In this paper, we explore nature writing as a specific contemporary genre and contextualise the writing of the Scottish author Kathleen Jamie within the larger framework of the genre. Jamie embraces her “northernness” and “marginalness” (Dósa 2009) by focusing on the realm of non-human on the fringes of Europe, thus re-learning to see the world and constituting a new ‘poetics of noticing’. The aim of the study is to extract a cluster of linguistic and literary features from selected essays (Findings (2005) and Sightlines (2012)) by Kathleen Jamie to represent ‘salience’ and ‘conviction’ (Stibbe 2015) within the theoretical frameworks of ecolingustics and ecosophy. In search of new stories to live and die by, nature writing, therefore, is proposed to function as an important medium in constructing salience, beliefs and convictions about how humans perceive their (dis)place(ment) in nature as well as their inner and outer landscape. / Keywords: nature writing, Kathleen Jamie, poetics of noticing, salience, conviction, ecolinguistics, ecosophy

Due to the frequent climatic changes occurring worldwide, which are related to extreme meteorological parameters as well as human activities, it is obvious that these influence the flow regimes of rivers. River flow is the most important factor determining the hydrological regime of any river. This has a substantial influence on the water resources and the environment surrounding the river. Hydrotechnical structures are also dimensioned on the basis of the flow as the primary input parameter. The flow conditions have different properties and correlations with the material of the river bed. In this paper, possible dependencies and phenomena are investigated using real case studies on two rivers in Croatia - examples of river courses in alluvium and karst areas - with regard to homogeneity and isotropy analyses. For this purpose, rescaled adjusted partial sums and innovative polygon trend analysis methods will be applied on the form of a combination of methods at the same watercourses. It has been shown that the analysed time series of the flows do not exhibit homogeneity and isotropy. In addition, fluctuations and irregularities were detected in the same time series. This is key information for determining the reliability of the flow forecast.

Microneedles (MNs) or microneedle arrays (MNAs) are critical components of minimally invasive devices comprised of a single or a series of micro‐scale projections. MNs can bypass the outermost layer of the skin and painlessly access microcirculation of the epidermis and dermis layers, attracting great interest in the development of personalized healthcare monitoring and diagnostic devices. However, MN technology has not yet reached its full potential since current micro‐ and nanofabrication methods do not address the need of fabricating MNs with complex surfaces to facilitate the development of clinically adequate devices. This work presents a new approach that combines 3D printing technology based on two‐photon polymerization with soft lithography for cost‐effective and time‐saving fabrication of complex MNAs. Specifically, this method relies on printing complex 3D objects efficiently replicated into polymeric substrates via soft lithography, resulting in a free‐standing polymeric lattice (PL) membrane that can be transferred onto gold‐coated MNs and used for electrochemical biosensing. This platform shows excellent electrochemical performance in detecting metabolite (glucose) and protein (insulin) biomarkers with a dynamic linear range sufficient for detecting biomarkers in healthy individuals and patients. The approach holds great potential for fabricating next‐generationMNs, including their transfer into clinically adequate devices.

We investigate models that can induce significant modifications to the couplings of first- and second-generation quarks with Higgs bosons. Specifically, we identify all simplified models featuring two vector-like quark states which can lead to substantial enhancements in these couplings. In addition, these models generate operators in Standard Model Effective Field Theory, both at tree-level and one-loop, that are constrained by electroweak precision and Higgs data. We show how to evade constraints from flavour physics and consider direct searches for vector-like quarks. Ultimately, we demonstrate that viable ultraviolet models can be found with first-generation quark Yukawa couplings enhanced by several hundred times their Standard Model value, while the Higgs couplings to charm (strange) quarks can be increased by factors of a few (few tens). Given the importance of electroweak precision data in constraining these models, we also discuss projections for future measurements at the Tera-Z FCC-ee machine.

This paper explores the integration of computer vision technologies to enhance traffic safety through the effective detection of car-pedestrian interactions. As urban environments become more congested, pedestrian safety remains a critical concern. The system’s performance was evaluated using real-life footage from vehicle-mounted cameras, as well as images and videos sourced from online platforms. These real-world scenarios enabled a detailed assessment of the system’s accuracy and efficiency in practical conditions. The study highlights the potential for significant improvements in traffic safety, particularly in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where over 38% of registered vehicles are older than 23 years, and nearly 62% exceed 14 years. The aging vehicle fleet heightens the risk of accidents, underscoring the need for advanced detection methods. The proposed system automates the identification of hazardous situations on roads, allowing timely responses from relevant authorities.

The dynamics in the global automotive industry are constantly evolving, opening pathways to new markets and technological paradigms. Advancements such as H2 and e-vehicles present clear opportunities but also entail challenges of uncontrolled development, particularly with the growing influence of China in the EU. Traffic accidents involving vehicles with electric propulsion pose specific challenges for investigators and analysts. Analyses reveal increased complexity and harmfulness of these accidents, emphasizing the need for new methods of investigation and damage assessment, as well as for tightening regulations. The production of e-vehicles faces financial challenges and technological demands. Production efficiency, including the use of one-piece chassis panels, is crucial for competitiveness in the market. The future of the automotive industry in the EU requires complex strategies focused on the development of e-vehicles for urban needs, H2 technology for freight trucks, and alternative fuels to ensure energy independence. Traffic safety is gaining importance, recognizing energy as a key factor in global security. Attitudes of countries like the Netherlands towards e-vehicles vary, with the issue of electric energy availability highlighted as significant. In this complex landscape of the automotive industry, contemplating the future requires a balance between technological innovation, safety, and sustainability.

