Case summary A 1-year-old domestic shorthair queen with five neonates was referred for umbilical cord entwinement in three kittens 24 h after parturition. The owner noticed the kittens were stuck to each other 3 h before admission. Despite a conservative treatment approach, prolonged ischaemia led to dry gangrenous changes in one of the kitten’s metatarsi. Relevance and novel information This and other neonatal complications in cats are rarely reported. Primiparity is a known factor contributing to postpartum complications. Furthermore, inexperienced owners require more assistance in mitigating these challenges. Therefore, further research and collaboration among breeders, owners and veterinary professionals are imperative in order to accurately determine the prevalence of this condition in kittens and develop effective strategies to address it.

The paper explores the evolving role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in perinatal medicine and hu-man reproduction, highlighting its potential to transform clinical practices. AI technologies are being utilized to improve diagnostic accuracy, personalize treatment, and enhance patient care, particularly in areas like perinatal ultrasound, fetal heart rate monitoring, and fetal neurology. The Kurjak Antenatal Neurodevelopmental Test (KANET) exemplifies how AI can aid early detection of neurodevelopmental disorders. However, the integration of AI presents challenges such as data quality concerns, algorithmic bias, ethical concerns, and the need for robust regulatory frameworks. The authors argue that while AI offers significant opportunities, its implementation must be carefully managed to avoid over-reliance on technology and ensure equitable healthcare access. The paper concludes that the current state of AI in this field marks not an endpoint but a critical phase of growth and development, necessitating a balanced approach that combines innovation with ethical and practical considerations.

Thermal insulation materials play a vital role in minimising energy loss in building operation and also affect the amount of greenhouse gas emissions associated with heating and cooling. In this context, it is becoming an increasingly important milestone to find suitable thermal insulation materials that not only meet the technical requirements but also minimise their environmental impact. The trend towards the use of eco-friendly materials for thermal insulation reflects the construction industry’s desire to contribute to environmental protection and the transition to more sustainable models of building construction and renovation. For more than 20 years, a number of research teams have been investigating the possibility of replacing synthetically produced materials such as mineral wool and polystyrene foam with natural fibre-based insulation materials. These alternatives include wood as a traditional, easily renewable raw material. This, together with the low energy intensity of processing and manufacturing wood materials, contributes to its low carbon footprint. Compared to traditional synthetic insulation materials, which are often energy intensive to produce, wood is a more environmentally friendly choice. However, with many European countries now facing a potential shortage of higher quality wood, it is necessary to look for alternative sources of wood, including in the field of thermal insulation materials, materials with a lower carbon footprint that can be produced from lower quality wood or from wood waste that would otherwise only have an energy use. The paper is devoted to the study and use of suitable wood waste and secondary raw materials from spruce wood (coarse wood chips, sawdust and wood flour) for the development of modern thermal insulations with the aim of an environmentally friendly and less energy-intensive production process compared to conventional insulants.

BACKGROUND The proliferation of sexting among adolescents around the world today has woven a complex tapestry of sexual expression and exploration. However, its implications extend beyond consensual engagement, occasionally manifesting as a form of cyberviolence. Varied prevalence rates further complicate our understanding of the extent of youth sexting worldwide. Therefore, this study aims to provide a tool to measure sexting in young people from different countries by validating the Sexting Behaviours and Motives Questionnaire (SBM-Q), a comprehensive instrument that captures the diversity of consensual and non-consensual sexting behaviors and motives in different countries. METHOD A total of 4739 students, aged 15 to 25, participated. They were from Spain (1563), Croatia (1598), and Bosnia and Herzegovina (1578). Confirmatory factor analyses and multigroup analyses were conducted. RESULTS The validity of the instrument was confirmed, endorsing its six-factor structure, which includes the dimensions of sending, reasons for sending, victimization by non-consensual forwarding, receiving, forwarding, and reasons for forwarding. Internal consistency across the three countries further underscores the robustness of the SBM-Q. CONCLUSIONS This validated questionnaire provides a reliable measure for understanding sexting behaviors and motives in different countries. Cultural nuances are discussed.

