In the present work, the influence of solution viscosity on growth kinetics and purification efficiency in layer melt crystallization was investigated. Melt crystallization experiments were conducted for three different types of aqueous sucrose solution as they are ideal solutions and a relatively wide viscosity range can be investigated with a moderate change of freezing points. The aqueous 10 wt%, 23 wt%, and 30 wt% sucrose solutions have a dynamic viscosity value of 2.01 mPas, 4.74 mPas, and 7.21 mPas at their respective freezing points of − 0.63 ◦ C, − 1.78 ◦ C, and − 2.64 ◦ C. The solution temperature distribution was predicted by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations run in COMSOL Multiphysics 5.6 software. Experimental results showed that a higher solution viscosity caused a higher crystal layer impurity and lower crystal yields in static layer melt crystallization. The cooling process of different solutions predicted by a CFD heat transfer study showed that the supersaturation region is wider for less concentrated solutions as cooling proceeds more rapidly. Hence, the temperature gra-dients obtained follow the boundary layer theory, i.e., the thinner the boundary layer, the faster the heat transfer.

Background DIALOG+ is a patient-centred, solution-focused intervention, which aims to make routine patient-clinician meetings therapeutically effective. Existing evidence suggests that it is effective for patients with psychotic disorders in high-income countries. We tested the effectiveness of DIALOG + for patients with depressive and anxiety disorders in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a middle-income country. Methods We conducted a parallel-group, cluster randomised controlled trial of DIALOG+ in an outpatient clinic in Sarajevo. Patients inclusion criteria were: 18 years and older, a diagnosis of depressive or anxiety disorders, and low quality of life. Clinicians and their patients were randomly allocated to either the DIALOG + intervention or routine care in a 1:1 ratio. The primary outcome, quality of life, and secondary outcomes, psychiatric symptoms and objective social outcomes, were measured at 6- and 12-months by blinded assessors. Results Fifteen clinicians and 72 patients were randomised. Loss to follow-up was 12% at 6-months and 19% at 12-months. Quality of life did not significantly differ between intervention and control group after six months, but patients receiving DIALOG + had significantly better quality of life after 12 months, with a medium effect size (Cohen's d = 0.632, p = 0.007). General symptoms as well as specifically anxiety and depression symptoms were significantly lower after six and 12 months, and the objective social situation showed a statistical trend after 12 months, all in favour of the intervention group. No adverse events were reported. Limitations Delivery of the intervention was variable and COVID-19 affected 12-month follow-up assessments in both groups. Conclusion The findings suggest DIALOG + could be an effective treatment option for improving quality of life and reducing psychiatric symptoms in patients with depressive and anxiety disorders in a low-resource setting.

Comprehension of speech in noise is a challenge for hearing-impaired (HI) individuals. Electroencephalography (EEG) provides a tool to investigate the effect of different levels of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the speech. Most studies with EEG have focused on spectral power in well-defined frequency bands such as alpha band. In this study, we investigate how local functional connectivity, i.e. functional connectivity within a localized region of the brain, is affected by two levels of SNR. Twenty-two HI participants performed a continuous speech in noise task at two different SNRs (+3 dB and +8 dB). The local connectivity within eight regions of interest was computed by using a multivariate phase synchrony measure on EEG data. The results showed that phase synchrony increased in the parietal and frontal area as a response to increasing SNR. We contend that local connectivity measures can be used to discriminate between speech-evoked EEG responses at different SNRs.

This paper presents a generic method to enhance performance and incorporate temporal information for cardiorespiratory-based sleep stage classification with a limited feature set and limited data. The classification algorithm relies on random forests and a feature set extracted from long-time home monitoring for sleep analysis. Employing temporal feature stacking, the system could be significantly improved in terms of Cohen’s κ and accuracy. The detection performance could be improved for three classes of sleep stages (Wake, REM, Non-REM sleep), four classes (Wake, Non-REM-Light sleep, Non-REM Deep sleep, REM sleep), and five classes (Wake, N1, N2, N3/4, REM sleep) from a κ of 0.44 to 0.58, 0.33 to 0.51, and 0.28 to 0.44 respectively by stacking features before and after the epoch to be classified. Further analysis was done for the optimal length and combination method for this stacking approach. Overall, three methods and a variable duration between 30 s and 30 min have been analyzed. Overnight recordings of 36 healthy subjects from the Interdisciplinary Center for Sleep Medicine at Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Leave-One-Out-Cross-Validation on a patient-level have been used to validate the method.Clinical relevance— The method can be employed generically to feature sets for (small scale) datasets to improve classification performance for classification problems with temporal relations with random forest classifiers.

Introduction. Despite its high accuracy, polysomnography (PSG) has several drawbacks for diagnosing obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Consequently, multiple portable monitors (PMs) have been proposed. Objective. This systematic review aims to investigate the current literature to analyze the sets of physiological parameters captured by a PM to select the minimum number of such physiological signals while maintaining accurate results in OSA detection. Methods. Inclusion and exclusion criteria for the selection of publications were established prior to the search. The evaluation of the publications was made based on one central question and several specific questions. Results. The abilities to detect hypopneas, sleep time, or awakenings were some of the features studied to investigate the full functionality of the PMs to select the most relevant set of physiological signals. Based on the physiological parameters collected (one to six), the PMs were classified into sets according to the level of evidence. The advantages and the disadvantages of each possible set of signals were explained by answering the research questions proposed in the methods. Conclusions. The minimum number of physiological signals detected by PMs for the detection of OSA depends mainly on the purpose and context of the sleep study. The set of three physiological signals showed the best results in the detection of OSA.

