The African hinged terrapin genus Pelusios currently contains 17 recognized species. We describe an additional new species with two subspecies from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Tanzania. According to phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial DNA, the new species is closely related to P. subniger, whereas three nuclear loci (C-mos, RAG2, R35) suggest a closer relationship to P. bechuanicus and P. upembae. Morphologically, the new species resembles in plastral shape P. subniger, but differs in plastral coloration in having a diffuse dark plastral pattern instead of the blotched pattern of P. subniger. The two subspecies of the new species are characterized by distinct mitochondrial clades and private alleles in the nuclear RAG2 and R35 loci. According to an examination of museum specimens and photographic records, the new species occurs largely west of the Rift Valley, while P. subniger is distributed east of the Rift Valley. Museum specimens and iNaturalist records suggest that the two species could occur sympatrically in central Tanzania. Furthermore, we found no evidence for any genetic distinctness of P. subniger from the Seychelles, supporting that the subspecies from there is invalid.

The development of tourism in Neum , Bosnia and Herzegovina’s only coastal town, represents a complex process that began during Yugoslavia’s socialist era, marked by various social, architectural, and ecological challenges. During the 1960’s, alongside accelerated urbanization, transportati on infrastructure, and secondary housing, Neum experienced a transformation from a local community to a remarkable tourist destination. Architecture of that period, marked by modernist principles, was not just functional, but reflected a wide socialist ide ology - promoting collective welfare, harmony with natural surroundings, and inclusivity. However, the expansion of tourism in Neum also brought problems, such as illegal construction, the destruction of landscape, and spatial segregation . The aim of this research is to analyze how the elements of socialist modernist architecture can be used as a base for the further development of hotel complexes in Neum. Modernist architecture from the socialist period provides various important lessons for today’s u rban p lanning. It’s basic principles - simplicity, functionality, and the adaptation to the natural terrain, offer a relevant frame for the contemporary development of tourism. In this context, this research focuses on the integration of those principles into con temporary architecture, with the aim of creating sustainable, functional, and aesthetically pleasing hotels that satisfy the needs of t ourists, while keeping the local identity. With the use of primary and secondary sources, the analysis includes the study of current hotels in Neum, their architectural characteristics, and urban organization. Special attention is paid to challenges, such as unplanned const ruction, degradation of the coast, and the unequal development of different parts of the municipality. Through this analysis, concrete models for the further development of hotels are suggested, which include the incorporation of modernist principles, but with a comb ination of new approaches.

ABSTRACT Enzymes derived from extremophiles, or extremozymes, possess unique properties that enable them to function under extreme environmental conditions. Microbial communities in subterranean ecosystems have evolved specialized metabolic pathways to survive, leading to the discovery of bioactive molecules with diverse biotechnological and industrial applications as well as the development of sustainable methods for habitat restoration. This study aimed to identify cultivable microorganisms producing industrially relevant enzymes, such as laccases, proteases, and urethanases, from extremophiles in the Dinaric Karst subterranean ecosystems, which are known as biodiversity hotspot. A total of 40 samples were collected from six caves and an abandoned railway tunnel, now a key roost for a large Myotis myotis maternity colony. Cave samples were taken from the entrance, twilight, and dark zones, including soil, sediments, moonmilk, mineral deposits, bedrock deposits, insect remains, entomophagous fungi, wall biofilm, and guano from various bat species. Following microbial cultivation, 207 colonies were screened for enzymatic activity using substrate‐specific assays. Functional analysis identified one microorganism exhibiting strong laccase activity, seven capable of degrading polyurethane, and numerous protease‐producing colonies. Notably, this study constitutes the inaugural report on discovering polyurethane‐degrading microorganisms in karst caves. Molecular identification revealed microbial genera, including Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Serratia, Paenibacillus, and Priestia. These findings underscore the biotechnological potential of subterranean extremophiles and highlight the importance of conserving these ecosystems. Further characterization of these enzymes may drive advancements in environmental remediation, waste recycling, and sustainable industrial processes.

