Solvents prepared from natural terpenes (menthol and thymol), as H-bond acceptors, and a series of organic acids (chain lengths of 8, 10, and 14 C atoms), as H-bond donors, were characterized and tested as reaction media for liquid–liquid extraction purposes. Due to their high hydrophobicity, they seem to be promising alternatives to conventional (nonpolar and toxic) solvents, since they possess relatively less toxic, less volatile, and consequently, more environmentally friendly characteristics. Assuming that the equilibrium is established between solvent and analyte during a ligandless procedure, it can be concluded that those nonpolar solvents can efficiently extract nonpolar analytes from the aqueous environment. Previous investigations showed a wide range of applications, including their use as solvents in extractions of metal cations, small molecules, and bioactive compounds for food and pharmaceutical applications. In this work, hydrophobic solvents based on natural terpenes, which showed chemical stability and desirable physicochemical and thermal properties, were chosen as potential reaction media in the liquid–liquid extraction (LLE) procedure for Pb(II) removal from aqueous solutions. Low viscosities and high hydrophobicities of prepared solvents were confirmed as desirable properties for their application. Extraction parameters were optimized, and chosen solvents were applied. The results showed satisfactory extraction efficiencies in simple and fast procedures, followed by low solvent consumption. The best results (98%) were obtained by the thymol-based solvent, thymol–decanoic acid (Thy-DecA) 1:1, followed by L-menthol-based solvents: menthol–octanoic acid (Men-OctA) 1:1 with 97% and menthol–decanoic acid (Men-DecA) 1:1 with 94.3% efficiency.

An increasing number of countries are investigating options to stop the spread of the emerging zoonotic infection Salmonella (S.) Dublin, which mainly spreads among bovines and with cattle manure. Detailed surveillance and cattle movement data from an 11-year period in Denmark provided an opportunity to gain new knowledge for mitigation options through a combined social network and simulation modeling approach. The analysis revealed similar network trends for non-infected and infected cattle farms despite stringent cattle movement restrictions imposed on infected farms in the national control program. The strongest predictive factor for farms becoming infected was their cattle movement activities in the previous month, with twice the effect of local transmission. The simulation model indicated an endemic S. Dublin occurrence, with peaks in outbreak probabilities and sizes around observed cattle movement activities. Therefore, pre- and post-movement measures within a 1-mo time-window may help reduce S. Dublin spread.

Prediction of short-term mortality in patients with acute decompensation of liver cirrhosis could be improved. We aimed to develop and validate two machine learning (ML) models for predicting 28-day and 90-day mortality in patients hospitalized with acute decompensated liver cirrhosis. We trained two artificial neural network (ANN)-based ML models using a training sample of 165 out of 290 (56.9%) patients, and then tested their predictive performance against Model of End-stage Liver Disease-Sodium (MELD-Na) and MELD 3.0 scores using a different validation sample of 125 out of 290 (43.1%) patients. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for predicting 28-day mortality for the ML model was 0.811 (95%CI: 0.714- 0.907; p < 0.001), while the AUC for the MELD-Na score was 0.577 (95%CI: 0.435–0.720; p = 0.226) and for MELD 3.0 was 0.600 (95%CI: 0.462–0.739; p = 0.117). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for predicting 90-day mortality for the ML model was 0.839 (95%CI: 0.776- 0.884; p < 0.001), while the AUC for the MELD-Na score was 0.682 (95%CI: 0.575–0.790; p = 0.002) and for MELD 3.0 was 0.703 (95%CI: 0.590–0.816; p < 0.001). Our study demonstrates that ML-based models for predicting short-term mortality in patients with acute decompensation of liver cirrhosis perform significantly better than MELD-Na and MELD 3.0 scores in a validation cohort.

