Introduction: Injuries to the radial nerve can occur at any point along its anatomical route, and the etiology quite varies. A particular entity are war injuries of the extremities, which have high morbidity but low mortality. After irreparable radial nerve injury, the only treatment is tendon transfer (if we neglect arthrodesis) with over then 40 methods. Four tendon transfers are considered as better than the other and two of them are the subject of our article flexor carpi radialis (FCR) and flexor carpi ulnaris (FCU). Aim: To evaluate the ultimate functional results of forearm tendon transfers for irreparable radial nerve damage caused by war injuries and indicate the better operative treatment choice in accordance with the evaluation schemes. Methods: This retrospective research included 40 patients with isolated irreparable radial nerve damage. Patients were operated from 1993 to 1996. The follow-up period is from 3.5 to 11.5 years (until 2007). Twenty patients were operated using FCR tendon transfer method and twenty patients were operated using FCU tendon transfer method. The surgery was performed at the Clinic for Reconstructive and Plastic Surgery, Clinical Center University of Sarajevo. Three score evaluation schemes were used: Zachary, Neumann Pertecke and Tajima scheme, along with subjective evaluation of treatment. Results: Measured by the Zachary Evaluation Scheme, the overall score in patients undergoing FCR tendon transfer is 92.25%. In patients undergoing FCU tendon transfer, the total score was 82.20%. The total result of all 40 operated patients was 87.25%. The Zachary evaluation scheme showed a significant difference between FCR and FCU results by tendon transfer (p <0.05) in favor of the FCR tendon transfer. Tajima scheme proved a statistically significant difference between the two tendon transfers (p = 0.024), also in favor of FCR tendon transfers. Conclusion: Forearm tendon transfer is a relevant method to compensate for the loss of function of the wrist, fingers and thumb extensions as a result of irreparable damage to the radial nerve. FCR tendon transfer provides better functional results than FCU tendon transfer in irreparable radial nerve damage. The time elapsed from the injury to the performed surgery of the tendon transfer has no effect on the final functional result. There is no surgical tendon transfer procedure that can be recommended as a standard for any patient. Practically, the surgeon must tailor the surgery to the patient’s needs. It is necessary to develop a unique and generally accepted evaluation scheme for the results of tendon transfers that will enable comparisons of results achieved. Both methods can be used for irreparable damage of radial nerve due to any etiology.

Connected devices in IoT as well as the smartwatch market are getting more and more popular every year. The main mode of communication in IoT is an easy-to-use MQTT protocol suitable for devices with limited resources and battery power. Tizen is used for platforms such as mobile devices, smartwatches, TVs and even Linux kernel-based IoT devices. In this paper, we explain how MQTT protocol, Tizen operating systems and their architecture work, and suggest one possible implementation of a MQTT protocol for Smartwatches based on the Tizen operating system. We list the types of Tizen applications, develop a native application, and suggest possible future upgrades and appliances in IoT.

Abstract The magnitude-based Fourier descriptors (FD) are frequently used in shape-based image retrieval, due to their efficiency and effectiveness. Unlike the phase-preserving Fourier descriptors, the magnitude-based Fourier descriptors are inherently invariant under rotation and starting point change, but they discard all valuable information contained in the phase of the Fourier coefficients (FCs). In order to preserve the coefficients’ phase, the orientation and starting point of the shape must be determined. In this paper, we conducted a comprehensive evaluation of different state-of-the-art methods for determining nominal shape orientation, which can be used to extract phase-preserving Fourier descriptors: the point of maximal radius, the axis of least inertia (moments), the phase of the first harmonic, the cross-correlation, the Procrustes distance and the pseudomirror points. The methods were compared in terms of sensitivity to non-rigid transformations, retrieval performance, computational complexity and computational time. The experimental results give insight into the pros and cons of all analyzed methods.

Abstract This paper presents the design and development of a distributed measurement system for measuring pressure in high voltage circuit breakers (HV CB) and other switching apparatuses, during no-load operations. Instead of using traditional pressure transducers which require significant installation space, additional data acquisition cards and often demand for complex wiring, an in-house solution of pressure measurement is proposed. The system consists of miniature sensors, accompanied with a suitable amplifier, microcontroller unit and communication module, which may be distributed inside the interrupter unit in convenient locations. Due to the fact that the measurement values are transmitted digitally, measurement noise is significantly reduced while the wiring of the system is additionally simplified. The proposed measurement system is tested using two different interrupters (HV CB and a load break switch). The experimental results have demonstrated that the developed system is applicable, accurate, cost-effective, flexible and simple to use.

