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This review focuses on the crucial role of aquatic ecosystems in preserving biodiversity and the biosphere, as well as the connection between antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and these ecosystems. It provides an in-depth analysis of the link between ecological well-being and public health, helping readers understand this complex subject. Aquatic ecosystems are essential for maintaining biodiversity and ecological balance. Additionally, they act as primary reservoirs and pathways for the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). These ecosystems risk antibiotic contamination through various sources, such as the release of antibiotics from animal and human waste, improper disposal of unused medications, and pharmaceutical industry waste management practices. The presence of antibiotic residues in these environments significantly speeds up the development of bacterial resistance. The global prevalence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is evident in freshwater bodies, tributaries, sewage waters, and wastewater treatment facilities. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is now a significant public health threat, compromising the effectiveness of many previously successful treatments against various pathogens. One notable and alarming aspect of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is its rapid development, often occurring within 5–10 years after introducing antimicrobial drugs to the market. This acceleration is closely tied to bacteria's ability to thrive and adapt in the presence of antimicrobial agents and their residues in the environment. The implications of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) include treatment failures with long-term effects and a continuous increase in healthcare costs. This review comprehensively examines the intricate relationship between aquatic habitats, antibiotics, and the global challenge of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). It emphasizes the critical role of these ecosystems in preserving ecological diversity. It raises awareness about AMR's urgent public health issue, laying a foundation for understanding its extensive consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Prostate cancer mortality rates are high in Nigeria. While prostate cancer is highly curable with early detection and effective multidisciplinary management, the quality of care is suboptimal in this setting. Sustainable delivery of high-quality care for patients with localized prostate cancer is needed to save more lives. To inform future interventions to improve care, this study aimed to identify barriers and facilitators that influence prostate cancer detection and management in Nigeria. Methods: Six focus group discussions (FGDs), stratified by stakeholders were conducted with a purposive sample of prostate cancer patients (n = 19), caregivers (n = 15), and healthcare providers (n = 18), in two academic tertiary hospitals in northern and southern Nigeria. A discussion guide organized based on the socio-ecological model was used. FGDs were recorded, transcribed, and analysed using the framework technique. Results: Barriers and facilitators were identified at the individual, interpersonal, and organizational levels. Barriers to detection included limited knowledge and misperceptions among patients, caregivers, and community-based non-specialist healthcare providers, and limitations of centralized opportunistic screening; while facilitators included the potential for religious institutions to encourage positive health-seeking behaviour. Barriers to management included non-uniformity in clinical guideline usage, treatment abandonment amidst concerns about treatment and survival, absence of patient interaction platforms and follow-up support systems, difficulty in navigating service areas, low health insurance coverage and limited financial resource of patients. Facilitators of management included the availability of resource stratified guidelines for prostate cancer management and the availability of patient peers, caregivers, nurses, and medical social workers to provide correct medical information and support patient-centred services. Participants also provided suggestions that could help improve prostate cancer detection and management in Nigeria. Conclusion: This study identified multiple determinants affecting the detection and management of localized prostate cancer. These findings will inform the refinement of implementation strategies to improve the quality of prostate cancer care in Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Caddisfly sampling conducted during 2023 in the Bistrica e Shalës River, belonging to the Ibër basin and in the Mirusha River, belonging to the Drini i Bardhë (White Drin) basin, revealed the first record of Stactobiella risi (Felber, 1908) for Kosovo and for Ecoregion 5 (Dinaric Western Balkans). Previously, this species had only been known from few localities in Europe. The morphology of the male genitalia in the collected specimens generally corresponds to the described species, with the exception of a less apically elongated inferior appendages in lateral view, which may be attributed to geographical variability. This discovery increases the knowledge about the distribution of family Hydroptilidae in Kosovo and the Balkans. In addition to this we provide a list of sympatric species in both localities including few rare species such as Hydropsyche botosaneanui Marinković Gospodnetić, 1966 and Rhyacophila macedonica Karaouzas, Valladolid & Ibrahimi, 2022. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Antimicrobial resistance is a worldwide problem that involves humans, animals and environmental health. The extensive use of antibiotics in animal production may be a determining factor for the emergence and dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes throughout the animal production chain. The acquisition of the antibiotic resistance genes in commensal and environmental microorganisms, which usually are susceptible to antimicrobials, can contribute to dissemination of antimicrobial resistance throughout the food chain. This study aimed to determine the levels of residues from five different antimicrobial drugs in milk and feces samples during the withdrawal period in dairy cattle administrated with a single dose of the drug, as well as to characterize the antimicrobial resistance patterns of commensal Escherichia coli cultured from feces samples. According to results obtained, the levels of analyzed antimicrobial residues gradually decreased until their elimination (which was on the 7th day after drug administration), and the highest antimicrobial resistance of E. coli (100%) was found in β-lactams. The proper drug dosage adjustment and regular monitoring of antibiotics use in animal production is important for in-time identification of antimicrobial resistance in food-producing animals. The use of antimicrobials in livestock production and their effect on the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health problem for humans, animals and the environment. The aim of this study was to determine antimicrobial residue levels in milk and feces samples during the withdrawal period in dairy cattle administrated with a single dose of the drug, as well as to characterize the antimicrobial resistance patterns of Escherichia coli cultured from feces samples. In the study, dairy cows from three different farms in North Macedonia were included. Raw milk and feces samples were collected before drug administration (0 day) and on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 7th and 21st day after drug administration. The antimicrobial residues of oxytetracycline, enrofloxacin, amoxicillin, trimethoprim and procaine-benzylpenicillin were determined using a validated liquid chromatography combined with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method involving stable isotopes. According to results obtained, the highest levels of analyzed antimicrobial residues were determined on the first day after drug administration, which then gradually decreased until their elimination (7th day). The highest