AIM To describe the clinical picture and laboratory findings, as well as to examine the significance of novel hemogram-derived inflammatory indices in adult patients with measles admitted to a tertiary hospital. METHODS This prospective, descriptive, and analytical study included adult patients over 18 years of age with clinical signs of measles, admitted at the Clinic for Infectious Diseases, Clinical Center of Sarajevo. Upon admission, medical history, physical examination, and laboratory analyses were conducted from February 2024 to 31 December 2024. RESULTS The study included 124 patients, 52 men and 72 were women with a mean age of 38.33±13.18 years. The most common symptoms in most patients were rash (95.97%) and cough (69.36%). Neutrophilia (63.7%) and lymphopenia (74.19%) were the main hematological features along with elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) (95.17%) and transaminase (75%) in the vast majority of patients. The results of laboratory analyzes also indicated hyponatremia and hypokalemia, with elevated values ​​of the enzymes creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). The CRP, as the most commonly elevated laboratory parameter, showed positive, significant correlation with Neutrophil/Lymphocyte ratio (NLR), Systemic Inflammation Response Index (SIRI) (p<0.05) and Systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) and Aggregate Index of Systemic Inflammation (AISI) (p<0.01). CONCLUSION Adult measles was associated with significant inflammation, hematologic changes, and organ involvement, with CRP showing strong correlations with hemogram-derived indices. These findings suggesting that they may be useful in diagnostics of measles.

<p><strong>Aim </strong>To determine the outcome of pregnancies in women whose pregnancies resulted from in vitro fertilisatio&nbsp; (IVF) procedure.</p> <p><strong>Methods </strong>This a retrospective cohort study was conducted at the Clinic for Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Clinical Center Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Data from the delivery protocol were analyzed over a five-year period, from January 1, 2019, to December 31, 2023. A total of 257 deliveries from IVF pregnancies were analyzed, constituting the study group, while the control group consisted of an equal number of women with spontaneously conceived pregnancies. The following data were analyzed: baseline obstetrics&nbsp; and neonatal characteristics, and presence of complications during pregnancy and delivery.</p> <p><strong>Results </strong>The average age of pregnant women was higher in the study compared to the control group (p=0.001). The average body weight and body length at birth were lower in the study group (p=0.001). The twin pregnancies were more frequent in the study group (p=0.0001). In the study group it was recorded largest number of primiparous women (p=0.0001). It was found higher number of newborns with Apgar scores &lt;7 at the first and fifth minutes in the study group (p=0.0001). There were higher prevalence of preterm births and cesarean section in the study group (p=0.0001). Fetal asphyxia and breech presentation were more prevalent in the study group (p=0.008 and p&lt;0.0001).</p> <p><strong>Consclusion </strong>Pregnancies resulting from IVF were still riskier than those resulting spontaneously.</p>

Objective: To describe patient-reported symptoms of hypothyroidism in a primary care cohort and perform an exploratory assessment of potential gender differences. Methods: This retrospective observational study included 1000 patients with confirmed hypothyroidism treated at the Public Institution Health Care Centre Visoko between January and October 2024. Data were extracted from electronic medical records. Collected variables included age, gender, comorbidities, family history, pregnancy status, and reported symptoms. Descriptive statistics were performed for the entire cohort. Exploratory logistic regression analyses were used to assess potential gender differences in reported symptoms. Results: The cohort comprised 921 (92.1%) female and 79 (7.9%) male patients, with a mean age of 57±14.6 years. The most commonly reported symptoms were hyperhidrosis (97%), fatigue (96.6%), and heart palpitations (83.5%). Male patients showed a higher likelihood of reporting heart palpitations (OR 2.42, p=0.03) and bowel problems (OR 2.03, p=0.01), and a lower likelihood of reporting neck tightness (OR 0.26, p<0.001) and tearfulness (OR 0.045, p<0.001). Conclusion: In this primary care cohort, the reported symptom burden was largely nonspecific and reflects real-world patient-reported complaints rather than classical manifestations of overt hypothyroidism. Exploratory analyses suggested potential gender-related differences; however, the low number of male patients limits firm conclusions. Larger prospective studies are needed to confirm these observations.

