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The purpose of this research is to investigate whether there is a difference in the valuation of quality organic product website components, including information quality, visual design, and technical adequacy, between men and women. Conducted in Serbia, the methodology comprises surveying 660 participants using a custom questionnaire and analyzing data through descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests. The findings indicate that women assign greater significance to all three aspects of organic product website quality compared to men. Notably, women prioritize information quality, whereas men favour product images. These results carry substantial implications for website developers targeting organic product markets. Addressing the preferences of female consumers is paramount, given their predominant role as the primary purchasers of organic products. Therefore, adapting website characteristics to meet the expectations of female consumers is crucial for maximizing online sales of organic products.

In recent years, ascorbic acid (vitamin C) has acquired great interest due to its multiple functions, which results in homeostasis of normal tissues and organs. On the other hand, it has been shown that epigenetic modifications may have an important role in various diseases and therefore are a focus of the extraordinary investigation. Ascorbic acid serves as a cofactor for ten-eleven translocation dioxygenases, which are responsible for deoxyribonucleic acid methylation. Also, vitamin C is required for histone demethylation, since it acts as a cofactor of Jumonji C-domain-containing histone demethylases. It seems that vitamin C may be a mediator between the environment and the genome. The precise and multistep mechanism of ascorbic acid in epigenetic control is still not definitely determined. This article intends to provide the basic and newly discovered functions of vitamin C that are related to epigenetic control. Also, this article will help us to better understand the functions of ascorbic acid and will provide the possible implications of this vitamin in the regulation of epigenetic modifications.

Introduction Implant placement with simultaneous bone augmentation presents procedure with high risk of complications. In those situations, one of the surgical procedures with promising outcomes is the split crest technique. Case report A 69-year-old edentulous patient was referred to the Clinic of Oral Surgery, at the Faculty of Dentistry in Pancevo. The width of the mandibular alveolar ridge in the inter-canine region was 2 mm. For the ridge splitting and expansion, a special split and expansion kit was used (Esset Kit® , Osstem, South Korea). The procedure started with crestal remover carbide cylindrical bur of 7 mm diameter for flattening of the alveolar ridge to the width of 4 mm. Then, a sharp lance drill was used to mark the places for implant osteotomies and placement. After that, 1.8 mm twist drill was used to prepare a bed of 10 mm depth, and a 13 mm saw was directed vertically. Set of expansion drills were used to expand the alveolar ridge gradually. Two implants 3.5x10 mm each (TSIII SA® , Osstem, South Korea) were inserted in the region of lower canines and the space between split buccal and lingual bone lamellae remained empty. Initial stability of inserted implants was assessed by implant stability quotient (ISQ). The values for implant stability were high for both inserted implants (98 and 93). After the surgical procedure, a control CBCT was done. The wound healed uneventfully. Conclusion Split crest technique seems to be a predictable alternative for implant placement in narrow alveolar ridges.

In order to find out whether the guests like to pair food and wine, a research was conducted on the basis of experiences on harmonization of food and wine in Belgrade. The aim of the research was to determine whether sociodemographic characteristics influence the factors of gastro-oenological offer. In order to contribute to the development of catering facilities and their offerings, one of the main research factors was the factor of future intention to revisit and verbally promote the restaurant. A structured field survey questionnaire was conducted on a sample of 226 guests of catering facilities on the territory of Belgrade. The generated data was processed by the SPSS software package, including MANOVA analyzes and descriptive statistics. The obtained results show that sociodemographic characteristics influence the selection of gastro-oenological offer and experience related to the harmonization of food and wine and future intentions.

