Simple Summary African swine fever is a deadly viral disease of pigs and wild boar that causes major losses for farmers and threatens food security. The disease does not affect people, but its rapid spread and high fatality in pigs make it one of the most serious challenges for animal health in Europe. Since 2019, the disease has been present in Serbia, and in 2023, it was first reported in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In this study, we examined virus samples collected from pigs and wild boar during outbreaks between 2023 and 2025 to better understand how the virus is spreading in the region. By looking at several important parts of the virus genome, we found that all the samples belonged to the same group, known as cluster 19. This shows that the same type of virus has been circulating for several years without major changes. The results suggest that the disease is being maintained locally, mainly through contact between wild boar and pigs kept on small farms with little or no protection. The discovery of the same virus type in Bosnia and Herzegovina highlights that the disease crosses borders, making regional cooperation and continued monitoring essential for controlling its spread.

Synthetic herbicides have adverse effects on the environment and human health. Understanding allelopathic intera c tions can provide alternatives for weed control without using these synthetic chemicals. This study investigated the impact of three concentrations (10, 20, and 30 μg/m L ) of Salvia sclarea essential oil (EO) on the Matricaria chamomilla , Leuca n themum vulgare , and Trifolium repens germination process, as well as its toxicological and antimicrobi al profile. Our results showed that S. sclarea EO, particularly at higher concentrations, affected the germination and growth parameters of the tested species, with T. repens being the most sensitive. A statistically significant increase in the value of the mitotic index was observed for all three tested concentrations of S. sclarea EO compared to the control group. A significant i n crease in the number of acentric fragments at between 10 and 30 µg/m L of S. sclarea EO compared to the control group, as well as an increase in the frequency of aneuploidy at between 10 µg/m L of S. sclarea EO compared to the control was detected. Minimum inhibitory concentration of EO was 500 μ L /m L for all tested bacteria. Impact on the bacterial biofilm formation was species-specific and concentration dependent. Our findings suggest that S. sclarea EO possesses certain allelopathic, proliferative, genotoxic, and antibacterial potential.

BACKGROUND This paper compares the incidence and prevalence of kidney replacement therapy (KRT), kidney transplantation rates, and mortality on KRT between Europe and the United States (US), including sex comparisons. METHODS Data were derived for 2022 from the population-based European Renal Association (ERA) Registry and the United States Renal Data System (USRDS). RESULTS In 2022, the KRT incidence in the US (388.7 per million population (pmp)) was 2.7-fold higher than in Europe (146.2 pmp), with a greater difference for women (3.2-fold) than for men (2.4-fold). The proportion of women initiating KRT was lower in Europe (35%) than in the US (41%). Between 2013 and 2022, the KRT incidence in Europe was stable in women (+0.1% annually), but increased in men (+1.1%). In the US, the KRT incidence increased similarly in women (+0.2%) and men (+0.3%). On 31 December 2022, the KRT prevalence was 2-fold (women: 2.2-fold, men: 1.9-fold) higher in the US (2444.2 pmp) than in Europe (1218.6 pmp). The proportion of women was lower in Europe (38%) than in the US (41%). The kidney transplantation rate was 1.7-fold higher in the US (79.1 pmp) than in Europe (45.4 pmp), 1.9-fold for women and 1.7-fold for men, with women accounting for 37% of the recipients versus 39% in the US. The KRT mortality rate was 1.5 times higher in the US (145.0 per 1000 patient years (/1000py)) compared to Europe (100.5/1000py): 1.6-fold for women and 1.4-fold for men. In Europe, mortality was lower for women receiving KRT (93.7/1000py) than for men (104.6/1000py), whereas in the US the reverse was (women: 148.9/1000py, men: 142.2/1000py). CONCLUSION The US had a notably higher KRT incidence, prevalence, kidney transplantation rate and mortality compared to Europe. Differences between Europe and the US were larger for women than for men.