Flood extent maps (FEM) and flood hazard maps (FHM) serve as legal instruments for spatial planning, decision-making, strategic flood risk planning, and public awareness, supporting sustainable and safe land use along the river corridor. This study aims to improve existing FEM and create FHM for the Sanica river, prone to frequent flooding. The existing FEM were developed using a 1D HEC-RAS model under steady-flow conditions, applying a single uniform Manning roughness coefficient along the entire river reach. The study presents the first application of an unsteady 2D HEC-RAS model along Sanica river, integrating LiDAR-based topography and updated hydrological data to derive FEM and FEH for common return periods. The final 2D hydraulic model was selected through calibration of seven variants of the Manning roughness coefficient, three lumped and four distributed, with the optimal configuration identified based on three goodness-of-fit measures. The comparison of 1D and 2D FEM shows close agreement in morphologically confined canyon reaches, while significant differences occur in river sections with floodplain inundation and dominant 2D flow. These results indicate that model dimensionality can be selected based on reach-scale morphology, enabling the use of 1D models in canyon sections to reduce computational time, while applying 2D models only where complex flow dynamics are present within the Sanica river study area.

This study investigated the effect of altitude on the microbiological quality of raw sheep milk and Vlašić cheese produced at three locations (Galica, Gostilj, and Paklarevo) on Mount Vlašić, Bosnia and Herzegovina. A total of 30 samples were analysed for the presence of Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes, and for the quantification of coagulase-positive staphylococci, aerobic mesophilic bacteria, Escherichia coli, Enterobacteriaceae, yeasts, and moulds. None of the samples contained Salmonella spp. or Listeria monocytogenes. In milk samples, significant differences were found among localities for moulds, with regression analysis indicating a significant negative correlation between altitude and mould count (p < 0.001, R² = 0.486). In Vlašić cheese samples, aerobic mesophilic bacteria were abundant at all sites, while regression analysis showed that E. coli (p < 0.001, R² = 0.472) and Enterobacteriaceae (p < 0.001, R² = 0.767) counts varied significantly with altitude. No significant correlations with altitude were observed for other microorganisms. The results suggest that differences among localities and altitude-related trends reflect the influence of variations in cheese-making practices on microbial dynamics in artisanal dairy systems. Improving hygiene control, as well as expanding altitude-based studies across different regions, could enhance both product safety and the preservation of traditional cheesemaking practices.

This study presents a numerical investigation into the elastic buckling behaviour of steel plate girders with transverse stiffeners, focusing on the web buckling mode. The influence of key parameters, including web thickness, stiffener thickness and spacing, and flange-stiffener connectivity, is examined to understand their effect on the critical buckling load associated with this mode. Elastic buckling analyses are carried out for various combinations of these parameters using a finite element model based on a nonlinear shell element formulation, which incorporates von Kármán-type nonlinear strain-displacement relations to effectively capture geometric nonlinearities and local instability phenomena. The results are systematically presented and discussed to highlight the sensitivity of buckling performance to each parameter. Detailed insights are provided into the underlying structural behaviour, revealing trends and interactions that govern the elastic web stability of steel plate girders with transverse stiffeners across different design configurations.

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors constitute a group of compounds that inhibit the enzyme AChE. Some of these that are used to treat Alzheimer's disease have been reported to have favourable cardiovascular effects, i.e. a 35% reduction of the risk for cardiovascular disease. Due to their ability to correct the autonomic imbalance, a key component in the development of heart failure (HF), they have been proposed as a potential therapeutic approach. In the present study, HF was induced in male Wistar albino rats using an isoprenaline model (85 mg/kg/day s.c. for 2 days, followed by 3 weeks of HF development). Afterwards, rats were treated with pyridostigmine (20 mg/kg/day for 14 days) or received no treatment. Administration of pyridostigmine resulted in preservation of cardiac contractile function (↑EF), coupled with a decrease in chamber wall thinning (↑ PWDd, ↑ PWDs) and dilatation progression (↓LVIDd, ↓LVIDs). Additionally, pathohistological findings showed significantly reduced tissue damage score and attenuation of cardiac fibrosis development, indicating the cardioprotective potential of pyridostigmine when used as treatment for the early stages of heart failure; however, further investigations are needed to fully investigate the interplay between the several proposed mechanisms through which AChE inhibitors express their protective effects.

