to the observer’s
eyes at the emitted velocity  c  ; therefore, there are no time irregularities. This paper exposes visual irregularities predicted by the hypothesis that the velocity of light is independent of the velocity of the
light source.
The Tomonaga‐Schwinger equation in flat space-time
Authors: French John
Published: June 2022

A derivation of the Tomonaga‐Schwinger equation is presented based on defining a wave functional on a general spacelike surface such that the expectation values match those in the corresponding Heisenberg picture. This derivation is carried out in flat space-time.
An original relationship between space, time, gravity, and mass established by dimensional analysis
Authors: Ognean Teodor
Published: June 2022

Abstract  This article aims to present a completely original take on the relationship between space, time, gravity, and mass, determined through dimensional analysis, based on an original method proposed by the author and previously published in several other articles
and books. Through these results, the author aims to demonstrate that space curves in relation to time and this curvature is directly related to gravity and mass, while also highlighting how an elementary physical entity could be generated by gravity within the space‐time relationship.
This elementary physical entity is also in a direct relation with the Avogadro number.
Gravitational fields and gravitational waves
Authors: Yuan Tony
Published: June 2022

The relative velocity between objects with finite velocity affects the reaction between them. This effect is known as general Doppler effect. The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) discovered gravitational waves and found their speed to be equal to the speed
of light c. Gravitational waves are generated following a disturbance in the gravitational field; they affect the gravitational force on an object. Just as light waves are subject to the Doppler effect, so are gravitational waves. This article explores the following research questions
concerning gravitational waves: Is there a linear relationship between gravity and velocity? Can the speed of a gravitational wave represent the speed of the gravitational field (the speed of the action of the gravitational field upon the object)? What is the speed of the gravitational field?
What is the spatial distribution of gravitational waves? Do gravitational waves caused by the revolution of the Sun affect planetary precession? Can we modify Newton's gravitational equation through the influence of gravitational waves?
Simple Approach for Violence Detection in Real-Time Videos Using Pose Estimation With Azimuthal Displacement and Centroid Distance as Features
Authors: Partika Felipe Boris De Moura
Published: June 2022

Detecting violence in real time videos is not an easy task even for the most advanced deep learning architectures, considering the subtle details of human behavior that differentiate an ordinary from a violent action. Even with the advances of deep learning, human activity recognition(HAR) in videos can only be achieved at a huge computational cost, most of the time also requiring special hardware for reaching an acceptable accuracy. We present in this paper a novice method for violence detection, a sub-area of HAR, which outperforms in speed and accuracy the state of the art methods. Our method is based on features extracted from the Pose estimator method OpenPose. These features are then transformed into more representative elements in the context of violence detection, which are then submitted to a LSTM neural network to learn how to identify violence. This work was inspired by the violencedetector.org, the first open source project for violence detection in real time videos.
Polyamide 6.6 Degradation through Photo-Fenton Process
Authors: Marcelino-Perez Edgar , Bonet-Aracil Marilés , Bou-Belda Eva , Amat Payá Ana , Arques Sanz Antonio , Vicente Rafael
Published: June 2022

Synthetic polymers have become essential in our life, nevertheless, the high production and the low recycling around the world have caused serious problems of contamination in soil and water. In addition, its fragmentation into microplastics in environmental conditions has exacerbated the ecological problems due to its possible ingestion by organisms and its high capacity to transport and release a wide variety of organic pollutants. Photo-Fenton process was used to evaluated its capacity to degrade PA6.6 microplastic under simulated solar irradiation and natural solar irradiation plus LED visible light in order to get a best knowledge about its behavior in environmental conditions. PA6.6 was degraded for 7 h through photo-Fenton process under simulated solar irradiation. Superficial defects were observed along the PA6.6 microplastic after degradation experiments. However, FT-IR analysis did not show the formation of additional bands which indicated the formation of new products. DSC analysis showed changes in the melting point of the PA6.6 after the photo-Fenton treatment at different times. The assays carried out under natural solar irradiation showed lower degradation of the PA6.6 under the same experimental conditions, nevertheless, it was observed an increase of the specific surface area 90 times higher in the PA6.6 treated for 10 h.
Direct and Reactive Dyes Recovery in Textile Wastewater Using Calcinated Hydrotalcite
Authors: Bou-Belda Eva , López-Rodríguez Daniel , Micó-Vicent Bàrbara , Bonet-Aracil Marilés
Published: June 2022

