Abstract This paper seeks to empirically examine the validity of nexus between Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and poverty reduction in the context of twelve European transition and post-transition countries divided in two regions, between 2000 and 2015. The empirical analysis investigates whether some variations in poverty reduction are influenced by countries’ FDI performance and lead by progress in the EU integration process. The study finds that the nexus between FDI and poverty reduction varies between two regions (the Western Balkan region and the Central Europe region). While the relationship between FDI and poverty reduction has a positive effect in the Western Balkan region, it is insignificant and negative in the Central European region. In addition, the findings confirm some earlier assumptions that FDI impacts poverty reduction more strongly in poorer countries (the Western Balkan region) than in wealthier countries (the Central European region).

It is well-known that for a class of minimum-phase relative degree one linear-time-invariant (LTI) systems, with a unit feedback control structure, overshoot necessarily happens if the plant transfer function has poles at origin or unstable poles. This work aims to overcome this overshoot performance limitation (OPL) by using a novel reset controller, which has a generalized first order reset element (GFORE) structure. By tuning parameters of this reset controller carefully, the non-overshoot performance can be ensured. Furthermore, the implementation of the proposed reset controller with a high-pass filter is provided. Parameter tuning guidelines are also provided and, finally, the proposed design is verified with a simulation example.

* Correspondence: suljevic.damir@gmail.com A great success in the evolution of animal behavior and physiology is the ability to survive seasonally unfavorable conditions, especially when it comes to variable and extremely low temperatures (Roots, 2006). Environmental variations lead animals to a state of hibernation, which causes depression of metabolic and physiological processes, as well as a slow development and reproduction so that the animal can survive (Dugbartey and Henning, 2013). Life activities of the gastropods depend on environmental factors throughout the whole year. Shells have great importance because they reduce water loss during summer days. The formation of the calcareous epiphragm, with which they bind to substrates, is an additional protection mechanism of evaporation (Elmslie, 1998). Snail hibernation includes shell closing by the secretion of the epiphragm, while energy is gained from stored food reserves during this process (Holtz and Von Brand, 1940). In experimental conditions, aestivation can last for years, which suggests that the metabolic rate depends on both exogenous and endogenous factors (Nowakowska, 2011). Respiration is reduced during hibernation and about 10% of the fluid is lost, which affects heart rate, oxygen consumption, and energy requirements (Nicolai et al., 2011). Metabolic changes during hibernation affect the value of circulating hemocytes. The phagocytic activity of hemocytes and lectins, as a defense mechanism, takes place thanks to the presence of calcium ions in the snail hemolymph. Consequently, the changes in the values of calcium ions affect the hemocyte number (Saleddin and Wilbur, 1984). Many studies confirmed the importance of hemocytes in immune responses, antibody recognition, phagocytosis, encapsulation, and cytotoxic reactions (Yoshino et al., 2001). Two types of hemocytes, granulocytes and hyalinocytes, have been identified in the hemolymph of Biomphalaria (Ratcliffe, 1985). Seasonal factors and different experimental tests affect the total number, type, and behavior of hemocytes (Oliver and Fisher, 1995). The role of hemocytes today is most widely considered as an immunological response to infections. Seta et al. (1996) reported that the phagocytic potential of hyalinocytes is questionable and that only granulocytes are crucial in the immune response. Vinaud et al. (2008), Delgado et al. (2001), and Matricon-Gondran and Letocart (1999) identified four types of hemocytes based on their size (small, medium, large, and gigantic cells) in the hemolymph of Biomphalaria glabrata. According to morphological criteria, there are two types, round cells and spread cells (Sminia, 1981), while in the study of Adamowicz and Bolaczek (2003), they refer to these cells as type I and type II. Wojtaszek et al. Abstract: The total number of hemocytes and their morphological characteristics were analyzed in Helix pomatia Linnaeus, 1758, by light microscopy during different phases of hibernation. Three types of hemocytes were identified: hyalinocytes, agranulocytes, and granulocytes. Total number of hemocytes decreased significantly during hibernation. Most intensive changes in cell size, morphology, and appearance of special structures in granulocytes happened during the hibernation period itself. Termination of hibernation coincides with very important granulocyte transformation and the appearance of specific gigantic short-lived cells. All of the changes in cell number and morphology are characteristics of different hibernation phases and have a major role in adaptive hypothermia. Granulocytes are hemocytes of great importance in immune response while specific functions of hyalinocytes and agranulocytes remain largely unexplored.

Abstract Emperipolesis is considered a physiological phenomena often present in various pathophysiological conditions, but its etiology is still unknown. In this study, we analyzed the number of megakaryocytes and the percentage of emperipoletic cells in the sternal and femoral bone marrow of Wistar rats. Five types in the thrombopoiesis lineage (megakaryoblasts, promegakaryocytes and megakaryocytes - acidophilic, basophilic and thrombocytogenic) were determined. Except for basophilic megakaryocytes, significant differences were found for number of thrombopoietic cells in the sternal and femoral bone marrow. A larger number of thrombocytogenic megakaryocytes were present in the sternal bone marrow. Emperipoletic cells were significantly present in the femoral compared to the sternal bone marrow. Emperipolesis was typical for lymphocytes and neutrophils individually, while emperipolesis with two or more cells within thrombopoietic cell was also present (1-7 %) and significant differences between the sternal and femoral bone marrow were detected. Emperipolesis was found in all analysed rats and it most commonly occured within mature megakaryocytes and rarely megakaryoblasts, while it was not recorded in the promegakaryocytes. The high incidence of megakaryocytes with emperopolesis in rats could be a consequence of “normal” cell retention in the cytoplasm of megakaryocytes while passing blood cells to circulation or related to haematopoietic response due to high incidence of inbreeding.