The need for a systematic approach in developing new metal-based drugs with dual anticancer-antimicrobial properties is emphasized by the vulnerability of cancer patients to bacterial infections. In this context, a novel organometallic assembly was designed, featuring ruthenium(II) coordination with p-cymene, one chlorido ligand, and a bidentate neutral Schiff base derived from 4-methoxybenzaldehyde and N,N-dimethylethylenediamine. The compound was extensively characterized in both solid-state and solution, employing single crystal X-ray diffraction, nuclear magnetic resonance, infrared, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, and density functional theory, alongside Hirshfeld surface analysis. The hydrolysis kinetic was thoroughly investigated, revealing the important role of the chloro-aqua equilibrium in the dynamics of binding with deoxyribonucleic acid and bovine serum albumin. Notably, the aqua species exhibited a pronounced affinity for deoxyribonucleic acid, engaging through electrostatic and hydrogen bonding interactions, while the chloro species demonstrated groove-binding properties. Interaction with albumin revealed distinct binding mechanisms. The aqua species displayed covalent binding, contrasting with the ligand-like van der Waals interactions and hydrogen bonding observed with the chloro specie. Molecular docking studies highlighted site-specific interactions with biomolecular targets. Remarkably, the compound exhibited wide spectrum moderate antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida albicans, coupled with low micromolar cytotoxic activity against human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells and significant activity against human leukemic monocyte lymphoma cells. The presented findings encourage further development of this compound, promising avenues for its evolution into a versatile therapeutic agent targeting both infectious diseases and cancer.

Dermacentor (D.) reticulatus ticks carry and transmit a wide range of pathogens to vertebrate hosts. Limited information is available about the existence of emerging tick-borne pathogens and the distribution of D. reticulatus in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The study aimed to investigate the occurrence and distribution of D. reticulatus and to detect the presence of Anaplasma spp., Borrelia (B.) burgdorferi s.l., Rickettsia spp., and Babesia spp. in samples originating from questing ticks and ticks collected from domestic animals in various regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina. A total of 402 collected D. reticulatus ticks were widely distributed throughout the country. Of the 41 pools consisting of 205 individual D. reticulatus ticks, 21 (51.2%) indicated the presence of Rickettsia spp., 17 (41.4%) of Babesia spp., 2 (4.8%) of Anaplasma spp., and 1 (2.4%) of B. burgdorferi s.l. after real-time PCR screening. Our study indicates that D. reticulatus has significantly expanded its distribution and host range in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Moreover, our results represent the first detection of Babesia spp. in D. reticulatus in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Given the demonstrated presence of emerging pathogens in questing and feeding ticks, there is an urge to establish a surveillance system for ticks and tick-borne pathogens in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

ABSTRACT Context: Since beginning of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) it became clear that severe forms of this infection have primarily affected patients with chronic conditions. Aims: The aim of the study was to explore clinical and epidemiological characteristics associated with COVID 19 outcomes. Settings and Design: The retrospective observational study included 40,692 citizens of Banja Luka County, Bosnia and Herzegovina, who were confirmed as reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) positive on COVID-19 at a primary healthcare centre from March 2020 to September 2022. Methods and Materials: Epidemiological data were obtained from Web-Medic medical records of patients. The COVID-19 data were obtained from COVID-19 data sheets comprised of patients’ RT-PCR testing forms, surveillance forms for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 status, and a map of their positive and isolated contacts. Statistical Analysis Used: Differences regarding the distributions of patients between groups were analysed using the Pearson chi-square test and Mantel-Haenszel chi-square test for trends, while differences in mean values were compared using an independent sample t-test. Results: The average age of hospitalised patients was significantly higher compared to the age of non-hospitalised patients (P < 0.001). The average age of patients with lethal outcomes was nearly twice as high in comparison to patients with non-lethal outcomes (P < 0.001). Male patients had a higher hospitalization and mortality rate (P < 0.001). The highest hospitalization rate was in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF), diabetes and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), while the death rate was the highest among patients with CRF and hearth comorbidities. Patients with fatigue and appetite loss had a higher percentage of lethal outcomes. Vaccinated patients had a significantly lower rate of lethal outcome. Conclusions: Clinical symptoms, signs and outcomes, are posing as predictive parameters for further management of COVID-19. Vaccination has an important role in the clinical outcomes of COVID-19.

