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Olivera Dolic,1 Marija Obradovic,1 Zeljka Kojic,2 Natasa Trtic,2 Slava Sukara,1 Natasa Knezevic,3 Valentina Veselinovic4 1Department of Preventive and Pediatric Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Banja Luka, Banja Luka, Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina; 2Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Banja Luka, Banja Luka, Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina; 3Department of Endodontics and Restorative Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Banja Luka, Banja Luka, Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina; 4Department of Prosthodontics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Banja Luka, Banja Luka, Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and HerzegovinaCorrespondence: Olivera DolicFaculty of Medicine, University of Banja Luka, Bulevar Vojvode Petra Bojovića 1A, Banja Luka 78000, Bosnia and HerzegovinaTel +387 51 348 131Email olivera.dolic@med.unibl.orgBackground: Cariogram®, an algorithm-based software model, for predicting caries risk has been used to assess the caries risk profile of many different groups. The aims of the study were to evaluate Cariogram caries risk assessment during pregnancy with DMFT/dmft incidence in mothers and their children 4 years after pregnancy and to check if there is an association between children’s caries risk profiles using Cariogram and caries risk profiles (by Cariogram) of their mothers during pregnancy.Methods: The study population consisted of 96 pregnant women (average age 27.4± 7.2 years at baseline) who completed clinical baseline examination and salivary tests. The follow-up study was initiated 4 years later and the 80 pairs of mother and children (from that pregnancy) were re-examined using the same procedure at baseline. An individual caries risk profile and DMFT/dmft incidence were made for each woman and child. The prediction of the Cariogram was compared to the actual dental experience in 4 years. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) for two cut-offs were calculated to express the outcome.Results: The results showed a strong association between the risk categories of pregnant women and their offspring as well as between caries development in offspring and the Cariogram risk categories of pregnant women. Sensitivity and PPV for new DMFT (ΔDMFT> 0) 4 years after for women were high (> 80%) for those participants assessed with 0– 60% “chance to avoid caries”, as well as diagnostic accuracy (74.00%). High specificity (91.00%), very high PPV (95.00%) and clinically useful values according to Youden’s index (0.53) were obtained for moderate-risk and two lowest-risk groups for dmft in children.Conclusion: Cariogram was valid in the authors’ sample only and highly predictive in caries risk assessment in investigated children based on caries risk assessment of their mothers in pregnancy.Keywords: specificity, early childhood caries, Cariogram, pregnant women, sensitivity, longitudinal study

Mayank Gupta,1 Rany T Abdallah,2 Alaa Abd-Elsayed,3 Krishnan Chakravarthy,4 Miles Day,5 Timothy Deer,6 Sudhir Diwan,7 Nebojsa Nick Knezevic,8 Neel D Mehta,9 Michael E Schatman,10 Amol Soin,11 Peter Staats12 1Kansas Pain Management, Overland Park, KS, USA; 2APICO Pain Management, Bear, DE, USA; 3Anesthesiology Department, University Hospital, Madison, WI, USA; 4Solaris Research Institute, San Diego, CA, USA; 5Department of Anesthesiology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA; 6The Spine and Nerve Center of the Virginias, Charleston, WV, USA; 7Advanced Spine on Park Avenue; Department of Anesthesiology, Albert Einstein Medical College, Bronx; Pain Attending, Lenox Hill Hospital/Northwell Health, New York, NY, USA; 8Department of Anesthesiology College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago; Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA; 9Och Spine at Weill Cornell New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA; 10Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care, and Pain Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine; Department of Population Health, Division of Medical Ethics, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; 11Ohio Pain Clinic, Centerville, OH; Department of Surgery, Wright State University, Dayton, OH, USA; 12National Spine & Pain Centers, Premier Pain Centers, Atlantic Beach, FL, USACorrespondence: Mayank Gupta, Kansas Pain Management, 10995 Quivira Road, Overland Park, KS, USA, Email kansaspaindoctor@gmail.comIntroduction: Ideally, a physical or chemical nonsurgical neurolytic procedure provides targeted neurolysis to relieve pain for a suitable length of time without causing complications. This narrative review focuses on five nonsurgical neurolytic procedures that are well-established and well-documented in the literature for the treatment of refractory neuropathic pain and peripheral neuropathies, in particular: two physical nonsurgical neurolytic techniques (cryoablation and radiofrequency ablation) and three chemoneurolytic agents (alcohol injection, phenol injection, and a high-concentration capsaicin 8% topical system).Methods: Using the definition of nonsurgical physical and chemical neurolytic procedures for neuropathic pain, a focused literature search of the PubMed database for English-language, human studies published through July 2024 included, but was not limited to, the following search terms: “neuropathic pain” AND “cryoablation”, “cryoneurolysis”, “radiofrequency ablation”, “alcohol neurolysis”, “alcohol injection”, “phenol neurolysis”, “phenol injection”, “chemoneurolysis”, “topical capsaicin”, and “TRPV1.” While attempts were made to identify prospective clinical trials for each type of neurolytic procedure, information regarding the conduct and safety and efficacy of some of these nonsurgical neurolytic procedures was primarily limited to case studies and anecdotal evidence.Results: The risk benefit basis of each technique is discussed, and recommendations for proper use based on the literature are summarized. Most techniques require ultrasound or fluoroscopy guidance. Pain relief typically ranges from 3 to 12 months, with repeat neurolytic procedures often required to maintain suitable levels of pain relief.Conclusion: The authors provide their insights as to the best utilization of these identified nonsurgical physical and chemoneurolytic procedures for the treatment of refractory neuropathic pain in different patient populations based on neural targets. Together, these five nonsurgical neurolytic techniques provide patients and physicians with a variety of options for the treatment of refractory neuropathic pain. Keywords: alcohol injection, capsaicin 8%, chemoneurolysis, cryoablation, neuropathic pain, peripheral neuropathy, phenol injection, radiofrequency ablation, topical

