NMR spectroscopy in combination with statistical methods was used to study vacuum residues and vacuum gas oils from 32 crude oils of different origin. Two chemometric metodes were applied. First- ly, principal component analysis on complete spectra was used to perform classification of samples and clear distinction between vacuum residues and vacuum light and heavy gas oils were obtained. To quanti- tatively predict the composition of asphaltenes, principal component regression models using areas of res- onance signals spaned by 11 frequency bins of the 1 H NMR spectra were build. The first 5 principal com- ponents accounted for more than 94 % of variations in the input data set and coefficient of determination for correlation between measured and predicted values was R 2 = 0.7421. Although this value is not signifi- cant, it shows the underlying linear dependence in the data. Pseudo two-dimensional DOSY NMR exper- iments were used to assess the composition and structural properties of asphaltenes in a selected crude oil and its vacuum residue on the basis of their different hydrodynamic behavior and translational diffusion coefficients. DOSY spectra showed the presence of several asphaltene aggregates differing in size and interactions they formed. The obtained results have shown that NMR techniques in combina- tion with chemometrics are very useful to analyze vacuum residues and vacuum gas oils. Furthermore, we expect that our ongoing investigation of asphaltenes from crude oils of different origin will elucidate in more details composition, structure and properties of these complex molecular systems.

In the countries with developed financial markets, unlike in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and other emerging market countries (EMCs) with the so called bank-centric financial systems, corporate bonds are a rather significant alternative to the usage of bank loans for financing the development needs of the real sector of the economy (corporate sector). The new architecture of world’s financial stability with Basel III as its integral part additionally emphasizes this importance for both banks and companies. Besides, in the countries with developed financial markets it is probably needless to mention the need for high quality debt securities. This is especially true due to the conditions of stronger institutional investors on the market, such as pension funds that can realistically be expected to become the leading financial institutions of the 21st century, and ever increasing need of institutional investors, funds in particular, for high quality forms of assets and portfolio diversification. In EMCs in which pension reforms have still not been completely implemented or completed, considering a drastic fall in the ratio of the insured based on contribution payment and the number of pensioners, the existing situation is almost non-sustainable. Therefore, the transformation of pension funds in accordance to the two or three pillar structure and the emergence of voluntary pension funds as financially powerful institutional investors have no alternative. Certainly, in terms of corporate bonds and their issue on the one hand, and investing in them on the other, in EMCs and thus also in BiH there are some important aspects to be observed when analyzing their influence on the decisions on financing or investing (liquidity, interest rate level, clarity and implementation of regulations, etc.).

For any given polynomial $f$ over the finite field $\mathbb{F}_q$ with degree at most $q-1$, we associate it with a $q\times q$ matrix $A(f)=(a_{ik})$ consisting of coefficients of its powers $(f(x))^k=\sum_{i=0}^{q-1}a_{ik} x^i$ modulo $x^q -x$ for $k=0,1,\ldots,q-1$. This matrix has some interesting properties such as $A(g\circ f)=A(f)A(g)$ where $(g\circ f)(x) = g(f(x))$ is the composition of the polynomial $g$ with the polynomial $f$. In particular, $A(f^{(k)})=(A(f))^k$ for any $k$-th composition $f^{(k)}$ of $f$ with $k \geq 0$. As a consequence, we prove that the rank of $A(f)$ gives the cardinality of the value set of $f$. Moreover, if $f$ is a permutation polynomial then the matrix associated with its inverse $A(f^{(-1)})=A(f)^{-1}=PA(f)P$ where $P$ is an antidiagonal permutation matrix. As an application, we study the period of a nonlinear congruential pseduorandom sequence $\bar{a} = \{a_0, a_1, a_2, ... \}$ generated by $a_n = f^{(n)}(a_0)$ with initial value $a_0$, in terms of the order of the associated matrix. Finally we show that $A(f)$ is diagonalizable in some extension field of $\mathbb{F}_q$ when $f$ is a permutation polynomial over $\mathbb{F}_q$.

Store brands, also known as private labels, own brands or retail brands, are experiencing a remarkable growth in various product categories and their acceptance by consumers seems to be unquestionable. The key drivers of the store brands’ success are the increased concentration in retailing, consumers’ much more positive attitudes towards the quality of store brands and critically, in the current economic downturn, their price, which is significantly lower than that of manufacturer brands. Sales of store brands in the Southeast European markets have not picked up yet, making these markets a compelling space to study, analyze and predict the future of store brand growth and success. Thus, this study focuses on consumer’s attitudes towards store brands in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina – an emerging market, which is highly attractive for international retailers. The main objective of this study is to analyze and validate the profile of a consumer of store brands in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the context of personal care products. For the purposes of this study, the mall-intercept survey was carried out at selected hypermarket locations. Based on the extent to which consumers perceive themselves to be consumers of store brands, three consumer segments have been identified: heavy buyers, sometimes buyers and seldom buyers. These segments were then described in terms of perceived quality and price of store brands as well as demographic characteristics of respondents. The findings allow drawing some useful reflection about who are the buyers of store brands in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and what drives their preferences towards store brands. Thus, this study provides valuable information for both retailers and manufacturers toward the SRI

Background This article summarizes the 2012 European Renal Association—European Dialysis and Transplant Association Registry Annual Report (available at www.era-edta-reg.org) with a specific focus on older patients (defined as ≥65 years). Methods Data provided by 45 national or regional renal registries in 30 countries in Europe and bordering the Mediterranean Sea were used. Individual patient level data were received from 31 renal registries, whereas 14 renal registries contributed data in an aggregated form. The incidence, prevalence and survival probabilities of patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) receiving renal replacement therapy (RRT) and renal transplantation rates for 2012 are presented. Results In 2012, the overall unadjusted incidence rate of patients with ESRD receiving RRT was 109.6 per million population (pmp) (n = 69 035), ranging from 219.9 pmp in Portugal to 24.2 pmp in Montenegro. The proportion of incident patients ≥75 years varied from 15 to 44% between countries. The overall unadjusted prevalence on 31 December 2012 was 716.7 pmp (n = 451 270), ranging from 1670.2 pmp in Portugal to 146.7 pmp in the Ukraine. The proportion of prevalent patients ≥75 years varied from 11 to 32% between countries. The overall renal transplantation rate in 2012 was 28.3 pmp (n = 15 673), with the highest rate seen in the Spanish region of Catalonia. The proportion of patients ≥65 years receiving a transplant ranged from 0 to 35%. Five-year adjusted survival for all RRT patients was 59.7% (95% confidence interval, CI: 59.3–60.0) which fell to 39.3% (95% CI: 38.7–39.9) in patients 65–74 years and 21.3% (95% CI: 20.8–21.9) in patients ≥75 years.