This research included 11 companies from the construction sector, included in the stock exchange index of the construction sector, GIRS. The following dependent variable was used: short-term debt to total liabilities (STDTL). The following independent variables were used: return on equity (ROE), return on assets (ROA), the tangibility of assets (TOA), current ratio (CR), current assets to total assets (CATA), total debt to total capital (TDTC) and firm size (FS). The research period covered the period from 2008-2018 on a semi-annual basis. The total number of observations was 242. The paper includes the pooled OLS regression model (FE model) and the random-effects GLS regression model. Both models were appropriate for the obtained results through the Hausman test. The results showed that the strongest influence on the dependent variable were the short-term debt to total liabilities (STDTL), which has been achieved by the following independent variables, such as: current ratio (CR), total debt to total capital (TDTC), return on assets (ROA). On the other hand, the following independent variables had the weakest influence on the dependent variable: current assets to total assets (CATA), firm size (FS) and return on equity (ROE).

The phenomenon of financial stability has gained importance as monetary and fiscal policies aiming at price stability in the global crises are not sufficient to prevent financial crises. After 2007 global crisis, the importance of bank stability better understood. This paper investigates the determinant of bank stability in selected Balkan countries and Turkey. For this aim, we used to Z-score and NPL as dependent variables. We used bank performance, financial structure and macro variables as independent variables. According to ANOVA test and regression analysis, the strongest correlation between non-performing loans as the dependent variable of the Western and some EU Member countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Macedonia) and Turkey was achieved with the following independent variables: the total non-interest income to total income and foreign bank assets to total bank assets. Observed on the other hand, the weakest link between NPLs as a dependent variable was achieved with the following independent variables: the gross domestic product, the net interest margin ratio, Lerner index and the cost to income. Another dependent variable, i.e., Z-score was recorded the strongest correlation with the following independent variables in the model: the gross domestic product, the Lerner index, the net interest margin and the cost to income. The weakest link was achieved with the following independent variables: the total non-interest income to total income and the foreign bank assets to total assets.

Background/Aim: The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the spread of a novel disease COVID-19 as a pandemic on 11 March 2020. As of 12 June, there have been more than 7.4 million COVID-19 cases and more than 418,000 COVID-19 deaths globally. This paper represents epidemiological analysis of the first 100 days of COVID-19 epidemic in the Republic of Srpska. Methods: Data of all COVID-19 cases confirmed in the Republic of Srpska between 4 March and 12 June were collected from epidemiological and laboratory testing reports obtained from the Public Health Institute of the Republic of Srpska. This cross-sectional analysis was carried out on a sample of 1,607 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases, which included: summary of patient characteristics, examination of age distributions and sex ratios, calculation of case fatality and mortality rates, incidence rates analysis, epidemiological curve construction and subgroup analysis. Results: Over 100 days after the first case was confirmed, the total number of infected patients in the Republic of Srpska rose to 1,607 (31,471 persons had been tested). As of 12 June, 69.9 % of those cases has recovered. During that period there were 117 confirmed deaths (average age 72 years; 60.7 % males; 86 % older than 60 years; 94 % with at least one comorbidity). The sex ratio among the confirmed cases was 0.95:1 (48.7 % men vs 51.3 % women). Infections were less common in persons below 20 years of age (7.3 % of all confirmed cases) and the majority of the affected persons were in the group 40-69 years of age. As much as 86 % of all death cases occurred in persons older than 60 years (average age 72 years) and 94 % of all death cases had at least one underlying condition (mostly cardiovascular diseases, 79.5 %). Conclusion: Evaluating the clinical data of COVID-19 patients, finding the source of infection and studying the behavior of the disease is crucial for understanding of the pandemic.

Leaf and shoot characteristics of the following four European barberry taxa from the Balkan Peninsula and Sicily were investigated in the present study: Berberis croatica, B. vulgaris, B. aetnensis and B. cretica. Analyses were based on 10 populations of B. croatica, five of B. vulgaris and two populations of both B. aetnensis and B. cretica. Populations were randomly selected within the natural distribution area of these species. Eight leaf traits, three shoot traits and the blade length/width ratio were analysed. Multivariate analysis (principal component analysis, canonical discriminant analysis and cluster analysis) distinguished B. cretica and B. aetnensis populations and, to a lesser extent, the populations of B. croatica and B. vulgaris. ANOVA showed that the analysed populations of both B. aetnensis and B. cretica were homogeneous within the species. All populations of both B. croatica and B. vulgaris showed different degrees of intraspecies variability. Lack of complete separation, the observed grouping of populations and high intraspecies variability in B. vulgaris and B. croatica may reflect the fact that the sampled B vulgaris and B.croatica populations were located at environmentally variable sites (unlike B. aetnensis and B. cretica), resulting in high phenotypic plasticity in those populations. Even though the observed patterns of morphological variation support the idea of four barberry taxa on the Balkan Peninsula and in Sicily, because of suspected adaptive phenotypic plasticity of the analysed Berberis taxa, the true taxonomic status of these taxa needs to be additionally confirmed by molecular methods.