The subject of this research is the production process of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) regranulate using a plasticizer synthesized from recycled poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET). In this way, a plasticizer was synthesized that does not pose a risk to human health and the environment in accordance with the principles of chemical leasing and green chemistry. The obtained plasticizer was characterized using elemental analysis, FTIR, and NMR spectroscopy and determination of hydroxyl and acid number. The mechanical properties of materials obtained on the basis of recycled PVC and plasticizers from PET were tested according to standard methods.

Managing business organizations is a complex and dynamic process, aimed at effectively and efficiently directing limited resources. Based on that, the business success of the company is largely conditioned by the quality and ability of its management to create an adequate organizational structure that will respond to the challenges in the environment. In recent decades, there have been numerous and dramatic changes in the business environment, which lead to a comprehensive transformation of existing management processes and thus the dynamic development of theory and practice of modern management.

This paper investigates the using potential of acryl-functionalized kraft lignin (AKL) in reducing the flammability of polymer composites based on recycled unsaturated polyester resins (UPR). Acryl functionalization of kraft lignin was performed by direct esterification of free polyphenolic groups with acryloyl chloride, after what, the AKL was blended in UPR resin synthesized from the polyols obtained by catalytic depolymerization of waste poly(ethylene terephthalate). The AKL was homogenized in UPR resin in different weight ratios: 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, and 12.5 wt.%. Structural and dynamic-mechanical characteristics of acryl-functionalized kraft lignin and composites were determined using FTIR spectroscopy, dynamicmechanical analysis (DMA), and tensile tests. The influence of functionalization and mass fraction of AKL on tensile and thermal properties of UPR resin was studied. The thermal properties of the composite were tested according to the standard UL-94 method, based on which the highest category of heat-resistant materials is a composite with 12.5 wt.% acylfunctionalized lignin.

The application of the green practice in hospitality is becoming more widespread and the awareness of its importance is growing every day. As hospitality belongs to the industry that uses different materials, energy sources and generates different types of waste, the concept of green restaurants is a good sustainable solution for this type of problem that affects the environment. Green restaurants have a great opportunity and chance to create a competitive advantage and thus improves the corporate image, through a more efficient environmental policy and reducing operating costs. The subject of this paper is the importance and application of the concept of the green practice in restaurant facilities. The task of the paper is to examine the employees of hospitality facilities on the territory of Novi Sad with the aim of researching the awareness among the employees about the importance of green restaurants and knowledge about them and the advantages they can achieve.

Vegetarianism is characterized by a great expansion among consumers as well as food producers and suppliers, which significantly affects supply in the hospitality business. Although vegetarians are perceived as a homogenous group, they are a varied and heterogeneous group, depending on the consumed foodstuffs, which requires hospitality workers to offer a wide variety of meals and combinations of plant origin. This is the reason why this research aims to show attitudes of restaurant management towards vegetarian cuisine and to examine the orientation of restaurants towards vegetarian meals, as well as challenges faced by employees in the hospitality industry. The basic task is to examine and present attitudes of hospitality management towards vegetarian food. The aim of the overall research is to get a better insight into awareness and attitudes of hospitality management towards foods of vegetarian origin, which is reflected in the restaurant offer.

Control of robot end-effector (EE) Cartesian stiffness matrix (or the whole mechanical impedance) is still a challenging open issue in physical humanrobot interaction (pHRI). This paper presents an optimization approach for shaping the robot EE Cartesian stiffness. This research targets collaborative robots with intrinsic compliance - serial elastic actuators (SEAs). Although robots with SEAs have constant joint stiffness, task redundancy (null-space) for a specific task could be used for robot reconfiguration and shaping the stiffness matrix while still keeping the EE position unchanged. The method proposed in this paper to investigate null-space reconfiguration's influence on Cartesian robot stiffness is based on the Sequential Least Squares Programming (SLSQP) algorithm, which presents an expansion of the quadratic programming algorithm for nonlinear functions with constraints. The method is tested in simulations for 4 DOF planar robot. Results are presented for control of the EE Cartesian stiffness initially along one axis, and then control of stiffness along both planar axis - shaping the main diagonal of the EE stiffness matrix.