AMR of E. coli (100%) was found in β-lactam antimicrobials. Less exposure to broad-spectrum antimicrobials could be an important factor for reduction of AMR on dairy farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While previous reviews found a positive association between pre‐existing cancer diagnosis and COVID‐19‐related death, most early studies did not distinguish long‐term cancer survivors from those recently diagnosed/treated, nor adjust for important confounders including age. We aimed to consolidate higher‐quality evidence on risk of COVID‐19‐related death for people with recent/active cancer (compared to people without) in the pre‐COVID‐19‐vaccination period. We searched the WHO COVID‐19 Global Research Database (20 December 2021), and Medline and Embase (10 May 2023). We included studies adjusting for age and sex, and providing details of cancer status. Risk‐of‐bias assessment was based on the Newcastle‐Ottawa Scale. Pooled adjusted odds or risk ratios (aORs, aRRs) or hazard ratios (aHRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated using generic inverse‐variance random‐effects models. Random‐effects meta‐regressions were used to assess associations between effect estimates and time since cancer diagnosis/treatment. Of 23 773 unique title/abstract records, 39 studies were eligible for inclusion (2 low, 17 moderate, 20 high risk of bias). Risk of COVID‐19‐related death was higher for people with active or recently diagnosed/treated cancer (general population: aOR = 1.48, 95% CI: 1.36‐1.61, I2 = 0; people with COVID‐19: aOR = 1.58, 95% CI: 1.41‐1.77, I2 = 0.58; inpatients with COVID‐19: aOR = 1.66, 95% CI: 1.34‐2.06, I2 = 0.98). Risks were more elevated for lung (general population: aOR = 3.4, 95% CI: 2.4‐4.7) and hematological cancers (general population: aOR = 2.13, 95% CI: 1.68‐2.68, I2 = 0.43), and for metastatic cancers. Meta‐regression suggested risk of COVID‐19‐related death decreased with time since diagnosis/treatment, for example, for any/solid cancers, fitted aOR = 1.55 (95% CI: 1.37‐1.75) at 1 year and aOR = 0.98 (95% CI: 0.80‐1.20) at 5 years post‐cancer diagnosis/treatment. In conclusion, before COVID‐19‐vaccination, risk of COVID‐19‐related death was higher for people with recent cancer, with risk depending on cancer type and time since diagnosis/treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the potential for widespread application of clay in the purification of water polluted with pesticides and water management through the absorption and desorption of dimethoate and methomyl in the natural clay of Brari (Tirana). While the maximum adsorption of methomyl on Brari clay was reached in 12 hours, the maximum adsorption of dimethoate on Brari clay was reached in 48 hours. To compare the adsorption of methomyl and dimethoate on Brari clay, their water degradation time was also taken into account. Dimethoate dissolves quickly; a contact period of 1-2 hours is sufficient to desorb 81.2% of the material. Dimethoate dissolves in water at 25 °C and has a half-life t1/2 = 30 days. Methomyl is desorbed even faster; in just two hours, 96.2% of the material is desorbed. At 25 °C, dimethoate has a half-life of t1/2 = 14 days and a high solubility of 58 g/L in water. Because methomyl and dimethoate bind poorly to clay, they can contaminate surface and groundwater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Veterinary drugs are widely used in animals to prevent diseases and are a complex set of drugs with very different chemical properties. Multiclass and multi-residue methods for simultaneous detection of residues from veterinary drugs and contaminants in urine are very rare or non-existent. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop and validate a sensitive and reliable quantitative LC-MS/MS method for simultaneous determination of a wide range of veterinary drug and pesticide residues and mycotoxins in bovine urine. This involved 42 veterinary drug residues (4 thyreostats, 6 anabolic hormones, 2 lactones, 10 beta agonists, 15 antibiotics, 5 sulphonamides), 28 pesticides and 2 mycotoxins. Stable isotopically labelled internal standards were used to facilitate effective quantification of the analytes. Analysis was performed in both positive and negative ionization modes with multiple reaction monitoring transitions over a period of 12 min. Results: The parameters validated included linearity, limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ), detection capability (CCβ), decision limit (CCα), stability, accuracy and precision. The process followed guidelines of the regulation 2021/808/EC. The calibration curves were linear with coefficient of correlation (R2) from 0.991 to 0.999. The LODs were from 0.01 to 2.71 µg/L, while the LOQs were from 0.05 to 7.52 µg/L. The CCα and CCβ were in range 0.05–12.11 µg/L and 0.08–15.16 µg/L. In addition, the average recoveries of the spiked urine samples were from 71.0 to 117.0% and coefficient of variation (CV) < 21.38% (intraday and interday). Conclusion: A new isotopic LC-MS/MS method has been developed, validated and applied for identification and quantification of 72 residues of veterinary drugs and pesticides and other contaminants such as mycotoxins in bovine urine. The most appropriated sample preparation procedures involved sodium acetate buffer, enzymatic hydrolysis using β-glucuronidase and cleanup solid phase extraction with OASIS SPE cartridges. The parameters were satisfactorily validated fulfilling requirements under Regulation 2021/808/EC. Consequently, the method could be used in routine analysis of bovine urine samples for simultaneous detection of veterinary drug and pesticide residues as well as contaminants such as mycotoxins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Kosovo, the supply of potable water from water sources is represented by about 40%. This study represents the geochemical analyses of sediments, spatial and statistical analyses of major elements in sediments (fraction <63 µm) of water sources in the Drini i Bardhë River basin. For a better understanding of the geochemical consistency of sediments, inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used and the amounts of P and S were determined by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). By comparing the concentrations of Ba, Se, and P with the existing criteria, it was found that 26 of 50 sample points exceed recommended norms, which cause low/significant toxic effects and 23 of 50 sample points include anomalies of the analyzed elements. In terms of statistical interpretation, the average concentration of the studied elements decreased in such order: Ca > Al > Mg > K > S > P > Na > Ba > Sr > Li > Rb > B > Ga > Cs > Be > Se. In terms of correlation analyses, elements such as Li, Be, Mg, P, and Ba did not show a significant positive correlation with any element. Cluster analysis of R-modality shows a branch of dendrogram linked with Ca, Al, Mg, S, K, P, Na, Ba, Sr, Cs, B, Ga, Se, Be, Rb, and Li. Spatial distribution maps of major elements show that high concentrations of Li, Ca, and Ba were located mostly in the northern part, high concentrations of B, Na, Mg, Sr, and Cs were located in the north-east part, high concentrations of Be and Al were located in the north and south part and high concentrations of P, S, K and Rb were located mostly in the south-east part of the catchment basin. This high concentration of elements is impacted by the lithology of rocks and by the minor influence of human activity (the case of P). