Violence is one of the most serious violations of human rights, as evidenced by its complexity and effects. Young people’s violence is one of the most prominent types of violence in our culture. Adolescents who exhibit violent conduct are also more likely to engage in other harmful behaviours, such as chronic lying, drug addiction, reckless driving, high-risk sexually transmitted infections, and chronic absences from school. Emotional difficulties, such as a lack of emotional regulation skills, difficulty resolving conflict, or difficulties coping with feelings of rage, jealousy, or rejection, frequently lead to violence in young people. Since many teen conversations now take place in public on the internet, these difficulties have worsened as social media has grown in popularity. This heightens the teenagers’ feelings of guilt, embarrassment, humiliation, and fear of others’ judgment. Psychologists are shedding light on the matter with their research insights, highlighting the protective and risk factors in violent conduct and prevention strategies and initiatives. This paper attempts to propose a new approach to the prevention and disruption of violence among adolescents that puts an emphasis on developing strengths and abilities rather than standard psychoeducation. Some of the promising strategies that can assist in forecasting teens’ risk for real-world violence include making meaning, developing interpersonal skills, regulating emotions and behaviour, training in communication skills, peer-led programs, digital monitoring, and bystander intervention, which includes peers, parents, and teachers. Not only can these interventions shield teenagers during a crucial developmental stage, but they can also lower their future risk of committing and experiencing intimate partner abuse.

In this article, we present the main features of the dynamic rapidly-exploring generalized bur tree (DRGBT) algorithm, a sampling-based planner for dynamic environments. We provide a detailed time analysis and appropriate scheduling to facilitate a real-time operation. To this end, an extensive analysis is conducted to identify the time-critical routines and their dependence on the number of obstacles. Furthermore, information about the distance to obstacles is used to compute a structure called dynamic expanded bubble of free configuration space, which is then utilized to establish sufficient conditions for a guaranteed safe motion of the robot while satisfying all kinematic constraints. An extensive comparative study is conducted to compare the proposed algorithm to competing state-of-the-art methods. Finally, an experimental study on a real robot is carried out covering a variety of scenarios including those with human presence. The results show the effectiveness and feasibility of real-time execution of the proposed motion planning algorithm within a typical sensor-based arrangement, using cheap hardware and sequential architecture, without the necessity for GPUs or heavy parallelization.

This paper evaluates the impact of a paradigm shift in the monetary system by introducing a model of full reserve banking, focusing on the outcome of separating the generation of money from interest, which can only be achieved by abolishing the system of creating money through debt creation in the banking system. The main thesis argues that the current system, in which private commercial banks create money by issuing loans, results in deposits that mix savings achieved through economic activity with newly created money, leading to economic inefficiency and potential instability because debt and interest are always greater than the economic value created. The 100% sovereign money system corrects this by ensuring that only the central bank has the authority to create money, simplifying the financial landscape and restoring money to its rightful status as a public good and stable unit of measure. The study uses a comparative analysis between the current banking system with fractional reserves and the proposed banking system with 100% sovereign money, which is entirely reserve money. Balance sheet modeling demonstrates the impact of segregating investment and deposit accounts on the books of banks and the central bank. The methodology includes a hypothetical presentation of the balance sheet under the new system, emphasizing the accounting separation of “deposit” and “investment” accounts to end the creation of money by private commercial banks. The balance sheet analysis indicates that adopting a 100% sovereign money system requires state intervention through state deposits into the banking system to achieve the desired level of credit activity.

Cryptocurrencies are new financial instruments that pose opportunities and challenges for modern finance. This paper synthesizes previous research using a literature review method and various academic databases. The results show that cryptocurrencies offer lower transaction costs, greater privacy, diversification benefits, and alternative financing solutions for institutional investors and individuals. However, they also face challenges such as regulatory uncertainty, criminal activity, environmental costs, prohibitions and restrictions on use, security and privacy concerns, and high volatility. The paper provides useful information for the academic and professional public who want to understand these new financial instruments. The research question is, “What are the opportunities and challenges of cryptocurrencies in modern finance?”

