Abstract Digital transformation significantly impacts all aspects of the economic system, particularly the functioning of monetary policy and the financial sector. As a key process in modernization, digital transformation encompasses innovations that enable faster, safer and more efficient financial transactions, contributing to greater transparency and better economic integration. This paper analyzes the impact of digital transformation on the monetary policies of Southeast European (SEE) countries, with a particular focus on the development and implementation of digital payment systems. The aim of the research is to examine the potential of digital technologies to improve the monetary policies of these countries, enabling them to achieve greater financial stability and alignment with European Union (EU) standards. The focus is on identifying the benefits of implementing digital payments, including reducing transaction costs, improving trust in monetary institutions, and increasing the transparency of financial flows. The methodological framework of the research is based on multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM), using the CRITIC and MARCOS methods. The CRITIC method was used to evaluate the importance of individual criteria relevant to digital payments, while the MARCOS method enabled the ranking of countries based on their potential for implementing digital payments. The results of the research show that alignment with EU legislation is the most important factor, while Romania has the best potential for implementing digital payments among the observed countries. The contribution of this paper is reflected in the development of a strategic framework and the encouragement of regional cooperation, through which SEE countries could realize the full potential of digital transformation to accelerate economic growth and integration with the EU.

Anomalous origin of the right coronary artery from the pulmonary artery (ARCAPA) is a rare congenital coronary anomaly, with an uncertain prevalence and often diagnosed incidentally. This case report presents a 62-year-old male with ARCAPA diagnosed during an evaluation for chest surgery. The patient had a history of colon cancer and active tuberculosis, complicating the clinical management. He reported chest pain, shortness of breath, and palpitations, with atrial fibrillation observed on a 24 h Holter ECG. Coronary angiography revealed robust collateral circulation and a suspected anomalous origin of the right coronary artery, confirmed by CT imaging. The patient’s stress MRI showed mildly reduced left and right ventricular ejection fractions and perfusion deficits in the apical segments (2/17) of the septal and inferior walls. Given the patient’s comorbidities, including active tuberculosis, the Heart team decided on a non-operative management approach, focusing on careful monitoring and pharmacological management rather than immediate surgery. This case emphasizes the complexity of managing ARCAPA in the context of significant comorbidities, highlighting the importance of individualized, multidisciplinary treatment strategies. Early diagnosis using advanced imaging techniques is crucial, and a non-operative approach can be considered in patients with preserved left ventricular function and no significant ischemia, as demonstrated in this case.

The transition from 5G to 6G networks will catalyze the development of advanced 6G Applications (6G Apps) with enhanced network programmability and intelligence, providing vertical industries and Communication Service Providers (CSPs) with new opportunities to optimize their operations. This article explores the future of the 6G Apps tailored to verticals in the 6G era, highlighting their role as middleware that abstracts network complexities and exposes Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) to enable dynamic interaction and real-time adaptation. Key enablers such as network exposure, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and edge computing are studied in the context of optimizing operations across verticals, and improving Quality of Service (QoS) and fostering innovation. A case study on teleoperated vehicles exemplifies the real-world applicability of these technological enablers for 6G Apps. Furthermore, this article offers insights and explores new research opportunities for 6G Apps tailored to verticals to evolve in the 6G era while addressing key challenges in deploying these applications in real-world commercial networks as a service.

Iron deficiency (ID) is a major problem in heart failure (HF) patients. Iron deficiency is often pressent in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), can be a cause of fatigue and linked with reduced functional capacity. The relationship between ID and right ventricular (RV) systolic function in patients with RA is still not well understood. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between ID and RV systolic function. A forty six female patients with seropositive RA were included in our study. Primary goal was to determine association between iron deficiency and echocardiography parameters such as Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion TAPSE, RV fractional area change (RV FAC), TDI-Derived tricuspid lateral annular systolic velocity (RV TDI S’), Pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP); RV free wall global longitudinal strain (RVfwGLS), RV global longitudinal strain (RV GLS) and Right ventriculoarterial coupling (RVAC). The RVAC was determined with the RVfwGLS/PASP ratio. RA was diagnosed according to the ACR/EULAR 2010 classification criteria, without other significant comorbidity. ID was defined as ferritin levels lower than 100 ng/mL and iron levels lower than 10 µmol/L. The mean age of stady population was 57±8 years. Iron deficiency was found in 48% of analysed RA patients. On transthoracic echocardiography the median TAPSE was 18.3 mm, the mean FAC % 38.4±.6.3, the mean RV GLS %-17.2±7.5, the mean RVfwGLS % -20.6±3.8, the mean RV TDI S’ was 10.6±3.9 cm/s, the mean PASP was 29,2±8.7mmHg, the mean RVAC was 0.76. There was no notable difference in demographics or in TAPSE, RV FAC, RV TDI S’, and PASP between patients with iron deficiency and those without. The RVfwGLS (-16.7% vs -21.2%, p = 0.005) was lower in patients with ID. RV GLS (-14.3% vs -18.6%, p=0.005) was lower in patients with ID. Additionally, RVAC (0.65 vs 0.91, p=0.005) was lower in patients with ID. A significant correlation exists between iron deficiency and subclinical RV dysfunction, defined as reduced RV GLS, RVfwGLS and RVAC prior to the decline of parameters commonly used on echocardiography to measure right ventricle systolic function (TAPSE, RV FAC, PASP and RV TDI S'). Screening for iron deficiency in RA patients facilitates early detection and treatment of iron deficiency which may prevent RV dysfunction.

