Background/Aim: Selecting appropriately sized maxillary anterior teeth is of great importance for achieving satisfactory outcomes in complete denture therapy. When pre-extraction records are unavailable, clinicians use recommended anatomical landmarks for this purpose. Predictive value of these parameters in previous studies was inconsistent. The aim of this study was to assess sex-specific associations between selected hard palate measurements and the mesiodistal width of maxillary anterior teeth (ATW) in an adult Bosnian-Herzegovinian population. Materials and Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study used 180 maxillary casts (114 women, 66 men). Recorded palatal dimensions included hamular distance, hard palate length, and distances from the incisive papilla to the right and left hamular notches. The mesiodistal width of the six maxillary anterior teeth was summed to obtain ATW. Sex differences were assessed using independent-samples and paired-samples t-tests. Associations between palatal measurements and ATW were evaluated using simple and multiple linear regression (α=0.05). Results: Men had higher mean values for almost all palatal and dental variables, with no significant difference observed for the left lateral incisor (p=0.155). ATW was significantly greater in men compared with women (t=3.96, p<0.001). Papilla-hamular notch distances (p=0.002) were significantly associated with ATW in men, while all palatal measurements showed significant simple correlations (p≤0.002) with ATW in women. In multiple regression, no palatal dimension remained independently predictive in men (R²=0.173, p=0.019), while hamular distance was the only significant predictor in women (β=0.219, p=0.020; R²=0.169, p<0.001). Conclusions: Hard palate measurements show sex-specific relationships with the width of maxillary anterior teeth. Although several dimensions have significant associations with ATW, their predictive value is modest. Therefore, these parameters may serve only as supportive guides when selecting artificial teeth.

Background: Chronic periodontitis is a biofilm-induced inflammatory disease leading to progressive destruction of periodontal supporting tissues. Mechanical debridement by scaling and root planing (SRP) remains the gold standard of therapy; however, complete elimination of pathogenic microorganisms from deep periodontal pockets is challenging. Adjunctive laser therapy has been proposed to enhance clinical outcomes. Objective: To compare the clinical effectiveness of two diode laser wavelengths (980 nm and 445 nm) as adjuncts to subgingival curettage/SRP in the treatment of periodontal pockets, and to evaluate their outcomes relative to SRP alone. Materials and Methods: Comparative analysis of two independent prospective studies with identical methodology were analyzed. The first study included 24 subjects (1,164 periodontal pockets) treated with SRP + 980 nm diode laser (SmilePro 980, Biolitec, Germany). The second study included a same number of subjects and a comparable number of periodontal pockets were treated (862 periodontal pockets) with SRP + 445 nm diode laser (SiroLaser Blue, Dentsply Sirona, Germany). Control groups received SRP alone. Clinical parameters included Plaque Index (PI), Gingival Index (GI), Bleeding on Probing (BOP), Probing Pocket Depth (PPD), and Clinical Attachment Level (CAL), assessed at baseline and 1 month post-therapy. Results: Both laser groups demonstrated statistically significant reductions in PI, GI, BOP, and PPD compared with baseline (p < 0.05). When compared to SRP alone, both adjunctive laser therapies showed significantly greater improvement in PPD reduction and CAL gain (p < 0.05). No statistically significant difference was observed between the 980 nm and 445 nm laser groups in overall clinical outcomes (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Both diode laser wavelengths (980 nm and 445 nm) significantly enhance short-term clinical outcomes when used adjunctively with SRP compared to SRP alone. No clear superiority of one wavelength over the other was demonstrated under the applied clinical conditions.

In this paper, the physical layer secrecy performance of the classical Wyner wiretap channel with gamma-shadowed two-wave with diffuse power (GS-TWDP) composite fading is investigated. A closed-form expression for the average secrecy capacity (ASC) is derived, assuming that the transmitter dynamically adapts its transmission rate based on the available channel state information (CSI) of both the legitimate receiver and the eavesdropper. The derived expression is validated through Monte Carlo simulations and used to conduct a detailed analysis of the impact of shadowing and multipath severity on ASC. To further enhance secrecy performance in GS-TWDP fading environments, an optimal power allocation strategy is also designed and integrated with rate adaptation. The resulting secrecy performance is compared to that achieved using only rate adaptation, providing insight into the effectiveness of the joint power/rate adaptation strategy under varying composite fading conditions.