<p>Zeolite 13X is one of the best adsorbents among zeolites and one of the most commercially available zeolites.&nbsp; This paper investigates the influence of several process parameters on the properties of 13X zeolite, including crystallization temperature, crystallization duration and Si/Al molar ratio in the starting reaction mixture. The quality of the obtained powders was examined in detail through a series of analytical and instrumental methods, presented in the paper. Water and CO₂ adsorption capacities were determined as key quality parameters of 13X zeolite, and additional characterization was performed by determining material granulometry, specific surface area (BET analysis), crystallinity (X-ray diffraction method) as well and SEM analysis. The obtained results indicate a clear dependence between the examined process parameters of the system and the characteristics of the synthesized materials, thus enabling the selection of optimal conditions for the synthesis of 13X zeolite.</p>

Abstract Multiple studies have shown the importance of adequate nutrition for animals and humans and its effect on overall health. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different nutritional regimes on the intestinal health of rats by evaluating different morphological and morphometric characteristics of small intestines, with the emphasis on the villus height:crypt depth ratio (V:C). For the experimental study, 24 clinically healthy adult Wistar rats were used. The rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: the control group (group A) was fed with conventional food, the second group (group B) with bakery products, and the third group (group C) with meat products. Samples of the duodenum and jejunum were collected for detailed morphological and morphometric analysis. A significant increase in the duodenal villi height was reported in group B (661.59 µm) and C (602.83 µm) compared to the control group (475.34 µm). The crypt depth values in the jejunum were significantly higher in group B (191.41µm) and C (246.23 µm) compared with the control (145.14 µm). The jejunal V:C ratio was significantly lower in groups B and C. The study showed significant morphological changes in the intestinal parameters in rats fed predominantly with meat and bakery products. These findings could be applicable in both veterinary and human medicine, underlining the significance of consumed food on gut health.

For efficient production planning, it is necessary to know the power consumption of a particular woodworking operation in advance. In the past, many power measurement tests have been carried out based on a large number of different combinations of technological parameters. However, in this paper, the effects of technological parameters and wood properties on the power magnitude of peripheral milling are analysed using experimental design methods, where the effects of the different factors can be tested with a much smaller number of combinations. Therefore, a central composite experimental design was used to plan the experiments. Three different tree species with different densities were milled with three different numbers of cutting knives and three depths of cut at constant feeding speed and rotational velocity. For each milling combination, the power was measured continuously and then the average power was calculated. Based on the measurements, a suitable model was determined that allowed the magnitude of the cutting power to be determined for each combination of technological parameters and wood species tested. The model proved to be suitable, as the deviations between the measured and modelled power values are minimal.

In this paper, we analyze examples of research institutes that stand out in scientific excellence and social impact. We define key practices for evaluating research results, economic conditions, and the selection of specific research topics. Special focus is placed on small countries and the field of artificial intelligence. The aim is to identify components that enable institutes to achieve a high level of innovation, self-sustainability, and social benefits.

The main goal of this paper is to show and analyze the differences in the parameters of the situational efficiency of home and guest matches of the Premier League of BiH clubs in the 2023/24 season. The paper is based on research into current trends of the analysis of situational efficiency parameters in football. The purpose of the paper is to bring the trends closer to all those who love football and statistics. It is to be believed that the paper will contribute to football theory and practice and that it will have its benefits. The paper used statistical indicators collected by notational analysis of 12 clubs in the 2023/24 season, as well as data from the COMET system and the "SofaScore" application. The analysis will contain certain variables with which the parameters of the situational efficiency of the clubs will be compared. These are: ball possession, total shots, shots on goal, shots off goal, corners, goalkeeper saves, yellow cards, red cards, number of spectators (home matches), number of substitutions, number of goals scored per match as a whole set of performance indicators for players and teams. The percentage of ball possession success ranged from 53.45% in home matches to 46.56% in away matches, the number of shots on goal averaged 4.75% in home matches and 3.41% in guest matches. Total shots on goal were 11.71% in home games and 8.45% in away games. The number of corners on average was 5.42% for the home team, while guest teams took 3.79% of corners per game. Goalkeepers had 2.32% of saves in home games, and 3.06% of saves in guest games. Regarding the variable yellow cards, on average teams received 2.07% of cards as home players, and 2.42% of yellow cards in guest games. Also, the variable red cards and the average of red cards is higher in guest games where teams received an average of 0.11%, and as home players 0.07%. Coaches made an average of 4.48% of substitutions per game as home players, and 4.44% of substitutions in guest games out of a possible 5%. The most important variable for which football is played is the number of goals scored, where teams as hosts scored 1.7% of goals per game and 1.1% of goals in guest games. A total of 33 matches were analyzed for each team. Statistically significant differences (p<0.05) in favor of home matches were determined for the parameters ball possession, total shots, number of shots on goal, number of shots off goal, corners and number of goals scored in the match. Teams in guest matches had statistically significantly higher (p<0.05) values in the variables goalkeeper defense and number of yellow cards. Knowledge of the analysis of situational efficiency parameters will enable football coaches to design football tactics more precisely.