The development of information and communication technologies is fundamentally transforming the tourism sector and tourism suppliers are widely using modern technologies to improve their business. Hotels are increasingly relying on digital technologies in an effort to reach their business objectives, improve the experience and satisfaction of their guests and achieve a competitive advantage. The aim of this research is to determine the statistical significance of the impact of demographic variables on customer satisfaction when using digital services, such as: the hotel website, online reservations, internet services, as well as social media. Empirical research on customers' attitudes and their satisfaction with digital services that 4and 5star-hotels provide on the territory of Serbia was conducted in 2021 and the results were processed using statistical methods and the Chi-square test. The research results have shown that there is a statistically significant difference in customer satisfaction with digital hotel services depending on their gender and age. The research indicates that it is necessary to take in account the demographic categories of customers when developing digital hotel services and make adjustments to them accordingly.

Lettuce is one of the most common types of leafy vegetables in human diet that is grown worldwide. Narrow and very small seeds make its sowing very difficult, requiring a lot of time and labour. Also, plants produced by manual sowing are often characterized by uneven germination. Those problems could be prevented by sowing pelleted seeds which require the development of adequate pelleting technology. Absence of quality lettuce seeds in the Serbian market results in large amounts of imported pelleted seeds every year. The aim of this study was to develop a domestic pelleting procedure and examine its effects on seeds quality parameters, in order to provide seeds to local farmers at a more affordable price compared to imported commercial pelleted seeds. Pelleted and non-pelleted seeds of the Panukia F1 hybrid were compared in several quality characteristics (1000 seed weight, germination energy, germination percentage, seedling length) in laboratory and greenhouse conditions. There was no loss in seed quality with the pelleting process, although the seed weight increased 12-19 times. Pelleted lettuce seeds had very high germination energy and seed germination (97-98%). In greenhouse conditions, non-pelleted seeds sprouted unevenly in relation to pelleted seeds. These results confirm the advantages of sowing pelleted seeds in terms of uniform germination and development of lettuce plants, primarily due to the precision of mechanical sowing. By offering domestic pelleting lettuce seeds to the growers, the production process would be significantly improved and accelerated with the reduction of manual labour, and therefore the overall production cost.

Platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) represents second generation of platelet concentrates, which has gained increasing awareness in recent years for regenerative procedures. This biologic additive is completely autologous, easy to prepare, has minimal expense, and possesses prolonged growth factor release, together with several other advantages over traditionally prepared platelet concentrates. Since its introduction, various protocols for PRF preparation have been proposed with different amounts of growth factors and other biomolecules necessary for wound healing. However, reference data about potential effect of some PRF components on hard and soft tissue healing are still conflicting. The current article intends to clarify the relevant advances about physiological role of certain PRF components and to provide insight into the new developmental approach. Also, this review summarizes the evolution of platelet concentrates and biologic properties of different modifications of PRF procedure.

Alkaline saline ponds and lakes are habitats with unique biodiversity. The green alga of the genus Botryococcus was accidentally discovered during a micro-algal survey of these habitats in Serbia. Species B. terribilis was found and identified for the first time in Serbia in the small sandpit lake of the Rusanda Nature Park. The first sampling was incomplete due to the unknown origin of the orange-red surface scum. After the identity of the species had been confirmed, three additional samplings were conducted aiming to collect phytoplankton and water samples for physical and chemical analyses. Major anions and cations were analysed in order to characterize the chemical type of sandpit lake, as well as nutrient content. Sandpit lake is an alkaline water body that belongs to sodium bicarbonate chemical type. Morphometric analysis of B. terribilis was performed using light and transmission electron microscopy. B. terribilis was found to be numerous in the phytoplankton community in late autumn and winter. Species from the genus Botryococcus are known as a rich source of different lipids and this discovery can be the first step in the further biotechnological application of this species in sustainable biofuel production.

