Tourism as a Function of State Development Management

The development of a society/state is a continuous search for an optimal combination among the factors of production. Tourism in the last decades of the 20th century, as well as at the beginning of the 21st century, stands out as a factor of global proportions. Tourism has caused numerous changes in these areas of Bosnia and Herzegovina over the past 40 years or so, which have influenced changes in its geographical character, but also in the overall structure of economic movements. The goal of this work is to point out the comparative advantages of the tourist development of this area, with the aim of better tourism valorization of natural and created wealth. An overview of future activities is given, i.e., where the potential of the tourist offer lies, as well as an overview of the current situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Based on the above, the subject of the research is an overview of the possibility of organizing a new tourist offer following modern tourist trends. In the paper, the null hypothesis is also set, which reads: H0-The introduction of innovative programs for various tourist destinations in Bosnia and Herzegovina can be a guideline for the further development of the country. The research was conducted theoretically and empirically

Enhancing active learning and critical thinking in higher education: university teachers' perceptions of the ALCT program

This paper describes the transformation of the Reading and Writing for Critical Thinking (RWCT) program into the Active Learning and Critical Thinking in Higher Education program (ALCT) as implemented in the higher education context in Croatia, based on the RWCT Prague conference in 2001. The initial experiences with program implementation are described, with a particular emphasis on innovations intended to increase the relevance of the program for university teachers. Preliminary evaluation results are presented

Influence of Conserved and Hypervariable Genetic Markers on Genotyping Circulating Strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae

Presently there is no vaccine against Neisseria gonorrhoeae and therefore accurate information on gonococcal transmission plays a crucial role for interventions designed to limit the spread of infections caused by this microorganism. We evaluated the impact of two different categories of genetic markers, (i) concatenated sequences of 10 housekeeping genes and (ii) hypervariable porB DNA sequences, on the genetic relatedness and subsequently on genotyping analysis of this human pathogen. Eighty gonococcal isolates from Canada, China, the US, Argentina, Venezuela and Chile, collected over different times, were analyzed. Our results show that the choice of genetic marker had a profound effect on the interpretation of genotyping results associated with N. gonorrhoeae. The concatenated sequences of the housekeeping genes preserved the genetic relatedness of closely related isolates, enabling detection of the predominant strains circulating within a community (Saskatchewan, Canada) over an extended period of time. In contrast, a genetic marker based on antigen gene, porB, may lead to a failure to detect these predominant circulating strains. Based on the analysis of the DNA sequences of the 10 housekeeping genes, we identified two major clonal complexes, CC33 and CC22, which comprised STs from China, and Argentina as well as two STs from Canada. Several minor clonal complexes were observed among isolates from Saskatchewan. eBURST analysis suggested that the majority of the tested gonococcal isolates from Saskatchewan, Canada were endemic, with only a couple of genotypes introduced

Is the rate of responders to hyaluronic acid injection for patients with knee osteoarthritis stable over time? Post hoc analyses of a 6-month follow-up study

peer reviewe

Assessment of the response profile to hyaluronic acid plus sorbitol injection in patients with knee osteoarthritis: post hoc analysis of a 6-month randomized controlled trial

peer reviewe

Eriophyid mites in classical biological control of weeds: Progress and challenges

A classical biological control agent is an exotic host-specific natural enemy, which is intentionally introduced to obtain long-term control of an alien invasive species. Among the arthropods considered for this role, eriophyid mites are likely to possess the main attributes required: Host specificity, efficacy, and long-lasting effects. However, so far, only a few species have been approved for release. Due to their microscopic size and the general lack of knowledge regarding their biology and behavior, working with eriophyids is particularly challenging. Furthermore, mites disperse in wind, and little is known about biotic and abiotic constraints to their population growth. All these aspects pose challenges that, if not properly dealt with, can make it particularly difficult to evaluate eriophyids as prospective biological control agents and jeopardize the general success of control programs. We identified some of the critical aspects of working with eriophyids in classical biological control of weeds and focused on how they have been or may be addressed. In particular, we analyzed the importance of accurate mite identification, the difficulties faced in the evaluation of their host specificity, risk assessment of nontarget species, their impact on the weed, and the final steps of mite release and post-release monitoring

Interference in Exclusive Vector Meson Production in Heavy Ion Collisions

Photons emitted from the electromagnetic fields of relativistic heavy ions can fluctuate into quark anti-quark pairs and scatter from a target nucleus, emerging as vector mesons. These coherent interactions are identifiable by final states consisting of the two nuclei and a vector meson with a small transverse momentum. The emitters and targets can switch roles, and the two possibilities are indistinguishable, so interference may occur. Vector mesons are negative parity so the amplitudes have opposite signs. When the meson transverse wavelength is larger than the impact parameter, the interference is large and destructive. The short-lived vector mesons decay before amplitudes from the two sources can overlap, and so cannot interfere directly. However, the decay products are emitted in an entangled state, and the interference depends on observing the complete final state. The non-local wave function is an example of the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox.Comment: 13 pages with 3 figures; submitted to Physical Review Letter

Is anxiety sensitivity a risk factor for, or complication of, alcohol misuse? A meta-analysis

Anxiety sensitivity (AS) refers to a dispositional tendency to respond to one's anxiety sensations with fear. Longstanding theoretical accounts implicate AS in alcohol misuse; however, the relationship between AS and alcohol misuse remains unclear. We addressed this by testing whether AS is a risk factor for, and/or complication of, alcohol misuse by conducting a rigorous meta-analysis using random effect models. Our literature search yielded 15 studies (N = 9459). Studies were included if they used a longitudinal design, assessed AS and alcohol misuse at baseline, and assessed alcohol misuse and/or AS at follow-up. Results failed to support AS as a risk factor for, or complication of, alcohol misuse. Researchers are encouraged to test if the link between AS and alcohol misuse emerges under specific conditions (e.g., elevated state anxiety)