Obična lavanda (Lavandula angustifolia Miller) je niska, višegodišnja grmasta biljka koja raste u zemljama oko zapadnog Mediterana. Potekla je iz sunčanih stjenovitih područja i prvenstveno se uzgaja zbog svojih esencijalnih ulja. Različite studije pokazale su da određene vrste ljekovitih biljaka, kao što je L. angustifolia Miller, koje sadrže linalol i linalil acetat ester, imaju blagi sedativni učinak i koriste se u aromaterapiji i fitoterapiji za ublažavanje stresa. Svrha ove studije je utvrditi antioksidacijsku aktivnost uzoraka obične lavande. Uzorci biljnog materijala prikupljeni su sa sljedećih područja: Gubavica (općina Mostar) i Šehovina (grad Mostar). Pri tome su analizirana četiri uzorka: esencijalno ulje dobiveno hidrodestilacijom biljnog materijala (Gubavica), uzorak maceriran u etil acetatu (Šehovina), prikupljeni vodeni ostatak nakon hidrodestilacije (Gubavica) te komercijalno esencijalno ulje. Određivanje antioksidacijske aktivnosti uzoraka provedeno je s pomoću sljedećih metoda: DPPH, ABTS i FRAP. Hidrodestilirano esencijalno ulje, kao i komercijalno ulje, pokazali su slabiju antioksidacijsku aktivnost, što je potvrđeno svim korištenim metodama. Slabija antioksidacijska aktivnost također je zabilježena u analizi uzorka etil acetata. Praćenjem tijeka reakcije za navedene uzorke nije bilo moguće izračunati IC50 vrijednost. Vodeni ostatak nakon hidrodestilacije pokazao je najvišu antioksidacijsku aktivnost prema svim korištenim metodama, što je potvrđeno IC50 vrijednošću prema DPPH metodi, koja je bila 0,032 ± 0,006 mg/mL, dok je za ABTS metodu IC50 vrijednost bila 0,135 ± 0,003 mg/mL. Također, prema FRAP metodi, vodeni ostatak nakon hidrodestilacije pokazao je najbolju antioksidacijsku aktivnost (1099,45 ± 25,39 mg Evit. C/g ekstrakta). Usporedbom kemijskog sastava i antioksidacijske aktivnosti ispitivanih uzoraka može se zaključiti da su za antioksidacijsko djelovanje odgovorni fenolni spojevi koji su bili sadržani u vodenom ostatku nakon hidrodestilacije esencijalnog ulja, koji je i pokazao najbolju aktivnost, a da spojevi koji čine esencijalno ulje imaju neznatnu učinkovitost kad je u pitanju određivanje antioksidacijskog kapaciteta.

This study investigates the influence of specific surface area (SSA) and aluminum hydroxide particle size on sodium aluminate’s purification efficiency in the Bayer process. This research examines how variations in SSA affect the adsorption and incorporation of contaminants such as Cu, Fe, and Zn, as well as the optimal balance between effective purification and excessive Al2O3 loss. Different SSA values and purification durations are analyzed to optimize the purification process and determine conditions that maximize impurity removal while maintaining system stability. Additionally, solid residue characterization using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) provides insights into impurity incorporation mechanisms, including isomorphic replacement, surface adsorption, and co-crystallization. This study highlights key process parameters that influence impurity behavior and crystallization dynamics, offering valuable guidance for refining industrial purification strategies and improving aluminum hydroxide quality.

BACKGROUND Humans spend up to 90% of their time indoors and are exposed to a significant number of microbes in their homes, which can have important implications for their health. AIM This study focused on analysing the influence of environmental factors on microbiome diversity and abundance in bed dust and linking the exposure to dust bacteria with asthma. SUBJECTS AND METHODS A total of 90 dust samples were collected from homes of asthmatic patients (n = 59) and controls (n = 31) aged 5-18 years. The bacterial fraction of the microbiome was analysed using 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing on the Illumina MiSeq platform and downstream analyses in QIIME2 and R. Microbiome profiles were associated with asthma and relevant environmental and household data. RESULTS Higher bacterial β-diversity in the environment was shown to be inversely associated with asthma (p = 0.009). Also, living environment (p = 0.002), housing type (p = 0.004), presence of pets in the household (p = 0.001), and cleaning practices (p = 0.006 for dusting and p = 0.011 for vacuuming) were prominent environmental factors affecting the bed dust microbiome. CONCLUSION Our results suggest significant differences in bacterial community composition between individuals with and without asthma and the interaction between indoor microbiome and asthma is mediated by environmental factors in the household.