The inheritance of family businesses is a problem that many entrepreneurs face at the end of their successful activity. The goal of this article is to analyze some preconditions for the successful inheritance of family companies from one generation to another on the basis of two factors: the positive intra-family attitude towards the inheritance of family businesses and the existence of national regulatory frameworks to regulate the inheritance. The objectives are: (1) to present basic legal documents from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Poland, Romania and Uzbekistan regulating the inheritance of family businesses, and (2) to present a comparative study on student responses from these countries as regards their intentions of having joint businesses with their relatives. The data has been collected by each co-author for the related country within the international academic network of INTERGEN in 2021 and 2023. The target groups were students and alumni from universities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Poland, Romania and Uzbekistan; the number of respondents is 2496.

Plasma proteomics technologies are advancing rapidly, offering new opportunities for biomarker discovery and precision medicine. Direct comparisons of available technologies are needed to understand how platform selection affects downstream findings. We compared the performance of a peptide fractionation-based mass spectrometry method (HiRIEF LC-MS/MS) and the Olink Explore 3072 proximity extension assays on 88 plasma samples, analyzing 1129 proteins with both methods. The platforms exhibited complementary proteome coverage, high precision, and concordance in estimating sex differences in protein levels. Quantitative agreement between platforms was moderate (median correlation 0.59, interquartile range 0.33-0.75), mainly influenced by technical factors. Finally, we present a publicly available tool for peptide-level analysis of platform agreement and demonstrate its utility in clarifying cross-platform discrepancies in protein and proteoform measurements. Our findings provide insights for platform selection and study design, and highlight the value of combining mass spectrometry and affinity-based approaches for more comprehensive and reliable plasma proteome profiling. Advancements in plasma proteomics have opened new avenues for biomarker discovery, necessitating a clear understanding of technological capabilities. Here, the authors compare HiRIEF LC-MS/MS and Olink Explore 3072, revealing complementary strengths and moderate quantitative agreement, and introduce PeptAffinity, a resource facilitating detailed peptide-level exploration of differences in protein quantification between platforms.

The aviation industry operates as a complex, dynamic system generating vast volumes of data from aircraft sensors, flight schedules, and external sources. Managing this data is critical for mitigating disruptive and costly events such as mechanical failures and flight delays. This paper presents a comprehensive application of predictive analytics and machine learning to enhance aviation safety and operational efficiency. We address two core challenges: predictive maintenance of aircraft engines and forecasting flight delays. For maintenance, we utilise NASA’s C-MAPSS simulation dataset to develop and compare models, including one-dimensional convolutional neural networks (1D CNNs) and long short-term memory networks (LSTMs), for classifying engine health status and predicting the Remaining Useful Life (RUL), achieving classification accuracy up to 97%. For operational efficiency, we analyse historical flight data to build regression models for predicting departure delays, identifying key contributing factors such as airline, origin airport, and scheduled time. Our methodology highlights the critical role of Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA), feature selection, and data preprocessing in managing high-volume, heterogeneous data sources. The results demonstrate the significant potential of integrating these predictive models into aviation Business Intelligence (BI) systems to transition from reactive to proactive decision-making. The study concludes by discussing the integration challenges within existing data architectures and the future potential of these approaches for optimising complex, networked transportation systems.

Abstract To preserve resources for future generations and promote rural development, supporting ecotourism is essential. This paper provides guidelines for developing ecotourism, highlighting its role in environmental conservation. While mass tourism benefits rural communities, it can cause significant environmental harm. Therefore, this research promotes ecotourism as a sustainable alternative. In rural areas, ecotourism supports development by responsibly using natural resources. The study focuses on the potential of rural settlements in the Semberija region of Bosnia and Herzegovina, assessing their capacity for ecotourism to aid local development. A decision model was developed, considering four main criteria - natural, infrastructure, socio-cultural, and economic - and their sub-criteria. This model evaluates six rural communities’ ecotourism potential. To determine the importance of each criterion, a fuzzy weighting method with the Bonferroni mean operator was used, revealing economic factors as the most influential. The fuzzy ranking method then ranked the settlements, with Amajlije identified as having the highest ecotourism potential. The findings suggest that promoting ecotourism in Amajlije and similar communities can support sustainable rural development, balancing environmental preservation with economic growth.