Background/Aim. The incidence of postoperative delirium (POD) after non-cardiac surgery is a problem not often recognized by many anesthesiologists. The objective of our study was to detect POD and its possible cause, in patients undergoing radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) under general anesthesia. Methods. After Ethical Committee approval, we enrolled 80 patients, ASA (the American Society of Anestesiology) status II, scheduled to undergo RRP un-der general anesthesia, in a prospective study. All patients completed MMSE tests (the Folstein Mini Mental State Ex-am) the evening before, and 48 hours after the surgery. Assessment for the presence and severity of delirium was per-formed using CAM (the Confusion Assessment Method), and an assessment of the degree of agitation and sedation using RASS (the Richmond Agitation and Sedation Scale). Results. The average preoperative MMSE score (28.59 ± 1.04) significantly decreased following the surgery (27.74 ± 1.52) (p < 0.0001). The average postoperative MMSE score trend descended in correlation to intraoperative bleeding (p = 0.036). The patients with higher pain scores had significant decline in MMSE after the surgery (28.75 vs. 26.25; p < 0.001). Five patients were considered positive for delirium, and four of them reported regular alcoholic drinks intake (> 1 drink per day) preoperatively (p < 0.0001). Based on RASS score, 13 patients (16.3%) were agitated or sedated, and they had statistically significantly higher intraoperative bleeding (p < 0.001). Conclusion. Results of this study emphasize the importance of proper preoperative evaluation; especially regarding the alcohol consumption since all the patients that developed POD reported moderate alcohol consumption. Further-more, greater intraoperative bleeding and postoperative pain scores did not influence the occurrence of delirium, but resulted in lower postoperative MMSE scores, which high-lights the importance of adequate intraoperative treatment of patients during surgery and anesthesia in order to reduce the risk of developing POD.

International cheeses present an important factor in gastronomy of many catering establishments. The expansion of the market influenced the expansion of the great variety of cheeses among consumers. Branding, origin protection of some types of cheese, its packing and exploitation on the market enabled the expansion of cheeses all over the world. This expansion is important because it facilitates the selection and safety for buyers, while increasing market demands as well as expanding to new market branches for the manufacturers. The subject of this study is international cheeses that are available to domestic market, as well as the preferences of the consumers. Our task is to depict the basic connoisseur-ship of international cheeses in the focus of the consumers , as well as the factors that influence their shopping preferences. Our aim is to establish the levels of that connoisseur-ship and if it influences consumers' preferences in buying some types of cheeses.

Safe drinking water is one of the most important conditions for a healthy life. However, in case of disasters and emergencies, the water is often contaminated with various impurities of physical, chemical and/or biological origin. These contaminations can lead to a number of health problems, including various infectious diseases. For that reason, it is important to act preventively, and to perform appropriate treatment and water purification in a timely and urgent manner, depending on the type of pollution. In order to determine the type of pollution and perform the appropriate water treatment, the precondition is arranging certain chemical analyzes and monitoring of water quality through quality parameters. Since our time and economic resources are limited in the first moments of the accident, it is not possible to monitor all the parameters, so we monitor the most important: pH value, amount of residual chlorine, color, turbidity and the presence of pathogens. However, even when the type of pollution is determined, it is sometimes not possible to do centralized water purification immediately. Therefore, it is important to know the methods that can independently, and with the help of some handy tools, be applied in our household (eg. disinfection by boiling water or using some of the chemicals for disinfection; sedimentation, etc.). Using these methods, at least a physiological minimum can be provided for family members in the first moments after the accident, until a centralized purification is performed.

Digitalization is a worldwide trend with application in all areas of business. In the case of rail transport and transport, the digitalization leads to a significant increase in the railway modal share and railway level of competitiveness in the transport market. In order to successful implement railway digitalization into existing rail system, proper testing and feasibility analysis must be carried out. This paper proposes the application of SWOT analysis to identify the characteristics of digitalization elements. After identifying potential threats to the digitalization process, a risk assessment was conducted using the FMEA method.