Abstract Red mud, a voluminous industrial waste produced during the Bayer process in the alumina industry, has numerous application possibilities across various fields. Its potential uses are diverse, ranging from the construction industry and metallurgy to environmental protection and agriculture. There are three main aspects of red mud utilization. First, it can be analyzed from the point of view of resource utilization, where it could be applied as raw material mostly in the construction industry. Second, it could be a useful source of valuable components, such as rare earths and metals, especially iron. Third, red mud could have different environmental applications, in wastewater treatment, soil remediation, etc.The paper summarizes current data on red mud utilization methods and aims to emphasize the potential for red mud utilization in various fields.

Accurate differentiation between Ventricular Tachycardia (VT) and Ventricular Fibrillation (VF) is essential in the field of cardiology. Recent advancements in deep learning have facilitated automated arrhythmia recognition, surpassing traditional electrocardiogram (ECG) methods that depend on manual feature extraction. Building on our previous work, which emphasized the importance of identifying patterns of regularity, we have developed a model that merges Graph Convolutional Networks (GCN) with Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks. This GCN-LSTM model employs a trainable weighted ϵ-neighborhood graph to capture the similarity among time series within ECG segments. This approach has demonstrated substantial improvement in the classification of VT, VF, and non-ventricular rhythms.

Prostate cancer (PC) is one of the most commonly diagnosed malignancies worldwide and the second leading cause of mortality among men (1). Nowadays, radical prostatectomy is considered the primary therapeutic modality for treating patients with localized PC (stage pT2), providing a five-year survival rate of nearly 100% (2). Sexual dysfunction in men associated with PC treatment encompasses three distinct entities: erectile dysfunction (ED) and penile shortening; ejaculatory and orgasmic dysfunction; and psychosexual dysfunction, which pertains to sexual desire, intimacy, and mental health (3). Penile rehabilitation (PR) is defined as the use of any intervention or combination of procedures aimed not only at achieving an erection sufficient for satisfactory sexual intercourse but also at restoring erectile function to its preoperative level (4). Despite eff orts to preserve the neurovascular bundle during radical prostatectomy, ED remains a common outcome. Although prevalence rates of ED after the procedure vary widely, recent studies report rates as high as 85% (5). This is primarily due to the lack of control over factors that significantly influence the erection recovery, such as the patient’s age, preoperative erectile function, comorbidities, surgical approach (open, laparoscopic, or robot-assisted), surgical technique (non-, uni-, or bilateral nerve-sparing), and the surgeon’s skills and experience. The pathophysiology of postoperative ED is multifactorial. The primary mechanisms are believed to be damage to the cavernous nerves, whether through dis-section or neuropraxia, and vascular injury, which includes damage to the accessory pudendal arteries, hypoxia and fibrosis of the endothelium and smooth muscle, resulting in penile shortening (6-8). Although there is no consensus on the optimal approach to PR, accepted modalities include the use of phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE-5i; such as sildenafil, vardenafil, tadalafil) and vacuum erection de-vices (VED) or vacuum constriction devices (VCD) as first-line therapies. Second-line treatments involve prostaglandin E1 preparations for intracavernous, or intraurethral (MUSE – “Medicated Urethral System for Erection”) administration. The final therapeutic option is the implantation of penile prostheses (3-10).