U radu se analizira trajni utjecaj rimskog pravnog naslijeđa na suvremeno privatno pravo, s posebnim naglaskom na regulaciju odgovornosti za materijalne nedostatke u potrošačkoj prodaji. Analizom pravnih instituta poput actio redhibitoria i actio quanti minoris ističe se njihova normativna postojanost i prilagodba unutar pravnog okvira Europske unije i Bosne i Hercegovine. Posebna pozornost posvećena je razvoju odgovornosti prodavatelja putem Direktive 1999/44/EZ, poslije Direktive (EU) 2019/771, koje usklađuju i moderniziraju prava potrošača zadržavajući pritom temeljne principe rimskog prava. Rad kritički ocjenjuje stupanj usklađenosti bosanskohercegovačkog zakonodavstva s europskim standardima u dijelu potrošačke prodaje. Unatoč formalnoj transpoziciji relevantnih direktiva, stvarna harmonizacija još je uvijek ograničena strukturnim, interpretativnim i institucionalnim izazovima. Povijesno-komparativnim pristupom rad pokazuje kako rimski pravni koncepti i dalje predstavljaju vrijedne metodološke alate u nastojanjima postizanja veće pravne koherentnosti u procesu integracije u Europsku uniju, posebice u pravnim sustavima s normativnom fragmentacijom poput Bosne i Hercegovine.

Background: Many deaths during heat waves stem not only from body overheating but also from heat stress, which can intensify pre-existing medical conditions, leading to fatal outcomes. Aim: This study aimed to investigate whether the intensity of pathological changes in the heart muscle and lung tissue of albino rats exposed to hyperthermia correlates with different water temperatures (WT) and to determine whether the histological structure of the myocardium and lungs varies. Methods: A sample of 21 albino rats was exposed to water temperatures of 37°C, 41°C, and 44°C. Temperature readings were recorded before immersion, immediately after immersion, at the point of reaching hyperthermia, at 20 minutes, and at the time of death. Tissue samples were collected from the dissected rats, fixed in 10% buffered formalin at room temperature, embedded in paraffin, sectioned into 4–5 μm slices, and stained using the hematoxylin-eosin method. Results: The severity of myocardial histopathological alterations increased with both higher temperatures and longer exposure durations WT. However, the progression of morphological alterations in cardiomyocytes was not markedly significant, likely due to the brief exposure time, which limited the visualization of subcellular alterations in Hematoxylin and Eosin staining-stained tissue. All lung samples from the seven rats exposed to the highest temperatures displayed bronchiolitis and acute bronchitis, along with early bronchopneumonia. Conclusion: While some organs exhibit greater tolerance to heat stroke than other organs, most organs show similar alterations characterized by capillary dilation, vascular pathway disruption, and extravasation. The extent of pathological changes in myocardial and lung tissue intensified with higher temperatures and longer exposure durations to elevated WT. However, the progression of morphological alterations in cardiomyocytes did not demonstrate marked significance, likely because of the brief exposure period. This short duration may limit the detection of subcellular changes when using hematoxylin-eosin staining.

INTRODUCTION Most COVID-19 cases are mild, but some require hospitalization due to pneumonia, with symptoms like hypoxia and dyspnea. This has led to speculation about erythrocyte involvement in the infection. This study aimed to examine the differences in the presence of dysmorphic erythrocytes in COVID-19 patients upon admission compared to healthy subjects, as well as to assess these differences in relation to the severity of the clinical presentation of COVID-19. METHODOLOGY This study included 150 participants: 100 COVID-19 patients and 50 healthy subjects who formed the control group. The COVID-19 positive participants were divided into two groups based on the deterioration or improvement of their health conditions during hospitalization. Hematological parameters were analyzed, and peripheral blood smears were prepared to observe morphological changes in erythrocytes. RESULTS The morphological changes observed in hospitalized COVID-19 patients included spiculated red blood cells (RBCs), spherocytes, stomatocytes, schistocytes, knizocytes, keratocytes, as well as mushroom- and cup-shaped RBCs. At admission, spiculated RBCs and spherocytes were more prevalent in patients showing improvement. Conversely, stomatocytes, knizocytes, keratocytes, and mushroom-shaped RBCs were more frequent in patients experiencing deterioration. Additionally, spiculated RBCs were more common in patients with improvement, while stomatocytes, schistocytes, knizocytes, keratocytes, mushroom-, and cup-shaped RBCs were more prevalent in deteriorating patients. CONCLUSIONS The complete blood count and the examination of peripheral blood smears in hospitalized patients may serve as fundamental tools to assist clinicians in differentiating disease severity and improving treatment decision-making.

