Publications

Dealing with climate change and environmental issues must begin with the acceptance of the position that the environmental crisis is equivalent to the economic, political, or health crisis, which is typically the focus of our political and legal apparatus. It has such a broad scope that it exceeds the level of the individual right to a healthy environment and cannot be measured solely through the lens of concretely determined cases of violation. Its visible consequences cannot be justified by achieving some higher economic, social, or other goals, such as, first and foremost, economic benefits from accelerated economic development at the expense of reckless environmental destruction. Numerous laws and regulations in the Republic of North Macedonia cover almost every aspect of the environment. However, some of them are considered outdated and unsuitable for the country’s current situation. Another perceived weakness of the environmental legal framework is the lack of implementation as a result of the institutional division of state authorities responsible for enforcement and insufficient personnel and technical resources in local administration and inspection services. It is encouraging that the entire environmental legislation is being revised and perceived flaws are being addressed. Despite the beginning of the process of enacting new or amending existing laws for specific areas of environmental protection, many open questions remain in key areas as well as strategic goals and policies. 

To address the challenge of selectivity toward single products in Cu-catalyzed electrochemical CO2 reduction, one strategy is to incorporate a second metal with the goal of tuning catalytic activity via synergy effects. In particular, catalysts based on Cu modified with post-transition metals (Sn or In) are known to reduce CO2 selectively to either CO or HCOO– depending on their composition. However, it remains unclear exactly which factors induce this switch in reaction pathways and whether these two related bimetal combinations follow similar general structure–activity trends. To investigate these questions systematically, Cu–In and Cu–Sn bimetallic catalysts were synthesized across a range of composition ratios and studied in detail. Compositional and morphological control was achieved via a simple electrochemical synthesis approach. A combination of operando and quasi-in situ spectroscopic techniques, including X-ray photoelectron, X-ray absorption, and Raman spectroscopy, was used to observe the dynamic behaviors of the catalysts’ surface structure, composition, speciation, and local environment during CO2 electrolysis. The two systems exhibited similar selectivity dependency on their surface composition. Cu-rich catalysts produce mainly CO, while Cu-poor catalysts were found to mainly produce HCOO–. Despite these similarities, the speciation of Sn and In at the surface differed from each other and was found to be strongly dependent on the applied potential and the catalyst composition. For Cu-rich compositions optimized for CO production (Cu85In15 and Cu85Sn15), indium was present predominantly in the reduced metallic form (In0), whereas tin mainly existed as an oxidized species (Sn2/4+). Meanwhile, for the HCOO–-selective compositions (Cu25In75 and Cu40Sn60), the indium exclusively exhibited In0 regardless of the applied potential, while the tin was reduced to metallic (Sn0) only at the most negative applied potential, which corresponds to the best HCOO– selectivity. Furthermore, while Cu40Sn60 enhances HCOO– selectivity by inhibiting H2 evolution, Cu25In75 improves the HCOO– selectivity at the expense of CO production. Due to these differences, we contend that identical mechanisms cannot be used to explain the behavior of these two bimetallic systems (Cu–In and Cu–Sn). Operando surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy measurements provide direct evidence of the local alkalization and its impact on the dynamic transformation of oxidized Cu surface species (Cu2O/CuO) into a mixture of Cu(OH)2 and basic Cu carbonates [Cux(OH)y(CO3)y] rather than metallic Cu under CO2 electrolysis. This study provides unique insights into the origin of the switch in selectivity between CO and HCOO– pathways at Cu bimetallic catalysts and the nature of surface-active sites and key intermediates for both pathways.

Human Rights Due Diligence is a key topic in the debates among human rights advocates and the business world. Its understanding varies from a standard ofexpected care to a process to manage business risks. As introduced in the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, it is a process through which business enterprises should identify, assess and properly address human rights risks. Today, the concept is used or tends to be incorporated in avariety of legal instruments, from international soft-law to regional and national regulations. However, the understanding of what is the objective of human rights due diligence, its content, and the required standard still vary. Relying on the international soft-law instruments and the developments in national law, this study analyzes the foundation and narrative of human rights due diligence, content, common elements, and scope of obligation in a way to identify similarities and/or differences in the concept within different jurisdictions.

De facto државите се уште познати и како „непризнати држави”, „делумно признатидржави”, држави со спорна егзистенција...Тие се мета на истражување, докажувањефакти, дебати и анализи, за апликативноста на меѓународните правила и сегментирањекои држави можат да влезат во групата на de facto држави, а кои не...Територии коисакаат да бидат држави, но će уште не се здобиле со независности меѓународнапризнатост. За многумина овде е апликативна Конвенцијата од Монтевидео, со целда се видат правата и обврските на државите. Но дали денес постои листа на овиедржави? Многумина ги споменуваат Косово, Северен Кипар, Абхазија и Јужна Осетија,Палестина, Транснистрија, Нагорно-Карабах, Народна Република Доњецк и ЛуганскатаНародна Република... Каков е статусот на овие држави и зошто уште немаат меѓународнопризнавање?