The object of the study is the process of compressing noisy images in a lossy manner by better portable graphics (BPG) encoder. The subject of the study is the method for adaptive selection of the coder parameter Q depending on noise intensity and image complexity. The goal of the study is to consider the basic characteristics of lossy compression of remote sensing images contaminated by additive white Gaussian noise with giving recommendations of preferable Q setting. Methods used: numerical simulation, verification for test images. Results obtained: 1) the dependencies of compression ratio on Q are monotonically increasing functions; 2) their characteristics are strongly dependent on noise intensity and image complexity; 3) dependencies of logarithm of CR on Q contain information on possible existence and position of optimal operation point for compressed noisy images; 4) compression ratios for large Q contain information on image complexity with low sensitivity to noise presence and intensity; 5) it is possible to get useful information from dependences of compression ratio on Q. Conclusions: the results of this research allow: 1) estimating image complexity; 2) adapting Q to noise intensity and image complexity. 

Introduction: Carcinomas of the right and left sides of the colon are considered different types of cancer due to their different carcinogenesis, epidemiology, pathology and prognosis. Although several studies have described the prevalence and incidence of colorectal carcinoma (CRC) in the different colonic segments, more epidemiologic data are still needed to better understand the implications and relationship to sociodemographic and clinical variables. The aim of this study is to determine the anatomic location and histologic grade of CRC, to investigate the differences in patient gender and age, and to determine the correlation of gender and age with the anatomic location and histologic grading of CRC. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted covering the period from January 2013 to December 2022. Demographic data (gender and age), histological type and anatomical location of the tumor were observed. The study included all patients in the observed period with a diagnosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) at different anatomical locations and with different grades of histological staging. All patients had adenocarcinoma. Patients were divided into four age groups based on their gender (20-40 years, 41-55 years, 56-65 years and over 65 years old). Tumors of the colon ascending to the splenic flexure are defined as tumors of the right side, and distal to the splenic flexure as tumors of the left side of the colon. Results: A total of 183 patients were included in the study. Patients were between 38 and 82 years old, with a mean age of 64.3 ± 8.9 years. No statistically significant difference was found in the proportion of anatomical localization of CRC (p > 0.05). The most common anatomical location of CRC over the 10-year period was found to be the rectum 42.1% and the ascending colon 14.2% and transverse colon 13.1%, with no statistically significant difference in cancer incidence between the right and left sides of the colon. Histologic grade II was predominant in 57.4% of patients. A moderate negative correlation was found between age and histologic grade of CRC (r = −0.067), with no statistically significant difference (p > 0.05). Conclusion: No statistically significant difference was found in the anatomical localization of CRC between the right and left side of the colon. Histologic grade II CRC was the most prevalent. A moderate negative correlation was found between age and histologic grade of CRC.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and nanoplastics frequently co-occur in environmental matrices, yet the effects of co-exposure on cellular responses upon ingestion are poorly understood. Here, we exposed human intestinal Caco-2 cells to perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, nanoplastics, and their combination. Cell painting-based phenomics was used to map phenotypic alterations across subcellular structures, and untargeted metabolomics using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry was employed to assess metabolic changes. Results show that perfluorooctanesulfonic acid predominantly affected the actin cytoskeleton, Golgi apparatus, and plasma membrane, while nanoplastics primarily targeted mitochondria. Combined exposure disrupted the endoplasmic reticulum, RNA, and mitochondria. Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid reduced levels of carnitines, free fatty acids, nucleotides, and sugars, whereas nanoplastics inhibited ceramides, triglycerides, sphingomyelins, and additional free fatty acids. Combined exposure produced a metabolic profile resembling that of nanoplastics, with specific differences attributed to perfluorooctanesulfonic acid. Overall, nanoplastics appear as the main drivers of the co-exposure effects.