Tekst teorijski analizira povezanost religijskog, etničkog i nacionalnog identiteta kao jednog od složenih transformativnih procesa u društvenoj teoriji. Religija je bila jedan od određujućih elemenata razvoja etnija i nacija u predmodernim društvima. Suvremeno doba kreacije apstraktnih identiteta i bezličnih organizacija revitaliziralo je oživljavanje identiteta zajednice kroz korištenje simboličkog materijala preuzetog iz religija. U bosanskohercegovačkom društvu konfesija je imala snažnu ulogu u izgradnji identiteta što je uvjetovalo procese sakralizacije nacije i religizacije politike i obratno. Izraženi oblici etnokonfesionalizma u Bosni i Hercegovini u smislu revitaliziranja identiteta zajednice u odnosu na religijski simbolički materijal ne pronalaze svoj materijal samo u religijskim fundusima. Oni svoje izvorište pronalaze i u drugim društvenim i kulturnim resursima kakav je i medijski prostor. Medijizacija religije u ovom smislu označavala bi procese u okviru kojih mediji ne produciraju prikaze vjere karakteristične za određenu religijsku zajednicu već one koji služe određenim društvenim funkcijama. Polazeći od stajališta da se prisutni, medijski kreirani religijski narativi ne odnose na promicanje ideja razumijevanja drugog i drugačijeg, već na jačanje religijske identifikacije stanovništva koja se, opet, posljedično reflektira na etničku, nacionalnu artikulaciju i na taj način produbljuje postojeću društvenu razjedinjenost, istraživanje je usmjereno na analizu načina i formi medijskog izvještavanja o religiji i religijskim temama u Bosni i Hercegovini. Rezultati analize pokazuju da mediji, organizirani u različitim etničkim zajednicama prate obrazac dominantnih tema vezanih za samo jednu religijsku zajednicu, i to najčešće kreirajući emotivan ili senzacionalistički ton, čime se, iskorištavanjem religije, religijskih obreda i običaja pri revizionizmu povijesnih događaja i ratnih stradanja, gradi oštar narativ prema pripadnicima drugih etničkih grupacija. Njihovo djelovanje u okviru realnih društvenih okolnosti i prihvatljivih diskursa može biti i drugačije, ako se u obzir uzme činjenica njihove ne samo mogućnosti promicanja postojećih društvenih stavova, već i kreiranja novih.

China’s export-oriented economic expansion has substantially influenced transport-sector CO2 emissions, raising critical concerns about the environmental impacts of sustained industrial growth and global trade integration. Understanding the interplay between macroeconomic dynamics, trade composition, and industrial structure is essential for aligning economic development with climate mitigation objectives. This study examines transport-related CO2 emissions in China over the period 1990–2023, employing a hybrid methodological framework that combines econometric modeling—including Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) bounds testing, Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS), and Dynamic Ordinary Least Squares (DOLS)—with machine-learning techniques using Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) interpreted through SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP). The analysis confirms a long-run cointegration relationship between transport emissions and the selected macroeconomic variables. Short-run dynamics indicate a strong sensitivity of emissions to GDP growth, while long-run estimates reveal that higher export-to-GDP ratios and industrial value added contribute to reducing transport emissions, reflecting the efficiency gains from industrial upgrading and cleaner trade practices. By contrast, the expansion of medium- and high-technology exports increases emissions due to the energy- and logistics-intensive nature of high-value goods. The XGBoost model achieves high predictive performance, with an out-of-sample R2 of 0.9975 and a Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 87.16, confirming the dominant contribution of medium- and high-technology exports to transport-sector emissions. The results underscore the critical role of aligning trade structure, industrial productivity, and low-carbon logistics within China’s policy agenda. Implementing strategies that enhance industrial energy efficiency and develop sustainable transport infrastructure can substantially reduce the environmental impacts associated with export-driven economic expansion.

The expansion of industrialization and household use of synthetic compounds has generated significant wastewater containing toxic heavy metals. In developing countries, this wastewater is often discharged untreated due to the high cost of advanced treatment technologies. This study used sodium hydroxide as a low-cost, readily available precipitation agent to remove selected metal ions from mono- and binary-component solutions. Unlike most studies focusing on pH and initial ion concentration, this work investigated operational parameters such as stirring speed (0–800 rpm) and time (0–30 min) while keeping pH and concentration constant. Results showed that higher stirring speeds and longer stirring times enhanced metal ion removal, with Pb(II) efficiency increasing from 86.64% at 100 rpm to 94.33% at 800 rpm. In binary mixtures, similar improvements were observed. These findings highlight that simple, low-cost operational adjustments can significantly improve metal removal efficiency, which is particularly relevant for water treatment in resource-limited settings. The two-way ANOVA without replication showed that the type of metal or mixture had a significant effect on removal efficiency, while stirring speed and time within the investigated ranges did not have a statistically significant effect. These results indicate that differences in removal efficiency are primarily due to the metals’ chemical properties rather than the operational parameters.

