University of Tirana

This study introduces a novel class of the Newton-Cotes-type inequalities derived from a parameterized identity within the framework of multiplicative calculus. These inequalities provide an innovative approach to integral approximation, refining existing results for specific parameter choices, including the Midpoint, Trapezoidal, Simpson's, Newton's, Maclaurin's, and Weddle's formulas. This development is particularly significant in numerical analysis, where precise integral approximations are critical, such as solving differential equations and implementing methods like the finite volume method. The paper highlights that multiplicative calculus delivers more accurate absolute error bounds than classical calculus, especially for higher-degree polynomials. Notably, the proposed inequalities streamline computations by eliminating the need to derive each inequality individually. By adjusting parameters, these results allow for efficient determination of error bounds for various quadrature formulas. Applications to numerical integration and special means for real numbers are explored, demonstrating the practical utility and accuracy of the proposed inequalities. A detailed mathematical example, supported by 2D and 3D visualizations, further validates the performance of these results. This work advances numerical methods and provides valuable insights into applying the Newton-Cotes-type inequalities in mathematical research, computation, and integration techniques.

This review highlights the role of graphene derivatives in advancing electrochemical biosensors for applications in diagnostics, environmental monitoring, and industrial sensing. Graphene derivatives, including graphene oxide (GO), reduced GO, and wide range of graphenes prepared via fluorographene chemistry, represent a prominent class of transducing materials in electrochemical biosensor development. Their ability to support covalent immobilization of biocomponents ensures stability, specificity, and long‐term performance, addressing limitations of noncovalent methods. Advances in fabrication, such as laser‐assisted reduction, enable scalable and cost‐effective production of conductive graphene‐based electrodes. Covalent functionalization techniques, like carbodiimide coupling and click chemistry, facilitate integration with bioreceptors, leading to highly selective biosensors. Emerging approaches, including inkjet printing of graphene‐based inks onto eco‐friendly substrates, promise sustainable and portable diagnostic devices. These advances support biosensors aligned with modern and sustainable technologies. Future efforts must focus on scalable production, improved multiplexing, and environmental sustainability to fully harness the potential of graphene derivatives in electrochemical biosensors.

An important equilibrium for the quality of public services is the correlation between resource allocation and functional responsibilities on different tires of governments. This paper delves into the intricate correlation between functional responsibilities and the financial mechanisms of central and local government entities. A comparative analysis examines three primary dimensions: expenditure allocation based on governmental functions, the derivation of powers within the two tiers of government, and a juxtaposition of expenditure weights against competency weights across governmental levels. By juxtaposing these metrics, it offers a nuanced understanding of the alignment—or lack thereof—between financial allocations and functional mandates across governmental levels. Based on the empirical analyses the paper scrutinizes expenditure patterns across central and local government levels of Albania and delineates allocations according to distinct functions. This correlation is a starting point for evaluating the impact of both levels of expenditures on the productivity of the economy as a financial mechanism of efficiency. This study proves a scientific mechanism for combining the ratio of functions and financial mechanisms between local and central governments and the empirical impact on the annual growth rate of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The results are crucial for informing policy decision-makers on optimizing resource allocation, enhancing governance efficiency, and fostering synergy between both tiers of government.

Levels of political participation among marginalized groups are essential indicators of the health of a democratic, just, and inclusive society. This study examines the youth of the Roma minority in Albania, investigating perceptions and attitudes regarding their political (dis)engagement and participation, as well as issues of intersectionality in shaping respective patterns. Utilizing a mixed methods model, a survey is followed by individual in‐depth interviews, focus group discussions, and national validation workshops. Findings confirm low levels of political activism and participation among the Roma minority at large and the respective youth in particular, which is at odds with the higher levels of Roma youth activism in the civil society sector. Distrust in politics, prejudice, and discrimination are primary barriers. Addressing them while enhancing educational and economic opportunities can help overcome the impediments to political engagement. Civil society appears to be crucial in promoting best practices/role models and advocating for sustainable results. Related Articles Kostadinova, T., and P. Kostadinova. 2016. “Party Promises, Voter Understanding, and Mandate Responsiveness in East European Politics.” Politics & Policy 44, no. 1: 5–34. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12145 . Özer, S., A. G. G. Gülal, and Y. K. Polat. 2023. “The Rule of Law in the Grip of Populist Authoritarianism: Hungary and Poland.” Politics & Policy 51, no. 5: 936–959. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12554 . Zafirovski, M. 2022. “Toward a New Political Democracy Index: Construction, Validation, and Calculation for Individual Societies and Types of Society.” Politics and Policy 50, no. 4: 663–99. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12488 .