There is a significant amount of research in the world on the factors that influence consumers' decision to buy organic food using traditional sales channels. There is also a lot of research related to the factors that influence consumer decision to online shop groceries. However, to our knowledge, there is an extremely modest amount of research on how and why consumers decide to online shop organic food. The Covid-19 pandemic has led to an increase in consumer propensity to shop online, so this topic has gained in importance. Therefore, the aim of this paper was to determine the factors that most influenced consumers' decision to online shop organic food during the Covid-19 Pandemic. The survey was carried out in Serbia by using a questionnaire developed specifically for this purpose, based on questions from 9 relevant surveys in the world. Factor analysis and standard multiple regressions were used to analyze the data obtained from the survey. Four factors have been identified that influenced the online shopping organic food during the Covid-19 Pandemic. The first and most important factor is the Attributes of organic food and deterrents for purchasing. The second important factor is the advantages of online shopping, Covid-19 Pandemic consequences, and organic food labeling. While the third factor (Website characteristics and satisfaction with online shopping) and the fourth factor (Safety of online shopping) are of minor importance. At the end of the paper recommendations for improvement marketing strategy for online selling organic food are given.

The aim of this paper is to determine the competitiveness of domestic honey and analyze the factors of influence, in order to create an adequate strategy for maintaining and strengthening the competitive position. The research is based on the analysis of results from the scientific-professional literature and statistical reports, calculation of economic indicators, comparative method and other general scientific methods. Porter's diamond model is used, as a basis for analyzing the competitiveness of honey. Domestic honey, as a traditional food product, is competitive. Data on honey exports and imports are a true indicator of the high competitiveness of honey. Namely, out of the total value of foreign trade in honey, almost 98 % refers to exports. The favorable competitive position of honey is primarily the result of low production costs, based on cheap raw materials and labor. In order to maintain a solid competitive position of honey, it is necessary to diversify the range, differentiate the offer, branding, quality standardization, innovative technology, education of producers, raising production efficiency, better use of comparative advantages, stimulating research and development projects, financial incentives, association of producers, etc. However, in order to survive in the international market, adequate marketing and technological strategies need to be developed and implemented.

The purpose of this paper was to determine whether the Covid-19 Pandemic influenced the change in the extent of online shopping of organic food in Serbia and whether it has led to a change in organic food consumer behaviour. The survey was carried out in Serbia by using a questionnaire developed specifically for this purpose. The total sample size included 1022 respondents of which 90 respondents were online buying organic food during Covid-19 Pandemic. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square test were used to analyse data obtained from the survey. The results indicate that the Covid-19 Pandemic influenced the increase in the percentage of consumers who purchase organic food online. Also, the changes in the type and volume of organic food consumption were identified. Besides, the consumption of organic food varied in relation to the sociodemographic characteristics of consumers who purchased online.

Student centered learning implies the pedagogical approach based on constructivism and theories related to it, and it is characterized by the methods used to make a student actively contribute the learning process. It is recognized in the mindset and culture of the faculty, and focused on the needs and opinions of students. This paper presents the main elements of this approach in the context of higher education system. It starts with the perspective that placing the student at the center, the "heart" of the educational process, is a response to numerous social challenges and the reform process. The first part of the paper highlights a dichotomy resulting from the need to reconceptualize the traditional educational system in order to respond the needs of the knowledge society. It further points out the particularities and the differences between the teaching paradigm and the learning paradigm and elaborates the (im)possibility of combining them. The second part of the paper is dedicated to the analysis of the possibilities for implementing student-centered approach in higher education institutions and making it an integrative part of their climate and learning culture.

Tourism is one of the areas that has begun to develop in the last few year and one of the main reasons for that represent the intensive development of gastronomy. !e development of gastronomy and a quality offer of food and beverages is one of the means for ensuring the quality of the guest in a restaurant. Special attention in the gastronomic area is represented by the gastroenolic offer, ie the offer of food and wine, which requires special attention to the food on the plate and the wine that is served with it. This paper will present the results obtained after conducting research in several Belgrade restaurants in order to examine the satisfaction of users with their gastroenological offer. Over the past years, the literature has been enriched by numerous studies which examines the factors that affect the level of satisfaction with gastroenological offers which includes includes gender, age, education, occupation, family status. After detailed analysis of the obtained results, it has been concluded that the guests of Belgrade restaurants are satisfied with the gastrooenological offer, but a small percentage of respondents, who are not satisfied with this offer, increase the need for improve catering services and also gastroenological offer.