Growing environmental conservation concerns have led researchers to seek the means to treat and recover wastewater. The textile industry dumps vast quantities of wastewater from textile dyes. By means of clays, dye waste can be separated and reused for other industrial processes. Clay absorption varies depending on the type of dye employed because factors like the reactivity of the dye molecule and its size are very important during the absorption process. The absorption capacity of calcined hydrotalcite at several concentrations was compared in a 0.05 g • L-1 solution of four distinct dyes: Direct Blue 199, Direct Red 23, Direct Blue 71 and Reactive Yellow. Dyes have different molecular weights because the weight of reactive dyes is considerably lighter than that of direct dyes, which is why the Lambert-Beer lines of each dye are previously considered. We worked with a 5 g • L-1 clay concentration to introduce the dye into the clay by stirring for 24 h in 100 ml of each dye solution before filtering it and leaving it to dry. In all cases, the dye absorption by nanoclay was nearly absolute and the initial solution was very clean, which are excellent results from the wastewater treatment point of view. Color measurement was performed by a Jasco V-670, double-beam spectrophotometre between 190-2700 nm. Differences in color were calculated and represented in CIE-Lab* color space diagrams. Finally, thermogravimetric (TGA) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses were carried out to ensure both nanoclay-dye interactions and hydrotalcite structure recovery. No large differences were observed under these conditions, which reinforces the idea of using low nanoclay concentrations.
Polyester-Polyvinylalcohol Hydrophilization Strategies
Authors: Miranda Teresa , Pinto Cátia , Santos Jorge , Soares Graça
Published: June 2022

Poly (ethylene terephthalate) (PET), also commonly called as polyester, is the most widely used polymer for the production of synthetic fibres over the past fifty years. The frequent use of this PET is due to its high mechanical strength combined with other properties such as the resistance to chemical products, stretching and abrasion. The fibre’s hydrophobicity also impacts the difficulty of cleaning these materials [1, 2]. Previous works shows that treatment with concentrated NaOH solutions can greatly improve hydrophilicity of PET fibre [1, 2, 3, 4]. However a significant decrease of mechanical properties takes place during this process. In this work, chemical strategies to counteract this negative effect and further increase the hydrophilicity of PET fibre’s has been tested. In particular, the effect of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and N, N ́-dimethylol-4, 5-dihydroxyethyleneurea (DMDHEU) chemically modified resin in the functionalization of saponified PET was carefully analysed. The treated fabrics were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), contact angle, ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). When the best process conditions were considered for PVA-DMDHEU application, the modified PET presented a contact angle of 33.9o, stain release grade of 4 and a 45.6% increase in its mechanical properties when compared to saponified PET.
Extraction Optimization of Sorghum vulgare for Natural Wool Dyeing Applications
Authors: Belino Nuno , Alves Estefânia , Almeida Ema , Gameiro Carina , Rosado Tiago , Passarinha Luís , Gallardo Eugenia , Pinto Maria , Rodilla Jesus
Published: June 2022

It is common knowledge that natural dyes are fit for textile dyeing since ancient times. Basically, natural dyes are elements derived from natural resources, and classified as plant, animal, mineral, and microbial dyes based upon their source of origin. Natural dyeing is a very important part of the old Portuguese tradition which is, currently, regaining awareness due to sustainability and health issues that has arisen from the massive application of synthetic dyes in textile coloration. In this study we sought to optimize the extraction of Sorghum vulgare (curumanine and apigeninidin) through the use of a design of experiments (DOE) methodology and to develop an analytical method by high performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) for their quantification. Dyes extracted and isolated were then used to dye 100% wool jersey knits by way of the exhaustion process. The color strength and fastness properties of the dyed samples against washing, and rubbing were evaluated. Our findings proved that meta-mordanted samples dyed at 80°C for 4h obtained the best strength and color fastness results.
Spherically Curved Woven Fabrics - Shaping on the Loom
Authors: Nuss Dominik , Pham Minh Quang , Sennewald Cornelia , Hoffmann Gerald , Cherif Chokri
Published: June 2022

Fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) structures are established in numerous lightweight solutions. Among textile products available for technical applications, flat woven fabrics are commonly used to produce 3D components. In order to convert the flat woven structures into 3D geometries, draping and cutting processes are applied primarily. This leads to structural distortions, yarn interruption and overlaps of the layers. Beside the resulting reduction of mechanical properties, manual work steps are necessary. 3D woven fabrics offer outstanding possibilities for realizing net-shape FRP lightweight structures while avoiding these disadvantages. A current challenge in the manufacture of 3D net-shape structures is the direct generation of desired geometry during the weaving process. The aim of the presented work is the development of a novel weaving technology that enables the creation of spherically curved woven fabrics. Constructive-technological solutions are presented and the required mathematical as well as weaving modelling is shown.
Heating filament with Self-Regulation Temperature by Coating a Metallic Yarn with a Conductive Polymer Composite
Authors: Marischal Louis , Cayla Aurélie , Lemort Guillaume , Laurent Valentin , Campagne Christine , Devaux Éric
Published: June 2022

Nowadays, the heating textiles are used in many fields of applications as medicine or comfort. The heating property for the most part of these textiles was ensured by electrical conductive fiber as metallic yarn thanks to Joule Effect. A challenge for heating textile is to have an electrical conductive fiber which has a temperature self-regulation at the comfort temperature. Thanks to this temperature self-regulation, the heating textile reaches more autonomy. To develop this kind of textile, conductive polymer composite (CPC), which is the combination between an insulating polymer and electrical conductivity nanofillers [1], is made by melt spinning. The temperature self-regulation is provided by the positive temperature coefficient (PTC) effect, which allows switching between an electrical conductivity state and an insulating state when the CPC is close to a transition phase temperature (glass transition temperature or melt temperature). However, when the PTC effect can take place at the melting point, the mechanical properties are not involved. So to maintain the final product an immiscible polymer blend was used: one polymer was the CPC and the second polymer was an insulating polymer with a higher melting point than the target temperature. In fact, the CPC involve the electrical conductivity and the PTC effect, whereas the insulating polymer involves the mechanical properties. However, a high electrical conductivity is necessary to reach the comfort temperature (defined around 42°) by Joule Effect. So to reach this temperature, the coating on a metallic yarn by the conductive immiscible polymer blend was used. The electrical conductivity of this product was improved by the metallic yarn and the self-regulating temperature by the PTC effect of the immiscible polymer blend (figure 1). In this paper the immiscible polymer blend used is a polycaprolactone (PCL) filled with multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and a polypropylene (PP). In fact, in a previous paper the co-continuity and the selective localisation of the fillers in the PCL for this blend was studied [2]. The influence of the thickness CPC coating and the influence of the structure of metallic yarn were studied on the electrical conductivity, the Joule Effect and PTC effect.
A Preliminary Study of Analising Weft Cover Factor of Woven Fabrics by Image Treatment
Authors: Montava Ignacio , Diaz-García Pablo , Carbonell Andrea , Gisbert-Payá Jaime , Bou-Belda Eva
Published: June 2022

Cover factor is defined as the ratio of the area covered by yarns to the total area of the fabric. This fabric’s characteristic is a basic construction parameter of woven cloth related to its end-use behaviour. Different authors are focused on studying the effect of the cover factor fabric on different properties of the fabric, like air permeability, ultraviolet protection, noise absorption and light transmission. However, the aim of this work is study the capacity of the weft to achieve a certain degree of coverage in the woven fabric, taking advantage of the warp's ability to allow light to pass through its own structure and the opacity of the weft.
Mechanical Properties of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Composites Filled with Carbon Microparticles
Authors: Novotná Jana , Tomková Blanka , Výborný Lukáš
Published: June 2022

The aim of this work is to investigate the effect of carbon micro particles used as epoxy resin fillers, for the mechanical properties of reinforced composites unidirectionally oriented carbon fibers. The motivation for this work was expansion knowledge of the possibilities of improving the user properties of these materials at maintaining their weight, thus finding new areas for application recycled carbon fibers from composite waste, which would also contribute to the solution issues of recycling and subsequent use of today's mostly landfilled composites. This work deals with the influence of carbon fillers embedded in epoxy resin on tensile and flexural properties of carbon fiber reinforced epoxy (CFRE) composites. Samples were made from unidirectional carbon multifilaments, and epoxy resin modified with selected carbon fillers in 2.5weight% concentrations. Composites were subsequently examined using flexural and tensile tests. All specimen filled with carbon particles showed increase of both, flexural and tensile properties, if compared to neat epoxy composites.
Tetrahedral Profiled Carbon Rovings for Concrete Reinforcements
Authors: Penzel Paul , May Maximilian , Hahn Lars , Cherif Chokri , Curbach Manfred , Mechtcherine Viktor
Published: June 2022

