This particular article will utilize a constructivist approach, in order to analyze the various dynamics of the involvement of civil society in environmental governance in Bosnia and Herzegovina, specifically focusing on its position inside the European Union. Based on the philosophical principles of constructivism, this study investigates how civil society, as an active and socially produced participant, influences the complex landscape of environmental regulation in the European Union. The study primarily investigates the constructive mechanisms that promote engagement between civil society and government authorities. It specifically tackles the areas of lobbying, grassroots mobilization, and engagement with partners. Moreover, it analyzes the influence of civil society on environmental policies and their enhancement through the analysis of case studies and theoretical methodologies centered in constructivism. This study intends to clarify the ongoing conflict and constructivism in environmental governance and demonstrate how civil society’s constructive engagement facilitates democratic decision-making and contributes to the advancement of sustainability objectives.

This study explores relationships between societal culture value dimensions and preferred leader behavior in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH). It is one of the first studies that provide an overview of the dimension of Monumentalism in BIH and bring together all seven cultural dimensions, thus contributing to their overall understanding. Data in two observed regions (region Bosnia, region Herzegovina) have not yielded significant differences in preferred leader behavior across regions, and regarding cultural dimensions, significant differences among regions were found only for Individualism and Masculinity, implicating relatively homogenous culture in BIH. While Power Distance has no significant correlations with any of the preferred leadership behaviors, significant correlations were found for other cultural dimensions. The study’s results contribute to a deeper understanding among leaders and employees and enhance managerial effectiveness.

This study examines the relationships between societal cultures and preferred leadership behaviors across seven Slavic nations: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Czech Republic, North Macedonia, Poland, Russia (in two regions), and Serbia. The results depict variations in the associations between cultural dimensions and leadership behaviors within the Slavic context, revealing both consistent patterns and intriguing differences across countries, underscoring their cultural diversity. The obtained results contribute to the field of cross-cultural leadership and provide deeper insights into leadership dynamics within Central and Eastern European countries.

Mental health is deteriorating far and fast globally post-COVID. Though there were already over one billion people living with mental disorders pre-pandemic, in the first year of COVID-19 alone, the prevalence of anxiety and depression soared by 25% worldwide. In light of the chronic shortages of mental health resources and talents, along with disruptions of available health services caused by pandemic-related restrictions, technology is widely believed to hold the key to addressing the rising mental health crises. However, hurdles such as fragmented and oftentimes suboptimal patient protection measures substantially undermine technology’s potential to address the global mental health crises reliably and at scale. To shed light on these issues, this paper aims to discuss the post-pandemic mental health challenges and opportunities, and the strategies and solutions the global mental health community could leverage to protect and elevate society’s mental health in the long run.

Studies have shown that the benefits of fully auto-mated traffic, namely increased safety and efficiency, are being negated in mixed traffic scenarios already by a low percentage of human drivers. Besides human driving and perception errors, this effect is caused by the lack or coarseness of communication between the automated intersection control system and the human drivers, typically only through classical traffic lights. In this work, we propose to extend the interaction capabilities between human-driven vehicles (HDVs) and an automated intersection with warnings and maneuver recommendations, such as lane-change or velocity recommendations (comp. green light optimal speed advisory (GLOSA)) or safety warnings. These so-called soft inputs enable HDVs to travel more efficiently and safely by exploiting 5G communication, collective perception, and state-of-the-art intersection control concepts. The human compliance behavior to such inputs is modeled, calibrated, and simulated based on expert knowledge and naturalistic driving data. A suitable maneuver recommendation formulation for a conflicting unprotected left-turn scenario is outlined and tested in simulation studies in a typical urban intersection scenario. Analyzing relevant key performance indicators shows the high achievable performance and its trade-off characteristics with respect to HDV penetration rate and compliance behavior.

