Large Language Models (LLMs) have achieved significant success across various NLP tasks. However, their massive computational costs limit their widespread use, particularly in real-time applications. Structured pruning offers an effective solution by compressing models and directly providing end-to-end speed improvements, regardless of the hardware environment. Meanwhile, different components of the model exhibit varying sensitivities towards pruning, calling for nonuniform model compression. However, a pruning method should not only identify a capable substructure, but also account for post-compression training. To this end, we propose DarwinLM, a method for training-aware structured pruning. DarwinLM builds upon an evolutionary search process, generating multiple offspring models in each generation through mutation, and selecting the fittest for survival. To assess the effect of post-training, we incorporate a lightweight, multistep training process within the offspring population, progressively increasing the number of tokens and eliminating poorly performing models in each selection stage. We validate our method through extensive experiments on Llama- 2-7B, Llama-3.1-8B and Qwen-2.5-14B-Instruct, achieving state-of-the-art performance for structured pruning. For instance, DarwinLM surpasses ShearedLlama while requiring 5× less training data during post-compression training. Code and all weights are released at: https://github.com/ISTDASLab/ DarwinLM.

This study explores the application of subject-verb concord rules among Bosnian EFL students, focusing on the influence of proficiency level, academic performance in grammar-related subjects, and preferences for American or British English. Guided by three research questions, the study examines whether students’ general language proficiency impacts their ability to correctly apply subject-verb concord rules, whether there is a correlation between their grammar course grades and performance on a concord-focused questionnaire, and whether students demonstrate a preference for American or British English concord rules. The research involved 41 university students with proficiency levels of B2 and C1. The findings reveal that students’ proficiency levels and grammar score grades do not significantly influence their application of subject-verb concord rules. Despite demonstrating a good overall understanding, students frequently struggled with specific categories, such as plural nouns and coordination with or/nor. Additionally, the results indicate a notable preference for American English concord rules over British English. These findings underscore the pedagogical importance of subject-verb concord and highlight the need for targeted instructional strategies to address persistent errors. The study also emphasizes the value of error analysis in identifying interlingual influences and improving language learning materials.  Article visualizations:

572 Background: Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) tyrosine kinase inhibitors and checkpoint inhibitors (CPI) a standard-of-care treatment for clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). We investigated the biology underpinning benefit of anti-VEGFR TKI in the phase II A-PREDICT trial (NCT01693822), evaluating pre- and post-treatment, fresh multiregion tumour biopsies in patients with metastatic ccRCC treated with first-line axitinib. Methods: We analysed 123 tumour samples from 52 patients, 28 with paired pre/post-treatment samples. Post-treatment samples included week-9, nephrectomy, and on-progression timepoints. ‘Responders’ had progression-free survival (PFS) ≥6 months (n=35), ‘non-responders’ with PFS <6 months (n=17). We applied a custom Nanostring panel for gene expression analysis and multiplex immunofluorescence (mIF) for orthogonal validation. Wilcoxin test was used to analyze paired observations. Results: At baseline, angiogenesis scores were similar between responders and non-responders (p=0.22). Post-treatment, the angiogenesis, vascular sprouting, and endothelial cell proliferation signature scores were significantly decreased (p=0.023, 0.0034, & 0.0082, respectively) in all patients, suggesting suppression of angiogenesis and neovascularisation irrespective of clinical outcomes. mIF in 3 patients (with PFS of 3, 5.6, & 100 months) confirms widespread intratumoral vessel depletion. Immune deconvolution analysis shows total levels of T cells and CD8 + T cells were similar pre- and post-treatment, suggesting axitinib did not enhance immune cell trafficking. Rather, axitinib promoted increased levels of exhausted CD8 + T cells post-treatment (p=0.01). M2 tumour-associated macrophages increased post-treatment in responders (p=0.033) but not in non-responders (p=0.44). A minority of patients had durable (>2 years) responses to axitinib (n=7/65, 6 with tissue for analysis). In these patients, we found higher levels of pre-treatment intratumoral cytotoxic immune cells (p=0.041) and NK cells (p=0.015) compared to patients with primary resistant disease. Conclusions: Axitinib suppressed angiogenesis and neovascularisation leading to intratumoral vessel depletion, and therapy response associates with features of an immunosuppressive TME. Baseline endogenous immune priming appears critical for durable response to anti-VEGF therapy. These data are relevant to understanding the clinical efficacy of combined anti-VEGF and CPI regimens. Clinical trial information: NCT01693822 .