Textile reinforcements have established themselves as a convincing alternative to conventional steel reinforcements in the building industry. Due to their high load-bearing capacities in addition to a smaller concrete cross section required, the bond between textile and concrete is extremely important. In contrast to ribbed steel bars ensuring a stable mechanical interlock with concrete (form fit), the bond force of carbon rovings has so far been transmitted primarily via the coating of the textile, i.e. by an adhesive bond with the concrete matrix (material fit). However, this material fit must be activated over relatively large yarn areas, which does not allow material-efficient utilization of the mechanical load capacity of the textile reinforcement. Solutions involving profiled rovings promise significant improvements in the bonding behavior by creating an additional mechanical interlock with the concrete matrix. In order to achieve a form-fit effect between roving and concrete, a roving geometry inspired by ribbed steel bars has to be created. For this purpose, an innovative profiling process was developed and implemented.
Improving Adhesion of Graphene Nanoplatelets to Cotton-Based Knitted Fabrics Using Plasma Treatment
Authors: Arruda Luisa M. , Moreira Inês P. , Boticas Inês , Bessa João , Fangueiro Raul
Published: June 2022

This work aims to analyse the effect of plasma and alkaline pre-treatment to improve the adsorption of GNPs onto 100% cotton knits. For this purpose, in one approach, 2% GNPs were dispersed in an aqueous/ethyl-based solution, in another approach the same concentration of said nanoparticles were dispersed in different % of PEG (10%, 30% and 50%, w/ v). The functionalised samples with and without plasma pre-treatment were characterized by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), Contact Angle, Ground State Diffuse Reflectance (GSDR), and Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). Electrical and washability properties until 10th wash cycles were also evaluated. The dopped samples obtained semiconductor values, and the ones that received the plasma treatment became hydrophilic, which contributed to excellent absorption bands. However, it is necessary to carry out more in-depth studies that contribute not only to better adsorption, as well as an adequate anchoring of nanoparticles in textile substrates.
Oral minoxidil in trichology
Authors: Kowe Priyanka Arun , Madke Bhushan , Bansod Shashank Hemant
Published: June 2022

Minoxidil, a pro-drug has been used as an oral antihypertensive drug since the 1960s. Though it was initially introduced as a therapy to control hypertension, it became popular after its coincidental finding on the promotion of hair growth and stimulation of new hair production. This has led to the usefulness of minoxidil in treating several hair loss disorders in both topical and oral forms. In 1988, Food and drug administration (FDA) approved topical minoxidil (TM) 2% for the treatment of male androgenetic alopecia (AGA) and in 1992, it got approval for female pattern hair loss (FPHL). Since then the use of TM has increased tremendously. However, there are frequent reports of TM and/or its vehicle-induced contact dermatitis which has reduced the compliance in the patients resulted in a poor outcome. Oral minoxidil (OM) has been tried and found useful in AGA, alopecia areata (AA), traction alopecia (TA), chronic telogen effluvium (CTE), chemotherapy-induced alopecia, monilethrix, and several other alopecia’s; however, the exact mechanism of action and efficacy of oral minoxidil in these disorders remains undetermined. Also, when given in low dose, side effect profile of OM has been found comparable to that of TM. The above data was supported by case series, randomized control trials, and case reports with a low quality of evidence. In this review, we aimed to summarize the different indications of oral minoxidil. We reiterate the claim that high-quality studies are needed before advocating use of oral minoxidil in hair disorders.
IRK BİTİG’DE DOĞURMAK İLE İLGİLİ EYLEMLER
Authors: Yavuz Öz Duygu
Published: June 2022

Eski Uygur Türkçesi eserlerinden Irk Bitig’de “doğurmak” eyleminin tek bir sözcükle karşılanmadığı, “doğuran”ın kimliğine göre farklı eylemler kullanıldığı görülmektedir. Doğuranın insan veya hayvan olması noktasında ayrıştırılan sözcükler, hangi hayvanın doğurduğuna göre de kategorilendirilmiştir. Eserde devenin doğurması botula-, ineğin doğurması buzaġula- ve kelür-, atın doğurması ḳulunla-, insanın erkek çocuk doğurması urılan- eylemleri ile ifade edilmiştir. Bu çalışmada, Irk Bitig’de “doğurmak” anlamında kullanılan botula-, buzaġula-, kelür-, ḳulunla-, urılan- eylemlerinin tarihî ve çağdaş Türk yazı dillerindeki kullanımları incelenmiş ve bu inceleme sonucunda fonetik, morfolojik, semantik açıdan belli yargılara ulaşılmıştır. Botula-, buzaġula-, kelür-, ḳulunla- ve urılan- sözcüklerinin tarihî ve çağdaş dönemlerde büyük ölçüde aynı anlamlarla kullanılmaya devam ettiği, birçok değişkeye sahip olduğu, kelür- dışında aynı şekilde ekleştiği görülmüştür. Urılan- “erkek çocuk doğurmak” eylemi Irk Bitig dışında tespit edilemediği için bu eylem fonetik ve semantik açıdan değerlendirilememiştir. Doğu ve Batı Türklük sahası metinlerinde karşımıza çıkan bu eylemler Türk dilinin ayrıntıcı, bütüncül ve sürekli yapısına örnek teşkil etmektedir.
Determining the Investor's Strategy During the COVID-19 Crisis Based on CVaR Risk Measure
Authors: Reiff Marian , Pekár Juraj , Brezina Ivan
Published: June 2022