Abstract Plant viral infections cause significant economic losses, totalling $350 billion USD in 2021. With no treatment for virus-infected plants, accurate and efficient diagnosis is crucial to preventing and controlling these diseases. High-throughput sequencing (HTS) enables cost-efficient identification of known and unknown viruses. However, existing diagnostic pipelines face challenges. First, many methods depend on subjectively chosen parameter values, undermining their robustness across various data sources. Second, artifacts (e.g. false peaks) in the mapped sequence data can lead to incorrect diagnostic results. While some methods require manual or subjective verification to address these artifacts, others overlook them entirely, affecting the overall method performance and leading to imprecise or labour-intensive outcomes. To address these challenges, we introduce IIMI, a new automated analysis pipeline using machine learning to diagnose infections from 1583 plant viruses with HTS data. It adopts a data-driven approach for parameter selection, reducing subjectivity, and automatically filters out regions affected by artifacts, thus improving accuracy. Testing with in-house and published data shows IIMI’s superiority over existing methods. Besides a prediction model, IIMI also provides resources on plant virus genomes, including annotations of regions prone to artifacts. The method is available as an R package (iimi) on CRAN and will integrate with the web application www.virtool.ca, enhancing accessibility and user convenience.

Abstract Academic medicine encompasses education, research and clinical practice, and plays a crucial role in advancing medical science and training physicians. However, the field faces a crisis, with fewer graduates pursuing academic careers. Family medicine emerged as an academic discipline in the second half of the 20th century, contributing significantly to science and primary healthcare. Despite its recognised status, the World Health Organization has yet to formally define it as an academic discipline. Nevertheless, the discipline must continually update its academic dimension in order to address future challenges. The international conference in Banja Luka, attended by deans or representatives of Medical Faculties in Southeast Europe, emphasized family medicine's role in primary healthcare and academic medicine, adopting the Banja Luka Declaration to promote family medicine as an independent academic discipline. The conference aims to inspire global support for family medicine as an academic discipline.

Introduction: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by joint inflammation and destruction, leading to significant pain and disability. Adenosine deaminase (ADA) is identified as a biomarker for RA’s inflammatory process. This study aims to investigate the potential of flavonoids and phenolic acids to inhibit ADA activity (in silico) and evaluate their anti-inflammatory effects in a RA model (in vivo). Methods: The molecular docking study was conducted using YASARA Structure 19.12.14. software following the Auto Dock 4.2 protocol. A rat model with pristane-induced arthritis was used to test the anti-inflammatory effect of selected polyphenols. The consistency of the development of the rat model was evaluated through the following indicators artistic score, paw volume, and body weight. Quercetin was administered intragastrically at doses of 150 and 400 mg/kg over 15 days. The C-reactive protein (CRP) level in serum was measured with an automatic biochemical analyzer. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 29.0.2.0. Results: Molecular docking simulations showed flavonoids inhibited ADA activity with inhibition constants ranging from 0.012 mM to 0.190 mM. In the in vivo RA model, quercetin significantly reduced joint inflammation and serum CRP levels at a higher dose of 400 mg/kg. Conclusion: Quercetin shows promise as an anti-inflammatory agent for RA by targeting ADA, suggesting that flavonoid-rich plant extracts could enhance RA treatment.

Simulations have long been part of hardware-centric system domains. Similarly, architecture design is a common practice for complex industrial systems, which comprise many components that can be arranged in different layouts according to given requirements. Configuring simulation models and choosing the architecture design can be time-consuming activities. This paper presents a model-driven approach to automate the simulation configuration and architecture layouting engineering activities by leveraging model-driven optimisation techniques. The approach leverages a research solution, MOMoT (Marrying Optimisation and Model Transformations), an academic tool that combines search-based algorithms and model transformations. MOMoT is extended with two software modules, leveraging the Functional Mock-up Interface standard for simulation configuration and an architectural description language to design architecture layouts. Our solution is presented in the context of Volvo Construction Equipment's industrial use case, which is part of the European-funded project AIDOaRt. Our approach contributes to automated decision support to simulation and architecture design through model-driven optimisation while preserving the organisation's engineering practices.

This paper illustrates the utility of the heat kernel on Z as the discrete analogue of the Gaussian density function. The heat kernel on Z is the two-variable function KZ(t,x)=e−2tIx(2t) where Ix(2t) is a Bessel function, with variables x∈Z and t⩾0. Like its classic counterpart, KZ(t,x) appears in many mathematical and physical contexts and has a wealth of applications. Some of these applications will be reviewed here, and they concern Bessel integrals, trigonometric sums, hypergeometric functions and asymptotics of discrete models appearing in statistical and quantum physics. Moreover, we prove a new local limit theorem for sums of integer-valued random variables, obtain novel special values of the spectral zeta function of Bethe lattices, and provide a discussion on how e−2tIx(2t) could be useful in differential privacy.