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Insect Biodiversity & Systematics is the property of Tarbiat Modares University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Bladder spasms due to involuntary contraction of the bladder occur frequently following Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). They may be aggravated by the presence of a catheter, blood clots, preoperative overactive bladder, or preoperative ingestion of bladder stimulants like caffeine. These bladder spams are painful, associated with peri-catheter leakage of urine, increased post-operative bleeding, and often refractory to postoperative analgesia. The incidence and risk factors for the occurrence of bladder spasms following TURP need to be reviewed and validated to ensure adequate patient counseling and possible lifestyle modification before surgery. We conducted a prospective review of the determinants of bladder spasms in our patients following TURP. Methodology: The study population was patients with benign prostatic obstruction scheduled for TURP between March 2022 and April 2023. Monopolar transurethral resection of the prostate was done using a continuous flow resectoscope. The primary endpoint of the study was occurrences of bladder spasms postoperatively before the trial without a catheter. Pain perception during the spasms was assessed using a visual analog scale. Clinical data were collected and analyzed to determine their association with the occurrence of bladder spasms postoperatively using regression analysis. Sub-group analysis was also done to correlate significant variables with the severity of pain in patients with spasms. Results: The mean age of the 80 patients reviewed was 66.9 ±8 years. Bladder spasms were seen in 41(51.2%) of the patients. The presence of overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms and the use of bladder stimulants were statistically significant determinants with a p-value of 0.003 and 0.026 respectively. The age of the patient, preoperative indwelling catheter, prostate volume, and resection time were not statistically determinant variables in the occurrence of bladder spasms post-operatively. 61% had severe pains and 39% had mild pains. There was no significant correlation between the presence of OAB or the use of bladder stimulants with the severity of pains in patients with bladder spasms after TURP. Conclusions: Half of the patients are likely to have bladder spasms after TURP. The risk of having these spasms is higher in patients with preoperative OAB or patients who are exposed to bladder stimulants. The severity of spasms is however independent of these risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Natura Croatica is the property of Natura Croatica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article provides an overview of a special forum on knowledge production in the context of Russia's war against Ukraine. It discusses the proliferation of Ukraine-themed initiatives in academia, particularly in International Relations, and critiques the lack of knowledge about Russia and Ukraine within the field. The article emphasizes the need for a more responsible engagement with the conflict and a recognition of its complex realities. It also addresses issues of epistemic injustice, coloniality, and peripheralization in the treatment of Eastern Europe, calling for a more inclusive and diverse approach to knowledge production. The forum explores various aspects of knowledge production, including knowledge diplomacy and distortion, and highlights the challenges faced by scholars during times of war. It also emphasizes the importance of including diverse perspectives and promoting ethical and responsible knowledge production. [Extracted from the article]

We deal with a challenging scheduling problem on parallel machines with sequence-dependent setup times and release dates from a real-world application of semiconductor work-shop production. There, jobs can only be processed by dedicated machines, thus few machines can determine the makespan almost regardless of how jobs are scheduled on the remaining ones. This causes problems when machines fail and jobs need to be rescheduled. Instead of optimising only the makespan, we put the individual machine spans in non-ascending order and lexicographically minimise the resulting tuples. This achieves that all machines complete as early as possible and increases the robustness of the schedule. We study the application of answer-set programming (ASP) to solve this problem. While ASP eases modelling, the combination of timing constraints and the considered objective function challenges current solving technology. The former issue is addressed by using an extension of ASP by difference logic. For the latter, we devise different algorithms that use multi-shot solving. To tackle industrial-sized instances, we study different approximations and heuristics. Our experimental results show that ASP is indeed a promising knowledge representation and reasoning (KRR) paradigm for this problem and is competitive with state-of-the-art constraint programming (CP) and Mixed-Integer Programming (MIP) solvers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Test Laboratory Scheduling Problem (TLSP) is a real-world scheduling problem that extends the well-known Resource-Constrained Project Scheduling Problem (RCPSP) by several new constraints. Most importantly, the jobs have to be assembled out of several smaller tasks by the solver, before they can be scheduled. In this paper, we introduce different metaheuristic solution approaches for this problem. We propose four new neighborhoods that modify the grouping of tasks. In combination with neighborhoods for scheduling, they are used by our metaheuristics to produce high-quality solutions for both randomly generated and real-world instances. In particular, Simulated Annealing managed to find solutions that are competitive with the best known results and improve upon the state-of-the-art for larger instances. The algorithm is currently used for the daily planning of a large real-world laboratory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conducted study aimed to investigate the quantity and composition of municipal waste deposited in landfills in the Peja District of Kosovo over the period of 2005-2021. The study covered four municipalities within the district: Peja, Klina, Istog, and Deçan. A total of 705,246.7 tons of waste were deposited during the analyzed period, with the municipality of Peja depositing the largest amount (428,347.9 tons) and Deçan the smallest (67,143.6 tons). Regarding the composition of waste, the majority of municipal waste consists of biodegradable components (about 38%), followed by plastic (20 %), paper and cardboard (17%), glass (7%), textile (5%), diapers (3%), tetrapak (1.5%), metals (1%), construction materials (1%) and small waste (6.5%). This investigation contributes to municipal waste management to know the exact amount of waste produced and its composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Urinary incontinence and other urinary symptoms tend to be frequent at menopause because of hormonal modifications and aging. Urinary symptoms are associated with the genitourinary syndrome of menopause which is characterized by physical changes of the vulva, vagina and lower urinary tract. The treatment strategies for postmenopausal urinary incontinence are various and may include estrogens, anticholinergics, and pelvic floor muscle training. A comparison of these treatments is difficult due to the heterogeneity of adopted protocols. We systematically reviewed the evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) focusing on treatment of postmenopausal women with urge incontinence. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis by searching PubMed and EMBASE databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reporting results of treatments for postmenopausal urinary urge incontinence. Odds ratios for improvement of urinary incontinence were calculated using random effect Mantel-Haenszel statistics. Results: Out of 248 records retrieved, 35 eligible RCTs were assessed for risk of bias and included in the meta-analysis. Compared with placebo, systemic estrogens were associated with decreased odds of improving urinary incontinence in postmenopausal women (OR = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.61-0.91, 7 series, 17132 participants, Z = 2.89, P = 0.004, I² = 72%). In most studies, no significant improvement in urinary symptoms was observed in patients treated with local estrogens, although they showed to be helpful in improving vaginal symptoms. Vitamin D, phytoestrogens and estrogen modulators were not effective in improving symptoms of incontinence and other symptoms of genitourinary menopause syndrome or yielded contradictory results. A randomized controlled trial demonstrated that oxybutynin was significantly better than placebo at improving postmenopausal urgency and urge incontinence. The combination of anticholinergics with local estrogens has not been shown to be more effective than anticholinergics alone in improving urinary incontinence symptoms in postmenopausal women. Physical therapy showed an overall positive outcome on postmenopausal urinary incontinence symptoms, although such evidence should be further validated in the frame of quality RCTs. Conclusions: The evidence for effective treatment of postmenopausal urinary incontinence is still lacking. Welldesigned large studies having subjective and objective improvement primary endpoints in postmenopausal urinary incontinence are needed. At present, a combination of different treatments tailored to the characteristics of the individual patient can be suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Commensal Escherichia coli has the potential to easily acquire resistance to a broad range of antimicrobials, making it a reservoir for its transfer to other microorganisms, including pathogens. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of resistant commensal Escherichia coli isolated from dairy cows' feces. Phenotypic resistance profiles and categorization were determined by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) testing with the broth microdilution method, while the PCR method was used to determine the presence of resistant genes. Out of 159 commensal E. coli isolates, 39 (24.5%) were confirmed to have resistance. According to the MIC values, 37 (97.3%) and 1 (2.7%) isolate were phenotypically categorized as ESBL and ESBL/AmpC, respectively. All isolates showed resistance to ampicillin, while 97.4%, 56.4%, and 36% showed resistance to cefotaxime, ciprofloxacine, and azitromycine, respectively. Not all isolates that showed phenotypic resistance were found to be carrying the corresponding gene. The most prevalent resistant genes were gyrA, tetA, sul2, and tetB, which were present in 61.5%, 64%, 54%, and 49% of the isolates, respectively. The results clearly indicate that, besides their resistance to multiple antimicrobials, the commensal E. coli isolates did not necessarily carry any genes conferring resistance to that particular antimicrobial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Natura Croatica is the property of Natura Croatica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Natura Croatica is the property of Natura Croatica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The topic of teacher emotions has gained increasing research attention over the past years. Initial predominantly qualitative inquiry methods have been complemented by quantitative ones, and different instruments to measure teacher emotions have been developed. These instruments mainly stem from Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic (WEIRD) countries, and yet it is still unknown if these instruments are of universal cultural functionality. The current study aimed to validate the Teacher Emotions Scale (TES) in the low-to-middle income, Southeastern European country of Kosovo. Findings from N = 258 teachers in Kosovo provide evidence that TES-Albanian operates equivalently in terms of factor structure as the original German version of TES and the English version. Supporting the external validity of the scale, we found consistent low-to-medium relationships between the three emotions measured with the TES (enjoyment, anger, and anxiety) with other teachers' experiential and behavioral constructs such as positive and negative affect, job satisfaction, burnout, self-efficacy, and the teacher–student relationship. Overall, we conclude that TES can effectively be translated into different languages to measure teacher emotions also in non-WEIRD cultural contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Oven Scheduling Problem (OSP) is a new parallel batch scheduling problem that arises in the area of electronic component manufacturing. Jobs need to be scheduled to one of several ovens and may be processed simultaneously in one batch if they have compatible requirements. The scheduling of jobs must respect several constraints concerning eligibility and availability of ovens, release dates of jobs, setup times between batches as well as oven capacities. Running the ovens is highly energy-intensive and thus the main objective, besides finishing jobs on time, is to minimize the cumulative batch processing time across all ovens. This objective distinguishes the OSP from other batch processing problems which typically minimize objectives related to makespan, tardiness or lateness. We propose to solve this NP-hard scheduling problem using exact techniques and present two different modelling approaches, one based on batch positions and another on representative jobs for batches. These models are formulated as constraint programming (CP) and integer linear programming (ILP) models and implemented both in the solver-independent modeling language MiniZinc and using interval variables in CP Optimizer. An extensive experimental evaluation of our solution methods is performed on a diverse set of problem instances. We evaluate the performance of several state-of-the-art solvers on the different models and on three variants of the objective function that reflect different real-life scenarios. We show that our models can find feasible solutions for instances of realistic size, many of those being provably optimal or nearly optimal solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Early Career Doctors (ECDs) in Nigeria are faced with many individual and systemic problems, which consequently adversely affect their health, well-being, patient care and safety. Objective: This study, the second phase of the Challenges of Residency Training and Early Career Doctors in Nigeria (CHARTING II) Study, sought to examine the risk factors and contributors to the health, well-being and burnout amongst Nigerian ECDs. Methods: This was a study of health, well-being and burnout amongst Nigerian ECDs. Outcome variables included burnout, depression, and anxiety, which were respectively assessed using the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) and Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) depression scale, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale. The quantitative data obtained was analysed using the IBM SPSS, version 24. Associations between categorical outcome and independent variables were assessed using chi square, with level of significance set at < 0.05. Results: The mean body mass index (BMI), durations of smoking and alcohol consumption of the ECDs were 25.64 ± 4.43 kg/m2 (overweight range), 5.33 ± 5.65 years and 8.44 ± 6.43 years respectively. Less than a third (157, 26.9%) of the ECDs exercised regularly. The most common disease conditions affecting the ECDs were musculoskeletal (65/470, 13.8%) and cardiovascular diseases (39/548, 7.1%). Almost a third (192, 30.6%) of the ECDs reported experiencing anxiety. Male and lower cadre ECDs were more likely than female and higher cadre ECDs to report anxiety, burnout and depression. Conclusion: There is an urgent need to prioritize the health and well-being of Nigerian ECDs, so as to optimize patient care and improve Nigeria's healthcare indices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although SGLT2 inhibitors have been initially employed in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, their clinical use was later extended to the treatment of other conditions such as heart failure, chronic kidney disease and obesity. In patients with type 2 diabetes, the administration of SGLT2 inhibitors has been associated with an increased incidence of urogenital infections, which may be linked to high glucose levels in the urine. The rate of urogenital side effects may be different in non-diabetic patients. The aim of this study was to review the risk of urogenital infections in non-diabetic patients taking SGLT2 inhibitors. Materials and methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis by searching PubMed and EMBASE for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reporting urogenital adverse effects in non-diabetic patients treated with SGLT2 inhibitors. Odds