The development of earth-abundant catalysts for selective electrochemical CO2conversion is a central challenge. CuSn bimetallic catalysts can yield selective CO2reduction toward either CO or formate. This study presents oxide-derived CuSn catalysts tunable for either product and seeks to understand the synergetic effects between Cu and Sn causing these selectivity trends. The materials undergo significant transformations under CO2 reduction conditions, and their dynamic bulk and surface structures are revealed by correlating observations from multiple methods—X-ray absorption spectroscopy for in situ study, and quasi in situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy for surface sensitivity. For both types of catalysts, Cu transforms to metallic Cu0 under reaction conditions. However, the Sn speciation and content differ significantly between the catalyst types: the CO-selective catalysts exhibit a surface Sn content of 13 at. % predominantly present as oxidized Sn, while the formate-selective catalysts display an Sn content of ≈70 at. % consisting of both metallic Sn0 and Sn oxide species. Density functional theory simulations suggest that Snδ+ sites weaken CO adsorption, thereby enhancing CO selectivity, while Sn0 sites hinder H adsorption and promote formate production. This study reveals the complex dependence of catalyst structure, composition, and speciation with electrochemical bias in bimetallic Cu catalysts.

The world over, people drink in order to socialize, celebrate, and relax, despite the negative health effects of alcohol. Three periods of dynamic brain changes are evidenced to be particularly sensitive to the harmful effects of alcohol: gestation (from conception to birth), later adolescence (15-19 years), and older adulthood (over 65 years). This article is concentrated only on the negative effects of alcohol in children who have been exposed to alcohol before birth, known as foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). This is a review based on published data in PubMed over the last two decades and is an analysis of more than 150 published papers. Alcohol use during pregnancy can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, and a range of lifelong physical, behavioural, and intellectual disabilities. The effects of ethanol are expressed on a set of molecules involved in neuroinflammation, myelination, neurotransmission, and neuron function. Modern neuroimaging techniques are able to specify some fine structural changes in the affected areas of the brain: volume reductions in the frontal lobe, including the middle frontal gyri in the prefrontal cortex, hippocampal structure, interhemispheric connectivity, abnormalities in glial cells, white matter deficits etc. Corpus callosum myelination is affected, resulting in a lack of the inter-hemispheric connectivity. This is known to facilitate autism, stroke, schizophrenia, as well as dementia, disrupts cognitive performance, and may lead to neurobehavioral deficits. It was pointed out that many symptoms and neuroimaging characteristics are similar in ADHD and FAS, thus the anamnesis for prenatal alcohol and nicotine exposure must be taken very seriously in order to better understand and interpret clinical symptoms.

Interleukin 10 (IL-10) is an immunosuppressive cytokine and its genetic variants could have an indirect impact on viral biology and human papillomavirus (HPV) E6/E7 messenger RNA (mRNA) expression as well. This study evaluates the association between IL-10-592 C/A (rs1800872) single-nucleotide polymorphism and HPV E6/E7 mRNA expression in a group of women from the Republic of North Macedonia. Using a commercial test, 272 women's cervical samples were analyzed for HPV E6/E7 mRNA and HPV DNA presence. The cases were stratified into three groups: double-positive (n = 108, positive for both tests), negative (n = 51, negative for HPV E6/E7 mRNA and HPV DNA positive), and the control group (n = 113, negative for both tests). The IL-10-592 C/A polymorphism was analyzed using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. The results showed the CC genotype and the C allele frequencies of IL-10-592C/A were significantly higher in double-positive (59.3% and 78.2%) compared to negative group (39.2% and 65.7%), (p = 0.018, confidence interval [CI] = 2.25; 1.14-4.45 and p = 0.016, CI = 1.88; 1.11-3.16, respectively). The CC genotype and C allele of rs1800872 polymorphism were shown to be associated with HPV E6/E7 mRNA but not with HPV DNA positivity, which implies a possible role of this polymorphism in the course of the infection only after HPV onset, and lack of association with the susceptibility to HPV.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection fatality rate (IFR) doubles with every 5 y of age from childhood onward. Circulating autoantibodies neutralizing IFN-α, IFN-ω, and/or IFN-β are found in ∼20% of deceased patients across age groups, and in ∼1% of individuals aged <70 y and in >4% of those >70 y old in the general population. With a sample of 1,261 unvaccinated deceased patients and 34,159 individuals of the general population sampled before the pandemic, we estimated both IFR and relative risk of death (RRD) across age groups for individuals carrying autoantibodies neutralizing type I IFNs, relative to noncarriers. The RRD associated with any combination of autoantibodies was higher in subjects under 70 y old. For autoantibodies neutralizing IFN-α2 or IFN-ω, the RRDs were 17.0 (95% CI: 11.7 to 24.7) and 5.8 (4.5 to 7.4) for individuals <70 y and ≥70 y old, respectively, whereas, for autoantibodies neutralizing both molecules, the RRDs were 188.3 (44.8 to 774.4) and 7.2 (5.0 to 10.3), respectively. In contrast, IFRs increased with age, ranging from 0.17% (0.12 to 0.31) for individuals <40 y old to 26.7% (20.3 to 35.2) for those ≥80 y old for autoantibodies neutralizing IFN-α2 or IFN-ω, and from 0.84% (0.31 to 8.28) to 40.5% (27.82 to 61.20) for autoantibodies neutralizing both. Autoantibodies against type I IFNs increase IFRs, and are associated with high RRDs, especially when neutralizing both IFN-α2 and IFN-ω. Remarkably, IFRs increase with age, whereas RRDs decrease with age. Autoimmunity to type I IFNs is a strong and common predictor of COVID-19 death.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Prison Conditions and Penal Policy presents the results of a worldwide exchange of information on the impact of COVID-19 in prisons. It also focuses on the human rights questions that have been raised during the pandemic, relating to the treatment of prisoners in institutions for both juveniles and adults worldwide.