Thalassemia, a genetic condition characterized by defective hemoglobin synthesis, is often managed with transfusion therapy, which can lead to iron overload—a significant contributor to morbidity and mortality due to organ damage and pathogenic infections. Iron chelation therapy, the cornerstone of managing iron toxicity, may inadvertently influence the gut microbiome, a critical modulator of immunity and metabolism. This review provides new insights into the interplay between iron chelation therapy and gut microbiome dynamics in thalassemia patients. It synthesizes findings on how chelators such as deferoxamine, deferasirox, and deferiprone influence microbial composition, iron availability, and systemic inflammation. Emerging evidence highlights alterations in gut microbial diversity, with reduced beneficial taxa and increased pathogenic populations, driven by changes in luminal iron levels. This imbalance contributes to immune dysregulation, systemic inflammation, and susceptibility to infections. The review advocates for tailored treatment strategies that integrate microbiome-targeted interventions alongside traditional chelation therapy to improve patient outcomes. By combining genetic profiling, dietary adjustments, and microbiome modulation, this approach offers a promising avenue for personalized medicine in thalassemia care.

Aquatic ecosystems in riverine wetlands are important refuges and nurseries for freshwater biota. Given the significant global loss and degradation of wetlands, regular conservation assessments of these habitats, even in not easily accessible regions, are crucial for implementing effective management. Thus, developing cost-effective approaches for rapid ecological and conservation screening of water bodies in floodplains, such as the Danube, is a priority. One potential solution is the use of UAV-based (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) ecological indicators to complement existing monitoring frameworks. This paper aims to explore whether UAV-based macrophyte data can provide a more precise indication of the trophic state and conservation indices (assessed through fish and macroinvertebrate communities) of temperate wetland lentic ecosystems, compared to traditional field surveys. The fieldwork was conducted during the summer months of 2019 at 23 sampling sites within eight lentic water bodies located in three wetland areas along the Middle Danube in Serbia. Data on aquatic vegetation, fish, and macroinvertebrate communities, and samples for water quality analysis were collected simultaneously. UAV images were acquired using an RGB camera. Orthomosaics were processed using supervised object-based image (OBIA) classification to obtain a single vector layer with macrophyte functional groups and taxa. Macrophyte cover metrics obtained during the fieldwork and UAV data processing were correlated against water quality parameters and conservation indices calculated for fish and macroinvertebrate assemblages. The study demonstrated that UAV photogrammetry can provide relatively precise measurements of macrophyte cover characteristics compared to traditional plot-based monitoring methods, making it effective for assessing aquatic ecosystems. The analysis revealed that sites with high values of fish and macroinvertebrate conservation indices, optimal oxygen conditions, and mesotrophic states were associated with UAV orthomosaic polygons showing relatively high macrophyte functional diversity and a presence of floating-rooted species. Conversely, sites experiencing eutrophication and a poor oxygen regime with species-poor fish assemblages correlated positively with a higher cover of amphibian and free-floating vegetation, as well as filamentous algae. In conclusion, UAV photogrammetry offers a cost-effective method to monitor aquatic habitats along large river floodplains, including those that are not easily accessible.

Hospitals, as highly energy-intensive buildings, significantly contribute to a country's energy consumption and CO2 emissions. The study focuses on a hospital building in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and investigates the impact of selected energy renovation measures on hospital primary energy consumption and CO2 emissions. The main goal of this paper is to develop a mathematical model for establishing relationship between primary energy consumption and CO2 emissions (responses), and the three renovation measures (factors). The research uses dynamic simulation of the building's energy performance in Design Builder, validated with the actual energy consumption. Three energy renovation measures were considered in the study: installation of thermal insulation on external walls and flat roof, and the installation of a photovoltaic power plant. The Analysis of Variance and regression analysis were used to estimate factor effects, and to develop mathematical models. The analysis revealed that the installation of photovoltaic power plant on the roof and thermal insulation on the external walls had the most significant impact on reducing the building's primary energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Installation of insulation on the roof did not significantly affect these performances compared to the other two measures. Developed models are suitable for evaluation of potential for energy and CO2 savings through the implementation of energy efficiency measures. Study results can be extrapolated to all buildings within the same category, providing a valuable tool for energy efficiency planning in the healthcare sector.