Background: Depending on the cause of discoloration, bleaching materials and other factors, vital dental bleaching techniques may be professional (in-office dental bleaching), at-home night-guard bleaching and combined. The main objective of this study was to determine, in vitro, tooth colour change using external dental bleaching techniques with 16% and 30% carbamide peroxide gel and to investigate the effect of concentration of carbamide peroxide gel on the bleaching success. Method: This study included 20 extracted intact human teeth. Teeth were divided into two groups of ten each: the first group was bleached with 16% and the second group with 30% carbamide peroxide gel. The procedure was repeated three times for each tooth. The existing colour on each tooth was recorded using VITA classical shade guide A1-D4 before treatment, after each session and after bleaching was completed. Results: A significant difference (p < 0.01) was found between the first and the second bleaching treatment, for both concentrations (Exact binomial test). A significant difference (p

Tabish Aijaz,1 Kenneth D Candido,1–3 Utchariya Anantamongkol,1 Gleb Gorelick,4 Nebojsa Nick Knezevic1–3 1Department of Anesthesiology, Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA; 2Department of Anesthesiology, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL, USA; 3Department of Surgery, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL, USA; 4Department of Radiology, Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA Background: Thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA) provides superior postoperative pain control compared to parenteral opioids after major thoracic and abdominal surgeries. However, some studies with respect to benefits of continuous TEA have shown mixed results. The purpose of this study was to determine the rate of successful TEA catheter insertion into the epidural space using contrast fluoroscopy and the impact of placement location on postoperative analgesia and opioid use. Patients and methods: After Advocate health care institutional review board approval, we conducted a prospective, open-label, single intervention study on patients undergoing thoracic or upper abdominal surgery. A thoracic paramedian epidural approach and a loss of resistance to saline technique were used to place an epidural catheter above the T11 level and fluoroscopic images with injected contrast were taken to locate the catheter tip in the epidural space. Results: Twenty-five subjects were included in the study, of which 3 catheters (12%) were not identified as being in the epidural space. We found an average difference of 1.5 vertebral levels between clinical and radiological assessments of catheter tips. Thirteen catheters (52%) were more than 1 vertebral level away from the clinically assessed level. No significant difference was found in the pain scores at 1, 24, and 48 hours after surgery between patients with correct versus incorrect catheter placement. Less opioids were used in the correct catheter placement group at 24 hours (256 morphine milligram equivalent [MME] vs 201 MME) and at 48 hours after surgery (250 MME vs 173 MME), but it was not statistically significant (p=0.149 and p=0.068, respectively). Conclusion: Improvement in assuring success in the technique for TEA catheter placement following major thoracic or upper abdominal surgery exists, for which contrast-enhanced fluoroscopy might be a promising solution. Keywords: postoperative analgesia, epidurogram, thoracic epidural analgesia, neuraxial

This paper provides an analysis conducted by means of expanded Murray- Davies model on a transparent substrate which was printed with solvent-based ink and UV ink. The research is based on empirical methods developed using the model (extended Murray-Davies equation derived from the Yule-Nielson model) to define the printed pattern on a substrate in order to improve the quality of reproduction in halftone imaging. Applicability of these equations, developed for research of media such as paper, was examined on a transparent substrate. Model contains two empirically derived parameters "w" and "v", whose determination are based on data from microscopic images. Spectroscopic results were obtained by quantitative spectrometer built with a digital camera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rail infrastructure projects are very important for economic and social development of one country. The significance of the project changes over time and it is necessary to decide which project should be accepted in dynamic environment. This is very difficult and delicate task, but crucial for company's success in the market. In this paper, authors presented model based on Analytical Hierarchy Process approach with dynamic priorities. This model consists of three main clusters: projects, criteria, and relevant external projects. The aim of the paper is an evaluation of railway infrastructure projects with application of multi-criteria decision making method. Special attention is committed to the influence of relevant external projects on alternatives in certain time periods in the future. The model is tested on real data from the Serbian Railway Network.

