— This research aims to investigate the performances of thermal insulation materials using a comparative analysis. Particularly, the performances of natural insulation materials are compared with performances of non-renewables (petrochemical and inorganic), such as thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, global warming potential, and cost. In the past twenty years, the interest for the research on building energy demand reduction has been increased rapidly. Buildings were identified as a significant contributor to global energy consumption and global warming through the heating and air-conditioning systems. The literature observed that building energy demand takes up to 40% of the global energy consumption. Trends in addressing this issue are based on better thermal insulation of building envelope or using more energy-efficient materials. To carry out this research, the data were collected based on published research and comparatively analyzed. It was found that natural insulation materials have a significantly lower impact on global warming, longer useful lifetime, competitive thermal properties, better fire resistance, and favorable cost. Future trends and developments in reducing building energy demand would rely on sustainability. Sustainability is based on renewable natural resources, including renewable insulation materials, but if combined with significant participation of PCMs for latent heat energy storage, it will provide much better results. To get sustainable technologies applicable in full scale in the future, the overall problem has to be investigated, including user training and addressing the future workforce's challenges.

Abstract. Introduction: Prenatal, perinatal and postnatal period result in series of psychological, physical, relational and emotional changes and adjustments while during the pandemic pregnant women and mothers of young children must also cope with the fear of themselves, their fetuses, or children being infected. Aim: The aim of study was to explore the lived experiences of pregnant women and mothers living in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the COVID-19 outbreak. Methods: Semi-structured in-depth interviews with 30 Bosnian women, 15 of whom were pregnant and 15 who are mothers that gave birth during the COVID-19 pandemic were conducted. Participants were recruited through two local women’s associations. The data was analyzed utilized inductively using an interpretative phenomenological analysis. Results: The study results indicate that both pregnant women and mothers alike described negative and positive feelings about pregnancy and motherhood during the COVID-19 pandemic such as fear and hope. The lived experiences of anxiety and adaptation through two core concepts: trapped in the fear of the unknown and adapting and embracing uncertainty. Discussion: The main themes that emerged from the interviews reveal grounded fear but also adaptability. Even though people have amazing abilities to adapt to adverse life conditions, as women in our study demonstrate, many aspects of the pandemic’s impacts on vulnerable populations are still unexplored. Tailor-made public health strategies such as an online counseling platform should be created to accommodate specific needs and issues of this population.

Background Patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) have anemia often present as a consequence of chronic bleeding from tumor. The exact role of lL-33, Galectin-l and IL-l in the pathological genesis of anemia in colorectal cancer patients has not been elucidated yet. The main goal of this research was to analyze Gal-l, IL-l and lL-33 systemic values in anemic and non-anemic CRC patients. Methods Concentrations of IL-33, Galectin-1 and IL-1 have been studied in blood samples of 55 CRC patients (27 without anemia and 28 with anemia). Results CRC patients with anemia had more severe and local advanced disease compared to CRC non-anemic patients. Anemia positively correlated with higher nuclear grade, lymph and blood vessel invasion, as well as with higher TNM stage, detectable metastatic lesions in lung and liver and peritoneal carcinomatosis. Significantly higher IL-33, Gal-1 and IL-1 concentration have been found in sera of patients with CRC and detected anemia. CRC patients mostly had microcytic anemia, while ferritin values were in normal range. Analysis revealed positive mutual correlation between serum values of galectin-1, IL-1 and IL-33 in CRC patients. Level of hemoglobin negatively correlated with serum IL-33, Gal-1 and IL-1. We have analyzed the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves of serum IL-33, Gal-1 and IL-1 showed that these cytokines can be treated as additional markers for anemia of inflammation in CRC patients. Conclusions Predomination of Galectin-1, IL-1 and IL-33 in anemic CRC patients implicates on their potential role in anemia genesis and further development.