U razdoblju dvije godine (2019, 2020) proučavane su fizikalne i kemijske osobine ploda dvije sorte trešnje (Isabella i Prima Giant) cijepljene na podlozi Saint Lucie 64 u agroekološkim uvjetima submediteranske Hercegovine na tri različita tipa tla na lokalitetima: Blagaj, Konjusi i Aladinići. Istraživanja su obuhvaćala analizu mase ploda i koštice, dužinu peteljke, dimenzije ploda, sadržaj ukupnih kiselina i ukupnih šećera. Rezultati su pokazali da je sorta Prima Giant u 2020. godini imala najveću prosječnu vrijednost za sve promatrane fizikalne parametre ploda (masu ploda i koštice, dužinu peteljke, širinu ploda). Sorta Isabella je u 2019. godini imala najveću prosječnu masu koštice i dužinu peteljke, dok su plodovi sorte Prima Giant imali najveću prosječnu masu, dužinu, širinu i debljinu ploda. Na osnovu dobivenih vrijednosti, sorta Prima Giant je pokazala bolje rezultate fizikalnih osobina ploda u odnosu na sortu Isabella. Sorta Isabella je imala najveću prosječnu vrijednost ukupnih šećera i kiselina.

<p>This study investigated the mechanical properties of a series of Fe-Cr-Mn (Mo)-N alloys. The chromium<br />content ranged from 16 to 18 mass%. The test alloys were produced by adding nitrided ferroalloys during<br />melting in an induction furnace. Test specimens of each alloy were prepared for mechanical testing and<br />microstructural observation. Tensile strength (TS) and elongation (EL) were determined. By increasing or<br />decreasing the content of the chromium, it can directly affected on the values of the mechanical properties<br />and the final microstructure. A series of experiments showed that increasing the chromium content by<br />1.46 mass% in the Fe-16Cr-8Mn (Mo)-N alloy led to a decrease in the TS value by 12% and in the EL value by<br />16.1%, while increasing the chromium content by 0.72 mass% in the Fe-16Cr-11Mn (Mo)-N alloy caused a<br />decrease in the TS value by 6.1% and in the EL value by 16%. The chromium content of 16 mass % in the<br />studied alloys was found to provide sufficient strength and a relatively high elongation value. The alloys<br />can also contain a higher mass fraction of chromium, but to obtain a complete austenitic structure it is<br />necessary to increase the content of manganese and nitrogen.</p>

<p>Modern steel production cannot be imagined without manganese, because almost all steels contain<br />manganese.<br />In this paper, we present the impact of manganese on the tensile strength values of high-carbon steel.<br />This paper presents an improvement in the quality of wire rolling with control of manganese content in<br />steel and the value of C-equivalent, in industrial conditions, which is of particular importance in the<br />production of this quality of steel.<br />For the presented quality of rolled wire made of high-carbon steel, it is possible to control the C-equivalent<br />in high-carbon steel to achieve values for tensile strength in exceptionally narrow tolerances of 1000 &plusmn; 30<br />MPa.</p>

<p>Steel 17-7PH is austenitic-martensitic steel with high strength, hardness, and resistance to creep, and<br />corrosion. It is designed for aerospace components, but can also be used for other applications that require<br />high strength and corrosion resistance, as well as leaf springs for operation at temperatures up to 316 &deg;C. It<br />can be used in a solution-treated or heat-treated state to obtain a wide range of property values. This<br />paperwork shows that modification of the contents of alloying elements with a narrower interval of Cr, Ni,<br />and Al can be obtained from austenitic-martensitic steel 17-7PH which by, a subsequent heat treatment,<br />can have values of mechanical and chemical properties required for components of an automotive engine.<br />Chromium is an alphagenic alloying element that stabilizes the ferrite region, nickel is a gammagenic<br />alloying element that stabilizes austenite and gives these steels good strength and toughness, even at low<br />temperatures and aluminum increases corrosion resistance in low-carbon corrosion-resistant steels<br />Research has determined the most suitable interval of Cr, Ni, and Al, which in combination with the<br />cryogenic heat treatment RH950 at -50 &deg;C gives the mechanical and chemical properties that meet the<br />requirements for steel with standard chemical composition.</p>

