In this paper, an assessment of the impact of the electrification of the vehicle fleet in Bosnia and Herzegovina on the total electrical energy consumption is made, for different scenarios of increasing the number of electric vehicles. Based on a statistical analysis of the structure and number of vehicles in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the period from 2010 to 2024, an estimate of the total number of passenger cars, as well as the number of electric vehicles for the period up to 2050, is made. It is estimated that in 2050 the number of electric passenger cars will be around 300,000. For one representative electric passenger car, averaged annual electrical energy consumption is calculated. Based on the calculation and for the estimated number of electric vehicles in use, the total annual consumption of electrical energy for the segment of passenger cars is defined, for different scenarios of increasing the number of electric vehicles. Following the estimated increase in the number of passenger electric cars, an exponential increase in electrical energy consumption is estimated, reaching the annual amount of 635 GWh in 2050, which is 10 times higher than the total electrical energy consumption of the transport sector in 2024. In this way, for the period up to 2050, the additional amount of electrical energy that the electrical power grid should provide, due to the electrification of the vehicle fleet, is estimated.

Simple Summary The alarming rise in early-onset cancers among adolescents and young adults parallels the global surge in ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption. Beyond poor nutrition, UPFs act as “Trojan horses,” introducing biologically active compounds, particularly endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), that interfere with hormonal regulation, immune responses, and microbial balance. These exposures, often occurring during vulnerable developmental stages, disrupt endocrine signalling; promote chronic, low-grade inflammation; alter the gut microbiota; and induce epigenetic changes, thereby creating a permissive environment for carcinogenesis. Key EDCs migrate from packaging into foods, while additives and high-temperature processing further compound the risk. This review integrates emerging evidence across disciplines to highlight UPFs as silent but systemic disruptors of metabolic and genetic homeostasis. The “Trojan horse” model reframes UPFs as long-term, multifactorial risk factors, underscoring the need for multi-omics research and personalised dietary strategies to assess and mitigate cancer risks in younger populations.

Rectal carcinoma (RC) represents approximately 30% of all colorectal carcinomas (CRC) and is considered a distinct clinical entity. Vascular invasion (VI) is recognized as an independent predictor of poor outcomes in RC. In this study, we applied bioinformatics methods to identify gene pathways most likely associated with VI in rectal carcinoma. As ADAMTS8 showed statistically significant negative relations with the VI in RC patients, we further analyzed its top co-dependent genes—DNAL4, EVI2B, PPP1R35, PTGR3, RPL21, SOX4, and ZNF3—for the experimentally proven molecular modulators. We identified a total of 23 compounds from the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database based on previously reported data for all eight target genes. The search was expanded to include additional chemical agents by structure similarity using the PubChem database, which revealed 9661 additional compounds. These were subsequently used for molecular interaction analysis against target proteins co-expressed with, or associated with, ADAMTS8 in RC with VI. Ultimately, we identified four high-affinity compounds—cyanoginosin LR, doxorubicin, benzo[a]pyrene, and dibenzo(a,e)pyrene—that interacted with all target proteins. These compounds show potential for further assessment of their role in modulating processes related to vascular invasion, which is a strong negative predictor of RC outcomes.

Developing decision-making algorithms for highly automated driving systems remains challenging, since these systems have to operate safely in an open and complex environments. Reinforcement Learning (RL) approaches can learn comprehensive decision policies directly from experience and already show promising results in simple driving tasks. However, current approaches fail to achieve generalizability for more complex driving tasks and lack learning efficiency. Therefore, we present Scenario-based Automated Driving Reinforcement Learning (SAD-RL), the first framework that integrates Reinforcement Learning (RL) of hierarchical policy in a scenario-based environment. A high-level policy selects maneuver templates that are evaluated and executed by a low-level control logic. The scenario-based environment allows to control the training experience for the agent and to explicitly introduce challenging, but rate situations into the training process. Our experiments show that an agent trained using the SAD-RL framework can achieve safe behaviour in easy as well as challenging situations efficiently. Our ablation studies confirmed that both HRL and scenario diversity are essential for achieving these results.

