Abstract Maternal and neonatal health is one of the main global health challenges. Every day, approximately 800 women and 7,000 newborns die due to complications during pregnancy, delivery, and neonatal period. The leading causes of maternal death in sub-Saharan Africa are obstetric hemorrhage (28.8%), hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (22.1%), non-obstetric complications (18.8%), and pregnancy-related infections (11.5%). Diagnostic ultrasound examinations can be used in a variety of specific circumstances during pregnancy. Because adverse outcomes may also arise in low-risk pregnancies, it is assumed that routine ultrasound in all pregnancies will enable earlier detection and improved management of pregnancy complications. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated in 1997 that 50% of developing countries had no access to ultrasound imaging, and available equipment was outdated or broken. Unfortunately, besides all the exceptional benefits of ultrasound in obstetrics, its inappropriate use and abuse are reported. Using ultrasound to view, take a picture, or determine the sex of a fetus without a medical indication can be considered ethically unjustifiable. Ultrasound assessment when indicated should be every woman’s right in the new era. However, it is still only a privilege in some parts of the world. Investment in both equipment and human resources has been clearly shown to be cost-effective and should be an obligatory step in the improvement of health care. Well-developed health systems should guide developing countries, creating principles for the organization of the health system with an accent on the correct, legal, and ethical use of diagnostic ultrasound in pregnancy to avoid its misuse. The aim of the article is to present the importance of correct and appropriate use of ultrasound in obstetrics and gynecology with reference to developing countries.

Common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench.) has a long history of cultivation in the large, mountainous regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H). Its commercial production is mainly based on the regionally bred variety ‘Darja’, but numerous landraces are also being grown on a smaller scale. As part of the SEEDNet (Southeast European Network on Plant Genetic Resources) project, these landraces have been collected and stored at the Gene bank of the Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences in Sarajevo (FAFS). To assess their utilization value, it was first important to investigate if they represent distinct landraces and to identify their genetic relationships with the most commonly grown varieties in the region (‘Darja’, ‘Goluba’ and ‘Čebelica’). Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the genetic relationships and diversity of the common buckwheat accessions maintained at the FAFS Gene bank, as well as the value of these accessions for future breeding programs, using microsatellite markers and seventeen quantitative and fifteen qualitative morphological traits. The FCA (Factorial Correspondence Analysis) and AMOVA (Analysis of Molecular Variance) revealed that several accessions represent completely distinct landraces which clearly differentiated from the most commonly grown cultivars ‘Darja’ and ‘Goluba’. Conducted morphological analyses revealed that several of the analyzed landraces hold similar characteristics to the ones observed in ‘Darja’ and ‘Goluba’, while others possess unique traits potentially useful in breeding programs.

In this paper, we analyze the integration maturity of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) on its path towards EU membership and the role of institutions in the process. Integration maturity focuses on five main parameters for readiness to make integration successful: macroeconomic stability, functioning market economy, competitiveness, access to foreign finance and convergence. We combine a discussion of BiH's readiness on these parameters with insights from institutional economics, and show how inefficient institutions are major obstacles to BiH achieving sustained economic growth and attaining the necessary integration maturity. The main reasons for the institutional deficiencies relate to BiH being an ethnically divided country, but just as much it reflects corruption and elite capture of institutions. Only by thoroughly rethinking and reforming its institutional framework will Bosnia and Herzegovina be able to move forward.

We detected surface waves from two meteorite impacts on Mars. By measuring group velocity dispersion along the impact-lander path, we obtained a direct constraint on crustal structure away from the InSight lander. The crust north of the equatorial dichotomy had a shear wave velocity of approximately 3.2 kilometers per second in the 5- to 30-kilometer depth range, with little depth variation. This implies a higher crustal density than inferred beneath the lander, suggesting either compositional differences or reduced porosity in the volcanic areas traversed by the surface waves. The lower velocities and the crustal layering observed beneath the landing site down to a 10-kilometer depth are not a global feature. Structural variations revealed by surface waves hold implications for models of the formation and thickness of the martian crust. Description An insightful impact On 24 December 2021, the seismometer for the InSight mission on Mars detected a large seismic event with a distinct signature. Posiolova et al. discovered that the event was caused by a meteor impact on the surface of Mars, which was confirmed by satellite observations of a newly formed 150-kilometer crater. The surface nature and size of the impact allowed Kim et al. to detect surface waves from the event, which have yet to be observed on Mars. These surface waves help to untangle the structure of the Martian crust, which has various amounts of volcanic and sedimentary rock, along with subsurface ice, in different regions of the planet (see the Perspective by Yang and Chen). The characteristics of the impact itself are important because they provide a seismic fingerprint of an impact event that is different from the marsquakes observed so far. —BG A new crater formed on the surface of Mars was detected with the seismometer on the InSight mission.