Migratory movements in Albania have a long history, shaped by the country’s political, economic, and social conditions. These movements are primarily characterized by internal migration, which has significantly influenced territorial transformations, demographic changes, and the organization of economic and social life. The largest cities in Albania, particularly Tirana, have been the most affected. Tirana, which has undergone profound transformation since becoming the capital in 1920, is a prime example of internal migration. The city has seen a significant influx of individuals from other regions of the country seeking to establish residence there. The drivers of migration to Tirana are tied to geographical, economic, and social factors. Consequently, the socio-economic effects of this migration have reshaped the city in numerous ways. After the 1990s, the primary migration patterns in Albania shifted from small towns to large cities and from rural areas to urban centers. Recently, however, a new trend has emerged, with movements from urban areas back to rural regions, particularly noticeable in the country’s capital. The geography of residential migration is characterized by a population decline in six urban units of the Municipality of Tirana, while population growth is more pronounced in four specific rural units, with positive trends in most rural areas. These population shifts have created an urgent need to implement territorial development policies in both urban and rural areas of the Municipality of Tirana.

People are exposed to information and communications of scarcity almost on a daily basis. It can be scarcity induced as a marketing technique to increase consumers’ interest in purchasing a product or a service that comes in limited availability, but it can also be scarcity caused by other macro-level factors, such as natural impediments, political sanctions, or economic recession. In any of these cases, scarcity can lead to consumers’ anger, disappointment, and even physical aggression. Hence, understanding the effect of scarcity of communications on consumers’ psychological well-being remains an important gap in communications and marketing literature. This study uses experimental methods to investigate the relationship between scarcity communications and consumer psychological well-being, suggesting causal evidence that scarcity communications, as opposed to surplus—that we use as a control condition—can significantly affect consumers’ psychological well-being, by deteriorating it. Findings from the experiment are important in providing insights to not only marketing and communications academics but also policymakers and marketing practitioners.

This chapter examines how, in the absence of banks, guilds in the Ottoman Empire generated capital and provided credit to their members. This led to the creation of credit markets in what can be described as an early form of banking, establishing a precursor to modern cooperatives. After outlining the origins and legal framework of these guilds, the chapter delves into their methods of capital formation, which included fixed contributions from newly certified masters, and interest payments. It addresses control mechanisms to prevent the hoarding and misuse of financial resources and examines credit patterns and risk management strategies. These strategies involved profiling and a system of guarantors to mitigate information asymmetries typical of pre-industrial economies. Additionally, the chapter discusses checks and balances designed to prevent corruption and abuse of communal funds. The paper argues that the proliferation of community-controlled credit markets prevented the formation of monopolies or oligopolies in credit supply.

The chapter “Ecotoxicity Assessment of Emerging Contaminants in Fish: Effects, Trends, and Challenges” examines the rising presence of emerging contaminants (ECs) in aquatic ecosystems and their toxic effects on fish populations. These contaminants, including pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and industrial chemicals, pose ecological and health risks due to their bioaccumulation and persistence in water bodies. The chapter highlights fish as sentinel species, crucial for monitoring aquatic ecosystem health, and discusses advanced ecotoxicological methods like high-throughput screening, omics technologies, and bioaccumulation studies. It also outlines the challenges in assessing ECs due to the complexity of chemical mixtures and regulatory gaps, advocating for interdisciplinary approaches to improve environmental risk assessments.

Geometric morphometry is effective in distinguishing bivalve species and populations, including the economically and environmentally important Mediterranean mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis. Although widely distributed, shell shape variation in M. galloprovincialis along the eastern Adriatic Sea has been infrequently studied. Farming practices and environmental conditions may affect the development of shell shape, as has been reported in the Mytilus genus from numerous locations globally. Building on earlier genetic analyses of mussels collected along a natural environmental gradient, this study aimed to identify shell landmark differentiation between wild and cultured populations and among northern, middle, and southern populations of the eastern Adriatic Sea using a geometric morphometric approach. Samples from 12 sites in Croatia, Montenegro, and Albania, including 4 aquaculture farms, were examined for variation in 9 internal shell landmarks. Wild populations exhibited a more extended posterior adductor muscle scar and a more elongated shape compared to farmed populations. Mussels from low salinity environments in the north and south exhibited an elongated shell shape compared to high salinity environments. Southern populations exhibited an extended posterior adductor muscle scar, along with an elongation of the lateral ligament and ventral umbo orientation that caused a concave shape of the ventral shell border compared to northern populations. The differences in environmental conditions in the Adriatic Sea, such as reduced salinity in Boka Kotorska Bay (Montenegro) in the south and Limski Bay (Croatia) in the north, likely play a role in influencing the variability of shell landmarks. These results may be applied to farming practices so that high-quality spat are collected from source sites with environmental conditions that match the farm site to which the spat are transferred. Overall, these results provide valuable insight into how M. galloprovincialis shell landmarks respond to environmental variation at large (hundreds of kilometres) spatial scale.