Objective: This study evaluates the contribution of energy-dense, nutrient-poor 'extra' foods to the diets of 16-24-month-old children from western Sydney, Australia.Design: An analysis of cross-sectional data collected on participants in the Childhood Asthma Prevention Study (CAPS), a randomised trial investigating the primary prevention of asthma from birth to 5 years. We collected 3-day weighed food records, calculated nutrient intakes, classified recorded foods into major food groups, and further classified foods as either 'core' or 'extras' according to the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating.Setting: Pregnant women, whose unborn child was at risk of developing asthma because of a family history, were recruited from all six hospitals in western Sydney, Australia. Data for this study were collected in clinic visits and at participants' homes at the 18-month assessment.Participants: Four hundred and twenty-nine children participating in the CAPS study; 80% of the total cohort.Results: The mean consumption of 'extra' foods was approximately 150 g day(-1) and contributed 25-30% of the total energy, fat, carbohydrate and sodium to the diets of the study children. 'Extra' foods also contributed around 20% of fibre, 10% of protein and zinc, and about 5% of calcium. Children in the highest quintile of 'extra' foods intake had a slightly higher but not significantly different intake of energy from those in the lowest quintile. However, significant differences were evident for the percentage of energy provided by carbohydrate and sugars (higher) and protein and saturated fat (lower). The intake of most micronutrients was also significantly lower among children in the highest quintile of consumption. The intake of 'extra' foods was inversely associated with the intake of core foods.Conclusions: The high percentage of energy contributed by 'extra' foods and their negative association with nutrient density emphasise the need for dietary guidance for parents of children aged 1-2 years. These preliminary data on commonly consumed 'extra' foods and portion sizes may inform age-specific dietary assessment methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nebojsa Nick Knezevic,1–3 Shane Mandalia,1 Jennifer Raasch,1 Ivana Knezevic,1 Kenneth D Candido1–3 1Department of Anesthesiology, Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, 2Department of Anesthesiology, 3Department of Surgery, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL, USA Abstract: Back pain is the second leading cause of disability among American adults and is currently treated either with conservative therapy or interventional pain procedures. However, the question that remains is whether we, as physicians, have adequate therapeutic options to offer to the patients who suffer from chronic low back pain but fail both conservative therapy and interventional pain procedures before they consider surgical options such as discectomy, disc arthroplasty, or spinal fusion. The purpose of this article is to review the potential novel therapies that are on the horizon for the treatment of chronic low back pain. We discuss medications that are currently in use through different phases of clinical trials (I–III) for the treatment of low back pain. In this review, we discuss revisiting the concept of chemonucleolysis using chymopapain, as the first drug in an intradiscal injection to reduce herniated disc size, and newer intradiscal therapies, including collagenase, chondroitinase, matrix metalloproteinases, and ethanol gel. We also review an intravenous glial cell-derived neurotrophic growth factor called artemin, which may repair sensory nerves compressed by herniated discs. Another new drug in development for low back pain without radiculopathy is a subcutaneous monoclonal antibody acting as nerve growth factor called tanezumab. Finally, we discuss how platelet-rich plasma and stem cells are being studied for the treatment of low back pain. We believe that with these new therapeutic options, we can bridge the current gap between conservative/interventional procedures and surgeries in patients with chronic back pain. Keywords: chronic low back pain, clinical trials, chemonucleolysis, tanezumab, artemin, PRP, stem cells, new therapy

This paper represents the application of A'WOT method for the selection of postal services development scenario in the Republic of Serbia. A'WOT method is a relatively new tool for decision making. This method is made by combination of the Analytic hierarchy process (AHP approach) and SWOT analysis. In this new hybrid method, SWOT analysis gives the basis for decision making by defining the elements, which are under consideration in the process of strategy selection. On the other hand, the AHP approach makes the rank of alternatives based on selected elements.

The phenolic and terpene profiles, as well as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities of extracts and essential oils of Juniperus macrocarpa species were studied. The content of 45 phenolics was determined using LC–MS/MS. Accordingly, significantly different compositions were found between leaves and seed cones extracts, while the dominant compounds were rutin, catechin, quercitrin, epicatechin and amentoflavone. GC–MS showed simple terpene composition, with monoterpenes being dominant and α-pinene as the most abundant compound. Extracts and essential oils of J. macrocarpa showed moderate antioxidant activity comparable to that of butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA). Seed cones showed significant anti-inflammatory activity, with high pro-inflammatory activity of extract towards production of PGE2. Essential oils demonstrated considerable antimicrobial activity against Gram positive bacteria, especially leaves against Clostridium perfringens. J. macrocarpa showed noteworthy biopotential and its usage in food and beverage manufacturing and as a source of potent herbal drugs should be considered.

Introduction. Bond between composite materials and bleached teeth depends on the change of micro-morphological structure of enamel and dentin after the application of bleaching agent. Bleaching procedure can weaken adhesion of composite materials to hard tissues, where even just a presence of hydrogen peroxide may affect their polymerization. The aim of this study was to determine bond strength of composite materials after internal teeth bleaching using 30% carbamide peroxide. Material and Methods. The study was conducted on 20 extracted, endodontically treated human teeth. After internal teeth bleaching with 30% carbamide peroxide a class V cavity was prepared and restored with Tetric EvoCeram nanocomposite material. Microleakage was determined using dye method (silver nitrate) and measured on the incisal and gingival walls using stereoloupes. Results. Linear dye penetration on the incisal wall (7.25 μm) of bleached teeth was greater than on the incisal wall in non-bleached (control group) teeth (5.75 μm) but with no statistically significant difference. Dye penetration on the gingival wall of bleached teeth (20.00 μm) was greater than on the gingival wall of the control group (14.25 μm). This difference was statistically significant (p