Functional food represents a group of foodstuffs which satisfies not only basic, but also additional physiological needs, improves health and reduces the risk of disease. The subject of this paper is functional food from the aspect of supply and demand in hospitality facilities, as a modern trend in nutrition. The aim of the research is to provide answers to the following questions, which refer to the hospitality sector: Are hospitality workers familiar with characteristics of functional food? Do hospitality workers face demand of functional food? Is there an option of preparing functional food in restaurants where the respondents work? Are guests willing to pay extra for preparation of food which is beneficial to their health? The survey included respondents (n= 105) in restaurants in Novi Sad (AP Vojvodina, Serbia). Based on the conducted survey, we came to a conclusion that workers are acquainted with the term of functional food. Visitors of hospitality facilities (guests) often demand such food, and restaurants have an option of preparing food which is beneficial to health, but consumers are not completely prepared to compensate on food taste for health benefits.

The medically safe and high-quality food has an overwhelming impact on competitiveness in the hospitality market. Demands for safe and high-quality products have led to defining the SOP (standard operating procedures), that is, a set of directions required for creating a good hygienic and production practice, which also refers to the necessary measurements concerning critical points in production - preparation of dishes. In order to see the quality of operations in the hospitality market, the existence of the SOP is examined, during the food reception, storage and preparation in restaurant kitchens. The aim of the paper is to show to what extent the management and employees in hospitality facilities in Novi Sad are acquainted with the significance of the SOP for successful business operations of a hospitality facility, as well as to examine the extent of its application.

With the growing importance of aquaculture worldwide, characterization of the microbiota of high-value aquaculture species and identification of their shifts induced by changes in fish physiology or nutrition is of special interest. Here we report the first 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding survey of the mid-intestinal bacteria of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), an economically important aquacultured species. The microbiota of 30 farmed Chinook salmon from a single cohort was surveyed using metabarcode profiling of the V3-V4 hypervariable region of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene. Seawater, feed and mid-intestinal samples and controls were sequenced in quadruplicate to assess both biological and technical variation in the microbial profiles. Over 1000 operational taxonomic units were identified within the cohort, providing a first glimpse into the mid-intestinal microbiota of farmed Chinook salmon. The taxonomic distribution of the salmon microbiota was reasonably stable, with around two thirds of individuals dominated by members of the family Vibrionaceae. We anticipate that the workflow presented in this paper could be applied in other aquacultured fish species to capture variation or dysbiosis occurring as a result of changes in feed, health or environmental conditions.

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The development and improvement of the monitoring system of rivers according to the requirements of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) is essential for all European states because assigning a wrong ecological status class (misclassification) to a water body can have significant economic consequences. In order to point out some of the key issues of WFD implementation in Serbia, we conducted a one-year study of the composition and abundance of diatoms in the phytobenthos in two streams, the Lasovačka and Lenovačka, in eastern Serbia. The physicochemical quality elements were also used in the assessment of their ecological status. The diatom community exhibited a higher species richness in the Lasovačka (88 taxa) than in the Lenovačka stream (63 taxa). Such a detailed study enabled us to record some of the rare taxa, e.g. Caloneis budensis in the Lasovačka, which was the first finding of this species in Serbia. The Lasovačka and Lenovačka streams were downgraded to moderate and poor ecological status, respectively, because of the high nitrogen load. Since the monitoring results based on the diatom indices resulted in the assignment of two streams to a good ecological status, the possible reason for the mismatch between the biological and physicochemical quality elements could be due to the lack of analysis of benthic invertebrate fauna or the application of diatom indices that are insufficiently sensitive to the specific environmental pressure. The results of this study show that conducting a comprehensive ecological investigation of rivers within the framework of the WFD in Serbia is urgently needed. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. OI176018 and Grant no. OI172001]