This paper examined the effect of Islamic finance on poverty reduction in 53 African countries over the period 2013 to 2022. Islamic finance, based on Islamic principles and values, emphasizes ethical conduct, social responsibility, and promotion of social welfare. Poverty remains a pressing issue in many African countries, and traditional financial systems have for long struggled to effectively address this challenge. Islamic finance offers unique features and mechanisms that can contribute to poverty reduction efforts. This study employs a panel System Generalized Method of Moments (SGMM) estimation technique and explores the empirical evidence on the relationship between Islamic finance development and poverty reduction, while controlling for other variables such as foreign aid, government budgets, and government effectiveness. The findings indicate that Islamic finance development, foreign aid, and government budgets have significant positive effects on poverty reduction, while government effectiveness has a negative effect. Thus, the findings highlight the potential of Islamic finance in poverty reduction in African countries and provide valuable insights for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers in harnessing the benefits of Islamic finance for inclusive and sustainable development.

The forestry sector is increasingly dealing with a significant lack of labor and faces the difficult task of securing a professional, stable and sustainable manpower. In this study, different strategic directions for strengthening forestry workforce sustainability are presented and evaluated. The considered strategic directions were developed with respect to forestry employees’ views on necessary measures for making the forestry occupation more appealing. Those measures were observed in three categories: (I) stronger recruiting, (II) stronger retention and (III) higher work commitment. The findings of the survey and other performed analyses resulted in the creation of four different strategic directions: (1) the direct financial strategy, implying increased direct monetary compensation as the main instrument and putting focus on labor productivity; (2) the indirect financial strategy, stressing worker wellbeing through indirect material benefits and aiming at performance quality; (3) the educational strategy, focusing on worker training and education and (4) the technical–technological strategy, aiming at the increased utilization of modern machinery and advanced technologies in forest operations. The results of the study include a comparison of the defined strategies by SWOT analysis and the construction of An analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) model as the multi-criteria tool for strategy evaluation. Considering the possibility and conditions of its implementation in the national forestry sector, the technical–technological strategy has been evaluated as best option to pursue. The objective of the study is to contribute to enhancing the sustainability of forestry workforce by defining critical issues and pointing to specific cornerstones that can assist in formulating effective future policies and strategies in the forestry sector.

Commercial juice processing generates a wide range of citrus byproducts including Citrus reticulata pomace. Citrus reticulata pomace consists primarily of pectin, cellulose, hemicellulose, and simple sugars. The essential oil present in small amounts contributes to the characteristic citrus aroma. In this research, volatile and semi-volatiles were extracted from citrus pomace (byproduct of mandarin juice production and then encapsulated using a freeze-drying technique. The main goal was to evaluate the efficiency of different coatings such as gum arabic, maltodextrin, and carboxymethylcellulose, to encapsulate citrus aroma. To confirm encapsulation, the microcapsules were disrupted in water. In disrupted microcapsules, a total of 17 monoterpenes, 13 sesquiterpenes, and 15 other compounds were identified, while on the surface of microcapsules, only up to 7 compounds were identified. From 46 aroma compounds identified in disrupted microcapsules, the most abundant ones were limonene, linalool, and α-terpineol.

Comorbidity networks, which capture disease-disease co-occurrence usually based on electronic health records, reveal structured patterns in how diseases cluster and progress across individuals. However, how these networks evolve across different age groups and how this evolution relates to properties like disease prevalence and mortality remains understudied. To address these issues, we used publicly available comorbidity networks extracted from a comprehensive dataset of 45 million Austrian hospital stays from 1997 to 2014, covering 8.9 million patients. These networks grow and become denser with age. We identified groups of diseases that exhibit similar patterns of structural centrality throughout the lifespan, revealing three dominant age-related components with peaks in early childhood, midlife, and late life. To uncover the drivers of this structural change, we examined the relationship between prevalence and degree. This allowed us to identify conditions that were disproportionately connected to other diseases. Using betweenness centrality in combination with mortality data, we further identified high-mortality bridging diseases. Several diseases show high connectivity relative to their prevalence, such as iron deficiency anemia (D50) in children, nicotine dependence (F17), and lipoprotein metabolism disorders (E78) in adults. We also highlight structurally central diseases with high mortality that emerge at different life stages, including cancers (C group), liver cirrhosis (K74), subarachnoid hemorrhage (I60), and chronic kidney disease (N18). These findings underscore the importance of targeting age-specific, network-central conditions with high mortality for prevention and integrated care.

