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Human Security in Bosnia, Kosovo and Albania
Get PDFIt is clear that human security is one of the main concerns of every individual. This paper is investigating human security issues in Bosnia, Albania and Kosovo in order to assess possible threat to humans. Theoretically, paper is investigating ‘the idea of human security’ with focus on material and metaphysical sources that identifying the real foundation of ‘vulnerability or resilience in a population’.
Methodology of this paper is quantitative methods and quasi-experimental design is used. In order to assess the human security secondary sources and available primary sources are used for collecting the required data. The main question of this paper is whether these countries have any concern of security and human security studies at their educational institutions which is vital for future of human being in these countries.
The paper suggests that that there is a complex situation that could be best described by a multi-cultural and multi- ethnic variation of human security.
Keywords: Human Security, Bosnia, Albanian, Threa
COMPARISON OF CODON USAGE IN MITOCHONDRIAL GENOMES OF RHINOLOPHID AND HIPPOSIDERID BATS
Get PDFAccording to current phylogenetic hypotheses, the bats of the families Rhinolophidae and
Hipposideridae are sister groups nested within the clade of Pteropodiformes. The
Hipposideridae are family of bats commonly known as the Old World leaf-nose bats. While
this family has long been considered as a rhinolophid subfamily Hipposiderinae, it is now
more generally classified as its own family. The Hipposideridae contain 10 living genera and
more than 70 species, mostly in the widespread genus Hipposideros. This study is an attempt
to confirm a distinction between these two families by a codon usage comparison of a
complete set of mitochondrial protein-coding genes from currently available mitochondrial
(mt) genomes of rhinolophid and hiposiderid bats. The INCA 2.1 and GCUA 2.0 were used
for the codon usage computing. Measure Independent of Length and Composition (MILC),
was used to estimate the codon usage of 13 mt protein-coding genes from five species of
genus Rhinolophus and one species of Hipposideros (while only four genes were available
from H. larvatus). Large randomly generated sequence sets were used to test for dependence
on (i) sequence length, (ii) overall amount of codon bias and (iii) codon bias discrepancy in
the sequences. Our findings suggest no significant differences in codon usage bias, among
analyzed rhinolophid species, by statistical estimation of absolute frequency values despite
the changed MILC values for nd1 and nd3 from Hipposideros armiger.
Keywords: MILC, MELP, bats, codon usage, codon frequencie
Impact of Regulatory Reforms on the Banking System in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Get PDFIn the last two decades, we have witnessed great changes and growth in the financial sector worldwide. While some countries have experienced economic development, others experienced banking crisis which sometimes lead to costly bank failures and overall disruption in economic activity. The extent to which the financial system can support economic growth depends mostly on the stability and efficiency of the banking sector due to the fact that banks are still the main financial intermediaries.
This comparative study will be conducted by applying a discriminate analysis about the implementation of set of common rules for regulating the banking system (Basel II) in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia, as well as preparation of these countries for implementation of Basel III. The main goal of the paper is to analyze how and why the new global financial regulations in the banking sector are applied differently in different countries and regions.
These questions are answered by analyzing the implementation of Basel II, results of appliance of this rules as well as expectations from Basel III.
Keywords: Banking system, Economic development, Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, Risk, Implementation, EU, Standards
Globalization and Albanian Civil Society during the Democratic Transition
Get PDFThis paper is part of a research on Albanian society after 1990. This study will attempt to explain and analyses the effect of globalization on the democratization process of Albania. Within this framework this paper will focus mainly on to identify the role of civil society on political behavior in Albanian case. To achieve this goal, the principal aims are to examine how civil society in Albania is involved during the ‘democratic transition’ after the fall of communism and the civil movements' influence on political behavior.In order to analyze the relationship between the concept of “civil society” and “democratization process” in Albania, it will be studied, among others, from two perspectives: a- in terms of national, political and social context that formed the movement's goals and strategies in terms of becoming influential on the decision-making process of government through the protests in Albania.
Secondly the features of Albanian civil society will be treated in this paper, based on the debate: “How globalization has influenced the philosophy and organization of civil society? This debate will compare with the cases in the neighboring countries in the Balkan region. In theory, one of the main functions of civil society is to play an important and ‘tutoring’ role in the process of building a democratic society. Analyzing civil society in Albania requires looking at the way how civil society works and interacts with various financial, human and technical factors.
This paper will be based on qualitative method. For analytic purposes, the discussion is organized in two main parts. The first part, examines theoretical part and focusing on the key issues that relate and link the government and NGOs in decision making process and political behavior of Albanian civil society. The second part examines existing Albanian civil society and its outcomes during the 'democratic transition' in reference with the first theoretical part. The paper will conclude with predicting the future of civil society in Albania.
Keywords: Globalization, Civil Society, Protest, Political behavior, Albania
The Feldstein–Horioka Puzzle across EU Members: A Panel Approach
Get PDFThe degree of integration to the international capital markets is a crucial issue for the economic policy implementations in developing countries. A major determinant of the degree of international capital mobility is the saving-investment association.
One of the biggest problems of developing countries is the insufficiency of savings for financing their investments that is crucial for economic growth. This gap is financed by foreign capital in today’s global economies. It is generally believed that, the correlation between national savings and domestic investments becomes weak when there is high capital mobility between countries. The degree of capital mobility through the domestic saving-investment interaction is first analyzed by Feldstein and Horioka (1980).
Feldstein and Horioka (1980) used regression in the investment ratio against a constant and the saving ratio in a cross section of 16 industrialized countries, which are OECD members, over the period 1960-1974 and found that the coefficient on saving was in the range of 0.85-0.95. They interpreted this finding as indicating that 85-95 % of national savings was invested in the country of origin, which implied a rejection of perfect capital mobility.
