Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is a neurotoxic encephalopathic state, manifesting clinical symptoms of headache, altered consciousness, visual disturbances, and seizures. Although several diseases have been identified as causative of PRES, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Song et al recently published “Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) in a patient with metastatic breast cancer: A case report“ in the World Journal of Clinical Cases, highlighting and discussing the role of hypercalcemia in PRES as related to uncontrolled hypertension. To build upon this case description, we provide further insight into the possible underlying mechanisms of PRES through this commentary.

The financial crisis and COVID-19 pandemic have affected the financial systems at various levels of government. The cities in Poland and Croatia have been no exemption. In turbulent times, they have been faced with the need to reorient their budgets to remain resilient and solvent. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to investigate the financial resilience profiles of large cities in Poland and Croatia from 2010 to 2020 and to identify the factors differentiating the identified resilience patterns. To obtain empirical results, a two-stage research procedure was employed. In the first stage, group-based trajectory modeling (GBTM) was applied, while a panel data regression was employed in the second. Our research has revealed different patterns of financial resilience among the cities in Poland and Croatia; moreover, the scope of fiscal resilience of local government units (LGUs) differed over time, which made it possible to distinguish four groups of cities in every country characterized by similar resilience trajectories over time. The common predictors of fiscal resilience in both countries are the percentage of the operating surplus in total income, total income per capita and capital expenditure per capita, although the strength of its impact varies from group to group identified by GBTM. Our research has shown that the source of differences in LGUs’ financial resilience is not as much the nature and intensity of the disturbances experienced as the internal financial capacity.

Abstract This work presents the advantages of using ultrasound (US) in the procedure of antimicrobial functionalization of cotton knitwear. Ultrasound-assisted extraction of bioactive components from plant material reduced the extraction time by 40% and increased the degree of utilization by 12.5% in comparison with conventional extraction. By optimizing the H2O2 bleaching process, it was found that the application of ultrasound resulted in reducing the temperature from 100 °C to 60 °C, the processing time by 30 min and the H2O2 concentration from 4% to 2%, while retaining the same weight loss, the appropriate degree of whiteness with preserved mechanical properties compared with treatment carried out without using ultrasound. Dyeing with the plant extract of Achillea millefolium L. using the ultrasonic atomization resulted in even coloration and antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, with using minimum quantities of extract and 6.67 times shorter processing time in comparison with the bath exhaustion method.

Although machine learning has permeated many disciplines, the convergence of causal methods and machine learning remains sparse in the existing literature. Our aim was to formulate a marginal structural model in which we envisioned hypothetical (i.e. counterfactual) dynamic treatment regimes using a combination of drug therapies to manage diabetes: metformin, sulfonylurea and SGLT-2. We were interested in estimating “diabetes care provision” in next calendar year using a composite measure of chronic disease prevention and screening elements. We demonstrated the application of dynamic treatment regimes using the National Diabetes Action Canada Repository in which we applied a collection of mainstream statistical learning algorithms. We generated an ensemble of statistical learning algorithms using the SuperLearner based on the following base learners: (i) least absolute shrinkage and selection operator, (ii) ridge regression, (iii) elastic net, (iv) random forest, (v) gradient boosting machines, (vi) neural network. Each statistical learning algorithm was fitted using the pseudo-population with respect to the marginalization of the time-dependent confounding process. The covariate balance was assessed using the longitudinal (i.e. cumulative-time product) stabilized weights with calibrated restrictions. Our results indicated that the treatment drop-in cohorts (with respect to metformin, sulfonylurea and SGLT-2) may improve diabetes care provision in relation to treatment naïve cohort. As a clinical utility, we hope that this article will facilitate discussions around the prevention of adverse chronic outcomes associated with diabetes through the improvement of diabetes care provisions in primary care.

The goal of this research was to find a selection of green suppliers (GSS) that will, in the best way, help agricultural producers to apply green agricultural production using uncertainty in decision making. In order to avoid the possibility of uncertainty in the expert decision making, Z-numbers were used together with the fuzzy LMAW (Logarithm Methodology of Additive Weights) method and fuzzy CRADIS (Compromise Ranking of Alternatives from Distance to Ideal Solution) method. By applying Z-numbers and the fuzzy LMAW method, the weighting coefficients of the criteria were determined, where the experts, in addition to the criteria ratings, also defined the degrees of certainty in the criteria ratings they gave. The obtained results indicated that the criteria related to price and qualities are the most important during the selection process. To select the best alternative, the CRADIS method modified with Z-numbers and fuzzy numbers was applied. The results obtained by applying this method showed that suppliers A2 and A3 have the best characteristics and are the first choice for the procurement of raw and production materials. As part of the paper, the validation of the results and the sensitivity analysis of the model were carried out by conducting the procedure of comparing the obtained results with the results obtained by other MCDM methods and changing the weighting coefficients of the criteria. These analyses indicated that the model presented provides stable results. The conducted research showed how Z-numbers can be used to reduce uncertainty in decision making and how Z-numbers can be used with other fuzzy methods to perform GSS.

