Univerzitet Union Nikola Tesla

Continuous development of knowledge, skills, and abilities that lead to the enhancement of media literacy results in an adequate perception of media discourse, the development of critical thinking, and significantly greater safety, especially in the virtual environment. This represents an indispensable resource that provides both individuals and society as a whole with the necessary knowledge and skills to identify, understand, and evaluate media content, thereby creating a platform for the participatory exercise of one of the fundamental human rights. In the contemporary era, educational institutions, from primary education to doctoral studies, should be recognized for their educational and practically applicable role in designing, creating, implementing, and evaluating media literacy educational programs. Such an approach, in subsequent iterations, implies their broader contextual and programmatic transformation to become more sensitive and flexible in response to the rapid changes in the media industry. Within this context, a primary study was conducted to examine how and to what extent students have developed key competencies during their higher education, how these competencies contribute to the development of media literacy, and how they can be improved and integrated into curricula. The research sample was purposively selected and consisted of students from two private universities in the Republic of Serbia (n=185). Data were collected from December 2025 to February 2026. The study established the importance of media literacy and critical thinking for accessing, analyzing, and evaluating media content in various contexts. It was demonstrated that media literacy is closely linked to the development of critical thinking, digital literacy, and ethical responsibility, and that the lack of development of key competencies can lead to uncritical acceptance of disseminated information and manipulation of public opinion.

This study is grounded in the premise that local media should be understood beyond a market-oriented framework, with their social role theoretically redefined through the concept of symbolic capital. The central thesis is that the survival of local media must be regarded primarily as a matter of public interest and as a prerequisite for strengthening the democratic capacity of communities in contemporary socio-communicative contexts. Representative examples of both active and defunct local media in Serbia were analyzed to assess how, across different historical periods, they contributed to the formation and transformation of symbolic capital in local communities. The theoretical framework draws on Pierre Bourdieu’s concept of symbolic capital and Jürgen Habermas’ theory of the public sphere. The analysis indicates that local media functioned as institutional carriers of legitimacy during the socialist period, as spaces of resistance during the transitional period, and as sources of moral and professional capital in the contemporary era. Nevertheless, current project-based funding models and precarious working conditions undermine their autonomy and long-term sustainability. It is therefore concluded that the disappearance of local media represents not merely an economic problem but also a profound symbolic and democratic loss, as communities lose spaces of trust, dialogue, and public representation.

Esterification, the reaction between carboxylic acids and alcohols that produces esters and water, plays a vital role in many industries, especially in biodiesel and pharmaceutical manufacturing. Traditional methods using homogeneous mineral acids pose environmental issues, prompting the search for sustainable alternatives—solid acid catalysts. Zeolites offer unique structural advantages, including shape selectivity and adjustable acidity, which improve reaction efficiency and reduce waste. This review provides a detailed examination of how zeolite topology—particularly pore structure and connectivity—influences the kinetics of long-chain fatty acid (LCFA) esterification. It investigates the optimization of acid sites via modifications to the silicon-to-aluminum ratio (Si/Al), ion exchange, and pore engineering to improve mass transfer. The study investigates key reaction mechanisms, specifically the Langmuir–Hinshelwood (LH) and Eley–Rideal (ER) models, to address issues such as mass-transfer limitations and water inhibition. The paper highlights recent advances in sustainable catalyst design, such as hierarchical zeolites and membrane-integrated reactors, for converting biomass-derived feedstocks into valuable esters. It also discusses current research challenges and suggests future directions, including the use of 3D-printed monoliths and machine learning integration, to develop next-generation, eco-friendly zeolite catalysts.

In sports science, the use of machine learning and artificial intelligence techniques has increased significantly in recent years, especially in the domains of performance evaluation, training process optimization, and sports injury prediction. However, a significant number of current studies have significant methodological issues, such as poor validation processes, the possibility of information contamination (data leakage), a lack of reporting transparency, and restricted generalizability of findings. Through a narrative evaluation of peer-reviewed scientific literature indexed in the Web of Science and Scopus databases, this research aims to identify major sources of methodological bias and analyze prevailing methodological practices in the application of machine learning in sport. In order to obtain a meaningful evaluation of model performance, time-aware data splitting and grouped validation procedures are required due to the unique temporal and hierarchical structure of sports data. The use of modern reporting and quality-assessment frameworks, such as TRIPOD+AI and PROBAST+AI, is critically examined in this study, along with the contribution of interpretable models and explainable AI techniques to improving results’ practical applicability and trustworthiness. In order to improve methodological rigor, transparency, and reproducibility, recommendations are developed for future study and practical use of machine learning in sports science based on the synthesis of the literature.