Dapsone is a sulfone used in treating inflammatory skin conditions. Despite its widespread dermatological use, the pharmacological actions of dapsone remain poorly understood. Here, we examined how different aspects of neutrophil functions are affected by dapsone. Peripheral blood neutrophils from healthy donors were stimulated with phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA), N-formyl-L-methionyl-L-leucyl-L-phenylalanine (fMLP), or calcium ionophore (CaI) or primed with cytokines prior to stimulation, in the presence of different concentrations of dapsone (from 10 to 50 µg/mL), followed by analyses of their survival, phenotype, and functional properties. We found that dapsone at the concentration of 50 μg/mL induced a significant neutrophil apoptotic rate during 6 h and 18 h, while other concentrations were well tolerated compared to control non-treated cells. However, dapsone significantly decreased the induced oxidative burst of neutrophils at all non-cytotoxic concentrations. Additionally, dapsone showed a dose-dependent suppression of NETosis in activated neutrophils. The production of IL-8 by dapsone-treated neutrophils was decreased under both stimulated (fMLP) and primed (TNF-α/fMLP) conditions. Moreover, dapsone inhibited the expression of CD11b/CD18, CD66, and CD89 and reversed or significantly mitigated the downregulation of CD16, CD32, CD181, CD88, and CD62L on neutrophils after priming and fMLP stimulation. In conclusion, our results indicate the complexity of dapsone actions on neutrophil functions, extending previous knowledge on the suppression of oxidative burst and IL-8 production upon neutrophils’ activation. Suppressed NETosis and modulation of marker expression associated with different neutrophil functions under inflammatory conditions are new findings, not recognized previously.

One of the complex decision-making problems, which requires consideration of several criteria, is the choice of a smartphone. This paper presents an approach that combines user review analysis with machine learning and multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) methods to identify and evaluate alternatives. Based on the processed reviews, the Random Forest algorithm was used to identify the criteria that most influence the selection of smartphones. The weights of the criteria were determined using the Defining Interrelationships Between Ranked criteria II (DIBR II) method, improved by the application of triangular fuzzy numbers for better processing of the subjective and imprecise nature of the data. For the final selection of the optimal alternative, the Weighted Aggregated Sum Product Assessment (WASPAS) method was applied in a fuzzy environment, which enables the combination of additive and multiplicative approaches in ranking. The methodological justification of the proposed approach was confirmed by a sensitivity analysis, through 15 scenarios of changes in the weight coefficients of the criteria, which showed that small oscillations in the weights do not significantly affect the final ranking, especially not in the first two positions. The validation was additionally supported by a comparative analysis with four other decision-making methods in a fuzzy environment, which confirmed the stability and consistency of the results. The proposed approach provides an empirically grounded and methodologically robust framework for solving decision-making problems under conditions of multi-criteria evaluation and uncertainty, and can be applied to a wide range of similar problems in different fields.

In recent decades, China has significantly increased its global economic presence, emerging as one of the leading powers in the international system, in alignment with its strategic plan through 2049. This presence includes a keen interest in Southeast Europe, with Serbia identified as a key strategic partner. China's approach to Serbia intersects with Russia's longstanding presence rooted in the historical and cultural ties with Serbia. This paper examines the strategic interests and goals of China and Russia in Serbia, exploring their respective methods and tools. It also delves into Serbia's foreign policy aspirations for sustainable security trying to balance the presence of superpowers within, and around its territory. The paper evaluates Serbia's try of strategic navigation of its geostrategic position between East and West, questioning if Serbia is actually naive or aware of its circumstances. The study elucidates on how China and Russia's strategic maneuvers in the region, often subconsciously, shape Serbia and its neighboring countries. Within this intricate landscape, the concept of “Strategic symmetry” emerges as a crucial element, highlighting the delicate balance of influence that both powers exert in Serbia while it strives to maintain its entry into the European Union.

