Spinal injuries represent a significant public health concern, causing severe impairments in bodily functions, including disrupted postural control and the loss of the ability to maintain an upright position. These functional difficulties substantially affect patients' quality of life and their engagement in daily activities. Traditional rehabilitation approaches often demonstrate limited effectiveness in achieving functional recovery. Consequently, recent years have witnessed rapid advancements in technological innovations within the rehabilitation process for spinal injuries. The integration of robotic systems, wearable technologies, and neurostimulation, presents new opportunities for improved therapeutic outcomes. These innovations not only enhance the precision of therapy but also enable personalized approaches tailored to the specific needs of each patient. Particular emphasis is placed on technological advancements that facilitate verticalization and improve postural control, as these functions are crucial for maintaining balance and participating in everyday activities. This paper aims to present and analyze some of the technological innovations in the rehabilitation of individuals with spinal injuries, with a particular focus on verticalization and postural control. Future research should concentrate on optimizing technological solutions, developing personalized therapeutic approaches, and ensuring accessibility to maximize functional benefits for individuals with spinal injuries. Keywords: technological innovations, verticalization, postural control, spinal cord injury

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are highly persistent environmental pollutants that bioaccumulate in living organisms and are increasingly implicated in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Mitochondria, as central regulators of energy and lipid metabolism, represent key subcellular targets of PFAS toxicity. While emerging studies have examined PFAS-induced mitochondrial dysfunction using whole-cell analyses, studies focusing on mitochondria-enriched cellular fractions and their functional alterations under steatotic conditions, despite their clinical significance, remain limited. Here, we analyzed mitochondria-enriched cellular fractions and the extracellular secretome from human HepaRG hepatocytes exposed to a PFAS mixture under both steatotic and non-steatotic conditions by using liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS). The PFAS mixture composition and concentrations reflected those commonly reported in human epidemiological data. We observed PFAS- and steatosis-driven effects on metabolism, including lipid buildup in mitochondria-rich fractions due to mitochondrial-lipid droplet contact, disturbances in cardiolipin levels, and increased extracellular abundance of acylcarnitines. Notably, PFAS-induced impact on mitochondrial metabolism was exacerbated in steatotic hepatocytes. Pathway analysis identified disturbances in lipid metabolism and inflammation-related pathways, including leukotriene metabolism, squalene and cholesterol biosynthesis, highlighting a shared metabolic signature across the PFAS-steatosis axis. Functional mitochondrial assays further showed that PFAS exposure suppressed respiratory capacity under both conditions, whereas steatosis alone increased basal mitochondrial activity but nearly abolished spare respiratory capacity. Together, these findings indicate that steatosis is associated with greater PFAS-related alterations in mitochondrial respiration and metabolic composition within the mitochondria-enriched fraction, supporting heightened susceptibility of steatotic hepatocytes to acute PFAS exposure.

This paper investigates characterization of low-frequency electromagnetic transients occurring in power networks with the Stockwell transform (S-transform). Three characteristic cases of real network events are considered. The experiments are conducted in the 35 kV network, and voltage and current signals are recorded. The S-transform is applied to analyze voltage and current signals recorded during earth fault, ferroresonance and transformer inrush. The obtained results demonstrate that application of the S-transform enables identifying and distinguishing different low-frequency electromagnetic transients. The S-transform scalograms and energy spectrum diagrams provide necessary information to enable more efficient protection measures against problems in the network caused by different low-frequency electromagnetic transient phenomena.

This paper proposes ontology-guided reasoning for affordance-based explanations of robot navigation. In human environments, it is not sufficient for a robot to detect that its route is blocked. It must also reason about what nearby objects afford, which state changes are possible, and which of these changes would allow it to continue safely. We address this problem by representing nearby entities, their affordances, affordance states, and qualitative spatial relations in a local affordance ontology and by evaluating hypothetical object--affordance state changes as candidate explanation factors. This yields explanations that are not only semantically grounded but also actionable. We instantiate the approach in a lightweight benchmark centered on a robot librarian scenario and evaluate it on procedurally generated navigation cases. The results show that ontology-guided reasoning identifies relevant explanation factors more accurately than a semantic-only baseline and remains robust as semantic clutter increases. Overall, the paper argues that affordance ontologies can serve not merely as semantic descriptions of the environment, but as reasoning foundations for explainability and reliable robot autonomy.

Background: The newly synthesized palladium(II) complex [Pd(L1)Cl]Cl (where L1 = N2,N6-bis(5-methylhthiazol-2-yl)pyridine-2,6-dicarboxamide) has demonstrated significant in vitro antitumor activity. In this study, the effects of this complex on the immune response and its antimicrobial potential were evaluated. Methods: Splenocytes isolated from mice were treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/Concanavalin A (ConA) along with the Pd(II) complex. The concentrations of IFN-γ, IL-17, IL-4, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-10 were measured using commercial ELISA kits. The antimicrobial effect was tested against reference strains of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, as well as yeast. The Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) was determined via the broth microdilution method, followed by the determination of Minimal Bactericidal/Fungicidal concentrations (MBC/MFC). Results: The Pd(II) complex induced an increase in the concentration of all tested cytokines compared to untreated cells. Co-treatment with Pd(II) complex and LPS significantly increased the levels of IFN-γ, IL-1β, and IL-17 compared to the LPS-only-stimulated group. Co-treatment with ConA and the Pd(II) complex resulted in a significant increase in TNF-α and IL-17 levels, whereas a significant decrease was observed in the concentrations of IL-10, IL-4, and IFN-γ compared to the ConA-only-stimulated group. The tested complex showed weak to moderate antimicrobial activity, Gram-positive bacteria showed better susceptibility to the examined complex compared to Gram-negative. Conclusions: Results of the study indicate that the Pd(II) complex exhibits a significant immunomodulatory effect on splenocytes, alongside weak to moderate antimicrobial activity.