The realized investment operations of each investor are based on the analysis in such a way that a certain certainty of the invested financial amount and a satisfactory return is ensured during the implementation. Therefore, when investing, the investor decides which products or securities to invest in and chooses when the investor should make the chosen investment. In this way, the investor is faced with the question of the possible return of his investment strategy based on the optimization model of portfolio selection based on the CVaR risk measure. The investor decides based on certain assumptions, including the assumption of the emergence of a crisis, e.g., the crisis caused by the virus. The paper presents the impact of the crisis on investor decision-making through the CVaR risk measure, which was realized on historical data of the components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) stock index in both crisis and pre-crisis periods.
Development of Capacity Through Digital Transformation
Authors: Todosijevic Milos , Todosijevic Radmilo , Todosijevic Lazovic Snezana
Published: June 2022

Projected or installed capital serves as a foundation for defining business process' Managing process develop per set laws, where single and total process' of the system have their own algorithms. Management as a generic sum of knowledge is an algorithmic process that ends with a solution - command. Through output, enterprise adapts to its changing environment in which it exists. Mutual connection of process' and actions makes composition in cybernetic array. Algorithm theory has occurred before our findings of cybernetics and it is an introduction in development of digitalization and IT. Digitalization brings to fall of cost of communication and innovative process' gain higher dynamics. It comes to rapid double action of technical progress. Choice is either adaptation or self-speeding competitive development. Who adapts will endure, who fails to do so will parish, will present base of our work.
The Role of Knowledge-Based Technologies and Big Data Analytics in a Pandemic
Authors: Grljević Olivera , Bošnjak Zita , Bošnjak Saša
Published: June 2022

The covid-19 pandemic has caused major turmoil in economic, social, societal, and health systems around the world. In order to bring it under control, large amounts of relevant data have been identified and collected, the analysis of which should enable understanding of the character and mechanisms of the disease and, based on that knowledge, suppress pandemics and return life to normal as soon as possible. The volume of collected data is enormous, and the sources and types are very different, so classical analytical approaches are not suitable for their processing, while intelligent software solutions and tools for big data analysis play a vital role in discovering the knowledge needed to make decisions. Over the past two years, there has been a wider use of artificial intelligence and big data analytics in both e-commerce and online shopping. The need for social distancing, lockdowns, and work from home has resulted in the sudden shift of business to the digital sphere, especially trade. The processing of data that is continuously generated through online activities represents a huge opportunity for companies, but also a new challenge to find a way to turn data into useful information, insights, and knowledge that can be applied in practice. The paper describes modern information technologies that best suit the newly created conditions due to the pandemic. The solutions described in the literature are presented, which, in response to the new reality due to the covid-19 pandemic, were created using these technologies.
Smart Cities and Quality of Life: the Analysis of Perceptions Data
Authors: Džunić Marija , Stanković Jelena , Marinković Srđan
Published: June 2022

