Background The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of malnutrition and its association with the frequency of falls and respiratory infections among older adults residing in Croatian nursing homes. Materials and methods The study included 148 participants, 112 (75.7%) women and 36 (24.3%) men, aged 65 years and older, living in the nursing homes in Rijeka and Opatija. The Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form (MNA-SF) and data from the medical records were used for data collection. Results The study showed that seven (4.7%) of the older adults living in nursing homes were malnourished, while 53 (35.8%) were at risk of malnutrition. It was found that participants with malnutrition and nutritional risk were more likely to develop respiratory infections (r=-0.37). No correlation was found between malnutrition and the frequency of falls in older adults (r=0.01). Conclusion Malnutrition and the risk of malnutrition are common problems in older adults in nursing homes, requiring regular monitoring and timely intervention. The results confirmed the association between malnutrition and respiratory tract infections, while also highlighting the possibility of co-occurrence of obesity and malnutrition, which is often overlooked.

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.