Introduction. Increasing requirements for durable fillings and marginal integrity have influenced the development of new materials and restorative techniques. Contemporary demands for esthetic restorations have encouraged the development of new composite material “self-etch flowable composite”. The aim of this study was to test the marginal seal in small Class V cavities after restoration with self etch flowable composite material Vertise Flow and flowable composite Tetric Flow, both polymerised using conventional light-curing technique. Material and Methods. The study was conducted on 40 extracted human teeth (20 intact, 20 carious). Each group included 10 premolars and 10 molars. In all teeth two cavities class V of diameter 3×2×2 mm were prepared (buccal and lingual surface). On the buccal surface the cavities were filled with self etch flowable composite Vertise Flow (Kerr Dental Products), and on the lingual surface with flowable composite Tetric Flow (Ivoclar Vivadent) using appropriate adhesive system. Polymerisation was performed using LED lamp (Ivoclar Vivadent). Microleakage was tested with silver nitrate solution. Using stereoloupe with micrometer scale and six times magnification dye penetration was measured. Results. Mean dye penetration in intact molars restored with Vertise Flow was 3.41 μm, while in intact molars restored with Tetric Flow it was 4.23 μm. In intact premolars restored with Vertise Flow, the average dye penetration was 1.14 μm and in intact premolars restored with Tetric Flow it was 3.90 μm. Dye penetration in carious molars restored with Vertise Flow and polymerised using conventional polymerization technique was 3.66 μm, while using Tetric Flow it was 7.94 μm. In carious premolars restored with Vertise Flow dye penetration was 3.97 μm, while with Tetric Flow it was 7.12 μm. The total dye penetration was lower in intact compared to carious teeth. Greater dye penetration was found in molars compared to premolars. Conclusion. Vertise Flow showed better quality of bond with hard dental tissue than Tetric Flow when classical polymerization technique was used.

Introduction. Indirect pulp capping is a therapeutic intervention in the treatment of deep carious lesion in order to stimulate odontoblasts to produce tertiary dentin using different biomaterials based mainly on calcium hydroxide. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of hard-setting (Dycal) and a suspension of calcium hydroxide (Calcipulp) in the treatment of deep carious lesion (caries profunda). Materials and Methods. Clinical study included 29 patients of both genders, age 16 to 40, and 45 teeth of different morphological groups with verified caries profunda using clinical and radiographic examination. After the cavity preparation, calcium hydroxide materials (Dycal or Calcipulp) were applied on the pulpal wall and cavities temporarily restored (phosphate cement) for the period of two months. After this period cavities were restored with composite materials and clinically observed during twelve months, with mandatory check-ups after three and six months. Results. Obtained results showed that indirect pulp capping using calcium hydroxide suspension (90.0%) was more successful than hard-setting material (84.0%), but with no statistically significant difference. Conclusion. Suspension and hard-setting calcium hydroxide were equally successful in the treatment of caries profunda.

Introduction. Advance in new nano-composite materials and adhesive systems has provided stronger bond with hard dental tissue as well as possibility for minimal cavity preparation. The aim of this study was to evaluate, using dye method, marginal seal of direct composite veneers placed on intact and abraded anterior teeth and polymerized with classical and soft start light curing technique. Material and Methods. The study was conducted on 40 extracted human anterior teeth. They were extracted for periodontal reasons and divided into two groups: intact teeth (20) and abraded teeth (20). 10 teeth in each group were polymerized with classical and soft start technique. Dye penetration was measured using stereo loupes with micrometer scale and six times magnification. Results. Linear dye penetration on the gingival wall when direct composite veneers were placed in intact teeth and polymerized with classical technique was 2.50 μm, while on the incisal wall it was 0.5 μm. Linear dye penetration on the gingival wall in intact teeth polymerized with soft start technique was 2.25 μm, while on the incisal wall it was 2.0 μm. Average dye penetration of direct composite veneers in abraded teeth polymerized with classical technique on the gingival wall was 3.0 μm while on the incisal wall it was 1.25 μm. Linear dye penetration in abraded teeth polymerized with soft start technique was greater on the gingival wall (3.50 μm) than on the incisal wall (3.25 μm). Conclusion. Smaller microcrack was observed on the incisal wall than on the gingival wall in all teeth regardless of the technique of polymerization used. The least dye penetration was observed in the group of intact teeth polymerized with classical technique of polymerization.

The expansion of LEAN and small batch manufacturing demands flexible automated workstations capable of switching between sorting various wastes over time. To address this challenge, our study is focused on assessing the ability of the Segment Anything Model (SAM) family of deep learning architectures to separate highly variable objects during robotic waste sorting. The proposed two-step procedure for generic versatile visual waste sorting is based on the SAM architectures (original SAM, FastSAM, MobileSAMv2, and EfficientSAM) for waste object extraction from raw images, and the use of classification architecture (MobileNetV2, VGG19, Dense-Net, Squeeze-Net, ResNet, and Inception-v3) for accurate waste sorting. Such a pipeline brings two key advantages that make it more applicable in industry practice by: 1) eliminating the necessity for developing dedicated waste detection and segmentation algorithms for waste object localization, and 2) significantly reducing the time and costs required for adapting the solution to different use cases. With the proposed procedure, switching to a new waste type sorting is reduced to only two steps: The use of SAM for the automatic object extraction, followed by their separation into corresponding classes used to fine-tune the classifier. Validation on four use cases (floating waste, municipal waste, e-waste, and smart bins) shows robust results, with accuracy ranging from 86 to 97% when using the MobileNetV2 with SAM and FastSAM architectures. The proposed approach has a high potential to facilitate deployment, increase productivity, lower expenses, and minimize errors in robotic waste sorting while enhancing overall recycling and material utilization in the manufacturing industry., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

