In a phase 2 trial, bepirovirsen, an antisense oligonucleotide that targets all hepatitis B virus mRNAs, resulted in sustained loss of hepatitis B surface antigen and HBV DNA in 9 to 10% of ...participants with chronic HBV infection.
The paper analysed some aspects of changes in the biological structures of the population in 230 settlements of West Morava Valley, from the position of the type of settlement and the hypsometric ...zone to which they belong. Bearing in mind that there are significant height differences in the relief of West Morava Valley (144-1,321 m above sea level), its breakdown caused the regional differentiation of settlements according to the size and structures of the population living in them. The statistical analysis was performed in two-period sections (1971 and 2011). The reason for this is that the 1970s were the most dynamic socio-economic transformation of the studied region, caused by the impact of industrialization and urbanization. The results obtained during the research show that the aging of the population in West Morava Valley has reached such a level that it represents a first-class problem. In the analysed forty-year period, the participation of the old population (60 and over) doubled (from 12.8% to 25.2%), while the aging index increased even three times (from 0.42 to 1.27). The population of West Morava Valley is in the stage of the deepest demographic age, with the difference that rural settlements at higher altitudes age much faster. The differences in the gender structure of the population between the urban and rural settlements of the region are not so drastically expressed, but in both categories the dominance of the female contingent is evident.
The aim of this study was to determine intra- and interspecies variation in the qualitative and quantitative composition of methanol-soluble metabolites in the leaves of three
species (
,
, and
) ...from the central Balkans. Despite the steady use of foxglove constituents for human health as valuable medicinal products, populations of the genus
(
) have been poorly investigated to describe their genetic and phenetic variation. Following untargeted profiling using UHPLC-LTQ Orbitrap MS, by which we identified a total of 115 compounds, 16 compounds were quantified using the UHPLC(-)HESI-QqQ-MS/MS approach. In total, 55 steroid compounds, 15 phenylethanoid glycosides, 27 flavonoids, and 14 phenolic acid derivatives were identified across the samples with
and
showing a great similarity, while 15 compounds were characteristic only for
. The phytochemical composition of methanol extracts, considered here as complex phenotypes, are further examined along multiple levels of biological organization (intra- and interpopulation) and subsequently subjected to chemometric data analysis. The quantitative composition of the selected set of 16 chemomarkers belonging to the classes of cardenolides (3 compounds) and phenolics (13 compounds) pointed to considerable differences between the taxa studied.
and
were found to be richer in phenolics as compared to cardenolides, which otherwise predominate in
over other compounds. PCA revealed lanatoside C, deslanoside, hispidulin, and
-coumaric acid to be the main compounds contributing to the differences between
on one side and
and
on the other, while
-coumaric acid, hispidulin, and digoxin contribute to the diversification between
and
. However, quantitative variation in the metabolite content within species was faint with mild population diversification visible in
and particularly in
This pointed to the highly conserved content and ratio of targeted compounds within the analyzed species, which was not severely influenced by the geographic origin or environmental conditions. The presented metabolomics approach might have, along with morphometrics and molecular genetics studies, a high information value for further elucidation of the relationships among taxa within the genus
.
The purpose of this study was to determine how residents in Novi Sad (The European Capital of Culture 2022) perceive the influence of cultural involvement and place attachment on their attitude ...toward tourism, and how this affects their support for tourism development. In order to investigate the relationships between these factors, structural equation modeling (SEM) was used. The proposed model was tested, and the findings show significant relationships between residents’ cultural involvement, place attachment, perceived positive and negative impacts of tourism (economic, socio-cultural, environmental), and support for tourism development. The findings of the study could assist tourism planners not only in Novi Sad but also in other urban destinations.
This paper deals with the sustainability of tourism in Stolovi Mountain. The purpose of the research was to show that it is possible to develop sustainable tourism in unestablished localities, ...intending to reduce differences in regional development in the Republic of Serbia, and then refine the tourist offerings of already established tourist localities in the vicinity. Various literature sources were used in the research. GIS software (QGIS 3.12) was used in order to create geographic and other special maps. Field observations were conducted, which were used to perform an in-depth analysis. In addition, two surveys were conducted with people from Kraljevo and those coming from other places in order to determine the identity and recognizability of Stolovi Mountain. The significance of this research is in pointing out that the connection of tourist sites can enrich the offer and attract new visitors, but also in supplementing scientific knowledge about Stolovi Mountain. The main results of the research show that green forms of tourism will ensure ecological sustainability. Kraljevo, a nearby city, is home to the workforce that will care for the localities, provide material contributions for the preservation of nature, guide jobs and sell souvenirs. Stolovi Mountain could quickly be included in various tourist tours and begin to demonstrate the first positive economic effects, followed by sociodemographic ones. The affirmation of mountainous, sparsely populated areas will lead to uniform regional development.