A significant part of the literature on fiscal decentralization confirms that the greater the ability of decentralized governments to adapt policies to local preferences and to be innovative in providing public services, the greater the potential for investments and economic growth. This paper examines the dynamic effects and relationship between own source revenues, unconditional transfers, and local public investments. Over the past decades, fiscal and financial decentralization in Albania has made steady progress. However, the increasing responsibilities of local governments have intensified the need to raise the share of local revenues and expenditures relative to GDP and increase revenue from unconditional transfers. Following the administrative-territorial reform, fiscal decentralization has dynamically evolved, boosting local public revenues and granting greater discretion in their use to meet community needs. The specific law on local self-government finances led to increases in both own revenue and revenue from unconditional transfers. Further reforms have improved local public finance management, including local budgeting reforms, enhanced transparency of tax collection and expenditure, and self-assessment and monitoring of local government's financial status. These modernization efforts related to local finances have yielded positive results regarding macroeconomic stability, fund predictability, and transparent use of public funds. Consequently, central and local governments prioritize public investments in infrastructure and sector revitalization in their budgets. Local public investments have risen annually, driven by increased local income from taxes and government transfers. This growth reflects the focus of local and central development policies on addressing infrastructure and logistical challenges. The consolidation of decentralization and stable central budget transfers have created favorable conditions for local governments to implement new policies enhancing service quality and public investment performance.

Background: Facial aging involves soft and hard tissues with changes that can affect an individual’s self-esteem and aesthetic appearance. Techniques used to counteract these changes include the use of solutions to be injected into the dermis, such as dermal matrix, vitamins, and antioxidants. B vitamins and choline are vital nutrition for humans and many other animals (vitamin B4), required to produce acetylcholine (ACh). It is considered a neurotransmitter universal methyl donator and of the major membrane constituent phosphatidylcholine (PC) and is crucial for the functioning of cell membranes, including those in skeletal muscle cells. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a fragment of HA amino acid and choline in a solution of phosphate buffer system used via mesotherapy. Specifically, state that the primary endpoint was the efficacy assessment using the Scientific Assessment Scale of Skin Quality (SASSQ), while secondary endpoints included safety assessments and patient-reported outcomes. Methods: Forty (40) subjects completed the study. In total, 40 subjects were screened and included in the study. The total duration of the study was 14 months. The first subject was included on 12 January 2019, and the last subject’s last visit was on 14 March 2020. All patients received the SKIN Colin® products by mesotherapy technique for 8 weeks, providing the treatment with the use of 0.5 cc syringes and 13 mm long, 30 G diameter needles. The solution was inoculated into the deep layer of the dermis of the face with a suitable amount of at least 0.2/0.3 mL in the cutaneous points four times every 15 days. Each subject had to be followed for 168 days after the last mesotherapy session. Only enrolled subjects received the HA and choline via mesotherapy. The primary efficacy endpoint was the absolute change in the Scientific Assessment Scale of Skin Quality from Baseline (Day 0) to Day 168. A reduction of at least one point in the SASSQ was considered to reach the endpoint goal. Results: The results of the present investigation show Scientific Assessment Scale of Skin Quality (SASSQ) mean at baseline was 2463 with a standard deviation of 0.36, while at day 168, the mean was 1303 with a standard deviation of 0.36. The difference was statistically significant (p < 0.0001). Also, the GAIS was improved after treatment with Skin Colin®. The assessment of “satisfaction with treatment” was very high by the majority of subjects. Conclusions: In conclusion, our results suggest that a course of treatment with choline via mesotherapy results in an improvement of the Scientific Assessment Scale of Skin Quality. This data is very important for possible fields of application in the treatment of skin and muscle aging. However, the present study has limitations due to the small sample size and the lack of a control group.