Considering the vast cultural and traditional heritage of the use of aromatic herbs and wildflowers for the treatment of light medical conditions in the Balkans, a comparison of the antioxidant capacity of wildflowers extracts from Herzegovina was studied using both cyclic voltammetry and spectrophotometry. The cyclic voltammograms taken in the potential range between 0 V and 800 mV and scan rate of 100 mV s−1 were used for the quantification of the electrochemical properties of polyphenols present in four aqueous plant extracts. Antioxidant capacity expressed as mmoL of gallic acid equivalents per gram of dried weight of the sample (mmoL GAE g−1 dw) was deduced from the area below the major anodic peaks (Q400 pH 6.0, Q500 pH 4.7, Q600 pH 3.6). The results of electrochemical measurements suggest that the major contributors of antioxidant properties of examined plants are polyphenolic compounds that contain ortho-dihydroxy-phenol or gallate groups. Using Ferric reducing-antioxidant power (FRAP) and 2,2′-azino-bis spectrophotometric methods (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) radical cation-scavenging activity (ABTS) additionally determined antioxidant capacity. The FRAP results ranged from 2.9702–9.9418 mmoL Fe/g dw, while the results for ABTS assays expressed as Trolox equivalents (TE) ranged from 14.1842–42.6217 mmoL TE/g dw. The Folin–Ciocalteu procedure was applied to determine the total phenolics content (TP). The TP content expressed as Gallic acid equivalents (GAE) ranged from 6.0343–9.472 mmoL GAE/g dw. The measurements of total flavonoid (TF) and total condensed tannin (TT) contents were also performed to obtain a broader polyphenolic profile of tested plant materials. Origanum vulgare L. scored the highest on each test, with the exception of TT content, followed by the Mentha × piperita L., Artemisia annua L., and Artemisia absinthium L., respectively. The highest TT content, expressed as mg of (−)catechin equivalents per gram of dried weight of sample (mg CE/g dw), was achieved with A. absinthium extract (119.230 mg CE/g dw) followed by O. vulgare (90.384 mg CE/g dw), A. annua (86.538 mg CE/g dw) and M. piperita (69.231 mg CE/g dw), respectively. In addition, a very good correlation between electrochemical and spectroscopic methods was achieved.

Suppurative portal vein thrombosis (pylephlebitis) is an uncommon condition usually associated with an intra-abdominal infection or inflammatory process. In this study, we aimed to synthesize data on previously published cases according to the PRISMA guidelines. A total of 103 patients were included. Patients were more commonly male (71.8%) and had a mean age of 49 years. The most common infection associated with pylephlebitis was diverticulitis (n = 29, 28.2%), and Escherichia coli was the most isolated pathogen (n = 21, 20.4%). Blood cultures were positive in 64 cases (62.1%). The most common site of thrombosis was the main portal vein (PV) in 59 patients (57.3%), followed by the superior mesenteric vein (SMV) in 40 patients (38.8%) and the right branch of the PV in 30 patients (29.1%). Sepsis developed in 60 patients (58.3%). The mortality rate in our review was 8.7%, and independent risk factors for mortality were the presence of pertinent comorbidities (OR 5.5, p = 0.02), positive blood cultures (OR 2.2, p = 0.02), and sepsis (OR 17.2, p = 0.049).