Background: Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is highly prevalent and has a well-known association with diabetes. It is still unknown if diabetes worsens clinical outcomes after lower extremity revascularization (LER). Research question: What is the impact of diabetes on clinical outcomes in patients with PAD undergoing LER. Goals: In this meta-analysis, we assessed the effect of diabetes on mortality, major limb amputation, and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with PAD following endovascular or open LER during the perioperative period and within 30 days of follow-up. Methods: We performed a systematic search of PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases to December 2023, including studies that compared the clinical outcomes of patients with diabetes and without diabetes following LER procedure. Review Manager 5.4 was used for statistical analysis. I 2 statistics were used to examine heterogeneity. A random-effects model was applied to all analyses. Results: Of the 3,810 articles screened, five observational studies with 55,444 patients were included. A total of 51.13 % had diabetes. There was no significant association between diabetes and mortality (RR 0.96; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.74 - 1.26; I 2 = 69%; P = 0.79; Figure 1A). However, diabetes was associated with a significantly increased risk of major limb amputation by 50% (RR 1.50; 95 % CI 1.03 - 2.21; I 2 = 94%; P = 0.04; Figure 1B), and an 18% significantly higher risk of experiencing MACE (RR 1.18; 95 % CI 1.08 - 1.29; I 2 = 0%; P = 0.0005; Figure 1C). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that diabetes is associated with an increased risk of major amputation and MACE but not with mortality in patients following LER.

Abstract International education is Australia’s largest services export, and third largest export altogether, generating between $22 billion and $40 billion per year over the last few years. Higher education represents half of this ‘market’ with over 25 % of students being from overseas. Despite the important role that international students play in the fabric of Australian society and specifically in higher education, the findings from our linguistic ethnographic study of international students at an Australian university showed that the English language learning needs of these students were frequently unmet. Using James Scott’s theory of official and hidden transcripts, we reveal that students reported feeling that their “English is not good enough” and assumed personal ‘(ir)responsibility’ for this outcome. In this broad English Medium Instruction (EMI) context, where English is not the first language, but it is used as the language of instruction and as the lingua franca amongst international students, English-dominant perspectives acted to marginalise international students, impacting their academic performance and confidence for social networking. In this paper, we describe the shifts in higher educational policy in Australia over the last few decades to provide context to the current neoliberal educational climate for international students. We draw on principles of social justice to examine the present-day system and argue that Australian universities need to shift from an EMI by default model to a genuine EMI offering.

Structured summary/abstract Background: The global coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic began in early 2020, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In mid-2020 the CIAO (Modelling the Pathogenesis of COVID-19 Using the Adverse Outcome Pathway Framework) project was established, bringing together over 75 interdisciplinary scientists worldwide to collaboratively investigate the underlying biological mechanisms of COVID-19 and consolidate the data using the Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) Framework. Neurological symptoms such as anosmia and encephalitis have been frequently reported to be associated with infection with SARS-CoV-2. Objective: Within CIAO, a working group was formed to conduct a systematic scoping review of COVID-19 and its related neurological symptoms to determine which key events and modulating factors are most commonly reported and to identify knowledge gaps. Design: LitCOVID was used to retrieve 86,075 papers of which 10,244 contained relevant keywords. After title and abstract screening, 2,328 remained and their full texts were reviewed based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. 991 studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were retrieved to conduct knowledge synthesis. Results: The majority of publications reported human observational studies. Early key events were less likely to be reported compared to middle and late key events/adverse outcomes. The majority of modulating factors described related to age or sex. Less recognised COVID-19 associated AO or neurological effects of COVID-19 were also identified including multiple sclerosis/demyelination, neurodegeneration/cognitive effects and peripheral neuronal effects. Conclusion: There were many methodological and reporting issues noted in the reviewed studies. In particular, publication abstracts would benefit from clearer reporting of the methods and endpoints used and the key findings, to ensure relevant papers are included when systematic reviews are conducted. The information extracted from the scoping review may be useful in understanding the mechanisms of neurological effects of COVID-19 and to further develop or support existing AOPs linking COVID-19 and its neurological key events and adverse outcomes. Further evaluation of the less recognised COVID-19 effects is needed.