Zlatko Ugljen’s architecture represents a profound engagement with the interplay between regional identity and universal architectural values. Through an analysis of his most significant works, this paper examines how Ugljen synthesizes traditional construction principles with modernist architectural expression, ensuring the continuity of spatial and cultural meaning. Particular attention is given to the concept of the architecture of respect, analyzed within the theoretical frameworks of critical regionalism and the phenomenology of space. Furthermore, the paper investigates the impact of socio-political contexts - ranging from socialist Yugoslavia to the post-conflict reconstruction of Bosnia and Herzegovina - on Ugljen’s architectural practice. Employing a methodological framework that integrates a comparative analysis, case studies, and a phenomenological approach, the paper explores the materiality, spatial organization, and symbolic dimensions of his architectural solutions. The findings suggest that Ugljen’s work serves as a paradigm for contemporary architectural practice, demonstrating how regional identity can be reaffirmed while simultaneously establishing universal spatial values capable of addressing the challenges posed by globalization and cultural fragmentation.

The scientific community is continually evolving, driven by advancements, shifting priorities, and growing demands for global dissemination of knowledge. A clear example of successfully adapting to these demands is the transition from the Bosnian Journal of Basic Medical Sciences (BJBMS) to Biomolecules and Biomedicine (BB) in 2023. This strategic move symbolizes a significant step forward, expanding the journal's global reach and scientific scope.

Particulate matter (PM) is a major health risk, particularly in indoor environments where air quality should be optimized and pollution reduced efficiently. While technical air purification systems can be costly and impractical, indoor plants offer a sustainable alternative. Using a novel methodology, four common indoor plants were evaluated for their potential to reduce PM2.5. PM2.5 was introduced via incense in a custom-designed test chamber with air circulating at 0.3 m/s. Air quality was continuously monitored with an AirGradient Open Air device (Model O-1PST), an optical particle counter. Statistical significance was confirmed by independent t-tests and ANOVA. Calcium chloride regulated relative humidity in the chamber. The plants Epipremnum aureum, Chlorophytum comosum, Nephrolepis exaltata, and Maranta leuconeura were assessed for their PM2.5-binding capacity. Nephrolepis exaltata showed the highest reduction efficiency. Maranta leuconeura with its hemispherical leaf cells was tested for the first time and proved to trap particles within its leaf structure. It is ranked second and showed a stronger dependence on ambient PM2.5 concentrations for reduction efficiency.

Abstract An experimental analysis of water pressure in the spiral casing of a Francis turbine is presented. Measurements are conducted to analyze the pressure variation in a radial section of the spiral casing in correlation wtih changes in electric generator output power. The equipment and the software used for signal acquisition and analysis are described. Pressure transducer selection and preparation are carried out to ensure acceptable accuracy for this specific experiment. Existing connectors for turbine monitoring devices are utilized as pressure measurement points in this experiment. Output power is monitored indirectly through the electric signal of the guide vanes opening, with power values used in post-processing from SCADA logs. Hydraulic pressure and pressure differences across different output power levels and operating conditions are discussed.

Abstract Designing optimal controllers aims to improve the performance of a control system by minimizing tracking errors,control effort, or other system-specific objectives. However, obtaining analytical solutions for optimal controllers is often intractable for highly nonlinear, coupled multi-input multi-output (MIMO) systems. While gradient-based optimization methods can be employed, they may converge to suboptimal solutions due to the presence of multiple local minima in the cost function. Metaheuristic algorithms, on the other hand, offer a way to search for global optima even in complex, nonlinear systems. This article considers a nonlinear, coupled 2-DOF SCARA robot manipulator and proposes a super-twisting sliding mode controller that generates smooth control inputs compared to conventional sliding mode controllers, which typically produce discontinuous signals. We explore the use of genetic algorithms, particle swarm optimization, and simulated annealing to automatically tune the controller parameters, with the objective of minimizing trajectory and velocity tracking errors along a predefined path.