: QKD integration into traditional telecommunication networks is anticipated in the upcoming decades in order to maintain adequate levels of communication security. QKD establishes ITS (Information-Theoretic secure) symmetric keys between the two parties, which they may use to sustain secure flow of data even in the post-quantum era. Since QKD-keys are a valuable and scarce resource, they must be carefully maintained. This paper investigates DoS attacks on actual QKD equipment, in which an adversary with access to QKD services depletes the reserves of QKD-keys maintained at the KMS system. As a result, safety precautions are proposed in order to prevent this scenario and maintain operational QKD service.

: Free Space Optics (FSO) represent a promising technology for secure communications in several types of architectures: from Quantum Key Distribution Networks (QKDNs) to satellite communications. In this paper, in particular, we take into account terrestrial point-to-point laser communications and evaluate the performance in terms of Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) and Bit Error Rate (BER), taking into account different scenarios, that can reflect real situations in which long distances can be reached in a secure way, guaranteeing an acceptable level of BER. So, after a huge campaign of simulations, we would like to let the scientific community know which are the theoretical limits that such kind of communications can reach. We take into account standard telescopes parameters (available today in the market), while configuring several real situations, in function of, for example, bit-rate, visibility, link distance, etc. A brief survey of the existing works is given, then a clearer performance evaluation of terrestrial FSO links is proposed.

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) denotes a cluster of co-occurring medical conditions associated with regulating hyperglycemia and acute cardiovascular events and complications. The escalating frequency of MetS among individuals afflicted with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) underscores its burgeoning significance as a critical public health concern and a complex clinical conundrum. Timely identification is imperative to avert the expedited progression of diabetic complications. Objective: To investigate the role of CRP/HDL-C and Monocyte/HDL ratios in predicting MetS in T2DM individuals. Methods: The study was designed as a two-year prospective study and included 80 T2DM patients divided into MetS and non-MetS groups based on MetS development over two years. The patients’ serums were analyzed for complete blood count parameters, lipid profile, and C-reactive protein (CRP). Based on the laboratory test results, Monocyte/HDL-C and CRP/HDL-C ratios were calculated and analyzed. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and their corresponding areas under the curve (AUC) were used to determine prognostic accuracy. Results: Monocyte/HDL-C ratio and CRP/HDL-C ratio were significantly higher in MetS-T2DM2 than in nonMetS-T2DM (p=0.003 and p=0.029, respectively). The results of ROC curve analysis have shown that the CRP/HDL-C ratio (AUC of 0.695) and Monocytes/HDL-C ratio (AUC of 0.645) can serve as good predictors of MetS in T2DM patients. Conclusion: This study confirms the reliability of the Monocytes/HDL-C and CRP/HDL-C ratios as novel, simple, low-cost, and valuable predictors of MetS development in T2DM.

Guilt of minors is the focus of scientific and professional thematization, which has gained regional relevance through numerous tragic events, i.e. crimes committed by minors. Tragic events, with minors as perpetrators of the most serious crimes, require reconsideration and analysis of both current situation in the field of preventive work, and the current situation the field of prescribed legislative solutions in the field of criminal law. In this paper, the authors referred to the legislative aspects of the guilt of minors, where the focus of the paper is on the concept of guilt in juvenil criminal law and the perception of quilt from aspects of prescribed criminal sanctions for minors and the conditions for their imposition and the age limits of the capacity of minors to bear quilt. Certain aspects of the prescribed incriminating behavior of minors and their causal connection with the quilt of the parents, are also problematized. In this sense, an overview is given of the challenges of searching for appropriate de lege ferenda solutions, as well as dilemmas and shortcomings arising from the dubious nature of certain prescribed provisions that are directly related to the delinquency of minors.