Crna topola (Populus nigra L.) je jedna od najznačajnijih europskih vrsta drveća koja nastanjuje aluvijalna staništa uz obale velikih rijeka. U Bosni i Hercegovini postoji značajan neiskorišten zemljišni potencijal pogodan za reintrodukciju autohtonih crnih topola, kao i podizanje intenzivnih i ekstenzivnih nasada hibridnih i američkih crnih topola. Cilj ovoga istraživanja je utvrditi početak i završetak fenoloških faza listanja, kao i zimsko zadržavanje lista, što će pomoći pri selekciji pogodnih klonova autohtonih crnih topola za reintrodukciju na određenom lokalitetu i za određene mikroklimatske uvjete u svrhu očuvanja autohtonog genofonda, te klonova hibridnih topola za osnivanje plantaža u Bosni i Hercegovini. Istaživan je materijal 161 klona autohtonih crnih topola iz 26 populacija iz slivova 6 rijeka, te 11 klonova proizvodnih hibridnih topola (euro-američke ili kanadske) i američkih crnih topola. Klonovi se nalaze u klonskom arhivu u Žepču, koji je podignut 2006. godine. Promatrana je fenologija listanja i to od 14.3.- 22.4.2019. godine i to u šest fenoloških faza 0 - uspavani pupoljak, 1 – napukli pup, 2 – probijanje pupa, 3 – pup otvoren, listovi skupljeni, 4 – listovi se razdvajaju, 5 – listovi potpuno razvijeni). Zadržavanje lista praćeno je od 30.8.-4.11.2019. godine i ocjenjivano u tri kategorije: 1 - prisutni svi listovi na stablu, 2 - 50% listova je preostalo na stablu, 3 – nema preostalih listova na stablu. Efektivna duljina vegetacijske sezone definirana je kao vrijeme između pojavljivanja faze pucanja pupova (ocjena 3) i ocjena opadanja lišća 2 (tj. kada je 50% lišća ostalo na stablu). Analiza varijance pokazala je statistički značajne razlike između klonova iz različitih populacija za duljinu trajanja fenoloških faza listanja. Fenološka faza 1 (napukli pupovi) najranije se javila 14.3. a faza 5 (potpuno otvoreni listovi) najranije 8.4. Rezultati zadržavanja listova pokazuju da su 4.11. svi klonovi u klonskom arhivu odbacili list 100%. Najkraću efektivnu duljinu vegetacijskog perioda imali su klonovi populacije Bugojno (154 dana), a najdužu klonovi Populus boleana i Populus nigra var. italica te klonovi populacija Čapljina (sliv rijeke Neretve); Dobrinje, Visoko, Babina rijeka, Maglaj, Doboj (sliv rijeke Bosne); Kopači i Tegare (sliv rijeke Drine). Rezultati istraživanja su značajni za odabir klonova sa boljom prilagodbom na uvjete staništa, te obnovu i uporabu klonskog reprodukcijskog materijala crnih topola u Bosni i Hercegovini.

INTRODUCTION Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is one of the neglected tropical diseases that affects impoverished communities throughout the world. In Pakistan CL is an endemic disease. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES This study aimed to determine the incidence of CL infection in the Baluchistan province of Pakistan from January 2020 to March 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODOLOGY A total of 1047 clinically suspected cases of CL from Bolan Medical College Hospital, Quetta, were followed up in the study. The data regarding the epidemiological characterstics, pathological information, and treatment of patients was collected. RESULTS Out of 1047 probable cases of CL, 594 (56.73%) cases were found to be positive for CL. Females had the highest infection rate, with the majority of reported cases being in the 0-9-year age group. Most CL cases were reported in April in the year 2020, with a few cases reported in June. But in the year 2021, the highest number of cases were reported in December. The number of overall cases has gradually increased in the year 2022, most likely because of the reduction in COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. The p value for the positive as compared to suspected cases in the years 2020, 2021, and 2022 was calculated as 0.8925, 0.8763, and 0.8535 respectively. CONCLUSIONS Further epidemiological studies and health education campaigns are recommended to increase public awareness. It is strongly advised that local, provincial, and national health authorities establish and maintain effective leishmaniasis surveillance systems to promptly identify disease outbreaks and implement timely control measures.