ratios for urogenital infections were calculated using random effect Mantel-Haenszel statistics. Results: Out of 387 citations retrieved, 12 eligible RCTs were assessed for risk of bias and included in the meta-analysis. Compared to placebo, SGLT2 inhibitors were associated with increased odds of genital infections (OR 3.01, 95% CI: 1.93-4.68, 9 series, 7326 participants, Z = 5.74, p < 0.0001, I2 = 0%) as well as urinary tract infections (OR 1.33, 95% CI: 1.13-1.57, 9 series, 7326 participants, Z = 4.05, p < 0.0001, I2 = 0%). When four trials investigating the effects of SGLT2 inhibitors in populations including both diabetic and non-diabetic patients were considered, administration of SGLT2 inhibitors in diabetic patients was associated with significantly higher odds of genital infections but not urinary tract infections compared to patients without type 2 diabetes. In patients taking placebo, the odds for urinary tract infections were significantly increased in diabetic patients compared to non-diabetic patients. Conclusions: The risk of genital infections is increased also in non-diabetic patients taking SGLT2 inhibitors although at a lesser extent that in diabetics. A careful assessment of the local anatomical conditions and of the history of previous urogenital infections is desirable to select those patients who need more intense follow-up, possibly combined with prophylactic measures of infections during treatment with SGLT2 inhibitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was targeted towards evaluating the outcome of partially substituting sugar with soursop puree at different proportions, varying pasteurization temperatures, storage durations and with the application of sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate as chemical preservatives on physiochemical, antioxidant and microbial qualities of yoghurt. There was a strong correlation (R2 = 0.7, Adjusted R2 = 0.65) between the syneresis and the water-holding capacity of the yoghurt as the substitution increased. At 50% soursop puree substitution in the yoghurt production, DPPH radical scavenging activity, total phenolic content, vitamin C, carbohydrate, protein, and ash contents increased to 34.40%, 1.25 mg GAE/L, 58.50 mg/100 g, 29.26, 4.02 and 0.69%, respectively. Storage duration does not have a significant influence on the proximate composition of the yoghurt samples. However, the vitamin C content of the yoghurt decreased when the pasteurization temperature was more than 80 °C. The growth of lactic acid bacteria ranged between 2.9 × 105 and 2.16 × 106 CFU/ml. The use of sodium benzoate inhibited yeast growth more than potassium sorbate while soursop substitution inhibited the growth of mould from 1.0 × 106 CFU/ml to 3.05 × 105 CFU/ml than the preservatives. Coliform was absent in all the yoghurt samples with or without preservatives. This information would be valuable in yoghurt development and quality control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A possible accession in the European Union raises a significant opportunities and challenges for the beef-fattening sector in Kosovo. Toward EU accession process, the Kosovo beef sector will have to improve efficiency and competitiveness. The goal of this research study is motivated by the need to understand better the forces that drive competitiveness and the efficiency of the beef fattening sector in Kosovo. Data Envelopment Analyses was used to evaluate the production efficiency of Kosovo beef fattening farms. Research data were collected through surveys from 35 beef fattening farmers across two Kosovo regions. In total 710 fattened bulls were monitored for 180 days. Considering for suspected bias with the bootstrap input-oriented model, input efficiency ranged from 0.60-0.96 with an average of 0.88. Based on the farm, a naive model would induce a bias of 0.01-0.06 in input efficiency use. Research results indicate further input use decreases because the sampled farms are found to operate under decreasing returns to scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Automated scheduling solutions are tremendously important for the efficient operation of industrial laboratories. The Test Laboratory Scheduling Problem (TLSP) is an extension of the well-known ResourceConstrained Project Scheduling Problem (RCPSP) and captures the specific requirements of such laboratories. In addition to several new scheduling constraints, it features a grouping phase, where the jobs to be scheduled are assembled from smaller units. In this work, we introduce an innovative scheduling system that allows the efficient and flexible generation of schedules for TLSP. It features a new Constraint Programming model that covers both the grouping and the scheduling aspect, as well as a hybrid Very Large Neighborhood Search that internally uses the CP model. Our experimental results on generated and real-world benchmark instances show that good results can be obtained even compared to settings which have a good grouping already provided, including several new best known solutions for these instances. Our algorithms for TLSP have been successfully implemented in a real-world industrial test laboratory. We provide a detailed description of the deployed system as well as additional useful soft constraints supported by the solvers and general lessons learned. This includes a discussion of the choice of soft constraint weights, with an analysis on the impact and relation of different objectives to each other. Our experiments show that some soft constraints complement each other well, while others require explicit trade-offs via their relative weights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antimicrobial drugs are used as chemotherapeutic agents for treatment, prophylactic medication, growth promoters, and the improvement of feed efficiency. Indiscriminate use of these drugs may leave residues in milk, which could pose a potential threat to human health and have undesirable effects on consumers, including allergic or toxic reactions, carcinogenic effects, bacterial resistance, and imbalance of the gut microfloraTo guarantee the safety of food products as well as public health, monitoring the levels of antimicrobial residues is necessary. The sample preparation, extraction of different physicochemical residues of milk, preconcentration of the extract, and elimination of any matrix interferences that may affect the overall performance of the analytical methods. SPE extraction with an Oasis HLB column is one of the most commonly used techniques for sample preparation and provides an effective and repeatable method for the selective concentration of target analytes in complex matrices. Different variations of this method, including acetonitrile, methanol, and acetonitrile: methanol (50:50), 20% trichloroacetic acid, and McIlvaine buffer, were optimized. According to the obtained results, the prescribed criteria for the analytical yield are met only by the extraction method using 20% trichloroacetic acid and Na2EDTA-Mcllvaine buffer. Chromatographic separation of analytes was achieved on a Kinetex®C18 column and provided satisfactory resolution within the shortest run time. The ESI positive ionization was promoted, and the detection of the compounds was improved with the acidic mobile phase. After optimization of chromatographic conditions, MS/MS conditions, and extraction procedures, the LCMS/MS method was validated according to the criteria of Commission Decision 2002/657/EC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soymilk market has achieved tremendous progress in consumption and sales due to its inexpensiveness and soymilk protein content. However, due to the present global health crisis, there is a need to further devise means of enriching the quality of soymilk. