In this editorial, we comment on the article published by Qiu et al. Pyogenic liver abscess is a serious clinical condition requiring timely and effective intervention. Ultrasound (US)-guided techniques - whether needle aspiration (NA) or catheter drainage - are key minimally invasive treatments, especially in patients with multiple or deep-seated abscesses where conventional surgery is often impractical. The timing and choice of evacuation method significantly influence clinical outcomes. Although catheter drainage may be necessary for larger or refractory collections, NA represents a less invasive alternative that is often sufficient for smaller abscesses - particularly multiloculated ones - and can avoid multiple catheter placements. This consideration is especially important in the early phase of the disease, when the abscess collection is poorly demarcated from surrounding tissue and more prone to bleeding during or after intervention. Traditional practice delays intervention until liquefaction occurs; however, emerging evidence supports early US-guided evacuation - even in partially liquefied or non-liquefied abscesses - as both safe and effective. Early intervention, particularly via NA when feasible, is associated with faster symptom resolution, shorter hospitalization, and fewer complications. This editorial explores the role of US-guided interventions in pyogenic liver abscess manaement, emphasizing the importance of individualized, timely approaches that optimize disease outcomes while minimizing procedural risk.

Introduction: Noise is the leading cause of hearing loss worldwide. In recent years, reduced hearing ability among young people has been observed, along with an increased frequency of headphone use for sound transmission. The purpose of this study is to determine the frequency and patterns of headphone use for sound reproduction among students and to analyze their impact on the occurrence of symptoms associated with hearing loss. Methods: The cross-sectional study included students from two public universities from three public faculties in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses were used to process the results. To test the statistical significance of the findings, the Chi-square goodness-of-fit test was applied, with the level of statistical significance set at 0.01. Results: The study sample included 246 participants and it was found that 77.6% of surveyed students use headphones for sound transmission. The longest duration of use was reported by 44.6% of participants, who had been using headphones for more than 5 years. The most common maximum daily use was up to 2 h (28.7%), while 67.5% of respondents reported using headphones every day, most often in the evening (46.4%). The Chi-square test showed statistically significant differences in the frequency of symptom occurrence following headphone use (χ2(6) = 55.466, p < 0.001). The most frequently reported symptoms were tinnitus (28.3%), a sensation of fullness and ear pressure (17.8%), and ear pain (16.2%). Conclusion: The results indicate a high prevalence of headphone use among students, with many reporting daily use over several years. The analysis showed a statistically significant association between headphone use and the occurrence of hearing-related symptoms, suggesting a potential threat to the auditory health of young people. These findings highlight the need to educate youth on the safe use of headphones.

Background/Objectives: Beyond respiratory problems, COVID-19 can cause a variety of symptoms, such as neurological disorders caused by biological and psychological factors. Brain fog (BF), a post-illness cognitive impairment that many patients report, can be evaluated with reaction time (RT) testing. Response latency is measured by RT, which can be either simple (sRT) or complex (cRT). This study focuses on how COVID-19 affects cognitive function, with particular attention on RT changes, BF prevalence, and implications for daily life. Methods: The study included 599 participants from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia. RT was measured using PsyToolkit and participants completed a COVID-19-associated BF questionnaire. Participants who experienced BF after their latest COVID-19 infection rated its severity using a visual analogue scale (VAS). Additional clinical data were obtained from medical records. Results: BF was reported by 40% of participants post-COVID-19. Men reported it less frequently but found it more disruptive. RT progressively declined post-infection, reaching peak impairment at 15 weeks, following recovery, with RT normalizing by six months. Conclusions: COVID-19 is linked to temporary RT impairment, peaking at 15 weeks post-infection and resolving by six months, independent of BF presence. This study emphasizes the need for a biopsychosocial approach to BF management. Easily available RT assessments should be incorporated into routine clinical practice.