Background: Corona infection is primarily a respiratory disease, but the SARS-CoV-2 virus also penetrates other organs, causing various symptoms, including olfactory and gustatory dysfunction, which is why we can consider COVID-19 as a multisystem disease. Aim: To present review of some aspects of the olfactory and gustatory dysfunction in SARS-CoV- infection. Methods: The article has an analytical character and review of the literature. Results and Discussion: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has a high similarity with SARS-CoV-1 and uses the same receptors to enter the human body (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2/ACE2). COVID-19 is primarily a disease of the respiratory system, but SARS-CoV-2 also penetrates the other organs including central nervous system (CNS). Patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection can experience a range of clinical manifestations, from no symptoms to critical illness. The entry of the virus into the brain can lead to different neurological and psychiatric manifestations, including loss of smell (anosmia) and the loss of taste (ageusia). The frequency of anosmia and ageusia in patients with COVID-19 varies widely, from 10 to 65%, being the primary symptom in about 12% of patients. For now, the etiopathogenesis of anosmia and ageusia in SARS-CoV-2 infection is still unknown. Most of the analyzed subjects reported olfactory recovery. However, anosmia and ageusia can last several months or even longer. While most patients are expected to recover their sense of smell or taste within the first three months, a major subpopulation of patients might develop long lasting dysfunction. Although a substantial proportion of patients with Covid-19 might develop long lasting of diferent level of ansomia and ageusia it is uncertain what proportion of patients develop persistent dysfunction. Anosmia/ageusia can be as an important risk factor for fog, anxiety, and depression that may show a prolonged and/or delayed impact. However, we do not yet know what long-term effects these disorders may have on the central nervous system and mental health in general. Conclusion: The COVID-19 is primarily a disease of the respiratory system, but SARS-CoV-2 also penetrates other organs (multisystem disease), causing various symptoms, including olfactory and gustatory dysfunction. The frequency of anosmia and ageusia in patients with COVID-19 is common but according to different papaers varies widely, from 10 to 65%, being the primary symptom in about 12% of patients. Most of the analyzed subjects reported olfactory recovery. However, anosmia and ageusia can last several months or even longer. We do not yet know what long-term consequences these disorders may have on the central nervous system and mental health in general.

From the pure health crisis that countries faced at the very begin­ning of the COVID-19 pandemic, in later stages it led to the creation of multi­ple economic and financial vulnerabilities. When the world economies start­ed recovering from the pandemic negative impacts, Russia started its inva­sion of Ukraine. The study aims to add to the growing body of literature on the topic of crises caused by the COVID-19 and Russian–Ukraine war by ana­lyzing and comparing the volatility of the world’s leading stock market per­formance benchmarks in the pre-crisis and crisis periods. For the analysis, Levene’s test is used to check the homogeneity/heterogeneity of variances of stock market returns. Analysis shows that all indexes performed better in the Russian–Ukraine crisis compared to the COVID-19 crisis, i.e., the volatili­ty of returns of all indexes is significantly lower in the Russian-Ukraine crisis compared to the COVID-19 crisis.

Introduction: In dental clinical practice, devices such as mobile phones and DSLR cameras (Digital Single Lens Reflex) are used to take intraoral and extraoral photographs. The existence of a large number of studies would allow the establishment of standards for the analysis of photographs and their wider use in daily practice in order to establish a rapid diagnosis, predictability of results and the development of teledentology during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of the pilot study was to determine the repeatability of point positioning in the analysis of facial symmetry in digital 2D photography. Materials and methods: One face was photographed using two different photography techniques. Points were positioned in one photo and used for each subsequent measurement. Two evaluators positioned 20 points in three time-separated periods. Results: The results suggest a relatively high degree of agreement of the point positioning provided by the two evaluators. Absolute matching of estimates was registered on 22 parameters (ICCs = 1.00), while on another 17 this value was high (ICCs >.96) Conclusion: This study shows that the values of the interclass of correlation coefficients calculated by the method of two-way random effects for each of the six indices are higher than the values of the lower limit of acceptability (ICC> 0.70). It is necessary to do additional research that will include a larger sample and different phone models to establish the diagnosis of facial asymmetry and the development of teledentistry.