The success of the company's management concept depends on the ability to provide quality and comprehensive information by establishing personalized communication with consumers in real or near real time. This form of communication has become the imperative of modern business in the business decision-making process. In the today's sea of information marketing managers need to find concepts that will make it easier for them to process data. Big Data is a megatrend, a phenomenon that includes huge amounts of data that are generated almost automatically with the help of the latest technological advances, and then analyzed to turn into useful information. The Big Data concept has set great expectations, but profitable data monetization has proven to be more complex than was originally predicted. That is why the education of top managers, who can benefit from adopting and applying new concepts, is very important. The purpose of this paper is to explain the importance of real-time data for more effective and efficient marketing decisions, as well as to emphasize the role Big Data has in the collection, processing and presentation of data. This paper presents an overview of current views in scientific and professional literature on the Big Data concept and the benefits it offers, in particular by emphasizing the benefits it has in making better marketing decisions in real time. It also describes the aspects that need to be taken into account when creating the Big Data solution, the barriers that companies can encounter in its application, and suggestions for future empirical research are provided at the end of the paper.

Today, modern communication in the business world cannot be imagined without the use of the Social Networks. They also play an important role in modern marketing activity and are an inevitable tool in modern marketing communication. The subject of this paper is reflected in the research for the answer to the question why do consumers use the Social Networks? More precisely, what are they motives for using Social Networks? The significance of the knowledge of the motives for using Social Networks is reflected in their necessity for the clarity in the perception and creation of the overall marketing strategy undertaken by the marketers from the companies on the Social Networks in order to communicate adequately with their consumers. The aim of this paper is to present the main motives for the using of Social Networks through the review of previous research papers in order to help marketers to create more successful marketing campaigns for consumers that will be further the most effective for achieving the ultimate company's goals. The results of the research presented in this paper, on the one hand, can be used as a basis for the further empirical research but also for the improvement of marketing practice and communication on Social Networks.

In recent years, huge efforts have been made to implement ICT innovations in the agricultural sector in order to increase its competitiveness. The question that can be posed is what depends on the successful implementation of ICT innovations among farmers. Numerous scientific papers were published with the purpose of identifying factors that affect acceptance of particular innovation by users. The aim of this paper was to determine whether the farmer innovativeness influences the acceptance and the degree of using the Internet and social media by farmer. Additionally, statistically significant correlation between the demographic factors of the farmers and their innovativeness was investigated. The research was conducted using survey method. Descriptive statistics, Correlation analysis using Pearson's correlation coefficients and Chi-square test were used as statistical methods. Obtained results confirmed the initial hypotheses and based on that recommendations for the creation of a marketing strategy for introducing new ICT solutions in the field of agriculture are made.

The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of different priming treatments and genotypes on maize germination and early seedling growth traits, as well as to examine the associations among these traits. In addition, the application of genotype by trait biplot methodology in this type of analysis was evaluated. Seed priming treatment was conducted on ten maize inbred lines by soaking seeds in water (hydropriming) or in 0.5% KNO3 solution. Seed was sown in sterile moistened sand and placed at suboptimal (15°C) and optimal temperature (25°C) for seven days. After that, seedling length and seedling weight were measured, final germination, time to 50% emergence and vigour index were calculated. The results showed that seed priming can improve seedling growth traits at both temperatures. There are differences in genotype responses to various seed priming solutions. The observed differences represent useful information for the selection of adapted maize inbred line and adjustment of priming treatment for sowing in different temperature conditions. This study showed that biplot could easily be used for assessing the effect of seed priming, or some other treatment, on seedling growth traits. Moreover, it can be used to understand the associations among the seedling growth traits.

