Simple Summary This study examined the skull characteristics of Holstein and Simmental cattle to provide reference values for future research. We collected 54 skulls of young male cattle from Turkey to conduct 27 measurements and calculate eight indices. Holstein skulls tended to be longer, though not markedly, but they exhibited notably longer nasal bones and shorter skull lengths. Holsteins also had wider faces. A statistical analysis showed that overall size differences did not separate the breeds, but certain skull features did. Simmental skulls had higher basal index values and wider occipital regions, likely due to their larger skull size and weight, which provides more space for muscle attachment. Holsteins had more oval-shaped eye sockets, while Simmentals had wider, rounder ones. These findings help identify breed-specific traits and offer insights into how each breed’s skull structure supports their functions. This knowledge is valuable for breeding and conservation, and future research should look into the genetic and environmental factors influencing these traits. Abstract This study aimed to reveal the morphological characteristics of pure Holstein and Simmental skulls and to obtain reference values for morphometric analysis. Moreover, 54 skulls from 12- to 14-month-old male Holstein (n = 25) and Simmental (n = 29) cattle were collected from Turkey’s Southeastern Anatolia Region between 2023 and 2024. Linear measurements indicated that Holsteins had longer skulls compared to Simmentals. Holsteins exhibited significantly higher values for the greatest length of nasals and the shortest skull length. The facial breadth was wider in Holsteins and statistically distinctive between the breeds. Holsteins had a more oval orbital bony roof, while Simmentals exhibited a wider orbital structure. The orbital index was higher in Holsteins, distinguishing between the two breeds. It was observed that Simmental cattle had a wider occipital region. This difference is likely due to the larger lateral appearance of the Simmental skull, which has more body weight and provides a larger surface area for muscle attachment. These differences not only aid in breed identification but also offer insights into the functional adaptations of each breed. Future research should explore the genetic and environmental factors contributing to these morphological traits, further enriching our knowledge of cattle morphology and its implications for breeding and conservation efforts.

Background: The Harderian gland in domestic birds is a major paraocular excretory gland that has an important role in tear production as well as in the immune protection of the conjunctiva surface. Aim: The aim of this research was to investigate the arterial and venous supply of the gland in hens and provide valuable and useful information for future research. Methods: The research was conducted on 26 adult hens, provenience of Lohmann Brown. For the identification and determination of blood vessels, we used the vascular corrosion cast technique in conjunction with the transmission electron microscope (TEM). Results: The casts showed that the gland receives the arterial supply via branches of a. ophthalmotemporalis and a. nasalis communis and these arteries are accompanied by the corresponding veins. Ultrastructural analyses showed the presence of fenestrated capillaries, which indicates the possibility for permeability of larger molecules. Conclusion: The present research gives important and detailed information about the arterial and venous supply of the Harderian gland in hens that may serve as guidelines for future vascular and morphological investigations.

In recent years, the oak lace bug, Corythucha arcuata, has emerged as a significant threat to European oak forests. This species, native to North America, has in the last two decades rapidly extended its range in Europe, raising concerns about its potential impact on the continent's invaluable oak populations. To address this growing concern, we conducted an extensive study to assess the distribution, colonization patterns, and potential ecological niche of the oak lace bug in Europe. We gathered 1792 unique presence coordinates from 21 Eurasian countries, utilizing diverse sources such as research observations, citizen science initiatives, GBIF database, and social media reports. To delineate the realized niche and future distribution, we employed an ensemble species distribution modelling (SDM) framework. Two future greenhouse gas scenarios (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5) were considered across three-time intervals (2021-2040, 2061-2080, and 2081-2100) to project and evaluate the species' potential distribution in the future. Our analysis revealed that significant hotspots rich in host species occurrence for this invasive insect remain uninvaded so far, even within its suitable habitat. Furthermore, the native ranges of Turkey oak (Quercus cerris L.) and Hungarian oak (Quercus frainetto L.) species offer entirely suitable environments for the oak lace bug. In contrast, the pedunculate oak and sessile oak distribution ranges currently show only 40 % and 50 % suitability for colonization, respectively. However, our predictive models indicate a significant transformation in the habitat suitability of the oak lace bug, with suitability for these two oak species increasing by up to 90 %. This shift underlines an evolving landscape where the oak lace bug may exploit more of its available habitats than initially expected. It emphasises the pressing need for proactive measures to manage and stop its expanding presence, which may lead to a harmful impact on the oak population across the European landscape.

This paper is based on the analysis of the relationship between early education, mathematical skills, and student achievement in Bosnia & Herzegovina, using data from the trends in international mathematics and science study (TIMSS) 2019. The study involves 5,628 fourth-grade students whose average age was 10.1 years. The research specifically focuses on factors such as the age of students at the beginning of schooling, attendance at preschool institutions, and their mathematical skills before starting school. Through the application of SPSS analysis, insights into the statistical relationships and trends between these factors are provided, emphasizing the importance of early educational experiences to improve the quality of education in Bosnia & Herzegovina. The analysis results show that the length of stay in preschool institutions, attendance in preschool programs, and the early acquisition of mathematical skills (counting skills, recognition of numeral representations, numeral writing, simple addition, and subtraction) impact later mathematical achievements of students.

