A “ No vel Th understorm A lert S ystem” (NOTHAS) has been developed and extensively tested for forecast and warnings of mid-latitude and tropical convective events. The design of the system showed some potential advantages compared to earlier alert systems, mainly in reducing uncertainties in predictions by taking the given maximum hourly local-scale signal. It represents a dynamic tool which allows the use of the probability concept of multivariate distribution and integrating it into general function by taking all convective parameters. It utilizes the latest developed microphysical parameterization scheme using a scale and aerosol awareness convective scheme and the sharpest criteria for mid-latitude storms. NOTHAS shows consistency and some kind of flexibility in post-processing applications, regardless of different parameterizations used in the ensemble or deterministic forecasts. The scientific verification shows a high level of accuracy in all significant scores which indicates that severe weather outlooks produced by NOTHAS for several hours ahead are in good alignment with observed thunderstorm activity. This novel tool shows a good performance which has sufficient merit for further additional testing and system evaluation of different severe mid-latitude and tropical storms, tropical cyclones and other severe weather cases across regions.

Abstract Objectives Young laboratory medicine professionals (YLMPs) are the future of clinical laboratories. Although everyday practice shows significant differences among countries, especially during residency training, most of them face the same challenges. Besides promoting scientific, professional and clinical aspects of laboratory medicine in Europe, the European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (EFLM) should take into consideration YLMPs’ concerns and interests to help them achieve excellence. The aim of this survey was to assess the opinion and expectations of YLMPs about their involvement in the activities of EFLM. Methods An online survey was distributed to YLMPs in Europe through different channels. The questionnaire consisted of 21 items grouped into five sections: demographic questions, opinion about the current status of YLMPs within EFLM, YLMPs network, suggestions and opportunities, and scientific training and exchange. Where appropriate, responses from residents and specialists were compared. Results A total of 329 valid responses were obtained from 53 different countries. Countries with the highest number of participants were Spain, Turkey, Croatia and Romania. A significant percentage would like to know more about EFLM and their activities (86%) and wish EFLM promoted networking and scientific exchanges (95%), for instance by means of a European YLMPs network (93%). EFLMLabX project was widely unknown (75%). Conclusions YLMPs demand better connection to share concerns about daily healthcare duties, to keep updated and to advance professionally. EFLM needs to improve their advertising through national societies to increase YLMPs’ participation. In addition to international meetings and congresses, respondents have emphasized that workshops and other small group activities would significantly help promote laboratory medicine practice in Europe.

As a consequence of the measures taken to remedy the medical problem, there may be a bigger one - economically, all over the world. The paper analyzes the consequences of the current economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 virus pandemic. The key economic consequences of the pandemic for companies but also for the economy have been identified. Entrepreneurs, small and medium enterprises, with the smallest liquidity stocks, are expected to feel the greatest consequences of the economic crisis. Taught by the failures of the Great Depression and the relative successes of the crisis in 2008, governments have already announced and launched massive programs to help businesses. At this moment, the supply of liquidity of deficient economic entities is a critical issue. The previous crisis showed that governments have tried and tested mechanisms for supplying liquidity to the financial sector, but transmission mechanisms to end-users were the Achilles' heel of the mechanism. We believe that success in finding adequate channels for the transfer of liquidity to economic entities with a liquidity deficit will be crucial for the character, length, and depth of the crisis. The paper offers a number of proposals for key necessary measures at the state level to overcome the observed economic disruptions. One of them is the request of the regulator, the other is the reaction of the state, but an important part must also come from the company. In addition, the research conducted by the questionnaire method for joint-stock companies from the Western Balkans resulted in a set of measures that serve as a basis for determining the gap in the required and current set of measures taken at the level of an individual organization. The aim of this paper is to point out that in the short term it is possible to stabilize the system through the application of macroeconomic and microeconomic measures.