This article deals with the reasons, possible causes, and manifest missed opportunities due to which Croatian culture did not have a successful transition. It especially focusses on the mechanisms and instruments used by the relevant authorities in the Republic of Croatia when it comes to decision-making in the field of culture. Implicit decisions with no strategic documents allow those in charge of cultural systems to continuously avoid setting up strategic planning, carrying out an analysis of the present situation and introducing professional criteria into practice – not to mention the unavoidable continuity of a bad practice from the past. The absence of all this unavoidably leads to non-transparency, which introduces harmful mechanisms such as conflict of interest and clientelism as the dominant levers of action at the highest levels of all procedures. There are many reasons for such a model, the foremost being that, like all the countries that came into existence within the territory of the former Yugoslavia, in times of political upheaval and the introduction of multi-party systems following the fall of the Berlin Wall and the wars that ensued, Croatia too has missed its chance to develop culture as a space for the enrichment of society, for expanding horizons and promoting tolerance, instead orienting it towards the sphere of ideological and political control and (self-)censorship. Acting in the mentioned ways, cultural policy stakeholders in Croatia have so far failed to build trust in cultural value that would enable development, innovation, reform, continuity, inter-cultural dialogue, pluralism, diversity, and something that is nowadays essential, yet wilfully ignored – the development of cultural management.

Healthy eating in preschools is a very important but challenging goal that can benefit from an adequate institutional and system approach. Five years ago, the Ministry of Education and Culture in the Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina, adopted a policy for healthy eating in preschools in the form of a rulebook and standards, whose use was not mandatory. The aim of this research was to determine the practices, perceptions, and experiences of preschool personnel related to the implementation of the abovementioned rulebook and standards. We applied a qualitative research method and conducted six focus groups: three with teachers (n = 37) and three with managers in preschools (n = 19). The qualitative data were analyzed according to the Framework Method. We found that the practice of healthy eating in public preschool settings involves a certain number of facilitators and ongoing challenges. While there are no doubts that the existing rulebook and standards are facilitating efforts in establishing healthy eating in preschools, their implementation has not been an easy-going process, and they have encountered resistance that has appeared at several levels. The participants perceived cookers as resistant and “old-fashioned” in preparing meals, which was found to be a significant challenge that requires education training and ongoing supervision with support. Experiences with limited financial resources and rigid public procurement procedures make it difficult to obtain desired food items. All the participants agreed that long-term commitment is needed to achieve the full implementation of policy recommendations, together with tripartite and convergent education programs for personnel, parents, and children. Promoting proper nutrition in preschools requires a holistic approach that addresses both feasibility and attitudes toward policies, continuous education for staff, creative strategies for implementing new eating habits, and overcoming financial challenges. Collaboration with parents and community stakeholders is crucial in creating a supportive environment for healthy eating habits in preschool settings.

Ionization of atoms by a strong laser field can be described using the improved strong-field approximation. The corresponding transition amplitude of high-order above-threshold ionization is presented in the form of a two-dimensional integral over the electron ionization time t0 and the rescattering time t. This integral can be solved using the saddle-point (SP) method and the resulting T-matrix element is expressed as a sum (over the SP times t0 and t) of the partial transition amplitudes. We address the problem of finding the solutions of the system of SP equations for the times t0 and t. For a bichromatic linearly polarized laser field with the frequencies rω and sω (r and s are integers, s>r, and ω is the fundamental frequency) we found that there are 8s2 SP solutions per optical cycle. For one half of them the velocity of the electron emitted in the laser field polarization direction changes the sign at the rescattering time (we call such solutions backward-scattering solutions), while for the other half this velocity remains unchanged (these solutions we call forward-scattering SP solutions). For very short (or even negative) electron travel time we call these solutions backward-like and forward-like scattering SP solutions. For these solutions the imaginary parts of the times t0 and t become large so that the concept of real electron trajectories becomes questionable. Having such a classification, we found additional SP solutions even for the simplest case of a monochromatic linearly polarized laser field. For a bichromatic linearly polarized laser field with s=2 and equal component intensities we presented a detailed analysis of all 32 solutions per optical cycle, showing how the SP times t0 and t and the corresponding differential ionization rates depend on the photoelectron energy. We have also analyzed the case where the intensity of the second component decreases while the sum of the component intensities remains fixed. Published by the American Physical Society 2025