Creating a satisfied and loyal customer base is one of the prerequisites for a long-term survival of the bank in a competitive market, such it is today. Considering that, to achieve a client satisfaction as well as to establish loyalty, it is necessary to have competent, satisfied and motivated employees. That is the reason why banks tend to increasingly shift their attention from traditional to internal marketing. Therefore, the aim of this research is to determine the key internal marketing activities which are crucial for the bank employees' perception of overall quality of internal marketing. Besides, it is necessary to find out are there correlations between all of the extracted key internal marketing activities and all forms of employee satisfaction. The research was conducted in eight branch offices of two banks in Belgrade and Novi Sad and includes 165 respondents employed in said banks. Based on the provided results, a scientific confirmation was given of the importance of internal marketing for the employees' satisfaction in banks. Also, managerial implications are given which internal marketing activities are crucial for achieving the overall employees' satisfaction.

Multi-environment trials are performed every year with the aim of evaluating sugar beet varieties in different environmental conditions of Serbia. The objective of this research was to interpret the effects of genotype, environment and genotype x environment interaction on root yield, sugar content and white sugar yield. GGE biplot method was used to estimate stability of seven sugar beet hybrids developed at the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, Novi Sad, Serbia. Mixed model of analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used for the analysis of trial results. Factor genotype effect was assumed fixed while effects of year and environment were assumed random. ANOVA showed that the environment had the greatest effect on root and white sugar yield, while year had the strongest effect on sugar content. Variations of all traits were under significant impact of genotype, while the GEI influence was not a significant. Results of GGE biplot analysis suggested that hybrid Sara was the most stable variety for root yield, while Lara had the greatest stability for sugar content and white sugar yield among the tested genotypes. Also, optimal locations were identified for each genotype, which can be useful when recommending sugar beet varieties for certain growing areas of this field crop.

Online shopping has been experiencing a huge increase in the recent years due to itsnumerous advantages for consumers. Among the most often mentioned ones are: the possibility of shopping throughout the day (24/7), savings in the time of going to the store, lower prices and a wider range of products. On the other hand, consumers face certain obstacles in online shopping, such as technological/security issues, mistrust, inability to try products, time consuming product selection etc. All of these changes that occurred with Internet and online shopping have led to significant changes in consumer behavior and their purchasing habits. To be successful today, companies need to have good offline as well as online marketing. In order to successfully create an internet marketing strategy it is of utmost importance to explore and understand consumer habits in online shopping. Therefore, the goal of this paper is to determine the frequency of online purchases, the amount of money spent in online shopping, the type of products and services that are purchased most often, and the extent to which demographic factors influence these indicators of consumer habits. The survey method was applied in this research. The obtained results provide important guidelines for defining demographic profiles of consumers and creating the appropriate internet marketing strategy.

Introduction. Open lower leg fractures are the most common open fractures of the locomotor system and their treatment is associated with a number of complications. Objective. The aim of the paper was to present the results of the treatment of 68 patients with open lower leg fractures, as well as the complications that accompany the treatment of these fractures. Methods. In the analyzed group, there were 45 (66.18%) men and 23 (33.82%) women. The majority of patients - 33 (48.53%) of them - were injured in motor vehicle accidents, whereas 24 (35.29%) patients sustained injuries due to falls from heights. In two (2.94%) patients the cause of open tibial fractures was gunshot injuries. In the analyzed group, there were 18 (26.47%) type I open fractures, 21 (30.88%) type II open fractures, 19 (27.94%) type IIIA open fractures, seven (10.29%) type IIIB open fractures, and three (4.41%) type IIIC open fractures. Results. The tibial shaft fracture healed without serious complications in 50 (73.53%) patients, whereas in 18 (26.47%) patients we observed some complications. Nonunion was found in 10 (14.71%) patients, osteitis in four (5.88), malunion in two (2.94%) patients. Milder complications such as soft tissue pin tract infection developed in 13 (19.12%) patients, infection of the open fracture wound soft tissue was observed in four (5.88%) patients. Conclusion. Basic principles in the treatment of open lower leg fractures in this study are thorough primary open fracture wound treatment followed by the delayed wound closure, stable fracture fixation using unilateral external skeletal device, proper antibiotic treatment and tetanus prophylaxis. The results correlate with similar studies. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. III 41017: Virtual Human Osteoarticular System and its Application in Preclinical and Clinical Practice]

