Thymic epithelial tumors (TET) are a group of rare neoplasms of the anterior mediastinum comprising thymomas and thymic carcinomas. The carcinogenesis of TET is mostly unknown. Many studies, mostly retrospective case series, have tried to establish prognostic factors in TET. TET is a very heterogeneous group of tumors with many subtypes for which diagnosis and treatment remains a very challenging task. Despite the disparities among retrospective studies, there are some prognostic factors that are more pertinent such as the completeness of resection, TNM stage and the Masaoka‐Koga classification. On the other hand, the identification of different genetic pathways that result in the pathogenesis of TET represents a fascinating field of study that could possibly lead to the development of new targeted therapies. The aim of this review is to discuss the different prognostic factors and genetic markers of TET. The meticulous use of national and international databases could provide sufficient number of patients in order to draw more valid conclusions.

Introduction: Landmark ISCHEMIA (ISCH) trial provided unique information, but the generalizability of its results into myocardial revascularization guidelines and practice has been met by unprecedented debate. Hypothesis: We aimed to compare the 5 year all-cause mortality (5y Mt) in our ISCH trial like patients (pts) with results in ISCH. Methods: After applying ISCH study inclusion/exclusion criteria we identified 854 pts from our prospective database of 2455 consecutive pts who had the first isolated CABG in 2012-2015 with complex CAD with 100% follow up (F-up) of 5y Mt. Results: Comparative characteristics of ISCH like and actual ISCH pts are presented in Table 1. Аll our pts underwent CABG, contrary to ISCH where CABG and PCI were used in 538 and 1532 pts, consecutively. Although in ISCH pts had high diversity of ethnicity, were older, had more DM2 (but less insulin dependent), and had previous PCI or CABG in 25%, our pts were strikingly sicker (lower LVEF, higher proportion of 3VD and proximal LAD, higher NYHA as well as more comorbidities) 5-year mortality was 8.9% compared to 9% in the Invasive arm of ISCH. Of note 48 h mortality from MI type 5 (post CABG) was 1.67% in ISCH, and 30-day Mt in our study was 1.30%, with complete revascularization in 95%. As expected by the disease severity treated by CABG early Mt was higher in our than ISCH pts (Figure 1). Conclusion: The present study findings outline that translation of results from the ISCHEMIA trial with practice-changing implications into recommendations for a local Heart Team discussion to advise the best treatment decision for patients with more complex forms of CAD is uncertain and requires further research activities.

Introduction: Dental fear and anxiety (DFA) is a ubiquitous entity among dental patients in terms of their prevalence and incidence. It is among the major clinical problems in dentistry. In addition, the differences in DFA prevalence were present considering the age and gender of patients and over time, but with some opposite reports. The aim of this study is to examine the prevalence of DFA presence in children concerning their age, gender, and over time. Methods: The survey sample comprised 200 of 9–12-year-old children. The DFA presence was determined twice by the modified version of the CFSS-DS scale (CFSS-DS-mod scale) during a 6-months long period between the first and the subsequent dental appointment due to the need for restorative dental treatment. The scale was applied before the restorative treatment started on both occasions. Results: The prevalence of DFA was 17.5% in the study sample and decreased over time. It was slightly higher in girls. Conclusions: The DFA prevalence in 9–12-year-old children is decreasing over time. Latent manifestations of DFA presence should be considered for evaluation in the future.

The horseshoe prior is known to possess many desirable properties for Bayesian estimation of sparse parameter vectors, yet its density function lacks an analytic form. As such, it is challenging to find a closed-form solution for the posterior mode. Conventional horseshoe estimators use the posterior mean to estimate the parameters, but these estimates are not sparse. We propose a novel expectation-maximisation (EM) procedure for computing the MAP estimates of the parameters in the case of the standard linear model. A particular strength of our approach is that the M-step depends only on the form of the prior and it is independent of the form of the likelihood. We introduce several simple modifications of this EM procedure that allow for straightforward extension to generalised linear models. In experiments performed on simulated and real data, our approach performs comparable, or superior to, state-of-the-art sparse estimation methods in terms of statistical performance and computational cost.

