Microscopic models of the thermodynamic and transport phenomena of solids are included in the curricula of subjects dealing with these topics at all levels of education. However, a review of the research conducted shows that students of different age groups have many incorrect ideas about these phenomena. The incorrect ideas uncovered often stem from the abstract nature, complexity, and microscopic properties associated with the concepts involved. To effectively assess students’ understanding of the microscopic models of electrical and thermal conductivity of solids, a concept inventory named the METCS concept test was developed. This test encompasses a wide range of relevant concepts. Conducting the METCS test with a cohort of Croatian university students not only reaffirmed some previously acknowledged incorrect ideas but also revealed many new ones. It is important to gain insight into these ideas as this can support the development of targeted tutorials and teaching materials. These resources can help educators improve learning outcomes related to METCS concepts and ultimately promote deeper understanding among students.

Strong‐field ionization by thermal light is studied. Even though thermal light can be considered as completely classical stochastic light, it can also be treated as quantum light in the sense that it can be represented by a superposition of coherent states, similarly as has been done for the bright squeezed vacuum light, for example. Such a distribution over coherent states contains components with an intensity much higher than the average intensity of the thermal light. This increases the ionization probability by many orders of magnitude. For low intensities, in the multiphoton regime, the enhancement is by the factor of K!$K!$ , with K$K$ the multiphoton order of the process. This result is in agreement with an old experiment [Phys. Rev. Lett. 32 (1974): 265] in which a similar enhancement factor appears if a multimode laser pulse is used instead of a single‐mode pulse. It is also shown that the plateau length in high‐order above‐threshold ionization by thermal light is extended by an order of magnitude in comparison with that of coherent laser light with the same average intensity.

Why the link between immune infiltration and tumor control varies so strongly across tissues remains unresolved. We propose the "immunometabolic gatekeeping" framework, whereby tissue-intrinsic metabolic activity and waste-handling capacity shape anti-tumour immunity. In high-flux tissues, metabolic stress impairs immune surveillance, decoupling infiltration from control and allowing tumor outgrowth. This framework explains cancer paradoxes-including T cell prognostic heterogeneity, hereditary and pediatric tumor tropisms, sex-biased tumor incidence, and cancer-resistant species-and suggests metabolism-aware strategies for cancer prevention and immunotherapy.

527 Background: Despite optimal surgery, approximately 1/3 of patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) develop incurable relapse. Adjuvant pembrolizumab reduces the risk of relapse in patients with clear cell RCC and is considered standard care. Post nephrectomy plasma KIM-1 levels have been shown to be prognostic in RCC in the ASSURE & IMmotion010 trials. RAMPART (NCT03288532) is an investigator-led, international randomized phase III study, that enrolled patients with RCC at intermediate and high risk of relapse. Patients were randomized to placebo (Arm A), durvalumab (Arm B), durvalumab + tremelimumab (Arm C). A DFS benefit has recently been reported for Arm C compared to the control Arm A (DFS at 3 years 81% vs. 73%, HR 0.65, 95% CI 0.45 to 0.93, p = 0.009). Methods: TransRAMPART collected longitudinal blood, tissue and urine samples in parallel to the main study. The aims included understanding prognostic or predictive markers for adjuvant treatment. A total of 187 patients were recruited. Samples were collected at baseline, 16 weeks, 32 weeks, and at later timepoints up to 5 years. Blood samples were profiled by MSD cytokine array (plasma), and by high resolution flow cytometry (PBMCs) by IMU Biosciences. Here we report the initial results of these exploratory blood-based analyses for Arm A and Arm C. Results: High baseline KIM-1 levels ( > 86 pg/mL, as used in analysis of the IMmotion010 trial) were associated with worse DFS outcomes in the combined A+C population (p = 0.0075, HR = 3.4, 95% CI 1.3-8.9, n = 77). Analyzing the patients by arm, KIM-1 remained negatively prognostic in the control Arm A (p = 0.0015, HR = 8.0, 95% CI 1.7-37, n = 45), however the effect was no longer seen with adjuvant combination immunotherapy in arm C (p = 0.72, HR = 1.3, 95% CI 0.31-5.1, n = 32). Peripheral immune profiling revealed an immune profile associated with Arm C treatment which returned toward baseline following the treatment period (64 patients in Arm A, 50 patients in Arm C). KIM-1 levels did not correlate with immune changes; instead, various immune cell lineages showed differential phenotypic enrichment according to baseline KIM-1. Tracking these phenotypes through the treatment period revealed divergence between Arm A and Arm C patients. Conclusions: We confirm that baseline KIM-1 levels are prognostic in RCC in an independent population. Although this exploratory analysis only assessed a subset of the whole trial population, this prognostic effect seems to be negated by adjuvant immunotherapy. There is an immune signature associated with KIM-1 levels distinct from the impact of treatment, suggesting an interplay between KIM-1 and immune activity in the postoperative period. Deeper characterization of these immune changes is ongoing. Clinical trial information: NCT03288532 .