Wildlife–vehicle collisions (WVCs) represent a growing safety, ecological, and economic challenge, with direct consequences for human lives, material damage, and biodiversity conservation. In the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, systematic analyses that link traffic accidents caused by collisions with wildlife are lacking. This research identifies high-risk locations of WVCs and applies geospatial analysis to the main roads of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The analysis is based on official police reports documenting 14,169 traffic accidents between 2021 and 2023, of which 104 cases (0.73%) were classified as animal-related. Although species were not specified in the reports, these accidents predominantly occurred in areas where wildlife crossings are expected, and thus are treated as potential wildlife–vehicle collisions. The results indicate a concentration of WVCs in nine municipalities, with eight critical road segments identified on main roads. Additional analyses explored the relationship between collisions, road infrastructure (bridges, tunnels), and ecological features of habitats (Emerald Network, Natura 2000, Red List of FBiH, IUCN). Based on the findings, it can be concluded that spatially targeted prevention is essential, with priority given to infrastructural measures (wildlife overpasses, fencing, signage) and strategic measures (improved databases, continuous monitoring, and integration into spatial planning). The obtained results provide a foundation for policies that simultaneously enhance traffic safety and contribute to the protection of wildlife populations.

Immersive virtual reality (IVR) can heighten presence and enable active, embodied interaction in realistic 3D environments, which has been associated with potential benefits in physics education. This article presents a comprehensive review of IVR implementation in physics education at both school and university levels. The analysis included 34 studies indexed in Scopus and ERIC, published between 1 January 2018 and 1 June 2025. Methodologically, this review followed a preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses approach. IVR implementations for physics learning were assessed, topic-aligned activity types were summarized, and associated opportunities and challenges were documented. Findings indicate that IVR can support physics learning by providing complementary visualizations, optimizing cognitive load, enabling haptic learning, saving time, and fostering collaborative inquiry. Conversely, the most frequent potential IVR challenges include discomfort, unreliable interaction, orchestration issues, relatively high costs, and significant extraneous cognitive load.

The biosynthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) via an aqueous peel extract of Citrus sinensis represents a green and sustainable alternative to conventional synthesis methods, eliminating the need for toxic chemicals and diminishing energy consumption. Bioactive compounds present in the extract, such as flavonoids and polyphenols, serve as natural reducing and stabilizing agents during the nanoparticle formation process. Characterization via UV–VIS spectrophotometry confirmed the formation of crystalline and stable ZnO NPs. In this study, an aqueous orange-peel extract was employed as the biological reducing agent for the synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles from zinc nitrate as the precursor, and the influence of the precursor/extract ratio on the properties of the obtained particles was investigated. The antimicrobial activity of the synthesized ZnO NPs was tested against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, with significant growth inhibition observed/particularly in the case of E. coli. The results obtained underscore the potential application of biosynthesized ZnO NPs in medicine, food preservation, and biodegradable packaging. This study confirms an efficient, eco-friendly and straightforward approach to the green synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles using orange peel extract.

Recently there has been a lot of progress in the development of economic nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) schemes for multistage optimal power flow (OPF) problems. However, the additional inclusion of discrete decision variables to model generator runtimes and generator startup costs can amount to large scale mixed-integer nonlinear programs (MINLPs) that are computationally very challenging. This work investigates the practical approach that replaces the nonlinear AC power flow equations by convex quadratic approximations. In combination with the discrete generator dynamics this leads to a mixed-integer quadratically constrained program (MIQCP) which is of significantly lower complexity and can be solved in reasonable time by off-the-shelf solvers such as CPLEX. We further show that simple terminal constraints are not sufficient to guarantee recursive feasibility of the NMPC scheme if constraints on generator runtime and on the number of generator startup events are present. To address this challenge we propose the use of additional time-coupled constraints and prove the resulting recursive feasibility property. Based on the assumption of periodic dissipativity of the underlying system we can prove stability of the proposed controller. To illustrate our results, we present simulations of a realistic 6-bus microgrid under different demand scenarios.