We examined the acute effects of flywheel eccentric overload (FEO) on countermovement jumps (CMJs), changes of direction (COD), and isometric mid-thigh pulls (IMTPs) in top-level team sports athletes (three females and seven males). FEO was carried out by performing 3 × 6 reps with 0.025 kg·m2 inertia and a 2 min passive rest period. Its post-activation potentiation was compared to a control warm-up. Performance was tested at 0, 3, and 6 min post-intervention. Significant improvements were reported in the COD5m times for the left (F = 8.38, p < 0.001, ES = 1.92) and right legs (F = 11.3, p < 0.001, ES = 2.24), as well as for CMJ height (F = 12.4, p < 0.001, ES = 2.35). Significant differences were observed in COD5m between baseline and 3 min (p < 0.001, ES = 0.99 and p = 0.003, ES = 1.25) and 6 min (p = 0.04, ES = 1.19 and p < 0.001, ES = 1.09) for the left and right legs, respectively. Jump height increased significantly at 3 min (p < 0.001, ES = 1.62) and remained elevated at 6 min (p < 0.001, ES = 1.02). CMJ peak power (CMJPP) decreased significantly (F = 6.4, p = 0.002, ES = 1.68), with a drop at 0 min (p = 0.024, ES = 0.85) and a return to baseline at 3 min (p = 0.002, ES = 1.35). No significant effects were found for the CMJ eccentric rate of force development (CMJRFDecc) or IMTP. It was found that FEO can acutely enhance jumping and changes of direction but not strength in elite team sports athletes. A three-minute rest appears to maximize these effects.

Through the prism of various aspects that shape modern society, creative industries stand out as key factors of economic and cultural transformation. Their vitality is reflected in their ability to push the boundaries of innovation, thus enabling market success and shaping our everyday lives. Creativity is an essential component of market success, because it brings new ideas, opens new horizons and enables competitive advantages. Through the process of creation and innovation, creative industries not only generate wealth, but also influence social change, setting new standards and shaping the cultural landscape. In today's context, innovation and courage are necessary to face global challenges. Creative industries are becoming a center for finding solutions to complex problems and developing creative cities. Their ability to generate original ideas and find new approaches brings hope for a better future.

Quality tools in sports organizations enable precise analysis and improvement of various aspects of sports performance, training methods, organizational management, and the reduction of different types of risks. In modern sports, both professional and amateur, the use of quality tools allows athletes, coaches, and managers to make decisions that enhance performance and efficiency. The aim of this paper was to examine how the application of quality tools can contribute to improving the efficiency and effectiveness of work in sports organizations. The focus of the study was on identifying the most commonly used quality tools and analyzing their impact on sports performance, organizational management, and user/service satisfaction. The research methods used include: quantitative analysis (questionnaires) and qualitative analysis (interviews and case studies). The data obtained from the questionnaires were analyzed using statistical methods. Research findings: based on the presented business data, it can be stated that sports organizations use only a small number of quality tools in their operations. Based on the research, it can be concluded that the tools used are mostly useful for further business and application in sports.

Abstract The unfavorable global economic conditions caused primarily by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the ongoing geopolitical tensions and related disruptions, have adversely affected nearly all financial markets through the process of globalization. Considering these factors, this study analyzes, tests, quantifies, identifies, and compares the nature of correlation and the intensity of the impact of relevant macroeconomic variables on daily investment return rates in selected financial markets of developed countries (the United States and Germany) and emerging markets (Serbia and Croatia). The macroeconomic variables observed include inflation rate, reference interest rate, exchange rate, oil price, and gold price. Investment returns are analyzed through daily changes in the leading stock indices of the selected financial markets. The research covers the period from 2012 to 2022, examining results separately for three subperiods: the entire period (2012–2022), the pre-crisis period (2012–2019), and the crisis and post-crisis period (2020–2022). The results reveal that during the crisis period (2020–2022), stock market volatility in emerging markets (Serbia and Croatia) was primarily driven by exchange rate movements and commodity prices, while in developed markets (USA and Germany), it was more strongly influenced by interest rates and inflation. Furthermore, the estimated models indicate that the magnitude and direction of macroeconomic impacts vary substantially across markets and time periods. These findings provide valuable insight for investors and policymakers seeking to manage risk and respond to economic shocks in both mature and developing financial systems.

Owing to the technological innovations that are dominating the global market of today, and seen through the prism of digital transformation megatrends, sports mega-events have rapidly (beginning of the 21st century) developed and integrated a formidable digital infrastructure that is becoming the foundation of their organizational operation, as well as the primary communication channel that can be described as accurately defined and strategically placed digital bridge to wards the sporting auditorium. In such a precisely defined digital concept, marketing represents a dominant business function. The largest companies and official partners of sports recognize the digital reality of sports mega-events as an ideal and truly one-of-a-kind global marketing platform that enables them to dominate the global market. Companies will establish this market position by integrating all the elements of the sports industry, however this time in a digital setting. This is precisely why keeping the perspective of digital marketing of the sports mega-event is crucial for better understanding the future of world sport, which is fiercely moving towards the digital environment and virtual options. This article aims to define the marketing potential of applying digitalization to the sports mega-events.