This study investigated the influence of biological maturity status on anthropometric, body composition, and physical performance characteristics in elite youth male basketball players. A total of 140 players (15.12 ± 0.78 years) competing in national elite programs were categorized as early, on-time, or late maturers according to years from peak height velocity (PHV). Each participant completed a standardized testing battery including anthropometric assessments, body composition analysis (InBody 720), countermovement jump (CMJ) with and without arm swing, drop jump from 40 cm (DJ40), linear sprints over 5–20 m, and agility tests (t-test and Lane Agility). Between-group differences were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Bonferroni post hoc tests, while partial eta squared (ηp2) and magnitude-based inference (MBI) were applied to assess effect size and practical significance. Significant differences were observed across maturity groups (p < 0.05), with early maturers being taller, heavier, and more muscular than their on-time and late-maturing peers. Large effects were found for height (ηp2 = 0.667) and body mass (ηp2 = 0.455), and moderate-to-large effects for jump, sprint, and agility performance (ηp2 = 0.051–0.166). MBI results indicated that most differences between early and late maturers were “very likely” or “almost certain,” highlighting their practical relevance. These findings confirm that biological maturity substantially affects physical and performance profiles in adolescent basketball players and underscore the importance of maturity-informed approaches such as bio-banding and individualized training to ensure fair evaluation and equitable talent development in youth sport.

The Tracking Cancer Evolution Through Therapy (TRACERx) program represents the most comprehensive effort to characterize tumor evolution in real time. Through longitudinal, multiregion, and multiomic profiling of tumors—and particularly of non-small-cell lung cancer and clear cell renal cell carcinoma—TRACERx has illuminated the dynamic interplay between genetic, nongenetic, and (micro)environmental factors that drive cancer progression, immune evasion, and therapeutic resistance. A central insight from TRACERx has been that not all tumor evolution is genomic: Transcriptomic diversity, epigenetic alterations, RNA editing, and changes in cell–cell interactions also drive adaptation. Methodological innovations—including tumor-informed and ultrasensitive circulating tumor DNA assays, representative sequencing, and integrative immune–genomic analyses—have yielded biomarkers resistant to sampling bias and/or predictive of recurrence, metastasis, and treatment response. By demonstrating that intratumor heterogeneity is a key determinant of clinical outcome and revealing its molecular, transcriptional, and ecosystem-level drivers, TRACERx has established a framework for linking evolutionary dynamics to patient care. As both a scientific framework and a clinical paradigm, TRACERx demonstrates how adaptive, iterative research can refine evolutionary models, improve patient risk stratification, and inspire next-generation cancer evolution studies across malignancies.

Purpose: To emphasize the diagnostic role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in identifying Fitz-Hugh–Curtis syndrome (FHCS) in an adolescent patient with a subtleclinical presentation. Methods: A 17-year-old female presented with acute onset right upper quadrant and right shoulder pain. The initial diagnostic workup, including ultrasound (US), computedtomography (CT), and laboratory testing was inconclusive. Due to persistent symptoms and elevated inflammatory markers, MRI of the abdomen and pelvis was subsequentlyperformed. Results: MRI demonstrated a bilateral pyosalpinx with restricted diffusion, free fluid in the pelvis and subhepatic region, and linear adhesions between the hepatic capsule and peritoneum, which was consistentwith pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) complicated by FHCS. Microbiologic analysis confirmed a Chlamydia trachomatis infection. The patient received targeted antibiotic therapy with clinical improvement. Conclusion: FHCS represents a rare but importantcomplication of PID that may present with non-specificor extra-pelvic symptoms. MRI is the modality of choicefor confirming PID-related complications and perihepatic inflammation, offering high sensitivity and the advantage of radiation-free imaging, which is especially relevant in the adolescent population.

