Pomegranate has shown a favorable effect on gingivitis/periodontitis, but the mechanisms involved are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to test the effect of pomegranate peel extract (PoPEx) on gingiva-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (GMSCs) under physiological and inflammatory conditions. GMSC lines from healthy (H) and periodontitis (P) gingiva (n = 3 of each) were established. The lines were treated with two non-toxic concentrations of PoPEX (low—10; high—40 µg/mL), with or without additional lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation. Twenty-four genes in GMSCs involved in different functions were examined using real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). PoPEx (mostly at higher concentrations) inhibited the basal expression of IL-6, MCP-1, GRO-α, RANTES, IP-10, HIF-1α, SDF-1, and HGF but increased the expression of IL-8, TLR3, TGF-β, TGF-β/LAP ratio, IDO-1, and IGFB4 genes in H-GMSCs. PoPEx increased IL-6, RANTES, MMP3, and BMP2 but inhibited TLR2 and GRO-α gene expression in P-GMSCs. LPS upregulated genes for proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines, tissue regeneration/repair (MMP3, IGFBP4, HGF), and immunomodulation (IP-10, RANTES, IDO-1, TLR3, COX-2), more strongly in P-GMSCs. PoPEx also potentiated most genes’ expression in LPS-stimulated P-GMSCs, including upregulation of osteoblastic genes (RUNX2, BMP2, COL1A1, and OPG), simultaneously inhibiting cell proliferation. In conclusion, the modulatory effects of PoPEx on gene expression in GMSCs are complex and dependent on applied concentrations, GMSC type, and LPS stimulation. Generally, the effect is more pronounced in inflammation-simulating conditions.

The implementation of disruptive technologies of Industry 4.0 is carried out in all segments of society, but we still do not fully understand the breadth and speed of its application. We are currently witnessing major changes in all industries, so that new business methods are emerging, as well as transformation of production systems, new form of consumption, delivery and transport. All this is happening due to the implementation of disruptive technological discoveries that include: the Internet of Things (IoT), advanced robotics, smart sensors, Big Data, analytics, cloud computing, 3D printing, machine learning, virtual and augmented reality (AR), artificial intelligence, and productive maintenance. Advanced robotics is one of the most important technologies in Industry 4.0. The robotic application in the automation of production processes, with the support of information technology, leads us to ‘’smart automation’’, i.e., ‘’smart factory’’. The changes are so profound that, from the perspective of human history, there has never been a time of greater promise or potential danger. New generation robots have many advantages compared to the firstgeneration industrial robots such as: they work alongside with workers, workers perform their tasks in a safe environment, robots take up less space, robots do not need to be separated by fences, robots are easy to manipulate and cheaper to implement. The paper analyzes the trend of implementation of collaborative and service robots for logistics, which make the automation of production processes more flexible. Robotic technology is the basic technology of Industry 4.0, because without its application, the implementation of Industry 4.0 would not be possible. The trend of application of new generation robots will have an increasing character in the future, because the goals of the fourth industrial revolution cannot be achieved without collaborative robots. In other words, the objective is to achieve a ‘’smart production process’’ or ‘’smart factory’’.

Since the introduction of the concept of Industry 4.0 until today, the world is facing a series of changes resulting from intensive scientific, technical and technological innovations. Research, innovation and development changes are aimed at improving production, business and everyday life through the application of basic technologies of Industry 4.0. In order for individuals, organizations, communities and states to be able to use the benefits of these improvements, it is necessary to rapidly adapt to all innovative trends: developing the necessary skills of individuals and groups for the adoption and use of these technologies, the implementation of technologies in companies, organizations and institutions, and the development of appropriate strategies that these processes would be managed and directed. In the developed world, these I 4.0 implementation processes are already reaching their maturity: educational programs are adapted to the needs of monitoring technical-technological changes, companies deal with solving challenges related to these processes after the implementation of Industry 4.0 technologies, and states and communities are working on devising further directions of development and a strategy that will further accelerate changes. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the processes are somewhat slower: educational programs partially follow the needs of education for Industry 4.0, companies struggle with the challenges of adopting and implementing Industry 4.0 without adequate institutional support, and strategies related to exploiting the opportunities of Industry 4.0 have not been developed, both due to the lack of initiative, as well as due to administrative restrictions related to the complex political system of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Considering that, this paper presents the results of research on the representation of Industry 4.0 technologies in the economy and education of Sarajevo Canton. The sample on which the research was conducted included 105 companies and 239 respondents from the general population. The results show that the highest level of application of Industry 4.0 technologies exists in the part related to the advanced management of company resources using planning and management support systems, and in communications. These findings, as well as the results related to the established level of knowledge of Industry 4.0 technologies in the general population, speak in favor of the need for the urgent development of various educational programs that will accelerate the learning of Industry 4.0 among all members of the community, as well as the establishment of state programs to support the implementation of technologies in companies, so that the economy of the Canton and the country as a whole would not fall behind in relation to the world driven by the fourth industrial revolution.