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of sprouted soybeans and ginger on soymilk quality and sensory attributes. A developed dual -powered milk pasteurizer was used to produce the soymilk. Soybeans, a mixture of soybeans and sprouted soybeans, and sprouted soybeans were interacted with peeled ginger and whole ginger rhizome using Taguchi experimental design to produce nine soymilk samples. The proximate composition, calorific value, total phenolic content and phytic acid content of the soymilk samples were determined using standard procedures. The moisture content of the soymilk samples ranged from 80.85 to 83.78%, crude protein content (7.47 – 9.54%), ash content (0.72 – 1.27%), fibre content (0.24 – 0.73%), crude fat (0.24 - 5.44%), carbohydrate content (1.29 -6.82%) and calorific value (67.6 kcal/g - 91.58 kcal/g). The total phenolic content and phytic acid content ranged from 4.81 mg/l to 11.88 GAE mg/l and 26.77 to 41.86 mg/l, respectively. The soymilk produced from the mixture of sprouted soybeans and un-sprouted soybeans with the addition of either whole or peeled ginger significantly increased the crude protein content, ash content, calorific value and total phenolic content to 9.54%, 1.27%, 91.58 kcal/g and 11.88 GAE mg/l, respectively. In addition, it increased the overall sensory acceptability of soymilk. Conclusively, the use of sprouted soybeans and the addition of ginger should be encouraged to promote a more enriched soymilk beverage. Also, the developed dual-powered milk pasteuriser could be adopted for soymilk production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Cancer is considered as a large group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth, which results in an alarming rise in the mortality rate at the worldwide level. Presently, the main point of interest in pharmaceutical research is the development of the novel and efficient anticancer drugs based on natural sources. In this regard, plants, and some microbial species, due to their composition, ecology, phytochemical, and ethnopharmacological properties, play a significant role. Accordingly, a series of plant-derived bioactive compounds are in the clinical development phase against cancer. The present review highlights the significance of several medicinal plants, plant extracts, and their bioactive compounds for their potential anticancer activities. The presented results can be useful for researchers in developing novel anticancer drugs, public health specialists, and for the public in general. Cancer is one of the major deadly diseases globally. The alarming rise in the mortality rate due to this disease attracks attention towards discovering potent anticancer agents to overcome its mortality rate. The discovery of novel and effective anticancer agents from natural sources has been the main point of interest in pharmaceutical research because of attractive natural therapeutic agents with an immense chemical diversity in species of animals, plants, and microorganisms. More than 60% of contemporary anticancer drugs, in one form or another, have originated from natural sources. Plants and microbial species are chosen based on their composition, ecology, phytochemical, and ethnopharmacological properties. Plants and their derivatives have played a significant role in producing effective anticancer agents. Some plant derivatives include vincristine, vinblastine, irinotecan, topotecan, etoposide, podophyllotoxin, and paclitaxel. Based on their particular activity, a number of other plant-derived bioactive compounds are in the clinical development phase against cancer, such as gimatecan, elomotecan, etc. Additionally, the conjugation of natural compounds with anti-cancerous drugs, or some polymeric carriers particularly targeted to epitopes on the site of interest to tumors, can generate effective targeted treatment therapies. Cognizance from such pharmaceutical research studies would yield alternative drug development strategies through natural sources which could be economical, more reliable, and safe to use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic urged systematic restrictive measures in order to avoid the spread of the virus. Different countries applied different restrictive measures; however, their efficacy was vastly dependent on the willingness of the people to comply with them. How people perceived the pandemic yielded different adaptive behavior to preventative measures. In this direction, individual characteristics (i.e., personality) seem very important. The current study aimed to map a relationship between personality structure as postulated within the five-factor model of personality with the tendency to comply with preventive measures, as mediated by perceived stress and concerns over coronavirus. In a sample of 3252 adults, we found that the traits of openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness directly and positively predicted compliance. However, concerns over coronavirus partially but positively mediated the relationship between agreeableness and conscientiousness on compliance. Perceived stress, on the other hand, was not a significant mediator, although it was significantly and positively predicted by neuroticism but negatively by extraversion. These findings showed that different personality traits have different direct effects on compliance with preventative measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During August and September 2018 we collected the macroinvertebrate fauna in the Leqinat Lake, Kosovo. The Leqinat lake (great lake) is a mountain lake found in the National Park "Bjeshkët e Nemuna" in western Kosovo, shared between Kosovo and Montenegro. Macrozoobenthos specimens were collected with D-frame net of 30×20 cm (600 cm2) diameter. Samples were taken from all available habitats represented with more than 5% of total habitat area on the sampling stretch (multi-habitat sampling procedure). Sampling in riffle section of the lake was done by identifying the riffle segments, disturbing the substratum with the feet while holding the net downstream with the mouth facing upstream. The macrozoobenthos structure during this investigation includes: 2 classes (Bivalvia and Gastropoda), 2 subclasses (Hirudinea and Oligochaeta), 6 orders (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera, Diptera, Coleoptera and Odonata), 15 families, 6 genera and 86 specimens. The larger number of families and individuals belongs to the Odonata order (4 families and 47 specimens) followed by Tirchoptera (2 families and 10 specimens), Plecoptera (2 families and 6 specimens), Bivalvia (2 families with 5 specimens) Diptera (1 family with 12 specimens), Ephemeroptera and Hirudinea (1 family with 3 specimens) and Oligochaeta (1 family with only 1 specimens). This investigation is a contribution in knowing the macroinvertebrate fauna and their ecological patterns in alpine lakes in Kosovo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The positive youth development approach (PYD) is widely used as a meaningful framework to guide research, policy, and intervention, to support young people to develop their full potential. Psychotherapy, on the other hand, is a verbal and psychological procedure that can be a suitable solution to mental health concerns, which are prevalent among youth. This study aimed to explore the potential role of developmental assets in treating clients with depression and anxiety disorders using Internal Cohesion Psychotherapy (ICP). In total, 10 young people who took at least five sessions of ICP were part of this study. Indepth semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather information about clients' experiences with ICP and their perception/opinions on the presence of developmental assets in their lives. The results confirm the effectiveness of ICP in treating depression and anxiety, while clients acknowledge the role of developmental assets in their psychotherapeutic process. The current study has important theoretical, practical, and research implications. It provides evidence on how clients use their developmental assets in maximizing the effectiveness of the ICP process. The usage of developmental assets to enhance the effectiveness of psychotherapy opens a new path for further research and can serve as a foundation ground for intervention on mental health among youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The health condition of the mammary gland is highly crucial for obtaining good quality colostrum. The lactoferrin (LF), as an iron-binding protein, plays a key role in the defense mechanisms of the mammary gland due to its' bacteriostatic