The results of orthodontic therapy largely depend, among other factors, on the preparation of the tooth enamel itself and the choice of material used to bond orthodontic brackets. The aim of this in vitro study was to determine the shear bond strength (SBS) and adhesive remnant index (ARI) score of thermo-cured glass–ionomers on different pretreated enamel, in comparison with the commonly used composite cement. Three commercially available nano-ionomer or highly viscous glass–ionomer cements (EQUIA Forte® Fil, EQUIA Fil, Ketac Universal) and two types of compo-sites (Heliosit Orthodontic, ConTec Go!) were investigated in this study. The research involved two hundred human premolars. The teeth were cleaned and polished, then randomly divided into five groups according to the enamel preparation method and the type of material. The enamel was treated in three different ways: polyacrylic acid, phosphoric acid, 5% NaOCl + etching with phosphoric acid, and a control group without treatment. Glass–ionomer cement was thermo-cured with heat from a polymerization unit during setting. Statistical analysis was performed using a Chi-square test and one-way ANOVA for independent samples. Spearman’s Rho correlation coefficient was used to examine the relationship. Regardless of the material type, the results indicated that the weakest bond between the bracket and tooth enamel was found in samples without enamel pretreatment. The majority of the materials stayed on the brackets in samples without enamel preparation, according to ARI scores. The study’s findings demonstrated that the strength of the adhesion between the bracket and enamel is greatly influenced by enamel etching and glass–ionomer thermo-curing. Clinical investigations would be required to validate the outcomes.

This paper explores the contribution of custom-trained Large Language Models (LLMs) to developing Open Education Resources (OERs) in higher education. Our empirical analysis is based on the case of a custom LLM specialized for teaching business management in higher education. This custom LLM has been conceptualized as a virtual teaching companion, aimed to serve as an OER, and trained using the authors’ licensed educational materials. It has been designed without coding or specialized machine learning tools using the commercially available ChatGPT Plus tool and a third-party Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbot delivery service. This new breed of AI tools has the potential for wide implementation, as they can be designed by faculty using only conventional LLM prompting techniques in plain English. This paper focuses on the opportunities for custom-trained LLMs to create Open Educational Resources (OERs) and democratize academic teaching and learning. Our approach to AI chatbot evaluation is based on a mixed-mode approach, combining a qualitative analysis of expert opinions with a subsequent (quantitative) student survey. We have collected and analyzed responses from four subject experts and 204 business students at the Faculty of Economics, Business and Tourism Split (Croatia) and Faculty of Economics Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina). We used thematic analysis in the qualitative segment of our research. In the quantitative segment of empirical research, we used statistical methods and the SPSS 25 software package to analyze student responses to the modified BUS-15 questionnaire. Research results show that students positively evaluate the business management learning chatbot and consider it useful and responsive. However, interviewed experts raised concerns about the adequacy of chatbot answers to complex queries. They suggested that the custom-trained LLM lags behind the generic LLMs (such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and others). These findings suggest that custom LLMs might be useful tools for developing OERs in higher education. However, their training data, conversational capabilities, technical execution, and response speed must be monitored and improved. Since this research presents a novelty in the extant literature on AI in education, it requires further research on custom GPTs in education, including their use in multiple academic disciplines and contexts.

Digital technology has become inseparable from all core and supportive processes because of the intensive use of different digital tools. The paper aimed to determine teachers’ views on the impact of digital technology on business processes in higher education institutions - whether they recognize the impact and how they evaluate it. The survey was conducted among the teachers of the public University in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The results show that digital technology has a positive and mostly strong or medium impact on business processes in higher education institutions. The work on international research and educational projects and the teaching process are the most influenced by digital technology. It has a stronger impact on the core processes than on supportive activities. Teachers recognize the influence of digital transformation on all processes at universities, both core and supporting. The influence is stronger with core processes.

Education and employment stakeholders worldwide have increasingly acknowledged the need to teach students soft skills to improve their academic performance and long-term prospects. Soft skills are transferable across jobs and industries and related to personal and social competencies. Their development aims to empower and increase personal growth and learning participation and improve job opportunities. Given their central role in shaping students’ educational experiences, teachers must be well-versed in the value of cultivating soft skills and awareness of the necessity to incorporate their study into various curricular frameworks. As a result, this article investigates whether business schools adequately prepare their students for the soft skills demanded by today’s labor market. Business teachers in Bosnia and Herzegovina were the subjects of the survey. The findings indicate that teachers recognize the value of teaching students soft skills but that current curricula may be strengthened in this area.