Digital twins represent a new paradigm that brings fundamental changes to business and asset management. The proliferation of connected devices and sensors has generated vast amounts of data from physical assets and processes. Digital twins leverage this data to create a virtual counterpart that reflects the behavior, performance, and characteristics of their physical counterparts in real-time. The definition of digital twins encompasses a wide range of applications and contexts. This paper provides an overview of existing literature on digital twins, including their definition, key characteristics, and classification. Additionally, it highlights potential challenges and limitations associated with digital twins and identifies the technologies that enable their implementation. By understanding the fundamental concepts and technological advancements in the field of digital twins, organizations can harness their potential to enhance their business, optimize resources, and foster innovation. Numerous examples of digital twin applications in various industries are highlighted in this paper, with a particular focus on the elevator industry. Therefore, this paper serves as a comprehensive source of information for researchers, practitioners, and decision-makers who wish to explore the application of digital twins in different industries and domains.

Although many women perform postural tasks while listening to music, no study has investigated whether preferred music has different effects than non-preferred music. Thus, this study aimed to explore the effects of listening to preferred versus non-preferred music on postural balance among middle-aged women. Twenty-four women aged between 50 and 55 years were recruited for this study. To assess their static balance, a stabilometric platform was used, recording the mean center of pressure velocity (CoPVm), whereas the timed up and go test (TUGT) was used to assess their dynamic balance. The results showed that listening to their preferred music significantly decreased their CoPVm values (in the firm-surface/eyes-open (EO) condition: (p < 0.05; 95% CI [−0.01, 2.17])). In contrast, when the women were listening to non-preferred music, their CoPVm values significantly (p < 0.05) increased compared to the no-music condition in all the postural conditions except for the firm-surface/EO condition. In conclusion, listening to music has unique effects on postural performance, and these effects depend on the genre of music. Listening to preferred music improved both static and dynamic balance in middle-aged women, whereas listening to non-preferred music negatively affected these performances, even in challenged postural conditions.

The paper discusses figurative conceptualizations of nations, countries, and institutions as either a container, a person, a sinking ship, a fabric, or hell in media discourse on the European migrant crisis. Applying Steen et al.’s (2010) three-dimensional model of metaphor analysis, we analyze a specific set of metaphorical linguistic expressions, which are inextricably related in the segments of the real discourse on migration, to discuss their rhetorical power and communicative function. The aim of this paper is to describe and identify cases when these are used as perspective-changing devices to influence readers’ opinion on an important issue such as migration.

This paper presents an effective approach to enable performance improvement in human-robot collaboration scenarios. The problem is tackled from the perspective of speed and separation monitoring principle, which stems from the recently instituted safety standard. The proposed approach attempts to seek for performance gains, measured by the speed-up of the production cycle, without compromising the safety constraints consistent with the standard. The approach is based on the notion of braking surface - an abstraction of the swept volume described by the manipulator during braking motion. We address two types of braking behavior: general and path-consistent. In both cases, the braking surface can be evaluated in a receding horizon manner. The robot velocity is continuously scaled such that, in case of a controlled stop, the corresponding volume spanned by the robot (braking surface) does not interfere with the surrounding obstacles. The approach is entirely kinematic and does not require the knowledge of the robot's dynamic model. Simulation study indicates that the pro-posed approach offers performance improvements compared to other state of the art methods. Moreover, the experiments demonstrate the real-time applicability of the method with the real robot in human-shared environment.