properties. The study aimed to investigate the factors affecting the LF concentration in the bovine colostrum milk during the postpartum period, and the effect of somatic cell count (SCC) on the LF concentration and milk composition. The cows were randomly selected at a dairy farm in Pelagonia region. Colostrum samples from 12 cows were collected. Samples were taken at different time intervals after parturition, 1, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72, 96, and 120 h after parturition. Cows in their second parity were found to have higher levels of LF compared to cows in the third and higher parity (p>0.05). Time had a significant effect on the LF concentration (p<0.01), with the highest value recorded 1 h after parturition remaining stable for one hour. LF concentration and SCC in the colostrum showed a weak positive correlation (r=0.40; p<0.01). The highest LF concentration was noticed when SCC was above 800,000 cells/mL. In conclusion, the colostrum LF concentration was significantly affected by the interactions of the two factors, i.e., time after parturition and SCC (p<0.05). Milk composition was affected by elevated SCC. Parity showed no association with LF. The SCC can be used as a reliable means of assessing colostrum quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Proton pump inhibitors are widely used as treatment of acid-related disorders. They are considered safe although their long-term use has been associated with some adverse effects including an increased propensity for urinary calculi formation. The aim of this study was to systematically review available data from studies evaluating the association of PPIs and nephrolithiasis Materials and methods: We searched two electronic databases (PubMed and EMBASE) for cohort studies or case-control studies evaluating the relationship between treatment with proton pump inhibitors and the risk of stone formation published up to 31 October 2022. The overall association of PPIs and urinary calculi was analyzed using a random effects model (RevMan5). The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale. Results: A total of 550 studies were retrieved; 7 were selected by title and abstract screening; after removal of duplicates, 4 records were evaluated by full-text examination. An additional study was retrieved by handsearching the references included in screened studies. In the unadjusted analysis, the odds of urinary calculi were greater in subjects taking PPIs compared to controls (unadjusted OR = 2.10, 95% CI 1.74-2.52, p < 0.00001). The pooled odds ratio of two case-control studies confirmed that use of PPIs increased the odds of urinary calculi compared with non-use (OR 2.44, 95% CI 2.29 to 2.61). Pooled analysis of three cohort studies evaluating incident nephrolithiasis showed an overall hazard ratio estimate of 1.34 (95% CI = 1.28-1.40). One study found lower urinary citrate and urinary magnesium levels in subjects exposed to PPIs. The Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale scores ranged between 6 and 8. Conclusions: PPIs showed an association with urinary calculi in patients included in the studies included in this review. If these data will be confirmed in adequately powered randomized trials, clinicians may consider limiting the long-term use of PPIs, to avoid unnecessary prolongation of treatment. Urinary magnesium and citrate should be evaluated in renal stone forming patients taking PPIs to supplement their intake when requested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study an important real-life scheduling problem that can be formulated as an unrelated parallel machine scheduling problem with sequence-dependent setup times, due dates, and machine eligibility constraints. The objective is to minimise total tardiness and makespan. We adapt and extend a mathematical model to find optimal solutions for small instances. Additionally, we propose several variants of simulated annealing to solve very large-scale instances as they appear in practice. We utilise several different search neighbourhoods and additionally investigate the use of innovative heuristic move selection strategies. Further, we provide a set of real-life problem instances as well as a random instance generator that we use to generate a large number of test instances. We perform a thorough evaluation of the proposed techniques and analyse their performance. We also apply our metaheuristics to approach a similar problem from the literature. Experimental results show that our methods are able to improve the results produced with state-of-the-art approaches for a large number of instances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ureteric injuries are not uncommon in obstetric and gynaecologic surgeries. Some specific procedures predispose to these injuries. Recognition is often delayed. This study aims to present a single-center experience on the presentation, risk factors, and management of ureteric injuries. Methodology: We retrospectively reviewed case files of patients primarily presenting or referred to our urology division with ureteric injuries following obstetrics or gynaecologic surgeries from June, 2005 to May, 2015. Data extracted included the time of presentation or recognition, the specific offending surgery, the laterality and site involved, the repair performed, and outcome. Results: Twenty-three patients had injuries (with a total of 25 ureters involved owing to 2 bilateral injuries). Caesarian-section is the commonest offending surgery in 13 (56.5%). The reasons for early recognition were sudden anuria in two and urinary leakage in the operating field in four patients constituting 26.0%, while 17 (74.0%) were recognized in the post-operative period. Urinary fistulae were the commonest presentation in 13 (76.5%) patients recognized postoperatively. Transection and ligation are the commonest mechanisms of injury. The distal third was the site involved in all patients, while ureteroneocystostomy alone was the most predominant repair in 18 (72.0%). Ureteroneocystostomy with Psoas hitch and Boari flap reconstruction was offered in six (24.0%) suggesting greater than5cm ureteral loss. Conclusions: Ureteric injuries often occur following obstetrics and gynaecologic surgeries. Caesarian-section is the commonest predisposing surgery in our center. Prompt recognition and repair is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Minimizing the setup costs caused by color changes is one of the main concerns for paint shop scheduling in the automotive industry. Yet, finding an optimized color sequence is a very challenging task, as a large number of exterior systems for car manufacturing need to be painted in a variety of different colors. Therefore, there is a strong need for efficient automated scheduling solutions in this area. Previously, exact and metaheuristic approaches for creating efficient paint shop schedules in the automotive supply industry have been proposed and evaluated on a publicly available set of real-life benchmark instances. However, optimal solutions are still unknown for many of the benchmark instances, and there is still a potential of reducing color change costs for large instances. In this paper, we propose a novel large neighborhood search approach for the paint shop scheduling problem. We introduce innovative exact and heuristic solution methods that are utilized within the large neighborhood search and show that our approach leads to improved results for large real-life problem instances compared to existing techniques. Furthermore, we provide previously unknown upper bounds for 14 benchmark instances using the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The health condition of the mammary gland is highly crucial for obtaining good quality colostrum. The lactoferrin (LF), as an iron-binding protein, plays a key role in the defense mechanisms of the mammary gland due to its' bacteriostatic properties. The study aimed to investigate the factors affecting the LF concentration in the bovine colostrum milk during the postpartum period, and the effect of somatic cell count (SCC) on the LF concentration and milk composition. The cows were randomly selected at a dairy farm in Pelagonia region. Colostrum