Abstract This study included dairy farms registered as milk producers in the entity of Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. A total of 180 milk samples originating from cows were collected from dairy farms across several locations during 2024 and 2025. Out of the 180 tested raw milk samples obtained from dairy cows suspected to suffer from clinical or subclinical mastitis the presence of Staphylococcus aureus was confirmed in 44 samples, representing 24.4% (SD: 3.2%; 95% CI: 18.2% – 30.7%) of all analyzed samples. The presence of one or more se genes was detected in nine isolates (20.5%; 95% CI: 11.0% – 33.7%). Among the total of 44 S. aureus isolates, only one isolate exhibited phenotypic resistance to cefoxitin using ETE ST® Cefoxitin, which was molecularly confirmed by detection of the mecA gene. All analyzed S. aureus isolates showed resistance to at least one of the tested antimicrobial agents, while 25% (95% CI: 12.2% – 37.8%) of isolates showed resistance to two antimicrobial agents. A total of 15.9% (95% CI: 6.6% – 30.1%) of isolates displayed antimicrobial multidrug resistance (MDR ), defined as resistance to three or more classes of antimicrobial drugs.

Newborn screening (NBS) is a well-established public health program that enables early detection and treatment of rare disorders in newborns, preventing severe complications or death. Despite its recognized importance, the scope and implementation of NBS programs vary across Southeastern (SE) and Central Europe. This study aimed to evaluate the current status of NBS in 16 countries of SE and Central Europe and assess progress since the previous survey in 2021. A structured questionnaire was distributed to national experts between April and December 2025, collecting data on program organization, coverage, diseases included, laboratory methods, confirmatory testing, consent practices, and future expansion plans. All countries reported universal screening for congenital hypothyroidism, except Kosovo, where a national NBS is in the process of being established. Expanded NBS using tandem mass spectrometry was available in Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, North Macedonia, Romania, and Slovenia. Spinal muscular atrophy screening became universal in Austria, Croatia, Hungary, Serbia, and Slovenia. Most countries reported plans for further expansion, with congenital adrenal hyperplasia, severe combined immunodeficiency, spinal muscular atrophy, and cystic fibrosis being the most frequently targeted conditions. Although notable infrastructural progress has been achieved, financial constraints, lack of staff, and organizational barriers remain key challenges. The study’s assessment of program effectiveness was further limited by the absence of region-wide systems for capturing end-to-end performance indicators, such as the age of the infant at treatment initiation or missed cases. Regional collaboration and adoption of best practices are therefore vital to ensure equitable access and continuous advancement of NBS programs.

This study applied a virtual effect-directed analysis (vEDA) approach, integrating effect-based analysis and chemical screening, to identify bioactive compounds in rubber infill from artificial turf. Bioreporter assays targeting diverse toxicological endpoints were selected to detect a wide range of potential endocrine-disrupting and genotoxic compounds. Of 21 samples, all except one showed aryl-hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) activity (14-31,400 ng benzo[a]pyrene equivalents/g), four induced p53 activity (0.04-0.86 µg actinomycin D equivalents/g) and two showed estrogen receptor α (ERα) activity (530 and 1020 pg estradiol equivalents/g). Chemical analysis quantified up to 87 polycyclic aromatic compounds (PAC) and gas chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry-based suspect screening yielded 281 tentative identifications. Annotation with bioassay activity data from databases and predictive models revealed 29 AhR-, 32 ERα- and 18 p53-active compounds. Univariate analysis was used to prioritize compounds for further chemical and toxicological confirmation. Eighteen AhR agonists were confirmed, contributing 0-98% to the observed AhR activity in the samples. Phenylamine additives, detected at high concentrations, exhibited low AhR activating potency and contributed < 1%. In contrast, methylated chrysene isomers elicited relatively high potencies and contributed substantially (≤65%) to the observed AhR activity. N-Isopropyl-N'-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine (IPPD) was confirmed as p53 active and explained ∼50% of the observed activity in the most p53-active sample. Styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) showed higher AhR- and p53 activities and concentrations of quantified compounds than the alternative materials. The study highlights differences in chemical hazards among rubber infill materials and demonstrates the utility of vEDA as an early-warning tool for identifying compounds of concern.