This study aims to investigate the influence of the Mézières method and Isostretching postures on countermovement jump (CMJ) performance in rhythmic gymnasts with low back pain (LBP) by examining changes in jump height, movement efficiency, and pain perception. A randomized controlled trial (RCT) with a parallel-group design was conducted. Participants were randomly allocated into one of two intervention groups: the Mézières or the Isostretching group. Both groups underwent a total of 24 sessions. The Baiobit sensor was used as the primary assessment tool for measuring CMJ performance in elite rhythmic gymnasts with low back pain. A total of 17 rhythmic gymnastics athletes with LBP participated in the study. No differences were observed between groups in age, weight, or height; nevertheless, the Isostretching group had greater variability in age (SD = 4.82 vs. 0.91), while the Mézières group showed higher variability in height. As per maximal speed and height, the overall treatment effect was significant (p = 0.006, η² = 0.431), indicating long-term benefits for Mezieres training, which also had a significant impact on CMJ Maximal Force, particularly at four sessions (p = 0.036), with improvements continuing over time (p = 0.003, η² = 0.672). The Mezieres group showed higher force values compared to the Isostretching group at all time points. The results indicate that Mezieres training significantly improved CMJ Flight Time over time (p = 0.005, η² = 0.440), with notable increases at all time points compared to the Isostretching group. Improvements were particularly evident in the 12th and 24th sessions, confirming its sustained effectiveness. CMJ Contact Time also showed a significant overall effect (p = 0.027, η² = 0.521), with Mezieres training leading to greater reductions in contact time, particularly at 24 sessions (p = 0.003), highlighting improved efficiency in jump execution. Lastly, CMJ VAS (perceived exertion or discomfort) showed a significant overall effect (p < 0.001, η² = 0.896), with Mezieres training leading to a progressive reduction in perceived exertion, particularly from eight sessions onwards, and the most pronounced effect at 24 sessions. The Mézières method and Isostretching postures offer substantial benefits for gymnasts with low back pain, though their mechanisms of improvement differ.

Official statistics are essential for the development of policies and for evidence-based decision-making. National Statistical Offices (NSOs) play a vital role in collecting, analysing and disseminating of these statistics. The statistical office cannot perform this role alone; it is supported in its work by various collaborations and partnerships. One of the most important collaborations in Albania is with the academic world. Numerous advantages can result from both parts of this collaboration, promoting relationship between the two different types of organizations. The benefits of NSO collaboration with academics are examined in this paper, including improved data quality, methodological development, capacity building, innovation, and information transfer and contribution to the public. Both of them contribute to ethical and legal considerations, related to privacy and confidentiality. The study analyses potential areas of collaboration, as well difficulties and offers suggestions for productive partnerships.

Lattice Quantum Chromodynamics (LQCD) may be studied in low-energy regimes where non-perturbative approaches are useful because of their computational methods. Determining the lattice parameter, sometimes referred to as the lattice scale or lattice parameter, is a crucial objective in LQCD computations. The best way to get this parameter is to examine the quark-antiquark potential's behavior, which in LQCD simulations may be obtained by first computing the Wilson loops. We used an improved version of QCDLAB 2.0, a program specifically designed for lattice QCD simulations, in this paper. We concentrated on computing planar Wilson loops to extract the interquark potential. SU (3) gauge field configurations were used as the background field in the simulations. In contrast to the earlier work, we present it for larger lattice volumes of 16^4, 32^4, 48^4, and 64^4 in this publication. These simulations are configured with four distinct values of the coupling constant, which correspond to different background field configurations. One-hundred-gauge field configurations that were statistically independent were created and examined for every example. To derive the lattice scale for different lattice volumes, we used Python. It is feasible to translate physical values measured in lattice units into ordinary physical units once the lattice scale is defined. In our previous study, we used the FermiQCD program. With Artan Borici's help, we then switched to the more effective and user-friendly QCDLAB version 2.0, which greatly increased the efficacy of our simulations. In this study, we introduce an upgraded version of QCDLAB2 that uses Python to compute, even for dense lattices.

This study analyzes policies on youth empowerment, employment, and migration, framed within migration and labor market theories, as well as the principles of evidence-based policy (EBP). The central hypothesis posits that the implementation of EBP in Kosovo’s public administration would improve accountability, transparency, and policy delivery, thus reducing youth emigration. The research, using a qualitative approach, compares Kosovo’s policies with theoretical and models. It reveals a significant educational disparity, high youth unemployment, and ineffective migration policies, contributing to persistent youth migration. Kosovo’s initiatives to address youth migration have been limited by weak policy coordination, institutional inefficiencies, and lack of empirical data. Therefore, EBP could enhance policy effectiveness by providing solutions for aligning education with labor market demands, improving vocational training, and creating sustainable employment opportunities, thereby reducing youth emigration and fostering better integration of returnees.

