The wastewater containing Cd, Co, Fe, Cu, Cr, Mn, Ni and Pb ions are trace metal pollutants. Water pollution caused by increment in industrialization and overpopulation reveals a major threat to human health. Adsorption is recognized as the effective and optimum method to remove water contaminations. The amorphous and porous form of silicon dioxide is silica gel widely used as an adsorbent. It can absorb moisture with traces of the target heavy metal ions. This research elaborates a simplistic, and reliable preconcentration column method highly developed for the determination of Cd2+, Fe3+, Co2+, Cr3+, Cu2+, Mn2+, Pb2+ and Ni2+ ions in model solutions and real water samples by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). The proposed operation depends on the retention of the target ions from buffered model solutions on a silica gel filled up a column modified with vanadium(V) oxide sorbent followed by their desorption. SiO2/V2O5 is an efficient adsorbent due to its low cost, eco-friendly and high availability. The adsorbent morphological and interfacial physicochemical characterization was done using scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier transmission infrared spectroscopy, respectively. The 2.92 value achieved for the point of zero charges supports the experimentation for the heavy metal efficient adsorption. Quantitative recoveries were achieved at pH 10 with 50 mg of SiO2/V2O5 mass and adsorption capacity ranged from 28.96 μmol/g (Pb) to 214.86 μmol/g (Fe) with 1114.79 μmol/g in total. Simultaneous preconcentration effect was determined by the interference cations on the sorbent. The LOD varies from 8.42 to 50.56 μg/L and LOQ is achieved from 20.06 to 72.41 μg/L of 15 blank solutions. The developed preconcentration procedure was adequately implemented for the simultaneous analysis of eight metallic ions content in local river samples. The developed vanadium(V) oxide incorporated with silica gel is practicable as an economical and effective adsorbent to eliminate metallic ions from a liquid solution.

Lenticulostriate vasculopathy (LSV) is a relatively common fi nding in routine cranial ultrasound examination that has been associated with many infectious and non-infectious conditions. The aim of this review was to provide a better understanding of LSV ultrasound fi nding, as well as the need for further laboratory and imaging examinations in infants. The most of the published studies represented small series, with few prospective long-term studies involving the control groups. Authors have mostly found an association between LSV, especially higher-grade (although there is no universally accepted classifi cation) with congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, classifying those children as at risk for sensorineural hearing loss. In contrast, some authors pointed out that LSV could be found relatively often, and believe that isolated LSV, especially lower-grade, is not predictive for an unfavourable outcome and a long-term prognosis. Therefore, although 35 years have passed since the first publication of LSV, there is still no consensus among experts on the clinical signifi cance of isolated LSV, but caution is certainly needed given the fact that most infants with congenital CMV are asymptomatic.

Background: Hypothyroidism occurs as a consequence of chronic autoimmune inflammation of the thyroid gland, which occurs due to the reduced function in the secretion of hormones FT3 and FT4 and requires replacement therapy for life. CoV-19 infection has shown many complications in all organic systems, during the acute phase of infection and in the post COVID period. Objectives: The aim of the study was a) to compare the frequency of patient visits for hypothyroidism and the average dose of levothyroxine in the SANASA polyclinic in the year before COVID pandemic, in the early 2019, with the frequency of patient visits during COVID infection in 2020 and 2021; b) to determine the incidence of hypothyroidism after the COVID 19 infection, the time of onset of hypothyroidism after acute phase of the disease, and the average dose of levothyroxine; and c) to monitor the incidence of subclinical hypothyroidism, which did not require substitution, before and after COVID 19 infection. Methods: In the SANASA polyclinic from the 2019 database we found 58 patients, at the age between 18-70 years, 53 women and 2 men with hypothyroidism and 2 female and 1 male patients with subclinical hypothyroidism. In 2020 there were a total of 89 patients, 73 women and 4 men with hypothyroidism, and 9 women and 3 men with subclinical hypothyroidism. In the 2021 there were 101 patients, 86 women and 7 men with hypothyroidism and 7 female and 1 male patients with subclinical hypothyroidism. Results: There was a significant difference in the number of patients with hypothyroidism and subclinical hypothyroidism during 2020 and 2021 in relation to 2019. The average dose of levothyroxine per patient did not differ statistically, comparing all three years, as well as comparing those who were ill, compared to patients who did not have COVID-19. There were diagnoses of post COVID subclinical hypothyroidism in 2020, as in 2021, with an average time of diagnosis of 2 months after infection for clinical hypothyroidism and 8 weeks for subclinical hypothyroidism. Conclusion: CoV-19 infection adversely affects thyroid tissue causing clinical hypothyroidism, requiring levothyroxine substitution as well as subclinical hypothyroidism which should be monitored.