Introduction: Fetal Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is an imaging method for displaying anatomical structures of the fetus without ionizing radiation and it has been in use since the MRI has been used for the analysis of the adult human body. Aim: The aim of our paper is the two-year retrospective analysis of fetal MRI examinations for the purpose of presenting various pathological conditions of the fetuses. Methods: A total of 59 fetal MRI examinations were performed on pregnant women in the time period 2016 to 2018 at the Radiology Clinic at Sarajevo University Clinical Center, on Siemens and Toshiba 1.5 Tesla scanners. All cases were referred by gynecologists who suspected a fetal pathology. The comparison of the fetal age at which the congenital anomalies are usually detected is performed using the univariate analysis of variance and the Student t test, at the 95% level of confidence. Results: Of the total of 59 fetal MRI examinations, 2 fetuses (3,4%) were healthy, while pathology of the head and CNS was found in 26 fetuses (44,2%), thoracic cavity pathology in 5 fetuses (8,5%), abdominal cavity pathology in 18 fetuses (30,6%), pathology of extremities in 2 fetuses (3,4%), spinal cord pathology in one fetus (1,7%), and in 3 fetuses associated anomalies were found (5,1%). The pathology of the uterus and placenta was found in two pregnant women (3,4%). Conclusion: Prenatal MRI provides extremely useful information in cases where the ultrasound examination of the fetus is insufficient due to the size and position of the fetus. MRI is a key tool in deciding whether to continue or stop the further development of the fetus.

Software-Defined Networks (SDN) simplify tasks performed by the network switches and centralize the network management by clearly separating networking processes into an application, control, and data plane. An OpenFlow, the flagship of SDN implementation, has reduced the innovation of such networks by diminishing switching tasks to the simple lookup of packet flow tables. A novel hybrid architecture of a deeply programmable packet-switching node (DPPSN), based on field-programmable gate array (FPGA) and central processing unit (CPU) technologies, is proposed, with the aim of overcoming OpenFlow’s limitations regarding the ability to implement new protocols and advanced packet processing functionalities. It has been demonstrated, through the implementation and experimental evaluation of the DPPSN, that it is justified to use hybrid FPGA/CPU architecture for this purpose.

Abstract There are three major challenges for climatic data availability for Reference Evapotranspiration (ET0) calculations in Bosnia and Herzegovina: limited data availability, discontinuity of data records, and low station density. The main objective of this study was to apply reliable methods to calculate and spatially distribute ET0, while considering the impact of the elevation. A 20 m spatial resolution map was created for mean ET0 values at monthly, vegetation period (April–September) and annual temporal resolution at municipality (143 municipalities), regional (4 regions) and national spatial resolutions. 108 weather stations for the period 1961–2016 (56 years) were utilized for spatial interpolation of ET0 using kriging with external drift method. The required elevation for ET0 estimation at each grid node was extracted from the digital elevation model of Bosnia and Herzegovina. ET0 was calculated using FAO-56 Penman-Monteith, and in cases where only minimum and maximum temperature data were available the Hargreaves-Samani equation adjusted with locally appropriate empirical radiation coefficient was used. A gradual decrease of mean ET0 values from the southern to central and northern to central part of the country is notable. For the all seasons (monthly, vegetation and annually), the southern region has greater ET0 than the other three regions (north, west and central-east), which are similar. The long-term mean annual ET0 for Bosnia and Herzegovina is 716 mm, approximately 78% (559 mm) of which occurs during in the vegetation period.

Apical periodontitis represents a chronic inflammatory process within periapical tissues, mostly caused by etiological agents of endodontic origin. Progressive bone resorption in the periapical region represents the hallmark of apical periodontitis and occurs as the consequence of interplay between polymicrobial infections and host response. The Notch signaling pathway is an evolutionary conserved cell-signaling system that plays an important role in a variety of cell functions including proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. In recent years its involvement in bone homeostasis has attracted a significant consideration. We hypothesized that Notch signaling pathway, which has a complex interplay with proinflammatory cytokines and bone resorption regulators, contributes to alveolar bone resorption via increased Notch receptors on immune cell surface and stimulates Notch receptor intracellular domain (NICD) translocation into the nucleus. The potential benefit of medications aimed to down-regulate these pathways in apical periodontitis treatment remains to be assessed.

Abstract Migraine is a neurological disorder characterized by persisting attacks, underlined by the sensitivity to light. One of the leading reasons that make migraine a bigger issue is that it cannot be diagnosed easily by physicians because of the numerous overlapping symptoms with other diseases, such as epilepsy and tension-headache. Consequently, studies have been growing on how to make a computerized decision support system for diagnosis of migraine. In most laboratory studies, flash stimulation is used during the recording of electroencephalogram (EEG) signals with different frequencies and variable (seconds) time windows. The main contribution of this study is the investigation of the effects of flash stimulation on the classification accuracy, and how to find the effective window length for EEG signal classification. To achieve this, we tested different machine learning algorithms on the EEG signals features extracted by using discrete wavelet transform. Our tests on the real-world dataset, recorded in the laboratory, show that the flash stimulation can improve the classification accuracy for more than 10%. Not surprisingly, it is seen that the same holds for the selection of time window length, i.e. the selection of the proper window length is crucial for the accurate migraine identification.