This article introduces a mechanistic framework to reclassify suboptimal responses to GLP-1 receptor agonists. It defines three mechanistic subtypes of incretin resistance—receptor-level, post-receptor, and secretory—highlighting their distinct pathways and therapeutic implications. This model promotes personalized care by moving beyond the oversimplified ‘non-responder’ classification.

To assess the efficacy in relation to costs of three retention techniques: vacuum-formed retainers (VFR) with lingual-bonded braided and multistranded wire retainers in the mandible. A total of 93 participants, aged 12–21 years at the start of the retention phase (median age: 16 years; 66% females) were assessed. Analysis included retainer survival rate, costs associated with retention procedures, degree of mandibular incisor irregularity, and patient satisfaction. The cost-minimization analysis accounted for direct costs (material and production expenses, utility costs, and chair time based on personnel wages). The survival rate of retainers was 74% for VFR, 71% for rectangular wire retainers, and 62% for round wire retainers, with no significant differences among groups. Incisor alignment relapse was minimal overall but was highest in the VFR group compared to both wire types (p < 0.001). No differences in satisfaction were observed between groups. However, total retention costs varied significantly (p = 0.001), with the VFR group showing the lowest median cost (34.39 €) and rectangular wire group the highest (44.61 €). The retainers demonstrated similar survival rates, provided equal patient satisfaction, and maintained alignment effectively, with differences in stability remaining below evidence-based thresholds. However, VFR incurred 21–23% lower costs than fixed retainers, a finding with practical relevance for public or resource-limited settings. ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05121220. Registered 02 October 2021.

This paper presents a vendor-agnostic architecture for secure pre-shared key (PSK) exchange between Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) nodes, leveraging post-quantum cryptography (PQC) tools. The proposed system combines PQC-OpenVPN and OQS-OpenSSH with USB mass storage emulation and single-board computers (SBCs) to automate the transfer of initial authentication secrets. This design significantly reduces manual intervention and mitigates risks associated with physical key handling. The solution was experimentally validated on IDQ Clavis3 and Cerberis3 devices and is broadly applicable to other QKD platforms that support only USB-based key input. Integration of lattice-based algorithms such as Kyber, Dilithium, and ML-DSA enables encapsulation and authentication of quantum-safe keys. Furthermore, a layered design using VPN and SSH channels provides robust cryptographic isolation for authentication material in transit. The work contributes a reproducible and cost-effective testbed for post-quantum hardened QKD deployments and demonstrates the practical feasibility of combining PQC mechanisms with QKD systems to enhance trust in future quantum-safe infrastructures.

The paper investigated the variability of the morphological-anatomical traits of one-year-old oak seedlings (Quercus cerris L. and Quercus rubra L.) produced in three different container types (Hiko, Plantagrah, biodegradable). A two-factorial ANOVA showed for the morphological characteristics (root collar diameter and height) statistically significant difference between the species and between the containers, too. The interaction between the variability factors (container type and species) also affects height and root collar diameter. As for the obtained results of two-factorial ANOVA for anatomical parameters (wood, bark, pith proportion, and vessel width), statistically significant differences were obtained for all of them between species, as well as between container types. On the other hand, the interaction of container type and species does not affect vessel width and bark content unlike wood and pith proportion. Comparing the species, it can be concluded that the average values of all traits, apart from vessel width, are higher in Q.rubra L. The largest dimensions of all elements regardless of the species were obtained for Hiko, then Plantagrah, and the smallest for biodegradable container.

Reproducibility in biological research and manufacturing remains constrained by the complexity of multi-step protocols, fragmented data-analysis pipelines, and the intrinsic variability of experimental execution. Here, we present Agentic Lab, an agentic-physical AI platform that unifies large language model and vision language model (LLMs/VLMs)-driven reasoning with real-world laboratory operations. Agentic Lab uses multi-agent orchestration architecture, comprising of specialized subagents for knowledge retrieval, protocol design, multimodal data analysis, and training-free segmentation and representation learning for intrinsically explainable single-cell and organoid phenotyping. These agents operate under the orchestration of a virtual principal investigator MolAgent that is linked to an augmented reality (AR)-based physical AI interface, which can bridge digital reasoning with human physical execution. Agentic Lab perceives real-world experimental activities, provides context-aware instructions, identifying procedural errors in real time for humans to correct, and continuously evolves with its long-term memory database expanding through the accumulation of experimental data logs from human scientists. This interaction allows scientists and AI agents to collaborate and co-evolve dynamically, closing the loop between planning, action, and analysis in the traditional cell and organoid research lifecycle. We demonstrate Agentic Lab in organoid differentiation from human pluripotent stem cells, where it autonomously generates protocols, monitors culture procedures, and identifies subtle morphological heterogeneity linked to growth conditions. The system interprets these phenotypes, grounds them in literature, and proposes targeted instructions for improving differentiation efficiency. By combining multi-agent reasoning with physical laboratory awareness, Agentic Lab transforms experimentation and biomanufacturing from a static workflow into an adaptive, feedback-driven, bidirectional process that integrates agentic AI into the research lifecycle. This framework establishes a foundation for intelligent laboratories that integrate design, execution, and interpretation within a unified agentic-physical system.

