Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among primary healthcare workers in the Republic of Srpska, Bosnia & Herzegovina: A cross-sectional study

Healthcare workers (HCW) in primary healthcare centres in the Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina, are on the first combat line with COVID-19. This study aimed to assess the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 among HCW at the primary healthcare centres and to analyse the risk exposure to COVID-19, clinical signs and vaccination status. A cross-sectional study was conducted among HCW at the selected primary healthcare centres between 19 March and 30 April 2021. Antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 virus were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). A total of 1,023 HCW (mean age 45 years; 71% female) were included in the study. The anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were detected in 69.5% of all participants. There was a significant difference in seropositivity among primary healthcare centres from different geographical regions. As many as 432 (42%) of all participants had confirmed COVID-19 symptoms before the study and, 84.8% of them were seropositive. This study showed that 702 primary HCW were vaccinated with any of these vaccines: Sputnik V, Sinopharm, Pfizer/Biontech. High titre of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was found amongst those who received one (92.6%) or both (97.2%) doses of vaccines. In this study, we report high prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibody among HCW in primary healthcare in the Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina during the third pandemic wave

Weierstrass Formula and Zero-Finding Methods

this paper we give some further applications of this formula for finding the zeros of polynomials and analytic functions. We are concerned with the problems of localization of polynomial zeros and the construction of iterative methods for the simultaneous approximation and inclusion of these zeros. Conditions for the safe convergence of Weierstrass' method, depending only on initial approximations, are given. In particular, we study polynomials with interval coefficients. Using an interval version of Weierstrass' method enclosures in the form of disks for the complex-valued set containing all zeros of a polynomial with varying coefficients are obtained. We also present Weierstrass-like algorithm for approximating, simultaneously, all zeros of a class of analytic functions in a given closed region. To demonstrate the proposed algorithms, three numerical examples are included

Determination of Manufacturing Process Conditions by Using MCDM Methods: Application in Laser Cutting

Manufacturing is a primary generator of wealth of the country and is essential for economic growth. Determination of the most suitable manufacturing process conditions for a given application is very complex task and requires consideration of a number of conflicting and diverse process performance characteristics (criteria). In this paper the application of a recent multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) method, i.e. weighted aggregated sum product assessment (WASPAS) for determination of manufacturing process conditions in laser cutting was discussed. Laser cutting experiment was conducted based on Taguchi's L9 experimental design by varying the laser power, cutting speed, assist gas pressure and focus position at three levels. Based on obtained experimental results, a MCDM model consisting of nine alternatives and six criteria was defined. In order to determine the relative significance of considered criteria a pair-wise comparison matrix of the AHP method was used. Stability of the obtained ranking of alternatives was checked by varying values of coefficient of linear combination and by the application of operational competitiveness ratings analysis (OCRA) method

Self-association and association of tri-n-butyl phosphate (TBP) in different diluents

The interaction of tri-n-butyl phosphate (TBP) with diluents and its self-association have been investigated. The corresponding equilibrium constants were determined and used to calculate the concentration of TBP monomer. The calculated TBP monomer concentrations correspond to the TBP activities published in the literature

BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES OF DIFFERENT EXTRACTS FROM ALLIUM URSINUM LEAVES

The aim of our study was to evaluate and compare antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of aqueous, methanol and chloroform extracts of leaves of Allium ursinum (A. ursinum). Total phenol (TPC) and flavonoid (TFC) content in extracts and antioxidant activity using DPPH (1,1- diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) assay were determined spectrophotometrically. In vitro antimicrobial activity was tested by microdilution method. The highest TPC and TFC were observed for chloroform extract. The extracts showed different degrees of antimicrobial activity. The intensity of antimicrobial action varied depending on the group of microorganism and the type of extracts. Our results demonstrated rational basis for the traditional uses of A. ursinum in alleviation of oxidative stress and against various pathogenic microorganisms

Search for the Z boson decay to ττμμ\tau\tau\mu\mu in proton-proton collisions at s\sqrt{s} = 13 TeV

International audienceThe first search for the Z boson decay to $\tau\tau\mu\mu$ at the CERN LHC is presented, based on data collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$. The data are compatible with the predicted background. For the first time, an upper limit at the 95% confidence level of 6.9 times the standard model expectation is placed on the ratio of the Z $\to$ $\tau\tau\mu\mu$ to Z $\to$ 4$\mu$ branching fractions. Limits are also placed on the six flavor-conserving four-lepton effective-field-theory operators involving two muons and two tau leptons, for the first time testing all such operators

Search for soft unclustered energy patterns in proton-proton collisions at 13 TeV

International audienceThe first search for soft unclustered energy patterns (SUEPs) is performed using an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collision data at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV collected in 2016-2018 by the CMS detector at the LHC. Such SUEPs are predicted by Hidden Valley models with a new, confining force with a large 't Hooft coupling. In events with boosted topologies, selected by high-threshold hadronic triggers, the multiplicity and sphericity of clustered tracks are used to reject the background from standard model quantum chromodynamics. With no observed excess of events over the standard model expectation, limits are set on the cross section for production via gluon fusion of a scalar mediator with SUEP-like decays

Search for long-lived heavy neutrinos in the decays of B mesons produced in proton-proton collisions at s= \sqrt{s} = 13 TeV