The renovation of historic buildings carries a potential risk concerning the preservation or restoration of their original or earlier form and appearance. This study examines the seven historic mosques in Tuzla, and the impact of the latest interventions on their original form and appearance. At least twelve mosques existed in (Donja) Tuzla at the end of the 16th century, of which seven are still extant. Rare records testify to their foundation, maintenance, or fire damage. On the other hand, no documents on their early renovations or alterations are available. It is, however, certain that repairs, renovations, and possibly alterations were typical in the past because of deteriorating construction materials and for other reasons. The oldest records of these mosques mostly date from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The work is based on many years of observation of the mosques’ architecture together with changes that have subsequently occurred, as well as available references and information concerning their past. The study shows that the interventions that have been carried out have had various outcomes, including both successful restorations of previous forms and renovations that alter earlier known designs.

Abstract This study presents indoor and outdoor levels of airborne fine particles (PM2.5), particle bound polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) including parent-, alkylated-, nitro-, and oxy-PAHs. Week-long simultaneous measurements were conducted inside and outside 15 occupied homes in southern Sweden during wintertime. The homes were single-family houses or apartments located in urban, semi-urban, and rural areas. The PM2.5 and PACs levels were low compared to studies worldwide. There was great variation in concentrations between sites, which likely is due to proximity to road and traffic intensity. The lower concentrations of nitro and oxy-PAHs compared to parent PAHs in this study, compared to other studies, could possibly be due to lower atmospheric photochemical formation outdoors because the cold climate. This assumption could not be confirmed and need to be further tested. The results point to that particle PAC levels found inside arise primarily from outdoor. This correlation was not as clear for PM2.5. The results of a comparison between residences before and after energy renovation did not indicate an improvement in indoor air regarding PACs. To understand exposure and assess risks it is important to measure wide range of PACs both in gas and particle phase.

War could be traumatic. War trauma could often lead to severe and sustained health consequences on people’s physical and psychological health. War trauma is often prevalent in people who either participated in the war or lived near conflict zones, such as military professionals, refugees, and health workers. Advances in information and communication technologies, such as the speed, scale, and scope at which people worldwide could be exposed to the near-time happenings of the war, mean that an unprecedented number of people could face media-induced war trauma. Different from war experienced in person, which could be limited in scope and intensity, media-induced war trauma can be substantially more extensive and comprehensive—news reports on the war often cover all aspects and angles possible, possibly paired with disturbing, if not demoralizing, images, repeatedly 24/7. Although media-induced war trauma could have a profound influence on people’s mental health, particularly factoring in the compounding challenges caused by the pandemic, there is a dearth of research in the literature. To shed light on this issue, in this article, we aim to examine the implications of media-induced war trauma on people’s health and well-being. Furthermore, we discuss the duties and responsibilities of the media industry amid and beyond the current conflicts in Ukraine.

Morphine (MORPH) is natural alkaloid and mainly used as a pain reliever. Its monitoring in human body fluids is crucial for modern medicine. In this paper, we have developed an electrochemical sensor for submicromolar detection of MORPH. The sensor is based on modified carbon paste electrode (CPE) by investigating the FexW1-xO4 ratio in iron tungstate (FeWO4), as well as the ratio of this material in CPE. For the first time, the effect of the iron–tungsten ratio in terms of achieving the best possible electrochemical characteristics for the detection of an important molecule for humans was examined. Morphological and electrochemical characteristics of materials were studied. The best results were obtained using Fe1W3 and 7.5% of modifier in CPE. For MORPH detection, square wave voltammetry (SWV) was optimized. Under the optimized conditions, Fe1W3@CPE resulted in limit of detection (LOD) of the method of 0.58 µM and limit of quantification (LOQ) of 1.94 µM. The linear operating range between 5 and 85 µM of MORPH in the Britton–Robinson buffer solution (BRBS) at pH 8 as supporting electrolyte was obtained. The Fe1W3@CPE sensor resulted in good selectivity and excellent repeatability with relative standard deviation (RSD) and was applied in real-world samples of human urine. Application for direct MORPH detection, without tedious sample pretreatment procedures, suggests that developed electrochemical sensor has appeared to be a suitable competitor for efficient, precise, and accurate monitoring of the MORPH in biological fluids.