In this paper a mathematical model for the soda ash drying process in a pneumatic dryer was presented. The model presents a macroscopic aspect of the drying process, for a two-phase, gas-solid system. The model is based on mass and heat transfer between the gas phase and the particle, movement of air and particles through the system, and geometric characteristics of the drying system (fan, air heater, pneumatic dryer, and cyclone). The effects of the process parameters, such as airflow, inlet air temperature, and relative humidity, temperature at the inlet of the dryer, etc., have been studied by solving the model. Also, the model was tested for different values of the capacity of wet soda and different values of the operating parameters of the heating medium. The model was implemented in MATLAB and solved with a nonlinear equations solver. Data obtained by the model were compared with industrial pneumatic dryer data for drying wet soda ash particles with good agreement.

This paper aims to examine the links between university-industry collaboration (UIC) predictors (inputs) and the results of UIC cooperation (outputs). The focus of the research is UIC within the European Union member states and the Western Balkan countries. The analysis was conducted using the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). This method enabled examining the links between variables that are not directly observable. The authors used data for the period of three years, 2015–2018. The results prove that countries investing in UIC predictors (inputs) have better UIC performance (outputs). Based on the statistical analysis, the authors identified the investments in knowledge, networking, and research and development (R&D), in general, as the most significant that impact UIC performance.

Pharmacists are often the first healthcare professionals that patients contact with their illnesses and requests for medical information, which is enhanced following the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Community pharmacists are expected and required to possess a broad spectrum of knowledge and skills. Self-assessment of these competencies is needed for their self-improvement. To assess pharmacists’ clinical knowledge and practice in the safe use of contraceptives, and to compare the scores obtained by external observation with pharmacists’ self-assessment of their knowledge as well as investigate the significance of preceptorship experiences. Contraceptives was chosen as the subject area in view of high rates of abortions as a means of contraception in Bosnia and Herzegovina. A questionnaire approach was used. The questionnaire included the following: the first domain contained two case scenarios (safe use of contraceptives), which evaluated clinical knowledge, a second domain in which pharmacists self-assessed their knowledge to resolve cases from the first domain and a third domain that measured the demographics of pharmacists (including experience in preceptorship). Dispensing practice was evaluated in the second domain. The questionnaires were distributed to a convenient sample of 100 pharmacists at the Annual Meeting of Bosnia and Herzegovina Pharmacists. The results were presented as counts (%). The groups (preceptors and non-preceptors) were compared using Mann-Whitney U test, paired assessments were analyzed by Wilcoxon signed-rank test and Spearman’s correlation was used to assess the correlation between variables. Of the 100 pharmacists invited to participate, 84 completed the questionnaire (84 % response rate). There was no agreement between pharmacists’ real knowledge (average score - case 1: 2.71, case 2: 3.3) and their self-assessment (average score - case 1: 3.77, case 2: 3.91). There was no statistically significant difference in the actual knowledge of pharmacists (experienced/non-experienced in precepting), while the difference in the self-assessment was significant between these two groups. Pharmacists appear to overrate themselves, which leads to self-enhancement bias, in which the experience in precepting has some influence. Pharmacists’ capability in performing an objective self-assessment of their clinical knowledge needs to be carefully studied in the future to fully benefit patients.