International agreements are important in strengthening the rule of law and all the norms that regulate the internal system. An important role is also played in the criminal norms that regulate the statute of limitations in criminal law. This article will analyze the legal provisions of international agreements and their implementation in domestic legislation. This analysis will serve to understand if their content complies with the internal legislation, the obligations that must be respected and which are the cases that are left to the discretion of the party states. The statute of limitations, according to the conventions, varies according to the criminal offenses and precisely in each of them a distinction is made according to the type and importance of the criminal offences. The Albanian penal code has a clear necessity to change and expand the statute of limitations, through a legal reform. This need arises to harmonize domestic legislation with foreign legislation and to facilitate the implementation of the law in matters that are mainly related to international cooperation. The integration of Albania into the EU requires the adaptation of its standards and leaves Albania with a series of obligations to improve and change the internal legislation, so it is more important to determine who are the appropriate legislators’ interventions, including the institute of prescription.

This manuscript analyzes the notion of active subjects, public official and the person charged with public service, in criminal offenses against state activity, according to the Albanian penal code and the Italian penal code. Criminal offenses against state activity play an important role in protecting the good functioning of state activity from abuses that may come from active entities during the exercise of functional state duties. The study emphasizes the importance of determining the active subject as an essential element to determine criminal responsibility. The comparison with the Italian penal code serves to bring differences and similarities in the way both penal systems conceive the active subject. The criteria for the identification of subjects active in criminal offenses are the subject of legal determinations, as well as of criminal courts. This paper aims to contribute to the academic and professional sphere on the importance of studying active subjects in the context of criminal law. Understanding the notion of active entities in criminal law is very important, and plays a special role in understanding which entities are criminally responsible for crimes against state activity, while exercising public functions or not.

This paper is about Kant’s doctrine of virtue and its applicability in the context of environmental ethics and sustainable development. The analysis starts with the concept of the categorical imperative and the importance of moral action based on reason and individual responsibility. This approach will be compared with philosophers of the Frankfurt School of Critical thought, through the imperative of responsibility contributing to shaping a contemporary ethical framework that integrates virtue, sustainability and intergenerational responsibility in the need for a new ethical paradigm. Environmental ethics and sustainability in the context of virtue and moral law, are based in an ethic that supports the preservation of environment and the sustainable use of natural resources. Changing the ethical paradigm is an essential process to face today’s environmental challenges and requires a redefinition of the virtues and values that guide moral action, making them suitable for the environmental context. In conclusion, this paper highlights the importance of environmental ethics in facing global development challenges and the need for a philosophical approach that integrates with everyday practices to protect the planet.

Totalitarian regimes play with human life by minimizing its value not only in the space of their existence, but also many decades later in the generations that grow up from parents who lived in dictatorship. The fear sown by them rules like a black shadow in many citizens, which is expressed in their submissive relations with the state and other authorities, in the lack of revolt and self-organization when their rights are violated. This fear is also expressed in the non-use of the right to speech and protest, since they themselves or someone from their family may leave their workplace when working in the central or local administration, when they or their family members may not be able to receive subsidies for their business or agricultural production. All these features that characterize the period of transition to consolidated democracy are also known to the authoritarian leaders of Southeast Europe who, although they express themselves in favor of democracy, are able to use all these early mechanisms to stay in power as long as possible. By destroying human dignity and instilling fear in people, the dictator questions many genuine human values, and tries to turn man into a submissive body and mind.

Concrete structures are prone to developing cracks, which can have a negative impact on their overall performance and longevity. It is essential to promptly identify and repair these cracks in order to ensure the structural integrity of the building. The present research concentrates on the development of crack diagnosis algorithms based on vision using an optimized version of Deep Neural Network (DNN). The DNN model employed in the current study is the deep belief network (DBN), while the optimization technique is based on a newly designed variant of the Ideal Gas Molecular Movement (MIGMM). By combining these two components, a highly effective crack detection system is created, capable of achieving higher classification rates. To train the DNN model, an image dataset comprising two classes, namely “no-cracks” and “cracks”, has been utilized. The MIGMM has been applied to the DBN model, involving fine-tuning the network architecture’s weights, substituting the categorization layer with two classes of output (cracks and no-cracks), and augmenting the picture dataset using stochastic angles of rotation. The proposed DBN/MIGMM model achieves exceptional performance, with an accuracy of 90.189%, specificity of 94.502%, precision of 94.586%, recall of 94.529%, and an F1-score of 88.093%, outperforming state-of-the-art methods such as Fully Convolutional Networks (FCN), You Only Look Once (YOLO), CrackSegNet, Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN), and Convolutional Encoder-Decoder Networks (CedNet). The present outcomes prepare a comprehensive superior assessment of the proposed model’s effectiveness in accurately detecting and classifying cracks.