significant median increase was also observed in proximal (z = -3.408, p < .001) and distal tibial M wave amplitude (z = -3.409, p < .001).

There is no medical field where the impact of medical evolution is more palpable than in kidney transplantation. The pioneers of this procedure, 70 years ago, laid out the foundation for organ transplantation in general and kidney transplantation in particular. Despite the incredible advancements that have been made since, huge differences exist worldwide in terms of access, equity and quality of care. Nowhere are these disparities more prominent than in developing countries with limited resources, underfunded healthcare systems and transplantation infrastructures, particularly the Western Balkans. This position paper delineates the biggest barriers hindering the development of kidney transplantation in the Western Balkans, put forth and agreed upon by a group of regional experts on the field, based on the Modified Delphi Method. Limitations in training, infrastructure, restrictive and outdated legislative practices, lack of a centralized coordination network and fragmented regional collaboration, emerged as the principal challenges. Endorsed by European Society for Organ Transplantation (ESOT), this paper outlines a pragmatic and practical framework to overcome these obstacles, towards building robust and sustainable transplantation programs that ensure high-quality and equitable access to kidney transplantation, for all patients in this region.

Introduction : Drug–drug interactions (DDIs) influence treatment outcomes, particularly in complex diseases such as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study aimed to evaluate the impact of DDIs in COVID-19 patients. Materials and methods : A study was conducted on 200 patients with mild, moderate, or severe COVID-19 infections. Next, DDIs were classified into five risk categories (A–X). Results : Altogether, 1689 DDIs were identified (maximum of 64 per patient). Most interactions were category C (65.3%). Clinically significant DDIs (C–X) accounted for 73.6% of interactions. Positive correlations were found between the total number of DDIs and both the total number of drugs (very strong) and comorbidities/diagnoses (strong). Patients with severe COVID-19 infections had significantly more DDIs and drugs used. Polypharmacy was highly frequent (97.5%, average of 9.9 drugs per patient). Conclusion : Overall, COVID-19 patients often have clinically significant DDIs resulting from polypharmacy and comorbidities, especially in severe cases. Systematic DDI assessment is essential.

Neuroblastoma is the most common extracranial solid tumor in early childhood. Its clinical behavior is highly variable, ranging from spontaneous regression to fatal outcome despite intensive treatment. The International Society of Pediatric Oncology Europe Neuroblastoma Group (SIOPEN) Radiology and Nuclear Medicine Specialty Committees developed consensus‐based imaging recommendations for high‐risk neuroblastoma at first presentation and throughout follow‐up. These expert opinions aim to improve reproducibility and enhance diagnostic performance in order to advance the current standard of care and assist in the development of future trials.

In this research, the results of bentonite characterization by XRF and SEM/EDS before and after adsorption are presented. The influence of adsorbent mass and initial ion concentration on the capacity and efficiency of adsorption of lead (II) ions using bentonite is determined by adsorption experiments for initial lead (II) concentrations of 200, 300 and 400 mg/L, adsorbent dosage of 0,5, 1 and 2 g, at pH 5, temperature 25 °C, stirring rate of 200 rpm, contact time between adsorbent and lead (II) ions of 2,5minutes. The obtained results showed that with an increase in the adsorbent mass, the adsorption capacity decreases for all three tested initial concentrations, while the adsorption capacity increases with an increase in the initial concentration of Pb(II) ions for all three investigated masses of adsorbent. On the other hand, the adsorption efficiency increases with increasing adsorbent mass, while the adsorption efficiency decreases with increasing initial ion concentration.KEYWORDS:adsorption; lead; bentonite; mass; concentration

Climate change is an existential threat, and it is often difficult to translate the urgency and immediacy of climate catastrophes into common parlance. One way to effectively engage the public in climate change conversations is through effective communication practices, such as persuasive communication. Persuasive communication uses tailored messages to elicit desirable behavioural outcomes in the audience and has great potential to promote positive attitudinal and behavioural changes in the target audience. However, while persuasive communication has potential, recurring evidence suggests that using fear appeals in climate change communication can create unintentional mental health challenges for the audience. In light of the scale and scope of climate crises, positive, personal, and people‐centred persuasive communications may be more suitable for long‐term and sustainable deployment. However, there is a shortage of research in the literature. Bridging this research gap, this paper aims to explore how fear‐based climate communications impact public mental health and how alternative positive messaging frameworks can serve as sustainable interventions. This study seeks to enhance public mental health and cultivate a sense of engagement and responsibility among individuals, thereby facilitating collective action and influencing policymakers to implement more constructive climate‐response strategies. Ultimately, we aspire to offer inclusive and sustainable solutions that empower the public to actively participate in protecting our shared environment while mitigating climate change.

Cornus mas L. is traditionally used for various medicinal purposes, although systematic data on its pharmacognostic properties are still limited. Considerable variation was observed among plant organs, so phenolic and flavonoid content varied by plant part, with location-related differences among samples, with the highest in leaf and fruit from Bijeljina and the lowest in leaf from Sarajevo. Antioxidant activity was much better in leaf and bark than in fruit. Extracts inhibited ESBL-producing Escherichia coli, with MICs mainly at 125 µg/mL; bark extract (Tuzla) showed 250 µg/mL and reduced biofilm formation. Leaf and bark extracts showed dose-dependent cytotoxicity against PC-9, MCF-7, and MDA-MB-231 cells, while fruit extracts were weaker. In human lymphocytes, bark (Bileća) and leaf (Tuzla) extracts decreased nuclear division and induced micronuclei at 200 µg/mL. Molecular docking indicated strong bacterial target binding for loganin and cornuside, supporting the antibacterial and antitumor potential of C. mas.

Soda is a key raw material widely used in various industries, including food, pharmaceuticals, detergents, and glass production. At the "Sisecam Soda Lukavac" plant, soda is produced using the Solvay process, which relies on an aqueous solution of sodium chloride (NaCl) and calcium carbonate (CaCO₃). Due to the limited availability of global soda sources, efforts are being made to increase production capacity. However, higher production requires greater amounts of industrial water, resulting in increased consumption of fresh water from the Modrac reservoir. To reduce this consumption and minimize environmental impact, this study investigates the reuse of the waste condensate stream from the slaking drums as the aqueous solution of calcium hydroxide (lime milk) through the installation of a barometric condenser operating on the principle of direct contact between the cooling medium and steam. A barometric condenser was proposed for recovering approximately 8339.3 kg/h of steam, which would reduce water consumption by 7.58% and thermal energy losses by 29.3 %, with a payback period of less than six years. Reusing this waste condensate stream is expected to achieve significant operational, ecological, and economic improvements. KEYWORDS:soda production, waste stream, condensate, water, reuse

Cadmium is recognized as one of the most hazardous heavy metals, ranking among the top ten in terms of toxicity. With the growing industrial reliance on cadmium for various manufacturing processes, concerns have risen within the scientific community regarding its presence in wastewater and the challenges associated with its removal. This research investigates the potential for removing Cd(II) ions from a synthetic aqueous solution by utilizing NaHCO3as a precipitating agent. The removal efficiency exceeded 99%, with the most effective conditions identified as: pH 8, a stirring speed of 300 rpm, a stirring duration of 5 minutes, and a precipitation agent of 90 mg. Additionally, removal efficiencies of 96.256% and 91.234% were achieved at cadmium concentrations of 150 mg/L and 300 mg/L, respectively. The removal of Cd(II) ions was found to be more efficient in a mixture of metals, with an efficiency above 98%, compared to when individual metals were considered in isolation.KEYWORDS:Cd(II) ions, most effective conditions, removal efficiency