Background Pharmacists are often the first healthcare professionals that patients contact with their illnesses and requests for medical information, which is enhanced following the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Community pharmacists are expected and required to possess a broad spectrum of knowledge and skills. Self-assessment of these competencies is needed for their self-improvement. Purpose of the study To assess pharmacists’ clinical knowledge and practice in the safe use of contraceptives, and to compare the scores obtained by external observation with pharmacists’ self-assessment of their knowledge as well as investigate the significance of preceptorship experiences. Contraceptives was chosen as the subject area in view of high rates of abortions as a means of contraception in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Methods A questionnaire approach was used. The questionnaire included the following: the first domain contained two case scenarios (safe use of contraceptives), which evaluated clinical knowledge, a second domain in which pharmacists self-assessed their knowledge to resolve cases from the first domain and a third domain that measured the demographics of pharmacists (including experience in preceptorship). Dispensing practice was evaluated in the second domain. The questionnaires were distributed to a convenient sample of 100 pharmacists at the Annual Meeting of Bosnia and Herzegovina Pharmacists. The results were presented as counts (%). The groups (preceptors and non-preceptors) were compared using Mann-Whitney U test, paired assessments were analyzed by Wilcoxon signed-rank test and Spearman’s correlation was used to assess the correlation between variables. Results Of the 100 pharmacists invited to participate, 84 completed the questionnaire (84 % response rate). There was no agreement between pharmacists’ real knowledge (average score - case 1 : 2.71, case 2 : 3.3) and their self-assessment (average score - case 1 : 3.77, case 2 : 3.91). There was no statistically significant difference in the actual knowledge of pharmacists (experienced/non-experienced in precepting), while the difference in the self-assessment was significant between these two groups. Conclusion Pharmacists appear to overrate themselves, which leads to self-enhancement bias, in which the experience in precepting has some influence. Pharmacists’ capability in performing an objective self-assessment of their clinical knowledge needs to be carefully studied in the future to fully benefit patients.

Musculoskeletal research has been enriched in the past ten years with a great wealth of new discoveries arising from genome wide association studies (GWAS). In addition to the novel factors identified by GWAS, the advent of whole-genome and whole-exome sequencing efforts in family based studies has also identified new genes and pathways. However, the function and the mechanisms by which such genes influence clinical traits remain largely unknown. There is imperative need to bring multidisciplinary expertise together that will allow translating these genomic discoveries into useful clinical applications with the potential of improving patient care. Therefore “GEnomics of MusculoSkeletal traits TranslatiOnal NEtwork” (GEMSTONE) aims to set the ground for the: 1) functional characterization of discovered genes and pathways; 2) understanding of the correspondence between molecular and clinical assessments; and 3) implementation of novel methodological approaches. This research network is funded by The European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST). GEMSTONE includes six working groups (WG), each with specific objectives: WG1-Study populations and expertise groups: creating, maintaining and updating an inventory of experts and resources (studies and datasets) participating in the network, helping to assemble focus groups defined by phenotype, functional and methodological expertise. WG2-Phenotyping: describe ways to decompose the phenotypes of the different functional studies into meaningful components that will aid the interpretation of identified biological pathways. WG3 Monogenic conditions - human KO models: makes an inventory of genes underlying musculoskeletal monogenic conditions that aids the assignment of genes to GWAS signals and prioritizing GWAS genes as candidates responsible for monogenic presentations, through biological plausibility. WG4 Functional investigations: creating a roadmap of genes and pathways to be prioritized for functional assessment in cell and organism models of the musculoskeletal system. WG5 Bioinformatics seeks the integration of the knowledge derived from the distinct efforts, with particular emphasis on systems biology and artificial intelligence applications. Finally, WG6 Translational outreach: makes a synopsis of the knowledge derived from the distinct efforts, allowing to prioritize factors within biological pathways, use refined disease trait definitions and/or improve study design of future investigations in a potential therapeutic context (e.g. clinical trials) for musculoskeletal diseases.

Više od sedam decenija industrija ima veoma važnu ulogu u ekonomskom razvoju Srbije. Model razvoja i neefikasna tranzicija, posebno privatizacija, doveli su do prevremene deindustrijalizacije. Tranzicioni proces u srpskoj industriji nije stvorio konkurentnu strukturu, koja bi mogla doprineti održivom ekonomskom razvoju. Predmet istraživanja u ovom radu je analiza uloge industrijalizacije u ekonomskom razvoju Srbije. Cilj istraživanja je da oceni razvoj industrije, naročito posle 2000. godine i ukaže na značaj efikasnijeg sprovođenja reindustrijalizacije za održivi ekonomski razvoj, kao sredstva uspešne realizacije brojnih ciljeva, a u vreme kada proces digitalizacije i brzih tehnoloških inovacija u industriji svakodnevno menjaju društveno-ekonomsku realnost. U istraživanju su korišćene vremenske serije i komparativna analiza kao osnovni metodološki pristup. S obzirom da je u toku Četvrta industrijska revolucija i da je „Industrija 4.0“ pokretač i nosilac konkurentnosti i održivog ekonomskog razvoja, centralno istraživačko pitanje jeste zašto je u Srbiji neophodno sprovesti ponovnu intenzivniju reindustrijalizaciju. Rezultati istraživanja pokazuju da reindustrijalizacija treba da rezultira strukturnim promenama i tehnološki inovativnim industrijama. Pored industrijskog razvoja, to bi uticalo na rast, zaposlenost, konkurentnost i izvoz.