Since its inception nearly a half century ago, CHARMM has been playing a central role in computational biochemistry and biophysics. Commensurate with the developments in experimental research and advances in computer hardware, the range of methods and applicability of CHARMM have also grown. This review summarizes major developments that occurred after 2009 when the last review of CHARMM was published. They include the following: new faster simulation engines, accessible user interfaces for convenient workflows, and a vast array of simulation and analysis methods that encompass quantum mechanical, atomistic, and coarse-grained levels, as well as extensive coverage of force fields. In addition to providing the current snapshot of the CHARMM development, this review may serve as a starting point for exploring relevant theories and computational methods for tackling contemporary and emerging problems in biomolecular systems. CHARMM is freely available for academic and nonprofit research at https://academiccharmm.org/program.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Despite advances in cranial base techniques, surgery of the sellar and parasellar regions remains challenging because of complex neurovascular relationships. Lesions within this region frequently present with progressive visual deterioration caused by distortion and compression of the optic chiasm and nerves. In addition to the direct mass effect from mechanical forces acting on the optic apparatus, these lesions alter blood supply and reduce vascular perfusion, prompting surgical treatment to remove the lesion, alleviate compression, and improve blood flow to the optic nerve. We sought to describe a 2-stage, 4-by-4-step approach, broken down and described as a “four-by-four” technique for optic apparatus decompression and a wide approach to different sellar and parasellar lesions. METHODS: We describe the operative nuances and key anatomic points in the microsurgical removal of sellar and parasellar lesions. The technique is illustrated with examples of different cases with pre- and follow-up MRI imaging and a brief overview of visual outcomes. RESULTS: The described technique has been demonstrated in various lesions in 5 patients. Patients presented with bilateral visual loss in 4 (80.0%) cases and with unilateral visual loss in 1 (20.0%) case. Improvement in visual function was noted in all cases, confirmed with visual acuity and visual field testing. DISCUSSION: The transcranial approach (“from above”) remains an important surgical option for patients with excellent exposure and visualization of the sellar and parasellar regions. It permits early access to the optic canal for careful microsurgical decompression and relaxation of the optic nerve to preserve and improve its microvascularization and ultimately vision. CONCLUSION: The authors augmented the 2-stage, 4-by-4-step technique of decompression with elaborate illustrations of diverse sellar and parasellar lesions to demonstrate the versatility of this approach.

For the successful prevention of chronic diabetic complications, it is crucial to identify novel etiopathogenetic factors that contribute to their development. We evaluated the association of hypothalamus pituitary adrenal axis activity (HPA) with the presence of chronic diabetic complications and glycemic control in 107 patients with type 2 diabetes and 29 healthysubjects, matched for age and sex. The study included 107 type 2 diabetic patients and 29 healthy control subjects who were hospitalized at the Internal Medicine Clinic of the University Clinical Center Tuzla. Patients with diabetes were evaluated for chronic complications and divided into two groups according to the presence (group 1, n = 57) and absence (group 2, n = 50) of complications. We determined the parameters of the HPA axis as follows: a level of 08 h cortisol and ACTH and a level of 09 hcortisol after a short dexamethasone test (DEX cortisol) and compared those among the groups. We determined the parameters of glycemic control and compared them with the parameters of the hypothalamus pituitary adrenal axis. In group 1, the values of cortisol were 454 (368–561), ACTH 12.6 (8.7–23), and DEX cortisol 37.5 (23-52), significantly higher compared to group 2 [320 (230–387), 7.9 (3.3–16.4), 26 (22–36), p <0.05, and higher compared to healthy subjects [312 (233–342), p = 0.001, 12 (6–16.7), p = 0.1, 24 (19–29), p = 0.126, respectively]. Evaluating the parameters of glycemic control, we found a higher HbA1C in group 1, 7.9 (6.55-9.45) compared to group 2, 7.5 (5.97-10), p = 0.498, while correlation analyses showed a significant positive relationship between HbA1C and cortisol (R = 0.242, p = 0.012). CONCLUSION: Patients with type 2 diabetes have HPA axis dysfunction. Higher cortisol levels are associated with poor glycemic control and the presence of diabetic complications. To better understand the etiology and provide practical solutions for addressing this issue, additional studies are required.