A significant number of small farms in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) produce berry fruits. Some of them achieve good economic results, however many have significant potential for further improvement. Due to several beneficial factors, many farms decide for cultivation of a single berry fruit activity, however this decision implies a potential risk in case of unfavourable production or market conditions for that crop. The aim of this analysis is therefore to observe the extent of risk reduction by application of different diversification strategies, using two types of berry fruits; and the most efficient production plans for such a farm from a risk perspective. A linear program was utilized to prepare an optimal production plan, while quadratic risk programming served to analyse risk. Results show that diversification could be a significantly important possibility for risk reduction on such farm type. It is possible to reduce risk with capital and labour less intensive production activities. Production of the highly intensive strawberry variety Clery has highest Estimated Gross Margin (EGM), but is also associated with very high risk. If one includes raspberries or blueberries into the production plan, it is possible to significantly reduce risk while almost keeping EGM at the same level. On the other hand, if the farmer is risk averse, the highest opportunity cost for risk reduction on such a farm type is in production of raspberry and blueberry, where it is necessary to give up 3.25 EUR on average for decreasing risk for one EUR. In the other two scenarios, production of strawberry – blueberry and strawberry – raspberry, risk gradient values are almost the same with amount 2.57 EUR sand 2.56 EUR, respectively.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

The neuropeptides oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (VP) and their G protein-coupled receptors OTR, V1aR, V1bR, and V2R form an important and widely-distributed neuroendocrine signaling system. In mammals, this signaling system regulates water homeostasis, blood pressure, reproduction, as well as social behaviors such as pair bonding, trust and aggression. There exists high demand for ligands with differing pharmacological profiles to study the physiological and pathological functions of the individual receptor subtypes. Here, we present the pharmacological characterization of an arthropod (Metaseiulus occidentalis) OT/VP-like nonapeptide across the human OT/VP receptors. I8-arachnotocin is a full agonist with respect to second messenger signaling at human V2R (EC50 34 nM) and V1bR (EC50 1.2 µM), a partial agonist at OTR (EC50 790 nM), and a competitive antagonist at V1aR [pA2 6.25 (558 nM)]. Intriguingly, I8-arachnotocin activated the Gαs pathway of V2R without recruiting either β-arrestin-1 or β-arrestin-2. I8-arachnotocin might thus be a novel pharmacological tool to study the (patho)physiological relevance of β-arrestin-1 or -2 recruitment to the V2R. These findings furthermore highlight arthropods as a novel, vast and untapped source for the discovery of novel pharmacological probes and potential drug leads targeting neurohormone receptors.

An important aspect of managing multi access point (AP) IEEE 802.11 networks is the support for mobility management by controlling the handover process. Most handover algorithms, residing on the client station (STA), are reactive and take a long time to converge, and thus severely impact Quality of Service (QoS) and Quality of Experience (QoE). Centralized approaches to mobility and handover management are mostly proprietary, reactive and require changes to the client STA. In this paper, we first created an Software-Defined Networking (SDN) modular handover management framework called HuMOR, which can create, validate and evaluate handover algorithms that preserve QoS. Relying on the capabilities of HuMOR, we introduce ABRAHAM, a machine learning backed, proactive, handover algorithm that uses multiple metrics to predict the future state of the network and optimize the load to ensure the preservation of QoS. We compare ABRAHAM to a number of alternative handover algorithms in a comprehensive QoS study, and demonstrate that it outperforms them with an average throughput improvement of up to 139%, while statistical analysis shows that there is significant statistical difference between ABRAHAM and the rest of the algorithms.

Introduction: Electroencephalography can also be used to monitor long-term recovery of the patient after acute phase of the disease. Impaired neurocognitive function after infection, similar to brain injury, may present a transient but also prolonged problem for the functioning of an individual. Some studies have shown that importance of EEG may not be significant in sequel monitoring, because the extensive changes in EEG seen with severe forms of CNS infection do not necessarily imply a longer-term poor outcome. Aim: To examine the predictive potential of electroencephalography (EEG) in regard to the emergence of neurological and cognitive sequelae of acute central nervous system (CNS) infection. Methods: The study included 62 patients treated at the Clinic for Infectious Diseases, Clinical Center of Sarajevo University, who were diagnosed with acute CNS infection. The EEG record was characterized as: normal, non-specific changes of mild, moderate and severe degree and specific changes. The sequelae (headache, cognitive dysfunction, neurological and neurophysiological disorders, audiological and behavioral disorders) was evaluated by combining neurological, psychiatric, pediatric, otolaryngological, ophthalmic and infectological examination in the Neuroinfective Counseling Department for up to 6 months after discharge. Results: After a treatment of an acute CNS infection 25 (40.3%) patients had no sequelae and 37 (59.7%) were with sequelae. The EEG in the initial stage of the disease (Wald’s coefficient = 12.8), followed by the age of the patients (Wald = 6.4), had the greatest influence on the prediction of sequela (p=0.0001). For each additional degree of verified pathological changes in the EEG, the risk of sequelae was increased by 5 degrees (OR = 5.3), respectively. There was no statistically significant association between changes in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) findings, meningeal symptoms, and signs with sequelae development. Conclusion: Younger age, as well as severe clinical status of a patient, which implies a disorder of consciousness and seizures on admission, are associated with irreversible consequences on a previously mentally healthy individual. Pathological changes (Delta and Theta waves, spike slow complex wave) on the EEG finding significantly predicted presence of sequelae. .