Purpose Educational interventions have already been shown to positively affect awareness of clinical trials (CTs) among medical students. We aimed to explore basic knowledge and attitudes about CTs among medical students in terms of educational interventions that should be reflected in their further involvement in performing CTs and their role in raising awareness about CTs. Methods This cross-sectional, self-report anonymous online survey involved undergraduate medical students of the Medical Faculty University of Sarajevo enrolled in classes held within the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology in the academic year 2015–2016. To include all accessible subjects for better representation of the whole population, consecutive sampling was applied. Results Among 142 students who completed questionnaire, 50% of them expressed partial or full agreement with the questionnaire statement that they were satisfied with the available information on CTs. Only 38% said they would participate in a CT, 21% would not, while 41% were not sure. Positive correlations were detected for composite subscale scores of agreement with questionnaire statements conveying the student’s knowledge about ethical and legal aspects of CTs and their perception about reliability/integrity and impact of CTs on medical practice. Conclusion Students have knowledge of the basic design and ethical aspects of CTs. Positive attitudes toward the impact of CTs on medical practice were shown in students of higher years of study, where educational intervention of additional knowledge of CTs was inserted and those students expressed better knowledge of CTs. However, no significant impact was detected between knowledge and willingness to participate in CTs, irrespective of years of study, reflecting the third of students that would participate in CTs. Changes in medical curricula led to the change in students’ knowledge and attitudes regarding CTs as well as their involvement in CTs.

The shallowest intracrustal layer (extending to 8 ± 2 km depth) beneath the Mars InSight Lander site exhibits low seismic wave velocity, which is likely related to a combination of high porosity and other lithological factors. The SsPp phase, an SV‐ to P‐wave reflection on the receiver side, is naturally suited for constraining the seismic structure of this top crustal layer since its prominent signal makes it observable with a single station without the need for stacking. We have analyzed six broadband and low‐frequency seismic events recorded on Mars and made the first coherent detection of the SsPp phase on the red planet. The timing and amplitude of SsPp confirm the existence of the ∼8 km interface in the crust and the large wave speed (or impedance) contrast across it. With our new constraints from the SsPp phase, we determined that the average P‐wave speed in the top crustal layer is between 2.5 and 3.2 km/s, which is a more precise and robust estimate than the previous range of 2.0–3.5 km/s obtained by receiver function analysis. The low velocity of Layer 1 likely results from the presence of relatively low‐density lithified sedimentary rocks and/or aqueously altered igneous rocks that also have a significant amount of porosity, possibly as much as 22%–30% by volume (assuming an aspect ratio of 0.1 for the pore space). These porosities and average P‐wave speeds are compatible with our current understanding of the upper crustal stratigraphy beneath the InSight Lander site.

This paper investigates recursive feasibility, recursive robust stability and near-optimality properties of policy iteration (PI). For this purpose, we consider deterministic nonlinear discrete-time systems whose inputs are generated by PI for undiscounted cost functions. We first assume that PI is recursively feasible, in the sense that the optimization problems solved at each iteration admit a solution. In this case, we provide novel conditions to establish recursive robust stability properties for a general attractor, meaning that the policies generated at each iteration ensure a robust \KL-stability property with respect to a general state measure. We then derive novel explicit bounds on the mismatch between the (suboptimal) value function returned by PI at each iteration and the optimal one. Afterwards, motivated by a counter-example that shows that PI may fail to be recursively feasible, we modify PI so that recursive feasibility is guaranteed a priori under mild conditions. This modified algorithm, called PI+, is shown to preserve the recursive robust stability when the attractor is compact. Additionally, PI+ enjoys the same near-optimality properties as its PI counterpart under the same assumptions. Therefore, PI+ is an attractive tool for generating near-optimal stabilizing control of deterministic discrete-time nonlinear systems.