The basic conclusion of Feldstein and Horioka’s analysis is that an increase in domestic saving has a substantial effect on the level of domestic investment. However, with perfect world capital mobility, there is little or no relation between the domestic investment in a country and the amount of savings generated in that country. This result was known in the literature as the Feldstein-Horioka Puzzle. Feldstein and Horioka (1980) argued that the relationship between domestic investment and domestic saving rates is related with the international capital mobility and thus caused the rise of a puzzle in the economic literature.
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the level of capital mobility in European Union members using the Feldstein–Horioka puzzle proposed by Feldstein and Horioka (1980) in order to investigate relations between saving and investment flows.
Keywords: Feldstein–Horioka puzzle, Saving-investment, Capital mobility, European Union, Pane
Rise in Non-performing Loans: Determinants and Repercussions
Get PDFEver since 2008 as the global financial crisis came about, we witness quite major increase in non-performing loans in Bosnia and Herzegovina but also elsewhere in Eastern and Southern Europe and around the world. Non-performing loans can be viewed as realization of credit risk and indicator of financial health of the banking sector but also as an indicator of liquidity in real sector. The paper investigates determinants of non-performing loans and concludes that both macroeconomic and bank level determinants play a major role in determining level of non-performing loans in a country. The paper also discusses the feedback effect of rising level of non-performing loans back to the economy and finds that there is effect and repercussion on short term to medium term on macroeconomic climate. The paper also shortly addresses the banking regulation that regulates management of credit risk.
Keywords: Non-performing loans, macroeconomic and bank level determinants, feedback effect, banking regulation
INVESTIGATION OF A BIOMASS GASIFICATION SYSTEM BASED ON ENERGY AND EXERGY ANALYSIS
Get PDFBiomass gasification procedure is a very complex process and it is influenced by many
physical and chemical factors such as biomass gasification temperature and gasifier type.
Thermodynamic assessment methodology based on the energy and exergy analysis can be
used to evaluate the system performance and environmental impacts. In this paper,
thermodynamic analysis of the biomass gasification system is given for the whole system and
its components. The parametric studies reveal the effects of design and operating indicators
on the exergy efficiency and exergy destruction rate. The result shows that the gasification
temperatures for the biomass gasification system change significantly with the type of the
gasifying medium.
Keywords: Biomass gasification, energy analysis, exergy analysis, parametric study
The Impact of Import and Export on Total Factor Productivity in Albania
Get PDFThe import, according to the board of Albania, isn’t high but also the trade out of country is increasing day by day so both these kind of trade have a large effect on economy of Albania. Total factor of productivity which is one of most effecting elements in GDP, is shown by the technology, capital and labor, or all of the other factors that have large impact on the total factor productivity which is directly related to the situation of the overall economy in Albania taking in consideration years after ‘90s when the transition ended. This paper examines the impact of international trade on the total factor productivity in Albania. According to the results found by the analysis,it is shown that the trade is important for the improvements of economy. Trade must be followed by politics that support the balance of imports and exports. In the case of Albania, trade is becoming main component for the welfare of the economy. Also, it observes how trade in Albania effects the economic growth, focusing on the relation of the exports and productivity and also on the relation between imports and productivity. To conclude, the impact on total factor of production is positive which supports more the exports as an important factor in the increasing of the productivity and the imports that help increasing the innovation and improve the technology, effecting the economic growth also.
Keywords: Import, Export, Productivity, Economic Growth, Trade
Latest Developments on the International Standards on Auditing (ISAS); Use on Auditing Financial Statements in the Public Sector. The Case of Albania
Get PDFInternational Standards on Auditing have changed quite a lot over the last decade. These standards are today not only more clarified, and more understandable, but also more helpful and more useful by both the auditors and users of financial statements. Their wider use has increased considerably the trust and confidence to International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), where its’ independent boards, follow carefully latest developments and draft those standards that contribute directly to the improvement of the audit quality, thus contributing directly to improving the quality of the financial reporting. In all auditing standards, guidelines and directives of practices are issued by the IAASB, regardless the fact that their orientation is mainly for financial reporting in the private sector. There are always given considerations and developed approaches on how to use them for public sector. International organizations, national and local governments, and also public sector entities in all levels, today tend to use similar standards of reporting. This tendency is seen from the modifications they are implementing from cash basis to the cash modified bases of accounting targeting the full use of accrual basis of accounting. Experiences in this regard vary quite a lot. The more progress in this process is made by some international organizations, as well as governments in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, but also France, Germany, etc. The main purpose of this paper is to try to analyze the latest developments in the field of international auditing standards, to briefly present the main developments, and especially to emphasize the need for drafting appropriate procedures and tools to be applicable for the public sector as well. The second part of the paper will deal with the specific model of practices regarding Albania and will try to point out the specifics of this model, and will compare it to the international standards in order to give adequate recommendations.
Keywords: International Standards on Auditing, ISAS, financial statements, public sector, Albania
Rise in Non-performing Loans: Determinants and Repercussions
Get PDFEver since 2008 as the global financial crisis came about, we witness quite major increase in non-performing loans in Bosnia and Herzegovina but also elsewhere in Eastern and Southern Europe and around the world. Non-performing loans can be viewed as realization of credit risk and indicator of financial health of the banking sector but also as an indicator of liquidity in real sector. The paper investigates determinants of non-performing loans and concludes that both macroeconomic and bank level determinants play a major role in determining level of non-performing loans in a country. The paper also discusses the feedback effect of rising level of non-performing loans back to the economy and finds that there is effect and repercussion on short term to medium term on macroeconomic climate. The paper also shortly addresses the banking regulation that regulates management of credit risk.
Keywords: non-performing loans, macroeconomic and bank level determinants, feedback effect, banking regulation