One of the unavoidable effects of social and economic development is the intensified migration from rural to urban areas and consequent growth of urban population, imposing severe challenges to urban development. Growing economic and environmental problems are related to the management of urban infrastructure and resources: transportation, housing, health-care, sanitation, energy, clean water, education. The smart city concept has appeared as a solution for coping with the challenges of urban population growth and cities’ transformation into complex, but economically efficient and socially sustainable environments. The concept includes various aspects of urban development that can be analysed as determinants of urban regions’ competitiveness in attracting business, educated labour force and improving the quality of life. The essence of the concept is in creating policies that target sustainable development, economic growth and quality of life of the citizens. One of the ways of evaluating the quality of life in modern cities is by assessing citizens’ perceptions on various aspects of urban life – quality of services provided in the cities, employment prospects, housing conditions, the level of social integration and safety and the effectiveness of local government administration. The aim of this study is to evaluate and compare cities in different European regions based on perceived satisfaction with the quality of urban life. Using 26 different indicators across five categories, the significance of differences in smart performance and quality of life between the cities of various European regions is tested. Based on Urban Audit Perception Survey database, ANOVA and post-hoc analysis indicates significant differences in the perceived quality of life between European regions.
Project Management Competencies in Digitalization Era: Evidence from Serbian Manufacturing Industry
Authors: Stojanović Aleksić Vesna , Bugarčić Marijana , Slavković Marko
Published: June 2022

Due to the intensification of competition and the development of new production technologies, manufacturing enterprises are required to formulate appropriate strategies and use applicable tools, machines and other work equipment. The implementation of advanced technology, which features the Fourth Industrial Revolution, provides significant improvements in the efficiency and effectiveness of production, but also, it requires new key competences and skills. Bearing in mind that project management competency is perceived as an ability to perform activities within dynamic environment that lead to the superior outcomes based on defined and accepted standards, the purpose of this paper is determining the level of knowledge and skills in applying project management activities. Using the sample of 64 manufacturing firms in Serbia, the main aim is to identify the employees’ perception of readiness to implement projects within their organizations. According to previous studies, three particular categories of project management competencies are used: technical, behavioral and contextual. The obtained results can be used by managers as guidelines for the improvement of employees’ readiness for contemporary issues and the implementation of advanced technology solutions.
Changes in Working Model According to Transformed Work Conditions in the Pandemic
Authors: Gjorgjioska Emilija , Sotiroski David , Obednikovska Snezana
Published: June 2022

Covid-19 pandemic is affecting our everyday life in all possible ways. It is also affecting companies and their employees. Things have changed over the past 24 months as many workers have developed a taste for a more flexible working model.  Some are facing the benefits of working from home, but for some it is not such a positive experience. Human resources management should adjust to the new needs. Those needs are new forces that are driving transformational changes across companies, industries and economies issuing new strategic platforms in companies. Digitalization is promising a new era for working life according to new cultural transformation. All of this raises the need for the companies to change strategies and models in a way to adjust working conditions according to alteration of their employees in each way. While many executives would certainly prefer to return to the old model, it is more than clear that they all need to adjust their models to the new working platform. In this paper we would point out the benefits and risks of working from home. Also, we would analyze the legal frame in the Republic of North Macedonia, boundaries, and perspectives for modernization of Labor law.  According to the results from the questionnaire that we will provide, we will suggest models for human resources transformation in the companies that will be more effective for the management and employees affected by this transformed pandemic situation.
Consumer Ethnocentrism under the Circumstances of the COVID-19 Virus Pandemic
Authors: Marinković Veljko , Lazarević Jovana , Marić Dražen
Published: June 2022

The new circumstances of life due to the proclamation of the COVID 19 virus pandemic have caused numerous changes both in general people's lives and in consumption. The aim of this paper is to identify changes in the degree of consumer ethnocentrism when choosing products during COVID 19 virus pandemic, compared to the period before its occurrence. In addition, differences in consumer preferences for certain product and service categories of domestic producers before and during the pandemic were analyzed. A paired t test is used for this purpose. By analyzing the primary data collected from 176 respondents, higher level of consumer ethnocentrism is confirmed in period during pandemic, specially when it comes to choice of medical products of domestic origin. Theoretical implications of the paper relate to expanding current knowledge about the effects of the COVID 19 pandemic on consumer behavior, while managerial implications include the possibility of using scientific results in formulating and implementing appropriate strategies to encourage domestic economic development by strengthening consumer ethnocentrism in the market.
Municipal Bonds as a Way of Financing Local Governments in the Republic of Serbia and Countries of the Region
Authors: Jakšić Pavle , Cicmil Danica
Published: June 2022