Introduction/Objective. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) in children represent a significant public health problem due to their high prevalence and the need for timely diagnosis and adequate treatment. Automated methods using fluorescent flow cytometry are increasingly being used in laboratories for the screening of UTIs. The aim of this study was to determine the cut-off values for leukocyturia and bacteriuria using fluorescent flow cytometry for the screening of urinary tract infections in the pediatric population. Methods. A total of 821 urine samples were cultured, of which 366 samples met the criteria for fluorescent flow cytometry on the automated Sysmex UF-4,000 analyzer. The number of leukocytes and bacteria was compared with the culture results. Results. Of the total urine cultures tested, 209 (25.5%) were positive, and 599 (73%) were negative. There was a statistically significant difference in the prevalence of uropathogens according to the age of the children (p < 0.001). The area under the curve (AUC) for leukocyte count was 0.77 (95% CI: 0.71-0.84), while the AUC for bacterial count was 0.85 (95% CI: 0.81-0.89). A low negative likelihood ratio (0) was observed at the cut-off for bacteria of 40.1, and the negative predictive value was high (between 91% and 99%). Conclusion. Determination of leukocyte and bacterial counts in urine in children using fluorescent flow cytometry can serve as an initial test when deciding on urine culture in microbiological laboratories. These results may indicate the necessity of reducing unnecessary urine cultures while providing faster confirmation of negative test results.

This paper presents a production-oriented evaluation framework for entity resolution that operates without traditional ground truth data. We address the challenge of evaluating ER quality in production environments where ground truth data are unavailable, by combining continuous monitoring, domain constraints, and synthetic data generation. Our experiments show that the system has very high precision (0.99). However, the recall is low (0.41), many true matches are missed, resulting in an F-measure of 0.58. Our approach combines string similarity function optimization, adaptive blocking key design, and domain constraint validation to improve recall while maintaining high precision. The framework has been validated in a large-scale production environment processing millions of entity records daily, demonstrating practical applicability for industrial ER systems.

In this study, the fruit quality of June-bearing (‘Aprica’ and ‘Brilla’) and everbearing (‘Irma’ and ‘Monterey’) strawberry cultivars was evaluated across different harvest periods (beginning, middle, and end). June-bearing cultivars produced larger fruits, particularly in the later harvests, whereas everbearing cultivars showed a higher proportion of large fruits at the beginning and middle of the harvest period. Fruit dimensions and shape index generally decreased toward the end of the harvest. Soluble solids content was higher in June-bearing (7.47 and 8.20 °Brix) compared to everbearing (6.03 and 6.60 °Brix) cultivars. Fruit firmness was highest in ‘Monterey’ (2.28 N), while color parameters (L*, a*, b*) were highest in fruits harvested in the middle of the period, regardless of cultivar, resulting in lighter, intensely red, and visually more attractive fruits. These findings highlight the importance of harvest timing and cultivar selection in optimizing strawberry fruit quality traits for the fresh market.

Background: Lyme borreliosis/European borreliosis (LB/EB) is a multisystemic infection caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, which is transmitted to humans by the bite of ticks and other hematophagous insects. Transmitted borrelia can occupy any organ where it causes a silent inflammation, which in sensitive persons is intermittently repeated chronically. Objective: The aim of this paper was to determine how much Borrelia burgdorferii participates in the occurrence of chronic urticaria in children and adults. Methods: In the 13-year period from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2025, a study of all manifestations of Lyme borreliosis was conducted on a sample of 1,059 patients, treated and monitored in the Private practice of an infectious disease specialist. The research was retrospective-prospective, descriptive, clinical and analytical. It was carried out in three phases: the first retrospective phase and the second two prospective phases. The diagnosis of LB was established on the basis of anamnestic-epidemiological data, clinical picture, clinical findings of new borreliosis markers and performed examinations. Serological confirmation of borreliosis was done using ELISA, WB and Immunoblot methods, as well as the ex-yuvantibus method, and in the last six months of 2025, additionally, the finding of bacteria Borreliosis in a dark field with a light microscope. Results: The results showed that 92.1% of the patients in the study group had intermittent migratory redness with itching. In the majority of patients, redness was without exudation or with little or no exudation. In 4.8% of patients, typical urticarial changes were found that occurred occasionally or daily. In all subjects, we serologically confirmed the presence of Borrelia burgdorferi. All patients had intermittent itching of the skin, which lasted for years. Conclusion: Based on the results, it can be concluded that Borrelia burgdorfrii is one of the most important factors in the development of chronic urticaria in monitored patients with 96.9%. Due to its persistence in the macroorganism, it causes reduced tolerance to food. Only 3.1% of cases of urticaria are caused by some other factors. In all cases of chronic urticaria, new clinical markers should be sought on the patients’ skin. Serologically look for antibodies to Borrelia protein sequences in an immunoblot. In the active phase, look for Borrelia with a light microscope in the dark field. Administer antibiotic therapy together with antihistamines. Exclude food to which the intolerance test confirmed hypersensitivity greater than „2“.