Dexketoprofen/tramadol is a fixed-dose multimodal combination analgesic that significantly controls multiple acute pain states, and may have an important clinical application in providing pain control adequate to prevent the transition from acute to chronic postsurgical and low back pain. A consensus is needed to quantify and define the actual burden of postsurgical pain (PSP) and low back pain (LBP), which can support efforts toward effective approaches to manage potential pain chronification. This study utilized a modified Delphi approach. A Scientific Committee set forth 28 statements on six themes about the burden of acute PSP and LBP, their potential transition to chronic pain, their pathophysiology, therapeutic approaches to stop this transition, and the role of multimodal analgesia in this context, specifically a fixed-dose combination oral product of dexketoprofen/tramadol. An international panel of healthcare professionals from various regions and relevant medical specialties participated in a Delphi study and were surveyed for consensus on a 5-point Likert scale with consensus defined as > 70% concordance. A round of online voting lasting 3 months and using an online survey platform was permitted for each participant. A total of 100 experts completed the Delphi survey. All the 28 proposed statements reached consensus > 70% in the first round of voting. A fixed-dose combination product, specifically dexketoprofen/tramadol was recognized as a multimodal analgesic which could effectively relieve acute pain and act to prevent its transition to chronic pain. The high global burden of chronic PSP (CPSP) and chronic LBP (CLBP) was identified as well. Healthcare professionals who deal with pain recognize the burden of acute pain, the risks of acute pain transitioning to chronic pain, and inspire to avert the transition by providing effective multimodal control of acute pain. The role of fixed-dose combination analgesics, in particular dexketoprofen/tramadol, was recognized by consensus as an efficacious and safe therapy option for these acute pain syndromes. 7KDL7wDHZ5GDvGppW1iD89 A Video Abstract is available for this article. To view, please see the online version of the manuscript or follow the ‘Digital Features’ link. A Video Abstract for The Role of Dexketoprofen/Tramadol in Multimodal Therapy to Prevent Acute Postsurgical and Acute Low Back Pain from Developing into Chronic Pain: A Delphi Consensus Study (MP4 112565 KB) A Video Abstract is available for this article. To view, please see the online version of the manuscript or follow the ‘Digital Features’ link. A Video Abstract for The Role of Dexketoprofen/Tramadol in Multimodal Therapy to Prevent Acute Postsurgical and Acute Low Back Pain from Developing into Chronic Pain: A Delphi Consensus Study (MP4 112565 KB)

Background Acute cholecystitis (AC) is one of the most common surgical emergencies with a wide range of clinical outcomes. Early identification of patients at risk for postoperative complications is essential for optimizing surgical decision-making and resource allocation. Hemogram-derived indices such as the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), in addition to biochemical markers, may provide prognostic value beyond traditional risk factors. Materials and methods This retrospective single-center study included 210 patients admitted to the University Clinical Center Tuzla with AC between January 2024 and January 2025. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were collected. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to identify optimal cut-off values for predicting complications. Multivariate logistic regression was adjusted for age, sex, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and other baseline comorbidities, in addition to SII, NLR, glucose, and creatinine. Results Four variables emerged as independent predictors of complications: SII > 950 remained an independent predictor after full adjustment (p = 0.002) with a sensitivity of 78% and specificity of 72%. It yielded the highest discriminatory accuracy among the evaluated markers, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.81 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.75-0.87). No formal comparison with TG18 grading was performed. In contrast, baseline comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus and hypertension did not retain significance after adjustment. Conclusion SII, NLR, glucose, and creatinine independently predicted complications in AC, with SII emerging as the strongest predictor among the evaluated variables. These findings suggest that incorporating hemogram-derived indices into preoperative assessment may enhance risk stratification. However, the retrospective single-center design and potential confounding related to the surgical approach warrant cautious interpretation.