The effect on sugar beet yield parameters and microbiological soil status was studied using two techniques of sugar beet inoculation with strains of Azotobacter chroococcum. Cultivar “Drena” was used in the study, and field trial was set under the conditions of organic farming system in Bački Petrovac. A mixture of three strains of Azotobacter chroococcum was used as microbial fertilizer. Inoculation was performed by: (A) incorporation of strains into soil before sowing; and (B) repeated incorporation of strains into soil two weeks after sowing. PGP characterization of the strains confirmed the ability of producing indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) from 12.63 μg ml-1 to 14.95 μg ml-1, nitrogen fixation, and P-solubilization. Positive effects on the number of azotobacter and free nitrogen fixers in rhizosphere were obtained by inoculation, as well as positive effects on the tested sugar beet yield parameters. The largest increase in root yield, yield of crystal sugar, and yield of polarised sugar compared with the control was obtained by repeated soil inoculation, ranging from 22 to 23%.

Platelet rich plasma (PRP) represents a relatively new approach in regenerative medicine. It is obtained from patient’s own blood and contains different growth factors and other biomolecules necessary for wound healing. Since there are various protocols for PRP preparing, it usually results with PRP generation with different amounts of bioactive substances, which finally may modulate the intensity of wound healing. The reference data about potential effect of some PRP compounds on wound healing, in different tissues, are still controversial. This review summarizes recently known facts about physiological role of certain PRP components and guidance for further research. Also, this review discusses different procedure for PRP generation and potential effect of leukocytes on wound healing.

From the perspective of creating an optimized international marketing mix for internationally oriented domestic companies, it is of great impor­tance to apply the market-oriented pricing strategy. Beside production costs, it is also important to take into consideration environmental factors because they facilitate the selection of the appropriate pricing methods. For achieving success in international business it is also relevant to observe the changes in competitors' perception and their impact on business operations. That is why it is considered as important to collect and analyze information about competitors, in this case-particularly related to the price. The intensity of competition and competitive relations are of great importance for making decisions regarding prices. The aim of this research was to determine the impact level of price on export performance indicators for the chosen sample of 50 companies on the territory of the Republic of Serbia, which export various kinds of products. In more specific terms, export performance indicators imply market share, sales volume and profitability. The correlation between price and the mentioned export performance indicators has also been determined. Despite various theoretical approaches that emphasize the relevance of price in international business, our research results show that the role and importance of price indicators on export performance is not crucial.

Low temperature has a negative effect on germination parameters and early seedling growth. Seed priming is a beneficial pre-sowing treatment that partially hydrates the seeds to the point of germination process initiation, followed by drying which prevents radicle protrusion. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different seed priming treatments on some maize seed vigor and early seedlings growth parameters at different temperature conditions. Seeds were primed in water (hydropriming) and KNO3 solution (0,1% and 0,5%) at 25°C for 17 h. Germination was tested at 25°C, 15/25°C and 15°C. Seed priming treatments had more improving effects on studied seed and seedlings traits under suboptimal (15°C and 15/25°C) than at optimal temperature conditions. Seed priming treatment with 0,5% KNO3 had the most beneficial effects and increased the most of studied parameters under suboptimal conditions. Seed priming with KNO3 could be used to achieve higher seed vigor and seedling growth at suboptimal temperature conditions in maize.