The targeted compounds in this research, resveratrol analogs 1–14, were synthesized as mixtures of isomers by the Wittig reaction using heterocyclic triphenylphosphonium salts and various benzaldehydes. The planned compounds were those possessing the trans-configuration as the biologically active trans-resveratrol. The pure isomers were obtained by repeated column chromatography in various isolated yields depending on the heteroaromatic ring. It was found that butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) was more sensitive to the heteroaromatic resveratrol analogs than acetylcholinesterase (AChE), except for 6, the methylated thiophene derivative with chlorine, which showed equal inhibition toward both enzymes. Compounds 5 and 8 achieved the highest BChE inhibition with IC50 values of 22.9 and 24.8 μM, respectively. The same as with AChE and BChE, methylated thiophene subunits of resveratrol analogs showed better enzyme inhibition than unmethylated ones. Two antioxidant spectrophotometric methods, DPPH and CUPRAC, were applied to determine the antioxidant potential of new heteroaromatic resveratrol analogs. The molecular docking of these compounds was conducted to visualize the ligand-active site complexes’ structure and identify the non-covalent interactions responsible for the complex’s stability, which influence the inhibitory potential. As ADME properties are crucial in developing drug product formulations, they have also been addressed in this work. The potential genotoxicity is evaluated by in silico studies for all compounds synthesized.

In this paper, we find out the cosine operator functions \begin{equation*}C(t)=\begin{bmatrix}a(t) & b(t) & c(t) \\0 & d(t) & e(t) \\0 & 0 & f(t)\end{bmatrix}\end{equation*}in a real vector space \(\mathbb{R}^3 \, ( t\in \mathbb{R})\), as the solutions of the second order Cauchy problem\begin{equation*}C''(t)=\mathcal{A}\cdot C(t),\, C(0)=I, \, C'(0)=0.\end{equation*} We find the solutions for the various cases of a given real matrix \begin{equation*}\mathcal{A}=\begin{bmatrix}A & B & C \\0 & D & E \\0 & 0 & F\end{bmatrix},\end{equation*} which is a generator of these cosine operator functions \(C(t), \, t\in \mathbb{R}\).

Introduction. Although inguinal hernia surgery is the most common surgical procedure worldwide, the best surgical method is still not universally accepted. The Lichtenstein technique is considered the gold standard, although it also has its limitations. Therefore, there is still a need for new techniques, such as the Desarda technique. The aim of this article is to evaluate and compare the postoperative morbidity of two tension-free techniques for inguinal canal pla-stic surgery with and without the use of mesh. Methods. This prospective randomized clinical study was conducted at the Clinic for General and Abdominal Surgery of the Clinical Center of the University of Sarajevo from January 2017 to December 2022. The study included 60 patients with primary inguinal hernia who met the predefi ned inclusion and exclusion criteria and were randomly allocated into two equal groups: 30 patients operated on by the Desarda technique and 30 patients operated on by the Lichten-stein technique. Results: The following parameters showed a statistically signifi cant diff erence in favor of the Desarda operative technique: shorter hospitalization, lower level of postoperative pain, faster achievement of early physical activity, lesser amount of analgesic consumption, earlier return to regular daily and work activities, and absence of chronic inguinal pain. Postoperative morbidity was more frequent in the Lichtenstein group, but likely due to the small sample size, this diff e-rence remained statistically insignifi cant. Conclusion: Patients operated on by the Desarda method exhibited signifi cantly lower levels and frequencies of postoperative pain, faster postoperative recovery, and return to usual daily and work activities.

Detection of extranodal extension on histopathology in surgically treated head and neck squamous cell carcinoma indicates poor prognosis. However, there is no consensus on the diagnostic criteria, interpretation, and reporting of histology detected extranodal extension, which has contributed to conflicting evidence in the literature, and likely clinical inconsistency. The Head and Neck Cancer International Group conducted a three-round modified Delphi process with a group of 19 international pathology experts representing 15 national clinical research groups to generate consensus recommendations for histology detected extranodal extension diagnostic criteria. The expert panel strongly agreed on terminology and diagnostic features for histology detected extranodal extension and soft tissue metastasis. Moreover, the panel reached consensus on reporting of histology detected extranodal extension and on nodal sampling. These consensus recommendations, endorsed by 19 organisations representing 34 countries, are a crucial development towards standardised diagnosis and reporting of histology detected extranodal extension, and more accurate data collection and analysis.