The aim of this study was to investigate the epidemiology of dental trauma in a public dental clinic in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina, from 2019 to 2024., Methods: This research was conducted as a retrospective cross-sectional study. The data were analysed and compared between injured primary and permanent maxillary and mandibular teeth., Results: The review of the dental records revealed 73 patients (49 boys and 24 girls) with TDIs, involving 55 primary and 64 permanent teeth. Most of the patients (27 patients, 36.98%) were aged 7-9 years. The main cause of TDI was falls in both dentitions (81.81% of injured primary teeth and 73.43% of injured permanent teeth). The time of arrival after a TDI for assistance in the dental clinic for most cases was after 24 h in both dentitions, 45.45% of injured primary teeth and 48.43% of permanent teeth. For both dentitions, enamel fractures were the most common injury of hard dental tissues and the pulp, and the necrosis of the maxillary central incisor was the most common complication., Conclusions: It is very important to improve trauma management and increase public knowledge on the way parents seek proper treatment for the TDIs of their children, and in due time.

Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) therapy for patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) faces limitations in efficacy and significant side effects, aggravated by a recent global shortage. In this prospective clinical study, we report the outcomes of sequential intravesical administration of gemcitabine and docetaxel (Gem/Doce) as a first-line treatment for BCG-naïve patients with high-risk NMIBC (HR NMIBC). From October 2019 until April 2022, we enrolled 52 patients and followed the treatment protocol set forth by the University of Iowa. Follow-up assessments were conducted every 3 months. In this cohort, 25 (48.1%) patients were diagnosed with high-grade T1 (T1HG) bladder cancer, 10 (19.2%) patients had carcinoma in situ (CIS), and 17 (32.7%) patients had a combination of T1HG+CIS. The median time to first recurrence in the T1HG, CIS, and T1HG+CIS groups was 11, 10.5, and 8.8 months, respectively. The recurrence-free survival was 98.1%, 94.2%, and 80.8% at 6, 9, and 12 months, respectively. The rate of progression-free survival was 100%, 98.1%, and 92.3% at 6, 9, and 12 months, respectively. We demonstrated the safety and efficacy of Gem/Doce therapy in BCG-naïve patients with HR NMIBC during a one-year follow-up. Further research with extended follow-ups, as well as direct comparisons of Gem/Doce with other anticancer agents, is essential.

Introduction: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic started in March 2020. Since then, there has been an urgent need for effective therapeutic methods to manage the disease. We aimed to assess the effectiveness of molnupiravir in reducing the need for hospitalization in at-risk, non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients., Methodology: This was a single-center, non-randomized, observational retrospective study of non-hospitalized patients with confirmed COVID-19, treated at the Clinic for Infectious and Tropical Diseases, University Clinical Center in Belgrade, Serbia., Results: The study was conducted between 15 December 2021 and 15 February 2022 and included 320 patients. Of these, 165 (51.6%) received treatment with molnupiravir. The study and control groups were similar in gender and age distribution. The study group had a higher proportion of vaccination (75.2% vs. 51%, p < 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in presence of comorbidity within the groups. Majority of the patients who received molnupiravir did not require hospitalization; and this was statistically significant in comparison to control group (92.7 vs. 24.5%, p < 0.001). Oxygen supplementation was less frequently required in the study group compared to the control group (0.6% vs. 31%, p < 0.001). During the follow-up period of 12.12 ± 3.5 days, significantly less patients from the study group were admitted to the intensive care unit (p < 0.001). Molnupiravir significantly reduced the risk of hospitalization by 97.9% (HR 0.021; 95% CI 0.005-0.089; p < 0.001)., Conclusions: Molnupiravir is an effective therapy in preventing the development of severe forms of COVID-19 and hospitalization., Competing Interests: No Conflict of Interest is declared, (Copyright (c) 2024 Ivana I Gmizic, Aleksandra Barac, Nevena Todorovic, Milos Sabanovic, Natalija Kekic, Nikola Boskovic, Ankica Vujovic, Natasa Nikolic, Natasa Knezevic, Ivana Milosevic, Goran Stevanovic.)