This paper presents new records and noteworthy data on the following taxa in SE Europe and adjacent regions: the diatom alga Eunotia boreoalpina; the saprotrophic fungus Clitocybe truncicola; the liverwort Haplomitrium hookeri; the moss Leptodon smithii: the monocots Epipactis purpurata, Stipa tirsa, Typha laxmannii and T. shuttleworthii; and the dicots Krascheninnikovia ceratoides, Polygonum albanicum and Sorbus latifolia.

This article presents the third part of data on selected new and noteworthy taxa ensuing from the revision of Herbarium collection of the Institute for Nature Conservation of the Vojvodina province (PZZP). Selected taxa include 11 species, three subspecies, three varieties, one infraspecific taxon with indetermined status [stat. indet.] and one nothospecies placed within seven genera (Filago L., Ludwigia L., Luzula DC., Lycopus L., Lythrum L., Phlomis L. and Silene L.). Two varieties (Luzula campestris subsp. campestris var. elata, Silene flos-cuculi subsp. floscuculi var. latifolia) and one infraspecific taxon with indetermined status (Luzula multiflora subsp. multiflora [stat. indet.] b. uliginosa) are new for a flora of Serbia. Additionally, one species (Ludwigia palustris) and one nothospecies (Lythrum ×scabrum) are confirmed for Serbia.

Background/Aim. The aim of the study was investigating the significant difference in: a) the dosimetric calculation of the radiotherapy treatment planning system (TPS) in relation to the values obtained by measuring on the linear accelerator (Linac), b) the accuracy of the dosimetric calculation between the calculating algorithms Anisotropic Algorithm (AAA) and AcurosXB in various tissues and photon beam energies. Methods. For End-to-End test we used the heterogeneous phantom CIRS Thorax002LFC, which anatomically represents the human torso with set of inserts known relative electron density (RED) for obtaining a CT calibration curve, comparable to the “reference” CIRS 062M phantom. For the AAA and AcurosXB algorithms and for 6 MV and 16 MV photon beams in the TPS Varian Eclipse 13.6, four 3D conformal (3DCRT), and one intensity modulated (IMRT) and volumetric modulated arc (VMAT) radiotherapy plans were made. Measurements of the absolute dose in the Thorax phantom, by PTW-Semiflex ionization chamber, were carried out on three Varian-DHX Linacs. Results . The difference between "reference" and measured CT conversion curves in the bone area is 3 %. For 476 phantom measurements, the difference between measured and TPS calculated dose of (3-6) %, we had in 30 (6.3 %) cases. According to regression analysis, the standardized Beta coefficient for relative errors, 6 MV vs 16 MV, was 0.337 (33.7 %, p < 0.001). Mean relative errors for AAA vs AcurosXB, using Mann-Whitney test, for bones were 1.56 % and 2.64 % (p = 0.004). Conclusion. The End-to-End test on Thorax002LFC phantom proved the accuracy of TPS dose calculation in relation to the one delivered to the patient by Linac. There is a significant difference for photon energies relative errors (higher values are obtained for 16 MV vs 6 MV). A statistically significant minor relative error in AAA vs. AcurosXB was found for the bone. test, heterogeneous phantom, calculating algorithms.

Objective. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of expanded hemodialysis on the degree of b2-microglobulin removal. Methods. Sixteen patients treated with extended MCO hemodialysis were examined. The main parameter for assessing the efficiency of removal of uremic toxins of middle molecular weight is the concentration of b2-microglobulin in the serum before and after a single session of extended MCO hemodialysis. The following were used for statistical analysis: Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, Student's T test for bound samples and Wilcoxon test. Results. Extended MCO hemodialysis effectively removes uremic toxins of middle molecular weight. The reduction index of b2-microglobulin during a single session of extended MCO hemodialysis is 70.60 ± 5.88%. The average loss of albumin during a single session of extended MCO hemodialysis is 1.88 ± 1.02 g/4h, and the index of albumin reduction is 4.94 ± 2.49%. Conclusion. Extended MCO hemodialysis effectively removes b2-microglobulin. The b2-microglobulin reduction index is ~ 71% and the albumin loss is less than 4.0 g/4h. This dialysis modality prevents the development of amyloidosis, atherosclerosis and atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases in the population of patients treated with regular hemodialysis.