This paper’s primary aim is to examine the impact of managerialcompetencies on the performance of healthcareorganizations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a particularfocus on the role of middle management.Research Methodology: A quantitative research approachwas employed, and data were collected through a structuredquestionnaire designed to measure six key dimensionsof managerial competencies: leadership, strategicthinking, communication, decision-making, teamwork, andchange management. The construction of the questionnairewas based on previous relevant research and theoretical models of managerial competencies, with particularattention given to the models developed by Boyatzis (1982)and later expanded by Whetten and Cameron (2011), as wellas findings from research on healthcare management, suchas Calhoun et al. (2008) on competencies for healthcareleaders. The items were adapted to the specific context ofhealthcare institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and eachitem was rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1- Strongly Disagree;2-Disagree; 3 – Neutral; 4- Agree; 5- Strongly Agree).The questionnaire was distributed to a purposive sample of120 middle managers working in various healthcare institutionsacross Bosnia and Herzegovina. Data were collectedduring three months from January to April 2025. Descriptivestatistics were used for data analysis.Conclusion: The results indicate that communication andteamwork competencies were rated most positively and significantlycorrelated with organizational outcomes. In contrast,strategic thinking and change management receivedlower ratings. The instrument’s reliability was confirmedthrough high internal consistency (Cronbach α > 0.70).

Introduction: Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) are linked to responses to chemotherapy and immunotherapy and clinical outcomes, especially in high-risk breast carcinomas. MammaPrint® (MP) and BluePrint® (BP) are genomic tests designed to provide risk stratification and molecular classification for early-stage hormone receptor (HR)-positive breast carcinomas, which could include tumors with HER2-low expression. We investigated correlations between TIL measurements, HER2 status, and MP/BP assays in early-stage HR-positive breast carcinomas. Materials and Methods: 167 early-stage HR-positive breast carcinomas with known MP/BP risk categorization were evaluated for TIL using whole slide scanned images according to the International TILs Working Group 2014 guidelines. HER2-low breast cancers were identified by IHC scores of 1+ and 2+ without HER2 amplification. A subset of high-TIL, high-risk cases underwent TSO500 (Illumina) next-generation sequencing (NGS). Results: The patients had a mean age of 51 years, ranging from 26 to 75 years. Among the profiled cases, 97% were either luminal A (96/167) or luminal B (66/167) breast carcinomas, with only five cases classified as HER2-enriched (n = 2) or basal-like (n = 3) carcinomas. Tumor grade was strongly associated with recurrence risk (p<0.001). The prevalence of the HER2-low phenotype was 65%, including 46/69 (67%) high-risk cases. TIL levels ranged from 0 to 70% and were low (≤10%) in the majority (75%) of cases in the cohort. However, high TIL levels were more frequently observed in cases with high recurrence risk (56% vs. 39%, p = 0.03). Additionally, TIL-enriched high-recurrence risk carcinomas contained targetable genomic alterations, including PIK3CA, BRCA1, BRCA2, and HER2 mutations. Conclusions: TIL levels are higher in early-stage HR-positive breast carcinomas with a high recurrence risk. These tumors also harbor targetable genomic alterations, suggesting that TIL measurement and genomic profiling could enhance risk stratification and identify patients who might benefit from targeted therapies. Her-2 low expression in high-risk patients provides a consideration for including novel ADC therapies in this subset of patients. Citation Format: Zoran Gatalica, Inga Rose, Faruk Skenderi, Nataliya Kuzmova, Semir Beslija, Timur Ceric, Inga Marijanovic, Ilir Kurtishi, Semir Vranic. High Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocyte Levels Correlate with High MammaPrint® Recurrence Risk in Early-Stage Breast Carcinomas [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium 2024; 2024 Dec 10-13; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2025;31(12 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-11-17.