The cement industry is under constant pressure to reduce its environmental footprint while ensuring economic competitiveness and technological reliability. One of the most effective strategies to achieve this goal is the substitution of traditional raw materials with alternative ones derived from industrial (by)products, waste, or secondary resources. This paper presents a structured methodology for the selection and evaluation of potential raw materials for clinker production. The proposed approach integrates four key criteria: physical compatibility, which determines whether the raw material can be handled by existing processing equipment; chemical compatibility, which ensures compliance with clinker quality requirements; environmental compliance, which assesses adherence to local and international environmental regulations; and economic viability, including the costs of material acquisition, processing, equipment adaptation, and CO2 emissions associated with the raw mix. The research procedure involves initial communication with suppliers, visual inspection of the material, laboratory analysis (chemical and environmental), raw mix modelling, and full economic evaluation. If at any stage the material fails to meet the required criteria, feedback is provided to the supplier, avoiding unnecessary costs and efforts. Results indicate that this integrated methodology offers a systematic and transparent making of decision framework that can accelerate the acceptance of alternative raw materials, improve resource efficiency, and contribute to sustainable cement production.

Background: The study investigates newly developed composite materials with advanced filler technology and modified resin matrices, designed to enhance esthetic quality, clinical efficiency, and mechanical properties. This study evaluated the effect of two light-curing protocols—a conventional low-voltage (LV) protocol (10 s at 1200 mW/cm2) and a high-voltage (HV) protocol (3 s at 3000 mW/cm2)—on the microhardness (MH), bottom/top MH ratio, and the correlation between filler content (wt%, vol%) and MH of bulk-fill resin-based composites (RBCs). Four RBCs were tested: Tetric PlusFill (TPF), Tetric Plus Flow(TPFW), Tetric PowerFill (PFL), and Tetric PowerFlow (PFW). Materials and Methods: Samples were fabricated in the laboratory using specially designed cylindrical molds (diameter = 8 mm, height = 4 mm). Initial MH was measured on the top and bottom surfaces of composite specimens 24 h after light curing using a digital microhardness tester (QNESS 60 M EVO, ATM Qness GmbH, Mammelzen, Germany). The correlation between the filler content (wt%, vol%) and the MH of the RBCs was tested. For the calculation of depth-dependent curing effectiveness, the bottom/top ratio for initial MH was used. Conclusions: The MH of bulk-fill RBCs was found to be influenced by both material composition and the applied light-curing protocol. An increase in filler content resulted in higher MH values under both protocols, with the filler volume fraction exhibiting a stronger correlation than the weight fraction. While both flowable and sculptable Tetric Plus composites exhibited higher MH values under the HV protocol, Tetric Power composites demonstrated greater initial hardness under LV protocol. The flowable composite PFW showed the most pronounced reduction in MH under HV curing. The bottom/top MH ratio exceeded 80% in all tested materials, confirming adequate polymerization throughout the composite layers.

Segmentation of brain tissue is an essential task in medical image analysis, particularly in neuroimaging and disease diagnosis. This study evaluates and compares three major segmentation approaches in the ISBR18 dataset: atlas-based methods, machine learning techniques, and deep learning architectures. The atlas-based Majority Voting method achieved the highest performance within its category with a dice similarity coefficient of 0.8477, utilizing anatomical templates for segmentation. Among machine learning techniques, K-means clustering demonstrated robust performance with 96% classification accuracy, offering computational efficiency despite limitations in spatial resolution. The deep learning U-Net model trained for binary segmentation achieved 93% accuracy, benefiting from its encoder-decoder architecture for precise boundary detection. While traditional atlas-based approaches provide robust anatomical consistency and machine learning methods offer computational advantages, deep learning models show promise in handling complex segmentation tasks. Future research could integrate these approaches to enhance segmentation performance in the ISBR18 dataset and lead to more accurate and reliable brain tissue segmentation for clinical applications.

