Exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as benzene, styrene, toluene and formaldehyde is associated with genotoxicity and increased risk of cancer. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we have assessed the effects of VOCs exposure on levels of DNA strand breaks in leukocytes, measured by the comet assay, in human biomonitoring studies. The literature search led to 57 studies included in the review. Of these, 50 studies met the criteria to be used in the meta-analysis. Using standardized mean difference and 95% confidence interval (CI), the meta-analyses show increased levels of DNA strand breaks in subjects exposed to benzene (1.59, 95% CI: 0.94, 2.24), styrene (0.87, 95% CI: 0.23, 1.51), formaldehyde (0.39, 95% CI: -0.15, 0.92) and other organic solvents (2.14, 95% CI: 1.48, 2.81). Results originate mainly from studies on workers, with only a few studies on environmental benzene exposure. Subgroup analysis indicates that all studies combined from middle-income countries have a higher effect size (1.81, 95% CI: 1.26, 2.36, n = 28) than studies from high-income countries (0.87, 95% CI: 0.49, 1.24, n = 22). This difference between middle- and high-income countries may be due to differences in exposure levels or exposure assessment. However, this might not be the only reason, as sensitivity analysis indicates that effect sizes are at risk of comet assay measurement bias, as 78% (39 out of 50 studies) and 60% (30 studies) have not reported the use of assay controls and blinded analysis of samples, respectively. Relatively few studies have a high risk of bias due to an inadequate comet assay procedure description (14%, 7 studies) and exposure misclassification (16%, 8 studies). Limitations of the study were the differences in protocols, comet descriptors, exposure assessment and control for confounding factors among the studies. In conclusion, this systematic review and meta-analysis shows that exposure to VOCs - benzene, styrene, formaldehyde and others - is associated with increased levels of DNA strand breaks in human leukocytes.

Anaesthetic gases are agents used to induce and maintain general anaesthesia during surgical procedures. Common examples include sevoflurane, isoflurane, and desflurane, which act by depressing the central nervous system to produce unconsciousness and analgesia. These gases are administered through a vaporiser and inhaled via a mask or endotracheal tube. While effective, they can contribute to environmental pollution and increase the risk of occupational exposure. Medical personnel working in operating or post-operating facilities are unavoidably exposed to anaesthetic gases. Several adverse health effects have been associated with anaesthetic gas exposure; therefore, this review aims to summarise findings on DNA strand breaks, assessed by the comet assay in leucocytes of exposed medical workers. Standardised mean differences (SMDs) have been calculated by random effects models. The meta-analysis included 16 studies. Of these, 11 showed statistically significant increased levels of DNA strand breaks, whereas another five studies showed no significant effect. Overall, there is an increased level of DNA strand breaks in exposed subjects in unadjusted analysis (SMD = 1.17, 95 % confidence interval: 0.71, 1.62) as well as analysis adjusted for missing studies by the trim-and-fill method (SMD = 0.53, 95 % confidence interval: -0.14, 1.21). In conclusion, this systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrate that exposure to anaesthetic gases in an occupational setting induces primary DNA damage in human leucocytes, warranting further research to minimise any adverse effects on exposed medical personnel. Besides, the relevance of the use of the comet assay in assessing DNA damage in human biomonitoring studies is proven.

Background/Objectives: Southeastern Europe and Croatia have served as a genetic crossroads between the Near East and Europe since prehistoric times, shaped by numerous and repeated migrations. By integrating 19 newly generated ancient genomes with 285 previously published ancient genomes from Croatia, we investigated patterns of maternal and paternal landscapes from the Neolithic, Bronze, and Iron Ages through to the Antiquity and medieval periods, as well as the modern Croatian population. Methods: Ancient DNA extraction from human remains and library preparation were conducted in dedicated clean-room facilities, followed by high-throughput sequencing on the Illumina platform. Sequencing data were analyzed with established pipelines to determine mitochondrial and Y-chromosomal haplogroups and the genetic sex of individuals. Results: New ancient data reveal a predominantly European maternal profile, dominated by haplogroups H, U, and HV0, whereas Y-chromosomal lineages are characterized by J subclades and R1a, with limited representation of R1b and the absence of I2a. When combined with published ancient Croatian genomes, the results reveal similar haplogroup diversity and patterns, as well as the expansion of mtDNA haplogroup H over time and a substantial increase in Y-chromosome R1a and I2a haplogroup frequency from the prehistoric to the modern period. Conclusions: Although the analyzed samples are heterogeneous and originate from different historical periods, their genetic signatures conform to the broader patterns expected for the region. In a wider context, the ancient Croatian mitochondrial data reveal stronger genetic persistence from prehistory to modern times, unlike paternal lineages, which show significantly higher divergence.

