Cilj ovog rada je specificirati monetarnu politiku u zemljama BRICS (Brazil, Rusija, Indija, Kina i Južna Afrika) sa aspekta njene strateške osnove i efektivnosti. Takva analiza sprovedena po pojedinačnim zemljama ove grupacije je pokazala da one u cjelini konvergiraju razvijenim zemljama svojom politikom novca, napuštajući tako njenu akomodativnu orijentaciju i zasnivanje na targetiranju deviznog kursa u korist direktnog targetiranja inflacije kao strateške osnove. Brazil i Južna Afrika već koriste takvo targetiranje, dok Rusija namjerava to učiniti u 2015. godini. Kina i Indija preduzimaju jasne korake u istom pravcu. Efektivnost monetarne politike u Brazilu i Južnoj Africi je bila zadovoljavajuća, rezultirajući nešto višom inflacijom od one smatrane ravnotežnom u razvijenim zemljama. Takva inflacija karakteriše i ostale zemlje BRICS, od kojih Kina primjenjuje strategiju targetiranja monetarnih agregata, pri čemu uglavnom premašujući targetne vrijednosti, dok Rusija i Indija koriste akomodativnu politiku novca, no dominantno bez njenog međutargeta.

Coccidiosis, a parasitic disease of the intestinal tract caused by members of the genera Eimeria and Isospora, is one of the most common and costly diseases in chicken. The aims of this study were to assess the effect of the challenge and level of variability of measured parameters in chickens during the challenge with Eimeria maxima. Furthermore, this study aimed to investigate which parameters are the most relevant indicators of the health status. Finally, the study also aimed to estimate accuracy of prediction for traits that cannot be measured on large scale (such as intestinal lesion score and fecal oocyst count) using parameters that can easily be measured on all animals. The study was performed in two parts: a pilot challenge on 240 animals, followed by a large-scale challenge on 2,024 animals. In both experiments, animals were challenged with 50,000 Eimeria maxima oocysts at 16 days of age. In the pilot challenge all animals were measured for BW gain, plasma coloration, hematocrit and rectal temperature and in addition a subset of 48 animals was measured for oocyst count and the intestinal lesion score. All animals from the second challenge were measured for BW gain, plasma coloration and hematocrit whereas a subset of 184 animals were measured for intestinal lesion scores, fecal oocyst count, blood parameters, plasma protein content and composition. Most of the parameters measured were significantly affected by the challenge. Lesion scores for duodenum and jejunum (P <0.001), oocyst count (P <0.05), plasma coloration for the optical density values between 450 and 490 nm (P <0.001), albumin (P <0.001), $1-globulin (P <0.01), $2-globulin (P <0.001), $3-globulin (P <0.01) and $2-globulin (P <0.001) were the most strongly affected parameters and expressed the greatest levels of variation. Plasma protein profiles proved to be a new, reliable parameter for measuring response to Eimeria maxima. Prediction of intestinal lesion score and fecal oocyst count using the other parameters measured was not very precise (R2 <0.7). The study was successfully performed in real raising conditions on a large scale. Finally, we observed a high variability in response to the challenge, suggesting that broilers’ response to Eimeria maxima has a strong genetic determinism which may be improved by genetic selection.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as the Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive neurological illness that affects the central and the peripheral motor neuron. The central motor neurons set in the brain and in the spinal cord equally degenerate. When the impulses cease to reach the muscles due to the decay of the motor neurons, atrophy of muscles appears as a sign of lesion of the central motor neuron and fasciculation of the skeletal muscles due to the lesion of the peripheral neuron. Other symptoms are consequences of these changes and include muscle weakness, cramping, slurred/ nasal speech, and difficulties in swallowing and breathing. The function of the bulbar musculature and sphincter remains the same, so as the ability to recognize touch, sound, smell, and taste. Mental abilities and consciousness are undamaged. The probability of being diagnosed with this disease is 1-3,9 cases per 100 000 people. The frequency of the illness rises with aging. The cause of developing ALS is still unknown, but toxic influence of glutamate, disorder of the immunological processes, activity of the neutrophic factors, and environmental factors damage the human health. The aim of this work is to show the characteristics of the specialist palliative medicine as a comprehensive approach to the illness and the patient with the assistance of a multidisciplinary team, optimal intervention and symptom control, good communication and emotional support, procedure of making ethical decisions, and evaluation of the needs and demands of the patient. The beginning of the palliative treatment is also introducing the patient with the diagnose, explaining that the disease can develop differently, that there is no cure for it, and letting the patient know that there are certain ways of helping him. An important issue is the deficit of hospital capacity, absence of specialized institutions for quality palliative care, while the existing private capacities are quite often unreachable to most of the families because of the high prices. The conclusion of the work is that the palliative care is the only way in which the patient will have a better life, even though there is a lot of effort put into raising public awareness about this disease and finding a cure for ALS.