Neuromyths are prevalent in all spheres of life and can be found in all professions. The teaching profession is especially susceptible to neuromyths as teachers want to provide the most effective, science-based instruction to their students. Sometimes these instructions are not based on scientific studies but on a misinterpretation of scientific findings or neuromyths. The goal of the present paper was to examine the prevalence of seven popular neuromyths in teachers in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH). The sample for this study comprised 300 teachers from all parts of BIH. The research material comprised 300 teachers (232 females and 62 males) from all parts of BIH. Participants were either personally invited to the study or recruited through an online survey sent to schools throughout BIH and teacher organizations. As a method we used the Questionnaire consisting of basic demographic information on the participants (gender, working experience, type of teacher) and 7 neuromyths statements on which participants were asked to answer whether they think the statement is true, not true, or they do not know. The results of this study indicate a wide prevalence of neuromyths in BIH teachers. The prevalence ranged from 17% to 82%. The most prevalent myth is about learning styles, while the least prevalent was that drinking less than 8 glasses of water causes a brain to shrink. There were statistically significant differences in the prevalence of neuromyths in relation to the teachers’ gender for every statement. However, the trend is not uniform. Although, overall the neuromyths were more prevalent in female teachers (for 5 items), for two neuromyth statements, male teachers had a higher prevalence. Additionally, the prevalence of neuromyths was more frequent in early-grade teachers. It should be noted that there are also differences in the results obtained for the different types of neuromyths. Neuroscience is important for education and for the teachers. Thus, more attention should be given to the process of translating neuroscientific findings into useful facts for teachers. One way to improve this process is through the continual professional development of teachers in the field of neuroscience.

Rhinoviruses (RV) account for a significant number of asthma exacerbations, and RV species C may be associated with a severe course in vulnerable patient groups. Despite important evidence on the role of RV reported by clinicians and life scientists, there are still unanswered questions regarding their influence on asthma exacerbation in young patients. Thus, we measured the RVspecies-specific IgG titers in our German pediatric exacerbation cohort using a microarray-based technology. For this approach, human sera of patients with exacerbated asthma and wheeze, as well as healthy control subjects (n = 136) were included, and correlation analyses were performed. Concordantly with previously published results, we observed significantly higher cumulative levels of RV species A-specific IgG (p = 0.011) and RV-C-specific IgG (p = 0.051) in exacerbated asthma group compared to age-matched controls. Moreover, atopic wheezers had increased RV-specific IgG levels for species A (p = 0.0011) and species C (p = 0.0009) compared to non-atopic wheezers. Hypothesizing that bacterial infection positively correlates with immune memory against RV, we included nasopharyngeal swab results in our analyses and detected limited correlations. Interestingly, the eosinophil blood titer positively correlated with RV-specific IgG levels. With these observations, we add important observations to the existing data regarding exacerbation in pediatric and adolescent medicine. We propose that scientists and clinicians should pay more attention to the relevance of RV species in susceptible pediatric patients.

Cybersecurity is an important topic for Industry 4.0, which will face a lot of non-traditional challenges before it can be fully implemented to help society. The objective of the study is to recognize recent cybersecurity trends, newly occurring threats and challenges as well as their potential solutions. The articles reviewed in the paper are found through science direct, Scopus, Semantic scholar and google scholar. After reviewing them, ideas from articles were grouped together to show how different articles had similar thoughts. Through the analysis of 70 articles, it was found that cybersecurity still needs a lot of improvement in order to efficiently implement Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), especially since many articles underline the need for security-by-design approach, followed by regular updating. Key challenges are lack of awareness and security experts, increased cybercriminal and the fact that the chain is as only as strong as its weakest point. Some of the most important solutions include incorporating security into design, stronger encryption, regular updates to patch vulnerabilities and good prevention and detection mechanisms. Once cybersecurity challenges are overcome, Industry 4.0 will be able to bloom to its full extent.

Abstract COVID-19 had undoubtedly speeded up adoption of digital technologies. Most of the theoreticians agree that changes that happened in the pandemic period would not happen in the next several years or even decades. There is almost no business operation that has not been affected by the pandemic, from customer relation and sales to supply chain. It influenced different business sectors leaving permanent change and making a significant proportion of organizations working in at least hybrid mode: combining digital and traditional pre-pandemic ways of working. COVID-19 had significantly changed the workplace and way of working. Workplace has shifted to digital or at least hybrid and employees and companies have adopted new ways of working, including usage of digital technologies but also accepting more agile and flexible procedures and rules. The research community has followed this phenomenon and tried to provide best possible recommendation to it accordance to recognized research methods. The paper provides a systematic literature review of the most significant scientific and industry publication in the years after the pandemic start. It is based on Kitchenham methodology of the systematic review with selected publication from recognized bibliographic databases. First part provides general effects of the pandemic to digital transformation of businesses all over the globe, mostly connected to analysis of the employees’ workplace preference. The second part is focused on digital workplace transformation and presents key theoretical and professional findings in the post-pandemic workplace. This part is consisted of the preview of benefits of the digital workplace transformation, identification of critical success factors and the most significant challenges of the process.