Established in 1975, it is the flagship institution of higher education in Slavonia, and one of the largest and oldest universities in Croatia.The University of Osijek is organized into 11 Faculties, an Academy and a number of other organizational units. In 1990 it took the name of progressive Roman Catholic bishop Josip Juraj Strossmayer who was born in the city in 1815. Alongside nationally dominant University of Zagreb, the University of Osijek belongs to the mid-range public institutions established before the independence of Croatia together with the University of Rijeka and the University of Split.The university was established in 1970s, when several faculties were grouped under one university. In the years preceding the establishment of the university Croatia witnessed the establishment of new universities in Split and Rijeka. 1970s was a decade of exponential rise in number of higher education institutions in the rest of former Yugoslavia as well when universities in Maribor, Mostar, Banja Luka, Podgorica, Bitola, Kragujevac and Tuzla all opening their doors.The University of Osijek is a member of the European University Association.
Up to date, the development of highly efficient, visible light-active catalysts remains a formidable challenge due to the enhanced rising of atmospheric CO2 concentration. This study discusses a class of ceria-based high-entropy oxides designed to optimize charge carrier dynamics, surface reactivity, and CO2 activation efficiency. Due to the advantages of high configurational entropy and multi-element synergy, these materials achieved improved photocatalytic performance, surpassing conventional ceria-based systems. Structural and spectroscopic analyses reveal that Pr3+/Pr4+ redox pairs and abundant oxygen vacancies create an electronically disordered yet thermodynamically stable environment, which enhances charge separation and suppresses electron-hole recombination. Photocatalytic experiments demonstrated that Ce0.2Zr0.2La0.2Pr0.2Sm0.2O2-delta (CZLPS) achieves the highest CO2 conversion rate, reaching a conversion of 20.3% under visible light irradiation, significantly surpassing pure ceria (1.4%), with a calculated space-time yield (STY) of 10.15 mol(CO)kg(-1)h(-1) under the same conditions. First-principles density functional theory (DFT) simulations were employed to investigate the CO2 reduction mechanism on CZLPS catalysts. The study elucidates the Gibbs free energy changes (Delta G) for each step of the reaction pathways leading to CO and HCOOH formation, highlighting the Zr site of CZLPS as the most active for the CO2RR, which is responsible for the outstanding catalytic activity
Purpose: The widely spread membrane and soluble Klotho protein plays a pivotal role in vascular calcification by orchestrating calcium/phosphate/magnesium homeostasis mediated by the Klotho/fibroblast growth factor 23 receptor complex. Our aim was to review new scientific data and discuss the role(s) of Klotho in vascular calcification. The basic procedures were to review the literature concerning Klotho and its mechanisms of action during physiological and pathological aging. Main findings: A lack of Klotho shortens the lifespan, increases vascular calcification and the frequency of cardiovascular diseases with multiple organ degeneration and weakness in experimental animal models. In humans, the most prominent decrease of Klotho protein and mRNA is found in patients with chronic kidney disease-mineral and bone disorder (CKD-MBD), which shows accelerated aging due to increased vascular calcification. Additionally, Klotho acts in an endocrine manner participating in different signaling pathways as an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-fibrotic and anti-aging mediator, preserving vascular structure and function. Principal conclusions: Klotho is a possible early marker for the detection and monitoring of subclinical arterial calcification in patients with CKD-MBD and in the general population.
The 2023 Kahramanmara & scedil; earthquakes caused unprecedented structural damage across South-Eastern T & uuml;rkiye, highlighting the critical need for rapid post-disaster assessment and understanding the root causes of failure in reinforced concrete (RC) structures. This study provides a comprehensive comparative analysis of 207 RC buildings located in Ad & imath;yaman, Hatay, and Kahramanmara & scedil;. A novel methodological approach was employed by integrating post-earthquake field observations with pre-earthquake digital data obtained via Google Street View to identify structural irregularities and damage patterns. The investigated buildings were classified based on their damage levels, with 11.1% categorized as heavily damaged, 34.3% as to-be-demolished, and 54.6% as collapsed. Significant structural irregularities, including soft stories (ranging from 64.9% to 82.7%), heavy overhangs, and vertical discontinuities, were found to be the primary drivers of severe damage. Furthermore, pounding and short-column effects were identified as the most prevalent damage types across all three provinces. The results demonstrate that pre-existing structural irregularities significantly exacerbated the seismic vulnerability of the RC building stock. This research emphasizes the importance of stringent adherence to design codes and suggests that integrating digital imagery into post-disaster surveys can significantly enhance the accuracy of damage classification for future earthquake resilience.
Luciola Laporte, 1833 is a taxonomically challenging firefly taxon. Five species occur in Europe: L. italica, L. lusitanica, L. pedemontana, L. mingrelica and L. novaki. Their taxonomic history has been obscured by synonymies, insufficient diagnoses and a lack of integrative studies. This species assembly is particularly important because it includes the type species of Luciola, L. lusitanica. Legacy diagnostic traits have proven ineffective in distinguishing Luciola species across Europe, and accurate species identification is challenging, which hinders further studies and conservation efforts. Three species - L. lusitanica, L. pedemontana and L. mingrelica - share similar external morphology (e.g. pale thorax, femora darkened apically, no pronotal black spot) and have often been treated collectively as L. lusitanica sensu lato, underscoring the need for revised species boundaries. We analyzed COI sequences from 86 L. lusitanica s.l. and six L. italica specimens. We found L. lusitanica s.l. to be paraphyletic (excluding L. italica). Using integrative species delimitation (combining morphological, molecular and behavioural evidence), we found support for the distinctiveness of L. lusitanica, L. pedemontana, L. mingrelica and L. italica, proposing updated diagnoses and distributions for each species. Our richly illustrated and updated diagnoses are intended to significantly facilitate species identification and help stabilize Luciola taxonomy.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly shaping enterprise operations, yet evidence remains limited on how firms in Poland acquire AI capabilities, which AI technologies they adopt, and where they apply them functionally. This study examines (i) AI acquisition modes, (ii) types of AI technologies used, and (iii) application areas and assesses how these patterns differ by firm characteristics (size, operating scope, ownership structure, sector, and market experience). Data were collected through a questionnaire survey of 118 enterprise representatives in Poland (February-July 2025), of whom 49.15% reported using AI and were included in the detailed usage analysis. Using Ward's minimum variance method, we identify systematic associations between firm characteristics and AI acquisition choices, technology types, and application domains. The findings suggest that larger, internationally active, and foreign-owned firms tend to combine multiple acquisition sources and report more advanced AI technologies and broader application portfolios, while smaller firms more often rely on ready-made solutions and narrower use cases. This study concludes with practical recommendations for managers regarding staged AI adoption, capability building, and governance.