Background Fermented foods are an integral part of diets worldwide, and emerging epidemiological data suggest their significant beneficial health effects. However, assessing their intake is challenging since many of these foods are sporadically and/or locally consumed, hence current traditional nutritional assessment tools lack the specificity to capture this variability. To address this gap, the Fermented Food Frequency Questionnaire (3FQ) was developed and this study aimed to evaluate its relative validity and repeatability across European regions. Methods In the validation study of the 3FQ, 12,646 adult participants were recruited across four European regions to assess consumption of sixteen major fermented food groups. Repeatability was assessed by administering the 3FQ twice, ~6 weeks apart, to a subset of participants (n = 2,315). Validity was evaluated using 24-h dietary recalls (24 h). Statistical analyses included Spearman's rank correlation coefficients and Intra-Class Correlation coefficients (ICC) for repeatability, and Bland-Altman plots for validity. Results Results showed high repeatability, overall and by region, for estimated quantities and frequencies of consumption for most of the fermented food groups (from 0.4 to 1.0), with a few exceptions for infrequently consumed items (e.g., fermented fish). Validity assessment via Bland-Altman plots revealed excellent agreement between the 3FQ and 24 h for most of the food groups, with over 90% of values falling within the agreement interval. Notably, fermented dairy products, coffee, and bread categories showed the strongest agreement (>95%). Conclusion The 3FQ is a robust and reliable tool for estimating the consumption of diverse fermented food groups across four European regions and provides valid estimates of the frequency and quantity of intake for specific fermented foods. The 3FQ could be a valuable instrument for epidemiological research aiming to elucidate associations between certain fermented foods and health parameters in European diets.

Contemporary approaches to teaching children’s literature and music education are increasingly replacing traditional pedagogical methods. The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) has made these processes more dynamic and complex, presenting both opportunities and challenges for educators and pupils. This development raises important questions about teachers’ readiness to adopt innovative methodologies and pupils’ receptiveness to deeper learning and improved outcomes through AI-enhanced instruction. Children’s literature and music possess the capacity to educate, nurture, and heal. Their interdisciplinary nature provides primary school teachers with a rich foundation for creative and integrative teaching strategies, particularly relevant in the age of AI. This paper advocates for the deliberate integration of AI and healing education into the teaching of children’s literature and music at the primary level. It proposes that such integration can be achieved through creative and interdisciplinary applications of AI tools, alongside bibliotherapeutic and musicotherapeutic methods. The central methodological framework employed is mood mapping. The study examines the use of the Donna AI Song Generator within healing education, aiming to identify optimal strategies for both teachers and pupils. These findings may inform the development of diverse teaching methodologies and offer insights into the creative use of AI in interdisciplinary primary education. Additionally, the paper introduces an innovative conceptual framework – the Bibliotherapy and Musicotherapy Questionnaire (BMQ) – proposed as a theoretical model for future implementation in primary education settings. Although conceptual and theoretical in nature, the study is grounded in extensive practical teaching experience and the integration of AI tools, particularly within healing education. The BMQ model demonstrates adaptability to diverse instructional contexts and age groups, offering potential for future empirical validation and practical classroom application. Ultimately, this research highlights the transformative potential of AI in fostering holistic, creative, and therapeutic learning environments in primary education.

Background In the dot perspective taking task – a task commonly used to assess implicit mentalizing - participants are typically slower in judging how many dots they see when there is a difference in the number of dots seen by themselves and a centrally placed avatar than when both perspectives align. This finding has been termed the ‘altercentric interference’ effect and taken as evidence that participants spontaneously and automatically compute the avatar’s perspective. In this study, we focus on one line of critiques regarding the interpretation that the altercentric interference effect is automatic, namely by assessing whether the effect is purely stimulus-driven. Specifically, we tested the proposal that for the altercentric interference effect to emerge, participants must first focus their attention to the avatar, which then directs their attention to the dots and that this is achieved by a social word prompt (typically ‘YOU’) inducing a social mindset that then draws the participants’ attention to the avatar once the avatar and the dots appear. Methods We tested two groups of participants: one with a ‘YOU’ prompt and one with a non-social ‘NOW’ prompt. The semantics of both prompts were irrelevant because information about the colour of the dots participants needed to judge was presented through the ink colour of the prompt, not its text. Results Our results revealed no statistically significant difference in the altercentric interference effect between groups and our exploratory analyses showed that this was due to the altercentric interference effect being present in both groups. Conclusions Our findings do not provide empirical support for the hypothesis that the word prompt used in typical dot perspective tasking tasks promotes a social mindset that leads to the altercentric interference effect, however they may be aligned with the hypothesis that the effect requires participants’ attention to be drawn to the avatar.