Scrutinising the exceptionalism of young rural NEETs: A bibliometric review

The situation of rural NEETs aged 15 to 24 remains understudied. However, transitions from adolescence to emerging adulthood are very demanding for those in the countryside. Our paper discusses this gap by characterising the scholarship focusing on rural NEETs. We undertook a bibliometric review based on 325 entries on Web of Science (WoS) using the Bibliometrix analysis package. Our approach included descriptive bibliometric analysis, co-citation networks assessment, and thematic analysis. Our findings show that the investigation efforts depicting younger rural NEET are recent and marginal in the larger context of international NEETs scholarship. The field is dominated by economy- and sociology-led networks. Concerns regarding health and employment issues are central in international publishing trends, showing a dominant youth-at-risk approach to this group. Still, themes associated with adolescent NEETs and relevant programs’ assessment are gaining traction. Our findings show a need for funding research initiatives to reduce the invisibility of young rural NEETs.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Vectorial quadratic bent functions as a product of two linearized polynomials

International audienceTo identify and specify trace bent functions of the form T r n 1 (P (x)), where P (x) ∈ GF (2 n)[x], has been an important research topic lately. We show that an infinite class of quadratic vectorial bent functions can be specified in the univariate polynomial form as F (x) = T r^n_k (αx^2^i (x + x^k)), where n = 2k, i = 0,n-1, and α \notin GF(2^k). Most notablyapart from the cases i \in {0,k} for which the polynomial x^2^i(x+x^2^k) is affinely inequivalent tothe monomial x^{2^k+1}, for the remaining indices i the function x^2^i(x+x^2^k) seems to be affinelyinequivalent to x^2^k+1, as confirmed by computer simulations for small n. It is well-knownthat Tr^n_1(x^2^k+1) is Boolean bent for exactly 2^{2k}-2^k values (this is at the same time themaximum cardinality possible) of α \in GF(2n) and the same is true for our class of quadraticbent functions of the form T r^n_k (αx^2^i (x + x^k))though for i > 0 the associated functionsF : GF(2^n) -> GF(2^n) are in general CCZ inequivalent and also have dierent dierentialdistributions

Anticoagulant activity of some Artemisia dracunculus leaf extracts

Platelet hyperactivity and platelet interaction with endothelial cells contribute to the development and progression of many cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis and thrombosis. The impact of platelet activity with different pharmacological agents, such as acetylsalicylic acid and coumarin derivatives, has been shown to be effective in the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Artemisia dracunculus, L. Asteraceae (Tarragon) is used for centuries in the daily diet in many Middle Eastern countries, and it is well known for its anticoagulant activity. The present study investigates the presence of coumarins in tarragon leaves and subsequently determines the extract with a major amount of coumarin derivatives. The solvents of different polarities and different pH values were used for the purpose of purifying the primary extract in order to obtain fractions with the highest coumarin content. Those extracts and fractions were investigated for their anticoagulant activity by determining prothrombin time (PT) and the international normalized ratio (INR), expressed in relation to the coagulation time of the healthy person. Purified extracts and fractions obtained from plant residue after essential oil distillation, concentrated in coumarin derivatives, showed the best anticoagulant activity, using samples of human blood. INR maximum value (2.34) and consequently the best anticoagulant activity showed the methanol extract at concentration of 5%.  The INR value of normal plasma in testing this extract was 1.05

Genome size of Balkan flora: a database (GeSDaBaF) and C-values for 51 taxa of which 46 are novel

Place: Wien Publisher: Springer Wien WOS:000522136400001The Balkan Peninsula is one of the 250 centres for plant diversity identified in the World, and one of the major biodiversity hotspot plant areas in Europe. Balkan flora has been well studied at the morphological, phytogeographical and taxonomic levels, but a scarce attention had been paid to genome size. This work consists of two distinct parts. The first concerned the contribution for 2C values of Balkan plants, taking into account mainly the plants with unknown genome size. On the one hand, 54 accessions of 51 species or infraspecific taxa belonging to 43 genera and 25 families were studied for their nuclear DNA amount. Among the obtained values, 46 are novel (four for genera, 31 for species, 10 for subspecies and one for a hybrid). The novelties represent the 6.43% of the 731 taxa with nuclear DNA amount assessed in the Balkans to date. Three taxa presented two ploidy levels in different populations. Partial endoreplication has been detected in Dactylorhiza cordigera subsp. bosniaca. This observation brings a new addition to the list of partial endoreplication cases in Orchidaceae, a family which, with Brassicaceae, shows this phenomenon most frequently. On the other hand, we compiled all bibliographic data concerning C-values for plants of the Balkan region, aiming to establish a genome size database, which is available online and will be regularly updated. We presented some numeric analyses on the 1013 accessions and 731 taxa for which data are currently accumulated and concluded with a discussion on the usefulness of such a database

Analysis of PM10, Pb, Cd, and Ni atmospheric concentrations during domestic heating season in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, from 2010 to 2019

This paper examines atmospheric concentrations of particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter smaller than 10 μm (PM10) and related particle-phase toxic heavy metals Cd, Ni, and Pb during domestic heating seasons from 2010 to 2019 in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. In total, 242 daily PM10 samples were collected usingmediumand high volume air samplers. Themean daily PM10 mass concentration for all measurements is 75.16 μg/m3 (with the range of 28.77–149.00 μg/m3). Variation of ambient PM10 was observed throughout the study in different years. Hourly values for PM10 measurements during two heating seasons are also presented. Metal concentrations in PM10 were analyzed by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS). Quantities of atmospheric mass concentrations of studied trace metals were observed in the following order: Pb > Ni > Cd. The mean concentrations of metals varied with Pb showing the highest concentration (ranging from 1.38 to 234.00 ng/ m3), Ni ranging from 0.87 to 42.43 ng/m3, and Cd showing the lowest concentration ranging from 0.26 to 10.09 ng/m3. The concentration of Pb and Cd in PM10 was strongly correlated, suggesting a common source or dependence of these metals in PM10 in Sarajevo. Bioaccessibility of metals in the synthetic gastric juice was also estimated. The quantities of average bioaccessible metal fractions in PM10 samples showed the following trend: Cd > Pb > Ni. The health risk assessment shows that the population of Sarajevo is at increased lifetime risk of experiencing cancer because of exposure to these Cd concentrations in PM10. In addition, parallel PM10 sampling on two samplers showed that obtained results are highly comparable