Introductory programming courses are widely known for their difficulty among students. Success in courses is commonly measured in the form of final grades, which might not capture the challenges students face during their learning process. In this paper, we predict students’ success and their future compiler errors based on previously made errors. Furthermore, we examine the effect of applying two clustering techniques before making the predictions and identify key weeks and errors that have the greatest impact on predictions. Experimental results show that students’ compiler errors observed through the semester are an important predictor of students’ achievement and future struggles. Predictions are further improved using sentence encoder-generated embeddings with K-Means algorithm. Our study suggests that students’ errors, particularly the most recent ones, enable meaningful clustering that enhances performance prediction after only three weeks of the semester.

Understanding how students perceive and utilize Large Language Models (LLMs) and how these interactions relate to their learning behavior and individual differences is crucial for optimizing educational process and outcomes. This paper introduces a novel dataset comprising weekly self-reported data from students in an introductory programming course, i.e., students’ AI tool usage, perceived difficulty of weekly subject areas, personality traits, preferred learning styles, and general attitudes toward AI. We present a descriptive overview of the collected data and conduct a correlation analysis to gain first insights into the students’ individual differences and their learning outcomes, frequency of AI tools usage, as well as their attitudes toward AI. The findings reveal that while individual student characteristics did not show significant correlations with final performance or frequency of AI tool usage, the combination of students’ expectations for success and their perceived value of the task (constructs of expectancy theory) were significantly associated with both course outcomes and how often they used the AI tool. Additionally, motivational factors may be the key to fostering positive attitudes toward AI, while personality traits, particularly those related to negative emotionality, may play a more significant role in shaping resistance. This initial analysis lays the groundwork for future investigations on the prospects of AI in support of the students’ learning process.

Group Recommender Systems aim to support groups in making collective decisions, and research has consistently shown that the more we understand about group members and their interactions, the better support such systems can provide. In this work, we propose a conceptual framework for modeling group dynamics from group chat interactions, with a particular focus on decision-making scenarios. The framework is designed to support the development of intelligent agents that provide advanced forms of decision support to groups. It consists of modular, loosely coupled components that process and analyze textual and multimedia content, which is shared in group interactions, to extract user preferences, emotional states, interpersonal relationships, and behavioral patterns. By incorporating sentiment analysis, summarization, dialogue state tracking, and conflict resolution profiling, the framework captures both individual and collective aspects of group behavior. Unlike existing approaches, our model is intended to operate dynamically and adaptively during live group interactions, offering a novel foundation for group recommender and decision support systems.

African swine fever virus (ASFV) is a major threat for pig health and meat production in many countries. The development and commercialization of vaccine candidates are complicated by efficacy and safety concerns. Improved vaccine design requires further studies to identify factors that regulate immune responses to vaccines leading to protective immunity against a virulent challenge. In a previous study, we reported that infection with the moderately virulent ASFV field strain Estonia 2014 was less severe in specific pathogen-free (SPF) pigs than in conventional farm pigs, which differ in their gut microbiome and their basal immune activation status. As shown previously using intramuscular infection, SPF pigs were more resilient to oronasal infection with the ASFV Estonia 2014 strain compared to farm pigs, which showed increased fever and clinical signs. All SPF and farm pigs nevertheless survived the infection and remained viremic for approximately 4 months. When all animals had no detectable viremia, both groups were rechallenged with the virulent ASFV Armenia 2008 strain. SPF pigs were fully protected against disease and showed little or no viremia upon re-challenge. In contrast, farm pigs developed high viremia, high proinflammatory cytokine responses, severe clinical signs, and 40% (2 of 5 pigs) reached humane endpoints. Our findings suggest that limited prior immune exposure to other pathogens and/or the microbiome composition of SPF pigs promotes resilience to infection with a moderately virulent strain such as Estonia 2014, and importantly promotes the development of a strong protective immune response against a second challenge with a virulent ASFV strain. In conclusion, testing safety and efficacy of live attenuated vaccine candidates should take into account the specific hygiene conditions and the associated changes of general immune status of pigs in clinical trials.