INTRODUCTION obesity during university studies is becoming a growing problem. In order to recognize health risks in the young population as early as possible, it is important to define objective criteria for obesity. Body mass index (BMI) and percentage of body fat (PBF) are the most common parameters for assessing obesity. OBJECTIVE the aim of this research is to determine the criteria of BMI for young university students as a young adult population based on PBF criteria. METHODS this study included 1272 university students, divided by gender (675 females and 597 males). PBF was measured using multichannel bioelectrical impedance analysis InBody 720. RESULTS percentile distribution was used to establish obesity criteria for PBF based in four categories: athlete, fit, normally nourished and overweight. The results for female showed that the BMI cut-off value for the athlete criterion is 21.97 kg/m2, for the fit criterion is 22.01 kg/m2, for the normally nourished 23.18 kg/m2 and for the overweight 27.29 kg/m2. The results for male showed that for the athlete criterion the cut-off value for BMI was 23.70 kg/m2, for the fit criterion 25.66 kg/m2, for the normally nourished 26.63 kg/m2 and for the overweight 29.60 kg/m2. CONCLUSION the existing standard BMI criteria for young adults are not specifically accurate regarding obesity. We propose to redefine BMI nutritional status criteria based on PBF for young adult subjects.

This longitudinal study aimed to examine the in-season variations in morphological, cardiorespiratory, muscular, and motor fitness components in junior male basketball players during an 8-month competitive season. Eighteen male basketball players (16.56 ± 0.90 years) were tested at three time points (T1, T2, T3). Assessed variables included body fat (BF), fat-free mass (FFM), muscle mass (MM), total body water (TBW), maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), final running speed in the 30-15 Intermittent Fitness Test (VIFT), maximum and average heart rate (HRmax, HRavg), squat jump (SJ), countermovement jump with arm swing (CMJmax), drop jump (DJ), 20 m sprint with 5 m and 10 m splits, T-test (TT), and Lane Agility Drill (LAD). Significant improvements were observed in body mass (T1–T3, p = 0.002; T2–T3, p = 0.039), along with reductions in BF (T1–T2 and T1–T3, p < 0.05) and increases in FFM and MM (especially T2–T3, p < 0.05). VO2max increased significantly from T1 to T2 and T3 (p < 0.01), while HRaverage decreased across all intervals (p < 0.001), and HRmax declined slightly from T1 to T3 (p = 0.031). VIFT improved significantly between T1 and both T2 and T3 (p < 0.001). Measures of explosive strength (SJ, CMJmax, DJ) and agility (TT, LAD) showed consistent improvement across the season (p < 0.001), with moderate gains from T2 to T3 (p < 0.01 for SJ). These findings suggest meaningful physical and physiological adaptations during the competitive season, highlighting the importance of structured and continuous training throughout critical phases of athletic development in junior basketball players.

The present study aims to analyze the performance discrepancies between a specified case study fighter and his opponents across 18 competitive kickboxing matches. The research involved a sample comprising of a singular subject pitted against 18 distinct opponents (n=19) in a series of competitive kickboxing bouts, all male participants possessing a minimum of five years of experience in kickboxing. A total of 40 variables were identified, of which 37 were designated to evaluate technical prowess, while the remaining 3 focused on tactics. The assessment of performance, based on video recordings, was carried out by a panel of three evaluators. To ascertain the disparities in the efficacy of technical and tactical components between the case study fighter and his opponents, the Chi-square test of total frequencies variance was employed at a statistical significance level of 0.05, utilizing the IBM SPSS 26.0 software. Standardized residuals exceeding +2.0 and falling below -2.0 were instrumental in identifying the key variables contributing to the overall divergence between the case study fighter and his opponents. The outcomes of the study revealed a significant statistical contrast between the case study fighter and his adversary across 23 variables, encompassing hand-based strikes in 6 instances, leg-based strikes in 9 instances, arm and leg defense in 4 instances, advanced defense techniques in 3 instances, method of victory in 1 instance, and tactics in 1 instance. The research findings shed light on the distinct disparities between the case study fighter under examination and his opponents, highlighting the opponents' heightened usage of hand and foot strikes as opposed to the case study fighter's superior proficiency in hand and foot defenses, alongside adept employment of advanced defensive maneuvers.