INTRODUCTION: This study was created to analyze dynamic alterations in coagulation, hematological and biochemical parameters and their association with mortality of COVID-19 patients. To identify the most sensitive biomarkers as predictors of mortality more research is required. METHODS: The present study was a prospective, one-year-long observational study conducted on all critically ill, COVID–19 patients with respiratory failure. The following data were collected: demographic and clinical characteristics of the study population, comorbidities, coagulation, biochemical and hematological parameters. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients who died. RESULTS: 91 patients with median age 60 (50–67), 76.9% male, met the acute respiratory distress syndrome criteria. It was tested whether dynamic change (delta-Δ) of parameters that were found to be predictors of mortality is independently associated with poor outcome. Adjusted (multivariate) analysis was used, where tested parameters were corrected for basic and clinical patients characteristics. The only inflammatory parameter which dynamic change had statistically significant odds ratio was ΔCRP (p < 0.005), while among coagulation parameters statistically significant OR was found for Δ fibrinogen (p < 0.005) in predicting mortality. CONCLUSION: Monitoring of coagulation, hematological and biochemical parameters abnormalities and their dynamical changes can potentially improve management and predict mortality in critically ill COVID –19 patients.

The operating speed is the average value of the speed of traffic flow under normal conditions, i.e., the conditions of mutual interference of traffic participants. The operating speed serves as a gauge for how well a given roadway is performing under the applicable traffic conditions. All key decisions in the management of the growth and utilization of a road network, including planning, designing, evaluating, and implementing road projects, depend on accurate measures of capacity and level of service. This paper aims to develop a recommended model for operating speed on two-lane roads under local conditions by analyzing the operating speeds of the traffic flow on representative sections of such roads. Through the modeling process, the values of the 85th percentile of the operating speed were determined, and compared with relevant studies. The results show that the authors have successfully modeled operating speeds as a function of longitudinal gradient in local conditions on two-lane roads.

Objective - To assess 25(OH)D status in children with Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (MIS-C) associated with SARSCoV-2 infection, and the association between serum levels of 25(OH)D and inflammatory marker values.Patients and methods - This retrospective study was conducted at the Clinic for Children’s Diseases, University Clinical Center, Tuzla in the period from November 2020 to November 2021.Results - The study included 23 children with MIS-C with a median age of 6.9 years, and 22 children with acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, with a median age of 1.1 years. Both groups of children had low serum levels of 25(OH)D in the range of deficiency; median levels of 25(OH)D in MIS-C children were lower (median 44.60 nmol/L) than in children with acute SARS-CoV-2 infection - median 52.45 nmol/L. There was no statistically significant difference in 25(OH) D levels between the two groups of children included in the study (P=0.33). The same number of children in both groups had adequate serum levels of 25(OH)D. The children in both groups had elevated markers of inflammation, but we did not find a significant correlation between the values of 25(OH)D and the inflammatory marker values.Conclusion - Deficiency of 25(OH) D could be one of the precipitating factors that lead to the development of both MIS-C - related SARS-CoV-2 and more severe forms of acute infection. 25(OH)D enriched food, as well as supplementation with 25(OH)D, should be considered a long-term strategy in all high-risk children and adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Questions remain regarding optic nerve (ON) physiology, mechanical compliance, and microvasculature, particularly surgical outcomes and atypical visual field defects associated with sellar/parasellar pathology (eg, tumors and aneurysms). OBJECTIVE: To study the microsurgical/histological anatomy of each ON segment and corresponding microvasculature, calculate area of optic-carotid space at each decompression stage, and measure ON tension before/after compression. METHODS: Five cadaveric heads (10 sides) underwent sequential dissection: (1) intradural (arachnoidal) ON dissection; (2) falciform ligament opening; (3) anterior clinoidectomy, optic canal decompression, and ON sheath release. At each step, we pulled the nerve superiorly/laterally with a force meter and measured maximal mobility/mechanical tension in each position. RESULTS: Cisternal ON microvasculature was more superficial and less dense vs the orbital segment. ON tension was significantly lower with higher mobility when manipulated superiorly vs lateromedially. Optic-carotid space significantly increased in size at each decompression stage and with ON mobilization both superiorly and laterally, but the increase was statistically significant in favor of upward mobilization. At decompression step, upward pull provided more space with less tension vs side pull. For upward pull, each step of decompression provided added space as did side pull. CONCLUSION: Opening the optic canal, falciform ligament, and arachnoid membrane decompresses the ON for safer manipulation and provided a wider optic-carotid surgical corridor to access sellar/parasellar pathology. When tailoring decompression, the ON should be manipulated superiorly rather than lateromedially, which may guide surgical technique, help prevent intraoperative visual deterioration, facilitate postoperative visual improvement, and help understand preoperative visual field deficits based on mechanical factors.

