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Background/Aim. Urinary tract infection (UTI) in children with febrile neutropenia (FN) after receiving chemotherapy could be followed by atypical symptoms and signs. The absence of routine urine culture (UC) sampling for analysis could lead to undiagnosed disease and inadequate treatment of these patients. The aim of the study was to indicate the importance of sampling UC in children who have developed FN and to point out the most probable causative agents of UTI in children with FN and antibiotic sensitivity/resistance of the isolated strains. Methods. During a five-year observation period, 40 UTIs were registered in 30 patients with FN. In the study group of patients with FN, the number of UTIs, the number of recurrent UTIs, isolated pathogens, their sensitivity to antibiotics, characteristics of urine sediment, the presence of localized symptoms of UTI, and the presence of urosepsis were analyzed. The obtained results were compared with the control group which consisted of children who were healthy prior to hospitalization due to febrile urinary infection. Results. When compared to the control group, significant differences in the presence of symptoms of UTI and urine sediment findings in patients with FN were observed. A higher percentage of resistant strains of Escherichia coli isolated from UC of cancer patients with FN was noted when compared to the control group. Three UTI cases were followed by urosepsis. Conclusion. UC findings are important not only in establishing the diagnosis of UTI and detecting multi-resistant bacterial strains but also in choosing appropriate antibiotics and selecting a subgroup of patients with recurrent UTI who require further monitoring and detecting potential complications in a timely manner.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development introduced 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has endorsed connections between the maritime sector and SDGs, emphasising sustainable production in the marine environment. Consequently, technical considerations, such as ship structure sustainability, are crucial for marine safety. The impact of corrosion influences the structural degradation of vessels and the risk of structural failure and fuel oil spills significantly. The formulation of predictive corrosion models, grounded in historical data accumulated during vessel operations, emerges as an optimal strategy for designing structural elements and guaranteeing their structural integrity. This paper analyses non-linear deterministic and stochastic corrosion models, focusing on an ageing bulk carrier, to provide design-phase information for sustainable structures. Utilising data on measured steel plate thickness over a 20-year operational period, nonlinear models are employed to calculate the millimetres of thickness diminution. Assuming corrosion onset at 7, 8, and 9 years, corresponding coefficients are computed, based on the developed model. A model is also considered, in which there were no assumptions about the beginning of corrosion initiation. The corresponding annual corrosion rate was observed separately in each of the models, as a deterministic variable and as a probabilistic random variable. This approach aims to enhance the understanding of the causal relationship between corrosion processes and structural performance, contributing to the development of sustainable design practices in the maritime industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Montenegrin climate is characterised as very heterogeneous due to its complex topography. The viticultural heritage, dating back to before the Roman empire, is settled in a Mediterranean climate region, located south of the capital Podgorica, where climate conditions favour red wine production. However, an overall increase in warmer and drier periods affects traditional viticulture. The present study aims to discuss climate change impacts on Montenegrin viticulture. Bioclimatic indices, ensembled from five climate models, were analysed for both historical (1981–2010) and future (2041–2070) periods upon three socio-economic pathways: SSP1-2.6, SSP3-7.0 and SSP5-8.5. CHELSA (≈1 km) was the selected dataset for this analysis. Obtained results for all scenarios have shown the suppression of baseline conditions for viticulture. The average summer temperature might reach around 29.5 °C, and the growing season average temperature could become higher than 23.5 °C, advancing phenological events. The Winkler index is estimated to range from 2900 °C up to 3100 °C, which is too hot for viticulture. Montenegrin viticulture requires the application of adaptation measures focused on reducing temperature-increase impacts. The implementation of adaptation measures shall start in the coming years, to assure the lasting productivity and