The book English in B&H: posh or casual? by Amna Brdarević-Čeljo and Vildana Dubravac makes a significant contribution to the sociolinguistic perspective on the status of English in the world and particularly in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Introducing readers to a wide array of sociolinguistic topics, the authors focus on the variability of English among its users and the prevalent impact of two most prominent world Englishes, namely Standardised British and Standardised American English. The theoretical discussion is further strengthened by research into Bosnian EFL users’ and EL teachers’ preference for one or the other variety in different domains of language use. Taking into consideration both perspectives, the authors ultimately put forward practical suggestions as to how to approach variability and consistency in language education in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Background: An estimated 64.3 million people are living with heart failure worldwide. Functional MR in chronic HFrEF reflects primarily the severity of LV dysfunction and is not related to structural alterations of the mitral valvular apparatus. FMR in patients with HFrEF independently of the etiology of HFrEF and its underlying mechanisms, contributes to progression of the symptoms of HF and is independent predictor of worse clinical outcomes. Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the severity of functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) and its clinical implications in patients with chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Methods: We enrolled 146 consecutive adult patients with CHF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) who presented to outpatient clinics. All patients underwent clinical and physical examination. Baseline examination included medical history, detailed assessment of current medication, electrocardiogram recording, transthoracic echocardiogram and comorbidities. Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction was defined in line with the new guidelines as history of HF signs and symptoms as well as a LV ejection fraction (LVEF) below 40%. Cardiovascular risk factors were recorded according to the respective guidelines. FMR was defined and graded according to the ESC/EACTS Guidelines for the management of valvular heart disease. The extent of FMR was assessed at baseline and after a median follow-up period of 4 years in 146 consecutive HFrEF patients (left ventricular ejection fraction <40%). All of the patients received the heart failure (HF) medications in agreement with 2016 and 2021 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic heart failure. Major adverse cardiac events were defined as a composite of all-cause death and the need for admission for HF. Results: A total of 146 chronic HFrEF patients (mean age of 63±11 years, 62% male, mean LVEF of 25±11%) of which 19% patients had severe FMR at baseline, with a mean EROA of 31.4±2.7 mm2 and a mean Reg Vol of 45.9±5.3 ml. There was a significant interaction between FMR and NYHA functional class in predicting death or need for hospitalization, (P < 0.0001 for the interaction term FMR NYHA III-IV). During a median follow-up period of 4.2 (IQR) 3.1-5.8) years, the primary endpoint occurred in 52 (36%) patients (21 HF admissions, and 31 deaths). There was a strong graded association between the presence and degree of FMR and risk of death or admission (P <0.0001) at 4 years follow-up period. Regarding HF therapy, 129 patients (88%) received RAAS antagonists, 17 patients (12%) received ARNI, 86 patients (59%) received beta-blockers, 75 patients (51%) were treated with MRA. 31 patients (21%) underwent cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) with a response rate of 64%. 24 patients (16%) underwent ICD implantation. Conclusion: Guideline-directed medical therapy is the first-line treatment for chronic HF patients who also have FMR. After this first-line approach, surgical or MitraClip transcatheter therapy can be considered in patients with persistent severe and symptomatic FMR in order to improve symptoms, quality of life and functional status.

A clear margin is an important prognostic factor for most solid tumours treated by surgery. Intraoperative fluorescence imaging using exogenous tumour-specific fluorescent agents has shown particular benefit in improving complete resection of tumour tissue. However, signal processing for fluorescence imaging is complex, and fluorescence signal intensity does not always perfectly correlate with tumour location. Raman spectroscopy has the capacity to accurately differentiate between malignant and healthy tissue based on their molecular composition. In Raman spectroscopy, specificity is uniquely high, but signal intensity is weak and Raman measurements are mainly performed in a point-wise manner on microscopic tissue volumes, making whole-field assessment temporally unfeasible. In this review, we describe the state-of-the-art of both optical techniques, paying special attention to the combined intraoperative application of fluorescence imaging and Raman spectroscopy in current clinical research. We demonstrate how these techniques are complementary and address the technical challenges that have traditionally led them to be considered mutually exclusive for clinical implementation. Finally, we present a novel strategy that exploits the optimal characteristics of both modalities to facilitate resection with clear surgical margins.