This study examines how the signal‐to‐noise‐interference ratio (SNIR) influences auditory performance and neural responses associated with listening effort (LE). A new dataset was collected from individuals with moderate hearing loss, all fitted with hearing aids (HAs). Participants listened to two competing audiobooks presented via front‐facing loudspeakers, while 16‐talker babble noise was delivered from background speakers. Six SNIR levels (5.47, −$$ - $$ 3.55, −$$ - $$ 2.13, −$$ - $$ 1.19, −$$ - $$ 0.64, and −$$ - $$ 0.27 dB) were tested. Participants were instructed to attend to one audiobook while ignoring the competing speech and background noise and were subsequently assessed on content of the attended speech and perceived LE. The performance results revealed a significant linear effect of SNIR on subjective ratings of LE and a primarily quadratic effect on comprehension questionnaire accuracy, suggesting that perceived effort decreases steadily with improving SNIR, while comprehension questionnaire performance exhibits a plateau at higher SNIR levels. The EEG analyses demonstrated a significant relationship between SNIR and local connectivity, specifically in the parietal electrodes and in the alpha frequency band. Further analysis confirmed that parietal local connectivity correlates linearly with subjective LE ratings. Moreover, spectral power analysis showed that parietal alpha power is not significantly related to SNIR, indicating that local connectivity may serve as a more sensitive neural marker. While local connectivity and alpha power may share some neural underpinnings, they offer complementary, yet non‐identical insights. These findings highlight the potential of local EEG connectivity as a reliable estimate of LE in acoustically challenging environments.

Background and Objectives: Although carotid endarterectomy (CEA) is the gold standard in the treatment of carotid disease, a higher frequency of adverse outcomes can reduce its benefit. The aim of the present study is to identify factors related to myocardial infarction, stroke, death and restenosis as the late adverse outcomes of CEA. Materials and Methods: The retrospective cohort study included 1597 CEAs that were performed in 1533 consecutive patients at the Vascular Surgery Clinic in Belgrade from 2012 to 2017. Late adverse outcomes within 4 years after CEA were available for the majority of them. Data for myocardial infarction and stroke were available for 1223 CEAs, data for death for 1305 CEAs, and data for restenosis for 1162 CEAs. The association between possible risk factors and late adverse outcomes of CEA was analyzed using univariate and multivariate Cox and logistic regression analyses. Results: During follow-up, myocardial infarction occurred after 55, stroke after 68, death after 103 and restenosis after 121 CEAs. Two factors were the most frequent predictors of late adverse outcomes, i.e., the patient’s age and diabetes mellitus (DM). Age predicted all late adverse outcomes except restenosis, and DM predicted all of them. A predictor of myocardial infarction, besides age (HR 1.08, 95% CI 1.05–1.11) and DM (HR 1.60, 95% CI 1.11–2.29), was peripheral arterial disease (HR 1.81, 95% CI 1.17–2.78) in personal history. Predictors were only age (HR 1.04, 95% CI 1.01–1.08) and DM (HR 1.68, 95% CI 1.03–2.72) for stroke, as well as for death (HR 1.17, 95% CI 1.12–1.21 and HR 1.94, 95% CI 1.17–3.21, respectively). For restenosis, in addition to DM (HR 1.78, 95% CI 2.62), predictors were hyperlipidemia (HR 3.52, 95% CI 1.27–9.76) and urgent surgery (HR 3.51, 95% CI 1.06–11.65). Conclusions: CEA should be performed with special caution in the elderly and diabetic patients. Modification of other risk factors and precise medical therapy are necessary to reduce possible adverse outcomes.