A search for long-lived heavy neutrinos (N) in the decays of B mesons produced in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} =$ 13 TeV is presented. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 41.6 fb$^{-1}$ collected in 2018 by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC, using a dedicated data stream that enhances the number of recorded events containing B mesons. The search probes heavy neutrinos with masses in the range 1 $< m_\mathrm{N} <$ 3 GeV and decay lengths in the range 10$^{-2}$ $< c\tau_{\mathrm{N}} <$ 10$^{4}$ mm, where $\tau_\mathrm{N}$ is the N proper mean lifetime. Signal events are defined by the signature B $\to \ell_{\mathrm{B}}$NX; N $\to \ell^{\pm} \pi^{\mp}$, where the leptons $\ell_{\mathrm{B}}$ and $\ell$ can be either a muon or an electron, provided that at least one of them is a muon. The hadronic recoil system, X, is treated inclusively and is not reconstructed. No significant excess of events over the standard model background is observed in any of the $\ell^{\pm}\pi^{\mp}$ invariant mass distributions. Limits at 95% confidence level on the sum of the squares of the mixing amplitudes between heavy and light neutrinos, $|V_\mathrm{N}|^2$, and on $c\tau_{\mathrm{N}}$ are obtained in different mixing scenarios for both Majorana and Dirac-like N particles. The most stringent upper limit $|V_\mathrm{N}|^2 <$ 2.0 $\times$ 10$^{-5}$ is obtained at $m_\mathrm{N}=$ 1.95 GeV for the Majorana case where N mixes exclusively with muon neutrinos. The limits on $|V_\mathrm{N}|^2$ for masses 1 $< m_\mathrm{N} <$ 1.7 GeV are the most stringent from a collider experiment to date.A search for long-lived heavy neutrinos (N) in the decays of \PB mesons produced in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV is presented. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 41.6 fb$^{-1}$ collected in 2018 by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC, using a dedicated data stream that enhances the number of recorded events containing B mesons. The search probes heavy neutrinos with masses in the range 1 $\lt$$m_\mathrm{N}$$\lt$ 3 GeV and decay lengths in the range 10$^{-2}$$\lt$$c\tau$$\lt$ 10$^{4}$ mm, where $\tau_\mathrm{N}$ is the N proper mean lifetime. Signal events are defined by the signature B $\to$$\ell_\mathrm{B}$NX; N $\to$$\ell^{\pm} \pi^{\mp}$, where the leptons $\ell_\mathrm{B}$ and $\ell$ can be either a muon or an electron, provided that at least one of them is a muon. The hadronic recoil system, X, is treated inclusively and is not reconstructed. No significant excess of events over the standard model background is observed in any of the $\ell^{\pm}\pi^{\mp}$ invariant mass distributions. Limits at 95% confidence level on the sum of the squares of the mixing amplitudes between heavy and light neutrinos, $\vert V_\mathrm{N}\vert^2$, and on $c\tau$ are obtained in different mixing scenarios for both Majorana and Dirac-like N particles. The most stringent upper limit $\vert V_\mathrm{N}\vert^2$ $\lt$ 2.0$\times$10$^{-5}$ is obtained at $m_\mathrm{N}$ = 1.95 GeV for the Majorana case where N mixes exclusively with muon neutrinos. The limits on $\vert V_\mathrm{N}\vert^2$ for masses 1 $\lt$ $m_\mathrm{N}$ $\lt$ 1.7 GeV are the most stringent from a collider experiment to date

Search for CPCP violation in D0^0→\to KS0^0_\mathrm{S}KS0^0_\mathrm{S} decays in proton-proton collisions at s\sqrt{s} = 13 TeV

International audienceA search is reported for charge-parity D$^0$$\to$ K$^0_\mathrm{S}$K$^0_\mathrm{S}$$CP$ violation in D$^0$$\to$ K$^0_\mathrm{S}$K$^0_\mathrm{S}$ decays, using data collected in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV recorded by the CMS experiment in 2018. The analysis uses a dedicated data set that corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 41.6 fb$^{-1}$, which consists of about 10 billion events containing a pair of ẖadrons, nearly all of which decay to charm hadrons. The flavor of the neutral D meson is determined by the pion charge in the reconstructed decays D$^{*+}$$\to$ D$^0\pi^+$ and D$^{*-}$$\to$ D$^0\pi^-$. The D$^0$$\to$ K$^0_\mathrm{S}$K$^0_\mathrm{S}$$CP$ asymmetry in D$^0$$\to$ K$^0_\mathrm{S}$K$^0_\mathrm{S}$ is measured to be $A_{CP}$( K$^0_\mathrm{S}$K$^0_\mathrm{S}$) = (6.2 $\pm$ 3.0 $\pm$ 0.2 $\pm$ 0.8)%, where the three uncertainties represent the statistical uncertainty, the systematic uncertainty, and the uncertainty in the measurement of the D$^0$ $\to$ K$^0_\mathrm{S}$K$^0_\mathrm{S}$ $CP$ asymmetry in the D$^0$ $\to$ K$^0_\mathrm{S}\pi^+\pi^-$ decay. This is the first D$^0$ $\to$ K$^0_\mathrm{S}$K$^0_\mathrm{S}$ $CP$ asymmetry measurement by CMS in the charm sector as well as the first to utilize a fully hadronic final state