Introduction. Colon cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer, affecting both sexes equally. The objective tumor response rate (ORR) is an important parameter that proves the effectiveness of treatment in oncology; one of the ways to evaluate ORR is the response evaluation criteria in solid tumors Response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (RECIST). The aim of the research is to determine and compare the impact of the objective response rate in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer and the impact on overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Methods. The work is based on a retrospective (2014-2020) clinical study, with follow-up of patients over a period of 5 years. The research included a total of n=101 patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer (stages II and III according to the American Joint Committee of Cancer -AJCC). Research included n=101 patients, 52% male, 48% female. The youngest patient is 18 years old, and the oldest patient is 80 years old. Results. The average age is 59.69 years. The obtained data show that the largest percentage of Colorectal Cancer-CRC patients are in the third age. Adenocarcinoma is the most common pathohistological verification of colon cancer (77.23%). Overall survival and progression-free time in relation to objective response to therapy (ORR) according to RECIST criteria did not show statistical significance. One patient had a complete response (CR) to therapy, six patients (5.94%) had a partial response (PR) to therapy. Stable disease (SD) was verified in 32.67%, and disease progression (PD) was confirmed in 60.39% of subjects. Conclusion. The extent of objective response to therapy has no influence on overall survival and survival without disease progression in patients with metastatic colorectal disease. Key words: colorectal, cancer, response evaluation criteria in solid tumors.

Introduction. The aim of this article is to evaluate the efficacy and outcomes of FOLFIRINOX as a first-line treatment for initial metastatic pancreatic cancer patients at the Clinical Center University of Sarajevo. Methods. The research presents a retrospective analysis was conducted on 33 patients treated with FOLFIRINOX, between January 2021 and January 2023. Baseline characteristics, tumor markers (CEA, CA 19-9, CA 125), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), neutrophil-to-platelet ratio (NPR) and initial metastatic site were evaluated using Cox regression analysis in order to identify predictive and prognostic factors for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Results. The median age of patients was 64 (range 38-76). There were 18 males and 15 females. The median OS was 21.7 months (95% CI, 10.5-32.9) and the median PFS was 10.0 months (95% CI, 8.2-11.8). A statistically significant negative correlation was found between NLR and OS (r=-0.464, p=0.045). Patients with initial liver metastasis had a numerically worse median OS (16.3 months, 95% CI, 5.1-27.5), compared to those with non-liver metastasis (OS not reached, p=0.058). Tumor markers, NLR, NPR, and initial metastatic site were not independent predictors of PFS and OS. Conclusion. FOLFIRINOX demonstrates significant efficacy in treating metastatic pancreatic cancer in a real-world setting. Personalized approaches, including genetic profiling and microbiome analysis, along with AI integration, offer promising avenues to enhance treatment outcomes and quality of life for patients. Keywords: metastatic pancreatic cancer, enhanced outcomes, overall survival, progression-free survival.

Introduction. The coronavirus induced disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which was identified in patients in China in 2019, was pronounced a pandemic in March 2020. It resulted in more than 7 million deaths worldwide. As hypercoagulation emerged as its key pathological hallmark, the objective of this study was to investigate if a polymorphism within the VKORC1 gene, which plays a role in the vitamin K-dependent blood coagulation pathway, contributed to the survival from thrombosis in individuals who developed some form of it during their COVID-19. Methods. This was an observational, case-control study. Characterization of the VKORC1 -1639G>A (rs9923231) polymorphism-associated genotypes was carried out in cases (N=16), volunteers who developed some form of thromboembolism during COVID-19, but who survived from it, and controls (N=32), volunteers who did not develop any form of thromboembolism during COVID-19, by using polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism method, followed by Sanger sequencing of the VKORC1 gene promoter-specific, polymerase chain reaction-amplified products. Results. Our preliminary data indicate that the variant or A allele, which is associated with intermediate or low blood coagulability, is more frequently present within the VKORC1 gene of individuals who developed some form of thromboembolism during their COVID-19, but who survived from it, than the wild-type or G allele, which is associated with standard or high blood coagulability. Conclusion. These results warrant further studies into the role of the VKORC1 promoter-associated polymorphism in the COVID-19-associated coagulopathy, as the specific VKORC1 genotypes could become genetic biomarkers for prediction of a thrombotic state during COVID-19, and possibly, other thrombosis-associated diseases and disorders. Keywords: COVID-19, Hypercoagulability, Thrombosis, Venous thromboembolism, Vitamin K epoxide reductase