There is a generally accepted opinion that young people, born in the era of intensive use of ICT and the Internet, are much better at handling new technologies and using Internet resources than older generations. In support of this claim, it is stated that different digital technologies and the Internet have been a natural environment for these generations since birth. This paper aims to check to what extent the above statements apply to University of Mostar (SUM) students. For this purpose, the authors researched SUM students to determine how they self-assess their knowledge and use of Internet resources. On the other hand, it was necessary to use Internet resources to pass exams in certain subjects. In this paper, the authors compared the results obtained by surveying students with actual exam results. The results of the research suggest that the students have relatively good knowledge and coping skills with the tasks they solve within the individual courses of their studies. However, Insufficient mastery of the Internet and its information is indicated by lower ratings of the ability to evaluate found materials and ratings of the ability to use the advanced functions of the Google search engine.

Introduction: The paper aims to research how the Covid-19 infection affects BPH patients, whether their PSA, prostate volume, residual urine, and quality of life have changed. Additionally, to examine whether any of these variables are a predictive factor for acute urinary retention (AUR). Methodology: The study comprised 80 patients with clinical manifestations of LUTS, an aggravation of previously diagnosed BPH, and who recovered from COVID-19. IPSS, QoL, PSA, prostate volume, and postmicturition residual urine were studied before and after COVID-19. Results: The IPSS score, PSA, prostate volume, and residual urine were signicantly higher after recovering from COVID-19. Additionally, greater IPSS-QoL scores were discovered. Nine patients (mostly older than 60) suffered acute retention during or after the COVID-19 infection. Residual urine was found to be a signicant predictor of AUR. Conclusion: COVID-19 infection is caused by aggravating LUTS symptoms associated with BPH. Consequently, the increase postmicturition residual urine can be considered a predictive factor for the occurrence of AUR

This aim of this study was to investigate surface gloss changes of different composite dental materials after chemical degradation or polishing. Five different composites were used (Evetric, GrandioSO, Admira Fusion, Filtek Z550, Dynamic Plus). The gloss of the tested material was measured with a glossmeter before and after chemical degradation in different acidic beverages. Statistical analysis was performed using a t-test for dependent samples, ANOVA, and a post hoc test. For comparison between groups, a level of significance was set at 0.05. Initial gloss values ranged from 51 to 93 at baseline to 32 to 81 after chemical degradation. The highest values were obtained for Dynamic Plus (93.5 GU) and GrandioSO (77.8 GU), followed by Admira Fusion (82 GU) and Filtek Z550 (70.5 GU). Evetric showed the lowest initial gloss values. After acidic exposures, the gloss measurements revealed different patterns of surface degradation. The results showed that the gloss of the samples decreased with time regardless of the treatment. The interaction between chemical-erosive beverages and the composite could lead to a decrease in the surface gloss of the composite restoration. The nanohybrid composite showed less gloss changes under acidic conditions, suggesting that it is more suitable for anterior restorations.

For successful leadership, skills such as management should be measured, in addition to high emotional skills, knowing how to apply leadership styles to each situation faced within the organization. Be influential and know how to involve the team to masterfully achieve the proposed objectives. The present investigation portrays the leadership styles present and applied by leaders of an IPSS's (Private Social Solidarity Institution). Topics such as motivation, satisfaction, approaches, and leadership concepts were proposed to be studied, using the literature review of other studies already carried out. The necessary information was obtained, using a questionnaire to a sample of the active population in Lisbon Municipality Area. The results obtained from the sample of 19 responses to the questionnaire was subject to statistical treatment, showed that an effective leader must not only reveal technical knowledge to transmit to the subordinates who perform tasks, but also the ability to deal with people, to communicate with employees to get job done. These same results demonstrated the transversal preference of leaders in IPSS's for the adoption of the democratic leadership style, regardless the situational variables that explain some conflict situations. In the opposite direction, autocratic leadership style is the least adopted by them.

Abstract COVID-19 is behind us, that is, it no longer poses a direct threat to the normal functioning of higher education. Nevertheless, the answers to the challenges in teaching, brought with it by COVID-19, have become an integral part of the curriculum of higher education institutions. When it comes to online teaching in accounting courses, additional creativity was expected from the teaching staff to successfully transfer knowledge. This was a particularly difficult challenge for those institutions and teaching staff who had not previously applied online teaching and online tools in the teaching process. The research was conducted on students of the Faculty of Economics of the University of Mostar (EF Mostar, FEM) and students of the Faculty of Economics of the University of Split (EF Split, FES), who took one or more accounting courses in the pandemic academic year 2020/2021 and partly in the academic year 2021/2022. The paper tried to offer answers to the questions about the degree of student satisfaction with online teaching, what are the advantages and disadvantages of this kind of teaching, and in which aspects there is room for improvement when considering the teaching of accounting courses in the context of online teaching.