sustainability of viticulture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research background: Digitalization and the associated digital divide are crucial issues impacting socio-economic development globally. Extensive research has examined digitalization and the digital divide in EU countries, but there is a lack of understanding regarding comparisons with studies conducted in Western Balkan countries. This study investigates digitalization trends in research from the past five years in both regions, focusing on efforts and factors contributing to the digital gap. Purpose of the article: The study analyzes research on digitalization from 2018 to 2023 in the EU and Western Balkans. It explores factors causing the digital divide and efforts in digitalization, aiming to guide future research and policy for digital inclusion and sustainable development. Methods: The study employs a meticulous data selection process, choosing Scopus as the database for its extensive coverage of diverse journals. A total of 1119 articles from EU countries and 277 from Western Balkan countries are selected for bibliometric analysis, adhering to PRISMA guidelines. Findings & value added: The research reveals a growing interest in digitalization-related issues, demonstrating the multidisciplinary nature of ongoing research. It points out the distribution of publications on digitalization in the EU and Western Balkans countries. The EU focuses on digital technologies, economic growth, and sustainability, while Western Balkan countries focus on COVID-19 impact and digitalization in education and business. The research compares digitalization efforts in the EU and Western Balkan countries presented in the literature, pointing to new dimensions of the digital divide studies. It discusses how socioeconomic contexts affect digital transformation and stresses the need for tailored policy approaches for digital inclusivity. These insights are of great importance for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners working towards global digital development and bridging the digital divide. The study lays the groundwork for future research and policy considerations, considering limitations like potential bias in databases and search criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aim. Secondary lymphedema of the arm is one of possible side-effects and complications of breast cancer and its treatment which can contribute and precipitate to a number of new psychosocial problems. The aim of this study was to examine the differences in quality of life of patients suffering from breast cancer, with arm lymphedema and those without lymphedema, and to determine the significance of the perception of the disease, depressive symptoms and self-efficacy contribution to overall quality of life. Methods. The research was designed as a cross-sectional study, which included 64 patients – 34 with arm lymphedema and 30 without lymphedema. Questionnaire FACT-B + 4 was applied to assess the quality of life, BIPQ for the perception of the disease, depression was measured by DASS-21 scale, while self-efficacy was tested by SGSE scale. T-test, Mann Whitney U Test, χ2 test and hierarchical regression analysis were applied to data processing. Results. There was not any significant difference between the groups in the total score of quality of life (t = 0.469, p > 0.05), or in the individual subscales: physical well-being (t = 0.535, p > 0.05), social/family well-being (t = 1.43, p > 0.05), emotional well-being (t = 1.35, p > 0.05), functional well-being (z = -0.243, p > 0.05), breast cancer scale (t = -0.839, p > 0.05) and arm scale (t = -0.514, p >0.05), while the perception of the disease (β = -0.603, t = -5.958, p < 0.001) and depression (β = -0.411, t = - 4.101, p < 0.001) proved to be significant predictors of quality of life and explain 50.2% variance of overall quality of life. Conclusion. The results of our study indicate the importance of a comprehensive rehabilitation program, directed both at functional and psychosocial aspects.

Berth Allocation Problem incorporates some of the most important decisions that have to be made in order to achieve maximum efficiency in a port. Terminal manager of a port has to assign incoming vessels to the available berths, which need to be loaded/unloaded in such a way that some objective function is optimized. It is well known that even simpler variants of Berth Allocation Problem are NP-hard, and thus, metaheuristic approaches are more convenient than exact methods since they provide high quality solutions in reasonable computational time. Metaheuristics are general frameworks used to build heuristic algorithms for hard optimization problems. In this paper, an overview of promising and widely used metaheuristic methods in solving different variants of Berth Allocation Problem is presented.