Objective − The aim of this research was to evaluate the physical and mental health of emerging adults who lost a parent before the age of 18, and to examine the predictors of satisfaction with physical and mental health. Materials andMethods − The subjects who participated in this study were emerging adults (18-29 years of age) from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. For this study, the equivalent pairs method was used - participants who had experienced the death of a parent were matched with those who had not experienced such a loss in relation to the variables of sex, age, and socioeconomic status, comprising a sample of 29 pairs, i.e., 58 subjects - 50 women and 8 men. The research was conducted via an online questionnaire. Participants completed the Psychosomatic Symptoms Questionnaire, CORE-OM questionnaire for evaluation of general psychopathological difficulties, and were asked to rate their satisfaction with their physical and mental health.Results − The results show no statistically significant difference between the two groups in the levels of satisfaction with physical health, the presence of physical symptoms, and the presence of general psychopathological difficulties. A statistically significant difference was found between the groups in the level of satisfaction with mental health - those who had experienced the loss of a parent reported lower satisfaction with their mental health. The experience of the loss of a parent explained their mental health satisfaction level, above the results of the standardized measures of mental health.Conclusion − The results indicate the need for assessing levels of satisfaction with mental health beyond the assessment of levels of general psychopatological symptoms when working with adults who experienced the early death of a parent.

InP/ZnSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) offer a cadmium-free solution to make white LEDs with a narrow blue, green and red emission peak. Such LEDs are required for display and lighting applications with high color gamut. An important phenomenon that hampers the efficiency of such quantum-dot-on-chip LEDs is re-absorption of already converted light by the QDs. Proposed solutions to remedy this effect often rely on complex or cost-ineffective manufacturing methods. In this work, four different RGB QD-on-chip LED package configurations are investigated that can be fabricated with a simple cavity encapsulation method. Using accurate optical simulations, the impact of QD re-absorption on the overall luminous efficacy of the light source is analyzed for these four configurations as a function of the photo-luminescent quantum yield (PLQY) of the QDs. The simulation results are validated by implementing these configurations in QD-on-chip LEDs using a single set of red and green emitting InP/ZnSe/ZnS QDs. In this way, the benefits are demonstrated of adding volume scattering particles or a hemispherical extraction dome to the LED package. The best configuration in terms of luminous efficacy, however, is one where the red QDs are deposited in the recycling cavity, while the green QDs are incorporated in the extraction dome. Using this configuration with green and red InP/ZnSe/ZnS QDs with a PLQY of 75% and 65% respectively, luminous efficacy of 102 lm/W was realized for white light with a CCT of 3000 K.

High surface texture of textile materials is rougher than other printing substrates which can cause excessive macro non-uniformity. Adding metal oxides into the ink to enhance material properties usually add to surface roughness and increase print mottle. In this paper copper(I)oxide particles and different amounts of Pinus sylvestris L. plant extract were added to modified alginate paste (CHT-NV) prior to printing. The aim of this paper is to inspect the influence of added metal oxide and plant extract on the print quality of linen based material via surface macro non-uniformity GLCM determination method. In the pattern recognition phase, the co-occurrence matrix is applied to calculate the texture characteristics, such as contrast, correlation, energy, entropy and homogeneity. The research results indicated that the metal oxide particles have had a negative influence on macro uniformity of printed linen. Increasing of the concentration of extract leads to a dilution of the printing paste, and thus to a greater penetration of copper ions between the threads of the fabric, as well as into the yarn itself.