Background Engagement is key to interventions that achieve successful behavior change and improvements in health. There is limited literature on the application of predictive machine learning (ML) models to data from commercially available weight loss programs to predict disengagement. Such data could help participants achieve their goals. Objective This study aimed to use explainable ML to predict the risk of member disengagement week by week over 12 weeks on a commercially available web-based weight loss program. Methods Data were available from 59,686 adults who participated in the weight loss program between October 2014 and September 2019. Data included year of birth, sex, height, weight, motivation to join the program, use statistics (eg, weight entries, entries into the food diary, views of the menu, and program content), program type, and weight loss. Random forest, extreme gradient boosting, and logistic regression with L1 regularization models were developed and validated using a 10-fold cross-validation approach. In addition, temporal validation was performed on a test cohort of 16,947 members who participated in the program between April 2018 and September 2019, and the remaining data were used for model development. Shapley values were used to identify globally relevant features and explain individual predictions. Results The average age of the participants was 49.60 (SD 12.54) years, the average starting BMI was 32.43 (SD 6.19), and 81.46% (39,594/48,604) of the participants were female. The class distributions (active and inactive members) changed from 39,369 and 9235 in week 2 to 31,602 and 17,002 in week 12, respectively. With 10-fold-cross-validation, extreme gradient boosting models had the best predictive performance, which ranged from 0.85 (95% CI 0.84-0.85) to 0.93 (95% CI 0.93-0.93) for area under the receiver operating characteristic curve and from 0.57 (95% CI 0.56-0.58) to 0.95 (95% CI 0.95-0.96) for area under the precision-recall curve (across 12 weeks of the program). They also presented a good calibration. Results obtained with temporal validation ranged from 0.51 to 0.95 for area under a precision-recall curve and 0.84 to 0.93 for area under the receiver operating characteristic curve across the 12 weeks. There was a considerable improvement in area under a precision-recall curve of 20% in week 3 of the program. On the basis of the computed Shapley values, the most important features for predicting disengagement in the following week were those related to the total activity on the platform and entering a weight in the previous weeks. Conclusions This study showed the potential of applying ML predictive algorithms to help predict and understand participants’ disengagement with a web-based weight loss program. Given the association between engagement and health outcomes, these findings can prove valuable in providing better support to individuals to enhance their engagement and potentially achieve greater weight loss.

Pharmacogenomics (PGx)-guided drug treatment is one of the cornerstones of personalized medicine. However, the genes involved in drug response are highly complex and known to carry many (rare) variants. Current technologies (short-read sequencing and SNP panels) are limited in their ability to resolve these genes and characterize all variants. Moreover, these technologies cannot always phase variants to their allele of origin. Recent advance in long-read sequencing technologies have shown promise in resolving these problems. Here we present a long-read sequencing panel-based approach for PGx using PacBio HiFi sequencing. A capture based approach was developed using a custom panel of clinically-relevant pharmacogenes including up- and downstream regions. A total of 27 samples were sequenced and panel accuracy was determined using benchmarking variant calls for 3 Genome in a Bottle samples and GeT-RM star(*)-allele calls for 21 samples.. The coverage was uniform for all samples with an average of 94% of bases covered at >30×. When compared to benchmarking results, accuracy was high with an average F1 score of 0.89 for INDELs and 0.98 for SNPs. Phasing was good with an average of 68% the target region phased (compared to ~20% for short-reads) and an average phased haploblock size of 6.6kbp. Using Aldy 4, we compared our variant calls to GeT-RM data for 8 genes (CYP2B6, CYP2C19, CYP2C9, CYP2D6, CYP3A4, CYP3A5, SLCO1B1, TPMT), and observed highly accurate star(*)-allele calling with 98.2% concordance (165/168 calls), with only one discordance in CYP2C9 leading to a different predicted phenotype. We have shown that our long-read panel-based approach results in high accuracy and target phasing for SNVs as well as for clinical star(*)-alleles.