In practice, it has been shown that most local governments decide on traditional sources of funding, which in recent decades due to the accelerated process of urbanization are not sufficient. Insufficient development of the capital market prevents local self-governments on the territory of Serbia from choosing other types of financing, such as the issue of municipal bonds. The aim of this paper is to analyze the benefits that local governments reap when issuing municipal bonds. The paper wishes to point out the importance of choosing this type of financing of capital projects of importance for the local population. The authors believe that the choice of adequate funding can significantly affect the implementation of the strategy of sustainable development of a local government. During the preparation of the paper, the method of content analysis, comparative method and synthetic method were used, which enabled the conclusion. Based on empirical research, the benefits of issuing municipal bonds have been clearly established. If we take into account the number of cities that issued the mentioned bonds in Serbia, we can conclude that the market of municipal bonds in Serbia is less developed than is the case with the markets of countries in the region.
Entrepreneurship in Conditions of Digital Business Transformation
Authors: Hajnrih Jasmina
Published: June 2022

An entrepreneur is a holder of a small business. According to the number of registered, this form of business organization significantly exceeds the companies in the current active status. They represent companies of persons who, although they carry an increased business risk, have a number of dominant advantages. Different types of activities are organized as entrepreneurial activities, agencies, bureaus, and not as companies, because the legal procedure is simpler and the holder of the business is mostly one natural person, so there is no need to pool capital. A large number of entrepreneurs have been operating on the market of the Republic of Serbia for years, which indicates the fact that companies also deal with long-term business strategy. In a turbulent economic environment, entrepreneurs had to adapt to various changes. The biggest change that started in 2014 is electronic communication and business with the Tax Administration. This process was only an introduction to the period of transition of the entrepreneur in which he will have to make a decision and strategy, how to overcome and enable business that is unknown to him, and explicitly imposed as the only solution. Modernizing and adapting the corporate business to changes in business is not a big deal, but every innovation that includes digitalization and electronic communication is a great effort for most entrepreneurs to overcome it, because problems arise due to lack of trained people and financial opportunities to support adaptation to new business conditions. In this paper, I will show what problems an accounting agency in the form of an entrepreneur faces in the conditions of digital transformation, not only through its own business, but also through the business of its clients. The aim of the research is to get acquainted with the problem of long-term business of entrepreneurs in an unstable economic environment in the form of imposed digitalization of business, which necessarily entails entering the zone of the unknown, but also a large financial burden in overcoming it. Methodological procedures in the form of surveying entrepreneurs and analysis of financial indicators should provide an answer to the main problem and subject of research, which is what options and tools are available to the entrepreneur in creating a strategy of survival in market competition and overcoming imposed and legally binding tasks. The research generated a primary conclusion, which is that it is certainly an acceptable option for younger entrepreneurs to include in the modernization of business processes by applying their own technological knowledge. Older entrepreneurs are mostly considering the option of including the heir in the family business, or in the absence of it, leaving entrepreneurship, which is certainly the most unfavorable outcome for both the economy and the entrepreneur, because he can still do his primary job with greater expertise than younger beginners.
Staffing - recruitment and selection practices in chosen countries worldwide. Examination of national culture's influence on it
Authors: Kijački Dragana
Published: June 2022

For companies operating in the 21st century, whose only permanent features are changes, one of the biggest challenges is providing sufficient employees. Despite the fact, that companies are financially powerful and have modern technologies, the workforce is still the prime factor in the process of making success. Finding and choosing individuals, who are motivated to work towards the company's goals and ready to identify themselves with the company, is a difficult task that depends on numerous factors. The accelerated pace of the globalization process has created a unique, international labor market. The aim of this paper is to present features of the recruitment and selection process in companies from different countries, especially the staffing practices in multinational companies used in recruiting and selecting candidates for performing assignments in their branch offices. For chosen countries (Eastern and Western European countries, Scandinavian countries, Russia, Arabian countries, Asian countries etc.) in the paper will be present dimensions of national culture according to Hofstede's classification: distance from power, risk avoidance, individualism vs collectivism, male vs female values, long-term vs short-term orientation, indulgent vs restraint cultures. The paper analyzes the impact of the dimensions of the national cultures on the practices applied during the employment process in chosen countries, and may be used as a base for future research in this field.
The Smart Cities Concept as One of the Priorities of the Slovak Republic
Authors: Lovciová Kornélia
Published: June 2022