The fourth industrial revolution is about the development of Industry 4.0, the changing of the production paradigm and economic digitalization. The research subject are the development conditions of Industry 4.0 in the Republic of Serbia. The main research objective is to point out the importance of the efficient development of Industry 4.0 and the implementation of structural changes through the process of digitalization and application of technological innovation in the manufacturing industry. The method of analysis is used to identify the concepts of Industry 4.0 and the new industrial paradigm. The comparative method is used to compare technological criteria and changes. The development conditions of Industry 4.0 are analyzed indirectly through technological criteria and innovation, i.e. data obtained from survey on innovation, individual innovation and technology indicators and composite indicators. Industry 4.0 is an important factor in technological and structural change, economic growth and competitiveness. The research results show that the Republic of Serbia lacks incentives for the development of Industry 4.0. The research results are useful to industrial policy makers as they point to some of the key factors and directions of change to create the conditions for the development of Industry 4.0, the manufacturing industry and the digital transformation of the economy.

The fourth industrial revolution is about the development of Industry 4.0, the changing of the production paradigm and economic digitalization. The research subject are the development conditions of Industry 4.0 in the Republic of Serbia. The main research objective is to point out the importance of the efficient development of Industry 4.0 and the implementation of structural changes through the process of digitalization and application of technological innovation in the manufacturing industry. The method of analysis is used to identify the concepts of Industry 4.0 and the new industrial paradigm. The comparative method is used to compare technological criteria and changes. The development conditions of Industry 4.0 are analyzed indirectly through technological criteria and innovation, i.e. data obtained from survey on innovation, individual innovation and technology indicators and composite indicators. Industry 4.0 is an important factor in technological and structural change, economic growth and competitiveness. The research results show that the Republic of Serbia lacks incentives for the development of Industry 4.0. The research results are useful to industrial policy makers as they point to some of the key factors and directions of change to create the conditions for the development of Industry 4.0, the manufacturing industry and the digital transformation of the economy.

Ciliates are globally distributed eukaryotic organisms inhabiting virtually all environments on Earth. Although ciliates range from 10 µm to few mm in cell size, they are repeatedly reported in the pico-sized fraction (smaller than 2-3 µm) of molecular surveys. Here, we used existing datasets (BioMarKs and Tara Oceans) with different size fractions to demonstrate that the ciliate pico-sized signal, likely derived from cell breakage during filtration, is informative and reliable to study marine ciliate biodiversity and biogeography. Then, we used sequences from the picoeukaryotic fraction of two circumnavigation expeditions, Malaspina-2010 and Tara Oceans, to give insights into the taxonomic composition and horizontal and vertical distribution of ciliates in the global ocean. Results suggested a high homogeneity of ciliate communities along the ocean surface from temperate to tropical waters, with ciliate assemblages dominated by a few abundant and widely distributed taxa. Very few taxa were found in a single oceanic region, therefore suggesting a high level of ciliate cosmopolitanism in the global ocean. In vertical profiles, ciliates were detected up to 4000 m depth, and a clear vertical community structuring was observed. Our results provided evidence supporting ciliates as deeply integrated organisms in the deep-sea trophic web, where they may play a relevant role as symbionts of metazoans and grazers of prokaryotes and small eukaryotes in the water column and in aggregates.

The aim of this research is the evaluation and selection of suppliers by applying the fuzzy multi-criteria analysis. The study used fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) to choose the optimal supplier for the purchase of materials necessary for the production of pre-insulated pipes. Decision-makers selected among five suppliers based on nine criteria: material cost, pipe length, delivery time, type of payment, transport distance, quality, reliability, flexibility and relationship with customers. Effective execution of procurement, in this case, the procurement of material needed for the production logistics subsystem, influences the overall efficiency of the business. It is vital to make the right decision when selecting a supplier, because the optimal choice ensures lower cost and higher quality of the product itself, and therefore more competitiveness in the market.

ABSTRACT A closer look at the recent Malaysian judicial decisions in Islamic finance cases shows that the power of the courts to adjudicate Islamic finance disputes has been diminished. The main cause of this seems to be the enactment of sections 56 and 57 of the Central Bank of Malaysia Act 2009, which mandated the courts to not only delegate the ascertainment of Shari’ah issues pertaining to Islamic finance to the designated Shari’ah Advisory Council (SAC), but also to accept and apply its rulings. This article examines the constitutionality of both sections with special reference to the recent decision in JRI Resources Sdn Bhd v Kuwait Finance House (Malaysia) Bhd [2019] 5 CLJ 569, in which the Federal Court upheld their validity by a slim majority of 5 to 4. The article offers alternatives that are both constitutional and receptive to the SAC’s role in the resolution of Islamic finance disputes.