To be a pediatrician means that one encounters many serious childhood health problems and one finds many ways to help families cope with these problems. Symptoms in children can be discrete, and the responsibility of the pediatrician to distinguish normal development from pathological. We are facing a new era in the developmental assessment of children. A cluster of neurodevelopmental disorders includes ASD (autism spectrum disorder) and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). Parents often do not recognize the problem on time. Generally, their first concern is speech delay, leading to the suspicion of hearing problems. Therefore, it is very important to obtain objective anamnestic information and for the child to undergo a careful physical examination, a neurophysiological assessment, and metabolic and genetic testing. The etiology usually is multifactorial: genetic, epigenetic, and non-genetic factors act in combination through various paths. Most children seem to have typical neurodevelopment during first their year. It was found that approximately one-third of children with ASD lose some skills during the preschool period, usually speech related, but sometimes also non-verbal communication, social or play skills. In conclusion we must say that it is very important to recognize the early signs of ASD and any kind of other developmental delay and to start with early intervention. Clinical pediatricians tend to correlate clinical manifestations and biological underpinnings related to neurodevelopmental disorder, especially ASD. Therefore, better treatment possibilities are needed.

Communicating safety information to patients and healthcare professionals is a public health responsibility and is essential for achieving the objectives of pharmacovigilance in terms of promoting the rational, safe and effective use of medicines, preventing harm from adverse reactions, minimising risks and contributing to the protection of patients and public health. The main emphasis of this article is on direct healthcare professional communication (DHPC). Countries of interest are Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania and Kosovo. Safety communication should deliver relevant, clear, accurate and consistent messages and reach the right audiences at the right time for them to take appropriate action. Readers will get an indepth look at regulation compliance from the emerging markets within country-specific environments.

SARS-CoV-2 infection fatality rate (IFR) doubles with every five years of age from childhood onward. Circulating autoantibodies neutralizing IFN-α, IFN-ω, and/or IFN-β are found in ~20% of deceased patients across age groups. In the general population, they are found in ~1 % of individuals aged 20–70 years and in >4% of those >70 years old. With a sample of 1,261 deceased patients and 34,159 uninfected individuals, we estimated both IFR and relative risk of death (RRD) across age groups for individuals carrying autoantibodies neutralizing type I IFNs, relative to non-carriers. For autoantibodies neutralizing IFN-α2 or IFN-ω, the RRD was 17.0[95% CI:11.7–24.7] for individuals under 70 years old and 5.8[4.5–7.4] for individuals aged 70 and over, whereas, for autoantibodies neutralizing both molecules, the RRD was 188.3[44.8–774.4] and 7.2[5.0–10.3], respectively. IFRs increased with age, from 0.17%[0.12–0.31] for individuals <40 years old to 26.7%[20.3–35.2] for those ≥80 years old for autoantibodies neutralizing IFN-α2 or IFN-ω, and from 0.84%[0.31–8.28] to 40.5%[27.82–61.20] for the same two age groups, for autoantibodies neutralizing both molecules. Autoantibodies against type I IFNs increase IFRs, and are associated with high RRDs, particularly those neutralizing both IFN-α2 and -ω. Remarkably, IFR increases with age, whereas RRD decreases with age. Autoimmunity to type I IFNs appears to be second only to age among common predictors of COVID-19 death.

This study addresses the potential of combining multiple electroless plating reactions for homogeneous decoration of three-dimensional carbon fibers (CFs) with shape-controlled AgNi and AgCu bimetallic nanostructures. Morphology, crystal structure, and composition of the obtained bimetallic nanostructures were systemically examined by various spectroscopic and microscopic techniques including scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The electrocatalytic performance of the synthesized materials was investigated for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). AgCu and AgNi bimetallic surfaces showed superior activity and stability compared to pristine Ag, Ni, or Cu. These observed enhancements on the bimetallic nanostructures are attributed to the synergistic effect between the elements present. AgNi nanoplate-decorated CFs exhibited the highest activity toward OER, which is attributed to the key role of Ag in stabilizing and increasing the number of β-NiOOH surface sites, which are the most relevant OER-active Ni species.