Air pollution is a critical environmental concern that poses significant health risks and affects multiple aspects of human life. ML algorithms provide promising results for air pollution prediction. In the existing scientific literature, Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) predictive models, as well as their combination with other statistical and machine learning approaches, have been utilized for air pollution prediction. However, these combined algorithms may not always provide suitable results due to the stochastic nature of the factors that influence air pollution, improper hyperparameter configurations, or inadequate datasets and data characterized by great variability and extreme dispersion. The focus of this paper is applying and comparing the performance of Support Vector Machine and hybrid LSTM regression models for air pollution prediction. To identify optimal hyperparameters for the LSTM model, a hybridization with the Genetic Algorithm is proposed. To mitigate the risk of overfitting, the bagging technique is employed on the best LSTM model. The proposed predicitive model aims to determine the Common Air Quality Index level for the next hour in Niksic, Montenegro. With the hybridization of the LSTM algorithm and by applying the bagging technique, our approach aims to significantly enhance the accuracy and reliability of hourly air pollution prediction. The major contribution of this paper is in the application of advanced machine learning analysis and the combination of the LSTM, Genetic Algorithm, and bagging techniques, which have not been previously employed in the analysis of air pollution in Montenegro. The proposed model will be made available to interested management structures, local governments, national entities, or other relevant institutions, empowering them to make effective pollution level predictions and take appropriate measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, Special Trans Functions Theory (STFT) is used to obtain exact solutions of the transcendental equation that describes Dimensionless Injection Rate (DIR) for CO 2 storage. The obtained results were compared with DIR values calculated by a sequential asymptotic formula (SAF) based on the Lambert W function. The proposed exact analytical approach to determining DIR solutions implies considerable qualitative improvement compared to the conventional analytical and numerical methods. Determining STFT DIR solution for CO 2 storage is novel and precise, while the computations are simple, practical and do not require significant computation time. Note that the formulas derived within STFT in applied physics and engineering domains are characterized by structural robustness and complexity. It is a kind of “genetic characteristic” of STFT formulas, which does not affect the efficiency and simplicity of their applications. This paper additionally analyzes the importance of choosing an exact analytical solution for transcendent functional equations that describe the phenomenon of CO 2 storage, since these above-mentioned nonlinear forms describe many other significantly different physical phenomena. This implies the generalization of STF Theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the exploitation of bulk carriers, the condition of structural elements and areas depends on the type of the cargo transported, operational conditions and maintenance systems. Corrosion significantly accelerates the aging of metal plates and girders thus causing the deterioration of steel surfaces, which consequently reduces the reliability of structural elements, areas and ships in general. The damage to metal structures can impair the stability of a ship, reduce longitudinal strength, cause the ingress of water into the hull as well as environmental pollution through fuel spills from the tanks. Therefore, the paper analyzes a part of a double bottom structure based on the available wear data on watertight longitudinal girders of fuel tanks. The research included 25 bulk carriers aged between 5 and 25 with the total of 110 fuel tanks. The reliability analysis of steel plates included the total of 1920 data measured. The allowable wear of structural plate thickness that equals 20% of the original thickness value was determined by the application of the acceptance criteria that were prescribed by classification societies. The calculations of the function of failure density, failure intensity and reliability determined the time when the condition of structural elements deteriorates due to corrosion up to the levels that require extensive maintenance services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Tubulointerstitial nephritis and uveitis syndrome is a rare oculo-renal disease characterized by the presence of bilateral, anterior uveitis and tubulointerstitial nephritis. The pathogenesis of this disease is still not completely clear. It is associated with prior drug use, infections and autoimmune diseases. The involvement of the cellular and humoral immune responses and genetic predisposition to the development of this syndrome are frequently mentioned in the literature. In a certain number of cases, despite extensive diagnostics, the cause remains unknown (idiopathic tubulointerstitial nephritis and uveitis syndrome). Case Report. A fifteen-year-old female patient was admitted to the Department of Nephrology due to complaints of headache in the temples that occasionally occurred in the previous months. Three days before admission, the patient presented with symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection and subfebrile temperature (to 37.8°C). Laboratory test results revealed the development of acute tubulointerstitial nephritis, and in the fifth week of the disease, bilateral anterior uveitis was detected. The diagnosis was confirmed by percutaneous kidney biopsy. Systemic and local corticosteroid therapy was introduced, and after a month it resulted in gradual normalization of kidney function, proteinuria reduction and withdrawal of the ophthalmic symptoms. Conclusion. Due to the fact that kidney damage is often self-limited and that uveitis tends to be recurrent, there is a high probability of untimely diagnosis. Early recognition, detection of potential causes and initiation of treatment, are crucial in the prevention of disease progression and development of chronic sequelae such as chronic renal failure and chronic uveitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]