Cell-to-cell communication is a fundamental process in every multicellular organism. In addition to membrane-bound and released factors, the sharing of cytosolic components represents a new, poorly explored signaling route. An extraordinary example of this communication channel is the direct transport of mitochondria between cells. In this review, we discuss how intercellular mitochondrial transfer can be used by cancer cells to sustain their high metabolic requirements and promote drug resistance and describe relevant molecular players in the context of current and future cancer therapy.

Abstract Just recently, the literature has established the existence of a dark side with regard to customer orientation (CO) in terms of sales performance. However, no clear position is presented about the possible dark side of CO when it comes to B2B relational outcomes, preventing managers from knowing when to accentuate/suppress CO activities. The aim of this study is to examine the relational consequences of suppliers' CO seen through the customers' lenses, and to investigate the moderating role of perceived emotional value in a professional service relationship context. A conceptual model anchored in value and relationship marketing theories is tested on a sample of 226 professional service firms' business customers, using the PROCESS routine. The study finds that perceived CO is related to satisfaction with the relationship and with relationship performance in an inverted U-shaped form, while satisfaction is positively related to relationship performance. We show that, although preferring to receive CO from their supplier, customers might want a relationship that is not as intense/comprehensive as the one that the supplier aims to achieve. The study unfolds emotional value as a moderating mechanism that can prevent the diminishing effect of CO activities.

The predictive factors of violence between married couples or adolescents are well-known. However, less is known about the factors relating to intimate violence among college students. This study examined sociodemographic variables (age, duration of relationship, and relationship satisfaction), impulsivity, and empathy as predictors of dating violence, using data from 474 female college students from the University of Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The sample completed online the Conflict Tactics Scale 2 Short Form, the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, and the Short Impulsive Behavior Scale. The results indicated a higher prevalence of victimization than perpetration for psychological aggression. The obtained data showed that younger women and those in longer relationships, as well as those unsatisfied with their relationship, are more prone to experience psychological victimization or perpetration. Relationship satisfaction was also shown to be a predictor of physical perpetration causing injury. Impulsivity facets were found to have a differential weight in explaining dating violence. Empathy was shown to be a significant predictor of dating victimization, specifically “perspective taking” for psychological victimization and empathic concern for sexual victimization. These results suggest the need to develop specific interventions and prevention programs focused on relationship satisfaction, impulsivity, and empathy.

OBJECTIVE Sensing the effects of alcohol consumption in real time could offer numerous opportunities to reduce related harms. This study sought to explore accuracy of gait-related features measured by smartphone accelerometer sensors on detecting alcohol intoxication (breath alcohol concentration [BrAC] > .08%). METHOD In a controlled laboratory study, participants (N = 17; 12 male) were asked to walk 10 steps in a straight line, turn, and walk 10 steps back before drinking and each hour, for up to 7 hours after drinking a weight-based dose of alcohol to reach a BrAC of .20%. Smartphones were placed on the lumbar region and 3-axis accelerometer data was recorded at a rate of 100 Hz. Accelerometer data were segmented into task segments (i.e., walk forward, walk backward). Features were generated for each overlapping 1-second windows, and the data set was split into training and testing data sets. Logistic regression models were used to estimate accuracy for classifying BrAC ≤ .08% from BrAC > .08% for each subject. RESULTS Across participants, BrAC > .08% was predicted with a mean accuracy of 92.5% using logistic regression, an improvement from a naive model accuracy of 88.2% (mean sensitivity = .89; specificity = .92; positive predictive value = .77; and negative predictive value = .97). The two most informative accelerometer features were mean signal amplitude and variance of the signal in the x-axis (i.e., gait sway). CONCLUSIONS We found preliminary evidence supporting use of gait-related features measured by smartphone accelerometer sensors to detect alcohol intoxication. Future research should determine whether these findings replicate in situ.