There are data in the literature on the influence of higher amounts of organic selenium on production results, and the obtained results indicate that high levels of organic selenium added to feed (even up to 15 mg / kg) of chickens did not have a negative effect on production results. Also, in the literature related to chicken nutrition there is data on the use of different forms (inorganic, organic) and different amounts of selenium on carcass meat, pH value of meat, ability to bind water, chemical parameters of meat quality, oxidative stability of meat, and and on the sensory properties of broiler meat. Of particular importance are the studies of the possibility of using increased amounts of organic selenium in poultry nutrition in order to enrich meat with selenium. This is of particular importance for the nutritional value of meat, and in connection with this, human health. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of adding different amounts of organic selenium (ALKOSEL® R397) in concentrate mixtures on the sensory properties of meat streams.

Neurons in the brain are wired into adaptive networks that exhibit collective dynamics as diverse as scale-specific oscillations and scale-free neuronal avalanches. Although existing models account for oscillations and avalanches separately, they typically do not explain both phenomena, are too complex to analyze analytically or intractable to infer from data rigorously. Here we propose a feedback-driven Ising-like class of neural networks that captures avalanches and oscillations simultaneously and quantitatively. In the simplest yet fully microscopic model version, we can analytically compute the phase diagram and make direct contact with human brain resting-state activity recordings via tractable inference of the model’s two essential parameters. The inferred model quantitatively captures the dynamics over a broad range of scales, from single sensor oscillations to collective behaviors of extreme events and neuronal avalanches. Importantly, the inferred parameters indicate that the co-existence of scale-specific (oscillations) and scale-free (avalanches) dynamics occurs close to a non-equilibrium critical point at the onset of self-sustained oscillations. The study shows that scale-specific oscillations and scale-free neuronal avalanches in resting brains co-exist in the simplest model of an adaptive neural network close to a non-equilibrium critical point at the onset of self-sustained oscillations.

Cilj rada je utvrditi povezanost zastupljenosti pojedinih faktora rizika i učešća nastavnika u ostvarivanju preventivnog djelovanja škole. Uzorak ispitanika u ovom istraživanju čine 450 učenika osnovne škole, oba spola. Istraživanje je realizovano u Općini Doboj Istok i Gračanica, i to u osnovnoj školi Klokotnica, Brijesnica, Lukavica i Hasan Kikić. Primijenjena su tri upitnika, dva standardirirana: ASEBA Youth Self-Report - YRS (Achenbach, 2007.) i Modificirani upitnik za procjenu nivoa rizičnosti/potreba (YLS/MCI) autora Andrews i Hoge (1994) i jedan kreiran za potrebe istraživanja. Za obradu podataka korišteni je statistički program SPSS 20.0. za operativni sistem Microsoft Windows. U dokazivanju metrijskih svojstava skala korišten je Cronbach alfu koeficijent. U odradi podataka korištene su metode deskriptivne statistike, t-test, ANOVA, diskriminacijska funkcija i regresijska analiza. Rezultati regresijske analize pokazuju da su značajni prediktori: slab školski uspjeh, ponavljanje razreda, velik broj neopravdanih izostanaka, neprimjeren odnos prema nastavnicima/autoritetima, neprimjereno ponašanje prema vršnjacima u školi. S obzirom na predznak koji je vezan uz pojedine koeficijente može se zaključiti da je učešće nastavnika u ostvarivanju preventivnog djelovanja škole veoma važna stavka, kada je u pitanju djelovanje na rizične faktore na nivou škole.