With the immense opportunities to make a communication network programmable, the virtualization of network functions and software defined networking are gaining momentum in both industry and research circles, being a fundamental skill-set for both electrical engineers and computer scientists. Therefore, in this article, we present and evaluate the educational framework for Service Function Chaining (SFC) practical teaching to undergraduate students aiming to prepare them for future Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and communication networks market that will demand skillful professionals in the domain. The educational framework was designed for the Network Management course at the University of Antwerp, with the goal to bridge the gap between network programmability concepts applied in industry and those taught at the University. We evaluate the educational framework with two extensive surveys as a feedback from students that provided us with the opportunity to measure and quantify students’ experience and satisfaction with the framework. In particular, based on the challenging environment imposed by COVID-19, we identify the gaps in this educational framework and address improvements for both theoretical and practical components according to the students’ needs. Our educational framework and the thorough evaluation serve as a useful guideline on how to modernize the engineering courses and keep up with the pace of technology.

As we look at our daily lives and the world around us, it is becoming more and more difficult to learn new things and our new knowledge is suffering because of the fast and intense way of life we lead. The development of technology has greatly influenced this way of life. In recent years, we have witnessed the rapid growth and development of technology and seen how technology affects many aspects of our lives. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to contribute to the under-standing of the concept of e-learning in organizations and the influence of organizational support on the intention to use e-learning systems and how the use of e-learning improves individual work performance. The paper used structural equation modelling technique to test the hypotheses at the level of employees in different sectors. The results showed that the most significant predictor of individual job performance was intention to use e-learning, followed by knowledge sharing. In addition, the results showed that knowledge sharing and personal innovative-ness were significant predictors of perceived usefulness.

ABSTRACT Heat transfer coefficient (HTC) was experimentally measured for saturated and subcooled pool boiling of binary mixtures of water and glycerin. Saturated boiling was studied for mixtures with water mass fractions from to on horizontal flat nickel-plated surfaces at heat fluxes from 50 to at atmospheric pressure. Subcooled boiling was investigated in the range of subcooling from 0 to at heat fluxes of approximately 250, 450 and . It was found that mixture effects have a significant impact on saturated boiling HTC even for mixtures with very low content of glycerin as significant drops of HTC were observed for subtle changes in composition for mixtures of high . Measured HTC was successfully correlated with the combination of Yagov (1999) and Inoue and Monde (2009) correlations with a mean relative error of . A simple empirical HTC correlation is also proposed. For subcooled boiling, developed subcooled boiling regime was reached for all investigated heat fluxes. For this regime, correlations, which were able to predict HTC for saturated boiling, were employed to predict subcooled boiling HTCs for all investigated concentrations, heat fluxes and subcoolings. Effect of subcooling and effect of liquid composition on total HTC were of the same importance for mixtures with higher water content. With the increase in concentration of glycerin in the mixture, decrease in total HTC with increasing subcooling became more significant.

This study aims to investigate the influence of thermal modification (TM) on the physical and mechanical properties of wood. For this purpose, the experimental part focused on selected influential parameters, namely temperature, residence time, and density, while the four-point bending strength is obtained as the output parameter. The obtained experimental data are stochastically modeled and compared with the model created by genetic programming (GP). The classical mathematical analysis obtained treatment parameters in relation to the maximum bending strength (T = 187 °C, t = 125 min = 0.780 g/cm3) and compared with the results obtained by genetic algorithm (GA) (T = 208 °C, t = 122 min, and = 0.728 g/cm3). It is possible to obtain models that describe experimental results well with stochastic modeling and evolutionary algorithms.

The aim of this study is to provide a more accurate representation of COVID‐19's case fatality rate (CFR) by performing meta‐analyses by continents and income, and by comparing the result with pooled estimates. We used multiple worldwide data sources on COVID‐19 for every country reporting COVID‐19 cases. On the basis of data, we performed random and fixed meta‐analyses for CFR of COVID‐19 by continents and income according to each individual calendar date. CFR was estimated based on the different geographical regions and levels of income using three models: pooled estimates, fixed‐ and random‐model. In Asia, all three types of CFR initially remained approximately between 2.0% and 3.0%. In the case of pooled estimates and the fixed model results, CFR increased to 4.0%, by then gradually decreasing, while in the case of random‐model, CFR remained under 2.0%. Similarly, in Europe, initially, the two types of CFR peaked at 9.0% and 10.0%, respectively. The random‐model results showed an increase near 5.0%. In high‐income countries, pooled estimates and fixed‐model showed gradually increasing trends with a final pooled estimates and random‐model reached about 8.0% and 4.0%, respectively. In middle‐income, the pooled estimates and fixed‐model have gradually increased reaching up to 4.5%. in low‐income countries, CFRs remained similar between 1.5% and 3.0%. Our study emphasizes that COVID‐19 CFR is not a fixed or static value. Rather, it is a dynamic estimate that changes with time, population, socioeconomic factors, and the mitigatory efforts of individual countries.