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the relationships between stoppage time (ST), rally time (RT), and selected performance variables in elite men’s volleyball competitions across three leagues with and without ST restrictions. Methods: A total of 1616 rallies were analysed, including 450 from the 2022 Men’s Volleyball Nations League (VNL), 500 from the 2022 Turkish Efeler League (TL) playoff finals, and 666 from the 2022 Italian Serie A League (IL) playoff finals series. Match videos were analysed using Data Volley software, and technical performance variables, RT, and ST were recorded. Spearman correlation and Kruskal–Wallis H tests were applied to examine relationships and differences among leagues (p < .05). Ethical approval was not required because only publicly available match data were analysed. Results: Significant positive correlations were found between ST and RT in all leagues (ρ = .28–.33, p < .001). Weak to moderate negative correlations were observed between ST and reception percentage in the IL and VNL (ρ = −.08 to −.13, p < .05), while a weak positive correlation was found in the TL (ρ = .10, p = .029). Across all leagues, ST was negatively correlated with first-attack success (ρ = −.15 to −.21, p < .001). Conclusion: ST was significantly shorter in the VNL compared with the TL and IL. Differences were also observed in reception and attack performance variables across leagues. These findings indicate that temporal characteristics of the game are associated with technical performance in elite men’s volleyball.

We studied the expression of connexin 43 (Cx43) and pannexin 1 (PANX1) in different cellular populations of the kidneys of diabetic mice and diabetic and non-diabetic patients, to evaluate their role as potential therapeutic targets in diabetic kidney disease (DKD). A combination of a low dose of streptozotocin and a high-fat diet (HFD) was used to induce a type 2 diabetes model (DM2) in mice. Kidney tissues from diabetic (n = 9) and control patients (n = 11) who underwent nephrectomy were collected. Tissues from mice and humans were processed for double immunofluorescence, using antibodies against Cx43, phosphorylated Cx43 (pCx43) or PANX1 and markers for specific cell populations: endothelium (CD31/PECAM1); pericytes/mesangium (PDGFRB); podocytes (nephrin/synaptopodin); proximal tubules and collecting ducts (aquaporin 2). The results showed a significant decrease in the expression of pCx43 in PDGFRB-immunoreactive mesangium in diabetic patients compared to the control group (p < 0.0001). This contrasted with an increase in pCx43 in pericytes of diabetic mice (p = 0.1). However, we found a general decrease in Cx43 protein expression in diabetic mouse kidneys (p < 0.05). We also found a decrease in the expression of PANX1 in endothelial cells of diabetic patients (p < 0.05) and a significant increase in PANX1 expression in cells expressing PDGFRB (p < 0.05). Expression of PANX1 in endothelium (r = -0.50; p < 0.05) and pCx43 in the mesangium (r = -0.65; p < 0.01) correlated negatively with the percentage of sclerotic glomeruli. The expression and activation of Cx43 and the expression of PANX1 are altered in distinct populations of renal cells during long-term type 2 diabetes mellitus, especially cells of the vascular wall. This may indicate their role in the pathophysiological processes of DKD. Therefore, connexin and pannexin channels could be considered as possible therapeutic targets in the prevention and treatment of diabetic kidney disease.

This study provides useful insight into the current state and recent developments in blue (marine) biotechnology education (BBE) in Europe. A questionnaire assessing awareness and interest in blue biotechnology (BB) was conducted among students in their final year of upper secondary school in a selection of European countries. Results demonstrate that there are great regional differences in students’ recognition of BB; recognition of BB is relatively poor (though biotechnology knowledge is relatively good). This illustrates the lack of early education and ocean literacy. The interest in BB studies varied by country. Non-formal science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) activities, especially visits to research institutes and private businesses, help raise awareness. The review of education programs conducted in this study revealed that only a small number of programs are dedicated to BB and that it is not well integrated into existing curricula. Early ocean literacy, lifelong learning opportunities, and the inclusion of entrepreneurship and interdisciplinary skills in education are essential for developing a workforce capable of driving the future of the blue bioeconomy within the broader objectives of the EU Blue Economy Strategy and European Union (EU) Bioeconomy Strategy. To advance BBE, we propose the following recommendations: 1) incorporate and increase ocean literacy and BBE at the primary and secondary school levels; 2) support lifelong learning and adaptation to emerging technologies; 3) build collaborative ocean education networks; 4) bridge education communities, research and industry; 5) encourage entrepreneurship; 6) harmonise postgraduate BB programs; 7) establish joint European MSc and PhD degrees; and 8) align funding and BBE activities with national and regional gross domestic product (GDP) contributions for the BB sector.

Despite widespread discussion of digital transformation, many organizations struggle to assess their digital capability and define improvement priorities. We developed a transparent self-assessment tool, implemented as a Streamlit web application, based on 25 items grouped into five dimensions. Dimension averages are combined into a weighted overall score (1-5 scale) using explicit and visible scoring rules. The tool was evaluated through a single organizational case study (XL Labs) and a pilot expert review (N = 3), providing preliminary, non-generalizable evidence. In the case study, the organization achieved a score of 3.41 / 5.00, corresponding to the Intermediate maturity category, which remained stable under one-at-a-time sensitivity analysis (±0. 20 per dimension).