The historical industrial waste deposit Gater was used to dispose of different metallurgy wastes from lead and zinc production. The metallurgical waste deposit was situated in the open space, between the tailing waste deposit Žitkovac and river Ibar flow. Large amounts of lead-containing wastes are produced in the non-ferrous metallurgical industry, such as lead ash and lead slag generated in Pb smelting, lead anode slime, and lead sludge produced in the raw lead refining process. In addition to the lead concentration, numerous valuable components are found in the lead refinery waste from the group of Critical Raw Materials, such as antimony, arsenic, bismuth, copper, nickel, magnesium, scandium, as well as Rare-Earth Elements. Samples with eight characteristic points were taken to obtain relevant data indicating a possible recycling method. The chemical composition analysis was conducted using ICP; the scanning was completed using SEM-EDS. The mineralogical composition was determined by using XRD. The chemical analysis showed a wide range of valuable metal concentrations, from Ag (in the range from 14.2 to 214.6, with an average 86.25 mg/kg) to heavy metals such as Cu (in the range from 282.7 to 28,298, with an average 10,683.7 mg/kg or 1.0683% that corresponds to some active mines), Ni and Zn (in the range from 1.259 to 69,853.4, with an average 14,304.81 mg/kg), Sc (in the range from 2.4 to 75.3, with an average 33.61 mg/kg), Pb (in the range from 862.6 to 154,027.5, with an average 45,046 mg/kg), Sb (in the range from 51.7 to 18,514.7, with an average 2267.8 mg/kg), Ca (in the range from 167.5 to 63,963, with an average 19,880 mg/kg), Mg (in the range from 668.3 to 76,824.5, with an average 31,670 mg/kg), and As (in the range from 62.9 to 24,328.1, with an average 5829.53 mg/kg). The mineralogy analysis shows that all metals are in the form of oxides, but in the case of As and Fe, SEM-EDS shows some portion of elemental lead, pyrite, and silica-magnesium-calcium oxides as slag and tailing waste residues. The proposed recovery process should start with leaching, and further investigation should decide on the type of leaching procedure and agents, considering the waste’s heterogeneous nature and acidity and toxicity.

Background and Study Aim. Although physical activity (PA) is an important determinant of physical fitness (PF) in children, studies have rarely examined the associations between PA and PF in early school-age children within narrow age spans. The aim of this study was to evaluate the associations between different intensities of PA and various indices of PF in children aged 9 -11 years. Material and Methods. The participants were 121 children aged 9 - 11 years (49 girls) who were tested for PF (anthropometrics, aerobic endurance, upper body and abdominal strength, jumping power, mobility and flexibility), and the PA was directly measured via GeneActiv triaxial accelerometers. A t test was used to define differences between sexes, while Pearson’s correlations between PA variables and PF indices and multiple regressions for PF criteria were used to calculate sex stratification. Results. Compared with girls, boys achieved better results in terms of jumping power capacity, upper body strength, and aerobic endurance, and they had a higher number of steps taken per day, and a higher amount of vigorous PA per day (all p < 0.05). The girls achieved better results in terms of flexibility and mobility. Correlations between PA-intensities and PF were weak to moderate. Multiple regression calculations revealed that vigorous PA was a significant predictor of jumping power, upper body strength, and aerobic endurance in boys (16%, 20%, and 13% of the explained variance, respectively) and jumping power in girls (18% of the explained variance). Moderate PA was a significant partial regressor of aerobic endurance in girls (13% of the explained variance). Conclusions. Tailoring physical-education curricula to gender-specific PA responses and expanding PF assessments can enhance student engagement, optimize fitness outcomes, and improve the overall effectiveness of physical education programs.

IntroductionCOVID-19, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has resulted in a global public health crisis with a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations, ranging from asymptomatic infections to severe pneumonia. This study explores the association between various biomarkers and COVID-19 progression, aiming to identify early indicators of disease severity and enhance patient management.Materials and MethodsThe study included 750 confirmed COVID-19 patients categorized into four groups based on disease severity. Patients were recruited at the General Hospital in Tešanj, Bosnia and Herzegovina. All biochemical, hematological and coagulation parameters were analyzed using standard IFCC protocols.ResultsThe study identified significant differences in biochemical, hematological, and coagulation biomarkers across varying COVID-19 severities. Key markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP), D-dimer, lymphocyte count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and platelet count were analyzed. Elevated CRP and D-dimer were strongly linked to severe cases, while decreased lymphocyte count, elevated ESR, and platelet abnormalities were also associated with increased disease severity.ConclusionsOur study highlights the vital role of specific biochemical, hematological and coagulation parameters in predicting COVID-19 severity. Integrating these findings into clinical practice could enhance timely risk stratification, early intervention, and improved outcomes for affected individuals.