Due to constantly increasing competition in the higher education market, customer or user satisfaction should be made the focal point of all higher education institutions. Creating happier, satisfied customers, whether they are students, their parents, donors, professors or employers, should be the primary objective which will also contribute to the quality of the educational institutions. In line with that, this paper aims to show the extent to which human factor (as a tool of marketing mix) and all elements associated with it, affect student satisfaction in higher education institutions. The survey was conducted on a sample of 703 respondents, i.e. students of four faculties which are part of the University Business Academy in Novi Sad. A questionnaire created specially for research purposes was used as an instrument for data collection. The analysis of collected data included correlation and regression analysis. The obtained results indicate a statistically significant correlation between the human factor and the satisfaction of students in higher education institutions. The paper touches upon the impact of each element on the satisfaction of students. Such analysis provides us with important indicators in terms of specific elements of human factor which should be improved if we want to improve the overall satisfaction of students in higher education institutions. Finally, the paper outlines possible conclusions and recommendations for further research on the basis of the obtained results.

The region of Vojvodina is considered to be very favorable for honey production, whereby the area of Fruska Gora is primarily considered as the most bountiful. However, one of the key problems that honey producers encounter is the lack of understanding of consumer behavior and therefore inability to create appropriate marketing strategies and programs. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to provide assistance to honey producers in Vojvodina, to lime honey producers from Fruska Gora with protected geographical origin in particular, to identify the motives, attitudes and buying habits of consumers of honey in Vojvodina. The conclusion is carried to summarize the obtained results about what type of honey consumers in Vojvodina buy, why, where, when, how often and what are their attitudes toward the introduction of a new brand of honey. Moreover, it presents the basic guidelines to honey producers for the improvement of marketing strategies and marketing programs.

This paper is a result of a broader study, oriented to optimization of maintenance process for special purpose devices and presents the selection of optimal maintenance variant for selected specific purposes device, using the method of analytic hierarchy process, with assumed model of device usage. This paper formalizes the decision process, decision-makers subjectivism boils down to an acceptable level, impruves optimization approach for solving the problems in hierarchical systems, and encourages training in the improvement of decision makers in solving problems of multi character.

Hotels present an engine of tourism development. Their standard and orientation towards specific target groups of customers determine the strength of tourism offer. In addition, they contribute to the agricultural development, too, because they are the great buyers of agricultural products. According to official data, the existing potentials of Serbian tourism have been insufficiently valorised and Serbian hotels are in pretty poor condition- compared to international standards. Taking these facts into consideration, we can raise a question whether the key problems of Serbian hotels lie exclusively in inadequate accommodation capacities, or perhaps that there is a lack of customer- oriented business philosophy. Also the question is to what extent the legal regulations contribute to the protection of customer rights and their satisfaction. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to ascertain the level of customer orientation in Serbian hotels, so as to find out whether members of hotel staff are acquainted with the notion of customer orientation and determine the degree to which this approach has been applied in practice. Conclusions and recommendations for improvement of competitiveness of hotels in Serbia are derived on the basis of research conducted by interviewing the employees of a sample of hotels in Serbia.

Consumers are the starting point and the focus of all activities of companies that want to survive in the long term and do business profitably on the market. However, even in the most developed economies in the world do not have all the companies awareness about the importance of social responsible business and ethical marketing. Therefore there is a need for institutional protection of consumers from unfer and unethical business of companies, on the one hand, but on the other hand, they have to encourage themselves to be more involved in the protection of their rights. The purpose of this paper is the analysis of the components of consumer attitude about the degree of protection of consumer rights in the Republic of Serbia in order to conclude on which way consumers can be encouraged to participate more actively in the exercise of rights. The aim of this study is to determine whether the cognitive, affective and behavioral component of the attitude are intercorelated and to what extent, and whether cognitive or affective component has dominant influence on forming behavioral component of the consumer attitude. Based on the results of the research about the corelation and influence of the analyzed components of the attitude we draw conclusions on which way it can be possible to affect on the consumer intention to be more engaged in its rights protection as well as on which way it can be possible to improve the consumer protection in the Republic of Serbia, generally speaking.