At present, the development of the urban way of life requires the application of city policy management with an emphasis on sustainable development, and it can be said that individual states strive to integrate "smart" elements into the activities of cities in conditions of sustainable development. The concept of Smart Cities in line with the ideas of sustainable development can provide new necessary impulses when integrating into the city management strategy, leading to the creation of a smart city that meets the needs of the population while preserving natural resources for future generations. The importance of this topic lies in the growing interest in applying the concept of Smart Cities as a starting point for further development of cities and regions and their transformation into smart cities and regions in the Slovak Republic, which is one of Slovakia's priorities in preparing a partnership agreement for the new programming period 2021 – 2027. Providing intelligent services to a city or region is not possible without informing the population. The annual report is one of the sources that provides information on the application of the Smart City concept to a wide range of information users, and thus to the general public. The aim of this paper is to analyse the Smart City Concept in terms of sustainable development with focus on innovation and reporting smart information that meets the definition of non-financial information in the annual report in the Slovak Republic.
Potentials of Apple Exports from the Republic of Serbia
Authors: Jeremić Marija , Matkovski Bojan , Ivanišević Dragan
Published: June 2022

Serbia is a significant fruit producer in the region. The most important fruit species from the aspect of areas and realized production values ??are plums and apples. Also, from the aspect of the value of exports, apple is the second most important fruit product, after raspberries. The most important market for apple exports is the market of the Russian Federation, to which 85,45% of the total export of fresh apples has been exported on average in the last five years. Beside significant changes in production and exports, the domestic apple market is also characterized by certain problems in recent years. In that direction, this paper aims to consider the export positions of apples on the international market and the potential and limitations in production and foreign trade. Tendencies in production and foreign trade were analyzed and revealed comparative advantages were considered through an appropriate methodology. Having in mind that apple is a significant export product and that apple export, especially to the Russian market, is a driver of production development, it can be concluded that the development of apple production is a chance for the economic development of the region where apple production is concentrated, but also for the overall economy of Serbia.
The Development of Human Resource Management in Serbia in the Light of Cranet Research 2021
Authors: Berber Nemanja , Slavić Agneš , Gašić Dimitrije , Aleksić Marko
Published: June 2022

Human resource management (HRM) is becoming more and more important in contemporary business. As the process of managing organizations’ most valuable assets, human capital, HRM needs to answer to all challenges that are arising in the internal and external business environment to achieve its goal, to attract, motivate, and retain employees. New challenges related to changes in the labor market, globalization, digital transformation, health risks due to the Covid-19 pandemic, economic and political issues, and many others, require that organizations possess a specific and well-developed process of HRM to manage their employees adequately. It is important to investigate the level of HRM in an organization to get familiar with the actual state of HRM practice and to explore areas for improvement. The main aim of this paper is to analyze the main indicators of HRM function in organizations in Serbia, to determine the actual state and the level of development. The methodology of the research obtains analysis of available literature and empirical data gathered during the new round of global Cranet research, in which Serbia participate. The data were collected in 2021, and the sample consists of 106 companies in Serbia. The authors investigated some of the main indicators of HRM, related to the number of employed people in an HR department, the existence of HR and related strategies, strategic HRM, usage of IT tools in HRM, etc. In the end, the results from Cranet data for Serbia were compared to present values of certain indicators at the regional and global levels.
Stakeholders Engagement and Performance of Sustainable Information Quality
Authors: Oliveira Selma , Júlio Lais , Oliveira Richard , Midori Fernanda
Published: June 2022

Integrated reporting (IR) is considered an innovative and effective reporting tool that includes both financial and non-financial information. Recently, there has been a greater emphasis on IR both from the point of view of the relevance of sustainable information. This study relates stakeholder engagement and performance of sustainable information quality in an emerging economy. There are few scientific contributions that evidence this relationship. This research defends this relationship in the light of the information produced by the IR. Using a judgment matrix, a survey was applied to professionals from multinational sustainable manufacturing companies in Brazil. The findings indicate that the engagement of stakeholders has a positive and significant effect on the performance of the quality of economic, social and environmental information. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that investigates the relationship between stakeholder engagement and performance of sustainable information quality. This study has implications.
Digital Transformation of the Learning Process - Students' Attitudes about Online Teaching
Authors: Raković Lazar , Đorđević Milutinović Lena , Marić Slobodan , Sakal Marton , Kapo Amra
Published: June 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the process of digital transformation of higher education institutions. In a very short period, teachers and students abruptly switched to digital environments, which they had not used until then. As online teaching is very different from traditional teaching, teachers and students are faced with numerous new challenges. Online teaching requires a specific environment that primarily implies the availability of adequate technology as well as the skills that both teachers and students should have. Some higher education institutions have completely switched to online mode, while others have practiced a combined (online and offline) mode. The aim of this paper is, based on a questionnaire developed by Bernard et al. (2007), to examine the level of online skills, readiness for online learning and learning initiatives, attitudes about online learning, as well as the desire for online interaction with teachers and colleagues by the surveyed students.