Sharks are highly susceptible to heavy metals and metalloids bioaccumulation due to their high trophic position within marine ecosystems. However, heavy metal(oid)s concentration have been reported for few species, and their biological effects remain poorly understood. Here we report the concentration of 14 heavy metal(oid)s from kidney, liver, brain and muscle tissues of targeted blackspotted smooth-hound sharks from the Southern Adriatic Sea. Males exhibited significantly higher levels of silver and mercury than females, and kidney and liver tissues showed higher concentrations than muscle and brain tissues. No correlation was found between metal(oid) concentrations and body size and morphometric indices. The levels of mercury consistently exceeded regulatory maximum limit for by the EU suggesting danger to the consumer, which was further highlighted by the health risk assessment following the US EPA 2000 guidelines.

<p>The COVID-19 pandemic has generated a profound psychological impact across diverse populations, exposing long-standing gaps in mental health services and intensifying social inequalities. This narrative review explores the most prevalent mental health conditions associated with the pandemic including depression, anxiety, stress, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with emphasis on population-specific vulnerabilities such as sex, age, social status, and chronic illness. Special attention is given to the bidirectional relationship between mental and physical health, the role of social support, and behavioral mediators of psychological distress. The review underscores the need for systemic, multi-level public health responses integrating mental health into pandemic preparedness, healthcare delivery, and social policy. Lessons learned from the COVID-19 crisis offer a unique opportunity to redefine mental well-being as a global public health priority.</p>

<p>This paper discusses about colorectal cancer in correlation with certain genes. Based on the etiological factors, colorectal cancer can be stratified into familial, hereditary, and sporadic. Explorations into hereditary syndromes such as familial adenomatous polyposis and hereditary non-polyposis colorectal carcinoma have unveiled genomic alterations in APC, KRAS, and TP53 genes, which are also implicated in the pathogenesis of sporadic carcinoma.&nbsp;<br />Colorectal cancer constitutes a malignant epithelial neoplasm and ranks among the most prevalent malignancies afflicting both sexes. Despite a persistently elevated mortality rate, the incidence of this carcinoma has exhibited a declining trend over the past decade, though it still represents a substantial public health concern.&nbsp;<br />Advancements in research methodologies have led to the identification of rarer syndromes and their associated genes. Investigation of APC, KRAS, and TP53 genes contributory to the genesis of rare syndromes, in conjunction with previously documented genetic instances, has unveiled the mechanistic underpinnings of carcinogenesis. This has facilitated the development of more precise therapeutic modalities.&nbsp;<br />Despite the notable plethora of newly discovered genetic alterations across various genes, it is imperative to persist in research endeavors to comprehensively elucidate the nature and significance of colorectal carcinoma development processes.</p>

<p>The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, was marked by a high incidence of thrombotic complications contributing to poor outcomes, particularly in hospitalized patients. Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), known for its antiplatelet and anti-inflammatory properties, has been widely investigated for its potential role in mitigating thrombotic events associated with COVID-19. This review explores the pathophysiological mechanisms linking SARS-CoV-2 infection with thrombosis and highlights the rationale for ASA use in this context. We analyze relevant clinical and observational studies, meta-analyses, and the results of the RECOVERY trial, which offer varying degrees of evidence regarding ASA effectiveness. While several retrospective studies suggest a reduction in thrombotic events, mechanical ventilation, and mortality among patients receiving lowdose ASA, randomized trials report mixed results, including a modest reduction in hospitalization duration, but no significant impact on overall mortality. Adverse events such as increased bleeding risk must also be considered. This review underscores the importance of individualized risk assessment and the need for further randomized controlled trials to determine the precise role of ASA in COVID-19 management.</p>