samples from 12 cows were collected. Samples were taken at different time intervals after parturition, 1, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72, 96, and 120 h after parturition. Cows in their second parity were found to have higher levels of LF compared to cows in the third and higher parity (p>0.05). Time had a significant effect on the LF concentration (p<0.01), with the highest value recorded 1 h after parturition remaining stable for one hour. LF concentration and SCC in the colostrum showed a weak positive correlation (r=0.40; p<0.01). The highest LF concentration was noticed when SCC was above 800,000 cells/mL. In conclusion, the colostrum LF concentration was significantly affected by the interactions of the two factors, i.e., time after parturition and SCC (p<0.05). Milk composition was affected by elevated SCC. Parity showed no association with LF. The SCC can be used as a reliable means of assessing colostrum quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Agriculture & Plant Sciences is the property of Goce Delcev University - Stip, Faculty of Agriculture and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: The emergence of COVID-19 had a massive impact on the health system globally. While there are many kinds of literature reporting the impact on postgraduate medical training in other parts of the world, this cannot be said about Nigeria. Methodology: This was a national cross-sectional study among Resident doctors via an online google form survey for 8-months. Stratified cluster design where the entire country was stratified into the six geopolitical zones, and Tertiary Health Institutions (THI) were randomly selected from each of these zones. Data from the 47-itcm google form were analysed with Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 23, and internal consistency reliability was measured by Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Categorical variables were compared using chi-square, and the p-value was <0.05. Results: A total of 239 residents from THI in all six geopolitical zones completed the survey. The mean± standard deviation of the age of respondents, years in practice, and years in residency were 36.3±4.4); 10.2±7.6 years, and 4.2±2.6 years, respectively. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.95. Less than half had delayed the progression of residency (44.4%). The least strongly positive impacts were related to recruitments (4.2%), laboratory testing (4.2%), and ward rounds (4.2%); and the more strongly positive disruptive impact was on postgraduate seminars (9.2%), research (8.4%), professional examinations (8.0%) and residents' clinical schedules (8.0%). Conclusion: COVID-19 has caused a considerable delay in residents' training programs, and resident doctors have great concerns regarding the pandemic. This impact is perceived by them in almost all aspects of the training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Natura Croatica is the property of Natura Croatica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this paper, we introduce a new problem in the field of production planning, called the production leveling problem. The task is to assign orders to production periods such that the load in each period and for each product type is balanced, capacity limits are not exceeded, and the orders' priorities are taken into account. Production leveling is an important intermediate step between long-term planning and the final scheduling of orders within a production period, as it is responsible for selecting good subsets of orders to be scheduled within each period. We provide a formal model of the problem and study its computational complexity. As an exact method for solving moderately sized instances, we introduce a mixed integer programming (MIP) formulation. For solving large problem instances, metaheuristic local search is investigated. A greedy heuristic and two neighborhood structures for local search are proposed in order to apply them using simulated annealing. Furthermore, three possible extensions that arise from the application in practice are described and implemented, both within the MIP model and within simulated annealing. We make publicly available a set of realistic problem instances from the industry as well as from random instance generators. The experimental evaluation on our test sets shows that the proposed MIP model is well suited for solving instances with up to 250 orders. Simulated annealing produces solutions with less than 3 % average optimality gap on small instances, and scales well up to thousands of orders and dozens of periods and product types. The metaheuristic method presented herein is already being successfully used in the industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Veterinarska Stanica is the property of Croatian Veterinary Institute and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Agro-Knowledge Journal / Agroznanje is the property of University of Banja Luka, Faculty of Agriculture and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

We propose an algorithm selection approach and an instance space analysis for the well-known curriculum-based course timetabling problem (CB-CTT), which is an important problem for its application in higher education. Several state of the art algorithms exist, including both exact and metaheuristic methods. Results of these algorithms on existing instances in the literature show that there is no single algorithm outperforming the others. Therefore, a deep analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of these algorithms, depending on the instance, is an important research question. In this work, a detailed analysis of the instance space for CB-CTT is performed, charting the regions where these algorithms perform best. We further investigate the application of machine learning methods to automated algorithm selection for CB-CTT, strengthening the insights gained through the instance space analysis. For our research, we contribute new real-life instances and extend the generation of synthetic instances to better correspond to these new instances. Finally, this work shows how instance space analysis and the application of algorithm selection complement each other, underlining the value of both approaches in understanding algorithm performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluoroquinolones (FQs) are a group of broad-spectrum antibiotics that are widely used to prevent or treat bacterial infections and are a growth promoter to increase food efficiency. Their residues may cause bacterial resistance, allergic hypersensitivity, and toxic effects predicting a potential risk to human health. This study aimed to detect residues of fluoroquinolone antibiotics in milk using the ELISA screening method. A total of 130 milk samples were examined for the presence of quinolone antibiotic residues and were collected in 2015 under a national residue monitoring plan. Samples were collected and delivered by authorized inspection personnel. Samples were analyzed for residues of quinolone antibiotics using an ELISA test kit (type AB685 from TECNA, Trieste, Italy). The methods were validated in accordance with the recommendations made by European Commission Decision 2002/657/EC. The data obtained confirmed that the methods were appropriate for the detection of specific antibiotics, at the level of concentration of interest. The linear regression analysis revealed good correlation factors with R2=0.994. The validation procedure was carried out by the criteria laid down in Commission Decision 2002/657/EC. The detection limit (LOD) for fluoroquinolons was 6.17 (μg/kg) and the detection capability (CCβ) was 77.62 (μg/kg). Recoveries were in the range of 75.03%. The values obtained for the CCβ were below the MRL (maximum residue limits). None of the samples analyzed had a value higher than the minimum required level of performance of the screening method. Validation of the successful method according to the requirements of the European Union and its sensitivity and specificity, simple and good, to arrive at the unambiguous identification of fluoroquinolone antibiotic residues in milk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]