Background: The symptoms of COPD differ based on the stage of the disease, becoming more noticeable in its severe stages and during exacerbations. They are associated with temporary incapacity for work and cause a decrease in working capacity. Also, occupations with special working conditions and exposure to pollutants at work cause increased bronchial secretion and cough. This research aims to identify the most common symptoms in COPD patients and evaluate their work capacity based on symptom prevalence. Methods: 200 subjects were included in the prospective study. Participants were divided into two groups: a study group and a control group. Within each group, subgroups were created based on smoking habits, a key risk factor for COPD development. Results: The dominant symptom in both groups was cough, with 34.67%. In subjects with preserved working capacity, the most common symptoms are chest pressure with 13.33% and shortness of breath with 9.33%, while in the group with reduced working capacity, fatigue (30%) and dyspnea with 26%. In the control group, most subjects had obstructive bronchitis, asthma and chronic simplex bronchitis. Conclusion: According to the GOLD classification, modified working capacity decreased by 51.33%, while retained working capacity declined by 48.67% in relation to disease severity. Cough was the dominant symptom in both groups, while other symptoms varied independently of the stage of the disease.

Dear editor,We would like to express our sincere gratitude for the attention given to our published scientific paper, as well as for the positive comments, valuable suggestions, and thoughtful questions in the Comment on the article by Bajpai. We consider his contribution extremely important for improving the quality of future research in this field.

Background: A doubt that occupational medicine specialists face is whether exposure to solvents is an independent risk factor for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Aim: The present study investigates the connection between the length of work experience (exposure) at workplaces that are exposed to organic volatile substances with eventual changes in the morphological structure of the liver parenchyma or laboratory parameters of liver function, and to investigate whether organic volatile substances, as an independent factor can lead to liver steatosis or changes in laboratory parameters of liver function.  Methods: A prospective study was conducted from January to April 2023. and included 62 coke industry workers who were divided into two groups of 31 workers each (experimental with workers exposed to organic volatile substances at the workplace and control with workers who were not exposed). Laboratory parameters of liver function were monitored, as well as ultrasound findings of liver parenchyma in coke industry workers undergoing examination. Exclusion criteria were known history of liver disease, blood transfusion, alcohol consumption and diabetes mellitus. Results: Changes in laboratory parameters of liver function and ultrasound findings of liver steatosis were found with high statistical significance in the workers of the experimental group, for which no statistically significant association with elevated values of lipid status was found. With diabetes as an exclusion factor and the insignificant prevalence of hypertension in the examined workers, it can be concluded that metabolic syndrome is not related to our results. During the correlation analysis, it can be concluded that organic volatile substances are an independent cause and trigger for fatty infiltration of the liver parenchyma and changes in the laboratory findings of liver function parameters. Conclusions: Exposure to organic volatile substances at the workplace as an independent factor causes liver steatosis with elevated values of laboratory parameters of liver function and it can be said that it is an independent cause of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. 

Understanding how water-quality models perform across different hydrological and biogeochemical contexts is essential for managing nutrient losses in agricultural catchments. This study evaluated SimplyP, a parsimonious phosphorus model, adapted to better represent Irish agricultural catchments and implemented within the flexible Mobius2 framework. Long-term, high-frequency monitoring data from the Agricultural Catchments Programme (ACP) were used for two sites: Ballycanew, a grassland catchment dominated by surface runoff, and Castledockrell, an arable, groundwater-driven catchment. Model calibration and validation were performed for streamflow (Q), suspended sediment (SS), and multiple phosphorus (P) fractions, with performance assessed using Kling–Gupta efficiency (KGE). In Ballycanew, the model reproduced Q, SS, and total P load well, with weaker agreement for total reactive phosphorus (TRP), likely reflecting unaccounted point sources during low flows. In Castledockrell, performance was moderate for Q and SS, but TRP and other P fractions were not adequately captured, highlighting the need for more detailed representation of subsurface P pathways in groundwater-dominated systems. Overall, SimplyP is well-suited to surface-runoff-dominated catchments with conventional phosphorus mobilisation. Its flexible implementation in Mobius2 allows relatively straightforward modifications, such as including groundwater-mediated P processes, to extend applicability to more complex systems. High-resolution ACP datasets were crucial for identifying model strengths and limitations, supporting refinement for improved nutrient management across diverse agricultural landscapes.