Prostate cancer (PC) is one of the most commonly diagnosed malignancies worldwide and the second leading cause of mortality among men (1). Nowadays, radical prostatectomy is considered the primary therapeutic modality for treating patients with localized PC (stage pT2), providing a five-year survival rate of nearly 100% (2). Sexual dysfunction in men associated with PC treatment encompasses three distinct entities: erectile dysfunction (ED) and penile shortening; ejaculatory and orgasmic dysfunction; and psychosexual dysfunction, which pertains to sexual desire, intimacy, and mental health (3). Penile rehabilitation (PR) is defined as the use of any intervention or combination of procedures aimed not only at achieving an erection sufficient for satisfactory sexual intercourse but also at restoring erectile function to its preoperative level (4). Despite eff orts to preserve the neurovascular bundle during radical prostatectomy, ED remains a common outcome. Although prevalence rates of ED after the procedure vary widely, recent studies report rates as high as 85% (5). This is primarily due to the lack of control over factors that significantly influence the erection recovery, such as the patient’s age, preoperative erectile function, comorbidities, surgical approach (open, laparoscopic, or robot-assisted), surgical technique (non-, uni-, or bilateral nerve-sparing), and the surgeon’s skills and experience. The pathophysiology of postoperative ED is multifactorial. The primary mechanisms are believed to be damage to the cavernous nerves, whether through dis-section or neuropraxia, and vascular injury, which includes damage to the accessory pudendal arteries, hypoxia and fibrosis of the endothelium and smooth muscle, resulting in penile shortening (6-8). Although there is no consensus on the optimal approach to PR, accepted modalities include the use of phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE-5i; such as sildenafil, vardenafil, tadalafil) and vacuum erection de-vices (VED) or vacuum constriction devices (VCD) as first-line therapies. Second-line treatments involve prostaglandin E1 preparations for intracavernous, or intraurethral (MUSE – “Medicated Urethral System for Erection”) administration. The final therapeutic option is the implantation of penile prostheses (3-10).

INTRODUCTION Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is one of the neglected tropical diseases that affects impoverished communities throughout the world. In Pakistan CL is an endemic disease. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES This study aimed to determine the incidence of CL infection in the Baluchistan province of Pakistan from January 2020 to March 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODOLOGY A total of 1047 clinically suspected cases of CL from Bolan Medical College Hospital, Quetta, were followed up in the study. The data regarding the epidemiological characterstics, pathological information, and treatment of patients was collected. RESULTS Out of 1047 probable cases of CL, 594 (56.73%) cases were found to be positive for CL. Females had the highest infection rate, with the majority of reported cases being in the 0-9-year age group. Most CL cases were reported in April in the year 2020, with a few cases reported in June. But in the year 2021, the highest number of cases were reported in December. The number of overall cases has gradually increased in the year 2022, most likely because of the reduction in COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. The p value for the positive as compared to suspected cases in the years 2020, 2021, and 2022 was calculated as 0.8925, 0.8763, and 0.8535 respectively. CONCLUSIONS Further epidemiological studies and health education campaigns are recommended to increase public awareness. It is strongly advised that local, provincial, and national health authorities establish and maintain effective leishmaniasis surveillance systems to promptly identify disease outbreaks and implement timely control measures.

U razdoblju dvije godine (2019, 2020) proučavane su fizikalne i kemijske osobine ploda dvije sorte trešnje (Isabella i Prima Giant) cijepljene na podlozi Saint Lucie 64 u agroekološkim uvjetima submediteranske Hercegovine na tri različita tipa tla na lokalitetima: Blagaj, Konjusi i Aladinići. Istraživanja su obuhvaćala analizu mase ploda i koštice, dužinu peteljke, dimenzije ploda, sadržaj ukupnih kiselina i ukupnih šećera. Rezultati su pokazali da je sorta Prima Giant u 2020. godini imala najveću prosječnu vrijednost za sve promatrane fizikalne parametre ploda (masu ploda i koštice, dužinu peteljke, širinu ploda). Sorta Isabella je u 2019. godini imala najveću prosječnu masu koštice i dužinu peteljke, dok su plodovi sorte Prima Giant imali najveću prosječnu masu, dužinu, širinu i debljinu ploda. Na osnovu dobivenih vrijednosti, sorta Prima Giant je pokazala bolje rezultate fizikalnih osobina ploda u odnosu na sortu Isabella. Sorta Isabella je imala najveću prosječnu vrijednost ukupnih šećera i kiselina.

<p>This study investigated the mechanical properties of a series of Fe-Cr-Mn (Mo)-N alloys. The chromium<br />content ranged from 16 to 18 mass%. The test alloys were produced by adding nitrided ferroalloys during<br />melting in an induction furnace. Test specimens of each alloy were prepared for mechanical testing and<br />microstructural observation. Tensile strength (TS) and elongation (EL) were determined. By increasing or<br />decreasing the content of the chromium, it can directly affected on the values of the mechanical properties<br />and the final microstructure. A series of experiments showed that increasing the chromium content by<br />1.46 mass% in the Fe-16Cr-8Mn (Mo)-N alloy led to a decrease in the TS value by 12% and in the EL value by<br />16.1%, while increasing the chromium content by 0.72 mass% in the Fe-16Cr-11Mn (Mo)-N alloy caused a<br />decrease in the TS value by 6.1% and in the EL value by 16%. The chromium content of 16 mass % in the<br />studied alloys was found to provide sufficient strength and a relatively high elongation value. The alloys<br />can also contain a higher mass fraction of chromium, but to obtain a complete austenitic structure it is<br />necessary to increase the content of manganese and nitrogen.</p>