University of Dubrovnik

About: University of Dubrovnik is a education organization based out in Dubrovnik, Croatia. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Tourism. The organization has 351 authors who have published 954 publications receiving 7126 citations. The organization is also known as: University Durbrovnik.

Innovation activities and competitiveness: Empirical evidence on the behaviour of firms in the new EU member states and candidate countries

Abstract: This paper aims to explore the factors influencing the ability of firms to compete in globalised markets. The Austrian and evolutionary economics and the endogeneous growth literature highlight the role of innovation activities in enabling firms to compete more effectively – and expand their market share. On the basis of these theories, and using a large panel of firms from several Central and East European Countries (CEECs), this paper attempts to identify the factors and forces which determine the ability of firms to compete in conditions of transition. The competitiveness of firms, measured by their market share, is postulated to depend on indicators of firms’ innovation behaviour such as improvements in cost-efficiency, labour productivity and investment in new machinery and equipment as well as characteristics of firms and their environment such as location, experience, technological intensity of their industries and the intensity of competition. To control for the dynamic nature of competitiveness and the potential endogeneity of its determinants, and to distinguish between short and long run effects of firm behaviour, a dynamic panel methodology is employed. The results indicate that the competitiveness of firms in transition economies is enhanced with improvements in their cost efficiency, productivity of labour, investment and their previous business experience while stronger competition has a negative impact on it.

The Synergistic Impacts of Anthropogenic Stressors and COVID-19 on Aquaculture: A Current Global Perspective

Abstract: The rapid, global spread of COVID-19, and the measures intended to limit or slow its propagation, are having major impacts on diverse sectors of society. Notably, these impacts are occurring in the...

The VLA-COSMOS Survey – V. 324 MHz continuum observations

Abstract: We present 90 cm Very Large Array imaging of the COSMOS field, comprising a circular area of 3.14 square degrees at 8.0arcsec × 6.0arcsec angular resolution with an average rms of 0.5 mJy beam^(−1). The extracted catalogue contains 182 sources (down to 5.5σ), 30 of which are multicomponent sources. Using Monte Carlo artificial source simulations, we derive the completeness of the catalogue, and we show that our 90 cm source counts agree very well with those from previous studies. Using X-ray, NUV–NIR and radio COSMOS data to investigate the population mix of our 90 cm radio sample, we find that our sample is dominated by active galactic nuclei. The average 90–20 cm spectral index (S_ν ∝ ν^α, where S_ν is the flux density at frequency ν and α the spectral index) of our 90 cm selected sources is −0.70, with an interquartile range from −0.90 to −0.53. Only a few ultra-steep-spectrum sources are present in our sample, consistent with results in the literature for similar fields. Our data do not show clear steepening of the spectral index with redshift. Nevertheless, our sample suggests that sources with spectral indices steeper than −1 all lie at z ≳ 1, in agreement with the idea that ultra-steep-spectrum radio sources may trace intermediate-redshift galaxies (z ≳ 1).

Resolving taxonomic uncertainties using molecular systematics: Salmo dentex and the Balkan trout community

Abstract: The genetic structure of Salmo dentex and its phylogenetic relations to sympatric salmonids in the Neretva and Skadar River basins were evaluated using mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region, eight microsatellites, and somatolactin (SL) gene. In the Neretva River basin of Bosnia–Herzegovina, the results based on mtDNA analysis showed extensive haplotype sharing between S. marmoratus, S. dentex, and S. trutta, and were therefore not conclusive; however, F-statistics and assignment testing based on nuclear DNA markers indicated that S. dentex of the Neretva basin were grouped in a genetically unified cluster with S. marmoratus in the Neretva basin. Using the same analytical approach, S. dentex from the Skadar basin in Montenegro appeared to be genetically distinct from S. marmoratus in the same basin and indistinct from local S. trutta. Molecular data also indicated that S. dentex of the Neretva basin in Bosnia–Herzegovina are not closely related to S. dentex of the Skadar basin in Montenegro. Based on these results, we hypothesize S. dentex to be a particular life history form of S. marmoratus in the Neretva basin and of S. trutta in the Skadar basin. These results clearly demonstrate that S. dentex does not represent a monophyletic lineage and should not be considered a distinct species.

Sustainable large-scale production of European flat oyster (Ostrea edulis) seed for ecological restoration and aquaculture: a review

Abstract: The conservation and active restoration of European flat oyster (Ostrea edulis) populations are a major focus of ecological restoration efforts to take advantage of the wide‐ranging ecosystem functions and services this species provides. Accordingly, additional and new demands for seed oysters have arisen. In commercial aquaculture (mariculture), the production of O. edulis is still largely based on natural seed collection. Considering the specific requirements, related to ecological restoration, such as the absence of pathogens and the preservation of high genetic diversity, the current supply is insufficient. Despite the development of breeding and controlled reproduction techniques for this species since the late 1930s, seed production today is mainly based on empirical concepts. Several of the issues that producers still face are already subjects of research; many others are still unanswered or even unaddressed. This review provides a summary of all available knowledge and technologies of O. edulis seed production. Furthermore, it provides a detailed reflection on implications for restoration, future challenges, open questions and it identifies relevant research topics for sustainable seed supply. The study covers the following aspects on (i) biology of the species, (ii) stressors – including pathogens and pollutants, (iii) genetics, (iv) history of production technologies, (v) seed production in polls, (vi) seed production in ponds and (vii) seed production in hatcheries. Future research needs on sex determinism, gametogenesis, cryopreservation, nutrition, selective breeding, pathogens and disease, and the development of reliable protocols for production are highlighted.