Introduction: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic, progressive and degenerative joint disease whose main cause is the breakdown and loss of articular cartilage, along with other articular and extra-articular changes such as bone hypertrophy (osteophyte formation), hypotrophy or muscle atrophy. After cardiovascular Osteoarthritis is the second most common chronic disease, primarily of the hip and knee joints. Osteoarthritis of the knee is an important factor in the occurrence of physical damage in the elderly and affects a person's functional abilities, and thus the quality of life. Working hypothesis: Physiotherapy leads to an improvement in the quality of life of people with knee osteoarthritis treated at the "Reumal" Fojnica health resort, while the null hypothesis is the negation of the working hypothesis. Research goals: To examine the sociodemographic characteristics of subjects with knee osteoarthritis, to assess the quality of life of people with knee osteoarthritis before and after the use of physiotherapy, to analyze the type and modalities of physiotherapy use by subjects in the study group. Material and methods of research: The research was conducted in 2023 at the “Reumal” health resort in Fojnica. The research included 50 subjects of both sexes with knee osteoarthritis. The subjects completed a general and standardized questionnaire before and after the physiotherapy program. Research results: Of the total number of male respondents, 16 (32.0%) were male, and 34 (68.0%) were female. The average age of the respondents in the research group was 72.98±7.31 years. The most commonly used physiotherapy modalities were parafango (52.0%), pearl bath (46.0%) and TENS (44.0%). The assessment of quality of life established a statistically significant improvement in quality of life after physiotherapy on the mental health scale, difficulties in performing work and the scale of impact on sexual life. Correlation analysis shows that there is a statistically significant influence of age on the improvement in quality of life according to the pain scale, in the sense that older respondents have a lower probability of improvement (ro=-0.348; p=0.013). Conclusion: The results of our research confirmed the working hypothesis that the use of physiotherapy leads to an improvement in the quality of life of people with knee osteoarthritis treated at the "Reumal" Fojnica health resort.

Magnetic resonance imaging is a non-invasive method that does not use ionizing radiation to produce images, which is its greatest advantage for visualizing fetal pathology. Fetal magnetic resonance imaging is used to visualize pathologies of the central nervous system, abdomen, thoracic organs, and heart, particularly when ultrasound examination is insufficient. FCMR  allows detailed visualization of the fetal heart and surrounding structures during pregnancy. It is particularly useful in diagnosing congenital heart defects and assessing fetal circulation, especially when other methods such as ultrasound are inconclusive.

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), a culinary and folk medicinal plant used worldwide in infantile colic, bloating, and indigestion, has scarce scientific evidence.

Introduction: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary malignant tumor of the liver, with significant mortality and limited therapeutic options in advanced stages of the disease. In patients who are not candidates for resection or ablative procedures, transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) has established itself as standard therapy. Case report: We show a male patient, 69 years of age, diagnosed with an extensive right hepatic lobe tumor based on the CTA of the abdomen, unsuitable for surgical resection and thermal ablation. The TACE procedure using doxorubicin and embolization material was successfully performed in the catheterization laboratory (cath lab) of the Clinic of Radiology of KCUS, after which the control CTA showed a complete therapeutic response according to mRECIST criteria. Discussion: The case presented confirms that TACE is an effective treatment modality in patients with intermediate HCC, even in those with large tumor lesions. A multidisciplinary approach, adequate patient selection and precise intervention technique are key success factors. This case further emphasizes the need to integrate the TACE procedure with modern systemic therapies, including immunotherapy and targeted drugs. Conclusion: The TACE method has significant therapeutic potential in the treatment of HCC, and achieving a complete response in this case highlights the importance of an individualized approach and further research aimed at optimizing the procedure.

Abstract Introduction: Osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee is the leading cause of disability in the middle-aged and elderly population. Early detection of degenerative cartilage changes is crucial for timely therapeutic intervention and slowing the progression of the disease. Standard radiological methods often do not provide insight into the biochemical changes preceding morphological degeneration. Objective: This review aims to evaluate the diagnostic value of different MRI mapping sequences (T2, T1ρ, dGEMRIC, UTE,  3D DESS and MMF) in the early detection of biochemical changes in knee cartilage in OA, and to compare their technical and clinical characteristics. Methodology: 15 reviews of research published in the last ten years were analyzed, which used quantitative MRI sequences in assessing cartilage changes. Comparative analysis was performed based on the number of subjects, MRI techniques applied, results obtained and clinical validation. Results: T2 and T1ρ sequences are highly sensitive to disturbances in the collagen network and proteoglycan content, while dGEMRIC remains the reference method for the evaluation of glycosaminoglycans, despite the need for contrast. UTE and MMF provide additional insight into the surface and calcified zones of the cartilage, while 3D DESS enables high morphological resolution within a short time. The combination of multiple sequences shows the best diagnostic value. Most studies confirm that quantitative MRI mapping allows the detection of OA in the preclinical phase. Conclusion: MRI mapping techniques are an extremely promising tool for early diagnosis of knee OA, with the potential to replace conventional methods in clinical practice. Additional prospective research on larger samples, as well as standardization of protocols, is needed to enable wider application of these methods.