The effectiveness of red light therapy (RLT) on cellular activity is important in determining if its usage is suitable for the treatment of various health conditions. In order to better understand the molecular and metabolic mechanisms related to RLT, our preliminary study of the effect of LED light sources 660 nm and 850 nm on the proliferation of human lymphocyte cells was further extended to analyze its effect on the synthesis of cellular enzymes. Using the Bradford method, the total concentration of proteins in lymphocytes was monitored for different time parameters and conditions of exposure and in relation to the untreated (non-irradiated) control cells. Our results show a higher protein concentration for all irradiated samples when compared to the unirradiated samples and it was especially increased for multiple exposures to red/infrared light. Since the used method cannot answer whether the increased protein concentration has positive or negative connotations, it is important to continue the research and include additional methods that test oxidative stress and the structure of chromosomes on a larger number of samples in order to gain additional understanding of the beneficial impact of RLT on lymphocyte cells.

As the digital economy continues to evolve, the demand for humancentric competencies is becoming increasingly critical. This study examines the role of soft skills in bridging the skills gap in modern business environments, with a focus on communication, teamwork, adaptability, and emotional intelligence. Based on a survey of 71 senior managers and executives from diverse business sectors in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the findings indicate that communication skills are the most highly valued, followed closely by teamwork and adaptability. At the same time, emotional intelligence, though necessary, ranks comparatively lower. To contextualise these insights, the study incorporates ICT adoption data from the Agency for Statistics of Bosnia and Herzegovina to explore how digitalisation is reshaping workforce demands. The observed trends suggest that the need for problem-solving, adaptability, and interpersonal competencies could intensify as automation and digital tools become more integrated into business operations. The study highlights the growing need for interactive, feedback-driven training methods rather than traditional instructional approaches to develop these skills effectively. The findings inform strategic recommendations for human resource development, educational curricula, and organisational policies to ensure that businesses can cultivate a workforce capable of navigating the challenges of an increasingly digitalised economy.

As part of many national energy transition strategies, solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity is expected to increase significantly because PV deployment represents a key pathway for decarbonizing the energy sector. Alongside utility-scale installations, distributed PV systems connected to near-end users are becoming increasingly common in distribution networks. However, integrating intermittent sources without demand-matching capabilities introduces challenges related to operational network constraints. Consequently, distribution system operators (DSOs) limit PV integration to an acceptable level, referred to as hosting capacity (HC). Moreover, with increasing PV penetration, the curtailment of production becomes necessary during certain periods. Although curtailment has traditionally been avoided owing to the associated loss of clean energy, techno-economic studies show that shifting toward curtailment management can increase both HC and profitability. Curtailment management can be achieved through flexible PV power control, energy-storage integration, demand-side management, and flexible network regulation devices. This study specifically focuses on the techno-economic performance of flexible PV power control and compares it with the conventional approach without curtailment management, energy storage-based solutions, and their combination. The analysis was conducted on a modified IEEE 33-node test network, and key network constraints were incorporated. Using sequential Monte Carlo simulations with correlated stochastic time-series data for PV production, load profiles, and electricity prices over the years, the optimal PV and/or energy storage capacities were determined for various configurations. The results demonstrate that flexible curtailment management can increase both PV HC and expected profit, providing DSOs with boundary HC values while offering investors insight into the profitability of further PV integration.