Abstract Background In head and neck cancers, the number of intra-tumoral lymphocytes associates with improved survival. The impact of the exact cellular composition and localization of these lymphocytes, however, is less well studied. In the current study, we assessed the prognostic values of density, localization and cellular networks of defined lymphocyte populations in early-stage oral tongue cancer. Methods Patient with T1-T2, primary oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma and treated with surgical resections and without any peri-operative (chemo) radiotherapy were included in a discovery cohort (n = 47). Multiplexed in-situ immunofluorescent staining was performed using FFPE sections for CD4, CD8, CD20, pan-cytokeratin and cellular nuclei (DAPI); and spatial distributions of 3 lymphocyte populations were assessed in the tumour and stromal compartments, both at the invasive margin (IM) and the center of tumours (CT). Using algorithm-based pathology and nearest neighbor analysis (NNA), we have computed cellular densities and networks for lymphocytes and related these immune parameters to overall survival (OS). Findings were validated using another cohort of patients with identical clinical characteristics (n = 91). Results In our discovery cohort, we observed a high stromal density of CD20-positive B cells at IM but not CT, which correlated with OS (p = 0.005, HR 0.225). NNA demonstrated that survival benefit particularly related to the number of CD20 cells in the vicinity of CD4 cells and the frequency of B cells touching each other. The prognostic value of B cell-rich areas was validated in a second cohort, but only for those patients with low stromal densities of CD4 T cells (in accordance to discovery cohort, p = 0.007, HR = 0.275). Conclusion Our study highlights the prognosis of B cell-rich areas in early-stage oral-tongue cancer patients, particularly in the context of low intra-tumoral CD4 T cell densities. Legal entity responsible for the study The authors. Funding Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands and HRH Princess Chulabhorn College of Medical Science, Bangkok, Thailand. Disclosure All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

To deliver on the 2030 Agenda and the seventeen development goals, while facing complex health challenges, we need research and education that extend across multiple scientific fields. This will enable researchers from a variety of disciplines to meet, identify research issues, apply for funding, and conduct interdisciplinary research. In addition, student involvement is key in achieving the 2030 Agenda’s global goals – and beyond. Challenges include, climate change and child health, non-peaceful societies, gender inequalities and health. The Swedish Institute for Global Health Transformation (SIGHT) was founded in 2017 at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences with the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. SIGHT’s mission is to promote an interdisciplinary approach in research and education in the field of global health. In order to deliver on the commitment to global health among researchers and students in various scientific fields and at universities and colleges across Sweden, SIGHT has established SIGHT Fellows, a mentoring programme for academic researchers. In collaboration with universities, established research institutions, and other stakeholders, SIGHT Student Network holds dynamic meetings for students from a variety of disciplines and universities to contribute to delivering the UN’s sustainability goals.

System of Systems (SoS) represent a set of independent Constituent Systems (CS) that collaborate in order to provide functionalities that they are unable to achieve independently. We consider SoS as a set of connected services that needs to be adequately protected. The integration of these independent, evolutionary and distributed systems, intensifies SoS complexity and emphasizes the behavior uncertainty, which makes an SoS security analysis a critical challenge. One of the major priorities when designing SoS, is to analyze the unknown dependencies among CS services and vulnerabilities leading to potential cyberattacks. The aim of this work is to investigate how Software Engineering approaches could be leveraged to analyze the cyberattack propagation problem within an SoS. Such analysis is essential for an efficient SoS risk assessment performed early at the SoS design phase and required to protect the SoS from possibly high impact attacks affecting its safety and security. In order to achieve our objective, we present a model-driven analysis approach, based on Bayesian Networks, a sensitivity analysis and Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) with aim to discover potential cyberattacks propagation and estimate the probability of a security failure and its impact on SoS services. We illustrate this approach in an autonomous quarry example.