Peptides released on frogs’ skin in a stress situation represent their only weapon against micro-organisms and predators. Every species and even population of frog possesses its own peptidome being appropriate for their habitat. Skin peptides are considered potential pharmaceuticals, while the whole peptidome may be treated as a taxonomic characteristic of each particular population. Continuing the studies on frog peptides, here we report the peptidome composition of the Central Slovenian agile frog Rana dalmatina population. The detection and top-down de novo sequencing of the corresponding peptides was conducted exclusively by tandem mass spectrometry without using any chemical derivatization procedures. Collision-induced dissociation (CID), higher energy collision-induced dissociation (HCD), electron transfer dissociation (ETD) and combined MS3 method EThcD with stepwise increase of HCD energy were used for that purpose. MS/MS revealed the whole sequence of the detected peptides including differentiation between isomeric Leu/Ile, and the sequence portion hidden in the disulfide cycle. The array of the discovered peptide families (brevinins 1 and 2, melittin-related peptides (MRPs), temporins and bradykinin-related peptides (BRPs)) is quite similar to that of R. temporaria. Since the genome of this frog remains unknown, the obtained results were compared with the recently published transcriptome of R. dalmatina.

In the pursuit of optimizing healthcare delivery and improving patient outcomes, the field of healthcare is undergoing a transformative shift from a reactive approach to a proactive one. This shift is facilitated by two upcoming technological developments: automation and artificial intelligence (AI). The abundance of data generated in the era of digital advancement presents both opportunities and challenges for healthcare. This paper explores the application of AI and machine learning in healthcare, focusing on the challenges posed by the exponential growth in data volume, the analysis of unstructured data, and the rapid pace of data refreshment. It examines the role of AI and machine learning in generating clinical decision support, uncovering disease subtypes and prognostic markers, and generating new hypotheses. In addition, this paper highlights the transformative potential of automation, AI, and robotics in healthcare, showcasing their ability to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and precision in patient care. By embracing these technological advancements, healthcare can achieve continuous progress in meeting the ever-growing demands and aspirations of the field while improving patient outcomes.

Medicinal plants are potentialsources of bioactive compounds.One of the medicinal plants used in the traditional medicine of Bosnia and Herzegovina isendemic Satureja subspicataL. In this work, we examined the ability of Satureja subspicataL. essential oil and hot water and methanol extractsto inhibit the enzymes acetylcholinesterase(AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase(BChE) using Ellman’s method.The ability ofSatureja subspicataL. essential oil in concentration of 1 mg/mL and 2 mg/mL to inhibit enzymes was moderate: 72.82%, and 76.89% for AChE, and 51.51%, and 27.15% for BChE, respectively. Analyzed hot water and methanol extractsin concentration of 1 mg/mL showed weak ability of cholinesterase inhibition. Extracts were additionally analyzed regardingtoability to protect proteins from oxidation, during 1 h and 24 h incubation periods. After incubation for 1 hhot water extractshowed a very good protective effect(10.61%), while the methanolic extract showed prooxidative activity. After incubation for 24 h, both extracts showed prooxidative activity.The obtained results show that the examined essential oil and extracts of S. subspicataL. containcompounds withcholinesterase inhibition and antioxidant potential, and thereforecan be useful in treatment of Alzheimer's disease.KEYWORDS:Satureja subspicata, essential oil, extracts, cholinesterase inhibition, protein oxidation

Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are opportunistic pathogens capable of causing infections in humans and animals. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the potential role of domestic and wild animals as a reservoir of multiple resistant, rapidly growing NTM strains representing a potential zoonotic threat to humans. A total of 87 animal isolates belonging to 11 rapidly growing species (visible colonies appear within three to seven days) were genotyped and tested for susceptibility to the 15 most commonly used antibiotics in the treatment of such infections in a human clinic. By determining the antimicrobial susceptibility, the most prevalent resistance was found to cephalosporins (>50%), followed by amoxicillin–clavulanate (31.0%), clarithromycin (23.0%), tobramycin (14.9%) and doxycycline (10.3%). Resistance to imipenem, ciprofloxacin, minocycline and linezolid was notably lower (<7.0%). All tested isolates were susceptible to amikacin and moxifloxacin. The most frequent resistance was proved in the most pathogenic species: M. fortuitum, M. neoaurum, M. vaccae and M. porcinum. Meanwhile, other species displayed a higher sensitivity rate. No significant resistance differences between domestic and wild animals were found. The established significant frequency of resistance highlights the significant zoonotic potential posed by circulating rapidly growing NTM strains, which could lead to challenges in the treatment of these infections.