Flotation collector O-isopropyl N-ethylthionocarbamate (IPETC) is widely used for separation of sulfide ores. Its removal from water by several oxidation processes was studied. Photocatalytic oxidation with air in the presence of iron salts, utilizing solar irradiation or artificial UV-A light is very efficient. Oxidation leads through the formation of O-isopropyl N-ethylcarbamate and several other reaction intermediates to total decomposition of organic compound in the final stage in 1 day. Similar results were obtained with a Fenton type oxidation with hydrogen peroxide and iron salts. Treatment with sodium hypochlorite yields mainly O-isopropyl N-ethylcarbamate. The formation of this compound in wastewaters can be of concern, since simple alkyl carbamates are cancer suspect agents.

The primary function of the university, in addition to education, is scientific research. At Bosnia and Herzegovina universities, the scientific research has been neglected. There are two basic reasons for that. The first is insufficient financial investment in science and research, and the second is an underdeveloped awareness of the importance of scientific research work, both in the society of Bosnia and Herzegovina and in universities themselves. This paper indicates what needs to be done to overcome this latter difficulty. In addition, the possibilities for improving science and shaping the science system at universities in Bosnia and Herzegovina to make them research universities were analysed. Scientific research work builds on research and development work, technological development, cooperation with the economy and the development of science and technology parks. These activities are even less represented at universities in Bosnia and Herzegovina than scientific research work. This paper shows the ways how to overcome these difficulties, so that research universities become carriers of the technological development of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Osnovna funkcija univerziteta, pored obrazovanja, je naučnoistraživački rad. Na bosanskohercegovačkim univerzitetima je naučnoistraživački rad zapostavljen. Dva su osnovna razloga za to. Prvi je nedovoljno finansijsko ulaganje u nauku i istraživanja, a drugi je nedovoljno razvijena svijest o značaju naučnoistraživačkog rada, kako u bosanskohercegovačkom društvu, tako i na samim univerzitetima. U ovom radu je ukazano na to šta je potrebno uraditi da se ova druga teškoća prevaziđe. Pored toga, analizirane su mogućnosti unapređenja nauke i oblikovanja sistema nauke na bosanskohercegovačkim univerzitetima, kako bi oni postali i istraživački univerziteti. Na naučnoistraživački rad se nadovezuju istraživačko-razvojni rad, tehnološki razvoj, saradnja s privredom i razvoj naučno-tehnoloških parkova. Ove djelatnosti su još manje zastupljene na bosanskohercegovačkim univerzitetima nego naučnoistraživački rad. U ovom radu je ukazano na načine kako prevazići te teškoće, kako bi istraživački univerziteti postali nosioci tehnološkog razvoja Bosne i Hercegovine.

The paper presents the assessment of the building “Radnički dom” (Workers’ Home) in Mostar, which was built in the Austro-Hungarian period, and represents one of the buildings of cultural and historical significance, located in the area of the historic urban core of the city. The paper explains the steps in assessing the condition of the existing structure, which include the collection of existing documentation, structural inspections, tests and calculations, and the assessment and decision on further action. The paper presents the drafts and gives descriptions of the performed visual inspection and the performed static calculation of the existing structure. At the end of the paper, recommendations are given for the rehabilitation and consolidation of the walls of the building: classical methods (injection and grouting) as well as modern methods (carbon strips). The paper points out the complexity of the procedure for the restoration of cultural and historical heritage buildings, the need for valid expertise of the condition and causes of building degradation, the importance of designing details of new structural elements and their corresponding and adequate connections with the original structure of the object.

Introduction unCoVer—Unravelling data for rapid evidence-based response to COVID-19—is a Horizon 2020-funded network of 29 partners from 18 countries capable of collecting and using real-world data (RWD) derived from the response and provision of care to patients with COVID-19 by health systems across Europe and elsewhere. unCoVer aims to exploit the full potential of this information to rapidly address clinical and epidemiological research questions arising from the evolving pandemic. Methods and analysis From the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, partners are gathering RWD from electronic health records currently including information from over 22 000 hospitalised patients with COVID-19, and national surveillance and screening data, and registries with over 1 900 000 COVID-19 cases across Europe, with continuous updates. These heterogeneous datasets will be described, harmonised and integrated into a multi-user data repository operated through Opal-DataSHIELD, an interoperable open-source server application. Federated data analyses, without sharing or disclosing any individual-level data, will be performed with the objective to reveal patients’ baseline characteristics, biomarkers, determinants of COVID-19 prognosis, safety and effectiveness of treatments, and potential strategies against COVID-19, as well as epidemiological patterns. These analyses will complement evidence from efficacy/safety clinical trials, where vulnerable, more complex/heterogeneous populations and those most at risk of severe COVID-19 are often excluded. Ethics and dissemination After strict ethical considerations, databases will be available through a federated data analysis platform that allows processing of available COVID-19 RWD without disclosing identification information to analysts and limiting output to data aggregates. Dissemination of unCoVer’s activities will be related to the access and use of dissimilar RWD, as well as the results generated by the pooled analyses. Dissemination will include training and educational activities, scientific publications and conference communications.