Objective. The causes of internal posteruptive discoloration of teeth are bleeding, necroses, infections, and endodontic filling materials. The aim of this study was to establish the results of bleaching endodontically treated teeth using walking bleach, in-office, and combined techniques, using 30% carbamide peroxide and 35% hydrogen peroxide, as well as the effect of etiological factors, and the time elapsed after endodontic treatment on the success of bleaching. Materials and Methods. The research involved 30 endodontically treated teeth in healthy patients. Retroalveolar X-rays were taken to check the quality of root canal obturation. Endodontic treatment and obturation were carried out on the discolored non-vital teeth without any previous endodontic treatment. Before bleaching, two millimeters of the filling were removed from the root canal and the very entry into the canal was protected with glass ionomer cement. The teeth were divided into three groups, depending on the bleaching technique: walking bleach technique (10 patients), in-office technique (10 patients), and combined technique (10 patients). The teeth were bleached with 30% carbamide peroxide and 35% hydrogen peroxide. The bleaching procedure was repeated in all the patients three times. The color of all teeth was determined based on the Vita Classic guide before and after bleaching. The Χ2 square and Kruskal−Wallis tests were used to identify differences in teeth bleaching results. Results. A statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) was established between bleaching success and the time elapsed after endodontic treatment. There were no statistically significant differences observed between the bleaching success and etiological factors, bleaching techniques, or bleaching agents. Conclusions. The effectiveness of non-vital tooth bleaching is affected by the time elapsed after endodontic treatment.

Dentists are at significant risk of COVID-19 infection. It was difficult to find a balance between dental care, especially preventive and other non-urgent dental procedures, and prevention of potential exposure to SARS-CoV-2 infection. The aim of the present study was to assess the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on dental treatment in children in the Dental Clinic of the University of Banja Luka, and to compare it before and during the first and second years of the pandemic. All dental records of paediatric patients who attended the Dental Clinic (for the period March 2019 to March 2022) were analysed. The data on selected dental treatment procedures were divided into three groups per year and compared. The results during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic showed a reduction in single treatments compared to the year before, while in the second year there was an increase in some interventions such as oral hygiene training and patient motivation, deciduous tooth extraction, and glass ionomer filling. Although the number of dental treatments in the clinic in the second year nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels, preventive and restorative interventions are the most appropriate strategy to improve the oral health of children after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine dental caries increment in women after four years associated with caries risk factors according to the Cariogram during pregnancy., Materials: Study design: The study population consisted of 96 pregnant women between 20 and 42 years of age at the start of the study. After four years, 80 women (83.33% recall rate) were re-examined by the baseline examiner using the same procedure employed at baseline. Caries prevalence was registered according to the WHO criteria and presented by the Decayed Missing and Filled Teeth (DMFT) index. Saliva tests were carried out according to instructions of the manufacturer. Nine factors/variables were entered into the Cariogram to obtain an individual caries risk profile. The chance of avoiding caries was scored into the five Cariogram risk categories., Conclusion: The results suggest that the dental caries increment in women after four years is significantly associated with caries risk factors according to the Cariogram during pregnancy.

Complete surgical removal of adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) represents the only chance of long-term cure. In this study, we compared the long-term outcomes of ACC patients depending on whether they had adrenal surgery performed in a high-volume (HVC) or in a low-volume (LVC) center. This retrospective study included 49 patients from the Croatian ACC Registry with the European Network for the Study of Adrenal Tumors (ENSAT) stage I-III ACC, of which 35 underwent surgery in a HVC whereas 14 of them were operated in one of the LVCs. Patients operated in the LVCs had a significantly higher rate of ACC recurrence (57.1% vs. 22.9%; p = 0.02). Accordingly, RFS was significantly longer in patients operated on in HVC ( p = 0.04). The difference in RFS remained significant after controlling for age, gender, tumor size, Ki-67 index, Weiss score, and type of surgery (HR 4.55; 95% CI 1.16-17.88; p = 0.03). In addition, there is a tendency towards longer DSS in patients in the HVC group compared to those in the LVC group ( p = 0.05). These results point to the centralization of adrenal surgery as a key prerequisite for improving the outcomes of ACC patients.

Porous silicon nanoparticles as a novel platform in gene therapy, have shown to be an efficient vehicle for the delivery of nucleic acids in cells. For the first time, a family of porous silicon nanoparticles has been produced featuring an amino-acid functionalized cationic external surface aiming at pDNA complexation. The amino acid-based pDNA nanocarriers, displaying an average diameter of 295 nm, succeeded in transfection of HEK293 cells with an efficiency 300 times superior to "bare" porous silicon nanoparticles., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Foodborne pathogenic bacteria present a crucial food safety issue. Conventional diagnostic methods are time-consuming and can be only performed on previously produced food. The advancing field of point-of-need diagnostic devices integrating molecular methods, biosensors, microfluidics, and nanomaterials offers new avenues for swift, low-cost detection of pathogens with high sensitivity and specificity. These analyses and screening of food items can be performed during all phases of production. This review presents major developments achieved in recent years in point-of-need diagnostics in land-based sector and sheds light on current challenges in achieving wider acceptance of portable devices in the food industry. Particular emphasis is placed on methods for testing nucleic acids, protocols for portable nucleic acid extraction and amplification, as well as on the means for low-cost detection and read-out signal amplification., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.