Background: Painful and damaged nipples are frequently associated with breastfeeding cessation in the early postpartum period. The results of researchers’ studies utilizing different treatments have been inconclusive. Research Aim: To compare the intensity of nipple pain and the healing of damaged nipples during the first 10 days postpartum using either lanolin or human milk treatments. Methods: This single-blind randomized controlled trial included participants (N = 206) who were primiparous with painful and damaged nipples. Participants were recruited from the tertiary teaching hospital within the first 72 hr after delivery and randomized to the intervention group with lanolin (n = 103) and a human milk control group (n = 103). Data were collected in the maternity ward, 3 and 7 days after randomization. The primary outcome was nipple pain intensity and quality measured 3 and 7 days after randomization by the McGill Pain Questionnaire – short form. The nipple damage self-assessment questionnaire was used for the assessment of nipple healing. Breastfeeding self-efficacy, breastfeeding duration, and exclusivity were assessed as secondary outcomes. Results: Participants in both groups reported a statistically nonsignificant reduction in pain (quality and intensity of pain) as well as improved nipple healing 7 days after randomization. Participants in the lanolin group exclusively breastfed their infants 3 days after randomization—significantly more often than participants in the control group (p = .026). The study did not reveal any statistically significant differences for other secondary outcomes. Conclusion: Both lanolin and human milk are equally effective in treating painful and damaged nipples. Registered with Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04153513)

The rapid development of information technology (IT) both forces and supports the transformation of universities in almost all their operations (strategic planning, budgeting, education, research, quality control, cooperation with business and society, etc.). The paper presents the research results related to the digitalization of different processes at universities – more specifically, teachers’ opinions on the effect of digitalization on different processes. The survey was conducted among the University of Mostar, Bosnia, and Herzegovina (BH) teachers. The authors identified processes at the university and investigated the perceived impact of information technology on them. The findings show that the impact of digitalization is positive on most processes, whereby a strong influence is determined for research projects financed by the Ministry of Education, quality management, teaching, and evaluation of acquired knowledge (examination).

Aim To investigate the prevalence of burnout syndrome among health care workers in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in May and June 2021 using an online survey based on Copenhagen Burnout Inventory. The questionnaire underwent forward and backward translation, preliminary pilot testing, and was assessed for reliability and validity. Personal burnout, work-related burnout, and patient-related burnout were assessed. The survey was sent to the members of the Union of Physicians and Dentists in FBIH, who were asked to forward the link to their medical technicians and nurses. Results A total of 77% of participants experienced some form of burnout. As many as 32% experienced all three forms of burnout. Those actively involved in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic more often experienced burnout. In personal and work-related burnout domains, higher level of burnout was reported among female respondents. Higher work-related and patient-related burnout was reported by physicians compared with medical technicians/nurses. Higher level of patient-related burnout was reported in health care workers aged 30-39 and 50-59 years, among respondents working in primary care, and among physicians. Conclusion The majority of health care workers showed moderate or high levels of personal and work-related burnout, with a lower level of patient-related burnout. There is a need for further research into the causes of burnout, as well as for the implementation of organizational interventions aimed to minimize workplace burnout.

The success of a company depends on the employees, so the challenge for managers is to monitor their needs continuously and find ways to encourage them to work and achieve goals. By using a combination of compatible material and non-material techniques within motivation strategies, managers link long-term company goals and rewarding employees for work and achievements. The aim of this paper is to get insight into the used motivation techniques and strategic approach to motivation in companies in the Federation of BiH (FBiH). The survey was conducted in early 2019 and covered 63 companies. The most commonly used material motivation techniques are salaries, bonuses, and paid leave, and the most commonly used nonmaterial techniques are appropriate working hours, information on work results and the possibility of advancement. Almost half of the managers state that there are established rules for motivating employees in their companies, slightly more than ¼ point out that there is an established plan for motivating employees that is continuously implemented. Only a part of the surveyed companies, have a continuous, systematic way of monitoring employee motivation. Assessing motivation and taking corrective action is most often carried out by top management, two or more times a year. The results indicate that some companies in the FBiH have not yet realized that the human factor is a key factor in achieving better business results. In order for motivation to be truly effective, it must be approached in a planned and continuous manner.