BACKGROUND Acute hyperglycemia is frequently observed in patients presenting with acute coronary syndromes and is considered a marker of metabolic and neurohormonal stress. However, its prognostic significance relative to chronic glycemic status remains incompletely understood, particularly in patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) reflects long-term glycemic control but may not adequately capture acute metabolic derangements occurring during myocardial ischemia. Stress hyperglycemia reflects a transient metabolic response to acute illness mediated by counter-regulatory hormones, systemic inflammation, and increased hepatic gluconeogenesis, and does not necessarily indicate pre-existing insulin resistance or chronic dysglycemia. Recent studies suggest that stress-related hyperglycemia indices may better reflect short-term risk, yet comparative data in NSTEMI populations remain limited. AIM To determine whether admission stress hyperglycemia indices are associated with early mortality in patients with non-ST elevation myocardial infarction. METHODS This prospective, single-center observational study consecutively enrolled 171 patients admitted with confirmed NSTEMI. Stress hyperglycemia was assessed using the stress hyperglycemia ratio (SHR) and the admission glucose-to-chronic glycemia ratio (ACGR), calculated from admission plasma glucose and HbA1c values obtained at hospital presentation. Patients were categorized according to established HbA1c thresholds. Clinical, laboratory, and echocardiographic data were systematically collected. All patients were followed for three months after discharge. The primary endpoint was the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), defined as a composite of cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, or urgent coronary revascularization. The secondary endpoint was all-cause mortality. Discriminatory performance was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Multivariable logistic regression models were constructed to assess the independent and incremental prognostic value of stress hyperglycemia indices before and after adjustment for established clinical and echocardiographic predictors. RESULTS During the three-month follow-up period, 88 MACE and 25 deaths were recorded. HbA1c categories were not significantly associated with all-cause mortality or MACE. In contrast, admission glucose levels, SHR, and ACGR were significantly higher in non-survivors than in survivors. No significant differences in HbA1c were observed between outcome groups. Stress hyperglycemia indices demonstrated modest discriminatory ability for predicting mortality and showed greater discrimination than HbA1c in ROC analyses. In multivariable models, both SHR and ACGR remained independently associated with early mortality after adjustment for demographic, clinical, and echocardiographic variables, whereas no independent association with the composite MACE endpoint was observed. ROC-derived thresholds used for survival analyses were exploratory and have not been externally validated. CONCLUSION In patients with NSTEMI, stress hyperglycemia indices assessed at hospital admission are independently associated with early mortality, whereas chronic glycemic status shows limited prognostic relevance. These indices appear to reflect acute systemic stress and metabolic instability and may provide clinically useful information for early risk stratification during the initial phase of hospitalization, particularly when comprehensive echocardiographic assessment is not yet available.

This paper presents a reflective analysis of the International Teacher Education (ITE) eTwinning Lab 2025-26, a transnational collaborative project involving pre-service teachers at the University of Cagliari (Italy) in partnership with Aix-Marseille Université (France), the University of Castilla-La Mancha (Spain), and the University of Tuzla (Bosnia and Herzegovina). Framed by the eTwinning annual theme “Citizenship education: celebrating what unites us”, the 12-hour laboratory engaged pre-service primary teachers (Pinter, 2017) in designing and simulating transnational, project-based learning experiences using English as a Lingua Franca. Grounded in the principles of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) (Coyle, Hood, & Marsh, 2010) and digital pedagogy, the lab aimed to develop participants’ soft skills and transversal competences: digital literacy, intercultural communication, collaborative project design, pedagogical innovation, and professional discourse community building (Swales, 1990). Employing a mixed-methods approach, data were analysed from post-project questionnaires (N=95 [Cagliari], N=10 [Tuzla], N=10 [Aix-Marseille], N=8 [Castilla-La Mancha]), ongoing formative assessments (through the usage of several tools as Mentimeter, AnswerGarden, and Padlet), and analysis of collaborative outputs (Canva projects). Findings reveal significant improvement in digital tool mastery, particularly with AI chatbots and collaborative platforms, and, most of all, enhanced intercultural awareness and learners’ self-confidence. It is argued here that this experience, with both its products and processes, can contribute to the growing literature on online teacher education and can provide a replicable model for integrating eTwinning into university-based training programs across Europe.

Background/Objectives: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are commonly used for postpartum pain management. However, previous studies have indicated that NSAIDs may increase systolic blood pressure, particularly in patients receiving antihypertensive therapy. The aim of the present study was to assess whether postpartum ibuprofen administration is associated with a higher risk of severe postpartum hypertension and increased mean arterial pressure (MAP) compared with acetaminophen. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science to identify relevant studies. Only randomized controlled trials were considered eligible for inclusion. For dichotomous outcomes, effect sizes were expressed as risk ratios (RRs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). For continuous outcomes, mean differences (MDs) with 95% CIs were calculated. Statistical heterogeneity among studies was assessed using the I2 statistic. A fixed-effects model was applied in cases of low heterogeneity (I2 < 20%). Results: No significant difference was observed in the prevalence of severe postpartum hypertension between the ibuprofen and acetaminophen groups (RR 1.07, 95% CI 0.84 to 1.35; p = 0.59; I2 = 0%). Similarly, MAP did not differ significantly between groups (MD −0.05 mmHg, 95% CI −1.53 to 1.42; p = 0.94; I2 = 0%). Conclusions: No increased risk of postpartum hypertension or difference in mean arterial pressure was observed between the ibuprofen and acetaminophen groups, supporting the safety of ibuprofen for postpartum analgesia in women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.