A study was conducted on a sample of 305 participants, students of the Faculty of Security Sciences of the University of Banja Luka, representing the population of 19- to 20-year-old police trainees, to determine differences in motor skills based on body mass index (BMI). The diagnosis of body mass index (BMI) status as a basic measure for the assessment of physical and nutritional status was subjected to a cluster analysis to define six categories of participants hypothetically characteristic for the specificity of the population studied. In accordance with the health epidemiological standards of the World Health Federation, a universal categorization of BMI values was made: underweight individuals, normal weight individuals, overweight individuals or individuals with excessive body weight, preobese individuals (mild obesity), obese individuals (moderate obesity), and morbidly obese individuals (severe obesity). The central values of the isolated BMI clusters in the sample studied were as follows: BMI cluster 1 = 18.70 kg/m2, cluster 2 = 20.61 kg/m2, cluster 3 = 22.16 kg/m2, cluster 4 = 23.83 kg/m2, cluster 5 = 25.81 kg/m2, and cluster 6 = 27.38 kg/m2. In the first cluster, 8 participants were identified, representing 2.6 % of the population studied, in the second cluster 57 participants or 18.7 %, in the third cluster 68 participants or 22.3 %, in the fourth cluster 138 participants or 45.2 %, in the fifth cluster 22 participants or 7.2 % and in the sixth cluster 12 participants or 3.9 % of the population studied. The results of this study indicate that there are differences in motor skills variables between certain categories of participants: Standing Long Jump (MSDM) - assessing lower extremity explosive strength - and Cooper 12-Minute Run Test (MKUP) - assessing aerobic endurance, while the Maximum Number of Sit-ups (MPTR) variable - assessing dynamic core strength - is at the borderline of statistical significance.

Although the importance of the microbiome in the context of tick biology and vector competence has recently come into a broader research focus, the field is still in its infancy and the complex ecological interactions between the tick residential bacteria and pathogens are obscure. Here, we show that an environmentally acquired gut bacterium has the potential to impair Borrelia afzelii colonization within the tick vector through a secreted metalloprotease. Oral introduction of either Bacillus cereus LTG-1 isolate or its purified enhancin (BcEnhancin) protein significantly reduces B. afzelii burden in the guts of Ixodes ricinus ticks. This effect is attributed to the ability of BcEnhancin to degrade a glycan-rich peritrophic matrix (PM), which is a gut protective barrier essential for Borrelia survival. Our study highlights the importance of the gut microbiome in determining tick vector competence and provides a deeper mechanistic insight into the complex network of interactions between Borrelia, the tick, and the tick microbiome.

Abstract Glioma is a rare and debilitating brain cancer with one of the lowest cancer survival rates. Genome-wide association studies have identified 34 genetic susceptibility regions. We sought to discover novel susceptibility regions using approaches that test groups of contiguous genetic markers simultaneously. We analyzed data from three independent glioma studies of European ancestry, GliomaScan (1,316 cases/1,293 controls), Australian Genomics and Clinical Outcomes of Glioma Consortium (560 cases/2,237 controls), and Glioma International Case-Control Study (4,000 cases/2,411 controls), using the machine learning algorithm DEPendency of association on the number of Top Hits and a region-based regression method based on the generalized Berk–Jones (GBJ) statistic, to assess the association of glioma with genomic regions by glioma type and sex. Summary statistics from the UCSF/Mayo Clinic study were used for independent validation. We conducted a meta-analysis using GliomaScan, Australian Genomics and Clinical Outcomes of Glioma Consortium, Glioma International Case-Control Study, and UCSF/Mayo. We identified 11 novel candidate genomic regions for glioma risk common to multiple studies. Two of the 11 regions, 16p13.3 containing RBFOX1 and 1p36.21 containing PRDM2, were significantly associated with female and male glioma risk respectively, based on the results of the meta-analysis. Both regions have been previously linked to glioma tumor progression. Three of the 11 regions contain neurotransmitter receptor genes (7q31.33 GRM8, 5q35.2 DRD1, and 15q13.3 CHRNA7). Our region-based approach identified 11 genomic regions that suggest an association with glioma risk of which two regions, 16p13.3 and 1p36.21, warrant further investigation as genetic susceptibility regions for female and male risk, respectively. Our analyses suggest that genetic susceptibility to glioma may differ by sex and highlight the possibility that synapse-related genes play a role in glioma susceptibility. Significance: Further investigation of the potential susceptibility regions identified in our study may lead to a better understanding of glioma genetic risk and the underlying biological etiology of glioma. Our study suggests sex may play a role in genetic susceptibility and highlights the importance of sex-specific analysis in future glioma research.