As the digital economy continues to evolve, the demand for humancentric competencies is becoming increasingly critical. This study examines the role of soft skills in bridging the skills gap in modern business environments, with a focus on communication, teamwork, adaptability, and emotional intelligence. Based on a survey of 71 senior managers and executives from diverse business sectors in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the findings indicate that communication skills are the most highly valued, followed closely by teamwork and adaptability. At the same time, emotional intelligence, though necessary, ranks comparatively lower. To contextualise these insights, the study incorporates ICT adoption data from the Agency for Statistics of Bosnia and Herzegovina to explore how digitalisation is reshaping workforce demands. The observed trends suggest that the need for problem-solving, adaptability, and interpersonal competencies could intensify as automation and digital tools become more integrated into business operations. The study highlights the growing need for interactive, feedback-driven training methods rather than traditional instructional approaches to develop these skills effectively. The findings inform strategic recommendations for human resource development, educational curricula, and organisational policies to ensure that businesses can cultivate a workforce capable of navigating the challenges of an increasingly digitalised economy.

Background: Lyme borreliosis/European borreliosis (LB/EB) is a multisystemic infection caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, which is transmitted to humans by the bite of ticks and other hematophagous insects. Transmitted borrelia can occupy any organ where it causes a silent inflammation, which in sensitive persons is intermittently repeated chronically. Objective: The aim of this paper was to determine how much Borrelia burgdorferii participates in the occurrence of chronic urticaria in children and adults. Methods: In the 13-year period from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2025, a study of all manifestations of Lyme borreliosis was conducted on a sample of 1,059 patients, treated and monitored in the Private practice of an infectious disease specialist. The research was retrospective-prospective, descriptive, clinical and analytical. It was carried out in three phases: the first retrospective phase and the second two prospective phases. The diagnosis of LB was established on the basis of anamnestic-epidemiological data, clinical picture, clinical findings of new borreliosis markers and performed examinations. Serological confirmation of borreliosis was done using ELISA, WB and Immunoblot methods, as well as the ex-yuvantibus method, and in the last six months of 2025, additionally, the finding of bacteria Borreliosis in a dark field with a light microscope. Results: The results showed that 92.1% of the patients in the study group had intermittent migratory redness with itching. In the majority of patients, redness was without exudation or with little or no exudation. In 4.8% of patients, typical urticarial changes were found that occurred occasionally or daily. In all subjects, we serologically confirmed the presence of Borrelia burgdorferi. All patients had intermittent itching of the skin, which lasted for years. Conclusion: Based on the results, it can be concluded that Borrelia burgdorfrii is one of the most important factors in the development of chronic urticaria in monitored patients with 96.9%. Due to its persistence in the macroorganism, it causes reduced tolerance to food. Only 3.1% of cases of urticaria are caused by some other factors. In all cases of chronic urticaria, new clinical markers should be sought on the patients’ skin. Serologically look for antibodies to Borrelia protein sequences in an immunoblot. In the active phase, look for Borrelia with a light microscope in the dark field. Administer antibiotic therapy together with antihistamines. Exclude food to which the intolerance test confirmed hypersensitivity greater than „2“.

The effectiveness of red light therapy (RLT) on cellular activity is important in determining if its usage is suitable for the treatment of various health conditions. In order to better understand the molecular and metabolic mechanisms related to RLT, our preliminary study of the effect of LED light sources 660 nm and 850 nm on the proliferation of human lymphocyte cells was further extended to analyze its effect on the synthesis of cellular enzymes. Using the Bradford method, the total concentration of proteins in lymphocytes was monitored for different time parameters and conditions of exposure and in relation to the untreated (non-irradiated) control cells. Our results show a higher protein concentration for all irradiated samples when compared to the unirradiated samples and it was especially increased for multiple exposures to red/infrared light. Since the used method cannot answer whether the increased protein concentration has positive or negative connotations, it is important to continue the research and include additional methods that test oxidative stress and the structure of chromosomes on a larger number of samples in order to gain additional understanding of the beneficial impact of RLT on lymphocyte cells.

This paper presents a production-oriented evaluation framework for entity resolution that operates without traditional ground truth data. We address the challenge of evaluating ER quality in production environments where ground truth data are unavailable, by combining continuous monitoring, domain constraints, and synthetic data generation. Our experiments show that the system has very high precision (0.99). However, the recall is low (0.41), many true matches are missed, resulting in an F-measure of 0.58. Our approach combines string similarity function optimization, adaptive blocking key design, and domain constraint validation to improve recall while maintaining high precision. The framework has been validated in a large-scale production environment processing millions of entity records daily, demonstrating practical applicability for industrial ER systems.

In this study, the fruit quality of June-bearing (‘Aprica’ and ‘Brilla’) and everbearing (‘Irma’ and ‘Monterey’) strawberry cultivars was evaluated across different harvest periods (beginning, middle, and end). June-bearing cultivars produced larger fruits, particularly in the later harvests, whereas everbearing cultivars showed a higher proportion of large fruits at the beginning and middle of the harvest period. Fruit dimensions and shape index generally decreased toward the end of the harvest. Soluble solids content was higher in June-bearing (7.47 and 8.20 °Brix) compared to everbearing (6.03 and 6.60 °Brix) cultivars. Fruit firmness was highest in ‘Monterey’ (2.28 N), while color parameters (L*, a*, b*) were highest in fruits harvested in the middle of the period, regardless of cultivar, resulting in lighter, intensely red, and visually more attractive fruits. These findings highlight the importance of harvest timing and cultivar selection in optimizing strawberry fruit quality traits for the fresh market.