The Northern Indian Plains are facing severe environmental challenges that threaten the health and well-being of millions of people in the region. Deforestation, soil degradation, water pollution and ...scarcity, and poor air quality are some of the major environmental issues that require urgent attention. Deforestation in the region has resulted in the loss of biodiversity, soil erosion, and reduced water availability. Soil degradation is another major issue in the region, resulting from unsustainable agricultural practices, overuse of chemical fertilizers, and erosion caused by deforestation. It has also reduced soil fertility, resulting in lower crop yields and reduced agricultural productivity. Using chemical fertilizers and pesticides has also led to water pollution, affecting the health of people and animals who rely on these water sources. Water scarcity and pollution are major challenges in the region, with many people having limited access to clean and safe drinking water. The pollution of water sources due to industrial and agricultural activities has further compounded the problem, leading to waterborne diseases and various health issues. Finally, air pollution is a major environmental challenge in the Northern Indian Plains, with high levels of particulate matter and other pollutants affecting people's health in the region. Burning crops, vehicular emissions, and industrial activities contribute to poor air quality, leading to respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular disease, and other health issues. This study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the mentioned environmental challenges in the Northern India Plains by utilizing contemporary literature and evidence-based research to establish its findings.
Novi Sad and Petrovaradin, as two inseparable entities, have undergone large urban changes in the latest decades. Huge transformations in morphological features and spatial structure of Novi Sad ...occurred in the period from the breakup of Yugoslavia to the end of the second decade of the 21st century. The transformation of Petrovaradin followed at a slower pace at first but later on it intensified. The paper data rely on General Urban Plans of Novi Sad from the years 1985, 2000 and 2006. The comparative method, field research and analysis were applied to identify the parts of the city which underwent the largest transformation processes. Certain changes in the structure of street networks, changes in the inner physiognomy of the settlement, as well as disruption of architectural balance have been recognized. The direction of urban transformations has been identified by the analysis of social changes. Also, the present and potential problems were pointed out including the improvements which the inhabitants gained due to urban transformations of Novi Sad and Petrovaradin. It has been estimated that urban transformation in Novi Sad led to disruption of architectural style in certain parts of the city by erecting modern buildings which do not integrate into the setting of architecture from earlier periods neither with their exterior nor with the materials used. Contemporary building structures occupy larger areas of municipal building land, the number of apartments per unit area increases, the need for parking spaces also increases and green areas are reduced in the city.
To estimate 5-years budgetary impact of introducing mepolizumab to eligible patients with uncontrolled severe eosinophilic asthma treated at a tertiary care hospital within Dubai Health Authority ...(DHA).
A budget impact analysis (BIA) model was adapted to the setting of Rashid Hospital, DHA to estimate the budgetary implications of introducing first-in-class anti-IL5 (mepolizumab) as add-on therapy for eligible patients with severe eosinophilic asthma. The eligible patient population (n=60) was estimated from aggregate data provided by the clinic. Patients were eligible to treatment with mepolizumab if they had ≥2 exacerbation in the previous year and eosinophil count ≥150 cell/µL. The analysis compared the cost of treating patients in two alternative scenarios; a scenario where patients are treated with optimized usual care or with available biologic as add-on therapy, and a second scenario where mepolizumab is fully accessible to eligible patients.
Administration of mepolizumab to eligible patients at Rashid Hospital is predicted to result in overall savings estimated at £270,545 over a 5-year time horizon. Exacerbation rates could not be indirectly compared for mepolizumab and omalizumab, since treatment continuation rules were defined differently. Therefore, these parameters were directly taken from the clinical trials for mepolizumab and omalizumab. The savings were estimated due to drug acquisition costs (£269,900) and estimated reduction in exacerbation (n=15). One-way sensitivity analysis showed that the model results was most sensitive to changing the method of calculating omalizumab dose and varying the drug acquisition cost of omalizumab by ±20%.
The BIA showed that full accessibility of mepolizumab to eligible severe asthma patients is predicted to be budget saving in the Dubai Health Authority. This evaluation is relevant to healthcare decision making as it demonstrates that mepolizumab is budget saving for eligible patients, while reducing burden by improving their control and symptoms.
The Province of Vojvodina is an adequate area for investigating similarities and differences between certain ethnic groups, since there are large numbers of ethnic groups in the area, over 20. The ...analyses of ethnic groups have been conducted from various aspects, but this research focuses on education level dissimilarities. Due to the compulsory primary education law the population numbers with different education levels were slowly increasing and the illiterate and uneducated population numbers slowly decreased among all ethnic groups after the World War II. Thus the differences in education level decreased. Globalization process contributed to diminishing differences in cultural and educational level among different ethnic groups. However, there are still certain ethnic groups that resist global trends and outshine the others in terms of education level. The data of the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia have been statistically processed and the obtained results were analyzed and used for the estimation of the education level of certain ethnic groups. The analysis and estimation was conducted for the whole Province of Vojvodina, then for rural and urban areas as well as for the municipality level. The analyses of various levels showed certain differences for the same ethnic groups.
The historical–demographic heritage of the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian empires’ rule in Serbia created different models of collective and private life, which had particular influence on marriage ...patterns. Sremska Mitrovica and Šabac were subject to different marriage policies as jurisdictions separated by the Sava river with specific historical contexts, and together they represent the differences across the border between two empires, whose legacies have lasted until today. Data based on marriage registers from these areas were statistically analyzed by the SPSS software package. This article analyses these differences through data on discrepancies in crude marriage and divorce rates, the first marriage age, and the homogamy of marriages based on the spouses’ geographical origin.
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